Date-a-live: ーSpiritual Kinshipー

Chapter 65.3 - Tanabata festival

*Ding dong ding dong*

7th of September

Syouji awoke to the sound of the school bell and looked at the clock. It's two hands reminding him of a girl dressed in black with uneven pigtails.

Syouji was staring at that clock, reminiscing on the events that took place exactly two months before as he went to form a line with his classmates.

—July 7th, Tanabata festival

"As I thought, it's really crowded here..."

Syouji walked leisurely in the shopping district that was more lively than usual. Of course, the reason was because it's the annual festival known as Tanabata.

Open-air stalls have been set up on both sides of the street, not only were there Tokiyaki and Yakisoba that are said to be indispensable in festivals, the various items on sale were also extremely appealing. Especially, of course the barbecue stall that made Syouji's mouth water.

Due to what Syouji did last month, Shidou insisted— or rather, ordered him to go get ingredients at the lowest cost possible. Right now, that was the important mission he needed to carry out.

At this moment, Syouji took a deep breath, channeling his housewife powers as he was about to go hunt for bargains in the district. Afterwards, he would only need to go to the stores that he commonly frequents as usual, chat with the enthusiastic storekeepers for a while before carrying the groceries back home and make dinner.

That's how it was supposed to be, however—

"Hmm?"

At the edge of his vision, on the opposite side of the street, Syouji spotted something odd.

"What the..."

Before his brain could register what that was, his body stiffened as if time had stopped. On the other side of the wide sea of people that filled the shopping district. A young girl wearing a black one-piece dress stood there.

She had long hair that just happened to rest on her shoulders, a slender figure, the left side of her face was covered by her fringe akin to that of a waterfall, exposing her right eye that seemed cryptic as well as lips that were as delicate as sakura petals.

With all that beauty, there was a devilish-like charm capable of enslaving men the moment eye contact was made. An unfathomable beauty stood there.

However, the reason why Syouji was so shocked to the point of freezing in place was not just because of the girls beauty.

"Kurumi...."

Syouji said the girl's name with a shocked tone and at the same time, swallowed his saliva to relieve his throat. Tokisaki Kurumi— The girl who had transferred into his class and had intended to [devour] him.

The Spirit who planned to take the power of the Spirits for herself was the very girl in front of his eyes.

Possessing a brutal and competitive personality, she was different from Tohka and Yoshino who unintentionally cause spacequakes. Tokisaki Kurumi killed countless humans out of her own free will, causing her to be branded as [The worst Spirit].

She had lost her arm and part of her angel after suffering a hit from Kotori's attack, her whereabouts have been unknown since then. However, the one standing there now was unharmed and intact.

"Guh—"

Syouji couldn't help but shake his head and blinked a few times, doubting what he saw with his own eyes as he turned back to look at the street once more. The black figure of the girl was already gone.