Chapter: 40
Arima.
Evil Organization Seven.
Self-proclaimed wizard and the world’s greatest magician.
─ Welcome☆, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to Arima’s show!
In this world filled with heroes boasting a variety of superpowers that easily surpass human agility, the magic that deceives people’s eyes and disrupts their senses has become a somewhat neglected genre. I mean, with the existence of superpowers already being a given, isn’t it nearly impossible to amaze people with mere sleight of hand and tricks?
Amazingly, Arima succeeded in accomplishing what seemed nearly impossible, and thus he became the world’s greatest magician.
After watching his performance video online, I understood why he was called the world’s greatest magician.
─ Hmm? Hmmm★?
The apple that Arima took a bite out of returns to its original state. As Arima, tilting his head in confusion at the sight, takes another bite, the crisp crunch echoes, and yet the apple remains unchanged!
In shock, Arima then gulps down some water. As the water fills his mouth and flows down his jawline, the water bottle still shows no sign of losing any liquid!
As the audience is left in utter shock, Arima calls someone from the crowd up onto the stage to have them experience the same thing.
It’s not just a show bragging about his magic; it’s more like a theatrical performance, a magical musical. Arima possessed not only skills but also an exceptional sense of entertainment.
‘How is he even doing that?’
Having watched the entire performance, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp as I analyzed Arima’s act. I knew very well that magic is meant to be enjoyed in the moment and forgotten, but isn’t it human nature to want to uncover secrets?
I stared at the low-speed replay video, trying to figure out the secret behind the magic. However, surprisingly, I couldn’t find any magical technique at all.
‘No way, it’s just an apple popping up… does that even make sense?’
The apple that Arima bit into was definitely in his mouth. Yet, one frame later, the bitten apple had reverted to its original form.
I thought perhaps the apple from his mouth had returned to its place, but no, that wasn’t it either. In one frame, both the apple in Arima’s mouth and the apple that had returned to its original state were filmed simultaneously!
At this point, I considered whether it might be a kind of superpower rather than magic, but that also left me perplexed. The magic Arima demonstrated was so diverse that it seemed impossible for it all to be done with just one superpower.
“Not a magician, but a wizard… maybe?”
“Are you watching my video?”
“…You scared me.”
I frowned at Arima, who suddenly leaned forward. Honestly, his cute face annoys me every time I see it. Thinking he finds it amusing to deceive others only makes it worse.
“What’s going on, Arima?”
“Oh my! You’ve gotten cold since you’ve found out I’m a guy♥.”
“That’s not it. So, what’s up?”
“Uhoho. Fine, I’ll play along. There’s an old saying that being pretty is a sin, you know?”
“I don’t think that’s a saying.”
Just when I stood up, meaning to leave if he was here to chit-chat with nonsense, Arima immediately grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.
I didn’t want to spend even a moment longer with this guy, but Arima’s next words made me freeze, more effectively than his grip.
“I heard from the boss☆ that you’re just like me, right?”
“Just like you? What do you mean by that—?”
“Actually, I’m also powerless, you know. A powerless guy without any superpowers.”
Hearing Arima’s words left me utterly confused. What on Earth was he talking about? A powerless person? Does that mean all the magic he showed in the performance was done with just tricks and sleight of hand?
Surprisingly, that’s not what it meant at all. The similarity Arima mentioned was a much more ambiguous expression.
“Nice to meet you, earthling.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m an otherworlder from Ardenia… just like you, an otherworlder.”
Remarkably,
Arima was an otherworlder just like me.
*
Though we weren’t from the same Earth, the fact that we were the only two otherworlders in this world was a powerful commonality strong enough to wipe away any past grudges.
We truly had a lot to talk about. How we happened to fall into this world, and what we did back in our original worlds.
“I was a promising great★magician. Everyone in the world would kneel at a word from me…”
“I see.”
“And you? From what I hear from the boss, you didn’t seem to be an ordinary existence.”
“I was just an ordinary grad student. Absolutely ordinary.”
