Without a doubt, Ryuji found this to be an excellent new ability.

  "Loading!"

  There was nothio analyze. Ryuji simply chose to load the ry.

  Talery System!

  Host: Ryuji Hoshino

  Bloodline: Human

  Loaded entries:

  - Soul Dev [Red]

  - Yin-Yang Eyes [Gold]

  - Presence cealment [Gold]

  - Tranquility [Gold]

  - Reverse Cursed Teique [Gold]

  - Motrag Physique [Gold]

  - Third Dimension [Gold]

  - Dreamwalker [Gold]

  - Iron Fist [Purple]

  Points: 62,120!

  "Not bad for tonight. At least I gained a useful ability," Ryuji thought, feeling quite satisfied.

  "Hehe!"

  At that moment, Ryuji suddenly heard Miko, who was sleeping beside him, giggle happily as though she was having a delightful dream.

  "What kind of sweet dream is she having?"

  This was the perfect opportunity to test out his newly acquired ability. Ryuji discovered that using Dreamwalking didn't require physical tact. He just o focus oher person's name and appearance.

  He closed his eyes, and when he opehem again, a different se unfolded before him.

  "I do!"

  It was a church. Standing at the altar were himself and Miko. She was dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, smiling joyfully as she said, "I do" to him.

  "So that's it. A dream about getting married to me, huh?"

  No wonder she was ughing so happily. Ryuji chuckled.

  "Well the's make this dream a bit more solid."

  Ordinary dreams are proo interruption. Many people have had dreams abruptly cut off, leaving them uo ti that moment, Ryuji focused on stabilizing Miko's dream, ensuring it wouldn't be interrupted.

  After leaving her dream, Ryuji g Miko, still smiling in her sleep. He couldn't help but shake his head.

  "Silly girl…"

  The y of Dreamwalking intrigued Ryuji even more. It made him eager to try it on someone else.

  "Let's check out Haruno's dream!"

  Ryuji turned his attention to Haruno, whom he had parted ways with not long ago. By now, she should be asleep too.

  He visualized Haruno's fad hen closed his eyes.

  When he opehem again, all he saw was fog, nothing more.

  "No dream?"

  It wasn't surprising. After all, not everyone dreams each time they sleep.

  "The me create one for you!"

  Since she wasn't dreaming, Ryuji decided to craft one for her.

  After a short while, Ryuji exited Haruno's dream. Although it was just a dream, it had felt very real.

  "Let's try Yukino's . 't py favorites, after all."

  He grinned. If the elder sister had a dream, it was only fair the younger sister did too.

  In Yukino's dream, things were a little more intense.

  "Evil spirit! I won't let you tinue your evil deeds!"

  Yukino was dreaming of herself as a fierce exorcist, battling against a monstrous creature.

  Ryuji raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

  "This is just like Yukino, always the righteous one."

  Upon refle, the dream made perfect sense for someone like Yukino.

  Just as she was about to deliver the final blow to the demon, aruck Ryuji, and he couldn't resist making things more iing.

  "Let's ge it up a bit!"

  With the power of Dreamwalking, Ryuji easily altered the dream's setting. The demon Yukino was fighting slowly transformed… into him.

  "Ryuji?"

  Yukino froze in fusion. What had just happened? Why had the demon turned into Ryuji?

  "What? Surprised to see me?"

  Ryuji smirked as Yukino stared at him, clearly shocked.

  "You…"

  Before she could finish her sentence, Ryuji closed the distaween them, grabbing her wrist.

  "Wait! What are y to do? You..."

  ---

  The m, when Ryuji woke up, he found Miko lying beside him, propping her up with her hands and gazing at him with a smile. Her legs swung pyfully behind her.

  "What's up?"

  Ryuji asked, fused by her cheerful expression.

  "Hehe, I'm not telling you!"

  Miko giggled, her mind filled with memories of the wedding dream she had st night. Her happiness was evident on her face.

  Without another word, she quickly stood up.

  "Since you're awake, let me make breakfast for you!"

  "Yeah."

  Ryuji replied, watg her leave.

  "Silly girl… you really think I don't know why you're so happy?"

  While Ryuji ehe calm of the m, the Yukinoshita sisters were far from rexed.

  "I must be going crazy!"

  Haruno shot up in bed, looking around at her familiar room with fusion written all over her face. How could she have had such a dream? The worst part was how vividly real it had felt.

  "I'm going mad! This is ridiculous!"

  Haruno rushed to the bathroom, trying to shake off the lingeriions from the dream.

  Meanwhile, Yukino was experieng something simir.

  "How is this even possible?"

  Yukino stared at the ceiling, dumbfounded by the dream she had just woken from. Why oh had Ryuji appeared in her dream? Did she… like him?

