Mana Takamiya.
Callsign Adeptus 2, the second strongest wizard in the world, who handled her CR unit with such dexterity it seemed an extension of her body, and used that prowess to single-handedly accomplish feats out of reach for even the already extraordinary wizards.
Namely— killing spirits.
As that powerhouse introduced herself at the front of the conference room, Origami felt an odd mix of jealousy and admiration.
"Alright, now that introductions are out of the way..."
So saying, Kusakabe calmly took the clipboard from the podium and smacked Takamiya upside the head with it.
"Agh?!"
While Takamiya was still nursing the back of her head, Kusakabe leisurely strolled up to Origami, hand in pocket, before summarily thwacking her over the head.
"Agh."
"Just what the hell were you two chucklefucks thinking, wrecking valuable military hardware like that?!"
...That had happened, huh? As a decoy, Origami had launched her thrusters at Takamiya, who had subsequently sliced the equipment in half.
"I couldn't create an opening with Adeptus Takamiya without—"
"It was a mock battle, but we wouldn't get correct data unless—"
"Shut it! Save the noble speeches for after you look up the cost of a Realizer unit. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Glad to hear it. Now, we'll be reviewing some mission footage from recent sorties..."
As Kusakabe began fiddling with the terminal to dim the lights and control the room's wall-mounted monitor, Takamiya took the open seat beside Origami before leaning over to whisper.
"The captain's a stingy one, huh? This isn't a game that can be won by just managing resources. That method will never work against the spirits."
"...Is that why you're able to kill them?"
"Ah, well... That one's a special case."
"That one?"
"Let's talk after this. That spirit is the reason I was assigned here, after all..."
The two turned their attention to the monitor, playing footage from their latest engagement with Hermit. The wintry and iced over streets were no less unsettling than they'd been the first time Origami had seen them. Scattered here and there throughout the playback were faraway shots of Shidou, attempting to communicate with Hermit.
"...If a spirit, like Tohka, lost her powers and stopped producing spacequakes, you'd stop hunting them, right?"
Somehow, the snowstorm threatening to engulf Tengu City had miraculously vanished, and with it Hermit's spirit signature, before any major damage could be done. Had Shidou done that?
Was it really possible to neutralize a spirit's powers without killing them? It sounded too good to be true, but at the very least the spirit calling itself Tohka Yatogami hadn't triggered any spacequakes in the past two months.
But Origami couldn't forget that little stunt the spirit had pulled during Hermit's blizzard. It still had spirit power, and consequently the ability to produce spacequakes, which made it a threat, no matter how much Shidou insisted on associating with that good-for-nothing Princess instead of her.
One of these days, I'll definitely have to set that boy straight...
Origami was thinking such things when Takamiya said something that immediately caught her attention.
"Brother..."
It came out as a breathless whisper, but Origami heard it loud and clear. A glance at her confirmed that she was studying the recording intensely, clearly focused on the small form of Shidou.
Brother. That meant they were siblings.
Shidou Itsuka had one sibling, his younger sister Kotori Itsuka, a redhead who normally wore her hair in twin-tails. Though Origami hadn't had the chance to speak with her future sister-in-law yet, there was no confusing Takamiya for her. Shidou was adopted however, so she couldn't exclude the possibility that they were biologically related.
After the briefing concluded, she wasted no time in getting the Adeptus alone in a deserted hallway.
"Adeptus Takamiya, about what we spoke of earlier."
"You certainly don't beat around the bush, huh?"
"Should I wait? You haven't changed out of your CR Unit yet.
"No, it's fine." Takamiya brought her arms behind her head as she leaned against the wall. "I promised to tell you about Nightmare, right?"
She had, hadn't she? But right now, Origami had far more pressing matters to attend to.
"That can wait. Right now, what I want to know is how you and Shidou are related."
Takamiya's eyes went wide at that.
"You mean the boy from the recording? Do you know him?"
She pressed the chest piece of her suit, retrieving a small silver locket. Opening it, she revealed a picture of a young boy and girl.
"Shidou..."
There was no mistake. This was a photo of Shidou Itsuka as a child, and the girl with the distinctive beauty mark beneath her eye was definitely Takamiya.
"It's a photo from ages ago. It's the only clue I have about my brother after we were separated."
Origami clasped her hands in her own. "Tell me the details."
The intensity she said this with sent Takamiya reeling as she tried and failed to escape her shockingly strong grip.
"Ah, you see... we were separated at a young age, so I don't really have any memories of him. But I knew it was him the moment I saw his face."
So they hadn't been in any sort of contact for years, meaning that she had nothing to offer in terms of reconnaissance or a point of ingress into the Itsuka household. Origami had half a mind to turn and leave, but Takamiya grabbed her by the arm.
"I realize we just met and this might be asking too much, but... would you mind telling me everything about my brother?"
...If this girl really was Shidou's biological little sister, then it stood to reason that their reunion would be an emotional moment. If she played a vital role in making that moment happen, that could only bode well for their relationship.
Yes. Having decided this on her own, Origami turned to face Takamiya fully. She was ready to tell Takamiya everything she knew about Shidou. After all, sharing intel was a necessary step before more advanced operations could take place.
