Beyond the purple door, a world of pure white awaited.
At first, I recoiled from the biting cold wind, my eyes narrowing. However, it didn’t tax my body as much as I expected. This was not just due to the effects of 《Level Up》, but because the oppressive weight of that “curse” had vanished.
Tentatively, I stepped onto what felt like soft, white soil, walking amidst a gentle shower of white powder.
It was profoundly quiet. The only sounds were the soft footsteps of Legacy-sama and myself.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, which had been narrowed against the brightness, and took in the world, once called the “world of stone.”
The stone towers, rising like mountain ranges around us, were all frozen. The road beneath my feet was also made of stone, and it too was frozen. It wasn’t transparent ice, but covered in a thick layer of white frost, giving me the sensation of having wandered into a colorless, white canvas.
“What is this…?”
I was surprised by the white mist that emerged from my mouth, realizing even my own breath was freezing.
It was truly white everywhere.
Most strikingly white were the clouds that blanketed the sky. Their color, a stark contrast to the dark clouds of our world, nearly blinded me, causing me to stumble.
Next, I held out both palms towards the sky, attempting to catch the falling white powder.
But the moment it touched my hands, it lost its shape and turned into water. At first, I thought it was “magic rain,” but I soon realized it was something entirely different.
“It seems to be snow. Didn’t you see it in the Northern Alliance?” Legacy-sama said.
“No… We turned back around the Viaisia Country,” I replied.
I knew of snow and snowfields from texts. But I had never imagined it could be this white. My blood ran warmer at the sight of this new, fresh landscape. However, the misplaced excitement was quickly suppressed by the chilling air of this other world.
Beyond the scattered snowflakes, I spotted a cluster of white “threads” undulating like smoke signals. I understood that this place was also a battlefield and began to re-assess my surroundings.
The frozen figures within the surrounding towers were truly striking. Though I called them towers, their construction was vastly different from those in Fuziaze Castle. They were not cylindrical but mostly rectangular, and their material was not simply stone. Having recently dabbled in blacksmithing, I knew it was something akin to stone but distinct.
There were an overwhelming number of these unknown frozen structures. The towers were as densely packed as those in Fuziaze Castle, sometimes forming chains, other times soaring high into the sky.
“Um, Legacy-sama… Are we on the grounds of some kind of castle…?”
“No, in this world, this is merely a part of a town, and not an uncommon sight. Those are called ‘buildings,’ and where we are standing is apparently a ‘road.’ …But you don’t need to remember that. What’s important is over there,” Legacy-sama said, stepping onto the snow-covered “road” and approaching a smaller frozen figure.
I followed him, and we peered inside. It contained a boy dressed in strange clothes I had never seen before. They bore a resemblance to the clothes Master was wearing when we first met, leading me to believe this boy was also a “foreigner.”
Then, I turned my attention from the grand frozen structures to the smaller figures scattered around. Among them were bizarre-looking lumps of iron, but most were human figures. From old to young, men and women, countless “foreigners” were frozen. Upon closer inspection, a single white “thread” extended from each frozen figure towards the sky.
“As you can see. Before departing for this world, Hidaki froze all living beings,” Legacy-sama stated.
“…Hidaki Sister’s ‘Ice Power,’ right?” I asked.
“Precisely. The Master says they are not frozen, but have been ‘stopped.’ In this world, everything, including the principles of the world, such as time, has been ‘stopped’ by Hidaki.”
I thought it was a ridiculous story. But the moment Hidaki Sister’s name was mentioned, I had no room to argue. I had sensed the ill omen more acutely than anyone else. I simply nodded and quickly moved on to gather more information.
“Hidaki Sister’s ‘threads’ are emanating from the frozen figures. They are leading towards the sky over there—”
Following a wavering “thread” with my eyes, I spotted a colossal hole floating on the distant horizon. All the white “threads” converged there, creating a swirling white vortex in the sky.
“Ah. That is a ‘rift’ you know well,” Legacy-sama answered immediately.
But I couldn’t easily nod in agreement.
The “rift” I knew had always been accompanied by a lingering gaze. I had tentatively called its owner “the World.” However, in this vortex, any such presence was absent. Yet, the absence of “the World” didn’t mean it was empty.
