The chilling air seeped into their bones as endless ice ford into bright walls. Fierce winds surged, and countless hurricanes danced wildly everywhere, easily strong enough to blow a grown man away.
Dense lightning flashed in the air, and iron sand moved all around like giant snakes.
It was beyond normal comprehension. Inside the small stage of Tengu Square, all these chaotic phenona were flashing non-stop.
And this was exactly the obstacle that Itsuka Shido had to face and overco right now.
"'Raphael' — 'El Nahash'!"
"'Raphael' — 'El Re'em'!"
As the Yamai sisters called out their Angels, the chaotic winds gathered into a single point and assaulted Shido head-on.
"Gah...!"
Shido's body was swept away by a strong wind pressure he couldn't fight against, sending him flying toward the wall of the venue.
But he was gently caught by Kurumi, who erged from the shadows in the wall.
"Thanks, Kurumi... I can call you that, right?"
"Ufufu, please don't worry. Before we get eaten, Shido-san should just focus on taking care of his own body."
"Y-You have a point."
With a dry smile, Shido stood on the ground and looked at the Spirits in front of him.
After returning to this stage, Shido tried to negotiate with Miku again. But, as expected, Izayoi Miku didn't even want to listen to a word he said. She rejected him flat out and initiated combat.
The ordinary people controlled by Miku's singing were already trapped by Kurumi's "City of Devouring Ti" and couldn't move. So, the Spirits controlled by Miku put on their Astral Dresses and started attacking him without any rcy.
Looking at the situation right now, Shido was no different from when he ran away earlier. Even though Kurumi had her full Spirit powers, facing five Spirits at once gave them zero chance of winning.
But, that was only true if Kurumi was his only helper.
Shido turned his eyes to Ryougi Yutsuki, who had partially manifested her Astral Dress and Angel.
Unlike the Yamai sisters and Yoshino, whose eyes were full of hostility, her eyes didn't contain any anger at all.
(Why aren't you wearing won's clothing anymore? Why! Why!)
Even though she had so complaints in her head...
"Itsuka Shido, why did you run back here to seek death? Haven't you learned your lesson?"
(What are your plans next?)
She purposely used hostile words so Miku and the others wouldn't get suspicious, while simultaneously passing her real ssage to Shido and Kurumi.
Shido slowly gave a tiny nod, and then shouted at Miku.
"Miku, I have sothing very important to tell you right now. Can we talk alone for a bit?"
"Hah?! Didn't I tell you already? Don't dirty the eardrums of and my cute Spirit ladies with your disgusting voice. You are basically a walking source of pollution, and you still want to be alone with ? How could I ever allow such a gross fantasy? Hurry up and turn to ashes down to the atomic level. You are a cursed piece of dirt that wouldn't let life grow even if your bones returned to the earth."
The result was obvious. Miku showed a totally disgusted face and cursed at him in her slow drawl.
"Miku!"
"Don't... bully Onee-sama!"
"Oh my, Shido-kun~ n who don't know their place won't be popular! If you keep pestering Onee-sama, Yoshinon will get really mad!"
"That's exactly right~ Shido."
Right then, Yoshino and Yoshinon, who had already turned into the Angel Zadkiel to manipulated the ice in their domain. Layer after layer of ice walls shot up from the ground and rushed at Shido.
Then, a long whip of iron sand suddenly rose up and attacked Shido from the other side.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion went off. Out of the smoke and dust, Kurumi carried Shido out.
"Hehe... What a formidable attack. Even I feel admiration. I respect it!"
Kurumi let out her uniquely charming laugh. Maybe everyone thought Kurumi had just saved Shido, but Kurumi herself knew that wasn't true at all.
At first glance, it looked like a pincer attack from Yoshino and Yutsuki. But actually, the mont the iron sand whip approached Shido, it suddenly split into multiple strands. It completely bypassed Shido and Kurumi, and crushed the ice walls coming from the other side to pieces.
It looked like an attack from two sides, but it was actually completely different.
In that split second, only Kurumi, who was up close, could see it.
And this undoubtedly confird one fact.
Ryougi Yutsuki hadn't been manipulated either, even after infiltrating Miku's side.
The original 1-on-5 situation had turned into a 2-on-4.
