Shikadai turned to Nameless, trying to keep his voice gentle:
"Nameless, tell us what you want to do. What's your wish? Once you leave here, where do you want to go? What kind of person do you want to be?"
But Nameless only looked up timidly, glancing from Shikadai to Boruto. Her beautiful eyes remained blank with confusion, and she seemed at a loss over the discussion around her.
She appeared to understand some of their words, but not their more complicated meaning. She couldn't give them a clear answer.
Instinctively, she shrank farther behind Boruto.
Shikadai sighed. He knew that asking Nameless directly might get him nowhere while her mind was still confused or shut away.
He took Boruto by the arm and led him into a nearby grove.
Once they were out of everyone else's sight, Shikadai lowered his voice and spoke to Boruto with utmost seriousness:
"Boruto, listen carefully. The situation is clear now."
"Whether Child Emperor, Shinki, Yeto, I, and everyone unconscious in Sunagakure can wake up and return to the real world depends on you. You're the key to all of this."
"Me?" Boruto pointed at himself, scarcely able to believe it. A heavy weight settled on his shoulders.
"Yes, you." Shikadai nodded firmly. "Think of it this way."
"In this enormous illusion 'game,' you're the only designated 'player character.' The rest of us, even Child Emperor's earlier 'sacrifice,' are more like 'mechanics' or 'data' meant to support you and move the story forward."
"If we 'die' here, it might only mean our characters leave the story. As long as you, the 'protagonist,' clear the game, there's still a chance to put things right."
He paused. Seeing the resolve growing in Boruto's eyes, he continued:
"So we must have reached a critical point in the