Materialization level increased

"Black Rock... Shooter?"

Chen Xiao naturally recognized this character, who had originated from a certain world's number-one princess. He had listened to the theme song for her TV anime more times than he could count.

But that raised a question.

While Black Rock Shooter appearing in a dream as a symbol of the "heart" fit her lore, how had someone stronger than an ordinary human materialized from a figurine?

The figurines' shared materialization time was clearly so short that letting a few ordinary people materialize for several minutes would nearly use it all up.

"What exactly is..."

Before Chen Xiao could figure it out, Black Rock Shooter slowly turned around and silently placed her hand on his shoulder. Azure flames, identical to those in her eye, immediately sprang up over his body.

"Even if you're cremating me, there's no need to rush~"

Perhaps the sense of security Black Rock Shooter gave him was strong enough that, despite the strange change happening to his body, Chen Xiao showed no panic at all. He even muttered a little quip.

Soon, his body within the dream had burned away completely.

At the same time, a sequence of images unfolded in Chen Xiao's consciousness...

Were these Black Rock Shooter's memories?

-Several minutes earlier-

"Young master?"

Alice was the first to notice something was wrong.

As an attentive maid in black who constantly watched over Chen Xiao's physical condition, she materialized from her figurine form beside his bed almost instantly.

When she saw the pain on Chen Xiao's face from the hooded man's attack, all her usual elegance and composure vanished.

"Young master! What's wrong?! Do you have a fever? Or are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Alice pressed her palm against Chen Xiao's forehead and tried gently patting his cheeks to wake him, but neither worked.

"No... the young master needs a doctor."

Alice's gaze quickly swept toward the enormous figurine display cabinet nearby, settling on a figurine with a voluptuous figure and an air of natural, languid absentmindedness.

"Miss Marikawa, please help me."

With a faint flash of light, Shizuka Marikawa appeared beside the bed in office attire, the magnificent peaks on her chest swaying slightly with her movements.

The gorgeous school nurse from Highschool of the Dead rubbed her sleepy eyes, seemingly just roused from a nap.

"Huh? Alice? What's wrong... ah! A-Xiao!"

Shizuka Marikawa first tilted her head in confusion. Then, seeing Chen Xiao lying in bed with his face twisted in pain, she looked both bewildered and distressed.

"I don't know. That's why I asked you to take a look, Miss Marikawa."

Alice hurriedly moved aside.

"Mm-hmm, understood. Let your big sister take a look~"

Shizuka Marikawa bent down and extended her slender, pale fingers. First she felt Chen Xiao's forehead, then lifted his eyelids to check his pupils, before pressing against his chest to listen to his heartbeat...

Her overly voluptuous figure made all these actions look like she was getting handsy with Chen Xiao, but the situation was so dangerous that certain figurines had no time to hiss at her.

Yet after completing the examination, Shizuka Marikawa's eyes were full of confusion.

"Mm... how strange... his temperature is a little high, and his heartbeat is very fast... but..."

Shizuka Marikawa mentally reviewed the medical knowledge she had been given.

"No external injuries, no obvious inflammatory response... it doesn't look like a cold or poisoning... could excessive stress have caused nervous exhaustion? Or is he just having a nightmare?"

In the end, she scratched her long blond hair in frustration.

"In this situation... I... I'm not quite sure... sorry..."

Alice's heart sank. Of all the characters they could currently materialize, Shizuka Marikawa was already the closest thing to a doctor.

Even a character like Shinobu Kocho, who was no different from an ordinary person without her breathing techniques, would consume two-thirds of their time the instant she materialized, let alone make it to Chen Xiao's bedside to examine him!

At that thought, Alice looked toward the figurine display cabinet nearby again.

Inside the display compartment labeled [To Love] stood a stunning female figurine in a white coat, with a mature air and a figure every bit as voluptuous as Shizuka Marikawa's...

A doctor whose lore gave her the finest medical techniques in the universe-Ryoko Mikado.

If only they could materialize her...

"Haah..."

But that was impossible. They simply could not afford the energy required to materialize Ryoko Mikado.

Were they really supposed to just stand there and watch their young master suffer?

Just as Alice and Shizuka Marikawa stood helplessly in place, their anxiety nearly reaching its peak...

"Idiots! You're all idiots! That's not an illness!"

A clear, childish voice suddenly rang out in the silent room, like a stone dropped into still water.

Alice and Shizuka Marikawa whipped their heads toward a corner of the display cabinet.

A petite figurine there was faintly glowing pinkish purple. She had short purplish-red hair, black horizontal pupils within green eyes, and tiny, fairy-like pointed ears peeking out between her hat and her reddish-purple hair.

She wore a black midriff-baring combat outfit, very short shorts, and thigh-high stockings. Her clothing bore closed-eye motifs, and a protective sleeve covered her right arm.

She was none other than the heroine of Dream Eater Merry-Merry Nightmare!

