Edward's consciousness continued to absorb the streams of information flooding in from the stars:
Abilities of the Sequence 2—Fantasist:
-[Door]—Transforms oneself into a symbolic form, allowing instant travel between different planets and worlds. Can temporarily create avatars using Worms of Star, enabling simultaneous presence in multiple locations.(Summary compiled from existing data.)[1]
-[Replication]—Not only records supernatural abilities but also records scenes and individuals. Enables direct transfer of oneself and nearby beings into the recorded scene—or brings that scene to manifest around a target area, as long as it still exists. Can also reproduce recorded individuals and their abilities.
-[Fantasy]—By collecting "imagination" (wishes) or consuming one's own spirituality, one gains the power to make fantasy real.
Advancing to Sequence 2 granted Edward two and a half new abilities. The "half" was [Replication], an enhancement of the recording power he'd possessed since his time as a Scribe.
The second was [Door]—which not only granted Edward vastly superior mobility, but, like the other two of the "Cowardly Trio" families, allowed him to create copies of himself. Though his avatars couldn't compare to the Marauder's clones, or even the Seer's Marionettes, they had one overwhelming advantage: by combining them with multiple recorded abilities, Edward could unleash carpet-style, simultaneous attacks across wide areas.
And finally, [Fantasy]—the true core ability of Sequence 2.
Its rules resembled the Miracle Invoker's [Miracle]: one must first gather the "imagination" (or wishes) of others, then channel them into one's own spirituality to manifest fantasy as reality.
Of course, spirituality itself could serve as the "fuel" for fantasies—but relying solely on his own essence severely limited what he could realise. His fantasies would be small, temporary, and unstable—merely an emergency power source.
Beyond that, all of his existing powers had been strengthened through the advancement, especially [Theft].
At the Sequence 2 level, its nature had transformed fundamentally: its range now extended to encompass fate, identity, self-perception, and even Beyonder Characteristics. It had become truly terrifying.
Yet, Edward's mind wasn't focused on power.
What concerned him most—was the enhancement to [Deconstruction].
This new, refined form allowed him to analyse and dismantle the essence of a target far more quickly and efficiently—and that was the real reason he had been so desperate to advance to Sequence 2.
Unfortunately, his hope that this promotion would stop the life-draining side effect of [Madmam to the Right] had not panned out. The result was…disappointing.
At best, he had bought himself an extra three days—no more.
"If the time it takes to deconstruct exceeds the time I have left to live," he muttered, "I might have to test Fantasy instead."
Having made up his mind, Edward turned his focus to the remaining stream of information—the next stage of the pathway.
[Sequence 1: Constructor]
Ingredients:Key of Stars Potion + Author's Beyonder Characteristic.
Advancement Ritual:Construct a real and complete world.
Edward froze.
"Construct a real and complete world?"
He immediately thought of the ritual required for a Miracle Invoker to advance to Attendant of Mysteries:
To establish a town composed entirely of Marionettes, each with an individual destiny and storyline, interacting with one another to form a sufficiently realistic depiction of life—thus creating a corresponding area in the Spirit World.
But the more concise the ritual description, the greater its weight.
The Attendant of Mysteries ritual only required building a puppet town. The more vivid and authentic it was, the stronger the effect—but it was still, at its core, a town.
Edward's ritual, however, was simply defined as—
"Construct a real and complete world."
Such wording had no upper limit.
Taken in a minimal sense, he could follow the model of the Attendant of Mysteries' Marionette town—combining his abilities [Record], [False Reality], Transfiguration Spells, and [Fantasy] to create something self-contained.
But in the maximal sense…there were no boundaries.
The phrase could mean literally constructing an entire world, down to every layer of existence.
Edward's gaze drifted toward the listed ingredient: the Author's Beyonder Characteristic.
At once, his mind flashed to Grossel's Travels, and to that writer's Snowy Town—both were worlds in their own right, small or large, but real and complete in their own dimension.
Both had been forged through the powers of the Writer—perhaps even the Visionary.
"But I don't have those abilities," Edward murmured, frowning. "Am I supposed to rely entirely on Fantasy?"
He rubbed his temples.
"What, am I expected to spend decades or centuries gathering enough imagination to build a world in one go?"
He sighed deeply.
"Another massive, uncertain project that'll take half an eternity…"
And then his gaze fell back on the words Author's Beyonder Characteristic.
A sharp pang of realisation struck him.
"So…this ritual basically forces me into direct conflict with the Russian Priest, doesn't it?"
Anyone who stood in the way of that "Golden-Eyed Priest's" ascension to Sequence 0 would inevitably become his mortal enemy.
But then Edward paused, his expression shifting slightly as a new thought came to him.
"Wait…in the future timeline, the Priest merges early with the True Creator, doesn't he?"
"If that's the case, maybe he no longer needs all three Author's Characteristics…"
He let out a dry chuckle, somewhere between amusement and resignation.
"Well, that's something, at least."
That being the case—perhaps there was still a chance.
"Forget it," Edward muttered. "No point worrying about things that distant. For now, I need to focus on getting into the Mirror World—and finding Lilith!"
