Chapter 2

The First Spirit

"Why am I a girl!?" Shidou shouts. "You could've fixed my face and body just the way it is! You didn't have to change EVERYTHING!"

"Why not?" The doctor says. "This is advanced technology. We had to do some major modifications to make a new you. Being a girl is the only way to do that~"

"Grrr! Damn, why did it have to be like THIS though!?" The blue haired new girl cannot believe what she is seeing. This man became a girl just for her life to be saved. "Haaah…don't get me wrong. I am very grateful you saved my life. But something like this…how was that even possible? Did the other patients go through something like this?"

"To be honest…" the second doctor says. "…you're the first one."

"Seriously!?" Shidou says.

"The device we used was a prototype," the first one says. "No one has ever used it until now, due to some failure of testing it. We didn't want any risks. But we had to do it. And it was a miracle that it succeeded."

Shidou looks down at the sheets, softly smiling. "Indeed. It was a miracle. I never would've thought that-"

"Onii-chan!" Comes the cry of Shidou's little sister and bursts through the door. "Is he alright!? Can I see him!?" She then looks over at the girl in the room and then looks all around. "Uhhhh…I am sure this is Onii-chan's room…"

"Yo," Shidou waves to her with a nervous smile. "What's up, Kotori?"

"Whoa! Who is that girl!? I never new some girl would look like Onii-chan to be in here!" Kotori says as she points a shaky finger at the girl.

"That's because it IS Shidou~" the doctor gestures his hand toward the new female Shidou. "We used advanced technology to save his life~"

Kotori looks closely at the girl and recognizes her face. "It…really is you, isn't it?"

"It is me," The female Shidou replies with a gentle smile. "Thanks to them, I am still alive. Otherwise, I would've met Mom and Dad up in heaven after suffering the same fate." She gives Kotori a gentle head pat. "You see this? That's exactly what I do to you almost every time~"

Kotori can recognize that head pat, the way the male Shidou does. Tears fall from the little sister's eyes and she plunges herself onto the new girl's chest.

"Oh my god! Welcome back…O-Onee-chaaaan!" Kotori sobs.

Shidou gently embraces her little sister. "I'm glad to be back, Kotori. I am never going anywhere." She looks up and notices someone missing. "Anyone seen Kurumi?"

"She left, I'm afraid" the doctor says. "I went up to check up on her but, she was gone."

Shidou frowns for a bit. "Kurumi…"

Outside*

Kurumi is far from the hospital since about a few minutes ago. Even if Shidou miraculously recovers, she cannot stop blaming herself for her stupidity. That drunk driver should've killed her, not Shidou. He was too precious for her to have him risk his life to save hers.

She stops at an alley and drops to her knees. Her body is shaking and her fists clench. It's not like her to be sad like this, but when it has to do with the one she truly loves, she will let out her emotions.

"Shidou-san…I'm sorry….I'm sorry…!" Kurumi cries softly. "If I had paid more attention, you wouldn't have gotten injured! You would've lived to see me get closer to you…! And bond as one! I am so sorry…!"

Just then, she hears a faint voice from nowhere.

'Do you want to redeem yourself~?'

"Wh-who said that…?" Kurumi wipes her tears and looks around.

'I am what you can call your assistance. To help you fix everything you have lost~'

"But…it's not a big deal. Sh-Shidou-san…" Kurumi starts but the voice cuts her off.

'Shidou-san is who you want to be with right? But you can't right now because you are falling apart. And I don't like those who are cowards and weaklings. Stand up.'

Kurumi gets to her feet and there is a white glow in front of her. The glow transforms into a beautiful human figure with long hair tied in twin tails. The glowing figure reveals her face…the face that looks exactly like Kurumi's.

'Do you want to be with Shidou-san? Do you want to be stronger?'

"Y-yes…but how…" Kurumi asks as she takes a step closer to her "clone".

'I can destroy who will stand in your way,' the glowing figure says. 'Those who will threaten Shidou-san. Who want to harm him. I will do that for you…and in no time, you will be with the one you truly love.'

"Will this….work?" Kurumi has to be sure. As she thinks about it, it might be a little cruel to take on people who might also be innocent. Kurumi isn't like that. She is not a threat to society.

The glowing figure smiles and holds out her hand. 'I promise to give you whatever you want, however you want. Bond with me…and together we will fulfill your goal~'

Kurumi stares at the hand outstretched to her. What she said might be true. Her smile seems convincing. And so…she outstretches her own hand and reaches for the glowing figure's…

Next Day*

Shidou is being checked out of the hospital in a few days since she is still recovering. However, when she gets out into the world, she cannot stay as "Shidou" anymore. She will have to pick a different name.

While having some food, a news on television reports of an unexpected quake near down town. Reports of unidentified armored women have been roaming around as well.

"Has this world been getting any stranger?" Shidou says to herself.

"Good news!" Emily Simmons arrives in the room. "You are recovering quite well, so you are able to be discharged earlier than expected. Say, tomorrow perhaps."

Shidou nods. "Thanks Dr. Simmons. It's nice to know that I am healing a bit quicker."

"Also, since you are a girl now, all of us decided on a new name for you," Emily says. "You shall be known as…Shiori~!"

"Shiori," the bluenette says. "Not a bad name. I like it."

"I'm glad you do~" Emily says.

