Nothing in this world comes for free. Every gift from fate has its price, quietly marked in the shadows.
Sitting on the soft sofa, the utterly ordinary Level 5 esper girl hurriedly stood up and began pacing around the room without pause. An unprecedented sense of foreboding welled up inside her.
How could she describe this feeling?
It was as if her dull life had been suddenly tossed into a sizzling pan of oil, and this girl of limited capabilities could only hope that everything would somehow remain unchanged.
However, Natsume-san ultimately didn't have the habit of praying to gods or Buddhas. She simply clung to a sliver of hope, just like any ordinary person.
Ever since accepting her identity as a transmigrator and the settings of her past life, Natsume-san had long understood a simple truth: the more one knows, the more one must bear.
Although Natsume-san deeply wanted to know everything about her past life, she hadn't dwelled on it too much after that eternal loli, Ladylee, disappeared.
Truth be told, Natsume-san wasn't truly prepared to uncover her own secrets.
In Natsume-san's mind, she was just an ordinary student like everyone else. She was already carrying the double burden of a transmigrator's soul and a past life—why should she have to face even more danger and trouble?
'Should I look? What if I get dragged into some incredible mess?'
'After all, if you just extrapolate based on the number of dreams per unit of time to trace back the tributary of my dreams, you'd find its length far exceeds twelve years.'
A conflicted expression appeared on her face. Natsume-san felt she might have a bit of decision paralysis. This was essentially a choice about whether to directly confront her own origins.
Following her usual approach, Natsume-san always preferred to simplify problems and hope for others' help, only stepping up to face things when there was absolutely no way left to avoid them.
But Natsume-san also clearly knew that if she faced this particular dream tributary, she would likely uncover many truths buried deep within history.
Why was she targeted by mysterious creatures, forcing her to hide in Academy City?
The past of that shrine maiden from her previous life;
Whether there were even older past-life identities;
And even the truth behind the transmigrator—all were secrets that might be revealed.
'And just what rules does the Dream Phase use to determine a person's information?'
'If the Dream Phase accounts for my past life, then why is everything normal for the Dorm Supervisor? Could it be that for other people, there's no such thing as reincarnation?'
'Or perhaps the humans of this world inherently follow certain rules, while I seem to have jumped outside those constraints. Without a doubt, this must all be a change brought by the soul.'
Her thoughts wandered further, and Natsume-san felt her head was about to swell.
Knowledge involving the workings of the world seemed even harder to grasp than magic.
If the soul represented a person's identity in this world, then her own peculiar transmigrator soul was definitely a troublemaker or an outsider.
'It's just so exhausting. Why can't my own soul be a bit more ordinary, like me?'
Sunlight spilled over her shoulders, and a slight breeze drifted through the open window into the dorm room.
The absent-minded Natsume Sonoko finally quieted down, sitting properly at her desk.
Being honest with oneself and then putting that honesty into practice required courage.
Natsume Sonoko wasn't actually lacking in courage—in fact, she was braver than most—but she often chose the easier path for herself.
Just like in real life: studying hard for a better future, or just drifting along, concerned only with immediate comfort? It was a test of one's character.
'If I choose to know nothing, letting everything from the past fade away, then who will bear the consequences of my willfulness?'
'Dad? Mom? Or everyone here in Academy City?'
Her thoughts were complex. This was an issue laid bare for all to see.
Those strange creatures she encountered when leaving Academy City, her parents' recently unusual behavior… it all seemed to point towards a foreseeable future.
Her mom suddenly deciding to start a company and an automated factory in Academy City, her dad too busy to even show his face until after the Daihaseisai festival… Perhaps her life had always been under someone else's protection.
From the very start, she knew which choice was the right one.
This was something she could never truly escape, once she knew about it.
Yet, sometimes, she just wanted to live an ordinary life, like everyone else in Academy City.
'Just by simply adjusting the timeline to over twelve years ago, the first thing I encounter is that shrine maiden's dreams, huh?'
'No wonder that Ladylee recognized me. We look so alike. And it's different from just superficially resembling Mom—the subtle shifts in expression, the look in the eyes… it's exactly the same person. Just… a bit taller than me.'
Staring blankly as she perceived the shrine maiden within the dream, Natsume-san couldn't help but feel surprised, her mind racing.
This resemblance shocked her. She had thought that even if it was her past life, there would be differences here and there. But aside from height, they looked nearly identical in many ways.
Especially when expressionless—that vacant, blank look was almost exactly the same.
Of course, this discovery also gave Natsume-san an inexplicable boost of encouragement. It meant she too would eventually grow to be over 160 cm. Maybe she'd even end up taller than Reiko one day.
'The dream's setting… an ancient shrine?'
Natsume-san was slightly taken aback. She couldn't pinpoint the exact time period, as there were no clear indicators—not even simple light bulbs or concrete buildings were present.
"Hitomi, why would you say such a frightening thing?"
"We are the chosen shrine maidens. We are destined to serve the god-sama our entire lives."
In the dream Natsume-san was observing, a frail-looking shrine maiden tightly grasped another maiden's arm, tears of fear continuously streaming from her eyes.
Both wore the classic red and white shrine maiden attire. The white upper garment and slightly faded red hakama strongly evoked an ancient era.
Limited by the times and being handmade, their Shrine Maiden robes were far less gorgeous and refined than those in Natsume-san's time. Instead, they appeared coarse, simple, even somewhat worn.
The two had lived within the shrine since childhood, surrounded entirely by matters relating to the gods. A rebellious shrine maiden should have been nearly impossible here. Yet, that possibility became a reality one day.
Because one of them seemed to possess knowledge or memories that didn't belong to this world.
"Tsubaki, you simply don't understand. This world is wrong from the very start."
"This entire shrine is filled with falsehood. None of it makes any sense."
"And you expect me to spend my whole life serving some so-called god? I refuse to accept that!"
Clenching her teeth, facing the girl who was her closest friend—almost like family—the rebellious Hitomi declared with absolute resolve.
When speaking of the world's errors and the shrine's falsehood, the Shrine Maiden named Hitomi could barely maintain a calm tone. But the moment it came to devoting her entire life to servitude, her voice became agitated and vehement.
She was only fourteen. She refused to accept such a pitiful life.
Clearly, this was the root cause of this Shrine Maiden's attempt to rebel.
Whether the gods existed or not, she would not acknowledge them.
The more those around her tried to force religious matters upon her, the more her alternative consciousness—formed from her transmigrator memories—recoiled. She wanted to leave this place, to do what she herself wanted, to find her own place in this world.
It was a personality completely different from Natsume-san's. Natsume-san was content with the status quo, while this Shrine Maiden was assertive, driven, and full of fighting spirit.
Likely, their differing living environments and experiences had forged these two contrasting personalities.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL