"Look!"
"Elliot!"
"This is it! The moment we've worked for! The Spirit Art—we're about to change the entire world of magic!"
"A revolution like no other!"
"The point where god and man connect! This is the beginning!!!"
Isaac's voice trembled with excitement as he stared up at the massive pillar of light shooting into the sky. Magical energy swirled violently, roaring like a living creature. His hands shook, and his expression was a mixture of awe and madness—completely consumed by what he'd helped create.
Beside him, Elliot tried to stay calm, but his heartbeat raced. His eyes flicked nervously toward the massive column of light, unsure what they were really summoning.
No one knew what existed on the other side of that glowing storm.
Not even Isaac, who had orchestrated the ritual, could say for certain if they had truly reached a god.
For all they knew, they could have summoned a demon king instead.
As both men watched the shining vortex, reality itself suddenly bent.
Time stopped.
The clouds above froze. The grass stopped moving. The wind vanished. Even the buzzing of energy went silent.
Across the universe—planets, stars, galaxies—everything came to a halt.
And in that absolute stillness… Rin Yuki appeared.
He stepped into the world with a relaxed smile, hands in his coat pockets.
He glanced at the two magicians, now frozen in their moment of triumph.
"Ah, perfect," he muttered. "Letting them do all the hard work really saves me the trouble."
He walked closer to the glowing pillar, eyes filled with casual amusement.
"Thanks for the effort, gentlemen. I'll be taking Mio home now. No need to thank me."
Because Ellen hadn't interfered this time, the magician village hadn't been wiped out. And thanks to that, enough energy had finally been collected to complete this Spirit Art.
Isaac and Elliot alone could never have powered this ritual. They had drained spiritual energy straight from nature itself—pulling raw power from the oceans, skies, and earth. Energy that would have taken millennia to naturally replenish.
To Yuki, it was clear: Isaac would sacrifice anything for ambition, and Elliot, despite his soft image in the original timeline, had silently gone along with everything.
In Yuki's mind, they were already dead.
But for now, he ignored them.
His focus shifted to the light.
Yuki stepped into the glowing pillar without hesitation.
Inside, time and space twisted like waves of color. Magic flowed in surreal shapes, and in the center of it all was a rift—a gateway to the Adjacent Realms, the origin of all Spirits.
Through the rift, he entered a place that felt like a dream.
A field of beautiful, glowing flowers stretched endlessly under a sky made of shimmering stardust.
And in the middle of that surreal garden… she lay.
A girl with long, silver-white hair like moonlight cascading around her. Her skin was pale and flawless, and her delicate features looked like they had been carved by the hands of the gods.
Her body rested gracefully among the flowers, untouched, divine.
Yuki's gaze slid downward before he quickly looked away and cleared his throat.
"...Damn. That's... That's- Nope. Not staring."
He snapped his fingers and conjured a soft coat, laying it over her exposed body.
Then he gently knelt beside her and brushed a fingertip against her cheek.
"Time to wake up, sleepyhead."
His voice was low and calming, like spring wind through blossoms.
Her eyelids fluttered, and her long lashes parted.
Eyes the color of deep ocean blue slowly opened.
She blinked a few times, her gaze meeting his own deep ocean blue eyes, full of confusion and innocent wonder.
"You are…?" she whispered.
Yuki smiled.
"I'm Rin Yuki. I've come to take you home, Rein—ah, Mio-nee."
That warm grin, playful but gentle, was impossible to resist.
Even a Spirit like her—untouched by human emotion—felt a strange, fluttering warmth in her chest.
"…Mio?" she repeated, puzzled.
"That's your name."
"Name…"
She didn't know what a "name" was. But if he said it, it felt special.
She didn't dislike it.
Yuki stood and held out his hand.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Mio stared at his outstretched hand, her expression blank. Then slowly, she reached up and placed her fingers in his.
With a light pull, he helped her to her feet.
Rustle—
The coat slipped off her shoulders.
And again, everything was revealed.
The full curve of her chest, the smooth line of her waist, the subtle glow of her skin—she stood in the field, radiant and completely exposed.
Yuki coughed again.
"Mio-nee… uh, let's get you dressed, yeah?"
He looked... but didn't not look. He was still a man, after all.
