A/N: Greetings! It's been a while, eh? About as long as my (now expected, really) hiatus, I suppose. Turns out, being in holidays don't really equate to having less things to do... 'work' does not equate 'chore' – a lesson I would do well to remember.
On top of chores, this chapter turned out to be... surprisingly difficult to work with. Basically, it is a combination of an entire semester's worth of hospital visits, my own lack of time management abilities during holidays, along with the chapter's difficulty, which made it far, far too late. I can only say sorry for that.
But let us not waste time, shall we? Let's begin the Chapter 20, "Awakening the Angel of Sanctuary"
To be honest, Mayuri didn't know what to expect in the 'pocket dimension' within the shadow of her savior, Tokisaki Kurumi.
...No, that's not it. It would be more accurate to say she didn't know what to expect from the person, the existence known as [Tokisaki Kurumi].
More than any other Spirit, Mayuri was very attuned to the energy of the Spirits, the one referred as [Mana] by humans.
Mayuri could see it with her eyes, feel it on her skin, taste it with her mouth, and listen to the ripples of its waves. Though in her currently sealed state, she could only feel and listen.
Mana filled this world, drowned everything in its ethereal, nearly intangible presence. A Spirit was akin to a raging vortex amidst the ocean of power.
Humans might compare these vortexes to disasters, but for her... Mayuri thought they were beautiful, in their own way.
She could hear the wailings of the soul, the stirrings of the mind which reigned over the wellspring of power hidden within her kind.
It was the ripples originating from Tokisaki Kurumi's inner self which piqued Mayuri's curiosity.
In her short life, she had never encountered a person quite like Kurumi. Someone with so much conviction, so much doubt, so much love, so much fear, so much pain.
Not even the heart of the Spirit kind's so-called [Mother] had been so contradictory.
Mayuri didn't know what to make of Kurumi's heart. And she wanted to know.
But whatever her expectations were, Mayuri was rather certain she wasn't expecting… this.
"Ara ara. Look at that, a naked beauty in our den."
"Ufufu, what should we do to her, [Mes]?"
"Don't give her a hard time. She is a guest, not a captive."
"And we are hardly gracious as hosts if we leave her undressed the way she is."
"Kuh, lighten up. We are just teasing her."
"I'll search our wardrobe for something nice. She needs it."
It was noisy and unexpectedly crowded. So, this was why her senses picked up multiple presences within Kurumi – how many were there? There were at least a few hundreds.
Still, Mayuri would greet them all. It wouldn't do to be impolite to her savior, even if they were duplicates.
If only her mind wasn't sealed in her own [Sephira Crystal]... Mayuri would be truly conversing, meeting these 'Kurumis' in their eyes…
"Greetings for you all. I am not intruding your sanctuary, am I?"
There was a moment of silence, before the Kurumis spoke again.
"Ara, she is polite, I'll give her that."
"Is she going to be yet another goody-two shoes?"
"Evidently. Don't you think we need more archetypes?"
"Please don't stereotype her. You are all being rude."
"Oh, you are not a bother at all, Mayuri-san."
"Hmm, all we have are goth-loli dresses…"
Mayuri's attention perked at that last one. "I don't mind gothic dresses. I am sure my form hasn't changed in the past 4 years, so I know they would fit me."
There was a moment of silence, before dozens of malicious-sounding giggles without any actual malice could be heard. Did she accidentally make an inside joke of theirs?
"Ara," there was a hint of fondness in the 'Kurumi' who cut through the laughters, "I see you are a woman of culture, Mayuri-san."
"Pardon?" Mayuri wanted to raise a brow, but she physically couldn't.
"What she means is," another Kurumi chuckled, "we are happy you would be cooperative to be dressed up."
Even though there was no ill-intent in those words, Mayuri felt shivers in her spine. That sounded a lot more ominous than it should be...
The scenery which lay below the gaping hole on what must have been a floor and a ceiling reminded Rinne why she disliked violence.
She really, truly hated it. To intentionally harm others and hurt them for your own gain… it wasn't something her heart would ever be comfortable with.
Not everything could be solved with mere exchange of words and thoughts – Rinne knew that from experience. She wasn't so naïve as to avoid using force when it was necessary.
"Still. I want to believe violence isn't the first answer to anything."
After all, if violence was her first instinct for anything, perhaps she would not have been friends with Kurumi this very day... her friend would be long dead.
"But… it seems it isn't a sentiment my friends agree with."
Whatever she was expecting from Kurumi and Origami's rampage, Rinne wasn't expecting for the titanic chamber at the bottom of this facility, [Cage of Judgment], to transform into what could very well be described as a portrait of carnage.
To be honest, it looked as if divine wrath had just passed its righteous judgment upon this unfortunate place.
Holes created by bullets of darkness were all over the place, and some spots on the floors and walls were scorched into black ashes radiating with light energy here and there. The conveyor belt which probably stretched across the whole room before was now ruined, and there were a field of ashes in the center, clearly results of [Metatron]'s [Artelif] earlier.
