Date A Live Encore - Volume 8 - Chapter 7

End of the Nightmare

This isn’t meant to be read out of order. Make sure you’ve read every other story Encore 8 has to offer before coming here!

 “Huh…” 

 Shido groaned softly as he slowly woke up. 

 Shido didn’t know whether it was accurate to use the word ‘awake’ to describe the current situation. There was a feeling like coming out from deep underwater, but there was no actual feeling of awakening from a dream and returning to reality. He could feel his consciousness becoming clearer—No, it was because of the gradually clearing consciousness that he began to feel more awkward about his current situation. 

 There was that wonderful feeling of “waking up in a dream”—lucid dreaming. Shido gently shook his head gently, looking around. 

 “…What’s going on here?” 

 Shido immediately realized that this was not his room, but rather a dark space. Until now, the place where he was lying was not the bed where he normally slept, but the hard ground… but even as he walked around on it, it felt like a combination of ground, rubber, and iron which only served to confuse Shido further. 

 Everything around him was vague and unclear. It was a wonderful space. The world he was in right now could only be described as a dream. 

 It was then— 

 “…!” 

 Shido held his breath slightly. 

 He spotted the light spreading out in the distance, then illuminating the form of a girl. 

 She had beautiful hair as dark as the night sky and porcelain skin. Had she lost consciousness? She was lying on the ground, unmoving. 

 “Tohka…!” 

 Shido spotted her figure and couldn’t help but call out to her as he ran toward the girl. 

 That’s right. It was one of Shido’s classmates who’d appeared there, as well as a Spirit: Yatogami Tohka. 

 “Tohka, are you okay? Tohka!” 

 “Muu… Um…?” 

 Shido picked up Tohka and shook her shoulders. She blinked several times and made a faint sound and then yawned. It seemed that rather than losing consciousness, it seemed that she’d fallen asleep. 

 “…What’s the matter, magician? Did something happen?” 

 “Huh?” 

 After hearing what Tohka said, Shido stared at her in surprise. 

 So, Tohka frowned slightly when she spotted Shido’s puzzled expression. 

 “Muu…? Was it a magician? Oh, wait, you were an intern teacher… No, wait, an editor?” 

 “Tohka? What the hell are you talking about?” 

 At that moment, Shido felt a headache suddenly come on. 

 “Huh?” 

 At that moment, a hazy scene flashed into Shido’s mind. There was Tohka wielding a sword and confronting the king. Because Nia’s curse turned Shido into a cat, he could only watch the two of them clash breathlessly. 

 No, not just that. Soon, Shido remembered more bits and pieces of being an intern teacher, an editor, and a samurai—and the identities of the other people in his dreams were the other Spirits. 

 “What is this…” 

 Shido frowned in confusion. He could feel more fragments from his dreams appear in his mind. It wasn’t just him either, it seemed the Spirits had also appeared in a different reality, with different roles for each of them in the new world. 

 However, those memories were accompanied by delusions or fantasies that felt completely authentic, and had imprinted heavily on Shido’s mind. 

 “These memories… are they…?” 

 “Ngh… Ugh…” 

 When Shido groaned and clutched his forehead, Tohka’s eyes suddenly widened as she quickly sat up. 

 “Shido!” 

 “Whoa!” 

 Shido was alarmed by Tohka’s sudden movements, and almost fell backwards, but Tohka managed to catch him in time. 

 “Sorry I scared you.” 

 “Haha… No, that’s not important. Say, Tohka, do you recognize me?” 

 “Muu? What are you talking about? Isn’t Shido just Shido? But… how can I explain this… have you ever been a cat before?” 

 Sure enough, it seemed that Tohka also seemed to share the same memories as Shido. 

 However, Shido and Tohka’s conversation about their dreams was momentarily interrupted. 

 “…!” 

 The reason why was simple. Because there were more hazy lights that appeared around them, and then all of those lights morphed into unconscious girls lying on the ground. 

 Origami, Kotori, Yoshino, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Miku, Natsumi, Nia, and Mukuro—a total of nine Spirits, like Tohka, who had just appeared in this dark space around them. 

 “Wha…!” 

 “Everyone! Are you okay?” 

 Shido and Tohka quickly stood up and rushed to the others’ side, shaking their shoulders to wake them up. 

 Fortunately, just like Tohka, they seemed to only be asleep. Everyone responded to Shido and Tohka’s calls either by rubbing their eyes or sitting up while stifling a yawn. 

 “Ah… Good morning…” 

 “Huh? Shido, are you okay? Why do you look so worried?” 

 “Ah! I’m so sorry! I accidentally fell asleep. I’ll be sure to have it in today…! Huh, it’s Boy! Really, don’t scare me like that!” 

 All of the Spirits reacted in their own ways as they opened their eyes. When he saw each of their faces, he tilted his head in wonder. 

 “…Mun? Wasn’t Muku saved by Nushi-sama…?” 

 “Eh… what about my sister, Natsumi…? Incidentally, do I actually have a younger sister?” 

 “This is bad, Darling! Shiori-san is gone! …Hmm? Shiori-san is Darling, and Darling is Shiori-san? Hey, which Darling are you now?” 

 “Leave it to me. I will investigate it immediately.” 

 Origami gave Miku a thumbs up and then immediately started touching Shido’s clothes. Shido quickly escaped her clutches as he wailed in protest. 

 “C-Calm down, Origami! Now is not the time to do such things!” 

 “…?” 

 After he mentioned this, Origami seemed to have noticed anomalies around them and looked around. 

 “Where are we?” 

 She then wore the same look of confusion as she asked the question. As a result, everyone else seemed to realize the current situation. Some of them were uneasy while others stared at the dark space uncertainly. 

 “What’s going on? It’s like the whole room was smeared with black paint. Didn’t I fall asleep in my room yesterday? How did I get here? Did someone move me here while I was asleep?” 

 “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t done by anyone from <Ratatoskr>…” 

 Kotori answered the stunned Nia while staring around while remaining conscious. THe other Spirits took notice and sensed the tension between them. 

 However, this was understandable. After all, the Spirits who’d all been sleeping in different places had somehow been gathered like this. 

 —But if it wasn’t <Ratatoskr>, then who did this, and for what purpose? 

 “…” 

 Shido quickly shook off the nasty thoughts that drifted into his mind and shook his head before facing the others. 

 “Anyway, it looks like we’ll have to find out for ourselves. Even if we can’t see anything other than darkness, if we keep moving around, we should be able to find a wall.” 

