"I'm back," Kurumi announced.
"Welcome home, 'me,'" came the reply.
"…Oh?"
Though reluctant to part with Shidou, Kurumi had returned to her apartment base, only to be greeted by an unusual sight: another 'Kurumi,' dressed in a maid outfit that screamed specialty café. A clone, of course—not Kurumi herself—but identical in appearance. The sight always stirred memories of her own past, a black mark she couldn't help but cringe at. Naturally, this was one secret she'd never let Shidou see.
But that was beside the point. The clone greeted her with a graceful bow, yet Kurumi's eyes scanned the room. The girl who usually welcomed her was nowhere to be seen. Kurumi hadn't given her any specific tasks, so her absence was surprising.
"Where is she?" Kurumi asked. "Has something happened?"
"She saw the spiritual sphere, muttered something, and left in a hurry," the clone replied.
"Without telling me?" Kurumi pressed.
"Indeed. She did mention she'd be gone for a while."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Kurumi touched her lips, pondering. The girl only acted alone when explicitly instructed or when Kurumi had told her to stay out of certain matters, as in the past. Otherwise, she followed Kurumi's orders faithfully. Kurumi had assumed she'd be waiting after seeing the sphere, but…
"How unusual for her," Kurumi murmured.
"You've said that every time you've seen her act or speak since we came here," the clone observed.
"Have I?"
Now that she mentioned it, Kurumi realized it was true, though she hadn't noticed how often she'd said it. Since settling in Tenguu City, she'd glimpsed new facets of the girl—sides she'd never seen before. Yet, even Kurumi couldn't discern which was her true self.
As a Spirit, Kurumi had walked through countless years, and the white-clad girl had always been by her side. Yet, there were moments when Kurumi felt she barely knew her. That thought sparked a flicker of unease now.
"That girl…" Kurumi muttered.
"My, my," the clone teased. "You said you wouldn't bind her will, yet you're upset she left without a word?"
"It's not that I'm upset," Kurumi replied, her expression souring.
The clone, in contrast, offered an elegant apology, though her demeanor suggested amusement. She noted how Kurumi's expressions had become more readable lately. The original Kurumi was known for her bold, unshakable confidence—a suit of "composure" that defined her. But recently, she'd let slip unguarded moments, her true feelings peeking through. She was becoming more honest, the clone thought.
No need to guess whose influence that was. The clone smirked faintly.
"Are you worried about her? Or perhaps… uneasy?" she asked.
"You're overstepping, 'me,'" Kurumi said, glaring.
"Hehe, my apologies," the clone said, entirely unapologetic.
Kurumi's narrowed eyes lingered on her clone as she mulled over the girl's strange behavior. The girl had likely seen the spiritual sphere and acted with some purpose in mind. Was it tied to her "plan"? Even if it was, why say nothing to Kurumi? A spark of something like anger welled up—a new experience for her.
"Well, well," Kurumi said softly. "Where has my… accomplice gone off to?"
Lying on his familiar bed, Shidou reflected. Thinking back, the days when he'd fallen for Kurumi and agonized over denying it felt nostalgic. Not that much time had passed—he couldn't claim to be "young" back then—but the whirlwind of events in just half a year was staggering.
Date Kurumi, learn her true nature, date her again, and now, starting tomorrow, date everyone else. If his past self saw this playboy itinerary, he'd refuse to believe it, Shidou thought with a wry smile.
"Things have gotten wild…" he murmured.
Despite his words, his expression wasn't grim. If anything, he seemed faintly excited.
"Dating everyone… I wonder what it'll be like."
The order would be decided by a lottery, the dates' contents left to each Spirit's desires. Reine's instructions were clear: let the Spirits choose. For the first time, Shidou would go into these peaceful dates blind. He wasn't without nerves, but anticipation outweighed anxiety. Compared to the usual war dates, this felt almost relaxing.
…Though too much ease wasn't ideal either. With that thought, Shidou parted the curtains fluttering in the breeze and gazed outside.
