Tengu City, Raizen High, teacher's office…
"Tokisaki-san, are you sure you want to go on a long break?"
With a face that looks so young one would mistake her for a high school or even a middle school student. The teacher sighed after taking another look at Kurumi who emitted the air of a noble lady.
"We are going to host our school excursion trip soon, I am afraid you won't make it in time if you leave for such a long period…"
Kurumi twitched for a second. She looked genuinely regretful.
"Is that so? That's too bad…"
She wanted to follow Wu Yan on this school trip…
Such bad timing…
Kurumi bitterly laughed.
"My family's already making the matter urgent, so…"
"I see… can't be helped then…"
The teacher lowered her head like someone just bullied her. She looked like she might cry. Even Kurumi couldn't help but doubt her age.
Is this baby-faced teacher with huge knockers really approaching her 30s?
"Well, I hope you return soon, Tokisaki-san."
Okamine Tamae tilted her head, she beamed at Kurumi.
"Even if you can't make it in time for the school trip, you can still try to return before the culture festival hosted in alliance with all ten high schools in Tengu City. It's a large-scale once-a-year event, missing it would be a real shame indeed, Tokisaki-san…"
"The Tenou festival, huh…"
Kurumi floated a radiant smile.
"That is something to look forward to, I will finish up my personal matters as soon as possible."
"Good…"
Okamine-sensei nodded.
Kurumi stored away her business smile after exiting the teacher's lounge. She sighed like a tired student.
Kurumi's going to look for the second spirit so she's leaving for a while.
Kurumi still felt conflicted over this decision to leave.
She's not attached to Raizen High or the students in her class. There is only one reason she's feeling down like this.
Kurumi looked at one of the classes with her deep red eyes.
She wanted to see Wu Yan one more time.
Even if she's only going over there to say goodbye.
However, she's afraid that seeing Wu Yan might make her lose her resolve.
Kurumi hesitated in front of the classroom. In the end, she gave up on that idea.
It's not the last time they are going to see each other. Regardless of how the encounter with the second spirit might go, she's coming back.
Kurumi's life is already united with the only man that moved her heart.
"I have to return to my old self for a short while…"
Kurumi mumbled. She walked in the direction of the school gate.
Walking on a lonely street, Kurumi entered one of the shady alleys here. She stopped after entering the dimmer end of the alley.
"Ara, not going to show yourself?"
Her nonchalant voice echoed in the alley. She was greeted with silence.
Kurumi still smiled as she looked in front. Somebody stood there.
A silhouette stood there…
No, it's an individual draped in mosaic pixels.
If Kotori was here she would have recognized this entity in an instant.
She's the spirit who gave Kotori her Sephira crystal five years ago, the same Phantom that turned Kotori into a spirit.
Phantom.
Kurumi grinned at the enigmatic entity.
It's unknown if Phantom can see Kurumi's malevolent look. The figure leaned forward slightly. It used a voice that contained no gender, racial, or other identifiable traits. It's a special voice that sounded totally magical.
"When did you notice me?"
Kurumi raised an eyebrow. She snickered.
"The moment I exited the teacher's office."
Phantom wavered slightly upon hearing this.
"Why didn't you tell your 'Hubby-sama'?"
"I wanted to. But, I am sure you can get away faster than my warning."
Kurumi shrugged. She directed a bloodthirsty look at Phantom.
"I admire your courage. You know he's in Raizen High and you still risked exposure by snooping around, do you think you can take him on?"
"I don't know what would happen in a fight, but…"
Phantom continued.
"I know you need me."
Kurumi's eyes widened. In a burst of light, she donned her red and black Astral dress.
She raised her rifle at Phantom. The eye with a golden clock in it fixated on Phantom.
"You think I would betray him?"
"No?"
Phantom paused.
"After falling so far, can you really open up your heart to accept another person?"
"Hehehe…"
Kurumi snickered.
"You don't understand his warmth, how could you possibly fathom his importance to me?"
Phantom fell mum.
Kurumi lost interest after Phantom silenced herself. She stored her gun away. When she's about to leave, Phantom opened her mouth again.
"You obtained enough time from him to achieve your true objective, right?"
Kurumi stopped. She lowered her head.
Each of the hour digits on her Zaphkiel contained a different ability.
She needs to use Time to craft bullets for each type of ability. The Eleventh and Twelfth bullets had different natures.
To use the last two bullets, she would have to pay enough time to kill a spirit with just one bullet.
Kurumi killed humans in the past by devouring their time in order to store enough time to send herself into the past with the Twelfth Bullet. Her goal is to kill the First Spirit.
She drained enough time from Wu Yan to return herself to the time three decades ago. She also reckoned that she had enough time stockpile to finish the First spirit off.
In other words, Kurumi can achieve her tragic goal of ending everything should she choose to do so.
"I don't know what you're aiming for but it's obvious you want to use the Twelfth bullet, right?"
Phantom teased Kurumi.
"Well, you already have what you need, why are you still with him? Why are you choosing to give up your goal to stay near him?"
Kurumi slowly turned around. She smiled at Phantom with an incredibly bright smile.
"Because he said he didn't want to see me disappear…"
Kurumi turned around. She brushed past Phantom to exit the alley.
"The next time you appear in front of me, you better brace yourself because he wants to see you, I wouldn't mind presenting you as a gift to him, he'd probably be very happy…"
Phantom turned around. Her blurry figure flashed before she told Kurumi something.
"The Second Spirit has been captured by DEM."
"And, DEM has its eyes on the person within your heart."
Kurumi swiveled around. Phantom was already gone by the time she turned around.
Kurumi giggled, that's the laughter of someone who is about to bring bloodshed with a smile on her face…
