Editing Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi:Volume4 Chapter4 (section)

===Part I===
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother and his friends piled up the stones. Living and Dead, they all carved out pieces of the earth and placed them gently on the top of the mountain.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They had different dreams, and moved the stones to achieve them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In time, the masonry gradually became more sophisticated.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">More and more people got involved, and more people joined to manage these people.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There were people who designed plans to ensure the stones were stacked efficiently and functionally.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Joining them were people who fed them, carpenters, Dead, and hunters protecting the Dead.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Eventually, the pile of stones became a tower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Different people, different dreams, nurtured the tower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Many of them found heaven there. Fathers piled stones, mothers cooked meals, and the children would gather and play. They wished for such days, and the tower was the first to fulfill their wishes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower then fulfilled the dreams of many engineers. They had dreams to create wonderful arts, and the tower granted them the grand task of ‘building heaven’, gathering their great talents.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower greedily swallowed their dreams and grew taller. It began to realize new dreams.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower was a tomb.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was heaven, it was hell,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the everyday, it was the extraordinary,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the past, it was the future.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was now the world itself.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And so the World Tower became a place to dream.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother and his friends continued to pile stones on this day.</span>

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">+</span></p>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The story was written on the empty main street nobody passed by again.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai and Alice returned to Julie and the others, stepping over the white chalk.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"This place is weird."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai said as she walked to the luggage, ignoring Julie who was waiting at the entrance.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"We've known that from the beginning."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span><b>No,</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you don't understand. This place is weird. It's really not normal."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She gently moved the luggage and found Celica hidden inside. Celica was in a good mood and gave a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘dawww</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">’ cry as she offered her hands to Ai. Ai carried the baby, and felt her soft warm touch on her cheek.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"… What did you find out?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…I'm not sure, what exactly did I hear…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">After that, Ai fell silent, lost in her own thoughts, while Celica slapped at Ai’s cheek, feeling ticklish.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">What happened? </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie shot Alice a look, but Alice too was in a similar state, looking down, pondering, and did not look up. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">What’s wrong with you two? </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee waved her hands in the air above them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mr. Alice."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Suddenly, Ai looked up and asked,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Are you okay?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Yeah, I'm fine…what about you?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai stared into Alice's eyes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm fine too."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…What are you guys talking about?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai quickly emerged from her sea of thoughts and looked at Julie.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The tower is said to grant wishes."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…What do you mean?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don’t know the specifics…and I don’t know what’s going to happen."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai chewed her nails anxiously.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"But </span><b>they believe</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. There’s a group of people in this tower who really believe that their wishes will come true."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Are they ability users?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice took over,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"An ability user doesn’t need such a tower. If their wish is that powerful, they could have fulfilled their wish a long time ago without needing such a thing."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice said as he holstered his guns back on his belt.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"There are only rather ordinary people here, you know. They have the same desires as those with ability users, but the world wouldn’t grant them that. There are hundreds, thousands of them…this tower is a cushion for them. They can’t have a ridiculous dream like ‘I want to go to heaven!’, so they have this dream, ‘this tower will lead to heaven!’, to ease their hopes, and that’s how they believe. It’s such a place."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…To summarize, what is it?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What I’m trying to say is…maybe your dream can come true, Mr Julie."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai took over. She concluded so.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">…My dream?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie thought she had said it out loud. The words however did not come out of her mouth.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"………Say, if it's that dangerous..."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee raised her hand tentatively and spoke up.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Shouldn't we just go down? No, I don’t mean giving up now, I’m just saying we should go down for now. A strategic retreat. …"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"We can't do that."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Is that so?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"If that's what you want, Miss Dee. Go ahead."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No, I can’t do that now, you know? I just heard that we can fulfill our wishes here. "</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’m not taking responsibility…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai said, but Dee herself did not seem too worried.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"—Anyway, Mr. Julie, are you okay?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai raised her head as though she was hit.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……I mean, what situation will be considered dangerous?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"It’s not dangerous at all. It’s just to fulfill a wish. "</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai said, took a single breath, and hesitated.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mr Julie, there’s something I haven't asked you before on purpose, right?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Who knows?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie tried to play dumb even at this moment.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…It’s about that incident on that hill, when I decided to save the world."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the moment when they buried Hampnie Hambart. That moment at dawn when it all began.