Here's the chapter for this weekend! Please enjoy, and don't forget to R&R if possible ^^
Anyway—
Chapter E4: Canopus
"A mold. The bigger, the better, please!" (Elaine)
As Elaine so happily exclaimed, the aqua vitae wobbled and turned into iron.
Right, I had completely forgotten we could do that. But then, wouldn't it be quicker to…
"Elaine. Don't you think it would be better to ask for a tart instead?" (Touma)
"Eh. Yea, I guess. But that would be boring, no? You have to enjoy the process, too, chap." (Elaine)
Saying so she poked my nose with her ring finger.
"Is that so?" (Touma)
"Yup, yup. If I make use of aqua vitae to get tarts all it's gonna be good for is eating… Well, I guess that is the important part, but that's not all there is to cooking!" (Elaine)
Oh.
"It's a lot more fun to get the ingredients and enjoy making the thing yourself. Or at least it is for me." (Elaine)
I see your point.
Enjoying the process… it could certainly be fun in a way, especially when a process like cooking is concerned.
"You just wait and relax till I finish. You seem hurt and all." (Elaine)
"No. I would like to help out too, if possible." (Touma)
"But… what about your leg?" (Elaine)
"It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm sure I'll be able to remove the bandage off in an hour or two." (Touma)
"I see. That's good. Then, let's cook it together!" (Elaine)
Elaine clasped my right arm, snickering to herself. Seeing her so happy all of a sudden, I couldn't help but ask…
"Hmm. Did I say something funny?" (Touma)
"Eh? Hmmhmm. Don't mind me! It's nothing, really." (Elaine)
Her was sweet as cotton candy… or I felt like it did.
At least metaphorically, I mean.
And so… it was dinner time.
"*munch* *munch* *munch* * gulp*… Delicious." (Nika)
"It's been ages since I had a pizza for dinner… *munch* *munch*" (Anna)
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. I wanted to make a chocolate tart initially, but the plan failed, you see. But I have properly filled it with jalapenos, mushrooms, and bacon."
"Oh. It tastes really good… Can you pass me the mayonnaise?!" (Nika)
"Beats eating a giant chocolate cake for dinner, believe me. Been there, done that. Pizza is leagues better. Oh, and pass me that sauce instead?" (Anna)
Looked like Anna wasn't much of a sweet-tooth.
"So it is tasty. I was worried for nothing, ahaha. What about you, Kamijou-san? Like it?" (Elaine)
"Yes. It is pretty good. It just looks a bit… unique." (Touma)
Not only did we get an enormous mold, for some reason, it took upon the shape of a crab… So now the pizza looked so realistic that I felt it might start walking away.
That aqua vitae was not very flexible, it seemed. Or maybe it was our way of asking for things that didn't quite click with it.
As soon as we saw that huge crab mold, we gave up on our tart plan and decided to make a fish-shaped pizza kind of thing instead. We, then, stuffed it with ample amounts of Mozzarella cheese, Canadian bacon, onions, and mushrooms.
…And that's how we ended up having a dinner-pizza feast.
But still, it beat having to eat a giant chocolate cake in the evening. I guess I wasn't much of a sweet-tooth, either.
"The timeframe for our crusade has been decided." (Anna)
And so, after all of us finished eating our shares of the pizza, Anna, sipping her glass of coke, finally declared.
"When will it start?" (Touma)
"The day after tomorrow. It seems Seth and Azura will start theirs after they see how well ours goes. We're gonna be testing the waters, basically." (Anna)
I see.
I had no complaints.
Actually, I was rather relieved I didn't have to go together with Seth and Azura.
"That being said. A couple of magicians volunteered to scout the area. It seems like the first temple's guardians were reshuffled. So, as things currently stand, Elaine's intuition was correct. The incumbent guardian of the Ahathoor Temple seems to be Solon Ehrenstein." (Anna)
"Ah. So it was him, after all…" (Elaine)
"Wait a second, Anna. What do you mean by "reshuffled"?" (Touma)
"Basically, the second temple was the dominion of another guardian. But, now, for some reason, Solon has invaded the place and taken control of it." (Anna)
"This sort of things happened before? These fights between guardians?" (Touma)
"It is kind of rare. Most guardians are content with the protection of their sanctums. But there are some odd cases like these too, I guess. Mad people require no specific reason for doing outrageous things, correct?" (Anna)
"Oh, I see. Indeed that is correct. However, in this case. what happened to the original guardian?" (Touma)
"Most probably killed off. But no one would know for sure." (Anna)
"Anna, you earlier said that we sent a scout party ahead… Are they too… uhm… in any chance…" (Elaine)
"Of course, they're alive. Probably. Anyway, it is best not to concern ourselves much on that front." (Anna)
Anna didn't really seem to care much about the fates of our fellow magicians.
"We've appointed people here to specifically worry about things like that. However, on a much different note, if a fight were to break out between them, normal magicians would most certainly perish in a heartbeat. It is good to assume that the guardians are at least Saint-class in terms of battle-power." (Nika)
Nika, also sipping on her can of diet-coke, coldly added.
"They are that strong?" (Elaine)
The Magic Society.
There existed three categories of magicians.
On the upper echelon were the Saints and their equivalents— like the Norse Valkyries or the Greek Keres.
Superhuman beings said to be capable of tanking a nuke point-blank range.
Saints possessed a constitution similar to that of the Biblical Son of God, and only the top-twenty strongest of these individuals enter the ranking-list as a "ranked" Saint.
Valkyries were magicians that inherited or chose to inherit artificially the constitution of a Norse Valkyrie— one of the twelve handmaidens of Odin and the "Chooser of the Slain."
Their selling point was their immense durability and strength.
Keres were magicians that were very similar to Valkyries but instead dabbled in "dark arts" and "death magic." As such most of them are witches, too.
It was this level of strength that came to be referred to as Saint-class.
