"Kurumi, you know Yutsuki?"
"Mhm~ Of course."
Kurumi nodded with a smile.
Having received an affirmative answer from Kurumi, Shido could no longer hide the anxiety in his heart and asked urgently:
"Then tell quickly, how is Yutsuki doing right now?! There's no problem, right?! Where is she now?! Why wasn't her Spirit power sealed in this world?! Why is she hiding her identity from everyone?! Does it have sothing to do with Origami becoming a Spirit? What on earth is wrong with this world—"
"Now~, that's enough~."
Tapping Shido's head with the butt of her flintlock pistol, Kurumi couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
"Calm down a bit, Shido-san. Throwing so many questions at all at once, I don't know how to answer either."
"S-Sorry..."
After calming down a bit, Shido lowered his head sowhat ashadly.
Ever since changing history, everything happening in this world deviated from Shido's mory. Because there was no one who shared the sa mories to discuss these problems with, Shido had been agonizing over them alone for the past two days. Now, seeing Kurumi, who shared his mories, he lost control of his emotions for a mont.
"It's fine. I can understand that Shido-san is very confused right now. After all, when a female friend you've been secretly falling for suddenly mysteriously disappears after you wake up, being so worried that you can't eat or sleep is only natural~"
"Cough, cough—Kurumi..."
"Just joking~"
Seeing Shido's embarrassed expression, a playful smile appeared on Kurumi's lips.
"First, let's answer the question Shido-san cares about the most.Yutsuki-san is currently safe and sound."
"I see..."
Hearing this answer, Shido's shoulders involuntarily relaxed, and he let out a long breath. No matter what happened, as long as Yutsuki was safe and sound, that was better than anything.
"Kurumi, does Yutsuki also have mories of the changed history like you do?"
After feeling relieved, Shido asked a question that had been bothering him for the past few days.
During these two days of investigation, although he hadn't fully figured out what exactly the Origami of this world had experienced, Shido had a general idea.
In all of this, Shido didn't see any factors that could affect Yutsuki's related history.
Maybe he missed sothing, but rather than changes caused by the butterfly effect of changing history, it seed more convincing that Yutsuki acted differently from history based on her own will.
"Yes, that's correct."
Kurumi nodded without denying it. Then, feeling slightly off, she tilted her head and corrected herself,
"Although she does have mories of the previous world,Yutsuki-san's situation is slightly different."
"What does that an?"
Kurumi shrugged and answered:
"Well, if you ask to explain, I don't know where to start either. But in my opinion, this isn't sothing Shido-san needs to be particularly worried about."
"?"
Shido scratched his hair in confusion. Although he was a bit concerned, since Kurumi said it was fine, Shido didn't ask further about it.
Rather, he had a more important question he wanted to ask right now.
"Since she has mories... then why did Yutsuki leave... why is she hiding her na from everyone?"
Saying this, Shido unconsciously pursed his lips, a bitter voice leaking from his mouth,
"Isn't here... her ho,aren't I..her family?"
"...Honestly, these two... saying the exact sa things..."
Kurumi muttered quietly to herself and sighed helplessly.
"Regarding this question, Shido-san, you should ask Yutsuki-san personally when you see her."
Hearing Kurumi's words, surprise appeared in Shido's eyes.
"Kurumi, do you know where Yutsuki is right now?"
"Mhm, I do." Kurumi nodded lightly and answered, "Yutsuki-san is currently in Tengu City."
Yutsuki is in Tengu City?
Shido felt his body tremble slightly as he bowed his head and pleaded with Kurumi:
"Please, Kurumi, can you take to see Yutsuki?"
"No, I can't."
Kurumi's words instantly plunged Shido's excited emotions back to the bottom of the valley.
"Even if you look at with such an aggrieved expression, I'm also in a difficult position, Shido-san." Kurumi shook her head with a bitter smile. "It's not that I don't want you to see Yutsuki-san, but even I only know that Yutsuki-san is staying in Tengu City. I don't know her exact location."
"You don't know either, Kurumi?"
"Yes, even all the '' distributed throughout the city can't find Yutsuki-san's whereabouts. Truly terrifying hiding skills."
"Is that so..."
