344 Virtual anchor "Miss Mary" goes online_2

"I won't abandon you."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Will you keep playing with Mary?"

"Always. As long as you're not... too rough."

"Mary is happy."

The black veil caressed Kamiya's chest, making a soft rustling sound.

Kamiya felt two soft and cool patches touch his neck gently.

Pop.

He looked down, his chin lightly brushing against Mary's coiled hair.

And then, Mary, who had been held in his arms, dissipated, and the thick blood mist swirling around them both also slowly faded away.

"♪You'll be alright, someday you'll be just fine..."

Kamiyagawa's cellphone rang.

The call connected automatically.

Unlike usual, the familiar voice, stripped of its usual cold clarity and accompanied by the sound of static, came through:

"Shh... Hello, this is Miss Mary. Shh... I am always by your side."

The red mist cleared, and the moonlight was bright.

...

The real world.

Inside the Kamiya family home in Arakawa District

Kamiyagawa woke up in his bed and sat still for a moment.