Chapter 4 — I Would Be Better Off Throwing Myself in Front of a Truck in Hopes of Being Sent to Another World
“Let us continue putting the situation in order,” Sion continued. “When we switched from part one to part two, time was rewound, but those killed by Takatou were not brought back to life. However, something created by such a person still exists, presumably now created by someone else.”
“Then why did the population go down? If the people Takatou killed couldn’t be brought back, why not make new people in their place?” Tomochika asked.
“It appears that intelligent beings cannot be so easily replaced. I am curious to know what happens to children if their parents are killed, but there is no answering that question without further investigation. My information on the population is only from looking at the statistics for part two.”
“Hearing it as the ability to correct history makes it somewhat more understandable!” Hanakawa said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave things this ambiguous, but I guess we don’t have the time to investigate more thoroughly.”
If possible, it would be better for them to have had a firmer grasp on the details of part two before deciding how they would act, but Yogiri didn’t figure they had the freedom to take their time. They had no idea what was going to happen next in this world. He felt it was best they began putting plans into action as soon as they were done talking here.
“As much as I said we should put the situation in order, it appears this is about as much as we can deduce here. Does anyone else have something to add?” asked Sion.
“If this world is part of the Great Sage’s dream, and he reset the world to save it, why did he pick this day?” Yogiri asked.
“Yeah, good question. Takatou is more or less responsible for sending this world to its doom, so why not rewind time until before he was summoned?” Carol added.
If the Great Sage had done that, everything would have been resolved. Yogiri’s group would never have been summoned, nothing would have happened beyond the Sages’ expectations, and the world would now be safe from destruction.
“This is just a guess, but perhaps in attempting to rewrite things to prevent a certain event from happening, erasing the cause of the event isn’t possible,” Sion posited. “After all, if he could fully modify the world to his wishes, he could simply make it so Aggressors never showed up in the first place. That said, it is always possible my grandfather let the Aggressors in because he found their invasion entertaining.”
“So just because it’s a dream, that doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wants?”
“Yes, though that is still just speculation. Things get even more complicated when others from outside the world get involved.”
“What do you mean?”
“For starters, let us call the point in time you were all summoned the ‘point of singularity,’ the end of part one can be the ‘part one end point,’ and the beginning of part two can be the ‘part two restart point.’”
“This Sage really likes producing her own vocabulary, does she not?” Hanakawa observed.
“Yeah, it doesn’t really make anything easier to understand, does it?” replied Tomochika.
Despite their rare show of agreement, Sion continued, unfazed.
“So the part two restart point and the point of singularity are the same day and time?” asked Yogiri.
“Yes. My memories of part two begin with the summoning ritual finishing and your bus appearing. There may be a small difference in the exact point in time, but I imagine it is inconsequential. Now then, a problem arises when someone tries to enter or leave the world between the point of singularity and the part one end point. This appears to be an important span of time, so perhaps naming it is a good idea as well. Since Takatou’s arrival is what set the world on its path to destruction, how does ‘terminal phase’ sound?”
“That’s fine.” Yogiri didn’t much care what it was called.
“If someone were to enter this world from the outside during the terminal phase and then a restart were to occur, they would naturally not exist within part two. They would likely be erased entirely.”
“What would happen to them in their original world, then?”
“I imagine the phenomenon is entirely restricted to this world. As powerful as my grandfather is, I cannot imagine his power would be able to influence an entirely different, unrelated world. In short, they would disappear from this world without returning to their previous one. This is merely conjecture layered on conjecture, but it is possible they would then be held in reserve, to appear once the point in time they arrived at in part one recurs in part two.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to draw any conclusions when all we’ve got is guesses.”
“Yes, it is perhaps best just to remember this is a possibility.” The conversation fell into a lull, no one having any more questions to ask. Then Sion said, “I believe we have a good grasp on the current situation now. I would say there are two broad paths you could take moving forward. The first would be to accept your new life in this world and stay here.”
“What?! You mean give up on going home?!”
“Tomochika, Miss Sion already explained as much on the bus,” Hanakawa said. Though Yogiri had slept through it, when Yazaki asked about sending them back, Sion had told them she only had the ability to summon them here, not to return them.
“How are we supposed to know whether she was serious or not though?!”