“Ahahaha! I guess people from your side consider someone like you to be ordinary?”
I was finally able to unravel the secrets of the magic that I couldn’t figure out, even after staring at the video for so long.
“It’s magic. Magic.”
“Magic… you mean the kind that magical girls use?”
“No! Don’t compare it to that ignorant kind of technique! My magic is strictly a type of academic practice. In contrast, the magic those kids use here is at a primitive level… just the fact that it gets compared to my magic feels disrespectful.”
“Ah, I apologize. I can relate since I sometimes feel a similar way.”
Indeed.
I wondered just how he was able to restore the apple he bit into and the water he gulped down── so it turns out, it was all magic. It’s a concept even more absurd than superpowers, but then again, if a person like me exists, why wouldn’t magic?
Moreover, when listening to Arima, it seems it’s a rigorously defined academic field. In comparison to superpowers, which are merely determined by one’s innate qualities with little potential for development, it was something worthy of respect.
“How long have you been in this world?”
“Hm, I think it’s been about 5 years?”
“5 years… I heard your staff number was 7, if I recall correctly.”
“I didn’t become an executive right away. When I first fell into this world, I didn’t have any issues living either. I wandered around and just happened to meet Lady Regalia, and she scouted me.”
“I see.”
Hearing that made me let out a slight gasp of envy. The ability to be fine living in another world without any issues.
Compared to science, which can become completely useless without infrastructure or support, it was an astonishing field.
I tentatively asked, just in case.
“Can I also learn that magic?”
“Not☆possible. Ah, it’s not that I dislike you or anything, it’s just that it’s impossible.”
“Impossible, why?”
“People in this◇world don’t have the ■■■ required to use magic, unlike the people from Ardenia. Of course, it goes without saying that someone like you, who isn’t from this world either, wouldn’t have it…”
“Oh, I see. Kind of like superpowers.”
Well, like me, I can’t use superpowers unlike the people here. That’s simply because the organ to manifest superpowers doesn’t exist in me.
Even if I were to consume the genetic sphere of Leviathan, it wouldn’t result in me acquiring any superpowers. My DNA simply lacks any such organ, unlike the people from this world who were born with it.
Similarly, one could infer that if magic requires a specific organ, it also explains why a magic civilization never flourished on Earth. How can you use magic if you don’t even have the organs to do so?
“That’s a bit disappointing. I’d love to try using magic at least once.”
“Ahaha. Unfortunately, this isn’t something I can solve.”
“If you could have solved it, I bet you would’ve already formed your own magician squad instead of joining an evil organization.”
Upon hearing my words, perhaps I struck a nerve, as Arima fell silent for a moment and glared at me intensely. His gaze was packed with so many implications. It was so hard to hold that gaze that I quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, it’s been 5 years… Arima, you must miss your hometown.”
“…I do. I really do. If I close my eyes even for a moment, that place becomes vividly clear. It’s strange how I feel like I could cross over at any time, yet I can’t.”
“I do dream occasionally… but I don’t really miss it yet. Maybe it’s because this place looks so similar.”
Haha—just as I was about to lightly brush that off with a smile, Arima pulled out a necklace from his chest and started fiddling with it. The sky-blue gem, seemingly cradling clouds, sparkled brilliantly.
“This is the only remaining item from Ardenia. It’s a Dragonheart.”
“…A Dragonheart?”
“Yep. It’s the heart of a dragon I hunted when I was young. Not only does it contain magical energy, but it also holds tremendous symbolic value—”
Curiously about the mention of it being an item from Ardenia, I cautiously accepted the Dragonheart. Surprisingly, from this small stone that simply looked like a gem, I felt an incredible surge of power flowing through it. If you listen closely, you could even feel a heartbeat, as if it were alive!
After returning the gem, I recalled the technique I developed while studying Sten not long ago—the technique for returning to Earth. While I didn’t have anything that could form a connection to Earth, it was potentially useless…
‘But if I have this—’
Could I perhaps cross over to Ardenia, where Arima once lived?
A fantasy world of swords and magic.
To his hometown.
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