Trials of the Multiverse

--- Shiba Tatsuya ---

Three days slipped by in a blur.

From various sources, I could more or less piece together what the crowd had seen.

In short:

Morisaki Shun fired a few shots, but Nakamura blocked them effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap between them, moving so fast that no one could see him move.

With a single, precise chop to the neck, Nakamura sent Morisaki to the ground, as easily as knocking over a house of cards.

The entire duel lasted about six seconds.

One of the shortest in the history of the First High School.

For a few moments, it felt like the entire arena held its breath, struggling to process what had just happened.

Even the referee, Saegusa Mayumi, seemed caught off guard.

So, there was no immediate call of victory.

Then, slowly, applause began rippling through the stands, gaining momentum as spectators reacted in different ways.

Some were stunned by Hikari's effortless power; others sneered at Morisaki, whose bravado had earned him a swift and humiliating defeat—and an expulsion.

Whispers of excitement buzzed through the arena, while a few of Morisaki's supporters exchanged wary glances, beads of sweat tracing down their foreheads. They were already wondering if they'd be next.

But Nakamura didn't stick around to bask in the aftermath.

Without waiting for the President to announce his win, he cast one last look at the crowd, then turned and walked away, leaving the murmur of voices behind.

To most, his exit looked like pure arrogance, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the case.

I had originally planned to wait things out.

The idea was simple: get closer to him gradually, then carefully fish for information about the whole situation. But it seems I underestimated his perception.

Because just one day after our duel, a letter showed up at our doorstep.

No sender's name, and the message inside couldn't have been more straightforward. Blunt, even.

Just a time and place—a café near our School, two days from now.

What caught me off guard wasn't the message itself, but what happened after I finished reading it.

Without warning, a tiny blue spark flickered at the corner of the paper. It spread like a drop of ink in water, trailing azure flames that didn't seem to generate any heat.

Within seconds, the mysterious fire had consumed the entire letter, leaving behind nothing but fine, silvery dust that disappeared between my fingers.

Even with my Elemental Sight active, this 'Magic' remained completely opaque to me. Though at this point, I was starting to doubt whether this could even be Magic at all.

But I didn't give it too much thought. At the moment, my mind was more pressed on other matters.

For Miyuki's sake, I needed answers.

---

As I was slipping on my shoes, ready to head out for my meeting with Nakamura, Miyuki's voice stopped me just as I reached the door.

"Onii-sama, let me come with you, please."

I turned to see her standing there, her face a mix of determination and worry, hands clenched tightly.

Part of me wanted to refuse.

But then, I reminded myself: if Nakamura had any hidden motives, he wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up a meeting that could easily be traced.

If he truly wanted me dead, he could do it without anyone ever noticing a thing.

But even so...

"Miyuki, this isn't necessary," I kept my tone firm but gentle. "There's no danger, and there's really no need for you to worry."

But she didn't look convinced. "Onii-sama, if it's safe, then there's no harm in me coming, right? Besides… I want to be there with you."

I understood from her gaze.

She wasn't going to let this go.

...As cute as she is, she's still a pain, sometimes.

I shook my head slightly, trying to figure out how to dissuade her without explaining too much. But Miyuki, stubborn as always, stood her ground.

...Sigh.

'I hope Nakamura won't mind. I mean, it was not really specified that I had to be alone, so I guess it's fine'

"If you're going to be this stubborn," I finally said with a resigned smile, "what can I do with you, huh?"

Her face lit up immediately, relief replacing the tension in her features as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Onii-sama!"

I chuckled softly, patting her back. "Alright. Now, Let's hurry, or we will be late."

With a quick nod, she beamed, grabbing my arm to pull me along as we stepped out of the house together...

---

The café was warm and softly lit, with the faint aroma of coffee and pastries filling the air.

Miyuki and I stepped inside, and a young waitress, seeming to know exactly who we were here for, greeted us with a polite smile.

"You must be here for Nakamura-san. Right this way, please," she said, gesturing toward the far corner of the café.

We followed her through the softly bustling tables until, within moments, we were standing before Nakamura Hikari.

His posture was relaxed, one hand resting on the handle of his teacup as he looked out the window.

Unlike usual, he exuded an undeniable air of nobility, making him somewhat difficult to approach.

Princes and military officials I'd met before didn't come close to matching this.

How mysterious.

I quickly regained my composure and offered a calm greeting.

His gaze drifted toward me in response.

"...You're here."

He spoke without a hint of surprise, as if he'd expected me to bring Miyuki along.

Since he didn't seem to care, I won't go out of my way to clarify, either.

We took our seats opposite him, ordering tea of our own.

---

When the tea arrived, the somewhat uncomfortable silence was broken.

Nakamura let out a soft sigh, locking eyes with me.

"People that are too perceptive are always a problem," he said, his tone quiet, but firm. "If only you hadn't picked up on this, you could have gone on living as usual. But now that a seed of doubt has sprouted, you'll find it impossible to ignore."

