Date A Re:Live

S2 Chapter 41: Choronzon Havoc, Part 6

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]

Dang it, I forgot about the arc emotion again! This is like the third time already! DX

OK, before I say anything here, I'm going to clear that hiccup right now. This arc's emotion is... "Hope"! You might be wondering why I'm going with this emotion, especially considering how things are right now and because the villain is a Demon King which is born from anything but hope. Well... let's just say that's a secret towards a single something in this arc, in fact you could say it's main point of this arc.

Alright, first thing I'm gonna do is reveal something I hinted in the end notes, and admittedly can't really hide because the situation has nothing to show that Inverse Tohka came from somewhere else, especially after Rinne reveals the answer about what gave birth to the Inverse Forms and the fact Choronzon itself is an Inverse Form's Demon King, though one that manifested in a canon Kerubiel like manner.

The possibility that there's an independent version of the Inverse Forms for everyone who's been sealed been far as mentioned by Nia... she was right, because they're all present! Choronzon's elite soldiers in a sense, and the reason why the Spirits are stuck with only Limited Astral Dresses, because its sucking up a lot of their usual power to allow them to manifest. Best part about it though? Each Spirit gets their own battle against themselves ^^

Not to worry, that doesn't mean that Miku, Nia, Mukuro and the fellow game and movie Spirits won't get their own battles. What do I mean by that? *giggles* Sorry, but unlike the part mentioned, this on the other hand stays secret... for now at least :3 *giggles more* And yes, I do mean Marina is gonna show up to aid the fight, Choronzon nearly killed Westcott when it manifested, she has a reason to fight it.

Here we go everyone, time for the real action of this battle to begin!

Since we've got all of the Spirits gathered here, I figured I'd let everyone know where they rank in terms of strongest to weakest in this story, especially since a few of them are quite different power wise in terms of their abilities and stats. These are only for the Sephira Spirits though, but I do have a second list for the end notes for the non-Sephira Spirits though.

1. Mukuro - With the power to Lock abilities and Nia stating she can defeat an Inverse Spirit, the number 1 spot is hers guaranteed.
2. Tohka - Her energy element, her prime element, depends on the strength of her willpower. If she manifests enough, then few can challenge her.
3. Nia - Being able to manipulate events to a degree and bring her imagination to life, and having a ready army through her Kirigami technique.
4. Kurumi - Has a high rank and her powers are incredibly versatile, not to mention her for clones that have the same powers.
5. Miku - Her sound powers are versatile, and she it can give support effects to the others.
6. Origami - Has multiple forms and strong long-range tactics, plus her ability to automatically teleport a short distance from most danger.
7. Kotori - Has incredible strength, and her healing powers make it very hard to finish her with anymore more than blunt attacks.
8. Kaguya & Yuzuru - As twins and a powerful tag team, the two together can accomplish more than they can alone.
9. Natsumi - While not particularly strong among the Spirits, being able to learn and mimic the others' skills makes able to easily adapt.
10. Yoshino - Mostly shy and timid, and rather against violence unless necessary, though even if the weakest she's not a pushover.

And there you go, that's where all the Spirits rank in my story. Oh! As a bonus, when Kurumi was in her corrupted stated she took 2nd place, and while Tohka wasn't using her full power, she was in 5th place.

All of the Spirits flew towards Choronzon, with the Demon King still having failed to notice them as it dealt with the onslaught of Mukuro's attack from space. As they did, the sight of a familiar presence nears Maria's sight.

"Hey wait a minute, isn't that?" Maria asked, and soon enough the sight of Marina in her Inverse Astral Dress comes into view as she nears the other Spirits. "Marina!?"

"Don't take this as some kinda sign I'm wanting to change signs! This monster nearly killed my father, I'm just going to purge it for the mistake it made in trying to end his life! Nothing more!" Marina said, almost sounding tsundere if it weren't for the fact she was evil. "Got it!?"

Maria sighed before smiling.

"Regardless, glad a fellow Spirit's fighting on our side." Maria replied, irritating her dark counterpart because she was the one who said it. Rinne soon whistles after everyone gets close enough, and Rio soon forms a barrier to temporarily hide them.

"Alright everyone, this is it! It's time to save Shido!" Rinne declared, making everyone stare towards her as she gave her speech. "We can't fail, so please... hold nothing back and give it your all! So we can all see the sun rise again tomorrow!"

Everyone gave their own positive looks and reactions to that, with Marina frowning and looking to the side due to having to agree reluctantly.

"Alright, drop the barrier Rio. We're going in!" Rinne shouted, and Rio nods as she does. One by one, with only Mukuro being exempt due to being space, all the Spirits all rush ahead and towards the ultimate Demon King, who finally notices them as they do.

