Once Upon the Childhood Friend in Gravity Field

"It's only a thought, but do you think my ability to command the spirits now also works on you? It's been easier to transact with you─unlike how it was four years ago."

I received no reply, as always.

Even if their ensemble of seven fortune deities decided to seek my presence as well, the painstaking quietness didn't break at all.

They kept mum as usual, only observing the events as stated in their rulebook.

"Yeah, I really hate it when I initiate conversations with you… it's always paid, may it be mundane or important. Look, there was even a moment when one of you intruded on my dream, bridging a deal that I should keep an eye out for your protege."

They only cast their eyes for Hotei, and nothing else.

"I didn't ask for recompense for it so can you at least tone it down? You're all fortune deities, I take it, but the custom of equivalent exchange completely baffles my impoverished self. I have endless memories to sell, and I could trick you by trading the more mundane ones. I suppose you already know but I hate not remembering anything more than anybody else. If there's another way I can pay you, like splurging money for it, heck if you don't know modern trade─can I at least dry my bank account out rather than my brain?"

There wasn't a nod nor any gesture of decline at all.

"Yeah, even information has its costs."

It's like living as a reporter in the prohibition era─only that the information brokers market themselves.

As a disclaimer, I might have the wrong perception and reference.

"Some stingy fortune deities you are… memories it is, but I'll take a step back. I'll solve it on my own so I won't need to sacrifice any of my precious memories to all of you."

I know it's what I proclaimed but I ended up wasting another memory fragment.

I asked Benzaiten to press the villainess to the wall, thus the effective view.

It's a contradiction at its finest, a dastardly movement to fall downwards hypocrisy… I was even pompous enough to proclaim myself as a deus ex machina. One way to hog the accolades from my supreme companions, but I might as well be part of them if I'm able to trade.

However, it's not a failsafe, surefire method.

It's entirely gut feel, and failure lingered from the sidelines.

I can't pinpoint its origin.

Unknown.

I might be trying to act tough with her upfront, but in reality, my heart kept wavering on its own crazy carnival.

I've been avoiding Ayase Kyoukaisenjou for quite some time now. Even if she was already held captive, she didn't excuse herself from despising my very presence. Exuding an amalgamation of antipathy, she likely imagined my figure burning at the stakes.

"What, you have problems with me branding myself the deus ex machina?" For starters, I bantered out. "You see, I'm not the least bit happy to call myself such but it's only what I can think of."

"I see yet another surprising development."

Aya huffed a hopeless, monochromatically nihilistic sigh.

"You've leaped towards another level and now you can even freeze time. Also, you're even manipulating gravity now. You're perfectly magnificent, how are we even supposed to contain you?"

She ignored my spiel─at the least, deducing what I've done to have her back stuck on the wall. In a short amount of time, she realized all the trouble born in the hallway. I can also applaud, as she held onto her accolade as the heiress to the school's Strongest Mage throne.

"Thanks for the surprise," I expressed my gratitude. It was genuine─so do not nitpick on it. "I've only fought half of the first years, and I was nearly mowed down. Their coordination definitely had my fur raised."

"Tell me, nii-chan, how long have you been able to freeze time?" Aya asked, deprecatingly stating high demand on low note.

Somewhat strange and extremely vapid for her.

It doesn't seem realistic enough for such a highly regarded student leader. While she's not part of the student council, she outnumbers the reverence of the mascots on paper. Deduction point, it works double as a publicity stunt that she lashed onto our dearest newcomer. Sure, the proposition of her becoming a layabout aligns our best interest… but it doesn't seem to be the problem in our current dilemma, does it?

Hmm, it's better left out for now.

The feeling must have been in between being interrogated and envied─or maybe both at the same time.

"Okay, you're not listening," I replied and apologized from obligation, "I'm sorry for that. I appreciate you not acting like a spoiled brat again. Fine, I specialize in Black Magic."

I decided to humor her.

First─an issued speculation: "I suppose if someone went to extreme lengths, time can be frozen by uttering Ice spirits to freeze it but common sense might say it's not possible."

"I already know, it's Space and Time… how many aptitudes have you been hiding away from the system?"

Aya must've wanted to growl firsthand, but suppressed her aggression.

Darkness circled her eyes: signs she hasn't been sleeping enough. I'd say nothing has been able to stop her crusade, she looks more tired the last time I caught a glimpse of her.

"Don't tell me you're also able to use White now?"

Late to protrude from her countenance, a supply of vexation.

"I suppose I'd call it Fortune Magic. Not mine to begin with but is instead bestowed by gods. I have to sacrifice fragmented memories to utilize their powers as opposed to the common spirits."

"Wow, as if I'd believe you," Aya chuckled in disbelief, almost prepared to gnarl at the sentiment.

She hasn't believed everything pertaining to myself for how many years now, I don't feel her dread anymore.

