Separate
Chapter 05 - Chapter 07
By : Charlotte Eraviel
...
Summary
Months after sealing Miku's Spirit Powers, Itsuka Shidou haven't encountered a single spirit, and finally returned to his everyday normal life. But is it going to be what it was? Life is no longer a bed of roses even after his previous struggles, and something that cannot be explained by mere words might fall before him... or it fell before him already...
Chapter 05: Doubts
"Got everything you need?" A certain blue-haired young man asked his so-called cousin, who was already pulling her luggage out of her room.
"No problems here."
The blue-haired boy nodded. "Let's go."
~o~O~o~
After a few moments, they went out of the house, and was greeted by 5 girls outside their gates.
"Shidou! Shiori!" One of the girls, who has a dark-night colored hair, called as she waved at the two people going out of the house.
"Good morning, everyone." Shidou and Shiori greeted as they got out of the gates.
The rest of the girls greeted back. They seemed to be pretty excited about this trip. Well, they held back for a week; couldn't really blame them.
"Now we just need Reine-san to-"
Speaking of the devil, a car, no, a van stopped by them.
"…Hop in."
"Reine-san! You're coming also?" Shidou asked.
"…No, I'll just take you to the airport." Reine said as she stepped out of the van and went to the back. "…Put your luggage here." She said and opened the back of the van.
The vehicle is quite big. It's a van, after all. This was different than the one they used before when there were only Tohka and Yoshino present. It was the time when they were on the trip to the hot springs, or something like that.
Where and when Reine did acquire this vehicle is something that Shidou didn't bother to ask.
After a few minutes of organizing, everyone hopped in the vehicle and they drove to the airport.
~o~O~o~
After a few minutes, they arrived at the airport. Reine helped them with their luggage as they checked in.
"Thanks for everything, Reine-san." Shidou said as they're ready to cross the waiting area.
"…Don't mention it." Reine said as she tried to give a smile to the boy. "…Keep your earpiece just in case, okay?"
Shidou nodded.
Reine then left the airport as the seven high schoolers bid her goodbye.
"Confirm. Time for the waiting game." Yuzuru said as she sat down on the bench.
"This ain't a waiting game, Yuzuru." Kaguya said.
"Refute. But we're still waiting, aren't we?"
"Well, you're not incorrect…But-"
Shidou sighed. He could've wished that the plane would arrive already before the bickering of these two would get bigger.
"I know what you feel, Shidou…" Shiori said as she sighed.
Shidou didn't reply. Waiting for the plane to get ready is really long when you're paying close attention to it.
~o~O~o~
After more or less half an hour of travel in air, their plane landed off on Arubi Island Airport. They took care of their respective luggage before heading out of the airport and climbing up a cab to their designated hotel. The cab could only fit three passengers, so they occupied three cabs as well. Three in one cab, and two in the other two. Nobody wants to ride in a cab alone, anyway.
"Is it alright to put Kaguya and Yuzuru in the same cab?" Shiori asked as she got Goosebumps.
"Those two are inseparable, whatever the circumstances." Tohka said.
"I can't agree more." Shidou said.
Meanwhile, in the said cab,
"Oi, Yuzuru! You took my potato chips again?!" Kaguya said as she rummaged on her luggage. "I was saving it for-!"
"Interject. I was hungry last night. I couldn't help myself." Yuzuru sneered.
"Why, you…!"
The driver just sighed and didn't bother silencing them.
~o~O~o~
The third cab is where Miku, Yoshinon, and Yoshino were together. They weren't saying anything to each other, probably because they're not really that close, or nothing to talk about.
Things couldn't get more awkward more than it was already, and the three of them knows it as well.
So, the older girl decided to break the ice.
"Say, Yoshino-san, how did you and darling meet?"
The younger girl was startled with Miku's sudden question. Well, they really haven't much talked to each other since she moved to the apartment complex. That's why she didn't know how to respond to her.
So, her puppet, Yoshinon, decided to speak for her.
"Well, Miku-chan, Yoshino and-"
Immediately, Yoshino covered Yoshinon's mouth.
"Ara?"
Yoshino decided to speak for herself.
"S-Shidou-san… and I… met in a… shrine…" Yoshino said.
"Oh? How was darling back then?"
Their conversation continued. Yoshino told Miku everything about her encounters with Shidou, about how Shidou helped her in finding Yoshinon when she went missing.
"A-And, I decided to… trust Shidou-san… because he saved me… from the AST…" Yoshino continued. "And… risking his life… for me… when we were… just strangers…"
Miku smiled after hearing Yoshino's story. She learned that Shidou has never changed, from before and after she met him.
"That sounds like darling, I see."
With that, both of them flashed a smile.
~o~O~o~
It was around eleven in the morning when they arrived at their destination. The hotel they were staying is far better than the one they occupied during the school trip. Probably because the school's short on funds or they really can't afford to reserve a hotel like this for all the students.
What's more, this hotel is near the seaside, so all is well.
"Kuku, this place is not half bad." Kaguya said as she stared at the hotel with sparkly eyes.
"Agree. This place is great." Yuzuru said with same sparkly eyes as her sister.
Miku stepped behind the twins and pushed them. "Alright, stop staring at the front door and let's get going now."
They then went inside the hotel and checked in. As their rooms were assigned, Shidou was somehow gloomy, but he kind of expected it.
"Don't worry Shidou, I'll visit you from time to time!" Tohka said.
"Ara, Darling, want me to stay in your room?" Miku said as she licked her lips.
"You…! What are you planning?!"
They aren't helping at all.
They've been given only three rooms, with Tohka, Shiori, and Yoshino in one room, while Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Miku in the other room.
For Shidou, of course, he's alone. It's obvious why.
In an instant, Kaguya and Yuzuru grabbed Miku by the arm. "Don't worry Shidou, we'll make sure that this girl will behave properly." Kaguya said. "Let's go, Yuzuru."
"Accept. We're going to our room now."
Miku was protesting but she couldn't break free from the twin's chains.
"Will she be alright?" Shiori asked as she stared at the direction where the three have gone.
"She will be. That's not enough to bring her down." Shidou said. "I'll be in my room. Let's meet back here in half an hour, and then we can go to the seaside. Don't forget to tell Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Miku, okay?"
Tohka, Yoshino, and Shiori nodded and they headed to their room as well.
Shidou wandered around the second floor of the hotel, as his room was designated here. He's not really a directionally-challenged person, so there would be no problems in finding it.
"Let's see… room 216…"
He looked at every number plate attached on the doors, and stopped as he finally found the said number.
He then unlocked the room with the key he received and opened the door, but the next event is seriously not something he was expecting.
"Ara, Shidou-san?"
In an instant, he closed the door.
"I didn't make a mistake, did I?" He asked himself. He then double checked the room number, and it clearly said 216.
With that, his face turned red.
Well, he just saw a girl wearing undergarments only, on the bed. Anyone would panic if they saw something like that.
And what's more, he knew this girl personally.
"Shidou-san~ Come in here, or else I won't be able to guarantee your safety~" A seductive voice spoke from inside the room. "We both know that you can't escape from me~"
Shidou gulped. His sweat's running down on his cheeks, and feeling nervous about abiding with the order.
But he had no choice.
He touched the doorknob, turned it, closed his eyes and opened the door. He went inside and closed the door.
"Ara, Shidou-san, open your eyes, I'm not naked anymore."
Shidou didn't want to believe it but he had to follow the order. He then slowly opened his eyes, and sighed in relief as he saw the girl wearing a black one piece dress, which she usually wear most of the time.
"For the love of God, don't do that again, Kurumi…" Shidou said as he leaned on the door.
Yes, the girl inside Shidou's room was Tokisaki Kurumi. The spirit deemed to be the cruelest and most dangerous spirit of all times.
Shidou put his stuff inside the closet and sat down on a chair before initiating a conversation.
"So, what business do you have here, Kurumi? And why are you in my room, of all places?"
Kurumi snickered. "Ara, getting straight to the point already? I'm pretty disappointed, Shidou-san."
Shidou narrowed his eyes as he stared at the heterochromatic spirit girl. She just had this smile on her face as she stared back at him.
Shidou sighed.
"It would be bad if Tohka saw you in here." Shidou said.
Kurumi was surprised with his reply.
"Ara, you're concerned about my safety?"
Shidou blushed. Well, of course, Kurumi is too powerful even for Tohka to handle, but knowing about the spirit's inversion, he couldn't be more cautious.
