Date A Re:Live
S3 Chapter 66: Sephira Fury, Part 9
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]
Before we begin, time to sound the same warning as in the previous chapter.
WARNING! MINOR TO MAJOR SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 17, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
OK, now we can officially initiate the start notes. Last chapter, we had the threat of the Inverse Army appear as due to the forced Inversions, the same threat that was born in the Choronzon arc with the Inverse clones as manifested in the girls, and now the angry souls of the deceased Spirits are intent of hunting the Human race to extinction.
Mildred's revealed to have not died yet, but we're still on the wire, and she could still go either way at this rate. With only himself as Shiori to save Mukuro while the struggling Tohka tries to face herself and the others, Shiori has decided with approval from Mana to pay the ultimate sacrifice and play the ultimate gamble, now... we're about to see if luck's on Shiori's side, or if the Human race is finally going to meet their end.
Now to reply a guest review.
To Seeker213:
"Yeah, and ironically, I'd rank this danger as only second to the threat that the mutated Choronzon brought. This is because while wiping our Humanity isn't exactly a good thing, they're not trying to blow up the Earth like Choronzon had. Although, in terms of an actual threat if you generalize it... then this actually is the greatest threat this series has introduced. "
"And you are right, this is indeed a massive gamble, the seriousness of what Shido's doing was pretty much implied by Sandalphon being the only Angel who was afraid of even trying this. Worst of all, if he takes too long that it ends up failing, and then Tohka's inverse side takes her over the world is pretty much... I'm not sure if I can actually use the f-bomb in a T-Rated story, but that's pretty much what the world will be."
"That's actually a good question, and the answer to it? They'll likely stay, similar to the reason I'd be keeping their abilities. Aside from that, I don't expect us to see more Inverse Forms aside from Kurumi's for a while, and this story is near its end. If I ever need to have the others' Inverse Forms in another story, then I'll probably do that, provided I'm trying to stay close to canon, like with the Date Another Origin stories."
"OK, I'll say this about those suggestions, those are amazing, especially the first! Why have I never heard of this before! (Please, recommend more music, I honestly need to hear some new songs) Even better, the first one I can play almost immediately in this chapter! As for the last bit about the second song... yeah, I think it's pretty obvious at this point there's going to be at least one, isn't it? ^^;"
Well, we're about to see just what Shiori did, so hold on for the ride because... *pulls the start lever* here we go!
-Inverse Maria, Code Name: [Antinomy]-
Demon King: Leviathan - Opheniel's Demon King counterpart. It takes the form of its Angel counterpart, but if it had broken pieces, and spikes jutting from it. The only difference between it and Opheniel is that the plants it commands are withered, and incredibly untamed, not to mention unsafe for any species' consumption.
- Powers: Due to the nature of her Inverse Form's creation, Maria basically has the same powers as before, simply enhanced by the Inversion's use of Dark Reiryoku. Though due to the plants she makes being withered, they harm the environment more than they rejuvenate or restore it, not to mention they allow her to form a lot of dust.
Risk Factors: A
Spacequake: A
Spirit's Astral Dress: AA
Angel Rank: AA
Strength: 119
Consistency: 122
Spiritual Power: 198
Agility: 127
Intelligence: 121
Shiori looked to the purple sphere that was Sandalphon, and nodded her head, showing her resolve to go through with this.
[Alright, then I guess there's no going back, let my strength become yours for this one moment!]
Sandalphon soon entered the Uriel blades, and once she did, they both glowed like the sun as Shiori screamed loudly.
Mukuro stared in shock, seeing Shiori's transformation, while in another location, Mana felt her chest contract as less flashy experience happened to her. As Shiori feels the experience overwhelm her, she grits her teeth, trying to bear the pain.
"I swear, right here and now..." Shiori grunted, every muscle in her body burning.
Her eyes widened.
"...THAT I WILL SAVE EVERYONE!" She screamed.
"This... this power!" Mukuro gasped fearfully, shielding her eyes.
Deep within Shiori's body, the small bit of her Reiryoku began to shift and move fast, soon rippling at an accelerated rate.
- (* Stella Glow - Alto's Determination *) -
Eventually, the Reiryoku within her surged through, finding any traces of her Maryoku and compressing into it, with the power of the other sealed Spirits' Reiryoku converging with it around Shiori's mana core and beginning to flash between every color.
Tohka screams as she swings down from the sky, taking Inverse Rinne's brief distraction as a chance to knock her back. Luckily for the Inverted First Spirit, a bunch of withered tree roots created by Inverse Maria cushioned her landing.
"Ugh... how annoying you are, it will give me great pleasure to finish you soon enough." Inverse Rinne glared.
"You'll never... win against... me, so try and... fail!" Tohka panted.
Inverse Rinne grunted at that, and soon readied Choronzon again... only for her to hear some screams, and turned to see the others all holding their heads, their spirit auras all flickering a bit.
"What is this!?" Inverse Rinne gasped.
Soon, she felt the same pain and held her own head, a flashing between her usual form's pink and rainbow colored Reiryoku surrounding her.
Tohka looked at everyone in surprise, noticing her own purple aura, but not feeling any pain.
"This is... could it be?" Tohka wondered.
As everyone's spirit auras flicker, some of them began to change, with the non-Sephira Spirits feeling something in them burn.
