NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Ch: 03
"Tonight's patrol is finished. Nothing unusual to report."
With that light declaration, I leaped across the nighttime rooftops, finally coming to rest at my favorite vantage point overlooking the city. From here, I could see the artificial lights scattered below like colorful illuminations, painting the darkness in brilliant hues. The wind was fierce tonight, though—strong enough to send my still-small body tumbling if I wasn't careful.
It's been four years since I manifested this sacred artifact. The time feels both fleeting and eternal, a strange duality. I was seven then, which means I'm now the same age my older sister was back then. Whether through the artifact's protection or simple good fortune, I've managed to live peacefully without encountering any supernatural beings.
I haven't actively sought out supernatural connections, but since I've never run into any, maybe my luck isn't terrible after all. Though spearmen are supposed to be unlucky—a depressing thought. I wish I could improve my luck stat somehow.
"Whoa, the wind's really picking up tonight. Hey, partner—eliminating the wind in this area... I could only manage that for a few seconds with my current power level. And honestly, that'd be a waste. Intangible or fluid phenomena are such a pain to deal with."
I leaned against the rooftop railing, glancing at the crimson spear propped against my shoulder. Whether it's because this isn't a sacred artifact that seals some divine or demonic beast like Yaya's, or because it simply hasn't awakened yet, this spear is frustratingly silent. Most of the time, I end up talking to myself.
I suppose I could just stay quiet, but somehow I can sense its thoughts. When I wonder aloud, "Can this be erased?" vague impressions like 'Maybe' or 'No way' drift through my mind. It's fine hearing them in my head, but the constant silence makes me feel gloomy and a bit lonely. So even though I know it won't respond, I started talking to it anyway.
Maybe it can't speak, but it might still have a will of its own. If it does, I'd love to discuss all sorts of things with it—but that's just wishful thinking.
"Anyway, it's so peaceful out here. Come to think of it, the probability of being attacked by stray demons is supposedly about the same as being hit by a natural disaster. There was that mention of Kazuma Hido having a dragon sealed inside him that caused all sorts of chaos, so maybe this tranquility is normal."
I stood up from the railing, gripped the spear in my right hand, and brushed the dust off my clothes with my left. The thought that behind this peaceful cityscape, countless tragedies and life-or-death battles were unfolding felt almost impossible to believe. Yet I knew it was true. And despite knowing that, I was still doing nothing about it. A pang of guilt flashed through my chest, but the reality was I had no choice but to continue as I was.
Is this world really the setting of "High School D×D"? This was a question that demanded both caution and urgency. While mastering the use of my sacred artifact, I conducted thorough research at the library and on the internet, transcribing everything I could remember from the original work. Additionally, I meticulously searched through phone books and maps of Japan for any cities with ominous-sounding names based on my knowledge.
This was because there was a possibility that sacred artifacts might be like the "crossover" ones occasionally seen in fan fiction. I focused on places with names like "Uminari City," "Academy City," "Fuyuki City," and "Mahora"—names that felt like death flags waiting to happen. I worked desperately, terrified that a crossover might lead to complete chaos.
Perhaps my prayers were answered, because the only place name that caught my attention was "Komaou Town." I spent several minutes debating whether I should feel relieved or disappointed. Regardless, since there was no definitive proof, I concluded it was safest to assume this was the world of "High School D×D" and began taking gradual action.
"What I'm most curious about is whether there are other people who've been reincarnated like me—you know, the standard trope in fan fiction. That's something I'll only be able to figure out by comparing events to the original work. Also, are there any typical patterns for reincarnation stories that deviate from the source material?"
Maybe I've read too many light novels and web novels. It's probably just a product of my overactive imagination, and I'm likely overthinking things. But for me, this is my reality right now. It might affect me someday. Even if I can't solve everything, I think I should at least consider the possibilities. Though honestly, there's not much I can actually do about it.
"Ugh, I'm getting depressed thinking about this. I'm tired today, so I should probably head home. I'm really sleepy. I could use my ability to eliminate fatigue, but if I don't sleep properly, I won't grow taller. Moderation is key... What? Don't use my ability for such trivial things? But it's so convenient!"
When I mentioned "eliminating fatigue," a thought that seemed to want to protest very strongly was transmitted to me. The elimination ability of this sacred artifact is quite flexible when used on myself. Back when I suddenly felt the urge to urinate but there was no restroom nearby, I avoided an embarrassing situation by declaring, "Eliminate the cause of my urge to urinate!" It was incredibly helpful. Though at the time, I might have sensed quiet anger in that transmitted thought.
