Princess Connect: Reverse Record - Requiem of the Lost Smile - Welcome back, our leader

I woke up. There was a ceiling. Wooden beams. Familiar stains. Yuuki couldn't move for a while. That scene was burned into the back of his eyelids. Black miasma covering the sky. The Tower of the Covenant crumbling. His comrades turning into particles of light, one by one, vanishing. Pecorine was smiling. Kokkoro was praying. Kyaru was screaming. And only he was left behind. (Not a dream, is it.) He sat up. White shirt, black slacks. He pressed down his sleep-tousled black hair with his fingers. His body was light. No wounds anywhere. The searing pain that had covered his whole body back then, the smell of blood — all of it was gone. From outside the window, he heard birdsong. Soft spring morning light poured in. Yuuki got out of bed and walked to the window. He placed his hand on the old wooden frame and looked outside. Cobblestone streets. Old houses draped in ivy. In the distance, a man who looked like a merchant was pulling a cart. And beyond that, it stood. The Tower of the Covenant. A 620-meter obsidian tower at the center of Landsol. One hundred fifty years ago, miasma had overflowed from that tower. A black fog that melted the memories of the entire continent. That tower now stood quietly, bathed in the morning sun. (I've come back.) Yuuki looked at his own hands. Slender, but with the supple muscle of a swordsman. Deep brown eyes stared intently at his hands. (Did I really come back to that spring?) In the corner of the room was an old mirror. Yuuki slowly approached it and peered in. What reflected there was his seventeen-year-old face. Short black hair. Faint dark circles under his eyes. His expression was gentle, but somewhere in his eyes dwelled a sad light, as if gazing at something far away. (...Am I still me?) He looked at the back of his left hand. A faint birthmark. A birthmark shaped like particles of light fading away. It hadn't been there on the day he was swallowed by the light. (The price of going back... is it?) For a moment, he felt as if his reflection grew thin. As if his outline were blurring. Yuuki rubbed his eyes. ...Just his imagination. He tried to think so. But he noticed another wrongness. (What did I eat last night?) He couldn't remember. (And the night before? How long have I been staying at this inn?) His memories were falling out in places. Like a castle made of sand, washed away by the waves. (The price of Preveil magic... memory loss.) The magic of this world burned memories to fuel power. The more you used it, the more the caster's memories were lost. (Maybe my going back works the same way.) Yuuki murmured his own name. "...Yuuki." He said it aloud, to confirm. As if to tie his own existence to himself. "...I am Yuuki." Once more, stronger. Outside the window, he heard the sound of a bird taking flight. He left the inn. Landsol Old Town. A district of about four thousand people, lined with cobblestones and old shops. The place where the Royal Road headquarters had been. Yuuki walked, feeling the cobblestones under his feet. His leather boots made a hard sound. At his hip, an old sword. And a Royal Road card. (This town is still alive.) A savory smell drifted from a bakery. At the storefront, a woman who looked like a housewife was laughing with the shopkeeper. Children ran around on the cobblestones. An ordinary morning. The only one who knew of that apocalyptic scene was him. (...No.) Yuuki suddenly stopped. (Maybe.) That was when it happened. "Good morning, Yuuki-kun!" A voice. Before he could turn around, something flew into him. A soft impact. A sweet scent of flowers tickled his nose. "It's nice weather again today! Perfect for a walk!" A blonde girl was clinging to Yuuki's chest. Fluffy long blonde hair. Bathed in sunlight, it sparkled. Big sky-blue eyes. Eyes that narrowed into crescent moons when she smiled. Pecorine. She was alive. Yuuki's throat trembled. (Pecorine...!) He desperately suppressed the urge to embrace her. His arms, his fingertips, were shaking. "...Good morning, Pecorine." His voice was hoarse. Pecorine looked up at Yuuki's face intently. "Yuuki-kun, what's wrong? You look kind of pale." A worried voice. "...It's nothing. I was just a little sleepy." Yuuki tried to force a smile. That was when. Deep in Pecorine's eyes, something wavered. An instant. Just for a moment, a deep color of sorrow crossed those sky-blue eyes. (...Did I imagine it?) No, he hadn't. Yuuki had definitely seen it. The color of those eyes from Pecorine, who had been smiling as she turned into particles of light on that apocalyptic day. "...Ahaha! Yuuki-kun, you're cute even when you're sleepy!" Pecorine immediately returned to her usual bright smile. But. A small thorn remained lodged in Yuuki's chest. (Could it be that Pecorine also... remembers the future?) An indescribable air flowed between them. A spring wind blew across the cobblestones. "Yuuki-kun, you're hungry, right? Let's go to the Sunlit Pavilion!" Pecorine pulled Yuuki's hand. A small, warm hand. (I will never let go of this hand again.) Yuuki swore in his heart. The Sunlit Pavilion. A small diner in a corner of Old Town. A regular spot for Royal Road. When he opened the wooden door, a bell chimed, karan karan. "Poppol-san! Good morning! Two breakfasts, please!" Pecorine called out energetically. From behind the counter, an elderly man in a white apron poked his head out. "Oh, Pecorine-chan and Yuuki. You're lively again today." The owner, Poppol. Around sixty years old. Short salt-and-pepper hair, a friendly smile. "Yes! Liveliness is my strong point!" The two sat at