Rinne's rainbow Reiryoku slowly vanished, Mayuri's began shifting to cyan, and Maria's began turning brown.
As Mana flew through the air with Mildred still in tow, and no member of the AST in sight, as she did, she began feeling her cyan aura fluctuate as she sensed her big sister's actions start resonating to her.
"It's happening, you can do it." Mana whispered, encouraging Shiori.
The color of Mana's aura soon shifted into a soothing violet.
Back in the Ratatoskr base, as everyone began watching, Reine suddenly held her chest, grunting as she felt a sudden pain.
"Commander Murasame!?" Shiizaki shouted worriedly.
"W-what's happening, why am I... feeling like this?" Reine gasped out.
Reine coughed heavily, collapsing onto her knees.
"Remember."
'Remember... what? I know who I am, don't I?' Reine thought, somehow calm compared her body's erratic state.
Within Shiori's mind, the sight of her form as Shido and Shiori both appeared, floating around something of a singularity that connected to her understanding and a link to her mana core as it began to shine slightly.
'Mom... Dad... Mana... Rio... Tohka... Kotori... Origami... Maria... Marina... Yoshino... Kurumi... Mayuri... Natsumi... Kaguya... Yuzuru... Miku... Nia... Mukuro... and everyone else, I will gladly make this choice without hesitation!' Shiori thought.
Soon enough, the representations of Shiori and Shido overlaid, and the Reiryoku within exploded throughout her body, soon moving away from Shiori's mana core, and revealing the sign that she was no longer Half-Human, Half Spirit, but a full Spirit...
...a clear colored Sephira Crystal replacing the spot her mana core used to live.
"...This is it." Shiori declared.
Outside of her body, Shiori's glow faded as her golden eyes shined more than ever, and heavy, nearly crystalline ripples, that represented her clear colored Reiryoku surrounded her. The Astral Dress that formed around her was based on an extraordinary, exquisite and unique tomboy outfit.
As she stood before her, Mukuro uncovered her eyes and saw it.
"What did... you do?" Mukuro asked, tears in her eyes.
"I was always different from the other Spirits, I had been a Spirit, but part of me was human. However, the Spirits that exist now are no different than humans who have just evolved... and so I took both halves and made them one." Shiori explained.
Mukuro's eyes widened slightly.
"As of this moment... I am truly a Spirit, one who's power represents the bonds with everyone I care for!" She exclaimed.
"This is the sacrifice I've made so I can save you, Mukuro!" She shouted.
Mukuro gasped, shaking a bit as she gripped onto Belphegor tighter.
"Save... me?" Mukuro whimpered.
Mukuro screamed, and soon enough, Shiori felt herself flung across a building as the Dimensional Spirit used her Waqui ability against her.
Once she got herself on her feet, her aura briefly flowed orange before turning both Uriel blades into the Yamai twins' Raphael bows, and launch herself forward, surprising Mukuro as she got close again.
"You're in pain, so much pain you can only think of running away like before, but this time... I won't let you feel you're alone and claim you don't deserve happiness!" Shiori screamed.
"No... go away... alone... I should stay alone, that's all I deserve." Mukuro cried, raising Belphegor up.
"Fahui - Unleash!"
Mukuro's body assumes an Inverse version of her Shifuru technique, but to Shiori's horror, she screamed in pain the moment it manifested... it was like this version of the ability was harming her, and she was letting it harm her!
Mukuro, still under the excruciating pain, aimed Belphegor in its halberd state towards Shiori, and this time Shiori saw she was crying tears of blood.
"Yanmo - Annihilation!"
"Mukuro... I get it now... why you're so insistent on hurting yourself." Shiori whispered.
As the wave of decomposed Reiryoku flies after her, Shiori dispels the two Raphael bows and to Mukuro's surprise, manifests Rio's Eden to block the attack. As the Angel was considered a living thing, the attack couldn't break it.
"You're just so innocent, you could never understand right or wrong between your actions, all because you just wanted to feel love. The reason why..." Shiori stated, a sad look in her eyes.
She formed Raziel and after whispering a question, the Angel showed her Mukuro's memories.
"Because the people that should have showed you love never gave you it, and you felt you lost it with your adopted family, so much you never realized they felt more in the wrong for realizing you just didn't know, and now... you feel you don't deserve love you're punish yourself, hurting yourself even." Shiori stated, tears in her eyes.
"I will not let you feel it, not anymore, do you hear me Mukuro!?" She exclaimed.
Mukuro shook a bit, crying more, but she shook her head.
"I don't deserve it, not after what I did!" Mukuro screamed.
Mukuro fired more beams at Shiori, causing the newly evolved Spirit to rush around the volley of attacks, trying to near her.
"That's not true Mukuro, and I'll make you see it, because..." Shiori shouted.
- I won't let you make that face again! -
Shiori slashed through another beam using Camael.
"...I will not reject you!"
Mukuro's eyes shake at that, but she soon shakes her head, unable to believe it.
"I want to believe you, but... I just can't!" Mukuro cried.
"Then I'll make you believe, throw everything you can at me, but know this... there's no way I won't make it to you!" Shiori exclaimed.
- I won't let you cry again! -
Shiori held up her hand, freezing some debris Mukuro flung at her.
