I Don't Want to See You Look So Sad and Lost

Sandalphon's final slash tore through the already ravaged building once more.

Her figure began to blur, wavering like a reflection in water. Her amethyst eyes lingered on Qian Huanyue and the human behind her, holding a mixture of lingering hostility, a trace of confusion, and bottomless exhaustion.

At last, her figure dissolved into specks of violet Spirit Particles. Like fireflies scattered by the wind, they vanished into the air as she returned to the Neighboring World.

Qian Huanyue surveyed the battlefield. Origami Tobiichi looked somewhat battered but had suffered no serious injuries. Most of the other AST members had only sustained equipment damage and could no longer fight.

She let out a quiet breath. With the AST members unable to fight, she had no reason to continue either.

She turned to Shiori, who was still frozen in place, and waved a hand before her eyes.

"Come back to us, Shido. The show's over, you know?" Her voice had returned to its usual gentleness, and she was trying to comfort her.

Shiori blinked hard and opened her mouth, only to find that she still couldn't form a proper sound. Too much information had struck at once, leaving her mind in chaos.

A Spacequake? And... Qian Huanyue... and her classmate, Origami Tobiichi.

Qian Huanyue gave her little time to sort through her thoughts. She took Shiori's hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Come on. We shouldn't stay here. Those pesky 'flies' will swarm us again if we do."

AST posed no real threat, but DEM was another matter.

She had yet to fight Ellen Mira Mathers, the woman known as the "world's greatest wizard," but the person behind Ellen was a madman in the truest sense.

The tremors had subsided, and the shrill alarms had fallen silent. Only the wind moaned through the ruins, accompanied by faint sounds of AST members reorganizing their equipment in the distance.

As she spoke, she used one of the swords of the Seraph of Thousand Blades in her other hand to cut open space.

"Come on. I'll show you a shortcut." Without waiting for an answer, Qian Huanyue pulled the still-dazed Shiori into the spatial rift.

Only then did the AST members left behind truly breathe a sigh of relief. Many collapsed to the ground, weak-limbed and dazed by their narrow escape.

Their surroundings changed in an instant.

The familiar, ordinary breeze brushed Shiori's face, bringing her an unprecedented sense of comfort and peace. At last, she emerged from her daze.

The magnificent Godly Spirit Garment: Senban around Qian Huanyue quietly faded as though erased from a painting. The black gown, the glittering hem, the gauzy veil, the thigh-high black stockings, the lace gloves... Every piece that had embodied power and mystery dissolved into flickering motes of light, revealing the everyday clothes beneath.

She wore a simple but strikingly pure white dress of soft cotton, its natural texture visible. The hem reached her knees and stirred gently in the breeze. A slender pale-blue ribbon circled her waist, tied in a delicate bow that accentuated her slim figure.

From dark elf to girl in white—the stark contrast made everything Shiori had just experienced feel even more like a strange, dazzling dream.

Yet the lingering tremor in her body and the images she couldn't shake from her mind screamed at her that it had been real.

Just yesterday, they had eaten together.

"I..." Shiori finally found her voice, though it came out terribly hoarse. She looked at Qian Huanyue, her eyes full of confusion and bewilderment, but not fear. "Qian Huanyue... all that... and Origami..."

She was rambling, unable to put her thoughts into words.

Qian Huanyue merely blinked, wearing an almost carefree smile. "Hm? What about me? Oh, them? That's AST. They specialize in hunting down and defeating evil Spirits like us. Origami? You mean the team member with short white hair? She's fine. Damage like that is nothing their technology can't handle."

That casual attitude only left Shiori more at a loss.

Was she frightened?

Shiori stood speechless, seemingly unsure how to face her. The carefree smile Qian Huanyue had deliberately kept in place ebbed away little by little, leaving only a faint calm that betrayed no emotion.

She released Shiori's hand and turned her gaze slightly toward the sky above the rooftop.

"No matter how human I look, after what you just saw, I'm not the 'Qian Huanyue' you can sit down and have a peaceful meal and chat with anymore, am I?"

Qian Huanyue's voice was flat, without a hint of reproach. She sounded more as though she were stating a fact she had long expected. "After all, I'm a Spirit... something that causes Spacequakes and gets hunted by them."

