Date A Re:Live

S1 Chapter 11: Kotori Possessed, Part 2

By : Tohka_Yatogami

...

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 we are, the next part of the Kotori arc, and in this chapter the identity of "Blue-Eye" Kotori as we'll call her for right now. Admittedly some of you have already PMed me to see if you figured it out based on the previous chapter, but for those who don't? I'll explain it at the bottom area of the End Notes, though I'll warn you now it will have Vol 16 spoilers.

Finally, Minerva's about to make her move in her and Edgar's attempts to take over the DEM, and this is gonna lead to repercussions in the next arc in ways I won't reveal just yet. I've done my reading of Date AST Strike and I think I've managed to understand Minerva's fighting style enough, so... I hope I'll be presenting it correctly here.

And last but not least, time for some important chapter info... that's right, it's what you're probably thinking it is! It's Kotori's Inverse Spirit information! I guess I should tell you now for this story, each Spirit will undergo an Inversion during their arc. Though aside from Yoshino, I can't guarantee they'll make any further inversions, they might but that's a bit further ahead at the moment.

-Inverse Kotori, Code Name: [Phoenix]-

Demon King: Asmodeus - Camael's Demon King counterpart, unlike Camael which generates heat only when Kotori needed it to, Asmodeus constantly emits temperatures up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit making it burn those who make contact and possibly igniting anything that gets too close. The blade of the axe is also serrated and can smash apart the average Realizer's territory with ease.

- Alternate Form: Gungnir - The Inverse counterpart of Camael's Megiddo technique, along with the main cannon, there's now eight additional slots that al low a nine beam strike. The sub-cannons shoot out fire while the main cannon unleashes a lightning blast, the intensity making it impossible for a territory to be deployed if one attempts to deploy it while the beam is within a 5-yard radius of their current position.

- Alternate Form: Labyrs - By shifting the serrated edges of the blade, Asmodeus transforms into a scythe. At the cost of strength and less piercing ability if inaccurately aimed, the Demon King can be swung much faster with it's now lighter weight and be focused more precisely at Kotori's target.

- Alternate Form: Vajra - By merging a shift between both its cannon and axe forms, and then focusing plasma until Asmodeus creates additional plating over it, the Demon King takes the form of a large hammer. At the cost of becoming heavier and slower to swing, Asmodeus can now destroy any form of protection it strikes as long as it's unable to rebound the force back at Kotori.

- Powers: Compared to Camael, the healing abilities of Asmodeus are so powerful that as long as Kotori has mana to spare or hasn't had her body completely disintegrated, she will survive as if she were an actual phoenix. The most powerful addition of Kotori's Inverse Form is her flames can now become so hot that they can be focused into plasma and be released as lightning, or "fire bolts" as she prefers to call them.

Risk Factors: S

Spacequake: A

Spirit's Astral Dress: A

Demon King Ranking: AA

Strength: 190

Consistency: 80

Spiritual Power: 248

Agility: 90

Intelligence: 153

S1 Chapter 11: Kotori Possessed, Part 2

Back at the Arubi Island base, Edgar suddenly gets an alert on his phone about a Spacequake reading being detected, having sabotaged the alert system so only he had access to it. He smirks as he sees Efreet's code name registered on the wave readings.

"Minerva, start heading over to Tenguu City. We've got her in our sights." Edgar chuckled, and the crazed wizard gets up in response.

"As you wish, I'll bring you her Sephira Crystal and her head." Minerva cackled before she equipped her CR-Unit, Manticore, and began using a secret passage to fly out of the base towards Tenguu City. 'And after that I'll take yours and gain everything for myself. I'll finally surpass that bitch, I'll finally surpass Artemisia!'

Minerva laughed crazily as she sped up towards her location.

"...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."

Shido and Mana, even Maria who had been listening, all suddenly go wide eyed at that. Shido's phone slipped from his hands and hit the ground.

"OW!" Maria cried out, feeling the impact.

"What... did you just say?" Mana breathed, hoping she heard that wrong. Origami gave a slightly saddened look as she read Mana's face.

"You heard me. Kotori is the Flame Spirit [Efreet], I know this because she told me." Origami replied, looking away with her eyes closed. Her teeth gritted after she said it. "She begged me not to tell anyone."

"Why didn't you tell us? If I had known, I could have sealed her powers and-"

Shido suddenly felt Origami grab him, an angry expression on her face.

"BECAUSE SHE'S AFRAID!" Origami screamed, making Shido look at her, scared and confused. "I... I'm sorry, but Kotori's powers have something different about them. Apparently, there's another personality in her."

"You mean like Yoshinon?" Mana asked.

