I had been dreaming... dreaming endlessly.

　A dream of floating forever on an endless sea of orange, with nothing at all.

　I wasn’t alone. Many others floated aimlessly, but knowing that moving our bodies was pointless, no one did anything—just drifting aimlessly on the surface of the sea.

　I had been floating like that for so long. I had finally given up, thinking there was no point in just staying like this forever, and was about to sink deeper and deeper.

　Then, a voice reached me from afar.

　"Come back."

　A familiar voice. The voice of someone I deeply loved.

　Guided by that voice, I desperately forced a body that didn’t feel like my own to move, swimming with all my strength.

　And then, from far away, a pillar of light approached, as if welcoming me. I reached out and touched it.

—In the next instant,

I was in my room.

"Eh... what...?"

It was my room. That was certain. But something felt different from my memories.

It was dusty, as if it had been left untouched for a long time.

A young girl stood inside the room.

To me, she was like a real sister.

"KAREN-chan...?"

"…Yeah. That's right, Nanamin. Do you recognize me?"

"What's that supposed to mean...? This is weird..."

　

I answered, feeling my memories gradually becoming clearer.

Why was I here at home?

I was supposed to be chosen as a transfer victim to another world.

At least, I should have been preparing for the transfer until that day—

"Ah... wait...? Why... am I even at home...?"

I was supposed to have been killed by a classmate I didn’t even know the name of...

My memories are hazy, but I do remember thinking, "Ah, I'm going to die."

But... maybe it was just a dream. After all, I'm alive right now.

In front of me is Karen-chan, the twin sister of Hii-chan—

"Do you remember?"

"U-uh... yeah, sort of. Well, actually, aren't you Celica-chan? Why are you imitating Karen-chan?"

When I said that, Celica-chan gave a faint smile and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"Good. You really do look like the real thing. Since resurrection hasn't happened since Christ, I was worried about whether you were truly genuine or not."

Celica-chan said this with a teasing tone.

"Resurrection? And what do you mean by 'genuine'...?"

"It's just like that god to do something like this. Maybe there are even cases where they look like completely different people... How about a little quiz while we're at it? Like, what was the name of the dog your older sister once picked up? Or..."

"Is it Ai-chan? Are you kidding me?"

"Correct. And you're just as quick to snap too..."

Serika quietly mutters.

Anyone would get annoyed if suddenly prodded at their past wounds.

"I'm sorry, older sister. I really had to make sure of a few things. I can tell me and Karen apart, I remember our past, and my appearance seems fine too..."

What on earth is going on here?

Certainly, Serika and Karen are so identical that if one were to truly impersonate the other, even someone close wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

I've known them both for so long, so I can tell them apart right away...

Still, appearance—

I absentmindedly looked at my own hands.

Just as usual. Arms, legs—

"Eep! Why am I naked!?"

I pulled the bedsheet up to cover my body.

I hadn’t noticed because Serika-chan had been so serious. Completely bare. We used to bathe together as kids…

"I suppose revival means coming back as you were born. Clothes are already prepared over there, so go ahead and put them on."

"…Hey, Serika-chan. What about those people over there? And… were you filming the whole time?"

"Of course. You're the first human ever to be revived. That makes you doubly valuable footage."

"…You’ll delete it, right?"

"You can't be serious! It's definitely going to be released to all of humanity. ...Sister. I know it's pointless to say this to the sister of a victim, but there's been quite a bit that's happened since your sister came back to life. Including this release, I plan for your sister to keep working from now on."

"W-What!? All of humanity!? Why would you do something like that—?"

"It means that a lot of people are genuinely concerned about Nanami's sister's revival. Since your sister has no right to refuse, it's settled."

Serika speaks clearly, her expression unwavering.

Trying to reason with her when she's in this mode is beyond me. No matter what I say, I'll just end up being overruled.

Still, "all of humanity"… I'm not quite clear-headed yet, so I honestly can't grasp the scale of this conversation.

"So, about you…"

Behind Serika, a foreign woman and man, both dressed in dark-colored suits, stood with serious expressions. One was operating a camera.

I've never seen this person before.

Serika has friendships far broader than one would expect from a middle schooler, so it's not surprising she knows adults, but who could they be?

"This is my bodyguard. There's been quite a bit going on."

"U-uh huh..."

Bodyguard? Serika really is out of the ordinary. You'd be hard-pressed to find a girl like her anywhere in the world.

