The cross exchange of bullets between Kurumi and Sawa allowed Kurumi to gain two things.

Sawa's bullet, Akrab allowed Kurumi to gain all of Sawa's power, which included Lucifugus and its abilities. The transfer was smooth as Zafkiel and Lucifugus are two sides of the same coin.

Kurumi's bullet, Yud allowed Kurumi to gain Sawa's memories, reliving Sawa's entire journey in the Neighboring World: from her gaining the Inverse Kurumi's body to her final match with Kurumi's clone and the Quasi-Spirit, Hibiki. She learned everything Sawa had went through, including the atrocities she caused and her goal of destroying the Neighboring World. It was only at the very end with the help of Kurumi's clone was she able to regained her original kindness.

Once Kurumi finally opened her eyes, she had assumed the form of the white queen.

"Are you alright, Kurumi?" Shido was by her side, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

She replied. "Yes, in fact, I feel as if I have all the power in the world. Ah, so this is how a Qlipha Crystal feels like. Perhaps I should've inversed a long time ago." Kurumi teasingly joked, making Shido laugh awkwardly at the notion.

Tohka had closed her eyes, sending her conscious deep inside her Sephira Crystal. After hearing Queen's words, she realized what she had to do. Please, help Shido, other me! She thought loudly. Soon enough, she heard a dark but warm voice, "You've done well against our mother. Leave it to me and get some rest." That was the last thing Tohka remembered before her consciousness blacked out.

"Tohka?" Shido was alerted as darkness wrapped around Tohka. Her Astral Dress became dark-purple and more revealing. Her gaze became sterner, her cold face exuding an unapproachable aura.

"You dare call me by that name, human?" Shido flinched at her brutal response but the inverse Spirit expanded. "That name is specifically for the other me. If you make that mistake again, I'll kill you."

"O-oh, I see. Then, how about… Tenka?" To his suggestion, Tenka turned her head with a humph but she didn't seem to dislike it.

Origami had also changed as her white dress became black, and her face became more expressive with a red tint of shyness. "Ah, Itsuka-kun, it's been quite a while since you've seen me like this." Shido instantly recognizing that pattern of speech. "Are you that Origami?"

Origami smiled. "I'm glad Itsuka-kun recognizes me. I already got the gist of the situation since I share memories with my other self. Itsuka-kun, how do you feel being protected by three Inverses?"

"Haha. I never expected things to turn out this way." Shido realized that this situation was one of a kind. But, there was no time to savor the situation.

The scenery around them suddenly turned into a space of black and white. Shido was surprised by the sudden shift but before he realized what was going on, Origami had already grabbed Shido and blinked a few meters away in a dark flash.

Boom!

The place where Shido was standing in before now had a huge crater. In the center was Mio, who had tried to capture Shido but failed due to Origami's intervention. Seeing that Shido had escaped, she dashed towards Origami with a branch sword in hand.

"You bastard, I still haven't repaid you for last time." Tenka dashed towards Mio and swung her sword. Mio had no choice but to lock swords with her as they soon engaged in a flurry of exchanges. Shockingly, the two of them were dead even, not one of them overwhelming the other in terms of sword skill.

However, Tenka's ankle was caught by one of Ain Soph's branches that had emerged from the ground. Tenka clicked her tongue and exerting more strength into her leg, quickly freed herself. Mio knew such a move wouldn't be able to stop Tenka but she had only wanted to disrupt her tempo and forcefully create a moment of opportunity.

"You're mine…!" Mio was brandishing her sword when she suddenly felt goosebumps crawl over her body. Quickly changing the route of her sword, she raised her sword to protect herself.

Endless penetrating black rays fell from the sky like rain from the sky. They overwhelmed Mio's sword and stabbed into her, making blood spurt from her body. Such an instantaneous yet oppressive attack was only capable from Satan, Origami's Demon King.

In a battle against multiple opponents, it was hard to gain the upper hand if the enemy had splendid teamwork, covering each other's weakness while combining their strengths. Mio couldn't help but lament at her sealed state; if she was at full strength, teamwork or not, she could've easily dominated the battle.

However, she was one being dominated now as Tenka's sword once again came to bite her. As if karma was at work, Tenka was the one who was granted a moment of opportunity instead of Mio, who was distracted by Origami's attack.

Slash!

A huge gash was made into Mio's Astral Dress, sending Mio flying. However, Tenka frowned. She knew her sword didn't cut deep enough based on the lack of resistance from her sword; Mio had jumped back at the last moment and had used the momentum of Tenka's attack to escape Origami's oppressive firing.

"Cancer Sword, Sartan."

While Mio was escaping, Kurumi swung her saber and sent multiple sword slashes towards her. Having read Mio's movement, she timed the attack, coordinating with Origami and Tenka so that the attack would corner her.

You leave me no choice! Mio was wary of Kurumi's bullet and saber abilities and if possible, wanted to avoid them. However, with Origami's relentless coverage of the air and Tenka's position which covered her retreat path, she decided that it was better to block the attack then waste time dodging and allowing the others to flank her.

Turning her sword into a shield, she planned to bulldoze her way through the slashes and allow her shield to take the brunt of the attacks.

Slash! Slash!

The attacks phased through the shield as if they didn't exist to Mio's horror. Blood was sprayed everywhere as the slashes brutally lacerated Mio from the front… and the behind at the same time. She didn't know but Sartan had two abilities. The first was to warp space-time with its blade, including permeating through space. That's how it went through the shield and hit Mio.

The second ability was that for each slash Kurumi made, it was copied from the opposite direction, causing the target to be sandwiched in both directions in a pincer attack. Mio realized this too late as she took the full brunt of Kurumi's attack from both ends.

However, Mio didn't halt as she rushed towards Kurumi with recklessness, determined to kill her. She decided that Kurumi was too much of a variable to leave on the battlefield. Although she had already encountered Tenka's Nahemah and Origami's Satan before, this was her first time seeing Kurumi's Lucifugus and thus, couldn't come up with a concrete plan to counter it. The sooner she got rid of her, the more her heart could be at ease from the fear of the unknown.

