And so, the morning of February 14th finally dawned.
It was the day for lovers who celebrated the name of St. Valentine---the day Lucas will have his first date with Kurumi in decades.
“…………” Lucas washed himself in the bathroom more carefully than usual before walking out.
"Then....onto the clothes." ...Lucas was definitely not taking this date lightly. He went back into his room and carefully chose a pair of clothes. Since he doesn't really have an interest in fashion, the girls were the ones picking out clothes for him....and a few clothes that were given to him by Miku----Of course they weren't for males, so those were out of the questions.
After a while of thinking, he decided on black jeens, a white shirt and a light-brown leather jacket, with his neck adorned with a necklace.
As if waiting, the door bell rang the moment Lucas got done choosing out clothes. He quickly went down the stairs and to the front door. He then opened it to see a familiar face.
"Nia? What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
"Good morning~ I wanted to give you this, Boy~"
“Huh?” Lucas stared with wide open eyes, looking back and forth between Kotori and the object in her hand. It was a small box decorated with a beautiful wrapping: blue ribbons and white wrapping paper, which looked just like Nia.
"This is...Chocolate?"
"That's right, that's right~"
Lucas smiled as he took the chocolate from Nia.
"Thank you, Nia. Actually, it's the first time someone has ever given me chocolate."
"EH?! That means I am the first?! Yaah, lucky me~" Nia cheerfully said, and forced Lucas to smile. “Nene~ please open it!”
“Oh, right now? Well then……”
In response to Nia's urging, Lucas began opening the package.
“Oh, this is handmade!?” In response to Lucas' question, Nia gave a proud nod.
"But the shape is....quite like you, Nia...."
Upon inspection, it was a semicircular silky milk chocolate with a strawberry protruding from the chocolate, making it look like a breast-shaped chocolate.
Lucas once again thanked her and ate a piece of it.
"Mhm. It's really good." Lucas replied. The chocolate melted away in his mouth. Although the chocolate had a bit of a washed out flavor by itself, the fruity aftertaste gave it some extra punch.
"Wait...how did you prepare this? The taste isn't like normal chocolate..."
"Fufu, instead of melting the chocolate in hot water, I melted it down in a bottle of Sake instead!"
"....." Lucas' felt like he should've expected chocolate with alcohol since it was Nia's, but a bottle of Sake...? Even for Nia that seems a bit over the top. In any case, it doesn't seem like it affects his body in a bad way. It was quite the opposite. He could feel the bad toxins immediately get broken down inside his body. It seems like he can't get drunk even if he wanted to.
"Thanks, Nia. I'll finish the rest later, but I have to go to school now. You should also have some work, right? Don't miss your deadlines."
"Ahaha, I know I know. See ya, Boy~" Nia waved her hand and left. After twenty minutes, Lucas dressed into his school uniform and left for school. There was no one in the house but him, so he assumed everyone went to school early.
“……Hmm?”
Reaching the school entrance, Lucas stared with dumbfounded eyes.
That was because the Yamai sisters were standing in front of the left and right sides of the gate, like Kongourikishi waiting for them.
“Kaguya and Yuzuru?"
“You’ve arrived, Lucas! Kuku, my golden crucifix arises here!”
“Presentation. I was waiting, please accept this.”
Kaguya and Yuzuru quickly obstructed Lucas' words by handing over a box. The students who were walking around seemed to have immediately recognized the meaning of this action from today's date. Faced with such a dignified and generous way of giving chocolate, there was sporadic applause coming from the surroundings.
“Oh, oh……Thank you. But there’s no need to give it here.”
“Kuku, what did you say? By going to the same school, we would be fools to let go of this advantage.”
“Assent. By showing this in front of everyone, there is also a point of deterrence against enemies.” The Yamai Sisters were full of self-confidence as they finished speaking, turning their bodies around just like a tornado.
“The purpose has been achieved! Farewell!”
“Commentary. Although, I wanted to show off, it was embarrassing to hand it in front of everyone after all, so I want to leave as soon as possible. That’s what Kaguya said.”
“I have said no such thing!?” Kaguya raised a screaming voice as she left to chase after Yuzuru, who ran earlier to escape into the school building.
Incidentally, after confirming, Kaguya’s chocolate was cross-shaped and decorated with gold leaves. Meanwhile Kaguya’s chocolate was decorated with Alasan confectionary beads that gave it a brilliant silver hue.
“As usual, those two resemble a passing storm……”
Lucas felt a drop of sweat fall down as he spoke, and then he brought his newly received chocolate into the school building.
But—after entering the classroom, Lucas felt his eyes once again stare in open bafflement.
“What……”
However, Lucas' reaction was a matter of course. Everyone would display a similar reaction if a statue of an Angel appeared on top of their desks.
Upon a closer inspection, he found that the statue was entirely made out of chocolate. Seeing such exquisite craftsmanship skills, Lucas inadvertently felt perspiration from his forehead.
Despite having said that, the culprit was obvious.
“……Origami.”
“What?”
As Lucas called that name frantically, there was an immediate reply, since the culprit was sitting in the seat left of him.
Yes, the face of the statute, from whichever point of view, looked identical to Origami.
“What is that……That’s…… amazing.....Thank you.”
“I’m glad.”
As a result of not being able to find the words to speak after being given a straightforward impression, Origami slowly loosened her mouth while blushing.
“I cannot eat it right now, so it’d be appreciated if I could save it…”
“I made a blunder.” As Origami finished, she took out a plastic cover to wrap around the chocolate. In less than a minute, the chocolate was packaged by the beautiful girl’s hand.
“Here, no problem.”
“Thanks……as expected of you.” Lucas spoke with a wry smile as he placed the bag with the chocolate from Kaguya and Yuzuru on the desk.
“……Hmm?” Suddenly, he noticed a whisper from the end of the classroom.
“……Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit—”
“Die die die die die die.”
“How to make……bomb material....”
Yes, after seeing the things in Lucas' hands, the boys in the classroom issued dark feelings of resentment.
“…………”
Lucas' face made a powerless twitch. Although the mood was very complicated, it wasn’t as if it was impossible to understand their feelings.
Just like he had said to Nia this morning, this was the first time anyone gave him chocolate....Well, he had only been conscious on this Planet for six years now.
“Gentlemen…… I will now preform the ceremony.”
Suddenly, at the other end of the classroom, Tonomachi was about to open a box in his hand.
Inside there was a chocolate doll with the name ‘Kunshu’ written in white chocolate.
As Tonomachi slowly opened the box, the boys began to dance in a strange ritual that emitted a ‘dondokodokodokodondokodokodoko……’ sound in rhythm to a drum.
“Chowatsu!”
Just as that bizarre voice reached its climax, Tonomachi took out a large nail from his pocket and struck the chest of the doll written with ‘Kunshu’ as he raised his voice in a strange manner.
A crack entered the body of chocolate, causing the ‘Kunshu’ to fall apart.
Then, the boys who were scrambling around rushed to the chocolate fragments.
“Hahahaa! Kunshu fell apart!”
“Delicious! Delicious, ah!”
“I want to… eat Kunshu…… in order to gain Kunshu's power.”
“…………”
While watching this strange scene from the end of the world, Lucas could only wipe the sweat dripping from his cheek.
Ordinarily, these guys wouldn’t be so ridiculous…… but sure enough, Valentine’s day had a special presence for boys as well.
Suddenly, as a result of not being able to see the boys reach this way, three girls stood up together with a sigh.
The class’ three specialty maidens, Yamabuki Ai, Hazakura Mai, and Fujibakama Mii, collectively known as the Ai Mai Mii trio.
“Really, how are boys so helpless……”
“Hey, hey, you all come here—”
“Come─come─”
After speaking, Ai, Mai, and Mii took out a container from a plastic bag. Packed inside, obligatory chocolate scattered around and filling the container to the brim was visibly seen.
So, the boys who were clustered at the sacrificial altar raised their faces at a tremendous speed after catching the scent of chocolate in the air.
While still scattered around, there were roughly thirty pieces of chocolate.
However, there was not even a single one that had touched the ground.
“Thank you…… thank you……”
“To receive chocolate from girls…… such a sweet fragrance……”
“Kunshu's poison…… has been purified……”
From the boys in the group, the dark fog surrounding them dissipated (or so it would seem).
