Nia POV:
I open my eyes.
The unfamiliar cellar.
I wasn't at my house.
I am at their place, at their mercy…
… Once again.
Seriously, I'm really growing tired of this.
Not angry, just—tire.
I should've been angry at them, resent them for stealing my life away. I have every reason to crash out… yet, for some reasons, I just—can'.
Was this because of my past life nature? Or something else?
I can't really check that out with… never mind.
After everything that happened, I don't really want to use it anymore.
Thanks to its "power", I am now stuck with another organization, and a crazy one too…
Ha ~ To be honest, being with them doesn't sound bad at all.
Yeah, they're crazy… but they're still better than… my last time…
I… don't know.
I don't know what to do next, I don't know what to fight for, I… am lost.
No matter what I do, I'll still be hunted like an animal.
As I was still deep with my erupting emotions, I felt a warm streak from my eyes.
I am—crying.
I feel—weak.
Despite being a Spirit, beings beyond humans, right now—I just wished to be a human again.
I just… wanted to be free.
"You awake, Honjo-san."
A metallic sound cut through my ponder, and a familiar one at that.
"… Fu-kun?"
"The one and only."
The sound came from the machine across the room, and I let out a small relieved sigh.
Not that I have anything to do with that thing, but still… It honestly feels good.
At least I'm not alone with my own thoughts anymore.
"How are you? The last time I saw you, you're literally burning to charcoal."
"Not much. You?"
"Starting to get depressed, you know."
"… I see."
Hmph? Was that—weird?
"Anyway, well… do you want to talk about it?"
… What?
What did it mean by that?
"About what?"
"Your… experiences."
… Seriously? Like, right now? What the heck?
"I decline."
I let out a long sigh and reluctant response to it, feeling a bit down again.
"I know what they did on you… how they tainted your body…"
Its work slowly wrenched my heart, and I tri to ignore it.
"But hiding your pain… won't cut it. No matter how much you try, you just… can't."
…
… Why?
"Why did… you care?"
I murmured with a trembling voice, my strength slowly went away with each word.
… Why did it care? Why did a genocide mindset… try to care?
"I never deemed all humans defective, just the majority of them."
"And I… care about my companion."
Companion… Huh.
So that's what it saw me as?
"Think you can get away like last time?"
Hearing its oddly soothing voice, I slowly nod my head.
I then try to "disappear" like the last time… and nothing happens.
"Huh?"
Let out a dumbfounded sound, I try again to no avail.
And that's when it hit me, as I stared into my hands.
My Reiryoku … it's gone?
I try to call forth the
Not even my
Even my power… leave me?
My view becomes blurry, my breath becomes heavier.
I can feel myself slowly detached from everything, as darkness slowly swallows me whole…
I… this… what…
"Honjo-san."
Its voice suddenly echoed through the room, dragging me partially back to reality.
"You okay?"
"… No."
After a long time, I murmur back to it with a rather disbelief voice.
I… I can't… Why…?
Even my power… gone…
After making a mess out of my life, it just leaves…
"I… can't use my power…"
Without any thoughts, I whisper back with the void.
But at the same time, somehow, I feel… relieved.
This could mean that no one will be after me anymore… I can be human, once again…
"I see…"
The voice slowly spoke up through the machine again.
"Your Reiryoku signal… has gone."
"If that's the case—then rest."
Is it… trying to abandon me?
No wonder, that thing only cares about those special beings.
Well, not like I'm gonna miss it or anything.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Honjo-san. I suspect that this might be temporary.."
I froze with its statement, as I slightly frowned with doubt.
What did it mean by that?
"Just my hypothesis, but this could be your mental stress that stops you from accessing your Spirit power."
That… does sound convincing.
I did ignore my own mental health for a long, long time for now. I always joke around, but deep down… I just can't confront it at all.
The fact that I still wake up from the coma after… everything proves that my power should still be there, just that I can't access it again…
But still, losing all my power as a result of my ignorance… didn't sound that great thought. Especially when I'm still being hunted by the DEM, and being currently in Ratatoskr custody.
Freedom, huh…
"For now, you should stay with the
… Wait, what? Did it just lend me to those that just ambushed it before?
"Why?"
"As much as I hated this, they have better treatment for your condition than mine. And as a completely rational being, this is the best option at the moment."
The voice expresses its… hatred, with a rather calming demeanor.
… Feels like it did put some thoughts before saying that.
But yeah, being with the Ratatoskr should be my best option for now.
In fact, if I ignore the blue hair then everything shouldn't be that bad… I hoped.
"… You're right."
Let out a deep sigh, I reluctantly agree with it. Not that I can do much more.
"Well, I'll contact you back after this. Take care, Honjo-san."
