Chapter 7 - The Unlocked Heart
——Ear-piercing gunshots and earth-shaking explosions rumbled one after another. Shattering footsteps and auguries of destruction, the accumulation of matter fell into ruin and collapse, crumbling uninterrupted and performing an overture which preluded the inevitable end.
Ratatoskr’s general headquarters were currently being cornered into a desperate state of affairs. The prime culprit was, without a doubt, DEM Industries. Similar to Ratatoskr, they transcended all human knowledge and intelligence and stepped into the realm of the gods. They were the possessors of Realizer units.
Naturally, Ratatoskr would not have opened their doors to enemies unprepared. It would not even be an exaggeration to say that their defense system was the best in the world. Several warning systems which continuously scouted for foreign entities had been implemented by means of the aerial guard barriers established through Realizer units. On top of that, the invisibility camouflage thoroughly concealed the location of the base.
The most important defense tactic for a strategic stronghold was neither to be an unwavering citadel in the face of any sort of attack nor to be provided with formidable might capable of routing any enemy raid no matter how fierce.
Instead, Elliot Woodman thought it was to become a hidden fortress absolutely undetectable by any adversary.
Ratatoskr was per se a secret organization. Since its objective was not national defense, there was no exigency to advocate its power in neutralizing the enemy. On that account, their center of operations was not embellished like a feudal lord’s gilded palace, nor was it an emblem of position like the Ministry of Defense. On the contrary, to be precise, conspicuity would simply imperil and lead them to their demise.
Furthermore, only a minuscule minority of Ratatoskr’s personnel were aware of the whereabouts of the base. Those that were permitted to visit consisted of merely the aircrafts which maintained the concealment as well. Regardless of whichever country’s information agency, it was impossible of ferreting out the existence of such a massive facility at those coordinates.
And apropos this aspect, as Ratatoskr’s arch nemesis, DEM Industries should not have been an exception. However, this supposed imperceptible defense barricade had been unexpectedly broken through, owing to the omniscient demon king <Beelzebub>.
“Although I wasn’t entirely taken aback, I didn’t expect to be done away with by such a beauty. No wonder it’s you, Ike.”
Woodman slightly shrugged his shoulders as he muttered so.
He was a man of around fifty years old who tied his mixture of white and blonde hair into a single bundle. Despite finding himself in a mare’s nest, he was taking the situation lightly.
Nevertheless, this was nothing out of the ordinary. Woodman was Ratatoskr’s highest commanding officer, head of the Round Table. In other words, he was the organization’s very leader himself. As a result, Woodman had to remain calm in the face of those events. If the commander were to lose his nerve, the lack of morale would exponentially extend to his subordinates and result in the chain of command going out of control. As one of an eminent status, he needed to adopt a composed and poised smile at all times. Even until his passing, Woodman firmly held this belief.
Besides, it was true that Woodman had indeed anticipated an outcome where he would have an unfortunate encounter with an incursion from DEM Industries. Seeing that Woodman’s former ally as well as present foe, Isaac Westcott, had acquired an all-knowing demon king, it was not a demanding venture to predict that the knowledge which he wanted to know the most were the locations of any unsealed Spirits and his own whereabouts. After all, he was he regarded as a despised traitor.
For this reason alone did Woodman relocate to his current base, which possessed the highest-level defense system out of all owned by Ratatoskr.
“——You’re jesting. Isaac isn’t one to think something over much. He is, however, a child who wishes to flaunt his newly received toy to you, his old friend.”
The woman who was standing next to Woodman and appeared to be of North European origin with tied up blonde hair insipidly said so. Her elegant blue eyes glanced at Woodman through her fine lenses.
Karen Mathers. She served as Woodman’s personal secretary and was the world’s strongest Wizard’s, Ellen Mathers’, biological sister. Like Woodman, she had once been a member of DEM’s technical staff as well. As such, she was able to make such precise evaluations of Westcott. Woodman could not help but ease up the corners of his mouth.
“Perhaps that may be right on the mark. Ike was always steadfast, though that might be why he’s such a treacherous person. Think about it. What’d happen if he were to wait inside a room full of nuclear warhead launch buttons with only curiosity plaguing his exuberant mind?”
“I couldn’t imagine how dreadful that’d be. He’s literally a psychopath.”
Karen put on derisive look as she stated so. She then lowered her head to view the miniature device in her hand and raised it back after carrying out a string of operations with great deftness.
“—Escape route confirmation complete. This way.”
“All right, what about the handling of the data?”
“No issues. Of course, if Ike’s new plaything pries into it, there would be nothing we could do.”
“It doesn’t matter. Well then, let us depart. Issue a retreat command to the other personnel as well.”
“Understood.”
Karen lightly nodded, soon reaching under a table with her hand and pressing a hidden push button. In response, the wall behind the table began to retract, revealing a secret elevator used for fleeing during emergency times.
“Excuse us.”
Thus, Karen entered the lift while holding onto the handles of the wheelchair transporting Woodman.
Once the two had got inside, the doors rigidly shut. After Karen performed a series of steps on the panel installed in the wall, the elevator began to descend downwards, accompanied by the muffled sounds of mechanical gears.
Not long afterwards, the oscillations came to a standstill, and the doors facing opposite directions simultaneously unlatched. What was unveiled before the couple was a dim passageway paved with reinforced concrete and extending straight as if it was unending.
“A helicopter is waiting at the end. Please bear with it.”
As she spoke, Karen started pushing the wheelchair down the dusky corridor.
