--I suddenly found myself standing alone in a strange place.


"Is that ......?


　You've just woken up, and your mind is still a bit foggy, but you look around you, searching.

　I was standing in what looked like an aisle.
　The width was so cramped that two adults could fit side by side.
　The sunlight was far away in the sky, blocked by the high walls, and the word "narrow alley" was a perfect fit.
　Wooden and paper boxes are stacked on top of each other, garbage has accumulated in the corners, and there is a lot of dust.
　There are old outdoor units and windows with shutters down. The maintenance ladder is rusted and battered. The maintenance ladder is rusted and battered, and the puddle of water beneath my feet is blackened with mud. The bare wires are wandering there like snakes.


　Well, where the hell are we?
　As I recall, Crabbe drove Aryus away, and Noah was holding me.
　However, I don't remember anything from there, and I can't connect it to my current situation.
　There is no way that I could have wandered into some alley from there.
　In the first place, the setting of the stage is different.


　The objects are not from my own world, but from the world of men.
　They are things that should never exist in this world.


　I can't figure it out, so I start walking toward the light at the end of the alley in search of the answer.
　Feeling dazzled by the difference in light and darkness between the alley and the street, you put your palm to your forehead to create a weasel's eye shadow.
　Eventually, as my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I saw a familiar scene.


　Skyscrapers made of concrete and multicolored lights.
　Cars raced down the road with the sound of their engines, and on the other side of the viaduct, a train was running with a lot of noise.
　Look under your feet and you will see tiled sidewalks and asphalt driveways.


　It's definitely a man's world.
　Which means... Am I dreaming that I'm that man again?
　Thinking this, I looked at my reflection in the glass of a show window on the street and saw that it was not that man, but Arx Raytheft.


What the hell is this ......?


　If this was the dream, I should be that man.
　If this was a dream, then I should be that man, and yet here I am.
　As I walked along the sidewalk without any understanding, I eventually came to an intersection.
　There are many people standing at the intersection, waiting for the light to turn green.


　Their faces are not there. I wonder if it's a flat face, or if it's just hidden in the shadows. I tried to peek at it, but no one knew.
　Eventually, the traffic light turned green, and the faceless people began to walk along the white line drawn on the asphalt.
　They all walked toward a single stream. Businessmen, housewives, students, whoever. It was as if they were being swept away by the current of the river.


　As I walked along with the current, I eventually came to a store.
　It was a small, clean café that could be found in any city.
　It is a glass-walled type of café where you can see the interior clearly. The wallpaper is white and bright, and the chairs and tables are made of wood. It has a stylish appearance with an open terrace.


　When I peeked at the terrace, I saw only one person with a distinct appearance among the faceless people seated there.


What?


　It was a girl.
　She was in her mid-teens. She had flowing black hair, and her eyes shone blue as if they were filled with blue balls. Her skin was as white as fresh snow, and her lips were a pale pink, giving the illusion of a life-sized, elaborate doll sitting on top of her.
　I wondered if it was my imagination, but I felt that she looked a lot like Suu.
　She was dressed in a white high-necked jacket and black pants. The clothes were somewhat futuristic, but what caught my attention were the chains attached to every part of her body.
　There are so many of them hanging down from her clothes that they seem to rub against each other and make a jangling sound when she moves.
　From the side, it looks as if you are tied up, but you don't seem to be trapped by the chains or their weight.


　He seems to have noticed me and smiles at me.


"Please, come here.


　The girl's voice sounded calm.
　The girl's voice was so clear and uncluttered that it was almost frightening.
　I entered the store as she suggested and sat down on the wooden chair in front of her.


My name is Cheyne. Please make my acquaintance, Arx Raytheft.

"Chayne?

Yes.


　--Chane.
　That name is so well known in that world that no one knows it.
　He is one half of the twin spirits who appear in the second book of the Chronicles, The Age of Spirits. He is a supernatural being who traveled around the world with his sister Wedge to bring peace and tranquility to the world at a time when the world was still in the midst of chaos.
　During their travels, they sometimes defeated monsters, sometimes calmed disasters, and sometimes guided people.
　For this reason, they appear in many picture books and fairy tales, and there is a strong belief in them.


