Kaguya and Yuzuru looked at each other, confusion mixed with hesitation.
Yet something in Gabriel's voice made refusal impossible.
Their fingers intertwined.
"Shiya Tensō."
At the same time, Gigan's output increased.
The air trembled.
Before their eyes, layered geomantic magic circles appeared, rotating slowly—like a cosmic mechanism unlocking the seal of reality itself.
And then—they saw something unusual.
The same thing Gabriel had always seen.
A girl.
Yamai Kazamachi.
The root of their true existence.
Her appearance… resembled both Kaguya and Yuzuru at once, a fusion impossible to ignore. Her beauty stood out like that of a model, with a height of 180 cm.
Unlike the twins, Yamai Kazamachi did not wear her hair in braids.
With Gigan, Gabriel did not merely see the surface. He gazed into the deepest layer of existence—the core of the soul, the origin, the truth hidden even by the world itself.
And now… that truth was shared.
Without illusion.
Without lies.
"You two…" Yamai Kazamachi said softly, her voice like wind brushing across the surface of water. "Stop competing to decide who is the original."
She spread her arms, embracing Yuzuru and Kaguya.
The embrace floated—she was only a projection of true existence, without a physical body.
And yet… somehow, Yuzuru and Kaguya still felt its warmth.
"You are not 'the original' or anything like that," she continued gently. "You are sisters… who love each other, who always place the other above themselves."
Silence filled the space.
Those words were not wrong.
Tears gathered at the corners of Yuzuru's and Kaguya's eyes.
"So…" Yamai Kazamachi whispered, "don't destroy each other… just to become Yamai Kazamachi."
Then, from the other side, she turned toward Gabriel and gave him a warm smile—one filled with gratitude.
Meeting Gabriel… had given her the chance to say the words long left unspoken.
Slowly, the embrace came apart. Kaguya and Yuzuru released each other's hands.
In the next instant, Yamai Kazamachi's existence began to fade—like mist touched by morning light—until she finally disappeared.
Yuzuru turned to look at Kaguya.
"Yuzuru… does not want to erase Kaguya in order to become 'the original.'"
Silence.
Kaguya slowly turned back. Her eyes were glassy with tears, yet her usual crooked smile still lingered.
"Idiot…" she muttered softly. "Then… I don't want you to disappear either, Yuzuru."
A gentle wind circled between them.
For the first time, not as rivals.
Not as candidates for a single place.
But as two beings who completed each other.
Kaguya reached out her hand again—this time without hesitation.
"Then… what are we, according to you?"
Yuzuru took Kaguya's hand once more.
Her answer came calmly.
"…Yamai."
Not one.
Not two.
But now it was a single name that meant togetherness, not competition.
Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment.
The verdict had been accepted.
He drifted past the two of them. His robe and white hair fluttered softly in the evening air.
His left hand lifted straight forward.
His right arm pulled back, fingers forming the gesture of drawing an invisible bowstring.
The air around him groaned.
In an instant, a gigantic bow of pale white wind took shape before him—not a pure element, but a construct woven from Dark Matter and highly controlled streams of Mana.
A colossal arrow formed, its tip rotating like an atmospheric drill.
[- Dark Matter Magic: Spell Construction —
Gale of White Bow -]
Kaguya and Yuzuru stared, their eyes reflecting the spiraling light of the wind vortex.
"Question," Yuzuru said quietly. "What does the Pale Judge intend to do?"
"Removing insects," Gabriel replied shortly.
No further explanation came.
His fingers released the draw.
SHWOOOOSH—!!!
The colossal arrow tore forward at nearly Mach 30.
The air detonated in layers, sonic booms rupturing one after another along its path. Clouds split apart, the horizon trembled, and far in the distance—something unseen to them… vanished without a trace.
The wind calmed again.
The Mana flowing through Gabriel's body settled like the surface of a rippleless lake.
He slowly lowered his arm, then reached out and touched the right hands of Kaguya and Yuzuru.
Warm Mana flowed from him, seeping into the Symbols he had placed on them earlier.
"Alright," he said quietly. "The Pale Judge's duty is complete."
He turned to leave.
But two hands caught the back of his robe.
Gabriel glanced over his shoulder, faintly puzzled.
"What is it, Daughter of the storm?"
Kaguya looked away slightly, trying to maintain her pride. "The contract has been upheld. Isn't it only proper that we repay the Judge?"
Yuzuru gave a small nod. "Agreement. Compensation is required."
Gabriel fell silent for a moment.
Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "Give me something appropriate."
His eyes were closed.
Behind that calm expression, his thoughts drifted somewhere far simpler—far removed from cosmic auras and unfathomable mystery.
An omurice made together would probably taste amazing… Kaguya's bold texture… Yuzuru's balanced seasoning…
Meanwhile, Kaguya and Yuzuru looked at each other.
A faint red tinted their cheeks.
The words "something appropriate" sounded very different to them.
Not money.
Not power.
But their very being.
To them, revealing the truth of Yamai had been the same as offering up their existence itself.
