51 - Chapter 47: The Three Idiots' Seriousness ~The Demon King Who Erodes Fantasy~
A build-up episode for the grand finale.
Regarding the fundamental question of what magic power actually is, Geoglyph decided to approach it from a scientific perspective.
While the equipment existing in this world has not yet reached the point of providing definitive proof, his conclusion was that it might be a type of elementary particle.
The reason was the phenomena that occur when exercising so-called elemental magic. For instance, considering the activation of magic that involves mass, such as earth or ice magic, it would be overwhelmingly faster and require less power to arrange even smaller elementary particles than to rearrange existing atoms.
If magic power were atoms, then in attempting to rearrange fixed atomic structures to cause a corresponding phenomenon, there would be a difference in difficulty even among the four basic elements that could be called the foundation.
In that case, wind would be the easiest, followed by fire, which requires initial energy for heating, water, which would require intentionally gathering only the hydrogen in the air, and earth, which would require gathering dust and dirt even more than water, causing the difficulty and required power to skyrocket.
However, while there are individual aptitudes for the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, they are considered to be of the same difficulty, and Geoglyph himself feels that they are roughly the same level of difficulty.
From this, he concluded that magic is not something achieved through atomic manipulation, but rather a chemical reaction through the manipulation of elementary particles and similar substances, or rather, the excitation of a phenomenon.
Then, assuming magic power is something similar to an elementary particle, why can living beings utilize it? Why are there beings that possess magic stones and those that do not? At the end of many questions, the key he found was chanting.
To put it more simply, chanting = voice = sound, which is to say, a wave.
By emitting a specific vibration that organizes consciousness and intent into brainwaves from the vocal cords, it strikes the elementary particles called magic power and causes an arbitrary phenomenon. At least humans do this, which is why they can exercise magic without a magic stone. The reason monsters without language can exercise power like magic without chanting is that they strike the magic stones generated within their bodies, which coincidentally have the same structural organization as quartz, with brainwaves and amplify them with regularity. Incidentally, in Geoglyph's view, chantless casting is the technique of doing this with brainwaves alone.
When he realized this, he was overjoyed, finally being able to say a line from the top of his ranking of things he wanted to say, "In other words, 'Fuhahaha, scary, isn't it! Moreover, I can control brainwaves!'" Truly, SF otakus are beyond saving.
Now, if it is possible to manipulate the elementary particles of magic power with waves of imagery to cause an arbitrary phenomenon, the next challenge is how far that is possible.
I will state the conclusion first.
It is unlimited.
Geoglyph knows the famous words spoken by his favorite SF novelist. He remembers them. And he believes in them.
Jules Verne, a great man to SF otakus, spoke thus. "Whatever humans can imagine, humans can surely realize."
Though only in part, he had certainly seen a glimpse of it.
It is true that the trigger was mere fooling around. However, he was even able to reproduce the special moves of characters he thought were just memes.
The TS yuri-pig, who had longed for magical girls and transforming heroes since their previous life, became one, and the furry fan, who wished to become giant one day to fluff a giant beast, temporarily became so.
Transcending the physically impossible and bringing fantasy into reality.
One could say magic power is the key to exceeding limits.
One could say magic power is the trigger to evolve oneself.
One could say magic power is the elementary particle that grants desires.
Yes, if one knows the usage and the laws, the fantasies, the illusions, and the desires held by living beings are granted. But in this world, the existence of magic power had become far too conceptualized.
A creature living on land might understand through experience, sensation, or instinct that it will die because it cannot breathe underwater. However, it would not think as far as the reason, the atmosphere, or the constituent components contained in the water.
In short, the scholarship of this world stops there. Just as people breathe unconsciously, or fish instinctively perform pulmonary respiration underwater, regarding magic power, there is only the recognition that it is something that exists and can be handled without particularly thinking about it.
Of course, as time progresses and the so-called modern era arrives, people who make magic power itself a subject of research will eventually appear. Those who will unravel the secrets of this world, step over providence, and reach the beyond.
But, at this very moment.
Just for this instant...
"Lead us to the wishes of days gone by, to the place we will one day reach."
Geoglyph, who possesses a soul originating from another world, takes one step further than anyone else in the world.
"...Broken Reality."
The magic that rewrites the laws of the world has now been achieved.
●
A silvery-white phosphorescence spreads across the Harvester Plains.
"Beautiful..."