Perhaps the only significant features of the chamber which were not damaged beyond repair were the four large gates, one on each side of the chamber. Miraculously, or perhaps done intentionally, the gates themselves were intact, only the walls around them were riddled with bullet holes or scorched into blackened carbons.
Not to mention the sickening number of Marina corpses – some more intact than others – it was perhaps fortunate these poor victims had both Combat Realizers suits and Astral Dresses. If they didn't have the former, their dresses would simply fade into nothing after death, leaving naked bodies in their wake. Talk about disgusting…
Rinne's eyes searched for the ones responsible for this mess. It didn't take long for her to find the darkly dressed Kurumi and the brightly decorated Shido-turned-into-Origami, their contrasting appearances easy to spot. They seemed to be talking on a small area on the floor which was unharmed and intact.
How they could look so proud after causing this carnage, Rinne had no idea.
"I killed more of them than you." Origami's voice was calm as usual, yet it carried a slight smugness to it.
Kurumi didn't seem goaded, if anything her face were definitely that of amusement.
"You know what's your problem?" the dark Spirit drawled, "You are too impatient in killing our foes. Too efficient. The deaths you dealt were too quick for any pain to linger. You don't enjoy the suffering, the misery as their ends approach."
Her friend ended her short rant with a mocking shrug. "Where is the fun in that?"
Oh, Kurumi…
Origami opened her mouth to retort, but Rinne decided to cut in before the things they talked about could get any bleaker.
"Kurumi, Tobiichi-san."
The two of them instantly turned their faces to her, one of them was smirking and the other was blank.
Kurumi giggled in that creepy way only she could do. "Ara, Rinne. You are late to the party."
Rinne shook her head. "If this party of yours involved lots of blood and gore, then I am fine with being late."
"Killjoy." Her friend said amusedly, before smirking. "Why don't we enjoy it for what it is? A rare chance to kill at will, and for once our enemies are mere puppets of flesh and blood with no life of their own, not alive enough to go against your conscience."
That was true, Rinne had to admit. She didn't find it in her to care for these dolls – they were twisted results of Westcott's exploitation of the poor Spirit locked here. For her, stopping these Marinas felt like an obligation, a retribution for the sake of the wronged victim.
Yet as far as she was concerned, simply disabling the controller unit within them or draining their mana with [Sacrificial Bonds] were enough. She certainly could tear them into bloody pieces with a flick of her wrist using [Laharos] – but there was no need to go that far.
In any case, there were more relevant things to talk about!
"Anyway," Rinne cleared her throat, "we are at the bottom of this facility, so our objectives should be close by. We should split up."
"Ara," Kurumi interjected, her smile widening just the tiniest bit, "there is no need for that."
What?
"What?" Seems Origami, and likely Shido as well, were of the same thought process as her. "What do you mean, Tokisaki Kurumi?"
Kurumi's lips twisted into what had to be one of the smuggest smiles Rinne had ever seen on her friend's face.
"I have secured our damsel in distress~"
There was a moment of silence as Kurumi's words sank in.
A powerful sense of delight hit Rinne as the realization settled in – Kurumi had already saved the girl locked up in this place!
Even the poker-faced Origami couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly. "You have? But if so, where is she?"
"Safe and sound within my shadows, Origami-san." Kurumi curtsied the curtain of her skirt, her shadow twitching as if answering.
"You haven't visited it before, but [Miku-san] and [Shido-san] had experienced the humble home of my clones firsthand, so you can rest assured."
Rinne had to restrain herself from speaking so she could think. Kurumi did beat her and Shido to this floor by at least twenty minutes – and knowing her friend's abilities, that was enough time.
That meant one of their objectives had been fulfilled; just one more, the Realizer to keep her mind in check for later. That being said, according to the information gained from reading that Marina's past, the Spirit was in a comatose state – did Kurumi manage to awaken her?
"Your question is written on your face, you know." Kurumi suddenly said, a teasing smile on her face, but then her lips thinned. "Unfortunately, I couldn't wake her up."
That admission sank Rinne's heart. If Kurumi of all people couldn't awaken the Spirit, there was little chance any of them could, herself included.
"That's truly unfortunate..."
She forced her disappointment down. Rinne didn't want her little pessimism to show on her face, Kurumi would be concerned if there was even a hint of it on her face.
...However, it seemed she could hide nothing from her friend, as Kurumi's mismatched eyes narrowed at her.
To her surprise though, Kurumi didn't comment on it and continued. "Her condition is quite exceptional. Rinne, as far as I know, you are the only one who could help her."
"Huh?" Rinne pointed a finger to herself. "Me? What can I do?"
For a moment Kurumi seemed like she was about to explain, but then shook her head.
"I suppose it's better if I show you."
