Chapter 463

This was the world that Tachibana had woven herself, the world she was preparing to create. Step by step, she walked toward the falling fruit. At this moment, Star Flower knew very well that it would be useless to try to attack at this time.

"But many people are willing to be deceived, even if it's fake, and what does it matter if they can't wake up, when there's even a glimmer of hope that makes it feel real?"

The Demon King slowly opened his cold, indifferent eyes:

"It's a pity that the child was deceived by a beautiful dream and is trapped in it, while you can only fight alone."

"After I've dealt with you, everything will end, and everything will begin."

"However, you will forever be trapped in nightmares, my betrayer."

Dark bubbles, the end of a dream.

Beneath the fruit of light, the Demon King and the Magic girl stand facing each other amidst a profusion of blooming flowers, gazing at one another.

This battle will be so intense that it will leave everyone battered and bruised.

The battle will be very quiet, so as not to disturb the children's sweet dreams.

In the final moments before the battle began, Star Flower gazed deeply at the dream image presented by the fruit, seeing the beautiful dream that Tachibana had woven to trap Kazama Kiriori. Perhaps she had intended to whisper some words of encouragement.

But in the end, she took it back lightly, returned it to herself, and breathed a sigh of relief:

"I'll do my best, President, and so will you."

"Then, let's begin."

Chapter 210 Family

Kazama Kiriori felt like she was dreaming.

In her dream, the booming sounds were still ringing in her ears, and she could almost hear the sounds of other people fighting, some of which were familiar, such as the voice of Star Flower.

This made it impossible for her to sleep well, even in her dreams.

I need to wake up soon.

But being awake means that she was sleeping before. Kazama Kiriori felt that she had a full night's sleep because she even had a blanket over her.

Why is there still a blanket?

When she woke up in bed, Kazama Kiriori was in a daze. She was neither injured nor on a battlefield, but in a room that was quite unfamiliar to her.

His gaze wandered, shifting and looking to the left and right.

"... What."

She looked bewildered.

In addition, there was a hint of drowsiness and dullness.

She had just been fighting, but upon waking up, she saw such a peaceful scene. Kazama Kiriori began to wonder if everything that had happened before was just a nightmare.

But she really doesn't have the luxury of dreaming right now.

But now she was completely confused and didn't know how to leave.

Oh right... before she became like this, she fought the Flower Demon King, right? What happened in the end?

My head hurts so much and I feel so dizzy.

She couldn't help but rub her eyes, feeling like she couldn't quite remember.

A sense of urgency prompted her to act quickly, but when she got out of bed, the dizzying sense of comfort in her head and the satisfaction and exhaustion in her body made her feel as if the battle that had just taken place was a dream.

She even wanted to go wash up.

Kazama Kiriori quickly realized that her current environment was eroding her memories and senses, making her increasingly insensitive to the past.

... Just wash your face.

Thinking of this, Kazama Kiriori found the washroom in this quiet yet unfamiliar environment. She felt inexplicably familiar with the place, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

In her dazed state, the scene before her eyes brought her to a more awakening state, revealing a confusion that only she herself understood.

Because the environment here suddenly reminded her of something.

"..."

She noticed that the cups and toothbrushes on the sink were for three people.

Kazama Kiriori subconsciously reached out and touched them. Although they were completely unfamiliar things, she seemed to be able to easily identify which one was hers.

She could even guess whose the other two cups belonged to.

She looked at herself in the mirror again. Although it was a familiar face, the length and style of her hair seemed different from her own.

Unconsciously, she suppressed her anxiety and washed her face first.

Next, Kazama Kiriori returned to her room, wanting to search for any clues.

But she always deliberately avoided going too far out of the room, as if she would see something she didn't want to see if she went any further.

Unconsciously, she suppressed her agitation, but her eyes dimmed without her even noticing.

In this room, she has her own desk, which is neat and beautiful.

There were many small and exquisite items on it, such as dolls, clocks, and brooches, which didn't seem like things she would buy for herself, but rather gifts that someone else would give her.

She searched through the room for a while, relying on her intuition.

Finally, she found something unexpected: her own Gale Crystal.

When she held it in her hand, Kazama Kiriori felt that her memories of the past were much clearer and more grounded. At the same time, images of this room resurfaced in her mind, making it impossible for her to ignore this place any longer.

In fact, she was no stranger to this place.

Because this is...

She said it softly to herself.

