"Marble Phantasm? What is that, Sensei?" Yuuto asked.
Lady Avalon's voice came through the phone.
"Marble Phantasm is an ability possessed by beings directly connected to Gaia," she explained calmly. "And I am certain… that you possess it."
Yuuto fell silent for a moment, then asked again in a serious tone,
"Could you explain Marble Phantasm in more detail, Sensei?"
"With Marble Phantasm," Lady Avalon continued, her voice filled with enthusiasm,
"you can alter reality or the environment around you according to your imagination, turning it into a pure natural phenomenon—as if you were manipulating the planet itself."
She paused briefly, then went on.
"This is not magecraft. It is a power that comes directly from Gaia."
"That is why it is impossible for humans to wield it. Gaia dislikes humans and will never grant them authority of this magnitude."
Her tone grew animated once more.
"However, your case is different. You are now a being of Gaia—a hybrid of fae and dragon. Because of that, you can certainly use Marble Phantasm. With Marble Phantasm, you can manifest it as an overwhelmingly powerful attack,
or transform an area into your own imaginary world—creating castles, forests, mountains, or any landscape you can envision."
"And you, honey," Lady Avalon added lightly,
"have actually come very close to activating your first Marble Phantasm before."
Yuuto fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"I… never want to do that, Sensei," Yuuto said quietly.
On the other end of the call, Lady Avalon chuckled softly.
"You almost did it when you were in the world of Yamato," she said.
"But what happened then was only the awakening of the world's consciousness—not a direct alteration of reality."
She then added, her tone slightly teasing,
"And yet… back then, you were extremely close to unconsciously activating Marble Phantasm, you know~"
Yuuto pondered for a moment, then continued.
"So… this is an area-based ability, right? In other words, I can create my own territory?"
Lady Avalon laughed softly, her voice cheerful.
"Exactly right, my student. As always, your understanding is quick," she said proudly.
Yuuto nodded lightly, then asked again,
"In that case… what do I need to do to activate this ability, Sensei?"
"Nothing," Lady Avalon replied briefly.
"Nothing…?" Yuuto repeated, slightly surprised.
"Yes. No rituals, no incantations, and no special conditions," Lady Avalon continued calmly.
"To activate Marble Phantasm, you simply need to connect with the will of the planet—Gaia itself."
She paused briefly, then added lightly,
"You only need to desire the change to happen. If your desire aligns with Gaia, then the world will grant it."
"But remember," she added,
"Marble Phantasm cannot directly affect humans. They are no longer part of Gaia."
"Even so," her voice softened,
"you can still influence the environment around them—the land, the air, the sea, the weather, and all natural phenomena that encompass them."
"So… all I need to do is connect my consciousness with Gaia, right?" Yuuto asked.
"Then what should I do to achieve that?"
"That is simple as well," Lady Avalon replied.
"Beings of Gaia are instinctively connected to the will of the planet."
She continued,
"That connection is not something you need to learn—it is something you need to realize.
Your will and the planet's desire have long intersected deep within you."
Yuuto fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly,
"That's strange… until now, I haven't felt anything from Gaia. Is something wrong with me?"
"No," Lady Avalon answered calmly.
"There is nothing wrong with you at all."
"The reason you have not felt the will of the planet is because your human consciousness and Arthur have narrowed Gaia's will within you.
Those two things have restrained you from fully connecting with Gaia."
Hearing Arthur's name, Yuuto went quiet for a moment. His memories flickered briefly.
"So… big brother is still protecting me," he murmured softly.
Lady Avalon continued in a calm voice.
"Normally, beings of Gaia do not possess a will that is completely separate from the planet," she explained.
"Their existence, logic, and purpose are directly bound to the natural cycle of life and to Gaia's will itself."
She paused, then added,
"One could say that they are part of the Gaia System. They live for the planet—not for themselves.
Because of that… they do not truly possess freedom."
"I see…" Yuuto murmured, his brows knitting slightly.
"Then… am I like them too? Unable to act freely?"
Lady Avalon answered calmly.
"No. You are different."
