Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

She has come to remember the most important relative in her life, the one who accompanied her as she grew up.

"elder brother……"

Why would I forget?

They were such important family members.

Never... ever do that to him again...

Your brother needs your help now.

When she realized it, the girl found herself enveloped in a golden-red light.

I felt a strange warmth, as if the fatigue from my arduous escape had been completely eliminated, and I had returned to my healthiest and most alert state.

Am I... seeing a god?

[Your brother, Akira Toyama, has such keen senses that he became aware of the key effects of the curse, which dragged him into an even deeper realm.]

If he cannot be found and brought out in time, he will be trapped there forever, dissolved and eventually become food and weapons for the enemy.

But fortunately, you exist as an extremely important individual to him. The blood and emotional connection between you allows you to follow his path to his side and bring him out of his deepest state.

The other person's voice was very urgent, bombarding her with long explanations, while Toyama Nao could only float blankly in the golden-red light, feeling the information being forcibly poured into her mind and forced to understand its meaning.

Time is running out. Your memories are cursed. To leave alive, you must completely forget each other.

I know this is a cruel situation, but there's no other choice right now, so please make a decision quickly. This is your only chance to save him.

If you've made a decision, please let me know. Time flows much slower in the mental world than in the external world, so you have a few minutes to consider it.

As the sound rang out, knowledge about the [curse] entered Nao Toyama's mind.

To be honest, I didn't quite understand what the other person was trying to express.

For Nao Toyama, who had never encountered the "Sacrifice Game" before today, the knowledge that Takami forcibly instilled in her head made her feel like her brain was swollen and she didn't know how to understand its meaning.

However, there was one thing Nao was able to understand.

Her brother, the brother she had finally managed to remember, was now in mortal danger.

Are memories cursed?

To break the curse and survive, must one forget their memories?

Is this why my brother sealed away my and my father's memories?

While thinking, his body had already started to move.

[My power will protect you and help you move there quickly, but if the situation is urgent and I can't take him away, I will pull you out directly. Time is limited, and you only have one chance.]

Without the slightest hesitation, the little girl, protected by a faint red light, fell into the deeper layers of the cursed domain, heading swiftly in pursuit of the direction where Touyama Akira had fallen. Meanwhile, that mysterious voice, one that instilled confidence simply by hearing it, resonated throughout, offering her detailed instructions.

In all sight, darkness had enveloped everything.

The fierce wind howled in my ears as I plummeted down.

Blurry images seemed to emerge from the surroundings, but it was impossible to see what they were. All that could be felt was a chill spreading from them.

It felt as if I had entered another world.

A terrifying world that does not belong to humans, that harbors deep hostility towards them.

Where exactly is this place?

No, this kind of question is not important.

I want to find my brother, I want to bring him back, I want to bring him back.

The girl's petite body fell from the depths of darkness, continuing its rapid descent into the endless abyss.

Gradually, I was able to feel it.

Little by little, I was able to reach the other person.

It's the scent of my older brother.

It has fallen to a very, very deep place.

If it continues to fall, there will be no way to escape.

"Brother, don't go!"

Reaching out, Nao Toyama hugged the falling Akira Toyama tightly and called out to him.

Sound seemed to be severely restricted in this dark and chaotic space, unable to travel very far. So Nao Toyama hugged her brother even tighter, embracing the already somewhat delirious and confused Akira Toyama.

Come back.

Come back with me.

Even if I forget, it doesn't matter. Even if I lose my memories, I can accept it.

Please, come back with me.

The girl was trying her best to express herself, conveying all the words she wanted to say to the other person.

She didn't know if the other person had heard what she said.

But the surrounding dark space reacted at this moment. A strange and blurry figure approached from a distance, seemingly having discovered the girl's actions. It wanted to remove her as an obstacle to the power of the curse and drag Akira Toyama completely into the darkness.

boom!

A loud gunshot startled the twisted figures away in the next second.

A golden glimmer formed a tiny crack in the dark world, reflecting the face of Masaaki Ishido and the figure beside him in a dirty police uniform.

bang bang bang-

The continuous gunfire struck and tore apart the gathered evil creatures.

