I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

The sudden turn of events forced Mamika Momika and Natsumi Kyouno to abandon their plan for lunch.

Natsumi immediately used her phone to contact Kikuchihara Aki, and after briefly informing her of what had happened, she and Momika rushed to the nearest restroom.

The two locked themselves inside a single stall, and when no one was around, used the Sealing Master's [Open] once again to unlock a spatial passage and return to the hideout.

At the hideout, all the creators were present except for Kōshi Tachibana and Matsubara Takashi.

Within five minutes, the other three creations also arrived one after another.

Kōshi Tachibana and Matsubara Takashi returned together with Meteora.

Given the urgency, Natsumi didn't ask why those two were with Meteora. As soon as everyone was present, she got straight to the point.

"We saw a new creation in the mall."

Natsumi took a deep breath and said seriously, "It's the Spirit from the same world as me—Tokisaki Kurumi."

Upon hearing that name, everyone present gasped audibly.

Although Kikuchihara Aki had already informed them that the identity of the newly arrived creation was likely Tokisaki Kurumi, hearing it confirmed directly from the witnesses was still a shocking blow.

"Natsumi and I were at the mall, planning to get lunch," Momika explained further. "On the way, we came across a cat café, so I suggested we eat there. But then we saw Tokisaki Kurumi walk out of the café. I wanted to observe her more closely, but she blended into the crowd and vanished from sight."

"Is it possible you were mistaken?" Selesia asked, with a hint of hope. "Maybe... a cosplayer from this world?"

"No. I could sense the spirit energy she was hiding," Natsumi shook her head. "Even though she wasn't using it actively—if she hasn't been sealed, I can still sense it."

Even if eyes could be deceived, the spiritual resonance between spirits could not be faked.

There was a 99% chance that the newly descended creation really was Tokisaki Kurumi.

And considering Kurumi extreme fondness for cats, encountering her near a cat café wasn't implausible at all.

However, if it really was Tokisaki Kurumi, a new problem arose.

"Previously, when Natsumi used the Record of Revelation to search for information about the new creation, the answer was blacked out. That suggests the new creation has a rank comparable to Altair," Kōshi Tachibana said with confusion. "But if it's really Tokisaki Kurumi, then the Record of Revelation should have been able to reveal her identity without issue."

In the Date A Live world, the Record of Revelation only failed once—when Honjou Nia tried to search for information about Mukuro Hoshimiya

That time, the book showed nothing—because Mukuro rank vastly exceeded the book's limits.

But for a standard Spirit girl, the Record of Revelation should have had no trouble exposing her secrets.

"Could it be that Altair ability to interfere with information isn't limited to herself, but can be extended to others as well?" Selesia speculated. "If that's the case, then it makes sense that the book couldn't reveal anything about Tokisaki Kurumi."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

That theory made the most sense.

"That damn Altair…"

Matsubara Takashi rubbed his temples, clearly troubled. "Dragging Natsumi into this world wasn't enough—now she's even brought in Kurumi…"

To those on Meteora side, this was the worst-case scenario.

A Spirit who controls time, can silently assassinate from within shadows, and has no qualms about taking lives...

More importantly, with her personality, she could absolutely become Altair most effective ally.

After Meteora deduced the existence of "Acceptance Force," she used the Record of Revelation to further deduce the existence of "Restoration Force" and "Interference Force."

From this, she had already inferred Altair true goal: to expand the Interference Force, forcibly reboot the world's rules, and completely erase this world.

As for why Altair wanted to do this—there was sound reasoning.

Her creator had died due to human malice, so seeking revenge on humanity was understandable.

Tokisaki Kurumi, in some ways, had a similar character background to Altair.

Altair wanted to avenge her dead creator and reset the world.

Kurumi wanted to avenge her dead friend and erase tragedy.

Altair wanted to destroy the world.

Kurumi wanted to kill the gods.

The only difference between the two might be that Altair was more extreme.

"You guys…"

At that moment, Kōshi Tachibana, who had been silent until now, spoke with a trembling voice. "Do you think… Kurumi will come looking for me?"

Everyone turned to look at her.

There was sympathy in their eyes.

