BXBX NOVEL Volume 8, 2 – Memories of Tachibana Akari
Volume 8, Chapter 2 – Memories of Tachibana Akari
I was just an ordinary girl born in Japan.
There is nothing special about me. Whether in studies or PE, and even during my elementary, middle school and high school days, I was mediocre in all aspects. But if I was asked if there is something that I have that stands above anyone in this world, I would say that I have one.
And that is my bond with my best friend.
What makes it so special, you may ask? Well, it’s not that hard to explain.
It all started when we were still in kindergarten. We were already close at that time, but as we discovered that our houses were just near each other, our bonds grew even closer.
From then on, we were always together no matter what we did. Whether at school, at home or any activity, we studied together, laughed together, and played together.
We even developed feelings for the same person.
But that didn’t change our friendship, though, not even a single bit. This is why I can say with confidence that our bond with each other is the greatest in the world.
Years passed, and we became college students.
However, as if fate was playing games on us, while we’re on our way to college, we got involved in a traffic accident.
We knew, at that moment, it was the signal to a very disappointing end of our lives.
――If I only know this would happen, I should have confessed that I like him at that time.
It was unknown who spoke that line, maybe her, or maybe me.
Only one thing became certain at that time, that I am having the same thoughts with my best friend. This brought smiles to our faces even though we’re at our last moments.
Finally, my eyes lost their sight.
To be honest. I wasn’t afraid to die.
After all, I’m with my best friend until the end of my breath. I got no reason to be scared at all.
Even if we met Enma-sama1 in that world, we’re confident that we can face him with our chests puffed up with pride.
Sadly, it didn’t go that way, much to our expectations. Instead, we found ourselves lying in a forest we don’t even know about.
Both of our clothes were tattered because of being hit by a car, but all the wounds on our bodies that should have hurt so much disappeared without a trace.
It was a very odd situation no matter how much you look at it, so odd that it even made my best friend, who is always calm and collected wherever we go, panicking all over the place.
――Hmmm, I was certain that we died back there. Did we reincarnate to another world?
I said that out loud as a joke to cheer ourselves up a bit, as this situation is similar to the beginning of every manga I’ve been reading recently, to the point that it’s now getting lame from being overused.
Although she was stunned by my dumb remark, it was effective, as it has it made her calm down a little bit.
However, though I passed it off as a joke, there’s also something at the back of my head, telling me that what I said was true.
And, after a few investigations, that idea turned out to be the truth.
Near the forest where we have originated, there was a small group of houses, but it was enough to be called a settlement.
The standard of their living however, seems to be very low, comparing it to our world, its like we traveled back to the Kofun Period in Japan. (period of Japanese History, around 250-538 CE)
Thankfully, maybe because of the powers of being reincarnated? We were able to communicate with them in Nihongo, so our language problems were solved just like that.
But the surprising part comes after. We discovered that this world was not just a normal world. It was a fantasy world, and magic, the one we watch and read from fairy tales and other fiction, exists in this world as a usual standard.
However, it was not as versatile as we expected.
They were using magic power as some kind of raw force. Though it played a convenient role in their lives, their usage was very inefficient.
For example, instead of creating balls of fire from nowhere, they use magic to lessen the force to split firewood.
Instead of conjuring hot water in an instant, they use it to lessen the time of boiling water in the furnace.
It was just that level of stuff. To the point of being wasteful.
We were disappointed, but that was the turning point – where we decided to make magic, the real magic we read and fantasized about, by ourselves.
At first, it sounded difficult as we had no basis whatsoever due to our non-magical backgrounds, but with the science stuff in our world, as well as our imagination boosted by many fantasy novels, we eventually established a solid foundation to start them all.
We imagined magic power as some sort of a separate nervous system, and instead of electric impulses, magic power, or mana is flowing throughout the body instead.
Until now, people in this world have been able to amplify their strength and add embers to their campfires by releasing them directly from their bodies.
But that process was very inefficient, as it consumes too much mana for too little of a task.
So, we started by making it possible to use the mana efficiently first.
What we’ve done so to speak, is like inventing a machine akin to a steam engine, where we substituted raw and brusque willpower with automated ones using incantations and magic formations.
