Tick... tick... A massive clock hung high in the sky, its second hand moving ceaselessly. Before it stood a towering throne.
"Kimi, you are a flower blooming high on a distant peak—beautiful, yet forever out of reach."
Their breaths mingled, soft and fragrant. Suddenly, Kimi tilted her head, a faintly exasperated smile on her lips. "My foolish sister, your spoiled, willful, and domineering ways are one thing—but your distorted view of love truly gives your elder sister a headache. Whatever shall I do to save you?"
"Ara..." Kimi suddenly beamed with dazzling radiance. She reached out and pinched Kurumi's cheeks, speaking in a mock-scolding tone, "My foolish sister, I could overlook your spoiled behavior, but your twisted view of love—your elder sister cannot forgive that. Allow me to correct you."
"Stop that! Heterosexuality is the heretical path! I curse all lovers to become siblings!" Kurumi retaliated, pulling Kimi's cheeks in return.
In the 33rd-floor labyrinth zone, within the home Kurumi had once purchased, she had canceled the half-built resort project and recreated Little Futayo's house instead. Of course, Kimi's garden remained—after all, that was her wish.
By the pond in the backyard, Kurumi sat beneath the cherry blossoms, barefoot, her black dress trailing in the water. She hummed softly, her wine-red eyes gazing into the clear pond.
"Little Futayo... I wonder if your sword and ring are buried beneath this pond."
"Divine One, weren't you supposed to act as Honda's trial boss? How did it go?" Kimi asked with a gentle smile from under the eaves, pulling Kurumi's thoughts back.
"Ara, it went wonderfully! I learned not only of her loyalty but also gained an unexpected delight," Kurumi said, narrowing her eyes with a pleased smile. There had been many such delightful surprises.
"Is that so? Honda's loyalty, huh..." Kimi's smile softened, though a touch of helplessness lingered. Honda's loyalty was both admirable and burdensome.
"Kimi." Kurumi patted the stone slab beside her, gesturing for Kimi to sit. Unlike Little Futayo, Kimi didn't refuse—she gracefully took a seat beside her.
"Little Futayo and you... though close at hand, are worlds apart." Kurumi's black hair swayed gently as she leaned sideways, resting her head upon Kimi's lap.
"Kimi, I was born as a god with everything. Whatever I desired, I could have. But such a world... it's hollow." Kurumi stretched her hand toward the sky, her fingers spread open, a tranquil smile on her lips.
Little Futayo's words still echoed within her: 'If all my wishes could come true, then the world I live in must be false.'
Her smile softened into one of quiet sweetness. "But now, I finally have something I cannot easily obtain. My world feels real at last. Kimi, it's truly wonderful that neither you nor Futayo belong to me."
"Ara~ my foolish sister is acting like a poetic maiden again," Kimi teased, running her fingers gently through Kurumi's hair.
"All my life, I had no desires. But now, I do—and deeply so. My greatest desire is to conquer both Little Futayo and you," Kurumi said, clenching her outstretched hand into a fist. It was a dream hard to realize, but precisely for that reason, it was worth chasing.
"As a goddess, you should dream of saving the world, not sink deeper into your twisted love fantasies!"
In response, Kimi grabbed Kurumi's delicate face and began kneading it like dough.
"Uuuu... stop it! Kimi, you're showing no respect for your goddess anymore!" Kurumi whimpered, rubbing her sore cheeks, eyes glistening with tears.
"You're just an immature, love-obsessed fool who doesn't even know what she wants," Kimi said softly, her hand gently patting Kurumi's head.
"Kimi, let's go home," Kurumi said quietly. A shadow engulfed Kimi, and in the next moment, Kurumi's form transformed into Kimi's.
She withdrew her legs from the pond, tapped her system menu to put on her shoes, and skipped lightly out of the courtyard.
Inside the grand hall of the Crystal Guild headquarters, Kurumi lay sprawled across a sofa, eyeing Asuna, whom she had summoned alone. With a mischievous tone, she asked, "I heard you found Little Futayo. So, how did it go? Did she agree to return?"
It was partly thanks to Kurumi that they had managed to locate Little Futayo in the first place—though the teleportation spell had unexpectedly transported them all into the same chamber.
"I'm sorry, Kimi-nee. We couldn't bring Honda-senpai back. No... we couldn't even find the words to try." Asuna spoke softly, her tone heavy with guilt.
"I see... I expected as much. From the start, I was never able to offer Little Futayo any salvation." With a faint sigh, Kurumi ran her fingers through her jet-black hair, gently caressing the strands. Recently, she had grown fond of appearing before the guild members in her true form.
Asuna's lovely face showed hesitation. At last, she gathered her courage and asked, "Kimi-nee... are you and the others from another world?"
Kurumi's wine-red eyes widened in surprise. Sitting up, she said softly, "Asuna, come sit here. This might take a while to explain."
Asuna nodded and took a seat beside her, but kept her head bowed low, her posture stiff with tension.
"There's no need to be so nervous. Do I really look that frightening?" Kurumi smiled gently as she reached out to stroke Asuna's hair.
"No, I just..."
"Sadness means death. Whether it's Kimi-nee or Honda-senpai, I once thought they were both so strong—people worthy of admiration and trust. But in truth, they're the ones who need protection the most."
"Kimi-nee... being held and comforted by you... it hurts here." Asuna pressed a hand to her chest, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "If it's possible... could you let me hold you this time? Just once?"
"My, my. Why are you crying even harder? Has your elder sister's embrace lost its charm?" Kurumi tilted her head, her crimson eyes shimmering with amusement.
Asuna shook her head quickly, again and again—but the tears kept flowing.
"My, my... such a crybaby. Very well, let's go back to our earlier topic. How did you realize I'm from another world? Did Little Futayo tell you?" Kurumi asked, gently patting Asuna's head as if she were a kitten, her serene smile never fading.
"No, she didn't! I just... saw it." Asuna hurriedly shook her head, worried Kimi-nee might misunderstand and blame Honda-senpai.
"Is that so? Well, this game is full of strange and mysterious things. Very well, I'll tell you." Kurumi slipped an arm around Asuna's slender waist, smiling faintly. "Little Futayo and I—we're not from this world. We simply came here by a twist of fate."
Her tone was light, her words both revealing and concealing everything all at once.
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