Shido, receiving Kotori's command, was still flustered inside, but looking at the murderous, jealous (?) Heavenly Judgment before him, and Tohka, who was crying tears of joy beside him because he "died and came back to life," he understood that evasion and lies would only make things worse.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart, and looked firmly at the white Spirit floating in the air.
He gently patted Tohka, signaling her to calm down, then took a step forward (though still in the air), directly facing those golden eyes burning with rage.
"You... you're right!"
Shido's voice was initially a little dry, but quickly became clear and strong, "I really... ignored 'her' feelings!"
His words made Heavenly Judgment pause slightly, seemingly not expecting him to admit it directly.
Shido didn't stop. As if going all out, he began to difficultly confess his inner thoughts according to Kotori's instructions:
"I know, the power of Spirits... is not entirely a gift. It can lead to loss of control, Spatial Quakes, and... pain and struggle like now!"
His gaze seemed to penetrate that arrogant facade, seeing the essence beneath it.
"And I... the reason I go on dates with Spirits, and even... need to kiss them, is to seal that potentially uncontrollable power! It's to find a way for Spirits to live safely in this world like ordinary people!"
He glanced at Tohka, his eyes filled with apology, then looked back at Heavenly Judgment.
"I know this is absurd, selfish! Involving you all in such strange things... especially Chinatsu, and Koushi... I'm really... very sorry!"
As he said this, his voice trembled with emotion, but his gaze became even more resolute, as if making an unbreakable vow:
"But—I will never give up because of this!"
He almost roared the next words, his voice echoing in the vast sky:
"I will never give up on Chinatsu! Whether 'you' are in control now, or'she' is struggling! No matter how much she hates me, resists me, even... even if you want to break my arms and legs because of it!"
His gaze was burning, with a nearly obsessive persistence, locking onto Heavenly Judgment:
"I will definitely find a way! To bring you... to bring Chinatsu! From this situation that makes her suffer, that makes her have to pretend—"
"—Bring her back!!!"
"This world, absolutely! Absolutely has a place for her! This is my, Itsuka Shido's, promise to you!"
These words, clumsy, heavy, and even a little confused, were filled with unadorned sincerity and a do-or-die determination.
There were no clever excuses, no frivolous promises, only the courage to face the cruelest reality and vow to fight against it... On the Fraxinus bridge, there was silence. Everyone held their breath, watching Heavenly Judgment on the screen.
Her furious and mocking expression froze like ice after hearing Shido's confession.
In those golden eyes, intense emotions surged—there was the anger of being offended, the disdain for these "absurd" words, but it also seemed... there was a very subtle tremor, one she herself hadn't even noticed?
Meanwhile, in the inner world.
Chinatsu, who was wrestling with World Ender Consciousness, fighting for the controller, suddenly stopped moving.
(What a joke, I don't need your help at all!)
(But I'm a guy, bro. Conquer me? How is that possible!)
Her grip on the controller unconsciously loosened for a moment.
And it was this momentary slackness that World Ender Consciousness keenly caught.
"Hmph! Flowery words! Men's boring promises!~☆"
Although World Ender Consciousness still showed disdain verbally, she did not immediately attack after regaining full control.
She floated in the air, examining Shido with an extremely complex gaze, filled with scrutiny, mockery, and a hint of... an inexplicable probe.
The external destructive energy still swirled around her, but the impulse to crush everything immediately inexplicably stalled.
Shido's desperate honesty, like a depth charge thrown into deep water, not only shocked Tohka but also cast a shadow full of variables between Chinatsu and World Ender Consciousness.
And the real choice was only just beginning.
---
Inner world, otaku room.
Shido's clumsy yet incredibly sincere declaration, like a stone thrown into a lake, rippled in both their hearts.
The tense, wrestling atmosphere of fighting for the controller quietly changed.
Chinatsu was the first to calm down. She looked at this powerful yet childish "little sister" born from her own memories and negative emotions, took a deep breath, and said in an undeniable tone, with a sisterly authority:
"Alright, had enough fun? Give me the controller, I'm going out."
"You heard it too," she pointed to the outside world, where Shido's voice seemed to still echo.
"This world didn't reject me. That boy isn't dead either. Your 'judgment' is invalid."
However, World Ender Consciousness was like a naughty child whose favorite toy had been snatched away. Not only did she not let go, but she hugged the game controller tightly.