I never thought I'd see such an amazing creature in my dream.

It's a dream, but it's not just a dream.

So what is this?

Well... Well, it's a shared thought in the form of a dream: ....... This is a universal mental space, not the gloomy and vague one that you humans see.

The way you say that suddenly sounds like science fiction.

But I think you can understand it. You've got his memories and his experiences.

"He ......?　--What?




　Suddenly, I turned my head to the side, and was caught by a character in my dream.
　There was a round wooden table and two chairs on a sunny terrace.
　And there was a man who looked familiar to me.


　It was that man. A young man who lived in that world and died prematurely.
　He was smart and athletic. He was not only well read, but also well versed in martial arts, a gifted man who had been given two or three things from heaven.
　He was a gifted man who was given two or three things by the heavens. Everyone expected great things from him, but in spite of that, he lost his life without a trace.
　Now, he and his girlfriend are chatting about trivial things and smiling peacefully.


　They are at the peak of happiness. Such words suit her well.
　This must be a scene right after the engagement.
　The voice you hear is full of hope and happiness. But the person listening to them can't be at peace. What shall we do about the ceremony?" "How many people shall we invite?" The lively voices make me feel unbearably sad, probably because I know part of the outcome.


　In the midst of these thoughts, a shadow suddenly falls over their faces. Like characters in a book of paper cutouts, their expressions disappear, and eventually they become just like people walking in a crowded street.


　A handkerchief is gently offered to me by Cheyne.
　It was only then that I realized that I was crying.


"Tsugaya-san. I wonder what happened after that?

"You don't need to know that. It will only make you sadder.

............ Well, maybe you're right.


　Yes, that's probably true. If you hear that she is grieving, you will feel sorry for her, and if she finds a new lover, you will also feel sad.
　I am not him. I am not him, but I have been him. Maybe that's enough reason for your heart to stay with you in your grief.


　After I feel better, I'll get to the point.


"You said your name was Chain earlier, right?

"Yes. Yes, I am that Chain, just as you think.


　It seems that she is, after all, one half of the Twin Spirits, the Asari Spirit Chain.
　I never dreamed that she would actually come out in front of me like this.


I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"No, it's fine as it is. I think it would be easier for you to talk to me.

"Well, ......, I'm very sorry.

Yes.


　Chain smiled at me. I felt a little embarrassed to see her face, and I cleared my throat to cover it up.
　I immediately move on to the question.


In short, this is the same as talking to you in real life, isn't it?

"Yes. Yes, it is. Well, I can talk to you in the other world, too. But I'm too far away to see her now, so I'm talking to her in my dream.


　In other words, she exists in reality.
　In the man's world, gods and spirits only appear in stories, but in that world, such things are commonplace. Even though I am a member of this world, I still think of it as a fantasy because I am too poisoned by the ...... man's world.


Why in the world are you doing this?

I have a favor to ask you.

Do me a favor. ......

Yes. From now on, some of the things described in the prophecy of the kraki will come true. I need you to stop them.

Huh?　What?

That's all I have to say.


　That's all I want.
　But the conversation was too abrupt.


No, no, ...... no, no, no!　Wait a minute!

No need to rush, okay?　This is still a long way off, so we have plenty of time.

That's not what I'm talking about!

I know exactly what you mean. I know exactly what you mean. It's just that it's so out of the blue that you don't understand what I'm saying.

If you know what I mean. ......


　In the meantime, Chane is smiling softly, "Hmmm.
　I'm not sure if this genie is more mischievous than I thought.


"I'm sorry. But if you don't do that, we'll be in trouble.

I understand what you're saying, but first, why me?　I know what you mean, but why me?　In fact, it would be better if it wasn't me.

"No, Arx Raytheft, I'm asking you because you're the one.


　Chane says with confidence. I don't know where the evidence for this comes from.
　It's not that I have no idea .......




...... because it has something to do with this?


　He said, looking around. If there is a reason, it's this one. He chose himself because of his memories of reliving a man's life, his knowledge of the man's world.
　When I looked at him as if to ask, he just said, "That's one of the reasons," and didn't say anything else.
　Realizing that he is unlikely to answer my question, I return to the original topic.


"You want me to change the outcome of the prophecy, is that something you can do?

"It's not impossible. The writings of the prophecies of the kulaki are a kind of indicator, a guide. This is something that should be repeated over time, and the results will change each time. Of course, there have been a number of things that have changed through our efforts.


　Apparently. If the genie says it's not impossible, then it must be possible.


What do you think?

...... If you ask me to do it, I can't not do it.


　I was told such a thing directly by a spirit. I'm not a religious person myself, but as one who lives in this world, I can't just ignore it.
　But...


I've got things to do.

In the meantime, you're welcome to stay.

That's absurd. ......


　If it's a matter that can be dealt with in between, fine, but since the spirits are moving like this, it's not hard to imagine that it's not a trivial matter.


What's in it for you?

That's not for me to say.

If you don't tell me what it is that I shouldn't tell you, I won't know what to do with it.　Is the demon king of the end of the century going to come back, or is it going to be some big stupid monster, or is it going to be some crazy entity from the age of spirits that is out of human control?


　The first thing that comes to mind when talking about ...... that must be contained is a major calamity or disaster.
　The most likely of these is the existence of the four Demon Lords in the Sixth Chronicle. These are monsters of great power who tried to destroy the world in the years after the Mages' Song, in the time between the present and the past.
　If there is a resurrection of these monsters, then of course there must be a description of it in the Book of Prophecies.


　The same is true for monsters born from a curse.
　This is said to be the direct cause of the wiping out of the magical civilization during the time of the Mages' Song.
　At that time, magical technology was used everywhere, and this led to the creation of many curse words (Suso). As a result, demon storms broke out all over the world, and beings called Susonokami appeared.
　The number of demons and Susonokami continued to increase rapidly, putting pressure on people's living space. Until the appearance of the Demon Lord, many things were lost.


　Moreover, the monsters spoken of in the Age of Spirits are different from these things.
　A giant demon that is said to drink up the ocean.
　A crystal queen who traps people she likes in crystals.
　Heartless tin soldiers said to have been created by demons.
　A great one-eyed monster that turns all who see it into black iron.
　A headless knight who has fought Froome, the knight of the wood.


　These things are already beyond human control.
　I was hoping you could elaborate on that, but the genie was curt.


All I can do is ask you to figure it out for yourself, judge for yourself, and stop it.

Can't you help me?

The days when spirits had to take the lead in solving problems are over.

Hmm. ......


　I wouldn't call that irresponsible ....... She has been protecting this world since long before I was born. If she has already finished her role, then it is unreasonable to be grateful or complain.
　However...


"You're being so harsh.


　These are the words that come out of my mouth.
　I can't teach.
　I can't help you.
　Isn't it too difficult to ask for help when I'm already too occupied with myself?


　Did Chain read my inner thoughts?


"Yes. Well, I'll tell you one good thing.

What's that?

Find the emeralds.

Emeralds?

Yes. When you find it, you'll be on your way to another one.

Ha, ha. ......?


　You say that, but it doesn't make any sense to me. What does it mean that when you find the emerald, your path will open up? It should not be that difficult to obtain a single gemstone at the level of civilization in this world, and what kind of function does the emerald have to pave the way for you in the first place? I don't know.


It's okay. You'll find out when you get it.

"You can't tell me that either?


　"You can't tell me that either?


That's all I want. Arx Raytheft, I'm counting on you.

"Well, if you ask me to do it, I'll do my best.

That's enough for now. Then--


　It was just after Chane had said that.


"......


　Suddenly, a kind of drowsiness came over me. How can it be drowsiness when you are in a dream? Then, is this a sign of awakening?




　But just as I was about to fall unconscious, I heard...


"Arx Raytheft. I wish you good fortune and good fortune.


　This was a suitable greeting for a spirit of the dead.