Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: A Strange Research Society (1)
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Shirone floated through a dark space.
In some places, he could see countless stars, while in others, only darkness stretched on for ages.
In the darkness, he felt as if he were frozen in place, and a fear that he might never escape washed over him.
One by one, stars began to appear, converging toward a single point. It felt as though space itself was contracting.
He trembled at the sheer size of the stars, a scale beyond human imagination. He couldn't even begin to picture the collision that would occur at the final point.
But the collision never happened. The stars began to collapse, eventually disintegrating into dust and being sucked in.
Time was flowing backward.
By the time he realized this, Shirone's own body had also disintegrated and vanished.
But Shirone did not disappear.
He couldn't tell what this final sense of being that constituted a human was, but he remained conscious as he entered the beginning of the world.
He saw a string of light, writhing and vibrating like an earthworm. Within it, light, time, gravity, and universal gravitation were all integrated.
When he finally reached the end—no, returned to the beginning—the entire world was filled with light.
As the sense of being that made up Shirone began to fade, an extreme feeling of unity washed over him.
It was a unity akin to a massive explosion.
“Arghhhhh!”
Shirone screamed and shot up in bed. His clothes, soaked in cold sweat, were as damp as if he'd been caught in the rain.
The surroundings were silent, and the window, blurred by the moonlight, was tinged with a sorrowful color. The familiar scent of books filled the air. On his desk, books related to photonization theory lay scattered about.
“Phew. Another nightmare…”
He poured water from a pitcher and gulped it down. He opened the window, letting the cool early summer night breeze dry his sweat. Only then could he collect himself and sit down in his chair.
‘Why does this keep happening every night? What’s happening to me?’
Ever since experiencing the Immortal Function during the Speed Gun test, he had been having similar dreams every day. They weren't nightmares, but the emotions he felt in them were beyond compare to any nightmare.
“Ughhh.”
Shirone hugged his trembling body and rubbed his arms. It felt as if something fundamental to his being was out of place. The problem was that this phenomenon wasn't just in his dreams; he felt it in reality as well.
Some sense had become highly sensitive. Yet, he had no idea what kind of information that sense was receiving.
It wasn't that his sense of smell had improved, nor had his sense of touch become more acute. His sight and hearing were unchanged.
But a new sensory organ had clearly emerged.
“Don't tell me… it’s not something like ghosts, is it?”
The sound of a piano announcing the morning could be heard. Seeing the dawn break outside his window, Shirone went to the bathroom to wash up. With the advanced class practical evaluations over, regular classes were scheduled to resume today. As the warm water touched his skin, the strange sensation gradually faded. If he were in this state all day, he would surely have a nervous breakdown. Feeling a sense of relief, Shirone packed his bag.
* * *
Once the exam period was over, the academy regained its former bright atmosphere. The students who had been competing returned to being friends, chattering and laughing as if nothing had happened.
The topic of the day was Shirone's Speed Gun test. Unlike the written exams, the practical evaluations had a sporting element to them, so it was only natural for students to get excited when someone delivered a spectacular performance.
Usually, a standout student would emerge from each class, but the impact of the Speed Gun test on the first day was so strong that everyone else was overshadowed by Shirone.
For the first time in the magic academy's history, a student with a score in the 1200s had appeared. And not just one, but two.
The score difference between Shirone and Iruki was a mere six points, and on top of that, it was a logic-defying comeback. With such a legendary match on the first day, even the outstanding skills shown by later participants couldn't help but pale in comparison.
Shirone was catapulted to stardom. While he had been famous since his admission, it was primarily as Amy's boyfriend and a promising rising star. But now, he was unequivocally a student who represented the Alpheas Magic Academy.
Even on his way to the lecture hall, Shirone was warmly greeted by other students. Among them were even upperclassmen from Class Four. In a magic academy that employed an early promotion system, the strict hierarchy between upper and lowerclassmen existed because advancement was so difficult. But with Shirone having achieved a historic record, he could catch up at any time, making it awkward to treat him as just a junior. In hindsight, Amy's decision to treat Shirone as an equal from the beginning was a display of remarkable foresight.
By the time he reached the advanced class building, having greeted everyone he passed, Shirone was already exhausted.
“Oh? It’s Shirone! Hello, Shirone!”
“Shirone. I’m a fan. Is it okay if I just follow you around from now on?”
The female students of Class Six approached him amicably. This was the very class that had been most displeased with his early promotion. Since he had jumped from Class Seven to Five, it was understandable that they, being stuck in the middle, would feel resentful. But now, with even the upperclassmen of Class Four considering him a future rival in the graduating class, they had no choice but to forget the past and change their attitude.
“Shirone. What are you doing after class today? Some friends and I are holding a magic demonstration later. Do you want to come?”
“We’re planning an outing on the holiday. You should come with us. I can be your partner.”
“Sorry. I haven't been feeling well lately.”
Plagued by nightmares every night and sudden eerie sensations while awake, he didn't want to go anywhere. The girls, aware of the insurmountable mountain named Amy, didn't seem too disappointed and left, promising to ask another time.
“Shirone, Shirone, Shirone! Shirone, Shirone!”
The moment he opened the classroom door, a classmate pulled him inside. Dragged away before he could even put down his bookbag, Shirone looked around in a daze, met by the gazes of his friends.
“What's wrong? What's going on?”
“The semester is almost over, so join our research society. The Class Five kids are starting one. The performance assessment is a free topic anyway. It'll save time and be fun. So, join us.”
