Kiss Her!

"Wait!"

Rover suddenly opened his eyes, waking from his dream.

He instinctively touched his eyes. They were dry, but the violent emotions churning in his heart had yet to fully subside, as if something had stirred them up fiercely, only to stop abruptly.

"Someone hoped I would live a carefree, happy life... Why does that sentence stir up such strong emotions in me? Who was that person?"

His heart was full of questions, and his brow furrowed. "I keep feeling like I said the same thing to someone, but I just can't remember."

Just as he was about to turn over, his body felt heavy, as though something were weighing him down.

He looked down and saw that Phrolova had fallen fast asleep at some point. She was lying on top of him, her head tilted against his chest and one hand resting on his shoulder. Her breathing was even, and her eyelashes twitched occasionally.

"Heh..."

Rover smiled faintly. It seemed she was tired too. After taking so many hits in the retroact rain, using the Book of the End ten times, and pushing herself to finish singing the lullaby, it would have been strange if she weren't.

He carefully slipped out from under her, supporting her back with one hand and scooping the other beneath her knees before lifting Phrolova into his arms.

She was incredibly light, weighing almost nothing in his arms. Rover laid her on the bed and gently pulled the covers over her.

"In the way!"

Phrolova was hardly grateful. She kicked the covers aside, then reached back and hugged a Rover doll tightly, burying her whole face in it until only the reddish tips of her ears showed.

"All right, get some rest..." Rover said with a helpless smile. Then he sat down on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed.

That brief sleep had left his mind clear and refreshed, and even his thoughts had grown more active.

Now, with one knee raised and a hand resting on it, he tapped his fingertips lightly while his mind raced.

He would head to Septimont in three days. The first problem to deal with was the Threnodian Leviathan.

The Fractsidus would surely interfere in the meantime, but he had already met Yuno and Augusta. With their help, dealing with whatever came their way would be no problem.

What concerned him more were Edward III and the being Edward had mentioned who came from his hometown. The former was an enemy, not a friend; whether the latter was friend or foe remained unclear, and he could only make a judgment after speaking with them.

Besides that, there was also the woman in his dream...

Suddenly, a faint sound came from behind him.

He looked back to see Phrolova tossing and turning, her pretty brows knitted and fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Her lips moved as though she were saying something, yet also as though she were fleeing from something.

"What's wrong?"

He slowly leaned closer and asked softly.

"Stars... get away from me, I curse you!!"

Phrolova suddenly muttered through clenched teeth!

Rover froze.

Meanwhile, in a pitch-black space of unknown whereabouts, a pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened.

Their owner was a middle-aged man with a perfectly proportioned figure and a full head of golden hair. He sat upright on the enormous throne behind him, as though he had remained there since time immemorial.

His features were indistinct, as if veiled in a thin mist, but his blood-red eyes shone with a terrifying brightness.

"Rise again, my son!"

He spoke slowly, tears of blood flowing from his eyes. They landed on the ground with a patter and turned into brilliant rubies—Philosopher's Stones!

Then, with the Philosopher's Stones at their core, flesh twisted and intertwined, rapidly multiplying. Bones creaked, and skin covered them layer by layer, until they finally formed a human figure.

Xiutake!

He had clearly destroyed himself, leaving nothing behind, yet the man before him had forcibly brought him back to life with alchemy!

"Father!!"

Xiutake's eyes were filled with fervor. He fell to his knees and kissed the ground at the man's feet.

The man's identity was all but obvious: Edward III!

"The Lament Valley stronghold was destroyed, and we completed our twenty-ninth knock. The Threnodian of the Norfall Barrens was sealed, and we completed our thirtieth knock."

Edward III's voice was hollow and far-reaching, as though it came from the edge of the sky, carrying a sacred echo. "And you... my dear son Xiutake, your resurrection will bring me even more pleasing news. This is a foretelling of the truth, without the slightest falsehood."

"Yes, Father, your prophecy contains no falsehood..."

"Not mine. It is the truth's. Come, tell me what you have accomplished."

"As you command, Father. I found him!"

Xiutake's voice trembled, his excitement beyond measure. "I found the Crown from the supreme prophecy! That person really has appeared. He can enter the Gate of Truth and return unharmed!"

At those words, even those blood-red eyes, still as an ancient well, showed a ripple.

"The Crown..."

Edward III recited softly, "When the Crown appears in the world, it shall subdue the scepter and the ring, becoming my authority. It shall guide the sun, moon, and stars to circle at my side. Then I shall yearn with devotion and knock thirty-six times with blood. After that, I shall ascend to godhood and become truth incarnate!"

"Congratulations, Father! Congratulations!"

Xiutake clapped and cheered. "Now we only need to find the maidens who represent the sun, moon, and stars, and everything will be ready!"

As his voice fell, a rune suddenly appeared on the throne behind Edward III, flashing repeatedly in the dark space.

"Star Maiden... After years of planning, it is time for you to return to your place. A pure and flawless child, who suffered calamity because of the stars and fell into darkness, then emerged from the abyss because of the tuner of the stars. Now, return to the embrace of the stars!"

The next moment, the dark space suddenly brightened. The surrounding scene reversed, giving way to a new world.

Beneath a clear sky, a blood-red meteor fell from above, crashing toward a quiet little town!

In an instant, fire and blood washed over everything in turn. A maiden in white lay fallen in a pool of blood, able only to watch as everything she treasured turned to ashes!

"Aaaah!!"

Phrolova suddenly wailed in her sleep.

She curled into a ball, clutching the sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The doll was pushed into a corner of the bed.

Her face contorted, and she bit her lip until it bled. Broken sobs escaped her throat, as if something were choking the breath from her. Tears streamed from her tightly shut eyes, mixing with cold sweat and soaking part of the doll.

"Stars... don't... please... get away from me!!"

She tossed and turned, kicking wildly. The covers had long since been kicked onto the floor. For a moment, she suddenly arched her back, as though trying to escape the dream, only to be dragged back by something and slammed onto the bed!

"Phrolova, pull yourself together! Wake up!"

Rover sprang to his feet and called out loudly, his face anxious. Her frequency was highly unstable—a sign of extreme danger!

"Mission issued. Phrolova has been detected trapped in a nightmare. Please wake her in time. Mission reward: awaken any Fullbring."

"This... how do I wake her?"

"System prompt: there are three paths to choose from. First, slap her!"

"Then I choose the second."

"Rear naked choke, body slam, then tombstone piledriver!"

"Gah... then I choose the third."

"Kiss her!"