"Thank you all for gathering here."
At night, in a dimly lit room, Kotori placed her hands one over the other on the table. After sweeping her gaze over everyone present and confirming that, aside from Shido, no Spirit was absent, she spoke with a solemn expression.
For so reason, Kotori gave off more of a Commander aura right now than usual.
"Hey, Biri-chan. Imouto-chan's pose is definitely an homage to E[BEEP]A."(TL:evangelion maybe?)
Nudging Yutsuki's shoulder, Nia whispered.
"Well, maybe she saw it before and rembered it subconsciously. Honestly, if her next line is 'Get in the Eva Unit-01,' I wouldn't even be surprised."
Yutsuki shrugged noncommittally.
"I didn't expect Kotori-chan to have such refined taste in classic works from the last century at her age."
Nia sighed in genuine admiration.
"Uwaah~~ For what matter has Kotori summoned Muku at such a late hour?"
Letting out a slow yawn, Mukuro asked with a sleepy face.
Mukuro's reaction couldn't be helped. It was already 11 PM. It was exactly the ti when good children should be in dreamland. Aside from a few exceptions, most of the people present looked just as drowsy as Mukuro.
"Sorry, but this is an ergency, so I had no choice but to wake you up."
After apologizing to everyone, Kotori began operating the computer on the desk.
"First, please take a look at this."
Soon, Yutsuki saw various charts and graphs appear on the room's large screen.
"What is this?"
"Hm? This is that... what was it again?"
"I think I've seen it before... but... I don't really rember..."
"Is this the system that tracks our affection and emotional levels toward Shido?"
Seeing that many of the Spirits didn't understand what it ant, Yutsuki took the initiative to confirm it with Kotori.
"Correct." Kotori nodded and explained. "Over the past few days, while assisting Shido's conquering attempts, we recorded the affection and emotional values between Shido and Kurumi."
Glancing back at the screen, Kotori grit her teeth in frustration.
"As you can see, after these few dates, while Kurumi's affection for Shido has increased, the growth is extrely slow. anwhile, our idiot Shido's affection for her is rising significantly. It's basically gone from 'enemy on high alert' at the beginning to recognizing her at the level of a 'close friend'."
Indeed, just as Kotori said, comparing the data between Shido and Kurumi on the screen, Shido's affection was rising several tis faster than Kurumi's.
"Ugh... Sorry, Kotori-chan, I don't really understand what this ans."
"Apologies, Muku is the sa."
Tohka and Mukuro asked with confused faces.
"Simply put, if things continue like this, in the match between Shido and Kurumi, Shido is very likely to lose."
Yutsuki summarized the conclusion for the two of them.
"Well, although it's a very normal reaction for a virgin boy... if it goes on like this... it's definitely a bit bad."
Nia sighed with a wry smile.
Indeed, as Nia said, being flirted with and pursued so aggressively by a beauty of Kurumi's caliber, it was inevitable to feel one's heart flutter. But the stakes in the match between Shido and Kurumi weren't sothing as cheap as a few Yukichi bills(10k yen). If Shido lost, he would lose his very life.
Although this data didn't definitively an Shido would lose, it was certainly unsettling.
"If this continues, Shido's life will be in danger."
Origami said with a stern expression.
"Eh? Darling will die? I don't want that!"
Miku couldn't help but cry out.
"Kotori, what do we need to do to help Shido?"
Tohka asked Kotori urgently.
"Mhm. Exactly as you all said, we absolutely cannot sit back and watch in silence."
Kotori nodded heavily and began explaining her plan to everyone.
To prevent Shido from being captivated by Kurumi—a bad woman highly skilled at toying with n's hearts—they needed to make him immune to female temptation before the deadline.
And conveniently, purely based on appearances, every single Spirit present was a peerless beauty who wouldn't lose to Kurumi.
Simply put, the plan was to have the Spirits seduce Shido.
"The next date is the day after tomorrow, Valentine's Day on February 14th. Therefore, we have one day to prepare. There are two main strategies. One is for us to prepare chocolates to give to Shido. The other is to select suitable candidates to help Shido build a resistance against mature won who toy with n's hearts."
(Kotori-chan, is it possible that after watching Shido and Kurumi acting all lovey dovey the whole ti, you got incredibly jealous...?)
Yutsuki thought, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Well, even though the plan sounded like a farce, Kotori's logic was undeniably sound. Even if Yutsuki successfully stopped DEM's assassination attempt, if Shido lost the conquering match against Kurumi, he still wouldn't escape death.
If that happened, Yutsuki would have basically beco an accomplice in helping Kurumi kill Shido.
Watching everyone engage in heated discussion, Yutsuki sighed and turned her gaze back to the affection analysis chart on the screen.
She noticed that among all of Kurumi's data, only her stress level was abnormally high.
—Because I traveled back through ti from the future.
(The future, huh...)
——————————
About three hours later, at 1:00 AM in Tengu City, the lights in the citizens' hos gradually went out, and the city at night beca dark and quiet.
After neutralizing Origami, Miku, and Nia—who had tried to sneak in for a night raid on Shido—Kotori and the others finally succumbed to exhaustion and returned to their rooms to rest for tomorrow's operation.
However, Yutsuki couldn't sleep peacefully like the others. The reason was very simple.
"Phew, that makes fifteen..."
As a bolt of lightning accurately pierced the target's forehead, watching the Nibelcole disintegrate into glowing dust, Yutsuki couldn't help but scratch her head in frustration.
