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Two Choices – Part 06

“Ah…”

The surroundings were mostly dark, and he couldn’t discern much, but the ground beneath him felt solid, like some kind of flooring.

It was quiet. Ayano’s black silhouette stood in the stale air.

“Ha…”

Ayano.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Ayano burst into laughter.

“I’m back! Finally, I’m back! It took so long. Finally, I’ve returned to this world!” The woman who was once Ayano Sasakura raised her arm. “As a blood relative of Saak, the master of this labyrinth, I command you to turn on the lights.”

Instantly, a faint blue light bathed the space. They were in a rectangular room. There was nothing else, just a cubic space.

“Saak,” Hikaru muttered dumbly.

The woman smiled. “Yes. I am Soaarunay Saak. A magic researcher.”

Hikaru was familiar with that name—the pioneer of the spell for crossing worlds. The magic he and Kujastria had perfected was built upon her groundbreaking research.

“I had a failed experiment, found myself drifting through the interstice of time and space, my body torn into pieces, leaving only the soul. I can’t recall how long I lingered in that state. But fortune favored me. Beyond the world’s boundaries, I discovered a body without a soul.”

“And that was Ayano Sasakura.”

Composure returned to Hikaru’s mind. It’s all right, he thought.

While Lavia might be left in Japan, the spell for crossing worlds would be activated tonight, bringing Serika and her friends to Japan. There was a high chance the rift would connect to Hazuki, not Lavia, but she would also consider that and head to Hazuki’s place. She should be able to call Hazuki using her phone.

Lavia knew how to use money and how to ride a train. Even in the worst-case scenario, she should manage to reach out to Hikaru’s parents.

As long as Lavia kept her composure. It was a bit concerning, but old man Doyama was there. For now, he just had to believe in her.

“Yes. In Japan, they call it a coma. But from my perspective, her soul had already departed. When she chose the path of suicide, her soul was already gone.”

Suicide.

I see. Ayano fell into a coma because she chose death herself.

“You entered Ayano Sasakura’s body two months ago.”

“That’s correct. But why I was suddenly able to perceive what was beyond the boundary, and how I knew I could enter Ayano Sasakura’s body, I do not know. In any case, I used my remaining magical power to use the spell, crossed worlds, and entered Ayano Sasakura’s body.”

Pieces of puzzle were starting to fit together in Hikaru’s mind.

Ayano’s apartment appeared unusually neat with few belongings because Ayano—not Soaarunay, but the original Ayano Sasakura—had discarded everything when she chose to die. This also explained Ayano’s lack of familiarity with digital technology. Even if she had knowledge of using digital devices, Soaarunay could not master them.

And two months ago. The day Hikaru went into the great pit. Everything hinged on that day. What happened there was so significant that it shook the boundary between worlds.

That pit should be thoroughly investigated.

“Ayano Sasakura,” Hikaru mused.

Why could Soaarunay enter Ayano’s body? Hikaru was able to enter Roland’s body because Roland himself pulled his soul in. That, or the wavelengths of their souls somehow matched. But Ayano and Soaarunay had no prior contact.

“But you shared something in common.”

“Did you say something?”

“No… It’s nothing.”

The anagram of Ayano Sasakura was Soaarunay Saak—if you changed this world’s writing into the alphabet, that is. When Hikaru thought of Ayano’s romanized name, he felt something odd, so he immediately figured it out.

It was probably just a coincidence. But for Soaarunay, it was destiny.

“You wanted to return to your original world, but Japan doesn’t have mana. After hearing about Mt. Midori being protected by the Doyama family, you thought there might be something like a magic gem there.”

“That’s right.”

“But you had nothing with you. No magic array, no magic items.”

“…”

Soaarunay said nothing.

“It was that peculiar sound, wasn’t it? Was that a substitute for a magic formula?” Hikaru asked.

Soaarunay smirked. He hit the mark.

She perfected it?

Hikaru knew that Soaarunay had been researching sorcery that did not rely on magic formulas, and it came with the note that she failed.

But that wasn’t the case. Soaarunay had succeeded in creating magic using sound and kept the fact of her success a secret.