However, when trying to activate the effect on others, the difficulty skyrockets exponentially. So over these four years, I've trained to refine my control of the artifact, focusing on precise manipulation when targeting myself. Thanks to that, I've increased the number of things I can eliminate simultaneously. Currently, the maximum is three. While it normally physically eliminates anything touched by the spear's tip, by setting targets within a mental selection frame, I can now eliminate only those specific targets.
This is incredibly convenient. For example, even though I'm terrible at eating fish with lots of bones, if I set it to "bones, begone!" and stab the fish, the skin and flesh remain while the bones disappear completely. It's so amazing I nearly cried tears of joy. Though afterward, my partner gave me the silent treatment for a while, so I apologized during my bath and cleaned myself thoroughly.
"Alright, let's do this as usual. Targeting myself—eliminate 'Sacred Artifact Aura,' 'My Presence,' and 'Gravity.'"
I gripped the crimson spear once more, and red light spread around me in a familiar pattern. I'm used to this by now, but when exploring the night streets, I basically eliminate these three things every time. The pseudo-stealth effect is handy because it makes me undetectable to others—wandering around at night as an elementary schooler is dangerous and could get me in serious trouble. As for gravity, being able to fly through the air has dramatically expanded my exploration range. The ability to fly this freely is the result of four years of dedicated training. I still remember how difficult it was initially, constantly crashing into things and struggling to maintain control.
If I can unlock a fourth slot, I'm thinking about trying to eliminate "my visual presence to others." Even though I can eliminate my aura, security cameras can still capture me. Well, security cameras in this era have poor resolution and are expensive, so there aren't many of them—which is a blessing. Additionally, the level of fatigue varies depending on what I eliminate, so I need to consider that factor as well. Since this power has so many applications, compiling everything into a research notebook (a.k.a. my "black history notebook") has become part of my daily routine.
"Maybe I'll visit the next town over tomorrow. There should be a port there. The night sea must be beautiful... though I wonder if there are any lights to see."
Adjusting gravity on and off, I leap from streetlight to utility pole with practiced ease. This is my fastest method of travel. Despite being ordinary in terms of physical abilities, the sacred artifact lets me become superhuman in an instant. It's no wonder those who possess such artifacts are viewed as dangerous.
I can't tell anyone about my sacred artifact either.
With thoughts of how beautiful the moonlight looked floating in the darkness, I headed straight home.
"Huh? Is it early dismissal today?"
"Oh, you didn't know because you were playing dodgeball during lunch? I think they'll explain it during fifth period, but apparently someone went missing in the neighboring city yesterday. So they're shortening classes by an hour because there might be suspicious people in the area."
"That's lucky! We get to go home early today. Hey, want to come over to my place after school and play some video games?"
From an elementary school student's perspective, it's only natural to focus on the fact that school was shortened by an hour. However, given that the missing person was from a nearby city, the teacher gave us a stern lecture about safety. It seems parents were also contacted by phone, and children were told not to go outside alone. My friends, who had been excited about playing video games, looked visibly disappointed.
If I hadn't known anything about the true nature of this world, I probably would have been just as carefree and excited as everyone else. But knowing this is that world, the word "missing" sends a chill down my spine. It could be a crime committed by humans—but there's also the possibility of a supernatural incident. Every time something like this happens, I find myself desperately hoping from the bottom of my heart that it's just a human crime.
"...Maybe I should just stay home today."
If it's a supernatural incident, the real danger will come at night. Fallen angels or terrorist organizations would eliminate their target and be done with it. If it's a church purge, they'd cover it up before it becomes public knowledge, so that's unlikely. The most terrifying possibility here is stray demons. Demons are active at night—night is their hunting time. There might be a whole series of missing persons cases brewing.
My daily routine includes patrol. This serves multiple purposes: training with the sacred artifact, building my physical conditioning, and investigating whether anything related to the supernatural is happening near me. So shouldn't I conduct today's patrol thoroughly? That's how I feel, but the fear of what to do if it really is supernatural-related churns in my chest. I couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
First of all, I can't fight. It's not just that I'm uncertain about the sacred artifact's combat power—I simply don't have the resolve to engage in battle. I've tested the artifact's abilities countless times against inanimate objects, but I've never tried using it against a living being. According to my partner's transmitted thoughts, I might be able to target living creatures now. But even so, I can't bring myself to try. I don't even have the resolve to hurt a living creature, let alone kill one.
My patrols are ultimately just a way to maintain my own peace of mind. If I'm scared, I should just hide away quietly. Fortunately, with my sacred artifact, I might be able to escape if necessary.
"But is it really okay to just hide away like this forever? Besides, I can't possibly stay locked up in my house indefinitely. Even if I can't do anything meaningful, shouldn't I at least verify the safety of my surroundings?"