"Seriously... the Fraxinus is supposed to be monitoring this area 24 hours a day from the sky. How do they keep finding blind spots in the caras to sneak in? Are they ants that can slip through any crack?"
"That is the power of Beelzebub. As long as that Demon King is in DEM's hands, they can continuously steal your intel."
Right then, Kurumi stepped out from the shadow cast by a streetlamp.
"Kurumi, how are things on your end?"
"Twenty two of them. They have all been eliminated. With this, Shido-san shouldn't be in any mortal danger at least until tomorrow morning..."
Mid-sentence, Kurumi suddenly lost her balance, her body tilting backward.
"Kurumi?!"
"There is no need... I am fine..."
Seeing this, Yutsuki hurriedly tried to catch her. However, Kurumi raised a hand to stop her. After swaying for a mont, she barely managed to steady herself without falling.
"Are you okay? You look exhausted."
Yutsuki asked with concern.
"...My apologies... for making Yutsuki-san worry. But I am fine..."
—You don't look fine no matter how I look at it.
Seeing Kurumi clearly pushing herself, Yutsuki swallowed her words.
Indeed, not only did Kurumi have to date Shido on the surface to raise his affection, but she also had to work with Yutsuki in the shadows to fend off DEM's attacks. Handling two completely different tasks simultaneously, it was only natural for her to be this exhausted.
But Yutsuki knew that the reason Kurumi was so exhausted wasn't just physical; there was also an imnse ntal toll.
It was highly likely that Tokisaki Kurumi who had witnessed Itsuka Shido's death more than once in the future. To change that future, she had traveled through ti, returning to her own past—Yutsuki's present—to constantly avert the fate of Itsuka Shido being killed.
Watching the person you wanted to save die right in front of your eyes, over and over again... the grief and powerlessness contained in that experience was sothing no one but the person themselves could understand.
Yet, relying on her extraordinary ntal fortitude, Kurumi had persisted until now.
(But if this continues... can Shido really be saved?)
This question surfaced in Yutsuki's mind.
Previously, when Shido went back to the past to change history and save Origami, Yutsuki's Angel—Ratziel—had activated a special ability, transmitting her mories to her other self in that tiline.
If it was true as Kurumi said, that she ca from the future to change history... then logically speaking, Yutsuki should have received mories from her future self as well.
Why hadn't she received any future mories? Discarding the possibility that Kurumi was lying, the only explanation was that Kurumi's actions hadn't caused a ripple large enough to alter the tiline.
In other words, even though Kurumi was constantly struggling to delay the ti of Shido's murder, she hadn't prevented the ultimate outco of his death.
Yutsuki had realized this back in the afternoon, but she didn't tell Kurumi.
First, because this was rely a conclusion drawn from her subjective deduction; she had no evidence to prove it.
Second, she didn't want to deal such a crushing blow to Kurumi, who was trying so hard to save Shido, by telling her, 'Everything we're doing is entirely in vain.'
"Kurumi, if I rember correctly, you told that the reason you want to eat Shido and take his Spirit power is to travel thirty years into the past and kill the First Spirit, right?"
"...Mhm, that is correct."
Kurumi looked at Yutsuki in surprise, clearly not expecting her to bring this up suddenly. But after a mont of hesitation, she nodded and answered.
"As long as the First Spirit is killed, all the tragedies that have occurred in the world over the past thirty years will disappear. Even the fact that I 'devoured' Shido will cease to exist."
"In other words... the reason you want to kill Shido is actually equivalent to saving him?"
Hearing Kurumi's answer, a hint of displeasure flashed in Yutsuki's eyes.
"Well... I am not one hundred percent certain of success either, so I will not deny my intention to kill Shido-san. If I truly do kill Shido-san, in exchange, I will offer everything of mine to him before that, including my body and soul."
"Hmph..."
Unmoved by Kurumi's display of resolve, Yutsuki looked at her and posed her question.
"Then, exactly what kind of mindset are you holding onto as you plan to go back and change history?"
The mont she heard this, Kurumi's body stiffened.
"Are you planning to go back to the past to save Shido and change this world? Or do you just want revenge against the First Spirit who turned you into a Spirit and made you what you are today?"
Faced with Yutsuki's questioning, Kurumi answered sowhat flusteredly,
"Is this question necessary? As long as history is changed, my reasons do not matter..."
"It is necessary!"
Yutsuki cut off Kurumi's evasion, speaking with absolute finality.
"The incident with Origami is the perfect proof. Why did Origami fail? Why did Shido succeed? Harboring a desire for revenge won't change anything. You should know that better than I do."
"..."
Faced with Yutsuki's words, Kurumi remained silent for a long ti before letting out a slightly mocking laugh.
"Honestly. Cooperating with Yutsuki-san is truly a troubleso affair. Is digging up personal feelings that even I hadn't noticed myself that entertaining to you?"
"It's just a well intentioned reminder from a partner. You look a bit lost and impatient, after all."
"Lost? Are you talking about ,Yutsuki-san?"
Kurumi acted as if she had heard a hilarious joke.
"Is that not the case? When you first approached , you still had the leeway to tease and joke with . But now, you seem to have gradually lost that composure."
Yutsuki answered calmly.
"...Hehe, as expected of Yutsuki-san. To be able to observe such minute details at a ti like this, I am deeply impressed... I suppose you are right. Although I do not feel it myself, if I truly am harboring doubts in my heart—"
With a cold chuckle, Kurumi turned her back to Yutsuki and answered,
"Then it must absolutely be 'Yutsuki-san's' fault."
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