"Hmph!" Tohka swung the sword down at Lucas. In return to her attack, Lucas moved his blade made out of light sideways to act as a shield and block her attack.
Fortunately, her attack force has been reduced due to the Territory, but subsequently it also dulled Lucas' own movements. It felt as if the gravity of the planet had suddenly multiplied.
But unlike last time, Lucas had grown significantly stronger. He felt relatively at ease fighting Tohka, with no one getting a hit on the other. Matter of fact, Lucas actually had a smile on his face.
"What's the matter? Feeling stressed?"
"Shut your mouth. Your words mean nothing if you are the one to fall!"
The storm of blades clashing resumed endlessly and tirelessly. It felt like an never ending war between light and darkness, of what shall overtake the planet. Light makes the shadows darker, but darkness only makes light shine brighter.
Whenever Tohka made an attempt to slash Lucas, he merely dodged it and returned his attack only to be blocked by Nahemah.
But---his Magic will surely run out some time. He doesn't know how much longer he can last, and in the worst case scenario, a direct hit from Nahemah would render a life-threatening wound to him.
"Nahemah!" When Tohka placed her feet on Tenguu Towers roof, she kicked against a ground. Upon doing do, a brilliant dark grey coloured throne resembling Nahemah appeared next to her.
"What...don't tell me---?!" Lucas frowned. He knew exactly what was coming. The next moment, Tohka swung Nahemah down and destroyed the throne. The throne split in many little pieces, and reassembled itself around Nahemah.
"Paverschlev..." Lucas muttered the name of that sword. The sword that took his very life with it's incredible firepower.
"...." At the current moment, Lucas didn't know if all the civilians had evacuated into the shelters, the possibility of Tohka killing a hoard of people isn't as low as Lucas had hoped.
"Die! Nahemah! Paverschlev!" Tohka shouted, swinging down her gigantic sword. Instantly, the sky was dyed in black. The most powerful attack was coming directly at him at tremendous speed. Everything it touched in its path was reduced to nothingness, leaving no traces behind. This was the absolute nightmare of Tohka's inverse.
"....!" Lucas immediately turned his body and just narrowly scraped out of Paverchlevs attack. Dropslets of sweat formed on his forehead as Tohka, without even letting him process, dashed at him again.
"Haah!" Tohka shouted a battle cry again, swinging Nahemah at him. Lucas attempted to block the attack again, but---
"Guh...!" The moment they connected, Lucas' body came flying into Tenguu Tower.
"Ridiculous...." Lucas forced a bitter smile as he pressed his feet and got up from the point of his impact. He stretched his arms, and upper body.
"No bones broke.....But that beast has unleashed Paverschlev now..." Cold sweat ran down his cheek as he stared at Tohka up in the sky.
◇
On the ground that continued to vibrate slightly.
"Nushi-sama--Muku shall not concede." Mukuro sharpened her range of sight as she gazed at Lucas and Tohka exchanging mutual blows in the sky.
Towards Tohka, who was currently preoccupied with fighting Lucas, it was certainly possible for Mukuro to take advantage of the situation to launch a successful attack from behind.
Michael---Unlock-Rātaibu!"
As Mukuro shouted, she used her hands to turn Michael. At that moment, a gate appeared, wherein the front tip of Michael could barely fit.
Of course, the other side of the door was connected to a blind spot of Tohka's. -There, Michael would pierce and turn. In that case, everything would be over. Solution-Jerez, Michael's secret ability to ensure the total decomposition of any material matter. In front of this unparalleled power, all things in this world would return to nothingness. At this point, even Tohka should be no exception.
"Solution-Jerez......!"
After Mukuro spotted the timing where Lucas and Tohka were distracted by their clash, a small key-shaped angel would protrude out into the space from a door.
However--
"Don't do it! Mukuro!"
Just as Michael was about to pierce through the door, Shidou stood up and spread out his hands in front of Mukuro.
"--!?"
