Growth (2) (Kanan 1)

For Kanan, Phantom Mist Clone hadn't changed — no. Leaving Phantom Mist Clone as it was, she'd learned a new summon skill.

Phantom Different Summon 5- Your own different possibilities. Permanently summonable. In combat, only 1.

Goodbye, Asura's Whip. A cool name, but I'd never used it outside mock battles.

Wind Whip could still be used to stun the opponent with first-strike priority, but small-damage 6-hit at this point was…

Well, skills not used in real combat could be used freely in mock battles, so they were quite handy.

What caught my eye was the "5-" — a count notation I'd never seen before.

What did it mean?

"Well, you'll know once you use it.

"Go on, Kanan."

"Yes. I'll use it.

"Phantom Different Summon!"

Kanan activated the skill.

… But nothing happened. Eh… as I was puzzling over it, the next moment,

Bun! — a system window suddenly appeared.

"O-oh…?"

What was this?

Bun…

A branch diagram like a tree was drawn.

"Eh, eh, eh… Lyuka! Ursula! Yuria!"

I summoned my usual knowledge brain trust!

"… This is interesting."

"Hmm…"

"I see, I see～"

As expected, the three understood right away.

"Um, what on earth is this?"

The tree diagram was actually displayed graphically with much more winding, vein-like detail, but…

Schematized concisely, it looked like this:

       ┌★
       │
       │       ┌────★
       │       │
       │       │
      ─┴───────┴───┬○
                   │
                   │
                   └────────★

The starred parts were glowing, looking tappable. The ○ part seemed to indicate the current location.

The central trunk was strikingly thick, while the other branches were extremely thin.

Most branches grew too thin midway and vanished; only three remained.

"… This tree diagram appears to show, among the paths Kanan-san has walked so far… the possibility branches that could have existed."

"Mm, what do you mean?"

"For example, in my case, I really agonized over whether to drink the Yin-Yang Elixir."

Yuria chimed in.

"The fact that I agonized means there was a possibility I'd decided not to drink it.

"In other words, the me in this world, in this dimension, is the futanari Yuria who decided to drink the Yin-Yang Elixir.

"But in another world, another dimension, there might also be a me who decided not to drink it… or who later drank the medicine again and went back to being a girl.

"At least, that possibility exists.

"Girl-Yuria is another possibility I could have taken."

"Indeed. The skill that summons that girl-Yuria is Phantom Different Summon."

Ursula summarized.

"… I see."

… I felt like I understood.

The idea that the world branches infinitely by possibility.

Probability theory, world-lines, that sort of thing — the story that parallel worlds exist as other possible worlds.

A staple in SF.

No, I'd watched SF and that genre of anime too, so it wasn't like I truly didn't get it.

I mean, in Japan, Dora… is super-major. The "What-If Bo…" and the Time Machine are that kind of item too.

But it was just too unbelievable, so I'd confirmed with Lyuka and the others too.

"… Eh, isn't that an absurdly amazing skill?"

"Yes. I think it's an amazing skill."

No, in stories it's a super-classic, you know? But you wouldn't think such things would actually happen in reality.

I mean, parallel worlds and all — are you really allowed to observe them? And on top of that, bringing Kanan from there — is that okay?

It probably broke conservation of mass, causality, all kinds of things.

… Well, too late for that now. That's magic.

It clearly broke all sorts of scientific laws.

If a break of that level worked, it had already worked countless times.

"… Magic is anything-goes…"

I was impressed, but also flabbergasted.

Eh, is this really okay? Isn't it world-view-breaking on multiple levels?

If that kind of thing's allowed… what else isn't?

… No, I couldn't think of a specific example. But I felt like the breadth of possibilities was being pushed too far.

Well, considering that those SF-flavored S-Class conference halls existed, this world was SF wearing a fantasy skin.

World-building was for this world's god — or game designer — to think about; I'm an in-world character and just have to live in whatever world it is, taking it as is.

