Seiji was confident in his own imagination, but he didn’t feel that it was far stronger than an average person’s or anything like that.
In that case, it had to be his spiritual power that was outstanding.
Was it because his soul had combined with another person"s? Was it because of this body’s original specs? Or was it because… of his dating game system?
He didn’t know, nor would he know no matter how much he thought about it, so he might as well forget about it.
At any rate, this was beneficial for him… His talent helped him reach this step.
After the president cast yet another spell on him, his body glowed with a golden-red hue.
It seemed almost as if he were a video game character whose fury value had risen to the maximum…
"Unlike dealing with a defense spell, you can’t simply destroy the amnesia spell. Otherwise you may damage the memories that are being sealed," Natsuya informed him.
"What should I do then?"
"You must search for a weakness in the enemy spell… Using your own imagination once more, imagine that you can detect whatever weakness the enemy spell has, and that you can break through its weak point."
"Got it." Seiji nodded in understanding.
Seeing through the spell’s weakness was simple.
He covered his eyes with his hand and imagined.
As long as it was something living, even G.o.ds could be killed by it…
Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, activate!
He uncovered his eyes.
Seiji’s eyes glowed with a mysterious reddish-blue hue.
He was now able to view the "death" of all objects!
Endless dark lines of various sizes and thicknesses appeared on the complex spell formation created by the countless white chains intertwined together.
Seiji had the demon-fox robot lift its claw and sliced through one of the lines with ease.
*Cras.h.!.+*
Several dozen chains were destroyed.
He continued cutting along the lines which his transformed eyes allowed him to perceive, snapping the white chains which held the crystal.
Before long, all the chains had been untangled.
The memory crystal slowly descended as it was no longer being bound by the chains.
Seiji had the demon-fox robot grab the crystal with its right claw.
However, at this moment the crystal suddenly exploded, sending razor-sharp shards flying in all directions!
Seiji felt chilled to his bones.
His intuition told him that it would be disastrous if he was pierced by one of those shards!
He barely had time to even think due to the shards’ terrifying speed. They instantly shot straight towards him!
The shards easily pierced through the demon fox’s body and the robot’s control room.
Seiji still hadn’t had time to react yet. It seemed that he himself was about to be pierced.
[Bullet Time] activate!
Suddenly, time slowed down.
Even in this dimension the system’s powers were protecting him!
Seiji instantly materialized a dagger with his imagination and guided it to cut through all the shards’ death lines.
*Swish swish swis.h.!.+*
After several cuts, he successfully destroyed all the shards, and they dropped from midair before clattering onto the floor.
After confirming that he and s.h.i.+ka-chan were both unscathed, Seiji breathed out a sigh of relief.
That situation had posed no small amount of risk to him.
"What’s the matter, Haruta-kun!?" Natsuya’s voice was filled with anxiety.
"Nothing. President, that crystal just exploded and turned into many shards which shot towards me, but I managed to block them all," Seiji explained. "I felt like it would be dangerous if I was. .h.i.t by any of those shards."
"Your intuition was absolutely correct," Natsuya replied.
Natsuya’s expression in the real world was rather serious and pale at the moment.
"Just earlier… a murky gas suddenly came out of s.h.i.+ka Kagura’s body… this gas is the aftereffect of a vicious soul spell’s activation. Its target must have been whoever successfully eliminated the amnesia spell on s.h.i.+ka."
"Since you were the one who dispelled this spell in s.h.i.+ka’s soul layer, you became its target… If you were hit by it, it’s probable that… no, you definitely would have had your soul damaged to the point where it wouldn’t recover!"
Seiji remained silent.
He wasn’t too certain about how serious this really was, but he knew from her tone that it was no mere laughing matter.
But he wasn’t scared to think about it, and his feelings remained calm… due to his dating sim system’s existence.
Even if he didn’t block it, and it pierced him, all he had to do was load and do the same scene over again.
That’s why Seiji remained calm.
