The shock was clear, even if only for a fraction of a second.
Yet he did not step back.
Amid the barrage of Reiryoku beams, Shido raised both hands.
Zadkiel activated. Instantly, thick walls of ice formed from Reiryoku, stretching like a colossal shield and blocking the onslaught raining down upon them.
The ice cracked.
It groaned.
Yet it held.
Shido stood in front of Natsumi, who had fallen and was injured on the ground.
"Are you sure that devil is Origami Tobiichi and that you actually rewound time with Kurumi Tokisaki's Yud Bet bullets?"
Kotori Itsuka's voice came through the intercom in his ear.
"Yes," Shido answered firmly. "As unbelievable as it sounds, that's what happened."
On the rooftop, Kurumi smiled faintly as she heard her name mentioned.
Meanwhile, Gabriel observed silently, without comment.
"So that's how it is…" Kotori's voice came again, quieter this time. "That's why it seems you can't remember what happened before. Some of your memories must have been overwritten."
Shido paused for a moment.
The ice wall from Zadkiel was struck again by a barrage of dark blue Reiryoku.
Cracks spread further.
The ice groaned loudly.
Behind him, Natsumi Kyouno sat on the ground, her arms and legs injured, letting out frustrated grunts.
"Idiot…" she sneered, though her breathing was uneven. "Why are you still standing there? At this rate, you'll be the one to break first!"
Shido didn't look back.
"I won't run," he answered firmly.
The explosion struck the ice shield again.
"I will save you, Natsumi."
He strengthened the flow of his Reiryoku.
"And Origami too. No matter what happens."
Natsumi froze for a fraction of a second.
"…Huh?"
Through the intercom in his ear, Kotori Itsuka's voice sounded again.
"Shido, listen to me carefully."
Her tone was serious.
"Trying to save both at the same time in this situation is a foolish decision. The top priority is Natsumi. Fraxinus and the other Spirits will follow to handle Origami."
Shido gritted his teeth.
"No! If we let Origami stay like that—"
"Shido!" Kotori interrupted sharply. "You're not a god. Don't act like you can handle everything alone!"
Above, a massive shadow began to move.
Fraxinus emerged from behind the clouds, its weapon systems and defensive fields fully active.
"We'll hold off her attacks," Kotori continued. "Focus on Natsumi!"
But it was too late.
Moegami, hovering in the air with her dark blue cannon crown behind her, redirected her target.
Three energy barrels ignited simultaneously.
A colossal beam of Reiryoku shot straight toward Fraxinus.
"Maximum defense!" the crew inside the ship shouted.
The magical defensive field flared brightly.
But the Inverse output was too great.
The beam pierced through the defenses.
It slammed into the ship's wings.
A massive explosion rocked the sky.
Fraxinus's wings were badly damaged, sparks and smoke billowing from its sides. The ship wobbled, losing balance.
Emergency alarms blared.
Fraxinus began to fall.
Below, Shido's eyes widened.
"Kotori…!!!" he shouted.
The sky over Tengu City had completely transformed into a battlefield.
At that exact moment, the ice wall shattered into fragments.
Shido moved reflexively, scooping up Natsumi Kyouno and twisting his body, bracing for the direct impact.
Natsumi's eyes widened in shock.
Dark blue Reiryoku beams rained down like a storm of destruction.
Yet—
Something appeared.
A pair of pale white wings unfurled from Shido's back, enveloping him and Natsumi in a gentle halo of light.
The explosions struck.
Dust and shockwaves spread.
But inside that circle of wings.
No harm came to them.
"…Wings?" Shido Itsuka muttered, astonished.
Natsumi stared at his back, disbelief written across her face.
The light gradually faded.
Shido quickly turned to Natsumi, checking that she was unharmed. His expression immediately tensed.
"…Kotori…!?"
In the sky, Fraxinus still wobbled, but it was no longer in free fall.
A voice sounded.
Calm.
Deep.
Authoritative.
"Calm yourself, Spirit Guardian. The Flame Spirit and the others are safe. For now, Ash lends you his wings."
The protective wings slowly unfolded, revealing a white-haired man standing beside Moegami.
He held Moegami's arm—still floating in her Inverse state—with just one hand, restraining her effortlessly.
His long black trench coat was adorned with silver ornaments. From his back, three pairs of pale white wings spread gracefully—identical to the pair of wings that had just appeared on Shido.
The air around him felt heavy.
Yet stable.
"…Ash…" Shido whispered, recognizing the figure.
Moegami, still in her Inverse state, rotated the dark blue crown of cannons.
All barrels—Satan—locked onto Gabriel.
Energy concentrated.
The sky trembled once more.
Yet Gabriel's hand remained calmly gripping Moegami's arm.
His gaze didn't change.
No smile.
No anger.
Only a calm so deep it felt inhuman.
The barrels of Satan fired simultaneously.
A volley of dark blue Reiryoku beams shot straight at Gabriel.
In a fraction of a second, the Output of Gigan was increased.
Time slowed.
Sound vanished.
