--The same fate as me, 'he' will walk the same path.

　To me, the "Other World" was, as the name implies, an alien, strange and abnormal world.
　The sky is still blue, the clouds are white and the sun is bright. However, the scene below is a completely different one.
　A series of towers made of gray stones, and the ground between them was also painted with gray stones. It is a strange canyon that one would like to call a country of stones.

　Probably, it is a cleared trade route that has been hardened. All the earth-colored stones have been painted over, and a shining box with wheels, like a carriage, comes and goes from earlier.

　The costumes of the people walking along the road are strange, their numbers are numerous, busy and hushed.
　They were walking in the middle of such an 'otherworldly' city.

　Like me, they were alone with their parents.
　I follow the touch between the father and son from the perspective of a short boy.

　Undoubtedly, these are memories of Aikawa Kanami's childhood. The black-haired man, who seems to be his father, now speaks a word that proves this.

''Yeah. Yeah. Uzunami is going to be the best man in the world, of course. After all, he's my son.

　I heard those words from next to me on the road.
　I - no, the young Kanami nodded back and sincerely vowed to live up to her father's expectations. Like some little girl, she understands what it means, but she's probably making a smile because she doesn't want to be disliked.

　Honestly, I don't need to see what's coming next, but I know.
　He's just like me. So, from here on out, the development should be pretty much the same.

　But the conversation comes to me like a slap in the face.
　Forcibly, some boy forces me to watch the play.

'I heard, Uzumi. I heard you got an audition. ...... haha, keep it up. Win. Keep winning. Act like my son.

　As we walked, the conversation between father and son unfolded.
　Sometimes there are words that I don't understand, but thanks to the 'connection' I have with Kanami now, I can understand the meaning, if only faintly.
　I remember my mom's face and continue to listen to the man as Kanami.

'Look. Don't let one victory slow you down. It's important to keep winning, no matter what you do, no matter what time it takes. Lose just once and you're not the best. ...... If you're not the best, you're not worth anything.

　For a man, it may be a good intention. Maybe it's an act of parental affection.
　But I thought that this was not a lesson to be heard from a child who was not old enough to listen to it. I was uncomfortable with the way he said it to me like a curse.

'Your father also climbed to this point by continuing to win ....... He went from nothing to this ....... Unlike me, you're off to a good start. Unlike me, you've got a good start, and you can be better than that. Higher and higher, to the top of this world, I'm sure. ......

　The man seemed to be looking at Kanami and talking to her, looking somewhat far away.
　The figure seemed to be using the child in accordance with his own burning ambition.

　In contrast, Kanami frowned as she listened to it. Then she nods back, clearly not sympathetic, and carefully chooses her words as she responds.

'Yeah, I'll do my best ....... But, Dad. There was a boy crying today. A child who is crying because I was chosen to be .......

　Apparently, there was a heartbreaking incident today with that "audition" or something like that. Honestly, I can pretty much guess what happened. Probably, the man who is currently on a roll right now next to him has been trying to eliminate his rival behind the scenes.

...... vortex waves. It's a pity, but it's inevitable. The best people will remain and the less competent ones will be removed. This is the only thing we can't do about it ......, so to speak, it's the rule of the world.

　It stinks. What are the rules of the world.
　I couldn't come up with a good word for it, so I guess I'm just fooling around with a big, vague choice of words: .......

　It's still a short conversation, but I had already come to hate Kanami's father with all my heart.

　However, even though Kanami is very young, he's trying his best to chew and chew on those appropriate words and add them to his values.
　Of course, the rules are not something that Kanami, a child in the process of growing up, can easily swallow. The stagnation of emotions swirling in her chest makes it difficult for her to nod back.
　Seeing this, the man adds his words.

'You're a smart man, you understand.　Replace those feelings with pride. Don't turn your face down, but face forward resolutely. Never stand still. Be strong for the losers ......, so to speak, courtesy of the winners.
'For everyone else, I'm strong ......?　That's the least I can do: ......?

　Caught up in the joking sweetness of his antics, Kanami began to swallow his values.
　Watching his son grow up one more time, the man lifted the corners of his mouth in satisfaction. Then he squeezes Kanami's hand and moves forward.

'Let's go, Uzumi. We're going to turn the world around on our own.

　Kanami's eyes widened and she stared at the hand in which it was held.

'...... unh!'

　Just like with me, he responded with a big smile.
　To keep up with her father, Kanami walked at a large pace and followed him soundly.

　-- and this is how Kanami began to follow the same path as me.

　Every day, without resting, Kanami continued to strive towards her goal of being the best. And, of course, her parents are not next to her.
　Alone, Kanami was taken to various towers in the stone country to train in a way she had never seen before.

　The first thing she saw was something that looked like a dance.
　Surrounded by solemn and frightening adults, Kanami struggled to move her limbs as she was instructed.
　Next, I think it was a prayer ....... Maybe.
　The verses we were taught were recited over and over and over again. You never rest when you feel like you're going to collapse from acidity or leaking stomach juices.
　Then came the songs. This is quintessential for me.
　I was practicing various songs during the performance. In the same place, I was also taught to handle the instruments. The variety of these instruments lightly exceeded the number of hands on both of them.
　In addition, they were also trained in physical swordsmanship and body arts, and of course, classroom training was done as much as time allowed.