At that time, nobody knew that a member of the art department who was deeply moved by this act would later draw the masterpiece ’The Goddesses of Freedom spreading Chocolate to the masses’.
“Mu, what was that? So noisy.”
“……Well, just leave them be.”
◇
“Kihihihi!”
“Kihihihi!”
“Hehehe!”
“Hehehe!”
“Now, now, what time is the next schedule?”
“It’s still an hour from now.”
“Ara, ara.”
“Really makes one anxious.”
“How can they not be tired of playing around?”
“Kihihi, hiki!”
“That’s right.”
“Right, those girls for example, that is.”
“At best it should be something akin to an event happening only a few times.”
“Right, right, and.”
“Yes, yes, those girls must have a reason for their actions.”
“There’s no way to blame them at this point.”
“Of course, we also have a reason for our actions.”
“And then, there’s no way to avoid colliding with each other.”
“We won’t be merciful, though.”
“Alright, alright, so then next.”
“We should head out now.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Thank you.”
“Please, drop down to dearest death.”
“Please, lead to have a meaningful demise.”
“For me.”
“For me.”
“For me.”
“For Lucas-san.”
◇
Today, time passed by at a fast pace.
Needless to say, the hands of the clock turned at a rapid pace. While he thought of the events that would transpire after school, classes concluded.
While listening to the chime signaling the end of class, Lucas thought of something.
However, no one could blame him.
After all, today’s date was with the Spirit, Kurumi.
The thought of going on a date with Kurumi made his heart races a bit faster than usual. He was filled with excitement, but it was only natural. It is his first date with Kurumi in decades.
Right now, Lucas was waiting at Tenguu Station near the fountain for Kurumi.
But there were still some lingering thoughts in his head. Why exactly did she ask him out? Clearly, there is a reason? Perhaps she's ready to be sealed now? This was the only answer he could come up with. If that really was true, he needed to put all his effort into this date---and make her fall for him, and seal her Reiryoku.
“I’ve kept you waiting, Lucas-san." Just when his thoughts ended, his ears caught the voice of the girl he had been waiting for.
Tokisaki Kurumi. She had also changed clothes for this date, just like Lucas. She wore a white, yellow tinted sweater, with a long black skirt from her waist to her knees.
"...." From the moment he placed onto Kurumi's outfit, his breath was caught. She looked stunning, like a super model.
"Ara, is there something wrong with my outfit?"
"A-Ah, it's nothing." Lucas hurriedly answered her and tried to calm his heartbeat.
"Well then, shall we go?"
"Ah, speaking of which---" While speaking, Kurumi gently placed her finger on his lips.
“I have somewhere I would like to go to.”
"Oh? Then, let's go to your desired place." For a moment, Lucas felt a sudden chill from the cold touch of Kurumi’s hand, but somehow he managed to avoid having his trembling noticed as he grasped onto her hand.
Then, the two of them slowly walked towards the direction of the station. The two of them entered inside a building, stopping by in front of a certain shop.
"T-This is...." Looking at the shop window, Lucas was taken aback by Kurumi's chosen place. But his reaction was only natural. Right now, they're infront of a lingerie shop for women.
"Uhm....I feel like I shouldn't enter such a place...."
"Ara, is it no good? Then, let's go somewhere---"
"Wait--" Lucas halted her words and put on a hesitating face. ".................I'll go with you."
"Ufufu. What a gentleman you are, Lucas-san."
Through such flowers, Kurumi walked gracefully in rhythm step by step through the lingerie shop, just like a butterfly. Glossy black hair and a single red eye, it looked like a lovely butterfly with jetblack wings.
Somehow, he felt a bit easier with Kurumi around, especially when so many women are looking at him from further away....
“Hey, Lucas-san, will you help me pick a pair of underwear?" Kurumi turned her head over as she flashed a mischievous smile.
"Huh....?"
"Come. Which one do you think looks good?” Kurumi jokingly tilted her head as she asked.
Behind her were countless flowers, it was like Kurumi was pointing numerous multicolored weapons at him.
Exposed to something like that, Lucas' mind was thinking of things that he shouldn't think of. Inappropriate images of Kurumi wearing all kinds of underwear flashed inside his mind.
"...." Breathing in and out to calm his heart once more, he stepped forward to look at the underwear lined up on display in the store.
However, it would be difficult to say that choosing a sexy see-through underwear would be a good move.
A few minutes later, he found something suitable for Kurumi, an undergarment that was exotic but not too erotic.
“Kurumi, how about this?” Lucas then called out to Kurumi.
“Ara, ara, it’s pretty cute, I thought that Lucas would definitely choose that kind of underwear.”
While speaking, Kurumi pointed to the sensational underwear worn by a mannequin. Lucas felt a glimmer of sweat fall down his cheek.
“N-N-No, I’m saying that this underwear might be unexpectedly suitable for you, right?”
“Ufufu, is that it? If Lucas-san says so, I’ll try it.”
With a blissful expression, Kurumi took the outfit Lucas had selected to the changing room.
Then, after a few minutes.
With a swish sound, the curtain opened to reveal Kurumi’s figure in underwear.
“—!” Looking at such a figure, Lucas unexpectedly choked on his own breath.
He cursed himself for his shallowness and carelessness. Surely, in consideration to the potential mental damage to himself, Lucas chose a design with a relative low degree of exposure.
However, he had forgotten that the value of underwear was not only determined by exposure level.
Predecessors had said, “Victory lies not in the erotic underwear, but rather in pure white underwear.”
As a result, lingerie that should have been relatively modest, produced synergistic effects beyond expectations by enrobing Kurumi with the finest of materials.
Bewitchingly pure, lovely while also being a polished beauty. In that gap, Lucas could only remain speechless for a while.
“Lucas-san?”
“Eh…… ah.”
Hearing his name being called, Lucas was brought back to reality.
“How is it? Does it suit me?”
“Ah…… it’s very suitable, suitable to the point of being dangerous.”
“Well, let’s get this then—Lucas-san.”
While speaking, Kurumi beckoned him over. Lucas slowly walked towards her while inclining his hand downwards.
“Take this……”
“Hmm……?”
Kurumi handed something over to him that was rolled up by a black cloth. Standing next to the mystery, Lucas wrinkled his eyebrow in curiosity.
“What is this…… ah, this—!”
Unraveling the cloth with both hands—Lucas felt a sudden spasm come from his diaphragm.
However, that was only natural. What just got handed over to him was the underwear that Kurumi had just worn, with a faint residue of warm temperature still remaining from being in contact with her body.
“Ufufu, since it’s a rare occasion, today I’ll be wearing the underwear that Lucas-san picked for me. Please take care of that.”
“U-uh……?”
Despite not knowing what to say, Lucas still felt obligated to reply while his face turned red.
◇
“Hmm……”
About two hours had elapsed since the start of the date.
While observing the situation between Kurumi and Lucas in Fraxinus’s bridge, Kotori stirred around the Chupa-Chups in her mouth.
On the monitor, the two of them had left the lingerie shop and were walking side by side on the street towards their next destination.
Lucas' hand was firmly holding onto Kurumi’s. It didn’t seem like Kurumi was annoyed at it. Actually, although her reaction width was narrow, Kurumi’s relationship values were by no means denoted as bad.
Although Lucas didn't tell anyone but the Yamai Sisters about his date with Kurumi today, it seems like they've already caught onto it.
“……How strange.”
Reine spoke while placing her hand on her chin. She was probably thinking the same thing. Giving out a slight groan, Kotori let out an ‘ah’ sound as she looked at the numerical value at the end of the screen.
There, it was denoting Kurumi’s mental state, however—
“……It’s as if she’s under extreme stress. However, this reaction is not caused by the date with Lucas. This is……”
“…………”
Hearing Reine’s words, Kotori made a sullen face.
The Spirits being under stress was not a desirable condition for Kotori.
However, reflected on the screen, Kurumi’s expression seemed joyful. Yet, this did not diminish the feeling from the value by any means. On the contrary, there was a scent of an unidentifiable, dangerous atmosphere.
“Anyway, everyone, don’t be careless.”
“Roger that!”
As Kotori spoke, the crew responded together in unison.
