Sixth Loop, Chapter 28 : 決意の開花 (The Bloom of Resolve)

The gate's collapse sent waves of black energy rippling through the void. Shadows clawed at the edges of reality, swallowing light and hope in their wake. Daichi stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat. A deafening scream erupted from the darkness, raw and monstrous, reverberating like the wails of a thousand souls.

From the chaos, Alter Izumi emerged, dragging herself forward like a vengeful specter reborn. Her body was a twisted, grotesque shadow of her former self. Her once-elegant silver hair was matted with black colour and blood, her pale skin cracked and oozing darkness. Her glowing, crimson eyes burned with unrelenting rage, and her lips curled back in a chilling, distorted grin.

"Daichi!" Her voice was warped, a cacophony of hatred and despair. It scraped against his ears, cutting into his resolve. "I've had enough of your games. Humanity will burn, and once this world is ash, I'll rebuild it in my image! You won't stop me!"

Daichi's chest tightened at the sight of her. This… thing wasn't the Izumi he remembered. And yet, deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that the person he once cared for was still buried within the monster before him.

"Izumi…" he whispered, his voice trembling with sorrow. "What have you become?"

Her laughter erupted, hollow and chilling. "I've become what they made me! Do you see it now, Daichi? Humanity is a blight, a sickness that destroys everything it touches. And you… you're no different. But don't worry. I'll fix you. I'll rebuild you into something pure… something worthy."

Daichi's hands clenched into fists, glowing with faint traces of energy. "I'm sorry, Izumi. I couldn't save you back then, but I'll save you now. Even if it means breaking everything standing in my way."

A dark chuckle escaped her twisted lips. "Save me? Don't make me laugh. You'll die here, just like the rest of them!"

As her aura flared, Daichi took a deep breath, summoning the wellspring of power buried deep within him. The air around him shimmered, glowing with life.

"Astra….. Leo!!!"

A field of luminous spider lily began to bloom at his feet, their harsh red petals glowing with a serene energy. The light wrapped around his body, racing across his veins like liquid fire. His right eye shifted, its iris transforming into a radiant, cymophane pattern that resembled the eyes of tiger, pulsing with energy.

"This is…" Alter Izumi's voice faltered for a moment. "Now we are talking.", she said while smiling sinisterly.

 "Now, come to me with all you got, Daichi!"

 "Stay right there,Izumi. I will save you"

Before Izumi could respond, Daichi clenched his fist, "First Wish", and time, frozen since the battle began, resumed its flow. The silence shattered as distant screams filled the air. Far below, the people of the city scattered in panic, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

"Izumi," Daichi said softly, his voice carrying both sorrow and conviction. "This time, I won't run. I'll face you head-on."

Alter Izumi let out a guttural roar, lunging toward him with blinding speed while shouting "Second Wish"

Her gigantic shadowed clawed hand tore through the air, aimed straight for his throat. But just as her attack was about to land, a wall of wind erupted between them, deflecting her strike. She staggered back, her glowing eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"Second Wish" Daichi lowered his hand, the winds dissipating around him. "I'm not the same Daichi you fought before. I've made my choice, Izumi. I'll stop you, no matter what it takes."

Her laughter was bitter, almost mocking. "Stop me? You think you can stop me? Let's see how long you last."

With a scream, "Fourth Wish" Alter Izumi unleashed a flurry of attacks—distorted orbs of time on a shadow arrow that twisted reality as they tore through the air.

Daichi countered with precision, creating shields and barriers with his hand, each one dissipating the attacks before they could reach him. The battlefield erupted into chaos, their powers clashing in a symphony of destruction.

"There still times to fix everything, Izumi!"

"Spare me your naive speeches!" Alter Izumi's sneer twisted into a feral grin. "Do you think you can change anything with your flimsy optimism? Look around you, Daichi! This world is already lost!" Her outstretched arms summoned an overwhelming spiral of black and red shadowy aura, the energy pulsating like a living nightmare.

Daichi's senses screamed as the malevolent force surged toward him, tearing through the battlefield like a storm of despair. The buildings surrounding them crumbled as the aura struck, igniting in unnatural black flames that consumed everything they touched.

The air thickened with heat and ash, the once-pristine cityscape now reduced to a smoldering wasteland.

But Daichi was unshaken.

