Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date A Live
"Yoshino" Speaking normally
"Yoshinon" Speaking mentally or flashback
"Zadkiel" Summoning Astral Dress/Angel or using special skill/ability
Shido's POV
I wake up feeling rain falling down on me. Rain? Wasn't there a fire just a moment ago?
"Big brother!" I hear Kotori call me and look to see-
"Kotori, why are you naked!?" I shout in shock at seeing my little sister wearing nothing.
"Huh?" Kotori looks confused for a moment before looking down at herself, and then her becomes as red as a tomato from embarrassment. She screms as she tries her best to cover herself. "My big brother saw me naked! I can't get married anymore!"
I run up to her while trying to think of a way to cover her up, but then I look up and see a light in the sky, with a bunch of floating objects surrounding it. Wait... is it aimed at us!?
I quickly hug Kotori close to me as the light is fired at us. I thought we were going to die... but then I feel something shove of away. I barely had enough time to make out a green rabbit-themed raincoat before the person was engulfed by a beam of light.
Third POV
"NO!" Shido shoots up with a scream.
He was taking deep breaths in a panic. 'I just saw someone die in my dream! And they died saving me and Kotori...' He thought.
Taking a moment to calm myself, I look around and see that I'm in an infirmary.
"You must've had a bad dream to wake up like that."
Shido hears a voice and turn to see a sleepy-looking woman who looked to be in her late twenties. She has shoulder-length hair done up in a loose ponytail and is wearing a well-fitted, military style suit. Peeking out of the breast pocket of her uniform is a small, ratty teddy bear covered in old stitching.
"W-Who are you?" He asks.
"I'm the Analysis Officer here, Reine Murasame." The woman introduces herself.
"And where is 'here'?"
"Fraxinus' sickbay. We found you unconscious in the aftermath of the Spacequake and brought you here."
The moment she mentions the Spacequake, Shido panics as memories come back to him. "That's right! I was looking for Kotori when the Spacequake happened! Then there was some girl in armor standing in the crater where it happened, and then more girls came and mech suits and started attacking her... I must've lost consciousness during the battle."
Reine listens to Shido's explanation and simply says "Follow me", before leaving the sickbay. See that he had no other options, he follows her.
As he follows her, he can't help but think back to the dream he had while unconscious. Who was the girl in the dream that saved him and Kotori from that beam of light? Is she even still alive? Who even fired that beam at them? Why the heck was Kotori naked in that dream!?
They go down a long hallway to a mechanical door that she opens after letting it scan her eyes. The door slid open to reveal what could only be described as the bridge of a ship, complete with crew working away at terminals. Shido follows Reine as she walks in, and the doors quickly slide shut behind him.
"I've brought him with me." She reports, and in response, a tall man with blonde hair and European features steps down from the captain's area, regarding them with a smile.
"Taking you for taking care of him." The man thanks Reine before looking at Shido. "Hello there. My name is Kyouhei Kannazuki. I'm the Vice Commander around here. Pleased to meet you."
"...Nice to meet you too, sir." Shido greet back. The professional air of these people was helping him calm down somewhat. 'At least I can confirm that these people, whoever they are, aren't some ragtag band of terrorists.' He thought.
The Vice Commander turns his head to the captain's seat above. "Commander, Analysis Officer Murasame has returned."
Shido look up to greet the head of this place as the chair turns, and...
"Kotori!?"
"Surprise, Onii-chan~" My little sister says, amused by his shocked expression. "Welcome to Ratatoskr."
Shido just stared at her. Of all the people to be in charge, the last person he expected was my own little sister! She was even dressed in business clothes!
"H-Hold on! What are you even doing here, Kotori!?"
She looked a bit annoyed at his question. "That should be my question! Why were you running out during a Spacequake!?"
"I was trying to find you! The GPS said you were at the diner, and you said you'd be at Danny's even if a Spacequake were to happen!"
Shido shows her his terminal as proof, and she studies it before her eyes widen in recognition. "Oh, what rotten timing..." She groans, making Shido look at her with confusion. "Well, technically, we are at the diner. We're just fifteen thousand meters above it." She gives a signal to Reine. "Disable the filter."
"Filter? What do you-WHAT THE HECK!?" Shido shouts in shock as the floor beneath him suddenly vanished, revealing nothing but air under him. He was so high up that he could see the entirety of the Tengu metropolitan area from here!
"You're onboard the airship Fraxinus, commanded by yours truly."
The filter on the floor was re-enabled, and Shido just stares. Between everything that had happened today, something about that had shaken him.
"I have so many questions..." He dumbly says.
"You can save them for after the presentation. Now, look here."
An image appears on the monitor, showing the girl that Shido met earlier. "That girl is what we call a Spirit." Kotori explains. "She is an otherworldly existence, and whenever she enters our world, the environment explodes upon her arrival, something you know as a Spacequake."