Well... Shido-san didn't really count as combat power.
Itsuka Shido felt that the way Kurumi was looking at him was subtly annoying.
"Hihi, hihi!"
"Hihihihihi!"
"Ahah, that's right!"
"Such powerful attacks."
"So many Spirits."
"If I don't get serious."
"It won't do~"
Kurumi's voices layered over each other, like echoes passing through a dense jungle. It created an eerie atmosphere that made even Yoshino and the Yamai sisters feel uncomfortable and displeased.
Then, a phenonon that made everyone widen their eyes occurred. From the broad dark shadow, multiple figures that looked like... no, they were Tokisaki Kurumi, erged.
"Co forth—! Co forth—! 'Zafkiel'! Facing Yutsuki-san this ti, we must definitely show her what you can do!"
Kurumi raised one hand and called out that na like she was singing praises.
Instantly, an antique aura rushed forth, and a giant golden clock appeared behind Kurumi. Inside it, an antique-looking musket and pistol acted as the hands indicating their respective tis.
"Now then, Shido-san, get ready."
"Eh? Ready for..."
Before Shido could react to Kurumi, Yutsuki answered first.
"Geez, are you still not convinced by your last defeat, Kurumi? Shido too, there's a safe road but you don't take it, there's no door to hell yet you barge right in. Well then... from here on out, I'm going to get serious. Ratziel!"
Countless flashes of electricity flickered everywhere, and the earth shook uneasily.
The iron sand danced wildly!
Then, the endless iron sand turned into giant serpents, surrounding the entire venue.
"Haha, as expected of Yutsuki-san! Even after being sealed, your power is still so formidable. I am moved, I am thrilled!"
"So noisy! I'll shoot you and all your clones down in a minute!"
"Hey hey! What's going on?! Isn't Yutsuki..."
"Shh..."
Just as Shido was about to stop Kurumi, she pressed a slender finger against his lips.
Then, Shido quickly noticed the reality of the situation.
Even though the iron sand whips flying everywhere were powerful enough to cut through steel, none of the "Kurumis" flying in the air were actually trapped by them.
On the contrary, the massive amount of chaotic and dangerous iron whips greatly restricted Yamai Kaguya and Yamai Yuzuru's flight speed. Most of the hurricanes ant for attacking had to be converted into shields to blow away the iron sand.
At the sa ti, it very effectively blocked Yoshino's line of sight, causing her to feel a slight panic.
"Cough cough, Yutsuki, quickly stop this iron sand. My movents are being hindered."
"Request. Calm down. Don't be impulsive. We can only protect Onee-sama if we all work together."
Calm down? Hearing that, the corners of Kurumi's mouth unconsciously curled into a smile.
Even Itsuka Shido, who had gained Yutsuki's trust, couldn't possibly know this. In a battle, the one thing Ryougi Yutsuki lacked the least was calmness.
Even if her emotions fell into anger, she wouldn't be overly impulsive. Step by step, she controlled the battle situation, strategizing, and unknowingly led opponents who thought they had the upper hand into carefully laid traps.
Only Kurumi, who had fought Yutsuki before, understood this.
From this perspective, even if Yutsuki's mana was sealed, Ryougi Yutsuki was still the opponent Kurumi wanted to face the least.
Yutsuki indeed said she was going to get serious.
Serious about digging pits for her teammates.
"Ratziel— Cannon Mode."
The dark blue bow limbs closed towards the front, and she secured the grip to her right arm. Wielding the Ratziel that transford into a pincer-like cannon, Yutsuki sprinted swiftly towards Shido and Kurumi.
—Zzzt!
The giant claw cannon and the flintlock musket, two Angels ant for ranged attacks, clashed fiercely just like swords.
"Shift one ter to the left in three seconds."
In the split second they brushed past each other, Yutsuki's soft whisper sounded in their ears.
Just as Shido was feeling sowhat confused, Kurumi was already smiling.
The next mont, carrying Shido, Kurumi flew past Yutsuki in one step and headed straight toward Izayoi Miku.
"Hmph, this is as far as you go. From here on out, I will not allow you to advance another step."
"Block. We won't let Shido get any closer to Onee-sama."
"Don't bully... Onee-sama!"
