Date A Live! Practice Chapter 3:
Michael ran up to the doors of the roof… had that hole always been in the doorknob? Michael gulped once before putting his hand on the door, but he didn't push it open just yet. He still couldn't believe it… he was on his own this time. Tohka and Origami were under the effects of… whatever this dark-red bubble thingy was, as well as the rest of the students and staff in the school. He was the only one who could move, the ONLY one who could deal with Kurumi.
The moment he opens this door… it was game time. After hesitating for a little bit but ultimately put aside those fears, he pushed the door open the rest of the way…
There she was… waiting for him, and looking directly at him, back in her Spirit Form again.
Because of the… incident… he didn't get time to actually look at her Spirit Form. Now that he could have a good look at her, she looked much different than what he had noticed before. What Kurumi was wearing was very similar to the black gothic dress she wore during their date, but this one was crimson red (almost blood colored) with black frills. She still had her twin tails but instead of them going down her shoulders, they were tied to a higher point on her head, and they appeared unevenly cut. Also on her head, she had a matching net bow that held her hair, the same colors of her new dress. This dress also exposed a generous view of her breasts (a little more than the lingerie did actually), which not that Mikey was looking, but it was kind of hard NOT to miss.
It all suited her so well. Tohka's armor portrayed strength and power, while Yohinso's gave off cuteness and innocence. But Kurumi's… it was the perfect mix of elegance and sexiness, without one overbearing the other.
How she managed to pull the perfect mixture off… actually, scratch that. This WAS Kurumi. While Michael was shocked by her new appearance… he couldn't exactly say he was too surprised either, considering her personality traits.
"Welcome, Mikey." Kurumi greeted him. "Such a romanic spot to spend some alone time, don't you think?" She asked him.
"I thought we'd do this in the Nurses Office to be honest" he joked, using an old joke to mask his nerves. What can he say? He's never tried sealing a Spirit alone, he'd usually have Tohka by his side… now he didn't. He was doing a solo campaign on Call of Duty: Spirit Ops on Veteran difficulty. If he made one wrong decision, this could end badly… no pressure. "Now what's this all about? You were shot in the head by my cousin. Twice. Now you blow a giant bubble all over the school? What's the point?" He asked.
"Isn't it beautiful?… My City of Devouring Time?" Kurumi calmly said.
"Devouring… time…?" Mike repeated, trying to understand, though it didn't take long to use context clues and figure it out. Apparently Kurumi's powers were centered around time, not just guns and Elfin Lied Vector arms. So the reason everyone else was feeling weak, was because Kurumi was consuming time? What exactly did that even mean?
"Yes. This Special Barrier absorbs the time of anyone and anything who steps on my shadow." Kurumi confirmed. Before Michael could ask why, she slowly lifted up the remaining hair around her left eye…
"Your eye… it's a clock?" Michael asked, blinking a few times upon seeing it. It's not that he hadn't noticed the yellow-colored eye behind Kurumi's hair; but up until now, she did not lift up her hair to give him a better view. So it wasn't just style she did for in her human form… it was to cover up that same creepy eye. Not only that, it was going counter-clockwise at the moment.
"That's right. What your seeing is my remaining time… quite literally…" Kurumi said and again, using context clues, it started to make a little more sense for Michael. So if the clock was now going counter-clockwise, meaning she was currently slowly sucking up the time from the others, then that must also mean it goes in the other direction as she lives her life. AKA, this was her lifespan. "My Angel has such an amazing power… but has the nasty side effect of eating away my time quicker whenever I use it." Kurumi said, confirming Michael's thoughts again. "So I have to… rewind it, once in a while, so to speak."
Michael didn't know how to respond in a witty way to that, or even in general. Calling Tohka a "Knight in Shining Armor" (though she almost blasted him for it) and Yoshino "Bunny Girl-Loli" were appropriate at the time as it was not life or death… but for Kurumi, it was. In BOTH ways. He kinda felt sorry for her.
"So you were stalking me…" He said. Ironically all the 'eating him' jokes he made around Kurumi were more true than expected.
"I was… you were my adorable prey…" Kurumi said, then her pure red eye glowed a bit and she licked two of her fingers. "That's why I came here. Came all this way, went through all this trouble so I could eat you. See the look in your eyes and face as I devour every last second out of that strong, handsome body of yours… Your such a special prey, Michael… you honestly have no idea…" She continued, revealing her intentions for revealing herself.
Michael wasn't gonna lie, the happy and almost giddy way Kurumi spoke about this as if it was normal did freak him out, and part of him wanted to run. Of course, that sight of a vulnerable Tohka from earlier flashed in his brain, not to mention Origami and the passed out students… The final one was the dream of him when he first came here, and a Spacial Quake literally happened the very second he got off the plane (the fact governments around the world STILL allowed travel despite that really sacred him). The image of that kid he pushed out of the way…
No… He couldn't run away… it was NOT an option.
"Alright then! You got me right here, so do it already! Demolish your City and leave everyone else alone!" He said to Kurumi with as much gusto as he could. Did he want to die? Course not. But if it would get her to stop, then he's willing to make that sacrifice… even if it meant him never learning the truth…
Kurumi smiled at that, either finding his willingness noble or somehow knowing he was afraid. "I suppose that's an option…" she said. "But first, you can tell me the truth." She then added. "Come on, Mikey. Causing all this just for a quick snack? You must wanna take back what you said earlier about helping me, don't you?" Kurumi continued, taking slow steps toward the human who claimed to want to help her. Part of Michael still wanted to run, it showed a little in his eyes, but he remained put. "Unlike those other 2, I clearly don't deserve the same mercy… You can say it… say your afraid; that you hate me for all this trouble I caused… THEN. I'll take this Barrier down before I eat you." Kurumi made him a deal, also giggling at the end of it.
"Admit it… no point in denying the obvious…" She finished by leaning into his left ear just like when they first met, and held that position.
Michael thought about it for a moment, closing his eyes as well. "… Your right. I am scared…" he admitted, which did get Kurumi to smile. "… scared we'll never get to the Nurse's Office."
Kurumi removed herself from the range of his ear, now frowning. "Seriously?" She deadpanned. He was really going this far? She couldn't tell if he was stubborn or just being an idiot. He did not change his answer however, keeping on a poker face as they both looked at each other. For a few seconds, neither person said a word, but she then sighed and hoped away. She then raised her arm for some reason…
~WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!~
"Oh, my. What a loud sound… I wonder what that could mean?" She asked with a smile, of course perfectly aware of what that sound was.
"Kurumi!… You can't!…" Michael said, realizing that somehow despite being manifested already, she was able to cause a Spacial Quake… at will!
"HEHEHEHEHEHE! What is my Macho Michael gonna do now?" Kurumi 'asked' him again, as a Quake began forming directly above them. "If a Spacial Quake goes off on this school, I wonder what will happen to all those poor students inside?"
At this point, Michael had no idea what to do! He truly bit off more than he could chew this time, and was now choking on it! He could really use Tohka's, Yoshino's; or even Origami's help right about now! How was HE gonna stop a Spacial Quake?! Of course, since Kurumi opened one, it only made sense she could close it, but what was he gonna say or do to convince her? He couldn't say he hated her like she wanted, cause honestly he felt there was more to her actions, and she didn't seem like a bad person. HELL! She tore those gang members apart for playing Mission Paintball with that kitten!
He was stuck. And there were no 'A', 'B', and 'C' choices to guide him.
"Michael." Came Reine's voice in the earpiece.
"Sleepy, I'm kinda busy right now," He responded back.
"It's Kurumi. Her emotional levels have been changing." Reine said.
"Oh, what gave you that idea? The glowing eye, or the cackling?!" Michael said to her, trying to end to conversation out of urgency.
"I mean its been changing the very second you arrived on that roof. It's almost as if she's the one afraid of you." Reine calmly explained further.
