Another weekend, another chapter. Hope you enjoy it :D
Chapter E2: The Fountain of Life.
"So how was that Solon Ehrenstein guy?" (Anna)
"Well, all I can say is that I didn't get him." (Elaine)
"Mhm. That's a bit too vague." (Anna)
"I think it would be better if we explained everything from the start in detail." (Touma)
I relayed our conversation with him to Anna with as little personal bias as possible.
"Mhmm. A future boy, huh…" (Anna)
"I wonder if he'd become a good detective..." (Nika)
"Ugh. I can tell that you're screwing around even without context." (Elaine)
"Okay, Nika. I sense that Elaine's mental image of saints and witches is rapidly crumbling. Maybe we should really try thinking seriously once for a change." (Anna)
I, too, would appreciate that very much.
"To sum it up: he's looking for his magic name in the future, right? As he's interested in it and all." (Anna)
"…I've seen countless people turn their dreams into their magic names, but…" (Nika)
"Yea. This guy feels different, somehow. Anyway, I have a question for Elaine." (Anna)
"Uh? What is it?" (Elaine)
"Solon Ehrenstein is only interested in the future… and hates the "past." No?" (Anna)
Elaine locked her hands in front of her chest and proceeded to ponder.
"I wonder, it did kinda feel that way, but..." (Elaine)
"Contempt." (Touma)
"Yes?" (Anna)
All three turned towards me.
"It was more than him believing the past was not worth caring about. I got the distinct feeling that he was looking down on people like us who felt indebted to their forefathers." (Touma)
People shackled to the past, defined by their legacy.
"Ah… yeah. Something like that." (Elaine)
"So, basically, he looks down on people of the past and tries to live with only future in mind." (Anna)
"Does he harbor unreasonable expectations of the "future"? The dreamer type?" (Nika)
"Can't be sure. A correct being living according to correct time in a correct world? That doesn't even make sense." (Anna)
"…What do you mean?" (Touma)
"There is no "correct" world. Perfection isn't something that can be measured. Just like how saints harbor yet suppress temptations deep within their hearts, worlds, too, need their share of good and evil." (Anna)
"Good cannot exist without evil. The world is always grey and so are its inhabitants. Some might come very close to pure white or black, but they can never become completely one or the other." (Nika)
"You wouldn't know what white is without black to give it contrast. With no aggression in their hearts, humans would become apathetic beasts with no will to move forward." (Anna)
"And in a world of pure black, they wouldn't need intelligence anymore. They'd just devour each other on their mutual path to destruction." (Nika)
"Doesn't that contradict the Bible or something?" (Elaine)
"The Bible is a tool to lead a grey world as close to white as possible. Of course, it doesn't advertise the complete truth, as if it did, people would simply grow content to stay in the grey." (Nika)
"Well, to sum it up: a "right" world cannot possibly exist. Different individuals may perceive different worlds as their personal utopias, but a universally accepted ideal world is impossible to create. But that being said… I've come to understand Solon Ehrenstein's mindset a little bit from all these." (Anna)
"Understand what?" (Touma)
"That he's most likely going to employ future-related attacks against you in a fight." (Anna)
Hmm…
That was not too much of a stretch to assume that, considering his magic name was rooted in the future.
"Future-related attacks? What's on your mind, exactly?" (Touma)
"Well, predicting the future comes to mind first. Even sensing a few seconds ahead could change the outcome of a battle." (Anna)
He could counter all of my attacks quite easily if he could do that.
"What about defining the future? Like launching an attack that cannot be dodged or outran?" (Nika)
"Wh-What do you mean?" (Elaine)
"Reversing causality, basically. Rewriting the physical laws. He might be able to define the future of an attack, hitting the target before actually launching it. You cannot dodge or outrun it because the future would already be decided." (Nika)
"How is anyone supposed to fight a broken ability like that?" (Elaine)
"Not necessarily. Those future related attacks have an Achilles Heel: they are influenced entirely by the passage of time. For example, if he defines an attack to hit you after 3 seconds time, it can be countered if you were to stagnate time in a way that those 3 seconds never pass at all." (Nika)
An example of Zeno's paradox, basically. There's an eternity in a moment... if you think about it.
"Not to mention that it is highly unlikely that can spam those attacks one after another. Fiddling with reality on that level requires at least a Magic God level understanding of magic." (Anna)
The temples are known to make their guardians reality-warpers in their sanctum, but experience and know-how still plays a major deciding factor between a pseudo-Magic God and the real deal.
