Chapter 66 Desperation and Desire
Chapter 66 Desperation and Desire
After many days of reading and trying to decipher the texts of countless books, Reika felt exhausted. She sat at a desk in a quiet corner of the library and pulled out a small piece of paper, upon which she had scribbled a few simple words in Japanese:
Requirements to go back home…
A gate… with a special setup...
A huge amount of power… maybe...
Divine power…
She frowned, staring at the paper.
This is too rough. Too vague. She thougth.
“First, the gate—where do we even find one? And what does it look like?” she murmured to herself. “The place where the princess summoned us didn’t look special. There weren’t any markings… I think... She never mentioned anything about it—just that she didn’t really know.”
Then she remembered something from one of the books about the gods: a diagram that looked like a star map—points connected by glowing lines, forming a kind of constellation it looked quite similar to the painting she saw at the castle.
“If that’s a map of the realms…” she muttered, leaning back in her chair. “Then we need to figure out which point is Earth… and which one is this world. They seemed interconnected, with multiple paths between them—and to other worlds. Ugh, this is hard.”
Growing restless, Reika wandered the tower, asking a few friendly-looking teachers about the nature of the realm—carefully trying to avoid running into the Tower Master.
“Yes, young one,” said an older demi-human professor, his voice raspy but kind. He had patches of fine scales on his cheeks and a braided beard streaked with silver. “It depends on the kingdom and the era, but our realm is known by many names. Vor dem letzten, Före den sista...” He paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “I believe the most dominant term is Ante Novissimum. But at the end of the day, they all refer to the same thing.”
Reika tilted her head. “What about the names of the other realms?”
The old man chuckled softly. “That’s beyond my knowledge, I’m afraid. We still have much left to discover—even within our own world. For example, we know very little about the demon lands… Ultima Thule, as some call it.”
Reika’s eyes widened slightly.
Back in the library, she pondered those words. Then maybe the answer lies with the demons? She sighed and leaned forward over her notes. Ugh… this is exhausting. And we haven’t even seen a real demon yet—only their so-called minions. Sometimes I wonder if they even exist…
Her thoughts drifted again. Next is power…
The strongest thing I’ve seen so far might be the dragon’s death ray…
And that place—the holy mountain—it really does sound divine. So… is the dragon actually a god? Then how do we channel that energy into the door?
Still deep in thought, she gathered her notes and made her way back to her room. On the way, she spotted Master Lunara walking down the hall with a few young mages trailing behind her.
“Greetings, dear Reika,” Lunara said with a graceful smile. “It seems you’re still devoted to your research. I do wonder when you’ll finally accept my offer for private lessons.”
She then gestured to the young magicians behind her. “These are new applicants—like you. They’ve also shown remarkable potential.”
Reika gave a polite bow. “Welcome,” she said respectfully.
Lunara placed a gentle hand on the shoulder of one of the young girl mages. “The tower will continue to receive more and more applicants throughout the week. We plan to gather as much talent as we can.”
Then she turned to Reika. “All of you should prepare yourselves. After admissions are complete next week, we’ll hold a grand inauguration celebration. I hope you’ll make time to attend—it will also mark the anniversary of the death of the founder,” Lunara said, her gaze lingering on Reika.
With her research reaching a standstill, Reika shifted her focus to strengthening her magic. She sought out experienced mages and inquired about elemental magic, as well as magical devices that might help enhance her power.
The following week, around the time of the grand celebration…
Reika was returning from the practical training area when she made her way back to the library. This time, the place felt strangely empty. The usual hum of quiet study was gone. She resumed her research undisturbed, her thoughts turning once more to her unfinished quest.
Tomorrow… I’ll head out, she thought.
She checked the return gemstone again and applied her magic to it, but—once more—it did nothing. Her eyes narrowed, serious. With a sigh, she tucked the gem into her pocket and stood up.
That’s when she felt it—an eerie sensation, like a distant surge of magic building somewhere within the tower. Her body flinched instinctively. A sudden force tried to pull her from behind, but she quickly focused her magic around herself, reinforcing her body and holding her ground.
“What’s happening…?” she muttered, glancing around. The library was completely empty.
She headed toward the dining hall, hoping to find someone—anyone—to explain what was going on. But when she arrived, the place was eerily silent. Long tables stood untouched, and not a single person was in sight.
“Where is everybody…?” she whispered. “They were all supposed to be here…”
As she continued ascending the tower’s floors in search of answers, Reika spotted one of the elder magicians.
“Master Pery, what’s happening?” she called out.
But the old magician’s expression was blank—eerily empty, like a puppet without a soul. He turned his head slowly to face her.
“Follow me,” he said in a hollow voice.
A chill ran down Reika’s spine. Something was wrong. As she took a cautious step forward, she suddenly felt it—her magic… it was being drained. Subtly, but undeniably, it was slipping away.
She froze.
