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The battle between the Red-black Reaper and the Hungry Ghost Reaper, no, the Gray Reaper and the Hungry Ghost Reaper has come to an end.

The result was quite unexpected from my younger sister’s perspective.

A defeat for the Hungry Ghost Reaper, who possessed graceful and lightweight movements, a blade that could cut through anything, and flames that could burn everything around!

As the Gray Reaper emerged victorious, the Golden Reapers, watching the battle with sparkling eyes, bounced around in all directions, creating a festive atmosphere.

Perhaps it was their genuinely joyous expressions or the mental pollution possessed by the Golden Reapers, but my younger sister also felt a bit delighted at the Gray Reaper’s win.

While I watched the Golden Reapers bounce with such excitement that they bumped into each other and rolled around, I suddenly heard a strange sound.

Cough cough.

It was a sound so small that I would have missed it if I hadn’t been listening closely.

Could it be? No way.

Thinking it might be a hallucination born from the hope that my sister was alive, I tried to ignore it.

With anxious hope, I lowered my head, fearing that if my sister was still like that, my heart would crumble.

Cough cough.

At that moment, I heard the unmistakably small yet clear sound of coughing again.

It’s not a hallucination?

“Elder sister?”

With a trembling voice, my younger sister bowed her head, and there was her elder sister, weakly gazing back up with faintly opened eyes.

Seeing her elder sister’s open eyes, my younger sister could only continue to shed tears.

Surely, she should say something, yet all she could do was cry.

“I told you. I won’t die unless my neck is cut…”

The tattooed woman struggled to lift her hand and gently wipe her sister’s tears while grinning.

“Yeah.”

My younger sister tightly gripped that hand as if to prevent it from escaping, nodding her head furiously.

The Golden Reapers clapped their small hands with excitement, celebrating the reunion of the sisters.

And then, they dashed off somewhere and brought back a large chunk of marshmallow, offering it as if to say, “Eat!”

It was a piece of perfectly roasted, large marshmallow.

That massive piece was as big as my younger sister’s head, giving off an unusual presence.

Confused by the sudden appearance of a marshmallow the size of a human head, I turned my gaze and noticed a large chunk of burnt marshmallow in the corner of the reception room.

Nearby, the Golden Reapers had piled up and were removing the burnt parts while picking off the roasted parts.

Had there been such a marshmallow?

I took a small piece to taste, and it was surprisingly delicious, far from what one would think of as common marshmallow.

“Sister, this is really good. Want to try? Or is it okay to eat?”

It was so delicious that my younger sister wanted to share it with her elder sister, but then she recalled that her lower body had been severed and hesitated.

Of course, the severed lower body had healed quickly the moment her sister regained consciousness, appearing fine on the outside.

However, my younger sister felt uncertain whether everything was truly okay given such a big injury and asked.

“I’m fine. I just feel a bit dizzy from the blood loss, but other than that, I’m good.”

“Then let’s eat together!”

Beaming, my younger sister fed a piece of the marshmallow into her elder sister’s mouth.

The woman received the piece, yet something felt off as she slightly furrowed her brow.

‘The atmosphere has become overly cheerful considering the situation. Is it the mental pollution? They surely prepared antidotes for it…’

However, the woman was too severely injured to take any action, merely left with her doubts.

The marshmallow that the sisters devoured was perfectly roasted and genuinely delicious.

In the background of that happy sister scene, a sorrowful sob began to faintly play.

“Coo, coo…”

*

Celebrating victory by tearing into the white hungry ghost roasted by the hungry ghost reaper’s finishing move.

And continuously checking the mini reaper garden, I awaited the birth of the hungry ghost reaper.

Ever since I died once to the hungry ghost reaper, I felt an overwhelming urge to crush its head as soon as possible.

But the hungry ghost reaper didn’t seem to materialize anytime soon.

Not wanting to wait idly, I got up and decided to take action.

If we defeated the dungeon boss, we ought to check for treasure chests as well.

“Hey everyone, let’s go!”

With a lively stride, I headed towards an unscathed, grand old door.

I advanced towards the door that seemed like it was being guarded by the hungry ghost reaper.

As I gently pushed the large door, it opened with a soft sound, revealing the inner landscape.

What lay before me was truly fantasy!

The moment the door swung open, torches lit up magically, illuminating the room.

Strange and exotic plants wiggled in their pots, while colorful bubbles bubbled up from glass flasks stacked on the shelves.

On a large table lay a mysterious crystal ball with stars floating inside it.

Beside it were neatly arranged astrolabes and sextants for measurements.

