That night, as expected, Miku, who lost the competition, broke her promise out of humiliation and anger. Deploying her Angel—Gabriel—she brainwashed and controlled the audience, the Yamai sisters, Yoshino, and the others present. Although Yatogami Tohka escaped being brainwashed because she was wearing earphones and didn't hear Miku's singing, she was kidnapped by the suddenly appearing Ellen.
Just when Shido felt isolated and helpless, Yutsuki and Kurumi appeared before him. They expressed their willingness to help him rescue Tohka and conquer Miku.
"Kurumi, may I ask who she is?"
Seeing Yutsuki, Shido's expression looked sowhat confused. Obviously, he didn't recognize that the Yutsuki before him was the custor who had practically harassed him all afternoon at the maid café not long ago.
"Her—"
"Hacker. Just call that."
Suddenly interrupting Kurumi, Yutsuki took the initiative to speak.
"Hacker...?"
Hearing Yutsuki's answer, Shido felt slightly surprised. Because no matter how you looked at it, this wasn't a real na. However, it seed the other party didn't intend to tell him, and given the special circumstances, Shido didn't have the luxury to press the issue.
Seeing Yutsuki deliberately hiding her na from Shido, Kurumi widened her eyes in surprise. Then she seed to understand sothing, but didn't point it out. With an elegant smile, she said leisurely:
"Well, Shido-san, it's best not to underestimate Hacker-san. In a sense, she's an even more powerful Spirit than ."
"A Spirit?!"
(This girl really talks too much...)
Seeing the surprised expression Shido directed at her, Yutsuki glared at Kurumi in annoyance.
"Um..." After hesitating slightly, Shido bowed his head solemnly to Yutsuki. "Anyway, Hacker-san, thank you for being willing to help ."
Seeing the other party thank her so sincerely, Yutsuki couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
"Don't misunderstand. I only ca out to prevent my friends's hard earned ho from collapsing just like that. As for your captured princess, you'll have to figure that out yourself. Ha-rem-scum!"
"Eh?!"
"Pfft, haha—"
Seeing Yutsuki suddenly put on a disgusted expression, Shido was completely dumbfounded. And Kurumi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After that, the three of them discussed for a while and chose to split up into two groups.
Just like in the previous world, Kurumi and Shido were responsible for heading to Miku's house to investigate her; while Yutsuki went to persuade Izayoi Miku herself, who was currently throwing a childish tantrum.
Well, how to put it. After all, Yutsuki considered herself a fan of Miku, so she maintained the most peaceful approach possible to persuade her idol to undo the brainwashing on Yuzuru and Kaguya. But Miku didn't seem to appreciate it, and instead tried to use forceful thods to make Yutsuki her toy.
Left with no choice, although it was against her will, she used a certain level of physical negotiation, under the premise of not harming anyone.
As the saying goes, 'There is no problem that a Railgun can't solve. If there is—then fire another one'. The sensible Miku agreed to Yutsuki's request and very "happily" agreed to help Shido rescue Tohka.
Then, after regrouping with Kurumi and Shido, who had finished their investigation, they headed together to DEM's headquarters.
"Hm?"
While clearing out DEM's Wizards and drones, Yutsuki suddenly noticed an AST mber lying unconscious on the roof of a ruined building.
"Tobiichi Origami?"
After seeing clearly who it was, Yutsuki couldn't help but feel sowhat surprised.
The other party was currently unconscious, and the CR-Unit equipped on her body looked completely battered. Surprisingly, Origami herself didn't suffer any injuries, or rather, she had been healed.
(This Spirit power... is it Phantom?)
Just then, Ratziel suddenly detected that around the scene, there lingered faint Spirit power fluctuations identical to the mysterious Spirit seen in the previous world—Phantom.
(What is that person doing again?)
Undoubtedly, the Origami lying before her eyes was purely human right now, but for so reason, Yutsuki felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
(Forget it... I'll set it aside for now.)
Even if there really was sothing, it had nothing to do with her current self. Thinking this, Yutsuki sighed softly and moved Origami to a safe place.
After returning, DEM's Wizards and drones had already been mostly cleared out by Kurumi and the other Spirits, posing no threat. As for the AST who arrived later, considering they were only here due to their position and weren't so evil organization, Yutsuki instructed Kurumi and the others not to be too heavy-handed before infiltrating the DEM building alone.
Soon, she found Shido and Miku at the stairwell of an ergency exit.
"Guh—"
"Y-You, are you okay?"
"Well... this much is nothing."
The blue haired boy, holding an Angel resembling a greatsword, used it as a cane, struggling miserably to climb the stairs. Through the tears in his clothes, traces of pure white flas could be seen faintly burning at his wounds. From his sowhat twisted smile, one could tell the agonizing pain he was enduring.