It isn't that easy to define the future entirely— sanctum, or not.
Altering the past is one thing, but even a full-fledged Magic God would find it hard to define a phase's reality into the deep future.
Even a quark can create endless possibilities due to Heisenberg's Principle.
To define the future, one must eliminate all these possibilities and the possibilities of these possibilities in a chain ad infinitum to make the one required reality "real" on a universal level.
"I'd imagine one couldn't even calculate the amount of mana and mental processing capacity to accomplish a feat of such magnitude." (Nika)
Indeed, destroying a phase would prove to be a much more easier task.
"But since we're talking on the scale of a single sanctum and not an entire world, one cannot deny the possibility completely. Maybe it'll be good to expect that he can launch such an attack every few minutes or so?" (Anna)
"Either way, that's a pretty troublesome ability. What about his crusade mates? Any companions?" (Touma)
"…" (Nika and Anna)
The two exchanged nervous glances. And after a moment of silence, Anna finally looked back at me somewhat awkwardly.
"Yeah, we tried looking into it. We tried, but…" (Anna)
"We couldn't find any. We dug up records from Necessarius' archives, but, at least on the paper, Solon Ehrenstein has never gone out on a crusade… which is odd." (Nika)
"Odd? How so?" (Touma)
"Because Kaori distinctly remembers opening the gates for him. It is strange that his information was not registered." (Nika)
"Not to mention the guy has no paper trail literally. He's got no passport, residence permits, or any other necessary identification documents. Without even a bank account or a sim-card to his name, just how did this person even manage to survive until now?" (Anna)
I agree, too.
Even magicians had to conform to certain social rules. True they are able to bend laws a bit more freely when compared to your average joe, but still they are not above the law of the country they were part of.
Solon Ehrenstein, however, was a total mystery.
There's a saying that a man is known by the company he keeps.
The whole idea was to figure out more about Solon by studying what sort of people he associated with during his crusade.
But as it turned out— it was a dead end.
"And I'm telling you, that's weird. It is almost as if, just like you, he isekai'd here one day, except in his case, the person responsible for his transmigration— his benefactor— is unknown." (Anna)
Anna proceeded to let out a frustrated sigh.
Like me or maybe Elaine here, there were many others who were spirited away from their respective worlds through the temples.
Elaine seemed to have amnesia, but judging from her knowledge and behavior, one could assume that she was from our world or a world closely resembling ours.
Her reason and common-sense was similar to our world's, making her, all-in-all, a perfectly normal girl.
"By the way, there is something I would like to know. If we were to encounter Solon Ehrenstein in the second temple… what will happen to the one here in St. Maurice?" (Touma)
Would he continue existing as a separate entity? Or will he die?
Anna gave me a disinterested glance.
"Nothing. He will vanish. His memories will be removed from the rest of his classmates. The result will be almost as if he "wasn't there" at all this whole time." (Anna)
Hearing that Elaine clenched her fists in front of her chest.
It seemed that Anna's answer had made her sad on some level.
"The Solon Ehrenstein you met today is like a copy of a computer program. He's completely like the Solon Ehrenstein at his most docile state. While his thoughts are similar yet independent to the real one, but still..." (Nika)
"…" (Elaine)
"...he isn't a record. I'm merely channeling his mind. As such the puppet here in St. Maurice may look like a different entity, and it is... but still its existence is dependent on the real deal." (Nika)
"That is…" (Elaine)
"In video game lingo, his existence would be like a save file. You can create it at any time, load and play it like a usual game, but still it would become completely useless when the game itself is deleted." (Nika)
With the real Solon Ehrenstein's death, the video-game will be uninstalled. The save-file can no longer be "booted up" or "loaded" into Anna's puppet, thus disappearing forever into the annals of time.
"…What about me? Do I have to save myself, too, before starting this whole crusade thing?" (Elaine)
"Hm, you? Well… I suppose it is not necessary. We keep those things around to monitor the fate of fallen crusaders as well as to study the mentality of guardians." (Anna)
"The main purpose of those puppets is to scout potential threats to the Church. Since we already know what sort of person you're, the procedure isn't necessary in your case. That being said— it is your call, really?" (Nika)
"Is that so?" (Elaine)
The same went for me as well. You could say that the personal acquaintances of Anna and Nika were the only exceptions to this rule.
