Chapter 19: Thus, the Ice Melts Away [2]
[A few moments before Tohka and Origami's Confrontation]
On the top of a skyscraper, standing tall against the fierce and cold winds, Shidou was supported by being carried by tenka and was barely holding on. Tohka on the other side simply stared ahead, her eyes widening slightly of what her eyes presented her.
"Huh? Amazing..." Tohka uttered in genuine surprise.
It was quite a strange scenery that greeted them.
On the ground a whirling blizzard, it was a beautifully made hemisphere—and surrounding it were the AST wizards, who were preparing themselves with their exaggerated weapons.
"What the heck is that...?" Muttered Shidou.
"...It's the barrier that the Spirit constructed. Ho? It seems pretty made well." Tenka noted, amused by what she was seeing.
Looking at the whirling icy barrier, Tenka even doubted that she could penetrate this easily. More so of the fact that she isn't in her best condition, she presumes that she could only damage it to a certain extent, but not to the point where she can nullify the barrier completely.
"Umu, it sure is." Tohka agreed, her expression still that of surprise.
She herself would agree with Tenka that they probably couldn't nullify this barrier unless they were in full strength.
The moment the three voiced their thoughts, Reine explained briefly the analytical results on the dome of cold air.
Magic—which means, it was a fortress of ice that commences an auto-counterattack when it reacts to the output of AST's CR units magic attacks.
From Reine's information, Shidou simplified it even further before explaining it to Tenka who was carrying him. Tenka simply nodded, her brows slightly crunched due to some... difficult words and meanings laced with the explanation. But Tenka gets the gist of it, so there was no problem.
And, this time, Kotori's voice was shaking his right ear eardrum.
"Things have become troubling. With it like that, no one can get close to Yoshino..."
If thinking normally, it was true.
But Shidou gulped down his saliva and moved his lips.
"No..." He was not going to stop at this point.
There's one more. There was something that was still bothering him.
"Although it is something that we have to test to find out but...but it might not be exactly necessary."
"What did you say?"
And, a change appeared in the scenery further in front.
When he thought that Origami floated to the sky, she tore out the top part of a nearby building, and transported it above Yoshino's barrier.
"Wha...?"
"Tsk... That girl, Tobiichi Origami, seems to be planning to shatter the barrier like that? That's quite a drastic way to do it."
Kotori, said it irritatingly. Origami's plan might be reckless, but Kotori somehow knew that such acts would bring some results.
"W-What should we do to...?" voiced out by the sole human nearby the Spirits.
And, the moment Shidou said that.
"I'll deal with it."
Tohka who was standing nearby Tenka shook her throat a little before saying those words.
"Are you sure?" Tenka questioned. It was not like she was doubting Tohka. It was simple curiosity. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Hehe. I knew I'm most suited for holding them back. Not to demean you Sis, but I think you would fail on 'not' killing those humans."
"Hmph. I suppose it is." Tenka raised her hands up in surrender. "Mm. Now with that said, you human." Tenka pointed her finger to Shidou. "You are going to use that method of some sort...that you know about...to save that Yoshino something?"
"That...er..." Shidou stammered unconsciously.
"Hm? Turning back now?" She mocked.
When she said that, he clenched his teeth. He wasn't turning back on this. Not by a longshot.
"—No, there is a way. I will do something about it...definitely."
"I see."
When Tohka said that, she looked at Tenka with a expecting expression.
"Tohka...?"
Tenka called out, slightly tilting her head in wonder. In response, Tohka only hummed and smiled. With that reaction, Tenka got an idea from where this is going. It was then, Tohka spoke.
"We don't have to wait any longer, don't we? He's practically here, right?"
Tenka then nodded, her lips slightly curling in an arc. She simply retracted it shortly though and answered Tohka who seemed amused at Tenka for her actions.
"Yes."
A short reply was given, and honestly, Tohka was satisfied with that. Shidou on the other hand was confused. What was that about?
"Then, I'll leave that problem to bring him there to you then, Sis. Leave the AST or whatever to me. I definitely won't...let them disturb you."
Tohka left those words, and ran on forward as she grabbed the handle of the sword—<Sandalphon>—that was sprung out of the pointed end at the back of the throne.
She then kicked the back of the chair just like that, and flew in midair—she flew towards the direction of Origami, who was still carrying the building.
Tenka stayed for a while as she observed how Tohka would deal with this. A exchange of words were done between Tohka and that AST whatever member. After a few more seconds, seeing that there is no point on being here longer, Tenka decided to leave.
"Hmph. Let's go." Tenka shortly said as strength slowly gathered on her feet.
"A-ah, wait for a second—!" Shidou exclaimed in fear, not yet recovering from his previous experiences. But sadly, he couldn't finish the words that were supposed to come out from his mouth.