The shadow cast by Kurumi's dress grew in size, now resembling a small pond with black waters. From its depths, Rinne could feel two presences surfacing – it was likely a 'Kurumi' clone and the girl, then.
As if on cue, the 'Kurumi' emerged, carrying someone in her arms like a prince holding a sleeping princess. Soon after, the shadow below them receded back to under the original's dress.
"...That is [Material B]?"
The sleeping girl was, in a single word, beautiful – her waist-length blond hair swayed as the 'Kurumi' who carried her stood tall on the dark shadow. The goldilocks framed a youthful, fair-skinned face with smooth features, nearly too foreign for a Japanese.
She was roughly Kurumi's size in height and slimness, though a bit more filled in her lower body. The blond was also clad in a pure black, short-sleeved blouse and a matching bell-shaped skirt with very short hemlines which left most of her thighs uncovered.
Judging from the gothic style of the clothing, they were probably created by Kurumi, but...
"...Why do you feel so… familiar?"
Everything about the girl's appearance, every little detail of the blonde's form was inexplicably familiar.
In fact, the mere sight of the girl had forced her vision to tunnel; try as she might, Rinne couldn't look away.
It was almost like...
"Is this not the first time I see you…?"
It was almost like the first time Rinne lay her eyes on Itsuka Shido.
Rinne's chest ached terribly just by gazing at the girl's sleeping face, and thoughts without any rationale formed out of nowhere.
Her mind struggled to even describe the feelings which suddenly overcame her – they were joy, homesickness, and above all... nostalgia.
"You..."
It was as if an unknown force was compelling her. To approach the girl, to see that face closer, to brush those strands of golden hair with her hand.
It didn't make sense, none of it did. It was as if she had reunited with a family member she didn't know she had, yet had somehow shared affection with... a distinctly familial bond.
The realization was as baffling as it was ridiculous – Rinne knew for a fact she had no sister, cousin, or any other relative – she didn't even know this girl's name!
But then again... she didn't know Kurumi's name when they first met either. Yet, inexplicable familiarity had haunted both of them – though it wasn't as strong as this one.
"You..."
Rinne blinked. Twice even. What was that? A voice just rang in her head... it was just as familiar, in more ways than one.
Judging from how Origami and the two present Kurumis suddenly flinched, it seemed it was heard by everyone in the vicinity, as well.
That was very reminiscent of [Phantom], the way the word echoed in her mind. However, unlike the distorted, uncomfortable voice of Phantom's, this one was very much human and... warm.
"You feel familiar..."
That direct admission made her heart skip a beat. There was no need to ask, Rinne could feel exactly who the telepathic Spirit was addressing, and it was her.
For a moment, Rinne was conflicted about how she would respond – but she wanted to be honest to herself. That had worked with Shido, she hoped it would be the same with this girl.
"You... too."
Rinne wanted to kick herself for stuttering, but she steeled her nerves. There was one thing she had to say no matter what, that same question she had wanted to ask Shido with.
"Have we met somewhere... before?"
"..."
The stunned silence was almost audible through the telepathy. The seemingly sleeping girl before her was just as confused as Rinne herself.
"...Honestly, I don't know. Mother hides a great many things away from us. We could have met before... perhaps if not in this world, then in another."
"That's..."
Rinne trailed off. What could she say? There was an honest uncertainty in those words, as well as wonder, as if the girl couldn't believe even herself in that matter.
"But it does not mean we cannot find the answers. In fact... we could find those answers, together."
The determination conveyed through the telepathy was so strong, it reminded her of a certain man she knew.
"Tell me... what's your name?"
That simple question nearly caused Rinne to flinch. Hesitation threatened to paralyze her tongue.
Just like answering Shido yesterday, her Angel could sense it... her answer would hold a tremendous weight for her fate, and future.
"Sonogami... Rinne."
"Sonogami Rinne...?"
Silence permeated the atmosphere.
The tone with which the girl spoke her name held a restrained, but definite, recognition.
Before long, a telepathic sigh cut through the silence.
"...I see. My name is Mayuri. I do not have a surname."
Mayuri.
It was a relatively common Japanese name. Rinne had heard of it more than a few times when she was listening to radio news in her free time.
But for some reason... when that same name was spoken by this girl, this 'Mayuri' – everything felt different.
"Mayuri..."
The name rolled off her tongue like a forgotten tune.
It was... wonderful, to say that name out loud, and the thought scared her just a little.
"It seems to me we really have met each other... even if I don't remember."
Mayuri's words were solemn, but Rinne couldn't help but detect a hint of cheerfulness that wasn't there before.
"But, that is a matter for another time. Now, I need you to free me. Please, come closer."
"..."
Strange. Something was wrong. Unlike Shido, or Rinne herself for that matter, Mayuri didn't seem... the slightest bit apprehensive by their familiarity.
For a moment, she wanted to ask why. But something – these irrational, unexplainable feelings – urged her to simply comply to the request.
