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Date A Live - Volume 20 - Chapter 2




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Chapter 2 

The Stage Curtain Rises For Those Two 

--An hour had passed since Kurumi’s visit to Shidou and the others. 

In the briefing room of the airship <Fraxinus>, which floated 15,000 meters above Tenguu City, all of the Spirits had gathered from the Spirit mansion or their respective homes in the city. 

Everyone was seated in a round table and dressed in pajamas covered by coats. Well, even if it could be abridged like that, there were wide variations from Miku’s moko moko pajamas to the ink stains on the cuffs of Nia’s shabby jacket. 

To be honest, it didn’t seem like a tense gathering, but it was only this time when everyone could convene together. Although they could have waited until the next morning, not even a single second could be squandered. And the most important part was to not let Tohka grow suspicious, so they had to do this while she was sleeping. 

Additionally, Maria was told to investigate this world and Tohka at the same time. Mana was on standby on the warship in case of an emergency situation. The Fraxinus crew had also gathered on the bridge. This level of tension hadn’t been seen on <Fraxinus> since the battle against Westcott. 

“This world……is made by……Tohka-san?” 

After a brief explanation of the situation. 

The person who responded to Shidou with this question was Yoshino. 

Her soft fluffy hair swayed a little as she inclined her head with widened eyes. Subsequently, the Yoshinon puppet on her left hand also flexibly made the same pose. 

There was no fear or scorn in her expression. At best, it was on the level of confusion and bewilderment. 

This wasn’t just limited to Yoshino. Kaguya, Yuzuru, Mukuro, Nia, Miku, and Natsumi--all of the Spirits that gathered here had a similar look. 

“What the hell are you saying, Shidou?” 

“Agreement. What does this mean?”

“Fuuah……mun, apologizes……to be suddenly stirred awake by im?togo.” 

“The world has been rewritten--is that why my manuscript is still blank!? Damn, even though it was completed in the original world! There’s nothing that can be done about it since it was rewritten!” 

“Ah, is that some sort of system? Well then, in the original world, Natsumi-san must have asked me for a hug!?” 

“……Impossible. That is completely impossible.” 

And so on, everyone was confused, yawning, or making incessant noise. 

But that wasn’t unreasonable either. It wasn’t as if they disbelieved Shidou or couldn’t hear this story, but being too far away from the norm they could only remained stunned. In fact, when Shidou first discovered the truth of this world from Kurumi, he also had a similar reaction. 

However, under such circumstances, there was a person who quickly grasped the situation and sharpened her eyes--it was Origami. 

“--Speak more in detail.” 

While speaking, she placed her elbows on the round table, pressing her fingers against each other while turning to look at Shidou. 

Everyone else felt this unusual atmosphere as they stopped talking and also turned their attention to Shidou. 

“……Aah. Actually--” 

Shidou gently coughed a few times before beginning to speak. 

He told them how Tohka took Mio’s Sephira Crystal as it was about to disappear. And also--if this went on, Tohka would perish along with this world. “…………”

“……How.” 

“That’s……”

As the conversation continued, everyone’s expressions gradually grew paler. 

Looking on at this crowd, Kotori, who was wearing her red jacket on her shoulders, stood up. 

“--It just as he says. I thought it was a bad joke at first, but Shidou has already confirmed this with <Zafkiel>.” 

“W-why would Tohka-san do such a thing……?” 

Miku asked with sweat dripped down her cheeks. However, Shidou could only shake his head in response. 

“I don’t know……but I don’t think that Tohka would do such a thing without a reason.” 

“…………”

Listening to Shidou, everyone turned taciturn. This level of silence indicated that they were in silent agreement. 

That’s right. Tohka wouldn’t have rewritten the world for the sake of fulfilling her own desires.

There must have been a reason. 

However, Shidou couldn’t understand this reason. If this continued on, Tohka would be wiped out along with this world. He didn’t expect to suddenly discover that grave matter. There had to be a reason. Even if it meant taking a dangerous risk, there must be a motive for why she snatched away Mio’s Sephira Crystal. 

“--Let’s organize what has just been said.” 

As Shidou’s thoughts were caught in a dead end, Kotori slammed her hand down and raised her voice. 

“Tohka took Mio’s Sephira Crystal in the original world and used it to create this world. But this world has a time constraint and if left alone it will destroy itself. We must let Tohka relinquish control over Mio’s Sephira Crystal as soon as possible and return the world to its original state. For this reason, it is imperative to know Tohka’s goal.” 

“Tohka’s goal……? When it comes to that……” 

“Guess. Something like wanting to eat until the stomach is about to burst?” 

Kaguya and Yuzuru spoke with a difficult look as they placed their hands against their chins. Although the remark itself was very nonsensical, the expressions of those two were still very serious. 

“……That seems to be just like Tohka, but it’s impossible to rewrite the world for that reason. Besides, that could have already been done in the original world.” 

Natsumi squinted while scratching her cheeks, but what she had said wasn’t wrong. “Mun……wouldn’t it be better to ask Tohka directly?”

And then, Mukuro spoke while rubbing her eyes. 

“How to describe that……” 

Shidou responded with a wry smile--but then he suddenly stopped talking as he let out a groan. Certainly, a method that was too simple couldn’t be used for capture. But since the opponent was Tohka, he couldn’t deny that this method may be effective. 

Perhaps Kotori had also thought the same as she grumbled while making a complicated expression. 

“……Certainly, if it can’t be helped, we may have to do that as the last resort. After all, we don’t even know if Tohka has discovered that we found out the truth of this world. In the current situation where Tohka controls this world, there is the possibility……of everyone’s memories being reset to before we learned the truth.” 

“…………” 

Listening to what Kotori had said, the other Spirits let out a startled gasp. 

Although it was difficult to imagine, as well as the fact that he didn’t want to believe Tohka would do this, it was also true that Tohka had rewritten the world. Under the premise that the other side has an overwhelming advantage, they always had to predict the worst case scenario. 

