Loss (3)

A windy island, with waves lapping up the beach, the salty sea breeze wound through the trees, and seagulls chirped overhead. The island of waves spread infinitely as each day passed, and the dead and the living forgot themselves in the Voice.

There I was walking with Sylvia.

"The island is expanding day by day."

"…How did you know?"

Today was a walk instead of a lesson. No, she asked for it, saying this was her reward.

"But it won't be a problem."

"It will be. If the island continues to spread like this, it might engulf the continent."

There were four big problems with the Voice. The first was the resurrection of the dead, and the second was the oblivion of memory. The third was the independent concept of time, and the fourth was the nature of the wave. The biggest problem was, after all, the property of the wave.

This demon wanted to infringe on the entire continent with his island. Even after being swallowed by Sylvia, that instinct was still there.

"I can fix it."

"No-"

"I mean it."

She acted cute, pushing my shoulder and puffing out her cheeks. I flicked her forehead.

"It's a part of the contract."

Sylvia shuddered and offered me the contract. As she said, the contract had a clause.

──「Home Tutoring Contract」──

◆ About tutoring, Tutor Deculein (hereinafter referred to as "A") and student Silvia (hereinafter referred to as "B") enter into a teaching contract with each other as follows.

Article 1 [Basic information on tutoring]

According to B's special three primary colors curriculum, A…

Article 9 [Special Terms and Conditions]

If B has completely understood the objectively difficult theory, B will be given the free time B wants. Home tutoring is at 3 pm every day, but in case of a natural disaster or emergency, it can be canceled without notification. Only during the teaching time, B must use respectful language for A.───────────

I glanced over the special terms and conditions.

"Sylvia."

And I called her name. Sylvia answered with her hands behind her back.

"Yes."

"The place where I collapsed before is filled with mana."

"It is filled with mana."

Was she asking or agreeing?

"Right. I could see the traces of my former self. I see I died at your desk."

Traces of my past seen with Vision. His body disappeared, but the mana of his existence remained. This would also be an act of Deculein's unique mental power.

"What do you think I thought when I saw you?"

"…"

I knew Sylvia's body still held a demon. She couldn't beat the Voice. However, she had unknowingly assimilated with it. However, despite that, the method of destroying the Voice was even simpler.

To kill Sylvia with the island.

"I don't know."

The previous me must have certainly thought so. The current me was thinking the same. Unless someone died, no, as long as I didn't kill, there were no possibilities on this island.

"Let's sit over there. My leg hurts."

Sylvia pointed to a bench by the roadside. She grabbed my sleeve and dragged me over, and we sat down together.

"…Ten days have already passed since you arrived."

I met Sylvia's gaze. Her clear golden eyes were soaked in sorrow and determination.

"Is the parting soon?"

Mumbling, Sylvia sneakily buried her head in my shoulder. As if leaning on me, holding on to the hem of my sleeve.

"It could be."

I didn't push her away.

"…I think I will win the bet."

However, I thought quietly. I sorted out the thoughts in my head.

…No. There was no need for that. From the moment I came here, my magic theory was set out to achieve that purpose in the first place. I had already made up my mind to do it, so I just followed.

"You know…"

Then, Sylvia looked up at me.

"You tried to teach me loss. I know that too."

Her blonde hair fluttered under the approaching wind. Her eyes twinkled like the stars. How could such a beautiful child be so pitiful?

"By the way, it's strange."

She raised her finger and touched my lips. A smile appeared on that icy expressionless face.

"Even if the current you were to die."

A voice that trembled.

"And dies again."

Such sad words were directed only to me.

"And again even if you die again and again. Even if you keep dying… it seems that only my love for you will grow."

A confession as pure as her tears.

"So. It's like I've already won the bet."

"…Is it?"

I looked at her and nodded.

"…Yeah."

She buried her face in my chest. She wrapped her arms around my waist and exhaled a warm breath.

"It could be."

…This much was enough. It was enough to move on to the end and to strengthen that belief.

"I love you. I love you."

From now on, I would just have to bear as much as I could.

