Episode 16: On the Sunset Rooftop‚ You Laughed at Yourself
The academy rooftop was bathed in the light of dusk. The sky slowly shifted from madder red to ultramarine‚ and a sea breeze blew through from the distant ocean. The faint creak of the old iron railing echoed‚ and the shadows of the rooftops stretched long. This place‚ far from the clamor of battle‚ was strangely tranquil‚ as if the world itself had momentarily held its breath.
Aria sat down by the railing‚ tapping her fingertips lightly. The tension from the subjugation still lingered in her body‚ but sitting here on the rooftop gradually calmed her heart. For her‚ the “tap-tap” was like breathing. It was a barometer for regaining composure‚ and also an unconscious habit.
Iris‚ sitting beside her‚ had her hair gleaming gold in the sunset. She narrowed her eyes as if enjoying the wind against her cheeks‚ and gave a soft laugh.
“Hey‚ Aria. Doesn’t the rooftop smell like bread to you?”
At the sudden‚ airheaded remark‚ Aria involuntarily stopped the rhythm of her fingertips.
“…Not the smell of the sea breeze and the sunset?”
“Hmm‚ but you know‚ it smells warm‚ like freshly baked bread.”
(…No‚ that’s completely because you’re hungry.)
While mentally retorting‚ Aria’s lips curved ever so slightly. It was the moment the tension melted away.
The air on the rooftop gently enveloped their time alone together. The lingering aftertaste of battle and the premonition of the deep conversation about to come melted into the light of dusk.
A slightly colder sea breeze blew across the sunset rooftop. Iris leaned her back against the railing and looked up at the sky. Her golden hair swayed in the wind‚ and her profile looked somehow ephemeral.
“Hey‚ Aria…”
Her voice was a little lower than its usual brightness.
“You know… sometimes I get scared. When I use magic‚ my body gets really tired‚ right? I want to protect everyone‚ but I’m afraid I’ll collapse first.”
Aria listened in silence. Tapping her fingertips‚ she calmed her heart so as not to interrupt Iris’s words.
(…As I thought‚ she carries anxiety too. How should I support her? Should I explain it theoretically‚ or just listen?)
Iris continued.
“You know they say I’m short-lived‚ right? I might not be able to live that long. But… even so‚ I want to keep smiling. Because if I make a gloomy face‚ everyone else will get gloomy too.”
Those words made Aria’s chest ache a little. So behind her brightness lay such poignancy.
“……”
She simply gave a small nod‚ without inserting any words. She felt that listening was the best support right now.
Iris gave a soft laugh and suddenly said‚
“So‚ whenever I feel anxious‚ I’ve decided to eat three pieces of chocolate. After eating three‚ I somehow feel like I’ve won.”
(…No‚ that’s completely just covering it up with sugar.)
Aria mentally retorted but didn’t say it aloud. Iris’s airheaded words lightened the atmosphere just a little.
The rooftop wind was cold‚ but a warm time flowed between the two of them. Iris’s anxiety was certainly heavy‚ yet speaking of it seemed to have lightened it a little.
Aria tapped her fingertips while thinking a little.
“…Emotion magic‚ from my perspective‚ is close to a ‘change in amplitude.’ If you express the waves of magical power as mathematical formulas‚ the addition of emotion distorts the waveform. Normally it should become unstable‚ yet you transform it into a melody and stabilize it.”
Iris tilted her head and smiled.
“That’s difficult words. But for me‚ it’s like ‘singing.’ When my heart trembles‚ the magic trembles too. When I match it to a melody‚ it resonates beautifully.”
(…When theory is explained through sensation‚ I’m annoyed that it somehow makes sense.)
Aria decided to try a small experiment.
“Then let’s try matching a little. I’ll restructure a barrier‚ so try layering a melody over it.”
She deployed a small multi-layered barrier without chanting. Transparent membranes overlapped in the air‚ reflecting the dusk light and shimmering faintly.
Iris closed her eyes and hummed a short melody. Her voice melted into the wind‚ and when it touched the barrier membranes‚ light spread like ripples.
“…!”
Aria was astonished. The amplitude of the barrier was changing softly in time with the melody. Even if theory could explain it‚ experiencing it firsthand carried a completely different impact.
“See? When you sing‚ the magic sings too.”
“…Indeed. Emotion changes the amplitude… It feels like theory has finally caught up to sensation.”
At that moment‚ a strong wind blew‚ and a scrap of paper Aria had prepared fluttered up into the sky.
“…Ah.”
“Wow‚ it’s like a paper airplane!”
(…No‚ it’s just a memo that flew away.)
Aria hurriedly tried to chase after it‚ but Iris laughed and reached out her hand. That smile made even the failure feel like part of the experiment.
The air on the rooftop was filled with the remnants of light and sound. For the first time‚ Aria understood with her own skin the fact that “emotion changes magic.” In the moment when theory and sensation intersected‚ the distance between the two of them drew a little closer as well.
The air on the rooftop still held the afterglow of the earlier experiment. Even after the ripples of light had vanished‚ a strange warmth remained between them. Aria tapped her fingertips and quietly regulated her breathing.
“…As I thought‚ your magic is special. Turning emotion into melody isn’t something ordinary theory can explain.”
When she said that‚ Iris looked down a little and smiled.
“Being called special makes me happy‚ but… it’s also scary. Because special things break easily‚ right? I might not live long‚ yet everyone expects so much of me…”
Those words tightened Aria’s chest. She nodded silently and kept her gaze on Iris.
(…How can I support her? Not with theory—I have to answer with my heart.)
“I also… once failed to protect someone. That’s why now‚ I want to protect. Both your magic and you yourself.”
The words were calm‚ but inside she was trembling. Exposing her own weakness required courage. Yet it was necessary in order to stand beside Iris’s anxiety.
Iris’s eyes widened‚ and then she smiled softly.
“…Thank you. I’m scared too‚ but even so‚ I want to live each day happily. Eating sweets‚ laughing‚ being with everyone… that’s the source of my magic.”
(…Still an airhead. How am I supposed to explain theoretically that sweets are the source of magic?)
While mentally retorting‚ Aria was saved by those words. The mutual desire to “support each other” was conveyed beyond words.
The rooftop wind was cold‚ but their hearts had grown a little warmer.
The dusk sky had already dyed ultramarine‚ and the presence of night was creeping onto the academy rooftop. The sea breeze was a little colder‚ and the shadows of the railing stretched long. The two stood up side by side and prepared to leave the rooftop.
Iris lightly adjusted her coat and suddenly smiled at Aria.
“Hey‚ can we stop by the bakery on the way back? I’ve been smelling bread this whole time.”
(…So it really was because she was hungry.)
While mentally retorting‚ Aria felt saved by Iris’s airheaded nature.
In the instant they headed for the stairs‚ their gazes met. Even without words‚ the mutual desire to “support each other” was conveyed. Aria murmured quietly in her heart.
(…My understanding of emotion magic has advanced a little. Not just theory—drawing close to her heart is the key. And— I want to protect her.)
Just before the rooftop door closed‚ a barrier alarm faintly sounded in the distance. Leaving behind a premonition that a new shadow was creeping into the night academy‚ the two figures quietly disappeared down the stairs.
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