Chapter 190 – Dayte (6)

A stingray that flies like a bird through the sea.
A large shark, a school of small sharks, maybe a sardine, maybe a sea turtle, maybe… Fish you don’t know what.
I don’t know how the area is divided, but dolphins are also visible.

Even though they are predators, the sharks were swimming leisurely as if they were full, and the sardines were shining silver and moving as if they were all dancing as one.
Sea turtles are slow, dolphins are fast… They frolic and play in the small sea.
It is a relaxing space that cannot be imagined in a place full of negative monsters in the sea outside.

This aquarium is not all about showing the audience.
There are more fish in places that are not open to the public, and this is only to reveal to the general public those that can live in places that are not open to the public…
But that alone… Quite a sight

“Pretty…”

I was honestly and genuinely amazed.
To the point where I turned my head away from Rapid and looked in the same direction as Rapid… It’s more beautiful than you think.
This time, Rapid didn’t even say hello to the fish, he quietly walked through the tunnel and acted as a spectator.
Perhaps he wanted to see the ecosystem formed in the sea beyond the glass wall as it is, and he cautiously moved from the very center of the tunnel, fearing that he might be affected by magic.

“In the past…”
“It wouldn’t have been like this under the sea before.”
“Ah…”

I opened my mouth at the same time as Rapid, and finished his words alone.
Rapid seemed to have said the same thing, but for some reason he kept his mouth shut.
Even so, he didn’t say anything, wondering what I was going to say, just staring at him.

“Sharks don’t hunt fish, schools of sardines don’t run away, everyone is leisurely… You go around as planned, right?”
“… Yes.”
“If it were a real sea, it wouldn’t be like this.”

Somebody, satisfy something and educate them to do this… The way they forgot their original selves and live as they were taught.
It is a deformed ecosystem.
But… They need it

“What… But the fish here must be happy.”
“Uh? Why?”
“Because it’s much better than being hunted by the negatives, right?”

Of the fish in the real sea, how many have already disappeared?
How many species are there that are all there in this aquarium?
Compared to the outside, this place where someone protects and takes care of… Wouldn’t it be a happy place even if it was out of its original form?

“That… Is that right?”
“Right?”

To my words, Rapid nodded slowly as if agreeing.
His eyes are blank, as if he is looking somewhere far away.
Following Rapid’s gaze, I found a snow crab that was about to finish shedding in a corner of the tank.

“It’s big.”
“What are you doing?”
“I am escaping.”

I saw it on a documentary channel that drivers watch while taking a taxi.
Crustaceans continue to molt with all their might as long as they are alive, and if they succeed, they continue to survive, and if they fail, they die.
It is an animal that must make irreversible and unavoidable choices, and only if it succeeds in that choice can it continue to live.

“Ah.”
“Oh.”

The moment that Rapid and I saw was exactly the moment it finished molting, and the snow crab, which had turned into a soft shell, came out of its old shell.
As a result of doing everything in his power, he survived with success in his choice.
But unfortunately, this snow crab was out of luck.

At the moment of accidental exit, a dolphin that was swimming fast collided with a coral that stood tall like a pillar.
The coral they collided with began to collapse, and under it, by chance, there was a snow crab that was no longer strong with all its might.
The snow crab, which had just come out and had yet to properly harden its carapace to protect itself, became immobilized under the coral.

“Ah…”

If I had been in nature, I would have had worse results than this.
While the carapace was soft, other predators must have eaten the snow crab alive.
Even if you succeed in your choice, even if you do your best, this moment will come.

Even if, from now on, you bring out the strength you really didn’t have and do your best, and even if you get lucky and get out from under the coral pillar… The shell is already dented, so it won’t live long.
It’s a bit pitiful, but… This is what bad luck is.
It’s a pity.

“Uh?”

As I was thinking so, an amazing sight suddenly unfolded in front of my eyes.
The coral stands up again, and the snow crab’s shell swells.
It completely returns to its original form, to the moment before the misfortune occurred.