"That's one thing, but I'm more concerned with mine." Shidou said.
Kurumi chuckled. "That's true."
"So, what brings you here? You wouldn't be here just to hang around, right?"
Kurumi stood up and walked to the door. She then locked it and went back to the bed, giving Shidou some slight shivers down in his spine.
"I'm interested with a certain someone in your gang." Kurumi said.
Shidou crossed his arms before speaking, "Let me guess, Shiori, isn't it?"
"Ara, you're quick to catch, Shidou-san."
"Well, she had been the center of attention since she got here." Shidou said. "So, what piqued your interests to her?"
Kurumi fell silent for a bit. True, she was indeed interested with the mysteries around the said girl, but at the same time, she doesn't have the slightest idea about her; why she's here, and her objective.
"First of all, Shidou-san, do you believe that she's not from this world?" Kurumi asked.
Shidou recalled back what Kotori said to him. She said the same thing as Kurumi, but there's no proof of it being true yet.
"Kotori said the same thing, but there's no evidence yet, so I don't." Shidou said.
"I see."
The room went silent for a few moments, before Shidou broke the ice.
"Uhm, I want to ask something, if you don't mind, Kurumi…" Shidou said.
Kurumi tilted her head.
"What makes you think that she's not from this world?" Shidou asked.
"Want me to spell it out for you?" Kurumi grinned.
Shidou immediately regretted asking that. "Aside from me crossdressing as her before, yes please."
Truth to be told, it was just Kurumi's hunches, as there's no solid evidence that proves that she's really not from this world. She just based every hypothesis she had from the past events, as the timing's too perfect to be called coincidence.
"I have no solid proof, but if I could peek inside her memories, then-"
"Hey, that's crossing the line already!" Shidou interrupted Kurumi before she could finish her sentence.
By peeking inside her memories, Kurumi will use the power of Zaphkiel's tenth bullet, Yud. It gives her the ability to peek inside her target's memories; his or her past.
"I know Shidou-san, but I'm doing this for her sake, for myself, and especially for you." Kurumi said with a serious expression.
Shidou was surprised with Kurumi's words. He never thought that she's doing something for someone's sake. Unlike before when she helped him infiltrate DEM to save Tohka; this time, she's asking for nothing in return.
In the end, he failed to say anything as a reply.
"Think about it, Shidou-san. If my hypothesis is true, who would be responsible for sending her here?" Kurumi asked.
Shidou gave it a thought. Actually, he didn't need to think about it further, as the answer's already right in front of him.
"You…" He said in a low voice.
"Yes, the 'me' in the future. But, in a different world line." She said. "I want to confirm if that's really possible."
"Will you help me, Shidou-san?" Kurumi asked.
Shidou didn't know how to respond to that. It was the first time that he received a request from Kurumi. It's true that she revealed her every intentions to him, but he couldn't shake the idea of her still hiding something from him.
But he can't leave things as it is right now. He wants to know the truth as well.
"But… we have a problem." Shidou said.
Kurumi tilted her head once more. "What is it?"
"She doesn't have any memories of her past."
Kurumi's eyes widened after hearing his answer. Well, that seriously would be a problem. She wouldn't be able to peek inside her memories if she doesn't have them to begin with.
"Oh my, that's really a problem." Kurumi said.
"I just said that, you know?"
They didn't say anything afterwards as they thought of a way to handle the problem they have in hand. Recovering or restoring someone's memory isn't an easy feat, especially when the root of the loss is unknown.
"I don't have the power to do that, so I'll leave it to your hands, Shidou-san." Kurumi said and winked at him. "You're close to her, and I bet that you've been working towards that goal as well."
He couldn't disagree with that.
"But why would you need to peek in her memories, when she would tell us everything once she have it back?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi swung her head before answering his question. "No, Shidou-san. I don't think it would be that simple. There must be something more than meets the eye on her memory loss."
Shidou didn't quite understand what she meant by that, and Kurumi knew what he was thinking.
"I know you're confused, Shidou-san. It's hard to explain it right now." Kurumi said as she made a small frown. That was a look of concern, to Shidou, at least. "I'll fill you in once I have my answers, so please just help her in recovering her memories."
"Easier said than done…" Shidou said.
"I know, but you're the only one who could do it." Kurumi said and smiled.
Shidou could feel his heart fluttering every time she smiles. He didn't know why, but he couldn't refuse her request if she made an expression like that.
"Alright, I'll do my best."
"Thank you, Shidou-san. I owe you one." Kurumi said. "I'll be off somewhere, I didn't mean to keep you from having fun with your girlfriends." She said as a shadow appeared behind her.
"I'll see you later, Shidou-san." She then winked at him before disappearing from the room.
Shidou sighed. He seriously had no idea about what Kurumi was implying. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to know it either.
He fixed his stuff before heading back to the lobby.
~o~O~o~
The gang ate their lunch before going to the seaside. No one wants to pass out from hunger while swimming in the sea, right?
They brought their necessities; whatever they needed in their leisure.
"It's the ocean!"
"It's the ocean!"
Kaguya and Tohka shouted in unison.
"Kyah! I really wanted to do that!" Kaguya said and jumped in to the seawater. "Wooh, the water's cold."
"Ask. Are you a kid?" Yuzuru asked as she walked in the water.
Kaguya just sneered at her sister.
Shidou just smiled unconsciously as he stared at them. This is the peaceful daily life that he had been wishing for all of them. And for him as well.
"I wonder where Shiori is." Shidou said as he counted the numbers. Shiori was definitely nowhere to be found.
"She said that she's not ready yet, and told us that we should go ahead." Tohka said.
Shidou wondered why though. Well, she'll be here in a few moments, so it's no problem having a head start first.
"Why don't you girls join them? I'll set the umbrellas up." Shidou said to the other girls.
The rest of the girls nodded at him and ran to the seawater, leaving Shidou alone. He stuck the umbrellas on the sand, making it stay in place. Snacks and drinks were all set as well.
"Phew, that should do it." He said as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. He then took his earpiece from his bag and wore it, followed by a sigh of relief.
"Are you alright, Shidou?" A female voice suddenly spoke behind him. He turned around and saw a girl with long, blue-hair, wearing a yellow two piece swimsuit, along with a very short skirt.
Shidou found himself staring at her for a few seconds, making the said girl embarrassed.
"S-Shidou, you're staring at me too much…" She said as she covered her body with her arms.
Shidou snapped back as he realized what he was doing. "A-Ah, I'm s-sorry, Shiori!" He then averted his eyes from her.
Shiori blushed. "A-Aren't you g-going to say s-something to me…?"
Shidou knew what she meant by that. Of course, it's a common thing to say 'that' after what just happened. He slowly turned to Shiori, which made him blush as well. Her curves fitted on her swimsuit perfectly; she looked like a gravure model with that outfit.
"Y-You look… great."
Shiori's heart thumped. "I-Is that so…? T-That's a relief- Kyaaah!"
The next event made Shidou avert his eyes once more.
"Oyaa, what do we have here?" A certain orange-haired girl said as she grabbed onto Shiori's chest.
"K-Kaguya…! What a-are y-you d-doing- A-Ahnn!"
Shiori tried to break free, but Kaguya's arms were too strong.
"Ugh, w-what is this…!" Kaguya said as she slid her hands under Shiori's top. "I didn't know you're this big…! You're even bigger than me!" She said as she fondled her mountains of heaven, embarrassing the blue-haired girl more.
"W-What a-are you s-saying?!"
After a few moments, someone pulled Kaguya away from Shiori. "Order. Stop it now, Kaguya. That's sexual harassment."
It was Yuzuru. Kaguya's twin sister, who grabbed her by the arms as she got pulled.
Kaguya didn't say anything and just clicked her tongue, leaving the blue-haired teenage girl troubled.
"What's going on-" A girl with indigo-colored hair appeared from nowhere, who stopped on her tracks as she saw Shiori in her swimsuit.
"M-Miku?" Shiori called. The said girl was staring at her with blank expression.
Miku didn't say anything. The atmosphere around them became tense.
"Yoshino-san, camera please." Miku said as she extended her right arm. In an instant, Yoshino appeared from behind Shidou, surprising him, and went to Miku, giving her the camera.
Shiori gulped. She's got a bad feeling about this.
As the camera was turned on, Miku disappeared from her place.
""""Eh?""""