What do you think? I turn my attention to my partner, which is about the size of a keychain charm when not manifested. For someone like me who has no one to confide in, my partner is the only one I can rely on. Of course, it doesn't speak or move, and I can only sense a vague presence. Still, whenever I feel anxious, I always end up talking to it.
Naturally, the sacred artifact doesn't respond to my words. It doesn't speak or move. But a few seconds later, I felt a brief flash of red light in my mind—as if it were telling me, "I'm here." Maybe it was just my imagination.
With my steadfast partner in mind, I decided to go home and search the internet for any updates on the missing person case. If it was human-related, there might be something I could discover.
"Hey, Kuramoto! Let's play soccer during recess tomorrow. Help me gather some players."
"You want to play again? Tomorrow's third period is gym class, so I'll have to change into my gym clothes. There won't be time to play."
"Oh right, I forgot. Well, how about lunch break then? Let's meet up!"
"Okay, sure."
I laughed as I had the usual conversation with my classmates who were taking the same route home, and we exchanged our typical "See you tomorrow!" I waved casually to my friends and headed straight home. I envied everyone who took tomorrow for granted, but at the same time, I wanted more than anything for that assumption to be true. I didn't want anyone to destroy what was normal for all of us.
"Oh, welcome home, Sota! You had early dismissal today, right? That brings back memories."
"Hey, sis. Did high school get out early too?"
"My school ended at noon. I know elementary school kids want to play outside, but stay home until this incident is resolved. You're a student, so you should focus on studying."
"That's exactly what you should be telling your sister who was slacking off during midterm exams..."
"...I'll try harder for the finals."
Sorry, that was apparently a sore spot for my sister.
"Mom and Dad are coming home early today, so we're having dinner early. I'm going to take a bath first. What about you, Sota?"
"Sure thing. I'll shower after you. Let me know when you're done."
"Got it. And don't fall asleep or put on headphones and not hear me calling, okay?"
"I won't."
When my older sister started middle school, I got my own room, which made night patrols much easier. Plus, it's a convenient excuse to nap or listen to music when she's not around—though that's led to her looking down on me lately.
When I returned to my room, I turned on the computer and started organizing my backpack while it booted up. Then I researched the missing person case to see if I could uncover any new information. In the end, all I managed to find was the missing person's name and the last place they were seen. Neither name was familiar to me. I looked up the location on a map and made a note of it just in case.
"...This is near the port I was planning to visit tonight."
The area has many warehouses and seems fairly deserted. I had thought it would be a good spot to relax and enjoy the ocean view. However, now that I think about it, it wouldn't be a bad place for something to hide either. They're probably investigating during the day, but if the perpetrator isn't human, avoiding ordinary people wouldn't be difficult.
My throat made an audible gulp. The chances of them actually being there are probably low. I might be overthinking this... Even if they are there, they might just leave and go somewhere else. But what if they're heading toward this town? What if they start targeting the townspeople? What if I can't even keep a simple promise like "see you tomorrow"?
"...I should at least check, just to be sure."
Spending the rest of the time until this case is resolved in this anxious state would be unbearable.
I want some confirmation, even if small, that my fears are groundless. If something really is there and I find it, that would be terrible—but with my sacred artifact's abilities, I think I can investigate without being detected. It's frightening, but knowing "nothing's there" is better than continuing to worry that "something might be there."
First, I'll take a quick look around the city. If nothing happens, I'll check both the location where the incident supposedly occurred and the port I was planning to visit tonight. When investigating, I'll make sure to eliminate my "sacred artifact aura," "presence," and "physical form" from detection. I don't have magic power, so this should work against most threats. If it's a high-ranking supernatural being, they might still notice me—but if they're that powerful, they wouldn't make such a careless mistake in the first place. They'd cover everything up before word spreads, before the world starts buzzing about it.
"Sota! The bath's ready!"
"Ah, okay! Coming!"
I respond to my sister's voice and the light knock on my door, then decide to take a shower to refresh myself. After dinner, I'll tell everyone I'm going to bed early, and then—I'll venture outside. If something's there, I'll hide and escape. If something's there and there's nothing I can do about it, I'll disappear to a church and leave a letter about the incident, or if it's a stray demon, I'll contact the demons in Komaou Town and ask them to handle it.
"It'll be okay, right?"
I'm weak—both physically and mentally. But I don't want to have any regrets. There isn't much I can do, but maybe my actions could save someone's life. I won't act recklessly. I won't be foolish. I'll just do what I can within my limits.
Gripping the sacred artifact in my pocket tightly, I exhaled deeply and opened my room door, taking my first steps toward the bathroom.