Chapter 3 Spirit War

"────Fufufufu, fufufu, fu──fufu♪"

Shidou was walking along the main street of Tenguu City, accompanied by Tohka who was humming a pleasant song.

He didn't know if this was due to spring break starting since yesterday, but it was a bit more crowded than usual even though it was before noontime. The sunshine felt soft as the spring breeze was warm. On the front of a store, there was poster at the center written about supporting a new life. Whether he liked it or not, he could feel the arrival of a new season of both encounters and separations.

While walking along the street, Tohka was dressed in a light coat and a long skirt with colors matching springtime. After waiting for about 30 minutes for Tohka to dry her hair and change clothes, she had transformed into an elegant lady.

"...…"

Watching this exceedingly natural event, Shidou suddenly remembered a mysterious feeling. After all, when she first entered the Spirit mansion, she first mistakenly thought the hair drier was some sort of weapon. At the same time the warm air blew out, a reversal in the flow of reiryoku had occurred.

No, on the contrary, she even wore clothes very strangely at first. Wearing a shirt upside down in the beginning, she mistook a belt for a weapon thrown to shatter glass, or even as something worn over sports pants.

That was only a small glimpse of the entire picture. Tohka's life as a

human being was a series of

hardships. For her, it was like being thrown into a world where nothing was known. Despite

's support, there were still many things that she was

confused about.

However, Tohka had no fear of mistakes or repeated blunders. She thoroughly enjoyed the

learning process for this unknown world. ──Shidou, who would

smiled wryly at her comical blunders, didn't know when he started to

respect her great efforts.

...It was probably because of Tohka's cheerfulness that he remembered this sort of thing. Shidou scratched his cheek as he watched Tohka merrily walk next to himself.

No matter how he looked at it, this was the usual Tohka. At the

very least, he didn't think it was inverse Tohka acting. It was inverse Tohka who had taken away Mio's Sephira Crystal. That was likely correct. But as long as they shared the same body, he should be able to seal that reiryoku by kissing Tohka. But──

"──Shidou!"

At that moment, hearing his name being called out, Shidou felt a jolt reach his shoulders.

"O-ooh, what is it?"

Even in the current situation, it was strictly forbidden to be so deeply lost in his thoughts that he would leave a girl alone during a date. Shidou replied back while trying to fake excitement in his voice.

However, Tohka didn't seem to worry about this as she pointed to the front with a nostalgic

expression.

"Do you remember? It was nearby here." "Eh...?"

Being told this, Shidou looked towards the direction indicated by

Tohka.

However, there was nothing special there. It was just a street. There were no food places that Tohka would have liked nor any monuments designed to attract attention.

Shidou thought about it for a while but he still couldn't think of

anything. Shidou turned to Tohka with an apologetic look.

"...Sorry. Did something happen here?"

"What, have you forgotten? ──No, I don't blame you. After all, the roads and buildings were all broken at that time."

"That time?"

Hearing what Tohka had said, Shidou looked at his surroundings

again──briefly letting out a 'ah'

sigh.

"It can't be...is this where I met Tohka for the first time?"

Yes. April 10th of last year. Shidou, who had not known about Spirits or , had come here.

When the spacequake alarmed went off, he discovered that Kotori's cell phone GPS positioning was still in the town. While running through the uninhabited street──he met a Spirit.

Here was where everything began. This was a street where everything had changed.

"Ooh, so you did remember!"

Tohka let out a cheerful voice. She stared into the distance like this, watching the street where people came and went.

"Time flies by so fast...has it been almost a year since then?" "Yes...that's right."

Shidou took a deep breath as he looked onto the street just like

Tohka.

One year ago. In such a short period of time, it can be said that

Shidou's life had turned on its

head.

Well, to be precise, he was already connected to the Spirits before

than──but it was the first

time that Shidou had encountered a Spirit besides Kotori.

As Shidou was thinking that over, Tohka suddenly rushed ahead of him. Then, she sharpened her eyes as she made a pose as if lifting up a sword. "──You as well..."

"...! Pff..."

Hearing what Tohka had abruptly said, Shidou let out a light laugh.

But as soon as he realized

Tohka's intentions, he swayed weakly backwards. "──You, are..." " Name. ──I don't have one."

"..."

"..."

After exchanging those words, a short silence lasted for a while── " Pff."

"...Fufu, hahaha."

Soon after, it wasn't clear who started it first, but it became

unbearable to not laugh.

Because they were laughing in the middle of the street, the pedestrians nearby gave them strange looks. But Shidou and Tohka couldn't stop laughing for a while. After laughing for a while, they

finally began to adjust their breathing while lowering their shoulders.

"Why did you do this so suddenly?" "Shidou, so you remember it as well." "Yeah, I remember──"

While Shidou was wiping away the tears from laughing, he looked

towards Tohka again.

The events of that day could be recalled as if it were yesterday.

That day was the starting point where he began to become associated with Spirits, , AST──and most importantly, that abrupt encounter with a girl who had asked if he had come to kill her. Even if he had forgotten everything else, he would never forget that.

And above all else──the sad expression of that girl left an impact

on his heart for a long time.

Shidou once thought about it. He didn't want her to show that

expression. Thinking now, that

may have been the driving force behind why he continued to help the Spirits.

"...…"

──The girl who looked like she about to cry at any time was now

smiling happily right in front of his eyes.

That alone made Shidou felt that there was nothing worth replacing in this year. Shidou suddenly lowered his gaze as he sighed lightly.

Then, Tohka pulled on Shidou's sleeve.

"──Shidou. This opportunity is rare. I have a place I want to go, can you accompany me?"

"Eh? Of course I can...but where do you want to go?" "Fufu...you'll find out on the way there."

While listening to Shidou, Tohka gave a mischievous smile.

◇◇◇

"───,───,───,──────────"

Origami exhaled out several times, alternating between thin and long breaths.

Breathing wasn't just an act of getting oxygen into the body.

For example, it could be used for concentration. Even during ancient and modern martial arts, there were many cases of breathing being used to increase mental concentration. Among that, there were special breathing techniques used to disperse pain or even increase the power of a single blow.

Origami was now standing in a small grove located in the western end of the nature park. In- between the sparse trees, she sat above a pile of fallen leaves while calming her mind.

Her mind was as clear as the surface of water. By breathing, she imagined tiny droplets forming ripples on the surface of the water.

The surface of water without ripples was beautiful, but it was akin to death. When alive a person's heart would shake at the slightest stimulation. Forcibly trying to suppress this was not strength. Rather, that would be tantamount to saying that one could stand to handle the disorder.

So, instead of trying to create a perfect surface, she accepted the mental image of the ripples. Before the battle, Origami tried to concentrate her mind like this.

Even when she was a part of AST.

Even when she fought against DEM as a Spirit.

And──now as well.

──She didn't know how long she stood like this, but finally the bell signaling 12 o'clock for the

park rang.

"──."

Hearing the bell, Origami stood up, opening her eyes while whispering that.

Then, as she said that, Origami's entire body was covered with light──a white radiance as an

Astral Dress in the shape of a wedding dress formed.

"...I see, certainly a complete Astral Dress has manifested."

Origami muttered to herself alone as she lowered her head to look at the pure white clothes covering her body as armor.

──It's been an hour now since all of the Spirits were called by

Kurumi to gather in the park.

After defining the rules of the battle, the Spirits scattered all around the nature park.

The range was this nature park. Time was unlimited. They were free to move around this park, but any encounter meant having to fight on the spot. The Spirits that were unable to summon an Astral Dress or Angel were eliminated──the winner would be the last person standing.

Yes. This idyllic nature park had now transformed into a dangerous battlefield where ten natural disasters had gathered.