Due to the unexpected action from Shidou, Mukuro gawked blankly with her eyes as her body began to tremble. But it was too late. Through the reflexes of her wrist, Michael slightly deviated from its target as it pierced through Shidou's shoulder.
"Kuh......!?" Shidou's face distorted with pain. In response, Mukuro quickly used her arms to stop the influx of power being unleashed by Michael.
But.
"----Eh?"
At the next instant, as if hit by a strange sensation, Mukuro let out a stunned voice.
By piercing Shidou with the long halberd, phantom-like images began to manifest, with feelings of undiluted anger that flowed through. No, to be more precise, there was also something flowing from Mukuro's side.
Although they didn't know what it was in the end; however, it seemed as if the feelings between Mukuro and Shidou were being intermingled. It was like the feeling of shaking two different liquids within a bottle together.
Ah--but it wasn't the first time she encountered this feeling. Exactly. At that time in outer space, the same feelings brewed when Shidou had used his pseudo Michael to pierce her.
"--"
--That's right, at that time.
That cold winter day.
In the face of my own frustration, certain existence appeared.
It bore semblance to someone who was fully submerged in water, or a strange figure enshrouded in mosaics.
And that someone had given me something resembling a gemstone with a brilliant golden hue.
From that moment onwards, I, Hoshimiya Mukuro, became a Spirit.
However, I felt neither doubts nor fears.
No, rather it would be more appropriate to say that I felt an even greater feeling of joy.
I had received Michael, a key-shaped angel which could close any object, even invisible things such as human memories could be locked.
Using this power, I could certainly make sister, father, and mother love only me.
So, I immediately, and gladly, used this power. Opening a gate in space, I utilized Michael to close the memories of my family from every acquaintance, or nearly anyone that recognized my sister and parents for that matter.
However, in the end, things did not go as I had planned.
After coming back home, the reactions of my family were filled with utter confusion. The unusual situation of having no one remember them left a sense of overwhelming bewilderment; nobody was concerned about Mukuro.
I believed that if all the surrounding people were to forget about them, they would all love me again.
Yet, the backlash from my family after discovering that I had been the cause of the situation was far from love or affection.
Astonishment and anger; dismay and agitation; and also--rejection.
Father, Mother, and sister were all afraid of how I obtained such unfathomable power and thereafter alienated me.
Not much was to be reminisced with regard to what they had said subsequently. In spite of being able to recall the scene as vividly as it had occurred, only fragmented words came and disappeared.
"Monster", "Ah, what did you do", "Don't kill us", "Get out", "You're...not our family".
Evidently, perhaps the brain had judged that my heart would be unable to bear the burden of all those memories, so they were specifically frayed and tattered in this manner.
Even so, I could clearly remember the painful knot in my chest at that time.
Uncomfortable, sad, painful, and lonely, these feelings spun around constantly in my head. And so, I went to Father, Mother, and sister, using Michael to lock each and every single memory of myself.
Because it seemed as though something would have happened if those words had plagued me any longer.
And thus, I was alone again.
Though it was by no means the same. I returned to loneliness after having experienced the warmth of a family. It cruelly mirrored starving a man who had known satisfaction all too well.
In retrospect, I likely possessed no qualifications to ever love something in the first place.
Being born without love, I failed to notice how its shape had contorted.
If you love, you must also be loved.
If you love, you must look within solely yourself.
Therefore, Mukuro closed the lock.
To my memories.
To my heart.
In order not to recall the warmth of a family after having felt it once.
--In order to never love something again.
"Ah--"
In front of the door opened in space, Shidou let out a small voice that sounded unusual of someone who just had Michael stabbed into his shoulder.
Remarkably, it was not that painful. Rather, via Michael, the memory of a girl came flowing into him.
It was the dream that Shidou had been watching for the last few days.
And--it was probably the memories that Mukuro had sealed.
Thinking about it, Shidou had only dreamed that after he had used his pseudo Michael to open the lock on Mukuro's heart in outer space.
