“Are you really going to school? You should take at least today off…”
“No need. I’m feeling perfectly fine.”
The next morning, my worried mother saw me off as I headed for my middle school.
Truth be told, I wanted to take the day off too. The problem was, I wasn’t feeling unwell. Quite the opposite, I was feeling so much better than usual. I wasn’t eloquent enough to describe it other than my body just feeling light. It was like there was less gravity on me.
So, skipping school while I was feeling great just felt like taking advantage of my parents’ worry, you know. But then again, with all that status talk and whatnot, maybe playing hooky could be justified.
Oh man, my body might be in perfect condition, but my mind is all over the place.
While I was walking to school and thinking like that, suddenly, I had some kind of vision. I saw something white on my head…
“Huh!?”
I hurriedly jumped diagonally backward…and then, I realized, had I kept on going, crow poop would have fallen on my head.
After looking up at the crows fly away without even making a cry, I lightly rubbed my eyes. After all, I had seen a vision of the poop falling on my head just now…
“Is it Future Sight?”
It was the superpower written on my status screen. Or at least I thought this was one of them.
“Are you for real…?”
I uttered so as I moved back to the inside of the white line of the sidewalk since I had jumped back to the road.
Never would I have guessed that the reality of me being an “Awakened One” would hit home in such a place. Well, there was my guardian spirit and status screen too, but I don’t know, this…this felt like the first time I experienced my own power, you know.
Still, it was kind of lame that what drove it home was bird poop falling on me. I would have preferred if it was on something more exciting. Obviously, I still preferred this more than actually getting hit by the bird’s air bombing.
…but speaking of guardian spirits, I still wasn’t able to get her name. That silver-haired beauty’s name, I meant.
I was thinking intently along those line when I arrived in school.
The school gate was the same as usual. Even the hallways were the same as usual. However, the students along the way unsurprisingly not as usual. I would even describe them as restless. Maybe from another person’s perspective, I looked restless as well.
I reached my classroom, the one for 2-A, without incident. In a low voice, I greeted ‘good morning’ and entered the room. Naturally, there was no reply. If ever there was, I would be quite scared.
Like I expected, or rather, as usual, the classroom was noisy. All around, I could hear the terms ‘superpower’ and ‘Awakened Ones’ being uttered.
Among the crowd, I spotted my friend Kumai Nobuo-kun sitting almost absentmindedly in his seat. I quickly dropped off my bag by my seat and headed his way.
“Morning.”
“Gah. Morning.”
“The heck was that?”
He produced a frightful and rather vulgar sound.
I immediately looked around us to see if anyone was looking our way and being weirded out, but thankfully, no one even paid us attention.
“Ah, sorry. Was just lost in thought, you know.”
“Well, yesterday sure was something, ain’t it?”
“You bet it. That old man is quite the mystery, isn’t he?”
“More like, everything about yesterday was nothing but a mystery.”
While the two of us were nodding to each other like that, I spotted a student approaching us. It was another friend, Uoyama Kengo-kun.
By the way, Kumai-kun was tall and thin, and had an old-looking face. While Uoyama-kun had the four-eyes look. The three of us all looked like mobs.
“Morning.”
““Morning.””
When I replied absentmindedly to Uoyama-kun, he proceeded to head to his seat and put down his stuff.
At that moment…
“Hey, who here is an ‘Awakened’!?”
“““!?”””
In my surprise, my shoulders jerked up.
Oh no, this reaction might sell me out…!
With a cold sweat running down my back, I glanced toward the direction of the one who asked the question. It was from the class’s A group. The one likely to be called the class comedian was looking over the classroom.
I quickly cast my face down, careful not to look him in the eye.
How will people react if they found I was an Awakened? And what will they think if they found out I, basically a class outcast, had a power that other people didn’t have? Honestly, I’m not sure I want to know the answers to those questions.
People asking each other if they were an Awakened could be heard all over the classroom. That is, until one voice stood out from the rest.
“Me, I’m an Awakened.”
