The moment the gate collapsed, the void itself seemed to convulse. Waves of black energy rippled outward, distorting space and swallowing every trace of light in their wake. A gut-wrenching screech erupted from the abyss—a sound so raw, so monstrous, that it clawed at my very soul. It was the kind of scream that belonged to something beyond pain, beyond hatred.
I couldn't move. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the shadows writhe and twist like living nightmares. And then… she emerged.
Alter Izumi.
She dragged herself forward, her presence overwhelming, suffocating. The Izumi I once knew—graceful, composed—was gone. What stood before me was a grotesque mockery of her former self. Her silver hair, once pristine, was matted with filth and blood, streaked with an unnatural black. Her pale skin had cracked like shattered porcelain, oozing something dark and malevolent. And her eyes… those crimson orbs burned with something beyond rage.
She was smiling. A sick, distorted grin that sent chills down my spine.
"Daichi," she rasped, her voice fractured, warped—a cacophony of despair and fury. The way she spoke my name made my stomach twist. "I've had enough of your games. Humanity will burn, and once this world is ash, I'll rebuild it in my image! You won't stop me!"
Her words cut deep.
I wanted to deny it. Wanted to tell myself that this wasn't her, that Izumi was still in there somewhere. But… looking at her now, standing amid the chaos, I felt something in my chest tighten painfully.
"Izumi…" My voice barely left my lips, trembling with grief. "What have you become?"
She laughed—a hollow, empty sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "I've become what they made me." She spread her arms wide as if welcoming the destruction around us. "Do you see it now, Daichi? Humanity is a plague. It destroys everything it touches. And you? You're no different." She tilted her head, her wicked smile widening. "But don't worry. I'll fix you. I'll rebuild you into something pure… something worthy."
My fists clenched. Energy hummed at my fingertips, flickering in defiance.
"I'm sorry, Izumi," I whispered. "I couldn't save you back then, but I'll save you now. Even if it means breaking everything in my way."
A dark chuckle escaped her lips. "Save me?" Her voice dripped with amusement. "Don't make me laugh. You'll die here, just like the rest of them!"
Dark energy flared around her like a raging inferno. But I didn't flinch.
I inhaled deeply, calling forth the power buried within me. The air shimmered, pulsing with warmth. At my feet, a field of red spider lilies bloomed—glowing, vibrant, defying the suffocating darkness that surrounded us. The light raced through my veins like liquid fire.
"Astra… Leo!!!"
My right eye burned. The iris shifted, morphing into a radiant cymophane pattern—the eye of a tiger. Power surged through me.
Alter Izumi's expression twisted, her grin faltering for a mere second. "Now we're talking," she murmured, eyes gleaming with something akin to exhilaration.
"Come at me with everything you've got, Daichi!"
"Stay right there, Izumi." I steadied myself. "I will save you."
She barely had time to respond before I clenched my fist.
"First Wish."
Time, frozen since the battle began, resumed its flow. Distant screams filled the air. The city below was in chaos—civilians running, the ground quaking beneath their feet. I had to finish this. Fast.
"Izumi," I said, my voice firm, unwavering. "This time, I won't run. I'll face you head-on."
She let out a guttural roar, lunging at me with blinding speed.
"Second Wish!"
Her massive, clawed hand, dripping with shadows, tore through the air—aimed straight for my throat. But before it could reach me, a powerful gust of wind erupted between us, deflecting her attack. She staggered back, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
I lowered my hand, dispersing the wind. "I'm not the same Daichi you fought before." My gaze hardened. "I've made my choice, Izumi. I'll stop you, no matter what it takes."
Her laughter was bitter, almost mocking. "Stop me? You think you can stop me?"
With a scream, she unleashed a barrage of attacks—distorted orbs of time, twisted arrows of pure shadow, reality warping around them as they cut through the sky.
"Fourth Wish!"
I countered, conjuring shields with my bare hands. Each attack disintegrated upon impact. The battlefield trembled under the weight of our clash.
"There's still time to fix everything, Izumi!" I shouted.
"Spare me your naive speeches!" Her sneer deepened into a snarl. "You think you can change anything? Look around you, Daichi! This world is already lost!"
