Isekai Trip no Wakiyaku datta Ken Chapter 3

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「You came out on top, Maki-chan. This is an amazing gem. You've used up half a year’s worth of luck, un, there's no mistaking it.」

「Stop it Senpai! At least leave behind my luck with men! I mean, not that, but it's a curious thing…… It wasn't like this when I bought it. Take a look at this.」

Maki-chan held out her smartphone to me.

「I took this on the day I bought this gem.」

When I looked at the screen of the smartphone I received, a crystal cl.u.s.ter that looked similar to the one in my hand was projected in the photo.

However.

「Look at it closer」

I zoomed in on the screen and shrewdly compared it to the gem in my hand.

「……Seriously?」

A chill ran down my back.

「This is the same stone, for sure?」

「Yes, without a doubt it's this stone.」

The cl.u.s.ter in the picture was the same shape, but the color was completely different. Compared to now, the color was evidently less saturated, the insides were dull and dark, and there was a large crack（split）inside.

I see, it was appealing this way too, but like this I understood why it was valued at 1000 yen.

But if that was so, what would that make this stone whose ambiance was completely different now?

Maki-chan lowered her eyebrows and spoke.

「It's been a week since I've bought it, but before I realized it had changed like this…… I like gems, but I'm not interested in spiritual things or the occult. This makes me feel uneasy. Senpai, is it physically possible for a gem to change condition like this?」

While staring at the stone, I shook my head.

「……It's unthinkable. Leaving aside that a gem with a crack in it would widen due to differences in temperature or from being stuck, there's no way it could disappear…… And you didn't do anything else with it, right Maki-chan?」

「I just decorated my room with it like normal.」

Maki-chan took the stone in question away from me and into her own hands, holding it up to the light of the window.

「I neglected it for about a week since I bought it and noticed the change this morning. That's why I don't know if it took a week to get like this, or if it changed in one day. Look, when you hold it up to the light like this, it sparkles so much it's pretty. This morning, when I saw the light hitting it by chance, I was surprised at how it glittered and noticed the change.」

「Uwaa, that's amazing! Absorbing the light of the sun, it's shining pretty blue」

I was fascinated by the shining gem in Maki-chan's hands.

「……Somehow, it feels like the stone itself is radiating light. It's so bright and pretty…… It's beautiful like a dream……」

Glitter, glitter, the stone's light fractured and incessantly rained light on Maki-chan.

Light danced around her at an impossible angle.

From far away, someone's voice was heard.

『My beloved child      Return to us』

『To within our love      Return to us』

Fragments of blue light fell around Maki-chan like a shower, gradually increasing in their brilliance.

While spellbound, I gasped as I concentrated on the mysterious voice.

「Maki-chan, wait! It's acting strange」

『Maiden of Light      Return to us』

Someone's voice was getting closer.

Maki-chan's body was already completely enveloped in light.

「Maki-chan, put that gem on the table, let go of it! Hurry!」

Maki-chan looked at me with a face taut with fear.

「Senpai……」

Bad. This is bad.

「Just let go, it doesn't matter so just drop it!」

「What, what is this, it won't come off, Senpai, I can't remove it from my hand, it's pulling on me!」

The panicked Maki-chan's hands were being pulled upwards, as if she was suspended by an invisible rope.

「Save me, Senpai, I'm scared!」

「No, hurry and let it go! Give it here!」

I climbed on the table with dirty shoes and tried to grab and wrench open Maki-chan's hands that had gotten fairly high up, but the stone wouldn't budge.

「Maki-chan, open your hand somehow! You can do it! Sorry if I hurt you!」

「What is this…… Senpai, I'm scared, I'm scared, save me Michiru-senpai, save me」

Instantly, the shining gem brimmed over with a noticeably stronger light, and we were swallowed by the blue radiance.

「KYAAAAAAAAH!」

「Maki-chan! Why you, you, rock, I said get off!」

Maki-chan's face stiffened with fear and she looked at me imploringly. As I struggled to remove that stone from her hands, the scenery around us changed.

We were right in the middle of a whirlpool of light.

「There's no floor!?」

『Welcome home      My daughter      Welcome home      Welcome home』

「Oh no, we're falling!? No, we're flying!?」

「SENPAIIIIIIIIIー!」

「MAKI-CHAAAAAAAAN!」

I couldn't tell which way was up or down anymore.

And so, Maki-chan and I were plunged forwards in the tunnel of light to who knows where.

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シャワー [shawā]

shower

しゃ 汝 [sha]

you

しゃ 沙 [sha]

one hundred-millionth

しゃ 社 [sha]

company; a.s.sociation; society; regional Chinese G.o.d of the earth (or a village built in its honour); counter for companies, shrines, etc.

しゃ 紗 [sha]

(silk) gauze