Kurumi Tokisaki , the most wicked Spirit.

In her original timeline, she bore the tragic wish of avenging herself against Mio Takamiya and resurrecting her closest friend, slaughtering tens of thousands of humans in the process. Yet, she also possessed a kind and gentle side—never killing without reason.

And when faced with unexpected directness, she could even become shy.

Among all the Spirits in the Date A Live world, Setsuna found Kurumi to be the most complex—and the most intriguing.

Of course, it also helped that her gothic attire, black stockings, twin tails, and heterochromatic eyes aligned perfectly with his tastes.

The next day, in the administrative center.

During a break from work, Setsuna casually posed a question to the shipgirls beside him.

"Richelieu, Yat Sen, what kind of person do you think Kurumi Tokisaki is?"

"Her? That Spirit?"

Richelieu pondered for a moment.

"I think she's a very gentle girl who loves cats? Kind of like a well-mannered high school lady?"

"Honestly, she doesn't seem to have the madness or scheming nature you described."

"Agreed," Gudako nodded. "Before I met her, based on what you said, I thought Kurumi was some kind of mentally unstable serial killer."

"But now she just seems like a regular noble lady. Tsk."

The others voiced their agreement.

None of them knew Kurumi's past from the original timeline. Their only experience with her was the journey to find the Spirit of Origin and the events following their return.

"However, I do sense that she hides her emotions deeply, as if she has unresolved thoughts. But she's not willing to talk about them," Yat Sen observed, gently placing a cup of tea next to Setsuna.

"Hmm..."

Setsuna leaned back in his chair, thinking.

Kurumi always maintained a certain distance—never too close, never too far. Even when he had taken a direct approach with her, she had merely blushed, thrown back a few sharp words, and moved on.

To truly win her over, he needed to help her resolve her inner struggles.

The issue with the Spirit of Origin had already been dealt with. In this new timeline, Mio had not deceived Kurumi. Instead, she regarded all Spirits as her children, caring for them wholeheartedly.

Mio's maternal instincts were so strong that she often checked in on Kurumi, to the point where Kurumi now actively avoided her.

With that conflict gone, only one issue remained.

"Tsk. Call Kurumi Tokisaki, Mio, and Nia Honjo over. We have one last historical issue to take care of."

Half an hour later.

The three Spirits gathered near the teleportation anchor.

Mio clung to Setsuna's arm as always, refusing to let go.

Nia Honjo held her Tome of Revelation, still dressed in her seductive nun-like Astral Dress.

She had been spending her time in the library, learning from Lucoa. In many ways, her omniscient angelic abilities made her a perfect librarian.

Not to mention, she could also use them to draw certain artistic works.

"So? Setsuna? What did you call us here for?"

Kurumi tilted her head slightly.

"To resolve the final issue in the Date A Live world. We're going to meet Sawa Yamauchi and bring her over."

Setsuna stated matter-of-factly.

"!!!"

Kurumi's breath hitched.

"...Is that even possible?"

"Of course. But I can't guarantee what this new timeline's version of Sawa Yamauchi will be like."

Setsuna thought for a moment.

If the original story was any indication, Kurumi's dear friend had already gone through multiple cycles of resurrection and tragedy.

First deceived by Mio, then mistakenly killed by Kurumi, falling into the Neighboring World, merging into the White Queen, and ultimately parting ways with Kurumi…

In this new timeline, where Mio had been taken away by Setsuna, Sawa Yamauchi should have remained just an ordinary high school girl.

Setsuna patted Kurumi on the shoulder.

"Let's go. I've always kept your wish in mind."

"When we first met, I told you—I'd find a way to fulfill your wish, bring Sawa Yamauchi back to life, and reunite you two."

"Now that my skill's cooldown is up, I can use it alongside the Spiritron Calculation Device to retrieve her from the past."

"..."

"Setsuna…"

Kurumi lightly grasped the hem of her dress, her expression complex.

She hadn't taken yesterday's encounter to heart, treating it as nothing more than their usual back-and-forth banter.

But now, hearing that Setsuna had kept her wish in mind all this time, she couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.

...

Shua—

Bzzz—

In a flash of light, they were transported via the anchor point back to the Date A Live world.

Then, using the Spiritron Calculation Device, they traveled back to the year 1993 in Tokyo.

Upon opening their eyes again, they found themselves amidst the bustling crowds and traffic, surrounded by buildings with an unmistakable vintage style.

Every time they used Spiritron Transfer to leap through time, there was always a strange sense of temporal and spatial dissonance.

"This is…?"

Kurumi was momentarily dazed.

This jump had landed them several years after they had intercepted the Spirit of Origin.