“Hmm.”
Shirone didn't answer right away. He had received many offers, but he had always thought that if he were to join a society, it would have to be the Paranormal Research Society with Nade and Iruki.
“Shirone. Think about it. The reason you haven’t joined a society is for personal study, right? There are quite a few kids like you here. But you still have to do the performance assessment. That’s why we’re making a temporary one. It’s not a high-stakes project anyway, so we can just finish it quickly and disband. Then you’ll have more time for personal study.”
“Ah. That makes sense.”
It was certainly a good strategy. Since the performance assessment was a free topic, it wasn't as critical as the written exams or practical evaluations. On the other hand, joining an existing society only to quit after the assessment would be rude. Therefore, the proposal was for students without a society to form a temporary one to handle the assessment.
“Hey! What are you guys scheming? Not Shirone! Shirone is mine!”
Nade shouted, hiding Shirone behind him. The students stared at him, dumbfounded. One friend, who knew Nade's situation, pressed him fiercely.
“That’s ridiculous. You’re just trying to get him to join that weird society of yours, aren't you? Shirone, you should never join that one. Even if you don't join ours, you'd be better off in any other society. I've never once heard of Nade actually doing a performance assessment in all my time at this school.”
The Paranormal Research Society boasted a long tradition, but its official activities were extremely rare. In fact, most students didn't even know Nade had a society.
“Huh? Nade, you have a research society?”
Nade's eyes darted around, and he used his characteristic quick thinking to escape the crisis.
“Hmph. Of course. You think the most popular guy in school wouldn't have a society? Anyway, you can't have Shirone, so I'm taking him.”
Nade grabbed Shirone's wrist and headed for the door. The student who had invited Shirone shouted after them.
“Hey, Shirone! You really need to think carefully! Don't ever join that one! And Nade, you stop distracting Shirone from his studies and just let him join somewhere comfortable!”
“Hahaha! Say what you will, but Shirone's mind is already filled with thoughts of me! We've already crossed a forbidden line!”
Shirone's face turned pale.
“Wait, Nade. What are you talking about…?”
Nade gave him no chance to protest and closed the door. The students in the classroom stared at the spot with blank expressions.
“...What did he just say?”
The student who had yelled at Nade scratched his head.
“This is bad. That guy Nade, he really plans to drag Shirone in. He can't get swayed.”
“No, I think he's already been swayed. Anyway, where did he take him? Class is about to start.”
* * *
As soon as they were in the hallway, Shirone shook off Nade's hand. He knew it was a joke, but an unsettling feeling lingered.
“Hey! Why on earth would you say something like that?”
“Hahaha! It's not wrong, though. You're the only one who has seen the true nature of the Paranormal Research Society.”
“The society's true nature? There wasn't much to see.”
Nade glanced at the people passing by in the hallway, then pulled Shirone down to a sitting position.
“Sit down for a second.”
“Alright. Stop rushing me.”
Shirone sat down and leaned his back against the wall. After checking both ways again, Nade lowered his voice and spoke.
“You're the only one who's actually been inside the society room. So you must never speak of it.”
“Speak of it or not, it’s not like anyone asks, right?”
“Anyway! We're already low on members, and the administration is talking about disbanding us. We need to stay as quiet as possible, so don't even breathe a word about the paranormal.”
“Fine. I wasn't planning on it anyway.”
In Shirone's eyes, the Paranormal Research Society seemed to be failing, but to its underground members who knew its true value, it was a society that others were constantly looking for a chance to swallow whole. The teachers, on the other hand, were desperate to have it disbanded.
“By the way, are you really going to join a research society?”
Nade had long known about the strategy of forming temporary societies at the end of the semester. While it was an efficient method, he didn't think it suited Shirone's situation.
“I was thinking about it. Why? Is there a reason I shouldn't?”
“Of course. The performance assessment might not be a huge deal, but doing it with just anyone is a loss. Besides, you're aiming for the top of the school. Every single point is important. Rather than coasting by in some half-baked group, you'd be better off doing it alone or joining a proper society.”
In Class Four, where students aimed for the graduating class, perfect scorers in certain subjects were not unheard of, so a one-point difference in the performance assessment could often be a significant variable.
‘Hmm. But if I do the assessment by myself, it’ll take too much time.’
After mulling it over, Shirone spoke.
“Nade. What if… I were to join the Paranormal Research Society?”
Nade's face lit up. If Shirone joined, they would be a trio within the society. Although they hung out together whenever they had time, Iruki often skipped class, so it didn't always feel complete.
But Nade couldn't readily agree. It had been 45 years since the Alpheas Magic Academy was founded. Most students went on to society after their graduation exams, but in the shadows unknown to them, there was another world, a society of its own, where diverse individuals lived their lives engaging in extraordinary activities. The Paranormal Research Society was one such place.
“Hmm. Are you sure? To be honest, our society is closer to the underground. For starters, the whole paranormal and psychic science thing is pretty niche. It would be great if you joined, but honestly, it’s not something I’d recommend to a friend.”
Shirone had guessed that there was some secret to Nade's society from his classmates' reactions in the lecture hall just now. But he didn't want to choose a society just for his grades. The field of paranormal and psychic science was something he had been interested in since he was a child.
“It's not just for that reason. Actually… I've been a bit strange lately. I was going to ask you guys about it anyway. I was thinking, maybe paranormal and psychic science could explain it.”