A midnight Demon King stood in the sky, facing a crimson-black Queen. Two girls, their colors distinct yet akin, never meant to clash, now met under the stars. The Demon King wielded a sword; the Queen, a gun—heralding a deadly duel.
"Petty…!!"
Tohka swung her sword, black light slashing through the air. No longer playful, her tyrannical strikes aimed to annihilate, cutting down countless Kurumi clones. Undaunted, a terrifying swarm of clones unleashed a rain of bullets.
"Come, Tohka-san! Return now, or I'll savor Shidou-san's delicious cooking myself!"
"What nonsense! You dare deceive me!?"
Tohka's spiritual barrier and Astral Dress blocked the gunfire. Each swing of her sword diminished the clones. Kurumi's shadow bullets could pierce mystical defenses, but Tohka's raw spiritual power was absurdly overwhelming.
Normal attacks were futile, Kurumi knew. Her clones focused on stalling and misdirection. Blending among them, she fired a single shot.
"—Bullet Seven: Zayin."
Amid the scattershot, a forbidden bullet froze time. None could escape Zayin's absolute power—a merciless trump card, if it hit.
"Tch…!!"
"…!"
Kurumi was certain it struck, but Tohka dodged with a click of her tongue. Unlike the shadow bullets she'd blocked effortlessly, Tohka evaded Zayin precisely, stunning Kurumi. Yet, she quickly regained her composure, dodging Tohka's slashes.
"Your power… it reeks of trouble."
"Kihe, kihehehe! Terrifying, truly terrifying. You saw through my strike with just a hint!"
Tohka's glare met Kurumi's elegant smile. Kurumi's power was immense but useless if it missed. Being read on first sight was a first. Yet, Kurumi wasn't surprised; Tohka's strength made it plausible.
Spirits differed by their powers: Kurumi's time manipulation, Yoshino's ice, Kotori's flames and regeneration, the Yatsume sisters' storms, Miku's voice, the white girl's inviolable domain. Tohka? No special something. Yet Kurumi deemed her the strongest.
Lacking unique abilities, Tohka was pure, simple—thus, immensely powerful. Her honed destruction crushed petty tricks, her rationality and instinct piercing through all.
"A monster… like me."
Kurumi, the tactical Queen, fought with calculated ruthlessness. Tohka, the tyrannical Demon King, crushed all with overwhelming might. Against such a foe, Kurumi had to hold back. In a deathmatch, she'd use any means to surpass Tohka. But to stop, not kill, her? The gap was stark—Tohka fought to kill, Kurumi to restrain. The longer this dragged, the less likely Tohka's inverted self could be saved. Kurumi's spiritual drain and clone losses only worsened her odds.
Weighing their powers, Kurumi strategized. Zayin's cost limited its use, especially with Tohka on guard. Clones, weaker than the original, couldn't change this. No matter how perfectly she cornered Tohka, her brute force would prevail. Distance guaranteed evasion—an unfair certainty. The only way to land an unavoidable hit? Go all-in, as if to kill.
"Really… I've grown soft."
No time to waste, yet she couldn't harm Tohka excessively or deplete her own power. An absurd challenge against an opponent who dodged by instinct.
"Zafkiel—"
Kurumi chose it, a life-or-death gamble. Against Kotori, she'd lost composure to madness. Now, she'd stay calm yet embrace insanity. She shouldn't be here, but the Queen of Time chose this path.
For her beloved, who wished to save Tohka.
"Bullet One: Aleph—!!"
To answer him—elegantly, vividly, beautifully—only Kurumi could captivate his heart.
"Oh…!!"
Tohka caught Kurumi's accelerated strike, her stoic face shifting to faint joy.
"Finally serious? Good. Entertain me!!"
"!!"
Tohka parried Kurumi's godlike speed, unleashing sonic swordplay. Kurumi deflected, countering with shadow bullets. Tohka's slashes grew sharper, gouging the earth. Both their Astral Dresses bore wounds.
No ordinary Spirit, let alone human, could track them. Godlike speed clashed with sonic might, scattering countless sparks across the night.
