"I made time leap forward ten seconds. Within those ten seconds, the only one who can move is me."
Inside the Time Erasure, Inori Yuzuriha strolled unhurriedly past the two frozen Void bolts, then crossed to stand directly behind Yuu — in the blind spot he could not respond to — greatsword still in hand.
"Whatever attack you make, it means nothing against me."
"Every movement you were about to make has already been read. No one in the world will retain any memory of what happens within this interval. King Crimson will nullify every assault you bring — that is why I, who wield King Crimson, stand above all of you."
She delivered the explanation with unhurried ease, then without hesitation drove the sword into Yuu's back — and in the same instant she struck, she released Time Erasure.
—Tear!
"…Ngh!"
The thick-browed boy let out a muffled grunt. His pupils trembled with shock and pain, unable to stop trembling.
Yuu had been expecting Inori to dodge his two-shot volley — instead, when his senses returned, she had vanished from where she'd stood, in that same eerie way as before, and searing pain ripped through his abdomen. He looked down just in time to see the silver Void blade protruding from his body.
"No blood? I suppose that's what it means to be a god's herald."
King Crimson took the greatsword from Inori's hand. With its own immense strength, it hoisted Yuu high into the air — then wrenched the sword sideways — and the boy went sailing like discarded refuse, slammed into the wall, rebounded, and rolled several times across the floor before going still.
"Inori… what exactly… did you do?"
Gai had watched every second of it from the side. He couldn't explain the bizarre sequence of events, or the reason Inori could "teleport" without any warning.
But his mind was moving fast. Gai Tsutsugami was without question one of the most brilliant minds in the original story — the man who, upon realizing that Mana could never be free as long as the Apocalypse Virus existed, had resolutely resolved to sacrifice himself, become the villain, trigger a second Apocalypse, and arrange for Shu Ouma to strike him down and sever the chain of fate entirely.
Now, without any particular prompt, Gai found himself thinking back over every bizarre anomaly that had occurred — those strange "temporal jumps." Enemies falling before anyone had moved against them. One moment still meters from the door, the next already inside the room.
Could it be… that those phenomena had all been caused by Inori? Her movement just now was indistinguishable from a temporal jump — but why was she the only one who could act within those "carved-out" stretches of time?
"Time — it's time, I understand now! Your Void ability… it's time manipulation!"
He had no evidence. But it was the only explanation that fit perfectly.
Inori's awakening, her "rescue" from the research facility by "Diavolo" — that had been nearly two years ago. Thinking back carefully, those temporal anomalies had first started appearing around that time. God, what a terrifying power — she could manipulate the "time" of the entire world. Nothing else could compare to this. No other Void came close. This was the ultimate power of the Void — the true King's Power.
"This is the difference between you and me."
Inori was slightly impressed despite herself. Typical Gai — he had seen through her Stand's ability with alarming ease.
"King Crimson is invincible. But what good does knowing that do you? Because you're about to die."
She laughed with a reckless, wild energy, and the crimson of her eyes blazed with terrifying light.
"What did you do to Mana?"
"Take a guess — what do you think I'll turn her into, Triton~? What a sweet name, truly. What a pity — you and she will never have the chance to meet again."
Inori tilted her head, idly pinching her chin as she teased him.
Without Inori saying a word, Gai already knew he was unlikely to walk away from today.
His road — it might end here. No matter how carefully he'd calculated everything, he had never anticipated that his most dangerous enemy would be the "vessel" Shuichiro Keido had created to serve as a conduit to Mana. This must be fate — he had given everything he had.
—Inori… please. Spare him. Stop deceiving him.
A wave of dizziness surged through Inori without warning. She nearly lost her footing, her body swaying for a moment. She pressed her palm against her temple, breathing hard. She knew what this was — Mana Ouma was straining with everything she had to stop Inori from killing Gai.
Gai caught her sudden, out-of-character faltering and understood at once: it was Mana inside her, trying to save him.
Hope isn't gone. Mana is still alive — still inside Inori's body!
—Who said I was actually going to kill him?
—…Then what are you—
Mana was caught off guard. She had heard what Inori said. Was even this within her calculations?
—That line was for Yuu to hear.
—Then what are you planning?
—In five seconds, Yuu will try to attack me from behind. At that moment, I'll act as if I'm going to kill Gai — I'll make contact with him — and activate a thirteen-second Time Erasure. That's my current maximum. Use that window to… relay what I'm about to tell you to him.
Inori's head was bowed, but a faint, warm smile crossed her face.
—Why don't you just tell him the truth yourself?
—If you were in his position — would you believe a woman who has worn this many masks? Only you. I can only reach Gai by performing hostility toward you, by making him believe you are in danger. Only that will drive him to fight with everything he has — to save you, without regard for his own life.
—Inori… but if you do this, won't people misunderstand you even more?
All along, even now, Inori had been acting with Mana and the people Mana loved in mind. Mana covered her mouth — tears welled from her cherry-pink eyes and streaked down her cheeks, and the feeling carried through so strongly that Inori couldn't stop a single crystalline tear from slipping down the corner of her own eye.
—Hmph.
Inori closed her eyes and entered that interior world. She stood before Mana, smiling quietly as she watched the pink-haired girl weep.
—Inori Yuzuriha is the wicked queen who bears a will stained black. But Mana Ouma — Mana Ouma is the angel who will set the world free from chaos.
"You're lying!"
Gai caught Inori's tear — and in the same glance, he saw it: Yuu, whom Inori had run through from behind, was back on his feet. The boy raised his crossbow in silence, drawing a bead on Inori. To draw her attention and cover Yuu's shot, Gai shouted out with urgent force:
"Mana is still alive — she's inside you right now, fighting you — isn't she, Inori?!"
"Don't flatter yourself — acting like you know everything, Gai Tsutsugami!"
"I won't give you a single second to regret it. Die!"
Inori snarled through clenched teeth. She raised her hand, curled into a fist. Beside her, King Crimson mirrored the motion — and drove that fist directly into his face.
At that moment, Yuu's Void bolt fired again.
—King Crimson!
It was all within her calculation. Inori's fist connected with the right side of Gai's jaw. That handsome face crumpled under King Crimson's blow, and two molars cracked and flew from his mouth — but Time Erasure triggered at precisely that instant, and the world shattered again.