Chapter 7: Only 165.2 Million km² Left

"This is what you had in mind when you said you 'have a plan'?" Kurumi snorted, glaring at Kyo. The two stood on the coast of Kamchatka Krai, Russia, overlooking the North Pacific Ocean. A squadron of a hundred Kurumi's stood behind them, all looking at Kyo with various amounts of derision. 

"Look, Neryl Island isn't on any world map, and I never personally participated in the raid in the last Iteration." Kyo sighed helplessly. "I've already narrowed the range down by four oceans and seven continents, and we're looking for a landmass in a literal ocean of water. We'll find it months faster than it was found last time." Kurumi scoffed, then signaled to the team of Kurumi's.

"Alright, me's. The 'plan'," Kurumi sneered, "is to scour the entire Pacific Ocean in search of a DEM secret base. Kyo over there recommends attempting to sense magic or Reiryoku reactions, since there might be conventional optical camouflaging." The Kurumi's nodded and set off, and the Kurumi giving the speech turned to Kyo. "Let's get going."

"Of course." Kyo replied with a dark look on his face. It seems I may have angered the crazy murderous time-traveler.

————————I am the dividing line that skips time————————

"If you want to prove you're from the future, why don't you just tell me about [Deus]?" Kurumi asked idly from within Kyo's shadow.

"Three reasons really, but the biggest one is that your incentive to help me find [Sister] would plummet." Kyo replied, exasperated. "Ah shoot, now what's happening?"

A few miles ahead, twin hurricanes seemed to be rapidly manifesting. 

"[Berserk], huh?" Kurumi noted. "A duo that never seems to stop causing a headache for DEM."

"I'm sure that only brings you joy," Kyo snorted derisively. Though, they just might prove useful if I can play my cards right...

But how the fudge have I managed to come across three different Spirits in a row?

Shaking off his doubts, Kyo began to hear a constant back-and-forth bickering.

"I'm impressed, Yuzuru. You've managed to hold out against the great me for 43 draws and 18 wins. Unfortunately, my all-seeing eye has revealed that the next contests, as well as the succession of the name Yamai, are fated to be won by me!" Yamai Kaguya, the louder half of the bondage gear-clad Spirit [Berserk] proclaimed.

"Praise: Kaguya has somehow managed to win 17 times against Yuzuru. However, the next battle will be my victory, as will the succession." Yamai Yuzuru, the less boisterous half of [Berserk], refuted. 

"You only won because your guitar was more expensive!" Kaguya complained.

"Correction: Your guitar skills were simply inferior." Yuzuru countered.

"I do hate to crash a good argument, but can I get your attention please?" Kyo's voice rang out, causing both Spirits to look over in surprise.

"A human? No, another Spirit?" Kaguya exclaimed.

"Astonishment: why is there another Spirit in the middle of the sea?" Yuzuru monotoned. 

"Don't mind that too much," Kyo waved away. "I heard that you two are in the midst of a contest to determine who Yamai truly is?"

"Suspicion: How do you know?" Yuzuru demanded. Kaguya nodded righteously beside her.

"Uhh,." Kyo coughed loudly, "Your battle has... become the stuff of legend?"

"Oh, really?! Ahem, I mean, of course it has! And no doubt the legend of Kaguya is far more glamorous than whatever fables have been told about Yuzuru?"

"Ridicule: any legends about Kaguya are surely over-embellished beyond reality."

Siblings, Kyo grumbled in his head. "Anyway, a suggestion, if I may, for your next great contest? I can promise that this one will be a true test of a Spirit's abilities."

"Oho? Yuzuru, what do you think?" Kaguya smiled deviously at her other half.

"Undaunted: state your idea. Yuzuru will no doubt perform better than Kaguya."

Kyo felt an oncoming headache as the two halves began to argue back and forth again. At least they're ten times easier to fool than Kurumi.

"ANYWAY. There's a Spirit hiding somewhere on an island in this ocean. Thus, I propose a giant game of hide-and-seek. The first one to be able to locate the island that the Spirit is hiding would undoubtedly demonstrate the finer control of Reiryoku and thus prove themselves greater than the other," Kyo fabricated. "To make this contest fair, my friend in my shadow will help to judge."

"Oh? How presumptuous of you, Kyo. You're working poor me to the bone here." Kurumi fake-whined as she manifested, causing both Yamai's to flinch. 

"Just work with me please, Kurumi." Kyo whispered back. In response, two shots were fired into Kurumi's head, and two new Kurumi's quickly appeared before hopping into the shadows of both Yamai's. 

"Protest: We have not yet agreed to such a contest yet. Furthermore, hide-and-seek has already been used as a contest, in which Yuzuru won by a landslide," Yuzuru said, clearly still unnerved by Kurumi's appearance and disappearance. 

"Oh, are you afraid that your ability to sense Reiryoku is lesser than mine? Well, I'd be more than happy to allow you a little charity in the form of a head start." Kaguya taunted. 

"...negative: Yuzuru's influence over the intricacies of Reiryoku is no doubt magnitudes greater than that of Kaguya's. Thus, Yuzuru was unwilling to participate in a contest that would showcase Kaguya's ineptitude so blatantly." Yuzuru backtalked.

"I'm just uh, gonna leave you to it then," Kyo floated away hastily. "Contest starts now. Have fun~"

"Fun? My all-seeing eye will find the island so quickly that Yuzuru won't even have time to say the word 'fun'!"

"Contradiction: Yuzuru will locate the island before Kaguya can finish her next sentence."

"Why, you!"

...

Ten minutes later, the two halves of [Berserk] set off in opposite directions at breakneck speeds.

————————I am the dividing line that skips time————————

"Y'know, Kuru-kuru, I've always hated the ocean." Kyo flew listlessly across the water, a dead look in his eyes. Even though he had mentally prepared himself for a search that could span days, reality was simply much too cruel. Even with 102 other Spirits divvying up the Pacific to search, including two that specialized in speed, in just one day, Kyo was more than ready to just start slashing the ocean apart with [Origin] until he hit something.

"My my, Kyo, are you already getting tired?" Despite the teasing nature of her words, Kurumi's voice sounded mildly bored too. 

"Oh, no, not at all. I've only been looking at water for the past 27 hours, it's riveting stuff really." Kyo groused. Suddenly, he paused. "Wait, Kuru-kuru. You see that?"

Kurumi manifested from Kyo's shadow, a serious look spreading across her face. Reflected in her eyes was a small island on the horizon. 

"That's Neryl Island, the location of [Sister]? It's a lot less camouflaged than you prepared for." 

"So it is, but I'm sure it's Neryl. After all, it's faint, but I'm sure you can feel it too. The Reiryoku of a Spirit." Kyo's eyes flashed purple. "I suppose you should inform [Berserk] that this contest has ended in a tie. Let's get going, Kurumi. [White]."

With that, the two Spirits covertly touched down on the island.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, two mildly unwilling halves of a Spirit settled their 27 hour long 63rd competition with their 44th tie.