The incident occurred one month after the letter arrived.
---
Early afternoon.
I was helping out with Nanahoshi's experiments.
Just, this day, it was proceeding a bit different.
"If this magic circle succeeds, we'll be able to proceed to the next phase."
Nanahoshi declared that and displayed a magic circle much larger than any of the previous ones.
Far more enormous, even though I say that, it's still only about half the size of a tatami mat.
On an unusually large page for this world, delicate patterns were drawn closely packed together.
It was a masterpiece that took over one month to draw.
In regards to Nanahoshi, it's the compilation of two years of work.
"For the time being, is it alright for me to hear what this magic circle is intended to do?"
"...It's to summon an object from the other world."
"The teleport disaster won't occur again right?"
Because Nanahoshi was summoned, that teleport disaster occurred.
That would mean, it might happen even if it's with just a small object.
Is what I was thinking, but Nanahoshi shook her head.
"It's alright... in theory at least."
"For the time being would it be alright for me to hear that theory?"
"In all of the experiments until now, in order to summon something more complex and larger, I confirmed that it requires more magic power. In other words, the magic in this world falls under the category of the laws of energy conservation. This time what we're summoning is a small and simple object. If we were to use the assumption that the amount of energy used during the time I was summoned was enough to annihilate an entire region, in theory at most only an area of 1 meter or so around the magic circle would be teleported this time. And then, honestly I can't imagine it happening though, even if by chance the same thing happens again, I've prepared a safety within the magic circle. I already know how much magic power it will use after all."
The laws of energy conservation huh.
I see now. What was that again?
"Energy conservation... and, what was that again?"
Was it different from the law of conservation of mass...?
"...I'm not so knowledgeable about it that I can explain it to a person who doesn't know about it, but in other words all of the strange things that happen in this world, generally have magic power as their cause. That thing you use often, Rock Bullet was it? That as well, you're suddenly materializing a rock in mid-air, but the reality of it is that you're changing the magic power into rock."
I guess that would mean I was mistaken on the laws I thought of in the past.
I see, Energy Conservation.
I see now, the more magic power you pour into the more it becomes, fire magic's temperature rises, the weight of earth magic increases is what that means.
"And then...?"
After that, Nanahoshi explained it to me, but honestly it was too difficult so I didn't understand it.
Since you're applying the usage of some law, the magic circle's size and effect are something or other. [1]
Also, after applying the something or other law, something or other happens.
Honestly, even if there was a hole somewhere in the theory, I wouldn't get it.
All that I understand is that Nanahoshi is full of self-confidence.
If she has self-confidence, then I'm sure the probability of success is high.
Well. Even if it fails and I end up being thrown somewhere as well.
I'm sure I can somehow or other manage to return.
"If it fails and I end up being teleported somewhere, I'm leaving it to you to contact my family."
"That's why I said, there's no chance of that."
After that exchange, I stood in front of the magic circle.
"Well then, I'll start."
"Please do."
I wonder if that wish was something made towards me.
Or else something towards God.
I started to pour magic power into the magic circle.
The ends of the magic circle on the paper started giving off light.
Then the entire magic circle began to release a dim light.
I knew that my magic power was being sucked up continuously from my arm.
However, something was a bit strange.
I felt something was out of place.
I felt like there was some kind of stagnation in the way the magic circle was shining.
One portion doesn't seem to be shining as well...
Psht!!!
A small sound was let out.
Suddenly the magic power stopped passing over.
The dim light from the magic circle stopped.
"..."
With that it was over.
After that, the magic circle returned no reaction.
After taking a good look, a part of the paper had a fissure made in it.
I guess it would mean it short circuited, and the safety or whatever started working.
In any case, this is...
A failure.
"...How about it?"
"It's a failure."
Nanahoshi said it quietly.
And then, fell into the chair, put her elbows on the desk.
She made a deep sigh.
"Fu...."
She just kept staring at the paper placed on the floor.
The paint had disappeared from the paper and all that was remaining was the rough draft of the magic circle.
And the remaining fissure in the paper.
She just kept absent-mindedly looking at those without any movement.
After a short while, she looked this way and said it.
