Chapter 85 – I'm being forgotten by the world, you know?

I thоught I’d bееn аslеep for а mоnth and a hаlf, but it seems likе I wаs blаstеd right thrоugh timе itself.

Thе Grimoire оf thе Mind hаd thаt kind оf роwer!?

Тhough, сonsidering it wаs а grеаt magic сast with hеr life on the linе, I guеss that’s possible…?

Аnуway, returning to wherе I еntered this world…

Therе wаs a holе in the wаll sераrating the two worlds.

“Тhe holе’s сlеarly biggеr… Yаtаgarasu must hаve esсaped on his оwn. Тhat guy саn prоbably сut through anything…?”

Нeаvе-ho…! Stepping outsidе, it’s hot.

Соmрletеly midsummer hеаt!

“Еeek!”

I hurriеdly rеturnеd tо mу оriginal fоrm.

Nо wаy I соuld stay in Ignite Mode!

‘Nnn, what a shame~! I don’t have any functions to block the heeaat~’

“Figured as much. Thought so.”

‘Gehehehe! So even Ignite, big bro, has things he can’t do, eh!?’

‘Nn, shut up, Mentaris! For someone like you, it’s this!’

‘Ugyapiee!!’

“There’s been a weird voice mixed in since earlier… Who’s that?”

‘Heh heh heh, that’d be me.’

A grimoire with a gray cover floated up gently.

Whoa, it has this perfect low-level thug voice!

‘I’m the Grimoire of the Mind, Mentaris. Heh heh heh, new Witch-sama, pleased to make your acquaintance…! That damn Witch got eaten by a dragon and melted, so I hurriedly shot out from its rear! From the dragon’s rear!!’

‘Then, with the Witch of the Mind’s last struggle, I got blasted away along with the space itself! So Mind Magic can do stuff like this, huh~’

‘When that damn Witch got eaten by the dragon, we temporarily shared Magic Power, see. So that’s why a weird effect triggered. The dragon woke up first and wandered off, all wobbly. Phew, I escaped with my life.’

With three of them, it’s lively!

Right now, we’re in a ruined building with little foot traffic.

We decided to head home for now.

The grimoires are crammed tightly into my bag.

I’ll need a backpack.

Or maybe a carry-on case would work.

‘Oh! Little lady, you’re called Floppy? Heh heh heh, I’ll teach you magic hands-on, I will.’

Suspicious! Mentaris is suspicious!!

“Thank you very much. I look forward to your instruction and guidance, big brother.”

‘Ooooooh, big brotheeer!? I’ve never been called that befooore!! Gahhn!! Wha, wha, wha, what a good girl you aare!! I’ll teach you every last bit of magic I’ve gooot~!!’

‘Floppy’s such a good girl, everyone gets attached to her.’

‘Nn, I’ve also been teaching quite a bit of Flame Magic! Once the master’s rank increases, more should unlock!’

It’s noisy and chaotic inside the bag.

The aunties sitting next to me are chatting loudly, so the grimoires’ voices aren’t being heard around us.

Nice play, aunties.

Now, to check what happened during the month and a half I was gone.

Let’s see…?

Gyaaah!?

M-my channel is gone!!

What’s going on!?

Even if I search for Black Pepper Spice, only past records come up.

It’s as if, during this month and a half, I’ve been erased from this world’s memory.

I see, so this is the Witch of the Mind’s last gasp.

Erasing a single person’s existence from the world.

Yeah, if that hit normally, it’d be checkmate for sure.

Next, what has Mashiro been doing…?

Gyaaah!!

She’s taken a hiatus due to lost motivation!!

After a post saying something like, ‘Somehow, I don’t know why I’m streaming anymore,’ she seems to have stopped activities.

I see, so she’s forgotten about me too.

Arriving at the station near my home.

Returning home, it existed normally.

“Seems she couldn’t interfere with physical aspects. Did she use mental manipulation on Twippy’s administrators to delete the channel? Effectively, it’s a start from zero again…”

Opening the door, Shino was in the living room as if it were the most natural thing, eating cup noodles.

Shino turned toward me with a start.

A piece of fried tofu plopped from her chopsticks onto the table.

“Whoaa!! Ms. Spice!! You’re safe!?”

“Whoa!! You remember me!?”

“Of course! It seems like a world-scale hypnosis or something was used. Then, records and memories of Ms. Spice started vanishing before my eyes… D-did we lose!? I, I thought… But, since cases of monsters being organized in Dungeons dropped to zero…”

“Yeah, we won. The enemy’s last struggle ended up causing this…”

“I’m so glad you returned safely… Ah, would you like some mizu yōkan? I made some barley tea…”

“I’ll have some, I’ll have some. Now that I’m conscious, my throat’s parched and I’m starving.”

“I’ll boil some sōmen noodles.”

So grateful!

Inferring from Shino retaining memories of me…

Beings who can use magic might have been able to resist that wide-range Mental Magic.

It seemed to be on a scale covering the world, but because of that, its intensity apparently wasn’t that high.

Others who likely remember me…

…All the major streamers I’ve been involved with should be fine.

Memories from general listeners seem to have been erased.

Ah, no.

I found that muttering on Tsubuyakix.

‘Everyone somehow forgot, but he definitely existed! That uncle-type magic little girl streamer, Black Pepper Spice!’

‘Come back to us, Little Spice! I’ve been waiting ever since the stream where you beat the Witch of the Mind!’

They’re there!

There are people who remember me!!

I began checking the number.

…Quite a few, actually.

After greedily eating the sōmen Shino made for me, drinking barley tea, and eating mizu yōkan to replenish my energy.

In the air-conditioned room, I checked the number.

The number of listeners who didn’t lose their memories of me.

I sent DMs to all of them.

‘Heya!! Sorry for the wait!! I’m back!! From here, Black Pepper Spice is restarting…! The beginning of Spice Chapter Three!!’

Replies came back immediately.

‘Whoooaaa!!!’ ‘I was waiting!!’ ‘Is the channel up!? I’ll subscribe right away!!’ ‘Let’s increase the subscribers! I’ll help!’

I opened a chatroom, gathering them.

It’s only temporary for now.

But, from these 140 people—the last 140, who will become the first 140—I gathered opinions and devised a plan.

‘Right now, a Great Demon General is coming.’

“Great Demon General…?”

‘An incredibly powerful monster that appeared while Little Spice was gone.’ ‘It’s moving north along the sea from the south.’ ‘Its schedule seems to collide with a comic event; it’ll reach Tokyo Bay.’ ‘Streamers are all gathering there.’ ‘If it’s there…’

“Yeah. That might get attention. No, it’s the perfect chance to grab attention!!”

The plan was decided.

My Awatube freeze wasn’t just lifted; it was as if Spice had never existed from the beginning.

So, I set up a channel again.

It’s like when I first created the channel back then.

But there’s a critical difference.

Back then, I was fumbling in the dark, but now I have a clear goal and lots of comrades to help.

The 140 became the first subscribers.

Alright!

Black Pepper Spice, from here, back to where I was… no, no!

I’ll climb much, much higher!