The time was 6PM.

The evening sun's rays spread over the group of buildings in front of Tenguu Station, dying them orange.

From a small park that could overlook this brilliant scenery, two people, a boy and a girl, walked.

There was nothing particular about the boy. He was a normal high school student.

However, the girl—

"...Fuuu"

Kusakabe Ryouko licked her lips while squinting.

"There's a 98.5% match. That's really too high for this to be a coincidence."

Spirits.

Disasters that destroy this world.

The girls who turned the land into scorched earth 30 years ago and caused a huge fire 5 years ago, and were in the same category as the worst calamities.

However, the figure that was reflected on Ryouko's retina right now was just that of a cute girl.

"Permission to fire?"

Quietly—or on the other hand, an extremely cold voice, was cast towards Ryouko's back.

She didn't turn around. It was Origami.

Equipped with the same wiring suit and thruster units as Ryouko, her right hand held the anti-Spirit rifle that was longer than her height, <Cry●Cry●Cry>.

"...Not yet. Remain on standby. The higher-ups are probably still in discussion."

"I see."

Not seeming relieved, nor seeming disappointed, Origami nodded.

Right now standing by in a one kilometer perimeter of the park, Ryouko and the other AST members number ten total, split up into five pairs.

The fact that there were two people was one of the reasons for moving in pairs.

Even further from the urban areas than the park was a flat area that was under development. During the day there were lines of trucks and cranes and such, but at this hour it has already quieted down.

A few hours ago, when it was decided that the girl Origami discovered was a Spirit, permission to operate CR-units was immediately given.

However, people like the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Staff were still in a meeting about the plan of action.

The main question was whether to attack, or not.

Since it was an appearance where a spacequake was not detected, the spacequake alarm did not sound.

This meant that not a single resident had evacuated, so if the Spirit went berserk now, there would be grave damages.

On the other hand, it would be bad to provoke the Spirit by sounding the alarm now. It was a serious situation.

However—

"This is a good opportunity."

Origami, in her usual flat voice, said.

It was as Origami said, this was a chance.

Because right now, the Spirit does not have her raiment[1F 2]?manifested on her body.

The outer shell that, like Ryouko's territory, enclosed and made the Spirit the strongest, ultimate, invincible life-form, was currently not wrapped around her.

If it's now, there was a chance that their attacks could reach her.

But that was no more than just a possibility, and right now what was needed was a certain way to deal a fatal blow with a single hit. That was the reason why Origami was holding the special anti-Spirit rifle.

The user lets out a scream, the trajectory lets out a screech, and the target lets out their death throes.

Thus, <Cry Cry CryC C C>.

Without an expanded territory, the recoil would break the shooter's wrist, it was a crazy gun.

However, Ryouko did not imagine that there would be an incident that would require that gun.

"...The noncommittal higher-ups might just give permission to attack in this situation."

"It would be troublesome if they don't."

Ryouko said, and Origami replied immediately.

"...Well, that's the case if you're at the scene. But, the significance of 'the Spirit went on a rampage after permission to attack was given but could not be dealt with in one hit' versus 'the Spirit randomly went on a rampage but we had no idea it had appeared~' is quite different when it comes to a problem of responsibility."

"It's bothersome but that's how they make decisions."

"Well, there's a lot of people who care more about their position than the lives of a bunch of other people."

Saying this, she shrugged.

Origami's expression changed not in the least, but for some reason it felt like she was disappointed.

Then—at that time, a voice mixed with noise reached Ryouko's ear.

"Yes yes, this is point alpha, what's the final dec— eh?"

Ryouko went wide-eyed at the information that passed through her ear-piece.

"—Roger."

Saying only that, she closed the connection.

"...I'm surprised. They gave permission to fire."

Honestly, that was a bit unexpected. She had completely expected it to be another command, to standby.

Wait—yesterday, the command to attack the school was also an aggressive move that would not have normally been given. There was probably some reshuffling in the people above.

