Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

Third floor, Astronomy Club activity room.

The golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting scattered patches of light across the room.

A girl in a black Gothic dress—one who looked nothing like a teacher—appeared at the doorway. Natsuki Minamiya raised her hand, and with a click, the fluorescent lights flickered on, filling the room with bright, sterile white light.

After switching on the lights, she turned to look inside the classroom. Her gaze fell upon the three figures seated at the desks, spaced a meter apart: Luo Shu, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Eriri Spencer Sawamura. Her eyes moved slowly across each of their faces.

"I thought I was here to tutor one student," she said flatly, "but now it's turned into triple the workload?"

She muttered under her breath, "I brought this on myself, but still… what an irritating tutoring session."

With that, she walked over to the podium and opened the bag she had brought with her. From inside, she pulled out three small transparent glass bottles. The brownish liquid inside sloshed lightly with her movements.

"Before we start with the lessons, I want to assess just how much you understand about this world's so-called 'common sense,'" she said.

Eriri and Kasumigaoka blinked at the same time, then turned in perfect unison to look at Luo Shu seated in the center. Under their expectant stares, Luo Shu replied with a complicated expression, "Natsuki-chan, you should probably treat all of us like we're complete beginners."

"Don't call me 'chan' like that," Natsuki instinctively shot back with a frown. After eyeing Luo Shu for a second, she added, "Now I'm starting to believe you really do know me."

Only the disobedient students from her original world would ever dare add a 'chan' to her name like that. The familiar nickname stirred something nostalgic in her.

"Fine," she sighed. "In that case, I'll assume you're total newcomers and start from scratch."

She placed the three mysterious bottles down in front of them and announced, "Since you're beginners, your first lesson will be learning how to identify danger."

Turning to face them seriously, she continued, "From now on, I'll be using the theory system of 'Eastern Warlocks' to explain this concept."

"Apply the oil from the bottle to your eyelids, then close your eyes."

Without hesitation, Luo Shu opened the bottle, dabbed some of the oil onto his fingertip, and rubbed it across his eyelids. As he shut his eyes, he felt an immediate cooling sensation—it reminded him of applying medicated balm.

Kasumigaoka and Eriri followed his example, applying the oil and closing their eyes.

"Now, concentrate your focus on your eyes," Natsuki instructed. "As if you're trying really hard to see a distant blackboard through closed lids. Channel your willpower that way."

Luo Shu furrowed his brow. His eyeballs pressed tightly behind his lids, straining under the mental effort.

"Okay, now slowly open your eyes—bit by bit," she guided.

As Luo Shu gradually opened his eyes, he saw something strange about Natsuki Minamiya standing at the podium.

From his current perspective, he could see faint flames quietly flickering on her body—red on her left shoulder, yellow on her right, and blue hovering above her head.

"What do you see?" Natsuki asked, now holding a pointer stick. She gestured toward the top of her head.

"Blue flame," Luo Shu answered softly.

"There are three flames," Kasumigaoka added. "You're referring to the blue one above her head."

"Um… same here," Eriri mumbled, unsure how else to contribute.

"Good. Looks like the first step in spiritual sight was a success."

"Hold onto that feeling and that vision," Natsuki said firmly. "This is a basic and necessary skill for any warlock."

She pointed at the flames on her shoulders and head with her pointer as she explained:

"In Eastern traditions, it's said the human body holds three treasures: 'essence, energy, and spirit.'"

"Essence refers to the physical foundation—everything that keeps the body alive. It represents the material aspect and points directly to the flesh."

"Energy refers to the life force that flows through the body and harmonizes its functions. You can think of it as vitality."

"Spirit is your mind, awareness, consciousness—essentially, your soul."

"In terms of spiritual sight, the red flame on the left shoulder represents essence, the yellow on the right is energy, and the blue flame above the head is spirit."

"These aren't literal flames," she clarified. "What you're seeing is spiritual light—the glow of these three forces from the body under a heightened perception."

"When all three flames are visible and burning steadily, it indicates a person is in good health."

Natsuki stepped up to the blackboard and drew a diagram of a human body with chalk.

"A dim red flame means physical damage. A dim blue one means mental or emotional damage. And if the yellow one's flickering or dull, it means your body is becoming weak or drained."

"Most of the dangers you'll face can be understood by observing these flames."

She tapped the yellow flame on her right shoulder with the pointer and gave a particular warning:

"If the yellow flame starts flickering or fading, it usually means a spirit or creature is draining your life force."

"If the blue flame wavers, it's a sign your mind is being influenced or disturbed. This often results in hallucinations. So, if you see strange things under spiritual sight, be cautious—they might all be illusions."

Then she tapped the blue flame above her head.

"If the blue flame dims, it means your mind is under attack—this is the most dangerous scenario. Enemies who do this usually intend to kill. And if your blue flame keeps shrinking, something may be draining your spirit—possibly a parasitic entity or an ominous environment."

"Ever watched horror films like The Grudge or Sadako? If those ghosts existed, their attacks would probably come through the blue flame—hurting your mind and spirit."

Eriri instinctively shuddered. She glanced up and saw that her blue flame was about the size of a fist and burning steadily. Phew... still okay.

Natsuki continued the lesson.

"If the red flame dims or flickers, it's physical damage—stab wounds, bullet wounds, or even internal illnesses will all show up in the red flame."

She took a sip from the thermos cup of coffee she'd brought and looked down at her three students absorbing the information.

"Any questions?"

Luo Shu was quiet for a few seconds, then raised his hand.

"What if… more than one flame is flickering? Maybe even all three?"

Natsuki froze mid-sip, her thermos hovering in the air. Then she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"In that case… let me congratulate you."

"Congratulations on encountering… the Abyss."