In the middle block, were "special" magicians, like Golemancers, Alchemists, and Necromancers.
They excelled in their particular area of trade and were quite formidable enemies when faced by normal magicians.
They constituted the "Special-class" of the magic society.
On the bottommost rank, however, are the normal magicians. The rank-and-file of the magic world.
These tiers—although it was not an official creed, was still an informal system used to estimate a crusade's net battle-power.
There existed a great chasm in strength possessed by a Saint to that of a normal magician.
To make an analogy, if a normal magician were to be a soldier armed with a gun, a Saint-class opponent would be something like a battleship.
Victory was not impossible, nonetheless, it was a statistic very close to zero.
From the perspective of the Saint, normal magicians were only a little bit better than an average person and would probably die from a brush or a shove.
In other words, the ones who grew to have become "guardians" were simply that powerful.
They were monsters capable of surviving a nuke, or that's what was expected of them at the very least.
And Solon Ehrenstein was very likely one of them.
"So… Kamijou-san is also that strong, then?" (Elaine)
Elaine regarded me expectantly.
"I'm not so sure. Touma is a little bit special. It's hard to gauge the real depths of his power." (Anna)
I continued to drink my cola in silence.
"Would you feel more at ease if he said something along the lines of "I'm the strongest there is"?" (Nika)
"Eh? Hmm… Maybe?" (Elaine)
She didn't seem very certain with the idea.
But if it made her feel safer, I should probably try it.
"Elaine. I'm strong." (Touma)
"Ahaha. I know that much." (Elaine)
It didn't seem like my words had much of an effect.
I didn't add to her worries, but nor did it seem like I lessened them.
But that made sense.
Who would ever feel comfortable if their partners declared they were strong to them with no proof?
Yet, at the same time, I couldn't have her uncertain and scared during our crusade.
It would be problematic.
Just thinking about it kind of rubbed me the wrong way, too.
"I'll protect you." (Touma)
"Thank… Hoeh?!" (Elaine)
"What did you just…" (Anna)
"…? Isn't that simple common sense, Anna?" (Nika)
"W-Well, I guess it is. But I didn't expect him to put it like that, you know." (Anna)
The gallery seemed oddly excited, but I decided to ignore them for now.
Looking Elaine straight in the eyes, I repeated myself once more.
"I'll protect you. I'll lay down my life for you if the situation calls for it. So…" (Touma)
"I-I understand. Um… I'm not much good at anything, but please be kind to me, until death do us part…" (Elaine)
Absentmindedly, almost as if her soul had vacated her body, she squeezed out the words in a monotonous whisper.
"Ah… Aw… Uh…" (Elaine)
She then proceeded to mumble something, still seemingly not in this world.
"What's wrong?" (Touma)
It was then that color returned to her face. Flushing a blinding vermillion, she turned away from me, for some mysterious reason.
It took her one full minute to recollect herself.
"Ah, no… P-Please pardon what I just said! You just caught me off guard. I didn't expect you to be so frank and forward, Kamijou-san. Um…" (Elaine)
"Ohoho~" (Anna)
With the agility of a serpent, the giggling witch in the room coiled her arm around Elaine's shoulder.
"It is alright, sweetie~ I don't think Touma has the required mental capacity to go fishing for deeper meanings hidden behind your words. Also, I'm sure he just meant all that literally, not metaphorically." (Anna)
There was some hidden meaning in her words? Where?
"Ah, yeah. I… um, got that. I got that, but… My heart… just kinda…" (Elaine)
"…Was hopeful?" (Anna)
"Yeah. Was hopeful." (Elaine)
Anna and Elaine nodded at each other. I had no idea what they were going on about.
"Did I say something wrong?" (Touma)
Maybe I should apologize in advance...
"N-N-No. I-It's not wrong. Not wrong at all! I'm very happy with your proposal. Rather, I'd say I'm just maybe a little bit too okay with it, y'know?! Which is really weird.…" (Elaine)
Elaine whispered the last part, but I heard it nonetheless.
"Weird? Are you sure I didn't bother you?" (Touma)
"Nope! Nada! Nehi! Not at all!" (Elaine)
Seeing Elaine frantically wave her hands in refusal, it seemed like there really was not any problem.
"I see. Good then." (Touma)
Phew. That was a weight off my heart.
Elaine considered me for a moment, and then made a sulking expression for some reason.
"What the hell… This level of density just isn't fair, don't you think?" (Elaine)
Density?
Elaine seemed to be conversing with Anna using some unknown jargon.
"Fool. There's no fairness between men and women. It's an aeon of night assaults, robberies, and coercion. But I agree that subject's density will make adamantium cry tears of envy." (Anna)
"Ohhh… Is that so, Anna-shisho?!" (Elaine)
"Yeah! And remember only an arrow of concentrated Vibranium of emotions will breach though the moron's adamantium shield." (Anna)
Were they talking about games?
"Ohoho~ Lil Ms. V*rgin is surely running her mouth today…!" (Nika)
"Leave me alone, four-eyes! Comrade Elaine, is your Vibranium hot and ready?! This is time for retaliation! Our foe is like that one impregnable Palatine Keepstar Citadel! May your emotions take the form of neutronium bullets and drill your convictions deep into his adamantine armor!" (Anna)
"Eh? Ah. Um… But shouldn't a more tactical approach be more beneficial?" (Elaine)
"Are you talking back to your superior, Comrade?" (Anna)
"N-No… I will never!" (Elaine)
"~staaaaaare~"
"…I'll try it. I'll try it. Here goes nothing!" (Elaine)
"?" (Touma)
"Ahem. Ahem. Hey, um… T-Touma?" (Elaine)
"Hm? Yeah?" (Touma)
What was going on now?
"E-E-E-Excited yet?!" (Elaine)
"…?" (Touma)
Excited what?