“……That’s true, but we can’t just do nothing. Let’s first try to secretly test Tohka--” 

Just as Shidou was in the middle of speaking. 

“--Ho? I was wondering what my sisters were doing at such an hour, but it turns out you’re consulting to destroy my world?” 

“……!?” 

Suddenly hearing that voice come from somewhere, Shidou’s body quickly stiffened. “T-this voice is……”

“--Tohka……!?” 

As Shidou called out that name, the space at the center of the round table began to distort. From there, a girl with long night colored hair appeared. 

She was wearing pajamas just like everyone else. But the usual innocence couldn’t be seen in her eyes as it was lit with an icy brilliance. She seemed to be floating in the air in an invisible chair, overlooking Shidou with a detached look. 

“Don’t concern yourself of how you got here; continue immersing yourself in your dreams.” 

“Y-you are……”

Seeing that her manner of speech and atmosphere was completely different from Tohka, Shidou was at a loss for words--but then he noticed. 

Yes, certainly the current Tohka has the same face but her personality wasn’t the same as the normal Tohka. 

By now, Shidou already had some knowledge of seeing Tohka in such strange state. 

“Impossible……inverse--?” 

“Wha--”

After listening to what Shidou had said, Kotori’s eyes widened. 

Yes, the inversion of the Sephira Crystal, it was a phenomenon that occurred when a Spirit’s heart is overcome by despair. The attributes of the reiryoku a Spirit emits changes and the ego vanishes--or in the case for Tohka another personality would manifest. 

Furthermore, Tohka has had this inversion occur to her several times in the past. At those moments, it was another cruel and violent persona that took control of Tohka’s body. “Inversion--in other words, the one who rewrote the world is you rather than the usual Tohka?”

As Origami displayed an alert look as she inquired, inverse Tohka faintly narrowed her eyes as if to denote confirmation. 

“……” 

At the same time as experiencing tension and dread from the sudden situation, Shidou also felt a strange sense of relief as well. After all, the Tohka that Shidou had known wasn’t the sort of girl who would steal Mio’s Sephira crystal in order to rewrite the world-- 

But just because he realized this doesn’t mean the matter had been resolved. 

Even though it wasn’t Tohka’s will to rewrite the world, he still didn’t understand inverse Tohka’s goal. 

“……Now that the person herself has appeared this early in the story, I’ll get straight to the topic.

--What is your goal? Why did you want to do that?” 

Kotori likely had the same thoughts as Shidou. Even with a few drops of sweat dripping below her forehead, she didn’t break her brash tone as she raised that question. 

Indeed, this was the last resort, but the situation was different if their plans had already been exposed. Now, it didn’t make sense to be cautious anymore. Perhaps she had thought there was no choice but to ask the question directly. 

Then, inverse Tohka stared at Kotori for a while before she let out a “humph” sound from her nose. 

“What, it doesn’t feel that bad holding the entire world within my hands.” 

“What did you say……?”

“I saw the death of the woman who was my mother through Tohka’s eyes. Even though I loathe that woman, her power is a different matter. Since it was about to disappear anyway, there was no problems for me to use it.” 

“…………” 

After listening to what she had said, Shidou concentrated on observing inverse Tohka to guess her real intentions. 

Was this really the reason, or was this an attempt to deceive everyone present in order to hide another goal? If it was the latter, then what was the real goal that she didn’t want anyone to know--? 

While thinking about this, such a question arose--yes. The Tohka who Shidou had met this morning was undoubtedly the usual Tohka. If inverse Tohka’s goal was truly to control the world, could the reason of returning ownership of the body to the true Tohka also be……? 

“--Humph.” 

As Shidou was still considering this, inverse Tohka angrily sighed. 

“Well. Already this has become my world. As such you all amount to ants that can do nothing to change this status quo.” 

She said this while quickly raised her right hand. 

“……!” 

Because of her movements, all of the Spirits suddenly felt tense. Even Shidou couldn’t help but hold his breath. 

(--As long as she knows, everyone’s memories will revert to back before discovering the truth……there is the possibility of that.) 

Such words uttered by Kotori earlier passed through his thoughts. This world was now in the hands of inverse Tohka. For her, to do such a thing would not be difficult at all. 

As if feeling the tension in this crowd, inverse Tohka snorted once again and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the figure of inverse Tohka floating in the air distorted and disappeared into the air.

After a few moments, the briefing room returned back to before she had appeared. 

“--Everyone!” 

Among the stunned group, it was Kotori who first raised her voice. 

“Are your memories not mistaken!? Are there any abnormalities with your bodies!? If you have something that you’re worried about, say it no matter how small!” 

While hurriedly surveying everyone’s appearance, she quickly talked on in rapid succession. 

But her nervousness wasn’t unwarranted. The girl who, without any exaggeration, ruled over this world had appeared in front of everyone just now. From her perspective, Shidou and the others must be obstacles that were trying to disturb her world. It was difficult to imagine that she had just left without doing anything. 

However, the Spirits shook their heads after looking at each other. 

“N-no……I think I am fine.” 

“Mun, Muku is uninjured.” 

“……No abnormalities here.”

However, at that moment, Nia widened her eyes as if noticing something.

“Ah?! N-not good im?to-chan!”

“! What’s wrong, did something happen!?” 

“My chest has turned flat! It was around an F-cup until a while ago!” 

“............”

Kotori silently half-closed her eyes as she landed a karate chop on Nia’s head. 

“It hurts?! Why im?to-chan, that was just Nia-chan’s small stylish joke to lighten the atmosphere.” 

“Consider the time and place for that……!” 

Kotori shrugged her shoulders in irritation as she looked around once again before forcing out a sigh. 

“It looks like everyone is fine……” 

“Aah……it looks like that.”

“……What is she going to do? We should be hindrances to her and if left alone……” 

“--The possibilities that can be thought up can be roughly divided into three.”

As Kotori groaned while placing her hand against her chin, Origami raised her voice to reply to her. 