　He was used to seeing special training that continued until he fell over, but this was the first time he'd seen something so diverse.
　I thought at first that Kanami was being raised as a priestess, since this stone country is much like the temple of the Hooziyars, but apparently not.

　It wasn't until the phases of the moon in the sky had come full circle that I realized what that angry man wanted Kanami to do.
　Yes, this father and daughter, like us mothers and daughters, met only once a month.

　That day, Kanami was still being forced to train in the tower.
　Then a man's angry voice rang out.

''-- Vortex Wave!　Why can't you do this much!　You're my son, how dare you!
-What?

　Kanami took the time to recite the words on the paper handed to her.
　However, there were more than a thousand words written on it. The man was forcing Kanami to memorize them perfectly in just a few minutes.
　It was a good time for father and son, but there was no warm exchange of words there. On the contrary, Kanami had turned pale.

'You're not just me, you're also the blood of that woman!　He's going to be the best actor after me - or even beyond me!　Definitely ......!!!!

　Actor.
　Apparently, the man is someone who does theater for a living. In other words, Kanami is being raised as a performer, it seems.

　I finally see where the training is going, and I'm watching the process of creating the best performers.

　Frankly speaking, Kanami has good instincts.
　I think she has as much or more talent as I do as a performer. But the bar is far too high for a man to demand.
　If he starts teaching and can't master it in an hour, he throws a tantrum. Perhaps the man is even more talented than the reasonable Kanami.
　I can't help but compare the two.
　With the person I once was and the partner I once had. Most importantly, I'm with you now--

"-Okay, it's such a simple thing: ......!　Your sister's yang-taki is already made!　Faster than you, my brother!

　In the middle of the training, the special training had moved on to the 'tear free training' that I had also been taught.
　And the man pointed to a girl who was even younger than the young Uzumi.
　He immediately recognized the girl as Aikawa Hitaki, since she had the face of "The One Who Stole the Reason of Water". The girl was being trained in the same way by a woman who looked like her mother.

　Hitaki was in tears.
　In just a few minutes, not an hour, she had mastered both letting out and stopping the tears.
　Using the girl as an example, the man's teaching fever increased even more.

''Listen, Uzumi!　The beginning of acting is all about creating emotions!　If you stumble on this first step--
...... I'm sorry. ...... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

　But Kanami couldn't keep up with it.
　This was a dire situation from the point where she was looking forward to the first time in a month that a father and son had touched each other. Her heart was completely broken and she began to spill unstoppable tears.

''--!

　The man quickly realized that it was real, not an act, and he was speechless.
　All the while, Kanami continued to shed tears. She repeats "I'm sorry", biting back the disappointment of being a son and repeating "I'm sorry" with a single mindedness that she doesn't want him to hate her any more.

　I know exactly how he feels.
　Anyway, he doesn't want the parents who love him to be angry with him.
　They want you to smile all the time. Somehow, I want them to pat me on the head. I want them to praise me gently.

　But I don't know how to do that anymore, so I can't help but just keep apologizing.
　In front of this Kanami, the man calls out her name in annoyance and tries to reach out to her trembling shoulders.

'Ka, Uzurinami .......'
Hee-hee.

　Kanami was called and looked up. But she let out a short scream, frightened in front of her father's face, which was there, stern and distorted.
　She thought her father would hate her, be angry with her, and beat her.

　Seeing this, the man distanced himself.

'...... That's enough. You go rest on the edge.
'Ha, yes ....... Sorry .......

　Wobbling, Kanami starts to run away.
　The man who looks away from her has a much grimmer face, and looks like he's about to bite his lip off.

　Looking at the two of them, I - I envied them, thinking that it was nice (...).
　At the same time, even though I know that the event is already over, I want to speak to Kanami.

　Look closely, Kanami.
　Turn around quickly and look closely at your father's face.
　It's not an angry face. He's not disappointed. It's just that he's in trouble. No, that's not exactly true either. This is the same face you're making, afraid that your son hates you.

　Don't root for this much in the first place.
　Just because you didn't succeed in your current special training doesn't mean you're going to die. There are no enemies that threaten our lives here. If you don't have to worry about what to eat or where to sleep, you'll have time to start over. I haven't been called out for being a "useless piece of shit" yet. I haven't been discarded as "you shouldn't have had the baby. We're not being denied our existence as "the kids we know. It's not--　

　So he screams inside Kanami, but his voice doesn't reach him.
　The young man sits in the corner of the room and stops moving. Then, through blurry eyes, he watches his sister being taught by his parents in the distance. Unlike himself, he continues to envy the existence that easily answers all of his parents' expectations.

　--and thus ends the monthly parent-child contact.

　Kanami goes home.
　Naturally, her parents are not there. There was someone who seemed to be an attendant, but after taking care of them at a minimum, they left immediately.

　Kanami is now alone in the white room of the first example she saw - muttering.

