anwhile, far away on the outskirts of Tengu City, inside the fallen Fraxinus—
"What… exactly is going on here…"
Kotori, who was using a fire extinguisher to put out the fires burning among the equipnt on the bridge, stared at the image on the screen and anxiously gritted her teeth.
Although they had suffered the Demon King's attack and the entire airship was now almost completely paralyzed, fortunately, the worst-case scenario—a large scale explosion of the Realizers—had not occurred.
Worried about the situation at High Platform Park, Kotori had ordered her subordinates to urgently repair a terminal connected to the observation devices there.
Through the image displayed on it, everyone aboard witnessed the worst possible scene—Mikoto had inversed.
"What in the world happened? Did that guy Shido fail to protect Mikoto?"
Kotori anxiously imagined what might have happened.
"No… that does not seem to be the case. According to the data transmitted from the observation device, right up until the second before the inversion occurred, Mikoto's affection toward Shin, as well as her emotional value, were both gradually rising."
Reine operated the scorched terminal as she spoke.
Although Fraxinus had been shot down, the observation device floating independently of the airship had still faithfully preserved all data from the entire process.
"How is that possible?"
Kotori said in disbelief.
If there had been no situation severe enough to be called despair, why had Mikoto suddenly inversed?
"This is only speculation… but it may have sothing to do with Mikoto's identity as soone who crossed over from another world."
Reine thought for a mont before speaking.
"Explain."
Although the situation was urgent, Kotori and the others could no longer do anything to help Shido directly. Besides, she felt that if they did not understand the cause, things would only get worse.
"There is more than one possible explanation. First, according to Shin, who ca back from the future, the inversed Mikoto once said, 'The current you cannot awaken her.' I found myself wondering—why would Mikoto refer to herself as 'her,' rather than ''? Could it be…"
"The consciousness of that inverse form isn't Mikoto herself."
Kotori imdiately understood what Reine ant.
"Exactly. However, unlike Yoshino, Mikoto does not have a dual personality. Then could we consider the possibility that the inversed 'Mikoto' is a different person sharing the sa body as Mikoto?"
"Tsukuyomi!"
Kotori gritted her teeth and looked toward the screen.
At that mont, the Demon King who had beco the sun was rampaging through High Ground Park. Together with Origami and Ellen, she had driven Shido and the others into an enormous crisis.
"Tsukuyomi is one of the Three Noble Gods in Japanese mythology. If she is truly such an existence, then it is not difficult to imagine that she possesses a thod to resist the rule breaking act of 'changing history.'"
Reine continued:
"As for another possibility, Kotori should have noticed Mikoto's Astral Dress and Angel."
"Yeah. I saw it. The inverse form and Mikoto herself are practically like her Astral Dress and Angel have been swapped." (TL:Oh~? never think of it that way)
Kotori nodded.
According to Mikoto, the girl's Astral Dress ca from Amaterasu's Yasakani no Magatama, the embodint of the sun. Her Angel ca from Tsukuyomi's Yata no Kagami, the embodint of the moon.
However, the inversed Mikoto was the complete opposite. Her Angel had beco the sun, while her Astral Dress had beco the moon.
"Kotori should still rember that Mikoto once used Tsukuyomi to block Kurumi's Seventh Bullet, Zayin."
"Yeah."
Kotori nodded. Reine continued:
"That proves Tsukuyomi possesses a ans to oppose the laws of ti. If Mikoto's Astral Dress is Tsukuyomi…"
"Then the Astral Dress protected Mikoto as an inverse form!"
Kotori looked at the screen and spoke bitterly.
If Mikoto's Astral Dress was Tsukuyomi, then theoretically, it absolutely possessed the conditions necessary to "reject" temporal interference.
"Of course, it is also possible that the sun like Demon King itself has the ability to 'reject' changes to history."
Reine concluded.
At this point, there were several possible explanations for why Mikoto had inversed without any warning.
The reason was simple: Tsukuyomi, who had taken on an inverse form, possessed a ans to oppose the foul ability known as "changing history."
Looking at the inversed Mikoto on the screen, Kotori no longer knew what to say.
Tsukuyomi, which defended everything through rejection.
And Takamagahara (Amaterasu), which destroyed everything through rejection.
That was precisely the most typical combat form for a Spirit: wearing the Astral Dress as armor, and wielding the Demon King as a weapon.
It was as if—that inverse form itself was the true Spirit.
On the other side, Shido had no ti to analyze the cause of Mikoto's inversion.
All he knew was that the current situation could only be described as the worst possible developnt.
Two inverse Spirits, plus an airship.
The only fortunate thing was that Origami was using most of her wings to oppose the divine realm, while that airship also seed to be targeting Mikoto.
That at least diverted most of the firepower. If all three sides aid at him and the Spirits…
[I have no confidence we'd survive…]
Shido thought, breaking out in a cold sweat.
As for Mikoto—
The girl was simply continuing to expand her divine realm.
Even so, the ever-growing sun was constantly compressing everyone's range of movent. Shido believed that before long, they would have no choice but to flee High Platform Park.
Countless wings assaulted the golden divine realm, but the black lasers were completely erased the instant they touched the barrier.
On the other side, although the airship's bombardnt possessed overwhelming firepower, after having one shot reflected by the magatama, it had fallen into a state where it no longer dared to fire at full strength.
Neither side could do anything to Mikoto.
At present, the girl was safe.
But that was not purely a good thing…
[How am I supposed to get close to her?]
Shido thought anxiously.
Although the most correct choice right now should have been to seize the chance while Mikoto was firmly holding Origami's attention, then rush over and seal Origami first…
For so reason, Shido felt that he could not simply leave Mikoto alone like this.
It was not that there was no thod.
However, that thod required him to wager his life.
[What, if it's only that much…]
Shido clenched his fist hard.
In the next instant, the night took solid form. He stepped onto the land of the divine realm and ran toward Mikoto, who was floating in the sky.
"Guh…"
The mont he entered that golden divine realm, a terrifying pain strong enough to make him faint spread through his entire body.
It was the warning from his body, which was being forced to bear the burden of using Tsukuyomi to resist Takamagahara.
"Yakumo-senpai…"
But he could not stop.
He had to reach Mikoto's side.
That was the only thought in Shido's mind.
[!!!]
At that mont, "Mikoto" turned her head, and their gazes t.
Shido saw Mikoto raise one hand.
In the next instant, as though Takamagahara had concentrated all of its power on a single point, Tsukuyomi began to crack apart at once.
[This is bad!]
At this rate, Shido would be annihilated by that Demon King.
However, at this mont, he had no room left to resist.
[Am I… going to die here?]
As he felt Tsukuyomi breaking apart, that thought surfaced in Shido's heart for a single instant.
"As if… I could die hereeeeeee—!"
Even so, he would not give up.
He had to reach Mikoto's side.
He had to save that girl.
Until he accomplished that, he would never stop.
[Huh? That resolve isn't bad. The current you… might be able to save Mikoto.]
At that mont, an unfamiliar voice echoed inside Shido's mind.
(TL:ahhhhh this arc is playing with both my brain and my heart)
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