◇
By 10 o’clock, Lucas and Kurumi were sitting side by side on the park bench.
Ever since they had departed from the lingerie shop, they went on towards the following route.
Walking beside each other on the same path, eating at the same store—and then finally coming here.
As a dark curtain descended upon the sky, only enough moonlight and sporadic streetlights scattered illuminance. Already, not even the shadows of a person remained in the vicinity, creating the illusion that only two people were left behind in the world.
In the middle of February, the temperature after sunset was so cold that one could exhale a white mist with every breath.
"Are you alright? It's gotten kinda cold now."
"Don't worry, I can handle the cold pretty well." After replying, as if she remembered, she took out a lovely box from a bag.
“I've almost forgotten---Lucas-san, Happy Valentine’s Day.”
As Kurumi was saying that, she handed the box over to Lucas.
Lucas took the gift with a wry smile.
“Thank you……you almost forgot huh...”
“Um, that’s because—”
Kurumi breathlessly exhaled. While slowly turning over to lean on him, a challengeable weight was placed on Lucas' shoulders. Her beautiful black hair tickled his cheeks.
“About that…… today was so much fun. That’s why it’s safe to say that it’s the best in my memory.”
“Kurumi……” Lucas softly spoke, gently smiling while taking a small parcel from his bag.
“Well, this is from me, Happy Valentine’s Day, Kurumi.”
“Ara ara.”
Lucas handed over a package, greatly surprising Kurumi in the process.
“Lucas…… although before I’ve thought it was nothing, after all only girls—”
“That can’t be it!? Look, the reverse giving of chocolate is popular all the time. There are no rules that say boys can’t give chocolates to girls, right?”
As he raised his voice to refute Kurumi’s words, Kurumi laughed to show her amusement.
“Ufufu, that’s right, it’s just as you said. May I open it?”
“Ah, of course.”
After nodding to each other, the two of them opened each other’s boxes.
Lucas whipped up dark chocolate coated with a sauce made from honey and orange peels. He thought that the dark color and faint bitter taste would seem to suit Kurumi somehow.
On the other hand, Kurumi’s box was filled with various bite-sized chocolates of different designs and shapes.
Even though they were different— it did not mean that no sense of unity occurred at all. There were chocolates in the shape of cats.
“Oh, isn’t this cute.”
“Lucas-san’s chocolates looks delicious.”
While talking to each other, the two of them unconsciously took the chocolate from the box and threw it into their mouths.
Both of them felt their cheeks loosening as their line of sight intersected.
“Haha, this is delicious, this flavor…… is it hazelnut?”
“Ah, as expected of Lucas-san. Mmm… this is also so delicious.”
“…………”
“…………”
It wasn’t as if there was nothing more to say.
Rather, it was just a feeling of wanting to fix one’s eyes upon the other’s.
“…………”
Lucas gently pulled his shoulder to turn his hand closer so that he could lovingly stroke Kurumi’s head.
Kurumi did not resist. But rather, it seemed as though she was looking forward to such an act as she brought herself closer.
If any unknown bystanders saw them now, they would look exactly like couple behaving intimately. In fact, it was the perfect position to easily lift up her chin and kiss her.
However—
There was a change in Kurumi's aura...from deep within her.
In the depths of her heart, there appeared to be a huge barrier. Determination…… resignation…… something like that. Kurumi had placed a huge shackle on herself that had made it impossible in practice to sever and for her to be happy. It will be impossible to seal her power unless Lucas somehow removed the cause of it. Even without Fraxinus telling him how her affection levels were, he instinctively knew they were not at a level where he could seal her, and they never were. Not even after living together for six years, her affection towards him was never love. All these years, Lucas did not understand Kurumi.
“……”
In a silent manner, while still gently stroking Kurumi’s head, his heart was recollecting those thoughts in sweeping deliberation.
"Hey...Kurumi." Lucas opened his mouth.
"Yes, what is it, Lucas-san?"
"Why.....No. What is your objective?"
“……”
The moment Lucas spoke that subject, Kurumi’s expression immediately tensed up.
"Haah....You're as sharp as always."
Kurumi stood up, taking a few steps away from the bench before turning back towards Lucas. Under the night sky, the streetlights were like a spotlight illuminating Kurumi.
Then, as if it was a scene in a theater.
“Lucas-san, are you prepared to know? About---My Ultimate Goal.”
In the darkness of the night, the girl’s eyes formulated a piercing gaze at him.
While the right eye was red like blood, the left eye was engraved with a golden timepiece inducing a clinking sound in conjunction with time.
“……”
For a moment, Lucas thought what he had seen was being produced by a hallucination of his mind, inadvertently causing him to swallow a sigh of relief.
However, he could not retreat here. Lucas controlled his cold and trembling hands as he nodded vigorously nodded towards Kurumi.
"Of course."
“……”
Seeing such a reaction from Lucas, Kurumi quickly turned her back towards Lucas.
“Please follow me.”
Then, as Kurumi finished, she hurriedly walked towards the darkened road.
“Ah, hey.” They went on walking for about 20 minutes. Kurumi guided Lucas through a back alleyway and inside an large building that seemed to be a hotel. It seemed like Kurumi had already made reservations for a single bed room. Actually, open closer inspection, there didn't seem to be a room with more than a single doublebed.
The receptionist game Kurumi a card with a number that indicated the room number.
Although the building seemed like a rather normal high rated hotel, the hallways were strangely decorated in a romantic way, as if the hotel was only meant for strong couples.
"Come in, Lucas-san." Kurumi said, opening the door with the card given to her at the register.
"This is....?" Lucas muttered as the walked into the room. As seen from the flyer at the entrance, there was only a single doublebed, with two lit candles for a romantic atmosphere.
Lucas then took off his jacket and placed it on the hanger.
Since there weren't any chairs in the room, the only comfortable way to talk was on the bed, so naturally because they didn't want to stand this entire time, they sat down facing eachother on the bed.
"Now, are you ready to hear it.....My ultimate goal."
"..." Lucas gulped down the spit that was building up in his throat. "...Yes. Please tell me."
Then, after a moment of silence. Kurumi spoke.
"...You still remember what happened in the past..... right?"
".......Bitterly so..."
"----I've murdered countless of people. The fact that I tried to kill Sawa-san will not wather. I, with my own hands, have tried to kill Sawa-san. Do you understand how much regret and despair filled my heart?"
"....."
"But---I was determined. Upon recovering my memories all those years ago, I have sworn to myself, with the only power to interfere with the time of this world, with the strongest Angel, Zafkiel---"
Kurumi stopped her words, and looked into Lucas' eyes.
In front of him, there stood no longer a lady who immersed herself in peace, a child who dreamed of being a partner of justice.
What her expression revealed was indefatigability.
What shined in her eyes was fury.
"---I will redo it all. No matter how many sacrifices it will take, no matter how many deaths it will take, no matter how many sins I have to commit. Even if I will fall into hell, I will change history, and kill the First Spirit, Takamiya Mio." The words she had muttered in between his arms all those years again. How could he forget?
A moment later, Kurumi clenched her hand into a fist.
“I don’t mind, so long as before I fall into the prison of the earth, I can personally alter it such that the First Spirit, Takamiya Mio—never existed.”
“Mio……” Lucas repeated the name in a hoarse voice. He bitterly remembered everything in the past. The events in meeting her, trying to stop her and utterly failing. But Lucas' case of despair was not even remotely that to Kurumi.
But for Lucas right now, there was already no time left to afford in dwelling this over.
Kurumi, after being exhausted from telling everything, slowly took a deep breath.
“I will redo everything. I will restore everything that has happened so far back to zero. That is my purpose, the meaning of my existence—for that, the power within you is necessary.”
Kurumi finished her words with an almost pleading-like tone before continuing to answer Lucas.
“Of course, I do not plan to hide it behind lip service. If I eat you, you will die. But as long as I get the Reiryoku and Power Lucas has, I can surely change history.”
“History—”
Hearing these words, Lucas could not help but remember the time he traveled back in time with Kurumi.
So, he knew best that what Kurumi had said was not a dream-like delusion.
After all, Lucas had changed the history of the world once. By none other than the power of Kurumi’s Angel.