But even with our university students’ level of knowledge, we were unable to understand the physics of this world. The existence of magic defying everything is just too huge of an influence that made our years of studies in the past some sort of a fucking joke.
Still, it didn’t cause much of a burden for us, for we supplemented them with our vivid imaginations, or that is because magic just breaks logic too much. Eventually, our magic development went better and better, gradually spreading its influence across the world.
Thanks to that, people’s living standards were improved, and by improved we mean by a lot.
At the same time, we became famous as the people who established the foundations of magic.
Things were all not good, though. Because of our great achievements, people kept on coming to us, whether to seek help, fame, or just for the sake of our beauties, to the point that we got ourselves involved in power struggles and shitty political plays we only see in historical dramas turned TV series. They even tried stirring up our relationship with each other, all for the sake of their greed. Thankfully, because of our tight bond, we were able to get away intact. Our faith in the humanity of this world plopped down to the ground, however.
We were exhausted. We had enough of people taking us for granted. We only want a place where we can live in peace and research our final magic project on our own, without being disturbed by anyone.
Then, we discovered from the rumors about the existence of a tower that the gods have built, the Lavabelle Tower. Also known as the Tower of Death.
At that time, the Lavabelle Tower was overflowing with monsters, so strong that it made us wonder who put these abominations inside it. It was as if it served as a prison for them to keep humanity alive. Thankfully because of that, people rarely approach it.
Thinking it will be a perfect base for us, we expelled the monsters with our magic, then after that we immersed ourselves in our final magic research to the fullest.
This final magic research has one ultimate goal ―― to return to our original world.
Two college ladies being brought to a medieval fantasy world, while experiencing all the luxuries of this world due to our contributions, it still didn’t deny the fact that we are living in an ancient society. No internet, not much entertainment, and most of all, it’s survival of the fittest. Letting down your guard will only mean the death of you.
Therefore, in this project, we worked ourselves to the hardest, to the point that we even spare ourselves the thought of sleeping.
However, despite how it was a breeze for us to improve the magic system, the magic that we desired to return to our world is just too hard to complete.
Without a single lead on how we got transferred into this world, we weren’t able to find a good place to start. Unlike the previous case where magic is already like a raw ore that is ready to be processed, this topic is just too incomprehensible. We didn’t meet any gods, nor any almighty beings to give us knowledge or at least give us a specific questline of why we are transferred here.
The way things are going, we will both grow old and senile, that even if we successfully return to Japan, we will be like a reverse Urashima Taro2.
Out of desperation, my friend came up with an idea to increase the number of companions that will help us in our goal.
Certainly, it is much more efficient to study with a large number of people than to think with just two heads.
However, I objected to that idea.
After all, because of what we have been through, I couldn’t trust anyone other than her, and she too, couldn’t trust anyone other than me.
As if she’s anticipated my opposition from the start, she then made another proposal, but this time, it was even more absurd than the previous.
It was to create a human child with the use of magic.
―― If it’s our child, then she won’t betray us, right?
She reassured me by saying so.
I believed in those words, and helped her in the development of magic to create a human offspring.
At that time, I didn’t know, that these actions will have great consequences that will make me regret for the rest of my life.
After some time, with the knowledge of the human anatomy, along with the knowledge of the magic we established, we successfully generated a human body that defies every biology study in our previous world.
All it needs now is an ego. For that, she used herself as a basis, and after a series of calculations, the plan to create offspring which was like an offshoot of her other self was completed. Not exactly a clone, but another ego with her structure as a basis.
All we need now is the process to increase their numbers and we’re done with the planning phase.
Everything was going fine, until the moment she tried to activate the magic in its first trial.
In the middle of her casting, she suddenly screamed, went into a crouch as she held her head with her hands.
I immediately rushed towards her and called her out.
However, she didn’t tell me anything right away. All I received is a grave warning.
In a pained voice, she muttered with all her might.
“Don’t use this magic at all costs. “
Then she collapsed as it is. Thankfully, I found out that she had just lost her consciousness, so I decided to give her some time to recover and afterward demand her an explanation later.
As soon as she woke up, she told me that the moment she activated the magic, she heard someone’s voice in her head.
These are the things that it said:
“Creating a new life from magic is a miracle bestowed by God, it’s not something that humans can exercise.
