episode_0232

Victor, who had been looking down at the little witch he had created, Amy, nodded and said.

“Once it’s set in a shape, there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s not something that can be easily changed.”

I expected to get scolded, but I sighed in relief when I saw Victor shaking his head as if he had no choice.

I created Little Amy to teach her the art of brainwashing, but I had no idea what this little guy could do or why I had to create her.

Victor, looking down at me tilting my head, explained about the brainwashing agent.

“Brainwashing is a technique I created based on Amy’s White King, and is a kind of transcendence technique.”

“Transcendence?”

“A technique that can only be used by those who have stepped into the realm of near-impossibility, a realm that cannot be reached by ordinary means, is the Transcendence Technique. Amy’s White King and Uncle Ferman’s abilities are exactly that.”

I just stood there with my mouth open, unable to understand what Victor was saying.

“Don’t you understand?”

“Yes!”

That’s why I was able to answer Victor’s question with confidence.

Victor nodded at my strong answer and said,

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just an imitation anyway.”

Victor said so and walked slowly towards the wide open space.

“Deceive yourself. You have another self.”

Phagejik-

The blue currents scattered around begin to gather.

Although not a single ray of light was coming from Victor’s body, the electricity flowing through the building was gathering behind Victor’s back.

“Draw a powerful image that will never give up. And that will soon become me.”

The light gathering behind him began to form a shape.

The dim light gradually became clearer, and at one point it became strong enough to make its outline recognizable.

The first thing I noticed were the giant wings.

The wings made of blue lightning spread wide, revealing the figure hidden within.

A massive body is revealed.

That appearance, which was so intimidating, felt somehow familiar.

I could recall the words Amy had said in passing.

“A full-length movie…?”

Yes. What revealed itself by spreading its wings was a shabby-looking GaX Rider.

So does that mean that the strongest being in Victor’s opinion is this Rider?

As I was looking at Victor’s brainwashing with confused eyes, Victor spoke.

“I know what you’re thinking. Appearance doesn’t matter, so listen to the rest of the explanation.”

I nodded to Victor’s words.

Amy, the little witch who had been sitting on my palm, also nodded and looked up at Victor.

“That’s too difficult.”

“Share your mind. Think of another you on that hand.”

Victor said, pointing to little Amy sitting on my hand.

But I still couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Should I be Amy?

He tilted his head and looked down at little Amy, who was sitting on his hands.

Little Amy, wearing a large witch’s hat, turned around to look up at me and did the same thing I did.

“Don’t try to understand. Just take your mind off it and shove it into that guy.”

I pouted at Victor’s words.

How could you possibly put something like that in such a cute Amy?

But, I had to do it.

I couldn’t understand it, but in order to become strong like Victor, I had to understand what Victor was saying somehow.

I nodded, holding little Amy in my arms.

The training continued until late that evening.

I tried to do as Victor said, but no matter how much I stared and thought, I couldn’t get a part of my mind to enter the brain.

“If you don’t reach that stage, you can’t move on to the next stage.”

In the end, Victor disappeared, leaving behind a very, very difficult homework assignment.

***

After finishing my training and returning home, I collapsed on the sofa, completely exhausted.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand what Victor was saying.

It was too difficult a command to create something that was both oneself and not oneself.

“Jeff. Why are you so tired?”

I raised my head at Shine’s voice.

She looked like she had just gotten out of the shower, her wet hair sticking to her flushed skin.

“Because Victor ordered something too difficult.”

“What is it?”

Shine sat down next to me, seeming interested in my answer.

I told Shine everything that happened today.

Everything from the strange and incomprehensible techniques called Transcendence to the technique called Brain Teaser that I had to learn.

Shine, who had been listening to my story for a long time, grabbed my hand and said.

“Can you show me that brainwashing thing?”

“Yeah, that’s not difficult.”

I made the brainwashing agent as per Shine’s request.

The brainchild I created was nothing more than an empty shell.

So, he couldn’t show his presence like Victor’s brainwashing, and he didn’t have any special abilities.

It was just a pretty light that I created.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

I reached out to Shine and made little Amy dance.

The little witch got up from her seat and spun around, her cloak fluttering in the wind.

“Is this what Amy looks like?”

“Yeah… No matter how much I think about it, nothing changes…”

“Hmm…”

Shine looked at little Amy spinning around in my hand for a long time, as if she was deep in thought.

Shine, who had been staring at it for a while, suddenly opened her mouth as if she remembered something.

“Hey. Jeff.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe I can help you.”

“Really? How?”

“No, I can help you, it’s a very good idea.”

A deep smile spread across Shine’s face.

I felt some kind of discomfort in her smile, but I couldn’t say anything.

“Wait a minute. I have something to bring.”

Shine left the room after saying those words.

Left alone, I spent my time blankly.

When did Amy say she was coming in today…

I took out my phone and checked the message Amy left.

[I think I’ll be a little late today! Can I sleep first? – Amy]

I couldn’t tell the exact time, but it seemed like Amy would come back at least after Shine and I fell asleep.