"Thank you for your work. Today is already... fine for you to return."
Roughly two year’s worth of compilation.
It ended in just a matter of only a few seconds.
However, failures go along with experiments.
"Well, these sorts of things happen."
"..."
Nanahoshi wasn't responding.
...I wonder if it's my fault.
No, I shouldn't be related.
I just kept sending magic power into it.
I didn't do anything different, as long as they have magic power anyone should be able to do it.
If that was no good, then it's Nanahoshi's fault for not explaining it enough.
"..."
Nanahoshi wasn't saying anything.
In any case, for today it goes this far huh.
"Well then, please excuse me."
I stood up.
Just before I left the experiment room, I looked at Nanahoshi once more.
She's been in the same posture as just before, without a single movement.
I passed through the storage-like room filled with a mix of things as I left the research room.
After several steps I stopped my feet.
Nanahoshi has been considerably tense over these past several months.
With this failure, she might actually be considerably shaken I wonder.
That posture, that behavior.
Could it be, rather than thinking about the next experiment's failure, she was just staring in a daze?
No, even if she's like that Nanahoshi is reasonably strong it seems.
She should have the capacity to accept a failure as a failure I'm sure.
The instant I thought that,
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh......!"
I suddenly heard a screaming voice from the research room.
Simultaneously, I heard the sound of something breaking.
The sound of someone raging.
I turned my heels around and quickly returned to the research room.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
There, Nanahoshi was half in a frenzy with her hair disheveled.
She was tearing the books she wrote herself into pieces and scattering them, as her temper was going up, she pulled over the shelves, throwing the contents of jars all over the place.
She took off her mask and threw it on the ground.
While trying to scratch off her face she staggered into the wall.
While beating on the wall she staggered and tripped over the contents of the jar she threw everywhere.
She continued to slam the contents of the jar on the ground, stood up and then tried to tear off her hair.
I panicked and went up behind her and grabbed onto her, constricting her.
"Wai... calm down!"
"I can't return, I can't return, I can't return..."
Nanahoshi was muttering it in a whisper with hollow eyes.
All of her muscles were stiffening, like she was saving up all of her power to start raging about at any time.
"I can't return, I can't return, I can't retuuuuuuuuuuuuuurn!"
Nanahoshi was struggling.
To the limits of her power, she was struggling to try and release my restraint on her.
However, it was just the level of strength of a hikikomori female high school student.
Feeble.
There's no way she could shake me off.
Before long she released her strength and went limp.
When I started to release my hands, she started to bend towards the floor.
"Hey, are you alright?"
After looking at that face, I felt intuitively that it was dangerous.
The color of her face was pure white, her eyes were blank and had a shadow over them, her lips had lost their color, and they dried up and cracked.
This is the face that someone makes during a considerably severe emotional breakdown.
She might try to kill herself.
"...."
I can't deal with this by myself.
What should I do?
Who would help me at times like this...?
Sylphy.
It's Sylphy.
If it's her then she'll lend me a hand somehow or other.
That's right, today she has no night shift.
Alright, today I'll return home with Nanahoshi.
Let's do that.
No, but before that, it would be better to calm her down somewhere.
"Are you alright?"
"..."
"You've been working a bit too hard you know. Rest for today."
"..."
Nanahoshi wasn't responding.
I turned her shoulders around and partly forcibly stood her up.
Just like that, I left the research room while dragging her along.
The lock is... No, I'll do it after.
I'm sure it'll be fine for one day or so. Probably.
Just like that, I was heading towards the place Sylphy was at. The aim is the fifth year students' classroom.
Maybe I should have someone call out to her.
Or else, I can call her myself.
I continued to walk while lending my shoulder to Nanahoshi, the surrounding gazes were gathering on me.
Just then I ran into the lot moving between classrooms.
They were talking loudly.
We stand out.
Is it because I'm lending my shoulder to a woman?
Right now Nanahoshi doesn't have her mask on.
It would be better if we don't stand out too much.
But what should I do.
"Shisho!"
I heard a voice from behind.
After turning around. It's Zanoba.
"Shisho... what's wrong!?"
"Z