"I really didn't expect to witness such a feast for the eyes tonight."
Scáthach approached the two of them, still wearing the sharp office lady suit from the academy. Adjusting the glasses on her nose, she looked at Aozaki Aoko with an expression full of genuine admiration.
"Even for me, it's rare to see a True Magic in person, let alone modern Magic, whose quality far surpasses that of the ancients."
There was even a faint, predatory eagerness in her eyes, an almost overwhelming urge to fight.
But that would clearly be bullying the younger generation. Hardly appropriate. After a moment's thought, the Queen of Shadows let the impulse pass.
"Scáthach-sensei, are you saying you're aware of the abnormalities in this world?" Aoko demanded, her enhanced form bristling with suspicion.
"Of course. I've known ever since I arrived here nine years ago."
"Nine years ago?! Then why didn't you ever say anything?"
"You never asked."
Ryoji was speechless.
Indeed, he had lived in this world for over a decade and had long assumed that this world's Heroic Spirits had no memories of their past lives. He even thought it was some kind of elaborate comedy.
"What's actually going on here?" Unable to contain her growing confusion, Aoko spoke up first.
"Don't rush." Scáthach waved her hand, her tone completely calm, without the slightest hint of impatience. "You are currently under the effect of Magic. Once the Magic ends, all spatial-temporal anomalies will be repaired. I'm afraid you'll lose all memories related to this event."
"Is that so?" Ryoji was taken aback and looked to Aoko for confirmation.
She nodded in affirmation.
That was the crucial drawback of the Fifth Magic, even Aoko, as a Magician, could not control it completely. It was the world's own restorative will rejecting the Magic's impossible nature.
She could throw the current anomaly into the future, but it was impossible to erase it entirely; that would mean opposing the will of the planet itself. The world possessed its own restorative power, eventually, all abnormalities would be repaired and forgotten.
If Aoko could simply gain the Magecraft mastery of her future self from a hundred years ahead without consequence, she would have long since become invincible.
Even so, altering space-time had caused a massive shock to the planet's natural order. In simpler terms, the formula of entropy itself had been disrupted. That was a tremendous hidden danger, one that could one day cause catastrophic disaster to Earth. Because Aoko had acted on impulse and invoked Magic, she now bore the responsibility of addressing the consequences.
"I won't repeat myself," Scáthach shrugged casually. "For now, all you need to know is this: today's anomaly is the result of the world's natural selection. There are no negative side effects, but the trials ahead will grow harsher."
"I'll summon you tomorrow morning. We'll discuss the rest then."
Scáthach came swiftly, and left just as swiftly.
Before either could say anything, her figure vanished into the void, disappearing before their eyes.
It truly seemed she'd only been drawn here by the sheer magnitude of the Magic, came on a whim to observe a Magician, and then left once her curiosity was satisfied. Before departing, she waved a hand toward the ground and took away Medea's corpse.
"What the hell is even going on anymore…" Ryoji groaned, rubbing his temples. "Riddlers, get out of Kinoko City!"
"Hey, Ryoji."
While he was still massaging his forehead, Aoko's voice called from beside him.
"Hm?" Ryoji turned toward her... ... and was immediately enveloped in a waft of sweet fragrance, crimson hair fluttering before his eyes.
Soft warmth fell into his arms.
"Thank you."
Ryoji blinked, momentarily stunned, then smiled gently. "You're being impolite."
Aoko lay against his chest.
For some reason, she felt an overwhelming sense of safety, like a fishing boat that had drifted for years finally finding a warm harbor. The feeling was so intoxicating she didn't want to let go.
What a pity.
Truly, what a pity.
Why did this guy have to end up getting involved with President Nero first?
In the distance, a girl stood silently in the forest, as still and quiet as a Spirit of the Night.
She lowered her head and looked at her own body, then glanced at the two people embracing in the distance, a thoughtful expression flickering in her eyes.
"Maybe… now isn't really the right time for me to show up?"
There was a faint feeling of being left out.
Like a single dog being force-fed a whole bag of kibble.
Chirp! Chirp!
A blue robin flapped its wings and landed softly on her shoulder, gently brushing her cheek as if to comfort her lonely heart.
Then she flicked it away mercilessly.
The night was still long. The road back for the three of them stretched far into the distance.
…
Early Friday morning.
Aozaki Aoko was happily preparing breakfast.
Wearing a light blue apron, she stood before the stove, skillfully flipping three perfectly golden fried eggs in the pan.
"Hey, Ryoji! Alice! Breakfast's ready!"
Once everything was set, Aoko carried three plates into the living room and called out toward both the East and West wings of the mansion.
Before long... Alice emerged from the room in the western wing, and Ryoji came down from the guest room on the second floor. Both were already washed and dressed, though they looked a bit sleep-deprived. After all, the three of them had been busy until nearly dawn and had only slept three or four hours.
"Ryoji, did you call home last night?"
"Yeah. They told me not to get anyone pregnant." Ryoji yawned as he sat down on Aoko's special sofa.
Last night's commotion had been way too big. As the current spiritual land managers of Kinoko Town, Aoko and Alice had to handle all the aftermath properly. Ryoji had helped out as well, and since it was already so late, he used the phone at the Kuonji mansion to contact home, telling them he was staying over at a classmate's house. (The last part was something he'd added himself.)
"Can you not say stuff like that?"
Given that he'd paid plenty of rent and helped secure a nice profit the night before, Alice didn't say anything aloud, she merely glared at him in silent protest.
"You two really don't remember what happened last night?"
"I remember dying."
"And I remember you blocking a lot of magic blasts for me." Aoko shot Ryoji a quick glance, then quickly turned away.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed. Her heart, which should have been calm, stirred slightly. She remembered everything up until she activated the Magic, but everything after that was a complete blur.
Now, the only thing the two women remembered was that Aoko had invoked Magic.
"The fact that you still have your memories is what surprises me," Alice remarked between bites of fried egg, her sharp eyes fixed on Ryoji.
Unlike them, who'd forgotten almost everything, Ryoji remembered everything vividly. He could probably even calculate the exact cup size Aoko would have ten years later.
"I've got some resistance to that kind of thing," Ryoji replied vaguely, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
In truth, the world's restoration force had far surpassed the limit that his Brave Sword Heart skill could withstand. The only reason he still remembered last night's events was because he'd synchronized his memories with his counterpart in the Rakudai world, effectively backing them up there, then copying them back afterward.
Still, one question lingered in his heart: 'Does Aoko still remember the fundamental anomaly of this world?'
After breakfast, the three of them left the mansion one after another. Descending the slope, they each headed off in different directions.
(End of Chapter)
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PS- Hey Guys I have picked up 2 new fanfictions
New Fanfiction— 1. One Piece—Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki!
2. One Piece—Master Of Devil Fruits