Oh well, Ryouko just has to do her own work. Specifically, right now it was—to tell the member with the highest chance of success to pull the trigger.

"—Origami, you shoot. Amongst the personnel right now, you are the most suitable. Failure will not be tolerated. Definitely finish it with one shot."

Towards those words.

"Roger."

As expected, Origami answered without any emotion.

In the park dyed by the setting sun, Shidou and Tohka were the only two that could be seen.

From time to time the sound of cars or the cries of crows could be heard from a distance, but it was a peaceful place.

"Ohh, this view is amazing!"

Since a while ago, Tohka had been leaning over the railings and gazing at the dusk colored streets of Tenguu City.

Following the route the <Fraxinus>'s crew skillfully (?) guided them through, they arrived at this park with a great overlook of the city, just as the sun was starting to sink.

It wasn't the first time that Shidou came here. It was rather the kind of a secret place that he liked.

The one who chose this place as the destination was well... probably Kotori.

"shidou! How does that transform!?"

Tohka pointed to a faraway train and asked with her eyes glittering.

"Unfortunately a train doesn't transform."

"Ah, so it's a combining type?"

"Well, it does connect together."

"Ohhhh"

Tohka gave a strangely satisfied nod, then spun around to face Shidou, putting her weight on the railings.

Tohka, with the sunset lingering in the background, was indescribably beautiful, as if a painting.

"—Really"

As if changing the topic, Tohka "Nnnnn", stretched.

Then, suddenly, her face stretched into a carefree smile.

"It's a great thing, this date thing. I really, uhm, had a lot of fun."

"......"

That was an unexpected strike. Though he couldn't see it, his cheeks were probably bright red.

"What's wrong, your face is red, shidou."

"...It's the sunset."

Saying this, he looked down.

"Really?"

Tohka leaned towards Shidou, and as if looking upwards, peered at him.

"——"

"As I thought, its red isn't it. Is it some kind of disease?"

At a distance where he could feel her breath, Tohka said.

"N... th-that's, not..."

While averting his eyes—inside Shidou's head, the word, date, swirled around.

From manga and movies he had the knowledge.

If a couple visits such a wonderful place at the end of their date, then probably—

Naturally, Shidou's eyes moved towards Tohka's soft lips.

"Nu?"

"—!"

Tohka hadn't said anything, but he felt like she had seen through his foul thoughts, and he again averted his eyes and moved back.

While wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, Shidou quickly glanced at Tohka's face.

Ten days ago, and then yesterday, the melancholic expression on her face had faded quite a bit. Exhaling a small breath from his nose, he pulled forward one step to face Tohka again.

"—See? Was there anybody who tried to kill you?"

"...Nn, everyone was kind. Honestly, even now I can't quite believe it."

"Ah...?"

Shidou twisted his neck, and Tohka gave a wry smile with an air of self-scorn.

"That there's that many humans who don't reject me. Who don't deny my existence. —That mecha-mecha group... uhh, what were they called. A...?"

"You mean AST?"

"Yeah, them. It seems more realistic if everyone on the streets were their underlings, and they were all working together to deceive me."

"Hey hey..."

That was undoubtedly an absurd thought but... Shidou couldn't laugh at that.

Because to Tohka, that was normal.

Continuing to be rejected, was normal.

It was so—sad.

"...So then, I would also be a pawn of the AST?"

Shidou asked, and Tohka vigorously shook her head.

"No, Shidou is uhm... definitely someone whose relatives were taken hostage and threatened."

"Wh-What's with that role..."

"...Please don't let me think that you're an enemy."

"Eh?"

"Nothing."

Asking, this time it was Tohka who turned away.

As if forcibly changing her expression, she scrubbed her face with her hands, and then turned back.

"—But really, today was an extremely, extremely meaningful day. That the world was this kind, this fun, this beautiful... I couldn't even imagine it before."

"I, see—"

Shidou's lips cracked into a smile has he exhaled.

However, as if replying to Shidou's expression, Tohka furrowed her brows as a dry smile surfaced.