"You still possess a human will. That is why you are also connected to Alaya."
She continued her explanation.
"Beings of Gaia are fully bound to the planet's will. Meanwhile, humans—through experience, suffering, and choice—create a separate collective consciousness known as Alaya."
She then went on,
"That is why you are not completely merged with Gaia."
Then Lady Avalon spoke again.
"In short," she said,
"inside you exists something like an on/off switch created by Arthur—to disconnect and reconnect you to the planet Gaia's desires."
Yuuto nodded lightly.
"So… I just need to press 'on' to connect with Gaia?"
"Exactly right, honey," Lady Avalon replied without hesitation.
However, Yuuto asked again, his tone more serious this time.
"In that case, Sensei… what if the 'off' switch can't be pressed? What if, once activated, the connection stays on?
Does that mean I'll be connected to Gaia forever?"
"No," Lady Avalon answered shortly.
She then continued,
"The off switch can definitely be pressed. You will not be connected to Gaia forever."
Her voice softened.
"Your human consciousness itself will turn it off. Don't forget what I told you before."
She took a breath and continued.
"You are not only connected to Alaya through your human consciousness… but also to the Root."
"Never underestimate that 'ultimate source.'"
Yuuto swallowed.
Those words revived his memories of their conversation in the world of Yamato, when Lady Avalon had said that his existence was already connected to the Root.
"…Yes," Yuuto said. "I still remember."
"All right, Sensei. Let's begin," Yuuto said firmly.
"Now calm yourself," Lady Avalon said gently. "And close your eyes."
Yuuto followed her instructions.
He placed the flip phone on a table formed from massive tree roots, then slowly took a breath.
His eyelids closed. The outside world faded away, leaving only his consciousness.
Belfast and the others watched from a distance.
"It seems it has begun," Belfast said softly, her eyes fixed on Yuuto as he stood calmly with his eyes closed.
Honoka leaned forward slightly, her face full of curiosity.
"What do you think Melusine is going to do? Maybe sword training again?" she said cheerfully.
"Shhh," Umi whispered quickly, turning toward Honoka.
"Don't be so loud. Melusine is concentrating."
Kotori remained silent, watching Yuuto, who had not moved at all.
"It doesn't look like sword training this time," Kotori said.
Yuuto stood completely still, his eyes tightly shut. Several moments passed in silence, until he slowly began to feel something.
From the soles of his feet, a subtle pulse emerged—like a vibration creeping upward.
The sensation slowly spread throughout his body, incredibly calm, as if something were awakening from within him.
At the same time, another change began to occur. His feelings toward humanity as a whole started to fade.
The sense of concern he had always held diminished little by little, like sand eroded by waves.
Even toward the individuals around him—people who had once shared connections with him—those emotions began to thin.
They did not disappear abruptly, but gradually faded, as if being gently pulled away by something unseen.
Honoka, who had been watching Yuuto the entire time, suddenly felt something strange.
"Eh… what is this?" she murmured softly.
Her chest felt tight. A familiar feeling crept in—confusion, loneliness, and a sense of being abandoned, like losing something incredibly important without knowing what it was.
She instinctively clutched her chest.
"Wh-why… does it hurt so much…" she whispered.
Honoka turned toward Kotori, Umi, and Belfast.
All three of them wore the same expression as Honoka.
Their faces were pale, restless, as if overwhelmed by an unexplainable fear. Tears streamed down without them realizing it—not from physical pain, but from an overwhelming premonition of loss.
"Y-you… you feel it too, right?" Honoka asked, her voice trembling.
Kotori nodded faintly, clutching the hem of her clothes.
"Yes… I feel it too," Kotori replied quietly.
Umi looked at Honoka, her eyes wet.
"H-Honoka, I… I really hate this feeling," she said, her voice strained.
A moment of silence enveloped them.
Then Belfast stepped forward and stood straight.
"This must be stopped immediately," she said firmly.
"We have to wake him up."
She looked at Umi, Honoka, and Kotori one by one.
They exchanged glances, then nodded in unison. Slowly, the three of them stood up, even though their legs still felt weak.