Re:Chapter 6 - Date A Witch

...

It's been roughly a week since Kurumi and I went on that wonderful date. I had forgotten how enjoyable it was to spend time with a single person. Eh, maybe I was just lonely and never noticed until now.

She introduced me to some of her favorite movies. I've never been one for movies, but they were quite good picks. I introduced her to my favorite video games. Got her hooked on Bloodborne. Never through today be able to say something like that! 'I got Tokisaki Kurumi to play Bloodborne'. She had never played console games before, only arcade games, but she picked it up rather quickly.

Maybe I'll get her on Elden Ring afterwards...

We didn't spend all the time inside, though. We sometimes walked around the city. Most of the time, I cooked for the both of us. Helel really came in handy there as I now have a veritable encyclopedia of recipes in my head. That, plus EMIYA's cooking skill has made me a god of cooking, and Kurumi agrees!

She still has come and slept next to me every single night. I still turn beet red everytime I see her in her sleepwear, though I'm not sure if I can ever get used to seeing something so damn beautiful. Helel and I have also spoken most nights, and we confirmed some things.

Helel cannot Inverse, but that doesn't mean I can't imagine myself Inversing, which would most likely cause her to Inverse. Though, I'm not exactly willing to try it out. Unless... I could imagine myself Inversing, but having the same personality.

Hmm... Better to save that kinda plan for a rainy day.

A REALLY rainy day...

Nothing major has happened this week, either. No spacequakes or Spirits or AST or anything, just peace and calm.

Like right now. Kurumi and I are sitting next to one another on the couch, my head leaning in her shoulder as she plays Bloodborne whereas I am browsing stuff on my phone I made earlier in the week. A calm, lazy October afternoon, where nothing can go wro-

FOOOOOOOOOOOM FOOOOOOOOOOOM

I loud sound blares in the distance, causing me to shoot up in alarm.

"What the hell is that?!" I ask frantic, turning to Kurumi.

"Oh that? That's one spacequake alarms in the city." She explains, like it's obvious.

"In the CITY? How loud are those that it's so loud even over here?" Kurumi's apartment is on the very edge of the outskirts of Tengu City. The siren is horribly loud even here, almost painfully so.

"Quite loud. I think they made them to hurt Spirits." She jokes.

"Haha." I laugh, deadpan. "Still, that means a Spirit's gonna appear, huh?" I ask rhetorically as I stand up and stretch. "I suppose I'd better go and meet 'em."

"Oh? Looking to save another Spirit, Issei-kun?" She asks.

I turn to Kurumi with a serious look and tone of voice. "Of course. Everyone who's become a Spirit has had more than enough heartache forced upon them by the world. I ain't much of a fan of this Shido guy, he seems to be the stereotypical harem protagonist, willing to help, but also just kinda rides along with the whatever happens, never taking any action ahead of time. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the guy, but I'm not just gonna sit around and wait for Spirits to appear to help them. I know where a few of them are, so I'm gonna help them out ASAP." I explain. "Thinking over this info in my head, I've decided I wanna have the Spirits have a good life, especially after seeing all of the shit they've been through. So, I'm gonna make 'em have a happy ending, the one they deserve."

Kurumi stares at me for a moment, shocked at my passionate, yet kinda cheesy in hindsight, rant, before I break the silence. "Sorry about ranting like that."

She lets out a quiet giggle before speaking. "Not at all. It just shows you really care about we Spirits, even though you've never met us personally. You even wanted to help someone like me..." She mutters the last bit.

"Enough of the self-depreciation, Kurumi." I chastise the worst Spirit.

"Ufufu~ Alright then. Now..." She looks me dead in the eyes. "Go help that girl out."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am." I say, feeling a smile stretch across my face as one breaks out on Kurumi's. With a nod, I walk towards the front door and open it.

I turn to Kurumi while standing in the doorway. "I'll be back later, don't worry too much, Kurumin~" She chuckles as I close the door behind me.

With an exhale, I calm myself and don my Astral Suit, controlling my Reiryoku to be as undetectable as possible. "Alright then. Now what's that line Kotori always used? Oh yeah..."

I feel a grin on my face. "Let our date begin!"

As Issei-kun leaves my apartment, I let out a chuckle I was holding in.

Goodness, he truly has his work cut out for him...

Wanting to save all of us Spirits...

He really is too kind...

I hope he's able to last in this cruel world.

