"This girl... She actually abandoned her chance to win."
Intense anger surged in Ellen's eyes as she watched Yutsuki flee right when she was on the verge of being defeated. Ellen didn't feel the relief of narrowly escaping danger. Instead, as the strongest Wizard of humanity, she felt that Yutsuki had completely looked down on her.
Using her Territory to manipulate her own body, Ellen forced her suit to simulate the functions of her damaged organs, thereby maintaining her normal tabolism and blood circulation. This allowed her to temporarily sustain a functional combat state.
To unhesitatingly expose your back to the enemy... I will never understand how the minds of Spirits work...
Ellen stared at Yutsuki's rapidly receding figure. Right now, her back was completely exposed and defenseless, unlike the calculated movent she had perfod earlier. It was simply a reckless retreat driven by sheer urgency.
"Although determining the victor this way is sowhat unacceptable..."
Sighing softly, the cannon mounted on the left shoulder of her suit extended out from beneath her armpit once again. Even though barely two minutes had passed since she last fired it, and the cooldown period wasn't completely over, it was still fully capable of exerting seventy percent of its maximum power.
"Pierce through, Rhongomiant!"
A massive impact force struck Yutsuki from behind. Even though she had deployed a defensive barrier of Spirit power the exact mont she sensed Ellen launching an attack from the back, Yutsuki still felt as if her internal organs had nearly been shaken out of place.
However, borrowing the acceleration from the blast's shockwave, Yutsuki finally managed to reach Tohka's side just before the collapsing half of the skyscraper crashed down.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Accompanied by a furious roar, Yutsuki crash onto the ground like a teor. Before Tohka could even react, Yutsuki used one hand to sustain the defensive barrier blocking Ellen's barrage of light spears. With her other hand, she threw her arm upward. An endless torrent of iron sand erupted rapidly from the ground, coalescing into a gigantic, ash-black blade. With a thunderous BOOM!, the blade cleaved the falling skyscraper perfectly in half, allowing the two of them to escape the fate of being crushed.
"Guh!" Having simultaneously withstood attacks from two completely different directions, Yutsuki couldn't hold back a mouthful of fresh blood. Her body swayed unsteadily, and she began to collapse toward the ground.
"Are you okay?!"
Tohka hurriedly caught Yutsuki, asking in a panic.
"I'm fine... Yeah, right! I feel like I'm one step away from dying."
Yutsuki cursed weakly. To manipulate the iron sand to slice the building apart, Yutsuki had been forced to divert Spirit power away from her defense, significantly weakening her barrier. As a result, the barrier was breached, and the residual impact of the light spears struck her Astral Dress directly.
Unlike Tohka's AAA-class Astral Dress, which boasted absurdly high innate defense, Yutsuki's Astral Dress only possessed B-class defensive capabilities.
"Eh?! You're bleeding?! What do I do... Oh, right! Shido said that if soone gets hurt, you have to take them to a hospital! Hospital? Where is the hospital?!"
Watching Tohka frantically looking around in every direction trying to find a hospital, Yutsuki didn't even have the energy left to get angry. She had triggered the spacequake alarm herself; there wasn't a single hospital in the area that would still be open right now.
"Are you... an idiot?!"
"What a an thing to say! Shido has never called that!" Tohka glared at Yutsuki with wide, dissatisfied eyes and shouted, "And after I was trying to help you out of the goodness of my heart!"
"Shido?" Hearing that na, Yutsuki froze. She carefully observed the girl for a mont before finally rembering that this was the girl she had seen wearing the cosplay swimsuit-apron at Shido's house earlier day.
Furthermore, according to the intel she had hacked earlier, this seemingly dense, airheaded beautiful girl was the Spirit whose combat power had earned her the AAA-class threat level—Princess.
"Alright... Maybe I'm the idiot here."
Yutsuki couldn't help but cover her eyes in sha and frustration. Even sealed Spirits could still exert a certain amount of their power; she had learned this fact clearly when she t the Yamai sisters. Tohka was completely capable of dodging that falling building relying on her own strength. Yet here Yutsuki was—foolishly throwing away her chance at victory, rushing in to save soone who didn't even need saving, taking a shot to the back from the enemy, and completely losing her combat capability. She was the one who looked like a true idiot right now.
Itsuka Shido, did I owe you sothing in my past life and forget to pay you back or sothing?! Whenever I get involved with you, absolutely nothing good ever happens!
"I was wondering why you suddenly ran away. So you went to save soone... How utterly foolish."
During the brief mont the two were talking, Ellen had already flown her Pendragon over and stopped right in front of them. She looked down at Yutsuki with an expression of pure disdain.
At this, Yutsuki couldn't deny it and simply let out a soft sigh.
"You!!You're the one who tried to capture last ti!" Seeing Ellen, Tohka pointed her finger at her and shouted.
Seeing Tohka, Ellen was surprised for a mont before a smile crept onto her face.
"I didn't expect to run into Princess here as well. Perfect timing. Why don't the two of you co with ?"
"I refuse!"
Rejecting her without a mont's hesitation, the hem of Tohka's skirt and her wrists transford, adorned with purple, glowing decorations. An exquisite, massive broadsword featuring a transparent blade shimring with prismatic light-Sandalphon-appeared in Tohka's hands.
At this very mont, Tohka had finally managed to summon her Angel.
"You intend to resist?" Ellen chuckled lightly. "Even though I am currently injured, I do not believe you can defeat in your current state."
"She's right. Hurry up and run..."
Yutsuki could clearly see that the partial Astral Dress Tohka had manifested was nowhere near enough to fight Ellen. If they didn't escape now, both of them were going to be captured.
"No! There is no way I would ever abandon soone who just saved and run away!"
