Chapter 16: The Shape of Talent

“I hear there’s an incredibly strong newcomer. Apparently, he even played a part in defeating a unique specimen.”

— I won’t accept it.

“Oh, you mean that guy who instantly went to the Sacrificial Forest? A Senpai tried to pick a fight with him, but honestly, he’s on a whole different level.”

— I won’t accept it.

“No, he’s probably an adventurer, not a monkey! And he’s surely the one everyone’s talking about lately!”

— I won’t accept an adventurer with more talent than Haruto.

20 years have passed since dungeon exploration became recognized worldwide. Talented adventurers were as numerous as the stars. Heroes, Sword Saints, Sages… the world overflowed with talent to the point where every nickname was used up.

Sato Haruto. He was supposed to be one of them, the leader of Yuko’s party.
Haruto was a genius with the sword. When he began his adventuring career, he was already said to be effective in Area 3. His subsequent growth was astounding, and Haruto was always head and shoulders above the rest of the party.

He even mastered the magic skill [Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water], which intermediate and advanced adventurers loved, in just three days. This was despite the fact that an ordinary beginner wouldn’t even be able to move their body properly.

His overwhelming acquisition speed and his ability to refine it—that was Haruto’s talent.

If he were still alive, he would undoubtedly have been given a sword-related nickname.
He was that overwhelmingly powerful.

That’s why Yuko wouldn’t accept Itsuki Isshiki.

She wouldn’t accept him… but she needed a reason not to.

“Haruka. Do you have a moment?”
“Yuko… This is unusual. Sure.”

Yuko approached Haruka, aiming for the end of her workday.
After the party disbanded, their interactions drastically decreased. There was an awkwardness between Yuko, who continued adventuring, and Haruka, who had moved into tasks like cashing in items.

I bought two sports drinks from a vending machine and sat down on a nearby bench.

“What’s this newcomer, Isshiki, like?”
“What do you mean ‘like’?”

“I’m asking if he’s strong. You should understand that much.”
“You’re not being specific enough.”

Haruka gazed at her plastic bottle and smiled faintly. She opened the lid and took a sip. Perhaps because she was doing so much clerical work, it didn’t taste as good as it used to.

“Hey, Yuko, what do you mean by ‘strong’?”
“Huh?”

As the question was repeated, Yuko glared at Haruka. But Haruka remained unconcerned, with a gentle expression.

“The first magic skill I saw Isshiki-kun use was a glowing, stationary sphere. He drew with his first Angry Monkey, and he was unlucky enough to fight two unique specimens in a row. Plus, he doesn’t seem interested in the deep parts of the labyrinth.”
“Hmph. What’s that? He’s just another adventurer who gets attention only at first.”

“That’s right. Isshiki-kun doesn’t seem strong at all.”

Haruka narrowed her eyes, maintaining her soft expression.

“But, I think Isshiki-kun will become an amazing adventurer.”
“Amazing, how amazing?”

“So amazing that I can’t measure it, I suppose.”

Staring into space, Haruka suddenly sported a provocative smile.

“You should see his magic. Then you’ll understand, Yuko.”

— Why?
Yuko bit the inside of her mouth.

She couldn’t understand. Why could Haruka look so full of expectation?

Haruto had died. Even Haruto had died. How much talent would it take to conquer the dungeon?

Talent was meaningless. Only achievements mattered. Surviving the dungeon. Returning alive from the deep layers. Only those facts proved an adventurer’s strength.

Did he possess talent that surpassed achievements?
If that boy truly possessed such talent…

“Are you Itsuki Isshiki?”

I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

◇

“I’m Yuko Kirishima. Haruka Shiraishi’s former party member.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Itsuki Isshiki.”

Facing her, Kirishima-san was slightly taller than me. She wasn’t so tall that I had to look up, but her expression made her intimidating.

“I hear you’re looking for a way to get to the third layer.”
“Not exactly ‘a way’… well, yes. I’ve been asking around for information.”

I tried to think of a reason she might have called out to me, but I couldn’t think of anything at all. She didn’t seem like she was about to offer advice, and if anything, it was probably related to Shiraishi-san.

“Haruka told me. You fight with magic, right? Can you show me?”
“What’s your reason?”

I wouldn’t refuse. But I’d be cautious. What magic would be okay to show…?

There were probably all sorts of adventurers. In the unique space of a dungeon, enemies weren’t limited to monsters.

