Published: January 24, 2026
After the conversation with the two of them settled down, I turned my back to the main hall and stood in front of the torii gate of the Heavenly Spirit Shrine.
I reached out my hand to the torii, manipulating the surrounding mana as if touching the wall of the principles of techniques.
Gradually, the space enclosed by the torii began to ripple like the surface of water.
This torii is the only path connecting to the Phoenix Shrine, the space that serves as the foundation of the principles of techniques.
However, that path is not open to just anyone.
One must have the mana manipulation technique capable of breaking through the wall of the principles of techniques by their own power and establishing a connection to the outside world.
And also, the resistance to the mana of the outside world required to operate within the Phoenix Shrine.
Only those who satisfy these two conditions are called "transcendents" and have the qualification to step into the principles of techniques.
...And I have already reached that level.
As the ripples of the torii quietly began to settle, an unusual presence that seemed to change even the quality of the air flowed towards me from beyond.
"Well then, I'm off."
"Take care."
After calling out to Fuuka and Nagisa who were seeing me off from behind, I passed through the torii.
...It was quiet.
There was no wind, no sound, not even mana—everything was in harmony, wrapped in a silence as if time itself had stopped.
Around me stood trees shaped entirely in pure white—trunks, branches, and leaves all alike.
It was a fantastic sight, as if deviating from the laws of reality.
At the center stood a shrine that resembled the Heavenly Spirit Shrine, quietly resting there.
Though it had the familiar structure and outline, the atmosphere, the density of mana, and the very space itself were decisively different.
It became painfully clear that this place was the original, and the Heavenly Spirit Shrine I had just seen was merely a copy.
I quietly took a step forward.
The ground beneath my feet was as white as snow, yet it was not cold.
The air was transparent but somehow heavy.
The beginning of everything in this world.
The origin that shaped the principles.
So this is the Phoenix Shrine.
I pulled from memory the layout of the Heavenly Spirit Shrine that Nagisa had given me beforehand and proceeded inside.
When I reached the room where the sacred mirror of the Heavenly Spirit Shrine was enshrined, I found not a mirror but a magic stone, resembling a crystal orb, quietly placed there.
I understood without confirmation.
—that was the principles of techniques.
"............"
The room before my eyes was nothing more than a simple wooden chamber.
Its construction seemed no different from the traditional architectural styles common in this country.
But the moment I stepped inside, I sensed something different on my skin.
The floor, pillars, walls—all should have been made of wood, yet there was an otherworldly tranquility as if separated from reality.
"Finally, you’ve come. Took longer than expected, didn’t it?"
"......Huh?"
While I was overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion, a woman's voice suddenly echoed.
It was not a voice stimulating my hearing.
It was telepathic, flowing smoothly into my mind.
And I knew that voice.
I had heard it only once, but it was unforgettable.
I immediately looked around.
Within the space where the mana was harmonized, there was one place that flickered faintly, asserting itself—mana, or rather, a spirit was there.
"…Titania...?"
"It's been a while, Orun. You haven't forgotten me, have you?"
"...Yeah. Thanks to time reversal, I had resistance to time. I think that's why."
"I see. Who would have thought that his wish (...) would bring about such a result. This must be what Stella called fate."
Titania murmured to herself as if satisfied.
I knew about Stella, the person she mentioned.
In the fairy tales, she was called the "Saint," a supernatural ability user of spirit domination.
Currently, the one manifesting the supernatural ability of spirit domination is Luna.