The moment Camael (Scorching Demon Slayer) let out its deafening roar—
"...Ugh!"
Kotori, who had been wearing a strange, twisted smile, suddenly seemed to regain her senses. Seeing Shidou standing before her with his arms spread wide, her eyes widened in shock.
"Brother—get out of the way—!"
As she shouted, Kotori forcefully lifted Camael (Scorching Demon Slayer) upward with her right hand.
But—it was already too late.
Camael's attack had already been primed; even Kotori's desperate attempt to adjust the cannon's trajectory only managed to lift it slightly. The blast would still engulf the unarmed Shidou and the incapacitated Kurumi, reducing them both to ashes.
"This guy…"
By the time Shidou had rushed forward to shield them, Tenqi Sanluo had already clicked her tongue softly and called out her angel's name—
"Polar Ice Burst."
An icy spear materialized in her hand. Camael's attack was now about to erupt like a volcano.
With such limited time, even Tenqi Sanluo wasn't confident she could teleport in and fully block the all-out strike of a complete Spirit.
She could clearly feel the tremendous piercing power condensed within this blast. Defense was not her forte, and any ice wall hastily conjured with spirit power might easily be shattered by the cannon's force.
In battles between Spirits, their Astral Dresses offered little defensive capability. Tenqi Sanluo had no intention of relying on her outfit to survive this blow—and even if she managed to block it, there would be little benefit to herself.
However—
Spirit energy surged through her body as she pushed her speed to the limit. Before Camael's blast could strike Shidou and Kurumi, Tenqi Sanluo appeared right in front of them. The air was burning hot as she inhaled sharply, raising her Polar Ice Burst high.
She didn't need to completely block it—just enough.
At the tip of the ice spear, spirit energy condensed violently. With a mighty swing downward, a vertical blade of ice formed along the trajectory of the spear. Concentrating immense spirit energy into a single line, the ice blade split Kotori's fiery cannon blast in two, creating a triangular safe zone behind it—shielding Shidou and Kurumi from direct harm.
If one had to describe it—it was like Moses parting the sea.
Of course, this was only a temporary measure. The preparation time had been far too short; the hastily formed spirit energy wouldn't last long.
So, Tenqi Sanluo swung Polar Ice Burst again, channeling more energy through it. The second slash stabilized the ice blade, extending its duration.
Not only that—she opened her left hand, chanting under her breath, and summoned another angel: Burning Immortal Flame.
The moment the crimson scythe appeared, the two halves of Kotori's split cannonfire reacted as if drawn by an unseen force. Like moths to a flame, the fire streams circled around in a large arc, converging toward Burning Immortal Flame.
Inside the overlapping zone of the ice-blade's safe area and the swirling ring of fire, Shidou and Kurumi were untouched—aside from feeling unbearably hot.
Kotori, sensing something was wrong, quickly stopped channeling her energy, preventing a complete disaster.
The cannonfire of Camael (Scorching Demon Slayer) lasted over ten seconds. When it ended, only the edges of the rooftop were scorched by fire—no one was injured.
Most of the flames were even absorbed and reclaimed by Tenqi Sanluo's angel. Everything seemed perfectly handled.
But—when Shidou saw the crimson light before him, he didn't look relieved at all. Instead, his eyes went blank as he fell into a long-buried memory.
---
Burning. Everything was burning.
Every home was aflame. The entire town was burning.
"Kotori! Kotori..."
The roar of the flames filled the air, but Shidou ignored it, searching desperately for his sister.
He walked down streets that looked like the entrance to hell, calling her name.
"Kotori—!"
Amid the flickering fire and scattered embers, Shidou saw a girl crying.
She was dressed strangely, wearing a long-sleeved kimono with wide hems that suited her small frame. From her head sprouted a pair of horns tied with white ribbons. Flames danced all around her.
But Shidou immediately recognized her—it was his beloved little sister.
"Kotori!"
He dropped his schoolbag and ran toward her.
"Uu... Brother..."
Kotori wiped at her tear-streaked face as she called out to him.
But—just as Shidou was about to reach her, the flames surrounding her suddenly surged violently.
Seeing this, Kotori's eyes filled with terror.
"Brother! Don't come near me—!"
Her tearful plea couldn't change fate. A wave of scorching heat exploded outward, blasting Shidou away.
"Brother—!"
---
"...Huh?"
Tenqi Sanluo, having withdrawn her angels, turned around to check on Shidou—only to find him sitting limply on the ground, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had left his body.
Seeing that, Tenqi Sanluo didn't hesitate—she slapped him hard across the face.
Smack—
"...Ah—!"
Even though she held back, the power of a Spirit sent Shidou flying two meters before he hit the ground.
"Ugh..."
"Brother!"
Kotori, now fully back to her senses, rushed over to check on him.
"He's not dead," Tenqi Sanluo said flatly. "Just seemed like his brain stopped working for a second. I helped him wake up."
She then grabbed Kurumi's still-functional right hand and pulled her up.
"You really don't know the meaning of mercy, do you, Miss Tenqi?" Kurumi said weakly.
"Cut the crap. You should be grateful you're still alive."
As she spoke, Tenqi Sanluo briefly examined Kurumi's injuries. Fortunately, nothing fatal—just temporarily incapacitating.
However, her angel seemed to have been damaged by the flame Spirit; the sections marked with Roman numerals I to VI had all vanished—a troublesome development.
"Ugh... Kotori..."
The slap had jolted Shidou back to reality. He shook his head, looking up at his sister in her Astral Dress.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... It's just... I remembered something, but my head hurts..."
He clutched his head in pain, grimacing as the headache intensified.
"All right then," Tenqi Sanluo said curtly. "Saving Shidou this time—let's call it me giving you some face, Kotori Itsuka."
"Huh? Me?"
Kotori turned, frowning in confusion. She didn't understand why Tenqi Sanluo said she was giving her face—they had never even met before.
"Shidou," Tenqi Sanluo continued, "take care of your sister."
With that, she took a deep breath, casting aside the troubles of her past life, and prepared to leave with Kurumi.
"Ah la~ Miss Tenqi, please wait."
Kurumi's expression turned complicated. Struggling slightly, she freed herself from Tenqi Sanluo's grip and walked, step by step, toward the still-dazed Shidou.
"What are you doing?" Tenqi Sanluo asked.
"Kurumi, what are you planning?" Kotori demanded, wary.
If Kurumi intended to fight again, Kotori was more than ready to oblige.
"Miss Kotori... I'm not going to devour Mr. Shidou," Kurumi said softly. "I just want to give him a small gift—as thanks for trying to protect me."
Under Kotori's vigilant gaze, Kurumi approached Shidou.
Though Kotori didn't know what Kurumi intended, she couldn't bring herself to harm an already powerless Spirit. After all, Ratatoskr's doctrine was to resolve things peacefully whenever possible.
"Kurumi, you're..."
"Mr. Shidou, this is my little gift."
As she spoke, Kurumi leaned in close. Before Shidou could react, their lips met.
"Mmm—"
"Eh?"
"Ah?"
Shidou, Tenqi Sanluo, and Kotori all reacted nearly the same way—utterly dumbfounded.
Kotori even thought, for a moment, that Kurumi's "seal" might have succeeded.
"Thank you, Mr. Shidou," Kurumi said softly after parting from him.
There was no change in her Astral Dress—so the seal had not succeeded after all.
"Kurumi, you—"
"Well then, until we meet again."
Lifting her skirt slightly in a graceful curtsy, Kurumi smiled. Then, together with Tenqi Sanluo, she sank into the shadows beneath her feet and vanished.