The next thing they knew was Miku's already taking insane amount of photos of Shiori from different angles.
"Ehehehe~ This is heaven…!" Miku said as she kept on flashing her camera to Shiori while drooling.
Shiori couldn't be more embarrassed than she was already as she tried to protect herself from Miku's camera.
"H-H-Hey, Stop it, M-Miku!"
Despite Shiori's orders, Miku didn't stop. Most likely she couldn't hear her cry.
But that didn't last long. Tohka appeared from nowhere and hit Miku on the head, stopping her sexual assault to Shiori.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Tohka said as she grabbed Miku by the arms, who was half-unconscious.
Seeing that as an opening, Shiori immediately ran to the water.
"Hey, get back here!" Kaguya said as she followed Shiori.
"Not a chance!"
Shidou just stared at them. He couldn't help but smile at the scene playing in front of him, despite of it being a chaotic one, as they're attracting too much attention from the people around them.
"…-in?"
Shidou didn't quite hear what the noise was. It probably came from his earpiece.
"…Shin?"
It was Reine.
"Reine-san? What's up?" Shidou said as he focused on the earpiece.
"…I need to have a word with you." Reine said through the earpiece. "…Meet me back in the hotel lobby. This is urgent."
"Alright, I'll be on my way." Shidou said.
He then turned to Tohka, who was still attending on the unconscious Miku. "Tohka, I need to make a phone call. I'll be back in a few." Shidou said.
"Uh, okay?"
"Thanks. Please do tell the others." Shidou said and walked away as he put on his jacket. "I'll be right back."
Tohka was left dumbfounded with Shidou's words.
~o~O~o~
Shidou got back to the Hotel's lobby in less than five minutes. He looked around and saw Reine sitting on a bench. She's not wearing any summer nor beach outfit, implying that she's not really ready for this trip. Well, she did say that she's not coming anyway.
"What's going on, Reine-san?" He asked as he approached the said woman.
"…Sit down, we have a lot to talk about." Reine said as she patted the seat beside her.
Shidou knew that this was a serious matter, so he abided with Reine's request.
"…I overheard your conversation with Kurumi earlier." Reine said.
Shidou was startled. "W-What…?"
"…Don't worry, I have no intentions of leaking whatever private talks you had with her." Reine reassured the boy.
So she did know.
"…Anyways, getting back on topic…"
Shidou paid more attention.
"…With what Kurumi just said that Shiori's not from this world, is something that we cannot simply ignore, even without evidence." Reine said.
Shidou knew it. It's true that even if Kurumi just said it without proof, just by her mentioning it is a piece of evidence already. Because she could manipulate time, it's possible that her future self in another world line is the one responsible for sending her here. Actually, it was the only plausible thing that they could believe on.
But how and why did 'she' send her here is a different matter.
"I didn't want to believe it either, but Kurumi herself said that the possibility of it happening is not zero." Shidou said. "Most likely, that's really the case."
"…Then you know that her memories are the key to knowing it?" Reine asked.
Shidou nodded. "Yes, I know, but recovering it is not an easy task."
They went silent for a while and thought for a way to recover Shiori's memories. In the big picture, Shiori's memories were sealed; that's the only possibility that could happen. Because the memories that she doesn't remember were too specific.
Until Reine thought of something.
"…In that case, how about this?" Reine said and ordered Shidou to come closer.
Shidou nodded and abided with Reine's request. The older woman then whispered something on his ear. Afterwards, Shidou tilted backwards due to surprise and shock with Reine's idea.
"A-A-Are you s-serious, Reine-san?!"
Reine's expression didn't show anything other than serious. She's definitely serious with her idea.
"…It's the only way I could think of, unless you have a better idea, then we'll roll with that." Reine said.
Shidou couldn't say anything in return. It's true that he doesn't have the slightest idea about recovering Shiori's memory, but doing that of all things?
Shidou took a deep breath to calm his heart down. He tried sorting everything in his mind, but seems like he couldn't.
"L-Let me think about it for a bit, Reine-san."
Reine didn't say anything and just let Shidou do what he wanted, for now.
.
.
.
Chapter 06: Emergence
It was already past twelve in the afternoon when Shidou got back to their spot. He saw the girls playing beach volleyball, with Yoshino as the umpire. They noticed Shidou's arrival and waved at him, inviting him to join them, but Shidou didn't feel like playing and just waved back at them, implying that he's not going to join.
With that, they resumed their game. Let's expect a not-so-normal game, shall we?
He then turned his attention to the blue-haired girl participating in the match. He couldn't help but feel flustered while staring at her. Mostly because of what he and Reine talked about earlier, the other reason is still filled with uncertainties.
He averted his eyes from her.
'There's no other meaning on it…'
Or so he thought.
'It's for recovering her memories…'
Oh, really?
These thoughts kept on circling in his mind.
'Yeah, it's for recovering her memories.'
If you're wondering what that method of recovering her memories is, let's go back a few minutes earlier.
~o~O~o~
(FLASHBACK)
"…In that case, how about this?" Reine said and ordered Shidou to come closer.
Shidou nodded and abided with Reine's request. Shidou moved closer to Reine. The older woman moved near Shidou's ear and whispered at him.
"…Make her fall in love with you, and kiss her, like what you did to the spirits." Reine blatantly said.
Afterwards, Shidou tilted backwards due to surprise and shock from Reine's idea.
"A-A-Are you s-serious, Reine-san?!"
Reine's expression didn't show anything other than serious. She's definitely serious with her idea.
"…It's the only way I could think of, unless you have a better idea, then we'll roll with that." Reine said.
~o~O~o~
Shidou sighed.
That kind of method is a plausible one, yet Shidou couldn't feel any comfortable with it. Why so? Because Shiori's not a spirit. She's not someone who's needed to be saved.
What's the difference, though? Shidou already made six spirits love him, adding another one is nothing new.
Yep, nothing new, but nothing better either.
Shidou swung his head to clear his thoughts off. There's no point on pondering about it when he doesn't have a better idea to throw back.
"I hope that things wouldn't turn out for the worst…" Shidou said in a low voice.
"…"
"What things, Shidou?"
"Well, it's about Shiori…" The moment Shidou said that, he also realized that he's already talking to someone else. And that someone was the person he wasn't expecting to be here, or rather, DOESN'T want to be here.
"O-O-O-Origami?!" Shidou immediately backed away from the said person.
Tobiichi Origami. His classmate, and a wizard working in AST. Tohka's archenemy.
"What about Shiori, Shidou?" Origami asked with a vague expression.
'This is not good' is what Shidou was thinking. Once Tohka sees her, it's gonna be chaotic.
But it's too late, Tohka's already running to Shidou, abandoning her match.
"Tobiichi Origami!" Tohka said as she did a flying kick to attack Origami, but it was easily dodged by the silver-haired girl. "What are you doing here?!"
Origami composed herself back. "Me being here or not is none of your concern."
"You…!" Tohka gritted her teeth. Origami was the last person she wanted to see here. "You didn't stay true with our agreement!"
If you're wondering what that agreement is, it was the rock-paper-scissors they did last week. This is also the reason why Shidou didn't want Origami to be here, because chaos ensues.
"I came here on my own, not with Shidou, so there's no problem, right?"
"Nu-!"
She's got a point though. The thing is, how Origami did know about their trip.
The rest of the girls aided Shidou in stopping the two before disaster could strike. Everyone knows that these two are onto each other's throats.
~o~O~o~
It's already around four in the afternoon. They're wrapping their stuff up and as soon as they were done, they headed back to the hotel. They separated ways after saying goodbye to each other. Well, they might see each other again later when they head to the bath, though.
Shidou arrived back in front of his room. He was already dead tired, judging from the events today. No need to repeat everything, it's pretty clear already.
He unlocked his room and went inside. He was expecting Kurumi to be in his room but she's nowhere to be found, which is a relief to him. He doesn't want to keep her close to him as much as possible. Not because that she's dangerous of sorts, but for some other obvious reasons.
He threw himself on the bed and sighed. He had a long day, for sure.
After a few moments, he felt a gentle breeze enter his room. He instantly turned to the window, as he was sure that he hasn't opened it since he arrived here. And there, it was indeed open, and at the same time, he learned that he wasn't alone in this room.
There's someone sitting on the window. That person is a girl that looks like around Shidou's age, with her hair tied in an uneven-length twin-tail style. She's wearing a bright, frilly vermillion dress; with heterochromatic eyes.
