The Great Book II

Hikaru smirked. "Uh-huh. And what exactly did you do to deserve that?"

Silence.

"...That's not important right now," Senzai finally muttered.

"Right," Lina said flatly.

Hikaru sighed. "Okay, so you're a magical scholar stuck in a book. What do you want from us?"

Senzai's voice grew eager. "Freedom! You have to break my seal! And in return, I'll share my knowledge spells, secrets, things even the gods don't want you to know!"

Lina folded her arms. "Yeah, because that doesn't sound suspicious at all."

"Oh, come on!" Senzai groaned. "I'm not evil. Look, just take me somewhere private, open me up, and I'll prove I'm telling the truth!"

As Hikaru and Lina walked, a black cat suddenly padded into their path. The sleek feline sat directly in front of them, golden eyes glowing under the fading sunlight. Hikaru and Lina, recognizing the cat immediately, remained calm.

Senzai, however, did not.

"RUN!" the book shrieked. "That thing is dangerous! You fools, get out of here before it's too late!"

Hikaru blinked. "What."

"That's no ordinary cat!" Senzai yelped. "It's—it's—oh gods, it's staring at me! It knows! IT KNOWS!"

Lina pressed her lips together, clearly holding back laughter. Meanwhile, the "terrifying" cat simply yawned.

Then, before Senzai could continue its dramatic meltdown, the cat stretched lazily—and in a seamless movement, its form shifted. Black fur melted into flowing dark hair, feline limbs lengthened into graceful human ones, and standing before them was Ayami Tsujimoto, arms crossed and expression mildly amused.

Hikaru and Lina didn't react.

Senzai, however, fell completely silent.

Ayami's golden eyes flicked to the bag. "You heard that, right?" she asked, tone casual but sharp.

Hikaru and Lina, now fully invested in ignoring a panicked magical book, shared a glance.

"Heard what?" Lina asked innocently.

Ayami narrowed her eyes, scanning the area. "There are only two of you… so why did I hear another voice just now?"

She took a step closer, her sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings as if expecting someone or something to reveal itself.

Hikaru sighed, realizing there was no point in pretending. He reached into his bag and pulled out the book.

"Uh… so this is Senzai," he said, holding it up like an offering.

The book immediately shrieked. "GYAAAH! NO, NO, PUT ME BACK! THAT PERSON IS DANGEROUS!"

Ayami raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Senzai let out another panicked wail. "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! AYAMI TSUJIMOTO! THE HUMAN BORN WITH MAGIC THE ONE WHO KILLED GODS! NOOO, I REFUSE! PUT ME BACK, PUT ME BACK!"

Ayami stared at the book, then slowly turned her gaze to Hikaru and Lina, her expression unreadable. "...What is this?"

Lina blinked. "A book."

"A book that can talk," Hikaru added helpfully.

Ayami blinked and leaned in closer, her golden eyes sharp. "Talk."

"Ahhh! No, no, no, too close!" Senzai wailed.

Her expression didn't change. "What do you know about me?"

"...I... a lot."

Ayami's stare didn't waver. "What do you know about me?"

Senzai hesitated before blurting out, "...At the age of 20, Ayami Tsujimoto killed 20 gods from the Asian pantheon, which—"

Suddenly, Ayami's hand clamped around the book, gripping it so tightly the cover creaked.

"Enough," she said, her voice quiet but firm.

"Ayami-san, is that true?" Hikaru asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Ayami met his gaze and gave a small nod. "Well, yes. But anyway, I have something to say… Let's go to my place first."

She turned on her heel, not offering any more explanation. Hikaru and Lina exchanged a glance before following, while Senzai remained unusually silent in Hikaru's arms.

Inside Ayami's apartment, the air felt heavier than usual. She leaned against the table, arms crossed, her golden eyes sharp. "I ran into Takemikazuchi," she said, skipping any preamble.

Hikaru furrowed his brows. "The god of martial arts?"

Ayami nodded. "And he has a new follower. Someone strong—stronger than any of his past ones."

Lina, who had been lounging on the couch, sat up straight. "How strong are we talking?"

Ayami exhaled through her nose, her expression unreadable. "Strong enough that even I don't know if I can take them down easily."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Even Senzai, usually the most talkative presence, stayed quiet in Hikaru's lap.

"That's... not great," Hikaru finally said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you fight them?"

Ayami's gaze darkened. "Yes. At first, I nearly killed the god—but then, some random guy showed up. A human. And somehow, even before receiving a god's blessing, he was strong enough to push me back."

Lina's brows knit together. "Wait. You're saying a normal human overpowered you?"

Ayami's jaw tightened. "That's the part I should have anticipated."

Senzai, who had been eerily silent up until now, finally spoke up. "Alright, look. Clearly, you've got problems. Lucky for you, I happen to be a book of vast, nearly infinite knowledge! I can help."

Ayami raised an eyebrow. "Help?"

"Yes! I know things! Lots of things! Forgotten spells, hidden histories, battle tactics, weaknesses of gods—"

Before he could finish, Ayami stomped her foot onto the book, pinning it to the floor.

"And what exactly can you do, oh great and mighty book?" she said, voice dripping with skepticism. "You don't even have arms or legs. You're nothing but old paper and a loud mouth."

"OW! HEY! That is completely unnecessary!" Senzai protested, his voice muffled under her foot. "Just because I don't have limbs doesn't mean I'm useless! My knowledge is my strength!"

Hikaru winced. "Uh, Ayami-san, maybe ease up a little? He is offering to help."

Ayami narrowed her eyes but eventually lifted her foot, arms crossed. "Fine. Talk."

Senzai let out a dramatic gasp as if he actually had lungs. "Finally! Some respect!"

Ayami's gaze darkened. "I hate people who know my past."

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Senzai said hastily. "Now, you mentioned Takemikazuchi, right? Let me see..."

The book flipped open by itself, its pages turning rapidly as if scanning through centuries of information.

Senzai's pages fluttered at an unnatural speed, flipping back and forth as if searching for something buried deep within his vast knowledge.

"Takemikazuchi… god of martial arts, thunder deity, big ego," he muttered, skimming through the text. "Blah, blah, blah, descended from the heavens, granted divine strength to warriors, blah, blah—ah! Here we go!"

The pages suddenly stopped, and a faint glow pulsed from the ink.

"According to ancient records," Senzai continued, "Takemikazuchi's power isn't just about brute strength. His real edge comes from his divine technique—his movements aren't just fast, they're nearly impossible to predict. He doesn't waste energy, doesn't make unnecessary moves. His followers are trained the same way. If this new guy managed to push you back before receiving a god's blessing, that means—"

"We don't need all that information," Ayami cut in.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Don't you know? The gods can't use their power anymore."

Senzai paused. "Huh… what do you mean?"

The three of them exchanged glances. It was becoming clear that, despite his vast knowledge, the book had some serious gaps when it came to recent events.

"Try searching for what happened to magic after Enkidu's era," Ayami said.

"Enkidu? After his death?"

"No. After Enkidu resurrected."

"...What."

Senzai went completely still. For the first time since meeting him, the book had nothing to say.

Then, his pages began flipping again, slower this time, as if the weight of the information was sinking in.

"That… that's impossible," Senzai finally said, his voice unusually subdued. "Enkidu was… wait, this says he was the one who ended the magic era. He even made it so that magic from the gods couldn't be used—except by those who received a direct blessing." His voice grew fainter. "What… I never knew this."

To Be Continue.