The wind blew, causing cherry blossoms to fall.
Everything was hazy and hazy. There was an aura of beauty, but it wasn't real.
It was like a dream.
No, this was probably a dream.
Chiaki faintly realized this.
She felt so comfortable that she couldn't be bothered to think about it any longer. She wanted to quietly enjoy this illusory beauty, just like a cat sleeping under the warm sun.
In her field of vision, shadows swayed, laughter rang out, and voices could be heard. Someone was calling her name, the voice filled with gentleness and love.
She knew that voice. It was incredibly familiar. It was...
... Who was it?
Idiot, it was... Ah.
Familiar, important, loved... who?
Why couldn't she remember?
It should have been easy for her to remember, and she definitely shouldn't forget, but she just couldn't remember.
Pleasant words, delicious food, warm hands, beautiful smiles... How could she forget?
Why couldn't she remember? Her name, her existence...
...
"Chiaki... Chiaki..."
Her consciousness slowly returned to her mind and became clear when she heard the voice calling her.
She slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar boy looking at her with a serious expression.
"Seiji..."
"What's the matter?"
Chiaki blinked as she wiped the tears from her eyes and face.
"I don't know either... I think I had a rather sad dream..."
"Do you remember what you dreamed about?"
"I don't remember..."
Something flashed in Seiji's eyes as he patted her on the head.
"Do you still want to sleep?"
"No need..."
Chiaki checked the time on her cell phone before sitting up on her bed.
"Who brought me here?" Only now did she recall that she hadn't fallen asleep in this room.
"It was Houjou-senpai. She saw that you fell asleep on the sofa, so she brought you here," Seiji explained.
"How was your battle?"
"We failed, but fortunately, everyone was fine."
After killing the Snake Demon and Samurai Demon, Seiji chose to retreat after defeating the final boss wave.
If they continued fighting, they would have met even more "vicious demon" spiritual monsters, which would have been bad.
The difficulty of the domain was too high. Conquering failed.
Although he didn't clear the dungeon, he still gained something. The result was still considered good.
The quantity and quality of the Inner World crystals he obtained confirmed that the difficulty of the Domain increased, which meant that the number and quality of the monsters dropped would also increase!
In order to obtain more crystals, it was reasonable to increase the difficulty. However, if the difficulty was increased too much, it would be more dangerous, and the strategy would fail. Thus, they had to be cautious.
After that, Seiji summarized the battle and assigned "homework" to the members.
Upgrading their combat equipment was indeed necessary. The members understood this, especially after today's battle.
The performance of the equipment needed to be improved, but the appearance of the equipment couldn't be ignored. After all, it would affect morale. It was necessary to start thinking about it now.
Everyone discussed the relevant topics for a while before dispersing and going home.
…
What did he dream of then?
Chiaki couldn't remember, but she vaguely felt that it was something important, so she tried hard to recall.
However, all he could think of was the cherry blossoms falling in the wind and the hazy and beautiful atmosphere.
It didn't seem like a sad dream, but it had a sad feeling. Why?
He did not understand.
She shouldn't care about a dream that she couldn't remember.
Yet, Seiji treated this dream with great importance.
"If that wasn't a normal dream, then it's highly likely that you'll have a similar dream again," he told her. "If that's really the case, try your best to remember the contents of the dream."
Chiaki agreed.
That dream might have been an abnormality that happened to her, which made her nervous.
She was nervous, but also expectant. Perhaps she would be able to Awaken to a Spiritual Ability.
Of course, she knew that this was nothing more than an optimistic thought. If the situation wasn't good, or even worse … it wouldn't matter, because she had Seiji!
With a reliable boyfriend by her side, she would definitely be fine. That was what she believed.
Time passed.
When it was time to sleep, Chiaki teased Seiji just like yesterday.
He lay down on his bed, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes …
His consciousness slowly sank as he felt drowsy. Without realizing it, he felt a gentle breeze and saw flower petals falling in the wind.
Three figures were walking among the falling cherry blossoms. On the left was a woman wearing a long skirt, on the right was a man wearing a jacket, and in the middle was a silver-haired little girl.
The little girl was holding the woman's and the man's hands. She seemed to be saying something to the woman, who responded gently.
Chiaki watched this scene in a daze.
Everything was hazy and hazy. She was unable to clearly see the three people's appearances, nor was she able to see their faces.
She felt warmth, familiarity, and … happiness.
Who were they?
Why did she have such a feeling when she saw them?
Had she met them before? Did she know them?
She felt that she knew them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have felt so familiar.
But she couldn't remember!
Chiaki reacted as she watched the three people walk away. She ran after them.
Cherry blossom petals kept falling on her head, face, and body, interfering with her vision, affecting her senses, and slowing down her movements.
Chiaki couldn't walk fast, nor was she able to run. The more she walked, the more difficult it became for her to move forward. She was being obstructed by an invisible force.
"Wait — wait a moment —" Chiaki shouted at the three people.
But they didn't seem to hear her at all. They walked further and further away, leaving behind only their joyful laughter and indistinct words.
"Wait for me — let me see what you all look like —" Chiaki shouted at the top of her lungs.
There was still no response. The three people's figures gradually disappeared.
Finally, Chiaki was unable to walk anymore. Her legs weakened as she knelt on the ground.
"I know you all … you should know me as well …" she muttered as she gazed at the falling cherry blossoms.
"Why can't I remember … it feels so familiar, so it should be quite easy to remember …
"Just who are you all … tell me …"
This wasn't a sorrowful dream.
There was a gentle wind, gentle petals, and a warm and wonderful atmosphere. There seemed to be a man, a woman, and a child overflowing with happiness …
But, she felt sorrowful, because she couldn't remember them. She couldn't remember who they were.
Tears flowed out and blurred her vision, causing everything to become even more hazy and illusory.
Chiaki began to cry. She cried like an abandoned child.
Her consciousness also became hazy. She seemed to recall something and say something, but she was drowned out by her sorrowful emotions and didn't realize it at all.
As she cried, she cried … she suddenly felt warmth.
This warmth was even more tangible than the illusory warmth. It made her feel reliable and reassured, as well as familiar.
Unlike the three people who had disappeared, she clearly knew the source of this familiarity. She could easily recall the person who gave it their appearance, identity, and name …
"Seiji …"
"I'm here, Chiaki, by your side," a clear and powerful voice responded.
The power contained within the voice was transmitted into her heart and dispelled her sorrow.
Her consciousness slowly floated upwards as the illusory beauty faded. The flower petals that filled the sky vanished, and everything she saw in her dream disappeared.
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