"Yeah, but this one's not like me either." Yoshino explained, soon crossing her arms. "According to what Origami told us, Kotori told her this one doesn't seem very friendly. Not to mention this one doesn't have its own body."

Origami breathes, looking at Shido and Mana directly.

"The biggest reason she didn't want to tell you was because she feels this personality trying to take over, and worried if you were to seal her... what if that personality stays and she's trapped? Or worse, she disappears?" Origami finished, making Shido and Mana's eyes widen.

"See? This is why I didn't tell you, if we don't know how to make sure Kotori's persona stay when we seal her, sealing her... in a sense, we could essentially kill her by destroying what makes Kotori who she is."

"My god... Kotori, the way you were crying earlier... is this what you've been fighting for the last 5 years? Is this why you've been so different since that day?" Shido asked himself, collapsing to his knees. "Origami... she felt today might be her last, didn't she?"

Origami nods, and hugs Shido as he shakes. Tears running down his face.

"Kotori... I'm so sorry! If only I had known!" Mana cried before covering her face and subbing, leading to Yoshinon patting her right shoulder.

"Hey, don't give up. We all promised Origami we'd find a way to help her. We just need to figure out how to save her before we can seal her powers. A way has to exist." Tohka said, recalling Kotori's distance to her. How much she could have helped her if she had known from the start. She didn't want Kotori to go away, she wouldn't let her.

"...We have to."

"Right." Shido replied, sniffling as he wiped his tears. "Maria? Tell Reine about this, we have to find her before she ends up leaving Tenguu City."

"I will, good luck Shido." Maria said before her program's connection to the phone cuts off.

Meanwhile with the Fraxinus Crew, they had all returned to the said ship while the AST went to help others inside the water park area properly evacuate without hurting themselves. Reine began typing on the keyboard.

"Everyone, please hurry. We need to figure out Efreet's position." Reine ordered, typing even faster.

"Yes ma'am!" Everyone replied, and Maria soon appeared from her projection area and look at Rinne. The sleep deprived woman looked back.

"Commander, I know who [Efreet] is!" Maria exclaimed, catching the entire crew's attention.

"What? But how, we haven't even gotten visual of the Spirit yet." Reine asked.

"Because the Spirit told Origami who she was, and she just told us." Maria explained, and soon everyone's attention turned to her. "...It's Kotori!"

Everyone gasped at that, Reine in particular stared without blinking for about 8 seconds.

"...Kawagoe, uses the analysis on Kotori and Efreet's images. I want a match reading confirmed!" Reine ordered.

"On it!" Kawagoe declared, soon bringing up the images. After a bit the results confirmed a 98% match for physical readings, although gave a 100% and a 0% for her mental readings for some strange reason. "Commander, we have a 98% physical match, that's way too high for a coincidence. However, there's something wrong."

"What do you mean?" Reine inquired.

"The readings mention her mental readings are both a complete match, yet a complete mismatch at the same time. That can't be possible, can it?" Kawagoe wondered.

"Not... exactly." Maria replied, getting the crew's attention. "I'll explain as you find her location, but for now let's just saw she and Yoshino have something in common... only hers is possibly much more fatal to herself."

Kotori was soon seen stumbling across the streets of Tenguu City's shopping district, holding her head in pain as her left eye was now blue while her right was its usual red color.

She was currently in her Astral Dress, which was a white kimono with gold trims at the ends and the sleeves slightly burning, pinkish wraps and a black 'belt' wrapped around her, a pair of horns sticking out from her ribbons which had permanently gained gold flower patterns on them, and finally a translucent red-white streamer-like scarf wrapped around her arms.

"Stop it, what are you doing to me? Why are you trying to take over my body!?" Kotori screamed, trying to fight off the blue-eyed personality within her. Unfortunately, she was the one losing.

"YOU'RE body? This is MY Body, I am the true Flame Spirit! If anything, you're the thief!" The voice screamed out.

"No! This is my body, I was born in it, gained my powers with it, made memories and found family in it! It's not yours!" Kotori cried out, trying to keep her right eye from shifting into blue as well. "Who are you even!?"

"Like I said, I am the true Flame Spirit! Now give me my body back! I've been asleep long enough, now I have to go save my friend! I have to save... well I can't recall her name but I'm saving her!" The voice roared, and soon Kotori fell to the ground as her right eye flicked. "So stay... DOWN!"

Soon Kotori's right eye became blue as well, and it shed a tear.

'Shido, Mana, mom, dad, everyone... I'm sorry. I think this is goodbye.' Kotori thought, the tear soon falling to the ground and splattering.

'And Shido... my only regret is that I never got to chance to tell you that I-'

At that moment, Kotori screamed violently as her red spirit mana overflowed her. Soon, the blue-eyed persona swiped it away and cracked her neck as she stood up. The pupils of her eyes now somewhat slit from the takeover.

