Whose personality mask's power comes from the heroic spirit?

"It existed before, but it probably doesn't exist now," Taichi replied, "After all, Yuri, who made Samsara move, no longer exists."

"Was Yuiri really swallowed by that bastard called 'Shadow Mage'?" Rika Furude looked up at Taichi with a dazed look and asked.

"That's probably possible," Taichi replied, "I haven't seen it with my own eyes. All the information I got came from Takano Sanshi."

"So, Takano, did you see with your own eyes that Yuiri was swallowed by that shadow mage?" Furude Rika turned her head to look at Takano Sanshi and asked with a gloomy look.

"Hayaru? Ah, Lord Ono-gami? I didn't witness the process myself, but... yes, the power of Lord Ono-gami definitely exists in that shadow mage's body. I'm sure of that! It's definitely Lord Ono-gami's power!"

Takano Sanshi's expression gradually became fanatical.

Chapter 20 The Smartest Person in Hinamizawa - Ryuguya Rena

"What...will be our ending?" Hojo Satoko asked while being embraced by Sonozaki Shion, glancing at Takano Sanshi.

“……”No one could give an accurate answer.

"It's getting late. Anyway, let's go back and rest, and then discuss it after daybreak." Taiyi suggested after taking a look at the dark night outside the window.

"That's true." Maehara Keiichi forced a smile and said, "Everyone is exhausted now, and my head is dizzy. I feel like I can't think of anything. Let's get a good night's sleep first. When the sun rises and our brains are clear, we can figure out what to do next."

"There's no point in worrying here, everyone should just come back with me." Sonozaki Mion raised her hand and shouted, "Besides, if we don't go back quickly, my witch might ask us to sit in meditation and then give us a good scolding."

"Wow, I don't want to listen to the witch's mumbling anymore." Sonozaki Shion also wailed.

"Well, maybe it's a bit disturbing, but can I stay at Sonozaki's house temporarily?" Irie Kyosuke raised his hand tremblingly and asked, "I'm alone, and I don't dare to be alone now."

"Of course, no problem." Sonozaki Mion gave a thumbs up. "Come to think of it, you are our Sonozaki family's family doctor. I will definitely treat you well!"

"Of course, these two here will also treat you well... in the dungeon." Sonozaki Mion turned her head and looked at Takano Sanshi and Okonoki Tetsurou and grinned sinisterly.

"Ah, before that, can you help me take care of the wounds on my body?" Kokoroki Tetsuro grinned a few times, then said, "It's been a long time since I've wasted time. I'm worried whether I can still use my arms in the future."

"Haha." Everyone laughed but said nothing.

One by one, no one present can be called a good person.

Even everyone is consciously avoiding the topic of 'other people'.

After all, in such a large clinic and in an underground secret base that is even larger than the clinic on the ground, only God knows how many people can be hidden there.

Now only Takano Sanshi, Okonoki Tetsurou, and Irie Kyosuke are left.

So where are the others... You can come to the conclusion without even having to think about it.

Kyosuke Irie was driving a van carrying Keiichi Maehara, who was acting as a supervisor and carrying a baseball bat, as well as two captives, Takano Sanshi and Okonoki Tetsurou.

Kasai was in a car, carrying his two daughters, as well as Furute Rika and Hojo Sadoko.

Taichi was driving with Akane Shinjo, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Rena Ryuuguu.

The protagonists were divided into three groups and got in three cars, driving towards the Sonozaki family.

"Do we really exist?" Rena Ryuuguu suddenly asked in the car.

No matter how outstanding her observation skills are, when faced with events that go beyond common sense, she can only fumble around and even rely on others for help.

"It really exists. This is the only point I can give you a definite answer to." Taiyi nodded in response in the driver's seat.

"But, this world only has Hinamizawa and Okumiya Town." Ryuguya Rena hugged her shoulders nervously, "Then what about Ibaraki where I once lived for a while in my memory? It doesn't exist. So how much of my previous experience was false information added?"

Rena Ryuuguu is very smart, but it is precisely because she is smart that it is easier for her to force herself into a desperate situation.

She had understood from Takano Sanshi's explanation that everyone's real life began two weeks ago when Furude Rika woke up from this world.

And all the memories before that were false settings.

So, what about the mother who is still living in Ibaraki in my memory?

does not exist!

If my mother doesn't exist, then how did I come into being?

The more Rena Ryuuguu knew, the more she understood, and she felt an indescribable fear about it.

Memories are false, relatives are false.

Except for what happened in the past two weeks, everything before that was fake.