Facing the combination of Yamai Kaguya, Yamai Yuzuru, and Yoshino in front of her, Kurumi smirked. She maintained her forward pace, but at the sa ti, shifted her body slightly to the side.
"Railgun!"
At the exact sa ti, behind Shido and Kurumi, the Angel in Ryougi Yutsuki's hand turned the gathered iron sand into a fierce strike.
An orange beam of light brushed past Kurumi by a hairsbreadth, and imdiately after, swept towards the direction of the Yamai and the others.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Yamai were blown back by the shockwave generated by the bombardnt. Subsequently, a huge hole was blasted through the multiple layers of ice walls Yoshino had created.
In an instant, a clear, straight path was opened between Shido and Izayoi Miku.
"Ara ara~, falling for the trick so easily. You Spirit ladies are truly simple-minded."
With a few casual words, Kurumi made everyone mistakenly believe that the situation just now was her sche, eliminating any suspicion towards Yutsuki.
"Zafkiel — 'Aleph' (The First Bullet)."
Not letting this excellent opportunity slip away, the shadow on the clock loaded into the gun barrel. Kurumi aid the muzzle at her own temple.
The next mont, as if teleporting, Kurumi arrived in front of Izayoi Miku at a speed that made even the Yamais widen their eyes.
"—Ba! What a pity~ Checkmate."
"Ugh..."
Standing in front of Miku, Kurumi stuck out her tongue and made a funny face.
This seed to make Miku very uncomfortable. Her angry face carried a hint of timidity as she took a breath.
"Kurumi! Danger!"
Shido couldn't help but cry out. He rembered this action of Miku's. It was a physical sound pressure powerful enough to blow Tohka away.
However, Shido's worry was clearly unnecessary.
"Mmph, mmph!"
In an instant, the shadow at Miku's feet expanded—Kurumi's clones darted out from it, covering Miku's mouth from behind.
Following that, several more Kurumi clones erged from the shadow, completely immobilizing the struggling Miku, and slowly dragged her into the shadow.
Subsequently, Shido, who was being held by Kurumi, also gradually sank into the shadow.
"Now then, Shido-san, I leave persuading Miku-san to you."
"Hah... I understand."
Although he felt a chill at this scenario that seed straight out of a horror movie, Shido barely managed to calm down and nodded.
"Damn it, let go of Onee-sama!"
Then, the mont before sinking into the shadow, Shido saw Yutsuki. She seemingly rushed forward to rescue Miku in a panic, only to be heavily surrounded by the "Kurumis", and finally her 'desperate resistance' proved futile. As a result, she was also being gradually dragged in, continue to letting out unwilling screams.
"Yutsuki! I will free you from those bonds imdiately!"
"Sorrow. Yutsuki, you must hold on!"
"Yutsuki-san!"
Yutsuki's cries prompted the Yamai sisters and Yoshino to rush over to rescue her. Even though they were controlled, in reality, apart from their hostility towards Shido and their affection for Miku, their attitudes towards everyone else hadn't changed much.
Miku had already been pulled into the shadow, and it looked like Yutsuki was about to be dragged into the terrifying darkness as well. Everyone hurriedly ran to rescue Yutsuki.
Kurumi's clones, naturally, blocked their path.
With a hint of sorrow on her breathtakingly beautiful face, mixed with a bit of detachnt, like a martyr, Yutsuki spoke slowly.
"Everyone... don't mind ... no matter what... you must... protect Onee-sama!"
Be a hero while alive, and a champion even in death. Even facing death, she absolutely would not ask for rescue. Instead, she chose to let them save Miku.
A heart of absolute sincerity, clear to heaven and earth.
"Everyone, I'm counting on you..."
Entrusting her wish to her comrades, Yutsuki slowly closed her eyes, wearing a peaceful expression as she sank into the darkness.
"""Yutsuki!!!!!"""
"Um... is that really okay?"
Towards Shido's sowhat uneasy expression, a rare look of not knowing whether to laugh or cry appeared on Kurumi's face.
"Although I couldn't be clearer about what I just did myself, for a split second, I actually had the sa doubt as you, Shido-san."
Just like Tobiichi Origami had said before.
[Ryougi Yutsuki is a terrifying person... in many senses of the word.]
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