Happy 2019 everyone! Like with last month, I made this chapter in advance because of what's happening this month (like Season 3 of the anime), but also due to something important I need to say. Some of you may have noticed DARL is no longer here, and since not everyone got to see the message I left explaining it... that's because the story is now exclusively on AO3, which will soon be joined by all my deleted DAL stories!
Know that said deleted stories won't be finished, but you'll at least get the chance to read them. When I'll actually get them up may take some time due to the usual Christmas to New Year's phase that tends to leave a few people out of whack, among other things, but it shouldn't take too much longer... provided that I don't forget about it within the next few days due to said phase ^^;
Anyways, this chapter is where Miku's official debut finally happens, only showing up through cameos in the last two chapters. With an arc that's focused on her concert, not to mention the kind of interactions that she'll have with the others, I'm gonna enjoy writing her full introduction into the story of Spiritual Successor! Especially due to one particular reveal about her that you'll see in this chapter's events.
As another heads up? While Rinne has made her debut, she and Shido won't be getting any romantic focus just yet, as currently he only knows her as a new friend of Tohka's. It won't be until after this arc finishes that she'll join, and after that, any new Spirit that shows will have to naturally develop their feelings with Shido over time, since all the Spirits who already had or could easily form romantic feelings for him have already appeared.
Likewise, as with the first two arcs, there won't be any more Spirits appearing for a while. Ignoring Yoshino and the owner of Ekenor who appeared in the last chapter, Miku and Rinne are the only new additions as of now, since that reflects how S2 began with the Yamai twins. After this, aside from when they debut as humans (like Yoshino did) finally appear, we'll have just one new Spirit appear at a time, except for Maria and Marina's Spirit debuts.
Now, let's get this chapter started!
«» - Character Information
「」 - Insert Song Beginning or Ending
〖〗 - Miku's Singing Voice or Phantom's Voice
【】 - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer
『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking
Chapter 10 - Musical Monday
If there was ever a day where every student at Rindouji High received the shock of their lives, the current Monday had just managed to achieve that for every one of them.
Why was that? Because everyone arrived at school, only to find themselves brought into a sudden assembly, with their Council President actually looking nervous for once and revealed said assembly wasn't even planned.
No one understood that at first, until the mention of a new student was mentioned... and said student was revealed.
She was a girl with long hair of a Light Indigo color and a very massive bust size, possessing a kind and sweet face that showed eyes that were similar in color to her hair. Not only was she the same girl that was with Shiori at the airport, but she was someone that everyone in the school knew.
And her name was...
"Hello everyone, I'm Miku Izayoi and I'm excited to be here!" She greeted.
«Miku Izayoi»
Age: 17
Height: 165 cm
B/W/H: 110/63/88
Blood Type: AB+
Saya immediately covered her ears as the crowd exploded, with Tohka and Rinne feeling their ears ring from the loud volume due to neither of them knowing who Miku was.
"Ow, my ears! Why's everyone screaming!?" Tohka questioned.
"Because that's the Idol from the concert we're going to. Miku Izayoi's currently the most famous rising Idol in Japan, with her voice being described as audio ecstasy that brings smiles and joy to everyone that hears it." Shido explained.
Tohka's eyes widened at the reveal an Idol was now at their school, much less the one who they were going to see after school.
"Yes, as all of you just realized? Miku Izayoi is now going to be attending Rindouji High from this moment on. Just be aware that anyone who attempts to extort a ticket to her concert from either herself or her manager that's also a new student here will get immediate detention and extra homework that won't be added to your overall grade." Saya answered, a glint forming her eye to emphasize her warning.
Many students immediately shivered at that, while others who had tickets wondered which of the students among them was the one known as Miku's manager.
"Anyways, with this sudden assembly, classes won't start until everyone's back in homeroom... so, you're all dismissed!" She continued, raising her hand up.
With that, everyone began heading back to their homerooms.
Once most of the students were out of view, Miku jumped down near Shiori, catching the members of Shido's group off-guard as she nuzzled her cheek.
"I missed you so much the other day, come give me some kisses!" She exclaimed.
"W-Wait Miku, not in front of the others!" Shiori replied, sweating a bit.
That failed to do anything as in just seconds after she finished talking?
*"SMOOCH! SMOOCH! SMOOCH!"*
Shiori went red as Miku planted multiple big ones on her, causing the eyes of Shido's group to go white from the unexpected shock of seeing it.
"Can someone explain this? Please!?" Mio asked, feeling her eyes turn into spirals.
"It seems that either Miku either swings the other way, or she swings both ways?" Origami guessed, based on what she saw.
Shiori shakily two fingers up to say it was the latter.
"And it's the latter." Shido replied, chuckling nervously in response.
Miku finally stopped her kissing, leaving Shiori to twitch where she stood.
"I think we have a good idea of who the student that's her manager is now, right Shiori?" Tohka realized, giving a cat-like smirk.
"Eh... did the tickets give it away?" She asked.
"No, it was the fact someone that Miku literally kisses up to would have easy access to those after seeing it." Kotori answered, tapping a finger on Miku's shoulder.
Miku's cheeks swelled noticeably before she turned to the side and laughed.
"Shiori was right when she said you were all fun to be around." She smiled.
Before Tohka could react to that, she let out a light gasp and blushed as the feeling of someone nuzzling her cheek, which is when everyone blinked at the sight of Miku being all snuggles and hugs with her.
"Not to mention you're quite beautiful too. If you don't mind, do you fancy having a little-" Miku questioned.
"Do that again and I'll slash you down!" Tohka screamed, still blushing as Sandalphon appeared in her hand.
Miku chuckled a bit, a sweat drop on her face as she held her hands up.
"I kid, I kid." She replied.
"She's lying..." Shiori warned.
Miku's cheeks gave a puffy pout at that, poking Shiori's nose.
"Meanie, why did you out me out like that?" She asked sadly.