* * *

The sixth Deculein was dead. Like last time, it happened naturally. Sylvia accepted this time with difficulty again. However, the seventh Deculein that followed immediately was very strange, even to Sylvia and Idnik.

"Spontaneous?"

"Yeah!"

Sylvia shouted energetically. It was very rare, perhaps the first time in her life. Idnik scratched her temple.

"That is… I mean, you're saying that Deculein occurred naturally? On this island?"

"Yes. Deculein wants to live here too, Idnik. Deculein's mental power remains on this island, so he's borrowing my powers to raise himself."

"…"

"To live with me. I think he likes me."

"…Isn't that just a guess?"

Sylvia narrowed her eyes. Idnik cleared her throat and turned away. Anyway, she saw Deculein walking out of the sea.

"I will go first. You guide him well."

From last time on, it was Idnik's job to guide Deculein around the island. The so-called playing is hard to get. She said she was shy to meet him at the start.

"Okay."

"Yeah."

Sylvia walked away, and Idnik waved as she approached Deculein.

"Hey, Deculein! Seventh Deculein! Welcome!"

Seventh Deculein approached Idnik. He looked at her with a furrowed brow.

The memory reset was also cumbersome.

…

I visited the Guild Room with Idnik. Zukaken and Arlos welcomed me as if I was the 7th Deculein.

"You're here again. Oh. So are we starting over?"

Ignoring Zukaken's words, Arlos first gave me the magic theory. It was a big box.

"Take it. Your magic theory. It's a few thousand pages or so."

Arlos's appearance impressed me, but anyway.

"The desk and chair are over there."

Arlos pointed to a decently-made desk and a chair. Zukaken chuckled and spoke.

"Then Idnik and I will go to work, so you work hard too~. Cooperating~, especially Arlos, since your face does the cooperation."

"You son of a bitch."

"…"

I opened the box containing the thousands of pages of the theory that I had written before. Clean and tidy without a grain of dust, as expected of his obsessive cleaning.

"You indeed wrote a lot. A lot."

Arlos muttered in admiration. I opened from the very first page and read the fragments of the magic circle. From that moment on, time passed rapidly.

Crumble- Crumble-

Arlos picked up some snacks, did some stretching, and I spent roughly half a day working from the first page to page 3,300. In this way, I clearly understood my magic theory and its meaning. It was a little dark, a little cold-hearted, and borne from an iron will.

"Professor."

As I leaned over, Arlos called me as if waiting.

"What."

"Are there any notes about me? It was there before."

The artistic face of Arlos, a beauty that calmed me at a glance. I nodded.

"It does."

"What is it now?"

In the corner of the magic theory lay magical handwriting that only I could write and only I could recognize. I read that sentence to her.

"Arlos."

"What."

"It says I need your faith and help."

"…?"

Arlos's jewel-like eyes went wide. I didn't say more than that.

* * *

Three days later, the Guild Room. Deculein was now out to teach.

Arlos, Zukaken, and Idnik were lying on the couch and drinking after a long time. With Sylvia working with Deculein, the situation on the Voice's Island had also become more relaxed.

"This couch is well made."

Zukaken laughed at Idnik's compliment.

"Kuhuhu. Of course. Who made it, right? Oh~, if I could only buy mana stones, I would make something even better."

"Hahaha…?"

Idnik was grinning as well but suddenly frowned.

"Wait. Can't you buy mana stones?"

"Yeah. The price is unbelievable. Even if I use all the coins over there, I'll probably get one very small mana stone. It was a lot more expensive than I thought."

The coins that Deculein had earned were piled up like a mountain. Idnik's expression on seeing it hardened.

"…If we don't have mana stones… mana stones…"

"What, are you dumb? Just say it. Idnik."

Idnik stood up and approached the box containing Deculein's magic theory.

"Hey! What are you doing? If you touch it, we're all dead."

The drunken Zukaken staggered after her. Idnik ignored him. No, she didn't even hear him.

Rustle-

She took Deculein's magic theory. She read carefully from the first page. As a mathematician trained by Rohakan, she grasped and interpreted even the most difficult theories with relative ease.