But——before a few moments even elapsed, the clattering sounds of Karen’s shoes and the creaking of the wheelchair’s wheels echoing on all four sides suddenly quietened into utter silence.
The reason was obvious.
The silhouette of a human figure came into view in front of them.
“——Greetings, Elliot. It seems to have been ages since we’ve last seen each other face-to-face.”
A man clothed in sable Western fashion, whose countenance bore a malicious grin, casually articulated so.
“…………”
As if acting in response to the existing situation, the handlebars of the wheelchair quivered a little. Even for Karen, maintaining an unreservedly tranquil manner when confronted by such circumstances turned out to be especially grueling. However, to be able of restraining her own trembling to such a diminutive extent in his presence, Karen’s guts warranted sufficient commendation.
“It appears so… Long time no see, Ike.”
Woodman spoke the name of the man standing in front of them, narrowing his eyes in the process.
Once flaxen hair which had deteriorated into lackluster, suffuse metallic cast after beholding various transfigurations of the world over time, along with a pair of placid eyes as motionless as stagnant water. If all the cataclysmic catastrophes and everything corrupt in this world were to converge and forcefully mold a human being, it would roughly look like this. Despite knowing that this opinion was rather excessive, these offending thoughts still appeared naturally in his mind. This only implied that the man before him was truly such a person.
Woodman’s weakened eyesight could at most vaguely discern the posture of the man even with his spectacles worn. However, that enigmatic voice of his as well as his murky mien and that peculiar ambience surrounding him told Woodman that he was once a precious friend who cherished the same ideals and followed the same path as him.
“Never did I think that you would go so far as to await me here. There were plenty of other hidden escape routes prepared just in case, too. Another one of <Beelzebub>’s ability, I presume?”
Hearing Woodman’s question, Westcott exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.
“No, no, nothing of that sort. To my chagrin, <Beelzebub> was scribbled all over by one of those Spirits of yours. Finding this place perchance was due to plain intuition. I merely felt like I would definitely choose this location if I were you.”
“I see. Well deserving the title of my old rival, noisy as usual.”
Woodman and Westcott laughed together as if their minds were telepathically linked.
“Well then… state your business. If you wanted to pay me a visit, the way you knock on the door of an old friend is quite coarse, don’t you think?”
“Aah, my apologies. It’s not that much of a deal, to be frank. I simply fancied for Karen and you to accompany me back to DEM.”
Westcott talked in a leisurely tone. Or rather, from his perspective, this manner of speaking was perhaps a normal standard, even if it meant the collapse of an organization.
Neither astonishment nor ire remained on Woodman’s face after listening. He subsequently raised the corners of his mouth.
“And what will you do if I blatantly refuse? Kill us?”
“Heavens of course not, that would defeat the purpose of Her Excellency Ellen’s absence. I’d like to respect your will, and not go against your wishes.
Except that… if you aren’t willing, then as a substitute——”
Westcott shrugged his shoulders, narrowed his eyes once, and extended his right hand forward.
“<Beelzebub>.”
He calmly called out that name. In the fraction of a second, a tenebrous maelstrom eddied around his hand, seething with an inky jet-black effervescence before finally manifesting in the form of a book.
“——Come on, won’t you entertain me for a little bit?”
“Huh……”
Seeing with his own eyes, the materialized item enshrouded in obscure miasma, Woodman gently heaved a sigh and placed his hand on his lower jaw as if fumbling with the bristles of his chin.
His opponent was a demon king. If possible, Woodman would have never wanted to be faced with such a confrontation.
However—under these circumstances, he could not say such willful words.
“…I guess there’s nothing that can be done. You were always an impossible fellow.”
Woodman lightly sighed, abruptly pouring strength into his arms and unhurriedly lifting his body from the wheelchair little by little. Yet his shoulder was pushed back down by Karen instead.
“That’s out of the question, Elliot.”
“Don’t worry, Karen.”
“But.”
Woodman smiled and tenderly brushed away Karen’s hand, unsteadily tottering forwards.
“………At the most, I still have my left and right hands.”
He then whispered in an inaudible voice as he stood before Westcott.
“In that case… let us begin. Speaking of which, Ike, this must be the first time I’ve faced you head-on.”
“Isn’t that so? I am remarkably weak after all. Just standing in front of you keeps sending shivers down my legs, Elliot.”
Westcott extemporaneously ridiculed with considerable buffoonery.
Woodman exposed a broad smile in reply to Westcott’s jeering joke and then drew out from his chest a golden article which resembled a name tag.
Although every individual person had differing opinions with regard to precisely how long their reasoning can endure before senility got the better of them, reversing the question into how early one became capable of remembering, I would answer at around five years old.
Looking back, I had always been alone back then.
This was not an abstract question. Nor was it philosophical topic which evoked self-evaluation. It was pure and unsophisticated; it allowed one to see the light shining onto oneself. Parents, brothers and sisters—predetermined existences who were supposed to be there—something known as a family had not been there by my side.
When I had realized that fact, my feelings—to tell the truth, I could not really recollect to the extent that I was unable to put into words even the type of emotion I felt. Naturally, it was by no means one which comforted the heart, yet this sensation was unlike simple sorrow or solitude. To state why, it was an emotion predicated upon being deprived of one’s own family; grief due to having experienced the warmth of a family; loneliness because of not being by oneself at first.
I had been alone from the start, therefore defining this feeling as loneliness was perhaps far-fetched. It was unavoidable as well. After all, children bestowed with the quiddity of having a family were special. As I was not special, it was unavoidable. If I had to say, I deemed it closest to a form of philosophical nihility.
