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

「It’s hot……or rather, it’s already boiling.」

He scowled bitterly at the sun while cicadas chirped in the background.

Even though it was only just past 10AM, the temperature had already exceeded 30°C. According to the TV, it wasn’t uncommon for other areas to reach 40°C. But for Reiji, who lived out in the Tohoku countryside, 30°C was tough enough.

「A swim in the river would be nice in this heat.」

To put into perspective how remote Reiji’s area was, it was a place where you could barely get mobile phone reception. It took more than an hour by bicycle just to reach the nearest town from his house.

Usually, a second-year high school student’s summer vacation is packed with exam study. Reiji, however, wasn’t worried about that at all. Few students at his high school went on to higher education anyway, as most simply found jobs locally.

Because of this, Reiji was fully enjoying the long break of his second year, allowing summer vacation to retain its original meaning. They were given homework, of course, but he had spent the first few days knocking it out so he could enjoy the rest of his time off.

During that time, he heard that a new fiction novel he’d been looking forward to was finally in stock at the bookstore. That was the only reason he had come all the way into town in this sweltering heat.

「I wonder if it’ll cool down a bit……or should I ask Mum or Dad to come pick me up in the car?」

Grumbling to himself, he flapped his T-shirt to let the hot air out. Still, in this temperature, it was a drop in the ocean.

Wiping away the fresh sweat that had beaded up during the few minutes he’d waited for the light, he looked around.

Several decades ago, this place might have been bustling, but now over 60% of the shops were closed. Even though many students found local employment after high school, the overall number of students had steadily decreased along with the birth rate.

In fact, some houses near Reiji’s place were already being demolished.

「I wonder if this depopulation will just keep going.」

It was a pointless thought, though, as there was no real solution he could offer.

Just as he was thinking that, a voice shouted loudly, 「Look out, it’s dangerous!」

He reflexively turned his gaze toward the sound. A steel frame about 5m away filled his vision……and that was the last thing Reiji saw in this world.

 

 

「Ah……finally……」

Hearing a voice, Reiji suddenly woke up. Nothing but a white void could be seen around him, seeming to stretch on endlessly.

「……Where am I?」

He calmly made the strange judgement that the steel frame had definitely crushed him……then let out a gasp as the memory of his final moments rushed back.

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

Turning his attention toward the voice, a presence naturally came into view.

「A glowing orb?」

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

「I may be a glowing orb, but you are one as well. Do you understand what I am saying?」

Listening to the glowing orb, Reiji noticed for the first time that his own body was also just a glowing orb. He certainly didn’t have any hands or feet, nor could he sense any eyes or ears. So how was he able to see and hear?

「What happened?」

「Calm yourself, successor candidate. ……No, you aren’t confused? Just as I expected of my successor candidate.」

「Successor? Candidate?」

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

Reiji recalled the steel frame bearing down on him, then considered the orb’s words. It was highly unlikely he had survived that situation.

「That’s right. I definitely……should be dead. So is this the afterlife?」

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

The glowing orb spoke in a level tone. Reiji was taken aback.

「Is it one of those tropes? You interfered with the law of causality, and that’s what got me killed?」

It was a familiar development in the novels, manga, movies, and games Reiji enjoyed. ……However, he wasn’t exactly thrilled that it had happened to him.

The flickering orb in front of him spoke again.

「No. My sorcery only activates when the soul of someone qualified to be my successor is already dying. It merely intercepts and temporarily moves that person to this spirit world before they pass on to the afterlife.」

Hearing that, Reiji’s mood lightened somewhat. If the glowing orb was telling the truth, his death had nothing to do with it. ……Of course, that was assuming it was telling the truth.

This was a stranger he had just met……there was no way to confirm if the strange orb’s story was genuine.

Still, they couldn’t just stay like this forever, so Reiji prompted it to continue.

「Please continue.」

「Hmm. As I mentioned, I invoked my sorcery to find someone worthy of becoming my successor. And thus, you appeared. Therefore, you are a successor candidate.」

「I’ve been wondering about that for a while now, but a successor to what exactly?」

「The successor to a magic on the brink of disappearing, the magic known as the Magic Beast Art.」

The voice sounded somewhat sad as the glowing orb flickered.

