Chapter 20: The Vision

Interesting indeed, that's what Kurumi thought of Ritsuka. Although she was wary of what Ritsuka was offering to her. She already gets the gist of what contract meant for her, although she wanted to know more.

"I want to form a contract with you, Kurumi."

"Why? And how so?" Kurumi then glared at her haughtily. "Could it be… this is how you control the other Spirit?"

"My goodness, no. It's just a simple connection, nothing more, nothing less. I have no hidden agenda, cross my heart and hope to die."

"I know there is something more, Ritsuka. What's the catch?" Kurumi said sternly.

"I just want you to stop killing any innocent people."

"Are you serious? Even if I already establish a connection with you… how can you sure I won't kill anyone anymore?"

"Because you will no longer need to do so and I trust you will do so."

"I will just provide you with sufficient mana to the point you no longer need to kill innocent people."

For Kurumi, that was a sound offer and Ritsuka was really genuine with it. But she needed time to think about it. Kurumi was thinking deeply and caressed her chin in her own thought. Kurumi knew that she can just refuse her offer and go with the flow but it was really tempting though, well more like curious on how she operates with her group of Spirits.

Once again, Kurumi looked at Ritsuka and then sighed deeply. "Give me three days… I want to think about it."

"Deal." Ritsuka gave her thumbs up before Kurumi melted into the shadows once more and her presence was no longer detected within the bounded field created by Scathach.

Ritsuka was glad that it went smoothly as what she wanted too. She did the best she can to make her offer more appealing. When Kurumi was gone for real, she released a big sigh.

The Master of Chaldea admitted that there is another motive on why she was doing it: she wanted to test a crazy theory.

Can she form a contract with the Spirits of this world for real? Ritsuka was just speculative as she was and was determined to test it for real. Who's crazy enough to initiate the unknown? Ritsuka of course! Her Servants expected it from her and they were quite use to it.

If all else fails, they can protect their Master. If somehow their contract was valid, then Ritsuka would be force to adapt a new set of view.

Another thing that Ritsuka wanted too was trust. She wanted to trust Kurumi and in turn trust Ritsuka too. She's willing to share about Chaldea to Kurumi in the right time. For some reason, the Master of Chaldea couldn't trust the organization in this world; Ratatoskr, DEM, AST, etc. No matter how benevolent their aims are, Ritsuka felt that there is still lacking in them.

A missing piece. A dreadful secret. Ritsuka learned it many times in her journey throughout the singularity and lostbelts. She's willing to place her trust on a serial killer than on an ambiguous company.

No matter how she can retrieve information anywhere in this place, Ritsuka just can't get the gist of this world. That's why she wanted to get it from Kurumi; raw and unexploited.

Kiara was reading a book in front of an altar when suddenly Kurumi materialized by the shadows within the monastery. Kiara knew that it was Kurumi herself and just continued reading as she flipped a page with her dainty finger.

"I thought you wanted to get out of this monastery, sweetie?" Kiara spoke with a charismatic voice as her queer-looking eyes kept on focused on the book she was reading. Kiara shifted comfortably by the seat and has her leg placed on top of her other leg.

"I did, nun." Kurumi said as she approached Kiara slowly. Her light foot echoed against the empty, spacious interior. For Kiara, Kurumi's face seemed to be unreadable but she can could see through it, and it made Kiara suspicious enough. Kurumi wanted something…

"I do have my name, sweetie…" Kiara chuckled then dropped the issue. "So you've meet my Master formally? How's she?"

Kiara's voiced echoed inside the monastery and she was met with an awkward silence. Kiara closed her book and turned toward Kurumi, who was now showing off her guns and musket while her Angel was behind her, glowing eerily against the sunlight. Kiara was just amused.

One by one, clones spawned out of the shadows, surrounding Kiara immediately and pointing their rifles at her head. "What's the occasion, Sweetie?" Kiara said calmly as she glanced to each of the clones.

"I want answers…" Kurumi said with confusion in her voice. She wasn't even smiling or smirking, the usual expression she showed whenever she faced an enemy.

Kiara eyebrows raised. "… and how will you do it then, Sweetie? Will you get it from my own corpse?"

"No. I want you to fight me."

"Hmm. Is this related to my Master…"

"…" Kurumi didn't answer her. She already opened her mouth but was hesitant to let out her voice.

"I see… you demand proof. The one you couldn't just get from my Master alone."

Kiara chuckled with delight which confused Kurumi more. She knew Kiara has some kind of capabilities to fight of a Spirit if she's so confident as she was.

"…very well then… I'll let you glimpse with my own brand of salvation." Kiara declared as her whole outfit dissipated and she let out her lascivious hair. Her whole body was glowing with extreme light as she was now cloth with something else.

Something extraordinary.

Something mystical.

Ribbons and white. Petals flourished everywhere.

Behold, Kiara in her otherworldly form. Elongated black horns adorned with pink markings and insignias.

