Just as Rei Ao and Kurumi were absorbed in conversation,

a voice suddenly came from behind them:

" The Origin Spirit… Mio Takamiya was created by us."

Both of them turned around at once and saw Ellen standing in the doorway to the balcony.

"You're still up?"

Rei Ao raised an eyebrow, a trace of surprise in his eyes.

"Only pretending to sleep,"

Ellen answered calmly; her voice carried no emotion at all.

"When I heard you two talking about the Origin Spirit, I knew it was time to tell the truth."

She walked toward them unhurriedly.

"I know exactly where that Origin Spirit came from. She's dangerous—and she's vanished."

Kurumi's gaze turned instantly lethal.

The flintlock pistol of Zafkiel appeared in her hand, its muzzle aimed straight at Ellen, as though the trigger might be pulled the next second.

"You're saying… you created the Origin Spirit?"

Her voice quivered with rage, a tremor born of painful memories and the shock of the revelation.

Ellen looked directly into the barrel and nodded.

"Years ago, Isaac, Elliot, Karen, and I… the four of us were survivors. A massacre had taken everything from us."

Her tone was eerily calm, as if recounting someone else's story, though a flicker of pain passed through her eyes.

"We swore to change this ugly world. Our method was… to create a god who could rewrite reality."

"So you triggered the Eurasian Sky Disaster? You killed one hundred fifty million people?"

Kurumi pressed the gun barrel to Ellen's forehead, her voice shaking with fury. Hatred blazed in her eyes—not only for the Sky Disaster, but for everything she herself had suffered.

Tokisaki Kurumi desperately wanted to pull the trigger and end Ellen, venting thirty years of agony—but reason still restrained her.

Ellen closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and steadied herself.

"The ritual ran out of control.

"We only intended to gather the world's mana and create a perfect Spirit… but the energy surge exceeded anything we'd anticipated."

She opened her eyes—blue pupils swirling with regret, guilt, and helplessness.

"When the dust settled, Mio Takamiya was born—and the world was beyond recognition."

"Do you know what she did?"

Kurumi's finger tightened on the trigger, murderous intent surging.

"She lured innocent girls into becoming Spirits—used them as tools!"

Her fury and grief toward the Origin Spirit were boundless—sympathy for the victims, hatred for Mio.

"I don't know…"

Ellen shook her head, stating frankly what she did and did not know.

"Once she was created, Mio broke free of our control. Elliot chose to shield her.

By the time we realized she had escaped, it was already too late."

Her voice overflowed with helpless remorse—for her naïveté and for unleashing an unpredictable force with her own hands.

Bloodlust flashed in Kurumi's eyes.

"Because of the arrogance of you and your comrades, how many lives were lost? How many had their fates warped like mine? What right do you— "

"Enough."

Rei Ao's voice was not loud, yet it seemed to shake the very air.

He clasped the wrist of Kurumi's gun hand; with the other arm he drew Ellen into his embrace, holding both women at once.

"Rei Ao!"

Kurumi blinked, surprise and displeasure crossing her face.

"What are you doing?"

She could not fathom why he would protect someone she deemed a criminal.

"!!!"

Ellen struggled, but Rei Ao's arm was like a steel vise; she could not break free. Confusion and unease filled her—she could not guess his intent.

"I just think it's rather absurd that you're quarreling over an Origin Spirit while I'm standing right here."

Rei Ao's tone was almost casual, as though the fate of the world were a trivial matter; a teasing confidence glimmered in his eyes.

"Have you forgotten who I am?"

He narrowed his gaze at the stunned pair, hinting that he possessed the power to change everything.

Both women froze.

In their minds flashed his identity—the Administrator of the Trade Chat Group, a being linked to countless worlds.

That title had become a mysterious symbol to them, signifying limitless possibilities and unknown power.

"The administrator of the Trade Chat Group…" Kurumi murmured, astonishment flickering in her eyes.

"…a being connected to countless worlds…"

Ellen, too, grasped it, her eyes now bright with shock and with hope—as though she glimpsed a thread that might alter destiny.

Rei Ao smiled in satisfaction.

"Remember now?

"Eliminating the Origin Spirit or reshaping this world—neither is difficult for me."

He looked down at the two women in his arms, gaze gentle yet utterly sure of himself.

"As long as you're willing to pay the corresponding price and make a deal with me."

The words were dripping with temptation—yet they truly did hold out a hopeful future.

Under the moonlight,

Kurumi's and Ellen's expressions shifted from stunned to contemplative.

Rei Ao's words were like a pebble tossed into the stagnant pond of their long‑fixed thoughts, sending ripple after ripple across the surface.

Their hearts churned with conflict and hesitation.

Should they trust Rei Ao? Should they accept a bargain swathed in so much uncertainty?

"What… price?"

Kurumi asked warily, a glint of caution in her eyes—she knew there was no free lunch; every wish demanded payment.

Rei Ao released them and stepped back. His iridescent eyes shimmered in the night.

"That depends on what you want."

"Miss Kurumi, is it vengeance you seek? Miss Ellen, redemption? Or… a grander wish still?"

He shrugged lightly, voice relaxed.

"The price varies."

His words enticed them, coaxing each to voice the deepest desire in her heart.

Ellen's brows knitted.

"You truly can change this world? Even correct… the mistakes we made?"

Expectation and undisguised doubt shone in her eyes—she struggled to believe that what they had failed to mend could be mended by anyone else.

~~~

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