——But again, how long has it been since then?
At a certain point, those days suddenly ended.
For the first time, I obtained a family.
Of course, they were not related to me by blood. Just a married couple, who had wanted a child, that took a fancy to me and suggested adopting me.
Through what procedure which they applied for my adoption, I could not recall anymore. Rather, to be honest, even though I still faintly remember the words said to me by the staff, my young self then had not really comprehended their meaning.
Nevertheless, such things did not matter.
To me, to the self who had always been alone, this was the first time I had a family.
This truth held too much of an impact, even causing me to be at a loss.
Father, Mother, alongside a girl who was soon to become a sister to me.
My own family, a family I belonged to.
“Hello. From today onwards, we’ll be your family members.”
The instant these words from Mother reached my ears.
“——, ah, uh, aahh.”
Tears gushed out from the rims of my eyes.
It felt as if brilliant colors were painted into an entire world of black and white.
People who loved me.
People who I could love.
So I swore—to do all I could to love them—to love my father, mother, and sister.
“……, Ah……”
Shidou groaned in a low voice and unraveled his eyes.
“That was…”
There was an impression as if an inconceivable dream had just taken place; a dream which caused people to cherish yet was rather vague, a dream which induced sadness, but also gave off tender warmth.
“Nn……”
Within his dimmed consciousness, Shidou felt a slight itch irritate his cheek, so he wiped his face with his hand.
It was then that he immediately realized—those were moist teardrops dripping on his face, obviously not the volume exuded by a petty yawn. It looked like they were shed during his slumber.
“…What happened to me…?”
Shidou fiddled with the fringes of his hair as he surveyed his surroundings.
Soon, his blurred field of vision clearly projected objects.
It appeared that he had been sleeping atop a bed. Subsequently, a pure white wall and ceiling entered his line of sight. This place ought to be Fraxinus’ infirmary.
Shidou unhurriedly straightened his upper half upright, substantially stretching his body. His stiff muscles pained him, his joints clacking moderately.
At that moment, the door to the room abruptly flew open, and the Spirits entered the room one after another, led by Kotori.
“Excuse us…… Wha, Shidou!”
“Ooh! You’re awake!?”
Filled with astonishment, everybody widened their eyes round. Shidou made a wry grin as he charged into them.
“Aah… I’ve just come to.”
Shidou forced a laugh in reply, causing Tohka, who was standing behind Kotori, to incline her head as if noticing that something was amiss about Shidou.
“Shidou, is something wrong? Were you crying?”
“Ah, it’s nothing… I was just feeling a bit drowsy.”
Since saying that having a dream had made him weep turned out to be complicated indeed, let alone the fact that he did not want to make everyone worry, Shidou made an effort to gloss over it by putting on a smile.
“…………”
Whether Kotori perceived something awry from Shidou’s attitude or otherwise, she exposed a doubtful expression, only to immediately sigh with helplessness and look at him afresh.
“Forget about it. ——More importantly, Shidou, is your body all okay?”
“Eh? Ahh… I think I’ll be fine…”
Although Shidou was momentarily puzzled by Kotori’s solemn appearance, he quickly dismissed it with a gulp. With Kotori’s words as the catalyst, his formerly equivocal, unclear memories perspicuously resurfaced in one go.
Prior to losing consciousness, while embracing Mukuro, Shidou had gone through atmospheric entry with no more than his corporeal body as a shield.
Even with the added protection of an angel, such insane, daredevil stunt would undoubtedly result in anxiety and distress for Kotori.
“Where’s Mukuro…… How’s Mukuro!? Is she alright!?”
Shidou instantly got up with enough momentum to send the blankets flying.
Fortunately, with <Zadkiel>’s and <Raphael>’s safeguard, along with the healing from <Camael>’s recovery ability, there were no more conspicuous wounds on Shidou’s body. However, due to losing consciousness before even landing on the Earth’s surface, Shidou was unable to confidently ascertain Mukuro’s welfare.
Afterwards, Kotori let out an untimely guise and began to speak.
“——Unknown, when we found you, any traces of Mukuro had already disappeared. Of course, we did consider the possibility of you two getting separated when you were in mid-air and carried out a large-scale investigation of your landing site……”
“Then… could it be that…”
Shidou could not refrain from showing perturbed consternation, to which Kotori shook her head as if to assure him that everything was going to be okay.
“Even if she got lost or anything, in any case, Mukuro’s still a Spirit with a complete Astral Dress. From the point that you were discovered to be safe, it was proven that she would be as well. Assuming she had regained her consciousness before you after the both of you reached the ground, she probably decided that the best course of action was for her to run away and hide somewhere for the moment.”
“I-I see…”
Listening to Kotori’s elaboration, Shidou exhaled a breath of relief.
“…………”
Yet not long after that, Shidou sank into deep ponderance again, gritting his lips. The fact that Mukuro was unscathed indeed deserving of elation.
However, her taking to her heels and downright uncertain whereabouts left Shidou at his wit’s end and feeling powerless.
Shidou silently glimpsed at his right hand, clenching it into a fist——as if to reaffirm the lingering texture of the key previously grasped in his palm.
At the time of the conquest, Shidou had certainly pierced through Mukuro’s bosom with his pseudo-<Michael>, thereby unsealing the lock placed on her heart.
But in the end, this was only the beginning. Granted that the deadlock on her heart had been broken, Mukuro’s absence solely served to jeopardize the favorable impressions she possessed towards Shidou. Ultimately, he would have to no more than reawaken her emotions which had been sealed—or, in the worst case scenario, there was a chance that feelings which caused her to think deplorably of Shidou would emerge.