She shook her head. There was no use thinking about it. Mayuri was right earlier; there was no use to trying to find the answer on her lonesome.
Rinne had tried. It had never worked. Not with Kurumi, not with Shido, not with anyone.
That, more than anything else, pushed her to comply.
"...Okay."
"Wonderful... simply wonderful."
Mayuri could scarcely believe the turn of events since her rescue.
Honestly, when she heard that a team of Spirits had invaded this prison for the sake of her freedom, she found it unbelievable.
But to think her savior, Tokisaki Kurumi would be allies with the one Spirit whom she had wanted to meet...
Sonogami Rinne.
More than just a fellow Spirit, it was the person whose fate was intertwined with her own... an [Original Angel], a true kin.
What's more, Kurumi said earlier between her two allies, only one could help with the seal; her silence meant Mayuri had asked the right person for the job.
"Though... it's unfortunate you don't seem to know of our origin."
The unadulterated confusion and the conflicted feelings Mayuri sensed from the mana exuded in the air had all but confirmed Rinne's ignorance of the matter.
But, that could be rectified later. The two of them would talk about it, and together they would find the rest of the answers.
What's most important right now, would be freedom.
Mayuri could hear the clicking sounds of high-heeled shoes – signs of an approaching person – and it was almost too much for her to bear.
Thankfully, it wasn't long until the source of the maddeningly familiar mana was right in front of her. Blind as she was, she could still sense it.
"...Now, what?"
Good question. Among the myriad, countless applications of mana, fantastic possibilities Spirits could come up with their Angels, there were only a few abilities which could help–
"Do you have any ability to synchronize with me?"
"...Ah!" Rinne paused in surprise, "It happens to be my specialty. Should I use it?"
"That's truly fortunate," Mayuri didn't think she could get any luckier, "please do so."
"It might feel unpleasant," Rinne warned, concern clear in her voice, "my Angel takes the form of a myriad strings, and they will all hold you tight in their grasp."
That's it? "There is no need to worry. I have been through worse."
A wave of sadness came from Rinne's mana – now Mayuri felt a bit guilty. She definitely should have worded that better.
"Then, I wouldn't keep you waiting any longer. Laharos!"
Abruptly, Mayuri sensed the mana concentration in the air spiked up drastically, and in a moment, she could feel something – several things, actually – slither around her limbs.
The warm and firm arms of the 'Kurumi' clone who had brought Mayuri out of the shadow realm was gone, and in their place were cold, metallic strings which twisted and wrapped around to support her body and kept her in an upright position.
It was a bit uncomfortable, but the gentle flow of mana from Rinne signified she was being careful and delicate with these Angelic Strings. That was interesting to note, seeing as precision-control of Mana wasn't instinctive even for Spirits, it had to be practiced.
"[Fate Connection]..."
The moment those words were uttered, mana immediately flowed from the strings into her body, and moved toward the very core of her being... the Sephira Crystal.
In normal circumstances, mana from another Spirit couldn't even enter her body without being violently pushed out – yet this one had made its way easily.
Rinne was very good at synchronization, just as promised. Now it was up to Mayuri herself to open a 'path' for the foreign mana to enter.
"Come..."
In an instant, a connection had formed – if Mayuri had to explain it, the sensation reminded her of two strings which tied into one another, herself and her kin – how peculiar.
"...Done!"
Comatose as she was, Mayuri could still feel her heart stop beating for a few seconds as a foreign, cheerful exclamation rang out in the mindscape of her consciousness.
It was then she realized. She was used to sending her thoughts to others. However, she wasn't at all habituated to receiving them... not since that fated day, anyway.
Mayuri couldn't help but feel ashamed at that, "You surprised me..."
"Eh?" Rinne's mental voice was apologetic. "I apologize, I didn't mean to shock you..."
"It's fine. I'm the one who asked for it, I should have seen it coming."
"Well then... what am I supposed to do now?"
The shock aside, Mayuri was very pleased now. Though the synchronization itself was excellently done, the strength of the link was only enough for an exchange of thoughts.
It was easy to tell why. Rinne didn't want to breach her privacy by sharing memories just yet. What an affable Spirit – a rarity among their kind, considering their cruel fates.
Well. Such politeness deserved to be answered with an equally well-intentioned warning.
"For now, brace yourself. I will bring you in to my [sanctuary]."
"Sanctuary...?"
There was an honest curiosity in that question, and Mayuri didn't blame Rinne for that. After all, it wasn't the proper term to describe what she meant.
It would be difficult to explain it with words alone, and it had been a while since she entered her own sanctuary, anyway. Might as well hit two birds with one stone.
Mayuri could feel her heartbeat had raised again – but unlike before, she could tell it was clearly her excitement, her anticipation. And it was not just for her freedom.
"Let's meet face to face, my kin."
"My what...? W, wha!?"
Mayuri decided to mentally chuckle one more time before she cut off their awareness of the outside world.
