“I’ve been wanting to meet you. Asami Himemiya…”
It was clad in a red and black robe, floating gracefully while emitting a divine light. Inside it was a black deeper than darkness. It seemed to have a human shape, but its form could not be grasped, as if it were some kind of particles…
A clear spiritual entity… An entity transcending reality… Is this an AW…?
I was genuinely terrified of that entity, my legs about to give way. Before I knew it, I had unconsciously readied my gun…
“–Let us talk. I am not your enemy. First, lower your gun. At the very least, I have granted your wish…”
The voice echoed directly inside my head… I wasn’t sure if it was reverberating, but the owner of the voice was likely female…
That’s true. Kamikura’s blank one year… I saw it.
I quietly lowered the gun I had readied.
(What is her aim…)
“You… what are you? Why did you bestow the ring upon me…?”
I said quietly.
“…I am the entity you all fear and call an AW. There are various names for me, but many humans call me this. The Witch of Dreams–Yumemisama.”
I readied my gun at the AW once again. An immense pressure… The air was heavy, my chest felt like it was going to burst. I was unconsciously terrified of this entity to that extent. The circle dot sight wouldn’t converge at all… My hands were shaking from fear.
“Are you afraid of me…? The cry of your heart, and your wish. I wanted to grant it. That is why I bestowed the ring upon you. I have been watching you all along. I feel a truly magnificent, genuine radiance from that pure heart, that untainted soul of yours. Meeting you like this, I strongly feel that my estimation was not mistaken. Asami Himemiya. Rest assured. I am your ally. I will not take your life as a price…”
(What is she saying… What is her aim? Or is this AW truly not an enemy…?)
“I am not your enemy… The fact that I granted your wish is proof of that. You want to know, don’t you? About the culprit behind the skeletonization incidents, and about us, those called AWs…”
My mind is being read… As always, the circle dot sight shows no sign of converging to a dot… The subtle trembling of my hands won’t stop. The air all around is overwhelmingly heavy… If she says she isn’t an enemy, what is this pressure…? Am I trembling from an unconscious, latent fear, or because I am facing an absolute entity…?
“…It is likely the latter. You have your gun pointed at me, but it seems you do not harbor absolute hostility toward me. –That is fine. I will tell you what you want to know. We are comrades. Asami Himemiya.”
The AW quietly begins to speak…
“First, I must explain about us… We AWs are also known as Asphaltic Wizards. Some people call AWs Ancient Witches, but we generally dislike being called Witches.”
“…Why is that?”
“You know of the witch hunts that occurred in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, do you not…? Many innocent women were condemned as witches, subjected to various persecutions and abuses, and brutally murdered… Among them, of course, were many pure young girls. Their numbers are said to be 100,000, but the reality is different.”
The AW’s words continue.
“–The witch hunts are still continuing even now. You must have seen that gruesome sight–just a moment ago.”
(………)
“–Yes. Even now, gruesome murders continue. Magic is not only black magic. White magic, which heals people, also exists at the same time. We, the modern wizards, have studied magic over a long period of time and maintained the balance of light and darkness from the shadows of this world. In principle, we do not harm good people. Rather, we have protected them.”
Taking a breath, the AW said.
“Asami Himemiya… What do you perceive as the source of magic? You have a bizarre power woven into you in dozens of layers… Truly fascinating. No wonder it is difficult even for me to see…”
(A bizarre power…? What is she talking about? The source of magic… That is…)
“…I don’t really know. But a heart that cherishes people and nature. A heart that respects and values everything. I’ve often been told since I was little to cherish that…”
“–I see. It seems the one who has secretly guided your heart truly understands what the foundation is. However, you must have been very dear to them…”
(Is she talking about my grandmother…? What is it, I don’t understand at all what she wants to say…)
“–The source of the power known as magic. That is a sublime soul. A heart that loves, respects, and values everything. That draws out magical power and creates great miracles and power. Asami Himemiya. You are a special entity. That pure, strong, and untainted soul of yours harbors infinite possibilities.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
My fear is gradually fading. That divine yet ominous aura emitted by the AW. Perhaps my mind and body have gradually grown accustomed to that pressure, as the trembling from earlier seems to have subsided a bit. The circle dot sight is gradually converging.