“Eh? For real!?”
I turned my gaze and the said class comedian was talking with another from the A group.
If I remember correctly, that guy’s Sato, right? And I think he was a member of the soccer club.
Seeing the class clown’s exaggerated reaction, I was convinced things would go that way.
But then, with all our gazes gathered on him, Sato simply lifted up his right hand’s index finger.
“[Ice]”
“““OHH!?”””
On the tip of his finger, a ball of ice the size of a ping-pong ball appeared. Voices of astonishment could be heard all over the classroom. I was no exception.
“Awesome! Is that, is that magic!?”
“Yup. If I got serious I could make one the size of a person, but well, that’d quite the hindrance inside the classroom, wouldn’t it?”
Without any hint that he was only acting, the class clown stared at Sato and slowly nodded. As for Sato, he might be thinking he was smiling like some cool person who didn’t care either way, but it was quite obvious that his nostrils were flared.
That was followed by people saying ‘so awesome’ or ‘how’d you do that!?’. I followed that trend and said amazing myself. I didn’t think anyone was paying any attention to me, but even so, it would draw attention if I said nothing at all at a time like this.
Turning my gaze away from Sato whose smiled had only deepened, I noticed Kumai-kun and Uoyama-kun beside me were letting their gaze wander. They looked suspicious. Soon enough though, the two of them looked at me like I was suspicious as well. It was only a guess, but maybe they were the same as me.
A delicate mood overtook the three of us.
“Oi, everyone, to your seats.”
While that was happening, the teacher entered through the door at the front of the class.
“There will be a school assembly in the gym in about ten minutes, so be ready for that.”
There were some who complained and some who voiced their questions, but I didn’t have enough of a leeway to worry about them.
Can my guess…?
* * *
Unlike the usual, school ended during the morning. The principal talked about a bunch of things in the school assembly, but honestly, I couldn’t remember much about it.
And so, my 2 friends and I began walking home together following the route we usually took. The students exiting the school gate were, as to be expected, mainly talking about yesterday’s events and also about Awakened people.
When we were almost at a fork in the road, Uoyama-kun suddenly said something to our oddly silent group.
“S-say. You guys wanna take a little detour today?”
“Huh? Where to?”
“Ah, well…how about something like that park behind the shrine?”
Uoyama-kun answered so to my awkward question.
When talking about a park near a shrine, it could only be that place. It didn’t see a lot of traffic, and it wasn’t really well-maintained. Moreover, the shrine itself was mostly visited only in the new year, the end of the year, and in the yearly held festival. Even priests from other shrines visit it only occasionally.
I heard the people from the neighborhood association dropped by in the evening, but at this time of day, there should be no one there.
It was a place grown-ups often told children not to go near because it was dangerous. We ourselves had never hang out there.
However…
“I, I suppose we could go there, right?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Kumai-kun agreed, and I followed suit.
We’re probably thinking the same thing, then.
After about another 10 minutes of walking in silence, we arrived at our destination. There were even less play equipment here than the last time I visited…it was better to describe this place as a very spacious park that had nothing but benches and a small sandbox.
Adding in the thicket around us, the place gave off a somewhat gloomy impression. Once night falls, this place would be in total darkness, making the teachers’ warning about this place very understandable.
None of that mattered for us at the moment though. Rather, the fact that people didn’t come here often made this a very convenient place for us.
“When the class was asked about Awakened people, you two reacted quite weirdly.”
Breaking the silence was Kumai-kun. There was sweat on his face. Those were likely not out of tiredness though.
“You say that, but you looked away too, Kumai-kun.”
“…so, are we all in the same boat?”
The three of us nodded to each other, then almost at the same time, each of our bodies was enveloped in light.
I had already felt this sensation before. Just like what the silver-haired girl taught me, I simply had to wish to change into the form in my memory. With that alone, I felt what seemed to be magic power naturally flow from within me into my limbs.
When the light around our bodies subsided, our clothes had transformed.
Kumai-kun was wearing on his body something that looked like a black judo uniform; on his head he had a red headband; on his hands he had finger gloves of the same shade of red; and on his feet he had some traditional Japanese thonged sandals which I had only ever seen in period dramas and the like.
Uoyama-kun, meanwhile, had a black robe over his whole body. The robe had its hood pulled up, covering part of his glasses, which flashed whenever it caught the sunlight. In his hand was a long staff. He was the very definition of mages in manga.
As for myself: I had a bucket-like helmet; I also wore chain mail under a black surcoat; I had a thick belt that traveled along diagonally over my chest and led to the [Zweihander] on my back. I had steel gauntlets on my hands and bulky boots on my feet. I also had a belt around my waist, and hanging on it was a dagger.
Somehow, all three of us wore something black. Our attires were rather unflamboyant too.
Each of us had a look of delight on our faces though. Our lips loosened with excitement and glee.
“I knew it, you guys were Awakened Ones too!”
“Thank goodness. I was worried I was the only one different.”
“Hold up, is that a judo uniform? Also, Uoyama-kun, can you use magic or something like that?”
We talked as we pleased all at once like that. Less tension was in the air now.
I had seen Awakened Ones, other than myself, on TV and on the net. I even saw Sato use magic just this morning. However, those felt like they were nothing more than stories from a faraway land. Knowing people close to me were in a similar situation though, that, that gave me a sense of relief.
“Yup, I can use magic.”
“For real!?”
Uoyama-kun grinned as he adjusted his glasses.
Hearing that answer, Kumai-kun stared wide-eyed.
“Look. [Water Wall]!”
Uoyama said so, raised his staff, and then conjured a wall made of water. The wall was about 2 meters tall and 1 meter wide.
“OH! So awesome!”
“How are you doing that!?”
Kumai-kun and I circled the wall and said so.
“Amazing, right?”
Uoyama-kun said so, puffing out his chest.
“You really can use magic, huh? I don’t have anything anything like that. I mean, sure, I was doing karate ‘til 6th grade, but why do I have to do that even now?”
Ah, it wasn’t a judo uniform. Can’t really tell the difference though.
“How about you, Kyotarou? Can you use magic?”
“He looks more like a soldier though. If this was a game, he’d be Soldier B.”
“Hey, at least make me Soldier A, Mage C.”
I was well aware that I was like a mob character. But if I was one, then the two of them fit the bill of mob characters as well.
“Anyway. It’s not magic like yours, but I can summon a guardian spirit.”
““Really!?””
The two of them shouted so in perfect sync. A bit encouraged by their reactions, I asked the silver-haired girl to come out.
“H-hey, please show yourself…”
“Why are you whispering?”
“Hey, it feels more like you’re summoning a ghost when you do it like that!”
Oh shut up! Can’t you tell I’m scared because I’m not sure of what I’m doing either!?
“Understood!”
With a cheery voice, the silver-haired girl appeared. Her loose braid and miniskirt swaying, the girl smiled at the 3 of us.
“How may I be of service, master? Please feel free to ask me of anything.”
““Ohh””
My 2 friends let out voices that were filled with both surprise and wonder. Despite them doing so though, the girl remained smiling as though awaiting for my next words.
“Ahm, well, this is my guardian spirit…but can you tell me your name?”
“You’re only asking that now?”
“Yeah, that’s, like one of the first things you should ask somebody.”
“Shut up. There just wasn’t a chance until now.”
After replying so to the onlookers, I returned my gaze to the girl.
She had an awkward smile which had her arching her brows up together.
“Apologies. I do not have a name yet. May I ask you to grant me one?”
“Huh? You don’t have a name?”
“Yes. As a guardian spirit, I am a part of you, so if I absolutely must introduce myself, I will say that I am you, Kyotarou-sama. It is similar to how you use common nouns for your organs, but never proper nouns.”
“Ahh…”
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered reading something like that on the net.
“What you standing around for? Name her already, Kyotarou!”
“Not even naming her. You make mages everywhere speechless.”