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"When I swore back then, you said you would help me, right?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Yeah."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Why?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…There's no why. You're my friend's daughter. I'm supposed to help you—"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Enough with these words."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai cut off the idle chat.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm sorry. I didn't really believe it when you said that you’ll help me achieve what I vowed to do."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai smiled.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I knew there was a catch in your vow, like ‘until we get down the hill’, ‘until we find a town’, ‘until I get stubborn’, ‘until I start to act a little dangerous’, I thought there would be a time when you would abandon me."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…That’s what you thought?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yes. I always thought so…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Tahaha, she laughed, trying to misdirect.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"At Ortus, at Gora Academy, and now, I'm thinking, 'How far will this person go to accompany me’."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"How far will you follow me?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Until you give up on your dreams."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ahhh, I knew it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She giggled.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I see. You never believed that I could save the world after all, Mr. Julie. I guess. You never did, I guess?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Ai"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You thought I would give up on my dream at some point, didn't you?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Ai, listen to me."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You came along not because you agree with my 'dream to save the world'. You’re following me so that the moment I give up, you’ll be with me and help me through my disappointment, aren’t you?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You didn't care about my dreams, you just wanted me to be happy."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You're really an adult…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…That's harsh."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm sorry…but I have to get this clear—"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No, I wasn't talking about the question."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie gave the usual, bitter smile.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"It’s harsh to be told by a kid ‘you’re really an adult’. Really harsh."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What? I don’t know if I understand…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Of course you don’t."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The big man tried to give an enlightened smile.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Erm, I don't want you to misunderstand me. I'm not accusing you of anything, okay? I just wanted to ask—"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I understand."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie said.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And he suddenly hugged Ai.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai was frozen in the embrace of the big man.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"………Heh? Eh? Eh? Wh-what’s with you all of a sudden?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I thought I understood you very well…but it doesn’t seem to be the case…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai finally cowered.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"E-erm, Mr Julie? Erm, that’s not it. I'm not done asking yet. If ‘saving the world’ isn’t a dream for you, then there’s something else you wish for, right?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Another wish?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai cowered even more, as though she was about to be thrown out.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You helped </span><b>us</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, because you think of us as your daughters, right?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai hugged Celica tightly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"… You're really still reeling from the loss of your wife and daughter, aren't you?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You still want to meet them, right?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai was sandwiched between the two heat bags in Celica and Julie, but she was stiff and cold, unable to trust the temperature.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm sure that's the specialty of this tower. I'm sure this tower will grant it to you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Ai."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just that I don't know what will happen if this wish is granted. That’s why—"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie’s rugged arms patted Ai’s head delicately.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm not leaving."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"—But."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm not going to leave you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie repeated the words again and again, as though to make up for all the times he did not say so and caused her worry.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But Ai said,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"—I don't believe you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With those words, the tears finally spilled over.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I-I still, can't believe, those words, after all……sorry, I'm really, a helpless kid. I really can’t, believe, those words…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The green eyes sank into tears. The tears fell onto Celica’s face. The glittering tears landed on the cheeks, and the baby narrowed her eyes incredulously.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Because!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She lifted her. The teardrops scattered quickly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Because you! You’re! Always! Hiding things from me!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Hiding?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This came as a surprise to Julie.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In turn, Ai was driven further to despair.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ah, I guess…you never thought about it at all…I’m like a fool…I was the only one worried…troubled…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai…?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mr Julie… how many Gravekeepers have you killed?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie’s throat rumbled. Ai looked up at him with a dark stare</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…When you escaped with your dead wife, you definitely encountered a few Gravekeepers…you killed those Gravekeepers, didn’t you…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai…that's…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What's with that look? It looks like you forgot about it? Did you forget about it?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"If…I had met you back then …"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai glanced up at Julie.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Would you still have killed me?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As for Julie.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He did not remember the expression he showed back then.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But surely it looked hideous.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai took one glance, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I made a big mistake,</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and lowered her face.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…………………………I'm sorry."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And then tears spilled down her face.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……I’m sorry…that’s how……I, am…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She covered her face and shivered.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Argh! Goodness! Dammit!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie started shouting out of a sudden. Both Ai and Celica widened their wet eyes in shock.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"My bad! I've killed Gravekeepers before! I didn't think anything about it! I just thought of it as murder! I never thought that you would be bothered by it! I'm sorry! I confess! I did kill Gravekeepers!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie stared firmly into Ai's eyes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">'If I had met you back then, I might have killed you. I admit that."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…I see…aha…I'm rather relieved to hear that, I guess…?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You're way too practical a woman. You try to be prettier, and I guarantee you'll have a hard time in the future."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He got down on one knee, pointed at her and admonished her, almost exactly the same as when he used to speak to his daughter.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The old him was often a little resistant to do so, yet this time, he did so on purpose.</span>