"Ain!" A small seed of blinding light formed in Mio's palm. Although it was sealed, Mio used every bit of her strength to form her Angel. She advanced through all of Kurumi's slashes and incorporated all her strength, sent a palm strike with Ain towards Kurumi.

Ain was Mio's trump card and had the power to erase whatever she desires from reality. Mio would've been able to illuminate an entire area with Ain's light but since it was sealed, the tiny seed was only able to manifest its original form. However, Mio knew this was enough to induce death the moment it touched Kurumi.

Kurumi immediately felt terrifying fear upon seeing the seed of light. Her instinct telling her that if the attack hit her, death was inevitable. Use Moznaim? No, she had just finished using Sartan and didn't have time to ready the gun. Mio's decisiveness to disregard everything else was enough to deliver a blow that Kurumi had no chance of dodging or blocking. It was an attack that would 100% succeed.

Kurumi's blue clock eye ticked.

"Castle of Conquering Space."

With a single thought, Kurumi opened her personal domain that was unique to Lucifugus and the mirror to Zafkiel's "City of Devouring Time." In an instance, she had brought everybody, excluding Shido, into a separate independent space.

The space was completely white and empty, the marble white floor spreading limitlessly such that none could see the ends of the space. It gave off a simple but serene ambience. Mio observed the space in a split second but was left confused. She didn't feel her Reiryoku being siphoned away like with Zafkiel's "City of Devouring Time" and there was nothing here that would stop her from killing Kurumi. So, why did Kurumi deploy this space?

"…?" A perplexed reaction was seen on Mio's face. Something had changed in Kurumi's gaze, as they became profoundly deep and mysterious. It was as if she digging out every little detail about her. Mio continued her attack unfalteringly but an unpleasant feeling rose in her heart.

Slow. In Kurumi's eye, Mio, who had seemed so fast just a moment ago, looked as if she was moving in slow-speed. It was as if a whole new world was revealed to Kurumi. She was able to see things she couldn't see before and move in a way that she hadn't thought was possible.

This was the power of Lucifugus "Castle of Conquering Space". Unlike Zafkiel's "City of Devouring Time" which was the ultimate replenishment, Lucifugus "Castle of Conquering Space" was the ultimate enhancement.

In this space, everything was revealed to Kurumi. Every movement, even a blink of an eye, was seen and analyzed by Kurumi. Every single detail was being thoroughly broken down in Kurumi's eyes as she determined the perfect attack and defense, drawing her white saber in front of her in an unhurried manner despite the apparent certain death blow in front of her.

Rip!

Mio's hand that would've pierce Kurumi's heart was instead sent flying away by Kurumi's saber instead.

Mio's eyes shook as her right arm was severed from her body. However, the pain wasn't what shocked her but the instinctual helplessness that Kurumi's deep gaze invoked; she felt everything she did would be analyzed and countered no matter what she did.

"Taurus Sword, Shawl." Kurumi's speed suddenly increased as she performed multiple thrusts per second towards Mio who was currently disarmed. Most opponents wouldn't have been able to adapt to the sudden acceleration and be defeated but Mio competently endured even without a weapon. Yet, Kurumi's sword mercilessly stabbed into Mio and no matter what counterattack Mio tried, whether it was using Ain Soph Aur's light or Ain Soph's branches, they were all useless in front of Kurumi, who easily predicted and moved in a manner of attacking and defending at the same time.

"Nahemah." Tenka rose up in the air while Mio was tangled with Kurumi's attack. An intense pressure was released as Tenka gripped her sword, her throne broken and added to her sword. "Paverschlev." Descending down with ferocious momentum, her dark sword swung down with heavy pressure, the space rippling in response to her descent.

I will lose if I get hit. Mio immediately judged. Kurumi was persistently latching on to her, not letting her escape. If she was distracted for even a split-second, Kurumi would seize the opportunity to kill her. However, she knew that unless Kurumi also wanted to be hit by Tenka's attack, she would eventually have to move.

Mio was correct. However, it was only until the very last moment did Kurumi instantly dashed away. Mio had only 0.4 second until the dark sword crushed her. However, that was enough time for Mio to put up a solid defense.

"Ain Soph!" Mio put up her only remaining hand and using all of her power, created an impenetrable shield. The sword instantly pushed down on the shield, causing Mio to go down a knee but the shield's resistance was steadfast, not letting the attack go through.

Even so, Tenka didn't stop and only pushed down on her sword more. As if encountering something insignificant, she clicked her tongue and increased the pressure of her attack, pouring more of her weight into the sword.

Wounds began to rapidly increase on Mio's body. Mio felt as if the shield would smash her into the ground but she gritted her teeth, not letting herself fall.

"Satan."

Mio's face turned pale as hundreds of black rays rained from the side and pierced her body. The number of them was too high for Mio who had to endure Tenka's sword. The shield that had showed no signs of breaking before immediately collapsed.

Boom!

Mio survived the attack. However, her body was in a catastrophic state. She could barely stand, her bones cracking with each step she took and blood was dripping from all over her body due to various of lacerations. There was a specific cut on her forehead that kept causing blood to seep into her right eye. Due to the Tenka's attack, there was too much smoke for Mio to properly see, not being able to identify where the other Spirits were.

"Gemini Bullet, Teonim." Mio could her a gun shot in the near distance. Mio braced herself, preparing to get hit but no bullet came in her directions. However, the gun shots continued nonstop.

"Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim. Teonim…"

When the smoke finally cleared, Mio laughed in vain.

The battlefield was filled with a multitude of white Kurumis, the number too many to count. If she had to guess however, the minimum was at least a hundred. Kurumi smiled hysterically. "Now then, Mio-san, please struggle as much as possible. An easy checkmate isn't fun after all, right?"

Mio understood then that the conclusion of the battle had finally drawn near.


When Mio was about to stab Kurumi in the heart, Shido's heart almost stopped.

"Kurumi!"

Yet, before he even started saying her name, Kurumi had deployed the "Castle of Conquering Space". By the time he finished her name, he was the only one left on the battlefield and was instead, found facing a white distorted space. He had tried to enter but it wasn't any use.