"Kurumi…"
Yes, it's Tokisaki Kurumi, also known as Nightmare. The spirit deemed to be the cruelest and most dangerous.
"Good afternoon, Shidou-san." Kurumi said as she stepped inside the room.
Shidou didn't reply. He's not really comfortable with Kurumi's constant sudden appearance.
"Ara, Shidou-san. Don't be afraid, I won't bite."
Shidou narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't look like it though."
Kurumi frowned. "My, Shidou-san doesn't have faith in me. It hurts." She said as she summoned a handkerchief and wiped her 'tears'.
Shidou made a problematic look. He seriously have no idea about what's running in Kurumi's mind.
"I-It's not like that! It's just…"
Just what though?
"I'm just kidding. Silly Shidou-san." Kurumi said as she stuck her tongue out. She then walked to the bed and sat down beside Shidou. "You're wondering why I'm here again, right?"
Shidou nodded slowly.
"Well, because I was wondering if you found a method for recovering Shiori-san's memories."
Shidou froze.
"Seems like you have an idea." Kurumi smirked.
Yes, he did have one, but that method is not one hundred percent acceptable, to him, at least. Either way, he should tell Kurumi about it, since they're working together.
"Kurumi, do you remember the first time we met?" Shidou asked.
"Ara, what brings you to this topic, Shidou-san?" Kurumi asked. She then realized that Shidou's expression has turned into a troubled one. With that impression, Kurumi knew that Shidou's forcing himself to talk about it.
"Of course, I do remember, Shidou-san." Kurumi answered. "We had a date, and did a lot of things together, right?"
Shidou nodded. He still didn't reply. Kurumi's getting impatient with Shidou, but she couldn't bring herself to get mad because of Shidou's expression.
Well, the topic they're talking about isn't really a good one. That date ended in a disaster, with Shidou witnessing Kurumi's clone killing people, and lately got killed by Mana.
"I'm sorry, Shidou-san." Kurumi apologized.
Shidou was surprised.
"N-No, don't worry about what happened that time." Shidou said. "Kurumi, do you remember what happened in our school's rooftop?"
Of course, she does remember that one.
"Yes, I do, why do you ask?" Kurumi's expression turned into a serious one. "Are you condemning me for what happened?"
Shidou's expression softened up. He then swung his head afterwards.
"I wouldn't stand for you when you were about to get blown into ashes by Kotori if I were to condemn you." He then smiled.
"Then what, Shidou-san? You're leaving me in the dark here."
Shidou was about to tell Kurumi about 'it', but then he felt a heartache before he could say anything, as he remembered 'Kurumi' get killed by Kurumi before Shidou could save her.
His smile disappeared.
"Do you… remember… what I said to her… before she died...?" Shidou asked as he looked away.
Kurumi was surprised. It was indeed an unpleasant talk for Shidou. She was wondering why he was talking about this in the first place, when it just brings bad memories for him. Well, she had an idea that the method he was talking about is hidden in that memory.
But what surprised her even more was how Shidou delivered his words about 'her' death. Shidou said that 'she died' instead of 'you killed her'.
She recalled back that memory…
~o~O~o~
(FLASHBACK)
"Kurumi, let me give you a chance to start over." Shidou said as he stared directly at Kurumi. The spacequake that was about to hit Raizen High and the barrier around the school was just lifted.
Kurumi glared at Shidou, followed by a sinister look. "Will you stop uttering this nonsense? Mind your own business. I don't want that."
The 'that' that they're talking about, was the thing about Shidou said to Kurumi this morning.
~o~O~o~
"Kurumi." Shidou called my name.
"Yes?" I said with a smile. Seriously, this ticks me off.
"I've decided to save you." Shidou said with a straight face.
That's surprising. I have no idea about what he's talking about. This guy's really mysterious.
"That's a peculiar thing to say."
But he kept his composure.
"I won't let you kill people anymore." He said. "Nor let Mana kill you ever again."
This ticks me off, really. But I can't lose it.
"Is that so?" I said and walked away.
~o~O~o~
"You can't know for sure unless you try it!" Shidou's voice got louder, which startled Kurumi.
"You, too, might enjoy living a normal life!" He continued. "Had you never even considered the possibility, you couldn't have enjoyed your date with me!"
Kurumi became troubled. She recalled everything back from their date. She did enjoy her time with him. She just realized it now, when Shidou's this serious about saving her.
"But I…"
"I can do it! I know I can!" Shidou said with strong determination.
Kurumi gasped.
"You must make amends for everything you've done!" He said. "But Kurumi, I don't care about how many sins you've committed."
"Because I will stop at nothing to save you!"
Kurumi became more afraid. She's afraid of Shidou. But his words were filled with resolve. He really wants to save her, even though she doesn't have an idea about it, nor if Shidou could even really do it. Shidou wants to give her a normal life, is what she thought about it.
She wanted to believe his words.
"But I…" Kurumi backed away for a little bit.
Shidou flashed a smile and offered his hand to Kurumi.
"Shidou-san…" Kurumi couldn't take it anymore. She extended her hand, tried to reach Shidou's hand, for him to take her wherever she could enjoy her life with him.
"Can I really…" She was about to hold onto Shidou's hand when suddenly…
~o~O~o~
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Kurumi immediately opened her eyes and stopped recalling that memory. Making her remember that memory just gave her an unpleasant feeling.
Either way, she has to give an answer to Shidou's question.
"Yes, I do, Shidou-san." Kurumi said. "I recall you uttering nonsense about saving 'me'."
"It's not nonsense!" Shidou said in a higher voice, which surprised Kurumi. "I still feel that way, Kurumi. I want to save you, but not until I have your consent."
"Because I know you still have a goal to achieve." Shidou said. His expression turned into a serious one.
Her heart was touched. Well, she can't bring herself to devour Shidou when he's this kind and caring.
"Alright, alright, let's get back to the topic." Kurumi said as she closed the previous discussion. "So, what are you implying now, Shidou-san?"
Shidou cleared his throat before speaking, "The method of 'saving' you, is the one that I'm going use."
Short silence.
"I don't get it, Shidou-san." Kurumi said. "You said about this thing, that saving me means that I might have a normal life."
Shidou nodded.
"But Shiori is not a spirit; she's a normal human, and already have a normal life. She doesn't need to be saved." Kurumi said. "But then again, about saving spirits, I have no idea how you do it."
Shidou tensed up a bit. He doesn't want to tell her that right now. Or rather, he doesn't want to ever tell her that unless she would give him her consent.
"I… I'll tell you about that some other time." Shidou said.
Kurumi had grown suspicious of Shidou, but she didn't bother prying about it since she knew that she won't be able to squeeze answers from him.
"Okay, then." Kurumi said as she stood up. "I'll visit again if I find a clue." She said and then disappeared into thin air.
Shidou sighed. Remembering that memory isn't really a good idea. It could've been easier if he just told her the exact method of sealing of spirit's Reiryoku, but somehow, he knew that he wouldn't be able to save Kurumi if he did.
He could still feel his heart in pain. That memory of 'Kurumi' really pains him. He could've saved her if he just took initiative in taking her hand, rather than waiting for her. But everything was beyond his expectations. He didn't even expect that the 'Kurumi' at that time was only a clone, and not the real one.
Even so, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. A clone or not, 'Kurumi' is still 'Kurumi'. She's a person, with a soul and heart.
He lied down on the bed. There's no point in moping over her death. Because he knew, that she wouldn't want him to cry over her. He has to deal with the problem in front of him right now.
He just wished that he could see 'Kurumi' once more, but he knew that it will never happen.
He hit his cheeks as he sat up on the bed and made a plan for tomorrow.
~o~O~o~
It's already past seven in the evening as Shidou got out of his room and hit the baths. He saw the girls minus one leaving already as he entered the bath's lobby.
"Oh, Shidou! Decided to hit the baths too?" The girl with dark-night hair said as she waved to Shidou.
Shidou approached them. "Yeah, I just finished our plans for tomorrow." He then gave a thumbs up.
"Ooohhhh!"
He noticed that there's someone missing in their group. "By the way, I don't see Shiori anywhere. Where's she?"
"She said she had to take care of something important, and she'll try to catch up, but she hasn't shown herself yet." Kaguya said.
"I see." Shidou said. "I'll enter the baths now, goodnight to all of you."