"So, you're the ones who challenge me? Very well... prepare to die and have all your power absorbed into me!" Choronzon shouted, soon shaking slightly as the sight of a whole armada of DEM automatons, all now pitch black and glowing with pink energy to show he had corrupted them.

"ATTACK THEM!"

The entire arm rushes forward, and soon Choronzon opens even more smaller pink eyes across tis body before they widen and being firing off at the group, quickly launching some black branch like objects from its metallic tree body.

"Shido, just wait a bit longer... we're coming!" Tohka declared, soon swinging Sandalphon against one of the demon branches before knocking it away. Origami zooms from behind her and fires beams from Metatron's pillars to blast them apart. Tohka rushes forward once her way was cleared.

Kurumi zips through the armada of energy blasts and the swarm of automatons, soon flying up and doing a flip as Shincho, Kinshu, Masayoshi and Yuuki all split off from her shadow and begin ripping them to shreds. Kurumi turns to them as they all give a thumb's up.

"We got this, don't stop Kurumi!" Masayoshi replied, making Kurumi nod and smile before zooming ahead with Zafkiel in each hand. A sudden demon branch was about to strike her before Yoshino freezes it, making Kurumi smile at her as she passed by on Zadkiel. Yoshino soon zoomed ahead, with Rio landing on Zadkiel.

"Rio needs to go up there!" Rio said, pointing to a spot near the Yamai twins.

"OK, hang on!" Yoshino replied, flying up to launch Rio into the sky as Kaguya and Yuzuru saw her arrive.

"Rio's here, now Kaguya and Yuzuru can blow robots away!" Rio smiled, soon forming a barrier that blocked most of what was coming their way before she began to cheer. "Go, go, go!"

The Yamai twins soon call forth their Raphael's and bring them together.

"EL KAN'APH!"

The fused bow forms as the two pull back on the three strings together, soon firing off their strongest arrow shot as Rio drops the barrier, causing it to storm through all the automatons and shots in their way. Choronzon's main eye shifted in surprise at the cleared path it left.

"Useless, I'll simply-" Choronzon began, only to suddenly to have Nia's Kirigami soldiers suddenly swarm around his eyes and blind him to the sight. Natsumi twirled Haniel before she transformed them to become tenfold their usual size. "What? Get these things off me damn it!"

As Choronzon blasted at them best he could, only to scream as Mukuro blast her beam at him multiple times while he couldn't predict where she'd fire it. Rinne rushed ahead at that moment, turning back to look at the others briefly.

"Everyone, swarm towards him now!" Rinne ordered, soon turning forward again as most of the others followed suit.

Maria and Marina both jab their Astral Dresses' wires into the roof nearby buildings, and soon a swarm of vines begin rising up and whipping through the Automatons before Marina blasts poison gas to corrode the ones nearing them both.

"Overcharge!" Mayuri screamed, feeling the excess electricity burn through her as she absorbed it all.

As demon branches began to fly at her, Miku soon sang and created a barrier to shield her before Mayuri screamed and blasted out an electromagnetic disruption, causing every automaton within range to cease functioning.

"Rinne, go for it!" Kotori shouted, swinging Camael through some demon branches and automatons swarming around them as the Kirigami were all suddenly shredded by Choronzon's roots flailing. Rinne shouts as she summoned Uriel, and all of its gems glowed brightly.

[We'll unite our powers...]

"...AS ONE!" Rinne reasoned to herself, the blade burning with her aura as she cut across Choronzon's eyes. The Demon King screamed briefly but didn't seem to take any physical or noticeable damage. She quickly slashed at it multiple times, none getting through. "Damn it, I can't break through! Help me out everyone!"

Everyone nodded at that as Rinne jumped back, firing a beam at Choronzon's pink eye.

Tohka swung Sandalphon, Origami blasted beams with Metatron, Yoshino had Zadkiel blast a water spout form its mouth, Kotori fired the Megiddo, Kurumi charged and fired her Astra attack, Natsumi copied Sandalphon and did the same as Tohka, the Yamai twins fired an arrow from their Raphael's, Miku fires off her song, Nia sent more Kirigami out, Mukuro fired another beam, Mayuri discharged a burst of electricity, Maria sent vines rushing out to strike the eye, Marina blasted out poison, and Rio emitted a field to empower everyone for the attack.

All of the attacks culminated into a massive burst as they hit Choronzon, and when the smoke cleared... all of them gasped as the ultimate Demon King didn't even show any signs of a scratch, laughing maniacally at their futile efforts.