She raised her hands, summoning a swirling mass of black and red energy—pulsating, alive. It lashed out violently, consuming everything in its path. Buildings crumbled, devoured by black flames.
But I stood my ground.
"You think destruction makes you invincible?" I met her glare with unwavering resolve. "You're wrong."
I surged forward, dodging her attacks with precision. My body was weightless, a blur against the chaos.
Then, in one swift motion, I reached out.
"Fourth Wish."
My palm touched her stomach. Light erupted between us. Alter Izumi's eyes widened as her form began to change—the darkness unraveling, dissolving into fragmented reflections. And then… she became a mirror. A perfect, gleaming surface reflecting my image.
I stepped back, heart pounding. "This isn't the end, Izumi." My voice softened. "I'll find a way to bring you back. The real you."
The mirror trembled. Cracks formed, spreading like spiderwebs. The energy inside fought for release.
"Fifth Wish."
Flames roared around my leg as I leapt into the air, my foot crashing into the mirror. It shattered into countless shards, sending Alter Izumi flying. The fragments scattered like fallen stars, vanishing into the sky.
For a brief moment, everything was still.
Then—
A sinister chuckle.
Before I could react, a jagged shadow arrow pierced through my back, tearing through my barrier like it was nothing.
"Gah—!" Pain exploded through me. Blood spurted from my mouth as the force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air.
I turned my head, barely able to focus. And there she was. Hovering in the vast emptiness above, her glowing eyes filled with cruel satisfaction.
"Tenth Wish."
"Izumi…!" My voice cracked as agony consumed me. I felt my strength slipping, my vision blurring.
She tilted her head, her triumphant smirk deepening. "Pathetic," she whispered. "You really thought you could stop me?"
Darkness swallowed me as I plummeted toward Earth, flames igniting my body.
"Damn it…" My consciousness wavered. "I'm… not going to die. Not like this."
Then—
A presence. A figure beside me, moving effortlessly through the inferno. A voice, deep and steady.
"Kid," the man said. "You've got a job to finish. Don't make me do it for you."
Before I could respond, warmth enveloped me. My wounds healed, my strength returning. And then… a ring. A crimson spider lily carved into its surface.
"Wear this."
My breath hitched. "Asuka… sensei?"
But he was already gone. A fleeting glimpse of Gemini's zodiac symbol glowing on his back before vanishing into the void.
I clenched my fists. My gaze hardened.
"Focus on what's ahead of you, Daichi."
The voice echoed within me, deep and resolute, yet unmistakably my own. But it wasn't just me—it was him. Alter Daichi. The version of myself I had come to recognize as both a guiding force and a relentless reminder of my own potential.
"She's still out there."
I clenched my fists, feeling the raw energy surging through my veins, the searing pain from my wounds numbing beneath the weight of my conviction. The sky above was painted in hues of crimson and ash, streaked with the fading remnants of my own descent. The earth below stretched out like a battlefield drenched in suffering, the remnants of a once-thriving city now reduced to smoldering ruins.
But I couldn't let that despair consume me. Not now.
"I'm not done yet."
With those words, my body collided with the ground, a shockwave rippling outward as my feet met the scorched earth. The impact sent cracks sprawling beneath me, dust and debris exploding into the air. For a moment, the world felt still—silent, as if holding its breath.
I exhaled, steadying myself as the heat of reentry faded from my skin. My hands trembled, not from fear, but from the sheer force of will coursing through me.
Then, I looked down at the ring—the delicate, intricate band resting in my palm. Its silver surface shimmered faintly, reflecting the embers floating in the air. The red spider lily pattern carved into its surface pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow, as if responding to my heartbeat.
"Asuka-sensei…" I murmured, barely above a whisper.
He had been there. I saw him. Felt his presence. Even if only for a fleeting moment, he had saved me. Given me the strength to stand again.
I slid the ring onto my index finger, the cool metal pressing against my skin. A strange warmth radiated from it, not just physical, but something deeper—something that settled within my soul.
My gaze lifted, turning toward the sky. The battle wasn't over. Not yet.
Not until I brought her back.
Not until I saved Izumi.
The sky was in ruins.