Kurumi gawked from witnessing her true form. She was no longer hiding her Spirit signature. She felt her hands holding her weapons weakened from such mystical sight. Her mana signature was massive and alluring, it made Kurumi choke for a minute.

Tight-fitting clothes emphasized Kiara's sensual form. No longer she has the image of an innocent, pure nun but the figure of a Devil, a wicked temptress, a succubus.

She has the authority of a vicious beast and yet an ordinary human named Ritsuka has a leashed on this entity? Now Kurumi has the respect for her. Even if the fight hasn't started yet… she felt contempt and her flesh was unwilling.

What kind of abilities did the Spirit Kiara has? It's as if Kurumi's whole body will melt when she locked their gazes.

Kurumi will lose from this monstrous Spirit.

And yet, she has this great need to survive.

She has regret stirring the sleeping Devil.

Kurumi was the first one to strike, illuminating the whole atmosphere with a dose of shots. The clones did the same and shot her with all they can.

They failed. It didn't even reach the Smirking Devil. Kurumi was horrified that it was its turn.

This time she admitted that she's a coward and fled to her shadow domain but the Demonic Creature known as Kiara wasn't even satisfied with Kurumi's everything and dived in.

She intend to purify (corrupt) her own world, Kurumi's own escape.

"My child, you have no escape from my own grasp."

The Demonic Bodhisattva plunged into the darkness where Kurumi reigned. With her own touch, the eternal darkness was lit and she could see Kurumi holly terrified and aimed at her face.

It was all useless, Kurumi couldn't escape anymore. She realized that the Spirit Kiara was now corrupting all of her shadows.

The shadows fled away from the demonic figure, in turn, Kiara's unholy influence plagued all around her, transforming, manipulating, twisting into a alienic cyberspace.

Kiara created herself a platform and every step corrupted the place further to Kurumi disdain.

If the weapons are useless, then Kurumi would use all of her doppelgangers to assault. Clones everywhere sprouted and stared at the Kiara with sneer, fury, doubt and terror. This is the first time Kurumi's clones doubt in front of an ambiguous enemy.

Nevertheless, they followed her command, although hesitant at the best. Kiara wasn't even surprised.

She welcomed them to her arms.

The Devil welcomed them into her arms.

Mystical arms and hands shot out to each of the clones body, scratching, grasping, clutching and holding for its dear life. The glowing arms of the Devil reached out to the other bodies and begin pulling closer to Kiara.

They all melt upon reaching her and disappeared into bits of glowing dust. The world of Kurumi, now wholly infected with alienic cyberspace where lit with millions of glowing specks.

Kurumi was terrified.

All are useless in front of the Demon. She was trembling. Even her own comfort space was nothing for her.

It begun transforming, writhing, and finally turned into trunk made of flesh and eyes. They all reached for Kurumi.

She evaded but not for long. Kurumi tried to ran away from Kiara but her foot was now ankle deep into a mouth like wall, who begun to swallow more with its encroaching appendage.

Kurumi shrieked from fear and failure as more tentacles made of cyber material and flesh begun to invade and wrapped all of her body parts.

Eyes of demon stared back at her as writhing muscles of mass pulsed by her skin. She can no longer moved as Kiara approached her closer by closer, as if she's was mocking her effort for all of these mess.

Kurumi could see her smirking with delight.

Kiara was hungry. Kurumi can see it. She would devour her body.

A karmic retribution for everything she had done. Slowly, the tentacles invaded her head and entered every orifice they can find.

"Come and embrace…" Kiara's voice echoed with lust.

Her senses dulled.

…and darkness came to her.

Kurumi immediately gasped from the experience, mouth frothing with her own saliva. And nose bombarded with her own mucus. Her breathing was fleeting and sharp. Kurumi coughed roughly.

She was alive.

She couldn't believe it.

She found herself crawling on the floor.

Her eyes are blurry for a moment but she could see someone in front of her. She looked up and it was Kiara herself.

Kurumi crawled back in instinctive fear.

This Spiritual entity… has tried to eat her. Her heart was beating rapidly. She was trembling.

"I did say I will give you a glimpse of my salvation did I?" Kiara said amusingly. She was back in her nun outfit and Kurumi was glad she will never see her other form, at least for now.

She realized it was not real but the sensation were so terrifying. She swore she would never experience it once more. Kiara has given her a vision or something similar and now Kurumi could see Kiara in a new light.

Kiara was a Demon in a nun disguise.

"But my Master said explicitly to let you live... she would be greatly saddened if you would not survive it." Kiara remarked. "Did you see it? My own path of salvation that I offer to you?"

"Who… what are you!?"

"I am Kiara Sessyoin… the Bodhisattva who brings salvation to this tainted world. All living things will all come into my warm maw. All will be not spared and all will be equal before me."

Kurumi was greatly disturbed upon hearing her declaration. "Why? Why didn't you bring this world to chaos… why didn't I saw any of that thing on this world before…Why I haven't encountered you before?!"

Kiara just smirked. "It's simple, Sweetie… I am nothing but a Servant for my Master… whose name is Ritsuka Fujimaru."