“I see. So, that ‘rift’ is—”
I sensed a familiar scent. The owner of that scent was undoubtedly—
“Ah. That leads to ‘Aikawa Hidaki.’ In other words, it can be said that it connects to our world now,” Legacy-sama replied.
“…”
He answered immediately again.
I puffed out my cheeks slightly. While I felt a lack of self-discovery when compared to Hidaki Sister, I continued to listen to his explanation seriously.
“Initially, ‘Apostle’ Diplakla diagnosed that Hidaki had a ‘constitution that excessively absorbs magic.’ But that was not entirely accurate. The primary cause of her illness was that she had been continuously absorbing the magic of this world’s creatures even while in our world. The fact that she produced more white ‘threads’ with that acquired magic was also a contributing factor.”
This was also something I had wanted to say, but Legacy-sama continued to explain ahead of me. It was slightly frustrating, like having the spoilers of a book I was reading revealed.
“Hidaki is increasing the white ‘threads’ for one reason: to make our world resemble this one. However, next time, she will connect the ‘threads’ to Uzunami, not herself. She intends to make him an ‘equal’ by feeding him a world, just as she did with her brother—we can infer this thanks to you. The Master was extremely grateful to you.”
“Right…” I replied curtly, a bit displeased. Legacy-sama looked puzzled but quickly regained his composure and started walking again.
“Come this way. It’s easier to talk underground.”
He then led me towards what appeared to be an entrance to the underground. A hole, just wide enough for a handcart to pass through, had been made in the ground, leading to a neatly maintained underground staircase. A little snow had accumulated, but it wasn’t frozen. If I were careful, I could descend.
Before following Legacy-sama down, I glanced at a sign at the top of the gate. It had the recognizable Japanese characters, but it was covered in so much frost that I couldn’t read it.
Chasing after Legacy-sama, I descended the stairs, careful not to slip. Several minutes later, at the bottom of the stairs, I was met with a vast underground space, far larger than I had anticipated. The structure was so complex and expansive that it seemed as if a castle had been built upside down, with its base at ground level.
My eyes sparkled as I surveyed the underground space. It wasn’t just large; everything I saw was novel. However, it was slightly disappointing that everything was covered in frost. I frantically scanned my surroundings, searching for anything not frozen. During this process, I noticed something odd about the scattered human ice sculptures. It was natural that it wasn’t snowing underground, but there was another difference from the surface.
“…Huh? There are no ‘threads’ coming out? And, where are we—”
“That’s one of the few weaknesses of the ‘threads.’ Beneath the continent, the ‘threads’ cannot maintain their form. The reason is… because the dimension is different.”
Legacy-sama paused for a moment before uttering words I had heard before. Sensing a deliberate omission in his explanation, I frowned.
“…The dimension is different again? Aren’t those words a bit too convenient?”
“Don’t say it to me. Those are the Master’s exact words.”
Legacy-sama shifted the blame to his Master, who had entrusted him with the message. I believed he wasn’t lying. His expression was serious—and yet, somewhat exasperated. As I tried to discern the hidden circumstances behind his words, Legacy-sama started walking again.
Following him, we turned through countless turns, passed by numerous frost-covered pillars, and descended further underground stairs. The silence en route was so profound that I decided to break it with a casual remark.
“It’s quite labyrinthine, isn’t it? Such blind spots would be ideal for concealing soldiers. Is this place designed for defense against external threats?”
“Perhaps. It bears a slight resemblance to the ‘Daryl’s Labyrinth Castle’ of the ‘Northern Alliance,’ which successfully repelled numerous invasions from the South,” he replied.
“…You’ve been to quite a few places, haven’t you? I haven’t even visited Daryl’s town yet.”
“I’ve traveled just as much, if not more, than you have… I enjoy traveling. It’s not for nothing that I’ve disappeared so many times.”
The conversation flowed more easily than I had expected. As I’d felt before, Legacy-sama and I had something in common. Just the shared enjoyment of traveling was enough to sustain a pleasant chat.
However, Legacy-sama’s expression seemed grim as he spoke of his hobbies. The reason hinted at in his earlier monologue before being brought here. If the reason for his love of travel was dictated by his creator’s convenience—that “Apostle Legacy is an insurance policy, and thus should exist outside the story”—then the entire conversation felt hollow.
Realizing this, I stopped talking and silently followed Legacy-sama. After about twenty minutes of travel, he finally came to a halt.
“We’re far enough here.”
