To become a king and a magician

After a moment of silence, Ayaka Sajou nodded: "I think... that's probably true. At least, I think I wouldn't be able to truly laugh in that kind of world."

"You'll make more friends, Ayaka. You're just too introverted to make friends, which is why you don't feel happy. Once you make friends in the new world, you'll definitely be happy."

"But...aren't those all you...dolls you created?"

After sorting out her thoughts and gradually understanding the content of the conversation between the two, Ayaka Sajou also realized some things.

If my sister becomes the Alaya of the new world, then it means that everyone's actions in the new world are a manifestation of my sister's will. In that case, would there really be any other "humans" besides myself in that world?

In such a world, is it really possible to make friends who can truly make you happy from the bottom of your heart?

No way, because I live in a world where everyone is my "older sister".

"I see... Ayaka, that's what you think. That's wonderful." Unexpectedly, [Sajō Aika] was neither angry nor confused. Instead, she smiled with satisfaction. "You've grown up, Ayaka. You never had such rich thoughts of your own before. You just did whatever your sister or father told you to do."

"I'm really happy that you can have such clear ideas of your own now."

"Sister, I..."

“But, Ayaka, your way of thinking is still too simplistic. You are trying to imagine things beyond your understanding with your shallow knowledge, just like a painter trying to paint something he has never seen before. You can neither paint it nor imagine it. You can only use what you know to define the unknown.”

"That's why you don't feel that kind of life is happy."

【Sajō Aika】She put her hands together and took a step or two back.

"It's alright, I'll show you how wonderful a world without magic is. You'll see then, and it will definitely bring you happiness. For now, please wait for me a little longer."

Ripples spread through the space, and [Sajō Aika]'s figure gradually disappeared into it. Seeing this, Sajō Ayaka cried out, "Don't go! Sister! I want to be with you—"

"Snap—!"

The sound of something shattering interrupted Ayaka Sajou's shouts, and a raging sea of ​​fire instantly engulfed her entire world!

Transforming into a tiger blocking the way for Natsukawa Torama and Sajou Ayaka, [Natsukawa Torama] grinned maliciously, "Finally, you've broken free of this restriction! Come on! Let's continue our second round! The real deal! Let's fight to the death!"

"【return】"

"what?!"

[Sajō Aika's] voice made [Natsukawa Torato] turn around and glare at her angrily, but the moment he turned around and met [Sajō Aika's] gaze, [Natsukawa Torato] instantly shut his mouth like a well-behaved puppy.

Looking back at Natsukawa Torama and Sajou Ayaka, [Sajou Aika] chuckled and said, "Then, Lord Natsukawa Torama, I'll have to trouble you to take care of my sister for a while longer. Once everything has settled down, I will send you and your family back to your original world."

"Let's meet again in the new world, Ayaka."

"elder sister--!"

116. Arthur and Ayaka

"They've left."

Looking at the scene before him, which was nothing but a mess, Xia Chuanhu breathed a sigh of relief, then his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground!

This change immediately surprised Ayaka Sajou: "Natsukawa, are you alright?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired... Fighting another version of myself with my current strength is still a bit of a struggle."

Although their combat strength is evenly matched, if the fight continues, Natsukawa Torama's chances of winning are slightly lower. After all, he doesn't have the magic power of the entire Tokyo to squander, and if it turns into a protracted battle, he will inevitably be at a disadvantage. In addition, the Holy Sword's healing has its limits, and if he suffers a fatal injury, it will truly be a complete loss.

Of course, if it really comes down to a protracted war, Natsukawa Torato won't be afraid. He'll just fight to the death, and then it's hard to say who will live and who will die.

"Cherish your own life, you vixen. If you die here, I don't know about other things, but your sister will definitely be devastated."

(Yeah, I was being a bit thoughtless.)

Your life is no longer solely yours. The determination you showed when you dealt with me five years ago is best left unsaid.

(Are you... concerned about me?)

Don't try to disgust me, you vixen. I wish you were dead. I'm just stating the facts rationally.

After saying that, Aika Sajou immediately hid back in her little dark room.

With a wry smile, Natsukawa Torama looked at Sajou Ayaka and asked, "How are you doing now, Sajou, compared to me?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Reunion with my sister who died eight years ago... I don't think it was a touching sisterly reunion, but... shouldn't reunion with family be a happy one?"

Indeed, just as Natsukawa Tora said, seeing her sister again, who should have been dead, brought Ayaka Sajou more joy than surprise. Unfortunately, before she could tell her sister about her joy, a series of revelations later overwhelmed her feelings.

Her older sister wanted to create a world without magic for her sake.

Because magic is inevitably accompanied by tragedy, every magician's life is a tragedy. No matter how smooth things have been before, they will eventually face a tragedy, big or small.

Therefore, in order to prevent her younger sister from following the same path, Ayaka Sajou wanted to create a new world.

“Your sister really loves you,” Natsukawa Tora remarked. “However, it’s a love that’s far too heavy and unreasonable. I should say, as expected of Sajou Aika, every version of her expresses love in the same way.”

What does this statement mean?

Natsukawa Torato patted his chest: "It means exactly what it says. I mentioned before that I know your sister, but the sister I know isn't the one in this world, but another Sajō Aika from a parallel world."

"She once wanted to do something similar to your sister."

