Chapter: 125. Fantasy Monsters (6k8) (21/46)
“This is still our first meeting. According to Japanese custom, perhaps I should introduce myself first?”
Adam’s voice was steady and calm as he walked with Kanade into the innermost office, casually closing the door behind him.
Outside the door, the ability users and secretaries retreated silently under Adam’s directive, and the world outside seemed to vanish instantly into silence.
Even the distant hum of the helicopter blades faded away.
Dark clouds outside let a glimmer of light through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which had just been shattered during the clash between Kanade and the A-class ability user. For some reason, the office remained unharmed.
Adam gestured to Kanade, indicating the chair beside the desk: “Please, take a seat.”
Kanade did not refuse and walked over to sit down at the desk.
Adam then took his time to sit opposite her, his calm eyes seemingly capable of seeing through everything as he looked at Kanade.
“My full name is Adam Solgrim Yarlheid. You can call me Adam directly.”
His tone was as usual, and his expression showed no signs of disturbance, as if nothing had happened with Kanade breaking into the building and taking his secretary hostage.
“Kanade Tsukimi…” Kanade responded quietly, her gaze fixed on Adam’s stern face, seemingly searching for some flaw, but ultimately found nothing.
“Nice to meet you, Kanade Tsukimi. I look forward to your assistance.”
“Yes, I appreciate your guidance,” Kanade replied politely, trying to decipher something from Adam’s facial expression, but only felt she was speaking to an iceberg.
Adam’s face bore no unnecessary expressions, calm and unrelenting, like a flawless ice sculpture, which easily made one think of the meaning behind his surname: “cold and hard iron.”
“Mr. Adam, I’m actually here to find you because—” Kanade didn’t beat around the bush; she knew that dealing with such a seasoned opponent as Adam made any probing meaningless. Being straightforward was the wisest choice.
“The so-called protagonist plan…”
Kanade had prepared herself for being interrupted.
However, Adam simply sat quietly, gazing at her as if waiting for her to throw out all her questions.
When she finished speaking, Adam slowly opened his mouth: “I know, I just heard what you and my secretary—Tsukiumi Ayako—said here moments ago. It was you who leaked the plan, right?” His gaze suddenly shifted to Kanade’s right ear: “I won’t hold you accountable for that, but next, I need to speak with Kanade Tsukimi. Can you please log off for now?”
“…Senpai, it depends on you from here on out.” Ayako’s voice came through the invisible earpiece, clear and calm.
“Alright, thank you,” Kanade said softly, then reached up to remove the earpiece, gently placing it on the desk.
The office returned to silence.
However, it was Adam who broke the silence first: “Thank you for your cooperation, Kanade Tsukimi.”
“Now…” Adam leaned back in his chair, his hands folded on the table, “Regarding the protagonist plan, I believe there are many things you wish to understand. So, where should we start?”
“…What exactly is the protagonist?” Kanade paused for a moment but chose to voice her most pressing question.
What she knew about this was merely hearsay from Ayako and the Elemental Sovereign, so she wanted to hear an explanation from SEMA, one of the initiators of this plan.
“The term ‘protagonist’ can only be given meaning in the context of another term’s existence.”
Adam’s tone was steady and profound as his gaze shifted out the window: “That term is—”
“…fantasy monsters.” Kanade almost instinctively completed the sentence.
“Exactly, Kanade Tsukimi.” Adam nodded slightly, “It seems you know quite a bit. So, how much do you know about fantasy monsters?”
“Fantasy monsters take shape from various myths, legends, or oral stories and are born from humanity’s fantasies and beliefs in these tales.” Kanade recalled the knowledge she had learned in the Special Department and spoke up.
Adam seemed to have anticipated her response. He continued with a more concise and clear summary: “Correct. In simple terms, fantasy monsters are extraordinary beings born from human superstition, fear, and imagination based on ingrained impressions.”
“So, Kanade Tsukimi, what era do you think fantasy monsters are most likely to appear in?”
The answer to this question had not been covered in class, but all students in the Special Department knew the answer.
Because the answer was obvious—
“It was in ancient times when humanity had limited understanding of the world, leading to a belief in myths or legends, thus prompting the birth of fantasy monsters.” Kanade answered and added: “Because the power of fantasy monsters comes from human belief and fear; only when enough people believe in their existence can fantasy monsters be born.”
However, Adam did not immediately confirm Kanade’s answer; instead, he spoke blandly: “This is a natural idea, and it’s not surprising. But unfortunately, this isn’t the correct answer.”
“…What?” Kanade was taken aback.
“The subsequent information will only be revealed once you formally join SEMA and become an A-class or higher ability user.”
Adam’s gaze became increasingly serious, and he paused as if warning Kanade with his eyes not to leak this confidential information.
