Within the spiritual world, Yuki meditated silently at the center of a spiritual engraving. The Crown that protected his spiritual realm rotated steadily, with Thrones on each of its points glowing faintly. Surrounding him were the Spirits: Kaguya, Yuzuru, Origami, Tohka, and Miku.
The five Spirits stood hand in hand, forming a spiritual resonance circle. The Thrones corresponding to each of them shone dimly, and the intensity of their resonance grew. However, despite the connection, the Spirits furrowed their brows with closed eyes—it wasn't enough.
Out of the 12 Thrones on the Crown, only 4 had owners. Yuki knew this was insufficient if he hoped to stop the Coffin of Weapons. He needed to synchronize fully with the Spirits and guide them into the Crown. However, there wasn't enough time to complete the process, and forcing their integration would destabilize his spiritual world.
This imbalance could cause the Sky Castle to open its gates, unleashing the Demon Kings within—a disaster too late to stop once it began.
Adding to the complications was Miku's latent Demon King. Yuki wasn't sure if what happened in the previous timeline—Lilith's release of her Demon King—would repeat itself.
Thus, Yuki devised an alternative: borrowing the Spirits' power without fully integrating them into the Thrones. By using only their spiritual energy, he could harness their Angels without transforming them into Spirits of Order. This was preferable to risking the release of another Demon King.
While he didn't know how much his strength would increase, it would likely surpass the power of his first timeline self. That said, there was a gamble: how much of Requiem's power this timeline's version would manifest. Without consuming the timeline itself or devouring the Spirits, the Requiem's potential remained lower than before.
(Cosmic Level…)
If the Coffin ever reached that range, there would be no stopping it. Even if Mio Takamiya joined him, it would be futile.
"Onii-chan…"
"Yuki-san…"
Amid his focus, two voices interrupted, startling Yuki and the Spirits into opening their eyes.
"Kotori? Yoshino?"
The Spirits were pleasantly surprised to see Kotori and Yoshino enter. Yuki, however, wasn't as shocked. He glanced at Kurumi, who had brought them here, and his gaze lingered on the two girls.
As he had predicted, Yoshino had awakened from her coma the moment the paradoxes involving Kotori and Origami were resolved. Yoshino had always been the key—a safeguard left by his other self to keep the future from deviating and ensure the "story" remained intact.
Even so, Yuki sighed, impressed by how effective his other self had been. His actions not only resolved Origami's hatred but also aligned perfectly with Yuki's plans.
(As expected of me… We understand each other perfectly.)
The two versions of Yuki worked together seamlessly to shape the timeline. Even without speaking, they could predict each other's actions, knowing instinctively what steps the other had taken or would take.
"Onii-chan… no, Yuki… I think this is fine. I hope you don't mind if I call you that," Kotori said hesitantly, her voice trembling.
"No, I don't mind…"
Kotori's expression was timid at first, her body shaking. But after shaking her head, her demeanor changed. Her voice became firm, and she stopped trembling.
While the integration of her two personas wasn't perfect, it was enough. Kotori saw Yuki as her Onii-chan, but not in the same way she saw Itsuka Shido. Her feelings for Shido weren't purely those of a sister…
"Good."
Taking a deep breath, Kotori crossed her arms and spoke. Yuki swallowed nervously. With everything that had happened in this and the previous timeline, Kotori had become an indispensable existence to him. Her thoughts weighed heavily on his mind.
"I still haven't forgiven you. I understand why you did it—to prevent destruction—but playing with my emotions like that… it's not fair, Onii-chan… ahem…"
Coughing to cover her slip of the tongue, Kotori's cheeks turned red.
"I'll help you this time… I guess it can't be helped… just this once, got it?!"
"And I… I'll help too, Yuki-san…" Yoshino added softly.
Kotori's tsundere act, though endearing, brought a warm smile to Yuki's face. The heavy burden on his heart finally lightened as he saw their acceptance.
"Of course. I couldn't do this without you, Kotori, Yoshino."
"Hehehe…"
"Hahaha…"
With the Spirits laughing, Kotori and Yoshino stepped into the circle.
"Huh? Something's not right!"
The moment Yoshino entered the resonance circle, something extraordinary happened. The Sky Castle, which had been silent until now, trembled violently. The spiritual world began to quake.
[Cyrene… Cyrene… CYRENE!]
[AHHHHHHH!!]
The Demon King, seated on its throne, snapped its eyes open. It had sensed Yoshino's warmth—that Angel, that Demon King… that Rabbit.
The Demon King's memories were fragmented, driven by pure instinct. Yet something had been etched into its very core: a longing for home and family.
In a long-forgotten story, Zeon, a character consumed by his family's love, adored his little sister, Cyrene. She, in turn, loved her older brother dearly. Every time he left, Cyrene would cry.
One day, with her mother's help, Cyrene crafted a stuffed rabbit—a charm meant to protect her brother. It was a childish gesture, incapable of defeating the Lord of the Abyss. Yet Zeon accepted it wholeheartedly.
He was so touched by the gift that he sent the rabbit into the Coffin of Weapons, transforming it into a weapon. It became a way to keep his little sister close, to stave off mental and emotional collapse, and to keep fighting.
That rabbit was the reason Zeon couldn't die.
This was also why, aside from Ain Soph, the Rabbit was the only "living" weapon within the Coffin of Weapons. It was more precious than the Sword, the Clock, or the Soundtrack—because it had been created by his sister for him.
This was also why the Requiem hadn't devoured Yoshino in the previous timeline. To the Requiem, the Rabbit was untouchable, even if corrupted. It still carried the feelings left behind by its master.
Furthermore, Yoshino bore a fragment of the Requiem. Her resemblance to Cyrene was so striking that Mio Takamiya had chosen her. Though Mio didn't understand why—her memories lost—the Void Hero's lingering emotions had drawn her to Yoshino.
Yoshino was special. So special, even her mother had left her a puppet rabbit before passing away.
Not to mention, Yoshino was the only Spirit who had fused with Zadkiel without being purified.
BOOM!
[Cyrene…]
Breaking free of its chains, the Demon King felt Yoshino's presence grow closer.
In Yoshino, the image of his adorable little sister reflected back at him. She was just as sweet and precious as the last time he saw her—with her silver hair and flushed cheeks.
Though driven by instinct and devoid of memory, seeing Yoshino brought him joy. His heavy, bestial aura dissipated.
At that moment, he wasn't the Avenger of Order or the Void Hero.
He was Zeon, the brother who adored his little sister.
"Hi-Hick?! Yuki-san!"
To the Demon King, this was a heartwarming reunion. To Yoshino, it was almost a nightmare. She hid behind Yuki, watching in fear as enormous spiritual hands emerged from the Sky Castle, reaching toward her.
Gripping Yuki tightly, she closed her eyes. She was terrified, yet the Rabbit inside her felt an inexplicable joy. The contradictory feelings left her with no choice but to trust Yuki.
"Eggy!!"
"I know!"
And, of course, Yuki didn't abandon her. In that moment, the sweet melody of an ocarina echoed through the air.
[AHHH!!]
Simultaneously, the chains around the Sky Castle tightened, struggling to seal the being within.
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TN: I'll update this occasionally.. don't expect daily updates tho