"You're still going?" A blue-haired girl was facing Origami. Origami unsheathed her sword from her AST uniform. The girl in question had defeated an entire army of AST troops, all by herself. She wasn't even sweating, she was smiling. "Good. I admire your confidence. Let's go."
Origami struck the girl, but she flew in the air and cut down any and all attacks. "Is that all?"
Ignoring the girl's remark, Origami kept attacking with bullets, but the girl dodged them all. Origami tried a sword swipe from the back, but she was protected there.
"Whew, almost!" An alarm in the distance.
"Victory. Takamiya Mana wins."
Ryouko was impressed. "I'm not surprised that she took down an entire squadron all by herself. After all, she DID kill a Spirit."
She folded her arms and looked at the blue-hair recruit. "Go ahead and introduce yourself PROPERLY so we can get this over with."
"Right! I am Mana Takamiya. I am pleased to fight alongside you all!"
"Well done." Ryouko spouted while hitting Mana's head with a clipboard. She then walked to Origami and then did the same. "Why did you guys destroy valuable equipment in that mock battle?"
The two girls apologised. "We're very sorry."
"Be more careful next time." Ryouko spoke to Origami. She then turned to Mana. "We're going to review our last battle with Hermit, so take a seat."
"Yes, ma'am." Mana obeyed, sitting right next to Origami. "The captain's really hotheaded, huh?" She whispered in a low tone. The lights dimmed as the battle with Hermit replayed. "That's why the Spirits always win against us..."
"Agreed." Origami spoke.
"Hoh, similar minds?"
"I heard you killed a Spirit." Origami spoke in a monotone voice. "Please, do tell me about it."
"About me killing a Spirit?" Mana thought. "Well, that one is a lot different than other Spirits." Origami pondered at Mana's words while Ryouko silently watched. "It won't be long before you come across it yourself..." She might as well foreshadowed right there. "That's why I was assigned to this unit, after all." She focused on the screen, which zoomed in on a VERY familiar character to Mana; SHIDO.
"Nii-sama?!" Mana gasped. Origami turned.
Mario sighed and looked at the TV in Shido's house. "Yoshino is-a completely hogging the TV in the-a Spirit Mansion..." He yawned. He didn't get much sleep due to the Yoshino battle he had recently. And the CHAOS that was the hot spring trip. All Mario could do was just sit back and watch the clock tick by while boring TV shows were going on. All Mario could do at this point was to let out a painful, exhausted sigh.
Mario rolled his eyes. "Alright, it's-a sure is getting BORING around here!"
Just then, the aforementioned tv-hogger came in, Yoshino.
"Huh? What's-a-wrong, Yoshino?" Mario asked.
"TV... It... um... It ran out of batteries..." Yoshino whimpered.
"So, I assume you want-a this TV?" Mario asked again, which he got a simple nod from. He looked at the TV, and then back at the girl, and then... He looked at the TV remote back on the table. "Ah, to-a heck with it. Every man for-a themselves!" He didn't want to watch KIDS shows, that would put him through hell. It didn't take long for everyone to dive for that table and get that remote!
"It's-a-mine!"
"B-but.. I like TV..."
"It's-a just gonna be kiddie shows!"
"Oooh, Mario! Yoshinon likes your braveness!"
"Yeah, I never give-a up! I get that quite a lot!"
"Giving up on advancing on poor old Yoshino?!"
"She has the body of a child! Besides, my-a heart's set on Peach!"
"No idea who that is! You better give up now, or else Yoshino will..."
"M-Mario!" Yoshino called out, starting to freeze Mario's hands.
"Mario." Kotori chipped in from Mario's earpiece.
He sighed, and gave up. "Sorry."
In the school, Tamae giggled from excitement. "Hey guys, guess what? Today, a transfer student will be joining us!"
Shido, with his hand on his head in boredom, only thought of something. "Didn't Tohka transfer a while ago?" That was true, sitting both sides of him were Tohka in question, and Origami. All Shido had learned from experience is that transfer students would surely spell disaster, but maybe, just this once, he was willing to let it slide as in no way would this transfer student be a Spirit.
"Okay, come on in!" The door opened, and there...