Rinne knew something went wrong when the connection of [Intertwining Souls] was suddenly tugged.
It was a very rare occurrence, which had only happened once before when she tried to establish a weak connection on a very strong target – like Kurumi.
Yet, even though it was alarming, Rinne couldn't muster up any will to resist the tugging. For some reason... her intuition believed Mayuri would never harm her.
That, in and of itself, was a mystifying line of thought.
But perhaps even more mystifying was...
"This is... her inner world?"
The phantasmal, dream-like sensation.
Rinne knew the feeling well – after all, to establish stronger connections with Intertwining Souls, she had to cut off her awareness of the real world – but she could never get used to it.
To 'see', 'hear', 'feel', and 'move' about in an imaginary world were similar to phantom pains. It felt like a lucid dream, and in a sense, the inner world of every individual was exactly that; the subconscious which kept on dreaming, even as the conscious was awake.
She knew it very well – yet, the scenery unveiled before her was beyond anything she had expected.
"How... beautiful..."
It was an immensely vast expanse of void. If Rinne didn't know any better, she would have thought this was somewhere across the cosmos outside Earth; twinkling stars and golden auroras decorated the celestial space like a colorful work of art upon a black canvas.
But the warmth of this place was unmistakable. Gentleness was suffused into its very fabric, permeating its depths, as if welcoming her as a guest. The way the stars twinkled and the auroras danced as if in rhythm signified Mayuri was very happy to invite her here.
Surreal and beautiful beyond words... Rinne couldn't think of a more appropriate word to describe this world.
"Hehehe. Thank you."
The words echoed from everywhere in this space. The multitoned voice was a bit creepy, but this was normal within inner worlds.
Rinne didn't miss the meaning behind those words of gratitude. Mayuri was flattered by the compliment for this 'sanctuary' – which was basically Mayuri herself.
Honestly, it would have been nice to continue the small talk – but there were still things to do, for both of them.
"You are welcome. Now, what do I have to do?"
"Look behind you."
Doing as told, Rinne turned around.
Dread immediately overcame her.
"...A cage?"
Before her eyes, a construct of pure gold floated by itself in the barren space. It had the shape of a common cage for birds, and it was the size of an average living room – the gap between its thin bars was enough for hands to slip out, but a person couldn't.
Despite the pristine condition and the polished shine, the golden cage was radiating with an aura of malice, composed of foreign mana – in all honesty, Rinne had to resist the urge to destroy it; the construct definitely didn't belong to this 'sanctuary'.
Inside the cage, Mayuri stood wide awake – her large eyes filled with fondness, her deep crimson irises twinkling with energy, her pupils as white as any other Spirit's, clad in the same black dress as her real body.
"Ah," A warm smile graced Mayuri's lips, "so that's how you look like."
Earlier, Rinne already had an inkling Mayuri would be more beautiful when awake... but it was startling to see a shade of crimson red very similar to her own.
Rinne shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that. She gestured toward the bar imprisoning the master of this sanctuary.
"What is this thing?"
Mayuri bit her lip, and sighed.
"It's the seal placed upon me. It keeps my mind here, trapped in the Sephira Crystal."
Trapped... in the Sephira Crystal? But that would mean–
"Could it be, your body is in coma because your mind is confined here?"
Her question was answered with a nod. Rinne felt her insides squirm as the realization dawned on her mind, even though this wasn't her real body.
Even if the mind was sealed, the Crystal's presence in the body would keep it alive with mana, and any sensation would be retained despite the unconsciousness... including pain.
Then... the torture Rinne saw from that Marina's past... 4 years of those, Mayuri had experienced them in full? That's... that's not just cruel, that's–
"Don't look at me like that."
Rinne's train of thought halted at Mayuri's echoing interjection.
Mayuri's smile from earlier returned. Bright and beautiful, as warm as it was earnest.
"It's nothing but a bad dream. I have slept for so long, dreamt for so long... but now I am about to wake up."
Her hand reached out toward the bars, her expression full of hope.
"After all, I have you. You will free me, at last. All you need to do... is destroy this cage."
For a moment, Rinne's hands twitched. Instinctively, she knew what her heart wanted – to answer the plea, to reach out for Mayuri in turn.
"Say no more. Consider it done."
Destroying this cage would do it? Then Rinne would do just that.
Mana surged through the vast ethereal space, taking the form of fuchsia-colored auroras to signify it didn't belong to this sanctuary.
Instantly, Laharos answered her call; the cold, metallic strings of the Angelic Lyre wrapped themselves around her arms again.
Her Angel twitched, as if agitated – it seemed even they were itching to absolutely demolish the accursed object in front of them.
Rinne glared toward the golden, deceptively beautiful prison.
"Begone."
"..."
Origami couldn't help but frown as she stared.
The superficially unconscious Spirit, the one codenamed Material B, was held in place mid-air by Ruler's Angel, while Ruler herself stood silently in a trance, her eyes closed.