Seeing that Tenka and Origami was also gone, he deciphered that Kurumi had intentionally left him out so that Mio wouldn't be able to take him. And, considering how this space was a result of Kurumi's ability and didn't disappear yet, Kurumi had at least survived Mio's attack.

Shido initially decided to wait.

But, one minute passed. Then, two minutes passed.

Once three minutes went by, anxiousness was starting to show on his face. Even though three minutes could be considered a short amount of time, in a fight, a single second could decide the result. This was especially the case for Spirits. These Spirits were making dozens of instantaneous decisions where a split-second delay of action could cost one their life.

It would be one thing if he was able to see Kurumi and the others but he couldn't, causing his heart grow uneasy. Just when he couldn't take it anymore, the white space shivered away.

Shido immediately shifted his focus. He noticed Origami, Tenka, and Kurumi were all safe. Even though they were all roughed up a bit, their life wasn't in any critical condition.

Where's Mio? Shido wondered, while running towards the three of them. However, the moment he arrived, an involuntary trauma took hold of his body.

Blood. An overwhelming amount of blood spilling from what could barely be a body. It was an abhorrent sight that would cause any bystander to instinctively turn their eyes away due to the gruesomeness. It was Mio, who was alive but on the verge of death.

Her body were full of deep injuries and vicious slashes. She was on her knees…no, her left leg was missing which was why she was on the ground. Her disconnected right arm was seen next to her, blood still leaking from the severed area. Her Astral Dress was in poor shape, part of it dissolving into particles of light.

Gari gari gari gari.

A noisy sound could be heard. Shido realized that there was a bullet leaving a white trail and while it wasn't as fast as a normal bullet. it seemed that this bullet was able to be moved manually. As for how he knew that, that was because he was personally watching the bullet gnaw through Mio's body, going in and out of Mio's body in a loop. Mio's face was blank and unmoving however, her mind already overloaded from shock and pain. If it wasn't for Shido's faint connection with her, he would've thought she was already dead.

Even though Mio was their enemy, this was too much for Shido.

"Mio!" Shido tried to help Mio but Tenka immediately held him back by holding the back collar of his shirt. "Don't go there, human." Shido tried to argue back but Tenka pointed towards the white trail left by the bullet. "The trail left behind by that bullet is devoured space and right now, that woman is basically surrounded by that. If you touch that, you'll be annihilated. Understand now, human?"

Tenka let him go once he expressed his understanding. Shido then turned to Kurumi. She didn't even seem to have detect his presence. Instead, her entire attention was on Mio as she pierced Mio's body with her bullet. With a psychotic smile, her moniker as the Worst Spirit could be seen.

"Kurumi, stop!" Shido ran towards Kurumi and grabbed the gun, grabbing her attention. When she realized Shido was in front of her, she immediately put her "Leo Bullet, Arie" on hold but not releasing it.

"Ah, Shido-san. I didn't even notice you. Look, Shido-san. We won." Kurumi gave a smile but Shido wasn't in the mood for celebration. "Kurumi, that's enough. Our objective is to seal Mio, not kill her." Kurumi's mood was dampened as her gaze slightly sharpened. "Yes, that was initially our goal but that was based on the preconception that Mio-san was impossible to kill. However, we now have the perfect opportunity to get rid of this Spirit once and for all."

Shido shook his head. "No, that goes against Ratatoskr's policy. Our goal is to give Spirits a chance for a normal life through sealing them." Kurumi gave a glance at Mio before stating, "Yes. That's true but how can the same be applied for Mio? If she wanted a normal life, with her power, she could've easily attained such a thing but she didn't. She knew the consequences and willingly hurt many people with her choices. Even if we spare her, she won't give up and will eventually kill the rest of us in order to revive Shin. Killing her is our safest option."

"That's…" Shido went silent, not being able to answer.

Kurumi sighed. "I know Shido-san never killed anybody before so I understand your hesitation. I won't force Shido-san to watch me kill her. Rest assured, I'll properly kill her without subjecting her to further torture out of consideration for Shido-san. So please step aside now."

Kurumi gave him a final look. This was the last warning. No matter what he would say, nothing would change her mind. She was dead set on killing Mio.

"But…" Shido was still conflicted. There was nothing wrong with what Kurumi said. Mio had mercilessly killed their friends; if they were to kill her, nobody would berate them for it.

Shido looked at Mio. Her eyes had already given up and any hint of resistance that might've existed was completely gone. She already accepted her fate of death the moment she lost.

Drop. Yet, something fell from Mio's dress and caught Shido's eye. Right next to Mio laid a small blue teddy bear. Although it was old and had lots of patches, Shido recognized from Mio's memories that it was the gift Shin had given to her. Even after all this time, she had held on to it.

Mio, who hadn't even moved a single inch ever since Shido came, finally turned her head and looked at the blue bear. A tear fell from Mio's pale face as her eyes trembled and her lips pursed.

The moment Shido saw Mio in that state, he knew his decision.

"No, Kurumi. I won't let you kill her." Shido said with a resolute voice, tightening his grip on Kurumi's gun. He might be being foolish here but he couldn't abandon a person who was clearly suffering in front of him.

"Shido-san, there's no other choice." Kurumi glared at Shido but Shido didn't back down. "That's not true. Before, the only thing that mattered to her was Shin and those feelings shackled her for 30 years. She felt she had no choice but to revive Shin."

Shido turned his head towards Mio. "But, I believe that's not completely the case anymore. She may not know it herself but I believe her world had expanded to more than just Shin. As for how I know, amn't I proof?" Shido pointed to himself. "Even if I have all 10 Sephira Crystals, Mio wouldn't have been able to be sealed if she didn't open her heart to me."

"Kurumi," Shido said, looked at Kurumi straight in the eyes. "I won't deny that Mio was wrong. But, she isn't an evil person. I believe that she's able to change."

"… what if I said I didn't care about any of that and want to kill Mio for my own personal satisfaction?"

"Kurumi, I know how you feel but please, give her another chance. I also… don't want to see you kill another person."

