Greetings!

This Date A Live story must be the first one on the site to fully feature Nia (though I saw a one shot about her).
I don't know if it'll be up to the task, but... I hope you will like it. No, to be more precise, I hope it will reach you.

For those who don't know, this story follows and features characters from the Date A Live novel. If you only watched the animes, there are chances you won't understand the story. I can only recommend you to go read the light novel!

Concerning the timeline, consider that the following events happen after Mukuro Family. In a certain way, it replaces Refrain Kurumi; it also means this story will take an entire different route compared to the original.

SO FAV FOLLOW REVIEW— no, that's not what I meant. As always, I'll be happy to know if you like the story, and/or any advices.

I don't have as much time as I used to, so chapters will be irregular. And, as I did for Eternal Love, I'll keep the same format, which is around 20 pages on Word by chapter (between 3 500 and 4 000 words).

That being said... Let our date (war) begin!


Tenguu City.

A city well known in Japan for several reasons: its incredibly large range of entertainment facilities, its huge population… and the extravagant amount of natural disasters occurring there, known as spacequakes.

The majority of the world did not know that these disasters were due to certain existences called 'Spirits', who possessed inhuman powers and caused spacequakes each time they would appear.

These Spirits usually took the form of young and beautiful girls. If it was not for their Astral Dresses – magical armors – and their Angels bringing destruction, none could have guessed they were inhuman beings.

Only a few portion of the military in Japan were aware of that threat and thus created the AST, the Anti-Spirit Team to counter what they considered as the enemies of humanity.

Truth to be told, the AST was no match for the Spirits. These talented people –all women– were chosen for their ability to use the Realizer, a device that allowed one to control everything in his surroundings.

Unfortunately, they could only hold the Spirits off and then repair the damages caused. Some of the AST members would sarcastically qualify themselves of high tech janitors.

And amidst this secret war, two organizations were seeking for the Spirits.

Ratatoskr and Deux Ex Machina Industries, alias DEM.


The first wanted to protect the Spirits and shelter them. To be exact, their method was to make them fall in love, seal their powers and then allow them to live normal human lives to prevent them from going wild.

The second wanted to hunt them down and make experiments to simply steal their powers and use them to dominate the world.

To DEM's disappointment, Ratatoskr had so far managed to successfully seal ten Spirits.

Tohka, codename Princess.

Yoshino, codename Hermit.

Kaguya and Yuzuru, codename Berserk.

Kotori, codename Efreet.

Miku, codename Diva.

Natsumi, codename Witch.

Origami, codename Angel.

Nia, codename Sister.

And Mukuro, codename Zodiac.

It was thanks to their technology, method and perseverance, but especially to Itsuka Shidou, the boy gifted with the power to seal the Spirits' powers… through a kiss.

Shidou's task was to seduce the Spirits and to seal their powers. It was understood that he was the ace of Ratatoskr. In fact, without Shidou, Ratatoskr would have not existed.

DEM was perfectly aware of that and was trying to use it to their advantage.

Their main method to harvest the Spirits powers was to make them go Inverse, a form they would reach only by feeling a bottomless despair, and then to take away their Qlipha Crystals.

They had successfully Inversed Tohka while nearly killing Shidou in front of her.

Everything pointed out that they would gladly repeat the experiment, especially now that Shidou was dear to all the Spirits he had sealed.

It was clear as crystal that killing Shidou in front of the other Spirits would Inverse them.


"I'm home…" Shidou murmured while taking off his shoes and closing the door.

Of course, the house was empty since Kotori was either at school or working inside the Fraxinus and his parents were working abroad.

Shidou sighed heavily while dropping his bag and his Raizen High School uniform on the floor.

He groaned, knowing that he would have to clean them off later, but gave up and walked in the kitchen.

What a day… Shidou thought, as he opened the fridge and served himself a glass of milk.

Once refreshed, he sat on the sofa and recalled his disastrous day.

It was supposed to be another day of his daily life as a high school student.

And yet, this very morning, Shidou had found Tobichii Origami under his sheets. She was by her own words "replenishing her Shidou's smell and sweat reservoir".

Of course, the instant Shidou had tried to move her, Kotori had entered the bedroom only to see his big brother apparently embracing Origami in the morning.

