An island where the wind blows. An island where waves seep in along the beach. An island where the briny scent of the sea breeze rolls in, and seagulls cry.
An island of ripples that spread endlessly with each passing day. An island where the dead and the living forget themselves.
The Voice.
I am strolling through that place with Sylvia.
“The island is expanding day by day.”
“……How did you know?”
Today’s walk was in place of lessons.
No, the girl had requested it as a “reward.”
“But it won’t be much of a problem.”
“It is very much a problem. If the island keeps spreading like this, it may swallow the continent.”
The Voice has four major problems.
The first is the resurrection of the dead, the second is the oblivion of memory, the third is its independent concept of time, and the fourth is the nature of its ripples.
The greatest problem is, of course, the “nature of its ripples.”
For the demon that wishes to become a world seeks to erode the entire continent with its island.
Even now, after being swallowed by Sylvia, that instinct remains.
“I can solve it.”
“No—”
“I mean it.”
The girl acted cute while pretending not to. She nudged my shoulder as if pestering me, and puffed out her cheeks like a balloon.
I curled my finger for a flick to the forehead.
“It’s in the contract.”
Sylvia flinched at the threatened flick, then held out the contract.
Just as she said, there was a clause in the contract.
──「Home Tutoring Contract」──
◆ Regarding home tutoring, the tutor Deculein (hereafter referred to as “Party A”) and the student Sylvia (hereafter referred to as “Party B”) hereby conclude a tutoring contract as follows.
Article 1 【 Basic Information on Private Lessons 】
Party A shall provide Party B with instruction according to the special “Completion of the Three Primary Colors” curriculum…….
…….
Article 9 【 Special Terms 】
1. In the event that Party B perfectly understands an objectively difficult theory, Party A shall provide Party B with free time as desired.
2. Home education shall take place every day at three in the afternoon; however, in the event of a natural disaster or an emergency concerning Party B, either party may cancel without notifying the other.
3. During tutoring hours, Party B must without fail use honorific speech toward Party A.
──────────
I stared quietly at the special terms.
“Sylvia.”
Then I called the girl’s name. Sylvia answered with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Yes.”
“Mana gathers where the previous me was broken.”
“Mana gathers.”
Was that a question, or agreement?
“Yes. I was able to see the traces of my previous self. It seems I died at your desk.”
The traces of my previous self I had seen with 「Naked Eye」.
Though the body had withered away, the mana of his existence remained there, wavering. This, too, was likely an effect of Deculein’s unique 「Mental Strength」.
“What do you suppose I thought while looking at you?”
“…….”
I know.
There is still a demon inside Sylvia’s body.
The girl did not overcome the Voice. She had merely been “assimilated” without even realizing it.
However, precisely because of that, the method to destroy the Voice is all the simpler.
Killing Sylvia together with the island.
“I don’t know.”
The previous me must certainly have thought so.
The current me is no different.
Unless someone dies—no, unless someone is killed.
There is no possibility on this island.
“Let’s sit over there. My legs hurt.”
Sylvia pointed somewhere. It was a bench by the road.
The girl caught my sleeve and pulled me there, and we sat together.
“……It’s already been ten days since you came.”
I looked at Sylvia as she said that. She looked back at me as well. Her clear golden eyes were wet with a measure of sorrow and resolve.
“Will we be parting soon?”
Murmuring, Sylvia subtly buried her head against my shoulder. As though leaning on me while holding my sleeve.
“Perhaps.”
I did not go out of my way to push her away.
“……I think I’ll win the bet.”
Instead, I pondered quietly.
I arranged the thoughts in my head.
……No.
There was no need.
From the very moment I came here, my magical theory had begun for the sake of achieving “that purpose.”
It was something I had already resolved myself to do, so all I had to do was follow it.
“You know.”
At that moment, Sylvia looked up at me. She gazed at me steadily with a softly colored face.
“You tried to teach me loss. I know that too.”
Golden hair scattering in the approaching wind. Eyes sparkling like stars upon the earth.
This child, so beautiful, is pitiable to me.
“But it’s strange.”
The girl lifted a finger and touched my lips. A faint smile rose on her expressionless face, once as cold as ice.
“Even if the current you dies.”
A voice trembling like water.
“Even if you die again.”
Words conveyed only to me.
“Even if you die again, and again. Even if you die again and again and again. Even if you keep dying and dying…… I feel like my love will only grow bigger.”
A pure confession, as though in tears.
“So. It’s as good as if I’ve already won our bet.”
Emotions seeping in like a drizzle.
“……Is that so?”
I met the girl’s gaze and nodded.
“……Mm. It is.”
The girl buried her face in my chest. She wrapped her arms around my waist. From there, she let out a cozy breath, as though happy.
“That may be so.”
……This much is enough.
More than enough words to proceed toward the “ending,” and to strengthen my conviction once more.
“I love you. I love you.”
From now on, I need only bear as much as I can bear.