"Because I'm here to save you!" She shouted
- I won't let you feel alone again! -
"And like I said one for, because just like everyone else... I love you!" She screamed.
Mukuro's eyes go blank at that, the declaration echoing in her ears.
"That's why, I'll prove that no matter what happens, I'll reach you!"
- (*insert song end*) -
Shiori rushed at Mukuro, the shocked Inverse Spirit holding Belphegor shakily, but as Shiori neared her...
"Guh!" Shiori gasped.
Shiori suddenly covered her mouth, slightly vomiting some blood as slight Dark Reiryoku began to pour off her body, making Inverse Mukuro gasp.
'Oh no, it's happening... what mom warned me about!' Shiori thought, coughing as she did.
Within the earliest week of everyone's training before the attempt to contact Mukuro, the Takamiya siblings were both looking at their mother as Rinne, with Rio watching from the side as she ate a large rice ball.
"Wait, you're saying that I could make me and Mana become full-fledged Spirits?" Shido asked in surprise.
"Really?" Mana replied.
Rinne nodded, looking at the two closely.
"While I didn't start as one myself, the Spirits have pretty much become evolved humans, I myself gained a touch of emotion via Rio when she saved me and boom. Although, I guess that I'm not that different, so that could be just my view-" Rinne answered.
"Mom, focus." Mana interrupted, a sweat drop on her face.
Rinne blushed, chuckling a little.
"Sorry about that. OK, my main point is the mana core in each of you is pretty much like an infant Sephira Crystal, and since Shido has a mass amount of Reiryoku in him, he could have the other spirits channel it to help the core mature into one." Rinne explained.
"And... how does that work with me exactly?" Mana asked confused.
"Because of the link you have with Shido being his Spirit Ascension, that indirectly connects the process to you." Rinne answered.
Mana's jaw dropped, leading to Rio to close it.
"Whoa... that's kinda nifty." Mana responded.
"However, I should warn you, I don't feel entirely safe with you doing this. At least, not before we seal Mukuro, without all 10 Sephira Spirits there's a huge worry I have." Rinne sighed, beginning the bad news.
Rio raised her hand, getting Rinne's attention.
"What is it, Rio?" Rinne asked.
"I'm confused why we have different classifications, don't we all have Sephira Crystals?" Rio asked.
Rinne blinks at that.
"Uh... hey Reine, did you never explain the Tree of Life to Rio!?" Rinne called out.
"No, I kept forgetting whenever she ran off while in her younger form, and then I just forgot entirely!" Reine shouted back.
"OK!" Rinne shouted in return.
Rinne chuckles, blushing in embarrassment as she looked at her youngest daughter.
"Well Rio, this is kinda related to why you and I don't have Inverse Forms, or Mayuri, or the Arusu sisters." Rinne answered.
"You see Rio, the Sephira Crystals belonging to Shido's harem are more special cause they weren't born within us, they were transferred to them, and they represent a concept in the human world known as the Tree of Life, namely the Sephirot." She explained.
Rio blinked, and soon Mana pulled up a picture on her phone, showing her.
"That's a tree?" Rio asked.
"A representation technically, but the Angels they have match these circles, which are called the Sephira."
"...Oooh! I get it now, that's why we call them that." Rio smiled.
Rinne giggles a bit, soon clearing her throat.
"OK, re-railing the train of thought here, the reason why I'm worried about you doing this before you seal Mukuro is because, well... because your Reiryoku would be something like yours and theirs at ones, so if one of the girls entered her Inverse Form..." Reine continued.
"...We could do the same?" Mana finished.
"Yeah, not instantly, maybe around 20 minutes or so, but you most likely would. I don't know if you'll ever need to actually use this, but if the situation ever does, promise you only use it as an absolute last resort." Rinne reasoned.
Rinne held out both hands to her older children.
"Deal?" She requested.
"Deal." Both replied, shaking them.
Shiori wiped the blood away, regaining her bearings.
'I can feel it, the Dark Reiryoku's starting to take over, I've only got 15 more minutes before me and Mana will end up like the others, and then Tohka's gonna be on her own... if she loses to the will of the Spirits within her we're toast.' Shiori thought.
'I have to do it, within the time left, I will save Mukuro and everyone else!' She thought, filled with determination.
Shiori summons both of Zafkiel's guns, and began rushing at Mukuro.
Mana soon feels the same effects as Shiori, and quickly lands as she coughs out blood as well, quickly shaking off the effects of some dark violet Reiryoku ebbing off her body, wearing an astral dress similar to Shiori's, bit a bit more girly since she didn't have a male persona to switch between.
"Dang it, I don't think I can make it back like this, I can't find any secret entrances. No choice, I'll have to let them come to me instead." Mana said to herself, tapping her headset.
"This is Mana here, can't find my way back, I'm not feeling so hot and I can't find an entrance that still works, I need the AST to come to me instead." Mana stated.
Mana blinks, tapping her headset again.
"Sorry, we're here!" Kannazuki screamed.
Mana holds her ear from the sudden volume.
"Why'd you scream in my ear, and what made you take a while to answer anyways?" Mana winced, rubbing said ear.
"It's the Commander, she just suddenly collapsed!" Kannazuki answered.
"What? Is Aunt Reine alright, what happened!?" Mana panicked.
"We don't know, but we-wait, why were you contacting us?" Kannazuki replied, then questioned.
