Why play in a band if not for life?

"Ah... ah..." She had stood up at some point, her dazed eyes repeatedly confirming that Hina, her sister, was indeed by the door. The one who always surpassed her from afar, the one who always burst into her room, the one who would bring her an umbrella when it rained...

Her only sister.

"Is this a dream?" Sayo trembled as she approached Hina. "Hina shouldn't be here."

"Mhm, it's a dream," Hina also walked closer to Sayo. "So, you can do whatever you want."

Sayo pinched her own arm and averted her gaze.

"I see."

"Sister, how long has it been since we last met?"

"...For me, it's been four months," Sayo recalled. "And you?"

"I haven't seen my sister in four months either." Hina moved closer to Sayo. "Sister... Sister...!" She buried herself in Sayo's embrace, her voice choked with sobs.

"Hina!" Sayo tightly hugged her. The warmth of her body. Hina, Hina was here, no mistake...

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Hina..." Sayo also started to cry. "I... I..."

"Why are you crying... I finally get to see you... Sister..."

"I... I regret it," Sayo confessed into Hina's ear. "I, I wanted to improve our relationship... but just as our relationship got better, then..."

"So stop crying, Sister!" Hina turned Sayo's face towards her. "I'm right here now..."

"But... but dreams do wake up..." Sayo dared not look at Hina's face.

So, Hina leaned close to Sayo's ear. "In that case, let's say everything we want to say in this dream."

Hina sat down in front of Sayo's room door.

"Sister, where are you now?" Hina said, leaning against the door. "It's been four months since you suddenly disappeared."

"Everyone is looking for you. Although the members of Poppin'Party are also gone, Afterglow, Hello, Happy World!, and Pastel*Palettes, everyone is trying hard to find you."

"I asked Pastel*Palettes' fans for help, and they were very enthusiastic. Look, they even brought me some comfort items." A cup of tea sat beside Hina. The tea leaves were a gift from a fan, said to have a calming effect.

"Not just tea, but flowers, postcards, and even a few boxes of fish..."

"Although, I haven't participated in Pastel*Palettes' activities for a long time..." Hina's tone became a little somber at this point.

"I haven't been to the Astronomy Club in a long time either. Because whenever I look up, I see the Gemini stars you pointed out to me..." Two tears uncontrollably dripped onto the wooden floor.

"...Me too. Whenever I see rain, I think of the day you brought me an umbrella," Sayo confided, leaning against Hina's back, pouring out her longing. "When I saw you walking towards me in the rain, the moment I took the umbrella—all the memories rushed back then. That's why I cried so weakly. Did you know? After that, I stored all my umbrellas at CiRCLE. At the time, I thought, no matter how hard it rained, I wouldn't bother Hina anymore..."

"I gained a superpower here. The superpower is called [Sudden Autumn Rain Umbrella Layers]. Whenever I use it, I feel like I'm back on that day. But no one comes to bring me an umbrella anymore. Even CiRCLE, where I stored my umbrellas, is gone now..."

"Actually, right now, sob, I want to bother Hina a little..."

"Sister, are you still keeping our promise? Are you still playing the guitar?"

"I... I've been playing... no matter how busy I am..."

"I believe you. Because you're my favorite sister."

"I've also been playing the guitar. Even though I haven't gone to the talent agency, I've been playing. Always, always, playing every day." Hina raised her hand, which was covered in bandages.

"I want Sister to know. When Sister comes back, I want to show Sister my progress..."

"Sister, where are you? Sister, when will you come back? Sister, can you come back?"

"...Do you know? A few days ago... Miss Marina's body was found at CiRCLE."

"We held a funeral for her."

"So many people came to Miss Marina's funeral. Most of them were the girls from the bands who used to perform at CiRCLE."

"When I went to lay flowers for Miss Marina, I saw that her face looked peaceful."

Hina asked the air, "What did she face? Are you facing the same situation as her, Sister?"

Sayo replied to Shiko, "If even someone like Miss Marina can die, how can I say that I can live to see you again, Hina?"

"...But I believe Sister definitely can," Shiko said, pressing against Sayo's back with conviction.

Shiko said, "No matter what kind of situation I encounter, no matter how dangerous it is, my sister will be safe and sound."

"So I will keep getting stronger to return to your side. Then, I'll tell Hina about the starry sky here properly," Sayo stood up.

"So I will keep practicing the guitar for that day. Then, I'll let Sister see my efforts," Hina stood up.

From the room behind Hina, there was a slight sound.