With a single, fluid motion, he dodged the deadly spiral, weaving through its tendrils with the grace of a seasoned warrior. His feet barely touched the ground as he closed the distance between himself and Alter Izumi, his body a blur of speed.

"You think destruction makes you invincible?" Daichi's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "You're wrong."

Before she could react, Daichi's hand shot forward, his palm glowing with a strange, otherworldly light. He touched her stomach, and a ripple of energy spread outward. "Fourth wish!", Alter Izumi's eyes widened in shock as her body began to change—the dark energy enveloping her form dissipating into fragmented reflections. Within moments, she was transformed into a flawless, gleaming mirror.

Daichi stepped back, his gaze unwavering as he stared at the mirror. "This isn't the end, Izumi," he whispered, his voice softer now. "I'll find a way to bring you back. The real you."

But he didn't have time to linger. The mirror began to tremble, cracks spreading across its surface as the trapped energy inside fought for release. Without hesitation, Daichi clenched his hand once more, "Fifth wish!" and his leg enveloped in blazing flames. He leapt into the air, his movements swift and precise, and delivered a powerful kick to the mirror.

The impact shattered the reflective surface into countless shards, sending Alter Izumi flying into the sky; out of the earth atmosphere. The fragments caught the dim light of the burning city, scattering like falling stars. For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent, the echoes of their clash fading into the distance.

Daichi gritted his teeth, his glowing eye flickering.

He shot upward with explosive force, a streak of light cutting through the darkened skies. The air grew thinner as he climbed higher, chasing after Alter Izumi. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for any sign of her among the churning storm clouds that reflected the chaos below.

"She couldn't have gotten far," he muttered, his breaths labored but steady. The burning cityscape below grew distant, the destruction he left behind reduced to faint flickers of black fire against the horizon. Yet no matter how hard he searched, there was no trace of her.

Suddenly, a sinister chuckle echoed in the vast emptiness around him. It was cold, sharp, and brimming with malice. Before Daichi could react, a massive shadowy arrow materialized from the darkness behind him, its jagged edges gleaming like obsidian breaking through his barrier.

"Gah—!" Daichi's cry was cut short as the arrow tore through his stomach, its impact sending shockwaves of shadowy energy rippling through the sky. The explosion engulfed him, shattering the fragile tranquility of the heavens and staining the air with dark energy.

Daichi's body jerked violently, blood spraying from his mouth as he clutched his stomach. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his vision blurred. He turned his head slowly, his entire body wracked with pain, and saw her—Alter Izumi, hovering behind him with a chillingly calm expression. Her lips curled into a cruel, triumphant smile, her eyes glowing with an unholy light. "Tenth wish"

"Izumi…!" Daichi gasped, his voice trembling with both pain and disbelief. His words faltered as the agony in his body intensified, blood dripping from his wounds and staining his armor. He felt his strength slipping away, the light in his Ethereal Forge flickering weakly.

Alter Izumi tilted her head, her sinister grin widening as she withdrew her claw-like hand from his body. "Pathetic," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You really thought you could stand against me? Look at you now—a broken shell, falling just like the rest of them."

With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed him as though he were nothing more than an insect. Daichi's body began to plummet, gravity claiming him as he fell back toward the Earth's atmosphere. The rushing wind howled in his ears, his wounds burning with excruciating intensity as the heat of reentry ignited his body. Flames licked at his form, the collision between his descent and the atmosphere engulfing him in a fiery blaze.

"Damn it…" Daichi whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. His consciousness wavered, darkness threatening to consume him. But even as the pain overwhelmed him, a spark of determination flared within. He forced himself to focus, his breathing ragged but deliberate.

"I'm not… going to die. Not like this."

As the world around him began to blur into indistinct shadows, a figure appeared beside him, moving effortlessly through the fiery descent. The figure radiated an aura of calm authority, their features obscured by a cloak that seemed to shimmer like the night sky. Beside him hovered Anima, its form glowing faintly as it matched the figure's movements.

"Kid," the man said, his voice deep and steady. "You've got a job to finish. Don't make me do it for you."

Before Daichi could respond, the Anima extended its luminous hand and pressed it against his wounded stomach. A soothing warmth spread through him, washing away the pain as his torn flesh knit itself back together. The blood that had soaked his clothes vanished, replaced by an unbroken surface.

