「…」
Shingo wakes up from discomfort.
There was bare concrete in sight. It’s the ceiling and the walls are like rooms. Empty cans and steel pipes were lying around in the corners.
Lately, he realizes the strangeness of his condition.
「Wha, what is this!?」
He was lying on a table and crucified with restraints. Even if you try to escape, there is only a clattering sound, and there is no sign of it coming off.
When I was filled with anxiety, someone opened the door and entered the room.
「Wake up, Shingo Hisa」
Woman. She has long glossy black hair and a well-defined face. He wore a jet-black suit that covered his skin except for his face on his slender limbs.
「Who the hell are you!? What’s the purpose of doing this…!」
「First of all, my name is 《Arisa Yarai》」
A face I had never seen before, a name I had never heard of. I had no idea why I would be caught by such an opponent.
Having sensed it, Arisa told me with a smile.
「I think it would be easier if I called myself… noname」
「What …!?」
Shingo is speechless in surprise.
For him, it was the opponent he fought in『SAMURAI』in『XANA』before he lost consciousness, but the atmosphere at that time was not at all similar.
Even though it’s an avatar, the way it speaks and the voice it uses are great pieces of information. I made sure that I was carefully disguised. In fact, it was easy to find out your real name and location.
From his words, Arisa understands that he is wary of his information being leaked to the outside world.
Also, that she would have challenged him with 『SAMURAI』for for some purpose.
However, the details are still elusive.
Arisa finally confronts Shingo with the reason for capturing him in this way.
「My only goal is to eliminate you.」
At those words, Shingo felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer.
I couldn’t believe that I was going through something like that, so I asked.
「Why… what did I do…?」
「Are you unaware of your own abnormalities? If so, I’ll explain it properly. You should at least know why you were killed.」
Arisa smirks. It was like explaining to an ignorant child.
「We, humans, are conscious through the action of brain cells, and that consciousness commands our brains to move our limbs and other bodies. Do you understand that?」
「Oh, oh…」
「But now in『XANA』, the brain directly controls the avatar in the metaverse by using brain waves. This changes the brain’s perception of the real body. It is possible to interfere in the world without a body.」
What the hell is Arisa trying to say?
It’s hard to imagine, but Shingo felt a chill run down his spine.
「But normally, the brain and the body do not diverge too much, because the body is still slightly moving in reality. But not in your case. You are moving your avatar in the metaverse perfectly without moving your real body at all, that is, your brain waves are moving your avatar in the metaverse perfectly and without waste.」
Arisa tapped Shingo’s head lightly with her fingers and said.
「With『SAMURAI』there are no longer any enemies for you. Recently, I was able to manipulate avatars so freely. Instead, whenever I stopped ‘XANA’, I felt a great sense of discomfort in my real body. That’s right. Right?」
「…………」
Shingo swallows her words.
It was telling me the cause of my recent upset and depersonalization symptoms.
「Simply put, your brain is beginning to adapt to moving outside of your body rather than within it, which is the only thing it is supposed to be able to move.」
「…… Is there something wrong with that?」
It will have a negative impact on Shingo’s personal life. He should go to the hospital.
However, he did not understand the meaning of having to be obliterated by that.
「Everyone lives in a subjective world predicted by their own brains. On top of that, we live in a society where we rub our perceptions against each other on a daily basis, constructing a world that is infinitely similar to a co-subjective world.」
I was puzzled by the sudden shift in the content of Arisa’s talk, but I somehow understood the meaning of what she was saying.
「But that’s not the real world. I won’t go into details, but the real world is always like a wave of countless superimposed possibilities in quantum mechanics. The world we see today, as reflected by the co-subjectivity of humankind, is only one of the possibilities.」
Words such as parallel world and multi-world interpretation came to mind, but I had no clue about the details.
Shingo feels he can’t keep up, but Arisa continues the conversation.
「Plato said, “The body is the prison of the soul. You are now in a state where that soul is trying to leave the body. Consciousness is trying to interfere outside the body, into the real world.”」
「Oh, for heaven’s sake! What the hell are you trying to say!」
Shingo suddenly raised his voice. I was tired of being told more gibberish.
「Well, it’s quicker to show you in person from here. You are an anomaly. But you’re not the only one who can move your avatar similarly. You know that, right?」
その言葉を聞いて慎吾は気づく。
If his own avatar’s operation in『SAMURAI』was abnormal, then so was hers, as they were fighting on equal terms.
「Look at that empty can over there.」
Arisa pointed to an empty can lying in the corner of the room.
What are you trying to do I’ll keep an eye on it even if I’m skeptical.
「…………」
Arisa silently raised her hand. That’s it.
But soon a startling phenomenon occurs.
「What …!?」
Just as the empty can floated up, it flew with directionality and landed in her hand.
Furthermore, when it floated up a little, it collapsed as if powerful pressure had been applied from multiple directions in the empty space.
Arisa says, grabbing a crumpled empty can.
What do you think? Does this make you believe me?
「Hey, a psychic…?」
Shingo was corny, but that was the only word he could think of.
On the other hand, Arisa nodded without being disgusted.
「Yes, people who have been told that way since ancient times were probably able to do the same. It is possible by my consciousness interferes with the real world I talked about earlier.」
「…………」
Shingo is speechless again.
Maybe there is a trick. It may be just a sleight of hand.
However, there was something amazing about it. There was something about it that made me intuitively believe it was true.
「You and I are pioneers of the new human race. The goal of『XANA』is to push the world to the next level by encouraging humankind to evolve, just as Xanadu did. Just as XANA is named after 《Xanadu》, the Peach State, this ability is the proof.」
Arisa reveals a surprising secret. I’ve never heard of 『XANA』having such a backstory.
A question arises at the same time.
「Well, then, I’m not the one they want! Why did you have to kill…?」
Arisa shook her head before Shingo finished speaking.
「Unfortunately, while there are forces that want the birth of a new human race, there are also forces that don’t want that to happen. Changes in the world will greatly change the current structure of interests.」
In other words, Arisa is taking sides with those who do not want the birth of a new human race.
「No way…」
While Shingo lets out a sigh of despair, Arisa tells him coldly.
「That’s why I’m going to kill you. Goodbye.」
Her hand grabbed Shingo’s neck.
Will it be crushed like those empty cans? Or will it be strangled to death with force?
Either way, death was imminent. The fear that I experienced for the first time made the skin of my whole body tingle, and my consciousness, thoughts, and everything else froze.
「Uh…!」
Among them, Shingo instinctively longed for life.
It unwittingly led me to a state of immersion similar to when I was fighting Noname in 『SAMURAI』
The scene that I imagined in my mind instantly became a reality.
「Agu…!?」
Before I knew it, Arisa’s body had been blown away like a ping-pong ball. She was slammed hard against the wall and knocked to the ground.
At first, Shingo didn’t know what he had done, but after a while he realized.
「Really, I also have this ability…?」
Although he was skeptical, Shingo imagined that the restraints that sealed his hands and feet would come off because Arisa might get up soon, so he couldn’t take it easy. I thought that feeling was the same as when moving the avatar in『XANA』.
In an instant, the restraint slipped off without any resistance. Shingo becomes free.
While deepening my confidence in my abilities, I got off the table on which I was lying and stood up.
At the same time, Arisa stood up while frowning in pain.
An impatient Shingo pointed one hand at her and shouted.
「Uh, don’t move! If you move, you’ll get even worse next time!」
I didn’t have the resolve to kill Arisa, so that’s what I said naturally.
Using this ability might make it easier. Still, I wouldn’t want to do that. So don’t do anything more.
Shingo had no choice but to wish so.