Such terrible luck.

Two of her own characters had descended into the real world—one twisted villain, and the other a tragic antihero.

If Kōshi Tachibana hadn't found Natsumi first...

If Altair hadn't targeted Natsumi first...

If Momika hadn't saved Natsumi and brought her to Meteora side...

Then Natsumi would've likely become an enemy, not an ally.

And if that were the case, her revenge against Kōshi Tachibana would have gone far beyond simply turning her into a loli.

But Tokisaki Kurumi was genuinely the worst Spirit—the "Most Evil Spirit" who had killed tens of thousands of people, and a martyr who would sacrifice everything to achieve her goals.

So what kind of punishment would such a creation inflict on her creator?

Cold sweat appeared on Kōshi Tachibana forehead just thinking about it.

Natsumi had been relatively easy to manipulate, but trying to pull the wool over Kurumi eyes? That was on an entirely different level.

Not to mention, Kurumi had likely already realized she was a creation, given how long she had been in this world and her intelligence.

"You are the creator of Date A Live. You know Kurumi personality better than anyone," someone said.

"I'll bring flowers to your grave when it's all over," another added.

"And to keep you company in the afterlife, I'll burn some paper servants for you."

Hearing these "farewell messages," Kōshi Tachibana body began to tremble uncontrollably.

One creator had already been killed by their own creation, and the fear in her heart grew stronger.

The next second, she leapt in front of Natsumi and clutched her leg, eyes brimming with tears.

"Natsumi! You're the only one who can protect me now!" Kōshi Tachibana cried, nearly sobbing. "Daddy doesn't want to die young!"

"Don't come clinging to me!" Natsumi exclaimed, her face covered in black lines. "That's something you should be saying directly to Kurumi! What can I do to protect you!?"

"You're the strongest among all the creations here! If even you can't protect me, then I'm really doomed!"

Despite Natsumi attempts to push her off, Kōshi Tachibana clung tightly to her leg, unwilling to let go. "Just let me stay by your side from now on! Otherwise, I won't feel safe at all!"

Among the ten Spirit girls, Kurumi assassination abilities were by far the most dangerous.

Her power to slip into shadows made any defense meaningless.

Kōshi Tachibana looked nervously at the surrounding shadows, afraid that Kurumi might suddenly emerge in her black and red dress.

Although they had spotted her at the mall earlier, who knew whether that was the real body or just a clone?

Perhaps it was a laid-back doppelgänger enjoying a break, while the real body was lurking in the hideout's shadows right now—waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The sudden turn of events forced Koharu Mamika and Kaguyano Natsumi to abandon their plan for lunch.

The first thing Natsumi did was to contact Akira Kikuchihara on her phone. After briefly informing her of their encounter, she immediately headed to the nearest restroom.

The two of them locked themselves inside a private stall and, without drawing anyone's attention, once again activated the Unsealing Lord's [Open], opening a spatial passage back to the base.

Inside the base, all the creators except for Masaaki Nakanogane and Gai Takarada were present.

Within five minutes, the other three Creations also returned one after another.

Masaaki Nakanogane and Gai Takarada came back together with Meteora.

Given the urgency of the situation, Natsumi didn't bother asking why those two had been with Meteora. Once everyone was gathered, she immediately got to the point.

"We saw a new Creation at the mall."

Natsumi took a deep breath and said seriously, "It's a Spirit from the same world as me—Kurumi Tokisaki."

At the sound of that name, almost everyone present gasped in shock.

Although Kikuchihara had already informed them that the identity of the newly descended Creation was likely Kurumi Tokisaki, hearing it confirmed directly from an eyewitness still stirred a wave of visible unease.

"At the time, Little Nana and I were at the mall, about to have lunch. We came across a cat café on the way, and I suggested we eat there," Mamika explained what had happened. "But then, we saw Kurumi Tokisaki walking out of the cat café. I wanted to observe her up close, but she melted into the crowd and vanished from sight."

"Is there any chance you were mistaken?"

Selesia, holding on to a shred of hope, asked again, "Maybe it was just a cosplayer from this world?"

"No. I could sense the spiritual energy she was concealing."