However, unlike Elaine, the fate of the puppets failed to arouse any kind of special feelings within my chest.
They were consumables, as was I. I didn't mind vanishing without a trace after being used up, probably.
"Either way, you learned a lot just from a single conversation. Good job, Elaine." (Anna)
"…Yeah." (Elaine)
"Let's have you two work on two separate things from tomorrow. Elaine, you try approaching Ehrenstein once again. If you want, I'll wipe that classroom's memory of today: you can start over again if you wish." (Anna)
"Ah, there's really no need. It's alright as it is. I'd feel bad for them if I made you do something like that, anyway." (Elaine)
Elaine gave Anna a complex smile.
I doubted that Ehrenstein would mind forgetting about the past, though.
"And we'll have you undergo a combat regimen, Touma. I'm sure Laura's got one or two artifacts lying around that can predict or bend the future or something." (Anna)
Whether it was predicting the future, or defining it, it wouldn't hurt much to come up with a good countermeasure for either.
We were basing it all on conjecture at best, but I'd say it was pretty significant we could at least begin considering countermeasures to the whole thing.
Though, it would be nothing short of comedy if we totally missed the mark.
"Understood." (Touma)
"Any other questions?" (Anna)
I exchanged glances with Elaine and then shook our heads in unison.
"That's gonna be all for today, ladies and gentlemen. Please feel free to enjoy your free time till evening." (Anna)
…And with that I was left with nothing to do.
She told me to enjoy my free time, but I didn't have anything to do in particular.
"Well, Anna. Let's continue the game." (Nika)
"Um, y'know… Whenever I stop a game in the middle I don't feel like continuing it. H-How about we play another match from the start?" (Anna)
"I don't mind. But I'll go all out this time." (Nika)
"Ugh. Y-You're not gonna use that again?" (Anna)
"Thousands of my spies will lead your puny empire to utter destruction from within. Ufufufu~" (Nika)
"D-Do your worst!" (Anna)
Anna and Nika seemed to return back to their game.
But I wasn't much interested in it, and couldn't figure out what to do until dinner time.
…Sitting in a corner doing nothing was the only thing I could think of doing in this scenario.
"Hmm. What to do, what to do…" (Elaine)
"Something wrong?" (Touma)
"Ah, I was thinking about dinner. Now would be a good time to go shopping for ingredients, that's all." (Elaine)
"Oh, I see." (Touma)
"But when I thought about it, I realized I have no idea where they sell stuff here." (Elaine)
"I think there's a supermarket nearby." (Touma)
"Though I have no idea where." I murmured to myself, absentmindedly looking at the two play their game.
I always consumed nutrient-packs dispensed from the vending machine in the hallway.
"Um, Anna, can you give me a minute?" (Elaine)
"Oh yeah… my peerless micromanagement of finances shall make your rat-snout spies tremble in terror… Oh, you said something, Elaine?" (Anna)
"Y…Yeah. I'd like to buy some ingredients for dinner. Whither shalt I go to find them?" (Elaine)
Anna began to groan and moan in response.
"I think it is best to ask Ka-chan. You might get lost in the city outside." (Anna)
Get lost in the city outside?
St. Maurice was a quaint little town. Getting lost is physically impossible.
Or was there something I didn't know— a hidden danger lurking in the city?
"Allow me to bestow my thanks upon you. Your secret technology shall help my country prosper. Please work harder on unlocking your next tech tier... in the telecom sector, if possible." (Nika)
"GYAAAAH, NOOOO! The blood, sweat, and tears of my poor poor citizens!" (Anna)
"You did well, Ishikawa Goemon. I shall reward you with a castle, a noble lady, and twice your weight in gold. It's your turn next, Mata Hari: assassinate this crown-prince twerp here and plunge the English Empire into depths of succession chaos." (Nika)
"Oi, Mata Hari! DON'T YOU DARE DO IT! He's my one and only genius heir with good stats! The next one in line is a 22-year old infertile and imbecile Spanish b*stard with the drooling moron trait! ROYAL GUARDS! Protect your Crown-Prince at the cost of your lives!" (Anna)
Their passionate narratives certainly did paint a surreal image.
Rather than some hidden threat, it seemed like Anna was simply too lazy to help us out.
