For the first time, Irina was the one who wanted to talk to Sato.
He was surprised by her behavior, before opening his mana circuits, she hadn't even looked him in the eye, now she was willing to start a conversation.
This feels so strange, Irina wants to talk to me, am I still dreaming?
As he thought about this, a sudden sharp pain tore through him, the agony of the circuits returned, now that he was awake. Sweat trickled down his face as he struggled to resist the urge to scream.
His mana…the circuits might be open, but his body hasn't caught up yet.
"Lay down on the bed."
At first, Sato was confused, why would she ask him to lie down again? Still, he obeyed. As he settled back, Irina placed one hand on his chest, where his heart was already racing, and the other against his forehead.
Mana formed in her palms, guiding its flow into Sato's body. Bit by bit, the agony loosened its grip, replaced by a fragile sense of relief.
This feels… so nice. Like a heavy weight was being lifted off my shoulders. But… Why is she suddenly doing all of this? Did I really do something so incredible to deserve this kind of treatment?
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this so you'll stop whining about the pain." she said coldly.
"So I guess this is it huh…"
Time slipped by, the morning light already spilling through the apartment's window by the time Irina finished. At some point during the process, Sato had drifted off to sleep.
The next morning he woke feeling better than he had in days. He stretched and couldn't deny it, whatever Irina had done, it worked perfectly.
I thought about telling her that a bond means more than strength, but maybe she already knows…maybe she's finally willing to give me a chance. Even so, should I still say it?
Lost in thought, his gaze drifted to the nightstand, where the conjured book lay. Flipping it open, he realized instantly what it contained.
"I guess she is trying to change as well."
With a quiet sense of peace, he closed the book, and made his way into the living room where Irina sat at a table with a glass of juice, hands folded and eyes closed.
Once he sat down, Irina opened her eyes, ready to explain to him the truth about this competition.
"First, let's start with the competition. As I said before, one hundred heroes fight for The Grand Bell, an object that once obtained can grant almost any wish."
So there is a limit to what you can wish for…I wonder where that line is drawn.
"It appears once every two years, choosing one world at random. Because of this we were sent here to fight for a chance to fulfill one of our wishes."
"But wh…?"
"I told you not to interrupt me. As for why Nexus would do all of this, I have my own speculation. But I'm bound by the rules, so I can't speak of it."
No point in overthinking it, I guess…There are other things I should be worrying about right now…
"Now let's move to what actually matters, what a hero is, and what an exis represents to them…"
At those words, Sato leaned forward, listening carefully. She had mentioned exis a few times, but never explained what it truly meant. Now, at last, he was about to find out.
"In short, a hero is someone who accomplished something remarkable in their past life."
Something remarkable in their past life…
"Wait, does that mean…?"
"Exactly. Heroes are people who once lived normally. After death, they were given a second chance in Nexus because of their achievements."
"But, what are those achievements and what does a second chance mean?"
Irina frowned at Sato, annoyed that he kept talking even after she had told him not to ask anything.
"Death isn't as simple as people think, some believe you reincarnate, ascend… or end up in Heaven or Hell, stupid stories people tell themselves. In reality, death is not that kind."
That pretty much covers every story I've ever heard…
"Life depends on the heart and brain, but what drives them is the soul, the core of our existence."
"The soul…?" Sato repeated under his breath.
"When someone dies, that core fades until nothing remains. For heroes, however, death is different…"
He tightened his grip on the book.
"With our souls gone, Nexus replaces them, becoming our core and keeping us alive. Even if we fall in this form, we don't truly die, we simply return to it."
"So even if you die here, you will return to Nexus."
"Indeed."
"As for achievements, Nexus doesn't seem to discriminate. If you did something grand in your past life, good or bad, you can become a hero."
"Like what? What have you done to become one?"
At his words, Irina visibly tensed, her expression hardening.
"Don't push your luck."
…Guess it's too soon to talk about that.
"Ok…"
"And finally, what is an exis. Simply put, you are our existence. Once heroes arrive in the world, we're cut off from Nexus until we're eliminated. Because of this, we need to find an anchor in that world, someone to act as our core."
She clenched her teeth, cursing the rule's stupidity, knowing it was nothing more than a mask of entertainment hiding whatever they were truly plotting.
If these rules didn't exist, I wouldn't have needed a contract at all and the competition would already be over.
After hearing everything, Sato could only wonder how he was supposed to help her. But, no answer came to mind…except for the book she had made for him.
"This book… what's with it?"
"Oh, that? Consider it a reward for not dying. Read it, and if you're lucky, in a few years you might manage to conjure a flame."
Saying this in her usual cold tone, she rose from the chair, signaling that the conversation was over.
But I don't have years…
"Is there really no other way to become stronger?"
"Unless you can slow down or stop time, I wouldn't count on it."
Irina threw herself on the couch, switching on the TV while Sato was lost in thought. Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing the caller, he realized it was his parents, asking about the students who had disappeared from his school.
After a long conversation, he managed to reassure them that everything was fine and that he would be okay. With that, he hung up.
"Who was it?"
"My parents…they're worried about the students who vanished from school."
"Now that you mention it…you live alone?"
Sato walked into the living room and sat down beside her, still getting used to the change in her attitude now that she seemed willing to listen.
"Yes…since my parents live in the countryside, I came here alone for school."
"I see…well, that's not so bad then."
At least this makes everything easier, I can't deal with parents anyway…
Just as Sato began to relax, a second alarm went off, catching his attention. Glancing at it, he realized it was the one for school.
"I still have to go to school…" he said with clear disappointment.
"Can't you just…not go?"
"I'd love to, but I have a test today."
She gave him a cold look.
He really doesn't understand the position he's in now…how stupid.
Ready for school, Sato was followed by Irina, who left him nearby after reminding him that if anything happened, she would be close by. At the entrance, standing by his locker, Sato bent down and switched his shoes.
What a day…and night. It feels like I've dived into a completely different world. Which, I guess, isn't that bad… After all, this is what I asked for. I wonder what will come next.
Sato closed his locker and froze. Megumi was standing right there, waiting for him.
"Wh-What are you doing?"
"We need to talk, come with me."
For a second, everything felt like deja vu. What could Megumi want to talk to him about?