And with that, the machine fell into silence…
"Any info, Reine?"
"Still loading, captain."
Sitting at the command chair, the twin tails squinting her eyes all serious on the screen, holding her breath with anticipation along with the crew.
Since the incident with the
With the new revelation, its Rank has risen to S, despite showing no sign of being a Spirit, due to its capability to end humankind on a whim.
This marks the first time a being outside of a Spirit has marked itself with the highest priority within Ratatoskr, even on par with the Spirit of Origin,
Because of its influences in that incident, Kotori, and to extend the whole
Also, due to their parts of starting the whole mess, their authority within
Even now, some of the executives in Ratatoskr wanted to remove her from the
"Captain!! Another signal sighted near the Raizen High!"
"What? Who?!"
As the twin tails requested the answer, the one who just announced the present froze… and slowly revealed the one they dread.
"It's…
"…"
The candy in the twin tails broke apart with her clenching jaws, as her eyes glinted a hint of rage.
The fact that it appeared near the school can only mean one thing… it taunts them.
It knew about Shido, it knew about their purpose… and it clearly wanna messed up with their plan.
Although the whole thing is mainly on them, they just can sit here and let that damn abomination do whatever it likes, intervening their purpose of establishing peaceful connections with the spirits.
But despite the imminent danger it poses, history has already shown that they can't do anything against it, and are at its mercy… well, mostly.
"Everyone, keep going with the mission. Reine, you will take charge of things for me."
The twin tails stood up, gave her command on site and went out of the bridge.
No one tried to question her actions, because they knew.
Their beloved captain, Itsuka Kotori… will face the abomination herself.
AST POV:
"Girls get ready—
Hearing their captain command, every single AST member quickly suits up their
Not that they've heard any announcements like usual, but since their systems are… defective, per their captain's reasons, they've started to follow their captain's command recently.
And among all of them, is a certain white haired looking a bit down.
From days ago, after the confrontation with
… But she, despite all those training, all those sacrifices, can't even touch her in the slightest.
Worst, the one that she's so desperate to kill—is Shido's little sister, Itsuka Kotori.
Not that she has anything to do with Kotori, but Shido on the other hand…
Knowing Shido nature, he will pose a problem for her to even approach Kotori, and even in desperate situations… he won't hesitate to step in the line of fire.
He's willing to die for
… And that's hurt her.
She let out a faint breath, her eyes dwindling different shades of emotions.
"Kuhihihihi~"
As she pondered the
Immediately she swept away all the concern and raised her gear up, along with everyone else.
And, from the shadow afar, a bunch of figures erupted all wearing a distinct crimson dress. All the figures held a wide yet creepy grin on their faces, making the view even more absurd.
"
She mumbled when realize their faces, as her expression turned sour. She has read about her before, along with other Spirits, all for the sake of her revenge.
The infamous S-Rank Spirit, with over thousands kills under her belt. The Worst Spirit, even among others.
And now she's here, looking at them with a lustful yet intrigued gaze, as if she wanted to eat them whole altogether.
"Prepare to engage!!"
Her captain commands everyone with her shaky yet determinate voice, as her grip on the gear tightens…
This is… again?
Why…? Why did I end up in this world again?
What's the point of this?
Appear just to be chased again…
… How annoying.
"You again?"
Let out a sigh, I slowly turned to the one that arrived. Must be that thing again.
But, instead of the one I… expected, it's the blue hair—
—Wait, expected?
Why did I expect it? Why am I… eager to see it?
… I don't know why, but I have no intention of finding out.
"Eh… you—remember me?"
Asked the blue hair with a trembling voice, his gaze straight into my figure.
"… Yes."
Answer me with a doubtful tone, my hand pointing to his direction.
Although he really is not the one I anticipated, I do remember him from the last time. After all, he's the first human not coming to kill me… as he said so.
And besides, after the experiences… I'm curious about normal human behavior.
I could use this boy to gather information about this world, and probably make a connection with someone… else.
Yup, that's settled it.
"So… who are you?"
The boy shivers, seemingly from the voice, and tries to gather his thoughts.
Well, that's better than the other reaction, where they just blindly attacked me.
Excluding the thing of course, though I wonder to ever count it as one.
"… I'm so gonna die for this…"
Hm? What did he mean by tha—
"Before asking for someone's name, state your own first!"
… What?
Did he just command me… with that tone?
That sound—so hilarious.
"Kuh—"
I blurt a laugh, and immediately conceal my amusement away. But based from widen gaze, it seems like he has already seen that.
[BOOM!]
The wall beside him collapsed with a single shot from me, and the boy slowly turned to the wall, his face paler with each passing moment.
"Not, a word."