"Commander Anna, I failed! I failed! Commander Anna! My Vibranium rounds failed to even make a dent in his adamantium shields!" (Elaine)
"Dimwit! Did you think that would work? Don't underestimate the Vibranium!" (Anna)
"B-But… I thought Japanese guys get excited when a pretty girl calls them by their first name?!" (Elaine)
Oi Oi…
That information was wrong on so many levels.
"Hmm. It should excite him, logically speaking. All those animes show MCs wildly blushing when called as such… How very strange!" (Anna)
Okay, Anna. This is just a thought, but maybe anime isn't the best source to start learning about Japanese culture.
However, I get where those shows came from.
Maybe, I really was the odd one.
Either way, I was simply too used to people calling me by my first name that nowadays I barely take notice at all.
But the more prominent question here is: why are they trying to do what they are trying to do?
"Okay, comrade. You need to step your game! Come up with something even more embarrassing! Anyway, go. Time's a-wasting!" (Anna)
"Embarrassing… Embarrassing… Embarrassing… What's even more embarrassing… Aha… T-Touma, w-would you like to…" (Elaine)
"Would I like to?" (Touma)
"D-D-Do some aggressive cuddling!" (Elaine)
"Oh shit, that was a bit too much. Even a girl like me is seriously put off now!" (Anna)
"GYAAAAAAAAH! I can't believe I just spouted all that bullsh*t! And what the hell is aggressive cuddling, anyway? There is a limit to….! I don't want to live anymore! Can someone please kill me?!" (Elaine)
"Well, Kamijou Touma! What will be your response to this foreigner transfer student's most embarrassing of confessions?!" (Anna)
The two seemed oddly excited. But for different reasons, I presume.
I analyzed Elaine's words to the best of my ability, and proceeded to state my opinion.
"Forgive the cultural differences, but I believe you should only say such words to someone you're already in a deep and intimate relationship with." (Touma)
"Goddammit! Now he's playing the common-sense card!" (Both Anna and Elaine)
Uhh…
Was there something wrong with my answer?
The two, for some reason suddenly looking gloomy, left the room, lending each their shoulders. Anna was waving a white handkerchief, too, as she left.
"Did I say something wrong?" (Touma)
"No, it was those two morons that were in the wrong this time. Please don't worry about it." (Nika)
"Is that so?" (Touma)
"Yup. Well, that aside. Your accent seems a bit weird today. What's up with that?" (Nika)
"Yeah. Elaine told me to use an accent I am most comfortable with instead of talking formally all the time." (Touma)
"I see. Actually, I agree. It feels more natural when you speak freely like this." (Nika)
Not finding the words to respond, I continued to empty my can of cola.
And Nika, unlike Anna, wasn't the type who'd go out of her way to strike conversations just because of momentary silence.
She'd start reading a book in such a situation.
She was here, but not here at the same time, almost as if she had turned invisible.
And so as not to disturb her, I proceeded to silently meditate upon the coming battle with Solon Ehrenstein and tomorrow's practice with Kanzaki.
I-If I didn't concentrate, I would have begun to ponder the mystery lurking behind Elaine's words earlier.
However, it didn't take long for a sudden telepathic voice to stir me from my thoughts.
"Touma! Can you hear me?" (Anna)
"I can. What happened?" (Touma)
"Nothing much. Wanna come up to the roof for a bit?" (Anna)
"Roof?" (Touma)
"See you there… Alright?" (Anna)
It came off as a suggestion at first, but the tone at that last part made it sound like "Of course, you'll come, won't you? There's no way you wouldn't. Because then I'll have to kill you" kind of affair.
Having no other choice, I stood up.
"Where are you going?" (Nika)
"Roof." (Touma)
"Have fun!~" (Nika)
Not even glancing at me, she waved goodbye. She looked quite hilarious flapping her arm like that.
"Here I am." (Touma)
As I entered the rooftop, Anna materialized from somewhere behind me and tugged on my arm.
"Great~ Let's go~" (Anna)
"Oh, you came to check these out, too, Touma? Just look at them!" (Elaine)
Elaine pointed to the sky. To the mantle of stars stretching above us.
"…I get the feeling the location of some stars has changed since the last time I saw them." (Touma)
"I moved them around." (Anna)
"She's amazing, y'know. She just waved her hands a few times, and the sky became even more beautiful." (Elaine)
Excited, Elaine proceeded to flail her arms around.
"I got all the main guys of the major constellations." (Anna)
"Oh… I can definitely see that now." (Touma)
There was Orion.
And there was Scorpio.
Oh, and Sagittarius as well.
And Leo… and Virgo… wait a second.
"How come all the major constellations are there at the same time? Even all twelve of the zodiacs." (Touma)
It was chaos.
Crazy.
"Who cares about all that? They look nice, and that's all that matters, correct?" (Anna)
"Yep, exactly! It's perfect!" (Elaine)
"…Well, if you say so." (Touma)
I couldn't deny it looked beautiful.
Major constellations from both the northern and southern hemispheres— all present at the same time for our viewing pleasure.
It was a bit chaotic, and crazy all things considered, but, I supposed, it wasn't right to worry about such small details when considering something the scale of the stars.
"Oooh, I came up with something good! Let's make a new constellation while we're at it." (Elaine)
"Oooh! That's a good idea!" (Anna)
"Try connecting Sirius and Aldebaran like this, then take Altair, Deneb, and Fomalhaut, and…" (Elaine)
As Elaine's index fingers traced along the skies, Anna diligently moved the stars to match her hand movements.
W-Wait, this was…
"ELAI—" (Elaine)
"Okay. I think that's enough star-play for today!" (Anna)
"Tch…!" (Elaine)
Was she really going to write her name in the skies using the stars?
And I highly doubt that she would stop at simply writing her first name across the starry canvas.
If we let her free rein… tomorrow NASA and other space agencies will be baffled to discover a giant stellar superstructure saying something along the lines of "ELAINE LE FAY WAS HERE! WHA'CHA LOOKIN' AT BOZOS!~" appearing out of the blue overnight.
