Chapter 33: Innocent

"W-What the hell is this situation…?"

That was the only thought Shido could muster.

He scanned the chaotic scene around him once more. The Spirits—Yoshino, Kaguya, and Yuzuru—stood against him, along with the entire theater audience, all under Miku’s melody.

Calling Ratatoskr was out of the question. No matter how many times he tried, there was no response.

And apparently, his only glimmer of hope in this mess was…

A Spirit in a bear costume.

A Spirit whose identity was completely unknown to him.

A Spirit who—judging by her earlier actions—seemed to be on his side.

But why?

And for how long?

"Shiori!"

His thoughts barely had time to settle before Miku’s voice rang out, her gaze still locked onto the costumed Spirit.

The keyboard before her pulsed with a dangerous glow, flickering as her fingers hovered over the keys.

“I don’t know what trick you pulled to make my cute Sawa-chan turn on me, but…”

Her eyes finally shifted to him.

“Did you really think this was enough to turn the tide?”

Her violet gaze narrowed.

“How adorable.”

Shido clenched his fists, his mind racing.

The vines from earlier had momentarily subdued Yoshino and the Yamai sisters, but he knew it wouldn’t last. Even now, the tendrils trembled as the twins forced their way free.

And just as he feared—

Moments later, they tore loose. Yoshino’s giant rabbit followed suit, freezing the vines solid in an instant.

She was already back on top.

Shido gritted his teeth.

“Damn it—”

As he struggled to find a way out of the chaos, somewhere on the other side of the battlefield, someone else—by sheer coincidence—was in the exact same predicament.

Sawa.

How do I always end up in messes like this…

That was the only thought running through her mind as she struggled to steady her trembling limbs.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on her top priority: getting herself and the blue-haired girl out of here.

She didn’t know the full story—neither about the three girls, who, from the looks of it, were Spirits aiding that creepy girl, nor about the maid-dressed one who had somehow earned Mado—Mika?—whatever her name was—a personal grudge.

And most of all… she had no idea why she and that maid girl weren’t under the creepy girl’s control in the first place.

I thought she couldn’t control other Spirits like me, but… was that not the case?

She didn’t know. She didn’t care. Not right now.

As Yoshino, Kaguya, and Yuzuru broke free from the restraints of her plants, they quickly moved to shield Miku, standing between her and whatever move Sawa might make next.

The clash of auras filled the air, tension crackling between both sides.

Shido, sensing the moment slipping further out of his grasp, made one last desperate attempt to reach his friends.

“St-stop! Yoshino! Kaguya! Yuzuru! Wake up!”

But none of the Spirits gave him the answer he longed for.

“What are you talking about, Shido? You… and that scary person in the bear costume are the ones being mean to Miss Miku.”

“Damn straight. You’re the bad kids here. You need a good scolding, for sure,” 

“Keh-heh… Shido speaks such capricious words, hmm, Yuzuru?” 

“Shock. Does he not have a conscience?”

Yoshino, now merged with Zadkiel, had spoken first, followed by the sharp interjections of the Yamai sisters. From their words, it was painfully clear: they hadn’t forgotten who Shido was, nor had their personalities been erased. Instead, Miku Izayoi had been imprinted onto their hearts as the highest priority in their world.

“What… are we going to do…?”

This was the worst possible situation.

Miku stood at the center of the stage, her Angel fully manifested. Yoshino and the Yamai sisters were under her control, ready to strike at her command, and surrounding them all — a sea of spectators, unaware of the imminent danger.

Even worse, Kotori, watching over them from Fraxinus, had fallen victim to Gabriel’s “sound.” Her mind lost, her sharp command ability severed, and their only chance of a coordinated retreat crushed.

He was completely cornered — no escape, no reinforcements.

Before Shido could think of another plan, his breath suddenly misted in front of him.

"!!"

Without warning, the air plummeted to a freezing chill. Frost crawled across the stage like living veins, and an icy surge exploded outward, sharp enough to sting the skin.

"Y-Yoshino, don’t...!"

The boy's voice barely reached her. Yoshino extended her hand as countless spears of ice materialized around her — deadly crystals glinting in the dim light.