Called a pervert by his little sister and a beast of sex by Origami, Shidou had ran away from his house, going to school with his belly empty.

What had awaited him at Raizen High School was the usual festival of misfortunes.

The jealousy and curses from his fellow classmates, the endless competitions between Kaguya and Yuzuru, Origami's intrusions in his classroom, Tohka's blunders, Miku and Mukuro's unexpected visit to snatch him away…

On his way back home, Shidou had met Yoshino and Natsumi playing together and joined them. Sadly for him, the infernal trio of Raizen High School, Ai, Mai and Mii had surprised him and baptized him the "Worst Cheater Lolicon".


"Yare, yare… I can't believe people dream of living with so much girls…" Shidou murmured.

Stretching his body, he then put his empty glass on the living room's table.

"… since I took the responsibility to save them, I guess that's only justice to take care of them, huh…"

Shidou smiled wryly and shook his head slowly.

Of course, he did not regret any of his actions. He had to save these girls. He wanted to. He wanted them not to be alone.

Being alone was scary and painful, but with these girls, his life was agitated and full of colors.

"Still, I would not refuse a life with a bit more of tranquility… as if it was possible…" he chuckled.

Given his situation as Ratatoskr's main card, Shidou was far from living a peaceful life.

Ratatoskr and DEM were literally at war.

Neither Kotori nor Elliott Woodman, Ratatoskr's chairman, had any idea of DEM's next move. Whatever they were planning, it would not presage anything good for the Spirits.

Well, it's not like worrying about it will make things better. For now, I have homework to do...

It truly was ironic for Shidou to study, in a certain way. Amidst that open war between wizards, Spirits and secret organizations, he still had to pass his exams.

It was Kotori herself who told him that:

"Sure, graduating would be meaningless if DEM were to kill you. But since you aren't allowed to die, once all this mess is over, you will need your graduation. So even if you are to die from exhaustion, you will study."

Which resulted in Shidou studying every evening ever since.

Shidou picked up his school bag and uniform, quickly wiped off the dust on them. As Shidou climbed the stairs to his room, an idea crossed his mind.

A bath would be nice…

As he reached the doorstep, Shidou noticed something.

His bedroom was plunged in darkness.

Strange. I didn't touch my shutters this morning.

Shidou carefully stepped inside, looking for the switch on the wall.

His foot touched something on the floor.

It took Shidou several seconds to understand that–

Someone was lying in front of him, inert.

A corpse.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!" Shidou screamed, moving away from the corpse in panic.

His back bumped with the wall as he stumbled and fell on his butt.

"Hmmrgnn…"

"Hyah?!"

To Shidou's surprise, the corpse emitted a groan and began to wriggle slowly.

Slowly, his heartbeat calmed down and he identified that person.

Spiky grey hair.

Red square-framed glasses.

Turquoise blue eyes.

A thin body, lacking curves, and yet appealing.

"…Nia?"

It was her. The one lying on the floor, a few meters from him was none other than Nia Honjou, who drew the manga [SILVER BULLET] under the pen name of Souji Honjou, alias Sister, alias the Second Spirit though she had been the ninth to be sealed by Shidou.

Nia, in addition of being a fierce otaku, was actually a lot older than what she looked like. If her body was the still in its early twenties, she was in reality at least forty years old.

Because of that, her behavior oscillated between an older sister's and a child's one, not taking into account her otaku language.

Shidou's eyes were now used to the obscurity and he what he saw made him blush: Nia, in underwear, was lying in front of him in a somewhat erotic pose.

"Hmmm…you're so noisy, Boy…" Nia yawned, scratching her head with a dizzy expression.

"Excuse me… no, wait, in the first place, why are you lying in my bedroom half naked in the dark?!" Shido shouted.

"Ara? Sharp eyes you have there."

"I don't need sharp eyes to notice such a thing!"

"If you say so. I'm pretty sure Boy leveled up his vision in order to peek at my thin body."

"Why would I do thaaat?!"


It took a few minutes for Shidou to calm down.

Nia and he were now talking in his bedroom.

Shidou sat at his desk, and Nia, not yet fully awake, jumped on Shidou's bed.

"So, Nia, can you explain why you were sleeping on the floor with the shutters closed?"