Although he was oblivious to its specific principles, but perhaps at that time, the seal locking Mukuro's memories collapsed, allowing her recollections to be relayed through Michael and into Shidou.
Then, again by means of Michael, the memory was shared between the two of them.
"Mukuro...... you're, no, you too are--"
Shidou imparted a small voice while trembling and reaching out to Mukuro.
But at the next moment.
"Ah, gah......!?" Shidou now perceived a severe pain in the region where Michael had struck. From his shoulder down to his wrist, everything had snapped and ricocheted like a bullet.
"Ou... ugh, gaaaaaaaah??"
As a result of the pain from the shock, Shidou gave out a scream as if his throat had been crushed.
It was a completely distinct feeling in comparison to having his hand cut off. His shoulder disappeared as though denying it had ever been there. What remained of his wrist fell to the ground over a large pool of blood.
"Ga ... ah, aaaaaah!"
Shidou reflexively used the Angel of music, Gabriel. He employed the spirit power in his voice to increase his resilience in order to withstand the bleeding and torment.
At the same time, Shidou called on Haniel, even though it was at a pitiable level, to close the wound.... Had Mukuro used Michael to seal away his ability to use Haniel, he would have been incapable of doing anything. Fortunately, it seemed that only Haniel's ability to transform into Michael had been closed.
Of course, despite giving the impression of water on rocks, it only had a minor effect--at least it prevented him from going crazy owing to the anguish or losing consciousness.
Even with Camael's healing flames generating smoke on the wound, it was uncertain if it could cure a trauma of such magnitude. It would take more time if possible, as even now the effect still hadn't kicked in.
Shidou's face was covered in sweat as he looked towards Mukuro.
"Mu...kuro..."
"Ah... A-Ah-Nushi-sama, no...! Muku, Muku didn't want to kill Nushi-sama..."
But looking at the sky with empty eyes, Mukuro's body began to quiver with fear. She dropped Michael down from her arms and started talking in incoherent words.
"Nay... Do not forsake Muku... a-a-a-ah, Nushi-sama, Ane-sama..."
"Muku, Muku..............."
Like a dream, memories and reality began to jumble in her mind. Mukuro held her head tightly in confusion.
The next moment, tears dripped from Mukuro's eyes. A torrent of spirit power of a muddy color began to emanate from her body.
"Ugh-- a-aaaaaaaaaargh!--"
"This is......"
Shidou squeezed out a hoarse voice.
He was no stranger to this phenomenon. Inversion.
The fact that she had, by her own hand, caused a mortal injury to Shidou, and simultaneously recovered the memories that she herself closed in her mind.
Certainly, these factors were enough for engulfing Mukuro's heart in an abyss of despair.
Crimson cracks appeared on the elegant and valiant Spirit, taking on a color that embodied chaos itself. The flowing tears transformed into pitch black darkness, and <Michael>, which had fallen to the ground, dissipated into dust. Then, a large demonic key began to appear behind Mukuro.
"No, please...... Stop, Mukuro!"
If this subsisted any further, Mukuro would really invert.
Shidou slowly stepped forward with staggering feet.
However, Mukuro's body lay at the very center of a potent vortex of spiritual power that stopped Shidou's advancement and pushed him back in retaliation.
"Guh--!"
In his current condition, it was arduously difficult to avoid the attack.
Somehow, he managed to endure the blow by focusing all of his strength to his feet.
At the next moment, a tremendous slash fell from above, dissipating the spirit power in front of Shidou like foggy mist.
"Eh--?"
Shidou started blankly at the sight. At first, he thought it was assistance provided by Fraxinus--but that was wrong. This was from Nahemah.
"Humph." While in thought, Shidou heard a voice coming from the sky.
"Don't misunderstand. As to why I humiliated myself for a bastard like you, such an easy death would be unsuitable even for the likes of you." Tohka gave an annoyed expression before once more facing against Lucas in the sky.
"Tohka......"
Shidou whispered for a moment before turning to face Mukuro.