"Shidou Itsuka: age sixteen, sex male. His family consists of his father, mother, and younger sister. Currently, his parents are on an overseas business trip, and the house is empty. Skilled at all household chores."
"Mm... hmm?"
"Blood type AO, Rh positive. No known allergies. Weight 58.5 kilograms. Height 170.0 centimeters. Sitting height 90.2 centimeters. Chest 82.2 centimeters. Waist 70.3 centimeters. Hips 87.6 centimeters. Penis 6.1 centimeters flaccid. 13.0 centimeters erect."
"H-Hold on!" Takamiya cried out, waving her hands in a panic. "I didn't ask for all that!"
"Oh. My apologies."
The Adeptus just planted a hand on her hip, fixing Origami with a confused look.
"Sheesh... Why do you have such detailed info? Was that a joke?"
"Not at all. I assure you, these values are all accurate to within a tenth."
Origami was almost insulted. As if she would have anything less than absolutely correct measurements of the man she loved. At her perfectly reasonable response, Takamiya ran a hand down her face for some reason.
"Right. I probably should have asked this before, but what exactly is your relationship with my brother?"
At this, Origami brought her hand to her head in a salute, clicked her heels together, and said without any hesitation:
"I'm his girlfriend."
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"And now you're... here?"
"And now I'm here!"
Oblivious to Shidou's obvious misgivings, Mana happily struck a bodybuilder pose.
...Though, as he turned her story over in his head, that did sound like Origami, complete with the customary presumptuousness about their relationship status.
One of these days, I'm seriously gonna have to set that girl straight...
For now though, he had a few questions.
"So, I take it that means you work for the AST?"
"Yep." Mana gave a perfunctory nod.
She had no way of knowing just how much Shidou knew about the work of the Anti-Spirit Taskforce, but she probably assumed that if Origami and he were dating, then he was likely aware of the basics. He probably wasn't going to get much more out of her than an admission that she did in fact work for the AST— and from the way Tohka was keeping her distance, Shidou could tell that fact had her on edge.
"Wait, is that a Kinako-Man key chain?"
Tohka blinked, lifting her school bag and the key chain dangling from it.
"Mm-hmm. I won it at a gachapon..."
"Freakin' awesome! I love Kinako-Man!"
"R-Right! He's so yummy looking!"
And just like that, Tohka had made a new friend.
A part of Shidou worried about her being so quick to warm up to strangers like that but, perhaps against his better judgment, a far greater part was happy to see her making friends.
They chatted for a bit more until the conversation died down and Tohka had a chance to take in the situation.
"So, you two really are siblings?"
At her question, Mana leapt to Shidou's side, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
"That's right! We look identical, don't we?"
Tohka hummed as she studied the two, glancing back and forth.
"Well, kind of... But, Shidou is more 'bleh...' and Mana is more 'blah!' You know?"
No, Shidou did not know. But, looking at her, Mana did pass the sniff test. She had the same dark shade of hair as him, and even the same amber eyes. Such an uncanny resemblance could certainly be explained by shared blood...
Not to mention, he was adopted, after all. For some reason, he'd always figured he was an only child, but it wouldn't be surprising if his paren—
Wait.
"Mana, if we're related, does that mean you know our parents?"
At his sudden question, the girl grew unexpectedly bashful.
"...Sorry, but I don't have any memory of them..."
"So you don't remember them either..."
Had she been abandoned too? He wanted to question the girl further, but her reaction just now made it seem like a sore spot for her.
That was a little disappointing, but more than that it was awfully convenient. Shidou still harbored doubts about Mana's story, and he certainly wasn't keen on being taken for a ride.
But, well... if this was some weird, new-age scam, he trusted Ratatoskr to handle it. Kotori had heard everything, after all, even if she hadn't responded. She was likely already waiting for them at the house.
"Oh well. If you don't mind, why don't you stop by our place? You know, introduce you to the family."
"Roger!"
Mana saluted and, with effortless ease, leapt onto the brick fencing beside the road.
Beneath her, Tohka let out an amazed gasp. Flashing a smile at this, Mana made a show of throwing her arms out for balance while she followed along.
As she did so, Shidou couldn't help noticing her toned calves and thighs. Now, he wasn't doing this out of any prurient interest— rather, the unusual muscularity for a girl her age stood out to him.
How long had she been working with the AST? How had she been recruited? He hoped the Anti-Spirit Taskforce wasn't in the business of enlisting orphans and turning them into glorified child soldiers.
As always, he had a lot of questions, but he'd save them for when they got home, where Kotori could act as backup.
About fifteen minutes later, they turned onto the street to their house, and Mana immediately seized on the Spirit Mansion dwarfing the single-family residences surrounding it.
"Whoa! Your house is freaking huge!"
"Uh, no. My house is the one next to it." Shidou pointed at the Spirit Mansion. "That is where Tohka lives, though."
As he said this, the door to the Spirit Mansion opened and Yoshino popped her head out. At the sight of a stranger, the girl froze.
