Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest Chapter 134: End of the Dream

"Daddy!"

"Nina, have you been crying because you missed ?"

When I ran over, Dad hugged with a smile. I felt a bit embarrassed with Itsuki there—I wished he wouldn't, but at the sa ti, his hug filled with so much joy and relief that I couldn't help but smile.

For so reason, it felt like years since I'd last seen him, and suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Oh wow, you really did miss your old man, huh? Itsuki's watching, you know?"

"Geez!"

I playfully slapped his shoulder, and there was that solid, strong muscle I rembered so well.

For a mont, I just wanted to stay close, but I gently pulled away after a bit. I didn't want Itsuki to feel left out.

Still, even after I stepped back, Dad wiped away my tears.

"Hey, it's your one Sunday with this week. Wouldn't want to waste it crying, would you?"

All I could do was nod, but only Dad would say sothing like that, and it made smile.

"Alright! Let's get going! Let's ride everything before Ilena gets here!"

"Wait, everything?"

Itsuki looked shocked at Dad's childlike proposal. But Dad just placed a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Of course! A gentleman has to know how to escort a lady. The best way to do that is to ride everything first, don't you think?"

"Isn't it just that

you

want to ride everything?"

"Oh, co now, Itsuki, a true gentleman has his secrets, right?"

Dad tapped a finger to his lips in a "shh" motion, his expression as playful as a child's, which made Itsuki laugh.

"Let's start with that one!"

Holding both our hands, Dad led us toward the roller coaster.

The sight of it gave a shiver—I'd never been on a roller coaster before, and just looking at it made my knees tremble.

I didn't really want to go on, but Dad glanced over at Itsuki.

"What's wrong, Itsuki? Don't feel like riding the roller coaster?"

"Uh, well... it's pretty high…"

Seeing Itsuki's hesitation made feel a bit more at ease—at least I wasn't the only one who didn't want to go on.

Dad looked thoughtful, then said, "That's not good. An exorcist sotis has to fight monsters in mid-air, you know?"

"Wait, really?"

Itsuki perked up right away at the ntion of exorcist stories. Dad, knowing this, continued with a grin.

"One ti, I had to jump off the roof of a twenty-story building with a monster."

"What happened then!?"

I perked up, too, hearing that Dad had been in such a dangerous situation.

Dad, however, kept smiling as if it were nothing.

"My Pixies saved ."

"...The Pixies?"

Itsuki, looking as skeptical as I felt, asked the question for .

"Yes! I think I summoned about thirty at once to pull to safety."

"So...you flew?"

"Not exactly, but they slowed my fall. That's how I landed safely."

"What about the monster?"

"The monster just crashed straight down. The impact was enough to take it out."

Itsuki and I exchanged glances. Listening to Dad's story made feel like getting used to heights might be necessary for an exorcist, but riding a roller coaster felt a little different sohow.

While I was thinking that, Dad turned to Itsuki again.

"Since you use

Silveit

, Itsuki, you could attach a thread to a building before falling. It'd be like a bungee jump."

It was such an offhand comnt, and Itsuki looked like he wanted to say, "That's definitely not how it works."

Before we knew it, we were standing right beneath the roller coaster, ready to ride… until we saw the long line. Dad looked disappointed, and while he was sizing up the line, Itsuki pointed to a sign nearby.

"Hey, Mr. Edmund, there's a height requirent."

"Hm?"

Following his finger, we saw a height chart that was about as tall as I was. Roller coasters usually have height restrictions, don't they?

Dad looked a bit taken aback.

"...Maybe...we can't ride after all."

After asuring our heights, it turned out that neither Itsuki nor I t the height requirent. Dad looked visibly disappointed but quickly recovered.

"Well, hey! There are plenty of other rides we

can

go on!"

I could tell he was disappointed, but I held back from saying anything—sohow, ntioning it didn't feel right.

Though Dad was eager to ride everything before Mom arrived, he started to look a bit tired after two or three rides. Spotting a nearby food stall, he brightened up and announced, "Let's take a tea break!"

I couldn't help but think he was a bit too whimsical.

"What would you like, Itsuki?"

"Soft serve!"

"I'll have the sa."

We both requested the largest vanilla soft-serve, and Dad grinned, saying, "Let's keep this a secret from Mom, alright?"

While Dad was getting his ice cream, I leaned over to Itsuki and whispered.

"Are you sure you didn't want curry-flavored?"

"Curry flavor? Why?"

"Well, you like curry bread, don't you?"

"I do like curry bread, but for ice cream, I prefer vanilla."

"Got it."

I made a ntal note of Itsuki's favorite things—who knows when it might co in handy.

As I took a lick of the cold, milky-soft ice cream, I glanced at Itsuki, who was also enjoying his. We both ended up smiling at each other.

"Let's sit sowhere."

"Yeah!"

With Dad leading us to a nearby bench, we sat down and enjoyed watching people pass by as we ate.

It was delicious.

It was delicious, and I had Dad beside , and Itsuki was here too. And soon, Mom would join us.

Thinking of that, I suddenly furrowed my brows.

"What's wrong, Nina? Did you get a brain freeze?"

"No, it's not that."

I shook my head.

"It's just… I was wondering if it's okay to be this happy."

For so reason, this much happiness felt like it might bring bad luck. That thought barely crossed my mind when—

"Are you truly happy?"

An unfamiliar voice answered —a shrill voice I instantly didn't want to hear.

Turning quickly, I saw a stuffed pig standing there.

A stuffed pig, standing upright, and speaking.

"Is this truly the happiness you want, Nina?"

"W-why do you know my na…?"

"Oh, I know you well. This is your world. The world you wished for."

Dad stomped his heel sharply—a sound only Mom and I would recognize as the beginning of his magic.

In an instant, shadows Dad had summoned clamped onto the stuffed animal, sinking it into darkness—a move called "Shadow Send" that banishes creatures to another realm.

"W-wait! Too quick! Savor the encounter first; I'm losing my freshness!"

Ignoring the creature's complaints, Dad shrugged.

"A good exorcist never listens to a monster's words."

"Ha ha ha! That's for sure! Agreed, agreed. I'm just a fluffball with no feelings."

But as he said this, the stuffed pig erged from the shadows, slowly rising.

"Fantastic! Even in a dream, you're still an exorcist! But, Nina, if you kill , your happy dream will end."

Dad said nothing, stomping his heel again. The pig burst into flas.

"…!?"

But it wasn't just the monster who looked surprised. Dad seed shocked as well.

The fire wasn't Dad's doing…?

Just then, the stuffed pig let out a yell.

"I'm done for! It's Itsuki from the

outside

! A purification talisman—who knew it could work like this! Such knowledge! I'm enlightened!"

Struggling to shake off the flas but unable to, the stuffed animal flailed.

"Aah! The dream is over! What a cruel thing, forcing a child back to reality! How heartless, Itsuki!"

The toy turned into blackened ashes.

"But unlike him, I am different. I'm a Theater Actor—thick-skinned and ever-giving."

As the stuffed animal faded, it looked directly at .

"Rember this, Nina."