“Please rest assured, nothing I have said in part two is a joke. You can be confident that everything I have told you so far is true to the best of my knowledge.”
“But still, should we not hear her out?” Hanakawa asked. “It is possible living here could be a better option than returning home!”
“What?! Maybe you’re different, but I have stuff to do in the real world!”
“How rude! Please do not assume that what awaits me back home is such a miserable, pathetic life so lacking in prospects that I would be better off throwing myself in front of a truck in hopes of being sent to another world!”
“I never said that...”
“At the very least, I do not have the power to send you home,” Sion said. “While we can discuss the possibility of finding another way home later, first I believe it is best to discuss the option of remaining here with your classmates. Though your experience during the terminal phase was short, I am sure you are all quite aware of how dangerous this world is.”
“Way too aware...” Tomochika muttered, clearly a lot on her mind.
“However, the majority of that danger can be avoided if you live under the protection of the Sages. If you stay within my jurisdiction, I can assure you I will spare no effort to accommodate you. Luckily, the area under the control of the missing Sages has all been given to me, so you will not need to worry about being overly confined either. And even if you leave my territory, you will be treated as my attendants and so will retain considerable status.”
“But there are some people in this world even the Sages can’t beat, right?” Tomochika asked.
“Yes. In truth, I was utterly powerless against the Dark God sealed in the Underworld. However, those beings only appeared because Takatou was killing people left and right as you traveled around, no? If Takatou decides to stay in one place and live a life of peace, the chances of encountering such beings becomes rather slim. After all, before his arrival in this world, such occurrences were extremely rare.”
Yogiri and Tomochika had been attacked by thugs in the city once, but if they were under the protection of the Sages, that might not have happened. If they became Sion’s attendants, the other Sages would see them as too dangerous to mess with, and they wouldn’t be told to fight each other to the death either. If they traveled around, they might end up in situations like being wrapped up in the trial in the tower or attacked by pirates at sea, but if they stayed in one place and lived peacefully, there wasn’t much chance of those kinds of things happening.
If some being sealed away in this world were to reemerge, it could affect the entire world, but beings with that kind of power were kept in check by the gods. As long as the gods were still alive and well, the world would likely remain stable. The gods and the Sages had an agreement not to interfere with each other, so if they were Sion’s attendants, they wouldn’t need to worry about the gods messing with them either.
“Speaking of which, why did that Dark God in the Underworld get released? I seem to remember Hanakawa saying something about it...” When they had first emerged from the Underworld, the world around them had been covered in a writhing sea of flesh. An enormous woman had appeared from within it. Yogiri still had no idea what had brought all that about.
“That was...err...well...” Hanakawa started.
“Oh, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Yogiri answered.
“Please let me explain it!”
“What’s with you? I was trying to be considerate.”
“That was just to preface what is to come! You see, after the events at the tower, I was taken captive by one of the Dark God’s surviving spawn. He informed me that the two Dark Gods were brother and sister, and that the one sealed at the tower was the older brother of the two. He had sealed his younger sister in the Underworld and so possessed the key to release her, which the spawn retrieved! I was then brought to the depths of the Underworld, where I was made to undo the seal.”
“So it was your fault after all.”
“What did I do wrong in that story?!”
“Which means if we don’t do anything, that seal should stay as it is. If we don’t get involved with them, we shouldn’t have to worry about other dangerous people messing with us either. It does sound like we would be able to live a relatively peaceful life here. Not that I care to.”
“Hold on a second. Even if the Sages agree to protect us, we’re still powerless. Can we really survive in this world like that?” Shigeto spoke up. Just because the Sages would take care of them didn’t mean they could live safely. For a world with as much danger as this one, there was no way Sion could keep all of them safe around the clock.
“I still have my power,” Yogiri remarked.
“I have the Dannoura-style archery and a guardian spirit,” added Tomochika.
“I can use ninjutsu and a little Onmyoudou,” Ryouko offered.
“I’m trained with most small weapons in CQC, and of course I have ninjutsu too!” said Carol.
“I’m a bird beastkin, so I can at least fly, I guess,” Haruto chimed in.
Surprisingly, the room seemed to be made up of anything but ordinary, powerless people.
“That doesn’t help the rest of us!” Shigeto snapped back.