[[Image:Kamisama v04 Illustration 07.jpg|thumb]]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dammit! You brats are really weird! What’s with the quick thinking!? Is this what it means to be young!?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"M-Mr. Julie?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You guys are living too fast dammit! You don’t need to worry about such problems that quickly! You can spend five years, or ten! Take it slow! I won't be able to keep up otherwise! Do you understand!?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Eh? Erm? Ermmm?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You know, adults take a long time to come to terms with things! And yet, you guys come to conclusions quickly, quickly, quickly, without caring whether it’s convenient to others!"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">You brats!</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Julie patted Ai on the head.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"E-erm, what are you trying to say…?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie looked into Ai's wet eyes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’ll be your father."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…………...……………………………...Yes?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Goodness me…we should be taking such things slowly, and speak up when we're in such a mood. But you guys are always so anxious and charging forward…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"E-erm, Mr. Julie."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Not Mr Julie."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He patted his chest.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Call me dad."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"………………………………………… No, thank you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don't be shy."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’m not being shy. I refuse."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai's wet eyes were completely frozen, emitting a cold glimmer.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I see…well, whatever, I'm going to consider you to be my daughter. Noemi, you and Celica are my three daughters, my pride and joy."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"......What about Celica's older sister, Ulla?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mmm. Right. That makes four sisters then."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……Are you serious about this?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yeah."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"......Please don't be silly."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm not kidding. You wouldn't believe whatever I say anyway."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……Yes."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Then it's your turn to be defeated."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie laughed. The sadness was gone from his smile.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You'll see. I'm not going to abandon you. I don't care if you don't believe me. I don't care what you think. But I’m doing this. Just like you'll never give up on your dreams."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"......!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When Ai heard the words, she raised her head vigorously. Her tears scattered in the air with a rainbow glow.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You won’t?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"............................................................How can you ask such a thing......?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai slumped, and Celica looked up at her with concern, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">What's wrong?</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> As though asking so. Ai shoved with her right hand, breaking free from the grasp of the big man, turned her back away from him, and looked back slightly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…………...………………………....Not that I don’t want to."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Really? Then you’re going to call me dad, starting today—"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don’t wanna."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai rubbed her tear-stained face against Celica's nightgown, to the latter’s disgust.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"So? I don't know what the situation is, but will something happen if I climb this tower?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…I don't know."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I see. But even if it's dangerous. I'm coming with you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai was silent.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Are you embarrassed?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Wha! H-How can you ask such a thing, Mr Julie? You’re not delicate at all! You're the worst!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Sorry, sorry."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie picked up the straw hat, put it on Ai's head. And lifted up Celica instead.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai pulled on the straw hat with both hands, and hid her face.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Let's hurry."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She spun the shovel around and carried it on her shoulder.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Got it. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie replied, and carried Celica again.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The one in most danger should be Miss Scar."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower remained tall, and the stairs remained endless.</span>

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">+</span></p>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept climbing.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai climbed the stone steps before her, one by one. She kept climbing, occasionally stepping on the guiding white chalk that appeared before her.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The eighth floor contained a treasure trove of gold, silver, and treasures, just like an ancient king would have wanted. No one was interested, and they kept climbing up.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ninth floor contained an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. Julie and Alice drag Ai away from there.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tenth floor contained a beautiful palace resembling the private chambers of the gods. The graffiti showed no concern for where it was, for an arrow was left on the king’s portrait.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The peak of the tower did not appear to be coming soon, and the stairs just went on and on. The white graffiti continued to appear, with no end in sight.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The eleventh floor was a city of all kinds of weapons.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The twelfth floor was a city that was exposed to all kinds of weapons.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The thirteenth floor was filled with the smell of gunpowder, the pattern of bullet holes, and a burning city.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They went up.