"Was that it? That was just pathetic, to think you'd try to defeat me with such useless power, well... perhaps I should just mock you until I destroy the world! That would be insulting and fun for your final moments!" Choronzon cackled.

"Damn you, let go of my son!" Rinne roared, rushing at Choronzon with Uriel held out. Just as she was about to strike...

"Satan."

Suddenly a tainted white beam of light suddenly blasted her away, Origami gasped as she recognized the beam.

"Hmm... no, I'll do this instead. Say hello to my children!" Choronzon declared, and soon a tainted white, dark red, deep black, dark orange, dark green and dark blue orb of light soon rush over in front of the group. At that moment... everyone gave the appropriate reactions as they saw every Inverse Form but Tohka and Miku's.

There were some differences in regards to Yoshino, Kurumi and Natsumi's however, which made sense as their Astral Dresses weren't the same as back when they had undergone their Inversions.

Kurumi's was probably the most surprising, as it seems hers was a mix of her current Astral Dress and her Corrupted Astral Dress although in a much more revealing form, having a slight bit of orange glow across the black and white color scheme of her rich girl dress/Gothic Lolita styled outfit, even having her corrupted form's hairstyle.

Yoshino's had her current hat gone, but the bunny ear-like extension still attached in the form of a split feather worn on her left ear, and the new level of its revealing nature made it look like a mix of a one-piece bathing suit and a two-piece bathing suit, mainly a bikini, with the green being swapped with black highlighted with blue.

Natsumi's had the usual theme of her hat suddenly gaining a face, the color scheme of orange and purple with green highlights on her current Astral Dress having become black with glowing dark green, and her outfit was so revealing now, it almost looked like she only had some clothing having over her unmentionables to keep them covered.

"Dang it, looks like I was right... the Inverse Forms, they've all gained independence. That likely explains everyone's Limited Astral Dresses. Choronzon must be using the spirit power in Shido to manifest them and its drained you all." Nia stated, biting her left thumb's nail slightly.

"Rio's confused Nia, why is there no Dark Miku? Or a Dark Nia or Dark Final Spirit present?" Rio asked confused, blinking a bit. "Does Rio not see them?"

Nia shook her head.

"No Rio, you didn't miss them. They don't exist is the reason they aren't present. Choronzon is likely limited to the Spirits that Shido's sealed so me, Miku and our fellow Spirit ally attack from somewhere don't have our power within him to make Inverse copies of." Nia answered, pointing at the pink eye.

"And your mom doesn't have one either because Choronzon itself is her Inverse Form, albeit manifesting via Shido since your mom doesn't have the Inversion taint to have an Inverse Form in the first place. Either way we-"

Nia soon notices Choronzon charging a blast from his pink eye, and Rinne soon gasps as the other Inverse Spirits' colors along with Inverse Tohka's soon surround the pink energy... a dark version of an attack she knew well.

"EVERYONE, MOVE!" Rinne warned, and the other Spirits all quickly did as Choronzon screams a powerful and enraged roar. The dark beam fires off across the area and the outside horizon... and soon a powerful wall of an explosion rips through the area.

Everyone stared in horror, minus Marina who just sweated at the sight as England and most of the area was shredded apart. Screams being heard at what was likely the final moments of many, or at least their despair at the devastation that might just lead to it.

"I knew it, that was an Inverse counterpart to my Harmonic Convergence attack! A... a Chaotic Divergence!" Rinne sweated, her eyes shaking at the prospect that even if they won today... there were many who'd likely never get to see tomorrow. "The only good thing we've got right now is that the recharge time is an entire hour."

"Then we've gotta stop him now!" Tohka shouted, soon rushing at Choronzon again and preparing to swing Sandalphon... only for her to gasp as she suddenly held out her angel to parry an attack. Her eyes widened as against all possibility, Inverse Tohka was clashing Nahemah against her again. "Impossible, I just took you out!"

"Does that mean Choronzon can re-spawn them endlessly?" Nia wondered, somewhat fearful. Marina sighs and gets her attention. "Alright, spill. What aren't you telling us?"

Marina turns her head before she feels Rinne trying to squeeze it.

"You tell us now or I'm breaking you." Rinne asked, a terrifying glare on her face.

"R-Right... you got it." Marina replied, sweating laser fluids before Rinne let go. "When we got that boy to undergo his Inversion, we used a hallucinogenic gas to make him see the illusion of Tohka dying. If Sovereign keeps showing up, its' likely because he's still refusing to believe she died, subconsciously allowing her Inversion to respawn."

"So in other words, the other Inverse Forms should only have a single life, but Inverse Tohka won't stop reviving until we take out Choronzon." Nia summarized, soon groaning. "That's just peachy. Guess we have no choice, we need to take them all down. Without everyone's full power I don't think we'll do enough damage to beat Choronzon."

