To confirm his suspicions, Kuzeha made his way up to the rooftop of the school building.
"…So I was right."
Inside his Imaginary Space, Kuzeha searched around until he found her—a girl dressed in a black-and-crimson ball gown.
Since he hadn't been consciously maintaining control, the Imaginary Space itself was left in its natural state: chaotic, without clear boundaries of time or space, everything a swirling haze.
Worried that prolonged exposure would cause mental strain for her, Kuzeha decided it was best to release the girl.
On the rooftop, the shadows dissipated, revealing a strikingly alluring figure returning to the present world.
She wore a gothic lolita dress with lace trim, along with a matching maid-style headband. Her jet-black hair, tied into twin-tails, draped over her bare shoulders.
Her long bangs veiled half her face—but even the part left exposed was breathtaking enough to steal the air from one's lungs.
The moment Kuzeha saw her appearance, he realized his earlier concerns had been unnecessary.
Sensing the shift in space, Tokisaki Kurumi slowly opened her eyes.
Her crimson irises locked onto Kuzeha, and for a brief instant she froze.
"That strange dimension… it was under your control."
Kurumi quickly pieced together the situation, her suspicion shifting into keen curiosity.
As one who wielded dominion over time, she was accustomed to its rules bending to her will.
But within that place, time and space themselves had felt utterly unfathomable—chaotic, yet tinged with a hidden order that even she could not decipher.
"To think someone could command such power… no wonder even Phantom is so interested in this boy."
"Well, it's only a clone. There's no harm in investigating further…"
Kurumi's eyes glittered slyly as she turned her thoughts inward.
Then she met Kuzeha's gaze directly, a hint of doubt flashing across her expression.
"Why release me? You know I caused that spacequake, don't you?"
"Would you rather go back?" Kuzeha asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Ara, ara~"
"Perhaps introductions are in order. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi—"
She gave a languid bow, her lips curving into a dangerously alluring smile.
"—the most wicked of Spirits."
The gothic maiden stepped closer and closer, her playful smirk curling higher.
"For an evil Spirit like me, locking me away might be the wiser choice."
Kuzeha fell silent.
He had just gone out of his way to pull her out of the Imaginary Space, and now she was suggesting he shove her back in.
What was the point of that?
"You want to study the Imaginary Space, don't you?" he asked, bluntly exposing her intentions.
Kurumi's crimson eyes flickered.
"Ara… Kuzeha-kun says it so directly?"
"Give it up. You won't understand it. And besides…" His voice carried no hesitation. "You're only a clone, aren't you?"
Kurumi's gaze sharpened. A thousand thoughts raced through her head in an instant.
He's already encountered my other selves?
Then what exactly is his relationship with me…?
As she studied Kuzeha's calm, indifferent eyes, she couldn't tell whether this boy was her ally or her enemy.
"It seems you know more about me than I expected. In that case, shouldn't you hate me, Kuzeha-kun?"
"After all, I've killed so many humans."
Her pale fingers reached out, gently pressing against his forehead.
They traced down—past his brow, over the bridge of his nose—finally coming to rest upon his lips.
"Or perhaps… Kuzeha-kun actually likes me?"
Her crimson eyes shimmered with seduction.
"Even if I'm just a clone, I still have a body. I can do… all sorts of things."
Kurumi's voice dripped with allure, like a temptress dancing beneath neon lights—deliberately flaunting her charms, probing and teasing the boy before her.
Kuzeha almost laughed. Watching her weave this game of seduction with herself was more amusing than threatening.
Feeling the softness of her fingertip against his lips, he tilted his head slightly—and then parted his mouth, closing it gently around her finger.
"Ara…?"
Kurumi blinked, momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected him to respond that way.
But before she could decide whether to interpret it as affection or mockery, a jolt of electricity shot through her.
An intoxicating numbness spread from her fingertip, rushing through her entire body in an instant.
Her knees trembled, her breath caught, and from deep within, a sensation she had never experienced before welled up to the surface.
Her lips parted, and a soft, sultry moan slipped out unbidden.
She tried to pull her hand back—but her strength had already abandoned her.
Only after several seconds did Kuzeha finally release her.
"Honestly," he murmured, amused, "the conditions for activating Colossal Tongue Lash are abstract as hell… but the effect is undeniable."
Before him, Kurumi was slumped weakly against the wall, her body limp like water.
"You're really not much of a fighter in this form. Next time, send your real body instead."
And with that, her shadow form dissolved into nothingness, vanishing from the rooftop.
"What a shame. Not even a new entry this time."
Kuzeha clicked his tongue, disappointed.
Leaving the rooftop, he headed toward the restroom before class began.
But just as he opened the door, a small figure barreled straight into him, almost knocking him over.
[Ability Entry Triggered!][Congratulations, Host has obtained a Gold Entry: Command Spirits and Marshal Ghosts!]
[Command Spirits and Marshal Ghosts]: Command Spirits — gain the power to manipulate spiritual entities, use them as your own, or even devour them for permanent strengthening. Marshal Ghosts — gain control over any lifeform that has undergone spirit-devouring!
"I-I'm so sorry! I went into the wrong bathroom!"
The petite girl's face flushed crimson as she bowed over and over in apology.
She lifted her head just long enough to glance at Kuzeha—then fled in a flustered panic.
Kuzeha turned his gaze from her retreating figure back toward the restroom, where a mass of black energy in the shape of an evil spirit lingered ominously.
His eyes narrowed in thought.