"…" Kurumi looked at Shido with an unreadable expression. She found herself in front of those eyes again, the same ones he had when he first protected her from Kotori and the reason why she fell in love with him.

"Aaghhh!" Kurumi screamed stressfully, giving everybody else a little jump. She raised both of her hands up and roughly ran them through her hair. Why did she have to fall in love with this hopeless idiot who's willing to spare the person that about to kill all of them for her own purpose?

But… it was that same hopelessness that Shido was willing to save herself and the same thing that she fell in love with.

While Kurumi was deliberating heavily, Origami spoke up.

"Kurumi-san, I think we should believe in Itsuka-kun. Wasn't he always like this? Always willing to save those in need. That's why we fell in love with him in the first place." Origami smiled at Shido, who scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"Hmph, to be honest, I personally think we should get rid of that monster." Tenka gave a steely face as she looked at Mio. Shido opened his mouth to retort but Tenka wasn't done. "However, when 'Tohka' was suffering – human, you were the one that reached out towards her and let her feel something other than solitude and despair. So, do whatever you want."

"Really?" Shido's surprised but happy expression garnered Tenka's ire. "Don't look at me like that. This is not my decision. Tohka seems to be strongly agreeing with you so I'm just going along with her."

"Thank you, Tenka." Shido smiled brightly at her.

"…hmph." Tenka quickly turned her head away but Shido thought he saw a small smile on the corner of her lips but that might have been his imagination.

Kurumi saw that everybody agreed on sparing Mio and could only sigh helplessly. She canceled her "Arie", making the bullet disappear. Naturally, the white trail that had surrounded Mio also disappeared. She then nodded a little towards Mio, gesturing for Shido to go.

Shido gratefully acknowledged Kurumi's permission. Walking towards Mio, he knelt down in front of her and grabbed her attention.

"Shido, I…" Mio wanted to say something but was stopped as Shido kissed her softly. Mio shook a bit before closing her eyes in relief and allowed the sealing process to be completed.

Mio was still in critical condition so Shido tried to use Camael's power. Putting his palm on her shoulder, a gentle flame sprouted from his hand and immersed Mio. Although she showed signs of healing, Shido furrowed his eyebrows.

It's not enough. The severity of her wounds and his unfamiliarity of healing other people made the healing process very slow. At this rate, Mio would die before he got the chance to recover enough of her life force.

"Aquarius Bullet, D'li." Out of the blue, Kurumi raised her gun and shot at Mio's forehead before Shido could react. Shido first thought that Kurumi had a sudden change of heart but realized that wasn't the case.

"This is…" To Shido's amazement, Mio's body started to rapidly heal, all of her injuries disappearing and her missing limbs being completely restored. It was as if her previous condition was just but a lie.

"What?" Kurumi asked when she saw Shido staring at her in surprise. "If we're planning to spare her, might as well heal her as well. Besides, I wouldn't want Shido-san to waste any more energy on her."

Kurumi continued. "Takamiya Mio, don't ever forget that you're only alive because of Shido-san's kindness. If you ever harbor even the slightest hint of ill-intent towards him again, I'll make sure you regret it for all eternity."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mio replied. She was actually surprised. Kurumi should've wanted nothing more than to kill her yet Kurumi had foregone it for Shido's sake. It meant that Kurumi's life, which once only solely revolved around getting revenge on her, now had something else more important to her. Of course, she knew what it was.

Shin, I'll be moving on. Mio smiled. If Kurumi was able to change, she should be able to as well. Her life that had stopped for 30 years now had something else besides Shin. Even if it was only for one year, the time she spent with Shido and the others had opened her heart. She made the resolve to protect everybody in the future and protect their happiness.

"Shido, your friends may have a chance of resurrection." Mio gave a ridiculous proposal as Shido looked at Mio in shock. "I thought that you couldn't revive people…" If Mio was able to revive people, she would have immediately revived Shin the moment he died and none of this would've happened.

"I'm not 100% certain but …" Mio looked at Kurumi as she continued. "…it may be possible to revert time and bring them back using the Sephira Crystals as the catalysts. But, time is one of the few things I can't manipulate so I will be needing Kurumi's help."

In a way, Mio was jealous of Kurumi for having power over time. If she had such power, she would've saved Shin by going back in time and preventing his death just like how Kurumi had saved Shido from the throes of death. Mio sighed but she knew there was no point of thinking about such things.

When Shido heard Mio's explanation, he looked at Kurumi hopefully. Kurumi noticed his look and sighed. "To think I would be working again with Mio-san, how cruel fate can be. Very well, give me your hand, Mio-san."

Kurumi released her Inverse form and returned back to her original Rasiel dress. Having Rasiel float in front of her and holding Zafkiel in one hand, she took Mio's hand and began to fuse their Reiryoku together. Both of them closed their eyes, not wanting to be distracted. They couldn't afford a single room for mistake with such an important matter.

Soon, Zafkiel's clock and Mio's Ain Soph's tree appeared as shadows and light began to merge with each other. Kurumi set her pistol to the number 4, planning on using the Fourth Bullet, Dalet. Dalet rewinds the time of the shot target but it wasn't able to resurrect those already dead. However, with Mio's assistance, a miracle was able to take place.

"Fourth Origin Bullet, Dalet Chayim."

Kurumi's bullet shot into the sky and radiated a beautiful light. It illuminated the entire sky and shone down on the entire battlefield. Everything the light touched had its life restored or rather, regained its previous life. "Dalet Chayim" had basically reset the environment as if the battle had never taken place. The ground became green again, the trees turned back to full blossom, the roads and buildings became fixed. All the Sephira Crystals which had emerged from Mio began to glow with their respective colors, giving off a beautiful shine of multitude colors. Soon enough, the deceased Spirits had their bodies restored with their Sephira Crystal inside them.

Once they opened their eyes, they saw Shido with Kurumi, Tohka (Tenka had switched out seeing that the battle was now over), Origami, and Mio. Although they were disoriented at first, Shido explained everything that had happened, including how Mio was now sealed and how she helped Kurumi revive them.

"I know what I did was unforgivable to all of you. I'm willing to atone for the rest of my life and if you so wish, will offer my life if you so desire."