Choronzon laughs at that.

"That sounds fun, how about I give everyone without one someone to play with!?" Choronzon cackled before forming pink energy and making a total of seven fully pink silhouettes of Rinne that flew at Rinne and Rio, Mayuri, Nia, Maria, Marina, Miku and Mukuro. "There, now you all have playmates!"

Rio held onto Rinne's back, and soon all of them parries against their respective Rinne copy's attacks, meanwhile all of the Inversion rushed off and clashed with their respective counterpart as the sky light up. When Marina had the chance to knock her copy back, she looked at the other Inversions.

'This is my only chance, time to benefit the situation!' Marina thought with a smirk, soon moving her tentacles to reveal a section with a dark indigo sphere and then motioning the others, using the power in the first as a lock on as she aimed darts. 'Gotcha!'

Suddenly the darts fired in an instant, and each Inversion was unaware of something entering their bodies as Marina crossed her tentacles to guard herself again.

'That's it, now destroy all of them you stupid fools. You'll be helping me and father without even knowing it.' Marina smirked, laughing mentally.

Deep in space, Mukuro knocked the Rinne copy back, the copy readying her sword for its next attack as Mukuro stared at it.

"You believe you can challenge me, how unfortunate you are." Mukuro stated.

The copy rushed towards her, and then...

"Segva - Lock."

Mukuro tapped Michael unto the copy and then turned the Angel like a key, the copy suddenly found its body frozen in place as it shook in vain, unable to free itself and regain movement.

"...Jerez - Solution."

Mukuro's golden spirit power burst out of Michael and hit the clone, causing it to dissolve instantly. Mukuro soon turned back to the portal.

"You set your sights too high, ultimate Demon King." Mukuro stated.

Back in England, Choronzon suddenly shrieked in pain, and while still parrying her Inverse counterpart, Tohka noticed the sight of the yellow eye gem on Choronzon's body burst apart.

'It broke! Hey wait, if a copy went to that other Spirit then... that's it!' Tohka thought, knocking Inverse Tohka back for a brief moment. "Everyone, I saw the yellow gem break! We might be able to weaken Choronzon out if..."

Tohka briefly paused to parry against Inverse Tohka again.

"...you beat your respective opponents!" Tohka finished, soon knocked to the ground by Inverse Tohka. Rinne and Rio looked at their copy and Rinne smiled a bit before motioning her eyes to her youngest daughter.

"Hey Rio, mind being the shield to your mama's sword? We'll beat this fake together." Rinne smiled, and Rio nods.

"Rio has Mama's back, let's show fake mama the power of Mama and Rio!" Rio cheered, and soon hugged Rinne tightly as the copy flew at them. Rinne shouts before clashing her blade against her fake's. Soon knocking it back a bit before the fake thrust her sword forward and fired a beam at Rinne. "You won't hurt Mama!"

Rio forms a barrier around Rinne, cancelling out the attack.

"Now that's a shield, so how about you deal with my sword!?" Rinne exclaimed, rushing ahead and piercing it through her fake's body... but to her surprise, the fake simply grabs it and tosses her and Rio forward, Rinne gasp as she held Rio close and they crashed through a few buildings. Once they landed, she looked at her daughter. "Rio, re you OK?"

"Rio's OK, is Mama OK?" Rio asked.

"Yeah, Mama's fine-" Rinne began, only to yelp in pain as she tried standing on her leg and her foot flared up. "Aw crap... I think I twisted my ankle on the impact. Better get back in the air or this'll slow me."

The two gasped as they hear the copy smash through the ceiling and soon stare at them. It began walking slowly, and Rinne quickly grabbed Uriel. Rio held onto Rinne's leg, now a bit frightened at what would happen next.

"Mama, Rio's scared!" Rio sniffled, and Rinne looked at her before sweating at her copy.

"I can't run... I have to do something, but how? I don't have my full power and this copy seems stronger than me. How... how do I win?" Rinne thought aloud, shaking a bit. "How do I protect Shido? Protect Mana? Protect everyone... and protect Humanity? What do I do?"

Before Rinne could react, her copy swung down and caused the building to collapse, Rinne and Rio fell to the ground and once they neared, Rio formed a barrier to soften the impact. They got up and suddenly the sight of people trying to run from the chaos noticed them, making Rinne gasp.

'Oh no, there's still a lot of people in the battle zone!' Rinne mentally gasped, right as she saw her copy drop down and prepare to resume their battle. Everyone screamed as it swung down a slash wave, and Rinne gritted her teeth before rushing ahead and blocking it. Making the people gasp. "...Get to safety! I'll take care of this!"