With a flick of her fingers, they shot forward at blinding speed, slicing through the air with a sharp, whistling sound.

The spears closed the distance in a heartbeat, their jagged tips aimed directly at Sawa.

But just before impact — mere fractions of a second before the ice could pierce flesh — something stirred.

Threads, thin as spider silk, erupted from the ground around Sawa. They coiled and twisted, multiplying at an unnatural speed like roots desperate for life. In moments, the threads wove into a dense sphere, wrapping around Sawa like an impenetrable cocoon.

"..."

The ice spears slammed into the barrier, their momentum fading as the threads absorbed the force of the strike. The sphere bent inward, its fragile-looking surface stretching and warping under the pressure — yet refusing to break.

Spears that should have been able to pierce steel stopped mere inches from Sawa’s face, frozen in place.

Sawa raised her right hand, fingers curling inward as if grasping something unseen. Then, with a sudden motion, she clenched her fist shut.

In an instant, the sphere compressed violently. The delicate threads that once anchored it to the ground snapped, recoiling and wrapping tightly around the spears of ice like strangling vines.

A deep creaking sound echoed through the air as the mass shrank, condensing under immense pressure. Frosted steam hissed outward in sharp bursts, curling into the air as the once-large threads sphere was forced into a compact, dense ball—no larger than a baseball.

The weight of it settled in Sawa’s palm, as she pulled her hand behind.

She exhaled, shifting her stance.

Her left foot planted firmly on the iron bar, while her right leg bent slightly, coiling for momentum. Her upper body twisted, shoulder drawing back as she gripped the dense ball tightly…

A sharp breath. A moment of stillness.

Then—she launched it.

The compressed sphere tore through the air like a bullet, spinning violently as it carved a thin, whistling path toward its target.

The impact was instant.

"Akh—AAAAA!!"

The ball struck Zadkiel’s massive chest with a deafening crack. The enormous figure was sent hurtling backward, crashing through the walls of the stage before vanishing outside. A gaping hole now yawned in the theater’s structure, revealing the vast blue sky beyond.

“Fuu~”

Sawa exhaled, rolling her shoulder before shifting her gaze to the twins hovering in the air, whose eyes were locked on the spot where Yoshino had disappeared, frozen in shock.

Following suit—Both Miku and Shido were staring in the same direction, equally stunned.

"Y-Yoshino!!"

Shido was the first to break the silence, dashing toward the hole to check on her. His eyes scanned the outside—then, relief washed over his face.

Yoshino was there. Unconscious but safe, resting on the branches of a tree. Zadkiel, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“…D-Did I do something wrong?”

Sawa blinked in confusion, taking in their reactions—especially from the one she had risked herself to help. She hadn’t expected this kind of response.

“Um…”

She tried to get Shido’s attention, though her voice barely rose above a murmur. Even so, he eventually turned to her without her having to call for him again.

“Don’t hurt them...All of them are under Miku’s control, so please…!”

Shido stared at her, waiting for Sawa respond which for some reason, froze for a few seconds as if her mind had completely blanked out.

Then—

“Oh!”

She suddenly jerked forward, bowing instinctively in an attempt to apologize—only to misjudge her balance.

"Wah—!"

With a flailing motion, she toppled straight into the empty audience seats, her body bouncing slightly against the cushioned rows before she landed with a dull thud.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Shido blinked. Once. Twice.

Miku, the twins, and even the controlled audience—all of them just… stared.

A moment later, Sawa scrambled up, wincing as she clutched her side. Ignoring the mild pain, she hastily ducked into the nearest staircase, bowing repeatedly as she went.

“S-Sorry! I forgot! I mean—sorry! I’ll be careful! Sorry! I—ack, is she okay?”

Shido opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again.

He wasn’t sure what baffled him more—the sheer absurdity of the moment or the fact that this same person had just launched a missile-like construct through a wall mere seconds ago. Either way, watching someone in a giant bear costume bowing like an overworked employee in a black company was definitely not on his "things I wanted to see today" list.

