Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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“Is that… an illusion? I can’t feel its presence.”

Nightmare and Runox immediately went on high alert at the sight of the sudden wolf. It lacked the presence that one would expect from any ordinary creature. Being a wizard sensitive to mana, it was even more unsettling for them.

I gestured to Runox, meaning to signal him to refrain from interrupting our conversation. He must have understood, being the quick-witted one he was.

The silent wolf finally opened its mouth.

[I told you to go back.]

“It was said to be a fragment of the Demon God. Please tell me more about the Sea God.”

[Go back down and ask your parents.]

“Stop bringing up my parents!”

I frowned, with my hands resting on my waist. I didn’t care much about what he thought of my background, but it was uncomfortable that he kept mentioning my parents.

The wolf fell silent again, and after a long sigh, it spoke. It felt as though it was reluctantly indulging a child’s tantrum.

[What is it that you want to know?]

I retrieved the Fire Dragon Sword stuck in the ground and directed a question at the wolf.

“I want to know the exact identity of that creature called the Sea God, the influence the Sea God Church has on the residents of Dawn Castle, and also about you.”

[You’ve got some nerve…]

The wolf seemed to contemplate for a moment. Even though I was watching him pace slowly, it felt surreal.

The wolf walking along the beach left no footprints. How long had we walked like that? Just as the wolf circled us about two times, it began to speak slowly.

[The Demon God is one of the ancient beings that was born at the same time this world was created. Now, it can no longer maintain its existence, so it’s scattered across the world in numerous fragment forms. The Sea God is merely a part of those fragments.]

The wolf looked at me as if to see if that was enough. I let out a soft murmur in response to its words and spoke up.

“Why can’t the Demon God maintain its existence anymore? And why is the name ‘Sea God’ attached to the fragment of the Demon God?”

[In the past, there was a conflict among the ancient beings. The Demon God was one of the defeated ones. The victor tore the Demon God apart and scattered its existence across the entire world, making it faint.]

“Why such a troublesome method…?”

[The concept of death does not exist among the ancient beings. They merely exist because this world exists. The name ‘Sea God’ was attached to the Demon God’s fragment for this reason: to establish the fragments as something other than the Demon God, thereby completely erasing the existence of the Demon God.]

“So, does this mean that the Sea God’s presence here is the will of the gods?”

[To some extent, yes.]

“To some extent…?”

[This is the end of my answer to that question. Move on to another question.]

“Then what exactly does the Sea God Church do? Why do they worship the Sea God and transform themselves into monsters?”

[The fragments of the Demon God instinctively strive to reclaim their old divinity. However, because they lack the awareness that they are the Demon God, that religion cannot take a proper form. They are beings that do not truly know their own existence. It’s only natural for followers to resemble the gods they worship, so it’s also a natural flow for them to lose their human forms.]

“Is it impossible to kill the Sea God?”

[It cannot be killed.]

The white wolf spoke firmly. A brief silence followed its words.

“If so… why are you here?”

[To suppress the Sea God’s range of activities. As long as I am here, his range is limited to this sea.]

At that moment, Runox, who had been silent beside me, slowly rose from his seat. His gaze was fixed on the prowling wolf.

“I have a question.”

[You seem to have a friendship with the Dragon’s child, so I will allow you one question.]

“You said the Sea God doesn’t die. Then can’t you seal him so he can’t move at all?”

[A foolish question. If that were easy, I wouldn’t be here.]

“You said you were suppressing the Sea God’s range of activities. Then… that means you have the power to do so…”

[There is no need to take unnecessary risks. If I let things be as they are, the Sea God will remain in this sea forever. To build that twisted faith. To protect that crumbling faith… an unstable existence that repeats the establishment and oblivion of existence. In a few hundred years, he will likely establish a new self, having forgotten that he was once the Sea God.]

“I… I will help.”

[You? Just a mere human…?]

“Not just me. This Seris here too…”

[You’re talking nonsense; those who see everything as mere play would not act for the sake of humans. The child you’re mingling with right now is the same.]

The wolf spoke in a firm voice. Its gaze shifted from Runox to me, a small smile playing on its lips as if to say its words were correct.

[Final advice: end the play and return to the Dragon’s Cradle. This is a dangerous place.]

Both Runox and the wolf focused their gazes on me. I fell into deep thought. Recently, I had realized that my thoughts were starting to resemble those of a dragon. Perhaps it was due to absorbing the mana of Kalbain and Kashpa, along with the dragon’s thoughts that existed in this land.

I was confused. What choice would I have made if I were my original self? Then, suddenly, I thought how ridiculous it was to even consider what I was pondering.

I only exist as myself. What does it matter if I’m human or dragon? One crucial thing: as long as the dragon’s mana became my strength, that strength cannot be above me.

Get out of my head.

At some point, the massive dragon figure that had been occupying my mind started to fall.

A long yet fleeting time passed. I slowly opened my mouth.

“Wolf.”

[What is it?]

“If I help, will I be able to seal that Sea God creature?”

The wolf did not answer. It frowned and sat down on the ground.

“Please answer.”

[It is possible, if you create a brief opening for me.]

“Then let’s do it.”

