The other day, we’d been at each other’s throats. Tension ran through my camp and everyone put themselves on guard. Their wariness was unnecessary, though. Harrison clearly wasn’t in any condition to fight. He’d already been severely wounded when I last saw him, but after his encounter with Jinguuji, his injuries looked fatal. He definitely couldn’t stand up and walk around. His gaunt face was deathly pale and the bags beneath his eyes looked like the shadows of death.
His muscular body wasn’t stirring the slightest bit in his wheelchair. In his current state, we could defeat him with ease. To expose his vulnerability to his sworn foes, he must have been desperate for our help. Only the severe glint in his eyes remained untarnished by his defeat.
“It’s been two days, Majima,” Nakajima said, his voice cheerful enough to make anyone relax just by hearing it. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
He faced me with his usual affable smile.
“I assume you’ve heard what’s going on?” I asked.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here,” Nakajima answered. “Things being the way they are.”
Harrison had revealed the truth of the world, at least partially, to Nakajima. Considering the gravity of this information, such knowledge had to be kept from as many people as possible. However, if all the people being sent after Jinguuji were unaware of the details, that was a problem in itself.
For example, say Jinguuji told them the truth when they caught up to him. If it didn’t match what they already knew beforehand, it would shake their conviction. Depending on the circumstances, it was possible the whole operation could fail right then and there. At the very least, someone in the exploration team had to know and convince the others. On that point, nobody was more suitable than their leader. Harrison’s judgment on this matter had been correct.
In hindsight, this was convenient for us. If someone on the exploration team knew about the situation between us and the church, the church would no longer be able to misinform them. Iino and Shimazu were with me, so it was unlikely for the exploration team to become our enemies, but it was good to have a guarantee for the future.
In other words, Harrison had decided that my cooperation was necessary enough to vindicate my reputation among the exploration team members. He understood how dangerous the current situation was, after all.
“After hearing of the world’s impending doom, I know we’ve got no time to drag things out,” Nakajima said, a serious look in his eyes. “Besides, my comrade is responsible for this. I don’t know why he’s suddenly planning to destroy the world, but I can’t leave him be. I’ll be the one to stop Jinguuji.”
His words were reassuring. I’d once seen the ability that set him above all others. I didn’t doubt for a second that he would stop the Dragon. He was the savior who wielded the ultimate radiant sword. There was nobody more suitable to be put into action in this situation. That said, it was precisely because I felt this way that I couldn’t understand why Harrison had contacted us. I turned to look at the marshal.
“Let’s cut right to the chase. There’s no time to waste,” he said.
“Yeah, let’s,” I agreed. Now wasn’t the time for idle chatter. “Why did you contact me?”
“Because you’re necessary to stop Jinguuji Tomoya,” Harrison answered.
“That’s what I don’t understand,” I said. “You have the exploration team, don’t you? They should be more than strong enough for this.”
“It’s because fighting is the only thing we’re capable of,” Nakajima said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“There are those like Shimazu, but they’re exceptions. We’re called saviors here, but we’re basically nothing more than mercenaries.”
Nakajima derided himself casually, but remained relaxed. To him, despite having so much power, those who had the true potential to be saviors were something else entirely. Even during this exchange, I could sense something fundamentally different in him from the warriors who depended entirely on strength.
“Even when we’re only talking about fighting, I’m pretty sure your group covers a wider range of capabilities.”
“Meaning there’s something only we can do?” I asked.
“You catch on quickly. Exactly that.” Nakajima nodded and glanced at Harrison to explain.
“Jinguuji Tomoya stole the Dimension Door that leads to the storage vault and flew away.”
“He took the door...?”
I frowned at the curious expression, then suddenly realized something. A door connected two rooms. There was no point to picking one up and taking it away. However, the Dimension Door was a magic tool. It was possible to carry it around.
“Hang on,” I said. “I thought this was just about chasing Jinguuji into the world beyond the Dimension Door. The door itself is gone too?”
“That’s right,” Harrison confirmed. “We must first search for the Dimension Door. If we at least had a Dimensional Cornerstone, we could use its resonance as a compass to locate the door, but the church is no longer in possession of any.”
“So you can’t even find it?”
“That’s correct, but I’m afraid the situation complicates things further. A Dimensional Cornerstone serves as the key to that world. Without one, it’s impossible to even step foot inside.”
“You’re missing both the compass and the key...? So what can you even do?”
The situation was far worse than I’d imagined. Forget chasing Jinguuji, we couldn’t even track him. If he traveled by foot, Lily or Ayame could follow his scent, but all hope was lost if Jinguuji turned into a dragon and flew through the skies.