 “…Y-Yeah. It wouldn’t be good if we just stayed here. Let’s get moving. Everyone hold hands, don’t get separated—” 

 However, as Kotori was about to move. 

 “—Hee Hee Hee! Don’t bother wasting your time.” 

 That voice came from somewhere deep in the darkness. 

 “What—!” 

 “This voice, isn’t it—” 

 The Spirits raised their heads and stood with their backs to each other, adopting a defensive stance. 

 However, their surroundings were still shrouded in darkness, so there was no figure visible to identify the owner of the voice. Even where it came from was uncertain. All they could tell was that there was intermittent laughter echoing all around them. 

 “Hmph, are you simply hiding in the darkness? I bet you’re trying to scare us!” 

 “Mocking. Still, you dare not show yourself. Or could it be that you’re more bark than bite?” 

 “Hehehe! What an obvious provocation. But it doesn’t make any sense to continue on like this. I’ll show you what I mean.” 

 The next moment, as if echoing the voice, a light shining like a ghostly fire around them. 

 “Whoa…!” 

 “Wh-What…!” 

 So, relying on this dim light to get a glimpse of the previously dark surroundings around them. 

 There was a huge castle with seemingly endless sharp-looking minarets. There was a star-like light on the tower shone brightly to reveal a sword shaped hill with an ominous atmosphere. 

 “…!” 

 However, despite seeing such a shocking scene, the Spirits immediately focused on a single point. 

 The reason was obvious. Because at that point, there was a familiar looking girl sitting gracefully atop the tallest tower. 

 “—Oh, hello everyone. How are you?” 

 “Kurumi! It’s you…!” 

 After spotting her figure, Shido couldn’t help but call out to her. 

 Her long black hair was tied back into two unequal ponytails on either side of her head, and she had white porcelain skin—and a golden left eye resembling a clock. 

 That’s right. Sitting there was the worst Spirit, Tokisaki Kurumi herself. 

 “Yes, yes. I missed you so much, Shido-san.” 

 She heard Shido’s call and clapped her hands cheerfully. The incredible phenomenon that occurred just now was obviously related to Kurumi. 

 “Kurumi…! What did you do! Where are we?” 

 “Hehehe! Please calm down, Tohka-san.” 

 Kurumi giggled as she responded to Tohka’s, leaning forward as though she was about to jump from the tower. 

 But in the next moment, Kurumi’s figure disappeared into the void. 

 “Huh…?!” 

 “S-She disappeared…” 

 The Spirits all watched in confusion and unsteadiness on their faces. Everyone looked around, looking for Kurumi who disappeared suddenly. 

 However— 

 “—Hahaha. Who are you looking for?” 

 When they heard the laughter behind them, the Spirits all turned around at the same time. 

 That’s right. Because Kurumi appeared in the center of the circle of Spirits who’d stood with their backs to each other. 

 “How, why…?” 

 “Just now… what…?” 

 When everyone strengthened their vigilance and showed a confused expression, Kurumi couldn’t help but smile. 

 “There’s no need to be so surprised. No matter what happens, there’s nothing to be worried about because everything is just a dream.” 

 “A dream…?” 

 As Kurumi spoke those words, Shido frowned. Nonetheless, Kurumi nodded and answered affirmatively as she landed on the ground. 

 With this action, Kurumi’s figure disappeared again and then appeared in front of Shido and the others. 

 “—This is a ‘non-reality’ in which dreams and fantasy have become intertwined. You are now just temporarily waking from a dream into another dream.” 

 She spoke as she walked at a slow pace as though she was dancing. However, this sentence only seemed to deepen the Spirits’ confusion. 

 Having said that, Shido didn’t think that Kurumi was lying. 

 Because like Kurumi said, Shido had the feeling that he’d awoken from a dream just now—besides, there have been several phenomena that can only be explained by being dreams. 

 In addition, the strange memories that lingered in his mind were the same. If everything up until now was a dream, then it would make sense. 

 But if that was the case, there was still one thing that didn’t make sense to Shido. He stared at Kurumi as he asked: 

 “…If this is a dream, then are you and all of the other Spirits all characters in my dream?” 

 Yes, this was what Shido wanted to know. He knew for sure that, if this was a dream, then everything aside from Shido was fictional. 

 However, how the Spirits spoke and acted are exactly as they would in real life. But Kurumi was supposed to be a character in this dream. Why did she specifically say this was a dream? 

 …However, if it wasn’t his dream, then Shido was helpless. 

 After hearing Shido’s question, Kurumi raised the corners of her mouth and smiled evilly. 

 “No. All of the Spirits here are the same as Shido-san—This is a dream of ‘the consciousness of all the Spirits’, including me.” 

 Kurumi turned around with an exaggerated motion as she explained. Kotori heard those words from her place next to Shido and she frowned and folded her arms. 

 “What’s going on? Is it true that all of us are sharing the same dream?” 

 “Yes. Everyone has the same dream in harmony—I’ve connected your dreams together.” 

 “What are you talking about…?” 

 Kotori’s expression became more cautious as her serious expression remained. However, Kurumi didn’t seem too worried and simply smiled heartily. 

 “—Kurumi, what is it you’re after? Did you want to see how we all spent time together when you’re not around?” 

 “Hehehe! That’s certainly a reason, too. Everyone’s dreams were very interesting. I didn’t expect Shiori-san to reappear.” 

 “So that was you as well!” 

 After shouting with his eyes wide, Kurumi shrugged helplessly. 

 “That’s not fair. All I did was connect everyone’s dreams. I didn’t interfere with the contents. It should only be the desires of the Spirits in the dreams, but as for whose desire, I don’t know.” 

 “Darling, is that true?” 

 Hearing what Kurumi said, Miku’s eyes shone brightly. Shido put his hand on his head and turned away from Miku’s gaze. 

 “Why are your eyes shining? It wasn’t me! The most suspicious one here is you, Miku!” 

 “I hate this! Darling is such a meanie!” 

 “Ah, please be quiet.” 

 Kotori quickly stopped Shido and Miku’s argument and looked at Kurumi again. 

 “Kurumi, you said that this was just one of your reasons. You’re a Spirit yourself, you wouldn’t do something like this just for fun, be honest, what is it you’re after?” 

 “Purpose? My purpose? You’re still asking about such things now? Haven’t I already made my intentions clear a long time ago—that is the Spirit power sealed with Shido-san.” 

