The next morning, as soon as Shidou stepped into the classroom, he saw Kurumi sitting in his seat.
Although he had experienced this before—since the one last time was just a clone—it still felt unnatural. After all, the girl who should have died yesterday was now sitting there at school, looking as if nothing had happened.
When she noticed Shidou, Kurumi flashed an enchanting smile, lowered her head slightly, and gave a polite bow.
"Oh my, good morning, Shidou-san."
Compared to yesterday, there was absolutely no change in her appearance.
Well, of course—she was the same person.
If he told anyone that this girl had both of her legs crushed, her stomach pierced by bullets, and her neck cut open by his own sister yesterday in a dark alley, they'd probably send him to a hospital to check whether his brain had gone soft.
"...Mm. Good morning, Kurumi."
Shidou didn't show any sign of shock—because this was something he had already anticipated.
"I had so much fun yesterday. Please make sure to take me out again."
"Ha... really? You had fun?"
"Yes, it was very enjoyable."
Unlike Shidou's awkward smile, Kurumi's expression was perfectly natural—as if what happened yesterday was nothing more than a dream.
Was she referring to their date yesterday? Or the incident in the alley? For a moment, Shidou couldn't tell.
Without showing whether she noticed his confusion, Kurumi tilted her head with a cute smile and continued,
"Ara, ara... but I must say, I'm a little surprised."
"? Surprised about what?"
At his question, Kurumi narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head again.
"Well, I thought Shidou-san would be taking the day off today."
For a brief second, Shidou didn't know what she meant.
Was she implying he wouldn't be able to handle what happened yesterday? Or was there something else behind those words?
After a moment of thought, Shidou replied,
"Oh... sorry. Maybe I should've taken the day off to make you happy?"
"No, I'm actually quite glad that Shidou-san came to school properly."
Wearing the natural smile of an innocent teenage girl, Kurumi said this lightly.
Shidou took a deep breath, patted his chest to calm his pounding heart, then stepped in front of Kurumi with a serious expression.
"Kurumi."
"Ara ara?"
"I've... decided to save you."
"? Huh? Save me?"
The moment he said that, Kurumi's expression instantly turned cold, completely different from before.
"...Shidou-san, are you serious? Or did I mishear you? Because you just said something very strange."
"You can stop talking like that—I won't let you kill anyone again. And I won't let Mana kill you again. That's the conclusion I came to yesterday."
Hearing Shidou's resolute tone, Kurumi frowned in irritation.
"Would you please not force your sense of values onto me? Isn't that against the basic manners of a gentleman? I hate that kind of idealism."
"Is that so? What a shame... but I've already made up my mind. I will save you. No matter what it takes—I'll save you!"
Kurumi frowned deeper.
"Shidou-san... do you really mean that?"
"Yes."
Shidou took a deep breath, and the image of the girl who had stood beside Kurumi yesterday flashed through his mind.
"And not just you—Sanluo as well. I'll save both of you!"
"Ara ara? Shidou-san, are you talking about Miss Tianqi?"
When Shidou mentioned Tianqi Sanluo's name, Kurumi froze for a moment, as if surprised that he would dare say such a thing. Then her lips curled into a sharp grin, and she burst out laughing mockingly.
"Hahaha! Shidou-san, that's the funniest joke I've ever heard!"
"Kurumi, I'm not joking. I mean it—I will save you."
The firm determination on Shidou's face clashed sharply with the mocking amusement in Kurumi's expression.
"Ara ara, forgive me, I got a little carried away. Tell me, Shidou-san, do you even know what kind of person Miss Tianqi is? Or are you just letting your high school boy hormones talk, saying something so impulsive and childish without understanding anything about her?"
As if to apologize, Kurumi lifted her skirt hem and gave a graceful curtsy—but her eyes and expression betrayed no hint of apology.
"Oh, I know. Tianqi Sanluo—she's known as the Most Savage Spirit... Genie (Shura)."
Shidou met Kurumi's gaze directly, without the slightest hesitation.
"Oh?"
Kurumi's mocking smile faded, replaced by a cool, unreadable expression.
"So you're saying—you know what Miss Tianqi has done, and you still want to save her?"
"That's right. I believe even Sanluo deserves a chance to be saved!"
"Then tell me, Shidou-san—what about all the people Miss Tianqi killed? Don't they deserve to be saved too?"
"Ugh—"
Shidou was at a loss for words.
Indeed, even if he could seal a Spirit's power and turn her into a normal human being, he couldn't bring back the people who had already been killed. Nothing could undo that.
If a Spirit who killed countless people could be redeemed, while the innocent humans she slaughtered could not—what kind of justice was that?
He had to admit—he hadn't thought it through.
"Ara ara, but Shidou-san's sentiment is... rather interesting."
As Shidou hesitated, Kurumi spoke again, easing the tension.
"And to dare reach out to that bloodthirsty Miss Tianqi... that kind of spirit deserves some praise—though, of course, there's no prize."
After a moment of thought, Kurumi parted her lips.
"—Since that's the case, if Shidou-san truly means what he says... let's confirm it."
"Eh...?"
"After school, meet me on the rooftop."
With that, Kurumi shifted her gaze away from Shidou.
---
Standing on the rooftop of Raizen High, Kurumi wore a bewitching smile as her light footsteps echoed—thump, thump, thump.
The sky was cloudless, a vivid blue. The blazing summer sunlight shone down on her, casting a shadow on the ground that was darker and more distorted than usual, writhing with a strange power.
It was around 9:10 a.m. now.
Perhaps the first period had already started, but that didn't matter—after all, she was only here to "enjoy" school life.
Kurumi twirled gracefully across the rooftop, her steps tracing circles on the ground like a dance.
"Though continuing to enjoy a peaceful school life with Shidou-san would be nice, still—"
At that moment, black-and-red spiritual energy enveloped her entire body.
Her Raizen High uniform was replaced by the same black-and-red Gothic dress she had worn in the alley yesterday. Her black hair, which usually covered her left eye, was now braided into twin tails shaped like the hands of a clock—revealing the golden, clock-like eye beneath.
If someone—say, Kotori—were watching from above, they would immediately notice something wrong.
Wherever Kurumi walked, the area beneath her began to turn black.
Yes—almost as if the shadows she left behind refused to disappear, spreading outward, seeping into the surroundings, corrupting them.
"That should do it."
She stomped her heel on the ground.
The black circle she had drawn at the center of the rooftop began to expand outward.
Once it covered the entire roof, it started creeping down the outer walls, consuming the schoolyard, and finally spreading from the school itself to engulf the entire surrounding district.
"—Heeheehee... heeheeheeheeheeheehee!"
With her mouth curved into a crescent smile, Kurumi laughed.
"Ahh, ahh, Shidou-san... my dear, my precious Shidou-san. Even now, will you still say you want to save me? Will you still come to my aid?"
"Eh?"
During first period—World History—Shidou suddenly felt the classroom dim, as if clouds had blocked the sun.
But when he looked outside, the sky was still perfectly clear and cloudless. Not a single shadow of a cloud could be seen.
"Could it be...?"
Realizing something, Shidou quickly turned toward Kurumi's direction.
But Kurumi was acting perfectly normal—listening to the lesson seriously, as if nothing had happened.
"Was it just my imagination...?"
He let out a small sigh and adjusted his posture.
Either way, the crucial moment would come after school.
Shidou took a deep breath, steadying his mind.