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Seiji and the others did as the restaurant owner instructed.
Then, the handsome middle-aged restaurant owner lifted his hands, clasped his palms together, and created a white ball of light that he inserted into the globe.
The markings on the globe lit up as light flashed all over its circuitry-like patterns.
“Now, everyone, reach out with your hands. No need to touch it, just get closer to it.”
Hearing this, Seiji was the first to reach out his hand.
When his hand neared the globe, a dark-red mist appeared from his hand, then was sucked into the globe.
‘It’s alright…’ Seiji indicated that to the others with his expression.
Miyabi was the second to reach out her hand. Following after her, Nomura and the others reached out with their hands as well.
After the globe absorbed some mist from all of them, it began to buzz. On the lower half of the device, the three-legged stand, many mystical runes started to glow red.
The restaurant owner inspected the runes for several seconds.
“You still have three companions located in different places,” he explained. “I can currently locate two of them. There’s one more person that I won’t be able to locate until you find the other two. Then, I’ll be able to repeat this spell and locate the last person.”
“Why is that?” Seiji inquired.
“Because that person is located in a deeper level of this world… this spell’s power is limited and requires more people to power it up before I’ll be able to locate the last person.”
“…Although I still don’t really understand, I think I understand the gist of it.”
‘The two people he was able to locate are probably the last two award-winning authors, Shousei Maishi and Imai Yoshida. The person that’s in a deeper level that he can’t locate is probably Shoutarou Rinura,’ Seiji thought to himself.
“I need you all to choose one person as the ‘Guide.’ This person shall be responsible for leading you all to find your companions,” the restaurant owner continued explaining.
Upon hearing this, Miyabi and everyone else all looked at Seiji.
“Allow me.” Seiji accepted the role.
The restaurant owner then asked everyone else to put their hands on Seiji’s body.
After everyone did so, the restaurant owner then asked Seiji to place his hand on the globe.
“You need to place your hand on it for several seconds. The process may be somewhat dizzying. Please bear with it.”
Seiji nodded in understanding.
Although he felt that the restaurant owner wasn’t leading them into a trap, he still decided to make a save file at this point in time just in case.
He slowly put his hand on the globe.
His hand was instantly enveloped in a white light; many scattered fragments of scenes flashed through his mind!
He saw two children playing together in the countryside… a female server greeting customers in a restaurant… a young maintenance repair soldier running through a demolished military base…
All these scenes flashed through his mind in just an instant, giving him deep and lasting impressions.
Were these fantasies? Or memories?
Seiji couldn’t help but wonder. At this moment, he was unable to differentiate between illusion and reality.
His head started feeling dizzy.
His consciousness and vision both became hazy. Everything seemed to become hazy.
Seiji faintly felt as if he realized something while in this condition… he then felt a mysterious power enter his body and gather on his right hand.
The sensation of dizziness left him.
His consciousness and vision both returned to normal.
Seiji saw that the restaurant owner had also placed his hand on the globe.
“It really is you again… right?” Seiji couldn’t help but ask.
The handsome middle-aged restaurant owner looked at Seiji and didn’t reply. However, his mouth faintly arced upwards.
The restaurant owner’s faint smile vanished instantly as if it had never been there.
“I have finished locating them. The seal on your hand will help you to find your companions.”
Seiji saw that there was now a small, white spell formation on the back of his right hand.
“The locator spell is only effective for a limited amount of time. I would advise you to hurry.” The restaurant owner paused for a moment. “The locator spell will only work if all of you are together. So, it’s no good if some of you go and some of you stay behind in the restaurant.”
Seiji watched the restaurant owner leave the basement and go back to the restaurant’s kitchen.
He was almost one hundred percent certain that this restaurant owner was actually the same mysterious existence that was possessing the ‘angel Seiji’ in Reo’s soul realm!
But, it was just at the degree of almost. There was no way for him to be completely certain.
He asked but didn’t receive an answer. He indicated that he wanted to know, but there was no response.
It seemed that this existence didn’t wish to tell him more. It merely provided its assistance, just like last time.
Was it that this existence was unable to tell him? It didn’t want to tell him? Or it wasn’t supposed to tell him?”
Seiji didn’t know, but felt that he shouldn’t think about this issue anymore.
What he needed to do now was to rescue the other trapped authors and return to reality!
“Before we go, let me say a few thoughts of mine.” Seiji stopped looking in the direction where the restaurant owner left and glanced over at everyone else. “My guess is that the other two people that we need to find are Shousei Maishi and Imai Yoshida. Also, they’re probably inside their own light novel’s settings as well. I don’t know what either of their light novels are about, but I’m more concerned about the skeletons… I’m suspecting that those skeletons are a product from Shoutarou Rinura’s light novel. The Gold Award author is the main person who’s responsible for the creation of this realm we’re in. His novel has taken form and has great power in here. It’s also invaded the settings of the other authors’ novels.
“Matsutani-senpai and I were able to find Ishihara-senpai before her novel was invaded. Hashimoto-san has been staying here all this time, and was safe due to the restaurant owner’s protection. Meanwhile, Nomura-san escaped from his own story’s setting while it was being invaded by skeletons. As for Maishi-san and Yoshida-san’s settings, my guess it that they’re currently being invaded or perhaps even completely invaded. It’s highly likely that we’ll meet with danger when going to look for them.
“Just Matsutani-senpai and I alone might not be enough to deal with the dangerous situations we may face. Everyone here needs to fight with whatever strength you have.” Seiji glanced at everyone.
Everyone remained silent for several seconds.
“If what you say is real… how are we supposed to fight?” The cat ears on Miyabi’s head twitched. “I don’t know how to fight.”
“Although I have a weapon from my story’s setting, this weapon is now out of its magical energy.” Nomura indicated the magic weapon he was still carrying.
His weapon was a small magical crossbow, similar to a handgun. He had used up all its reserves of power while shooting at the skeletons chasing after him. However, he hadn’t thrown his weapon away.
“I said before that this is a dreamlike realm that isn’t a dream. Also, this realm is partially created by all of you as well.” Seiji looked at everyone. “In other words, all of you are just like ‘Creators’ here! All of you actually have the power of creation. You should be able to create, or perhaps I should say summon, things from your own stories.”
Miyabi and Nomura were both rendered speechless.
“I know that this sounds rather chuunibyou, but I’m being serious,” Seiji told them all. “As long as you concentrate and do your best to imagine it, you should be able to do it.”
The female high school student Miyabi Ishihara and the college student Koushi Nomura both revealed rather subtle expressions.
They had to act like chuunibyous at their age?
That was their reaction, while the (relatively) older Yuuko Hashimoto who was already a part of adult society was… even more speechless.
Everyone fell silent yet again for a while.
“Although this is difficult for me to accept, I might as well try it out since Harano-san says so,” Nomura said as he lifted the magic crossbow in his hand. “I shall try imagining that my magic weapon here is filled with energy again.”
After saying so, he stared at his magic crossbow and did his best to concentrate.
“Come… come… come…” he even muttered this as he concentrated.
Nothing happened.
“You need to be more spirited about it. How about trying to exaggerate in your actions?” Seiji recommended. “For example, saying a cool phrase or making a cool pose, something like that.”
‘Are you joking with me?’
Nomura stared at Seiji with such an expression.