As soon as Kuesumi returned to her residence, she saw Muku watching TV. After placing Nia on her own bed, Kuesumi said to the curious Muku, "Muku, please take good care of this little sister. I'm going to buy some daily necessities."
"Mm, I'll help Big Sister."
"Such a good girl."
Muku obediently looked at Kuesumi, which made Kuesumi instinctively pat her little head. Muku squinted her eyes like a kitten, enjoying Kuesumi's caress.
"It's almost dark! I need to hurry back."
Kuesumi, emerging from the convenience store, casually drew a few repelling barriers to ward off some ill-intentioned gazes behind her, and spoke as she looked at the sun, which was now just a sliver.
"Oh~ la, my dear, what a coincidence! To meet you here, of all places."
Halfway through her walk, Kuesumi saw Kurumi suddenly emerge from underground. She really wanted to stomp on her, but then she thought better of it, figuring it was probably just a clone. In that case, Kurumi wouldn't suffer any losses and would just demand this and that from Kuesumi. Recently, Kurumi's behavior had become increasingly uncontrollable. She almost got past Kuesumi's defenses; it was a close call.
Normally, she would appear openly and never meet Kuesumi in such a manner. Had something happened? Right, today was the day Tohka was captured. Ugh, she had forgotten.
"Our kin has been captured."
Sure enough, Kurumi began to recount what happened after Kuesumi left. Miku had defeated the entire AST. After returning and finding Kuesumi absent, she wasn't angry; she understood the saying 'there's always tomorrow.' However, her confession, which she had worked so hard for, was interrupted. This made her very angry, so she gave AST a good beating before heading home. After the control was lifted, everyone in the stadium left. It was then that Shiori realized Tohka was missing. Using the full power of Kotori's airship, she finally located the world's number one magician. Tohka had been taken by Ellen to the DEM Industries Japan branch. Shiori was now frantic, completely at a loss for what to do.
"I was just about to cause trouble for those two anyway. Now I can save that adorable foodie."
Thinking this, Kuesumi waited for Kurumi to finish speaking. She said nothing, just kept staring at Kurumi, making Kurumi's back feel cold.
"Take these things home. An important member of our kin has arrived."
Handing the items to Kurumi, Kuesumi instantly vanished from her spot.
"Moo! Really, my dear, but that should be the Second Sephira, right! I just happen to have something to ask her."
Kurumi smiled and sank into the ground. She still had to go take care of that kin. Her ability should allow Kurumi to find out who the First Spirit was thirty years ago.
"So this is the branch, huh! And that's... Shiori?"
On the deserted rooftop, Kuesumi emerged directly in a burst of blue light. She carefully observed the DEM Industries building and noticed a suspicious figure in a corner.
"Honestly, she's truly the protagonist. Someone always helps her wherever she goes, as long as her luck doesn't run out. She's practically immortal!"
Thinking this, Kuesumi pulled out her grimoire. She flipped to a page and tore it off.
"Come forth! Earl of Shadow, go protect that girl."
Accompanying Kuesumi's summons, a figure in full, majestic black armor appeared before Kuesumi. Like a knight, it knelt on one knee before Kuesumi. Even kneeling, it stood two meters tall.
Following Kuesumi's command, it instantly turned transparent and flew behind Shiori.
"Without Miku's help, she definitely won't reach Tohka. What a troublesome person. It seems I'm still a bit soft-hearted." Kuesumi placed her right hand over her heart. The soft sensation told Kuesumi that she couldn't feel her conscience.
On the other side, with the help of the Earl of Shadow, Shiori moved as if through an empty land. Whenever someone raised a gun at Shiori, they would suddenly faint. Shiori, eager to save someone, didn't pay much attention, simply marveling at her good luck and thinking that those left in DEM Industries were all 'old, weak, sick, and disabled.' She was completely unaware of the giant figure behind her, eyes glowing red, glaring ahead and knocking everyone unconscious.
After a great deal of effort, Shiori finally found the right place.
"Tohka, are you okay!"
"Shiori, get away! Get away!"
Tohka, who had been a bit disoriented, instantly cleared her head upon hearing Shiori's voice. But she completely disregarded her own safety, telling Shiori to run quickly, otherwise, if that bad woman came, no one would escape.
But it seemed to be a little too late.
"Clap, clap~" A white-haired young man emerged from the dark corridor. He looked at Shiori with interest.
"Ellen, kill her."
A command to eliminate was given without hesitation. Just then, a blonde woman appeared from where Shiori had just walked, wearing her Realizer unit, and swung a light blade at Shiori.
"No!"
