The sky had been overcast ever since Pink-Haired Lesbian’s departure, and for the past few days, and it had been raining steadily. At times like this, I found myself appreciating the convenience of magic once again.In my previous life, I would have been helplessly waiting for a break in the weather to dry my laundry. Damp clothes hanging from the rack would only end up with a musty odor.
But things were different now. There was no need for an expensive dryer—one spell was all it took.
“⋯⋯So, you called me here just to dry laundry, Professor?”
“That’s right.”
“If you weren’t a professor⋯⋯ Sigh.”
Selvier, my reluctant human dryer, let out a long sigh before muttering a spell. Flames flickered at her fingertips.
I also asked her to remove the humidity from the lab while she was at it. In response, she nearly broke my shins. If it hadn’t been for my fancy footwork, it would have damaged me enough to have gotten a bruise.
Ziiing.
I watched as the laundry dried in real-time. The flames that had efficiently fluffed and dried my underwear and long johns now focused their attention on Pink-Haired Lesbian’s underwear.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯Tsk.”Selvier, noticing the fearsome size from the shape and volume of the underwear, clicked her tongue in frustration. She herself was certainly not quite as well-endowed.
For reference, the volume was probably larger than an apple⋯⋯
“Shall I make your eyes nice and dry too?”
“I’ll have to pass.”
I averted my gaze and raised up both hands. It was a pose of surrender and capitulation.
Tududuk.
A light breeze sent a few raindrops tapping against the lab window a couple of times before sliding down. As if asking to be let in.
I glared at the annoying raindrops. You’re not the one who should be knocking—it’s my pink-haired friend, the one who was good at sexual harassment.
No matter how easily I get lonely, do you really think I would let in raindrops? If you want to come in, bring Pink-Haired Lesbian. If you bring her, I’ll gladly open this door.
“⋯⋯Are you having a staring contest with the rain or something?”
My silent exchange with the raindrops must have seemed odd to Selvier. She spoke to me while drying Yuna’s somewhat skimpy underwear.
I replied plainly.
“I’m negotiating.”
“What kind of negotiation can you have with those numbskulls from the Blue Tower? They don’t understand a word you say. All they do is act aloof while frozen solid.”
“You’re talking as if flames understand what you say⋯⋯?”
“They communicate very well. They never freeze, evaporate, or shift in form unexpectedly, and they have clear preferences. If they dislike something, they burn it.”
It made sense, I suppose, but it didn’t resonate with me.
A flame friend, huh. Sounds like a greedy guy that would spread everywhere if given the slightest chance, It would probably be tricky to keep him happy. A rock friend, on the other hand, would probably be too reserved.
Even with these trivial thoughts, I couldn’t shake the nagging unease in my mind.
“Has⋯⋯ something bad happened recently?”
“I’m a bit anxious because I haven’t heard from my friend.”
“Ah, the pink-haired miss. It’s true, it’s been a while since I last saw her⋯⋯ Is that what’s got you moping around like a flame toad after eating fire?”
“What kind of idiom is that?”
Her stubbornness to use anything related to water, even in idioms, really showed just how deep her rivalry with the Blue Tower’s Snow White?
The real issue with the emotion called anxiety wasn’t the feeling itself.
The problem lied in what anxiety attached itself to. If I didn’t care about Pink-Haired Lesbian, the anxiety wouldn’t have gained any hold over me. It’s like having already secured early admission—you wouldn’t care if you bombed the college entrance exam.
So, to get rid of the anxiety, you must get rid of its source.
It’s like when chewing gum gets stuck in your hair. Even after removing the big chunks, that stubborn residue clinged on to you no matter how many times you wash it.
In the end, the only option left was to cut off the tangled portion of hair.
“What kind of stupid thought is that this time?”
“⋯⋯Why?”
“My childhood friend once told me that emotions should be accepted for what they are, not buried or cut away.”
“⋯⋯Quite a marvelous statement.”
Selvier’s words felt like they struck a chord deep within me. It felt like a part of me that I had been avoiding seemed suddenly exposed, leaving me feeling slightly embarrassed.
Selvier seemed to like this childhood friend of hers very much. Happiness filled her face whenever she talked of him. She was like someone sneaking out a slice of cake from the fridge.
She spoke on behalf of her childhood friend.
“Just because you were rejected by someone you loved, if you deny those feelings by pretending they ‘never existed’⋯⋯ How could you ever trust love that finds you again in the future?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Emotions are proof, he said. It’s because the professor is very close to that person⋯⋯ that you’re feeling this anxious right? He said it’s okay to be happy about that—it just means you care about them as much as your anxiety tells you.”
If a building is tall, its shadow will stretch just as far.
