The world after death was white, just like a vast expanse of snow.
There was nothing. He didn't need to think about anything. There was only silence, silence, and nothingness.
Death … if that was all there was to it, it was fine.
He immersed himself in it, sinking deeper and deeper …
However, just as he thought that he would fall into eternal whiteness, he heard a voice.
"Light …"
"Koutarou … is that you …"
"Wake up … you can do it …"
That voice calling his name felt both strange and familiar to him. It was as if people had called him by this name in a very long dream.
'I am … Koutarou?
'Yes, I am …
'Who's calling me?
"It's me … Harano …"
Harano … 'Koutarou recalled some things when he heard this name. Chaotic scenes, voices, and feelings filled him like falling snowflakes, causing him to simultaneously feel both icy and warm.
'I … am still alive?'
Koutarou slowly opened his eyes.
He saw a handsome face right in front of him, looking down at him.
"Welcome back." Seiji smiled gently.
"Harano …" Koutarou blinked. "I … didn't I already …"
"At that time, you indeed disappeared. I also thought that you were dead, but …" Seiji paused for a moment. "At any rate, why don't you get up first … are you able to get up?"
The coal seller took Seiji's extended hand and stood up. He then noticed his surroundings.
"What … is this place?"
There was a thick mist that he couldn't see through. There were colorful balls of light floating around, causing him to pause in surprise.
"This is the Soul Room, a special space capable of preserving spiritual bodies. The balls of light you see are remnant souls, soul shards of people," Seiji explained. "You were in the same state as me before I woke you up."
"Remnant souls … soul shards …" Koutarou had a confused expression. "I don't understand …"
"Actually, I don't know what exactly happened either. However, judging from your situation … it's highly likely that you know some of these remnant souls. They might even be your family," Seiji spoke cautiously.
"Family …" Koutarou muttered to himself. He then recalled even more things. "Younger sister … mother … younger brother … are they there!?"
"It's just a possibility. I can't say for sure." Seiji reiterated, "You can try to contact and call them, but be careful. Remnant souls are very fragile."
Koutarou nodded. He then walked up to a ball of light and carefully reached out to touch it.
"Dongmei … Mom … Jiro …" Seiji tried calling out, but there was no response.
Disappointed, he withdrew his hand and continued to touch the next ball of light.
Seiji sighed in his heart as he watched him try again and again.
"Is that okay?" A voice sounded from the side.
It was Summer Night.
Seiji knew what she was asking.
Was it really appropriate to awaken a person who was already dead, a "person" who was not human in the first place?
"I don't know." Seiji said frankly, "I can't judge whether this is good or bad. When I realized he might wake up, I couldn't help but do it. "
If Koutarou had been a real human, it would have been a good thing to revive him. However, Koutarou wasn't a real human.
The town Koutarou used to live in had already been destroyed. This was the only place he could stay. Even if Seiji found a way to take him out of the real world, it would be difficult for him to live like a normal person.
Koutarou believed himself to be a human, but he wasn't. Which would be better … Seiji was unable to judge, compared to having Koutarou die as a human.
It was just that Seiji's previous ending was far too tragic. As long as he could save this kind-hearted coal seller, he would do this!
Seiji decided to think about the rest later.
Koutarou tried for a while, but was unable to find his family. Instead, he started having a headache. He felt like his mind was in a mess, with chaotic scenes and sounds flashing through his mind.
Right after, he suddenly felt a sharp pain. A clearer scene appeared in his mind, causing him to scream out loudly!
"What's the matter!?" Seiji immediately rushed over to Koutarou's side upon seeing this.
"Ahhhh! It hurts … save me …" Koutarou collapsed on the ground and rolled around in pain. Red mist was coming out of his body!
"I'm here. I'll help you!" Although Seiji didn't know if it would be effective, he decided to cast a healing spell on Koutarou.
After a while, the coal seller finally calmed down. He clutched his head and panted heavily. The mist coming out of his body became fainter and then stopped.
"What's the matter, Koutarou?"
"I … saw a very scary demon …"
"What type of demon?"
"White … huge … long … head … very strange …" Koutarou furrowed his eyebrows as if he didn't know how to describe what he had seen.
"Was it a white dragon?" Seiji inquired.
"Dragon … I think I heard someone call it that …" Koutarou muttered to himself. "What exactly was that?"
Seiji fell silent for a moment.
"That might be the thing that truly killed you."
"Eh?"
"Listen to me, Koutarou …" Seiji looked directly at Koutarou.
"Perhaps it's difficult for you to accept. However, what I'm about to say is the truth.
Actually, you're no longer in this world … "
…
Koutarou was completely stunned after hearing Harano's explanation.
He found it difficult to accept what Seiji was saying. His heart resisted trying to understand. However, Seiji's sincere attitude and gentle words made him feel that everything Seiji said was the truth.
Koutarou's inner conflict caused him to fall into a long period of silence.
Suddenly, his head started hurting again.
Koutarou screamed loudly as he rolled around on the ground again. He saw even more chaotic scenes … and then, he suddenly understood.
These were his memories.
His true memories from when he was still alive!
Harano's words … were all true!!
"Argh!!!" Koutarou felt like he was dying in pain.
'Just … who am I?
Just who am I!? '
His younger sister … his mother … his younger brother … were they all fake!?
His family was fake! The town was fake!! Was it all fake!????
"No … don't!!!!!"
Koutarou screamed in a frenzy as red mist once again appeared on his body. The red mist then turned a deep red, and then a black-red mist that wrapped around his entire body … no, wait! His entire body was beginning to melt into black mist!!
"Calm down! Koutarou!! "Seiji shouted.
He felt a dangerous aura and was forced to prepare for battle. Summer Night, who had been silently observing the entire time, did the same.
Just as the collapsing coal seller seemed like he was about to transform into some kind of demon, the thick mist in the surroundings suddenly started moving. The mist transformed into a seemingly solid gray light that covered the black mist and enveloped it!
At the same time, a system notification popped up in front of Seiji. [A spirit has gone berserk within the Soul Room. Activating the suppression function. Prioritize consuming Inner World Crystals in the Soul Room.]
Having an automatic suppression function … that was good. However, consuming crystals wasn't so good.
Seiji and Summer Night watched as the gray light completely enveloped the black mist. Then, the black mist compressed and gradually transformed into a sphere.
During this time, the gray light kept changing its shape. It was as if the black mist was violently struggling inside and trying to break free. However, it was unable to defeat the system's suppression.
When the gray light completely transformed into a large sphere, the system notified Seiji that suppression was complete. It also displayed the number of crystals consumed.
Seiji felt his heart ache at this unexpected consumption.
"System, let me do it myself next time."
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