And as the pivotal crux that could influence the matter for either good or bad, during their first encounter, Shidou had already passed out. Although there was nothing he could do to prevent that, Shidou still creased his face in remorse.
“…Sorry for that everyone, even though you guys did so much for me, yet I…”
As Shidou uttered so, the Spirits consecutively broadened their eyes in surprise, shaking their heads with all their might.
“What nonsense are you spouting? We all know how great your efforts are.”
“T-That’s right. Don’t say such things.”
“Feeling quite depressed, aren’t you? Want to rub my oppai? Though they haven’t even grown to the level for fondling! Ahaha!”
Nia cracked an awkward joke. Droplets of cold sweat formed on Shidou’s cheeks as he forcefully laughed it off.
“Eh, can I!? What service is that!! Are you the Virgin Mary!?”
Contrary to Shidou’s reaction, Miku began to wiggle her fingers, her face flushed with arousal. However, since the subject of the conversation had started to go off-topic, not to mention inappropriate, Kotori and others restrained Miku.
“Miku, shut up for now.”
“Ah~n! Evil!”
“Haa… really. Well, feeling dejected won’t do us any good. Besides, it isn’t like there wasn’t any progress at all. If you really want to repay our intentions, then start by cheering up and moving forwards.”
“A-Ah, yeah… You’re right.”
Shidou wryly smiled and nodded in agreement. It was as Kotori had stated indeed. Although brooding over the past was rather meaningless, not drawing a lesson from the setback and forging ahead would only bog them down.
Even if it was to have faith in everyone who had faith in him, Shidou definitely could not stay still.
“——Ah.”
Piecing together his thoughts up till here, Shidou suddenly stumbled upon something and exclaimed.
“What is it, Shidou?”
“By the way, Kotori, what happened to Ratatoskr’s base…!?”
Shidou tensely clasped his fist as he asked. —That’s right. Just before Shidou and the others proceeded to the cosmos, Fraxinus’ home port, Ratatoskr’s base, suffered an assault from DEM Industries.
Hearing Shidou’s enquiry, Kotori could not help but sigh as she answered.
“…Stating that it’s in good shape would be a little implausible. The damages are considerably fatal. We’ve no choice but to abandon that base.”
“I-It’s that bad, huh…… What about Woodman-san and Karen-san…!?”
“…………”
Shidou revealed a trembling expression as he timidly questioned. Kotori then quietly fished out a scaled-down terminal from the pocket of her jacket, facing its screen towards Shidou.
“Eh……?”
Unaware of what Kotori intended of her conduct, Shidou was utterly befuddled. After a few seconds elapsed, the terminal screen displayed Woodman’s face.
“Woodman-san!!”
“——Aah, Shidou-kun. How’s your body? I heard that you underwent atmospheric entry with only your bare flesh.”
“A-About that…… I’m alright. Compared with that, what about you, Woodman-san….”
“You can consider me fine. Forgive me for making you worry—oguh!”
In the course of the communication, Woodman produced raspy sounds of dolor. Shidou’s eyebrows quivered.
“W-Woodman-san?”
“How does losing an arm and leg classify you as ‘fine’? Apart from ‘being covered all over with cuts and bruises’, you’re beyond description.”
A voice not of Woodman’s resounded, which rang a bell crisply, let alone femininely—it was Karen’s voice. Despite her tone of speaking being as smooth and steady as it always was in the past, for some reason, this time felt like she could hardly contain her temper.
“Hurry inside the medical Realizer unit at once. It is imperative that we maintain absolute stability immediately.”
Woodman forced a chuckle and looked at Shidou.
“Sorry about that. I’d prefer to chat with you for a little longer but, as you can see, Karen’s already in that state.”
“N-Not at all, it’s okay…… Though what did you mean by ‘losing an arm and leg’?”
“Elliot.”
“I get it; I get it, so stop whining, Karen.”
Woodman’s figure receded from the display screen, and the transmission was disconnected. Kotori shrugged her shoulders and put back the terminal.
“——That’s how it is. At least it looks like they successfully escaped.”
“O-Oh… I still think I heard something rather serious.”
“Well, I’m troubled too… but those two always try to secretly cover it up somehow and diverge from the topic.”
After Kotori gently exhaled a sigh, she revitalized her energy anew and crossed her arms.
“Anyway, you should get some rest, Shidou. We’ll take care of the search for Mukuro. If, by any chance, we found her and you couldn’t move, you wouldn’t even be able to converse with her.”
“Ahh, I understand… But I wonder where in the world Mukuro went…”
“We wouldn’t be in such a mess if we knew that. With that <Michael> of hers, she can go pretty much anywhere she wants. Maybe she’s already gone to some unknown part of the cosmos, or perhaps by some mishap she’s waiting somewhere in the vicinity——”
At that exact instant, the moment her words reached this point, Kotori’s voice was abruptly interrupted.
Her eyes dilated into perfect circles, soundlessly gazing in Shidou’s direction.
“Eh? W-What’s wrong, Kotori? Is there something… ——!?”
Shidou felt a wave of cynicism overcome him when he asked with a slanted head——only to have his voice suspended like how Kotori’s voice had been a few moments ago. No, to be even more precise, it was due to the bewildering befuddlement that he had no other choice but to forcibly hold his breath and cease his speech.
Nevertheless, this was only to be expected. After all, without any warning, two hands had swished and extended outwards from behind Shidou, embracing his shoulders with a shrill chirrup afterwards.