“As you said, ancient humans had a very limited understanding of the world, which is why about 80 out of 100 people might believe in the existence of things from myths… But in that era, the global population at its peak was only around 300 million, meaning about 240 million people’s beliefs created the power of fantasy monsters.”
“And now, the global population is about 1.7 billion people. In other words, as long as 14% of people believe that gods exist in this world, it would match the number of believers in ancient times.”
“Kanade Tsukimi, you know that the global population is rapidly increasing. In another 50 or 100 years… when modern science reaches an insurmountable bottleneck, humanity’s understanding of the world will deepen, but at the same time, it will become evident that what we know is far less than what we don’t know.”
“At that point, people may lose faith in science and turn to the unknown to explain everything—”
“And the true origin of fantasy monsters is not the past but the future.”
“The conflict between humanity and fantasy monsters is in fact an invasion of the future into the past.”
“This is a never-ending war with no end in sight.”
————————————-
Dungeon.
Sunlight streamed in from a large opening above, casting down onto the surface of the dungeon, where the outer walls were covered in thick mud and dust, yet glimmered faintly in the light with a metallic sheen.
Inside the dungeon, the surfaces of stone pillars flickered with a golden glow, countless tiny points of light converging into intricate and complex patterns, pulsating as the entire dungeon ran the pre-set programs, continuously self-checking to ensure its functions remained operational even after such a long time.
“Lockie, at this point, are you still leaving messages for the future?” Naga’s voice emanated from the depths of darkness. She coiled at the entrance of the deepest room in the dungeon, quietly observing the figure still busy with their work.
“Ah, aside from guarding this transport capsule, sending messages to the future is also one of my responsibilities,” Lockie replied with a smile, still wearing that perfect grin.
A silver pen flickered in his fingers, moving fluidly as the tip glided across the yellowed paper. The slightly yellowish surface suddenly erupted with a faint rainbow sheen, as the azure light emitted from the pen tip carved pattern after pattern of significant information onto the paper.
After recording everything from today, Lockie looked contentedly at the heavy book before him, engraved with symbols that detailed his daily work and reports since returning to this era.
“Only in this way can we transcend the river of time and communicate our information to the future,” he murmured, carefully closing the book and placing it on a nearby shelf.
“However, all of this will eventually come to an end.” Lockie stood up from behind the desk and ordered Naga: “Gather all fantasy monsters. Once they are ready, I will personally bury this capsule in the ground to preserve it for the future—”
For the first time, the smile that always lingered on his lips vanished, replaced by a dazzling light that erupted from his eyes—crimson pupils that illuminated the entire world:
“Today is the day of conclusion; we will fulfill our mission and bury the protagonist here.”
————————————-
“Fantasy monsters… from the future?”
Kanade’s voice dropped, disbelieving, her gaze stiff as if struck by lightning, fixated on Adam.
Yet the other party’s face showed no hint of a smile, only a serious chill.
“Correct.” Adam’s tone was as cold as the wind, calm with no sign of fluctuation, “Their sole purpose of crossing time to the past is to kill the ‘protagonist.’ This is the true meaning of the ‘protagonist’—the goal of the fantasy monsters.”
Silence slowly spread like a tide between the two, the air seemed to solidify.
Kanade’s brain was still racing, attempting to understand the words she had just heard.
After a while, she finally came to herself and locked her complex gaze onto Adam’s eyes, slowly speaking: “W-Why? Why do fantasy monsters go to such lengths to kill the protagonist?”
Adam’s eyes darkened slightly as he said quietly: “…The answer to this question, regrettably, remains a mystery to us.”
“The future is a vast black box to us, one we cannot glimpse into until the outcome collapses.”
Adam gently spread his hands. His tone carried a certain regret and honesty: “However, we have many speculations about this mystery.”
“You must have read quite a bit about non-human life forms crossing time, returning to the past, attempting to change history, right?” After a moment’s pause, he continued, “For example—killing a future leader or savior, destroying the last pillar of hope in humanity’s struggle, allowing fantasy monsters to better control humans.”
His voice was calm as the wind, but carried an invisible pressure.
“Of course, there’s another explanation.” Adam’s voice deepened like thunder: “Perhaps, in the future, fantasy monsters are close to extinction. They expend every effort to send their current powers back to the past to kill the savior before they grow.”
“To us, this is just a cat in a box—our current struggle is to create a situation where when we have the opportunity to observe inside, the outcome collapses into one that benefits humanity.”
“Therefore, I hope you, Kanade Tsukimi, can become a strong enough savior. The present and future of humanity rest in your hands.”
The silence in the air deepened.
Kanade seemed to feel every cell in her brain working hard to digest these words.
After a long while, she finally came to herself and retorted:
“That’s, that’s, that’s unreasonable!” Kanade frantically rummaged through all her knowledge of time travel, trying to grasp any evidence to refute, “What about the time paradox? The grandfather paradox? Or parallel worlds? What significance does the fantasy monsters’ actions in changing the past have!?”
