Episode 20: The Night When Residues Surge‚ the Town Quietly Holds Its Breath
The road leading to the forest felt heavier than before. The damp wind clung to the skin‚ and the river water had turned a faintly cloudy gray. The barrier lamps on the outskirts of the village flickered weakly‚ as if struggling for breath.
“……The color has completely changed.”
I—Aria—peered into the surface of the river and tapped my fingertips lightly. The flow of magical power was sluggish. I knew in theory that as the residues thickened‚ the reaction speed of magic would drop‚ but experiencing it firsthand sent a chill down my spine.
The roadside grass had withered‚ and a black powder-like substance clung to the undersides of the leaves. Touching it left a rough sensation on the fingertips.
“Is this……toxin?”
Rinne furrowed her brows.
“I think the leaves are ‘expelling’ it. When invaded by residues‚ plants tend to push excess magical power outward.”
“……Please stop using the word ‘expelling‚’ it’s a little scary.”
(Yeah‚ I’m scared too.)
One of the villagers approached with a weary face.
“Lately‚ strange sounds come from the direction of the forest at night. Even the birds have stopped flying…… Please‚ I’m begging you.”
His voice mixed fear and resignation.
The unrest in the air was the disturbance of magical power itself. I took a deep breath and tried circulating my magic.
(……As expected‚ the response is slow. The stability of the barrier has also dropped. This is seriously bad.)
Amid that tension‚ Cross suddenly spoke.
“Hey Aria‚ this air…… doesn’t it smell a bit like ‘yesterday’s dorm cafeteria’?”
“It doesn’t!”
Rinne immediately interjected.
“No‚ that was dangerous in its own way!”
“Just shut up and walk!”
The tension eased a little‚ but the heaviness of the air remained unchanged.
(……The world is definitely beginning to change.)
The closer we approached the center of the contaminated area‚ the more the scenery was distorted beyond the word “abnormal.”
The crops in the fields had leaves that were black and shriveled‚ crumbling like powder at a touch.
Along the river‚ several fish floated by with their white bellies exposed.
Black sap dripped from the trunks of the trees‚ and where it fell to the ground‚ it slowly dissolved the soil.
“……This is terrible.”
Rinne covered her mouth.
“Until yesterday‚ it shouldn’t have been this bad‚ right……?”
An elderly villager answered in a trembling voice.
“It suddenly worsened three days ago. The livestock are weakening too…… The cows can’t stand anymore. The doctor says he doesn’t know the cause.”
I knelt down and collected the black sap into a small bottle.
“Kotone‚ can you measure the residue reaction?”
“Of course!”
Kotone took out a portable magical measuring device and channeled magic into the sap.
The needle trembled violently and jumped near the limit.
“……Aria‚ this is more than three times the normal level. And the waveform is irregular. It’s not naturally occurring.”
“As I thought…… something is ‘accelerating’ it.”
I tapped my fingertips lightly. The flow of magical power felt rough‚ and an unpleasant sweat ran down my back.
Nagi calmly took notes while speaking.
“The rise in residue concentration appears to be spreading radially from the center of the forest. The speed is…… more than double yesterday’s.”
“Double!?”
Cross couldn’t help shouting.
“Hey hey‚ double…… that’s faster than the recovery speed of my muscle pain!”
“Your comparison is way too random!”
Rinne immediately interjected.
Beside them‚ Mark began making an exaggerated fuss.
“Whoa‚ look! The cat…… the cat is glaring at me!”
The village cat was simply wary because Mark’s voice was too loud.
“Mark‚ that has nothing to do with the contamination.”
“No‚ it definitely does! Because of the residues‚ the cat’s mood is bad—”
“It’s always been like that.”
Iris dismissed it flatly.
However‚ the laughter quickly faded.
The water in the village well was cloudy‚ and a weakened sheep lay in front of the livestock shed.
Fatigue and anxiety were etched on the residents’ faces‚ and the children were afraid to go outside.
