Chapter 76: Light
From a very, very young age, Isumi had a longing in her heart.
She wanted to know the color of the blue sky, she wanted to know the colors of flowers, she wanted to know what kind of scene everyone meant by “colorful.”
But…
There was no way.
She was born blind and could not see the truth of this world.
No matter when, her vision was always a blur of black, leaving her lost, helpless, and frustrated.
She lost the joy of reading and also the beauty of painting. The little girl’s favorite thing was to lie on her balcony and “gaze” into the distance.
“If only I had the chance to see this world for once?”
Actually, it was a bit strange. Although she couldn’t see anything, Isumi’s heart was filled with imagination about various things in this world.
For example, an elephant’s trunk is long, right? It should be longer than her own legs? Then, when it walks, would it drag on the ground?
They said the sun was spherical, so that feeling should be similar to the plate she used when eating, right? Hmm… I heard its color was like fried eggs, so it should smell very fragrant?
Clouds are ethereal, and so is cotton. So, are we sleeping on clouds every day?
So interesting…
…
Despite having myriad imaginations in her heart, Isumi could not get the truth of things no matter how much she thought about it.
For example, she knew that apples were red, cookies were yellow, and oranges were orange… But what exactly was red? And why, when mixed with yellow, did it form orange? The taste of cookies and apples were completely different.
The girl harbored curiosity in her heart in the darkness, but one day, her opportunity arrived.
…
“Honey, C. Academy has a chance to treat Isumi’s illness.”
“How, how is that possible? This is a congenital disease, and even if it can be treated, the cost will be enormous.”
“Even if it’s enormous, I think we should try. Even if there’s only a sliver of a possibility…”
…
——————-
…
“Parents, I understand your determination to let your child see the light again, but this school is not a hospital. We select testers to inherit the power of the Rainbow Abyss.”
“N-no, it’s not possible?”
“It’s difficult for normal people to pass such trials, let alone…”
As the situation became desperate, the sound of a door opening was heard.
“No, Teacher Scott, let her sign up.”
“!”
“I can see that she has more potential than the other children? Because for other children, the world is contained within their eyes.”
A melodious voice spoke, reaching everyone’s ears: “But for Isumi, the world is contained within her heart.”
…
———————
…
That was the beginning, or perhaps, rebirth.
When Isumi saw that thing for the first time, she didn’t know its name yet.
She just felt a slight sting in her eyes, a prickle at the corner of her eyes, and the blackness before her became different, becoming somewhat strange and weird.
And just a moment later…
She finally knew.
That thing was called “light.”
And light came in many forms.
Light from the sky, light from glass, light from food, your light… Everything in this world enters our eyes through light, and through light, we are no longer alone.
So,
The world was so vast, and light was so marvelous!
Was that thing called an apple?
It was such an exquisite shape. The spots on it had both yellow light and red light… Such a divine artifact, and it actually appeared here!
If I were to take a bite as usual…
It turned into another kind of light?!
Is this uneven texture the trace I’ve left in this world?
So amazing, so magical…
I…
Want to see more.
…
——————–
…
“Hoo…”
Isumi took a deep breath and returned from the world of consciousness.
She opened her eyes and looked at the coffin-like instrument before her.
This thing was not simple. It could extract your consciousness, destroy your physical body, turn you into an ethereal existence like an electronic ghost, and thus obtain eternal life.
Yes, eternal life…
Theoretically, there should be many immortal beings in this city, and they should have existed for thousands of years and will continue to live on.
But at that moment, why couldn’t she feel their presence?
Not only that,
The vast sea of the multiverse was also empty, as if no one had set foot in it for a long time.
Although there were many layers of data cabinets, they stood there coldly without any warmth.
“Hmm, I’ll have to investigate more later, but for now…”
Isumi gritted her teeth and sat up from the coffin.
Then, a strange pain came from her left arm—Isumi looked at her left arm. Her original human body had disappeared.
In its place was a mechanical arm composed of metal and synthetic carbon fiber.
As she watched, a peculiar light faintly appeared on the mechanical arm.
“Hmm, it’s quite freely controllable. But my arm should be considered amputated. I don’t know if there’s any possibility of recovery, but for now, I have to use this power…”
…
…
Isumi opened her eyes. In the past, her eyes were very penetrating, allowing her to see the flow of anything around her. Even when focusing on a single point, she could notice the microorganisms crawling on it.
And now?
She seemed to be able to see more.
Not just the “objectively” existing things in this world.
She could even see virtual matter composed of “electrons.”
For example, if there was a mobile phone in front of Isumi, it was equivalent to seeing an open book, where each page was an app, and the information involved was accurately imprinted on the pages.
…
“Is this the power of the previous epoch (technology)? As expected, it’s from the same source as the Rainbow Abyss, with no sense of incongruity.”
The girl took a deep breath and stood up from the coffin.
However, at the same time, her companions’ exclamations were heard from outside:
“Senior Isumi, are you really okay? I heard you make a sound of pain earlier.”
“It’s okay. The modification is complete.”
“Uh?”
“Let’s go to the control room. Now I should be able to stop these mechanical bees.”
The orange-haired girl wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked stiffly towards the door.
