Date A Live - Volume 16 - Chapter 5

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Chapter 5 - Samsara of Salvation

“—Did you fail?”

In a room within DEM Industries’ Japanese branch, Ellen returned the report from her subordinate with a displeased and mocking expression.

“Strange to say, but even Ike’s dispatched <Beelzebub> is struggling to make a difference.

Presently, there’s an accumulation in the record of failures. What on earth is the problem? I’d like to question if there is any reason other than the pure ability of the performer.”

“Ellen is really incredible. Only thorns dwell in your words.”

Artemisia spoke back with a wry smile. Ellen produced a ‘humph’ sound with her nose as she made an exaggerated gesture by crossing her feet together.

Then, in rhythm with that action, several sheets of paper that were carried by the wind fluttered in from the entrance of the room.

All of a sudden, a few girls with the same appearance emerged from the sheets of paper.

“Well, you’re not really qualified to say that.”

“Aren’t you the first person to fail?”

“It’s annoying to be given that angry look. How old are you?”

“……What was that?”

Ellen glared at the <Nibelcol> with a sharp gaze. The <Nibelcol> pretended to be deliberately afraid, trembling while giving out a ‘kya, kya’.

Ellen didn’t have the time to be angry at the <Nibelcol>, but it was necessary for them to understand what it meant to insult Ellen, who was the strongest. Ellen narrowed her brow as she gave the command from her brain to expand a voluntary territory.

However, Ellen’s Realizer manifestation device didn’t activate.

Just before she could, Westcott had entered the room.

“Y?~, it seems that everyone has already gathered.”

“——Ike.”

Ellen suspended her commands as she got up from her chair and fixed her posture.

Following suit, Artemisia mimicked her action in also standing upright.

“! Otou-sama!”

The <Nibelcol>’s expression suddenly brightened as they ran to Westcott’s side.

As Westcott walked towards Ellen, he slowly stroked the heads of the <Nibelcol>. His actions were shaped by the movement of his facial muscles, a tasteless and odorless smile.

“It seems like progress isn’t going smoothly. Is the manpower inadequate?”

“No, it’s not something like that……”

As Ellen tried to answer, the <Nibelcol>’s cries blocked out her words.

“Father, you have to listen to me. Every time there are troublemakers that get in the way.”

“Yes, yes, it’s so frustrating. What is that child called?”

“She’s called <Nightmare>, right? Really it’s so troublesome. If she wasn’t there, we can’t even imagine the number of times Itsuka Shidou’s head should have dropped by now.”

“Humph……”

After listening to the <Nibelcol>’s words, Westcott gave out a small groan. Then, he placed his hand beside his chin, deep in thought.

“<Nightmare>——? It’s strange to think of the Worst Spirit protecting a human. The only way to counter <Nibelcol>’s numbers should be her clones.”

“But isn’t she still a bit too far ahead of us? Undoubtedly, even by using <Beelzebub>’s investigation powers and the overwhelming number of <Nibelcol> to attack, everything done is still blocked by her.”

After Artemisia finishing speaking, Westcott gave another groan before raising the corners of his mouth.

“Maybe——she’s already aware of it. If that weren’t the case, she couldn’t hide from <Beelzebub>’s investigation.”

“Do you mean that the information of our attack was leaked?”

“No, not the plan of the attack, but rather the attack itself.”

“……?”

In response to Westcott’s words, Ellen titled her head in curiosity.

“——Kurumi! Kurumi!”

They were at an abandoned building in the outskirts of Tenguu City. In that room, Shidou ran towards Kurumi, who had just collapsed and fell onto the ground.

After covering Kurumi’s naked body with a sheet, he careful changed her position as he brought his ears closer to her mouth in order to confirm that she was still breathing.

Although small, definite sounds of breathing shook his eardrums. Shidou, feeling relieved for the time being, began to gently shake Kurumi’s shoulders.

“Kurumi, are you okay, Kurumi!”

Then, Shidou repeated the name again, as if trying to stir up Kurumi’s consciousness.

“——Please wait for a moment, Shidou-san.”

Kurumi replied back in a quiet voice.

“……!?”

However, Shidou’s expression was still filled with befuddlement because Kurumi was stilllying asleep on the ground, her lips remaining motionless.

Even so, he immediately understood the identity of the person behind the voice.

A girl, who had the same face as Kurumi, leisurely stepped out from a shadow on the wall.

No doubt, it was a clone of Kurumi created by <Zafkiel>.

The clone of Kurumi placed her index finger near Shidou’s mouth before hushing him. She made a complex facial expression while bending her knees down next to the original Kurumi.

“Please have some peace of mind, Shidou-san; I am only asleep. Please allow me to have a little bit of rest.”

‘T-That’s fine, but why did Kurumi just collapse now……”

As Shidou spoke, the clone gently stroked the original’s cheek before returning her attention back to him.

“It’s because it was too difficult for me to partake in such a big fight despite the current state of exhaustion.”

“W-What does that mean……?”

“………….”

In response to Shidou’s question, the clone suddenly exposed a hesitant expression.

She understood the reason, but it seemed like she was wondering whether or not it was appropriate to tell Shidou.

The next moment, a silhouette emerged from behind the clone.

Of course, like the clone, she also had the exact appearance as Kurumi. However, she was wearing a monotone gothic Lolita Dress rather than the usual black and red Astral Dress. A beautiful artisan’s rose decorated her head while an eyepatch for medical use masked her left eye.

“You are……”

Looking at that figure made Shidou’s eyes widen.

She was the Kurumi from five years ago, whom Shidou had seen after traveling back to the past with the power of the Twelfth Bullet <Yud Bet>. But he immediately understood what was going on. <Zafkiel>’s Eighth Bullet <Het> had reproduced a clone from Kurumi’s past.

That is to say, even if the clone was from five years ago, it wasn’t anything strange.

After some hesitation, eyepatch-Kurumi gently placed her hands on his shoulder, her red eye staring at Shidou’s blank ones.

“Shidou-san, are you prepared to listen to the truth?”