Mio tilted her head at his reaction. She followed his gaze, then looked down at herself.
She was perfectly comfortable like this—but something in his reaction made her think otherwise.
"This... I have," she said softly.
A glow rose around her as a halo of stars appeared behind her back.
Her Spirit energy surged.
Petals of light spun around her, wrapping her in her Spirit Dress.
When the light faded, she stood clothed in white.
Her gown was elegant, flowing like clouds, embroidered with delicate silver flower patterns. Two radiant flowers adorned her hair. The petals around her chest curled like blooming lotuses, barely covering her modesty.
Behind her, the glowing halo pulsed softly, studded with ten brilliant stars.
She looked like a goddess.
Or maybe a bride, standing at the altar of the universe itself.
But Yuki frowned.
"Nope. No way."
The skirt was nearly see-through. The top half—well, let's just say it didn't leave much to the imagination.
He wasn't about to let other men lay eyes on this.
This view? Exclusive property.
He waved a hand, and the coat floated back up, wrapping tightly around her.
"Sorry, Mio-nee. This outfit's banned outside."
"Oh," she responded, not understanding—but not resisting either.
She followed him as they walked through the shimmering space, stepping back into the world outside the light.
It was her first time seeing this world. Everything around her was so different. Her eyes sparkled with awe.
She pointed at Isaac and Elliot—still frozen mid-pose.
"What are those two doing?"
Isaac stood like a mad prophet, arms out, face twisted in triumph. Elliot looked like he was bracing for impact.
"They're not important. Just some troublemakers," Yuki said casually.
Then he flicked his fingers.
Poof.
Both men vanished into dust. Not even a trace was left behind.
Time resumed.
The wind returned. The clouds moved. The world breathed again.
Yuki casually collected their fallen Realizer devices and replenished the planet's stolen spiritual energy.
"Let's go," he said, gently taking Mio's hand.
Back in London
The moment they appeared, Ellen and Karen turned toward the unfamiliar silver-haired girl beside Yuki.
She was glowing. Literally. Every instinct in both sisters went on high alert.
"Yuki... who's this?" Ellen asked, eyeing Mio warily.
"This is Mio. A Spirit."
"A… Spirit?" Karen echoed.
Yuki explained everything—the Adjacent Realms, the ritual, the disaster that Isaac and Elliot almost unleashed.
Ellen and Karen tried to take it all in.
Meanwhile, Mio stared at them, tilting her head curiously like a cat discovering something new.
She was fascinated by the human world already.
Ellen crossed her arms.
"…How strong is a Spirit, compared to a magician?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge.
Mio didn't speak.
Instead, she looked at Yuki.
He chuckled and nodded.
In an instant, he opened a private dimension for them.
"Rasiel."
Her voice was soft—but the space around them trembled.
Behind her, a massive flower-shaped Angel bloomed. Petals shimmered like glass, scattering across the battlefield.
Vibrant gardens spread under their feet—but they were no paradise.
The pollen here could kill, and anything it touched would cease to exist.
Beautiful—and deadly.
Ellen activated her battle gear, wings of light flaring as she drew her photon blade.
She charged.
Mio vanished.
Reappearing a few feet away, she summoned a single flower bud.
BOOM!
A laser burst from it. Ellen twisted mid-air, dodging it by inches.
"Tch—!"
Her Rhongomyniad wings unfolded. Twin beams of energy sliced toward Mio.
But the Spirit reappeared behind her in the blink of an eye.
Ellen cursed.
Cheater.
The two clashed—light and grace, speed and precision.
Mio held back, using only her basic Angel powers.
Ellen's gear, built with high-tier material, barely kept her on even ground.
Eventually—
Clang!
One final clash sent Ellen sliding back.
She lost.
Breathing hard, Ellen stared at Mio with newfound respect.
So this… this was what a Spirit was.
Karen had been taking notes nonstop, her eyes glowing with scientific obsession.
"Pollen-based molecular annihilation… spatial dislocation… quantum folding reaction—!"
Yuki smirked.
Now they understood.
He snapped his fingers.
The dimension disappeared.
Back in the streets of London, Ellen wiped her brow.
"Next time," she muttered, eyeing Mio, "I'm winning."
Mio tilted her head.
"Okay."
She didn't sound convinced.