Judging from how the "Multiversal Friendship System" worked, their "friend group" was bound to grow over time.
If some ungrateful, manipulative person joined their ranks, Kurumi would have to watch out for Souta.
"I'll need to screen his future 'friends' carefully."
Kurumi chuckled softly at the thought.
I can't believe I've already settled into the 'friend' role this quickly.
She murmured the word to herself.
If our plan works, then my lost friend—Sawa Yamauchi—should be revived due to the world's correction.
Kurumi would never be able to return to the Date A Live world again.
Otherwise, she would be erased by the timeline.
"I won't be able to see her again... That's kind of sad."
Of course, if giving up her entire past was the price for achieving her wish,
Then it was worth it.
The Next Morning—Time to Prepare!
Souta woke up early the next morning.
After freshening up, he immediately began rewatching Baccano! to gather intel.
Meanwhile, Kurumi prepared breakfast using what little food was left in the kitchen.
Souta thanked her, then focused back on the anime.
His goal wasn't to watch the entire series.
He wasn't going there to sightsee—
He just needed to grab the Elixir and leave.
So he skipped straight to Episode 7—
The key episode where the alchemists first obtained the Elixir of Immortality from a demon.
Unlike the alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist, the alchemists in Baccano! were basically researchers.
They weren't fighters.
So they wouldn't pose any real threat to him and Kurumi.
They definitely wouldn't pose a threat to Kurumi.
As for Souta's own combat skills...
He was probably weaker than a goose.
Once he confirmed the year and location, Souta closed his laptop and began discussing the plan with Kurumi.
"So, have you gathered all the info?" Kurumi asked.
"Yeah." Souta nodded.
"The exact time and place we need to go is the year 1711, on the sailing ship Advena Avis in the Atlantic Ocean."
"The system mentioned that while Travel Cards are one-time use, they allow us to specify the exact time and place we want to appear."
"The teleportation margin of error is pretty small, so we should be able to land directly in 1711."
"If we arrive after the plot has already started, it might be way harder to get our hands on the Elixir."
Kurumi's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I have a feeling we'll run into something interesting."
However, Souta shook his head.
"I think you'll be disappointed."
"We're teleporting onto a ship in the middle of the ocean. Other than seawater and an old wooden boat, you won't see much of the era."
"Ara, that's a shame."
Kurumi's excitement faded slightly.
But she didn't dwell on it.
Their main goal wasn't sightseeing.
They couldn't afford to get distracted.
After explaining the details of their destination, Souta didn't delay any further.
He pulled out his system phone—
One handy feature about it was that even if you forgot where you put it, the moment you needed it, it would magically appear somewhere within reach.
Usually, that meant inside his pocket.
"Alright, I'm about to use—huh?"
Just as he was about to activate the Travel Card, he suddenly felt something soft pressing against his chest.
Without him noticing, Kurumi had wrapped her arms around him, gazing up at him with a mischievous smile.
A faint fragrance drifted in the air, and her warm breath brushed against his chest.
"This time, let me go first," Kurumi whispered playfully.
"Otherwise, Souta-kun... you might get too embarrassed again. Such a pure-hearted boy~"
Souta's face remained completely blank.
Who was the one blushing last time?
Still, he chose not to call her out on it, letting her save face.
Instead, he wordlessly returned her embrace.
Kurumi's body was soft—
It felt really comfortable to hold her.
"System, activate the Travel Card."
[Please specify time and location.]
"The year 1711—Baccano!'s world—aboard the sailing ship Advena Avis, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean."
The moment Souta finished speaking, a brilliant white light enveloped them.
A Sudden Crisis—They Were in the Ocean!?
The moment the feeling of weightlessness disappeared, Souta was hit by a bone-chilling cold that wrapped around his entire body.
At some point, he had let go of Kurumi.
His instincts kicked in, and his legs began kicking downward, trying to find the ground.
Before he could even react, a liquid substance rushed into his nose and mouth, making him choke violently.
Only then did Souta realize the truth—
He had fallen into the ocean.
And the water was freezing cold, as if it were the middle of winter.
His survival instincts took over, and he kicked his legs like a frog, propelling himself upward—
Until his head finally broke the surface.
Souta spat out seawater and coughed a few times before finally taking a deep breath.
Then, he looked around.
Yep. He was in the middle of the ocean.
The sea was calm, but there was no land in sight.
"Souta-kun, um... I don't see any ships?"
Kurumi's voice suddenly came from nearby.
Souta turned his head and saw that Kurumi had also surfaced.
She puffed her cheeks slightly and spat out some seawater.
Her long twin-tailed hair and elegant dress were completely soaked, clinging tightly to her body.
Her exquisite face showed a hint of irritation.
"Honestly... The system's margin of error is way too big. We were supposed to appear on the ship, not in the ocean."
"Exactly! This is absolute bullshit."
Souta also had a lot of complaints about this shoddy teleportation job.
"No choice, then. Let's find the ship first."
Kurumi let out a small sigh, then rose into the air.
At some point, she had already switched back into her signature crimson Spirit dress, with her wet hair tied back into twin-tails again.
Even so, her hair was still damp.
In an instant, distorted light rippled around her, and behind her appeared a massive, two-meter-tall clock face.
Kurumi raised her right hand, summoning an elegant, antique-style flintlock pistol.
The weapon absorbed energy from the clock, forming a glowing number on its face.
Kurumi pointed the gun at her own head and pulled the trigger.
Souta watched expressionlessly.
Even though he had seen this happen countless times in the anime—
Watching a real person do it right in front of him was...
After the gunshot, Kurumi's entire body transformed—
Her hair was no longer wet, her clothes were completely dry, and she looked exactly the same as before they had fallen into the ocean.
"That was... Fourth Bullet Dalet, right?" Souta asked, still kicking his legs to stay afloat.
Kurumi's Spirit Angel, Zafkiel, had twelve different bullets, each with unique time-related abilities.
Daretto (The Fourth Bullet) allowed time reversal on any target it hit.
Kurumi often used it to restore herself after taking damage.
She had reversed herself back to a state before falling into the water.