"Those guys—The AST's thoughts, I think I kinda understand now."

"Eh...?"

Shidou narrowed his brows in a questioning manner, as Tohka put on a slightly sad expression.

It was a bit different from the melancholic expression that Shidou hated—but it was an expression imbued with a slightly grim feeling, that just by looking at it seems to wring one's heart.

"Everytime... I come to this world, I'm destroying part of something this wonderful."

"——"

Shidou's breathing clogged up.

"B-But, that has nothing to do with your own will right...!?"

"...Nn. Appearing, the effects of that, I can't control."

"Then—"

"But to the residents of this world, the resulting destruction does not change. The reason that the AST tries to kill me, I finally... understand."

Shidou couldn't immediately reply.

Tohka's saddened look caused his chest to tighten so much that he couldn't properly breathe.

"shidou. It's better if—I didn't exist, after all."

Saying this—Tohka smiled.

It wasn't the innocent smile that he caught a glance of today at noon.

It was like a sick patient realizing that their end was near—a weak, painful smile.

With a gulp, he swallowed his saliva.

Unknowningly his throat had become parched. While feeling a light pain as the water permeated his throat, he somehow managed to open his mouth.

"It's not... like that..."

In order to put more power into his voice, Shidou tightly clenched his fists.

"I mean... there weren't any spacequakes today right! There's gotta be something that was different than usual...! If we can find what that is...!"

However, Tohka slowly shook her head.

"Even if we established such a way, that doesn't change the fact that the timing for when I am transported here is random. The number of appearances probably won't decrease."

"Then...! It's fine if you just don't return to that side anymore!"

Shidou yelled, and Tohka raised her head, eyes wide open.

It was as if she hadn't even thought of, or considered that idea.

"Something like that—it's not..."

"Have you tried it!? Even once!?"

"..."

Tohka pursed her lips and lapsed into silence.

While pressing on his chest, as if trying to suppress the irregular palpitation, Shidou once again drenched his throat with saliva.

It was something he said in the spur of the moment but—if something like that was possible, then a spacequake shouldn't happen again.

According to Kotori's explanation, the energy waves from when the Spirit is transported from the other dimension to this world causes the spacequake.

Thus, if Tohka was to be randomly pulled to this world without respect to her will, then she might as well just stay here from the very beginning.

"B-But, you know, there's a lot that I don't know."

"Something like that, I'll teach you all of it!"

To Tohka's words, an immediate reply.

"I'd need a bed, and things to eat."

"I'll... do something about that!"

"Unexpected things might happen."

"If it happens then I'll think about it!"

For a short while, Tohka sunk into silence, then she opened her lips a crack.

"...Is it really okay, for me to live?"

"Yeah!"

"It's ok for me to be in this world?"

"Yep!"

"...The only one who would say that is shidou, only you. Nevermind the AST, even the other humans, they would definitely not accept such a dangerous being in their living space."

"As if I would know about that...!! What about the AST!? What about other people!? Tohka! If they reject you! Then more than all of them combined!?I will accept you!"

He yelled.

Facing Tohka, Shidou firmly held out his hand.

Tohka's shoulders trembled slightly.

"Shake! For now—just this is fine...!"

Tohka looked down, and for a few moments sunk into silence, as if thinking, then slowly raised her face, and slowly extended her hand.

"shidou—"

Then.

The moment their hands touched.

"——"

Shidou's fingertip suddenly twitched.

He doesn't know why but—he felt an extraordinary chill.

As if a rough tongue was licking his body all over, an unpleasant feeling.

"Tohka!"

Involuntarily, from his throat he yelled that name.

And before Tohka could answer.

"..."

With both hands, he pushed Tohka as hard as he could.

The slender Tohka couldn't stand the sudden impact, as she rolled backwards like in a manga.

Not even an instant later.

"———Ah"

Somewhere between his chest and stomach, Shidou felt a tremendous impact.

"Wh—What are you doing!"

Covered with sand, Tohka complained, but it was difficult to respond to that.