"Kanzaki-san? But isn't she, like, an important person or something?" (Elaine)
"Definitely one of the most influential people in St. Maurice right now." (Touma)
"NOOOOOO! My Willliaaaammm! Whyyyyy!" (Anna)
For some mysterious reason, Anna screamed in the background, which we ultimately chose to ignore.
Kanzaki Kaori.
The leader of Necessarius and commander of all the Church's armies.
With so many powerful magicians and saints under her belt, Kanzaki Kaori was a fearsome force to be reckoned with.
Not only did she have a staunch sense of justice, she was also not afraid to dirty her hands with blood to do what must be done.
An ideal commander for our situation.
"Ahem. Um… Kanzaki-san, are you inside?" (Elaine)
"Hm? This voice… Elaine Le Fay? Door's unlocked. Please, come in." (Kanzaki)
"Excuse me, then…" (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
"Kya…!" (Elaine)
The gazes of many people that sat around the table inside —all of them a distinguished Saint in their own right— concentrated on us suddenly. Startled by the sudden pressure, Elaine took a step back…
…and hit her head against my chest.
A faint aroma of lavender caressed my nostrils.
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
Elaine rolled her head back and upwards, looking me straight in the eye from below. Her cheeks flushed, she jumped away from me as if she touched fire.
"Ah. S-Sorry!" (Elaine)
"Do not worry about it." (Touma)
"Ah… Um… Er…" (Elaine)
Drumming her fingers, she stole one glance at me, and then another. She seemed oddly fidgety. What on earth could have caused that?
"Ahem! Ahem! While I don't condone physical relationships, it is best to wait until you're of legal age. Also, I would appreciate it greatly if you chose a different place for your romcom routines. It may be all be a front, but you're still in the office of the Public Moral Department, you know." (Kanzaki)
"Wh-Wh-What are you talking about, Kanzaki-san?!" (Elaine)
"Oh, I thought you came here to show off your romantic success. Well, if you have some other serious business, come on inside already." (Kanzaki)
"Y-Yes!" (Elaine)
In response, the other people— her subordinates— left the room. They gave us funny smiles before filing out of the room.
What an odd bunch!
"Your coming here gave us the opportunity to end the stupid meeting. You have my thanks." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki poured us two steaming cups of green tea. I took a sip.
"What do you mean?" (Touma)
"I mean the discussion was pointless. Everyone was just bickering back and forth with no real solution in mind. I thought it would go on forever." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki sank into her seat and propped her feet onto her desk. Letting out a sigh, she promptly filled her mouth with some tea.
I don't know why… but she looked incredibly old all of a sudden... or so I felt.
"Mhmm. Are we in some critical situation?" (Elaine)
"St. Maurice is in a perpetual critical situation, girl. We're in Armageddon mode 24x7 here. But it's not every day someone like Anna Sprengel gets to lecture us." (Kanzaki)
"Oh, Anna lectured you?" (Elaine)
"Sure she did. And for good reason too. Letting a record of potential guardian-candidates get tampered— that was indeed highly irresponsible of us." (Kanzaki)
It wasn't a particularly unexpected answer… if one were to ignore one part.
"The records were tampered?" (Touma)
That was news to me. Anna didn't mention any of it in our earlier conversation.
"Yes. The case files on Solon Ehrenstein are not the only things missing. The entries I personally made in the gate-register has been erased as well. At this point, it is only fair to suspect foul play." (Kanzaki)
"Are there any precedents for such incidents?" (Touma)
"None. This is the first time. But it is alright. I have taken appropriate countermeasures. Such an incident won't happen again…" (Kanzaki)
"Countermeasures?" (Touma)
"There might indeed be a mole in our ranks, but this isn't a time to start suspecting each other. For now, the knowledge of the tampering is enough." (Kanzaki)
"But having a snitch is dangerous, no?" (Touma)
"It is. But considering our situation, it is best to keep a close eye on things silently. Panic, distrust and chaos are the last things we need right now. As things stand, the only people who know of this situation are those that you saw earlier in this room." (Kanzaki)
That was a good move.
By limiting information, she would be able to find leaks and loopholes in her system.
"I see. Maintaining order is important, too, I guess." (Elaine)
Elaine gave us an understanding nod.
