“Shido!”
Origami’s gaze was fixed intently on Shido, who was trapped within the Spirit’s barrier. Her grip tightened on her light saber, and she intensified her assault.
“I told you, that method is useless!”
Tohka, too, swung her greatsword, clashing fiercely.
“You need to get out of here quickly! Otherwise, your own kind will kill you!”
Tohka called back to Shido, even as she continued her fight.
“Tch, don’t even think about deceiving him!”
From Origami’s perspective, a Spirit—a creature that brought only calamity—could never harbor good intentions. She was convinced Tohka had set her sights on Shido, intending to trick him with such vile words. Her true aim, Origami believed, was to beat Shido into submission, then drag him back to be her s*x s*ave!
“Shido, don’t trust her! She isn’t human; she’s a Spirit, the very cause of spatial quakes. My parents were killed by Spirits!”
“Uh!”
Shido flinched at Origami’s words, his resolve wavering.
‘Origami’s parents were killed by Spirits? Then wouldn’t saving Spirits make me an accomplice to her enemies?’
“Hold firm to your convictions, don’t waver!”
Ji Qianye, whom Origami seemed to ignore due to the Angel’s influence, placed a reassuring hand on Shido’s shoulder.
“Then again, a man like you isn’t so easily swayed from his beliefs.”
“Heh heh, you’re right!”
Shido nodded. His confusion and hesitation lasted only a moment before he quickly regained his composure.
‘No matter what, I’m doing this to prevent people like Tohka and Origami from falling into despair. The past might be irreversible, but I must prevent an even more desperate future.’
Turning his attention back to Tohka and Origami’s battle, he watched them, weapons in hand, locked in a stalemate. They seemed to be waiting for an opportunity, a crucial moment to truly engage.
Just then, Shido’s phone suddenly rang, igniting a new phase in the battle.
“Haaaaa!”
Tohka and Origami charged at each other, their greatsword and light saber colliding in a burst of powerful airflow that rippled outwards.
“Please stop it, aaaaaah!”
Shido tried to intervene, but he was struck by the residual shockwaves of their battle. Fortunately, Ji Qianye swiftly scooped him up in a princess carry, leaping backward with all her might. Her personal Spirit energy barrier further shielded him, allowing Shido to escape harm.
She even answered Shido’s phone for him.
“Hello, hello? Shido’s a bit busy right now, so I’m answering for him.”
“The pink-haired girl from the arcade? Oh, so you’re the one who looks like a certain character from ‘Re:Zero’! What was your name again? Oh, Tonamachi Hiroto, right? I’ll remember you!”
“You’re asking about my relationship with Shido? Well…”
Ji Qianye’s eye, the one not covered by her eyepatch, swiveled mischievously as a brilliant idea sparked within her.
“Shido is my master, and I am Shido’s flesh s*ave!”
“After we left the arcade that day, we had a very passionate day. Shido penetrated my body with a thick, powerful object, injecting hot, viscous fluid into me…”
“No, Tonamachi, let me explain!”
Shido snatched his phone back, desperately trying to clarify the situation to Tonamachi. However, though his voice undoubtedly reached the other end, all Tonamachi offered was a “Heh heh” before hanging up.
“Oh god, now I’m in deep trouble!”
Shido collapsed onto the ground. Not only had his attempt at explanation failed, but Ji Qianye’s words had seemingly confirmed everything.
Come to think of it, Ji Qianye hadn’t actually lied; everything Shido had done that day was factual.
Yet, if such a story were to spread, Shido’s life might very well be over.
“Don’t be disheartened, Shido!”
Ji Qianye gently stroked Shido’s hair, much like an older sister comforting her younger brother.
“These things only circulate for a short while at school, then it’ll be fine. I have experience with this!”
“Really?”
“Of course. It’s always like that in school; a rumor won’t last more than three days, and sometimes people forget about it within a single day.”
“That’s great then!”
“However, for you, Shido, it’s harder to say. After all, you’re trying to capture Spirits. What if a Spirit decides to use their abilities at school to do something that ruins your reputation? Then it really won’t be so simple.”
