Date A Re:Live

S1 Chapter 10: Kotori Possessed, Part 1

By : Tohka_Yatogami

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Summary

Even a similar story can take it's own path. Shido and Mana are amnesiac siblings living with their friend Kotori, however the past catches up to Shido when he nearly runs into a space quake, and his world changes as one girl asks... "Are you here to kill me?" (Stronger Ratatoskr, weaker DEM, games & movie are canon to story) [Shido/Tohka/Harem]

Here's the Kotori arc everyone! First thing I should answer, what's the emotion of focus for this arc? Well I think most can probably figure this out since it's Kotori, it's anger. So heads up, prepare to see a lot of screaming and exclamation points for this arc, because I'm probably gonna abuse it's use to death.

Before we begin, I have something I need to say about this arc. I want to accurate show Minerva and a few other characters that'll be introduced here, and that means I've gotta try finding the rest of Date AST Strike to read despite there only being the one chapter translation. Therefore, if I don't update as often for this arc, that's the reason why I'm not.

Most of you were excited when I showed Minerva last chapter, so I only feel it's fair that I make sure I make Minerva fight just like she does and properly represent her in the story. Her personality, I can easily get that down, partially since the story will switch up a bit on her actions so I only need to know how she acts then replicate because of the scenes not originally part of Kotori's volume.

Small story short, I may take longer to update for just this arc, but it's because I want you all to see Minerva, who most of you were excited to see, done right rather than done half-baked. For this chapter, she won't be in action just yet because the chapter will focus on Kotori's power finally being reawakened and the reveal that she's a Spirit. Next chapter however? She's definitely showing up, probably in the first scene even.

OH! Right, before I forget, this chapter took me longer than usual to write because I had a hard time figure out how to properly get the events for the arc started... so this chapter may be one of my weaker ones. One thing I've learned as a writer is sometimes you'll make a scene that's a bit weak no matter what you try, and you'll have to let it happen as is to proceed. I think this was the case for Volume 11 due to how the time travel affected things, so even writers like Tachibana have to face this occasionally.

Now... let's get things started!

S1 Chapter 10: Kotori Possessed, Part 1

"New troops?" Ryouko asked, standing before a screen showing the man she knew as her superior. This wasn't just her superior either... the man she was speaking to on the screen right before her eyes was also the founder of Ratatoskr and all of its sub-branches and divisions, the AST being one of them.

This man's face was all the screen showed of him, but he was a man that should be around his 50's, but he wasn't old enough to be at to the point that he could actually be called an old man. He has both scruffy short white hair with a small ponytail tied in the back and a small beard growing, wearing a pair of glasses and a casual business suit with square rims that had a more upside trapezoidal shape to them.

A blanket was seen on his lap as he was seen sitting in a wheelchair that was being held by his secretary who was standing behind him, only her torso and arms currently seen via the screen. His name? Elliot Baldwin Woodman. As he stared towards Ryouko, he was seen playing with some kind of brain teaser that required him to unlock a chain of three rings being held together.

"Yes, they're supplementary personal from the Special Sorcery Service. Recently due to situations on their end, the SSS' members need to be transferred throughout the regions. Three of which will be reassigned to your group in Tenguu City." Elliot answered, making Ryouko nod.

"These three are a little rough around the edges, but they should be a worthy addition to your platoon. I'm expecting you'll help them settle in with their new team. Just be careful, these three have gone through a unique form of lost and may have trust issues for a while."

"Understood, sir!" Ryouko shouted, giving a salute of approval before the screen faded off. Once she sat down, Ryouko had a... 'colorful reaction', and by colorful it meant she slumped down looking pale from withheld stress taking over. "I thought we'd have a chance to rest and relax after the incident with Yoshino, and now this!?"

She screamed and threw some old papers across her office, part of the stack somehow actually breaking the window. She panted heavily as one of the AST troops had walked in at that moment to see it. The said troop shook a bit before Ryouko noticed her and cleared her throat to straighten herself up.