  "No, no, no! That's impossible!"

  Ryuji had a girlfriend already. If she had feelings for him, what would that make her?

  "It was just a dream! A stupid dream!"

  Despite her attempts to calm down, the vividness of the dream still lingered in her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she could only see images of herself and Ryuji.

  Worse still, she noticed something strange about her clothes.

  "Hmmn?!"

  Her usual posed expression cracked, and in a mild panic, she ran to the bathroom.

  ---

  In the , Ryuji rested his on his hand, calmly waiting for css to start. Even though he had reinated, he still obediently attended csses like a model student.

  However, the usual liveliness of the was missing. Hayato, who was ofteiow sat in silence, his eyes occasionally wandering off as though lost in thought.

  Yumiko and her friends, Hina and Yui, exged uneasy gnces. All three of them bore matg dark circles uheir eyes, looking as if they hadn't slept well.

  It was Yui who broke the silen a low whisper.

  "Have you all been having nightmares?"

  "No way, it 't be a ce!"

  Hina's voice shook slightly. One person having a nightmare was normal, but for all three of them to experie at the same time? Something was clearly wrong.

  Yumiko stayed quiet, l her head. But her trembling hands and the fear in her eyes were impossible to hide.

  "Was it… the woman with the skeletal face?"

  Hiated before asking, her tone ced with fear.

  "You too?"

  Yui's voice grew more anxious. If they all shared the same nightmare about the same terrifying figure, then something beyond reason was happening.

  "..."

  Hina nodded silently, and both girls turo Yumiko.

  Although Yumiko said nothing, her pale face firmed their suspis.

  "I-Is it possible… we've been cursed by something?"

  Though the girls had never entered the supernatural, they had read enough ghost stories to uand that such things weren't unheard of. And if something like that had happeo them, it would expin why Tobe and others had dropped out of school.

  Last night, after they had returned home, the three girls all had nightmares. In each of their dreams, they had been haunted by the skeletal woman. She didn't harm them, but her sinister smile had been enough to scare them senseless.

  "No way!" Yumiko, though terrified, tried to maintain her posure in front of her friends. "It's just a ce. There's no way that kind of this in the real world."

  Her voice wavered, g the usual fidence.

  "..."

  Yui and Hina exged uneasy looks but nodded in agreement. They desperately wao believe it was just a ce. If not, then the idea of being cursed or haunted was too terrifying to sider.

  "We probably got freaked out by everything that happened yesterday. That's why we had those nightmares. It'll pass in a few days!"

  "You think so?"

  Hina's voice wavered, but she g to Miura's words like a lifeline.

  Yui, however, was still skeptical.

  After all, yesterday she had seen something that defied expnation.

  Her eyes waoward Ryuji. If he really did have supernatural powers, could he possibly know what was happening to them? Or better yet, could he fix it?

  "Hmm?"

  Ryuji noticed Yui's gaze and looked back at her curiously.

  The moment his eyes met hers, Yui quickly averted her gaze, her face flushed in embarrassment.

  She was still a bit timid. There were some things she just couldn't bring herself to say directly.

  Maybe Yumiko was right after all. Maybe they were just spooked by everything that had happened. It didn't necessarily mean they were involved in something supernatural.

  But the nagging doubt remained.

  Ryuji, oher hand, was more observant than they realized. Although Yui had already averted her gaze, Ryuji noticed something surprising about the girls.

  Whether it was Yui, Yumiko, or Hina, each of them had traces of ive energy ging to them, though t degrees.

  And this energy felt oddly familiar to Ryuji.

  "The Skeleton Woman?"

  Yui's earlier look seemed like she wao ask for help but didn't dare to. Iing.

  Ryuji decided not to intervene just yet.

  Although the three girls were inated with the Skeleton Woman's ive energy, it wasn't much, and they didn't seem aware of how serious the situation was.

  They'd definitely e looking for help ohey realized, so there was no need for Ryuji to act right away.

  During the lunch break.

  Ryuji and Miko had arrived at Yukino's Service Club.

  Acc to Yukino, no one else used the Service Club, so she wouldn't be disturbed. In fact, she had even invited him to use it when he needed a break. In exge, Ryuji would answer some of Yukino's more peculiar questions.

  "I didn't expect you to find such a great spot!"

  At this moment, aside from Ryuji, Miko, and Yukino, Hana was also there, her eyes filled with curiosity.

  "No wonder I couldn't find you yesterday!"

  Hana shot Miko a resentful look.

  She was still a bit upset about bei behind the day before.

  Sure, I get that you have a boyfriend now, but how could you just ditch your best friend like that?

  It's really heartbreaking!

  "Sorry, sorry!"

  Miko scratched her head, her face full of embarrassment under Hana's gaze.

  ****

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