Shidou needed a long time to recover enough to move after suffering such critical wounds.
The healing flames that worked miracles on Kotori—like regenerating a hole through her head in mere seconds—seemed far less effective on him. For Shidou, returning to a functional state took considerably longer.
Once he could walk again, Melusine brought him to where Origami still lay unconscious in the ruins.
Since they were flying, Shidou had a clear view of the massive crater Melusine had left behind. He couldn't help but shiver.
Good thing this world had restoration tech—devices that could rebuild city blocks in minutes. Without them, who knew how many months or billions it would take to repair all this?
Frankly, it was far beyond anything a so-called "normal high school student" like Shidou could even imagine.
Thankfully, the spacequake alarms had gone off in time, and everyone had made it to shelters. There were no casualties.
Even as he felt grateful, Shidou worried.
"Origami… she's going to be okay, right?"
"Please don't question my restraint."
Melusine responded flatly.
Even against opponents like Inverse Tohka, Inverse Origami, and an unsealed Mukuro, she could have ended the battle in an instant if she wanted to.
The only reason each fight lasted as long as it did… was because Melusine deliberately calibrated her output. She would measure each opponent's tolerance during combat—then strike with just enough force to exceed it and knock them out, nothing more.
"To ensure Origami's safety, I diverted the majority of the impact into the ground. She only took a fraction of the force. It just looks more dramatic than it really was."
As she spoke, the two of them landed at the center of the crater. Lying among the rubble, they found the now-reverted Origami, unconscious.
Handing Mukuro to Shidou, Melusine gently scooped Origami into her arms.
"…Why did Origami become a Spirit?"
Shidou frowned, troubled as he looked at her peaceful face.
"And not just that—she inverted, too…"
"I've been wondering that myself," Melusine admitted. "The one who was given the Spirit crystal should've been the Origami from the other timeline. I let my guard down since this Origami had been behaving completely normally…"
She stared at Origami's sleeping face.
"…Most likely, she was affected during her merge with the Origami from the other worldline."
In the original timeline, Origami had become a Spirit after traveling back five years, accidentally killing her own parents while trying to kill Mio Takamiya.
That version of Origami—after being sent back to the present—had caused catastrophic damage, prompting Shidou to use Kurumi's powers to travel back in time and prevent her inversion.
All of that had happened to the Shidou Melusine met in another worldline.
"So," she said, "looks like you've got another Spirit to deal with."
Melusine turned to him.
"Origami's become a Spirit. You're not just going to stand by and do nothing, are you? You'd better get ready to date her again and seal her powers."
Shidou nodded. After seeing how far gone Origami had been while inverted, there was no way he could just pretend none of it happened.
If anything, he felt a powerful need to help her—especially now that he knew the reasons behind her inversion.
…But before dealing with Origami, there was someone else to worry about.
Shidou glanced down at the sleeping Mukuro in his arms, expression complicated.
Everything that had happened today… had started with her.
Reflecting on Mukuro's clingy, obsessive behavior, Shidou felt emotionally exhausted.
As if reading his thoughts, Melusine blinked and gave a faint, knowing smirk.
"Shidou, this is what they call… 'eyeing what's in the pot while holding the bowl.'"
"PFFFFT—!"
Shidou choked on his own spit.
"No! I—I don't even know what's wrong with that, but I know it's not right!"
The mood eased. For a moment, things felt almost light again.
Even after nearly dying, even with a pile of problems still waiting… Shidou found himself laughing.
Then Melusine, cradling the two girls, seemed to remember something.
"It's getting late… I wonder if Kotori and the others have eaten yet."
"Wait, you didn't cook for them?"
"What are you talking about? Weren't you on dinner duty today?"
"Gah—then we have to hurry back!"
"What's the rush? They've probably just ordered takeout. They're not kids—they're not gonna starve."
Shidou's panicked pace contrasted with Melusine's leisurely stride.
But just as they let their guard down—
Splurch!
The sharp, wet sound of something piercing flesh tore through the air.
Shidou's eyes widened in disbelief.
A brilliant white ribbon—glowing with divine luminescence—had impaled Melusine through the chest, lifting her clean off the ground and suspending her midair.
Melusine—whom everyone thought invincible, unstoppable—was now bleeding before his very eyes.
The sheer wrongness of the scene made Shidou's mind go blank.
She'd been ambushed—but reacted instantly. With a flash of swordlight, she severed the ribbon.
Landing heavily, she turned to face the direction behind Shidou.
