One Year (Kurumi Tokisaki x Shido) Date A Live (Discontinued)

Behind the Veil

The time was 6:30 pm. Shido and Kurumi were exhausted from running around during their date. After they bought Kurumi a new dress, which was vibrant gold and dazzling white, they both ran around Tengu City, exploring places which Shido recommended, making sure that this Kurumi was having fun, while still keeping his plan to seal the real Kurumi in the back of his mind. 

"Shido, today was really fun!" Kurumi said as she sat down next to the Tengu fountain. "I just didn't think that we were going to do this much running," She did look very worn out.

"Well, there was so much stuff that I wanted to show you, I didn't want you to miss out!" Shido said as he took a seat next to her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. "But there's still one more thing that I want to do with you today, Kurumi," 

"Really, and what is it?" 

"Let's hang up a Tanzaku!" 

Shido didn't get a reply, but he did see a faint grin on Kurumi's face.

"I-I'd really like that," 

"C'mon it looks like there's still time to hang them up before sunset!" Shido said, offering his hand to Kurumi which she gladly took. The two of them walked up to the centre of Tengu City, where the heart of the festival was located, making small talk. When they reached the table to write down their wishes, Shido separated from Kurumi, giving her some privacy to write her Tanzaku.

As Shido sat down and picked up his marker to write down his wish, he was deep in thought.

"What should I wish for?" he thought to himself. Shido had plenty of things that he could wish for, however, most of them considered his relationships with the spirits, so he couldn't write them down as to disclose privacy. As he watched Kurumi writing down her wish, Shido racked his mind to think of a wish that meant a lot him while also being wholesome. 

"Aha, got it," He said as he popped open the marker cap to write his wish. 

'I wish that I can help every one of my friends in their times of need' 

"Perfect,"

Shido then stood up and walked over to where Kurumi was, already finished her Tanzaku. 

"What did you wish for Kurumi?" Shido questioned her.

"Ara Ara, Shido, you never learn, there are some things that you shouldn't ask a lady in public,"

"Uhhh, sorry, I forgot!" Shido said quickly, embarrassed. "How about we hang up our Tanzaku's over there," Shido said as he pointed to a bunch of bamboos that weren't very crowded with other people's Tanzaku's. 

As they were hanging up their Tanzaku's Shido glanced at Kurumi, hanging it up in a low spot, looking deprived of hope. 

Noticing this Shido quickly finished tying up his Tanzaku and questioned her. 

"Hey Kurumi, anything wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Kurumi replied with a small grin, forced.

"Okay then," Shido said, knowing that he couldn't get anything out of Kurumi that way, then he noticed something strange.

"Hey, Kurumi, you aren't hanging up you Tanzaku very high, you could easily hang it up higher on that branch, you know the legend, the higher you hang your Tanzaku, the better chance you have of your wish coming true," 

Kurumi then put on a sad expression and Shido became serious. 

"Kurumi, what's wrong," Shido said firmly. "You can tell me anything,"

"It's just that, no matter how hard I try, this wish will never come true," Kurumi handed her Tanzaku to Shido.

'I wish that the real Kurumi would fall in love with Shido'

"Kur-Kurumi,"

"I'm just a clone, a being that exists only to love you," Kurumi said, emotionless. "I just want the real me to be happy a live a normal life, I want her to stop killing people,"

Shido was speechless.

"When I live in the shadows, I see her kill people countless times, every death shatters my soul, more than It already is," 

"..."

Kurumi then whispered a name that Shido never heard of. 

"Sawa," 

"You know, he'd be better off if you didn't reveal so much,"

Shido heard this voice before, it was full of aggression and confidence, this voice was the voice of...

"Kurumi?"

A female figure walked out of the dark hallway on Shido's right, her dress composed of crimson and black frills, one eye replaced with an analog clock with roman numerals. This figure was unmistakably the real Kurumi Tokisaki. 

"That wish shouldn't come true, it's for the better anyway,"

Shido was frozen with shock as Kurumi summoned her pistols. 

"So it seems like you have overstayed your welcome, again, I might add," Kurumi said, with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice. "Time to put you where you belong, this time, you won't escape,"

"No-Kurumi! Wait!" Shido tried to move his legs but they wouldn't respond as a shadow beneath him appeared. Arms grabbed and tucked at his legs as if his fear wasn't enough to restrain him. 

Kurumi then raised both her pistols up above her. 

"Come to me Zaphkiel," Kurumi said in a deep voice as a massive clock appeared behind her, with the number 12 position facing towards her arms.

"NO-KURUMI," Shido shouted.

"Zaphkiel, YUD BET!" 

A shadowy bolt then appeared out of the air and flew down into the muzzles of Kurumi's pistols, arming them with magical power. 

She then aimed both of her pistols at the suspecting Kurumi, who was doing nothing but staring into the distance, accepting her fate.

"Enjoy the rest of your time here alive, me, 'cause you're about to run out of it real soon,"