"Good night!" The girls said, with one of them added 'Darling'.
"Yuzuru, we're having a ping pong match!" Kaguya challenged.
"Accept. Bring it on."
Shidou just chuckled at them and entered the baths.
~o~O~o~
Shidou sunk himself in the water. The bath is open-spaced, and the water's just at the right temperature. Add the starry skies, the view couldn't be more pleasant than it is already.
"What a peaceful night…"
He wished that these days would last. No more spirit activities and spacequakes. He wanted Tohka and the other girls to experience more of this world, and have a normal life. And there they have it.
But he can't relax yet, unless he solves the mystery thrown at him. And that is, uncovering Shiori's true identity, in which will be revealed once she recovers her memory. And of course, it's no easy task, but he has to do everything in his power to make it happen.
"-Shidou…?"
He heard a voice call his name, and looked around, but saw nobody around. He then realized whose voice was that.
"Shiori…?" He called back.
"Yes, it's me, Shidou. I'm at the other side of the bath." She said.
So this bath is connected. That thought alone made Shidou blush a little. Well, it's better than both of them being in the same bath. Scratch that; technically, they're in the same bath.
Good thing Kaguya didn't pull a prank on them. She has a tendency to do so whenever she gets the chance.
"What's up?" Shidou asked, trying to act composed, but the thought of him being close to Shiori even if there's a tall wall that separates them makes him flushed.
"Well, I was just wondering… if you could accompany me… the day after tomorrow." Shiori said.
Shidou didn't quite get what she meant. "Okay…? But we can all go together, so-" He was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
"No, Shidou… there's a place that… I wanted to go… with you… alone…" Shiori said in a low voice, but enough for him to catch.
"Okay…?"
"D-Don't misunderstand! T-T-This isn't a d-date or something!" Shiori said.
"I wasn't trying to…" Shidou said.
Shiori popped a nerve. "You blockhead…" She said in a low voice.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"N-No! I didn't! Stop asking me weird questions!" Shiori said. Her face's getting redder by just talking to Shidou.
Shidou didn't reply to her and just sighed in disappointment. Yep, disappointment.
"Hey, Shidou…?" Shiori called.
"Hmm?"
"This trip… is a way for me to recover my memories… right?" She said.
Shidou froze. Seems like he can't hide anything from her. Add that he's bad at keeping secrets and lying. Not like he's planning to hide it from her anyways.
"Well, you're only half correct. This was originally Tohka's plan, right before you transferred." Shidou answered.
Shiori frowned for a bit, but looked on the brighter side and smiled. "Is that so…?"
"What's wrong?"
Shiori tensed up for a bit. "N-No, it's nothing." She said. "I'm heading out now." She then rose from the water.
"Ah, I'll go out as well." Shidou said and did the same. "I'll see you outside, I wanna talk to you more for a bit."
Shiori's cheeks went red after hearing Shidou's word. Good going.
"O-Okay, I'll see you later." Shiori said and went back inside the changing rooms.
~o~O~o~
Shiori got out of the bath and saw Shidou sitting on a bench near the Ping-Pong table. Tohka and the others have gone to their respective rooms already as it's past eight already, and they've got a big day tomorrow, so they can't afford to be sleep deprived.
"So, Shidou, what did you want to talk about?" Shiori said as she approached the young man sitting on the bench, who seemed to be spacing out a bit. "Shidou?"
Shidou was startled. "A-Ah, Shiori. You're here." He said and sighed in relief.
Shiori sat down beside him. "Come on, why are you so deep in thought?"
Shidou didn't say anything for a few moments. "It's about memories…"
Shiori's heart raced a little after hearing his words. "I'm sorry Shidou, I still don't-"
Shidou interrupted her before she could say more. "No, it's not about your... screw it, it's still about your memories… but I am referring to mine…"
Shiori raised an eyebrow. She doesn't have the slightest idea about what Shidou is talking about.
"Like you, I've also lost my memories. Memories of five years ago and beyond that, but I remembered a portion of them recently…" Shidou said.
Shiori somehow got the feeling of not wanting to hear any more of it, but she couldn't find her voice.
"The memories I've remembered weren't something you could derive happiness from." Shidou continued. "In fact, it gave me a lot of confusion and sadness, in which I could've wished that I shouldn't have remembered it in the first place."
Shiori's didn't answer.
"I don't want you to experience that kind of thing, so I've been having thoughts of preventing you from recovering your memories." Shidou said.
Shiori was surprised.
Shidou chuckled lightly. "I'm such a bad person, ain't I?"
But Shiori couldn't bring herself to get angry at Shidou. To her, he didn't say all of those words out of bad intentions, but instead, he said it out of concern. It's true that the memories she had could have bad experiences and worse, traumas.
But still, they're her memories. Forgetting or not wanting to remember your memories is like running away from your past, be it a good or bad one.
Shiori unconsciously placed her hand on top of Shidou's head and gave him a pat.
"S-Shiori…?"
It took her about ten seconds before realizing what she was doing, and blushed. But she didn't retreat.
"You know, Shidou…" Shiori said as she took her hand back and leaned on the backrest of the bench. "Even if it's a bad memory, I still would want to remember it. Because they're mine, and mine alone."
Shidou didn't understand why.
"I know you're already mentally asking why, but… I can't just run away from it for my own convenience." Shiori said. "It would be a cowardly act for me if I would want to forget or not remember my past just because something didn't work my way."
"Be it a good or bad memory, I still would want to remember it. It would be a proof for me that these memories were the reason why I am here, sitting beside you right now."
Shidou blushed from her last sentence. Shiori just realized what she just said and immediately looked away from him due to embarrassment.
"I-I-It's just a figure of speech! There's no deeper meaning on it, okay?!" Shiori said.
Shidou laughed at her.
"What's so funny?!"
Shidou tried to hold back his laughter by calming his stomach down. Wait, that doesn't make sense in a way.
"Sorry." Shidou said as he finally calmed himself down. "You're so strong, Shiori."
Shiori's embarrassment died down as she realized that Shidou's back to his normal composure. "Like you're the one to talk."
"Yeah, you're right. I should've known that your answer would be like that."
Shidou just laughed at himself, and Shiori did as well.
Their conversation continued and so the night as well. It was already half past nine when they realized what time it was already.
"Oh, it's already this late?" Shiori said as she noticed the time on the clock near the entrance of the bath. "I better get going now."
"Alright, goodnight, Shiori." Shidou said as he parted ways with Shiori and waved at her.
"Goodnight as well, Shidou~" Shiori said and winked at him, making the boy blush.
Shidou sighed in relief as Shiori disappeared from the bath lounge. Truth to be told, Shiori's a bit unpredictable. She does some things out of the ordinary and then returns to her usual self after a bit. Not like it's a bad thing, though Shidou couldn't shake off some uncertainties in his mind with regards to her.
'I guess I'm just being overly conscious about it…'
With those thoughts, he went back to his room.
~o~O~o~
Shidou got back in his room. But there was something weird going on in the room. He could smell a sweet fragrance spread around, in which he wondered if he was using something like a perfume or an air freshener.
But no, he doesn't remember doing that.
At the same moment, he realized that he wasn't alone in his room, again. There she is, sitting on Shidou's bed, smiling at him the moment he entered the room.
And also, he realized that the sweet smell belongs to her.
"Did you use some kind of air freshener in this room, Kurumi?" Shidou asked the girl on the bed.
Yes, it was Tokisaki Kurumi, or also known as Nightmare. She's wearing her casual one piece dress, with her hair tied in an uneven length, and her bangs covering her left eye.
"That's rude, Shidou-san. It's the perfume I just bought earlier." Kurumi said as she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm surprised. Where are you getting your funds?"
Kurumi tensed up a bit.
Shidou had gotten suspicious with her actions.
"I-I have my own ways. You do not think that I do not know anyone aside from you guys in the whole world, right?" She tried to give an excuse.
Shidou didn't seem to be convinced with her answer, but he has no proof that she's not saying the truth.
"Okay then. Please refrain from using that inside my room."
Kurumi nodded and sighed in relief.
"And please refrain from barging in my room whenever you get the chance! I don't know what to do if someone finds you here."
Kurumi didn't say anything and just stuck her tongue out as she walked to the window.
"Geez, for crying out loud…" He said and sat down on bed. "So, what brings you here now? It hasn't been even a day since you were gone."