Him?… Kurumi afraid of him?… That didn't make any sense! How the hell could Kurumi be afraid of him?! 'The heck? Why the hell would Kurumi be afraid of me?' Michael asked himself, trying to think of a possible answer. He thought back to all the times he spent with her…
…
…
Wait a minute… if she WAS after his essence this whole time, and wanted to eat him raw… why didn't she? Why wasn't she right now? She had plenty of opportunities to try, and its not like he could have stopped her. '… could that really be it?…' he thought, thinking he might have figured Kurumi out, but he was still unsure. Regardless, he still had to try.
"Kurumi. This's all about eating me, right?" He asked her. "Then stop the Quake!" He then requested. Kurumi raised an eyebrow at this. "If that thing hits… Then what? I'll be torn apart!" He reasoned, as if the Quake did hit, then Kurumi's meal would be spoiled, and the 5-second rule wasn't gonna help.
"Prehaps… then what's stopping me from eating you right now?" Kurumi said, matching Michael's tone.
"Good question. Why don't you tell me?" Michael asked, and its here Kurumi gritted her teeth without showing them. She didn't expect that question. Before she could answer, he spoke again. "Last chance, Kurumi. Stop the damn Quake, or I'll…" He stopped himself from talking, appearing to hesitate again. This sounded so much easier in his head.
"Or you'll what, exactly?" The Spirit asked, interested to know just how Michael was planning to stop her. Michael didn't move right away, but when he did, he thought of something stupid. REALLY stupid. If he was right, then it should be fine… but if he was wrong…
He grabbed the railings of the roof…
CLACK!
He stood on the railing after climbing on it, looking down at her with a serious face. Neither of them said a word, though Kurumi did look surprised at what he was doing. "… you can-NOT. Be serious." Kurumi chuckled, amusedly. He was gonna jump off the roof?… Yeah, she didn't believe him. "That's cute, Mikey. Real cute. Though coming from one who too sophisticated for a panty-shot or a nip-slip, I don't think you have the balls." She continued, first mentioning the almost panty-shot in school, then the almost full nip-slip back at the lingerie store. "Why don't you come down from there before you hurt yourself?"
Michael did not move, or even say a word. He just kept his eyes locked on Kurumi's, who slowly frowned herself. Surely he wasn't…
…
…
…
SLIP!
Michael did a trust fall, not batting an eye. A close-up of Kurumi's clock-eye is shown, and it narrows. As Michael was falling, a red hole opened right next to the position he'd be in the middle of the fall, with Kurumi coming out of it and catching him. He didn't even make it past the second floor before she caught him, and once he was recovered, she flew back up to roof, and deposited him on the floor. She did not seem very happy.
"Are you for real?!" She asked him in a raised tone, with a growl in it. She was not yelling at him, but she was clearly angry at him. "What is wrong with you?! Are you an idiot?!" She asked two more questions, though she wanted answers to the more recent ones.
Michael did not answer right away, most likely due to the adrenaline coursing through his body from the stunt he pulled. "Actually yeah…" he began to sit up slowly. "… the idiot to outsmart you."
Kurumi narrowed her eyes again, realizing she had just been played. With that one simple act of saving his life, it made one thing abundantly clear: She wasn't going to harm him, nor let harm come to him… even by his own hand. "So, how's about you do us both a favor, and pop the space zit? Oh, and why not wipe your City off the map while your at it?" Michael continued, now fully standing. The camera then pans up an angry-shaking Kurumi, who had just lost all leverage she once had on the situation. "OR. We can continue this game of Gothic Cat and Handsome Mouse. I can slit my wrists, bite my tongue, try to spread my wings again; and you'd keep trying to stop me… question is, Kurumi…" A close-up of Kurumi's clock-eye is shown again, ticking away. "Do YOU have time to spare?…"
Adding insult to injury, Michael made a time-based jab at Kurumi. Frankly he was right, they were at an inpass. He'll keep trying to end himself, and if she keeps using her powers to save him, it'll defeat the whole point. Gritting her teeth visibly this time, and growling again, she snapped her fingers, and the Space Quake above them fizzled out. She also recalled her shadow, canceling the effect of her Devouring City.