The supernatural phenomenon rendered Shidou’s stiffened body fully numb till he could at most barely manage to turn his head back to get a glimpse of who, or what, was behind him.
“Eh……?”
Immediately as he braved his fear, Shidou caught sight of the facial features of a girl who had, unbeknownst to him, presented herself there. She had a dumbfounded expression and her eyes wide open.
“——Hueh, me seems thou hast procured cognizance.”
Vociferating so, the corners of the girl’s mouth eased up. Visible through her elegant long hair was a pair of glistening eyes shimmering with a resplendent golden radiance and exhibiting a joyous semblance.
Shidou’s train of thought was briefly thrown into disarray for a moment.
However, it was under no circumstances the result of the girl suddenly appearing without even the mention of a single passing greeting. In lieu of that, it resulted from his brain’s utter inability to integrate the portrayal of the same girl he knew of with the current girl whose face was painted with a joyful, passionate, and simply happy expression.
Yet there was no mistake; the girl who entered the picture there was——
“M-Mukuro……!?”
The Spirit who had battled against Shidou in the cosmos, Hoshimiya Mukuro, had unwittingly emerged from a gate opened in plain mid-air, coiling her arms above Shidou’s shoulders.
“Wha……!?”
“W-Why is Mukuro here…!?”
“Panic. How did this come to be?”
Shortly following Shidou, the Spirits expressed their astonishment one by one. They each gave a gravelly exclamation of ‘Huh?’ around the room.
Afterwards, Mukuro examined everybody, who stood on one side, but instantly shifted her line of vision away and teased Shidou’s cheeks like playful whispers.
“To have the temerity to let Muku bide for thee, what a loathly man. No matter, Muku permits thee, thou who inspirited mine heart to such heights.”
“Hah……., Eh……, Wha……?”
Wherefore is thy visage begrimed with chariness? Hehe, endearing man.”
“……!?”
Mukuro enunciated intimately sweet verses while giving Shidou’s nose a pinch or two. Dumbstruck, Shidou felt as if his senses had been hypnotized under a spell. This was no surprise, for in his opposition was a Spirit who had once ruthlessly dropped a meteor shower on him without a second thought.
To have her attitude soften within such a short period of time… no, soften failed to serve it justice. Claiming that she was another person with an identical face would have been more convincing. Tohka and Kotori, too, were speechless as a result of the drastic disparity in behavior.
“Ah——”
Shidou knitted his brows, trying to outline the cause of this change.
“Could it be that this is because the lock on your heart was unsealed……?”
“……!”
Hearing Shidou’s conjecture, the other Spirits widened their eyes in surprise one after another.
That’s right. Comparing the moment he met her in outer space and the present, if anything were to have happened in between these two points in time, it would have to be the incident where Shidou had unlocked the seal on Mukuro’s heart.
In accordance with Shidou’s memory, the once austerely expressionless, but now scintillatingly vibrant girl was no longer her old self. This must be how her true nature had originally been before the sealing incident. No, even if that was the case, somehow it seemed like Mukuro was behaving excessively enamored with Shidou. Cold sweat began to form on Shidou’s forehead as he asked.
“M-Mukuro……? Why have you become so friendly all of a sudden? Or what made you want to get close to me? Um, I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, uh, it’s a good thing actually……”
“Hueh?”
Mukuro let out an incomprehensible expression for a short while, replying afterwards.
“Is being ensorcelled by Nushi-sama, thou who followed Muku to the universe’s ends and did her liberation, such an aberrant affair? Contrariwise, Muku knows but an unchivalrous, malapert, contumelious man whose mouth is bestowed with troths of saving Muku and imparting her happiness.” [1]
“Ugu……”
The reality was indeed as she had said.
From Shidou’s perspective, before he made a firm resolution to save the Spirits, he had undergone a diversity of entangling predicaments and distressing situations. On the other hand, from Mukuro’s perspective, he was an ‘I love you’-shouting philanderer who had appeared in front of her out of nowhere.
“Pardon, pardon. Nushi-sama is too adorable, irresistible to chaff.”
Seeing Shidou utterly perplexed, Mukuro cheerfully giggled.
“My whilom pronouncements cozen not. In the course of the unlocking, what Nushi-sama apprised Muku of and what Nushi-sama brought about for Muku hath left her beholden to Nushi-sama for aye. These verses are sworn indomitably. …Forbye, if Nushi-sama were to beseech the impetus as to why Muku is desirous of thee, then that impetus would be——”
Mukuro flexed her fingers as if she was ruminating over and over, immediately clenching them with a clap afterwards.
“——Paradoxical, I surmise.”
“……Hey, hey.”
Shidou was forced to sigh at Mukuro’s conclusion. Yet the girl merely resumed as she transmogrified her manner into a facetious one.
“Love, hate, and the like; once felt, exist verily as that. ‘Paradoxical’—— ostends the similitude Nushi-sama and Muku partake.”
“Similitude……?”
Towards the unclear divulgence whose meaningful significance was ill- defined, Shidou tilted his head in confusion. However, possessing good intentions towards oneself and cherished beloveds was nothing rare, and some kind of close-knit intimacy towards Shidou had blossomed within Mukuro. When Shidou was giving thought to this idea, Mukuro sincerely chuckled and continued.
“That is the essence. Nonetheless, Nushi-sama. Prithee, plight thy troth to Muku evermore.”
“Troth?”
