Shido walked out of the control room. He had recieved word from Kotori to 'go to school as normal'. He was forced to say yes and continue living a normal life. If anything after Shido encountered, his life would not be classified as 'normal'. Great. Now it was just Mario.
"Hey... Uh.. Kotori, was-a it?" Mario asked. Kotori gave a simple nod in confirmation. Mario asked: "You seem way too-a casual for just simply letting me on-a board! I mean, come on, look at me! I'm a tiny human with a big-a nose!"
Kotori 'ah' parted her lips and then spoke with a confident tone. "I sensed you were a key element in helping us tame the Spirits and the AST." Mario blanked out. Kotori sighed and continued explaining. "So I examined you while you were sleeping-"
"You examined-a me when I was sleeping?!" Mario was mortified but Kotori continued on.
"-and found out that you three are not from here. If anything, my guess would be you come from the same place where Spirits go. If you can get back to your world, so can the Spirits. It's in our best interest to keep you and distract the AST so the Spirits can live in peace. Got it? Save Spirits, save yourself."
Mario turned his head down and crossed his arms to have a long thinking process, and then turned back to Kotori.
"I'm-a in."
Kotori nodded. "Good. For now, get used to the city. You'll be staying in it for a while."
Mario laughed. "At least I won't-a need to escape from it!" Kotori shot him a look and Mario shut up and left Fraxinus.
Tamae looked excited as usual. It's another day in homeroom, and apparently she had a special announcement. "Hello everyone! Are you excited for what I'm about to tell you? An assistant teacher is joining our class today!" ...And the assistant teacher was a sleepy lab-coat person.
"My name is Miss Murasame." Monotone voice, she still needs sleep. "And I'm excited to be here-" She collapsed. She REALLY needs sleep. All Shido could be was dumbfounded. The other students all gasped in the collapse. The only other student who didn't gasp was Origami. Although that was to be expected from her robot tone.
"Reine... Are you gonna tell me why you became my assistant homeroom teacher?" They were in some sort of lab or computer room, with Reine blankly staring at him with cold eyes.
"...Please, Miss Murasame?" Shido had to use her teacher name, but Reine simply spoke back.
"You can just call me Reine. It would be better if I had a closer eye on you at all times, because Kotori is usually always busy." Speaking of Kotori, she was sitting down behind Reine, legs crossed, eating a lollipop.
"Yeah, I thought you were not dumb to figure that out?"
Shido sighed and crouched to head-level with her sister "Well excuse me for being worried about someone I know. And why exactly are you in this school?"
Kotori twirled her lollipop. "I got permission to come here." She waved her feet, showing visitor slippers, while keeping eye contact with Shido. He sighed in defeat. "Fine, are you gonna tell me why I'm in this room?" Kotori nodded.
"Dealing with the Princess. Reine! Play the video!" Reine silently agreed and turned on some sort of disk, with Kotori grinning.
"I hope you understand the video.. Um..." Seems Reine has trouble with Shido's name.
"It's Shido."
"Ah. Okay. Apologies, Shin." That might have peeved him off.
"Shin-" The screen came on before Shido could start a rant. It seemed to be a dating game. "That's a dating sim. Isn't that the same one that Tonomachi has?"
Kotori shook her head. "Look closer." When Shido looked at the title, it had his name. He could only gasp at the name 'My Little Shido' in it. Music played as the intro cutscene began. Brace yourself, Shido thought to himself.
Special designation disaster beings that exist in a critical space.
The reason for their appearance and existance are unknown.
When they appear in our world, they cause spatial quakes and bring great disaster around them.
They can be dealt with through annilihation by military force, but because they have extremely advanced combat abilities...
It is very difficult to annihilate them.
"Morning, big brother, it's Ririko! Looks like things have gotten pretty bad."
A girl looking quite similar to Tonomachi's virtual girlfriend was on-screen.
"But you'll be okay! I'm sure you can do it!"
"Hey Shido, you're not trying to HURT or KILL the Spirits, right? But if you let them be, there will be spatial quakes and the town will be destroyed."
Next up was a girl similar to Origami in hair-length, although this time it was blue.
"Then what if you tried talking to the Spirits and make them like this world?"
And finally, a blonde hair girl.
"That's right. You've heard how everything looks beautiful when you're in love, right?"
"Itsuka, that means..."
"That means..."
"That means..."
"In other words, go on dates and make Spirits fall for you!"
"Have fun conversations..."
"On flirty dates..."
"And make them fall in love!"
"That's Shido's..."
"Itsuka's..."
"Big brother's..."
They all said in union.
"J-O-B!"
"So work hard on your training!"
As Ririko winked him off, All Shido could think...
What the living heck did I just witness?