Those few light words cut at Shiori's heart like a blunt knife. She watched Qian Huanyue look away, her profile seeming especially distant in the moonlight. Panic at the thought of losing someone important, mingled with the resigned loneliness in Qian Huanyue's words, burst inside her chest and became a burning impulse.

No!

That wasn't true!

"No!"

The cry came out louder than Shiori had expected, trembling and cracking as it rang across the silent rooftop. Even the voice changer at her throat nearly gave her away.

She reached out abruptly. Rather than tugging Qian Huanyue back, she clasped the hand Qian Huanyue had just withdrawn between both of hers. Her fingertips whitened with the force of her grip, as though she feared Qian Huanyue might turn and disappear into the night.

Qian Huanyue seemed startled by the sudden, fierce reaction and turned back in surprise.

Shiori looked up at her urgently. The confusion and bewilderment in her brown eyes were gone, replaced by unmistakable resolve and anxiety. Her chest rose and fell sharply as the words poured out of her:

"No! That's not true!" She shook her head hard, unconsciously tightening her hold on Qian Huanyue's hand. "Qian Huanyue is Qian Huanyue! You're the person who eats with me, jokes with me, and protects me when I'm in danger!"

Her voice trembled with emotion. But more than Qian Huanyue's identity as a Spirit or the truth about Spacequakes, what weighed on her now was the fear that an uncrossable divide might open between them.

She remembered the purple-haired Spirit's amethyst eyes just before she vanished, the bottomless exhaustion and loneliness in them. That look stung, drawing Shiori back to the countless days and nights before the Itsuka family had taken her in, when she had curled up alone in a corner of the orphanage with no one who understood her.

She knew all too well what it felt like to be abandoned by the world.

She couldn't let Qian Huanyue look so sad and lost too. Never!

"Pfft!" Qian Huanyue finally let out a soft laugh. She instinctively wanted to raise a hand and cover her warming ear with her fingertips, but Shiori held both her hands, leaving her unable to move. Not that she was trying to hide anything. Shiori's blunt words had simply made her a little embarrassed.

"Has anyone ever told you this, Shido?" She tilted her head slightly, letting the breeze sweep her bangs aside. Silver strands brushed her cheek, tickling it. "The things you say... can be really mushy sometimes."

Because she knew Shido had meant every word, it felt all the mushier.

"Huh?!"

Shiori snapped back to herself and realized she was still gripping Qian Huanyue's hands. She let go as though she had touched something scalding. Her cheeks flushed bright red, even redder than the tips of Qian Huanyue's ears.

"I, I didn't... I mean..." She stammered, trying to explain, only to make it worse. In the end, she lowered her head, her voice growing quieter. "I just... said what I really felt..."

"Mm-hmm. I believe you."

Qian Huanyue narrowed her eyes in relief. Now this was the Shido she knew.

"Come to think of it, why did you come here?" Huanyue asked, though she already knew.

The answer struck Shiori like a bolt of lightning, and her eyes flew wide.

"...Kotori!" she cried, panic belatedly flooding her voice. "Kotori! My little sister! She was still at that restaurant. I came here because I was looking for her, and there was just a Spacequake over there! What if she...?"

Terror overwhelmed her, sweeping away even her embarrassment. If her sister had come to harm because she had been late... The thought made her head ache and nearly robbed her of breath.

Seeing Shiori on the verge of tears, Qian Huanyue flicked her forehead.

Thunk. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to make Shiori freeze. Her racing thoughts seemed to hit pause.

Qian Huanyue inwardly put a hand to her forehead.

Was she supposed to tell this frantic "big brother" that his seemingly innocent little sister was not only perfectly safe but sitting comfortably on the bridge of an airship ten thousand meters overhead, a Chupa Chups in her mouth, watching their every move on a monitor—and perhaps even critiquing Shiori's reaction?

What could possibly happen to her?

Forget getting hurt. She probably hadn't even mussed a single hair.

"Relax, Shido." Qian Huanyue held back the truth that nearly slipped out and patted her shoulder.

"Calm down, Shido. That restaurant wasn't in the center of the Spacequake, and the alarm sounded well in advance. Your sister's quick on her feet. I'm sure she evacuated safely." She paused, then added,

"Why don't you try calling her? She might be waiting for you somewhere safe."