Mana's eyes widen.
"Oh right! Well, you might have noticed, but Shiori did what my mom told her about becoming a full Spirit, but the process has started to weaken me, I need the AST to come over or I won't be able to get Mildred help in time!" Mana explained.
"The others have had trouble getting out too, the entrances were all blocked off form the debris, we're looking for a spot where we can force a hole outside without causing a collapse on us, try to wait just a bit longer, OK?" Kannazuki replied.
Mana sighs, then nods.
"OK, but just know I only have less than 15 minutes, otherwise the AST's gonna face me in my Inverse Form, and have them bring the medical equipment with them." Mana answered.
"Right, will do!" Kannazuki replied.
As he hung up, Mana sighed a bit... only to suddenly widen her eyes as something passes by her, slashing across her back as she fell forward.
'What... just... happened!?' Mana gasped.
Mana collapsed on the ground, with Chinami smirking once she got to cover behind a building, looking at the dark violet sample of energy on the special extraction sword she held in her hand.
Closing in on the edge of the destruction, the glowing lights from before slowly got closer, and while still failing to form as usual... this time they refused to flicker out and stayed strong as they got closer.
"R..n..."
The one light slowed down, but soon grunted before pushing forward to go faster.
"Rinne... I'm coming, please... Rinne!"
"Reine..."
The other light followed, supporting the one in front of it.
"The time is near Reine, the truth... I hope you can understand it..."
Kannazuki turns to the others, everyone looking at Reine, her face showing signs of a fever as she laid near-unconscious on the floor for reasons no one could understand.
"I don't get it, what's wrong with her?" Haruko wondered.
"She's looking flushed, but her temperature's normal, none of the medical equipment says anything is wrong, and yet..." Ren added, biting the nail on his left point finger.
Reine breathed heavier, coughing more as she laid on the ground, and Artemisia soon ran by and saluted.
"We've found a safe structure to blast through, we're intending to go aid Mana and Tohka now!" Artemisia stated.
"Alright, we'll watch over the commander." Minowa replied.
"Get some medical equipment and take it with you, I think Mana implied we don't have the time to bring her back here anymore." Kannazuki brought up.
Artemisia nods.
"Right!" Artemisia replied.
Artemisia rushes to the others, and as that was happening, something else raced through Reine's head.
"I'm so lucky you're my big brother, and so glad I got to meet you."
'Why does that line... sound so different now?' Reine thought.
Tohka rushes forward with a shout, swinging down Paverschlev and gouging into the city as the other Inverse Spirits all attack her at once, countering the attack before her attack's Dark Reiryoku dispersed, making her grit her teeth.
"You're at your limit, just give up!" Inverse Rinne demanded.
"No, I'll never give you what you want, I won't lose to you!" Tohka screamed.
At that moment, Tohka felt herself shake again as her eyes flashed, starting to pant as Inverse Rinne frowned.
"You say that, but the evidence speaks the contrary." Inverse Rinne scolded.
'No, don't let it take over Tohka, you can... you can hold on!' Tohka panted, tightening her grip on Paverschlev.
Inverse Rinne turned to the others.
"End her charade, this farce has gone on long enough." Inverse Rinne ordered.
Tohka readied herself, but was suddenly constricted as Inverse Mayuri constricted her in some kind of metal bindings, making her realize how close she got to some of the debris. Inverse Mayuri zoomed at her, and soon put a hand out, and Tohka screamed as she was electrocuted with the powerful lightning.
Wobbling a bit, the Energy Spirit coughed before she saw the others rush at her. Inverse Origami and Inverse Yoshino blasted their respective elements at her, and Tohka was thrown across the ground before Inverse Kotori appeared above her.
"Time to burn, you bitch! Inverse Kotori shouted excitedly.
Tohka screamed as the fiery axe of Asmodeus slammed down on her, leaving a crater where she was hit. Inverse Kotori jumped out of the way before the Inverse Yamai twins fired Adramelech's arrows at her, making the pummeled Spirit scream even more.
'I... I need to... regain my ground-' Tohka thought.
Suddenly, she felt her inverse half trying to manifest again, and once again she forced it back with her rage.
Using that opening, Inverse Miku releases a Sonic scream, and Inverse Maria creates a withered plant wall so Tohka has to take the entire attack without the recoil lessening it in the slightest.
"Now, fall once and for all, ha!" Inverse Rinne yelled.
Tohka was shot through the withered vine wall, her eyes losing their light as the force of the attack send her flying and onto the ground, and then went still.
"...She's lost consciousness, her fight against us has failed, now let's take care of those two Half-Human bastards." Inverse Rinne declared.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think so.
The Inverse Spirits all turned to look for the source of the voice, and before any of them could react... Inverse Rinne, the Inverse Arusu sisters, Inverse Rio and Inverse Mayuri all suddenly had a slash appear on one of their two sides, and keeled over slightly.
"What!? Who did that, show yourself!" Inverse Rinne growled.
Chinami however did not listen, hiding behind part of the building debris with good cover, and looking at the sword holding the Inverse samples she had collected.
'I've got them all, and based on what that one brat did, I don't even need to get hers, Westcott should be able to make it himself as long as I have the others.'
Chinami tapped her headset.
