"…"
As Kurumi felt her body falling, she could only tighten her grip around the kitten and shut her eyes.
But the expected impact with the ground never came. Instead, she felt a pair of arms catching her.
"Are you okay?"
A gentle voice sounded by her ear, and she couldn't help opening her eyes—only to meet a pair of deep, starry eyes.
It was the man they'd run into the last two days.
"Kurumi-san!" Yamada Sawa rushed over, her face full of relief.
"Thank goodness you're alright."
"Did you… did you save me?" Kurumi finally processed what happened and asked in a daze.
"Who else would it be?" Shichen smiled back, setting her carefully on her feet.
She really was light and soft—the very picture of a sheltered young lady. Hard to believe she'd climbed that tree.
"Thank you…" Standing on solid ground, Kurumi still felt like it was all unreal.
"Onee-san…"
The little girl from before walked over, voice still tinged with tears.
"Here's your kitten." Kurumi smiled when she saw the girl. She crouched down and gently handed the kitten back.
"Thank you, Onee-san!" The girl's face lit up with a bright smile.
"No need to thank me," Kurumi replied with a soft smile.
"And thank you too, Onii-san!" The girl turned and bowed to Shichen as well.
"You're welcome."
After thanking them, the girl walked off with her cat, leaving the three of them standing there.
"Kurumi, you scared me half to death just now. Why did you suddenly climb that tree like that!" Sawa dropped the honorifics in her fluster, her tone half-concerned, half-scolding.
"I'm sorry… It's just… when I saw that kitten up there, I wanted to save it…" Kurumi lowered her head, apologetic.
"Even so, you can't just ignore your own safety like that! If this handsome guy hadn't saved you…" Sawa turned to Shichen. "Um, thank you so much for helping Kurumi."
"It was nothing. Just lending a hand," Shichen said with a wave.
"No, we really have to thank you. She definitely would've been hurt if not for you," Sawa insisted earnestly.
"Um, please let us properly thank you," Kurumi echoed. She knew perfectly well that without Shichen, she might not be going to school tomorrow.
"Really, it's fine. It was nothing." Shichen smiled. "Besides, I've got somewhere to be—I should get going."
"Eh? Already…? Then at least tell us your name," Sawa said quickly.
"That's fair. I'm Shichen."
"Shichen-san, then? We'll remember it," Sawa replied.
"Mm. Then—let's meet again if fate allows."
"Ah… okay."
Shichen gave them a small smile and turned to leave, but as he walked past Kurumi, his voice sounded in her ear once more.
"Next time you're in danger, remember—you can call for me."
"!"
Kurumi's head snapped toward him.
So she hadn't misheard yesterday—it really was him.
And now that she thought carefully about it, what just happened was weird too. Wasn't he walking in the opposite direction from them? So how did he suddenly show up under the tree just in time to catch her?
Her thoughts spun, trying to piece it together, but Shichen had already walked far away. Whatever she wanted to ask, there was no chance now.
"Kurumi, stop staring. He's already gone," Sawa teased, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"I wasn't staring…"
"Hehe~ don't deny it. You were practically burning holes in his back. Don't tell me you've fallen for him just because he saved you?"
"I haven't…" Kurumi shook her head.
"Really?" Sawa clearly didn't believe her.
"Really. It's not that easy to fall in love," Kurumi said calmly.
"If you say so… Still, you really do love cats. You scared me so much—just climbing right up there. What if something had gone wrong?"
"…I'm sorry…"
…
After that day, Shichen didn't show up in front of the two girls again.
She'd seen enough.
This era wasn't exactly peaceful, and he had his own sense of justice to act on.
Doing a few good deeds every now and then didn't feel so bad.
Just like that, three days later, the thing that was destined to happen finally did.
Tokisaki Kurumi obtained the power of a spirit—and began fighting "spirits."
The First Spirit had told her that "spirits" would harm humanity, that they had to be eliminated to protect people.
Kurumi believed her—because that person had saved her, and because this gave her a chance to save the world.
The next time Shichen saw Kurumi, she was already locked in battle with a strange being—a thing that could only be described as fire given form.
