Once Upon a Time
Sinking.
Feet being dragged, painful, unbearable pain. The view change from blue to black. It was like being forcefully dragged into the deep sea.
Can’t breathe. Can’t speak.
……Ah, but. Somehow for some reason it feels comfortable.
Drown, bleach everything, and fill the empty container with joy.
Be willing to die for that person, abandon everything for the sake of that person, and accept that person.
A voice entered into her ear just like a parasitic bug.
Hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, and a voice giving persuasion that it was useless. There was nothing that can be done about being polluted. And that this was pleasure, not pain.
“……!”
Waking up.
First, confirm if her consciousness was normal.
My name is Banouin Kareha. My little sister’s name is Banouin Mizuha. The name of enemy is, enemy, the name of my enemy is??
“The White Queen. ……My enemy is that queen.”
Today was the same as yesterday.
However, she was calmly familiar with the problem.
It took more than a minute to think of her as an enemy. The enemy they should hate and the enemy they should destroy.
Until yesterday, it took only five seconds to reach that recognition.
But today it took a minute. This time difference didn’t occur only due to environmental changes.
“……I’m going to……all of a sudden……”
Emptying. Becoming a hollow girl and becoming a follower of the White Queen.
With a sigh, Kareha once again checked her surrounding environment. At the edge of the Eighth Region Hod, an unclear abandoned house with it also being unknown who had built it.
“Forget it, it’s just like this. Now……yes, I must die.”
……Actually, she wanted to search for it.
For it could be a new survival goal, a dream to obtain the right to exist, or simply a sense of freedom.
However, it looked like her destiny wasn’t constructed like that.
“Nothing to be done, nothing there can be done.”
Kareha stood up. There was only a little bit of her once proud black hair left.
“……Retsu-chan, are you okay?”
Tokisaki Kurumi rewound time and she was able to avoid disappearing. However, it was unknown what had happened since then.
She even slightly cursed her own circumstances for not letting her know what had transpired afterwards.
“??Banouin Kareha-san.”
Turning back to the source of that voice, several Empties stood smiling at the entrance of the abandoned house. There were more than expected. Although their hairstyles and appearances differed, they had all been bleached.
One of them stood up and spread out her arms.
“We’ve come to welcome you. You’ve heard the White Queen’s voice of grief, right?”
How did they sniff her out, where were they staying before, there were a mountain of questions.
However, there was no hostility. Somewhere deep in her heart, she had recognized herself as part of the same species as these Empties.
“Aah??so it’s like this.”
“This region will come under the control of the White Queen sooner or later. By then, Kareha-san will be reinstated as Dominion??”
It was easy to reject such a stupid request. But her proposal did have an irresistible temptation.
“Yes, I want to come back.”
“Certainly, you can come. We, through our faith, obtain satisfaction and happiness.”
“……Are you satisfied?”
“Thirst? Hunger? Or scared of becoming an Empty?”
Thirst.
Hunger.
Fear of becoming an Empty.
Everything was as she had said.
“I’m……what can I do?”
“Let’s destroy it for the White Queen. Because this Neighboring World is a world that shouldn’t exist.”
…..Holding on.
If pushed one more time, she may have truly fallen.
However, that Empty had chosen the wrong word.
“??Sorry, um.”
“Eh……?”
“This world, no matter how malicious……is still a miracle. To ask why, it’s because I am here.
It is a miracle I am here and can experience this summer. That’s why all the rest of my life is extraneous.”
“What are you saying?”
“My gratitude. It’s all thanks to you guys. I remembered where I was standing??farewell.”
Banouin Kareha opened her fan in front of these Empties.
“Even if I’m turning into an Empty, I will not lose to you.”
Unsigned Angel <Ougai Sange>.
Each sakura petal attacked the Empties with a razor-like sharpness.
“W-Why……!?”
“You wouldn’t understand. How beautiful this Neighboring World is.”
An icy glare.
The Empties realized their mistake. No matter how much Banouin Kareha had become an Empty, her vessel itself was distorted.
“So……this disgusting world……what……value……”
“Because Mizuha is here. That’s all??this Neighboring World is priceless.”
The Empties couldn’t understand the meaning behind Banouin Kareha’s words as they dissipated.
A deep breath.
“Now, I ought to drop dead.”
“Alright then. What to do to get your foolish sister back to normal??”
Kurumi thought while crossing her arms.
Banouin Mizuha stumbled upon hearing Kurumi’s words. They were at the former Banouin Castle. On the top floor, with Jugasaki Retsumi laying on the futon, Kurumi, Hibiki, Ace of Spades, and Mizuha surrounded her by the bedside.
