Kurumi wasn't a stranger to social gatherings. Having come from a rich background, she had more than her share of meetings together with her parents and Sawa. However, after becoming a Spirit, she naturally drifted away from such luxuries.
"Kurumi, are you free tonight? The Spirits are planning to have get-together at the Spirit Mansion."
"Ara ara, this is quite unexpected."
So, when Kotori came to her with this question, she was pleasantly surprised. That being said…
"But, what should I do?" Kurumi muttered. "I was planning to have fun with Shido-san tonight…"
Despite her voice being soft, Kotori's face slightly twitched. When Kurumi saw her face, she lightly chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
"…but it's been a while since I attended this sort of thing. You may notify the other Spirits that I'll be there."
In the end, Kurumi gave her compliance but Kotori wasn't all too pleased, a forced smile on her face.
"Look here. Onii-chan hadn't explicitly told me but it's very obvious you're doing that with my brother."
"Ara ara, what could you mean by that?"
"You know, that!"
"Now then, I have no idea what Kotori-san is implying."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Kotori's smile only grew more strained. It was clear that Kurumi knew exactly what she was referring to, based on her reaction.
However, her face quickly turned to bafflement when Kurumi suddenly closed in on her. In a rush, Kotori tried to step back but was caught by her arm around her waist.
"What are you…?!"
"Ssshhh." Kurumi placed her finger onto her lips with a teasing smile. Kotori found her face becoming red at the embarrassing position they were in, as if they were lovers. Because of the way Kurumi was tightly holding her, her face was right next to hers.
Kurumi laughed at Kotori's reaction. "Since Kotori-san insists that she knows so much…" Her lips formed a sultry smile and her half-lidded eyes gazed at her in a seductive manner. "Shall I give Kotori-san a firsthand presentation of what I do with Shido-san? It'll be quite amazing."
"Wha… what are you saying?!… That's…" Kotori could feel her mind going blank. The sheer amount of lust inside Kurumi's voice flustered her as her eyes pierced into Kotori's soul. Different scenarios began to play out in her mind, all of them not appropriate for the general. She tried to push her away but Kurumi's arm held her tight as Kurumi's head came closer and closer.
"Although you don't seem as delicious as Shido-san, I'll make sure to savor you."
"Please… don't…" Kotori's eyes began to shake as she could only helplessly watch Kurumi lick her lips. She closed her eyes, not being able to handle Kurumi's passionate gaze. It was then she heard a playful whisper in her ear,
"Just… kidding…"
Just like that, she was let go. Kotori collapsed to the floor, her legs weak from what she just experienced. She looked at Kurumi who was giggling at the sight.
"Ara ara, was Kotori-san that scared? Perhaps I went too far with my joke."
After Kotori realized Kurumi was just playing with her, an infuriated expression appeared on her face. "You…!"
"Kotori, I'm home!" Shido, who was out on some errands, had walked through the door.
"Shido-san!" Kurumi left the befuddled Kotori by herself and rushed towards Shido with a happy smile. Kotori who was just about to yell at Kurumi closed her mouth. This damn fox! If anything, Kotori had to admire on how quickly she was able to change gears. She was the perfect image of a girlfriend elated to see her boyfriend.
"Kurumi?! What are you doing here?!" Shido asked in surprise.
"Ara ara, how saddening. Is this how Shido-san reacts when your girlfriend greets you? Poor me's heart is going to break." Assuming a sad expression, Kurumi closed in on Shido and rested her cheek and hands on his chest.
Shido's face turned red as her fingers playfully brushed the near sides of his chest. Even though it was just simple show of affection, Shido has been very sensitive to Kurumi's touch lately. Ever since he had sex with Kurumi, any contact with her would immediately get him tense.
"Shido-san, I was thinking about having some dessert." Moving in more, she wrapped her arms around his chest. She pressed her generous breasts against him as her beautiful eyes gazed up at him.
"Dessert?" Shido found himself repeating but he could barely pay attention. His heart began to race faster as a nice scent from Kurumi's hair wafted towards him. She was enticingly close to him as she made her approach less subtle and more sensuous. Her touch sent a rush of yearning through his spine and made his body respond with primal excitement.
"Mmhm," she nodded. "And I think I know exactly what I want."
Pressing her smooth thigh up between his legs and against his crotch, she smirked as she felt his arousal grow. His erection twerked against her and although Shido tried to remain stoic, it was hell of a task when Kurumi was smiling invitingly at him, her finger grazing his bulge.
"Ara ara, what's wrong, Shido-san? You're all red." Her face was mere centimeters away as she raised herself up, her warm breath tickling his face. "Does Shido-san want something else besides dessert? Maybe something more? Sure. I'll do anything Shido-san wants."
"An-anything?" The words tumbled out of his mouth. The implication within the word would make any person's imagination go wild, including Shido's. He fixed his eyes upon her playful eyes, falling into a trance. He was barely holding himself back until she caressed his cheek and softly whispered into his ear with a smile in her voice.
"Yep, anything. So, instead of looking at me like that, why don't we go back to my house and I can let you have a closer look?"
Everything was a blur from there.
As if his body was moving by itself, he wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Turning their bodies around, he trapped her body between himself and the wall. She felt so good, the way her perfect body pressed against him and her hands running through his hair, pulling him in.
"Mmnn, Shido-san…" Kurumi lightly moaned. Her lewd voice only stimulated him more as he dipped his head down again eagerly for another kiss. His tongue poked at her mouth for permission to enter to which Kurumi gladly opened for him. Her mouth was rich and engrossing as she made him melt with desire. When her soft tongue gently caressed his tongue, he lost it. Moaning into the kiss, he…
"Onii-chan, I'm still here, you know."
A dry cough from Kotori's end immediately woke Shido from his stupor as he stumblingly separated from Kurumi in embarrassment. Kurumi let out a slight groan of disappointment, a little annoyed that he stopped just when it was getting good but that was none of Shido's concern as he frantically looked at Kotori, who had a disconcerted expression on her face.
"I'm glad to see that Onii-chan is someone who gets off from making out in front of your sister."
"Eh?! Of-of-of course not! I just forgot about you!"
"Oh, that makes me feel better." Kotori sarcastically replied. She continued to glare at him until Shido finally couldn't take it anymore.
"I-I'm going back to my room!" Shido tried to dart off but was stopped by Kurumi who grabbed his hand.
Although her dress was wrinkled and her hair was lightly ruffled up due to Shido's quick make-out session, she still managed to put up a beautiful smile. "Shido-san, we were just getting started and you're going to bail on me? Kihihihihihihi, that won't do. Not after I had only a little taste."