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Fourteenth floor, a sky habitat. Fifteenth floor, a palace of the earth. Sixteenth floor, a thousand year city. Seventeenth floor, the foundation of the nation.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They went up. Up. They kept going up.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Each level began to twist and turn in bizarre ways, and eventually they gradually took on a kind of ‘warmth’. The artificial atmosphere eased, and there was an increasing scent of these floors being used by humans..</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But there was no one there.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The eighteenth floor was a forest, with its unbelievable amount of greenery and loud animal noises that would stun anyone.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The nineteenth floor was a pile of rocks, where Ai’s foot blister burst.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The twentieth floor was a doctor's office, right on cue, where Ai got treated here.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The twenty-first floor was a laboratory, where Celica's milk powder ran out.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The twenty second floor was a pasture. Julie was given fresh milk from a goat with children.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">All of this was accompanied by a sign of white chalk ‘This way to XXX!’.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Twenty third, twenty fourth, twenty fifth, twenty sixth, twenty seventh…</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept moving their feet up the tower. Whenever they felt tired, there would be a peaceful path lined with trees, along with words of chalk ‘do your best! It gets a lot easier on the next floor!’. Whenever they thought they were dirty, ‘Next floor is the hot springs!’ the sign would appear. The moment they thought they were running out of food, the words ‘Next stop, the shopping district!’ and it would become reality.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The group went up, focused on moving their legs, hoping for the day when Celica would turn her head to the side. They climbed up, praying that the day would come sooner.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"~~!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept climbing</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"~~! ~~!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…! …! ~~!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept climbing."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept climbing.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Woah!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Suddenly, Dee appeared before Ai, and shouted something.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They then found that Celica was bawling.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Heh? Huh?—Sorry Miss Dee, I think I got carried away…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No need for that! Wake up the other two!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Heh? Why are you panicking so much…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Just do it!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai looked behind her in surprise. Alice and Julie too appeared to be groggy and just climbed up the stairs. It was then that Ai realized that this was what had happened to her.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mr Alice, Mr Alice, Mr Julie, Mr Julie."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She said as she slapped them back and forth, twice for Alice, three times for Julie. Celica was still crying.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Oh?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Good morning, Mr. Alice, Mr. Julie."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No, I'm not sleeping—wait, woah!"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice~!</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Dee clung to Alice, looking teary.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Celica, I didn't notice. What's wrong? Are you hungry?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie began to coax Celica. The baby finally stopped crying.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Somehow, it feels like we were in a daze, huh?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yeah. We have to be careful."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Just ‘be careful’!?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee angrily lashed out.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What floor do you think we're on?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"No, we don’t."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ah, it says so right there."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They were just about to reach the next floor, and the number written in chalk on the side said, as usual.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Eh?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…What’s going on?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘Welcome to the </span></i><b><i>eight hundred and twenty eighth floor</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">!’</span></i>

<b>Eight hundred and twenty-eighth floor</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"T-That can't be right, right? Hahaha, what is this…another prank …?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Y-yeah, it is. Hahaha. There's no way…this guy has been serious lately, but now he's starting to play pranks again. Hahaha…haha…haha…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Following that were the words ‘it’s true!’</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">‘You can have a look from there.’</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Right after they saw those words, a strong wind blew with a 'roar'.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You guys, look here!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie shouted. There was a window on the other side of the graffiti, and the wind was blowing in through it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Was there a window there to begin with?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai suppressed her doubts and rushed to the window, pushing her face into the narrow space filled with Alice and Julie.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The sun was shining brightly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The mist was clear. No, it was not just the mist—</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The clouds were far below them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"This is impossible…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie muttered, stunned.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"We didn’t climb this high— "</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They merely hoped.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept going, hoping to be faster.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Realizing this, the group shut their mouths.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai realized then that she still underestimated this tower.</span>

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">+</span></p>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Countless wishes gathered and intertwined.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tip of the tower continued to grow.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother and the others no longer needed materials, and the wish to ‘pile up stones’ alone got the tower to grow taller. They each had their unique dream, and piled up stones to make them come true.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">At some point, the tip of the towers began to branch out and scatter. The tower builders began to see different scenery based on their own dreams.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">For those who desired the tip, they saw the spearhead.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">For those who desired eternity, a closed circle.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">For those who desired the end, the end as they wished it to be.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">People continued to rise up the tall tower. The tower swallowed them up and formed more branches. People wished to decorate their own branches, and made their dreams come true as if they were flowers.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower grew thicker and thicker, and became a huge tree with ten thousand branches and leaves.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And the tower became a tree.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The world tree blossomed at the time of flowering. The branches and leaves were filled with the dreams of the people. Hundreds of flowers bloomed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The flowers fulfilled these dreams, and granted rest to those hands that moved the stones, those feet that ran, and those souls that yearned.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, at the top of the tower, there were still those who piled up stones.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who, even with the power of the tower, still had unfulfilled dreams.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother's wish remained unfulfilled.</span>

