I faced a boy, and his existence vanished. That fact is etched in my memory.
I didn't choose to come here. One of twelve entities pulled from a formless realm through a fleeting "wall" ripple, I should've been drawn by strong psion waves. Instead, I awoke in a non-human crystal, unaware of how.
Psions are plentiful, but the "same existence" wave I felt in Charles Sullivan is gone. Now, I sense the boy who defeated me. This first-person perspective emerged here, and it's not bad.
I can only serve the boy I call "master." With many presences around, I wait.
◇ ◇ ◇
Outmatched, Lina raised both hands in surrender. The world's strongest magician yielding seems odd, but her fallen "Stars" members explain why.
Seeing this, Yugen spoke.
"Lina, stop pursuing."
"What's that mean?"
"You've tracked for days. The vampire—Stars' target—escaped. You noticed, right?"
In the original, Lina killed Sullivan. Rewriting that altered the future. Lina's frustration showed.
"I noticed... But I can't back down."
"(Sirius' pride... No sentiment for allied nations' damage. Truly Angie Sirius.)"
"Not asking anything?"
Lina expected questions, but Yugen advised instead. He didn't need her info—he could contact the USNA president or raid the Pentagon with 'Yata no Kagami.' Forcing her was pointless.
As a military magician, Yugen avoided secrets to dodge trouble.
"Forcing you, a foreign magician, gains nothing. Also, Stars' fights in non-extraterritorial areas fall under this country's laws."
"That applies to you too!"
Lina argued, but Yugen, Miyuki, and Himeka were Kamikai members. Chihime led the Kagurazaka, and Tatsuya was a collaborator under Yugen's authority. Only Lina wasn't extralegal.
No need to explain, Yugen lifted Celia from the grass in a princess carry.
"Not quite. Mother, can I leave this to you?"
"Fine, but what's your plan, Yugen?"
"Deliver her. Doubt anyone's there."
Answering Chihime, Yugen flew skyward with magic.
Leave 'Parade' talks to Chihime. With Himeka reining in Tatsuya and Miyuki, no issues. Yugen headed to Lina and Celia's base (minimal roommate checks for privacy).
Empty, as expected. Yugen unlocked with 'Yata no Kagami,' placing Celia on the sofa.
(Her words... She hid it, but suspected I'm a "reincarnated existence.")
Her remarks implied vampire knowledge, unshared in Stars. Celia hid her nature.
Only Yugen and Celia activate magic under 100ms—human reflex limits—marking her as "not normal."
Like 'Dancing Star,' she saw through Yugen's concealment, hinting at inexplicable abilities.
(Lingering risks suspicion. Time to go.)
A warning to Celia. If she returns home, fine. If USNA leaves strategic magic unchecked (for deterrence), it's futile against their control resistance.
Using 'Amaterasu,' Yugen erased his traces and left.
◇ ◇ ◇
Back at Miyaba's main house past midnight, parasites lost contact, vanished. They'll be cautious, but that prevents collateral damage.
In his room, Yugen sighed. A mental voice—telepathy-like—spoke.
"Can you hear me?"
(Why's this happening so casually? Source... this?)
The voice came from an orichalcum crystal in his pocket, for a new weaponized device, not relying on 'Murakumo.' Erika's prototype used psionite.
Feeling rude to stay silent, Yugen responded mentally.
"I didn't create you. First time for this. Who are you?"
"Spirit entity that possessed Charles Sullivan."
A parasite, but its wavelength differed from Sullivan's. No "we" like parasites use.
'Spirit Dispersion' worked perfectly. Yugen wondered if weak, but it denied.
"Your magic destroyed me. I was 'dead,' per my memory."
"Then why alive?"
"Probably revived with Sullivan's spirit."
First use of 'Amaterasu Omikami,' unknown side effects. Resetting Sullivan to pre-experiment split vampire Sullivan into magician and parasite spirit.
'Amaterasu's' activation is tough; Abe no Seimei was monstrous. Yugen's magic mutated the parasite, cause unclear.
"Your heart rewrote my essence. I ended up in this crystal."
"No harm to me?"
"Can't. I'm subordinate to you."
Like Honoka's influence in the original, but without binding magic. Recalling "mastermind" jabs, Yugen asked.
"Questions okay?"
"Within my ability, yes."
Mutated, it lost parasite sensing/sharing. If not, Yugen would've sealed it under Mt. Fuji.
Instead, it gained ESP-like abilities, usable by Yugen. Absurd.
"Only 'Master' senses me."
"Not my hobby."
"I'm female now."
"..."
Unsure what to retort or trust. Causing parasite "change" is a gain.
Named her "Alice" to avoid confusion. She absorbed Yugen's past-life manga/anime knowledge, usable via his authority—like a "mirror self."
"Can we 'fuse' like parasites?"
"More 'synchronization,' like your info body sync."
"(She read that?) Saves explaining."
Reincarnated, suspected as a parasite, he knew he was abnormal. Another hassle, unshareable, lest it sparks greed—Saegusa, Kudou can't know.
"Alice, thoughts on other parasites?"
"No sympathy now. If Master destroys them, it's their fate."
Resisted "Master," but chose it for safety. No parasite ties, no deep feelings—good.
Yugen's phenomenon would reshape magicians' power map, he sensed faintly.
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