"Ahhh, that's right… I wanted to draw a certain scene. I couldn't get to it, so I decided to reproduce it IRL. It's for my next doujin."

"What kind of scene is it, for you to be half naked in my bedroom?!" Shidou choked.

"Of course, it'll be a R18 one."

"Since when do you draw adult doujins?!"

Nia's eyes sparkled.

"By the way, Boy, how long do you intend to stare at me? Perhaps…you want to touch?" she said teasingly while pointing out her body.

"There's no way I would do that!" Shidou protested. "And don't change the subject so casually!"

Nia feigned a tear.

"Oh? So my thin, miserable body is not good enough for your lustful hands? So mean!"

"How did it come to that!"

Shidou then coughed.

He did not dislike these tsukkomis with Nia but he had work to do, and he wanted to relax in the bathtub after this exhausting day.

"Say, Nia, don't you have work to do? How's [SILVER BULLET] going?" Shidou asked.

Despite having her Sephira Crystal stolen by DEM, Nia was still working as a pro mangaka. Her work, [SILVER BULLET], a big hit put on hiatus years ago due to her capture by DEM, had now resumed.

Nia made a serious face.

"Mmh. You're right. I didn't finish the next chapter yet and the deadline is drawing near."

"When?

"Actually, tomorrow."

"So what are you waiting for?!" Shidou yelled.

Nia smiled.

"Don't worry, Boy. I'll have little Natsumin help me. Her support abilities are SSS ranked."

"Does she even know you plan to use her?"

"The end justifies the means. She's the best tool… assistant I've ever had."

"You just said tool, didn't you?!"

"Did I? ~" Nia tilted her head.

"Yes you did! And it doesn't mean anything since you never took an assistant before! At least tell me that you're properly paying her!"

"Ehh? Of course. Who do you take me for? Even Uncle Scrooge pays his employees, so why wouldn't I?"*

"I thought you would only make Japanese-content related references?!"

"Well, I don't like Scrooge as much as I like JoJo's, but the art and the style are pretty interesting from my Japanese point of view."**

Shidou sighed. Talking with Nia always ended up with him shouting and her teasing him.

Her personality was unpredictable and she would always win their battles. Only Kotori was able to shut her down.

"Oya oya, Boy. What's with the depressed face? Had a hard day?" Nia asked cheerfully. "Did a jealous girl tried to stab you because you cheated her?"***

"What's with that creepy reference here?!"

"But when you think about it, both Makoto and you literally have a harem. It surely is pleasant but dangerous too. If you make the bad choice, you will get a death ending and your head will end up in the bag of a psychotic girl."

"Stop iiiiit!"

"Here's my writing tip of the day: too much waifu will destroy your laifu! Find someone you truly love and cherish her to the end!"

"Since when do you give such tips?!"

"Aww, Boy, you were supposed to answer 'Just Monika' here! Didn't you play the game?"****

"I'm not good in English, so I can't play non-Japanese games…"

"Oh. Perhaps you want me to give you special lessons? ~ Do you want to trigger the older teacher flag?"

"Stooop!"


Nia eventually decided to stop teasing Shidou and left the Itsuka house to get back home.

She was living by herself in a luxurious apartment near the shopping district.

Wrapped in a parka and wearing a muffle to protect her from the evening cold wind, Nia was walking peacefully in the street.

There were many people coming back home after work, or even students leaving cram school.

And all of them were frowning as Nia was talking aloud to herself with ample gestures, moans and grunts.

"Aaaaaagh, why did I do that?!" Nia growled, scaring an old grandma carrying a bag of grocery.

She was blushing and buried the lower part of her face under her muffle.

In truth, she did not have a doujin scene to write which required a particular situation.

She was not even drawing a doujin to begin with. All this set up was just… a set up.

To Nia's embarrassment, the truth was…

She just wanted to see Shidou.

She wanted to tease him, to provoke him, to see him reacting to her tsukkomis.

"What's wrong with me?!" Nia exclaimed, as a group of children in uniform took a glance at her with worried faces. "Why am I behaving like a young maiden in love despite the fact I'm thrice the age of Boy?!"

The last sun shafts suddenly illuminated the street, blinding her a bit.

