Amid the flattened ruins of the battlefield, Mio Takamiya stood still—like a flawless marble statue frozen in time.
After what felt like an eternity, she let out a soft sigh. And in that breath, it was as if time, which had stopped for so long, began to flow again.
No one could say what that sigh truly meant. Perhaps she was mourning the fact that she had been forced to kill someone she'd actually admired. Or maybe… she was simply lamenting the fact that, once again, she had failed to die.
Slowly returning to herself, Mio murmured under her breath.
"I'll need to erase Shidou's memory of this… and the others', too."
She needed Shidou to seal the powers of every Spirit and inherit their strength. Only then could she prevent losing him again. Only then would he remember who he truly was—not Itsuka Shidou, but Shinji Takamiya.
Her pearl-like toes touched the ground as she gently floated into the air, ready to go find Shidou and the other Spirits.
But then, the moment she turned around—
Mio's body froze. Her pupils shrank in shock.
She spun around sharply—and saw a lone figure standing quietly before her.
That presence had clearly been there for some time.
And yet, what terrified Mio was the fact that… she hadn't noticed her at all.
Even now, though her eyes could see the figure clearly, every sensory probe told her nothing was there—as if the moment she blinked or looked away, the woman would vanish into thin air.
A well-proportioned silhouette confirmed she was female.
Atop her head sat a majestic seven-pointed crown. Her face was concealed beneath a black veil. Her long, elegant gown—pitch-black trimmed with icy blue embroidery—flowed down her body. Her snow-white hair was tied back, cascading all the way to her ankles.
Every now and then, the breeze would stir the veil. And yet, no matter how Mio tried, she could not glimpse the woman's face beneath. Even if she could see it… it felt like she would immediately forget.
Mystery. Power. Divinity.
These were what the woman exuded. And Mio, who had never feared anyone—not even Melusine—felt an unfamiliar, creeping dread.
She who had always wielded absolute confidence in her strength…
Now felt her control slipping away.
Instinctively, she took a step back.
But—her foot landed on nothing.
"!!"
Her pupils trembled.
Only then did Mio realize—the entire world around her had changed without her noticing.
White.
Everywhere she looked, there was only a blank, blinding white.
No sky above. No ground below. No sense of gravity.
No—calling it "white" wasn't accurate.
It was void.
Because nothing existed, the eye could only perceive a blank, formless white.
Shaken, Mio turned back to the woman in black.
Voice trembling slightly, she tried to sound authoritative.
"Who… are you? What is this place?!"
Time passed.
Or maybe it didn't.
In this place devoid of everything, even Mio's perception of time had begun to dull.
It felt like centuries had passed. Her sense of self started to blur.
And finally, at long last, the woman moved her lips.
"My knight… has been in your care."
Her voice was as cold and cutting as a winter storm.
The sheer indifference in her tone seemed to freeze not only the body, but the soul.
Mio blinked, stunned.
Her mind—like an engine left idle for too long—took time to restart.
"…Your knight?"
Then her thoughts immediately jumped to Melusine.
After all, no one fit the title of "knight" better than her.
Melusine had once called herself the "Fairy Knight Lancelot" and openly claimed loyalty to Her Majesty Morgan. Even her Spirit Core—her Saint Graph—had been a gift from that very Morgan.
Since Melusine's arrival in this world, Mio had monitored her closely through Muramase Reine. After all, Melusine was the only Spirit not created by Mio. Naturally, Morgan had become a name Mio paid very close attention to.
At first, she had even wondered if she herself was the "Morgan" Melusine spoke of—but as time passed, she abandoned that theory.
Now, recalling those memories, Mio fixed her eyes on the woman in black—gaze heavy with caution.
"You're Morgan?"
The veil fluttered slightly.
Mio had the impression the woman gave a faint nod.
"So… is this you coming to avenge Lancelot?"
She asked tentatively.
But the answer she received was… not what she expected.
"I have no time for such childish acts."
Her tone was dismissive, emotionless. As though the death of her knight meant nothing at all.
Which only made Mio feel colder.
"Destruction is inevitable. This was simply a rare experience. It'll be good for her to have endured it."
Morgan's eyes lowered slightly.
"But even so… even if she's just a lustful dragon who only ever thinks about someone else's husband… she's still mine. Like my Britain beneath my feet… when someone dares to touch what is mine—"
"Then they can swallow the consequences."
