"Come Zaphkiel!"
A crimson bolt of lightning tore through the sky, crashing down and obliterating the cabin where Shido and Kurumi had just been.
Shido reacted instantly.
Shido vanished from sight, using Flash Step to escape the blast. At the current level of this skill which was at Perfection Level, he could move through the air itself as though it were solid ground, not quite flying, but using the atmosphere as footholds with each step.
As the smoke cleared from the wreckage below, a familiar figure emerged. Kurumi stood amidst the debris, her lips curled into a mad, delighted grin. Looming behind her was a colossal golden clock, its countless gears of varying sizes rotated within its glowing face while a musket and flintlock were in her hands.
"Aleph."
As the word left Kurumi's lips, she gracefully raised her musket and aimed it at the roman numeral I glowing on the clock face behind her. The number pulsed with Reiryoku before she fired directly at her own head without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, Kurumi vanished from her spot.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared behind Shido, silent as a shadow, her flintlock already aimed at his back. A soft, almost serene smile spread across her face, as if the outcome had already been decided.
"It's over, Shido-san."
"Zayin."
With that declaration, Kurumi gently pulled the trigger, fully confident in her victory, believing the game had ended before Shido even realized the rules had changed.
BANG
The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed through the air.
Kurumi's eyes followed the path of the bullet as it pierced straight through Shido's back, or so she thought.
The one she hit was only his afterimage.
Kurumi's eyes widen in surprise, but she had expected this since she knew it wouldn't be easy to subdue Shido, she was just wasn't expecting him to be much faster than she thought.
"Do we really have to do this?"
Shido reappeared 10 meters in front of Kurumi, he was looking at her with a bitter smile. Although he know that they had to settle everything with a fight, he was still quite reluctant to fight Kurumi.
"If you give yourself to me, then we don't have to fight, Shido-san." Kurumi revealed a warm perfect smile as she replied to him.
Kurumi spoke softly, her voice carrying a deceptive warmth. The perfect smile on her lips contrasted the desire swirling in her golden eye.
"You know, that's impossible, right?"
"Then we can only fight."
Hearing Kurumi's response Shido know that if he wanted to save Kurumi from her nightmares, then he have to defeat her. Defeat her with overwhelming power that she wouldn't think of killing Mio again and only focus on him.
"How dare you hurt Shido! Take this!"
A sudden voice echoed through the air, filled with fury and righteous anger.
Startled, both Shido and Kurumi turned toward the source, and instantly recognized it.
"Tohka..." Shido muttered watching the newcomer.
Descending with fierce determination, Tohka raised her Sandalphon, sending a wave of sword energy directly at Kurumi. The sheer force of the attack split the air, crackling with Reiryoku.
But Kurumi was no ordinary Spirit. With the grace of someone forged through countless battles, she dodged Tohka's strike with ease, her movements fluid and precise.
Yet just as she allowed herself a breath of composure, a sharp glint flashed behind her.
Danger!
Kurumi's instincts screamed, but it was a second too late.
A second blade came from behind, nearly catching her off guard. Though she twisted mid-air to minimize the damage, the attack still landed, slicing across her right arm, drawing blood.
Kurumi blinked as she landed, cradling her arm slightly. Her eyes sharpened, snapping to the new assailant.
Another figure stepped from the shadows, cold and unreadable.
It was none other than Origami.
"Did we get her?!" Tohka asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up with a flicker of hope as she saw blood spill from Kurumi's arm.
But Origami, still calm and collected, shook her head. "No vitals."
Tohka pouted slightly, about to complain that Origami was too quiet, when her eyes shifted back to Kurumi who didn't even seem to feel the pain coming from her severed arm.
Kurumi was staring at her own nearly severed arm, crimson trickling down in steady drips. But Tohka felt somewhat uncomfortable by how Kurumi reacted in such way where she wasn't even bothered.
It was as if the pain didn't even register. That unflinching calm in the face of such a wound felt deeply unsettling.
Then, slowly, Kurumi raised her remaining hand. Her flintlock appeared once more in her grasp, dark and ominous.
She pointed it toward the number IV glowing on the giant clock behind her.
Then without hesitation she turned the gun on herself.
"Dalet."
With a bang, the severed arm of Kurumi returned to her arms as if it didn't get cut at all. But it was actually just Kurumi's Angel's ability to turn back the time of the target on their original state.
With a resounding bang, Kurumi's severed arm snapped back into place, as if the injury had never occurred. Her eerie smile never wavered as she flexed the hand, now restored to its former state, as though mocking her opponents for even thinking they could harm her.
"What?!" Tohka's eyes widened in disbelief, the shock evident on her face as she stumbled backward. "How? How did it heal so fast?"
On the other hand, Origami stood silently, her eyes narrowing as she observed the scene. This was the first time she'd witnessed Nightmare, use her abilities. Kurumi didn't manage to fight the other day as Shido was the one who fought Mana, it couldn't even be called a fight since from the begining Mana was already trap on Shido's genjutsu.
"So this is the true power of Nightmare." Origami muttered under her breath, her grip tightening on her photon sword as she prepared for the next move. She had to admit, Kurumi's abilities weren't to be taken lightly.
Kurumi's cold, mocking gaze shifted from Tohka to Origami, then back again. The amusement in her eyes was unmistakable, as though she was simply playing with her prey. "How rude, interrupting my date with Shido-san"
Tohka stood firmly in front of Shido, her stance protective as she held Sandalphon at the ready.
Both were armed and ready for battle. Tohka, in casual clothes, had part of her Astral Dress merging seamlessly with her outfit, a sign of her Semi-Spirit Transformation. With her Reiryoku sealed inside Shido, she could only tap into a fraction of her true power, but it was enough to stand her ground.
Origami, on the other hand, was as cautious as ever. She had already suited up, her gear as much a part of her routine as breathing. She was always prepared, no matter where she was or what she faced.