"Okay, that aside. Tell me about it. Why did you two come here for?" (Kanzaki)
"We do not know where we should go to buy things." (Elaine)
"Buy things? You mean like indulgences? God doesn't care much about them, forget it." (Kanzaki)
Elaine couldn't contain her laughter, boosted further by Kanzaki's dead-serious, puzzled look.
"That's not what she meant. I believe she was talking about food. Ingredients, groceries, etc." (Touma)
"…Oh." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki broke our gazes to consider a nearby wall, looking slightly flushed with embarrassment.
"We were told to ask for your help." (Elaine)
"Hmm? Really? But why didn't you lot ask Anna about it? She's well acquainted with the place…" (Kanzaki)
"…" (The Two)
"OH YEEAAAAAAH. Internet's in the bag! I finally caught up…" (Anna)
"Hmm. So you finally decided to enter the spaceship development race, I see… I suppose I shall destroy this aluminum mining complex here as a hearty welcome gesture." (Nika)
"Gyyyaaaah! Don't do it, please! Da*n, where are my workers…?" (Anna)
"I guess I'll destroy some of these oil refineries and bridges connected to your mining complexes for good measure. I surmise that should put you in the hole for a couple of turns." (Nika)
"Y…You demon!" (Anna)
Anna forced the words through her gritted teeth, burning in frustration.
But Nika only snickered in response to her friend's misfortune.
"Demon? You should really take a long look in the mirror?" (Kanzaki)
You tell them, Kanzaki.
"What are you doing here, Ka-chan? You tell these two how to buy groceries yet?" (Anna)
"…" (Kanzaki)
Without a second of hesitation, Kanzaki wrapped her arms around Anna's neck and proceeded to choke her. The Saint-Leader had no qualms about going straight to her carotid artery.
"Why don't you tell them? INTELLIGO?" (Kanzaki)
"Y-Yes… I intellegit. Anna will try to be a very good girl." (Anna)
Anna choked the words out, slapping the table repeatedly in an " I give-up" gesture.
"Good. Well, but since I came all the way here already, I guess we'll check that out." (Kanzaki)
That?
"By that, you don't mean that that…" (Anna)
"The one and the same." (Kanzaki)
"Ah, wait a second." (Nika)
"What is it, Nika? You know I'd appreciate it if you at least paused the game while talking to people…" (Kanzaki)
"Don't worry about it. It is over already." (Nika)
A spaceship soared through the depths of space towards a digital representation of the Alpha Centauri.
"Eh? Huh? Eh? Wh-What… N-Nika?" (Anna)
"I hate to break it to you, but it appears the AI took this game from us. I guess I spent too much time screwing around with you." (Nika)
"Whaaat! And I just got the Internet…!" (Anna)
"Well, it seems the other countries had future processing technology by then." (Nika)
With those words, Nika pulled the plug of the console.
For some reason, she sported an oddly uncharacteristic sour face. Looked like even she wasn't pleased by the outcome.
"Great. I'm glad you people got what you deserved. Now, get your *sses in gear!" (Kanzaki)
Dragging Anna by the collar, Kanzaki proceeded towards the doors.
"J-Just one moooore tuuuurn!" (Anna)
That game is already over, Anna.
Kanzaki released Anna from her iron grasp as we reached heavy-looking doors at the end of the corridor.
"Go ahead. Show them how it works." (Kanzaki)
"Alright, alright. Um… first, we open these doors." (Anna)
*loom*
"The door is a bit of a tough cookie, so you need to twist your wrist like th…is… a bit, and… oaaaaaah…" (Anna)
Squatting down on the floor, Anna shuddered in pain.
"What in the heaven's name are you doing?" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki looked over at Anna with amused bewilderment.
"And then, after collecting ourselves from the floor, we pour some more ooooomph… and tada~ it opens like this~ It's quite easy, really." (Anna)
…Very easy, indeed.
Anyway since the doors opened, we promptly followed Anna through them.
"Whoa… What is this place?" (Elaine)
There was a giant sphere-shaped object in the middle of the room. Its walls glowed a faint blue… if you could call them walls, that is.
Roughly the size of a small room, the sphere was embedded halfway into the floor, its contours rippling as if made from water. Curious, I reached out to touch them and was met with a jelly-like creamy sensation.
