Ooh, the waterfalls are completely frozen.

These are Oirase Stream ice falls! Wow, they’re so beautiful…!

The slight blue tint to the ice is gorgeous.

Pretty…

(It’s like time’s frozen in place…)

S’kinda like time’s frozen.

Huh?

Hm? What’s up?

I was just thinking the exact same thing.

Oh, really? Guess I read your mind.

Eheheh…

(I’m so happy. I’m still matching with Brother Dearest…)

Damn, didn’t even know a waterfall this huge could freeze over. Crazy shit.

Oh, this happens because the water flowing from above spreads out as it falls down the cliff, which makes the surface area wider as it comes into contact with the cold air.

Then it freezes into ice, more water falls on top of that ice and freezes over that… Rinse and repeat!

Ooh, gotcha. Always gotta hand it to your tour guide skills.

I’m not that good… Wait, you should be doing all of this research too!

I did, I did. They got those goat things ‘round here, right? The serows?

(That’s probably just a fact he picked up when he was looking for saunas in the area.)

M’raahhh! That’s not a serow, it is a stout!

Hm? Is that the same one we saw earlier at the festival grounds…?

He must really like humans.

Brother Dearest, can I run after him too?

Sure. Just be careful.

Yay! Wait for me, little stoat!

Toy, there it is.

Oh, you’re right. He’s looking at us.

……

(I feel like he’s looking directly into my eyes… Am I just imagining things?)

It’s so very small. And white, and fluffy…

(There’s something within his eyes…)

I just want to eat it up!

!

Mayhaps I will.

Oh, Netaro-san, don’t do that… Huh?

Stoatyyy…

He ran off…

Where did it go? Here? There? Take this! And this!

Netaro-san, don’t throw snowballs at him! You’re going to hurt him!

Then I will throw balls of snow at you instead! Hi-yah!

Pwah?!

You left yourself wide open!

Aaahhh, I got snow in my clothes…!

Mghh?!

Someone just threw a snowball really hard at your face!

YOWA, YOU SHITHEAD!! DON’T YOU FUCKIN’ THROW THINGS AT TOIIIIII!!

G-GYANG!! They are being aimed at my face with pinpoint accuracy!! I’ll turn into a smashed pork bun at this rate!

*pant, pant…* Y’alright, Toi? You ain’t cold?

I’m okay. My clothes just feel a little gross now that they’re wet…

*sigh* They feel gross at first, but they will return to their previous state once they’ve dried. You are making such a fuss.

You fucker…

Ah, I forgot. Toy, Rooey.

Shall I find out what happened to the original Oshisha for you?

…Huh?

…You can do that…?

I can do everything that your human brains can imagine! Maybe!

……

(He can actually do it…)

…So, this is one of your inventions, Netaro-kun?

Correct. I actually created it yesterday, but everyone was too busy swarming and milling about in the hallways at the time.

Kinda looks like a typewriter.

How’re you gonna find Oshisha with this thing?

Heeheehee, silence, now. Sit on your soles and listen!

Can I sit criss-cross instead?

I’m sure you can.

I dub this machine the “Dream Memories Back to the Printer”, or the Dream Printer for short!

It is a fantastic little invention that can print out a retelling of your dreams in the form of a novel!

It prints…your dreams…?

And now it is time for a pop quiz! Do you know why humans have dreams?

Most say that having dreams helps to organize your memories… Is that the correct answer?

Diiing! ♪ That is to say, a person’s dreams are composed of their memories. Those memories are mixed and stirred and jumbled up to create dreams.

Thus, I drop a thesis into this swirling pot of chaos!

A thesis?

A keyword, a theme, anything will work! Much like how the water in a lake ripples out as a stone is dropped into it, memories related to the mentioned word will appear in your dreams.

So you basically use a keyword to kickstart specific memories, make someone dream, and print that out?

Ding-ding-diiing! Yes, an explanation that even the greatest of fools can comprehend!

Thanks, I guess. Can’t say I’m over the moon to hear that.

So you’re planning on using it on Toi-kun while he sleeps?

Non! The opposite.

What do you mean by that? Can you explain it in a way fools can comprehend?

Based on my observations thus far, when Toy is awake, the demon inside Toy is asleep. Hence, I plan to use this device while Toy is awake.

I see. You wish to look into the demon’s dreams… Meaning, you’re hypothesizing that you will be able to print out the demon’s memories.

Ain’t that kinda “unscientific”, or whatever y’always say? Humans only got one hippocampus, after all.

Daa… ♪ I never would have expected you to provide me with such stimulating questions!

Well, I still believe in your alter ego theory and the edgy phase theory, so…

Ain’t no way you’re gonna be able to fish out memories from before Toi was even born outta his brain.

……

Buchi-san isn’t doing his usual job of explaining things in a way even fools can comprehend…

Sorry, I’m not really following… So you’re saying that because he only has one brain, Toi-kun’s body only stores his own memories, right…?

Failure is the key to success! If we are unable to retrieve the demon’s memories, we will be able to conclude that Toy’s case is no more than a split personality or an edgy phase.

Toi ain’t goin’ through either a’ those!

But if we are able to retrieve those memories…

It would prove the existence of the demon, correct?

Mmheehee… I look at all things through a scientific lens, even demons. If we are able to retrieve Oshisha’s memories of what happened to them within Toy’s lifetime, it would give birth to an entirely new theory.

It would hint at the existence of a science wherein a specified personality’s consciousness can surpass the spacetime continuum!

……

I don’t care about alla that, but if you’re gonna use this printer thing on Toi…

Ahh, yes, yes. I am aware. You love to put safety above all else, Ryooey.

That is precisely why I’ve already tested the device on our resident professional sleeper, Yoda. Here, take a look at this paper.

It looks pretty normal.

(This whole thing seems like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie… But I really wonder why it has to go through the trouble of physically printing it out.)

Are you wondering why it has to go through the trouble of physically printing it out? Well, that’s because it adds a certain spice to it!

Is it okay if we read this?

I don’t mind.

Your keyword was… “Milkshake”. Hmm…

Admittedly, I don’t even remember this dream myself.

Hrmm…

……

……

Nagi-kun?

Would you like to read it as well, Doudou?

Hahaha.

(I wonder what kinda dream it was…)

Alright, now, Toy. Sit here.

Ah…

……

(Will this printer really tell us everything?)

(It’ll show everyone the ugly, rotten core inside of me…)

(It’ll show Brother Dearest that I’m not really a good person…)