“Yes, by erasing the First Spirit, I would have never become a Spirit. In other words—the fact that Lucas was eaten will also disappear.”
So, Kurumi gazed intently at Lucas.
“Lucas, if you believe in me, please give that power, that life to me. Please just lend me a moment.”
“.....”
It was a different gaze from that which Kurumi usually made to make fun of him, a serious look that couldn’t help but render Lucas speechless.
The reason was understandable. However, it did not change that he would be losing his life. Normally, Lucas would have thought about that.
However, right now in Lucas' mind, there was another different kind of feeling coming and going.
Regret that ran rampant like a raging wave.
Anger that scorched one’s body.
At that time, if I didn’t reach out.
At that time, if I didn’t pull the trigger.
At that time, if I didn’t hunt down the Spirits.
If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have become what I am now.
I must kill. I must erase. I must make her never exist.
For friends, for the world, for the lives that she had eaten.
It was apparent that those thoughts did not belong to Lucas.
However, because of experiencing Kurumi's past with his own eyes, the shared emotions had also devastated Lucas' heart.
“I—”
“……”
As Lucas let out a trembling voice, Kurumi hid her eyes beneath her bangs for a moment before lifting her head with resolution.
“Of course, I don’t think that it’s a fair deal. Even though I wish to make sure everything never existed, there is no difference that I am demanding Lucas’ life…… so for now, at least a promise.”
As Kurumi said that, she leisurely used her hand to remove the button on her blouse.
“……!? H-Hey……!?”
In response to Kurumi’s unexpected behavior, Lucas gave out a panicked expression.
However, Kurumi didn’t seem to mind, as her hands continued to take off the clothes that she was wearing one by one.
The underwear chosen at the lingerie shop was already exposed during daytime. That piece did not seem suitable for her, but it still stood out to highlight Kurumi’s bewitching flirtation.
Reaching out you could touch it.
And Kurumi would certainly not refuse.
This incredible sensation made Lucas' head feel like he had a fever.
“………………”
As if aware of Lucas' heart, Kurumi reached out and grabbed his hand.
Then, she pulled Lucas' hands in manner like they were moving on their own. Waddling the fingers to let them slide across the brassiere strap.
“—”
Lucas could not resist the excitement exceeding the maximum permissible level. His fingers were under Kurumi’s guidance to pull down the shoulder strap.
But that alone wasn’t the final touch. In the same manner, Kurumi pulled Lucas' hands towards her abdomen, letting the fingers hang near her underwear.
The hand ever so slowly fell down. As Kurumi’s soft skin gradually became exposed, Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Without anything to cover herself, Kurumi, with slightly flushed cheeks, once again turned to Lucas.
“I will give you everything except my Reiryoku.”
“W-What……”
That word leaked out from his throat.
In the dark room, the moonlight seeping through the gap in the curtains faintly illuminated Kurumi’s porcelain skin.
In this excessively dreamy scene, Lucas' mind first recalled the feeling of some kind a familiar vision rather than pure carnal desire.
Kurumi slowly walked forward, coming into closer contact with his hand. No, this was to push Lucas' body, knocking him down to the bed behind.
Kurumi was lying on top of Lucas' body. With uneven breathing, she brought her hand near the button of Lucas' clothes.
“H-Hey, Kurumi……”
Lucas spoke uneasily as he wanted to push Kurumi aside, but his hands instinctively refused to resist.
To the extent of how much he had thought of such a thing, Kurumi was—beautiful.
Jokes aside, if he could get her, even losing his life didn’t matter. It was enough to plunder one’s mind.
“Lucas. If you wish, I will do anything. If you ask, I can do anything.”
“K-Kurumi……”
A conflict between rationality and instinct, it felt as if his brainstem was being grilled.
If he was the slightest distracted, he would be left at Kurumi’s mercy.
However—
“……!?”
The next moment, as Kurumi fingers were about to touch Lucas' skin, a loud noise suddenly broke through. It was as if the window had been broken as several girls flew into the room after pulling the curtain apart.
—Girls who had the exact same appearance.
“F-o-u-n-d you.”
“……Hmm? Have you been looking forward to it?”
“That is really nauseous. Alright, we’ll let you finish first. But don't do it too rough~”
“Wh—” Lucas turned in astonishment at the girls who appeared suddenly.
But that was only natural since those girls had appeared in the dream Lucas had a few days ago.
“……Ara ara.” However, Kurumi’s reaction was a bit different from Lucas'.
Compared to surprise, the surface of her face was more filled with anger and frustration.
“Counterfeit Sprits, it takes a great deal of courage to disturb my and Lucas' tryst.”
While still naked, Kurumi quickly stood up.
Hearing those words, the expressions on those girls’ faces quickly changed.
“Oh? Did you say…… ‘counterfeit’?”
“Is it okay to think that you are insulting our father?”
“Unforgivable!”
After being finished speaking, the girls sharpened their gaze and pounced on Kurumi all at once.
“Kurumi—!”
However, Kurumi calmly turned herself around. Unbeknownst to him, her ancient-styled pistols were already in her hands as she pulled the trigger continuously.
“Zafkiel---Zayin!”
The girls who touched the bullet were paused still in the air, frozen after trying to rush after Kurumi.
The Seventh Bullet Zayin stopped the time of the target that had been shot. Zafkiel’s certain kill blow.
“Mnngg...”
Kurumi made sullen grunt as she turned her back against those girls.
Then, in accordance to that action, number of hands grew from the shadow spreading on the wall floor of the room, dragging the girls' bodies into the shadow.
“Zafkiel---Dalet.”
As Kurumi spoke, she aligned the muzzle to the fragmented debris of the broken window, firing off a jet-black bullet.
At the next moment, the shards of glass floated in the air and reshaped the window as if playing a video clip in reverse.
After a couple of seconds, the room regained the same stillness and loneliness as before.
Kurumi took in a light sigh, dropping the pistols into the shadow while working hard to face towards Lucas.
“Some hindrances got in the way. Really, to think that they would even come at this time.”
Kurumi said as she struggled to stand up, placing her hand up against the wall.
“Kurumi……?”
“It’s nothing…… really—” Kurumi tried to smile while trying to return to Lucas, however— Just like a puppet with its strings severed, she collapsed onto the ground.
◇
“Did you fail?”
In a room within DEM Industries’ Japanese branch, Ellen returned the report from her subordinate with a displeased and mocking expression.
“Strange to say, but even Ike’s dispatched Beelzebub is struggling to make a difference. Presently, there’s an accumulation in the record of failures. What on earth is the problem? I’d like to question if there is any reason other than the pure ability of the performer.”
“Ellen is really incredible. Only thorns dwell in your words.”
Artemisia spoke back with a wry smile. Ellen produced a ‘humph’ sound with her nose as she made an exaggerated gesture by crossing her feet together.
Then, in rhythm with that action, several sheets of paper that were carried by the wind fluttered in from the entrance of the room.
All of a sudden, a few girls with the same appearance emerged from the sheets of paper.
“Well, you’re not really qualified to say that.”
“Aren’t you the first person to fail?”
“It’s annoying to be given that angry look. How old are you?”
“……What was that?”
Ellen glared at the Nibelcol with a sharp gaze. The Nibelcol pretended to be deliberately afraid, trembling while giving out a ‘kya, kya’.
Ellen didn’t have the time to be angry at the Nibelcol, but it was necessary for them to understand what it meant to insult Ellen, who was the strongest. Ellen narrowed her brow as she gave the command from her brain to expand a voluntary territory.
However, Ellen’s Realizer manifestation device didn’t activate.
Just before she could, Westcott had entered the room.
“Yā~, it seems that everyone has already gathered.”
“Ike.”
Ellen suspended her commands as she got up from her chair and fixed her posture. Following suit, Artemisia mimicked her action in also standing upright.
“! Otou-sama!”
The Nibelcol’s expression suddenly brightened as they ran to Westcott’s side.
As Westcott walked towards Ellen, he slowly stroked the heads of the Nibelcol. His actions were shaped by the movement of his facial muscles, a tasteless and odorless smile.
“It seems like progress isn’t going smoothly. Is the manpower inadequate?”
“No, it’s not something like that……”
As Ellen tried to answer, the Nibelcol’s cries blocked out her words.
