Hah, I was right! It is longer!
-Ryan "Kurukaze" McGowan
-Chapter 7, Date duty
Tohka, face pushed up against the glass window of the bakery and cheeks puffed out with frustration, glared at the overlapping curves of golden brown. It looked so enticing, but try as she might, the tricky forcefield kept her from inching closer. She squirmed and pushed and shoved, but it was all so far out of reach. "Shido, what's in here?! Is it a date?!" She had to pause between each word to breathe. "Tell me!"
With a faint twinkle of a bell, Shido returned with a brown paper bag nestled in the crook of his arm. It carried a sweet, soothing scent, which Tohka's nose hungrily followed. "Here ya go," said Shido, gesturing for Tohka to take one of the loaves. Now even closer, the smell overwhelmed the poor girl, estranged to such things.
Finally, she could inch closer, mouth drooling as she crept along the bench. "Is this a test? Am I about to fail?" she sang.
"No, it's for you." Shido chuckled. "And stop drooling."
Without a second's more hesitation, Tohka lunged forward and chomped down. Her teeth broke apart the crust, releasing an explosion of sweetness that forced her to gasp. "Wow!" she cheered as the taste washed over her, knocking her back. She munched down on what was left, seemingly determined to finish it as quickly as possible. Then, mouth full, she asked, "Is this one of those date things?"
"No, it's bread." Shido found himself sighing out of pity.
Once finished, Tohka licked her fingers clean. "Okay…?" she queried. "Is that another name for 'date'? I don't understand how something so delicious can't be called a date."
Shido winced. "You can call it one if you want."
"Fascinating," she mused. "Even though this was delicious, it's still not good enough to be called a date." Tohka cupped her chin, but her train of thought was derailed by the new smell that wafted past. She bolted up and dashed after its source. "There's one!" she exclaimed.
"Not quite," Shido corrected; arm outstretched in a wasted effort to stop her mad sprint.
At that next stall, they bought a bundle of fried snacks and continued on into the city, Tohka nibbling on them as they walked. As they turned a corner, Tohka's breath caught in her throat. "All these people! Is this war?!" Food still suspended from her teeth, she readied an attack at the tip of her finger. "Just in case, I better attack before the mecha-mecha squad gets-"
"No, wait! You don't want to do that!" Shido grasped the Spirit's hand and tried to lower her aim.
Tohka pushed back. "Why are you stopping me? I'm trying to save us!"
"I'm not!" Shido shot back. "There's nothing to save us from! No-one's gonna hurt us." He let go and, despite the seething look he got from the girl, she let the energy fizzle into nothing.
Their little exchange was interrupted by a small boy who passed a paper wrap into the correct bin beside him. "Look, mama! I threw it in the trash all by myself!"
His mother came over and petted his head. "Wow, what a good boy you are." The boy giggled.
Tohka's eyes flashed with realisation and hastily finished the snacks she had. She crumpled up the paper bag, rushed over, pushed it through the opening and dropped it inside, then rushed back to Shido, gesturing for him to pet her too.
Shido did so tentatively, turning Tohka's cheeks a joyful pink. She looked back up and asked, "What about right now? This moment. Is this a date?"
"Not really," he replied, "but, you're getting closer."
"Dates are complicated matters…" the girl trailed off in thought, before once more having her train of thought derailed by the chance of more food. "Look, that thing over there looks yummy!" She rushed off down the street in the direction of more stalls and stores.
"How in the world are you still hungry?" Shido asked as he took off in pursuit.
As the boy pounded down the street after the food-crazed girl, Origami peeked around the corner. The readings were clear. That girl was a Spirit. She watched them go, picking over her own thoughts and questions, before holding a hand up to her neck. "Master Sergeant Tobiichi reporting. I've identified a possible target. Please deploy a surveillance device to sector 3-B."
"Roger that. It's on its way."
She stalked closer behind them, darting from alleyway to alleyway in order to stay hidden.
"Ninety-eight point seven percent match. That's way too high to be a coincidence, of course." Kusakabe scanned the statistics on her display. "No quake, though. Odd."
"She isn't wearing her Spirit Armour right now. If we're going to attack, now's the time to do so," Origami stated, watching as the girl bit into a cone of ice cream, before sharply recoiling from the jolt of cold.
Kusakabe shook her head. "Think about where you are right now. The AST is supposed to be secret, remember?"
Origami gritted her teeth, then set off in pursuit again as they started to drift away.
"Are you listening to me, Origami? If you act recklessly I will pull you out." Kusakabe's voice was stern.
"Affirmative," she grumbled.
As the day approached noon and the pair started to coast away from the city centre, they entered a more rural part of Tenguu. Here, the houses were bigger, the grass was greener, and the food was much more expensive. One particularly well-known restaurant was the Yamazaki. Infamous for both its food and its prices. Tohka stopped outside its oaken doors and gawked at the impressive sight.
"What kind of place is this?" she demanded.