Though... with that power of his... it might be possible.

Good luck, Issei-kun.

I fly towards the spacequake's location. It hasn't went off yet, but I can 'feel' it for lack of a better word.

The city below is horribly barren, it feels as though an apocalypse has occurred. A city should be filled with the sounds of people, traffic, and yet, this silence, it feels... wrong. Horribly wrong.

Banishing those thoughts, I near the approaching quake's location. It appears to be an amusement park. I see what appears to be a vortex appear in the air. It resembles a mini-Black Hole, warping the very fabric of space into it.

As the vortex shrinks, I quickly make myself some earplugs before-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

I shield my eyes from the bright light with my arm. Smart thinking there with the earplugs, else I probably would've popped my eardrums!

Un-obscuring my vision, I see the amusement park, or rather, the ruins of it. Buildings collapsed, merry-go-round horses crushed, the roller coaster bent and twisted around buildings and pieces of concrete in a disturbingly artistic way, resembling that of a vision of madness. Reminds me of the guy that pained Saturn eating his son.

Goya, you crazy bastard.

I feel a source of Reiryoku in the center of the park. Mentally breaking the earplugs back down into Reiryoku, I float down towards the Spirit, dispelling the bottom part of my helmet.

Mentally preparing myself, I wonder who it will be. It's not Yoshino, due to there being no rain. Not the twins, due to no wind. Not sure if Miku's a Spirit yet. Not Kotori or Mukuro since one's sealed and the other's in space. DEM probably has Nia, gonna need to save her from that HELL soon. Very soon. So it could be Tohka or Natsumi.

Come to think of it, didn't Shido meet Natsumi in an amusement park post-spacequake? What could be the odds?

As I land near the crater's center, I see her.

Standing there is a beautiful woman, just a few inches shorter than me, clad in a dark grey, body-tight suit, which hugs her curves. Her long, green hair spills out from underneath her black and orange witch's hat. Her cuffs, cape, boots and skirt all share the same motif as her hat. Her beautiful green eyes scan the area for a moment before landing on me.

Yeah, this is Natsumi. Not the real her, just an illusion, hiding her real self.

"Well, I wasn't expecting someone who isn't one of those annoying, flying girls to show up!" Her pretty voice rings out as she begins to walk towards me, a slight sway in her hips with each step. She's really trying hard to be seductive, isn't she? Even I can tell it's forced, probably due to hanging around Kurumi so much recently.

Is it working? Hell no, the real Natsumi was always more attractive to me, weird as that might sound. Besides, no one can be as seductive as Kurumi.

"Well, they aren't the only ones curious about these spacequakes." I say as I begin to walk towards her as well.

"Hmm? Are you sure you're only here for the spacequakes?" She tries to tease.

"When did I ever say I was only here for the spacequakes?" I tease back as we both stop, standing a short distance apart from one another.

She smiles at me before fluttering her eyelashes and asking me a question. "Say, boy. Do you think I'm beautiful?"

I figured she'd ask this...

"Of course you're beautiful." Her eyes seem to light up as I say this.

"Really?!" She shouts as she jumps up and glomps me, like she did Shido in canon.

"Mmfuume maam, I kenn breeff." Translation: Excuse me ma'am, I can't breath.

Thankfully, she lets me go from the titty prison right after that. I'd rather not die via oppai suffocation.

"Oh this makes me so happy! I knew I'd be pretty like this!" She squeals in joy, all but dancing on the spot.

"Though, I'd bet you'd be a lot prettier if you dropped the illusion." Like a flipped switch, her demeanor does a complete and utter 180. Her emerald-like eyes narrow, and her mouth shifts into a frown.

"You... know...?" She asks slowly, attempting to look threatening.

"Of course, it feels like you've wrapped yourself in your Reiryoku. An Astral Dress is made of it, but it's like your entire body is made of it." I explain. "It's pretty impressive, honestly. I'd probably fool just about everyone."

"So... you can see the real me...?" The witch Spirit asks in a low, dangerous tone.

"Kinda, I can only see an outline." I explain.

"You-" She begins to growl out, but I cut her off before she finishes.

"Does it matter, though?" I ask, quickly.

"Huh?" Natsumi asks, confusion on her face. It seems I've thrown the poor girl for a loop.

"Does it matter that I've 'seen' the real you, even though all I can see is an outline? How wrong is it really?" I ask, feigning confusion.