Even the friendship between her and her friends, which she now values so much, started out as a 'fake' setting.

Rena Ryuuguu lowered her head and vented out all the fear in her heart to Taichi, Akane Shinjo and Yukinoshita Yukino.

There was a hint of surprise in the look in Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes as she looked at her.

Because there is a lot of information that even she hasn't thought of yet.

This person named Rena Ryuuguu, who looks a little silly, is unexpectedly a super sharp and powerful character.

"Life has begun, and the past will always belong to the past. What you should look up now is not the false past, but the real present and the future full of unknowns." Taiyi pursed his lips awkwardly.

"Do we really have a future?" asked Rena Ryuguya with a wry smile.

"Everything has been set. The only thing we can grasp is the present... The future is too vague." Ryuuguu Rena looked at the back of Taichi's head. "Perhaps, in the next second, this world will disintegrate, and everyone will disappear into the dark nothingness."

"I can't make any guarantees for those who are too far away, but I am confident that I can protect those who are closer to me." Taiyi replied.

In order to add weight to his words, Taiyi even asked Aix to help him perform a magic trick with a very significant visual effect.

The field of Achilles' armed calling card allows Aix to release a space that can temporarily isolate the inside from the outside world.

As long as he can hold out until the disintegration of this world is complete and the people in the field can still survive, he will have kept his promise.

If even the domain cannot isolate "extinction", then it can only be said that Taiyi did not keep his promise.

Anyway, it would definitely be right to say more comforting words now.

Even if you are desperate, you should leave it to the last moment.

Otherwise... Taichi has no doubt that there will be a lot of infighting within Hinamizawa.

After all, the people in Hinamizawa are too extreme in their mental state and will start killing if they disagree with someone.

"Who are you?" After coming back to her senses from the 'magic' just now, Rena Ryuuguu looked at the three people beside her with a complicated expression and asked.

"He was just an innocent passerby who was dragged into this." Taiyi replied.

"It's just the Ultra Team passing by." replied Akane Shinjo.

“……” Yukinoshita Yukino remained silent and covered her face with her hands.

But Ryuguya Rena had already turned her eyes to her.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"…We are just a group of folklore enthusiasts who happened to pass by." In the end, Yukinoshita Yukino still couldn't overcome her shame.

Chapter 21 Sonozaki Ryo: This kid is so terrifying

Taiyi and his friends fell into a deep sleep after returning to the room.

However, the two sisters, Sonozaki Shion and Sonozaki Mion, came to the main house with Kasai and reported the sudden situation to the head of the family, Sonozaki Ryo, and the sisters' mother, Sonozaki Akane.

Afterwards, in order to verify the truth of what they said, the two sisters took Sonozaki Ryo and Sonozaki Akane, mother and daughter, to the dungeon and let them take a look at the "Mountain Dog" members who had invaded the Sonozaki family before but were wiped out.

"Even after seeing this scene, the most I can accept is that 'Irie Clinic' can be renamed 'Takano Agency', but..." Sonozaki Akane hesitated and looked at her mother with a dull expression, "Rika-chan's reincarnation, the god of the shrine was devoured, and our world is fake, consisting of only Hinamizawa and Okumiya Town... Is that a fantasy?"

"Idiot! Why don't you measure it with your own feet and see it with your own eyes to verify its truth?" Sonozaki Ryo raised his head and glanced at his daughter, then turned his head and glared at Kasai, "Fill up the car with gas right now! Bring your guns and lead three generations of us on a trip to Hinamizawa!"

"Yes!" Kasai responded with his head down, then quickly left the secret dungeon.

"Eh? It's so late, and we can't be sure that there are no remaining roaming members of "Mountain Dog" outside." Sonozaki Mion reminded with some concern.

"Humph! What? You're not afraid of the "Mountain Dog" in its full state, but are afraid of the remnants who are still alive?" Sonozaki Ryo glared at his future successor.

"That's not what I meant." Sonozaki Mion shrank her neck and muttered.

"Grandma, you're not in good health right now. No one can say if something unexpected will happen if you leave the village so late at night." Sonozaki Shion stood up to support her sister.

"I'm not so old that I can only lie in bed and count the days!" Sonozaki Ryo glared, and his power oppressed Sonozaki Shion so much that she couldn't help but take a half step back and protect her sisters in front of her.

"However, those outsiders... humph, this time they really are outsiders." Sonozaki Ryo muttered as he looked at the "Mountain Dog" members who were no longer breathing.

Sonozaki Ryo had more or less believed what the two sisters said.

