April 20
Wednesday
Early Morning
Cloudy
While flipping through the book about a fool from a small province, Akira kept an ear open to the low whispers of the subway passengers. Growing stronger in the Metaverse serendipitously strengthened his Pneuma, which further heightened his physical capabilities, including his senses.
"I can't believe we have to work overtime again."
"Not much we can do. The higher-ups are pushing for the end-of-month deadline."
"Ha…Who would have guessed working at the bank would be so stressful…"
Conversations between coworkers, students, and relatives drifted into his ears. Pneuma increased the threshold of the sound amplitude he could detect, while the Third Eye, served as a filter to pinpoint keywords. The ability Igor had granted him was remarkably versatile.
{Such a useful ability, but no signs of malice can be found.}
{…Perhaps, as you inferred, he wants to ingratiate himself with you in an attempt to lower your guard.}
{That's…the only logical answer…My instincts tell me Igor is planning something sinister.}
{What about the Twins.}
{Nothing…I'm reluctant to believe that my initial assumption was wrong, but they have not given me a feeling of deceit or manipulation, rather…it felt as if they were the one being controlled…}
{Let's discuss this at another time, you're about to arrive at your destination.}
{Hm.}
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After School
Rain
{Welcome to Shibuya. Welcome to Shibuya.}
The sheer number of people living in Tokyo never failed to impress Akira. While he had no specific dislike towards large cities, he preferred a peaceful neighborhood over a bustling metropolis. Nevertheless, each had its advantages. In cities, you can find almost anything you want, such as...
"Welcome. Oh, it's you. What do you need?"
"I'm actually hoping to sell a few things."
"…Take 'em out, and I'll see what I can do."
From the bag he had bought to hide the existence of the pocket space, Akira pulled out various trinkets from Kamoshida's castle. Just when the shop owner of Untouchable's expression went from intrigue to shock, Akira pulled out a handful of gold coins.
"…Please tell me that whoever you stole this from doesn't know that you're here."
"They don't and they never will…"
"…Give me a sec."
The shop owner first went to the front door and locked it before coming back to examine the items Akira had placed on the counter. After half an hour, he presented Akira with a roughly written total and the individual price for each item.
"Comes out to…let's just round it up to ¥1,500,000. How's that sound?"
"…Sounds more than fair."
"Alright, I'll be right back…"
A moment later, the shop owner brought out a stack of ¥10,000 and ¥5,000. Akira pretended to store them in his bag but secretly stored them in the pocket space.
"Thanks."
"Huh…No reason to thank me, kid. No, at this point…What's your name?"
"Akira…Akira Kurusu."
"Akira? Easy enough. The name's Iwai Munehisa. Just call me Iwai, I'm not into needless formality."
"Then, see you later, Iwai."
"Ha…See you," answered the surly manager, "what an interesting kid."
- - -
"What are you doing here?"
"Figured it would be a great place to have a private conversation."
"Oh. With whom? You're not from this area…"
"With you, Morgana."
"Me!?"
Despite his surprise, Morgana leaped out of Akira's bag and landed on the table. His feline eyes looked at Akira in intrigue.
Akira had found a small, posh, pet-friendly café in Shibuya. The coffee was overpriced and underwhelming, but the ambiance and décor were excellent. Sipping on his iced coffee, Akira carefully considered his following words.
"Morgana."
"Y-Yes," stuttered Morgan, who was caught off guard by Akira's serious tone.
"How did the Metaverse come to be?"
"…"
Kippōshi was keeping guard so Akira would not have to worry about anyone eavesdropping, and a previous Pneuma scan confirmed the lack of bugs, cameras, etc.
"…I'm not exactly sure…but from what I understand, it has always existed."
Akira remained silent but attentive.
"It is a manifestation of the collective unconscious. A world created by the reality that all humans subconsciously believe but are unable to see."
The bespectacled teen thought of the concept of a mirror. Someone always appears more attractive in the mirror than in pictures, because mirrors reverse reality. On one side the real world, on the other the Metaverse.
"As for how long it has existed…I'd say since the beginning of all creation."
"Why would you say that?"
"Cognizant creatures are self-centered by nature. We believe that the world is somehow affected by our presence. What if every cognizant creature were to suddenly perish? Would the universe, potentially multi-verse come to a stop…No. This leads me to believe that the Metaverse has been around since the beginning of time."
Sometimes, hearing another person…being…say aloud what you have internally theorized gives a sense of unexpected relief. Sure, Akira had a few ideas, but hearing Morgana say it solidified a few of them. He was also impressed by Morgana's intelligence and reasoning. Unlike when he explained skills to use in Palaces or how to make tools, this felt like something Morgana had to carefully consider.
A sudden question bubbled in Akira's mind, but the possible answers were too much to tackle at this moment.
"I don't know as much about the Metaverse as you, but I have an intuitive feeling that you're correct. However, this only makes me curious as to why the Metaverse is not more commonly known. Are we really the first few individuals to be able to enter?"
Morgana and Akira continued talking about Metaverse-related topics until it was time to head back.
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Evening
Rain
After his nightly routine, Akira was sitting cross-legged on his bed. Morgana was already snoozing away.
{Focus…We have found a method to exponentially grow your Pneuma, so our priority is now on control.}
Kippōshi watched as a reddish-purple aura extended from Akira and crept its way toward the sewing needle. The Pneuma manifestation of Akira's will, watched as the needly trembled while trying to sow onto a piece of fabric. Akira, fully focused, felt that his chest was stuffy and his stomach was turning. Kippōshi had told him that only when his control reached the levels of a skilled neurosurgeon would the power of Pneuma be fully displayed.
So, he started practicing sowing and started learning how to perform simple everyday activities with Pneuma alone. The process would be demanding, but the rewards would be well worth the effort.
{…Stop…Not bad, but there's much to improve.}
{I know…I know.}