"...The real me is ugly." She admits, crossing her arms, and turning her head. "No one should have to see such a thing. It's the very reason I've taken this, much more beautiful form." She explains, not bothering to hide her distaste for her true form.

"What does that matter?" I ask, challenging her. "I only judge people based on what they do, not what they look like, unlike most other people. Even then a fair number of people are smart enough to not judge based on looks, so does it really matter what you look like?"

Natsumi remains silent, mulling over my words, likely not believing them.

"Besides, I don't really listen to others opinions, I make my own. I'll be the judge and make my own opinions." I conclude.

"So, what? You're gonna make me drop my illusion?" She asks, attempting to rile me up.

"Of course not." I say, like it's obvious. "You think I'm that much of an asshole?"

"Huh?" She asks, her green eyes widening.

"Seriously, why the hell would I do something like that? I ain't exactly a fan of forcing others to do things they don't wanna do. You want to keep the illusion up, that's fine." I explain, before continuing with a softer voice. "But you're only running from your problems, not facing them head on."

The witch Spirit remains silent, contemplating my words. My senses tingle, feeling multiple, small energies closing in fast. AST, probably. Turning my head, I see them in the distance, slightly.

I turn back to Natsumi. "Hey, we should probably get outta here."

"Why?" She asks, annoyed by me.

"AST are coming." I explain quickly.

"So?" She asks.

"So, do you really want to fight 'em?" I ask. "I'd rather not deal with those idiots."

She huffs and crosser her arms. "If those girls want to fight, then of course." She says, summoning her angel, Haniel, which resembles a witch's broom.

So, she's gonna be stubborn, huh?

"Alright then." I make a copy of Michael in my hands.

"Wha- hey!" Grabbing her arm, I make a portal to the other side of the city, and jump in, pulling Natsumi along.

We step out of the portal as I close it behind us and dispel the Michael clones.

"What is wrong with you?!" She shouts at me, clearly upset.

"I'd rather not deal with those annoying girls. I don't like violence, and I doubt you do." I explain.

She growls slightly at me. Seems I've pissed her off. "So you dragged us... where?"

"The other side of the city." I explain simply.

"Hmmm. I hope you'll make this up to me." She says, crossing her arms. Eh? That's a shift of emotions. Oh right, tsundere.

"Alright then, wanna grab a bite to eat?" I offer.

Natsumi lets out a sigh. "I suppose."

Smiling, I dispel my armor.

"Come on." I gesture forward as Natsumi... stares at my face intently, almost in a daze, as a blush has creeped up onto her face.

"Hey." I call out, to no response.

"HEY!" I shout.

"Wh-What?!" She shouts, snapping out of her trance.

"C'mon." I say, gesturing forward again.

"O-Okay." She says, still recovering from her trance as she begins to follow me. The hell was up with that?

We walk down the street, side by side as people stare at us, or more specifically, Natsumi.

"You sure you're fine going around wearing that?" I ask.

"Why not? It accentuates my beauty." She asks, not seeing the problem.

"That, and people think you're in a damn Halloween costume." I say, a deadpan look on my face. Letting out a sigh, I continue. "Oh well, let 'em stare, I suppose."

During the past week, I really have mapped out the city and found a few nice places here and there. Natsumi and I walk for about 10 minutes in silence before we reach it. A small cafe, smaller than the one Kurumi and I went to a week ago. Though, this is a regular cafe, though.

The two of us enter, and Natsumi begins looking around, almost in wonder. She's never been in a cafe before, has she?

"C'mon, let's sit down." I nudge her as she snaps out of her trance. The two of us sit down, soon after a waitress hands us both menus.

"So, what's your name?" I ask suddenly as I ponder the menu.

"...Natsumi." She says, after staring at me for a long moment. No last name? Either she doesn't remember it, or she doesn't want to remember that time of her life.

I smile a bit. "Well, I'm Sahashi Issei. Nice to meet you, Natsumi."

She goes back to staring at the menu, a frown of annoyance on her face as she reads it.

"Having trouble deciding?" I ask, guessing what's got her upset.

"Of course not! It's just..." She trails off, a troubled expression on her face. "I don't know what most of this stuff is." She admits, embarrassed.

"Never been in a cafe before?" I ask.

"No." She answers, simply.

"Any preferences on food? Sweets, maybe?" I ask.

She stills for a moment. "I... can't really remember the last time I had sweets..." She says, a red of embarrassment on her face.

