“Yeah... Mm. You’re right.”
Their words helped dispel his anxieties. Truly, Reiji was so grateful for his companions. Just as he was about to agree to the banquet, darkness suddenly overwhelmed him.
“Huh?”
It was as if the lamps had suddenly blacked out in the middle of the night. No. It was worse than that. In this darkness, there weren’t even afterimages. Even cutting the power to a monitor wouldn’t be like this. It was as if he had become one with the darkness; he couldn’t even see his own body. He was reminded of an urban legend, one about a white string hanging from his ear.
“Everyone?! Tia! Mizuki! Graziella-san!”
He yelled in a fluster, shouting out to those who’d just been with him, but nobody answered. No matter how much he shouted for them, it was in vain; his voice simply vanished into the darkness. He’d been completely shut out from the outside world.
“Wh-What’s going on...?”
Was something happening to him personally? Or was this some sort of attack? All kinds of possibilities came to mind. And as he agonized over this in the darkness, he was struck by a sudden headache.
“Guh?!”
It was like a throbbing pain had grabbed his head and wrapped his skull in agony, reaching from one ear to the other. He then heard a familiar voice coming from nowhere.
“Are you worth getting such a warm welcome?”
“Huh?”
“Have you accomplished anything since coming to this world?”
“I...”
“How can you accept such things when you haven’t done anything noteworthy?”
“...”
The voice from the void was criticizing him. It was bitter and harsh in pointing out his failures, but Reiji couldn’t say anything in his defense. How could he? After all, it was the indisputable truth.
He’d defeated Rajas because Suimei had weakened the demon general ahead of time.
He’d been powerless before the man-eater Ilzarl.
Even during the invasion in Nelferia, if it weren’t for Felmenia, he would’ve been in trouble.
In the fight against Duke Hadorious, if Suimei had not arrived, he would have lost utterly.
No... Those last three weren’t strictly correct. In the fight against Ilzarl, against Grallajearus, and against Hadorious, he’d done something to break out of the situation. He hadn’t used his own power, but the power of coincidence. He’d used his connection to this voice calling out to him from nowhere.
Reiji suddenly felt something in his right hand. Now that he thought of it, the same thing had happened that morning before leaving the Empire. He opened his hand, unleashing an azure glow that pierced the darkness. It was as if the gem in his hand was luminescent—as if it was telling him to look at it, calling attention to itself and telling him to use it if anything happened.
“That’s right. If you want it, ask for it. Demand more power. Crave it. Lust for it. So that you can win an unshakable future... So that you can open the door to possibilities...”
Did he have to ask for more? To become the hero he pictured in his mind, did he have to implore this azure glow for more power?
“I... I...”
His lips moved on their own. It was as if a marionette’s strings were attached to the corners of his mouth, like someone else was forcing him to talk.
He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t cross this line. Once he did, there was no going back. Even with such thoughts in mind, his mouth refused to obey.
“I want...”
And just as he was about to say it...
“Reiji-kun? Reiji-kun? What’re you zoning out for?”
He suddenly heard Mizuki’s voice. Immediately following that, the darkness surrounding him was gone, and the room he’d been in before was back.
What had just happened? Had it all been an illusion?
“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Reiji said, flustered, as the three girls looked at him with concern in their eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“You sure?” Mizuki asked. “You were just sitting on the bed in a daze. Are you not getting enough sleep?”
“No, I’m totally fine!” Reiji insisted. “I was just thinking a little. Besides, I got more than enough sleep today and yesterday.”
“Reiji-sama...” Titania said. “It really might be best for you to get some rest.”
“I’m really okay!”
“No, we’re the ones putting you through such hardships,” Titania said. “We can’t have you pushing yourself too much.”
It seemed they were all really worried about him now. Even Graziella was looking grim.
“Ummm... Anyway, we were talking about going to the party tonight, right?” Reiji said, getting the conversation back on track.
Mizuki cocked her head. “Hwuh? A party? What party? Reiji-kun, who’s having a party?”
“Uhhh, what party?” Reiji said. “Didn’t one of the castle’s people just come over and invite us to a modest banquet?”
“Reiji-sama, what are you talking about?” Titania asked. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“Wha? I mean, we came to this room, talked about the king and Suimei, then someone knocked on the door...”
“Reiji, we only just entered the room,” Graziella said. “I was in fact about to bring up King Almadious, but...”
“What’s going on...?” Reiji muttered.
The three of them looked even more worried now, but in a complete turn, Mizuki clapped her hands together and approached Reiji with sparkles in her eyes.
“Oh! Oh! Reiji-kun! Did you awaken to precognitive powers?!”
“Huh? No... I’m pretty sure that’s out of the question,” Reiji said. He paused to think about it. It definitely wasn’t the case. He went back over what had happened since they’d entered the room. “Right. So we came in, then talked about the king being strong but never joining the Seven Swords ceremony because of his position, then something about Suimei calling him a sly old fox, then we talked about Felmenia-sensei.”
“It’s true my father hasn’t participated in the Seven Swords ceremony due to his status...” Titania commented.
“And Duke Hadorious did in his place,” Reiji said.
“Yes. It’s exactly as you say...” Titania looked more worried than shocked.
“Hmmm... It’s far too detailed and accurate for a wild delusion,” Graziella commented.
“Suimei-kun would totally call the king a sly old fox behind his back!” Mizuki added.
“After that, someone knocked on the door...”
Just as Reiji got to that, a knock suddenly came at the door. The tension in the room immediately spiked.
“I come bearing a message,” a voice said from the other side.
Everyone in the room exchanged looks. Titania then slowly rose from her seat and answered the door.
“About the banquet?” she asked.
“Oh! You’re already aware! Forgive me!” the chamberlain at the door said.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind. Have the details been decided on?”
“No, not yet. Another chamberlain will come by to go through the details later.”
“Understood. Thank you for delivering the message. You may stand down.”
“Excuse me.”
With that, the chamberlain left. A surprised silence filled the room for a short while.
“Reiji-kun, that’s amazing!” Mizuki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling once more. “You’ve got a crazy weapon and now you’re an esper!”
“Well...”
“Reiji-sama, I don’t know what powers are at work here, but it is tremendous to be able to see the future,” Titania said.
“Indeed,” Graziella agreed. “If we use it properly, we might be able to handle matters even better than before.”
“That’s...”