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">+</span></p>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee was strongly opposed to this, but the group went further up the tower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Since that level, even though they were tired and sleepy, they tried not to eat anything from the tower. In particular, they avoided anything that appeared 'too good to be true'.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">‘There's spring water over here!’ there were words in chalk next to the morning dew they drank from. ‘There's a hot spring over here!’ They washed their towels in the drain. Every time they did so, the chalk waters looked a little dejected. Like ‘the water’s so good…’ or ‘the hot spring feels so good…’ they could not let themselves enjoy such luxuries however.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This tower would grant wishes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai and the others thoroughly realized so, and they resisted with all their might. They spent the night on the cobblestones beside the feather quilt and washed their faces in the drainage of the bathtub.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Still, the tower greedily began to grant wishes. Ai and the others ignored them and climbed up the tower, ‘hurry, hurry’…so they chanted in their hearts and climbed up the stone stairs before them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And the tower began to grant that wish too.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Before they knew it, the blackboard in their minds was being marked with lots of X. There were at least a thousand of them, but Ai ignored them and moved her feet, staring at the stairs in front of her. Fatigue and thirst overtook her. Each time, the tower placed a safe, modest meal and clear well water before them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The group ignored them all.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, as if to mock the group's efforts, the tower began to grant more wishes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Their bellies, which were supposed to be hungry, were filling up before they knew it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Their throats, which were supposed to be thirsty, were quenched before they knew it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">No matter how vigilant and careful they were, the tower was always ready to swallow their wishes and make them come true. It started granting wishes, starting with the smallest of them, as if trying to swallow them all.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And then, finally, the tower began to grant Ai's wishes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">One thousand, two hundred and thirteenth floor.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There was a village there.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Ah."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The village was surrounded by slopes on three sides, and had a plateau to the north. It was a peaceful village with small fields and houses. A hidden village where forty-seven residents live peacefully.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A village that no longer existed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Her village.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Every…one…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai had a hallucination of forty-seven people there.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Anna was there, Yoki was there, so were Joanna, Dora, Yuki, Zel, Manuetta.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And there was even someone who was not present  back then.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mom…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Amidst the ears of wheat, her mother of the past was standing there, smiling. Ai ran through the street of the village where she had spent twelve years. She ran to a place that had become a memory in just a few months.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Next to the mother was her father.Not Hampnie Hambart, just Kizuna Astin.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dad!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A few more steps. Just a few more steps, and she could get to their side, to the place they could not achieve no matter how they prayed or did. Just three more steps and I'll be there. After that thought, another two steps. One step.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Zero.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dad! Mom!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She thought it was some kind of cruel trap. What she saw was a fake, and the moment she immersed herself in it like this, this trap would ensnare her and shatter.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She thought that was fine.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And yet, the people in front of her were real.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai, it's been a long time! You've grown so big!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mom!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Hana Astin hugged Ai. She had the same golden hair and green eyes as Ai, but the expression on her face was completely different. She had the smile of a mischievous child.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yo, you’re still the same old self. Looky look!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"D-Dad! Please stop!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Kizuna Astin patted Ai’s head roughly, and she got angry. The exchange was too nostalgic for one that only existed in dreams.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dad…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Oh?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Mom…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yes yes, what now?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The two of them answered, and Ai was very elated.</span>

[[Image:Kamisama v04 Illustration 08.jpg|thumb]]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">～～～～～～～～</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Oops." "W-What's wrong, Ai?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai cried as they wrapped her in their arms. They had everything. Her mother’s fine scent, the smell of her father's cigarettes, the warmth of her mother, the coldness of her father. The response when she called for her parents, one warm, another harsh.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They were all before her at this point.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Have you calmed down?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"… No."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Pfft—You're such an honest girl."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The mother smiled happily, overjoyed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Are you two…real?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Who knows?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The father cackled mischievously.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">" What about you, Ai? Are you real? Or are you a fake?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You can't say it. But I can. I'm real."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s right. I can answer that too. I’m real. "</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"So..."</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And so, Ai was shoved away.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dad! Mom! What are you doing!?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don’t what us, you idiot? What the hell are you? Are you really Ai's imposter? Look, I'll tell you something, the real Ai Astin wouldn’t come to such a place, because she is the person who’s going to save the world."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Kizuna Astin smirked as he placed the hand that had pushed her away on his hip.