Tohka's words likely didn't contain any especial implications. But it was an indisputable fact that her blow had paved the way for him. Shidou couldn't save her by himself, so he thanked Tohka for providing him with the opportunity to reach Mukuro. While taking small footsteps, he reached out his remaining hand to hold Mukuro.
His body could muster only a bit more power. It would be more accurate to say that he was leaning forward rather than embracing her. Yet that didn't matter. Shidou gathered the strength in his throat to say something.
"Mukuro! Mukuro! Come back! No, you can't go over there!"
Shidou was using the last ounce of strength in his body to talk to Mukuro.
--Shidou had not understood it before.
The reason for why Mukuro wanted to exclude everyone and monopolize Shidou.
As a matter of fact, jealousy, alongside the desire to keep someone for oneself, was a feeling which everybody had. However, in Mukuro's case, the extent was way beyond the level of ordinary.
Nonetheless, speaking of the present.
Through Mukuro's memories that were shared by Michael, Shidou now understood. Because--
"Mukuro...... you're....like me." Shidou continued to talk to Mukuro, who was enveloped in darkness.
Yes, Mukuro and Shidou were extremely similar to each other. That's why Shidou had first thought that the dream of Mukuro's past was rather of his own past.
In the past, Shidou had been abandoned by his mother and had become caught in loneliness.
Yet, when he was adopted by the Itsuka family. Father, mother, a little sister--for the first time, he also understood the warmth of a family.
Therefore, he could comprehend.
"Mukuro...... You were actually worried inside. You were in distress, yet you didn't know what to do, right?"
Mukuro's shoulders began to convulse after she heard Shidou's hoarse voice.
Precisely, Mukuro felt uneasy.
Because in the beginning of her memory, the existence named 'love' was absent.
One day, all of a sudden, she was given a warm, tender feeling that was comfortable and dazzling while not knowing how to cling onto it.
It truly sent forth the sensation of a dreamlike, ethereal existence, instigating, unbeknown to them, the fear of losing everything when the dreamer themselves awakens into reality.
Even when immersed in happiness, there would always linger a trace of anxiety within oneself.
So, if one's family were to consort with someone other than oneself, one would learn that they belonged to an unfamiliar world. The feeling of one's heart being tightened would undoubtedly be enkindled.
After all, there was the thought that he was a human grafted into their lives; there might be other things that those people deem more valuable.
Although it wasn't as excessive as Mukuro's instance, this sentiment also existed within Shidou's own heart.
"But, Mukuro...... Don't worry about it."
With blurred vision, Shidou continued to speak as he stroked Mukuro's head.
"You don't need to worry about it. Father, mother, brothers and sisters...... no matter how far apart, you'll always be linked together. Because....that's what family is."
Yes, he was taught that by Kotori and his parents.
But if Shidou was given the same power as Mukuro, he wouldn't know what he might have done either.
"Kuh....."
As a result of what Shidou said, Mukuro exhaled a small breath.
"But... Muku... to Muku... has..."
"......You'll still have me!"
To answer Mukuro's faint consciousness, which seemed like it could possibly disappear at any moment, Shidou raised his voice.
"I will be... your family, so you don't have to worry anymore. No matter what, I'll never forget you. No matter what you do, I'll never hate you..."
Despite coughing fiercely and blood spewing from his mouth, Shidou did not care and continued to speak.
"Ah...... that's not all. Mukuro, you too... Promise me... There's no point in one-way love. --Because we're... a family."
"......! Nushi-sama, Muku--"
Muku responded with her lips slightly trembling.
Then, at that moment the tears, which were murky like sludge, returned to its original transparency.
However, it wasn't over yet. The spirit power surrounding them was increasing in momentum.
It was now the critical juncture to determine whether Mukuro could entirely return to their side.
"Mukuro--"
He didn't know if Mukuro had accepted his words. However, there was no time left to waste. Shidou used the final shred of his energy to lift his face--
"Wha......"
"----"
His lips touched Mukuro's for an ephemeral moment.
