章 12: Chapter 11: We Came to Save You. Do Not Resist.

"Ah, an unfamiliar ceiling," Honjo Nia muttered as she slowly blinked her eyes open. I've always wanted to say that.

"I understood that reference."

"Who?!" Nia shot up from her hospital bed, glancing around wildly. Aside from a bunch of expensive-looking equipment, two identical girls wearing black-and-red dresses stood at the foot of her bed smiling creepily. A man with purple hair streaked white stood at her side, looking at her appraisingly. He's the one who spoke just now, huh.

"I'm Kyo, these two people are both Kurumi." The man gestured to the twin figures. "Quick question, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Uh, let's see..." Nia tapped her head with her finger, scrunching her eyes as she searched her memories. "I think I was... OH, SHI-"

"Language, please," Kyo cut in. "If I don't get to swear, no one does."

"Ugh, sure. Whatever." Nia flopped back down on her bed, seemingly exhausted. "So you caught me. What're you gonna do now?"

Kurumi and Kyo exchanged glances before Kyo opened his mouth again.

"Sorry, who do you think we are?" Kyo asked with a slightly twitching smile.

"You're with the blonde lady that ambushed me, right? DUM, or something. I ain't afraid of you. Have at me!" Nia exclaimed with an air of rebellion, though not very convincingly. Kyo stared pointedly at her relatively weak-looking arms, causing her to blush slightly, then sighed.

"You're a little late to the party, Nia. You've been with DEM for around four years now, and we're the ones that broke you out. This is Tengu Hospital."

"Eh?" Nia froze in place. "Four years? But I..." I can't remember anything, she realized. A surging panic set in before she forcibly calmed it, putting on a teasing grin. "But still, you could just be lying to me. Maybe you've got some sort of brainwashing technology. And also, since when were we on a first name basis?"

"Oh, my bad. My old place didn't care so much about first name-last name etiquette," Kyo waved off. "As for us lying to you, you could always ask Raziel."

"You know about Raziel too? Wait, is that what you're after? Boy, is this just a conspiracy to get me to use Raziel for you?"

Kyo shook his head in what seemed to be annoyance. Hehe, success. "Kurumi, please explain things to her. I'm gonna step out and do something useful before I make a face-shaped imprint into this here wall."

"Then I suppose I have no other choice. Isn't that right, me?" Kurumi giggled deviously.

"Indeed it is, me," The other agreed with a barely-concealed laugh.

—————I am the dividing line that shifts perspective—————

This new Spirit is certainly more amusing than expected, Kurumi thought as Kyo made a hasty exit. Turning to Nia, who was now directing her wary gaze towards her, she smiled and bowed with a flourish.

"It's nice to formally meet you, Honjo Nia. As Kyo said before, my name is Tokisaki Kurumi, a Spirit such as yourself."

"Tokisaki Kurumi... Tokisaki... hold on, the murderous Spirit? That's YOU?!" Nia jumped backwards, forcing her still-recovering body to crawl away before suddenly slamming against the headboard of her bed. "Ow."

"Please, there's no need to be so guarded. I'm not here to hurt you, after all. Why don't I explain a little more clearly?" One of the Kurumi's climbed onto the bed with Nia and entangled her within a gripping hug.

"Hey, wait just a moment- what kind of development is this?" Nia sputtered.

"[Yud]." Kurumi summoned her flintlock before blasting a bullet into Nia through her clone. Kurumi watched Nia's eyes widen as, through the power of the bullet with the ability to peer into the past, she experienced the events of the Neryl Island mission.

"Oh, wow. That's... wow."

"Surely now you can suspend your disbelief?" Kurumi nonchalantly put her gun away while the clone gripping Nia faded into shadow.

"Give me a moment, please. Raziel!" A tome manifested in Nia's hands with a burst of light. Flipping through the pages, Nia's eyes softened a little. "Well, I think I believe you now. But there's no such thing as a free meal, right? What's your agenda?"

"Straight to the point, I see. Well, my original goal was to ask about the Spirit of Origin, [Deus]. However, I would like you to search something else up for me too."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Nia raised an eyebrow.

"Who, or what, Kyo really is."

—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————

"I should've asked Kurumi for a clone," Kyo gasped in exhaustion as he trudged his way back into Nia's room, groceries in hand. Two pairs of eyes locked onto him. "Uh, hi. What's with the weird atmosphere? Did something happen?"

"You left the room five hours ago. The sun is already setting now," Kurumi deadpanned. "Even if I'm the Spirit of Time, I don't have endless time to wait for you."

"Sorry, sorry. I got lost." Kyo rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "But hey, I bought dinner!"

Kurumi narrowed her eyes. "That's takeout from the restaurant I took you two nine days ago. Which is, might I add, a five-minute walk away from this hospital!" Nia's gaze changed from annoyance to vaguely impressed, causing Kyo to look away. "Can we chalk this up to another consequence of the Nihility?"

Nia and Kurumi's demeanor changed slightly, but Kyo ignored it. "Here, Kurumi. [Dalet], please."

"You want me to rewind time... to reheat a katsudon." Kurumi was speechless.

"I don't think there's a microwave here, so yes, please." Kyo gave her the most polite smile he could muster. Kurumi snorted in derision.

"I uh, guess that's a no then." Kyo handed a box over to both Nia and Kurumi before bringing out a portable hand-powered blender. Throwing in a bunch of energy gels and protein powders, as well as a few assorted berries, he quickly blitzed the ingredients into a smoothie with the consistency of sewer gunk and the color of blackberry-flavored vomit. "I'm pretty sure recovering patients aren't supposed to eat solid food, but you're Spirit, so you should be fine-"

"What in the name of all things holy is that?!" Nia all but screamed.

"Uh, some sort of nutrient-rich blend of assorted powders, berries, and energy gels." Kyo took a sip before freezing. "Wait, this taste..."

Slowly, Nia put down her katsudon and inched away from him on her bed whilst Kurumi backed herself towards the far wall.

"...it tastes like raspberries! YES! AHAHAAAA!" Kyo danced with a manic glee before downing the concoction in a single mouthful. "FLAVOR! THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHY WE LIVE! I AM TRULY IN HEAVEN!"

Kurumi and Nia shuddered simultaneously.