"..."

Origami narrowed her eyes as she analyzed the combat strength of each Spirit in her mind. Of course, not a single one was an opponent she could lower her guard to.

Certainly, Natsumi, Miku, and Nia may be one step inferior in direct firepower. But this was not a one on one battle, but rather a battle royal taking place over a vast area. It was completely unclear when an attack from Natsumi, who could transform freely, would occur. Since there was the possibility of fighting together, Miku's was also a threat. As for Nia, she must have grasped everyone's movements already.

Were the Yamai sisters planning on fighting as a team or

individually? In any case, their speed couldn't be ignored. Among the Spirits, few had as strong of a defense as Yoshino. She was also a contender depending on how the battle progressed.

"...But."

──The most dangerous was the remaining three. Origami clenched

her fist as she strengthened her guard.

The first one was Mukuro. The power of her Angel was particularly distinguished even among several Angels. If acted rashly, the outcome of the match may be decided in a single blow. It was also not easy to deal with her appearing anywhere through a 'hole' opened in space.

However, it wasn't as if there were no opportunities that could be advantageous. Her personality meant that she would likely not resort to such cowardice means on her opponent. Because the purpose of this battle was to release their reiryoku to the limit, she couldn't seal her opponents' power with to finish things immediately.

In that regard, Kurumi was the more troublesome one in this battle. She could control time with

, create numerous clones, as well as track Origami's

movements with just

like Nia. Moreover, because of her personality, she didn't expect any opportunities for openings like with Mukuro. If possible, Origami hoped that Kurumi would take herself out with someone else before encountering her, but──

"........ No."

After thinking it over, Origami shook her head.

This was a battle royal. And since the winner would be given the right to confess to Shidou, she

absolutely couldn't lose.

But as a premise──it was also a battle was also to help Shidou.

It was natural to want to save strength, but it made no sense here.

Even if she obtained victory as a result of escaping the battle,

Origami didn't feel she could properly convey her feelings to Shidou

this way.

Well, although it was a bit uncomfortable that this was also to help

Shidou and Tohka's date── "..."

At that moment, Origami's eyebrows twitched.

The reason was simple. A Spirit had appeared in front of her.

"──Ara, how do you do, Origami. It's such a coincidence to meet up at such a location."

And so, a small girl wearing a kimono-like Astral Dress said in a brisk tone as she descended down from the sky.

She had two horns like an oni. Her angel's raiment was reminiscent of that worn by a heavenly woman. ──And also a crimson flame was covering her entire body.

"──Kotori."

Origami inadvertently lowered her posture as she called out that name.

Yes. The commander of as well as Shidou's little sister.

Itsuka Kotori had come

here while wearing a complete Astral Dress.

She was among the three dangerous Spirits that Kotori listed in her mind earlier. ──The last one. Now that Tohka isn't here, perhaps she is the only Spirit that can compete with Origami in terms of raw firepower.

Additionally, if what Kurumi said was correct, her only weakness, the destructive impulses eroding away her mind, had disappeared. That is to say, the current Kotori, for the first time since becoming a Spirit, could exercise her power without any restrictions.

Origami, who had crossed blades with her before the world had been altered, painfully understood how terrifying that was.

But── "──."

Origami quietly chanted that name while sharpening her gaze.

Then, as if responding to that, several angel feathers appeared from the void and formed a circle above her head.

Kotori's power was certainly immense. But Origami was also

different from last time. She

kicked off the ground, floating to the same position as Kotori.

Kotori perceived Origami's intentions, smirked from enjoyment as she raised her right hand. "."

As she said that, a huge battle axe weaved with flames. ──The angel

. The flames of

the angel that Kotori carried could turn everything to ashes.

"This truly must be fate in our relationship. Even after becoming friends, to think we would face off against each other once again."

Kotori breathed out a small sigh to complain before smiling.

But, I'm never the type to be lenient. Give it all you got, novice Spirit-san."

"──As you wish."

Origami succinctly answered as she lifted both hands──directing the

muzzle of at Kotori.

──A few minutes after the clock struck 12 to signal the beginning of

the war, there was a loud explosion at the west side of the park.

"Kya...!"

A roar shook both the air and earth. A flash of light was seen coming from between the trees, as all of the surroundings birds fled at once. Yoshino, who was hiding in the athletic facilities, reflexively cowered her body.

"Hiyah──that was a sudden display of strength. Was that Origami just now?"

The rabbit puppet "Yoshinon" on Yoshino's left hand spoke as it

dexterously stroked its chin with its short paw. Yoshino, frightened

by the direction that sound came from, was at a complete loss as she fell towards facing front ahead.

"Sure enough...very powerful. If struck by that attack..."

As Yoshino muttered like that, her body began to tremble. Needless to say, Yoshino was also wearing a complete Astral Dress.

In contrast to its pretty appearance, the rabbit eared hoody

reminiscent of a raincoat boasted a solid defense that it wouldn't be

damaged even by tank fire.

However, even with that, the firepower from was overwhelming. After all, it was easily able to pierce Tohka's Astral Dress, which boasted an even sturdier defense than Yoshino's. If she was discovered, even an ice wall created by would be erased in an instant.

"W-what should I do, Yoshinon..."

"Well, let's calm down, Yoshino. This is a battle royal. There's no

need to approach a strong

opponent and fight. First of all, look for an opponent that you can

defeat."

"Look for opponents that can be defeated...?"

"Yes, yes. ...Well, everyone is strong though. Origami-chan is as you just saw. Kotori-chan has super firepower and recovery. The effects of Miku-chan's songs are also difficult to deal with. It'll be impossible to catch up to Kaguya-chan and Yuzuru-chan first anyhow. Mukuro- chan's powers are a super-cheat. Natsumi-chan can imitate any Angel. Kurumi-chan has two Angels. And Nia-chan is very good at drawing manga."

Yoshinon spoke with a smile, "Damn, it's real headache". Yoshino wrinkled her brow into the shape of a "八" character as she dejectedly sat down on that spot.

"Sure enough...there isn't an opponent I can fight against. At the

very least, for the sake of

Shidou-san and Tohka-san's date, I want to use as much reiryoku as possible..."

"Hey there!"

At that moment, Yoshino felt a soft touch on her face.

Yoshinon had struck a light-speed rabbit punch to interrupt Yoshino from speaking.

"Y-Yoshinon...?"

"What's the use of giving up before even starting, Yoshino! If you act like this, you won't even overcome the opponents you could have won against!"

"B-but...everyone is so strong, I'm..."

As Yoshino anxiously spoke, Yoshinon's hands spread out as it

shook its head.

"Okay, let's put the discussion of strength and weakness aside.

──Yoshino, what do you think

of Shidou-kun?" "Eh...?"

Hearing the sudden question issued, Yoshino rounded her eyes wide

open.

"W-what I think...um...I think he is a very nice person, I'm very grateful to him. If Shidou- san didn't help me, I wouldn't be living this life right now or met everyone..."

"Yes, yes, that's right. ──So, do you like him? Or hate him?" "U-Umm...I...like..."

Yoshino replied as she lowered her deeply blushing face. Yoshino

then agilely folded its arms while nodding.

"Yeah. That's true. ──So, the child that wins this battle can confess

to Shidou-kun. Well,

although the 'right to confess' is awfully suspicious, it's because that

everyone gets along that

they want to preserve this relationship for better or for worse."

Yoshinon interjected a "but" while raising its face.

"That is going to collapse with Kurumi-chan's suggestion. Of course,

if someone confesses,

Shidou-kun won't necessarily accept it...but the possibility isn't zero, right?"

"That's..."

Yoshino's lips were shaking as she spoke.