Everything shattered into frame by frame.
"Mana Zone."
"Ten Unit: Output Release."
The air trembled.
Mana surged, twenty Output Units activated simultaneously under Compression.
A magic circle formed.
Transparent white.
Three rings filled with runes and Roman letters spun like orbits around the center.
[- Dark Matter Magic: Spell Creation — Chrono Stasis -]
[- Dark Matter Magic: Spell Creation — Zafkiel Second Bullet, Bet -]
{Note: As a reminder, Spell Creation allows the user to wield any type of magic, as long as they can perceive its effects.}
Two time-based spells were released simultaneously.
Their effects overlapped.
A spherical space materialized around Gabriel and Moegami.
Everything—froze.
The Reiryoku beams hung suspended in the air.
Dust paused mid-fall.
Moegami, still raging, froze mid-attack.
Only Gabriel continued to move within this silent, frozen space.
A few seconds later, Gabriel lowered Gigan's output.
The world's perception returned to normal.
Yet inside that sphere of time, absolute silence remained.
Gabriel glanced at Shido.
"Spirit Guardian," he said calmly, "Ash will handle this. You know what to do next, don't you?"
Shido Itsuka stared at him for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Yes," he replied. "I leave it to you."
Gabriel offered a faint, subtle smile.
A thin crack sounded.
Krak… krak…
The space around them shattered like glass.
The next moment—Gabriel and Moegami vanished.
As if they had never been there.
The temporal sphere dissipated.
The Reiryoku beams that had been frozen disappeared along with their source.
The sky suddenly fell silent.
Shido remained standing in place.
The pale white wings on his back slowly faded into particles of light.
He pressed the intercom in his ear, anxious.
"Kotori!" he called out. "Are you okay?! Fraxinus just got hit directly!"
For a few seconds, only static and faint alarms could be heard in the background.
His heart raced.
Kotori Itsuka's voice came through, slightly out of breath but firm as always.
"Stay calm, Shido. I'm still alive."
Shido exhaled in relief without realizing it.
"My right wing was badly damaged, and the balance system briefly failed," Kotori continued. "But we managed to stabilize altitude. No one fell."
Voices of the crew reporting could be heard behind her.
"We'll perform an emergency landing at a safe point. Some systems need repairs."
Shido closed his eyes for a moment.
"Thank goodness…"
In the distance—several silhouettes approached.
Five Spirit silhouettes hovered closer, ensuring the situation was under control.
They watched the remnants of the destruction, now suddenly without a center.
Tohka Yatogami landed first, her eyes widening at the damage around them.
"Shido!" she called out, worried. "What happened?!"
Beside her, Yoshino clutched Yoshinon tightly, while Yuzuru Yamai and Kaguya Yamai swept the skies cautiously.
Miku Izayoi hovered slightly behind, her expression serious—rarely seen so calm.
Shido continued staring at the empty sky.
"…Ash took them away," he said softly.
The name made several of them exchange glances.
Not an unfamiliar name.
Not a mysterious figure without an identity.
They knew who he was.
Someone who had helped before.
Someone whose power… was difficult to measure.
Tohka clenched her teeth lightly.
"He's appeared again…"
Yuzuru spoke flatly, "Analysis: high-precision intervention. Area destruction risk drastically reduced after his arrival."
Kaguya crossed her arms. "Yet he still moves as he pleases. Truly annoying. Can't we ever just talk like before?"
Miku let out a small sigh.
"But if it weren't for him, things would probably have been much worse, right?"
Shido lowered his gaze.
He did not argue.
The wings that had appeared on his back still lingered faintly in his memory.
Kotori's voice came through the intercom again.
"For now, let's consider the situation under control. Origami is with Ash, which most likely means she'll be calmed, not destroyed."
Shido clenched his fist slowly.
"…Yeah."
The sky had returned to calm.
Thin wisps of smoke still rose from the ruined buildings.
Shido stood in the middle of the cracked street, his breathing gradually returning to normal.
A shadow twirled in the air, like black fabric dancing with the wind.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
From the folds of that shadow, a figure emerged.
Layers of lace on her skirt swirled softly.
Kurumi Tokisaki landed lightly, her heels touching the asphalt without a sound.
"Ara~ ara~," she said cheerfully, far too relaxed for the recent situation. "Looks like I arrived just in time."
Tohka tensed.
"K-Kurumi?!"
Kurumi glanced back, smiling faintly.
"Don't worry. Today, I'm not the antagonist."
She twirled a small step, like dancing, then raised one hand elegantly.
"Temporary medical support unit," she said lightly. "On Ash's orders."
The name again shifted the atmosphere.
Shido stared at her.
"…Ash sent you?"
Kurumi lightly touched her lips.
"Fufu. Let's just say… I was asked to make sure there are no unnecessary casualties."
___
Author's Note:
The stage of pale mist has begun. The players are in their places, and Ash is playing his role. 😏
Ah… and don't forget to leave your reviews, comments, and all your Power Stones! Let them make me burn with motivation! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Tehe~ (•_<)