“……Are you not intending to kill?”
“From what happened before, killing her then would have just made matters worse.”
The current situation was extremely bad.
The Quasi-Spirits in the Eighth Region Hod didn’t know what to do. Having taken them for granted, the two leaders in charge had disappeared at the same time.
Banouin’s case was especially serious. Not only did she lose, but the leader they had believed in had turned into an Empty. Although at a low level, there were already Quasi-Spirits beginning to turn into Empties.
If left unchecked, it would be like falling into a bottomless swamp.
In any case, as expected by now, Higoromo Hibiki and Banouin Mizuha took over as the temporary leaders. In short, they decided to conduct a search for Kareha while sending messengers to the Seventh Region Netzach and the Ninth Region Yesod.
Despite her sister turning into an Empty, Mizuha had her trust barely maintained by being the Dominion of the Ninth Region Yesod.
However, Banouin Kareha could no longer be Dominion anymore.
First of all, they had to wait for Jugasaki Retsumi to wake up??
On the other hand, there was also no good reason to leave Kareha alone right now. They had to find and defeat her as soon as possible.
“Killing each other to stop the Empty process……that may be a contradiction, but it could be what’s best for Kareha-san right now.”
“That’s the tested method of the Tenth Region Malkuth. ……I agree, I can only think of that.
Although it would be different if we knew what Kareha-san was looking for.”
The former Empty Hibiki also agreed.
“B-Be as it may. ……It’s not at the extent of being too late, isn’t it?”
As Ace of Spades pointed that out, Hibiki deeply thought.
“……A completely dramatic reunion, or.”
Hibiki was once just like this. Being one step away from death, she was saved by another Quasi-Spirit.
Hibiki’s chest felt painful just remembering her.
“Then, there’s only Jugasaki-san. I repaired her wounds with my Fourth Bullet <Dalet>, but if her mind doesn’t return……”
“……I can try to pull it out.”
As Hibiki said that, there was a slight degree of tension in her voice.
“Pull it out……you say?”
“Invade her memories and give stimulation through my using my <King Killing>.”
“……Is that capability feasible?”
“There is none. ……It’s as impossible as trying to hammer down a nail with a smart phone.
However, my Unsigned Angel takes away memories. But my Unsigned Angel takes away memories to imitate the flesh. I think at that moment, I’m undoubtedly connected to a Quasi-Spirit’s……soul or something like that.”
Despite having an indifferent vagueness, there was a certain weight to Hibiki’s words.
“……Specifically, how would you proceed?”
As Kurumi asked, Hibiki gave a complicated expression.
“Uhh……using <King Killing> and before completely snatching away Jugasaki-san, I’ll forcefully release it.”
“Ara, ara. That’s a sinister act no matter how you phrase it. Hibiki-san, please declare the shortcomings first honestly.”
Uneasy sweat fell down Hibiki’s back while looking at Kurumi’s cold eyes.
“First of all……with Jugasaki-san’s current state, the robbery could succeed. In other words, I will be replaced by Jugasaki-san. Of course, I would disappear. And then, I would release it right after stealing……I’ve never done this before so I don’t know if it is impossible or what state it would cause. But it is pretty dangerous.”
“Feelings aside, what is the success rate?”
“3……no around 20%......”
“Rejected. Only above 80% will be taken into consideration.”
Kurumi easily dismissed this. The disadvantages were too great. Of course, Kurumi wanted to save Jugasaki. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to throw Higoromo Hibiki into a reckless operation.
“……If you work together with someone close to Jugasaki-san, it may be possible.”
“Close to Jugasaki-san, that would mean??”
In other words, it would be Banouin Kareha.
“……I see. In order to save Jugasaki-san, we must help Kareha-san. And to do that, we have to stop her from becoming an Empty.”
“Moreover, no killing yet……”
“Kurumi-san, what is the success rate?”
Hibiki casted the previous question in reverse just now.
Without hesitation, Kurumi informed her.
“It’s around 10%. But certainly Kareha-san will be dragged here.”
Tokisaki Kurumi smiled fearlessly. Because of this smile, the surrounding tension finally loosened.
She would certainly do it. Nothing was impossible for her. At least, Hibiki was confident of that.
“Then, we need to wait until Kareha-dono is discovered.”
“But the results don’t seem optimistic. Although Sagakure-san is helping to??”
Immediately afterwards, as if to match that timing, everyone received a message from the smartphone’s app.