Amid the familiar cityscape loomed the alien spiritual sphere. Would dating the Spirits change anything? And though Kurumi had told him not to dwell on it, the blonde girl lingered in his mind. When he'd told the others about the dates and glanced outside, she'd appeared again, fleetingly.
Once the dates began, he'd focus solely on them. But for now, her mystery nagged at him. He scanned the view from his window, but she was gone.
"…No way she'd still be there," he muttered.
"Who wouldn't?"
A white-robed figure appeared upside-down before him.
"Whoa!?" Shidou yelped, scrambling back.
"Careful!"
His startled leap upset his balance on the bed, nearly sending him crashing to the floor. But the white figure slipped into the room, catching him with one hand.
"…You okay?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah, thanks… but don't scare me like that, !"
Clad in a white robe that hid her face completely, she was the elusive Spirit known as . Her sudden appearances always startled him. Who wouldn't jump when a Spirit, ignoring gravity, materialized right in front of them?
"…My apologies. I couldn't resist," she said.
"Couldn't resist!?"
"Your reactions are so fresh," she explained. "As I've said, my queen adapts too quickly to be fun to startle."
"Then have some sympathy for the guy you're startling instead!"
Being toyed with for her amusement wasn't exactly Shidou's idea of fun, though he was curious about Kurumi's pre-adapted reactions.
"…So, what's the deal today? You didn't come just to scare me, right?"
Shidou stood, facing the white-clad girl. This was only her second solo visit. The first was after Yoshino's incident, when she'd asked how he'd handle Kurumi—a blunt question. Her coming alone now, bypassing Kurumi, suggested a serious reason. Shidou hoped it was something he could handle alone.
"I just came to check on you," she said. "I was curious how the boy preparing to date six Spirits is holding up."
"…You've got me all figured out, huh?"
"Well… I had a feeling it was about time."
"You know something!?" Shidou stepped closer. Her tone implied she'd anticipated this—the sphere, the blonde girl. "What do you know!?"
"…If I had to answer, yes, I know something," she said, shrugging. "But knowing now would only get in your way."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Don't worry about it. Enjoy your dates with the queens. That's your duty—and your reward."
"…I don't get it. So you're not telling me?"
"Correct. That's the gist of it."
Why even come, then? Shidou thought, exasperated. It was like being a reader teased with withheld truths in a story. His frustration must've shown, because the girl's voice took on a theatrical, almost suspicious tone.
"Hehe, don't make that face. I truly believe telling you would do more harm than good."
"Is cryptic all you can do?" Shidou asked.
"It sets the mood, doesn't it? But seeing you, I'd say there's no need to worry. I'm counting on you tomorrow, King."
"King…?"
The unfamiliar title made him tilt his head. With only the two of them here, "King" could only mean him, but it felt absurdly grandiose.
"Didn't Kotori tell you about my 'plan'?" the girl asked.
"She did, but what's that got to do with calling me 'King'? I'm no one special."
"…Do you really believe that?"
"Huh?"
"You've sealed six Spirits, housing all their power within you. That's you, Itsuka Shidou. Have you ever considered what would happen if something happened to you?"
"I…"
He'd never thought about it. He'd been so focused on saving Spirits that he hadn't considered the consequences of something happening to him. Tohka's "inversion" flashed in his mind. If he were in danger, could something even worse occur?
If, as the girl suggested, his life—bearing the Spirits' power—were at risk, what would happen? The thought of leaving the Spirits, of leaving Kurumi, in a peaceful world and triggering something unimaginable made him swallow hard.
"…That's why you're the 'King,'" she said. "If Itsuka Shidou falls, everything ends. Not just you, but the Spirits, the world—and, naturally, my 'plan.'"
"…"
"That applies to the six queens by your side, but you are the linchpin. That's why I'm grateful it's you, Itsuka Shidou."
"What?"
Her words caught him off guard, widening his eyes. "You're Itsuka Shidou"—as if there were any alternative. It sounded like she was implying other possibilities for his existence.
"If you weren't Itsuka Shidou, Kurumi's heart might still be wearing itself down," she continued. "Your existence as the Spirits' hope is the greatest stroke of luck. No one could've guaranteed it… Hehe, it's quite curious when you think about it."