“Hueh. Nushi-sama pledged thus himself. To impart Muku happiness, thus claim Muku as thy flesh slave. …In deliberation, Muku fathoms not the vocable ‘flesh slave’. Couldst thou enlighten Muku?”
Mukuro spoke so without the slightest apprehension and grasp of the weight her words were about to cause. All the Spirits dropped their jaws, furrowing their eyebrows as the flabbergasting sentences entered their ears.
“Wha……!?”
“Shidou, is this true?”
“A-About that…”
“Uwah…… a pervert……”
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a misunderstanding… though maybe this doesn’t count as one, but there’s a perfectly valid reason for this……”
“Wait a moment. May I disturb you for a minute, Mukuro?”
Just as Shidou intended to continue to provide an explanation for his actions, Kotori, standing in front, interrupted his speech. Mukuro exposed a confounded expression as she looked at Kotori.
“……Hueh? Speak thy mind.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I’m Shidou’s younger sister, Kotori.”
“Hoho……? In such circumstance, what honorable proceeding brings thee to Muku?”
“Shidou’s condition isn't very well right now. Mukuro, the injuries he suffered from hugging you while falling haven't fully recovered yet. —Of course, the promises he made to you are nothing short of the truth. …Though we'll leave the flesh slave part as an entirely different matter, Shidou’s serious about saving you. But if you could wait a little longer… ah, a day would be plenty.”
“Hueh.”
Listening to Kotori’s statements, Mukuro lightly hummed in a low tone.
Afterwards, she fumbled with her chin as she happily relaxed the corners of her mouth.
“Thus it is, thus it is. Wounded by Muku’s obliquitous hand, eh? Unhelpable in sooth, thus must wait tomorrow, true?”
“That's right, thank you for understanding! If possible, we'd like you to stay here and rest until then——”
“Thou needn't trouble thyself.”
Mukuro spread her palms as if to mask Kotori’s voice.
The next instant, Mukuro loosened her bosom and embraced Shidou by his shoulders, unhurriedly leaning her body forwards.
“——Thy bond surfeits. Grant Muku allowance as much as thy soul lets to revel in our merry morrow’s tryst, Nushi-sama.”
Just like that, Mukuro waved her hand and re-entered the previously opened gate, disappearing into the void. Once she had set her posture, the gate began to rotate about its center like a turbulent vortex and gradually shrank in size until it reached the peak of its implosion, vanishing without a trace and leaving the wall of the infirmary intact.
“………”
The medical room was then covered by a blanket of silence, only for Nia to cry out a ‘Phew!’ after a few moments of not being able to withstand the jumpiness.
“That really gave me a scare! What, so she’s the rumored Mukku-chan? Her character’s a bit different from what I heard!”
Nia shouted as if to exhale all the breath suppressed in her lungs. The other Spirits soon followed suit, unfolding their tensions.
“Astonishment. Nia is accurate. I believed her to be a much colder Spirit. That aside, Shidou, explain what this ‘flesh slave’ matter is about.”
“It’s because Shidou-san opened her heart…… right? About… the other thing… I mind.”
“Hnn, but it’s so cute. For such a delicate body, a man will always be a man.
Ehehe, Darling’s taste isn’t so bad.”
“……Miku, naughty. Not that Shidou is any better.”
“No! It’s all because of those choices!”
Everyone faced Shidou with deadly stares. Shidou feebly sighed, feeling the remaining warmth of Mukuro’s temperature on his shoulders, turning to look at Kotori afterwards.
“——Kotori.”
“Yeah, yeah. Although it pains me to say so, I’ll arrange your plans for tomorrow. After Ratatoskr’s had been renovated, we installed a new facility different from the previous medical capsule. Get some rest over there for today.”
“A new facility? What’s changed?”
“No telling, it’s a surprise. But I can guarantee the results. You’ll be there until tomorrow for a full recovery.”
Kotori hugged her arms as she said so. Shidou nodded in agreement and resumed.
“Alright, I understand. ——Thanks, Kotori.”
“Ha? W-Why are you thanking me?”
“Eh? Well, didn’t you delay it for another day in consideration for my body’s condition?”
“Wha……!”
When those words came out of Shidou’s mouth, Kotori’s face immediately flushed bright red.
“W-What are you saying! That’s just because preparations for support have to be made!”
Kotori shook her head left and right in a flurry to lessen the color of her cheeks. Seeing her in such a state, both Kaguya and Nia smirked evilly.
“Hoh hoh~”
“Imouto-chan is as always proud and charming like those in the books.”
“A-Anyway! Tomorrow’s the decisive battle! Make sure your body is shipshape by then!”
Kotori pointed at Shidou with great vigor, walking out of the infirmary without another word afterwards.
Gazing after Kotori’s receding figure, Shidou slightly made a wry grin.
“Haha…… Well, one way or another let me experience for myself that prided medical facility of hers. …Come to think of it, she left without even telling me where it is.”
As Shidou scratched his cheek while wondering what to do, Miku clapped her hands once as if to snap him out of his daze.
“Ah——, we’ve used that facility before, so allow us to show you the way.”
“Un, I see. I’m in your hands then.”
“Hehe, leave it to me~. Hehehee……”
“……?”
A tittering laugh of unknown cause came forth from Miku; at least, it was unknown to Shidou, who inclined his head to an acute angle in skepticism.
“……Uah~……”
Approximately thirty minutes had elapsed since then.
In an immensely spacious bathing place, Shidou soaked his worn-out body inside a pool of warm water. Correct. The place which Shidou had been guided to by Miku and the others was in fact an enormous bathhouse.