──Yoshino was very fond of her life right now. There was Shidou,

Kotori, the other Spirits; she

liked it so much that she smiled happily every day.

Of course, as time passed, everyone and the environment around them would change little by little. It goes without saying the transition from going to school to employment, but the minor changes were endless. As long as they lived like humans, this must be inevitable.

One day, Shidou will marry someone. That someone may be a person among the Spirits or perhaps somebody they haven't met yet. If it becomes like that, the relationship so far cannot be maintained. Because Shidou will have a loving partner──

"..."

The instant that imagination surfaced in her mind, Yoshino felt a sharp pain coming from her chest.

"...I" "Eh?"

"........ I don't want...I don't want that to happen."

Yoshino squeezed out her trembling voice. She hadn't noticed it

until being told by Yoshinon.

──It felt so painful that Shidou would love one person specifically. It felt so painful not being the one next to Shidou's side.

But──there was an even stronger feeling turning about in her

chest.

Even if Yoshino conveyed her feelings to Shidou, Shidou wouldn't

necessarily respond positively.

However, once more, the idea that her fond feelings for Shidou will never be conveyed so that

someone else can monopolize him──that was absolutely detestable. "──Alright, well said! That's why Yoshino!"

Yoshinon pressed both hands against her eyes, as if to wipe away the tears leaked from

Yoshino's eyes.

"It's not a matter of whether you can win or not. Girls have times when they need to fight!"

"Yes...!"

After blinking a few times, Yoshino gave an affirmative nod. Then Yoshinon gently opened its mouth.

"──Okay, as for the specific method now. Since this is combat, I think it would better to hide while everyone else crush each other. It's more delicious to snatch away victory at the very end──"

"Y-Yoshinon..."

It was a complete turnover from her hot-blood approach from beforehand. Seeing Yoshinon give

off such a devious proposal, Yoshino couldn't help but force a smile.

At the very next moment── "──!" "...! Yoshino, watch out!"

"...!"

At that moment, Yoshino leaped on reflex in response to Yoshinon's

voice.

In the next instant, several silver-like metal pipes manifested behind the athletic facilities Yoshino was hiding, releasing out a terrifying sound.

"This is──"

Yoshino felt a bead of sweat drip down her cheek. If she had jumped just a little bit later, her body would have been bounded by the sound.

There was only one Spirit who could pull off such a trick. At the same time Yoshino landed, she turned to the direction of that sound.

"Miku-san...!"

After Yoshino called out her name, Miku, whom Yoshino didn't

how long she was standing

there, twisted her body in frustration as her Astral Dress swayed like a stage costume.

"Aah. It's such a pity. Just a little bit more──" "Really──we already can't be caught off guard."

While saying that, Yoshinon moved its hands as if to shrug.

"──Now Yoshino, it's the first match right away. Are you prepared?"

Hearing what Yoshinon had said,

"...Yes!"

Yoshino strongly nodded.

◇◇◇

"Hey? The place you said you wanted to go...is it here?"

After 30 minutes of walking while being pulled by Tohka, Shidou looked up to the building that they arrived at and unexpectedly widened his eyes.

It was no wonder. After all, this was── "Umu──the school." Tohka smiled while nodding in satisfaction. ──Yes. The place that Tohka had brought him was

the Raizen High School that they all went to.

"So why? Isn't this a place where we usually go to? Speaking of

which, just the day before

yesterday──" "Okay, hurry in."

Tohka pulled on his arm as she walked in. It appeared that she didn't

want to him to say anything more.

"Ah, wait a minute..."

If Tohka desired so strongly, there was no reason to decline. But right now was during the time of spring break. In fact, the main gate in front of the school building was tightly closed.

"Anyway, let's go through the side door. If we tell them that we've come to pick something up from school, they'll probably let us in."

"Ooh, then let's do that."

Shidou took Tohka and entered the campus from the side gate.

After completing some easy procedures, they walked to the interior of the school building.

Instead of having indoor shoes, they were wearing slippers prepared for visitors. Accompanied by the swishing sound from the slippers, they walked through a corridor with nobody present.

Somehow it was a mysterious feeling. Although it was a place that they usually went every weekday, just because there was no one here, it felt as if they were lost in a strange space.

However, it seemed that Tohka's goal was not to enjoy this extraordinary feeling. She was walking very proudly in this unmanned teaching facility at a steady pace that told others there was clear destination ahead.

After walking up the stairs, Tohka finally stopped.

She stood right in front of classroom 204, Shidou's homeroom. "──Fufu, how nostalgic."

While saying that, Tohka entered the classroom, walking between the desks at a slow pace.

After listening to those words, Shidou looked on in confusion. This place was the familiar school and classroom where they had spent a considerable amount of time at. Shidou thought that the word

'nostalgic' didn't seem appropriate.

But, while looking at the quiet classroom with only two

people──Shidou once again saw that scene appear in his mind.

"Ah──"

That's right. If the street visited earlier was where he first met

Tohka, then this place was where,

after being appointed to interact with the Spirits by , Shidou reunited with Tohka.

During that time, there were no students in the classroom because the spacequake alarm had gone off. The scene from that time was no different from the quiet classroom now.

Noticing Shidou's expression, Tohka loosened her lips to speak

while moving towards the blackboard.

"Do you remember? ──Up here."

She said so while picking up some white chalk to write some words on the blackboard.

──It was her name. The two characters for Tohka. "This is the place where you let me become me."

While staring into Shidou's eyes, Tohka smiled sweetly.

Aah, that's right. Tohka. She was given her name to her by Shidou

during that time.

"Shidou gave the nameless me a name. I don't know how many times that name has saved me. I'm really──grateful to you."

"No, actually I..."

As he was being stared directly at Tohka while she said that, Shidou scratched his face in embarrassment.

It was true that the name was given to her by him, and it was more than anything good that Tohka was so fond of it...but the origin of that name was very simple. Just because "the first time we met was on April 10th".

However, that was unavoidable. In such an extreme state and crunched for time, there was no way he could have come up with a fancy name.

...Well, when considering that Takamiya Shinji gave the name 'Mio' to a girl he met on the

30th; he couldn't deny that this might be an instinct that he was born

with.

However, regardless of the origin, he couldn't imagine her name of being anything else besides 'Tohka'. The days spent with her during the past year have vividly engraved the name 'Tohka' onto 'Tohka'.

"..."

However, the moment, he realized this, Shidou was struck by a feeling of his heart tightening.

The street where he first encountered Tohka. And now also the classroom where he had given Tohka her name.

Shidou was reliving the experience of encountering Tohka through

today's path. He couldn't

help but feel uneasy from this.

──It was as though Tohka had foreseen her own death──somehow.

He knew he was likely overthinking it. It must be because they have come across so much that Tohka felt nostalgic and wanted to come to this classroom again.

However, if left alone, that disturbing fantasy may become reality.

Shidou took a deep breath before speaking to Tohka.

"──Tohka."

"Muu. What is it Shidou?"

Tohka widened his eyes at Shidou's unexpected words.

Shidou made up his mind as he opened his lips.

"Listen to me, actually──"

Then, in the classroom with only the two of them, Shidou told her the truth. He told Tohka that there was another Tohka in her body. He told Tohka that Mio's Sephira Crystal was taken away by this Tohka and used to create this

world.

And──as it stood, Tohka would likely die along with this world. "What..."

After listening to that, Tohka let out her voice while opening her eyes.

"Another person inside me...?"

"...Yes. It may sound unbelievable, but this isn't a lie or a joke, please trust me."

As Shidou finished speaking, Tohka shook her head.

"Idiot. I can't doubt what Shidou says. And──"

Tohka narrowed her eyes while placing her hand against her chest.