He couldn't breathe.

It was hard to maintain even his consciousness and stance.

Anyways, something, feels, bad.

"shidou?"

Tohka said, stunned.

Searching for the reason, he moved his shaking right hand to his side.

Something's weird.

After all, there was nothing, th———

"Ah—"

Through her eyesight strengthened by her territory, Origami heard this sound leak from her throat as she watched Shidou's crumbling figure.

For a few moments her body stiffened, as she lay prone on the flat ground that was prepared for the construction of new apartment buildings, holding the anti-Spirit rifle <Cry Cry CryC C C> ready.

A few seconds earlier.

Origami started the Realizer on <Cry Cry CryC C C>, applied an offensive barrier on the special bullet that was loaded, locked on perfectly and pulled the trigger.

There was no possibility of missing.

—If Shidou hadn't suddenly sent the Spirit flying.

The bullet Origami fired—in place of the Spirit, cut cleanly through Shidou's body.

"——"

This time, no sound came out.

She could tell that her finger, the one that pulled the trigger, was quivering minutely.

After all, just then, I just, Shidou—

"—Origami!"

"——"

Ryouko's voice brought her back to her senses.

"You can regret later! I'll scold you to death later! But for now—"

Saying this, Ryouko glanced at the park in fear.

"Just think about not dying...!"

"shidou...?"

She called his name, but there was no reply.

That was to be expected. In Shidou's chest, there was a large hole bigger than even Tohka's spread hand.

Her head was confused, she didn't understand.

"Shi—, dou"

Tohka squatted down beside Shidou's head and poked his cheeks.

There was no response.

The hand that was extended towards Tohka just moments ago was completely drenched in blood.

"U, wa, aaa, aaaa—"

A few seconds later, her brain started to understand the situation.

...She recognized this burnt smell that enveloped them.

It was that of the group that always tries to kill Tohka—the AST.

It was a very sharp strike. Probably—that girl.

If she was to be hit in her current state without her raiment, even Tohka wouldn't come out unharmed.

Much less if it was the completely defenseless Shidou.

"——"

Tohka felt a tremendous dizziness, as she placed her hand over Shidou's eyes, which were still gazing at the sky, and slowly shut his eyelids.

Then, she took off the jacket of the uniform she was wearing, and gently covered Shidou's corpse.

Unsteadily, Tohka stood up, and turned her face towards the sky.

—Ahh, Ahhh.

It was impossible. It was impossible after all.

For a moment—Tohka had thought that it might've been okay to live in this world.

If Shidou was there, then maybe things would've worked out, so she thought.

It would probably be hard and cumbersome, but they might've been able to do it, so she thought.

However.

Ahh, however,

It was,?impossible, after all.

This world—it chose to reject Tohka after all.

And it was through the lowest, the worst means thinkable—!

"—<Heavenly Raiment●TenthAdonai Melek>???..."

From the depth of her throat, that name was squeezed out. Raiment. The absolutely strongest, Tohka's?territory.

Instantly, the world, sang.

The surrounding scenery squashed and distorted, wrapped around Tohka's body, and took the form of a solemn raiment.

And then a brilliantly shining membrane became the skirt and insides of the raiment—the calamity has descended.

*Creak, creak*

The sky creaked.

As if expressing displeasure at Tohka, who suddenly caused her raiment to manifest.

Tohka moved her gaze slightly downwards.

On a hill that was flat like a mountain top that had been sliced off, the people who just attacked Shidou were there.

The people for whom?it would not be enough to just kill them, were there.

Tohka thrust her heel into the ground.

Instantly, the throne that stored the giant sword appeared from there.

With a boom, Tohka kicked off the ground, landing on the armrest of the throne, and drew the sword from its back.

Then.

"Aaaaa"

Her throat trembled.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

As if the sky shook.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA———!!"

As if the ground roared.

It felt like she was numbing her brain, as if trying to wear herself down.

"How dare you."

Her eyes, dampened.

