Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 591 591: Prelude to War

Several dozen kiloters outside Tengu City, in an inconspicuous town, cars and people moved through the streets, repeating an ordinary, noisy everyday life as if it were only natural.

A girl nad Tokisaki Kurumi stood in the city's shadows. Wearing a bizarre gothic lolita dress and holding firearms in her hands, she was out of place, like an anomaly.

"…Let's choose this place."

As though having made her decision, Kurumi murmured softly.

Tomorrow would be February 20th. Tomorrow, DEM would launch an all out war against Shido and the others. Considering the enemy's strength and scale, if Kurumi wanted to overco this crisis, she needed the ability to respond to large scale combat. To do that, she had to gather enough "ti" as reserves.

However, over the past two weeks, because she had been worn down dealing with DEM's assassination attempts against Shido, Kurumi had had no spare energy to replenish the "ti" she had consud. Only after she conveyed the circumstances to Shido and Yutsuki could Kurumi finally put down her worries and co out to focus on gathering "ti."

(Next… I simply need to wait until night, then unfold the City of Devouring Ti here…)

Thinking that, for so reason, Kurumi's hand trembled slightly.

Unlike her usual thod of taking several days of lifespan from the people in a single building, this ti Kurumi intended to absorb ti from the residents of an entire city. Although Kurumi would try her best to ensure that no one died, considering the scale over which the City of Devouring Ti had to spread, she could not guarantee precise control over every person's "ti." Elderly humans or those on the verge of death due to illness might lose their lives from the slightest mistake.

"Co to think of it… The last ti I replenished 'ti' already feels like a very long ti ago…" (TL:Like.....lot of years....haiz....just thinking back about that volu...fill with sadness)

Noticing her own wavering, Kurumi pressed down on her trembling wrist and could not help smiling bitterly.

After going through over a hundred loops, and six ruined years in the future, in terms of subjective experience, Kurumi had gone almost ten years without replenishing "ti." Perhaps because of that, an act that had once been natural now felt sowhat unfamiliar to her.

"As expected… I've beco weak, haven't I?"

Kurumi sighed with a pained expression. If it had been the old her, she would have been able to make this choice without hesitation, averting her eyes with sufficient justification and absorbing the lives of others for her own use.

Taking a deep breath, Kurumi raised her head and silently gazed at the city's scenery. Strangely, although it was her first ti visiting this city, it was so unfamiliar that it felt familiar.

(It's the sa… Even if spacequakes leave hideous scars behind, people still overco sorrow and pain, building their forr lives again.)

Quietly engraving everything before her into her heart, Kurumi raised her flintlock before herself and slowly closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry… One day, I will give an explanation for the ti I take from you. Until then, please allow to use it to protect the people important to ."

At that mont, a light laugh ca from behind her.

—Hehe~ How are you, ''? Have you finished your ntal preparation and sense of ceremony?

Kurumi opened her eyes and turned around. She saw a clone dressed in a sweet Gothic outfit, holding an umbrella, suddenly erge from the shadows and greet her with a giggle.

"…Is sothing the matter, ''?"

Kurumi frowned slightly and asked in displeasure.

—Haha, nothing much. It's just that sothing unexpected happened on the Tengu City side, so I specially ca to notify you.

Hearing that, Kurumi's heart instantly tightened.

"What happened? Did DEM begin acting? But isn't that tomorrow…"

—No. DEM has not attacked Shido-san.

"Kurumi" lightly shook her head in denial.

Kurumi imdiately sighed in relief.

—Yutsuki-san attacked DEM's base alone.

"—Hah?!"

_______________

"Phew~ That was close."

Having safely returned to the airship, Yutsuki let out a breath with lingering fear.

Although the timing of her retreat had been calculated beforehand, Ellen's murderous appearance just now had still given her quite a bit of pressure. Without a doubt, if she had stayed at DEM for even a few more seconds, her body would have been chopped into eight pieces.

"Honey!"

Before Yutsuki could catch her breath, Miku threw herself at her in a bear hug, tightly embracing her.

"You finally ca back! I was worried to death. Are you okay? Are you hurt? If sothing happened to you, how am I supposed to keep living from now on?!"

"That's too exaggerated. I ca back just fine, didn't I?"