But Adam’s expression remained calm: “We don’t know. As I just said, everything about the future is a black box to us, we cannot ascertain what impacts or consequences the time travel of fantasy monsters would have. However—”
“If fantasy monsters take action, it means that all of this is effective for them.”
“…Why, why me? Why do you all believe I’m the protagonist? What exactly is the prophecy of the Book of the Future—”
Kanade’s voice was filled with shock and confusion, as if she realized she could no longer refute everything before her.
Her gaze searched for more answers in Adam’s eyes but found no exit.
Upon hearing this, a subtle expression crossed Adam’s eyes, seemingly surprised that Kanade knew about the “Book of the Future.”
However, he quickly regained his composure, and the complex emotions in his eyes vanished in an instant.
He began to explain: “Since the fantasy monsters come from the future, they would also bring some things from the future back to the past, like some newly supplemented battle plans.”
“Could it be that…”
“Correct.” Adam’s tone was more resolute, “That ‘Book of the Future’ is not a prophecy but a ‘record.’ Our initial understanding of fantasy monsters originated from deciphering this battle plan they brought back from the future. We unearthed it from relics of the Stone Age.”
“Kanade Tsukimi, I know you may find this difficult to grasp, like why the communication between fantasy monsters must be so complicated, sending information back to the Stone Age.”
“Because according to our investigations, the time travel of fantasy monsters indeed has certain limitations. They cannot freely choose any point in time but can only return to specific, critical points we have yet to clearly define the criteria for.”
“However, one thing has been confirmed: time travel is unidirectional; they can only go back to the past and not return to the future, so their information transmission can only be one-way.”
“Then, how do fantasy monsters from the future communicate with those that have already returned to the past? Kanade Tsukimi, can you think of what that might be?”
Kanade fell into deep thought, her brows furrowed, trying to piece together the key points.
But just by combining the information present and the so-called Book of the Future, the key answer could be quickly deduced—
“Record the information and preserve it for the future…” Kanade murmured.
“Exactly.” Adam nodded. “The fantasy monsters transmit information to the past in the same manner, sending it back to even older times and allowing later generations of fantasy monsters to discover this information. The most effective method to preserve this information for the future is to etch it in stone, which is the origin of the Book of the Future.”
“We have specialized ability users responsible for discovering and excavating these traces, and the ‘Book of the Future’ is currently the largest record of information we have found.”
“It clearly documents the goals of the fantasy monsters, including the description of the ‘protagonist.’ And Kanade Tsukimi, your name is one of them,” Adam stated in an announcing tone.
At this point, Kanade finally connected all the dots in her mind, understanding why she was regarded as the protagonist by SEMA.
However, she was still planning to make one last desperate attempt—
“…What about the possibility of fantasy monsters intentionally misleading us with false information?”
“Such deception is indeed a common tactic of fantasy monsters, and we have discovered a number of completely erroneous messages.” Adam’s expression became graver, he responded quietly, “Therefore, we generally maintain caution about the content of the ‘Book of the Future,’ sometimes even adopting a skeptical attitude.”
“But Kanade Tsukimi, everything that has recently happened to you is it not a validation of the authenticity of the ‘Book of the Future’?”
Kanade’s gaze froze.
Adam continued, “On the day you awakened, global detection systems captured a significant amount of fantasy monster activity, and they even sent forth powerful divine beings to test you—let alone your past experiences, just as we deciphered from the ‘Book of the Future’…”
“…My past?” Kanade’s voice contained confusion.
“Correct. Regarding the time you first encountered the extraordinary world, the name of your ‘female protagonist’ by your side, the timing of your awakening, even the response of your abilities during the awakening—all of this information was deciphered by us, with the assistance of the Elemental Sovereign.”
“So, we know the concerns that are currently troubling you, and we have long been prepared.” Adam sighed lightly but then adopted an unprecedented serious demeanor: “Kanade Tsukimi, although the ‘Book of the Future’ does document that your condition to become the protagonist is due to the death of your ‘female protagonist’ beside you…”
Upon hearing this, Kanade’s heart sank sharply, the image of Nagi’s face floating in her mind.
“But there is still room for interpretation, or even error. We will spare no effort to protect your destined ‘female protagonist’—Tsukimi Yukino—and ensure that she does not die because you become the protagonist. We have devised numerous plans to allow this to occur in a way that is similar but different.”
“To be honest, Tsukimi Yukino is currently privately and strictly protected by us at SEMA—”
“W-Wait! You mean… Yukino? She’s the female protagonist?” Kanade’s eyes widened, her face written with surprise.
Kanade’s reaction elicited a rare moment of astonishment from Adam during their conversation today.
“W-Why is Yukino my female protagonist?” Kanade’s voice was filled with confusion and panic.