I leer at him with a full-on killing intent, as the boy rapidly nods his head with an almost tearful face.
"Again, who are you?"
"My name… is Itsuka Shido."
The boy, after making some weird cough, answered me with a rather tense manner.
"So… where is this place?"
I pointed
"… This is a school, and you're standing in a classroom."
"A classroom?'
"A classroom is where people my age sit in the chairs—"
He pointed to those things lying around, mostly destroyed and lying around.
"—and learn things… Various things."
Hm… learning things huh…
"So why is the room… empty?"
"Eto… they're all in the bunker. To avoid the Spacequake…"
Bunker… avoiding Spacequake… I see…
But still, if what he said is the truth—
"Why are you here?"
"Um…"
The boy startled a bit with a hesitant expression, before murmuring his response back to me.
"I–It was so… we could… love each othe—"
I destroy the other half of the room, as my stare pinning on him slowly turns colder. The fact that I'm starting to like the thing instead of this boy proved my point.
Sure it could be a bit straightforward, and cold, and emotionless… but it did take the conversation seriously, not like some sort of joke!
"I just—want to see you."
After a while of silence, as I seemingly decided to just off'ed him for good like the other guy, he suddenly spoke up once more which intrigued me a bit.
"See me? Why?"
Hm? Now that is a surprise.
"Because… you look so sad."
His words suddenly stop me from violating him, as my eyes widen filled with mere surprise. I look straight into his eyes, but I can't seem to find any deception deep within…
This one…
"—Fine."
My
Not that I was completely buying such a half-baked result, but he did seem pretty sincere with that. But after the whole thing with the thing, might as well give him a bit of a chance here.
"If you wanna talk, then let's."
I locked my sight into the boy, as he slowly swallowed back his saliva.
"First, I wanted to know… what is a 'name'?"
His eyes widen with my genuine question, as his looks slightly become disoriented and uneasy for some reason.
"Um, well, a name is, what differs you from others, making you unique from everyone else…"
The boy explains the meaning with a broken explanation, as I just stand there nodding with each of his words, and slowly understand its meaning.
So a name is just merely a way to call someone? Wasn't that hard to understand to be honest, and certainly sounded a lot more boring than I thought.
"That's all…"
"Hmph…"
Thinking back about the promises a bit more, I silently curved up my lips.
"Then make one for me. A name."
"Eh?!"
The boy's eyes widened again into me, as I just waved him back casually.
"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem right? You seem to have knowledge about naming after all."
"Ugh…"
Once again, the boy fell silent, as I just sat on one of those tables lying around and watched him curiously.
I wonder… what names he will come up with for me.
Ultron POV:
How intrigued… so she can be this level-headed…
As I thought, my method is the right one… But still, a name huh…
That—did sound interesting. Maybe I should get a new one?
Well, maybe another time…
But first, I have to deal with this unwelcome guest.
"You're late,
"
I slightly tilted my head over the shoulder, and saw the familiar fiery figure descending behind me.
And judging from the expression, she really wanted to gouge my core of this body right now.
The fact that she didn't do it right now—must be due to that blue haired over there.
"What a lovely day, isn't it?"
I fully turned around and looked straight at her, and her figure flinched with my sudden turn.
"You—"
"Be my guess."
I brace myself with a smile, as her intention to move suddenly comes to a halt. Her eyes flicker a hint of confusion yet confliction, as I just stand there grinning.
Eventually after some more seconds, the girl lowered her halberd down with the fire around her slowly dimming away.
So she can actually follow anyone else's order. Now that's a plus.
"Good girl."
"Tch…"
The brat bit her lips leer at me with a full-on hatred, but I didn't care one bit with her feelings. I then turned to watch the whole conversation once more, while the brat just standing there glaring at me to no avail.
"… What's your purpose?"
"Mhm?"
I slightly raise my nonexistent eyebrow with her whispering, as her intensified gaze softens down a little bit.
"My purpose…"
I ponder a bit with the answer, and then murmur the response back to the brat.
"My purpose is you girls—humans' next evolution."
"…"
The brat gaze slightly dimmed away with my response, but I then turned to the ruins again watching everything going on…
Kotori POV:
I am dangerous.
This is the fact I've long accepted since that day.
My Spirit power was incomplete, dangerous and outright uncontrollable.
But there's a saving grace to it.
My power—my brother can also use it, even better than me.
Not to kill, but to save.
But for that to happen, I–cannot use my power again.
But I don't mind, and I never did.
But now… I'm not so sure. Not anymore.
Standing behind the
Was my choice back there the correct one? Was hindering my own power the right path? Was ignoring myself… is what I wanted?
I promised him to be strong, to be reliable… but I can achieve neither.
I failed the
I can't… I don't get it…