“Huh……?”

“If you don’t ask anything, pretending not to know anything, then after me wakes up, everything will return back to normal. But even so, do you still want to know the truth?”

Eyepatch-Kurumi narrowed her eyes as she spoke. As if she saw through the confusion and hesitation in his heart, Shidou seemed to have momentarily flinched.

However, Shidou gritted his teeth to strongly urge himself as he tried to return eyepatch-Kurumi’s stare.

Then, eyepatch-Kurumi began giggling, laughing as though she had just pretended for a joke.

“Ara, ara, if you wait so silently, you may have well just not continued.”

“……! H-Hey, you!”

“Just joking——for your determination, I offer endless gratitude.”

Eyepatch-Kurumi gave off a pleasant expression as she slowly stood and placed the index finger and thumb of her right hand against Shidou.

Almost——as if she was aiming at Shidou with a gun.

Then, she said.

Something far too detached from reality, words that bordered on the absurd.

“Speaking from the conclusion——Shidou-san, you are already dead.”

Eyepatch-Kurumi declared so; she raised the tips of her fingers, as if to indicate a boom from shooting a general bullet.

“……What?”

Shidou, who had no idea what eyepatch-Kurumi was saying, uttered an inaudible voice.

“What are you saying……? I’m…… dead? Oi, oi, then what am I doing still moving right now.

Or did I unconsciously go to heaven?”

“Ufufu, then that means right now I’m a goddess here.”

Eyepatch-Kurumi once again spoke in a jocular manner.

However, her expression immediately quieted down as she continued to speak.

“In other words, Shidou-san should already be dead…… no, it’s the possibility of already being dead.”

“What…… are you saying?”

Shidou didn’t know how to issue a good response to that statement.

Already being dead——a possibility, if that was the case, then the shadow of a sudden death should exist in the daily life for all humanity.

However, Shidou could no longer continue. From eyepatch-Kurumi’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was kidding or deceiving him.

“…………”

Having guessed Shidou’s thoughts from looking at his mood, eyepatch-Kurumi kept talking after giving a sad smile.

——On February 9th after school had finished Tokisaki Kurumi was the only person on the school roof, gazing at the city landscape of Tenguu City from across the fence. She had no special meaning in being there, indulging in neither nostalgia nor anxious thoughts. In the first place, there was a sensation of sound sensibility that one memorized by gazing at such scenery, though Kurumi remained skeptical about such a thing still remaining in her mind.

Of course, even for Kurumi, she would laugh, get angry. When finding something enjoyable, she would smile——she would even shed tears during sad times.

However, despite being born as a human, she couldn’t think that the contents of her mind, having spent most of her life as a Spirit, an avenger, and a murderer, would be the same as before.

The enjoyment she felt right now was certainly different from that of the old days.

The sorrow now remembered was surely different from that of yore.

However, only the persistent burning hatred in her heart stayed unmodified even after such a long time had passed.

“…………”

The sun had already started to set, and the issue of night completely engulfing the building would happen sooner or later. Although she didn’t know what time it was, she understood that it was almost the promised time.

“……Tired, I’m tired of waiting.”

Kurumi muttered in a whisper as her fingers rode on the railing of the fence.

Then, a muffled voice, which seemed to answer her, was then heard from the shadows entrenched below Kurumi’s feet.

“……Hey, me, is this really okay?”

“What’s with your baffling words?”

Hearing the words of the clone, Kurumi cast a sharp glance back.

“I can’t turn back now. Please understand the meaning of me devouring tens of thousands of lives despite still standing here. I will…… kill Shidou-san. That is the only way I can rewrite the world.”

As Kurumi spoke, there was silence for a while. Then, a voice was heard from the shadow, it seemed to have come from a different clone.

“Although the current me can only ask if this is really okay, what on earth am I exactly thinking?”

“…………”

Kurumi, after hearing the clone’s words, twitched her eyebrow and then went to step on the shadow with the heel of her shoe.

The next moment, as if to replace that noise, the creaking of the door entered her eardrums.

Most likely Shidou had arrived. Kurumi took a deep breath to calm herself down before turning slowly to look at the entrance on the roof.

“——Ara.”

There stood Shidou, just as Kurumi had predicted. His expression was stiff with determination and tension as he stared at Kurumi.

“Ufufu, welcome. So you’ve really come to the appointed time, Shidou-san.”

Kurumi loosened her cheeks as she spoke, raising the hem of her skirt to give a gracious curtsy as if she was in line for a respectful ceremony.

Shidou, who was staring at Kurumi’s figure, blushed slightly for a moment. However, he shook his head at once as if to throw that thought out of his head.

At that instant, Kurumi glanced past Shidou and towards the door he had come from. Just after he passed through, the door felt like it moved slightly.

——Probably, Tohka and the others had come to peek at their situation after being worried about Shidou.

Although it couldn’t be helped, it meant that there was no trust between them. Kurumi sighed in a self-deprecating manner. Then, almost as if in conjunction with her actions, Shidou opened his mouth to speak.

“Kurumi, I’ve come just as promised.”

And so, Kurumi stared straight into the sight of those eyes gleaming with the radiance of a firm determination that indicated his awareness.

It hadn’t been even one year since she first met Shidou, but it felt like his strength had increased considerably. She unintentionally relaxed her mouth for a moment.

“——You have changed little by little, Shidou-san.”

“Huh……?”

“Right now, you’re face has grown up to become so much mature compared to when we first met. Well, after getting through that field of carnage maybe it’s a matter of course…… Ufufu you made it through wonderfully.”

“D-Don’t make fun of me.”

Shidou replied shyly. Although it was nearing sunset, it was still clearly visible that Shidou face was blushing red. It seemed that this cute scene still didn’t change.

“Compared to that, you should continue on from that conversation from this morning; the conditions for sealing your reiryoku.”

“………”

Kurumi laughed in response to Shidou’s words.

Although it wasn’t a facial expression indicating hostility, perhaps it might been the results of the other side personally showcasing the marginal superiority in her advantage. Shidou made a nervous expression as he gulped.