More like a prick to the skin.

"Well, the bottom line is you can't fight anymore."

"Hah! You can only figure that much, nii-chan?" She shot a look of utter defeatism, leading to once more─her lack of confidence. "So much for the school detective, like I would win against you in any scenario."

I could have snorted if it was possible: there were millions of possible ways I could show condescension, but it's almost always a recipe for disaster.

It did turn out good that I captured her, but it was only a fluke.

Even with time frozen and all, I still couldn't feel my mana flow.

Based on the feat alone, even if it's evident she sourced outbound assistance, suppressing the Strongest Mage has already become an achievement.

"Alright, you might want to explain to me what's going on, or else."

I had no reason to applaud her.

It's enough that we were opponents, it's normal not to provoke her─either by igniting or crushing her hopes.

She gritted her teeth.

"Huh? Did I just get threatened by the pacifist, everyone's hero?"

"I understand the former, but I've never been a hero."

"...Hmph, suit yourself."

"For someone who musters hate, your voice seems really soft," I reckoned, and smiled from the heck of it. "You still can't bring yourself to truly despise me, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Our eyes met for a serious staring contest.

"If you don't have anything to do other than save her, how about releasing me right now?" Admitting lost, she broke contact─and mumbled, "I don't want to deal with your bullshit."

"Nope, I want to know what's happening and you're the only person I know who'd snap the quickest," I countered her demand.

"Huh, like I'd fold to you," she retorted, and furrowed her eyebrows. "It's almost as if you're dreaming of flying whales from all around the globe."

"You do realize I can sosun you to oblivion."

"Hmm, are you mocking me right now?" Aya finally winced, all annoyed by the comic one-liner.

"No, that was supposed to be my line," I sighed from the realization, but there wasn't much expressiveness to push through. "Hn, I must have misunderstood you. Please don't say something that sounds like a manga reference again, okay?"

She didn't say anything.

Honestly, she shouldn't have mentioned flying whales when the metaphor's overwritten by something else.

Most of the time, I really do hate her.

Now I look like I'm enjoying the issue─which I clearly address as painful.

"I'll leap to the most important part: why were you strangling her?"

The most important question, so to speak.

While I did have premonitions of ill intent, it didn't serve all the way to someone's death. It's not easy to think about her diabolical movement─or else, explore in a soft case study. What came out were mostly denials, no true implications, throwing their fates to the prison cell or otherwise, endless streaks of penetrated conscience. Ayase Kyoukaisenjou, no matter how people might look despicable to her, wouldn't kill because she's incapable─the truest pacifist in the room at the moment.

"It's…"

Melancholy leaped out from her voice.

It escaped as soon as it emerged though, Aya drained it out of her body.

She darted a serious look towards her despicable brother figure.

"How graceful for you to think you're misunderstanding the situation. You're not wrong, nii-chan."

Aya straightened her posture.

She exerted strength in her character, albeit reeking of falsification from an unearthly loyalty.

In her own words, she declared, "I was about to kill her."

"Really, now?" It didn't take me a split second to disaccord.

I don't know if I was trying to misunderstand her.

True enough, I shouldn't downplay my assessment only because we were friends. It's not the essence of an investigator but of a hero… and I already denied myself of being one. It doesn't hurt to follow second thoughts?

I looked at my back, having my retinas burn to the image of Miss Ayanami.

She hung in midair, suspended without support at all.

Only a solidified representation of a person struggling from running out of breath.

Awkwardly, her image took the essence of a true piece of art.

"You're quite brawny, Aya."

For a long time, I've been playing as the school's detective alongside Amaterasu Origami. Most of the time, we're more inclined to find out the scoundrel between a party and haven't once shifted to proving someone's innocence. We might have because justice works in a reactive environment─someone is proven innocent out of someone's demise─but adhere to our conscious take mostly veering towards crime and punishment.

Shirayuki Otogibanashi thus assumes his first rodeo as the defendant's lawyer.

I wouldn't let her plead guilty for someone else's crime, would I?

I already hated the notion before I even began.

"You lifted her hanging like that, you must have packed muscles for the long time we haven't talked to each other."

She kept silent─her hostility notwithstanding.

"Why are you turning red now?" No, she did not─but I insisted. "It was a compliment."

"Shut up already! Also, stop calling me by my first name."

"No can do, Aya. I failed my promise to take a step back with [classified information], but I suppose I can piece it all together."

She didn't budge at all, intelligible enough to not speak anything─not because she refuses to work our situation out. Most likely, it was to prevent the situation from working out. However I was concerned about telling her it's too late, I didn't know how.

Hand to the head, I pulled a strand of hair from an urge to take art onto life itself.

Arguably cringeworthy and impulsive, but nonetheless tried to complete the predestination.

"The instant you centralized the nullification barrier into me, she thrashed you with her explosive firepower."