Kurumi didn't say anything as she just opened the windows and let the wind enter the room. The lights inside the room were turned off, so the moonlight illuminated the dark room.
"The night seems to be going a little restless…" Kurumi muttered.
Shidou didn't quite hear what Kurumi just said. "Hmm? Did you say something?"
"Nope. I didn't." Kurumi said as she swung her head. "I'll be on my way, Shidou-san. Good night~" She winked at the boy and disappeared.
Shidou sighed and lied down on his bed. It's a bit uncomfortable that Kurumi tries to break in her room every time he's in here, but he didn't hate her company. In fact, he does like it. Just the continuous sneaking of hers isn't a good thing.
After a few moments, he fell asleep.
~o~O~o~
Fire.
There's a large fire. A sea of fire.
I could see the flames in below from where I am sitting, from a high ground, burning everything it touches. I don't know what caused this. It's burning everything to ashes.
I can't stand the sight of it.
I turn to the left side; it's the same. The fire is eating away everything.
What could've happened?
I turn to the right side. There is no difference. Raging flames are everywhere, destroying everything.
I turn around, and I realized that I'm not alone. There is this girl, wearing a combination of black and white dress, along with a rose bowtie. She's wearing a rose headband as well, with her eyes under her dark hair.
But the important thing that I noticed about her is, she is holding a gun, and it is pointed towards me.
I do not know what's going on. First, there's fire everywhere. Second, there's a girl pointing a gun towards my head.
But surprisingly, I don't feel threatened at all. I'm only nervous.
Her finger moved to the gun's trigger, and I suddenly feel numb. I couldn't move a single muscle, and I couldn't say anything as I stare at the girl's face.
But still, why don't I feel threatened?
Her lips moved, but I can't comprehend whatever she's saying, because I could not hear a single thing. My mind is blank, my body is numb, and my voice is gone. I'm a hopeless person.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
There's no way I can survive this.
But still, why don't I feel threatened?
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
I haven't fulfilled my promise to her yet.
Promise? What promise? And a promise to who?
I don't know what that promise is, nor the person I made a promise with. Why did I think such things all of a sudden?
And in an instant, my vision became black.
~o~O~o~
It has ended.
~o~O~o~
.
.
.
Chapter 07: Reminiscence
5:00AM.
Shidou woke up earlier than usual. His room's still dark, and the sun outside doesn't seem to be up yet. He closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep, but no, it seems like he couldn't.
Being a morning person does have its perks, but losses as well. Take this one as an example.
He sat up on his bed and stretched his arms up to ease the stiffness of his body from sleep. He can't afford to have body pains today because they have a big day ahead of them.
He was about to get out of his bed when he felt something block his lower body from under the sheets. He grabbed that something from above the sheets and felt a soft sensation on his palm.
"Huh?"
At the same moment, he heard something, like a moan. He squeezed whatever he was touching on his palm to check it once more.
"Ahn~"
In an instant, he took his hand back and pulled the sheets out of the bed. And there, he saw someone else than him on the bed.
"K-K-K-K-Kurumi?!"
Shidou instinctively jumped out of the bed.
The girl named Kurumi slowly sat up on the bed as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Oh, it's morning already?" She then directed her attention to Shidou.
"Good morning, Shidou-san~" Kurumi greeted.
"Good Morning too… NOT! What the heck are you doing here again?! And why were you sleeping next to me?!"
Kurumi chuckled.
"Now, now, spare me the little details, Shidou-san. As far as I'm concerned, you did good last night~" She said and winked at the flustered boy.
"Screw your teasing because I remember everything last night, so you're not tricking me today." Shidou said as he crossed his arms and sighed.
Kurumi clicked her tongue. "You're no fun, Shidou-san."
"Your fun is giving me a heart attack, in case you didn't know." Shidou said. "So, what's your business here again? I hope that you're not going to say that it's a hobby for you now to hang around here."
Kurumi chuckled a little. "Well, you're half-correct, but I have a different thing to discuss with you today."
Shidou decided to let 'that one' slide for now, and listened to whatever Kurumi's about to say. It seems pretty important, unless it's going to be another prank of hers, then he'll throw her out of the room for good.
"Mind if you accompany me to a walk, Shidou-san?" Kurumi requested.
Shidou hesitated for a bit, but decided to comply with her request.
"Okay, give me a minute."
~o~O~o~
Around five-thirty in the morning, Shidou and Kurumi went out of the hotel. The staff didn't even question Kurumi for leaving the hotel without logging out, making Shidou wonder why.
The skies were still a little dark, but the sun seems to be rising already. They were walking down the streets, not saying a word to each other. Kurumi's leading the way, while Shidou's just following her, not knowing where their destination is.
"Hey, Kurumi, where are we going?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi didn't reply as she just kept her pace with a smile on her lips. Shidou knew that Kurumi wouldn't tell her anything, so he gave up on that idea and just stayed behind her.
After a short moment, they arrived at a nearby park. It's still early in the morning so there's nobody around them yet.
Kurumi sat down on a bench, with Shidou following her and sat down beside her. Shidou turned to Kurumi and saw that her eyes were closed, almost like she's asleep.
"Hey, don't fall asleep on me now!" Shidou said as he shook the inattentive girl.
Kurumi pushed Shidou away in an instant. "I am not asleep, Shidou-san."
Shidou sighed in disbelief. He was wondering if Kurumi's tired, but immediately disregarded that thought because he knew that spirits don't get tired that easily.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Shidou decided to break the ice.
The place turned silent as Kurumi didn't answer in return. Shidou didn't say anything and just waited for Kurumi to speak. The girl was just looking at the not-so-dark skies, like admiring the scenery above her.
"Say, Shidou, did I ever mention to you what my goal is?" Kurumi asked while staring above the skies.
Shidou tried to recall if she ever mentioned anything like that. As far as he could remember, she did mention that she had a goal, which she wanted to devour him because of his power, but she didn't say any details about it.
"Well, I only remember you saying that you have one, but you never mentioned anything about it." Shidou said.
Kurumi smiled.
"Well, then, Shidou-san, please listen carefully to what I'm going to say."
Shidou gulped. Seems like that he's about to discover something big.
"My goal is, to travel back 30 years in time to kill the first spirit who appeared in the world, the very same spirit that brought about every spirit that has followed."
Shidou's sweat dropped. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Kurumi travelling back to the past? That's something he thought to be absurd, but judging that her angel's power is related to time, that thought was overruled.
"For what reason…?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi didn't answer that one. It seems like she's having doubts about telling Shidou the reason, as she knew that he would definitely interfere with her plans.
"I… I'll tell you some other time, Shidou-san. Now's not a good time." She replied as she looked away from the blue-haired boy.
"O-Okay." Shidou said nervously. "Anyway, how are you going to do that?"
"Zaphkiel's twelfth bullet, Yud Bet, has the ability to allow me or someone to travel back in the past." Kurumi said. "But of course, it doesn't come for free. It consumes a great amount of time that I have in stock."
"I see…" Shidou quietly said. He gave a simple thinking about Kurumi what just said, and realized what she was implying. "Then, the 'you' in the future used that power to send Shiori in here?"
"Yes, and that's why it bothers me too much." Kurumi said.
Shidou didn't quite get why. "Why so?"
"Sending someone to the past with Yud Bet requires a lot of time in my part, and so keeping them in that time as well." Kurumi explained. "Like I said, it doesn't come for free. You don't get to stay there for too long."
"So, when you run out of time for that ability, that person will be sent back to the present?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi nodded. Shidou tried to give more thoughts about Kurumi's explanation. He couldn't seem to get the Easter egg in her story, and Kurumi realized this as well.
"Can I ask something, Shidou-san?" Kurumi said. Shidou gave his consent to her by nodding. "When did Shiori appear before you…?"
Shidou dived in his memories to recall the answer. As far as he remembers, Shiori transferred to Raizen two days before their summer vacation starts, but she said that she arrived at Tenguu City three days prior to that day, so she's already in this timeline for two weeks.
"She transferred to Raizen two days before summer vacation starts, which is last two Thursdays, but she arrived at Tenguu City three days prior to that, which is Monday."
Kurumi was surprised with Shidou's answer. She didn't expect that Shiori was already in this timeline for too long.
"She's already staying in this world for that long?!" Kurumi said like she couldn't believe what she just said.
Shidou raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
"Are you even listening to what I said earlier, Shidou-san? That sending someone to the past and letting them stay there doesn't come for free?"