“Eh, eh. So then I’ll tell you, I——”

——At that time.

The next moment just as Kurumi began to speak.

A single line passed through Kurumi’s vision, as the scene in front of her eyes turned bright red.

“Eh……?”

Suddenly, Shidou didn’t know what the hell happened, a shaky voice leaking out from his throat.

After a moment, Shidou understood that the bright red hue in front of his eyes was the color of the blood spewing from his chest.

“————”

Instantaneously.

Indeed, literally during the blink of a moment, Shidou was pierced through his chest by a girl flying in the sky.

Blonde hair dancing in the wind and an armor of platinum covered by fresh blood——the Wizard Ellen Mathers.

“Ah……, ga……~aaah!”

Shidou, who fell down on the floor, screamed in pain. Hemoptysis, a lot of blood began spewing out from his mouth.

In that moment, the closed roof door was slammed open with extreme vigor.

“Shidou!”

“Shidou……!”

The Spirits who were eavesdropping by the door ran out in a panic. As a result of Shidou vomiting blood and convulsing, the light gathered around the Spirits who ran out as they assumed their Limited Astral Dresses.

However——

“……Humph.”

Ellen gave off a slight laugh filled with ridicule as she glanced towards the Spirits. Then, she suddenly raised her left hand.

Then, a portion of her CR-unit ejected countless sheets of paper, dancing in the air as it surrounded Ellen and Shidou.

Then, at the next moment, numerous girls with the same face emerged from the sheets of paper.

“……!?”

It was a scene resembling Kurumi’s clones emerging from her shadow. Wearing clothes that looked similar to an Astral Dress, and with fluttering charcoal hair, these girls stood there to block the Spirits’ path.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t let you get in the way.”

“Well, although it’s hard to say, it looks like you’re going to bother us.”

“Wh……!? What are these guys?”

“Dismay. Who are you?”

The Yamai Sisters raised astonished voices as they summoned their Angel, <Raphael>.

Similarly, Tohka and Origami manifested their Angels in their hands and attacked the girls.

“Get out of the way, aaaaaaah!”

“Fuh——”

However——these girls did not try to avoid the blow.

While laughing with a thin smile on their faces, these girls gladly received the slash from <Sandalphon> and the artillery bombardment from <Metatron>.

Of course, this was not the end. These girls’ bodies were either cut apart or punctured.

However, they did not even give a moan of anguish, let alone distort their faces to reflect a painful expression. They only smiled and laughed.

Then, in the gap of their attack, others girls, one by one, grappled Tohka’s sword and Origami’s feathers.

”……!”

Kurumi’s expression could not help but tense up——as a matter of fact, although these girls had reiryoku within their bodies, they didn’t have the power to compete against Tohka and the others as opponents.

However, the issue lay in their numbers and how they didn’t care about the deaths of individuals within the group.

Although she didn’t know their true identity, Kurumi understood from deep within her bones the degree of trouble so painfully, having used quantity as a weapon herself.

“—— We!”

In a moment after understanding that, Kurumi began to call forward.

As if in response to that, Kurumi’s shadow began to expand from the floor of the rooftop, from which a large number of Kurumis appeared.

Then, the Kurumis, in response to their master’s will, wrestled to restrict the unidentified girls stopping Tohka and the others.

Apart from that, she did not want to save Tohka and the others. But if left alone, Ellen would certainly kill Shidou. It was an unacceptable situation for Kurumi, who was seeking the reiryoku sealed within Shidou’s body.

“Kihihi, hihi hihi!”

“Isn’t this the patented skill that we have monopolise?”

“Haha, what is this?”

“Oh, so you are the rumored <Nightmare>? There are more of you than imagined.”

The Kurumis and the girls engaged in combat with each other, transforming the school rooftop into a scene of sanguinary annihilation.

However, that alone was not enough. The clones could only serve as opponents for those girls.

Kurumi pulled out a pistol from the shadows and aligned the muzzle to Ellen, who was stepping on Shidou’s back.

“——!?”

The moment she was about to pull the trigger, she saw that her arm was cut cleanly and flew into the air.

It was not an attack from Ellen.

Before unnoticed, another Wizard appeared just behind Kurumi.

“I will not let you succeed, <Nightmare>.”

“……Artemisia Ashcroft……!”

Kurumi gritted her teeth as she called out the name of the blonde girl.

A terrible pain was produced from having her arm cut off by the laser blade. Kurumi tightened biting her lip with her teeth as she endured the pain, escaping from Artemisia’s pursuit within that paper-thin difference.

Melee. A free for all fight. Swordsmanship with a hail of bullet.

Just in a few tens of seconds, the rooftop of the once peaceful school turned into a battlefield.

It was difficult to grasp what was happening anymore. Whether it was warding off Artemisia’s continuous sword blows, there was not even enough space to release the Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.

However, in the middle of that, one thing was certain.

Right now, Shidou’s life was about to be plucked away.

“——It’s over.”

With calm yet cruel words, Ellen Mathers swung the sword in her hand.

“Stop it, ahhhhhh!”

Tohka’s scream echoed throughout the battlefield.

However, Ellen’s hand did not stop.

With the sword knitted with dense magical power, it was very easy to decapitate Shidou’s head.

“——”

Gulu, a pool of blood was overflowing.

Already struggling to repair a fatal chest wound, the fiery flames of <Camael> that had been swaying on his chest gradually disappeared. As the power disappeared, Shidou’s hands and legs gradually stiffened.

It was just like the light of Shidou’s life being extinguished.

“——Ah.”

The Spirits who saw this sight fell onto the ground with their Angels.

Their faces grew pale as they began trembling. Sorrow. Loss. A sense of helplessness. No language could express the emotion invading their hearts.

If one were to describe it——it was like being filled with bottomless despair.

“Ha!”

“Guh——”

After escaping from an uncountable number of Artemisia’s attacks, Kurumi angrily clenched her teeth as she danced into the shadows.