"Finally, that stupid brat let go of my body. Now it's time I find that DEM bitch and make her pay." The blue-eyed personality spoke, feeling her stored up anger finally well back into her. However, she quickly noticed her current location and gasped. "Wait... where am I? This isn't Osaka. This is... Tenguu City?"

She remembers her blacking out, and soon gasps in horror that last slash she heard.

"Oh no, I don't think I was the one who got hit. Don't worry, I'm coming to save you..." The blue-eyed persona declared, but suddenly realized she couldn't say her friend's name again. "What the hell? I can't say...'s name, I swear I know it. So why?"

She feels her head, trying to search for the answers she wanted, but no matter how much she tried to look through her mind, nothing was there. It was as if while she had the information, her mind didn't have it and therefore could not register the name to say it.

"This makes no sense, I know I remember it! So why does it feel like I forgot it at the same time!?" The blue-eyed persona screamed.

Meanwhile back on the Fraxinus, the crew was currently trying to trace her location while Maria had started her explanation.

"-there's another personality living inside of her. However, unlike Yoshinon, it's actually inside of her, and she's had to feel it taking her over ever since she became a Spirit." Maria explained, recalling what she learned from Origami. "It's made her so afraid, she never told us about her powers because she worries sealing her will erase her."

"Hmm... does she even know about how this personality was born? It might help to know why it manifested compared to Yoshinon." Reine asked.

"Well..." Maria wondered, but then scratched her head confused. "I think Kotori doesn't even know, Origami never really mentioned anything. Though unlike Yoshinon, Kotori didn't seem to make it, at least that much I'm sure of."

Everyone on the crew took a moment to think about it.

"I wonder, do you think it's possible that Kotori's powers are changing her personality?" Minowa wondered, throwing out her theory. "We never knew who the previous Efreets were, so we don't know how any of them acted."

"Not to mention the 5th Sephira represents Severity, and Kotori tends to be somewhat forceful. Yet Shido and Mana did mention she wasn't like this around 5 years ago." Mikimoto added, making Reine think a bit. "It could be her powers re simply magnifying her temper."

"Hmm... Maria, do you think any of these ideas sound right?" Reine inquired.

"...Sorry, but neither feels right to me." Maria answered honestly. "Why would Kotori feel she's being taken over to the point she could disappear? If it was either, wouldn't she have had Shido seal her immediately after she heard he sealed Tohka?"

"I think I have to agree with Maria here, this feels more like something that's not Kotori at all." Shiizaki replied, making Reine curl her fist near her mouth as she thought more and bit her lower lip. "I do think we have footage from the Tenguu Fire I could look at, maybe there's something that can give us answers."

"I think we need to ask Shido and Origami a bit more, we need more specific info to be sure." Reine answered, soon seeing Kotori's location confirmed. "While we do that... Maria, deploy the Sleipnir towards Ocean Park to pick them up."

"Understood!" Maria said, soon opening a connection to Shido and the said vehicle.

Meanwhile back on the ground within Ocean Park, the residents within the water park area had been moved to safety and the AST met up with Shido's group. Shido explained everything to Captain Ryouko who nodded after hearing it.

"I understand. Since all the residents have been evacuated, we'll be spreading out to search out for Kotori and any signs of the DEM in case they try to force her out of the city." Ryouko replied, soon her and all the AST but Mana equipped their CR-Units and began flying off in various directions.

Shido soon noticed his phone ringing and saw Maria materialize out of the screen again.

"What is it Maria?" Shido asked, soon he felt his headset beep a bit. "Is that you Reine?"

"Yeah, though this is so all of us can hear you. We're trying to figure out more about Kotori's other personality and hoping you and Origami might have more info to share. Just talk with Maria, we'll handle the rest with what we hear while a transport comes to pick you up."

"OK, ask away Maria." Shido replied.

"Origami, you said you saw Kotori when she had just become a Spirit right? She's been one as long as you?" Maria asked.

"W-well, sorta. I didn't 'see her', see her... more like Phantom told me." Origami explained, scratching her head. "Either way, while it was for a bit longer, Kotori and I definitely became Spirits on the same day."

"Understood." Maria nodded, then turned towards the Takamiya siblings. "Tell me what Kotori was like before the Tenguu Fire, and how long it took before you noticed her acting differently? And not just emotionally or mentally, but physically too."

"Well... she was usually easily scared, but she always felt so sunny and warm. She cried easily but usually her spirits would easily get back up." Shido answered, trying to remember all he could.

"Even if she got hurt, she'd keep trying her best. After the Fire, she only showed her happy side in the house, she became a bit more sullen, irritable and it felt like that sunny side of her had vanished, she gave up on things more easily."