Crap, he hadn't thought about how Yoshino would take meeting someone she didn't know. She wasn't as bad as when they'd first met, but he'd still need to take time away from Mana's questioning to reassure the shy girl.
"Ah, Yoshi—"
Shidou opened his mouth, only to be interrupted as Mana effortlessly launched into an axle jump, spinning three times before landing gracefully in front of Yoshino, hands planted on her hips.
"Name's Mana! I'm Shidou's sister!"
Yoshino stared at the girl in wide-eyed shock, before clapping excitedly with Yoshinon.
"Wow! That was awesome!"
Well, seemed he'd been worrying for nothing.
Having successfully won her over, Mana turned back to Shidou and nudged him with an elbow and a sly look.
"I had no idea you were such a player, big bro. Landing cuties like this left and right!"
That got a wry smirk out of him.
"Don't try and paint me as some Casanova. It's just these two."
"Hmm? Aren't you and Origami dating too?"
"That's... a complicated story..."
Technically, he could have just smoothed things over by saying they were in a polyamorous relationship, but Shidou did not want to legitimize Origami's misunderstanding any more than he already had.
Fortunately, Mana didn't seem to think much of it, and simply followed him inside with Tohka and Yoshino. While the girls entertained themselves, Shidou snuck away to the kitchen. There, he found his sister, wearing her casual clothes for once, even if the black ribbons in her hair proved that things were anything but casual.
She rose from her seat, taking the lollipop from her lips as she did so.
"Welcome home, big bro. Apparently, you've got a new sister now?"
"Hey now, I'm not the one who declared her my sister." Shidou ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I'm just wondering what my so-called sister's doing working as a wizard."
"She's not just some AST wizard. She's one of the Adeptus— one of the top wizards working directly under Deus Ex Machina Industries, the leading defense contractor for the AST and anti-spirit forces around the world. She's an enemy, not an ally."
"Huh... Well, I don't know how I feel about being told to dislike someone I don't even know. But I do trust you, Kotori."
Hands on his hips, he turned to the living room, where Mana was currently in the process of entertaining Tohka and Yoshino. They seemed to be having fun.
"...That said, she does seem like a good person."
Behind him, Kotori let out a sigh, suppressing the frown these words brought out of her.
"Be that as it may, she's still a high-ranking member of an organization whose objective is hunting spirits."
As she said this, Mana finally seemed to catch sight of her, vaulting over the couch to land in front of her, taking her hand and shaking it with vigor.
"Nice to meet you! The name's Mana! Are you a member of Shidou's family?"
Struggling to wrangle in her energy, Kotori forced the handshake into something more relaxed.
"That's right. I'm Kotori, his younger sister."
"Oh! Then do I call you big sis...?"
"We can work that out later." Kotori gestured at the kitchen table. "For now, why don't we have some tea? Shidou told me you were coming, so I prepared some."
"Don't mind if I do!"
As Mana turned away from them, Kotori jerked her chin to indicate the seat beside her.
What, was this supposed to be some good cop, bad cop routine?
Mana plopped herself down into a seat with the same casual air that she seemed to do everything with, and Kotori and Shidou took up positions opposite her. If she noticed the oddly heavy air of the pair, the girl didn't show it.
"So, Mana, was it? You said you were Shidou's little sister?"
Kotori opened with a clarifying question, subtly setting the investigative direction this conversation would be taking.
"That's right. I take it you're not related...?"
"I am his adopted sister, that's true. Shidou was adopted into the family when he was little."
"Oh, I just assumed there was a sister I don't remember."
"Don't remember?"
Just as she had when Shidou first brought the past up, Mana got uncharacteristically bashful, scratching the back of her head as she let out a laugh.
"The truth is... I don't have a single memory of the past."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, I do remember the last few years of my life, but past that, things get very fuzzy...!"
"Amnesia?" Kotori raised a brow. "That's awfully cliché..."
"True, but not impossible." Shidou joined in while sipping his tea. "I don't remember my parents either, after all."
He was suspicious of that answer as well, but they couldn't let things get too combative, otherwise Mana would definitely pick up on the interrogation going on right now.
"Right, if it weren't for this, I doubt I'd even know to look for you."
Mana presented the silver locket hanging from her necklace, opening it to reveal a small, faded photo of a young boy and girl.
"Is that... me?"
Shidou and Kotori peered at the picture as Mana handed it over. Sure enough, it looked just like him, but as a young child, maybe nine or ten years old.
But that... that didn't make any sense at all. He was already living with the Itsuka's by then, so how in the world did this picture exist?
"Th-That's just someone who happens to look like you!"
Kotori offered up a potential explanation, though her tone sounded more dismissive than cooperative.
"No, there's no mistake. He's my brother." Mana stood and stepped over to Shidou. "It's that... the bond between brother and sister!"
She threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
"Oh, Big brother! I finally found you!"
For his part, Shidou just held his arms out awkwardly, waiting for the girl to finish. Kotori, however, was not so patient, aggressively ripping the two apart.
"Get away from him!"
She seemed to think better of her tone and took a moment to compose herself.
"...Shidou's a part of my family. He's too usef— he's too used to things to just up and leave!"
"But that's not my intention at all."
