Chapter 258: Seeing Kurumi Again
Each time an NPC launched a sudden jump-scare attack, Origami would flinch slightly, but her expression remained as calm as ever.
Tohka's performance was even more surprising to Franklin. But after thinking about it carefully, it made sense—Tohka didn't even know what ghosts were.
When she saw NPCs with disfigured, horrifying faces, she was only curious about why their outfits looked so strange, showing not the slightest fear of ghosts at all.
By the time Origami noticed this, the group had already gone deep into the haunted house.
Although she tried her best to suppress any change in expression, fear was not an emotion that could be fully restrained by sheer will.
After a brief moment of thought, another NPC suddenly lunged forward. Origami spoke in a flat tone, her expression even flatter than before.
"So scary. There's a ghost…"
As she spoke, Origami threw herself straight into Franklin's arms, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go.
"Lin, hold me. I'm so scared…"
Tohka, who had still been curiously watching why the NPCs kept jumping out, instantly became unhappy. She forcefully tugged at Franklin and Origami.
"Let go! Let go right now! You're cheating! Why are you hugging Lin? I want to too!"
Once again becoming the object of contention between the two, Franklin felt utterly helpless.
"Stop messing around. You're making things awkward for the NPC here. If you don't like the haunted house, we can leave now.
"There are plenty of exciting attractions outside that we haven't tried yet. Origami, if you want to test what kind of emotions destabilize a Spirit, it doesn't have to be the haunted house."
The two started arguing again. At this point, even the NPC who had jumped out couldn't take it anymore. He ripped off his mask and slammed it onto the ground.
"I really don't want to work this crappy job another day. I already don't like people like you who flaunt your happiness, and now I have to watch you show off your affection too."
Watching the NPC turn around and leave, Franklin smiled helplessly. Origami and Tohka stopped arguing as well. After exchanging a glance, both of them silently clung to Franklin's arms.
"Let's go, Lin. This place isn't fun at all. It's just a bunch of weirdly dressed people."
Receiving Tohka's opinion, Franklin looked toward Origami on the other side.
"Mm. Let's go try other attractions."
After receiving confirmation from both girls, Franklin expanded his domain, just about to take them away directly, when he discovered Tokisaki Kurumi's true body within a hidden grove inside the amusement park.
The moment his domain enveloped the area, she became alert. City of Devouring Time instantly activated, isolating Franklin's domain from her body.
After hesitating for a moment, Franklin took Origami and Tohka and appeared not far from Kurumi. Tohka showed little reaction, but Origami instantly became vigilant. Her Realizer materialized over her body, a high-tech arm cannon and a light blade appearing in her hands.
At the same time, six hexagonal transparent light shields floated around her. Franklin reached out and stopped Origami just as she was about to attack, causing her to frown and look at him.
"You said you wouldn't stop me from killing Spirits."
Franklin nodded seriously. "I won't stop you. But right now, I need to ask some questions first. When everything is over, I'll let you make your move."
Seeing the vicious look in Origami's eyes, Kurumi smiled slightly and summoned Zafkiel as well.
"Well… such sharp eyes. Have I ever harmed your family? Why do you have such hostility toward me?"
Before she could finish speaking, Franklin had already stepped in front of Origami and looked directly at Kurumi.
"You've thought things through after what happened yesterday, right? Feeling better now?"
Seeing Franklin suddenly standing in front of her, Tokisaki Kurumi froze for a moment, then slowly took a few steps back as City of Devouring Time spread outward.
"Mr. Franklin, that's a rather pointed question. As for what happened last night, of course I've thought it through. And today, I'm here to put it into action.
"Mr. Franklin, from this moment on, I will stop at nothing to defeat you and devour you.
"And what you need to do is completely strip me of my ability to resist, make me recognize my own insignificance. Otherwise, I don't know what I might do."
Looking at Kurumi's resolute yet sinister gaze, and the short gun already aimed at her own temple, Franklin let out a slow breath and nodded gently.
"Then let's try it. Let me see where your limits truly are."
"I already told you, Mr. Franklin—I will use any means necessary to defeat you."
Seeing the determination in Kurumi's eyes, Franklin became serious as well. Before he could act, Origami had already taken flight and charged straight toward Kurumi.
Seeing this, Franklin gave Kurumi an apologetic smile. Tokisaki Kurumi understood immediately—four clones flew out from the shadows.
Origami was instantly entangled by Kurumi's four clones, and amid the fierce battle, the battlefield was quickly drawn farther away due to the clones' deliberate guidance.
Franklin let out a quiet breath and expanded his domain. Kurumi's pseudo-domain, City of Devouring Time, was instantly compressed.
He manipulated his domain to crush inward against City of Devouring Time. He had expected the weak pseudo-domain to be shattered immediately,
but as City of Devouring Time rapidly shrank, a powerful resilience and elasticity pushed back in response.
This gave Franklin a sense of powerlessness. Feeling his lifespan being slowly absorbed by Kurumi through the point of contact between his domain and City of Devouring Time, he instantly realized that his understanding of domains had been wrong—narrow and incomplete.
Looking at Kurumi's gradually flushing face and her frenzied expression, Franklin's expression grew increasingly solemn.
"Mr. Franklin, I'm about to make my move. Please don't let yourself be killed by me too easily."
Franklin ignored Kurumi's continued words. He sat down cross-legged, quietly pondering the insight he had just gained regarding domains.
"Lin, do you need my help? I can stand on my own too."
"No, no need. Tohka, just stay here and watch. This is a battle between me and her. And I have some ideas I want to test—this is the perfect opportunity."
As he spoke, Franklin casually created a strawberry cake and handed it to Tohka.
Looking at the tempting cake, and recalling how her attacks on Franklin the previous day had been completely ineffective, Tohka accepted it without worry and quietly sat down beside him.
Seeing Franklin sitting cross-legged like that, Kurumi's brows furrowed slightly.
"Fifth Bullet."
After firing at her own head, Kurumi saw that the future Franklin was still sitting cross-legged, completely unmoving.
If it weren't for the strawberry cake in Tohka's hand turning into a chocolate cake, Kurumi would have thought something had gone wrong with her Angel.
Her brows knit tightly as she stared at Franklin. "Mr. Franklin, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Franklin casually waved his hand, and an Icebound Puppet materialized, stepping straight into City of Devouring Time and launching an attack at Kurumi.
Meanwhile, Franklin continued to sit quietly in place, breaking down and comprehending the operating principles of City of Devouring Time.
If a domain could operate in a specific way, then he could divide his focus further to launch other attacks—just as City of Devouring Time could absorb time. Could his domain do the same?