Sagakure Yui had discovered Banouin Kareha.
Yui’s discovery of the abandoned house was not coincidental, but rather through careful reasoning and logic.
First of all, it was difficult to imagine that Kareha would head to the other shore. If that were they case, she would have to leave the teahouse, head to the fortress, and then cross the sea from the beach.
Although Kareha had disappeared from the roof of the teahouse under the cover of her cherry blossoms, the possibility of not being noticed by any Quasi-Spirit was extremely low.
In that case, Kareha would head to the direction of Banouin Castle. She wouldn’t enter the castle, but into the mountains behind it.
Despite being somewhat steep, this dense forest would cover Kareha.
But that was the end to her analysis. After that, they could only conduct a down-to earth search.
So Yui decided to do a carpet search while working with the Quasi-Spirits Mizuha had also instructed.
Dividing the mountains by a grid, she explored each area one by one until discovering this abandoned house.
“……This smell.”
The residual odor was too weak to be called the stench of death. Although it was something that an ordinary Quasi-Spirit couldn’t perceive, Yui was a mechanical doll Kunoichi.
The fight here……no, it was unilateral slaughter rather than an actual fight. She guessed that the lives of several people had come to end in an instant.
“Here?”
Yui followed the footprints on the ground. Not far from this abandoned house, she should be able to find her from this trail.
Yui decided to leave the abandoned house.
Silently leaping from each tree branch to the next, she continued following the trail of footprints on the ground. <Izuna> had turned Yui’s body semitransparent.
The scenery suddenly became brighter.
It was a solitary open space in the forest. She was there, sitting straight and closing her eyes as if meditating.
“……Hm? Is it Yui? So you’ve found me.”
Even without opening her eyes, Kareha had recognized Yui’s presence. Yui felt shaken and a little confused as she opened her mouth.
“……Yes. Kareha-sama. Please return to Kareha Castle.”
“If you take one step closer, I may kill you?”
As soon as that remark was made, Yui’s footsteps came to a halt. She knew what the other person said was true. If she took another step, Kareha would mercilessly cut her down.
“If you want to defeat, please call Tokisaki-san. I will stay here. Always.”
“……I understand.”
“Yui.”
Yui stopped upon hearing that call. Kareha remained unchanged, speaking while keeping her eyelids closed.
“When you turn Empty, your values will change. Becoming hungry and hollow, if you don’t find something different to fill the vessel, then you’ll feel at a complete loss of what to do.”
“That’s??”
“As for me, what I want is to fight each other. ……Alright, go back and tell Tokisaki-san of this location. Don’t tell anyone else anyway……that will only increase the amount of unnecessary sacrifices.”
“Yes.”
Yui sharply took a step back, raising a smoke signal to stop the search. As Kareha had said, she would surely not move from this spot.
She would wait here for Tokisaki Kurumi and then fight her.
But by that time, the Empty process would accelerate and her ego will collapse.
Kurumi nodded after hearing Sagakure Yui’s report.
“Can you show me the way?”
“Of course I can.”
“Will you be okay?”
Confronted by Hibiki’s uneasy inquiry, Kurumi thought for a moment.
“Sure enough, I said around 10%, right? But, that’s right. Materials need to be gathered first.
Mizuha-san, may I ask a few questions?”
“Ah, alright……what do you want to ask?”
“Can you please tell me Kareha-san’s abilities? What can or can’t be done with her Unsigned Angel and Astral Dress??”
“……That……I can’t do……”
“Ara, why would that be?”
“Even I’m not aware of Kareha-ane sama’s abilities. The name of her Unsigned Angel is <Ougai Sange>. When the fan is opened, it scatters sakura petals in order to attack……that’s about what I know. Her Astral Dress is called ??Flower Creation Spirit Dress No. 17 < Bleume Ales>; I don’t know anything other than that.”
“……She really is cautious.”
Mizuha smiled bitterly.
“Perhaps I didn’t have her trust. My older sister is a mysterious person.”
“……Is that so? I think Kareha-san very, very, much……cherishes you.”
Kurumi could help but smile.
“How about we go with you?”
“……No, if possible, just leave this to me and Kareha-san. I imagine the situation is bound to escalate into a fierce fight.”
“I’m fine with that……”
As Hibiki complained, Kurumi lightly flicked her forehead.
“No matter how much you don’t care, aren’t there things I don’t wish to show others?”
“Mu, then it can’t be helped. We’ll be waiting for you here.”
