Twice.
A fleeting thought—what did it mean? Simple: the number of times Kurumi Tokisaki had entered Shidou Itsuka's home. To other spirits, it's a trivial number, but to Kurumi, those two times were precious. One was even at Shidou's invitation, making it extra special.
The other time… well, she'd rather forget. Losing control of her emotions, letting impulse lead to bed-sharing? Her clones' voices echoed in her mind: "How bold, how shameful, preying on his weakness!" Just her paranoia and hallucinations… probably.
Despite their closeness, Kurumi hadn't visited Shidou's home often. The mismatch came from the constant stream of other spirits, plus the fiery spirit—Kotori—who was always there, her personality and tactics clashing with Kurumi's (or so they thought). In terms of closeness, Kotori rivaled Kurumi, not for nothing being the one Shidou declared he loved most (as a sister).
"…Phew."
A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Even facing enemies, Kurumi never felt this nervous. The door before her loomed large, impregnable… just the Itsuka residence's front door.
Wiping her sweat with a handkerchief, she wondered when she'd started hesitating over such things. Self-reflection led to a simple answer: not long ago. Visiting a friend's house shouldn't be nerve-wracking, but when it's his house… things got complicated.
Sneaking in at midnight like a thief was surely harder, right? Luckily or not, only her clones considered that—she was blissfully unaware.
"Calm down, calm down, Kurumi Tokisaki. Stay composed, composed."
Her habit of repeating words under stress betrayed her. Despite her mantra, her heart pounded wildly, ready to leap out.
Better calm myself. No, no, leaving now would only worsen my nerves. Observation is the key to victory—yes, victory is set. But as Shidou's faction, we must— Her clones' chatter (or lack thereof) buzzed in her mind, unbeknownst to her.
"—!!"
Kurumi's eyes snapped open, her finger hovering over the doorbell. One press, and it would announce her arrival, ringing the bell of fate. As her clones held their breath, she pressed—
"ENOUGH ALREADY!!"
A scream shook the house, nearly blasting the door off. Kurumi's eyes widened, her hair whipped by the sheer force of the yell. Exaggeration aside, its intensity was undeniable. That voice… if she wasn't mistaken…
"…Seems they're struggling," a voice noted.
"Oh, my, Reine-sensei."
Dark circles framed sharp eyes, a frail body offset by stunning beauty—Reine Murasame, Ratatosk's analyst, stood behind Kurumi. When did she—? Kurumi turned, adding a polite qualifier.
"Reine-sensei, how long have you been there?"
"…Just now, I suppose."
"…My apologies."
Reine's flat expression belied her poor lying skills. Caught in her suspicious act, Kurumi blushed, trembling with embarrassment, and bowed slightly.
"…Are you aware of Shin's situation?"
"Yes, yes. I've heard some from myself. It sounds… quite entertaining, so I came to check."
When her clones reported, Kurumi thought it absurd, but spirits being spirits, she accepted it. The issue was Natsumi—not only uned post-game but pulling such a prank.
Half-curious, half-convinced further observation was unwise, Kurumi was here. Whether she secretly wanted to visit Shidou's home was her little secret.
"…Then this is quick. Like before, I'd like your cooperation."
"No issue. That was my plan. She's quite the troublesome opponent, isn't she?"
"…Thank you. She's slippery, not letting us catch her tail. By the way, how's she doing?"
"She… oh, her."
It took a moment, but only one person fit Reine's vague question. Kurumi nodded, confirming.
"She's healthy… but not quite herself yet."
"…You can tell?"
"I can. She's terrible at lying."
"…Thank you. Knowing you're watching her puts me at ease."
"? Yes, well, it's my duty, naturally."
Reine's faint smile seemed pleased, puzzling Kurumi. Was her care for her worth such thanks? It wasn't odd—Reine had always looked after her in Fraxinus's infirmary. Still, the reason eluded her.
"You care for her, don't you, Reine-sensei?"
"…Not just her. Shin, the spirits—they're all precious."
"True, but—"
Something felt off, not logical but intuitive, as if blocked by something. A commotion inside interrupted, and Kurumi and Reine exchanged glances.
"…We've talked too long. Shall we?"