It was around the time, in the original timeline, when she had been deceived by Mio and transformed into a Spirit.

"Sawa Yamauchi is about your age, so we need to travel back in time to find her."

"You wouldn't want to reunite with your best friend only to find she's become an old lady, right?"

Setsuna grinned.

Though Kurumi looked like a teenage girl, she was actually older than most Spirits. The same applied to Sawa Yamauchi.

Of course, another reason they needed to go back in time was that teenage girls were far easier to deceive. It was precisely why Mio had been able to lure them into accepting Spirit Crystals and transforming into Spirits.

If they were to approach a woman in her thirties or forties and say, "Form a contract with me and become a Spirit or a magical girl!" they would most likely be treated as lunatics.

"Nia, it's time for you to shine! Find her!"

Setsuna gave Nia Honjo a light pat.

The nun-like girl opened her Tome of Revelation and began writing.

Moments later, she had the information.

"Sawa Yamauchi, second-year student at Anyo Girls' Academy, lives with her family, an ordinary high school girl."

After reading, Nia glanced at Setsuna.

"Setsuna, is my Angel really just being used to find girls for you across different worlds?"

"I feel like this application isn't quite right."

"No problem at all."

Setsuna ruffled Nia's hair.

"You're my personal search engine. I'll reward you with a few new illustrations when we get back."

...

Outside the city.

As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl in a dark-colored JK uniform walked along a tree-lined path.

She had a sweet and adorable face, her outfit neat and tidy. With her schoolbag in hand, she strolled leisurely, looking just like any ordinary high school girl.

In this new world, Sawa Yamauchi had never encountered Mio Takamiya. She had never been tricked into becoming a Spirit or tainted by a Spirit Crystal.

She had lived a normal, uneventful high school life.

Humming an unknown tune, she paused by the roadside to playfully tease a stray kitten with a blade of foxtail grass.

Suddenly—

"Sawa!!"

A voice, filled with suppressed emotion, called out from behind her.

Just as she turned her head, a twin-tailed girl pounced on her.

After decades apart, reuniting with Sawa Yamauchi overwhelmed Kurumi Tokisaki with emotion.

"Sawa… we meet again…"

Kurumi clung tightly to her, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Ehhhhh?!"

Sawa Yamauchi was startled, thinking she had run into some kind of stalker or delinquent.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the other girl was wearing a similar uniform—clearly another high schooler around her age.

"Who… are you?"

She looked at Kurumi in confusion, instinctively stepping back, her expression wary.

"It's me! Kurumi Tokisaki! You don't remember me?!"

Kurumi froze for a moment, wiping the tears from her eyes, unable to understand why her once-close friend looked at her like a stranger.

"I… I've never met you before. Are you a student at Anyo Academy?"

"Sorry, but I think you might have the wrong person."

Sawa Yamauchi shook her head, her gaze filled with uncertainty.

"She's never met you in this timeline."

Setsuna placed a hand on Kurumi's shoulder and spoke softly.

"Don't forget, we have permanently altered this world's history. What happens here is no longer the same as what you remember."

Without the Spirit of Origin, none of the events tied to her had ever occurred. Many lives had taken slightly different paths.

According to Nia's analysis and records, Kurumi Tokisaki did not exist in this world, so it was natural that Sawa Yamauchi had no memory of her.

"Ah…"

Kurumi sighed with regret.

She took a deep breath, silently stepped back, and bowed to Sawa Yamauchi.

"My apologies for the mistake…"

Her closest friend no longer recognized her because of the timeline shift.

But at least she was alive.

"Who… are you people?"

Sawa Yamauchi took another step back, scrutinizing Setsuna and the girls beside him.

The man before her was tall and strikingly handsome, while the silver-haired girl next to him was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Well…"

Setsuna hadn't come all this way just to let Kurumi have a brief reunion with Sawa.

In the original timeline, Sawa Yamauchi had become the White Queen—Kurumi's Inverse Form.

As a unique Spirit, there was no reason not to bring her in.

Convincing young girls was something Setsuna had become quite skilled at.

Shua—

Mio activated her Territory at will, instantly transforming the surroundings into a monochrome world.

Time froze.

Pedestrians on the street, falling leaves, birds in mid-flight, and even the little cat Sawa Yamauchi had just been playing with—all were suspended in place.

Motionless, the world became a frozen black-and-white image.

"What… is this?"

Sawa Yamauchi looked around in amazement.

Setsuna and Mio stepped forward and handed her a Spirit Crystal.

"Miss Sawa Yamauchi, allow us to introduce ourselves. We are visitors from another world."

"Would you like to form a contract with me and become a magical girl—ah no, I mean, a Spirit?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com