Using Camael (Flaming Retribution Demon)'s handle as a cane, Kotori propped herself up with effort, pressing one trembling hand to her forehead in pain.
"Ugh... this... this is..."
"? What's happening to Itsuka Kotori...?"
Tianqi Sanluo frowned slightly. She could sense that the Spirit of Flame's spiritual power was surging violently within her — things were clearly beginning to spiral beyond expectations.
Still, that was precisely what made it interesting. It was because of these sudden, unexpected developments that Tianqi Sanluo had remained here in Tenguu City, standing on this school rooftop, enjoying the show.
"Ahahahahaha! Your luck ends here... oh!"
Kurumi laughed maniacally as she loaded the final bullet into her flintlock pistol, aiming straight at Kotori.
"That bullet... what is it?"
It was a type she hadn't seen before — and it didn't seem to have much direct destructive power. Could it have some special effect instead?
But before Kurumi could pull the trigger, Kotori suddenly stood upright in an instant. Her blazing red eyes shone like rubies, cold and merciless, locking onto Kurumi.
That face — so vastly different from her earlier expression — made Tianqi Sanluo momentarily suspect that the girl had been possessed.
After all, when she had first arrived in this world, her own face had looked much the same — though even colder, more desperate, and more hollow.
Kotori raised Camael high above her head, the flames devouring the angelic weapon whole.
"Camael — Megiddo! (Cannon)"
As if responding to her incantation, the massive battle axe began to transform beneath the blazing fire.
First, the axe blade dissolved into pure flame.
Then, the shaft thickened and contracted, partially folding in on itself before wrapping around Kotori's right arm like armor.
From her elbow to her fingertips, her arm was now encased in the massive barrel of a fiery cannon. The weapon's base anchored itself to the ground with a brace of condensed flame.
From a distance, it looked as though a young girl were struggling to wield a gigantic heavy artillery piece.
But for Kotori, there was no such thing as "struggling" when it came to using her angel — it was as natural as moving her own body.
All the flames that had been swirling around her were now being sucked into the cannon's mouth.
"—!"
Seeing Kotori's stance, Kurumi's brow furrowed. That expression... Tianqi Sanluo had seen something like it before —
No, that wasn't quite right. Most of the time, Tianqi Sanluo wore that same kind of expression herself. It was just that Kotori's drastic change made the contrast far more jarring to look at.
Facing such an attack, fighting head-on was hopeless, and escape was likely impossible — so—
"We—!"
Kurumi shouted, summoning all of her shadow clones that she could command at once.
In an instant, every available duplicate appeared before her, forming a living wall in an attempt to shield the original Kurumi from Kotori's cannon.
But as any bystander could see — and Tianqi Sanluo certainly could — such a defense was little more than psychological comfort.
It was no more effective than Chamberlain's "peace treaty" waved from an airplane window.
"—Turn to ash, Camael (Flaming Retribution Demon)!"
What followed was a cold, emotionless voice — one so chilling that even Shidou, who had lived with Kotori for years, had never heard her sound like that.
Of course, Shidou was unconscious at the moment — but even Kurumi and Tianqi Sanluo, who were meeting Kotori for the first time, could scarcely believe that such a voice came from the mouth of a little girl.
The next instant — a blinding blast erupted from Kotori's arm-cannon, spewing an overwhelming inferno.
It was like a volcanic eruption — the heat energy condensed within the barrel exploded outward, ignited by spirit power, compressed into a beam barely three centimeters wide, unleashing the weapon's full potential in a single shot.
From afar, it appeared as a single streak of crimson light cutting across the sky.
Even Tianqi Sanluo — herself a Spirit of fire — couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she felt the faint heat radiating from that beam.
For an ordinary Spirit, that attack was already extraordinary.
Of course, compared to her own power, it was still far inferior.
Seconds later, the searing light that burned across the sky began to fade. The massive cannon on Kotori's arm exhaled thick white smoke, like machinery that had just finished a long, grueling session of overwork.
The rooftop floor and walls had melted from the intense heat; everything the beam touched had been reduced to nothing — except for Kurumi, who now sat collapsed on the ground, and her angel Zafkiel (Clockwork Emperor), of which nearly half had been blasted away.
All of Kurumi's shadow clones, summoned to protect her, had turned to ash. Her own left arm was gone — the cross-section blackened like charcoal, not a drop of blood remaining, seared clean by heat.
"Ugh..."
Kurumi let out a faint groan before falling weakly to her knees.
Even her "Fourth Bullet," which healed wounds, couldn't activate. She had truly lost the ability to fight.
"Ugh... what... what happened...?"
Just as Tianqi Sanluo was enjoying the spectacle, Shidou suddenly regained consciousness.
"? You're awake?"
She blinked in surprise. Based on past experience, that strike should've knocked out a normal human — maybe even killed them — especially since she'd used a bit of spirit energy to make sure.
For him not only to survive, but to wake up this quickly...
It seemed his vast spiritual energy served more than just a "battery function."
"Wha—what's going on here...?"
Holding his head, Shidou looked completely lost.
"...Pick up your gun."
Kotori's low, commanding voice instantly drew his attention.
"? Kotori? You... what are you—"
"The war isn't over yet. Come on — continue the battle, Kurumi. Isn't this the conflict you've longed for? Or have you already given up resisting? If you can no longer lift your gun... then just die."
"Kotori...? What... what are you saying?"
Realizing how wrong things were, Shidou rushed forward, grabbing her shoulders in panic.
"If you keep attacking, Kurumi will die! The mission of
But no matter how he pleaded, Kotori didn't react — not even slightly.
When Tianqi Sanluo shifted her position to catch Kotori's face from another angle, her brow twitched.
She saw a pair of cold, twisted eyes gleaming with a demonic light — deep red and sparkling like rubies.
If the girl hadn't been holding such an oversized cannon, she might have looked beautiful.
But right now, the smile on her lips — a twisted, ecstatic grin — was that of a murderer lost in the thrill of killing.
The more Tianqi Sanluo looked, the more it reminded her of her own expression back when she was killing to her heart's content.
"...Is this the effect of her Spirit Crystal? Or a side effect of her Angel?"
That was her current conclusion — the Flame Spirit's crystal might be defective.
The attack had certainly been powerful, but if this berserk state was the price, it was a poor trade — strength gained at the cost of sanity wasn't worth much.
"Hey! Kotori—!"
Shidou circled in front of her— and froze.
He saw her face — that same twisted, insane smile — and shivered to his core.
If Kotori unleashed that blast now—
Realizing what was about to happen, Shidou broke into a run — straight toward Kurumi, who was still kneeling weakly on the ground.
"What the hell is that idiot doing now?"
Tianqi Sanluo's head throbbed. Every time Itsuka Shidou pulled a stunt like this, he managed to surprise her anew.
"Kurumi!"
"Shi—dō...?"
Shidou spread his arms wide and stood before her, shielding her with his body.
"?? Is this guy insane?! Not only are you protecting someone who's tried to kill you countless times — you're using your human body to block an all-out attack from a berserk Spirit?! That's pure suicide!"
Tianqi Sanluo groaned, rubbing her temple.
Meanwhile, Camael (Flaming Retribution Demon) had finished charging — and was ready to fire.