 Kurumi, walking as though she was dancing, continued: 

 “No matter how the approach is changed, how many paths are taken, nothing has changed. Everything is the same.” 

 “What do you mean? What does sharing dreams have to do with capturing Spirit power?” 

 After Shido inquired, Kurumi looked at Shido with narrowed eyes. 

 “Since the Spirit power sealed by Shido-san forms a path, sometimes that power reverses depending on the mental state of the Spirits—so wouldn’t it be possible for their mental state to become unstable in a dream? That way, the Spirit power could backflow while sleeping.” 

 Shido was caught off guard and glanced at Kotori—Kotori probably noticed his gaze on her, only to see sweat on her cheek as she nodded gently. 

 “…It is indeed possible. In the past, there have been several instances when some Spirit power flowed back during sleep—” 

 “…Hmm.” 

 It made sense the more he thought about it. For example, like with Natsumi, just thinking about something nasty can cause a backflow of Spirit power. If they had a nightmare, it wouldn’t be surprising that the same phenomenon would occur. 

 “I can use my shadows to absorb the back flowing Spirit power. Usually, the Spirits would feel ill, but if I trap their consciousness in a dream, would they be able to resist? Let them immerse themselves in their dreams while I consume their Spirit power—Don’t you think this method is very consistent with the codename <Nightmare> that the humans have given me?” 

 “What…?!” 

 “Absorb the Spirit power of Muku and the others…?” 

 Kurumi’s laughter resounded through the darkness. The Spirit’s expressions were filled with fear, as they hugged themselves unsteadily, staring at themselves to confirm whether anything had changed. 

 However, one of them never looked away from Kurumi from the beginning—it was Origami. 

 “—Everyone, calm down. If Tokisaki Kurumi’s words are true, you would be at greater risk if you started panicking.” 

 “…!” 

 After listening to Origami, the other Spirits gasped. 

 Origami stared intently at Kurumi and continued to speak to the others: 

 “—There are two things that don’t make sense.” 

 “Huh…?” 

 “The first thing is the method. Tokisaki Kurumi said that she connected everyone’s dreams. But by what method? Her Angel <Zafkiel> shouldn’t have this ability.” 

 “What…?” 

 Now that Origami mentioned it, it made sense. Because he’d been shocked by the suddenness of the situation, he didn’t think about it right away. <Zafkiel> was an Angel that could control time, and he suspected that it didn’t have the ability to connect dreams together. 

 “The other thing is the reason why she would appear before us. If what she said is true, then why would she bother explaining the situation to us?” 

 “Hmm…” 

 The Spirits nodded their heads in agreement. 

 Origami raised her fingers one by one, then said: 

 “So I can infer that either she has already taken enough Spirit power—or things were developing in a way that was unfavorable for her.” 

 “—Hehehe!” 

 After listening to Origami’s suspicions, Kurumi lowered her gaze and smiled slightly. 

 “Origami-san, you really are smart—that’s correct, my plan is still in progress. Although there have been several opportunities to fully consume your Spirit powers, every time I’m about to succeed, someone would stir problems for me.” 

 She then faced Shido, her skirt fluttering gently in the wind. 

 “—That person is you, Shido-san.” 

 “Huh…?” 

 Kurumi’s eyes shot toward Shido, leaving Shido to frown. 

 “When I want to consume the Spirits’ powers, Shido-san will kiss them and stabilize their mental state—you shouldn’t remember your duties, so why do you keep getting in my way?” 

 “—! Huh—” 

 After listening to Kurumi, Shido touched his lips with his fingertips. 

 Now that he thought about it, Shido did have the feeling that he’d kissed the Spirits in each of his dreams. Although most times it happened as things developed—he hadn’t intentionally protected them from Kurumi. 

 However, Kurumi didn’t seem particularly annoyed, but raised the corners of her mouth to show a strange smile. 

 “So, I decided to try a simpler method—if I torture all the Spirits or Shido-san here, how much can I disturb your minds?” 

 “…!” 

 After listening to what Kurumi said, the Spirits once again showed vigilant attitudes, Tohka and Mukuro moved forward to protect Shido, and the Yamai sisters lowered their postures like beasts so that they could attack Kurumi at any moment. 

 At that moment, everyone’s bodies emitted a faint light, summoned a limited astral dress and their Angels. It seemed that, even in a dream, they could still summon their limited astral dresses and Angels would still appear. 

 However, despite facing so many enemies, Kurumi’s expression seemed just as calm as ever. 

 “No need to talk nonsense—Don’t you think that you’re underestimating me too much? Do you think that you can beat me in this dream?” 

 Kurumi laughed arrogantly, suddenly opening her hands. 

 “—I will answer Origami-san’s first question. I did not rely on the power of <Zafkiel> to connect everyone’s dreams together and form this world. But—haven’t you already experienced it? [Technology that turns fantasy into reality and transcends human comprehension!] 

 Kurumi’s body seemed to echo her cry, emitting a faint light. 

 Then, an object different from an astral dress wrapped around her body. 

 “What…!” 

 “That’s—” 

 Shido and Origami’s voices overlapped. It was clear that Origami was just as confused as the rest of them. 

 However, this reaction was understandable. 

 Because Kurumi was wearing—mechanical armor decorated with black and white. 

 “A CR-Unit…!” 

 Origami forced out those words from her throat. 

 That’s right. That was the armor used by the Realizer—the CR Unit. 

 Kurumi was wearing the equipment used by AST and DEM wizards to fight against the Spirits. 

 However, the unit itself was not familiar to any of them. 

 The ominous and beautiful appearance was neither the standard equipment for the AST nor the units from DEM. There were numerous sharp objects protruding below the waist to form a skirt, giving it an appearance a bit like a spider. 

 “Yes, it’s quite beautiful. The Realizer Manifestation Device—although it’s much weaker compared to an Angel, its versatility is really commendable. It’s really amazing.” 

 “How come you have that sort of thing?!” 

 After Origami asked the question, Kurumi slowly stretched out her fingers. 

 “I got it from a DEM wizard who wanted to kill me. The CR-Unit <Atlach-Nacha>. It’s pretty cute, heehee. Even though it’s cute, don’t forget that it’s still quite a dangerous weapon!” 

 In that moment, Kurumi’s arms crossed, and the tips of her fingers immediately ejected something like silk thread. 

 Those silk threads wrapped around the gigantic minaret towering above them, and a bridge like a spider’s web was formed between the minarets. 

 “This is…!” 

 “—A laser silk thread. It’s something that can use magic to generate a filament.” 