Was a girl. Supporting the black uniform that all students wore, she wore black hair to go along with it. Her black hair, in twin tails, reaching down to her skirt, got shocks from all of the class. She elegantly made her way to the blackboard and wrote her name, and then faced the class, her red rose eye striking down all weak-minded students. "My name's Kurumi Tokisaki!" She spoke, while giggling. She was way too innocent, and got woos from the class, especially Tonomachi. Then she spoke something that Mario would have definitely jinxed if he were there.
"I am a Spirit."
Those four words got confusion within the class, except for three. Everyone was expecting a joke, except Shido, who gasped... Tohka, who was slightly confused... and Origami, who did NOT laugh at this 'joke'.
Everyone was silent, dumbfounded, but Tamae broke the silence. "U-uhm.. that's certainly one of the more bold introductions... Why don't you have a seat?"
"Before I do, I'd like to ask something." Everyone was curious about Kurumi's quesiton. "I'm afraid I transferred at the last minute, so I don't know my way around school. Would any of you like to tour me around?"
Tonomachi was obviously the first to raise his hand. "Me! Pick me!"
"Thanks, but no thanks." She turned down Tonomachi, and then saw her target. She approached. "Would YOU help me?" She smiled, looking at none other than Shido. "I believe I heard your name was Shido."
"M-me?" He looked around, and then pointed at himself. "U-uh.. sure..." He stuttered, because when he looked at Kurumi..
That smile wasn't as innocent.
Ryouko looked at the readings of Kurumi. "Are we sure about this?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"If that statement was a joke, it's not funny."
Mana stepped in with her high-pitched voice. "That is no ordinary Spirit!" She continued. "If we exclude the spacequake victims, that Spirit has killed more than 10,000 people in it's own hands. A malicious Spirit."
"What is this...?!" Ryouko looked at the readings.
Recess quickly came around the corner. Nobody was looking forward to this.
Kotori added to the silence while Shido looked out the window. "Confirmed. I didn't believe she'd actually admit she's a Spirit, but our readings detect energy. Well, if she admitted it, it'll give us time to win her over before the AST wins over her."
It was time for Shido's tour.
"Ready?" Kurumi asked, right behind Shido. They took off for their tour, everyone on Fraxinus nervous.
Origami and Tohka, on ground level, watched Shido take off with Kurumi.
"I'm-a scared." Mario admitted.
Kannazuki spoke down on Mario from a higher platform. "You? Scared? I'm pretty sure her saying that she is a Spirit is a simple joke."
Kotori corrected Kannazuki. "I just told Shido that it is CONFIRMED that she is a Spirit."
Kannazuki saw no logic in that. "Why would you do that?! Why would you WILLINGLY admit you're a Spirit! That's like being in a shark-infested ocean and having gallons of shark food on you! You're inviting them over for a free lunch! More importantly-" Kannazuki rambled on, while on the monitor, Kurumi asked a question.
"What are you going to show me first?"
1: Rooftop
2: Infirmary
3: Cafeteria
"Make your choice, everyone. 5 seconds. Make it count."
Number 1 got the most votes.
"Rooftop? We're not gonna run on it." She saw ONE vote for option three. "Who voted three?"
"I did." Reine blurted in her tired voice.
"May I ask why?"
"Process of elimination; the school nurse is in the infirmary and the rooftop would only be suitable for sunsets."
Kotori saw that logic. "Romantic. Shido, you copy?"
Shido looked at Kurumi. "How about the cafeteria and the student store?"
"Okay."
Spying on the two was Tohka. "What is that girl doing?" She whispered quietly to herself.
Origami peeked as well. "I don't want another girl hitting on him."
At the cafeteria, Shido was explaining. "The most popular item is the Yakisoba bread, so people go for that."
"How interesting."
"But I personally prefer Durian bread! Just... brush your teeth afterwards..."
"How interesting." Kurumi repeated.
Shido noticed. "Are you even paying att-" He turned to Kurumi who was right in his face. "WAH!" He stepped back.
"Ara ara." Kurumi spoke.
"W-what?"
"I'm very sorry." She smirked. "I couldn't concentrate on the menu when your face is much more fascinating." She told Shido that with no regard, no blushing, no nothing. Just a smirk.
"Excuse me..?" Shido stuttered. Kotori helped Shido via earpiece.
"It won't do us any good if YOU fall for HER."
"M-my bad."
Reine commentated. "We haven't dealt with a Spirit like this before."