"There. City leveled. Quake gone. Happy?" Kurumi said, using some sass.
"See? That wasn't so hard." Michael said. "Though… there is one last thing. It'll only take a minute." He couldn't help but make another time pun.
"What do you want now?" Kurumi asked.
"I want you to let me help you, like I promised I would." Michael said.
"Humph. Back to this again?" Kurumi asked. "Your wasting your time, Mikey. Trust me, I'm a dangerous, vile Spirit. I'm more trouble than I'm worth."
"Will you drop the fucking act already? It's not working anymore." Michael said, using a stern tone this time. This did catch Kurumi by surprise. "You might be dangerous, but you sure as hell aren't vile." Michael said, trying to establish another kind of connection with the Nightmare.
"Your wrong," Kurumi said, though you said see a small difference of emotion in her eyes. It looked like hope, which is what Michael was aiming for. "I am. You have any idea how many people I must've killed?"
"Maybe not, but I know how many you just spared…" Michael answered, referring to the school and the people within. "If you really were this purely evil Worst Spirit, wouldn't you have gone out of your way to cause all that suffering? Completely ignoring me?" He asked. "I get what your going through Kurumi… believe me, I do…" He clenched a fist upon saying this.
"Your lying!" Kurumi called him out. "What do you know? You've never killed anyone! You never ate th-" She started to rant.
"I did, Kurumi!" Michael admitted in a raised volume, catching her off guard again. She did not to hear such a confession, least of all from him. "I did kill someone." He repeated as a memory played.
-FLASHBACK-
Michael: When I moved out of my country, the very second a Spacial Quake occured, I was getting off a plane. Gotta understand, was a virgin to this stuff, no idea what the hell was going on.
As soon as Michael got off his flight, the alarm warning of Quake went off. He just looked confused as to what it meant.
Michael: All I saw were people running to some high-tech Shelters, followed by a blaring alarm… It was so crowded, everyone was panicking, and to an extent, so was I.
Just like anime, people take shelter in Space Quake shelters, the alarm still going off. The airport had its own, but since airports are always busy, people started running around frantically, bumping into each other as well. Some even left their bags behind to reduce drag.
Michael: Right when one of the Shelters doors were about to close, many people started shoving, pushing each other away to save their own skins.
Michael is shown cramped in a crowd of people, doing exactly what he said.
Michael: In the confusion, I tried not to give in, but the uncertainty became too much for me, and I ended up shoving people back. Thankfully we all got into the Shelter…
Not able to rationally think due to overwhelming stress, Michael starts copying the actions of everyone else. He managed to get inside a safe zone, and happened to look back…
Michael: Except for one…
A young boy, maybe half his age or a little older than that, was shown on the ground just outside the doors.
Michael: I saw the look on his face… fear. Shock. Confusion. Maybe internal Anger. Once I realized it, I immediately turned around to try and get him inside…
Running towards the downed child, Michael makes a break for him to try and assist him…
SLAM!
Michael: But thats when the doors shut. I was staring blankly at them, wondering what the fuck I just done…
Michael stays by the doors like he said, shocked at what had occured.
Michael: When it was finally over, I never saw that kid again. A little later… there was a mother asking around for her lost child. And I later learned exactly what Spacial Quakes are, adding more to my guilt.
Once it was safe to exit, Michael took his leave out of the Shelter. As he left, a crying mother was asking about her boy and if anyone had seen him. The memory ends there.
-END FLASHBACK-
"I can never forgive myself for that… I can't go back and save that kid that'll never grow up with his now grieving mother… along with the rest of his family…" He admitted. "But maybe I can save you…"
Kurumi was not sure how to respond to that. "That does sound terrible, but at least you had a chance to save that kid, however slim it was. It's too late for me…"
"THEN AT LEAST LET ME TRY!" Michael roared, his emotions getting to him from revisiting a painful memory, and the fact the STILL wanted to help Kurumi gave her pause. "Kurumi, let me ask you: is this eating thing really for some sick pleasure… or is it something you just have to do to survive?" He asked, giving her more pause. "This power of yours… it gives you time, then takes it away. It sounds like a gift and a curse. But was it your choice to live your life by consuming the lives of others?" He continued on.
