688 I believe the you that believes in me (1/2)

It was now the time of the year when cherry blossoms appeared.

Although spring had technically started quite a while ago, only when the cherry blossom season began would people on Sakura Island concretely feel that spring had arrived.

Cherry blossom viewing in spring… this was something that every Sakura Islander would do. It would be more fun to watch the cherry blossoms together with family and friends while having a picnic in a park.

After Seiji left the hospital, he suggested that everyone go out to enjoy the cherry blossoms and have a picnic. Mika and everyone else agreed and they quickly arranged a time.

Seiji really looked forward to this classical activity that appeared so often in anime and manga of his previous life. But while he enjoyed his daily life, there were still things he needed to do.

By the riverside.

Seiji walked over to the agreed upon location and saw that Kaho was already waiting there.

Just as Mika told him, he could tell that Kaho's aura had completely changed when he saw her again.

Although Kaho was simply wearing a plain one-piece dress with a normal jacket on top, this still showed off her mesmerizing allure. Her seemingly normal smile also appeared to contain some ambiguous meaning, and there was the flicker of something hidden within her eyes.

She would attract great attention from everyone simply by walking on the streets as she was now a great beauty whose large breasts were no longer concealed by the previous flabs of fat. She seemed completely different from the pudgy girl that Seiji had first met.

”Good morning, Kaho.”

”Good morning, Seigo.”

Seiji looked over her for a while.

”Are you really alright?”

”I think that I'm fine.”

”Even though so many days have passed…”

”I'm not forcing myself at all.” Kaho smiled. ”I must have much greater tolerance for demon energy compared to my sister.”

Seiji fell silent.

”She's obviously being affected by the demon energy,” Yomi spoke in his mind. ”Her current condition has nothing to do with 'greater tolerance.' She's completely adapted to the demon energy.”

”Adapted…?”

”She's accepting the demon energy and adapting to the demon's power. This is what will happen before she combines with the demon.”

”What will happen if she combines with the demon?” Seiji asked Yomi in his mind.

”She'll transform into a demon or obtain the demon's power. If the first happens, the demon will have basically taken over her body completely. While she'll be able to retain her sense of self if she obtains the demon's power instead, it's highly likely that her personality will greatly change, as if she's become another person,” the bonded female spirit explained. ”Of course, there's also possibilities that the combining will fail, or that she'll go insane, or be seriously injured or even die.”

”Yes, if she's willing to agree.”

Seiji clenched his hand.

”Kaho… You're currently accepting the demon energy, is that right?”

Kaho's expression froze over for a moment.

”What does accepting the demon energy mean?”

”It means that you're not resisting the demon's power, but trying to obtain it instead.”

Kaho tilted her head slightly. ”I'm not trying to obtain anything. I'm simply bearing this for the sake of my older sister.”

Seiji took a good look at her.

”Is that the truth?” he spoke in a heavy tone.