Tengu city, a certain zoo.

The zoo is strangely deserted with nary an animal in sight. Without any living things here to make noise, the zoo became eerily quiet.

Kurumi stood here, patiently waiting for someone. On the ground, Tohka, Kotori, Yos.h.i.+no and s.h.i.+ori are restrained by pale arms that came out of the ground.

"Looks like you planned this meticulously. How much time did you spend on this, Kurumi?"

Kotori nonchalantly asked like she"s not even in danger. She didn"t forget to add a bit of sarcasm in her tone.

"How cowardly of you, Kurumi!"

Tohka struggled to get out of the restraints but without her powers, the frail arms felt like tiger grips.

Yos.h.i.+no is terrified of this situation. She cringed in fear between Tohka and Kotori. Meanwhile, s.h.i.+ori is still unconscious.

Kurumi grinned at Tohka.

"It"s useless for you to struggle. You should relax and just lay down obediently."

"What are you trying to do here?"

Kotori asked Kurumi.

"Let me guess, s.h.i.+do?"

"s.h.i.+do!"

Tohka squirmed harder as she yelled out loud.

"I will never let you hurt s.h.i.+do!"

Tohka"s word ticked off Kurumi.

"Ara ara, who said anything about hurting s.h.i.+do?"

She approached Tohka and she asked Tohka.

"Why would I ever hurt s.h.i.+do?"

"So she says…"

Kotori replied with a tone of disbelief.

"You girls will never understand my feelings for him."

She caressed Tohka"s face despite her disapproval. She continued.

"s.h.i.+do is different. He is the perfect one just for me. Of course, I am not going to hurt him. I want to spend an eternity with him."

"Just to clarify, when you say an eternity you mean eating him literally with your City of Devouring time right?"

Kurumi replied.

"No…" 

"That"s for food. Someone like s.h.i.+do deserves way better."

Kurumi chuckled.

Suddenly, she had a nasty grin.

"I am planning on eating him personally, that is why I kidnapped you girls. This all wouldn"t happen if s.h.i.+do properly listened to me."

"Eat?!"

Tohka yelled at her.

"So you are still going to harm s.h.i.+do!"

"Anyway, just sit back and watch…"

Kurumi smiled in a sinister way.

"Be sure to watch my date with s.h.i.+do and witness our union."

"Kurumi!"

Tohka shrieked in anger. Kotori also bit her lips while Yos.h.i.+no struggled to get free. She might be timid but she is not going to sit here and watch someone threaten Wu Yan.

A bright pillar of light appeared which attracted everyone"s attention. Two figures appeared from the light pillar.

Mana and Yatsuki have arrived.

"Onee-chan."

Mana panicked when she saw an unconscious s.h.i.+ori on the ground. Both of them wanted to rush to s.h.i.+ori and Kotori"s aid but a figure stopped them before they can do that.

"Pesky as ever…" 

Kurumi grumbled. She is very annoyed by the presence of the uninvited guests. She is going to mess Mana up if she is here to cause trouble.

"You again!"

She drew her lightsaber in anger. The lightsaber had a malicious glow.

"Ara ara, so scary…"

She joked but Yatsuki can feel enormous killing intent when he tried to get closer to Kotori.

Kurumi is not taking him seriously. If he tried anything, she is going to put him down immediately with lethal force.

Yatsuki backed away to find a spot to snipe Kurumi. He knew Kurumi must be taken out first if they want to save the girls. Mana also knew this.

Kurumi laughed at their skittish behavior. She is very amused, to say the least.

" You aren"t thinking you can take me down as easily as before right?"

Mana stayed silent. She is not in AST, as Ratatoskr personnel, her mission is to save spirits.

But, if Kurumi presents a material danger to s.h.i.+ori then Kurumi"s head is coming off. Not like this is the first time she evaded death anyway.

"Release them at once!"

Mana demanded.

"Release them?"

Kurumi licked her lips and she nodded.

"Sure, I just want s.h.i.+do anyway. These girls look very appetizing though…"

Mana raised her guards even more. Kurumi grinned in her usual insidious manner.

"But, they are important guests for the finale so they have stay put here, however unfortunate that maybe for you."

Mana and Yatsuki replied in a grave tone.

"We have something to say about that."

Kurumi"s shoulders trembled. She laughed like a maniac.

"Seriously, stop meddling with my affairs, don"t you people know how rude you people are?!"

"So be it…" 

Kurumi"s eyes shone brightly with malice. Her beautiful face twisted into an abominable grin.

" You guys will be the prelude to my play before the lead actor arrives."

She twirled around and a dark mist enveloped her. The wind made her cla.s.sy clothes flutter. More and more dark power gathered with her as the center until the surge of power formed a coc.o.o.n around her. The girls turned pale when they saw her emerge from the coc.o.o.n.

Mana"s powerful and she fought with her copies multiple times before this. However, Yatsuki felt a bit tense at the thought of fighting Kurumi.

This is the first time Yatsuki is fighting against a spirit directly.

When Kurumi appeared again, she"s draped in her Astral Dress, red and black goth lolita clothes. Her hair are also tied into uneven ponytails. The pupil of her left eye is also exposed, they could see her golden clock ticking away. Her Astral dress made her look so devilish it"s impossible for her to be a human.