The Gathering Storm: Paranormal Psychic Science Society’s Presentation

"Kekekek! You'll see soon enough. Either way, this is going to be fun."

No matter which side they were on, the students didn't think much of it. The atmosphere was more akin to attending a theatrical performance rather than an academic conference.

On the other hand, those who operated in the shadows—like the members of the Paranormal Psychic Science Society—were gravely serious.

Huddled together in secrecy, they whispered amongst themselves.

"What's going on? A presentation from the 'Psychic Society'?"

"From what I gathered, they've been at odds with Professor Sheena. Looks like they're settling things with a showdown. But what can they really do? This isn't the old Psychic Society. Their glory days are long gone."

"You can't say that for sure. Iruki is a Servant, and we can't ignore Neid's skills. And let's not forget Shirone—the one who took down the Black Magicians. I don't think this will end so easily."

"Heh, the Black Magicians were just a bunch of lower-class students. Let's just watch and see. If the Psychic Society disappears, a war will break out—for the second seat of Eastas."

"It won't be that easy. The Female Anatomy Research Society has had its eye on this for a while. The Economic Research Society, 'Gold Wheel,' is preparing to open the Black Market. They see this as their golden opportunity."

"Hmph, our Doll Collectors' Society isn't one to be underestimated either. I swear on my beloved Poco—the upper echelon of Eastas will be ours."

The upper echelon of Eastas.

As they envisioned the legendary, secretive space, their eyes burned with ambition.

Whether they understood the Paranormal Psychic Science Society or not, one thing was clear to all—the upcoming presentation was bound to be a spectacle.

Meanwhile, the ones preparing the presentation had no time for idle chatter. Their thoughts were singularly focused.

'Why is a day only 24 hours long?'

If a day had 200 hours—or at the very least, 48—they could have produced an even better result.

But they weren't foolish enough to waste time on wishful thinking. Instead, they squeezed every possible second out of their limited time.

Neid, having successfully developed a prototype of the hologram device, conducted a demonstration in front of Shirone and Iruki.

A semi-spherical lens made of glass sat in the center, with multiple output terminals extending in all directions, connecting to auxiliary devices.

While Iruki programmed the settings, Shirone absentmindedly fiddled with the fiber-optic crystal orb.

Neid spoke.

"It's ready. Shirone, let's begin."

"Are you sure? It's still not at a perfect level."

"Neither are we. But we need a test run to identify any flaws."

"Alright."

Gripping two crystal spheres in both hands, Shirone channeled photons with all his might.

Electricity sparked from the semi-spherical lens, and then—a translucent human figure appeared.

Though the clarity of the electric projection had its limits, Neid found this to be an advantage. The ghosts that students imagined probably looked something like this.

"So, this is a hologram..."

The ghost was a soldier clad in ancient armor. His face was rotting away, and his body had patches where bones were exposed.

"The framework looks solid. Iruki, your turn."

Iruki activated the controller.

There were only eight buttons, but their combinations allowed for a variety of movements. Each press of a button made the soldier's hologram perform a different action.

Watching the soldier walk through the warehouse, Iruki nodded in satisfaction.

"No major issues with the program. We can go forward with this. Now, the real question is—Shirone, are you really going to be okay? On the day of the presentation, the number of devices will increase dramatically."

Shirone, having tested the system firsthand, was also worried.

While the power supply could be replenished endlessly by Neid's electric abilities, the real challenge was the information transfer. Just operating one hologram device was already mentally exhausting.

"I'll do my best. At least the duration is increasing, which is promising. That means Neid, you'll be mass-producing these soon. Iruki, is your part done?"

"Not yet. There's still a lot to refine. If we tried to account for psychological variations, it'd take at least a year to analyze. I'm working with a five percent probability margin for unexpected variables. But... I think we'll make it in time."

Neid nodded.

"Now that we have a working prototype, it's time to make our move. We don't have the luxury for rehearsals. Let's just focus on our respective tasks until the end."

Even as they spoke, they all knew the heaviest burden rested on Shirone's shoulders.

If a few devices malfunctioned, or if Iruki's algorithms had minor errors, the presentation could still go on.

But if Shirone's energy output faltered, the entire plan would collapse—and they would be left to face the ridicule of the students.

'Ten-minute limit. If I can't reach that, it's better not to present at all.'

Returning to the warehouse, Shirone pondered his next move.

'Mental rebound.'

Like any other form of strengthening, the mind did not grow in a linear fashion. Instead, it fluctuated between periods of collapse and growth. The larger the collapse, the greater the subsequent surge.

Thus, Shirone arrived at his conclusion.

"I need to push my mind to its absolute limits."

Just as physical training involves breaking down muscles to rebuild them stronger, Shirone knew that his brief moments of rest were insufficient for physical endurance training. His body would break down within a month if he tried.

But the mind was different. It possessed a resilience capable of withstanding extreme stress.

And for someone like Shirone, whose endurance was his greatest strength, this was the most effective approach.

'I can do it.'

To push his consciousness to the brink of destruction.

Pain would be inevitable, but this was the only way to reach an otherwise impossible goal.

'More! I have to push my mind even further!'

The size of the light reflected on the warehouse wall grew larger and larger.

On the final night before the presentation, the clock approached midnight.

The warehouse where Shirone trained was so brightly illuminated by photon output that it seemed like broad daylight.

Blood dripped from Shirone's lips as he clenched his eyes shut.

Even as he tried to endure, his body wobbled, and his legs trembled as if they were burning on a scorching pan.

The limit of limits. If he continued like this, he might actually lose his mind.

"Aaaaargh!"

With every last ounce of his willpower, Shirone unleashed everything.

In the next instant, like turning off a faucet, the blinding light vanished.

The warehouse was swallowed by darkness, and the sound of Shirone's knees hitting the ground echoed.

"Huff! Huff!"

Crawling forward, he pressed a button on a gear-shaped stopwatch.

10 minutes, 32 seconds.

"Ha... Ha-ha..."

He had maintained photon output for over ten minutes.

Thousands of mental rebounds over the past month had allowed him to achieve this.

His Spirit Zone had evolved drastically, and his specialty magic had reached a level beyond Class Five.

The iron door creaked open, revealing Neid, who had been away scouting the school under an invisibility cloak.

"It's midnight, Shirone. Time for rehearsal."

Neid didn't ask about the results—he already knew Shirone's standards were impossibly high.

Then, Shirone grabbed his stopwatch and hurled it toward Neid.

Catching it, Neid's eyes widened as he read the time.

"You... really did it?"

Shirone grinned, raising a thumbs-up.

"Mission accomplished. Let's put on one hell of a show."