So, instead of cowering in its shadow or getting angry enough to want to tear the building down, was he suggesting you climb to the top and admire the view?
“⋯⋯If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be having this heartache.”
“Honestly, it is a bit much. Still isn’t it a cool thing to say? It feels like the right principle.”
It was an idealistic perspective.
“Thanks for comforting me, Selvier. Should I spill the contents of the next performance evaluation for you?”
“No thanks. I said it because we’re in the same boat. I’ve been waiting for that childhood friend for over 10 years too.”
“I’ve dried everything, so I’m going to head out,” saying that, she waved her hand and left the lab. Her red hair swayed as she walked away, disappearing from sight. Over 10 years⋯⋯?
Ten years, ten years, huh.
I tried to imagine a dark and unsettling scenario—one where Pink-Haired Lesbian had vanished, leaving me to wait, without a promise she would return, for 10 long years. I was going to run a simulation in my head, but I stopped myself.
They say words carry immense power. What if merely imagining such a possibility made it a reality? That thought alone sent a chill through me.
I didn’t have the courage to face such a loss.
I don’t want to lose them.
I couldn’t afford to lose either the Tower Master or Pink-Haired Lesbian. Not in any way. For instance, what if I revealed some of my more questionable thoughts and was met with ‘Ugh, dating is a little⋯⋯ let’s just stay friends’.
Or if I ended up with one of them, and the other said, ‘So, you didn’t choose me? Then I won’t choose you either,’ and left.
Paralyzed by fear of these hypothetical situations—ones that hadn’t even happened—I found myself unable to move forward or backward.
I think all three of us probably felt the same way.
Yuna, who never crossed the line, swallowed her jealousy and kept our relationship undefined because she also didn’t want to lose anything.
And Yuri Lanster, who drew clear boundaries in our relationship yet still approached, all while knowing she’d leave someday to seek her revenge.
What about becoming lovers? That one question was buried deep in my heart, as I tried to soothe the cold emptiness inside with meaningless touches.
But just because we pressed our bodies together, it doesn’t mean such a convenient occurrence of our hearts aligning would happen.
In truth, I wished for it.
I longed for a⋯⋯ deeper relationship. One that will never break. I wanted us to become a family.
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
⋯⋯Maybe I should talk to them about it.
When Yuri Lanster returns, the three of us could sit down and have a conversation. I could carefully bring it up. Honestly tell them that I wanted to get a little closer to both of them.
That I wanted us to open up more, to share our innermost thoughts, and let our hearts connect more deeply.
Of course, opening up could lead to conflict. Our personalities might clash, voices might be raised, and we could end up arguing. But even risking all that…
We could adjust with each other, step beyond the boundaries we had drawn. I wanted to ask if they wanted to try becoming a little more intimate.
That’s why I wanted them to tell me.
For Yuna to explain what the symbol on her witch hat means, and why she sometimes cries softly to herself. What happened back then at the Purple Tower…
And for Yuri to tell me the incident that ignited her desire for revenge. Just what happened in her past that led her to manifest such a Metamorphosis?
I wanted them to let me help them solve their problems. And if I couldn’t fix them, then I wanted them to at least let me comfort and soothe them.
Yeah.
That’s what I’ll do.
When Pink-Haired Lesbian comes back from her trip, let’s find the courage to talk about it. Maybe I’ll prepare a few jokes in case things get tense. Maybe I should even write up a script and practice it in front of a mirror.
Was that all? What would come after that?
Maybe a trip? Like a real family, we could go on a long journey to the southern part of the continent. I heard there were beautiful beaches there, and we could enjoy splashing in the water
For that⋯⋯ First, should I use the wish coupon I got from Irid? I’ll ask him to assign Pink-Haired Lesbian as my exclusive attendant so she won’t have to rush off on missions. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.
The rain was still falling. With each raindrop, my anticipation for the reunion grew.
If everything went well, maybe we’d be⋯⋯ happier and have more fun. So please, come back safe and sound.
As I was quietly hoping for that.
Slam.
The door swung open.
I turned eagerly, hoping it might be Pink-Haired Lesbian arriving at the perfect moment. Instead, it was Yuna, drenched from the rain like a soaked rat.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Wh-what’s the matter, Tower Master? With that expression, in that state⋯⋯.”
I stammered without realizing, the sight of her shadowed face and her tightly clenched fists filling me with unease. I was terrified of what they meant.
In the middle of the fear gnawing at my mind, I kept trying to reassure myself. It’s nothing. It can’t be anything serious. Please, let it be nothing.
But reality was always cruel.
“⋯⋯Yuri is unconscious.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
With heavy breaths, I froze, locked in place like a taxidermied butterfly, suspended in time.