"──Another me. It's vague...but not unthinkable." "Is that true?"

"Umu. Whenever I feel painful or desperate──a fearful and

dependable existence seems to be

here with me."

However, Tohka put her hand down and looked up.

"...But even so, I completely don't know what to do. Sure enough, everyone must be guessing that we have to let her out and seal her power?"

"...To be honest, I don't know either. Actually, even if we can, I don't know how to make the other Tohka show up."

"Muu..."

Tohka revealed a complex expression while crossing her arms.

"...Is it true that Mio's Sephira is within my body? And the other me, with that power, reshaped the world..."

"Aah, that should be true." "Hmm, then..."

As Tohka was saying that, she pressed her hands together, wrinkling

her brow and humming out

an "hmmmmmmmm" sound as if in prayer. "T-tohka...?" "──Waaaaaaaah!"

And then, Tohka vigorously open her eyes and screamed. Shidou

couldn't help but feel his body

tremble from the sudden noise.

"...Muu, is it no good?"

After a brief silence, Tohka let out a regretful sigh, putting down her hands that were pressed together in prayer.

"W-what did you try to do just now?"

"No, I thought that since Mio's Sephira Crystal is in my body, I

could use that power as well. So

I wanted to pray 'other me, come out!' and make that happen."

As Tohka said that she looked down at her own body, repeatedly tightening and loosening her hand. ...It looked completely unchanged. In other words, it was clear from the way she was speaking just now that the other personality hadn't surfaced.

"Haha...well, it can't be that easy....right?"

Then.

As Shidou forced a smile while scratching his cheek, he suddenly stopped his words involuntarily.

The reason was simple. Tohka's body gave off a faint glow, slowly that light escape from Tohka's body──gradually taking the shape of a person.

"T-this is──" "! What..."

To both Shidou and Tohka's surprise, the light finally turned into the

figure of a girl which appeared here.

──Hair the color of the night and a pair of crystal-like eyes. Clad in an Astral Dress that was a fusion of a dark knight's armor and a dress──the light had turned into a girl that looked identical to Tohka.

"...What?"

The girl──inverse Tohka gently opened her eyes, frowning in

suspicion as she stared at Shidou who was right in front of her.

"──Human, what did you do?"

Her tone was brimming with danger as she didn't conceal her murderous intent. Faced with the overwhelming pressure that would cause a small animal to suffocate on the spot, Shidou took a step back in vain.

"N-no, I haven't done anything..."

"Don't screw around with me. It's impossible for me to show up here without doing anything. If you are intending to hide──"

"Ooh!"

At that moment, inverse Tohka was no longer speaking. No──to be

more precise, she was

stopped immediately by Tohka's voice coming from the side.

"So you are the other me! The first time meeting...that doesn't sound entirely right, correct?"

"Wha──"

As Inverse Tohka's shoulders were grabbed by Tohka, she gave a

confused look for the first time.

However, Tohka didn't seem to care about this as she continued to

speak with sparkling eyes.

"Umu, I made a wish for the other me to show up, but I didn't expect you to show up this way. You definitely are the splitting image of me...but I also feel that something is a little different. Could it be the way you tie your hair?"

"Wait a minute...wait a minute."

Inverse Tohka, who was pressed by Tohka's momentum, spread

out her palms to rein Tohka back.

"What does this mean? Why have I separated from Tohka? ...No way, could you have used that woman's power to incarnate me?"

"I don't understand quite well, but perhaps that is it!" " "

Confronted by Tohka's smile, inverse Tohka fell silent. Judging from

her expression, she likely

didn't consider it was possible to meet with Tohka in such a manner.

"...What a waste. I'm heading back. You go play alone." "! Wait...wait a minute!"

As inverse Tohka closed her eyes in preparation to return, Shidou turned his voice inside out to challenge that notion.

He gained the chance to see inverse Tohka outside of Tohka's body, he couldn't miss this opportunity.

"What. Do you want to be killed trying to stop me?" "N-no, that's not it..."

Facing inverse Tohka's glare, Shidou couldn't help but wince. He

can't afford to let inverse Tohka escape now. However, he also had no idea what to say.

From a single mistake, inverse Tohka would disappear again into

Tohka's body. On the contrary,

a bad decision would mean perhaps being killed. Was there any

correct method...?

And so, as Shidou was trying to think up something, Tohka raised her voice as if coming up with something.

"Hear me out! Other me, I am on a date with Shidou right now!" "...Mu?"

As inverse Tohka faintly narrowed her eyes, Tohka grabbed her

hands while her eyes were still sparkling.

"If it is possible, won't you come along with me? I'm sure it will be fun!"

"...!"

Hearing Tohka's words, Shidou saw a flash of inspiration as he

clenched his fist. "Great idea Tohka! Me, Tohka, and you, let's go on

a date with all three of us!"

He didn't know if Tohka realized this, but her request had led to the

optimal solution.

Certainly, it was preferable to have a one-on-one date with a Spirit.

However, Tohka and inverse Tohka seemed to be two people that share the same existence──but above all, inverse Tohka's attitude towards Tohka seemed softer than it was for Shidou.

"...What?"

Inverse Tohka scowled at Shidou with enough murderous intent comparable to shooting someone to death.

"This is your date with Tohka. Only the two of you need to go.

Don't involve me."

Inverse Tohka shook off Tohka's hands. Then, Tohka suddenly gave a sad look. "Is it...no good?"

"Ku──"

Inverse Tohka gave a troubled look inconsistent with a Spirit with absolute control over the world. Seeing this situation, Shidou unintentionally loosened his cheeks to smile a little.

"...Is there anything funny? Do you want to die, human?" "Ah, no...sorry."

Sure enough, unlike to Tohka, her attitude towards Shidou was more

ruthless. He gently lowered his head.

Then, inverse Tohka, after staring at Shidou for a while, let out of

'tch" sound from her mouth

and sighed as if giving up.

"...It can't be helped. I'll accompany you for just a little." "Really!?"

In response to inverse Tohka's reply, Tohka's face brightened up as

she once again grabbed

inverse Tohka's hands. Seeing inverse Tohka's appearance as this was being done, Shidou was about to smile again──but confronted by inverse Tohka's glare, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

Inverse Tohka huffed from her nose in displeasure as she lowered her eyes.

The next moment, her Astral Dress gave a light shine as it transformed into an ordinary dress.

Well, compared to Tohka who was dressed to match the springtime, Inverse Tohka wore the same dress in an elegant black style.

"Ooh, it's very beautiful."

"Hmm. Although there's absolutely no need to change clothes when walking in my own world──well, for Tohka's sake, I've still replaced the clothes to match your way of doing things."

"Haha...I feel honored." "Don't laugh. I'll kill you."

"Hey, 'me' don't say that." "Mu..."

After being scolded by Tohka, inverse Tohka closed her mouth.

From her strangely amusing appearance, Shidou had to resist the urge to laugh as he raised his face.

"A-anyway...I'll be in your care. Uhh..."

While scratching his cheeks, Shidou said up to this──before suddenly coming to halt. The reason was simple. He didn't know what to call her.

Until now, she had simply been called 'Tohka' or 'inverse Tohka'. But

now that she had a body

separate from Tohka, this seemed a bit inappropriate.

His thoughts being grasped from his expression, inverse Tohka snorted again from her nose.

"Name. Certainly, you were the bastard who gave Tohka her name.

──Very well, I'll entrust this to you. Call me whatever you like." "Eh──"

After listening to this, Shidou was left speechless. Unexpectedly, after Tohka, even inverse Tohka had come to him asking for a name.