He seemed to be extremely wary of Hidaki Sister’s “threads,” repeatedly scanning the surroundings before taking out another magic-infused stone from his pocket. I braced myself, anticipating an unknown “curse technique” to be activated. However, Legacy-sama preempted me by explaining the power’s details.
“I will now show you a past event that occurred in this world. There is no danger.”
“Show me the past? How exactly…?”
“That is… to put it simply, it’s like seeing through a different dimension.”
“Again? Isn’t that just flipping the ‘different dimension’ you mentioned earlier?”
Finally, I expressed my frustration at his vague explanation. Hearing my complaint, Legacy-sama paused for a considerable amount of time before shaking his head with a look of exasperation.
“……Right. …The Master is afraid. I’m asking you too. Please overlook her poor explanations.”
“Huh…? Whaaat…?”
His complete surrender regarding the explanation left me grumbling. So, all those repeated mentions of “different dimension” were simply due to the Master being poor at explaining. My long-held image of a “supreme being managing the ‘World’ for thousands of years” was crumbling. It seemed he was indeed the creator of those three “Apostles” who were so insensitive to others’ feelings.
“In any case, let’s begin. I will use ‘Past Sight’ to understand why Hidaki is immortal.”
However, I couldn’t remain engrossed in this crumbling image for long. Faced with the primary objective of our move to this other world, I recomposed myself.
Then, the stone in Legacy-sama’s hand began to glow brighter, little by little. Simultaneously, the snowy landscape of the surface where we had just been began to overlap on my current field of vision. If Legacy-sama’s words were true, this was a scene from the “past.” Events that occurred in this other world before Hidaki Sister came to our world were now unfolding before my eyes.
“…!”
The sight made me gasp. For what I was being shown was—Hidaki Sister, fallen on the snowy field, bleeding. Moreover, the right half of her head was blown off by some attack. Nearby stood a person clad in what looked like black armor, holding two heavy, black masses in their hands.
—Is this the moment Aikawa Hidaki died from an enemy attack?
However, the subsequent scene overturned that assumption. Hidaki Sister stood up calmly, her right half of her head still missing. The “threads” were swirling around her feet. Naturally, the person in black armor facing her screamed—and in the next moment, their entire body was covered in white frost, turning into a frozen figure.
It happened in an instant. During that time, Hidaki Sister’s head had also fully regenerated. If I wasn’t mistaken, the “threads” at her feet had gathered at the damaged area, molding it like knitting, converting it into flesh and blood.
The “Past Sight” then ended. The overlaid vision vanished completely, and only Legacy-sama’s voice echoed in the underground space. I wanted to complain about the overly short “Past Sight,” but I swallowed my words upon seeing his pale face and profuse sweating.
“Haaah, haaah, haaah…! On that day, a hero of this world, through a stroke of luck as slender as a needle’s eye, destroyed Hidaki’s head. But it was in vain. Hidaki gathered magic from the end of the ‘threads’ and rebuilt her head to its state just before the destruction. It’s automatic, even in sudden death— This is what Master calls indestructibility.”
Having explained that much, Legacy-sama took a deep breath to steady himself. I, on the other hand, began organizing the information without a pause. The Master seemed to have concluded its indestructibility on the basis of this scene, but my interpretation was different. I felt a glimmer of hope precisely from this “Past Sight.” Hidaki Sister, whom I couldn’t even touch with my “Martial Arts,” could have her head blown off given the right conditions, which was a ray of light. The method of recovery was also not entirely unreasonable.
As I contemplated in silence, Legacy-sama broached the next topic.
“And, the Master says that you can kill this Hidaki.”
“Huh…? After saying she’s indestructible… Me?”
It seemed the conversation was leading to this. Essentially, this was an invitation to become like the “Apostles,” a pawn.
“I don’t fully understand it myself. However, your probability of success is high. She can see visions of you winning against Hidaki amidst infinitely branching futures. It’s a possibility that doesn’t even reach one percent, an unfathomably small chance, but the Master… claims there is indeed victory.”
Legacy-sama calmly and coldly explained how useful I was to Hidaki Sister. It was similar to the quantification talk my Master proposed, and I furrowed my brows. Then, Legacy-sama stopped midway.