Shido's spine straightened. "Uhhh, an expensive one…"
"I don't know what that means," The Spirit said, filling her ears with the promise of things to be learnt. "I'm going in!"
Itsuka panicked at the conviction in Tohka's voice. "No, wait, hold-"
"Well, if it isn't Shido?" A voice came from their left, and Shido pivoted to see who's it was. Standing there with his hand up in greeting was Shido's only real friend from school, Hiroto Tonomachi. However, once he noticed Tohka, he rushed forwards and wrestled Shido close. "What do we have here?" he muttered, too quiet for the Spirit to hear. "That's some hot action. How did you manage to pull that kind of tail without me knowing about it? I'm a little jealous." He feigned pain as he poked Shido's cheek.
Shido tried to back out of his friend's intruding grasp. "Yeah, a lot has happened, I guess."
They both turned to glimpse Tohka disappear between the double doors.
"Ooo, and straight off the top of the shelf," he teased. "It's cool, man. My girl's got some pretty expensive taste too!" He whipped out his phone and thrust it at Shido's face.
He grimaced. "Right, his virtual girlfriend."
"Listen, I wanna help you." He snatched two tickets out of the breast pocket of his school blazer. "A friend gave these to me, but I think they'll help you impress your new girl and help you score later." With a dazzling twirl and sparkle of light, he pushed the tickets into Shido's hands. "You're welcome in advance!" he cheered, before dashing off. "See ya later, bud."
Shido sighed as he watched Hiroto shrink into the distance, then jumped as he felt a tap on the shoulder. "Sam?" he asked as he turned around.
"The one and only," she replied with a light flourish. She wore a simple outfit of blue jeans and a black tank top.
"Why are you here?"
Sam made a face and cocked her hips to one side. "No 'thanks for saving me' or 'how you holding up'?"
Shido's gaze faltered. "Right, sorry. I'm glad you're alright." After the battle, Shido had fallen unconscious, and hadn't seen Sam until now.
"Don't stress it. I'm here because AST battle-chatter has the higher-ups spooked. You'll find most of the crew in there already, actually." She pointed to the restaurant behind him.
"You think the AST knows Tohka is here?" he asked.
"It's very likely," she replied, confirming his suspicion. "I doubt Tohka would mind if I tagged along for a bit."
"Mmm, she did ask where you were, earlier."
"Best not keep her waiting, then."
"Right."
Inside, the Yamazaki was every bit as high-class as it seemed from outside. Elegant chandeliers swung from sloping arches and illuminated the painting-adorned walls. Deep shades of brown mixed with clean white and the occasional touch of marble that seemed to sparkle with the glow of artificial candle light. Lastly, underfoot was a hearty-crimson carpet that effortlessly contrasted the bright colours and complemented the dark.
"How are you two, today?" Reine prompted, dressed in the establishment's uniform.
"Reine? What are you doing here?" Shido whispered, caught off-guard by the women's presence.
"Checking on Princess. I'm making sure that we're not at risk of a spacial quake." Reine held her finger up toward a table at the window. "She's been waiting for you over there."
"Over here, Shido!" She waved at him from the other side of the room. "Why are you so…" then, she trailed off. "Sam?"
Sam leaned over and peeked around from behind Shido's shoulder. "Hey, Tohka. How you feeling?" She asked as they made their way over and took their seats at the table.
"You made it," she spoke, more subdued now.
"I rushed over as soon as I heard you were back." A simple enough lie to make sound convincing.
"I wanted to thank you," Tohka began, her voice honest, "for what you did yesterday. Without you, I think Shido could have been hurt a lot more. I lost it, but you kept calm. In the end, you protected both of us, just like you said."
Sam was touched, and a warm smile formed along her lips. "You're very welcome, Tohka. It's not only my duty to protect you two, but also my desire. You'll always be safe with me."
"Speaking of which…Shido, do you know what happened?" Tohka asked. "I was sure you'd been hurt, but then there was that flame and…"
Shido shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't. I passed out not long after I felt a burning sensation. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."
"Kotori told me that it might have been your power, Tohka. Perhaps you healed him without realising it?" Sam put forward.
"Maybe. It's the only time that power could have manifested, I guess." Tohka suddenly jolted upright. "Wait, Kotori? Who's that?"
Sam's eyes widened. "Crap! I was so focused on lying that I let slip the idea that there were more people involved!"
"Sam?" Tohka prompted.
"Nothing, nothing. That's, uhhh, just what I call the voice in my head! I know, I'm strange. Ignore me!" Sam flapped her hands about wildly as she clamoured for an excuse. At a stretch, she wasn't technically lying. She had definitely heard the Commander's whiny tones complaining at her long through the night after one event or another.
"Oh, I-I see," Tohka replied, baffled.
While Tohka and Sam caught up, Kotori strode over, her hair tied up in two black ribbons and also adorned in the restaurant's uniform. "Speak of the devil," Sam muttered.
Shido glanced up. "Ko-"
Sam clamped his mouth shut with lightning speed, thankful that Tohka was too absorbed in the menu to notice. "This looks so good, but so does that one. I wonder which of these is the date." The Spirit's lips were pursed in thought.