Kazama Kiriori had these thoughts in mind, reality didn't leave her any time to think. At that moment, a gentle sound of a door being pushed open echoed in the room, and someone opened the door to her room and casually looked in.

The cracks in the room widened, letting in more and more light from outside.

A woman's silhouette appeared in the light.

"Kiriori? She's awake. Would you like some dessert?"

"That's what the person who came in from outside said."

Kazama Kiriori hadn't heard that voice in a long time, but it didn't feel unfamiliar; instead, it felt warm and gentle.

She froze for a moment, then turned her head blankly to look at the doorway.

Her gaze reflected that person's image.

She was a woman whose features resembled hers, but whose demeanor was more mature and older; she was undoubtedly a stunning beauty.

When she saw this woman, Kazama Kiriori's previously troubled gaze involuntarily turned sour; almost instinctively, her mind went blank.

After a long moment of reverie, she only managed a blank, wooden reply:

"Um."

Everything felt like a dream.

Or perhaps it really is a dream.

She changed her clothes, went into the living room, and finally realized it: this was her childhood home.

She used to live here with her biological parents.

And there's no doubt who that woman was.

Some of the furnishings in this house are different from those of her childhood, but Kazama Kiriori can easily imagine how this place would have become what it is today if she had grown up in this house successfully.

She soon spotted a man on the sofa in the living room.

The person was watching TV as if nothing was wrong.

She glanced at the calendar; it seemed to be the weekend. If she were still in high school, it would indeed be a normal holiday. In her memory, her parents also had a few days off on this day each month.

Kazama Kiriori naturally thought that her father had completely quit smoking when she was in elementary school, so there was no familiar faint smell of smoke in this house.

"..."

She sat down at the dining table in a daze.

The whistling wind could be heard in her ears, causing Kazama Kiriori to subconsciously tighten her grip on the cuffs of her clothes.

Kazama Kiriori recalled the seductive words she had heard from the Flower Demon King.

She didn't have amnesia, so if this isn't a hallucination, then what's going on seems obvious.

This is terrible. It all seems to be an illusion woven by the Flower Demon King. Staying here is not a good thing.

However, a question did indeed pop into her mind at that moment.

What should she do?

How to leave, what to say, what to do, and what can she possibly accomplish?

The inner monologue seemed unstoppable.

Otherwise, I won't be able to calm myself down.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the aroma of caramel wafting from the kitchen, a warm and comforting scent that seemed to melt away the snow and wind outside the window.

Kazama Kiriori looked up and saw a woman—her mother—walking towards her with a plate of freshly baked pastries, looking dignified and elegant.

It was a scene of unfamiliarity after a long absence, yet everything felt so natural, as if she had lived like this for a long time without that upheaval, and the world had continued to operate in this healthy direction until now.

"Eat up, I added a lot of honey this time, just like you told me last time."

The mother gently stroked Kazama Kiriori Kirito's long, black hair, speaking softly.

With a clinking sound, a plate of caramel shortbread was placed in front of her, steaming hot and comforting.

Without her having to do anything, that dignified and cheerful woman brought her another cup of hot tea, steaming with white vapor, which made Kazama Kiriori's skin, which had been slightly cool when she first woke up, feel warm again.

"... Thanks."

Kazama Kiriori whispered her thanks, then looked at the sugar candy in front of her, feeling lost.

The woman sat down across the table, as if she wanted to watch Kazama Kiriori eat.

Under her watchful gaze, Kazama Kiriori seemed to have no other choice.

After a while, Kazama Kiriori picked up the sugar candy with a fork, blew on it, and took a small bite. The hot candy numbed her tongue.

"So sweet..."

This was Kazama Kiriori's first thought.

She clearly loves sweets, but this time she thought it was too sweet.

Sweet things make my teeth hurt.

But the mother across the table didn't seem to notice this; she smiled and said:

"It's sweet, isn't it? Remember to brush your teeth after you finish eating."

Perhaps because she had lived with Haihara for so long, Kazama Kiriori hadn't eaten anything so sweet in a long time.

After that, Kazama Kiriori didn't say anything and silently finished the sugar cake. Although she wasn't hungry, she tried to eat as many as possible.

Moreover, she ate in a rather silly way because she was in a hurry.

"Why are you eating so fast? Are you planning to go out later?"

The mother looked surprised and looked at her daughter with concern.

Kazama Kiriori's eyes flickered:

"Hmm? Maybe, oh... yes."

She needs to... hurry up and leave.

We can't stay here too long.

Chapter 211 The End and the Beginning of the Dream