"You saw me yesterday." Origami was confronting Shido on a flight of stairs. The sun was setting, and she sure looked intimidating without 100% brightness illuminating her.
"Yeah." Surprisingly calm response.
"Please don't reveal this to anyone. It would be better if you forgot everything else you saw yesterday too." How could he forget that day?
"Are you talking about that girl? Hey, Tobiichi... That girl?"
"She's a Spirit." She replied quickly. "Something I must defeat."
Shido's heart twisted and his stomach clenched. "Are they really that evil?" It's true, they caused destruction. But that girl, that princess. He remembered her face. She was sad. It's like a cliche where she had amnesia.
Origami spoke after a long pause. "Five years ago, my parents were killed by Spirits." She narrowed her eyes at Shido. He felt more intimidated than ever.
Ririko was going off to another planet, possibly never to see Shido again. She looked at him, prepared for her final words.
"You know what, big brother? Before I go into space, there's something I want to tell you."
"What is it, Ririko?"
"You were supposed to use me to practice making the Spirits fall for you, yes?"
"Yes? What about it?"
"I think.. I think I might REALLY be in love with you!"
Shido 'ah' spoke.
"Can you think of me not as your sister, but as a woman?"
1: Of course.
2: Sorry, I can't.
3: I'm not interested in women.
Shido thought long and hard, and chose the obvious. Option 1.
"Thanks, Big Brother!" Ririko jumped into Shido's arms. "A long distance relationship between Jupiter and Earth will be no problem for us! I love you, big brother!" She pressed his head against her space-helmet. Credits roll. He had achieved a good ending!
"AAAAAALRIGHT! YES! I WON!" Shido shouted, he was... actually playing the dating sim. "Ha! Ho! I rock!" Depressing sight, really. Least he wasn't stuck inside it.
Mario tapped his earpiece (that he got from Kotori to stay in touch). "So, uh, any info on-a Luigi, Peach or Yoshi?"
Kotori just replied with a hint of confusion. "I don't know who those three are."
"No? Darn-a it..." Mario was worried for all of their safety. They were walking around town, looking at the buildings, and the sky a couple of times. "If Bowser landed in-a this world, it could be bad, for everyone." Dare he not think about it. "Innocent civillians do not-a deserve destruction." He looked around, everyone walking around with their daily lives, sure looking innocent. He ignored Kotori's sarcastic remarks about not knowing who Bowser is either.
He turned to the residential area. Closed for essential construction it said. "Huh. Wonder what that's-a for." Mario shrugged and walked off towards the school street. "Raizen High, huh?" Mario looked up. It was before school so it was A) Dark and B) empty. "I saw-a Shido wearing this uniform. Maybe I can-a meet up with him." Mario folded his arms and waited at the school gates. And whazzam, Shido hath arrivedeth. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey, Mario." Shido looked at the chubby plumber. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting. For-a you. Gotta say it's weird being in this world." Shido replied with a "I know, right?". Mario continued. "I was-a just wondering about our way back home."
Shido 'ah' spoke. "Well, welcome to the party... I think. Reine told me to meet in the physics preperation room today. That's why I'm here so early." Mario nodded and Shido ran forth into the school.
"..."
"..."
There was a lot of uncomfortable eye contact with Reine and Shido.
"Shin." Reine suddenly spoke to break the silence that came with the eye contact.
"A-Yes.. Reine?" Reine grasped Shido. This was the moment. His first kiss. He stretched his lips out, and Reine just walked away. That's weird. Shido felt something in his ear.
"Daydreaming again?" Kotori snapped. "We have new training for you. Get to it."
"Training? At least it's not that ba-"
"This is part of my training?" Shido was currently talking to his own teacher, Tamae. Kotori might as well have sent Shido on a suicide mission because this was very well a suicide mission.
"Good afternoon, Shido." Tamae was clueless on what horror Shido was about to say. "How can I help you?"
Shido prepared himself. He was going to ask something that would shake the foundation of her life, but not his. He looked too nervous.
"Oh come on, Shido!" Kotori yelled from the earpiece that Reine planted. "You want SPIRITS to fall for you? Get in gear!"
Shido spoke to Tamae. "I like your clothes, you picked good ones today-" Reine diverted him.
"Shin. Sweet talk her."
Shido continued. "And I think you're so beautiful we should get married!"
Tamae stopped. The world stopped. Everything around Shido stopped. Maybe this was a big mistake and he should've just gone and ran as soon as possible. "W-Bu-are you ready to take that kind of responsibility...?!" Tamae started to go on. "By the time you can legally marry I'll be in my late 30's but if that's okay with you that should be okay with me-"
"Shin. Make an excuse and get out of there." Reine asked. Kotori added in. "Unless you WANT to marry your teacher."