"How dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you how dare you"

Tohka put power into the hand holding the sword, and?killed the distance?in front of her eyes.

"Wh—!?"

"——"

Without giving time to even blink, Tohka had moved to the hill that she had been watching just then.

In front of her was a woman with her eyes open in shock, and a girl with a meaningless expression.

At the same time as seeing this hated, despised face, Tohka howled.

"<Sandalphon> —?[The Last SwordHalvanhelev]!!"

Immediately, cracks ran through the throne that Tohka was stepping on, as it crumbled into pieces.

Then, the various pieces of the throne attached onto the sword that Tohka was holding, further increasing the size of its silhouette.

With a length exceeding several meters, an excessively oversized sword.

However, Tohka lightly gave it a shake, then swung down towards the two females.

The light gleaming off the blade grew even more intense, and in an instant creeped onto the ground below along the line extending from the sword.

In the next moment, a tremendous explosion assaulted the surrounding area.

"Wh...!"

"—Gu"

Jumping to the left and right just in time, the two of them let out voices filled with fear.

But that's to be expected. After all, with just that one strike, Tohka split the large flat area into two halves along its length.

"You..., monster—!"

The tall girl screamed, swinging something like an unrefined sword at Tohka.

But there was no way that such a thing could reach Tohka, with her raiment on. Just by directing her gaze towards it, she dispersed the attack.

"Impossible—"

The girl's face was painted with despair.

But showing no interest in her, Tohka looked towards the other girl.

"—Ah, ah. It's you, it's you."

Quietly, her lips opened.

"The friend of mine, the best friend of mine, shidou, the one who killed him, was you."

Tohka said this, and just slightly, for the first time, the girl's expression distorted.

However, such a thing doesn't matter at all.

An existance that could stop Tohka with?[The Last SwordHalvanhelev]?materialized, doesn't exist in this world.

Looking down at the girl with eyes that were stained with pure darkness, she?calmly went crazy.

"—Kill?destroy??kill???erase?kill??everything. Die?begonedie?perish??die??."

"Commander...!"

"I know. Stop making a ruckus. You're not a monkey in mating season."

While rolling a candy around in her mouth, Kotori replied to her panicking subordinate.

<Fraxinus>'s bridge. On the central monitor the fallen Shidou with his body completely shaved away, as well as the visuals of the Spirit, Tohka's battle, was displayed.

She could understand the unrest in the crew.

The situation was overwhelmingly, absolutely, devastatingly, hopeless.

The spacequake siren had finally began to sound, but before the residents were completely evacuated, the battle between Tohka and the AST had started.

The only saving point was that it was in an unoccupied construction site—but a single strike from Tohka easily crushed that optimism.

A transcendental destructive power that made the Tohka up to now look cute in comparison.

Just a single strike split the expansive construction area in two, in the middle a deep abyss.

Also—the sudden death of Itsuka Shidou, who was supposed to be <Fraxinus>'s final weapon.

Kotori's group has been put into the worst imaginable situation.

Yet,

"Well, he lacked a bit in elegance, but I guess our knight gets a passing mark. I wouldn't be able to stand to watch if the princess had been hit back then."

In a not very serious tone Kotori said, and the candy's stick moved.

The crew members cast a fearful gaze towards that Kotori.

But there was no blaming them. Right now she had just lost her brother.

However within them, only Reine and Kannazuki showed different reactions.

Reine was monitoring Tohka's battle, collecting data, like everything was normal.

However, Kannazuki was in a different state. His face was tinged red, and drool was leaking from his mouth.

Looking, he had a face like he was thinking something like "Ahh... opening such a huge hole on my body... twitch twitch. Wouldn't it be amazing. I'm sure, I'm sure it'd be amazing. B-but if I die then there's no point."

"Jeez."

"Hauu!?"

Kotori launched a kick at Kannazuki's shin, then stood up.

Then, she "hmpfed" with her nose, and with half-closed eyes announced.

"Stop dawdling around and return to your own work. There's no way that this is the end of Shidou right?"

That was right.