"Alright then, I'll give ya some suggestions." I say with a smile.

The two of us both order some warm tea and a kind of toast with jelly. Neither of us talk much, just eat. As we walk down a quiet street, away from the cafe, I break the ice.

"How was it?" I ask.

She's silent for a long minute, before she quietly admits. "It was... good."

I smile at that. "I'm glad. I really like this place, so I was hoping you would. Took my friend here the other day, and she liked it too."

"You're... a Spirit, aren't you?" She asks, slowly. That's... an odd question to ask. She did see my armor and how I teleported us, right?

"Yeah? I mean I wasn't really hiding it." I say, like it's obvious.

"But, you're a guy. I didn't figure there were male Spirits." Natsumi says, skeptical.

"Well I guess I'm just one of a kind, I guess." She chuckles as I say this, before her face changes back to one of annoyance, perhaps at herself. We fall back into an uncomfortable silence, again.

"Natsumi?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"You have any friends?" I suddenly ask.

"Why are you asking me something like that?!" She shouts back, her eyes wide and face red.

"Because you seemed kinda out of place, y'know?" I say, causing her to be surprised. "You've acted like you haven't had any human interactions in a while."

"... I haven't..." She admits, quietly. "I can't really due to those girls always chasing me."

"Well then, I'll just have to be your friend, then." Her head whips at me, a serious, yet hopeful look in her widened eyes.

"You... You're serious." She says, shocked. "Are you sure? Even though I'm hiding my true self?"

"I judge based on actions, not appearance, remember? Besides, we Spirits have to look out for one another, right?" I say with a smile.

"...Thanks." She says quietly, looking anywhere but at me.

"Well, it's still fairly early in the afternoon, so wanna do something else?" I offer.

"Like what?" She asks, skeptical.

"You play video games any?" She stares at me, curiously before nodding. "Well c'mon! Me and my roommate, that friend I mentioned before, have got tons of games back home!"

This boy... is strange.

Handsome, yet strange.

Gah! I still can't believe I stared at him for so long when he took of that helmet! He's not even that handsome!

That's the only thoughts that are prevalent in my mind as I walk with him to his home.

Honestly, inviting a stranger over? Even if I am a Spirit, like him, this is just stupid.

Growing up, I would often spend time at the arcade or going around town, scrounging up coins, using them to buy cheap food. Even something as simple as condiments like soy sauce were enough to survive on.

I would spend hours at the arcade just to get away from that hellhole I called a home. I haven't even played a video game in God-knows how long...

Do I trust this 'Issei' guy? Hell no. When he sees the real me, the ugly me, him and his roommate will run me off.

So... Why am I going with him? Maybe I'm just curious to see if he's serious about this whole 'wanting to be my friend' thing.

I'll give him a chance, one chance.

He'd better not squander it, or I'll ruin his life.

Natsumi trails behind me as I open the door to Kurumi's apartment. Natsumi's been rather quiet on the walk here, she's probably worried about what Kurumi will think of her.

"I'm back, Kurumi! And I brought a friend!" I announce as I open the door.

"Oh." I hear Kurumi say from in the back. The time Spirit steps out from the hallway. "So you did."

"You don't mind if we play some video games, Kurumi?" I ask.

"Not at all." The time Spirit says. She then walks towards Natsumi and introduces herself. "Hello, my name is Tokisaki Kurumi. Nice to meet you, cutie."

Natsumi seems kinda shocked at this. "Oh, it's uh, nice to meet you too. I-I'm Natsumi." She stutters out, surprised at the black haired Spirit's forwardness.

I, on the other hand, have already sat down on the couch and made a console and two controllers. "You ready, Natsu?"

Said green haired Spirit gains a blush on her face. "N-Natsu?!"

"You don't like it?" I ask with a pout, teasing the poor girl.

"N-No, it's-" The witch Spirit stutters as Kurumi cuts her off.

"I think it's cute." Kurumi teases, which only serves to strengthen Natsumi's blush.

"Well, whaddya wanna play?" I ask, holding out a controller.

We end up playing a Guilty Gear game, whilst taking turns. Natsumi picked up the game really damn fast, Kurumi and I did as well over the week, but certainly not as quickly as Natsumi has. Girl's a natural at fighting games.

During the rounds of fighting game battles, I've been siphoning a slight amount of Reiryoku from Natsumi's illusion, weakening it. It's a very small amount, but because of her focus, she doesn't notice it.