"Wait, so she's the reason they happen?" Shido asks.
"That's right." The monitor then shows footage of the girl's battle against girls in mech suits. Shido recognizes them as the AST. "And here we have the Anti-Spirit Team, or AST for short."
"Based on the name, and the fact that the girl I met in the crater is a 'Spirit', I'm going to assume their job is to kill Spirits?"
"Bingo." Kotori smirks. "Wow, and here I thought you were some dense harem protagonist, Shido."
Shido did his best to ignore that little jab, but then his mind once again drifts back to the dream he had earlier. About the girl that saved him and Kotori.
"Hey, are you even listening!?" Kotori shouts at him when she's sees he wasn't paying attention.
Shido snaps back to reality at his sister's voice. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."
Kotori narrowed her eyes at him. "What could you be thinking about that's more important than this?"
"If I may, he did jolt awake from what I assume was a nightmare." Reine chimes in. "Perhaps there was something about that nightmare that caught his attention."
The Commander took the time to think about it. "Well, then perhaps our training program will help you take your mind off it."
"Training program?" Shido asks.
"Oh, we haven't told you yet." Kotori smirks. "While the AST wants to kill the Spirits, we at Ratatoskr take a different approach, and you are the key to that."
"Me?"
"Yep. You have a special power that allows you to seal the Spirits' powers. With your help, the Spirits can live peaceful lives and no longer have to worry about the AST hunting them down."
Now Shido was thinking about the girl from earlier and how sad she looked. If there was anything he could do to help her, he'd do it. "What do I need to do?" He spoke with resolve.
Kotori smirks. "So you're in. Good. Now, what you need to do... is make them fall in love with you!"
"...Eh?"
That was probably the last thing he was expecting.
Yoshino's POV
"So, you're saying someone actually ran out into a Spacequake?" I ask.
"Yeah. Itsuka-kun broke off from everyone and ran off, saying he needed to find his sister. I was worried that he would get seriously hurt, but then I saw him the next day and he looked fine." Origami tells me.
"Honestly, the kid is reckless for going out during a Spacequake." Miyoi says as she hands us our breakfast. "But, you gotta admire how much he cares for his little sister."
It's the day after since Shido's first encounter with Tohka. No doubt he's currently going through Kotori's "training program". Poor Shido. However, I remember that Origami was a target for Shido's Date A Live test in canon, and it's likely she'll be approached this time as well.
So, I decide to tell her, and by extension Miyoi, about him. "Origami, that boy, Shido Itsuka, isn't an ordinary boy. He actually has a special power that allows him to seal the powers of Spirits."
Origami's and Miyoi's eyes widen. "Really? So, he is able to seal your powers?" Origami asks.
I nod. "Yes, but it's not that simple. For his powers to work, the Spirit needs to be in a highly positive mood."
"In other words, he needs to make them fall head over heels for him, and then place the seal with a good kiss on the lips!" Yoshinon clarifies for me.
Now, if this was the Old Timeline Origami, she would probably wish she was a Spirit was well. But, this is the New Timeline Origami, so she was blushing and stuttering. "K-K-Kiss!?"
I sigh, blushing a little bit myself. "Yes, that's how it works."
"So the boy is a Casanova-in-training." Miyoi groans. "Still, never thought it was possible to seal a Spirit's powers."
Origami took a moment to calm down. "Does that mean he'll have to seal you, too?" She asks.
I nod. "I am a Spirit after all."
"But such a power could easily be taken advantage of. Could he actually be some secret weapon to capture you?" I suppose it's fair to worry about such things, but Ratatoskr isn't like the AST or DEM.
"Who knows? You go to the same school as him. Maybe you could talk to him and figure out his character?" Yoshinon suggests.
Origami hums in thought. "Yeah, that's a good idea." She nods in agreement.
"Speaking of, school is about to start, so you better eat up." Miyoi reminds us to eat.
After breakfast was done, Origami and Miyoi head off to school.
Shido's POV
"Well, that could've gone better." I hear Kotori say through my earpiece.
I could only groan from having to go through this training. First, I had to play a dating sim coincidentally titled "My Little Shido". I don't know why they have a dating sim named after me, but I was told to play it until I got a Good Ending. It took me a week before I even got one! I can't help but thing they were spying on my daily life while making that game, and made all the choices I would personally make the wrong ones on purpose.
Now, I'm being put through a live test to try to ask out a girl from my school on a date. I was told to start with my homeroom teacher, Ms. Okamine, but the moment I mentioned marriage, she went off on a tangent about future plans with me. I had to quickly escape while she was off in her own world.
"Maybe a 29-year old teacher isn't the best place to start." You think!?
As I was walking down the hallway, I hear a voice call out to me.
"Itsuka-kun."
