The crescent moon silently moves across the night sky, slowly approaching the horizon. On the other end of the sky, the sun rises, accompanied by countless rays of light. The long night has come to an end. However, the new day still carries the burden of yesterday's past.
The world, as well as every living thing, whether it be a flower, a blade of grass, or an animal, must carry the weight of yesterday as it moves forward. In the hospital, Mizuo lies in a deep slumber, while Ziongzong stands by her bedside. He has just come from Yuki's place and hasn't slept all night. During Ziongzong's "sleep," many things have happened. Now, as he wakes up from his "sleep," he must face the aftermath and take on the responsibilities of being a foster child and a man.
But these responsibilities are not as light and casual as the word "responsibility" may imply. The Uesugi family's finances have completely collapsed, with no source of income. Ziongzong is unsure how much savings the Uesugi family has, and even if they include the house they are still paying the mortgage on and a family SUV, the outlook is not optimistic. They can sell the car, but if they sell the house, where will the five of them live?
In addition, they have to face the hospitalization and medical expenses of Uesugi Tano and Uesugi Yuki, and depending on the situation, they may also have to contribute toward Mizuo's expenses. And it's not just that. The four of them, including Ziongzong, are currently in the midst of entrance exams, and their studies are also affected by this incident.
However, Ziongzong does not blame Ziong MingDe. After reading the memories given to him by Ziong MingDe, he does not think that Ziong MingDe did anything wrong. On the contrary, he admires Ziong MingDe for being able to keep the flame of hope alive in such a situation where they were completely overwhelmed by their opponents. Yes, as long as people are still here, there is hope.
The future will be difficult, but Ziong MingDe's sacrifice will not be in vain. Ziongzong will firmly grasp the future that Ziong MingDe fought for him.
On the other hand, Ito Kamikaze and his daughter, Ito Tomono, confirmed Ziongzong's involvement, the subjugation of Kagure Araki, and the lack of reinforcements from the Bai Yaxin faction. They withdrew from the scene without meeting Ziongzong.
"Can you really be sure that it was Ziongzong and not Ziong MingDe, father?"
The only one who saw Ziongzong/Ziong MingDe up close was Ito Kamikaze. Ito Tomono, who provided support from a distance, only saw the silhouette of Ziongzong/Ziong MingDe.
"Well, that was Ziongzong, no doubt about it."
Ito Kamikaze gently patted Ito Tomono's shoulder. He knew that his daughter owed something to this young man, so he wanted to do his best to help her break free from her guilt. After all, he also carried his own share of responsibility in that "guilt."
"When the owner of that body was still 'Ziongzong,' I had a few encounters with him, so I know it well. From the rhythm of his movements, the style of his actions, and every gesture he makes, it's definitely 'Ziongzong,' not the sharp style of 'Ziong MingDe.'"
Ito Shinran slowly spoke, "So... where did 'Ziong MingDe' go? Could it be the rumored 'experiment'?"
"Ah, yes, that seems to be the most reasonable possibility. I just didn't expect things to progress this quickly."
Ito Shinran nodded heavily, furrowing his brow, various unpleasant speculations flashing through his mind.
"Could it be that 'Ziong MingDe' sacrificed himself to achieve 'Ziongzong'...?"
Ito Tomono quietly voiced her speculation.
At that time, when she first went to ask for Ziong MingDe's help, she never expected today's outcome.
As for Ito Tomono's speculation, Ito Shinran gave no answer, only leaving behind a heavy silence.