Tapping her foot lightly, she opened her shadows and began to drag him in together with her. "Eh, wa-wait! Ku-Kurumi, calm down!" Shido struggled against Kurumi's hold but it was useless as they slowly descended into the darkness.
Kotori tried to stop them but found that multiple arms were holding down her legs from the floor. She realized this was Kurumi's doing and could only watch as Kurumi whisked Shido away with her, licking her lips before her delicious meal.
Kotori was the only one left in the house now. Yet, instead of looking frustrated, she had a blank expression on her face instead. She was remembering her brother's expression. On the surface, it seemed he was trying to escape Kurumi's grasp but why did it look like he didn't put that much heart into it? In fact, his eyes seemed to be filled with a sense of anticipation as he sunk into the shadows…
"Agh, really! I don't care anymore!" This stupid brother of mine is already ruined by that seductress!
…
It was now night in the Spirit's mansion, where all the Spirits had gathered around a kotatsu with snacks and drinks in the middle. Without exception, Kurumi was also there, drinking tea in an elegant manner. While she appeared calm on the outside, Kotori noticed there was a light glow to her face.
"…you seem awfully happy."
"Ara, is that so? To be honest, I'm feeling quite sore." Kurumi inwardly smirked into her cup. She wasn't lying; if she moved so much as an inch from her current sitting position, her legs would cry in pain, particularly her inner thighs. But, that didn't stop a smug expression from appearing on Kurumi's face; she was satisfied like a full cat after a delicious meal.
"Tch." Kotori clicked her tongue. She was going to need a thorough talking later with her brother who was hiding from her in his room.
"Kurumi-chan, I'm glad you could be here with us today!" Miku cheerfully sat down next to her and showed her happiness at her presence.
Kurumi, not one to be impolite, replied, "The pleasure is mine, Miku-san… or rather, please get off of me. It's uncomfortable." Kurumi's usual laidback composure showed signs of cracking as Miku shamelessly hugged her arm much to her dismay.
"Mm, now that I'm up close, Kurumi-chan really does have a nice figure. You look very soft too…eh?! It was a joke! A joke! So, Kurumi-chan, please put away that gun!"
"I will once Miku-san's hands gets away from my chest."
Only when Miku backed away with her hands up did Kurumi lower the gun with a sigh. She forgot what kind of tendencies this girl had and foolishly allowed her to come close to her.
The night began as the Spirits began to talk with each other, whether it be talking about their day, playing board games, discussing strategy for the war, or whatever that may come up their mind. As for Kurumi, she had attracted Kaguya's and Yuzuru's attention, who had their thoughts on a certain matter.
"Tokisaki Kurumi! To think that you would get the upper hand before me, the great Kaguya! What sorcery or witchcraft did you do to obtain Shido?!"
"Agreement. Yuzuru is surprised how you, who was considered an enemy until recently, were able to capture Shido's affection."
In response to them, Kurumi put down her cup of tea and chuckled. "Who knows? Perhaps Shido-san was just attracted to my womanly charms." Kurumi gave a cute smile, enchanting them for a moment.
"That's impossible!" Kaguya was the first to get a hold of herself. "If you're talking about womanly charms, I have them also!" Standing up, she struck a sexy pose that a typical model person would do for a cover page.
Yuzuru immediately snorted. "Negative. Kaguya is still a child with small breasts, much less womanly charms." "What did you say?!" Kaguya snapped back. The two of them soon got into an argument, which Kurumi left for themselves to handle as she resumed drinking her tea.
"Ummm…" Hearing a soft voice, Kurumi turned to see Yoshino, who had quietly approached her. "Di-did Kurumi-san and Shido-san do anything…b-bad?" she asked.
"Ara ara, what do you mean?" Kurumi smiled shrewdly as Yoshino immediately hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment before softly speaking, "Kurumi-san seems to …love Shido-san… a lot so…"
Anxiousness filled Yoshino's face which Kurumi didn't miss. Giving a playful smile, she answered, "Don't worry, Yoshino-san. I definitely did not do anything bad with Shido-san."
Yoshino sighed in relief but Kurumi wasn't done. "Yes, I could say that Shido-san had a good time with me. Ufufu, I still remember the first time I grabbed his cock and how hot and hard it grew in my hand."
"!" Kurumi's voice wasn't exactly quiet and caused everybody to turn their heads in bewilderment.
"Hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-his co-co…" Yoshino's face became red as a tomato but Kurumi was only getting started.
"Oh how cute Shido-san was. He was so stubborn at first but once my hands laid upon him, he was already mine. It's like I thought. When it comes to seduction, there's nothing more effective than simply pushing him down and making him submit. But don't worry; Shido-san enjoys it when I take control. Ah, did you know that Shido-san loves it when his cock is in my mouth? If only you could see how ecstatic his face became when my tongue-"
"Stop! Stop! TMI! TMI!" Nia frantically interrupted Kurumi before she could get into any more explicit detail. Kurumin, she's already dead! She looked at the passed-out Yoshino, who couldn't handle the explicit information, her eyes swirling in dizziness and what seemed to be her soul was slipping out of her mouth. Out of concern and embarrassment, Natsumi carried Yoshino onto her back and secretly excused themselves, going back to their rooms. "Ooh, let me help you with that, Natsumi-chan~!" Miku however noticed them and proceeded to follow them with drool leaking out of her mouth, causing a cry of dismay from Natsumi.
"Mun, to think Nushi-sama was this lascivious. Muku is shocked." Mukuro was blushing heavily as her first impression of Shido was very kind and compassionate. To think that Shido was this erotic was…honestly very stimulating. She shook her head, trying to maintain the pure image she had of Shido.
On the other hand, Tohka was only confused as she asked, "Kurumi, is cock some kind of food?" Tohka was inexperienced with dirty talk, causing her to come up with that conclusion. "I never had Shido's cock before. Does it taste good?" Kurumi chuckled at Tohka as she stated, "Ufufu, I only had it twice but it's quite delectable."
"Ooohh!" Tohka opened her mouth in amazement before stating, "I'm going to ask Shido for his cock and see-!"
"No! Definitely not!" Kotori immediately stopped Tohka before her misunderstanding spiraled out of control. Oh God, she could only imagine the disaster if Tohka actually asked Shido that question. Kotori glared at Kurumi who only tilted her head as if asking what was wrong but not without a teasing smile. Kotori wanted to reprimand her but had a gut feeling that if she pressed the matter, the atmosphere would only get more awkward, and decided to only click her tongue at her.
