One-Eyed Monster

After hearing the Spirit’s explanation, Igor was completely bewildered. The relationships involved were rather complex, and he couldn’t figure them out so quickly. He needed to process it.

He had no idea what the Spirit World was truly like, but he could clearly feel the Spirit’s presence. This sensation told him that the being he was supposed to help was something he couldn’t see or touch...

”When someone goes missing in your world, you have no way to find them?” Igor asked. It seemed like an impossible problem to him. If even spirits couldn’t find their own kind, how could he, an outsider, possibly help?

”If it were a normal Awakening, we would have ways to track them. But their disappearance wasn’t caused by a normal Awakening.”

”Hmm? What do you mean by that?” Igor grew increasingly confused.

”Walk forward, Igor,” the Spirit directed.

Igor instinctively walked forward, approaching the swirling Black Hole that the Spirit claimed was a connection between the two worlds.

”Look inside.”

Igor peered inside as instructed. He saw nothing else but his own Reflection. This Black Hole really is like a mirror, he mused.

”What did you see?” the Spirit asked.

”Myself, of course!” Igor replied naturally. He had clearly seen his own Reflection.

”No, you saw me,” the Spirit stated calmly, knowing this answer would undoubtedly cause a huge stir in Igor.

”What? How is that possible? How can you look exactly like me?”

”This is my current form in our world,” the Spirit said. ”You are the one who awakened me. Unless I travel to your world, I will exist in your likeness within my own world.”

”...How can that be...” Igor found it incredible.

”That’s just how it is. It’s natural for you to be surprised,” the Spirit said nonchalantly. ”The reason I brought you here is precisely for this. Some things are better experienced firsthand.”

Igor stood rooted to the spot like a statue, his face a mask of disbelief.

At that moment, he finally understood. That strange yet familiar sensation came from himself! That voice, that Spirit Power—it was all his own!

It’s often said that the most familiar things can seem the strangest, and that was certainly true here. He would never have guessed, not even if he racked his brains, that this familiar feeling was from himself.

Now that he knew the truth, Igor kept replaying these events in his mind, finding it all utterly incredible.

Setting aside the matter of the Spirit’s form in its own world for a moment, Igor began to consider another issue: the disappearance of the Spirit’s friends. He didn’t understand what an ”abnormal Awakening” was...

Igor voiced his doubts again, wanting to hear the Spirit’s explanation for this problem. The answer might tell him what to do next.

”You saw it just now. A normal Awakening results in my current form, and every Spirit corresponds to a Summoner. But my missing friends are different; they correspond to a void.”

”Is there no possibility that your friends awakened naturally, without a corresponding Awakener?” Igor asked tentatively.

”Absolutely impossible,” the Spirit replied decisively.

”Then how were those corresponding to a void discovered by you?”

”In our world, every stirring is mutually perceived. We can sense it when they depart from our world.”

”According to what you’re saying, I could summon you to our world too, then?” Igor asked curiously.

”Yes, it’s possible. But as of now, you can’t.”

”Why?” Igor reacted with surprise.

”You... you haven’t reached that realm yet,” the Spirit said, a little abashed, mainly because he didn’t want to discourage Igor.

”Oh.” Igor, however, didn’t seem particularly agitated; he accepted this reality calmly.

”Where were we?” Igor’s interruption had muddled the Spirit’s thoughts.

”You were saying that when your friends leave, you can all sense it.”

”Correct. You Awakeners always wish for the aid of our power, and we, in turn, help you through Equivalent Exchange...”

”Hold on, I want to know, under this Equivalent Exchange, what do we give you?”

”That’s an excellent question. You awakened us, and that is more important than anything. We are beings of Reincarnation. If we remain dormant indefinitely, we lose the ability to communicate with anything and eventually devolve into a mere source of dark Energy.”

The Spirit’s explanation was rather profound, and Igor only partially understood.

In fact, what the Spirit meant by ’awakening’ was bestowing consciousness upon them...

Of course, this point had already been covered in that very long story told not long ago.

”Then how can you be sure your friends are missing?” Igor asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

”They correspond to a void, which is inherently abnormal. Moreover, we all know that after a stint in your world, they naturally return to our own. Upon returning to our world, they convey messages to each of us.”

The Spirit’s answer left Igor somewhat stunned. What kind of logic is that? Confirming a disappearance that way is far too casual!

”How do you know they haven’t simply overstayed in our world?” Igor questioned, finding the Spirit’s earlier deduction completely illogical.

”Because it’s impossible for us to remain in your world indefinitely. It’s like asking if any of you can release Spirit Power without limit.”

The Spirit’s counter-question made Igor understand immediately. A Spirit’s appearance in their world coincided with the use of Spirit Power. And indeed, no one in his world could release Spirit Power indefinitely.

”Er... if even you can’t find them, what can I possibly do?”

”Because the void they correspond to isn’t entirely empty. Though little was left behind, it’s enough to prove a strong connection to your world.”

”How do you determine that?” Igor remained somewhat skeptical.

”Doesn’t your world have something called an agreement? What remains in the void they left behind *is* an agreement.”

”An agreement?” Igor was perplexed.

”An agreement of Equivalent Exchange. We don’t know the specifics, but this is definitely the work of an Awakener.”

Igor was half-believing, half-doubting; he didn’t quite understand.

”Go look into the Black Hole again, Igor,” the Spirit urged. ”You’ll understand once you see it.”

Following the Spirit’s instructions, Igor approached the Black Hole again. To be honest, he had more or less pieced together the main points; only some details remained.

The Black Hole still shimmered like a mirror, but this time, he wouldn’t see his own likeness. Instead, he saw the agreement that bridged the two worlds...