She immediately started rolling on the carpeted floor, her white long hair covering her face, muttering discontentedly:
"No no no!~☆ This King just woke up and hasn't played for a few minutes! It's so interesting outside, and there are annoying bugs (referring to Shido) and ignorant peers (referring to Tohka)! I don't want to go back! Let me play a little longer!~☆"
Watching Heavenly Judgment roll on the ground, completely losing her composure, Chinatsu sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead. Reasoning with this guy seemed futile, she had to find a way... Her gaze inadvertently swept across the slightly messy floor, catching sight of a half-open book with a pink fairy lady's bright smile on the cover—"Alicia's Guide to Dealing with Tsunderes."
(! That's it!)
Chinatsu's eyes lit up, instantly recalling the system's prompt—this guy perceives herself as "Weak Goodness," and herself as "powerful evil," which is essentially a twisted form of protection and possessiveness, a variation of tsundere! And to deal with a tsundere... (Let me think... how was Black See comforted by White See? How did Mei make Raiden obey?)
The core secret is—to be direct! To break through that awkward layer of defense with sincerity and gentleness!
Just as Chinatsu was contemplating a strategy, Heavenly Judgment, who was rolling on the ground, secretly peeked at her. Seeing that she seemed to be in a daze, she thought there was an opportunity.
She immediately stopped rolling, and like a nimble kitten, holding the controller, she "whooshed" towards the soft-looking large bed in the room, muttering:
"Hmph hmph~☆ Once I'm under the covers, this King is invincible! Blanket barrier, unfold~☆!"
However, just a second before she successfully burrowed under the covers—
Chinatsu moved! She pounced like a cheetah, her hands precisely braced on the bed on either side of Heavenly Judgment's head. Her entire body, in a slightly forceful posture, enveloped the other party within her arms, forming a perfect "bed-dunk."
"Woah?!~☆"
World Ender Consciousness, newly born and completely inexperienced in such matters, was instantly dumbfounded.
She instantly flipped through a large number of similar "super-unfold" scenes from Chinatsu's shared memories. Her fair cheeks flushed visibly, her golden eyes flickered in panic, and she started speaking incoherently:
"Wait! This... we... isn't this too fast!~☆"
"This... This King isn't mentally prepared yet!~☆"
"No... no! Why is this King on the bottom?!~☆ I'm clearly the stronger one!"
Looking at Heavenly Judgment, who was flustered like a startled little rabbit beneath her, Chinatsu secretly smiled. The strategy was effective!
She didn't press further but slowly raised a hand and gently stroked the other's ice-fall-smooth white long hair, which originated from herself, patiently untangling the slightly messy strands with her fingertips.
Her gaze softened, and her voice became much quieter:
"Thank you."
Heavenly Judgment stiffened: "...Huh?~☆"
"Thank you," Chinatsu repeated, her tone sincere.
"Thank you for caring so much about me, for being willing to stand up for me, and even for wanting to flatten those existences that make you feel wronged for my sake."
Heavenly Judgment's face grew redder, and she awkwardly tried to turn her head away, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"Wh... what nonsense!~☆ This King doesn't care about you! This King just... just can't stand them bullying my property! Yes, that's right!~☆"
Hmm, a classic textbook tsundere reaction.
Chinatsu nodded compliantly, but her tone subtly shifted: "However, this world isn't just the two of us, you know."
Her gaze swept over the bookshelf in the room, filled with various manga, light novels, and setting books.
"Just like these books, some are good, some are bad, some are passionate, some are depressing, but it's these different colors that make up this rich and colorful world. Humans are the same; there are those like AST who attack indiscriminately, and there are idiots like Shido who, even when afraid, want to try to understand, and are even willing to sacrifice their lives to save."
She lowered her head, her forehead almost touching Heavenly Judgment's forehead, her golden eyes looking directly into those equally brilliant but now flustered eyes, and softly said with a hint of pleading:
"So, just for me... give this world, and that clumsy boy... another chance, okay?"
After speaking, without waiting for Heavenly Judgment's response, Chinatsu leaned down slightly and pressed a gentle and warm kiss on her smooth forehead.
—!!!
In an instant, World Ender Consciousness's thinking ability seemed to be formatted, her brain completely crashed, her CPU overloaded and burned out!
All the tsundere, all the resistance, all the "destroy the world" plans were shattered and vanished by this sudden forehead kiss, imbued with a sisterly affection and comfort!
She froze on the bed, her cheeks so red they looked like they would bleed, her golden eyes turned into spirals, only capable of unconsciously emitting sounds like "Ugh..." and "Ah...".
Looking at the completely "tamed" naughty child before her, Chinatsu smiled slightly and easily took back the game controller from her weakly loosened grip.
(So easy to handle.)
Next, it was time to go out and clean up the mess.
-------------------------
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