Moreover, Tohka was looking at him with an eager expression, as if wanting to say "Ooh, that's a great idea!" in anticipation. The pressure now hadn't eased in the slightest.

"Eh...uhh...then..."

Shidou desperately thought hard── "──Tenka...how about that?" After a few seconds, he said the name. Tohka clapped her hands in applause.

"As expected of Shidou, it's a good name. How do you write it?" "Uh..."

After being asked, Shidou grabbed the chalk and wrote the name

'Tenka' besides the name 'Tohka' on the blackboard.

"Oh, that looks great!" "Humph."

After Tohka spoke, inverse Tohka──Tenka gave a small huff from her

nose while swaying her right hand.

Then, traced by the trajectory of Tenka's fingertips, a huge scar was inscribed onto the blackboard. Shidou involuntary bended his body down and let out a 'wow!' sound.

For a moment, Shidou thought that she wasn't satisfied with this name...but it didn't seem to be like that. Although the knife marks were distorted, looking closely it did indeed have the strokes for the two characters of 'Tenka'.

"...Hmm, it's not bad."

Tenka said impatiently but there wasn't any sign of rejection in her tone.

Although it was a name he came up on the spot, it seemed to be accepted by her for the time being. Shidou finally breathed out a sigh of relief.

...This was simply an English pronunciation of the character '十' in '十香'──quite literally it was supposed to mean 'Ten 香' ──however, regardless of the name's origin, Shidou felt that it was necessary to take this secret to his grave.

"Hey Tenka, I'm glad you're happy receiving that name, but we can't destroy the classroom. That would be troubling for everyone during class time."

"...Mu."

As Tohka finished saying that, Tenka slightly wrinkled her brow and snapped her fingers. Then, catering to the sound of the snap, the huge nicks on the blackboard were instantly fixed. "Ooh, how

excellent Tenka."

As Tohka gently caressed the top of Tenka's head, Tenka gave an

uncomfortable look as she

brushed away the hand and then turned towards Shidou.

"──Do."

Tenka folded her arms against each other while raising her chin to speak. Shidou, sensing the pleasing exchange between Tohka and Tenka, felt his shoulders slightly shake.

However, it didn't appear to be from what he expected. Tenka's

eyes were not marked by anger

or frustration, but rather a look that was evaluating Shidou.

"Like I said, you mentioned a date. But what the hell are we going

to do?"

"Ooh, I'm also concerned about this. We stopped by here because of my waywardness, but what do you want to do today, Shidou?"

Tenka's eyes gave a cold look while Tohka's eyes were sparkling.

Shidou felt puzzled by the temperature difference in the aura of those two who had the same identical face. He coughed a few times to regain his composure.

"Ah...today there's something that I wanted to show Tohka──and Tenka as well."

As Shidou finished speaking, Tohka and Tenka gave a curious and suspicious look respectively.

◇◇◇

"Kya…..aaaaaaaaaaaaah────────!?"

Natsumi screamed a sad cry as she fled to the outer edge of the nature park.

But that was to be expected. After all, coming from behind── "──Frustration. Trying to escape is not enough."

Yuzuru, surrounding her body in a powerful gale, scraped down the surrounding trees as she quickly approached Natsumi.

She was like a self-aware tornado. As Yuzuru was trailing towards

Natsumi's back as the she was trying to escape, the landscape of the

park had been greatly altered. The streetlights had been overcome by the wind, benches were fluttering about, and even the ground had been scooped up like a lifted carpet.

This violent gale was not simply any ordinary wind. The angel

could create a windstorm of reiryoku that could be worn. For a Spirit like Natsumi that was not high in strength, she would be smash apart like a ragdoll the moment she got sucked in.

"Don't say something so absurd ahhhh! Wouldn't anything ordinary drop dead from that!?"

Natsumi screamed while cursing her bad luck. As soon as the signal to start the battle rang, she had been discovered by this storm lady.

Although Yuzuru usually gave a quiet and gentle expression, she was actually the most radical and militant among the Spirits. More precisely, it could be said that she enjoyed competing with others. Since usually her eyes are placed of Kaguya, Natsumi never noticed very much. But now Natsumi could only realize this fear while on the battlefield for the first time against her,

However, continuing to run away would mean eventually being caught and turned into broken cleaning rag. Natsumi ran away desperately while shouting loud enough to feel her own throat be crushed.

"Ha, ──!"

As if responding to that voice, the broom Angel in

Natsumi's hands gave of a radiant

glow, causing it to change appearance and transform into the huge sword

Angel──.

Yes. The Angel could imitate the shapes and powers of other Angels.

"Haaaaaaaah!"

Natsumi grasped the handle with both arms, turning the direction of her body and using that momentum to swing .

The trajectory of light from the swing cut through the gale surrounding Yuzuru.

"Reaction. Fu──"

However, Yuzuru turned around just as the slash reached her, avoiding it in the nick of time. Even the wall of wind that had been torn apart was easily restored in a matter of seconds.

"Useless. Although that sword swing was quite good just now,

something of that level cannot defeat Yuzuru." "You've got to be kidding me!?"

Natsumi rounded her eyes as she continued to desperately try to flee from this tornado again.

While she was in the process of escaping from the tornado,

Natsumi changed 's form to

counterattack. However, every attempt failed to reach Yuzuru.

's rays of light, as well as 's gunfire

bombardment, even an attack from a

blind spot from , Yuzuru's superb defense and godly

reflexes avoided them all.

But that was reasonable to expect. Even though can imitate the powers of other Angels,

it can't reproduce the original Angel's power 100%. Additionally, the user Natsumi likely had the lowest basic abilities among the Spirits. Against the average Wizard of AST or DEM, this was no issue, but naturally she couldn't stand a confrontation against another Spirit using her Angel to the limit.

Indeed, she was the ultimate jack of all trades. is an Angel that relies on trickery planned in advance through exerting the most number of effects during the first battle. At the moment of falling

into a direct confrontation with a Spirit, Natsumi had no chances of victory.

"Gah…..!?"

Perhaps owing to fleeing in this park for so long, or being off guard due to reaching the limits of her stamina, Natsumi tripped on a tree root, tumbling onto the ground in a flashy manner. Her face fell directed onto the ground as she rolled around due to the inertia.

And Yuzuru would never miss such an opportunity. The wind wrapped around Yuzuru's body

swelled, spreading out from her hand to entrap Natsumi from every direction.

As she raised her face while rubbing her bruised nose, Natsumi was already captured in the tornado created by Yuzuru.

"How...how can this be..."

"Capture. You can't escape. Now, let's settle this match." Yuzuru set up her pendulum like Angel── .

The two of them were in the eye of the typhoon. There was no wind in this spot, but the tremendous wind pressure was swirling around them. Natsumi had no means of escape. Without any hope, she held onto with trembling hands.

"Praise. Your attitude is admirable. ──Now, I will proceed." "Hi "

──But, the moment Yuzuru kicked against the sky while keeping her

focus on Natsumi. "──You're wide open──────────!!"

All of a sudden such a voice was heard as another tornado came down directly above the tornado created by Yuzuru.

"Response. Ku──" "Eh...?"

Yuzuru wrinkled her brow and twisted her body, covering herself

with the length of to protect from each direction.

A moment later, Natsumi finally noticed. ──The identity of the

person who attacked Yuzuru.

"Ho, so you avoided it. But I won't praise you. Since you are my other half, you wouldn't have been defeated by an attack of that level!"

A loud roar from above, a girl appeared with a smug smile. ──Her

appearance was identical to Yuzuru.

She was Yuzuru's twin sister, the Spirit Kaguya who held the other half of Yuzuru's Angel had

just attacked Yuzuru with the huge assault lance .

