A calm or routine began to fall into pbsp; It started as just something penciled in, but the reality required it to be inked. For a relief, the lethality of said reality remained distant, a fearful memory to bury. Yet like the uhat rise, its shadow loomed dark and ever stretg over each facet of his life. Haunting fingers poked at the back of his mind.

  One week down, five remained.

  His deadline approached, but still slowly for now. The perception of time didn’t burden his back so far. It meant he could focus on his studies, perhaps training. Ayumi certainly was of one mind about it. And daily practice became the standard.

  Chapter 27 – Against Logic

  “I ’t do anymore…” he said, wiping away the sweat on his face while holding a pencil in his hand. Yuki stood up, throwing the pencil at Ayumi’s feet. “It’s too mue!”

  A restrained sigh came out of her. She bent down clutg the pencil. “It's just a Sudoku. It’s not that hard.” She marched a step forward and turhe pencil in her hand towards him.

  “I still don’t feel it expanding my mind like you said it would. Like I’m okay at math, but this isn’t really math.”

  “You aren’t going to see improvements immediately. It lets me gauge where your potential currently is as well as w to refine ynitive skills.”

  “Yeah, you expi as some sort of test for remembering things.”

  “Your Illusion Field isn’t the only factor that impacts your performanbsp; You need a clear image of what you want and maintain that image or it disappears. This is a good test of retention on something well defined and not plex.”

  “I get that, but to make me solve the whole thing in my head before filling it out. That’s impossible!”

  Ayumi pulled over the paper book and twirled the pencil into pbsp; Swift movements, she filled in the whole Sudoku uninterrupted. The same puzzle he had tried to do for the st hour. “You’ve seen that one already.” She flipped the book randomly to the bad and stared it for a quiet moment before repeating the same feat. “Fi’s impossible for me.”

  “It won’t be eventually.”

  A blue ripple expanded from her feet. No snow field appeared, but a dozen swords materialized around her, h. “This is yoal.” A momehey all disappeared as though nothing strange happened. “Since we’re taking a break…”

  He o her silent order. “I’ll try again after.”

  “The other half of the Illusion Field is the Field Law, or Law.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that mentioned a few times.”

  “The Field Law is tied closely to your ability to define aain data. The reason I even make swords is because I overwrote the reality within the Field with a new Law. That Law stated that swords could be summoned.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Logid reaso required. You’re iing a new reality, it’s governed by whatever you say. As long as it’s clear in its fun the why doesn’t matter.”

  “Now that sounds story breaking. But you said they could be summoned, does that mean I could have while in your field?”

  “No, because I made it so only I could do it.”

  “But you could ge it?”

  “Not while it’s active. That’s one of the limitations, you have to turn off the Field and rebuild it if you want to ge the Law.”

  “I guess it’s not so easy to ge it on the fly.”

  “It’s not possible to alter it.” She saw the doubting look from Yuki. “As far as I’m aware it’s never been achieved. Any attempt destabilizes the Field and it colpses.”

  “But if you rebuilt it as you said, you could make it so others could create swords?”

  She paused at the question, p it. “Teically, you’re correbsp; But it’d be to your disadvantage if the enemy figured out how your Law worked.” Almost immediately, she could tell the answer sent his mind into a flurry of ideas. The fact that he accepted things pleased her. “What are you thinking?”

  “Not a lot at the moment. Since I still ’t actually sciously create a Field. But this is good to know.”

  “I warned you, it’s a bad strategy to leave holes in your Law that the enemy exploit.”

  “Yeah, I know!”

  “One final thing, since you’re thinking about this. Our power, the Law and Field doesn’t affect the user. You ’t use it to ge anything about your physiental make up.”

  “But the healing you’ve done.”

  “External, I direct it, but I’m not imbued with that capability. That’s why I said before that we're pletely normal and a good defense will keep you safe.”

  “Definitely some shortings.”

  “Now back to work.”

  A sigh drew out of Yuki this time. “I know…” Back to the cliff wall that was Sudokus. Perhaps in time, she’d let him do something more exg, like crosswords. Sigh.

  The day was a ucopia of fruitful events. If said juicy sugary events included the spontaneous growth of grass over the whole floor. That might be sweet, were that your pleasure. Or mayhaps the walls morphed into getinous material, the sistency of fn. Something like could be more your style.

  Pleasure or style, her were the two girls’ choibsp; Their answer came in the suddeo admit Yuki to the nurse’s office for passing out in the middle of css. It required some ving, Yuki did have a habit of sleeping in css.

  A simir debate happened in the nurse’s office, seeing how a very clear bruise appeared on his head. For twers, they tag teamed the nurse well enough to wear them down. Their victave Yuki a bed to recover and hopefully not cause more public disturbances with his power.

  Saki stepped outside the office with Ayumi. She leaned against the wall looking at the opposite side. “Going to give me a straight aoday?”