The guy then put a ring on top of Daichi's body. "Wear this." The ring has a red lily pattern on it.

Daichi's eyes widened as he felt his strength returning, his breathing stabilizing. "Asuk…. Asuka..sensei?"

But the man was already gone. But before that, he saw a glimpsed of Gemini's zodiac sign glowing from his back. The fiery trail of Daichi's descent cut through the sky once more, the mysterious figure disappearing into the void as though they had never been there.

"Focus on what's ahead of you, Daichi." The voice was his own, though tinged with an unfamiliar edge. It was Alter Daichi, the version of himself he had come to know as both ally and reminder of his potential. "She's still out there."

Daichi clenched his fists, his gaze hardening as the flames around him began to subside. The Earth loomed closer, the battlefield waiting below. His resolve burned brighter than ever.

"I'm not done yet."

Daichi's feet slammed into the charred ground with a heavy thud, the impact sending a wave of dust and debris into the air. The force of his descent carved a small crater into the battlefield, but he remained upright, his body trembling with fury and determination. He then wear the ring on his index finger.

 His eyes burned with an unwavering resolve as he stared at the ruined sky, searching for any sign of Alter Izumi.

The searing heat of the black flames still licking at the edges of the city mirrored the storm raging in his heart. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white, and took a deep breath to steady himself. The wounds in his soul hurt more than those in his body. For all her cruelty, he could still feel a shadow of the Izumi he knew—the one who didn't deserve this fate.

"Izumi…" he whispered to himself, his voice heavy with both sorrow and anger. But now wasn't the time to falter.

He planted his feet firmly on the ground, his body glowing faintly as he began to draw in the surrounding mana. The energy shimmered around him like a swirling vortex, tendrils of light and shadow bending toward him as if compelled by his presence. The air crackled with raw power, and the ground beneath him trembled.

Daichi's breathing grew deeper, more deliberate, as the mana infused his body. His veins pulsed with a fiery glow, and the light of his power reignited with renewed intensity. He threw his head back and let out a primal scream, the sound reverberating across the ruined city like a war cry.

"IZUMI!" he roared, his voice carrying both fury and heartbreak.

"Seventh wish!"

At the tips of his fingers, threads of glowing energy began to weave themselves together, forming a blazing web-like construct. The intricate lattice burned with an otherworldly fire, its edges tinged with vibrant green and crimson hues. The heat it radiated was palpable, distorting the air around him as it expanded.

"This ends now!" Daichi bellowed, thrusting his hand toward the heavens. The blazing web shot upward, unraveling into the sky like a serpent of light. It moved with impossible speed, twisting and coiling as if it had a mind of its own, searching for its target.

Far above, hidden within the swirling chaos of dark clouds, Alter Izumi was watching him with a cold, calculating gaze. She hadn't expected him to recover so quickly, let alone retaliate with such ferocity. But before she could react, the web found her, its glowing strands wrapping around her body like a predator ensnaring its prey.

"What?!" Alter Izumi's voice was laced with disbelief and fury as she struggled against the fiery binds. The web tightened around her, its searing heat burning into her skin and tearing through the shadowy aura that surrounded her. "No! Let me go!" she shrieked, her voice echoing across the battlefield.

Daichi's eyes narrowed as he felt the web lock onto her. "You're not going anywhere!" he shouted, pulling his arm back with all his strength. The web responded instantly, dragging Alter Izumi down from the sky with a violent force. She hurtled toward him, the blazing strands cutting through the air as they reeled her in.

As she neared the ground, Daichi clenched his fist, and the web erupted in a blinding explosion of fiery energy. The blast painted the battlefield in vibrant hues of green and red, its intensity shaking the earth and scattering the black flames that had consumed the city.

Alter Izumi's scream pierced the chaos, her body enveloped in the fiery aura as it tore through her defenses. When the light finally faded, she staggered back, her once-imposing form visibly shaken. Her body bore countless strips of glowing wounds, each one radiating with Daichi's power. Blood seeped from the injuries, staining her dark attire and dripping onto the ground below.

For the first time, Daichi had hurt her.

Breathing heavily, Daichi straightened, his gaze fixed on Alter Izumi. His glowing aura flickered around him, a silent testament to the strength he had poured into the attack. "This is the end of your rampage, Izumi," he said firmly, his voice steady but tinged with sadness. "I didn't want it to come to this… but you left me no choice."

Alter Izumi clutched at the glowing wounds on her body, her hands trembling as blood smeared across her pale skin. Her once-arrogant expression twisted into a mixture of pain and fury. Tears welled in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall.

"How… how dare you do this to me, Daichi!" she cried, her voice breaking as she staggered forward. "I was trying to save you! I was doing all of this for you! And this… this is how you repay me?" Her words dripped with bitterness, but there was a hint of vulnerability beneath the anger, a fleeting glimpse of the person she used to be.

Daichi's heart ached at her words, but he forced himself to stay resolute. "Save me?" he echoed, his voice softer now. "Izumi… look around you. This destruction, this chaos… this isn't saving anyone. This isn't you."

Alter Izumi shook her head violently, her tears now freely streaming down her face. "No! You don't understand!" she shouted, her voice almost desperate. "I had no choice! I had to do this—for you, for everyone!" Her hands balled into fists, her trembling growing more pronounced as she glared at him with tear-filled eyes.

Daichi's gaze softened, but he didn't let his guard down. "You still have a choice, Izumi," he said gently, though his aura flared brighter, a warning not to push him further. "Please… stop this before it's too late."

But her expression hardened again, the vulnerability fading as her anger reignited. "I don't need your pity, Daichi!" she spat, her voice venomous. "You'll see… you'll see why I'm doing this. And when you do, you'll regret standing in my way."

Memories of Alter Daichi's words resurfaced in his mind.

"To stop her, you must destroy the core of her power," Alter Daichi had said. "It's the only way."

"But what happens to her if I do that?" Daichi had asked, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

Alter Daichi's expression had been grim. "You'll have to decide if she's worth saving."

The memory faded as Daichi blocked another of Alter Izumi's strikes. His heart ached at the thought of what he might have to do, but he steeled himself. There was no turning back.

"Enough!" Alter Izumi roared, her aura flaring wildly. Darkness enveloped her, creating a domain of pure shadow that swallowed the battlefield. "You can't win, Daichi. This is my world now!"

Daichi closed his eyes, focusing his energy. The floral patterns on his body glowed brighter, cutting through the darkness. "I don't need to win, Izumi," he said softly. "I just need to reach you."

"Twentieth wish!!!", out of the blue, Alter Izumi shout.

From the depths of the darkness, monstrous sea of knights with bows and half of their upper body attached to the lower part of the horse, mimicking a sagittarius incarnate from the sky and pointing their arrows on him. Alter Izumi also sit on a shadow horse, holding a sacred bow.

"Open fire!", as a sea of dark blazing arrows drowning from the sky.

 Daichi moved instinctively, forging a massive blade of light in his hand. "Eighth wish." The weapon hummed with raw energy as he swung it, cleaving through the darkness and striking Alter Izumi with enough force to shatter her domain.

As the shadows dissipated, Alter Izumi staggered, her movements sluggish. Her aura flickered, dimming like a dying flame.

"It's over, Izumi," Daichi said, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Please… let this end."

But Alter Izumi's laughter echoed once more, filled with bitterness and despair. "Over? You think this is over?" She straightened, her body trembling. "I'll destroy you, Daichi. Even if it's the last thing I do!"

Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Daichi raised his sword toward the sky. "Ninth Wish."

The sky cracked, and before it emerged a humanoid figure with lion style armour. The being radiated with pure, unyielding power, its form a testament to Daichi's will.

"Leo, help me!"

Leo looked at him and smile sarcastically, "Seems like it's about time, huh."

Leo surged forward, engaging Alter Izumi in a final, ferocious clash . For a moment, they seemed evenly matched, their powers colliding in a blinding display of light and shadow. But as the battle raged on, Alter Izumi's movements grew slower, her attacks weaker.

Daichi looked down at her with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. His voice was barely a whisper, yet it carried the weight of his determination. His body was covered in blood as a sign of backlash from using too much his power.

"It's over, Izumi," he said, though his heart ached with every word. "Please… just let me save you."

The battlefield was eerily quiet, save for the faint crackling of unstable energy in the air. Alter Izumi fell to her knees, her body trembling as the dark aura around her began to wane. The once-unstoppable force now appeared fragile, her corrupted form flickering like a candle in a storm.