“…The ‘Book of the Future’ states that you will only truly complete your awakening and become the protagonist after the death of your female protagonist, ‘Tsukimi Yukino,'” Adam reflexively replied, but a grave expression crossed his features.
“My female protagonist… why is it Yukino and not Nagi?” Kanade murmured absentmindedly.
Adam quickly reacted, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes: “…Could it be that the Elemental Sovereign’s deciphering was wrong?”
Almost simultaneously, Adam suddenly pulled out his phone, pressing Kanade urgently: “Kanade Tsukimi, where is the female protagonist in your heart right now? Tell me her location!”
“N-Nagi is right here, at the Infinity Academy’s school league venue—”
“Star Palace Nagi, she is the actual female protagonist! Find her in the underground area of Infinity Academy! Quickly! Activate the S-class protocol!!!” Adam almost yelled into the phone.
However, just then—
A massive surge of magical power descended.
An anomaly had arrived.
A gigantic shadow loomed in the clouds above Infinity Academy, powerful magical energy rendering the surrounding air almost solid.
“Damn it! Nagi—” Kanade leapt up from her seat, preparing to activate her “Rewind” ability to instantly reach Nagi, but suddenly, a shadow flashed from the side, interrupting her mental entry into the white space.
“Not allowed! Kanade Tsukimi! If my memory serves me right, only when you stay beside the female protagonist can she encounter misfortune!”
An icy voice broke Kanade’s actions.
The speaker was Guise—revived from Star Academy, the “Elemental Sovereign.”
“Guise, you—Kanade Tsukimi, he speaks the truth. The ‘Book of the Future’ does record that your female protagonist will die beside you, so during such a time, you absolutely cannot approach her.” Adam comfortingly reassured as he turned his head to see the changing scenery outside the window: “Rest assured, our people will find and protect her. SEMA has dispatched many ACEs this time.”
“Make a call to her and have her seek out the ACE from SEMA. Since it is an S-class protocol, they will spare no effort to bring the female protagonist to safety.” The Elemental Sovereign suggested to Kanade.
“…Damn it!” Kanade felt no hint of false emotion in their words, her inner anxiety and fury intertwining.
Kanade immediately took out her phone and quickly dialed Nagi’s number—
Almost instantly, the call connected.
“Kanade, where are you!? Are you alright?” Nagi’s anxious and concerned voice came through the phone.
“Nagi, I’m fine. Listen to me, go find the nearest SEMA personnel immediately, do what they say, don’t worry about me, do you hear? I’ll definitely be fine, so you must do as I say, quickly!” Kanade did her utmost to keep her voice calm.
……
……
“Okay, I’ll wait for you, Kanade, you must come back to my side.” After Nagi’s gentle words, she hung up the phone.
Nagi slowly raised her head, the image of a blonde little boy reflected in her pitch-black eyes.
High above in the sky.
Dressed in a school uniform, Nagi hovered above the clouds, the wild wind lifting her delicate figure and blowing through her dark, deep hair like the night sky.
The black clouds rolled below her feet, large numbers of fantasy monsters were being cast from the clouds down into Infinity Academy.
But according to the fluctuations of magic power, those were just minor characters.
Suspended in front of Nagi were a group of fantasy monsters led by Lockie—
A golden-haired young boy holding a staff surrounded by seven multi-colored gems, a decayed bone dragon with open wings, its sharp and massive bone wings even partially ethereal, distorting the air around it, a beautiful woman with a serpent’s tail coiled around the bone dragon’s claws, her eyes glinting coldly, and behind her, an eight-headed silver-gray serpent, along with countless half-transparent specters floating in the air…
The magical power they exuded was immensely powerful, almost suffocating for the vast majority of ability users.
Nagi could sense the aura of authority from them; every one of them was above the rank of Crown, some even divine.
“I’m sorry, as long as I’m here, you will not be able to harm a single hair on Kanade!” Nagi said coldly, seemingly undaunted by the fantasy monsters before her. Her eyes ignited with brilliant light from the surge of magical power, an invisible domain was quietly unfolding.
“Kanade? You’re talking about that Kanade Tsukimi? What does he have to do with this?” Lockie tilted his head in confusion, his perfect smile still intact but bringing about an aura of perplexity.
Other fantasy monsters displayed the same expressions.
“What? Aren’t you targeting Kanade Tsukimi?” Nagi furrowed her brows, retorting in a low voice.
“…So that influence from that time still lingers within you? Although I don’t know what misunderstanding you’ve had, our goal has always remained unchanged—it’s you, the protagonist!” Lockie withdrew his smile, his expression turning serious as he raised the staff with seven multi-colored gems, pointing it at Nagi.
“18 years ago, due to the betrayal of the world’s end, your soul escaped disaster!”
“But this time, we will destroy your soul as well—an undeserving protagonist!”
