At that very instant, a strange mental resonance was triggered within the twisted dream Enmu had so painstakingly woven. Perhaps because Rokuya had forcibly linked himself to Shinobu's subconscious through arcana power, he could actually "hear" her inner voice with perfect clarity!
He'll die... with injuries this serious, even Rokuya will die...
It was the helpless lament of a little girl facing the imminent collapse of her entire world.
It was so close, so terribly close! If he hadn't come back, if he'd died at Muzan's hands... what would I do? What would my sister do?
Two streams of clear tears finally spilled uncontrollably from those purple eyes, striking the tatami with a heartbreaking sound of shattering.
Rokuya watched it all from within the body, feeling the almost drowning terror and attachment pouring from the depths of Shinobu's mind.
So, back then, she had not merely been afraid. For the first time... she had recognized her feelings for him with such clarity. They had already gone far beyond simple gratitude and dependence. It was the feeling that "if I lose him, my soul will die along with him"!
"What are you crying for... I'm not dead, am I?" Following the established course of history, the Rokuya in the dream reached out with his uninjured right hand and ruffled her short hair roughly, yet gently.
No, it's not enough... I'm too weak. I'm not even worthy of protecting him... I need power. Whatever the price, I have to be able to stand beside him!
Shinobu's heart was roaring with the madness of someone driven into a corner. Rokuya heard every word clearly. It felt as though an enormous boulder had been pressed onto his heart, so heavy he could hardly breathe.
As Shinobu's emotions changed, the images of the dream began