"Yes, what is it?" Ryouko asked, grinning awkwardly as if to try and make it seem like she hadn't just flipped out in front of the troop... and failing badly.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about orders from Commander Murasame?" The troop, whose real name was Katie, mentioned. Ryouko's expression began forming slight annoyance at the thought of another order coming out just after her talk with Elliot. The troop panicked and raised her hands.

"No wait, don't get angry yet! Just listen first! It's about Kotori Itsuka, and everyone worried about her and decided since most of us are stressed and need a break. So, she talked things over and decided we should all spend the weekend at Ocean Park. If you have free time, she'd like you to go."

Ryouko stared for a moment, and the moment her eyes closed and reopened, Katie swore she saw hearts form in her eyes. The Captain jumped over her desk and hugged her close.

"Thank you, very nice work! I think you just earned a double rank position!" Ryouko answered, making Katie sweat drop a bit.

'That's really all it takes?' Katie wondered.

Ellen was seen clashing against a girl holding Camael in her hands, the DEM's strongest wizard flew through the flames she created upon smashing the large red battle axe into the ground.

As Ellen swung Caledfwlch, the girl rose Camael up to block and was knocked back heavily. From afar, the distorted sight of another girl in the area was seen, completely hiding her appearance under a messy blur of color. The only thing about her that could truly be made out her was that she wasn't Phantom.

"No, run away! Don't try to fight her _!" The girl shouted, a distorted static sound blocking out the name of who she called to for some reason. "Please, let's just get away together!"

"I can't _! If we don't stop her here, she'll keep coming for us! We have to end this now... I have to protect you!" Th current Efreet called out, shouting as she jumped at Ellen and slammed her Angel onto Ellen's territory.

"Try all you want, but your efforts are futile." Ellen smirked, enjoying the sight of breaking any signs of hope for the two Spirits before her. She had shattered one, now she would to destroy the Efreet's.

Efreet growled and jumped back a bit, soon raising Camael into the air.

"MEGIDDO!"

The axe soon shifted into the form of a cannon, and began gathering all of its searing hot flames into a mighty blast.

"Pick a god and pray you bitch, because this is the end for you!" Efreet spat out before she screamed and blasted out her beam of fire, an explosion happening at the spot where Ellen stood. She smirked before she suddenly noticed the sight of something flying from the flames went after her. "What is-"

She never got the chance to finish, and suddenly a loud slash was heard, Efreet stood still as blood suddenly splattered across the area. Her friend screamed in horror as she suddenly fell forward. Efreet's blue eyes wide in horror as she neared the ground, the last sight she saw being her own blood against her body before she blacked out, and one last sword slash echoed in her ears.

"STOP!" Kotori screamed, suddenly launching up and falling out of the bed she was in. She suddenly panted heavily as she feels her forehead, looking around to see herself in the Ratatoskr base's medical office, taking a look at herself she breathes.

"It was just a nightmare." Kotori told herself, smiling a bit.

"...Let me out. LET ME OUT!"

Kotori's head suddenly sears in pain and she feels her eyes glow blue, Kotori screams before slamming her head against the bed, hitting it so heard she made it bleed slightly. Her eyes go back to normal as she suddenly pants heavily. Coughing a bit as she tried to calm down.

"No... what's happening to me?"

At that moment, Tamae walks in and sees Kotori awake, but before she could show any joy she was pushed into a panic as she saw Kotori's head bleeding.

"Oh, my goodness, are you alright!?" Tamae screamed in a panic, Kotori looks at her.

"I-I'm fine, I just fell out of the bed and scraped my head a little." Kotori said, quickly after that, Tamae rushes to get the first aid kit and cleans and disinfects the wound before placing a bandage over it, luckily letting Kotori's hair hide it from obvious sight. "Thank you."

"Oh, no need to thank me. Though I'll admit everyone was really worried about you. You were nearly comatose for the last two weeks." Tamae replied, making Kotori suddenly gasp.

"T-two weeks?" Kotori's repeated, in shock at the revelation. What had happened to her for her to be asleep that long? "What's wrong with me?"

