Legend

Chapter 1

Legend Chapter 1

The intense midsummer sun glared down . Saeki Reiji wiped the sweat off his brow as he waited with his bicycle at a red light .

「It’s hot, or should I say, it’s already hot . 」

He bitterly scowled at the sun, as cicadas chirped in the background .

Despite the fact that is was only just past 10AM, the temperature had already exceeded 30℃ . According to the TV, other areas reaching 40℃ wasn’t uncommon . But for Reiji, who lived in Tohoku’s countryside, 30℃ was hard .

「In this heat, swimming in the river would be good . 」

The next few lines will describe how remote Reiji’s area was . It was a place where you could barely get cellphone reception . It took more than an hour by bicycle to get to the nearest town from home .

If you think of a second year high school student’s summer vacation, it’s usually busy with exam study . But Reiji was not worried about that at all . Anyway, few students in Reiji’s high school go on to higher education, most find jobs in the local area .

Because of this, Reiji was enjoying the long vacation of his second year in high school, summer vacation retaining its original meaning . Of course homework was given, but he had spent the first first few days of summer vacation finishing that to enjoy the rest of the break .

In that time, he received news that a new fiction book he had been looking forward to could be found at a bookstore . Because of that, he had come to town in this hot weather .

「However, will get a little cooler……or should I ask Father or Mother to come pick me with the car?」

While grumbling, he waved his T-shirt around to let out the hot air .

Even with that said, with this temperature, it’s nothing more than a drop in the bucket .

Wiping the sweat that had come out again in the few minutes that he had waited for the red light, he directed his line of sight to the surroundings .

Several decades ago this place may have been crowded, now over 60% of shops have closed . Even if he said that many students would find local employment after high school, the number of students has steadily decreased along with the number of children .

In fact, some houses near Reiji’s place had already started demolition .

「I wonder if the depopulation will continue . 」

Though he said that, it was pointless for him to consider as there wasn’t a particular solution .

At the moment he was thinking about that . 『It’s Dangerous, Look Out!』A voice shouted out loudly .

He reflexively turned his gaze at that direction, a steel frame about 5m away entered his vision……it became the last scene Reiji saw in the world .

「Ah……finally……」

Hearing a voice, Reiji woke up suddenly . Nothing but white space could be seen in the surroundings . It seemed to continue endlessly .

「……Where is this?」

The steel frame definitely crushed him……he calmly made this strange judgement, he gave a cry as he remembered the moment before before his death .

「I seems you’ve woken up, my successor candidate . 」

Turning his consciousness to the voice, a presence automatically came into view .

「A glowing orb?」

Yes, there was a glowing orb about 30cm away from him . As it flickered, a voice came from it .

「I’m a glowing orb, but you are a glowing orb as well, do you understand what I’m saying?」

Listening to the words of the glowing orb, he noticed for the first time that his body was also a glowing orb . He certainly didn’t have any hands or feet, he couldn’t sense that he had eyes or ears either . Yet why could he see and hear .

「What happened?」

「Quiet down, successor candidate . ……No, you aren’t confused? As expected of my successor candidate . 」

「Successor? Candidate?」

「Hmm . I called your soul to me the moment before it disappeared . 」

Reiji thought about the scene where the steel frame was about to hit him before thinking about what the glowing orb said . Certainly, it was unlikely that he had survived the situation .

「That’s right . I certainly……should be dead . So here is the so-called afterlife?」

「No . This is a kind of spirit world between two worlds . I was using my art in search of a successor, and you were caught in it . 」

So said the glowing orb in a level tone . Reiji was surprised .

「Is it, that?　You interfered with the law of causality and I got killed?」

In the recent novels, comics, movies and games that Reiji enjoyed, it was a familiar development . ……However, he wasn’t happy that it had happened to himself .

But in front of him, the glowing orb emitted a voice again while flickering .

「No . My art works when the soul of a person who has the qualifications to be my successor is dying, it is an art that only temporarily moves a person to this spirit world before heading to the afterlife . 」

Listening to those words, Reiji’s mood became somewhat lighter . If the contents of what this glowing orb had said was true, his death had nothing to do with the glowing orb . ……However, that was only if the contents were true .

It was a stranger that he had met for the first time……it was not possible to confirm if the story of the strange glowing orb was true .

With that said, they couldn’t remain like this forever and so Reiji prompted the continuation of the previous point .

「Please continue . 」

「Hmm . As I said before, I was trying to invoke an art to find an existence worthy of becoming my successor . And thus you have appeared . Therefore you are a successor candidate . 」

「I was wondering about it from a while ago, but successor of what?」

「Successor of a magic that is on the brink of disappearing, the successor to the magic called Magic Beast Art . 」

The voice muttered somewhat sadly, as the glowing orb flickered .