His gaze intensified, glinting with a coldness that felt both challenging and dismissive. "I know you're here partly out of duty—to protect your sister. But let me make this clear…"

he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, "...the scale of this matter is beyond you. Consider this a warning out of pity: go back to your life, forget what you think you know. Dismiss it as your mind playing tricks on you."

For a long moment, I held his gaze, reading the sincerity in his eyes.

But even so...

"Sorry, but I can't do that," I replied firmly. "If there's even a chance of a threat to her, then I'll do whatever it takes to find out. Even if it means putting my own life on the line."

Miyuki looked up at me, concern widening her eyes, while Nakamura let out a rough sigh, folding his arms and looking off to the side.

"Honestly... that's why protagonists are such a pain in the ass." He shook his head, muttering something under his breath, tapping his fingers impatiently against his arm.

I waited, watching as silence stretched between us. He didn't speak more, but his gaze shifted back, steady and measuring, his expression unreadable.

Then, with a quick, almost resigned nod, his eyes hardened.

He raised his hand—and in that instant, the very air around us thickened, as though reality itself had shifted.

My senses reeled.

This...

Space distorted, twisting and tightening until everything in the café became frozen, utterly still.

I braced myself, expecting an attack, but Nakamura simply continued sipping his tea, unperturbed.

The café was silent, like sound itself had been stripped away. Miyuki's shoulders were tense as she took in the unnatural stillness around us, her breath shallow with disbelief.

"...T-Time Stop M-Magic?"

Nakamura's lips twisted into a slight smirk, his gaze flicking over her panicked expression with amusement.

"Relax," he said, his tone playful. "This is just a little trick to keep our conversation private"

He lifted his hand, and without any warning, an orb of light appeared, hovering above his palm.

It pulsed softly, radiating a strange energy that I couldn't understand, even though it was right in front of me.

Nakamura held my gaze, his smirk fading to a more neutral expression. "As you wanted, I'll grant you a portion of my knowledge. I hope you won't regret it in the future, Shiba Tatsuya."

Before I could retort, he released the orb, and it shot toward me, entering my mind in an instant.

My body froze. My senses dulled as fractured streams of memories and impressions flooded my mind.

The sheer amount of information was staggering.

Images—disconnected, unsettling—appeared within my thoughts, and I worked to steady myself, trying to process this information.

Damn.

This...

Is worse than I thought.

"...Onii-sama?" Miyuki's voice sounded distant, and her fingers clutched my shoulder, her worry tangible.

Yet I couldn't respond, not while I tried to piece together what Nakamura had forced into my head.

The being had no name, yet its presence loomed over the World like a leech. Its methods were sly, and manipulative, all to stay within certain 'rules' it could not violate.

Miyuki's voice grew tense, frustrated as she looked toward Nakamura, her gaze sharp. "What did you just do to him? If you do not give me a satisfying answer, I'll consider it an attack."

He shrugged. "I just shared a part of my memories to him. Chill." he replied lightly, as though imparting fragments of reality-altering information were an everyday act.

Finally, I'd sorted through enough of the visions to form a coherent picture—or as close to one as possible.

Dread settled in my stomach.

I understood why Nakamura hadn't shared this openly; it felt too vast, too calamitous for words.

Any normal person would crumble if they knew the whole world faced such an Apocalypse.

"…Who are you?" I asked, suspicion lacing my voice.

Beside me, Miyuki's expression shifted.

The meaning behind this question is profound.

Her eyes searched Nakamura's face, brows furrowing, then relaxing, as though she was grasping for an answer just out of reach.

For a moment, her lips parted as if to speak, but she stopped, her gaze softening as understanding settled over her features.

It seems we reached the same conclusion.

Nakamura is not a being of this world.

He simply smiled, a faint, knowing gesture. "Who I am doesn't matter. But you're not far from the truth. For my own safety, I can't tell you more. Be content with that."

I'd expected as much; anyone in his position would be cautious.

Yet it was enough to convey the terrifying reality: this world faced an imminent and unfathomable threat. And whatever this was, it couldn't be countered with any conventional means, not with our current strength.

But not all hope was lost. 

There are inviolable 'rules' it cannot break.

Given enough time, I could probably find ways to use them to my advantage.

Running various simulations, after careful study, wouldn't be all that difficult either.

...But something about this feels too good to be true.

If it was this easy, then other Worlds would've already succeeded, but there is no information about that at all.

I narrowed my gaze at Nakamura, one burning question rising in my mind.

"I understand the value of the information you've given me and how no one in this world should possess it. But that only leaves me more confused. What's your goal here? What do you gain out of this?"

At least, this could help me have some trust in him.

What has convinced him to risk angering such a powerful being?

There seemed to be no personal gain in it, and no logic.