Shido nodded, indicating he could accept this. In his impression, Yutsuki did possess many skills unrelated to Spirits, yet slightly deviating from everyday life. Disguise, voice changing... if she also used hacking techniques to infiltrate the city's surveillance caras, as long as Yutsuki didn't want to be seen, even Kurumi wouldn't be able to find her.
"Moreover, compared to Yutsuki-san, the issue Shido-san should be concerned about is Origami-san."
"Uh—"
Shido was instantly left speechless. Indeed, although Yutsuki's whereabouts were unknown, for now, there were no factors to worry about. On the contrary, on Origami's side, an inverted Spirit or sothing—couldn't be ignored as a minor issue at all.
"You're right, I was a bit confused."
After taking a deep breath, Shido gradually cald down and prepared to ask Kurumi again.
"Kurumi, do you know what happened to Origami—"
—"Satan."
At this mont, an ominous voice rang in Shido's ear.
Rewinding a few seconds—
After school, returning ho, Origami suddenly realized that the hairpin she wore on her head was missing.
Although it was just a cheap trinket and she could find the sa one in a store if she lost it. Because it was a gift from her deceased mother, it was a different story.
Retracing the route she rembered from school, she searched the school gate, hallways, classroom, shoe lockers, and everywhere else.
Finally, Origami arrived at the door to the rooftop where she talked with Itsuka Shido during lunch break.
"Ah—found it."
In a corner of the stairs, Origami found her hairpin.
Origami picked up the hairpin left on the ground, wiped the dust off it, and treasured it as she put it in her school uniform pocket.
It seems it dropped after her conversation with Shido. At that ti, knowing the other party was the younger brother of the boy from back then, and being asked out on a date, she panicked too much for a mont and didn't notice the hairpin falling.
"Eh?"
Through the glass of the window, Origami saw two figures on the rooftop.
One was her classmate, Itsuka Shido.
The other was the Spirit wearing a black-and-red dress, "Nightmare."
"————————————————!"
The instant she realized this fact.
Tobiichi Origami's vision was corroded by murky darkness.
Back to the present————
"Origami?!"
Turning around abruptly, Shido saw Tobiichi Origami standing at the door to the rooftop.
However, the current Origami was not the Origami who had talked to Shido earlier.
Countless dark particles resembling dust gathered towards Origami from the atmosphere. As if night had fallen prematurely around Origami, spiderweb-like darkness enveloped her.
The next mont, Tobiichi Origami changed into a pitch-black dress resembling mourning clothes.
"Astral Dress..."
Shido stared wide eyed at the attire on Origami.
An Astral Dress, the absolute armor guarding a Spirit.
Shido had seen this Astral Dress. Without a doubt, this was the Astral Dress worn by the inverted Origami in the world before history was changed.
Shido gritted his teeth and spoke sowhat bitterly.
"As I thought—Devil is you... Origami. Even after changing history, you weren't saved?"
"..."
Origami made no reply. No, strictly speaking, she probably didn't hear Shido's words at all. Those dull, lifeless eyes were currently staring straight in Kurumi's direction.
At the sa ti, the pitch black "wings" floating in the sky also pointed at Kurumi following Origami's gaze.
"—Kadour (Sword of Light)!"
Kurumi leaped into the air. Several beams of light fired from the tips of the wings struck the spot where Kurumi had been standing just monts before, destroying the school building, pushing straight to the guard fence, and bursting right through it.
"My, my—quite a rough greeting."
As she spoke, Kurumi pulled the trigger of the short gun in her hand. Instantly, bullets resembling black shadows shot from the muzzle, flying straight at Origami.
But the wings surrounding Origami ford a shield, blocking the incoming bullets.
The remaining wings, however, rushed in front of Kurumi, firing pitch-black lasers at the currently defenseless Kurumi.
Kurumi was absolutely certain—she would next be dismbered into scattered remains by this light and then die.
However—
"Kurumi—!"
Vaulting over the rooftop fence, Shido pushed off the ground, his feet miraculously bursting with imnse power, and lunged towards Kurumi.
Pulling Kurumi into his arms, Shido narrowly dodged Origami's ray.
"Shido-san!?"
Kurumi looked at Shido in astonishnt.
However, Shido had absolutely no ti to answer Kurumi right now. The wings floating in the air seed to notice Shido's presence. As if possessing intelligence, they swiftly flew towards Shido's direction.
Left with no choice, Shido gritted his teeth, preparing to use an Angel to stop Origami's attack.