"Well... we're not sure, but from what Reine and Maria saw in your examinations, you were severely stressed at the time you collapsed." Tamae answered, not realizing Kotori was really referring to.

"We think you might have just been unable to take it anymore, so we decided once you woke up we'd all be going on a trip to Ocean Park. A day of fun and relaxation might be just what you need."

"O-OK... if you don't mind, I still feel a bit tired. Mind letting me just lay down here?" Kotori asked, and Tamae nods before she walked out of the room and Kotori stared at the ceiling. She began to breathe deeply, making a noticeable sound each time. "...My powers, the seal is going to break any day now. I'm not ready for this yet. I'm... I'm not."

Origami who had been nearby soon began hearing Kotori cry, and soon gripped her shirt tightly, she had to help Kotori somehow... she had to. Soon she gets a notification on her phone and looks at it.

"Oh right, I forgot about this... wait, I think I know what to do now!" Origami said as her face brightened, and then showed a worried smile. "...I hope, please let me be right about this."

Shido was staring at the scene before him with one of his eyes twitching a bit. When everyone heard about the planned trip to visit Ocean Park, the girls got so excited that they had to go out and buy swimsuits, the only problem with that?

Well... he had to see them try them on, both the girls in his harem and not in it, meaning a lot of woman were staring at him for even being in the mizugi store in the first place. He had already seen some of the AST members try theirs on, and he was already feeling overwhelmed.

"Reine, are you sure there isn't another way we could do this?" Shido asked her via the headset, groaning from the stares.

"There is one." Reine answered, making Shido get his hopes up for a moment. He regretted that in three seconds. "Dress up as a girl, then being a guy in a mizugi store isn't a problem and yet the girls will still know who you are."

"...Pass, I'm not doing that unless we somehow get a Spirit who's into girls, and I know the chance of that happening is likely never." Shido quickly answered, confident that this scenario wouldn't happen. Mio mentally hummed to herself at that reply.

'[For some reason, I get the feeling he just jinxed himself there. I wonder why?]'

Soon Shido saw the trio of Ai, Mai and Mii come out first.

"You think this looks OK?" Ai asked the others, wearing a black one piece with an open middle held by lacing, which little to hide her cleavage.

"It's definitely better than a school swimsuit at least." Mai replied, wearing a red two piece with a cross string theme.

"Why do schools even make us where those suits anyways?" Mii wondered, wearing a white two piece that connected the two pieces through a gold claps, the bottom half attaching through a single vertical stand that covered her naval slightly. Shido goes red at that.

"Wow, your heart rate's through the roof Shido. Looks like they pass!" Maria giggled, making Shido stare at the AI through her headset monitor. Maria sticks her tongue out at her playfully. Soon Hiroto and the other man of the Fraxinus crew minus Mikimoto appeared on other screens via Shido's headset.

"Hey Shido, how does this one look?" Origami asked, and Shido turned to see her.

Origami was wearing a white two piece, it was a normal two-piece among swimsuits but it fit Origami due to her shyness making her cover herself once Shido saw her. Upon seeing it, Shido began blushing instantly.

"Ooh, Origami takes the lead! The power of shyness has been truly weaponized here." Hiroto stated in response. "And it's clear we've just seen Shido hit by the 'distracted by the sexy' expression! She may just be our dark horse candidate!"

"...Is it bad?" Origami asked, making a bashful face.

"Wha?" Shido replied, soon regaining his focus. "Oh, you look amazing in that Origami."

'He likes it!' Origami thought with a blush before smiling a bit, turning around to hide her expression. 'It looks like this idea might just work, I need to believe in myself more often.'

Soon the next dressing room blind opened up, revealing Mana in a blue one piece with white polka dots and teal seams, making Shido gasp.

"Ooh! It seems Mana's struck a blow, and when you remember this is his little sister that's an impressive feat!" Kawagoe replied, making Shido wonder if he should just turn his headset off at this point.

"I see you blushing big brother, should you really be looking at your sister that way? Especially your blood sister?" Mana smirked, giggling as she got Shido to blush more from her teasing.