Shido was quickly on it. "Yeeeah sorry Tamae, gotta go!" Shido RAN outta there like no tomorrow was approaching.
Tamae had sparkles in her eyes. "And I'm sure I can handle everything, it'll be a mess but I'll sort it-!"
Kotori remained calm on the earpiece while Shido could panic and he bumped right into ORIGAMI, knocking them both over. There was a brief moment where Shido could see something, Origami quickly sat up to remove that sight and dusted herself up. Kotori smirked. "Perfect. More training. You're the same age, aren't you? Woo her over too!" Shido sighed.
"Origami. I came to tell you something." Origami looked at Shido with bright intentions. "I... I really like..." He just decided to play it safe and use the same woo-ing method from Tamae. "...your clothes."
"But it's just a uniform." Origami replied.
"I-it looks good on you, is what I'm saying! We should hang out."
"A date." Origami spoke. Shido lost all concetration.
"Wha-"
"A date."
"...Sure."
Awkward silence. Some eerie noise broke the silence though. A SPACIAL QUAKE ALARM. Origami nodded at Shido. She pulled out a photograph. "Since you liked my uniform." She then took off.
Shido looked at the self-photograph of Origami and then spoke to Kotori "Where is that girl landing now?"
"Your location. We'll pick you up and immediately send you back down." Shido felt a churn as he got teleported.
Mario looked around himself, buildings retracting into the ground. People going into shelters. "What's-a going on...?" "Nobody's been this-a paranoid since I got some hotel..." He looked around, and then remembered the last time it happened. "Wait. This all-a happened because of that-a purple girl! She must've came back here... And when there's smoke, there's-a fire!" Mario put two and two together when he took the AST into account. "Let's-a-go!" Mario shouted as he ran to the sky misforming on top of the school as he saw military weapons popping out. "I'm... not gonna let you be-a sad again, purple girl!" He looked up at the misforming sky headed straight down for Raizen High School.
KABOOM.
Mario looked at the school along with the recently sent-down Shido. The school wasn't in ruin 5 seconds ago. He simply looked at Shido, and both knew what lied ahead. Shido confirmed with Kotori, "Kotori, you absolutely sure I can do this?"
"Yes, I believe in you! You want her to be happy, right?" Shido remembered. That sad look.
"She's right. I don't want her to have that sad face ever again." He walked into the school. Mario looked right. He saw the AST, and furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, of course they were here. They all pulled out their weapons and walked to the flying women. "Hm. They don't seem to be-a attacking them in the building. Stay-a low for now..." Mario ducked for cover as he peered his eyesight out, weapon in tow.
Sunset filled the school that Shido was climbing up. It's strange. The exact location of the destruction was his own classroom. He feared for death to come over. But he opened the door. His classroom was usually bright and happy. Now it's just barren and wasteful. Only he and one other person were in it. He turned his gaze to the other person. That same armored girl from before...!
The girl turned and faced Shido. She pulled out her sword and sliced at him. Through a miracle, he survived. "W-wait! I'm not here to hurt you!" The girl slowly lowered here while Shido raised his arms, showing no harm. "I am not here to harm you in any way. I only wish to talk."
The girl slowly lowered her sword "You.. won't... kill me? You... talk?" Shido replied with a calm nod. "You don't? You're... not armed?" The girl looked at Shido. He couldn't even HIDE a weapon if he tried.
"I'm not. Because I want to talk." Shido confirmed.
"How.. do I know... you're not tricking... Wait." The girl had a memory, at least. "This isn't the first time we've crossed paths, isn't it?"
"That's right." No use hiding it. "We met the day before. April 10th."
"Ah. I remember. You said the same thing before." Shido sheepishly smiled but the girl pinned him to a wall. "You said you would never be able to kill me, but I now know that was a lie. Why else would you come here?!" That sad look from before...
"That face... how come you look so sad?" The girl was taken aback.
"I'm not trying to hurt you, I promise-!"
"Quit lying! Every human I've ever met has attempted to kill me! What makes you different?"
"It's.." Shido paced and got an answer from Fraxinus. "It's because I'm interested in you. I want you to allow yourself to be free. I can show you so many things!"
"W-Like, serious?" The Spirit had changed her tone to childish.
"Serious."
"One hundred percent serious serious?"
"One THOUSAND percent serious serious!"
She rubbed her head, confused, but was persistant. "Urgh.. Idiot! Dummy! Who would fall for such words?!"
Shido was genuinely confused. "But that was from the heart-!" But the Spirit continued.
"But then again this is different. You're the first human I've ever had a normal conversation with..." She folded her arms. "You could be useful to me, and it might just work! Alright, it's settled!"
Shido was... relieved that he wasn't going to be immediately "Yeah, thanks I guess, ah- what was your name?"