Rinne thrust forward, firing off a beam to push her copy back. The people look surprised before she turned back at them.

"If you want to live, don't give up! Keep going and don't stop to look back!" Rinne yelled, and soon all of the civilians ran off as Rinne turned back to her copy as she got up. As she did she took Rio's hand in hers to her daughter's surprise. "It's been a long time, since I've felt this... felt fear."

"Mama?" Rio asked confused.

"And yet... there's nothing wrong with that, it's how you were even born after all." Rinne smiled, making Rio gasp. "Back then, if I hadn't been afraid, then I'd have stopped Westcott and then there would have been no reason I had you. In the end, I think losing was worth it to have you in my life."

Rio stared in awe, while Rinne recalled a certain memory.

In some abandoned building, all gray and heavily damaged, the then brunette Westcott while he wore a mask and a thin yet powerful armor rushed across the room and drew an energy sword, preparing to strike Rinne who held Uriel tightly in her hands. Rinne rushed forward in return and shouted as she collided her Angel with his energy blade, sparks flying as magical power ricocheted off the walls around them, breaking the structure further.

'Come on, give me something! I need to have something work against this bastard!' Rinne thought, trying to muster more strength and push him down. Unfortunately, Westcott simply gave a small smirk and jumped as he twirled the blade.

Rinne gasped as she saw it change into a cannon, blasting at the girl the second after. She tried to move Uriel to parry the blast, but it failed and struck her hard, knocking her back into the wall. She yelled before managing to push enough power out and cut the blast apart.

'No... not, not yet.' Rinne thought as she soon collapses onto her knees a bit, she was already severely weakened and fatigued, and taking that attack didn't do her any favors. She stared at Westcott angrily, growling as she regained her footing.

"You've reached your limit, just give up and let me take what I desire." Westcott smirked, holding out a hand mockingly to her. Rinne gave an angry look and answered by stabbing Uriel into the ground, causing a huge overflow of pink energy that surprised Westcott and knocked him off balance.

"Never, not after I've learned what you intend to do. I won't let you hurt this world or any other one more than you already have!" Rinne screamed, taking the chance to rush at him and slash him furiously.

In the process, she managed to strike his blade in its cannon form and force him to change it back into a blade as the cannon attachments were sliced into ribbons and exploded. Westcott smirks at this, slightly impressed.

"I'll oppose you to my last breath if I have to! Just like Seigo! I'm willing to die if it means destroying your dream and saving this world from you!" Rinne screamed, staring at him with anger. Westcott scowled in response to her words, hating the idealism behind them as he drew a second sword.

The two collided again, and right as Rinne believed she had found an opening to end it and prepared to swing downwards... she gasped as she realized too late she had fallen right into a faint, and Westcott began his trap as his armor suddenly created energy tethers that locking her movements in midair.

"Fools who spout nonsense like dreams of peace and their pacifistic natures are the one thing I hate, survival of the kindest never will succeed to the survival of the fittest." Westcott said coldly, soon crossing his swords and creating a dangerous surge of power before he shot it at her, striking her hard.

Rinne screamed loudly as it hit, and then again as he slashed her across the abdomen, ripping across her outfit as his sword glowed black, preparing for an apparently fatal stab as he smiled darkly. Everything he had been waiting for, his dream, all of it was going to be realized right now.

'Damn it, this is it... I'm going to fall here.' Rinne thought, looking up as she saw the attack come down at her. She soon closed her eyes in acceptance. 'If that's the case then I'll choose how I lose, and I choose... for him to not win either!'

Before Westcott could react, Rinne aimed Uriel at herself and moved slightly to expose her chest. At that moment, Westcott's eyes widened in shock as he gasped, somehow able to tell what Rinne was thinking about to do.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me. I won't be coming home... Shido, Mana." Rinne said, quickly stabbing herself in the chest. A huge surge of spirit power spewed out of her body, and Westcott soon screamed as it hit him, overloading and damaging his body from the sheer magnitude of the power that flooded out.

Unaware to either of them, as Westcott reached out from the pain, a black mist trailed from his burning fingers and slowly slipping through the wound into the Sephira Crystals, causing a small taint to form of their surfaces before fading from view.

"NO!" Westcott shouted, seeing his dream fly away after being just in his reach as the Sephira Crystals soon rose out and dispersed across the sky, flying to the various ends of Earth and away from him. His eyes soon became soulless looking and his hair bleached white from the damage, essentially making him a living husk.

Rinne's body slightly bleeds as it goes limp, her face shedding tears of guilt, realizing her promise to Shido and Mana had been broken as her form slowly began to fade away. However, as she noticed her flowing power blind Westcott, she suddenly widened her eyes and realized something.