(Well, even if he possesses the power of a Spirit, using it through a human body, breaking down is only natural.)
Yutsuki judged calmly.
In the previous world, at this point in ti, Yutsuki had already entrusted her power to Shido. With Ratziel precisely allocating and controlling the Spirit power, the burden on Shido was much smaller back then, yet he still endured imnse pain.
Although his breaking down body was simultaneously being healed and recovered by another Spirit's power, the process was like undergoing surgery all over his body without anesthesia. The pain he had to endure was absolutely unimaginable.
"..."
However, watching this scene before her, Yutsuki didn't choose to help Shido. She rely hid her footsteps and silently followed behind him and Miku.
Honestly speaking, if she really just wanted to help Itsuka Shido, Yutsuki wouldn't have let the situation develop to this point in the first place.
In this Tengu City, the only ones she truly had a relationship with were the Yamai sisters. The only reason Yutsuki agreed to provide assistance to Shido was because her good friends would be heartbroken if Itsuka Shido died.
Of course, there was also a slight personal factor of unwillingness mixed in. After all, rely relying on the unreasonable protagonist aura that "a kiss can seal a Spirit's power," whether in this world or the previous one, Itsuka Shido could always accomplish things Ryougi Yutsuki couldn't.
So, Yutsuki wanted to see with her own eyes what kind of person Itsuka Shido really was.
Excluding the large number of Wizards taken care of outside, inside this main office building, there were still quite a few Wizards left patrolling the floors, blocking their path.
"Get out of the way!"
After a roar through gritted teeth, Shido swung Sandalphon in his hands, repelling the Wizards before him.
(No good.)
Seeing this, Yutsuki couldn't help but shake her head.
From this single strike, Yutsuki could tell for sure that Itsuka Shido had zero combat experience. He was rely relying on the brute force generated by the Angel to forcefully push back the enemies. A massive amount of Spirit power was wasted on useless things, not only placing a huge burden on his body but also drastically reducing the power of his moves.
Although this was why he didn't kill his opponents, it definitely wasn't because Shido was holding back; it was simply the result of him not knowing how to control Spirit power.
Of course, Spirit power manipulation and practical combat skills weren't knowledge an ordinary person needed to master. In fact, it was already amazing that Itsuka Shido could even stand here.
But since he chose to stand here, Itsuka Shido could no longer be an ordinary person.
(At this rate, whether he can even hold out until he reaches the top floor where Tohka is, is a problem.)
Calculating helplessly in her heart, Yutsuki casually finished off the stragglers playing dead on the ground that Shido and Miku had overlooked, and continued to follow them.
Destruction, healing, breaking, healing, crippling, healing...
In this cruel cycle, Shido swung his Angel to clear the obstacles before him, making his way to the top floor step by agonizing step.
(Oh? He actually made it.)
Yutsuki couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. She really didn't expect Shido to just stubbornly smash his head against a brick wall all the way to the end using such a single-minded, foolish thod.
(No, wait...)
At this mont, Yutsuki finally noticed that Miku, who was standing beside Shido, bickering with him with a disgusted look on her face, was secretly using Gabriel to emit soft music, quietly healing Shido's battered and bruised heart.
(This is truly unexpected...)
Yutsuki couldn't help but feel sowhat surprised. Although she was the one who forced Miku to help Shido in the beginning, she really didn't expect that this yuri idol with androphobia would choose to help Shido of her own accord.
But soon, Yutsuki figured out the reason, her expression turning sowhat complex.
(A wish, huh...)
Itsuka Shido will absolutely not abandon soone in a desperate situation, even if it ans risking everything he has. mories from the future had told Yutsuki this.
If there is no desire to save Spirits, then Spirits wouldn't even have the possibility of being saved.
Regardless of the outco, the desire to save others, and the posture of risking everything for it, cannot be denied.
It was precisely because of this that, seeing Shido fighting so desperately for Tohka, even though he was the kind of man she hated the most, Izayoi Miku couldn't help but feel the urge to help.
(Well, looking purely at this point, Miku's feelings right now should be quite similar to mine.)
Yutsuki couldn't help but think.
If she and Shido swapped places right now, Shido would probably step forward without hesitation and reach out to help her. This is the difference between Yutsuki and Shido.
However, this doesn't an one is right and the other is wrong, it's rely a difference.
...
Then, just like in the previous world, Itsuka Shido's chest was pierced by Ellen's sword due to carelessness. Yatogami Tohka, mistakenly believing Shido was dead, fell into Inversion out of despair. After engaging her in a brief battle, Ellen retreated together with Westcott.
Imdiately after, the inverted Tohka directed her killing intent towards the recovered Shido and Miku.