===============================================================
Yuri Lanster was asleep.
She had been found by a passing academy student, who reported finding her abandoned in an alleyway.
An agent from the Defense Bureau stationed at the Academy confirmed her identity and handed her over to a priest. After the priest’s grim diagnosis of “incurable,”
They reached out for my assistance. That was the story.
She lay there, asleep, so peaceful that I felt annoyed just looking at her. I softly called out to her tightly closed eyes.
“⋯⋯Pink-Haired Lesbian?”
Not even a twitch.
Why wasn’t she responding?
Maybe she secretly hated the nickname? Right⋯⋯ it could have sounded offensive. After all, it was a name I initially used to mock her.
Then, though it was a bit embarrassing, I’d try using her actual name
“⋯⋯Yuri. Are you asleep?”
No response.
Something wasn’t right.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, I finally accepted the reality: Yuri Lanster was practically in a vegetative state.
Tick.
As my stress spiked, the『Psychopath Module』in my head kicked in.
Right. It’s no big deal. Just⋯⋯ a half-dead succubus. No need to make a scene or be overwhelmed.
There’s no reason to be upset either. She was just a stranger, someone who barely mattered to me. Just like a random ant crushed underfoot—how many people would even blink at that?
Her intentions were probably impure from the start anyway. She was, after all, sent by the Second Prince to monitor me. She must’ve been planning to gather information while flattering me.
It’s just that a vixen, who had tried to seduce me, has now been taken out of the equation. This was a gain. With no one watching me, I was free at the academy. Right? Yeah.
That’s why, that’s why it’s not a big de⋯⋯.
You’re wrong.
Smack.
I channeled Mana into my hand and slapped my cheek, hard. The Psychopath Module shattered, along with a few other innocent modules next to it.
I shook my head roughly, clearing away the intrusive thoughts. She wasn’t dead. This could be reversed. If it was a mental problem, I could fix it.
I spread out a magic circle, letting Mana flow, creating whatever spells were needed on the spot. I carefully examined Yuri Lanster’s mind, but I felt resistance.
There were traces of artificial Mana.
I searched through my memories. This was the same as the magic implanted in the Third Prince’s head. It was the Succubus Queen’s doing. But there was something else⋯⋯ something like a net, intricate enough that I couldn’t touch it.
Yuri Lanster was trapped in her own mind by the Queen’s magic. In other words, she was wandering through a dungeon inside her head.
I could sense it. She was likely experiencing a living nightmare. Dark wizards inflict suffering to drain Mana, wounding the soul in the process. She must be suffering, even now.
Could this be removed with external treatment?
Impossible. The Queen’s magic was full of flaws, sure, I could tear it to shreds. But the strange⋯⋯ tar-like thing supporting the magic—that was another story. It was too clever, too sinister.
It was like an iron maiden, riddled with spikes. If I tried to force it open, it would pierce hundreds of holes through Yuri’s mind.
I could sense that the magical craftsmanship behind it rivaled my own.
The Purple Tower Master who was examining her alongside me said.
“⋯⋯There seems to be a complex Sublimation ability attached. I thought I might be able to erase it with『Subtraction』, but it’s impossible. Yuri would be caught up in it too⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Anxiety gnawed at me. I was getting more and more restless. Was there really no other way? Were we really supposed to just leave her like this? No. No way. I couldn’t accept that.
There was an entrance. I found an entrance.
The trap in Yuri’s mind had a weak spot, vulnerable from the inside. There was a cleverly hidden shortcut for infiltration. This wasn’t an oversight—I could sense the creator’s intention behind it.
It was inviting us. If we wanted to save her, we had to come inside.
It was a trap.
Rational reasoning screamed at me. It was a carefully laid trap, built with a terrifyingly sophisticated sublimation that god knows where they had picked up from. It was dangerous—like a mini dungeon had been built inside her head.
If I detached my consciousness and infiltrated, like in a session⋯⋯ I’d be as vulnerable as a player participating in my session.
So what?
That didn’t matter. I struggled to contain my boiling anger and sadness, not letting them disrupt my magic, gritting my teeth as I prepared to enter.
At that moment, Yuna grabbed my sleeve, pulling hard. Her warning was clear—she stood firmly in my way.
“⋯⋯Even if it’s you⋯⋯ you could die. You know that⋯⋯?!”
“I know.”
“No, no. You don’t know⋯⋯!! Even that Elaine, with her fully matured Metamorphosis, was tricked by you. Even I⋯⋯ with my half-baked sublimation, struggled! There’s that much of a gap between a prepared wizard and one who’s not!”
She was right.
That was true. Now that traces of Sublimation had been discovered, the danger had skyrocketed. But still⋯⋯ I couldn’t just leave her like this.
