Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

A red and white train with a uniquely timbre in its whistle.

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"I see."

At 7:15 p.m., in Homura Akemi's apartment.

The girl stood by the window, holding the phone to her ear, letting the evening breeze gently caress her delicate cheeks.

"I'll arrive tomorrow, um... I'm fine, I'm staying in an apartment all by myself right now... I'm really okay, Dad."

"Well, I'll send the address to my mom's Line in a bit... Hey, school life? It's not bad."

"Well... I've made some new friends, and they haven't looked down on me because of my condition, that's all... There have been some guys too..."

"I'll go home early tomorrow, then you can just come directly. Okay... See you later."

After hanging up the phone, Homura Akemi fell silent again.

Before this, her parents had called her and said they would come to visit her in three days... which is tomorrow.

"How much time has passed...?"

Since I fell into this cycle of reincarnation, I haven't seen my parents even once.

Each time, it leads to the same ending as Witch's Night, followed by utter destruction, then the cycle repeats endlessly...

This endless cycle has finally come to an end.

Not only have I made good friends and no longer have to worry about Witch's Night, but my health has also improved. Seeing my parents again under these circumstances should be something that makes me very happy.

Homura Akemi felt the same way. She was genuinely grateful to her parents and felt so happy to see them again.

…but.

It is precisely because I want to see them that I am afraid to see them again.

Homura Akemi is afraid of this right now.

Then, a knock on the door jolted her back to reality.

"what…"

The girl's thoughts were interrupted, and she looked towards the doorway.

At this hour... will anyone still come? No... there shouldn't be many people coming to see me at all.

She looked through the peephole and, after confirming the other person's identity, opened the door with some surprise.

"..."

The two gazed at each other.

Shirin Yanming slowly walked into his room, while Akemi Homura stared at him with slightly wide eyes.

At that moment, it seemed as if more wind was blowing in from the open window.

The girl's hair and the newcomer's clothes were gently blown by the wind.

After a short silence, Homura Akemi finally came to her senses.

Then, in a low, slightly complicated tone, she whispered to him.

"...You've arrived."

Volume Nine: The Demon King Appears: Chapter 414 Isn't battle more important than women?!

His tone was hesitant and somewhat nervous.

Yan Ming rarely saw the familiar Homura Akemi in this state.

"Has something bad happened?"

"It's nothing serious..."

After closing the door and turning on the lights, Homura Akemi finally came to her senses.

Would you like something to drink?

"You don't need anything. You're not the kind of person who would go out of your way to entertain others, are you?"

"...That's right."

However, even though Yan Ming said that, she still took out two cups and a large bottle of beverage from the refrigerator.

Then, as the other person opened the refrigerator door, Yan Ming also noticed some things.

…The room layout is different now.

Previously, Homura Akemi's apartment was filled with a sci-fi style, making it seem like it didn't belong to this era.

But now, the living room alone has become much more normal.

The strange decorations on the ceiling, reminiscent of those in science fiction movies, were removed and replaced with simple chandeliers and carpets on the floor. Incidentally, even the flooring was replaced with wooden flooring.

There were also some pillow-like items on the sofa and the chair on one side, although they were just the kind that were very plain.

I only caught a glimpse of the kitchen, but... there were definitely a lot more things in the refrigerator than when I last came.

The cleanliness of the kitchen also indicates that it has been used repeatedly.

So, Homura Akemi has always been the kind of person who only eats compressed rations and drinks water, and doesn't want to change her quality of life in the slightest.

Now, surprisingly...

"Come over here."

At this moment, the black-haired girl had already poured herself a drink and sat down on the sofa.

"You've changed a bit."

"Who...me?"

"Of course, it seems you've taken some of my advice quite seriously, that's good."

As he said this, Yan Ming sat down on the sofa and took a sip of the drink in his cup.

However, Homura Akemi was not calm after he said that.

For a fleeting moment—though only for a moment—a cute expression did indeed flash across that pretty face.

What's wrong with you?

"nothing."

Although Yan Ming turned his head, all he saw was the girl immediately turning her back and covering her face with her hair.

She turned her back to him for a short while before sitting down next to Yan Ming again and they started drinking together.

The two sat on the sofa, keeping a distance between them, with Homura Akemi taking sips of her drink every now and then.

From an outsider's perspective, this scene is undoubtedly very strange and awkward.

However, for those familiar with their personalities, this way of getting along is actually quite normal for people like them who are usually quite aloof.

However, even if Homura Akemi could tolerate this silence, Yan Ming was finding it increasingly difficult to bear...

"Something's on your mind, isn't it?"

There was no response... Although that's what he said, Yan Ming did see that Homura Akemi's shoulder trembled slightly.

However, he didn't speak, but waited for the other person.

Even so, Homura Akemi remained silent for almost a minute.

"…No."

"I see. Well then, I have something to say... I've come to see you about something important."

Upon hearing his words, Homura Akemi quickly composed herself and looked at him.

"You should know this person, right?"

Is that the magical girl I fought last time...?

"So you do remember? Did she say anything noteworthy when you fought her back then?"

"Something noteworthy...?"

Homura Akemi thought back carefully.

Because Yan Ming and the others had no need to care about matters related to Yuzuki Hana before this, and Homura Akemi herself was unaware of any related matters, so now, if they were to try to recall anything, they could only remember the general outline...

However, if this is his request...

With that thought in mind, Homura Akemi tried her best to recall.

"...I remember now."

I tried my best to recall what Yuzuki had said during our previous battle.

"At the time, I thought she was just talking nonsense, but... she did say that to me back then."

"She said she came from another different world, where there were also magical girls and witches, and... unlike this world, where witches have been eliminated, the magical girls there still have to survive through the Seed of Grief, just like before."

"Is this what she said to you back then...?"

After listening, Yan Ming raised his eyebrows slightly.

If that's the case, then the Seeds of Grief that Teed used also came from other parallel worlds. Could it be that they were all brought from the world where Yuzuki Hana lived?

The reason why Yuzuki Hana was able to come to this world is probably because Teed brought her out.

Then...

Why did Teed choose Yuzuki Hana specifically, and not some other magical girl?

There must be something about this girl that makes Tede choose her over anyone else.

"That's all she told me back then, nothing else."

"I understand, thank you very much."

"Ah."

The two nodded to each other, and then—

'...Actually, there's no need to say thank you.'

Homura Akemi was thinking the same thing.

'You've helped me more than once already, and all I've done is tell you something, yet you still have to thank me. This makes me feel so uncomfortable.'

"There's something off about your expression. Is there something else you haven't said?"

"No... I've already said everything."

Realizing her lapse in composure, Homura Akemi quickly shook her head.

"You should pay more attention to Mami Tomoe than to my affairs."

"Didn't you tell me before that she revealed her identity at school, and then everyone started to admire her?"

That happened a long time ago…

And so, Homura Akemi told Yan Ming about the huge difference between Mami Tomoe and yesterday at school today, and about her current situation.

After learning the details, Yan Ming's expression gradually became serious.

"However, judging from what you've said, it seems that you've calmed her down as well."

That's true, but...

Homura Akemi still seemed a little scared.

"I don't know. Mami Tomoe has always had a wildly fluctuating personality in my reincarnations. I always see her as dangerous, and there have been times when I had no idea what she was thinking..."

"Don't worry, the fact that you were able to say those things to her is enough to make her feel a little better."

Yan Ming then directly presented his own ideas.

"Coincidentally, I do need to get involved in Mami's situation to take further action. Don't worry, I will find a way to stabilize her emotions, and I know exactly what she needs."

"is that so…"

Homura Akemi instinctively felt worried about this.

but--