"Hey, if you guys can't choose, I've got something that might just help. The 'How About This?'," Kotori offered.
"What does that one come with?" The three asked in unison.
"I'm glad you asked!"
What felt like a heartbeat later, dish upon dish of various meats, pastas, and sweets came rolling out of the kitchen and piled up on their table. Just the sight of so much food made Sam and Shido nauseous. Tohka, on the other hand, was practically rabid from the flood of sights and smells, and had already dived her fork into the bowl of spaghetti, rapidly vacuuming it up. "Mmm, this is weally goob!"
"Tohka, swallow." Shido gave a disapproving look.
Sam just chuckled and shook her head, then started on a cut of pork. Shido sighed and followed suit, working on a plate of curry.
Thanks to Tohka's insatiable appetite, the three of them were finished within thirty minutes, and it seemed that the Spirit was finally full. She relaxed and sunk into the booth, content with herself. "That was all so delicious, Shido. Was that the date?" she asked.
"Nope," he replied. "Not quite."
Tohka puffed her cheeks out, annoyed. "Am I close, at least?"
"Well, dates are a food too," Sam mumbled. "Like raisins."
"I'm sure you'll find out soon," Shido reassured.
"Hey, Shido," came Kotori's voice down the boy's earpiece. "I need you to take Tohka south and towards the outskirts of the city."
"Why? That's just further into the residential area," he questioned.
"Just trust your little sister, okay?" she pleaded.
"Fine, fine," he huffed, before turning to Tohka. "You about ready to go?"
She nodded eagerly.
"And you?" he asked, looking over at Sam.
"Where we headed, chief?" she replied.
"South. Sounds like we've got something planned for us."
"South?" Sam racked her brain, then quickly perked up. "Ah, I know."
"Really?" Shido's eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Yeah! I helped build it, after all!" Sam stuck her tongue out and sprung up. "Let's go!"
They hit the road once more, heading away from the Yamazaki and towards the outskirts of the city. By this time, the sun had started it's long arc into the horizon. Spring afternoons didn't last long in Tenguu city, thanks to the surrounding hills. Unbeknownst to them, the gears of change started grinding beneath their feet. What was once an expansive suburban area was hastily transformed into a lengthy shopping arcade. Its main road stretched on into the distance, flanked by stalls and shops of all kinds, much of which sold food. A colourful sign folded out of the ground and locked into place, marking the entrance at the foot of the bridge. Sam, Shido and Tohka still had a short trek ahead of them, however, and now that the Spirit had sobered up a little, Sam felt more confident chatting to the girl.
"Hey, Sam?" Tohka asked.
"What's up?" came Sam's brief reply.
"Why aren't you wearing your armour today?"
Sam looked back at the Spirit. "What are you talking about? We're perfectly safe here."
Tohka protested. "But, the mecha-mecha squad could be here any minute! I bet they're just biding their time for when my guard is down." Nervously, her eyes darted around.
Sam smiled wearily, before playfully ruffling the girl's hair. "They're not gonna attack us. They wouldn't risk an assault in broad daylight. There's far too many witnesses."
"Witnesses?"
"Of course. Spirits, the AST, the truth behind spacial quakes. It's all kept secret from the public."
Tohka blinked twice, confused.
"Those people you saw? They have no idea you exist. They don't even know that magic exists, or that the Armed Forces are packing enough firepower to make Arnold blush."
Shido froze. "The actor?!"
"That's why I don't wear my armour. It would attract a lot of unneeded attention," Sam finished.
"So, the mecha-mecha squad-"
"-AST." Sam interrupted.
"They're the only humans that know about me?"
"Apart from me, Shido, Nat, and a couple others, pretty much." Sam shrugged.
Tohka's gaze fell downwards. She wasn't sure whether she should be relieved and feel safe, or feel even more uncomfortable and alien.
"Hey, chin up, you." Tohka brought her eyes back up to see Sam dramatically flourishing with her arms out wide. "That just means you've got an entire world of people to meet, sights to see, and food to eat!" Sam winked at the girl as her smile grew wide.
Tohka's expression softened. "Sounds good," came her earnest reply.
"And we'll be there to guide you through all of it, so don't go thinking you're alone," Shido added, jabbing a thumbs-up in her direction.
Tohka smiled. "Thanks, you two."
"I didn't know you were so suave, Sam," Nat cut in, observing the whole situation from aboard the Fraxinus.
She just closed her eyes and waggled her tongue.
The arcade was every bit Sam remembered, and she recognised most of the staff as Ratatoskr's forces. While the Fraxinus was the command center of the whole operation, and a kind of advanced forward operating base, Ratatoskr's headquarters (and shipyard, by extension) where located elsewhere. Even Sam didn't have the qualification to know where that was.