"Huh?"
Catching her breath, Kotori regarded Mana with a confused frown as the dark-haired girl took her hands into her own.
"Firstly, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the people of this household, who welcomed my dear brother as family. It's enough just to see him and know that he's doing well. And he has such an adorable little sister, as well!"
Kotori perked up at that, unable to help a crooked smile as she turned away in embarrassment.
"H-Hmph, seems you're not as clueless as you look..."
Shidou could hardly believe what he was seeing.
First Tohka, then Yoshino. Was Mana about to win his sister — or, rather, Kotori — over as well?
But, just as this seemed a forgone conclusion—
"Of course, you're no match for the real deal."
...
"What was that?" Kotori asked calmly.
Seemingly oblivious to the land mine she'd just tripped, Mana continued blithely charging on.
"Of course. Blood is thicker than water, after all."
"But they do say that a neighbor nearby's better than family far away."
"Sure sure, but an adoptive sister's nothing more than a stranger at the end of the day. It's nothing compared to the buff of being a real, blood sister."
What was going on here? Shidou thought things had been going so well in the beginning. How had they ended up here?
As the two argued, Tohka and Yoshino watched on from the safety of the living room sofa.
"Fake and real...?" Tohka puzzled over the words. "What are they talking about?"
"A lover's quarrel, maybe...?" Yoshino suggested.
Having watched far too many soap operas, she had some idea of what was going on right now.
"Ding-ding! Mix them together and you get to taste the forbidden fruit!"
And it seemed that tiny bit of knowledge was proving very dangerous indeed.
Tohka perked up, her curiosity piqued.
"Really? Then I want some forbidden fruit!"
Hearing these unsettling words, Shidou began to panic. He palmed Kotori and Mana's heads and brought them close, whispering into their ears.
"Quit it, you two! You're giving Tohka weird ideas...!"
Whatever she thought "forbidden fruit" meant, Shidou knew nothing good would come of it.
Paying his words no heed, Kotori squirmed her way out his grasp.
"Blood, blood, blood, can't you talk about anything else! Adopted or not, I've been his sister for ten years!"
"You're literally trolling! Star-crossed siblings, ripped apart in childhood, finally reuniting years later! Is that not moving! Is that not freaking romantic!?"
!!!
"Romantic...?"
Shidou perked up at Mana's words, and Kotori's fists clenched at her sides as her frustration finally boiled over.
"Sh-Shut up! Blood is nothing!" She pressed her palm to her chest, a particularly desperate smile crossing her features. "It's not like real siblings can even fuck, can they!?!"
That got a collective "Huh...?" out of the room, but before anyone could react, Mana seemed to remember something vitally important.
"Crap! I didn't realize it was this late!" She slipped around the kitchen table. "I need to report— I mean, I need to return home!"
Shidou glanced at the clock. It was just five o'clock. What did she need to do so suddenly? Had she left the oven on?
"See ya, guys! I'll visit again soon!"
"H-Hey! Wait!"
He tried to grab hold of her, but the girl was already rushing out of the living room and then the house, leaving the four of them confused by her sudden departure.
Raising an eyebrow, he put a hand on his hip.
"Well, that wasn't suspicious at all..."
Obviously, that little song and dance about needing to go home just now was a hasty lie. She probably just didn't want to reveal too much information about her work for the AST, but was she actually living there, too? Were they her guardians or something?
He had more questions now than when they'd started. Shidou turned to the girl beside him who was supposed to have helped him get answers.
"What was that about, Kotori? Weren't we supposed to question her?"
For a girl who normally had such a one-track mind, she had been surprisingly distractible just now. And he felt like she'd said something particularly egregious near the end back there.
"It's nothing!" Kotori stomped over to the living room door. "Anyway, I need to head to the Fraxinus. Don't wait for me!"
"Wait, weren't you going to eat Salisbury with us tonight?"
The door that was about to be slammed shut came to a sudden halt. A moment passed as Kotori seemed to struggle with an unexpected temptation.
"...I'll have it teleported up!"
Saying this, the girl shut the living room door and left Shidou scratching his head.
"...What's up with her?"
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"Haneda."
"Here!"
"Nishimori."
"Here!"
The next day—
Tamae was in the process of taking morning roll call, and it was while she did this that Shidou noticed a conspicuous absence.
"That's strange..."
Kurumi's desk was currently empty. Was the girl about to be late on her second day?
"She's not coming."
That was Origami, speaking with a certainty that went far beyond just today.
Shidou wanted to question her, but thought better of it as Tamae continued checking attendance.
"—Shimada."
"Here!"
"Suzuki."
"Here!"
"Tokisaki."
Tamae called out the transfer student's name and blinked when there was no response.
"Hmm? Is Miss Tokisaki not here today? And after I told her to contact the school if she was going to be absent..."
Muttering to herself, Tamae moved to mark her as absent—
"Present."
At that clear tone, all eyes turned to the back of the classroom, where Kurumi stood, a hand on the doorway and her satchel at her side.
"Miss Tokisaki, you're late!"
"My apologies." She bowed lightly. "I wasn't feeling particularly well this morning."
"Well, I'm glad you were able to make it but please, if you're sick, make sure to wear a mask."
Her appearance didn't attract much attention from Shidou or Tohka, but beside him Origami looked positively shocked, her brow furrowed in a slight frown. Not the most extreme expression, but utterly unusual for the otherwise stoic girl.
Shidou was about to question her about this odd reaction when his terminal vibrated in his pocket.
He fished it out to a message from Kotori that simply read, "Shidou. Go straight to the physics prep room at lunch. There's something you need to see."
Well, that wasn't ominous at all...
When the bell rang at noon, Shidou dutifully made his way to the prep room on the fourth floor.
Reine was seated off to the side, while Kotori sat at one of two seats set before the room's terminal, her black "work ribbons" in her hair but still dressed in her school uniform. She twirled a lollipop between her lips as he took a seat beside her.
"Not to rush you, but can we make this quick? Tohka was really looking forward to lunch with me today, and I'm afraid she won't eat until I get back."
"That girl's the incarnation of gluttony itself." Kotori waved his concerns off. "I'm sure she'll get impatient eventually."
Somehow, Shidou doubted that.
"This is what we wanted to show you, Chin..."
Reine moved the mouse around and the screen flashed to life, displaying the colorful title screen of a painfully familiar eroge, sporting the overly-long title Fall in Love: My Little Shidou 2— Are You Afraid of Love?
"Is that a... sequel?"
Shidou could already feel a prodromal, PTSD-induced dissociative state coming on as he recalled the visual novel he'd been forced to 100% as training for his first time with Tohka.
"...Oh, sorry about that. I meant to pull something else up..."
Reine closed the window and clicked around a bit, bringing up what looked like an overhead video feed of an alleyway.
"Is that... Mana and Kurumi?"
Sure enough, the two were there, along with three unconscious men, their pants down in a way that left no uncertainty about what they'd been doing. Mana was near the alley's entrance, preventing Kurumi from leaving.
"Yes. This footage is from yesterday," Kotori explained. "Watch carefully."
Mana wasn't the only wizard there. Shidou sighted several of the AST at the edge of the screen, Origami's white hair catching his attention first.
"The Fraxinus' scanners recorded sudden AST activity not too long after your date with Kurumi. A camera was dispatched to observe the scene."
Rubbing her drowsy eyes, Reine described the situation as Mana began speaking.
"We've got to stop meeting like this, Nightmare."
Kurumi scoffed at this, her uniform transforming beneath a flash of blood red light. It was hard to make out, but even from a distance, Shidou could tell that outfit was just as risqué as any naked dress he'd seen.
"Oh? That's my line. Don't you know it's unbecoming to hold grudges?"
"Well, I've got to repay that arm you took back in Aoyama."
"Kihi, are you still sore about that? You've done far worse to me."
They continued on like this, spouting lines straight out of a shounen battle manga, until Kurumi made a move, raising her arm above her head.
Mana reacted immediately, firing a beam of light from her shoulder equipment through Kurumi that was so hot, the brick and mortar behind her glowed bright orange.
The girl collapsed, something red spreading from her midsection. Deploying an energy blade in her hand, Mana strode up to Kurumi with the air of an office worker carrying out routine work.
And then severed her head.
The feed cut just before the killing blow, but Shidou's stomach turned all the same, and he had to swallow back the bile rising in his throat as he clutched his stomach.
"What the... what the hell was that...?"
"It's exactly what it looks like." Reine turned in her seat. "Yesterday, Kurumi Tokisaki was killed by Mana Takamiya."
"Killed? But... I saw her just a couple of minutes ago. In class! How can she be..."
"Do you understand, Shidou?" That was Kotori, legs crossed as she jammed her lollipop his way. "This is what Mana, what the Adeptus 2, does. Her primary objective is hunting and killing the spirit designated Nightmare, Kurumi."
"Hunting her... You mean she's done this before?"
Reine hummed in agreement.
"Yes. We don't have exact information on how it works, but Kurumi is able to clone herself in some capacity. Mana's duties are mainly to thwart the activity of any of these clones, in addition to finding and killing the original."
Shidou glanced at the monitor to see the AST wizards in the process of cleaning up Kurumi's body and the traces of blood. He saw Origami among them, wielding a deck brush as she scrubbed the pavement.
It all looked so ordinary, so mundane, but they were disposing of the remains of a corpse. Even if they hadn't truly killed Kurumi, wasn't this too much? Wasn't this just inhuman?
But... what the hell had Kurumi been doing before Mana had gotten there? What had she done to those men? They didn't look dead, so didn't that make Mana the aggressor? But since when did sex lay a person out like that?
"Don't fill your head with useless things," Kotori cut his thoughts off. "The mission hasn't changed one bit. Mana has failed to kill off Kurumi for good, but there's no telling when she'll actually succeed. That's why we need to seal her powers before they can go at it again."
"That's right, Chin. The best thing you can do for Kurumi is seal her powers so the AST stop targeting her. Tomorrow is School Founding Day, right? Ask her out on a date. She's been coming onto you pretty hard, so you might get lucky and seal her spirit powers in one go."
