Chapter 756: This isn't a sad dream

The wind blew past, bringing along many falling cherry blossoms.

Everything seemed hazy and unclear. Things seemed beautiful, yet unreal.

As if she was dreaming.

'No, I am probably dreaming.'

Chiaki had this faint realization.

She felt very comfortable here, and didn't want to continue thinking about it. She wanted to quietly enjoy this ethereal beauty as if she was a kitty cat sleeping under the warm sunlight.

A figure appeared in her field of vision. There was the sound of laughter and someone talking. A certain person was calling out her name. His voice sounded quite gentle and loving.

She knew that voice. It was extremely familiar to her. It was ———'s voice.

'...Who is ———?'

'Idiot, ——— is ———.'

'He's so familiar and important to me. I love him. ...Who was he again?

'Why can't I remember?

'It should be quite easy for me to remember. I definitely shouldn't forget his name. Yet, I can't recall it.

'His words are so moving. The food he makes is so delicious. His hand is so warm. He has a beautiful smile... Why would I forget his name?'

'Why can't I remember ———'s name, ———'s existence...?'

"Chiaki...! Chiaki...!"

Chiaki slowly came to her senses and felt the world clear up around her when she heard her name being called.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a familiar teenaged boy's face with a serious expression while looking directly at her.

"Seiji..."

"What's the matter?"

Chiaki blinked and wiped away the tears she found on her face and eyes.

"I don't know... I think I had a rather sad dream..."

"Do you remember what you dreamed of?"

"I can't remember..."

Something flashed in Seiji's eyes as he reached out and patted her on the head.

"Do you still want to sleep?"

"No..."

Chiaki grabbed her cell phone and checked the time. She then sat up on the bed she was in.

"Who brought me here?" Only now did Chiaki realize that this wasn't her bed in Seiji's apartment, so she asked this question.

"Houjou-senpai did. She saw you fall asleep on the sofa, so she brought you to a guest room to rest," Seiji explained.

"How was your battle?"

"Our battle was a loss, but everything is alright since nobody was injured."

After killing the Snake Demon and Samurai Demon and successfully winning against that boss wave, Seiji immediately chose to retreat from Kazuko's Domain.

If things had continued as they had and even more "vicious demon" level spiritual monsters had arrived, that would have been bad.

The Domain's difficulty level had been increased too much. That difficulty level was a failure for training.

Although this time the Domain wasn't cleared out fully, Seiji still had a small harvest of Inner World Crystals, so it was alright.

The number and quality of crystals he'd received helped him to confirm that the loot would be better with a higher difficulty level!

Logically speaking, he should increase the difficulty level in order to obtain more crystals. But, if he increased the difficulty too much, things would become too dangerous for his knight order members and the training would be a failure, so he had to be cautious.

After the battle concluded, Seiji summarized the battle's results and handed everyone their "homework" regarding what they wanted to do with their own equipment.

It was definitely necessary to level up their equipment as well. Everyone understood this all the more clearly after today's battle.

While their equipment's functions were important to improve, the equipment's appearance couldn't be ignored, either. Physical appearance was something that would affect morale. It was quite necessary to begin considering such factors.

Everyone had discussed the topic of equipment for a while before they all returned to their own respective homes.

...

'What did I dream of just earlier?'

Chiaki was unable to recall. However, she faintly felt that it was something important, so she did her best to remember.

Yet, all she could recall was that there were falling cherry blossoms, along with a hazy and seemingly beautiful atmosphere.

That didn't seem like such a sad dream, yet it had left her with a sad feeling. Why was that?

Chiaki didn't understand.

Normally, she wouldn't have paid much attention to a dream that she couldn't remember.

However, Seiji viewed her dream with great importance.

"If that was no ordinary dream, then it's highly likely that you'll have a similar dream again," he told her. "If that really happens, try your best to remember the dream's contents."

Chiaki agreed to do as he said.

This was something potentially mystical happening to her, which made her feel somewhat nervous.

Although she was nervous, she also felt expectant because this might possibly help her to obtain divine powers.

Of course, she knew that she was being overly optimistic by wanting mystical abilities. But if things turned bad, or even worse... that didn't matter, because Seiji was by her side!

With such a reliable boyfriend, nothing could possibly happen to her. Chiaki was confident of this.

Time passed until it was nighttime of the same day.

Right before bedtime, Chiaki teasingly offered herself to Seiji just like last night.

She then got in her bed, covered herself with her blanket, and closed her eyes...

Chiaki's consciousness slowly drifted off as she fell asleep. Without realizing it, she began to feel a gentle wind and see falling cherry blossoms.

Three figures walked among the falling cherry blossoms. On the left was a woman wearing a long dress. On the right was a man wearing a regular jacket. In the middle was a little girl with silver hair.

The little girl was holding onto the man and woman's hands. She was saying something to the woman, and the woman responded gently.

Chiaki dazedly watched this scene before her.

Everything was hazy and unclear. She was unable to see the exact appearances of those three people, nor was she able to see their faces.

She felt warmth, she felt that this was familiar, and she felt... bliss.

Who were these people?

Why did she feel this way upon seeing them?

Had she seen them somewhere before? Did she know these people?

Chiaki felt that she should know these people. Otherwise, they wouldn't have felt familiar.

Yet, she couldn't recall who they were!

Seeing the three walk off, Chiaki finally reacted and ran after them.

Cherry blossoms kept falling on her head, face, and body, blocking her view, affecting her senses, and slowing her down.

Chiaki was unable to run or even walk quickly. She kept feeling like it was more and more difficult to proceed, just as if she was fighting against an invisible force.

"Wait! Wait a moment!" Chiaki shouted towards the three individuals.

However, they seemed not to hear her as they gradually walked off into the distance. All they left behind was their joyful laughter and words that she couldn't hear clearly.

"Wait for me! Let me see what you look like!" Chiaki shouted at the top of her lungs.

She received no response. The three individuals' figures gradually disappeared.

Finally, Chiaki was unable to walk any further. Her legs gave way and she collapsed on the ground.

She looked off into the distance at the falling cherry blossoms in their direction, and muttered to herself, "I know you... you should know me as well...

"Why can't I remember...? You feel so familiar, so it should be easy to remember who you are... Just who are you people... Tell me..."

This wasn't a sad dream.

The wind was gentle, the flowers were soft, the atmosphere was warm and beautiful, and everything seemed so blissful. Those three seemed like a family—father, mother, and daughter...

Yet, she felt sad because she couldn't remember them or figure out who they were.

Tears poured out of her eyes and obscured her vision, causing everything to become even hazier and more ethereal.

Chiaki started crying as if she was an abandoned child.

Her consciousness became hazy as well. In this state, she seemed to remember something and say something out loud, but she was washed over by her sad emotions and didn't realize this.

As she cried and cried... she suddenly felt something warm.

This warmth felt more real than the ethereal warmth of her dream. This warmth felt truly reliable and reassuring as well as familiar.

Unlike the three who had just disappeared, Chiaki clearly knew the source of this warmth. She was easily able to recall this person's appearance, identity, and name...

"Seiji..."

"I'm right here, Chiaki. I'm right by your side," a clear and energetic voice responded to her.

His clear voice transmitted a power right to her heart that dispelled her sadness.

Chiaki's consciousness gradually returned as the ethereal beauty of the dream and all the cherry blossoms faded. Everything that she'd just experienced in the dream was forgotten.

The girl opened her eyes as she forgot her dream once again. All that was left behind was confusion and her tears.