Kurumi laughed as she finally paid attention to the white-haired girl who was staring at her quite intensely from the very beginning. "Ara, ara, Origami-san. You look as if you have something to say to me. Are you dissatisfied with something?"
Origami shook her head. "Tokisaki Kurumi, I had my reservations about you in the beginning but now… I understand why Shido chose you."
"Ara, how surprising." Kurumi thought that Origami would have more of an ill will towards her but she was surprisingly accepting. Origami noticed her confusion.
"I will always love Shido. However, Shido personally told us about what you did for us, about how you went back in time multiple times and prevented him from dying and stopped the rest of us from inversing. Back then, I thought that you were merely playing around with his feelings. However, I now know that your love for him was true. That's why, for protecting Shido…" Origami deeply bowed her head. "…thank you, Nee-sama."
"Wait a minute! Nee-sama?!" Kotori was in disbelief.
"Let's see, let's see, what does Rasielmon have to say for this. Oh, I already know there's a juicy story behind this!" Nia had manifested her Angel instantly.
"…say that again," Kurumi said.
"Thank you, Nee-sama." Origami instantly replied.
"Again."
"Thank you, Nee-sama."
"… forget it. The fun isn't there if it's this easy." Kurumi said with a sigh. "So, Origami-san is fine with the fact that I'm in a relationship with Shido-san?"
"It's fine. Because, once Shido breaks up with you, I'll be ready to steal him."
"Ara ara, how scary."
After Kurumi and Origami made up (?), the girl's night continued as normal as Kurumi genuinely enjoyed the talks and banters. It was a nice change of pace from all the battles and violence that recently took place and hoped that times like these would continue to happen in the future.
"There's an emergency!" Ratatoskr's alarms were ringing with red light as Kotori entered her commander mode. "What's the situation?"
"A spacequake is about to manifest in the middle of the city! The cause seems to be the Spirit of Origin!" The officer quickly relayed the information as Kotori nodded. "Got it. Sound the spacequake alarm and allow the civilians to evacuate. Send Shido and the Spirits to the scene also." "Yes, Commander!"
Shido and the Spirits, except Nia and Kotori who were still on the ship, arrived at the scene to see Mio in the air with her full Astral Dress on. All the Spirits had their full Astral Dress on; Shido realized when he got the power of 10 Sephira Crystals that he was able to control the Reiryoku pathway as he pleased without any risk and was able to grant the Spirits their full Astral Dress instead of their limited ones. Even with this, however, Shido knew that they wouldn't be able to win that easily against the Spirit in front of them.
"Shin, you finally came." Mio had a happy expression as she slowly descended toward Shido although Shido immediately backed up out of caution. "Mio, you don't have to do this. We can still work things out."
Mio sadly smiled. "No, everything is useless without Shin. I can't forget about him even if I want to. No matter what I did, no matter who I met, nothing brought me joy anymore. There's no meaning to live if it's without him. That's why these past 30 years, I did everything to bring him back. For Shin, any sacrifice was possible.
"Shin, I really love you." Mio's eyes held a purity that Shido couldn't deny. No malice, no evil, just simple but tremendous love, and hope. He felt Shinji inside of him wanting to respond in kind. However, …
"Mio." Shido looked straight at Mio and gave his answer. "The Takamiya Shinji you knew already died in the past. The one standing before you is Itsuka Shido. So, I can't accept your confession and that's because I love Kurumi." Hearing Shido's declaration, all the other Spirits sent subtle gazes toward Kurumi, who was embarrassed but happy as well.
Mio looked at Shido before giving a smile but not without a tear falling. "I see. Even though I expected this, being rejected still hurts." Mio wiped away her tears quickly and put on a smile but Shido could see her red eyes still. "Thank you for everything, Shido." Shido realized that this was the first time that she had actually addressed him by his actual name but that was the least of his worries. "Please understand that I'll need to erase only your memories so that Shin can truly be revived."
Once Mio declared her intention, the Spirits readied their Angels to prepare for battle. However, Mio already made the first move.
"Ain Soph Aur." At Mio's command, a huge flower manifested with a beautiful girl in its middle. At her command, the flower bloomed and emitted particles of light constantly, surrounding Mio and drifting towards the other Spirits. Although the lights seemed harmless, all the Spirits couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
"We!" Kurumi shouted as identical clones emerged from the shadows. They began to fire ceaselessly but once a light touched a clone, the clone would cry out and dissolve into particles. They served their purpose as the Spirits were able to escape untouched but it wasn't hard to imagine what would happen if one of those lights touched them, a solemn expression on their faces.
"Gabriel, March!" "Haniel, Kaleidoscope."
Miku and Natsumi, who copied Gabriel, quickly enhanced the others' strength as the Yamai sisters, Origami, and Tohka immediately followed up with their own attacks.
"Raphael!" "Metatron!" "Sandalphon!"
Rampaging winds, light rays, and sword energy immediately flew towards Mio. In response, Mio raised her hand to block the attack. Her move seemed meager in front of the ferocious attack but her still face showed she was confident in receiving the attack.
"Latalb." However, Mukuro opened a space portal in the middle of the attack's trajectory, absorbing all the attacks before Mio could block them. Before Mio had the chance to question the situation, however, the previous absorbed attacks had struck her back from a back portal in full strength.
Boom! An explosion immediately rang out, sending out shockwaves as a result and sending up smoke that obscured Mio from their view.
Kaguya cheered upon seeing the attack connect.
"Ka ka, how did you like our combination special? This is the power of friendship!"
"Vigilance. Don't let your guard down. Also, please refrain from saying such cringe phrases." Yuzuru chided.
The two of them, along with the rest of the Spirits, watched the smoke slowly dissipate. Soon, the smoke revealed Mio who was completely fine despite the attack fully connecting.
"Seriously, no damage?" "Shock. Her Astral Dress is ridiculously sturdy." Kaguya and Yuzuru's faces fell when they saw this. Even though an Astral Dress was able to defend against attacks better than the typical armor, for Mio to come out unharmed despite receiving multiple Angels' attacks revealed that her Astral Dress was of a much higher authority than theirs. She couldn't even be compared to a normal Spirit.
"Henet." A small flower bud appeared in front of Mio's hand and unleashed a small beam of condensed light. As for her target…
"Miku!"
Shido cried out as the ray of light pierced Miku's abdomen. The attack was so fast Miku only realized she was hit after the impact. Shock could be seen in her eyes before the life in them disappeared and her body fell lifelessly to the ground.
