Give children a little self-destruction shock to their worldview.

Outside the inn, the sky was a deep, inky black, and the rain pounded down. A flash of lightning illuminated the secluded village deep in the forest valley through the heavy clouds.

In the mountain stream, dark red threads slowly flowed out. The gaunt wizard coughed twice, and black blood seeped from between his fingers covering his mouth.

She continued to cut open her palms and smear the blood on the rock face.

The mysterious patterns gradually formed part of the massive seal, and at the same time, they rapidly consumed the wizard's life force.

She raised her head, revealing a face that was familiar to Mayumi Haga, and gritted her teeth as she said, "Mayumi Haga... why this dream at this particular time!"

Was this dream created by Mayumi Haga to see her suffer before she dies?

Chapter Thirty-Nine: I Miss You So Much

"Outsiders are forbidden from entering the Wizard's Village," the guard at the forest entrance said politely to Tohno Hitomi. "Please return, traveler."

Helpless, Hitomi Tono had no choice but to turn back.

After she was out of the guards' sight, she looked around and found Mayumi Haga leaning against a tree trunk, waiting for her news.

"Strangers aren't allowed in over there," Tono Hitomi reported to the other party, though she was secretly eager to try it out.

After all, the more restricted a place is, the more important a secret it likely holds.

Mayumi Haga had already anticipated this, so she didn't show herself but instead sent Hitomi Tono to investigate the situation first.

After all, if she were to appear, the guards of the Wizarding Village would recognize her.

If I call her "Mayumi-sama" in front of Tono Hitomi, it would be terrible if she became aware of my identity.

The area around Wizard Village is considered a safe zone, with guards patrolling every day, so there are no monsters.

So she said to Hitomi Tono, "Wait here for me. I remember there's a small path nearby. Let's take a look."

Hitomi Tono nodded vigorously, without a doubt.

After thinking for a moment, Mayumi Haga gave Hitomi Tono a short sword and a round shield for self-defense, and put a leather armor that was a size too big on Hitomi Tono as well, and told her: "Be careful, if you encounter any trouble, go to the guards over there, they will help you."

After saying that, he disappeared into the woods and headed toward the path he knew well.

Hitomi Tono, clutching the equipment given to her by Mayumi Haga, had intended to sneak off and follow, but after only two steps, she realized the other had vanished. Seeing that she couldn't catch up, she stood still and waited, curiously fiddling with the short sword.

"hiss."

Although it looks like an ordinary short sword, the weapons that can be kept in the Guardian's backpack are rarely of poor quality.

Hitomi Tono swung the heavy short sword a couple of times, accidentally cutting her finger, and instinctively gasped for breath.

She stared in astonishment as a trembling drop of blood fell.

……Blood?

Was this dream really that detailed?

Being in a dream where she could feel pain, Hitomi Tono felt a little uneasy.

.................................................. .................................................. .

"Seal off the village. No outsiders are allowed in," Rania's voice came from inside the house. She gave the urgent order, "No one is allowed to come! I will not see any more guests!"

"Lania, is it not even the Guardian?" It was Kagura Yu who spoke, now a guard NPC by the wizard's side, her voice filled with worry, "Mayumi-sama should be arriving soon."

Rania wanted to say something, but before she could utter a word, a heart-wrenching cough erupted. She involuntarily arched her back, blood rushing to her face, her hands and feet turning icy cold.

"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough cough..."

She stood up again, the handkerchief covering her mouth now stained with bright red blood. The wizard's neatly gathered collar was pulled open slightly by the movement, revealing the lines of blood spreading below her collarbone.

Damn it... this dream is even worse than before.

In her mind, Lania cursed Mayumi Haga and the strange man who had catalyzed the worsening of the dream.

Even before she died, there were already signs of impending disaster.

She happened to discover the hidden danger, and although she didn't know what it was, she still used all her knowledge to perform a ritual to plug the gap, which led to her life being overdrawn and her untimely death.

They thought this would delay the arrival of the calamity, since its intensity had not yet reached the point of despair. However, the intelligent calamity took advantage of the world's consciousness being off guard and launched a sneak attack on the few remaining wizards, leaving no one able to truly stop it.

There are still too few people in this world with magic resistance.

According to the original plan, after Rania was initially sealed, the calamity should have occurred nearly a hundred years later.