“Yes, yes. And please let the other Quasi-Spirits adhere to this policy as well.”
“I understand. I’ll inform them along with Higoromo-san.”
“Next then??Cistus!”
From the shadows, a pair of hands emerged. Mizuha let out a startled shriek.
Cistus emerged from the shadows.
“What’s wrong, me?”
“……I think there is a high possibility of my fight with Kareha-san getting interrupted.”
“I imagine so as well.”
“So it’s your job to clear out the hindrances first.”
“Yes, yes. I understand. Me. So I will head out first.”
Cistus gently jumped out from the castle tower.
“Where is Cistus going?”
“Opening a path to lend a hand. If Sagakure-san’s analysis is correct, the Empties that have resonated with the White Queen are defiantly lurking. Kareha-san doesn’t seem to want to give in, but she could become polluted if left unchecked.”
“My sister……would stand by the White Queen……?”
“It’s a possibility, nothing more than that.”
Fanaticism always originates in emptiness.
And in her current state, Banouin Kareha was definitely in danger.
“To sum it up, I, Tokisaki Kurumi, will fight against the Dominion of Eighth Region Banouin Kareha. We’ll use to the opportunity of fighting for one’s life to stop her from emptying. After helping her regain her reasoning, I’ll bring her back here.”
“Yes. Then I’ll take over and invade Jugasaki-san’s mind with <King Killing> and rescue her with Kareha-san.”
“Well, well. Both I and Hibiki-san have it quite rough. And here I thought it would have been a more quiet summer vacation.”
“That said……please bring back Kareha-san as soon as possible.”
Hibiki asked while raising a single hand.
“Yes, look forward to a delivery on the same day.”
Kurumi fearlessly smiled while clapping her hands.
The whispers that she had rejected were growing stronger again. She bit into her cheek muscles and tried to resist it with the pain??but she couldn’t reject it. There was the feeling of it grower stronger by the day. Despite not liking it, she couldn’t deny it feeling comfortable.
What makes you feel good?
Have you ever experienced a numbing happiness?
Have you ever considered what it means to be here?
Hey, hey, hey. Do you want to erase your anguish, agony, and despair?
“……Don’t listen.”
Kareha whispered as if trying to convince herself.
Under this wind, the sound of the rustling leaves felt like a vicious sneer.
“Come here, hurry up, hurry up……”
Desperate for death, longing for life, requesting a chance to come back, her wishes were changing by the second.
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. She felt a terrible headache. Like almost losing her memories, it felt like something important was missing.
Eliminate these evil thoughts through breathing……at least this could help eliminate her perception of these whispers.
Then, Kareha felt it.
The noise of the forest turned silent for a moment, as if held under threat of gunfire by a muzzle.
The evening cicadas began to chirp. By the time she opened her eyes, the blue sky had turned into a sunset sky.
Did she lose consciousness or did the pain of waiting cause her to lose track of time?
Either way, she??finally arrived.
A black and red Astral Dress that blended with the evening glow. A vintage pistol and long rifle was held in her hands.
“Have I kept you waiting?”
“You made it. So I’ll forgive you, Tokisaki-san.”
“Aren’t your feet numb from sitting here for so long?”
“Don’t be absurd.”
Kareha stood up with a bitter smile. In this dense forest, this was the only open area where one could see the sunset.
A red sky that was suitable for death.
A red sky that was suitable for slaughter.
“……Come and let’s kill each other.”
The fan??<Ougai Sange> opened.
“Kihihihi.”
Kurumi smiled suddenly and hurled her weapons forward. The weapon Kurumi took out this time was by no means a water gun, but rather an old-style gun that would cause a fatal injury once the trigger was pulled. And behind her was a huge clock dial.
Kareha’s heart was soaked with both fear and joy.
“??Banouin Kareha. Unsigned Angel <Ougai Sange>.”
“??Tokisaki Kurumi. Angel <Zafkiel>.”
The sakura petals scattered, the shadows converged.
“Come, come.” “Let us.” “Let us.” “Fight (date).” “Date (fight).”
It had begun.
The sound of loud gunfire.
The world was beautiful and cruel, which is why there was a longing for life (death).
Rapid fire that just took a few seconds, the condensed shadow projectiles was blocked by <Ougai Sange>. However, in the time it took to swing the fan, Kurumi fired five more rounds.
“Tekka.”
But the bullets dissolved against the harden petals. Kurumi clicked her tongue??the countless petals surrounding Banouin Kareha made it difficult to hit her.
“The First Bullet <Aleph>……!”