A bright violet Sephira crystal emerged from Miku's corpse and floated towards Mio. The crystal then was absorbed into Mio. When she saw the look Shido and the others were giving her, she sighed in despondence.
"It pains me also to kill my cute daughters. However, I doubt that you all will be obedient and hand me your Sephira Crystals willingly. That's why…" Mio hardened her gaze. "…this is the only way.
"Ain Soph." This time, a huge tree that reached the atmosphere emerged. Its branches spread across the sky and its roots began to change the landscape, transforming the area. Soon, a monochrome, chessboard-like appearance covered the ground.
All the Spirits had pale faces, as like Ain Soph Aur, this Angel was telling their instincts to keep themselves alive. They were forced to dodge in a messy manner as the branches began to attack them.
"Michael, Jerez!" Mukuro swung her key at the branches, trying to decompose the branches into nothing but when the key touched the branches, nothing happened. When Mukuro realized it was useless, she immediately opened a space portal and escaped before the branches could touch her.
"It's useless," Mio explained. "Ain Soph can rewrite reality; if I so will it, then it shall be done. You cannot harm my Angel no matter what."
"Everyone!" Shido immediately wanted to join the battle but before he could, he was grabbed by the waist by Kurumi and pulled back away from Mio. "Kurumi!" He protested but she firmly shook her head.
She said, "No, Mio-san's main target is, in the end, you. If you try to seal her without any plan and carelessly get close to her, Mio-san will be able to erase your memories."
"But…" Shido looked at Tohka, Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Origami fighting at the forefront. Mukuro and Natsumi were acting as support and Yoshino as defense. However, their grave faces showed that things were not looking good. Mio had killed Miku, one of their vital supporters, so the battle would only become more uphill as more time passed by.
Kurumi reassured him, however. "Don't worry. We will definitely open a path for Shido-san." Kurumi tapped her earpiece lightly. "Kotori-san, Nia-san, did you learn anything?"
"Only a few things." Shido heard Kotori's voice from his earpiece. "Mio has Ain Soph which can rewrite reality but she doesn't do it automatically. Didn't she say it herself? If she wills it. That means if we're able to catch her off guard, she won't be able to rewrite it immediately. The timing will be pretty tight though. And, we can only afford one chance. Based on what we've seen so far, Mio's Astral Dress is in the realm of absolute defense. If we attack her halfheartedly, it'll be meaningless. What we need are overwhelming power and perfect coordination.
"Kotori, just leave it to me." Nia, who was together on the ship, reassured her. "With Rasiel, I'll make sure that everything is optimal. Boy, wait for my timing, or rather… since Kurumin also has Rasiel, just follow her. I'll be directing the other Spirits."
"Got it." Shido voiced his agreement. On the other hand, Kurumi drifted towards Yoshino, who was currently blocking stray attacks with ice barriers. "Yoshino-san, are you ready? We're going to be doing that."
Hearing Kurumi say, "that", Yoshino immediately understood what she was talking about. After a brief moment, she nodded her head.
"I'm still unused to this so it may take a while…"
"Don't worry! You'll do great, Yoshino!"
Under Yoshinon's encouragement, Yoshino lent her hand and allowed Kurumi to hold it. Almost immediately, Yoshino winced as she felt her Reiryoku being drained from her to Kurumi.
Shido widened his eyes. At first glance, it only looked as if Kurumi was merely taking Yoshino's Reiryoku for herself but when he looked closer, Yoshino's Reiryoku was actually merging with Kurumi's, while still retaining its characteristics! Kurumi's shadows, which were always beautiful black, now had a tint of blue.
With Rasiel floating in front of her and Zafkiel's flintlock pistol in one hand, Kurumi controlled two different Angels as she chuckled at Shido's shocked face. "Let me show you, Shido-san. What a Spirit with two Sephira Crystals can do."
Mio thought they would've given up at this point. None of their attacks were working; any attacks that came her way could be rewritten and any stray attacks that happened to land on her were too weak to harm her. Yet, defeat couldn't be seen on the Spirits' faces, and instead, a firm determination.
What are they planning? As the battle continued, suspicion began to grow inside Mio. However, it was only that. She was confident that no matter what they attempted, she would be able to put a stop to it. All she had to do was to continue her pressure and wait for the Spirits to exhaust their Reiryoku.
On the other hand, Tohka, Origami, Mukuro, and the Yamai sisters were fending off the branches, making sure that none of them reached Shido. However, they weren't planning to stay on the defensive forever as they gave a silent nod to each other.
"Latalb!" Lifting her finger up, Mukuro opened a huge portal in the atmosphere up above. With a shout, a blazing meteorite peeked through the portal and began to descend blazingly towards the battlefield. It was an impressive sight and had the potential to wipe out the entire city. Even Mio would be injured if she were to be hit by that but even in front of such destructive power, Mio only scoffed.
"Ain Soph." With a stretch of her hand, she sent Ain Soph's branches to interrupt the meteorite's fall. Once the branches touched it, it would disappear into particles of light, meteorite or not.
Pop!
However, contrary to her expectations, it exploded instead. It didn't explode naturally but with comical stars and sound effects, taking Mio by surprise. Not only that…
"Kihihihihihihihihihi!"
In the meteorite's stead, a whole bunch of Kurumi clones appeared and immediately rushed towards Mio, laughing and giggling as they quickly filled up the battlefield.
"Wha-?!." This is Haniel's work! Natsumi, Haniel's owner, had used her power of transformation beforehand to turn Kurumi's clones into a single meteorite. The number of clones was innumerable, causing Mio to be caught off guard. Due to this, Mio's reaction was a second too late as they quickly filled the battlefield, some of them even latching onto her. Although they were weak, the sheer mass of them was hindering her vision and her movement.
"Mio." Mio turned around to see one of the Kurumi's clones turn into Shido. "I love you." He smiled at her, his gentle expression shaking her heart violently. However, she quickly frowned.
"Guh!" The branch pierced through Shido.
An instant later, Shido's body shone with light before turning into a petite figure. It was Natsumi, the true identity of the fake Shido. "Kuh… this is the first time someone saw through my disguise this quickly…" Giving a strained smile, she attempted to swing her broom but not before Mio extracted a green Sephira crystal from her body. However, her sacrifice wasn't in vain, distracting Mio for valuable moments.
"Raphael, El Kanaph!"
A giant arrow fully struck the unaware Mio, who was still amidst all the clones. An absolute and invincible single concentrated attack. The wind pressure dragged Mio through the city and mowed down everything in its path.