"Me next!" Tohka called out, opening her dressing room blind to reveal a surprise as she had a purple one piece with star designs on it and showing a bit of cleavage while she shifted her ponytail into an up do. It was simple in design. yet it highlighted Tohka's wholesome curves. It was quite arousing as Shido went red in the face, and the other two gasped.

"Looks at that destructive power! Tohka easily sends Shido's heart rate through the roof, is this her knowing Shido best or could she had just been that lucky!?" Nakatsugawa declared, his glasses shining in anticipation.

"Uh, eh, bu..." Shido stuttered, his sister and Origami stared in shock.

"Origami, didn't Tohka just randomly pick that one out?" Mana asked, still in surprise at the sight.

"She did... Tohka, you are a worthy adversary." Origami replied so quietly, she was nearly unheard. "I surrender to her, I can't top that."

Mana gasped at response, how could Origami surrender so easily? At that moment, Kotori opens hers and... was still wearing her clothes. Surprising everyone at the sight until she got near Shido.

"...Take it off." Kotori replied with a smirk, everyone went white eyed in shock.

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted.

Kotori soon moved Shido's hands near her skirt, and then after she caused him to flip it, she removed her jacket and revealed the small red colored two piece she had underneath that didn't hide much of her still developing body. Everyone was blushing from the surprise.

"EXPLOSIVE!" Kannazuki screamed loudly, incredibly excited. "Kotori just used the art of teasing like she dropped a nuclear weapon, she's stolen Tohka's lead! It looks like she's won!"

"I think your forgetting there's still one more girl?" Reine commented as her face appeared on the headset by Maria's, getting all the guys' attention.

"Um... Shido?" Yoshino replied softly, getting everyone to look at her dressing room blinds. "Could you come here? I... need some help!"

Shido opens the blinds, and soon everyone went white at what they saw, Yoshino was trying to put on an icy blue swimsuit, but it was barely on to the point no one knew if it was a one or two piece.

"We might be having trouble because Yoshino doesn't wanna take me off her hand." Yoshino chuckled embarrassingly, Shido's face goes so red it steams up before he falls backwards and faints to the girls' surprise.

"And we have our winner, congrats Yoshino." Reine smirked, causing all the guys to groan as Reine held out her hand. Each of them handing her $20. "I never lose a bet when it comes to something girls know more than boys."

On the Fraxinus, Yoshino was fanning Shido while he rested on a chair.

"OK, I never wanna go through that again..." Shido groaned, starting to come too. "At least we got it over with now rather than later. I do gotta ask, why are we on the Fraxinus right now?"

"It was faster to beam you from inside the dressing rooms. Plus..." Reine began, sipping some coffee as usual. "We thought there were two things you should see."

Maria nods as Reine looked at her, and soon brings up the sight of spirit readings on Tenguu City's map.

"Spirit readings? Then... another Spirit's here?" Shido asked, and Reine nodded. "Which one is it?"

"About that..." Maria began, she types a command and the screen says {Unknown Reading} on it.

"We can't tell, see this Spirit mana is kinda different. Usually when a spirit emits mana the power is like molecules when an object is in a liquid state. It's fluid, no defined shape, yet still visible to us. That's how we have the colors to help us usually determine a Spirit on occasion. This isn't the case now. Right now, the spirit powers this spirit's emitting are just too spread out. We know it's there, but it's form is more like a gas, present but unseen."

"As a consequence, we can only confirm there's a Spirit. Which one appeared we can't tell. Since there are still another seven out there that doesn't help us without a Spacequake present." Reine finished, finishing her coffee.

"So what your saying is we won't know till we see it." Mana sighed, it seemed like trouble always kept popping up instantly after they stop the previous instance. "What's the second thing?"

"Ah, right. Before that though I need to ask you this question... Tohka, Yoshino? Have you two ever wondered how you became Spirits?" Reine asked, making the two blink as the think about it.

"...Not really. True I don't even remember how I first appeared on this world as a Spirit, but what made me one? I never really thought about it." Tohka admitted, scratching her head a bit.

"Me neither, I was always too scared to think about much." Yoshino replied.

"Well... while some spirits like yourselves don't know, Origami is one of the few who does." Reine replied, looking at Origami to continue.

"5 years ago, I was given this white gem that upon touching gave me Metatron and transformed me into a Spirit." Origami explained, getting the attention of the two.

"The one who gave me was a being hidden in mosaic, making me unable to tell if was male or female by voice or appearance, just that they looked to be very young. That being called itself... Phantom."

"Phantom?" Shido and Mana asked, while Tohka and Yoshino just stared and blinked.

"Yes, Phantom. At least that's what she tells people to call her." Reine answered, making Origami look at her surprised.

"Wait, so you've seen what she looks like before?" Origami asked, but Reine shakes her head. "Then how do you know she's a girl?"

"Simple, because we know she's a Spirit." Reine answered, soon looking at the others. "How many Spirits have you seen that are male again?"

They all suddenly blinked at that.

"...God, I feel so dumb now" Mana screamed as she face-palmed. They honestly should have connected the dots, Reine told them the First Spirit was a girl, and that she divided her powers to keep Westcott from taking it. By that logic, it would make sense that only girls could become Spirits. Reine soon cleared her throat loudly, getting everyone's attention again.

"Moving on. While we know Phantom's a Spirit, she's... different, she doesn't fit the theme of the others on the Sephirot." Reine explained, soon bringing up the picture of a being covered by mosaic, but having a figure that could be recognized as someone that looked like a young child.

"Throughout these last 30 years, she's given Sephira Crystals to many girls, entrusting them to protect them... many died under this duty. However, Phantom would always get the crystal back before the DEM could snatch it. We're not fully sure on who she really is, but she seems to be trying to protect what the First Spirit gave up her life for. So at the very least, she's on our side, even if not an ally."

"Yeah, I saw her get really upset over the fact of what happened when me and the current Efreet got our powers. She didn't intend for the results that came to happen." Origami added, remembering how Phantom told her to keep living.

"If you two ever somehow see Phantom in the future, try and see if she can give you answers to how you gained your powers. Understood?" Reine requested, Tohka and Yoshino nodded in response. "Good, now get ready to go have some fun. No need to work for today unless we hear an alarm."

"Yeah, Ocean Park here we come!" Tohka cheered, running towards the teleporters.

"Whoa! Wait up Tohka, slow down!" Shido said as he and the others chased after her. As they did, Reine looks at them and gives a bittersweet smile.

'They've grown up so much, I wish you could have gotten to see it.' Reine thought somberly, barely managing wipe a tear before it shed form her eye. 'I'll make sure Ratatoskr keeps them safe, no matter what.'

Soon inside Ocean Park, everyone was in the Water Park half of the park, and Tohka stares at everything with excitement as saw it firsthand.

"This is so neat!" Tohka cheered, looking at Shido. "I only remember when the amusement park was here! Let's go swim everyone!"

Tohka runs into the pool, quickly diving into it. Yoshino soon jumps with a life preserver holding her afloat.

"Wee!" Yoshinon shouted, soon feeling the water splash her. "It's fun to be soaked in water other than our own, can we switch places later Yoshino?"

"If you'd like to, just let me know first." Yoshino replied, making Yoshinon cheer excitedly. Mana pops out form underwater, the other AST members and Ratatoskr staff enjoying themselves in their own ways. Reine was seen laying on a pool chair with her phone out, showing a hologram of Maria in a bathing suit.

"Ah... we haven't had time to relax in forever, huh Reine?" Maria noted.

"Yes, it's nice to get the chance to relax for once. Hopefully this is what Kotori needs." Reine replied, soon noticing something with the water slide. "Oh?"

At the top of the water slide, Tohka, Shido and Kotori were sitting together at the top. The latter two all shaky.

"Uh... Tohka, I thought we were all gonna go down one at a time. Are you sure we're uh... safe?" Kotori asked, sweating a bit.