“……Hah…… Hah……”

Moving through the shadows, Kurumi finally came out to the outside world.

She was now at a hill overlooking Raizen High School. The platform was bad because it wasn’t maintained like a park, but it was more convenient because there were no people in the neighborhood.

“Are you alright, me.”

After a few minutes, a clone exposed her face from the shadows and asked with a worried expression.

Then, another clone crawled out of the shadows carrying the right arm that Artemisia had cut off.

“Me, here.”

“……Good.”

Kurumi responded back with thick sweat on her forehead. Then searched the shadow with the remaining left hand and took out the short gun of <Zafkiel> to load the bullet.

“<Zafkiel>——Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.”

After chanting out the name, Kurumi directed the path of the bullet towards her own temple.

At that moment, as though unwinding time, the severed arm flew into the air and reattached itself to the tip of her right arm.

“……!”

Then, Kurumi, having finished restoring her arm to its original state, had her eyes brighten up after seeing the scene at the end of her sight.

Raizen High School’s roof, on that side a tremendous flash of light sprouted out, burning the very sky above the earth.

With an intermittent echoing roar, the school building collapsed in an instant.

At last, there was a sharp alarm ringing throughout the town, but it was already too late. A huge tornado weltered around the school building, which had been reduced into rubble, magnifying the damage to the surrounding structures one after another. Then, a condensed jet-black light expanded radially from the center of the building. As far as one could see, the landscape had transformed into scorched earth.

“That is……”

“Tohka-san and the others are fighting……?”

The clones were surprised at the direction of the light.

However, Kurumi was aware that it was not just light radiating from reiryoku.

Even though they were talking at such a distance, there was an illusion of their skin being attacked by acupuncture needles.

Despair. Fury. Hatred. It was a sense of unleashing all those negative feelings from the body into a weapon.

Even if the reiryoku flowed backward from Shidou, this phenomenon would not happen. It was far from a matter of simple quantity of reiryoku. In the first place, the quality had transformed into something poles apart.

Yes, in other words, it was as if a positive value had been intuitively tacked with a minus.

Kurumi remembered this phenomenon. She wrinkled her eyebrows together before giving out a moan.

“Inversion——did it happen?”

“……!”

Hearing Kurumi’s words, the clones held their breath.

Without a doubt, the Spirits that were there——Tohka, Origami, and the Yamai Sisters, everyone had become an inverse Spirit.

But that was a reasonable story. With Shidou’s head flying out in front of them, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the abyss of despair swallowing them.

“Well——”

“……”

Suddenly, a voice interrupted Kurumi’s thought process, causing her to unexpectedly choke breathlessly.

Judging by a closer look, another clone was presenting herself from out of the shadow.

No——not just that. The clone was holding Shidou, being stained by the dark red blood dripping from his body.

“Me, this is……!”

“Yeah, yeah…… it was a close call , but I would also blame myself for leaving it as it was.”

So with that said, the clone placed Shidou’s severed corpse on the ground.

“…………the Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.”

Kurumi remained in silence for a while after shooting Shidou’s body with the gun in her hand.

Just like what happened previously with Kurumi’s arm, Shidou’s head, which had been separated from his torso, gently reattached itself to his body. The large hole in his chest had also been filled up.

However——it was just that.

Shidou’s eyes were still shut, no signs of even the slightest hint of breathing.

Indeed, the fourth bullet <Dalet> was a bullet capable of rewinding time. In fact, Shidou’s body had returned to the state of life. However, it was only to that extent. It was impossible to restore a life already lost.

“………..”

Kurumi, in order to calm down her heartbeat, took in a deep breath before thinking of about what to do next.

——While watching Shidou’s remains sleep peacefully, the scenery of the end of the world appeared beyond her line of sight.

However, after a moment of a silence, a voice leaked out from her throat.

“I……failed, didn’t I……?”

Such words were colored by pessimistic resignation.

——Just a few minutes ago, it’d been going so well. Kurumi tightened the grip on her fist so much that blood started to seep out.

By obtaining Shidou’s power, she would have used the twelfth bullet <Yud Bet> to return to thirty years ago and erase the existence of the First Spirit.

Then, everything was supposed to be rewarded.

Kurumi walked through thousands of days.

There were tens of thousands of lives lying before Kurumi’s feet.

It was all brought to naught in the blink of an eye.

Shattered——because of someone.

By the hands of the hated Wizard, Ellen Mathers.

“Ah…… Ah, AH!”

Leaving it to her passion, Kurumi slammed the ground with her right arm.

Seeing the usually aloof Kurumi behave this way, the clone’s shoulders began to suddenly tremble.

However, for Kurumi right now, there was no time to leisurely care about the clones’ reaction.

Hope was cut off. Hope was broken——in the worst way possible by killing Shidou in front of her.

“……”

Thinking of that, Kurumi held her breath.

It was a matter of course for her heart to be filled with unspeakable hatred.

Regardless, the road where she so painstakingly struggled for the goal in her life had collapsed.

Moreover, everything was still caused by what the woman of origin had given.

If it had been Kurumi when she was younger, then perhaps she would have also inverted just like Tohka and the others.

Yet Kurumi realized that there were other emotions mixed in with said anger.

Ah——that’s right.

Kurumi covered Shidou’s forehead with hands stained with dust and blood, gently spreading his eyes wide open.

For Kurumi, she felt a deep sense of remorse for not being able to save Shidou from being killed right in front of her.

Endless sadness——a feeling of helplessness.

Kurumi’s mind was lost in a chaotic whirlpool. Despite arriving at an answer, she still did not understand its meaning.

It was a tremendous contradiction. Why was Kurumi thinking that despite wanting to kill Shidou herself.

“Shidou…… -san……”

Various memories emerged from her mind. At the same time, various feelings were also intertwined, throwing Kurumi’s mind into disarray.

Shidou. Itsuka Shidou. A boy who loved Spirits and was loved by Spirits. Even in front of Kurumi, he overcame his fear and extended out his hand.