But things were different for the president… he could tell how worried she was about him.
"Thankfully you’re alright, Haruta-kun." Natsuya’s voice was sincere. "Otherwise… I… wouldn’t know… what I should…"
Seiji felt touched as he imagined the president who had always acted so resolute showing off a weaker, gentler side.
He wanted to say something, but no words came to his mouth.
So, silence fell between them.
"Thankfully you’re alright… Also, everything is thanks to you," Natsuya continued after a while. "If it was me who tried to dispel the enemy’s amnesia spell, I… I’m certain that I would have been hit by that final attack."
"While I have some defensive spells placed on myself, I don’t know whether or not they’d be able to block that spell… It’s basically the equivalent of you having saved me yet again, Haruta-kun."
‘I owe him more and more,’ Natsuya inwardly thought to herself.
"So, thank you… I’m very grateful to you for everything."
Seiji smiled at hearing her words.
"It’s my honor, Milady," he casually said a cla.s.sic line.
Natsuya blinked in surprise at these words and smiled.
Discussing the spell could wait.
Seiji took a look at the demon fox’s claw and saw that a girl was laying on top of it.
The girl was s.h.i.+ka Kagura… her teenager form from Seiji’s first meeting with her!
And… she was naked.
Yep, that’s right; she was completely naked!
White, soft, full-figured, plump…
Seiji’s cheeks kept twitching as he hurriedly and gently closed the demon fox’s claws to block that sight from his view.
What a beautiful scene…
Seiji coughed in an attempt to clear his mind. ‘Stop thinking about it!’
Seiji shook his head and somehow managed to store the scene he just witnessed deep inside his mind somewhere.
"President, after that crystal exploded, what remained was…" Seiji explained the situation.
"This is the true memory’s form or s.h.i.+ka Kagura’s other personality… or, in other words, it’s a manifestation of her soul," Natsuya told him. "Take her and the other one—s.h.i.+ka-chan—back to s.h.i.+ka’s room."
"Although I think there shouldn’t be any more hidden spells, it’s still best to be cautious… Remain on your guard, Haruta-kun."
"Got it."
And so, Seiji began his return trip.
Everything went smoothly, with no demons or abnormalities of any kind appearing.
He returned to the room he woke up in: s.h.i.+ka’s "house."
Seiji placed both blanket-wrapped girls onto the sofa in the living room.
Both s.h.i.+kas were sleeping together peacefully as if they were sisters.
With Natsuya’s a.s.sistance, Seiji woke both of them up at the same time.
"Mmm… Brother~"
"…Seigo Harano?"
When the young s.h.i.+ka and the adolescent s.h.i.+ka opened their eyes, they both spoke to him before pausing in surprise and exchanging glances with each other.
"You… are…"
"Big sister… you’re…"
They stared at each other.
s.h.i.+ka Kagura… was staring at herself.
Both of them had almost identical expressions—expressions full of confusion, doubt, and finally… realization.
‘So it was you.’
‘You were here.’
‘You… are me.’
‘I’m here.’
‘I’m home.’
‘I’ve… returned.’
‘Welcome back.’
The young s.h.i.+ka reached out her tiny hands.
The teenaged s.h.i.+ka also extended her palms.
When their hands touched each other, a white light flashed between them.
Seiji, who had been watching them silently, was blinded by this and couldn’t help but cover his eyes.
The light was too bright for him to see anything. He was being bathed in this bright light.
He felt as if he heard something in this light; something touching and gentle.
"Thank you, Brother…"
s.h.i.+ka-chan appeared before him and smiled; it was a younger version of adolescent s.h.i.+ka’s innocent and pure smile.
Seiji opened his eyes.
He discovered that he was resting on the chair in the spellcasting room.
He slowly stood up and looked at Natsuya who was beside him.
"I’m… awake."
After he spoke, he realized that his voice was a little hoa.r.s.e.
For some reason, his heart… was filled with an indescribable feeling of sorrow.