'My dad may not like me, but I'm ....... Still, I'm .......

　Kanami didn't sleep and began to review the day's specials, remembering the day's training.

'To be the 'best' ....... You have to be a better 'first' than anyone else .......

　To practice speaking from your belly, practice making a natural smile.
　To practice reciting long sentences and letting the tears flow freely.

　As I recall, I've done a similar practice in the middle of the night.
　Of course, the content is different. Kanami and I are different people, though we have as much similarity as possible in 'affinity'. It's impossible for us to be exactly the same.

　First of all, we were born in different worlds.
　The environment is different. Different places to go.
　It's really a lot of different things, but ...... well, I guess the essence is the same.

...... If I don't become the 'best' that my dad wants me to be, I won't be in this house - I won't be (...)

　When Kanami slurred it, her body began to emit a faint light.
　I see something I'm familiar with in this world - 'magic power' from him.

　I'm a little confused.
　This is an 'other world', a world without magic power. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I'm not sure if I've made a mistake in my perception of the "other world".
　I'm sure that the technology of magic has not been developed in the "other world", but the magic power might have existed.

　I watch over him as I correct my knowledge.
　Kanami repeats in the middle of the night without missing a day, without a single break. I continued to watch him, not only practicing tears, but also just letting them fall.

　And when another month passed--

'Oh, dad ...... and mom .......'

　The family gathered in that white room.
　Naturally, Kanami tries to get closer to them, hoping that this time they will praise her. But the man walks past next to her. Then he calls out the name of the girl behind Kanami.

''--Yotaki.''

　As he knew, his parents were no longer looking at Kanami. Both of them praised her in a gentle voice and showered Hitaki alone with anticipation.

'I've called in more instructors today than before for you ....... I'm sure you've heard the name before too. When they heard you were our daughter, they were interested in you too.
''Hmmm, Yotaki ....... Show them how awesome our daughter is. ......

　Kanami's outstretched hand wanders through the empty air.
　And every time Yotaki was called 'daughter', his face grew bluer and bluer. He thought that he would lose his place in the world. Immediately he summoned up his little courage and tried to get between the three of them.

'And dad ......!'

　The man turned around when he was approached.
　However, there was no smile that was directed at his sister. The moment the whirlpool wave entered, the cheerful air between the three of them was cut off.
　Clever Kanami could understand what it meant, and she lost the words she had been trying to continue.

　Again, the man gave the same grim look as before and asked Kanami back.

'What is it ......?'
That ......, er, .......

　Kanami, who should have made up her mind, stutters.

　I can understand that feeling.
　It's just a single word of confirmation, but it's too horrible to say. Hearing that, if the exact opposite of what you were expecting to hear comes back to you, it's the end of the world. Without exaggeration, it's the end of the world.

'No, ......, nothing, nothing, .......'

　So Kanami had to smile and shake her head.
　It even takes her further away from him.

　The man looks away from her with a stern face and turns his back to her.

'...... I see.'

　Hearing that short response, Kanami turns her face down.
　Then she walks away from the three of them and leaves the room.

　Finally, Kanami gave up.
　She couldn't even check.
　Naturally, this was the last time Kanami would lose contact with her family.

　This was the beginning of Kanami's childhood--

　--here (...).

　Especially the one word that is now 'nothing'.
　Because of this, Ragne Kaikwola and Aikawa Kanami have become 'friendly'.
　Even if the stories depicted are mirror images of each other, the core of their lives are neatly overlapped.

　The central point is not the good imitation of people or the resignation to be arrived at, but the fact that he is 'hungry for the love of his family'.

　Like the other 'stealers of reason', it would be a really trivial wish. It's one of everyone's problems, and it's not that uncommon.

　However, that's where Kanami and I fell into a bit of depth.
　Even though I have a habit of coming from a unique background, I fell down more heavily than others.

　As a result, we tried a little too hard, and we ended up being 'the worst mass murderer ever' and 'everyone's ideal great hero'. ......

'Haha. So this is the 'illusion chasing the illusion': ......

　Reviewing my origins, I repeated my 'chant'.
　Nowadays, I can only read it as a sentence that represents the end of a loser, and I mock myself for it.

　However, my face still doesn't look down.
　I know what Kanami's intentions are for the magic stone in "The One Who Steals the Reason of the Dimension" - I know what Kanami's intentions are. It is trying to make me reach the real 'magic'. Then it's not the end yet. There's more to come.

　From here on out, I'm sure he will also show me the life that is two or three verses from The Chanting.
　And Kanami is not going to let that be misrepresented.

　There are moments when I can't help but let out a single word: "It's nothing.
　Kanami dares to expose her own life to the public in order not to distract them from her true feelings at that moment. She's trying to bring out my honest opinion by showing me the same thing first.

'Oh my god, ....... I still hate that part of Kanami's brother ....... I really hate .......

　With those words, I went back to the original world from the 'Other World'.

　There was a scene of me, who was found as a knight's egg, training in the garden with Rielle, the fifth son of the Kaikwola family.
　I was the one who wanted to become a worthy knight, with a single-minded desire to be praised by my mom.