If there’s anything colder than frost, it’s a relative’s flat denial. If there’s anything more ruthless than poison, it’s a relative’s betrayal for personal gain. If [redacted] (You don’t flip to the following content.)
I’m giving this to you, hoping that you, who are now strong, can give it and me the meaning we deserve. — Ye ■■■ (The name is garbled—can you only see the family name or the given name?)
I will always be someone you can lean on. I hope you won’t feel sad because I’m gone. — Hanazuki ■■■ (The name is garbled—can you only see the family name or the given name?)
I tried to focus all my attention, only to realize that my mind had already wandered off long ago. I hope you can help us live longer in this world than we did….. — ■■■■ (The rest is garbled—all you see is black brackets.)
Wouldn’t it be better to just stop thinking about anything and live day by day like this? — “Hanazuki ■” · Cycle ■ (…You have no thoughts on this.)
I just want to keep things the way they are, no matter how many lives it costs… — “Hanazuki ■■” Cycle ■ (…You have no thoughts on this.)
This world won’t stop for you, and our strength isn’t enough to keep us alive… I hope that our future selves can accomplish this and pass it down. — “Hanazuki ■” Cycle ■ (…You have no thoughts on this.)
I really wish I could see that with my own eyes… but unfortunately, I’m about to go meet my “predecessors.” — “Hanazuki ■■” Cycle ■■ (…)
…As long as this power is passed down, they will definitely be able to… We leave this body, these spells, to you… We believe in you… You will definitely be able to….. — “Hanazuki ■” Cycle ■■ (…)
I briefly analyzed the chain of cause and effect behind the failures of my “predecessors” and myself. The spells have been practiced to perfection, and there’s no need to say more about physical techniques. Sure enough, it’s because of some special reason… Sigh… What will become of the Hanazuki ■■s? — “Hanazuki ■■■” Cycle ■■
At this rate, even if we push forward to a hundred cycles… we still might not survive in this “terrifying world.” Based on the deductions of the previous “Hanazuki ■■■,” I speculate further—our souls aren’t strong enough to carry us forward. No matter how much we push our spells to their limits, no matter how well we disguise ourselves, everything around us will eventually leave us, one by one, while also closing in on us. — “Hanazuki Jūrei” Cycle ■■■
The Elven War… genocide… I’ve seen far too much… I hope later generations don’t get dragged into it… — “Hanazuki Jūrei” Cycle ■■■
The war is over. It seems everything has returned to normal under the support of the ■■■■ royal family. The other countries didn’t take the opportunity to carve out a piece for themselves either… All in all, this continent has finally returned to peace… That said, I still end here. — “Hanazuki Jūrei” Cycle ■■■
…
Layer upon layer of accumulation, layer upon layer of sedimentation—in the end, everything falls onto the shoulders of “Hanazuki Jūryō.”
This name, this body, these spells, these attributes—they were all brought and left behind by the “predecessors.” Their meaning will finally be properly revealed in this girl / young woman / woman named “Hanazuki Jūryō.”
Hanazuki Jūryō, show them what you’re made of. Let’s see how long you can survive in this “complex / terrifying / bizarre world.”
(You close this journal, turn around, and walk out of the living room. While sighing at how boring this novel is, you take a look at the scenery outside the window.)
(The city lights are still the same, the bustling streets are as bustling as ever, yet the sky is dark, and smoke fills the air.)
(Ignoring this scene that has looked the same for a hundred days, you push open your bedroom door. After turning on the power to the gaming device, you lie down on the ■■■.)
(—”Connection ■■■ being established”—)
(—Login ■■■ permitted—)
(—Welcome, ■■■■—)
(This should have been a normal game login process, but instead, a flash of light erupts.)
(The system, after indicating a save error ■, then WARNING——)
(—RRORE forcibly pulls you into 《—a■t——WODLD■■》)
“You want to dig, don’t you? I’ll satisfy you… All the information about Hanazuki ■■, all the actions you can ■■■■ imagine… I’ll let you realize every single one of them, right here!”
(After a series of electric ■■■ buzzing sounds, your brain is burned beyond recognition.)
(And no one, and no one will ever know, that ■■■■■ you’re lying in this house, unable to move ever again.)
(All the illusions, everything that has shattered, is ■■■■ being reassembled at this moment. I hope you can enjoy this.)
(Because we all want to, even I ■■■ want to.)
(But it’s ■■■ a shame, because I can’t ■■■ do ■■■■■ this.)