Thick, swirling clouds of darkness stretched endlessly above me, shrouding the heavens in an eerie twilight. The city burned beneath their suffocating presence, black flames licking at the skeletal remains of crumbling buildings. A sickening heat radiated from the destruction, but the fire inside me burned hotter.
I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white as my breath came in slow, deliberate draws. My body ached, wounds from battle searing against my skin, but the pain that carved through my heart was far worse.
"Izumi…"
Her name escaped my lips in a whisper, barely audible over the roaring flames. I hated how fragile my voice sounded—like I was grasping at a shadow of the girl I once knew. But I couldn't afford to falter now. Not when she was still up there, watching me.
I lifted my head. The ruined sky offered no comfort, only a heavy sense of foreboding. Somewhere beyond the swirling chaos, she was there. Waiting. Testing me.
The air around me pulsed, rippling as I drew in the surrounding mana. A crackle of energy snapped through the silence, tendrils of light and shadow bending toward me, drawn by the force of my will. The ground trembled beneath my feet as raw power surged through my veins.
This was it.
A deep, burning rage ignited in my chest, an inferno of grief and determination. My aura flared, golden and fierce, casting dancing shadows against the devastated battlefield. My breath hitched for a moment, but then I let it all out.
"IZUMI!" I roared, my voice splitting through the heavens.
A surge of magic twisted around my fingertips, weaving together in intricate, glowing strands. Green and crimson light pulsed from the web-like construct forming in my hands, its edges flickering like fire against the wind. The heat it radiated distorted the very air around me.
"Seventh wish."
The words left my lips like an oath, an undeniable decree that echoed across the ruined city.
I thrust my hand skyward, sending the blazing web unraveling into the heavens. It slithered through the air like a serpent of pure energy, hunting for its target.
Then—
A presence.
My eyes snapped to the sky just as I felt her.
There she was.
Alter Izumi.
She hovered in the darkness, her body wreathed in shadow, watching me with calculating eyes.
For a moment, I swore I saw something flicker across her expression—something almost human. But then, the cold, sharp gleam returned, and I knew.
She wasn't hesitating.
But she had underestimated me.
The web found her in an instant, wrapping around her form like a predator ensnaring its prey. The moment it made contact, her shriek pierced the battlefield.
"What?!"
Her voice was laced with disbelief, fury, and something else—something that made my heart twist.
Pain.
She thrashed violently against the binds, her dark aura seething as she struggled. "No! Let me go!" she shrieked, her form flickering like a dying ember.
I pulled my arm back, gripping the glowing threads tighter. "You're not going anywhere!"
With a forceful yank, the web responded, dragging her from the sky.
She plummeted, the air splitting around her as the fiery strands reeled her in.
And then—
The impact.
A blinding explosion of emerald and crimson light erupted upon the battlefield, shaking the earth beneath my feet. The black flames scattered, pushed back by the sheer force of the blast.
Then silence.
When the dust settled, Izumi stood there, staggering. Her body bore wounds—real wounds. Glowing strips of energy cut through her dark attire, blood staining the fabric, dripping onto the cracked pavement below.
For the first time…
I had hurt her.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself to stand tall. My aura flickered around me, a silent testament to the strength I had poured into my attack.
"This is the end of your rampage, Izumi," I said, my voice steady, though my heart ached with every word. "I didn't want it to come to this… but you left me no choice."
Her fingers trembled as they touched the bleeding wounds on her chest. Her breath hitched—just for a moment.
And then, her eyes snapped to mine, brimming with fury and something dangerously close to tears.
"How… how dare you do this to me, Daichi!"
Her voice cracked.
I flinched.
"I was trying to save you!" she cried, staggering forward. "I was doing all of this for you! And this… this is how you repay me?!"
Her words stabbed into me like a dagger to the ribs.
Save me?
I exhaled sharply, my gaze unwavering. "Izumi… look around you. This destruction, this chaos…" I swallowed. "This isn't saving anyone. This isn't you."
She shook her head violently. "No! You don't understand!"
Her voice—desperate, frantic—sent a chill down my spine.
"I had no choice!" Her breath came in uneven gasps. "I had to do this—for you, for everyone!" Her hands curled into fists, trembling.
