Chapter 55: Being followed

“Are you prepared?”

Sheila nods at my question.

“Then there’s a magic I want to try.”

I draw a magic formation on the floor.

“......A magic you want to try?”

“Rumours and legends are the source of a spirit’s power or more precisely rumours and legends form the spirits origin so even if you give them magic power directly their condition won’t improve.”

As a trial, I poured my power directly into Sheila but nothing happened. It’s also not possible to physically go back in time and fix it either. Also, since their origins are fully formed even using Reincarnation <Silica> would have no effect since they would be just as weak after being reborn.

“However, a spirits magic is incredibly flexible.”

“Did you give some of your power to Ray’s mother?” Misa asks.

“Yeah but it’s impossible with normal magic. I’d hoped being half-demon would have helped but there was no change.”

“Then what magic do you want to try.....?”

“Rumours and legends form her origin. Rumours and legends also form your origin. I’ll join your two origins and transfer some of your power to Sheila but since your origins are different I’ll alter your power during the transfer to Sheila so it matches her origin. Hopefully, she’ll recover to some extent.”

historical

They are both half-spirit half-demon. The possibility isn’t zero.

“.....Was there a magic like that for half-spirit half-demons....?”

Mazoku don’t have the ability to change their origins so to Misa it’s strange that such a magic exists.

“There wasn’t until a few minutes ago.”

Misa’s face took on a strange expression.

“I just made it.”

“.....mad...made it....? Now!?”

Misa looks astonished.

“Aah.”

After my casual answer, Misa sounded like she couldn’t believe it.

“.....Developing a new magic usually takes years or even decades if you aren’t very good at it. Arnos-sama is really amazing......”

“Making it is easy. The problem is it’s my first time using it. If I don’t manage the different rumours and legends correctly the power will adversely affect Sheila.”

In the worst-case scenario she’ll die.

It’s worth trying though if they are prepared for it.

“It will also be dangerous for your body Misa. There’s a chance the spirit side will consume your origin along with your magic.”

Misa is very lively and I’ve seen her use spirit magic Rain Spirit Mist <Fuska> a few times now with no ill effects so she should be fine.

“Your rumours and legends will revive Sheila’s spirit side power that’s been consumed. In other words Misa, I’m gambling on the strength and resilience of your rumours and legends to restore your power after draining it and giving it to Sheila.”

If my gamble fails Misa won’t be able to recover her exhausted origin and will end up like Sheila. If I really mess up I could kill her.

“.......I can’t let you do that....”

Sheila says, however, Misa looks determined.

“I’ll do it.”

“But....”

“I want to do it..... Ray-san isn’t a person who actually cares what’s going on between the unification faction and the royals. Also, I want to frustrate the royal’s plans.”

Misa says whilst laughing.

“It’ll be fine. The worst-case scenario will never happen with Arnos-sama.”

“I can’t say my first failure won’t be today so don’t relax.”

I activate the magic formation and send my power into it.

“For the time being I’ll call this magic Origin Conversion <Lilia>. Are you both ready?”

“Yes. Please do it.”

I activate <Lilia> and connect Misa’s origin to Sheila’s with a magic line.

“Use spirit magic.”

“Understood.”

Misa activates<Fuska> so it’s probably raining outside again now.

Gradually Misa’s origin starts to show signs of exhaustion but if I use my demon eyes I can see that power is flowing into it trying to restore it.

The power flows from Misa to Sheila via the magic line.

“.....Ku.......ah......”

Misa leaks a pained sigh.

“Fumu. As expected, the wavelengths from your rumours and legends don’t match.”

Different forces are mixing into Sheila’s origin and making her worse.

“....Wha...what should I do....?”

“Don’t be impatient. Concentrate on your magic or you can’t save her.”

While watching Sheila’s symptoms I start altering <Lilia’s> magic formula bit by bit.

It starts to convert the power produced by the rumours and legends into Sheila’s wavelength.

Since I have virtually no knowledge about spirits my only choice is to go by the round robin method.

I focused my demon eyes into abyss so as not to miss even the tiniest of variations.

One minute passes.

The body of Sheila is even more thinner and transparent than when we started. She can’t speak anymore.

Three more minutes pass.

Sheila is about to disappear.

“.....God.....”

Misa joins her hands and starts praying.

“If you are going to pray then pray to me. Those fellows have never given the miracles that people wanted.”

At that time the transparency of Sheila’s body that was getting worse had stopped.

“Fumu. Somewhere around here? I’ve finally found it.”

I zero in on that wavelength and start fine-tuning it.

“Ah.....”

Misa’s voice leaks out.

Ever so slightly Sheila’s body begins to regain colour.

“.......As expected..... When you came you didn’t even know what the illness was let alone how to cure it.”

Misa’s spilt words like she couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her eyes.

“Don’t relax. If you aren’t careful it will be over in an instant.”

I very carefully rearrange the formula of <Lilia>.

Bit by bit the body of Sheila gradually recovers, however, Misa had a pained expression.

Her origin continues to be depleted of spirit magic.

“Are you okay?”

“........Yes. Don’t worry about me......I can still go on........”

Misa smiles.

I can clearly see she’s overdoing it but we cannot guarantee the stabilisation of Sheila if we stop now.

A number of minutes pass and it finally feels like its starting to settle down.

It’s still a bit of a tightrope walk but its only a matter of time now. I honestly don’t know what would happen if I mess up the magic even a little bit here.

At that moment I noticed something and turned my consciousness to another place.

“......What’s wrong?”

“My mother is being followed.”

“Eh.....?”

It seems like it’s on the road back to my home. This part of the route home is still busy with people but just after this, it will go much quieter.

“It would be fine if she was only being followed but this seems different.”

The magical power of the mazoku following my mother is strangely excited. Its most likely motivation.

What’s their aim? My sword or my mother?

If they are intending to take my mother hostage their hostility is very low.

“Let’s go help.”

“Of course but let’s wait a few minutes. I need to keep my eyes on Sheila.”

There are a number of fan union girls near my mother but the magical power of the mazoku following them is much stronger.

Even though there’s a number of them they won’t even be classed as opponents.

I’m familiar with the wavelength of this proud but disturbed magical power.

Yeah, there’s no doubt....

“Emilia.”

“Eh?”

Yare yare. What are you doing?

Using my distance sight I stare at the place where my mother is.