Chapter 39. Awakening from the Dream (Part 1)

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I had a dream. In this dream, I was back on Earth, living my first life once again. Everything felt so familiar, so comforting. I was an ordinary student again, leading a regular life, surrounded by people I knew and loved. For the first time in what felt like ages, I hugged my parents, heard their voices, and felt the warmth of their embrace. I hugged my younger brother and sister, feeling all the love and care we always shared. For the first time in a long while, I could remember the faces of my family and close friends, their smiles and laughter that had always brought me joy. Everything in this dream seemed so real and familiar, as if I had truly returned to the past.

But there were two things that kept me from fully enjoying this dream. The first was a black sun, hanging ominously high above my head. It was strange and unsettling, disrupting the idyll around me. The second was a deep sense of dissonance. I was no longer the loving son and diligent student who procrastinated until the last moment. My own actions had condemned countless people across Japan to death and suffering, and in a month or two, I would plunge the entire world into chaos, forcing it to adapt to a new reality. How many people would suffer from the emergence of true superpowers? It was impossible to count.

Yet, as I gazed at the black sun, these worries were pushed to the back of my mind.

"What a familiar situation," I whispered melancholically, recalling the moment I first realized my territory had expanded. This dream felt like more than just a memory. "The only difference now is that there's no creature watching me, no presence that jolts me awake every time."

Honestly, knowing that this dream was far from ordinary, I tried countless times to uncover the truth. I played a staring contest with the black sun, trying to understand its nature, waiting for it to blink and lock eyes with me so that I would wake up. But no matter how long I stared at the black orb, nothing happened. It was as if the black sun was just part of the scenery, devoid of any life.

I decided to change tactics and took a more destructive approach, attempting to summon the "City of Calamities." But that effort was quickly snuffed out. Even though I could feel my spiritual energy, sense its power and magnitude, I couldn't control it for some reason. I strained with all my might, trying to invoke any manifestation of my abilities, but to no avail. It was as if something was holding me back, preventing me from using my powers. There was this strange feeling of helplessness, like I had become an ordinary human once more.

In the end, the only thing I could do was continue living an ordinary life, just as I had before my rebirth. I attended classes, met up with friends, and spent time with my family. Everything felt so real that sometimes I began to wonder if my second life had just been an unusually long dream.

I questioned the reality of everything that was happening. Could it all just be a figment of my imagination? But the black sun, ever-present and oppressive, told me otherwise.

"How long have I been asleep?" I muttered, staring at the ceiling of the lecture hall. My thoughts wandered, searching for answers to all the questions that troubled me. My eyes traced the familiar outlines of the room, and I felt a faint sense of déjà vu. Everything was so familiar, yet at the same time, so strange.

But what was even stranger was that I didn't feel any anxiety or nervousness about my absence from the real world. Maybe it was the confidence that the others would manage, at least for a while. Or maybe I just didn't care whether they succeeded or not, knowing their failure wouldn't affect my plans... And honestly, I didn't want to admit that I was turning into such a bastard.

Emotionally, I tried to pep myself up, saying, "Hey, man, they're waiting for you. And let's be real, you're looking forward to seeing them too. That idiot Todo, the serious Nanami, the eternally irritated Nobara, the indifferent Maki, the emo-boy Megumi, the jinchuriki Yuji, the salmon-loving Toge, and Panda… just Panda. Damn it, this was your dream from the start — to change the fates of all these people! And you did it! There's just one last step left: making sure Sukuna and Kenjaku don't flush all your hard work down the toilet."

But the rational part of me was already prepared for the possibility that I might sleep through it all. I was absolutely certain that even if I woke up when everything had gone to hell, I'd still manage to put my plan into action and use Kenjaku's "Culling Game" to my advantage. The deaths of my comrades… it would be tragic, but I couldn't keep babysitting them forever. And would I really be to blame for their deaths?

"Of course, I would," I thought. "I had so many chances to prevent the 'Culling Game'... So, even if indirectly, the responsibility falls on my shoulders."