Tenka simply ignored him as she shot up from the ground she was previously stepping in. And so, they moved.
Shidou being carried by Tenka started moving in high speeds, he opened his eyes wide in surprise and shrieked in fear. Tenka simply maneuvered through the buildings jumping one after another.
But, he immediately bit the inside of his mouth and fixed his thoughts, and sternly faced forward.
The thing she was going to do now was dangerous, but he was not going to shout on how reckless it was.
The Spirit Tohka. The girl that had finally managed to escape the endless cycle of battles. The Spirit Tenka. An anomaly at its finest in the records. A supposed Spirit who was also Tohka, a split personality as one could describe.
Both Spirits were saved by another Spirit. A Spirit that reaches another high of anomaly compared to Tenka. Rei Ainsworth. Appearing out of nowhere being the first male Spirit to exist.
Shidou studied the given information to him beforehand this operation. An operation similar as for how Rei Ainsworth saved the two Spirits of his own. The ability to 'seal' their powers to a minimum to the point where they can live as normal humans with normal lives. Through a ridiculous and unbelievable act it is.
A kiss.
Questions. Numerous questions and doubts filled his mind that day. Starting off as for how he could 'seal' Spirit powers. The hidden reason as for how Spacequakes occur. Besides these, there are many other more.
And now, that girl was within that barrier that he needs to save, Yoshino. Shidou's determination, has once again jumped into the battlefield. Failure was not an option. Other than repaying back that resolution, there are no other existing actions that Shidou could do now to be forgiven—!
And in the middle of going there, to make his final confirmation, Shidou asked Kotori a question.
"—Kotori. There is something I want to confirm with you."
"What is it?"
Somehow, Kotori's voice was hoarse. Shidou knew something else was going on, but he still proceeded on what he is going to say.
"Since it was something that I was not really worried about, there was one thing...…I had forgotten to ask. I...on the day where that accident occured...that was really an accident, right?"
Yes. If Shidou memories are correct. On that day, Shidou was mistakenly caught in an accident. An accident when he was performing under one of Ratatoskr's experiments. And then, he was injured, with a wound that a normal person would not be saved from. The injury being that of being impaled by several metal spears that sprouted out of nowhere.
Shidou shuddered at the memory. The feeling death so near to him all because of a malfunction in the experiment.
After a silence of one beat, Kotori replied back.
"Yes...That's the truth. It was an accident. A mistake...an unwanted and unexpected one for sure."
"What on earth...was that? Me surviving there was nothing but a miracle. Is that also, among my abilities that is unexplainable?"
"...That would be, half correct and half wrong."
"And you're saying?"
When he asked back, after Kotori made a groan like she was in a dilemma, she then continued her words.
"It is exactly true that it is among Shidou's ability. By any occasion when your body has received a life-threatening damage, your body will be ignited with fire and, once again be revived. It is a shameful undead monster cheat ability. —It is not like, we are, letting it remain unexplainable."
Shidou stared into wonder.
But—there is no time for that now.
"—Right now, I will not ask for what the reason is for now. But there is something I want to ask again. Even if I get injured by a life-threatening injury, I can recover from that. There are no mistakes there right?"
"—Yes. That is affirmative."
Kotori replied back, Shidou took a deep breath.
"...…That's great. If that was my imagination then, I would be heading to my death right now."
"...Shidou...Don't tell me you plan to...?"
And—by the time Kotori was saying that, the building that was floating on the sky was cut into pieces by Tohka, it became fragments of concretes and fell to the ground below.
Immediately, the AST members in the surrounding area, changed their targets to Tohka, and floated to the sky.
With that distraction, Tenka who was carrying Shidou earlier had now landed on the ground. They soon managed to reach the base of Yoshino's barrier. Or perhaps—with an overly excess vigor, the pointed end of the throne thrust into the barrier.
Once more, he gathered his resolve. His eyes shifted to Tenka who was currently staring right at the barrier with a complicated expression.
"Tenka-san, can I ask for a favor?"
It took a second for Tenka to look back. Seeing what the human's looks and tone, Tenka easily deducted where this conversation is heading to.
"Hm? That tone...That expression... It seems you have gathered up enough courage huh?"
Shidou only nodded. Confirming this, Tenka then shrugged. She can practically guess what favor the human would ask. In particular, she already wanted to test this barrier.
Tenka then summoned her <Demon King> once again. To use it in such trivial favor was nothing like her personality. However, she could let this slide once. For some reason, that bastard, Rei, would do the same if he were to be here.
Strange.
Tenka still couldn't comprehend well why she is doing this thing. Nevertheless, she continued. She held up <Nahemah> and swung it down in attempt to make a small gap in order for the human to pass through.