"I cannot let you write "Elaine" across the skies. Why, you ask? Because then I'll feel like writing "Anna" too. And with all those constellations I crammed in here… there's no space for writing another word!" (Anna)
So that was her problem? How very typical of Anna.
"Oh, no! You're right! I'm so sorry!" (Elaine)
"So let us revel in the misery of not having our names written in the skies together." (Anna)
"Yeah~" (Elaine)
Such a strange misery to have.
But, nonetheless, being able to move stars as you saw fit. Hmm.
"Anna. Are those stars part of your illusions?" (Touma)
"Nope. They are the real deal." (Anna)
"Then, how can you manipulate them like that?" (Touma)
Isn't the feat of such magnitude simply too absurd and mind-boggling?
"It isn't anything strange. The Universe exists to be observed. That's all." (Anna)
"What do you mean? (Touma)
The Universe exists to be observed. That was the famous Anthropic Principle.
But what does that have to do with instantly dragging stellar-sized bodies light-years across space?
"It is all a matter of perspective. If you consider those stars as titanic balls of fire fusing hydrogen and helium into energy, then no matter the amount of mana you have… it is likely insufficient to make it budge."
"Isn't that the case? So how did you do it?" (Touma)
"Imagine it as small specks of light in the ether. Magic works wonders if you just change the perspective. It isn't much difficult to move a small ball of light, correct?" (Anna)
"Whoa." (Elaine)
"So perspective matters so much?!" (Touma)
"Yeah. And it's not only limited to astronomy. Did you know that the Earth was once truly flat?" (Anna)
"Wait. How can that be true?" (Touma)
"It was flat simply because many people once believed it to be so. It was only when more people started believing in the "Heliocentric-model," they started finding all sorts of flaws in the "Flat-Earth" theory. The same goes for Copernicus's model of the world." (Anna)
"That's absurd. The world changes to accommodate human beliefs?" (Touma)
"That is correct. Doesn't that form the essence of the Anthropic Principle?" (Anna)
"But Anna, then why wouldn't practicing magic become more easier? If I simply believed I possessed vast mana stores, according to the Anthropic Principle, shouldn't that too become reality?" (Touma)
"It isn't all that simple, really. The main thing about Anthropic Principle is the amount of will you possess to manipulate the world." (Anna)
Willpower?
Kanzaki Kaori had said something about it earlier, too…
Looks like it was going to be very important.
"Basically… anyone can change and alter reality. The inherent potential is there: it's called the power of "observation." But when you actually intend to manipulate reality, your will for change is weighed against the will of those who don't wish for the said change." (Anna)
"My will is weighed against others." (Touma)
"Yes. Moving stars is easy because no one other than a few select astronomers really care about their locations. As such, I am able to overcome their passive will of "wanting to see the stars where they had last seen it". But I wouldn't say the same about using smaller scale magic. No one would reasonably expect an H-bomb to go off in the middle of Academy City." (Anna)
"I see." (Touma)
"So if I were to wish to make such a reality possible, my will to cause such an action will be weighed against people who really don't believe such a situation can ever take place. In the end, it becomes a contest between my will and the will of a billion others who really don't wish or expect such an illogical thing to happen." (Anna)
"Um… Anna. And what if your willpower exceeds that of those unsaid billions—" (Elaine)
"Then such a reality will truly unfold. An H-bomb will go off in the middle of Academy City for no reason at all." (Anna)
"Wow!" (Elaine)
"By the way, did you know that there are already people capable of exerting will worth billions of people…" (Anna)
"There are…?" (Touma)
I cannot even imagine how strong such a person would be. Wait, can the concept of strength even be applied to him/her at such a stage?
"Yup. Normal humanity calls them Gods. Magicians simply call them Magic Gods." (Anna)
"Oh." (Touma)
"Awesome!" (Elaine)
"Yeah, they are pretty awesome!" (Anna)
Magic Gods…
Beings single-handedly capable of winning a "willpower" tug-of-war with the rest of humanity combined.
There're those, too, now that I think about it.
I wonder what they think of all this crusade business.
"Anyway, the moral of the story is: as long as your will is indomitable, the world will make you "invincible."" (Anna)
"Is that so?" (Touma)
But wasn't that always the case.
Espers have always tried to manipulate their surroundings by inserting various values in their Personal Reality.
But if "magic" was simply the power of human observation and beliefs… How was it any different from AIM which basically infringes upon the world through artificial means?!
Maybe, the holistic concept of magic was a misconception in itself. Perhaps, magic was simply a fancy word for defiance of physical laws and order.
In which case, it will simply be "change." The fundamental law of Entropy hard at work.
"H-Hey. If all that is true, does that mean it is possible for me to get one, too? D-Don't mind it too much. I'm just asking… hypothetically." (Elaine)
My thoughts were interrupted as Elaine hesitantly unveiled her wish. Whatever she wished for, Anna gave her a heartfelt, or rather an easygoing nod.
"You mean a star? Yeah, it's possible. Which one do you want?" (Anna)
Wow. That was her wish?!
Even I felt awestruck.
"Mhm… That one." (Elaine)
After glancing in the direction Elaine pointed at, Anna snapped her fingers, and a star fell from the sky right to her hands…
"Here you go." (Anna)
"…" (Touma)
… just like that.
"As I said… no one's gonna notice is a couple of stars go missing." (Anna)
Except for maybe the astronomical community.
But I guess they still represented a very small minority in comparison to the entirety of the human population.
Anyway, the "star" that Anna handed to Elaine was hardly the size of a softball.
Its glow grew fainter and fainter, and in a few seconds… it turned to a simple black ball.
"Huh? It doesn't shine by itself?" (Elaine)
"There's a trick to the way I imagined it. Hold it in your hands, and try chanting "Mehr Licht."" (Anna)
The German word for "More light"… Also, the famous last words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
"Merr Lihht!" (Elaine)
The dark ball suddenly started glowing again.