"I have no idea, so hold on tight." Tohka smiled, making Shido and Kotori pale as they go down the slide. Everyone watches as they stay on and look like they'll stay on... until part way where they fly off and land in the water!

"Oh-my-god-are-you-all-OK!?" Mana said so fast, she it came out as just one word. Soon Tohka splashes out fine, looking all happy, while Shido and Kotori soon pop out. Kotori's ribbons floating as they had fallen off and Kotori was seen hugging Shido and crying.

"Big brother... oh big brother!" Kotori cried out, sniffling a bit. She had been terrified by that last part despite the brave act she had been putting up. This surprised some of those closest to her who hadn't seen this side like Mana and Shido had. Kotori gasped once she realized this and turned away.

"Hey big brother... can we go somewhere else, alone?"

Reine notices Shido takes Kotori behind one of the bushes as the redhead puts her ribbons back in.

"...That's the first time I've seen you act like your usual self in a while, I just noticed that." Shido noted, making Kotori frown slightly. "Is here any reason for that?"

Kotori's eyes closed slightly and she stares forward.

"I've always been a crybaby, and I've wanted to be strong... so I try to seem brave in front of others." Kotori answered, making Shido stare at her with a sad look as Kotori silently sheds a few tears. "But I'm not, not like you are big brother."

"Kotori..."

Kotori soon gets up and walks back, and Shido stares a bit longer before following. After a bit, everyone decides to get some lunch when Reine looks at her phone.

"Maria, how does Kotori's stress level look?" Reine asked.

"Well, it's definitely going down, but it's not doing down fast or much either." Maria answered, making Reine worry a bit. It was good it was decreasing, but it should decrease a lot more, they needed to do a better job in making her relax. Suddenly Kotori coughed a bit after sipping her drink.

"Hey Kotori, are you OK?" Mana asked.

"Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe is all." Kotori said, her voice a bit hoarse from her coughs. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom real quick."

Kotori got up and walked over, and soon Origami sat up from her seat as well.

"I'll go check on her."

Origami followed her and soon noticed Kotori suddenly slumping behind some drink machines, she gasped and ran over quickly as she saw Kotori sweating and panting on the ground. Helping her rest against the wall.

"Kotori... are your powers starting to come back, is Phantom's lock on them finally about to break?" Origami asked, Kotori looking at her and panting before she nodded. Origami soon takes out a syringe from her jacket. "Here, I used to use these to stop my transformation if I needed to. This might help you feel better."

Kotori closes her eyes as Origami injects it, she soon begins to ease up as she feels her body calm down.

"Feel better now?" Origami asked.

"Yeah, thank you... one more please?" Kotori asked, making Origami's eyes widened.

"I shouldn't risk it, it won't kill you but... if I do again you'll start to resist it." Origami explained, looking worried. "If you need it again it may not help you."

Kotori chuckles, making Origami blink.

"I won't be able to take another one at this rate, I don't think my problem's the same as yours." Kotori replied weakly, crying a bit to Origami's surprise.

"Sometimes when my powers awaken, I feel... I feel like someone else is taking over, like there's another soul inside of me. So please... if it lets me stay this way just for one more day."

Origami stares, nearly tearing up.

"This could be my last chance to be with my sister and my brother! Depending what happens... I won't be myself anymore after today, so no matter how things turn out, I want to be myself until this is over! So please, no matter how risky or how little it helps, let my memories of what may be my last day be happy." Kotori pants, wiping her tears.

"And if the me here now disappears... just tell them I love them, and that I only didn't tell them because I was afraid if being sealed meant that new me stayed forever."

Origami takes Kotori's hand and nods, taking one more syringe and injecting her with it.

"...I promise, but I swear to you we won't let you disappear. We will save you." Origami replied, Kotori smiled a bit before she rests for a bit. "Just rest here for a moment, OK?"

Kotori nods and lays against the wall as Origami walks back to the others.

'I get it now Kotori, you weren't hiding it because you were afraid of being more than a sister to Shido. You're afraid of disappearing and have no idea what to do.' Origami thought, she breathes deeply. 'Shido saved me, when your powers return I'll make sure he'll save you.'