This was a blood-soaked kiss with an odor like metallic iron.
After giving a small prayer, Shidou closed his eyes tightly.
It was a sensation that he had experienced many times before. By establishing the seal, spirit power flowed from Mukuro's body and into Shidou.
Simultaneously, the Astral Dress that Mukuro was wearing and the key- shaped Demon King lost its radiance, melting away and fading into the air.
"......Mukuro!"
"Ah...... um......"
Having become stark naked, Mukuro abruptly leant over.
However, to Shidou, who had well exceeded his limit, being leant against by Mukuro broke his posture as he collapsed backwards.
"Gua-yah......!?"
He stroked the back of his head strongly, shouting a miserable scream.
But if one were to ask for the root of the shriek, it would mainly be due to the shock from his previous wounds.
Despite using a combination of abilities from Gabriel, Haniel, as well as Camael, for the emergency treatment, under normal circumstances, this would have unquestionably been a fatal injury--Even death would not prove to be unlikely from such affliction. Rather, it should be said that his reaction towards being collapsed upon was commendable, given his condition.
"......."
Perhaps tired from the crying or having exhausted all of her stamina, Mukuro sent a yawn yearning for sleep, while her chest was still soaked with Shidou's blood.
Shidou heaved a deep sigh of relief.
"Mukuro... thank you for believing in me......"
Shidou loosened his neck as he caressed Mukuro's head while looking up towards the heavens.
......But how was he to describe it. Shidou then discerned a kind of unspeakably bad feeling. Obviously, he had just completed a super difficult task, but it was the type of sensation of forgetting something very important.
At that time, as if to verify what Shidou was thinking, something from the sky approached his view at a tremendous speed.
"What......!?"
Shidou opened his eyes wide in astonishment.
As the flying object approached them, it quickly decelerated to land beside Shidou's head quietly.
A dark skirt fluttered in the wind and embraced Shidou's sight.
That's right. It appeared there.
"--Pfft. I thought there was something to see, but in the end, this is the result, woman."
The voice came from the Inverse Spirit Tohka, who should have been in the middle of an aerial battle against Lucas.
"To... hka....!" Shidou held his breath, as he moved to protect Mukuro, who was sleeping on his chest.
"......Thank you. Because... of you... I could... stop... Mukuro......"
"Hmm, I don't care about that. Anyhow, I can now kill two birds with one stone."
Shidou found himself unable to look back as Tohka stared at them with murderous eyes.
Mukuro's spirit power was sealed and she had already lost consciousness. Likewise, it would be a mistake to assume that Shidou was in any reasonable condition to fight. Both were powerless against Tohka.
"Are you alright, Shidou?"
Falling a few seconds behind Tohka, Lucas arrived at a position slightly away.
Lucas' suit showed signs of damage, and some sweat building up on his forehead could be seen. It seemed the fight against Tohka a bit troubling, even for the present Lucas.
"........."
Tohka glanced at Lucas for a second before returning her attention to Shidou and Mukuro.
Shidou could detect himself exuding cold sweat.
That's right; the supposed assistance earlier was merely one of Tohka's fleeting whims. Only another could save them now. If she felt like it, Shidou and even Mukuro, as well as Lucas, would all be killed.
"Kuh......"
Shidou placed Mukuro's body on the ground as gently as possible, before fighting against the nauseating pain to stand up.
The state of his body was beyond being considered as just bad. If one had to choose between a human and a zombie, he more resembled the latter right now.
However, in order to return Tohka to normal, Shidou summoned his strength and slowly raised his body, with one knee still on the ground.
"Guh...... ah, ugh......"
"--Hmph." Tohka lowered her eyes condescendingly towards Shidou as she looked on with a cold stare. Then, she forcibly grabbed him by the collar.
"Guaa......!?"
"Shidou!" Lucas hollered a scream as he prepared to attack Tohka.
However, as Tohka glowered at her, Lucas stopped in place without warning. At that distance, if Lucas acted rashly before Tohka, Shidou's head would be the first to come off flying.