“Precisely! Please restore the backup of my Gift at once!” Hanakawa emphatically agreed.
“True, I cannot guarantee your safety in any and every situation. I have no problem reissuing the Gift to those who wish to receive it again.”
“But that will make them more aggressive and violent again, right?” Tomochika asked.
“That was a setting I specifically selected when installing the Gift on you previously. I am more than capable of giving you the Gift without any such mental influence.”
“Really?!”
“However, there is no need to wish for the power of the Battlesong system if you have no intention of engaging in combat. If you are, I believe a degree of mental assistance is called for. An ordinary high school student suddenly given superpowers will hardly be able to fight effectively.”
“Is there some power you want, Dannoura?” Yogiri asked.
“Uhh, not in particular, but I guess there’s still a bit of lingering trauma from when I got cut off from everyone else... Wait! What about communication? If you get Battlesong, you can understand the language in this world, right?”
“I can already speak the language here, though,” Yogiri said.
“Huh? Since when?”
“I’ve been studying the dictionary that concierge gave us while we traveled.”
When they had first arrived in this world, they hadn’t understood the language at all, so the hotel concierge had acquired a magical translator for them. At the same time, she had given Yogiri a study dictionary.
You did not even consider that, did you? Mokomoko teased her.
“The grammar is pretty similar to English, so once you know the vocabulary, it’s not that hard.”
“Except I’m not that good at English either!”
“Translation devices can be prepared for you. And of course, I can assist you with learning the language properly. So, to summarize, if you wish to live in this world under my protection, you will be able to spend the rest of your lives in comfort. You will attain status below that only of the Sages and gain influence far beyond what you could expect in your home world.”
“That’s kind of hard to picture...”
“But living in this world is still absurdly dangerous, is it not?” Hanakawa said. “We still have pirates and monsters to contend with, no? Even if you promise to protect us all...”
“Yes, you will have to keep those risks in mind. However, there is also the merit of a quiet, peaceful life here being unlikely to draw the attention of my grandfather.”
“But you don’t expect us to live peacefully at all, do you?” Yogiri asked.
“Not especially. I only thought to bring the option to your attention.”
“So what do we have to do if we want to go back?”
“I cannot say I have a guaranteed method of returning you home, but I imagine it will look very similar to what you were doing in part one. I will endeavor to collect as many Philosopher’s Stones for you as I can, and provide as much support as possible. I imagine it will go much smoother for you than it did before.”
“Either way, that means you’ll be helping us. What’s in it for you?” From the conversation so far, it sounded like Sion would just be taking care of them for nothing in return.
“I do not wish to be seen as your enemy. That is the only point in consideration for me. If I can avoid earning your hostility, no amount of effort or expense is too much.”
“Sounds like you think awfully highly of me.”
“I have been made painfully aware of what being your enemy entails, after all.”
“All right. If you don’t attack us, I won’t do anything to you either.” Though he went out of his way to say it, that was no different than the way he ordinarily did things. “I’m going to try to get home, but what about the rest of you?”
“I can hardly choose to act on my own now, can I?” Tomochika responded instantly.
“Oh and by the way, I’m going to be going back as soon as I can, so if you’re not with me at the time, that’s too bad for you,” Yogiri added.
“Still as cold as ever, huh?” Tomochika sighed.
“That’s why I’m asking now. Why should I help them get home if they’re not going to help us at all?” They didn’t even know if the power of the Philosopher’s Stones would be enough to send multiple people back at once. At this point, their only way home seemed likely to cut off the majority of the class anyway.
“I’m fine. If I can get some power in this world, I’m happy to enjoy life here,” Shigeto spoke slowly. Going home sounded nice and all, but he’d had his fill of bizarre incidents already.
“I’m fine staying here too. I’m not exactly keen on getting back to all my family obligations,” Haruto said, seeming to be telling the truth.
“What shall I do?” Hanakawa said, glancing at Yogiri. “I feel like there are risks in either case...”
“Why are you looking at me as you say that?”
“Huh? Are you not going to say something like ‘shut up and come with us!’ as your way of inviting me?”
“Make up your own mind.”
“Hmm...if something dangerous were to happen, perhaps it would be best to stay at Sir Takatou’s side...however, avoiding him seems the best path for avoiding such dangers in the first place... Miss Sion! What are the chances of you providing a harem for me?!”