For overstepping your boundaries and breaking this taboo, I will bestow a curse to you and your child”
When I first heard it, I was surprised. To think a god exists in this world.
However, what’s even worse was the curse that was given to her.
Though it was only later that we have found out about it, it was a curse that amplifies sexual desire, becoming stronger and stronger to the point where the mind couldn’t take it anymore and goes haywire.
That god has some pretty bad tastes.
At first, it was an ordinary urge, and a little effort of comforting herself and it’s gone, but as times passed the ‘itch’ remained, getting stronger and stronger every single day.
At that time, we finally believed that the curse is genuine.
Of course, I still have my decency, so whenever I see her doing it, I run back to my room and only come out when she finishes herself. However, the number of times she’s doing it became frequent and frequent, to the point she doesn’t care about our presence anymore.
It even affected our research, as she couldn’t even think properly due to the intense lust.
The way these things are going, both of us will become no good. She with her constant masturbating, and me for my constant worrying.
To distract myself, I turned my attention to our child and pampered her with so much care.
Maybe because she and I thought of her as our real daughter, our mind was always put at ease whenever we shower her with affection.
However, as our kid is smarter than the others as she had already a fully developed mind, I know, that she already knew of her other mother’s situation well. After all, it was my best friend’s ego which was used as a basis for the development of her being.
And so, I poured my love to our child while doing something about the pains of my best friend’s body.
Times passed by so fast, and our daughter grew up quickly and healthily.
The child, who was about the size of an elementary school student when we created her, is now almost as big as us in just in a few years.
She had inherited all our knowledge and proved to be a very smart and talented child.
However, by that time, the power of the curse that eroded my best friend’s body was gradually taking over her mind.
Until it reached the level where she had to focus herself hard just to recognize us, her family.
At that point, I knew. it’s all up to me. No, it’s all up to us and our daughter.
Still, no matter how hard we tried, we always end up with nothing but bad results.
Out of desperation and countless failures, we sook for an alternative. At least to alleviate her symptoms to reduce her suffering.
And that is where we ended up with an idea of creating a magic that freezes time in a particular place.
If we’re successful in making this, the so-called cryostasis that we often read in science fiction novels will be possible to use.
Thankfully, after a couple of retries, we succeeded this time, with no side effects or curses coming. We brought her the good news right away.
However, there is one important thing we didn’t factor. And that is my best friend’s opinion.
She refused to go into cryostasis, saying she doesn’t want to sleep, then wake up all alone, with us gone and everything changed.
However, after our persistent persuasion of me and our child, added to that the state of her ever-worsening curse, she finally compromised.
And so, after preparing a special room on the highest floor of the tower, seals and all, we bid our temporary farewell.
We didn’t waste any more time. After setting up a special room on the highest floor of the tower, complete with equipment for monitoring every single data which may provide useful for us, we finally completed the “Room where Time can be Stopped”, then hid the room with magic arrays to prevent possible intruders from disturbing it.
She was nagging when she was about to go to sleep, though, reminding us to do this and do that, don’t forget this, don’t forget that, as if the curse she’s enduring all along doesn’t affect her one bit.
However, despite getting all cursed and in pain, and all the naggings she makes right now.
I still love her so much.
After our sad parting, we started over again, but this time, I was determined, more than ever before.
However, there came another thing to worry about, one important thing I have missed, that we should have thought of already, if not for that hated curse.
And that is our child’s future.
Even though she wasn’t born the normal way, she was technically still our child, and as a parent, albeit a false one, having the thoughts of her being cooped up inside the tower, studying and researching magic until she died, it was just sad.
I want her to make her own future.
I want our child to be happy as a human being.
And so, I made another sacrifice. I sent her to the outside world, all while I remained inside the tower, continuing our research while monitoring by best friend.
It was another sad parting, but I knew that she understands my thoughts. She’s the daughter of the two greatest mages in this history after all.
Decades passed after that.
Yet, I still couldn’t find a way to save her.
It’s pretty ironic, that the magic we created to bless us with more companions made us all alone instead.
When I was starting to give up, our child returned to the tower.
Our child grew up so splendidly. Enough for me, as her mother, to feel proud of her.
That moment, I thought it was good to be alive.
What has surprised me even more is what she said later on.
That she has found a way to save her.