“Aren’t you the one who ruined my reputation the most?”
Shido blurted out his inner thoughts, only to be scolded by Kotori.
“Idiot Shido, what are you saying? Do you want the Spirits to have a terrible impression of you?”
“Don’t worry, Shido-kun! Ji Qianye’s affection level hasn’t been affected; it’s still quite high for you!”
Murasame Reine, as the intelligence analyst, quickly reached this conclusion using the Fraxinus’s system data.
“Still, there’s some distance until we can seal her, so we need to push harder.”
“Seal? What seal?”
This was the first time Shido had heard of such a concept.
“Don’t rush, Shido. You’ll know soon enough. Just look forward to it!”
Kotori had no intention of explaining things now, but she wasn’t entirely satisfied with Shido’s current performance either.
“Shido, your first date (operation) didn’t go well. It seems pushing you into it without proper preparation isn’t working!”
“It looks like they’ll keep fighting until the Spirit—let’s call her Tohka for now—reaches her limit. There won’t be any chance to ask her on a date, so let’s call it a day for now.”
“In that case, what about Tohka?”
“Don’t worry, there’ll be another chance! It’ll be much more effective to ask her on a date next time, when things are more settled!”
As Ji Qianye spoke, she prompted Kotori to retrieve Shido.
“Once you’re back, you’ll undergo proper training, Onii-chan!”
Kotori, a lollipop in her mouth and one leg crossed over the other, took the visual novel developed by Ratatoskr, which Kannazuki Kyouhei respectfully handed to her.
“Understood, Kotori!”
Shido assented, likely unaware of the kind of training that awaited him.
“Whew, it seems our first contact was a success for now. While we haven’t drastically altered the plot, it’s clear that Tohka has accepted my presence!”
Ji Qianye let out a long breath, clearly pleased with the day’s interim results.
“But speaking of which, what was I supposed to do today?”
“I recall there was something I needed to buy, but I got so caught up looking for Shido and Tohka that I forgot what it was.”
“Is it still not too late to buy it now?”
????: “Ara ara, I’m truly grateful, Miss Qianye, for not forgetting this humble girl’s request!”
“Hm?”
As she pondered, a figure emerged from the shadows.
Her long black hair was tied into two pigtails of uneven length, cascading gracefully over her shoulders. Her delicate limbs seemed so fragile that a slight force might snap them. A waterfall of bangs obscured the left half of her astonishingly beautiful face, while on the other side, a wine-red right eye and lips as tender as cherry petals were visible.
Within such beauty resided a devilish charm, capable of captivating any man with a single glance. The suddenly appearing girl was clad in a black and red Gothic Lolita dress, a blend of night and blood hues. Two black straps held the dress in place, making her skin appear even more pearlescent and smooth.
Her slender legs, seemingly prone to breaking with minimal pressure, were encased in glossy black stockings, and chunky black boots adorned her feet.
“Kurumi!”
It was then that Ji Qianye remembered she still needed to buy Kurumi a limited-edition Black Forest cake today.
“Kuru-kuru, I’m so sorry! I’ll go buy it for you right now!”
With that, Ji Qianye turned as if to leave immediately.
“Don’t rush,” Kurumi interjected. “I’ve already sent ‘myself’ to buy it, and it’s right here in my hand now!”
As she spoke, Kurumi held up a packaged bag, revealing the day’s limited-edition Black Forest cake inside.
“Well, in that case, everything’s fine!”
Ji Qianye sighed in relief.
“Who said everything’s fine?”
Kurumi slowly cornered Ji Qianye against the wall, her slender fingers tracing Ji Qianye’s cheek.
“I asked *you* to buy it for me, yet ‘I’ had to go buy it myself. And you’re even wearing my old clothes. Tell me, what should I do about your performance?”
“Uhm…”
Ji Qianye stammered for a long moment, finally managing to squeeze out a single phrase.
“Be gentle!”
“Hehehehe, tonight, I’ll take good care of you!”