The Promise of Tomorrow

Chapter 19

All could hear Origami's declaration, and there was no joke. She would kill Kotori right here and there. 'Shit! Origami acted first! Since she is one of the supervisors of the pendant, she had sealed Y/n's powers, wanting to deal with her personally!' Ryo thought, predicting what could have happened. 

Ryo immediately called Reine, and the latter had picked it up quickly. "Reine! Is Y/n with you?!" he asked in a hurried manner. "Yes, we are on our way! Restrain Origami!" Reine ordered before hanging up. Hearing this, Ryo immediately dashed towards Kotori and prepared himself for a fight. However, Kotori was muttering something and was repeating these words over and over as if this was a form of mantra.

"This is my punishment... This is my punishment..." she muttered over and over. She never moved an inch, as if she was ready to received the death penalty. "Fool! If you think that punishment will absolve your sins, then you're wrong!" Ryo argued, shaking Kotori to try and regain her senses. The Spirit in question didn't respond verbally, and pushed aside Ryo, making the latter fall down.

'No use... I don't think she'll listen!' Ryo thought and turned to Kusakabe. "Kusakabe, you're one of the supervisors right?! Please, restrain Origami's powers!" he pleaded, and Kusakabe was about to comply to Ryo's request, before Mana speaks out a threat that would make the lieutenant stop:

"Do that, and I'll report to the DEM that you are a traitor. That would sure break the relationship in between AST and our industry, no?" 

Ryo was shocked to what Mana was saying. Sure, letting a Spirit die to an AST soldier was one thing, but to use DEM as leverage...this was something that made Ryo snap. "So, you really are a scumbag like them." he muttered and drew out his katana ready to fight Mana. "Why are you so hell-bent on saving these Spirits? They are a threat to this world, and their existence, much like Nightmare and Princess, would cause grief and pain. 

To be honest, you, Y/n, and everyone else who supports saving them are already deemed traitors of the nation, and the world itself. Why do you want to save these Spirits? Who are they to you?" Mana tried justifying her actions and asked the question on why Ryo and the rest would risk their life for the Spirits. The former Yakuza chuckled to what Mana was asking. "Really, the DEM had poisoned your mind to the point you believed that killing them is the only solution." Ryo remarked on Mana's statement. Mana, being devoted to DEM, lashed out at Ryo. She swung wildly, and left herself open to Ryo dashing and was behind her. All she could see was a blade gleaming right at her face. 

"Funny thing is, if you follow that route, then you'll have to consider your brother as your enemy too." Ryo gave his vital counterargument. He wanted to test Mana, and see what her reaction will be when she heard the truth. Of course, as Ryo had thought, she denied that fact, saying: "No... That's a lie, that's just a lie!" 

'Of course...' Ryo had thought, understanding this feeling. "Watch." he ordered Mana and saw a bright light coming from an apartment-like building. Suddenly, as Origami was about to behead Kotori, the naginata she held disappeared and her powers faded. She had tumbled down to the ground and rolled for a few distance until Kusakabe caught her. 

Origami then suddenly got up, and tried to go after Kotori if it weren't for Origami's fellow. members stopping her. "What's the matter with you?!" one of them asked as Mikie Okamine pleaded, "Please calm down! You'll just get hurt!"