“A-Ah, it’s okay… she’s fine…”

“O-Oh… I-I see… Thank god…”

Sawa let out a deep sigh of relief, clutching her chest as if she had narrowly avoided a catastrophic disaster.

Shido, still struggling to process everything, could only offer a weak nod.

Miku, on the other hand, looked utterly unimpressed. She crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“Are you seriously worried about that right now? You just sent my cute Yoshino-chan flying through a wall, and you’re acting like you tripped over a doorstep?”

Sawa flinched. Then, hesitantly, she turned toward Miku—her oversized bear costume making the motion look even more awkward.

“U-Uh… I mean, I didn’t mean to! It just kind of… happened?” Sawa fidgeted, sneaking a guilty glance at the gaping hole in the wall. "B-But if she’s fine, then—um, all good, right?"

Shido wasn’t sure if he was witnessing the aftermath of an actual battle or an extremely bizarre comedy skit.

The Yamai twins, who had been frozen in stunned silence until now, finally snapped back to life.

“Oi, oi… What the hell was that?!” Kaguya yelled, jabbing a finger at Sawa. “You just—boom—and Yoshino went flying! Are you trying to pick a fight!?”

“Right. Unforgivable offense,”

Sawa shrank under their combined glares, raising her hands defensively.

"I-It was an accident! I swear…!!"

"Aaaaaah!!"

A sudden, ear-splitting scream tore through the air.

Miku's voice blasted through the space, the sheer force of the sound slamming into Sawa like a physical wave. She staggered backward, arms raised in a desperate guard, as her ears rang from the impact.

"Akh...!"

As if taking Miku’s sonic attack wasn't enough, both Yuzuru and Kaguya joined the fray. A howling gust surged toward Sawa, the wind pressure so intense it bent the staircase inward, cracks splintering through before blasting them apart entirely. Debris rained down in every direction, threatening to turn the theater into a battlefield.

...The people.

With a sharp exhale, Sawa leaped backward—just as several slick, tendril-like appendages erupted from where she had stood moments ago. They surged outward in an instant, snatching up every fragment of debris before it could endanger the audience.

Crack! Snap! The tendrils coiled around jagged chunks of concrete and shattered wood, halting them midair before tossing them harmlessly aside.

But the Yamai twins weren’t about to let her breathe.

“Rapid fire.” Kaguya’s voice rang out as she waved her arm. The air itself rippled, forming razor-sharp currents that shot toward Sawa like invisible blades.

“Declared! You can run, but you can't hide!”

Kicking off the floor, Sawa wove between the attacks, dodging by the slimmest of margins. Every step sent fresh cracks splintering across the ground where she had just stood.

Then—a glint from above.

Her gaze flicked upward to the ceiling, where the iron framework of the theater’s support beams stretched like a skeletal cage.

A plan formed in an instant.

Boom! A shockwave tore through the space where Sawa had been standing, sending dust and shattered tile flying.

“Hehe~ I got her.”

Kaguya hovered closer, grinning as she checked on her supposedly caught target. But as the dust cleared—

“Eh? Where is she…?”

“Confusion. She can run and hide…”

Back on the stage, Shido stood at the edge of his sanity, watching. Beside him, Miku observed the battle with her arms crossed, her focus locked on the greater threat before her.

For now, he could assume he was safe—as long as he didn’t make any sudden moves. He could feel it from Miku’s aura; she wasn’t concerned with him at the moment.

But he knew better than to not take advantage of this temporary safety. This was the perfect chance, but… what could he even do?

As if in response to his racing thoughts, he suddenly felt a gaze on him from the left. His breath hitched. Whipping his head around toward the source—

Tohka...

She was staring at him, her violet eyes locked onto his with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine.

He had completely forgotten about her. If all the other Spirits were under Miku’s control, then surely… Tohka was—

“N-no way… Not you too, Tohka… You’re kidding me, right?”

Tohka took a step forward. Instinctively, Shido stepped back, bracing himself for what was coming next.

“Huh?”

A confused sound escaped his lips as he hesitantly cracked open his eyes.

…It had been a while now, and he was still in one piece. What was taking her so long?