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s cruel of you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Following up, Hana Astin took her husband's arm and tugged at him.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You don't understand, do you? Ai-Astin is the kind of girl who gives in to temptation. The truth is that she is a very ordinary, tearful and vulnerable girl…She's the kind of girl who cries whether she's happy, joyful, or sad…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The mother crouched down and wiped Ai’s face. The latter sniveled into the handkerchief.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"But then she'll definitely stand up for herself."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">" Go on, my daughter. You're a little young for heaven."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai wiped away her tears.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yes."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Good answer, my daughter."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Kizuna Astin chuckled.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Live well in hell."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yes!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And Ai returned.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She ran down the village streets in the opposite direction, in the opposite direction of her memories, of time, and she could not allow herself to look back. Absolutely not.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Goodbye…."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She said without looking at their faces. She ran off, leaving teardrops behind instead of herself.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Eventually, a mist envelops the area and concealed the reality. Ai did not stop however, and kept moving forward.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">One had to wonder how long she ran, and in this mist where she nearly lost her sense of self, she heard a voice.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Somewhere in there, someone was bawling, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">waah, waahhh.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Somewhere in there, someone was shouting, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai! Ai!</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai focused on running to the direction of the voice, and then,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She woke up.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ai!"</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Before her were everyone else’s faces.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Woah."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie, Alice, Dee and Celica were calling away, trying to get Ai back.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Thank goodness! Really!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie hugged her violently and stroked her head. Ai widened her eyes in bewilderment.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I-Is everyone fine?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Everyone looked away awkwardly in unison.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…No, we all got swallowed up by this—we only recovered thanks to Celica’s crying."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I nearly got swallowed. Thanks Celica."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Celica finally stopped crying, and exhaled with a relieved, "Daw…".</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"But this little pipsqueak is really the only one who's stable."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…She’s definitely not unhappy with her life.""</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm jealous…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Daw!" The baby shouted, as though she was going all ‘goodness, you lot’</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Thank you for your help …."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai rubbed her cheek and gently kissed her forehead.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…………………Well then."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There was someone staring at the scene.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"….What’s going to happen? It seems like it works, and yet it doesn’t…does it, or does it not?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Miss Dee?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee muttered to herself, feeling frustrated. She shriveled in the air, tapping her forehead, ignoring everyone else’s voice as she was absorbed in his thoughts. And then,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Okay, I've decided."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Huh… what is it?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I decided my plan—now then, sorry about this, but can we all just get out of here and give up on Scar, please?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Are you talking about that again…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Oh, my bad. Sorry again, but I'm serious this time."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai stared at Dee with startled eyes.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What do you mean?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The tower is going to collapse."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Eh? Wh- Why!?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Hm? With explosives and, uh, various powers."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm not asking you how! What's the reason? Why!?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">That's because,</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Dee replied matter-of-factly,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I want to destroy it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost laughed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Why…?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai's flustered mind sobered instantly to deal with the situation at hand. So too did her body.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Hmm? You don't understand, Ai?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don't!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"What other reason can there be?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee spread her arms wide like she was an actress..</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's because this place is violating the world. This tower is pregnant with eternity. I can't allow such a thing as a tower that grants wishes to exist. The world will never end. It will go on and on in vain."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The dark eyes stared at the top.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s why I want to blow up this place."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee Ensy shot a hostile look at the sky.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Actually, I wanted you all to do this."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">She floated up and stared at the group.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The way I see it, there’s no way you can keep going. So it's plan B."</span>

<b>"You were going to have us do it?"</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Yes, I was going to ask Ai to save those at the top of this tower, just as she did with the Idol of Murder at Ortus, and her speech at Gora Academy. I wanted you to save them and turn this tower into a meaningless piece of junk."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost's body softly blurred and drifted to the ceiling, reflecting a place somewhere far away.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the top of a tower, where some boys and girls were still piling stones.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s what you like, don’t you, Ai?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee, the ghost, the Witch of the West, laughed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai was speechless.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Is that why you've been following us—?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That's a lot of reasons, and they also involve Alice."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"In other words, you've been manipulating us?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"You didn't see it coming, did you? It's the ghost style. If I ‘want someone to come here’, I won’t be all childish and tell him ‘come here’. That’s my ultimate."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee stared sarcastically at the white chalk on the wall and spat at it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Ghost would ‘whisper’.