"If you don't do anything, it will stop glowing in about ten minutes. You should also know that if you throw it at people it will hurt quite a bit." (Anna)
"Oh! Are you kidding me?! I absolutely won't throw it around! Thank you, Anna. This is going to be my treasure!" (Elaine)
"The name of that star is Canopus. Touma, tell her about it." (Anna)
"Canopus, its name comes from the pilot of King Menelaus' ship that Greeks sailed on to the Trojan War, and it's the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius. Although it is impossible to see from Japan, the Japanese call it "Mera."" (Touma)
"Mera." (Elaine)
"Yes. It is also called a "Star of the Southern Elders" in China, where it's thought to grant one longer life if prayed upon—" (Touma)
"Is that true, Kamijou-san?" (Elaine)
Suddenly thrusting Canopus towards me, she regarded me with serious eyes.
"…That this star can grant you a longer life." (Elaine)
"…I don't know how much truth there is to it, but such a legend does indeed exist." (Touma)
"I see…" (Elaine)
Elaine regarded the star with a serious expression. I couldn't bring myself to remind her that that star in her hands could no longer be considered a star anymore.
"Kamijou-san, you can have it." (Elaine)
She suddenly handed Canopus to me.
"Why?" (Touma)
Wasn't this your precious star? The very one you wished to treasure?
"You're gonna be in more danger than me. If you have this your life will be extended, right?" (Elaine)
"Oh…" (Touma)
So that was what it was.
I decided to take her gift. I didn't want to let her kindness go to waste.
"May Mera serve you well." (Elaine)
Clasping her hands, Elaine apparently proceeded to pray.
"Anyway, Anna, didn't you call me here for a reason?" (Touma)
"Ah. Yeah, right right. I have some bad news and worse news for you two." (Anna)
"?" (Both)
As both of us cocked our heads in confusion, Anna considered us with a ruthless smile on her face.
"You two haven't found your respective callings, right?" (Anna)
"I haven't yet." (Touma)
"N-Neither did I." (Elaine)
"I see…" (Anna)
Anna gave us a sinister smile.
"You should know that neither me nor Nika are planning to help you in the Ahathoor temple." (Anna)
"…What do you mean?" (Touma)
"It means that you'll have to fight and overcome Solon Ehrenstein all by yourself." (Anna)
"Well… Yeah?" (Touma)
I supposed I shouldn't expect help no matter what happens, then…
"Well, you shouldn't. I cannot babysit you all the time, or you'll never discover your magic names. You should become able to take care of scrubs like Solon Ehrenstein en masse in a heartbeat!" (Anna)
"…I understand." (Touma)
"Incidentally, if you were to end up dying we won't bother saving Elaine, either." (Anna)
That statement…
I could feel a shudder run down my spine as Anna declared it with a cold-blooded smile still plastered on her face.
Without a shred of hesitation, Anna declared that she'd watch Elaine die.
"…Wait. I would appreciate it if you made an exception for her at least. Please!" (Touma)
"Oh. And why would we do that?" (Anna)
"I mean… Elaine isn't involved in the actual fighting." (Touma)
"But she is. Her eyes belong to Elizabeth Bathory— "a guardian," remember? So, there's simply no way to argue she's an outsider at this point." (Anna)
"Yes…! But…! But that was not her choice! And… And her physical abilities are no different than a normal human being!" (Touma)
"It is not a question of being weak or strong. You either do it, or you don't. It was not her choice originally, I agree. But Elaine Le Fay chose to participate in your battle herself. So you shouldn't be surprised if she ends up dead. Choice and consequence— it's simply the natural order of the world." (Anna)
I could feel bile rising up my throat.
Because of me? Will someone die because of me? Again?
And it wasn't a no-name someone this time around. It was Elaine Le Fay, a girl whom I knew and grew to treasure.
The anxiety squeezed my heart until it felt like only a trickle of blood flowed through.
I couldn't stand the stringent sound of my own heartbeat.
Memories of the past rushed through my mind, filling my head with splitting pain.
…Right. All I had to do was tell Elaine to refuse embarking on a crusade with me.
"…Elaine!" (Touma)
"E-Eh? But I don't mind." (Elaine)
"…." (Touma)
Wh-What?!
"Eh?" (Anna)
Why?
Anna and I gaped at Elaine.
"Oh, surprised? It's the first time I've seen you two make a face like that." (Elaine)
"Why? I mean… you know what death is, correct? You might truly die!" (Touma)
"But that's only if you lose, right? It's not an issue as long as you keep on winning, no?" (Elaine)
"Well, that's right, I suppose. But…" (Touma)
Nonetheless, it was still a very dangerous situation.
I did prepare myself for the battle to the best of my ability, but I could not guarantee victory.
Solon Ehrenstein was a monster thorough and thorough. I knew that for sure.
"Still you might die, you know?" (Touma)
"All humans die. Didn't you know?" (Elaine)
"That's not the point. The circumstances here are different! Your life doesn't depend on your efforts but on my performance in battle— something that's completely unrelated to you!" (Touma)
To win and kill, or to lose and die. That made some sense at least on an animalistic level.
But having someone completely unrelated die as a result of my defeat was ridiculous.
"I'm not unrelated. You saved my life, remember?" (Elaine)
"I don't want you to die precisely because of that. Don't throw your life away." (Touma)
"…Yeah, I guess that's correct. Life is a treasure you shouldn't make light of. I completely agree." (Elaine)
"Then you shoul—" (Touma)
"But I'm not throwing it away. I'm merely entrusting it to you. It's because I respect and trust you— my savior— from the bottom of my heart. I wouldn't call dying in your sake as vain." (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
B-But…
"My eyes. What'cha was it called again? Ankh-something? …Well, whatevs. It might help you in battle, right?" (Elaine)
"…They probably will." (Touma)
I wish I could have told her they wouldn't.