"At school, Kotori always was social and made a lot of friends. She did tell me she at least wanted to be a bit stronger at times despite we me and Shido telling her she was already strong enough." Mana said, smiling at the memory before she frowned.

"But the fire changed that, and she began to keep anyone but me, Shido and her parents in her heart. I thought maybe she just was too afraid to get close after something nearly made her lose everything, but... now I wonder if she was afraid of hurting us."

Maria thought on that, the Spirit powers seemed to have had some effect on her. Was it her Sephira Crystal or trauma though? She had one last question to ask them all.

"Shido, do you think when she shows her happy side in your home it's genuine? Mana, have you felt like you had been losing Kotori bit by bit since that day?" Maria asked, before turning to Origami. "And Origami, Phantom locked your powers, define how that worked and how you know and what you think makes Kotori's lock different."

"I do, and I wish I know how she could be like that all the time." Shido replied.

"...Truthfully, I do. What I don't know is if it was her choice or not. I remember how she was after someone brought her to the rescue zone, it was days before she would let us touch her again." Mana answered.

Origami took a moment to think on how her and Kotori's powers had been locked by Phantom. The only major difference she noticed was she regained her powers briefly when spirit mana was nearby, and she had been in her Inverse Form. Kotori wasn't Inverted, and the former didn't happen with her... then it hit her.

"Well..." Origami began, noticing Maria's projection get too close to her face. "Maria, t-that's too close! You're making me nervous!"

Maria blushed as she backed up a bit, letting Origami breathe as she regained her personal space.

"I recalled seeing Kotori in the fire after it began, she was crying alone in a building. Either her powers began the fire unintentionally, or maybe it as an accident, possibly the other personality." Origami replied.

"When my powers were locked, I was in my Inverse Form, and my lock weakened when spirit mana was nearby. While Kotori was using her powers against the Nidhoggr... her voice was different, I doubt spirit mana had any factor in this. Most of all, Kotori spoke to me in the bathroom area like she had been fighting this personality forever, and regardless of how long she had been fighting..."

She looked at everyone, giving a somber look.

"...That her fight would a losing battle, and all she could do was delay it." Origami finished, looking down slightly. "My guess is Phantom locked this other personality away, and maybe warned Kotori if it got out, it would erase her personality and claim her body as its own."

"Hmm..." Maria said, slightly sweating from the last bit Origami shared. "Commander Reine, what do you think?"

"My honest thoughts? It sounds like Kotori's inherited something like a curse, perhaps it's how the previous Efreet was killed before Phantom chose Kotori as her successor." Reine answered. "Shido, if that's the case the longer we wait, the more likely we'll lose her."

"Then I'll do whatever it takes. Even if not by blood, or even by adoption, Kotori is part of my family. I won't abandon her!" Shido declared, making everyone else smile.

Right at that moment, a car drove into view and screeched to a stop within the park area, surprising everyone.

"This is the Sleipnir, our high-speed pursuit car. We'll take it to find Kotori." Maria stated, and everyone nods.

Everyone got in, and as Shido prepared to take the driver's seat... Tohka suddenly slid him into the passenger seat to his surprise, giving him a cat smirk.

"Uh oh..." Shido gulped, suddenly feeling Tohka had a plan. "This is revenge over something, isn't it?"

"Yep, for not slowing down when you carried me that one time. Let's blow this joint!" Tohka exclaimed, slamming her heel on the wheel to Maria's surprise, and soon everyone screamed loudly as the Sleipnir floored it. It took Maria a moment to realize something.

"Wait a second, how do you even know how to drive a car!?" Maria exclaimed.

Everyone's eyes turn to Tohka and briefly stop their screams, suddenly wondering the same. Tohka just shrugs her shoulders in reply.

"I dunno, I just do." Tohka said, driving surprisingly well for someone who had no license or even any practice driving. "Lucky me!"

Everyone resumes their screaming as Tohka changes gears to make the Sleipnir accelerate even faster.

Back on the Fraxinus, Shiizaki suddenly noticed something in one part of the video feeds and gasps.

"Commander Murasame, look at this!" Shiizaki called, making everyone turn to the screen as she brings it up. The sight of Kotori with blue eyes as she fired the Megiddo, and them reverting back to red. Right before the bam of fire hits something that causes the Tenguu Fire.

"Shiizaki, replay that video in a loop. Start time 15 seconds, end time 19 seconds." Reine ordered.

Shiizaki nodded and the video looped a few times, showing Kotori with blue eyes reverting to red, and Kotori's reaction the moment they were red again. Reine stared at the moment her eyes were blue.