But in this nightmare of Mayumi Haga, calamity has already arrived ahead of time, and has even eroded the body of the wizard Rania, who can only suppress it by force.

At this time, Mayumi Haga had just begun her journey as a guardian, making many friends along the way. She was in the most spirited and carefree period of her youth, having not yet experienced the loss of loved ones, nor was she prepared to face calamities.

"That soft and childish guy... if he dreams of all his friends being swallowed up by disaster... he might cry."

Rania muttered to herself.

Lania did not live to see the Guardian Mayumi Haga's youth.

The Mayumi Haga she knew, the close friend she considered her best, was just a weak and cowardly newbie who was afraid of pain. That's why she kept following her around, emphasizing the other's incompetence, hoping this fool would be more ambitious, and feeling very disappointed in her.

Even though she vaguely sensed the destruction of her original world, Lania's remnant soul drifted into Kagura Yu's body in another world. When she saw Mayumi Haga again, she overlooked the fact that the other party's mental state was completely different from before.

Lania is a wizard, and has the responsibility of assisting the guardians in maintaining the world's operation.

At the same time, she was also the first friend of the same age that Mayumi Haga made after becoming a Guardian.

Similarly, Mayumi Haga was the first outsider she made.

She knows Mayumi Haga very well.

If it weren't for the sadness, if it weren't for the inability to let go, Mayumi Haga wouldn't have been having recurring nightmares in her subconscious about her friend's departure and the impending catastrophe.

Such a weak and stupid woman as Mayumi Haga.

The window opened silently, and Rania heard someone nimbly climb over it and slowly walk up behind her.

"Ranya".

It was the voice of that idiot who had just been cursing in his mind.

"They came in through the dog run?" Rania whispered. "I never expected that."

This behavior pattern is completely different from what I remember; this must be the "present" Mayumi Haga.

Mayumi Haga also noticed that the white-haired wizard in front of her was not the student she had imagined, who had been brought in from the outside.

Although so much time has passed and her memory has become somewhat hazy, this is still her friend Lania.

She didn't know what expression to wear, and couldn't even maintain the cheerful and calm demeanor she was feigning towards Hitomi Tono. She simply lowered her eyes quietly and said, "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here? Do you enjoy seeing me embarrassed?" Rania said sullenly, her tone far from friendly. "I don't want to see you."

Corrupted by calamity, even as a wizard, it would be impossible to leave behind a complete body.

It might look pretty bad then, and I definitely don't want Mayumi Haga to see such an ugly sight.

"I just haven't seen you in so long," Mayumi Haga said simply, cherishing the chance to meet her departed friend in her dreams, revealing her slightly lonely heart, "I miss you so much."

She constantly longed for the scenery in her dream, for her former friends, those who had brought her happiness, which had now turned into rotting flesh in her heart.

With her back to Mayumi Haga, Rania felt a lump in her throat.

It has been far too long since they last met.

So long ago, she was still a young girl as a remnant soul, while Mayumi Haga, having experienced everything, was exhausted and saddened, as if only a little bit of her remained to sustain her self, almost unrecognizable, lifeless.

Even in the prelude to a nightmare, Mayumi Haga genuinely felt the gentleness of the otherworldly power, which allowed her to reunite with her old friends.

She was very happy.

Chapter 40: The Doll That Won't Be Broken

"Fool, your expression is too weak." Lania forced back the tears in her eyes, but as usual, she scolded the good-for-nothing guardian, "You are my destined one, you should be stronger!"

"The one destined for me," Rania always said.

There's no such ambiguous relationship at all. It just so happens that the wizard and the novice guardian were born on the same day. So the wizard felt a deep connection with the guardian and, driven by a desire to leave his mark on history, bound the guardian to himself as his personal henchman.

Perhaps, just perhaps.

What started as a fit of pique later turned into genuine feelings. Although Rania only knew Mayumi Haga for less than two years in her life, less than a tenth of her life, her image still left an extremely deep impression on her.

The guardian she encountered in her youth left an extremely stunning impression on her, and even now, Lania still can't forget Mayumi Haga's beautiful smiling face.

Aside from the face, everything else is barely passable.

If she were still alive, she might confide some of her girlish thoughts to the guardian in front of her, or perhaps try to take their relationship a step further... provided that Mayumi Haga isn't so dense, and that Lania can change her habit of speaking with barbs.

But there was no turning back; Rania was destined to become only a part of Mayumi Haga's past.

