"You should stay where you are as Shido and I continue our date."
Kurumi smiled at Tohka and Origami, but then the shadow under their feet seemed to move and then dozens of Kurumi appeared from the shadow and began surrounding the two of them.
"Damn it!" Tohka cursed as they were surrounded.
"Don't let your guard down."
"I know!"
Tohka replied to Origami then brandished her sword at the incoming enemy.
"Now then, where were we?" After she dealt with Tohka and Origami, Kurumi turned to Shido again.
Meanwhile, Shido look at the direction of Tohka and Origami who was fighting Kurumi's clones. After confirming that the two of them were not in trouble dealing with Kurumi's clones, he then also stared at Kurumi's crimson and golden colored eyes.
"You really won't stop until one of us is defeated, huh?" Shido asked, exhaling slowly. His voice carried a trace of helplessness, though his eyes remained steady.
"Nope." Kurumi replied with a twisted smile. "If you want me to stop, then you'll have to defeat me. But you'd better hurry, Shido-san. Even if you can still stand and resist the effects of my City of Devouring Time, the others inside… might not last much longer."
Kurumi, let out a maniacal laughter as she said that, especially when she saw him frowning.
However, even though she know that Shido was irritated or even angry by her cruel action, Kurumi didn't care anymore. This battle will decide whether Kurumi could go back in time and kill the first Spirit or Shido could subdue her first.
Seeing Kurumi laugh crazily, Shido's frown loosened and he couldn't help but sigh inside his heart. Although he know how crazy Kurumi was and how cruel her actions were. The truth is that she was just a pure hearted girl that wanted to become a hero of justice. She care about the people around her and she even love animals.
She wanted to help those who are in need and in trouble, but her fate was played. She was just used as an experimental subject by Mio and she was also deceived by her her. What's worst was her only friend when she had just turned into a Spirit was killed by Mio.
It's no wonder that she turned so messed up. It's already a miracle that Kurumi didn't go completely crazy and just kill people who she labelled trash of the society. But right now, she seemed to gone all out and she didn't care anymore if she kill innocent life.
"Now, what will you do Shido-san?" Kurumi's laugher stopped and looked at Shido with her usual perfect smile as if the eerie and crazy personality she showed just now was an illusion.
Just as Shido was thinking of transforming into his Spirit form, a crack suddenly appeared at the sky or rather at the dome of Kurumi's City of Devouring Time. The crack started small before it became bigger until the whole City of Devouring Time broke apart, revealing the original blue sky.
Seeing this Kurumi and Shido looked up in astonishment as they didn't expect someone to break apart her City of Devouring Time so easily. Tohka and Origami and even Kurumi's clones looked up with the sudden change of the battlefield. As they were originally also affected by the City of Devouring Time making their moves sluggish, it was pretty hard for them to battle Kurumi's clones but now that it was broken apart they felt their bodies became better.
When everyone looked up, they saw girl long with long crimson hair, she was wearing an ethereal white kimono that somehow made her looked like a goddess in the Japanese folklore. The neckline dipped daringly low, skimming the edge of modesty, while a translucent sash and a black ribbon framed a pair of oni-like horns atop her head, letting her crimson hair cascade freely down her back.
Blazing flames spiralled around her, moving in perfect harmony as if they were an extension of her very will.
"I'm not late, am I?" The girl in the sky looked down at the people below and revealed a cool smile.
"...Kotori."
Shido looked at Kotori dumbfoundedly, although he already know that she was also a Spirit, looking at her Spirit form, he couldn't help but gawk at her. The cute and somewhat commanding litter sister of his turned into an elegant goddess of fire.
"You don't look so surprised Shido." the girl asked casually, her voice calm and confident as she looked down at the battlefield below. A cool smile played on her lips.
Originally, she was monitoring everything on the Fraxinus but the sudden change in Kurumi's emotional levels change everything. She suddenly transformed in her astral dress in public then activated her City of Devouring Time making it impossible for Kotori and everyone in the Fraxinus to continue monitoring them.
And even though she was confident with Shido's strength, it was Kurumi who he was facing, not just any Spirit like Yoshino who was docile. So she made a bold decision to make a move herself. And that leads to where they were now.
"...Well, a bit. I didn't expect you to be so beautiful in your Spirit Form." While Shido knew that she was talking about the matter that Kotori didn't tell him that she was a Spirit. He didn't mention it, instead he tried to tease her.
Kotori's cheeks flushed a deep red. "Don't say stuff like that at a time like this, you idiot!" she snapped, flustered but unable to hide the embarrassment in her voice.
"Alright, alright." Shido chuckled, raising his hands in surrender, still grinning.
"Hmph! We'll talk later!" she huffed, turning away with a swish of her kimono.
"It seems you still haven't had enough of Shido." Kotori said sharply, her gaze locked onto Kurumi. "You still want to devour him now?"
Kurumi's lips curved into a sultry smile. "Ara~ Someone sounds jealous~" she said playfully, clearly enjoying Kotori's reaction. She could sense that Kotori had certain feelings for Shido and it was quite a strong one.
Kotori's face instantly turned crimson. "Wh–Who's jealous?! Don't be ridiculous!" she barked, flustered beyond belief.
Shido, still standing nearby, blinked. I should probably stay out of this… he thought, wisely keeping his mouth shut.