I just want to talk to Boy because I don't know how to repay him. I don't know how to express my gratitude… or no, is it some curse? Some ailment?!

"NO!" she suddenly yelled, causing everyone in a ten meters radius to scare jump. "I have the right to do this with Boy! He always sees the other girls at school, and they live right next to his house! Only I can't be with him daily! That's it! It's only fair for me to visit him!"

Nia kept talking to herself until she reached the mansion where she was living.

Because of her act in public, an urban legend would be born, describing a crazy yet beautiful girl talking to herself every evening in the same street.

Nia quickly entered her apartment, closed the door behind her, pulled off her clothes and threw herself on her bed.

There was only enough place for her, as her room – as well as the entire floor – was invaded by books, light novels, mangas, games and consoles.

Her face against the mattress, Nia breathed in and out loudly.

"Really…what's happening to me…"


Nia had invited Natsumi to help her to achieve the next chapter of her manga, [SILVER BULLET], before the deadline.

Has she had transformed once into a manga artist, Natsumi now possessed the abilities of a pro mangaka and was very talented.

She was a petite girl with jade eyes and a messy hair of the same color. However, her personality was quite the thing.

Natsumi was unconfident, very quick to depress or to imagine the worst outcome, be it for her or the others.

In reality, she was a timid, kind person who wanted to be liked and noticed by the others.

That was why, even if she would protest at first and claim she was not fit for the job, she would always accept to give Nia a hand.

And she would always regret it, since Nia would always call her the day before the deadline.


Later this night.

"….curse you…." Natsumi muttered, her face lying on her desk invaded by paper sheets, pens and inks.

Both Nia and Natsumi were currently in the first's workplace. Originally, there was only one desk as Nia used to work alone, but she had another installed due to Natsumi's visits to help her.

"What is it, Natsumin?..." Nia asked, roughly in the same position as Natsumi and at least as tired as she was.

Both of them were so limp they looked like human slugs. Even for people with pro mangakas abilities, achieving five entire pages in one night was harassing.

"….why do you always neglect the deadline…" Natsumi said.

"…being short on the deadline is part of the mangaka status, Natsumin."

"…what are you even saying…"

With a great effort, Natsumi lifted her body from the desk and yawned to her head off.

"Still, I'm worried about the inking…"

"Don't. It was perfect… Natsumin, if you keep worrying so much, you will end up as bald as Master Roshi."*****

"Guhh…"

Nia stretched her body, yawning too.

"Still, thanks for your hard work. You really saved me."

Natsumi blushed a bit. She was still not used to compliments and acknowledgement.

"…you welcome. Mind if I take a nap on your bed before going back home?..."

"Oh, I hoped you would sleep here. I love my Tokiya's dakimakura, but I believe you are exceptional as well!"

"Pervert…you are talking like Miku…"

Natsumi sighed and left the workspace.

Nia took some time to admire their achieved work and imitated Natsumi minutes later, turning off the lights of her workspace.

Hmm, I'm tired as can be, but I wouldn't mind reading a bit. So, what will it be tonight? I still the have the last volumes of OreShura and Maoyuu to read… So, romcom or economics?... But, but, I bought yesterday the last Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut…

Debating with herself, Nia reached her room and unconsciously walked to one of her many libraries, the one where she piled up all the volumes she had not read yet.

"Nia…"

Natsumi, lying on the bed, called her.

"Hmm?" Nia did not turn back, too busy to choose her reading of the night.

"Nia..."

Nia turned back, as Natsumi's call was somewhat insistent.

"What is it, little Natsum…OH!" Nia gasped.

Nia's bed was cramped with books, leaving only enough place to lie down. Natsumi was holding something she had found under the pillow.

On the cover was a boy in high school uniform who strongly resembled Shidou.

That was logic, since this book was the one created by Ratatoskr, Shidou, Natsumi and the other Spirits in order to make Nia fall in love with Shidou.

Natsumi was harboring a weird expression.

After the troubles caused by DEM at that time, Nia had opened her heart to Shidou, allowing him to seal her powers.

However, she and Natsumi were probably the only Spirits who, even if they had a strong bond with Shidou, were not in love with him.

Compared to Tohka, Origami, Miku or even Kaguya and Mukuro, they considered Shidou like a close friend, but not as a potential lover (Yoshino too had a liking for him, but that route was forbidden by the law).