"Co forth, Ratziel—"
However, Shido's voice stopped abruptly midway. Because at this mont, on his right wrist—that familiar dark blue bracer didn't appear in response to his prayer.
(Right... in this world... Yutsuki isn't by my side...)
Without the Spirit being sealed, Shido naturally couldn't use its power.
"Shido-san!"
"—!"
Kurumi's shout snapped Shido out of his montary daze. Origami's wings had already locked onto Shido and Kurumi, preparing to fire deadly rays of light.
"Deploy—Raphael! Zadkiel!"
As Shido's voice fell, ice walls condensed in the air, deflecting the pitch-black rays. At the sa ti, a whirlwind swept up dust and rose from the ground, gently catching the rapidly falling Shido and Kurumi and setting them safely on the ground.
"Gah—!"
Shido couldn't hold back a painful scream.
"Are you okay, Shido-san? Shido-san!"
Kurumi hurriedly supported Shido, asking anxiously.
"I'm... fine..."
Shido forced a smile, but that smile was uglier than crying.
Because he reacted a step too late, the ice shards created by Zadkiel didn't completely deflect Origami's attack. Part of the laser still grazed Shido's body, revealing mangled flesh and blood. The pain of having a whole patch of skin and flesh ground away was enough to make one faint.
Moreover, it wasn't just that. Without Ratziel's regulation, simultaneously using the powers of two Angels made Shido's body feel like it was in a furnace. Internal organs, bones, muscles—every part of his body was being torn apart by this terrifying power.
And at the sa ti, healing flas ignited around Shido, carrying a scalding burning sensation as they treated Shido's battered body.
"Phew..."
Taking a slow, deep breath, Shido looked up, staring at the Demon King in mid-air. It seed the other party had no intention of letting them go just like this.
"Bring it on..."
Shido said in a low voice.
[—Idiot.]
Suddenly, a voice ca from the loudspeakers on the school field.
[Railgun!]
"—!"
Although she didn't understand what this voice ant, the inverted Origami seed to sense danger. The wings originally pointing at Shido retracted to her side, gathering to form a shield.
The next instant, from far away, an orange-yellow beam of light shot over, accurately striking Origami.
"Th-This is..."
Looking at the familiar attack before him, Shido widened his eyes, his voice trembling involuntarily.
[What are you two still doing? Hurry up and retract your Astral Dress and Angel, she reacts to Spirit power.]
An anxious, urging voice of a girl ca from the loudspeakers.
"Shido-san."
"Mhm, I know..."
Hearing Kurumi's voice, Shido finally snapped back to reality and nodded weakly. Together with Kurumi, he retracted his Angel back into his body.
"———!"
As expected, after retracting the Angel and Astral Dress, the inverted Origami no longer paid attention to Shido and Kurumi.She dispersed the shield, her hollow eyes gazing far into the distance.
[Well then, Origami. Next, I'll be the one to play with you.]
A provocative remark ca from the loudspeaker.
BOOM BOOM BOOM——————————!
At the sa ti, at a building three kiloters away, a lightning bolt struck down from the sky as if making a demonstration.
"Spi... rit..."
After uttering a few slurred, dry syllables, the wings floating in the air gathered behind Origami, transforming into a pair of massive black wings. With a speed almost like teleportation, she flew in the direction of the lightning strike.
"Guh—"
When the injuries on his body were mostly healed, Shido left Kurumi's support and stood unsteadily.
"Shido-san, what are you..."
"Kurumi" asked in confusion.
"I have to go find her... Kurumi, the AST will be here soon. You should leave quickly too."
With his back to Kurumi, Shido said slowly,
"If possible, I don't want to see 'you' die again."
After saying that, Shido took staggering steps, hurrying in the direction the lightning struck.
(Yutsuki, I have so many things I want to talk to you about.I want to see you!)
...
"What do you think? The '' of the main body."
Looking at Shido's gradually disappearing figure, Kurumi spoke to her own shadow with a sowhat inexplicable tone,
"Shido-san and Yutsuki-san... they should both know that I'm just a clone created by the Eighth Bullet. Yet even so, I was saved."
After a long ti, a sigh ca from the shadow, speaking in a tone that was hard to tell whether it was reprimanding or grateful.
"It can't be helped, those two are absolute idiots."
User Comments
0 comments from readers