Naturally, I turned my head to find someone who could make this happen.
The only thing that can cause a miracle like this is Rapid.
Rapid, standing right next to it, is turning back the time of snow crabs and corals when there are no people around.

The crabs are back to normal… No, it was in an ideal state and moved actively.
After turning it back once, it seems like it accelerated time… The shell is completely hardened.
… It’s amazing magic

“That is… I’m sorry…”
“… Amazing.”
“Yes?”

I said it with sincere admiration, not to ingratiate myself with Rapid.
It was cool and great.
It wasn’t a big deal, it was just a magic that saved the snow crab… Something great

Is it because of the strange thoughts I was thinking while watching snow crabs?
I feel how ignorant magic is to turn back the target’s time.
It returns the injured to the time when it was not injured, and the broken to the time when it was not broken.

It can restore the target just before death.
Even if you lose while fighting, you can return to the state you were in before defeat.
This… It is a magic that will never lose as long as there is magical power.
I knew it was strong, but it’s more amazing than I thought.

I’ve always liked Rapid, but I think I’m only now realizing how great it is.
In a way, it makes sense.
Because Rapid’s magic was a secret to others.
Everyone is just guessing, and no one is really convinced that they can turn back time.

After that, Rapid and I slowly made our way out of the undersea tunnel area and into an area full of jellyfish.
Maybe the aquarium wanted to have a composition that connects the river to the sea and the sea to the deep sea, but the place full of jellyfish was darker than other places.
Rapid stood in a daze in front of the jellyfish tank, which created a dreamy atmosphere, and moved very slowly, staring at the tank as if engraving it in his head.

“A moment ago… What do you mean by great?”
“Yes?”
“I was just curious what you were thinking.”

I heard Rapid’s voice as he blankly looked at the jellyfish and examined his face.
I want to find out why he suddenly asks such a question and what kind of expression he is making.
Unfortunately, however, there was very little light from the jellyfish tank, which was the only light in the room, which was darker than other places.
Rapid’s face is hard to see.

“Hmm… Just… I think that Mr. Rapid is really great and important.”
“Why?”
“Yeah, if you see something like that… Of course…”
“Is it a magic that never loses?”

Rapid uttered the exact same sentence as I had in mind.
Surprised, I quietly and honestly nodded my head.

“… It is not omnipotent.”

Then, in a voice dark enough to understand his emotions even though he couldn’t see his expression, Rapid began muttering incredulously.

“There is a limit to the amount of time that can be reversed, and depending on the subject, it gets shorter depending on the limit… There aren’t many cases where magic power remains at the moment you really want to turn it, and the amount of magic power is… Not going back.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just to undo the state of the target, not everything… If that happened… If it were, it would be nice…”

After that, Rapid said nothing.
I just stand quietly and watch the jellyfish swim.
Seeing that, I thought that I had made a mistake without knowing it.

“Excuse me… Sorry.”

I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure it’s offended.
I don’t know why, but after apologizing, I quickly thought about why Rapid was in a bad mood.
I was in a good mood until I went to the undersea tunnel… To the compliment of being great, Rapid only said that he was amazing and cool…
Where and what made you feel bad?

“Ah, no, I’m really sorry, I was just thinking about something. You don’t have to apologize.”
“Hmm… I mean, I really really thought about it. It’s just that I don’t know… Well, turning back time, I don’t know how Rapid feels… I just thought it would be great to turn back time…”

First of all, he buys time by making excuses, and derives the reason for his bad mood from Rapid’s reaction.
Looking at Rapid, I honestly talked about what I had said and thought so far.
If there are words that you react to, that’s why you’re offended.

“Ahahaha…”

Unexpectedly, however, Rapid heard me and suddenly started laughing.
Unexpecting this kind of reaction, I froze as it was, and Rapid got up in front of the jellyfish tank and moved quickly.
I hurriedly chased after Rapid, and Rapid opened the exit door away from the jellyfish area, which was the last area of ​​the aquarium.
At the same time, light poured in and saw Rapid’s smiling face.

“Anger says the same thing as Ash!”