(……This isn’t a localized problem. The world itself is quietly beginning to break.)
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
We were no longer just a subjugation squad; we had to confront the “changes in the world.”
Gathered in the village meeting hall‚ we spread out the samples collected from the contaminated area and the residents’ testimonies on the table and began an impromptu strategy meeting.
Outside‚ the wind howled‚ and the barrier lamps flickered unsteadily. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
“First‚ let’s organize the current situation.”
Nagi calmly spread out the materials.
“Residue concentration has risen sharply since three days ago. The spread is radial‚ with the center deep in the forest. The speed is…… more than double yesterday’s.”
“Double……”
Cross held his head.
“It’s growing faster than my muscle pain.”
“Your comparison target is weird every time!”
Rinne immediately interjected‚ but the laughter quickly faded.
I took a deep breath and tapped my fingertips lightly while regulating the flow of magical power.
“The way the residues are spreading isn’t a mere natural phenomenon. The waveform is irregular‚ with signs of being ‘shaken’ from the outside. If someone is intentionally…… or something is stimulating it‚ the expansion won’t stop.”
Kotone furrowed her brows.
“In other words‚ if left alone‚ not only the forest but the entire town could become contaminated?”
“……In the worst case‚ an even wider area.”
Putting it into words made my chest feel cold.
Rinne clenched her fists.
“Let’s prioritize evacuating the residents. You saw the children being scared‚ right? I don’t want to spread any more anxiety than that.”
“Evacuation is necessary‚ but moving everyone will take time.”
Liam calmly added.
“We also need to reinforce the barrier at the same time‚ or we won’t keep up with the speed of the contamination’s intrusion.”
Mark raised his hand.
“Then I’ll be on the action team! I’ll scout deep into the forest—”
“Mark is prohibited from acting alone.”
Everyone answered immediately.
“Eh!? Why!?”
“You were even being wary of by a cat earlier.”
“The cat has nothing to do with it‚ right!?”
“It does.”
Iris declared flatly.
The discussion continued.
Retreat‚ blockade‚ or investigation.
All were correct‚ and all were dangerous.
I traced the map spread on the table with my finger as I spoke.
“……I think we should prioritize reinforcing the barrier first. Investigating deep into the forest is necessary‚ but right now we have to ensure the residents’ safety. If the barrier holds‚ we can buy time.”
Nagi nodded.
“That’s reasonable. Let’s divide into a reinforcement team and an evacuation guidance team.”
Cross raised his hand.
“Then I’ll be on the reinforcement team! Leave the heavy lifting to me!”
“Reinforcement isn’t heavy lifting.”
“Eh!?”
“It’s magical control.”
“……Then I’ll be the cheering squad!”
“There’s no such role.”
Rinne laughed in exasperation.
Even in the tense atmosphere‚ Cross’s lightheartedness eased the mood a little.
But the decision was heavy.
“How about the operation name…… ‘Let’s Do Our Best Today Operation’!?”
“Rejected.”
“Immediate answer!?”
“Make it a name that better matches the content.”
“Then…… ‘Operation to Protect the World’!”
“Too rough!”
Iris chuckled softly.
Still‚ the discussion concluded.
Barrier reinforcement‚ resident evacuation‚ investigation of the contamination source.
We decided to move forward with these three pillars.
(……The world is beginning to break. But if we move‚ we should be able to change it a little.)
After finishing the discussion‚ we immediately moved into action.
First was reinforcing the barrier lamps on the outskirts of the village. Because the flow of magical power was disturbed‚ the lamps flickered and occasionally made a “crack” sound like sparks.
“Aria‚ please readjust the magical supply line!”
“Understood. Rinne‚ hold down that stabilization crystal over there.”
“Okay!”
I tapped my fingertips lightly while regulating the flow of magical power.
The interior of the barrier lamp was filled with rough magical power‚ and just touching it made my fingertips tingle.
(……The interference from the residues is strong. Ordinary reinforcement might not be enough.)
Liam stood guard around the area‚ and Kotone was adjusting the auxiliary magical devices.
Iris was sensing the fluctuations of magical power a short distance away‚ but her expression looked somewhat tired.
“Iris‚ are you okay?”
“Yeah…… my head just feels a bit heavy. The flow of magical power is strange…… the sounds sound muddy.”
(……Someone as sensitive to magical power as her is more easily affected by the residues. We can’t force her.)
In the midst of that tension‚ Cross and Mark were supporting the base of the barrier lamp while somehow arguing.
“Hey Mark‚ you’re pushing in the wrong direction!”
“No‚ my intuition says this way!”
“Your intuition is disliked even by cats!”
“The cat has nothing to do with it!”
……The tension eased for just a moment.
Once the reinforcement of the barrier lamps was finished‚ next was guiding the residents’ evacuation.
Rinne gently spoke to the children‚ Liam helped carry luggage‚ and Nagi calmly directed the evacuation route.
I measured the residue concentration while confirming the boundary of the contamination.
At that moment—
The distant sky swirled blackly.
“……What’s that?”
Iris murmured in a trembling voice.
It wasn’t a cloud. It was a turbulence of magical power.
And it was so huge it could be seen with the naked eye.
To make matters worse‚ all the barrier lamps throughout the village simultaneously went “poof” and extinguished.
The air froze for an instant.
“The barrier…… fell?”
Liam caught his breath.
I channeled magical power and checked the situation.
(……The wave of residues has exceeded the barrier’s capacity. This isn’t a coincidence. Something is ‘surging’.)
Iris staggered unsteadily‚ and Rinne hurriedly supported her.
“Iris!”
“……Sorry‚ just a bit…… my vision is swaying……”
My chest tightened.
The collapse of the world was no longer a distant future matter.
Evening.
The village sky was dyed red‚ and the setting sun cast wavering light on the contaminated river surface.
We had finished the day’s work and were walking the path back to the base. Our steps were heavy‚ but no one complained of weakness.
“Phew…… I feel like I worked a year’s worth just today.”
Cross said while stretching.
“A year’s worth is an exaggeration.”
Rinne laughed in exasperation‚ but fatigue seeped into her voice as well.
Iris was walking a little behind.
Her expression was calm‚ but occasionally she would hold her hand to her chest as if catching her breath.
(……As expected‚ she’s easily affected by the residues. I have to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.)
Upon returning to the base‚ Nagi had spread out the compiled data on the table.
“Aria‚ today’s measurement results.…… Look.”
The line on the graph was rising steeply as if climbing a cliff.
“……At this speed?”
“Yeah. It’s not normal. Something is ‘pushing it outward.’”
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
I tapped my fingertips lightly and organized the day’s events.
(The sharp rise in residue concentration. The simultaneous disappearance of the barrier lamps. The distant black swirl. Iris’s fluctuating condition……
All of it indicates that the collapse of the world is ‘beginning.’)
Rinne quietly stood beside me.
“Aria…… are you scared?”
“……To be honest‚ yes. But—”
I looked around at my companions.
Cross clenched his fist‚ Liam nodded quietly‚ Kotone held the measuring device‚ and Iris was smiling.
(……As long as I have these companions‚ I can still fight.)
“Let’s stop it ourselves. Before the world breaks.”
When I said that‚ Cross nodded firmly.
“Yeah! Even if the world is our opponent‚ we can somehow manage‚ right!”
“What’s the basis?”
“Momentum!”
“If momentum could save the world‚ we wouldn’t be struggling!”
Rinne immediately interjected‚ and a little laughter returned.
At that moment—
A high-pitched alarm rang out from the distant watchtower.
“……Again?”
Liam looked up.
The alarm indicated an anomaly from deep in the forest—the direction of the contamination source.
It was as if the world was declaring “there is no time.”
(……Next‚ an even larger wave will come.)
I took a deep breath and looked at my companions.
There was no more time to hesitate.
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