  Maintaining the persona, Ayumi fidgeted oher side of the entranbsp; Her weight shifted bad forth with each passing moment. “I told before, it’s the same as we expined.”

  “Showing up, impnted false memories, straackers and a ve need for Yuki.”

  “I don’t know what you tell you. It’s the truth.”

  “I guess call me a skeptic.”

  “Then that’s your problem, not mine.”

  Frustration for no more of an answer, Saki returo silenbsp; The same answer as st night didn’t help. Something about it felt off and she’d find out what that was somehow. However, Yuki came first.

  Yuki threw up the covers of the nurse’s bed looking around a bit fused. “Wasn’t I in css?” He darted his eyes around realizing where he was.

  “We brought you here after your act.”

  “Act? Saki? Why does my head feel like it’s split?”

  Saki gnced over at Ayumi with a look to pass the bme. A deflected stare rejected her attempt. She shrugged off the denial. “How bad does it hurt?” Walking over to him, she pulled down his jacket to hand over to him.

  “Thanks. Mostly just a ringing and fuzziness.” The jacket slipped ba with ease. He butto up feeling it turn a bit into a throbbing. “I don’t like saying it, but I might be getting used to it.” That remark gave him a bit of an eye from the nurse. He fshed a sheepish smile. “I’ve been a little act proly. Bad luck probably…”

  It didn’t dispel all the suspis the nurse had, but he gave Yuki the be. They didn’t hold him longer. All three of them took it as a positive sign to leave on such terms.

  Out in the hall, Saki leaned over quietly to them. “Why is this happening?”

  “Because he has no trol. His mind runs his power.”

  Yuki nodded with her answer. Even accepting the truth, it still took a bit to not immediately lean on the fantastical and fi. Eaent her mind tried to doubt it. “How long will this keep happening? For now, I think the others in css aren’t notig or believing they’re tired. But it’s not going to st.”

  “That’s why I’m training. But it’s not easy.”

  “It’s his active imagination. For others it wouldn’t be so readily an issue, but bined with the strength we have a rare situation.”

  “I see. So the solution is knog his lights out?”

  “Please no!”

  “I try to cover it up, but you ge your mind so fast I ’t keep up.”

  “Sorry…” Yuki slumped over a little as they fiheir walk back to css. This wasn't a routihat he wao pick up. It did serve as a repeated painful remihat he got pt. He o focus more on his thoughts.

  The rest of the day weer for everyoher than Yuki. His mental state reminded him of the first day it started. Exhausted and raw on nerves, he walked out with Ayumi and Saki. He didn’t notice how on edge they were in his current dition. Everythi inward.

  However, he felt something suddenly stop him. It pulled his mind out from the pits and to the courtyard of the school. Ahead the gate filled with students leaving. Yuki looked down to see Saki’s arm blog him. “Saki? Something wrong?” The severe expression on her face ran fear down his back.

  Another assassin?

  Yuki looked where she did and then his eyes opened brightly. He hopped around her arm and dashed over to the gate. “Seiji! You’re back!”

  “Damn right!” A bit of a grin, part of a smirk came over him as Yuki greeted him. Seiji kept his eyes away from the scowling presence.

  “Whatcha doing here? Css end early for you?”

  “Nah, probably ehe same time for you.”

  “Ditg again?” Yuki caught himself in a little nostalgic grin that crept through his eic smile.

  After being ignored, Saki appeared before the two. She remained silent for the moment. Her eyes flipped betweew out their iions. All the while her mind battled with the past versations. Hesitation weighed on her.

  Seiji took a half step towards her, no longer able to pretend she did. “Look, I’m not here to start a damn bit of trouble. I’ve some unfinished business.”

  “Business? After a year?”

  “I don’t expect you to uand, Saki. But I’m doing this!”

  The mounting tension tightened as Yuki tried to put his arms betweewo. It felt like someo repy on history. “Please, both of you! Seiji hasn’t done anything to make you doubt him, Saki.”

  “I don’t trust him.”

  “Saki please, this seems important. Let him do what he’s e to do.”

  Exging gazes with Yuki softened her emotions a bit. Yet a bit was all it took for her to step babsp; The knife edge resolved itself. “Fine. But I’m watg you.”

  “I hope the hell not, this is a private matter.”

  Taking another look at Yuki, she gave up the ground. Her hands balled up and opened as she tried to release the pressure. Every part of her fought with another. flid doubt surrounded her. Saki could only give Yuki his request. She slowly nodded before stepping away.

  Granted leave, the two made their way back out of the school grounds. Despite the insistence, silence covered the air between them. Awkwardness paihrough Seiji, troubled by a yet undecred dilemma. Yuki watched and read his friend’s expressions allowing him the necessary time.

  All that time took them deep into the shopping district east of the school. A popur choice for students as they packed around the sidewalks. They held onto their uncharted course through the city until something stopped Yuki dead in his tracks.

  “Yuki Hayashi, I’ve e for you…”