Kurumi was unconsciously clinging onto the shoulder of Shidou’s remains.

Placing her lips on top of his——

Still not lost in its softness, but also a very cold kiss.

Feeling that touch, Kurumi finally remembered.

In the game with Shidou——she was the one who was defeated.

“……To be unconscious even for the second kiss, what a really unfortunate one.”

Kurumi slowly narrowed her eyes.

Last year in June, during an encounter with Shidou, Kurumi was defeated by the Spirit of Fire, Itsuka Kotori and narrowly escaped.

At that time, the person who stepped in between Kotori and Kurumi was none other than Shidou.

Although it was a slightly awkward performance for a knight, it did not change the fact that he saved her life. Before Kurumi escaped into the shadows, she left a kiss on his lips as a substitute for thanking him.

Although by now, all this had been completely gone.

——However.

“……Huh?”

At the next moment, Kurumi frowned at the strange sensation.

How could it be expressed? It was as if a warm thing had flown into her body.

Just like once, when Mio had handed her a Sephira Crystal—— “……<Zafkiel>!”

Remembering that time, Kurumi instinctively declared that name. In response to Kurumi’s call , a huge clock appeared from within the shadows.

“……!”

“Me, this is……!”

The clone gave out a voice filled with astonishment.

However, that was unavoidable. Because on the clock, the numeral VI, whose color had faded ever since the battle against Kotori, was shining brightly.

“What does that mean……? No way——”

Kurumi slowly stood up, stroking each dial on the clock in order.

Accelerating the target, the First Bullet <Aleph>.

Slowing down the passage of time of an object, the Second Bullet <Bet>.

Causing the target to age, the Third Bullet <Gimmel>.

Rewinding the target’s time, the Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.

Allowing a short-term prediction of the future, the Fifth Bullet <Hei>.

Stopping the target’s time, the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>.

Reproducing a copy from one’s past, the Eight Bullet <Het>.

Establishing a connection with a person on another time axis, the Ninth Bullet <Tet>.

Recalling the memory of the target shot, the Tenth Bullet <Yud>.

Directly engulfing a Spirits’ power and travelling back in time, the Eleventh Bullet <Yud Aleph> and the Twelfth Bullet <Yud Bet>.

Kurumi’s hand finally touched the numeral located on the very bottom of the clock.

——The only numeral so far to lose its color, VI.

“……The Sixth Bullet <Vav>.”

Kurumi murmured a little as she looked at Shidou’s corpse.

Obviously, the Sixth Bullet <Vav > had regained its radiance after the kiss with Shidou.

Shidou could seal reiryoku through a kiss. Kurumi was well aware of that matter because of the investigation of her doppelgängers. Instead of the Sixth Bullet <Vav> being broken during the battle against Kotori, was it actually sealed up until now due to the prank kiss with Shidou?

If so, even if incomplete, but at that time, Kurumi’s heart had begun to open to up to Shidou.

Kurumi twisted her lips with a self-deprecating feeling————the emotion of the defeated that had lost the match. Perhaps, from the very beginning, Kurumi lacked any chance for victory.

However, with sweat dripping from her forehead, Kurumi revealed a dazzling smile.

The Sixth Bullet <Vav>, which had been sealed up until the present, was <Zafkiel>’s best move.

If she had used this power she gained back unexpectedly, changing this outcome was not necessarily impossible.

It was terribly weak to call it hope——however it was enough to inspire Kurumi again.

But Kurumi had not yet paid the price.

To be accurate——in order to achieve her goal, even more sacrifice was required now.

“——We.”

Kurumi quietly spoke in front of a row of clones that all started nodding as if understanding her intentions in a split second.

And so, she made a declaration.

“For Shidou-san’s sake——please die.”

Then the clones all began laughing, as if they were all well aware of her motives.

“Yes, yes, gladly.”

“Come on now, let’s all go on ahead.”

“This body from the very beginning has always been temporary.”

“Please use it to its fullest.”

“As long as this life can be used as a stepping stone for me.”

“Let’s go on to Higan with pleasure.”

“We can say something amusing now.”

“You can also use me if you want.”

“You won’t find it impossible to refuse.”

“Hahahaha.”

The clones merely laughed happily.

Certainly no one would remain intact in the end, nobody would survive.

However, from their expression, you couldn’t even see the slightest fragment of gloom.

Kurumi gave off a wry smile. The figures of the girls who shared the same appearance as her were unquestionably reliable. She couldn’t help but feel proud——even though it would also be a type of narcissism.

“——Then, please follow me, we, for this unprecedented journey to the other world.”

Then, while chanting loudly, Kurumi raised her right arm holding the gun.

The name of the power that was once lost and regained with a great price.

The name of another bullet with the possibility to change this world.

“<Zafkiel>——the Sixth Bullet <Vav>.”

Kurumi directed the gun with bullet towards her temple——with a smile on her face she pulled the trigger.

“————”

Quite abruptly, she woke up.

No…… whether this fitted the description of waking up was a matter up for debate.

Anyway, after Kurumi regained consciousness, she immediately went to confirm the surrounding situation.

A dim room where only the minimum amount of furniture had been placed, it was one of the several strongholds that Kurumi had in the city.

On the wall hung a freshly cleaned uniform, and the date February 8th was displayed on the screen of the mobile phone prepared for gathering information.

So, Kurumi had returned.

February 8th, the day before Kurumi went back to Raizen High School.

“……Apparently it seems to have succeeded.”

<Zafkiel>——the Sixth Bullet <Vav>.

A bullet that allowed the target’s consciousness to return to a past body.

Although it depended on how much time was depleted, it could only be used to trace backwards up to a few days, far less than the extent capable with the Twelfth Bullet <Yud Bet>. However, at this moment, it wouldn’t be a metaphor to say that it was a bullet where a single shot could be used to save the world.

——But the hard work would start from here. Kurumi went to grab a coat to wear, opened the door and left the room.

Then, while descending down the stairs of the abandoned building, she staggered on in the inaccessible alley, as she was talking to herself.