For now, since we were in a hurry, we decided to get dressed first.

Serika even had underwear ready—quite thoughtfully prepared, really.

Oddly enough, it was a high school uniform, but no doubt there's a reason for that. Since arguing wouldn't help, I quietly put it on.

As soon as I finished putting on my clothes, Serika-chan opened her mouth.

"Just to be sure, can you remember everything up until the day you transfer... yes, until you die, big sister?"

"Um..."

That day.

Early in the morning, a boy I didn't know from school came by, and I froze.

I had planned to spend my final moments with Hei-chan.

Serika-chan and Karen-chan had already said their goodbyes the previous day. They assured me they'd do everything they could to support me, urging me not to die.

He came by early in the morning—just before sunrise, really. The transfer was supposed to happen around nine o'clock, so I was up early, preparing everything.

I didn't know his name, but his face seemed vaguely familiar.

I think he was from the class next to ours.

My parents answered the door, but they said there was something they wanted to talk to me about.

I didn’t want to let a strange boy into my room, so I asked them to wait outside and went back inside for a moment.

After all, I was still in my nightgown.

While I was changing and tidying up, I heard some noise from downstairs, but it was drowned out by the sound of the rain, so I couldn’t tell what it was.

When I finished getting ready and was about to leave the room, the boy suddenly walked in, opening the door himself. He had a large knife covered in blood and was about to stab me—

"Ugh…"

I remembered, instinctively pressing my hand to the spot where I’d been stabbed.

That’s right. I was killed…

Wait…? But I’m still alive, aren’t I?

I don’t understand my current situation. Serika-chan said I’ve come back to life…

Nanami-san passed away, but her older brother brought her back to life.

"Hii-chan...? Why? Was Hii-chan some kind of divine messenger?"

An angel descending to Earth while hiding their true identity... and Serika-chan and Karen-chan are both pretty far from human-like... so it's possible. An angelic sibling pair... I see...

"I know it's kind of weird that I'm already accepting this, but Hii-chan couldn't possibly be a divine messenger. It's a long story, so let's talk while we move."

"Right... yeah, that makes sense. Wait—now that I think about it, where's Hii-chan?"

The childhood friend who should have been the first to arrive here was nowhere to be seen.

He said he brought Nanami back to life, but I don't understand what that means.

"Big brother is in another world right now. I don't know if he was meant to take Nanami-sister's place or not. Was it the gods being cruel, or did they try to help?"

"Hii-chan in another world...? Taking my place...? But—"

"I don't know either. But it's a fact. And... it's hard to say, but Uncle and Auntie were also killed that day... The only one I managed to bring back to life was sister."

"Eh?"

Dad and Mom... died?

They said they died...?

I see...

They're really gone.

I stood up and left the room.

I looked into my parents' room, then went downstairs.

The living room and dining kitchen were dark, filled with an atmosphere like an abandoned ruin.

It felt as if it were my own home, yet not my own home at all.

Neither my father nor my mother was around.

In the time I didn't notice, they had vanished from this world.

"They had the memorial service taken care of by relatives. Though, it looks like they opted for perpetual memorialization, so it might be a bit difficult to have the remains exhumed and build a new grave."

Serika says, following closely behind me.

She speaks with an air of maturity beyond her middle school years. She's always been like that—unlike Karen, who remains childlike no matter what, Serika seems determined to grow up faster than anyone else.

"Sis... it's okay to cry...?"

Serika says gently, but I couldn't cry.

To me, my family has always been just Hei-chan, Serika, and Karen—my father and mother were merely a facade.

Yes, it's sad that my parents are gone.

My chest feels constricted, but

I couldn't cry.

I'm someone who's missing something, somewhere.

"Nanami-nee, don't worry—I'll take care of you. I don't know if onii-chan will come back, but... our life plan hasn't been erased yet."

"Life plan... right. That's true."

I'd been secretly working on my life plan with Serika and Karen, keeping it from Hii-chan.

It was a ridiculous idea—abandoning our family and living happily together in our own paradise.

Even if my parents had died, even if Hii-chan were in another world, it still hadn't vanished.

"So, what do we do from here?"

The mark on my palm had disappeared.

I guess I'd been removed from the list of candidates because I died.

So now, I have no choice but to live normally in this world.But... Hii-chan isn't here.

Honestly, I couldn't imagine how she was going to survive.

"You're not coming back here, so gather whatever you need. Let's go to America."