“–What I want to say is that you are a comrade. Asami Himemiya… The skeletonization incidents occurring secretly around the world. We are not the ones causing that. It is the work of those who broke the rules and foolishly failed to become modern wizards…”
(Those who failed… to become?)
“It is a concept separate from the source of magic… To gain even greater power, it is necessary to sacrifice and absorb a soul with high intelligence. Lamentably, that is essential for the pursuit of magic. The reason we bestow magical accessories is to select souls… We, too, were originally children of men. We have a conscience. From those who respect others, possess an untainted heart, and can discipline themselves, we generally do not demand a price. We merely grant their modest wishes. However–”
(What is this… The air is heavy… This pressure is…)
“The wishes of the vulgar… We take their souls as the price. Such individuals will later cause harm to their surroundings and to others. We are plucking them out before actual harm occurs.”
(Which means… they select the good and the evil, and turn it into power by plucking out the evil…)
“That is correct… The fools causing the skeletonization incidents are far too low in their level as modern wizards… We form a perfect Dimensional Field, make contact within it, and take the soul. Ensuring that this has no effect on the real world is the minimum behavior required of an Asphaltic Wizard, and that is an absolute rule. However, their actions, which are far too low-level, are resulting in an impact on the real world.”
(…A perfect dimensional field. Which means, with the power of a true AW, what happens inside the dimensional field never returns to the real world… They can commit murder in a completely different dimension… Is that what she means…)
“Your quick understanding is helpful… But in a way, they are victims too. Asami Himemiya. You yourself should know that well. The distortion of this world is in a terrible state, beyond correction. The decline of this country in particular is terrible. The privileged class monopolizes vested interests, continually driven by vulgar greed, while the weak are on the verge of being stripped of even the right to live. Covered in lies, many humans continue to be exploited…”
(…Indeed, that is exactly right. The world population continues to grow recklessly, the gap between rich and poor widens, and there isn’t even a clue to solving the immigration and refugee problems… The system of the rule of law known as the state has become a dead letter and is gradually collapsing… This is especially true here in Japan. Good citizens are being exploited from all sides and are losing their hope for living… How many times has my heart ached every time I read analytical reports about Japan…)
“…Exactly. That is why, over trivial things, a heart can drastically invert into darkness. Even those with a pure and righteous heart can fall into a dark, deep abyss depending on the trigger. We must strike down those failed AWs who have fallen into darkness.”
I thought.
“–You’re right… What should I call you? Asami is fine for me.”
“–I see. You may call me Judgment. I discarded my human name long ago.”
I feel like Judgment’s particle-like figure is gradually changing into a complete human form…
“–I fully understand and comprehend what you are saying. That is why I want to ask you.”
“What is it? Speak.”
And so, I threw my question at her.
“–You kept saying I’m your comrade. If so, why did you first show me a deceiving hallucination and try to trap me in here? Why did you pull me away from reality?!”
The circle dot sight’s convergence rate exceeds 80%, capturing Judgment. Nothing she is saying is wrong, and I can understand it. That is precisely why I feel an even greater sense of incongruity about this. My intuition at that time sensed that the situation was extremely dangerous.
“With your level of power, there should have been a different way! That strange sense of security and comfort I felt back then. That was definitely some kind of power trying to deceive me. You tried to deceive me into believing this world was reality, to take me in and place me under your control. Am I wrong?”
Judgment put her right hand to her mouth and smiled.
“–That is incorrect. I wanted you to feel at ease. I–”
I pressed on, interrupting Judgment’s words.
“That’s a lie! When people lie, they always subconsciously perform some kind of action. Averting their eyes, putting their hand on their chin or mouth. It varies from person to person, but you just took that action for the first time now. Even though you had been speaking with full confidence, without moving your hands an inch until now!”
The circle dot sight’s convergence rate exceeds 90%.
“…Interesting. Very interesting, Asami Himemiya. To sense my Eternal Field and the flow of power in that state…”
Her way of speaking becomes terrifying in places… There’s no doubt! Judgment intends to take me in after all!
“Come with me… Asami Himemiya. You can become a magnificent Asphaltic Wizard who will eventually far surpass me! We will purge the fools and build a new world together. As it is, this world will certainly collapse. You understand that better than anyone!”