Alter Daichi's voice cut through the silence, stern and unwavering. "Daichi, it's time. Destroy the key on her chest before it's too late. You only has one wish left."

Daichi stood motionless, his breaths shallow and uneven. His glowing right arm, a manifestation of his unimaginable power, hung by his side. His eyes darted between Alter Izumi and the faint glow of the corrupted key embedded in her chest. His voice trembled as he responded, "What if… what if she dies when I destroy her core?"

A heavy silence followed. Alter Daichi's lack of response spoke volumes, the weight of the unspoken truth bearing down on Daichi's shoulders.

"Daichi…" Alter Daichi's voice was softer now, yet no less resolute. "Sometimes, to save someone, you have to make the hardest choice."

"No!" Daichi snapped, spinning to face him, his voice cracking with desperation. "There has to be another way! There's always another way!"

Before Alter Daichi could respond, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the moment. Daichi whipped around to see Alter Izumi clutching her head, her body writhing as tendrils of darkness swirled violently around her. Her shriek was filled with agony, but within it, Daichi heard something familiar—her voice. Izumi's voice.

For a fleeting moment, her face emerged from the chaos—the real Izumi. Her crimson-streaked eyes softened, glistening with tears as she locked gazes with him. "Daichi…" she whispered, her voice trembling but unmistakably hers. "Stay back! Don't come near me!"

"Izumi!" Daichi cried, taking a step forward, his outstretched hand trembling. "Hold on! I'll save you—I promise!"

"Stop!" Izumi's voice cracked, her desperation cutting through him like a blade. "Don't you get it? I'm already gone!" She clutched her chest, her expression twisted in pain. "Alter Izumi and I… we've fused. The corruption… it's binding us together. There's no saving me now."

"No!" Daichi shouted, shaking his head violently. His tears fell freely, streaking his dirt-streaked face. "You're wrong! There's always a way! I just need more time—I can figure this out!"

Izumi let out a bitter laugh, though her tears betrayed her. "Time? We don't have time, Daichi. Every second you waste, the corruption spreads. Soon, it'll consume me entirely… and then it'll consume everything." She took a shaky step forward, her voice softening. "Please… kill me. End this while I'm still… me."

Daichi froze, his entire body trembling. The words felt like daggers piercing his heart. "I can't…" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I can't do it, Izumi. I can't lose you…"

Izumi's expression softened, though the sorrow in her eyes was unbearable. "Daichi," she said, her voice tender yet resolute. "Do you remember the promise we made? That no matter what, we'd protect each other? You're the only one who can stop this… the only one who can save me." Her voice broke, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "And by that, you have to kill me. Please… let me go. Let me die as myself, not as this monster."

Daichi's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees. Memories flooded his mind—her laughter, her smile, the warmth of her hand in his. The nights they spent gazing at the stars, dreaming of a future together. His chest tightened as he realized that future was slipping away.

"Izumi…" His voice cracked, his tears falling onto the shattered ground beneath him. "I don't want to lose you…"

She knelt before him, her trembling hand reaching for his face. Her touch was faint, almost ghostly. "You'll never lose me, Daichi," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'll always be with you… in here." She placed her hand over his heart, her smile weak but filled with love. "Our memories, our love… they'll never fade. No matter where you go, I'll be with you."

"Daichi!" Alter Daichi's voice thundered, his urgency cutting through the moment. "Do it now, before the corruption takes over!"

Izumi's body convulsed, and she let out another scream. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light as the dark tendrils began to envelop her completely. "Daichi!" she cried, her voice filled with desperation. "Please! Do it now!"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Daichi rose to his feet. "Leo, are you ready?"

"Huh?", Leo said as it picking it's ear. "Tsk, do whatever you want."

"Haa…", Daichi sighing.

"Tenth wish", Daichi said sorrowly.

His body began fusing with Leo, glowing with a radiant aura of gold and crimson lion enveloping him. The ground beneath him cracked as the sheer force of his power surged outward. He looked at Izumi, his glowing right hand trembling. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Izumi…"

Izumi smiled through her tears, her expression filled with both sorrow and relief. "Thank you… Daichi…"

With a burst of speed, Daichi surged forward, wrapping his arms around her fragile form. He held her tightly, his tears mingling with hers.