"Hng!" I have to… rewrite… Mio gritted her teeth. "Ain So-"
"Metatron, Artelif!"
"Camael, Megiddo!"
Before Mio could use her Angel, she was run down by a dense beam of pure shining light and a fiery pillar of intense flaring heat.
This is…! Mio realized that she was in a difficult situation. She didn't have time to question when had Kotori joined the battlefield. She was being hit by each of the Spirit's strongest attacks, one by one. Not even she would be able to come out unharmed if this continued!
Not only that, the fact that the attacks were being linked simultaneously terrified her. El Kanaph, Artelif, Megiddo, these were all ultimate attacks that couldn't be done instantly. However, not even a second had passed after she had been hit by El Kanaph before being hit by Artelif and Megiddo. In other words, the other side had already prepared their attacks and attacked before the wind arrow had even hit her. Because Kurumi's clones filled the entire battlefield and covered Mio's view, she wasn't able to see their preparation.
Flash!
At the crucial moment, Mio teleported. However, even though she was able to escape, she still sustained considerable damage. Unsettlement grew in her heart. She was forced into a position where she had to actually run away!
However, she didn't have time to check her surroundings or heal herself as she heard a loud sound behind her.
"Halvanhelev!"
The sword of the end. She didn't have time to dodge or put up a barrier. To put it more accurately, the moment she had arrived, the sword was already descending onto her head.
How?!
Mio would admit that she had teleported in a rush so she had looked for the nearest safest place but for Tohka to understand that she would do so and predict where she would teleport, that kind of intuition could only be gained through many battles. By the time Mio realized that, she was already razed to the ground.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth both split into two. Shockwaves pulsated from the ground up. It was total destruction but a faint light could be seen in the giant crack. The light soon grew and finally, erupted out of the ground as Mio emerged.
She was in a rough condition but for someone who had just been hit by four extreme attacks, she was in relatively good condition. However, that didn't change the fact that she was extremely battered up.
Swish. Mio felt a cold breeze and looked up. What she saw blew her mind.
In the air, Kurumi, holding Yoshino's hand, was pointing the gun towards Mio's direction with shadows coming from the 7 on Zafkiel's huge clock but contrary to its normal black, the shadows had a blue tint as well. Why did Kurumi's Reiryoku, whose attribute was shadow, also have the attribute of ice? Was it due to Yoshino's help? No, even despite that, it should be impossible to fuse two attributes of a different type!
Mio quickly acted. Sending Ain Soph's branches towards the two of them faster than the eye could follow, she hoped to kill the two of them before Kurumi could fire her gun. Her instinct was telling her that Kurumi's attack was beyond her usual attacks. However, she was blocked by Yoshino, who used her own body as a wall and blocked the branches from reaching Kurumi, sacrificing her own life. Kurumi's face contorted but she didn't hesitate to fire.
"Zafkiel!"
Kurumi's Angel had twelve bullets, each of them related to time in a certain way. The seventh bullet was "Zayin," capable of stopping the opponent's time. It was one of Kurumi's most powerful bullets and guaranteed instant victory if landed on the opponent. The problem was that the opponent was the Spirit of Origin. Kurumi doubted that Mio would let herself be hit by "Zayin" and even if it did, it probably wouldn't work on Mio due to her Astral Dress.
But, what if she upgraded her bullets?
Kurumi didn't have only Zafkiel anymore. She also had Rasiel, the Angel of omniscience. After gaining Rasiel, Kurumi's knowledge of Reiryoku became omnipotent. The Angel allowed her to have a complete understanding of the intricate characteristics of Reiryoku, including its attribute which was different for each Spirit. So, if she had a complete understanding of another Spirit's Reiryoku, she was capable of merging it with her own Reiryoku but only with Rasiel's navigation; the merging process was too complicated to do by herself.
So, with Yoshino's Reiryoku, which had the nature of ice and the power to freeze, Kurumi was able to "upgrade" her seventh bullet. It wasn't a simple 1+1; the bullet's power had increased exponentially in scale. Needless to say, such an increase in power also required an extraordinary amount of Reiryoku from both Kurumi and Yoshino. Their Reiryoku was almost all but nil, which was why they couldn't properly guard against Mio's last attempt to attack and thus, resulted in Yoshino's sacrifice.
But, thanks to her, Kurumi successfully fired her new bullet.
"Seventh Frozen Bullet, Zayin Kafa!"
The gold bullet coated with bluish-black shadows was shot, slipping through all the branches and towards Mio. Mio tried to put up a barrier but it was useless. Once fired, it couldn't be blocked or dodged. And, that's because it had already hit its target.
The world.
Bang! The bullet exploded into a flash of blue light and time stopped for the world.
The tree from Ain Soph, the lights from Ain Soph Aur, and Mio, who had her eyes opened in shock, wasn't moving. All the Spirits, which weren't affected by Zayin Kafa due to Kurumi's will, were astounded by the unreal phenomenon happening before them.
Zayin Kafa had the power to freeze the world's time. And for Mio who was close to the bullet, it had a stronger freezing effect on her. Additionally, because all the Spirits had weakened Mio temporarily with their strongest attacks, she was even more susceptible to the bullet's time stop.
Shido didn't miss this opportunity as he immediately teleported towards Mio, using Origami's power. He quickly grabbed her shoulders and leaned in to kiss Mio's lips.
"Shido?!" However, to his surprise, Mio was actually able to move again! Zayin Kafa was still in effect but, being the Spirit of Origin, Mio had done her best to free herself from the frozen time and was only frozen for 3 seconds. There was still enough time for her to push Shido away.
"!" But, Mio found her body stiffening when she tried to move. It was as if her body wasn't listening to her. This was because of Nia, who had used Future Entry and depicted a drawing of Shido kissing Mio. Mio was only affected by it for a second but that was enough.
"Mmph!" By the time she could move, Shido's lips were already on hers.
Soft but not without force, his lips pushed against hers. Mio's first thought was that he was a really good kisser. Her second thought was that her powers were being sealed. …haha. Mio couldn't help but laugh; the sealing process wouldn't work unless the Spirit opened her heart toward Shido. She thought that she loved Shin only but it seemed that after all the time they had spent together, she had come to love Shido as well.
As for Shido, he realized that Mio's memories flooded into him including all her struggles and sorrows over the past 30 years. He felt the despair she felt when Shin died and how she did her best to carry out her plan to revive Shin. However, Shido was disoriented as Mio immediately pushed him away, not letting him completely seal her.