“First, we are totally worthless to her. It may be humiliating, but this is the most welcomed result for us.” 

“……Well, that’s true. What next?” 

“Second, she has already erased specific memories from our minds, but her power let us think that ‘nothing had happened’.” 

“Wha……”

“Shudder. But that isn’t impossible.” 

Sweat began to drip down from all of the Spirits. But this was certainly feasible if relying on inverse Tohka’s power. 

“But it should be possible to immediately check <Rasiel> to see if any changes have occurred. I don’t think she would miss that. If she really altered our memory, it should have already wiped the suspicion we are holding right now. Therefore, at the time we are having this conversation, the possibility isn’t zero but very low.” 

“I see……” 

“And third--that is to say she let us go. In other words, the actions we are expected to take are relevant to her goal.” 

“----” 

Shidou felt his heartbeat accelerate upon hearing what Origami had said. 

Inverse Tohka was trying to make them do something--if that was true. That would explain inverse Tohka’s sudden entrance and even her leaving them, whom should serve as an obstacle, alone. 

The Spirits were all likely thinking the same thing as they remained silent with a difficult expression marking their faces. 

Despite having said that, they still have come up with any specific countermeasure. Their opponent was the lord of this world. Able to fulfill any wish at the snap of her fingertips, she was the strongest Spirit that had obtained the power of <Deus>. If there is something desired, he would only need to rely on his own strength. For the sake of an argument, even if it was necessary to use the power of the Spirits, operating a brute force collaboration would feel uneasy. 

“……Anyway.” 

It was Kotori who raised her voice to lead everyone that was lost in the whirlpool of confusion. 

“Her goal is still unknown, but there is one thing that is certain now that the other side’s identity has been revealed. --If so, there is only one thing we should do.” 

Right Shidou? And so, Kotori glanced over at Shidou. 

Listening to her words and looking into her eyes, Shidou quickly understood everything. That’s right. --Since Shidou has repeated done “this” several times now. 

“No matter how powerful the opponent, as long as it is a Spirit--you should be able to seal that power.” 

Yes. That was Shidou’s power. The power to seal reiryoku that Mio gave to him in order to perfectly recreate Shinji. 

“And so, you just have to seal Mio’s power that has been forcibly taken into Tohka’s body……” 

“--The world will be resorted to its original state and Tohka’s self-destruction can be prevented……is that true?” 

“Yeah. --Although it may be necessary to add a ‘perhaps’ considering how unreliable this premise is.” 

Kotori sighed softly while relaxing her shoulders. Well, Kotori likely didn’t imagine that the situation would turn out like this either. It was too arbitrary to state without solid proof first. However, there was no other way. Shidou felt his throat moisten as he clenched his fist. 

“In order to seal Tohka’s power--take her on date and make her fall in love.” 

“That’s right.”

As Kotori nodded, she took out a Chupa Chups from her pocket and threw it into her mouth. 

“Now--let’s begin our war (date).” 

--? 

The next morning. Shidou stood in front of room 410 of the spirit mansion--Tohka’s room. 

The latest communication device hung around his neck, and on the other end was <Ratatoskr>’s elite on standby. 

Yes. Afterwards, Shidou had continued the strategy meeting and decided to begin the capture of inverse Tohka immediately. 

Needless to say, the opponent was a Spirit with an unknown ability. It should have taken more time to prepare and consider countermeasures for attempting this challenge. 

But since they didn’t know how long until Tohka and Mio’s Sephira would reach their limit, there wasn’t enough time for such slow deliberations--anyway, the most important element in these matters was the momentum. This was the common opinion shared by both Kotori and Shidou. 

“--Well then, hurry up Shidou. The opponent is just an opponent, so don’t be nervous. She is indeed very powerful, but hasn’t the story only just begun? If you proceed with the date as usual, there shouldn’t be any problems.” 

“……Aah, I understand.” 

As Shidou nodded while hearing Kotori’s voice from the communication device, he quickly took a deep breath and rang the doorbell of Tohka’s room. 

--But, there was no response. Shidou waited for ten seconds before pressing the doorbell again. 

Even so, the front entrance door didn’t make the slightest movement. On the contrary, not even the faintest footsteps approaching could be heard. 

“Hmm……? No way, is there no one home?” 

“That’s impossible. Tohka’s response is certainly still coming from within the house. If you think about it, perhaps she is still sleeping or simply ignoring--”

“--It is also possible to perhaps use a method we didn’t expect to falsify the response.” 

Maria’s voice echoed to complement Kotori’s words. Certainly, something of that level would be trivial for the current Tohka. 

But, no, it was precisely because of this that the question grew stronger. Why would Tohka, who had already obtained so much power, try to mislead her location to Shidou? 

At the very least, Shidou couldn’t come up with a reason. After ringing the doorbell again, Shidou subconsciously reached out for the doorknob. 

“Hmm……?” 

“What’s wrong, Shidou?” 

“The door is open……”

Shidou whispered while opening the thick front door that was peculiar to the spirit mansion. 

“What!? Then just as I thought, is she still sleeping? But we’re not talking about the usual Tohka, maybe inverse Tohka doesn’t have the habit of locking doors……” 

“Anyway, I’ll go confirm this. If she’s still sleeping, I’ll wait for her to wake up. It may be that she couldn’t hear the doorbell at all.” 

“Exactly--so go confirm it.” 

While agreeing with Kotori, Shidou fully opened the door and stepped into Tohka’s room. 

Although it was a room he had already visited several times already, the atmosphere today felt different. Was it because the host had changed or was the source caused by Shidou’s own impression? 

Either way, just as Kotori had said, he couldn’t be too nervous. Shidou gulped as he raised his voice. 

“Hey? Tohka? Are you in? Can I come in?” 

And so, he tried to keep his tone as causal as possible. 

But again there was no response. Shidou gently tapped the communication device to send the signal before taking off his shoes to enter the room. 

As he was halfway across the corridor, a sudden change appeared in the room for the first time. 

From the left side--there was the sound of a collision coming from the direction of the bathroom. 

“! Tohka, were you here? Sorry, I got worried since the door was open--” 

Shidou had begun to use the excuse prepared beforehand--but those words came to halt midway through. But that was a natural response. After all, what appeared here was, with her long hair dripping wet, Tohka who didn’t have a single thread of clothes covering herself.

“--!?To?tototohka……!?”

“So it is you. What a noisy and rude human.” 

Tohka said with a look of disgust--that was the tone coming from inverse Tohka. She crossed her arms without any embarrassment. As her misty hair swayed over her white breasts, Shidou quickly looked away. 

“Maria!” 

“Please rest assured. I’ve already applied the screen filter.” 

From the communicator, he could hear Maria and Kotori’s voices, along with that of the disappointed male crew. However, Shidou could feel reassured right now. His throat trembled as he struggled not to look directly at the now nude Tohka. 

“Yeah, uh……w-what are you doing……?” 

“What’s wrong with taking a bath in my own room?” 

“Ah yes, there’s nothing wrong……”

A completely valid reason. Clearly, this was the fault of Shidou, who had entered without the owner’s consent. As Shidou’s entire face was bright red, he lowered his head in apology. 

However, Tohka didn’t care to pursue this any further. She half-dazedly narrowed her eyes while slanting her head. 

“--So what? With great difficulty, I let you all go, are you still not satisfied? But that doesn’t matter now. Life, body, memories, chose which one you want to discard.” 

“W-wait a minute!” 

Seeing inverse Tohka slowly raise her hand, Shidou shook his head in a panic. 

“No that’s not it…...I came to invite you on a date today!” 

“--What? Date?” 

Inverse Tohka raised her brow in suspicion while placing her hand against her chin as if contemplating something. 

After a few seconds, she grabbed Shidou’s collar, pulling him closer to herself. “Wa……!”

“Don’t scream. Do you want to be erased?” 

“……!”

The glare from her eyes was brimming with a sadistic light. Shidou trembled as he shook his head again. 

Seeing this, inverse Tohka turned around to huff from her nose before continuing on. “Date. You said you want to go on a date. --Alright. I’ll accompany you just this once.” 

“……!? R-really!?”

Hearing inverse Tohka’s unexpected response, Shidou couldn’t help but widen his eyes. No, of course getting this consent was his goal from the very beginning, but he didn’t think she would accept this so easily. 

However, inverse Tohka was still grabbing Shidou’s collar while lower her gaze slightly. 

“Aah. --But, this boorishness won’t be permitted.” 

“Eh--?”

At that moment. 

After seeing Tohka strengthen her stare, Shidou heard a buzzing noise come from his neck as he reflexively closed his eyes. 

“Ouch……” 

There was the feeling of smoke rising as the smell of something burning ensnared his nostrils. Shidou quickly understood. The small communicator attached to his neck had been destroyed. “W-what……” 

“That’s my line. You’re the one who invited me on a date. Don’t rely on such foolhardy tricks and use your own means to entertain me.” 

While saying that, she threw a glance at Shidou. 

What she said was impeccable rhetoric. Shidou was left speechless as he could only nod in silence as if surrendering. 

Afterwards, inverse Tohka let out a satisfied sigh. She loosened her grip and finally released Shidou. 

“Cough……cough ……” 

“So human, say it once more.” 

“Eh……?”

“The words you said earlier. You can’t say that you’ve forgotten during this little moment.” 

Inverse Tohka spoke while staring at Shidou with a piercing gaze. Shidou nervously felt his breathing draw thin. 

“…………” 

There was only one line that came to mind. Shidou fixed the front of his collar, adjusting his breathing while looking back at inverse Tohka--and opened his mouth to speak. 

“Tohka, starting from now, can you go on a date?” 

“--Ooh, really!?”

From the voice that echoed at the next moment, Shidou felt a slight hint of discomfort. 

Although the sound of the voice hadn’t changed, the voice had sounded too innocent and cheerful for inverse Tohka. 

How to describe this, it felt as if the whole atmosphere had eased. Her eyebrows that had a sharp look were now relaxed in a gentle arc. Even the white face he remembered for its chillness had faint traces of a red hue shine through, as the corners of her mouth outlined a smile as if unable to contain her joy and excitement. 

It was just as if-- 

“To……Tohka? Is this Tohka?” 

Shidou’s voice was overcome by surprise. 

Yes. Tohka, who had been inversed until just now, had changed back to her usual self in an instant. 

“Mu……? What’s wrong, Shidou. Of course it’s me.” 

Tohka made a confused face while twisting her neck. Shidou hurriedly laughed in order to dodge the question. 

“T-that’s right. Haha……” 

“Yeah. What were you talking about……?” 

As if noticing something, Tohka slowly lowered her eyes--only her hair and water droplets were covering her body. 

“Wha…..!? Whaaaaaaat is this Shidou?! Why am I like this right now!?” Tohka screamed with a flushed red face as she hurried to cover her body. “Eh, ehh. No, Tohka you did this yourself--”


“Don’t say that idiot! If I undressed myself I wouldn’t forget it! Ha, could it be that <Haniel> was used on my clothes……” 

“N-no! That’s a false accusation!” 

Although it was possible to do this with <Haniel> at great difficulty, Shidou refused to use that as a way out. He frantically shook his head in appeal for his innocence. 

Then, while Tohka looked up at Shidou with a bright red face, she let out a “……muu” sound from her lips. 

“……Yes. I don’t quite know what this means……but if Shidou say so, I’ll believe it.” 

“To, Tohka…..”

“Even if Shidou takes off a girl’s clothes, he wouldn’t lie.” 

“……Oh, um. Thanks……?”

Shidou delusively frowned while scratching his face. ……Since that wasn’t necessarily wrong, it became even harder to deny. 

Anyway, he couldn’t afford to leave Tohka like this. Shidou went to the bathroom to bring out a bath towel to cover Tohka’s body. 

“Ooh……thank you, Shidou.” 

“Don’t mention it. Hurry up and dry yourself and change clothes.” 

“Umu. At any rate, it’s been a long time since we’ve last had a date……!” 

Tohka warped the towel around herself and spoke while standing up. 

Shidou thought this over for a moment. --Certainly, his goal was to make Tohka fall in love and then seal her reiryoku. But it was inverse Tohka who had snatched away Mio’s Sephira Crystal. He didn’t know if it was correct solution to go on a date with the current Tohka. 

However, in only a few moments after this idea had passed. 

“--Oh, I’m looking forward to it.” 

In response to Tohka’s innocent smile, there was no alternative for return. 

“--Shidou! Shidou! Please respond!” 

Sitting on the captain’s seat of the airship <Fraxinus>, Kotori called out several times to the microphone. 

However, other than the static coming from the loudspeakers installed on the bridge, there was no response at all. In addition, the autonomous camera following Shidou was no longer delivering images. In short, it was no longer possible to contact Shidou, who was caught in inverse Tohka’s bosom. 

“Ku……what the hell exactly happened!?” 

“--The moment Tohka’s reiryoku values rose, the communication device and autonomous camera were both broken. Almost certainly, this has to be Tohka’s doing.” 

The girl sitting next to the captain’s seat--Maria, said with serious look while gently stroking her chin. Kotori frowned as she bit down on with her teeth on the Chupa Chups in her mouth. 

“What about the new autonomous camera?” 

“That as well--”

“Until just now, the image was still being delivered, but it broke down the moment it entered the observational zone. I believe that sending even more will only produce the same result.” 

It was the deputy commander Kannazuki Kyouhei on the other side who replied to block Maria’s voice. He also made a serious look while turning his face to the main monitor that was displaying the noise. 

However, from the tone of his voice, there was a rivalry that could be felt with Maria. In fact, after intercepting her line, he shot a glance to Maria while grinning. 

Seeing him like this, Maria returned back with an annoyed expression. 

“Anyway, we have no choice but to leave this to Shidou. Let’s keep the battle deployment only in the case of an emergency.” 

“What are you saying Maria? The first priority should be to recover Shidou-kun. He should be recovered onto <Fraxinus> immediately.” 

Kannazuki quickly refuted Maria’s proposal. Across from the captain’s seat, sparks of electricity intersected as their eyes meet. 

“I understand what you mean. But since Tohka has already begun to be on guard, intervening now would only produce the opposite effect. I believe it would be better to wait now and see what happens.” 

“Oops, to think those words would come from <Fraxinus>’s AI. Losing Shidou-kun here means a tactical failure. Here we ought to regroup the plan.” 

“If that skull of yours is stuffed with anything other than overcooked udon, I would like you to think a little more. There is no need to do something like that if Tohka tries to harm Shidou. The fact that she destroyed the camera and communicator means it is more appropriate to say that there are things she doesn’t want us to know. If you haven’t figured this out yet, will you please shut up and live the rest of your life as the doormat of the Itsuka residence?” 

“Wha……this time your choice of words for persecution has become too crafty Maria! Even if you praise me that much, I won’t hand over the seat next to the commander! Although it is easy to be abused by the commander, although it is easy to be stepped on by the commander! How much hardship do you think I spent in order to come to this place! Even if you are a mechanical girl that just gained form--” 

“So annoying.” 

“Ah!”

Kotori, who felt numb from the argument flying above her head, raised both of her hands from the captain’s seat. The left hand landed on the pit of Kannazuki’s stomach, while Maria on the right side seemed to avoid the blow. 

“Anyway, let’s take a look at this situation. Since it is impossible to get an autonomous camera to view at close range, let’s try from a distance--” 

Then, as Kotori was in the middle of speaking, the phone in her pocket began to vibrate while making a light ringtone. 

“--!” 

The first person that passed through her mind was Shidou. With the communicator destroyed, Kotori thought Shidou must have sneaked past Tohka to make a phone call to them. 

“Eh……?” 

However, the name displayed on the phone was outside her expectations. She couldn’t help but frown. 

“Kotori? What happened?” 

“Ah, no, nothing.”

While shaking her head to respond to Maria, Kotori hit the reply button. Soon, a familiar laugh came from the phone.

“--Kihihihihi.” 

“What is it Kurumi? Sorry, but I’m quite busy right now.” 

Kotori spoke with a sigh as she held the smartphone against her ear. 

That’s right. The person who had called was none other than Tokisaki Kurumi. 

“Ufufu, please rest assured. Shidou-san is safe. It seems the date with Tohka-san has been decided. The destruction of the camera and communicator is also mainly to prevent you all from getting in the way of the date.” 

“! How do you know--” 

Halfway through, Kotori stopped speaking. --It went without saying. Now in Kurumi’s hands, there was an omniscient Angel that even discovered the truth of this world. 

“I really appreciate you only got that Angel recently.” 

“Ufufu, I’ll accept that as a compliment.” 

Kurumi let out an amused giggle as she laughed. From the unexpected sense of dread within that, Kotori could only sigh. 

“Then, why did you come tell me this specifically? Depending on your answer, I would like to thank you for the time being.” 

“Not at all, I’ve also received a lot of care from Kotori-san. Let’s mutually help each other out.” 

Kurumi kept speaking in a joking manner. 

“--But yes. The matter is not only that. Kotori-san, please come to the location I’m about to tell you alone.” 

“……What do you mean? Haven’t you already confirmed it with <Rasiel>? I’m in the middle of the operation right now.” 

“Yes, yes. I know. But know that all of your ears and eyes have been destroyed, the only thing you can do is stand there, right? If that’s the case, can’t you accompany me for a while?” 

“You……even if that is the case, for the commander to leave her post--” 

“Even if I said it was for the sake of Shidou-san and Tohka-san’s date?” 

“……What did you say?”

Hearing Kurumi’s words, Kotori raised her brow in suspicion. 

--? 

Nearing the end of March, the climate had basically warmed up. As she arrived at ground level without wearing a thick overcoat, Kotori began to look around. 

“It’s supposed to be around here--” 

Kotori had descended down from <Fraxinus> and to the corner of a natural park on the outskirts of Tenguu City. The vast site was covered with trees and in the distance one could see wooden exercise equipment and other facilities. It seemed to be too peaceful for a gathering spot designated by Kurumi. 

But it would be a lie to say there was no sense of incongruity at all. --Even though it was early morning for a day of rest, there wasn’t the sight of children playing or owners walking alongside their dogs. It was as if a spacequake warning had been issued. 

Then-- 

“Hmm……? Is that not im?togo yonder there?” 

Such a voice was heard coming from behind as Kotori was peeking around her surroundings to survey the circumstances. 

“Mukuro?” 

Seeing the figure of the girl standing there, Kotori’s eyes broadened. Yes, in a park without any inhabitants, Mukuro was there wearing a light coat. 

“What’s wrong? You should be at the Spirit mansion……” 

“Mun. It’s true that I should be at room at this hour……but I received a call from Kurumi citing.

--If you wish to assist Nushi-sama and Tohka, head to this designated location.” 

“What was that?”

The contents of that phone call were exactly the same as what Kotori experienced. It seemed both Mukuro and Kotori had been called here by Kurumi. 

“What is she trying to achieve? Bringing me and Mukuro here--” 

“Ah--!”

As Kotori was strenuously pondering over Kurumi’s unfathomable intentions, a clear voice sounded from another direction. 

“Isn’t this Kotori-san and Mukuro-san? What a coincidence! Ah, or did you come to see me? Or is this really fate!? Either one would be lovely, so who wants to be hugged first--!?” 

While spitting words more in line with a suspicious person, Miku rushed over. Kotori raised a hand to stop her progress as she called out Mukuro’s name. “Mun……!”

Mukuro, who understood Kotori’s intentions, karate chopped the crown of Miku’s head. Because of that, Miku at least turned docile. 

“Kyah! Mukuro-san is too easily provoked!” 

“Really……but even Miku is here. --Were you called here by Kurumi?” 

“Eh, why do you know that?” 

Miku said as her eyes rounded in surprise. From the expected answer, Kotori’s expression turned stern while biting into her nails. 

“Miku as well--of course Kurumi told you to come here if you wanted to help Shidou and Tohka?” 

“Eh? No, Kurumi-san said, ‘I want to talk to you alone……about the future between Miku-san and me’, in a whisper that sounded quite distressed.” 

“……I-is that right.” 

Kotori replied back as her sweat was dripping down. ……Apparently, there were also variations in how the invitations were delivered. But to have someone actually rush out after such suspicious words were uttered, perhaps it was necessary for Miku to take supplementary lessons in order to prevent being scammed. 

And so, as Kotori was considering that-- “Kotori……san?”

“……Huh, everyone is here……” 

“Ho? A preceding visitor. So it appears it is not just us who have received an invitation from the darkness.” 

Just like Mukuro and Miku, the Spirits began to gather in the park one after the other. Yoshino, Natsumi, the Yamai sisters, Origami, and Nia who had a sleepy look despite it already being morning. 

All of the Spirits except for Tohka and Kurumi, a total of nine people had gathered in this deserted natural park. 

While watching this occur, Kotori distorted her face in a grumpy manner. 

“……This is really suspicious. To gather everyone together after telling me to come alone. Why on earth did Kurumi want to do this--” 

“--Ufufu. Please don’t be so suspicious.” 

“…..!”

Surprised by the sound of that sudden voice, Kotori’s shoulders slightly trembled. 

Then, as if responding to this, the shadows coalesced to the center of where everyone was standing as Kurumi’s figure emerged wearing a black overcoat. 

“Kurumi-san--” 

“……Wow, you’ve all arrived.” 

“Kya! I’ve been waiting!”

Confronted by Kurumi’s arrival, the Spirits all displayed various different responses. As Kurumi looked over each one pleasantly, she turned her eyes to Kotori while smiling. 

“I’ve been expecting you all, welcome everyone. I’m glad all of you could gather here without missing a single person.” 

“Greetings are good. But starting from now, let’s talk business. --What was your reason for gathering us together? Why did you call us one by one? And is it true that this concerns Shidou and Tohka?” 

“Ara, ara, what an impatient young lady. You can’t become a mature lady without allowing a bit more time for composure.” 

“……Thanks for that advice.”

As Kotori scowled back, Kurumi giggled as she began to twirl around as if in the manner of acting in a play. 

“Now then, let me explain to you one by one. --First of all, there is a need to gather everyone together. This is to ensure that Shidou-san and Tohka-san’s is successful.” 

Kurumi repeated what she had said over the phone. The majority of the Spirits, including Kotori, nodded in order to encourage her to continue. Among the Spirits there was one who let out an, “Eh! Aren’t we here to talk about the future between us!”, voice that resembled Miku in a shocked state. Another one had rubbed her eyes while saying, “Hey, I heard you’ll introduce me to a legendary assistant that can finish any manuscript under an hour, I’ve been feeling drowsy……” in a voice that resembled Nia…..well it seemed those two had begun deviating to what they had expected. 

“And the reason for why I’ve gathered you all separately is very simple. --After all, it would be

strange to get along so friendly with opponents you’ll be fighting on the battlefield from now on. “……Ha?”

Hearing Kurumi utter those words out so pleasantly, Kotori couldn’t help but let out a doubtful voice. 

No, it wasn’t just Kotori. The other Spirits also showed similar reactions. Kurumi smiled even more as if finding everyone’s responses to these circumstances to be unbearably amusing. 

“Will fight……? Us? What the hell are you talking about Kurumi? Did you lose your mind from swallowing the wrong medicine?” 

“Ufufu, regrettably, I’m very much sane. If I had went mad, my life would be a bit more carefree right now.” 

Kurumi spoke while shrugging her shoulders in a self-depreciating manner. As Kotori was unable to determine Kurumi’s intentions, she crossed her arms together while shutting up silently. 

Seeing Kotori’s speechlessness as an urge for her to continue, Kurumi continued on with a light smile. 

“Let’s talk in order. --First of all, Tohka-san’s condition is worse than you think. Soon, her body will destroy the world by itself. It may be difficult to even finish the date with Shidou-san.” 

“Wha……!” 

Faced with those sudden words, Kotori and the others couldn’t help but hold their breath in. 

They had already known that Tohka’s life was in danger. But they didn’t expect the deadline to be so urgent, it really was-- 

“If that’s true, why didn’t you say that from the beginning, Kurumi……!” 

“Ara, ara, why would Kotori-san ask such a question? If Shidou-san knew about this, could he still enjoy a happy date?” 

“Ku……”

The alternative was being wrapped in smoke around Kurumi’s motives, but what she said was certainly true. While gritting the back of her teeth, Kotori tempered any outburst while urging her to continue. 

Then, Kurumi respectfully saluted back as she continued to talk. 

“And, even for me, I don’t want this world to come to an end. And the only person in this world that could stop Tohka-san is Shidou-san. But even for Shidou-san, achieving this would be difficult if there isn’t enough time.” 

“……It feels that you’ve been rambling on, but there have been few useful words.” 

“Agreement. What do you want to say?”

As the Yamai sisters anxiously asked, Kurumi slowed down to allow them to speak before continuing on. 

“It’s an extremely simple matter. --If there is little time left; I would like to increase it. That is to say, we would use our reiryoku to preserve this world for as much as possible. --Until Shidou-san can make Tohka-san fall in love.” 

“This world……” 

“Expand its time?”

Yoshino and Natsumi raised their browns in confusion as they looked at each other. Kurumi exaggeratingly nodded as if to say “yes that’s right”. 

“Whether fortunate or unfortunate, this entire world created by Tohka--all of it lies within Tohka-san’s domain.” 

“--I see. So that’s what you meant by fighting.” 

It was Origami who first showed an understanding of Kurumi’s explanation. Her eyes were serene but displayed a clear flickering and brilliant willpower while staring at Kurumi. 

“Ufufu. It helps that you can understand so quickly.” 

“Eh? W-why did you say that?”

As Miku searched for an explanation, she looked alternatively back and forth between Kurumi and Origami. Then, Origami began talking in a light tone. 

“I believe everyone has experienced this. Once an Angel or Astral Dress is manifested, it consumes the reiryoku in the body. However, this reiryoku won’t disappear into thin air but rather be circulated into the surrounding space. Equipment such as CR-unit weapon <Einherjar> is designed to build a blade through recycling the reiryoku from those surroundings.” 

“Understanding. That is the lance master Origami used.” 

“I see……so what is that supposed to mean?”

After confirming what Yuzuru had said, Nia slanted her head. Origami continued on after quickly glancing at those two. 

“Now that the present world has come under Tohka’s control, the reiryoku we emit will be absorbed into this world and consequently may help Tohka’s world survive longer. And the most effective way to consume reiryoku--” 

“--To use Angels to fight against each other, is that the case?” 

As Kotori interrupted, Origami nodded in agreement. 

Then, Kurumi clapped her hands while letting out a giggle. 

“And so you’ve received a beautiful answer--can everyone understand that?” 

“…………”

In that regard, everyone had turned silent. But it couldn’t be avoided. After all, anyone would feel disoriented after receiving so much information so suddenly. 

However, among the group, one hand slowly raised up. --That hand belonged to Nia. 

“……Sorry Kurumin, but can I investigate this with my <Rasiel>? It doesn’t mean that I can’t trust Kurumin……but this is just a bit too strange.” 

“…………” 

Then, as Kurumi narrowed her eyes looking at Nia for a moment--she slowly nodded. 

“……Alright. If Nia-san wishes to do this, please go ahead.” 

“Un. Then--come out, <Rasiel>.”

After saying that, as Nia raised her hand, a book with a bright glow appeared. Opening the book, Nia muttered something as her finger was on the page of the book. “……Kurumin……!”

As if her eyes caught on something unbelievable, Nia gazed back at Kurumi. 

“Yes. What’s the matter?” 

On the other hand, Kurumi’s response was extremely calm. With a gentle smile, she returned Nia’s gaze. 

Seeing Kurumi look like this, Nia let out a small sigh. “……You are also a person with a wicked personality.” 

“Ara, ara.”

Kurumi gave an ambiguous laugh in response to Nia’s reply. Seeing this exchange between those two, Kotori raised her eyebrows in suspicion. 

“What. What did you see, Nia?” 

“……Um, unfortunately, what Kurumin says is true. What we can do now is probably only that.

Then, pray that things go well for boy.” 

“…………”

Although Nia’s answer somewhat deviated from the intentions of Kotori’s question--her expression told people that she wouldn’t answer any further questions. Her usual cheerful tone felt like a lie, like full of subtle confusion but also with a quiet and strong will. --It may be rude to say this, but it felt like Nia was acting like an adult for the first time. 

But very quickly, Nia bounced back as she clapped her hands together. 

“--Alright! Let’s decide on the rules. For the time being, what location would be best?” 

“Yes, yes. In the surrounding area, ‘we’ will clear the field to prevent bystanders from entering. There won’t be any concerns of any neighbors wandering astray. --In principle, the battle should be carried out by the appearance of an Angel or Astral Dress. Why don’t we make the elimination condition for those with reiryoku exhausted to the point where those two can’t appear anymore? Of course, since the purpose is to release reiryoku, it goes without saying that attacking an unprotected opponent is not allowed.” 

“Hyah! Being intelligent and component aren’t qualities that should match, Kurumin!” 

While whistling, Nia exaggeratingly stretched her body backwards. The surrounding atmosphere was slightly eased by Nia’s comical appearance. 

“……Alright, enough, I understand. If this is the only way, I’ll go along with this. --But there is one problem. “ “What is the issue?”

“Yes. Sorry, but my Sephira Crystal has a bit of a property defect. When using my power for a long period, my entire body will be swallowed by destructive impulses and I’ll lose my ability to discern. It wouldn’t be wise to have a person in the middle of the game actually try to kill the others.” 

As Kotori said while shrugging, Kurumi smiled as if already anticipating this concern. “Don’t worry about that. --At the very least, don’t worry about this in this world.” Kurumi spoke while exaggeratingly raising her right hand.

Then, in line with that movement, the shadows spread around her feet entangled around her body. 

--Astral Dress. The absolute armor and castle protecting a Spirit. 

Moreover, the form was a bit different. A gothic Lolita dress decorated with the same ornaments as a nun. To describe it bluntly, it was the complete Astral Dress that Kurumi had manifested during the end of the conflict with Westcott. 

“It can’t be……a full Astral Dress? Then you’ve--” 

With vigilance look, Kotori’s eyes turned sharp. The Spirits who’ve had their reiryoku sealed by Shidou should basically only be able to manifest a limited Astral Dress. However, the dense reiryoku emitted from the dress Kurumi was wearing was clearly that of a perfect Astral Dress. 

“Ufufu, don’t give me that scary look. This isn’t my doing. --Everyone else should also be able to summon a complete Astral Dress if they tried.” 

“……What do you mean?”

While Kotori asked in amazement, Kurumi took a light step forward as she replied. 

“This world is a perfect distorted fantasy world created by Tohka-san. A gentle world where Mana-san’s body has been completely cured and Sawa-san has been brought back to life. All the rules for this world have been modified conveniently for us. --It has also been confirmed through <Rasiel> that Kotori-san’s destructive impulses have been eliminated.” 

“……I see.” 

Kotori squinted while raising her arms up. Then, in order to confirm their intentions, she looked around to the faces of each of the Spirits. 

“--So it’s like this. Everyone, will you cooperate?” 

In response to Kotori, the Spirits all made a collective powerful nod. 

“Understood.” 

“Yes, of course……!” 

“Mun. For Nushi-sama and Tohka, there is no reason to refuse.” 

“Let’s see. So it’s forbidden to attack anyone who can’t summon their Astral Dress or Angel, but is it okay to take care of them? Hmm?” 

Origami, Yoshino, and Mukuro all agreed while Miku seemed to be shaking her body a little too much. 

As Kotori smiled bitterly, the Yamai sister also raised the corners of their lips. 

“Hehe. This matter is interesting in of itself!” 

“Agreement. Who is the strongest among the Spirits--it would be a lie not to care about that matter.” 

While saying that, Kaguya and Yuzuru crossed gazes with each other. Their eyes were lit with a brilliant radiance filled with inquisitiveness of the imminent battle.” 

In any case, despite the different motivations, everyone reached a consensus. In order to formulate more detailed rules, everyone looked back to Kurumi. 

But at that moment, Natsumi weakly raised her hand. 

“……Umm……” 

“Ah, what’s the matter, Natsumi?” 

“No, I have no issue about releasing my reiryoku to help this world survive……but I am absolutely weak so I would like not to fight if possible……is there a more peaceful way? Is it okay to shoot out our reiryoku little by little……” 

Natsumi spoke while shrinking back her shoulders in embarrassment. 

Well, after all, not everyone was as competitive as the Yamai sisters. It would normal for this opinion to come forward. 

However, listening to Natsumi, Kurumi shook her head. 

“Ah, ah, that won’t do. I won’t be able to squeeze out my reiryoku to the limit in such a manner as if being immersed in lukewarm water. Besides--” 

“……Besides?” 

“Isn’t boring to just do that?” 

“So you’re finally telling the truth you brute……! If it was only to disperse out reiryoku, there would be no need to do something as dangerous as that!” 

Natsumi screamed while tearing apart the sides of her hair. However, Kurumi didn’t care about that as she said, “please give up that request of yours”, in a cheerful tone. 

“But……what Natsumi-san says does hold some truth. “ “Eh?”

“Even though it’s for the grandiose sake of saving the world, everyone does have a good relationship with each other. There may be the possibility of people holding back. In order to  truly clash Angels, it may be necessary to have another motivation or a certain factor that stimulates the heart.” 

“Yes, yes. If you want to describe it, it would be a ‘reward’.” 

 

Kurumi spoke while raising a single finger. The Spirits, led by the Yamai sisters who let out a“ho……?” sound, all narrowed their eyes in interest. 

“Reward……ah. What would be good for a reward? If <Ratatoskr> can help prepare, I can arrange that.” 

“Ufufu. There’s no need to bother Kotori-san.” 

Kurumi said as her lips smiled from feeling enjoyment from the bottom of her heart. 

“That’s right--‘the right to confess her love to Shidou-san’, how about that?” 

“Wha……!? 

Listening to what Kurumi had said. 

The Spirits all widened their eyes at the same time. 

“As far as I know, no one has properly conveyed their feelings to Shidou-san. --In that case, isn’t this the perfect opportunity? Even if you receive any kind of response, having the opportunity to confess means being one step ahead of anyone else towards Shidou-san, who has always been vague about these matters. Surely, this must be sufficient enough to gamble one’slife in order to win?” 

“…………”

The Spirits all silently exchanges glances as they all swallowed in their breath. 

“To Shidou……a confession?” 

“Earlier than anyone else--” 

“……If you lose--”

“Someone who’s not me to Shidou--?” 

There was no need for words anymore. 

The atmosphere was clear, but there was a quiet but raging fire lit in each Spirit. 

After sensing everyone’s high spirits, Nia distorted her cheeks, whistling as if to proclaim the outbreak of war. 

“--Hyah, it seems that everyone is properly motivated? Boy and Tohka are already taking action--so let’s also have a nice war?” 

In this manner, perhaps to the largest battle between Spirits--the curtain had risen. 



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