After all, Kasai is the elder in the family and will not join the two sisters in joking in front of her.

Secondly... My Lord, the God of the Shrine...

Even so, when the car rushed over the edge of Hinamizawa, it turned into the return direction in the blink of an eye, and Sonozaki Ryo still felt a chill in his heart.

"How could this be..." After the car stopped, Akane Sonozaki got out in panic and ran towards the back of the car.

When the car, mother, daughter and subordinates who were originally behind her appeared in front of her, Sonozaki Akane had no choice but to accept the reality.

"...There is only Hinamizawa in this direction...Then, the direction of Okumiya should also be only Okumiya." Sonozaki Ryo murmured with a gloomy face.

"Hehe, he actually trapped our Sonozaki family in a cage. That guy called Shadow Mage is quite courageous!" Sonozaki Ryo's expression gradually became ferocious.

"Mother, what should we do?" Sonozaki Akane looked at her mother bewilderedly and asked.

If it is visible "violence", Akane Sonozaki is not afraid at all. After all, she has been competitive since she was a child. When faced with visible and tangible violence, she can only fight back with more violence.

But...when it comes to mysterious events like the one now, she is a bit of a muggle.

Back then, in order to disobey Hinamizawa's disgusting traditions, she even dared to sever ties with her family and give up the position of the next head of the family.

Isn't this a form of escape?

"What else can the person in the cage do?" Sonozaki Ryo glanced at his daughter and reached out to grab her trembling fist. "Of course, wait for the person outside the cage to open it."

"Only by seizing the moment the cage is opened can we have a chance to escape from it."

"Mein, wait until tomorrow, when those outsiders wake up, come and remind me." Sonozaki Ryo looked at Sonozaki Meiin and said, "I want to talk to those outsiders in person."

"Yes, yes!" Sonozaki Mion, who had finally recovered from her recent experience, nodded blankly and answered.

"Now...Kasai, take us to the Irie Clinic." Sonozaki Ryo took his daughter's hand and got into the car, and told them the next destination.

……

When it was bright outside, the overworked Furude Rika slowly opened her eyes.

Still no feathers entered.

But beside her, Hojo Satoko and Ryuuguu Rena were sleeping soundly with her snuggled up in the middle.

Akane Shinjo and Yukinoshita Yukino also snuggled up to each other.

The two beds on the other side showed no signs of having been touched, and the two Sonozaki sisters did not sleep there.

Rika Furude thought that the two sisters had lost their temper and went to act coquettishly with their mother.

It was not until she rubbed her sleepy eyes, opened the sliding door and prepared to wash up that she discovered the two Sonozaki sisters sitting in the courtyard with dark circles under their eyes.

Her eyes were still fixed on the room where the boys slept.

"Meion? Shion? Could it be that you two didn't sleep all night?" Furude Rika came to the two sisters and asked worriedly.

"Hmm? Ah, good morning, Rika-chan." Sonozaki Mion blinked and replied a little slowly, "No, I can't sleep at all."

"I feel like I'll have a nightmare as soon as I close my eyes." Sonozaki Shion, who was equally slow to react, grinned bitterly and said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have been curious enough to follow the witch and my mother into that place down there."

“Ugh—” Sonozaki Mion’s face turned pale, she covered her mouth, leaned forward and began to retch, “Shion—! Don’t let me recall that scene again!”

"What did you see?" Rika Furude asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Although only Naruto-san, the supervisor, Takano, and Kokono had already noticed something when we rushed to the Irie Clinic, but... to be honest, we were still scared when we saw the scene below." Sonozaki Mion smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"Ah... it's the corpse of the Mountain Dog, right?" Rika Furude said solemnly, "After all, it was the scene that frightened Takano to the point that he kept begging for his life. I think it must have made you feel physically and mentally ill after seeing it."

"But, you said 'ghost woman and mother', did Liang and Akane go there too?" After telling her about her reincarnation, Furude Rika really didn't have any manners at all.

After all, in terms of mentality, she believes that she is older than Sonozaki Ryo in terms of psychological age as she has gone through nearly a thousand years of reincarnation.

Although he is always a minor.

"Yes. The witch wanted to verify the statement that 'the world only has Hinamizawa and Okumiya Town'." Sonozaki Mion hesitated for a moment and nodded, "So we followed."

"Then it was confirmed that, except for the road leading to Okumiya, all other roads would eventually become the road returning to Hinamizawa," added Sonozaki Shion.

Chapter 22: Survival is the first need of human beings