"Sir Westcott, this is Chinami speaking, I've completed my mission with one additional sample." Chinami alerted.
"Oh, how did that happen?" Westcott answered.
Chinami chuckled a bit.
"It seems that we can't say there's 16 Spirits and two Half-Spirits anymore, but 18 Spirits. Seems those two brats did something to shatter that half status." Chinami answered.
"I see, then you must have one-" Westcott commented.
"No need, based on what I gathered, as long as we have the other 17, you can make your own. It probably wouldn't work unless tailored to the individual." Chinami corrected.
Westcott hummed over the phone.
"Alright, I'll take the samples you have now, keep watch the area." Westcott stated.
"As you wish, I'll keep an eye out on-" Chinami answered.
Suddenly, part of her CR-Unit beeped, confusing the Adeptus 3 Wizard as she took a look at it.
"...Seems you made a right call, I think my previous report may have a slight error if this isn't a malfunction I just received." Chinami said, glaring at the info before her.
With Tohka's mind, she feels herself flung onto the wall before Inverse Tohka smashes Nahemah into her, shattering her Astral Dress, and breaking Sandalphon to pieces, before she tumbled onto the ground, only shreds of her destroyed Astral Dress covering her.
Seeing she had one, Inverse Tohka walked up to her normal counterpart, and raised her Demon King into the air.
"It is over, and now we must end this." Inverse Tohka stated, giving a fierce look as she prepared to murder Tohka.
Nahemah's blade began to have Dark Reiryoku swirl around it.
"You've gotten in my way enough times, and now I can finally end it, finally purge you and take your form to enact our revenge." Inverse Tohka spat out.
"Is that... really all you can think about, killing people who were never involved?" Tohka asked, struggling to get up.
Inverse Tohka grit her teeth.
"Shut the hell up, or I'll make this slow and painful!" Inverse Tohka sneered.
The inverse counterpart raised her blade, ready to do the deed.
"Finally, I'll be free of your restraint forever!" Inverse Tohka shouted.
"So, are you saying you know that this body will still survive if you kill me, is that it?" Tohka asked.
Suddenly, Inverse Tohka stopped her swing inches from Tohka's face, a look of surprise on confusion on her face.
- (* Stella Glow - Alto's Determination *) -
"...What?" Inverse Tohka asked, sweating a bit.
"How do you know that if you kill me, this body won't die with it? I may be a Spirit now, but it's because of the Sephira Crystal, this body was born human, so no matter what you do... that is an irrefutable fact!" Tohka exclaimed.
Inverse Tohka's eyes widened, and her body shook as the undeniable truth stood before her, as Tohka had just said to her, the very reason Tohka had even become a Spirit and have given her the form she had now? It was because she had been born a human who could accept the crystal.
Seeing her chance, Tohka got up, and her Astral Dress reformed, scaring the Inverse counterpart as she held up Nahemah defensively, only for her to notice Tohka didn't call Sandalphon out alongside her Astral Dress.
"What are you doing, stay back!" Inverse Tohka stated nervously.
"More than that, the only reason you're even still living is through the Sephira Crystal bonding to me, all the dead souls making you would never get to experience being alive again." Tohka stated, a determined look on her face.
Inverse Tohka sweats a bit, suddenly losing all her confidence and courage.
"But most of all, when Rio gave all of us the Sephira Crystals, there was something she always did... she asked us after telling us the danger, and we accepted that fact!" Tohka shouted.
"We never had any reason, but we still chose to take that burden, and yet you still want Humanity to die when by all means it was us who let you even get to live again!?" Tohka asked, glaring deeper.
Inverse Tohka's eyes widened heavily, Nahemah dropping to the ground as the words rang through her body like a shot to the heart.
"I... no that, it's... don't talk like you know me or what we've all been through, you're just a naive fool!" Inverse Tohka screeched.
"...Yeah, I am." Tohka admitted.
"Huh?" Inverse Tohka wondered.
Tohka breathed, and looked at Inverse Tohka, and at that moment she realize something from the expression she was showing her.
"However, even if I am naive, stupid, dumb or just an idiot who doesn't know what she's doing, I know this much... your face, it looks so sad." Tohka said in a sympathetic tone.
Inverse Tohka flinched a bit, and stepped back further as if to deny it.
However, Tohka refused to let her, for only one reason...
"You saw it once before, Shido's father was a Human who showed you a way, and he fought for you, and for Rinne, when Westcott took all your lives and realized he himself was nothing more than a pawn in his schemes!" Tohka exclaimed.
Inverse Tohka tried to reply, but was stopped as Tohka's eyes silenced her, her eyes showing no fear and scaring her info silence.
"There's always a chance to start over, to become better than you were the day before!" Tohka shouted.
"I... I..." Inverse Tohka muttered.
- You are not a slave to your hatred! -
Tohka breathed in, and shouted louder.
"You've lost your way, because you don't know what else to do, but that doesn't mean someone can help you, and you don't have to be alone anymore!" She hollered.
- You are not a slave to your despair! -
"Because... because even if the entire world rejects you, that doesn't change the fact that "I" accept you!" Tohka exclaimed, echoing Shido's words.
"W-why... why would you say something like that, what would make you accept someone like me, someone who's tried killing you before now!?" Inverse Tohka shouted angrily.
