Vili reached out his hand and looked down at the petal in his hand.

The oval petals, almost transparent like veil, lay quietly in Willy's palm. Upon closer inspection, one could even see its vibrant, clear veins.

A gentle breeze ruffled the hem of Vili's dress, but the petals remained motionless, like a sleeping beauty.

Willie looked up at the swaying, pale pink blossoms on the tree, and could even smell a faint fragrance.

A voice called from behind, but Vili didn't turn around. Instead, she extended her soft fingertips and gently touched the delicate petals in her hand.

"Well done."

He sighed.

Huh? Is the host talking to me?

The system scanned its surroundings blankly, but before it could speak, a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz was heard.

"Thanks."

"Host! There's a ghost!"

The system immediately let out a scream.

"I clearly didn't detect any human presence!"

Vili ignored it and instead let a wisp of magic flow from his fingertips, infusing it into the petals in his hand.

In an instant, a bright light flashed.

The original petals disappeared without a trace, replaced by a tiny figure.

It was a tiny elf with a pair of transparent wings fluttering, pink hair flowing down to her shoulders, and a cherry blossom branch tucked behind her ear, trembling slightly with her movements.

Her eyes were like crystal-clear water droplets, shimmering with a mysterious light.

The fairy-like sprite, seeing herself forced to reveal herself, hurriedly took two steps back, grabbing Willy's finger before falling, trying to hide herself.

"May I have your name?"

Vili lowered his voice.

"I...I..."

The little elf stammered a few words, but gradually calmed down under Vili's encouraging gaze, and tugged at the hem of her skirt.

"My name is Yama-zakura, and I am the owner of this ghost story."

“I know your name is Miri. The person who came after you, that's what I heard him call you…”

Yama-sakura's words flowed more and more smoothly.

This was the place where Vili and Kii Kanade had agreed to meet, so it seemed that the call he heard was not a hallucination.

How did you find me?

The system finally understood everything, and it fell silent, waiting for Willy's answer.

"..."

Willy sighed and rubbed Yama-sakura's head.

"It's July now, long past the cherry blossom season."

Rather, it's the fact that Kii Kanade could be so bewildered by such strange tales that he found it truly unbelievable.

As if she could read his mind, Shan Ying thought of that handsome and elegant young nobleman and couldn't help but speak up to defend him.

"Because my power is specifically targeted at people like him, he didn't realize it."

"This is a scene not found in the original manga," Willy asked with great interest.

What kind of person is he?

"Someone whose heart belongs to someone else."

Yama Sakura clasped her hands together in front of her chest and closed her eyes as if in prayer.

"This ghost story is called—Late Summer Cherry Blossoms."

"Ah, wait a minute."

Vili suddenly spoke, interrupting her.

They were currently within the mountain cherry blossom's protective barrier, surrounded by thick fog, and isolated from the other people in the park.

Willy nodded in satisfaction and snapped his fingers.

A moment later, a checkered picnic mat was placed under the tree, covered with sweets such as tricolor dumplings, sakura mochi, and yokan. Willy held a teacup with slowly rising steam and sighed contentedly.

"You can continue now."

Sitting opposite him, Yama Sakura blinked blankly, then seemed to realize something and gently waved her hand.

Before them stood a refined and elegant young nobleman holding a folding fan, his jade-white palm pointing straight ahead. The once plain and unremarkable blank fan surface was now slowly adorned with golden runes, blocking attacks coming from all directions.

His movements seemed to have a harmonious rhythm, like dancing, the wide hem of his kimono fluttering in the wind, his neatly tied black hair falling loose and brushing against his lips.

However, at this moment, his eyes were blank, and he could not see Vili right in front of him at all.

The relentless attacks intensified, but in the next second, Kii Kanade seemed to see something, abruptly stopping his movements and standing frozen in place, letting the wind blades tear through his expensive clothes, leaving bloody streaks.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, from the tip of his bitten tongue. His eyes cleared for a moment as he picked up the folding fan that had fallen to the ground, signaling the start of a new battle.

"This figure, fighting so hard for the one he loves, is truly moving..."

Yamazakura covered her flushed cheeks, her eyes brighter than ever before.

"..."

Just a moment ago, Vili was very curious, but now, he had no desire to know what it looked like from Kii Kanade's perspective.

He picked up a piece of matcha-flavored pastry and brought Yama-sakura back to her senses.

"Your story isn't finished yet."

Sakura stretched out her small hand, took the pastry, and took a big bite, stuffing her cheeks full.

Chew, chew, chew.

The legend of cherry blossoms blooming late in midsummer originated in the Edo period.

"The protagonist of the story is named Sakurako. She was born into an ordinary family, but unfortunately fell in love with a samurai."

"The samurai was devoted to his lord and had no interest in romance, but Sakurako expressed her feelings to him for decades. Until year after year, the samurai stepped onto the final battlefield."

He said to Sakurako—

“‘When I return, it should be the height of summer in July. If the cherry blossoms under the tree where we met are still in full bloom, then I will accept your heart.’”

Isn't this making things difficult for people?

The system quietly complained.

"It was an impossible request, but Sakura agreed. She took care of the mountain cherry tree day after day, and her sincerity moved the gods. In July, the mountain cherry blossoms bloomed."

"But the samurai did not return."

"At the end of July, Sakura's mother fell ill, and for the first time, she did not come to the cherry tree, but chose to go home to take care of her mother."

"When she returned, the pink and white cherry blossoms were stained with blood, and under that tree lay the samurai's corpse."

"The lord the samurai served was defeated in battle. The samurai was also seriously wounded, and he dragged his battered body back to his hometown, the place where he met Sakurako."

"After seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom, he smiled bitterly and slowly collapsed in front of the tree."

"And what fell out of his arms was a well-preserved dried cherry blossom."

"He didn't know if he would come back alive, so he rejected Sakura's feelings with such an impossible statement. But he also planned that if Sakura was still unmarried when he returned, he would propose to her with that mountain cherry blossom."

"The cherry blossoms in July will not bloom, but the mountain cherry blossoms in my arms will never wither."