Natsumi shook her head. "Even if she wasn't using any spiritual power, as long as it's not sealed, I can feel it."

If the eyes could deceive, then the sense between Spirits could not.

The identity of the new Creation was, with 99% certainty, Kurumi Tokisaki.

Not to mention, Kurumi was a hardcore cat lover, so it wasn't impossible to encounter her near a cat café.

However, if the newly arrived Creation was indeed Kurumi Tokisaki, it raised a new problem.

"Previously, when Natsumi used the Tome of Revelation to search for the new Creation, the result came back blacked out. That implies the Creation is on the same level as Altair," Tachibana Souji questioned in confusion. "But if it's really Kurumi Tokisaki, the Chronicle should have easily uncovered her identity."

In the world of Date A Live, the only time the Tome of Revelation failed was when Tohka Yatogami tried to search for Shinjuu Mio's information.

That time, the book displayed nothing.

Because Shinjuu Mio's level was far beyond the Chronicle's scope—it was out of range.

But if they were dealing with an ordinary Spirit girl, the book should have no trouble exposing her secrets.

"Could it be that Altair information resistance ability can be applied not just to herself, but to others as well?" Selesia speculated. "If that's the case, then it makes sense why the Chronicle can't reveal anything about Kurumi Tokisaki."

Everyone fell silent at that thought.

Because it was the most plausible explanation.

"That damn Altair..."

Gai Takarada rubbed his temples, speaking with frustration:

"Dragging Natsumi into this world wasn't enough? Now she's pulled Kurumi in too...?"

From Meteora camp's perspective, Kurumi Tokisaki was the worst possible addition.

A Spirit who manipulates time, capable of assassinating silently from the shadows, completely indifferent to taking lives...

Most importantly, with her personality, she would absolutely become Altair most competent aide.

After Meteora deduced the existence of Interference Force alongside Recognition Force and Restoration Force using the Tome of Revelation, she also speculated Altair true objective: to amplify her interference force, forcibly reboot the rules of the world, and wipe out this reality entirely.

As for why she would do this—it was backed by logical reasoning.

Her creator had died due to humanity's malice, so her desire for revenge against humans made sense.

And Kurumi character setting, in some ways, was similar to Altair.

Altair wanted to avenge her creator and reset the world.

Kurumi wanted to avenge her deceased friend and erase all tragedies.

Altair wanted to destroy the world, Kurumi wanted to kill the gods.

The only real difference was likely just how much more extreme Altair was.

"Do you think..."

At that moment, Tachibana Souji—who had remained silent—finally spoke, voice trembling:

"Do you think Kurumi might come looking for me...?"

Everyone turned to look at him.

Their eyes were filled with a hint of pity.

What rotten luck.

Both of his characters had descended into the real world. One was a mentally twisted villain. The other was a tragic and vengeful anti-hero.

If Tachibana hadn't found Natsumi first...

If Altair hadn't gone after Natsumi...

If Mamika hadn't saved Natsumi and brought her to Meteora side...

Natsumi might have become their enemy instead of their ally.

If that had happened, her punishment toward Tachibana wouldn't have stopped at turning him into a loli.

And Kurumi Tokisaki... she had actually killed tens of thousands with her own hands. The most wicked Spirit. A martyr willing to sacrifice everything for her goals.

What kind of retribution would such a Creation exact on her creator?

Just thinking about it caused cold sweat to bead on Tachibana's forehead.

Fooling Natsumi was one thing. But fooling Kurumi? That was a whole different level.

Not to mention, Kurumi had already been in this world for some time now. With her intellect, she had surely realized she was a fictional creation by now.

"You're the creator of Date A Live, right? You know Kurumi personality better than anyone."

"I'll come visit your grave when the time comes."

"So you won't be lonely in the afterlife, I'll burn you some boy and girl paper dolls."

Hearing those comments—spoken as though his death were inevitable—Tachibana began trembling uncontrollably.

Remembering that one creator had already died at the hands of his own Creation, his terror only intensified.

The next second, he leapt to Natsumi side, clutching her leg with teary eyes.

"Natsumi, only you can protect me now!" Tachibana cried in desperation. "Daddy doesn't want to die young!"

