Biting down on the book, a mark could already be seen on the cover as Sato prepared for what is to come.
With a gentle touch, Irina pressed on Sato's forehead, the top of her fingers covered in mana.
"I'm going to start with the physical circuit. After that, I'll move on to the others. Between each step I'll give you three minutes to process the pain, otherwise, you'll die from shock. Got it?"
Sato nodded to Irina, as beads of sweat already formed on his face. With a simple gesture, Irina traced a glowing line across his skin.
At first, there was only silence within him. Then, a sudden snap, followed by mana bursting to life inside his body.
The pain was indescribable, like his body was being ripped apart from the inside, as if every bone and muscle rebelled against him.
He tried to move, but his body didn't respond as he wanted. His hands pulled instinctively, but the shackles held him in place. The book's cover between his teeth was already half-torn from how hard he was biting down.
Just as she had said, Irina waited for him to recover. Three minutes crawled by, Sato still writhing in agony, before she made her next move, forcing open the second circuit.
Sato was already exhausted…for a second he felt like the pain was gone until she opened his mind circuit.
Now his mind felt completely blank, every thought drowned beneath the sensation of thousands of needles piercing into his brain. If the physical circuit had only made him struggle against the chains, this time he screamed with everything he had, his voice muffled by the book clamped between his teeth, barely masking the true extent of his agony.
Three more minutes passed, during which Sato was unable to think about anything. At this point, he didn't even remember that there was one more circuit left to be opened.
"One more circuit and it's over. If you're truly serious about this competition… prove it."
Irina's voice was cold, stripped of any hint of expectation. She watched him struggle, certain the next circuit would be the one to break him.
From Sato's perspective, everything blurred together. He couldn't make sense of anything, there was only pain, mixed with the desperate wish for it all to just end.
Irina traced another line across his forehead. Her touch was gentle, yet it felt as if someone were carving into his skin with a knife.
Through the storm of agony, the third and final circuit was forced open.
A feeling unlike anything before tore through Sato, as if his very being was shattering from within, like glass splintering under unbearable pressure.
My body…I can't move it, I feel numb…
But contrary to anyone's expectations, Sato felt nothing at all. Instead of pain, a new challenge awaited him. When he finally opened his eyes, he found his own spirit floating above his own body, trembling on the verge of slipping away.
"No… where are you going…"
Sato muttered, but his words echoed into nothingness. No answer came. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, only his thoughts remained.
"Damn it… when I was so close, you abandon me right at the end…"
A tear rolled down his cheek as despair threatened to consume him. But then, gritting his teeth, he snarled through the agony.
"I won't accept this. I've already got so far. If I fail here, then everything will mean nothing."
With one desperate motion, Sato reached out. Fingers trembling, he clawed toward the fading light of his spirit and, through sheer will, dragged it back into himself.
"What is he even doing…his heart has stopped but his mana is still boiling."
Irina could not perceive the spiritual battle within Sato. For her, a so-called genius, this moment was wrapped in mystery.
"There is no way!"
For the first time, Irina was surprised by him.
"A moment ago he was on the brink of death, and now… As much as I hate to admit it… maybe he isn't as weak as I thought."
She rose from the bed, and with a flick of her hand a small purple flame appeared, only to vanish just as quickly, leaving a book in its place.
This doesn't change the fact that I'll still look for another exis. Even with your circuits open, it'll take years before you get any stronger. But at least now… you're no longer a complete waste of time.
"You want to learn magic, very well then, in this case you can have one of my books."
As Sato lay sleeping, drained of all strength, she released the shackles and cast aside the ruined book he had bitten through. Resting the book she had conjured upon the nightstand, without a word, leaving the room.
Although it wasn't visible, Sato was in constant pain even in his sleep., his body and mind screaming in agony as he tried to get some rest.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, but he was no longer in his room, but in a strange place, an island suspended in the air. As he looked around, he saw a purple sky streaked with black and red rifts, as if it had been slashed apart. Chunks of earth float in the air, and in the distance… a house.
"What is this place? A minute ago I was in my room…now…I don't feel the pain anymore…did I die?"
He muttered under his breath, shocked, trying to grasp how it had slipped away. He had been so close, so certain he could seize his spirit, and yet, in the end…
"Hey, you are finally awake!"
A voice could be heard, but Sato didn't see anyone until he looked down.
"A teddy bear…?"
A stuffed bear stood in front of him, waving for him to follow.
"Come with me!"
"At this point I can't even say if I am in heaven or hell anymore…"
Perplexed, Sato decided to follow the bear as it headed toward the house, his mind still reeling over what could have happened to him.
Is this a dream…or reality? I can't even grasp what's going on. It's so frustrating…
At the front of the house there was no door, only a white portal shimmering in its place, acting as the entrance. Without hesitation, the bear passed straight through it.
So I am supposed to just go through this without knowing where it leads?…I guess I don't have anything to lose anymore…
Sato hesitated for a moment, but he knew he had to try, placing only his hand inside at first, yet a hand was enough. Without any warning, he was pulled in.
Now inside the house, he looked around. On his left, a pile of mannequins tossed over each other. On his right, scattered toys and another door leading to a different room. In the middle, there was a table where the teddy bear perched on a small chair, while a mannequin lay sprawled on the floor beside it.
"Alright, this is not creepy at all… just terrifying."
Thinking that, he approached the table where the stuffed animal pointed to his seat.
The moment he sat down, the teddy bear collapsed instantly, as if its strings had been cut.
A cold shiver crawled down Sato's spine as, from the corner of his eye, he caught a faint twitch from the mannequin lying lifeless on the floor.
His heartbeat quickened. Slowly, he turned to glance behind him, only to find the entrance gone.
"What is happening?"
Sweat rolled down his face as he stared in disbelief. In an instant, unseen strings coil around the mannequin's wrists, snapping them tight. With a violent pull, the figure lurched upright into the chair, its hollow gaze locking onto him.
His eyes widened in disbelief as the mannequin lifted the teapot.
"Tea?" A childish girl's voice echoed through the entire room, clear and unsettling.
Sato just nodded, a cup on the table being filled and handed to him.
It's really tea…and it's sweet…but, what is she after?
"Tell me Sato, what do you think about the Black Witch?"
He stared at the faceless mannequin, the childish voice echoing in his mind. Whoever she was, she wanted to know more about Irina, but regardless of what she's after, just his opinion about her won't let her accomplish anything.
"She…is a pain, having an alias like the Black Witch but treating everybody like a cold queen. Insufferable, and impossible to get anything out of her."
"In that case, why are you still with her? You know, you could have severed the contract any time."
"I didn't know… but even if I had, I wouldn't have done it. As much of a pain as she is, she's still willing to give someone like me a chance. And because of that, I want to help her win this competition."
"Yet you know nothing about her, this competition, not even the heroes that you will fight with… and still, you choose to continue?"
"Yes," he answered proudly.
"You know, you are quite stupid."
The voice echoes through the room, sounding almost cheerful.
"I…I may be…But even so, all I need to do is to get stronger, and then I am sure she will recognize…"
He was abruptly cut off, the childish voice resonating through the entire room. The voice that had been so playful a moment ago suddenly sharpened, cutting through the air.
"NO, YOU ARE NOT!"
"Somebody… somebody shouldn't like someone just because of how strong they are."
In that moment, Sato remembered a fundamental truth: a link between two people is not built only on strength.
"I'm sorry… I snapped."
Like a child admitting she had done something wrong, the mannequin in front of him bowed its head.
"No, it's alright. You made me remember something very important. Relationships aren't about strength alone. They're about respect, trust… and the will to stand by each other, not just power, right?"
For a second, silence covered the room. As Sato looked toward the mannequin, he caught a fleeting image, a beautiful young girl with long silver hair and purple eyes, smiling at him.
"Yeah!!" The voice approved happily.
"Tell me, for the rest of your stay, would you like to play?"
At first he was taken aback by her question but he gave in.
The two of them played in a space where time isn't even a concept. Until, little by little, Sato became more and more transparent.
"It seems like it's time for you to go," the voice said, a little sad.
"I see… I had a lot of fun."
"Me too… It was very fun."
Without the expectation of seeing her again, Sato asked her one final question.
"Before I go, can you tell me one more thing?"
Sato didn't even face the mannequin but the room itself.
"What is your name?"
With a gentle voice, before he could disappear completely.
"Puppeteer!"
He woke with a tear tracing his cheek, the remnants of the dream clinging to him like a whisper. Now ready to tell Irina that power isn't everything, that a link means much more than this.
Soon after, Irina barged into the room and sat on the bed beside him without saying a word.
"Irina!" startled by her sudden arrival.
"Now that you are awake, we need to talk."