"No... I can still leave them one last thing. Seigo, you may not be here but I still have our love... I'm giving them a guide, one last bit of family to be there for them one day." Rinne muttered weakly, and as she felt her body fade, she held her hand out and used some of the leaking mana of her body.

The end result caused that mana to be take form and create a being with a similar appearance to her, almost a child version of herself, she had given birth to Rio Sonogami. The newly born Rio soon blinked at her.

"My last child with you Seigo, I'll name her using our own names Rinne and Seigo... your name is Rio Sonogami." Rinne breathed, rubbing her cheek.

Rinne breathes with her eyes closed, soon opening them again as she imagined the copy of herself as what Westcott used to look like the day she lost to him, she held Uriel close before tossing Rio on her back once more.

"This is just like that time, the way this fake copy of me moves... the way it viciously strikes... it's the same as he used to. I may not be as strong as that day, but this time I know this much. I'm the one who's gonna win!" Rinne shouted, soon screaming as she ran forward, fighting off her twisted ankle as her copy rushed at her.

The two collided their blades with each other, and soon the two again with twice the force, after one more clash... Rinne noticed an opening to end it and prepared to swing downwards, with the fake copy soon moving to pull of the same feint from all those years ago.

"Mama!" Rio shouted, worried she fall for it.

Rinne stared in shock... and then smirked, dropping Uriel and throwing the copy off as its sword and Uriel clash oddly, as the Angel fell near the ground, Rinne jumped and spun upside down before swinging the sword upwards. The copy shook as Rinne landed back on her feet and finished cutting upwards, soon turning and screaming before cutting it straight down the middle.

"Mama... amazing." Rio breathed, soon the fake takes a few steps back before it shattered apart. Rinne turned to her daughter and pet her head.

"Let that be an important lesson Rio. You'll often have to face your past, what's important is making sure that when you do, you don't make the same mistakes twice." Rinne smiled, soon hugging Rio as she spun around. 'Even more, the past can't be changed, so accept the future you've walked on. If not, fight for a better one.'

Rinne soon pulled out of the hug, holding Rio high in the air.

'Because I know for one, I wouldn't change the past if it meant I never had you as my child.' Rinne thought, smiling brightly.

Mayuri circled through the air before turning and firing off some Kerubiel's wing blades, the Rinne copy shifts around with incredible speed, making Mayuri gasp as it strikes her and knocks her to the ground. She gets up and shakes as she quickly crawls to a building and hides.

"Dang it, I need to recharge, but I don't sense any electricity anywhere. Where is it?" Mayuri wondered, looking around for a course. "Dang it, if I drained the last bit before Choronzon's Chaotic Divergence shot all the electricity around here then I'm screwed!"

*SLASH*

Mayuri's face goes blank as her eyes move to see the walls around her fall, the Rinne copy behind her. She jumps out of the way as it creates a slash wave. She pants as she tries to figure out something.

"What can I do? Please, I need help... Rio! I don't know, where are you!?" Mayuri called out in a panic, only for to leave herself open for the Rinne clone to slash her, knocking her through some of the rampaging elements. She screamed as it tore into her body and soon threw her across the ground. "Is this... is this the end for me?"

Mayuri began to black out, and soon her vision began to blur before finally blackening, and as it did... she felt something flash through her mind. A memory she had forgotten, or rather a memory that she had been forced to lose.

"-llo? Hello, can you hear me?" Someone said, and soon the person in question smiled as she realized they were responsive. "Ah! You can hear me, welcome to the world... well sorta. It'll be a while before you can fully come into it."

The sight of the pod that Mayuri was created in was seen, though right now the being that would eventually become Mayuri was just a bunch of primordial ooze. More specifically, this was Mayuri during the time her creation had first started, over 5 years ago.

"Oh right, I guess I should introduce myself. Don't worry, I'm new here myself, joined because hopefully I can find clues to the being that may have taken my sister away a month ago." The person chuckled, soon kneeling closer to the glass. "My name's Mildred, nice to meet you."

The ooze that would become Mayuri couldn't do much, but... almost as if to respond, it bubbled slightly and made Mildred giggle. She soon walked towards the control panel.

"Alright, now that you've finally developed a consciousness, let's give you an actual body." Mildred continued, soon typing a bit. "OK... first official work as a DEM mechanic, no pressure Mildred. Just the possibility you're going to accidentally kill someone before they're born in a physical form."

Mildred blinked.

"...Why'd I tell myself that, I gave myself nerves instead of calming them!" Mildred groaned, soon continuing her typing.