The meeting was concluded with Reine's proposal, and Shidou found himself treading the halls aimlessly.
After everything he'd just learned, he didn't know how he was supposed to focus on afternoon classes, let alone seducing Kurumi.
It was all a hard pill to swallow, but for now it seemed he'd have to plug his nose and do just that.
Before Kurumi was killed again.
And before Mana killed her again.
Yes, that was right. He'd already been through this twice before. Everything could be figured out after Kurumi was sealed and the situation had settled down.
By now, he had more than enough reason to believe in Ratatoskr's mission.
So then what was this unsettled feeling in his chest?
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Seated forlornly at her desk, Tohka glanced at the clock above the whiteboard and felt her heart sink.
Lunchtime was nearly over...
She returned her eyes to the unopened lunchbox sitting atop her desk, and then the door to the classroom, and then the clock once again, a pattern that had been repeating for some time now.
Shidou... when are you getting back...
The door opened, and Tohka immediately snapped to attention, only to have her expectations dashed when she realized it was just her friends— the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio.
"That took longer than expected. Now we won't be able to eat lunch..."
"Don't be like that, Mai. Some things are more important than lunch, and a dick like that is one of them."
"Ooo~ I know, girl!" Ai hugged her shoulders and quivered. "Ya just gotta appreciate the benefits of a good curve!"
The throuple were busy recounting their latest tryst when they noticed a most unusual sight— a depressed Tohka sitting alone at her desk, her lunch unopened and uneaten.
"Huh? What's wrong, Tohka?"
"You still haven't eaten..."
"Class is about to start!"
"I can't. Shidou said he'd be right back. I'm waiting for him to get back..."
Companionship was the best seasoning.
It was something she had learned from Kinako-Man, and it was a lesson she had taken to heart. She would wait as long as it took for Shidou to return. Even if it meant missing lunch.
At the sight of such earnest devotion, the trio let out a simultaneous "Hnngh!" and clutched their chests tightly.
"Who is this girl with the spitting image of Hachiko!?"
Ai was the first to recover, planting her hands on her hips.
"But wait a minute. Just where is Shidou at a time like this?"
"Is he off, gallivanting away on his own without you?"
"So sick!"
Having made up their own minds about the situation, the girls huddled together for a brief meeting before breaking apart to present Tohka with two tickets.
"These tickets are for the Tengu Quintet Aquarium! We have tomorrow off for School Founding Day, so go with Shidou tomorrow."
"Right! We won a raffle, but it was only the two tickets..."
"How outdated. What about throuples? Or groups?" Mii shook her head. "It's blatant discrimination and it's honestly just sick."
Tohka wasn't sure what that last bit was about, but she appreciated the effort these girls were going to for her.
"...Ah, but what if Shidou can't come tomorrow?"
He was pretty busy right now with Kurumi. He probably wouldn't have time for dates until she was sealed.
Oblivious to her concerns, Ai threw an arm around Tohka's shoulders.
"Oh, you sweet, summer child. We'll let you in on some secret women techniques us girls use to seduce men!"
"Secret women techniques...?"
Her interest piqued, Tohka began listening intently to the trio's teachings.
As this was going on, Origami was preoccupied with tailing Kurumi Tokisaki. Or rather, the Worst Spirit— Nightmare.
She'd done it almost on a whim. She had just seen the spirit leaving the classroom a little after Shidou, and been unable to let it wander the halls without doing anything. If worst came to worst, she had her CR unit.
Origami pursued Nightmare as the spirit traced a leisurely path through the halls, eventually arriving at the staircase leading to the roof access door. She followed closely behind, hiding behind a corner as she heard the spirit stepping up the stairs. Was it heading out to the roof?
"You can come out now, you know?"
Origami froze.
She'd been spotted?
Well, that wasn't entirely unexpected, but surely Nightmare wouldn't try anything at school like this? Origami was considering retreating when the spirit spoke once more.
"Come now, I let you believe you were following me unawares. Doesn't that selfless act merit at least some basic human courtesy?"
Origami felt her pulse rise at that.
"Basic human courtesy"? For a monster like that? The idea was so laughable she could just hurl.
Carefully climbing the steps, she confronted Nightmare at the top of the staircase, the windows of the roof access door bathing the space in bright sunlight.
"You should have died yesterday."
Origami's response was blunt, utterly straightforward and to the point, but she was in no mood to play games.
She had seen it herself, seen the Adeptus 2 dispatch Nightmare with her very eyes, cornering it in an alleyway before immobilizing and decapitating it.
And yet, the very same spirit that had been exterminated stood before her.
"Ah, it's you." Nightmare turned to face her fully. "You were there with Miss Mana yesterday, weren't you?"
In that instant, Origami was assaulted by a dominating aura that threatened to smother her in its embrace.
She leapt back on instinct, as if escaping an invisible maw. But, as her feet touched the floor, Origami realized that she had already fallen into Nightmare's trap.
"Kihi-hihi...!"
The spirit cackled as pale hands seized Origami's ankles, locking her in place until she lost her balance and fell against the wall.
"My dear, was it not the teensiest bit foolish to follow me without any backup? And to an isolated location, no less?"