Looking at Geoglyph, who was at the center, Latia muttered unconsciously.
This was the second time she had felt this sensation and emotion.
The first was during the Earth Dragon incident. It was when she took the rear guard as part of the suicide squad to stall the Earth Dragon. She saw him descending from the sky, scattering magic, as if looking down upon all living things.
Setting aside his actual strength, Latia was astonished that while he was clad in that absurd magic power, the spirits did not tremble, but rather rejoiced.
Spirits are a kind of spiritual lifeform with a single will, despite being natural energy like magic power. They also have instincts, which is why they sometimes feel dread or fear and flee from powerful magic power or oppressive military might. No, because they lack an unnecessary physical body, spirits are even more attuned to instinct. For this reason, to elves, spirits are treated as synonyms for capriciousness, and those who can control them and handle spirit arts are held in high regard.
Those spirits, far from fleeing in the face of magic power that could even be called violent, were rejoicing and excited.
Riding the stagnant magic power as if dancing, they danced around Geoglyph.
That figure, commanding and leading the spirits, was just like the ancient...
"...Demon King-sama."
Not the king of the current generation of demons.
Once, in an era older than the Gaoga Kingdom, there was a king who unified the demons. An era when beastmen, elves, dwarves, and other demi-humans were all equally called demons.
The first Demon King, Yusuke, who possessed seven magic eyes, eventually stood at the peak of the demons despite being human. While possessing vast magic power, it seemed he too was loved by the spirits, and according to elven legends, he was apparently also called the Spirit King.
Geoglyph, who evoked that legend, however, turned his back to Delgamiride and spread his arms, speaking to the Triad army.
"Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Gentlemen... my dear gentlemen who call the Triad your home."
Was he using amplification magic? Geoglyph sang out resonantly with a voice that penetrated unusually deep.
"The magic I have just exercised is close to support magic. However, it is not mere enhancement. This is the magic of will. The magic of dreams. The magic of romance."
By unraveling the magic he had stored for ten years and returning it to mere magic power, the magic power that spread with a momentum that swallowed not only the surroundings but the Harvester Plains, was transformed by the prayer Geoglyph spun into one, and only one, effect.
"Now, gentlemen. Surely everyone knows their own limits by now. That you cannot do everything. That you learned the reality in the face of that giant beast. You have been beaten down, fallen to your knees, and are probably even losing sight of your own state."
In terms of nature, it belongs to support magic. However, it is formless, and the trigger is left to each individual.
Because...
"Somewhere in your hearts... aren't you thinking that you can just leave the rest to some hero?"
Because he did not want to lend his power to those without will.
"No. That is not it, gentlemen. You are mistaken, gentlemen. Once, there were words left by a kind-hearted girl who had no power. That if someone can become a hero, then everyone should be able to become a hero."
Not limited to Geoglyph, the Three Idiots are reincarnators, but unlike common stories, they did not receive convenient cheats.
"No power? Then I shall lend it to you."
However, they never felt pessimistic about it.
"No sword? Then I shall create one for you."
They had lived for nearly 40 years in their previous lives, and over 50 years including this life. They knew from experience that when pushing through the impossible, the unreasonable, and the reckless, there is a necessity to clench one's pride and fists.
"No soul? If you belong to the Triad, you should have had one from the start."
They had become skilled at sorting what can and cannot be done. And more than that, they understood that there is nothing that cannot be done if one is willing to try, and nothing that can be done without doing it.
As expected, comparing themselves to those around them, the Three Idiots are already aware that they possess quite special abilities. Probably, if they wielded their power without restraint or limitation, they would repel all unreasonableness. But at the same time, they understood that it would only be replaced by a new unreasonableness for someone they were supposed to have saved.
"Now, miracles turn into reality! Raise your will, burn your soul! Show that you can live even without being reborn!"
Therefore, the Three Idiots had decided on rules after consulting among the three of them. Simple, clear, and so that they could laugh out loud when looking back at what they had achieved later.
So that they could grow old just as in their previous lives, but this time, end their lives laughing that it was fun.
"And shout! To the self you want to become! Imagine! The strongest version of yourself! The words to reach that end shall become a prayer and lead you!!"
When helping someone, they move seriously only when their inner circle is involved, when their body moves reflexively...
"As long as this magic lives... I shall grant everything you desire!!"
...and only when those exposed to unreasonableness show the will to resist that unreasonableness.
Next time, again next week.