"I don't know if I should call this thing beautiful or creepy. Looks like something I'd expect to see in a fantasy movie." (Elaine)
"Aether that can transform into anything imaginable—alchemists have been trying to synthesize this thing since forever. Also known as "luminiferous aether" or "Aqua Vitae."" (Kanzaki)
Luminiferous Aether— the ether that was said to make up the material universe. It's existence was supported by famous philosophers like Aristotle as well as renowned physicists like Issac Newton.
It was only after the Michelson-Morley experiment disapproved the existence of ether that science finally managed to move away from the concept.
In the magical world, however, Aqua Vitae, much like the Philosopher's Stone, was an elusive wonder pursued by alchemists the world over.
Also known by many other names like the Water of Life, the Fountain of Youth, Aab-i-Hayat, Ochimizhu, Uische Beatha, and Mansarovar, Aqua Vitae was something that launched countless wars in history.
"The watery ball thingy in the middle is a mass of pure concentrated magic, and as such, it can be molded into anything you wish." (Nika)
"Anyway, at Fiamma's behest, the alchemist organization installed this thing here last week. Aureolus said it is a prototype, but, basically, they just want us to do trial runs by using it." (Kanzaki)
"In any case, we simply need to start using this from now on. It is pretty easy to operate. Here, I'll show you..." (Anna)
With that Anna plunged her hand into the thing, and grasped a piece of it. The way it wobbled around reminded me of jelly again.
"Hmm. Big Mac." (Anna)
The moment she uttered those words, the aqua vitae in her hands shimmered into light, and changed… into a giant hamburger.
"There you have it. *chomp*" (Anna)
Anna began to dig her way through the hamburger, pronto.
Elaine regarded the burger with bafflement on her face for a while. Eventually, she reached out her finger to poke it.
"E-Eh? My burger! Shoo~ shoo~" (Anna)
Anna pouted and turned away, protecting her precious burger from what she deemed to be an alien invasion.
"Amazing! It feels so real. You can make anything with this?" (Elaine)
"You should be able to make most of what you can imagine." (Kanzaki)
"What about living things? Can it make living things?" (Elaine)
"You can't create "living" beings, per se. But you can make their hollow shapes. There's one other factor that's missing from this thing to instill an inanimate object with life." (Nika)
…Life, huh.
"Go ahead. Give it a try! (Kanzaki)
"Y-Yeah. Here goes nothing." (Elaine)
Elaine plunged both her hands into the jelly-like substance and scooped out some of the Aqua Vitae.
"Wow… This is like jello, or maybe some cream. Such a weird sensation!" (Elaine)
She seemed to be enjoying herself.
"Rather than going to the supermarket, from now on, try coming here when you need something. The Alchemists Association will greatly appreciate your efforts." (Kanzaki)
"Sure~!" (Elaine)
"Now, try to imagine the ingredients you need to make tonight's dinner, and call out their names." (Anna)
I didn't know why, but looking at the excited Elaine and the smirking Anna filled my heart with a sort of bad premonition.
"I don't have a good feeling about this…" (Nika)
"Yeah." (Touma)
"…" (Kanzaki)
The two Saints seemed to share my view as well. We all took a step back away from Anna and Elaine.
"Righty, ingredients… ingredients. Kamijou-san, what do you wish to eat today?" (Elaine)
"Well, I am fine with anything you make, Elaine. So go ahead and follow your own heart." (Touma)
Though I'd appreciate it if it was edible, at least.
As long as I found no strange matter on my plate, I'd be fine.
"Your loss. Okay, first let's um… Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat…!" (Elaine)
"Which meat?" (Anna)
"Eh? Oh, er… Um… um… oh… O-Ostrich!" (Elaine)
Taking a cue from Elaine's words, the aqua vitae shuddered. Shimmering in dazzling lights, it grew bigger and bigger…
"Eh? Huh? It's a bit heavier than I… mgyah!" (Elaine)
Unable to withstand the weight, Elaine let the growing shape go, falling to the floor on her bottom from the resulting inertia.
"Oh, shit." (Anna)
"…I called it." (Nika)
"I would have loved it if you stopped her, then." (Kanzaki)
Hm. I see.
"Ooouch… I didn't know ostrich meat was this heavy. But I guess this much would surely be enough for…" (Elaine)
Elaine noticed the two hind legs in front of her face.
"I have a bad feeling about this." (Elaine)
Your bad feeling was right on the mark. Jackpot, Elaine.
"G-Gyaaaah! I-It's an ostrich!" (Elaine)
In front of her stood an ostrich, like the one she wished for. Not exactly meat, though.