(I hope you can keep this a secret and survive in that world. I look forward to your return…)
(Well, I forgot that your brain has already been burned ■■■■■ by now. You probably can’t hear me anymore, right?)
(—Red Project · No. 71)
…
This is going to be fun.
Hehehehe————
…..
[Timeline has been deliberately tampered with]
[Attempting repair]
[Repair successful… ERROR]
[Applying suppression]
[Suppression unsuccessful]
[Paradox and causality have been properly handled]
[Timeline has been repaired]
…
I.
I can’t feel, can’t feel anything. My eyes—I can move them. My arms—I can move them. My legs—I can move them. Trying to get up… Failure. My body has already lost its strength.
I, I…
Everything around me is pitch black. Cold. So cold. No clothes.
I—!
“Cough! I… I’m alive? I am… cough!”
Everything around me is hazy. After my consciousness is fully infused, I greedily breathe in fresh air to clear my head.
While resting, a patch of azure blue catches my eye. I reach out and touch it, only to find that it’s a lock of hair—very soft and smooth, but it seems to belong to me.
So I was originally a girl? But… my memories tell me that none of this is right…..
“Memories? I can… use spells…”
In my memory, only that spell can…
I suddenly exert force, ignoring my already exhausted body, and let azure magic power bloom between my fingers. The result does appear, but my body feels uncomfortable at this suddenness.
Still, just seeing a small parrying dagger appear on the back of my hand already makes me very happy.
After withdrawing my magic power, I try to stand up and steady my footing. My knees and calves are still trembling, but simply standing shouldn’t be a problem.
In this terribly cold place, just breathing makes my whole body shiver uncontrollably. And there’s not a single ray of light here—is it night, or am I in some godforsaken place?
Anyway, it’s freezing cold here. Well, to deal with special circumstances, I should probably prepare myself a bit.
I am Hanazuki… I’m not sure of my full name, so for now, I’ll call myself Hanazuki Utau. Because this body is a bit different from the one in my memories—it seems, maybe a little older?
My whole body feels tingly, as if I’ve just woken up from an ice coffin. Or should I say, did I just crawl out of the water? Anyway, I’m soaking wet, which is very unusual.
My soul is also different… [Seven Spirit Divine Authority] seems to be missing something… I can’t stop time anymore… I can’t use [Instant Teleportation] anymore… I’ve forgotten how to use [Omnipotent Concealment]… Everything looks hazy before my eyes, but I can’t see any souls anymore—all I get is a stinging sensation in my eyes… But the Origin Force is still there…
What’s going on… How did my spells disappear?
Panic sets in. Helplessness instantly floods my entire being… But beyond that, I can’t feel much else. Hope and despair feel the same to me—I treat them equally. All of this reflects in my heart, and I realize I can’t go on like this anymore.
My power is missing, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing forward.
I need to find the reason for my missing power. I need the truth.
Maybe being so nonchalant isn’t really my style, but from the looks of it right now, this seems to make me feel better.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
I notice something placed in front of this cell door… Cell door? Why a cell door? Was this originally a prison? Well, there’ll always be a reasonable explanation.
I pick that thing up and hold it in front of my eyes. What I see is some somewhat familiar clothing… My sweater? And a skirt and tights? It’s just… a little different.
The familiar sweater no longer has any of its old scent. The style is also very unfamiliar, but overall it’s not much different from before. The skirt is no longer a pleated skirt—it’s just an ordinary cobalt blue short skirt.
And together with them, there’s a pair of pure brown leather boots that, in my opinion, show good taste but are an old-fashioned style.
Anyway, I put them on… It’s better than being naked.
After getting dressed, I look back at the cell door and suddenly realize that someone has been standing there all along—a young girl in princess attire, yet holding chains and a short-handled axe in her left and right hands respectively, things completely unrelated to her status. Her face is expressionless, her eyes are dull as she stares at me, her chest rises and falls, and even her breath feels cold as it comes out.
I find it very strange—why is she standing here? Why is she so indifferent to all of this?
“Um, hello?” I muster up the courage to speak to her, but she doesn’t react at all. She just stands there, doing nothing, and not doing anything either.
The atmosphere freezes under these cold conditions. Not that there’s really any “atmosphere” to speak of….
Before long, a whistle sounds from somewhere not too far away. The girl in front of me inexplicably nods and opens the cell door, mumbling something under her breath.
“…Combat aptitude test, begins now.”