Mio gave her promise that she would never harm them again and while some of the Spirits were initially skeptical of her intentions, when they saw how earnest her face was and how Shido was vouching for her, they quickly made up with Mio.

When Mio saw their warm reactions to her, she realized again how wrongly she had treated them and promised herself that she would never forsake these precious relationships ever again.

Shido was glad to see that the Spirits getting together as Kotori transported them onto Ratatoskr to return home. They had celebratory victory as they were able to spend time with Mio and saw that she acted the same way as Reine, except with more care and motherly. All was well as the Spirit Mansion was filled with laughter and smile.


"Shido-san, thank you for the meal today. It was delicious."

Shido had just finished washing the dishes when a sultry voice in his ear caught him off guard. However, he calmed down as soon as he saw who it was.

"Ah, thank you, Kurumi," Shido responded after calming down from his initial shock. He still wasn't used to her whispering into his ear out of nowhere.

Seeing that she had his full attention, Kurumi asked, "May I have a moment of Shido-san's time? I have something I want to talk about in private."

"Right now?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

Shido hesitated. He looked towards the side to see the chaos that was ensuing: a half-delirious Nia trying to convince Yoshino to drink, the Yamai sisters making a mess from their competition, Miku chasing around Natsumi per usual, and Origami brewing a pot that had purple smoke coming out for some reason.

He felt if he left at this state, the house would be in shambles. However, Mio seemed to have noticed his dilemma as when she caught his worried gaze, she gently smiled and gestured with her hand that he could leave it to her.

"No, it's fine." Shido finally answered to Kurumi, who after seeing his compliance, gave a little nod.

"Then, please come with me to my room."

Upon Kurumi's invitation, they left the living room, discreetly leaving the other Spirits amongst themselves. Of course, some of the Spirits were aware of their exit.

"Umu, I wonder what Kurumi wants to talk about with Shido?" Tohka curiously tilted her head. "Should I check on them?"

"I wouldn't suggest doing that," Kotori replied. "What Kurumi wants to talk to him about is probably sensitive."

"Umu?"

"Kurumi's life mission was to kill the Mio. Yet, in the end, we decided to spare Mio. How do you think Kurumi is feeling then?"

"Are you saying…" Tohka finally caught on to what Kotori was trying to say.

Kotori nodded. "It mustn't be easy for her. She killed many people in her path and her heart must be worn out from the negative sentiments. She must've only been able to handle it because she thought it was necessary to kill Mio but due to Shido, killing Mio is out of the question. To dedicate her entire life for a goal only for it to go down the drain, the despair she must be hiding from us is something I can't even imagine."

She sighed in sympathy. "Let's give them some privacy for now." Tohka nodded in agreement.

Of course, Kotori considered the small chance that they were actually just fooling around but she quickly discarded it. The face Kurumi had made when talking to Shido didn't seem to give off that vibe.

I'm sure that they wouldn't do something like that when we're all here, right?

"Mmmm, Shido-san~."

Kurumi moaned sensuously as she passionately kissed Shido, her hands latched onto his head. If Kotori had seen this, she would've asked for them to return her consideration.

Shido had followed Kurumi upstairs and into her room. When they both entered, Kurumi closed the door and without restraint, immediately threw herself into his embrace and pressed her lips against his. Half expecting this would be the case, Shido was already prepared and wrapped his arms around her.

The kiss which initially started off soft and gentle turned more passionate as she opened her mouth, inviting his tongue in. Their tongues heatedly clashed with each other, tasting each other's saliva with fervor. He felt her well-endowed breasts press against him and her leg wrapping around him.

"Wait, we shouldn't do this." Shido quickly regained his senses as he gently pushed her away, much to Kurumi's dissatisfaction. However, he further explained, "Someone could see us!"

Even though they were alone in Kurumi's room, the Spirits were right downstairs. It wasn't like all the other times when they were in an isolated place. There was still a possibility that one of them could walk up and catch them in the act.

"We need to hurry ba-mmph!" Shido stopped as he quickly stopped a moan from being let out, the reason being Kurumi's soft fingers that were lightly stroking his dick.

"Ara, what a cute sound that was." Kurumi smiled as her hand flicked deftly. His face went unbearably red as he felt his erection grow in her hand. "Don't be shy. I would love to hear you moan." Kneeling down, she pulled down his bottoms, revealing a huge rod in front of her. With a smirk, she gently blew on it and with her soft lips kissed the tip, making him tremble immensely.

"May I?" she teasingly asked. She looked so seductive as she looked up at him with his dick in her hand, smiling invitingly. Shido's resolve weakened tremendously when he saw the stirring scene in front of him.

"…you have to be quick," he said weakly.

"Ufufu, that depends on Shido-san then, doesn't it?" Kurumi giggled once she saw his compliance, stroking it in a maddening manner, his member already twitching nonstop in her grasp. "Of course, I have no doubts that Shido-san is eager to cum in my mouth, right?"

"Do-don't make fun of me." Shido stammered with a blush, causing Kurumi to giggle. Kurumi thought it was too cute to see him act in such a chaste manner, despite everything they've done now. She loved that part of him endearingly.

But, she secretly got off from seeing his innocent face twist into a more degenerate and perverted one. Call her crazy but she loved the way his pure face would turn red and how his clear eyes would go into a slight daze as he would pant and moan, consumed in lust for her. It was why she enjoyed seducing him and watching his self-control and resistance break because of her.

Parting her soft lips, Kurumi slid the head of his dick inside her mouth. Shido was doing his best to look composed but once her tongue came into play, he was lost.

"Kurumi…"

Gently and slowly, she took long licks across the underside of his shaft, covering every inch with her saliva. Her fingers holding the base, she moaned as his stiffness twitched against her lips. Motivated, she wrapped her tongue around his head before she began to suck it like a lollipop, sending Shido to euphoria. The soft and wet feeling his dick felt from being in her mouth was shocking to say the least.