"U-Uh..." Shiori stuttered, blushing at that.
Saya groaned as she watched this, giving a slight face palm before shaking her head.
Westcott groaned as he leaned back in a massaging chair he bought for moments he was facing extreme stress, currently using it on max level due to the bit of it he faced yesterday.
"I can't believe that they chose now of all times to come home... those two are going to make me gray prematurely." He sighed.
Ellen briefly looked at the color of her one husband's hair, wisely choosing not to point out that his hair already technically was.
"At least they won't be blowing anything up like the DeNA." She reminded him.
"True, but that still doesn't make the antics they bring any less annoying... even if most of them are only because of-" He replied, sighing as he did.
"Sir Westcott!"
Both he and Ellen paused before turning around, showing a former male mage rushing in with a wooden crate.
"Oh boy... what is it?" Westcott asked.
"You won't believe what we managed to find! Look!" He answered, panting a bit.
He slowly opened the crate, making the duo's eyes widen as they saw its contents.
Two large and oddly-shaped gems they knew as Sephira Crystals, the first being as blue as the ocean, which made it the Zafkiel Crystal based on what Mio knew.
The other was half-white and half-black. This had to mean its signature color was monochrome, making it the Jophiel Crystal for the same reasons she theorized.
"You actually managed to find some before they bonded to someone... I don't believe it!" Ellen gasped.
"Just make sure not to keep any females from touching them with your bare hands, we don't know they'll react to those who don't fit the naming, color, and other themes that decided who they bond to." He warned.
Having tried to touch one, Ellen paused before quickly pulling her hand back.
"For how we found them? We thought that each Crystal may have landed near where its element was, or the closest thing related to it in the case of a few, and that a few of them may have stayed there since they crashed onto the surface. Lucky for us, our theory was right as we found these two inside a lake and lodged in a field of magnetic rocks." He explained.
Westcott picked them up, looking at each of them.
"Now that we've found them, how do we find the people meant to wield them? Not to mention... is it possible for anyone to receive the power inside of them without dying as a requirement?" Ellen wondered aloud.
"Oh boy..." Westcott breathed.
Suddenly, the Zadkiel Crystal began shaking, getting everyone's attention as it did... right before it suddenly flew out of the DEM Director's hands without warning!
"D-Did it just...?" The DEM member questioned.
"Looks like we don't have to worry about finding the person that one's meant to bond with, because it looks like it already knows who they are and where to find them." Ellen chuckled, shaking her head slightly.
Now, the only thing they had to figure out is how many girls in Tenguu City had blue hair and either a first or last name with the kanji for 4 in it.
Kotori stood by Mikie and Ashley, giving them some of her extra tickets.
"Wow, we can really have these?" Mikie gasped, looking at them.
«Mikie Okamine»
Age: 15
Height: 152 cm
B/W/H: 90/61/88
Blood Type: 0+
"That's right. Also, don't tell anyone, but... Shido's sister is Miku's manager and gave us a bunch of these." Kotori whispered.
Ashley made a silent zipping her lips motion.
"Thank you, Ashley." Kotori sighed in relief.
Walking back to her seat, Mikie remembered something from a few days ago.
"Oh, Kotori? Someone in our class wants to talk with you." She mentioned.
"Really? Who is it?" Kotori asked.
Mikie immediately froze, looking at Ashley while holding her finger up.
"What was her name again?" She inquired.
"Don't think she told us." Ashley replied.
«Ashley Sinclair»
Age: 15
Height: 157 cm
B/W/H: 95/59/91
Blood Type: B-
"Then... can you remind me what she looks like?" Mikie questioned.
"She's the girl with long blue hair and the white hat." Ashley recalled.
Kotori blinked a bit, then widened her eyes.
'Wait a second, isn't that the girl who passed me by in the halls a few days ago?' She recalled.
She hadn't been wearing a hat (or just had it off) at the time, but she did have long blue hair.
"Do you know where she is right now?" Kotori asked.
"Think she's out in the hall getting a drink of water. Closest fountain to our classroom and the one she's likely at is to the right of the door, so you can't miss it." Ashley answered.
"Got it." She replied.
Heading out of the room, she went that way until she finally saw the girl in question.
Her hair was indeed long and blue, her eyes even matching, and this time? Her hat was on, showing it was a fluffy white cap that had a blue flower charm with two light yellow slips with a zig zag design on them.
Seeing Kotori was near her, she briefly jumped in surprise, revealing her slight timidity.
'I did not expect that...' Kotori thought.
"Oh, uh... hi there, I'm guessing Mikie and Ashley told you about me?" She said softly.
"Yeah, and you are...?" Kotori asked.
"My name is... Yoshino Mizui, hi." Yoshino quietly greeted.
«Yoshino Mizui»
Age: 15
Height: 154 cm
B/W/H: 103/56/86
Blood Type: AB-
She pulled her hat to hide her eyes, blushing nervously after having said it.
"You're shy, aren't you?" Kotori asked.
"Yes..." She replied, still talking quietly.
"Uh, OK then... what did you want to talk to me about?" Kotori asked, feeling a bit awkward.
Yoshino uncovered her eyes.
"It's, um... I just wanted to know... if you would be my friend?" She asked, a nervous blush on her face.
Kotori blinked, giggling a bit to Yoshino's confusion.
"That was it? Of course we can be friends, it's not like I'd bite your hand off." She chuckled, holding her hand out.
Yoshino smiled a bit, accepting the offered hand and shaking it.
"Well, I'm heading back to class, so... see you there." Kotori replied, quickly heading back.
Seeing her walk of, Yoshino smiled a bit as without her notice, the sound of bouncing could be heard as the Zadkiel Crystal showed it somehow got inside Rindouji, eventually bouncing and landing in her unzipped backpack.
It slipped off her back slightly, causing her to notice she dropped it as everything but the Sephira Crystal fell out.