Natsumi's competitive spirit really begins to shine as she focuses on the game intensely.

Eventually, during a tense battle between her and I, her illusion slips. This doesn't break her concentration, though, as I soon win, despite her intense focus.

"Aw man!" Natsumi complains in a noticeably higher voice than before. "Again?! I'm gonna even up the score eventually!" She promises, angrily.

Kurumi, sitting on the other side of Natsumi on the couch, looks down at the shorter Spirit with wide eyes. Makes sense, I didn't exactly tell her my plan. As for me, I take a closer look at the witch Spirit.

Her body is now noticeably smaller than before, standing at little under 5 feet. Her hair remains the same length and color, as do her eyes, though her outfit it significantly different. Her hat is smaller, she no longer has the body suit, but now has an odd orange top with puffy, white sleeves and black shorts. She has black and orange striped socks of mismatching lengths, and short shoes of a similar color.

One noticeable change with her is her looks. She clearly hasn't been taking care of herself. Her skin is pale, likely from lack of sunlight, her hair is wild, tangled and filled with split ends. Her skin is oily as well, has she been bathing often? She also has bags under her eyes, lack of sleep, or stress?

Smirking at the now shorter girl's declaration, I make my retort with a smug grin. "Bring it on then!"

Natsumi's face, full of confidence, suddenly shifts to one of confusion. "Why am I looking up at you now?" Her head turns down as she squeaks out in alarm. "HUH?!" And with that shout she shoots up off the couch in alarm. "M-My illusion?! How?!" She shrieks.

"Maybe you got too focused on the game and it's sorta turned off?" I 'guess', feigning confusion.

The green haired girl's face is red and she looks as though she's about to erupt like a damn volcano.

Before she can, I speak up. "Oh, well. C'mon, let's keep playing."

"What? You want to... keep playing...?!" She asks, dumbfounded.

"Yes." I say, simply, like it's obvious. "Didn't you say you wanted to even up the score a second ago?" Best way to handle tsunderes: throw them off of their game.

A moment of silence passes, before Natsumi sits back down angrily and picks up the controller. "Fine then. Don't expect me to go easy on you, after seeing me like this!"

I smirk. "Hmph. I'm counting on it!" With that, the game resumes. Kurumi merely giggles at our actions.

After a while we stop playing. Natsumi suddenly asks in a small voice. "Do either of you really not care about my appearance?"

"No." I say quickly.

"Why would we?" Kurumi adds.

She grasps the edges of her hat, pulling it down slightly. "Because, I'm ugly..."

"Tch." I scoff. "I don't know who told you that shit, but if I ever meet 'em, I'll punch them in the face." I say in a serious voice, surprising Natsumi. "You aren't ugly, you're plenty beautiful and really cute, too." She blushes harder at this. "Hell, you could be even prettier than your illusion if you took better care of yourself."

"Better... care of myself?" She asks slowly, bewildered by my words.

"Well your hair is super messy, you haven't been brushing it, have you?" At my words, she looks away. Clearly I hit the bullseye. "Your skin is pale, most likely from going outside with your illusion up. Sunshine is important, Vitamin D and all that. You have bags under your eyes, either you haven't been getting good sleep, or you've been stressed. Taking care of yourself is VERY important, Natsumi." I stress. "If you do, not only will you look even more beautiful than normal, but you'll feel better too." I let out a chuckle. "God knows it feels good to just sit down and relax after taking a shower."

"What should I do then?" The short Spirit asks, looking up at me. I ponder this for a moment, before an idea strikes me in the head.

"I've got an idea, but it'll take some time to set up." I say, before turning to the time Spirit. "Kurumi?"

"Yes?" Kurumi asks.

"Go take Natsumi to the bathroom and give her a towel to wear." I reply.

"Ara?" Kurumi asks, clearly confused. "Only a towel?"

"Yes, only a towel." I reply quickly.

"Huh?!" Natsumi squeaks between us.

"Alright. Come on then, Natsumi-chan." Kurumi then drags Natsumi off the the bathroom, kicking and screaming all the while.

"Okay then. Helel? It's time to get to work!" I say with a grin.

As I struggle to get the short girl to wear the towel, I wonder what Issei-kun's plan is.

"Why are you going along with that pervert?!" My fellow Spirit, Natsumi, asks angrily.

Still, 'Pervert'? I suppose Issei-kun could've worded that better.

"Because, I'm sure he has a plan to help pretty you up." I explain. "You could really use a spa day, perhaps Issei-kun is thinking the same."

"B-But...!" She tries to argue.

"Ufufu~" I can't help but let out a giggle at her cute pout. "Besides, I'm far more of a pervert than he is."

"Wha?!" She shouts, recoiling back.

"Now, let's get those clothes off, Natsumi-chan."

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

"The hell was that...?" I ask myself, hearing a scream. After finishing my work, I started waiting out in the hallway for Natsumi to come out. I can hear the two of them arguing in the bathroom. That Natsumi's a fighter, huh?

"No way!" Natsumi shouts.

"Oh? What's the matter, Natsumi-chan?" Kurumi asks, innocently.

"What do you mean?! I'm only wearing a damn towel!" The shorter Spirit retorts.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen like this?" Kurumi asks.

"Of course!" Natsumi quickly responds.

The two of them bicker, as the older Spirit tries to coerce the younger out of the bathroom.

I decide to cut in, by knocking on the door softly. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's all part of the plan, now c'mon, Natsu!"

A moment of silence passes, before the door slowly opens, revealing the green-haired Spirit, clad in only a white towel, her face red as a tomato. "D-Do I really have to wear this?"

"Yes." I say with a tone of finality.

"Ara, Issei-kun?" Kurumi asks.

"Yeah?" I ask back.

"Why is a door there?" The worst Spirit asks, referring to the door on the wall that wasn't there before.

"That? It's where I'm gonna help Natsumi get all 'beautified'!" I say, waving my hands in a theatrical manner.

"Did... you make that?" Kurumi asks, slowly.

"Yes, and the room within as well. Simply put, I used Helel to make a door to a small, room-sized pocket dimension." I say, confusing them.

"How?" Natsumi pipes up.

"My angel lets me make anything, so long as I can do imagine it. Now, come on." I explain as I open the door, inviting Natsumi to enter first. "Go on, ladies first." Natsumi hesitantly does and I address the black-haired Spirit. "You know more about girls clothes than I do, so here." I stop taking for a moment, and use Helel to make myself a clone. A perfect copy of myself appears next to us.

"Wha-?!" Kurumi appears alarmed.

"You and 'me' can go figure out some cute clothes for Natsumi to wear. After that, you'll need to do her makeup. I know nothing about that stuff, being a guy and all." I say, explaining my plan.

"Ufufu~ I didn't know you could make clones as well." Kurumi says, hiding her surprise behind a giggle.

"Helel lets me do anything I imagine remember?" I ask, tapping the side of my head. "Now, both of you, go think up some cute clothes for her." I shoo them away. "Shoo, shoo!"

"Alright then." Kurumi says.

"Can do, me." The other me says as Kurumi and him go down the hall.

He called me 'me', huh? I'm not surprised he'd take Kurumi's shtick.

I step through the pocket dimension's door. Inside is a small barber's shop, complete with a chair, a mirror and a desk, covered with various creams and such, a sink fitted in the center. Natsumi is looking around in awe, taking in the sight of everything.

"Well, have a seat." I say, making her jump. With a nod, she sits on the chair. I make a towel and place it around her neck, like a cloak. I tell her to bend her head over the sink and get some soap, only to begin lathering her hair.

"You've got really long hair. When was the last time you got it cut?" I ask, hoping to strike up conversation.

"I don't remember. A-Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Natsumi asks, a bit shy still.

"Of course." I say, still lathering her hair. Christ, she has a lot of hair. Makes me worry about washing Mukuro's hair, that'd be a nightmare. "I gave myself all the knowledge of those Turkish barbers I used to watch on YouTube from time to time. They made ASMR videos. Really calm stuff, I enjoyed it for some strange reason or another."

Not long after, I rinse her hair out. After getting her to sit straight up, I pull the towel around her shoulders up and begin using it to dry her hair. After a few minutes, her long green hair is noticeably less curly. It's not quite straight, however.

"Now for the next step, go back to the bathroom and take a shower, but don't wash you hair again. Then come back, still wearing just the towel. The step after that is optional, but I think it'd really help you out a lot." I offer.

"Alright then." She gets up and leaves to go to the bathroom.

About 10 minutes later, a towel clad Natsumi returns to the hall, smelling fresher than before. "Is that another door?" She asks.