“You want women to serve you? If that is all, I can provide you with some.”
“Then I shall become a harem king! I suppose that means goodbye, Sir Takatou!”
Tomochika immediately recoiled, as if she were looking at particularly disgusting garbage.
“Would you mind if I accompanied you?” Ryouko asked Yogiri.
“I want to go too,” added Carol.
Ryouko belonged to the Institute and Carol to the Agency, so it was perhaps obvious they would choose to stay with him. Yogiri had dealt with the Institute for a long time, so he knew what they were after, but he knew next to nothing about the Agency or what they wanted from him. Even now, it was hard to tell what Carol was thinking. That said, he didn’t have any particular reason to reject her request to accompany him.
“Okay, then it will be the four of us trying to get home.”
“Understood. Shall we begin by collecting the Philosopher’s Stones as in part one?” Sion confirmed.
“Yeah.”
“As I said before, I will collect as many for you as I can.”
“Are you sure that’s okay? The Sages are your allies, aren’t they? Can you just betray them like that?”
“I do not believe it constitutes a betrayal. Though my grandfather has forbidden us to fight amongst ourselves, we can do anything else we like.”
“So when you say you’re gathering them, you mean you’re going to ask the others to hand them over?”
“Yes. If all negotiations fail, then we will have to rely on you to retrieve them, so please be prepared for that.”
“That’s fine. That’s what we were already doing anyway.”
It was better if they could obtain the stones through negotiations, but if those broke down, they would at least have Sion to guide them to the other Sages. Things would be a lot easier this time than before.
“I believe we will make considerable progress simply by negotiating, but the most difficult person to deal with will be Van. He possesses all of the spare Philosopher’s Stones, so he will ultimately be the main target of our plans.”
“What kind of guy is he?”
“Unlike most of us, he is not a Sage brought here from another world. He is the true grandson of the Great Sage. His abilities are first-rate. As for his personality—”
As Sion began to describe Van, the door to the conference room slammed open.
“My apologies for interrupting! We have something of an emergency and would like to request your assistance, Miss Sage!” It was the concierge, Celestina.
“Well, well. If it is something serious enough to interrupt a Sage’s meeting for, it must be quite the emergency.”
“Yes! Unknown creatures are falling from the sky and attacking the people of the town, transforming them into monsters! Luckily, they move slowly and have yet to make their way into any buildings, but the city is still in peril!”
“From the sky? Let us head to the roof, then.” As Sion spoke, the room around them instantly transformed. The walls disappeared, and they were able to see a great distance. It seemed she had teleported everyone from the conference room up onto the roof of the hotel.
“If you can teleport that easily, why were we walking to the conference room?!” Tomochika cried out.
“There are plenty of risks, from appearing inside walls, to people fusing together, to deflecting off subspace bubbles. It is not an ability that can be used so casually.”
“Then don’t do it without warning us!”
From here, they couldn’t see anything abnormal about the city, but screams and cries of pain could be heard from below. A number of the mysterious creatures falling from the sky had landed on their own rooftop as well. The creatures looked like collections of plants with countless writhing roots and leaves. They were about a meter across each. It didn’t look like they had any way to probe the area around them, but they were all slowly creeping towards the group.
“I will put up a barrier around the hotel for now. Could I ask you to deal with the creatures within it for me, Takatou?”
“You should be able to handle this much on your own...but fine, I’ll do it.”
Yogiri immediately understood what these creatures were. They were the Seyla from the floating continent. They were immortal plants, latching on to other creatures to fuse with and infect them, falling from the sky. Yogiri killed the few bundles of them on the rooftop. Looking up, they could see more of them bouncing off an invisible barrier and falling to the city below. At the very least, it seemed the hotel would be safe.
“This is the Seyla, right? Why is it falling from the sky?”
“If it is from the sky, it must be Van’s doing.”
“Why though?! Nothing like this ever happened in part one!”
“Though Van may appear intellectual and insightful at first blush, he is a rather careless individual. There is a chance he let this happen without realizing what he was doing at all.”
“He sounds like a major pain in the ass!” Tomochika shouted.
Yogiri figured that since the world could end as easily as this, he wished people would stop blaming him for it.
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