“That was a shame, Judgment! You made a mistake in your initial move when negotiating with me! If you had dealt with me sincerely from the start and said that at the end, there was a good chance you could have made me your comrade!”
The circle dot sight’s convergence rate exceeded 98%. It will definitely hit now.
“What you are saying makes perfect sense. But you know, humans live while hesitating between good and evil. Depending on a person’s standpoint, what is good can also be evil from someone else’s perspective. They live searching for their own righteous path, agonizing in the space between good and evil. That is what it means to be human! Even if they are an evil person, it is not permitted to take their life selfishly!”
It’s as if I’m trying to convince myself. What Judgment is saying isn’t wrong. I understand that well. That is precisely why I cannot back down!
“Naive! You are naive, Asami Himemiya! Since the dawn of history, how many times have the humans who built and ruled history repeated the same mistakes?! If they repeat the same mistake again, this world will end! We can no longer leave history to such trash! We must rule with a new power!”
Judgment, I’m sorry. I truly understand what you’re saying…
The thoroughly corrupted distortion of this world. The fact that the world is on the verge of breaking…
But you know… I have a place I want to return to… I have people waiting for me…
And, I have someone I want to protect. Someone I want to support by their side…
“…My intuition has never been wrong before! I’m sorry! I have no intention of walking with you right now! Release me, and return me to my original world!”
“…I am disappointed. Asami Himemiya. If you will not become mine, then it cannot be helped. Countless beings will eventually appear desiring your power. If you are going to be taken by someone else, I will just take you by force right here!”
As Judgment held her right hand up into the air, a silver-shining large spear appeared with a dazzling light, and she grasped it with her right hand. Holding the large silver spear with one hand, Judgment made the black particles that seemingly formed her body pulse violently, and directed her hostility entirely toward me.
(This is bad! Have I completely angered her?!)
I take aim and pull the trigger repeatedly. Multiple gunshots echo.
(What! They’re all being repelled?!)
The moment of impact, something like a magic circle appears for an instant, completely neutralizing the bullets. I pull the trigger over and over again. But the result is always the same. Before I knew it, the magazine was empty…
(This is bad!)
It was too fast to see. In just an instant, Judgment dove into my close range and gripped my neck with her left hand. It’s hard to breathe… She is sapping only my resistance with a bare-minimum exertion of force.
“…To think you are this beautiful when seen up close… You are a special entity… How about it? Won’t you reconsider? You understand my righteousness from the bottom of your heart. You want to exercise that power. That is why you joined the NYPD, and then the FBI, is it not? I did not intend to deceive you. I simply did not want to hurt you. Unnecessary memories of reality will only make you suffer more…”
No… She’s slipping into my mind…
“–Acquire power. Asami Himemiya. Black magic, white magic, illusion magic, I am well-versed in all forms of magic. I will teach you everything I have. Correct this world with that power. We are the only ones who can save this world and create a righteous society.”
Breathing… is hard… She’s whispering… right by my ear…
“There is nothing to fear in becoming a modern wizard… All you need to do is lie down and accept my caress from the bottom of your heart… I will gently pour my magical power into your entire body with a kiss. You only need to surrender yourself to that pleasure… When you wake up, you will know a new world, along with a new power.”
With those words, the particles, blacker than darkness, completely change into a human form.
That figure, completely transformed into a human, was a woman enveloped in divine light, much like a Western priestess…
(Beautiful…)
“…Asami. I know well that you have been abused and scorned in this time. And that your precious heart, which loves justice and peace, has been hurt… Come with me. Let us correct this distorted, stagnant world together. To create a world where the truly weak are saved, and everyone can live in peace.”
A gentle voice… It slips right into my heart… Very sacred… and comforting…
Judgment smiles. I can feel this person’s warm heart…
What this person is saying makes sense… There is a limit to what can be dealt with under the current laws…
Those who create the laws are also human… If they are created with malicious intent… there are countless loopholes…
Is the result not… this stagnant… thoroughly distorted world…
“…That is fine. The only one who can understand you and draw out that power is–me.”
My consciousness is fading away… enveloped in that gentle smile… and that comforting light…