 Origami’s eyes narrowed as she answered Shido’s question in the midst of his surprise. At the same time, Natsumi showed a confused expression as well. 

 “…What’s going on? Doesn’t using the manifestation device require having a chip placed in your brain in order to use it?” 

 Natsumi glanced at Kotori. Kotori kept her gaze on Kurumi and answered: 

 “…You’re right. Even if she managed to snatch the manifestation device but didn’t have the transmission device that gives instructions from your head, it’s reasonable that it wouldn’t be able to activate it—but, if the device was made to emulate Spirit power, then maybe… Although I haven’t tried it, a Spirit may be able to control it without a transmission device. Or—” 

 “Or what?” 

 “—Craniotomy using her clones.” 

 “Hee hee hee hee!” 

 Kurumi laughed and interrupted the conversation between Natsumi and the others, as she jumped directly up, shooting a shot of <silk thread> at Shido. 

 “I won’t let you get away with this…” 

 Tohka kicked off the ground, and shouted and waved her Angel <Sandalphon>. 

 However, the <silk thread> that was shot by Kurumi managed to block the blow from the giant sword <Sandalphon>, which was several hundred times wider, and immobilized Tohka at the same time. 

 “Muu—!” 

 “Tohka!” 

 Tohka and <Sandalphon> were now entangled within the <silk thread> and rolled to the ground. However, Shido couldn’t even move to her side because Kurumi’s “silk thread” criss-crossed in the air, casting a wide net toward Shido. 

 “Whoa…!” 

 “Shido!” 

 When Kotori called out to him, Shido felt something hit him, giving him a chance to escape— 

 “Yeah—!” 

 “Kotori!” 

 Kotori helped Shido escape, at the cost of trading places with him as the victim under the net now stuck to the ground. 

 “Um—” 

 Of course, the other Spirits would not take the attacks quietly. The Yamai sisters surrounded themselves in the wind as they screamed. At the same time, Origami summoned <Metatron>; Mukuro opened the space with <Michael> and tried to trap her. 

 However, Kurumi was able to move around the <silk thread> between the minarets and skillfully avoided those attacks, capturing the Yamai sisters, Origami, and Mukuro with her <silk thread> and expanding the <net>. 

 “Rrgh! You bastard! What did you do?! We were just about to win!” 

 “Vile. With this method, are you embarrassed to admit that you would have lost to us?” 

 “Mun… I can’t move…” 

 Although Kaguya and the others swung their arms and legs, the <silk thread> was as strong as a mountain and they had no chance of escaping. 

 “Everyone…!” 

 “Whoa, this isn’t good…” 

 “Ah! Everyone is in a state where they can’t resist any attacks! This is not good! We have to save them immediately!” 

 Although Yoshino, Natsumi, and Miku all tried to resist, they were soon captured by the <silk thread> like everyone else. Nia didn’t seem to do anything, and unconsciously rolled into a ball and fell to the ground. 

 “Hey! Why are you treating me like this! It should be more dramatic! I also want to be struck down!” 

 “Shut up.” 

 “Hmm!” 

 Nia shouted in dissatisfaction with her mouth gagged by “silk thread”. Kurumi, meanwhile, stood on the <silk thread> between two minarets, gazing down at the Spirits who could no longer resist, and then looked down at Shido. 

 “—Hehehe. You are the only one left.” 

 “You bastard…!” 

 Shido gritted his teeth as he tried to focus—since the Spirits could summon their astral dresses and their Angels. It should be possible for Shido to do it too. 

 However— 

 “Hee hee hee.” 

 The moment Kurumi laughed madly, the <silk thread> stretched from the left and right to wrap around Shido’s arms and legs, pulling him in four directions, leaving him exposed while also binding his actions. 

 “Huh…?!” 

 “It’s all over now.” 

 Kurumi landed on the ground with a triumphant smile and slowly walked toward Shido. 

 “Hehehe—I am faced with many enemies wielding Angels. If this was reality, I would definitely lose. However, here in this dream, in this fantasy kingdom I have created—No matter how much power you have, there is no way that you can beat me.” 

 Kurumi said confidently as she stood before Shido. 

 “Okay, now what should we do to make everyone unstable? Pain? Humiliation? Or—” 

 Shido couldn’t help but gasp. 

 Kurumi licked her lips as she stroked Shido’s body provocatively. 

 “Or perhaps… Are more sensual ways more effective?” 

 “Y-You, what the hell do you think you’re doing—” 

 “Hehehe!” 

 Kurumi laughed insanely as she was fascinated by Shido’s panicked reaction. 

 “H-Hey, Kurumi! What do you think you are doing to Shido!” 

 “Release him immediately! You don’t want to get me angry!” 

 “HHHHMMMMMMMM!” 

 Tohka and Kotori twisted their bodies and tried to break their shackles. Nia, whose mouth was gagged, was also shouting something. No one understood what she said, but it was obvious. 

 Kurumi saw the others and her smile broadened. She began to touch Shido’s body more. 

 “Hey, you…!” 

 “Oh, what’s the matter—?” 

 —However, in the next moment: 

 “…! Huh—?” 

 Kurumi’s unexpected reaction made Shido’s eyes go wide. 

 The reason was simple. Because there was a loud snapping sound and the <silk thread> wound around him broke and his hands and feet were freed. 

 “—!” 

 Immediately afterward, Kurumi seemed to sense something as she gasped abruptly and then immediately jumped backward. 

 Then, a petite girl immediately landed in front of him with her back to Shido from above. 

 “I’m late. Are you hurt, Nii-sama?” 

 “—…M-Mana!” 

 Now that he had the chance to focus, Shido recognized the girl’s appearance and voice and couldn’t help but call out her name. 

 That’s right. Appearing there was a wizard of <Ratatoskr>, Takamiya Mana, who was also Shido’s little sister (by blood). 

 However, it took a moment for Shido to realize that this girl was the real deal, because her current outfit was drastically different from her usual sporty clothes. 

 Instead, she was dressed in a cute dress with ruffles that slimmed around her waist, long leather boots with laces tied tightly, a headband adorned with various ornaments, even including a small crown among them. Finally, she was holding a lotus leaf parasol like a sword. 

 Such an outfit resembled a gothic lolita dress. Mana unexpectedly wore the outfit very well but it led to a very different image of her from her usual love for hoodies and sportswear. 

 “You, why are you wearing this…?” 

 “Oh, are you talking about this dress? It’s unbelievable. What I am actually wearing on the “outside” is clearly the <Vanagandr>—is this also an effect of the dream world?” 

