“But if you say ‘witch’ and ‘occult’, you’re obviously talking about that, right?”
“That…?”
“Of course, that! The great magic that the witches are said to have hidden even after their deaths! The [Lost Magic]!”
Yuki said with sparkling eyes. There are many rumors and lies about witches, and the “Lost Magic” is a famous urban legend.
It is said to be the lost magic due to witch hunts, and it was said to be something that witches did not disclose to the world because it contained dangerous and powerful powers. It was said to be more powerful than nuclear weapons, and there were technologies that surpassed modern science.
“Things like Bykorn’s Arrows, Tokarev’s Axe, and Basdinus’s Underworld Fortress are so cool, don’t you think…? I see their names in games all the time.”
“Yuki, Yuki. People call that ‘chunibyo’.”
“I’m still only in middle school first year.”
“Haha…”
But in the end, it’s just an urban legend. Kasumi knows better than anyone that such things don’t actually exist. The urban legend of witches hiding powerful magic is often used as a setting in games and anime, and its mystique is popular among children and young people.
“W-Well, ‘Lost Magic’ doesn’t really exist, you know…”
“What are you saying, Kasumi! You have no dreams! After all, no one knows the real story of the witches from the past…!”
“Uh, yeah…”
Kasumi was taken aback by Yuki’s enthusiasm. She couldn’t say that she knew the real story of the witches from the past. Yuki was at an age where she wanted to dream about urban legends and grandiose tales.
“Yeah, the Lost Magic is great. You can create a different dimension and make your own miniature garden there, or you can warp to another place through a different dimension. Really, I want that…”
“If something like that existed, I think the witches would have escaped from the church…”
“Everyone, what kind of Lost Magic do you like?”
Yuki asked eagerly.
“Um… Wasn’t there something like Shutz’s cage? It’s a bag that contains a lot of food and water, and it never runs out. I want that.”
“Eh, Kasumi, that’s plain…”
“Why not! Not starving is amazing!”
Due to her harsh experiences in her past life, Kasumi became a little heated.
“I don’t care about weird magic or anything, I don’t know much about it.”
“Hmm, Tiffy seems as sleepy as usual.”
Tiffy, not interested in Lost Magic, waved her hand while resting her head on the desk.
“What do you have for me, Tuli? “
As Yuki directed the conversation toward Tuli, she murmured with a small voice, resting her chin on her fingers and exhaling softly.
“… [The Magic of Reincarnation] …”
“Hm?”
“…eh?”
With Tuli’s quiet voice, Kasumi widened her eyes slightly and stiffened her body.
“…………”
“Reincarnation, you say…?”
Yuki tilted her head slightly at Tuli’s quiet voice.
“I wonder if there was such a lost magic? Reincarnation as lost magic…?”
“Oh, well… It might not be a famous urban legend, but… it might be nice if something like that existed, don’t you think…?”
Tuli opened her mouth as if making excuses, somewhat bewildered by her own statement. Yuki put her hand to her chin, pondering.
“Certainly… if there was a magic of reincarnation, it would be amazing. You could get perfect scores on tests from a young age, couldn’t you?”
“…But you already get perfect scores on tests without needing reincarnation.”
“That’s right. Then I don’t need it.”
Yuki quickly dismissed the benefits of reincarnation.
“Tuli, did you ever come across a work where reincarnation magic was depicted as lost magic? Like in a manga or an anime?”
“Uh, um… I think there was something… I wonder how it was…”
Tuli seemed a little troubled as she put her hand to her chin, trying to think of an answer. She muddled her words, trying to obscure something while speaking ambiguously.
“It seems likely. Manga and such freely use the setting of lost magic. How many lost magics have been created in entertainment using that setting…”
“Lost magic, suspected of being too convenient.”
“Yes, yes, that’s right… I think I saw it in some manga, too.”
However, neither Yuki nor Tiffy paid any attention to Tuli’s behavior. Countless works of entertainment had been created using the setting of lost magic. Among them, it was not surprising if the setting of reincarnation magic existed.
“…………”
However, only Kasumi was subtly observing Tuli.