“——Well, it’s time to move, we.”

Then, in response to that, a tremendous number of responses ensued from the shadow.

“Yes, yes.”

“There isn’t much time.”

“The enemy is Ellen Mathers and Artemisia Ashcroft.”

“And those mysterious girls.”

“For the moment, do you want to change the location from the open rooftop of where to call Shidou to?”

“No, then the other party will only change their attack strategy in haste. It’s a bad move to let go of the advantage of knowing where the battle will occur.”

“Then, let us suppress those we are going to attack.”

“Yes, yes, that is the only thing that can be done.”

“Please take into account the difference in fighting power of the enemy. We would be able to handle those girls, but those two Wizards are monsters. Ah, even if you introduce us, it will be difficult to stop both at the same time. There must be at least one ally, someone with power comparable to them.”

“But I don’t think it is possible to find such a convenient ally.”

“No, no, there is still one person that we have.”

“In my mind, there is one person, but it’s a candidate that I don’t want to rely on that much.”

“That is——”

As she was about to ask, Kurumi suddenly flashed a bitter smile, having imagined the person that the clone was think about.

The clone not wanting to rely on her was reasonable enough. After all, she was probably the girl who had killed the largest number of Kurumi’s clones.

“Well, that’s unpleasant. But there is no one more suitable than her.”

Kurumi raised her hand to release an instruction without letting the dialogue loosen her walking pace.

“——Us, please go to Mana-san’s residence, rush there for emergency negotiations.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Roger that.”

“In addition please form a separate group to explore the movements of DEM Industries. —— Looking from how even Kotori-san couldn’t do anything, there’s the possibility that they are using <Beelzebub> to find blind spots in their vigilance.”

“Understood.”

“Be careful.”

“Perhaps, the other side also wants to immediately decide the outcome. I think that they will attack only once. Keep a close guard around Shidou-san. Do not let them the opportunity ——of killing Shidou-san. Make sure he thinks that there is no one outside, except for me, Tokisaki Kurumi.”

As Kurumi spoke, the clones all smiled and laughed together.

“Ara, ara.”

“Truly, me.”

“Such a dangerous confession.”

“……Uh.”

Hearing these claims made Kurumi blush as her breathing became ragged. She stepped on the ground with her foot irritatingly.

After venting that out, Kurumi regained her determination as she turned to the front for a declaration.

“Come out, us——even if unintended, let us rescue and save this world.”

——Then, Tokisaki Kurumi’s battle began.

It took about six days’ worth of time.

But in those six days, Kurumi protected Shidou many times and had also repeatedly suffered the loss of Shidou several times.

The enemy was the cunning DEM Industries. Through the usage of the Demon King <Beelzebub>, they persistently seized every opportunity against Shidou’s life through the daughters of the demon king, the <Nibelcol>, and the strongest cards Ellen and Artemisia.

Even at the expense of sacrificing several Kurumis, going through a thousand measures, Kurumi continued fighting.

Every time Shidou died, she would use his lips to regain the Sixth Bullet <Vav>.

Again and again, the world was redone.

In the center of those disasters, fortunately the Sixth Bullet <Vav> only returned Kurumi’s memories.

Before Shidou could die, the consciousness would come back to a previous version of her body before regaining the Sixth Bullet. So the time used to fuel the Sixth Bullet <Vav> and the clones used to stop the enemy were reset to its original state.

After all the time needed to use the Sixth Bullet <Vav> was immense and the production of clones through the Eighth Bullet <Het> was not infinite.

If this reset was not established, the time held by Kurumi would have hit rock bottom already.

But in other words——it also meant the same for the enemy.

Even after killing a few <Nibelcol> and dismissing Ellen many times, the damage they received would be reset every time Kurumi utilised the Sixth Bullet <Vav>.

No——precisely due to not knowing they had fought Kurumi before, every time they would act in accordance to the same plan to kill Shidou.

The sole advantage that Kurumi held was a hell fire-like passion that burned by itself.

Once.

Ten times.

More than a hundred times.

While killing and being killed repeatedly, Kurumi gradually felt her own heart becoming fatigued.

Mechanically digesting the same events every time.

Only to be defeated by an abnormality different from the previous.

And in the core of this, the mind of the original Kurumi began to wear away in exhaustion.

But—— Kurumi never relinquished the gun in her hands.

Every time Shidou was killed.

And whenever she touched those stiff lips.

Kurumi wanted to be carried by that hand once again.

“Shidou-san…… hey, Shidou-san?”

How many times was it in the end?

Holding on to Shidou’s cold lips with her own——

“Let’s meet again……?”

Kurumi pulled the trigger at her own head.

“What……”

While listening to eyepatch-Kurumi’s story, Shidou gave out a sharp voice.

He could not help but touch his chest and head. Of course, there was no hole in his chest and his head was still attached to his neck.

“I…… was once dead?”

While being pointed to this unrealistic sensation, Shidou found it difficult to squeeze out that sentence from his throat.

At best, he used a strenuous amount of energy to unpleasantly emit that word. By admitting it with his own mouth, it was like remembering the illusion of denying his own life.

But eyepatch-Kurumi shook her head slowly in response to Shidou’s words.

“No, that word is inaccurate.”

Then she stared at Shidou’s eyes while continuing.

“——204 times.”

“Huh……?”

“That is——the number of times Shidou-san has died by the hands of DEM within that repetition of six days.”

“————”

This time, no voice came out of Shidou.

204 times, this was far beyond the expected number, causing him to be momentarily dumbfounded.

Regardless, eyepatch-Kurumi continued.

“We were also keenly aware of it…… but frustratingly the terror of <Beelzebub> allowed them to strike at any opening, creating a variety of ways to harvest the life of Shidou-san.

“Hey, please wait, that kind of——”

To avoid saying something stupid, Shidou suddenly closed his lips and stopped mid-way of what he was speaking.

Although the method was different, Shidou had once traveled back in time with the help of Kurumi and changed history. No matter how absurd a story it was, he could not deny those words.