It was the time when Shidou realized what Kurumi was saying, and the main topic of what they're discussing. Shiori is already in this timeline for two weeks, so that means, the 'Kurumi' who sent her here must be continuously expending her time to keep her in here. Which is why Kurumi couldn't believe it.
"Then, does that mean, the 'you' in the future is continuously using her own time to keep Shiori here?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi nodded. "Exactly, but that's not the main issue here, Shidou-san. For two weeks and continuously using Yud Bet, even if I swallow all the people in Japan, no, in the whole continent, is not enough to sustain that time."
Even for Shidou, he knew what Kurumi was saying. But what bothered him was where the 'Kurumi' from the future got the time to keep Shiori in this timeline, not to mention for two weeks and counting.
"Couldn't the 'you' from the future sent her here permanently?" Shidou speculated.
Kurumi looked away. That thought didn't cross her mind, because all she knew was Yud Bet only sends someone to the past temporarily.
"Well, I can't say that it's impossible. It's just… even I myself don't know how to-" Kurumi's eyes widened as if she saw something unexpected and in an instant, she disappeared.
"Kurumi?!" Shidou called out, but Kurumi didn't show up.
He didn't know why Kurumi suddenly ditched him out like that until he heard a voice coming from behind him.
"Shidou?"
Shidou turned around and saw a girl with long, blue hair, wearing a casual yellow one piece dress. She was wearing a hat, supposedly to protect herself from the sun, but it's yet to rise up.
"Shiori? What are you doing here?" Shidou asked.
Shiori walked closer. "Well, I was just taking a morning walk; I didn't expect to bump on you here though." She said and sat down beside Shidou. "More importantly, was someone in here? It seems like you were talking to someone earlier."
Shidou was about to say yes when he suddenly felt nervous about it. Yes, there's nothing wrong about him revealing that he was with someone but for some reason, he didn't feel comfortable with it.
"A-Ah, no, I was alone." Shidou said.
Shiori looked at him suspiciously, which unnerved Shidou a little.
"Alright, then." Shiori said. "What are you doing here anyway? It's still early in the morning."
"I just happen to wake up early, and I didn't want to go back to sleep, so I decided to get some fresh air."
It was the truth. Except for the last part though, probably.
"Is that so? What a coincidence then, I happen to do the same." Shiori said and smiled at Shidou.
Shidou laughed out nervously. He just dodged one bullet. He had a feeling that he should keep his current relationship, not in a romantic way, with Kurumi for now.
~o~O~o~
It was already around seven in the morning when they got back to the hotel. Tohka and the others didn't seem to be awake yet, so Shidou and Shiori decided to stay in the hotel's cafeteria for breakfast. They didn't talk that much; mostly only about what to do later when Tohka and the others are ready to go.
And judging those girls, they would probably get up around nine or ten. Shidou and Shiori both know it.
"Say, Shiori…" Shidou called in a low voice.
"What's up, Shidou?"
Shidou bit his lip for a moment, hesitating to ask the question he had in mind. Shiori noticed it and decided to encourage him.
"You can ask me anything, I won't get mad, I promise." Shiori said, almost like she knew what Shidou was about to ask.
Shidou sighed in relief.
"Say, hypothetically, if you learned that you're not from this world… what would you do…?"
Shiori remained silent and just stared at Shidou.
"A-Ah, it's just a hypothesis… so-"
"See, that was easy, right?" Shiori then gave him a smile.
Shidou didn't get what she meant. No, he probably did, but he just mistook it for something else.
"Of course, that thought crossed my mind already. If I had to piece everything that happened in the past days, that's the only conclusion I could get."
Shidou's eyes widened in surprise.
"But of course, me coming from another world is not the problem." Shiori said. "You probably know what I'm trying to say, right?"
Shidou nodded. "It's how you got in to this world, right?"
"Exactly, and that's why I need my memories back to know what happened in my world." Shiori said and smiled. "So I'll be counting on you, Shidou!"
Seeing Shiori brightened up, all of Shidou's worry got flushed away like a river. In fact, he was worrying over nothing. But now, he wouldn't hesitate, and will do everything just to bring her memories back.
"Of course, you can count on me."
~o~O~o~
On the rooftop of the hotel where Shidou and the others were staying, there's a girl, wearing a black, one piece dress, with her tied in two locks down straight, staring at the rising sun from where she's standing. Clichéd it might be, she actually likes this kind of view, especially if she's with a certain someone. But that's not going to happen right now.
She sighed.
"…You know, you're letting half of your happiness out if you sigh that long." A voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
The girl turned around and saw a woman with silverish-purple hair who seemed to be in her late thirties, wearing some sort of uniform in which she didn't identify, standing few meters behind her.
"Ara, if I may ask, who might you be?"
"…Murasame Reine. I'm a friend of Shin... or should I say, Shidou." The older woman introduced. "…No need to introduce yourself, I already know who you are, Tokisaki Kurumi."
Yes, the girl is Tokisaki Kurumi. Codenamed by the AST and Ratatoskr as Nightmare, deemed to be the cruelest spirit of all times.
"Okay then." Kurumi said. "So, what do you want from me?"
Reine opened her PDA before talking again. "…I overheard your conversation with Shin earlier, and I want you to look at this." She then handed her PDA to Kurumi.
Kurumi accepted the PDA and took a look on what's inside. It shows an image of Shiori and various types of graphs, in which she didn't really get what it was.
"I don't get a single thing about this." Kurumi said as she gave the PDA back to Reine.
"…Figures." Reine said as she took the PDA back. "…In a nutshell, the information you saw in this device was everything to know about Shiori."
Kurumi remained silent.
"…It has many things to mention, but if I were to point out the most important thing, it would be that Shiori didn't have any traces of Reiryoku in her, or so I should assume."
Kurumi's eyes widened, unbelievably surprised.
"Then, does that mean, she's not really from another world, but in here?" Kurumi asked.
Reine swung her head. "…I won't jump to any conclusions. There are other possibilities."
"Did you tell Shidou-san about this?"
Reine swung her head once more.
"Mysteries are popping one after another, huh…?" Kurumi said to herself. "Will you continue to investigate this matter?"
Reine smiled at the spirit girl. "…Of course. I plan to unveil this mystery, for Shidou and Shiori's sake."
"I appreciate it."
~o~O~o~
It was already around 10:00AM when Shidou and the others got out for their sightseeing. They're seeing a lot of people on streets carrying stuff like decorations and lightings. Some of them were hanging lanterns on the sidewalk.
"The people here sure are busy…" Tohka said as she observed the people around them. "I wonder what's going on."
"Ah, that? There's a festival tonight, that's why." Shidou said.
Tohka's eyes sparkled. Oh no, not just Tohka. Kaguya and the others except for Shiori and Yoshino did as well. Shidou knew what they wanted from him.
Though they came unprepared for that event, there's always some hacks to get over with it.
"Okay, okay, we can go tonight." Shidou said.
"Yay!"
Shidou just sighed at them. Not like he's opposed to that idea though. In fact, he kinda saw that coming. They still have a lot of time before the festival starts, but it's not enough for the plans that he came up yesterday. The island is huge, and if they move in a single party, there won't be enough time to visit all the places that he planned to visit. Add that the girls might have a place that they wanted to go to that could not be in his list.
"So guys… I've made plans for us today, but if there's somewhere you-"
He didn't manage to end his sentence.
"They already left, Shidou." Tohka said. There's just three of them on the spot; Him, Tohka, and Shiori.
Well he somehow expected it.
"I could understand Kaguya and Yuzuru, but Miku and Yoshino?" Shiori asked.
Tohka scratched her cheek. "A-Ah, that… Kaguya dragged her away… for some reason."
"I-I see…" Shiori chuckled nervously, as if she knew what Tohka was talking about. Actually, she indeed knew about it.
"Yoshino seemed to be pretty close with Miku. She followed her on her own will." Tohka said.
Shidou wondered how, or when did that happen, but he couldn't guess. Not like he's opposed to the thought though. In fact, he's happy for Yoshino.
"Alright then, it's a waste of time to stay here. Any places you want to visit?" Shidou asked.
Shiori shrugged. "I'm unfamiliar with this place, so I'll let you lead the way." She then chuckled a little.
"Aye! I saw an amusement park earlier! Let's go there!" Tohka said as she dragged Shiori with her.
"A-Ah, wai-" Shiori didn't manage to end her protests as Tohka dragged her.