I wished so, but I couldn't lie. If she wasn't necessary, Anna and Nika wouldn't bring her to the battlefield in the first place, and I hated that fact.
"Then it's decided. Kamijou-san, let's do this together. I'll do my best not to get in your way, alright?" (Elaine)
And so the life of a single girl landed on my shoulders.
I thought I'd be crushed by its overwhelming weight, but surprisingly, her words made the burden feel a bit lighter.
"Let's do it together." A simple phrase, but it was enough to lift a weight off my heart.
"All right. Then I shall exercise my wish from yesterday. This will be the one rule you can never break." (Touma)
"Y-Yeah. Go ahead. I'll listen to whatever you say." (Elaine)
"First: if I tell you to run, you listen, and without a second of doubt or hesitation, run to the safest place you know. Second: you have to survive no matter what it takes." (Touma)
These were clauses I wouldn't concede on.
I couldn't let her wander around threats and dangerous places even if it was her will.
"Okay. Those are two wishes, Boss. But since you made an additional request, I have a request of my own, too." (Elaine)
With that, Elaine clasped both of my hands in hers. I could feel her tiny and smooth fingers— girl's fingers— absorbing my warmth.
"Kamijou Touma." (Elaine)
"Y-Yeah? I mean, yes." (Touma)
Not letting go of my hands, Elaine leaned against my chest.
"Don't die. Survive. I don't care if you win or lose. But… I can't take it if you died." (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
"Just promise me you won't die." (Elaine)
As I looked up at her I realized her eyes were a little moist.
Her own words had probably conjured various images into her mind… Images of me dying.
Which would mean losing the relationship we've built over the past few days.
Without family or friends, and no memories to take refuge in, I was probably the only person she could rely on.
I let out a sigh.
I thought of coming up with as many words as possible to calm her down.
"All right. I promise. I won't die, and I'll never leave you behind. As long as you wish me to, I'll be by your side." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
"I shall be invincible as long as it's you I'm protecting." (Touma)
…Words, words, and more words. Those were just words.
I had nothing to back them up.
I might be crushed like a bug by Solon Ehrenstein the first step I take on his temple the day after tomorrow.
Yet nonetheless…
…there was a meaning behind those words.
In this world where all myths, beliefs, and legends are true…
… there truly was a meaning behind declaring myself invincible for her sake.
"I got it. Yeah, I understand. Your feelings make me really, really happy, you know." (Elaine)
And without a moment of hesitation, she wrapped her arms around my back.
"…" (Anna)
"…Anna." (Touma)
"What is it?" (Anna)
"Perhaps now would be a good time for you to intervene." (Touma)
"I won't." (Anna)
"Nya~ nya~ nya~" (Elaine)
Elaine proceeded to rub her head against my chest, purring like a kitten.
"…O-Okay. T-This place is getting a bit too hot for me…" (Anna)
Anna seemed completely flabbergasted at this point.
I let out a sigh, and taking Elaine by her shoulders, separated her from me.
"uwu…" (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
For some reason, my face was feeling hot. I promptly did mental calculations, using AIM to regulate my blood flow, thus keeping the red color from appearing on my cheeks.
Faking nonchalance, I gazed up at the starlit skies.
But it was unlikely Elaine would be fooled so easily.
"Ehehe~" (Elaine)
…I could no longer afford to lose.
I couldn't expect liberation from death anymore.
Anxiety clutched at my heart once again.
…Yet, nonetheless, I felt grateful for her words.
I thanked the girl who decided to entrust her life to me without a moment's hesitation.
Now I could hold my head high and declare that I didn't want to die.
No matter how many sins still weighed on my heart, I could no longer seek escape in death.
I could not allow a pure soul like Elaine to follow me into the grave.
"HYAAAAH." (Touma)
Filling her mind with more information than [Hauteclere] could process, I landed another hit on her shoulder.
"Yeah." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki took a step back, and locking her hands under her chest, gave me a satisfied nod.
"That should do it for now." (Kanzaki)
I landed my 100th hit on her just now. Kanzaki let out a relieved breath and rubbed her chin.
"Seems like it worked out in the end. I pray this practice will actually help you in your upcoming battle." (Kanzaki)
"…Yeah, I think it will." (Touma)
Even if Solon Ehrenstein's power didn't end up being future related, this practice has taught me more things regarding battle than I could count.
Kanzaki patted me on the shoulder with a smile.
"Well, good luck. Be sure not to die. Also, don't forget to take revenge for all those who have succumbed to the call of the temple's throne. Oh yeah, and be careful of the chorus and mental contamination, all right? Willpower! Willpower!" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki pumped up her fists.
"I will. Thank you." (Touma)
"I'd also recommend taking a tiffin box or two with you. Hm? Rations? No way, that stuff won't fill your stomach. Bring some rice balls with you, and don't forget at least one handkerchief and some tissues—" (Kanzaki)
"You really sound like his Kaa-chan, Ka-chan?!" (Anna)
"I have got an apron if you're into roleplaying." (Nika)
"Get lost, morons!" (Kanzaki)
…And so came the day of our crusade.
Solon Ehrenstein was waiting for us in Paris.
Abode to the rich and the fabulous, with numerous luxurious mansions jutting from its soil, countless corporations lining its business streets, and a thriving pleasure district that sucked money out of the wallets of its visitors like a vampire, Paris was indeed the crown jewel of Europe— a city worthy of its title as the "City of Lights."
Not to mention the iconic Eiffel Tower, Nostra Damus, or the famous Arc de Triomphe, Paris was once said to be chock-full of history and culture.
But not anymore…
All that awaited us in Paris was desolation as the city was reduced to a husk of its former self, a crazed Solon Ehrenstein lording over its shambling ruins.
I took a deep breath.
I hoped it wasn't fear that was making my knees tremble.
Excitement. Curiosity. Tension.
Various emotions blended with each other in my breast, elevating my senses to unprecedented levels of acuteness.