Her youthful infatuation should be buried with her departure, never to be known by those who stood before her.

“Live strong and happy, Mayumi,” she said. “Don’t always look back.”

Lania stepped forward, opened her arms, and stood on tiptoe to hug the guardian who had grown so quickly.

It's been so long since I've seen them; they've grown so tall.

He already has well-defined, yet not overly exaggerated muscles, which suggests he hasn't slacked off during his sword practice. His physique has improved significantly, his hair has grown considerably and is tied in a short braid, and his expression is composed and self-possessed; he looks like a fully grown adult.

Her clothes were still a mess, though not ugly, and they suited her tall figure well. But she was different from the other girls in the village who were about the same age; she wasn't gentle, but rather heroic.

I really like it.

I love the warm touch of a hug, I love the quiet gentleness and consideration, and I love the forgiving look on my face when I scold myself for being unreasonable.

That's why, before she died, she deeply regretted telling the other person not to come see her, yet she couldn't help feeling relieved that her ugly appearance wouldn't be seen. After all that inner turmoil, she still ended up like this.

Because a forbidden technique was used to seal it, the soul was extracted as a price and mixed with the seal.

Lania did not enter the River of Calamity, nor was she swallowed by it. Instead, she followed the Calamity to the next world, which was her target.

She possessed Kagura Yu, whose spiritual value was high enough, but her soul was weak, her consciousness was hazy, and she rarely became clear-headed. She finally managed to wake up with a little strength and wanted to talk to Kagura Yu in her ear, but the snake intercepted her, and Kagura Yu did not notice her at all.

Originally thinking she had missed her last chance, she was coincidentally pulled into this dream world by the strange man, and was finally able to talk to Mayumi Haga.

Overwhelmed with happiness, tears streamed down her face and rolled onto the ground.

"In the name of the wizard [Shrike], I bless you, Guardian," Lania said, as the [Blessing] ritual began, her figure gradually fading away. "My strength, wisdom, blood, and soul will all become your aid."

I only wish you a bright future and no more sorrow.

Mayumi Haga felt the soul in her arms gradually lighten. She silently pursed her lips, lowered her head, and her expression was not clearly visible.

"You're so stupid. You didn't even bother to cry for me at the end. That expression was awful." The voice was soft, but without any accusation. "Forget it, I can't even imagine what you would look like crying."

Mayumi Haga's talent probably lies in her incredible endurance, which is almost inhuman.

Her soul would never break down, and even after living in a world that had become like hell for so long, she was able to stubbornly endure endless loneliness and pain.

That goes far beyond the scope of humankind.

For example, some guardians have outstanding defense and superior physique, while others possess the talent to kill with a single blow. Superior intelligence is not considered a particularly unique talent.

While Mayumi Haga possesses only mediocre swordsmanship, which can be considered a talent, she is not particularly outstanding among the Guardians. After all, she is the youngest and lacks sufficient combat experience.

But if she is a magical girl from a certain world, then she will be a magical girl whose sanity will always remain at the very last bit, and she will never become a witch.

A resilient doll that can't be broken is the type of person that fate loves to torment the most.

The sound finally disappeared, and Mayumi Haga felt empty in her arms. She raised her hand blankly, but couldn't touch anything.

Silently raising her head, Mayumi Haga turned her gaze to the window and noticed the anomaly in the dream world.

After Lania's soul dissipated, she saw a black mist rolling in from not far away.

That was the earliest form of calamity that she knew well.

Main Text: Chapter Forty-One: The Threshold of Witchcraft

"What is that..." Tono Hitomi squinted, trying to make out a large patch of black mist that had suddenly appeared in the distance.

The black mist moved very slowly, and at first glance it looked like a black dot appearing from a hole in a screen, but if you looked closely, you could see that it was gradually approaching.

That was a sign that the world was about to turn into a nightmare, and that the beautiful dream was about to collapse.

Hitomi Tono immediately identified the true nature of the black mist and became alert.

She knew that dreams were often corrupted into terrible forms by the Dream-Eating Clown, and that black mist really looked like a wormhole that had been eaten away.

Damn it, how come things are progressing so fast this time... Is the dream world without magic really that advantageous to the Dream-Eating Clown?

Hitomi Tono anxiously peered in the direction Mayumi Haga had left. Now was no time to wait; she had to help as well.

However, what she didn't know was that Mayumi Haga was no longer in the Wizarding Village.