So what they heard was:
"You are the payment. Offer yourselves to me."
Silence lingered in the air.
The wind moved softly between them, no longer violent—just a quiet current carrying unspoken misunderstanding.
Gabriel still had his eyes closed, lost in the image of omelet rice.
Two steps approached.
Soft.
Cup.
Two warm touches landed on his lips at the same time—brief, light, like a spring breeze.
Gabriel's eyes flew open.
His body froze.
His face stayed calm.
But inside, total panic.
Kaguya quickly stepped back, covering her mouth, her face burning red. "D-don't get the wrong idea! That was just… a contract symbol!"
Yuzuru glanced slightly to the side. "…Emotional payment. Efficient."
Gabriel stood stiffly in the air.
His three pairs of wings trembled slightly.
"…The Pale Judge…" he tried to speak in Ash's usual deep tone. "…will… consider this… valid compensation…"
But his voice wavered a little.
In the evening sky, for the first time, the "cosmic judge" truly looked like a 17-year-old boy who was not prepared to deal with twin Spirits.
{Note: slight misunderstanding… that's fine, right?}
***
The next night descended quietly.
Pale mist blanketed the rooftops of the abandoned district, blending with the thin moonlight.
In that silence, piano notes flowed coldly—the melody of Treachery echoing softly, like a resonance from an endless hollow space.
Gabriel sat alone before a piano that no one knew when it had appeared, his fingers dancing lightly across the keys.
His eyes were closed, completely immersed in the atmosphere he created—quiet, elegant, and faintly melancholic.
Tonight was his last night before departing for Ringkai.
The final note lingered in the air…
…then faded.
The shadow behind him shifted.
From the gentle darkness, Kurumi stepped out as if the night itself had given birth to her. The skirt of her Astral Dress swayed softly, her red-and-gold eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"Ara~ Mr. Pianist," she said sweetly, her voice smooth as silk. "As always… such a very cold piece of music."
Gabriel stopped his hands.
He turned slowly, white bangs veiling part of his calm gaze.
"What brings the Spirit of Shadow to Ash tonight?" he asked, flat yet courteous.
Kurumi smiled faintly, tilting her head.
"How about… a small thank-you?" she said lightly. "A warm hug from one of my clones… for your help earlier today?"
The night wind drifted softly between them.
Gabriel fell silent.
In a fraction of a second, his thoughts traced back to the events of that afternoon—Kotori's manifestation as Ifrit, the uncontrolled blaze, and himself stepping into the chaos.
He had helped Kurumi.
But not solely for her sake.
There was something else he wanted to confirm.
He wanted to test it.
The power of his Hollow… when truly facing a Spirit.
That power wasn't something that appeared out of nowhere.
Nor was it an anomaly without origin.
At the core of his body, the Hōgyoku was embedded—silent, yet alive. From it, something like a "second core" had formed within him.
Kotori wasn't the first to sense it.
In the Infinity Tower… he had released that power once.
And the result was still carved clearly into his memory.
That Hollow power did not stand alone.
It was linked to Gigan.
Strengthening each other. Adjusting to each other. Like two different systems now sharing the same vessel.
If the Five-Leaf was his first grimoire… then Hollow was the second.
Only, one was written with magic.
And the other… with his soul.
Beyond that, there was also Shido's path of fate that he had briefly touched—intertwined with Kaguya and Yuzuru within it.
Then the memory surfaced.
Two sudden kisses.
Two storm Spirits who had taken his fake "contract" far too seriously.
The tips of Gabriel's ears turned faintly red.
Kurumi caught even that tiny change.
Her eyes narrowed playfully.
"Ara~?" Her voice turned soft, dramatic, laced with teasing. "Pianist-san… blushing like that… could it be you're thinking about something improper?"
She took a slow step, circling slightly, her skirt swaying like the shadow of a clock hand.
"Don't worry," she continued sweetly, hands folded behind her back. "Kind-hearted Kurumi won't judge you~"
She stopped right in front of him and leaned down a little to meet his level.
"If there is a 'desire' that's hard to hold back… you may take it out on this clone."
Her smile softened—but her eyes stayed sharp, watching even the smallest reaction.
Then, in a theatrical tone, like an actress reciting a tragic stage script:
"Truly… how unfortunate this clone of mine is."
___
✦ Author's Note — About Gabriel's Power
Some of you might wonder why Gabriel's power system seems like a blend of Mage concepts and Shinigami elements.
The truth is, it all originates from the very essence of Gabriel's soul.
Since obtaining Kamigami no Gigan, those eyes became the foundation of his spiritual structure—not magic, but a property of his soul itself.
When Gabriel fused with the Hōgyoku, the artifact didn't grant him random abilities. The Hōgyoku only manifests possibilities that already exist within its host's soul.
Because Gabriel's soul structure was compatible with Hollow-type evolution, Hollowfication occurred as a natural result.
(Spoiler: In future chapters, Gabriel's Hollow power is planned to take the form of a Zanpakutō. Stay tuned!)
Due to a headache, I can only update 1 chapter for now. Sorry, and please continue to support me!!