"Mio!" The Reiryoku path between him and Mio was interrupted. Only a few more moments and he would've been able to seal her completely. He was frustrated with himself. They were so close to victory yet he couldn't close the deal.
"That was close, Shido." Mio touched her lips briefly, numb to the touch. Her lips were still savoring the taste of Shido's lips. "But, it's over now." Mio's hand reached out towards him. They had just kissed so he was in close range of her. He couldn't escape even if he wanted to.
"Nushi-sama!" A portal opened from behind Mio and Mukuro emerged in an attempt to try to stab her with her key.
However, Mio dodged with a simple sidestep. "Ain Soph, Anaph." A branch from Ain Soph appeared in her hand, shaped like a long sword. She thrust it into Mukuro, giving a fatal injury and absorbing a gold Sephira Crystal from her.
"Mukuro!" Shido cried out. He could only watch as Mukuro's body collapsed onto the chessboard-like floor, her Astral Dress disappearing into particles of light.
"What are you doing, Onii-chan?! Hurry up and get away from her!" Shido was abruptly pulled back. Together with the rest of the Spirits, Kotori had arrived and grabbed his shirt and thrown him a distance away but not without having Anaph stabbed in her chest as a result. Mio then, with her other hand, shot Henet at Yuzuru's forehead at point-blank range.
"Kotori!" "Yuzuru!"
"Onii-chan… don't… give up!" Those were Kotori's last words as red Sephira crystal emerged from her body and into Mio's body.
"Yooooouuuuuu!" Kaguya immediately rushed towards Mio, screaming with rage as she spiraled her lance with fierce wind surrounding her. "Stop, Kaguya!" Tohka cried out. They had already saved Shido so it was safer to disengage and regroup but Kaguya wouldn't listen.
"Raphael, El Re'em!" Like a berserker, she attacked without abandon, killing intent clear in her bloodshot eyes.
Without expression, Mio raised her hand and blocked her lance with a small barrier. Once the lance lost all momentum, she grabbed Raphael so Kaguya couldn't escape. Then, branches emerged from the ground like spikes and impaled into Kaguya's body.
"Kaguya!"
The tree branches disengaged from her body while taking out the Sephira Crystal inside of her. Once the Crystal was taken out, Kaguya's Astral Dress immediately disappeared into particles of light. The same thing happened to Kotori and Yuzuru as all the Crystals were all brought to Mio.
Shido couldn't believe it. How was Mio still this strong despite being partially sealed?
On the other hand, Mio looked at the palm of her hand. There was a slight nick of blood. She wasn't able to completely block Kaguya's attack. If she wasn't partially sealed, let alone being able to block, her Astral Dress would have been able to tank the hit and come out completely fine. However, in her current state, her Astral Dress was weakened. Although it was still much stronger than a regular Astral Dress, it wasn't to the point of absurdity where almost no attacks would be able to affect her.
Her Angels were also affected. Ain, her trump card which allowed her to erase whatever she wanted from reality, was completely sealed. Ain Soph couldn't distort reality as easily anymore, the tree of light barely maintaining its form and flickering weakly. Her branches couldn't spread across the entire battlefield as they did before, only being able to reach 5 meters radius. Ain Soph Aur's particles of light wouldn't be a huge hindrance to those with Reiryoku and Maryoku. Henet was now reduced to a normal laser; the only reason it had killed Yuzuru was that she had aimed at the head.
However, even with my Angels being sealed, I still have the complete advantage here. Mio wasn't overestimating herself. She had personally killed multiple Spirits after Shido had sealed her. Her current state may be a far cry from her strongest but it was more than enough to deal with the remaining Spirits: Tohka, Origami, and Kurumi.
"Give Shido to me," she said. "No matter what you do, you have no hopes of victory."
But, she was only met with refusal.
Tohka raised her sword. "Mio, Shido taught me to love this world. If it wasn't for him, I would've never been able to experience so many different things or feel so many emotions. That's why I won't let you erase Shido, never!"
"Shido saved me when I was in the bottomless pit of despair." Origami took a stand next to Tohka. "This time, it's my turn to save him. With this power you gave me."
Kurumi lifted her guns in defiance of Mio's declaration. "Mio-san, no matter what happens, I'm never giving Shido-san to you. This Tokisaki Kurumi won't allow it."
"Everyone…" Shido was touched by all of their proclamations. Seeing their resolve gave him confidence, even despite this hopeless situation.
Mio gave a nod. "To resist is a right that I cannot take away from you all. In respect, I won't make the suffering any longer than it has to be."
The fight would've ended in Mio's victory but an unexpected factor came into play. Nobody could have expected it because its existence in itself was an abnormality. Because she existed, it is impossible for her to also exist. However, because she existed, her existence was undeniable.
Crack!
It was the trigger to the start of a previously impossible victory.
To everybody's surprise, a large crack could be seen in the air. Space began to distort…no, split apart forcefully as the crack began to grow larger and larger.
"Ahh, elegant and charming as always, Kurumi-san."
The space shattered and a voice echoed across the battlefield.
Then, sheappeared.
Emerging from the opened crack, she wore a military dress with an admiral's cap on her twin-tailed hair. She donned a saber in one hand and a pistol in the other. Her dress, gloves, high-heeled boots, everything was white. However, the most shocking thing was that they knew who this person was, or at least looked like.
A spitting image of Tokisaki Kurumi, except that instead of a gold eye, there was a blue clock eye.
Descending from the shattered sky, the white Kurumi landed in front of Shido and the others.
"King, the man that all Spirits love. I give my greetings." Taking off her cap and pressing it against her chest, the woman gave a slight bow as she gave her introduction. "People call me many names but I am commonly known as Queen."
"Queen…" Shido never heard that name. Also, King? He never heard himself called by that manner. The enigma surrounding this person only continued to grow but for now, she didn't seem to hold any hostility against them.
Shido was confused on this person's identity but Kurumi's agitated face did. She recognized the person's identity instantly after hearing her voice the first time and hearing it up close only confirmed her decision. But that was impossible because Kurumi definitely killed her with her own hands. However, she would never forget that voice even if she wanted to.
"…Sawa-san?" Kurumi asked in disbelief. She looked at her best friend, Yamauchi Sawa, who for some reason had the exact same appearance as her but with a different color scheme. Sawa waved her hand slightly.
"Ya, Kurumi-san." Her face became noticeably warmer. "Long time no see…but I guess that only applies to you."
"What…why…how…?" Kurumi was at a loss for words. Too much questions were popping up in her head that her tongue fumbled.