"…I have no idea what you're talking about," Shidou said.
"Of course not. But one day, you'll understand. For now, accept my gratitude. You make me talk too much—quite the Spirit charmer, aren't you?"
"…Thanks, I guess?"
It was dubious praise, but his head was spinning from the cryptic talk, so he let it slide. For someone who lived to save Spirits, being called a charmer wasn't the worst compliment.
The white-clad girl chuckled, her shoulders shaking, then straightened, fixing Shidou with an unseen gaze from beneath her hood.
"Itsuka Shidou, King of the Spirits. Take care of yourself… and protect the queens, including Kurumi. You and they are utterly irreplaceable."
"What about you?" Shidou asked.
"…?"
"You're not including yourself in that, are you?"
"—!!"
Her body flinched, betraying surprise. For the first time, the usually aloof girl seemed shaken by his words.
He'd suspected it. Her ever-shifting demeanor hid a consistent truth: she prioritized others, especially Kurumi, above all. But now he was certain. Her words lacked herself. Shidou, acutely sensitive to such emotions, understood—she was denying her own existence.
"…You're right," she admitted. "I don't need protecting. No, I should say I have no value to protect. It's the same for anyone. I've decided that's what I am. You should just cast me aside."
"No way!" Shidou snapped. "If something happened to you, I'd save you without hesitation. And I know Kurumi would feel the same."
She had to. Tokisaki Kurumi was that kind of person—sharp-tongued but hiding a gentle heart. Shidou hadn't forgotten her fond, exasperated smile when she spoke of the girl who called her "queen." He knew the care hidden in that smile.
"…You and Kurumi are too kind," the girl said. "Someone like me is better used and discarded. Getting attached to a 'thing' like me only leads to trouble."
"What!?" Shidou's voice rose. "Do you even hear yourself!?"
"I do. It's about me, after all—I could be someone's 'substitute,' perhaps. But I'm not needed. I can play a role, but nothing more. That's what I am: a worthless, defective Spirit."
Her words ignited a fire in Shidou. He hated this most of all—self-denial, raw and unrelenting. He couldn't stand it.
"Who decided that!?" he shouted, teeth gritted. "No one gets to decide that!"
"…It was decided the moment I was born. For me, my 'value' is nothing."
"I won't accept that!"
He refused. Born with predetermined worth? Nonsense. "You're not needed"? He was sick of hearing it. Shidou despised those words.
"You're alive, standing here!" he declared. "That alone gives you the 'value' you talk about. I affirm it—you have value!"
"…That's absurd. What 'value' could I possibly—"
"You protect Kurumi. That alone is reason enough to protect you."
Shidou had long let go of worrying about his own worth. He existed because his family and friends needed him. The same applied to her. At the very least, he affirmed the girl who guarded Kurumi. That was reason enough for him to act.
"Whatever this 'value' you're obsessed with is, I don't care. If there's someone here who needs you, doesn't that make you valuable!?"
"…Perhaps," she said, shaking her head. "But that's not it."
She understood his kindness—it reached her. But he was missing the point.
"I don't want to create my own value," she said. "Because it's destined to become meaningless."
"Meaningless!?" Shidou exclaimed.
"…Yes. But thank you."
A boy who cared about a being like her, directing his anger-fueled kindness toward her. She felt genuine gratitude, even if it came from a boy who, unlike her, was born with inherent meaning.
"You're truly kind… 'Shidou.'"
"…!?"
It was the first time she'd called him by name alone. But that wasn't what shook him. Her voice sent a jolt through his mind, as if striking the core of his being. Had she really just called his name? Something else lingered, something not his own yet within him—a name that felt familiar, always called…
"…Well, I'll take my leave for tonight. Until we meet again, Itsuka Shidou."
"Hey, wait!"
Before he could process the shock, she reverted to her usual tone and vanished out the window. By the time Shidou peered outside, she was gone.
For the first time, he felt he'd touched her heart, glimpsed the deep, dark emotions within. And in that moment, he was overwhelmed with a desire to talk to his beloved Kurumi.
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