Chapter 17: "Bond Formula"
The deepest part of the magic tower——it was a strange space where light and darkness mixed together.
The magic furnace seated at the center pulsed like the heart of an enraged dragon‚ occasionally releasing magic power strong enough to shake the entire space. The whole tower felt unstable‚ as if it could collapse at any moment‚ and at the edges of the space‚ the laws of physics seemed to be on vacation‚ with stones floating upside down.
「……Wait‚ was gravity always this capricious?」
Louis muttered quietly. His eyes were analyzing the structure of the magic furnace while assembling equations in his mind.
(The magic furnace's runaway rate is 0.003 seconds until the critical point. No‚ wait‚ not seconds. In magic power units... ah‚ it really was seconds.)
「Louis‚ that face right now looks less like a mathematician and more like a pudding that's been overcooked.」
Serina said with a laugh. However‚ there was tension mixed in her voice.
Leon held his sword ready‚ staying vigilant around the magic furnace.
「There are no signs of enemies. But the magic power... it feels like it's alive.」
Louis took a deep breath.
「This magic furnace is based on my theory. So there's a possibility I can control it. But there are conditions.」
「Conditions?」
「Linking the magic power of all three of us. Fuse each of our magic power characteristics and convert them into equations. Chantless‚ infinite chanting‚ and... infinite feelings.」
「Infinite feelings sounds a bit too poetic‚ doesn't it?」
「Yeah‚ I think so too. But that's what Mr. Zeno said. 'The vessel is like the sky. Its limits cannot be seen.'」
「……Was that person a poet?」
「Probably about half.」
The three stood in front of the magic furnace.
Louis reached out his hand. Serina grasped it‚ and Leon placed his hand on top.
「Magic power link‚ start.」
At the same time as Louis's voice‚ the magic power of the three turned into light and intersected.
Serina's magic power was a gentle‚ enveloping light. Leon's magic power was a powerful‚ shield-like radiance. And Louis's magic power was——
「……Isn't this a bit plain?」
「No‚ this is the light of calculation formulas. It may look plain‚ but the effect is flashy.」
The moment the three's magic powers fused‚ the magic furnace shook.
「Magic power channel reconstruction‚ start. Equation deployment‚ phase adjustment‚ error within 0.0001. Link rate 98.7%... Ah‚ Serina‚ your magic power is a little bit sweet.」
「Eh‚ sweet? Is it because I ate too many sweets?」
「No‚ that's not what I mean... Wait‚ maybe it is related?」
「Hey! This isn't the time to be talking about that!」
Leon said with a laugh.
「You two really never change. We're supposed to be saving the world‚ yet it looks like you're doing a comedy routine.」
「It's not a comedy routine. This is adjustment of the magic formula.」
「……But it might be a little fun.」
The light from the magic furnace spread out in response to the three's magic power.
Louis's equations floated up in the space. Geometric magic circles expanded as if enveloping the entire tower.
「Final equation‚ deployment complete. Magic power fusion‚ complete. World reconstruction‚ start.」
At that moment——
The tower was enveloped in light.
In the outside world‚ the sky cleared up‚ and the rampaging magic power quietly converged.
The people in the town looked up at the sky.
「……The sky somehow became really beautiful.」
「Yeah. It's like someone cleaned up the world for us.」
Inside the tower‚ the three stood within the light.
「……Is it over?」
「Yeah. Just as calculated.」
「You really changed the world with numbers.」
「Yeah. But it's because you two were here. I couldn't have held infinite feelings by myself.」
The three quietly held hands.
That was the Bond Formula.
And the world——gently began to move once again.
Chapter 18: "After the Silence"
At the center of the collapsed magic tower‚ the world was quiet.
The light shining through the gaps in the rubble illuminated the three like a blessing. However‚ within that light‚ Louis lay motionless.
「Louis……」
Serina touched his cheek with a trembling hand. It was cold. But there was still some warmth remaining.
「Hey‚ wake up. You saved the world‚ didn't you? It went according to calculation‚ right? So... at least stay awake until the very end.」
Her voice was shaking with tears.
Leon had thrust his sword into the ground a short distance away.
(Louis... You were my aspiration. I was jealous and felt frustrated too. But now——)
He closed his eyes and prayed quietly.