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ideally, the subject would think ‘I thought of this idea by myself’. It’s great if I can get that person to think he decided and acted on his own."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s.."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In hindsight, who suggested the connection between Celica's crying and Scar's direction in the first place? Who was the one who took the scouting route at every turn? Who was to blame for not being able to catch up with Scar the day before Scar entered the tower?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Truth be told, why did Scar come to the tower in the first place? Probably because someone whispered to her that she could go there and revert to being a Gravekeeper. Taking a step further back, why did Scar have the chance to be whispered to? Wasn’t it because Ai was trapped in the Gora Academy. Now, why is that?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee Ensy Stratmitos whispered. Whispered. Whispered.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"So, you did all of it…?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Nope. Ninety percent of it was you."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But that last ten percent extended like a spider's web, tangling around the whole thing.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The truth is, I was going to keep quiet about it if it all worked out. It failed though, so I’m telling you now. Are you mad at me? That makes me a little happy."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…It doesn’t matter. Please stop..'</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Hmm?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Boom!</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The shovel was pointed at the Ghost.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"This is the place of people’s dreams. I won’t allow you to destroy it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"… Hmm."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Please do not destroy this tower."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’m doing it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Oi, Dee."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Alice looked at the duo, and voiced out,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’m asking you too…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"For what?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"At least wait till we get back Scar…please don’t, for my sake."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Why do I have to give leeway to the enemy?"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost did a quick somersault into the distance.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"'You know what? Don't get me wrong. I already decided on this. I’m just giving you advice. This is not negotiation.."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee looked at Ai rather worriedly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Once they arrive at the tower, they’ll destroy it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Miss Dee!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don't make that face."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee sneered. The corners of her mouth were lifted up. She grinned like a vengeful spirit, a grudge, a demon.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"It’s pointless to plead or appeal to me now. Ai, I’m telling you that I’m destroying this tower no matter what happens. Give up on Scar and leave this tower."</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I don't care if you die,</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> so she uttered, showing worry for Ai this time.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’m fond of you guys."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Same here."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Woah. Yay. Great minds think alike."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was an innocent smile. Dee showed the same smile as when they celebrated Alice's birthday in the wilderness.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Miss Dee…please…don't do this…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I told you I can't."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Miss Dee!"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Nope. I'm not listening."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee covered her ears in annoyance, put her feet on the stone steps, and sank down.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"See you in two days. I'll see you under the tower, I hope."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And with that.,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost sank into the stone pavement.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">+</span></p>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There were still dozens of branches growing at the top of the world tree. There were no flowers at the end of them, for their dreams were unfulfilled, and they were still piling up stones.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There was no anxiety in their eyes. The people at the forefront were those who were really driven by blind belief, and they believed that their wishes would come true if they kept piling stones.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—You still haven’t fulfilled your wishes?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the </span><b>brothers</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said to his companions.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—What kind of arrogant thing did you wish for?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—I wish for my little sister’s revival. So, what did you wish for?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They laughed at each other and answered each other's questions.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—The resurrection of all the Dead.</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—The fulfillment of an unfulfilled love.</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—For death to be gone.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">All of them were impossible wishes, like a childish tantrum.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—And you?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The question went to the last one.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was a boy who was stacking stones without rest even at this moment.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the boy who started piling up stones to begin with.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"For me."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother answered.</span>

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&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They could not be bothered anymore.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dee had said she would act two days later, but the concept of time remained unreliable in the tower. Ai felt that it would not be strange for two days to become two seconds, or two years, for it was just a tower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They kept climbing.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The air got thinner. And thus, their equipment felt heavier and heavier.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This time, the group wore these equipment obediently. Before they knew it, they realized that the most dangerous thing was to be made to wish. Oxygen tanks, air pressure suits, and fluffy innerwear, they all appeared at the most convenient moment, and each time, the white chalk guided them all ‘the thing is here!’ Convenient as it might be but when they saw that there was a full set of equipment for baby use ‘this air pressure suit can be worn by babies too!’ they were no longer dumbfounded by such words, and instead, were bemused.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They went up. Their legs were light. No, it was more than that. They had to be careful with every step, for fear that they would bounce.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Gravity was weak.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was daytime, but they could see stars outside. The stars glittered in the black night sky. It was the starry sky of autumn, the complete opposite of the current season.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai, however, was no longer moved by such things.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tower was a place of myths at this point.</span>

&nbsp;

