To change the future or to let it be, Akira had been agonizing over this question as he sat in his room, surrounded by floating screens and magic circles. He still couldn't predict what would happen if he did change the future. In the first place, he wasn't even sure if that accident was going to happen like it did in the anime.
The world he currently lived in was a strange one, where many different anime characters coexisted. If this world were based on just one anime, he could predict what would happen. But with so many different presences and so many missing pieces, he couldn't be sure of anything.
For example, in the original anime, the Fortune Arterial story takes place on a fictional island, and the vampires there aren't really true vampires. But here, that island didn't exist, and the vampires were real. And not just that, with the worlds of High School DxD and other supernatural anime mixed in, he had no idea what was going to happen.
After thinking about all that, Akira still couldn't come up with a solution. So he stopped thinking about it and decided to take a break by creating a new magic spell to relax a little.
Creating new things was something Akira loved to do. Even in his original world, he always enjoyed creating new inventions or recreating things from anime.
In his previous life, he had tried replicating awesome tech and weapons, but since magic existed in this world, he now loved recreating magic from anime. His latest project was Archive Magic.
This magic allowed the user to convert information into magical data, which could be stored and accessed later, like a magic computer. He shamelessly stole this idea from Fairy Tail, though the one Akira was creating did more than just store information. It could practically act as his own personal magical system, like those in isekai stories.
Ever since his reincarnation, Akira had always felt like something was missing. "Seriously, where's my system? Every isekai protagonist gets one. Where's mine?" But this was Akira, he wasn't the type to sit around waiting for some mysterious entity to hand him a cheat.
Akira's lips curved into a thin smile as glowing circuits wove around his hand. "So be it… If no one will give me a system, then fine, I'll do it myself."
Once Akira began, he realized it was surprisingly easy, almost like programming a computer. He even wondered why he hadn't tried doing this sooner.
"Alright... base system kernel stabilized, node connections... stable. Data stream synchronized," Akira muttered to himself as he typed on a virtual keyboard floating in the air. In front of him, surrounded by floating virtual screens, hovered the centrepiece of his latest creation: a perfectly spherical orb made entirely of interwoven, glowing blue magic circuits.
This was the core of his new Archive Magic. It had been created by overlapping countless magic circles, a CPU made entirely of magic circuits without any hardware. Akira couldn't help but wonder what his parents' reaction would be if they saw it.
"Storage magic integration complete. Item box is functional... Alright, the basic stuff is done. Next comes the tough parts: internet connection and direct neural link," Akira muttered to himself, contemplating his next challenge, how to connect this spell to his brain and the internet.
As long as this next step was completed, he could directly upload and download any information he wanted from the internet to his brain. But he was a little worried.
"I mean, it is tempting... but I seriously don't want to accidentally blow up my own brain," Akira murmured. He had high confidence in himself and believed it wouldn't happen, but the possibility was always there. After all, connecting a spell to his brain was a dangerous idea, no matter how much he thought it through.
He could create an artifact to contain it, but that would just be too boring. And he didn't want to accidentally overload his brain, either. So he found himself caught in a dilemma about his next step.
As he was in the middle of thinking it through...
BANG!
His door slammed open, nearly making him jump out of his chair.
"AKIRA!"
Erika's voice echoed through the room as she marched in without a shred of hesitation.
Akira sighed, not even looking up from his screens. "You ever heard of knocking?"
"I did, but you didn't answer, so I had to take drastic measures," Erika said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. After being friends with Akira for years, she knew full well he wouldn't respond when he was concentrating on something. At this point, Erika just barged into his room after knocking once.
"Really... cough, well whatever. What are you doing here in the middle of the night anyway? You need something?" Akira tried to divert Erika's attention, realizing his mistake. He was also curious why she was here in the middle of the night.
"It's morning," she deadpanned. "It's almost ten! Did you not sleep at all?!"
Akira blinked, then glanced at the clock in his room. "...Oh."
"You didn't even notice the time, did you?"
"Hehe, I was going to sleep after finishing this, but... I may have slightly lost track," Akira admitted awkwardly.
"What are you doing anyway? Some kind of new magic?" Erika marched over to observe the screens with curiosity.
"Cough, allow me to introduce my newest creation: Archive Magic. It's a magic that can convert information into magic data. With this, I can basically turn my brain into a magic computer," Akira explained proudly.
"I thought your brain was already a computer. So what does it actually do?" Erika asked.
"Well, I can upload and download any information directly into my brain, process information faster in real time, and..."
"In human language, please," Erika interrupted before he could continue.
"I can use it to store information, analyze spells, and most importantly, play BGM during fights," Akira explained, revealing his true motivation.
"Why would you even need to do that in an actual fight?" Erika couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"You don't understand. Fights are always cooler with music. Battles without background music feel empty. Presentation is really important, you know." Akira leaned back with a grin.
"So you're inventing a magic computer just so you can have a personal battle soundtrack?" Erika looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"Of course not. It's just one of its functions. So, what are you doing here anyway? You need something?" Akira quickly changed the subject.
"Apparently, your parents are going out for work, so your mother asked me to take you out to play. She told me to get you out before mushrooms start growing on your head," Erika explained.
"Huh? They're not home? Why didn't they tell me anything before they left?" Akira asked with a confused expression.
"They did try, but you didn't respond. So they asked me to take you out and left. Now hurry up! Haruna will be there too, so we can all play together," Erika said excitedly, hurrying Akira to get ready.
"Fine... maybe I should take a break. Should I turn into Ghost again?" Akira asked.
"Why would you turn into Ghost?" Erika looked at Akira like he was an idiot.
"I mean, Haruna never really talks to me that much, but she like ghost, so..." Akira trailed off. He had tried to play with her, too, but she was always too quiet around him. They didn't share many interests, and he didn't know how to talk to a normal girl.
"That's because you're a weirdo who just stands there silently like a statue if no one talks to you. Now hurry up and come," Erika said as she tried to drag Akira out of the room.
"Wait! I haven't even calibrated the neural firewall…"
"Too bad!"
In the end, Erika forcefully dragged him out, no matter how much he screamed, without mercy.