Chapter Sixty-six: Tempest
It was night.
Morgan sat on the couch in his hotel room.
His body settled into the cushions as he leaned back slightly.
One arm rested on the armrest.
While his elbow was on the other, and his head propped on it.
Before him stretched a floor-to-ceiling window.
Through it, Morgan stared outward to see a beautiful view of the city beyond.
'…'
Silence filled the room.
By this time tomorrow, he'll be back in Japan.
He's had Para make the necessary arrangements for that.
Yet thinking back—
So much had happened within a single week.
The accumulation of events weighed heavily, leaving a dull exhaustion behind.
Especially on his shoulders.
Still, that didn't mean everything had ended.
'If anything…'
His gaze shifted slightly, eyes narrowing as his thoughts turned inward.
Morgan had an inkling.
Things were just beginning.
Westcott was one problem, and «Deus» was another.
However things would turn out from this moment forth, he had no idea.
Because of this, he had left the gathering of Spirits to both Nia and Kurumi.
There simply wasn't time for him to involve himself directly.
Raizen High had been meant to serve as the center of events.
Since it's destroyed.
Morgan had reconsidered.
Rather than forcing development around a single point or place.
It was better to push the flow toward Tengu as a whole.
His fingers shifted slightly against the couch as calculations continued in his mind.
Among the many possibilities he had computed—
This was one of them.
«Tempest», or rather, «Typhoon», as he calls them, was the next target.
Kurumi, now aligned with his plan, would abandon her initial approach.
Not that it would have worked anyway.
Which means that Kotori, too, would be sidelined until then.
And after «Typhoon» would come «Songstress».
Setting things into motion this way would also plunge a certain golden retriever into emotional turmoil.
Morgan exhaled slowly.
While he could already affect Reality with his Personal Reality.
Opening the gate to that place was still far off.
The distance wasn't physical.
Rather, it was a dimensional and spatial distance.
All the while, his computing range was within this universe.
Still, he continued constantly calculating possibilities in the background.
This, too, was part of why he had stressed Nia.
It was completely possible to develop new powers, as Yoshino had already proven.
While their authority, in some cases, was absolute, it was never rigid.
They could still get creative with it or re-interpret it.
And in doing so, give birth to something entirely new.
That was Nia's new ability.
The ability to force knowledge onto others, and alter their perception, using «Future Prescription»
«Nudge cognition»
Naturally, she was still useless in actual combat.
Even so, with that—
She herself couldn't enforce a future where Morgan opened the gate by himself.
Which Morgan didn't even need to ask about, but he already knew.
Even now, more so than before.
Because it wasn't as simple as just knowing the coordinates when he couldn't even tear open space yet.
The foundation itself was missing.
Now…
Whether or not the unfriendly one in space could actually do it was another matter.
He had yet to ask.
But for now, Nia was at least a bit more useful.
Morgan's gaze lowered slightly.
'Though, I already expected she would try, to think she actually did it.'
'Whether or not she can achieve that new goal is on her.'
The responsibility rested entirely with her.
And with this, even Kurumi is in his palm.
"Everything is going according to plan, huh? So this is how it feels."
Certainly, it was a feeling that would make anyone feel like they were on top of the world.
But not Morgan yet.
Pacific.
Note: Since they are experiencing different time zones whatever is taking place now doesn't coincide with what others are experiencing.
Thursday night.
It was a silent, starry night.
The stars twinkled above, with a streak of light streaking past the night sky.
Below, the waves sang quietly in peace, until it was no longer peaceful.
Boom!
Whoosh!
A heavy gust of wind circulated violently, spiraling upward as it tore through the air.
Following the heavy gust, a tornado formed.
No, rather than one, it was two.
It was a twin tempest, twisting through the night's windy skies.
Both rotated in opposite directions as they moved closer.
They collided head-on with a thunderous clash that once more tore the air.
Whoosh!
…the wind howled.
Below, the sea cried out.
Waves crashed violently against one another as if protesting the chaos above.
Yet the tempests were oblivious to it all.
"Kukuku! That weak wind of yours cannot hurt me."
A loud voice resounded from within one of the tempest.
Her voice was loud. …perhaps it was because her tempest amplified her words.
So much so, that it was able to overpower even Mother Nature's cries.
If anyone were to look closer—
They would notice two nearly imperceptible shadows hidden within the raging tempests.
With both of them moving at impossible speeds.
"Negative. I can."
Another voice echoed in response.
The words were followed immediately by an even more intense surge of wind.
Booooom!
Unfortunately—
The force scattered outward instead of dissipating.
Violent gusts slammed into the island below, unleashing devastation.
Chunks of land mingled with dust were torn free and hurled skyward.
Trees uprooted violently, their roots ripped screaming from the earth as the ground shattered beneath them.