And on the walls hung several carefully sharpened swords and thick leather coats.

It resembled a fantasy space, conjuring thoughts of wizards, swordsmen, and alchemists.

Considering the doll heads present, it seemed likely this belonged to an “Alchemist” workshop.

The mini reapers scattered around, their eyes glinting as they gazed at the marvelous contraptions in the room.

As I slowly stepped into the room, I discovered something particularly captivating.

It was a truly large mirror, within which lived an image of “something that looked like me,” along with a blue girl and the appearance of the white hungry ghost.

The blue-haired girl, smiling brightly as if for a family photo.

Me, sitting with a vacant expression, resembling something gray to an uncanny degree.

And the mini white hungry ghost who looked incredibly sad.

The girl with blue hair seemed familiar, probably because I had seen her reflection often, giving me a sense of intimacy.

We even looked alike, reinforcing that feeling.

Strangely, the gray figure that looked exactly like me in the mirror didn’t feel like “me” at all.

It felt like not only did I lack memories, but something essential was missing.

Encountering this object often revealed glimpses of the blue-haired girl, making me feel as though something fateful was guiding me.

What could this possibly mean?

I have no idea.

As I stared hard into the mirror, pondering, a golden reaper dashed towards me with a surprised expression.

From just their expression, I could tell they had something important to say.

“Mom, hurry here!”

Following the golden reaper, we arrived at a small, cozy room.

A soft, large bed and various small furniture arranged.

It felt strangely familiar, radiating a comfortable atmosphere.

As I reflected on why this was, I quickly realized.

If I placed electronic devices like a TV here, it would match the layout of my “isolation room” perfectly.

How intriguing.

To think our tastes could align so closely.

And right in the center of the room, there lay the girl with blue hair.

In that familiar and comforting room, the girl clutched a shattered orb and lay lifeless.

To be precise, she wasn’t dead, but rather in a destroyed state.

After all, she was not human but an “object.”

She had been destroyed for a long time, this object.

*

The little hungry ghost had a wonderfully long dream.

A long and joyful dream spanning from a cherished past to the present.

The dream started from the moment of birth.

Looking up at the “eye” sealed within a large flask, the master explained the little hungry ghost’s mission in a kind voice.

“Protect that eye. And fend off any intruders before the lead doll returns. Got it?”

It seemed like an incredibly easy task.

The little hungry ghost possessed flames capable of burning all magic books, crafted by the master.

“Coo.”

But the little hungry ghost let out a disgruntled sound.

Why did only the lead doll get the most important role?

That dumb, slow thing couldn’t even manage its own body properly!

Jealousy surged within.

She envied the lead doll, monopolizing the master’s attention.

Even until the moment of her death, the master would endlessly maintain and repair the lead doll.

Years passed, and finally, the master became unable to move at all.

“It would have been nice if we could meet…”

The master lamented that with a finite lifespan, they could not meet “that” being.

Sensing the end with the master, the sorrowful little hungry ghost moved the master’s body to the bed.

With her little limbs, slowly.

And in the final moment, the master spoke softly to the little hungry ghost.

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want to hear apologies.

It was the last moment; she would have preferred encouragement instead.

With the master’s death, the foolish lead doll stopped moving altogether, plunging the master’s workshop into an endless silence.

Even so, the little hungry ghost persevered, carrying out the master’s last order.

She burned the countless hungry ghosts that had once been her companions but had gone mad after devouring cores.

How many years passed?

At last, that moment arrived.

The fateful moment the master spoke of.

A faint explosion echoed from the surface, and the lead doll vanished.

The master seemed to know everything.

And that made her envious.

Why was she forced to just wait around?

So.

So the little hungry ghost broke her master’s command for the first and last time.

She devoured the “eye.”

Not merely protecting the eye but to become the last trial for the lead doll.

According to her master’s words, that foolish lead doll should easily defeat the little hungry ghost.

“So if I win, it means I’m more suitable for my master’s plans.”

And before long, she sensed the lead doll approaching.

A familiar presence.

The little hungry ghost handed over her core to her master’s hand and set off on her journey.

And she lost.

In the end, her master’s words were correct.

The little hungry ghost could not overcome the lead doll.

Yet, she felt joyful.

Because she could fulfill her master’s final mission.

But the little hungry ghost was truly sad.

Her role had ended here.

She could no longer return to her sleeping master forever.

And just as the interminable dream seemed to be ending, she felt consciousness being pulled out from her sleep.

The plush terrain of marshmallows and the aroma of hot chocolate enveloped her.

And she saw the lead doll, fist clenched and a refreshing smile on its face.

“!!!”