As her voice fell, a bone-deep chill enveloped Mio from above.
Even her thoughts froze for an instant.
She bit her tongue—hard—to snap herself back into awareness.
"[Ain]."
The Angel that had annihilated Melusine.
Mio's strongest, most trusted Angel.
A power that erased existence itself from the root—returning all to nothing.
Without hesitation, Mio invoked it again.
A ripple of formless energy spread outward.
And under Mio's watchful gaze, Morgan's silhouette began to blur—as though she were being erased like a charcoal drawing under a rubber eraser.
Once again, the world became empty.
Only Mio remained.
Her heartbeat. Her breathing.
Those were the only sounds she could hear.
She let out a dry, almost bitter laugh.
"There's nothing surprising about this. [Ain] is the strongest. No one can stop it…"
"To erase someone at the root of existence… even I have only seen that kind of power a few times. It really is… an interesting little toy."
"!!!"
Mio's eyes shot open.
She looked up—and there she was.
Still standing.
"You… how…?!"
Ain had failed?
Impossible. She'd clearly erased her!
That disappearance had been more thorough than setting paper ablaze!
"[Ain]!!"
As if in disbelief, Mio invoked the Angel again.
Once more, the ripple of nothingness burst forth.
This time—Morgan raised her hand and made a simple gesture.
She summoned a strange weapon—half-spear, half-staff—and struck the nonexistent ground with its base.
At the same moment, a second ripple—nearly identical—erupted from her body.
And as the two waves collided, they simply… cancelled out.
Perfectly.
Without a sound. Without even a breeze.
Mio stood, mouth agape, unable to form coherent syllables.
It was like witnessing a violation of reality itself.
Morgan's cold voice echoed in the void.
"As toys go, I suppose it's passable."
Mio finally realized—
This wasn't a dream.
"That was my [Ain]! How did you…?!"
"After experiencing it myself, I merely analyzed the effect, recreated it with ritual code, and neutralized it. A trivial effort."
Her tone was dry. Bored, almost.
But behind the boredom… was power. The kind that made resistance feel pointless.
"But why didn't it affect you?"
Mio pressed on, voice tightening.
"If both our [Ain] waves collided, shouldn't we both have been caught in the backlash?"
"You just don't know how to use it properly."
Morgan's reply was blunt.
"If you adjust the output vector and amplitude, it's easy to cancel it cleanly. Since I already reconstructed the spell, of course I could apply such basic corrections."
Basic?
To Mio, it felt like hearing a child explain Goldbach's Conjecture.
It was… infuriating.
"Enough. This little Q&A is over."
Morgan struck her staff against the ground again.
Thump.
The echo rang through the white void.
And suddenly—
Mio felt a strange weakness wash over her.
Then she realized…
She couldn't feel any of her Angels.
Not Ain. Not Ain Soph. Not Ain Soph Aur.
Even her spiritual energy felt… sealed.
Morgan had neutralized her completely. Effortlessly.
It's over…
Mio knew.
The battle was lost.
She had nothing left.
"…Are you going to kill me?"
"If I did, that would only grant your wish."
Morgan's voice was sharp as ice.
"You might fool yourself—but you can't fool me. You know full well: even if you erase Shidou's memories and leave only Shinji Takamiya, that person will never truly return."
"You just wanted… someone strong enough to kill you."
Because she couldn't see Shinji in this life—she hoped for a reunion after death.
But she couldn't kill herself.
She was too powerful. No matter what she tried, nothing could end her.
If Morgan could end it… she would be grateful.
But—
"I am a witch who cursed the world. I ruled nations with terror."
Morgan's lips curled into a faint sneer.
"Do you really think I'd go out of my way to grant someone else's dying wish?"
She raised her left hand.
And in the next instant, Mio's body vanished from before her.
In her palm now rested a silver orb.
"I'm not going to kill you."
"You'll live. In a new world. Carrying the weight of what you've done."
She tapped her staff once more.
---
When he woke, the first thing Shidou saw was a white bedsheet.
"Mmngh…"
Letting out a sleepy groan, he turned over and pushed himself upright.
Same room. Same sunlight spilling through the window. The only thing that felt off was… the temperature. A bit cold.
"…What day is it again?"
Had he overslept? He couldn't remember.
"…Eh, whatever."
Not that it mattered.
Yawning and scratching his head, Shidou climbed out of bed.
He headed downstairs. The living room was empty.