Amid endless exchanges, Kurumi awaited her chance. Tohka's sonic blade outpaced her. In close combat, Kurumi couldn't match her. But she had one decisive blow. Tohka, knowing its danger, engaged regardless.
An unavoidable strike—both sought it. And then—
Kurumi's vision shifted. Her left eye showed two seconds ahead, Zafkiel warning of an imminent future. Without action, it would come—Tohka's blade cleaving her.
The vision showed Tohka's sword and Kurumi's gun, seemingly equal. But the warning meant Tohka was faster. Continuing meant defeat. Even Zayin now would only trade blows. Kurumi couldn't outpace Tohka's speed.
Pushing thought to its limit, she foresaw the future and found her answer.
One second. Kurumi loaded. Tohka raised her sword. Between one and two seconds, Kurumi fired.
"Bullet One: Aleph—"
"…!?"
Not to stop, but to accelerate—herself. Doubling her warped time.
"Bullet Seven: Zayin—!!"
Two seconds. Tohka's blade descended, but Kurumi's godlike speed surpassed it. The absolute bullet soared, unavoidable. Tohka, mid-swing, couldn't dodge.
The black bullet struck. But—
"Hah!!"
A monster, indeed. Zayin froze time—not Tohka, but her discarded sword. Instead, she threw a fist, a raw weapon aimed at Kurumi's face. Kurumi crossed her arms, blocking.
"Guh…!!"
The punch's force was lethal. Staying grounded was impossible. Kurumi redirected the momentum, stabilizing mid-air.
"What absurdity…!!"
Tohka, unaware of Zayin's power, abandoned her weapon the moment she sensed danger—an audacious gamble. Even Kurumi couldn't help but complain.
"…!"
Her body creaked, blood dripping from her lips—not from the punch, but from within. Double Aleph acceleration was unprecedented, a toll only the original Kurumi could bear. Defying time's rules exacted its price. Yet—
"Oh, oh—how thrilling!!"
Kurumi laughed, immersed in madness, reveling in the life-and-death clash. Only a warrior could understand this twisted joy. The sane girl and mad Spirit coexisted in Kurumi's warped mind, laughing in this extreme.
"Hah—hahaha!!"
Tohka matched her.
"Excellent! Entertain me more, Spirit!!"
The midnight Demon King, sworn to destroy her foes, found a worthy rival in this kindred Spirit, roaring with joy. Her step rippled the sky, revealing a throne.
"Nahemah—"
"Come, let's dance!!"
The shattered throne fused with her blade, transforming into its true form. The Queen of Time sang of her ultimate Angel, matching the strongest.
"Paverschlev—!!"
"Zafkiel—!!"
Dense spiritual power collided, shaking the world. This clash of fiercest and strongest reached an unprecedented realm. Their Astral Dresses shattered, yet they faced each other—laughing.
Space screamed, warped. They moved to strike—death or stasis.
"Toh—kaaaaa!!"
"!?"
A human's voice shattered the madness. Despite the shockwave, he stood unshaken, gazing up. A weak human, far beneath Tohka.
"You… still…?"
This insolent human disrupted her duel. Yet, seeing him, Tohka froze, unable to move.
"You… are…"
"…I have no name."
Unknown memories surfaced, binding her. Clutching her forehead, she groaned.
"Shi… dou…"
"Tohka-san…!?"
"Don't… confuse me, human!!"
Kurumi's eyes widened as Tohka reacted to Shidou's call. Shaking it off, Tohka raised her glowing sword—not at Kurumi, but Shidou.
"!!"
Kurumi flew to him. She could reach him but not escape in time. Tohka's sonic blade would annihilate all. Knowing this, Kurumi rushed to him—because she believed in a speed surpassing sound.
"Hmph!!"
"…!?"
Before the blade fell, the white girl closed an imperceptible distance, striking Paverschlev's hilt, halting it. Against Tohka's strength, she could only hold for a moment. But the assault didn't end there.
"You two… please!!"
"Zadkiel…!!"
"Let's go full power!!"
