Shirone arrived at the study group later than usual. Iruki and Neid were lounging on the sofa.
"Hey."
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"I'm not sure. Did you sleep? How about you?"
"Same here. So, what should we do now? We had a meeting all night and didn't come up with a single good idea."
Shirone sat down on the empty sofa.
"We absolutely have to come up with something today. Let's come up with a plan."
"So, how do we do that? Paranormal science deals with things that can't be seen. But people don't believe in things they can't see."
It was the same conversation as last night.
"..."
They were too tired to continue the discussion, so they just stared blankly at the wall. It felt like their minds were as empty as the wall in front of them.
After a while, Shirone's mind cleared up again.
"What if we change our approach?"
Neid and Iruki snapped out of their daze.
They weren't sure what Shirone would say, but it would probably be something different from what they'd been discussing so far.
"How?"
"This is our dilemma. There's no way to show what's invisible."
"That's the problem."
"What I mean is, if something can't be seen, then we don't need to show it. If we keep trying to solve this contradiction and move to the next step, we'll just get stuck. I think we need to find a direction that doesn't require showing it."
Iruki stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"If something can't be verified, then it doesn't need to be verified."
"Exactly. The reason I joined the research group wasn't because you proved something. That's the issue. Wouldn't that be true for everyone else too?"
Neid's lips curled into a small smile.
"Yes, and we have Shirone's case to prove it. We didn't need to verify it from the start. On the contrary…"
"You mean, we just need to make people believe in something they can't see? Like how Shirone did it?"
An idea clicked in Shirone's mind.
Neid, feeling a surge of insight, immediately hugged Shirone.
"Shirone, come here! You just saved our research group! You can have my first kiss!"
"Jingle! Get off me!"
As the two joked around, Iruki was deep in thought.
The real challenge was just beginning.
"Then, what should we do? We have our direction, but it needs to be presented properly. In other words, we need visible results."
Neid returned to his seat, and Shirone fixed his messy hair.
"Let's figure out what to show."
The three of them gathered their ideas and discussed.
Once they started, the ideas kept flowing. The goal was to make people believe in the unseen.
"Wouldn't it be better if it was something auditory? That way, the design would be simple."
"That's efficient, but not very effective. We also have to think about whether the school will approve it."
"Then, it has to be visual, if possible. And also auditory. Let's put everything into it."
"Visual, auditory… What should we visualize? Supernatural? Psychic?"
"The supernatural is hard to connect with. It's not something people can relate to. I think psychic phenomena would work better."
Neid raised his hand.
"I vote for psychic phenomena too. Ghosts, psychic powers, the afterlife—there's a lot we can work with. But which one?"
Shirone spoke up.
"I think a ghost would be the best choice. It's highly personal, so it would be easier for people to relate to."
"Isn't that a bit childish?"
Although Neid seemed uncertain, Iruki supported Shirone's idea.
"That means it has a lot of potential. If we use the concept of the soul, we can express it in a strong way."
Shirone added, "Everything will be viewed with a biased eye because we're introducing paranormal science to aspiring magicians. But, if we use this bias to our advantage, it could actually work in our favor."
Neid looked up, intrigued.
"Have you thought of something?"
Shirone nodded.
"Let's set up a psychological trap. Something like this…"
Shirone explained while drawing a diagram on paper.
When there was no answer even after hearing the whole story, Shirone, whose confidence had dropped, hurriedly added.
"There are other traps that can be set up in addition to this method. For example, you can use keywords...."
Iruki shook his head.
"No, I think it'll be okay. It's not just okay, these are absolutely necessary elements."
Neid agreed.
"Yeah. This is quite mysterious. You're using the presentation as a device."
Once the plan was set, the group began to plan the details of the operation.
"The remaining question is: How do we implement a ghost?"
The technical part was Neid's responsibility.
As he got up from the sofa and cast Lightning Shadow, another Neid appeared, made of afterimages of electricity.
"You can create ghostly forms like this, but no one will be fooled by a motionless illusion. That's what I was worried about."
Iruki nodded.
"I guess we can start from there. How do we make the afterimage move?"
"That's all that comes to mind right now. Quickly linking up Lightning Shadow...."
As Neid moved, afterimages were captured in each frame, giving the impression that he was walking.
"I see. So, you can use optical illusions to make it look real?"
"That's right. But magic has its limits. At my current level, I can't create multiple entities at once."
Shirone asked, "How about using a machine?"
"It's not as simple as it sounds. Even if you make a device, there are a lot of factors to consider. The biggest issue is that even with movement, people won't be fooled. To truly make people believe, the illusion needs to react to external stimuli."