"Oh man, how did this happen? I'm such a klutz!" She panicked, hurrying to put everything back in her backpack.
At the very bottom of her backpack, the Zadkiel Crystal glowed slightly.
Later on, once school had ended for the day, Shiori was seen at Ten-oh Square as she helped the staff of Miku's Agency set up the concert stage.
"We've got everything set up for when she starts things off with Monochrome and we're just about done with Mermaid Love Story as well. Progress for Summer Girl needs a bit more time, though it's still nearing completion." A staff member explained.
"I'll go help out with the machine work to speed it up then. Just keep everyone where they are, or we won't be able to finish on time." Shiori smiled.
"Roger that." The staff member replied.
Heading over to help them out, a sudden sound briefly stopped her as she turned to it.
〖"Let me sing you a song, and let's sing alone..."〗
Immediately knowing what it was, Shiori smiled before she walked to the one finished stage area, showing Miku still in her school uniform as she sang it.
"Hey Miku!" She called out.
"Ah!" Miku screamed.
Realizing it was just Shiori, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Didn't mean to frighten you there, just noticed you were singing your old song. Does that mean you've finally finished it?" She asked.
"No, same progress as always. I still can't find those right words for it..." Miku admitted sadly.
Shiori had first met Miku through this song, when she was trying out for a different agency to become the Idol Singer she was now... with less success. All she knew was someone told her this song made them happy, and that gave her the dream to become an Idol.
Unfortunately, she's never been able to finish the song, only having enough to use for the limited time an agency allowed would-be Idols try out for their approval.
"Don't give up, you'll figure out how to finish it one day." She encouraged her.
"I know, I just wish I knew how to end it. If only I could meet them once again... maybe I'd know how to end it." Miku replied.
'Whoever this person is, he or she did a lot for everyone through helping Miku find her singing voice that day.' Shiori thought.
At that moment, she remembered what she should be doing.
"Oh man! Miku, start getting into your first outfit! I've gotta help get the last stage ready for the concert Asap!" She panicked, getting into a running position.
"Go ahead, I'll take care of it!" Miku cheered.
Right as she was about to run off, Miku gasped before whistling, getting Shiori's attention.
"Here, I got you a welcome home present!" She smiled, holding it out.
Looking at it, the Shiori's eyes sparkled at the sight of a Kitty Plushy with eyes like those used in old cartoon characters, along with two whiskers on each cheek and small collar with a bell hanging from it.
"Adorable! Thank you so much!" Shiori exclaimed, hugging it close.
With that taken care of, she resumed rushing towards the area, leaving Miku alone. At that same moment, she grabbed her school uniform before spinning around to swap it with a pink Idol Dress that was in her hands.
"I love this ability." She giggled, unaware of its nature a Spirit exclusive power.
Mana was seen standing in front of her son, then took a step back as she smiled at him, giving a thumb's up.
"Yep, that's how you dress yourself handsome!" She praised.
Shido looked to see himself dressed in a pale dark-blue shirt with a black rim at the top and bottom and an opened white button up shirt with a pocket on the left side. For his choice of pants, they were simple jeans.
"I agree, that's stylish." Shinji approved.
"Uh... no offense dad, but the fact I look like you did as a teenager makes your comment seem biased." Shido admitted.
His father flinched at that, making Mana laugh.
"Mio, it's time to come out!" She soon called.
Looking at the one hallway, Shido heard his girlfriend giggle before she stepped into view, making him gasp at the sight.
It was a white one-piece dress with a ribbon of the same color wrapped around it as a belt, and a sandy-colored sun hat with the same ribbon on her dress. Her hair was currently in a braid held by a white ribbon, this one being different, rather than her usual hairstyle.
For her choice of shoes, they were heeled sandals with, once again, the same white ribbon (only in a thicker set form and shape) acting as the frontal strap in comparison to the two normal white straps on their back halves.
She also had a lavender purse that matched the color of her teddy bear, which was riding inside of it.
"Do you like it?" Mio asked, brushing some of her hair to the side.
His answer showed up in the form of a nosebleed that Mana quickly wiped away, making her and Mio smile, with the latter's accompanied by a blush.
"Any boy who gets a nosebleed upon seeing their girlfriend is always saying yes." Shinji remarked.
"Don't worry, I already realized that." Mio replied, happily covering her face besides her huge smile.
Opening the door, the sight of Kotori with wavy pig tails and a star marking on her left cheek was seen, her attire being a short-sleeve leather jacket with flames on said sleeves, and a hot pink shirt.
"Yeah! Is everyone here ready for the concert of the century!?" Kotori exclaimed.
"Let's maximize this music... or something like that!" Tohka shouted from behind.
Tohka's outfit was shown to be a gray shirt with elbow length sleeves with a big 10 on it, green khaki shirts with a blue jacket wrapped around them, and blue & white sneakers with magenta socks.
"Technically this is an Idol Concert and not a Rock Concert, but whatever floats your fancy." Mana remarked, looking away.
"Oh, so... that means I dressed normally?" Origami asked.
Everyone looked to see she put on a teal hoodie and a white shirt, jean shorts, and simple brown boots. Like she had just said? It was pretty normal, being nothing rocker-like or for a date.
"Might be normal, but it still looks good on you." Shinji praised.
"Thank you, Mr. Takamiya." Origami replied, smiling in relief.
Holding out his hand for Mio to take, who in turn accepted it, Shido walked outside to join the rest of the group.
'Whoa, he looks hot!' The other girls thought.
Shido looked at the three, who quickly straightened their faces back to normal before he could notice, deciding to get their trip to Ten-Oh Square started with four simple words.
"Everyone ready to go?" He asked.
"Y-Yeah, we're all ready." Origami answered for the others, coughing slightly.
And with that, they all headed to Ten-Oh Square for Day 1 of Miku's concert.
