“Alright! Aki seems fine too, so let’s hurry! Climbing down the tower is such a hassle…”
“Um, player, I, uh, just abandoned my thoughts as well… but what I was saying earlier—”
“I don’t know! But that wasn’t the main body; it was probably a clone or something like that.”
“Huh? How do you know that?”
“Gods are always like that, throughout history. They like to play coy and take their time showing up. In fact, that one felt a bit weak.”
I remember there were gods in Life Field too.
They were incredibly strong, but unrelated to the story—well, it’s similar enough.
I’ll tell White and the others about it later!
“More importantly, Navi! Do you know where Snow went?”
“She shouldn’t have gone too far. Time in the world stopped for a while after that presence appeared.”
“Seriously? That must be the most powerful ability. I’ve never successfully stopped time with cursed energy before…”
I peek outside the tower window.
A warm breeze feels nice.
I can see a city beyond the plains, and further back, the coastline.
The world is bathed in the light of the setting sun, painting the sky and clouds in shades of red and purple.
“…What a beautiful view. Alright! Let’s go look for Snow!”
“Uh, player, this is a window, the exit is over there, and the elevator is further back… Wait, no way.”
“That elevator-like thing is going to take too long to wait for.”
“Please wait!”
Navi sounds a bit angry, but I’m going for it.
“Cursed energy enhancement!”
Thud.
I wrap cursed energy around my legs, waist, and then my entire body.
I lean out of the window and dive!
It’s about a hundred meters high; I can handle this.
In the moment of falling, I thicken the cursed energy around my legs and make some of it explode!
Boom!!
I hit the ground with a pretty loud sound.
Yep, nothing hurts.
“Did you just split your cursed energy and explode it on the ground to negate the fall damage? If you do that, the backlash…”
“I’ll cover that with cursed energy enhancement. Wow, White and the others do this with their raw physical abilities; they’re monsters. I still have a lot to train. I’m probably only average in this world.”
“…Being humble is a good thing, especially when it comes to strength related to life and death.”
“Right? Alright, then let’s start looking for Snow… Should I follow the residual magical energy? Ah, I can feel the magic energy wrapped around my body, but the faint traces in the air are hard to detect… Hmm, there’s a danger of curse veil, but…”
I raise my index and middle fingers and point them at my right eye.
I channel cursed energy into it.
“Cursed energy eye!”
A rush of heat fills my right eye.
I can see various things in the world emitting mist.
The grass and flowers on the plains, the buildings—anything related to magic can be seen as if it’s right in front of me.
On the path, rainbow-colored magical energy swirls like smoke.
Alright, this is it.
It’s pretty faint, but… I think I can track it.
“Okay, full speed—”
“P-Player, please wait!”
“Huh?”
What is it, Navi?
I’m in the middle of a Snow good feeling event here.
Unless there’s a disruption like earlier—
“Over there, isn’t there someone? Look, it’s the path to the hill. That person wasn’t there until just now, before you used the cursed energy eye…”
Navi shares my senses.
It seems the effect of the cursed energy eye applies to her too.
…Indeed, there is someone there.
On the path to the hill, under a sign pointing the way, stands a woman in a uniform.
“…You’re right; she wasn’t there a moment ago…”
“Isn’t that… right?”
“…Should I turn off the cursed energy eye?”
I stop the flow of cursed energy to my eyes.
Something feels extremely ominous…
Oh, she’s gone.
“…She disappeared.”
“She vanished… yeah.”
“…”
“…”
There’s no one under the sign.
What the heck is this?
Well, I kind of have an idea, but…
No, I don’t want to think about it too much.
“Um… Player, maybe you should confirm that again with the cursed energy eye…”
“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know! But maybe I should stop using the cursed energy eye for now.”
“Player. Isn’t that kind of thing bad? It’s capable of taking down monsters and even greater beings?”
“Those things are a different matter. What am I supposed to do if my jutsu doesn’t work? I don’t see anything; nothing is there.”
“…But once you’ve seen something like that… doesn’t it mean it’s there?”
“Stop it, seriously. Besides, Navi, you’re similar!”
“You’re comparing it to that kind of thing?! That’s terrible! Fine! Go handle your ghost event by yourself!”
“Hey, don’t say that! There’s still a chance it might not be a ghost!”
There’s no response from Navi.
That girl can share my senses, yet she seems to freely turn it on and off, which is unfair.
…Alright, I haven’t seen anything.
This is a fantasy world, after all.
It has nothing to do with the occult or horror.
I’ll enhance my leg strength with cursed energy and dash through it; that’s what I’ll do.
“Okay, let’s go!” “Um, did you just look at me?”
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!!!
Someone just talked to me!!!
Cursed energy eye!!
The scenery changes.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa—there’s a person in front of me!!
There’s a person!
A girl in a school uniform! White hair! That hairstyle looks like a wolf cut, a mix of short and long hair—Navi! You’re alive?!
“Oh, so you could see me after all. Amazing, you’re the owner of a magic eye?”
“Whoa!!! What the heck are you?! …A ghost?”
“Yeah, that’s right, I’m a ghost.”
What the heck, I knew it!
And upon closer inspection, she has no legs!
There’s some kind of mist surrounding her!
I’m cursed! At this rate!
There’s no shrine or temple in this world.
I’ll have to handle it myself.
Can my jutsu do anything about this?!
—Of course it can!
“Come on! Bring it on! Evil spirit, be banished, technique—”
“Um, aren’t you looking for a girl?”
“Huh?”
“That way, towards the hill. She was running off… looking sad, no, she looked in pain. If she’s your friend, why not go after her?”
“Ah, um, uh, thank you… a good ghost…?”
“Well, who knows? But I’m not the type of ghost to interfere with someone who’s desperately trying to do something.”
“Oh, I see… then, uh, excuse me.”
Alright, I’ll go soon.
Let’s go.
“…Hey, what’s your name?”
Whoa, she’s asking for my name…
Isn’t it better not to answer these kinds of questions…?
No, but…
“Kasuya , Kasuya Takihito.”
“Oh, I see. Then you’re Cas-kun. I’m Fort. Nice to meet you!”
“Ah, nice to meet you…”
Can I go now?
It’s fine, right?
Cursed energy enhancement!! Aahhh!!!
I kick off the ground and dash forward!
Why is there a ghost in this fantasy world?! Damn it!
◇◇◇◇
I watch the mysterious person run away.
Wow, he’s already so far away.
More robust and flexible than a body enhanced with magical power.
His precision would rival that of a top-tier magician.
“So that’s this time’s G-class gifted one… I’m surprised he managed to drive away the fragment of the goddess Rust.”
Maybe he can do it.
I momentarily feel a glimmer of hope, but then it fades away with self-mockery.
There’s no way that can happen.
This world is a toy box of gods.
It’s already decided that it will end.
But it’s okay to wish, right?
“I hope the junior G-class gifted one can at least die without suffering.”
I hope he can end it without suffering, unlike me.
