Chapter 20: Useless

The next morning, Shido spotted Kurumi and made his way over to her. As he spoke to her he was able to pull a response from her which was "Please come to the roof after school today," Meanwhile, Hikaru watched from a distance, observing the exchange between Shido and Kurumi with curious eyes. When she saw that nothing had gone wrong, she made her way to the classroom where Tohka was already seated. She took a deep breath, settling into her seat and preparing for the upcoming class. Standing on the roof of Raizen High, Kurumi smiled coquettishly and tapped her foot lightly. The weather was fine, not a cloud in the sky. The intense midsummer sun poured down on her, projecting a shadow even blacker than usual onto the ground. The time was 9:10. Perhaps because the first period had already begun, the chatter from the school building had mostly died down. In its place, she could hear the scattered sounds of instruments from the music room and balls bouncing from the gym. She took a dancing step—spinning around to draw out a circle on the ground. "It would have been nice to spend a little more time enjoying this school life with Shido." If someone were to look down on this scene from above, they might have noticed the strangeness of it. The place where Kurumi was dancing had grown dark—almost like the shadow was not disappearing from her orbit. "It's almost time, hmm?" She thrust a heel into the ground. The circle drawn in dusky lines began to creep outward. It covered the entire roof, moved onto the exterior walls of the school, and ate into the building as if to eventually blanket the area of the city centered on the school itself. "Kee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee." Her lips twisted up in a half smile. "Aah, aah, Shido. My dear Shido. Dear, precious Shido. Will you still say that you'll save me? Would you say you would rescue me?" "Mm?" Shido looked out the window in the middle of the first period, World History. It felt like it had suddenly grown a little darker, so he figured some clouds must have been drifting by. The sky outside was still clear, however. He couldn't see even a trace of a cloud. "It couldn't be." He looked over at Kurumi. She had sounded so ominous earlier, so he thought just maybe. She wasn't doing anything as far as he could tell. She was sitting and paying attention to the teacher. "Maybe I'm overthinking things." He let out a sigh and sat up straighter. At any rate, the moment of truth would be after school. He took a deep breath to psych himself up. Shido took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He tried to replace all the air in his lungs to reset his body. "Wohkay." The time was 4:30 PM. Around him, he could hear the voices of students heading off to practice and other extracurricular activities. He hadn't spoken with Kurumi again after their earlier exchange. When the last homeroom ended, she quickly slipped out of the classroom without so much as a glance in his direction. "...You're okay, right, Shin?" an excessively sleepy voice asked over the earpiece in his right ear. Reine. "Yeah. I'm surprisingly calm." "...That's the most important thing. But make sure you're very careful." "I know." He swallowed hard. And then a question popped into his mind. "Reine? I just realized I'm not hearing Kotori's voice..." "...Oh, Kotori stepped out for a minute." "Wait. Why would she step out at an important time like now...?" "...She is very aware of how important it is. But after considering that, she decided that this would increase the chances of success for the mission... External interference would cause the most trouble." "Huh...? What's that supposed to mean?" "...You concentrate on Kurumi. She's not so weak that you'll be able to seduce her without being completely focused on the job." "...! Y-you're right." He was curious about this "interference," but Reine was correct. He had to keep his mind on Kurumi and Kurumi alone. She was probably already waiting for him on the roof. He turned toward the stairs. "Wha—?!" He frowned. He felt a sudden change in the world around him. He didn't know what was happening physically, but the area abruptly grew darker, and an extraordinary feeling of weariness and lethargy came over him. A heaviness tangled his limbs, as though the air had transformed into a viscous fluid. "Wh...at...is...?" He somehow managed to keep from dropping to his knees. But the students around him sank to the floor, groaning in agony. Frankly, it was a bizarre sight. "Ah...! Hey! Are you okay...?!" He hurriedly shook the shoulders of a girl who'd collapsed next to him. But she must have passed out; he got no reaction. "Reine. What is...happening...?!" "...We've confirmed a strong Spirit signal in a region centered on the high school. There's no mistake—the signal is Kurumi's work. A large force field... Looks to be the type that weakens all humans inside of it." "Wh-why would she...?" "...Faster to ask her that yourself," Reine told him. Back in the classroom, Hikaru bore witness to her classmates falling unconscious one after the other. Hikaru turned to Tohka, who was holding her head in pain. "Are you okay?!" "Mm." She groaned like she was tortured by a high fever and her head wobbled. "But I feel kinda heavy... What's happening...? As she finished the sense Tohka lost her balance and began to fall. Hikaru acted fast, catching her and gently laying her on the floor. Hikaru