"Hey, Kamijou-san. Do you want me to pack a banana in your lunch box? A lot of people don't like how they become soft because of heat." (Elaine)
…And I lost all my tension in a split second.
"…" (Touma)
"? Hmm. What?" (Elaine)
Elaine cocked her head, puzzlement coloring her face.
"Ah… Yeah. I don't like mushy bananas too much, either." (Touma)
"Roger." (Elaine)
Elaine returned to preparing our lunch boxes.
I was glad she dispelled the tension, but I couldn't help feeling that something else got "dispelled" alongside with it.
"Haha… Isn't she cute? She's masking her fear by trying to act as if we're going on a picnic." (Anna)
Anna interrupted, not addressing anyone in particular.
"…You think so?" (Touma)
"Actually, I think that might simply be her natural state." (Nika)
Nika joined our circle as well.
"Seriously?" (Anna)
I thought so, too.
…Then again, people hardly ever comprehended their own hearts.
The best we could do was avoid telling ourselves we truly understood others when in reality we didn't. But, at the same time, we should never abandon our efforts to keep trying regardless.
"Alrighty. Four boxed lunches all finished. Ah, right. All of them contain meatballs, but I added something special to them in one. I suggest you be very very careful with picking your box."
…Special?
…Be careful?
We regarded the four lunch boxes lying on the table. They didn't seem any different in appearance.
I was overtaken by a very bad feeling all of a sudden.
"Um… Ms. Elaine? In what way could those meatballs be special in that one boxed lunch?" (Anna)
"Oh, it's nothing too bad. I just added some Carolina Reaper paste. It should cover about 50% of the delicacy's weight by now." (Elaine)
Did I just her say the word "Carolina Reaper?"
"I tasted a bit of one, and it was "so good I thought I'd die" Yay!" (Elaine)
She gave us a peace sign, an innocent smile on her face.
"Nothing too bad my ass!" (Anna)
"Don't worry. There's only a 25% probability it's gonna be in your box, anyway… One of us will definitely get the Reaper Deluxe, though." (Elaine)
"…Do I have to eat it?" (Nika)
"I'll cry if you don't. I'll bawl like a little child. You wouldn't want to see my crying face, would you? It's not a sight of this world." (Elaine)
"How the hell are you making it sound like bragging?! Well, whatever. Touma, you go first!" (Anna)
"Roger." (Touma)
From the four boxed lunches lying on the table, I chose the box on the right.
…We marked our boxes with a marker and stuffed them into the pocket dimension.
Apparently, living things couldn't enter it, but it was very useful for storing things. According to Anna, she could fit a house in hers while Nika's sub-space was practically limitless.
Mine, however, could only fit a small car in it.
"I mean, you can have sh*tloads of items in games, right? Like 99 potions and stuff. This is the same stuff, basically." (Anna)
…It didn't explain much, but I chose not to pursue the subject further.
Like usual… I, too, proceeded to store my Joyeuse in the said pocket dimension.
I also stuffed nine packets of concentrated nutrients into my sub-space. Whether it was my inherent abilities or my scant magical powers, they all consumed huge amounts of energy. So, I had to prepare some extra calories I could instantly intake in a state of emergency.
I got the feeling that Elaine would probably complain about me taking those despite having her boxed lunches, but there were priorities in the field of battle.
"Well then, Elaine, Touma… Let's go." (Anna)
We nodded in silence.
As we filed out of the dorm room, we ran into Kanzaki and two other magicians (most probably her subordinates) waiting for us outside.
"I'll open the gates for you. Everyone's ready?" (Kanzaki)
"Oh, you're personally going to open the gates for us?" (Anna)
"…Y-You have any problem with that?" (Kanzaki)
"No, I don't… Ohoho… Ohohohoho. I see. I get it now." (Anna)
Anna stole a glance at my face and proceeded to laugh. Kanzaki, on the other hand, looked away from us as if sulking.
"It seems the mama-bear is worried about her little-wittle cubbie~" (Anna)
Anna poked my side with her elbow.
"Hmph. I'm not worried. It's just that… I helped him practice for two days. It would be partly my responsibility if he just went out and died in his first fight." (Kanzaki)
"I understand. And I shall do my best." (Touma)
"Mhm… I'm not feeling your willpower. Will you be really alright?" (Kanzaki)
My apologies, but this was the most I could muster. It might not look like it, but I was pretty excited, actually.
"It's alright. He has a pretty heroine at his side, so his motivation is the last thing to worry about here." (Anna)
"…Hm. Well, if you say so. All right. Follow me." (Kanzaki)
With Kanzaki and her Necessarius subordinates leading the way, we proceeded towards the gates of St. Maurice.
"Um… Anna?" (Elaine)
"Yeah?" (Anna)
"Who's that pretty heroine you were talking about…?" (Elaine)
"Well, who else could it be? It's me." (Anna)
"I beg to differ." (Nika)
"~staaaare~" (Elaine)
"Yeah, whatever. All right, I give up! I admit that the heroine of this route is our lil ol' Elaine Le Fay." (Anna)
"Yuppers~" (Elaine)
"…On a side note, the heroine's three sizes, counting from the top, are: 34/23/33. She quite a bit endowed in the chest region and is a D-cu—" (Anna)
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT, EH?" (Elaine)
Elaine wrapped her hands around Anna's neck.
"W-Wait… I give up! I give up!" (Anna)
Anna proceeded to violently tap the wall.
"Whoa. She actually pulled off the two-handed chokelift…" (Nika)
"Hey, four-eyes! Don't just stand there and look pretty! Hurry up and stop her… and GHWAAAH…" (Anna)
With that, Elaine finally let Anna go.
