Having navigated the precipice between life and death,
Fushi acquired a new ability during his escape from the brink.
Justice has prevailed!
The Church of Bennett is victorious!
I have to adhere to the rightful procedure of the trial and leave on my own.
Woven into those words was the decision to part ways forever.
Beyond Dreams
Cylira-sama!
Please, wake up!
What happened here?
No!
The demon was too late.
We win.
Bon is dead?
Your Highness...
Prince Bon.
Am I dead?
Yes.
Prince Bon is dead.
I see.
So where am I, then?
You're in Uralis.
Thank goodness, Bon.
Fushi.
Todo and the boy are safe, too.
I took them somewhere out of sight.
I'll bring you some new clothes. Hang on.
Wait. You can see me?
But I'm dead!
What are you talking about?
The old you is dead, but you are alive right now.
Daddy! Mommy!
Why are you crying?
Because it's your funeral.
No one knows what happened to you yet.
What "happened" to me?!
I died!
Shh!
Don't raise your voice!
People will notice.
I get it now!
It's what that Yanome said a while ago!
The dead can do what they want!
Which means... this world is the world that reflects my desires!
I've heard that story a few times, too.
But if it were true, you'd be king by now, wouldn't you?
Wait here.
Brother!
Brobro!
Bon!
Everyone...
Fushi!
What have you gone and done?!
When you said you were going to stay in the cage, I believed you.
But that wasn't a good enough reason to leave you behind.
I tried to come up with a plan, but I'm not smart enough to do anything clever.
That's when...
Do you think there might be any hints in Tonari's journal?
Any knowledge that could be useful in these kinds of situations?
When we read through it carefully, there was information
on various poisons and medicines scattered throughout the text.
It's done.
Her most powerful sleeping drug.
It tasted absolutely awful.
So it was easy for me to recreate it.
After that, I just had to become Ligard and spread it around.
I just barely made it in time.
And then I made your corpse and set it up to look like you'd died.
This was the only way I could bring you here.
Will you forgive me, Bon?
Forgive you? For what?
Maybe there was a better way.
Everyone thinks you're dead right now.
So many people are sad because of it.
No way, Fushi.
For me, at least, this is the happiest outcome—
even more than becoming king.
More than becoming king?
Yeah.
I'm not dreaming, am I?
I've never been so glad not to be king.
Thanks for saving me, Fushi.
Saving you?
I did that?
That's right.
You look quite nice, Bon.
Yes. I like it.
It suits you well.
You won't be part of our family anymore.
We'll miss you, but you might as well enjoy it.
Thanks, Mommy.
You look fresh and clean.
Do you think they'll know it's me?
No.
But I think you should do something about your strut.
Oh.
You haven't seen Todo-san and the others yet, have you?
They've been drawing some unwanted attention. Please be careful.
What are you going to do now?
The Church of Bennett has many followers.
Now that you've been declared a heretic,
we Guardians can't engage openly in our activities.
We have no choice but to disband.
The girl on the left's definitely my type.
I'll take the one in the middle, then.
But they're both so cute!
It's so hard to decide.
I'd have to say Pocoa-sama for me.
The secret to a successful diet is to not eat anything.
Yup.
That would just make me miserable.
So have you chosen a name for your horsie?
The horse?
I don't know if I should be the one to choose.
Of course.
It was given to you, after all.
What should I call it?
How about if you named it after something you like?
Biscuit!
Hold it.
That's as far as you go.
Say...
You look familiar.
I can smell it.
It's just your imagination.
How about Peach Tea?
I want a cooler name.
Brobro!
...'s friend, I mean.
Is he an acquaintance?
Yes. He's Brobro's friend, uh...
Spring Roll!
Baron Spring Roll!
Oh, I see!
No wonder you have such a noble scent.
Let me introduce you.
This is Baron Spring Roll.
Nice to meet you.
Nuts. Spring Roll was my idea!
This is Iris and Joaan.
Chabo... That boy went to explore the kitchen.
Please go say hi to him.
Got it.
Could you show me that thing?
You know, the one you were making with string.
What's this?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh, you mean the handkerchief?
You bought string, right?
Wait, was I supposed to mention that?
Here. Please keep it.
Wow!
You're so talented.
How did you make it?
Teach me next time!
Yeah...
It's well made.
Oh, yeah, do you have that other one?
The one I've always had on me.
Right, that one.
I've been holding on to it.
Yeah...
You're talented.
Th-Thank you.
Where're you going?
I need a break.
Want some more, kid?
Yeah.
Mister.
Eat this. You'll feel better.
Chabo... You're so kind.
I'll eat it when I feel better.
Weird.
Baron Spring Roll.
This is Prince Bon's room. You shouldn't use it.
I would have allowed it if I were Prince Bon.
So it's fine.
What do you want, Fushi?
I mean, er, Joaan.
U-Um...
Have I imposed in some way?
May I ask you a question?
Yes.
We met as kids, didn't we?
Yes...
Why were you here?
To help my father.
He was a tailor, though, so he was promptly fired.
Fired?
Yes.
There was a rule that a girl from outside mustn't talk to the prince.
The queen caught wind of a rumor that I'd seduced him.
And then you gave me this.
How did you sneak in?
I looked up routes that would be out of sight of the guards.
And then I scaled the walls and snuck in.
And then...
you gained weight, right?
Yes. There was a delicious sweets shop that opened up in my neighborhood.
Why did you come back to the castle?
I was happy that the prince discovered me that day.
So ever since then, I've been...
Don't bullshit me!
That girl would never climb walls or puff up into a balloon
or become a human chair or charge into icky poop!
She's cleanly and graceful and delicate!
Iris!