"Excellent—then I shall smash you into nothingness with a single strike!"
Looking at Shido summoning Zadkiel to block her slashes, terrifying bloodlust surged in the inverted Tohka's eyes.
In the sky, a massive throne gradually descended. Tohka was preparing to use her finishing move—the Sword of Demise-Paverschlev.
(Now!)
Aiming at the opening Tohka exposed at this mont, Yutsuki rushed out from the shadows, rapidly closing in on Tohka from behind.
"Who's there?!"
Tohka noticed Yutsuki's approach. Disregarding the combination of the throne and Nahemah, the greatsword swept backward along with her body's rotation.
"Ratziel!"
[Understood, Future Prediction initiated.]
The trajectory of the blade's swing a second later surfaced in her mind. Yutsuki jumped nimbly, stepping unerringly on the flat side of Nahemah's blade. Using her Spirit power, she temporarily pinned Nahemah to the ground.
Taking advantage of the instant Tohka was suppressed, Yutsuki leaned forward slightly, getting close to Tohka's ear, and took a slow, deep breath.
The next instant, an ultrasonic wave, rivaling the power of Miku's Gabriel, sounded right by Tohka's ear.
"—Guh!!!!"
Even the inverted Tohka, having her eardrums directly hit by an ultrasonic wave of this magnitude at almost point-blank range, couldn't help but feel dizzy and disoriented.
Accompanied by a cry of pain from Tohka, the throne in the air also disassembled and dissipated at this mont.
(Sorry, Tohka, for making you suffer.)
After silently apologizing in her heart, Yutsuki created distance between herself and Tohka, ran to Shido, and grabbed him by the collar without hesitation.
Here, Yutsuki must solemnly state that although she didn't intend to help Itsuka Shido, that didn't an she would just stand by and watch soone die when they were clearly in danger.
The reason she let the situation develop to this point was purely because she had the confidence to resolve it safely even if it reached this stage.
"Take this chance, you scum, make yourself useful for once. Hurry up and wake up your princess!"
"Eh—?! Tohkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—"
After throwing Shido in Tohka's direction, Yutsuki shook her wrist, looking at Shido crying and screaming in mid-air. How to put it... such a strong sense of déjà vu.
(Well, although overall he gets a failing grade, considering how pretty he looks in won's clothes, I'll let it slide for today.)
Seeing that the two were safe and sound, Yutsuki sighed, then took advantage of Shido and the others not paying attention to quietly leave.
...
The next day, Ryougi Yutsuki and Tokisaki Kurumi t at a ubiquitous restaurant.
Probably no one would have imagined that these two, who looked like high school girls out for a al after school, had completely turned DEM's Japan Branch upside down just yesterday.
"A pleasure working with you,Yutsuki-san."
"If possible, I truly hope there won't be a second ti for a collaboration like this."
Looking at the smiling Kurumi, Yutsuki rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"My, my~ Don't say that. Consider this al my treat for this ti."
"Is that so? Then I won't hold back. Waiter, I'm ready to order!"
As expected, Yutsuki showed no intention of holding back with Kurumi, ordering every single dish on the nu from the waiter.
"Say... Yutsuki-san. I have a question for you."
Seemingly aiming for a break in the conversation, Kurumi suddenly said.
"What?"
"Do you really not plan to return to Shido-san's side?"
Hearing this, Yutsuki stopped her chopsticks and looked at Kurumi suspiciously.
"I say... what are you scheming?"
"How could I be~ I simply hope that Yutsuki-san can be happy."
Kurumi said with a smile.
Instantly, Yutsuki felt a chill run down her spine, as if the Ice Age had arrived.
"..ing from you, that holds absolutely no persuasive power."
"Eh? That's too an,Yutsuki-san. Doubting my rare goodwill, I'm so sad! I'm going to cry!"
"..."
Looking at Kurumi taking out a handkerchief to wipe her tears (?), the corner of Yutsuki's eye twitched. After a long while, she let out a helpless long sigh.
"Let's just assu that's the case for now... Well, I appreciate the thought. Although the '' in my mory seed to have been very happy with Itsuka Shido, I'll politely decline."
"Why?"
Kurumi asked in confusion.
"If you ask why..."
Yutsuki scratched her cheek, looking troubled. After pondering for a mont, she answered,
"Even if the in the previous world accepted that guy, it doesn't an the in this world has to make the sa choice, right? I hate harem protagonists the most."
"I see. The so-called 'the insider are blinded, but the bystanders see clearly'...Yutsuki-san, it seems you've misunderstood sothing."
Hearing Yutsuki's answer, Kurumi seed to understand sothing and shook her head with a bitter smile.
"Even if history is changed, even if the world is changed, the you in the previous world and the you in this world are still the sa person."
"...Eh?"
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