The witch slowly crumbled to the ground and proceeded to rub her neck, breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Elaine pointed a finger at her and…
"Haaah. Haaah. Haaah. Haaah. What's up...haah… with the strength?! What are you? …A King-Kong?!" (Anna)
"Next time you say something like that in front of the blockhead, you'll get worse!" (Elaine)
Hai hai blockhead desu~
"…Oh. Eh. Hahh. So it's alright as long as it's not in front of him?" (Anna)
Elaine flushed all red in a split second. Even her legs looked vermillion.
Her eyes watering, fingers shaking, she stole a glance at me, looking away the moment I tried returning her gaze.
"Eh? Ah…gh, well, it's… um… Yeah, it's alright, I guess." (Elaine)
Elaine seemed to intend whispering this in Anna's ear, but it reached us just as well since we were all paying the utmost attention to the conversation.
"Kamijou Touma. Elaine Le Fay. Anna. And Nika Kurylenko. I believe you understand very well what it means to pass through these gates and venture into Paris." (Kanzaki)
"(silence ensues)"
"I hope you have purged all doubts from your hearts… Wh-What? Where the hell are they?!" (Kanzaki)
Turning back, Kanzaki was faced with no one but her own subordinates.
"Oh, those four stopped following us soon after leaving the dorm-room." (Male Magician)
"I think they started playing wrestling or something." (Female Magician)
"Yeah." (Male Magician)
"And why didn't you report that to me?" (Kanzaki)
"What? Lady Kanzaki, what in God's name are you talking about? We are the Love-Alchemists— Romeo and Juliet. The moment the dimension of amour manifests itself, the very nature of our magic names prevent us or anyone else from interfering. Even if that someone is a person as esteemed as yourself." (Romeo)
"We were rendered helpless because the amour dimension manifested itself!" (Juliet)
"Yeah." (Romeo)
"Oh, if it's the amour dimension, then there's no helping it." (Kanzaki)
"Yep~ Yep~ We had no choice, no choice... ahaha~" (The Two)
"Ahaha~ Are you mocking me, dimwits?! Or, maybe I have the word "Moron" written on my forehead! Get them here this very instant!" (Kanzaki)
"Tch~ I knew Lady Kanzaki wouldn't understand." (Juliet)
"It is understandable, Juliet, since the amour dimension avoids Lady Kanzaki like the plague." (Romeo)
"Ohoho~ you say some very interesting stuff, brats. I appreciate the input, all right. Okay, it's decided! I'll have you two liberate the third temple when the current crusade is over!" (Kanzaki)
"W-W-Wait! We specialize in love!" (Romeo)
"All we can do is boost the morale and spirit of those around us." (Juliet)
"And make love potions…" (Romeo)
"And some aphrodisiacs…!" (Juliet)
"It's alright. I'm sure your amour dimension will protect you! In fact, let's have you two crusade across all the temples from now on! With the power of the amour dimension, I'm sure it'll be a cake-walk!" (Kanzaki)
"We're so sorrrrry! Lady Kanzakiii~ So sorrry~ Forgive us~!" (The Two)
And so we finally caught up to Kanzaki. She seemed oddly excited for some reason.
A little behind her, Kanzaki's subordinates were sitting in a seiza. They looked as if they were trying to contemplate the meaning of life.
We decided to leave them alone.
It was not good manners to interrupt someone trying to have an epiphany.
I looked up at the gates once again.
It was absolutely massive.
Easily a couple of hundred meters tall, merely looking up at it made my neck muscles hurt.
"Wow… This thing can move?!" (Elaine)
Elaine's bafflement was understandable.
Rather than doors, the gates looked like two skyscrapers built together.
How was such a thing even concealed?!
Maybe Nika's powers had something to do with that.
"Of course. Kamijou. Le Fay, take these keys." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki threw me a gold key while handing Elaine a silver one.
"Those are used to open the gates. I believe you can figure out how to use the keys yourselves." (Kanzaki)
I took a firm hold of my gold key. Elaine, meanwhile, clutched her silver one.
As we closed in on the gates, we soon noticed two small keyholes on each of its sides.
"I think this one's mine." (Elaine)
Elaine pointed at the keyhole I was about to stick my key into.
She did it like it was the most natural thing in the world, and overwhelmed by her seer-like atmosphere, I followed her lead.
Was it because of her eyes?
So the other keyhole was probably mine.
Without even exchanging glances, we each inserted our keys into the keyholes and turned it.
The giant lock clicked as if being struck by a gigantic hammer. And the huge doors, howling like an old dragon, started to open up.
"This is as far as we can go, Kamijou Touma!" (Kanzaki)
"Yes." (Touma)
"Don't die." (Kanzaki)
"…Thank you." (Touma)
And with that, we stepped through the gate, and allowed the blinding white light to consume us…
Author Notes:
Mr. X: Thanks a ton for the review!^^
Now to answer the questions:
1) It would be roughly the size of the first book. Maybe around 20-30-ish chapters.
2) I'm currently re-reading the series. I've reached NT08 as of today. But that being said, I've an idea about what to expect ahead, considering I once read up to the Element Arc. Anyway, I'll let you know my exact opinion when I catch up finally.
(P.S: I should be doing so in the time-frame of maybe 3-4 weeks considering my current reading/doing other stuff schedule ^^)
Anyway, thanks a lot for the review. It warms my heart that at least someone is reading it :D
Okay, now moving forward to the trivia…
Just a minor alternative take on why magic works the way it works in the setting. Especially, considering the "all legends are true" approach of the canon. But mind you that the source of "magic" is still not explained and will probably take quite a while to appear on the pages. This is because it is literally one of the very major driving forces of the story behind-the-scenes.
I won't spoil you, though :D
Anyway, everyone, much thanks for reading the story until now, and I hope you will continue giving me your patronage until the very last.
See you next time then…
~VG out~
[P.S: An Imgur map of the expanded-cosmology has been added at (triple w) (slash) a (slash) DwrcZfx Please check that out, too, as it shows a lot of stuff that simply couldn't be explained in the "Profile" page due to limitations. Also it is good to open the link in desktop mode, since the image contains much text =D]