Yes, after seeing Nightmare dispatched so easily, Origami had taken the spirit for something of a glass cannon. It seemed she had greatly underestimated it.
"...What do you... want?"
She ground out words through gritted teeth as more and more hands grabbed at her legs, her arms, her chest, her ass, gradually pinning her to the wall, caressing her body in ways only Shidou should have.
Nightmare stalked towards her, the spirit's shadow spreading and spreading until it seemed to completely blot out the midday sun.
"I'm sure you had so much fun yesterday, taking care of my corpse, but it was all for naught. Your darling Shidou remains utterly defenseless."
Origami's eyes widened and she stared at the spirit in confusion.
How did it know her feelings for him? No, more importantly, why was it even targeting Shidou in the first place? Had a spirit ever even done such a thing?
Such thoughts were cut off when Nightmare set its hand on the inside of Origami's thigh. Recoiling from its touch, she struggled in vain as the spirit went on.
"Yes... I know all about you and your little crush on that boy. But it's pointless for one, basic reason."
Glaring hatred at the monster before her, she could only listen as Nightmare uttered four, simple words.
"Your game is weak."
Words that unexpectedly stung. Origami could only shut her eyes and bear it as Kurumi's hand continued to defile her body.
"You lack the drive and passion to make that boy yours."
Nightmare dragged its fingers along her thigh, brushing her throbbing crotch on the way to her right breast, where it played with her erect nipple absentmindedly.
"I want him. I yearn for him. I want him inside me. To become one with him and make him mine. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"NO!" Origami snapped at it, gnashing her teeth in defiance, even as her own body succumbed.
Spirits were nothing but mindless, hysterical monsters that destroyed everything around them. She had sworn to protect the public from the threat those monsters posed, and yet here she was, completely at the mercy of one.
A sickly smile split its face as Nightmare studied her, taking unearthly delight in Origami's suffering.
"Please, squirm in your impotent rage all you like." It ran its disgusting tongue along her cheek. "It makes me wet."
Something about her tone triggered something deep inside Origami, and she came against her will, trying and failing to stare daggers as she jerked and spasmed.
When her body finally began to settle down, Nightmare caressed her face, pulling back as it regarding her with the look of a predator gazing at a meal.
"Ahh... It's such a shame I can't have my way with you right now, but I mustn't do anything that would harm my image in Shidou's eyes. I'll save you for after I've finished with him. I'm sure you will make an excellent dessert."
With those parting words, the spirit turned away and began descending the stairs. Only after Nightmare had vanished out of sight did the arms restraining her return to the shadows, and then even they slithered away, as if returning to their master.
Origami collapsed to her hands and knees, coughing and hacking as her thighs quivered from aftershocks and she cradled her abused throat.
Disgusting.
It wore a pretty face. Spoke with an alluring voice. Even acted like an ordinary human. But inside it was nothing but a monster. Just like all spirits.
And it had set its sights on Shidou.
Glaring in the direction Nightmare had left, she considered her options.
If she went to the AST, they would never believe a spirit was targeting a single person. They'd just claim their hands were tied until the spirit acted. But by then it would be too late.
Origami ran through her options for a while longer, until finally she hit on something and rose to her feet.
She knew only one person with the authority and willingness to do what needed to be done.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Shidou found Kurumi at the shoe lockers in the entrance after school. She was slipping on her outdoor shoes, and stood up straight as he came to a stop beside her.
"Hey, this might be a little sudden, but are you free tomorrow morning?"
"Why yes, I am, Shidou. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, I figure there are still plenty of places around here you're unfamiliar with, so I was thinking of showing you around the city."
Kurumi tilted her head at that, sporting a smile that was hard to place.
"Oh? Are you asking me out on a date? And so soon after the first!"
Shidou could only chuckle at that.
"Ah, well... What do you say?"
"Hmm..."
Placing a finger on her lips in thought, Kurumi made a show of mulling his words over. As she did so, she stepped forward, drawing nearer to him until she was practically on top of him. Shidou tried to stand his ground — to keep his frame as an experienced seducer — but eventually he gave in to Kurumi's overpowering energy, taking a single step back in retreat.
Virtually pinned beneath her, she gazed at him with a rather amused expression before opening her mouth.
"...That sounds lovely, Shidou."
He somehow managed not to gulp.
"I-Is that so? Well then, let's meet at the Tengu station ticket gate at 10:30."
"Then I await that time with bated breath."
With that, Kurumi headed off, leaving Shidou quite literally on the back foot.
That girl was something else. He was really beginning to think it a fool's errand trying to seduce her, rather than the other way around.
Sighing, he turned to find Origami standing face-to-face with him. Letting out a very unmanly yelp, he nearly jumped into the lockers. If this reaction surprised her, she did not show it.
"We need to talk."
Origami spoke to him, but she was staring hard at the doors Kurumi had exited through.
Pressing his hand to his chest as he calmed down, Shidou considered the girl before him.
No wonder she had seemed so shocked at roll call today. She'd personally witnessed Kurumi's execution, and yet she'd just returned to class the next day, like it hadn't even happened at all. He was sure Origami had a lot to say.