That brought Shiori to her senses. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and, fingers trembling slightly, hit speed dial. After a brief ringing tone, the call connected—

"Hello~? Big brother?"

Kotori's unmistakably sweet, faintly coaxing voice came through the receiver. It was strangely quiet behind her, with none of the clamor of an evacuation shelter.

"Kotori! Are you all right?! Where are you now?" Shiori demanded, panic still thick in her voice.

"I'm fine. When the alarm sounded, the restaurant manager made sure everyone went down to the underground shelter." Kotori sounded as relaxed as if she were talking about the weather. Oddly, there was no noise on her end of the call; it was remarkably quiet. But Shiori was too focused on her sister to notice.

"I was already on my way home from school. I'm at home now. What about you, big brother? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." Shiori glanced instinctively at Qian Huanyue beside her. Qian Huanyue was looking up at the night sky as though none of this concerned her. "I'll be home soon too."

"Okay~" Kotori breathed a sigh of relief, hung up, and continued watching her sister and the Spirit from aboard Fraxinus.

After the call ended, Shiori let out a long breath. Her heart finally settled. She turned to Qian Huanyue with an apologetic smile. "Thanks for reminding me. She really is okay..."

"Mm-hmm." Qian Huanyue lifted her chin slightly and answered with feigned composure.

"I'm so glad you were here, Huanyue," Shiori said sincerely, gratitude filling her eyes.

"Mm-hmm!" This time, her answer rose noticeably in pitch, her delight impossible to hide.

"You're so dependable, Huanyue!"

"Mm..." Qian Huanyue puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish, her face starting to heat up. She clearly couldn't handle that kind of praise.

Are you some kind of compliment machine?

Qian Huanyue felt she might lose her composure if this continued, so she opened space with the Angel, Seraph of Thousand Blades, without hesitation.

"Hmph. All right, it's getting late." With a sweep of her fingertip, ripples spread through the air. The image of the Seraph of Thousand Blades flashed across her palm as she precisely cut a spatial rift leading to a familiar street.

Before Shiori could react, Qian Huanyue gently took her by the shoulder and guided her forward one step—

"Wait, Huanyue, you—"

Before she could finish, Shiori's vision blurred. A familiar house number appeared before her. She was already standing at her front door!

"See you next time, Shido."

Qian Huanyue stood on the other side of the spatial rift and winked playfully at her. Her silver hair gleamed softly in the moonlight, and her pure-white dress swayed in the breeze.

With that cheerful farewell, the rift closed silently behind her, leaving no trace. It was as though it had never existed.

Shiori stood alone outside her home, still holding her phone. Qian Huanyue's smiling voice seemed to linger in her ears.

She stared at the empty street for a while, then couldn't help letting out a gentle laugh.

"Honestly..."

Shiori had no idea that her peaceful everyday life had come to an end that day.

Ratatoskr's massive airship would appear above Shiori's home.

The sealing plan had officially begun.

The plan to win over the Spirit "Qian Huanyue" was set to begin at once.

Under Kotori's future Commander Mode, Shiori Itsuka would learn how to date a Spirit, how to make a Spirit blush, and how to take a Spirit's power with a kiss—

Everything Kotori called "necessary training" would leave her flustered and helpless in the days to come.

But for now, Shiori simply pushed open her front door and called into the warm light, "I'm home."

Kotori's familiar answer came from inside. The scent of tropical fruit hung in the air, and everything was as peaceful as ever.

At least, none of that had anything to do with the Shiori Itsuka who only wanted a good rest tonight.

On a familiar bench, Qian Huanyue drank a beverage from the vending machine as the shadow beneath her feet slowly spread.

"My, my. Look who I found." A voice with a distinctive lilt rose from the shadow.

"Mm-hmm." Qian Huanyue looked up.

The crimson hem of an Astral Dress emerged from the shadow first, followed by the unmistakable twin tails. One, then two, then more and more Kurumis with a peculiar air about them rose from the darkness.

Qian Huanyue picked up her empty can and crushed it into a ball between two fingers. Closing one eye, she gave the Kurumis a soft hum and a smile.

"I might not be able to treat you like I did last time, my dear..."

She paused deliberately, watching their expressions before slowly saying the final words:

"...good friends."