It was a new type of spellcasting, fundamentally different from elemental magic, which called upon elementals to cast spells, and required external catalysts and magical energy.

“I don’t understand. The Four Eastern Stars were nearby. Why didn’t you go to them for help?” Hikaru asked.

“Heh. I didn’t know if they’d believe me. There was no reason for me to trust them either. That’s all.”

“You’re pretty cautious.”

“I despise people who help others without expecting anything in return.”

She must be referring to how the girls rescued people from a car accident and Sophie using her magic to heal the injured.

This is bad.

Hikaru’s Instinct said that Ayano—or rather, Soaarunay—was trouble.

“But you made contact with us by posing as a newspaper reporter.”

“Yes. It made it easier to use you.”

Use.

Ayano had consistently masqueraded as a clumsy journalist from the start, never hinting at how to travel between worlds.

No. I got it all backwards. Normally, you would ask how we travel back and forth between worlds. Especially since she was a reporter. But Ayano Sasakura didn’t. I should’ve realized that something was off at that moment.

It was all too late.

What Hikaru needed to do now was to figure out where he was and return to the Kingdom of Ponsonia.

But he thought it wouldn’t be that easy. Soaarunay, who had no qualms about using others and was overwhelmingly knowledgeable in sorcery compared to Hikaru, wouldn’t let him go that easily.

“So, where are we?” he cautiously asked. “It looks like the inside of some building.”

Soaarunay, looking at Hikaru, grinned again. “The dungeon of the Saak family. Adventurers call this place the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas.”

Even Hikaru, a novice adventurer, knew about that dungeon.

He had a feeling that was the case. The spell for crossing worlds used the connection between souls, but there was no one here—or at least that’s what it looked like.

But for Soaarunay, this place was her soul’s home—a place extremely important to the Saak family. Perhaps her ancestors were laid to rest here.

For Hikaru, it was the worst-case scenario imaginable. While it might be home for Soaarunay, for Hikaru, it was an uncharted territory and potentially dangerous place.

“Your following me was a miscalculation on my part. I will grant you special permission to be in this labyrinth.”

“Good one. How about you open a rift back to Japan?”

“Why should I do you that favor?”

“You gained mana at Mt. Midori because I helped Mr. Doyama. Am I wrong? You could at least show some gratitude.”

“I… can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“We’re done here. I’ve finally made it back. There’s so much I have to do. As for my gratitude… Well, I’ll give you a choice.”

Soaarunay held up two fingers.

“One, the way back is this way.” She pointed to the right passage. “Two, if you wish to go to the depths of the labyrinth, it’s this way. This small room we’re currently in is at the center of the labyrinth.”

“Go to the depths?”

“Those who walk the path of supremacy,
Those who seek wisdom,
Those who master the mystic arts,
Those who excel in cunning,
Those who possess bravery,
Accept my challenge.

The one who overcomes all shall learn the essence of magic.”

It was the inscription at the entrance of the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas.

“The essence of magic. You know what that is, don’t you?”

It was likely related to the sound-based magic formula that Soaarunay used. And there was something more deep inside the dungeon.

The wisdom of Runay-aas, dubbed the Archwizard and the Sage of the Abyss, and the accumulated knowledge of the Saak family. These were things that aspiring sorcerers would want to obtain even if they had to sell their souls to the devil.

“I have to go,” Soaarunay said.

“What?”

While Hikaru was contemplating on the essence of magic, Soaarunay waved her hand and turned her back on Hikaru.

As she collided with the wall in front of her, she was sucked inside and disappeared.

Hikaru rushed over and touched the wall, but there was only a cold, hard surface.

“Is that it?! That’s the extent of your gratitude?!”

The wall remained silent.

“This can’t be happening.” That was all Hikaru could say.

He was left all alone in the center of the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas, a dream for adventurers, without knowing how vast it was, or what dangers lurked within.

Hikaru had no idea that there were parties outside attempting to clear this dungeon, and he certainly didn’t know that Serika was here too, and that the spell for crossing worlds would not be executed as scheduled today.

“What on earth do I do?”

He had two choices: turn back or go deeper.