The following day, Luna and I headed to the secluded grounds of the shrine ruins.
"Orun-san, I look forward to your guidance today as well!"
Luna spoke with a voice full of spirit and a look of intense focus. While her determination was commendable, I could tell she was carrying far too much tension in her shoulders.
—She's pushing herself too hard again.
It had been a month since she began her training to become a Transcendent. At first, her growth had been obvious, but lately, she had hit a wall. She was likely aware of it herself, which only made it clearer that she was spinning her wheels.
"Luna, you don't need to be so tense. Your Mana Manipulation is steadily improving."
"B-but... I feel like I haven't made any real progress lately..."
As Luna bit her lip, I gave her a gentle smile.
"Hitting a wall isn't a bad thing. In fact, you've only reached it because of how far you've come. In my opinion, you already have the foundation to become a Transcendent. All that's left is a trigger—the right knack for it."
I looked up at the sky.
"Let's go back to the basics for a bit. We'll organize what we know about mana as a review. You might find a new perspective."
"...Understood."
Once I was sure she was ready, I began the explanation.
"First, mana is roughly divided into two categories. Do you remember what they are?"
"Yes. You taught me when we started. There is Mana of the World of Principles of Magic and Outside World's Mana, right?"
"Exactly."
Luna offered a small smile before turning a serious gaze back to me.
"And I was taught that the Outside World's Mana is the True Mana."
I nodded at her words and added a bit more context.
The Fairy Tale Era.
In those days, mana was a blessing that enriched people's lives. However, that convenience came with a price. Over time, mana began to have a negative impact on the human body.
"And then, beings hostile to humanity appeared."
"The Evil Gods and Demons."
At the time, humanity was expected to flourish even further through mana, but they were simultaneously threatened by the very things born from it—the Evil Gods and Demons. Eventually, conflict became unavoidable, escalating into a full-scale war.
"After the dust settled... the Evil Gods were sealed. But the cost was staggering. The mana saturating the world had grown too dense, making the environment uninhabitable for humans."
"And the solution was to migrate to this world, wasn't it?"
I nodded, supplementing her answer.
"A new environment isolated from the Outside World by the Wall of the Principles of Magic—that is this world. However, saying it's 'blocked off' isn't entirely accurate. In truth, Outside Mana is flowing in even at this very moment."
"The Wall of the Principles of Magic acts as a filter, right? It removes the parts that are toxic to humans as the mana enters this world."
"Yeah. It flows in with the toxins removed. That's why humans are able to live in the World of Principles of Magic."
"But," I continued, "that mana is no longer True Mana. In exchange for removing the toxins, it became a type of mana that can't be used for magic."
"Which is why people of the past created Sorcery to take its place."
"Precisely. A system built upon the Principles of Magic to serve as a substitute—that is Sorcery. It's a technological framework that uses logic to reproduce phenomena similar to magic."
Luna fell into thought for a moment, then spoke as if choosing her words with care.
"...But Orun-san, you and Shion-san can use magic even in this world. Is that... because you're both Transcendents?"
"It is." I nodded, confirming her suspicion. "A Transcendent can manipulate the mana in this world to open conceptual holes in the Wall of the Principles of Magic. Through those holes, they draw in Outside World's Mana directly to cast magic."
"Then... if someone has Mana Manipulation skills high enough to break through the Wall of the Principles of Magic, they can handle Outside Mana. Does that mean that skill itself is what provides resistance to the Outside World's Mana?"
A faint glimmer of hope shone in Luna's eyes. However, I slowly shook my head.
"No, that's not it. Whether or not you have resistance to Outside World's Mana isn't a matter of technique. It's determined by one of two things: whether you possess an Ability, or whether you can use Evil-Bane—the culmination of Ki."
"...So, no amount of skill can change that."
"That's the reality of it. But since you're a Special Ability User, you've had that resistance from the very beginning."
"..."
Luna let out a deep breath and gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Super-advanced Mana Manipulation and resistance to Outside Mana... You need both just to stand a chance at becoming a Transcendent. It really is a narrow gate, isn't it?"
"It is. But you're already standing right in front of that gate, Luna. All that's left is to force it open and step through."
"...In front of the gate."
"Yeah. Like I said, you have the foundation. You're just one step away."
Luna whispered to herself, casting her eyes down. When she finally looked up, the hesitation in her eyes had been replaced by a clear, bright light.
"Thank you, Orun-san. I won't give up. To meet Titania, I will definitely become a Transcendent!"
"Good. Then let's start from the basics again today."
"Yes!"
Her spirited reply echoed through the quiet shrine ruins.