"The earthquake... is getting weaker?"
Feeling the tremors from the ground gradually weakening, Shido widened his eyes in surprise.
At the sa ti, a voice ca through Shido's earpiece, but judging by the tone, it wasn't his sister Kotori.
[Mhm—Moshi moshi~ The boy who lost his King's Power down there, can you hear ?]
"...Nia?"
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Although he felt Nia's nickna for him held so kind of malice, Shido decided not to complain.
[Hm? The boy knows ? Ah—right, my mories were sealed. Whatever, since ti is tight, I'll keep it short.]
After muttering a bit, Nia started explaining the situation to Shido.
[Judging by the outco, Mukuro hasn't inverted yet.]
"Eh?"
Hearing Nia's words, a hint of confusion appeared in Origami and Shido's eyes.
[Well, actually, she's just one step away from fully inverting. Spirit energy type is D. If she hadn't just injured you, but actually taken your life, the situation would be really different.]
Nia explained.
Perhaps because she didn't want to hurt anyone else, while falling into despair, Mukuro also realized that continuing like this would only cause more harm to Shido, so she unconsciously slowed down the inversion of her Spirit energy.
[But at this rate, completing the inversion is only a matter of ti. The other Spirits, including Imouto-chan, have gone to stop Michael from eroding Earth. During this ti, you have to find a way to solve the root of the problem. You can do it, boy, right?]
"Mhm, thank you, Nia."
After nodding firmly, Shido steadied his body. Although Camael couldn't restore his severed arm in a short ti, basic movent was no longer a problem.
Taking a deep breath, Shido looked forward. There, a vortex of Spirit energy had ford around Mukuro's body. The churning Spirit energy was like an incredibly fast-spinning blade. Anything caught in it was turned into powder and disappeared instantly.
(It feels a lot like how it was with Yoshino back then.)
Shido couldn't help but think. Back then, after losing Yoshinon, Yoshino also set up a similar barrier isolating the outside world. Shido had no other way but to force his way in relying on his body's healing ability.
(Thinking back on it now, I really was crazy back then. No wonder Kotori was so angry.)
Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Shido's face. However, he didn't regret his impulsiveness from back then.
"Sorry, Origami. Right now, just standing up is incredibly hard for . Can you give a hand?"
"Of course. If I let Itsuka-kun go alone, I would definitely get into a fight with 'myself' later."
Origami smiled slightly and nodded as if it were a matter of course.
"Besides, being relied on by Itsuka-kun is sothing I am very happy about. After all, girls are not creatures who are satisfied just being protected."
"Haha..."
Seeing Shido's bitter smile, Origami blinked playfully. She took a silver naplate out of her pocket and placed it on her forehead.
"Acknowledge, Tobiichi Origami. AW111—Brunhild."
The next instant, a faint glow surrounded Origami's body, attaching beautifully curved tal armor to various parts of her body.
And not only that, around Brunhild appeared a pure white Astral Dress as beautiful as a wedding dress.
"How is it? Are you even more in love with , Itsuka-kun?"
"Mhm, very beautiful."
"Ugh—"
Not expecting Shido to praise her so directly, Origami felt her cheeks burn. She quickly turned her head away and said.
"O-Okay. I will clear the path. Don't lose sight of , Itsuka-kun."
Just like that, Origami protected Shido and herself with a defensive Territory and charged into the Spirit energy vortex.
As expected of a Spirit? The mont she stepped into the Spirit energy vortex, Origami felt a massive repulsive force constantly trying to push them out.
"Hmph, this level won't stop ."
Origami said. If Mukuro could still use Michael's Unlock and Close to stop her, Origami might have a hard ti. But right now, honestly, the pressure she felt wasn't as terrifying as when she fought Artemisia.
The only thing she needed to worry about was running out of magic, which would drop the shield and expose them to the Spirit energy vortex. But unfortunately, while this might happen to other CR-Units, it would absolutely never happen to Brunhild.
After all, its special feature was gathering dispersed magic or Spirit energy from the battlefield for its own use.
"Einherjar, tatron—"
Halfway through, Origami took the spear Einherjar equipped on her back, planted her feet firmly, and got into a stance.
At the sa ti, three light wings from tatron attached to the spear tip that had been charging for a long ti, forming a triangular muzzle.
"—Artelif!!"
Saying the na of the attack in a deep voice, Origami thrust the spear fiercely forward. As if the weapon extended, a spear of light mixing black and white shot forward.
Like Moses parting the sea, the light spear split the surging Spirit energy vortex in two, clearing an empty path.
At the end of the path was Mukuro, crying on her knees on the ground.
"Now! Itsuka-kun!"
"—!!"
Just as Origami shouted, Shido had already poured power into his legs, running forward with all his might.
This is so pathetic. A voice in Shido's heart mocked him.
If Shido had been forced into crises in the past, then this tragedy was entirely Itsuka Shido's own fault.
If he had chosen to listen to Yutsuki's advice and not open Mukuro's heart, then everyone wouldn't have forgotten him, Tohka wouldn't have inverted from stress, and if he hadn't been injured in front of Mukuro, Mukuro wouldn't have recalled her past trauma and fallen into despair.
But precisely because of that, he couldn't afford to regret it.
Just like Yutsuki said, if he didn't have the resolve to stay with her until the end, then what awaited Shido would only be a tragedy where no one could be happy.
"Mukuro!!!"