Amid the destruction—
Clank!
Metal collided.
Sparks erupted in a quick flash of light, briefly illuminating the shadows in the tempest before separating.
"Heh! Drown into my resounding tempest! Howling roar!"
"Charge. I will not allow it."
With those words, both once more, like tornadoes, spiritual winds, charged toward each other.
Their points of attack collided..
And the clash erupted into a violent storm.
Lightning-like energy crackled through the spiraling winds.
For a brief moment,
..the winds calmed and the storm stilled.
The two figures hovered in midair, suspended above the battered land below.
"Looks like you can put up a good fight, Yuzuru. Or should I say, one would expect it from my other half."
"As expected of someone who has a battle record of twenty-five victories, twenty-five losses, and forty-nine draws against me."
Then, with an exaggerated hand gesture, she pointed dramatically at the other figure.
"But that will also end today."
Whether it was exaggerated, or simply a little too dramatic.
She was a girl who favored strange words and theatrical gestures.
And this time, responding to those words, coming from his left side.
The other shadow was progressing outwards.
"Objection. The one that controls the count for this one-hundredth battle does not belong to Kaguya, but to Yuzuru."
The voice came clearly through the wind that was thinning out.
Emerging from the it was a girl with her hair braided neatly into three strands.
She bore the exact same face as the girl called Kaguya.
Yet her expression was different.
One eye was half-open, unfocused in a way that made her appear perpetually listless.
It was as though she were conserving energy even in the midst of battle.
This girl, called Yuzuru, was also clad in the same strangely designed outfit.
She wore the same restraining clothes as Kaguya.
However, the placement was reversed.
The locks were fastened around her neck, her left hand, and her left leg.
Positioned opposite to those restraining Kaguya.
"Fu. You babble a lot."
Kaguya scoffed, flicking her wrist dismissively as the wind stirred around her.
"How about giving up and admitting that I am the Spirit suitable to be the real Yamai?"
"Denial. The one that will live on will be Yuzuru. Kaguya is not suitable to have the name Yamai."
Yuzuru answered back calmly.
But as though finally growing tired of her other half's persistence, Kaguya let out a huff.
She curled one hand, propping it up with the other, then raised it dramatically before her face.
Her fingers formed a sharp V-shape in front of her eye.
"Mphm."
She tilted her head, striking a pose midair.
"My magic eye has already predicted it. I am the one to win, with my Sturm Lanze, that is!"
Following her words, wind converged around her body, forming a sphere.
However, the listless girl calmly rebutted.
"Pointing out, there are no examples of Kaguya's magic eye hitting its prediction."
When Yuzuru said that..
Kaguya hesitated and shouted as if she had forgotten the exaggerated state she was in just now.
"Shu–shut up! My predictions came true before! Don't make fun of me!"
"Demand. Yuzuru demands an exhibition of a specific example of her claims from Kaguya."
For a moment, silence passed between them. Then, all of a sudden, Kaguya turned to the side.
Pftt—
A muffled sound escaped her lips.
"Sneer. Sturm Lanze."
"Do–don't laughhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Kaguya shouted, her face turning beet red as she flung both her hands outward.
The chains fastened around her neck and right hand rattled violently.
Clank! clank!
The sound rang through the air as the surrounding violent winds surged.
It swelling in intensity and spiraling faster than before.
This time Yuzuru too, took a stance as if she was responding to that.
And then, both of them mixed their sights together without lowering their guard.
"Suffer! Scream in terror!"
"Nngh!"
Together with the loud shout of fighting spirit and the flat voice.
Both of them kicked the air at exactly the same time.
Whoosh!
An explosive force of wind propelled them forward.
However, as they progressively closed the distance, all of a sudden,
BANG!
A resounding bang echoed.
Just a few centimeters away from where their attacks would have collided, a bullet sped past them.
"That!"
"Report. Over there."
Their eyes traced the trajectory of the bullet, and they followed it to the island below.
Right on the beach side of the island, two figures stood there.
But… one of them had an object raised, pointing it directly at them.
"Question. Why did you interrupt?"
Despite being far from where both tempest where, her voice carried itself all the way to where the two newcomers were.
And.. at that question, the figure who had attacked them began to move.
Slowly, deliberately, she started to levitate.
Because they were somewhat down below, their figures were shrouded.
The wind stirred as she ascended.
And as she drew closer, both lookalikes finally gained a clear view of the person who had fired the shot.
Crimson and golden-eyed, with a gothic-like black and red dress.
This girl appeared even more chunni than Kaguya with her theatrics.
Seeing this, Kaguya couldn't take it.
"To enter and interfere with our sacred duel, you, what intentions do you have?"
Saying that, the chains she held rattled around her.
"Based on your answer, I will... errrr, use Schatten Lanze and pierce through you."