“Did he get stuck on explaining again?” I focused on his expression. But what I saw was different from what I expected. He wore a self-deprecating smile, gazing at his own palm. After repeatedly shaking his head, he murmured, “Ah… no. It’s not about such trivial matters; it’s something much simpler. I understand it better than the Master. This isn’t that kind of story…!”
Saying this, Legacy-sama looked up. This time, his words were not calm and cold, but filled with abundant passion as he addressed me.
“—Tiara Fuziaze. In truth, you were the ‘Protagonist’.”
“…Huh?”
That was an explanation that—like Hidaki Sister’s—truly understood my preferences. It was so easy to grasp. Yet, it was something I could never accept.
“You understand what that means, right? Among beings created by someone, you alone were not created. You were a ‘Person’ as born. From the moment you met a ‘foreigner,’ you were always free. You alone could save the world…!”
I couldn’t remain silent any longer and retorted, “W-What are you saying…? That—That can’t be right! If there was a ‘Protagonist,’ it would be Master… not me…!”
“That was a ‘fake’ concoCTED by Hidaki. You know that, don’t you? It’s not real.”
However, that very Master, the “ideal” “Protagonist,” was summarily dismissed. I couldn’t immediately counter his assertion.
“If there was a true ‘Protagonist’ in our world, it was you. …Surely, Hidaki had sensed it sooner than anyone else. That’s why she took her time to erode your fighting spirit. …Tell me, how was it? Your ‘adventure’ with your ‘ideal’ ‘Protagonist,’ risking your life? Did you ever think you were the ‘Protagonist’? Wasn’t it incredibly fun, to the point of almost forgetting your original purpose? At least, I envied how incredibly fun it seemed for you, for so long. Right?”
“That…”
“As a result of enjoying yourself to the fullest, you, lacking a sense of crisis, couldn’t afford to become an ‘equal’ to her. You were satisfied with the current situation and took your time leisurely. That’s how I judge it.”
At this point, Legacy-sama, who had seemed bored until now, came alive. It wasn’t just mere enjoyment. By drawing parallels to my favorite books, he precisely targeted my weaknesses. My chest suddenly ached, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The various stories—”Humanity’s First Visit to Another World,” “Hidaki Sister Froze an Entire World,” “It’s Okay Even If Your Head Blows Off,” “Unfair Past and Future Sight”—all faded into insignificance. The single word “Protagonist” alone cornered me.
I wasn’t serious…? I had almost forgotten my original purpose…?
“I—I was serious… I was definitely serious about having a ‘duel’ with Hidaki Sister…”
“No. While you were infatuated with ‘Aikawa Uzunami,’ Hidaki continued to prepare alone. She was far more serious.”
I shook my head slightly, thinking that was impossible, but Legacy-sama’s relentless pursuit continued.
“If you had been serious, you should have utilized the romantic feelings directed at you by ‘Aikawa Uzunami’ instead of erasing them. You should have deceived and led ‘Aikawa Uzunami’ to confront ‘Aikawa Hidaki.’ Furthermore, you should have coldly betrayed us immature ‘Apostles.’ And to top it all off, you should have exploited the emotional vulnerabilities of those pathetic ‘Thieves of Principles,’ instigating them and discarding them when convenient.”
This, too, hit the mark. At least, Hidaki Sister was simultaneously growing herself and hindering others. But I hadn’t.
“You were never able to be truly serious. That’s why, regretfully, our world will end soon. All because the sole ‘Protagonist’ was inadequate, at the hands of invaders from another world.”
With that sarcastic remark, Legacy-sama concluded his interrogation. I had no words to reply. If I did, it would be about a different aspect than his questioning.
“Hey, is that… really what the person called Master said…?”
His demeanor had changed too drastically. Clearly, he had abandoned his role as a messenger halfway through. However, Legacy-sama nodded generously.
“Of course, this is a message. It’s my reason for existence, after all. I won’t mistake that part. …However, I independently decided that directly conveying Master’s cheap words like ‘Hang in there, Tiara Fuziaze’ or ‘There’s still hope for a comeback’ would be pointless, so I added a bit of arrangement along the way.”
My guess had not been wrong. But at the same time, I was surprised. Apostle Legacy, whom I had found utterly uninteresting until today, had developed human emotions by this point. His way of mocking Master with phrasing that appealed to my tastes was more than enough to break down the emotional walls I had erected against him. Thanks to that, I could ask Legacy without restraint.