Sawa giggled at her dumbfounded face. "Kurumi-san's face is exactly what I expected to see. Of course, I understand that you have many questions. But, it's a fact that the person that is standing here is Yamauchi Sawa…" Sawa's eyes narrowed. "…the person that you ruthlessly killed."
"!" Kurumi's breath hitched. For a second, she didn't recognize the person in front of her, that disfiguration of malignant anger. Was this really the kind and gentle Sawa she knew? She tightened the grip on her gun.
"Haha, did I scare Kurumi-san?" Sawa asked. The cruel white queen was nowhere to be seen as she laughed, returning back to normal. "You don't need to worry. That matter has already been settled and to be frank, I don't want to fight with Kurumi-san again to the death."
Although Sawa reassured Kurumi, Kurumi was only left with more confusion.
"But…"
Queen turned her gaze to Mio. "… you." She started to walk over to Mio, who instinctively took a step back from the sheer amount of malice in Queen's eyes. "You are something that shouldn't been allowed to exist. Because of you, my relationship with Kurumi-san was twisted. You took away my precious days with Kurumi-san and left within me an ugly anger. It festered inside me and destructive impulses would stimulate me every moment! I hurt so many people because I was forced to, even when guilt would continue to grow inside my heart! I was torn when I had to do something I didn't want to!"
Queen clutched her chest tightly, as if to emphasize her hurting heart but Mio narrowed her eyes.
"You say all that but… why are you smiling then?" Mio saw the large smile on Queen's face even as tears were falling down her face. "You enjoyed it, didn't you?" Queen looked surprised at first. Then…
"Hahahahaha!" All traces of sorrow and anger disappeared from Queen instantly, replaced with a thrill expression. "You're right, Spirit of Origin. Seeing the anguish on their faces as I brutally tortured them, hearing the sound of bones breaking, blood splattering, flesh rotting, all of it was exhilarating. The pain and suffering that my beloved Kurumi-san gave me, isn't it unfair that only I get to experience this? Shouldn't I share this feeling with others as well? That's why I yearned to make everything mine and then destroy it! By making all those Empties fall in love with me only to later destroy all of them, maybe then, I could finally understand how Kurumi-san felt when she killed me!"
Mio shook her head. "You're insane." She could already tell the person before her had already sunk into the depths of insanity.
Mio's response only made Queen laugh. "You can call me insane but aren't you as well? For the sake of your own feelings, you thought it was okay to do anything, didn't you? For the sake of one person's life, you had others give up their own. I understand because I was the same! As long as my wish came true, I didn't care about anything else!"
Brandishing her sword and her pistol, she widely grinned. "If you hadn't come into mine or Kurumi-san's life, I would've never been able to experience such amusement. How could I not repay you back?"
Mio's face hardened. The moment the other side expressed her intention to fight her, she used Henet without precursor. However, scorn could only be seen in Queen's eyes as she smiled crazily.
"Lucifigus!" A huge white clock formed behind Queen. "Libra Bullet, Moznaim." Raising her pistol, she pulled the trigger with a condescending smile. The causality within the space was reversed and Queen allowed the light ray to strike her.
Yet, it was Mio who was damaged, a hole was in her stomach to her dismay. "Reversing cause and effect?" Mio furrowed her eyebrows. Unlike all the other Spirits, she didn't have any information on this one so she didn't know what to be wary of. That's why she tried to end the fight before her opponent could properly put up a fight but it ended up backfiring on her.
Mio decided to retreat temporarily and tried to heal her injury. She had to; her own attack which she meant to kill the opponent had hit herself instead. It took only one second to heal it but in a middle of a battle, that one second was fatal. For Queen, one second was more than enough time to load her finishing blow.
"Sagittarius Bullet, Keshet." Queen didn't hold back at all, using her strongest and fastest attack. It was a bullet that was a sword yet a sword that was a bullet. It was an attack that exceeded Mach 10, with enough destructive power to gouge out the surrounding space. Even if Mio wanted to dodge, by the time she saw the attack, she had already been hit.
The unstoppable attack containing all of Queen's power enveloped Mio in a white light. It was a blow that all the Spirits who witnessed it had their hearts racing in awe. For such firepower was capable from a mere pistol was shocking, to say none the least.
"Amazing…" Origami couldn't help but praise. However, her eyes quickly widened.
What should've been an empty nothing of space, Mio was standing in what was the remnants of a cocoon of branches. Having used Ain Soph, she had protected herself but not completely. Standing in an unsteady gait, her tinged hair sprayed across her face and her dirty skin covered with bright red blood. But, her Astral Dress was glowing dimly and her injuries were already beginning signs of recovery.
Queen harrumphed. "I hoped to finish you with Keshet but as expected, you won't go down that easily." Despite Mio's weakened state, Queen didn't want to risk getting close to her. Spinning the saber in her hand into a reverse grip, she drew back her hand, loading up her arm.
"Virgo Sword, Betulah." Queen threw the saber, landing right square into Mio's chest. Running through her, the tip of the sword created a crack in space behind her.
She's trying to remove me away from the battlefield! Mio didn't know where she was being sent to and would take time for her to come back. She tried to pull the saber out but ended up only coughing a copious amount of blood. Keshet had dealt serious damage and with the momentum of the thrown saber, Mio was pushed into the crack successfully and disappeared.
"Hmph, that should buy us some time. Though, at most, it will only be a few minutes." Once Queen saw that Mio was gone, she made her way back towards Shido's group. Needless to say, all of them were cautious of her. They all saw the lunatic smile Queen had as she had dealt with Mio.
Tohka approached Shido from behind. Looking carefully at Queen, she said, "Shido, that power…"
"Yeah, a Demon King," Shido confirmed Tohka's suspicions. "And an especially powerful one at that too." Even if Mio was partially sealed, the power that Queen displayed was nothing short other of dominating.
"Sawa-san…" Kurumi thought there was something sinister about Sawa but it was greater than she could ever imagine. "You hate me, don't you?"
There was a short pause. "If someone asked me who I hated the most, it would be you, Kurumi-san." Sawa's voice was stoic as her eyes coolly rested on Kurumi.
"I… see," Kurumi replied.
"But the more I hate you…" Sawa closed her eyes resignedly. "…the more I realize how much you mean to me. We were best friends, after all. If one person was happy, the other was also happy. If one person was sad, the other was also sad. We did everything together and it was fun.