At Ten-Oh Square, the sight of the crowd was shown to rival that of their own version of Comiket, with some of the fans having to see a live broadcast through the screens on the buildings outside.
Walking through the crowd, a few of the Rindouji Students could be seen standing around, with Shido's group finally showing their tickets to a security guard as he verified them.
"These are legit, enjoy the show." He stated, waving at them.
Finally getting into the inside area where the stage could be seen, there were barely any seats left at this point!
"Wow, she must be this good to have a crowd of this size." Tohka remarked.
"My concern right now is where we're going to be sitting." Shido mentioned.
His phone soon went off, making everyone look as his sister's name was listed as the contact calling him. He quickly opened it up to answer.
"Let me guess, this call's related to us getting inside for the concert?" Shido guessed.
『"Right you are. There's an area I know of your passes qualify for and I'm already there, so come up and join me."』 Shiori answered.
She hung up right there, making Shido open his GPS to track her phone's location.
"Alright, I'll lead the way." He stated.
Following Shido as they moved around, they eventually found a dining room with a small extension showing an upper viewing area to the stage. Having some tea as she at the table was none other than Shiori, wearing a teal and cream dress.
"Glad you found this place without any trouble." She smiled.
"You sure this isn't a manager perk you snuck us into?" Shido questioned, giving her a certain look.
"Of course not. That's only good for being on the sides of a stage during Miku's singing breaks, so sit down and get some food." Shiori replied, waving her hand.
They did just that, and time flew by until finally... the lights began to dim.
"Hey, does this mean the show's starting?" Tohka asked, blinking a bit.
"It is, so time to whip these babies out." Kotori answered, reaching into her bag for something.
She gave everyone a pair of glow sticks, and the group walked up to the watching area.
The moment they got there ended up being the very moment that Miku appeared on stage, emphasized by a spotlight.
*"CHEERING!"*
Miku took a moment to wave to the crowd, soon giving a big smile.
"Thanks for coming everyone! Now that we're all here, it's time to begin this concert with a song that's a favorite of mine and most of you out there... get ready for Monochrome!" She announced.
「Date A Live II: Monochrome」
Everyone began to cheer as the music began to play, and Miku positioned herself to begin.
Making the first pose, the lights became completely gray.
〖"When skies are turned from Monochrome, to an excess of tones... the world is sure to begin!"〗 Miku sang as she walked forward across the stage, her arms held out and then stretched out before her.
〖"And if I have you by my side, anytime day or night, then I am sure to... smile!"〗 She then stretched one out to the side, rising it horizontally as the other rose up to meet it as the lights began to dim slightly.
She then rocked her legs to the music while flashily pointing at herself, the lights going back to full color, but now turning indigo in color.
〖"I can't stop loving you every day, whoa~"〗 Miku began slowly stepping the right of the step as the color shifted to red.
〖"I can't stop loving you every day, whoa~"〗 Then she began walking towards the left of the stage, with the color flashing between red and blue as she pretended to be pulling on a rope.
〖"I can't stop loving you every day, whoa~"〗 Following that, she twirled like opening a door, with the color becoming green that shifted between light and dark shades.
〖"I can't stop loving you every day, whoa~"〗 And then, Miku ended it all by turning to the stage's center and holding her arms up, the color becoming a bright yellow.
〖"I can't stop loving you!"〗 She gave a bright smile, slightly bowing as she winked at the crowd.
At that last moment, where the lights all lit up various colors of the rainbows, Mio briefly paused as if she sensed something. The rest of her group just paying attention to the music as they swung their light sticks.
〖"As I hold your hand in mine, I begin squeezing it so tight... because I don't wanna let you go!"〗 Miku sang as she clasped her hands together, bouncing slightly in place.
〖"My heart is open wide! You are my one desire, so I hope... you feel it too!"〗 She twirled as the lights all turned pink, and she briefly sat like she was praying.
The lights began to flicker a bit between pink and dark purple.
〖"Anytime that I can have you near me! Every worry I have starts disappearing! You melt my cares away~"〗 Miku sang, motioning her hands with the same speed and intensity as the music.
She traced her right hand's pointer finger up, left, and then down to the three beats marking the brief pause between the previous line and the next.
〖"I hope that we're all closer, just a little every day a little better! Much more than yesterday!"〗 She looked at the crowd, eyeing everyone as if they were the person in the lyrics to her song.
The colors dimmed down before exploded, with a ripple effect going off by someone's Seirei Ability, making the crowd's cheers grow louder.
〖"When rainbows enter through the air, lining a road with flare! The trees will smile with such happiness there!"〗 Miku sang, waving her hand across the air to make the lights form a rainbow across a sky background most of them were making in response to her hand motions.
〖"Like being wrapped up, in a love story... a journey that has only begun!"〗 She began turning in circles to the rhythm, then crossed her arms before spreading them out to make a flower symbol in unison with the lights.
〖"Let's transform these skies of monochrome, into an excess of tones! My heart will race, and my pulse will beat on!"〗 Closing her eyes and holding her face like she was squealing at something, Miku quickly jumped into the air before heading to the center of the stage.
The lights dimmed once again, and she turned so her back was facing the crowd.
〖"Having you near me, is so astounding... you make every day so colorful!"〗 The lights exploded in a colorful rainbow with a big pink heart in the middle, right as she turned to make her final pose.
The song beat ended as Miku winked and blew a kiss, making actual hearts made of light fly towards everyone in the crowd.
「Insert Song End」
And with that, everyone exploded with cheers, some of the crowd even rushing out to grab the hearts of light flying into them to feel like Miku had blown them a kiss. From Shido's group, the sight of Tohka swinging her glow sticks like crazy was even noticed.
"Looks like she's enjoying it." Origami giggled, looking at her.
"Did I really just feel that?" Mio whispered, her gaze still locked on Miku's waving form.
Shido turned his head as he noticed this.
"Mio, is something wrong?" He asked.