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—You still haven’t fulfilled your wishes?</span></i>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And so, Ai started to hear the words of the gods.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Reality began to converge with the paranormal.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ai ignored them and focused on moving her legs up the stairs before her.</span>

&nbsp;

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—What kind of arrogant thing did you wish for?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—I wish for my little sister’s revival. So, what did you wish for?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—I want to die with everyone.</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—I want to be with him.</span></i>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They laughed at each other, making jokes. They talked about their dreams, like children.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—And you?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The question went to the last one.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was a boy who was stacking stones without rest even at this moment.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the boy who started piling up stones to begin with.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"For me."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brother answered.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Me?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Yeah, what did you wish for?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And then the words went out to the last one.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"……"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—What's wrong? Tell us what you wished for. You’re the one to put the first stone. What’s your wish?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Yeah, let's hear it.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The gods were chanting.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The imagery of another place overlapped with Ai’s vision.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It was a space with many towers lined together. Each tower had a boy sitting on them. Their towers formed a circle around the boy in the middle.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Let us hear it. Let us hear it.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">—We started after seeing you, you know.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yeah, I thought of giving up several times, but I got the courage to continue every time I saw that you didn’t give up.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tell us your dream. Your dream must be grand and laughable, right?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I…"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite being surrounded by everyone, the boy remained unfazed and continued to pile stones. He swung his fingers that were dyed black all the way down to his fingernails, naturally grabbed a block of stone, and gently placed it at a higher place..</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then the boy replied.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm not wishing for anything."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The gods were silent. It was a silence that seemingly lasted for a thousand years.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—What did you say?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I just piled up a bunch of rocks, that's all."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He piled another one.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I didn't wish for anything, I didn't have a purpose. I just decided to pile up the stones until I disappear"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">—Chatter chatter.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The gods whispered amongst each other, and one of them asked, representing the others.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">—Why did you do that then?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"I had nothing else to do."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A stone, and another.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Then, you were just acting like a kid, ‘you piled stones because there are stones’?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"That’s right."</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Are you saying that we put our dreams into your image and were encouraged by you?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Well…I'm sorry, I’m not really sure."</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—How did it happen?</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The surrounding chatter got increasingly louder.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—We didn’t think that the one who piled stones more earnestly than anyone else didn’t have any wish at all…</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"…Are you angry?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—No.</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Nobody’s going to be angry about such a thing.</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Nobody of that little mettle would be at the front like this.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The chatter stopped.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—We just feel sorry for you.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"Sorry?"</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—That's right.</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">One could hear sobbing. The crying struck the towers like a storm, and the tears flooded and coated them.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Our stones are finished. Ahh, look—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The indigo cherry blossoms bloomed on the tower of the boy who said this, and flew out from their circle.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—It doesn't matter how impossible the task is. If you stay in this tower, it will come true one day—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The jet-black hazel grass bloomed abruptly.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—But you have no dreams to begin with, and none to be fulfilled—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Steel roses bloomed abruptly.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Even this amazing tower can't make a wish come true if there’s no wish—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Caramel tulips bloomed abruptly.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—So you will never stop to pile on stones—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The poppies of flesh bloomed abruptly.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—But we’re too far away from the ground to give up—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Twin Rafflesias bloomed abruptly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The extremely vibrant flowers of dream bloomed as if to celebrate the boy, and then left, leaving behind a single petal.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The petals wrapped the boy's tower, forming thousands and thousands of flurries. They rained down on the master of the tower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But there were no flowers in his tower.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—I thought we should pray together, but we can’t escape the dream that’s scorching our bodies—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The flaming Casablancas bloomed abruptly.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—'You will be the only one after this'—</span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The World tree bloomed abruptly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The tree was adorned with thousands and thousands of flowers of dreams, and Its majesty towered over the sea of the human world.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the world tree lacked perfection. It stretched to its peak, but the oldest branch had no flower.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">……"</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But, again, it did not matter to the boy.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He just piles up the stones.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With his pitch black hands,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With a wishless heart,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On top of a tower, with petals flying,</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Alone.</span>