"Geez. Why didn't you ask for ostrich "meat"? It's also a good idea to specify the cut you want too, you know." (Anna)
"Is this ostrich dead?" (Touma)
The bird was standing in place, frozen in time. It looked very much alive from a glance but refused to move one bit.
"No, he's not dead. Though he's not exactly alive, either." (Anna)
Anna extended her left arm and, with that, a faint black smoky sphere appeared above her palm.
"All living things on earth have the power to create others of their own species. Be it humans, dogs, rats, or amoebas." (Anna)
"Ooooh! Awesome!" (Elaine)
"However, there are some that possess the power to create those other than themselves, though." (Anna)
Create another species.
Complicated, dark thoughts suddenly gnawing at my heart, I stole a glance at Anna, but she returned it with an innocent smile.
"Um… I'm not sure if I understand this correctly. Is this ball "life" or something?" (Elaine)
"Yep, exactly. This is my lifeforce. Most witches can harness theirs or other people's lifeforce to fuel spells. Long story short, if I were to chuck this ball inside that ostrich, it would become alive." (Anna)
"Hey, Anna. That's forbidden magic. Don't go around creating new lives as you please." (Kanzaki)
"Ahaha~ Don't worry, Ka-chan! I just wanted to show off a bit before the newbie… Um, Elaine?" (Anna)
Elaine suddenly took a firm grasp of Anna's arm.
…I had a bad feeling about this.
"Aiii!" (Elaine)
"Eh? E-Eh?" (Anna)
And with that, before Anna could even realize what was happening, the dark ball got swiftly absorbed into the ostrich's motionless body.
"NOOOOO… MY PRECIOUSSS LIFEEEEEFOOOORCE!" (Anna)
"How troublesome!" (Kanzaki)
"Long live intellectual curiosity!" (Elaine)
The problem child seemed to have gotten a high from the situation.
"I thought this would happen." (Nika)
Me too…
It seemed like light returned to the ostrich's lifeless eyes. They proceeded to blink once, then twice.
"Wow, it seems awake now! Hello Mr. Ostrich!" (Elaine)
The ostrich considered Elaine's face for a few moments and, satisfied by what it saw, leaned its long neck down and proceeded to rub its head against her right cheek.
"Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah. Who's the cutie! You're! You're! Good boy! Good boy!" (Elaine)
Seeing Elaine meow like a cat while rubbing its neck, the ostrich seemed to have forgotten all the worries in the world.
"…Did she just housebreak it?" (Nika)
"Now I have to go to the breeding department… again…"
"Wait, Elaine. A-Are you planning to keep this thing?" (Anna)
"Eh? I can't?" (Elaine)
Both the ostrich and Elaine affixed their eyes on Anna.
"W-Well, if it's a question of can or cannot, then I guess there is no reason why you couldn't, but…" (Anna)
"Great! I guess we'll have to think of a name for you now, buddy~" (Elaine)
The ostrich replied with a hearty "kueh~"
"For all that's worth, we should have simply let her go to the supermarket. Didn't we come here to get groceries? How the hell did we end up with an ostrich?" (Anna)
"God truly works in mysterious ways." (Elaine)
It was your fault, though.
Well, at least both Elaine and the ostrich seemed happy with the outcome.
"Anyway, let's get those groceries already." (Anna)
"Specify what meat you want this time. I would hate to see if an elephant or a giraffe came out next." (Kanzaki)
"Oh, yeah. Got it, um, Kanzaki-san… Hmm… Ostrich meat!" (Elaine)
"Are you serious?" (Everyone)
Everyone couldn't help but facepalm.
Even the ostrich added a questioning "kueh" to our unison.
…And so that was how we ended up getting our ostrich pet "Osty."
To Elaine's disappointment, we were asked to relay him to the breeding department, where he'd find a home in their animal ranch.
Feeding it was her job, though.
And I suppose I should leave a record that the marinated ostrich steak we had afterwards was extraordinarily delicious.
"You were delicious!" (Nika)
"Nika… Your look is creeping me out, and, um, could you please keep your distance from little Osty?" (Elaine)
"Yummy yummy! *shlorp*" (Nika)
Seeing Nika lick her lips greedily while eying Osty—
"Get away from him!" (Elaine)
—mama Elaine nearly flipped out.
And so came tomorrow.
