[TL/N: Read my new work - Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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"I heard Nightmare actually has a companion. I rushed here from the outside, but it seems I'm a step too late."
Mana Takamiya's face was filled with disappointment. She couldn't be blamed—after all, she hadn't expected Alexander to move so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared.
Hearing Mana's words, Kusakabe Ryoko slowly approached. Though she didn't have any fatal injuries, the pain from her battered body was hard to ignore. Still, it gave her a clearer understanding of what kind of enemy Alexander was.
Strong. Monstrously strong.
Faced with an opponent of such overwhelming strength, Kusakabe couldn't help but doubt if the young girl standing before her, Mana Takamiya, was truly capable of handling him.
"Are you Takamiya Mana from DEM?" Ryoko asked. "I heard you've killed a Spirit before. Is that true?"
Mana's reputation had preceded her, and her words drew Tobiichi Origami's attention. Origami had fought many spirits before, yet she'd never managed to seriously injure one, let alone kill one. Now, hearing of someone who claimed to have killed spirits shocked her.
"I have," Mana replied coolly, "and more than once."
But then she added, with a sigh, "But it's pointless."
She explained that although she had killed Kurumi several times, it had no lasting effect. Kurumi always managed to return, alive and deadly, after just a few days. Frustrated by her inability to end Kurumi for good, Mana had now set her sights on Alexander, the so-called Nightmare's companion.
"If I can't kill Nightmare," she thought grimly, "then I'll kill you instead."
Mana looked at Ryoko and said decisively, "Monitor the entire city for that male Spirit. Notify me immediately if you find him."
Ryoko gave a bold smile. "Don't worry. It's not just you—we want revenge too."
However, Origami stood lost in thought. A question lingered in her mind: Was that male Spirit really a bad person?
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Meanwhile, in a quiet café, Alexander was explaining something to Yoshino.
"Alright, Yoshino. From now on, you'll be able to perfectly control the power within you. When you need to use it, you can release the seal yourself, okay?"
Yoshino, sitting across from him, nodded cheerfully. She understood the risks of losing control of her emotions and the harm it could cause others. Now, with this seal, she could manage her powers much more effectively.
At the same time, Alexander was listening to a familiar voice in his head.
Ding-dong!
'Congratulations, Master, for successfully transforming Yoshino. You've received a random reward: Angel: Zadkiel(*Frozen Puppet).'
Ding-dong!
'The system has detected that the Frozen Puppet ability matches Master's ice control ability. The abilities have been fused. Fusion complete.'
Ding-dong!
'Master's ice control can now manifest in puppet form. Please choose a form, Master.'
Alexander smiled. "My ice control ability has improved yet again."
Originally, his ice powers—bolstered by ice magic, the Ice Blood Demon Art(Doma), and the Demon's Extract(Esdeath)—were already formidable.
"In my hands," Alexander mused, "it's second only to my lightning abilities—enhanced by the Railgun, the Power of Two God Slayers, Thunder's Breath, and the Power of Thunder itself."
Now, with this new addition, his ice control was even stronger.
"If I wanted to, I could probably turn a small Country into the Arctic in an instant," he thought with a wry grin.
Despite his immense power, Alexander knew he had never truly fought at full strength. Glancing at his attribute panel, he noted his three strongest abilities:
- Ice Control
- Thunder Control
- Time Control
"With these," he thought, "I can traverse countless planes."
Across from him, Yoshino was watching Alexander quietly, her eyes sparkling with admiration. She still couldn't believe her luck—she had gained a new big brother who had promised to take care of her. From now on, she would live in his home, surrounded by his other siblings, who already seemed to like her.
Thinking of this, Yoshino's eyes crinkled with joy, and the ice cream in her hands seemed even sweeter.
"Eat slowly, Yoshino," Alexander said with a chuckle as he stroked her icy-blue hair. "You'll get a headache if you eat too fast."
But as soon as he said it, he laughed at himself. How could an ice Spirit like Yoshino get a headache from cold ice cream?
At that moment, a figure approached them.
Once again.
It was Shido.
Teleported by Kotori, Shido had arrived just in time to witness the peaceful scene between Alexander and Yoshino. Seeing this harmonious moment, Shido couldn't help but sigh.
"Maybe… it's not so bad for spirits to live like this."
However, Kotori's sharp voice crackled in his ear.
"No! Those DEM people won't let the spirits be! Especially now that Alexander has gathered three of them. The target on his back is even bigger! Shido, don't let me down!"