Its shape was bizarre, like human-shaped flames, but without any beauty—only something eerie and unsettling.
Every small movement shed sparks that scattered and turned into flames, burning buildings and streets around it.
It was like a spirit of fire.
Kurumi looked completely different now as well. She held two old-fashioned pistols, wore a black-and-red Gothic dress, her long black hair tied into two braided tails falling over her shoulders. And in her left eye, her pupil had become a golden clock-face.
It wasn't a contact lens. It was a real eye—with hour, minute, and second hands, ticking away with a soft click, click.
Kurumi had already gotten used to her power. She jumped lightly among the buildings with superhuman agility.
The fire spirit also noticed her and began drifting towards her, reaching out a hand.
Kurumi thought it was about to attack. She didn't hesitate—she raised her guns, aimed, and pulled the triggers.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots rang out, bullets flying straight toward the fire spirit.
Kurumi watched, expressionless, thinking this will end it. But what happened next wasn't what she'd imagined.
The bullets seemed to hit something invisible, unable to advance even a centimeter.
"What?" Kurumi stared in disbelief.
Spirits could do that?
She adjusted her aim, ready to fire again—
"San-san, hold it."
A somewhat familiar voice sounded in her ear.
An equally familiar silhouette stepped between her and the flame spirit.
"Shichen-san?!" Kurumi stared at the man in front of her, stunned.
"It's me. So—you've become a spirit," Shichen said calmly, looking at her.
"Become a spirit…? You mean me? What are you talking about?" Kurumi frowned.
"You're a spirit now. You're wearing a spirit dress, and holding an Angel."
"That's impossible. I can't be a spirit… Isn't that thing behind you the world-ending spirit?" Kurumi demanded, glancing at the fiery monster.
"She is a spirit… but that's a failed form. You are the successful one."
"Eh?" Kurumi's eyes widened.
"What are you saying…?"
"Don't rush. Let me turn Sawa back to normal first, and then we'll talk," Shichen said, turning his back to her and facing the fire spirit.
"Sawa… Sawa?!" Kurumi's breath caught as she stared at the flaming figure.
She understood Shichen's words perfectly—the fire spirit in front of her was her friend. Sawa.
That was… impossible.
She didn't want to believe it; it was too absurd. Part of her insisted Shichen was lying. But if this was her friend…?
She could only stand there, stunned, watching.
The fire spirit made no move to attack Shichen. It stood obediently in front of him, almost as if it had a will—and chose to be docile.
"Don't be afraid. I'll get you back to normal right away," Shichen said gently.
He raised his hand and unleashed his purification ability.
Holy light enveloped the fire spirit, and she let out a pained, inhuman scream, clutching her head.
Shichen focused on the spirit's power, feeling it carefully. It really was Kotori's power—and on top of that, a power of the opposite nature.
The power of reversal.
And that reversal was tied to him—born from his Familiar, Giratina's reversed force.
Just as he thought. Which meant he really could help Yamada Sawa.
"Rrraaaah—!"
The fire spirit howled, but its shape was changing. The flames that wrapped its body receded bit by bit, its figure becoming more human. The screeching gradually turned into something recognizable—a human voice.
At last, the real person inside was exposed. The monstrous shell vanished, and what appeared was Kurumi's friend—
Yamada Sawa.
"Sawa-san!" Kurumi cried out the moment she saw her, rushing over.
"Kurumi…" Sawa tilted her head slightly, giving a weak smile and answering in a faint voice.
"How… how could this be…!" Kurumi could barely process what she was seeing.
Her best friend had become one of those so-called spirits that were supposed to threaten the world.
Which meant spirits were originally human.
Then all the spirits she'd killed before…
"Calm down!"
Seeing her about to break, Shichen barked at her sharply.
"Shichen-san…" Kurumi's eyes went unfocused. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Don't freak out. Don't panic. It's okay. Sawa is still here. And I'm here too," he said softly.
"Shichen-san…"
His words steadied her. Her breathing evened out, her emotions reined back in.
It was true—Sawa was still alive. She hadn't killed her friend.
"Take a breath. I'll heal Sawa first, then we can talk."
"Got it," Kurumi said, eyes firm as she nodded.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!