"Blue eyes... I swear that's important somehow, but why? I can't remember." Reine answered, soon biting on one of her nails. 'Come on Reine, you have to remember. Kotori's life is at stake. Remembering may be what decides if we save her, or lose her.'

The blue-eyed persona yelled in rage as she smashed Camael into a nearby fountain, breaking it into pieces as the water around it splashes and soaks her, ignoring the water that sprayed her as she kept smashing it.

"WHY!?" She screamed, completely furious. "Why can't I say her name, where's the memory? Not just that..."

She flashes through her mind, unable to see her at all.

"Her form."

A blurred face follows.

"Her face!"

She hears her talk, but despite knowing it was a girl's voice, she couldn't define the voice either.

"Not even the sound of her voice! I know them, so why don't they register to me!?" She screamed again, soon fully destroying the fountain as Camael burns and incinerates it, the water the only thing keeping a fire from spreading. Soon she hears a screech coming. "Hmm?"

The Sleipnir soon drives into the area and comes to a loud sudden stop, the doors open up as everyone gets out, though all but Tohka getting out in a stumble.

"OK, I'm sorry for the time with the bridal carry. Just don't do that again." Shido said, swallowing to not puke.

"Apology accepted." Tohka said, smiling brightly in victory.

"Who are you!?" The blue-eyed persona said, not recognizing Kotori's friends yet feeling she should know them. "Tell me!"

"Kotori, don't you remember who we are? It's me!" Shido called out, making the blue-eyed persona raise an eyebrow before she glared at them.

"Kotori? What the hell are you calling me that for your jerks, my name is Saya! Saya Yamada!" Saya yelled, surprising the others.

"Saya... Yamada?" Yoshino repeated.

"That's a really specific name, and look at her eyes. They're blue now." Yoshino added.

"Shido!" Reine shouted, the surprise from the shout and hearing Reine shout in general nearly made him fall over. He soon tapped the headset, and the others did the same.

"W-What is it!?" Shido said, still a bit on edge from the shout.

"I think I get it now, this other personality in Kotori..." Reine began, breathing a bit before she answered. "It's Kotori's predecessor. I don't know how, but the consciousness and soul of the previous [Efreet] survived in the Sephira Crystal after she died. It's the only way she has enough of an identity to have a first and last name."

"What!?" Everyone shouted.

"Then... the personality taking over Kotori's body is just another person?" Mana breathed, shocked at the result.

"What does that mean though? Will it consume Kotori, can we seal her without worry?" Shido asked, sweating.

"To be honest, I don't think we know for sure..." Reine answered. "However... the fact this personality came from a human, I'd like to believe it's more likely she'll survive. Though I'd suggest you don't seal her until we can force Kotori's persona back out."

"In other words, despite how much you don't wanna hurt her... you need to knock Saya unconscious!" Maria answered from Shido's phone, making Shido gasp.

"...I guess we don't have a choice." Shido mumbled. "Guys, we might be able to save her, but we gotta get Kotori back in control first!"

Everyone nods, while Saya growls.

"I don't know who you are, but I am not Kotori! Since you mention you wanna fight then I'll just have to break you to pieces!" Saya screamed, soon raising Camael as it burns. "Cut them to pieces, Camael!"

Camael strikes the ground and a wave of fire flies at the group to their surprise, Saya smirks at her victory until...

"Adonai Melek!"
"Ehyeh!"
"El!"

Saya gasps as the flames dispel and Tohka, Origami and Yoshino were in their Astral Dresses, while Mana was wearing the Murakumo. The three before her... they were all Spirits!?

"What the hell? If you're Spirits like me, then why are you fighting against me!?" Saya growled.

"Because that body is our friend Kotori's, and you don't have the right to steal it from her." Tohka said, holding out Sandalphon. "Now give it back."

"Wait, so that voice was..." Saya replied before growling, holding Camael out. "Stop talking nonsense, this is my body! If anything, she took it from me! I'm just reclaiming what's mine!"

"She doesn't even realize that's not her body... poor Kotori, how much is she suffering right now to not have her own flesh and blood in her control?" Origami breathed, looking worried. "D-despite that, we'll save her."

The Spirits prepared to move, but a Territory appears before them, Mana walks up.

"Guys, I want you to let me fight her on my own first." Mana requested, a fiery look in her eyes. "Kotori's not just like a sister to me, she's my best friend. So... I want to do what a best friend would and help her!"

The others all look at her, and soon at each other before nodding.

"Go ahead Mana, it might actually do better to avoid hurting Kotori." Tohka replied with a smile, making Mana smile back before looking back at Saya with a serious face.

"Alright little girl, we'll fight! Womano to womano!" Saya declared, making Camael's blade set aflame once more.