However...
"Interesting."
"What....?"
The moment Tenka swung <Nahemah> down to create the gap, what happened instead was that her attack was repelled. Tenka herself was surprised at this fact. There was something that her <Demon King> can't cut. Even in her restrained, or weakened state, her attack was by no means weak. Proof of that is the swelling energy, though not as big and destructive like the one she used fighting that bastard, was nonetheless strong enough to deal some devastating damage.
But, she could not remain surprised for long. The part which <Nahemah> touched when it touched the barrier, while an incredibly high pitched shriek was sounding, it was getting frozen too.
It definitely, must have reacted to
<Nahemah>'s Mana.
"It seems that it was futile effort." Tenka noted earning a grim expression from Shidou. "The barrier was strong enough to take one of my swings. And that favor of yours only amounts to such. Your on your own now, human."
Some would call her petty.
And Tenka won't care.
Tenka then leapt away leaving Shidou alone in front of the barrier that suddenly grew stringer and more fiercer. When Shidou stepped back slightly in a panic, he was standing right in front of the massive blizzard in the shape of a whirlpool. It was a barrier of raging ice storms. When he saw it right in front of him, the intensity of it was a huge difference.
"Yoshino is inside this..."
After mumbling, he moved the puppet from his pocket to his clothes.
He then bent his body forward to cover it—and Shidou took one step forward.
"Shidou, please stop. What are you planning to do?" From his right ear, restraining words entered. But Shidou did not stop his legs. From there on, Kotori felt dread crawl up to her skin. "Oi, are you planning to enter the barrier with just your body? And only by depending on your recovery powers? It's too reckless. Stop it!"
From those admirable words that make him think that it was not from the Commander mode, Shidou made a dry laugh.
"Oi oi. You said that one try isn't enough right? Besides. It's not game over until I give up. In the training center, I was more work less in a state of hanging in life."
"The situation at that time was different. In the area where the blizzard is blowing in, the outer circumference of the internal barrier is 5 meters from the target. It's 5 meters you understand? In that distance, it's like advancing while getting shot by a shotgun, you get it? And what's more, if Mana is detected inside that radius, you will be frozen like Tenka's <Nahemah>!!"
And going on and on, Kotori continued talking.
"Do you understand what I am saying? I am saying during the time you are in the outer edge of the barrier, your wounds will not heal. The difference is huge compared to being shot by one bullet. If your ability runs out half way, there is no mistake you will die!?"
"...Mana, you say..." Shidou uttered, Kotori then widened her eyes at the words she had said. She made a blunder. Then, Shidou came to a realization. "So my recovery abilities, is the powers of a Spirit huh?"
"...uh."
He heard the sound of Kotori choking.
It seems that he hit the spot.
But, Shidou did not stop his legs.
Immediately, Kotori switched the receiver of her voice message to Tenka who was standing on the side, calmly watching Shidou's next move.
"T-Tenka! Please stop this foolish brother of mine from doing such stupid things! I beg you!"
"...."
"Tenka? Tenka!"
"...."
At the end of Kotori's pleas, Tenka didn't listen. A few seconds later however, she sent a reply that brought nothing
"Aren't you the one who technically forced him to do this? To save that Spirit? Shouldn't you be the ones
"But—!"
"You can't help him because you simply couldn't." Tenka ended. "This is how far my interference will go, fellow Spirit."
Tenka then took out the device on her ear and crushed it in her palm. Before she could crush it though, she could her Kotori choking out in surprise on what she said. Fellow Spirit. How amusing. Does she think she could really hide her true nature against Tenka. Apparently not.
Meanwhile...it was understandable that what Shidou was about to make was nothing but a stupid move, but he could not stop. That's because Shidou made a promise. That he will save Yoshino. And he himself—will become Yoshino's hero. After taking a deep breath, he took a step inside the barrier.
"Shidou—! Shidou! Stop!" Kotori unusually started shouting desperately after she reconnected her messages to Shidou after Tenka destroyed hers.
"—Stop! Shidou...! No, broth—!"
But reaching at the end of the voice, in Shidou's ear, he could only hear the sound of the violent blizzard.
His body was slowly engulfed in those icy winds. The earpiece was immediately destroyed as it got easily blown away from his ears. It hurts.
'Several more steps is all it should take—!'
"What are you doing, really? Are you so eager to kill yourself?" A voice interrupted Shidou from what he was supposed to do. In a manner of a second, Shidou was instantly pulled out from the thick wall of raging icy winds.
——
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A/N: And this is Part [1/2]!
This was supposed to be a double update but shame on me, I didn't manage to make it in time guys. But well, it's around 40% finished already. I think tomorrow or the day after it, the chapter should be done.
With that said, Ciao~