Iruki paused for a moment before continuing, "What if we could predict people's reactions in advance?"
"Predicting their reactions?"
"Exactly. This would involve the theory of complex systems—analyzing and programming all possible behavioral patterns. The goal is to create an illusion as if it's receiving feedback. Of course, this would involve a huge amount of data. So, we'd need a medium to transmit the information and a control device."
Shirone thought for a moment, "Hmm, information transmission. My electrical power has limits. But... Ah!"
Neid snapped his fingers.
"Photon output! Shirone's photon output could transmit Iruki's program to the device!"
"Ah, I see."
Shirone's eyes lit up. He'd learned this magic to pass the targeting test, but now it seemed like the magic community was researching ways to transmit information with photon output.
Iruki continued, "Now we have a plan. Neid will create the holographic device, I'll write the program, and Shirone's photon output will transmit it to the device. But it'll require a huge output. Can you handle it?"
Shirone nodded confidently, "I have to do it. This is my chance."
It was the only way to protect the study group, and the thought of success gave Neid newfound strength.
"You can do it. You'll protect the study group. Just… be careful. No major accidents, okay?"
"If I succeed, the school will change, right?"
"It won't be easy. There will be chaos. But I'm looking forward to it. The teachers will be shocked."
The group shared a knowing smile. They were about to make history with the paranormal science research group at stake.
After class, Shirone spent all his time improving the efficiency of his photon output. The challenge was to increase both the intensity and the duration of the output.
Since massless photons can't exert physical force, they couldn't be used for offense. But in this case, that was an advantage, as Shirone could practice in any warehouse in Istas without causing damage.
Shirone held out his hands. Performing certain actions sharpened his focus and helped enhance his skills, but there was still a long way to go.
Shirone positioned himself, and a beam of light spread out in a circle on the wall. If he couldn't maintain this state for at least 10 minutes, he wouldn't be able to increase his output.
The difficulty was higher than Class Five, and both Neid's holographic device and Iruki's complex equations were similarly challenging.
'I have to do this. I… I have to.'
Shirone gritted his teeth and kept going.
After three minutes, his vision started to blur. But compared to the speed gun test, where he only lasted one minute, this was remarkable progress.
"Gasp! Gasp!"
The record after nearly ten days of training was 3 minutes and 20 seconds. However, to succeed, he needed to reach 10 minutes in the next 20 days.
He always took 20-minute breaks after each session, as neglecting recovery could be dangerous.
As Shirone rested, he heard noises from the warehouse beyond the wall. Neid had started welding.
Shirone walked into the next warehouse to check on him and saw Neid surrounded by parts.
"Hey, Shirone. How's the output coming?"
"Not bad. I increased it by 20 seconds. How about you?"
"We're still working on the engine."
"Do you think you can finish it on time?"
"We have to. Don't worry. The prototype takes time. Once it goes into production, fixing errors becomes harder, so we're being meticulous."
Shirone nodded, "Got it. By the way, what did Iruki say?"
"Oh, that? I got this yesterday."
Neid threw a coiled rope at Shirone's feet. The outer shell was rubber, and inside it was a transparent quartz-like membrane.
"It's optical fiber," Neid explained. "Iruki specifically requested this from his father, the leader of Dragon Thunder."
Iruki had told them that 300 holographic devices needed to be installed throughout the school. However, Shirone couldn't possibly cast photon output on all of them by himself.
The idea Neid had was to use mirrors. If Shirone's photon output could be transmitted through total reflection, they could bend the light with more mirrors and direct it into the devices.
But Iruki had already thought of something similar. The letters from Iruki's father had mentioned optical fiber, a concept Neid had been working on. It was a technology still in its early stages, and Neid's disappointment was palpable.
Still, when they actually received and analyzed the optical fiber, Neid realized it was incredibly advanced and far beyond his current skills.
Shirone carefully examined the optical fiber. To him, it didn't seem so impressive at first glance, but he could tell it was something special.
"Still, you managed to get it."
Neid, who had finished welding, stood up with reddened eyes.
"I can't guarantee the performance. Let's do a test first. I modified it to serve as a tester."
Neid handed Shirone a piece of optical fiber with transparent beads attached.
"What should I do with this?"
"Just hold it and cast Photon Output. I'll measure the efficiency, so give it your all. It's important to measure the maximum output."
Shirone checked the time and realized his break was over. He grabbed the crystal ball and cast Photon Output, forming a light source on his hand. The orb began to glow faintly.
As the light passed through the optical fiber to the device, the needle on Neid's instrument started to shake.
Neid watched the readings carefully, and when the three-minute limit passed, he spoke with disappointment.
"Hah. Iruki was right. This is a very early version, isn't it? Well, I guess we should be grateful for this much."