"............"
"............" As Tohka looked on towards Shidou, whose countenance exhibited a grimace of suffering, she slowly raised Shidou's body upwards.
Then, she looked at Mukuro, who was sleeping on the floor, before stating something in a cold voice.
"You've turned such a competent warrior into a child."
"Guh......"
Shidou saw that there was a glint of ire in her eyes that was staring daggers at him.
However, the next moment, Tohka merely gave a heavy glance and uttered something with an air of loneliness.
"......My interest is gone."
"Huh--"
After hearing the tone of inverse Tohka's voice, Shidou could not refrain from being flabbergasted in response.
However, that surprise was then surpassed by an even greater bafflement.
Tohka, while clutching Shidou's collar, pressed her lips onto Shidou's without any hesitation.
"Uhmmm...!?"
"Wha--!?"
Shidou and Lucas' voices overlapped as they both issued exclamations of surprise at the same time.
Yet, Tohka did not show any sign of embarrassment as she let go of the hand gripping Shidou's collar.
".......Ow!"
As Shidou once again fell to the ground on his backside, the subsequent vibrations spread the pain all throughout his body.
Despite his face twisting in pain, Shidou did not take his eyes away from Tohka.
Tohka's jet-black Astral Dress disintegrated into light particles that were swept with the wind.
Tohka, who looked as cold as ever, had a mysterious look in her eyes as she looked towards Shidou before muttering something.
"Don't let me--"
"Huh......?"
"Don't let Tohka feel sad."
She suddenly lost consciousness and fell down onto the ground.
"T-Tohka!?" Shidou panicked as he saw Tohka's face as she collapsed.
"Muu........." It was a very steady and gentle sleeping face.
Her facial features had changed back into her everyday expression. Sensing that the tension had left the atmosphere, Shidou breathed out a sigh of relief before falling down limp on his heads and knees.
"Shidou, are you okay!?"
Having been observing what had transpired, Lucas quickly approached him. Shidou gave a wry smile as he waved feebly.
"Finally...... ah, no, as expected, things have finally settled."
"Yeah...Hold on tight, I'll heal you immediately." Lucas said, getting down and placing his hand on Shidou's shoulder. A small light shone from Lucas' palm, and the pain Shidou was experiencing slowly began to dissipate.
"Ah...Thanks. I owe you again. Have Kotori and the others regained their memories? We can't leave Mukuro and Tohka naked here. Fraxinus should come quickly from above......"
Then. Shidou suddenly stopped speaking.
No, it was semi-mandatory to stop halfway.
Mukuro had unexpectedly pressed her lips against his on the spot.
"Pffuu... Mu-Mukuro!?"
"......Hehe, in ill-caution lies man's greatest foe, Nushi-sama." As Shidou's face was flushed red with embarrassment, Mukuro staggered as she showed a bold smile.
"Wh-What are you saying......"
"Had you not planted a kiss on Tohka's lips just before?"
"Ehh......"
Listening to what Mukuro had said, Shidou slightly twitched his eyebrows.
He had even thought that Mukuro would have accepted his words. Contrary to what he expected, she had still not given up on monopolizing Shidou--
Mukuro, who had likely read his thoughts, gave out a slight giggle.
"Rest assured. You needn't... worry anymore. Whatever Shidou desires, Muku won't be uneasy. After all... we are a family."
As she said that, her face had a reddish hue to it as though she were a bit shy.
Seeing this, Shidou gave out a short sigh as he loosened his cheeks.
"Mukuro......"
"However." Mukuro interrupted Shidou by placing her finger on his lips.
"Such intimacy is truly lovely, isn't it? We are family, after all." She replied with a mischievous smile.
"......U-Um..."
"Family....is what exactly to you...?"
◇
Although it was often said that the starry skies incorporated an unreachable realm, Shidou had actually swam in outer space already. In other words, it felt like the body was falling into a quasi-meteor shower. Even if it was by mistake, he still didn't think to capture it in his palm.