Mario thought for a moment. "Kurumi might want-a something from Shido. Why else would she ask HIM on a tour? And best of all, how did she know him beforehand?" Then, just then, he had a gut feeling again. This was bad...
"Not to-a make anyone paranoid..." Mario looked at the monitor. "But I feel like I-a KNOW this girl from somewhere!"
"Huh?!" Everyone turned.
"Her aura makes it-a feel like... No! It can't-a be! Her aura is something from OUR-a world!" Mario put two and two together. Something had been wrong all this time.
Kotori growled. was the first to commentate. "Don't tell me Kurumi's been to YOUR world, Mario! Especially with that body count and her Nightmare status?!"
"If I meet-a her in person, I'd get more of a feel for-a her Aura..." Mario thought.
"Let's... just look at the options." Kotori spoke, looking at three options while Shido & Kurumi were walking.
1: What did you mean by your Spirit-related introduction?
2: Where did you go to school before you came here?
3: What kinda panties you wearing right now?
Mario was dumbfounded. "What's with-a option three?"
Kotori replied. "Sometimes, Option three is usually the big bold playboy words. Sometimes it surprisingly works."
Kannazuki agreed. "Option three, please."
"Panties over black pantyhose are mankind's greatest treasure." It didn't take long for Kannazuki to be dragged away by bodyguards. "Have mercy, Commander! Have mercy!"
Kotori looked at option 3 and repeated it to herself. "Kurumi, what kind of panties are you wearing right now?" She looked at the option longingly. "Why is the playboy option here right now? It's too soon... Hmm?" She looked at the monitor.
"Kurumi, what kind of panties are you wearing right now?" Shido repeated, because Kotori left her communicator ON. "EEH?!"
"What panties?" Kurumi smiled.
"DUMBASS!" Kotori shouted ironically. "We were going to ask what her Spirit introduction meant! Jeez, COVER IT UP!"
Shido was VERY confused at first, but alas, he tried to. Kurumi spoke before Shido spoke.
"Would you like to see them?"
"EEH?!" Mario was horrified by this incoming outcome.
"I don't mind showing them to you, Shido."
"MAMA-MIA!" Mario shouted from Fraxinus. He tried to find a cross to begone of the witch, but to no avail! "What is-a this personality?" He screamed. Everyone on Fraxinus tried to calm Mario down, which was chaos. Kurumi walked to the stairs of the school, and reached for her skirt. Everyone gasped again. "Uuuh, is there-a going back on this?" Kurumi's eyes narrowed with unknown intent to Shido, which he gasped on what she was about to reveal. The skirt rose more and more, and just when the panties were about to be shown..
"F-forget it!" Shido cried out. He gasped for air as he turned around.
"Shy one, aren't you?" Kurumi teased.
He definitely tried to change the subject. "Wh-what did you mean by 'I am A Spirit' in your introduction earlier today?"
Kurumi giggled. "C'mon, don't play dumb. I know you're aware of Spirits, Shido."
Everyone on Fraxinus narrowed their eyes. Something was up.
"How do you know about me?" Shido asked.
"That's a secret." She kept that smug look. "There is something I CAN tell you, though." She slowly walked down the stairs, approaching Shido. "To tell you the truth, I've had feelings for you ever since I knew and found out about you... That's why, spending time on this tour? Spending time with you? That makes me EXCEPTIONALLY happy..." She grabbed Shido's hands as if to propose. "Now, Shido..." She clasped his hands tightly. "I have a favor to ask of you. Would you listen to my request?" Her smile was more creepy than innocent at this point. It's as if she was brimming with lust and insanity.
Shido was the fool as he blushed. "A-all right.." Her smile got wider and more twisted, but thankfully, help arrived! Tohka and Origami fell out of a nearby locker to spy on Shido & Kurumi. "Tohka! Origami!"
"Ara ara, what are you two doing?"
"Th-that's my line!" Tohka retorted.
Origami was more calm. "Students should not hold hands at school. Let go immediately." She pointed at Kurumi, but Kurumi kept clasping on.
"The fact of the matter is that my iron levels have bottomed out, so, as you'd expect, the kind man Shido offered me his hand."
Origami, already putting a plan into motion, fell to the ground. "My iron's low, too."
Tohka folded her arms. "Pathetic excuse, you two!" She thought of something and shook her hips. "I'm low on iron too!"
"You do?"
"Yeah, I feel as if my bottom isn't as steely as it should be."