“Listen, you don’t need to rush. Okay? We might still have time. At least slow down. Don’t jump in recklessly. I’m telling you, it’s dangerous.”
But we might not have time. Right now, Yuri Lanster could be dying. No, she was dying.
“I’ll try harder. I’ll gather everyone from the Purple Tower to help. We can do this, we won’t be too late. So please⋯⋯ just wait!!”
I couldn’t endure the anxiety. Gathering everyone from the tower and evaluating the situation would take time—time we didn’t have. Would she be able to hold on until then?
If I went in now and managed to save Yuri Lanster, everything would be fine. The future I’d been holding onto in my heart would remain intact.
I could do it. I could pull it off. I’m a genius after all, right?
Let’s go. Let’s save her.
Did Yuna read my thoughts from my expression? Her face twisted, and she began to sob. Her eyes turned red, tears spilling over.
“…What about me? What about me then?!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I froze.
While I stood there, speechless, Yuna unleashed her pain. It was heartbreaking. Of course, it was devastating that Yuri Lanster had ended up like this. But still…
“If you recklessly charge in there and end up like her⋯⋯ How am I supposed to live with that⋯⋯?”
“I⋯⋯.”
When I couldn’t respond, unable to find the words to say.
“I won’t let it happen. You can’t go. I don’t want you to-!!”
Her shout, closer to a scream, caused water droplets to rise from around her and the tips of her fingers. A sign of her magic.
Huuuu.
I was pushed back. No, the space between Yuri’s bed and me was expanding rapidly. It was Yuna’s illusion magic.
I’ll reply in turn⋯⋯!!
“『Illusion Destruction』, 『Spatial Coordinate Pandemonium』, 『Deception』⋯⋯!”
I countered her Mana with opposite wavelengths, shattering the illusion magic. We mutually destroyed each other’s spells.
Then, I shifted to prevent her from locking onto me and unleashed illusions to keep her off balance.
What I blocked in that first wave was only the prelude. A bigger attack followed as I heard Yuna’s chant. It was long—definitely a high-level spell!
“Snuff out the light, close your eyes『Blackout』!”
Suddenly, everything went dark. All my senses were scrambled. I couldn’t process what was happening.
But before the lights went out, I caught a glimpse of a soap bubble, slowly filling with a black liquid, floating up from Yuna’s chest. I knew that spell.
『Violetiris’s Concentrated Memory Mana Crystal Explosion』
She was planning to blow me away with raw power. If she finished casting, I’d lose. I had to disrupt it before her casting was done. I slipped away from Blackout, and tried to attack in an attempt to disrupt the completion of the magic.
“『Spell Dispersion』, 『Reassemble』, 『Texture Dismantlement』⋯⋯!!”
But I couldn’t focus. My head was spinning. Her desperate expression was circling in my head. My efforts to fight back were just instinctual. And then──.
“Nobody, I won’t let anybody in here, I won’t let anyone go die. Including you⋯⋯!!”
────.
An explosion of information.
“⋯⋯Uu, uhh.”
I couldn’t differentiate between up and down. It felt like my leg was attached to my head, or maybe my eyes were on my foot. After rolling around in confusion for what seemed like forever, I finally regained my senses in front of the laboratory.
Somehow, I’d been kicked out. I tried to go back inside, but the door wouldn’t budge. Yuna was clearly blocking it.
I knocked on the door and tried to open it for a long while. Eventually, I just slumped against the door and sat down.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
My head hurt.
===============================================================
After a while, my mind began to clear.
I could see it now.
I understood. I would’ve done the same. If Yuna⋯⋯ had gone berserk, insisting she had to dive into Yuri’s mind right this instant, swearing she’d save Pink-Haired Lesbian even at the cost of her life… Ironically, I would have stopped her too.
Does that mean we’re supposed to just let Yuri Lanster go?
No, I can’t accept that. We had a chance, even if it wasn’t certain. It was only dangerous—dangerous enough that Yuna, who cares for Yuri Lanster just as much as I do, had thrown everything she had into stopping me.
Wasting time pondering this was pointless, but I couldn’t bring myself to force my way past Yuna. The Purple Tower Master was powerful, and I couldn’t go all out against her either.
I was stuck. Neither choice felt right.
I felt lost, swaying between decisions. Desperately, I wished someone would just give me the answer. I thought my head had cooled down, but it was like a fire that had only been dialed back from blazing to simmering.
I wandered aimlessly for a long time⋯⋯.
“⋯⋯That’s why you just walked through the pouring rain and came all the way to the female dormitory?”
“⋯⋯Yeah.”
I wasn’t sure why, but on instinct, I ended up looking for Selvier.
“Are you an idiot?”
I think I am.