The Promise of Tomorrow

Chapter 23

"You have to be kidding me if you think I'll hand over the necklace to someone as evil as you are." Kusakabe expressed how much that thought brought her disdain. "To be honest, you really don't have much of a choice. Don't think you can use your powers provided due to your supervision over Y/n or call for Mana. I have my clones have your colleagues at gunpoint ready to fire and the Mana is...

out of the picture." 

Kurumi's statement gave a sense of shock and dread. 'So that's why she hasn't been answering! Damn you, Nightmare...' Kusakabe expressed her thoughts in her mind as she gritted her teeth in anger of how far Kurumi would go to reach her ambitions. From the microphone, Kurumi then repeated her offer:

"Again, you have three days to choose. Don't waste it~.

Remember, their lives are in your hands."

Kusakabe, with Kurumi's words ingrained into her mind, then left the facility. There, lies the risk of handing over a powerful object to a dangerous adversary who is none other than Kurumi- a Spirit famed for killing ten thousand people. However, if the lieutenant didn't comply, the lives of her subordinates who still have bright futures ahead of them will vanish and be eradicated by Kurumi's hand and by Kusakabe's stubbornness as proxy.

Finally, not being able to stand her ground, finally chose to give Kurumi what she wants. "I will agree to your terms. Please, just do not kill them." Kusakabe spoke in a defeated tone, knowing there was nothing she could do that will not risk the lives of her fellow soldiers. 

At present time, Kusakabe was looking down, feeling defeated that she had to give in to Kurumi's demands. Right now, as Kusakabe finished her story, Origami and Y/n were discussing things on what to do. Whispering their next course of action, they had finally made their decision on their next step. Standing up, Y/n immediately took out his phone, contacting someone. "Probably Ratatoskr's commander' Kusakabe thought while she decided to leave Y/n for a while to talk and arrange something with them. 

The lieutenant then looked at Origami, who was busying herself in taking care of Yoshino. Chuckling, Kusakabe had jested that Origami would be a good mother one day when Y/n and Origami got older. As Yoshino went upstairs to bed, Origami replied, "It's a good practice. Not only that I can practice taking care of children, but I also am training my tolerance towards Spirits in general. Besides, I have to be both a good wife and mother in the future." which was true in some form of manner. If she was the same old Origami two months ago, then she would've tried to kill Yoshino. 

"I could see that. At least you're getting the hang of it." Kusakabe answered as she and Origami went to the more pressing matters at hand. "So, what did you and Y/n discuss about?" the lieutenant asked, wondering about what Y/n and Origami discussed a while ago. Origami then complied, since Kusakabe could be trusted to keep their secret. Looking at her superior, Origami then confided her agreement with Y/n back then about handling Spirits.

"Back then when were still under arguement with Yoshino, we settled with an agreement about the no killing Spirits rule. The condition was that as long as the Spirit didn't do anything out of malice or evil intent, we would try to pacify or repel the Spirit." Origami described the conditions she and Y/n had placed back then and Kusakabe had caught wind of what they were discussing about a while ago. The lieutenant had realized that they were finally on a simple, yet horrifying agreement: