I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 12 Read online

  R once told me what happened to the stories that were abandoned by the Namidare bloodline. Even if I didn’t abandon her story, the same thing would happen if the heroine gave up on me. Chirika and I had argued till we were blue in the face over just her coming to the ocean with us, so I was fully prepared for things to come to blows this time. Or swords.

  “Hey, Chirika...”

  “...”

  Chirika opened a single eye and glared at me.

  “I’m sure you heard everything, but we’re about to go to Atlantis of the past... and I’d like you to come along with us...”

  “...”

  Chirika remained silent for a long moment, then suddenly reached for her sword.

  “?!”

  The moment she did, I instinctively prepared myself to get cut in half, but she just used it to help herself stand... and walked right by me without any violence. She then went over and joined the group with everyone else.

  “Huh... Are you sure?” I asked Chirika timidly.

  “It’s not a matter of sure or unsure. Or did you mean to leave me here at the bottom of the sea? While I might question one or two coincidences, this is the third presented instance of these ‘stories’ of yours cropping up. I admit that I have doubted you, but I believe my eyes are beginning to open.”

  “R-Really?”

  If she was starting to have some faith in me, that was the best possible outcome. I heaved a sigh of relief.

  “And even if the time period is wrong, returning to the past in some form is better than sitting around and waiting here in the future. If the Gold Yaksha really is a yokai, he should have existed long before the time period I was alive. Perhaps I might eliminate him before he ever lays his hands on Princess Izuko.”

  “Then are you all in agreement?” Nyanyan asked when it seemed like the discussions were over.

  “Yeah, for the most part. By the way, while I’m fine with going to the past, there is a way for us to get back, right?”

  “Yes. Once you’re in the past, please visit the Great Library of the Heavens. There you’ll find the person who designed this divining altar, which provides us with the technology both for stitching space-time and for becoming ethereal. They’ll be able to help you.”

  The Great Library of the Heavens? I guess it must be in a really high place?

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  “Now, please move your vehicle to the middle of the divining altar. The preparations will take some time, so I do apologize, but I’ll have to ask that you wait a moment.”

  “How long is a moment?”

  “About three hours.”

  “That’s... a couple of moments, but sure. Yeah, we’ll wait.”

  “Thank you.”

  With that, Nyanyan passed through the wall of the submarine and disappeared. Shirley moved the submarine over to the center of the divining altar as ordered, and we went about killing time while preparations for going back in time were complete.

  ▽

  After we waited out the three hours, a strange light began filling the temple and pouring in the submarine’s windows.

  “What is this light?” I asked.

  “I don’t feel any magic coming from it... Maybe it’s just a part of the preparations for us to return to the past?” answered Satsuki.

  There, Sherlyn walked up behind me and rather casually leaned on my shoulder.

  “I gotta say, it’s hard to believe we’re actually going to the past... You really can’t predict what life’s going to throw at you, huh?”

  “We came here to find a way to undo your curse... Sorry it’s turned into such a big ordeal.”

  “What are you apologizing for? I had my whole life staked on a losing bet; you were the one who came along and dealt me some extra cards to play. Now I might actually stand a chance. So let me turn this around on you: are you really sure you’re willing to go to the past for me?”

  “Of course I am. I’m the only one who can save everyone.”

  “Heh, that’s right... You’re a hero,” Sherlyn said with a teasing smile and shrugged. “I was wondering what kind of guy could get the little-brother-obsessed Chelsea in such a tizzy, but go figure it’s someone like you.”

  “...Huh?”

  “Hey, Sherlyn! What lies are you telling Rekka?!”

  Sherlyn slipped in a real humdinger there at the end, but the aforementioned Chelsea tore her way and started to interrogate her, so I never really got to the bottom of it. But it was just as well, I guess. That was about when Nyanyan stuck her head back inside the submarine and informed us she was ready.

  “Everyone, the preparations are complete. I will now send you all to the past.”

  “Got it,” I acknowledged. “Go ahead.”

  “Very well. There is one last thing I forgot to mention, however. I cannot go with you, so I’m afraid you must proceed from here on your own.”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “...I’m sorry. It’s just not possible,” she said, a sad expression flashing across her face as she bowed her head deeply.

  “Does that mean I can’t save you, Nyanyan?” I asked, somewhat staggered.

  “Please do not worry... It may sound strange coming from someone who appears to be in such a desperate situation, but it is not me presently that you need to save. My past self is still imprisoned in the dungeon beneath this very temple. Should you wish to break the curse upon Sherlyn’s head, the Nyanyan of the past is who you truly need to save.”

  Urgh... It was this Nyanyan whose story I’d gotten caught up in, so was it really okay to treat her and her past self as the same person? As far as their stories were concerned, I mean. Well, I guess they were ultimately in the same bind...

  “Everyone... I wish you all the best.”

  Nyanyan bowed her head once more in prayer and wished us luck as she disappeared. Then, the light flowing in from the window grew stronger and stronger until it was all we could see.

  ▽

  Eventually, the light faded and the submarine suddenly tilted sideways with a loud clunking noise.

  “Wh-What?!”

  How could a submarine lose balance underwater? The answer, it turned out, was right outside the window...

  “A-Are we on land?!”

  I knew we were returning to the past and all, but shouldn’t we still be at the bottom of the ocean?

  “Oh, duh...”

  We were still in the same place, technically—the temple where the ritual had been performed. But we’d gone back to Atlantis of the past, which was still above water. That had to be it, probably... Right? Surely.

  “Is everyone okay?!” I called out.

  “S-Somehow...” Satsuki answered while rubbing her forehead, which she’d bumped against the floor.

  It seemed several of the other girls had lost their balance when the submarine tilted too, but no one was really hurt.

  “I think we’ve made it to Atlantis of the past and we’re still in the temple! Let’s get out of the sub and find somewhere to hide!”

  I shouted orders to everyone while helping the girls up. In stark contrast to my panic, however, Tsumiki raised a lackadaisical question.

  “What’s the big deal? Why are you in such a hurry?”

  “If what Nyanyan said was true, today is the day Boboza succeeded in his coup d’état! What do you think he’s gonna do when intruders suddenly show up in the temple today of all days?”

  There, there was a collective gasp in the room. It seemed we were all on the same page now.

  “Everybody ruuuuun!”

  “Hey, don’t run off on your own, you hopeless angel!”

  Though I was irritated at Rachelle running ahead of everyone at a time like this, thanks to her opening the submarine hatch, we were all able to exit the sub and get out into the temple quickly.

  “Who the hell are you?!”

  But just as I finished helping Satsuki, the last person out, down from the hatch, several soldier-looking types appeared at t
he divining altar.

  “Hmph! I’ll handle these.”

  “Corona, no! Don’t attack!” I shouted, preventing her from going straight into combat. “We’re gonna run instead!”

  “Rekka, this way! I memorized the floor plan of the temple!”

  “Nice, Shirley!”

  She’d probably taken a good, long look at it while searching the interior of the temple with the submarine. So right now, I was rather grateful she was with us. Thanks to her, we were able to slip through the temple corridors this way and that at a breakneck pace.

  “Hold it!”

  Yet even so, there were five people after us. From what I could see at a glance, they were outfitted with simple armor with spears. It only stood to reason that they’d be suspicious of intruders, but their intense expressions and murderous auras told me they were probably part of the coup d’état.

  “Young man, why can’t we attack them?” Corona asked as she ran along beside me, though she looked more confused than unhappy.

  “We have to save the Atlantians later, for the sake of Nyanyan’s story. If we attack them now and generate bad blood, that’ll only make things harder down the line.”

  Corona seemed to accept my reasoning, and she generously nodded.

  “I can see you’ve considered the future thoroughly, young man.”

  “But with a group this big, it’ll be hard to outrun them!” Hibiki yelled angrily, interrupting our conversation.

  And she had a point. We had slow runners like Satsuki and Harissa with us and everything... Of all the times!

  “Hibiki! A smoke screen!”

  “Got it!”

  Hibiki took a smoke bomb out of the pouch attached to her waist and slowed down to edge towards the back of the group before chucking it at the pursuers trailing behind us.

  “What?!”

  We could hear the soldiers’ confused shouting through the smoke, and we took the chance to turn the corner and run out of the temple.

  “Wow, so this is Atlantis...”

  The temple was built atop a hill overlooking the entirety of the city. I’d heard that the whole land of Atlantis had sunk, but I could see the shoreline from the top of the hill where we stood. Either the city was much smaller than I had expected, or the temple was just that close to the sea.

  “Harissa, could you cast your invisibility magic on everyone?”

  “Sure.”

  After we were all invisible and therefore undetectable to our pursuers, we left the temple grounds with peace of mind through a deserted back alley that went downhill. Along the way, we stopped to take a breather.

  “Thanks, Harissa. You can dismiss the spell now.”

  “All right,” Harissa said with a casual swing of her staff.

  Nothing changed from our perspective, but if anyone else had been here, they would have seen a dozen or so people suddenly appear out of thin air. But that wasn’t what any of us were concerned about right now. What really mattered was our escape, and thusly catching our breath. After a short break, I took charge of the situation again.

  “Even if we got off to a slightly rocky start, it seems we’ve at least made it to the past safely.”

  “I got a glimpse of what the people were chasing us were wearing, which seemed to be quite similar to what Nyanyan had on. So it does indeed seem we’ve made it,” replied Hibiki, who was constantly paying attention to our surroundings.

  I thought so too, but knowing whether or not we’d actually managed to travel to the past right now was of the utmost importance.

  “Satsuki, could you see if we’re really in the past or not?”

  “Sure.”

  So to make absolutely sure, I decided to have Satsuki check using the Magic of Omniscience. But just as I asked her... I felt a someone’s eyes on me. I turned around to see Sherlyn watching me and Satsuki dubiously.

  “I heard you specialized in research magic, Satsuki, but this is some serious stuff... Not only can you look up items and places, but even the very concept of time?”

  “Huh?!”

  “What?!”

  Her unexpected question made us harmonize in unease. Crap... Was time really that much more of a complex concept to research? I didn’t know, so I’d asked Satsuki for help so casually and she’d replied without thinking, but... The Magic of Omniscience was a secret Satsuki’s family had passed down for generations. It was so powerful that it would bring about disaster if used for evil purposes, which was why we’d always taken extreme caution about mentioning it in front of other people—including heroines and especially other mages—but to think someone would notice here... We’d just gotten careless. I figured I could either try and brush it off or confess the truth, but just as I was trying to decide which...

  “You can tell her, Rekka. Sherlyn has no interest in pursuing magic, and she’s not the type to sell others’ secrets,” Chelsea said with a well-intentioned smile.

  I’d known Chelsea for quite a while now, and she said she’d been friends with Sherlyn for ages, so surely she was trustworthy too... And, honestly speaking, I didn’t get any bad vibes from her. Sherlyn was easygoing but at the same time had a serious aura, and she genuinely seemed like an earnest person.

  “Hey now, what are you guys going on about? Let me in on the deets,” Sherlyn said in an overly exaggerated fashion, looking at the three of us with great interest.

  She didn’t seem any too pleased about being left out of an important conversation like this. I was 90 percent sure how I felt already, but it was Satsuki’s secret to tell. I wasn’t about to share it without her consent.

  “Satsuki, are you okay with this?”

  “Yeah. I trust your judgment, Rekka.”

  Once she agreed, I turned to face Sherlyn once more.

  “The truth is...”

  There, I explained the truth of Satsuki’s heritage. It would have been a shocking revelation for anyone, much less a mage. But when Sherlyn heard it all...

  “I see. I was wondering what could possibly be that much of a secret, but now I understand. I won’t tell anyone, so are we all good now?” she replied rather casually.

  “You’re really hard to surprise, aren’t you?”

  “Huh? Well, that might be true. Let’s say you weren’t especially interested in a particular sport, but you suddenly got a chance to meet a super famous athlete that played it. Would you be excited, Rekka?”

  “I mean, yeah, that’d be cool and all... But I guess I wouldn’t really get too worked up about it.”

  “This is no different. I know Chelsea sort of said so earlier, but I cut ties with my family a long time ago. To me, magic is just a useful tool that helps me in my line of work, the same as my hat and cape.”

  “...”

  Satsuki looked conflicted over her heirloom magic being compared to an outfit, but at least we’d gotten that out of the way now.

  “Satsuki, can you tell yet?” I asked.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah... there’s no mistaking it. We’re definitely 1,500 years in the past now. That time frame matches up with what I learned when I looked up what happened in Atlantis before we left, so I think we’ve successfully travelled back to where we meant to,” Satsuki reported back after regaining her composure.

  Since Sherlyn and Chirika now both knew about the Magic of Omniscience, I figured it was probably safe to ask her something else that had been on my mind.

  “So now that we’ve travelled back in time, what happens to what you can look up with your Omniscient Magic?”

  “I don’t really understand your question, Rekka,” Satsuki cautioned me like a school teacher would.

  Okay, I guess that was poorly worded...

  “Erm, well, the Akashic record details everything from the past to the present, right? So, if we’re currently in the past, does that mean your knowledge is now limited?”

  I had to choose my words carefully so she’d understand what I meant. Hopefully that would get things across...

  “Hmm..
. I think I see what you’re saying,” Satsuki said with an affirmative nod before explaining. “To start with the simple answer: yes. I can only access the Akashic record that presently exists. In other words, when I’m in the past, I can only access the Akashic record of the past.”

  “I see...”

  That made sense.

  “Well, now that we’ve established that, next is...”

  I was sort of turning things over in my head as I talked, but Chirika stopped me there.

  “Wait,” she said.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She then turned to look at Satsuki and said, “You over there... Satsuki, right?”

  “Me?”

  “You said you can look up anything, no? Does that mean you can also look up the location of the Gold Yaksha? If he still exists in this era, that is.”

  “Well...”

  “If you can, please do so forthwith. So long as you can tell me where he is, I shall cut him down before he can lay his filthy mitts on the princess!”

  Chirika was imploring her, but Satsuki turned a troubled look my way.

  “Chirika, let’s calm down first, shall we?”

  “Rekka, why didn’t you mention this so-called magic of Satsuki’s earlier? If I’d known such a thing existed, then I could have set off to help the princess immediately.”

  “I’m sorry for keeping it secret, but Satsuki’s magic isn’t something I can just tell people about. You can understand that, right?”

  “Let’s just say that I do... But now that I already know about it, why would you insist on stopping me from benefiting from its use? You know good and well that I intend to stop the Gold Yaksha as soon as possible, and this may very well lead me to him.”

  “Look, I know how you feel... But let’s not get too hasty here. Our first priority right now is to save Nyanyan from her imprisonment in the dungeon.”

  That was the most urgent matter at hand. We had to do something about Atlantis in the next three days. The Gold Yaksha would simply have to wait until afterward, especially now that we were even further in the past than the era Chirika had come from.

  “...”

  But Chirika fell silent with a displeased expression upon hearing my answer. I knew she didn’t like it, but she’d just have to deal with it for now. I’d make it up to her later.