“Oh. Y-you have?” “Yes. Instead of having you explain from the ground up, I’d prefer to check our answers. After all, if my theories are true, then there’s little time remaining.” Rather than waiting for Yggdra’s response, Tsukasa dived into his exposition and laid it all out, as though in a hurry. “After being unceremoniously dumped into this world, we had a few points of reference to work off to grasp our predicament. We theorized three rules governing this world based on Winona’s story, our incomplete conversation with you, and the scattered knowledge of the Seven Luminaries we found across the continent. “Rule 1: There existed some sort of threat to the world referred to as the evil dragon. “Rule 2: There existed some sort of entity that opposed the evil dragon. “Rule 3: There existed a group known as the Seven Heroes affiliated with the opposer that was called in from somewhere beyond. “Everything you told us just now settled any doubts we might have had about rules two and three. “Rule two refers to you, Yggdra, and three refers to the seven of us. “Once you fill in those two, the first rule becomes obvious enough. After all, there just so happens to be a major power pursuing the elves, as it says in Adel’s journal. The evil dragon and its followers… “…are none other than Blue Grandmaster Neuro ul Levias and the rest of the Lindworm dynasty.” “…!” Yggdra’s eyes went wide at Tsukasa’s conclusion, and she gasped. Shock was written all across her face. Tsukasa’s hypothesis had hit the nail directly on the head. Seeing Yggdra’s expression was enough to assure Tsukasa he was correct, and he continued. “We’ve gathered information from the Seven Luminaries legends, the continent’s recorded history, and Adel’s journal. Based on that knowledge, I posit that the grand global affair went roughly like this: Approximately a thousand years ago, the world battled a threat that later came to be known as the evil dragon. “If we consider that Neuro was telling the truth when he said he came from another world, we can assume that the evil dragon and its followers invaded from a planet separate from this one and Earth. One with highly developed magic. “At that point, you and the elves joined forces and succeeded in putting down the incursion and sealing away the attackers. With that, the battle became nothing more than a legend from the distant past. However, Neuro and his cohorts were reincarnated as people from this world and now work to destroy the seal. “That was why they made those overt acts of aggression against the economically insignificant nation of Yamato. They dispatched troops against the Freyjagard lords’ wishes, yet when they won the region, they turned around and lazily subcontracted it as a self-governing dominion. The whole war seems illogical, but if Neuro and his contemporaries are the entities from rule one, it makes sense. They invaded Yamato in search of the elves who guarded the seal, but thanks to your warning, they had already left the continent for the New World. “When Neuro and his allies arrived at the empty village, they discovered what happened and shifted Freyjagard’s goal to pursue the elves. The New World expedition isn’t to gather slaves or secure new territory; it’s to catch the elves. “Now, the elves saw the whole chase coming, so they entrusted the child bearing the seal, Lyrule, to Adel, and the empire’s expedition fell for their diversion hook, line, and sinker. But I digress. The issue is that the elves’ ploy won’t work forever. The Lindworm administration invaded Yamato and the New World with extreme prejudice, and sooner or later, they will find their quarry. And while we have no way of knowing the elves’ current situation, it’s only a matter of time before their deception is exposed. “And knowing that…you took action. You used Lyrule, just as you did at the feudal lord’s castle and as you are now. Through her, you called people strong enough to oppose Neuro and his forces. And you ended up with seven earthlings.” Tsukasa paused briefly for effect… “Now, that’s my rough understanding of the events. Was there anything I got wrong?” …then locked eyes with Yggdra. Yggdra replied… “N-no, not at all. You nailed it! That’s exactly what happened! All of it!” …by shaking her head. Her voice rang with excitement. She was amazed. Not only had Tsukasa identified the evil dragon and its followers, but he’d also deduced the major happenings with such accuracy that Yggdra couldn’t find anything meaningful to correct. Her allies were proving themselves to be dependable indeed. When Yggdra’s eyes lit up with joy, Tsukasa’s expression darkened. “So I was right, then? That’s unfortunate. I hoped I wasn’t.” The events he’d described would seriously impact things in the future. Tsukasa had worried this was the case and wished to be wrong. However, now that he knew he was correct, he understood there was no time to waste lamenting his misfortune. “Then there’s one more thing we need to ask you.” He stared pointedly at Yggdra and asked the most important question of all. “Can you get us to our endgame?” “I’m sorry, your…endgame?” Tsukasa nodded. “I assume it goes without saying, but our first and foremost objective in this world is to find a way for the seven of us to return to Earth. Neuro has already offered that to us. Cooperating with him is one way to reach our endgame. If you want us to give that up, I assert you are obligated to offer another route to our goal. You called us here to be pawns in your campaign against Neuro. If we do that for you, will you return us to our original world?” When Tsukasa finished his question, the whole lead-up to it finally clicked for Yggdra. It was a perfectly reasonable ask. Naturally, the fact that Yggdra had called them there meant she could send them back, so she gave him a big nod… “Yes, of course! I promise!” “I don’t believe you.” …and Tsukasa immediately rejected her assertion. “What?!” He completely shut her down. Yggdra found herself at a loss. She returned Tsukasa’s stare with a questioning look, noticing the frigidity in Tsukasa’s heterochromatic eyes. The emotion there bordered on outright hostility. Tsukasa believed he had a perfectly acceptable reason for feeling that way, though. “Why should I trust you? After all, you nearly killed us once.” “Oh…” “If not for the people of Elm, each of us would’ve perished in an alien world. There’s no reason to trust the entity who put us in that position.” “I—I, um…” Yggdra didn’t know what to say to that. It was true that the Prodigies had been injured because of her flawed summoning, and that was something she could never take back. She had fought hard to keep them alive during the crash, but knowing they wouldn’t have crashed if she hadn’t summoned them weakened that excuse. “What’s more, you just told us you’ve grown weak. That was the whole reason you couldn’t properly get in contact with us, right? I don’t pretend to understand magic particularly well, but I have to assume that bridging the gap between worlds is more difficult than simply talking to someone far away. So I have to ask: In your current state, are you capable of returning us safely to our original world? I’d rather not get sent back just to find myself drowning in the middle of the Pacific.” Yggdra had already jeopardized the Prodigies’ lives once, so Tsukasa had little faith in her abilities. He was the Prodigies’ representative; his duty was to keep them all safe. Unless Yggdra offered some assurance, he couldn’t justify relying on her. And so… “Do you have anything to allay my concerns? People have called you a god.” …he posed his inquiry again, more firmly than before. Tsukasa wanted hard evidence that he could trust her. But when he made his demand… “…” …Yggdra had no reply. She’d been sincere when she promised to send the Prodigies home. There was a way to guarantee their safe return to Earth, but the method was single use. She couldn’t afford to pull out her trump card now. Unfortunately, her remaining power was insufficient to convince the Prodigies. She had given herself up to restore the continent, and as a result, she lacked the strength to even converse with others unless they came to the tree. Yggdra couldn’t solve this with a show of ability. So what else could she do to win her champions’ confidence? Yggdra thought it over…but failed. Nothing came to mind, not one solitary reason they should believe in her. However, that was to be expected… “You’re right to be suspicious of me. I’ve done plenty to you all, of course, but fundamentally…I’m not the sort of being people trust. I lack the right.” “…?” …and it gave Yggdra an idea. One element about the Seven Luminaries went unrecorded, Yggdra’s identity. If she told these people, they’d lose all confidence in her. Exposing that final truth would only end poorly for her. The Seven Heroes might refuse to cooperate at all. Despite that, or perhaps even because of it… If I have nothing to offer, then at the very least, I ought not to hold anything back. If someone so untrustworthy desired help, the only thing to give was total honesty. So, having made up her mind… “Here’s the truth. The elves called me a god, but I’m not anything so admirable. “The evil dragon was a powerful mage called Father. He is from another world with highly developed magic and created a series of homunculi. Neuro is one of them…and so am I.” …she told the Prodigies of herself. “““……!””” Yggdra’s admission came as a surprise to everyone. Shock and wariness colored their features. The air was so tense you could cut it with a knife. However, Yggdra was prepared for that, so she continued her confession undeterred. “More than a thousand years ago, our creator, Father, was shunned for his preeminent magical ability and keen mind. He was branded a heretic and exiled from his original world.” As Neuro explained, science nearly ruined his and Yggdra’s home world. From there, magic rose in prominence and achieved widespread use and adoption across their society. The planet’s history left its populace terrified of anything that might lead to major upheaval. And that fear manifested as persecution toward anyone with the skills capable of bringing about innovation. In Father’s case, he was shunned from the world. “That sent Father into a mad rage, and he came to this planet with me, Neuro…and three other homunculi. He swore revenge against the world that had rejected him, and it was here that he planned to create the military assets to carry out his vengeance.” Father required the ability to create soldiers of incredible strength—magic that would evolve his homunculi into beings on par with deities. To make that a reality, Yggdra and the others took their existing research on forced evolution magic and used this new planet to master the craft. The endemic inhabitants became their test subjects. They carried out inhumane experiments, the likes of which were unheard of on their homeworld. Yggdra spared the Prodigies no detail about the many casualties that came from those efforts. The scars of their world were still visible across the globe in the form of people with animal traits—byuma. And that wasn’t all. Yggdra looked over at Shura, who’d been hanging back at the rear of the group. “…You hail from Yamato, correct?” “…Who, me?” Shura asked. “I owe you an apology. The tragedy that befell Yamato three years ago wouldn’t have transpired if not for our research.” “What…do you mean?” “Originally, we used the land of Yamato as a custodial facility for our flawed prototypes…the invalids whose minds broke when we forced their bodies to evolve. We held them in Yamato for later use as foot soldiers in our war of revenge. “Their broken minds left them prone to random acts of violence, so to manage them efficiently, we injected them with special magic factors. Those would be what you call ‘spirits.’ Using a spell called Administrative Authority allowed us to seize direct control of that group through those magic factors… I trust you understand what I’m getting at.” Shura gasped. “So you mean…Princess Mayoi’s brainwashing was…” “Precisely.” Yggdra nodded. “She was using Administrative Authority.” Following the war one thousand years ago, Yggdra had given the elves access to Administrative Authority and the bell used to spread its power. In so doing, the elves could offer the experiment victims better treatment. Yggdra described the fantastic efforts of the elves. They cared diligently for those so thoroughly wronged. After generations of intermixing with the naturally magically gifted and magic-resistant elves, the descendants of the test victims regained their sanity. Once they’d recovered enough, they founded their own nation on what was previously their cage. “As more generations passed and elven heritage became scarcer, their magic waned, and knowledge of Administrative Authority and the bell was lost… Until a certain few who knew about those things were reborn in the modern era.” Yggdra was referring to Neuro and the other grandmasters—her old allies. By taking advantage of those forgotten factors, they carried out a swift invasion of Yamato. The dead of Yamato returned to the soil, spreading their magic factor until it became ingrained in the fabric of the nation as its “native spirits.” Eventually, it took root in nearly the entire population, a consequence beyond what Yggdra had ever imagined. It spelled doom for Yamato. “I’m truly, truly sorry.” “…” Yggdra hung her head, yet she still spied Shura’s tight fists. She clenched her fingers so powerfully that it restricted their blood flow. Yggdra accepted that rage as justified. If she and her ilk had never existed, Yamato’s tragedies would never have occurred. No amount of apologizing would right this. “I am in no way deserving of being called a god. My kind have invited calamity in both the past and the present. After I began to doubt our mission, I informed our home world of Father’s scheme and fought against him. And when this continent perished from the battle, I sacrificed my body to nourish it. That was my attempt at atonement… I confess a desire for forgiveness motivated me.” Apologizing to get the people you’d irreparably harmed to absolve you was an act of base narcissism. It succeeded in making only the wrongdoer feel better. And that was all Yggdra had done. At first. “But not anymore.” Yggdra lifted her head. No longer was her expression one of remorseful weakness. The eyes upon her carried everything from caution to scorn to outright hatred, but she faced them with dignity. “I’ve spent a long time—a thousand years—existing alongside this world and watching its people go about their lives. “They stood atop the ashes and ruins of this broken land, tilled the wasteland, erected houses, and built villages. “I saw people helping others, groups coming together to aid individuals. “My kin and I were built to be powerful, and these creatures’ strengths paled compared to ours. But they came together and lived more resolutely than we ever could have dreamed. “There were atrocities committed across their history, of course. Deeds so vulgar as to make you look away. Not everything I witnessed was beautiful. Yet even amid such adversity, the people carried themselves gallantly. As I bore witness, I felt a desire building. “I wished to protect them. “I wanted to safeguard the chain of lives that went unbroken for so long and everything else I observed here. Not for atonement this time, no, but for the sake of a warmer, larger emotion. One that I lack the words to describe!” Yggdra was willing to do anything to achieve that end. Laboring for it made her feel capable of anything. And so… “Presently, I’m not strong enough to stop the imminent threat. “I poured most of my power into this land’s foundations. My remaining strength is but a sliver. “You traveled to my side after I put you in danger and left you adrift in a foreign world, yet I have nothing to offer in exchange for your trust. In this borrowed body, I can’t even lower my own head to demonstrate my sincerity. “I have nothing. No might, no natural form, and no time. But still, my desire to protect this world’s people is genuine! Please, you have to believe me! I implore you to lend me your strength and help me accomplish what I’m not strong enough to do on my own!” To make her plea, Yggdra laid everything bare. Instead of bowing with her borrowed body or trying to trick Tsukasa and the others by lying about her powers, she voiced her raw feelings. It didn’t benefit her to do so, and she had no proof of her claims. Tsukasa had asked her to give him something he could trust, and she’d failed. However… “H-hey, Tsukasa!” …words were a vessel that carried emotions. And those spoken from the heart had the power to touch others. “Look, I, uh…I