[Learning about the AST's structure from Kurumi aligned mostly with the original work you knew. You simply asked if she knew a girl named Takamiya Mana.]
["Takamiya Mana? Never heard of her."]
[Shaking her head, Kurumi continued telling you about DEM.]
["Ryu, unlike AST, DEM is a very secretive company with a strict organizational structure."]
["I don't know much about them, only that they operate in high-level circles dealing with advanced technology. They also seem very interested in Spirits, and I've run into their people sometimes."]
[Finding that Kurumi didn't know much about DEM, you were finally confirmed of DEM's existence. Telling Kurumi not to worry, you explained about Westcott and the others.]
["Westcott? So the head of DEM is your disciple? Hehe, feels like I've found myself quite a remarkable man."]
[Pressing close to you, lightly licking her cherry lips, Kurumi declared she would extract all your secrets and absolutely wouldn't allow you to be so 'smug'.]
[After that, you essentially entered a honeymoon period with Kurumi. Although many clones expressed wanting to join in, the Original Kurumi banished them all.]
[This situation lasted for a month before Kurumi, admitting she couldn't handle it alone, finally compromised and started calling clones to join the battle against you.]
[Two, four, six... Thinking increased numbers would improve her chances, Kurumi was surprised to find herself losing faster and more decisively.]
[This life continued for a year. A year later, your supreme talent allowed your body to near maturity, easily capable of supplying Kurumi with the magical energy for time travel. After solemn preparations, Kurumi, having absorbed a vast amount of your energy, activated Zafkiel.]
["Ryu, ready? It's my first time using this much energy for time travel. I've only done short, localized jumps before; I'm not too confident~"]
[Before departing, she expressed her worries and concerns for you, suggesting she go alone.]
[Of course, you flatly refused her request, insisting you go together.]
["Ryu..."]
[Gazing at you with an affectionate look, Kurumi held you and activated Zafkiel.]
[However...]
["Failed?"]
[For some reason, Zafkiel failed to activate. After a surprised attempt, Kurumi tried again, but it still failed.]
["Ryu, what's... going on?"]
[Never having encountered this situation before, Kurumi could feel Zafkiel's power, but now it felt strangely sluggish, as if it were...]
["Probably sealed by Mio. Zafkiel's power."]
[Stating your guess, you believed Mio had sealed Kurumi's Zafkiel to prevent you two from returning to the past.]
[After all, in the past timeline, Mio didn't know you had returned yet. If you met, the consequences could be severe.]
[Suggesting that the Spirit of Origin sealing Zafkiel ironically proved Sawa's death wasn't simple, you comforted Kurumi and decided to search for the other Spirits together.]
["Other Spirits? Ryu, you know about them?"]
[Having never met other Spirits, Kurumi wondered if you knew their locations.]
["I roughly know a few. Let's find an old acquaintance first."]
[Sighing, you hadn't expected to seek out the girl you'd initially decided to leave alone. And that girl's name was Honjo Nia!]
"Wow, did you see the latest 'Silver Bullet' today?"
"I did, I did! It's truly a masterpiece by Honjo Soji-sensei, perfect in both plot and characters!"
"Yeah, it's hard to imagine a world without Honjo Soji-sensei."
In Akihabara, the most famous district in the Sakura capital, the latest issue of the manga, Silver Bullet, was selling like hotcakes.
A girl dressed in inconspicuous athletic wear, her gray hair covering most of her face and wearing large, ugly black-framed glasses, watched the scene with a smile.
"Mhm, as expected of my work, hehehe, simply excellent."
Honjo Nia, the first girl altered by the Spirit of Origin, was none other than the nun Ryuya had met before.
After becoming a Spirit, she stopped working as a nun and threw herself into her passion, now a world-famous manga artist.
Watching her work being recognized and enjoyed by others, a look of satisfaction spread across Nia's face.
"Mhm, so good. This is exactly what I wanted to achieve."
Her personality? Contrary to her innocent, holy appearance, Nia was actually quite lewd and often did things that were both laughable and exasperating.
Her clever, quick-witted mind was often not used for proper purposes.
Happily watching the crowds in Akihabara, the girl suddenly sighed.
"Hmm... Ryuya-nii, where are you?"
Rasiel was Nia's Angel. Aside from future events, she could find the answer to anything in the present or past.
However, this seemingly all-powerful Rasiel had one flaw: it couldn't detect the existence of the Spirit of Origin... or Ryuya's identity.
She clearly remembered the Big Brother from her childhood, their time playing together, and their promise.
After obtaining Rasiel, Nia had constantly searched for information about Ryuya, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find the man from back then.
Admitting defeat, she hadn't searched for Ryuya's information much in the last couple of years.
"Oh well, 'Gain is my fortune, loss is my fate'. Ryuya-nii said that. I won't rush, I'll just wait for him slowly."
Cheering herself up silently, just as Nia was about to buy a copy of her own work to take home, she noticed a commotion in the crowd. It was...