"Tohka no." Mario called out but nobody heard.
"That's not what they're talking about!" Shido called out, and Tohka heard.
As if to make it worse, the three gossipers returned. Ai, Mai and Mii.
"Wow, look at that lover's spat!"
"Itsuka got his grubby hands on the transfer student too?! He's such a player!"
"That's so lame!"
Sunset... set on the city and the school.
"Thanks for showing me around." Kurumi stood in front of Shido. "I am grateful, Shido." She bowed. She got closer and whispered in his ear with a menacing aura around her. "Although it would've been better with us alone."
Shido could only laugh nervously.
"Well, I'll be off now!" She skipped happily off.
"Tohka and Origami might've saved me back there.." Shido thought. "I don't want to imagine us alone."
Shido looked at the clinging Tohka. "Where's Origami?"
Tohka turned. "I dunno, she disappeared at some point."
Kurumi was skipping along the sunset-filled streets while humming to herself, plan already in motion. She made some questionable noises when she realised and stopped those noises. "Ah, no, I should be more patient... I'm saving the fun for-Ah!" She bumped into a rather tall guy, him also shocked in pain.
"Ara ara, sorry about that." She apologised.
"Heey, you bumped into me, lady.." The man said, as two more came out of the dark alley. "An apology ain't gonna cut it."
"Hot damn, this girl's cute."
"What's your name? Let's hang out."
"Ara ara... ah... could it be at any much possible that you wish to have sexual intentions with me?" Kurumi asked the three men (who we will not name as you will see shortly).
"Damn, you're straight forward!"
"You catch on quickly. I like that. Are you into it?"
Kurumi smiled. "As much as anyone else." She grinned wider. "People can see us here. Let's go deeper into this alley." She lured them in like moths to light.
"Ooh, you're so eager!"
Little did they know that would be their last words. A few seconds later...
"Help!"
Screams surfaced. A passing truck squashed a soda can of pure red. The red in the alleyway was Kurumi's fault. Blood. She killed three men right then and there, no bodies to be found. Kurumi's red eye wasn't a rose color... it was blood color.
"That was 'sweet'. Hee hee." She licked her lips.
A certain member of the AST arrived. Blue hair. Mana. "Looks like I was too late."
"Ara ara, you're that..."
"You should really clean up after yourself, Nightmare."
"Shido, are we having burgers tonight?!" Tohka asked, as Shido and Tohka got off a bus relatively close to their house.
Kotori chirped in via earpiece. "I'd love that too!"
Mario chirped in too. "Lotsa spaghetti and-a meatballs is the way to go!"
Shido laughed. "Aaah, what to do..." They stopped in front of a certain blue-hair girl. Mana.
"It's just as Tobii-I mean, Nee-sama said..."
Shido looked at Tohka. "Do you know her?"
"No..."
Mana approached Shido, looking him in the eye. She was definitely shorter, that's for a fact. Her eyes widened and so did her smile. "Nii-"
"Nii?"
"Nii-sama!" She quickly hugged him.
Everyone stopped to gather their thoughts, but their first one was "WHAAAA?!"
Mario was translating 'nii-sama' and he got the words 'big brother'. "Well, I guess that would-a make sense... WHAAAAA?!" He joined in on the shock.
Cut to in front of their house. "Oh, so THIS is where you live!" Mana exclaimed.
She shook hands with Kotori, now in the house. "Nice to meet you! Are you a member of this family? Thanks for taking care of my nii-sama!"
Tohka and Yoshino were on a couch. "I didn't know Shido had another little sister." Tohka pondered.
Mario was also now on ground level. "Haha, well, you know-a how it goes! Always a plot twist!"
"Not a secret child, but a secret little sister?!" Yoshinon shouted. "Way to go!"
Shido was not amused. "Could've put that lighter. By the way, why're you here?" He spoke to Yoshino.
Yoshino struggled to find an excuse because she didn't want to tell Shido about the empty battery television, and her shyness. "I-i'm sorry."
"You don't need to APOLOGISE." Shido reassured her.
Yoshinon continued "You totally look alike!"
Mana spoke to the puppet. "Of course! I'm his little sister!"
"How odd." Kotori spoke. "I'm his little sister too."
"Huh? Meaning... You're my BIG sister?"