After all, he had no stake in our survival—if anything, this would likely turn him into an irreconcilable enemy of that being.

To my question, his lips curved into a dark, almost wicked smirk, a look that radiated a deeply rooted contempt.

"Consider this a small experiment of mine," he said smoothly. "I just want to see what happens if a few select people know how to resist 'its' claws. In the end, as long as 'it' doesn't gain more influence, it's all good."

I felt the bite of resentment in his words, like each syllable was laced with venom directed at that being.

Whatever history Nakamura had with 'it', was nothing good.

Did it kill his wife, or something?

Before I could press him further, though, Miyuki broke in.

She slapped her palms on the table, her eyes blazing as she glared at Nakamura.

"How can you toy with an entire world like this?" A fierce accusation was thrown his way.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? And if you're making Onii-sama aware of this…doesn't that mean he'll be the first target?"

I felt a mix of admiration and concern.

Miyuki's quick thinking was impressive, but I didn't want her antagonizing Nakamura.

To me, it was enough to protect her, whatever it took.

But before I could step in, Nakamura spoke.

"Yes, if he does something that 'it' doesn't expect, he could put himself in the crosshairs," he said calmly. "But you're misunderstanding. If he uses the memories I've shared, the level of danger won't change. This world is already caught under its influence. One person's awareness won't make a difference"

He paused, seeming to weigh his words before continuing.

"It's like an ant stepping on an elephant—it wouldn't even notice. And as for toying with this world, believe me, I gain nothing from that. I'm just trying to lift the weight off my back by letting the ants do their part."

...Knowing he sees us all as ants isn't exactly reassuring, but I get it.

In his position, I might think the same way.

For Miyuki, who lacked both the memories and the sensation of 'it,' maybe this all still felt a bit unreal.

She scoffed, crossing her arms, clearly unimpressed.

Her glare didn't waver, even as I saw her mulling over his words with a hint of caution.

I was about to steer the conversation forward, but Nakamura cut in, his gaze shifting to Miyuki with a flicker of amusement.

"Well, I've told you all I can. And since Miss Sister here has such a bro-con streak, I'll do you a favor and let her in on the same information. But remember—you can't share it outright. If you want others to know, you'll have to find your way. Just like I did."

With a flick of his hand, another orb of light materialized, barely hovering for a moment before it darted toward Miyuki's forehead. She gasped, and the light vanished into her mind.

A half-second later, her cheeks flushed bright red. She clenched her fists and took a sharp breath, her voice erupting louder than I'd heard before, "I-It's not like that! I am not a b-bro-con...!"

Her embarrassment was almost tangible, her voice trembling between outrage and denial.

I couldn't help but feel impressed—she had already regained her composure far faster than I'd managed when Nakamura shared his memories with me.

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest flashing in his eyes, though he stayed silent, simply leaning back in his seat.

Miyuki's blush deepened, and she turned away, refusing to meet his gaze, arms crossed firmly over her chest.

A faint, almost teasing smile appeared on Nakamura's face as he leaned forward, his voice low but clear. "I think I've shared enough. Now, remember this," he said, a slight chill running through his tone. "Although you don't know my identity, it would be wise not to mention that I'm not from this world. I'm not fond of people biting the hand that feeds them, so let this be a kind warning."

As he spoke, I became aware that the café's usual bustling hum had returned, with the chatter of other patrons and the clinking of cups filling the air around us.

Somehow, Nakamura had lifted the spell without me even noticing.

Miyuki, catching on, glanced around in awe.

"It's… truly incredible magic," she murmured. "Even sitting right next to him, I couldn't feel a thing. Was it the same for you, Onii-sama?"

I nodded, still trying to process everything we had just experienced.

"Indeed..."

Just as I was about to add more, the waitress who had shown us to our table appeared.

For a brief moment, I had the odd impression that she had just materialized out of nowhere. But then I realized it was simply because she had been close to us when time was stopped.

"Your bill," she said cheerfully, placing it on the table. "The gentleman who was with you said the two of you would cover it."

"...Eh?"

I blinked, glancing toward the spot Nakamura had occupied only a second ago, but he was gone—vanished without a trace. A quiet sigh escaped me as I shook my head.

Shameless to the last.

But oh well, if it's to this extent, then it's fine.

Probably.

---

Author's Note:

Bro went to get some milk.

Just like my father

- It's a joke.

- Maybe.

- I'm not so sure anymore....

Sometimes, intrusive thoughts are too hard to resist. I'm sorry.

Either way, the chapter is over 3000 words, but it condenses all this part so that we can finally skip over stuff.

Let's gooo

Either way, I think in about 10 chapters we'll go to Trial 5, finally.

I'm excited.

Lore is about to deepen as well.

Akira is really stretching the System's limits. Let's see what kind of response will the System have, though.

I kindly remember you that the Trial Quest is still not revealed, and that will be a clue to understand why Akira is acting this way.

Until next chap,

Peace.