And more than anything——

“…………”

Shidou saw the color of Kurumi’s face after she had just fainted.

With that face, beyond her aloof demeanor was a girl who was all but completely exhausted.

Even if the reiryoku sealed within his body was the purpose, Kurumi had made a huge sacrifice to save Shidou’s life. In fact, it was a dedication that Shidou could not easily describe.

Having guessed Shidou’s thought process, eyepatch-Kurumi gently focused on him with her one eye.

“Like I said, every time, we would send the consciousness back to the past using the Sixth Bullet <Vav>. Again and again——Of course, only the consciousness goes beyond time. The time used and the dead clones will also return to their original state.”

Then, eyepatch-Kurumi took in a deep breath.

“The mind of me, which was strained by repeating the same time over and over again, has reached its limit.”

“…………”

Shidou silently sighed as his line of sight once again fell down to Kurumi on the floor.

The appearance-same usual beauty——but there were also transient signs of frailness.

Understanding…… Yes, in order for Kurumi’s goal to be achieved, the reiryoku sealed within Shidou’s body was indispensable, and it was absolutely necessary to avoid letting Shidou be killed by DEM. So it was reasonable that Kurumi repeatedly saved his life through trial and error.

But there was one thing he could not comprehend.

Shidou looked on to the sleeping Kurumi while muttering to himself.

“Why…… didn’t you just immediately eat me……?”

Yes, it was incomprehensible for Shidou.

Certainly, being around the Spirits and <Ratatoskr>, it would be very difficult for Kurumi to succeed.

However, Kurumi could use the Sixth Bullet <Vav> to travel back to the same time as many times as possible. In that case, it was not impossible for her to exploit an opportunity in Shidou’s life.

However, Kurumi did not do that.

Abiding to the initial agreement, dating——and then revealing all of her secrets in order to seek Shidou’s understanding.

To Shidou——asking for help.

Even while exasperating her stamina, going as far to expose her sleeping posture to Shidou was something that could not usually happen.

“……Shidou-san.”

Eyepatch-Kurumi relaxed her mouth as she turned her line of sight towards Shidou.

“Please do not ask anything thoughtless, me is——”

——Suddenly.

Just as eyepatch-Kurumi was trying to say something, Kurumi, who should have been still lying down, moved her hand as a short gun materialized before firing off a bullet.

A bullet like a solid shadow of jet black struck eyepatch-Kurumi in the cheek and carved a small crater on the walall. After a moment, eyepatch-Kurumi opened her eyes while still in fright.

“……It seems there was a lot of enjoyment in talking while I was sleeping, me.”

Kurumi, with eyes half-open, slowly got up. On the other side, the clone was extending out her hands up in the air anxiously, but she merely ignored this while standing up.

“……Excuse me, Shidou-san. The young me in front of you seems to be going through a difficult phase.”

Kurumi spoke while trying to suppress her dizziness by placing her hand on her forehead.

Despite her behavior being full of Kurumi’s usual composure——but for Shidou, no matter what it seemed like she was trying to pull off a brave act. Shidou could not help but stretch out his hand to support her.

“Kurumi——”

“……”

Kurumi retired behind in order to avoid Shidou’s hand.

However, he could not see things resembling feelings of disgust in that expression.

If anything, yes——it looked as if she was afraid of touching the hand.

Kurumi shook her shoulder as she seemed to be aware of her own facial expression, exposing an unfriendly smile to Shidou.

“——Please don’t understand, Shidou-san. I helped Shidou-san because I would be troubled if that sealed reiryoku was lost.”

“Ah, ah…… I understand.”

Shidou was overwhelmed by the momentum to answer properly. As a result, Kurumi gently turned her back to him.

“……No interest ah, let’s go this far for today.”

“Ah——hey, Kurumi!”

Shidou reached out his hand while screaming, however—— As it was, Kurumi and her clone disappeared together into the shadows.

“……Kurumi——”

While watching the floor where Kurumi had disappeared into, Shidou clenched his fist.

Kurumi, Tokisaki Kurumi.

More horrible than anyone, more ruthless than anyone——a girl gentler than anyone.

The boy who was saved by her many times slowly raised his face.

That pair of eyes was marked with a brilliant spark of determination.

“This time… it’s my turn to save you…”

On the roof of the building lit by the moonlight, a shadow expanded as if it was ink that had been spilled.

Kurumi looked out, taking in a deep breath as she exposed her body to the fresh air.

“……Fuh.”

Sure enough, there seemed to have been no strength left. Kurumi inhaled another deep breath while keeping her back against the railing.

Then, as if following her lead, the Kurumi from five years ago, with an eyepatch on her left eye, crawled out of the shadow.

Of course, she still left a large number of clones to protect Shidou. However, numerous clones, including this individual, decided to accompany Kurumi.

Yes, she was the culprit who had blurted a lot of unnecessary things to Shidou while Kurumi was unconscious. Kurumi glared at eyepatch-Kurumi with sullen eyes.

“——You’ve done something unnecessary, me.”

“Ara, ara.”

As Kurumi spoke, eyepatch-Kurumi appeared in a daze, placing her index finger on her chin while she adverted her eyes.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I merely thought Shidou-san looked bored and decided to talk to him.”

As eyepatch Kurumi pretended to know nothing, Kurumi cleared her throat as she twitched the edge of her brow.

“…… Me.”

However, those words were not directed towards eyepatch-Kurumi.

As if responding to that command, the shadow below her feet began creeping as another Kurumi clone made a face as if imploring her to apologize.

“……Yes, me, this eyepatch was talking to Shidou-san about everything that happened during these last few days.”

“Kihi~tsu!?”

With the betrayal of her fellow compatriot, eyepatch-Kurumi raised a shrill voice. Kurumi, with eyes half-closed, glared at her once again.

“Let me explain, me.”

As Kurumi gave a groan while holding her hand on her chest, eyepatch-Kurumi waited for a while before making a serious shrug with her shoulders.

“Although it is indeed as you said, it is better to say that I do not understand why not, ah me.