「When I brought you here, I roughly read your memories . My world is different from your world, there is something called magic . I am a magician with powerful magic power and magic . People in my organization were the same . In my organization, we created what is called the Magic Beast Art . 」

「Since your organization invented it, isn’t its disappearance a major thing?」

「I won’t deny it . The prerequisites for this magic is to have a large magic power, because of this, it was difficult for anyone outside of my organization to learn it . 」

「Do I have……a large amount of magic power?」

Since a large magic power is a prerequisite for the Magic Beast Art, if he didn’t have a large amount of magic power, he wouldn’t even be considered as a successor . That was what Reiji thought, but the answer from the glowing orb was outside of his expectations .

「You do . To be more precise, a person with more magic power than you probably doesn’t exist in your world . ……Why was the existence that can only be called a special mutation like you born in a world without magic . Though it is an interesting question, I do not have the time to solve that mystery . Therefore, I want you to listen and judge for yourself . 」

After that, this is what the glowing orb talked about . As mentioned earlier, magic exists in the glowing orb’s world . It seemed that the organization which the glowing orb came from was one of best in his world and where top-class magicians were gathered . Though it was only a group of magicians, their war potential was enough to destroy a single country in several hours . In such a place where the best magicians were gathered, the Magic Beast Art, which the glowing orb had previously mentioned, was created . However, because of the massive magic power requirements to use the Magic Beast Art, nobody outside of the organization was able to master it . The unfortunate impact of all the genius magicians gathering in one era was that not a single talented magician appeared in the next generation . In addition, because of the relation it created, the Magic Beast Art could only be used once in a lifetime, this was a major reason why Magic Beast Art did not spread .

And of course, even genius magicians have a limited lifespan, 1 died, 2 died, and gradually the number of people decreased .

The glowing orb in front of his eyes was the last survivor of the organization, but even his life was nearing its end . He couldn’t stand that the Magic Beast Art that they had invented would vanish just like that . However, there wasn’t a person in that world that could learn the Magic Beast Art . Then, what about other worlds?　With that idea in mind, the glowing orb had used all his magic and life force to execute this last art . He created a spiritual world between worlds and for several hundred years, searched for a soul with the qualifications to inherit the Magic Beast Art . And Reij’s soul was caught in it .

「I see . I roughly understand the circumstances . ……By the way, what would happen if I refused?」

「There’s nothing I can do . You will continue in this state to the afterlife and obtain a new life . 」

「Then say,what happens if I inherit the Magic Beast Art?」

「In that case, I will become a catalyst for you and I will bestow a new body to you . 」

Hearing the words of the glowing orb, Reiji’s glowing orb began to flicker and move .

「……Wait a moment, I think I missed something you said . Firstly, what do you mean by catalyst? 」

「It’s as I said . It’s a necessary procedure to pass my knowledge to you . 」

「That is, it? Will I get a feeling of being fused with you?」

「No . I’m only a catalyst to the end . My knowledge will be absorbed by you and afterwards I will disappear . However, you won’t change when you absorb me . You are the main core, although there will be some changes . 」

At the very minimum, his personality would remain intact, Reiji unintentionally gave a a sigh of relief . Moving on to the next question .

「What about the new body?」

「You have lost your own body in your world . 」

From the glowing orb’s words, he remembered the the steel frame looming in front of his eyes . It was certainly crushed by the steel frame, Reiji was easily able to imagine that his body wasn’t in a decent state .

「Well, that is true . 」

「Therefore, I will fix your soul to a new body that my organization created, using the best magic and techniques . 」

「I understand, a new body . 」

「Also, after you inherit the Magic Beast Art, I will cease to exist . Therefore, everything, magic tools and precious materials, that my organization has gathered will be yours . 」

「The legacy of several hundred years of the world’s most powerful magicians, is it . A perfect start . But, what happens to my magic power with a new body?」

「There won’t be any problems . Magic power is provided by the soul, it isn’t something that the body possess . 」

「In other words, my large magic power will remain unchanged . In that case, why can’t you revive yourself with that body?」

「No . My soul and the body have compatibility issues, my soul is already old and worn out . Curiosity and a questioning mind, I have already finished life as a magician as I no longer thirst for the unknown . The knowledge that I pass onto you will tell you . Therefore, I will ask . Do you want to leave, or do you want to inherit our tehniques . 」

「……Well, if I refused here, I would just move on to the afterlife . Okay then, I’ll be happy to accept your offer . 」

The glowing orb flickered in response to Reiji’s words .

「Thank you . Then let us begin the fusion . 」

「Ah . What should I do?」

「It’s not difficult . The preparations have already been set in this space . Fusion will automatically occur if I come in contact with you and you will be reconstructed . Your soul will take hold in your new body and you will awake . 」

「I understand……do it . 」

「Mmm . Then I will start the fusion . 」

While declaring that, the glowing orb moved close to Reiji……and they merged .

「Saeki Reji, thank you . I wish you happiness in your new life . 」

At the same time the glowing orb said those words, Reiji’s consciousness sank into darkness