"Returning fire. It is surprising. Kaguya has chosen to save Natsumi."

"Hey! Don't misunderstand! I was just checking to make sure if

Yuzuru will lower her guard in

front of her prey. Besides──"

Kaguya gave a faint smile while point the tip of < El Re'em> towards Yuzuru. "──When I defeat Yuzuru, I won't accept damage from other Spirits as an excuse!" Yuzuru loosened her mouth upon hearing what Kaguya had said.

"Pleasant. It seems that your sense of humor has improved since last time. ──Very well, I will be your opponent. Natsumi wait until I defeat Kaguya──"

Then, Yuzuru rounded her eyes while staring at the ground.

The reason was soon discovered. While her attention had been focused on Kaguya, she had completely lost sight of Natsumi.

"Kaka! Looks like she was able to escape!"

"Regret. This is all Kaguya's fault. I will dispel this resentment to beautifully mow down Kaguya."

"Interesting, try it if you can! ──The decision that didn't come at that time, I'll settle that outcome now!"

Kaguya and Yuzuru covered their bodies with wind and kicked off towards the sky at the same time.

The two storms collided and entangled against each other, scattering around the perimeter while heading for the sky.

"...................... Fuha."

──A few minutes after the Yamai sisters had left.

After confirming the safety of the surrounding area, an uneven streetlight blown to the ground emitted a faint glow──transforming back into Natsumi.

Even if she was distracted by Kaguya, the wind barrier made by Yuzuru meant she wouldn't be able to run away. And so, Natsumi took advantage of that chance moment to use to transform into a damaged street light.

"I...survived..."

Natsumi breathed out while full of sweat, sneakily traveling through the woodland path as carefully as possible to avoid being discovered by the other Spirits.

Those with information controlled the world.

Despite having no dissent against this opinion, it was only correct

to a certain extent──but, no

matter how much information gathered, there are still times where nothing can be done.

"Hmm...what happened...?"

While touching a page of the book Angel with her finger, Nia let out a deep sigh.

That's right. She had been using to investigate everyone's movements──but the more she investigated, the more desperate the gap between herself and the other Spirits became evident.

"Wow, what a battle between imōto-chan and Oririn. It's almost

like a huge monster smack down. Kaguyan and Yuzurun would also

be a disaster. Intervening in battle like this would be like diving

straight into a blender..."

Nia muttered while her forehead was soaked with sweat.

Certainly, was an Angel possessing a power well beyond the norm. With the power to know everything in the world, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that it could completely unbalance the world.

But that was only a comprehensive evaluation of the Angel's

power. If combat ability is

evaluated alone, the situation changed.

Likely, Nia's basic combat ability was close to dead last among the Spirits. Even if she could know everyone's abilities and movements through , it didn't make her their equal.

The future description authority of also took a lot of time and effort and it didn't seem that it could exert its full effect on a Spirit that had manifested a complete Astral Dress. As result, the only chance for wining that Nia had was──

"...What is with those villainous looking eyes?"

Nia shoot a quick glance to the side. Maria narrowed her eyes, looking on suspiciously at Nia. Yes. Just now besides Nia, Maria had crossed her arms.

However, Nia didn't specifically take away the Maria that was onboard . It was merely another copy of Maria materialized through . Sharing the same will as the Maria on the warship, it was the equivalent of an extension of the same network.

Maria is the AI of . But it wasn't an exaggeration to say

that half of the reason she

was able to materialize a corporal form was due to relying on the authority of Nia's . "──So, even if you help me, won't it not be against the rules...?"

Nia winked smugly as she tried to snuggle close to Maria. However,

just as her hand was about to reach, Maria took a step back to avoid her.

"That may be true, but there is one important thing missing from

your strategy." "Eh? What?"

"My motivation. ──Why do I have to do something to help you?"

As Maria spat out those words with a moody face, Nia raised her hands in protest.

"Hey! It's good to help me a little. Isn't it thanks to me that you

finally obtained the real body that you wanted!?"

"I would like to ask for a correction. It is thanks to , not Nia."

"Aren't I the same in mind and body as Raiselmon? If you say something like that, I won't lend my reiryoku for your materialization anymore!"

"Feel free to. We are currently developing an autonomous mobile terminal that applies the technology of the . It is not as accurate as , but in the near future it will be possible to reach out to everyone through the Realizer device alone. ──It would be a sight to behold watching Nia fight alone. Please allow me to pick up your corpse afterwards."

"O-okay! That was only a stylish Nia-chan joke! Serious Maria-chan is a really good child ☆."

With sweat dripping from her cheeks, Nia tapped Maria's nose with her index finger. "...Good grief, there should be limits to being pitiful."

Maria, feeling a bit itchy, pursed her eyebrows up and then gave a sigh.

"It can't be helped. I will lend you a little aid." "...Really!?"

As Nia's eyes lit up as she tried to lean closer to Maria. But, Maria

continued on while fending her off with both of her hands.

"There is a condition. The right to confess to Shidou as the winning prize, I also want to enjoy this right when I win. ──If I am a part of

Nia's abilities, my power should be accepted."

"Hmm, does Maria also want the right to confess to boy as well?" "Is that not okay?"

"N-no...I am not saying that. But what are you going to say?"

"Let's see. ──I want to digitize your brain and stay together

forever."

"Awful! But the possibility of achieving that is even scarier!" "That's a Maria style joke. Nia is just someone who doesn't understand humor."

Maria spoke while imitating what Nia had said earlier. It seemed to be retaliation for just a moment ago.

...Her eyes didn't show any care for making anyone smile, but

there was the feeling of drawing too much attention to that point.

"──Anyhow, Nia."

Maria cleared her throat while changing the topic.

"Our agreement is likely to be useless. Even with my help, the

Spirits aren't naïve enough to win from that alone." "Eh? No, that may be true..."

" is indeed a very powerful Angel. It may be said to be the strongest for espionage purposes, but its power is far from perfect. We should rely on hit and run tactics through me while always knowing the position of the opponent. Nia herself should never appear on the surface. Please consider the moment you interact with another Spirit to be the equivalent of being done for."

"Wait, wait, wait, what happened, Maria? It's boorish to say that before it even begins──"

As Nia frowned, Maria kept her expression unchanged while pointing to behind Nia.

"Hmm...?"

Nia turned around, following the direction of her fingertip with her eyes── "──Hmm. You seem to have finished discussions, Nia, Maria." After seeing that girl, Nia's body stiffened in terror.

A girl with long hair clad in Astral Dress reminiscent of a celestial woman. She held a key-shape cane in her right hand as her left was supporting her waist. Nia looked on in a dumbstruck tone. It appeared that she had been politely waiting for the end of Nia and Maria's conversation.

──Hoshimiya Mukuro. As soon as that girl's name was recognized,

Nia felt sweat covering her entire body.

"Mu...Mumumumumu, mukku──chin...!? Why are you here──"

While saying that, Nia held her breath.

While investigation everyone's locations before, Mukuro was still

very far away. However, for

that can open a hole in space, the concept of distance was irrelevant. That power could be called the natural enemy of .

That was why Nia had to keep tracking her movements with

. was an Angel with the power of omniscience, but it only provided information as long as the user was in contact with it.

However, Nia was so prioritized recruiting Maria that her hand had left for a few seconds.

A few seconds, even though it was just a few seconds, Nia sensed

Mukuro's movements too late

and allowed her to arrive.

"Let us begin. Prepare your Angel. Maria is a part of Nia's abilities, so assistance is of no issue."

Mukuro said as she pointed the tip of towards Nia.

"Wait...!"

Nia reached out her hands, pushing forward to stop Mukuro.

