The Last Magic Chapter 23

23: Grandmother 2

It was a happy married life. That person was always taciturn, so it might not have seemed that way, but for me, it was truly a wonderful match.

We had three children, and Father, as expected, tried to make the middle child, the eldest daughter, into a sorcerer. Since the times had changed, he didn't make her do water purification rituals or mountain retreats like he did with me, but I think it was still harsh training. He made her get up early in the morning and chant spells constantly.

Then, when she graduated high school and was about to become a sorcerer, that incident happened. The terrorist attack by a new religious group involving sorcerers. That completely changed the public atmosphere, and it became impossible to even mention becoming a sorcerer.

My daughter was reluctant too, and even that person showed reluctance. Surprisingly though, Father readily accepted that his granddaughter wouldn't become a sorcerer.

"In magic's long history, such things have happened many times. And magic has always made a comeback. Now is the time to lie low," 

he said, as if he understood everything.

To be honest, I thought magic was already outdated, so I didn't think that was the case. I was convinced that sorcerers would end with my generation. It's not like we'd die if we didn't continue practicing magic.

However, since that was the only way of life I knew, after taking a break for a few years, I started again. Since it was difficult to put magic in the forefront, this time I completely presented it as fortune-telling. My daughter, who had given up on becoming a sorcerer, graduated from university normally, married a good person, and lived a life unrelated to magic.

Grandchildren were born, Father and Mother passed away, and I thought magic would gradually disappear from society. I began to use magic a little to entertain my grandchildren. The grandchildren were very pleased.

If Father had been alive, he would have scolded me: "Don't use magic for such things!" But I thought, "Since it's something that's dying out anyway, isn't it fine?" I believed the age of magic was ending.

My granddaughter Sakurako said, 

"I want to become a sorcerer!" 

but I stopped her.

"It's difficult, so you should give up. It's not that good a thing."

My daughter... Sakurako's mother also stopped her. Sakurako was sulky about it.

But I thought there really wasn't much that only magic could do, so there was no need to become a sorcerer.

Peaceful days like a calm sea passed by. I thought my life would end peacefully like this.

But then one day, we discovered that person had cancer. Moreover, it was advanced stage, and by the time it was found, it was too late. That person quietly accepted it.

"I've lived long enough," he said.

But we were still in our mid-sixties, and I thought we still had a long way to go. Besides, I wanted to be with him a little longer. He was inflexible and clumsy, but I still loved that person.

And there was one thing I could do. Since it had been over 50 years since I started practicing magic, I had become able to use [The Last Magic].

The Last Magic. It's magic that can send your consciousness back to the past.

Since magic is all about imagination, you can't touch an uncertain future, but you can touch the past you've already experienced. But you can't do something as grand as time travel. Since magic exists only within yourself, you can only synchronize your current spirit with your past spirit to that extent. And only for 10 seconds. The magical power required is enormous, and you can't easily reach such heights.

Actually, I wasn't very interested in such things. I just continued working, so I never skipped training, but I had never thought of using such magic.

I began preparing to use [The Last Magic]. While taking care of that person's illness.

In the end, that person died shortly after the cancer was discovered. But I didn't shed tears. Because I knew this wasn't the end.

So after the funeral ended, I was ready to use [The Last Magic]. I just needed a little bit of resolve. Just a tiny bit of resolve.

You see, [The Last Magic], once you cast it, you can never use magic again. Never again. You stop being a sorcerer. I thought I was fine with that, but when the moment actually approached, I got a little scared after all. So I consulted one of my few sorcerer friends.

"I'm thinking of using the Last Magic," I said.

Then she said, 

"Since it's a special occasion, let's have it filmed on TV."

She used to appear on TV often, so she had connections at television stations.

"Since you're casting the Last Magic, let's have them film it. You'd want to see yourself using magic later too, wouldn't you?"

I thought it wasn't a bad idea. After all, never being able to use magic again would be lonely. If I could have it filmed on TV and watch that footage over and over on video later, that would be wonderful.

So I decided to appear on a TV program and demonstrate lots of magic at the end.

Fire, water, wind, ice, lightning... I used all the magic I could.

They were common types of magic, so it might not have made for a very interesting program, but I apologized in my heart: "Please bear with it, thinking of it as an old woman's final selfishness." It was my final moment in the spotlight.

Then came the time to cast the Last Magic.

The spell written at the end of the black magic book. Father died without using this magic. Being a sorcerer until the end was Father's pride. That's also one way to live as a sorcerer.

