“You aren’t thinking of having the three of us sleep in one tent, are you…?”
“We can decide who sleeps in the front and who goes in the back by playing rock-paper-scissors.”
“I’m not worried about who goes in the front or the back! Hey, why do I have to be stuck in the middle?! The next morning, my body will be cold, and my tongue bitten off!”
My master tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand what I was saying, then hugged me.
Meanwhile, Rei timidly stuck her cheek against my back.
“It’s okay, see? We can do it like this.”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
That’s where my memory ended.
When I regained consciousness, I was carrying a tent, sleeping bag, and other outdoor gear, making my way through a thick forest of beech and oak trees.
There was a moss-covered red torii gate overhead, and the path continued all the way into the distance. It was tied with a sacred shimenawa rope that looked like a blood vessel connecting the trees. Long paper streamers stretched down to my feet, mixing with the leaves to cover the ground like a carpet.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard the sound of bells.
Ring, ring, ring!
The ringing of bells created a cacophony. It propagated through the air and was playing around in my ears.
Before I knew it, a fog had appeared.
A thick, milky-white fog settled over my whole body.
It was heavy and oppressive.
The feeling was similar to the sensation of having your magic power run out. Was the fog absorbing my power? I had a feeling I’d seen this fog somewhere before… Then I remembered it. The holy archers had been using it before.
“Hff… hff, hff, hff…”
I continued walking, drenched in sweat.
My master was walking on my right, climbing up the rocky, muddy path with ease.
Rei was to my left. I hadn’t realized when she’d changed into her hiking gear. I was the sole novice who had come underestimating the mountain and just asking for trouble, clad in a T-shirt and jeans.
My master led the way, smiling as she looked at me.
Her sadistic smile indicated her thoughts: As a treasured apprentice of mine, you can surely handle yourself in this situation, can’t you?
This wasn’t good. If this kept up, I would soon lose consciousness. The higher the altitude, the more magic power got sucked out of me. Or perhaps the amount of magic power I had was simply decreasing.
My priority was to eliminate this fog. Eight or nine out of ten, it was probably the issue here, and I would have to try to get rid of it.
Trigger.
I generated an improvised anti-magic barrier and enveloped Rei’s body with it, but her condition didn’t improve. She continued to gasp.
It was no use. Was it a breathing issue? The anti-magic barrier was thin in density, and the fog was passing through it and being inhaled into her lungs. There was no point in putting up these barriers. Damn it, I didn’t enjoy watching a heroine suffer.
Sweating profusely, I made my way behind my sister.
“…Rei.”
She was utterly pale. I put my hand on her back to prevent her from falling.
“Synchronize your magic device with the haze and my Masamune Kuki…and I’ll channel my magic power into you… That should make you feel a little better…”
“B-but that would make you…”
“Never mind and hurry up… This is what a brother does…”
With a dazed expression on her face, Rei pulled out a shimmering haze she had tucked away in her bag.
A red spear appeared, swaying in the white mist, and became extended.
Rei extended its silver tip in the thick, milk-colored fog, closed her eyes, and began synchronizing it.
Without hesitation, I poured my magic power into her.
Rei groaned while I struggled to control the magic power, sweating like a pig.
I had to control it—huh? Was it already working?
The power flowed into her smoothly, and her complexion gradually improved.
How had I suddenly become able to control this? Alsuhariya’s magic power should have been too enormous for me to handle— Oh, was it because of this fog?
“The fog… It must be sucking up the magic power that I couldn’t control. The power is flowing the way I want it to, and the fog is regulating that flow. Is it rectifying it?”
“It’s the auxiliary theory,” whispered my master as she leaned against a large tree, her face hidden by the white mist.
“Hiiro, this fog is a guiding hand for you. It’s also the master that pushes back the magic. The challenge I’m giving you is for you to grasp the identity of this fog. You must find the answer in three days.”
“Grasp the identity of this fog…in just three days? While continuing to serve food to the hungry mosquitoes while dressed in clothes for heading to the nearest convenience store?”
“I thought you’d become discouraged on your own, and that’s why I brought your lovely sister with us. And boom! I’m setting up a virtual adversary for you.”
As I showed my doubts on my face, I saw my master laughing on the other side of the fog.
“Chris Esse Eisbert.”
“Huh? You’ve got to be kidding. You expect me to be able to beat that monster in just three days? That’s like getting a royal flush in poker. It’s impossible unless I’m lucky enough to throw a rock into the air and have fried chicken fall into my arms. I’d have to open my Magic Eye to do that.”
“I never said you had to be able to defeat her. And you must not force your Magic Eye open. Your Magic Eye is something that opens naturally when you make a long-term approach. Open The Tale at Dawn in your current state, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you lost your capacities.”
“Don’t do this, and don’t do that—what are you going to do, give me victory as my gift if I sit here sucking my thumb? I’m glad to hear it. I’ll gladly be a spoiled brat, hollering at maximum volume.”
“There’s only one thing you have to do: Not let Chris beat you. That, Hiiro, should be something you’re good at doing.”
Slowly, the fog lifted—and a sheer cliff spread before my eyes.
My master stood next to a large tree, with a clear blue sky above, a sheer cliff beside her, and a sky painted in red and gold that seemed to cling to the cliff.
It was as if a dragon was crawling up into the sky.