Inverse Tohka suddenly gasped as Tohka had gotten right in front of her, and before she knew it... Tohka hugged her, causing her expression to show confusion.
"Don't you get it, you are me, we're... we're both Tohka Yatogami, not accepting you, not accepting what's become my darkness... is no different than refusing to accept myself." Tohka answered, smiling.
Inverse Tohka's eyes shook, surprised at what she heard.
Up until now... she had tried to murder Tohka, make her suffer, gave her nothing but pain, technically fought against her through Choronzon and even tried to make her become who she was, and yet Tohka refused to hate her.
Looking towards Tohka, her face now seemingly without the anger born of her hatred, a single question escaped her mouth.
"You really... you really won't reject me, even after all I've done to you?" Inverse Tohka asked, her voice trembling.
"Just like Shido did for me when I lost my memories, no matter what, because I know you're not like Westcott, nor was everyone who made you."
With that, Inverse Tohka's eyes finally began shedding tears, she had won when it came to swords... but Tohka had hit her with an even stronger weapon, the feeling of acceptance.
She couldn't hold onto her hate anymore, and she hugged Tohka back as she sobbed out 30 years of tears that never got to be shed.
- (*insert song end*) -
"I don't get it, how can... how can people like you exist, people willing to forgive!?" Inverse Tohka asked, still crying.
"Because, we keep moving forward, and now you can to." Tohka smiled.
Suddenly, within Tohka's mental landscape, she notices a familiar shine she hadn't seen for a long time.
"That light... can it be?" Tohka gasped.
"I remember that, it's the same light that appeared when you faced Choronzon." Inverse Tohka stated.
At that moment, Tohka gasped.
She had finally realized it, why she's never been able to use the Ethereal Shift since the first time.
"I get it now..." Tohka breathed.
"Huh?" Inverse Tohka.
"The form may have been of hope, but just like I never Inverted of my free will... it wasn't just my hope that mattered!" Tohka exclaimed.
Tohka looked at her Inverse Form.
"The taint of Inversion, and the imbuing of the Ethereal Shift, both of them are part of the Sephira Crystal... you too needed hope! Shiori, Mana, everyone... hang on, because I finally have a chance to save us all!" Tohka smiled.
"Huh?" Inverse Tohka blinked.
Tohka looked at her confused Inverse half, and held out a hand to the latter's surprise.
"Come on, let's reclaim our future, and make sure Westcott can never hurt anyone else like he did to you." Tohka offered.
Inverse Tohka looked at Tohka's hand, and slowly moved it near her, after hesitating slightly... she accepted the hand.
"...I believe in you, so show me that I'm right to, Tohka Yatogami." Inverse Tohka stated.
Inverse Rinne and the others never noticed Chinami, and she soon grit her teeth.
"Forget this, we've got something that actually matters to take care of." Inverse Rinne stated.
"Yeah, let's get that Half-Human filth, she's not long before she ends up on our side!" Inverse Kotori smirked.
Shiori rushed after Mukuro, holding Sandalphon and Eden in her hands.
"I can... make it, there's still enough time left." Shiori panted.
She was on her last 2 minutes, and Mukuro's attempts to fight against her seemed to have had the Dimensional Spirit begin doubting her actions, causing her to close down.
Taking the chance, Shiori flew forward and morphed back to Shido, intending to finally do the deed and seal her powers... only for a bunch of withered vines to grab his legs to his horror.
"I'm sorry, but we can let you do that." Inverse Maria stated.
"Oh, and we're not risking waiting 2 minutes, so I think I'll just hit... fast forward!" Inverse Kurumi shouted.
Inverse Kurumi fires a bullet, accelerating time around Shido and expending the rest of his time limit.
Shido began to scream, Dark Reiryoku coming off him as the Inverse taint's power began to overwhelm his senses and take over.
"No, I didn't make it, I'm... sorry everyone!" Shido apologized, before he started slipping away.
Mana waited by Mildred, panting a bit as she felt the effects catch up to her.
"Come on, you can make it, please..." Mana pleaded.
Soon enough, she turned to hear the sound of an engine running, and turned to see Artemisia, Mikie and Katie drive into view in the Sleipnir, the car carrying the medical equipment in the back.
"Hey Mana, are we too late!?" Katie called out.
"They're here, just in time..." Mana smiled, still panting slightly.
They land by Mildred, and soon notice the wound.
"Oh my god, that's bad, and she's still alive after that!?" Mikie gasped.
"Yeah, but not for long, and there's a good chance she'll need a good jolt to the heard." Artemisia added.
"I've been using my powers to try, I'm not sure how much it helped, but hopefully it gave her a chance..." Mana stated
Mana got up, starting to slowly walk somewhere else.
"Mana?" Mikie questioned.
"It's just out of safety, I don't know if-" Mana answered.
Suddenly, Mana's eyes widen, screaming as she held her head to the others' surprise, and then the sight of Dark Reiryoku began ebbing off her.
"Oh no, this isn't good, I'll try to knock her back to reality while you treat and protect Mildred!" Artemisia warned.
Artemisia put the clear card to her head, summoning the Saurian CR-Unit which had the appearance of bulky green and armor, actual wings for the flight realizer, a sword designed like a brontosaur's head and neck, and the left-handed cannon weapon looked like a mouth.