Mari stood with her hands on her hips, her cute little face plainly expressing her disgust at how stupid they were.

"That doesn't look anything like an illness, okay?! A-Xiao's being attacked by someone with supernatural powers!"

Alice and Shizuka Marikawa jolted in alarm at her words.

"Attacked by someone with supernatural powers?!"

How had they not thought of that?!

They immediately recalled the report about superpowered crime they had seen on the news a few days earlier. They had assumed the culprit would lie low for a while while the authorities hunted him, but he had already resurfaced and targeted Chen Xiao, who had no plans to enroll!

"That's right. A-Xiao's dream was invaded by that superpowered creep. That disgusting bug barged into his dream and attacked his mind! That's why A-Xiao's in so much pain!"

After saying that, Merry could not help glaring fiercely toward several other parts of the display cabinet.

And you lot!

All you "big shots" in the display cabinet!

Aren't you all supposed to be so capable in your lore?

Heroic spirits, shipgirls, even gods... you talk about being able to blow up a planet with one punch!

You can feel that invader's disgusting presence now too, can't you?

You're practically exploding with anger, aren't you?

And what do you do?

The moment you sensed Chen Xiao's life wasn't in danger, you stopped doing anything!

Even though you're itching to tear that invader apart with your bare hands, you're still holding yourselves back!

You're still calculating the cost!

You're afraid that spending a little more power now will mean materializing a step behind someone else later and missing your chance to show off your stats, aren't you?!

And you dress it up as "giving the other figurines a chance"...

What a bunch of selfish jerks! Idiots! Cowards!

You even made me spend my power acting as your mouthpiece! It's infuriating!

The figurines in those sections seemed to "hear" Merry's thoughts. Their bodies trembled slightly, as though they had made a mental note of her.

(Holding a grudge.jpg)

"So that's what happened!"

Meanwhile, Alice and Shizuka Marikawa finally understood after hearing her explanation, but an even deeper sense of helplessness followed.

An invasion through dreams?

That was completely beyond their abilities!

"A d-dream? An invasion? What should we do?"

Shizuka Marikawa waved her hands in panic.

"Young master..."

Alice gazed at Chen Xiao's still-pained expression and listened to his unconscious moans, her azure eyes filled with heartache.

Then she gently knelt beside Chen Xiao's bed and carefully cradled his burning hand as though holding the most precious treasure.

She lowered her head, pressed the back of Chen Xiao's hand against her smooth forehead, and closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

All she could do now was pray that Chen Xiao could defeat the enemy in his dream.

"Alice..."

Seeing her like this, Shizuka Marikawa also stepped forward and knelt beside the bed to pray for Chen Xiao.

The other figurines capable of materializing followed suit, each spending part of their materialization time to appear beside Chen Xiao's bed and pray for him.

Even if it was only for a single second.

And at that moment, the world seemed to answer their prayers.

Chen Xiao's body suddenly shone with dazzling light.

"Wah! What's this... my eyes! Wait! That's strange, my body... I didn't turn back?!"

A girl who gave off a distinctly "little-kid" vibe had just finished praying when the sudden "flashbang" from Chen Xiao's body dazzled her eyes.

Then she discovered, to her astonishment, that she had not turned back into a figurine.

"Nina?" ×2

The high-school girl with long, straight black hair and the brown-skinned older woman beside her looked surprised.

Then they realized that, although they too had allotted only one second for their prayers, they were somehow still materialized!

"You're kidding! I only just turned back!"

A girl figurine with medium-length platinum-blond hair complained from inside the display cabinet.

"A-Xiao's body turned into a flashbang! Hey! Why'd you hit me?!"

"That's not a flashbang!"

"So A-Xiao has... awakened?"

"What are you standing around for? The materialization level has already increased! The first one to materialize can use their full power!"

"What?! The first one gets to use their full power?!"

"First come, first served!"

The moment they learned this, the entire figurine display erupted into chaos. Aside from the immensely powerful figures who still could not materialize, almost everyone capable of entering dreams coveted this chance to be the "first" to show off in front of Chen Xiao!

And by playing the hero rescuing a damsel in distress, no less!

"Waaaah... stop fighting! We can't hold up the display cabinet if it falls over!"

The girl called Nina stared at the enormous display cabinet rattling wildly with repeated thuds and clung to the high-school girl beside her in panic.

"Nina, you're squeezing too hard... let go..."

The high-school girl could only suffer.

Just as the scene descended into utter chaos, a black-and-blue figure suddenly shot out of the display cabinet, deftly dodged the blockade of several chains, and dove toward Chen Xiao's head, instantly merging into it.

"Ah..."

The display cabinet's riot stopped.

-End of memory-

"So that's what happened..."

After watching the recap, Chen Xiao more or less understood.

Apparently, he had awakened his supernatural power while on the verge of death.

Although he did not know exactly what it did, awakening his ability had increased both the level and duration of the figurines' materialization. That was why Black Rock Shooter had been able to enter his dream and save him!