Tobiichi Origami and Takamiya Mana had just finished dealing with DEM's magicians.
Origami, currently AST's ace, was one of Westcott's most promising magicians—the rising star of his elite. Mana, on the other hand, was widely regarded as the strongest magician beneath Ellen, the only one other than her to have ever defeated a Spirit in direct combat.
True, the Spirit she defeated had only been a clone of Tokisaki Kurumi—unable to use Zafkiel and not the real thing—and when facing Kurumi's true self, Mana had been swiftly overpowered.
Still, against anyone but Spirits, the two were extremely formidable. Especially with assistance from other Spirits like Yoshino and Kurumi, the remaining DEM magicians—lacking their strongest member—were helpless, unable to do anything but get beaten down.
Now, Origami and Mana had rushed over—partly because the commotion in this area had clearly reached its peak, and partly because the enemy magicians had all been dealt with.
After briefly conferring with Kotori, both girls agreed on getting Shidou and the others to Fraxinus for treatment as soon as possible.
Not only because Shidou's condition was borderline tragic, but also because this area would soon become a battlefield. They had to evacuate quickly.
However… Melusine found herself puzzled.
The two had somehow started arguing—over who should be responsible for carrying Shidou?
Each laid claim to their respective "roles": Origami as Shidou's lover, and Mana as his blood-related little sister. Neither would yield.
Still, they hadn't lost their minds. Priorities were still in order.
In the end, they settled on Origami taking Shidou, while Mana backed down with rational grace.
"Well then… I suppose I can't afford to stay idle either."
Inhale.
With that simple act of drawing breath, the space around her shimmered.
From her petite frame, spirit power surged like a tidal wave—rolling out in waves like a river of stars cascading from the night sky.
The next instant, there was a sonic boom as Melusine's figure launched like a cannon shell.
As time passed, the sun dipped completely below the hills.
Night blanketed the world in ink. The stars were swallowed by thick clouds.
Amid the silence, a crescent moon slipped out from behind the clouds, casting a pale, pure glow.
Beneath it, on the rooftop of a tall building, the Demon King—the reversed Yatogami Tohka—stood still.
The moment Melusine located her, the reverse happened too—Tohka sensed her presence as well.
Instantly, Melusine felt a sharp, murderous intent lock onto her, a wave of violent, all-consuming fury rushing forth.
It had nothing to do with race, identity, or fate. Though it had consciousness and thought, this will would destroy all in its view with equal indifference.
Like an earthquake. A tsunami. A storm.
A force of nature.
Tohka's cold eyes reflected the streaking blue meteor approaching her, their depths roiling with enough killing intent to shred the image to pieces.
"You dared make me feel pain... Now, be destroyed by my wrath!"
In an instant, the rooftop beneath her shattered, crumbling to rubble that fell to the ground below.
Using the rebound as a launchpad, Tohka leapt into the sky, swinging her greatsword and unleashing a powerful arc of energy.
The sword beam tore through the air with a banshee's scream.
In response, the blue meteor that had been plummeting at supersonic speed twisted impossibly mid-flight, grazing past the incoming energy slash. It veered straight toward Tohka, the blade mounted on its forearm snapping out like a spring-loaded fang.
Tohka remained cold-eyed. The greatsword in her hands pulsed with a blood-red, ominous light.
"Drink deep of blood, Paverschlev!"
"Reflect the moonlight—Arondight!"
And with that, destruction descended.
The resulting shockwave shattered all nearby windows. Glass shards rained down onto the streets below.
A purple-black meteor streaked across the night sky, trailed closely by its azure counterpart.
Blade and sword clashed in flashes of steel and bursts of power, the sound ringing like dragons roaring and phoenixes crying. Arcs of swordlight painted the sky like shooting stars.
Tohka plummeted, slamming down above a lake—and stopped just above its surface.
Her spirit energy, charged with destruction, churned the water beneath her, boiling it into mist. Her expression remained calm as she stared up at the descending blue light.
Splash!
Like a stone thrown into a pond, something crashed into the water, sending geysers shooting skyward.
Then—slicing through the mist, a lake-glimmering slash came screaming toward Tohka's arm.
She met it with a burst of violet energy—Paverschlev came crashing down, smashing the glowing attack aside and parting the water beneath them with layered waves.
Tohka's long hair fluttered behind her, yet not a single droplet clung to her. Her entire body was wrapped in spirit energy like smoke and haze. She locked eyes immediately on the razor-sharp presence before her.
"RAAAHHHHH!"
Roaring, Tohka pushed off the air itself and surged forward like lightning. Gripping her massive sword with both hands, she brought it down in a full-force swing.
Yatogami Tohka knew no swordsmanship. Her style was pure brute force: compress massive amounts of spirit power into her Angel and strike, maximizing raw destructive output.
Simple. Violent.
Golden irises reflected the titanic slash. Melusine danced back lightly, dodging like a feather on the wind—elegant, graceful, as though dancing in moonlight.
"With a sword swung on nothing but brute fury, you won't land a single blow on me."
Her gaze sharpened. Twin blades flared with power.
"Hah!"
Twin short blades gleaming with moonlight stabbed forth like twin streaks of light, slamming into Paverschlev as Tohka raised it to block.
For an instant, time itself seemed to stop.
Then the waves rising toward the heavens shattered all at once. The skies poured down water like a summer storm. Mist rolled in, obscuring the two combatants from view.