 The so-called <Vanagandr> was the name of the CR-Unit developed by <Ratatoskr>. 

 Hearing this sentence, Shido’s shoulders shook abruptly. 

 When Mana first appeared, Shido thought for a moment that she had also been trapped in this dream world by Kurumi. 

 However—that wasn’t the case. Since she wasn’t a Spirit, Kurumi had no reason to trap her here as well. 

 “Mana, didn’t you say—” 

 “—That you came from ‘reality’?” 

 Kurumi’s eyes narrowed and spoke from the opposite end of Shido. Mana nodded while holding her parasol aloft. 

 “Yes. Reine-san discovered that the brain waves of Nii-sama and the Spirits were abnormal so we used a Realizer manifestation device to send my consciousness into everyone’s dreams, just like what <Nightmare> did to you. It seems that I made it just in time.” 

 “O-Oh…” 

 Kurumi listened to what Mana said and waved her fingers with a soft sigh. In line with her movements, the <silk thread> all around mimicked her movements. 

 “I really want to welcome you properly—but I’m a little busy right now. If you’re not invited, please leave now.” 

 “Hah! Who is truly uninvited? That said, that CR-Unit? Such a disgusting design suits you.” 

 “Hee hee. Your dress also suits you. If you were a non-speaking doll, I’d love you too—” 

Kurumi raised her hands as though to say that she was surrendering. But then she stretched out the shining <silk thread> one by one from her fingers, splitting the dark giant city and attacking Mana. 

 “Huh!” 

 However, Mana jumped away while waving down the parasol in her hand. 

 In an instant, the countless “silk threads” approaching Mana were easily cut by the parasol. 

 “Hmph! You might be invincible to the Spirits, but like you, I am an outsider who was able to send my consciousness into this dream world. We are on equal terms here.” 

 Mana pointed the tip of the parasol at Kurumi and thrust it out to jab her. Kurumi jumped back and fired a thousand shots, creating more <silk thread> again. 

 However, her goal was not the same. The <silk thread> easily destroyed the nearby minaret, and the wreckage fell towards Mana. 

 “Whoa…!” 

 However, Mana suddenly darted out of the way and flicked a small amount of debris with her parasol and flung it toward Kurumi. 

 “Ara, Ara, you really are something!” 

 “You aren’t qualified to compare yourself to me!” 

 Mana and Kurumi faced each other while spitting evil words and they attacked each other around the castle. 

 Mana’s parasol easily managed to slice the <silk thread> that even <Sandalphon> couldn’t manage to cut through. But no matter how many times she sliced through it, it always regenerated immediately. The offense and defense of these two weapons gradually destroyed the giant city leading to a stalemate. 

 “Ah—” 

 Mana, who’d managed to avoid the “silk thread”, landed next to Shido when the clash between them came to a lull. 

 Then, probably to avoid being overheard by Kurumi, she lowered her voice and spoke to Shido: 

 “Nii-sama, as you can see, we are evenly matched. Although I won’t lose, I lack a critical blow. And—because this is all just a dream, even if we beat <Nightmare> here, it doesn’t mean victory in the real world.” 

 “Then what should we do?” 

 After Shido inquired, Mana, still staring at Kurumi directly, and continued to speak: 

 “…Her consciousness is here. In other words, the only way is to conquer her heart.” 

 “Conquer… her heart?” 

 “Yes. But my strength alone won’t be enough—I need your help, Nii-sama.” 

 “Huh…?” 

 Shido listened to what Mana said and his eyes widened. 

 “Wait a minute, I really want to help you… But I can’t use a Realizer Manifestation Device. So can I really deal with her at all?” 

 “About that, please don’t worry. Reine-san showed me a useful trick—next time I launch an attack, please cooperate with me.” 

 “Ah, hey, Mana—” 

 It was too late to reply; Mana rushed at Kurumi again without explaining further. 

 However, since Mana had asked him for help, he couldn’t just stand there in silence. Although exactly what he had to do was unclear, Shido trusted Mana and Reine and chased after Mana. 

 So Mana and Kurumi continued to clash in front again. There were countless <silk threads> and the parasols that met at lightning speed. 

 But at that moment, Mana suddenly acted in a way that was different from the previous ones. 

 After cutting the <silk thread>, she pointed the tip of the parasol at Kurumi— 

 “Now activating Realizer!” 

 Then she pressed the button attached to the handle of the umbrella to open the parasol that was originally retracted. 

 In that moment, a burst of light burst forth from the parasol, gradually enveloping the surroundings. 

 ‘What—” 

 “This is…” 

 Kurumi and Shido’s voices overlapped at that moment. 

 Soon after, the light swallowed the two of them—turning everything in their vision into pure white. 

 “—Very good, it’s all clean now.” 

 Kurumi sighed as she exhaled after she finished wiping the mansion window and tossed the rag in her hand into a bucket of water. The dirt peeled off the rag, turning the water a murky gray. 

 However, there was still more work to do. After she finished wiping the windows, she had to clean the house, then it would be time to collect the clothes. The Itsuka home was so huge. 

 Speaking of the Itsuka family, it was an old nobility and a famous family that had a strong influence in the business world. 

 And Kurumi was one of the maids employed by the Itsuka family— 

 “…Ara Ara” 

 At that moment, Kurumi tilted her head. 

 The carefully cleaned glass was like a mirror, reflecting Kurumi’s appearance. 

 She was dressed in a blue skirt with a white apron and a cute headdress on her head. It was undoubtedly the outfit of a maid and also the usual work clothes of Kurumi… It is reasonable to say that this was true, but somehow, Kurumi felt that there was something wrong with her dress. 

 But if she had been asked what was strange, she wouldn’t be able to explain. Kurumi was indeed a maid of this mansion and she was working right now, but somehow she imagined herself dressed as something else—a machine… armor… fighting…? Who was she fighting with? 

 “—What are you doing?” 

 As Kurumi thought about this sort of thing, she heard such a voice come from behind her. Hearing this voice, Kurumi’s body naturally trembled. 

 “…! M-Mana-san.” 

 Kurumi turned around and spotted a young petite girl wearing exquisite workmanship clothes, her sleeves ruffled—Takamiya Mana, a daughter of the Itsuka family, who for some reason did not have the surname ‘Itsuka.’ She never had a chance to investigate this. 

 “M-Mana-san?” 

 Mana frowned as she stared at Kurumi. 