"Don't cling to me like that!" Natsumi face was twitching with exasperation. "That's something you need to say to Kurumi yourself! How can I protect you?"

"You're the strongest Creation here! If even you can't protect me, then I'm doomed for real!"

Despite Natsumi resistance, Tachibana clung tighter to her leg, unwilling to let go:

"From today on, I'll stay glued to your side every second! Otherwise, I'll never feel safe again!"

Among the ten Spirit girls, Tokisaki Kurumi possessed the strongest assassination capabilities.

With her ability to slip into shadows, no matter what kind of defense was set up, it would be meaningless in front of her.

Kōshi Tachibana looked fearfully at the surrounding shadows, terrified that the girl in the black and red long dress might appear from within them at any moment.

Although the last reported sighting of Tokisaki Kurumi had been at the shopping mall, who could say whether the one seen there was her real body or just a clone?

Maybe it was just one of her slacking-off clones taking a break at an entertainment venue, while the real body was lurking in the shadows of their base, waiting for the perfect opportunity to act?

At that thought, Kōshi Tachibana clung even tighter to his thigh, wishing he could press his whole face against it.

He had already made up his mind: in the days to come, even if he had to go to the bathroom or sleep, he would shamelessly stick close to Natsumi Kyouno.

"Mr. Tachibana, please don't panic."

Compared to the already panicked Kōshi Tachibana, Meteora voice remained calm: "Up until now, Tokisaki Kurumi has been in this world for ten days. She must have already learned everything about Date A Live. If she really wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. If she wanted to kidnap you, there's no way you'd still be standing here right now."

"That's right. Although I don't know this character very well, that ability to slip into shadows really is impossible to defend against," Selesia nodded in agreement, comforting him. "If she really wanted to do something to you, she could sneak into the base while we were sleeping and take you away. Even if you were sleeping next to Natsumi, it wouldn't make a difference."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

Hearing their explanations, Kōshi Tachibana finally regained some rationality, but he still looked anxious. "I can't just sit here and wait to die, right?!"

"The fact that Tokisaki Kurumi hasn't made a move on you after so many days suggests that she has no intention of doing so for now, so there's no need to worry too much," Meteora analyzed. "In fact, rather than Mr. Tachibana, I'm more worried about Natsumi. After all, Kurumi and Natsumi come from the same world, and it's very likely that Altair specifically summoned her to deal with Natsumi."

So far, Natsumi Kyouno had been the first creation Altair had actively tried to eliminate.

However, due to Natsumi regenerative abilities and Mamika Kirameki interference, Altair hadn't succeeded.

It's reasonable to speculate that the reason she summoned a Spirit like Tokisaki Kurumi, who specializes in assassination, was very likely to target Natsumi Kyouno.

"Using Kurumi to deal with Natsumi?" Sōta Mizushino rubbed his chin in thought. "If that's really the case, then why hasn't Altair made any moves these past few days?"

"Maybe she's planning something?"

"Does she really need to plan anything?" Sōta Mizushino countered. "With Altair's current strength, she should have no trouble taking on three creations alone. Then she could have Kurumi take on Natsumi, the remaining creations deal with Mameka, and Kurumi's clone ability could provide backup. We'd be completely overwhelmed."

As an otaku herself, she had her own judgment when it came to the combat power of creations that had descended into the real world.

To a certain extent, Tokisaki Kurumi, like Natsumi Kyouno, was on an overpowered level.

If she were Altair, once Kurumi had joined her side, she would've immediately launched a counterattack.

Forget just eliminating one Natsumi Kyouno—even wiping out all the creations in Meteora's camp probably wouldn't be impossible.

However, let alone a counterattack—Altair hadn't made a single move during this entire period.

"Do you think there's a possibility..."

Selesia made a pensive expression, throwing out a hypothesis: "That the reason Altair summoned Tokisaki Kurumi was to use Zafkiel's Twelfth Bullet to travel back in time and rewrite the reality of her creator Setsuna Shimazaki's suicide?"

That was certainly an interesting theory.

Most of those present fell into deep thought, considering the possibility of this idea.