Pausing for a moment due to the situation they were in, she questioned if she should wait to tell him or just say it now.
"I'm not certain due to where we are, but... I felt it. Some of my power when she was singing." Mio quietly admitted.
"Wait, are you saying-" Shido gasped at whisper level.
"Her apparent audio ecstasy might not be some kind of psychological thing... but because the music is naturally inducing it via strong Reiryoku imbued within the sound waves. The power of sound tied to the Gabriel Crystal." She confirmed.
And with that, Ratatoskr's leader stared at Miku, who may now actually be a Spirit Idol that had been hiding in plain sight.
Elliot quickly received a call from Shido, leading him to the analyzing room as everyone began position their satellite cameras over Ten-Oh Square to begin analysis.
"First thing we need to do is see if she fits the main two parts of Mio's theory. Due to what color it is and its lighter tone, we need to confirm her hair matches the 9th Sephira's enough, then find the appropriate kanji in her name." He ordered.
"Verifying both right now." Shiizaki replied, typing at incredible speed.
The screen brought up Miku's image and name, with two boxes with the set color and kanji inside them. After a few seconds... the results on screen showed [MATCH] for the hair and [FOUND] for the presence of a number in her name.
"We have a positive on both, so now we only need to detect the right wavelength." Minowa confirmed.
Holding his breath for a moment, the satellite's analysis began to look over Ten-Oh Square, and then...
『"SEPHIRA CRYSTAL DETECTED: PERFECT MATCH!"』
"I don't believe it... we've finally found another Spirit!" Elliot announced.
Everyone cheered at that.
"So, what code name should we give her? I'd go with Idol... if weren't for the fact it would be too obvious for the DeNA." Kawagoe questioned, rubbing his chin.
Thinking for a moment, Nakatsugawa snapped his fingers as he felt an idea hit his noggin.
"I've got it! We'll call her Muse, after the 9 Greek Goddess known for the arts, but most often linked to music among them!" He suggested.
"Hmm... quite fitting. We'll go with that code name." Elliot agreed.
Listening to Elliot calling him back as Miku neared the end of singing Mermaid Love Story, both Shido and Mio nodded their heads before the former hung up.
"Well, guess that confirms it... Miku's a Spirit." He stated.
"Though it doesn't seem like she's knows. That might mean she died in a way that didn't make her think it happened like Origami or felt she was just unconscious or comatose for a bit like Kotori did." Mio wondered.
Pausing for a bit, their eyes looked at Shiori, who noticed them staring at her with an awkward look on her face.
"Uh... why are you looking at me that way?" She asked.
Both of them turned their eyes back to the concert, leaving Shiori a little confused. Her focus was quickly taken away as Miku came back on stage with the costume from the advertisement.
"Everyone, here's the last song for today! Time for you to hear one of my new hits!" Miku exclaimed, winking as she did.
The crowd went wild at that as the music began to start.
Once everything was over, Shido explained everything to Shiori, which made her drop a crepe she was eating (which Mio luckily caught) in shock.
"Miku's a Spirit!?" She finally shouted.
"DEM confirmed it themselves. I doubt she even knows about it, but her Seirei Ability was likely just an emotion influencing power that laced into her songs after she got the Gabriel Crystal's power." Mio replied.
Shiori blinked before slapping her cheeks a few times to make sure she was awake.
"That can't be, I thought it was just the ability to immediately switch between her clothes. Are you saying that's something else entirely?" Shiori questioned.
Mio gave an awkward laugh at that before quickly changing her outfit into another, making Shiori pale a little.
"As you just saw, that's a shared trick exclusive to Spirits through simple Reiryoku manipulation. I don't blame you for not connecting the dots when you never saw us use the ability during the live broadcast last week." She explained, changing back to her previous attire.
"OK, guess you've destroyed all of my doubts with that..." Shiori agreed.
The feeling of awkward silence followed for a bit, until Origami eventually dispelled it by faking a light cough.
"Well, now that we know, the big question here is... do you know how Miku could have died to bond with the crystal? Anything that may have done it that didn't look like it had?" Shido asked.
His twin thought for a moment, then felt her eyes widen.
"Actually... yeah, I do know what could have done it. Miku and I met when I rushed over to her because a car hit her." She revealed.
"S-She got run over!?" Kotori paled.
"No, the car just didn't stop in time and flung her across the street, making her land on her head. It took me a while to run over, so if she was briefly dead, then it was long enough for her pulse to return before I noticed it was gone." Shiori clarified.
Kotori quickly sighed in relief.
"How did she even get into that kind of situation in the first place? That's a better question." Mio asked.
"Well... truth be told? This explains why Miku's singing went from horrible to beautiful." She mentioned.
Everyone's eyes widened as they turned towards her.
"Right, guess I should tell the story." Shiori realized.
Taking a seat, her mind flashed back to the day Miku and her first met. The very day she began her Idol career.
Miku was seen singing in a tryout area for a certain agency, but...
〖"Let me sing you a song!"〗Her voice sang in a hoarse manner.
Well, it was very bad, despite all the effort she was putting in. After another 10 seconds passed, one of the judges hit a bell to make her stop.
"Uh... Ms. Izayoi, that was... interesting." He said, coughing as he did.
"Does that mean..." Miku asked, looking hopeful.
All of them paused for a bit, soon holding up signs with low scores, making her smile go into a frown as she teared up a little.
"I... understand..." She replied, grabbing her bag.
Looking inside of it, an indigo sphere that was the Gabriel Crystal was seen, the jewel she had hoped would be her good luck charm for today's tryout. Closing the bag as she looked away from it, she finally headed outside.
Only when she left the stadium did she finally start to cry, wiping her eyes as she walked towards street. Around the same time, Shiori was polishing her hover cycle as she saw her crying form.
"She looks so sad, I wonder what happened to her?" She thought aloud.
Unfortunately, right after thinking that, the light on the crosswalk Miku was nearing switched to the hand symbol, making her gasp as a car started to turn from the side.
"Look out!" She screamed, trying to warn her.
Miku moved her arm, right as the car's driver noticed her and tried to stop, but was already moving too fast to avoid it. The car hit Miku and sent her flying, causing her head to slam across the ground as everything in her bag flew out.
Shiori gasped before rushing over, completely missing the Gabriel Crystal that rolled to Miku's side and dissolved into her. The car driver soon got out as a few civilians watched in worry.
"I'm so sorry! Is she OK!?" The driver asked.
Holding up her arm, Shiori placed her finger in the spot that would let her check for a pulse, and then...
*"BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!"*
"Don't worry everyone, we have a pulse here! She's still alive!" She shouted.
Everyone sighed in relief, right as the driver helped pick her up.
"Though it does seem like her head hit the ground, so we better take her to the hospital to be safe. I'll get her in the car while you grab her stuff." The driver stated.
"Right." Shiori nodded.
Gathering all her belongings that scattered around, the driver put Miku in the car before Shiori got on her bike and followed them.
Waking up in the Hospital, the sight of Miku wearing bandages on her head was seen as her vision came back, holding it as she felt the pain finally register throughout her noggin.
'Ow... my head. What happened?" She asked.
"Thank goodness, you woke up." Shiori smiled.
She soon noticed Shiori looking at her, with a relieved expression on her face.
"Uh... why am I sitting in a hospital bed?" Miku asked.
Shiori went a bit silent, and instead of saying what happened? She mimicked a car noise and the screech of it stopping before making having her other hand represent Miku.
"I-I got hit by a car!?" She exclaimed.
"Eh... pretty much, but the worst you got was a bit of swelling on your head. No concussion or anything permanent." Shiori reassured her.
Miku sighed at that, plopping back on the hospital bed.
"So, well... you missed the light notice because you were crying. Did something happen?" Shiori asked.
"Not anything serious or to worry about... outside of a personal level that is." Miku answered.
Looking at her, Miku sighed again.
"I was... auditioning to be an Idol, but they rejected my admission." She explained.
Shiori's eyes widened.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. Was it that someone was better then you or..." She asked, hoping it wasn't crossing a line.
"My voice is awful, they were just too nice to outright say it!" Miku wailed, crying into the pillow.
Hearing that, Shiori chose to rub her head, not sure if any words would help her at the moment. More tears were shed before Miku continued.
"When I was just a child... I loved singing, but I never thought I'd make a career out of it. Though one day my parents brought me to a party where I met someone who told me... told me they heard the effort in my singing, and they said my voice was great because of that. It was then I wanted to try, but I'm still failing today." Miku sniffled.
Shiori scratched her cheek, deciding the best thing she could do to help?
Listen to her song in the same manner as that someone had done for her.
"Mind if I hear you sing?" She asked.
"Are you sure? I mean... you'll likely hate my voice once I start." Miku inquired, feeling hesitant.
"I'd be more likely to hate leaving you to feel bad after you almost died." Shiori replied.
Deciding that she had nothing better to do, Miku sat up a bit, then took a deep breath before she began to sing. However, this time when her singing voice came out...
〖"Singing in the shower..."〗She sang.
At that moment, Shiori's eyes widened in disbelief at the wonderful melody that came out. Miku herself suddenly stopped as she touched her throat a bit.
"How was that a horrible voice!?" Shiori questioned.
"T-That was really my... but I don't get it. I know how horrible it sounds, so why is it suddenly... good?" Miku questioned.
Shiori blinked at that.
'Hold on, does that mean her voice didn't sound like this before?' She wondered.
After the following craziness in trying to figure out the improvement of her voice, Miku left the hospital with Shiori, who even offered her a drive home on her special bike.
"Don't worry, you'll be back at your apartment soon." Shiori reassured.
"OK..." Miku replied, still feeling overwhelmed by the day's events.
While they cruised along, the awkwardness eventually led Shiori to ask her new friend a question.
"Hey, if you're living in an apartment, does that mean your parents are..." Shiori asked nervously.
"No, they're alive. I just came to Okinawa by myself." She answered.
Shiroi sighed in relief.
"Glad to hear that. While it may be strange for me to ask, my parents lost someone close to them 30 years ago, a girl he may have made his second wife had harems been legal at the time." Shiori apologized.
Miku hugged Shiori close, making her blush as she briefly slowed down to manage the sudden distraction before she crashed.
Once she stopped, the sight of another Idol agency's buildings entered their sight, with a tryout happening at this very moment. Looking back at her new friend, she decided to park, making her look confuse.
"W-What are you doing?" Miku asked.
"Helping you live your dream, because I'm not letting you give up on it." Shiori smiled.
Miku shook a bit, looking noticeably scared.
Shiori had pulled her inside for the tryout, claiming she was her manager and getting her a chance to sing by using her medical report as an excuse to explain why she didn't sign up, and now it was scaring her because this agency was the best in Japan.
The fact it was leagues above the one she had tried to get a contract with had been why she didn't try for it.
'I... I don't think I can do this!' Miku thought.
"Miku, you can do it! Just sing from your heart!" Shiori exclaimed.
Looking at Shiori, who immediately got shushed for her actions, a wink aimed itself Miku's way. Seeing that, Miku took a deep breath.
"She's right, I... I have to at least try." She told herself.
Relaxing herself with a deep breath, Miku looked ahead before slowly opening her mouth. Her song's music began at that very moment.
Upon hearing her voice, everyone listening was shocked by what they heard. Shiori herself even felt the music was making her happier.
When Miku finally stopped, the judges were all clapping, making her surprised before they all held up a perfect score, making her eyes water as it meant the one thing she was hoping for since she began trying to become an Idol.
Her dream... had finally become a reality.
All of their girls felt their eyes water after the story finished.
"You jerk... that story stabbed me right in the feels!" Kotori cried, turning around as she did.