… Yeah, no, I'm done thinking about troublesome things.

… I should just simply rejoice — "A chance to have sex with a different-possibility Kanan!" — and be happy.

Honestly, I was wildly excited. Looking forward to it.

"… But, the branches of possibility — aren't they infinite?

"Why only three?"

"… This is my guess, but,"

"What? Lyuka, say it."

"Yes. It's probably because Naoto-san is a theorist and a rationalist."

"… Hm? What do you mean?"

"Naoto-san is fundamentally a theorist, and his actions are always optimal… That is, there's little probabilistic deviation, and not much room for fluke to enter.

"Most of Naoto-san's battles were won by inherent strength, as they should have been.

"For that reason, most probabilities converge, and few branches remain, perhaps."

"… I see."

Was that so? I felt there were plenty of battles I'd won by luck. From the very first Reichhardt battle, one wrong step and I might have lost and been thrown into rock bottom…

"… Right, if these lines are a timeline, the ones close to the present are recent branches, and the ones far away are past branches, huh."

"… If the part closest to the root is just after coming to this world… it might be the branch where I lost the Reichhardt battle.

"The middle one is the middle branch. About 5-6 months back… That one, I have an idea about.

"The recent one… what could it be?"

Very recent…

Well, the magic-ash cleanup was fresh in memory.

That had been truly dangerous. Maybe… that was where, in losing, some change came over Kanan.

"… All right, let's pick one right away.

"The least worrying among these is… the 5-6 month branch."

I tapped the middle branch.

The system screen closed, and the next moment…

Shuoooo!

Wind gathered, and…

Shuba…!

From within a shining radiance, Kanan… appeared.

"… Kanan-Avatar 1. I have arrived."

As expected, it was Kanan's form. The original Kanan was startled by having her spitting image appear before her.

"Um… you're the Kanan who, at the Strange Demon-God / Wind Spirit class-change branch, chose Wind Spirit… is that right?"

That was my guess. Time for the answer.

"… Yes, correct. You… you only look like the usual Naoto to me."

I was right.

"… Um, what's it like? Suddenly being brought here from your original world?"

"It's hard to answer when you ask it like that…

"Hmm… I don't feel at all like I've come to a different world. I share almost all my memories with Kanan…

"I understand that I'm Kanan's different-possibility, a summoned creature.

"… Well, if I can be useful to Naoto, I don't care whether I'm a summoned creature or whatever.

"I, too, am surely Kanan Kazami, who loves Naoto from the heart.

"Please make full use of this power of mine."

So saying, Kanan-Avatar 1 smiled at me.

She looked exactly like Kanan… but her hair was slightly greener.

Now then, her stats were…

So she really was a summoned creature. Like Crea, only 4 skills, no selection. But…

"… Whoa, ridiculously strong!"

Eh, what, this strong? Choose Wind Spirit and you'd advance one more stage and turn out like this?

Eeeh…?

But she'd gone completely attacker-focused, huh.

That itself meant being short on defenders — troubling…

Eh, how do you beat Ursula? If Kanan weren't Strange Demon-God, it'd be unwinnable, wouldn't it?

"… Um, how did you beat Ursula?"

"…? Hmm… it's like there's a mist over it — I don't really know."

"Um, this is before fighting Eclair… right?"

"That's also unclear now. I do know that now is just before fighting Eclair-sama.

"But what things were like originally vanished into mist the moment I came to this world.

"… I'm not the Storm God Kanan who came from the original world, but the Storm God Kanan born for your sake, wouldn't you say?

"Asking me about the original world is troublesome."

… I see.

No, I don't really get it.

So there isn't an original world she was brought from?

Hmm, the summoned-creature world might be strange in its own way.

"Well, I don't really know but… you also love Naoto and want to be useful to Naoto, right.

"… Then you're the same as me, you're Kanan. No need to think about difficult things."

Kanan summed it up roughly.

Well, that's fine. Thinking about it won't solve anything either.