Shine, who had gone out of the room, came back right away, just like she had said before.

“Have you been waiting?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded to Shine’s words and looked down at her hands.

A green light was gently flowing from the stone she held in her hand.

“What is that?”

“This?”

“Yeah.”

Shine raised her hand in response to my question and showed me a rock.

“Isn’t it pretty? If I had this, I could help Jeff.”

Shine was walking slowly while showing the stone.

Tap-tap-tap-tap- The sound of her small footsteps was unusually loud.

“Over there. Shine.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

I looked at Shine’s face and asked.

There was a very bright smile on her face.

Why is Shine so happy?

I didn’t know why, but when Shine was happy, I felt happy too.

“Maybe Jeff could be perfect.”

“Is it perfect?”

“Yeah.”

Shine came closer and met my eyes while placing her hand on my shoulder.

I stared blankly into her eyes.

As if paint was being released into the deep, white eyes, a black shadow was slowly rising.

“Jeff.”

“Uh…”

“I’ll help you. Don’t refuse. Got it?”

“Uh… What do you mean, help me with that…?”

“I’m talking about making a brainwashing agent.”

I nodded blankly at Shine’s words.

Woohoo- a strange ringing irritates my ears.

As I tried to turn my head away from the ticklish sensation, Shine grabbed my cheek and kept my gaze fixed.

“Focus!”

“Ugh, yeah!”

As soon as he answered Shine’s words, a green light burst out, engulfing the surrounding area.

The body falls.

I felt like I was falling into a deep pit, so I opened my mouth to scream, but no voice came out.

Deeper, deeper!

I looked around at Shine’s voice.

The familiar sight of the room had long since disappeared, and unidentifiable buildings were hanging upside down, flowing in the same direction as me.

A green current begins to flow in like waves.

The thing that swallowed the upside-down building came towards me and opened its large mouth.

I screamed with all my might at the sight of that horrible sight.

He tried to get away from there by waving his arms and legs wildly.

But my body didn’t move as if it was out of control.

Shine! Amy! Victor! Help me!

The silent scream is swallowed up by green waves.

As I was being swept away by the green, I could hear a familiar voice.

We need to go deeper.

Shine? Is it shine?

I screamed desperately.

Shine, it was Shine’s voice.

Although she wasn’t visible, she was definitely there.

Yeah, it’s me.

Luckily, it seemed like Shine heard my voice.

She spoke to me in her usual affectionate voice.

Jeff, I need to go deeper, but I can’t find my way. Where should I go?

Deep place?

huh.

I, I don’t know either.

No, Jeff. Think about it. You know where this is.

I looked around at Shine’s words.

At some point, the surrounding scenery changed.

The green waves that had been sweeping across the surrounding area were nowhere to be found.

Here is…

Is this a familiar place?

I nodded to Shine’s words.

Although I still couldn’t find her, I felt like she was by my side.

Okay, let’s go to a familiar place. Where should we go?

I started to move as Shine said.

Walk down a familiar street and arrive at a familiar place.

It was awkward to say that the empty street was familiar, but it was a street I remembered.

After walking for a while, I entered an old, crumbling bookstore.

The inside of the bookstore was empty.

Are you here?

Yeah, no, we have to go further.

I walked forward, answering Shine’s words.

There was a hidden path inside the empty bookstore.

A wall that is revealed when you gently push between the bookshelves.

If you put your hand on the wall, the door opens.

I went in there.

Inside the door, there are stairs leading down.

As I continued down those stairs, I arrived in front of a large elevator, which I had to take.

After taking the elevator down for a while, a familiar road unfolds.

Where is this place?

my…

Jeff’s?

My workplace…

I walked down a familiar hallway.

The place where there were always researchers in white coats walking around was empty and awkward.

As I walked down the long hallway, I noticed something strange.

If it were any other time, I would have already arrived and taken my seat.

But, for some reason, I wasn’t even halfway through the hallway yet.

Oh…

what’s the matter?

No, the hallway felt too long.

okay?

huh.

I answered the voice and took another step.

Slowly, more slowly.

Walk around carefully.

Then suddenly, I arrived in front of a room.

The firmly closed door had its lights off, as if it had no intention of opening.

It meant that the machine was not working.

Are you here?

huh…

I nodded to Shine’s words.

Is the door broken?

I stared blankly at the door, then touched the area around my neck.

doesn’t exist.

what?

I don’t know.

In my hazy memory, I think I used something that was always hanging around my neck in front of this place to get in here.

But now it wasn’t there.

Can’t you just open it?

I nodded to Shine’s words.

As she said, it was possible to open it.

But this door will be broken instead.

Should we open it a little?

on the sly?

Yeah, just a little bit.

At the sound of Shine’s softly smiling voice, I reached out and opened the door.

And that was the moment.

Found it!

I thought I saw a vague shape through the slightly open crack of the door, and then green waves burst through the crack along with Shine’s voice.