"…"

While reading the theory, Idnik admired Deculein's ingenious and artistic ideas, but at some point, fell into doubt. It was a very simple yet fatal doubt. Would it be possible to implement such huge magic without a mana stone? Even if they looted all the coins on the island, they wouldn't be able to buy a mana stone to power this huge magic…

"…!"

At that moment, Idnik's head shot up. But it wasn't because of the theory. A certain magic signal flashed through her mind. Arlos called to Idnik.

"…What are you doing?"

From the dark Guild Room. Since Idnik spent two hours immersing herself in it, the bitterness of their alcohol had long since evaporated. Idnik took turns looking between Zukaken and Arlos, swallowing.

"…Deculein is dead."

"What?"

Zukaken grimaced, and Arlos shook her head.

"It's only been three days."

"That's what I mean. There is still a long way to go for natural death. Unless someone killed Deculein…"

For a moment, Idnik stopped.

"…Unless someone killed Deculein."

Someone she had forgotten.

"Arlos. What about Gerek?"

"…Oh."

Arlos and Zukaken's expressions grew somber.

Bang-!

Idnik opened the door first and ran out. Arlos, with her scarecrow, and Zukaken chased her. So, they arrived at the cage where Gerek was imprisoned.

"…"

"…"

"…"

And, it was silent. They had nothing to say.

—…He's gone

Arlos murmured first. Idnik's devastated laugh followed. Zukaken scratched the back of her neck.

"Yeah. It's not even his working time… if he was going out, he should've gone out peacefully."

Underground in the middle of the forest. Gerek's cage was crumpled.

"…Why is this bastard suddenly so grumpy? He was working so well with me."

Zukaken mussed his hair. The common goal of leaving this island first was clear. So suddenly, for what?

-Probably couldn't stand it. In the first place, Gerek didn't care if he couldn't leave the island as long as he could kill Deculein. Fuck.

At the scarecrow's words, Zukaken tapped his forehead.

"We're all messed up."

—Idnik. Do you know where Deculein's body is?

The scarecrow asked Idnik. Zukaken provoked her.

"Would there be a body left? He's paint."

—His mana remains, you fucker. We'll have to keep a record of that so we can track Gerek's location. So you're just going to just watch Deculein dying? You moron.

"…Indeed. But why are you cursing, bitch? Anyway, Idnik."

Zukaken quickly understood and looked to Idnik.

"Can you tell? No, you can, right? If you don't know, we're ruined."

Idnik had Deculein's crystal ball. That crystal ball was Deculein's catalyst, so she would probably know where he died.

"…"

Idnik nodded silently. Zukaken and the scarecrow breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then let's go. To find Gerek."

"…Wait."

Idnik called them before they ran off. The scarecrow and Zukaken looked back.

"What?"

-What.

"…Nothing."

However, Idnik shook her head.

"What the. Hey. Did your brain freeze? Come on and just guide us already."

"…"

"Hey! Hey Idnik! Guide us, woman!"

…Right now, at this moment, Idnik was thinking to herself. She was engrossed in thoughts about the giant magic conceived by Deculein.

To realize that, he would need infinite mana. The extent of magical power was as far away as the sea, impossible even with a hundred wizards. Thus… the realization of that magic was impossible. At least not on this island.

Even with Sylvia's mana, Idnik's mana, Arlos's mana, and Zukaken's mana combined, it would be impossible. However, there was one way.

…If he killed Sylvia. If the demon in Sylvia's body and Sylvia herself were sacrificed, this magic circle would be driven by the mana that would overflow. It could destroy the entire island. By submerging Idnik and Arlos, Zukaken and Gerek, everyone who lived and breathed on the Voice.

Only with that could he kill the demon.

"Ha…"

Indeed, the most demonic way to destroy the demon. The most Deculein-like thought.

"…Hey. You two. Come here."

But until this assumption was proven true, or even if it was true, Sylvia must not know this. The fact that Deculein was trying to kill her, Sylvia should never know that.

"I have something to tell you."

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