"That was beautiful." Mio sniffled.
Grabbing a tissue and blowing a mighty breath into it, Tohka managed to relax herself.
"Let me guess, you started dating after when she planted a big thank you kiss on you?" She guessed.
Shiori blushed at that, coughing in response.
"Never even realized I liked girls until that moment, but... it was definitely a pleasant surprise." She confessed.
"Care to detail said surprise further?" Kotori joked, giving a cat-like smirk.
Hearing that, Shiori blushed and backed into the wall, making everyone laugh at her for a brief moment.
"Still, it's probably a good idea for us to let Miku know about this. We don't want the DeNA to attack her while she's completely aware of what she is." Shido suggested.
"Guess it's a good thing Shiori gave us our current passes." Origami giggled.
"I'll lead the way." Shiori offered, her eye twill slightly twitching from the impact of Kotori's teasing.
Meanwhile, in the ever-so elusive hideout of the DeNA, the sight of their boss could be seen as they ate a steaming slice of filet mignon.
"Hmm... so, Miku Izayoi, the famous new Idol, is a Spirit? I thought it was interesting when Ruler managed to slip in, but this... yes, this will do quite well." The leader thought, humming a bit.
Snapping their fingers, a holographic screen formed from a small device on their desk, showing a man whose upper face was shadowed by a filter.
"Roger Murdock, will you refresh my memory on our completed projects?" He asked.
『"Let's see. We have a few, including the unexpected success Project Hecatoncheires managed to achieve."』 Roger answered, checking his sheets.
Smirking at that last one, the leader made his decision.
"Then deploy it for an attack on Tenguu City, we'll get a good show from Ruler and Diva this way." They leader requested, deciding on the DeNA's code name for Miku at that very moment.
Nodding his head, the holographic screen disappeared.
Back in Ten-Oh Square, everyone was gathered as Miku was shown in her more casual wear, holding her tea in shock at the things she was just told by the group.
Said casual wear was revealed to be pink short-sleeved sweater, a necklace with aquamarine gems and matching earrings, dark blue shorts with a light indigo flower designs and two belts with gold ends she had tied into ribbons on each side, and a pair of brown boots with heels and fluffy white tops.
"O-OK... just so I'm hearing this right, you're saying I'm a Spirit like most of you and I became one because the car impact actually killed me?" She finally asked.
"Eh... yep." Mio confirmed.
Laughing for a bit, the Spirit Idol made a strange face as she struggled to register everything she just heard.
"I died... I'm a Spirit... I died... I'm a Spirit..." Miku repeated.
Everyone stared at her, with Tohka slurping some of her tea.
"Well, I think she took that pretty well. At least she isn't screaming about it like Kotori or Origami." Tohka remarked.
"Hey!" Both shouted, slightly glaring at her.
Miku's voice began to go into a gibberish state, with her eyes spinning around until Shiori grabbed a cup of pudding and stuffed a spoonful of it into her mouth. Miku paused for a moment before eating it.
"OK, calming down now. It's all fine... I promise." She breathed, finally calming down.
"You sure? I mean, it was kind of a shock to hear all of that." Shido asked in concern.
"After you have one of your outfits fall apart in dress rehearsal and everyone sees you in frilly underwear? It's hard for any kind of shock to really affect you." Miku reassured him.
That question made everyone look at Shiori.
"It was our first attempt for her Mermaid Love Story outfit, it fell apart when she accidentally stepped on the tail." She explained.
"Ah." Everyone realized.
Shortly after that, everyone began to laugh at that, though Miku soon paled at something else.
"Wait, doesn't this mean I'll have to fight with you? I don't know how to fight!" She panicked.
"I'll teach you, if you tell me about Okinawa." Mio offered.
The Spirit Idol yelled in surprise, having not seen her teleport next to where she was sitting without any warning.
"A-Alright, just don't make me scream my heart out." Miku requested.
"Cross my heart." She promised, holding out her pinkie in response.
Making their pinkie promise, the Spirit Idol tried to sneak a small kiss on her, but Mio once again teleported.
"Sorry, but I'm not as easy to catch as Tohka is." She giggled.
Tohka glared at Mio in response, crossing her arms with a huff. A silent giggle came out of Shiori's mouth as she turned to the side.
Meanwhile, back at Raizen High, the sight of Rinne could be seen as she was taking care of the gardens, which got Saya's attention.
"Oh, didn't expect you to stay after class ended." She remarked.
"Is it really that strange?" Rinne questioned, looking a bit worried.
"Nothing like that, it's just that nearly everyone went to Miku's concert or is working to get a ticket for at least one of the five days said concert is happening. Me being here is only because of my job as Council President." Saya explained.
Rinne sighed a bit, making Saya briefly raising her eye at what she might say.
"From the looks of things, you really love the gardens, don't you?" She asked.
Rinne slightly scratched her cheek in response, blushing a bit.
"I've always had a connection to nature, it really soothes me. Most likely due to what my Seirei Ability is." Rinne answered.
"What kind of ability is that?" Saya asked.
Placing her hand on some of the plants, a pink glow emitted from her palms. It didn't take long before Saya noticed a few flowers and fruits bloom from them.
"Holy crap! If any ability speaks for itself, this would definitely qualify." She stated.
"Thank you." Rinne replied, blushing at the compliment.
At that same moment, she suddenly put a hand on her head, making Saya give her a look of concern.
"Hey, is something wrong?" She asked.
"I'm OK, it's just that... for some strange reason, it feels like I'm forgetting something important. The kind of thing that's so vital to me it makes my head hurt whenever it tries to remember on its own." Rinne reassured her, feeling the pain fade.
"What do you think you're trying to remember?" Saya asked.
Rinne paused for a moment, waiting for something to pop into her head. That image manifested as a girl around her age, looking somewhat similar to her, but with purple hair.
Was it a close friend of hers or someone in the family she didn't have? Rinne didn't know.