The three of them swung by most of these stores with Tohka still inhaling everything in sight. Sam couldn't help but laugh at the Spirit's antics, as it seemed she never ran out of energy (or space in her stomach, for that matter) and was by far and away the driving force of the date. Shido trailed behind, making up the back of the group, brow constantly furrowed at every new development.
Crêpes in hand, they slowly migrated beyond the extent of Ratatoskr's influence. Hugging the river that ran through the city would eventually bring them back to the station. Shido wanted to show Tohka something he knew she'd never forget and, in Tenguu City, there was only one place he had in mind. "Sam, how was any of that possible?" the boy whispered.
Sam watched Tohka's back as she proudly strode on ahead. "Most of those houses aren't occupied, and the ones that are are Ratatoskr personnel. They can be folded up and replaced using similar systems to the spacial quake shelters."
"Just how big is Ratatoskr, then?" he added.
"It's big. Especially in Tenguu. You can thank the Spirits for that," she answered.
"Does the AST know about it?" An obvious question.
"I believe so, but even those maniacs aren't willing to attempt a full assault." Sam flashed a confident grin. "I like to believe I'm the reason for that!"
"Seems convenient."
"Having proprietary cloaking technology helps a ton," she clarified, gesturing to the earpieces they both wore. "They never know where we're gonna pop up next."
Shido opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a rocketing shiver down his spine. He reached up and felt the back of his neck, wetting his fingers. "Rain?"
As if to answer his question, the heavens suddenly opened up into a fierce downpour. Tohka came rushing over, unsure of where to take cover. "What's with this rain? It was clear a second ago," she complained, hiding the crêpe under her jacket to keep it from getting soaked and ruined.
Shido grabbed Tohka's hand and broke into a sprint, leading her towards a gaming arcade that he knew wasn't too far from here. Sam shadowed close behind, her feet sending cascades through the thin film of water that already covered the pavement.
"Origami, can you hear me?"
Tobiichi held two fingers up to her neck and squeezed gently. "Affirmative. Go ahead, ma'am."
"I've managed to squeeze mobilisation from the top brass," Kusakabe informed. "Meet us at overwatch point Bravo-Charlie."
Origami saw the Spirit run off after Shido and that ever-interfering girl. Watching the Spirit act all friendly towards her boyfriend made Origami's blood boil. "Send an emergency arming device to my location. I'll transmit coordinates."
"Don't do anything brazen, and be sure to meet us in fifteen."
"Roger that."
They skidded to a halt outside an onslaught of bright lights and upbeat music. Thankfully, the entrance was covered, and the three of them huddled under it for a moment, before Shido and Tohka fell inwards and landed in a hump. They laughed guiltily to each other before dusting themselves off and beginning to explore further inside, beckoning Sam to join them. However, she merely waved them off. Something else had caught her eye.
Standing a short distance from her and looking longingly into one of the claw machines was a small girl with strikingly blue hair, just like Sam's own. She was also cloaked in a green, patchwork coat, reminiscent of a rabbit with button eyes and a fluffy tail. The detail was stunning. Sam ducked down onto her haunches and tapped the girl's shoulder, then asked if she was lost.
The girl turned around to face Sam, before quickly shaking her head.
Sam noted the girl's incredible, sparkling eyes, framed by her small face and soft complexion, then stood back up and grasped the machine's controls. She flashed a self-assured smile at the girl, before inserting the small amount of change she had – just enough for one go. The girl stared back with bewilderment as Sam's hand danced over the controls, manipulating the crane with an inhuman level of precision. No more than a few moments later, a cuddly rabbit toy came tumbling out of the crane and into the prize basket. Sam offered it to the small girl.
She looked up at Sam and gratefully accepted the offer, reaching out to take it. It was then that Sam noticed the puppet wrapped around the girl's left hand. "You really like rabbits, huh?"
The girl and her puppet nodded happily, before sprinting off into the rain, the girl's rubber boots throwing up splashes as she ran into the night. Sam grinned and, just like that, forgot all about Reine's warning.
Shortly after the girl Sam met had left, the sky cleared up and the clouds dispersed, leaving the city to bask in the warm orange glow of the evening sun. Sam met up with Tohka and Shido once more, and despite her surprise at the giant soft toy Tohka was clutching, things seemed to be normal. They reached the station at last and took a tram up into the rolling hills and forests that surround Tenguu City, giving Tohka a short while to rest against Shido's arm. Sam giggled, then fell into a brief nap herself, enjoying the early summer warmth.
After one last trek while the sun grazed the horizon and the air was filled with the sounds of chirping crickets and far-off cars, they made it; the place Shido promised.
The outcrop was high above the city, nestled deep into the surrounding bowl. Flanked on both sides were acres of trees and grassland that blew gently in the lazy wind. Shido and Tohka stepped forward to the edge and leant over the chest-high railings, cold to the touch. They drank in the view, stunned by what they saw: a picturesque view of the whole city below. A flurry of lights and people below a shining ball of hope. Sam, meanwhile, observed from afar, sticking to the shadows toward the back of the play area. She figured it was time to lay low.