That was the reason why Natsumi was quite surprised to find this doujin hidden under Nia's pillow: even if she loved to tease Shidou, Nia was "officially" not in love with him… and, far too old for him.

As Shidou was still a high school student and Nia in her forties, it was technically illegal for them to have that kind of relation.

Uneased by the silence, Natsumi eventually spoke up with a blank voice:

"…why do you hide it under your pillow?..."

"…"

Nia remained silent, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! This is absolutely not what it looks like!"

"…"

"Don't give me such a suspicious glare! I'm not a young heroine of shoujo manga who hides under her pillow her most precious treasure given to her by the boy she loves!" Nia precipitately said, raising her hands.

"… Nia… by chance… do you love Shidou?" Natsumi asked, with a mix of timidity and curiosity.

"…"

This time, Nia remained silent, struck by the straightforwardness of the question.

However, Natsumi's face quickly turned into a gloomy expression.

"I don't know if you do, but you know, being in love is quite dangerous… what if Shidou does not love you but only sees you as a friend? If you confess your feelings and only obtain a "let's just be friends, okay?" in return, you'll feel ashamed and hurt, and your relation with Shidou will never be the same, because the awkwardness between you two will remain and increase little by little and one day you–"

"Sssstttttoooop right there!" Nia screamed. "I didn't say anything! I'm too old for Boy, thirty year too old even if my body's a teenager's! And why do you always think things will go bad?!"

"Sorry…" Natsumi apologized, bowing her head lightly.

"…keep that for yourself, okay?" Nia begged. "I don't know myself…what's happening to me. So, I don't want the others to know, alright? I'll pay you double if you keep your mouth shut, Natsumin!"

"…right…"


After having paid Natsumi and let her go, Nia fell on her bed, rolling and pulling her grey hair with force, groaning and moaning.

Uaaaaaaaaaaaaah, I'm so ashamed I could die! Why did I have to hide it there?! Or, does Natsumi have a special Detection Skill?! Gaaaaah!

Half an hour later, Nia eventually calmed down and, exhausted by her night of work and her crisis, remained still.

And, unconsciously, her hand reached for the book hidden under her pillow.

She began to read the adventures of Itsuka Shidou, a high school student who met Spirits rejected by the entire world, as he accepted and saved them one after the other.

A hero who never gave up on any circumstances, who fell, who got hurt…but always get back on his feet to save people he barely knew, only because he didn't want them to feel alone.

A hero… Nia thought, closing the book, as sleep finally took over her.

But even when her eyelids closed, a warm feeling remained inside her chest.


Itsuka Kotori, Shidou's adoptive little sister, was peacefully sleeping in her room when a particular ringing woke her up.

She used to know it: it was an alarm call from the Fraxinus, the flagship of Ratatoskr always patrolling above Tenguu City.

Kotori took the time to tie her hair with her black ribbons before answering the call with a stern yet dizzy voice.

"Yes."

"Kotori? Sorry to bother you."

"It's fine, Reine. Straight to the point, please."

Reine Murasame was the chief analysist of the Fraxinus and Kotori's best friend. Despite her sleepless look and voice, she was a talented officer always present for the others.

"… Alright. There is an irregularity with the readings of one of the Spirits. It seems... her mood and feelings towards Shidou encountered an issue."

Kotori felt her heart throbbing. A bad feeling.

"…who?"

"Nia."


Here is the reference corner! Did you find them all?
Since Nia is an otaku/gamer, I took a lot of pleasure to make these references!

* Scrooge McDuck
** JoJo's Bizarre Adventures
*** School Days
**** Doki Doki Literature Club!
***** Dragon Ball


Author's Note:

I just love Tachibana-sensei way of writing, his ideas and his characters. Among them, Nia is one of my favorites (Tohka and Kaguya, I'm not forgetting you).

I hope I managed to give the Date A Live vibe. One thing certain: I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope you'll like it as much as I do.

Concerning this chapter... well, it's just the apéritif as we say in France. More to come, but for those who know me and/or read my previous stories, you know there's something coming. You just know it, don't you?

So, let me thank you for reading and REVIEW FAV FOLLOW– no, that joke is overused.

Take care and see you soon!