Mana began to growl, breathing heavily as she turned around to look at Artemisia, her eyes having turned from gold to a dark red color as her hands cackled with unstable looking violet energy, and Mikie noticed it looked like Rinne's but more erratic.
"Mana, this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you, and probably because it will barely nick you." Artemisia apologized.
Artemisia opens up the Saurian's arm cannon, and fires a blast at Mana, the inverted Takamiya held out her hand with the unstable energy, and the strongest Ratatoskr wizard paled as she saw the attack be annihilated, causing a small ring-shaped mark from the recoil around Mana.
"What... the freaking... hell!?" Katie asked shocked.
"I think she has an element now, but which one?" Artemisia wondered, gulping a bit.
"...It's the opposite of her mother's, it looks just like hers but unstable, and if her mother can create using the element of Ether, then what's opposite of that?" Mikie answered, and then questioned.
Katie thought on it, and then gasped.
"Void, which can also be called Annihilation!" Katie sweated in fear.
"And I intend to destroy you filthy Humans with every bit of it." Inverse Mana said darkly.
Inverse Mana gathered Reiryoku into her hands, preparing to attack.
As the Inverse Spirits watch Shido fall to his Inversion's influence.
"And now all have turned against Humanity, our day is now-" Inverse Rinne stated, smirking at the sight before her.
Tohka's foot stomped on the ground, catching Inverse Rinne's attention as turned around.
Tohka's eyes were shadowed, and she slowly walked towards the group.
"Oh, it seems you've finally woken up, I hope you're ready for-" Inverse Rinne asked.
"Rinne, I think you should know something about Humans." Tohka answered, suddenly smiling.
Inverse Rinne's eyes widened at that, showing surprise.
"Huh, what's with you, why are you suddenly interested in humans?" Inverse Natsumi asked.
"Yeah, unless it's how you can torture or brutally kill them, then we're-" Inverse Nia added.
Inverse Rinne held out a hand near them.
"...What's going on, why haven't you lost control of your form yet!?" Inverse Rinne seethed.
The other Inverse Spirits all looked in shock as Tohka raised her head, revealing her eyes were still her own, rather than Inverse Tohka's... or so they thought.
- (*Fairy Fencer F - Full Contact, Instrumental*) -
Tohka giggled a bit, causing all of them to look at her oddly.
"Why would I lose control, when..." Tohka asked, beginning her shared response.
"...we're one in the same." Inverse Tohka finished.
Inverse Rinne's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, recognizing Inverse Tohka's voice.
"What, why are you aiding her!?" Inverse Rinne screamed.
"Because... I want to believe in her, she told me she wouldn't reject me, I can't find it in myself to hate Humanity when its them that's allowed us to live once again!" Inverse Tohka shouted.
"And now, it's time we fight together, Shido... don't worry, your effort wasn't in vain!" Tohka exclaimed.
Tohka raised Nahemah into the air, and within her mind, both halves of Tohka slowly moved into the same spot, soon glowing brightly.
"Our power together, as one!" Both exclaimed.
"Ethereal... SHIFT!"
At that moment, Dark Reiryoku escaped from Tohka's body, before changing from dark purple to a bright purple as it changed into Light Reiryoku, causing everyone who saw it to gasp in shock at the sight.
Tohka screamed as she floated into the air and transformed, illuminating the area. As she did, the Dark Reiryoku being emitted by Shido suddenly broke away, and he felt his mind regain its grasp before turning to see Tohka's transformation.
"That light... Tohka, is that what I think it is?" Shido gasped.
Artemisia was struck back, the Saurian smoking at the heavy damage it took from Inverse Mana's attacks, and soon she felt herself grabbed by the face as the inverted Takamiya prepared to deal the final blow.
"...Huh?" Inverse Mana wondered.
Suddenly, Inverse Mana screamed as the Dark Reiryoku powering her slowly faded away, causing Mana to return to normal, blinking at the scene before her.
"I'm... back in control, what just happened?" Mana wondered.
"What happened?" Katie wondered.
Mikie looked to the side, and gasped as she saw something.
"Look over there!" Mikie shouted.
The four looked, seeing the bright light Tohka was creating.
Everyone in Ratatoskr stared, and Shiizaki soon noticed the readings they had received.
"I knew it, that's definitely a [Category-S], we've finally seen it again..." Shiizaki breathed, amazed to see the phenomena again.
"She did it, she Ethereal Shifted, that's my little girl!" Sakura cried happily.
Without anyone even realizing it, Reine had suddenly disappeared and began walking towards the location of the battle, and the Spirits.
"Go to the light Reine, trust me, you need to be there."
"Isamu..." Reine breathed, trudging forwards towards the light.
Tohka's voice was still heard screaming as the Inverse Spirits felt the force, most of them being pushed away.
"What the hell is going on here!?" Inverse Rinne demanded.
Finally, after a long period of a transformation, the Light Reiryoku swallowed itself into Tohka as she slowly lowered to the ground, having successfully achieved her Ethereal Form like she had during the fight with Choronzon. However, this time her Ethereal Form was different, almost as if it had become... complete in a sense, all due to her efforts in achieving it without Seigo's aid.
Her original form after her Ethereal Shift had become a mixture of her Inverse and normal forms, almost as if to represent how Tohka wouldn't be able to understand how to use it again after defeating Choronzon with it.
