Sorry, Wrong Turn

(Bai Ziye)

It was 8 p. m., but outside the massive dome of the Skyborne City School, it was broad daylight.

The location indicated it was at an altitude of 10,000 meters above the Indian Ocean.

The City School rarely passes through land, after all, the area is hundreds of thousands of square meters, and even at an altitude of 10,000 meters, it is a huge and imposing structure that cannot be ignored. For the people on the land, the sense of oppression must be no less than the end of the world.

"I understand. I'll open the door for you when you come back here."

We explained our intentions to Metal, and she readily agreed.

After nodding, he asked again, "But are you really going to do this kind of experiment?"

"Yes, understanding one's own limits is quite necessary, isn't it? Besides, this is also a way to explore teleportation magic."

Scratching her head, she added, "Then let's take you to the African savanna to the west. It's not far, and it's still morning there. The land is vast and sparsely populated, but be careful of wild animals."

"Hey, no animal could possibly beat a magical girl, right?"

"But they are likely protected animals. If you want to go to jail or pay compensation, then go ahead and do it."

Hey, can you go to jail for protecting yourself?

"However, regarding the African savanna, I'd like to try and see if we can go directly Past. Where exactly is it located?"

"Um?"

Metal glanced at the map on the ribbonfish screen.

"The City School is more than 3,700 kilometers away from Kenya. Can your teleportation magic open a door that far?"

"I don't know, but wormholes don't consume more power with distance, so this magic should be the same. The distance depends on other factors, probably related to the Star Crystal..."

This is not a baseless speculation.

When I first tried to comprehend teleportation magic, I didn't control my power well and opened Teleportation Halo the size of a wormhole. But since my teleportation magic is so powerful, perhaps I can open a "door to anywhere" that leads to the whole world.

Having such a crazy idea, one naturally can't help but want to verify it.

Extend your hand forward.

This action has no real meaning, but it gives me a sense of ritual, and perhaps it will help activate the Crystal better... or perhaps not.

The African savanna is in Kenya, but I don't know where Kenya is.

With a map, I should be able to get the general direction right. I tried to visualize the African savanna I had seen in documentaries.

Ceruno was standing right behind me; it would be a little awkward if I couldn't do it...

Buzz--

Wow, it actually worked?

I did it with a try-it-and-see attitude, and the result was smoother than I expected?

The halo's radius wasn't large, but the noise it emitted was considerable.

"Miluno, where does this halo take you?"

Ceruno asked me that, I felt a little unsure of myself.

"Kenya... right?"

You seem a little unsure.

Ceruno narrowed her eyes with a suspicious look.

I asked, "Have you ever tried using teleportation magic to go to a place you've seen before?"

"No!"

"Neither do I."

She blinked, then took out her wand and put a protective layer on me.

This means I should Past and take a look first.

"Alright."

As long as the wormhole exists, I can shrink back even if there's Cthulhu on the Other Side.

With confidence in my own abilities, I traversed this unusually long and narrow wormhole.

But...

"So long!"

The passageway within the Teleportation Halo was longer than I had imagined, and it even gave me a vague sense of unease.

I finally saw the exit, but I hesitated about whether to go out.

Going out might lead to trouble; my intuition is usually very accurate.

Keeping my eyes peeled and peering out, I saw that the exit was on an unfamiliar yet clean street. It was definitely not the original African savanna. The road and the facilities along the roadside showed signs of advanced human intervention, and they were flat and clean.

But there was no one there.

There wasn't a single living creature in sight, let alone people; the place was eerily quiet.

This was not quite the Kenya I had imagined. At least I could confirm that it was a place where people lived, which eased my anxiety a little.

Because it was getting dark, I subconsciously looked up at the sky.

"... Are you kidding me?"

What we saw was that the entire world was arranged in a huge, circular ring.

Clearly, this is neither Kenya nor the African savanna.

This is "the Other Side".

It is the enemy's main base.

However, misfortune never comes singly; the Teleportation Halo behind me had already deactivated.

It was as if they had never existed.

Advertising space for rent

I am hiding in the shadow of an "iron coffin," waiting for my magic to slowly recover.

The teleportation magic, having drained my mana, dissipated without end.

That's not even the worst part; the worst part is that even the Ceruno Bubble Membrane broke.

That could be surprising.

The teleportation magic didn't alert "the Other Side" at all. The Association's two reconnaissance missions were both intercepted by Betelgeuse immediately. Could it be that it appeared in a deserted alley, which is why it wasn't discovered?

Although the reason is unknown, this is undoubtedly a good thing.

Once I fully recover, I can leave and provide SpiCa with a new reconnaissance route.

But I still can't understand the situation in this Ring World.

"What exactly is this place...?"

Before I could finish muttering to myself, I heard a strange noise coming from the building behind me. Almost instinctively, I dodged, and in the next instant, a sword aura destroyed everything that obscured my view—including the building itself.

The enormous white deer-like figure, wielding an ice blade, emanated an aura of unapproachability emanating from her.

"Fomalhaut, it's been a long time."

"Hmph, why don't you call me Sword Fiend anymore?"

I definitely never called her that!

How much does she like this title?

But no matter what, the current situation is terrible for me.

"Um, would you believe me if I said I went to the wrong door?"

She shook her head, and some ice crystals fell from her forehead antlers.

"Since rats have run onto our land, we must catch them."

I've taken an inhibitor, and my magic power is still insufficient. Escaping from the fully-powered Fomalhaut is too difficult.

Besides, there's that elusive Betelgeuse; a direct confrontation is a poor strategy. Since she doesn't seem intent on killing me, perhaps I can take this opportunity to observe the interior of that massive building...

"Surrender? Are you planning to attack a non-resisting enemy?"

I surrendered with my hands raised, which caught Fomalhaut completely off guard.

"... Morning Star, what are you plotting now?"

She even thought I was cheating.

"Please, I can't even beat you at home, how could I possibly win away? But since I've been so cooperative, I hope you can explain to me what's going on in this world?"

The building she cut open contained what appeared to be furniture, but there was still no one there.

"This town is like a giant model of a miniature garden; there's not a single living person in sight, and the streets are excessively clean. At first, I thought they had gone to seek refuge, but you didn't come to hunt me down immediately. In other words, no refuge notice was issued, and this town is simply uninhabited... So, can you tell me?"

I looked up and stared directly at the enormous white deer-like girl.

"Witch, what's going on in your world?"