This is not the date I wanted.

Looking at the figure in front of him, Shidou asked uncertainly.

There is no doubt that the girl in front of them is Tokisaki Kurumi, but she is different from the Tokisaki Kurumi that Shidao and Mengyue have just seen. The "Kurumi" in front of them is wearing a jet-black Gothic Lolita outfit, and her right eye is not covered with bangs, but with a rose-patterned eye mask.

"A clone?... That Kuang San guy actually ran away."

Meng Yue couldn't help but exclaimed.

"I'm very sorry, I have to leave because I have something urgent to deal with." After apologizing to the two with a wry smile, "Kyousan" continued, "But please rest assured, I have no intention of breaking the agreement, so I was left here to answer Mr. Shidao's previous questions."

"Hmph... what should we do? Should we chase after her? Maybe Kurumi didn't want to answer and left it to her clone to fool us."

Meng Yue couldn't help but frowned and looked at Shidao and asked.

Shidou thought for a moment and slowly shook his head.

"Well... forget it. I don't think Kurumi would do such a thing. This Kurumi is still Kurumi, so let's just listen to her."

"Is that so... Well, to me, as long as I can explain it well, it doesn't matter which Kurumi it is."

Meng Yue sighed softly, looked at the Gothic Lolita "Kuang San" and said,

"Is it okay for me to stay and listen together?"

"Of course, Miss Mengyue has helped me so much, so she has the right to know."

"Kyousan" nodded slightly, put her right index finger between her lips, and said,

"Well, let's continue with the topic that I didn't finish just now. Speaking of the results, Mr. Shidou——"

"Kyouzo" pointed her index finger at Shidou, posing as if she was about to shoot, and said,

"You in the future are already dead."

"Eh?"

Shidao's mind went blank at these words that were too unrealistic and absurd.

——————————I am the dividing line where time goes back——————————

February 9th, Friday evening, 17:21.

Tokisaki Kurumi stood on the rooftop of the teaching building, waiting for Shidao to appear while looking at the scenery of the town under the sunset.

Facing the beautiful scenery, Kuang San was not intoxicated by it, nor did she feel any homesickness. She just couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating and doubtful about herself now.

Even though she put on her student uniform and stepped into the campus again, and even though her appearance had not changed at all, she was still not the same person as before.

It's only natural if you think about it. Compared to the more than ten years he lived as a human, Kuang San spent most of his life as an elf, a murderer, and an avenger.

Even if they can cry and laugh, the emotions they represent are definitely completely different from the past.

However, the only thing that Kurumi was sure of was the hatred that continued to burn deep in her heart, which had not changed in the slightest even after so many years.

——The agreed time is almost here.

——Shidao-san is here.

——Don’t be soft-hearted, me.

"Ah, don't worry—'we'."

In response to the voice coming from the shadow, Kurumi answered in a slightly low tone.

"If I hesitate here, the thousands of lives I have killed will be meaningless. I will eat 'Shidou-san', devour his spiritual power, go back to the past, kill Mio, and change this world."

As if to strengthen her resolve, Kurumi warned herself.

(I’m sorry, Mr. Shidou… If you want to blame someone, just blame your physique that can seal spirits.)

"Kuang San."

At this moment, the sound of a door being pushed open was heard behind her. After hearing Shidao's voice, Kurumi turned around with a smile.

"Alala, welcome, Mr. Shidao."

After bowing slightly to Shidao, Kurumi looked up and was stunned.

Itsuka Shidou has changed. The moment she saw Shidou's face, this thought came to Kurumi's mind.

If we say that when they first met, the impression that Shidou left on Kurumi was that of a simple, kind, innocent and somewhat cute boy.

And now, she felt from Shidao a kind of strength that could face fear, and a kind of reliability without losing gentleness.

I'm afraid that after Shidou parted with Kurumi, he met various spirits one after another, and then encountered many difficulties in the process of saving them and sealing their spiritual power.

Not only his spiritual power, but also his heart became stronger with every obstacle he overcame.

(This is really unexpected...)

Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and as she looked at Shidao's face, Kurumi was surprised, but at the same time, she also felt a hint of envy deep in her heart.

Kurumi knew that such a huge change in Gokawa Shido might be related to a certain person.

Able to point out his shortcomings bluntly; able to guide him patiently when he is confused; able to warn him seriously when he gets carried away; able to rebuke him mercilessly when he makes mistakes;

Moreover, she can naturally be by his side when he feels helpless.

It is precisely because of that person's existence that Gokawa Shido is able to walk so firmly on the path he has chosen.

"Um... I came as agreed, Kurumi... what, what happened?"

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I just found that Shidou-san is more attractive than the last time we met, and I was fascinated by him without realizing it."

It was not until she heard Shidou's voice that Kurumi came back to her senses and answered calmly.

(That’s too much… Miss Mengyue.)

Kurumi couldn't help but complain in her heart. She was originally quite confident that she could capture Shidou and make him willingly eat her. But now it seems that if she really goes on a date competition according to the scheduled plan, not only will she not be able to conquer Shidou, but she may also get herself into trouble if she is not careful.

(Or... just eat Shidou-san like this.)

Such a thought suddenly emerged in her mind. To be honest, if she wanted to, considering how defenseless Shidao was when facing her, Kurumi could have killed him right now.