"Yes. But I'll… change my attire first."
"DAAAH!! Calm down, all of you!! Hey, Kaguya, Yuzuru, don't take things!!"
"Ku-ku-ku! Once it's in my domain, it's mine!" Kaguya taunted.
"Escape. Catch us if you want it back," Yuzuru teased.
"Ugh, come on!!"
"Kotori, calm down…" Shidou tried.
"I know!! Shidou, you too… oh, sorry. Impossible, right?"
Kotori, nearly losing it, snapped back to reality seeing Shidou's plight. The little monsters—Kaguya and Yuzuru—swarmed her, while the rest mobbed Shidou.
Toka, chanting for food. Origami, dragging him to the bathroom. Yoshino, on the verge of tears. Miku, calling "darling" in her sweet voice. Kaguya and Yuzuru, snatching Kotori's Chupa Chups and running. Normally, this would be insane, but their child-sized forms made it… understandable. Solving it was another matter.
Natsumi's versatile power was known, but turning spirits into kids? Unthinkable. The Itsuka residence was a daycare disaster. Shidou, tugged from all sides, his clothes stretched, wore a resigned look. Kotori, head in hands, had been supporting him for days but was nearing her limit. Even her white-ribbon self couldn't handle this chaos 24/7.
"…Pardon the intrusion," Reine said.
"Reine!! Thank—huh!?" Kotori gaped.
Kotori looked up at the voice, then froze at the woman beside Reine. Reine gestured to her.
"…First time meeting, Kotori. This is my friend, Tokiko. She's here to help."
"Tch—!? Shidou—"
"Yo, long time no see, Tokiko-san! Nice to see you!" Shidou said.
"Shidou!?"
His robotic tone screamed brain freeze. Second time around—adaptable or clueless? Probably mesmerized by her rare sunglasses-and-ponytail look, Kotori intuited.
Tokiko—self-proclaimed—bowed playfully, twirling her hat and scattering candy from it.
"Ooh!!"
The kids' eyes lit up, grabbing at the raining sweets. Even Origami stared, intrigued.
"…She's a magician by trade," Reine said. "Kids, eat as you like, but share."
Unsure if they heard, the kids were engrossed in the candy-from-nowhere spectacle. Tokiko—no, Kurumi—took a showman's bow, winking at Shidou through her sunglasses.
"…Heh."
"!!"
The wink, meant for him, stole his heart—not by candy, but her charm.
"You saved us. As expected, their minds are influenced by their bodies," Kurumi said.
"Their minds…?" Shidou asked.
Kurumi, sans sunglasses and hat, let her hair down. Shidou felt a pang of loss for the ponytail but savored her rare look… until Kotori's sharp glare forced him to reconsider.
Soon, the kids slept, lulled by Kurumi and Reine's effortless soothing—a feat earning quiet applause from Shidou and Kotori.
"The mind follows the body," Kurumi explained. "Short-term, it's fine, but prolonged child forms force mental adaptation."
"So that's why Origami didn't question your disguise…" Kotori realized.
"Exactly. No cheat needed this time, making it easier for me."
The word cheat—from the Yamai sisters' case—clicked for Shidou. Back then, Tokiko's disguise involved tricks, but now, Natsumi's power made the kids' minds childlike, accepting Kurumi without suspicion.
"…Wait, isn't that bad?" Shidou asked.
"Bad," Kotori said.
"Very bad," Kurumi agreed.
"Bad, indeed," Reine added.
The trio's synced tone was oddly ticklish, but Shidou coughed, embarrassed, and continued.
"We need to fix this fast. Without you two, it'd be chaos. Thanks."
"No trouble. I don't dislike kids… though I'm disappointed I didn't see your child form, Kotori," Kurumi teased.
"No way you'd ever see that!!" Kotori growled.
Kurumi's feigned sadness—was it genuine?—made Shidou ponder her earlier comment. I don't dislike kids. Imagining her soothing them—
"…Shin?" Reine called.
"Huh!? Yes, I'm listening!!"
"…I haven't said anything."
"…Sorry, nothing."
