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The next day, Yuuhi and I checked out of the inn first thing in the morning. We were finally ready to set out for the divine trial. My hands were already shaking a little from nerves.
“Rekka.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
But just as we were about to leave the inn...
“Hey, wait up a second,” the clerk called out.
“Huh? What is it?”
“I have something for you.”
“For me?”
What could it be? I couldn’t think of anything I’d left behind.
“Here,” the clerk said, handing me an envelope. “A guy who stayed here previously asked me to give this to anyone who looked a lot like him if they stopped here.”
With that, the clerk returned to the front desk.
“Someone who looked like me...?”
I exchanged a knowing glance with R and then Yuuhi before opening the envelope. In it was a letter.
✦ ✦ ✦
Whether the person reading this is the girl who sent me to this world or a different version of myself, I’m writing this to inform you of my current situation. I believe you’ll make it here eventually.
That was how the letter began. It never specified who the “me” who actually wrote the letter was, but we had a pretty good idea.
“My future self came to the trial too, huh?”
“...”
“Then maybe...”
“No, your future self wouldn’t be able to take the trial.”
“Really?”
“Originally, the purpose of the divine trial was to bestow power upon those who overcame it.”
“Power?”
“Yeah. Those who successfully rise to the challenge of the divine trial are bestowed with a power of their choosing... Not that Sith would grant any powers clearly requested with ill intent, mind you.”
“Hmm... So why can’t my future self take the trial?”
“Because your future self is already too powerful. I can’t disclose the nature of the trial here, but... simply put, if you’re too strong, then there is no trial.”
“I see.”
I nodded in acknowledgment and continued reading.
✦ ✦ ✦
It seems I am not qualified to take the divine trial, so I will do what I can alone. A gloom weighs heavily on this world, and I aim to lighten that burden.
“A gloom? Wait, is he talking about the calamities caused by divine intervention?”
“Must be,” R confirmed.
There, I looked up at the sky. The ominous black hole was still lingering over us, but...
“Come to think of it, Yuuhi, when we first got here, didn’t you say the black hole looked a little smaller than you remembered?”
“I did, now that you mention it.”
“Could that be because my future self has been resolving stories here?”
“It could be.”
Just doing what he can, huh? Wow, my future self sure was a real bro.
“Being so proactive even after being thrown into a different world... My future self is pretty amazing.”
“I believe that could also be said of you as you are now, but nevertheless, being able to do the same or better alone is indeed impressive.”
While I hadn’t met future Rekka personally yet, I was already getting the feeling we were wildly different. But if Sith’s world was in a slightly better place just for having him around, then I was glad he was here.
“...”
If my future self had tried to take the trial, he and I had probably had the same idea. If only he’d been able to meet with the goddess... No, there was no point in dwelling on that. My future self was already doing what he could, and I had to do the same.
“Okay, then... Shall we set off for real this time?”
“Let’s go.”
And so we at last departed the inn for the divine trial.