By awakening the beasts to destroy the quantum fixed recording tape and undermine the foundation of human reason, Britain can be recreated, thus fulfilling Arthur's wish to "save Britain"—this is exactly what Aika Sajou once wanted to do.

She surpasses even the best in this world.

"So, what are you planning to do?" Xia Chuanhu continued to ask. "As for me, I intend to stop it. Although I win in the end, I don't want to see the process in between."

"The death of all humanity...?"

This is such an exaggerated statement that Ayaka Sajou feels no sense of reality, yet it is something that is truly about to happen: in order to create a new world, it is necessary to destroy the existing world.

From a magician's perspective, there's nothing wrong with this approach. A magician is willing to pay any price to achieve their goals; that's just how they are.

Ayaka Sajou could understand, but she also couldn't accept it, because more than a magician, she was just an ordinary person.

If you really want to categorize her, she's actually closer to a magician, since she lost all her family at a young age and lived with ordinary people for eight years. People's thoughts are influenced by their environment, and Ayaka Sajou, who grew up with ordinary people, doesn't think that exterminating humanity for personal gain is the right thing to do.

Even if in the end no one dies.

“Natsukawa, can you tell me?” Ayaka Sajou asked, “My sister said that the world without magic that I imagined is fake, that my understanding is too shallow. In your imagination, do you think a world without magic... would be happy?”

"They're about the same, aren't they?"

Natsukawa Tora answered almost instantly—which was only natural, since he had been living in that kind of world until five years ago.

"Even without magic, the world won't change much. People will still do what they always do, and the world will remain the same. At most, magicians will collapse. But honestly, even without magicians, this planet will function perfectly well."

It's not like the world will end if magicians are gone.

"If you ask me, the absence of magic simply means you can sleep a little longer each day and go to bed earlier at night instead of going out. That's really all the change there will be."

"So...it's pretty much what I imagined, right?"

"Hmm—oh right, there's one more thing. You'll need to find a job in the future. After all, losing your magic means you can't make a living from it anymore. It's actually quite a serious matter."

"Indeed, indeed."

With a smile, Natsukawa Torato asked again, "So, what are you planning to do?"

How to do it?

Taking a deep breath, Ayaka Sajou answered seriously, "I... want to stop my sister. She doesn't need to do this. If my life won't change because of it, then my sister has wasted so much effort, and even has to sacrifice seven billion people for it... I don't want my sister to sacrifice so much for me."

"If you really want me to be happy, all you need is for my sister to come back."

"The happiest thing for me would be for them to come back to me and live with me."

At this point, Ayaka Sajou looked at Torata Natsukawa and extended her hand: "Could you please help me, Natsukawa? I need your strength. I can't stop my sister alone. I don't have the power to do anything. So, if you want to stop my sister, I can only ask for your help."

"Can I ask you for a favor, Natsukawa? Please lend me your power."

Although they are not from the same world, nor are they the same people, similar situations still happened to two similar individuals.

Holding Ayaka Sajou's hand, Torakawa Natsukawa stood up.

“Yes, of course. Leave it to me, [Ayaka (Master)].

117. Summoner Ayaka Sajou

The following day at noon, inside the magic workshop of the Sato family.

"Good afternoon, Satiao. Did you have a good sleep? You slept until now."

"Hmm, it's alright." Ayaka Sajou nodded. "More importantly, is there something you need that you came to the workshop?"

"Of course, it's to tell you how to stop your sister," Xia Chuanhu said. "First of all, we need to tell you that we can't stop your sister right now, absolutely not."

"Hmm... Are we going to start by undermining ourselves?"

"There's nothing we can do about it. Your sister is connected to the source and is practically omniscient and omnipotent. Plus, there's another me... Perhaps, compared to your sister, the other me is the more troublesome one."

Ayaka Sajou frowned: "You can't beat him?"

"Of course I can beat him—though I'd like to say that, right now I can only hold my own against him. If I fight with all my might, I might win, but I have a reason not to die. And in a life-or-death battle, a lack of awareness will inevitably lead to my defeat."

Natsukawa Torato cannot die here, so in the battle against his other self, he can only fight with all his might, not risk his life.

"Then... what should we do? If we can't stop my sister, then..."

“That’s why we’re here. The key to whether we can stop your sister is yourself, Sajo,” Natsukawa Torato said. “Ultimately, the reason we can’t stop her right now is because my power is insufficient. You saw it last night, didn’t you? The power that my other self displayed.”

"Ah."

The power of [Natsukawa Torato] left a deep impression on Sajo Ayaka; that power, which seemed to be the embodiment of a natural disaster, could be described as destructive.

"That's magic."

"Oh... wait?" Ayaka Sajo thought she might have misheard. "That... that was magic?"

"Yes, magic, the kind of magic I've always used."

Can magic really do something like that? Ayaka Sajou had never known!

Natsukawa Tora smiled and said, "Are you surprised? But in terms of its nature, it was undoubtedly magic. After all, battles of that level are common in wars. With current human technology, we can do something similar, or even better, in a short time."

"Hmm... For one person to accomplish something comparable to a war, I don't think that can be called magic anymore, right?"

"That's enough in concept. Okay, let's get back to the point. I want to teach you that magic trick."

Ayaka Sajou was stunned again.