I found myself in the gymnasium, trying to come up with a good way to deal with Solon Ehrenstein and his possibly future-related attacks. Dressed in tracksuits, both Nika and Anna were with me.
Meanwhile, Elaine was once again dispatched on a classroom reconnaissance mission— alone this time.
"Hmhm. It's been a while since I last fought someone~ My muscles are so stiff~ I won't hold back on anyone today!"
And Kanzaki was also around.
"Y-You sure you're not overdoing it, Ka-chan?" (Anna)
"I can't say that I'm very happy with the fact you pulled me out of bed this early in the morning." (Nika)
"Don't say that… There're times when I want to kick some *ss, too, you know." (Kanzaki)
As the *ss in question, I wanted to launch a protest against her comment… but in the end, I had no choice but to let it slide.
Kanzaki, meanwhile, gave me a dazzling smile. She knew exactly what I was thinking.
She was a Saint I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of.
Still, my future opponent was a complete unknown, so it was necessary to find a strong partner to practice with.
And no one could complain about Kanzaki on that point.
"Anyway, am I supposed to use this?" (Kanzaki)
An odd object glowed in faint blue in her hands.
I could only describe it as an object, as, for some reason, I could not quite "comprehend" what it was no matter how much I tried.
"Yep. The name of this thingie is the [Hauteclere]. It is an artifact that analysis the past and controls the future. It is perfect for our practice." (Anna)
"Hmm. Interesting, but kind of creepy at the same time. I can't even "tell" what this is supposed to be despite having it in my hand?" (Kanzaki)
"Oh, Laura's things are mostly like that, and um… by the way, you want me to read out this thing's user manual." (Anna)
"Uhum." (Kanzaki)
Seeing Kanzaki nod, Anna pulled out a piece of parchment she received from Laura from within her tracksuit pocket.
"Maximum effective range of this weapon is three kilometers. Also, it is possible to adjust its thickness down to one micron." (Anna)
"Hmm. That so? Cool." (Kanzaki)
"In addition, it is very easy to use as it automatically pursues the targets its wielder regards as hostile. Harboring endless possibilities within, [Hauteclere] will keep changing its shape and style to suit any situation during the fight." (Anna)
"…Mhm. In other words, you use this to smash things, right?" (Kanzaki)
There were small sparkles in Kanzaki's eyes. It reminded me of a kid receiving a new toy.
"Um…Well, I suppose that's the gist of it." (Anna)
Kanzaki proceeded to twist and stretch the muscles of her right arm.
…Her enthusiasm, to be completely honest, unnerved me a little.
"Then, shall we begin? Don't be shy and come at me with your everything." (Kanzaki)
"As you wish." (Touma)
And with that, a very brutal training regimen began.
Guest Reviews and Author Notes:
Mr. X: Thanks a ton for the review. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the story ^^
1) Actually, I was planning to. But then felt like Anna's story is best kept for the last. Since she's so mysterious and all (both in my fic and canon as well) … Also, I have some cool ideas for Anna's route. Anyway, basically, Anna's route will be the last one before canon fic rewrite :D
2) You mean the current Touma? Actually, that's the price he has to pay for possessing so many esper abilities. Like I explained in the last route, his memories were to be supplanted into the next unit, which made his designers pay less attention to the issue of his body's physical deterioration.
But I feel like that wasn't the question that you were implying.
If you're asking whether he has an aging problem at the end of the previous route: then, he doesn't.
Upon ascension, he is removed from all mortal issues (as an Archetype, death/non-existence is like sleeping for him) and upon reaching YESH, he isn't even part of the SYSTEM anymore. Basically, he is essentially comparable to God (one with the big G) or someone of that caliber. It only ended that way because he burnt away all his essence as an Archetype, thus becoming a mortal once more, and it was only then that his mortal problem returned. Basically, he threw away his godhood. Else it would have been a happily ever after. In the end, his soul was similar to that of God or Nika, but his body was not. As such he disappeared into YESH much like how Light did after it decided to cease existing.
Hope that clears some of your queries ^^
Once again, thanks a ton for leaving your thoughts on the matter. It is much appreciated.
Moving on:
I wanted to write a slice of life chapter basically (since later chapters always get so serious)... but not without some important content.
The next one will be a training chapter. Last time it was Albert, this time it's Kanzaki. Hope Touma survives lol :3
See ya'll around.
~VG outto~