"Ahh, Kurumi…" Despite trying to stay quiet in fear of being heard by others, Shido couldn't help but let out a deep moan. This only encouraged Kurumi as she saw the lustful look that he was giving her. That was exactly what she wanted to see: that unrestrained yearning and desire. At this moment, the only thing he could see was Tokisaki Kurumi and only her.

"Mmmm…"

Hearing Shido's groans were only encouraged Kurumi further. She tucked her hair behind her ear, not letting it get in her way as she took more of him inside her, deepthroating him. She could feel the tip pushing at the back of her throat and she loved it. Her lips started to stroke his shaft as his cock pushed in gratifyingly. Kurumi would pull back a little, but not because it was too much for her but only to push down harder with more momentum and take him deeper than he could ever imagine into her throat. At this point, he was basically fucking her mouth as he started to buck his hips with breathless moans.

"Ku-Kurumi, I'm… I'm gonna…" Shido gritted his teeth as he grabbed onto her hair to stabilize himself. He hoped he wasn't being rough; thankfully, Kurumi seemed to like it as her stroking became more intense. His groans became louder and his dick was pulsating uncontrollably. He was about to release it and she knew it as well. She sucked in and squeezed his dick between her tongue and the roof of her mouth as if to swallow it whole. The hot pressure was deathly to the delirious Shido.

"Uuuggghhhh!"

With that, the dam inside Shido broke and he came into her mouth hectically. He could only shudder as he felt Kurumi swallowing everything, not letting him out of her mouth and sucking him as if she was trying to drain him dry. It only added to the sensual pleasure as he closed his eyes in bliss, leaning against the wall so that he wouldn't fall down from the exertion.

Once Kurumi finished swallowing the last drop, her eyes glazed over him in a seductive manner. "Is it just me or does it taste better than before?" She softly smacked her lips with light exhale, her red cheeks giving her face a soul-stirring aura.

"!" Shido didn't know how he was supposed to reply to that and embarrassedly lowered his head. When Kurumi saw that, she giggled. "Well, now that I had my fill, I suppose we can go back." Standing up, she stretched her arms out, locking her hands in the process. "Shido-san did say that we should be quick."

It was then he was reminded that he did earlier say that. "I guess… we should," Shido responded but on the inside secretly, he felt a bit let down.

"But," Shido looked up to see Kurumi with an ambiguous smile. "if Shido-san happens to tell me otherwise, I can acquiesce."

She continued. "For example, if Shido-san decided to be honest and told me that he wanted nothing more than to put his dick inside of me and ravage my body," Kurumi's lips curled. "I suppose I have all night to keep company."

Shido gulped. His heart began to beat crazily when he recalled the feeling of entering Kurumi's sex. His body couldn't help but want more.

"You shouldn't say things like that. Otherwise, I might really…" Shido looked away from her, doing his best to hold onto the little self-control he had left but Kurumi laughed.

"Shido-san, what if that's exactly what I want?"

Kurumi used her two hands to hold his cheeks, forcing him to stare into her eyes. Shido found himself lost for words. Her dichromatic eyes had a peculiar rapture that Shido couldn't deny, an irresistible attraction that was much more than physical but rather instinctual. Yet at the same time, he felt he would be eaten if he fell in too deep. That kind of danger had his heart race but not out of fear but…

Kurumi chuckled. "Shido-san used to be so afraid and wary when he saw me but now, just the mere sight of me makes you aroused, right?"

The look in Shido's eyes shifted. Deciding to throw all reservations out the window, he surged towards Kurumi and kissed her lips. He aggressively grabbed her breasts, eliciting a yelp from her as he pushed her down onto the bed. He soon proceeded to take off all of her clothes in a quick work. Of course, Kurumi had a delighted expression during all this, happy to see that Shido finally broke.

Shido knew he was falling straight into Kurumi's hands but he didn't care. It would be too hypocritical for him to deny his lust at this point. To put it bluntly, he wanted to fuck her and based on the way she was seducing him, Kurumi wanted him to fuck her as well.

Shido moaned as he kissed her. Her soft pink lips were sweet as usual. When they parted, he found her panting but not without a slight mischievous smile on her face.

"Am I pretty?" she asked.

Shido blushed but he responded, "Yeah, you do." Shido wanted to say more, like she was the most beautiful girl in his entire life. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that her beauty was otherworldly and that there wasn't another girl who exuded such elegance or charm like her, not even the other Spirits. Yet, when he looked into her gorgeous eyes, he answered in a simple but earnest manner, thinking that it was best this way.

He was right as Kurumi's smile became even more alluring. All the unsaid things were delivered to her through Shido's voice and eyes.

"Then, with such a beautiful girl in front of you, are you merely going to look?"

"Well, I have all night, don't I? I don't see a problem with taking my time."

"Ara ara, how bold."

Kurumi smirked at him but soon, her cheeky face turned red when she felt his hand press against her chest. His fingers squeezed into them, earning a stirring moan from her.

"Mm, do go on, Shido-san," said Kurumi in a seductive voice.

Shido gave a semblance of a nod. He began to knead her breasts, testing to see how soft and plump they really were. Squeezing them so that her nipple perked out, he hungrily leaned in. He ran his tongue along the soft texture of her breasts before proceeding to suck her. God, she was so sweet. He sucked harder while his fingers continued to massage her breasts as if trying to milk her.

"Ah~, ah~, Shido-san, that's it… don't hold back… go to your heart's content- ah! ~"

A cute squeal escaped her mouth when his tongue flicked against her nipple. Her hands instinctively grabbed his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist, trying to steady her trembling body as she pulled him closer to her perfect body. Her wet folds grinded against his abdomen in an attempt to satisfy the aching need that was starting to grow inside her.

Shido groaned. The way her slender body wrapped itself around him as her smooth skin rubbed against him was exhilarating, not to mention her humping was really starting to get to him. He enjoyed the way her playful fingers would run through his hair yet at times, stiffen and push his head in desperate want. His hands moved to a more comfortable position as they moved away from her generous breasts, caressing the slender curves of her body and sliding across her gorgeous body before resting on her torso.

A few minutes later, he lifted his head away from her breasts and gently pushed against Kurumi's legs to free himself, earning a questioning gaze from her. However, after giving her a quick soft kiss, his lips made his way down her breasts, stomach, pelvis, and then finally her vagina.

"Mmgh!" A low grunt came from Kurumi as she opened her legs wide open for him in implicate permission. Something snapped in Shido when he saw such a compromising position and with a animalistic hunger, buried his head between her thighs. He slid her tongue into her wet folds and eagerly tasted the sweet nectar that emitted from it. Of course, that only made Kurumi moan without restraint as she tightened her thighs around his head. "Shido-san~…"

Such a soul-taking voice only encouraged Shido as after a few licks, he quickly found her clitoris. Enjoying the taste and texture while carefully keeping an eye on her reactions, he let the tip of his tongue flick the small bulb albeit roughly, which only made Kurumi gasp and squirm. Her fingers roughly grabbed his hair and pulled him, clearly wanting more as her breathing became more labored and her moans became louder and louder. Soon, they reached the final crescendo and with her back arched and head thrown back, she came hard.

Shido felt a powerful shudder from Kurumi before wet juices sprayed onto his face. He eagerly lapped up every drop he could.

"Shido-san…" Kurumi lewdly breathed. Her face flushed with red, she was clearly out of breath from the exertion, one arm resting above her head and the other on top of her chest. Her beautiful body slowly relaxed into a lying position but it didn't look inelegant. Rather, her defenseless appearance only showcased her allure. Her fair and tender skin glistened with sweat and her usual well-arranged hair was scattered across the bed.

To Shido, such a bewitching sight only further aroused him and he was already worked up from all the stimulating moans Kurumi made when he was eating her out. He was painfully hard, so much that he decided to go to the main course immediately.

Placing two hands beside her head, Shido lifted himself up to position his length at her entrance and looked at Kurumi, showing that he was about to go in.

"Can I?" he asked to which Kurumi lightly laughed.

"Does Shido-san really have to ask?" It wasn't their first time so it would've been fine if he just did it. But, I guess that is part of your charm. She caressed his cheek with her right hand. "Go ahead, Shido-san. Fuck me as hard as you want. In fact, I'll get angry if you don't."

Kurumi was already bucking her hips, not being able to wait for the eventual penetration.

Shido nodded as he immediately lowered himself, feeling Kurumi's tight and wet walls around him. "Kurumi!" Shido felt the pleasure envelop him as he began to buck his hips, ramming himself into Kurumi. Kurumi wasn't in better shape as she began to moan relentlessly. "That's it! Harder! Right in there!" She bucked her hips as she felt his length filling her up and sending her to ecstasy.

Shido realized that with him being on top, he was able to dictate the pace as he pleased. Using her breasts as his handhold much to Kurumi's delight, he tried out many different paces. He found a tempo that suited him most as he began to push faster and deeper into her. He thought he may have been a bit too extreme with how hard his hips were slamming into her but Kurumi's face expression revealed that she was enjoying it as much as he did.

"?!"

Suddenly, Kurumi grab his shoulders and with great force, pulled Shido to the side. Shido found himself rolling over until his back was to the bed. He watched Kurumi towered over him, pinning him down in a cowgirl position.

"Ufufu, in the end, it's only this position that feels the most right. Right, Shido-san?" She rocked her hips, drawing out a loud moan from him.

"Zafkiel." Calling out her Angel, a flintlock pistol manifested in Kurumi's hand. A confused look appeared on Shido's face, wondering if there was something wrong but Kurumi only snickered. "Shido-san, prepare for the greatest fuck you'll ever have."

She then pointed the nozzle towards her head. "First Bullet…"

"Wait…!" Shido widened his eyes, realizing what she was about to do, and tried to open his mouth but it was too late.

"Aleph!" She pulled the trigger and a resounding gunshot echoed through the room. Almost immediately, Shido felt something change from the way her walls clenched around his dick. Of course, before he could think any further, Kurumi had already begun to bounce on him, riding him with indescribable speed.

-!

He barely chocked out a cry of ecstasy. Every single cell in his body was bombarded with unbridled pleasure. It was so perfect and abundant that it was almost to the point of pain. His brain could barely handle the influx of sensation that his body was sending as his vision went blank.

Aleph had accelerated Kurumi's speed to the point so that by the time Shido's nerves could properly register the stimulation from a single bounce, her hips had already bounced two more times, stacking the pleasure to heights never before. Even in his wildest dreams could he ever imagine such euphoria was possible.

When his vision finally refocused, he was met with the fantastic view of Kurumi's flawless body riding him like a bucking bull, her breasts rapidly jumping up and down and her hair drifting recklessly in the air. He could only watch in unabashed worship as her hips continued to drop down on him in a frenzied manner. He was actually surprised his dick wasn't breaking from handling such force.

"Shido-san, you can cum now!" Kurumi aggressively shouted as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. She herself was on the edge as her eyes were filled with lust and mania, a wild smile on her face.

"I…!" He could only cry out in relish when she clenched around his dick hard.

"Do it! Cum for me! Say who you belong to!" She pressed down even harder.

"Ku…Ku…!" His mouth opened and closed wordlessly. He could barely stay sane, much less speak coherent words. It was only with sheer effort and will was he able to say something but even that wasn't enough. An uncontainable pressure began to build inside him and was threatening to erupt.

"Shido-san! Who do you love?!" Kurumi shouted maniacally. "Who loves you the most?!"

Finally, Shido screamed out. "You, Kurumi!"

Kurumi broke into laughter. "That's right! Now, cum inside me! Give me everything!"

There was no way Shido could last any longer. With a primal moan, he erupted deep inside of her, his back arching into her as he gripped the sheets of the bed tightly. Kurumi continued to ride him as his cum continued to eject into her wave after wave. It was only after a solid minute did his cock finally loosen up.

"Ahhh…" Kurumi gasped as she pulled herself out and laid right next to him. She could still feel her insides hurting but in a good way as the pleasure felt ingrained in her.

On the other hand, Shido was exhausted. Yet, he didn't let sleep overtake him, or rather, he couldn't. His body was too sensitive right now and was tingling all over.

"Shido-san, I don't think I'll turn back time after all."