Still, the clash of blades and bursts of power echoed through the mist.
In the blink of an eye, over ten areas on the lake exploded with blasts of blue and purple light.
They surged. They collided. They battled, hearts pounding.
Blood pumped, teeth clenched, every breath a roar—one step forward became an act of war.
One droplet of water fell… and was instantly shredded by countless slashes appearing out of nowhere.
Those flashes wove a dense net of sword strikes—an inescapable trap.
Tohka, caught in that net, was like a bird ensnared. A fish in the weave.
"You think this trick will work on me?!"
Her seemingly unwieldy sword moved with impossible ease in her hands. She shattered each lake-blue blade of energy with powerful, sweeping strikes—fluid, relentless.
Rain poured, but it couldn't wash away the fury of their sword dance.
The air cracked. The lake trembled. The skies rang.
Through the falling droplets, Tohka met Melusine's gaze—those golden eyes, burning like miniature suns.
The air thickened, heavy with a pressure beyond words. Something ancient and primal stirred—burning, building, spreading.
Hot breath escaped gritted teeth. Her heart thundered. Blood roared.
Her trembling hands still gripped the massive sword, swung it with brute strength, ordered it to destroy.
This was no skirmish—it was war.
If the enemy was stronger, then she would pour more strength into every strike.
If the enemy was faster, then she would move faster still.
Paverschlev burst into flame. Tohka inhaled deeply, her lungs burning.
The next moment, she and Melusine—still staring across the lake—shattered the air beneath their feet and charged like meteors scraping the sky.
BOOM!
Their collision exploded with a force far greater than any before.
Shockwaves surged across the lake, sending massive waves in all directions.
Tohka's figure suddenly reappeared atop a streetlight, sword in hand.
She didn't appear gravely wounded, but her breathing was ragged. Her spirit energy had clearly dropped.
Not far away, another streetlight flickered. The silvery moonlight reflected off the knightly lake-blue armor of Melusine, her golden eyes calm and unreadable as she stared down Tohka.
In contrast to Tohka's uneven breath, Melusine's presence was as steady as a still sea. Calm, rhythmic, unwavering.
The victor was clear.
"Need a halftime break?"
As Tohka tried to catch her breath, Melusine spoke casually, utterly composed. "I don't mind."
"Hmph!"
Tohka scoffed in irritation.
"You… You're mocking me, aren't you? Holding back this whole time—what's that supposed to mean?"
She hadn't noticed at first. But as the fight went on, it became obvious.
What had seemed like an even match wasn't at all.
Melusine had never gone for the kill.
Every time Tohka upped her power, Melusine raised hers just enough to match.
Every time she moved faster, so did Melusine.
No matter how much Tohka pushed, the gap never closed.
"…"
Melusine fell silent.
"What? Think I'm too weak to be worth explaining to?"
Tohka's spirit energy flared violently, savage and furious—like a beast roaring to the heavens.
Melusine only shook her head. "No. I just… don't know how to explain it."
The truth was simple. Her opponent was Yatogami Tohka—at least the body was. She had merely reversed due to despair. Melusine couldn't bring herself to kill her.
"Besides, I don't look down on anyone just because they're weaker."
She continued, voice steady. "I'm the strongest. Every living being under this sky is weaker than me. That makes being 'strong' or 'weak' meaningless. Weakness is normal. It's not enough to warrant scorn."
Isn't that basically scornful?!
To Tohka, it sounded unbearably arrogant—an insult wrapped in confidence. Even if she knew Melusine was stronger, it still infuriated her.
"There's another reason… After tonight, we might never meet again."
Melusine said it casually.
"Well then. You've had your rest, right? Let's continue."
"…Fine. I've decided."
Tohka clenched her teeth, voice trembling with fury.
"I'll shatter you—and that damn arrogance—with everything I have!"
With a roar, she unleashed a wave of destruction.
Melusine's body vanished the moment the attack hit—her previous perch swallowed in a violent eruption.
The sword energy didn't stop—it tore through the street, shattered asphalt, crumbled buildings. A violet dragon of destruction twisting across the city like a tidal wave.
Watching the rampaging sword energy, Melusine blinked her golden eyes.
"…Weird. Why is she suddenly so mad?"
Tilting her head, she mumbled to herself. "Did she start her period? Do Spirits even get those?"
As her thoughts wandered, the night sky above turned a deep violet.
Raising her arm, she blocked the jagged, monstrous blade—Paverschlev—as it crashed against her dagger.
Flames exploded instantly—Paverschlev erupted in a blaze of violet fire.
Wings of destruction blanketed the heavens.
"Hah—!"
Missing once, Tohka wasted no time. Her slender arms hauled the oversized sword again, unleashing a furious barrage of heavy slashes.
Each blow burned with spirit fire, and when it struck Melusine's blade, sparks flew. Yet she redirected the force skillfully, deflecting each attack, nullifying their power.
Melusine dodged, blocked, deflected, dispersed—each attack met with control and precision.
Then—she spotted it. A single glaring weakness.
She reacted on instinct, driving a powerful kick into Tohka's chest.
The impact sent her flying like a meteor, crashing into the distance. Even her AAA-class armor couldn't absorb that kind of force.
"Amazing power… wasted on someone who doesn't know how to wield it."
Melusine sighed, almost pitying her.
"But then again, if you were as strong as I am, human technique would only get in the way… Which is impossible, of course. Because I'm the strongest."