"N-no! Shido was adopted into the Itsuka household a long time ago. We're not ACTUALLY related."
"I see, so that's your relationship!"
"Um, Mana?" Shido asked. "Could I ask you a question?"
"What is it, nii-sama?"
"Hmph!" Kotori huffed as she sipped her drink.
"Sorry to say," Shido admitted. "But I do not remember you."
"That's no surprise. I don't really remember my past that much as well." Mario perked up on Mana's comment. He felt as if it was familiar somehow. Bowser's new attitude with Camael made him seem like a whole new person of insanity.
"What?!" Everyone except Mario gasped. "What did you just say? How long ago did you mean by 'the past'?"
"I remember things from the last couple of years... but that's about it."
"Then you don't remember... mother?" Shido asked slowly.
"Sadly, no."
Kotori replied. "So how do you know Shido's your big brother?" Mana responded by pulling out a locket. Inside it was a picture of Shido & Mana, very young.
"Is that... me?"
"Isn't that boy just so happening to look like Shido?" Kotori was desperate but Mario could only think of Luigi, and dang, did he try his best not to say anything mean to Kotori.
"No, it's him! I only have fuzzy memories of it, but I do remember he was sent away somewhere... I felt lonely, but more than that, I was WORRIED about him." Mana was not helping in the Mario department. More memories of Luigi filled Mario's head. "But now that I know you're alive... I'm... I'm..!" She ran to Shido, tears in her eyes.
"Mana..." Shido called her name.
"Nii-sama!" She hugged Shido, and as a result, Kotori gave a kick... to Shido.
"Get away from her."
"What are you doing?!" Mana shouted.
"Why did you kick ME?!" Shido groaned in pain.
Kotori shouted. "You're MY family! I won't let Mana take him back now!"
"I've got no intention of taking him."
"Huh?"
"As long as I can see him be happy, that's enough for me." Mario couldn't take it no more.
"Guys, stop. I can't-a take this family complex any more. You're filling my-a brain with too much Luigi!"
Mana ignored Mario. "But you're no match for the REAL sister!" She boasted at Kotori.
Kotori broke something. Probably sanity. "You think so?"
"Isn't it obvious? You can never get closer to someone than their blood relative."
"But they do say far better a nearby neighbour than a distant brother!"
Mana broke something. Probably sanity. This felt very familiar. "No, no. An adoptive sister is just a stranger. an imitation sister, where as a natural sister shares the same blood!"
"Why do you keep bringing that up?" Kotori demanded while Mana lifted a glass and drunk it.
"Imitation and natural.." Tohka murmured out of hearing range. "What are they talking about? Rice?" Her hungry personality got to her.
"Ding-dong!" Yoshinon yelled. "Putting the two in a fruit bowl can give access to the forbidden fruit!"
"I'd love to try that! Shido, put those two in a bowl for me!"
"Are you TRYING to make me a criminal?" Shido replied to Tohka while the two sisters were arguing.
"A smooth one, no less." Mario cheekily said.
Kotori continued arguing with Mana. "Why should our blood relationship even matter? Full siblings can't even marry each other!"
"What." Everyone stared at Kotori, and then she realised what she said. She slightly blushed and slammed her fist on the table to change the subject.
"A-anyway! I'M his little sister now!"
"You can't win against the blood sister!" Mana slammed a glass down.
"That has nothing to do with being his sister!"
Shido tried to be rational. "Guys, calm down-!"
"Shido, what do YOU say?"
"Your natural sister or imitation sister?"
"O-oh yeah? Mana?" Shido DESPERATELY tried to change the subject. "Where do you live? I should meet whoever's taking care of you."
"That'd be a bit difficult."
Kotori asked. "Is it the kinda place you can't tell people about?"
"No, but, it's like a workplace with dorms."
"Workplace? Are you working?"
"No, what I'm saying is... Bye!" Mana actually just slipped out like that. Gone.
"What was THAT?" is all Shido had to say.
"Did she actually just dip-a out?" Mario asked.
"She really did."
Tamae was marking the register, all students present, a good sign. Then she called one name out.
"Tokisaki!"
No response.
"Tokisaki?"
Kurumi wasn't in class. Shido and Tohka turned to Kurumi's seat. "Already gave up on her second day?"
"Absent." Origami said, which shocked Shido. "Kurumi Tokisaki will no longer attend this school."