a window seat. Poppol brought over a steaming dish. "Here, moonlight mushroom stew. It's hot, so be careful." "Wow! Thank you! Let's eat!" Pecorine picked up her spoon and began devouring the stew. "Delicious! Poppol-san's stew really is the best!" Watching her, Yuuki felt his heart loosen just a little. (That's right. This is the everyday I wanted to protect.) Yuuki picked up his spoon too. The stew was rich and warm. "...It's good." "Right, right?! It's packed with moonlight mushrooms!" Pecorine said with a smile. Looking at that smile, that apocalyptic scene felt like something from long ago. But. No. That had really happened. And it would happen again. (This time, absolutely...) "...Hey, Poppol-san." Yuuki spoke quietly. "Hm? What is it?" "Preveil magic — the more you use it, the more memories you lose, right?" Poppol's hand stopped for just a moment. "...Yeah, that's right." Poppol leaned on the counter, eyes gazing into the distance. "The magic of this world burns memories into power. Preveil is the memory particles dwelling in your body. Using them as fuel, a caster causes phenomena." "The more you use it, the more memories disappear." "Right. For everyday magic, well, it's just the level of memory you'd forget after a night's sleep. But the more powerful the spell, the more memories it consumes." Poppol stirred the stew pot as he continued. "That's why there's a warning: great magic, only three times in a lifetime. Use it three times, and you can no longer keep your memories as a person." "...What happens if you lose too many memories?" Poppol's hand stopped dead. "You become a Nameless." At those words, the air in the shop grew heavy for a moment. "A former human who lost too many memories. Lost their name, lost their self — just a wandering existence. Danger level S. Subjugation is said to be impossible." Yuuki looked at the back of his left hand. (Is my going back the same...?) "...That's a scary story." "Yeah. That's why all casters treasure their memories. Memories are worth more than anything." Poppol said that and returned to the back of the counter. "Yuuki-kun, why did you ask about that?" Pecorine put down her spoon and peered into Yuuki's face. "...No reason. I was just a little curious." Yuuki brought the stew to his mouth. That was when. Yuuki's right hand flickered transparent for a moment. Through his palm, he could see the back of the chair on the other side of the table. (...!) Yuuki hurriedly hid his right hand with his sleeve. His heart pounded like a hammer. "Seconds! Poppol-san, seconds please!" Pecorine held out her empty plate and shouted cheerfully. She hadn't noticed. Thank goodness. Yuuki clenched his right hand tight. (I am disappearing.) (But I can't let them know that.) (I don't want to worry them. No — more than that...) (If they knew I was vanishing, they'd surely blame themselves.) (So I'll hide it.) (This fate, I'll carry alone.) Yuuki quietly resolved himself. After the meal, they left the shop. Spring sunlight warmed the cobblestones. "...Hey, Yuuki-kun." Pecorine looked up at Yuuki's face. "Hm?" "Tonight, here. Let's all eat together?" Her voice had a slight seriousness mixed into its usual brightness. "...All of us?" "Yeah! I'll call Kokkoro-chan and Kyaru-chan too! Let's all gather for the first time in a while!" Kokkoro. Kyaru. The comrades who had turned into particles of light and vanished on that apocalyptic day. (...I want to see them.) (But I'm afraid to.) (If I see their faces, I...) "...It's a promise, okay?" Pecorine held out her pinky. "Absolutely come, okay?" Her sky-blue eyes looked straight at Yuuki. Deep in those eyes, that color of sorrow showed itself again, just a little. (So Pecorine really does...) Yuuki linked his pinky with hers. "Yeah, I'll definitely come." It's a promise. Pecorine smiled with relief. "Okay! See you later then!" Pecorine waved her hand and ran off down the cobblestone road. Yuuki watched her back until she was out of sight. (This time, I will protect them no matter what.) (I won't let that smile disappear again.) He was alone. Yuuki took an old guild card from his pocket. The Royal Road card. A card of a guild he had once made with seven comrades — a guild no one remembered. When he placed it on his palm, the card grew faintly warm. Letters rose to its surface. "Welcome back, our leader." Yuuki's eyes grew hot. Tears threatened to spill. "...Yeah, I'm home." His voice trembled. He pressed the card to his chest. (Let's all gather once more.) (We'll rebuild Royal Road.) (And this time, for sure...) Yuuki gripped the card tight. Then, in a corner of his mind, another thought surfaced. (The Ash-Crown Apostles.) A fanatic organization that worshipped the spread of miasma as "the world's rightful end." They had been involved in that apocalypse. (I need to investigate their movements.) (Are they still before their move...?) Yuuki surveyed the streets of Old Town. A peaceful morning. But this peace wouldn't last long. (There's so much to do.) (First, gather my comrades.) (And then, change that future.) Yuuki put the card in his pocket and started walking. On the cobblestones, his shadow stretched long. For a moment, that shadow seemed to grow thin. But Yuuki didn't look back. He looked only forward, and walked. The wind of Landsol gently brushed his cheek. This is a story that begins from the end. A journey of reversal, turning despair into hope. The first night would soon arrive.

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Episode 1

Name: Princess Connect: Reverse Record - Requiem of the Lost Smile
Author: Novelia

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