Chapter 944

"Such people are many in Pinokangni. For Dreamchasers, failure is like the sunset, arriving every day." Xingqiri said, "Believe that with their perseverance, all they need is a smile from Ms. Zhigengniao to start over again."

Zhigengniao shook her head: "But that person is different; he is much stronger than ordinary people, leading people to have an illusion: even if he falls, he will get up faster than others."

"You mean to say, the facts aren't like that?"

Zhigengniao calmly looked at the city's distance: "He won't. Before standing up… he will hesitate whether this is correct, and agonize over it for a long time."

"..."

This sentence was like an invisible thorn, deeply piercing Xingqiri's heart.

He slowly exhaled: "For such people, failure might not be a bad thing. Reflection is a precious quality."

"That might be right, but I still hope that person doesn't change."

"Why?"

Zhigengniao said firmly: "Because I believe in him as I remember him. In that failure, he may have used the wrong means, but I don't think he harbored wrong intentions. We once stood at the same starting point; now it's his turn to fly toward the stars. I believe he can find the right path, even if he walks alone."

"We don't need to fly together into the sky, for reunion will surely come, up there in the high clouds."

——

My little sister can't possibly be that cute.

Really nice...

Kosaka Kyosuke sat alone in the living room, watching the scene on the screen where this brother and sister confided in each other; the envy in his voice almost overflowed: "Siblings can talk like this, understand each other, trust each other…… it's truly wonderful."

But as soon as his words fell, a cold snort came from behind him.

Kyosuke instantly jolted, jerking his head around.

Kirino stood behind him at some point, arms crossed, bare feet on the floor. Her delicate face showed no expression, but her eyes…… clearly wrote the four big characters "I'm not happy."

"What are you looking at." She turned her face away, her tone hard.

Kyosuke blinked: "When did you come over?"

"Just now, right when you were saying things like 'mutual trust' and 'mutual understanding'." Kirino's gaze drifted elsewhere: "Don't get the wrong idea, I just happened to pass by; nobody wants to come see you on purpose."

"Oh……"

Kyosuke scratched his head, not knowing what to say. He turned back to continue staring at the screen, trying to get by with silence.

But Kirino didn't leave; she just stood there behind him, arms crossed, staring at the back of his head, her gaze growing increasingly dangerous.

"Hey."

Kyosuke turned his head again: "Huh?"

Kirino frowned, her voice harder: "What do you mean by those things you just said? Stuff like 'siblings getting along well'—do you think, as my sister, I'm not as good as Zhigengniao?"

Kyosuke instantly froze: "I didn't!!"

"Then why did you say 'really nice' in that tone!" As she said this, Kirino's face flushed slightly, her voice unintentionally rising a few notches: "It's as if you envy that other guy's brother, as if my sister is lacking in comparison!"

"You're completely twisting it—I didn't." Kyosuke spread his hands.

"You did!"

"I really didn't!"

"Then what are you envious of!"

"I——" Kyosuke was choked by Kirino's words.

He looked at Kirino's face, red, angry, and with an indescribable emotion, and suddenly inspiration struck.

Could this be…… jealousy?

Not ordinary jealousy. It's the kind——"Although I usually ignore you, you can't think I'm bad"—jealousy.

Thinking of this, Kyosuke's mouth corner involuntarily twitched upward.

Kirino's eyes widened instantly: "What are you laughing at!"

"No, no……"

Kirino grew even angrier: "You're laughing at me! You think I'm being unreasonable! You think, as a sister, I'm not as gentle and thoughtful as Zhigengniao! You think——"

"Kirino." Kyosuke suddenly interrupted her, taking a deep breath, the smile on his face fading a bit, replaced by a more serious expression.

"I don't think you're inferior to her; I envy that…… that atmosphere of being able to talk properly, not that you're not good." He paused, "You're my sister, the only one in this world. Comparing you to other people's sisters would make me a terrible brother."

Kirino froze for a moment; although her face was still red, her eyes clearly gained something else. Her gaze began to drift around the living room—to the ceiling, to the window, to the cushion on the sofa—just not landing on Kyosuke.

"Hmph……" she let out a soft hum, her voice low like a mosquito's buzz, "That's more or less……"

——

Xingqiri closed his eyes.

""Hope so.""

Next, Zhigengniao hoped to complete a jigsaw puzzle with his help, the two walking and searching for the scattered pieces, not only finding the puzzle fragments but also two slips of paper.

The first slip reads: "May your sky forever be bright with Starlight."

Zhigengniao smiled knowingly: "How familiar……"

Xingqiri's expression suddenly became a bit tense, explaining: "Perhaps it was left by other Dreamweavers. It's a custom in this profession; they wish to lay a foundation for dreams with blessings."

The second slip is even simpler and clearer, no need to act: "May your stage forever be bright and colorful." Also, managing your figure is important, but remember to eat well.

By this point, Zhigengniao was completely certain of the person's identity beside her; she carefully collected the slips, stood up, and said: "That's enough, let's go back."

The two quickly recreated the painting again: on it was a young Harmony Dove, a pair of tender hands gently holding it in their palms.

This painting is like a blessing, also like someone's resolve: even if its broken wings no longer belong to the heavens, the direction it falls will still be toward the stars——

This painting became reality in Zhigengniao's hands; a real Harmony Dove flew into her hand, but when she released the bird to fly away, the person beside her had already silently departed.

""The stars I want to go to are too unfamiliar; not a single one is familiar.""

""But as long as you still gaze at them from here——"

""Those unfamiliar stars will also become our homeland for reunion.""

Zhigengniao looked at the empty space behind and gently sighed.

"You're still reluctant to say goodbye at the end? Perhaps I'm stronger than you imagined…"

She looked up at that starry sky.

The star river stretched across the vault of the sky, boundless and endless, without beginning or end. Those countless points of light spread out densely, like a gigantic net that ensnared the entire night sky, and also trapped all partings and reunions in this world.

"On the road of traveling far, you must try to make yourself a little more relaxed…"

"…Brother."

——

Demon Slayer.

It wasn't a particularly beautiful parting…

Ganlu Si lowered her head in loneliness, her fingers constantly tugging at her own skirt, "Why must so many regrets be left behind, when it could have been a bit more complete…"