Kotori began resting again, trying to relax.

"...Let me out. LET ME OUT!"

Kotori holds her head and cries one last time before the syringes' effects finally settle in to dispel the voice's attempt to take over, she soon gets up and then smashes her fist into the wall.

"Why does it have to end this way!?" Kotori asked herself with anger, soon walking back towards the others. Once she did, she sat back down. "Hey guys, how about we get dressed and head over to the amusement park?"

"What about it everyone, wanna head over now?" Shido asked, finishing his food.

"Yeah, it's been a while. I wanna see what's new over there!" Tohka nodded, the others all soon gave their approval.

"Alright then, the amusement park it is." Shido replied.

After changing to go into the Amusement Park area, everyone began going on the various rides, while Shido and Kotori had both gone on the Sky Drop... and about halfway up the tower, the redhead suddenly began regretting her choice.

"Is it too late to get off? I want off." Kotori asked, soon looking at Shido who gave him small smirk. "Oh no... No! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

And then the drop came, making Kotori screamed so loudly that the whole amusement park was probably able to hear it. At the same time, Tohka, Origami, Mana and Mikie were on the roller coaster.

"This is really fast!" Tohka called out, the panicking Origami holding onto her arm as tears fly out of the latter's eye from the panic.

"Slow it down!" Mana declared, feeling a bit green. Mikie also showing a similar color, but also looking a bit white as she was half conscious at this point in the ride. Shido and Kotori soon walk from the sky drop, Kotori holding her stomach as if the drop make it swap places with her lungs.

"Why'd you make me go on that death trap!?" Kotori yelled, making Shido chuckle. He didn't have the heard to remind her that it was her that made him go on the Sky Drop at her request. "Well... I guess it was a bit fun, it's been a long time since we came here."

"Yeah, how long has it been? I can't remember" Shido asked.

"...5 years." Kotori whispered to herself, making Shido blink as she thought she heard her say something. "What? What is it?"

"Sorry, just thought you said something." Shido replied, and the two went to sit on a bench.

Soon after the group on the Roller Coaster got off, Mana threw up in a trash bin as Mikie patted her back, while Origami breathes as she and Tohka sat on another bench, Yoshino handing Origami a drink. Tohka kicking her legs back and forth excitedly.

"That was fun! We should go on again, let's do it right now!" Tohka cheered, making Origami shake her head. "Aww..."

Origami soon looks at the bench Kotori and Shido were sitting on, and soon stares before breathing and looking at Tohka and Yoshino.

"Hey you two... mind if we go talk somewhere in private?" Origami asked, making the two blink a bit.

"Uh... sure, I guess?" Tohka replied, a bit worried.

"I don't think this is good news." Yoshinon said to herself, Tohka and Yoshino soon walk behind one area of the park's buildings.

"I know the real reason Kotori passed out two weeks ago, I had promised to keep it secret but after what I heard her say when she was in the bathroom..." Origami began, soon whispering the rest to the two of them. Tohka and Yoshino's eyes widen.

"Kotori's really a Spirit!?" Tohka gasped, she had only seen Origami briefly before her powers fully manifested again, so unlike Kotori she hadn't gotten to know her as a human the same way.

"No way..." Yoshino softly said, shocked in her own way.

"Wait, but why did Kotori keep it a secret? Couldn't she have just let Shido seal her like the three of us?" Tohka questioned, and that's when she noticed Origami grimace. "...Oh no, the bad news is coming, isn't it?"

"Yeah, for some reason for a while, she's said she feels something inside of her trying to take her over." Origami explained, recalling Kotori's tears while they were in the water park area only an hour earlier.

"I don't know much but... Kotori's worried that she might lose herself to whatever this is, that if she were to be sealed that she could disappear. I don't know what's the difference between her powers and mine, or why Phantom locked them away. She doesn't react to mana like me for one."

The three Spirits all look worried.