Soon enough, a few days go by as Mildred slowly works on giving Mayuri an actual form, working on the possible DNA blueprints that would create the being's body before officially starting the procedure. After days of work, she got the resulting form that she felt would work.

"Yes, I've got it!" Mildred, sighing in relief. "Now let's see how you look after the genetic blueprints form your body."

Mildred initiates a button, and soon hears the door knocked on as she turned to see a staff member walk in bringing in Mildred's lunch.

"Oh shoot, did I forget again?" Mildred wondered, sighing as she took it. "Thanks, I need to not focus so much on this work."

"Be lucky we're paying attention since you've gotten results in creating Material B." The staff member groaned, soon walking out before turning to her. "Oh, if you have a moment, why not come to the main room? Apparently, we finally have a picture of the current [Zodiac]. She creamed [Nightmare] so easily."

Mildred's eyes widened, remember how dangerous she heard Nightmare was with her estimated kill count of 10,000 civilians by non-Spacequake means. For another Spirit to actually overpower her, she had to see this. Putting her sandwich in her mouth, she follows the staff member. Soon arriving as a few others arrived to see the picture.

"Where is it?" Mildred asked, her sandwich still in her mouth.

"One second, its being sent over now." An analyst replied, soon getting it through. "Ah! It's a bit blurry and hard to fully make out, as they almost always are, but here she is. The Spirit [Zodiac]."

Mildred soon saw it, and soon her eyes widen as her sandwich dropped out of her mouth. Due to how blurry it was she couldn't confirm it at all. However, what the picture implied? That was another story. Golden blonde hair, golden yellow eyes, and super long hair that had some of it tied into two buns... she looked just like-

'Mukuro!?' Mildred thought, unable to believe what she was seeing. She wanted to deny it... but then it hit her. Mukuro's words that day, how everyone close to them had suddenly forgotten her, and the fact the DEM told her a Spirit could have done it.

Not to mention Mukuro stated after it happened that she and her parents were "all hers', as if... she had done it!

'Oh my god, then... that Spirit might have not taken Mukuro, she might be Mukuro!' Mildred mentally gasped, the thought of how DEM hunted Spirits soon shook her. 'Which means she's in danger of being killed! Did they all know this, then that means... it isn't just here, we've been killing innocent humans!'

Mildred quickly ran out of the room, the others not noticing it but being confused once they knew she was gone. She rushed back to the room where Mayuri was being kept, locked the door as she did, and started grabbing everything she could.

"Worst of all, now I'm sure they had me make you to be a weapon... I can't let that happen. Not if you're really living." Mildred stated, soon gathering everything she needed and turning to the pod. "I'm leaving the DEM, but I'm going to bring you-"

Suddenly the sound of strikes were heard against the door to her horror, Edgar and three sword wielding wizards on the other side.

"You're not going anywhere, since it's clear you'll betray us..." Edgar stated, the wizards still attacking the door. "...You must be eliminated!"

"If I don't leave now, they'll capture me." Mildred gasped, looking at the pod as the body slowly began to form. "...I'm sorry, I can't take you with me. You can't form fast enough for me to guarantee we'd both escape. That doesn't mean I can't give you a future."

Mildred soon begins typing on the console, leaving some kind of hidden program that she labeled "H.E.A.R.T.", and soon leaving a hidden note that only someone wanting to save the being who would eventually become Mayuri would find.

"I don't know if we'll ever meet again, even if we do since you lack a full form right now, I won't know what you look like unless you remember me." Mildred began, soon rubbing the pod's glass.

"Though just know this, you aren't going to be a soulless puppet meant to hunt enemies... you're a living being and one day I swear you'll find someone who gives you the freedom to live like anyone else. The heart I gave you is proof, find it, and you'll find something more."

Mildred soon grabs something as the door breaks down and tosses it, trapping the wizards and Edgar in some kinda gum like foam. Mildred runs past them and starts escaping the DEM building as the alarm goes off.

"Someone stop her!" Edgar screamed, seeing Mildred rush off without anyone to catch her. An effort that would be in vain as she would successfully escape, eventually running into Ryouko who'd bring her to Ratatoskr.

Meanwhile inside the lab where Mayuri as being born, a red light glowed in the ooze that had started forming her shape and face, emitting a spark that let her briefly open her eyes before they closed.

Mayuri's eyes flashed back open, gasping as the memory fully settled.

"Mildred created me, and even though shouldn't could save me, she left something behind so Rio could. No... I can't fall here, I won't!" Mayuri declared, her eyes getting focused as inside of her, a sudden light formed... the H.E.A.R.T. program left inside her.