After all, the stars were beautiful because they were so far away. While viewing the night sky full of stars spreading in sight, Shidou breathed a light sigh.
A few days after sealing Mukuro's spirit power, Shidou was on the roof of the Spirits' mansion next to the Itsuka residence, gazing at the night sky.
The reason was simple--by Shidou's side laid a sleeping girl who had hoped for this in earnest.
"Mukuro."
As Shidou called out her name with a soft voice, Mukuro used her fingertips to move her long hair before he became visible in her line of sight.
"Yes, what is the matter, Nushi-sama?"
"Is this really okay? If you want to see the stars, Kotori can prepare a better viewpoint for us......"
"Unnecessary, Muku shall henceforth stay here, right? Alas, here is accommodating."
"I see."
As Shidou answered shortly, he slowly loosened his mouth and turned to the stellar vaults of heaven again.
Then, while catching glimpses of the twinkling stars, Shidou extended his right hand and tried to open and close his palm several times.
This was not to poetically grasp the stars within his own hand, but merely to confirm if the physical capacities of his right hand had returned to normal.
Even though Shidou's right hand had been, in a sense, demolished on the battlefield, it was finally at the level of its previous dexterity after complete regeneration.
Well, that was to be expected. In order to promptly restore the part that had been lost to such a dire extent, there was no choice but to borrow the power of Camael and the medical Realizer apparatus.
However, the acclimation of the treatment, as well as the Mukuro's concealment, were also done as fast as possible. It was thanks to the efforts of those who had regained their memories of Shidou after having those recollections sealed by Michael.
If one must say, after seeing his injuries, the Spirits thought, "If only we hadn't forgotten about Shidou, then this wouldn't have ever happened." And so, he had a hard time appeasing the Spirits who kept blaming themselves for letting it transpire in the first place.
In contrast, Mukuro's current state seemed almost deceptively cute as she had listened to Kotori's orders and undergone several medical examinations.
After his treatment and her inspection had been wrapped up today, Shidou saw Mukuro for the first time in a while as she requested to see the stars together.
"--In olden days."
"Eh?"
While scanning the astronomical empyrean above, Mukuro muttered something almost inaudible, causing Shidou to turn his attention towards her.
"Muku often observed the sky alongside Ane-sama. Muku... truly loves those times."
"Oh... I see." Shidou was likely thinking the same thing as he quietly replied.
That is to say, Shidou knew that using Michael had created a pseudo link between the two of them, allowing their memories to mesh, which he had seen during a dream.
In said dream, Shidou distinguished a feeling of relief coupled with happiness from the bottom of his heart. Surely, it must have been the emotions that Mukuro had memorized at the time.
"Why... did Muku not perceive it then. Ane-sama, Father, and Mother had all loved Muku."
"......Mukuro." Shidou swayed his neck back and forth before continuing.
"You couldn't do anything about it. No one wants to be alone. It's natural that we try to preserve our own place somehow...... I know you just made a little mistake."
"Nushi-sama......" Mukuro looked towards Shidou before slowly lowering her eyes.
"Yes... I believe Nushi-sama bears resemblance to Muku. Perhaps that's why... Muku feels relief when beside Nushi-sama." Mukuro's expression eased down after finishing that sentence.
Having said that, similar to how he had seen Mukuro's past by sharing the same dream, it naturally meant that she had also viewed his memories as well. It was then that Shidou felt somewhat bashful, his cheeks turning beet red.
"Hm, indeed, among those visions Muku finds one unfathomable."
"Eh, what is it?"
"Why did you, when alone in your abode, cross your arms against your waist and say, 'Ougi Roaring Flash Blast Wave'..."
"Ahh, that's totally unrelated to me. I bet you just dreamt that on your own." Shidou gave a nonchalant reply as if to shield himself from Mukuro's words. Mukuro, feeling strange, moved her neck in thought.
"Hmm... is that so?" While seeming as though she was not fully convinced, Mukuro turned once again to face the sky.
