Prologue
It was a truly endless darkness. When people once thought that the earth was flat, they believed that there was nothing at the ends of the earth.
If one continued moving far away into the sea, soon or later the earth would run out and everything would disappear into nothing. People in ancient times must have been terrified. A fractured world, a darkness stretching out to infinity, it was a location furthest away from the hands of God.
The girl who reached the end of the Tenth Region Malkuth gazed at the sky in mute amazement.
The ends of the earth that the ancients once imagined were spread out before her very eyes.
“This is??”
“Yes, the connecting each region together. ??This is the gate that seals it.”
Should it be called a gate? If anything, it should be described as a huge tower. It was a huge castle gate, but one with no fortress to guard.
Anyway, there was a white door that shot straight up to the sky. The materials composing it were unknown, but it wasn’t a wooden or stone door. It resembled metal, but felt like plastic when touched by the fingertips. The surface was painted in a golden complex pattern??but; it was so huge that it was unclear what was drawn specifically.
Both sides of the gate only peeped out to beckon an inexhaustible invisible darkness.
“Please take a look.”
As one person finished saying that, a right hand was inserted in. At the moment of entering that space, the right hand disappeared without a trace. But when taken out from that space, it returned to its original state completely intact.
“Complete darkness that sucks even light……is that right?”
It was just like a black hole said to be across the universe.
“Anyway, as far as I know, there have never been any Quasi-Spirits who stepped into here.”
“Isn’t this the region where fighting enthusiasts gather? So hasn’t anyone ever been tossed in here?”
“……There shouldn’t be.”
“Why not?”
Staring at the darkness with fear, Hibiki whispered.
“If something is dropped here, the Neighboring World might break. Because someone once said that……there are rumors about this.”
“I see.”
The girl was convinced. There were too many mysteries surrounding this world. Presumably, no one would voluntarily press the equivalent to a nuclear warhead button.
Even so??the girl looked at the gate and sighed.
“If there is a gate for hell, it might be something like this.”
As if resembling obsidian.
The other person, whom was guided here by Higoromo Hibiki, stared at the gate while thinking.
Her beautifully wet black hair exuded a different charm than the black sea in front of them. The black and red clothes on her body accentuated her mysterious atmosphere. And what was most distinctive was the clock timepiece engraved on her left eye.
Tick, tick.
The second hand of the clock moved as if it was a beating heart.
Old-fashioned guns at her hands??a pistol and an infantry rifle. A vintage appearance, but Higoromo Hibiki who had once worn that as ‘clothes’ was well aware of their purpose. The two guns could inhale shadows and solidify them into bullets, flying at the speed of sound and sometimes curving trajectory when aimed at a target.
The girl felt like a hazy, pitch-black, and glamorous darkness.
“Now then, Hibiki-san. Let’s head to the Ninth Region Yesod.”
Her name was Tokisaki Kurumi.
The strongest Spirit who could exercise supreme power in this Neighboring World.
“Incidentally, how do you open this gate?”
Listening to those words, Hibiki scratched her cheeks. She was wearing a plain white dress in contrast to Kurumi.
“Ah ? ……can’t open it. Can’t open it at all.”
“……Hibiki-san?”
Kurumi smiled. That smile meant a countdown to an execution for Hibiki.
That is to say, within the span of five seconds, the short pistol was pointed at Hibiki’s forehead.
“N-no problem, no problem! Even if you can’t open it, there are other ways to get through!”
“Can you move forward without opening the door……?”
“Yes…..so long as you align your spiritual body to the same frequency.”
That arrogant smile faded without a trace as she stared blankly while lovingly slanting her head in worry, or so Hibiki assumed.
“……This gate is said to be created by a Dominion during the early stages of the Neighboring World. The initial reiryoku seemed to be very unstable, as it was often eroded by the reiryoku overflowing from the other regions.”
Hibiki’s analogy was comparing this as if a sudden flood occurred.
Although there are ten regions in total that are connected by the , it is said that the overflowing reiryoku could inexplicably become active……transforming into huge destructive energy.
Therefore, in the case of an emergency, it became necessary to prevent a disaster caused by eroded reiryoku by blocking this gate.
“It seems the reiryoku has stabilized recently, so that is likely not going to happen. The Ninth Region Yesod is where Quasi-Spirits of low-fighting ability gather. If there is even the slightest mistake, this will also be sealed off immediately. So please keep that in mind while going through the gate with this method.”
Higoromo Hibiki had once departed the Tenth Region to patrol the Ninth, Eighth, Seventh, and Sixth regions.
It was a pilgrimage of revenge, but her obsession and ability made it possible for her.
……However, that revenge was already over.
“The gate is asking for a password. And that password is the equivalent to an Astral Dress. So, after that, you just have to match the wavelength of the spiritual body just like a matching login ID. Uhh, do you understand from that explanation?”
Hmm??Kurumi nodded in understanding.
“Roughly. But even with that explanation, I don’t know how to implement that.”
“I think so too. So let’s do it with me this time. Don’t worry, the protection here is loose. Even if you make a mistake, it’ll only hurt at the level of being kicked.”
“…..I find it painful to be hurt.”
“Don’t worry. I already know the wavelength of Kurumi-san’s spiritual body.”
“Ah……that’s certainly true.”
It was not too long ago that Hibiki saw Tokisaki Kurumi right before her eyes. For the sake of revenge, she used her Unsigned Angel to exercise the power of the Spirits.
So besides Kurumi herself, she was likely the next person who knew her spiritual body the most.
But her unfathomable ability??her unparalleled existence and Angel, it could only trace the surface of that at best.
Hibiki gently held Kurumi’s hand.
“Then, shall we begin Kurumi-san?”
Kurumi didn’t hesitate. She didn’t feel fear, only great hopes and a slight hint of impatience.
“Alright, let’s get started. “
Hibiki, who understood the reason behind that quick response, smiled a little sadly.
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