Tamae didn't think twice. "I told her to contact us if something like this came up..."
The door opened. "I'm here." Sure enough, that was Kurumi.
"Tokisaki, you are late."
"Yeah, sorry about that, I wasn't feeling so good on my way to school."
Worried concerns came from Tamae, with Shido relieved. "Phew, another minute and she'd have been marked absent." He turned to Origami, her face frozen. "Origami?" Shido's phone vibrated, in which he checked in secret because phones weren't allowed in class. A message from Kotori.
"Come to Physics Preperation Room during lunch. There's something I want to show you."
Oh no.
Everyone was gathered in the Physics Preperation Room. Well, truth to be told, the room was a mini-Fraxinus in disguise. Including Mario.
"Why is Mario here, Kotori?" Shido asked.
"Well, apparently, I have to be a witness to-a this video too..." Mario muttered.
The screen turned on. Very familiar characters. The name appeared. My Little Shido 2.
"A SEQUEL?!"
"Wrong window, sorry." Reine said, tired as ever. "This one." She flipped to a more dark scene. The alley Kurumi was in yesterday. "Footage from yesterday."
"That's.. Kurumi and Mana!" Shido stated the obvious.
"Origami?! AST?!" The camera showed them too. "How?!"
Kotori said the truth. "They wouldn't show up unless a Spirit emerged. Watch closely."
The video was haunting. Mana turned into her combat outfit, and Kurumi... wore a Spirit-defined outfit. "Astral Dress..." Shido had to say that. Before Kurumi could attack, Mana fired laser beams. Kurumi got knocked down. Everyone squinted to see from the dark.
"Mama-mia... She's really a Spirit!" Mario said.
Kurumi got up from her wounds, but got hit by ANOTHER few laser beams, cutting a hole through her skin and through Kurumi in general. Mana approached the unconscious Kurumi, the video getting more eerie by the second. Mana drew her sword, aimed it at Kurumi.. and...
Tore through her guts. Very slowly.
Mario and Shido resisted the urge to VOMIT. Mario didn't even cover his mouth, he just stood, eyes shaking. Reine turned off the video before it could get even more gorey.
"This is..." Shido sputtered.
"As you can see, Kurumi Tokisaki was definitely killed by Mana Takamiya of the AST yesterday. Completely. Perfectly. Not a shred of doubt she was killed. She died."
"No way..." Both Shido and Mario said. "But Kurumi came to school today as if everything were normal!"
"Apparently, yeah." Kotori silently said.
Reine turned. "We can't figure out anything either."
In a dark room of the school, only illuminated by the green tint of a fire exit door, stood Kurumi and Origami. The dark room made it hard to see Kurumi's color scheme of mostly black. "Well, did you need something?" Kurumi innocently asked. "I have yet to eat my lunch. Would you care to join?"
"You died yesterday." Origami told the truth.
"Oh, yeah, I think I remember. You were with Mana, were you not?"
Origami gasped and stepped back. However, something abnormal happened. Demonic shadows were under Origami, and demonic white hands with red outlines pinned her legs, slammed her to the wall, and then pinned her arms. Kurumi could only giggle at this event. "Bad girl, that won't help you. We had a great time yesterday," she stepped closer. "You cleaned it up as if nothing ever happened!" She smiled wider. "Well guess what? I'm. Not. Dead." More shadow hands grabbed Origami's throat.
"What are you after?!"
"Well, you see, I just wanted to get a feel for school life..." She flipped her bang of hair covering her left eye, and it was replaced by an inorganic clock eye. "But I suppose you know what I'm really after. It's SHIDO. I think you know him. I know all about it. You're crazy for him. You stalk him. But too bad." Kurumi herself started to pin Origami to the wall. "I'm afraid my feelings are more powerful than yours for Shido. He is such a wonderful man." Her eyes shrunk in insanity. "He is the BEST man! He looks..." She licked her lips. "DELICIOUS." She moaned to herself as she gathered all sorts of crazy thoughts. "I long for him! I yearn for him so strongly! I want him. I want his power. I want to make him mine and be one with him!"
Origami was furious as the shadow hands still kept a strong and immobile grip.
Kurumi started laughing... And laughing, and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing and LAUGHING. Shadow hands rose from around Kurumi to signify she was indeed in control of them.
"HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!"
They weren't cute or innocent laughs.
They were laughs of insanity.