"I think today might be her last day before her powers come back, she needs us. All of us. Whatever happens... we need to make sure we can save Kotori from whatever this strange thing inside her is." Origami stated, looking at the both of them with a nearly pleading look.

"Of course, I owe Kotori so much as Shido and Mana. They helped me settle in after I regained my memories." Tohka replied with determination, Origami looks at Yoshino next.

"I'll help too, I like Kotori too." Yoshino smiled.

"Yeah, you can count on us!" Yoshino declared, raising a hand as Origami smiled at the two of them.

"Thank you, both of you." Origami replied, the three walked back out into view as they saw Shido buying everyone some ice cream. "Oh hey Shido, where's Kotori?"

"She went to the fountain to get a drink real quick. Here, pick a flavor everyone." Shido answered as he held out the ice creams he bought.

Meanwhile with Kotori, she was getting a drink, when suddenly she clutched her chest as she felt a pulse go off inside her body. She gasped as she panicked at what she realized it was, a fire felt like it was burning.

"No... it's happening." Kotori breathed in fear, soon sliding to her knees.

"Stop keeping me in here! Let. Me. OUT!" A voice shouted throughout Kotori's mind, making her pant before her eyes went blue. At that moment, Kotori yelled as her now blue eyes had their pupils whitened, making her yell. That attracted the attention of the others.

"Kotori!?" Shido asked worried, he handed his ice cream to Tohka ran towards the fountain.

"W-wait up Shido!" Tohka declared as the others ran after him and she finished everyone's ice cream all at once, giving her a brain freeze. Once they did, they saw Kotori had disappeared, only her ribbons left where she is. Shido picked them up as his eyes shook.

"Kotori... what happened?" Shido breathed, as the Spirits all looked worried. Then as if to mock the situation with bad timing, a familiar alarm when off.

[WARNING! THERE HAVE BEEN PRECURSORY SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING SPACIAL QUAKE IN THE CITY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!]

"No, not a Spirit right now! Not when Kotori's missing!" Shido growled, slamming the nearby wall in anger. Origami stared at Shido, and soon grabbed his phone to her surprise. "Origami, what are you doing?"

"Maria... what Spirit are we detecting right now." Origami asked, Shido was about to interrupt but she holds her hand out and gives him a serious look. A rarity from her that shut him up. "Just listen Shido."

"It looks like Efreet to me, why?" Maria replied, curious to the sudden question.

"...Shido, we're going to get this Spirit now. Finding this Spirit is the only way we're gonna find Kotori now." Origami answered, making Shido look at her confused.

"What are you talking about?" Shido asked, right as Mana ran by the group. Origami breathed and looked at Shido with a slightly guilty look.

"Because..." Origami began, soon making the Takamiya siblings stare at her.

"Efreet and Kotori Itsuka are one and the same."

TO BE CONTINUED...

And with that... the flames of trouble have finally ignited, Kotori has just been revealed as Efreet, and this personality of her "blue eyed" mode is starting to take her over for some reason. How will this change the arc? Well, I think those who look at Kotori's dream can probably start noticing the hints on who this personality actually is.

Also, I have an announcement for all of you, due to me using Minerva for this arc, I've decided on adapting Date AST Strike into the Date A Re:Live story as a canon story that'll happen after Kurumi's arc finishes. It'll focus on Mana and the AST dealing with Minerva over something after the arc ends, and this will connect into Season 2 of the fanfic. This relates to the first scene of this chapter with Ryouko, it's the scene that begins the chain of events that will lead to the story.

Oh, and I just had to throw in that moment with Reine saying Spirits can only be girls. Partially because it was getting hard to remember I needed to refer to Phantom without a gender, and partially because it was just that funny to me ^^

I hope this arc's first chapter helped warm things up, cause the moment of peace this chapter gave is all this arc will have due to who's involved. Mana herself will finally get a big chance to shine, so see you all next chapter when we Edgar and Minerva make their next move and everyone tries to find out how to save Kotori from both them, and herself.

-Spirit Bond Levels-

Tohka - 72%

Origami - 44%

Yoshino - 28%