“Father, you have to listen to me. Every time there are troublemakers that get in the way.”
“Yes, yes, it’s so frustrating. What is that child called?”
“She’s called Nightmare, right? Really it’s so troublesome. If she wasn’t there, we can’t even imagine the number of times Kunshu Lucas' head should have dropped by now.”
“Humph……”
After listening to the Nibelcol’s words, Westcott gave out a small groan. Then, he placed his hand beside his chin, deep in thought.
“Nightmare? The only way to counter Nibelcol’s numbers should be her clones.”
“But isn’t she still a bit too far ahead of us? Undoubtedly, even by using Beelzebub’s investigation powers and the overwhelming number of Nibelcol to attack, everything done is still blocked by her.”
After Artemisia finishing speaking, Westcott gave another groan before raising the corners of his mouth.
“Maybe....she's already aware of it. If that weren’t the case, she couldn’t hide from Beelzebub’s investigation.”
“Do you mean that the information of our attack was leaked?”
“No, not the plan of the attack, but rather the attack itself.”
“……?”
In response to Westcott’s words, Ellen titled her head in curiosity.
◇
“Kurumi! Kurumi!”
They were at an abandoned building in the outskirts of Tenguu City. In that room, Lucas ran towards Kurumi, who had just collapsed and fell onto the ground.
After covering Kurumi’s naked body with a sheet, he careful changed her position as he brought his ears closer to her mouth in order to confirm that she was still breathing.
Although small, definite sounds of breathing shook his eardrums. Lucas, feeling relieved for the time being, began to gently shake Kurumi’s shoulders.
“Kurumi, are you okay? Kurumi!”
Then, Lucas repeated the name again, as if trying to stir up Kurumi’s consciousness.
“Please wait for a moment, Lucas-san.”
Kurumi replied back in a quiet voice.
“……!?”
However, Lucas' expression was still filled with befuddlement because Kurumi was still lying asleep on the ground, her lips remaining motionless.
Even so, he immediately understood the identity of the person behind the voice.
A girl, who had the same face as Kurumi, leisurely stepped out from a shadow on the wall. No doubt, it was a clone of Kurumi created by Zafkiel.
The clone of Kurumi placed her index finger near Lucas' mouth before hushing him. She made a complex facial expression while bending her knees down next to the original Kurumi.
“Please have some peace of mind, Lucas; I am only asleep. Please allow me to have a little bit of rest.”
“T-That’s fine, but why did Kurumi just collapse now……”
As Lucas spoke, the clone gently stroked the original’s cheek before returning her attention back to him.
“It’s because it was too difficult for me to partake in such a big fight despite the current state of exhaustion.”
“W-What does that mean……?”
“………….”
In response to Lucas' question, the clone suddenly exposed a hesitant expression.
She understood the reason, but it seemed like she was wondering whether or not it was appropriate to tell Lucas.
The next moment, a silhouette emerged from behind the clone.
Of course, like the clone, she also had the exact appearance as Kurumi. However, she was wearing a monotone gothic Lolita Dress rather than the usual black and red Astral Dress. A beautiful artisan’s rose decorated her head while an eyepatch for medical use masked her left eye.
“You are……”
Looking at that figure made Lucas' eyes widen.
She was the Kurumi from many years ago, one of the many different dresses that Kurumi had over the past. But he immediately understood what was going on. Zafkiel’s Eighth Bullet Het had reproduced a clone from Kurumi’s past. That is to say, even if the clone was from decades ago, it wasn’t anything strange.
After some hesitation, eyepatch-Kurumi gently placed her hands on his shoulder, her red eye staring at Lucas' blank ones.
“Lucas, are you prepared to listen to the truth?”
“Huh……?”
“If you don’t ask anything, pretending not to know anything, then after me wakes up, everything will return back to normal. But even so, do you still want to know the truth?”
Eyepatch-Kurumi narrowed her eyes as she spoke. As if she saw through the confusion and hesitation in his heart, Lucas seemed to have momentarily flinched.
However, Lucas gritted his teeth to strongly urge himself as he tried to return eyepatch Kurumi’s stare.
Then, eyepatch-Kurumi began giggling, laughing as though she had just pretended for a joke.
“Ara ara, if you wait so silently, you may have well just not continued.”
“……! H-Hey, you!”
“Just joking. For your determination, I offer endless gratitude.”
Eyepatch-Kurumi gave off a pleasant expression as she slowly stood and placed the index finger and thumb of her right hand against Lucas.
Almost—as if she was aiming at Lucas with a gun.
Then, she said.
Something far too detached from reality, words that bordered on the absurd.
“Speaking from the conclusion—Lucas-san, you are already dead.”
Eyepatch-Kurumi declared so; she raised the tips of her fingers, as if to indicate a boom from shooting a general bullet.
“……What?”
Lucas, who had no idea what eyepatch-Kurumi was saying, uttered an inaudible voice.
“What are you saying……? I’m…… dead? Oi, oi, then why am I still moving right now? Or did I unconsciously go to heaven?”
“Ufufu, then that means right now I’m a goddess here.”
Eyepatch-Kurumi once again spoke in a jocular manner.
However, her expression immediately quieted down as she continued to speak.
“In other words, Lucas-san should already be dead…… no, it’s the possibility of already being dead.”
“What…… are you saying?”
Lucas didn’t know how to issue a good response to that statement.
Already being dead—a possibility, if that was the case, then the shadow of a sudden death should exist in the daily life for all humanity.
However, Lucas could no longer continue. From eyepatch-Kurumi’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was kidding or deceiving him.
“…………”
Having guessed Lucas' thoughts from looking at his mood, eyepatch-Kurumi kept talking after giving a sad smile.
◇
On February 9th after school had finished---
When a fierce pain went through his body---
"Guah……, ga……aaah!”
Lucas, who fell down on the floor, screamed in pain. Hemoptysis, a lot of blood began spewing out from his mouth.
In that moment, the closed roof door was slammed open with extreme vigor.
"Lucas-san?!" Running in after hearing such a scream was Kurumi. Initially, she wanted to ask him out on a date to convince him of losing his life in order for her to redo history, but such a question in a situation like this would be impossible to ask.
Blonde hair dancing in the wind and an armor of platinum covered by fresh blood—the Wizard Ellen Mathers.
"K-Kurumi...." Lucas, who somehow was standing after receiving such a blow, held his hand in front of her, as if to tell her to run away.
"Haha....A surprise attack... Do you not have pride as a warrior?" Lucas said, forcing a smile on his face. Then a moment later, a light wrapped around his body like clay and a long coat suit clad his body a second after.
"Lucas!" At the same moment, the Spirits from his and the neighboring class, Yuzuru, Kaguya and Origami all came running onto the rooftop.
Light quickly gathered around the Spirits who ran out as they assumed their Limited Astral Dresses.
"……Hmph.” Ellen gave off a slight laugh filled with ridicule as she glanced towards the Spirits. Then, she suddenly raised her left hand.
Then, a portion of her CR-unit ejected countless sheets of paper, dancing in the air as it surrounded Ellen and Lucas.
Then, at the next moment, numerous girls with the same face emerged from the sheets of paper.
“……!?”
It was a scene resembling Kurumi’s clones emerging from her shadow. Wearing clothes that looked similar to an Astral Dress, and with fluttering charcoal hair, these girls stood there to block the Spirits’ path.
“Hey.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t let you get in the way.”
“Well, although it’s hard to say, it looks like you’re going to bother us.”
“Wh……!? What are these guys?”
“Dismay. Who are you?”
The Yamai Sisters raised astonished voices as they summoned their Angel, Raphael. Similarly, Origami manifested her Angels in their hands and attacked the girls.
“Fuh—”
However—these girls did not try to avoid the blow.
While laughing with a thin smile on their faces, these girls gladly received the artillery bombardment from Metatron.
Of course, this was not the end. These girls’ bodies were punctured.
However, they did not even give a moan of anguish, let alone distort their faces to reflect a painful expression. They only smiled and laughed.
Then, in the gap of their attack, others girls, one by one, grappled Origami’s feathers.
“……!”
Kurumi’s expression could not help but tense up—as a matter of fact, although these girls had reiryoku within their bodies, they didn’t have the power to compete against Origami and the others as opponents.
However, the issue lay in their numbers and how they didn’t care about the deaths of individuals within the group.
Although she didn’t know their true identity, Kurumi understood from deep within her bones the degree of trouble so painfully, having used quantity as a weapon herself.
“We!”
In a moment after understanding that, Kurumi began to call forward.
As if in response to that, Kurumi’s shadow began to expand from the floor of the rooftop, from which a large number of Kurumis appeared.
Then, the Kurumis, in response to their master’s will, wrestled to restrict the unidentified girls stopping Tohka and the others.
Apart from that, she did not want to save Origami and the others. But if left alone, Ellen would certainly kill Lucas. It was an unacceptable situation for Kurumi, who was seeking the reiryoku sealed within Lucas' body.
“Kihihihihihihi!”
“Isn’t this the patented skill that we have monopolise?”
“Haha, what is this?”
“Oh, so you are the rumored Nightmare? There are more of you than imagined.”
The Kurumis and the girls engaged in combat with each other, transforming the school rooftop into a scene of sanguinary annihilation.
However, that alone was not enough. The clones could only serve as opponents for those girls.
Kurumi pulled out a pistol from the shadows and aligned the muzzle to Ellen, who was trading blows with Lucas right now.
“—!?”
The moment she was about to pull the trigger, she saw that her arm was cut cleanly and flew into the air. It was not an attack from Ellen. Before unnoticed, another Wizard appeared just behind Kurumi.
“I will not let you succeed, Nightmare.”
“……Artemisia Ashcroft……!”
Kurumi gritted her teeth as she called out the name of the blonde girl.
A terrible pain was produced from having her arm cut off by the laser blade. Kurumi tightened biting her lip with her teeth as she endured the pain, escaping from Artemisia’s pursuit within that paper-thin difference.
Melee. A free for all fight. Swordsmanship with a hail of bullets.
Just in a few tens of seconds, the rooftop of the once peaceful school turned into a battlefield.
It was difficult to grasp what was happening anymore. Whether it was warding off Artemisia’s continuous sword blows, there was not even enough space to release the Fourth Bullet Dalet.
"Tch....!" Lucas right now was not in a good situation, but the total opposite. His chest was punctured by a massive blow, which was only slowly healing on its own.
He was trading blows with Ellen, the world's strongest wizard, and the very enemy who had put him on edge multiple times in the past.
"Gah---?!" Concentrated on his enemy and not his surrounding, one of the Nibelcole had managed to grab him around the arms and immobilized him for but just a split seconds. However, that split second was enough to determine Lucas' life.
“It’s over.”
With calm yet cruel words, Ellen Mathers swung the sword in her hand.
"....! Lucas.....!" Origami's scream echoed throughout the battlefield.
However, Ellen’s hand did not stop.
With the sword knitted with dense magical power, it was very easy to decapitate Lucas' head.
“—”
A pool of blood was overflowing.
Already struggling to heal the fatal wound in his chest, the light gathered around it had slowly disappeared, Lucas' hands and legs gradually stiffened.
It was just like the light of Lucas' life being extinguished.
“—Ah.”
The Spirits who saw this sight fell onto the ground with their Angels.
Their faces grew pale as they began trembling. Sorrow. Loss. A sense of helplessness. No language could express the emotion invading their hearts.
If one were to describe it—it was like being filled with bottomless despair.
“Ha!”
“Guh—”
After escaping from an uncountable number of Artemisia’s attacks, Kurumi angrily clenched her teeth as she danced into the shadows.
“……Hah…… Hah……”
Moving through the shadows, Kurumi finally came out to the outside world.
She was now at a hill overlooking Raizen High School. The platform was bad because it wasn’t maintained like a park, but it was more convenient because there were no people in the neighborhood.
“Are you alright, me?”
After a few minutes, a clone exposed her face from the shadows and asked with a worried expression.
Then, another clone crawled out of the shadows carrying the right arm that Artemisia had cut off.
“Me, here.”
“……Good.”
Kurumi responded back with thick sweat on her forehead. Then searched the shadow with the remaining left hand and took out the short gun of Zafkiel to load the bullet.
“Zafkiel—Fourth Bullet Dalet.”
After chanting out the name, Kurumi directed the path of the bullet towards her own temple.
At that moment, as though unwinding time, the severed arm flew into the air and reattached itself to the tip of her right arm.
“……!”
Then, Kurumi, having finished restoring her arm to its original state, had her eyes brighten up after seeing the scene at the end of her sight.
Raizen High School’s roof, on that side a tremendous flash of light sprouted out, burning the very sky above the earth.
With an intermittent echoing roar, the school building collapsed in an instant.
At last, there was a sharp alarm ringing throughout the town, but it was already too late. A huge tornado weltered around the school building, which had been reduced into rubble, magnifying the damage to the surrounding structures one after another. Then, a condensed jet-black light expanded radially from the center of the building. As far as one could see, the landscape had transformed into scorched earth.
“That is……”
“Origami-san and the others are fighting……?”
The clones were surprised at the direction of the light.
However, Kurumi was aware that it was not just light radiating from reiryoku.
Even though they were talking at such a distance, there was an illusion of their skin being attacked by acupuncture needles.
Despair. Fury. Hatred. It was a sense of unleashing all those negative feelings from the body into a weapon.
Even if the reiryoku flowed backward from Lucas, this phenomenon would not happen. It was far from a matter of simple quantity of reiryoku. In the first place, the quality had transformed into something poles apart.
Yes, in other words, it was as if a positive value had been intuitively tacked with a minus.
Kurumi remembered this phenomenon. She wrinkled her eyebrows together before giving out a moan.
“Inversion....Did it happen?”
“……!”
Hearing Kurumi’s words, the clones held their breath.
Without a doubt, the Spirits that were there—Origami, and the Yamai Sisters, everyone had become an inverse Spirit.
But that was a reasonable story. With Lucas' head flying out in front of them, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the abyss of despair swallowing them.
“Well—”
“……”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted Kurumi’s thought process, causing her to unexpectedly choke breathlessly.
Judging by a closer look, another clone was presenting herself from out of the shadow.
No—not just that. The clone was holding Lucas, being stained by the dark red blood dripping from his body.
“Me, this is……!”
“Yeah, yeah…… it was a close call, but I would also blame myself for leaving it as it was.”
So with that said, the clone placed Lucas' severed corpse on the ground.
“…………the Fourth Bullet Dalet.”
Kurumi remained in silence for a while after shooting Lucas' body with the gun in her hand.
Just like what happened previously with Kurumi’s arm, Lucas' head, which had been separated from his torso, gently reattached itself to his body. The large hole in his chest had also been filled up.
However—it was just that.
Lucas' eyes were still shut, no signs of even the slightest hint of breathing.
Indeed, the fourth bullet Dalet was a bullet capable of rewinding time. However, it was only to that extent. It was impossible to restore a life already lost. However, through a miracle, Lucas returned from the dead before after being killed by Tohka's inverse.
-------But even after minutes of silence, Lucas did not move.
“…………” Kurumi, in order to calm down her heartbeat, took in a deep breath before thinking of about what to do next.
—While watching Lucas' remains sleep peacefully, the scenery of the end of the world appeared beyond her line of sight.
However, after a moment of a silence, a voice leaked out from her throat.
“I……failed, didn’t I……?”
Such words were colored by pessimistic resignation.
Just a few minutes ago, it had been going so well. Kurumi tightened the grip on her fist so much that blood started to seep out.
By obtaining Lucas' power, she would have used the twelfth bullet Yud Bet to return to thirty years ago and erase the existence of the First Spirit.
Then, everything was supposed to be rewarded.
Kurumi walked through thousands of days.
It was all brought to naught in the blink of an eye.
Shattered—because of someone.
By the hands of the hated Wizard, Ellen Mathers.
“Ah…… Ah, AH!” Leaving it to her passion, Kurumi slammed the ground with her right arm.
Seeing the usually aloof Kurumi behave this way, the clone’s shoulders began to suddenly tremble. However, for Kurumi right now, there was no time to leisurely care about the clones’ reaction.
Hope was cut off. Hope was broken—in the worst way possible by killing Lucas in front of her.
“……”
Thinking of that, Kurumi held her breath.