think we can trust this god lady.” The first one to speak up was Akatsuki—the most cowardly boy of them all. “I mean, she did put us in a pretty rough spot, a really rough spot. And our lives would’ve been way easier if she hadn’t, but… The way I see it, there are times when you don’t have a choice but to ask for help, even if you know it’s going to make the other person’s life complicated.” And that was even truer when you were the only one capable of even asking for aid. “Yggdra wanted to protect people but knew she was weak and understood she couldn’t do anything alone. Still, she really wanted to help… That seems like a good reason to bring us here, don’t you think?” And when Akatsuki finished… “Tsu…kasa…I think…that if…we have to choose…between the two endgames…then I’d like…to trust Yggdra…” …Ringo followed after him. “Oh?” Tsukasa replied. “After all…Neuro might…not…have been lying, but…” Ringo thought back to how Neuro had acted during the peace talk in Astarte. The emperor had entrusted Neuro with governing the empire, yet he’d agreed to arguably terrible terms for Freyjagard. He’d surrendered with a pleased grin. His acceptance was a great boon to Elm, but the behavior rubbed Ringo the wrong way. The genius inventor had spent ages watching someone work himself to the bone to protect the rights and interests of his people. Neuro was different from Tsukasa, however. He wasn’t the sort to lift a finger for others. Tsukasa’s keen insight determined that Neuro had been truthful when he claimed he could send the Prodigies home, and although Ringo believed him… “I’d still be scared…to put my life in the hands…of someone who only cares about himself.” Next was Aoi. “I concur with Akatsuki and Ringo, that I do.” She closed her eyes as though recalling something. “Those in great need are often those least able to offer recompense. Yet theirs are the pleas that chivalry calls on us to answer.” Beneath her eyelids, she saw the war-torn regions she’d marched across as a prodigy swordmaster. People who had nothing were the ones who needed the most help. Aoi understood that better than most. They had nothing to give in return but thanks, and that was precisely why they needed saving. From there… “The bottom line is, if Lyrule is that important for Neuro’s goal or whatever, then negotiating with him isn’t a realistic option for us.” “He and his allies want to destroy the seal she carries. The journal described the process as ‘tearing her soul to shreds,’ which doesn’t sound pleasant. Knowing that, it’s hard to imagine us working together.” …Shinobu and Keine expressed their de facto support for Yggdra as well. According to Yggdra’s story, Neuro threatened Lyrule’s safety, so allying with him was out of the question. Shinobu shot Tsukasa a biting look. “However, you already knew all that, didn’t you? You asked Yggdra those mean questions to give her a chance to win us over.” “…” “C’mon, Tsukes, give us some credit. None of us wants to go home if it means sacrificing Lyrule or this world’s people to do it.” That was an issue they’d settled back when Masato left. “Besides,” Shinobu continued, “if the whole get-Yggdra-to-send-us-home plan turns out to be a bust, we can always find another way to get back once we’ve saved Lyrule and the rest of the world. I’ll find us that way home if I have to turn over the entire continent to do it. And if even that doesn’t work out, ol’ Ringo here can build us a boat that can sail across worlds!” “Y-yeah. I’ll see…what I can do!” Ringo agreed. Aoi nodded. “And in the meantime, I shall keep you all safe, that I shall.” “And I intend to ensure that no matter what circumstances befall us, our health will remain in tip-top shape,” Keine added. “And I, uh…I can cheer you all on! Yeah!” Akatsuki said. All of them felt the same as Shinobu. There was a wicked plot brewing, and the Prodigies had no intention of leaving without thwarting it first, especially not with Lyrule’s life on the line. That was never an option. Five gazes fell on Tsukasa, each pair of eyes burning with resolve, kindness, and drive. Tsukasa took them all in… “Well, okay then.” …and smiled for the first time since arriving at the great tree. He faced Yggdra once more… “Yggdra, I believe in you as well. If you’ve earned the trust of both my steadfast allies and a millennium’s worth of elves, then that’s good enough for me.” …and offered his hand. At the sight… “Thank you…” …Yggdra cried joyous tears. After they exchanged a hard, firm handshake, Tsukasa turned to his friends. “This journey of ours has felt like a wild goose chase for the longest time, but now we have our final objective. We’re going to crush the Freyjagard Empire and the Lindworm administration’s ambitions, save Lyrule and the world, and, once we’re finished, use Yggdra’s power to return to Earth. This will be an all-or-nothing scenario—and I’ll be counting on each one of you more than ever.” The others nodded in answer. Their eyes gleamed, and they understood what they needed to do. That moment marked the quiet beginning of the High School Prodigies’ final battle. “Okay, so we’ve decided that our big goal is to stop Neuro and his buddies at any cost, but now that we’ve got our mission, I’d like to get more concrete details on the situation.” Now that they’d decided to work with Yggdra, Shinobu made a recommendation. “We know now that Neuro and the other grandmasters are trying to revive your dad, the so-called evil dragon, but what are they planning on doing to Lyrule to achieve that? Our tactics depend on their exact strategy.”
Chapter 114
20 min read