(Now‚ I just... want you to live.)
Serina held Louis's hand.
「You know‚ there's something I've never been able to say for the longest time. I've wanted to say it for so‚ so long... but I couldn't.」
She gently brought her face closer.
「I love you. I've always loved you. No matter how much you blamed yourself‚ no matter how much you tried to run away... I loved you.」
Along with those words‚ her tears fell onto Louis's lips.
——At that moment.
「……Nn‚ huh……?」
Louis's eyelids slowly trembled.
「Eh…… Louis! You moved just now‚ right!? Hey‚ you moved‚ didn't you!?」
Serina opened her eyes wide and peered into Louis's face.
「……Serina? Why are you crying……?」
「I'm not crying! These are... tears of emotion!」
「Those are tears‚ right……?」
「Shut up! Anyway‚ I'm so glad……!」
Louis looked up at the sky in a daze.
(Ah…… I'm alive. I'm really alive.)
(And... Serina‚ she......)
「……I feel like I heard what you said earlier……」
「Eh? W-what are you talking about?」
「You said 'I love you'……」
Serina's face turned bright red as she tried to hide in the shadow of the rubble.
「W-wait a second! Recovery comes first right now! Romance is on hold!」
「No‚ that might have been the most effective thing for healing my heart……」
From a short distance away‚ Leon called out with a wry smile.
「Hey‚ Louis. If you're alive‚ get up already. I thought my heart was going to stop.」
「Sorry…… I had a slight calculation error.」
「Your calculation errors are on the level of saving the world‚ so I can't let my guard down.」
Inside the collapsed tower‚ the three quietly laughed together.
It was a smile that signaled the end of the battle.
And——also a sign of a new beginning.
Serina‚ still gently holding Louis's hand‚ said.
「Hey‚ from now on... don't run away. I want you to properly face both my feelings and your own.」
Louis nodded‚ looking a little embarrassed.
「Yeah. I'll... face it properly too. With you‚ and with myself.」
The sky was clear and the wind blew gently.
The world had quietly——but surely‚ changed.
And so had the hearts of the two.
Chapter 19: "Restart of Youth"
The academy‚ after several months‚ hadn't changed surprisingly at all.
The hallway floors still creaked as usual‚ the bread in the cafeteria was still hard‚ and——
「Louis-kun‚ you caused another explosion!?」
「I-It's not! This was an explosion according to calculation... well‚ there was a slight error……」
「An error that blows a hole in the ceiling isn't an error!」
Serina's voice echoed through the laboratory.
While taking off his soot-covered lab coat‚ Louis sighed inwardly.
(Ah…… As I thought‚ this is my position after all.)
But within that sigh‚ there was a sense of relief.
(I'm back. Properly‚ right here.)
「Hey‚ Louis. Help me with my next experiment. This time it's not an explosion‚ but a barrier deployment using light reflection.」
Leon said with a refreshing smile as he patted Louis on the back.
「Eh‚ but that... the calculation of the reflection angle is going to be insanely troublesome……」
「That's why I need you. Right?」
「……Yeah‚ well‚ I guess it's fine.」
(I wonder why. I can't refuse Leon's requests. I used to be a bit jealous‚ but now……)
「It's showing on your face. 'I can't refuse Leon's requests.'」
「Eh‚ mind reading magic!? That's unfair!」
「No‚ your facial expressions are just too rich.」
Serina slipped between the two with a giggle.
「Hey‚ why don't we have lunch together? Today's bread is apparently 'not burnt'!」
「That's a miracle……」
「No‚ that's actually kind of scary……」
The three headed to the cafeteria while laughing.
Along the way‚ passing students gave small bows toward Louis.
「Adel-senpai‚ um... I used your magic power control formula as reference!」
「Eh‚ ah‚ yeah…… Go ahead‚ and um‚ be careful so it doesn't explode……」
(It feels kind of strange. Before I was laughed at as 'the weakest‚' but now I'm being called 'senpai.')
(But I'm still me. My magic power is still 0.2‚ I have terrible bed hair in the morning‚ and I get nervous in front of Serina.)
(……But maybe that's fine just the way it is.)
The afternoon class was free research in the laboratory.
Louis‚ alongside Serina and Leon‚ was working on reconstructing a magic circle.