For the briefest second, I saw it again—that flicker of the girl I once knew.
And then—
The moment shattered.
Her expression hardened. "I don't need your pity, Daichi!" she spat, voice venomous. "You'll see… you'll see why I'm doing this. And when you do, you'll regret standing in my way!"
I stiffened as the air around us shifted.
Darkness surged.
The battlefield trembled.
"Twentieth wish!" she screamed.
From the depths of the void, monstrous figures emerged—knights with bows, their upper bodies fused grotesquely with the lower halves of horses. Like a legion of cursed Sagittarii, they materialized in the sky, each arrow trained on me.
Izumi sat atop a massive shadowed steed, her sacred bow glowing with an eerie radiance.
Her lips parted.
"Open fire!"
A downpour of dark, blazing arrows descended upon me, drowning the sky in streaks of death.
I didn't hesitate.
"Eighth wish."
A massive blade of light formed in my grasp, its radiant energy crackling against the darkness. With one sweeping motion, I slashed through the oncoming storm, cutting through the abyss itself.
The battlefield was a blur of light and shadow, a dance of clashing wills. Each strike, each movement, felt like a battle not just against her, but against fate itself.
As I drove my sword through the darkness, my voice trembled, barely a whisper.
"Izumi… please, just let me save you."
She hesitated.
For a moment, she looked at me—not as Alter Izumi, not as an enemy.
But as Izumi.
The girl I loved.
Tears welled in her eyes, her lips parting as if to speak. But then, the darkness surged again, wrapping around her, drowning her in its grasp.
And in that moment, I knew.
There was no turning back.
I clenched my fists, swallowing my grief.
"Ninth wish."
The sky split open, and from the heavens, a radiant warrior descended—a humanoid figure clad in lion-styled armor.
Leo.
He landed beside me, his golden eyes flickering with something between amusement and pity. "Took you long enough."
Leo roared as he lunged forward, his golden mane blazing like a celestial inferno. He met Alter Izumi head-on, their clash shaking the very ground beneath us. The battlefield became a storm of chaos—light and shadow colliding, weaving together in a deadly dance.
For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.
Each strike, each explosion of power, sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Sparks of golden energy clashed violently against the swirling darkness that surrounded her. The sheer force of it all burned against my skin, but I couldn't look away.
But then… I saw it.
Alter Izumi's movements began to slow.
Her once-flawless attacks wavered, her footing unsteady. The darkness around her flickered, struggling to hold itself together. She was weakening.
Leo pushed harder, his strikes relentless. She staggered back, her breath ragged.
I clenched my fists, my body trembling—not just from exhaustion, but from the unbearable weight pressing down on my heart.
Blood dripped from my wounds, staining the already ruined ground beneath me. The backlash of my power was taking its toll, but I barely noticed it anymore. All I could see was her.
Izumi…
My voice came out in a whisper, but it carried everything—my sorrow, my pain, my resolve.
"It's over, Izumi."
She looked up at me, her crimson-streaked eyes filled with something I couldn't name.
The battlefield was eerily silent. The only sound was the faint crackling of unstable energy in the air, like whispers of a dying storm. My breaths were shallow, uneven. My body refused to move, even as I watched her—Alter Izumi—fall to her knees.
The dark aura around her flickered and waned, no longer the unstoppable force it once was. She looked… fragile. The corruption within her, once overwhelming, now sputtered like a candle in a storm, its light dimming with each passing second.
A cold, commanding voice broke the silence.
"Daichi, it's time. Destroy the key on her chest before it's too late. You only have one wish left."
Alter Daichi's words cut through me like a blade, but I couldn't move.
My right arm—the source of my unimaginable power—glowed faintly, but it hung uselessly at my side. My fingers twitched, hesitating. My gaze locked onto the faint glow of the corrupted key embedded in Izumi's chest.
What if… what if she dies when I destroy her core?
The thought sent a shudder through my entire body. My voice wavered as I forced the words out. "What if… what if she doesn't survive?"
Alter Daichi didn't answer. The silence that followed was heavier than any words he could have spoken. His lack of response told me everything.
There was no guarantee.
There was no other way.
"Daichi…" His voice was quieter now, yet just as unyielding. "Sometimes, to save someone, you have to make the hardest choice."