"But, I'm not the same Sawa you know. I'm also a monster that wants to make everything mine and destroy it. I can't deny this side that has already become a part of me. Yamauchi Sawa cannot exist without Queen existing too. They are the same person now. Tokisaki Kurumi, I love you but at the same time, I hate that I love you. That's why I…" Sawa's voice sharpened for a moment. Once again, the cruel white queen persona appeared and then disappeared as Sawa took a deep breath, getting herself under control. "Enough. Right now, I'm Yamauchi Sawa, Kurumi-san's best friend."
Although Sawa had said that to reassure Kurumi and the others, it was as if she was also speaking to herself.
Sawa once again focused on Kurumi with a gentle smile. "I remember your wish of hoping to find someone dear to you…" She turned her head to glance at Shido. "…and I see that you finally found one. I'm glad your love blossomed."
Kurumi also turned to look at Shido. "Yes. He's the most wonderful person I ever met. I won't let go of him no matter what."
Sawa giggled. "Yes. I've been watching from afar and from what I've seen, Kurumi-san is very happy with her current life. Although, make sure to not have too much fun with him." Sawa gave a knowing look to Kurumi, causing her to slightly blush. She teased, "I never knew Kurumi-san could be so indecent."
"Ara ara, if you had a taste, you would understand too…" Kurumi teased back but stopped.
She saw Sawa sporadically blink like an unstable holographic image. Noticing Kurumi's shock, Sawa looked at her hand which flickered in and out of existence.
She explained, "Since I'm not in the Neighboring World anymore, my body is quite unstable. I'm surprised I lasted this long to be honest. But, I overexerted myself with that last attack of mine. There won't be much time for me left."
Sawa pointed her gun at Kurumi. "Before I disappear, I'm going to pass on all my power to you. With this bullet, I'm certain Kurumi-san will be able to defeat her. Is that alright, Kurumi-san?"
Kurumi looked at Sawa with shaken eyes. Seeing her best friend again was something that she never thought would happen yet when she did, she was going to have to separate again from her. "Sawa-san, I…"
"I know. I already know. Everything that Kurumi-san wants to tell me, I've already received from you." Sawa said. "I also have much more to say to you but I believe that it would be quicker if you used your Yud bullet on me. So, please, accept it, this piece of my existence."
Kurumi wanted to say more but once she saw Sawa's expression, she could only nod.
Both of them lifted their guns, arms crossing with the barrel aimed at each other's heads. There was no malicious intent on either side as they prepared to pull the trigger.
"Ne, Kurumi-san. I've done some really bad things that you'll soon see. Even knowing that, am I still… your friend?"
"The best."
They both smiled.
"Scorpio Bullet, Akrab."
"Tenth Bullet, Yud."
Both of them fired at the same time, the bullets reaching their respective targets. Almost instantly, Kurumi collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Sawa also staggered but not as severely as Kurumi, merely clutched her head.
"Kurumi!" Shido, who was waiting on the side, rushed towards Kurumi, worry on his face but Sawa reassured him.
"Don't worry. Akrab gave all of my power at once so there's just a temporary shock. She's not in danger."
Shido sighed in relief. "Thank you. Are you okay?" He noticed that there was a slightly pain look on her face.
"Haha, I'm fine. Thank you for asking though."
With a smile, Queen lightly approached him with graceful steps. Her white attire made her stand out in the wasted battlefield. Shido once again unsettled by how she looked exactly like Kurumi as she watched him in a sophisticated manner, as if pondering about something.
After a while, she opened her mouth. "King, before I disappear, can you grant a selfish wish of mine then? I would like to confirm something."
"Gladly." Shido nodded.
However, he was taken aback when her face took up his view. Queen tiptoed to slightly raise herself and grabbed the back of his head with a soft touch. His head had already turned blank as he felt something wet squeeze between his lips.
"Mmm?!"
As if a beast who had been waiting for all her life for this, Queen thoroughly violated his mouth. Her long tongue wrapped around his and plunged as deep as it could in his mouth. Shido couldn't help but notice how familiar the kiss was, as if he was kissing Kurumi.
Shido didn't know how much time had passed but it was Queen who ended the kiss. He found himself letting out a short breath as she looked at him in a profound manner. She touched her bottom lip tentatively with a finger.
"…you taste more delicious than I thought."
"…" Shido, who was mesmerized with pleasure and shame, had no answer.
Queen chuckled. "If Kurumi-san hadn't already taken you, I would've claimed you for myself. After all, you returned my kiss so passionately as if you were trying to take me to bed. Ah, is it because I look like her? I wouldn't mind letting you have another taste then."
"I…" Steam erupted from Shido's bright red face. Wasn't this their first time meeting? Why was she acting so intimate with him? Of course, he knew he was also in the wrong for losing himself in the kiss but her eyes were scaring him. It was the same look that Kurumi gave him during their nights.
Shido looked at Queen, who licked her lips, her lithe tongue sneakily making lewd sounds. When he imagined how that tongue had lapped with his own, he couldn't take it anymore and collapsed to the ground.
"Shido!" Tohka and Origami immediately rushed to his side before glaring at the White Queen, who chuckled at their open hostility before looking at herself.
The fact that nothing is happening… Queen looked at her Astral Dress, which showed no signs of disappearing despite the fact that she had kissed Shido, a person capable of sealing Spirits but only under one condition. I guess I was obsessed with the idea of being in love and not love itself.
Queen laughed, causing Shido and the others to curiously look at her but she didn't care as she felt her heart become lighter at the revelation.
It was only after a while did Queen finally regain control of herself. She looked at Tohka and Origami. "If you two want to defeat the First Spirit, it's best to utilize the power of a Qlipha Crystal. It'll be easier to damage her that way."
"Qlipha Crystal…" Shido muttered. Mio originally created the Qlipha Crystals but since their nature was incompatible with humans, she purified them which resulted in the birth of Sephira Crystals but in the process, the Crystals became weaker. So, Shido understood why Queen wanted them to use the power of Qlipha. However, for a Sephira to revert back to a Qlipha, the Spirit needed undergo an Inversion and for that to happen…
Queen noticed his hesitation and assured him. "Don't worry. I know this is usually impossible without experiencing despair but according to my observation, the two of them are special cases."
When Tohka and Origami heard this, a strange expression appeared on their face. They didn't completely understand what that meant but something in their subconscious stirred when hearing those words.
"King… no, Itsuka Shido." Shido focused his attention upon hearing Sawa's voice. Sawa's condition was now severe, her body constantly flickering but despite this, Sawa calmly looked at him.
"Please take care of Kurumi-san."
"I will." Shido nodded without hesitation to which Sawa smiled gently. She understood why Kurumi loved this person.
"Thank you."
With those words, Sawa was erased from the world, leaving no traces as if she had never been there.