The old magician stopped too. Then, without warning, he turned to face her fully. His mouth opened—impossibly wide—splitting unnaturally as rows of jagged, spike-like teeth formed in his gaping maw.
He lunged.
“Ah!”
In a flash, she conjured a shimmering, mirror-like barrier just in time. The creature slammed into it with a sickening crunch, its teeth scraping against the magical shield. The false magician’s form twisted and morphed into two grotesque monsters—fleshy, bone-limbed things with pointed appendages like sharpened spears and pulsating centers of raw, red tissue.
They screeched—an inhuman, bone-chilling sound—as they pounded the barrier with their razor-like limbs.
Terrified but focused, Reika drew in her magic.
“Fireball!” she shouted, hurling a blazing sphere of flame toward them.
The fireball exploded, engulfing both creatures. They convulsed violently, their screeches becoming distorted whimpers until they finally collapsed—motionless and charred.
Breathing hard, Reika lowered the barrier and stepped closer to the remains.
“Is this… what’s been causing all this?” she murmured.
Her eyes narrowed, a mix of fear and determination hardening her resolve.
“Damn it… I should’ve left this place sooner.”
Without wasting another second, she turned and sprinted down the stairs, desperately trying to escape the tower.
But no matter how far she ran, the corridors kept stretching endlessly. The same floors repeated themselves—again and again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she passed the dining hall, the training area, the library… then the dormitories… and then it all looped again, just slightly different each time.
“What’s going on? Am I dreaming? Or trapped in some kind of illusion?”
She stopped once more as she reached the dormitory hallway again. But something was different—there was a door. A strange one. Larger, broader, and far more ornate than the ones she remembered.
Reika stared at it, hesitated… then tried her luck.
Click.
The door opened.
She stepped inside and found herself in what looked like a research chamber. Dozens of desks, arcane devices, and glowing crystals filled the space. Boards covered in magical formulas lined the walls.
“A research room…” she muttered, cautiously stepping inside.
But as soon as she entered, the door slammed shut behind her.
“No—wait!” she rushed to it and tried the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. A magical screen flared to life, covering the door and the walls with glowing sigils and barriers.
“Shit… shit… shit!”
For the first time in her life, Reika cursed with everything she had.
“Fuck this place! Fuck my dumb luck! Fuck my stupid decisions!”
She dropped to the ground, trembling with frustration and exhaustion. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling, mentally drained.
“Now that I think about it… life on Earth was easy. It wasn’t even hard…” she muttered bitterly.
She gave a small, broken laugh. “I really was just a conceited girl, wasn’t I?”
“Ah… I hope at least Yumi and Alessandra-sensei can find Iryoku,” Reika muttered, still lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling.
A small glint caught her eye—a reflection from one of the magical boards above. She turned her head, blinking at it. Slowly, she stood and walked over. One of the boards was filled with complex magical formulas.
She tried to make sense of them. Nothing.
“Haha…” she laughed bitterly at herself. “I don’t understand anything.”
Her laughter turned to soft sobs. Then the sobbing became crying.
She leaned forward and bumped her forehead against the board. A marker fell to the ground with a soft clack. Reika bent down, picked it up, and began to write in a small corner of the board:
“It’s my fault. I abandoned him… I’m not the hero… I never was… I’m not the protagonist. He was… I des—”
She hesitated, then finished the sentence:
“—I deserve to die.”
She stared at the words in silence, letting the meaning sink in. Then suddenly, new words appeared—magically written across the board:
“That’s not true.”
“Eh?” Reika blinked, dumbfounded.
She quickly scribbled back: “Who are you?”
The board glowed faintly, and new words appeared:
“Your husband. Wait for me. I’m coming to get you—right now, baby.”
“Hehehe…” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she dropped back to the ground, her back sliding against the wall. “My mind is playing tricks on me… These are just my desires, right?”
Above her, she heard a faint knock. Her hand trembled… but she lifted it and knocked back.
Her head was bowed, her body limp—utterly defeated.
Then she heard it: a powerful crack. Like glass striking glass. Distant.
Then again. Closer this time.
She looked up.
Another crash. Louder. The sound of magical glass shattering.
She blinked—and then it happened.
And standing there, framed by the light—
A man in black armor, dagger in hand, his eyes fierce, a wicked grin on his face. Bold. Unapologetic.
Iryoku.
He gave a small grin, soft but sure.
“I found you,” he said, voice low and certain. “I told you, you’d be mine… eventually.”
Reika stared in disbelief.
“You’re alive… You’re really here… You’re not just a hallucination?”
Her hand reached out, trembling—but she stopped halfway.
“No… This is just my guilt. My desire. My mind playing tricks on me,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I don’t deserve your words. I left you behind on the mountain. I activated the stone. I abandoned you to that dragon… I’m so sorry…”
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
But Iryoku stepped forward. Boldly. Without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into a firm embrace.
“Well, if I’m not real, then you won’t mind if I do this, right?”
He leaned in—and kissed her. Deeply...