It was a matter of course for her heart to be filled with unspeakable hatred.
Regardless, the road where she so painstakingly struggled for the goal in her life had collapsed.
Moreover, everything was still caused by what the woman of origin had given.
If it had been Kurumi when she was younger, then perhaps she would have also inverted just like Tohka and the others.
Yet Kurumi realized that there were other emotions mixed in with said anger.
Ah—that’s right.
Kurumi covered Lucas' forehead with hands stained with dust and blood, gently spreading his eyes wide open.
For Kurumi, she felt a deep sense of remorse for not being able to save Lucas from being killed right in front of her.
Endless sadness—a feeling of helplessness.
Kurumi’s mind was lost in a chaotic whirlpool. Despite arriving at an answer, she still did not understand its meaning.
It was a tremendous contradiction. Why was Kurumi thinking that despite wanting to kill Lucas herself.
“Lucas-san………”
Various memories emerged from her mind. At the same time, various feelings were also intertwined, throwing Kurumi’s mind into disarray.
Lucas. Kunshu Lucas. A Boy who cherished her for years, and whom she cherished back.
Kurumi was unconsciously clinging onto the shoulder of Lucas' remains.
Placing her lips on top of his—
Still not lost in its softness, but also a very cold kiss.
Feeling that touch, Kurumi finally remembered.
In the game with Lucas—she was the one who was defeated.
“……To be unconscious even for the second kiss, what a really unfortunate one.”
Kurumi slowly narrowed her eyes.
Last year, when Lucas died in the fight against inverse Tohka, Kurumi had placed her lips onto him, as if saying her final goodbye.
Although by now, all this had been completely gone.
However.
“……Huh?”
At the next moment, Kurumi frowned at the strange sensation.
How could it be expressed? It was as if a warm thing had flown into her body.
Just like once, when Mio had handed her a Sephira Crystal—
“……Zafkiel!”
Remembering that time, Kurumi instinctively declared that name. In response to Kurumi’s call, a huge clock appeared from within the shadows.
“……!”
“Me, this is……!”
The clone gave out a voice filled with astonishment.
However, that was unavoidable. Because on the clock, the numeral VI, whose color had faded ever since the battle against DEM, was shining brightly.
“What does that mean……? No way—” Kurumi slowly stood up, stroking each dial on the clock in order.
Accelerating the target, the First Bullet Aleph.
Slowing down the passage of time of an object, the Second Bullet Bet.
Causing the target to age, the Third Bullet Gimmel.
Rewinding the target’s time, the Fourth Bullet Dalet.
Allowing a short-term prediction of the future, the Fifth Bullet Hei.
Stopping the target’s time, the Seventh Bullet Zayin.
Reproducing a copy from one’s past, the Eight Bullet Het.
Establishing a connection with a person on another time axis, the Ninth Bullet Tet.
Recalling the memory of the target shot, the Tenth Bullet Yud.
Directly engulfing a Spirits’ power and travelling back in time, the Eleventh Bullet Yud Aleph and the Twelfth Bullet Yud Bet.
Kurumi’s hand finally touched the numeral located on the very bottom of the clock.
-----The only numeral so far to lose its color, VI.
“……The Sixth Bullet Vav.”
Kurumi murmured a little as she looked at Lucas' corpse.
Obviously, the Sixth Bullet Vav had regained its radiance after the kiss with Lucas.
Lucas could seal reiryoku through a kiss. Kurumi was well aware of that matter because of the investigation of her doppelgängers.
Initially, Kurumi thought the reason behind losing Vav was because she got caught in the attack that killed Lucas, Tohka's final Paverschlev.
Instead, it was sealed because of the goodbye-kiss that he gave his dead corpse?
If so, even if incomplete, but at that time, Kurumi’s heart had begun to open to up to Lucas.
Kurumi twisted her lips with a self-deprecating feeling—the emotion of the defeated that had lost the match. Perhaps, from the very beginning, Kurumi lacked any chance for victory.
However, with sweat dripping from her forehead, Kurumi revealed a dazzling smile.
The Sixth Bullet Vav, which had been sealed up until the present, was Zafkiel’s best move.
If she had used this power she gained back unexpectedly, changing this outcome was not necessarily impossible.
It was terribly weak to call it hope—however it was enough to inspire Kurumi again.
But Kurumi had not yet paid the price.
To be accurate—in order to achieve her goal, even more sacrifice was required now.
“We.”
Kurumi quietly spoke in front of a row of clones that all started nodding as if understanding her intentions in a split second.
And so, she made a declaration.
“For Lucas' sake—Please die.” Then the clones all began laughing, as if they were all well aware of her motives.
“Yes, yes, gladly.”
“Come on now, let’s all go on ahead.”
“This body from the very beginning has always been temporary.”
“Please use it to its fullest.”
“As long as this life can be used as a stepping stone for me.”
“Let’s go on to Higan with pleasure.”
“We can say something amusing now.”
“You can also use me if you want.”
“You won’t find it impossible to refuse.”
“Hahahaha.”
“Hahahaha.”
The clones merely laughed happily.
Certainly no one would remain intact in the end, nobody would survive.
However, from their expression, you couldn’t even see the slightest fragment of gloom.
Kurumi gave off a wry smile. The figures of the girls who shared the same appearance as her were unquestionably reliable. She couldn’t help but feel proud—even though it would also be a type of narcissism.
“Then, please follow me, we, for this unprecedented journey to the other world.”
Then, while chanting loudly, Kurumi raised her right arm holding the gun.
The name of the power that was once lost and regained with a great price.
The name of another bullet with the possibility to change this world.
“Zafkiel—the Sixth Bullet---Vav.”
Kurumi directed the gun with bullet towards her temple—with a smile on her face she pulled the trigger.
◇
"-"
Quite abruptly, she woke up.
No...... whether this fitted the description of waking up was a matter up for debate.
Anyway, after Kurumi regained consciousness, she immediately went to confirm the surrounding situation.
A dim room with lots of furniture and space, it was her own bedroom.
On the wall hung a freshly cleaned uniform, and the date February 8th was displayed on the screen of the mobile phone prepared for gathering information.
So, Kurumi had returned.
February 8th, the day before Kurumi went back to Raizen High School.
“……Apparently it seems to have succeeded.”
Zafkiel—Vav.
A bullet that allowed the target’s consciousness to return to a past body.
Although it depended on how much time was depleted, it could only be used to trace backwards up to a few days, far less than the extent capable with the Twelfth Bullet Yud Bet. However, at this moment, it wouldn’t be a metaphor to say that it was a bullet where a single shot could be used to save the world.
But the hard work would start from here. Kurumi went to grab a coat to wear, opened the door and left her room.
She made sure not to wake up or get seen by anyone.
“It’s time to move, we.”
In response to that, a tremendous number of responses ensued from the shadow.
“Yes, yes.”
“There isn’t much time.”
“The enemy is Ellen Mathers and Artemisia Ashcroft.”
“And those mysterious girls.”
“For the moment, do you want to convince Lucas not to go to the rooftop?”
“No, then the other party will only change their attack strategy in haste. It’s a bad move to let go of the advantage of knowing where the battle will occur.”
“Then, let us suppress those we are going to attack.”
“Yes, yes, that is the only thing that can be done.”
“Please take into account the difference in fighting power of the enemy. We would be able to handle those girls, but those two Wizards are monsters. Ah, even if you introduce us, it will be difficult to stop both at the same time. There must be at least one ally, someone with power comparable to them.”
“But I don’t think it is possible to find such a convenient ally.”
“No, no, there is still one person that we have.”
“In my mind, there is one person, but it’s a candidate that I don’t want to rely on that much.”
“That is---”
As she was about to ask, Kurumi suddenly flashed a bitter smile, having imagined the person that the clone was think about.
The clone not wanting to rely on her was reasonable enough. After all, she was probably the girl who was the most fond of Lucas.
“Well, that’s unpleasant. But there is no one more suitable than her.”
Kurumi raised her hand to release an instruction without letting the dialogue loosen her walking pace.
“Us, please go to Mana-san’s residence, rush there for emergency negotiations.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Roger that.”
“In addition please form a separate group to explore the movements of DEM Industries. Looking from how even Kotori-san couldn’t do anything, there’s the possibility that they are using Beelzebub to find blind spots in their vigilance.”