The girl, who was tightly hugging Akira Toyama, called out again, only to find that he had already reached out and touched her shoulder.

"...I will forget you, forget Father."

Akira Toyama stared at Nao in front of him and spoke in a low voice.

"If we lose the memories of walking hand in hand together, can we still be considered family?"

"If you don't remember anything, then everything that happened will cease to exist. The sadness and the joy will all be gone. Is that really how it has to be? Can you really just forget it like that?"

He seemed to be struggling with some kind of force; his bewildered voice sounded like he was asking his sister a question, or perhaps talking to himself, his words revealing deep confusion and pain.

Just like the helpless and sad expression my brother always wore.

They always silently endure, never saying a word. They care deeply, yet refuse to show it, only observing and watching from the shadows.

"It's okay. Even if you regret forgetting, you can always start over."

"As long as we continue to exist, there will be no problem!"

Unable to articulate any profound truths, the girl could only hold him tightly and continue shouting at him.

Bang bang bang bang bang——

The intense gunfire shattered the approaching dark figures once again. The golden light flickered, but it seemed to have dimmed due to the excessive use of its power, and it might soon be extinguished.

"elder brother……"

The girl called out again, anxiously trying to think of what else she could say.

"Starting over..."

But before that, Akira Toyama's voice rang out first, and the hand on her shoulder also gained some real strength.

I can feel those memories gradually fading away.

The moment I broke free from that illusory dream of happiness and tried to escape this place, the memories that had been restored immediately began to disappear, and began to perish uncontrollably.

Just like the thirty-odd years of his life, there are always times when he has no choice, times when he has to give up something for something else, and times when he is forced to abandon something terrible. Even after becoming a player and possessing power that surpasses that of most people in the world, there are still one involuntary thing after another.

"It's okay, as long as you survive, good things will always happen."

I can no longer remember my father's name or appearance, but I can still remember him when he was young, wearing dirty work clothes, standing on the street after paying for my mother's latest round of medical expenses, and speaking earnestly.

Even if you have to choose to give up, or make a choice you don't want, as long as you live, there will always be a turning point.

"It's never a good thing to end things once and for all. Remember, you can give up anything but your hope for the future. As for what you've given up or lost, it's already in the past. You can't be held back by the past forever. Take courage, let's run forward together."

I can't remember the occasion or the time when I said those words.

I can't even remember that face anymore, I can only vaguely recall the gray hair and wrinkles that have gradually appeared.

However, perhaps this is indeed the truth: no matter what, people must always move from the past to the future. Even if it means losing many beautiful and happy memories of the past, people must continue to move forward. Only in this way can people create new happiness.

"I'm sorry, Nao. I chose to seal my memories and stay away from you to protect your safety. Those were very difficult days, and I've regretted it ever since I made that choice. Even if I could go back to that day, I would still do the same to protect you. Now, all I want to say to you is that I'm sorry."

Amidst the roar of gunfire, Akira Toyama held Nao Toyama in his arms, whispering to her as they gradually accelerated upwards.

"Whether then or now, I don't have enough power, so I have to make choices and give up some things I don't want to give up, which hurts you and Father."

"But it's okay, we will definitely leave here safely. Even if we lose something important, we can start over, and we can create new happiness in a brighter and better tomorrow."

"Shall we start by getting to know each other again?"

In the darkness, a faint light began to emerge from above.

Memories continued to fade away at this moment, and neither Akira Toyama nor Nao Toyama could remember anything about their families anymore.

Even so, they still smiled at each other, and with unwavering gazes after their reunion, they finally reached the end of the cursed abyss, completely breaking free from the curse's shackles under the power of the golden light.

It seems like I've forgotten something.

I can't recall whether it was important or not; only faint traces remain, and even those traces are rapidly fading away.

In a daze, the girl looked up and saw an unfamiliar figure in front of her, wearing a familiar smile, but she couldn't remember whose it was.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Nao Toyama."

So she greeted the other person with a gentle wave.

"Nice to meet you, I am Akira Toyama. I didn't expect to share the same surname. It seems we are quite destined to meet."

The person responded softly, a hint of confusion in their voice that quickly dissipated into a calm demeanor.

hum-

The city was trembling.