Kays Translations

Chapter 13: Exploration! The Mental World!

Although I said it's a practical part, to be honest, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do.

The last time I entered the mental world was with Hina, but that was to cleanse the monsters that were eating away at her heart and restore her back to normal.

But this time, I wonder what we're supposed to do. Just as I was thinking that, the teacher by my side spoke up.

"First, let's find Aya-san in this world. Treatment through 'Resonance' comes after that."

"How do we find her?"

Hina was immediately found. It was a locked room, after all.

But this time, it's different. It's a vast countryside.

Finding Aya-chan from here would be impossible without both of us having smartphones or some kind of GPS...

As I was looking around, the teacher, Shirayuki-sensei, looked into the distance without hesitation.

"It's over here, Itsuki-kun."

"Huh? H-How do you know?"

The teacher started walking without hesitation, and I followed behind in surprise.

I wonder why she knows without seeing anything... As I thought about it, Shirayuki-sensei explained while walking.

"Do you remember when I connected Aya-san and myself with the 'Guiding Thread Silvite'? Did you notice anything?"

"Y-Yes, I saw it, but..."

"The connection from that time is still intact. Right now, I can see the thread leading me to Ayasan's location."

Oh... so that's how it works.

Maybe I couldn't see it when it was me and Hina. Was I just not good at 'Resonance'?

While thinking about that, we walked for about five minutes. Shirayuki-sensei said, "This is it, Itsuki-kun," and pointed to a small stone torii gate.

"Here...?"

Beyond the torii gate, there was a long staircase made of stone. You couldn't see the top of the staircase from below.

"Aya-san is up there. Let's go."

"R-Right."

The teacher and I passed through the torii gate at the same time and started climbing the stone staircase.

It's been a while since I climbed such a long staircase. It brought back some nostalgic feelings as I asked the teacher a question.

"Sensei, the top of the staircase leads to a shrine, right?"

"Yes, that's what I think."

"Why is Aya-chan up there?"

"Well, this is just my theory... but maybe the cause of Ayasan losing her ability to use magic is in this shrine."

"In the shrine..."

"It's just my speculation, though."

As Shirayuki-sensei said that and smiled, something caught my attention in the corner of my vision.

It was a neck. A very long neck.

It extended straight down from the top of the shrine, and a woman's face looked down at us.

"Welcome... to the countryside from the city...!!"

The monster with a smiling face laughed amusingly.

"Such a wonderful place, full of nature!"

And then, with tremendous force, it started to fall towards us.

"...'Sickle Weasel Kamaitachi.'"

But before it could reach us, my magic severed the monster's neck.

Extending the neck was just exposing its weakness.

I watched the falling neck, thinking that there was no need for it to extend.

But wait... why didn't it turn into black mist?

"Too bad... the neck is just a decoration!"

"...I see."

Before the falling head could reach us, I quickly aimed for it with 'Guiding Thread Silvite,' transforming it into a spear.

"'Flame Bee Homurabachi.'"

The spear of flames I created pierced the monster's head and blew it into smithereens.

In the next moment, the monster turned into black mist and scattered.

"What was that..."

It certainly seems that the neck wasn't its weak point. But if it dies when you blow off its head, it would have been better not to say it was a 'decoy'...

While thinking about that, I stepped onto the stairs again. At that moment, Shirayuki-sensei, who was standing next to me, quietly spoke up.

"I-Itsuki-kun... you're strong."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, I wondered what was wrong and turned to face the teacher. She had a slightly wide-eyed look as she looked at me.

"What's wrong, Sensei?"

"N-Nothing... I just thought you were reliable."

Saying that, she smiled and turned her gaze towards the top of the stairs.

I found it strange, but I followed behind her.

After climbing nearly a hundred steps, we passed through the moss-covered guardian dog statues and stepped into the desolate shrine.

"Where is Aya-chan?"

"It seems she's inside the building."

As the teacher pointed, it was the shrine building.

So, Aya-chan is inside the building?

I wondered how she got in, but this is the mental world.

It might be futile to think about such things.

Regaining my focus, as I was about to head towards the shrine building, the door suddenly burst open with a bang.

"Ah, arms!?"

And from there, countless arms appeared.

Strange hands with six fingers each stretched out towards me and the teacher.

But as soon as those arms touched the 'Guiding Thread Silvite' that I had already spread out, they were shredded into a grid-like pattern.

It's like a curtain, a magic I created to simultaneously cleanse multiple monsters by expanding the blades of 'Guiding Thread Silvite.'

That's why I named it...

"'Blade Vestige Jin'e.'"

As the severed arms dissolved into the ground, I looked at the base of the arms.

From between the arms, I could see a large face that was half-hidden behind the door, despite its size of almost one meter.

"Let's play hide and seek."

And from its mouth, words were woven.

There was nothing in its mouth. Just darkness.

"...You do it alone."

Since it stuck its head out, it means it's exposing its weakness.

I aimed 'Guiding Thread Silvite' straight at the giant head. And since I had the opportunity, I decided to add an arrangement to my usual magic.

'Tenmaru Amagachi,' which releases highly compressed water.

I intertwined another 'Guiding Thread Silvite' with it.

What I'm giving it is 'Attribute Change: Earth.'

When I saw it on TV while at home, I learned that water jets, which apply high pressure water to process metal, can enable even stronger processing by mixing abrasive particles into the water.

So I mixed fine particles into the water.

That enhances the firepower of 'Tenmaru Amagachi.'

That's why I named this magic...

"'Tenmaru Kō Amagachi.'"

The giant head was instantly split in half.

The sound of flesh tearing reverberated, and the monster's head and arms turned into black mist.

And just as the monster completely disappeared, I could see Aya-chan sitting in the building. However, she was locked up in a cell-like lattice.

...What is that?

I thought that, and Shirayuki-sensei announced.

"I-Itsuki-kun, let's rescue Aya-san!"

"Y-Yes!"

As I was about to extend 'Guiding Thread Silvite' again, a voice of a young girl echoed from the sky.

"Disrespectful fools..."

In the next moment, we were abruptly thrown back, and our vision suddenly returned to the library.

"...Huh?"

We were back in the original library.

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