But I chose to use it.

I chanted the spell slowly, lovingly. After all, it was the last time.

While chanting spells, I usually feel something warm in my heart, but this magic was different. It made me feel heat like the fires of hell.

That heat wasn't something that burned the body. It was burning something important that I always used when casting spells. I knew there was no going back. I understood it, but tears fell. After all, it had been with me all along. There was no way I wouldn't be sad.

But since I couldn't waste that sacrifice, I imagined. Usually I imagine fire or water, but with this magic, you imagine scenery from your memories. Then only your consciousness returns to the time of that scenery.

Like a revolving lantern.

I arrived at Sakurako's house around the time that person's cancer was thought to have developed.

It was during the relaxing time after everyone had finished eating lunch.

I, who had synchronized with the consciousness of that moment, shouted at that person:

"Go to the hospital right now! You have cancer!"

I shouted in front of everyone because that person was stubborn, and if I alone had said it, he definitely wouldn't have obediently complied. I couldn't waste the 10-second miracle of magic. ...No, I don't even know if there were 10 seconds. I felt something precious inside me burning out even faster.

Then my consciousness returned to the original time.

The TV studio where I had been casting the spell. For a moment, I thought nothing had changed and my spine froze, but seeing that person's figure in the audience seats, I knew the final spell had succeeded.

Good, really good. I was truly glad to be a sorcerer.

Maybe 10 seconds can't change the world. But still, my magic created a miracle. That's enough. Even if I can never cast spells again. That's enough.

The program wasn't very good after all, but it was properly broadcast on TV, and I watched it repeatedly on video. My final moment of glory.

So much so that that person was exasperated.

There was something I lost for that person's sake, and I was just feeling nostalgic about it. But I couldn't say such things. It would be embarrassing.

"I worked hard for you" - that's a secret I'll take to my grave.

Besides, except for Sakurako, I haven't told anyone that I can no longer use magic. Even without being able to use magic, I can somehow continue working. sorcerers always prepare so they can continue living as sorcerers even after using the Last Magic.

What was surprising was that from that program, which even my family found exasperating, Sakurako decided to become a sorcerer. She said my appearance was cool. This might be the blood of sorcerers too. Father was right.

When Sakurako entered elementary school, influenced by friends she made there, she really began studying magic. That stubborn child who couldn't have confidence in herself. I didn't know how long it would last, so I taught her how to read the characters and gave her the magic books I had. They were no longer necessary for me.

That child even brought the books I gave her to school and studied earnestly.

Thanks to that, when she became a middle school student, Sakurako succeeded in her first magic. It was quite early. But that child seemed satisfied with that. So I thought she might stop being a sorcerer and live normally.

But... when Sakurako became a high school student, that tragic accident happened.

Since she had been reading that book earnestly, she probably knew about the existence of the Last Magic.

Sakurako heard the details about the Last Magic from me, and then decided to become a sorcerer.

It's a painful path. Because you lose the ability to use magic in order to use magic.

I told her,  

"Even if you succeed with the Last Magic, at that time, you and she might no longer be friends. After all, no one knows what will happen in the rest of your life, and it's rarer for youthful friendships to continue forever."

Sakurako smiled.

"That's fine with me. Because I just want to do it. It would take at least 10 years for me to become able to use the Last Magic, no matter how hard I try, right? Ten years. During that time, I can imagine what kind of life Rin will lead and live happily. I'll think about how she probably enjoyed club activities in high school, or how she probably got a boyfriend in college. Isn't that amazing? Because instead of being sad about someone who's really gone, I can live with hope. That alone is enough reward for me."

There was no hesitation in that child's face.

"By the way, Grandmother, when Rin becomes alive again, what happens to the time in between? Everyone will take it for granted that Rin was alive, right? How was it when you did it, Grandmother?"

"The Last Magic doesn't affect the caster. I returned to a world where Grandpa was alive, separate from the original world. I alone am like a person from another world. Everyone naturally accepts that Grandpa is alive, and only I don't have memories from the time between his death and when I used the Last Magic. That's quite lonely, you know. Of course, since Grandpa was alive, I had no complaints. Will Sakurako still use the Last Magic? Even if the magic succeeds, you won't have memories of that time with Rin-chan. You're using magic for someone else, but the reward for you might not be very much."

It was pointless to say. That child's strong-willed eyes were looking at me.

Ah, I thought that a true sorcerer is someone like Sakurako.