Time Magic (3)

1

Perseus returns to the real world and falls on his back. Aquila gets up from the grass and closes the book she was reading.

"You finally figured it out. I was tired of waiting…"

The very next instant she says this, blood starts to spray out from his hands and his legs. But at that moment he didn't feel pain… All he felt was sadness.

"You're bleeding all over. I'll fix you up." Says Aquila as she chants some spell.

"I don't…"

"What did you say?"

"I don't need to be healed…"

She finishes healing him and then she asks him what happened in the motionless world.

"So, do you feel sick in any way?"

"No… but my body feels weird."

"Did you come into contact with any spirits in there?"

"Spirits? Now that you mention it, he might have been a spirit…"

"He…?"

"Your familiar… Kerberio-san I meant…"

"You met that idiot. I'm sorry but listen to me…"

"What is it?" asks Perseus with a cold stare.

"Now I know why you're acting this way. Don't worry. He didn't die. He reads a lot of novels so he's picked up a bad habit of fantasizing."

His eyes become normal, he sighs and gets up on his feet and says-

"I was worried for no reason at all!" and he starts to feel nauseous.

"It seemed that in the time you spent in there he formed a contract with you… You will just have to grow stronger from now on…"

"Everything is spinning Aquila-san. I can't understand what you're saying… Can you please…" and he loses his consciousness.

He wakes up to see the ceiling inside the mansion they were living at for the time being.

"This ceiling looks very similar... to the one in Aquila-san's house." He says and then gets up instantly.

"I'm… back?"

"Yes, and you should rest some more Perseus."

He turns to see his father Fin Harbard sitting there. He then says-

"Dad… It's dad. How weird…"

"I don't get it, why is it weird if I'm sitting here and watching over you?"

"Hmm... How do I put it… Usually people would prefer it to be ladies who watch over them as they…sleep." And then Perseus looks confused.

"Umm… Son, why do you know so much? Care to explain?"

"I…don't know. It's like all this information flowed into my mind and I just know about it."

"Spirit…" and just as his father was completing his sentence Aquila walks into the room and says, "Spirit manifestation… Looks like that idiot has really taken a liking to you."

"Aquila-san! Did Kerberio-san come back with me?!"

"Perseus?! Who is Kerberio-san?!"

"Aquila-san… Please tell me that he made it to the real world along with me!"

"Ignoring me…huh?"

She sighs and then she says-

"He did come back with you but it seems like he wants to break my contract to make a new one with you."

"Contract… A contract with a spirit?"

"It's a good thing that he resides in your body for the time being… Saves the explanation. You're right! A contract with a spirit comes with many advantages… and disadvantages as well."

"You mean the mana my spirit will use will mostly be mine, right?"

"You're right, Perseus… Listen carefully to me. What I am about to explain to you right now is gonna decide your fate and how you'll end up living."

She then asks his dad to leave the room and then she starts to explain.

"First of all I congratulate you for making use of the natural mana to create your own skill… Now back to the main topic. Spirits are something that can be kept alive through grimoires. But this case is different…"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh! So he didn't let that information flow into your mind, did he? He's not a normal spirit nor is he one of the four greats'… He's a lost spirit."

"A lost spirit?"

"Yes. I know it sounds a bit weird but… Lost spirits were former humans who made a contract with the 'Demon of the End'."

"Demon of the End… Was it for a bad purpose or a good one?"

"Who knows… once their wishes have been fulfilled their contract stops existing and as for the price the 'Demon of the End' feeds on their life energy and thus, they turn into spirits. Well, that's as far as I know about lost spirits. Also, the reason they are called lost spirits…"

"Is it because they're not human anymore?"

"Well, you're half-right… But the real reason is that unlike the normal spirits they don't reside in the grimoires and can't live off of natural mana directly…"

"No wonder Kerberio-san has resided inside my body… for the time being."

"So are you gonna form a contract with him?"

"I'll need to talk to him but…"

"If you need to talk to him then no problem."

"Huh?"

She then opens the rift to the motionless world and while entering she says-

"This is the only place where they can retain their human form. Follow me Perseus."

"O-Okay!" Says Perseus and jumps out of bed and follows her into the motionless world.

2

"…"

"zzz…"

"… And when I entered the motionless world..."

"Oye! Stop! Put a brake to your story for now!"

"But the real fun is just starting now."

"It's past 12 in the night…"

"But my backstory will… be entering its phase 2 now…" Says Perseus with excitement."

"Kei's fallen asleep and It's gonna be morning soon…!" says Sieg with bags under his eyes.

'He's telling the truth.' Thinks Perseus to himself on looking at Sieg's face.

"I'm leaving then… Don't be late tomorrow." Says Sieg and gives a deep sigh while exiting the room and closing the door.

"Did I do it again…?"

"Ryo-nii…" mutters Kei in her sleep.

Perseus before sleeping looks at Kei and says softly-

"If I gave her away to some place who takes in lost kids I'll be more at ease… Hehe. Who am I kidding? I'll probably get thrown of my own body for doing that." And just when he laughs it off… He feels a very huge malicious aura behind him. He freezes out of terror and when he turns around he sees no one.

"The hell… That aura resembled that idiot's… I shouldn't pass such comments or even think about that. If I think about anything like that… I'll probably get devoured by the demon with whom I share a body…"

He gets into his blanket after pulling the blanket over Kei. Then he looks at Kei sleeping peacefully and he pats her head softly.

"Goodnight Kei-chan…" and he closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes and finds himself in a dark place.

"I'm back here… How do I get out again?"

"Oye! YOU A*HOLE!"

"Kyaa! Stop scaring me like that… Wait you're awake?"

"Of course I am! But before we get to that… I think you did make a promise to keep her safe no matter what…"

"Hmm….? Now, when did I do that?"

"Don't play dumb. I'll kill you. Like literally."

"Ok! OK! I was in the wrong! But tell me something… You came to this world because of all the crap that happened in your past life. Then why did you care so much for your beloved Kei…?"

"You'll never understand anyways! You've always had at least one person doting over you!"

"The guy who doted over me disappeared all of a sudden for your information!"

Their argument continued for a while and then Perseus finally says after getting exhausted-

"First of all…(pants)… why do we keep fighting like a bunch of idiots after meeting like this every time?"

"How… would I even… know? Your face pisses me off sometimes!"

"But we have the same face!"

"Ah…"

"Oh… Do you get it?"

"You're right. It's pointless to fight like this… Also, I discovered something intriguing in this place while I was resting."

"Go on…"

"This place has an exit… which lets us switch whenever we want to."

"Are you serious?! I'm much of a strategist so I was thinking about what I'd do if some serious crap happened!"

"Yeah! That's the main reason as to why we need to make the switching whenever we want to… I don't want to be sent off to my death by a blockhead after all."

"Yeah! I know I'm weak so you don't need to spell it out…"

Suddenly the big door appears out of nowhere and opens slowly.

"Uhh… It's as if this place wants us to interact and…"

"...And when it's satisfied it will open an exit. It's so annoying that we both thought of the same thing." And they both sigh.

Just when Perseus enters the white light he says-

"Keep up the good work!"

"Yeah… You too! Keep your end of the deal!"

"Sure! Sure! I can never forget… Have a good sleep then!"

Then Tatsuya raises his fist and says-

"Until next time!" and Perseus grins and does the same while walking in the white light and says, "Yeah! Until next time…" and the door closes yet again and Tatsuya has a small smile on his face before disappearing into the darkness.