 “No, I’m very sorry, Mana-san…!” 

 “—Hmm, forget it. In other words, since you’re standing there in a daze, that must mean that all the work has been handled impeccably, eh?” 

 Mana wiped the nearby cabinet with her finger and then showed the dusty fingers and stared at Kurumi again. 

 “Oh? It looks like it’s only roughly done.” 

 Mana spoke in a tone like a vicious mother-in-law… She was gentle and kind to all of the other maids and was well liked for her character, but for some reason she was always harsh towards only Kurumi. 

 “I’m so sorry. I’ll go ahead and wipe it again…” 

 Kurumi spoke frantically, intending to leave the room to grab the cleaning supplies. 

 “Ah!” 

 She accidentally knocked the bucket over and the water spilled all over the floor. What’s even worse was that because of Kurumi’s fall, the clay pot placed on the cabinet fell to the floor and a crisp shattering sound could be heard as the luxurious clay pot shattered into countless fragments. 

 “Ah…!” 

 “What…Look, see what you did?! That clay pot is Nii-sama’s most cherished possession—” 

 When Mana started shouting, the door opened, and a teenager poked his head inside the room. 

 “—I heard shouting, what happened?” 

 “Ah! N-Nii-sama! Look, this maid broke your clay pot!” 

 Mana said. That’s right, this teenager was the master of the Itsuka family: Itsuka Shido himself. 

 “A-Ah…” 

 Kurumi’s voice trembled weakly—finished. She didn’t know how expensive the decoration of the Itsuka family was. 

 “I see…” 

 Neither of them expected Shido to look so calm. He sighed and looked at Mana. 

 “I’ll take care of the rest. You can go back to your room.” 

 “O-Oh…” 

 After receiving that vague response, Mana glared at Kurumi again, then followed Shido’s instructions and walked out of the room. 

 Once Shido confirmed that she was gone and then slowly approached Kurumi— 

 “Are you hurt?” 

 He asked, reaching out to her. 

 “Huh…?” 

 Kurumi’s eyes went wide as she stared up into Shido’s face—that gentle face. 

 “Ah, n-no… I was not injured.” 

 “Well, that’s good, then.” 

 Shido took Kurumi’s hand to help her to her feet and smiled slightly. 

 Kurumi noticed his expression and couldn’t help but feel confused. It was no wonder, after all, Kurumi accidentally broke one of his cherished ornaments. 

 “That… how should I apologize to you…” 

 “Hmm? Oh, it’s fine. They say that all tangible objects will be destroyed sooner or later, so don’t worry about it.” 

 “B-But—” 

 After he finished speaking, Shido scratched his head and a playful smile appeared on his face as he remembered something. 

 “…That’s true. If I just let you go, how can I establish my authority with the other maids in the future? I guess there’s no helping it—I will have to punish you.” 

 “—!” 

 A “Punishment”. In this mansion, that term did not mean being locked in a warehouse or being beaten with a stick. Kurumi blushed instantly and bowed her head. 

 However, Kurumi could not refuse the punishment because she still had several sisters (with the same appearance as her) to support. If Kurumi lost this job, they would end up on the streets. 

 “O-Okay…” 

 Kurumi squeaked like a mosquito as she spoke, as she stretched out her slightly trembling hand to lift up her skirt, slowly pulling it up until her underwear was exposed. 

At that moment, Shido narrowed his eyes playfully. 

 “You seem to be enjoying this. Could it be that you broke the clay pot deliberately in order to accept this punishment?” 

 “O-Only this time…” 

 Kurumi denied it but paused halfway through. 

 At that moment, Shido grabbed Kurumi’s shoulders and pressed her against the wall. 

 Then with a rough but extremely gentle pressure, he put a hand on Kurumi’s chin and slowly inched his face closer to hers. 

 “You bad girl—you really are enjoying this, is this not enough of a punishment for you?” 

 “E-Eh…?” 

 She seemed to perceive Shido’s intentions, Kurumi flushed and panicked. However, Shido seemed fascinated by her reaction and whispered in Kurumi’s ear while smiling slightly: 

 “—Do you hate it? But, I can’t stop now. Because this is still a punishment.” 

 “…!” 

 Kurumi’s body trembled more aggressively, her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. 

 She felt nervous and a little scared. 

 However, the main reason was because she was the one being humiliated. Obviously she was the punished party but she would be more willing if she was doing this to Shido. 

 “Hmm…” 

 “—” 

 Shido’s lips were pressed firmly against Kurumi’s lips. 

 In an instant, Kurumi’s mind was struck by a bolt of lightning. 

 “AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” 

 Kurumi’s screams echoed all around, and at the same time, a bright flash of light blazed around the dark city. 

 Shido heard Kurumi’s screams and put a hand on his head, which still felt a little dizzy. 

 “What happened just now…” 

 It felt like a dream-like experience. The memory of Shido “punishing” Kurumi dressed as a maid was still fresh in his mind. 

 While Shido was confused, Mana, who was standing in front of him, put away her parasol and rested it on her shoulder as she explained: 

 “—I temporarily absorbed <Nightmare> into a dream of her own. Simply, it was to force her to experience the same phenomenon as Tohka-san and Kotori-san and the others.” 

 “Ah.” 

 After listening to Mana’s words, Shido’s eyes went wide. It did feel similar to when he became a cat or a rookie editor. 

 “After all, it was incredible. As expected of Nii-sama who can actually mess with that <Nightmare> in his clutches…” 

 “N-No, but I didn’t notice it myself…” 

 Shido sweated from his forehead and scratched his cheeks. Much like his previous dreams, Shido actually thought that he was a “handsome and young master”, but in retrospect, that shameful behavior was something he would only ever do in a dream. 

 “…Uh, you said that I was messing with Kurumi in my clutches… Actually, why do you even know about this kind of thing?” 

 “Huh? Obviously it’s because I only pretended to go back to my room. In fact, I was watching you punish her from the door.” 

 “You were watching me the whole time!” 

 Shido couldn’t help but shout out loud. At that moment, the dust spreading around the ground scattered, revealing Kurumi’s figure. 

 Her body was unharmed and her equipment was not yet damaged. But Kurumi was still kneeling on the ground, clearly uncomfortable, her face sweating and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. 

 “Oh, the outcome is already determined, <Nightmare>. Just let everyone go.” 

 “L-Like I would listen… to you…” 

 As she panted out her words, Kurumi struggled to stand up. So Mana’s eyes narrowed suddenly: 

 “—Do you really hate it? But I can’t stop. Because this is a punishment.” 

