They'd been fervently discussing the topic right up until they met Kazakiri, but neither side had managed to reach any substantial conclusions.
Even if the deceased and reincarnation existed, there was no doctrine suggesting something like a 'previous life' existed. Index continued explaining this with absolute certainty.
It seemed a contradictory statement, yet it was actually a well-known fact within the magical side.
No mainstream magical texts or beliefs held that a newly born person was connected to someone who had previously died. The relationship was completely severed during the process of reincarnation.
Similarly, due to the existence of the reincarnation concept and its corresponding Phases, the dead, who would otherwise vanish completely within the physical universe, took on a surreal quality.
In this world, there were even ghosts who, due to some unknown circumstances, remained lingering within the physical universe.
"I see, so things like past lives don't exist," Natsume Sonoko murmured, her agreement absent-minded, a wave of bewilderment washing over her.
Although she didn't entirely agree with some of Index's points, she ultimately didn't refute them. She simply didn't know as much as Index did.
Thinking of it this way, it connected back to the earlier notion of the soul being a link. Perhaps it wasn't reincarnation at all, but rather that both of them were connected by a soul that seemed like a 'crosser,' molded into a specific form and appearance that was destined to emerge.
But if it wasn't soul reincarnation, then how did she herself come to be? Was she perhaps cloned? And then had her soul and consciousness transferred?
But if that were the case, why didn't she possess any of that shrine maiden's memories?
And then there was what she'd encountered before—the clear barrier between Natsume Sonoko's soul and her own, the two entities distinctly separate. What kind of possibility did that represent?
"Can't figure it out," Natsume-san muttered, shaking her head slightly as a headache began to form.
If she wanted to understand the truth, it seemed she might have to completely absorb the entirety of that Hitomi-san's life. But if she did that, would she just become a different person altogether?
The thought sent a chill down Natsume Sonoko's spine. She detested that kind of future, though she held no dislike for Hitomi-san herself.
"Every choice feels awful. The best thing for me would be to maintain the status quo. But if I remain ignorant, I can't protect anyone. That future is just as detestable."
"Still, if I'm careful about the extent and frequency, it should be fine, right?"
Even though she'd already resolved herself, Natsume-san wasn't a person of decisive and unwavering resolve. Her heart could still be swayed, but she wouldn't easily change a decision once made.
What had forged this determination in her was her family—people more important and intimate to her than even Misaka-senpai or Shirai-san.
She'd had similar thoughts since returning from summer break, but never found a solution. The reason she was only facing reality now was the sudden emergence of the Dream Phase, which gave her a chance to access the history of the past and that 'other self.'
Though Natsume-san usually projected a lazy disposition, indifferent to matters that didn't concern her, when it came to following her heart's true desires, she was no worse than anyone else. She just lacked the courage to proactively shatter her own daily life.
Simply put, Natsume-san chronically lacked the initiative to change the status quo.
She didn't possess the kind of conviction that Kamijou-senpai had, who would plunge headfirst into conflicts for the sake of complete strangers without a second thought.
But in practice, she always managed to do alright.
"Sonoko! It's Hyouka!"
Index had been pondering the confusing statements made by a certain round-faced girl.
Reincarnation and past lives, in her view, were completely contradictory terms.
Past lives only existed in some magical-side fictional texts and weren't actually recognized by mainstream magical thought. Once reincarnated, the concept of a 'past life' vanished, and one became a completely new person.
Maybe Sonoko's just under too much mental stress lately. Ah, that's right, her eyes were injured. That could cause all sorts of hallucinations.
But the moment Index spotted the faint, flickering, illusory figure of Kazakiri not far away, her attention completely shifted. Grabbing the round-faced girl's hand, she pulled her forward.
"She really appeared—Academy City's genuine ghost girl," Natsume-san murmured, jerked back to reality by Index's strong pull. Her 'gaze' fell upon Kazakiri Hyouka, who seemed to be hovering on the boundary between falsehood and reality.
How to describe it? It was like a hologram—visible but intangible. Sometimes, due to insufficient projection output, parts of the projected model would briefly flicker and vanish.
Thankfully, there were no clipping issues or the figure turning into a pixelated mess. It seemed this particular hologram projector was fairly advanced.
Getting back on track, Kazakiri Hyouka's current location was right near Kirigaoka Girls' Academy in District 18.
Rumor had it she was a student at Kirigaoka, the type who never missed an exam but was practically never seen otherwise, earning her the urban legend title of 'The Unknown.'
Since she attended school, Kazakiri-san probably lived around here too… just in another world, likely a Phase.
"...Hyouka," Index began, but before she could think further, she'd already dragged the round-faced girl through the crowd of onlookers right up to Kazakiri Hyouka's side.
However, as Index reached out her hand, it passed straight through Kazakiri's body.
No matter what Index tried, she couldn't make physical contact. Staring at Kazakiri-san, who was so close yet untouchable, she could only stand there, her face a mask of frustration.
"Index," the illusory form of Kazakiri also showed surprise, her mouth forming Index's name.
But due to her state of existence, the sound couldn't reach Index's ears. If she learned lip-reading, they might manage some simple communication.
Natsume-san, however, understood the reason perfectly. Kazakiri couldn't affect the real air to create vibrations and produce sound.
Kazakiri's form of existence relied on the properties of the AIM diffusion field to simulate various human bodily functions.
"You can't touch her," Natsume Sonoko said, her focus fixed on this strange girl. "Kazakiri-san is still 'false' right now. She hasn't formed a valid physical entity in reality."
This unique life form, composed of an AIM diffusion field, was tightly bound to the so-called AIM Phase.
In Natsume-san's mind, Kazakiri's body was like an exquisite clay doll. A gorgeous outer shell was gradually stripped away, revealing a core product hidden deep within.
"Just as I thought. It's a field core, formed from a massive gathering of AIM fields."
"But it's different from the field cores I've perceived before. This one isn't directly manifesting in the physical universe. Instead, it's hidden on the other side of the world."
"It really makes one wonder just what kind of background and secrets Kazakiri-san has, allowing her to traverse both reality and the Phases."
Frowning and holding her breath, Natsume-san 'saw' the original form of the girl before her: an energy aggregate possessing human emotions.
This sight weighed slightly on Natsume-san. In this city, so many people simply had no choice.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL