Date Acceleration II (Complete)

Chapter 11

A soft hum echoed in the vast expanse of space. A solitary figure floated amidst the pitch-black void—not just darkness, but a sea of stars.

Hoshimiya Mukuro drifted slowly, her long hair swaying gracefully, catching the light of the stars around her. Above her stretched the limitless, stygian cosmos, and below her gaze lay a massive azure planet, its brilliance glowing against the backdrop of space.

After saying her farewells to Shido, Mukuro had opened a gate in mid-air and once again teleported back to the barren, endless realm of space. Yet, this didn't mean she had lost interest in Shido or the world below. In fact, the time they had spent together felt especially meaningful. Still, when she needed to think deeply, the noiseless and serene cosmos always seemed like the better choice.

"Howbeit——" Mukuro murmured to herself, her eyes glancing at the planet beneath her.

"What a goodly clime. Oft espied, yet remorse none——Muku is truly prodigal."

She remembered that day, the moment when Shido had pierced her heart with a pseudo-version of her golden key. Her lips curled into a small, amused smile as she stretched her body, extending her limbs in the weightless void.

"Hehe, Shido is well deserving of Muku's gratitude."

As she floated, the movement and freedom of space helped her feel unburdened. It was as though someone had struck her awake, her mind clear and light, after she had abstained from external sensations for so long. The feeling of freedom, the breathtaking view, the experience of fresh air and warm sunlight—it all struck her so deeply after her long isolation.

But still...

"......Hueh?" Mukuro tilted her head, confused.

She tried to recall why she had once sealed off her heart from all these wonders. The world had so many beautiful things, so many splendors she hadn't appreciated. Why had she shut herself away from it all?

"Mmm......?" She brought her hands and feet together, slowly rotating as she floated, lost in thought. But no matter how hard she tried, the answer eluded her. After a while, she gave up, letting out a soft sigh.

"Well, no matter."

There were more important things to think about now.

Shido. Itsuka Shido. The man who had unlocked her heart and brought her back to this dazzling, colorful world. More than that, the man she loved—and the man who loved her in return.

"Mn, hn, merry indeed. To have one's beloved swain in else loved, thus never struck as merriment in days gone by."

The thought of Shido filled her with a warm, fluttering joy. Her heart felt light, and she couldn't help but smile to herself. So this was the feeling Shido had talked about—the exhilaration of love.

But one final obstacle remained.

"Woe betide Muku if naught be effectuated."

Her smile grew a little sharper, more determined. Reaching into the empty space around her, she summoned a massive golden key.

◈

Lilith sat in her office, her eyes focused on the screen as she participated in a video call with Westcott. She had just emailed a set of important documents.

"These are summaries of all the critical documents we recovered from various Diabolous AF remnant strongholds," she explained. "Based on our analysis, it seems Diabolous AF was backed by a nation—one that provided them with this extensive data. It must have come from a research institution; something this sophisticated couldn't have been created without leaving traces. They appear to be developing their own wizards, ones capable of rivaling ours. These wizards wouldn't suffer from the same limitations that ours currently face.