However, Nia knew best that such a thing wouldn't be effective. It was desperate thinking. Among the Spirits, Mukuro was possibly the worst opponent for Nia. Even if she tried to escape with Maria buying time, it would be futile as long as there was .

That was why it was out of the question to fight head on. While not being proud of the fact, Nia

was weak. ──What should she do? How to survive from this? What to do── "──I will proceed, Nia."

Mukuro lowered her stance to kick off against the ground. While holding her breath, Nia pressed

her buttocks against the ground──raising her voice to shout. "W- wait, Mukku-chin! Shouldn't we...work together!?"

"...Hmm?"

Listening to Nia's desperate proposal, Mukuro curiously tilted her

head.

◇◇◇

"Deēaryāāah──────!"

"Responding to challenge. Teiyah─!"

──The two hurricanes ravaged the nature park.

The Yamai sisters Kaguya and Yuzuru. The twin sisters who together held the Angel of wind

crossed blades repeatedly with all of their might. Each time they collided, the wind screamed, the skies wept, the heavens were rended.

The two were like a conscious natural disaster. The pair clearly stood as a reason for why Spirits earned that nickname.

The fierce battle waged on. The other Spirits were likely already aware of this battle. Nobody has intervened so far, but when the fight was over, there was a chance that someone might come looking for the exhausted winner.

However, both Kaguya and Yuzuru didn't reserve any energy for later, choosing to ignore the future as an afterthought. At this moment now, choosing to not exert the maximum amount of effort would mean being struck down by their opponent's reiryoku.

Certainly, the right to confess to Shidou was an attractive reward. Although both Kaguya and Yuzuru both wouldn't hesitate to confess to Shidou, neither of them have had the chance to communicate that feeling specifically.

However, right now both of them were focused on a single

objective──being completely

immersed in the joy of fighting their other half.

──Aah. When thinking it over, even when counting the fierce over

100 battles fought in the past, it was the first time feeling like this.

The two used to repeatedly compete against each other for sake of determine the true Yamai. However, each one wanted the other to survive rather than be the one who would kill.

A distorted matchup where the loser would win. And when the conclusion came, it was inevitable that one of them would disappear. This sad battle had been repeated countlessly by the Yamai Sisters.

But──now. "Ooooooooh──────!" "Whirlwind. Go."

The two could fight at full strength without those worries.

Both of them were extremely excited and grateful for this miracle.

"Kaka! Are you gasping for air now? Your movements have dulled."

"Pointing out. That's my line here. The momentum of your wind is weaker than before."

"Nonsense."

Kaguya responded with a smile while continuing to feel deeply moved.

"──To think that such an opportunity would present itself. Do you

still remember, what

happened on Arubi island?"

"Naturally. How could that be of forgotten. ──Of course, thanks to

Shidou it wasn't necessary to settle that final match."

"Un...I am grateful to Shidou. Thanks to him, Yuzuru and I were able live together without disappearing."

"Agreement. That's true. I am grateful. But──"

As if responding to what Yuzuru had said, Kaguya strongly nodded.

"Yes. A part of me still regrets never having a conclusion to that final battle. ──But, now."

"Consent. We can finally settle the score."

The two of them smiled at the same time, the wind scattered from their bodies as they quietly held their Angels.

──There was no need for a signal to begin between these two.

Kaguya and Yuzuru kicked off

against the sky at exactly the same time, rushing towards each other at a super high speed.

However──at that very moment. "What...!?" "Shock. This is──"

Both of them looked dumbstruck while letting out a confused voice.

But it was only natural that the two of them would react this way.

At the moment they were

about to collide, a 'hole' suddenly appeared in the sky and from

inside this hole── "──Maria battalion. Attack."

Hundreds of Maria had appeared to attack those two.

"Wait...!? Maria!?"

"Confused. What is going on? What does this mean──"

Both Kaguya and Yuzuru were lost in confusion while being overwhelmed by the waves of Maria.

◇◇◇

"O...oooooooh! Amazing! It's a success, Maria, Mukku-chin!"

While touching a page of , Nia raised her voice in an excited tone.

The Yamai sisters were engulfed in a horde of Maria brought from

. Even against the tyrannically powerful twins, it was possible to take advantage of an opportunity and overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

However, the result was not something Nia could achieve alone. Turning away from , Nia turned to face Mukuro in order to firmly hold her hands.

"As expected! With added with there is nothing to be scared of anymore!

The combination between me and Mukku-chin is the best!" Nia vigorously shook Mukuro's hand while saying that.

Yes. Although Nia was unfortunate to encounter Mukuro earlier, she successfully appealed the usefulness of her ability to form a temporary cooperative relationship.

The effect was just as what was seen. ──Exploring the whereabouts

and movements of the

target with and then opening a 'hole' through to

transfer all of the Marias. It

was simple but effective combat strategy.

It was simple──no, because it was simple, Nia couldn't help but

smile.

"No...seriously, seriously. I really thought I was a major candidate for losing the first match. I didn't expect I would still have a chance of coming out on top. What should I tell boy? Please make miso soup for me every morning?"

Nia let out a laugh in a low whisper.

However, Nia's expression quickly returned to its original state.

After all, the one responsible for

this outstanding position, Mukuro, had a sullen look marking her face.

"Hmm? Is something wrong Mukku-chin? Isn't this great win all

thanks to Mukku-chin?"

"Mun...that may be so, but this sensation...doesn't feel like victory. Is this method truly okay....?"

As Mukuro lowered her head, Nia quickly took over.

"No, no, no, a win is a win! Those who are concerned about these matters won't survive until the

very end! Mukku-chin, don't you want to be the one to confess to boy?"

"...Uh...that's true..."

Mukuro let out a distressed cry. With sweat dripping down her cheek, Nia took a step back.

"...Hmm, Mukku-chin has more of a warrior spirit than I

thought...but I can't change course now..."

Nia muttered in a low volume so Mukuro couldn't hear. Besides

her, Maria whispered.

"Well, if you switch to the direct battle route, the necessity of

is very weak. The

moment this alliance is abolished, the first one to be defeated will likely be Nia. ──I mean, even if this strategy works well, how do you plan to defeat Mukuro at the very end?"

"Uh..."

Being reminded by Maria, Nia felt her speech clog up.

That was certainly true. The success in the alliance relied on buying enough time to win. But as long as there could only be one winner, she was destined to fight at the very end. And if it was a direction confrontation, Nia had no chance of victory. Nia made a sullen face while thinking hard about this.

"...After the numbers have been reduced a bit, I'll find another

reason to let Mukku-chin fight

another strong enemy. When they are both exhausted, I'll attack from behind..."

"I see, that's unusually well thought out for Nia. But after the

numbers have been reduced to an

extent, I hope Mukuro won't say; you guys no longer have any value."

"Nugu...! Mukku-chin will never say that! The bond of our alliance

won't break to something little like that!"

"That's very unconvincing coming from someone who's already planning on betrayal."

"──What whispers have just been said now?" "Ah!"

Suddenly, she heard a voice coming from someone besides Maria.

Nia screamed like a puppy that just had its tail stepped on. From a quick glance, it was obvious that Mukuro was looking on at them suspiciously.

"No, no, no, n-nothing! Compared to that, we should look for the next target! Alright, the other

children fighting now are...ha."

Nia quickly tried to change the topic as she touched with her finger again. Next up was to search for Spirits that were already fighting. Compared to a Spirit that was alone, a Spirit focusing on their opponent would be more vulnerable.

"Hmm...Oririn and imoto-chan as well As Yosshi and Mikki.

Hmmm. Let's go to Yosshi and

Mikki! Maria, prepare all members on standby! Mukku-chin open a

'hole' at my signal!"