"Yup. And another pocket dimension." I gesture her to follow me. Inside is a odd-looking chair, that resembles a table and not much else. "Now, like I said, it's optional, but I think it'd benefit you."

"What is it?" Natsumi asks.

"I'm gonna give you a massage." She shrieks in surprise as I say that, her eyes opening wide and her face becoming a vibrant crimson as she holds inter her towel tightly. "Like I said earlier, you have, or rather had, bags under your eyes. I would say it's because of lack of sleep, but you were really worried about me thinking you were ugly, so I think it's stress. So, I'm gonna give you a massage, to help with that."

"Just a massage?" She asks, skeptical.

I take offense. "Of course! Why the hell would I do anything else?! I get we've only known each other a few hours, but is your opinion of me really that low?"

"A-Alright then." She stutters.

"Okay, now lay face-down of the bed." She does so. After I sit next to her on a stool, and undo her towel. She jolts, but I reassure her. "I need access to your back to massage it." She exhales and relaxes as I get to work. Turns out, Turkish barbers, or perhaps barbers in general, can do massages. Helel gave me knowledge of that too!

With my newfound massage knowledge, I realize her back muscles are super knotted up. Remembering her backstory, it's safe to assume she hasn't been able to relax with in a long, long time. My hands, covered in oil, rub her small back, her tense muscles seeming to relax before my very eyes.

"Muh~" She moans.

It seems it feels really good her her, she's letting out cute, little moans. Thank God I'm not pressed against her, I can feel myself harden down below.

After a few minutes, with my pants excruciatingly tight, I finish the massage. "Well..." I say, standing up. "All done. How you you feel?"

"Great." Natsumi says happily, her face muffled in the chair.

"Okay, I'll turn around. You get up and put back on the towel, we need to get you some clothes." I say, turning around.

After having the short Spirit follow me out of the pocket dimensions, we enter Kurumi's room a minute later.

Natsumi lets out a small sound of surprise. Of course she would, Kurumi and my clone are sitting on the time Spirit's bed. "W-Why is there another you?!"

"Oh he's a clone." I say, simply.

"Yo, Natsu." He says, waving at the small Spirit.

"You did good, man." I say back.

"Thanks." He says as I snap my fingers, causing him to disappear. I ripped off Naruto as his memories get placed in my head.

"He's gone already?" Kurumi asks, feigning slight sadness.

"Yeah, but I've got all his memories, so it's okay." I say, nonchalant.

Kurumi and the clone spoke about clothes for her to wear, before he suggested an outfit he saw her wear in the future.

I then turn to Natsumi, creating three pictures in my hand. "Now, which of these do you like the most?" The three pictures are of various outfits. The only one worth mentioning is the one in the middle, it's her casual outfit that was in the Date A Live mobile game, Spirit Pledge. A purple dress with a white top, complete with a brown belt, a gold butterfly emblem attached. The other two are ones Kurumi suggested.

Natsumi ponders her choice for a moment before pointing to the middle one. "Good choice." I compliment.

"That's a shame." Kurumi pouts. "She didn't even think over her choice for very long."

"Told ya the middle one would be good." I say to Kurumi with a grin, before turning back to the shorter Spirit. "Now then, sit still." Natsumi looks at me questioningly as I step back. I hold out my hand and imagine Natsumi in the outfit and let, Helel do the work. The small girl is engulfed in light.

"What is...?!" The green haired Spirit shrieks.

When the light dies down, her outfit is that of the dress from the picture, her long hair now bunched together and tied into pigtails, held by small butterfly hair clips.

Natsumi looks down in awe at her new outfit. "This is..."

Kurumi speaks, still sitting on the bed. "I told you it'd be cute."

"No, I told you." Referring to my clone showing her the outfit beforehand. "Well now, your turn, Kurumi."

"Alright then." The time Spirit says, standing up. "Come on Natsumi-chan. We have one last thing to do."

"I'll wait for you guys in the living room." I say, walking out of the room.

A few moments later, Natsumi-chan is sitting down, in front of my makeup desk. I don't wear any of it much anymore, but a girl likes to look good from time to time, you know?

"Uh, Kurumi-san?" Natsumi hesitantly asks.

"Hmm?" I hum.

"I know Issei's been saying I'm beautiful and all, but-" I cut her off before she can begin.

