“Charlotte, retreat!” Mom’s voice echoed throughout the ravine before the girl looked towards my back with a pout as she hopped up, landing on a short cliff on the ravine before sitting down on a meditation position as she glared at me.

I was confused over what my offense was but for all I know… it is getting cold here! Where did my dress go and what happened to me?

“Wear this,” Mom’s voice whispered from behind as a coat suddenly covered my body, causing me to turn my head around by surprise as Mom stood there with an odd look on her face.

“Thanks… what happened to me? I could have sworn I fought a dragon,” I asked before she heaved a sigh, pointing at the girl with two horns that matched that of the dragon.

“Charlotte is the dragon you fought; due to interruptions from your sudden corruption, I told her to retract her battle form and watch over you until you succeed against your inner demon,” she answered while walking towards a wall as she took out a picnic basket from nowhere.

It was as if they had spatial rings on their fingers, taking out stuff left and right without even bringing any bags which always surprises me until I remember that this dimension is basically under my mother’s control.

“Wasn’t the dragon a male?” I looked at the red-haired girl with surprise before she glared at me even more almost like she wanted to stab me.

“Which eye of yours sees that I am a male?!” the red-haired girl who is named Charlotte stood up from the cliff and pouted even more, “I am clearly a female! A genuine pure female!!!” before sitting back down, punching the floor with anger.

“Anyhow, stop talking and have a seat over here. It’s better to eat for now since it’s been three days since you entered into corruption stage, all the meals you ate had long been exhausted,” she said before suddenly, each part of my body turned numb as I sat on the floor before a sandwich was stuffed onto my mouth.

The sandwich tasted delightful, nostalgic; it was the same sandwich I used to eat every morning in the other world, the sweet taste of chocolate on simple bread. There was nothing better than the sandwiches the person you love the most makes.

“Delicious…” I said before tears fell from my eyes unknowingly, confusing me greatly as Mom looked at me with a smile. I was confused as I rubbed the tears on my eyes while asking, “Why am I tearing up?” before Mom closed her eyes while smiling.

“Ayumi, listen…” Mom suddenly spoke as I looked at her while she opens her eyes that turned into gold, “Time is running out, your real body will soon wake up which means your soul will return back to its place…”

“I don’t have much time to teach you anymore, well… all the fundamentals you need to protect yourself and maybe some of your beloved ones are already inside your head,” she looked at me and said before standing up as she hugged me out of the blue.

An innumerable number of tears fell from my eyes as I hugged her back before she whispered, “I will miss you, my only daughter…” before a sudden realization came to my head. If I am waking up, then that means I will not be able to see Mom anymore…

I felt reluctant on waking up before her lips suddenly touched my forehead as she looked at me with a smile, “You don’t have to worry about me, come back once you become strong enough… I will always watch over you in this dimension until the day you become strong enough to protect the people you love and be able to pass through the boundaries of the world.”

“Promise me that you will take care of yourself and also those other three on that world… after all, I haven’t met them face to face yet,” she said before tears fell from my eyes as I nodded without hesitation.

“You have learned to fight without the usage of the system and have learned to control the system yourself… what happens next is your battlefield which is why… don’t ever give up even in the face of death because through near-death is when a miracle happens, for as long as you don’t surrender, that is when the impossible becomes possible,” she said before standing up as she looked up at the skies.

“Mom…” I looked at her before dizziness started attacking me as she turned around once more with tears falling from her eyes as she took out a crystal white dagger with the emblem of a Lily and an engraving of my name on the blade.

I understood from then that the inevitable was about to happen… that I would have to leave this place after staying here for months… I felt reluctant but at the same time, I understood deep within me that it was inevitable for us to part.

“This isn’t much, but this will be our parting gift, for now, there are additional teachings I embedded there… it is up to you on how much can be learned from it, this dagger is called ‘A Life of a Lily’ and it is the likely the only dagger you will need in your lifetime,” she smiled beautifully before the dagger shone as she placed it on my lap.

“Mom…” I stood up before hugging her tightly as tears fell from my eyes, “Mom… I love you very much… please take care, okay…?” before she hugged back as tears drenched the coat I wore before suddenly the two of us passed by each other almost like I was a phantom.

“I love you too… my daughter,” she turned around and looked at me in the eye before a sudden pain struck my heart as I clenched my hands before waving them as she smiled at me before darkness covered my sight.

After Ayumi had left.

“You aren’t telling her about that?” a white-haired beauty appeared beside the brown-haired lady, looking at the brown-haired lady’s hand that was tinted with a tiny bit of purple.

“I don’t have to, after all, this corruption energy of hers has her feelings… it knows not to attack me,” the brown-haired lady smiled before looking up at the skies as the white-haired beauty stood beside the brown-haired lady, resting her head on the shoulders of the tall beautiful brown-haired lady.

“She has grown up a lot since she first took her breath, how long has it been since then?” the white-haired beauty looked at the brown-haired lady with a smile.

“Please, Elise… You should know better than me how old she is,” the brown-haired lady smiled before pinching the white-haired beauty’s cheeks as she pouted before their hands grasped one another as they looked at each other with a mocking smile before their lips touched.

Mihou

A little bittersweet ending over there, I wonder what those two mean fufufufu.