Chapter 74: This is My Duty
The time rewinds a bit earlier.
Using the bell to wish “Let me go to Tsukimi Kyou’s side,” Alice’s body and sight were enveloped in mist.
Soon, she was transported to an unfamiliar street.
The twilight glow brushed over the pavement, as if laying a layer of golden gauze over the concrete road.
The scene bore the magical residue of Kyou and unfamiliar magical reactions, and bloodstains splattered on the ground.
Proving that a battle had once taken place here.
But….
“This wish doesn’t necessarily manifest exactly as the wish maker intended?” Alice thought.
The pseudo-god Hakurei had indeed granted her wish, but only partially.
“So what’s the cost?”
Alice muttered to herself as she turned around.
The magical reaction behind her exposed its presence.
It was a long and thin shadow, casting a long shadow in the sunset.
Alice’s True Sight Eye caused her blood to start boiling upon seeing it.
Blood became unsteady.
The newcomer was an old adversary—the Doppelgänger.
Right, how did she not think of this.
Since the Doppelgänger’s body was collected by the Special Circle SEMA division, and the head of the Special Circle SEMA division was a subordinate of the pseudo-god Hakurei.
The Doppelgänger would naturally resurrect…
But this time.
Alice looked around the empty street.
She had no intention of holding back.
“Hey~ Little sister, are you lost?” The thin figure spoke.
The newcomer was Tomita Kazuki, the agent who had followed Mana into the twilight world.
Having been transformed by the pseudo-god Hakurei, he had merged with the body of the fantasy monster Doppelgänger, turning into a new fantasy monster.
This had also intensified his nearly pathological desire to abuse underage girls.
When he was sent out as a “recovery cost” fantasy monster.
And upon seeing Alice, the golden-haired, twin-tailed, white-haired loli.
He felt his desires stir.
“I want to ask you something—” Alice lowered her head, her tone filled with intense hostility.
“Do you know where the shrine of this world is?”
“Of course I do~ So let uncle take you there~”
“Thanks, but I need to mention something—”
Alice’s back suddenly unfolded into a pair of black wings.
She slowly raised her head, her golden dragon eyes locking onto Tomita.
This sent a chill down his spine, rendering him speechless.
The next moment.
A scorching and brilliant dragon breath turned Tomita and the street he stood on into nothingness.
Simultaneously, the realm of twilight was breached by this highly concentrated magical breath, opening a gap leading to the outside world.
“——I am already 19 years old, so don’t call me little sister.”
……
……
Hakurei, no, the pseudo-god Hakurei’s form was being reshaped in the twilight.
At the same time, white mist began to rise again around them.
His crimson eyes flashed with a purple-black light.
Those standing behind Alice suddenly felt their bodies grow heavy, almost collapsing.
“Power…..” Kitsunezuka forced out a voice from her throat.
She felt the power within her being drained away.
The power of twilight gradually vanished from them.
This meant they could no longer be reborn in the twilight.
Meanwhile, Chika fainted, swaying dangerously close to falling, but was caught by Kyou.
“GAAaaa——!” the pseudo-god Hakurei howled at the sky.
The surrounding white-robed shrine maidens suddenly grew larger.
Alice had no habit of waiting quietly for others to transform.
She swung the blade in her hand, and several crimson flames burst around her, splashing outwards, grazing above Kyou and the others’ heads.
The scorching flames poured over the transforming white-robed shrine maidens, turning their bodies into pillars of fire.
“Run.” Alice urged once again.
Kitsunezuka picked up Chika.
She realized she had to leave with everyone before her power was completely drained.
Before departing.
Kyou looked at Alice’s back; her golden twin tails had now turned into long hair flowing in the wind.
Shimmering in the flames and heat waves.
“Kyou-kun.” Alice did not turn back, but whispered.
“Alice?”
“That card, I’ll leave it in your care for now.”
Once Alice finished speaking, she was engulfed by blood-red flames.
As the fire flowed down her like a waterfall, her body lost its human form.
Crimson dragon scales covered her entire body, her golden eyes, characteristic of dragon lineage, emitted a dazzling light, fierce dragon horns and tail suddenly grew larger, and even her hands gripping the sword transformed into sharp dragon claws.