Kotori probably hadn't woken up yet.
"Guess I'll start breakfast. She'll be down soon anyway."
Sure enough, just as the scent of breakfast began to fill the house, Kotori came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.
"Morning, Kotori."
"'Mornin', Onii-chan…"
"If you're still sleepy, go wash your face. Breakfast'll be ready in a sec."
A simple exchange. Ordinary. Warm.
Exactly the kind of peace Shidou had always wanted to protect.
"…Oh, right."
Something suddenly occurred to him.
"What's up with the house next door? Did someone move in?"
"Huh? Sounds like you're the one who's still asleep."
Kotori poked her head back out from the washroom.
"Didn't Mom and Dad call a few days ago? They said their friends were moving to Tengu City."
"Mom and Dad's friends?"
"Yeah. Supposedly some old classmates they were super close with. They moved away years ago, but now they're back. Really affectionate couple, apparently."
After breakfast, Shidou and Kotori changed into their uniforms.
As Shidou reached for the front door, he tapped his toe against the floor absentmindedly.
The moment the door opened—
Early spring sunlight streamed in, along with the sound of… chaos.
"Huh?"
He blinked.
A small crowd had gathered outside—Spirits, all clustered around the front of the Itsuka home.
The usual suspects were there: the Yamai twins, Yoshino, Natsumi, Mukuro…
But oddly enough, even Izayoi Miku, who usually lived deeper in the city, was here.
Correction: Miku was chasing the others around like a spirit-tagging ghost, giggling gleefully as they fled.
"…It's gonna be one of those days, huh."
Shidou sighed—and smiled.
"Oh my, what a lively morning."
"What are you guys even doing?"
Shidou blinked in confusion, calling out to the crowd—drawing everyone's attention. Which, in turn, gave Izayoi Miku the perfect opening to grab Natsumi.
"Caught you, Natsumi-chan~! Ufufufu~ You were born to be devoured by me, weren't you? Sssss~munch sssslurp ssssmunch!"
"KYAA—!"
Seconds later, Miku stood there looking radiant and refreshed… while Natsumi looked like she'd had the life sucked out of her.
"Ah! Darling! And Kotori-chan! Good morning to you both~ Such a lovely day, isn't it?"
"M-Morning… Wait, Miku, what are you even doing here? Isn't your school across town?"
"Oh, that~ I've got work today, so I'm skipping school. It's a pretty demanding gig, so I figured I'd come gather some energy from everyone first before heading to the site."
She struck a picture-perfect idol pose as she spoke. As expected of a top-tier idol—it was polished and flawless.
"Wha… so that's what this is about?"
"Shiver. When you suddenly pounced, Yuzuru thought you were bitten by a zombie."
After hearing Miku's explanation, Yamai Kaguya and Yamai Yuzuru wiped sweat from their brows in shared relief.
"A-Are you okay, Natsumi-chan?"
"Hang in there…"
"Why… why is it always me who gets dragged into this?!"
Thanks to the intervention of Yoshino and Hoshimiya Mukuro, Natsumi finally escaped Miku's clutches.
Then Miku held up three fingers and declared confidently:
"I had three reasons for choosing Natsumi-chan! One—she's cute! Two—she smells nice! Three—she's slower than everyone else, so she's easier to catch!"
"…So it was just number three, wasn't it?!"
"Ehehe~?"
"Ehehe your face! What does that even mean?!"
Watching from the sidelines, Shidou gave an awkward chuckle, then asked curiously:
"Anyway… what are all of you doing here, Natsumi?"
"Oh, we were just about to head out. Because of Kotori's wicked scheming, we're going to be middle schoolers in a few months—so we're out to buy supplies."
Natsumi mumbled bitterly. Hearing that, Kotori narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
"Who're you calling wicked? Sure, I could've just asked Ratatoskr to prep everything, but wouldn't it be more fun to shop with friends? And besides—this was Lancelot's idea, so why am I the one getting blamed?"
Like I'd dare say anything bad about her!
Natsumi screamed internally.
Just then, a "beep-beep" horn sounded from the street behind them.
They thought maybe their antics were blocking traffic—but when they looked, they saw none other than Honjou Nia, pulling up on a motorized scooter.
"Nia!"
"Yoh-ho! What's everyone doing up so early?"
Lifting her goggles onto her helmet, Nia greeted them with her usual cheerful energy.
"Some are headed to school, some out shopping… What about you, Nia?"