* * *
The sixth Deculein died. It was a natural death, like last time.
Sylvia accepted it with difficulty this time as well.
However, the seventh Deculein who followed immediately afterward was rather fascinating.
In Sylvia’s eyes, and in Idnik’s as well.
“Spontaneous generation?”
“Yeah!”
Today, an exclamation mark was attached to the end of Sylvia’s sentence. She nodded innocently and shouted with vigor.
It was a very rare sight—no, the first in her life.
Idnik scratched her temple.
“That’s…… so, you’re saying Deculein spontaneously generated? On this island?”
“Yes. Deculein wants to live here too, Idnik. Deculein’s Mental Strength remained on this island, and with my power, it’s raising itself back up.”
“…….”
“To live with me. I guess he likes me.”
“……Isn’t that just a wild guess?”
At that, Sylvia narrowed her eyes. Idnik cleared her throat—Ahem—and turned her gaze away. In any case, she looked at Deculein walking out from the sea.
“I’ll go on ahead. Idnik, you guide him properly.”
Since last time, guiding Deculein around the island had become Idnik’s role.
It was so-called push and pull. Something about being too shy to meet him from the very beginning.
“Sure.”
“Mm.”
Sylvia turned and pattered away, while Idnik waved her hand and approached Deculein.
“Hey, Deculein! Seventh Deculein! Welcome!”
The seventh Deculein emerging onto land. He looked at her and furrowed his brow.
The resetting of memories is, as expected, a troublesome thing.
…….
I visited the guild room with Idnik.
Whether I truly was the seventh Deculein or not, Jukaken and Al Los greeted me with familiarity.
“You’re here again. Ah. Then are we starting over?”
Ignoring Jukaken’s words, Al Los handed me the magical theory first.
It was a large box.
“Take it. Your magical theory. It’s about several thousand pages.”
Before that, Al Los’s appearance stirred an impulse in me, but in any case.
“The desk and chair are over there.”
Al Los pointed somewhere. Indeed, there was a rather decent desk and chair.
Jukaken grinned and said,
“Then Idnik and I are going to work, so you two behave yourselves~ Cooperate with each other~ Especially you, Al Los, since your face is cooperation itself.”
“You fucking bastard.”
“…….”
I opened the box. It contained the thousands of pages of theory my previous selves had continued.
Befitting a mysophobe, there was not a speck of dust; it was clean and orderly.
“You wrote a lot. A whole lot.”
Al Los muttered as though impressed.
I picked up the very first page. I read the fragment of the magic circle.
From that moment on, time flowed steeply.
Rustle— Rustle—
Al Los ate some kind of snack and stretched, while I devoted roughly half a day’s effort from the first page to page three thousand three hundred.
Thus, I came to clearly understand my magical theory and my intention.
I came to know a will that was somewhat dark, somewhat cold, and far too firm.
“Professor.”
When I leaned back, Al Los spoke as though she had been waiting.
“What is it?”
“Is there no note about me in there? I heard there was before.”
Al Los’s artistic face. A beauty that calmed me merely by looking at it.
I nodded.
“There is.”
“What, what is it this time?”
A corner of the magical theory. A magical note that only I could write, and only I could recognize.
I spoke that sentence to her.
“Al Los.”
“What?”
“It says your trust and help are needed.”
“……?”
Al Los opened her gemlike eyes wide and tilted her head.
I added nothing more.
* * *
Three days later, in the guild room.
Deculein has gone out to tutor.
The trio of Al Los, Jukaken, and Idnik are sprawled on the sofa, drinking for the first time in a while.
It is because, with Sylvia spending time with Deculein, the situation on the Island of the Voice has become relatively relaxed.
“This sofa is really well made.”
At Idnik’s praise, Jukaken laughed.
“Khehehe. Of course it is. Whose craftsmanship do you think it is? Ah~ If only I could’ve bought mana stones, I could’ve made something even better.”
“Hohoho……?”
Idnik had been grinning likewise, but suddenly she frowned.
“Wait. You couldn’t buy mana stones?”
“Nope. Prices are insane. Even if we scraped together all the cash coins over there, we’d barely get one tiny mana stone. They’re way more expensive than I thought.”
Where Jukaken pointed, the cash coins Deculein had earned were piled up like a mountain. For some reason, Idnik’s expression as she looked at them turned grave.
“……If there are no mana stones…… mana stones…….”
“What. Are you mute? Finish your sentence, Idnik.”
Idnik rose without a word. She walked toward the box containing Deculein’s magical theory.
“Hey, hey! What’re you planning to do? If something goes wrong from touching that, you’re f—, we’re all f—, totally fucked?”
Drunk, Jukaken spoke while swaying.
Idnik ignored her.
No, she did not even hear.
Rasle—
She picked up Deculein’s magical theory. She read carefully from the very first page.
As one who had studied together with Rohakan in her own way, she could grasp and interpret even the most difficult theory to a certain extent.
“…….”