Hiding his face, he dodged Reine's puzzled look. He'd nearly tripped into a fantasy—Kurumi's power was dangerous. He steeled himself.
Kotori, ignoring his meltdown, continued with Kurumi.
"You know why I wasn't affected, don't you?"
"Oh, I thought you'd figured it out."
"…Yeah."
It was obvious. Excluding unconscious members and reiryoku-resistant Shidou, Kotori alone escaped. She held the charm from her pocket.
"Not just Miku's voice—it blocked Haniel too. Some gift."
"No surprise. Even split, her angel handles this easily," Kurumi said.
"Seems so…" Kotori mused.
Holding the white charm, Kotori marveled at its power. First, it blocked a mechanical voice. Now, an angel's light—far denser.
Recalling Haniel's light, it had targeted her too. But the charm—
"No, it wasn't just blocking," Kotori murmured.
"…Oh?" Kurumi smiled, as if Kotori had cracked it.
Blocking implied spiritual defense, but this was different. The light didn't stop—it vanished.
"—Erasure. Her angel…!!"
"Exactly. It erases calamities… like what she showed before."
The white-clad girl's overwhelming power from the prior incident—unanalyzable, Reine had said, but similar yet distinct. If true, her angel's erasure matched but wasn't identical.
Its mechanics clarified her elusiveness—no presence, no detection. The charm, sharing her angel's nature, confirmed Kotori's theory: it erased spatial attacks and detection entirely.
Kotori clutched her head at the absurdity.
"That's cheating! No wonder our scans failed."
"I thought the same," Kurumi chuckled. "What nonsense."
"You're the last to talk," Kotori shot back.
"Right back at you," Kurumi retorted.
Their bickering aside, spirits were inherently absurd. But erasure, rivaling time's absoluteness, felt overly specialized.
Worse, transferring that power? Beyond absurd.
"It clicked. When you met Shidou, we couldn't detect your reiryoku. You didn't suppress it—you erased it, reacting like a normal person."
"Sharp as ever. No need to worry—there are limits. This power's transfer is exclusive to me… and you, Kotori."
"Me…?"
"If my guess is right. But I'm relieved—you reaching the same conclusion eases my doubts."
"…You tested me, didn't you?"
"Just a bonus," Kurumi smirked.
A bonus meant she'd planned it. Kotori glared, but Kurumi brushed it off coolly.
Seeing the white-clad girl clearer, Kotori realized Kurumi barely spoke of herself despite her importance. Progress, but mysteries remained. Rolling her lollipop, Kotori noticed they'd sidetracked from the main issue.
"Wait, we need to track Natsumi. Thanks to you, I know her power doesn't affect me. Let's plan—Reine."
Reine and Shidou, who'd been talking, joined at a low volume to avoid waking the kids. Solving this chaos meant tackling the root.
"…I was telling Shin: Natsumi's hiding her reiryoku, evading detection. She might've vanished to the Neighboring World…"
"No need to consider that," Kurumi said. "She's too stubborn to back down."
"Back down? There's more?" Shidou asked. "Why did she do this?"
The reason eluded him. Why challenge him? Why turn the spirits into kids after losing? Why persist, as Kurumi said? He couldn't grasp Natsumi's motive.
"Hmm…" Shidou pondered, but as not-Natsumi, tracing her thoughts was near impossible.
"Indeed," Kurumi said. "You saw her secret, Shidou. That's the flow."
"…Without a clue, we'll have to ask her," Reine said.
"I'll help," Kurumi added. "With me, it won't take long."
"Thanks, but… you sure?" Shidou asked.
"Of course. I owe you for saving her. Time to repay it."
"Or you just couldn't leave Shidou alone," Kotori teased.
"Pardon?" Kurumi's tone sharpened.
"Nothing~" Kotori chirped.
"Haha…" Shidou laughed awkwardly.
From serious talk to this—were they friends or rivals? For now, Kurumi and Reine could handle Natsumi's search.
"As for her reasons… likely spite and harassment for seeing her secret," Kurumi said. "If it were me, I'd think anyone who saw it can't live."
"…!"
"…Kidding, of course."
Her troubled smile didn't sound like a joke. That was today's lesson: Kurumi's jokes weren't funny.
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