Kars's eager expression was noted by Sakuya. Although she didn't know why this abnormal change had suddenly occurred in Kars, it didn't seem to be a bad thing. Sakuya was happy that Kars was growing stronger.
However, the current problem was Kars's desire to jump into the battle between the Mistress and the Shrine Maiden just because he suddenly felt stronger. This was something she absolutely could not allow.
"Master Kars, judging by the current situation, we are not in a position to interfere. It's better to stay here." Sakuya spoke before Kars could articulate his intentions. To her, even if Kars had gained strength, the extent of that change was unknown. She could not permit him to take such a dangerous action without clear information.
"But Sakuya, I feel completely different now! I might be able to help Little Auntie!" Though he still didn't fully understand his body's new condition, the feeling of power gave Kars immense confidence. Sakuya's immediate caution frustrated him, and he tried to persuade her.
"Even so, no. I cannot allow you to fight such dangerous people." Sakuya's stance was firm. This was a severe disappointment for Kars, whose low spirits were clearly visible.
Seeing Kars so dejected, Sakuya felt a pang of sympathy but held firm. She knew Kars's motivation stemmed from youthful exuberance—a sudden surge of power made him eager to prove himself. Normally, she wouldn't stop him.
But the current situation was different. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden was incredibly powerful, and even the Mistress might not win. To consent to Kars's intervention now would be a grave failure of her duty.
"Master Kars, I am very happy that you have grown stronger. However, I hope you understand that you cannot allow a momentary surge of power to make you arrogant. That is extremely dangerous. Until you possess the strength to defeat the vast majority of your foes, please refrain from such actions. It will only lead to tragedy and cause the Mistress, Mistress Flandre, and all of us at the Scarlet Devil Mansion immense grief."
"Just like this very operation, the Mistress and all of us committed this fatal mistake, which led to the current predicament. Master Kars, you must learn from this, not make the same mistake we did. Otherwise, your newfound strength will be useless, and the Mistress won't be happy either."
Sakuya's speech was highly effective. Kars, whose mind had been clouded by the rush of power, slowly began to calm down.
Seeing her words had the desired effect, Sakuya felt relieved. She feared Kars would ignore her, and she currently lacked the energy to physically stop him.
"Is there really no way I can help?" Though calmer, Kars still felt the urge to contribute.
"If you truly possess the power to change the tide of this battle, then I would not stop you. Do you possess that power?" Sakuya didn't understand Kars's condition or how much strength the glowing gave him. Whether he had the power to defeat the Hakurei Shrine Maiden was unknown, especially since Kars himself lacked both knowledge of his own power and the combat experience to gauge it.
Kars fell silent. As Sakuya thought, he truly didn't know if he possessed such power. In his initial rush of blood, he would have confidently said yes, but now, he couldn't. He truly had no idea.
"I don't know. I don't really understand this power myself. But up until now, all I could do was watch, completely helpless. And now that I suddenly have this power, perhaps it's meant for me to do what I can." In contrast to his earlier impulsiveness, Sakuya could see that Kars had seriously considered his decision, which made him seem much more reliable.
"...I understand. Then, Master Kars, please be extremely careful." Sakuya stopped trying to prevent him. All she could do now was offer support and assistance with the limited strength she had left.
"Yes! I will definitely help Little Auntie win against that Shrine Maiden!"
Bat wings emerged from Kars's back, and he shot up into the sky. His sudden movement and the light emanating from his body caught everyone's attention immediately.
"Kars, what is this about?" Remilia saw Kars's glowing state and didn't understand what he was up to, though she instinctively disliked the light on his body; it felt as irritating as sunlight.
"Ugh, another one." Reimu sighed, dodging the attacks from the four Flandres.
"I'll end this quickly." Kars looked at the ongoing battle and focused on his hand. He hadn't mastered any magic, and the only spell he had was the incomplete, conceptual Sun-attribute magic.
Then I can only try this! Just like Koakuma suggested…
As Sun-attribute energy appeared in Kars's hand, he began to conceptualize the spell as he had envisioned it. The activated Sun attribute in his body surged into the energy ball, accelerating rapidly until it became unmanageable. The golden-yellow energy began to change dramatically, morphing into a scorching, orange-red sphere that radiated intense heat.
Kars looked at the sphere in his hand. He wasn't sure if he had succeeded, but it certainly looked impressive. He felt like nearly all the Sun attribute in his body was depleted, and he was physically exhausted for the first time. This exhaustion convinced him the sphere must be incredibly powerful, having consumed so much energy.
With this, it has to be enough to turn the tide…
Kars: (๑°⌓°๑)
Just as Kars felt hope for a reversal, the sky suddenly brightened with golden electricity and descended. Kars instinctively looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief.
An enormous Yin-Yang Orb descended from the sky with an unstoppable force. Everything—the combatants, the mansion—looked minuscule next to it.
"This is so unfair…" Kars glanced at the small energy sphere in his hand, then back at the giant orb in the sky. The difference in size was simply too vast…
"Fantasy Seal!!"
As Reimu's voice rang out, the colossal Yin-Yang Orb instantly contracted, then exploded with a massive burst of energy that engulfed the entire Scarlet Devil Mansion, including Remilia, Flandre, and Kars.
The Scarlet Mist Incident was over…