But the only thing he saw was Tohka tilting her head, staring at him with pure confusion.

“Shido, what is even happening…?”

“Eh?”

“Tohka… Why are you totally fine?”

“…Mm?” Tohka tilted her head to the side in curiosity before suddenly clapping her hands together, as if just remembering something. “Oh!”

She raised her hands to her ears and popped out a pair of ear monitors.

“You… Those are—”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded. “I felt off-balance with just one, like I couldn’t get a feel for the rhythm.”

“…”

For a brief moment, Shido wondered if playing the tambourine really required that much focus… but he wisely kept that thought to himself.

“So, what’s going on, Shido?”

“Miku’s probably controlling everyone.”

Tohka glanced at Miku, who wore a somewhat troubled expression, then at the twins, who seemed to be searching for someone.

“Mm… I see.” She nodded, then turned back to him. “One last question, Shido.”

“Hm? There’s more?”

Tohka nodded before pointing toward the ceiling.

“Why does that person in bear custom have such a strong killing instinct?”

“Eh!?”

Following the direction of her pointing finger, Shido’s eyes widened in shock.

“YOU GUYS, SHE’S ABOVE YOU!”

Miku suddenly shouted, sensing the same overwhelming aura that Tohka had noticed.

“Eh?”

“???”

Above them, a figure in bear custom stood—her finger now pointing directly at Miku.

A spear hovered just in front of her outstretched fingertip, spinning at an unbelievable speed. The deep green of its plant-like spearhead had faded into a sickly yellow. Its edges blurred from the rapid rotation, thin wisps of smoke curling into the air as the vibrations screeched at an unsettlingly high frequency.

If the one causing the problem disappears, everything should return to normal…

Sawa’s eyes narrowed as she took aim at Miku, locking onto her with chilling precision.

There was no hesitation. No doubt. She had already reached her conclusion.

"W-Wait… don't tell me she..."

Miku’s eyes widened in disbelief. Though Sawa’s gaze was hidden beneath the bear costume, she felt it—cold and unwavering.

At that moment, the twins spotted Sawa above. Without hesitation, they reacted.

A violent gust of wind erupted from their position, razor-sharp currents slicing through the air toward the figure on the ceiling.

At the exact same moment—

Sawa released the spear.

It shot forward like a bullet, the sheer force of its launch cracking the air around it, partially blocking the twins’ wind attack.

Yet—

The remaining force from their strike was just enough to disrupt its trajectory. The chaotic air currents twisted its path, dragging it off-course.

Instead of striking Miku head-on, the spear veered sharply—scraping her cheek—

—before crashing into the wall behind her.

There was no explosion. No cracks. No debris.

Only a perfect, round hole, cleanly carved through the wall, with a faint, smooth ridge rising from its edges.

Miku stumbled back, her legs giving way as she collapsed onto the floor. A strange warmth spread across her cheek.

Her fingers trembled as they reached up, brushing the spot where the spear had grazed her skin.

Warm. Sticky.

When she pulled her hand away, her breath hitched.

Blood.

A thin, crimson trail ran down her fingers, stark against her pale skin.

The realization sent a cold shiver down her spine.

That wasn’t just an attack.
It wasn’t a warning.
It was a kill shot.

Miku’s heart pounded against her ribs as she turned her wide eyes upward—toward the one who had thrown it.

High above, Sawa remained perfectly still.

She tilted her head slightly. Her expression remained hidden beneath the bear costume, but the aura surrounding her left no room for doubt.

There was no regret. No hesitation.

Only a quiet, almost innocent thought crossed her mind.

"I-I missed?"

A small hum of disappointment escaped her lips.

"T-that’s strange… I-I was sure I h-had aimed p-perfectly."

As if pondering a minor inconvenience, Sawa placed a hand on her chin, considering her next move.

The room fell deathly silent.

Miku was in shock, and Shido—though slightly less so—remained frozen, unsure how to react. The twins and Tohka were also stunned, though in Tohka’s case, it was less shock and more impressed from the attack.

Then, in a chillingly casual tone, Sawa murmured to herself—

"Guess I’ll have to try again."