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Different World Rhapsody

All he managed to get was a stone the size of a fist.

This elemental magic stone had the attribute of wind, gleaming in a captivating emerald green. Even a stone this small was mind-bogglingly expensive.

And it’s one-time use only…

Hikaru wore a faraway look.

Even in the city, when the night took over, streets turned dark, and a hush settled in. Except for the business districts, the area Hikaru found himself in—a remote corner of the Ponsonia Kingdom’s capital—had hardly any signs of human life.

The old warehouse, abandoned and unused, carried a musty scent. The wooden chair in the middle of the building had toppled over two months ago when Hikaru sent Serika, a fellow Japanese and a member of the B-rank adventurer party Four Eastern Stars, back to Japan.

Setting the chair upright, Hikaru sat down and checked his pocket watch. It was just a short while until the agreed-upon time of 10 o’clock.

A lot happened these last two months.

As he closed his eyes, he saw the unsettling smile of Pope Luvain, the head of the continent-spanning Church.

I’m never getting near that guy ever again.

To stop the disaster caused by the Accursed Toxin unleashed by the former Pope of Bios, Hikaru, along with Lavia and Paula, took action. Hikaru infiltrated Bios and clashed with the mad scientist Ranna.

Ranna, a Man Gnome who knew about the thousand-year feud between her kind and the Church, opened the great pit, the epicenter of their shared secret, beneath the Church’s headquarters.

Even after defeating Ranna, the challenges persisted.

Though the Confederacy of Einbiest, a nation of Beastmen, and the Theocracy of Bios managed to agree on a ceasefire, the Quinbrand Empire, ravaged by the poison, declared war on Bios and launched an invasion.

Bios, having lost its previous Pope to the poison, saw Luvain as the next Pope. Hikaru, with Luvain, headed to the Quinbrand Empire, accompanied by a small entourage.

As soon as Quinbrand and Bios signed a ceasefire, Hikaru fled Quinbrand. He didn’t want to stay involved any longer.

He seemed like the type who’d use every last bit if it proved useful.

For Luvain, the Church took absolute precedence. He would literally do anything for it. Just because they had faced hardships together didn’t mean he could be careless around the man.

Despite accompanying Luvain to Quinbrand, Hikaru fled without receiving any reward. Nevertheless, he firmly believed that he made the right call.

Where there is life, there is hope, and the money I got from the job at the pit bought me catalysts.

Hikaru currently held an elemental magic stone, and in his bag, there were other magical catalysts along with a paper inscribed with magic sigils.

“It’s almost time.”

Hikaru began setting up the spell for crossing worlds alone.

This spell relied on a connection between the caster and someone in a different world. They speculated that the force that drew souls together was key.

I don’t think we can do anything other than open the portal tonight.

Unfolding the paper, he positioned the magical catalysts in accordance with the symbols. Then, the sigils emitted a faint glow.

Lastly, as he set the elemental magic stone that would power the spell, he glanced at the stone given by Queen Kujastria. At this size, the portal would likely just be enough for an arm to pass through. Hikaru had his letter ready at hand, but he wanted to check the situation on the other side too.

Last time, when he sent off the other members of the Four Eastern Stars—Selyse, Sophie, and Sara—he saw Serika, looking apologetic, her friend Hazuki, and a swarm of photographers, reporters, and TV crews.

No doubt, they’ve figured out the existence of another world.

Once again, Hikaru’s face took on a distant look.

After two months of hardship, why did he have to worry about troubles in a different world?

“I’m sure it’ll work out somehow.”

It was 10 o’clock.

Sighing, Hikaru set down the wind elemental magic stone. Instantly, the spell activated, and the wind gusted.

The spell for crossing worlds was incomplete. You could cross from here to the other side, but the other way around was impossible. The only thing that could make the trip was material things. So, if Serika wrote a letter, it could be sent here.

But why couldn’t people make the journey? To find out, Hikaru used his maxed-out Mana Detection.

Wow.

The complex magical formula was causing a breathtaking mana transformation. Hikaru was once again reminded of the genius of Roland, the original owner of his body, and Kujastria, who fine-tuned the formula.

The emerald green mana from the elemental magic stone gathered, creating a tear in space. The moment the portal opened was when the magical strain was most intense.

And it did—revealing a familiar yet distant view of Japan. The rift was smaller than a bullet train window, and as predicted, just enough for an arm to squeeze through.

Unlike last time, the only person Hikaru recognized was Serika.

The moment the rift opened, Serika sprinted toward him. A bunch of cameras flashed behind her. Serika seemed to be saying something, but he couldn’t hear her.

Is that… some kind of measuring device?

Behind her, there were devices resembling fridges with parabolic antennas, and people with headphones checking some waveforms. It seemed the world-connecting stunt had caught the eye of scientists.

Serika barely managed to shove a small package through the rift before it quickly closed.

The package landed on the scorched sigils.

“…Oh.”

The wind died down. Silence returned. It was all over, and there was nothing he could do.

“…”

Scratching his head, Hikaru realized that he was too focused on his Mana Detection and his desire to want a thorough look of the other side. And he was also on edge.

“Wrote all that for nothing.”

The letter he had planned to hand over was now crumpled, tightly clutched in his hand.

“I wonder what she sent me.”

Deliberately adopting a casual tone, Hikaru picked up the small package and stuffed it into his bag. He planned to check it back at the inn. He gathered the burnt-out magic formula and catalysts, leaving behind the chair.