“There’s a monster I want to defeat. For that, I’m looking for someone strong.”

Sorrow.
A shadow fell across Kirishima-san’s eyes.

“The leader of ‘Monthly’ recommended you. If what he says is true, I want to hire you.”
“From Toda-san?”

Kirishima-san nodded.
Could that be true? Normally, it would be impossible for him to recommend such a newbie. But he was the kind of person who might do it. It was such a fine line that it was hard to judge.

Well, if it comes to this, I’ll consult our goddess.

“Can you wait a moment?”
“Hmm, alright.”

I dashed to the exchange counter and called out to Shiraishi-san.

“Do you know a Yuko Kirishima?”
“She’s my former party member.”

“Thank you. Then it’s fine.”

Absolute trust in the goddess. Shiraishi-san won’t lie.
I dashed back to Kirishima-san and gave her my answer from before.

“Please take care of me! For now, I’m free anytime from tomorrow onwards.”
“But you still have an arm injury, don’t you?”

“This is me at full strength right now.”

Kirishima-san’s expression visibly twisted. A feeling of disgust, perhaps… Shoot. Did I step on a landmine?

“Then tomorrow. Tomorrow at 1 PM, at the entrance to the forest.”
“Understood.”

After setting the appointment, Kirishima-san left the building.

◇

The next day, Kirishima-san and I met at the promised time.
Kirishima-san’s first reaction was one of 100% astonishment.

“That outfit, are you underestimating the dungeon?”
“I always wear this. I don’t have money to buy equipment.”

Her complaint was about my attire.

Other adventurers apparently wore armor made of some alloy excavated from dungeons or robes made from monsters. If you wanted to get a full set, even the cheapest one would cost at least 200,000 yen . Adventuring might be a hobby for the wealthy.

This? Polyester.
Price? 3,000 yen for the whole outfit.

“What about a staff?”
“I don’t have money to buy one.”

Staves like the ones Shiraishi-san and Mitsui-san had, those cost 400,000 to 500,000 yen. I’ve never even wanted one. The same goes for swords.

Kirishima-san opened her mouth in a strange shape and looked at me as if I were a bizarre creature.

“You don’t even carry a staff, and you’re selling magic? Haruka… did you deceive me?”

Kirishima-san muttered to herself. Because my equipment was so shoddy, Shiraishi-san was starting to be suspected.

A magician without a staff. It must be unusual. For a magician, a staff was apparently like a partner they grew with. By using it frequently, a staff would learn magic, making it possible to cast spells more powerfully and faster.

Besides, am I even a magician?
Probably not, definitely not.

I moved along, my mind spinning.

When we reached a wide, secluded area, Kirishima-san turned around.

“Well, whatever. So, what magic can you use?”
“I’m already using one.”

For the two weeks I’ve been fulfilling research requests, I’ve constantly focused on this magic.
Honestly, my brain feels like it’s being crushed. The back of my head aches sharply, like the day after a bad fever.

Kirishima-san’s eyes widened.

“Since when…?”
“Since the moment I entered the dungeon.”

The constant activation of magical body manipulation. In a dungeon, where combat could start at any moment, even the time it took to cast physical enhancement could be fatal. So I’ve been practicing to sustain the magic for as long as possible.

A look of doubt appeared in Kirishima-san’s eyes.

In an instant, my body moved by reflex.
I suppressed Kirishima-san’s clenched fist in its preliminary motion.

It wasn’t just body manipulation. If I entrusted a part of my consciousness to magic, I could even nullify the opponent’s movements before an attack occurred.

“—!”

Kirishima-sanleaped back. Her mouth was slightly open. She looked like she was smiling.

“It doesn’t seem like a bad joke. But ‘Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water’ lacks firepower, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. So, I’ll supplement it with this.”

I pointed my palm at an empty space.

“Frostbite.”

Instantly formed ice fangs tore through the space in front of me.
Since there was no target, the ice fell freely and shattered on the ground.

There’s no need to make it float. This magic isn’t meant to be launched.

“I’ll get close with [Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water] and blast their vitals with [Frostbite].”

It had enough power to finish off a Cursewood in one hit. For a while, I plan to fight primarily with this combo.

“You think of gruesome things, don’t you?”

Kirishima-san let out a dry laugh. This probably meant she was complimenting me, right?