The audacity of this newcomer to look more Chunni than her.
How dare she!
Not to mention, bringing a gun to a superpowered fight.
Despite putting that calm facade, Kaguya was internally screeching in her mind as those words came to her.
However..
"Kihihihi~"
The approaching figure tilted her head slightly.
"What a grand fantasy you have."
The newcomer laughed softly before stepping onto the air itself.
Her heels stood firmly as though the wind were solid beneath her feet.
For some reason, her gaze lingered on Kaguya for a moment as though she could tell what the other was thinking.
In the end, however, she held the sides of her dress.
Following that, she lowered her head slightly in midair with a small crouch.
The newcomer inclined her head with exaggerated grace as she introduced herself.
"Pleasure to meet you «Tempest», or «Typhoon», whatever it is, though we'll be saying goodbye soon."
She glanced at them with a glint in her crimson eyes, as well as a smile that seemed to send chills down their smile.
"Y....you!"
Immediately after saying that, the girl straightened and twirled.
Her skirt fanned outward, with her hand seeming to disappear for a moment.
Then, as her hem slowly fell from their view, she clutched her archaic gun.
Click!
"Kaguya!"
Bang!
Even before Yuzuru could even close the distance, a gunshot resounded.
An energy bullet was fired, striking Kaguya square in the stomach.
"Gah!"
But instead of the grim scene that would have appeared.
Kaguya's body was simply suspended mid-air.
Oddly, she wasn't dead, but she couldn't move her body, however, she could still talk and move her eyes.
"Kuh—what is this?!"
Binding?
No, it's different.
Yuzuru narrowed her eyes as she then turned towards the gothic dressed girl.
"Asking. Release Kaguya this instance."
Branding her lance, she dove straight for the newcomer, but as she did..
"No! Yuzuru, watch out—"
Bang!
Another gunshot resounded, this time, not from the front, but rather, from the back.
Yuzuru's body jerked violently.
She staggered midair.
Her charge was abruptly broken before she came to a forced halt.
The wind encircling her scattered immediately.
"Q-question… H-how…?"
Yuzuru's eyes shook as she stared at the girl who had just done that, then with great discomfort steered her eyes to the corner.
There, she saw another exact copy of the crimson-eyed girl, with the same gun.
But, as if answering the listless-eyed girl the crimson-eyed girl merely tapped her temples with her finger.
It were like, she was wordlessly mocking them.
"Tch!"
The twin tempest gritted their teeth.
However, in no situation were they easy opponents like this.
Among all Spirits, these two boasted the fastest speed, second to none.
Even Kurumi, with her «Aleph» bullet—
She couldn't hope to catch them while they were at full tempo.
Yet, how does she do this then?
It was easy.
Once she had killed off their tempo.
Pulling them into her pace to finish them off like this was easy.
Like a silent assassin, the crimson-eyed female slowly turned away.
Her body levitating backward as she drifted through the air.
"W-wait—!"
"Y—you!"
She blinked.
Then turned her head back slightly, a smile curling at the edge of her lips.
"If you want to decide who the real Yamai is, then…"
She lifted her arm and pointed toward the distant east.
"Come to Tengu City."
With that look, and a finger resting lightly on her lip, she began to fly off.
Her body lifted smoothly into the air, drifting away from the high vantage point and descending toward the ground below.
Toward the place where the other stood.
As her boots touched the ground, landing softly against the surface, her partner turned slightly and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh… that was easy?"
The moon casting shadows upon their faces finally lifted revealing Nia with a quizzical expression.
After all, with «Raziel», she knew better than anyone that dealing with them shouldn't have gone so smoothly.
Despite her being one of the factors, it still felt abnormally easy.
"So, this is how it feels to use your brain~?"
Kurumi questioned that with the best smile she could muster, but Nia shrank away, taking a step back.
She clutched «Raziel» for dear life.
But Kurumi ignored her.
Just then, he shadow expanded from underneath, slowly dragging them into the deep crimson abyss.
During that moment, she couldn't help but turn her head.
Her power of time was more versatile that she'd even thought, she had finally seen it in a different light.
Firing a bullet into the 'past'...
Though it was phrased that way, it wasn't exactly what it meant.
Rather,
..firing a bullet in the past, then transporting it to the present using a clone as a carrier coupled with her abilities to manipulate Shadows.
Note: Her clones can't use Zafkiel's time-manipulating abilities.
'Indeed, you've opened my eyes, dear Clair~'
Combining bullets to create an extra clock «13:00» to «24:00», though she couldn't actually create an extra hand on «Zafkiel».
However, such configuration was allowed.
And this was just one of many configurations that his «Advanced Computational Powers» gave to her.
Of course, it's very draining to combine three bullets like this.
Not to mention, the pressing issue of «Time»
But for now, this was okay.