“I think the fact that we were sent here is related to the fight between the Dragon God and Human God.”[2]
“Why is that?”
“Immediately after I was transferred, the first person I met was Orsted. Afterwards I met you, and greatly changed Orsted’s fate. We intervened in Orsted’s loop.”
Orsted loops in order to defeat Hitogami.
I don’t know what will happen after he wins.
But, to defeat him, the past might have to somehow be altered.
Nanahoshi and I might have been placed here as some sort of strategic move…
But who would do that?
It’s Orsted.
He loops when he loses.
In other words, it’s possible that future Orsted brought us here.
“But, it can’t be Orsted. He’s not capable of that.”
Yeah.
Because, even without modifying the past, Orsted would eventually win.
Even if Orsted could alter the past, rather than interfering with his loop, it would make more sense to change events before that.
Like preventing Laplace from being divided during the second Human-Demon Great War.
Alternatively, there’s the possibility that future Orsted has already intervened in his past loops…
I have no idea.
“It’s not possible for Hitogami either. Hitogami was supposed to win in this loop… even Orsted said as much.”
Orsted wasn’t aware of Gisu’s existence.
Therefore, he was supposed to win a little later.
Like tripping over a small stone, it’s completely unexpected.
In this loop, without us, Hitogami would definitely win. That’s why there would be no reason for Hitogami to change the past.
“Then, who, for what reason?”
“That is the main subject. Though this is only a hypothesis…”
Nanahoshi lightly tapped a name written in her notebook.
Written there, the name [Shinohara Akihito].
And, directly beneath it was written [Kuroki Seiji], with an X through it and [Rudeus Greyrat] written to its side.
“Yesterday, you told me who you were, remember. At that time, Aki and I… Shinohara Akihito was hugging me, and you had pushed Kuroki Seiji to safety. In other words, it’s unlikely he was teleported.”
“Three people were run over by the truck that day.
Of them, two have been transported to this place.
But, the remaining person, has not.”
“And, you were transferred here a decade earlier than I was…
In other words, it’s likely three people were teleported that day, to different times.”
Although I’ve been reincarnated…
Well, it’s not that different.
“It’s too coincidental that you were transferred, and then I was.
So, it would make sense if Shinohara Akihito was transferred to the future.
And, Shinohara Akihito met Orsted.
This is the first time this has happened in Orsted’s loops.
Future Orsted befriended Shinohara Akihito and, realizing he couldn’t beat Hitogami… moved to secure victory.”
So someone from the future modified the past…
“… Then, that led to the Fedoa Region’s disappearance? That guy, Shinohara Akihito, came up with a method to modify the past?”
“It’s not something he could do himself. However, just like we’ve met many people here, he must have met various people as well.
That’s how, he must have found someone with the power to alter the past…”
A miko.
That word suddenly flashed across my mind.
Zanoba has superhuman strength,
The miko in Milis can read memories just by looking into her target’s eyes.
It wouldn’t be strange if there’s a miko with the power to alter the past.
“Has Orsted mentioned someone like that?”
“He did. [A miko who can rewind an object’s time.]”
Rewinding an object’s time… huh.
That’s a little different from what I thought.
Although it’s not what I expected, the miko’s power is undoubtedly related to time.
“However, the miko has an incredibly weak fate, and dies quickly as a result…”
“And Shinohara Akihito saved the miko.”
Everything is clicking into place.
Shinohara Akihito met the miko.
In addition he met Orsted, and probably created a magic tool to amplify the miko’s ability.
Nanahoshi and Perugius created this powerful teleportation device.
Cliff and Zanoba created the magic armor.
It’s the same thing.
Then, using that ability, altered the past…
“…. But, how is the teleportation’s failure connected to this?”
“That’s just it.”
Nanahoshi turned to another page.
There, written across the top, [My future in case I can’t return home.]
“I considered that. I was looking for Shinohara Akihito, and he was looking for me.”
“… Ah.”
“Well, it’s only a hypothesis…
I am unable to return now because I am supposed to return with Shinohara Akihito in the future.
Or perhaps I can’t return until some event comes to pass.
Or maybe both.”
In other words, that’s it.
I’ll put it in order.
In the future.
For some reason, a man named Shinohara Akihito was summoned.
Shinohara collaborated with Orsted.
However, it was impossible to win against Hitogami in that state.
Upon investigating, he found the cause was in the past.
Therefore, by amplifying the miko’s power he modified the past.
…. Perhaps that’s why I was summoned here.
That’s why Hitogami saw that he would be killed by my descendants in the future.
So, the unknown person who was there with Orsted and my descendants was Shinohara Akihito.
However, there’s a problem.
He had no way to return to his original world.
So Shinohara Akihito borrowed the miko’s power again.
This time summoning Nanahoshi who’s dying to return home.
And because of that, she made the teleportation magic circle.