Tohka's terrified cry came, but Shiori had no time to comfort her now. Because the attack was already upon her. Just as Shiori watched the slowly descending blade with unwillingness and despair,
To everyone's surprise, a three-meter-tall humanoid creature in full black armor suddenly appeared, blocking Ellen's attack.
"What is this thing? Why is it saving me?"
Unlike the surprised trio of Ellen and the others, Shiori was more curious as to why this thing was protecting her. With her intelligence and emotional quotient, she would never guess, even until her death, that the person she feared most would actually protect her.
The white-haired young man standing beside Tohka commanded the world's number one magician, "Ellen, capture it for me. I'm very curious about this thing, so it's fine to be rough with it."
He then ignored the battle and approached Tohka. Looking at Tohka's defiant eyes, a look of pleased interest appeared on his face.
"Now~, how can I make you break down?"
"Insulting your chastity as a woman."
"Pulling out your fingernails."
"Or, knocking out your teeth."
The young man looked at Tohka with pleasure. He pinched Tohka's chin, turning her eyes to face him.
"What excellent eyes, just looking at them makes me want to destroy them."
A voice full of malice reached Tohka's ears.
"Oh~ really?"
"Yes, exactly. Only simple girls like this are interesting to break."
As if suddenly realizing that this was not a familiar voice, he was startled. He quietly released his right hand from Tohka's chin. Turning to look in the direction of the voice, he casually threw a punch.
"Good reflexes, for a human."
Kuesumi, who easily caught the punch, said to Westcott, who was slightly sweating.
"Pfft~!"
It was as if a fruit had been crushed; Wescott's right hand had turned into a pile of minced meat.
"How should I deal with you? Should I dig out your eyes, then stuff them into your anus, so you can truly witness this filthy world?"
"Or should I cut open your belly, pull out your intestines, and make them into a grand organ?"
"Or should I peel off your skin, then sprinkle nectar all over your body, allowing the ants to feast on you?"
"Now, choose!"
Kuesumi said to Wescott, who was drenched in cold sweat. Of course, she wouldn't let him off so easily. She was thinking about how to make him suffer immensely without dying too quickly. A cold glint shone in Kuesumi's eyes.
As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. The words he had just said to Tohka, Kuesumi was now returning to him twofold.
"Ellen,"
Wescott looked at Kuesumi with terrified eyes, wanting to summon his proud subordinate.
"Don't bother calling, she's right here."
Looking at the disheveled Wescott, Kuesumi pointed joyfully at her feet. A plump body lay there, its limbs twisted grotesquely in opposite directions. Clearly, they had been violently broken.
"I truly didn't expect it. Even Ellen lost!"
Wescott gave a bitter, unwilling smile. It seemed his power was simply too weak. If he had ten times his current strength, he definitely wouldn't have lost so miserably. Thinking of this, Wescott clutched his right hand, which had been twisted into a pretzel.
"Hmph! Weren't you quite arrogant just now?"
Looking at the somewhat despairing Wescott, Kuesumi detested people who would do anything heinous for power. Such slaves to power were completely unworthy of sympathy. He probably had forgotten how many inhumane things he had done.
Remembering Nia, whom she had seen in the laboratory today, treated like a test subject, a surge of anger flared within her.
"Then, in the Underworld, make sure to say hello to Hades."
After speaking, Kuesumi intended to directly smash his dog head. Physical pain probably wouldn't do much for this guy. It was better to let Hades throw this guy into the River Styx for a good scrubbing! As for whether his soul would ultimately scatter, that would depend on his own fortune.
"Wait… wait, don't kill him."
Just as she was about to strike, Shiori, who had been playing a supporting role for almost a chapter, suddenly appeared to stop Kuesumi.
"Slap!"
Without a word, Kuesumi directly slapped Shiori across the face. Fortunately, she had held back ninety percent of her strength, otherwise Shiori's head might have been completely knocked off. But this slap caused Shiori to fall to the ground in terror, her beautiful face instantly swollen and red, making one almost unable to suppress a laugh.
"Even a saintess has her limits. Don't use such ridiculous morals to refute my decision."
"Haven't you ever thought, if I hadn't helped you, could you have even gotten in?"
"Haven't you considered that if we didn't have the ability to rescue Tohka, she might be facing inhumane research and dissection?"
"Why can't you properly rein in your overflowing compassion, you hypocrite?"
Ignoring Shiori, she continued speaking, then cut off Wescott's head. She branded his soul with the tag'Sin'. When he met Hades, he would instantly understand Kuesumi's meaning. She stated that he would be treated with the highest regard in the Underworld. Kuesumi declared that if Wescott could withstand one wave and his soul didn't scatter, she would livestream herself being 'dated' by Gaia.
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