"You don't like it?"
"It's only 18 percent efficient. That means 82 percent of the light is wasted."
"82 percent…?"
Shirone felt a sense of emptiness at the number. In order to reach the desired output, he would need to increase the energy by five times from where he was now.
"Can you do it, Shirone? If you can't boost the output, we'll never succeed. High-output magic is nearly impossible to replicate with machines."
Shirone nodded firmly, "I'll try. I'll get better with practice."
"Can you really do that?"
"Don't worry. I'll do my best. Now, I'll get back to practice."
Neid's face softened with sadness. "Are you really going to do it?"
"I've got to. Don't worry."
Shirone spoke with conviction, though only his eyes showed the true determination.
"Hah! Hah!"
Shirone lay on the floor of the warehouse, breathing heavily. The effects of over half a day's photon output training were taking their toll on both his mind and body.
His last record was 3 minutes and 20 seconds—not much different from his morning attempt. But since his mental energy had already been drained, the fact that he achieved this was a minor victory.
'Even so, this is still a terrible record. How am I supposed to reach 10 minutes?'
It might have been impossible from the start. Maintaining photon output drained mental energy much faster than a single burst of magic. Ten minutes in this state was something only professionals could achieve.
"Whew… I'll try again tomorrow after resting."
Neid entered the warehouse.
"Shirone, are you done?"
"I can't do anymore today. I need some rest."
"I'm exhausted just watching you. It's past midnight. Let's head back to Iruki."
Shirone realized that they had been training for over 7 hours. It had been dangerous work—if the school found out, they'd definitely ban them from training.
"Alright."
Shirone slowly got to his feet. Neid looked just as worn out, his eyes sunken, his face flushed from hours of exposure to light.
Back at the study group, Iruki was still sitting in his seat, scribbling notes and calculating behavioral patterns for the operation.
Neid noticed that Iruki hadn't even moved once.
"How's it going, Iruki? Are the calculations on track?"
Iruki didn't look up from his work, "Don't worry, I'll make it in time."
Neid couldn't help but feel bad about how his friends were pushing themselves.
"Iruki, you don't have to rush so much. Calculating everyone's behavior patterns at the school is…"
"I can do it. I said I can do it. Don't keep asking me. I'm busy."
With that, Iruki's pen scribbled faster, the equations filling the page.
"Iruki..."
An obsession that bordered on madness and ecstasy. Shirone's thoughts were unsettling.
Everyone had been so absorbed in their work that they hadn't slept properly for several days. When they calculated it, the average sleep time was only about an hour and forty minutes per night.
Even when Shirone studied intensely, he never had this level of workload. But strangely, he didn't feel any more exhausted than usual. It was as if the pain had been numbed.
"They were always so carefree, but now that it's time to get serious, they act so intensely," Shirone thought as his blood boiled. Iruki was so committed to his work, not even bothering to sleep.
"Neid, are you tired?"
"No, not at all. Are you? Actually, I don't know. I'm still awake."
"Same here. Since Iruki is busy, let's start with the script. We also need the text for the poster. Even these small tasks take time."
"Should we? Then let's put up the poster tomorrow."
"Are you sure? It's still too early to estimate the workload."
"You need to be careful. It's better to announce it sooner. I don't want it to look like we rushed it. Since it's a psychological battle, don't you think we should consider that aspect too?"
"Okay. Then I'll work on the poster text, and you focus on the design."
Shirone and Neid spread out a large piece of paper on the table and began creating the poster. It was deep into the night, but their minds were sharp.
The next day, as lunch ended, a poster for the Paranormal Science Research Society's presentation appeared on the bulletin board.
Most students reacted with confusion. The research society operated in the shadows and didn't hold official events, so the name wasn't well known.
The poster was particularly absurd, almost laughable. It depicted the school's scenery in a creepy, distorted way, resembling a circus advertisement.
Supernatural Psychic Research Society Surprise Presentation!
Shocking revelations! Want to uncover the mysteries of the soul? Come to the 7th lecture hall.
"Psychology? What is that? Are they talking about ghosts or something?"
"I guess they have nothing better to do. Who are these idiots in the research group?"
A schoolgirl pointed at the bottom of the poster.
"Hey, look at this."
The students' eyes widened in shock as they read the list of members in the paranormal research group.
"Isn't that Senior Shirone? What's going on? Is there someone with the same name?"
"No way, that really is Senior Shirone. And there's Senior Iruki and Senior Neid too."
"But there are only three of them? Was this just for a performance evaluation? Even so, this is too much."
Half the students were questioning it, while the other half found it amusing.
"When's the presentation? Should I go?"
"I'm curious too. Since it's Senior Shirone, you know. Did he really uncover the secrets of the soul?"
"Hahaha! You'll see for yourself. Anyway, it'll be fun."
The students didn't take it too seriously. It was more like they were going to watch a play rather than an academic presentation.
On the other hand, the more secretive groups, like the Paranormal Psychic Research Society, were much more serious.
They gathered quietly, avoiding attention, and whispered among themselves.
"What's going on? A presentation at the 'First Psychic Society'?""From what I've heard, he seems to be in conflict with Mr. Siana. He must be preparing to fight her. But what can we do? This isn't the old Choshinryukai anymore. Its glory days are over.""We can't be sure. Iruki is a Servant, and Neid's skills can't be ignored. Shirone, the new member, also has experience breaking up the Black Magicians. This won't end easily.""Heh, Black Magicians are just low-level players. Let's just watch. If the Choshinryuhoe disappears, there will be a big war. This is about the position of the second lord of Istas.""It won't be easy. The Women's Human Body Research Association has been keeping an eye on things for a while. The economic group 'Geumhwaryun' is also planning to open up the black market. This could be a big opportunity for profits.""Hah, our doll collection is no joke. The 'upper echelons' of Istas will be ours. I swear on my beloved Poco."
The upper echelons of Istas.
Their eyes burned as they recalled the legendary secret space only spoken of in whispers.
Both the Paranormal Psychic Research Society and others who weren't in the know had their own reasons, but everyone expected the presentation to be a big event.
Meanwhile, the ones preparing for the presentation had no time to worry about anything else.
There was only one thought on their minds.
Why are there only 24 hours in a day?
If there were 200 hours in a day, or even just 48, they thought they could do so much more.
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to waste time dreaming. Instead, they split their day into chunks to work as efficiently as possible.
Having developed a prototype for a holographic device, Neid began setting up a demonstration for Shirone and Iruki.
The device had a hemispherical lens made of glass, with output terminals in every direction to connect to auxiliary devices.
As Iruki set up the program, Shirone fiddled with the crystal ball of the optical fiber.
Neid spoke.
"Everything's ready. Shirone, let's begin."
"Is it okay? It's not perfect yet."
"That's the point of a demonstration. We need to test it to find areas for improvement."
"Okay."
Shirone, holding two crystal balls, released photons with all his strength.
Electricity powered the hemispherical lens, and a translucent human figure appeared. Though the clarity wasn't perfect, it was much better than expected, and Neid believed it would give students a similar experience to the ghosts they imagined.
"This is a hologram."
The figure was a soldier in ancient armor, with a bruised face and exposed bones.
"The frame's good. Iruki, your turn now."
Iruki activated the controller.
There were only eight buttons, but they could be combined to create a variety of actions. Each button press made the soldier's hologram move in different ways.
Iruki, watching the soldier walk around, was satisfied.
"There's no problem with the program. We can continue with this. Are you sure you're okay, Shirone? The number of devices will increase dramatically on presentation day."
Even Shirone, who was performing the demo himself, was worried.
The power generation could be sustained thanks to Neid's electrical output, but the challenge was in transmitting the information. Running just one device was mentally exhausting.
"I'll do my best. It's reassuring that the maintenance time is improving. Once we get to mass production, things should go smoother. Is Iruki ready?"
"No, there's still a lot to refine. If we factor in psychological changes, it'll take about a year to analyze. The chances of a practical issue are around 5 percent or more. Still... I think we can make it in time."
Neid nodded.
"Right now, we have a prototype, so we need to make moves starting today. No time for rehearsals. Let's each focus on our tasks until the presentation."
Despite the encouraging words, everyone knew that the pressure was on Shirone.
Even if a few devices malfunctioned or Iruki's functions were slightly off, the operation would continue. But if the output was weak, not only would the demonstration fail, but they'd be ridiculed.
'We have only 10 minutes. If we don't make it, it's better not to hold the presentation.'
Shirone returned to the warehouse, deep in thought.
'Mental rebound.'
With most forms of strengthening, the mind doesn't grow gradually. It's more about repeated rises and falls, with each major fall followed by a bigger rise.
That's the conclusion Shirone reached.
"It pushes the mind to its limits."
Of course, physical training strengthens muscles by breaking them down, but if you only rest for a few hours like Shirone, your body would collapse within a month.
The mind, however, is resilient and can withstand a lot of stress.
For Shirone, whose strength lies in endurance, this method was the most effective.
'I can do this.'
Pushing someone to the brink of destruction.
It would be painful, but it was the only way to reach an impossible goal.
'More! It's mind-boggling!'
The size of the light source reflecting on the wall kept increasing.