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Translator Notes and Rants
1 Enma. Also called Yama, he’s the god of hell in Japanese Buddhism who judges whether the souls of people or in case, the Japanese, go to heaven or hell. He’s the Buddhist version of Saint Peter, Hades, Hel, and Ayer.
2. Urashima Taro. He’s the protagonist of the Japanese folklore named after him. His tale goes something like this:
Long ago, a man named Urashima Tarō, a fisherman, found a turtle, the same size as the adult turtles we see on TV, on the beach being molested all over by a group of children. Oh, don’t correct me on this, because I know you always do this with your pet kittens. Out of pity, he purchased the turtle and released it in the ocean.
Two or three days later, while he was fishing on a boat as always, the grateful turtle came back, this time he’s fucking gigantic as ever. That’s THREE DAYS MAN. THREE FUCKING DAYS. Just what did they feed this thing? Nuclear anemone? Then he and told him “Hey maaan, You want some princess fuck? Come at my back and I’ll ride you down to the underwater Dragon Palace.” I know that sounded so wrong, but hey, I’m telling the story here. Now imagine an ancient Japanese being told this in pure gangsta English. But hey! He agreed, so off they went to the underwater Dragon Palace, which he then discovered to be some kind of Japanese Atlantis Castle. At the palace, the princess (Otohime) thanked him for saving the turtle. (It was unspecified what the turtle did after this, but I think he’s out for blood, being all buffed up. Poor kids)
Then the two chilled for an unspecified number of days, but then he remembered his parents, whom he left unattended like a stove being left on. Afraid of being grounded, he tried to skedaddle back, bidding farewell to the princess afterward. The princess of course, having a good time and all, doesn’t want him to go back, but the fucker still insisted, afraid of being whacked in the ass. So, having got no other choice for the stupid fuck, he finally let him go with a parting gift, a mysterious box whose lid he was told never to open, because of course, why would he? It is not like people aren’t gonna get curious about what’s inside it, are they? Right, Pandora?
When Tarō returned to his hometown, he found out that everything had changed. His home was gone, his mother and father had perished, and the people he knew were nowhere to be seen. (Oh no!) Of course, maybe he just didn’t write the address properly, or maybe that turtle is still going avengers vs Thanos on the kids, making him ride a different taxi turtle, but he went to a deep depression after that. He asks if anybody knows a man called Urashima Tarō. They answer that they had heard someone of that name had vanished at sea long ago. After a couple of investigations, he found out that it was 300 years have passed since the day he left for the bottom of the sea. Because of that, he was sad, really sad, so sad he couldn’t think straight anymore.
Not remembering the princess’s warning, and also by the usual laws of cliché, he lifted the lid of the box. A cloud of white smoke arose and surrounded his body. He felt his skin crumpling, his beard long and he got osteoporosis. Then he heard from the sea the sad, sweet voice of the princess “I told you not to open that box. In it was your old age, you inconsiderate fuck…”
Of course, there are also different tales of it, but this one is what I like the most.
In the Otogi Bunko (Companion Library) version, he catches the turtle on his fishing line, then releases it, for it to become a beautiful girl the next day, wishing his “escort” to her home. As soon as she arrives at her magnificent home, she proposes that they marry. After three years of happy turtling with her sugar mommy, the man decided to visit his home, being homesick and all, and is given a memento box in their parting, of course with the matching warning. When he arrived in the town, he finds it desolate, only to find out that 700 years has passed before he left it. He then opens the box, whereupon three wisps of purple cloud appeared, turning him into an old man, then into a crane (the bird, not the construction equipment). His wife, reverting to the form of a turtle, then picked him up. The end.
FUN FACT: this was the earliest “time travel” story that has ever existed (8th century).
Also, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber concept in Dragon Ball was known to have originated from the palace of the princess, just in reverse.
Thank you very much for reading this chapter. I really mean it, because almost 50% of the lines you have read came from my additional edits.
This is such an important chapter but the author really fucked it up. Took me so much time to edit and fix the entire chapter (that’s 5 days, basically almost my entire holy week of adding the details, the context, flipping out the table, then coming back again to fix everything) just to be worth reading to the audience. Ugh. How could someone pull something so awesome yet mess up so badly?
-Neorecormon, 13th of April, 2020