"Oh, wow!" Tohka cheered, softer than usual. She gazed over the sight before her, in awe at the golden glow. "Thank you. I had so much fun today!"
Beside her, Shido also stared out over the view below them, taking in the magic feeling it left in his core. "Mmm, me too. Thanks for coming."
"But, Shido, the day is almost over and I still didn't see a date," the girl spoke. "Can you tell me what one is like?"
"A date is just when a girl and a boy go out and have a good time together. You can't actually see one," he answered, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye.
Tohka's face brightened. "Oh, that makes sense! In that case, I'd say we had a wonderful date, today!" she chirped.
"Heh, sure," he agreed.
The Spirit paused, truly content with herself at last. "I like dates, they're nice."
"Not good. I can't believe what I'm seeing." Kusakabe stared down her binoculars at the boy and the Spirit as Origami fidgeted with her rifle below. "A Spirit shows up without a spacial quake and then connects with a human boy."
Tobiichi, lying prone on a neighbouring outcrop just over five-hundred metres away from the target, lined up her scope. "Permission to shoot, ma'am?"
Kusakabe replied, tiredly. "Not yet. Still waiting to hear from the top." She adjusted her view of the Spirit, magnifying her vision to show the subtle movements of violet hair in the almost-non-existent wind. "This is a very unusual situation. No-one's been evacuated and we can't afford to make a scene." Just as she finished speaking, new instructions made their way through her headset. "Kusakabe here. What happened? What?! We've got permission to shoot?!"
Origami quickly glanced in her superior's direction, who could only muster an apprehensive nod.
"If that boy is here, then that girl can't be far behind."
"All the humans were very kind today," said Tohka as she turned to face Shido.
"No-one tried to kill you, did they?" he joked, looking back at the purple-haired girl.
"Yeah, you're right." At the edge of her vision, something far below caught her eye. It was Shido's school. She remembered it from when they met, yesterday, but more specifically, it was the crater that remained carved into the field which grabbed her gaze. "I never knew the world was so kind. So much fun, and so beautiful. I love it here," she continued, sharp breaths starting to break up her speech. "And now, I think I realise why the mech- AST is after me." Her face and voice became pensive. "Because, whenever I appear in this world, something bad happens. I destroy something beautiful. I ruin your world."
Shido cut in, worried about where Tohka's thoughts were headed. "That's not true," he offered.
All Tohka could offer in return, however, was a weary smile. "So, listen. I've been thinking that it's better if I don't exist any more."
Shido gasped, before steeling himself and narrowing his eyes. "Don't say that! We're fine! There was no spacial quake today, was there?! You didn't ruin anything!"
Tohka was unconvinced. "Yes, but, that doesn't mean there won't be one next time I appear. When I go back and fall asleep, I won't be able to control myself. I may even forget you, again…" She was especially unwilling to continue that thought.
"Fine, then I guess you just can't go back!" Shido pushed on. "Have you ever even tried?"
This gave the troubled Spirit pause, but still, she didn't believe the boy's words so easily. "Even if I did, there are so many things I don't know about this world!" Tohka's voice was raised. Not with anger, but anxiety.
"I'll teach you whatever you don't know," Shido assured.
"Then-then I'd need food!" she stuttered. "And a place to sleep! What if something happens that we're not prepared for? What if you get hurt because of me, again?!" Her mind flashed back.
"I'm going to take care of you," Shido persisted. "If something comes up that we need to deal with, then we'll deal with it!"
Tohka stared down at her feet. "Are you sure? Am I even allowed to be here? Is it okay for me to be alive in this world?" She hugged the soft toy nestled in her arms even tighter.
"Yes, it is."
"But, what about them? The AST? That girl? If it's truly okay for me to exist here, then why are they so determined to kill me?"
"Because, they don't understand you like I do! Humans are scared of things they don't understand and can't control! It's not your fault, it's us!" Shido grit his teeth, suddenly flaring up with a flash of anger at the world that would try to hurt and kill the kindest person he had ever met. "It doesn't matter if everyone else rejects you! It doesn't change the fact that I accept you and I don't want you to leave!" He offered his open palm. "Take my hand. That's the only job you have right now."
Tohka gazed intently at his hand, a million thoughts running through her head. At first, her hand was heavy, and she couldn't move it regardless of how hard she tried. "I..." She looked back up at Shido. The determination in his eyes washed her troubles away. Tohka's hand moved on its own towards his.
"Sam, I really don't like this."
Sam tapped her earpiece. "What's wrong?"
Nat studied the information on his screen. Checking and double-checking and triple-checking the words he was reading. The decrypted jumble of a transcript left a lot to interpretation. "It's the AST. They're up to something."
Sam cursed under her breath and quickly scanned the treeline. "Anything less vague?"
"No, their encryption is tight. We've only gotten through about twenty percent of their transmissions," he answered, slowly piecing together the messages he had to work with. "I'm not exactly an expert with this stuff."
"Just keep me posted. Any new develop-" There it was, caught in her throat. Every other feeling and thought process and word stopped to hang in mid-air, all to be replaced with the solitary feeling of dread.