Ignoring the layer of corrosive pitch-black Spirit energy wrapping around Mukuro's body, Shido used his only remaining left arm to hold her tightly in his arms, shouting her na loudly.
"Nushi... sama..."
Seemingly reacting to Shido's voice, Mukuro's lips parted slightly.
"Hurry and leave... Muku... doesn't want to hurt Nushi-sama... Not just Nushi-sama... sister... dad... mom... everyone was hurt by Muku... Muku... doesn't have the right to love anyone..."
Listening to Mukuro's slurred, tearful words, Shido pressed his lips tightly together.
Now, Shido, who had the mories of Mukuro's past, finally understood. Why was Mukuro so hostile to everyone? Why did she want to monopolize Shido?
Jealousy, possessiveness, these were only secondary emotions. The true emotions driving Mukuro to take a series of extre actions—were confusion and fear.
For a girl who originally had nothing, the emotion called "love" was too dazzling and warm.
Because it was dazzling, its importance exceeded everything the girl owned.
Because it was warm, once she had it, she could never bear to let it go.
However, even though it was such an important treasure, the girl didn't know how to keep it by her side.
The more she imrsed herself in the happiness brought by this "love," the more afraid the girl felt inside. Afraid that all this was just a fleeting, beautiful dream, and the mont she woke up, she would be left with nothing again.
So, when her family ford connections with people other than her, realizing that they no longer belonged only to her, the girl felt incredibly sad.
She wasn't their only existence. To them, the girl might just be a branch accidentally grafted onto their lives. Even without the girl, there were other treasures to love and care for.
One day, they would leave the girl's world.
"You're very scared, aren't you, Mukuro? You don't want your precious people to leave your side, but you don't know how to keep them. Having no other choice, you could only use the thod you least wanted to."
Hearing Shido's voice, Mukuro's shoulders trembled slightly.
"Hah... We really are alike, Mukuro."
Gently stroking Mukuro's hair, Shido sighed with a bitter smile.
That's right, Shido, just like Mukuro, had been all alone since he could rember. It wasn't until he was adopted by Kotori's parents that he experienced the warmth of a family.
Setting aside gender, whether it was origins or experiences, Shido and Mukuro were so similar. Because of this, Shido could understand how Mukuro felt.
Actually, the fear that one day his family would leave him—Shido had also felt that unease. But unlike Mukuro, Shido back then didn't have the power to twist reality. Because of this, he was able to find an important answer.
"It's okay, Mukuro."
Shido said gently.
"You don't need to worry about that. Whether it's your father, mother, or siblings... no matter how far apart you are, there is definitely an invisible thread tightly connecting you all to each other."
Hearing Shido's words, Mukuro said, sobbing uncontrollably.
"But... Muku... Muku has already... cut that connection... Even Nushi-sama... was hurt by Muku... keeping Muku by your side... will only bring Nushi-sama pain..."
"It's fine. I'm already used to this level of injury."
Shido shrugged and said with feigned ease.
"Everyon make mistakes. So you don't need to rush. Just move forward slowly at your own pace. One day, you will learn how to love and care for your family."
"...Is that true?"
"Mhm, I promise."
Noticing a sliver of hope in Mukuro's eyes, Shido nodded firmly.
"Mukuro, do you know? What's the difference between family and normal people?"
"I don't know."
Mukuro shook her head in confusion.
"It is that—even if one day you make a mistake that you can't even forgive yourself for, as long as you apologize properly, they might get angry, they might scold you, but in the end, your family will definitely forgive you."
Saying that, Shido gently pressed his forehead against Mukuro's, closed his eyes, and whispered.
"I, Itsuka Shido, swear that no matter what happens, I will not abandon Mukuro or hate Mukuro. I will treat her as an important family mber."
Hearing Shido's words, Mukuro's tear-filled eyes widened slightly. But soon, she understood Shido's intention, closed her eyes, and answered, choking back tears.
"Muku... Hoshimiya Mukuro... also swears—I will try hard to change myself! To beco soone who knows how to love! To learn to beco a gentle person! To beco Itsuka Shido's family! Nushi-sama—"
Hugging Shido tightly, Mukuro held back her tears, speaking loudly as if pouring out all her emotions.
"Muku did a terrible thing! I am so sorry!!!"
Shido opened his eyes, pulled back slightly, and gently flicked Mukuro's forehead.
Shido showed a bright smile.
"Alright, I forgive you."
The mont he said that, the muddy, mud like Spirit energy surrounding Mukuro began to be purified little by little, returning to its original clear color.
But Shido knew his task wasn't over yet.
"Mukuro—"
After silently apologizing in his heart, Shido used his remaining arm to pull her toward him, and then kissed Mukuro's lips.
"..."
Although she was a bit surprised, Mukuro didn't resist and silently accepted Shido's kiss.
Perhaps because he coughed up blood when he was injured, the kiss tasted strongly of blood.
Soon, after feeling sothing flow into her body, Mukuro's Astral Dress and the giant black key behind her turned into light dust and disappeared. The earthquake also stopped.
And Mukuro, as if relieved of a heavy burden, collapsed into Shido's arms, falling into a very peaceful sleep.
Original author's PS: Originally, I wanted to have Mukuro fully invert and add a few more twists to this part of the story. But thinking about how Shido already lost an arm, torturing him further with more changes made feel a bit guilty, so I deleted it and rewrote it.
User Comments
0 comments from readers