Shidou, or Shiori, is happy. She is glad to finally be out of the hospital and see her friends again. However, the problem is: how will they react when they see her female form?

Next Day*

"Whoa….!" Everyone who knows Shidou from class looks at the new person in front of them.

"This is now Shiori Itsuka," the teacher says. "Due to the accident, Shidou was miraculously healed and modified by some strange but marvelous technology. Please treat her well."

Everyone in class who has heard about the incident are very glad the young man they knew still lives. After class, they surround her, asking a bunch of questions and commenting on her beautiful looks until a trio of girls step in. One with blonde hair steps forward.

"Shiori…we were worried sick about you!" The blonde girl named Ai, says.

"You could've died!" A short haired girl named Mai, says. "You should've been more careful!"

"That is so lame!" A violet haired girl with glasses named Mii says.

Shiori smiles at her classmates. "Sorry to worry you all. But…I did what I had to do to save the girl. I'm sure she would've done the same."

"Sure, that new girl?" Ai asks, crossing her arms. "She seems strange to me. She was kinda possessive of you."

"You saw me and Kurumi d-d-dating!?" Shiori exclaims.

"We were taking a nice walk from karaoke," Mai says. "And we happened to see you and that Kurumi girl hanging out. Really sus, you know?"

"That is so lame…" Mii deadpans

"Is not," Shiori counters. "Kurumi is a nice girl the more I talked with her. She saw me for who I am, not how I looked."

"What about right now?" Ai asks. "Would she like the female you?"

"I…" Shiori softens and clenches her fists on her lap. "I never thought of that. Can girls fall in love with other girls…?"

"Who knows?" Mai shrugs. "Listen, we're not trying to be harsh. It's just that you are a woman now. Some things have to change."

Shiori just nods. Kurumi may never fall in love with the current person she is right now. Kurumi may be disgusted with her, but will it matter? After all, Kurumi told her that she accepts her as a whole, no matter who she is. Kurumi may accept her female self as well.

Later*

After school and doing some shopping, Shiori heads outside and looks up at the sky. It's colored orange, which means the sun is setting. She needs to head home and feed Kotori.

But before she goes any further, she hears some engines flare and whooshing coming from her right. Armored women with rifles and swords fly past Shiori, making her trip and fall on her behind. She looks at the women with jet boosters on their backs and sexy metal armor on their bodies.

"Are those…the women they were talking about…?" Shiori says as she gets to her feet.

Even though she knows Kotori will be upset if Shiori doesn't come home on time, she is very curious to see what those armored women are after. She makes a run for it, following one of the women with the jet booster. She hides behind several objects to make sure she isn't seen and keeps on going.

It is then that she approaches an observatory. From there, she sees a girl with black hair tied in high pig-tails and hetero chromatic eyes, red and yellow. She is wearing a red gothic lolita dress with black thigh high stockings underneath and black knee high lace up boots. She has two guns in her hands and she is blasting each and every one of the armored women. She flips over and blocks a blade, shoves the armored woman back and jumps in the air. She goes upside down and spins like a tornado, raising her arms and fires her bullets, hitting the armored woman and destroying her jet booster. She lands on her feet and looks around to see the armored women surround her once again.

"We are the Anti-Spirit Team!" The leader says. "We compel you to surrender!"

The pig-tailed girl giggles. "Oh, there is no way. I have a goal to fulfill. And I don't want you fools ruining it." She raises her arm and red liquid rises from the ground, surrounding the armored women. The gothic lolita girl is unaffected as she jumps in the air and releases its power. A powerful explosion destroys the rest of the Anti-Spirit women except for the leader. She grits her teeth and holds out her rifle.

"I'm not afraid of you!" She shouts and opens fire.

Shiori watches all this, stunned. "What the hell…is going on…!?"

The gothic lolita girl laughs as she evades all the bullets and rushes toward the leader. The leader tries to hit her with her rifle and does a roundhouse, however the girl blocks them all and kicks her to the ground. She goes on top of her and fires her bullets 5 times before spinning away and fires one last bullet.

"Like your new holes~?" The girl giggles.

The leader struggles to her feet and activates her jet booster. "This isn't over!" She flies away.

The girl turns toward Shiori, who is shaking and stepping away, little by little. The girl smiles and puts her guns in her holsters.

"Do not be afraid~" She says as she extends her hand. "There is no way I will ever hurt you~"

"Wh-who are you…?" Shiori asks.

"What? You don't recognize me, darling~?" The girl steps closer but Shiori backs away further.

"Stay back! Don't come near me!" Shiori cries as she falls on her behind.

"Ara…you sure are jumpy~" the girl says.

"Wait a minute…the way you said jt…" Shiori looks toward the girl. "But…you can't be the one…right?"

Before the girl can answer, there is another girl that swoops in, swinging a broad sword. But the gothic girl hops in the air to evade and lands on top of the roof.

"Funny seeing you here," The gothic girl says to the other one.

This girl has long purple hair with a partial ponytail and violet eyes. She is wearing a purple and gold dress with armored shoulders and gloves and wearing boots underneath the dress.

"Stay away from that innocent girl, Spirit!" The violet haired girl points her broad sword at the gothic girl. "Or else suffer the consequences!"

Shiori looks back and forth at the two girls facing off. What is happening here!?