“Understood.”
“Be careful.”
“Perhaps, the other side also wants to immediately decide the outcome. I think that they will attack only once. Keep a close guard around Lucas. Do not let them the opportunity....of killing Lucas. Make sure he thinks that there is no one outside, except for me, Tokisaki Kurumi.”
As Kurumi spoke, the clones all smiled and laughed together.
“Ara ara.”
“Truly, me.”
“Such a dangerous confession.”
“Uu.....”
Hearing these claims made Kurumi blush as her breathing became ragged. She stepped on the ground with her foot irritatingly.
After venting that out, Kurumi regained her determination as she turned to the front for a declaration.
“Come out, us. Even if unintended, let us rescue and save this world.”
Then, Tokisaki Kurumi’s battle began.
It took about six days’ worth of time.
But in those six days, Kurumi protected Lucas many times and had also repeatedly suffered the loss of Lucas several times.
The enemy was the cunning DEM Industries. Through the usage of the Demon King Beelzebub, they persistently seized every opportunity against Lucas' life through the daughters of the demon king, the Nibelcol, and the strongest cards Ellen and Artemisia.
Even at the expense of sacrificing several Kurumis, going through a thousand measures, Kurumi continued fighting.
Every time Lucas died, she would use his lips to regain the Sixth Bullet Vav.
Again and again, the world was redone.
In the center of those disasters, fortunately the Sixth Bullet Vav only returned Kurumi’s memories.
Before Lucas could die, the consciousness would come back to a previous version of her body before regaining the Sixth Bullet. So the time used to fuel the Sixth Bullet Vav and the clones used to stop the enemy were reset to its original state.
After all the time needed to use the Sixth Bullet Vav was immense and the production of clones through the Eighth Bullet Het was not infinite.
If this reset was not established, the time held by Kurumi would have hit rock bottom already. But in other words—it also meant the same for the enemy.
Even after killing a few Nibelcol and dismissing Ellen many times, the damage they received would be reset every time Kurumi utilised the Sixth Bullet Vav.
No....precisely due to not knowing they had fought Kurumi before, every time they would act in accordance to the same plan to kill Lucas.
The sole advantage that Kurumi held was a hellfire-like passion that burned by itself.
Once.
Ten times.
More than a hundred times.
While killing and being killed repeatedly, Kurumi gradually felt her own heart becoming fatigued.
Mechanically digesting the same events every time.
Only to be defeated by an abnormality, different from the previous. And in the core of this, the mind of the original Kurumi began to wear away in exhaustion.
But—Kurumi never relinquished the gun in her hands.
Every time Lucas was killed. And whenever she touched those stiff lips. Kurumi wanted to be carried by that hand once again.
“Lucas-san…… Hey, Lucas-san?” How many times was it in the end? Holding on to Lucas' cold lips with her own—
“Let’s meet again……?” Kurumi pulled the trigger at her own head.
◇
“What……”
While listening to eyepatch-Kurumi’s story, Lucas gave out a sharp voice.
He could not help but touch his chest and head. Of course, there was no hole in his chest and his head was still attached to his neck.
“I…… was once dead?”
While being pointed to this unrealistic sensation, Lucas found it difficult to squeeze out that sentence from his throat.
At best, he used a strenuous amount of energy to unpleasantly emit that word. By admitting it with his own mouth, it was like remembering the illusion of denying his own life.
But eyepatch-Kurumi shook her head slowly in response to Lucas' words.
“No, that word is inaccurate.”
Then she stared at Lucas' eyes while continuing.
“204 times.”
“Huh……?”
“That is....the number of times Lucas has died by the hands of DEM within that repetition of six days. Subsequenty, the death of Lucas-san soon resulted in Shidou-san's death as well.”
“—”
This time, no voice came out of Lucas.
204 times, this was far beyond the expected number, causing him to be momentarily dumbfounded.
Regardless, eyepatch-Kurumi continued.
“We were also keenly aware of it…… but frustratingly the terror of Beelzebub allowed them to strike at any opening, creating a variety of ways to harvest the life of Lucas.”
“Hey, please wait, that kind of—”
To avoid saying something stupid, Lucas suddenly closed his lips and stopped mid-way of what he was speaking.
Although the method was different, Lucas had once traveled back in time with the help of Kurumi and changed history. No matter how absurd a story it was, he could not deny those words.
And more than anything—
“…………”
Lucas saw the color of Kurumi’s face after she had just fainted.
With that face, beyond her aloof demeanor was a girl who was all but completely exhausted.
Even if the reiryoku sealed within his body was the purpose, Kurumi had made a huge sacrifice to save Lucas' life. In fact, it was a dedication that Lucas could not easily describe.
Having guessed Lucas' thought process, eyepatch-Kurumi gently focused on him with her one eye.
“Like I said, every time, we would send the consciousness back to the past using the Sixth Bullet Vav. Again and again—Of course, only the consciousness goes beyond time. The time used and the dead clones will also return to their original state.”
Then, eyepatch-Kurumi took in a deep breath.
“The mind of me, which was strained by repeating the same time over and over again, has reached its limit.”
“…………”
Lucas silently sighed as his line of sight once again fell down to Kurumi on the floor.
The appearance-same usual beauty—but there were also transient signs of frailness.
Understanding…… Yes, in order for Kurumi’s goal to be achieved, the reiryoku and power within Lucas' body was indispensable, and it was absolutely necessary to avoid letting Lucas be killed by DEM. So it was reasonable that Kurumi repeatedly saved his life through trial and error.
But there was one thing he could not comprehend.
Lucas looked on to the sleeping Kurumi while muttering to himself.
“Why…… didn’t you just immediately eat me……?”
Yes, it was incomprehensible for Lucas.
It was not impossible for her to exploit an opportunity in Lucas' life.
However, Kurumi did not do that.
Abiding to the initial agreement, dating—and then revealing all of her secrets in order to seek Lucas' understanding.
To Lucas—asking for help.
Even while exasperating her stamina, going as far to expose her sleeping posture to Lucas was something that could not usually happen.
“……Lucas-san.”
Eyepatch-Kurumi relaxed her mouth as she turned her line of sight towards Lucas.
“Please do not ask anything thoughtless, me is—”
—Suddenly.
Just as eyepatch-Kurumi was trying to say something, Kurumi, who should have been still lying down, moved her hand as a short gun materialized before firing off a bullet.
A bullet like a solid shadow of jet black struck eyepatch-Kurumi in the cheek and carved a small crater on the wall. After a moment, eyepatch-Kurumi opened her eyes while still in fright.
“……It seems there was a lot of enjoyment in talking while I was sleeping, me.”
Kurumi, with eyes half-open, slowly got up. On the other side, the clone was extending out her hands up in the air anxiously, but she merely ignored this while standing up.
“……Excuse me, Lucas-san. The young me in front of you seems to be going through a difficult phase.”
Kurumi spoke while trying to suppress her dizziness by placing her hand on her forehead.
Despite her behavior being full of Kurumi’s usual composure, but for Lucas, no matter what it seemed like she was trying to pull off a brave act. Lucas could not help but stretch out his hand to support her.
“Kurumi—”
“……”
Kurumi retired behind in order to avoid Lucas' hand.
However, he could not see things resembling feelings of disgust in that expression.
If anything, yes—it looked as if she was afraid of touching the hand.
Kurumi shook her shoulder as she seemed to be aware of her own facial expression, exposing an unfriendly smile to Lucas.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Lucas-san. I helped Lucas-san because I would be troubled if your power was lost.”
“Oh…… I understand.” Lucas was overwhelmed by the momentum to answer properly. As a result, Kurumi gently turned her back to him.
“……No interest, let’s go this far for today.”
“Ah—hey, Kurumi!”
Lucas reached out his hand while screaming.
However—
As it was, Kurumi and her clone disappeared together into the shadows.
“……Kurumi—”
While watching the floor where Kurumi had disappeared into, Lucas clenched his fist so tight, blood gushed out of his palm.
Kurumi, Tokisaki Kurumi.
The boy who was saved by her many times slowly raised his face.
That pair of eyes was marked with a brilliant spark of determination.
“This time… it's my turn to save you…”