"Either myself, or someone I knew... probably?" She wondered, asking more than replying.
Deep within the labs tied to the hidden DeNA base, the sight of Roger walking around could be seen as he walked alongside one of the professors working under the group.
"Is full maintenance complete, Simpson?" Roger asked.
"100%, not a single problem to speak of." He answered.
They soon came to the machine in question, which looked like a huge sphere, rather than something like a giant with 100 arms like the creatures it was named after.
"We've even got a test drive set, so you can see rather than just take our word for it." Simpson continued.
Pressing a few buttons on his tablet, the sphere suddenly glowed as hundreds of eyes opened up, finally giving it something that matched its namesake.
"Oh?" Roger hummed, looking interested.
"I take it you're pleased?" Simpson questioned.
Taking the tablet from the professor, he accessed an app before using his fingerprint to unlock a hidden deployment code. It was all his answer needed to be as from wherever the base was heard, the Hecatoncheires rose up into the sky.
Openings all one-hundred of its eyes, wings and a tail formed before it gave a low-pitched shriek and flew off, ready to find its chosen targets.
"Let's see how these Spirits do against a power that could topple even the mightiest of the Greek Titans." Roger smirked.
Sometime later, as the sun began setting over the horizon, Mio was seen with a bright smile as the Takamiya Family sat at the dinner table.
"Well, you look pretty happy. Guessing it was a good first date?" Mana asked.
"Part that, part exciting talk, part a few other things." She answered, giggling as she replied.
Rubbing his head at that, Shido looked to the side.
"Miku promised to tell her about Okinawa in exchange for teaching her how to use her powers as a Spirit, now I think she wants to visit." Shiori explained.
Both of their eyes widened in surprise.
"Miku Izayoi's a Spirit!?" Shinji exclaimed.
"At this rate, we'll be hearing the current Prime Minister is a Spirit..." Mana sighed, recalling the current one was a woman.
"She didn't even know herself." Shido mentioned.
Looking at his girlfriend, who had already licked her plate clean and gotten seconds, he smiled a bit.
"Either way, sounds like you want to visit." He assumed.
"Yeah, and maybe after that? We can take a trip to Kyoto and even Osaka!" Mio exclaimed.
"Uh... yeah, we'll consider visiting both places... let's start with Kyoto though." Shinji replied.
Mio blinked as she noticed the odd reaction.
'Is this a money issue or insurance problem?' She wondered, having no idea how far away she was getting from the real problem.
Finishing a bit of his food, Shido looked at his parents.
"Anyways, we've managed to find our fifth Spirit through Miku being one. It was pretty refreshing to not end up fighting one after we found them." He stated.
"While the agency's got to work out deals with Ratatoskr to avoid scheduling conflicts, I'm sure that won't be too much of an issue since Miku's focusing on school for the time being. That means we can help Ratatoskr without worry." Shiori added, confirming her membership in the group.
"That's good. Oh, and Westcott called us about this earlier. They found two Sephira Crystals that haven't bonded to anyone as of yet." Mana replied.
All three of the high school students showed surprise at that.
"Seriously?" Mio asked, her eyes shining.
"Yeah, though one of them actually left the building. They've yet to track where it went... though the good news is that means whoever it's meant to bond with lives in Tenguu City." Shinji confirmed.
"I'm not sure how much longer it will be until you have to leave for the rest to be found. We can't expect them all to live here... or even in the safety of Japan's populated areas. Much less this country, or the continent of Asia." Mana mentioned.
Shido and Shiori went silent at that, making Mio look at them.
Luckily, it was obvious to her why they went quiet. Ever since the world had been reborn from her efforts? Most of it was still a mystery, even the DEM's efforts had yet to fully see the altered Japan, much less beyond it.
'Either of them saying they aren't afraid wouldn't be true, not when this new world is filled with so many unknowns to justify being afraid of it.' She thought.
Despite that, it was also the one unknown they had to explore... an unknown they couldn't let the DeNA use to their advantage in their war against everyone.
Taking Shido's hand, he looked at Mio to see her smiling.
"We're all in this together, so don't worry." She promised.
And that's it for the first act of Miku's concert. She's learned what she now is, we've learned how it happened along with the first meeting between her and Shiori, the DEM has found the Zadkiel and Jophiel Crystals (with the former finding its way to Yoshino) while the DeNA has unleashed their next machine... and to anyone who asks? Yes, the machine in question is none other than Kerubiel under a different name since Mayuri won't have it.
Westcott seems as stressed as ever, just who are those two he's expecting to visit Tenguu City soon enough that he's somewhat frightened? I can only say they're friend and not foe. Not to mention he has to relocate the Zadkiel Crystal by finding Yoshino among a population of... well, I've never decided on an exact number, but I can definitely say Tenguu City's population is incredibly high for a large city in Japan.
Ratatoskr's also getting set up to start journeying beyond Tenguu City... though it seems no one's told Mio the full-scope of the damage just yet. As you saw last chapter, Osaka is now completely uninhabited, with the Spirit bound to Ekenor being the only resident it has, which will only last for as long as she stays there. There's a lot that Mio has to learn about the new world she's created and what still remains, meaning she's got smiles and tears to expect.
Anyways, it'll be a while before Yoshino actually becomes a Spirit, so Westcott's not going to have much luck finding her for quite a while to keep her out of the picture until I decided for her to be more active in the story. For now, the important thing is it'll be a while before the DeNA's newest automaton makes it to Tenguu City, giving us time to both develop the harem and have Miku's incoming presence leave her influence in it.
Along with that, you've likely noticed that this chapter and the last have a naming theme after days in the week. I will confirm now will be chapters for nearly following day until Friday, and the new DeNA automaton doesn't arrive until Saturday, when Miku's concert comes to an end, and this is because of something I have planned yet can't even hint towards due to spoilers. At the very least, I can say it'll be big.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^