“Really? …Then, introduce me to this Master. I want to confirm a few things. If possible, I’d also like to hear in detail what you meant by ‘dimension is different.'”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Pathetically, Master is also afraid of you.”
Although I had completely dropped the polite language, Legacy-sama responded in a very light tone, unperturbed.
“Even though they’re cheering me on, they’re afraid?”
“They are cheering for the ‘mutual destruction of Hidaki and Tiara.’ Not for you personally.”
“…As I thought.”
Legacy-sama readily revealed the truth that Master had likely been trying to hide. Apparently, judging that it was only a matter of time before I saw through it, he prioritized trust by confessing the scheme beforehand. Unlike when he was solely conveying Master’s message, I sensed a human-like negotiation here. However, as this meant the Master was completely sidelined, Legacy shrugged with feigned indifference.
“—Oops. It seems Master’s story is over now. Perhaps because I spoke ignoring Master, they seem to be sulking a little.”
“Ah… Oops, we might have done something a bit bad. We should reflect on that.”
“Yes, let’s reflect. We should have more respect for Master.”
Despite our rather disrespectful conversation, there was no special contact from Master. Her gentle response solidified my image of her as a “mother shocked by her delinquent son.” It bore a resemblance to “the World” I knew. She seemed manageable. As I resolved to meet her directly someday, Legacy suddenly threw the stone in his hand.
“By the way, this ‘Magic Stone’ is a gift from Master to you.”
I hurriedly caught it and examined it closely. I immediately recognized it as being of the same type as the ‘Magic Stone’ handled by the deceased Helmina. Before I could analyze it further, Legacy turned and walked back the way we came.
“My role is over now. I’m heading back to continue my self-search… but you should probably stay here a little longer. Use that ‘Magic Stone’ to devise a new strategy.”
A valuable source of information was leaving. I didn’t try to call him back. There was no need to rush; Legacy would appear before me again. This time, not as an “Apostle,” but as just Legacy, before me— I had a feeling. And so, I watched Legacy, who was embarking on his journey of self-discovery, depart.
Thus, I stood alone in the deep, dark underground. Here, free from the influence of the “curse,” I could contemplate thoroughly. So many things had happened in rapid succession that, like Legacy, I felt the need to re-examine myself.
“…I like Master. Of course, I also like Hidaki Sister.”
First, I stated the premise. No matter what happened, this would never change. I was deeply grateful, admired, and longed for the “foreigner” and the “Apostle” who had saved me from my sickbed. This was my foundation.
“But that Hidaki Sister is trying to destroy our world.”
That’s cruel. However, as per Master’s request, I had no obligation to protect the world. The problem was that if the world was destroyed, Master would be sad. I knew that deep in Master’s heart lay a faint wish for “everyone to be together.”
For the sake of Master’s smile, I wanted to stop Hidaki Sister. But to stop Hidaki Sister, who was already using an entire world as a magic source, would require a “price” of at least sacrificing one world. If I forced my way through, it would lead to the “mutual destruction of Hidaki Sister and myself,” just as Master intended. No matter how it turned out, Master was destined to lose something precious.
When I questioned myself whether I should abandon Master’s wish, I remembered my own words.
“—From now on, I’ll change everything… I will unravel all the ‘principles’ and create new magic laws… The ‘magic’ we aimed for, where everyone can be happy, I will create it—”
It was a spontaneous promise. Words spoken solely to stop Master’s rampage. Yet, it settled beautifully deep within my heart. Of course, such a fairytale “magic” didn’t exist. No matter how many times I repeated the skill “Reading,” there was nothing like it anywhere.
“Magic where everyone can be happy… True ‘magic,’ huh…”
However, precisely because of that, only that “magic”— I gazed at the “Magic Stone” in my hand. This “Magic Stone,” a gift from Master, was a crystallization of all powers, including “dimensional power” and “blood power.” Looking at the “Magic Stone,” which felt like a compilation of all pages up to today, I began developing “curse techniques” as usual. The power to repel “curses” was essential for whatever I did. I had not yet found the “final page of Tiara Fuziaze” that satisfied me. Frankly, I disliked both the final page the world was forcing upon me and the one prepared by Hidaki Sister.
And so, alone in this other world, I began to write, page by page.
—Believing that only that “magic” would be the “miracle” needed to see “Aikawa Hidaki’s final page.”
