Prologue Another Spirit

If Takamiya Mio were told to describe the events that had a pronounced lasting impression on her life time, then most of them were──

Good or bad──there was no difference of it being filled with stories

about Takamiya Shinji. The day when she first meet Shinji. The day when she was taken to the ocean by Shinji

──The day when Shinji died right before her eyes.

Like the roots of a large tree, or possibly a sharpened lynchpin, it

was deeply craved into Mio's

memories, becoming the driving force pushing her towards the path of ruin and salvation.

Everything was for Shinji's sake. All in order for her to regain that most glimmering time with Shinji. With those thoughts in mind, Mio fought through a long period of thirty years alone.

But there were exceptions in all things.

Along with her memories of Shinji colored by joy and sadness, there were several other events that remained strong within her heart.

For example, her encounter with Tokisaki Kurumi. For example, her memories as Murasame Reine.

And also──

◇◇◇

It happened around the time Mio had produced a few Sephira Crystals.

──Sephira Spirit Crystals. The devilish gemstone that transformed

humans into Spirits.

Mio, for the sake of her goal, divided her power to create them, turning humans into Spirits one by one.

However, the Sephira was not originally compatible with human attributes. A human being who was given a freshly made Sephira would not be able to control that power and run rampant. In order to create a perfect Spirit, it was necessary to use several human bodies to purify the Sephira.

But one day, Mio had thought. If she could skip that stage, it would save time and above all there will be no unnecessary

sacrifices──then.

On that day, Mio produced a Sephira Crystal in a slightly different way than usual.

"──Form."

While quietly saying that, she sharpened her mind.

She split and condensed a portion of the reiryoku overflowing from her own body. At that time, she concentrated and separated the so- called "poison" that could harm humans, into a place inside Sephira.

Without using humans as filters, can it be possible to create refined Sephira from the beginning?

"────"

As if to bring life to the product just created, she blew to it.

Immediately, the Sephira began to faintly shake and glow.

This ritual-like process was the final step in determining the attributes of the Sephira Crystal. She consolidated this power into a single mass through the image of bestowing a portion of her emotions. While doing so, the Sephira would change into various different colors

If she put in wrath, it would be a fierce red.

If she put in sorrow, it would be depressed blue.

If she put in regret───it would be a deep bottomless black.

Experience had shown that it was easier for the Sephira Crystal to exert a strong power if negative emotions were included. However, at the same time, then the number of people sacrificed for the refining process would also increase.

So this time, Mio put in a warm, but intense emotion, onto the Sephira Crystal.

All of Mio's motivation───the emotion scorching this body: love.

However── "...Huh?"

Mio widened her eyes, raising her voice in surprise.

The Sephira, she had just created in her hand, suddenly started pulsating.

"The Sephira is...? What is this───"

As Mio grew worried, the heartbeat of the Sephira grew stronger and stronger──before long flying away from Mio's hand and floating in the air.

And in the middle of that space, the Sephira gave off a tremendous light, its silhouette swelled rapidly.

"Wha───"

The intense light blinded her eyes.

And when she opened her eyes───a young girl had appeared.

The long hair in the shade of the night flew by the wind. Looming behind her hair was a cold white porcelain face.

A beautiful girl, who exuded a violent expression, was wearing a bluish purple Astral Dress.

"───You, are.... "

"........"

Though Mio asked in surprise, the girl did not respond, she looked

down at her palm, opening and closing her hand several times as if to confirm its feeling.

And when looking around to observe the situation───finally, she

looked towards Mio.

"..... Who the hell, are you?"

"......!"

At those words, Mio involuntarily held her breath.

Although it was impossible to imagine, this girl has her own will.

An irregular beyond anticipation. In the blink of eye, Mio's mind filled with thoughts. Who is she? What to do with her? Is it possible to use dialogue to make her an ally? However, the constant thing was that this was an existence that could drastically alter the plans. In order to achieve the greatest goal of turning Shinji into a Spirit, should she get rid of things that could upset the plan?

Anyway, think later. First of all, let's get the Sephira back from her─── "───Wha. "

Then, from there, Mio choked.

At the moment Mio came to a conclusion and intended to bind her, the expression of the girl standing in front of her eyes changed. It

was as if she was reflecting Mio's own hostility.

In fact, her figure did not change at all. However, the color of the burning light in those eyes was clearly different.

What in the world was this───? "───."

For a moment, when the girl whispered like that, the darkness gathered behind her, forming a giant throne.

And the girl gently stomped on the armrest and flew up, from behind the throne she pulled out a

sword──

And so, she aimed a slash towards Mio.

"... !"

Amazing sword skills. Her attack caused shockwaves to rush towards Mio. Mio sharpened her gaze, canceling that attack just as it was about to reach her body.

"... What are you suddenly doing?"

"Humph───That's my line. Don't hide your hostility."

The girl shouted while screaming. Once again she swung her sword, slashing continuously towards Mio. The dense reiryoku traced from the trajectory of the sword teared though the space around Mio.

Mio dealt with those attacks, while eliminating them, she opened her mouth softly.

"───."

The moment she called that name, with Mio as the epicenter, the space turned monochrome───suppressing the body of the Spirit that had just been born from the Sephira.

Although only looking at the amount of reiryoku that was cornered into an attack, Mio knew she was an extremely powerful Spirit.

However, no matter how powerful the Spirit was, it is impossible to resist the Angel of law .

"Guh.... "

The Spirit groaned in pain, releasing reiryoku from her body as if trying to escape from the restraint.

But, at the next moment, strips of light extended from Mio's Astral Dress, piercing her chest.

"Bastard."

The Spirit said that while glaring viciously at Mio, then her body turned into particles of light.

After a few seconds, at the place where she stood was a glittering Sephira surrounded by strips of light.

"... I'm surprised. For the first time, something like this happened."

Mio murmured to herself, recovering the strips of light to pull the Sephira to her side. And, she put Sephira in her hand, looking down at it.

If she clenched her fist and gathered reiryoku, this Sephira would break without a trace. Removing a dangerous factor, the irregular will no longer exist. If considering the plan, it is definitely the right choice.

"......."

───However, Mio didn't break the Sephira.

Creating Sephira requires a huge amount of reiryoku; Mio cannot create them continuously anyway. Moreover, she had a hesitation when idly erasing a rare Spirit that just happened to appear.

"No───"

Contemplating it, Mio lightly shook her head.

She must have been trying to find a reason in her head───after all;

the most obvious reason didn't change.

Born from the Sephira Crystal───it could be called a pure Spirit.

Certainly, Mio couldn't mercilessly kill an existence like herself. " Welcome, my daughter.───to this worst world."

Mio said as if whispering, caressing the Sephira lovingly.