With that thought, he took a step forward.
The world around him rippled like water, clouds twisting and sky bending. In the blink of an eye, he stood before a massive transparent barrier that stretched endlessly from heaven to earth—the boundary of the Mirror World.
Ever since his ascension as a Planeswalker, Edward had gained the ability to enter and exit the Mirror World freely.
Standing before that immense, glass-like wall, he activated [Deconstruction]. His vision sharpened, piercing through the "mirror," revealing the intricate essence and Authority woven into its structure.
As his analysis deepened, his spiritual perception calculated the estimated time to complete the full deconstruction: two to three weeks.
That was both unexpected—and reasonable.
After all, this barrier was born from the Authority of the Primordial Demoness, and such power could hardly be easily undone. The last time he'd attempted to deconstruct the Darkness' Authority, the feedback had been staggering—it would've taken over a thousand years. Even now, as a Sequence 2, it might still take centuries.
For this Mirror barrier, only two or three weeks were required. That meant the portion of Authority infused here was relatively limited.
But two or three weeks…was still far too long.
Not just because of his worry for Lilith—but because his own life could barely last a few days.
Edward raised his hand, pressing his palm against the smooth, invisible surface. Closing his eyes, he expanded his thoughts—and invoked [Fantasy].
In the next second—
He felt his spirituality surge out of him, drawn rapidly into the mirror. A chill spread through his palm, followed by the sensation of liquid flowing around his hand. Cold mist brushed across his face.
Opening his eyes, he saw that a man-sized hollow had appeared in the barrier before him—and within it flowed clear, rippling water. His palm, once pressed against the glass, was now submerged within it.
Without hesitation, Edward stepped forward.
The instant he crossed the threshold, his entire body was enveloped by the icy embrace of water. His vision blurred; sound dissolved into silence. But the sensation of submersion lasted only a few seconds—
Then the world opened up again.
He found himself standing in a familiar room—No. 15 Emerald Street, on the other side of the barrier.
Glancing back, he saw the same seamless, crystalline wall behind him. The hole his Fantasy had carved through reality was gone—as though it had never existed.
"I made it inside?"
Edward flicked a coin, performing a quick divination. The results confirmed it—he was indeed within the Mirror World.
He immediately phased through the wall, emerging into the street outside the villa.
Everything looked the same as in the real world—the houses, the street, the trees—yet the entire environment was cloaked in an oppressive, absolute silence.
There was no wind.
No rustle of leaves.
No trace of life.
"Lilith…where are you?"
Edward took out his wand, performing a dowsing rod divination.
The wand spun erratically at first, then pointed firmly toward a direction—the end of the street.
He followed it without hesitation.
But after walking barely a dozen meters, the surroundings began to distort.
Walls warped like melting wax; the air shimmered; some objects turned translucent, others simply vanished.
The moment he stopped moving, everything froze—returning to stillness.
Edward frowned, scanning the area carefully. He saw nothing—but the throbbing pain of his decaying spirituality urged him forward again.
So he walked on.
Once more, the world shifted around him.
When he reached the end of the street, the scenery abruptly transformed—and before him stood a familiar sight: a small villa in the Empress Borough of Backlund.
But the changes didn't stop there.
With every step forward, the illusion evolved—the Empress Borough melted into Minsk Street, the place where he had once rented his first apartment. Spires then rose in the distance, multiplying into towers that reached into the clouds—
Until he stood before the soaring castle of Hogwarts.
"…"
Edward froze for a moment.
From Trier to Backlund made sense—the Mirror World was, after all, a reflection of reality, as Krismona had once explained.
But Hogwarts?
That was another world altogether.
"Could it be…because of Lilith?" he whispered. "Is that why the Mirror World is reflecting her domain?"
"Then—she must be inside the castle!"
He broke into a run.
But before he could reach the gates, the world twisted again. The castle's ancient stones liquefied into bricks and streets—Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, corridors folding and collapsing—
Until suddenly, the entire scene flattened out into a barren plain.
A moment later, buildings erupted from the earth, rising in sequence—glass towers, neon signs, city lights—
In the blink of an eye, he was standing in a sprawling modern metropolis.
A blinding flash of white light shot toward him, searing his eyes.
The roar of engines, honking of horns, hurried footsteps, voices, shouts—a flood of urban noise overwhelmed him.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The moment his sight cleared, something dark hurtled toward him. Instinctively, Edward raised his arms—and caught it.
He looked down.
"…A basketball?"
For a second, he just stared blankly.
The rhythmic thump, thump, thump of bouncing balls filled the air, growing louder.
Lifting his head, he found himself on an outdoor basketball court, surrounded by young men in their twenties, each playing in their own half of the court. Most wore casual shorts and T-shirts; a few had on jerseys.
And…he was one of them.
Edward froze, utterly dumbfounded.
"There are living people in the Mirror World?!"
"But…where the hell did it drop me this time?!"
———
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Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]
[1] This ability is a combination of two Planeswalker’s abilities: Symbolization and the Authority of Teleportation.