Chapter 23

"Kotori, let me explain! This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

Shido waved his hands frantically, looking mortified.

Kotori ignored his explanation. She seized his right hand and, without another word, threw him over her shoulder.

"Ow, ow, ow... Didn't I tell you it was a misunderstanding?" Shido rubbed his lower back in pain.

"Wow, you two siblings really are close," Lingmeng exclaimed.

"How did you get that from this, Lingmeng?" Shido asked dryly. Though, to be fair, he and Kotori really were close.

"Oh, right, Kotori, where's Tohka?" Shido asked hurriedly as something occurred to him. He still wanted to know why Kotori had brought Lingmeng here too, but Tohka mattered more right now.

"Ah, I almost forgot what we're here for. Tohka thinks the AST killed you, so she's planning to kill them."

Kotori pointed at the huge screen. It showed Tohka swinging her Greatsword and splitting the earth, with AST members fighting her.

It was a completely one-sided fight. The AST couldn't hold out much longer.

"She's completely lost control. Looks like she can't forgive them for killing Shido."

Kotori shrugged.

"Then what should I do? And why am I fine after getting shot? Why did you bring Lingmeng here too?"

"Are you a child? Ask one question at a time." Kotori smiled with her eyes half-lidded. "Anyway, from our standpoint, we don't want anyone getting hurt because of a Spirit, so..."

"So?" Shido looked thoroughly confused.

"So go save the princess, our dear prince."

"But how am I supposed to do that?"

"There's only one way to save a cursed princess, isn't there?" Kotori pursed her lips around her lollipop. "Use the method we taught you."

Looks like I shouldn't step in, then?

Lingmeng listened to Shido and Kotori's conversation. It sounded as though they already had a way to handle this.

"All right! All crew, move toward the battle site! Bring the margin of error down to less than one meter!"

"Yes!" several crew members who appeared to be at the controls answered in unison. Then Shido and Lingmeng felt the Fraxinus shudder.

"Commander, preparations are complete!"

"Good." Kotori turned to Shido. "Go on, Shido."

"...Okay."

Once Kotori had spoken, two crew members led Shido away.

"Um... little girl, could you explain why you brought me here?" Lingmeng asked timidly.

"Miss Lingmeng, could I answer that in a moment? Tohka's situation is more important right now."

"Uh... all right." Lingmeng gave an awkward reply, then turned with Kotori to watch the huge screen.

"Aaaaaah!" Tohka swung her Greatsword at Origami. By now, nearly every AST member other than Origami had lost the ability to fight.

Origami struggled to protect herself with a barrier projected by her Territory. Every one of Tohka's attacks was difficult to withstand, and her body was nearly at its limit.

"Hah!" Tohka swung again.

Crack! At that moment, Origami's Territory finally shattered.

Is this the end? Mom, Dad, Shido... wait for me. I'll be with you soon.

Origami sank to her knees, as if she had given up trying to resist.

"Origami..." Ryouko, lying in the distance, struggled to call her name. It was no use. No one could stop Tohka now.

"This is the final blow." Tohka raised her Greatsword and roared, "Die!"

Tohka swung at Origami. Just as everyone thought it was over, a scream rang out.

"Tohkaaaaaaa!"

"That voice... Shido!"

Hearing that all-too-familiar voice, Tohka spun around. Shido was falling from high above, without any protective gear.

Kotori, you little—! Shido cursed her inwardly. As the crew had thrown him out, he had clearly heard them say, "The commander says you don't need any protection. Just shout to get Tohka's attention."

"Tohka, help!" Shido shouted again.

"Shido!" At the sight of him, Tohka abandoned Origami and flew straight to Shido, catching him in her arms.

"Shido, is it really you?"

"I think so?"

Seeing tears streaming down Tohka's face, Shido scratched his cheek and answered awkwardly.

Just then, Sandalphon in Tohka's hand began to glow black.

"Tohka... what's that...?"

"Oh no. Last Sword has stored up too much energy! If I don't release it, something terrible will happen!"

As she spoke, Tohka looked toward Origami.

"No! I won't let you do that!"

Realizing what Tohka intended, Shido hurried to stop her.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Uh... I actually have another way."

"What is it? Tell me!"

Shido hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Tohka... would you kiss me?"

"Kiss? What's that?"

"It's when... two people press their lips together..."

Before Shido could finish, Tohka pressed her lips against his without hesitation.

"!!!" Shido's eyes went wide, and a startled sound escaped him.