The sight itself wasn't that unusual – Shido had seen Ruler did the same thing on a Marina earlier, and at this moment, that memory might as well be hers.
No, it was the Spirit who called herself [Mayuri] who had bothered Origami the most.
Something about this Spirit invoked a sense of recognition; though it wasn't anywhere near as strong as, or as terrifying, as Ruler.
"And surely, if I am feeling like this..."
Then Shido... you must be the same, right?
Deeper into their collective psyche, where Origami's thoughts couldn't breach, where Rio resided, Shido heard the question loud and clear.
He didn't answer, because both of them knew the answer already. It was true.
Familiarity. Nostalgia. Longing. And most of all... loss, and grief.
It was similar to when Shido met Rinne yesterday, yet at the same time, very different.
These feelings were as overpowering as it was abrupt. Shido hadn't the chance to prepare himself when he, through the vision he shared with Origami, lay his eyes on the Spirit.
And that's before the girl revealed her name.
"Mayuri..."
Something about that name shook him to his very core.
It was only thanks to Rio and Origami who handled the control of his body that he was even able to calm himself down at all.
Simply gazing at Mayuri's peaceful, sleeping face was... difficult. Painfully so. For a reason Shido couldn't even begin to make sense of, much less explain.
Rinne had done a great job earlier, asking whether they had met before. Shido had wanted to ask that same thing.
"Papa, are you okay...?"
Honestly? No, he wasn't. But as always, Rio's sweet voice urged Shido to smile and pat her head. It truly reassured him, as if nothing was wrong with the world.
"No, I am fine. It's just..." Shido paused. He didn't really need to explain, did he? "I think you would understand more, Rio. You are in my mind, after all."
"Hummm..." Rio hummed, deep in thought. "Papa feels he recognizes Mayuri just like Mama, and Papa is sad about her too. All these feelings are confusing for Papa."
...In truth, Shido was uncomfortable with how easily Rio could put all those into words. However, it was all true, he had no reason to deny it.
"I just don't understand why do I feel like this out of nowhere, Rio."
"Papa, you are wrong."
For a moment, Shido thought he had misheard. But no; Rio had just reprimanded him.
"Feelings do not come from nowhere, Papa. When Papa feels angry, something had wronged Papa. When Papa feels sad, something had hurt Papa. So when Papa feels nostalgic... that means Papa has discovered something important from the past."
Rio's tone was gentle – so gentle it contrasted her usual cheerfulness – it was almost scary in how unnerving it was.
"If Papa cannot recognize her, then Papa has forgotten her. Just like how Papa forgot Mama."
Those words hit him like physical blows to his head. Though her tone was calm, her words sounded very much like accusation.
Rio... Rio was mad at him, wasn't she...?
"Rio, I... I am sorry."
"Ehhh? Why?"
There was genuine confusion in Rio's voice. Which in turn confused him.
"Aren't you mad at me for forgetting them?"
"Ehhh!? No, no! Rio isn't mad at Papa!" Her voice became panicked. "Rio doesn't mean it like that! Rio doesn't want Papa feeling confused, so Rio wants Papa to understand."
Shido almost couldn't believe the relief he felt. The thought of Rio being mad at him nearly gave him a heart attack.
"You scared me a bit there, Rio."
"Rio is sorry..."
And Rio really was, Shido could sense the apology in his head. There was really nothing to forgive, as it was a misunderstanding, but what she said did pique his curiosity.
"It's fine, Rio. You said nothing wrong. But, may I ask something?"
"Anything for Papa."
"Does..." Shido couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. "Does Rio remember how Rinne and I met?"
Rio made the mental equivalent of shaking her head. "Rio doesn't remember. Rio actually wanted to ask Mama about that, earlier."
Earlier?
...Could it be, when Rio had wanted to talk with Rinne back in the Tenguu Square, before Kanzaki came to pick them up? No wonder Rio seemed annoyed, back then.
But, if Rio didn't remember, who else could it be? Shido doubted even Rinne knew the answer. Though a part of him already suspected someone.
If his gut feeling was right, then it might be [Phantom]...
"Humm?"
That had Shido's attention. Rio sounded like she had noticed something.
"Ahhh! Papa, Mama is about to wake Mayuri up!"
"What?"
Shido immediately refocused his mind on his sense of sight. He immediately recognized the aura in the air; he had experienced it too often to mistake it.
Origami's thoughts hadn't done anything else but stare and contemplate at the new Spirit and Ruler since earlier... but now, she too could sense it.
[Astral Dress]. It was different from Kurumi's, Rinne's, or Origami's. If Shido had to compare... it was similar to the ones worn by the Marinas.
Suddenly, Rinne opened her eyes and the Strings of her Angel released their captive – but much to Shido's surprise, Mayuri didn't fall.
In fact, her body remained still in mid-air, levitating in place. Rinne smiled, and took a few steps away from her.
"Good morning," Rinne said.
