"This place is safe for now."
After engulfing Tsubaki and Marco in its shadow, a clone of Kurumi smiled at them, enjoying their expressions.
Both Tsubaki and Marco had thought they were about to die, but that strange song and the white hands within the shadows rescued them.
"Who... are you?"
For Marco, the identity of this girl in a gothic outfit might not matter much; he was more concerned about his injuries and the crystallization effects of the Apocalypse virus. However, for Tsubaki, it was a different matter.
The Apocalypse virus didn't affect her, and the power of shadows belonged to Yuki. This was also the reason she didn't panic after being swallowed, thinking that Yuki had come to save her, as he always had.
Unfortunately, it wasn't Yuki.
"Ara, ara, no need to be defensive, Kasugano-san. I'm with you. My name is Kurumi Tokisaki, a spirit."
Seeing Tsubaki tightening the grip on her katana, Kurumi lifted the hem of her skirt, bowing slightly and elegantly introducing herself.
"What's your relationship with Yuki-kun?"
However, Tsubaki's expression made Kurumi frown, and she went straight to the point. She could sense that this woman had a somewhat special relationship with Yuki, especially when their auras were almost similar.
"Ara? What a question. Yuki-san is a sinful man..."
Licking her lips, Kurumi smiled mischievously, bringing a hand to her mouth. Tsubaki's look said it all.
Yuki had committed another significant sin, and Kurumi couldn't help but find it amusing. So, to tease this girl, imitating the appearance of a love-struck maiden, Kurumi blushed while placing a hand on her cheek.
"My relationship with Yuki-san... He has taken the most precious thing from me."
"...!"
Giving an answer that could lead to misunderstandings, coupled with her seductive expression, was enough to make Tsubaki's mind wander.
"You!"
"Enough talk. Can you tell me what's happening, miss?"
Preventing Tsubaki's anger from erupting, Marco sighed with regret. Trying to stand up, he was bleeding profusely, and the Apocalypse virus was consuming his energy.
"For now, we're trying to delay the enemy. However, the enemy is very strong, and defeating her is not an option."
Shaking her head, Kurumi looked into the distance, where her original self and the other girls were engaged in a fierce battle.
"I see..."
Clenching his fist, Marco cursed his weakness. He couldn't protect the woman he loved, and now he was on the verge of death.
"I understand how you feel, but I'd like you to stop thinking senseless things and focus on your recovery. In your current condition, going into battle is equal to death, giving more power to the enemy. If you feel you must do something, please stay in this place."
If Marco intervened in the battle, he might die, and that would give Minene an advantage, who was already dangerous enough. This is why Kurumi stopped smiling and issued a serious warning.
"Damn it!"
Lowering his head and clenching his fists, Marco could only curse.
Kurumi, on the other hand, simply shrugged. She could heal him, but Yuki had made it clear that Tsubaki and Yuno were the only allies in this war; everyone else must be eradicated. The reason she didn't immediately kill Marco was that he was supporting Tsubaki.
"I'll go with you!"
"It's not necessary, Kasugano-san. As I said, our goal is not to win, and we are more than enough for this task. Besides, you're not in good condition either."
Narrowing her eyes, Kurumi knew both Marco and Tsubaki had reached their limits. A little more, and both would be killed. The side effects were becoming more visible; after all, both were aging, and if this continued, the consequences would be fatal.
"You! Who the hell are you? Are you other participants? Why are you helping us?"
There was too much mystery surrounding Kurumi and the rest of the girls' identities. Tsubaki couldn't afford to let her guard down, especially since this woman knew Yuki. Besides, they weren't ordinary people; no ordinary person could do what they were capable of. It was highly likely they were participants like them.
However, this was also doubtful. They were weaker than them in terms of energy; only Yami was comparable. But returning to reality, these girls had greater combat skills than each of them. They were also familiar with their powers, something not achieved in just two days of practice.
"We're here because Yuki-san asked us to be. As for... who we are?"
Tilting her head, Kurumi thought deeply. Their newly formed team still didn't have a name, but thinking about the future, this group would be together for a long time.
*BOOMMMM
"Ara? Things just got complicated."
Suddenly, a terrifying explosion was heard, and a large cloud of smoke rose. However, this wasn't the important part; Kurumi felt several clones die in that explosion.
"Well, my time is up. I have to go."
With the fight getting more intense, every last clone would be used, and Kurumi knew it. She called back all her clones, including this one.
"Wait, you haven't told me who you are yet!"
Watching Kurumi being swallowed by the shadow, Tsubaki couldn't let her go without knowing the truth about this.
Especially for a group involving Yuki.
"Who are we? Just a chat group."
With those words and a smile, Kurumi was swallowed into the darkness, leaving Tsubaki and Marco stunned.
----------------
*BOOMMMM
"Come on! You're not so brave now, are you?"
With several clones of Minene chasing her, Kurumi clicked her tongue.
In that last explosion, she had to sacrifice several clones to survive, and she honestly didn't believe she could dodge again.
(She's very clever.)
More than 10 clones were chasing her, in addition to the original. While the other girls had five clones each, this demonstrated Minene's ability to identify the leader and kill them. Not to mention that by using her clones, she could separate the group and attack them individually, reducing their combat strength.
(Yuki-san.)
Looking into the distance, Kurumi bit her lip, activating the first bullet to increase her speed.
--------------
*Biri-Biri ~
"Ha!"
With electricity flickering around her body, Mikoto spun with great agility. The iron sand helped her fly in the sky, dodging projectiles and space bombs.
Using electricity, she moved much of the debris, sending it towards Minene, who responded by waving her hands, creating a large spatial wave that destroyed everything around.
*Bom
"Don't run, brat! I'm not done with you yet!"
Chasing closely, Minene's clones snapped their fingers, creating a huge black sphere that shot off at high speed.
Seeing this, Mikoto couldn't help but grit her teeth and, once again, tossed a coin into the air, firing her electric cannon.
"What?!"
Unfortunately, her attack was absorbed by the sphere, continuing its trajectory. Minene had already suffered enough from that attack, so she wouldn't fall for it twice.
"Die!"
With the sphere getting closer, Mikoto felt dejected. Unlike Kurumi, who used iron sand to fly, Mikoto's sand wasn't fast, and due to the city's ruins, there were no buildings for her to climb or planes to use for high-speed flight.
"Don't underestimate me!"
However, she didn't give up and used a significant portion of her energy to create a massive electromagnetic field, burning a large part of the area. But...
*BOMM
This only caused the bomb to explode, and Minene's clones, as well as Mikoto herself, were engulfed in the horrifying blast.
*Shuaaaa
But before the explosion reached her, a light shone, enveloping Mikoto's body and returning her to her world.
However, Mikoto wasn't the only one. La Folia, like her, was also sent back to her world.
With five clones of Minene attacking her, La Folia had no escape, so without hesitation, she decided to retreat to her world. Fighting was never her strong point, so it was obvious she would withdraw, but not before sending a small parting gift to Minene's clones.
With this brief encounter, the weaker ones had left the world.
Honestly, this depressed Kurumi a lot. After all, Mikoto had a powerful attack, but it was a pity she withdrew.
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TN: back..