Nothing but silence.
Without hesitation, her body took over and she bolted forward. Her mind could only think one thing.
"I refuse to let them down."
Origami's finger curled around the trigger. She let the round fly.
Tohka's hand brushed Shido's, putting her faith in the boy's grasp.
Sam launched herself at Tohka, praying that she would make it in time.
"I refuse. I refuse! I refuse to let them down again!"
"I will help you, but do not thank me."
Erupting with blue flame, Sam was kicked toward Tohka with one last burst of power.
Everything went white.
Tohka barely registered the feeling of being slammed in the side before bouncing off the railing and crashing into the paving of the outcrop, her stuffed toy sailing over the edge. Her body thumped with pain. Then, mind still reeling from both impacts, she heard what sounded like the crack of a whip sail into the night sky. She grimaced and forced herself up onto her knees, putting out her hands to-
splash
Tohka recoiled from the sudden warmth and glanced down at her shaking hands. They were covered in the colour of a life cut short. "Red…" was all she managed as she slowly looked up. There, laying in a pool of crimson, was Samanya, unmoving. Behind Sam, in far less focus, was Shido, horrified at the spray of blood that had covered his body. His face was paler than the moon. "Sam…"
Origami's arms were leaden, leaving the rifle to clatter to the ground. It didn't matter that Sam helped the Spirits. Origami Tobiichi had killed a human. In her eyes, that made her no different than those she lived to kill.
The silence was choking. The smell of blood laced the air. Tohka could even taste it when she breathed. That metallic taste of death. The girl inched her way up onto her feet.
From here, Sam's body looked badly ripped up. The shot had cleaved a circular chunk out of the girl's sternum, and must have only missed her heart by millimetres. Blood soaked into her clothes. Her glasses lay cracked over empty eyes.
Tohka removed her blazer and carefully lay it over Sam's body, covering her eyes and the wound. She wasn't sure why, but it felt disrespectful to do any less for the girl who saved her life.
"You protected me, just like you said you would." Tohka's voice wavered. "You made sure that, with all your strength, I would always be safe. That I could live a happy life in this world with you and Shido." She teared up; body quaking. "But that doesn't matter any more, because you're gone now. Despite everything I've ever wanted, more people were hurt because of me." Tohka clenched her jaw with a mixture of anger and sorrow, then shouted to the sky, "I can only ever bring pain!"
She rose to her feet once more and thrust her hand out toward the heavens above, roaring with rage and despair. In response, the sky split open with a great crack of lightning and cacophony of thunder. Swirling winds shrouded the Spirit, and, with her arm still outstretched, a great bolt of malicious energy struck downwards, setting her ablaze with power and scorching her clothes to dust. "Adonai Merek!" Princess yelled as the blood of her fallen friend spiralled around her. Those heart-broken words summoned the glorious purple-and-yellow plating that had clad her entrance into this world. She was more than happy for them to see her off forever, too.
Finally, the sky shut close once more and the wind scattered beyond the hills. There the Spirit stood, glimpsing down at the girl with the blue hair's body. Anger like nothing before filled her veins. Sorrow unlike any past gripped her heart. She had something to fight for. Something to avenge.
A friend.
Stamping her heel down into the paving, a deep scar of cracks struck out from the earth and brought forth the awesome stone sheath of Sandalphon – its blade buried deep beneath the protruding handle. Tohka mounted the throne-like sheath and, while crying out the weapon's name, brought to bear its unrelenting might. Unfinished, Tohka descended from the scabbard's height and raised her sword up high. With one last phrase, she swept down, slicing the throne in two. "Halvanhelv, lend me your strength!"
The throne shattered into dozens of shards that reflected the evening light like crystals, then affixed themselves along the length of Sandalphon, morphing its silhouette into a malicious, single-edged zweihänder of subdued brown and rich black, easily triple in length. The sword shone red and screamed out for blood.
Shido could only watch as Tohka brought the blade down in a long, slashing motion, sending forth a slice of dark energy that dissected the opposite platform. The one side fell away and crumbled against the hillside, leaving just Origami at its edge. He looked down at Sam's body with anguish. "This is all my fault," he whispered.
"Origami, retreat immediately!" Kusakabe pleaded. "Get back, now!" Below her, still frozen with horror, Origami stared up at the Spirit who loomed over her. Her mind was devoid of thought. Her ears were deaf to her senior's pleas. "Support troops, what's going on?!" she demanded, but got no answer, so she tore off her headset and tossed it aside. "I won't let her die down there," she stated, blasting off to her comrade's aid. She knew Tobiichi would do the same for her.
Tohka glared down at the white-haired girl, threatening to melt her down to ash with her stare alone. "It was you. You were the one who killed my friend. You were the one who ripped away her life. Just admit it."
"Yes, I killed her." Origami couldn't lie even if she had the capacity to want to.
"Say her name!" Tohka shouted.
"I-I don't know it!" Origami spluttered.