At that moment, Sandalphon began to crumble, and Tohka's Astral Dress gradually vanished. The two of them slowly descended to the ground.

"T-Tohka, I didn't mean to!" Shido said in a panic when he saw that she was completely naked.

Tohka clung tightly to him and said shyly, "Idiot, don't move around... They'll see."

"...Okay."

"Hey, Shido."

"What is it?"

"Will you still go on dates with me?"

Shido nodded firmly at her question. "Yeah! As many times as you want."

"Great!" Tohka broke into a happy smile.

... Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Lingmeng stared at everything happening on the huge screen, her mind completely blank.

Wait, what just happened? All they did was kiss, and Tohka lost her powers? That's way too absurd!

Lingmeng was dumbstruck. Shido had certainly solved the problem, but to her, the way he had done it was complete nonsense.

"Hurry and retrieve Shido and Tohka. It'll be trouble if the AST sees them like this."

"Yes!"

Kotori gave the crew their orders, and they answered in unison.

"Um... shouldn't someone explain to me what the hell is going on?"

Lingmeng's face twisted in exasperation as she asked.

"Ah, now that the problem's been solved, of course I can, Miss Lingmeng."

Kotori looked at Lingmeng and gave her a half-lidded, knowing smile...

Afterword

"Hello, everyone. I'm the author of this book, Upside-Down Zhongsheng. Before I knew it, I'd finished the first volume. What did you all think?

I actually started writing this book a little over a month ago because I had nothing better to do. Even so, I'd had the idea for it for several years.

Honestly, I never expected this book to do so much better than I imagined. I used to be an author whose books flopped, and hardly anyone read what I wrote.

I originally thought this book wouldn't do much better, either. To my surprise, the response has been pretty good (at least, I think so), and that makes me really happy.

I want to thank all of you reading this. Your support gives me the motivation to keep updating. I'm deeply grateful to you all! Bows deeply.

As for updates, I'm actually a sixteen-year-old student, so school keeps me pretty busy. But I'll do my best to keep writing. At the very least, I'll keep updating until school starts, so please bear with me...

One more important thing: if things go roughly as I expect, the next volume may focus on Lingmeng.

I've spent the past few days thinking about how to write Lingmeng's volume and make it interesting. But I'm clueless about romance, and I can't think of anything that would really stand out.

So I'd like to ask for your opinions. If there's a plotline you'd like to see, tell me in the comments. I'll try to work in as many of your ideas as I can.

So please don't be shy, dear readers. If you have an idea, go ahead and share it! (?^o^?)?

That's it for my afterword. Before I go, I want to thank everyone who's stayed with me along the way once again. See you in the next volume!"

The Strongest Spirit? Me?

"I'll get straight to the point. We're an organization called Ratatoskr, and you're aboard our airship, the Fraxinus.

Unlike the AST, our organization advocates peaceful communication with Spirits. We want them to live in harmony with the rest of the world.

Shido is our secret weapon because he has the power to seal Spirits. As for the condition required to seal one, you've seen it for yourself.

He dates a Spirit, raises her affection for him to a certain level, then kisses her to complete the seal. A sealed Spirit no longer causes Spacequakes and can live peacefully in this world like an ordinary person."

Kotori explained everything with a serious expression, while the corner of Lingmeng's mouth twitched.

"Uh... I think I get it. Basically, you find a Spirit, take her on a date, make her fall for you, steal her first kiss, and add her to your harem?"

"..." Kotori opened her mouth to respond, but Lingmeng wasn't exactly wrong, so she let it go.

Kotori sighed helplessly. "Well, that's one way to put it."

Come on, how could a power that ridiculous even exist? And if it does, what kind of weirdo gave it to Shido?

Lingmeng silently ranted with a dark expression. The next second, Reine suddenly sneezed down below.

"Achoo!"

"Reine, have you caught a cold?"

Kotori asked with concern when she heard Reine sneeze.

"...I'm fine. I probably didn't rest well last night and got chilled."

"Is that so? Make sure you get some proper rest when you go back."

"...Mm."

Kotori turned her attention back to Lingmeng.

"Um... I more or less understand the situation, but why go to so much trouble to tell an ordinary person like me all this?"

Lingmeng gave an awkward smile as a drop of cold sweat rolled down her forehead.

Kotori merely narrowed her eyes and gave her an enigmatic smile.

"Are you still going to keep up the act, Miss Lingmeng? No, given the situation, I suppose I should call you Element Maker instead."