The dark clothes on her body glowed brightly with blinding golden light as if in response.
"[El Emet]"
Origami and Shido's surprise became one as the telepathic voice from before became very much physical.
After the light died down, their surprise turned into shock.
Mayuri was different – gone were the gothic blouse and skirt from earlier, she was now clad in a dark dress which reminded Shido and Origami of a ballerina's; short and form-fitting, with an equally short puffy skirt.
Her bare legs were now covered with golden greaves which reached her knees, elegant and symmetrical as if created for fashion rather than protection. Her hands and arms were similarly covered by a pair of detached sleeves doubling as black gloves, matching her dress.
A pair of feathery, swan-like wings roughly a meter in length manifested from behind her shoulders, with a much smaller pair attached above Mayuri's ears. Their bodies were curled up, much like a swan who was ready to take flight.
Her blond hair spread behind the wings, ever so slightly shifting in color and glistened – if it was simply blonde earlier, now her hair resembled shining threads made out of gold – bright and reflective. All in all, the Spirit looked like an angel, even more so than Origami.
The only common ground between Mayuri's form from a few moments ago and right now was her peaceful, sleeplike expression, but even that changed once her eyes fluttered open, revealing crimson irises which reminded Shido much of another Spirit's eyes.
Shido felt the Spirit mana deep within him trembled at the sight; not in excitement, not in fear, but – in recognition. He had to thank Rio and Origami for handling his body's control; if not for them, the stirrings would have been unbearable, like the time he went berserk.
Before he or Origami could think of anything else, the newly awakened Spirit opened her mouth.
"Good morning. Thank you for waking me up."
Perhaps it was Shido's own preference, but he preferred Mayuri's actual voice speaking than the telepathic ones from earlier.
Rinne shook her head. "Don't mention it. I am just happy to help."
A chuckle escaped Mayuri's lips. "I had a feeling you would say that."
Mayuri slowly floated down and landed on the floor, her golden greaves clicking with the metallic tiles. The wings on her back and her ears relaxed to a rested state.
The blonde turned her head to face Origami, her crimson eyes trailing up and down, clearly evaluating, but without an iota of judgment in her eyes.
"Now that I am awake..."
The Spirit looked down to her own Astral Dress, as if confirming she was indeed awake, before she looked up to face Origami again, then to Rinne, then to Kurumi.
"Thank you... all of you."
Her crimson red eyes became reflective, and her lips quivered ever so slightly.
Shido wasn't dense enough to not know what he was seeing; Mayuri was on the verge of tears.
Before anyone could say anything however, Mayuri raised a hand to wipe her eyes and spoke again;
"I don't know how could I possibly repay what the three of you have done for me... but allow me to begin by asking a question."
Question?
"Am I your only objective coming here?"
That surprised Shido and Origami. And if those widened eyes were any indication, Rinne as well. Kurumi however, didn't look at all affected.
"Ara, you are sharp. Indeed, you are not the only reason we have come here."
What? Shido was pretty sure Kurumi and Rinne's deal with Kotori was to release the Spirit locked in this island facility and hand her over to the [Ratatoskr], nothing more or less.
As if reading his mind, Rinne glanced at Origami and by extension himself, her eyes apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Tobiichi-san. We didn't inform you earlier, but Kurumi and I also need to retrieve something else from this island."
Origami spoke faster than Shido could command their shared mouth to. "Something?"
"It's a Realizer Unit." Kurumi said offhandedly.
Shido could feel Origami narrowing their shared eyes at the gothic Spirit. "Realizer? What do you need one for?"
"It's a secret, O-ri-ga-mi-san." Kurumi replied with a sing-song tone, and Origami honestly wanted to palm her face for not expecting that kind of answer.
"Whatever. You are truly a pain to deal with, Tokisaki Kurumi."
It was very rude of Origami to say that, but honestly Shido couldn't disagree with it, at least at the moment.
Kurumi only smirked mockingly to Origami's face before she turned to eye Mayuri. "Pardon me for asking, Mayuri-san. How do you know that we are not done here?"
"I can sense emotions, remember?" Mayuri smiled. "I may not be able to read your minds, but I can certainly tell what feelings are swirling in your heads. And what I am sensing from the two of you include determination... along the lines of 'let's get this over with'. Thus, I am assuming you two are not done here."
"Whoa, that's splendid," Rinne spoke with no small amount of awe in her voice, "Your Spirit senses are amazing, Mayuri-san!"
Shido and Origami both had to agree with that. That kind of ability – it was closer to what Ratatoskr's Spirit scanner could pull off, to analyze a Spirit's mental state.
"Hum. Rio is curious now, does Mayuri sense Papa and Rio here right now?"
Rio's mental question was a legitimate one. In his current state, whose emotions would register in Mayuri's senses? His own? Rio? Origami? All three? Shido itched to ask her.
Meanwhile, at Rinne's praise, Mayuri waved it off with a smile.
