Date A Live – Purpose

Chapter 1 – Sudden Confrontation

The next day, Shido still doesn't give any sign of recovering.

His guilt and his regret has destroyed his own spirit to the point he doesn't want to do anything at all.

The spirits are watching him worrily from [Fraxinus].

"Shido... Just get over it already and stand back on your feet!"

Kotori grit her teeth and slams on the table angrily.

If this carries on, the emotion state of the spirits around her will get worse.

Kotori of all people will never allow that to happen, of course.

"Darling..." Miku speaks softly as she hug herself.

Kaguya and Yuzuru sits on the sofa restlessly.

Tohka is trying her best to play with Yoshino so that she won't end up crying.

Just when Kotori's about to explode—

"Commander!" The vice commander, Kyouhei Kannazuki calls out for her.

"What is it!?" Kotori replies loudly to vent her anger.

"A spirit has appeared in the city! It's currently moving toward Shido-kun's place!"

Kotori immediately turns toward the monitor.

She looks at the reaction showed by the radar and...

"This reaction... Could it be!? Kannazuki!"

"I know what you're talking about, commander. But the problem is we can't locate the figure of the spirit!"

Kannazuki shows Kotori the current situation around Itsuka's house through [Fraxinus]'s surveillance camera. But no matter what, they can't spot any spirit nearby.

"What on earth is happening...?" Kotori's sweat runs through her chin as she speak.

Then, she spots a familiar glow of light from Shido's window.

...

"..."

Shido's staring at the ceiling pointlessly.

He just feels like it.

With Mayuri disappeared right in his arms, Shido just can't forgive himself that easily.

"Mayuri..." He whispers slowly.

"Shido..." Suddenly, a familiar voice replies his whisper.

"!?" Shido jumps from his bed.

He tries to look at his surrounding, but nothing resembles a human can answer 'whose voice' that replied him just now.

"That voice just now... It can't be... Mayuri?"

As if confirming his words, a faint glow can be seen in the dark room.

Slowly, the glow takes shape as a young girl with side ponytail.

She wears a different uniform than his school's uniform.

With the deep pink colored eyes staring at him, there's no mistaking it.

The figure in front of Shido is Mayuri. The spirit that vanished from the earth 5 days ago.

"Shido... It seems like we met again."

"Mayuri... How..."

Mayuri shakes her head.

Implying that she doesn't has any clue as well.

"I just re-materialize... However, not as an existence that is born to disappear like before."

"Mayuri... Is that really you?"

Shido walks slowly to approach Mayuri, however...

"Don't move, Shido!"

Kotori barges into the room with a bang.

She displays clear hostility toward Mayuri who's staring at Shido silently.

"Kotori, what are you—"

"That girl is not Mayuri!"

Following Kotori's words, Tohka jumps into the room as she swings her [Sandalphon] toward Mayuri.

"Get away from Shido!"

"..."

Mayuri easily steps back to avoid [Sandalphon]'s slash.

She's currently 3 meters apart from Shido and the girls, which is a very easy distance for [Sandalphon] to reach.

"Who are you? Answer my question."

Tohka points [Sandalphon] at Mayuri.

Mayuri at the other side, calmly opens her mouth.

"[Princess] and [Efreet]... No, Yatogami Tohka and Itsuka Kotori..."

Kotori hates to be called like that, which is triggering her anger.

However, she must not lose her composure here.

"The other spirits should be watching from the sky."

"You're quick to catch your situation. I must say that you're completely surrounded. How about giving up and tell us what are you?"

Kotori folds her hands as she puts her lollipop in her mouth.

Mayuri turns around and notices Yoshino who's aiming for her from the window.

Kaguya and Yuzuru are right above the house and Miku who just entered the house is standing behind Kotori.

"Mayuri..." Shido calls for her, but Mayuri pays him no heed.

"... [Kerubiel]."

Instead, she whispers her angel's name.

Tohka who's the closest to Mayuri immediately rush forward and swings her [Sandalphon].

However...

—Groooo!

Tohka is being pushed back by the gale surrounding the orb-like thing above Mayuri's head, [Kerubiel].

Following that, pairs of wings can be seen growing from her back. Just like the other girls, Mayuri is also in her incomplete Astral Dress.

"Mayuri!" Shido calls out for her.

He doesn't wish for Mayuri to fight with the girls.

But Mayuri doesn't answer Shido's call.

Instead, she points at Shido.

"The same as... Shido..."

"Huh...?"

Shido seems to know that phrase.

"Stop daydreaming, Shido!"

Kotori smacks his head.

"The girl in front of us is not Mayuri, stop pursuing that shadow of the past!"

"...!"

Facing Kotori's razor sharp words, Shido can't find any word to say.

He just fall to his knees.

"Tch— Tohka, let's catch her first! We will ask her for the details later!"

"Got it!"

Tohka dashes toward Mayuri while holding [Sandalphon] firmly.

Kotori expects Mayuri to escape through the window so that Kaguya and the others can subdue her right away.

Unfortunately—

"Guh—!?"

Mayuri's body glows brightly as if there is an explosion of light inside the dark room they're in.

Tohka tries to shield her eyes, but the glow is just too strong for her that she got temporarily blinded.

Even Kotori, Miku and Yoshino who is outside of the room got blinded by the light.

"Ugh... Where is she!?"

Kotori calls out, but the others are suffering from eye damage that they can't reply immediately.

When she regains her vision, Mayuri already disappeared from her sight.

There's no sign of her nearby at all.

"Commander! We lost the signal!"

Kannazuki calls out for Kotori through the Transceiver.

"Damn it... She escaped!"

Kotori clenches her fists and turns around.

"Tohka! Miku! Let's head back to [Fraxinus]! You too, Shido! We've got work to do!"

"Mayuri..."

Even though Kotori's calling for him, Shido who still can't accept the truth can only stare at the wall blankly.

Like a puppet whose strings are detached from its body.

...

In a dark alley, Mayuri re-appear silenty in her Astral Dress.

She doesn't need to worry someone might see her as she's unseeable in her Astral Dress.

"You've caused quite an commotion to those people, aren't you?"

Kurumi, who appear out of nowhere speaks to her with a low voice.

"... [Nightmare], Kurumi..."

"Fufufu, what is it? You want to fight with me? I must tell you that I'm really not in a good mood for peaceful talks."

Kurumi readies her guns, attempting to shoot Mayuri.

However, [Kerubiel] shields Mayuri with its wings.

"I don't wish to fight. I just want to meet Shido."

"Ara, and why is that?"

Mayuri turns around to look at Kurumi.

Then, she opens her mouth.

"Because Shido is—"

Before she can finish her words, [Kerubiel] creates gust of wind that caught Kurumi off guard.

"Damn— That girl!"

When Kurumi regains her composure, again. Mayuri disappeared without a trace.

"... Just what kind of spirit is that girl?"

Kurumi whispers as she look at the sky. Which looked like it's about to rain.

Appearing and disappearing without any warning, Kurumi can't help but thought that Mayuri might be a...

Ghost.

-Please R&R!-

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