A bright, sun‑drenched afternoon.
The shopping district of Tengu City was teeming with people.
Tohka Yatogami stood outside a dessert shop, her nose almost pressed against the glass display.
Her violet eyes were locked on the lavish parfaits inside—layers of strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream so tempting that she swallowed unconsciously.
"I really want to eat that…" she mumbled, tapping the glass with a fingertip as though she could taste the sweetness through it.
Then she patted her completely empty pockets and sighed.
She had learned from Erica that in the human world you needed money to buy things.
But she had none, so all she could do was look.
Leaving the dessert shop, Tohka wandered aimlessly down the street.
Everything in the modern world was new and wonderful to her: colorful signs, delicious aromas, laughing crowds…
Yet, as Spirit who possessed nothing, she couldn't enjoy any of it.
She turned a corner and noticed a large crowd ahead.
People were lined up, books in hand, excitement on their faces.
Curiosity drew her closer.
Through a gap in the crowd she saw a long table covered with a white cloth.
Seated behind it was a silver‑haired woman wearing glasses and a mask.
"Honjō Nia‑sensei! Please sign my copy!"
"Sensei, I'm your biggest fan!"
"The new volume of Crimson Knight was amazing!"
Amid the cheers, Tohka realized it was a signing event for a manga artist.
She rose on tiptoe, eager to see the creator everyone called "Honjō‑sensei."
Just then the silver‑haired woman seemed to sense something.
She looked up, her gaze cutting through the crowd and locking directly onto Tohka.
In that instant Tohka felt a strange ripple—an aura no ordinary human could give off, one very much like her own.
The woman's expression shifted.
She spoke hurriedly to the staff, then, under puzzled stares, left her seat and walked briskly toward Tohka.
"Come with me."
Grabbing Tohka's wrist, she pulled her into a narrow side alley before Tohka could react.
"Who are you? Let go of me!"
After several turns, certain they weren't being followed, the woman finally released her.
Glancing around warily, she lowered her voice. "You're a Spirit, aren't you?"
Tense, Tohka's right hand moved instinctively toward empty air, ready to summon Sandalphon at any moment.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I am too."
The woman sighed, removed her glasses, and rubbed her brow.
"I'm Nia Honjō, Spirit codename 'Sister.' You must be 'Princess,' right?"
Tohka's eyes widened.
"You—you're a Spirit as well? But how can you live in the human world so… normally?"
She couldn't sense any Spirit aura from the other woman.
Nia gave a bittersweet smile. "Long story… best saved for later. The point is, you shouldn't wander around so openly. Someone is hunting Spirits."
She herself had been on the run for years.
"Those people in the strange armor?" Tohka recalled a previous attack.
"They said they wanted to eliminate and drive out Spirits."
"You've already encountered them?"
Nia's face went pale. "That's worse than I thought. Their activity's been ramping up—they've stationed forces in almost every major city."
"Why are they after us?" Tohka frowned.
"I haven't caused any space‑quake disasters."
Nia started to answer—but a low mechanical hum rose from all directions.
Both women looked up.
At each end of the alley loomed several menacing mechanized suits, and three more hovered overhead, blocking any escape above.
Each suit bore a striking red‑and‑white emblem: the letters D‑E‑M stylized into a sharp blade.
"Target Spirit located: codename Sister. Secondary target detected: codename Princess," an icy electronic voice intoned from the lead unit.
"Under DEM Corporation Special Ordinance, Chapter 7, Article 3, both Spirits are hereby placed under arrest. Resistance will result in escalated force."
Tohka immediately stepped in front of Nia.
With a sweep of her right hand, Sandalphon materialized in her grasp.
"Nia Honjō, stay behind me!"
"Wait, don't fight them head‑on!" Nia clutched Tohka's arm.
"DEM's Realizer units are built specifically to counter Spirits—they're all equipped with reiryoku jammers!"
Before she finished, three blue energy bolts shot in from different angles.
Tohka swung Sandalphon; a violet blade of light shattered the bolts, the shock wave cracking the alley walls.
"No time to explain—we have to get out of here!"
"W‑wait, take me with you! I can't fight!" Nia yelled.
Tohka wrapped an arm around Nia's waist, pushed off the ground, and shot skyward, breaking through the mechanized cordon.
"Alert: Targets escaping. Initiate pursuit protocol."
The electronic voice echoed behind them.
Clutching Nia, Tohka streaked across the city skyline. Five DEM units gave chase, blue flames roaring from their thrusters.
Their arms morphed into cannons, launching tracking missiles in rapid succession.
"Hang on tight!"
Tohka banked sharply; the missiles skimmed her hair and exploded in the distance.
She wove an erratic path—diving between skyscrapers, then climbing abruptly—but the DEM suits stayed on her tail.
"Why won't they give up!"
A glance back darkened Tohka's face.
Nia clung to her neck, pale and trembling.
"Their Realizer sensors lock onto our reiryoku. As long as we use Spirit power, we can't shake their Mark‑0.8 trackers!"
"Ugh!"
A missile streaked in from the side. Tohka barely twisted clear, but the blast wave knocked her off balance.
Spinning downward, she slashed with Sandalphon, the immense sword‑flash cleaving the two nearest suits in half.
"Two left…" she muttered, feeling her power drain.
"Head for the forest outside the city!" Nia pointed to a distant stretch of dense woods.
"There's less reiryoku interference there—maybe we can lose them!"
Tohka nodded and poured everything into a final burst of speed, racing toward the greenery beyond the urban sprawl.
~~~
300 Powerstone Bonus Chapter!
For Every 100 Powerstone = 1 Bonus Chapter! Please Vote for more Chapters!
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 220+ Chapters Ahead of Others!