"You took another person's life without so much as learning their name?! Was it easier to pretend they were just some obstacle in your way?!" Tohka's sword crackled with purple energy.
"Yes," was all Origami managed to say.
"You make me sick. For that, you must die!"
Sirens blared and alarms wailed aboard the Fraxinus. Ribbons of text spouting various warnings and precautions wrapped around the bridge, ignored by the crew as they hastily reported on new events.
"I'm not reading a pulse for Sam," shot Shiizaki.
"The spacial quake alarm is going off, no thanks to Tohka," Nakatugawa stated.
"Resident evacuation is still at seven percent!" Mikimoto declared.
Hinata had already taken off, gunning for the teleporter room. Kannazuke hadn't even tried to stop the boy. There was too much fire in his eyes.
Kotori glanced between her monitors. "We're lucky there aren't any houses nearby, but at this rate, the whole town will be eradicated within minutes. I guess that's why they call it the 'Sword of the End'."
"Excuse me, ma'am, but what have we heard about Sam and Shido?" Mikimoto interrupted.
"Don't worry about her. As long as Shido's down there, we'll be fine," dismissed Kotori. "Where'd the kid run off to?"
"Teleporter," Kannazuke answered. "Doubt he's got a plan in mind, though."
"Let's just wait and see."
Reine looked down at the tiny commander, wondering why she was being so passive. "Overconfidence? Something else?"
Nat sprinted towards his collapsed partner and slid down beside her, throwing up waves in the pool of blood. "No, Sam! Please, God, no!" He cradled the girl's head. "Please, don't leave me!"
Shido finally found the fortitude to clamber onto his feet, but all he could do was stare helplessly at the enraged Spirit. "Don't let her death be in vain, Tohka! Snap out of it!" he shouted, holding out a feeble hope of his voice landing on open ears.
"No, she's not dead! I won't believe it! Not after all that work she put in!" Nat pressed his hands to her chest. "What the hell am I doing? CPR?" Clinging to any desperation he had left, Nat began to compress what was left of the girl's chest. "Come on! You have to come back to us! You're our only hope, damn it!"
Shido dashed as close as he could to Tohka without throwing himself over the edge and screamed out as loud as he could, praying that she would hear his voice. He screamed and screamed and screamed.
But got nothing back.
Tohka barrelled down on Kusakabe. In a valiant effort to save Origami, Kusakabe had thrust herself between the frozen girl and the Spirit's relentless assault. Her shield flashed with every dark impact. Her feet were buried into the ground. Her eyes were clenched shut, knowing that she'd break soon. Behind her, Origami slumped to the ground, already accepting her fate. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Tohka's shrieks filled the air.
"Please! Sam! You saved me once, now let me return the favour!" Nat smacked the girl's chest in futile panic. "Please, anybody, help her!"
"Sam must live for both our sake. I will help you, just this once."
Suddenly, he felt a buzzing feeling in his stomach like static. He felt it spread out through his body, along his arms, down his legs. It pricked under his skin, sending tingles down his spine. It pushed against the back of his eyes, pain sparking in his brain. It focused at his hands, frantically wanting release. His core shook violently, tossing and turning and cascading and churning. He screwed his face up in concentration, desperately trying to expell the pain welling up inside him.
All at once, the energy build-up lashed out of his hands and into Sam's still heart.
Sam threw her head up, forced conscious by external will. She gasped and clawed at her chest, scrabbling at the great pain that lingered, before being forced to gag as her hand passed through where her body should have been. "Wh-what the-?" she stammered, her heart in her throat.
Nat dived at the girl, tightly wrapping his arms around Sam's shoulders. "You're back! You're really back!"
"Ah, Nat! That hurts!" Sam struggled on her own breaths, but managed to return the favour. Her arms were too weak to hold the embrace for long, however.
"I was so worried I'd lose you forever…" sobbed Hinata, drawing away from the sensitive wound. Whatever energy he drew on had managed to cauterize the wound, but he didn't expect it to hold for long. Still… He looked back up at Tohka. "Sam, you're the only one who can stop her. She thinks you're dead."
Sam grunted. "I should be."
Nat sighed and glanced away. "Always the damn comedian, huh?" Despite his complaint, the boy couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, you should be."
"Gonna help me up?" After being hoisted up from the lake of red, she leant heavily against Nat, her face reflecting the searing pain she felt in her torso. "Come on-" she took a sharp inhale, "let's get this day over with."
Nat swallowed his pride and nodded. He knew Sam was working-minded, and it was obvious she was grateful, even if her brain hadn't truly caught up yet, but he still felt a touch let down at the girl's single-track mindset.
Pointed in the direction of Tohka, they shuffled on, yelling out to Shido as they went. He spun around, mouth dropping open as he noticed the very-much-alive Sam. "You're alive?" he blurted.
"Nice to see you too, Shido," Sam replied as they drew near.
Shido scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed for being so blunt. "Glad you're up." He moved to help Sam stand, propping her up opposite from Nat. "Kotori, what now?"