Suddenly, the program and her Sephira Crystal being to react and mingle, and the disfigured brown Sephira Crystal shakes before it flashes and its shape morphs into the same natural shape as the rest. Electricity began to generate on its own, and Mayuri screams as true lightning fires off her body, striking the Rinne copy to Mayuri's surprise.

"What? My powers, this is..." Mayuri gasped, soon feeling her heart and realizing her Sephira Crystal had evolved. It was now like the other Sephira Spirits, and Rinne and Rio's own special Sephira Crystals, and now she was stronger. "You gave me a heart... and now it's given me strength!"

Mayuri's eyes glow as Kerubiel shakes, soon shattering and taking a new form as it evolved into a true Angel.

[We stand together master!]

The Rinne copy soon got up and charged at her again, but Mayuri zapped from her spot to its surprise, and soon twirled as metallic molecules in the air gather and wrap around the clone, hardening into a steel binding. Mayuri blasted lightning into the clouds above, making them spark.

"LIGHTNING STRIKE!"

Mayuri swings her hand down, and the copy was completely zapped, the metal acting as a lightning rod and amplifying the severity of the voltage before it finally exploded apart. Mayuri pants a bit and smiles, soon falling on her back.

"Everyone, do you see that? I... I've finally become strong enough to truly fight with you, not as just an ally, but an equal and friend." Mayuri smiled, groaning a bit as the soreness and pain finally shot into her muscles. "Yeah, this is gonna keep me here for a while. Guess I better enjoy the rest while I can."

Alright Mayuri, you've evolved your powers! You don't need to worry about the limitations you've had before. Albeit the one downside? You've gotta train from scratch, and you'll take a while to get used to them.

So, the fight with Choronzon led to everyone throwing everything at him with no success, he truly is the Ultimate Demon King. Now the Inverse Forms have joined the fray, and as Marina pretty much revealed, Shido's inability to accept the hallucination of seeing Tohka die is going to make Inverse Tohka keep reviving, meaning she won't fall unless they destroy Choronzon himself.

And those without an Inverse Form to fight are stuck with copies of Rinne, although it wasn't an issue for Mukuro who just curb-stomped her Rinne copy. The reason for that is because these copies are limited by Shido's memories and what's within the memories of the Spirits he's sealed. Shido doesn't know anything about Mukuro, so her clone was pathetic because it didn't have any knowledge of how to combat her.

Likewise, Rinne was technically sealed by Shido, so her copy has the memory of her fight with Westcott and made her copy fight like he did. Luckily, she learned from her past and won. Also, how'd you like the surprise that Mildred was the one who created Mayuri? Neither of them knew this before now because Mayuri's body was still ooze at the time, and because Mayuri doesn't mention she was DEM's Material B.

The scare begins... Choronzon actually caused some casualties, and with how everyone saw Rinne and Rio, not to mention the people who definitely saw Choronzon's forming, the world's gonna start to know the truth after this battle if nothing covers it up. I'll let the next chapters answer that detail though :3 *giggles* Just what is Marina planning? Whatever it is, she's already gotten her hand on some of Inverse Miku's power.

I guess we'll all see those answers come soon enough as this epic battle continues. So, until next time everyone, and stay awesome ^^

Now here's the rankings for the non-Sephira Spirits, if you wonder how they compare to the Sephira Spirits? Aside from Rinne both nerfed and at full power (where she's above Mukuro on the upper list), they're all weaker than Yoshino.

1. Rinne - She's the First Spirit and immune to many of the other Spirits' powers, need I say more?
2. Mayuri - Her electricity, lightning and metal elements are quite versatile, as is their usage in conjunction with Kerubiel.
3. Marina - While the same as Maria aside from having poison powers that oppose her plant powers, Marina's an AI based on an Inverse Spirit.
4. Maria - With her incredible processing speed as an AI and being able to manipulate the growth of plant life, she's more dangerous than she looks.
5. Rio - She's biologically 5 years old and has no offensive powers, being a purely defensive Spirit.

There you go, and to anyone curious where Rinne ranks among the Sephira Spirits when she's nerfed, she's between Natsumi and the Yamai twins. While before the events of this chapter, Mayuri was in 4th place cause of her limited reservoir.

-Spirit Bond Levels & Passive Abilities-

Tohka - 99% ( Form a mana barrier automatically )

Origami - 95% ( Teleport Dodging )

Yoshino - 90% ( Dampen enemy territories )

Kotori - 92% ( Healing from fatal wounds minus losing his head, doesn't work on wounds caused by blunt force )

Kurumi - 87% ( Hide in his shadow, and only his )

Rinne - (Summon a weakened copy of Uriel)

Natsumi - 84% ( Transform into Shiori )

Kaguya - 78% ( Flight )

Yuzuru - 78% ( Weight Manipulation )