"Hm?" Shido looked at Kurumi, who was staring at the ceiling, seemingly heavy in thought.

"Of course, I know that means that all the lives I've taken won't be changed but… if Mio-san is capable of atoning for the rest of her life, then I'm certainly as capable to do the same. That much I'm still able to do."

Kurumi sighed.

"Before, I wanted nothing more than to get rid of Mio-san. I felt if I did so, my heart wouldn't be filled with pain and regret every day. But now," Kurumi looked at him with a smile. "I'm happy. Never would I've thought that I would experience such happiness yet here I am. And it's all because of you, Shido-san. You healed my scarred heart with your kindness."

"Kurumi…" Shido continued to stare at her, touched.

Kurumi snuggled closer to him. "Thank you, Shido-san, for saving me."

She leaned in and kissed him. Shido wrapped his arms around her as their lips conveyed all their feelings, love, and more.

When their lips parted, Shido let out a breath of contentment. Yet, he missed Kurumi's glint and before he knew it, she swung her legs over him and straddled him. She leaned in close and whispered with a playful voice.

"Ne~, Shido-san, do you still masturbate about me?"

Shido opened his mouth in bafflement. "Wha-what are you-?!"

"Answer the question."

"…yeah, I do." Shido turned his head in embarrassment to which Kurumi grinned.

"From now on, don't."

"O-oh, sure. After all, I guess it's demeaning to you…" Shido responded but Kurumi hushed him.

"That's not what I meant." She continued, "Why masturbate when you have the real thing available to you? Just come to me and I'll handle everything for you."

Shido only opened his mouth in awe of Kurumi's rather tempting offer as he could only stutter, "A-are you sure? It's embarrassing but it's not just once or twice a day. Whenever I think about you, I…"

"I know. And I'm saying that it's fine. In fact, the more times, the better." Kurumi smirked as Shido just opened his mouth in stupefaction. Seeing he was taking too long to respond, Kurumi began to rock her hips up and down slowly against his crotch, causing his breath to hitch as he felt himself already hardening.

"So, your response?" Kurumi asked with a mischievous smile. She watched as Shido opened and closed his mouth before finally, nodding his head albeit embarrassingly.

Kurumi knew then that fun times were in store for the future as she furiously kissed the boy in front of her.


Life had returned to normal as the Spirits continued to hide their powers from the rest of the world. Spacequakes had stopped occurring and Ratatoskr had shifted their goals to protecting the Spirits and managing them, making sure that the world would never find out about their existence. DEM had shut down and ceased to exist as Asgard Electronics took over.

All the Spirits were content with their current life and there was nothing more they could ask for. However, there was one thing they had an issue with.

"Did Shido… not make breakfast yet?" Tohka asked Kotori with a downcast manner. It was morning and Tohka was getting ready to go to school. By this time, Shido usually was done preparing breakfast and their lunch bentos but for some reason, he was nowhere to be seen.

A growl came from Tohka's stomach while Kotori had a bad feeling. Don't tell me…not again.

Kotori immediately ran upstairs and when she neared Shido's room, she heard grunting and moaning coming from the room.

She could already guess what was happening.

"I'm coming in!" She yelled with a loud knock on the door.

"Ah, wai-wait…!" Shido's voice faintly protested.

However, Kotori didn't wait as she opened the door with a loud burst, and low and behold, Shido and Kurumi were in bed naked with just a blanket loosely covering them.

"What is with it with you two?! Why is it that every time you guys are alone, you always fucking each other?!"

Kotori angrily glared at the two of them to which Shido turned his face away, looking at everywhere else besides her. On the other hand, Kurumi wasn't at all embarrassed as she looked straight at Kotori.

"Kotori-san, it's quite rude to interrupt when Shido-san and I are having an intimate moment."

"You say that but aren't you just acting on your lustful desires?"

"Ara ara, how can feelings between lovers be called lustful?"

"Don't play semantics with me! Do you realize how many complaints I'm getting about you guys?!"

Shido and Kurumi's trysts were getting to the point where it was getting ridiculous. For heaven's sake, Kotori was shocked when one day, she received a picture from Ratatoskr's cameras of Shido and Kurumi fucking on the school's roof in broad daylight!

"Shido, school is about to start and you're not even out of bed yet! Are you planning to skip school?"

"Sorry, sorry. I'll get ready now." Shido scratched his cheek. "I'll change once you exit."

"Tch!" Once Kotori confirmed that he was getting up, she finally left him with a loud slam of the door.

Shido lightly laughed at his sister's reaction as he began to put on his clothes. He looked at Kurumi who was also changing now into her school uniform. She was so beautiful that even the sight of her changing was enchanting.

Before he realized it, he had already grabbed Kurumi and began to kiss her passionately. Kurumi, not one to refuse such intimacy, quickly grabbed his head to further the kiss.

When their lips parted, Kurumi giggled.

"Ara ara, is Shido-san trying to undress me just when I put on my school uniform? How naughty."

"Haha."

He knew also that he may have been a little too extravagant lately but with Kurumi, he can't help but feel the way he does.

Kurumi had already made her way into his heart and he would never be able to get enough of her. Her beauty, her voice, her power, her kindness, everything about her seduced him.

"Kurumi, I really love you," Shido confessed. Kurumi's teasing expression grew softer with a tender smile. Hugged Shido, she whispered in his ear, "I love you too, Shido-san."

Shido could only smile in return as he knew that he would be in love with this girl for all eternity.


Author's Note: This story is now completely rewritten and once again, I realized that writing is a challenge.

I'm not a good writer. I'm not good at conveying details and it takes a while for me to write in a way that actually sounds okay and not just clunky. That's why some part of me wondered if writing all this storyline was really worth it when my motivation was just writing smut. Hell, I had to split the last chapter into two parts due to how long it was so the smut is only a small portion in relative. While I know that the majority of the readers usually just care about the smut when they see the rating, I decided that writing the story part to the best of my ability was for my sake and for the small minority who actually read the story. While I have mixed thoughts on the writing quality, I'm just glad that I was able to finish this story without dragging it too long.
Overall, I just want to say thank you for reading.