"!!"
Shock spread across Origami's face. But once she saw the true identity of her attacker, her expression grew even darker.
"Yatogami Tohka…!"
Wearing her limited Astral Dress, Tohka held her angel tightly and turned to look back anxiously at Shidou.
"Shidou, Kotori—are you both okay?"
"Annoying pest—"
The Realizer Units behind Origami activated again, launching a barrage of missiles straight toward Tohka.
However, just as she was about to fire, a pale-blue beam shot from the side, forcing Origami to stop her attack and leap into the air to dodge.
"This is…?"
The spot struck by the beam instantly froze over with crackling ice.
"Are you two… okay? Shidou, Kotori…"
Following the voice, Shidou looked over to see Yoshino, also clad in her limited Astral Dress, standing atop a rabbit-shaped ice puppet.
"Yoshino!"
"Mm… we heard… Tohka was worried… so we came…"
"Hermit…"
Origami had also noticed Yoshino. The situation was already chaotic enough, and now these two troublesome Spirits had decided to join in.
If she counted the two still arguing on the other side—Tenqi Sanluo and Tokisaki Kurumi—that made five Spirits gathered in one small area.
Things were going from bad to worse.
"In that case…"
Origami took a deep breath. Her Realizer Units reloaded again, ready to fire.
"You can all disappear together!"
With a shout, countless missiles burst from behind her, much like her earlier battle with Kotori—but this time, her targets were Tohka and Yoshino.
"Ugh…"
"Ah…"
Though Tohka and Yoshino were both powerful, their strength in limited Astral Dress mode was greatly reduced. Against Origami's hatred-fueled barrage, they were clearly struggling to keep up.
"Tohka! Yoshino!"
Shidou shouted, stumbling forward with unsteady steps, recklessly trying to reach Origami to stop her.
"Shidou! Don't worry about us! Go save Kotori!"
"We… can't hold out for long…"
Tohka and Yoshino yelled between labored breaths as they fought off Origami's relentless assault.
"Ugh…"
The pain in Shidou's abdomen had mostly subsided by now. Glancing to the side, he saw Tenqi Sanluo and Kurumi still facing off, seemingly uninterested in him for the moment.
"Guess I've got no choice!"
Gritting his teeth, Shidou sprinted toward Kotori. Since Origami's attention was fixed on Tohka and Yoshino, the spatial field around Kotori had vanished. He rushed forward, scooping her up in a princess carry and running toward a nearby hiding spot.
---
"...So what now? Tokisaki Kurumi, are you declaring war on me?"
Tenqi Sanluo tilted her head slightly as she spoke.
"Ara, Tenqi-san, I merely think that, as friends, we shouldn't harm each other's interests, don't you agree?"
Kurumi showed no sign of backing down.
Seeing that, Sanluo's eyes grew dangerously cold.
"Tokisaki Kurumi, don't think that your little tricks could ever match me in a real fight. Or are you—"
She lifted Burning Immortal Flame once more.
"—planning to die together with this city?"
"Perish together? I'm afraid not, Tenqi-san. The real question is—can you even find me right now?"
Kurumi's tone was relaxed, her steps light as she twirled gracefully in place.
"Besides, Tenqi-san, you wouldn't want that noisy rooster to spoil all the fun you're having watching the show, would you?"
"Rooster, huh? That mouthy fool really is an eyesore."
Sanluo glanced toward Shidou, who was carrying Kotori and trying to escape, then lowered her flintlock rifle and took aim once more at his head.
Naturally, Kurumi intercepted the shot again—one of her clones appeared just in time, taking the bullet and bursting into a spray of blood and shadow.
"'Rooster'? Oh my, are you referring to Shidou-san, Tenqi-san?"
Kurumi blinked, then smiled, storing her rifle back into the shadows.
"While I'll refrain from commenting on the nickname, it's precisely because of Shidou-san that we get to enjoy such fascinating events in Tenguu City, don't you think? Perhaps you don't know—do you, Tenqi-san—how Shidou-san seals a Spirit's power?"
"Huh?"
Sanluo raised an eyebrow and glanced toward Shidou's direction. After estimating that she could easily twist his head off at any time, she gestured for Kurumi to continue.
"It's quite simple, really—he meets a Spirit, goes on a date, makes her blush… and then seals her power through a kiss."
"Mm. A date, blushing, and a… a kiss?!"
For the first time, Sanluo's expression froze. Her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
She'd already guessed that sealing required some sort of emotional connection, but she never imagined it would involve something as shameless as… that.
"Yes, yes, that's exactly the kind of expression I wanted to see on your face, Tenqi-san."
"…You talk too much."
Flustered, Sanluo raised her rifle and blew Kurumi's head apart.
Of course, the corpse was swiftly dragged back into the shadow by countless hands, and another Kurumi emerged as if nothing had happened.
"Well then, Tenqi-san," Kurumi continued smoothly, "as of now, Shidou-san has already sealed two Spirits—or rather, soon to be three. That means he's the most important person in all of their hearts. If you were to kill him, wouldn't that cause quite the… commotion?"
"…You mean Inversion, don't you?"
Sanluo recalled the concept she'd learned from Kurumi before: when a Spirit experiences unbearable despair, her Reiryoku turns negative, causing her Spirit Crystal to invert.
An Inverted Spirit gains immense power—but loses nearly all reason, becoming a being of pure destruction.
"Exactly. If several Spirits suddenly went berserk—beings as destructive as yourself, Tenqi-san—how do you think humanity would react? The world would descend into chaos. Even if you survived, could you still enjoy your precious entertainment afterward?"
"…Hah?"
Sanluo lowered her weapon and crossed her arms, watching Origami mercilessly overpower Tohka and Yoshino.
"Tokisaki Kurumi… much as I hate to admit it, you have a point."
"Please, trust me, Tenqi-san. As long as Shidou-san lives, he'll keep providing you with plenty of entertainment—far more amusing than what you're seeing now."
Seeing Sanluo put away her angel, Kurumi secretly sighed in relief, withdrawing the hundreds of clones she'd deployed to protect Shidou's escape. She spun once on her toe and added cheerfully:
"…"
Sanluo stayed silent for a moment.
"…Fine. I'll trust you—for now."
Then, she stepped forward, twisted off Kurumi's head again, tossed it aside, and went back to spectating the fight.
---
"Kotori!"
Outside, the explosions grew louder. Shidou knew time was running out—he had to seal Kotori's power quickly.
Normally, sealing required a sufficient level of affection, but the situation was too dire for hesitation. He had no choice but to gamble.
"Kotori, Kotori… you're my most adorable little sister—the one I'm proudest of in this whole world! I love you… I really love you!"
"Eh? Ehh?!"
Kotori's face turned scarlet, red as a ripe apple.
Of course, Shidou himself was blushing furiously too.
"Wh-what are you suddenly—"
"Kotori, do you… love me?"
Despite the embarrassment, Shidou had no time to waste.
"Th-that…"
He could already hear Tenqi Sanluo and Kurumi finishing their argument nearby—a very bad sign. If he didn't act now, he might literally lose his head in the next few seconds.
Taking the initiative, Shidou shouted:
"Kotori!!"
"I—I get it already…"
Kotori's eyes darted around in panic before she finally yelled back, voice cracking with emotion:
"I love you! I love you so much! You're the person I love most in this whole world, Onii-chan!"
And the moment those words left her lips, Shidou leaned forward—
Their lips met.