[… I think I misheard you. Could you say that again?]

“I’m saying, let’s try. I’ll draw their attention.”

[Are you out of your mind?]

“I’ve always been sane.”

[I don’t understand… How could the Dragon’s child want to take such a risk for mere humans?]

“I’m doing it because I want to.”

[You want to…?]

“I’m just doing it because I want to. I can’t just ignore it. How can I stand by and watch humans turn into horrible monsters?”

[Are you serious?]

“I’m serious.”

The wolf remained silent, seemingly squinting to read the sincerity behind my words. Even though I conveyed the truth as it was, it seemed hard to believe.

How much time passed like that? The wolf, lying on the ground, suddenly leapt up.

[Unless there is a definitive opportunity, I will not move. It means I won’t take action even if you are in danger. Do you agree?]

“That means if I create a reliable opportunity, we can seal him?”

The wolf nodded. At that moment, the white wolf’s form began to blur and fade away.

[I shall return tomorrow morning.]

Once the blurry figure of the wolf completely disappeared, we maintained silence for a while. Runox stared silently into the campfire, while I absentmindedly stroked Nightmare’s mane.

“How pathetic…”

“Runox?”

“I’ve realized there’s another sky above the sky. I’ve been nothing but a frog in a well. My vision was so low that I couldn’t see what was above me. I even failed to recognize your identity next to me.”

“That’s…”

“But my stance hasn’t changed. As a wizard, I have a duty to guide those who have strayed onto the wrong path back to the right one. Of course, it may seem foolish to you…”

“If I felt that way, I wouldn’t have followed you, Runox.”

“Heh. That’s comforting to hear.”

Runox laughed lightly and leaned back next to the campfire, mana sparkling around his body.

“What does it feel like to live as a dragon? From on high, everything must seem trivial, huh?”

“I’m not a dragon.”

“Are you looking at the world through a different perspective by lowering yourself? Yes, those words remind me of the teachings of Vice Tower Master Haiven of the Tower of Dawn, who seemed to be aiming to see a higher place…”

I let out a small sigh as I leaned against Nightmare.

*

Early in the morning. The white wolf, as promised, returned. He looked out across the sea.

[You haven’t forgotten my words, have you?]

“No.”

[Good.]

I took a breath and began to pull up my mana. Last night, I had been deep in thought. How can I create an opening for the Sea God? In what manner should I confront it?

The magic I could use right now, along with spells I had only vaguely imagined, sparkled together with the stars.

Then abruptly, I realized the immense difference between who I am now and who I was in the past. First, I had fully embodied the dragon’s mana, bringing it completely under my control, and I was finally able to resolve my deficient mana amounts through the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword.

[I will open the pathway to the island.]

What I could do had increased. The possibilities had multiplied. When the lights filling my head sparkled, I realized what sort of magic I could replicate.

The starlight twinkled. The red cloak I wore fluttered, revealing the shape of a dragon over my body. A long tail thumped against the ground, and sharp teeth brushed my tongue’s tip.

The entrance of the island opened. As the thick fog that had shrouded the surroundings receded, the true form of this island began to emerge with a peculiar power. Moreover, as the rough booming sound erupted from the external circle I had created, fishman monsters started revealing themselves from the sea.

All mana circles resonated. They greedily sucked in the nearby mana and transformed it into new attributes. When the completed mana began to surge toward the sky, a massive presence emerged from beneath the sea.

■■■■-!

A horrifying howl steeped in the Sea God’s wrath erupted. The mind-shattering sound made Nightmare and Runox stagger for a moment. However, they did not collapse. They attacked the fishmen crawling up the island to protect me.

I looked up at the Sea God’s form and curled my lips. It was a complicated magic that required a lengthy preparation process.

The foundation of the magic is a firm belief, and the clarity of the image determines its might.

When I first imagined this magic, I hadn’t had a single idea about how to implement it.

However, now it was different.

In the sky, where massive mana had gathered, small starlights began to twinkle. Once my preparations were complete, I raised both hands upward toward the sky.

Inner World Simple Manifestation
Birth of a Star

A part of my inner world materializes outside this world. A massive shadow that emerged from the dark space overshadowed the entire area.

I must firmly maintain the existence of the star. I needed to attempt the next action while keeping the massive mass of the star intact. My head was on fire. The hot mana of Kalbain began to fill my body.

When all the mana within me became heated, the mana dominating the space above began to envelop the enormous star. Immediately afterward, the surface of the star was engulfed in searing flames.

Whoosh-!

Another sun rises in the sky. The boiling heat made the sea water bubble. The only place unaffected by the heat was this spot.

The chilly air flowing from the Ice Dragon Sword protected me, along with Runox and Nightmare.

“Wh-what is that…?”

Runox’s dazed mumble scattered into the air.

I lifted my lips and brought down the hands I had raised to the sky.

I had witnessed this magic in countless worlds. In a brief moment, many worlds sparkled and flashed before my eyes. Although there were minor differences, every world that had showcased this magic invariably attached such descriptors to it.

The highest-tier fire magic
Meteor

A star engulfed in gigantic flames hurtled toward the Sea God and collided with it.