Thus, as Idnik read the theory, she marveled at Deculein’s ingenious and artistic ideas, yet at some point fell into doubt.
It was a very simple, yet fatal suspicion.
Could such an immense spell truly be realized without “mana stones”?
Even if they scraped together all the cash coins on the island, they would not be able to obtain enough mana stones to supply this giant magic (巨大魔法)…….
“……!”
At that moment, Idnik abruptly raised her head. Her eyes widened.
However, it was not because of the theory. A certain “mana signal” had brushed across her mind.
Al Los asked Idnik, who was acting so dramatically,
“……What are you doing?”
The dark guild room. Because Idnik had been absorbed in thought for two whole hours, the tipsiness of alcohol had long since evaporated cleanly.
Idnik looked back and forth between Jukaken and Al Los.
Gulp— She swallowed and said,
“……Deculein is dead.”
“What?”
Jukaken contorted her entire face, and Al Los calmly asked back,
“It’s only been three days.”
“That’s what I’m saying. It’s still far too soon for him to die naturally. Unless someone killed Deculein…….”
In that instant, Idnik’s words stopped.
“……Unless someone killed Deculein.”
That “someone” surfaced in her mind.
The “someone” they had all forgotten about until now, saying all was well that ended well.
“Al Los. Where’s Gerek?”
“……Ah.”
Al Los and Jukaken’s expressions also turned serious.
Bang──!
Idnik opened the door first and dashed out. Al Los followed her as a scarecrow, and Jukaken on her two legs.
Like that, they arrived at the “cage” where they had confined Gerek.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
And then, silence.
There was nothing to say.
—……He’s gone.
First came Al Los’s murmur.
Then Idnik’s dazed, hollow laugh.
Jukaken scratched the back of her neck and said,
“Yeah. It wasn’t even working hours…… If he was going to leave, he could’ve done it a little more peacefully.”
Underground in the middle of the forest.
The cage where they had kept Gerek had been smashed to pieces. Not even its shape remained. It had literally been crumpled.
“……Why the hell is this bastard suddenly being such a prick? He was working with me just fine.”
Jukaken mussed up his own hair.
Their shared goal—“first, leave this island”—should have been clear. So why, all of a sudden?
—He probably just couldn’t stand it anymore. Besides, Gerek was the kind of bastard who wouldn’t care whether he got off the island or not, as long as he could kill Deculein. Fuck.
At the scarecrow’s words, Jukaken smacked his forehead.
“We’re screwed.”
—Idnik. Do you know where Deculein’s corpse is?
The scarecrow asked Idnik. Jukaken cut in.
“Would there even be a corpse left? He’s paint.”
—His mana would remain, you fucker. We need to record even that much if we’re going to track Gerek’s location. What, are we just going to sit around and watch Deculein die? You fucking braindead octopus-head.
“……Fair point. But why are you cussing me out, you bitch? You think you’re the only one pissed off? Anyway, Idnik.”
Jukaken quickly accepted it and looked at Idnik.
“Can you tell? No, you can, right? If you can’t, we’re done for.”
Idnik had Deculein’s crystal orb. Since that crystal orb served as Deculein’s catalyst, it should be able to tell, roughly at least, where he had died.
“…….”
Idnik nodded without a word. Jukaken and the scarecrow let out sighs of relief, however slight.
“Then let’s go. To find Gerek.”
“……Wait.”
As they were about to run, Idnik called them back.
The scarecrow and Jukaken turned to look at Idnik, still frozen in the posture they had taken just before sprinting at full speed.
“Why?”
—What.
“……Never mind.”
But Idnik merely shook his head, anticlimactically.
“What the hell. Shit. Did your brain freeze? Hurry up and lead the way.”
“…….”
“Hey! Oi, Idnik! I said lead the way!”
……Right now, at this very moment.
Idnik was thinking alone.
Deep in thought.
The grand magic Deculein had conceived.
To realize it required an absurd amount of mana. A breadth of mana as distant as the sea, far beyond what hundreds of mages could provide.
Therefore…… the manifestation of the magic was impossible.
At least, not on this Island of Voices.
Even if Sylvia’s mana, Idnik’s mana, Al Los’s mana, and Jukaken’s mana were all combined, it would still be impossible.
However, there was one way.
……If Sylvia were killed.
If the demon inside Sylvia’s body, and Sylvia herself, were used as sacrifices, and the magic circle were driven by the mana that would flood out like an explosion.
This entire island could be destroyed.
By submerging Idnik and Al Los, Jukaken and Gerek, and every being alive and breathing within the Voice.
The demon could be killed.
“Ha…….”
Truly, the most demonic method for annihilating a demon.
The thought most befitting Deculein.
“……Hey. You two. Come here.”
But until this conjecture proved true—no, even if the conjecture was true—Sylvia must not learn of it.
The fact that Deculein intended to kill her—Sylvia, of all people, must never, under any circumstances, find out.
“I have something to tell you.”