I turn around and see a girl with white hair standing in front of me. If I remember correctly, her name is Origami Tobiichi, and we're both in the same homeroom.
"Perfect. There's our next test. Ask her out." Kotori tells me.
I take a deep breath and put on a friendly smile. "Hey Origami. Sorry, I was thinking about something else. You were actually calling for me?"
Origami nods. "Yes, I wanted to ask how you were doing. You ran off into a Spacequake saying you were looking for your little sister. Is she alright?"
"Yeah, thankfully she's fine. My phone said she was at Danny's, but I guess she left her phone there in a panic while trying to get to the shelters." I spin a lie with a bit of truth.
"That's good to hear." Origami replies with a smile. Wow, she actually looks pretty when she smiles.
"...I'm going to get you back for that." I hear Kotori say through my earpiece. What was I supposed to say!? That you were actually in an airship fifteen thousand meters above it!? "Aside from that, get it together! Origami's basically leading the conversation. Take charge and ask her out!"
Right. I'm supposed to be doing that. "Um, Origami." I get her attention. "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to go on a date with me?" Her face immediately blushes and she covers her face in embarrassment.
"Real nice with the awkward delivery." Kotori sarcastically comments. Hey, this is my first time doing this!
"Itsuka-kun." My attention returns to Origami as she calms my name. Her cheeks were still a little red, but she looked a bit more calm. "Can I ask you a question in return?"
"S-Sure."
"Last week, during the Spacequake, did you see a girl in the middle of the crater left behind?" A girl in the middle of a crater? That could only be...
"She's talking about the Spirit." Kotori basically confirms my thoughts.
"Yeah." I reply.
She looks at me with a serious expression. "Tell me, what is your opinion about her?"
"What?"
"What?" Kotori was just as surprised as I was.
"Do you truly that she is a monster like the AST says? Or, do you think she's actually human like us, ostracized because of her powers?" Wh-Why is Origami suddenly asking this question!?
"I didn't expect this. Could Origami actually be part of the AST?" Wait, really? But I don't get that feeling from Origami!
"I don't think so." I hear Reine say. "If she was in the AST, she would've told Shin to stay away from her. Instead, it sounds like she's asking how Shin feels about the Spirits." How I feel about them? That's kind of hard to answer since I only learned of Spirits a week ago.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*
I didn't have an answer, so I was kind of glad for the Spacequake alarm blaring.
"You don't have to give me an answer now." Origami tells me. "But think about it, okay?" I nod as Origami leaves.
"Hang tight, Shido. We're bringing you onto Fraxinus." Kotori says. "Also, you should really think about Origami's question. After all, your answer will determine your future with us." I feel the pressure put onto me as I feel an odd sensation.
Third POV
As Shido waits by the fountain, he begins to think about everything that happened the past week.
If he is being honest with you, he's still trying to wrap his head around it all, learning the existence of Spirits and their link to the Spacequakes, and that he had to kiss them and seal their powers to help them. It sounded like it would be a plot for some sort of harem anime, but Shido wasn't gonna leave the Spirits to be constantly hunted down just for existing.
However, his mind still occasionally wanders to the girl that saved him in his dream. Even now, it was still fresh in his mind. Who was she? Was she a Spirit like Tohka? Is she even still alive?
"Shido! Are you gonna keep ignoring me!?"
A familiar voice reached his ears, and he turns to see a surprising face. "Tohka?"
"Yeah. Why are you so surprised to see me?" The purple-haired Spirit codenamed Princess asks.
"Well, it's just... There was no Spacequake. How are you here?" He asks back. He was told that Spirits appear through Spacequakes, so Tohka being here without one surprised him.
"Um, well, normally it's like I'm being forced awake, but this time I wanted to wake up because I wanted to see you again." She tries to explain.
'What am I supposed to get from that? That Spacequakes are just alarm clocks that leave craters in cities?' Shido thinks with a sweatdrop.
"Anyway, let's go on a date!" Tohka says excitedly.
"Um, okay, but, you should probably change into something different." Shido suggests. "Your outfit stands out way too much, and we don't want the AST to ruin our date."
Tohka hums since he has a point. "What should I wear then?"
As the two prepared for their date, a certain blue-haired Spirit and her puppet was watching from a distance. "They're about to begin their date." She says.
"Hey, partner, didn't you say that Origami shot him in canon?" Yoshinon asks. "You think that'll still happen without her?"
"Most definitely." Yoshino replies. "Even if Origami isn't in the AST this time, another member will recognize Tohka and make the report."
"Okay, so how do we do this? If what you said is true, then that bullet is one that can really hurt if it hits."
Yoshino nods. "The CCC is capable of damaging a Spirit through their Astral Dress. A normal ice shield won't be able to block its attack." She looks at her hand as a rainbow aura forms on it. "Which is why I'll have to use my Pure Reiryoku."