Patting Miku's back with a wry smile, Yutsuki smiled sowhat helplessly.

"Don't worry, Miku. As you can see, nothing happened to . I ca back completely intact."

"…Liar! You're clearly injured!"

"Eh? I'm injured?"

Looking at Miku's dissatisfied expression, Yutsuki's face filled with question marks.

"The hair on your left side was cut five centiters shorter, and there's a scratch on your face!"

Miku held Yutsuki's cheeks and stared at her face as she declared firmly.

"That… counts too?"

Yutsuki could not help feeling both amused and helpless.

"Of course it counts! A girl's face is her most important treasure! Honey, don't move. Close your eyes. I'll treat you right now. Mmm—"

"…You just want to take advantage of , don't you?"

Silently pushing Miku's head away, Yutsuki was speechless.

Watching Miku perform her little farce, Kotori, seated on the commander's platform, smiled and sighed.

"All right, Yutsuki-nee. Don't bla Miku for making such a fuss. Who told you to suddenly say you were going to raid DEM's headquarters alone? Although you had your own confidence, watching from here, we were constantly holding cold sweat in our hands."

"Haha… Sorry for making you worry."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yutsuki smiled wryly and apologized. Then she turned to Mukuro.

"Mukuro, your cooperation at the end was great. Thanks."

In response, Mukuro smiled and shook her head.

"Muku only did what was easy for Muku. It's not worth praising. Onee-chan was the one who worked hard on this trip."

"Whoa—not bad, Biri-chan. You toyed with DEM like a demon playing them in the palm of your hand. If soone who didn't know better saw that, they'd think you were the villain."

At that mont, Nia walked over, draped an arm over Yutsuki's shoulder, and grinned mischievously.

"You really can't get ivory out of a dog's mouth, huh?"

Yutsuki replied irritably.

"First, let make this clear. I only succeeded in the surprise attack because I happened to pick the opening when Westcott had left the base. The Realizer intrusion and cracking also only worked because I was lucky. It probably won't work next ti."

"Why is that?"

Kotori asked curiously.

"Before, I could release Realizer armants largely because the security level of those devices was far below Ratziel's, so I could directly obtain authority. Now DEM's anti intrusion system is linked to Westcott's Beelzebub. Under interference from a Demon King's power, the difficulty has increased a lot."

Yutsuki explained.

"In other words, before, when I opened the lock on a Realizer, I only needed to force it open. Now I have to confirm the correct type of key before I can unlock it."

Westcott was not stupid. After noticing this, he would definitely change all the "passwords".

"I see."

Kotori sighed sowhat regretfully. Without a doubt, if Yutsuki's Hacker ability could be used freely, it would be an absolute killer weapon against wizards.

"Kuku—well done, my fellow comrade. You completed the vanguard battle splendidly. Next, it is ti for us Yamai to display our strength."

"Agreent. We cannot let Yutsuki alone take all the glory."

"Sure, sure. I'll have to rely on you next."

Looking at the Yamai sisters full of fighting spirit, Yutsuki smiled and shrugged.

"Now then… what will DEM do next?"

A Spirit had single handedly stord into their base and caused a huge ss, not only beating the wizards until their teeth were all over the floor, but also deliberately using a spacequake to issue a declaration of war. From a wizard's standpoint, choosing to avoid battle now would basically be the sa as fleeing.

If Westcott continued choosing to target Shidou and moved toward the outside of the city, then although Kotori's side would have to abandon the defensive battle they excelled at, DEM's wizards would also basically have no threatening power left.

"Yutsuki… will Shido be okay?"

Tohka asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine. After all, Reine is with him. As far as safety goes, there's no need to worry. As for persuading—conquering—Reine, isn't that exactly what he's good at solving?"

(Well, even if he steps right into soone else's landmine at a ti like this, that'd be nothing new.)

After secretly retorting in her heart, Yutsuki confidently comforted Tohka.

"So we'll focus on holding the enemy here."

"You're right… Umu! I'll do my best!"

[Yutsuki, DEM has begun moving.]

At that mont, Marina's voice rang inside the ship.

"Which target are they heading for?"

In response to Yutsuki's question, Marina pulled up the surveillance map and answered.

[As you predicted. DEM is mobilizing all their current forces and closing in on Tengu City.]