As the white girl disengaged, a massive ice wave hit Tohka, who raised a barrier. With Yoshino's and the white girl's aid, Kurumi gained a moment, landing beside Shidou.
"I said I'd stop her, you impatient man."
"Sorry, I'm not patient. And I didn't expect you to get that beat up."
"Hehe, now we match, don't we?"
"Clever way to put it."
Tattered clothes, broken bodies—yet Kurumi smiled as always. Unlike the madness earlier, her gentle smile relieved Shidou. Staying still while they fought to kill was impossible.
"We don't have much time. If you dislike my way, got a better idea?"
"Take me… to Tohka."
Kurumi narrowed her eyes, her smile tinged with exasperation.
"You're asking me to let you die?"
Approaching Tohka now meant death. Paverschlev would obliterate Shidou. Letting him face her was akin to murder—an unacceptable choice for Kurumi.
"Do that, and I'll take your life myself. I won't yield it to anyone."
"Flattering… but I'm not giving up. You saw, Tohka's still there…"
A reckless choice? No. Shidou's eyes held no surrender, no despair. Kurumi understood.
"Tohka might respond to your call, creating an opening…"
"Yeah, it's not certain. But it's enough to bet on. She saved me… so I have to face her."
Shidou bore the responsibility of changing Tohka's world. He couldn't ignore her path astray.
"Besides, you said it's a deadly game, but you're the only one risking your life. You worded it that way on purpose, didn't you?"
"Oh, no. Stopping her is suicidal enough."
She'd made it sound easy, but Kurumi risked more. Her "fifty percent" was about shielding Shidou. Letting her alone bear the wounds was absurd.
"Right… but if you're being reckless, I'm coming too. You said fifty percent—together, we make it 100%."
"You…"
Always charging forward with sweet ideals, heedless of her worries. Yet his unwavering, honest resolve turned dreams into reality.
Kurumi had to admit it. She'd made excuses, claiming she aided Shidou for her grand wish. But that wasn't all. She didn't want his ideals, his wishes, to fade. She wanted them to reach, to save.
If Shidou's reckless salvation reached her heart, despite her conflicting desires, she'd seal them away for now.
A brief silence. Shidou never looked away. Kurumi sighed, a faint, happy smile.
"Fine. It's barely a plan, but I'll accept."
"Kurumi…"
"Don't misunderstand. Continuing to provoke Tohka is worse than betting on your persuasion."
With Tohka targeting Shidou, Kurumi had to defend. Persuasion was their only path. His boundless love, dangerously selfless, was now focused here.
"I might just get jealous."
"…?"
"Kihehe! Leave the princess's persuasion to you. The rest… to us."
With a curtsy, Kurumi stepped beside Shidou. Entranced by her grace, he nodded, and she carried him toward Tohka.
"Tohka."
"What…"
Despite the ice torrent, Tohka didn't lower her sword. But at Shidou's call, she trembled.
"Hey, I'm here to save you."
"Don't… come closer…"
"Sorry for the wait. Let's go home—everyone's waiting."
"Stop…!!"
Why fear a human she could crush? The Spirit beside him, once fierce, now looked weak. Yet this approaching human unnerved her.
"Tohka."
A gentle smile. A name unfamiliar yet hers.
"Don't… come closer!!"
Refusing understanding, she screamed. The Demon King's sword fell, and Shidou's vision darkened.
Laughter. The annihilating light reduced everything—buildings, streets, the foolish human—to ash.
"It's over. Finally… the deceitful human is gone!!"
"Scoff. Laughing already, my servant? One move short of victory, no?"
"Protection: Our foresight is impressive."
"…!?"
A gust blew. Tohka looked up, higher still—
"There."
Like before, Shidou stood.
"Sorry, thanks, you two."
"Kuku, no worries. You read our moves well."
"Praise: As expected of Kurumi."
"Hehe, I'm honored."
Kurumi had accounted for the Yatsume sisters' hidden aid. She wouldn't have risked such proximity otherwise. As Tohka swung Paverschlev, Kurumi's double Aleph speed, combined with the sisters, let them escape her sight.
"You're unbeatable at these games."