"It's nothing, Rinne-san. More importantly, may I request to help you with your next objective in this place?"
Kurumi moved a finger to her chin, her expression in thought.
"I personally wouldn't mind the extra help. But Mayuri-san, I must ask, are you in any condition to fight?"
Kurumi gestured toward the Marina corpses scattered across this whole chamber.
"The DEM might have been feeding you with magical energy through Realizers, but they have also harvested your flesh for the past 4 years. I have no doubt your mana reserves are now depleted."
Now that Kurumi mentioned it... it was the truth; while Mayuri's mana could still be felt, it was much fainter compared to Origami, Kurumi, and Rinne's.
In fact, it was comparatively so weak, Shido had not noticed through Origami's senses until Kurumi pointed it out. Could Mayuri fight in such a state...?
Rinne seemed to share his worries, as she stepped forward. "You don't have to push yourself, Mayuri-san. We could handle this."
However, Mayuri didn't seem at all concerned. "Thank you for your worries. However, I too have a score to settle with the one who has been taking care of me for the last 4 years."
Mayuri opened her mouth to breathe in, before-
"[Ariel] (Retribution Wings)"
Shido immediately recognized the unfamiliar word for what it was; it was a chant to summon an Angel.
Origami's thoughts had expected something large to manifest, but much to her and Shido's surprise both – it was anything but.
What appeared to be numerous clouds of golden dust gently shined into existence around Mayuri's vicinity; glittering much like twinkling stars on a night sky. Floating in the air in defiance of gravity, the particles appeared to move around her like a ring of light.
The sight made Shido recall the image of an asteroid belt in his astronomy lessons; though it was nowhere near as beautiful. Perhaps rather than that, it was closer to an angel's halo from the comics he read, albeit many times bigger.
"It's been a while, old friend..."
Mayuri spoke softly to what could only be her Angel, her hand gently touching the golden particles in front of her.
"O, [Holy Grail]. Heed my prayer..."
As if responding to the request, the golden dust coalesced into a shape – a goblet for drinking, gleaming gold just like its constituents.
Shido had only ever heard of the Holy Grail in movies, but at this moment, if anyone had told him that the goblet in Mayuri's hand was the real deal, he would have believed them.
Mayuri raised the grail above her head.
"Give them back to me."
For an instant, Shido could feel a wave of mana had washed over the space around him.
"Wh... what did you do?"
Origami's thoughts within Shido couldn't help but ask on his behalf.
Mayuri only smiled.
"Take a look around you."
And take a look, Origami did.
"Eh...?"
All of the Marina corpses had disappeared, and in their place were dark red orbs of light, shining eerily with blood red light. Their auras felt like Spirit mana.
A few seconds later, the blood-colored lights in the whole chamber flung themselves toward Mayuri at high speeds – or more precisely, toward the grail in her hand.
The lights fused together into a single glowing red orb, the intensity of the Spirit mana growing as more orbs assimilated into it, floating just above the grail like a torch's light.
From outside this chamber, even more numerous dark red lights were descending from the huge hole on the ceiling, their numbers far surpassing Shido or Origami's ability to count.
These orbs had the same goal as the earlier ones – the grail. In less than a minute, the countless lights had quickly merged into the orb near Mayuri.
Once all the orbs became one, the remaining one exuded so much pressure from the sheer amount of mana condensed – but slowly, its light began to diminish.
Before long, its light faded completely, leaving only dark red mass in the shape of an orb. The sphere then fell, causing a distinctively liquid sound as it hit the insides of the goblet.
Soon after it was done, Mayuri lowered the grail and brought it before her pink lips.
"Thank you, Ariel."
A whisper, before Mayuri began drinking the contents of her grail with casual grace.
The immense amount of Spirit mana within the grail's content gradually made their way into Mayuri's body, slowly saturating every inch of her form and her Astral Dress.
By the time Mayuri was finished with her drink, the accumulated mana had become one with her completely – fueling her weak aura into that pressure which all Spirits exuded with their mere presence.
The thin curl around Mayuri's lips was too malicious to be a smile, but it was nonetheless a sign of joy.
"Now then... may I help you?"
And... done! What do you think? As always, share your thoughts in the reviews!
I am not even gonna make any excuse. It's almost (though thankfully not quite) a year since the last update. I already explained in the top author note why this chapter came out so late, I won't shame myself by repeating the excuses.
In any case, this chapter's quality might not be as high as the previous one due to the aforementioned reasons – if you find any inconsistency, feel free to point them out! This chapter is luckily on the 'flexible' part of the plot, so I can still freely change details as much as I want (part of the reason why I was having difficulty with the chapter, actually).
Speaking of, I am in my final semester of college - with everything that implies. Though I can guarantee this story would never be abandoned as long as I am alive and my fingers are working, don't expect an update soon, though I doubt it will be a hiatus as long as the last two.
Now with that said... thank you for following the development of "Alternate Reincarnation" so far!