"You sure you still want to bring up the Four Heavenly Kings thing?"
Souta could clearly sense the blatant threat in Kurumi's words!
He pouted slightly, completely unfazed.
Who was she trying to scare?
You think your power recovers faster than mine?
If it really came down to a contest of stamina, Kurumi would probably end up too weak to walk, flat out in bed for ten days straight!
With that thought, Souta said decisively:
"Let's just drop it. Nothing worth discussing anyway.
Let's focus our attention on the Takamiya Mio situation."
Just then, the sound of a car engine reached them from nearby.
Souta looked over and saw Kotori and the others through the vehicle's windows.
He had no idea where they even found a car.
"Shiori and the others are here," Souta noted.
The group soon got out and gathered around Souta and Kurumi.
Origami or rather, Origami Master looked at Kurumi with a touch of caution.
She was from the previous timeline.
In that one, Kurumi had been known as the "most dangerous Spirit ever known," with a kill count exceeding ten thousand. A little suspicion was only natural.
Shiori appeared a bit flustered too but didn't show strong rejection.
After all, in the manga she read, Kurumi had a heroic image.
Kotori and the others showed only curiosity, no hostility at all.
Souta wasn't surprised by their reactions.
In this timeline, the past had changed.
Kurumi had lost her desperate wish to go back 30 years and rewrite history, so she no longer obsessively collected time.
Five years ago, during her "Eyepatch Queen of the Four Heavenly Kings" phase, she had met Souta and received a massive amount of time from him.
With that gift, she no longer needed to kill to stockpile it.
At most, she'd off a few sleazy creeps with bad intentions.
DEM(Deus Ex Machina Industries) Corporation had stopped hunting her too.
In this context, Kurumi had no infamy.
So Kotori and the others reacting with curiosity made sense.
I wonder if in the previous timeline Kurumi ever pretended to be a hook-up girl in sting operations to lure sleazy guys and then harvest time from them?
That stray thought passed through Souta's mind as he observed the group.
"Since everyone's here, let's get started."
She gave Souta a nudge and added:
"Go lure Mio over, I'll start the video call."
"No, you start the video call first, then I'll go seduc—I mean, lure her over."
Souta corrected himself, looking at Kurumi.
She frowned slightly. "Isn't that the same thing?"
"Nope." Souta explained, "I want to see a certain guild member's reaction before we get into the real action. If I miss it, I'll regret it. These calls can't be recorded."
"Hm? Who are you talking about?" Kurumi's half-lidded gaze had a dangerous glint.
"Ahem. It's not what you're thinking," Souta whispered. "Remember the bet I made with Black Cat? About whether a god or a demon lord has more presence? I just want to settle that first."
Kurumi gave him a suspicious look. "Didn't expect you to care about such things…"
Then she smiled. "Unexpectedly adorable, Souta."
Souta glanced at her without replying.
Kurumi pulled out her system phone and began notifying everyone in the chat group.
Tokisaki Kurumi: "Starting a video call, don't miss it."
Tokisaki Kurumi: "@Altair. @Shinobu. @White Night Demon. @Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat…"
Altair: "It's finally happening!"
Shinobu: "Last time I missed your video test run. I must attend this time. Judging by your tone, full mental immersion provides the best viewing experience."
Souta: "Shinobu, this isn't a movie."
Shinobu: "Feels about the same to me."
Shinobu: "@Tokisaki Kurumi. Need me to back you up like in our previous missions?"
Tokisaki Kurumi: "No worries, Shinobu-san. I'm stronger than you now."
Tokisaki Kurumi: "I won't need your support going forward. In fact, if you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to come to me, I'll have your back."
Shinobu: "You're still as competitive as ever. My bond with my companions isn't what you imagine, so don't treat me like a rival."
Tokisaki Kurumi: "Oh dear, you misunderstood me. I'm not concerned about your past bond with Souta at all."
Tokisaki Kurumi: "By the way, Souta's not your familiar anymore. You can just call him by name."
Altair: "Why does it sound like you two are having a coded conversation?"
Tohsaka Rin: "Altair's intuition is pretty sharp."
Chelsea: "@Altair. Oh, you just don't get it. This is called the 'burning bridges', a passive-aggressive showdown. The only question is, who's winning this round?"
Souta: "Chelsea has this habit like when her neck itches, she starts spouting nonsense. If someone scratches it hard enough, it stops. Feel free to ignore her."
Altair: "Uh, really?"
Chelsea: "If I could beat you! If I could beat you!"
Souta: "See? She's at it again with the nonsense."
Altair: "Huh, you weren't joking. I thought you were just teasing."
Illya: "Big brother, hasn't the call started yet?"
Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat: "I'm getting impatient too. O divine beings, don't be frightened by my battle gear later. Challenge a fallen angel, and even a god will be punished."
Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat: "By the way, this phone's battery is amazing. Doesn't it ever need charging?"
Souta: "Kurumi, start the call."
Souta: "@Miku Miku, you can come back now. I'll give you the location."
Miku Izayoi: "Everything safe now?"
Souta: "Yes. We're about to confront Mio. She won't have time to monitor your place anymore."
Miku Izayoi: "Got it. On my way back."
[Tokisaki Kurumi has started a group video call. Click to join.]
Souta clicked in first.
Even though he was physically present and visible to everyone, he wouldn't be able to see the others unless he joined the call.
One by one, everyone else began joining the video chat.