Nevertheless, Shidou had somewhere to be. He had a date to prepare for, after all.
"I'm sorry, but can this wait? I really need to get home right now. Tohka! Are you coming along?"
Tohka, who had been engaged in some kind of discussion with the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio some ways away, jumped at her name and quickly hurried over to Shidou, throwing a thumbs up the girls' way when she did so.
That was odd, but he paid it no mind, bidding Origami a brief "See ya tomorrow." Thankfully, she did not pursue them.
He felt a bit guilty about blowing her off like that, but frankly he wasn't in the mood to get into another argument about the basic rights of spirits. His mind was instead preoccupied with reviewing the day's events.
Yesterday, Kurumi... had been killed. And yet she was still alive, seemingly none the worse for wear. And it was Mana who had killed her, seemingly without any guilt or remorse. And both of them had been so casual about it, he now realized. That clearly hadn't been the first time they'd done that little song and dance.
How long had those two been fighting? And their latest... match. That must have been just before they'd met. Mana had just cut someone's head off, and was chatting and joking after that like it was nothing. Like taking another's life was just some game.
Kotori's words came to mind, about Mana's connection to DEM, and Shidou suddenly felt very foolish for not taking his sister's warning more to heart.
He must have let his guard down because he'd finally found a link to his past— to his first family. But he didn't even know if Mana was actually his sister, or what he'd even do if he somehow found his birth parents.
The sound of curtains closing put a stop to Shidou's churning thoughts. Confused, he turned to the oddly silent Tohka, who had drawn the curtains for some reason, suffusing the living room with a soft, dim lighting that felt oddly intimate.
In the time he'd been distracted, she'd rolled her skirt up high, high enough that the bottom of her ass was just visible. She turned from the curtains, revealing that she had even undone about half of the buttons of her blouse.
On a completely unrelated note, back when she was still getting used to human clothing, Tohka had taken one look at the complicated contraption known as the brassiere and decided she wanted nothing to do with it.
Anyway, Tohka's breasts nearly spilled out of her top as she sashayed up to Shidou, her hands held demurely behind her back as she held some sort of note or slip of paper between her teeth.
"Um... Tohka...?"
She wordlessly set her arms about his shoulders, gazing deeply into his eyes as she pressed her body against his. Tohka then twirled them in little circles around the living room, the background gradually spinning away until it seemed nothing existed save the girl before him.
Shidou stared at her all the while, utterly taken aback by her masterful performance.
When did this girl learn the art of seduction!?
Tohka wasn't chaste by any means, but her normally guileless sexuality had suddenly been replaced by a startling sensuousness that left Shidou completely at a loss.
When she eventually stopped, she reared back and gave him a generous down blouse of her breasts through her unbuttoned shirt. She gazed up at him through her bangs with a look that took Shidou's breath away, waving the ticket in her mouth.
He took the offered slip of paper after taking a moment to collect himself and saw that it was a ticket to the Tengu Quintet Aquarium.
"Shidou... would you mind going on a date with me tomorrow?" Tohka asked, never letting up on the doe eyes for a second.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shidou caught sight of a sheet of ruled paper sitting on the coffee table that hadn't been there before.
Was Tohka doing this under someone's instruction? If so, it could only be...
Ah. It was those three...
This must have been the work of the three stooges. They had probably come across Tohka while she was waiting for him and had set this up as a way for him to make it up to Tohka.
Well, this was much better than having them report him to the police, so Shidou answered without hesitation.
"Yeah, of course, Tohka."
The girl threw her arms up in triumphant glee, giving him a little peck on the lips before doubling back to the table, where she studied the Ai-Mai-Mii Trio's notes intensely.
"And now... I leave. To up my mystique factor..."
And with that blatantly transparent line, Tohka zoomed out of the house. Shidou stared after her for a bit, before shaking his head.
I swear, that girl is way too impressionable...
Though, he supposed that wasn't such a bad thing, if she was hanging out with the likes of Ai, Mai, and Mii.
As vexing as those three could be, Shidou trusted that they at least had Tohka's best interests at heart.
Though, now he'd have to figure out how to square Tohka's date with the fact that he was going out with Kurumi tomorrow.
Just as he was thinking this, his terminal started ringing and Shidou pulled it out of his pocket to see a call from an unknown number.
Normally, he would just let it ring out, but something felt... off about this call. Heeding that ominous feeling, Shidou accepted the call and put the terminal to his ear.
"Hello."
"...Origami? Is that you?"
"Yes."
"Uh... did I give you my number?"
He didn't remember ever doing such a thing.
"...You can't be by yourself right now."
She didn't answer the question!!!!
"Tomorrow, at 1100hrs, rendezvous at the fountain plaza in front of Tengu Station. Over."
Origami ended the briefing without even waiting for his approval, leaving Shidou standing dumbfounded in his living room.
...Wait.
Eleven hundred hours? Wasn't that... Eleven o'clock? In the AM? Just half an hour after Kurumi's date was supposed to start? And he still had Tohka to think about too...
"Hold on... did I just agree to three dates on the same day?"