When I realized, I was already carrying outdoor goods such as a tent and many more on my back and walking through a dense forest.
As I went through the forest, I saw a Torii1 gate. Above my head is a moss-covered red Torii gate extending far into the distance. The space between the trees was tied with Shimenawa2, and paper strips that were so long to the point of touching the ground stretched to my feet, looking like a carpet. Not only that, but I can also hear bells ringing from somewhere.
*Clang, clang, clang*
The sound of bells that can be heard over and over again spreads through the air and creeps around in my ears.
All of a sudden, the inside of the forest became foggy, covering my body in a sticky, milky-white mist in no time.
For some reason, I felt my body was so heavy and painful. I know this feeling… It was similar to the feel of running out of mana… I wonder if the fog is absorbing my magic power… I think I have seen this fog somewhere… That’s right, this is something used by Alf3 to…
“Haa… haa, haa, haa…”
Despite that, I can only keep walking earnestly while sweating all over my body. Astemil, who is walking next to me on my right, is nimbly climbing a mountain road with a bad foothold.
Rei who is walking on my left has already changed her clothes to clothes suitable for mountain climbing before I knew it. Meanwhile, I was like an idiot climbing a mountain in a shirt and jeans.
Suddenly, Master, who is already ahead of us, stared at me with a grin. That grinning face was like saying, 『If it’s my beloved disciple, he should be able to handle this on his own』… In other words, she is telling me that I can’t ask for her help and she will train me until I collapse.
This is bad. I will seriously faint if this continues. The higher we climb, the more magic power is absorbed by the fog. No, should I say it is decreasing?
For the time being, it would be terrible if the fog is not blocked… Because I am 80% sure this fog is the cause… I have to intercept it somehow with an anti-magic barrier…
Trigger.
I covered Rei in an anti-magic barrier. However, her symptoms didn’t get cured, rather, it just made me sweat more and breathe heavily.
This is terrible. Breathing should be the cause. Because the density of the anti-magic barrier is thin, the fog could pass through the barrier and is sucked into my lungs. In other words, this barrier is meaningless no matter how many times I cast it. Damn it, I don’t have a hobby of staring at a heroine who seems to be in pain.
While sweating profusely, I go behind my little sister.
“… Rei.”
With a pale face, I put my hands on her back, as she looks like she is about to collapse anytime soon.
“Your magic device… Synchronize your Kagerou with my Kuki Masamune… I will pour my magic power into you… It will make things a little easier for you…”
“B-but, if I do that, Onii-sama will…”
“It’s okay, hurry up… This is my role as your brother…”
With a vacant expression, Rei took out Kagerou from the spear bag.
A silver spear then shines in the white fog. Rei, who stretched out the beautiful tip of the spears, closed her eyes and started synchronizing her magic device with mine– and then, I poured my magic power into her.
“Ugh.”
Rei groaned, and I desperately controlled my magic power while drenched in sweat.
Controlling my magic power– Wait, what? I can control my magic power?
As my magic power smoothly flows into Rei, her complexion gradually improves. Why did I suddenly become able to control it…? Even though Arshariya’s magic power was too vast for me to handle… Suddenly, I realized.
Is it this fog? Then, as if responding to my magic power, the fog cleared a little, and Master smiled at me as if saying that my answer was correct.
“That fog… Sucked the magic power that I can’t control, huh… In that fog, my magic power flows smoothly as I intended… The fog is regulating the flow of my magic power… Or should I say, it was rectifying it…?”
“That fog is a stabilizer.”
Next to a big tree, Master, who hides her face in a white fog, whispered.
“Hiiro, this fog is your guide. It is also a teacher that could teach you how to suppress your magic power. Grasping the identity of this fog is precisely the very question I have prepared for you. You have three days to answer this question.”
“Uh, to find out what the fog really is… in just three days…? Even though I feel like I’m going to collapse even now…?”
“Since it seems like you will be discouraged if you are alone, I especially brought your cute little sister here. Furthermore, tadaa! I will set a virtual opponent for you.”
“A virtual opponent?”
"
"
Even on the other side of the fog, I know very well that Master is laughing right now.
“Chris Esse Eisbert.”
“Are you kidding me…? You want me to win against that monster in just three days…? Isn’t it impossible without opening my magic eyes…?”
“No one said you have to win against her, though? Also, I absolutely will not allow you to open your magic eyes forcefully. That’s because magic eyes are something that should be opened naturally by taking a long-term approach. It wouldn’t be strange for the current Hiiro to become a cripple if you tried to open Daybreak Epic, your magic eyes.”
“Then, what do you want me to do?”
“I just want you to not lose against Chris Esse Eisbert. That should be your specialty, right, Hiiro?”
The fog slowly clears up– and a precipitous cliff spreads out in front of my eyes.
Next to Master, who was standing next to a large tree, there was a clear blue sky and sheer cliffs with a red and gold heavenly shrine clinging to them.
Then, as if there was a dragon that soar in the sky, thin white clouds zigzagging across the blue sky. Beneath that, my silver-haired master smiled at me.
“Shall we start? Your first step to becoming a genius.”
She stretched her hand to me and said.
Beneath the blue sky, I smiled– and took that first step.