Back to this conversation again. "A name? I don't have one, but I suppose I'm gonna need one if I want to know more about this world. Alright, what name do you want to give me?"
Kotori sighed from Fraxinus. "Well, she's certainly putting us to work, isn't she? Alright, crew! We need to think of a name on the double!" Names came on the double. They... were horrible. Kotori even suggested to get more crew membets on the scene, but more terrible names came. "Not Clarabelle; the 1970's are over, I don't even know how to pronounce THAT name, and what name is Elizabeth?!" She saw a name that could at least work. "What about TOME?! Eh?"
"Tome..." Shido repeated. "Tome sounds nice, right?"
Fraxinus watched as 'Tome' had her emotions plummet as she fired a blast at Shido, him turning pure white over fear.
"Do not think I don't know whether or not a human is trying to trick me."
"Okay, okay! Let me think!" Shido panicked.
Disclaimer: No offences to anyone named Tome.
"Come on..." He looked at her sad face. "There has to be a name..."
"How about..." Shido started with the girl looking up. "Toh...ka...? Tohka, yeah?"
"Tohka... I... I think that could work." Shido chalked up 'Tohka' on the blackboard.
"Is this how it's written?" The girl asked, with Shido nodding in confirmation. She copied with mana, literally carving up the board with writing 'Tohka' on the board.
"Tohka..." The girl smiled. "I think I like it. Thank you." She smiled.
Shido was taken aback... but his thought process was immediately halted. "Tohka is just a simpler meaning for.. The 10th.. The day we met. But hey, she'll never need to know that."
"GET DOWN AND TAKE COVER!" Kotori yelled on the earpiece, as Shido got down, bullets being stopped by Tohka's shield.
"Hmm?" Mario peeked out of the cover. He saw bullets being fired from the AST. "Mama-mia! They decided to strike! I gotta stall as quickly as-a possible, and right now if I want that girl to live!" Mario then jumped up and down and flapped his arms. "HEY! MECHA SQUAD! YOU DON'T-A WANNA LIKE, PICK A BETTER SUIT?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Just then, all the AST members turned to Mario & Co like heat seeking missiles. "Huh. I guess that-a worked." They all dived after Mario except for Origami who was also in the air. "That's-a right! All eyes on me, you big bullies!" Mario leapt up and ran towards the school's exterior, chasing around it while firing gunshots upwards.
"Shido..." Tohka asked. "What.. do I do? You should go... I don't want you getting hurt."
"I'm staying right here!" Shido was having none of his own safety and sat down. "Sit down. I want to talk to you some more. So have a seat. Pretend those people in the sky aren't even here."
"...Alright..." She stepped closer to Shido and sat down, bullets firing on them blocked by a simple shield.
"Dammit..." Origami cursed. "Where's everyone else?" She noticed the rest of the AST tracking down Mario. "When it comes to it myself..." Origami prepared her land-battle equipment and turned to the dust pile gathering up on Tohka's shield.
"...So, if you're not HUMAN, what exactly are you?" Shido questioned during the midst of all the chaos.
"I'm not sure. I lost all memory, it's like I wake up, and then the Mecha-Mecha squad come up and attack me."
"Mecha-Mecha?"
"Them." She pointed her head. "The noisy flying people."
"Oh, I see."
A fanfare played on the communicator in Shido's ear. "Great job, Shido! Her happiness levels are rising! Now's a good time to do what you've been trained to ask!" Shido gulped.
"Y-you sure?"
Tohka glared. "You seemed to be murmuring a lot... Are you actually secretly gonna kill me? I must..." She raised her finger and began charging up mana energy.
"Wah, no I-..."
The entire Fraxinus chanted "Ask her out! Ask her out! Ask her out!"
"ALRIGHT I'LL ASK HER OUT JUST LEMME DO IT" Shido yelled and looked at Tohka. "Tohka, I know this is sudden, but will you go on a date with me?!"
Tohka stared blankly. "What's a date?"
Origami blasted through into the school and directly went for Origami, her blocking with her shield. "How rude!" Origami jumped back and landed next to Shido.
"He's not your shield." She said with her monotone voice. "I'll make you pay for using him."
"Sandalphon!" Tohka shouted. The ground around her and came a giant golden throne behind her. Shido saw it before. Her first meeting. It already was standing there. Tohka jumped up and grabbed the sword from the throne and pointed at Origami.
"Shido," Kotori chirped. "You need to get out of there NOW. The Fraxinus will come to retrieve you."
"And leave her here to die?!" But Shido had no time to argue, as he was blasted away with a sword swipe aimed at Origami, and Mario saw Shido being flung out.
"SHIDO!" Mario called out, before turning back to the AST members. "You just-a made Mario angry."