"Sister?" She pressed her ear against the door, clearly hearing footsteps inside.

Hina took out a wire she had prepared long ago. Although her mother had locked the door, a lock of this level couldn't stop her. As she inserted the wire into the keyhole, Hina's hands trembled so much that she tried several times before succeeding.

The door opened. The furnishings in the room had not changed since that day.

All the furniture was covered in dust. But there was a letter on the desk, which had been placed there recently.

Hina's hand touched the letter. It was real, the texture of paper. She pulled the letter towards herself, leaving a trace on the dusty desk. Finally grasping the letter firmly, Hina looked it over repeatedly. There was nothing special on the envelope. Next, it was time to open it.

Hina felt nervous for the first time in a long time. When was the last time? It was hard to say, but it seemed to be related to her sister.

Slowly unfolding the letter, she saw her sister's familiar handwriting—

"I don't know when it will be, but I will return someday. Please give my regards to everyone."

"Sayo Hikawa."

Sayo drank the alcohol Shiko handed her and had already fallen asleep. Shiko tucked her in and quietly left the room.

Everyone was standing outside the door. Shiko made a "shushing" gesture to them and led them a little further away.

"Was it successful?" Although her expression was still stern, Yukina was the first to stand up and ask.

Shiko hesitated, nodded, then shook her head.

"You're this Shiko?" Ichiri noticed the anomaly from the change in her aura.

"Yes, I switched halfway through, but I think I played my part well." Shiko looked into the pitch-black interior of the cave.

"Then..."

"But I think she saw through it." Shiko's expression didn't change.

"Wh-!"

"She didn't call me out on it." Shiko suppressed their exclamations. "Whether I apologize or pretend nothing happened next depends on her attitude."

"But that's a dreamlike thought, Kokoro." The tall, purple-haired girl who had just climbed out of the Hikawa residence window looked at the blonde girl before her.

Kokoro Tsurumaki smiled expectantly, "That's right! Sayo will definitely come back. Until then, we just need to make Hina believe that. That's enough, Kaoru!"

"Will Hina-chan really be able to smile like this?" Misaki looked at the window of Sayo's room, deeply skeptical. After all, this was no small matter.

"Sayo, you seem to be in much better spirits," Yukina said to Sayo after their next practice session.

Sayo smiled, "Yes, I had a good dream a few days ago."

"A good dream?"

"That's right." Sayo hugged her guitar. "But, one such dream is enough." Her gaze flickered to Shiko nearby.

Shiko nonchalantly averted her gaze.

At least, I don't have to apologize... right?

Chapter 10: Ako's Coolness (Happy Dragon Boat Festival~)

"Dawn of Atonement! Now is the time for sunrise!" Kita struck a cool pose for the camera and unleashed her strongest attack forward!

As the sky suddenly turned crimson, large swathes of monsters wandering the plains turned into charcoal.

"...So cool! Kita!" Ako looked at Kita with adoration. Seeing Shiko, who was holding a camera, nod at her, Kita could no longer hold on and collapsed into Ichiri's arms. Although with her increased strength, she wouldn't faint from using this move without buffs anymore, temporary exhaustion was still unavoidable.

It was currently night. They were camping on a plain far from the riverbank. The person on watch discovered the approaching danger and woke everyone up. The monsters, which had been nowhere to be seen during the day, were now swarming towards them from all directions. They fought back fiercely and achieved good results.

"But there are too many..." Yukina stopped. She had already lost count of how many times she had unleashed thorns, but the enemies still poured out of the ground endlessly. Individually, the monsters posed no threat to them now, but their sheer numbers forced them to temporarily retreat. Her head throbbed. Although her abilities primarily enhanced her physical body and reaction time, constantly generating thorns put a significant strain on her intelligence. She trained in all attributes, and as a result, Yukina wasn't outstanding in any single attribute, making her the most prone to fatigue in prolonged battles.

Yukina pressed her left arm. During the enemy's high-density attack, the defense in that area was briefly breached, leaving a wound. Although Idochi-kun immediately discovered it and provided treatment, it still hurt. She frowned and continued to fight. This night, the sounds of the organ and bass never ceased, and the blue rose bloomed eerily under the starlight.

As the brilliant sun disc erupted, a large number of monsters began to retreat back into the ground, leaving only a few stragglers.

Everyone collapsed on the ground, drenched in sweat.

"Everyone, you worked hard..." Even though she was exhausted, Lisa didn't forget to say this.