Tohka's resolute, unwavering words left Yutsuki speechless. Logically speaking, Tohka's choice was undeniably foolish. But emotionally speaking, Tohka was soone who deeply treasured bonds and loyalty.
I have to admit, she's a really good girl. It feels like a waste for her to be stuck with Shido.
Watching Tohka clearly losing ground and being pushed back in her clash with Ellen, Yutsuki desperately wanted to go help her. But she found that due to the intense attack she had just endured, both of her hands were completely numb and can barely move right now. She didn't even have the strength to grip Ratziel properly.
"It's over!"
After parrying several of Tohka's slashes, Ellen swung her laser blade forcefully. Sandalphon was knocked flying out of Tohka's hands. Seizing the massive opening, Ellen delivered a brutal kick, sending Tohka flying through the air.
"Shido..."
Collapsing onto the ground, Tohka muttered the na of the only person she knew as she lost consciousness.
Sitting on the ground, Yutsuki gritted her teeth tightly.
It really is impossible! Just like with the Yamai back then, and just like right now. I don't possess the power to save anyone!
A wave of bitter regret and sorrow spread through her heart, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.
"I admit it, I can't change anything..." As if finally giving up, Yutsuki closed her eyes. She didn't even know who she was talking to anymore; she simply continued to pray. "So, if you truly are her hero... then co and save her!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
As if answering Yutsuki's prayer, accompanied by a soaring, echoing roar, a blade of pure, brilliant white light carrying a fierce, roaring gale surged straight toward Ellen.
---Perspective shift line---
At this very mont, Shido was sprinting desperately down the completely deserted streets, entirely ignoring the fact that his skirt severely restricted his movents. Staring fixedly in the direction where the skyscraper had collapsed, Shido ran as if his life depended on it.
Yutsuki was over there. Knowing this, Shido gritted his teeth, desperately squeezing every last ounce of stamina out of his body with pure desire to reach his destination faster.
In truth, utilizing Fraxinus's teleportation would have been much faster. But for so unknown reason, ever since Ellen appeared, Kotori's voice had completely vanished from his earpiece.
"Heheh... What a miserable state you're in, Shido. Is this really the man—oh, wait, I an the woman—that I acknowledged?"
"Exclamation. Shiori, her face covered in sweat, is also quite charming. I want to take her ho."
Right at that mont, a cool, refreshing breeze brushed past him, and two teasing voices rang in his ears.
"Kaguya, Yuzuru!"
Each bearing half of a wing on their backs and wielding the weapons of their Angel, Hurricane Knight, the twin girls Yamai Kaguya and Yamai Yuzuru were standing right in front of him.
"If you keep going at that pace, when exactly are you planning to arrive? Let show you what the extre speed of a hurricane truly feels like!"
"Reminder. Hold on tight, Shido."
"Eh? Wait!"
Gale-force winds began to dance around Shido. His body was lifted into the air uncontrollably, and he was carried by the Yamai sisters toward his destination at an imnse speed.
At first, Shido panicked slightly at flying so high in the air. But realizing that the Yamai were controlling the flight perfectly smoothly, he gradually cald down.
"I'm sorry."
Shido whispered an apology.
"Confusion. Why are you apologizing?"
During the flight, Yuzuru looked at Shido in bewildernt.
Looking at her face, Shido gritted his teeth and spoke with deep guilt. "I failed to save Yutsuki. I couldn't fulfill my promise to you."
"What nonsense are you spouting, Shido?" Kaguya chuckled lightly. She patted Shido's shoulder and spoke in a high-spirited, utterly confident tone. "If you had given up on saving Yutsuki, then where exactly are you heading right now?"
"Ugh..."
"Sigh. Shido is a truly unbelievable man. You gave Yuzuru and Kaguya an answer we had never even considered before." Yuzuru looked at the slightly stunned Shido, her eyes filled with gratitude and absolute trust. "Belief. Shido will undoubtedly give Yutsuki an entirely new answer as well."
"You guys..."
"Alright, this is not the ti for you to get emotional! My kin and my comrade are currently in grave danger!"
"Pleading. Please, save Tohka and Yutsuki."
Right at that mont, Shido saw the exact scene of Tohka and Yutsuki being completely suppressed by Ellen.
"...I understand."
Taking a deep breath, although he was confused as to why Tohka was there, Shido realized with absolute clarity exactly what he needed to do right now.
—Please. Lend your power.
Taking a deep breath, Shido slowly closed his eyes, forcing his tumultuous emotions to calm down.
Quietly voicing his wish in his heart, a faint ripple stirred within him.
The next second, a sword materialized in Shido's hand.
A broad blade radiating brilliant light, paired with an exquisitely crafted hilt.
This was undoubtedly Tohka's Angel, Sandalphon.
On that day, Shido had swung this exact sword, cleaving through the hurricane summoned by the Yamai sisters and giving them a new hope.
Tohka had once said that the true master of this sword was Shido. It would only answer to Shido's desires.
My wish is...
[Are you... here to kill as well?] Amidst the shattered ruins, the girl with night-colored hair had spoken with an expression of profound loneliness, looking as if she had been entirely abandoned by the world.
[Man... it really is hard to just find soone to talk to...] Under the pale moonlight, the brown-haired girl had let out a helpless, deeply lonely sigh, as if she had already given up on everything.
...I don't want to see them wear those lonely expressions ever again. I want them to be able to live like normal people, to smile like normal people.
Perhaps this reason is incredibly selfish. But no matter what, I want to save them!
Sketching his wish in his heart, he snapped his eyes open. The blade of Sandalphon erupted with a blinding, intense light.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Carrying an aura fierce enough to rend the very heavens, Shido swung his blade down toward Ellen.
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