“If you could reincarnate, what would you do, Tiffy?”
“Hmm… play the piano.”
“But you already play it without needing reincarnation.”
“Hmm… then I’d become a koala. I want to sleep twenty-two hours a day.”
“Your motivation is a sloth.”
“Find a more meaningful way to reincarnate…”
In the corner of the classroom, the girls chattered excitedly. It was aimless chatter of teenage girls, devoid of any intent or ulterior motive. Tuli inwardly felt relieved that her careless topic hadn’t led the conversation to question her origins.
However, Kasumi subtly observed Tuli. With an animalistic gaze, she tried to discern Tuli’s inner thoughts from her expressions and gestures.
“By the way…”
As if remembering something, Kasumi spoke up.
“Remember the big church about five stations from here?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh yeah.”
“…There’s a rumor that a long-ago witch left a message there.”
Leaning heavily against the backrest, Kasumi said as if it were nothing.
“A long-ago witch?”
“Yeah. Next to that church with its long history, there’s a giant tree that’s been there for about five hundred years. According to the urban legend, a long-ago witch left her research on the trunk, and during the twilight when the sun sets, the witch’s research appears on the trunk, containing information on various lost magics. Stories of ancient weapons and spells that can do things even modern science can’t. That’s the tale.”
Kasumi rambled on, then pointed at Tuli.
“Your talk about [reincarnation magic], isn’t there any information about it?”
“Huh, well…?”
Asked about the topic, Tuli’s face tensed slightly. Though it was a topic she had casually brought up, she wanted to avoid it getting deeper.
“Did you go to check it out, Kasumi?”
“Of course I did. But in the end, it was just a rumor. Nothing happened when I approached the tree near the church, and no message appeared. It was a wild goose chase.”
“Oh, what a bore.”
“Indeed.”
Yuki pouted, and Kasumi laughed. From an outsider’s perspective, it was just a trivial rumor, a story of a girl’s failed attempt. Neither Yuki nor Tiffy believed in such rumors.
“……Huh.”
However, Tuli seemed a little different. She didn’t make fun of Kasumi’s gossip or dismiss it. She simply tried not to reveal her inner thoughts, keeping her face and actions steady.
Yet Kasumi didn’t overlook her rigid demeanor.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
It was after school.
“I wonder if that rumor is true…”
“Most likely a lie, but gossip won’t spring up from nowhere. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to investigate?”
Riding the train with Tuli, Rain, a boy from the same class as her, was chatting.
Evening was approaching, and the sun, tinted red, was nearing the horizon, trying to dye the sky and clouds in its hue. Warm-colored light streamed in through the train’s windows, casting a faint red glow inside the car.
Shadows on the ground stretched long, and soon the sun would hide beyond the horizon, and the sky would begin to be enveloped in the darkness of night. On their way home from school just before dusk, Tuli and Rain were heading towards the church mentioned in Kasumi’s story.
“We are reincarnates. If there are clues about ourselves, no matter how seemingly false the story, we have no choice but to investigate it, right?”
“Certainly, as Tuli says, but…”
They spoke in hushed tones, ensuring no one overheard them.
Tuli and Rain were reincarnates. They had ended their previous lives, retaining memories from their past lives while being reborn for reasons and causes entirely unknown. They had thought they would never know why, but if possible, they wanted to know the reason behind this mysterious phenomenon that had happened to them.
Adjusting their time, they traveled by train from where the school was located to the rumored church five stations away to investigate. As the sun slowly set and the sky grew redder, they got off the train, and they headed towards the largest and somewhat famous church in the area.
“But… isn’t something off…?”
While walking, Rain murmured, and Tuli tilted her head.
“Rain? What’s off? It’s probably just an urban legend, so there’s nothing weird about it.”
“Well… Kasumi went to the church herself to check the truth of that rumor, right? And she didn’t find anything.”
“Yeah, that’s what she said.”
“If that’s the case, it should have turned from ‘gossip’ to ‘lies’ in her mind, shouldn’t it?”
Rain slowly spoke, organizing his thoughts in his mind.
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