However, Kuang San was still a little hesitant.

Her original plan was to leave Shidao with a good memory as some compensation before killing him and taking away his spiritual power. Now if she were to take Shidao's life directly, what difference would she make from Takamiya Mio?

"You told me before that as long as I meet certain conditions, you would be willing to let me seal your spiritual power."

"Yeah, that's right."

Kurumi nodded gently.

"Then, tell me what that condition is?"

"……All right."

After hesitating for a moment, Kuang San sighed and said,

"Well, that condition is——"

However, at this moment, a ray of light flashed past Kuang San's eyes without warning, followed by a splatter of blood, dyeing her vision blood red.

Then, she saw the strongest magician, Alan Mathers, holding a lightsaber, and Gokawa Shido lying in a pool of blood.

38 Struggling in the cycle of reincarnation

==============================

Itsuka Shido is dead.

This is the only fact that remains before Tokisaki Kurumi's eyes.

As if he knew in advance that only Gokawa Shido and himself were on the rooftop, Allen Mathers successfully bypassed the spies of Kurumi's clone and the surveillance of Fraxinus, and completed the sneak attack on Gokawa Shido in an instant.

Although Shidao did not die quickly, a large number of "Nibelcol" and a magician named Artemisia appeared afterwards, stopped the elves who came and successfully cut off one of Kurumi's arms.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Allen mercilessly cut off Gokawa Shidao's head with his sword. The healing flame that continued to burn on Shidao's body gradually dwindled down until it was extinguished because it could not heal the fatal wound.

Looking back, that was the moment when this city and this world fell into despair.

……

"Zafkiel (Emperor of Keke) - Dalet (Fourth Bullet)".

Pointing the gun at her own temple, Kuang San pulled the trigger, and soon, her broken right arm was reconnected as if time had gone back.

"Ha ha……"

Kuang San was breathing rapidly, with beads of sweat on her forehead.

However, compared to the physical injuries, the mental blow was far beyond her imagination.

—Are you okay, me?

The clones in the shadows asked worriedly.

"fine……"

Taking a long, deep breath, Kurumi answered in a slightly weak voice.

After that, in order to avoid Artemisia's pursuit, Kurumi moved through shadows and hid in the ruins of her temporary base.

When her complexion improved slightly, Kuang San turned her head and looked at the school in the distance through the window.

What she saw was a human tragedy beyond imagination.

It was like a sea of ​​red fire that completely burned the sky;

The extremely cold ice sheets that freeze the earth;

a giant tornado that uprooted numerous buildings;

The dark light that swallowed everything...

Despair, anger, hatred. Even at such a great distance, the fluctuations of the impure spiritual energy still stung Kuang San's skin like needles.

“It’s reversed.”

With a hint of bitterness on her face, Kuang San slowly squeezed out these words.

At that time, because they were wary of themselves being the most evil elves, almost all the elves sealed by Shidao gathered in the school and secretly monitored out of worry. It was also because of this that they all witnessed the tragedy of Shidao being killed.

Watching their important people die, they feel such pain and despair, it's no wonder they turned around.

Although Kurumi had guessed that after Shidao's death, the other spirits would reverse, she didn't expect that the person who killed Gokawa Shidao was not herself.

——I have found it.

Suddenly, a clone walked out from the shadows, and in her arms was the body of Gokawa Shido, whose body had already been separated.

——It was a close call. If I had taken a few steps later, not even dust would have been left. I would have felt guilty if I had ignored it.

"...Dalet (Fourth Bullet)."

After a brief silence, Kurumi shot at Shidao's body. Soon, just like her arm before, the severed head was reattached to the body intact, and the wound on the chest and even the school uniform stained with blood were restored to their original state as if nothing had happened.

However, that was all. "Gokawa Shidao" closed his eyes tightly, and could not feel his breathing or even his heartbeat.

Yes. Kuang San already knew that even a bullet that could go back in time could not bring back the lives that had been lost.

“Ah… So… I… failed, huh…”

After the last glimmer of hope was gone, Kuang San laughed miserably and squeezed out these pessimistic words.

Now that Shidao is dead, all the spiritual energy sealed in his body has returned to the spirit, which means that Kurumi has lost all chances of gaining a large amount of spiritual energy in one go.

Even for her, it would be impossible to defeat so many reversing and rampaging spirits and seize their spiritual power. Even if she managed to win by chance, she would have to pay a huge price. At that time, she would have no chance of winning against Takamiya Mio again.

All wasted. The decades of time Kurumi had spent and the tens of thousands of lives she had trampled on all lost their meaning the moment Shidao was killed.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

Completely losing her usual aloofness, Kurumi could only pound the floor and roar hysterically.

After an unknown amount of time, until Kurumi's palms were bleeding, the sound of knocking on the floor gradually stopped.

After a burst of impotent rage, Kuang San knelt on the ground like a deflated balloon.

To be honest, if it was the younger Kurumi, she would have been as desperate and reversing as the others. However, now, in addition to sadness and anger, she still has other emotions in her heart.

That was the guilt and sense of remorse he felt towards the young man in front of him who was afraid of him but still had the courage to lend a helping hand.

"I'm sorry... Mr. Shidou..."

Holding Shidou's body in her arms, Kurumi whispered.