Mana shifts her position as Murakumo's swords equip, and she flies at Saya, soon sending the two into the air as they collide, Saya using Camael to defend against Mana's sword slashes. Saya shouts and slashes Camael at her to knock her back.

"EAT THIS!" Saya screamed as she slammed the burning axe down.

Mana deploys her territory in response, trying to defend against the fierce attacks that were striking her. Saya growled as the Murakumo's territory proved to be too sturdy for her to break.

"Now go, Blaster style!" Mana shouted, the shoulder parts of Murakumo shift to blast out energy threads to strike Saya's hands cutting them a bit as she dropped Camael.

"...Tell me, did you think this would be easy if I couldn't hold my Angel?" Saya chuckled, smirking in a manner that worried Mana.

Suddenly Saya's hands burn with a pinkish flame as they heal the wounds, soon holding out her hand, she dispels Camael before summoning it back into her hands. Everyone stared in shock at that.

"It's true that Spirits can heal naturally, it's always slowly. For me however I'm the best exception to that. You could shoot me in the head or the heart... and that still wouldn't kill me as long as I have my spirit mana!" Saya laughed as she flew at Mana again, who was barely able to block in time.

"You know, I think I should thank you. Now I'm not afraid to do some more serious damage to save Kotori!" Mana yelled before deploying her territory around Saya, trapping her. Saya tries to break it as Mana prepares her sword and blasts at once. "Now, try this!"

Mana rushed at Saya, making the Flame Spirit's eyes widen... but suddenly Mana was struck from the side and knocked towards the ground. Everyone gasped as she landed, slightly bleeding at the side as she looks at who hit her. Up in the air, Minerva made her appearance as she slowly descended.

"Oh, I'm sorry you little baby, did I make you scrape your knee?" Minerva asked mockingly before she cackled, soon giving a vicious look at Saya. "So sorry, but I'll be taking Efreet's head now!"

"Who... who are... you! You... bastard!" Mana choked out, the pain on her side burning like salt had been thrown on it.

"Ooh, the baby has a dirty mouth? Alright then. I'm Minerva Riddell of the DEM, and I'm here to take Efreet for my own gain!" Minerva stated, drawing the Manticore's main weapon and igniting it with magic.

"We won't let you!" Shido screamed in anger, the Spirits all jumped to react, however before they could. The Manticore's tail suddenly stabbed the territory around Saya, and Minerva held her hand to make more territories around the others, all locking their movements and sapping away their energy.

"Ooh, so sorry. My Manticore's quite serious about letting it capture it's pray. Enough that it can enhance its territory by stealing the power of another for its own!" Minerva declared, veins formed on her face before vanishing. "True it puts the user in pain, but I'm too used to it now to feel it!"

"No... Kotori!" Shido shouted, but none of them could move. Mio tried to empower Shido but...

[Damn it! I'm sorry Shido, but I'm getting drained too... I can't get us out of...]

Shido heard Mio go quiet, and grunted in anger at how powerless the group was rendered by this single wizard. Minerva shattered the territory around Saya and gave a psychotic smirk.

At that moment however... Saya's eyes widened as the hair color matched Ellen's so much, only recognizing it because Kotori had seen Ellen's hair via a video feed of Shido's rescue of Tohka, being one of the few things they shared a memory of.

"You..." Saya whispered, the anger welling as she remembered what Ellen did to her. "I'll kill you!"

Saya rushed at Minerva, and the Wizard has Manticore's tail fly at her, but the Flame Spirit roared as went ablaze, knocking it away.

"Oh?" Minerva gasped, a bit interested now. "It's been a while since I played with a kid. So how should I play with you, hmm... should I rape and then murder you like the last child?"

Saya gasped at that before screaming and swinging Camael, sending a small wave of fire as Minerva formed a territory to defend against it.

"No, I'll just kill you after I give you every possible form of torture imaginable." Minerva cackled, she prepared to drop her territory and attack... but Saya rushed at her faster than she had anticipated. "So fast!"

Minerva was knocked back as her territory was smashed into, but soon she backflips onto a rooftop and jumps out.

"Try this you weak little ember!" Minerva smirked, firing missiles at Saya and shooting her to the ground. She laughed as she was sure she got Efreet... but Saya soon appeared to her shock, only with a tattered Astral Dress.

"Was that it? All you did was singe Elohim Gibor, either your aim is bad or those missiles are just pathetically weak!" Saya exclaimed before launching at Minerva, however mid-flight, she suddenly stopped as her eyes flashed red.

"Come on, please! I... need to push through!" Kotori grunted, trying to take back control. Saya growls and soon pushes her back. "No!"

"If I could kill you for taking over I'd have done so already!" Saya seethed, getting Minerva's attention. Surprised by the reaction Efreet gave.

"No way, so you're actually-"

Minerva didn't get a chance to finish however when Saya rushed at her, and Minerva quickly deployed her territory again as Saya slammed Camael against it repeatedly. Minerva grunted as each time she was forced lower to the ground, Saya grinning sadistically as she did.

"Oh no, where did all your power go?"" Saya mocked, still with the same grin. "You're going to beat me, right? You're going to shoot me, right? You're going to slice me, right? You're got to kill me... right!? Isn't that what you told me last time we fought self-proclaimed Strongest wizard!?"

Minerva listened again, and suddenly realized who she was fighting with a smirk. Saya soon knocked her down and held up Camael.

"Camael... MEGIDDO!"

The axe turns into a cannon that charged up and stored her flames, with an enraged scream she fires it, and Minerva's territory was blasted to pieces as she tumbled backwards a bit, her mouth bleeding slightly as she coughed out blood. Saya landed before her with Megiddo charging again.

"Sorry, but I think you'll be the one dead before you now it. Looks like your new tan simply symbolized how badly you'd be burned this time!" Saya cackled, ready to finally avenge her defeat. Minerva began to laugh however, catching Saya's attention. "What, is the defeat driving you insane?"

"Oh no, I'm just surprised by your words Saya Yamada." Minerva snickered, getting the Flame Spirit's attention. "And the fact your here, claiming that someone's stealing your body."

"So, you actually know my name? Stop joking around, if you think I'll be distracted enough you'll survive your wrong." Saya stated venomously, holding Megiddo at her face. "So how about you die."

Minerva cackles even more.

"That's my point? You think I'm Ellen Mathers, well I'm not. Even more it's so funny that you don't even know you were murdered by her 10 years ago!" Minerva revealed, causing Saya to tense up. Megiddo's charge dispelling from the sudden shock.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not dead, the fact I'm standing here is proof!" Saya stated, she was alive... she was sure of it!

"Oh, I disagree, I saw a recording of the battle you and Nightmare had with her and Artemisia 10 years ago. I watched as she slit your throat, and then as you blacked out, lobbed your stupid little head off! Even your regeneration doesn't work without a head or a brain to start it up!" Minerva continued, laughing all the while.

"Take a look in the mirror, I can tell there's a voice in your head... that's the real Efreet talking! And that body belongs to her!"

"N-no... you're lying!" Saya spat out, trying to deny it. She had to be lying to her.

"If you think I am, look at your reflection and prove me wrong." Minerva smirked, slamming the final nail in.

Saya sweated, and soon turned her head to a nearby window... and soon she gasped in horror as her illusion finally banished. She saw the red haired 14 year old body of Kotori, not her brown haired 17 year old body. Suddenly her memories flash by and realizes that second slash sound... was her death.

"No... no... NO!" Saya screamed, dropping Camael as she held her head and screamed like an insane madman.

Who could blame her though? She was just told that she was dead, the fact she was somehow in someone else's body when she had become more than Human... she was just a ghost possessing someone under the thought they were the fake using her form. Shido and the others all look in horror.

"That woman... she's a monster." Tohka breathed weakly. She may have not known Saya, but to learn a truth like that and so cruelly no less? She didn't deserve that, not when she honestly didn't know she had been dead.

"And now... it's time for you to die again for good!" Minerva declared, taking out Manticore's secret weapon which was a strange looking gun stored in the tail. She aims it with both hands and aims at her abdominal area. "Tathlum!"

A shot fires at Saya, encompassing Kotori's body, and everyone gasped as they soon saw only the kimono of her Astral Dress, and a single arm, remain in the pile of rubble left.

"KOTORI!" They all screamed, Minerva laughed crazily.

"Finally, I killed a Spirit! How perfect for me! Now... to steal that Sephira Crystal." Minerva declared, walking towards the rubble... only for it to suddenly start shaking as red spirit mana gathered.

"Huh? What's going on, she's dead! Nothing more should be able to happen!"

Suddenly Saya's voice came back as an angry scream, Kotori's arm moved before clenching its fist to everyone's surprise. The red spirit power began to suddenly flash darker. Shido, Mana and the other Spirits all instantly gasped as they realized what it was.

Inside the Fraxinus, the entire crew suddenly heard the warning alarm go off.

"The alarm, what's going on down there!?" Nakatsugawa questioned.

"Maria, status update, quickly." Reine ordered, and Maria processed the data... only to gasp. "What is it Maria?"

"I don't know how, but Kotori's pulse vanished for a moment... then it came back, but now..." Maria began, soon turning to the rest of the crew.

"We have a Category E registered, Kotori has undergone her Inversion!"

Soon the red spirit power gathers as an orb around the now floating Astral Dress remnants and arm, soon becoming a dark red color.

"YOU TOOK MY LIFE FROM ME! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING, AND NOW... YOU WILL PAY!" Saya's voice echoed out, using the spirit mana as a conduit. Soon the power explodes as a dark red Spacequake was set off, Minerva went flying as she put up a territory while the others were kept safe by the territories Minerva put on them.

After it was over, the others were freed of the territories caging them, but still weak. Minerva managed to get back on her feet and stumbled back, everyone soon saw the same thing once they looked at the source of the quake. Before them stood Kotori, or rather Saya, in her Inverse form, Kotori's body now fully restored, but looking older like it had aged her slightly.

Her Astral Dress had transformed into a black kimono with crimson trims at the ends, now with a cut that exposed Kotori's cleavage fully and extra cuts to show of her legs from the sides, and the sleeves with a few diamond cuts to expose her skin heavily burning like they had dark red feathers on them. Purple wraps surrounded it, and two light orange 'belts' wrapped around her in an X shape.

The pair of horns sticking out from her ribbons, which their black and white swapped around, had shifted into a curl that led into a three-pronged horn, making it similar to the shape of a wing as most anime styles would sometimes draw them in. Finally, the translucent streamer-like scarf that wrapped around her arms back was now black and blue, and had gain a chain like shape similar to the tail feathers of a phoenix.

"This is Kotori's... Inversion!" Mana breathed out.

"So, I managed to make a Spirit Inverse?" Minerva questioned to herself, soon she begins laughing. "Eat your heart out Ellen, even you haven't succeeded in doing that! Now I'll be the first to kill an inverse Spirit!"

Minerva aims at Saya again.

"Tathlum!"

The same shot encompasses Saya again to the others' horror, however to their and then Minerva's shock, her body healed instantly from white colored flames her spirit power produced. Saya turned towards Minerva.

"If you think that'll work anymore you're wrong. I am no longer the Spirit known as Efreet." Saya declared, holding out her hand.

"ASMODEUS!"

Suddenly a black colored axe with red trim and a serrated blade formed in hands, emitting intense heat just by its physical form merely existing. Saya stared at Minerva and gave a bloodthirsty grin that showed her teeth.

"I am the spirit known as... PHOENIX!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

That's right, the blue-eyed personality of Kotori is Saya (or Sawa) Yamada! For those who doesn't know, she's a character from Kurumi's past in Volume 16, her best friend and a previous if not the previous wielder of the Camael Crystal. In canon, she's killed by Kurumi who was unaware she had been turned into a Spirit, and that leads to the road that made her the Spirit we know her as. That ain't the case in this story though, and you'll see how that influences Kurumi's arc when we finally reach it.

Now the scene with Tohka and the Sleipnir car? First off, that was an idea one or more people gave me when they found how Shido went too fast while bridal carrying Tohka back in Chapter 5 funny, and that Tohka should get revenge for it later by going too fast for Shido in some manner. I liked it so much, I decided to do it, and this was the perfect timing for it. Second, for how Tohka even knew how to drive? She can turn her throne into a flying vehicle, so I felt it would work for her to instinctively know how in the story.

I'll confirm now that Saya will not be Kotori's inverse personality, and the next chapter will reveal why. The whole thing with her Inversion aging her body up? Well, the Spirits do seem rather gifted in the chest area and the stronger ones seem to be those who are bigger in that area, so I figured with Kotori's body almost fully destroyed before Inverting, that the stronger power would affect her regenerated body, will that be exclusive to her Inverse Form? Well... *giggles* sorry, but I'll tease you with that thought until the next chapter :3

I hope I stayed true to Minerva's fighting style in this chapter, especially since I gave her a different CR-Unit based on a beast I felt fit her well. In case anyone asks what her gun weapon "Tathlum" is based on, it's a missile the Irish God Lugh fired from a slingshot to presumably kill Balor, who was stated to have died from a sling. Balor is sometimes interpreted as a God and since the Spirits are based off a concept of God, it fit. However, as I couldn't fully determine if it was used on Balor, I represented that as Minerva failing to kill Kotori/Saya with it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next time, Inverse Kotori/Saya begins her fight with Minerva, and we see just what she can really do with her Demon King. Also, while most of you might expect the next chapter to end Kotori's arc, well... if what I planned goes the way I expect, Kotori's arc will NOT be over in the next chapter in order to help properly connect Kurumi's arc to it. Also, I'm hoping to show off Phantom, and a new trick of Shido's that will be important when Kurumi's arc finally happens.

So next time, either this arc's finale, or the second to last chapter before we move onto the Kurumi arc and begin the Season 1 finale!

-Spirit Bond Levels-

Tohka - 72%

Origami - 47%

Yoshino - 29%