Without a doubt, Natsumi Kyouno and her group had obtained the whereabouts of the real Natsumi Kyouno from Magane Chikujoin.
Although Meteora had also asked to use Infinite Deceptive Words to locate Altair, perhaps due to Altair higher conceptual rank, the ability had failed. Clearly, even such a seemingly overpowered skill had its limits.
But that didn't matter anymore.
After acquiring the information they needed, Natsumi Kyouno, as promised, summoned the Unsealing Master and sealed away Infinite Deceptive Words.
With Magane Chikujoin now powerless, Selesia took her to meet Aki Kikuchihara to discuss further arrangements. Meanwhile, the rest of the group followed Natsumi Kyouno to the real Natsumi Kyouno's hiding place.
It was already deep into the night.
After a brief yet intense assault operation and the subsequent search for Chikujoin, a considerable amount of time had passed. Although their nature as fictional beings meant they could go days without sleep, the mentally fatigue was still very real—many of them were already longing for rest.
But time waited for no one.
They had the location of the real Natsumi Kyouno, but she could very well relocate at any moment. If that happened, it wouldn't be a big deal—they could just unseal Infinite Deceptive Words and have Chikujoin use it again. That wouldn't even count as coercion.
After all, Chikujoin clearly didn't want to return to her original world. In this one, she could only live as an ordinary person and would need many things—like money. As long as the government compensated her sufficiently, she'd likely be happy to help again.
Even so, finding the real Natsumi Kyouno as soon as possible was crucial.
During the earlier assault, the real Natsumi Kyouno had traded injuries to seal away Natsumi Kyouno's spirit power. Now, she was in a weakened state.
That made this the perfect opportunity to finish things.
Once she recovered, even if they managed to locate her again, taking her down would be much harder.
The group moved at full speed and reached a park in under fifteen minutes.
Bathed in moonlight, the park seemed tranquil yet mysterious. Tall trees swayed in the night breeze, casting flickering shadows. The occasional rustling only added to the eerie atmosphere. Though bustling during the day, the park now felt bone-chillingly cold under the cover of night.
They soon arrived at a small department store located at the center of the park.
Naturally, it had long since closed, its doors locked. However, the heavy lock was now lying quietly on the ground, the door slightly ajar.
This was the temporary hideout of the real Natsumi Kyouno.
Everyone instinctively quieted their steps, even softening their breathing.
They knew she was here, but they didn't know what condition she was in.
"I'll go in alone. You all wait here."
Natsumi Kyouno signaled the others with a simple gesture. No one objected; they simply nodded, indicating she should finish things quickly.
Summoning the Fake Witch and transforming it into the Unsealing Master, she floated cautiously into the department store.
To avoid making noise, she floated above the floor rather than walking.
Her eyes scanned the store, moving zone by zone in search of her target.
Though fully stocked, the store was small. It didn't take long for her to find the person she was looking for—in the snack section.
There, the real Natsumi Kyouno lay on the floor, breathing evenly, seemingly lost in a dream.
Apparently confident she wouldn't be found, and aware of how unlikely it was for anyone to come to the store at this hour, she had reverted from Tokisaki Kurumi appearance and returned to her original child form.
Around her were scattered empty snack bags and drink bottles, along with bandages and ointments.
Clearly, the Light Sword of Extinction Angel had left her with serious injuries.
Floating in the air, Natsumi Kyouno noticed her twitching occasionally and murmuring in pain, as if caught in a nightmare.
"If it were me, I'd have summoned Tome of Revelation and drawn a future page where I'm perfectly fine," she thought. "But well, this is Natsumi we're talking about. She probably hasn't mastered this godlike duplication ability. Still, this method suits her personality."
Having located her target, she aimed the Unsealing Master at the sleeping girl.
With the activation of [Seal], the real Natsumi Kyouno jolted awake. The sudden disappearance of her Astral Dress and the intense discomfort of her spirit power being sealed caused her to open her eyes.
Still emerging from her dream, her gaze was hazy and unfocused.
But the moment she saw another version of herself floating mid-air, her half-dreaming expression instantly sharpened—she snapped to full awareness.
"You… you!"
Panic laced her voice as she pointed at Natsumi Kyouno, trying to back away.
"Why are you here?! No—You should've been sealed! How can you still use Unsealing Master and your Astral Dress?!"
"Maybe… the power of friendship?"
Natsumi Kyouno used telekinesis to grab a child-sized outfit from the clothing section and tossed it to her.
"There's no one else here, but still—you should get dressed."
"…"
The real Natsumi Kyouno clutched the clothes tightly, her beautiful green eyes glaring at the other her, as if fearing she might attack while she changed.
"If I really wanted to hurt you, I could've done it while you were asleep."
Seeing through the girl's suspicions, Natsumi Kyouno sighed.
"You are me, and I am you. I would never hurt you."
"You're not me, and I'm not you…"
The girl muttered under her breath, clearly rejecting the idea.
Still, she seemed to understand—if the other had meant to kill her, she wouldn't have sealed her power but ended it outright.
Before long, the sound of rustling clothes stopped. She had changed into a modest-sized outfit.
"There's no need to be afraid," Natsumi Kyouno said as she gently landed on the floor. Facing her anxious other self, she scratched her head.
"I honestly don't know what to say in this situation… but could you tell me how you ended up in this world?"