The determination of me is not as usual as it is wishful, me. That is why despite the strong vigilance of me, it was that reason for exposing my sleeping appearance in front of Shidou-san.”

“……Well.”

Hurt by the painful point, Kurumi slightly wrinkled her brow as eyepatch Kurumi continued with her momentum.

“If so, who should be blamed for informing Shidou-san. And even Shidou-san would cherish the idea of me after saving him numerous times. What in the world are the disadvantages!”

“………”

Eyepatch Kurumi made a grand appeal while conducting her speech.

After a moment of silence, Kurumi replied with her cheek flushed.

“……It’s not like that.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“There is no misunderstanding! Isn’t my match with Shidou-san where the one who falls in love first loses!? Such a thing——if it was known that I did that to help Shidou-san, it would the same thing as being attached to Shidou-san……!”

“……Wow, me……?”

Eyepatch-Kurumi’s eyes opened wide in surprise, as she soon shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

“Hehe…… Hahahahah, that’s right, it’s exactly as you said.”

“……Somehow, I feel like a fool.”

“It’s your illusion.”

Eyepatch-Kurumi continued to speak while shrugging her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Kurumi seemed unhappy as she wrinkled her brow.

——How did she get herself in this messy humbling position. Even if she wanted to use the Sixth Bullet <Vav> to travel back to before the fall , Shidou had not yet died in this timeline, so <Zafkiel> had not regained its power yet.

However, if she tried to kiss him while Shidou was still alive, the reiryoku that remained in Kurumi could also be sealed.

“So…… what are you going to do now, me? Even if the crisis has been averted for now, there isn’t much time left, right?”

“……That’s right.”

Hearing the clone’s words, Kurumi let out a distressed expression.

Fighting to keep Shidou alive was the prerequisite to continue. But in the case of eating Shidou—— Then.

“……You seem to be in distress.”

“……!?”

At that moment, a voice other than the clone resounded in the darkness of the night. Kurumi nearly choked on her breath in the process.

Was it high or low, a man or a woman? It was impossible to tell from this strange voice.

It was a voice that Kurumi remembered. She immediately gave the command for her clones to begin as two old-style guns emerged from the shadows.

“……Oh, it doesn’t seem like I’m much welcomed here. I’m only here to give advice.”

It was impossible to distinguish the figure of the person from the sound of the voice.

While unknowingly standing on the corner of the roof, the shadow of a figure covered in mosaics. The image resolution of that person’s existence remained very vague. Surely, there was someone there, but it was impossible to tell what was there.

Yes, it was the Spirit that Shidou and the others called <Phantom>.

Kurumi used to receive information several times from this Spirit. In fact the information about a boy called Itsuka Shidou was brought to her by <Phantom>.

But right now <Phantom> was no longer a cooperator to Kurumi.

No, certainly——it was an enemy.

“……Welcome? Me for you? Please temporarily leave the jokes aside.”

As Kurumi cast a sharp gaze with her eyes, a few seconds later, <Phantom> gave out a sigh as if having guessed everything.

“……Oh, I see. You already know? ——Then there is no way around it. It’s a pity, but it was true that I wanted to give advice though.”

After saying that, <Phantom> made a slight movement forward.

“Did you think——you could escape……!?”

Accompanied by Kurumi’s voice, all of the clones pulled the trigger together to fire a shower of bullet.

An endless number of black bullet rushed through the darkness at night and attacked <Phantom>.

“————”

<Phantom> jumped to the sky, to avoid the bullet from the clones.

But that was within Kurumi’s wishes. In order to provide an opening for <Phantom> to escape, she didn’t want any of the clone to aim for above.

“<Zafkiel> ——the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>!”

Kurumi roared as she pulled the trigger.

Absolutely invincible, the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>, the shot which could stop time itself had pierced <Phantom>.

At that moment, the mosaic pattern stopped in the air perfectly.

“We!”

The next moment, the clones aligned their muzzles upward and fired their rounds.

Poor <Phantom> could not even speak while being showered in a hail of over 100 bullet.

——It seemed like that.

“……Ya-re, ya-re, you caught me off guard.”

“Wh——”

As a result of the voice coming in front of her, Kurumi unintentionally knitted her brows.

There was a massive clump of mosaic still in the sky. But the voice came from directly beneath the chunk.

On the ground of the roof, there was a woman squatting on her knees.

Yes, it was like she stopped the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> by leaving those clothes in the air while landing below.

“This is…… your true appearance, isn’t it?”

Kurumi did not hesitate to lift her gun while staring at the woman.

“……Well, that ought to be right. I didn’t expect those barriers to be stripped away so beautifully. As expected of you——Kurumi.”

While saying that, the lady slowly raised her face.

Looking at that face.

Kurumi’s eyes widened.

“——Uh.”

Long, messy hair could be easily recognized. A girl about twenty years old.

It looked like she had not slept for a long time. Her eyes had thick dark circles. And peering out of her pocket was a stuffed bear covered with scars.

“Murasame——sensei.”

“…………”

Kurumi called out the name of that woman——Murasame Reine, before returning to silence.

Yes, basked in moonlight was a teacher from the school that Kurumi had attended, Murasame Reine.

Of course, Kurumi knew that she wasn’t just a teacher. She was a member of <Ratatoskr> led by Kotori, and also someone who also wanted Shidou to win her over.

However, even after taking that into consideration, it was incredibly surprising that existence was Reine.

——It didn’t make sense, Phantom was Murasame Reine? Then the information that Kurumi received was—— “——————Ah.”

However.

An extremely small voice squeezed out from Kurumi’s throat.”

“Yes… That way, ah, ah, ah, finally——everything adds up.”

“…………”

Hearing Kurumi’s words, Reine gently narrowed her eyes as she kicked off from the floor.

She tried to escape with a jumping power impossible for a human being.

“——! We!”

Kurumi reverberated a fierce scream.

Then, the shadow on the floor creeped up the moment Reine landed, with countless hands seizing her body.

“……Kuh——”