Chapter 123: Choice
Shido stared at Origami, unsure of how to begin. Tohka, equally curious, turned her gaze toward him, silently urging him to continue.
He let out a small sigh."Let's just say... Kurumi has a pure heart and once wanted to become a hero of justice."
"Her? She wanted to be a hero of justice?" Origami echoed in disbelief.
Both girls stared at him, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. To them, Kurumi was nothing more than a deranged, bloodthirsty Spirit, someone who would kill without hesitation.
Watching their reactions, Shido could only let out a wry chuckle. It was exactly the kind of response he had expected.
To those who knew her, Nightmare was a name synonymous with danger, a Spirit feared for her merciless nature, especially given her infamy for killing ten thousand people. Even Shido, had he not watched the anime in his previous life, he would have found it hard to believe that her actions were ever rooted in a desire for the salvation of the world.
Yet, that was the truth. Kurumi's goal, as twisted as her methods were, had always been for the greater good. She bore the burden of countless sins in her attempt to right a single, overwhelming mistake.
Her plan to kill the First Spirit could, in theory could reset everything, undo the death and erase the suffering. But what if she failed? What if all her sacrifices were in vain?
Shido knew the answer to that. If Kurumi were to fall short, if all her pain led to nothing, she would undoubtedly breakdown. Despair would consume her, and in that moment, she would eventually transform into her Inverse form.
From what he remembered, that Inverse form was called the White Queen. A near true manifestation of Kurumi's negative emotions, the White Queen was more than just a clone. She was the embodiment of Kurumi's deepest darkness, her fractured self, born from hopelessness.
Even though Shido understood that Kurumi's intentions were for the sake of all humanity, he couldn't allow her to succeed.