「When I brought you here, I did a rough scan of your memories. My world is different from yours, as there is something called magic. I am a magician possessing powerful magic and magic power. The people in my organisation were the same. Together, we created the Magic Beast Art.」

「If your organisation invented it, isn’t it a huge deal that it’s disappearing?」

「I won’t deny it. The prerequisite for this magic is a massive amount of magic power. Because of this, it was incredibly difficult for anyone outside of our organisation to learn.」

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

Since massive magic power was a prerequisite for the Magic Beast Art, Reiji figured he wouldn’t even be considered as a successor if he didn’t possess it. However, the glowing orb’s answer exceeded his expectations.

「You do. To be precise, someone with more magic power than you probably doesn’t exist in your world. ……Why a special mutation like you was born into a world without magic is a fascinating question, but I simply don’t have the time to solve that mystery. Therefore, I want you to listen to my proposal and judge for yourself.」

The glowing orb then explained the situation. As mentioned, magic existed in its world. The organisation the orb hailed from was apparently one of the greatest in that world, gathering only top-class magicians. Though just a group of mages, their combat potential was enough to destroy a country in a matter of hours. This gathering of elite minds resulted in the creation of the Magic Beast Art. However, due to the immense magic power required, no one outside their ranks could master it. The unfortunate consequence of so many genius magicians gathering in a single era was that the following generation produced no real talent. Furthermore, due to the profound bond it formed, the Magic Beast Art could only be used once in a lifetime, which was a major reason why it never spread.

And, of course, even genius magicians had limited lifespans. One by one, they died, and their numbers steadily dwindled.

The glowing orb in front of him was the last survivor of that organisation, and its life was also nearing an end. It couldn’t bear the thought of the Magic Beast Art they had created vanishing into obscurity. But since no one in that world could learn it, what about other worlds? With that idea in mind, the orb had used all its magic and life force to execute one final sorcery. It created a spirit world between worlds and searched for several hundred years to find a soul qualified to inherit the Magic Beast Art. That was how Reiji’s soul got caught in the net.

「I see. I think I grasp the situation. ……By the way, what happens if I refuse?」

「There is nothing I can do. You will simply pass on to the afterlife in your current state and be reincarnated.」

「And what happens if I do inherit the Magic Beast Art?」

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

Hearing this, Reiji’s own orb began to flicker and shift.

「……Wait a second, I think I missed something. Firstly, what do you mean by ‘catalyst’?」

「Exactly what I said. It is a necessary procedure to pass my knowledge on to you.」

「Is that it? Am I going to feel like I’m fusing with you?」

「No. I am only a catalyst to the very end. My knowledge will be absorbed by you, and then I will disappear. You won’t fundamentally change when you absorb me. You will remain the core consciousness, though you may experience some minor changes.」

Realising his personality would remain intact at the very least, Reiji let out an unintentional sigh of relief. He moved on to his next question.

「What about this new body?」

「You lost your original body in your world.」

The orb’s words brought back the memory of the steel frame looming before his eyes. Having been crushed by something like that, Reiji could easily imagine that his old body was no longer in any usable state.

「Well, that’s true.」

「Therefore, I will anchor your soul to a perfect new body that my organisation created using the pinnacle of our magic and techniques.」

「I understand. A new body.」

「Also, once you inherit the Magic Beast Art, I will cease to exist. Because of this, everything my organisation gathered, including magic items, tools, and precious materials, will be yours.」

「The several-hundred-year legacy of the world’s most powerful magicians, huh? That’s a hell of a head start. But what happens to my magic power in a new body?」

「There won’t be any issues. Magic power resides in the soul, not the physical body.」

「In other words, my massive magic power will carry over. In that case, why couldn’t you just revive yourself in that body?」

「No. My soul and that body have compatibility issues. My soul is already old and worn out. Without curiosity or an inquiring mind, my life as a magician is already over, as I no longer thirst for the unknown. The knowledge I pass to you will explain further. Therefore, I ask you, do you wish to leave, or do you want to inherit our techniques?」

「……Well, if I refuse here, I just pass on to the afterlife anyway. Alright then, I’ll gladly accept your offer.」

The glowing orb flickered brightly in response.

「Thank you. Let us begin the fusion.」

「Right. What do I need to do?」

「It isn’t difficult. The preparations have already been set in this space. Fusion will occur automatically the moment we make contact, and you will be reconstructed. Your soul will take hold in your new body, and you will awaken.」

「I understand……do it.」

「Hmm. I will now commence the fusion.」

As it declared that, the glowing orb drifted closer to Reiji……and they merged.

「Thank you, Saeki Reiji. I wish you happiness in your new life.」

As the glowing orb spoke those final words, Reiji’s consciousness sank into darkness.

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