It was said that liquid yielded via Realizer units contained accumulations of magical energy; hence regularly bathing in it has curative effects. The implications comprised of healing fractures and contusions, alleviating fatigue on the human body. As an example, it resembled the healing fountains which existed inside the countless labyrinths and dungeons of RPGs, augmenting you back to full health once entered.
As a matter of fact, this was obviously much cozier and snugger than being admitted into a medical capsule for treatment. Shidou immersed his body from shoulders down in the heated milky-white water, comfortably letting out a deep breath again.
“I see…… This really isn’t so bad. No wonder Kotori was unnecessarily complicating things.”
Shidou smiled as he relaxed his body once more, looking up at the ceiling through hazy steam.
“Tomorrow……. huh.”
He then thought aloud in low whispers.
Despite the many past experiences, nervousness was one of the feelings that would still sure enough surface before a date with a Spirit. The main constituent was, however, the sense of uncertainty stemming from not knowing beforehand what kinds of dangers would occur——alongside the uneasiness of being unaware as to what to do in order to open the doors of the other party’s heart.
Indeed, Mukuro, whose heart had been unlocked, had become considerably intimate within a short amount of time; but even so, this by no means indicated that she would honestly agree to have her powers sealed. If she had originally been a frankly straightforward, cordial and unquestioned girl, there would have been absolutely no reason to seal off her heart with her angel.
“…Well, worrying now won’t do anything good.”
Shidou cupped some hot water in his hands and rinsed his face so as to loosen his cheeks, which had, unbeknownst to him, unconsciously become stretched taut.
Of course, it was not to say that training his imagination was entirely useless, but what Shidou genuinely needed to do now was in actuality follow Kotori’s instructions and adjust his body well for the next day. Otherwise, granted that his body was fully recovered, if he were to suffer from insomnia due to the anxiety and pressure, thus leading to his condition being less than fine, everything would be jeopardized and fruitless.
In brief, now was not the time to mull over such trivialities but to properly enjoy to the fullest the efficacy of the warm bath, which stood head and shoulders above all others. As Shidou concluded so, in order to bolster the efficiency of the recovery as far as possible, he now submerged every part of his body below his nose underwater, blowing bubbles in gulps.
——At that moment…
“……Hm?”
All of a sudden, Shidou wrinkled his eyebrows, owing to seeing several build- ups of bubbles which he deemed as not coming from his own breaths floating continuously towards the water surface.
Attentively inspecting the warm milky-white pool, one could chance on the murky silhouette of someone hiding beneath the surface. The appearance of the figure resembled a crocodile stealthily concealing its body underwater to catch prey.
“…………”
After Shidou exhibited an astounded expression, the owner of the shadow threaded their way through the water with a swish and showed themselves in front of him.
“——Shidou.”
“Uwah!?”
Startled out of his skin, Shidou abruptly bumped his head against the bathing pool’s edge. Then, the person who appeared just now blankly extended their hand towards him with an inscrutable face.
“Don’t be afraid, Shidou.”
“……Origami.”
Shidou recited the name of the girl aloud, simultaneously covering his eyes up with both hands.
The reason was there in plain sight. The Origami who had made an appearance right in front of his eyes had nothing but drops of water shielding her stark naked body.
“……Allow me to ask for a moment, what are you doing?”
“I want to scrub Shidou’s back.”
“You want to do that, yet you’re hiding inside the pool?”
“Correct.”
“While completely naked?”
“This is a custom of public bathhouses.”
“……Anyhow, it’s been ten minutes since I came in to bathe……”
“Ever since Shidou entered the pool, there has been an increase of the Shidonium content in the water.”
“Shidonium!?”
Catching the name of an undiscovered chemical element, Shidou snapped back at her. In the end, Origami simply approached Shidou’s side with sounds of rustling water.
“Washing your own body when you’re injured should be difficult. Leave it to me.”
“N-No need! It’s fine! Let’s just assume that I had already been cleaned before I came in!”
“Not clean enough. The fact that there is still so much of Shidou’s smell is proof.”
“Only people with police hound-level noses like you and Tohka can smell that!”
Shidou emitted a noise close to a lament, but Origami paid no heed. Shidou’s hands which had been blocking his eyes were instantly seized away.
“Waa……!”
In a split second, Origami’s snow-white skin cast light upon his retinas, forcing Shidou to shut his eyes hastily.
Ultimately, Shidou was still a perfectly healthy male high school student. He would have been lying if he had said that he did not desire to feast on the ravishingly alluring unclad body of a gorgeous girl like Origami with his eyes.
Yet, how was he to put it; whether the entire thing was similar to a minefield fraught with danger or an insectivorous plant rigged with digestive enzymes, once he was befallen by the seductive temptation before his eyes and took action, the dire consequences which would proliferate out of control would be too ghastly to even contemplate.
But Origami provided not even a shred of care for Shidou’s unease and gradually reinforced the strength in her hands.
“Leave it to me. I’ll lick-……wash your entire body until it’s completely cleaned.”
“Did you just say lick!?”
“All right, just leave it to me.”
“Hyaa————————!?”
Origami pulled Shidou’s two hands apart in one go, gluttonously licking the nape of his neck like a hungry vampire. Shidou could not help but wail loudly.
However, right as that was occurring.
“Darling~~~~~! I’m here to scrub your back~~~~!”
The bathroom’s door was suddenly thrown widely open, and Miku, in the nude, pounced into the pool.
“……Ugh.”
“Uaagh! M-Miku!?”