“I knew you would do that.”
Shoot the First Bullet <Aleph> at herself to challenge her in close-combat.
“Agito.”
Kareha waved her folding fan??the sakura petals attacked. In peril, Kurumi kicked against a tree trunk to change directions to avoid the attacks.
“With a swing of your fan, you can change your sakura petals into iron. And then you surround your enemies with them to attack. It’s a standard but rather tricky weapon.”
“You’re the one using rather outdated weapons.”
A cheap provocation, but Kurumi intentionally responded.
“Ara, ara. You can’t appreciate their elegance?”
“I wouldn’t know. A rugged gun wouldn’t be a good match for our Quasi-Spirits……that sounds like the malicious words that child would say. ……Huh? That child’s name……what was it again……”
Kareha’s eyes winded. While confronting her, Kurumi told her.
“Jugasaki Retsumi, the Quasi-Spirit which you gave a name to.”
Upon hearing that name, the light returned to Kareha’s eyes.
“……Yes, that’s right. That’s right……why would that important thing……be almost forgotten.
No matter what, I wish to remember it.”
“Could it be because it matters that you almost forgotten it?”
“Maybe so!”
Slowly, Kareha took staggering steps.
“Hato.” (TL note: kanji ?? reads as surging waves)
If the sakura petals just now were attacking like a fierce serpent, this time it was like a terrible tsunami. The sakura petals produced by the fan proliferated explosively.
“Ku??!”
Kurumi leaped backwards and escaped into the forest. However, since each individual sakura petal was small, the trees couldn’t stop their invasion. The flower petals zigzagged and attacked like a flood.
There was little time for thinking in this severe situation.
However.
“The Third Bullet <Gimmel>……!”
But for Kurumi, who walked through the tightrope of life and death countless times, this wasn’t a crisis.
Under the influence of the Third Bullet <Gimmel>, the trees accelerated in aging as they collapsed one by one. She rushed to one of the huge trees that she kicked down.
“If you have a tsunami, I’ll make a raft.”
Even if it withered, the size of the tree was large enough to block the petals. Rather than a raft, the huge tree better resembled a surfboard. Kurumi approached forward while continuously shooting from <Zafkiel>.
But that was no threat to Kareha. No matter how poor her condition was, she was still a Dominion after all.
“Ninjiy?.” (TL Note: Kanji ?? reads as bloodshed)
The sakura petals gathered around her closed fan to assume a sword-like shape.
With a blade exceeding 10 meters, Kareha swung the sword to cut down the approaching tree and slash off Kurumi’s head.
The moment before the sword could wound her body, Kurumi blocked the attack with <Zafkiel>.
<Zafkiel> creaked, but its barrel wasn’t sliced off.
“The folding fan does everything! No, isn’t the essence the petals themselves?”
“Exactly. This folding fan……as you say, it’s something like the catalyst. It isn’t everything.
Perhaps seeing that it shouldn’t go on like this, Kareha regrouped to gain some distance.
With a swing of her fan, the petals that made up the blade scattered……but the petals didn’t land and stayed around Kareha. Kurumi also knew that each petal had the sharpness of a razor and the toughness of steal. In contrast, that huge blade was just for show.
“……Somehow, the information seems to be flowing in. I know all of Tokisaki-san’s tricks.
First Bullet <Aleph> to accelerate, Second Bullet <Bet> to slow down, Fourth Bullet <Dalet> to rewind time, and the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>……to stop time.”
“The harmful influence of the emptying process. Looks like information is forcefully shared.”
“……So my condition is completely exposed?”
“Yes, yes, it is completed exposed??but even then there is no problem.”
A yellow Astral Dress just like a sunflower fluttered in the air.
All of the Empties died under the golden light of that sun.
“??My apologizes. I sympathize with your existence, but I can’t overlook trying to force erosion on someone who is trying to endure.”
Cistus declared coldly as she pulled the trigger. The Empties disappeared into light participles, misunderstanding the joy of what they had done until the very end.
“……So in conclusion, no one will get in the way.”
“I should give you my thanks, it seems.”
Kareha laughed. Kurumi clenched the short gun in her hand.
“I don’t know what you are trying to do??”
“Yes, I already have a plan.”
To try and kill each other, but not kill. A killer who would not kill. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t kill.
Despite this contradiction, Tokisaki Kurumi??still smiled calmly.
“The Second Bullet <Bet>!”
Kurumi chose the bullet that could delay time. While moving around with the momentum from kicking the trees, was she waiting for the opportunity to shoot the Second Bullet <Bet>?
