[Acceleration complete. Arrived near the target.]
"Phew..."
After the uncomfortable floating sensation disappeared from his body, Shido breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the main screen.
—Boundless darkness.
—Countless planets.
—And not far away, drifting silently in this space like lifeless stardust, the Spirit—Hoshimiya Mukuro.
Shido couldn't help but silently clench his fists.
No water, no food, no air, and absolutely no life—this was not an environnt where humans could survive, whether physically or ntally. However, this Spirit nad "Hoshimiya Mukuro" had stayed in this despairingly silent world for who knows how many years.
Perhaps for her, who had locked away her emotions, this peaceful environnt where no one would disturb her was exactly what she needed. But, conversely, if soone possessed emotions and lived all alone in this world, what would it feel like?
Shido felt that he would probably choose to commit suicide before breaking down completely.
Therefore, even knowing that his choice would be called hypocrisy, Itsuka Shido still couldn't choose to turn a blind eye.
"Yutsuki."
Shido spoke softly.
"What is it?"
Yutsuki replied calmly.
"Sorry, as I thought, I just can't leave Mukuro alone."
"Idiot, who apologizes like that."
Hearing this, Yutsuki couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
"...But I don't want to argue with you at a ti like this either. Since you apologized, I'll forgive you."
Just as Nia had said, there was no unreasonable pestering or sarcastic mocking. With just a simple apology, Yutsuki chose to forgive him.
However, this was not a true reconciliation. Shido knew clearly that he was rely taking advantage of Yutsuki's gentleness towards her family.
"...Sorry."
With a faint sense of guilt lingering in his heart, Shido said with a bit of bitterness.
"Honestly. I already said I forgave you, so why do you look so down?"
Seeing Shido acting so silly, Yutsuki slapped him crossly on the back.
—Smack! The loud sound instantly echoed throughout the command room. Everyone else felt the pain for Shido just by hearing it.
"Just waking you up, how was it?"
Yutsuki asked with a wicked smile.
"Yes... I'm fully awake now."
Feeling the burning, stinging pain coming from his back, Shido answered with a bitter smile.
"That's good."
Shrugging her shoulders, Yutsuki looked at Shido and said seriously,
"Shido, although I don't plan to support your idea of saving Mukuro, since you've made your decision, absolutely do not regret it. And—promise , prioritize your own safety above all else."
"Mhm... I understand."
Shido nodded solemnly.
Just then, the warning lights on the bridge suddenly lit up, and alarms echoed continuously in the command room.
"Report! We detected DEM ships approaching near Mukuro! There are three... no! Four ships!"
As the report ca in, the monitor also displayed the silhouettes of several giant ships.
Among them was the white gold battleship that the mbers of the Fraxinus were very familiar with.
"...Goetia."
Muttering the na of that battleship softly, Kotori frowned slightly, her eyes full of displeasure.
That was the personal ship of Ellen Mira Mathers, the highest tier high speed ship in the world. It was also the only vessel in the previous worldline that forced the Fraxinus into a bitter struggle.
Seemingly noticing Kotori's presence, the Goetia and the other DEM airships didn't continue approaching Mukuro. Instead, they turned towards Kotori's direction and gradually closed in at a moderate speed.
"...Looks like we've been issued a challenge."
Realizing the enemy's intent, Kotori licked the sweat flowing down her forehead, a combative smile forming on her lips.
"Well, the new battleship's maiden voyage also being the day for revenge is, in a way, exactly what I hoped for."
"Kotori. Will it be okay?"
"Well... as expected, dealing with pressure from both DEM and the Spirit at the sa ti is a bit difficult. Shido, I'm ashad to say this, but when you face Mukuro later, please be prepared for us not being able to provide tily backup."
"I understand."
Shido nodded.
[It's fine. This airship is vastly different from before! I will protect everyone inside the ship and Shido too.]
Not knowing if it was to ease the tension or if she truly had that confidence, the Artificial Intelligence Arusu Maria spoke full of confidence on the main screen.
"How reliable. I'll leave it to you then."
After saying that, Shido stepped onto the command room's teleportation pad. With a flash of light, Shido was teleported into space outside the hull.
"Say... Kotori. Honestly, I'm very curious. Is it really okay for Shido to teleport directly into space like this without a spacecraft or a spacesuit?"
Seeing Shido just floating in space on the screen, Yutsuki couldn't help but ask.
"Rest assured, Yutsuki-nee. I've already separated a 'Leaf of Yggdrasil' to cover him with a Territory."
"So? What about the temperature? The pressure difference inside and out? Cosmic rays? The oxygen a human needs to breathe?"
"Like I said, he's covered by a Territory, so there's no need to worry about any of that."
Hearing Kotori's confident "No problem, everything's fine!" tone, and realizing once again the omnipotence of the Territory technology, Yutsuki stayed silent for a long ti, silently roasting them in her mind.
(Why don't you guys just go conquer the sea of stars then.)
———————————
"Mukuro."
Hearing soone call her na, Hoshimiya Mukuro subconsciously opened her eyes.
She saw, less than a hundred ters ahead, the blue-haired boy she had driven away not long ago.
"Thee again? Hypocrite, what is thy business here this ti? It appears thou art not a 3D projection?"
"Nothing much. I'm just fulfilling what I said before and ca to see you."
"Regarding thy stubbornness, Muku has nothing to say."
"Yeah. I'm often evaluated as being stubborn and lacking understanding."
At Shido's self-deprecating reply, Mukuro exhaled softly.
However, even so, she didn't feel disgusted by this person nad "Itsuka Shido". Of course, there was no so called favorable impression either.
If he invaded her territory, she would choose to expel him. If not, she would simply ignore him.
Like a machine, the only things driving Hoshimiya Mukuro's actions were the residual self-defense instincts in her body and a pure rationality completely devoid of any emotional color.
Perhaps just as Itsuka Shido had said, the past Mukuro had sealed her emotions and mories due to so misfortune, but to her now, these were all trivial matters of no importance.
Because today, whether it was happiness or misfortune, pain or joy, all had drifted far away from Mukuro.
However—
"—Haniel!"
Along with Itsuka Shido's shout, a broom materialized out of thin air. Relying on the Spirit power fluctuations emitting from it, Mukuro judged that it was an Angel possessed by a Spirit.
"An Angel... but thou dost not appear to be a Spirit. I see, although I know not the principle, if this was snatched from a Spirit's hands, then coveting Muku's power is understandable."
"Don't make sound like a bad guy. This is power I borrowed from a friend, so that I can hear your true feelings."
"?"
A playful smile appearing on the corner of his mouth, Shido tightened his grip on Haniel and shouted loudly.
"Kaleidoscope—Michael!"
"—?!"
For the first ti, a hint of surprise appeared on Hoshimiya Mukuro's face.
The reason was that the long broom had transford into a key like staff, landing in Itsuka Shido's hand.
And that staff, whether in appearance or Spirit power fluctuations, was completely identical to the Angel Michael possessed by Hoshimiya Mukuro.
In other words, it highly likely possessed the sa authorities as Michael.
"I see. Why thou darest to show thyself before Muku. Muku now understands."
Unaffected by emotions, Mukuro quickly cald down from the surprise.
But precisely because of this, the remaining rationality and instinct in her heart had already made the most logical judgnt.
"Michael."
Mukuro summoned her own Angel.
To Hoshimiya Mukuro, this man was a threat as dangerous as a deadly poison.
She could not let him escape. In order to maintain her peace, Hoshimiya Mukuro had to utterly obliterate Itsuka Shido right here—
Completely obliterate.
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