"No!" I spun around to face him, my voice raw with desperation. "There has to be another way! There's always another way!"
Before he could respond, a scream shattered the moment.
A scream filled with agony.
I whipped back around just in time to see Izumi clutching her head, her body convulsing. Tendrils of darkness surged around her like a violent storm, twisting and writhing as if they had a will of their own.
But within the chaos, I heard it.
Her voice.
"Izumi…" I breathed, my heart clenching.
For a fleeting second, her true self surfaced.
The real Izumi.
Her crimson-streaked eyes locked onto mine. Tears shimmered in them, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped.
"Daichi…" Her voice trembled, but it was her. It was really her. "Stay back! Don't come near me!"
"Izumi!" I cried, stepping forward, my hand reaching for her despite my trembling fingers. "Hold on! I'll save you—I swear I will!"
"Stop!" She shook her head violently, her expression twisted with pain. "Don't you get it? I'm already gone!"
I froze, my chest tightening.
Her lips quivered as she clutched her chest, where the corruption pulsed like a living parasite. "Alter Izumi and I… we've fused. The corruption… it's binding us together." Her voice cracked, her shoulders trembling. "There's no saving me now."
I clenched my fists. "No… You're wrong! There's always a way! I just need more time—I can figure this out!"
She let out a bitter, broken laugh. "Time? We don't have time, Daichi."
Her gaze softened, and I could see the sorrow in her eyes, the acceptance of what I refused to acknowledge.
"Every second you hesitate, the corruption spreads," she whispered. "Soon, it'll take me completely. And after that… it'll consume everything."
She took a shaky step forward.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Please… kill me."
My breath caught in my throat.
"End this while I'm still… me."
My whole body trembled, my legs feeling like they'd give out beneath me. Her words stabbed straight through my heart, tearing it apart.
"I can't…" My voice cracked, barely audible. "I can't do it, Izumi. I can't lose you…"
Her lips curled into a weak, sorrowful smile. "Daichi…" She stepped closer, her fingers brushing against my cheek. "Do you remember the promise we made? That no matter what, we'd protect each other?"
I shut my eyes, biting back the sobs threatening to escape.
She continued, her voice growing fainter. "You're the only one who can stop this… the only one who can save me."
I shook my head. "No… please, Izumi… don't ask me to do this…"
Her tears fell, but she kept smiling.
"Let me go, Daichi," she pleaded. "Let me die as myself. Not as this monster."
I fell to my knees. Memories of her flooded my mind—her laughter, her warmth, the nights we spent watching the stars. The dreams we shared.
I was losing her.
I was losing everything.
"Izumi…" I whispered, my tears dripping onto the ground. "I don't want to lose you…"
She knelt in front of me, her cold, trembling hand pressing against my chest.
"You'll never lose me," she said softly. "I'll always be with you… right here."
Her touch was so faint, so fragile.
"Our memories, our love… they'll never fade." Her voice wavered, yet there was nothing but love in her eyes. "No matter where you go, I'll be with you."
"Daichi!"
Alter Daichi's voice thundered across the battlefield. "Do it now, before the corruption takes over!"
Izumi's body convulsed again.
She screamed.
The dark tendrils wrapped around her like chains, trying to drag her away. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light.
"Daichi!" she cried. "Please! Do it now!"
I gritted my teeth. My entire body screamed in protest.
But I knew.
I knew what I had to do.
I forced myself to my feet, my hands shaking. "Leo…" My voice was hoarse. "Are you ready?"
Leo, the celestial lion spirit beside me, flicked his ear and scoffed. "Tsk, do whatever you want."
I let out a breath.
"Tenth wish," I whispered.
As the words left my lips, my body erupted in golden light. Leo's essence surged through me, his power fusing with mine. The ground beneath me shattered under the force of our combined strength. My right arm burned with golden-crimson energy, pulsing like a dying star.
I looked at Izumi.
Her fragile form.
Her trembling smile.
My hand wavered.
"I'm sorry…" My voice broke. "I'm so sorry, Izumi…"
Through her tears, she smiled one last time.
"Thank you, Daichi…"
I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around her.
Holding her.
One last time...