「This formula is slightly off. Here‚ it's not √3‚ it's π.」
「Eh‚ pi!? Why does pi show up in magic!?」
「Magic circles are fundamentally based on circles. It's surprisingly mathematical.」
「……Louis-kun‚ you're such a pervert.」
「Is that a compliment?」
「Of course!」
Leon watched the two of them and narrowed his eyes slightly.
(Those two have finally become honest.)
(As for me... well‚ it's fine. My feeling of wanting to protect them hasn't changed.)
「Hey‚ Louis. Want to go to the ruins again together sometime?」
「Eh‚ are we going to get caught in traps again?」
「No‚ this time I'll get caught first so you can relax.」
「I can't relax at all!」
Serina laughed and patted both of their shoulders.
「But that sounds good. Another adventure together. This time‚ let's properly bring bentos.」
「Not just sweets?」
「Ugh…… You noticed?」
The light of dusk was streaming in through the laboratory windows.
The shadows of the three stretched side by side on the desks.
Those shadows overlapped like a single bond.
(We are starting again from here.)
(Overcoming all the past misunderstandings and miscommunications.)
(Youth is probably... something like this.)
Louis smiled softly.
And Serina and Leon were smiling the same way.
Youth had begun once again.
And this time‚ it would never break——it was their irreplaceable time together.
Chapter 20: "Each of Their Tomorrows"
Spring had returned to the seaside town.
The sea breeze was gentle‚ the sky was endlessly blue‚ and the inn's signboard was still tilted at the same angle. Louis looked up at that signboard while wiping the counter with a rag.
「……This tilt feels like it's defying the laws of physics.」
He grumbled but didn't stop his hands. The inn's mornings always began the same way.
(Who would believe that a hero who saved the world is wiping counters?)
(But this is fine for me. Ordinary‚ quiet days with a bit of laughter.)
Louis suddenly looked out the window.
There‚ he saw two familiar figures.
「Ooooi‚ Luuui! I brought bread!」
Serina came running with both hands full of bags. The contents were‚ of course‚ sweets and bread. And none of them were burnt.
「It's a miracle……」
「How rude! Today I properly adjusted the baking with magic!」
「Is that really the right way to use magic……?」
Leon walked behind her‚ carrying his sword on his back.
「You're still working at the inn?」
「Yeah. Washing dishes‚ cleaning‚ and using calculation magic for inventory management.」
「Don't use magic for inventory management……」
「But it's efficient……」
The three sat side by side at the inn's counter.
Serina lined up the bread‚ Leon boiled water‚ and Louis used magic to float the cups and distribute them.
「……Somehow‚ our coordination is worse than during the adventure?」
「That was supposed to be our unspoken agreement!」
Outside the window‚ travelers walked by carrying luggage.
Louis gazed at them from across the counter.
(Travelers seem nice. Seeing unknown worlds and meeting unknown people.)
(But I......)
「Hey‚ Louis.」
Serina called out softly.
「This time‚ let's go together. On a journey.」
「Eh?」
「We saved the world‚ didn't we? Next‚ let's go see the world. The three of us.」
Leon smiled while holding a steaming cup.
「I'm in favor too. Not just protecting‚ but I want to see it. The vastness of the world.」
Louis thought for a moment——then smiled.
「Yeah. Then I'll calculate the itinerary. With an error of within ±0.01 days.」
「That actually makes me anxious!」
The three laughed together.
It was a smile like before‚ but slightly different.
A smile that knew bonds. A smile that had overcome pain. And a smile that looked toward the future.
That night‚ Louis lay on the roof of the inn‚ looking up at the stars.
(I was the weakest. I had no magic power and no courage.)
(But with Serina‚ and with Leon‚ I——)
(Changed the world with numbers. Just a little bit.)
「Luuui! Sleeping on the roof will make you catch a cold!」
Serina's voice echoed from below.
「Shut up! I'm talking with the stars right now!」
「Talk with me instead of the stars!」
「……Okay.」
Tomorrow will come.
Each has their own path.
But the three——will walk together.
That was the future they chose.
And so‚ the story quietly comes to a close.
However‚ their youth continues on.
The story of the mage who changed the world with numbers and the companions who believed in him——
will continue to softly shine in someone's heart from now on.
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