"Didn't I say? I'm a clever woman."
Shidou laughed, awed. Kurumi's confident smile boasted fact alone. Her "us" included the sisters, ensuring Shidou's plan had odds—a slightly cheating 100%, as he'd said.
"What… am I…?"
The Spirit with the massive sword gazed at Shidou, pained and confused, lips moving unconsciously.
"This scene… somewhere…"
"Yes, yes."
What memories did she see? Kurumi knew—Yatogami Tohka's unique memory, from when Shidou's story began, when she was saved. The moment Kurumi first felt that emotion.
A boy falling from the sky, calling her name. Kurumi didn't know the feeling then, but it was beautiful.
"This… is fate."
Tohka and Shidou's fate.
Kurumi's role? Regrettably, like that flame Spirit.
"Kurumi…?"
"Go, Shidou-san—good luck."
"What!?"
A push, and Shidou fell, wrapped in a wind barrier. The sisters' wide eyes met Kurumi's lonely smile.
Carried by nostalgia, Shidou reached Tohka, enduring the floating sensation. He embraced her.
"You—"
Before she finished, Shidou enveloped her.
The midnight light returned to the sky, dissolving into particles, blending with the dawn—a fantastical, otherworldly sight. Feeling the fading spiritual waves, Kurumi wasn't captivated. She'd seen something more romantic.
The miracle to break a princess's curse. Laughable, unacceptable—
"—So enviable."
Her whispered envy faded into the wind, and she closed her eyes.
"Kuku, heard something, Yuzuru."
"Eavesdrop: Muttering as if alone, despite us."
Kurumi froze. Her words hadn't vanished; the sisters were the wind.
Time to stay cool. Her strategy—
"…I've no idea what you mean."
Denial, forceful. She turned, forcing a smile—sweaty, likely only fooling Shidou.
"No need to be shy, Kurumi. We get it."
"What's that?"
"It's fine! Seeing you like this is reassuring."
"What's that?"
"But, like…"
"What's that?"
Stubbornly so.
"Hey, Kurumi, no need to be stubborn. Everyone knows you love Shidou."
"What's. That?"
"Wahhh, Yuzuru! Kurumi's bullying me!!"
"Comfort: There, there."
"Oh, poor Yaguya."
"There, there, my lady."
"Stubborn, vulgar woman."
Veins popped on Kurumi's forehead. Why didn't her clones side with her? And who's vulgar?
Exhaustion hit. Hiding it, she landed on a rubble-strewn building. The city lay in ruins, yet Yoshino, the Yatsume sisters, Miku, Tohka, Shidou—all were safe. A perfect ending.
"Grand finale."
"Wrapping it up nicely, you wild Queen?"
"Eek!?"
A chop struck Kurumi's head, drawing a cute yelp. All eyes turned to her and the white girl behind, who'd delivered the blow. Rubbing her head, Kurumi faced the culprit.
"What was that!?"
"A little payback for rushing off without a word."
Sarcastic, arms crossed, the girl glared. Kurumi realized she'd forgotten to inform her clones. Their long bond let her sense the girl's rare anger.
Trying to stay composed, she explained.
"I… thought you'd come."
"Thanks for the last-second excuse. If something happened to you, it'd be irreparable! You always rush off! I support you, but knowing where you're going matters! Understand!?"
"Are you my mother!?"
Fighting an inverted Spirit head-on was her most reckless act. Being lectured now—especially with her mature image crumbling—was unbearable. Her earlier slip had already ruined it, though she didn't realize.
"Pfft—hahaha!!"
Shidou burst out laughing at the peaceful scene, Tohka chuckling too. Kurumi blushed, mortified.
"Shidou-san!!"
"Sorry, sorry. Just… tension's gone."
"We're not a spectacle!"
All were battered, yet alive—a miraculous end. DEM's goals, Tohka's state, new mysteries—they could wait.
Shidou and Kurumi shared a laugh.
"Well done, Shidou-san."
"You too, Kurumi."
For now, they'd celebrate surviving this long war-date. The rising sun cast their shadows long, promising an endless battle together.
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