After a passing period of time, the two of them silently returned to their stargazing.
Unaware of how long it had already been, Mukuro uttered below a whisper.
"Ne, Nushi-sama."
"Un, what's wrong?"
"Muku's hair... Will you help in trimming it?"
"Huh?"
In response to Mukuro's words, Shidou widened his eyes.
When Shidou had offered before to cut it...... Mukuro had showcased a strong feeling of refusal. Additionally, the fight against Inverse Tohka had occurred precisely since she had accidently cut a few strands of her hair.
"Is it really fine, Mukuro?"
"Um... Muku rather wishes for a new appearance." Mukuro seemed to reveal a sad smile while having her fingers rolling her long hair forward.
"No need to shout, Nushi-sama will trim it for Muku, right? Except for family, no one may lay a finger on this hair."
Then she said that in a joking tone.
Shidou was momentarily stunned but then responded.
"Ah, leave it to me!"
After nodding, Shidou gently touched Mukuro's head.
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"Fuu....." On the rooftop of Raizen Highschool, Lucas relaxed himself as the fresh wind slightly blew his split bangs.
The sky was brightly adorned with the warm setting sun. Even for a winter day like this, it felt surprisingly warm. Although school was already over, Lucas came here to relax his mind from something that kept bothering him.
"As expected, I need to get stronger." Lucas clenched his fist tightly. His fight with Tohka a few days ago made it clear Lucas couldn't sit idly and let things be. Lucas realized he had to take action and get much---many times more stronger than he is now.
"I'm sorry, me of the illusionary world, I let you down even though I promised to get stronger. At the end, I'm still weak."
Thinking back, his fight against Artemisia was also bugging him more. He was easily defeated by her, it made Lucas want to dig his head into the ground from the shame of losing.
Lucas stretched out his arm, and lazily summoned his blade in his palm. At first, he thought nothing of it, but clearly there was something still unknown to him.
In the forgotten world, when Origami was about to kill Kurumi, his blade wasn't made out of light, but darkness. When compared, it feels almost as if he had "inversed" like a Spirit. The thought was ridiculious, but Lucas couldn't just ignore it.
"...." Closing his eyes, Lucas recalled the feeling he felt when he witnessed Kaguya, Yuzuru, Kurumi and Tohka get assaulted by Origami. Rage. He felt an unbelievable amount of rage. But that wasn't what caused this dark power to emerge from him. It was...despair. The thought of losing his loved ones made him despair, and angry. His pupil had changed from a bright star into a small black one, similar to how a star would explode and turn into a black hole.
Of course, Lucas' outrage couldn't even be compared to such enormous event such as a star exploding.
"....!" When Lucas thought about the events in the forgotten world, his blade suddenly flashed and turned into something that looked like it was made out of dark matter. Thinking back many years into the past, hasn't he used something similar before?
His cruel past, murdering thousands, hundreds of thousands of people for the sake of stopping a conflict between people of different religions. He used spears made of dark matter, and not light like he does now. For what reason has his power changed? If anything, combining those two elements would mean getting even stronger, possibly twice as strong as he is right now. But it was dangerous. It was just like inversing, and the risk of losing control over his body is too high.
Just then, at the moment---
"---gh?!" He felt something drain something out of him. The blade he had turned into dark matter has disappeard along with that feeling.
No make matters worse, he was afflicted with an acute dizziness. No. If one had an aversion to faulty expressions, the word dizziness would fail to hit home the sensation. This feeling resembled having one's source of power cleaved without warning; a sense of loss outclassing agony and malady at once, threatening to bury his body in darkness in a split second of vulnerability.
However, he had felt this impalpable formication before.
When his flesh and bones were punctured by a bullet.
When his guts were impaled by a sword from behind.
And---When a part of his body was obliterated to naught by a key.
It existed as a fleeting feeling of one's own body being overrun by something which effortlessly transcended a human lifeform's mortal potentialities.
In the fullness of time, this was the tingle of death-