already had an inkling of what was causing this, "force field" she mumbled under her breath. "Shi...do..." she mumble something under her breath "Tohka, rest here. I'm going to do something about this right now!" "No! I pr...missed h...im, i ...will pro... text him!" Tohka protested, her words barely audible. Hikaru gazed at Tohka for a moment, considering her options. "That might work," she said as she pointed her finger at Tohka's forehead. "Nee-san, I want you to focus on your remaining spirit power," Hikaru instructed, unsure if her sister had heard her words. Hikaru Then, she mumbled some words under her breath, and a bright light suddenly appeared from her finger. "...This is...!" tohka cried out, as she looked down at herself. Although it wasn't complete, her Astral Dress with its films of light had wrapped itself around her body once more. She felt lighter than she could have even thought possible a second ago. She leaped to her feet and stood up tall. "How?!" "It's one of my angel abilities," Hikaru replied. "But really, you would have been able to summon your semi-astral dress even without my help. You just needed a little push." Tonka clenched her fists, feeling a newfound sense of power coursing through her veins. "Okay... I can do this now!" she shouted. A warm smile appeared on Hikaru's face as she left the classroom with Tohka. Their plan was simple: reach for Shido. "...?!" For good reason. A bullet-like object was closing in on them from the opposite end of the hallway, drawing a black trajectory in the air. "Wh—?! Who's there?!" tohka shouted. Hikaru remain silence Slow footsteps echoed in the shadowy corridor. Finally, they were able to make out who it was. "...! You—" "Hee-hee-hee. A pleasure, Tohka. Would you be so kind as to spend a moment with me?" The girl in a dress, clutching a gun—Kurumi Tokisaki—had one corner of her mouth sliding upward in a grin. Kurumi's smile faded away as she glanced at Hikaru, "Weird, I don't remember seeing you here... who are you?" Hikaru just let out a sigh, "Believe me, there's no point in knowing." tohka turned to face hikaru, looking slightly puzzled. "Why do people keep forgetting you?" "It's their problem, not mine, anyway," Hikaru replied nonchalantly, turning back to Kurumi. "You're the clone one, right?" she asked. Kurumi's eyes widened in surprise as she let out a soft gasp. "Oh my~ you know about the clones. That's unexpected," she said, her smile returning to her face. "If I said yes, what would you do?". Hikaru nodded her head, satisfied with her answer. She muttered something to Tohka, who closed her eyes after that. Then, Hikaru's whole body began to glow with a bright light. "ًwhat in th--" The sudden burst of light made Kurumi quickly shield her eyes to avoid being blinded. Just as the light was about to dissipate, Kurumi opened her eyes, only to find that Hikaru and Tohka running away. "OH NO YOU NOT GONNA RUN AWAY!" Kurumi wasted no time and raced after them with astounding speed. She moved so quickly that she caught up to them in a matter of seconds. However, just as Kurumi was about to lay her hands on them However, just as Kurumi was about to lay her hands on them BOOM! The earth shook with a deafening explosion that seemed to rattle the very core of the building. Kurumi lay lifeless on the ground, surrounded by a sea of blood that had spilled from her body. Every limb was missing something - an arm, an eye, a leg. It was a gruesome sight. Hikaru stood nearby, holding Tohka's arm. "Good thing she fell for it," she remarked coolly before leading Tohka out of the classroom. "H...ow," Kurumi asked, her voice barely audible. "Oh?! You're still alive," Hikaru said, approaching the clone. "I have to say, you didn't lie to me back then. You cling to your life." Kurumi's eyes bore into Hikaru's, waiting for an explanation. Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Just die already. I'm not stupid enough to explain my tricks to you," she spat out. With her dying breath, Kurumi closed her eyes, giving in to the pain. "Good," Hikaru said, turning to Tohka. "What are you frozen there for? The boy needs your help." "O---OH! Yes let's go," tohka said as she followed behind hikaru Tohka was amazed at how Hikaru had handled the situation. At that moment Hikaru suddenly grabbed her hand and muttered something to her. "Close your eyes and follow my instructions," she ordered. Tohka complied, and Hikaru's body began to glow with a bright light. Hikaru pulled Tohka into the classroom next to them as Kurumi's view was blocked, and she quickly made a clone of themself that she sent running as a temporary energy bomb. The plan was simple but effective. 'Those types of fighters are the worst to fight.' tohka thought. As they continued on their way, Hikaru's mind was consumed with deep contemplation. ' The fact that no students were hurt was a relief. But-' Hikaru's expression shifted as she pondered the possibility. 'Killing the clones wouldn't be dangerous for me as they are not originally from this timeline,' she thought to herself, "but can I still save people from the clones? Is this considered a distortion of fate? They still exist in other parts of the timeline, so...' "Origami?!" Hikaru's thoughts were interrupted as Tohka called out a familiar name. Hikaru looked up to see Origami, dressed in a wiring suit, and it seemed she was on her way to Shido too, "Tonka?!" Origami's gaze shifted to Hikaru. "And you..." "Oh... she for--" "LIGHT!" Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise. Origami remembered her! Origami raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why are you smiling like that?" Hikaru realized the foolish expression on her face and quickly coughed to cover it up. "Oh, nothing. Also, my name is Hikaru Yatogami. You better remember it." "Don't act friendly around me as if I am your friend. SPIRIT! You're my enemy," Origami said, pointing her weapon at Hikaru. 'oh yeah i forgot, she hates me.....' "We don't have time to waste," Tohka interjected "Shido is in grave danger, and we have to act fast." "shido?" "Yes, he's trying to stop Kurumi from killing us all," Tohka explained. "Tch!" She bit her lip, her sword arm dropping to her side. "thanks now let go and ---hikaru?!" tohka finished in confusion. "She went invisible? Where is she?" origami added confused too. Hikaru just disappear A hint of sadness crossed Tohka's face. "She probably went ahead of us. She won't let me down," she said with conviction as she led the way to Shido, followed closely by Origami. Hikaru was watching as she was invisible, "I can't get too involved in the situation, as i don't know what would happen to me" She flew through the floor and headed to the roof, where Shido was. She bit her lips as she saw the situation and how it was Kurumi had captured Shido, and Mana was lying injured on the ground. Tohka and Origami arrived on the roof not long after, ready to fight. But their valiant efforts proved futile, and they were quickly overwhelmed by Kurumi's clones. From high above, Hikaru gazed down at the unfolding chaos below. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her teeth ground together as she clenched her fist tightly. "It doesn't matter what I do," she thought to herself, "nothing is going to change." She trembled uncontrollably, feeling powerless in the face of the impending disaster. She continued watching as Kurumi raised her right above her head. And the spacequake alarm began to squeal. Kurumi laughed and clenched her hand. The earsplitting alarm echoed around them. "Heh-heh. Hee-hee-hee! Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Now! I shall carve despair into your heart so that you cannot deceive me ever again!" Hikaru knew that time was running out, but she was paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. "What should I do?" she wondered frantically. "The whole school is going to be erased, and there are still people here. But what can I do? The original has caused this, and if I save them, they'll only live for a few more hours, and then... And me...what would happen to me?" Hikaru's face was pale, and her body shook with a mixture of fear and confusion. In the end, she lowered her head in defeat, a single tear streaming down her cheek. She felt helpless like there was nothing she could do to change the course of events that were unfolding before her. Kurumi was laughing like a psycho "Aaaaaaaah! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa!!" And shido was screaming in terror for her to stop. The world around Raizen High School roared, and the air shook like in an earthquake. However... "Ah-ha?" A few seconds later, the laughter was overwritten by a question mark. Kurumi looked around doubtfully. And no wonder. There had indeed been an earsplitting noise like time and space had scraped against each other. The air had shaken like a bomb had gone off nearby. But that was it. "...?" hikaru, too, frowned at the discrepancy. "What...is the meaning of this...?" Kurumi frowned. "Oh, didn't you know?" a new voice asked. "So when a space quake comes up against a shaking of space on a similar scale happening at the same time, they cancel each other out." "...! And who would you be?" Kurumi's face stiffened as she looked upward, gripping a gun in her right hand once again. Hikaru also turned her face, and her eyes grew wide. A ball of flames was floating above the roof, above the heads of Shido and the Kurumis. And inside the flames was a girl. She was dressed in a traditional Japanese style. Kimono sleeves fluttered in the wind and shimmered as though they were almost one with the flames, and the flaming obi belt that wound around her waist and arms was like the raiment of an angel. Two inorganic horns grew out of her head. The look of a princess—or a demon. "Ko...tori? Hikaru said as the green that was on her face disappeared into a big smile. Despite her confusion by the new information, she was happy. Someone can protect her family. But the smile didn't last as Kotori's gaze shifted to her. 'She can see me? But that is impossible, I bend the light around me in all directions. No one can see me" Kotori's face remained emotionless for a moment. But somehow hikaru was able to read kotori face. Hikaru shifted her eyes away as she bit her lips. Kotori turned her gaze back to shido as she gradually descended. "I'm just taking this back for a bit, Shido." "Huh...?" He frowned, unable to parse the meaning of this statement. "—Burn, Camael," Kotori ordered. Flames flared up around her once more and formed a cylinder, an enormous staff. When Kotori took this staff in hand, a bright red blade materialized from its side. It was an impossibly large battle-ax. Shido was stunned into silence as Kotori nimbly brandished this massive battle-ax and turned to Kurumi. "Now, then. How about we start our 'war'—a date?"