“Ghh…”
Disregarding the two hurrying me up, I looked at the girl.
Even if they ask me to name her, what I can name her all of a sudden? I can’t think anything.
I was the type if person who has trouble naming my character when playing a game. Naming someone in reality would only make it that much harder for me.
When I was thinking that, a wind blew and made the girl’s beautiful silver hair gently sway. It reflected the sun’s rays and made her give off a fantastical impression.
Rays…ray…lay…
“How about…Layla-san?”
“Understood! I shall be known as Layla henceforth!”
The girl, or rather, Layla-san exclaimed so with a wide smile.
So cute.
“What’s the meaning behind it?”
“None…I just felt like it was the one.”
“Come on. You gotta do better than that.”
“Don’t ask for the impossible. Seriously.”
While I was exasperatedly replying like that to Kumai-kun’s meddling, Uoyama-kun stared at Layla-san in curiously.
“How do I put it? For some reason, the knowledge about the magic involved is flowing into my head. It says a guardian spirit is what you get when you detach a portion of someone’s soul and give it form.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the case.”
“Huh? Is that safe?”
“Well, probably?”
“Probably, huh…”
Kumai-kun looked shocked and worried.
As for Uoyama-kun, he was busy tilting his head.
“You don’t look like Kyotarou though. I mean, how can such a beautiful girl come from Mob-kawa Mob-tarou?”
“I don’t wanna hear that from you, Mob-yama Mob-go!”
“Calm down, you two mob characters.”
“Shut it, old face.”
“Yeah, Mr. 52-year-old.”
“Aren’t you guys being too harsh?”
While we had a dumb exchange like that, Layla-san kept on looking at us with a smile on her face.
Crap, we got carried by our usual flow.
We weren’t used to being around other people, so we didn’t really know how to act. Yet, even though an awkwardness settled on the three of us, Layla spoke as though she didn’t mind our bit.
“It is only natural that I don’t resemble my master. A guardian spirit basically takes the form of someone who their master would like to have by their side. In my master’s case, the ideal candidate for that is a beautiful woman.
“Stop right there.”
That was so embarrassing. It was true that I did prefer beauties with large boobs, but still…
“What did…you say!?”
“Is that true!?”
Please, I beg you, don’t make her repeat my preference!
I thought of saying so, but by then, both Kumai-kun and Uoyama-kun were possessed by bloodcurdling enthusiasm.
Well, I suppose it was only natural for any middle school boy to act like this if they found out it was possible to will their ideal woman into reality…you know what, no. Most boys will at least play it cool. Aren’t you guys too desperate?
“Yes, it is true.”
“UUOOHHHHHH! Come! My guardian spirit!”
“Damn it! Why is the knowledge of making a guardian spirit—the most important detail of all—not flowing into my head!?”
Kumai-kun stretched his hands up to the sky and prayed for something. Meanwhile, Uoyama-kun looked to be at his wit’s end and grumbled something.
I did feel a sense of superiority about having something that others wished they had, but more than that, I felt frightened by my friends’ desperation.
O-oh well, like I said, it is only natural for middle school boys to act somewhat like this. I mean, just being beside Layla-san’s enough to make my heart pound.
“Come, muscle girl, come! Girl with 6packs, comeeee!!!”
“Tentacles! Tentacles that will coil around my body and make it all slimy, come here!!!”
“What the—”
Did I just mishear them? The words that flowed out of their mouths just now were quite absurd. Actually, Kumai-kun’s were quite fine. It’s a bit shocking but there’s nothing wrong with it either. But Uoyama-kun, what did he just say? I knew from before that he owned lewd mags that featured tentacles, but I thought he enjoyed it from the doer or at least a watcher’s perspective; I didn’t think he wanted to be subjected to it himself.
“Girl who has pecs twice as large as my head, come!!”
“I want 2 that will *beep* in my *beep* and in the front, I also want some that enter my *beep*!!”
“……”
The world was starting to change, but it didn’t feel like that in this moment.
