When asked if I needed anything prepared, I requested milk for Chocola.
That’s not what they meant… Emishi-san and the others looked troubled, but I laughed it off.
「I don’t need any special magical tools or catalysts. If anything, I’d just appreciate a little rest and some thanks afterward. This is probably going to leave me completely drained for the day.」
Taking on the Demon King immediately afterward was out of the question. We simply didn’t have enough information about that monster. Rescuing Alice-san and hearing her out would likely give us a better foundation to work with.
「Alright then, break time’s over. Sorry for the rush, but let’s head out right away.」
I stood up from the sofa, gauging that everyone had finished their tea.
Of course, claiming the break was over was just a convenient excuse.
「Thank you, Sui-san. You hurried for our sake, didn’t you?」
「I’m sorry… but I can’t wait any longer.」
After all, Four Seasons-san and Color-san—standing behind the elders—looked like they were barely holding themselves together, their faces tight with urgency.
※※※
And so, after just thirty minutes of rest, we returned to District Zero.
When the Elders insisted that we report in a separate room, I had thought it was a hassle. But standing here again, I couldn’t deny that this place was… unsettling. The oppressive silence felt anything but calming, the massive monstrosity looming before us was unnerving, and yet there wasn’t even the slightest hint of its presence. It felt like being in a fossil museum, but also trapped inside an animal’s cage. The tension was unbearable.
「…Honestly, even as a fellow wielder of darkness, its scale is so far beyond my comprehension that I cannot begin to fathom it. But I must ask—how do you intend to rescue the Progenitor?」
As we passed through the entrance to District Zero, Moata-san posed his question.
It was understandable. A vague ‘Trust me, it’ll work’ wouldn’t be convincing, especially with state secrets on the line.
But this was the perfect opportunity.
I decided to tell a lie I had just come up with moments ago.
「Before I explain, let me share something I learned from analyzing the magic’s residual memory. I discovered something about this person—the Progenitor Elf’s name is Alice-san.」
This was all tied to my 『Appraisal』 ability.
Four Seasons-san and Color-san’s existence. The world-altering events from two thousand years ago. The Progenitor’s name and origins.
These were all mysteries we knew the answers to, but they didn’t. And we couldn’t exactly explain how we came by that knowledge.
I’d been pondering this for a while.
In the end, I decided to blame it all on 『Appraisal』.
It wasn’t a complete lie—I really could extract memories from magical energy. They had no way of verifying what I learned or didn’t learn. If I framed it this way, I could avoid giving anything away. After my earlier slip of calling her 「Alice-san」, this would also give me a fallback excuse for any future missteps: 「I learned it through Appraisal.」
「Alice… I see, Alice-sama.」
「Alice-sama… Oh…」
As expected, Moata-san and Miyako-san were overcome with emotion, trembling visibly. Even Emishi-san and the others straightened their posture, as if deeply moved.
「Sui-kun, that was brilliant.」
「Hmm, perfect.」
「Bark…」
Mother and Karen praised me in hushed tones.
And Chocola… you’re not dozing off, are you?
「Kwuunn.」
With a soft snort, Chocola curled up on the spot. To be so relaxed in a place like this—this guy really has nerves of steel.
「Ahem. Now, about the method… The key is how to counteract causal delay. Causal delay refers to postponing a result. If dropping a ball is the cause, the result is the ball hitting the ground. By delaying this ‘falling’ result, the ball, which would normally fall in one second, remains suspended. To an observer, it seems to be frozen in midair.」
Applied to a living being, it halts all movement. All of their life processes—the results of every action—are delayed, creating the illusion of time stopping.
「In this case, however, it’s not just the Demon King and Alice-san whose time is frozen. The entire space itself is subject to causal delay. If my spell Shinkou Teitai is like a single-target attack, this is an area-of-effect spell. Anyone who enters the domain will have their causality delayed, effectively freezing them. So, the question is how to interact with it.」
The crucial point is—
「We could simply use Karen’s magic to erase the spell entirely. But doing so would revive not only Alice-san but also the Demon King. For now, let’s set the Demon King aside. At the very least, we need to maintain the barrier as long as possible. That’s why the plan is to infiltrate the barrier without breaking it and pull Alice-san out of its range.」
「Unbelievable. Even hearing the explanation feels hopeless. It’s like being told to swim without creating a ripple…」
Emishi-san shook his head, as if giving up.
And yet, that metaphor—it was actually quite fitting.
「Exactly. Swim without causing ripples. In other words, dive beneath the water. If you move underwater, the surface remains undisturbed, doesn’t it?」
「What… do you mean?」
I spoke with conviction. This must be the answer—this must work.
「If causality is delayed, then all I need to do is accelerate it.」
I drew the sword at my hip.
Ridill. The magic sword passed down to me by father. It resonated perfectly with my magic and was ideal for weaving dark-attribute spells around it.
「Dark-attribute magic manipulates time and space. Cause and effect, present to future—it controls the threads that spin them. In other words…」
A single chain emerged from the blade.
It floated lightly before clinking as it coiled around.
Jet-black, it resembled a fishing line.
「When I cast this chain, it will reach Alice-san and ensnare her. The cause is the chain’s throw; the result is its arrival at Alice-san. Normally, within the barrier, causality is delayed, so an ordinary chain would freeze in midair. But what if the chain moved at an incredible speed? What if I could pull the ‘arrival at Alice-san’—a distant future result—right to the present?」
I rested the sword against my shoulder, readying it. Then, with a swing, I cast the magical chain.
「Here goes… Reimei Kasoku.」
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