Reality

[Someone's Point of View]

The serene rhythm of the sea was abruptly interrupted by the sound of footsteps crunching on the sand. A voice broke the tranquility.

"Hm... interesting," she murmured, approaching the figure lying motionless on the shore.

She crouched down, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Not good... he's not responding..." She pressed her fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse. "He's not dead yet his pulse is weak."

"He is also surrounded by Honkai energy... Who is he..?" she mused aloud, studying the boy lying on the shore.

Just then, a few Honkai beasts emerged from the shadows, one by one.

"Hm... I could leave him here, but then again... he's interesting," she muttered to herself, casting a glance at the unconscious figure before turning her attention to the approaching beasts. "I'll finish this... in one cut."

With a determined grip on the handle of her katana, she assessed the enemies before her. "There are 5 Seraph-Class and 3 Chariot-Class," she noted calmly.

Taking a deep breath, she assumed a ready stance. In the blink of an eye, she moved with a blinking speed, her blade slicing through the air.

As she stood up straight, she glanced back at the man on the shore. Behind her, the eight Honkai beasts fell to the ground, reduced to ashes.

"Now then... where was I...? Ahh yes..." She glanced down at the boy and gently lifted him, letting his arm drape over her shoulder for support. "For now... Maybe it's best to give him shelter."

[Switching to his point of view.]

"Where am I?" I blinked, slowly lifting my head. "Classroom?" I rubbed my eyes and scanned the familiar surroundings. "This is... St. Freya."

Standing up, I made my way to the window, the cool breeze brushing against my skin as I watched the sun setting in the distance.

"What time is it?"

"Shin? You're finally awake." Kiana's voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see her in her St. Freya uniform.

"I ... Kiana...?"

"Huh? What's wrong, Shin? Mei-senpai and Bronya are already back at the house, you know?"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and they spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"Huh?! Why are you crying!? What's wrong!?"

"Oh... Uh...! Nothing!" I hastily wiped away the tears, forcing a grin.

"Are you sure? You were sleeping soundly, but since Aunt Himeko wasn't teaching today, you got lucky."

"Haha... I see..."

Kiana... and everyone... that means everything is back to normal... right?

"Huh– Wait a minute? Back at the house? Aren't we staying at the dormitory?"

"What are you talking about? We're staying at a boarding house, remember?"

"Oh... Huh?!"

Boarding house?! D-Does that mean... We're all staying in one place!? EVERYONE!?

Following Kiana's lead, I trailed behind her as we made our way back to our boarding house.

As soon as Kiana entered the front door, she called out, "Mei-senpai...! I'm hungry!"

Mei's head popped out from the kitchen. "Just hold on a second." Then her gaze landed on me. "Oh? Shin, there you are. Bronya is waiting for you."

"A-Alright..." I stepped further into the house, taking in the familiar interiors and decorations.

A group photo caught my eye, displayed proudly on the wall. It showed Bronya, Mei, Kiana, and me, smiling together.

Haha... For some reason, it feels like I'm in a d̴̪͝ŗ̸̘͍̔e̷̼̼̒a̴͙̓m̴̰͇͒͝... but oh well.

I found Bronya lounging on the couch, a controller in her hands.

"It seems like you're enjoying yourself, Bronya," I commented.

Bronya perked up, sitting up straight and giving me a blank stare. "Shin." She gestured towards the flatscreen TV. "Play."

I grinned. "Alright... alright..."

Bronya and I spent an hour immersed in our game until Mei's voice broke through our concentration, calling us out for dinner. Bronya headed to the kitchen first, but not before leaving me with a straightforward order.

"Don't forget to save the game before quitting or I'll make sure to dismantle every rare material you have in your inventory."

Yikes... What a scary Bronya.

Sighing, I made sure to save the game twice before exiting. Just as I stood up, my eyes landed on a crimson katana resting on the wall.

"Huh? This crimson katana is..." I reached out to touch it, but Mei's voice interrupted me.

"Shin! We're going to eat now! Major Himeko and Principal Theresa are here!"

"Y-Yeah! Coming...!" I quickly turned away, leaving the katana behind as I headed to the kitchen.

As I headed to the kitchen, I saw Major Himeko grabbing a beer from the fridge while Kiana, Theresa, and Bronya chatted around the table. Mei was setting out dinner.

"What's wrong, Shin?" Mei asked, noticing me lingering in the doorway.

"Huh...? N-no, nothing."

"Alright... Sit down now, the food's gonna get cold," Mei said with a smile as she took her seat.

"Yeah, Kiana's going to eat everything again," Theresa teased.

"Wha!? Are you thinking of me as a glutton?!"

"You're not?" Theresa retorted.

Laughter filled the room, and we all settled down to eat. The lively conversation continued throughout dinner, making the meal feel warm and comforting.

As night fell, everyone retreated to their respective rooms. I lingered in the bathroom, staring up at the ceiling.

"Everything feels so unreal..."

But this is fine...

I rose from the bathtub, grabbed my towel from the hanger, and dried off before wrapping it around myself. Stepping out of the bathroom, I made my way to the living room to cool off. There, the crimson katana still rested on the wall, catching my eye.

I stared at it for a few seconds, its presence nagging in my mind.

I stared at the crimson katana on the wall, faint voices echoing in my mind.

"Let's survive till the end... For all that is beautiful in the world."

My eyes widened as I gasped for air, coughing. The pressure in my chest felt suffocating.

What is this...?! It's suffocating...!

My arms trembled as I knelt down, struggling to stand. I moved towards the katana, gripping it tightly.

Haahh...! Haahhh...!

"This is... an illusion."

Fuck...! That was really close... If this continues... I would be really fucked up!

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I took a stance and slashed at the air. The world around me shattered like glass, breaking the illusion.

I gasped for breath, looking around. I was standing on a body of water, a massive black hole in front of me.

"Are you finally awake?" A familiar voice asked as she appeared from thin air.

"Tsurugi... You manipulated me."

"That was my last gift... but again, I didn't expect this to happen."

"What happened after I injected Kiana?"

"Who knows... Maybe she ran away?"

"Then... I have to find her and get back with everyone."

As I turned to leave, Tsurugi grabbed my arm. "And how are you gonna do that? You're still recovering. You almost died, but thanks to me... you're still alive."

"...Yeah, I know that... but I won't reach that paradise if I stop now."

"Paradise? Ahh... You mean the dream I showed you?"

I stayed silent.

"Why are you going so far, Shin?"

I turned to face her, determination in my eyes. "Because even if this dream continues... someday I will wake up from it and face reality."

"...Is that so?" Tsurugi smiled. "You never fail to amuse me with your words and actions." She slowly disappeared.

"Then... just keep watching this show till it ends," I said as I placed the katana against my neck and pressed it.

With that, I jolted awake, sitting up and holding my head.

"That was... nerve-wracking..."

"Hm? You're finally awake," said a woman's voice. I turned to see her.

She wore a mix of a short white kimono, samurai armor on her stomach and arms, and thigh-high leather boots. She has the same hair color and same hairstyle as her.

"Eh... Wait a minute...?!"

Mei-senpai!?