 “Ah…!” 

 Almost immediately, Kurumi’s legs began to tremble more violently as she stumbled back again. The effect was instantaneous. 

 However, there was still a problem. Shido’s cheeks were also flushed as he moaned as well. 

 “…While that’s effective, that sentence will also affect me too, so don’t say it…” 

 “Oh, I’m sorry.” 

 Mana replied, but she didn’t show remorse as she spoke. She then pointed the tip of her parasol at Kurumi. 

 “Acknowledge your fate. Otherwise, I will force you to go back to the dream just now.” 

 “A-Ah…!” 

 Kurumi groaned unwillingly as her eyes began to burst into tears of humiliation. 

 Everyone with eyes could see who was the victor. Although Kurumi was confident, she was already mentally scarred. There was only one person who could let them out of the dream. It should be said that, not only was Kurumi embarrassed, Shido hoped that she would just give up. 

 However, at that moment— 

 “—Don’t be so shameful, [Me].” 

 Such a voice came from somewhere. 

 “What—” 

 “This voice is—<Nightmare>!” 

 As though she was responding to Mana’s voice, a shadow lingered next to Kurumi who was sitting paralyzed on the ground, and another Kurumi dressed in a dark astral dress appeared from it. Seeing this, Shido couldn’t help but gasp and said: 

 “Kurumi! So, that Kurumi is—” 

 Shido turned his gaze to the Kurumi dressed in the CR-Unit as he finished speaking, and then he heard Mana sneer resentfully. 

 “—It’s just a doppelganger. Still, I suspected such a thing from the beginning.” 

 “O-Oh, so it’s really true. How did you notice?” 

 “How many of them do you think I’ve killed since I started this journey?” 

 Mana asked and then rounded on Kurumi with a sneer. 

 “—So? Are you also going to fight us?” 

 “There’s no need to jump conclusions like this. I didn’t come here to cause trouble—but to recycle the [me] who acted without permission.” 

 “What…?” 

 After hearing those unexpected words, Shido’s eyes widened. 

 At that moment, the Kurumi dressed in the CR-Unit hunched on the ground started shouting hysterically: 

 “[Me]…! What are you doing here!” 

 Because I discovered a sleeping doppelganger dressed in a CR-Unit, I used [Yud] to explore your memory and then [Tet] to connect directly with your consciousness—really, to think I would find this kind of trouble.” 

 “[Me] is—What are you talking about! I… it was just for our goal. I just wanted to gain Spirit power! Because [Me] refuses to take action against Shido-san, I deliberately used the Realizer to force Spirits’ powers to backflow—! How is this my fault!” 

 “I’m not asking whether your actions were right or wrong. I am the mind and all of the doppelgangers are the arms and legs. No matter what the reasons are, the arms and legs should not oppose the brain. If I forgive you for this behavior, our order would descend into chaos sooner or later, right?” 

 After she finished speaking, the doppelganger sighed softly: 

 “Don’t try to speak so impressively… Be honest, it’s not nearly enough! [I] have been hesitant, right? Because to Shido-san, [I]—” 

 “—[Me].” 

 Just as the doppelganger was halfway through the sentence, Kurumi snapped her fingers and so the shadow under her feet started to expand and consume the doppelganger. 

 “What—AAAAHHHHH!” 

 The doppelganger let out such an anguished scream as she disappeared. 

 Then in the next moment, the surrounding area began to vibrate, and the dark space began to crack. 

 “Whoa…!” 

 “This is…!” 

 “Relax. It should be because [My] consciousness was interrupted, the Realizer that was originally used to summon this world has started to fail.” 

 Faced with panic from Shido and Mana, Kurumi curtsied politely. 

 “—Anyway, I’ll be leaving first. My misbehaving doppelgangers have caused you trouble.” 

 She spoke as she intended to return to the shadows. 

 Just as Kurumi’s body sank with a just a quarter remaining, Mana sighed provocatively: 

 “Oh, so are you just going to escape?” 

 “Didn’t I already tell you? I’m only here to recycle the [Me]—but I’ll tell you one thing:” 

 She looked at Mana three times and then smiled happily. 

 “Your current appearance, although you seem to think that it was affected after entering this world, [I] did not add such an effect to this world.” 

 “…What are you talking about?” 

 “—Really, do you actually enjoy wearing this kind of outfit deep in your heart? Hahaha, it actually suits you quite well.” 

 “…!” 

 Kurumi left Mana with a polite bow as she disappeared into the shadows with a laugh. 

 Soon after she disappeared, the cracks in the space became even larger and the dark world was filled with light. 

 “That woman…!” 

 At that moment, there seemed to be a voice of guilt and reluctance, but Shido ultimately decided to ignore it as much as he could. 

 “U-Um…” 

 There was a bright light that irritated everyones’ eyes through their eyelids. 

 He slowly regained consciousness, Shido groaned lightly as he slowly opened his eyes. 

 “Shido! Are you okay?!” 

 “No problem…” 

 “Hey, Boy, I don’t remember a large part of the dream. What happened in the end?” 

 The Spirits who he suspected were waiting by his bed all spoke loudly. 

 It seemed that they all woke up before he did. The Spirits swarmed Shido’s room like a crowded train station. 

 Seeing this unexpected situation, Shido started to panic at first—but he immediately remembered the dreams he just had and felt a wave of relief sweep over him. 

 “A-Ah… Good morning, everyone. I’m glad that everyone is all right.” 

 After Shido smiled and sat up, the Spirits’ expressions all brightened and they all thanked Shido one after another: 

 “I’m sorry, Nushi-sama; thank you for saving me. Without you, Muku might have been taken away.” 

 “…Yeah, it was a really dangerous situation.” 

 “That is to say! Ah, but Kurumi-san wearing a CR-Unit was very charming! What can I say? That sort of clothing that does not exist for the Spirits…” 

 There were also some Spirits that behaved normally, like Miku. 

 In short, everyone seemed safe. Shido let out a relieved sigh and got out of bed. 

 “Okay, let’s go downstairs… I’m starting to feel hungry. Have you had breakfast yet?” 

 “Oh! Not yet!” 

 “Well, in that case, why don’t I prepare a simple breakfast for everyone?” 

 After Shido finished speaking, the Spirits burst into an excited chatter. 

 “How about an omelette? Can we have an omelette? And with some bacon there too!” 

 “I want the flames and golden blessings burning the silver field!” 

 “Translation. Kaguya said she wants buttered toast.” 