With her arms, could she shoot through the dozens of sakura petals guarding her?
……The answer would be no.
Once the trigger was pulled, the bullet could only advance forward. The chances of hitting her were close to zero.
What’s more, she had seen through Kurumi’s tactics. She had chosen the Second Bullet <Bet> rather than the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> in order to conserve time.
In that case, Kareha made her decision.
To be on the safe side, she implemented defenses to thoroughly avoid getting struck by the Second bullet <Bet>.
Hide in the woods and wait for her time to run out. In that case, she would run out of cards to play.
At the same time she carefully set her trap and waited.
“<Zafkiel>??the Second Bullet <Bet>!”
In this manner, she used the Second Bullet <Bet> seven times. But not a single time did it hit Kareha. She avoided all of the attacks.
Kareha carefully placed pieces of petals used to protect herself onto the ground little by little so Kurumi wouldn’t notice. Five groups of petals had been deployed. They had fallen on to the ground, masqueraded to the point where it wouldn’t be noticed without careful observation. In such battles, people rarely take the ground into consideration.
Obediently fall in to that trap. Step in there. Despite being pushed on the defensive, she plotted her strategy.
Striking with her own strategy while trying to kill each other. Just by doing that, she felt fulfillment from her work.
That emptiness and whispers would go away.
“Really, you’re such a good person, Tokisaki-san.”
“Ara, ara. What do you mean by that? I’m a good person? Kihihihi. That’s an amusing joke!”
Now!
“??Kika.” (TL Note: Kanji ?? reads as rare opportunity) Opening her fan, the hidden flower petals revealed their identity as they flooded towards Kurumi from front, back, left, right, and above.
“Hmm, I see. I take back that previous statement. The two of us are really alike to think up something so similar.”
“Eh……?”
It was at that moment, Kurumi kicked off against the ground.
“The Second Bullet <Bet> is a bullet that delays time. It’s not as powerful as the Seventh Bullet
<Zayin>, but it all depends on how one uses it.”
“……!”
Just in that moment, the situation had reversed. The petals were swept away as something had struck Kareha. The attack came from every direction, leaving her nowhere to escape Blood coughed out from her mouth.
“……A tree……?”
Kurumi stood there while still having that smile on her face. ……No, that wasn’t a smile. It was just like a crescent moon in the night sky, a cunning and ominous smirk.
“……Be that as it may, I wasn’t able to come out unscathed either.”
The petals that couldn’t be avoided tore through Kurumi’s Astral Dress. But she was not fatally injured. The trees had swept away most of the petals.
The Second Bullet <Bet> she had originally fired was not intended to hit Kareha, but rather the surrounding trees.
But Kareha still couldn’t figure it out. Why did the fallen trees lunge at her? Kareha desperately tried to figure it out while panting intensely.
Delaying time……slowing down…… Even if the tree was kicked, they delay would continue until released……
“Ah, so that’s it……”
“Yes. My Second Bullet <Bet> can delay the effects of momentum.”
The trees struck by the Second Bullet <Bet>. At that moment, everything was postponed. Even if kicked, it would only stay there with that power stored.
“After that……I fought while adjusting the timing with the Second Bullet <Bet> so that all of them would launch together.”
“How daring. To do something as difficult as that!”
As soon as she was amazed, Kareha sighed. Kurumi phrased it lightly, but this took extraordinary skill. The bullet’s powers weren’t extraordinary, but rather it was Kurumi’s usage of it. How much time should be delayed with the Second Bullet <Bet>, how much force should be placed in each kick, which coordinate to direct the motion vector, the appropriate firing interval for each bullet??it was impossible to accomplish today’s results without solving all of that in just a couple of seconds.
The throbbing pain dominated her body.
“……It hurts.”
“You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”
“After all, I was hit by trees coming from every direction. ……I lost. Hurry up and kill me.”
“Oh, you’re not resisting being killed?”
“Of course. After all, I’m gradually turning into an Empty. Sooner or later, I’ll end up in the White Queen’s clutches, don’t you know?”
“As long as you can resist it.”
“……I don’t think so. Besides, I’m always terrified of not knowing when I will betray you all.
You must kill me.”
“But, if you find a reason to live??”
In order to stop a Quasi-Spirit from becoming an Empty, they must find meaning for existence that couldn’t be extinguished.
“That can’t be done. Because, I actually??”
Actually, I’ve been dead since a long time ago.
The firm tone in Kareha’s words firmly resonated with Kurumi’s heart.
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