Listening to Nia's orders, Maria sighed while nodding. Although Mukuro looked displeased, she still prepared . She was still willing to abide by Nia's instructions despite looking dissatisfied.

Nia felt as ease as she concentrated, observing the battle between the Yoshino and Miku and looking for any chance opportunities.

Then──it was at that moment. "...Mun...!?" "What──!?"

Both Mukuro and Maria's eyes gave an astonished look. "Hey...?

What happened to both of you? What's going──"

Nia stopped observing through . Looking at the place where the two of them were

watching──she also gave an equally stunned look. But that was impossible after all. Over there was... "──Mukuro, Nia, Maria!"

The arrival of Shidou, who should have been on a date with Tohka.

◇◇◇

──The playground of the nature park was now surrounded by an icy chill unfit for early springtime.

Breathing out white breath, frost covering the ground, the air itself was frigid enough to prick the skin.

All of this was the aftermath of the power of Yoshino's Angel

. Each time the huge rabbit-shaped Angel driven by Yoshino manipulated the cold air, the surrounding temperature plummeted.

However, in the center of this cold air── "Hiiiiiiii──yahhoooooooo────────!"

The hot blood boiling in Miku's body melted even the ice and snow. "──, , and once more !"

Miku's fingers danced on the sparkling keyboard that appeared around herself, playing a majestic piece. An uplifting song that used the power of the Angel of sound . Each time she played it, Miku's body was revitalized with energy.

"E-ehh...!?"

"Tch...what the hell! Was such a thing was possible!?"

Yoshino and Yoshinon, who were riding on top of , both let out a cry of surprise.

But such an event had transpired. Miku, who was lacking physical strength among the Spirits, easily evaded the ice pillars and bullets Yoshino had just released.

"Ufuffu──! You'll be in trouble thinking I would stay the same old

me forever! Being an idol

involves self-discipline; I didn't become an idol by being lazy!"

Miku spoke while giving a wink.

Yes. At that time──after being saved by Shidou during the battle at

DEM Japanese branch

headquarters, Miku continued studying ways of fighting as a Spirit alongside her idol activities.

When the Spirits were working together, it was only necessary to provide assistance. Many of the Spirits were stronger than Miku. But

Miku also judged that it would be more efficient to raise her own combat power while also providing aid.

However, when Miku was fighting alone, in order to prevent Shidou from never being in danger again──furthermore, in order save Shidou herself next time, Miku searched for ways where she could fight alone.

"──!"

Miku shouted as she slammed her fingers down. At the same time, a silver pipe appeared from glimmering light on the ground.

It was a component that constituted . Usually, it would

emit a 'sound' that could manipulate others, but── "──Ha!"

Miku pulled out the silver pipe, swinging around and taking a stance of a main character in a Kung Fu movie.

"Eh! What is this!?"

Yoshino hurriedly created an ice wall.

However, Miku suddenly grinned while spinning the silver pipe at a

speed that couldn't be seen. "Hiyaaaaaaaaaah────!"

The tip of the silver pipe continuously struck the icy wall. Moreover, it wasn't just an ordinary thrust. Each time a blow was struck, the silver pipe played a phantasmal sound──this sound turned into an invisible shockwave that struck Yoshino.

But also these shockwaves weren't only meant to spread chaos.

While directing the sounds of destruction, Miku's strength was further polished, adding on a combo that easily crushed Yoshino's ice wall.

"Kya──!?"

"You've got to be kidding!?"

Yoshino let out a scream as she retreated backwards. Miku smiled while wiping away the ice on her face.

"Ku...well done, Miku-chan. You must really value the right to confess to Shidou-san."

Yoshinon said in a muffled voice while not daring to lower their guard. Miku naturally replied in agreement.

"That's for sure. What kind of reaction would that shy Darling

make...I can't stop imagining it! I'll be living three meals each day!"

Miku clenched her fist as she shouted. With sweat dripping down her cheek, Yoshino forced a smile.

Seeing Yoshino in such a state, Miku suddenly relaxed her expression.

"But──I don't want to monopolize Darling alone. I love you as much as I do Darling. Even if Darling is getting married, it would be good to go to a country with polygamy so everyone can be a bride. Marrying Darling and everyone together would also be nice."

"M-Miku-san..."

"Eh, so that's why you're so motivated."

Yoshino forced a smile again as Yoshinon complained in dissatisfaction. Miku continued to speak while holding the silver pipe in her hands.

"What are you talking about? Like I said, I am looking forward to Darling's reaction. Plus, if I don't work hard, I won't be able to help Darling and Tohka-san's date. Besides──"

"...Besides?"

Yoshino tilted her head in wonder as Miku continued on with glimmering eyes.

"──If your reiryoku is exhausted, even your Astral Dress will disappear when you lose...in

that manner the loser would be return to being completely exposed just like when the seal is

issued by Darling!? That means──I have to keep winning until the

very end!" When listening to Miku's enthusiasm, Yoshino

subconsciously took a step back. "Y-yes..."

"Hiya...the mystery of Miku-chan's strength has been completely solved."

Yoshino lowered their posture to strength their vigilance.

But Miku didn't not intend to let the two of them escape. She took the silver pipe from

and slammed it down to the ground.

"──!"

Then, in the next moment, not only besides Miku's feet──an

innumerable amount of silver pipes

surrounded Yoshino and Yoshinon. The silver pipes emitted a sound to bind their movements.

'! Yoshino!"

"I know!"

Yoshino and Yoshinon detected this at the last moment and decided to jump up into the sky.

"──Wow!"

"Kya...!"

"Nuha!"

Although the power output was low, it was difficult to avoid the

'sound' that had been released

at such a wide range. The ensuing shockwaves attacked Yoshino's body. At the same time, Miku leaped into the air while swinging the silver pipe. "I'm coming──hey!"

"...!"

Yoshino furrowed her brow, gathering the cold air into a vortex to condense it into an icy wall. However, the impact of Miku's 'sound' shattered the wall in an instant.

Miku was breaking it apart as the ice was being generated. As such attacks and defenses were repeatedly exchanged, the speed of the ice formation gradually failed to keep up with Miku's speed.

"Yoshino! This isn't good! You'll be taken down!" "I know...! So──"

Amidst the splash of ice, such words were exchanged between the

two. It was likely a discussion of how to escape from Miku.

"That──won't do!"

At the same time as smashing the ice wall in, Miku lifted up the silver pipe. At the very tip, the sounds of destruction repeatedly gathered── "──!"

Swinging down like a hammer, the impact burst all at once.

"Kiyaaaaaaaaah!" "Wagyah!"

The stunning roar scattered around as Yoshino's Astral Dress faded

into particles of light as if

eaten away by 's assault.

──It was Miku's victory. The strong sense of accomplishment made her tremble. "! I succeeded! I can fight alone!"

However, Miku suddenly stopped.

That's right. After her Astral Dress disappeared, Yoshino fell softly

onto to the ground in a half- naked state.

"Miku-san...please help me eliminate the pain..."

Yoshino spoke with tears in her eyes as she faintly looked on at Miku.

"Yo...Yooooooshino-san...!"

Confronted by that captivating figure and voice, all of Miku's

rationality disappeared instantly.

"I-I-it's alright! It won't hurt! But you'll catch a cold like this! I will responsibly take you to a safe place! Come with──"

Then.

As Miku spoke while approaching Yoshino, she finally noticed something resembling a glowing

thread stretched out from Yoshino's fingers. "Um…..I'm sorry, Miku- san."

"Eh?"

The next moment, Miku was crushed by a huge shadow that approached behind her and lost consciousness.

───Remaining Spirits, 9 out of 10