"But nothing. You are an adorable girl. Those who told you that you were ugly should consider themselves lucky I don't know where they are~" Honestly, saying such things to a cute girl. How I'd love to make them regret doing that.

The small girl flushes at my praise, or perhaps from my veiled threat. "Now then, let's begin."

I'm left sitting in the living room for about 15 minutes watching tv before I head footsteps from the hallway.

"We're done!" Kurumi announces, prompting me to turn around to see Natsumi. The short girl was cute before, but... "Wow." I breathe.

"Ufufu~ She's taker your breath away, has she?" Kurumi asks, teasingly.

"Yeah, she looks even cuter than before." I say, honestly.

"Eep!" Natsumi squeaks.

"Seriously, how did you make her even cuter? I didn't thing was even possible!" I complain.

"I'm not... that cute." Natsumi says shyly.

"Yes you are. Look for yourself." I say, standing up as I make a standing mirror in front of the small girl. Her face morphs into multiple emotions. Shock, embarrassment, confusion.

"This is... me?" Natsumi asks, slowly.

"Of course it's you. I told you that you were beautiful." I leaned it against the back of the couch as I walk over to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I look her dead in the eyes. "You are beautiful, Natsumi. Inside and out." Her eyes well up as tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"It's okay." I smile at her. "You can let it out." That does it for her as she begins bawling her eyes out, while holding onto my torso.

"Really, Issei-kun? Do you enjoy making girls cry?" Kurumi says, jokingly, ruining the moment.

"Oh shush." I chastise.

After Natsumi calms down, I wrap my arms around her. "You've been through a lot, Natsumi. I won't let you go through that shit again. You don't have to worry about your mom or anyone that hurt you again."

"Huh?!" She stiffens in my arms.

"Sit down and let me go explain."

"So, you have knowledge of stuff that happened and stuff that will happen?" Natsumi asks, trying to wrap her head around it.

"Yeah. Believe me, I'm still trying to figure it all out." I admit, lying.

"And this Shido guy helped a bunch of Spirits, including me?" She asks.

"Yeah, but that'll probably happen a year or so from now. Now way I was gonna let you suffer in your delusions for another day, let alone a year. When I realized I was in this new world, with these powers, I knew I wanted to help the Spirits. All of them went through some form of hell." I notice Kurumi, beside me, look down. "No one should be terrorized by others, least of all by their own parent." I feel my teeth grit together, and my fists clench just thinking about Natsumi's story.

"After sorting through all this new info, I realized you were one of the ones I wanted to help the most. So, when I found you, I knew I wanted to help you. Free you from your worries." I continue. "You showing up today just gave me that opportunity."

A silent moment passes. No one saying a word.

"Issei." The green haired girl breaks the silence.

"Yeah, Natsumi?" I ask.

"Thanks." Natsumi says, looking up at me with a bright smile. "You... I still can't believe it, but you really are a nice person. The first one I've met in... ever, probably."

"I'm not nice." I correct. "I only want to see you girls happy. That makes me more than happy. It's pretty selfish when you think about it."

"Maybe it is, but she's right. You're a good person, Issei-kun." Kurumi says to me, placing a hand in my shoulder.

"I... Thanks you two." I sigh, as I stand up. "Now, there's two things left to do. Make Natsumi a room, and 'seal' her power."

"Huh?" Green, confused eyes shoot up and meet mine.

"What? Did you really think I was gonna make you leave? You don't have a place to stay, so why not stay here?" I ask Natsumi, before turning to the taller Spirit. "You don't mind, right, Kurumi?"

"I don't see why not." The time Spirit says, shrugging.

"Then it's settled." I conclude.

"B-But...!" The short girl stutters.

"Besides, it's what friends do." I say, interrupting her.

Natsumi stares at me, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Tears threaten to spill from her eyes, but she holds them back.

"As for the 'sealing', I'm just gonna fiddle with you angel and make it easier to control without having you lose your abilities. You won't have to worry about the AST or anyone else being mean to you anymore." I say.

"...Thank you, Issei. Thank you..." Natsumi says, quietly, a smile on her beautiful face, tears now spilling freely. Kurumi shares a similar smile on hers, and I feel one grow on mine.

"You're welcome, Natsumi."

AN

Sixth Chapter done!

Added some of Natsumi's thoughts. Hopefully these other POV sections will add some depth to the story and characters.

Also, this is the new longest chapter I've written, clocking in at just under 7,200 words! A far cry from the original, which was 5,400!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!