 “Isn’t that too western? As Japanese people, we should be eating rice.” 

 “…No, what kind of Japanese custom is that? Aren’t we Spirits?” 

 “Okay, okay, I get it. Let’s just go downstairs first.” 

 Shido could only shrug helplessly, then take the lead to leave the room and head downstairs. 

 Then when he entered the living room, his eyes widened slightly—because he saw the figures of two people. 

 “…Hmm, good morning, Shin.” 

 “Nii-sama! You overslept a bit—but after all that’s happened, I let you rest a little bit longer.” 

 “Reine! Mana!” 

 Shido couldn’t help but call out their names. That’s right, Murasame Reine was the analyst of <Ratatoskr> who sat on the sofa in the living room. 

 It was Reine who discovered the abnormal brain waves in Shido and the Spirits, and Mana who came to the rescue with the Realizer. Without their help, Shido and the others would have still been trapped in their dreams. Shido approached the two of them and bowed his head deeply. 

 “Reine-san, thank you so much. You really helped me out a lot. And thank you so much to you as well Mana.” 

 After Shido finished speaking, the Spirits behind him also bowed their heads. Reine and Mana glanced at each other while scratching their cheeks in embarrassedly. 

 “…No, this is all part of my responsibilities. Observing the mental state of the Spirits is part of my job.” 

 “This sort of thing is not enough to warrant praise. Everyone was saved thanks also to Nii-sama’s efforts.” 

 When Mana finished speaking, Origami approached the two of them. 

 “—By the way, there’s something I want to ask you.” 

 “Hmm? What is it, Origami?” 

 “Can you please explain in detail how to use the Realizer to enter the dreams of others?” 

 “Uh, what do you think of doing with that information, Origami?!” 

 Shido felt his entire body freeze on the spot as he let out an alarmed voice. 

 Still, despite the relentless questioning, Reine and Mana seemed to recognize the danger of sharing that secret with Origami so they just answered her vaguely. 

 “Really…” 

 After Shido sighed, he put on his apron and headed for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. 

 Mana was quick to follow him to the kitchen. 

 “Hmm? Is something wrong, Mana?” 

 “I’m here to help you out. You just got up, and you’re planning to prepare breakfast for so many people, but you must still be tired… And I’m afraid of being questioned by Origami in the living room.” 

 “Haha… So that’s what this is about. Okay, can you shred the cabbage for me?” 

 “Of course. Just leave it to me.” 

 With that, Mana, who had just finished washing her hands, picked up the kitchen knife and skillfully shredded the cabbage. 

 “Oh, so you already know how to cut it.” 

 “Of course; I am good at using a knife.” 

 “How do you sound so dangerous saying that sentence…?” 

 Although Shido smiled bitterly—considering Mana’s origins, it might be natural for her to say such things. 

 Because of DEM’s magical treatment that led the girl to become a wizard but at the cost of an ordinary life. 

 “…Honestly…” 

 “Huh? What’s the matter, Nii-sama?” 

 “If it’s convenient, do you want to go shopping together next time? Like for clothes or something like that?” 

 “…” 

 Shido spoke casually but the kitchen knife that was striking the chopping board rhythmically suddenly stopped. 

 After a moment of silence, Mana spoke quietly: 

 “—Do you hate it? But, I can’t stop now. Because this is punishment.” 

 Shido coughed in surprise at that sentence in response to what Mana said. 

 “Nii-sama… We all have forgotten what happened in our dreams, right?” 

 “…U-Um, that might be for the best.” 

 The two grinned weakly at each other and returned to preparing breakfast as though nothing had happened. 

 “—Well that was a strange thing to say.” 

 “Yes, yes, it’s very strange to say that.” 

 In the shadows, Kurumi could hear the voices of her doppelgangers from somewhere and her eyebrows twitched. 

 ‘What’s so strange?” 

 “Hehehehe… don’t try to act stupid.” 

 “It was [Me] who was trying to capture the Spirit power of Tohka-san and the others using a Realizer Manifestation Device.” 

 “Everyone who disobeys my orders has to be dealt with immediately.” 

 “Hoo…” 

 Hearing the doppelgangers talk, Kurumi snorted quietly. 

 The doppelganger who used the Realizer was trapped in the shadows, but she had spared its life. 

 Just from looking at this, one could believe that Kurumi had gone soft. 

 However, Kurumi raised her arms again and looked down. 

 “She did act on her own, but her motivation was my goals. Thus, if she showed a more self-reflective attitude, it would be less shameful to allow her to join the team again.” 

 “Moreover—” Kurumi continued: 

 “—Wouldn’t it be a waste to kill someone who is good at manipulating the CR-Unit?” 

 After she finally finished speaking, all of the doppelgangers fell silent as though thinking for a few seconds. Then they grinned. 

 “So that’s what it was about.” 

 “[I] also want to be able to use the Realizer device to dive into Shido-san’s dreams.” 

 “Huh…?” 

 The doppelgangers’ wild guesses made Kurumi’s eyes go wide. 

 “How could you suggest such a thing…? I only meant it in terms of increasing the total combat power!” 

 “Oh, really?” 

 “I figured it was that kind of thing…” 

 “What kind of dream does [Me] want to have?” 

 It seemed that by this point, no one was listening to Kurumi’s protests and instead were discussing it amongst each other with excitement. 

 “Ara ara, if it was me, I want a fantasy like Tohka-san.” 

 “O-Oh, but the dream of being rescued by Shido-san like Mukuro-san is hard to give up.” 

 “In my dream, I definitely want to have a dream where Shido-san is the master and I am a maid. Or I could adapt it a little bit. It’s not bad for me to be the master and hire Shido-san as a housekeeper.” 

 “[Me], what do you think?” 

 “…” 

 The doppelgangers eyes cast in the shadows… an annoying development. Even as they were giggling, they could already tell that they would have to pressure her in order to get an answer. Kurumi could only sigh and resign herself to her fate. 

 “If it’s me—” 

 She then reluctantly began to describe the plot of the dream that she wanted to make. 

 After the doppelgangers listened, they showed various responses depending on the age from which they were pulled. 

 “Oh my God.” 

 “So that’s what it is you want…” 

 “So that’s what… “ 

 Some of them expressed delight, interest, or even some sadness. 

 Kurumi sighed quietly as she turned her back on the doppelgangers. 

 “…After all, it’s all just a dream…” 

 The sentence spoke more about herself than her doppelgangers but none of them planned to call her out on it.