And everything would have followed that path, but five years ago, Mio found another ray of hope.
Yuki, the imposter, had a larger portion of Shinji's soul within him. She couldn't defeat the Requiem, but Yuki—she could.
There was no longer a need to die. If she could make Yuki reverse, Shinji would be revived, and they would be together again. Unlike Westcott, whom she couldn't touch, Yuki was weak and easy to defeat—or so she believed...
"What's wrong, Deus? Aren't you happy to see me?"
Lost in her thoughts, Mio was snapped back by Westcott's voice. Mio didn't want to talk to Westcott—she wanted to kill him. But she couldn't, especially since Westcott was the one who had freed her.
And her clone was working with Westcott...
"Die, bastard..."
So she had to swallow her fury, responding coldly, without the slightest hint of cordiality.
"You haven't changed at all, Deus. I'm glad you like seeing me."
Mio's rejection didn't bother Westcott in the slightest—he actually enjoyed it.
"As much as I'd like to reminisce about the old days, that would take too long, and time is the one thing we don't have. So I'll get straight to the point."
With the Emperor in the midst of all this chaos, Westcott didn't have the power to face both sides—unless he opened Pandora's Box. But doing so would mean nobody would win. Therefore, to achieve his goals, he needed Mio Takamiya, just as Mio needed Westcott.
This fragile balance allowed these two enemies to speak without killing each other...
"The Emperor is getting stronger... You know that, don't you? After all, he's the one who sealed you..."
Of course, Mio knew this. Her clone, Reine, had sent her all the information as soon as the seal was broken, so she was fully aware of what had transpired while she was sealed.
According to Reine, Yuki's strength had reached the point where he no longer needed to flee like in the previous timeline. He could now face her directly. While not as powerful as Mio, with the crown in his possession, Yuki still surpassed her in the power of Order. Now that she could no longer control the crown, she would be at a disadvantage in a fight and could potentially be defeated.
"What are you planning?"
Westcott's smile deepened upon hearing Mio's question—he had been waiting for this...
"I'll open Pandora's Box again and bring back your other half."
"…!!"
Thirty years ago, Westcott opened Pandora's Box, and the First Spirit was born. But because he couldn't control the immense power of the Requiem, the First Spirit was incomplete, and the first spacequake was created—a quake so massive it covered Eurasia.
Westcott knew that Mio Takamiya was incomplete, which frustrated his goal of creating the ultimate being.
But Westcott never gave up. He wanted to devour Mio Takamiya and reopen Pandora's Box to bring her other half into the world.
Unfortunately, Mio Takamiya was incredibly good at hiding, and she wasn't someone he could face without using the Requiem.
But… can the Requiem be used at will?
No, each time he used the Requiem, his very existence faded. If it weren't for his immense soul, Westcott would have died trying to open Pandora's Box.
Therefore, he couldn't force Mio Takamiya.
The only thing he could do was strengthen himself over time and wait for an opportunity.
But everything changed with Yuki's arrival.
It was possible he had been wrong...
Was Mio Takamiya not the ultimate being he had expected?
No, she wasn't. Westcott could feel it in his soul—there was something far more terrifying hidden within the Emperor.
And for that, he needed the imposter to disappear and to release that existence.
Unfortunately, the imposter was also powerful, with many tricks up his sleeve, and his strength was growing along with the spirits.
Westcott was aware that he couldn't stop him unless he released the Requiem, but that wouldn't be any different from Mio Takamiya.
So, he needed more power. Both he and Mio needed more...
"Are you insane? You want to open that Coffin?!"
Mio unleashed her full power, causing Mars to tremble. No, the Requiem definitely couldn't be opened.
Everything would end if it was, and Westcott wouldn't be able to stop it this time.
It would be checkmate...
"Kuahahahaha... How amusing! Who said anything about opening the Coffin?..."
"Huh?"
Westcott nearly fell off his chair at Mio's words. Open the Requiem? He was crazy, but he didn't want to die—not before achieving his goal, at least.
"No, I'll open Pandora's Box, which contains the Spiritual Formula..."
Opening Pandora's Box didn't mean opening it completely, just a small part of it and then closing it again.
All Westcott needed was the Spiritual Formula to recreate the spell and bring back Mio's other half.
"I see, so you want me to help you open Pandora's Box."
"Exactly. With your help, it'll be easier."
"You want to use that power for yourself."
Mio understood. If Westcott used that power, he would be on the same level as her, giving him the strength to face the imposter. It was a good option, though Mio didn't like it. The stronger Westcott became, the more dangerous he would be, but...
(It's possible he won't survive.)
If Westcott used that power, his human body might not be able to withstand it. And although his soul was as great as Shinji's, one wrong step and he would die. So, it was a gamble.
If Westcott died, there would be one less danger. But if he survived, she'd have to watch her back.
A very risky gamble.
"Of course not."
"Huh?"
Once again, Westcott shook his head, leaving Mio stunned.
"I won't be using that power. You will... Deus."
Westcott's smile widened....
"…!?"
Mio couldn't comprehend what he was saying.
"Let's be realistic. Even if I use that power, we still won't be able to defeat the Emperor."
This was true, as using that power would make him an existence similar to Mio Takamiya.
And Mio Takamiya could no longer defeat the Emperor. Therefore...
"Even if we attack him together, it's useless. We won't beat him. And even if we did, we wouldn't get what we want from him. But you are different—you'll be stronger."
If Mio fused with her other half, then not even Yuki could stop her.
"You're insane... I refuse. I won't do it."
Fusing with her other half meant being devoured by the Requiem. Mio wasn't foolish enough to accept that—it would only make Westcott the victor.
"If you're worried about being devoured, you don't need to be. As I said, we'll only be using the Spiritual Formula."
"You think I'm an idiot?"
"No, I never thought that. That's why I'll give it to you—Pandora's Box will be yours."
"…!!"
Handing over the only weapon that could contain her was a tempting bait. Mio Takamiya almost gave in because of it. After all, within the Coffin was Shinji's soul. If she managed to open it and recover the soul, all she would have to do is travel back in time and fuse it with Shido Itsuka before Yuki devoured him.
Then she could avoid so many unnecessary conflicts. But...
Is it easy to open the Coffin of Weapons?
No, it isn't.
There's a price to pay, and it can't be controlled.
So, it was more feasible to simply release a seal, obtain the Spiritual Formula, and materialize the other half of Mio Takamiya.
"What do you want from me?"
Of course, Mio wasn't naive enough to believe Westcott would hand over his best weapon for nothing.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding between us—I don't want anything from you. We have the same goal: to get rid of the imposter...."
With his arms open, Westcott continued...
"My goal has always been to create the ultimate being that would usher in a new era for this world. At first, I thought you were that being, but I see I was wrong. The Emperor is that being—I just want to bring him into this world..."
"...."
Westcott's smile appeared sincere, but Mio knew it was an act. She had to be cautious of his true intentions. Still...
"Fine, I accept..."
(If I use the Coffin of Weapons, I will no longer fear the Crown.)
It was a good deal. Mio was confident she could at least guide the Coffin toward her objective. Plus, without the Coffin of Weapons, Westcott wouldn't be a threat. So, after hesitating for a few seconds, she accepted.
"Happy cooperation..."
And of course, Mio didn't know that this was exactly what Westcott wanted—one step closer to his goal...
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