"Whoa..." Tohka breathed, seeing her real Ethereal Form.
- (*insert song end*) -
Her true Ethereal Form had the same general color scheme of white, crystal-platinum that gave an iridescent sheen, and a bright vivid purple, but contained more resemblance to her Inverse Form than it had before, and there were some notable differences.
Her signature butterfly ribbon had become slightly longer, and gained a more graceful shape to it, curving slightly in some areas, giving it a soft appearance that represented the beauty of a rare butterfly. Her shoulder guards were more rounded, with a pair of purple streams made of light parting into two near the end attached to the rim closest to her shoulder, the biggest surprise being her shoulder guards having sleeves of light attached to the bottom rims, reaching halfway down her upper arm.
Alongside her white fingerless gloves were her petal-like cuffs, but they bent slightly towards her hands, making them seem more like blooming petals, with their gradient getting lighter near the top. The middle area of her outfit was mostly the same, still mostly being Inverse Tohka's midriff revealing outfit, but with the sections actually connecting and having some cloth of light form in between, only stopping at the area below her breasts.
The part by her waist was still stretched out to look more like gym shorts than barely covering her unmentionables, but had stretched out a bit into the shape of a small skirt as her ballgown skirt went only slightly above it, and had mainly become focused to the sides and the back, with the back area slightly shorter than the sides, and the same streams as her shoulder guards but large on the sides.
Finally, the petal-like extensions on the sides of Tohka's skirt had shifted sideways, with the petals pointing behind her and now taking a shape like some of the petals of a lily flower, and the larger yet sleeker version of her Inverse Form's boosts.
"No, impossible... how can this be!?" Inverse Rinne gasped.
"Come to me, Shekhinah!" Tohka exclaimed.
Soon the more noble and legendary looking version of Nahemah, only in Sandalphon's color scheme with some white added in, manifested in Tohka's hands as she readied herself against Inverse Rinne.
As she looked towards the Inverse Spirit before her, Tohka gave a determined smile.
"Get ready, its time you learn you can never extinguish are hope!" Tohka exclaimed.
Finally, the answer to how to enter the Ethereal Form has been revealed! It doesn't just take the hope of the Spirit to initiate it, because when the Spirits undergo an Inversion, it's not just their despair, but the despair of the souls that form the consciousness within each of them reacting. So, by giving hope to the Sandalphon region Spirits' collective consciousness, Tohka has finally gained true access to it.
Even better? Because she did it on her own, rather than being a recolored fusion of both her Astral Dresses, it takes cues from her Inverse Form and shifts it into something more hopeful, heroic, and able to reassure those in doubt. By extension, since Tohka is no longer in her Inverse Form, she managed to counter the main worry Rinne had about Shido and Mana assuming full Spirit status because there's some hope to relegate the despair.
Now, you might be wondering what was with the whole thing about some of the Spirits' having their Reiryoku coloration changed? Unfortunately, I can't explain that just yet because it's a spoiler. So, for right now, let's just say that aside from the Sephira Spirits, the others' powers weren't properly aligned, but what Shido did helped as Step 1 in fixing them. Also, hooray, Mana's finally got some elemental powers ^^
Reine's certainly starting to get more involved, and now there's the question of just what's literally going through her head right now, though it seems Isamu seems more involved than Seigo. Chinami's seem to notice something odd as well, hmm... well, things have taken a turn for this arc, and the only thing I can say about it is that we're still only at the start :3
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^
-Inverse Marina, Code Name: [Infection]-
Demon King: Mammon - Sarufiel 's Demon King counterpart. It takes the form of its Angel counterpart, but with markings resembling that of data chips, only more jagged. The only difference between it and Sarufiel is that Marina isn't limited to one phase of poison, or using one kind of venom in general.
- Powers: Due to the nature of her Inverse Form's creation, Marina basically has the same powers as before, simply enhanced by the Inversion's use of Dark Reiryoku. However, one notable use of her ability to use multiple poisons is she can now mix them, causing them to become much deadlier as it makes getting the right antidote a problem, but also causes anyone poisoned by such mixtures to gain a strong immunity to poisons.
Risk Factors: S
Spacequake: AA
Spirit's Astral Dress: AA
Angel Rank: A
Strength: 159
Consistency: 118
Spiritual Power: 185
Agility: 197
Intelligence: 135
-Spirit Bond Levels & Passive Abilities-
Tohka - 100%, MAX (Form a mana barrier automatically)
Origami - 99% (Teleport Dodging)
Yoshino - 99% (Dampen enemy territories)
Kotori - 99% (Healing from fatal wounds minus losing his head, doesn't work on wounds caused by blunt force)
Kurumi - 99% (Hide in his shadow, and only his)
Rinne - (Summon a weakened copy of Uriel)
Natsumi - 99% (Transform into Shiori)
Kaguya - 99% (Flight)
Yuzuru - 99% (Weight Manipulation)
Miku - 99% (Pain Reliever)
Maria - (Restore dying/withered/dead vegetation and plant life)
Marina - (Remove toxins or other harmful substances, either from a living creature or an object)
Rio - (Create a soothing aura of Reiryoku to reduce a sealed Spirit's anger)
Mana - (Allow Mana to use Spirit Ascension at its weakest level without Angels)
Nia - 99% (Photographic Memory)