Kotori hesitated. A troubling beast had just reared its ugly head. "You need to get Tohka's attention."
"How?" he asked.
"How should I know?" Kotori whined.
"Real helpful!" Shido shouted back.
"Hold on, I got this." Sam held out her hand, and using what little strength she had left, concentrated on her palm. Her face twitched with focus. "Think of it...as a little present...from Origami Tobiichi!" The assault rifle from yesterday materialised in her weak grasp, hanging loosely from her slipping fingers. Still, she hefted it into the nook of her hip and pointed it up at the Spirit. Her sword was raised high, preparing for one last blow.
Sam's finger curled around the trigger, recoil tearing the gun out of her hand.
The bullet smacked hard into the back of Tohka's head, but, just like Kusakabe had expected, the Spirit didn't even flinch. It did make her turn around, however, and that was all Sam needed.
"Hey, Tohka!" she yelled. "I'm a little upset that you thought I'd go down from something so small!" Her breath was becoming more laboured with every uttered word. "But, it's gonna take...a hell of a lot more than that...to stop me from protecting you!"
The Spirit backpedalled – if such a thing was possible when walking on air – at the sound of her raw defiance. "You're okay…" Tohka meant to say more, but her mouth just flapped uselessly.
"You're-" Sam collapsed onto her knees, clutching at her heart, but forced herself to look up. "You're damn right I am."
Tohka tore away from Kusakabe and Origami, revenge now the last thing on her mind, and all but crashed into the ground beneath Sam's feet. Within a moment of landing, Tohka lurched up to hug the injured girl. "I'm so glad you came back to me! To us!"
"Ow, ow. Lots of pain," Sam winced, feeling Tohka push against her wound.
"Ah, sorry!" Tohka tore herself from the girl, worried.
"Um, I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but what the hell is that?!" Shido cut in, finger thrust toward the blade clasped in Tohka's hand, dangerously close to his head.
The Spirit retreated, all of a sudden fearful of what she had released. "I accidentally unsheathed Halvanhelv!"
"How do you accidentally unsheathe that?!" Nat sputtered, also stepping away from the pulsating, sparking edge.
"I have to find somewhere to release it!" she cried.
"No, you definitely don't want to do that," Sam grunted. "You'll kill us all, regardless of where you point that thing." As if to exacerbate her point, the sword made a show of lashing out with purple lightning.
Tohka's eyes darted between the three of them. "Then what should I do?! It's already critical! If I don't release it now, then everyone will..." Despite her reluctance to finish her sentence, everyone got the picture.
Sam shot a look up at Shido, drawing Tohka and Nat's gaze to the boy. "There is one thing, but only he can do it."
"She's right," Kotori added. "The method we've decided to save for last. It's the only way you'll be able to save her."
Tohka rushed to Shido and grabbed his arms, before looking up at him with pleading eyes. "What is it? I'll do anything!"
The boy was uneasy as he opened his mouth. He knew what they were talking about, of course, but he was anxious of how Tohka would respond. "Alright, Tohka, listen. We have to kiss now, okay?"
"Wh-what?" the girl stuttered.
"Nothing. Forget it. I'm sorry. There has to be another way!" Shido's words came out in a tumble of consciousness, words tripping over words.
Tohka surged closer. "No, I just don't know what a kiss is! Tell me and I'll do it! I promise!"
Shido hesitated. "Um, well...it's where we put our lips together and then we-"
Broken off by the girl's sudden lunge, Shido's eyes widened as her lips met his. Deep within, Tohka felt her heart swell with emotions she'd never felt and didn't understand. Her body tingled with warmth. She closed her eyes and leant into the kiss with all she could.
A bright light closed around them, quelling Halvanhelv's rage and reducing the terrible blade to nought but a shower of sparkling dust. The girl opened her eyes once more and looked back at the boy, both sharing a silent feeling of compassion and surprise, before their footing was slowly taken from them. They rose into the sky, still bound to the other through affection, and as the kiss, like them, hung in the air, Tohka's armour disintegrated into a million pieces, leaving her body covered in nothing but the subtle pink glow of her power. They settled once more on firmer footing, overlooking the sunset that cast long shadows of the city below, when they finally pulled away.
Shido's cheeks were flushed red. "I'm so sorry! They told me this was the only way I could reverse it!"
Tohka, unable to meet Shido's eyes, looked deep into his chest and pulled herself closer. "Just don't let me go. I'm not ready for you to see me naked, yet," she murmured.
Shido, understandably, found words to be failing him right now.
After the lingering energy had been swept away by the warm breeze, Tohka mustered up the courage to ask an important question. "Hey, Shido? Will you, umm...take me out on another date sometime?"
Shido smiled tiredly. "Of course. Anytime you'd like."
Tohka looked up and, with possibly the most honest happiness Shido had ever seen, smiled widely, her eyes bright.
Sam let out a long, drained sigh, letting her body relax at last, then said, "God...I need a beer," before the world fell away from her and everything became static.