"...I'm sorry, this is my responsibility," Yukina said. "The campsite was too conspicuous."

After a night of intense exertion, everyone desperately needed rest. They found a hidden spot and set up their tents. Except for Shiko, the others drew lots to determine who would be on watch. Ako was the first.

"Are you really... okay? Should I go first... I'm not sleepy yet..." Rinko looked at Ako's dark eye circles with concern.

Ako forced herself to stay alert and showed a confident smile, "It's okay, Rinrin! I'm Archdemon Ako, this little thing... this little thing..."

"You don't need to worry about us, right?" Shiko added. "Don't worry, I'll be watching nearby too." When one Shiko appeared, the other was effectively in a dormant state. Although the current Shiko was also in a state of fighting all night, her condition was much better than the others. While she couldn't stand guard, she could supervise the guards to make sure they didn't fall asleep.

"I see~ Then you two do your best~" Lisa left behind a few matcha cookies with invigorating properties. Everyone gradually went into the tents.

Only Ako and Shiko remained outside.

"Want some coffee?" Shiko offered a cup.

"Thanks, but if I drink it now, I won't be able to sleep later." Ako sat on a large rock and called down, "Shiko-chan, come up quickly, the view here is great!"

Shiko drank her coffee and walked forward. The ground rose beneath her feet, and she, with her hem fluttering, ascended step by step to Ako's side. This move made Ako's eyes light up.

"So--cool--"

"Shiko-chan is really cool everywhere, when fighting, in daily life, and when performing..."

"I let the other me handle the performances," Shiko admitted shamelessly that she was slacking off. She sat down cross-legged. The view here was indeed good, and the perspective suddenly opened up considerably. The only drawback was that the traces of the previous battle filled the view, greatly damaging the natural beauty.

"Then the other Shiko-chan is also cool--but Shiko was really cool just now--especially that thing--"

"What?" Shiko saw Ako trying hard to imitate her combat posture. Her gestures and expressions were almost perfectly copied.

Shiko rubbed her chin and recalled the moment with her.

"Was it this?" Shiko pulled out a crimson talisman and struck a previous pose. "Universal Illumination: Pure World Blazing Sun!"

"Yes, yes, that's it!" Ako's eyes lit up upon hearing the skill name, sounding more energetic than someone who had been up all night. "And that Supreme... Nether..."

"It's Supreme North Pole Dark Nether Demon Subduing Precious Scroll." Shiko recited the name, not finding it awkward at all.

Ako's face turned red. "Mmmph—so cool! It's not the same kind of cool as Ako's, but it's still so cool!"

"Speaking of which, your skills are like that too, right?" Shiko said. "Like '[Pact of the Infernal Source]'."

"Yeah, some of them I came up with myself, some Rinrin thought of, and some I found in NFO!" After saying that, Ako proudly crossed her arms, as if waiting for praise. NFO was an online game Ako liked.

"Skill names in games are often cooler than the ones we come up with ourselves. I also think skill names in many web novels are pretty good." Shiko deliberately pretended not to understand, formed a hand seal, and petals began to drift around them. "I don't seek immortality, only to wait for your return in this mortal world! [One Thought Blooms, You Rule the World]!"

Ako wasn't disappointed. She grinned, and black mist rose around her. "You wish to challenge the... pitch-black... dark... from the underworld..." Her pose froze in mid-air, her face reddening.

"Rin..." She instinctively turned to the side, only to see empty air. "Ah, Rinrin isn't here."

Her head turned back. Their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... Shiko-chan..." Ako's small body trembled with laughter. "Shiko-chan, why do you pursue this kind of coolness?"

Shiko looked up at the sky. "...I just feel like when I'm under too much pressure, I naturally become a bit chuunibyou. I was really chuunibyou during my college entrance exam period."

"Is that so." Ako's voice grew somber.

Noticing the change in her tone, Shiko turned to Ako. Ako still had a smile lingering on her face, her twin tails swaying in the wind. Her crimson eyes gazed vaguely into the unseen distance.

"Actually, Ako thinks there's something really cool about Shiko-chan too." Her tone was like a murmur, but the content wasn't.

"What?"

Ako turned to face Shiko, but kept her eyes down, not daring to look her in the face. "Ako said it, will Shiko-chan be angry?"

Seeing her adorable expression, Shiko couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle her head, but her hand stopped in mid-air. "...No, go ahead and say it."

Reassured, Ako breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, Ako thinks Shiko-chan's split personality is really cool."