From now on was Shidou's real work.

"C—Commander! This is...!"

One of the crew from the lower bridge was looking at the left side of the screen—at something in the park that was being shown, and let out a voice filled with surprise.

"—It's here."

Changing the position of the candy, her mouth twisted into a smile.

In the picture, lying in the park, covered with a school uniform, Shidou was being shown but—that school uniform, suddenly started to burn.

It wasn't that it was disappearing because it was created by a Spirit, nor was it because the sun's rays started a fire.

That's because, what was burning was not the uniform.

The uniform burned and fell, revealing the beautifully hallowed body of Shidou.

And then, the crew members of <Fraxinus> once again let out sounds of surprise.

"T-The wound is—"

That's right, the wound. The section that had turned into a gaping hole, was burning.

The embers flared up until Shidou's wound couldn't be seen anymore—then gradually died down.

And then after the flames finished licking, there existed Shidou's perfectly restored body.

And then—

"Nn.........hoooooooooottttttttttttttt!?"

Seeing the fire that was still smoldering on his stomach, he jumped up.

Patting his stomach with a flustered look, he extinguished the fire.

"—H-Huh? I'm... why?"

The bridge erupted.

"Wh... C-Commander, what is—"

"Didn't I say so? If Shidou dies once or twice, he can immediately start a new game."

While licking her lips, Kotori replied to her crew.

The crew simultaneously cast questioning gazes, but she ignored them.

"Immediately recover him. —The only one who can stop the girl is Shidou."

—He doesn't understand.

While repeatedly patting his stomach, Shidou wrinkled his brows.

There was a big hole in the blazer and shirt he was wearing, and his necktie was torn off halfway.

But right now Shidou paid no heed towards his embarrassing appearance.

There was something else that he had to direct his attention towards.

"Why—am I alive...?"

Once again touching his stomach, he murmured.

Back then, he felt a bad premonition, and suddenly pushed Tohka.

In the next moment, a hole opened in his stomach—and he fainted.

There actually is a hole in his clothes, and the stains from a great amount of blood still remained. It didn't seem like a dream.

"Oh right—Tohka...!"

That attack had been without doubt targeting Tohka.

Exactly how is Tohka doing. He looked around the area, searching for that figure.

Then, from a hill even higher than the park Shidou was in, a black light shot out—following it, the sound of a tremendous explosion and a shockwave spread out.

"Uwahh...!?"

Caught by surprise, he tumbled onto the ground, fanned by the wind.

"Wh-What, the...!"

While letting out a shout, he looked towards that place—Shidou's body stiffened.

The view he saw, compared to before he lost consciousness, had become something completely different.

In that direction had been the construction area, as well as the mountains and such that haven't been touched since the landscape changed 30 years ago—

Those things had been absurdly destroyed, as if they were hit with an air strike.

No—it was slightly different. If anything, it was like a huge sword had cut through them countless times, leaving behind a number of sharp edges.

"What..."

As he was muttering, dumbfounded,

"Nuahhh...!"

Shidou felt his body becoming weightless.

This was not the first time he felt this feeling. It was <Fraxinus>'s transfer system.

By the time Shidou had comprehended that, his view had already changed from the park on the hill to the inside of the <Fraxinus>.

"This way!"

The <Fraxinus> crew member waiting said to him in a loud voice.

"H-Haa..."

Still slightly confused, Shidou was led into the bridge.

And when he arrived at the bridge,

"—How did waking up feel, Shidou?"

In the captain's seat on the upper level of the bridge, a Chupa-Chups' stick moving around, Kotori spoke.

"...Kotori."

Shidou lightly knocked his ringing ear, and frowned.

"...I can't quite grasp the situation. What exactly happened?"

"Nn, Shidou was attacked by the AST, so the princess snapped and went to kill the AST."

Saying this, she gestured for him to look diagonally upwards—at the big screen in the bridge.

"Wh..."

There was Tohka, swinging a gigantic sword and cutting up mountains, as well as the figures of the AST fight-->>

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