At least I was still very worried about Maki and Mai, especially Maki. Knowing Mai, she'd bolt as soon as things got dangerous. But Maki… It's so difficult with women who've completely dedicated themselves to a cause. That damn Zenin girl… No matter how much time passed, my feelings for her never faded. Probably because I saw in her something that none of the other girls around me had — a wild dedication to her desires and ideals. Sure, Mai had that too, but unlike that gold digger, I felt a raw sincerity every time I interacted with Maki, even if she rejected me. In a way, that approach to life, the drive to become stronger and move forward no matter what, was what charmed me like a foolish, fallen man.

When I thought about it, Maki was a bit like Sukuna, only, unlike that bastard, she didn't discard things like love, sanity, and camaraderie. I guess that's why I worried about her so much. Despite her "steel" character, she was still just a regular human, and a sister at that, which could lead to some unpleasant consequences. Maki had clearly realized her own weakness during the Shibuya incident. Fueled by that unsettling feeling, her care for her sister, and her own selfishness, her desire to take revenge on her clan and grow stronger might overshadow her rational side... But then again, such a reaction would be completely normal—human, even. So, a comatose guy like me had no control over it, meaning there was no point in worrying about it.

"Unfortunately, the heart doesn't follow orders," I muttered, leaning back in my chair.

I sat there, staring at the ceiling, mulling over everything. My thoughts went in circles, returning to the same questions and doubts. The black sun hung above, and life around me gradually faded into shades of gray.

And then, one day, instead of opening my eyes to the familiar gray world, I was blinded by the bright white light of a wall lamp. A sharp smell of phenol hit my nose shortly after. But all of these sensations paled in comparison to the overwhelming weakness that spread through my body. I didn't feel pain anymore, but the uncomfortable itch and the sensation that my muscles had turned into soft clay wouldn't let me rest.

However, all of those feelings faded into the background when I felt a strange pressure and warmth on my stomach. I glanced down and saw a head of black hair.

"Maki..." I whispered, unable to resist the urge to lift my hand and tuck a stray strand of hair away from her adorable face.

I could have stared at her forever. Her features weren't beautiful in the conventional sense, but I found her face endlessly attractive: wide, cat-like eyes, dark, slanted eyebrows, mischievous, sensual lips, and an almost masculine chin. When she was relaxed like this, I wanted to capture her in a photograph. Her peaceful and serene face, with a tiny bit of drool gathered at the corner of her mouth, which had even started to pool on my stomach. The usually cold, serious girl with a piercing and stern gaze now looked like a true sleeping princess.

"Am I really a lovesick idiot?" I said, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Maki, clearly alert in the current situation, woke up almost immediately after I touched her face and spoke. She blinked in confusion, revealing her sleepy, slightly blurry, and unfocused eyes. But the moment she realized I was looking at her, she instantly snapped awake, shaking off her previous sluggishness, and, to my surprise, she threw herself into my arms, pressing her face into my neck.

Her warm breath tickled my skin, and the two soft spheres pressing against my chest made me smirk. At that moment, I felt all the tension that had built up during my sleep start to melt away.

"I'm ready to fight Sukuna every single day if it means waking up to you like this," I said boldly, running my hand gently along her back.

Of course, I was exaggerating a bit... If I had to go toe-to-toe with Sukuna every day, fighting to the death, the last thing on my mind would be girls. But right now, I genuinely felt a warmth spreading from my heart throughout my entire body, making even such foolish words seem fitting.

"Idiot," Maki muttered, surprising me once more as she pressed herself even closer, burying her face deeper into my neck.

Such sincerity and openness were almost unbelievable coming from someone like Maki. I wasn't the typical oblivious protagonist from a Japanese anime, clueless about what was happening. So instead of blurting out something else ridiculous, I just continued to stroke her back.

"I'm back," I said, my voice warm and soft in a way it hadn't been for a long time.

"Mhm," she simply nodded, holding me even tighter.