Shidou amplified the volume of his voice while he screamed, but to no avail as Miku swung her wet hair as if she was acting in a shampoo commercial, sparing no expense in flaunting those striking proportions of hers and smiling afterwards.
“That’s right! This Miku who has made you wait for a long time is now all yours! By the way, ahhhh! Origami-san is also here! I could die with no regrets!”
Noticing Origami’s coincidental presence, Miku swayed her body while swinging her hips and drew nearer to them. Although Origami did not utter a word, her face was full of pity for the wasted opportunity as she furrowed her brows.
Immediately following Miku’s trance-like preoccupation, more unexpected guests arrived at the bathhouse accompanied with a hubbub of clamors. ——Precisely, they were the other Spirits.
Everyone acted in accordance with their own personal notions concerning all kinds and sorts of ways they entered the bath, be it happily or rather shyly, as they walked towards Shidou.
“Shidou! Is your body okay!? I’ve come to help!”
“Kaka, satiated by the health-giving spring? Allow me to attend to you.”
“Translation. This is due to Miku’s appeal for scrubbing Shidou’s back, and the person who resisted with great difficulty to shamefully come here was Kaguya.”
“Who said anything like that!? Haven’t we bathed together before!?”
Tohka, Kaguya and Yuzuru all had only bath towels wrapped around each of their bodies. Figures and curves which were normally obscured with clothing were now evidently emphasized in display, rendering one oblivious as to where to direct their eyes.
Kaguya and Yuzuru seemed to be easily distinguishable from each other like usual, yet Shidou somehow felt as if his life could be placed in danger if he said something out of place, so he decided to obediently remain quiet about that. Was this the so-called soul of language? [2]
“Shidou’s recovery is of the utmost priority. Don’t forget that.”
“……So why again did you drag even me in here? This many people is obviously unneeded.”
“Ahaha…… The more the merrier.”
“Exactly! Isn’t taking a bath together with Yoshino wonderful, Natsumi-chan?”
“Together……!? T-That’s too… embarrassing……”
The next few who appeared included Kotori, Natsumi, Yoshino and her puppet Yoshinon, all adorned in an array of colorful bathing suits. Kotori was dressed in a scarlet bikini; Yoshino along with Yoshinon wore sea-blue frocks, whereas Natsumi accoutered herself in a striped swimsuit which alternated between cerulean and chalk-white.
“Yaa~, so many pretty girls gathering here is such a magnificent sight. Hihihi, I can’t take it anymore.”
The last one to enter was an audacious Nia, bursting onto the stage without any shame while completely naked. Judging from her behavior and manner, this girl from head to foot emanated an ambience which was one measly step from that of an old man.
“Make love.”
Nia swung the piece of cloth in her hand against her butt with a thud. Indeed, it resembled the bearing of an old man.
“W-Why have you all come here……”
Shidou was right in the midst of opening his eyes in protest of the shock when an arm stretched out from his side, and, in an instant, he discerned the sensation of something soft and large sticking to his back.
“Huh!?”
“Ehehe——, didn’t we say it before~? We’re here to scrub Darling’s back.”
Miku bewitchingly whispered beside Shidou’s ear, causing huge beads of sweat to drip down from his face.
“T-There’s no need, I can do something like that by myself……”
“Yaaa~, Darling~, you-meanie. I’ll wash you until you’re sparkling clean with this Miku-brand sponge.”
“Uh……, wait……!”
Miku exposed a perfidious smirk, advancing towards Shidou as the clock counted down to the finale. Shortly afterwards, in order to curb Miku’s savage lust, the other Spirits all rushed to Shidou’s aid one by one.
“I-I say, what in the world are you doing, Miku!?”
“Shidou! Are you okay!? I’ll clean your body now!”
“This is paradise~! Honjou Nia engaging!!”
Wait, I said wait… H-Hyaa————————!?”
——In spite of Shidou being rather unable to recall the events and happenings of that time with considerable clarity, within the period of time between then and now, every time Shidou caught a glimpse of the messy pile of clothes inside the washing machine, his limbs would ceaselessly tremble and shiver as if reliving some traumatic phenomenon, vexing the poor boy to no apparent end.
“——Where’s Ike!”
Once she stepped foot inside DEM Industries’ head office, Ellen immediately shouted in a strident voice without the remotest solicitude for her image.
“C-Chief Executive Mathers……!? What seems to be the matter, you’re injured——”
The employee responsible for receiving guests in the lobby broadened his eyes as he enquired. Ellen impatiently clicked her tongue, clutching his necktie while demanding information.
“When did I say that you could worry about my body’s condition? Answer the question. Ike—where is he right now?”
“Hii……, uh, W-Westcott-sama has already returned…… I’m afraid that he’s currently in the infirmary.”
“I see.”
Ellen groaned and strode across the hall without uttering another word.
Even though a few other staff members had heard the tumultuous ruckus at the front and cast their wondrous sights to the scene, when they had realized that the owner of the voice was the second highest ranking member of DEM, chief executive Ellen Mathers, everybody averted their gazes as fast as possible.
However, right now Ellen did not thoroughly resent such paltry, inessential moods.
After suffering a crushing defeat due to a tactical error in the battle in outer space, approximately three hours had passed since the semi-wrecked <Goetia> touched down on the surface. Ellen’s state of mind was in a complete chaotic shambles as myriads of emotions intermingled within.
Hate-filled bloodlust towards the Fraxinus which let her experience a humiliating disaster for the first time in her life, bitter self-condemnation towards herself for being careless, along with——
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