“Well, I’ll admit it’s pretty good. To do this in less than two months is rare. But—”
“Um. Sorry to interrupt.”

“What is it?”
“Could you just see one more thing? It’s still incomplete, though.”

Kirishima remains silent and only nodded.

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head and took a deep breath. I deactivated Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water.

There were a few ways to increase the output of magic.
Using magic you had an aptitude for, and chanting to enhance your image and concentration—these were the two most well-known.

Maximum output.

“Stagnation, detention, eternal shackles—”

The air began to creak. Excessive cold turned to pain. Moisture in the air clung to skin and trees, crystallizing.

Everything around me froze.

“Winter’s Echo.”

Converting all interfering mana into the concept of winter.

5 seconds… 10 seconds… I reached my limit at 15 seconds.

The air softened, and warm air returned. The ice on my skin melted, and I collapsed to my knees.

“Haah… haah… haaah…”

Sweat trickled down my cheek and fell to the ground. Only after the stain was etched into the ground did I manage to stand up.

“That’s all.”

I wiped the sweat and regulated my breathing.
Kirishima-san approached. I expected her to stop in front of me, but she grabbed my shoulder instead.

“What was that?! I don’t know any magic like that! Who taught you?!”
“…No one, actually. I came up with that magic myself.”

“That magic, by yourself?”
“Yes.”

“……”

Kirishima-san released me, then looked down and bit her lip. Her clenched fists trembled slightly.

“I see. So, that’s your talent.”

I noticed her eyes were slightly swollen and subtly looked away.
Shiraishi-san’s former party member, a disbanded party, a monster she desperately wanted to defeat… piecing together the fragments, a vague outline began to form.

But I wouldn’t be so blunt as to voice it.

Kirishima-san wiped her eyes, then looked at me.
She regulated her breathing and stared directly at me.

“I’m sorry for saying all that. And on top of that, it’s presumptuous of me, but… I want you to accept my request.”
“Tell me about it.”

When I smiled, Kirishima-san’s face crumpled. As if to hide the tears in her eyes, she bowed her head abruptly.

“Please, defeat the Undead King with me. For that, I’ll pay anything, as much as I can afford.”

She must have been alone for a very long time.
Unable to accept what she had lost, she continued to walk while carrying that burden. I understood that loneliness.

If sacrificing myself could bring back the old days—

“Then, we’re a party from now on, aren’t we?”

No matter how much you pray or shed blood, what’s lost won’t return.
Yet, we are alive. We still have so much we haven’t lost.

I’ll stake my life and keep moving forward.

“I look forward to working with you, Kirishima-san.”
“…I look forward to working with you too.”

“Um, I have one thing I’d like your help with right away, actually.”

Thanks to the unexpected request, I had some financial breathing room. And there was someone right in front of me willing to cooperate.
Now was the time to act.

“What is it? Anything I can do, I’ll do it.”

“Please help me move.”
“Huh?”

“I want you to help me move. To go to Area 3.”
“Hah!?”

Kirishima-san’s eyes and mouth opened wide.

◆

[Winter’s Echo]
It was magic that rejected magic.
It resembled no magic Yuko knew.

Yuko recalled a scene from the past.

Haruto, sitting across from her at a family restaurant. He was putting a straw into a melon soda from the drink bar, gazing idly out the window.

“Haruto, you’re like, super genius. Like there’s no one more talented than you!”

Haruka and another person also nodded. Only Haruto tilted his head.

“That’s not really true. There are plenty of people more amazing than me.”
“But, even the instructor said you’re the fastest to learn both sword and magic, and he’s never seen anyone as capable as you.”

Haruto slowly sipped from his straw. Yuko followed the rising green shadow with her eyes.
Just before it reached his mouth, Haruto took the straw out.

“The truly amazing people are those who can create sword techniques and magic from scratch. I don’t have that talent.”

I still vividly remembered Haruto’s face at that time.

Even though he possessed talent everyone yearned for, he harbored an inferiority complex. Precisely because he held so much, he also knew his own limits.

“But, but, I’ve never seen anyone like that! So, Haruto, you’re the best!”
“Thank you.”

Yuko didn’t know how to console him well.
If only she had said something more thoughtful back then. Would it have perhaps alleviated some of the inferiority complex within him?

No.
That’s not it.

— He existed, Haruto. Someone more amazing than you.

He simply wanted to meet him.

“Isshiki’s magic, I wish I could have shown it to you too.”