Holy shit.
That was as nasty as one of Prince Bon's hissy fits.
Wait!
What are you doing, Iris?
I've decided to become a man again.
It seems to upset him that I'm skinny!
Stop that!
Don't forget.
Brave Soldier Todo is already dead.
The courageous man who fought valiantly to protect the prince's life.
If the prince were alive, he would have said...
"Thank you for saving me."
Hey, you two...
Why don't we go somewhere with a better view?
There's a "Farewell and Thank You, Bon" parade starting tomorrow.
We're celebrating its eve tonight.
Father!
Iris!
Thank goodness you're safe.
I didn't know what to do when I heard you'd died.
I'm sorry for worrying you.
You invited him?
Yeah.
Are you going home?
What do you think?
Will they let you continue serving in the castle?
Or would you rather return to the town with me?
Hey...
I won't be on my own, will I?
No way, Chabo.
We'll take care of you.
It almost feels... like we're a family.
F-Family? No way!
This man hates me.
I-I-I-It's not that I hate you!
Then what is it?
It's just the way you've felt wasn't what I expected.
That's why I ended up saying what I did.
Why does that bother you?
Y-You get it, don't you?
I do not!
Fine, whatever!
What do you mean, "Fine, whatever"?
Fine. I'll say it properly.
I'm sorry for the awful things I said.
I hope you'll stay at the castle.
Okay.
I'm a shy person, so my brother was a role model to me.
He loved all that was bright and beautiful.
He taught us about justice.
Thank you, Your Highness!
Goodbye!
Yeah. I get it.
I'm the same way.
What do you think?
Yeah.
We're all set.
I thought so.
I agree.
Who are you talking to?
Just my chronic illness, as always.
Thanks for your extended hospitality.
Please stop by again someday.
Even with you and Bon gone,
I'm going to continue protecting the people from the Nokkers.
Do you intend to do the same?
Of course.
I believe Bon said he'd like to reward you.
I remember.
You gave him a depth of character.
Really?
I'd like to give you a gift in his place, but I want to be cautious about it.
Would you be happy if the friends you've met thus far were immortal?
What do you...
What's wrong?
Someone's in pain.
I felt it from over there.
Where's Kahaku?
Kahaku...
Are you all right?
What are you doing?
I tried to kill a Nokker,
but I missed by a lot.
Fushi was declared a demon.
Everything was lost because of me.
The woman I love hates me.
I can't even leave progeny.
The Guardians are over.
What was I trying to accomplish all this time?
Don't talk right now. Be quiet.
He's had quite a bit to drink.
My hand's moving on its own!
"Don't kill me"?
It's speaking.
Are you messing with us?
Never.
Is it because I told it to learn to speak?
Is that why?
Well, aren't you just adorable?
If you don't want me to kill you, tell me...
What do you Nokkers want?
"To help everyone"?
Help?
"The black one who made you..."
"...is imprisoning my friends."
Where?
Our bodies?
I see.
I'd suspected it, but now we know.
We know what it is that has a grudge against me.
Fye.
Fye?
Wasn't that the thing that's needed to move a body?
Who are you talking to?
Shut up for a second.
What's fye?
The same thing as souls and spirits, apparently.
That's what the black one says.
So then, is it like this?
You Nokkers are souls yourselves, and you want to free our souls, too?
"That's correct."
That's just murder.
"Not true. We want to help everyone."
"To free you from your heavy, painful, suffering flesh.
If you go to the other side, that will all go away."
"In death, you can be free"?
That's the same thing the Yanome have taught.
"We despise Fushi and the black one for making the flesh eternal."
I'm honestly disappointed.
Do you plan on inviting every animal to the other side?
Just what can you do when you've only been able to kill ten thousand or so thus far?
It seems they don't care about numbers.
They want to save as many of their kind as they can. That's all.
Can the Nokkers hear your voice?
I'm manipulating them to do that.
The black one is here?
Nokker, you said "eternal,"
but even though Fushi can make bodies, he doesn't have the ability to extend life.
No, that's not true.
That's enough.
Are the others of your kind watching this conversation?
"They might be"?
Tell us where you're attacking next.
The head church of the Church of Bennett?!
They chose a difficult place for us to fight.
That was deliberate.
Kahaku, this isn't the time to disband the Guardians.
You have to send your men immediately.
I'll head there first.
I'll see you there.
Kahaku...
I still need you.
You should try enjoying the change, too.
R-Right.
Huh? He's going already?
You left your horsie!
Horsie!
I have a new job.
I might be away from Uralis again.
I'll wait at the castle for as many years as it takes.
But please be back before Chabo misses you.
All right.
So, were you able to give Fushi his reward?
No.
Oh? Why not?
Did you not like the answer to his question?
No, I did.
That's why I decided to hold off on giving it to him.
Oh, yeah, when you asked how I'd feel if my friends were immortal...
"Of course I'd be happy," he said.
He said that compared to being stuck in a heavy, painful, suffering body,
it's more painful never to be able to see them again.
Of course he would say that.
How much further north do I go?
A day and a half as Ligard.
Was that Nokker right?
It's the truth, but it's not up to me to decide whether or not it's right.
If they get their way and everyone dies, what then?
I don't know.
They'd be happy. That's all.
Happy? That's it?
They don't have flesh bodies.
Therefore, that's all they are.
You seem awfully animated.
I've made up my mind.
Even if I'm gone, they won't stop attacking.
So...
I don't need to hold back on pummeling them anymore.
Preview
The head church of the Church of Bennett.
The battle with the Nokkers is exceptionally bitter.
Fushi loses many of his vessels.
What can he do to become strong?
Fushi seeks further growth.
Expanding Consciousness