Chapter 39: Atomic Timelord vs. Coughing Adeptus

"I want you to go on a date with me," Shidou repeated, the conviction in his voice unwavering.

"...I see. So I did hear you right. In that case, I have a new question. Have you actually gone mad?" Kurumi narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "In case you didn't notice, I've just shot your precious friend Origami and threatened the lives of everyone in this school, you included."

"I'm well aware of those facts!" Shidou clenched his fists. "But even still… I want to save you!"

"Save me? Now you're just spouting nonsense," Kurumi laughed. "What exactly do I need saving from?"

"I know you died yesterday." Upon hearing Shidou's words, she paused, throwing an interested smile in his direction. "And I know that when you came in today, you complained about the pain of being shot through the chest."

"That was just a taunt directed at your friend bleeding out over there." Kurumi brushed his words off easily. "After all, 'I' never felt that pain."

"Don't play word games with me!" Shidou pointed his finger at her as though he were an ace attorney. "Tell me this: is it true or not that Tokisaki Kurumi died yesterday?!" 

"...fine, if you insist. Yes, it is indeed the truth that a Tokisaki Kurumi was shot dead yesterday," Kurumi sighed, putting her hands up in mock surrender. "But I wonder, are you aware of who killed her?"

Shidou lowered his head. "Takamiya Mana, my sister."

"Indeed, your sister." Kurumi's eyes glinted with a sinister light. "Tell me then, why should I believe the brother of the one who has killed 'me' more than seventy times?"

"If DEM records are to be believed, she has 'died' over fifty times now." 

Reine's words echoed in his ears, causing Shidou's stomach to twist with guilt. "I…"

"Because he's Shidou!" The blue-haired boy and black-haired Spirit looked over in surprise at Tohka, who finally spoke up after a long period of silence. "When I first met him, I was also suspicious like you. I thought that all I could do was fight, kill, then eventually disappear only to repeat the cycle. But Shidou, he's not like the bad guys from the Mecha-AST Squad. He has the kindest heart I've ever seen, and he always forgives me no matter what, and he makes me feel…" Tohka blushed, turning away slightly. "Anyway! He's the one who saved me, and if he promises he can save you, then he'll definitely do it!"

Tohka, you… Shidou held back the urge to hug her as he returned his attention to Kurumi. "If I seal your Reiryoku, Mana won't have any more reason to pursue you. You'd be able to live the rest of your life like any other normal girl. I promise."

Kurumi looked back and forth between Tohka's earnest, still somewhat bashful eyes and Shidou's eyes that were filled with determination. "I… that doesn't change the fact that I'm already a murderer. I've committed crimes that can't ever be forgiven!"

"Even if that's the case, then let me seal your powers away so you can't hurt others anymore!" Shidou gestured to himself. "If you truly can't forgive yourself, then you can spend the rest of your life atoning for your crimes. I'll be there to support you every step of the way."

"You…" Kurumi went silent. As Shidou waited for her answer, the world itself seemed to hold its breath, interrupted only by the sound of the wind rushing against his ears.

Finally, Shidou stepped forward, offering her hand. "Please, Kurumi. Give me a chance."

Yet she continued to stand there, her eyes shifting between doubt, hope, and… was that regret? Shidou wasn't sure.

But he didn't have time to ponder her emotions, as a tangle of pale white arms rose up underneath Kurumi, their fingers grasping at her face and limbs as they dragged her into an abyss of darkness that had opened beneath her.

"My, my. I was wondering what was taking so long. It seems I'll have to send a more… mature 'me' on a mission like this. Oh well, I'm sure you can still be repurposed." 

Shidou whirled around as another figure descended from the sky, clothed in a very familiar dress and sporting an identical face to the girl who was just dragged away, aside from the addition of an annoyed smile. "...is that you? Kurumi?!"

"My my. What's wrong, Shidou? You look like you've seen a ghost." The new Kurumi smiled as the ethereal arms rose once more from the ground, binding his limbs. In the corner of his eye, he saw those same arms knocking Tohka out cold. "Well, it doesn't matter. I think I've stayed here far long enough."

Kurumi licked her lips in anticipation. 

——————I am the dividing line that shifts perspectives——————

Racing towards the scene over a thousand feet in the air above, Mana widened her eyes. "Hey Leader, tell your troops to stay back. [Nightmare]'s just exhibited some sort of cloning ability that even I've never observed before, so I'm engaging in this solo."

"What? Isn't that even more dangerous then?!" Ryouko's eyes widened. 

Mana didn't respond; a certain figure on the rooftop had caught her attention. Isn't that… big brother?! Shoot, he's in danger!

Without another word, the rocket thrusters on her CR-unit blazed to life.

——————I am the dividing line that shifts perspectives——————

Shoot, this isn't good. I still don't entirely understand what's even going on! Shidou struggled against the summoned arms as Kurumi approached him smugly. Reaching out her hand-

WHOOM-

Kurumi immediately jumped back, clutching the remaining stump of her arm in pain. The arms binding Shidou's limbs disappeared, and he quickly stumbled backwards before getting a good look at his savior: a familiar short blue-haired girl in a CR-unit, pointing a giant laser sword at Kurumi. 

"Mana?!" Shidou sputtered. Why is she- wait, is she the backup Origami was talking about?

"Hey, big brother. Looks like you got really unlucky today, huh. Now step back; this is going to get dangerous." Mana narrowed her eyes at Kurumi, who was hunched over her wound. "It seems that you've become quite eager to kill nowadays, hm? [Nightmare]?"

Kurumi looked up and laughed, the pained grimace on her face still exuding an air of arrogance. "Well, well, well, we meet again, Mana. Here for my head again, I assume? I'm so sorry to say, but this time-" Her clock-engraved eye widened, shining with a brilliant light- "YOU LACK THE ABILITY TO KILL ME! COME TO ME, [ZAFKIEL]!"

Behind Kurumi, a giant golden clock face materialized in the air, its inner mechanisms filled with endless interconnected gear systems. Shidou took an uneasy step back as Kurumi additionally summoned a rifle and flintlock pistol to her hands.

"So you've finally decided to reveal your Angel," Mana muttered, shifting the sword in her hands.

"Kihihihi! Indeed! [Zafkiel: Dalet]!" To Shidou and Mana's shock, Kurumi pointed the gun at her own head and fired.

"Kurumi! What are you-" Shidou froze as Kurumi's severed arm soared through the air and reattached itself to its original position. She wriggled her fingers around for a moment before showing it to Shidou with a small giggle.

"Tch. What an impressive healing ability," Mana clicked her tongue.

"Healing? No, my dear Mana, I haven't healed a single bit," Kurumi laughed. "I just reversed time on the poor arm you carelessly cut off. I can also do this… [Zafkiel: Zayin]!"

Mana swiftly parried the incoming bullet before suddenly freezing in place. In fact, everything in a small radius around Mana, from the very dust itself, seemed to freeze completely.

"Mana!" Shidou attempted to rush to her side before immediately being tackled by disembodied hands again. "Kurumi, please! Don't hurt her anymore! You were hesitating just a few moments ago-"

"Did I not just explain that the gullible fool you were talking to before was a younger 'me?'" Kurumi sighed disappointedly. "Why don't I make it a little more clear for you? [Zafkiel: Het]!"

Pointing it at her own head again, Kurumi fired another bullet. Instead of bursting out the other side of her cranium, a second Kurumi seemed to fall out of her body before quickly standing up and summoning her own pair of guns.

"What the…" She can make clones of herself?

"Kihihihi! Do you understand now, Shidou?" Both Kurumis pointed their guns at Mana before firing. "Now, let time resume!"

Mana's eyes widened as bullets penetrated her small frame from four different angles, falling hard to the ground beside Shidou. 

"No! Mana!" The girl in question let out a weak groan in response. She's still alive! Shidou's despair quickly turned to joy, his heart flashing with a spark of hope. 

"Hm? My goodness, her reaction time is quite impressive. She managed to protect her vitals with her Territory in mere fractions of a second…" Kurumi chuckled, her clone pointing a gun at Mana's fallen form once more. "But that's fine. I only need to shoot one more time-"

"ENOUGH!"

BOOM-

Something crashed into the ground, skewering the rifle in Clone Kurumi's hand and crushing it against the floor. A purple-and-white scabbard, the sword still sheathed within. Slowly, a figure descended from the skies, bathing the clouds with bolts of crimson lightning. As he opened his mouth, sparks crackled from his eyes.

"Does anyone want to explain what exactly happened here?!"