Chapter 225
Chapter 225
Sumire lost consciousness thanks to HaYoons telekinetic choking, but that couldve been a fortunate thing.
"Are you okay?" A worried incubus asked her.
She slowly got up. She was no longer in real life. "Ugh, this place is" The castle, filled with luxurious plates of food and furniture to match Laplaces tastes, was her inner worldLaplaces castle.
"You lost consciousness so Laplace judged the situation to be life-threatening and decided to intervene directly."
It was an emergency possession that was only ever used during emergencies, and Sumire knew just how much Laplace liked using it. "Ah, I see. Laplace" She never thought shed cause Laplace trouble with what shouldve been her issues.
"Uh" Her shoulders dropped in defeat.
The incubus smiled and politely said, "Sumire? Before Laplace 'went out', she left a message for you." He raised his hand and channeled his purple mana into a screen.
Swoosh- Paf!
"This is?" Sumire asked.
"She asked me to show you this video in case, after regaining consciousness, you started sighing as if you were lost in the world."
"Laplace expected this?" Surprised, Sumire quickly turned her head toward the screen.
~ ~ ~
A gentle piano melody played through the speakers, and Laplaces face appeared.
ZZZ- ZZZ!
[Hi Sumire.] Was she sad, was she happy, or was she angry at Sumires recklessness? It was hard to read the expression on Laplaces face.
[I would have liked to serve you the tea I brewed, but by the time you see this I probably won't be inside your mind anymore.] A calm and beautiful piano melody accompanied Laplaces solemn voice.
"L-Laplace" Sumires mouth fell open in surprise.
As if predicting such a reaction, the recorded Laplace chuckled. [Fufu. You're probably watching my video letter with a dumbfounded expression while your mouth is hanging open.]
Sumire closed her mouth, but the Laplace in the recording wasnt trying to tease her.
The recorded Laplace smiled. [Im a mere fragment, but meeting you was a great fortune.] She blew into her palm, and purple petals drifted to cover the screen.
~ ~ ~
The piano changed to a somewhat sad melody while the petals drifted down and revealed complete darkness on the screen. [This is where I originally waited: a complete void. I have no clue how long I spent there by myself.]
Sumire thought of how her inner world had constantly expanded and of how beautifully Laplace had decorated the castle. Maybe thats what shed been dreaming of during all that time in the void.
"Laplace you were so lonely." How long had Laplace spent in that solitary void? Sumire bit her lip as she tried to imagine it.
[Hmm~ Are you perhaps making a sad face?] Laplaces synchronization with Sumire was extremely high, so she could guess how the girl would feel. [If you're watching this video and feeling sorry for me, there's no need to be sad. Time is an abstract concept for me.]
Explaining how she perceived the passage of time seemed difficult for Laplace as she rested her hand on her chin and pondered how to explain it. [I could feel a flow, but I didnt exist anywhere. This might be hard for you to understand]
It was the best explanation she could give. Seeming to not care about the past, she tore through the void a bit with her nail. [I might be a fake, but meeting you lit up the world for me.]
A bright light filled the void. [The time I viewed as abstract and the void around me] She looked at Sumire through the screen. [I received new meaning thanks to you.]
Laplace was wondering how she could convey her emotion to Sumire after the girl had given her meaning. Doing it all through mere words was difficult. [I think it would be best for you to see it directly.]
Laplace thrust her hand into the bright light pouring from the crack.
"Wh-what?!" Sumire exclaimed as Laplace grabbed her hand. "Didn't Laplace descend into reality?" she asked the incubus in surprise.
The incubus shook his head. "The inner world is under the control of you and Laplace. If both of you wish, nothing is impossible. Now, more than that"
Fwoosh!
The Laplace in the screen pulled her hand, and Sumire was drawn into the unknown space.
Ziing!
As she passed through the tear in the void
"Woah-!"
Laplace greeted her with a smile. "Fufu. So you've arrived. Sumire, I thought you should see this yourself."
Snap!
Laplace snapped her fingers, and a purple storm shredded the darkness like confetti.
"Ugh!" Sumire closed her eyes due to the strong wind.
Some time passed, the wind calmed, and Laplace gently said, "It's fine now. Open your eyes."
"Laplace, this place is" Instead of the void, Sumire saw trees blooming with cherry blossoms and felt a pleasant spring breeze. Laplace sat underneath a tree on top of a colorful mat.
Sumire had seen the place before. It was one of her most precious memories, after all.
[Mom! Suguha! Look at this!]
[Kyaa! Mom! Oppa's gone mad! He climbed up the tree!]
"This is where I went on a picnic with my family" Sumire said.
"That's right. Do you understand now?" Laplace asked before gently grabbing Sumires hand. "By becoming one with you, I received new memories, a new world, new values, and a new meaning It was a truly fun and fascinating experience for me.
Laplace moved her other hand to her chest and said, "Although, thanks to that Your warm heart and everything you cherish also became precious to me." Was she still Laplace, a mere fragment, or something born between the fragment and Sumire?
She didnt know the truth, but she was sure of something "My child You're more precious to me than anything, so those who dare to harm you" Laplaces demeanor changed, and she narrowed her eyes. "I won't forgive them."
* * *
* * *
HaYoon's Telekinesis required fast calculations on coordinates and mana projection for quick physical manifestation. The only way to escape from it was to do a reverse calculation of the mana, which was why nobody had ever done so before.
A purple flame flickered into being as Sumires atmosphere changed and she moved her hand. She visualized the intangible Telekinesis as green fragments and broke them to piecesit was hard to believe she was the same girl.
"You" Shocked, HaYoon stepped back.
Meanwhile, Sumire touched her neck and gave HaYoon a cold look. What? Is that your first time seeing someone do that? All I did was add a new property to the mana to force it into a shape so I could destroy it. Its quite an old-fashioned method. It was easy enough to say, but doing something like that required a high degree of control, which should have been impossible for her.
Rather than the Telekinesis being countered, HaYoon was more surprised by Sumires sudden change in atmosphere, the purple flame the girl had just used, and, more than anything, the girl's eyes. She was sure shed seen those eyes before
"You" 'Her eyes Yes
Laplace, possessing Sumires body, didnt give her the time to think. "There's no need to be so surprised. The truly amazing part will start now." She raised her hand like an orchestra conductor and gently grasped the air.
Papapaf
Purple diamond materialized as if she were showing HaYoon that she could also handle mana from a distanceit was an attribute of mana known as Dark Matter, and it was Laplaces characteristic.
HaYoon absently stared at the Dark Matter and muttered, "You really"
Have you gone insane? Laplace asked before launching her Dark Matter attacks.
Swoosh!
HaYoon quickly used her mana to dodge the attacks.
"You really are fun!" Laplace exclaimed.
It only took HaYoon a moment to calculate the trajectories of the Dark Matter and manifest mana to telekinetically compress the attacks in mid-air.
"Not bad Laplace said. Let's see how long you can keep that up for."
The situation heavily favored Laplace and her relentless attacksitd only take one miscalculation on HaYoons part for her to lose.
Fwoosh!
Laplace summoned her flickering purple fire again and created countless amounts of Dark Matter projectiles to finish HaYoon off with her next attack.
It was HaYoons first time facing such a crisis, but she seemed to be having fun and incomprehensibly muttered, A fake with some memories whos a mere fragment? How fun.