"Lancelot!"
Snapping back to his senses, Shidou hurried over with Mukuro in his arms. He stared in horror at the blood soaking her abdomen.
"Don't shout like that. It's just a scratch."
Melusine's voice was calm—but her tone grew serious.
"More importantly… Shidou. We're in trouble."
It was the first time he'd ever seen Melusine like this.
Usually, her composure and confidence gave the whole team courage—like an anchor that held steady no matter the waves.
But now… she was hurt.
And not just physically. Something about this enemy made even her tense.
Since the day they'd met, Melusine had always claimed to be the strongest.
At first, no one really believed her.
But fight after fight, she proved it.
Eventually, they all came to accept it as truth.
To Shidou, this moment felt like what Jujutsu High must've felt the moment they realized Gojo Satoru had been sealed.
But Melusine didn't have time for introspection.
Her eyes were locked on Origami's unconscious form—specifically, on her chest.
Because the ribbon that had stabbed her… had emerged from there.
"…Well, that was unexpected."
The voice was pure—ethereal, like a song born of light.
So soft, so clear, it could cleanse a soul.
Hearing it made Shidou's mind falter for a moment.
"I thought at this range, I could destroy your Spirit Core in one strike. I guess… dealing with you won't be quite that simple."
And then, alongside that voice…
She appeared.
A figure emerged from within Origami's chest.
A girl—small, delicate, and far too beautiful.
Silken hair. Skin like porcelain. Eyes the color of crystal, tinged with melancholy.
The moment he saw her, Shidou's heart began to race.
There was a strange, almost painful sense of familiarity.
It felt like if past lives were real, then she and he must've been intimately connected.
His genes, his soul, everything that made him who he was… reached for her.
Even though it was their first meeting, Melusine immediately recognized her.
The only existence in this world she had no guaranteed victory against.
If gods truly walked this earth, then this girl was surely one of them.
The First Spirit. The Mother of All Spirits. Mio Takamiya.
"Who… are you?!"
Shidou took a step forward, voice trembling as he glared at her.
"What did you do to Origami?!"
He'd seen it—she came out of Origami's body.
And worse—she had attacked Melusine.
But Mio paid his hostility no mind.
Like reuniting with a long-lost lover, she lifted her arms slightly—then restrained herself. Only her eyes, shining with gentle light, reflected Shidou's face.
"…It's been so long. I've finally… found you again, little Shidou."
"Wh-What…?!"
The yearning in her voice made Shidou freeze.
"Don't worry, little Shidou. I didn't do anything to Origami. She hasn't fulfilled her task yet, after all."
Her voice was gentle, reassuring.
But before Shidou could relax, she added:
"Still, I'm sorry… I'm about to do something you may not forgive."
"…What are you talking about?"
A chill ran down his spine.
"What are you trying to do?!"
"Just wait a little longer, Shidou."
She didn't answer directly.
Her crystalline eyes stared straight into his—but her gaze seemed to pass through him, focusing on someone behind him.
"Your memories haven't fully returned. It hurts, doesn't it? Don't worry. Very soon… we'll be together, forever."
"You—!"
The unease building in his chest turned to dread. Shidou opened his mouth—
And was suddenly wracked by searing pain.
It was as if a blender had been jammed into his brain.
Even thinking became excruciating.
At that moment, the ground beside him exploded.
BOOM!
Melusine launched forward, a comet wrapped in blazing spirit light.
If she couldn't read Mio's intentions, she would strike first.
Dozens of white ribbons burst from Mio's body to intercept her.
They looked delicate—but the killing intent they radiated was unmistakable.
"Single slash. Instant execution. Sword technique—engage!"
"Now Unknown, Innocent Light of the Lake!"
The radiant blade split like a flower, whirling like a blossom of death. It shredded the ribbons into confetti.
Still accelerating, Melusine closed the gap in a flash. Her blade flared again.
"[Innocence Arondight]!"
She struck again—faster than breath.
The slash cut from Mio's left shoulder to her waist—clean, precise.
A moment of silence followed.
Shidou held his breath.
Is it over?
If only it were that simple.
More ribbons than before burst forth, swarming to trap Melusine from all directions.
They shredded her—only for her body to blur and vanish.
A mirage.
The real Melusine appeared a hundred meters away, crouched low with one knee bent, skid marks trailing from her feet.
The one that was cut had been her afterimage—left behind by sheer speed.
Her golden eyes locked on Mio, unblinking.
Not daring to lower her guard for even a moment.