Shidou just sighed and then smiled at the two girls running away. He didn't bother chasing them as he knew where the place Tohka mentioned earlier.
~o~O~o~
"Shidou! You're slow!" Tohka pouted as Shidou appeared in front of the Amusement park's entrance. Shiori's still trying to catch her breathing; well, who wouldn't get tired after getting dragged by a supernatural strength.
"You're just too fast. Look at Shiori, she couldn't even breathe properly."
Shiori raised her hand and smiled awkwardly at the two. "I… I'm f-fine…"
"Your face says the otherwise." Shidou remarked.
Tohka coughed to get their attention. "Anyways, let's go inside!"
This time, she didn't just drag Shiori; Shidou was included. Good thing that Tohka didn't need to run as the entrance's just right before them.
"Woah, this place is packed." Shidou said as he entered the area.
Yep, the place is crowded. But not at the point that the rides had very long lines. Most people were just wandering around, taking pictures or something like that.
"Shidou, Shidou! Let's ride that!" Tohka said as she kept on pointing to a certain ride.
Shidou turned to whatever Tohka was pointing to and learned that it was the roller coaster. Shiori's face turned blue after seeing the ride as she was awkwardly smiling at the ride.
"Roller coaster right off the bat?" Shidou asked. Well, this is Tohka we're talking about. Her crazy antics are unstoppable. "What about you Shi-"
Shidou didn't even complete his sentence as the answer he was looking for was written all over Shiori's face. He couldn't describe it with longer words other than "She's screwed".
"O-Oi, Tohka-"
"Hey, what are you two waiting for? Let's go, or the line will get longer!" Tohka said as she grabbed Shidou and Shiori by their hands and dragged them with her towards the said ride before they could protest for their safety.
~o~O~o~
After around fifteen minutes of waiting on line, the three high schoolers got in the coaster. Shidou and Shiori was sitting together while Tohka was in front of them. Shidou turned to Shiori, and noticed that her blue face was already purple, ready to faint at any moment.
"T-Tohka, this looks like a bad idea…" Shidou whispered to the girl in front of her.
"What, Shidou? You're scared or something?" Tohka said with a poker face.
"Please don't say that with that kind of face."
Shiori didn't say anything. She was mumbling stuff that seemed to be incomprehensible for humans.
After a few moments, the operator signalled them that they will start in a short while. Hearing this, Shiori froze like a statue, with her hands clasped tightly on the armrest of the seat. It's obvious that she's nervous, in a level off the charts.
"T-Tohka, Shiori doesn't look too well…" Shidou warned.
Tohka turned to Shiori and saw what Shidou described Shiori as. "E-Eh… you should've told me earlier! We can't get off now."
"You of all people should know that you dragged us he-"
Shidou was interrupted as the ride started. The people around them cheered, ready to have a blast with this intensively massive attraction. As for Shiori, well, let's just say she's not doing well.
And in a few moments…
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Everyone who were riding with them screamed like there's no tomorrow as the coaster ran down in a ridiculous speed. Shidou grabbed on the armrest tighter as he felt the intense sensation of the shaking, the wind hitting his face, and the insane speed of the coaster. In all honesty, he's not fond of these rides, but that doesn't mean he hates it. It's just, he never got the chance, nor bothered to ride one, until Tohka dragged him.
As the ride continued, he felt something grab onto his hand. He turned his attention to it and saw Shiori gripping on him tightly, with her eyes closed.
'Shiori?' Shidou wondered as he stared at the blue-haired girl beside him. In his perspective, Shiori would pass out at any moment.
But there's nothing that could help her aside from the ride finishing its course.
~o~O~o~
"Woooh, that was a blast!" Tohka said as she stepped out of the coaster.
Shidou got out of the ride while assisting Shiori. She looked like a withered vegetable, and her soul's almost leaving out of her body.
"I'mneverridingthisthingagain… I'mneverridingthisthingagain… I'mneverridingthisthingagain…"
Shidou could hear Shiori's silent mumbling and just sighed in disbelief. He felt bad for Shiori, really. Anyone would, except for Tohka, probably.
Not only that, Shiori looks like she's about throw up.
"Ugh…" At the same moment, Shiori passed out.
"Shiori seems to be out of the game already." Shidou said as he led Shiori to a bench and lied her down slowly.
"What should we do? We can't leave Shiori here all alone." Shidou said.
Tohka crossed her arms. "Hmmm, if only Kaguya and the others were here-"
She interrupted herself as she saw a group of four girls wandering around. And not just random girls, Tohka knew them well.
"Kaguya! Yuzuru! Yoshino! Miku!" Tohka called as she waved her arms upward, which got the group's attention.
'That was surprisingly convenient.' Shidou thought and sighed awkwardly in relief.
The four girls approached them and greeted them.
"Woah, Shidou, Tohka, and Shiori!" Kaguya said as she saw them. "I was wondering where you guys disappeared earlier."
Shidou almost popped a nerve from her comment. "You were the ones who left us behind, if I may correct you."
Kaguya stuck her tongue out. Obviously, she's messing with him.
"Ask. What happened to Shiori?" Yuzuru asked as she stared at the soulless girl on the bench.
"A-Ah, we just got out of the roller coaster." Shidou pointed at the ride they just cleared. "You know what that means."
In a brief moment, Kaguya and Yuzuru's eyes sparkled, and Shidou noticed it. He's got a bad feeling about it, since these two have the same crazy tendencies like Tohka.
Either way, he didn't stop them. He doesn't have a right to do so since it's their fun, not his.
"Want to give it a go?" Kaguya asked the group.
"I'm up for another round!" Tohka said.
"Accept. Bring it on." Yuzuru said.
Yoshino and Miku looked opposed to the thought, but they didn't decline. They did come here in the amusement park for these attractions, and it would be a waste not to enjoy them.
"You guys have fun around here. I'll keep an eye out on Shiori." Shidou said as he sat down on the space on the bench that Shiori didn't occupy. She's still out cold, by the way.
"Geh, she looks like crap. Is she bad at these rides?" Kaguya asked.
"Seems like it. Even I wouldn't recommend something like this right away."
Tohka chuckled nervously after Shidou's comment.
~o~O~o~
Flames.
Fires everywhere.
I'm back at this scenery. Yes, this is not the first time that I've seen something like this. It may be a little vivid, but I remember this event.
This is a dream. A dream that I've seen before, but in a different location.
The cause of the fire? I don't remember. That information slipped out of my mind long ago.
But maybe, I can recover it right here.
I look around, and found out that nobody aside I is here. Figured that much. I won't be able to know what I want to know that easily.
I stood up and walked around. The flames are eating away the things they touch until they are reduced to ashes. No soul could be found around aside my own.
This place is devoid of life.
I looked up to the skies; the stars could not be seen even though it's already night time. Instead, the only things I see are falling stars.
Falling stars, yes. But now I took a closer look to it, they're no ordinary falling stars. In fact, they are NOT falling stars.
Burning planes, meteors, etc.
Countless burning objects are falling from the sky, but it never hit me.
I tried to run away, but I suddenly feel like my body is not cooperating with me completely. My pace remained the same. And that's when I realized that I have no control over my body. The only thing I could do is watch the scene playing in front of me. This is like, reminiscing the memories.
But, could I really call this a memory? What if, this event is just an illusion played by my own doubts and uncertainties?
Several questions popped one after another inside my mind, and I couldn't think of anything. Add that I even can't move my arms to grip my head nor cover my vision, it's a complete torture.
Before I knew it, I found myself in a familiar place. The place where my previous dream has started. This is a complete replay of the dream.
And I knew that, there is someone behind me right now.
My body turned around, and indeed, there is someone. She wears the same outfit, and doing the same action as before. She's pointing her gun towards me.
I know what will happen. I completely know it.
Her lips started to move. Of course, I expected that the same thing will happen as well. I can't possibly hope for a better outcome.
But, the next event completely blew my entire expectations.
"Don't worry…"
I could hear her voice as she speaks. This is something new.
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't.
"No matter what happens… No matter what you will do… I will always be on your side…"
What?
On my side? I could understand it if she said 'by your side', but I'm sure I didn't hear it wrong.
I really want to say something, damnit! I have too many questions to ask her, but nothing here is in favour of me.
"I will always, always choose to be your ally…"
…
"Like how you chose me… over the world."
TO BE CONTINUED...