After all, I just found out what my friend’s fetishes were. Not that I ever wanted to know.
* * *
While lying on my bed and looking at my phone that evening, I thought about my distinctive superpower.
Since not many people had one, I couldn’t find much information about it. Additionally, maybe due to the “distinctive” part of it, the information that I did manage to find concerned people who could become gigantic or could summon an armada of their own, making it hard to discern which were true and which ones were fakes.
…should I try mine out?
Based on the explanation for it, my [Silver Apple] seemed to be the type to be constantly active, but there also seemed to be a part about an option to make it materialize externally.
I was in my home, so even if I fainted, my parents could rush me to a hospital. Plus, it was around dinner time, so even if I didn’t say something to my mom beforehand, she would come and check up on me sooner or later.
Thinking like that, my curiosity won against my hesitation.
No has told me how to do it, but I knew through some kind of intuition. It was kinda like a person’s ability to breathe. You just knew how to do it from the moment you were born.
And so, I closed my eyes and placed both my hands in front of my chest as though I was making a platter. I then focused and imagined the apple falling into my hands.
A moment later, I felt a sensation that something was exiting from my body. This wasn’t my stamina. Is it [magic power]?
Whether it was due to the ability’s influence or not, I was able to sense magic power flowing from within me and onto the top of my palm.
After feeling that both my stamina and magic power had been whittled down, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Oohh!”
I let out a strange voice.
Sitting on top of my hands was a silver apple. It gave off the impression that it was a bit hard, and it also had a stronger odor coming from it.
But the most concerning detail of all was its color. Much like the best quality silver out there, it glittered like some kind of fluorescent light. That said, as an apple, it was absolutely not appetizing to me. I mean, how many people in the world would want to eat their silverware just because it was so beautiful?
Honestly, its hard texture and its odor weren’t noteworthy enough to differentiate it from an ordinary apple, but its color was just that bad.
If I peeled this, would it look appetizing then…?
Before even worrying about if it would grant everlasting youth and great restorative powers, anyone would first worry it was safe to eat or not. I mean, there was even a strange aura emanating from it.
“Kyotarou, dinner time.”
“Ah, okay. Coming.”
I replied so, but quickly returned on thinking what to do with the apple.
I sensed magic power come from the apple…so for the meantime, I decided to keep it in my room. I spread some tissue paper on top of my table, placed the apple there, and left my room.
“Help me set the table.”
“Okay. Mhm? Dad’s still not back?”
“He left work early yesterday, so he has to make up for it today. Let’s eat first.”
“’kay…”
That was my fault. I felt guilty about it.
While I was wondering whether I should apologize to my father when gets back or not, I finished setting the table by serving rice and pouring tea.
““Thanks for the meal.””
After saying so and then drinking a mouthful of tea, I picked up my chopsticks.
Things went on as they usually did.
However, we suddenly heard something from the TV we were using as background noise. What we heard was totally not part of the “usual”.
<<Huh? Ah…news flash. Something that resembles a ‘dungeon’ has been discovered in America.>>
“Huh?”
I was reaching for the ginger pork, but hearing that made me drop my chopsticks.
Say what now?
Along with my mom, I stared dumbstruck at the TV.
The variety show we often watched had been featuring a panel of experts discussing what happened yesterday. When the experts, like those for biology and mythology, couldn’t form any clear consensus regarding the matter, I thought there wasn’t much sense on watching and tuned out.
But then, someone said those words that echoed in my mind. When I looked back at the screen, I saw the male TV announcer acting as the host read the note handed to him by the staff. Despite looking serious, he was unable to hide his bewilderment.
<<Please do not approach any doors you are unfamiliar with. It might lead you to a mysterious place some have referred to as dungeons. I repeat, please do not approach—>>
The cast on the other side of the screen grew noisy. ‘what the heck is a dungeon’ and ‘what does he mean by unfamiliar doors’.
“You serious”
Without meaning to, I said so out loud and in a flat tone.
It was in that moment that the changes the world was undergoing began to become apparent.
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