"Oh, I finished my latest job, but I ran out of food at home. Thought I'd drop by the Spirit Apartment and see if I could bum a hot meal. Convenience store stuff just doesn't taste the same, you know?"
"…Wait, 'home'? Don't you live in the Spirit Apartment?"
The moment Shidou said it, he noticed a strange shift in everyone's expressions.
"What are you talking about, boy? I moved back home almost a week ago."
Nia gave him a puzzled look.
"I only stayed at the Spirit Apartment because of Lan-chan. But now that she's gone, there's no reason for me to stick around."
"Wait… what did you say?"
Shidou's eyes widened. He felt like his ears had just glitched.
"Lancelot… left?"
The Spirits nearby all looked at Shidou with confusion and concern.
"Shidou, are you okay?"
"Concerned. Shidou is saying incomprehensible things."
"Shidou-san…"
"Something's off with you today."
Kotori frowned. "You've been acting strange since this morning."
"Lancelot left over a week ago."
Nia added, "We even threw a farewell party for her. Don't you remember?"
"…No. I don't remember that at all."
Shidou rubbed his temples, a creeping sense of unease rising in his chest.
"Did she… did Lancelot say why she was leaving?"
"She didn't really explain. Just said it had something to do with Her Majesty Morgan."
"And… did she say when she'd be back?"
"She said it'd be about a month."
"A month, huh…"
Shidou scratched his cheek, feeling a bit relieved.
If she gave a return date, then maybe she wasn't doing anything too dangerous. Probably just answering a summons from her liege.
"A knight like Lancelot—loyal and pure—would never ignore a command from the one she served."
"…Huh?"
That voice hadn't come from Nia.
It came from behind him.
Shidou turned—
And saw Tobiichi Origami, wrapped in a scarf.
"Origami?"
"Of course! When it comes to anything about Knight Onee-sama, there's nothing I don't know!"
She puffed up with pride—then instantly wilted like a fish out of water.
"I finally found her… and before I could even start executing my master plan, she left again… Uuu… Why is heaven so cruel to me…"
Shidou instinctively decided not to ask what "master plan" she meant.
Meanwhile, two girls watching from a distance took notice of the crowd.
"Kurumi-san, aren't those your friends over there?"
Yamauchi Sawa looked to Tokisaki Kurumi.
"Want to go say hi?"
"Hehe… that won't be necessary."
Kurumi covered her lips with a delicate hand and smiled.
"Shidou-san is already surrounded by so many lovely girls. My presence isn't needed at all."
"…Wow. That's really something."
"—SHIDOU!"
A bright, energetic voice called out from the direction of the apartment.
Shidou turned immediately.
And saw a purple-haired girl jogging up to him with a smile.
"Tohka."
"Mm! Sorry I'm late, Shidou!"
With Yatogami Tohka's arrival, the mood soared to its peak.
At the same moment, just next door—within the house adjacent to the Itsuka residence—a white-haired girl drew back the curtains and looked out at the laughter and chaos below.
"What's wrong, Mio?"
A soft voice brought her back. She turned—and saw the boy she loved.
Her crystal-clear eyes shimmered with a warmth as gentle as autumn water.
"…It's nothing, Shin."
Curious, Shin walked over and stood beside her, gazing out the window. He saw Shidou in the center of a crowd of spirited, vibrant girls.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"…So you were feeling a bit jealous, huh, Mio?"
He raised his hand and gently placed it atop hers.
"Once we're done cleaning the house, let's go on a date too."
Wide-eyed, Mio looked up and met his gaze.
Then, as if afraid he might take it back if she hesitated, she nodded hard.
"Mm!"
---
This was a peaceful world.
Thirty years ago, humanity discovered the existence of reality-shifting domains—arbitrary fields—and began applying them in architecture, medicine, and more.
Especially in China, the so-called infrastructure maniac nation, arbitrary fields sparked rapid, sweeping transformations.
In this world…
There were no Spirits. No spacequakes.
At least, none recorded in the annals of this world's history.
Naturally, none of the tragedies born from Spirits had ever happened.
This was a different world.
A new world.
And for now—
It was calm.
---
T/N: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????????????????????????????? WAJRFOAJOFAJSORJOA also... that one month is forever :sob: shw always says a month
also rereading this when im about to upload it to webnovel its WILDDDDDDDDDDDDDD she came back from getting erased even the root of her existence thats fucking wild