"America!? Wait, what? What?!"

"I actually planned to go through proper procedures, but I gave up because they were way too complicated. You'll escape inside Linda's double bass case. Oh, I've already secured your permanent residency there, so it's fine. Besides, here you're treated as dead—your family registry's already been erased."

"Wait, wait, wait—what are you talking about? A double bass?!"

Serika casually saying something utterly outrageous, as if it were nothing.

If they find that, we'll get caught...

"I'm chartering a private jet, so it's fine. It's a method used by big shots elsewhere. Plus, we're using a shared airport with lax inspections, so we'll be fine, right?"

"H-hey, are you serious...?"

"If it doesn't work, we'll just force our way through. If that fails, we can always contact the U.S. military in Japan. Anyway, we'll figure something out."

"What's going on... When did you become so globally connected all of a sudden...?"

"Because my older brother went over there. I'm done being the cute little sister protected by my big brother."

Literally, a lot had happened while I was dead.

Either way, I have no choices left, and as long as I can live with Serika-chan and the others, there's not a single problem.

I quickly pack my things, but what do I really need to bring when I'm going to America with nothing but my own body and skipping school?

That's right—only an album or so—

"Ah, wait... Where's the album? I was going to pick the ones to bring to the other world."

"Ah, ah... It should be with my older brother."

"Huh? Why?"

"That's a long story."

Apparently, a lot happened while I was dead.

Why does Hii-chan have my album?

"Ah... And then—"

Just before packing up and leaving the house, Serika turned back and said.

Then she came over and hugged me, still holding a large bag in both hands.

"H-hey, Serika-chan!?"

"...There were parts where our lack of care led to this tragedy—my sister being stabbed. Both Karin and I got caught up in the wonder of the other world...we prioritized our own affairs. The culprit was reckless and foolish, so in truth, it could've been prevented. It wasn't just my sister—it could've been Uncle and Auntie too."

Serika gently rests her chin on my shoulder, speaking as if confessing.

　

"But...it's not the criminal's fault. There was nothing we could've done to stop it...and I'm alive now, thanks to you."

"Still...I want to apologize. I know it won't truly make things better."

She's undoubtedly intelligent—so intelligent, in fact, that she tries to anticipate every possible scenario and act accordingly. But things never go exactly as planned. Unexpected events always happen. There's no need to feel responsible for every such occurrence.

"Serika-chan, if you say that, then I'm the one who should be apologizing. After all, if it weren't for me getting killed, Hii-chan wouldn't have had to end up in another world in the first place, right?"

"Well, that's true. You had that stun gun for self-defense, after all."

"You can't just use something like that immediately, can you!?"

"Didn't I already warn you that strange people might come near?"

Serika-chan is the type who always makes unreasonable demands seem reasonable.

The stun gun was appreciated, but whether or not you can actually use it on someone is a completely different matter.

...Serika-chan must know that herself.

So this is just her usual teasing.

"Besides, how could you possibly expect someone as weak as me to handle such a weapon right away? Only someone as bold as Serika-chan could manage that."

"Who's calling me a hero or something? I don't want to hear it from some battle-prone person who snaps at the drop of a hat, like Nanami-san!?"

"You don't get angry in front of Hii-chan, though?"

"That's exactly what makes your sister scary..."

Still locked in a hug, we bicker over silly things, possibly looking just like a pair of genuinely close sisters.

No, actually, to me, Serika-chan is my little sister.

We may not share blood, but we've grown up together all this time.

"Sister... I'm so glad you're back safe and sound."

Serika-chan murmured, holding me a little tighter.

"Since it was the god's 'resurrection,' I was really anxious about whether you'd truly come back in perfect condition like this. I was afraid you might return as a zombie or something. But I'm relieved... you're warm, just like my sister always was."

"Yeah... I'm glad I came back too. Everyone worked so hard, didn't they? Thank you. Serika-chan, Karen-chan, Hii-chan."

Serika-chan's small body trembled.

She's so brave and strong, far beyond her age. A true 'hero.'

It's heartbreaking that I've made her cry like this. I hope, at least, I can live from now on without making her worry again.

"I was going to say it earlier, but I wanted to confirm with my own eyes whether you were really my sister..."

Serika-chan gently pulled away from me and stared intently into my eyes.

"Welcome back, Nanami-san."

It sounded more heartfelt than any "welcome back" she had ever heard.

"I'm home, Serika-chan."