"T-That's not…" Kurumi tried to answer, trying to make an excuse, but Michael refused to hear it.
"COME ON, KURUMI! You said it yourself! This power you have is like a double-edged sword! The more you use it, the more people you had to absorb time from, right?… Well, what about MY power, Misses 'I know them inside and out'?… What if I can take that away, possibly free you from this curse?… And at the risk of sounding like a generic harem protag, take some of that burden away? Give you another chance to try and be happy?" He offered, not entirely sure this would work as he was still learning about this unique ability he has… but if it DID work…
Again… The Nightmare was completely taken aback. He had something tragic in common with herself, however smaller in scale it was… and he was going this far, for her, even after all she had done?… Could it really be possible? Could she reallyget a second chance? "But… But I…"
"YEAH! I know!" The Spirit-Sealing Human cut her off once again, shocking her with how understanding he was being. "It's true… we both have to life with what we've done for the rest of our lives. And ya know what? That fucking sucks!" He continued. "But people make mistakes, so it doesn't matter to me what you may have done… you might be a Nightmare… but your NOT a monster."
The Spirit of Time was rendered almost speechless, but she was still willing to rebut. "Michael… I tried to eat you…"
"Now. YOUR lying." The human called her out now, but continued his points just as she was shocked yet again, and just as her mouth opened to respond. "At school… before transferring to school… during our tour… on our date… beforeour date… Kurumi, you've how so many chances to eat me, its not even funny! I can't even count them all on both our fingers and toes!" He said, giving a few examples of when Kurumi could have eaten him, but she chose not too.
"Your not a bad person, Kurumi. And nothing you say or do is gonna convince me otherwise. If this wasn't true, you would've eaten me a LOOONG time ago!" Michael said, having been trying to get into the Goth's head, he now went for the final blow. "The truth is Kurumi, you didn't try eating me… because you didn't WANT to eat me. What you really wanted… was me."
At this point, feeling safe, Michael began to take slow steps forward just how Kurumi had done earlier.
"St… Stay back…" Kurumi warned with a slightly cracked voice, but Michael did not stop his advance. "I… I'm warning you!" She tried again, raising an arm this time (which was shown to be shaking, but it wasn't out of anger this time); but this did not help either as she began backing up away from him as he got closer, and a shot of their shoes were shown to visualize this.
Kurumi's face was shown, looking like it was emotionally broken, but her left eye glowed and her face got angry-looking. "BACK OFF!" She threatened, stopping and also flaring her power as a form of intimidation… this last ditch effort to scare the human did not work in the least, even as she held it for a few seconds. When this proved fruitless, she dispelled her energy and tried backing up some more…
CLACK!
She bumped into the opposite side of the roof, hitting its railing, in a similar position to how Michael was when he first arrived. She looked at what she hit, then back to Michael almost nervously. "Nothing… will convince me… otherwise…" Michael said, repeating his words from before as he stopped in front her. "Even if this doesn't work… even if you really can't be saved… at least let me try…" He repeated his offer one last time, this time in a softer voice.
"Michael, I… I don't know…" Kurumi still looked very indecisive, which didn't seem too surprising to Michael as this was probably the first time someone actually went as far as he did. The human then gave her a warm smile before lifting his hand up, offering her it. She looked down at Michael's hand, at one of her own (which was still shaking), glanced away, then back to Michael himself. "Can I… really…?" She went to touch his hand, but pulled back in hesitation, still somewhat unsure about this.
"Why don't you try to find out?" Michael said, using the exact same smile and sentence he used at the end of the tour just after the 'can I see your panties' thing. This appeared to give Kurumi the extra push she needed, so she took a step forward to get her hand within reaching range of his own, but she still appeared to debate with herself for she once again pulled back.
She tried one last time, her fingers getting closer and closer to Michaels…