I mean, the idea that in the original world Kanan vanished and the me there is grieving… I'd rather not think about it.

The me in the original world would be too pitiful.

Better if it's something like: we peek at the Kanan in the other world, and use the magic of this world's Kanan to generate an avatar modeled on her…

"Then, um, let's give you a name too. That's okay, right?"

"Yes, please."

… Actually, "Kanan-Avatar 1" meant…

"… This number probably means I can set up to 5 different possibilities of Kanan."

"That seems to be the case. The name has a number on it too."

So that's 1 through 5 — various Kanans available… Interesting.

"Then, you'll be Ichika."

"Understood."

"Simple!"

Ichika and Kanan reacted differently.

"Eh, no good?"

"… It's not no good, exactly. If Ichika is satisfied, there's no problem.

"… Well, whatever name Naoto gives, I'd be happy.

"You can give me a favorite nickname too, you know?"

"Eh, yes… I-I'll think about it."

"Mm."

Kanan looked pleased. A nickname for Kanan…

But I couldn't think of one.

… Pika… gehft, ahem! No, never mind!

That's not a nickname.

"… Sanka, Goka should be fine, but…

"Nika, Yonka — any good readings? Nihana… shihana…"

"How about Futaba, Yotsuba?"

Yumi just said change the kanji. In that case a different name altogether would work too.

"Nika gives a smiling impression, not bad…"

That was Sawako's take.

"Read 華 as 'ha' — so Futaha, Yotsuha?"

That was Kanan's suggestion.

"All right, adopting Kanan's proposal. A bit forced as readings, but let's go with that."

And so all 5 names were decided.

"… Speaking of which, can I have sex with Ichika?"

"No context whatsoever! … Of course OK. I'm Kanan too… having sex with you is only natural.

"Together with Kanan, please come a lot and dote on me."

Now then, Ichika's feel was… almost no different from Kanan. Well, naturally.

Which meant it was the absolute best feeling.

"Haa, haa, Ichika, Ichikaa…"

Zupu, zu, zupu, nupu…

I thrust hard into Ichika from behind, and groped her ample breasts.

Yeah, the feel of squeezing soft breasts was barely different from Kanan too — the absolute best.

A girl as ultra-cute as Kanan, doubled in Ichika…! This was amazing.

"By the way, you can still summon Phantom Mist Clone, right?"

"Yes, of course.

"… Phantom Mist Clone!"

Kanan became 2. This was a complete copy of the original Kanan.

So we could summon 3 simultaneously.

"… Who knows? The fact that it specifically says 'in combat' means… in the bedroom maybe all 5 can be summoned together."

"In that case… with just Kanan we'd complete the Seven Greatest Beauties, all 7 of them.

"… Aah, amazing. Even just 3 — right, left, in front, all Kanan… wrapped in Kanan, so happy…!"

Doku doku doku!

I released plentifully inside Ichika.

"… If we became 7, could all 7 get pregnant with babies…? If so, I'd be happy to make lots of Naoto's babies…"

"Among the creatures summoned by skills, there are several types.

"The type based on the summoner themselves is split into 'Clones,' which cannot become pregnant, and 'Avatars,' which can.

"Phantom Mist Clone is a 'Clone,' and Ichika-san is an 'Avatar.'

"Therefore, Ichika-san can become pregnant.

"Sasa-san is also an Avatar, so she can become pregnant.

"However, sex with a Clone counts as a sexual act of the main body, and for the amount of sex with the Clone, the main body's pregnancy preparation advances."

So Lyuka taught me.

"I see… then what about Crea or Ameri?"

"As for summoned creatures, they're divided into 'Lower Summoned Creatures' and 'Upper Summoned Creatures.'

"Upper Summoned Creatures can become pregnant, so Ameri-san and Crea-san can become pregnant without issue."

"I see…"

Counting summoned creatures, harem members increased at a stroke.

I was looking forward to Kanan's other Avatars too.