Crimson blood and flames swirled around her, resembling a king’s throne.
——ACE Half-Blood Dragon Princess.
The pseudo-god Hakurei displayed a wary expression for the first time.
He signaled to his progeny, the Doppelgänger, beneath him.
“Obey, Mother.” The latter bowed dramatically.
Then it dashed towards the direction where Kyou and the others were fleeing.
In the next moment, a flash of fire swept across its body.
The dragon-transformed Alice severed it in half.
But in twilight.
Its body quickly restored to its original form.
And with every rebirth, the magical reaction on it grew stronger.
The Doppelgänger ignored Alice’s repeated attacks, continuously resurrecting and pursuing Kyou and the others—
…..
…..
“Something is chasing us—” The sharpest sense among them, Kitsunezuka, called out first.
Kitsunezuka and Kyou were sprinting down the mountain through the fog-filled forest.
One hand held the unconscious Mana at her waist, while her other arm carried the immobile Chika, using her freed hand to slash away the branches and weeds in their path.
Kyou felt it too.
It was a distinctly different aura compared to before.
Carrying a strong malice.
“If this keeps up, we’ll be caught. Should we confront it?” Kyou asked DD-chan.
“But we can no longer use our powers.”
The recent battle at the shrine had drained Kyou’s time to use his powers.
He wouldn’t be able to use his powers for a while.
Without DD-chan providing him with a third-person perspective, he couldn’t execute that almost god-like “counter-predicting hand.”
“Hakurei has withdrawn the power from us.” DD-chan continued.
“If we die now, we won’t be able to be reborn in twilight…”
Upon hearing this, Kitsunezuka reluctantly averted her gaze, seemingly confirming DD-chan’s assertion.
“However, I have another idea.” After a brief pause, DD-chan spoke again.
Kyou’s face lit up.
“What’s the plan?”
“Break our contract.” DD-chan’s voice was calm but resolute.
“What!?”
Kyou suddenly wanted to stop, but was swiftly pulled by Kitsunezuka, continuing to run forward.
“DD-chan, what nonsense are you saying!?”
“I’ll be the bait, draw that guy away, and buy some time—”
“——In that case, I can go too.” Kitsunezuka interrupted DD-chan.
“No, you have physical abilities that I lack; you’re more suitable for leading these kids to the ‘exit.'”
DD-chan’s gaze fell on Mana, who was held by Kitsunezuka, and on Chika, who was carried on her back.
Without Kitsunezuka, the “white-robed shrine maiden,” Kyou alone would not be able to get them to the “exit.”
“No, there must be another way—”
Kyou shook his head, refusing to accept DD-chan’s proposal.
“Kyou, enough already. If this keeps up, we’ll be caught…..”
“What’s the next plan!? Will you catch up and leave with us!?” Kyou pressed.
“…” DD-chan was silent, not responding immediately.
Kitsunezuka seemed to understand its thoughts and looked away.
“I refuse. If that’s the case, I’d rather stay and fight—” Kyou said.
“Kyou, how naive do you have to be—!”
“You are not only carrying your own life right now.”
“……And you have a reason to survive and return, don’t you?”
Hearing this, Kyou lowered his head, his dark bangs hiding his eyes.
He mumbled, “….. There must be, there must be another way.”
Seeing this, DD-chan displayed a faint smile.
“You’re still young; the future is filled with infinite possibilities.”
“You shouldn’t bury yourself here with me.”
“Kyou, you are kinder and gentler than anyone.”
“You will definitely become an excellent adult in the future.”
“But this is a cruel world.”
“You can’t save everyone—”
“You must learn to make choices—”
The magical connection between Kyou and DD-chan gradually weakened.
DD-chan attempted to sever the magical flow between them.
“DD, I, I……”
“Kyou, thank you.”
“Thanks to meeting you, I’ve come to realize that I am not some evil spirit—”
The contract binding them in the depths of the soul slowly began to unravel.
At last.
DD-chan stopped in place.
While Kyou and the others continued to run forward.
DD-chan’s eyes reflected their retreating figures.
“My name is dokidoki-chan, the mascot of Kawano Shopping Mall dokidoki-chan.”
“Protecting the children and ensuring they return safely to their families is my duty.”
“So—”
“Run, you silly children.”