"Shido... Is it alright for me to be in this world?" Tohka asks with a sad expression. "Today, I saw so many beautiful things, things that I destroy every time I appear in this world. I see now why the AST tries to kill me all the time."
Seeing her look so sad, Shido immediately thought about Origami's question from before. He didn't know what to think because it came out of left field, but now he was sure about his answer.
"No! Don't you dare say another word!" He shouts at her. "We'll figure something out, a way for you to live in this world normally! Don't give up hope just because you figured out what was actually happening!"
His words put a small smile on Tohka's face.
Unfortunately, the positive mood couldn't stay as Shido catches a glimmer behind Tohka.
'A sniper!?' Shido panics. The AST must've picked up on them and are aiming to kill Tohka while she is vulnerable. "TOHKA!"
On instinct, Shido quickly pushes Tohka out of the way as a loud bang rang throughout the hill park. He grits his teeth, fully expecting the bullet to hit him.
But instead, a wall of ice, surrounded by a rainbow aura, suddenly rises in front of him and blocks the shot.
"Huh?" Shido looks at the ice wall with surprise.
And he wasn't the only one.
The Fraxinus crew, who were watching everything from above, looked at the wall of ice with shock.
"Commander, that ice..." Kannazuki speaks up.
"[Hermit]." Kotori whispers.
Reine, on the other hand, looks on with interest. "So, this is part of your plan, Fuyu? Well, you saved Shin again, so I'll allow it."
"No way! The bullet was blocked!?" Mikie Okamine, who was using the CCC, exclaims in shock.
"Just how tough is that ice!?" Another AST Wizard asks, stunned by what she just witnessed.
Ryouko Kusakabe, the Squad Captain, looks at the ice with wide eyes. She was surprised when the pushed [Princess] out of the way, and even more surprised by the wall of ice rising out of nowhere to protect him.
Yet she was also staring at the ice, because she knows exactly who was behind its creation.
"Everyone, fall back!" She shouts. "[Hermit] is here!"
Her squad looks at her with wide eyes. "[Hermit]!? You mean the Spirit that defeated DEM's Adeptus 1!?" Mikie asks fearfully. She, like everyone else in the AST, was given the update on [Hermit] and how she beat the Strongest Wizard. Since then, she became known as the Strongest Spirit, someone the AST should not face head-on.
"The very same." Ryouko nods grimly. "We'll be wiped out if we try to face both her and [Princess]. We have no choice. Retreat!"
Shido had no idea what was happening. Here he was, pushing Tohka out of the way to take a sniper shot for her, only for a wall of ice to rise up in front of him out of nowhere and block the shot. Then, he saw the AST quickly leave, as if the shot compromised their position and they had to retreat before Tohka got hostile.
Which, now that he thought about it, if he actually took that bullet, Tohka would've been more than hostile. So really, whoever saved him technically saved the AST as well.
Still...
"What just happened?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Well, you tried to be a reckless idiot and literally bite the bullet for Tohka." Kotori explains while also admonishing him for his reckless action. "But it seems you were saved by the appearance of another Spirit."
"Another? You mean there are more than just Tohka?" Shido asks with surprise.
"...Did I ever say that Tohka was the only Spirit?"
"Ah, sorry..."
"Shido...?"
Tohka's voice gets his attention and he quickly turns to the Spirit, who was still on the ground and looking with wide eyes. "Tohka! I'm sorry for pushing you like that! Are you alright!?"
"Yeah, but..." Tohka's voice trails off as she looks at the spot where the wall of ice once was. "That ice... Someone had to have made it, but who?"
It dawns on Shido that Tohka has never met another like her. So, taking a choice, he decides to tell her. "Tohka, the one who saved us was actually another Spirit."
Tohka's eyes widen with shock. "Another... Spirit?" Tohka whispers. "You mean... there are others like me?"
"Yeah." Shido nods. "I don't know exactly how many, but there are others like you, who were ostracized because of their powers. Not only that, but they get hunted for the same reason as you, for causing Spacequakes even though you really didn't mean to." He clenches his fist with determination. "I don't like that. I don't like how the Spirits are suffering just for being who they are. That's why, I promise that I'll save each and every one of you! I'll make it so can all live normal lives and don't have to suffer again!"
"Shido." Tohka whispers as she feels something blooming in her chest. This was new to her, but it felt... really nice.
"Looks like your little speech did the trick." Kotori tells him. "Her happiness is super high. If there's any time to kiss her, it's right now!"
Shido nods. He knows what he has to told. Holding out his hand, he gives Tohka a kind smile. "Tohka, do you trust me?"
Tohka looks at his hand and grabs it with a smile. "Yes. I trust you, Shido."
Shido helps Tohka up and pulls her close, then, looking her in the eyes, he moves his head in and kisses her on the lips. The sealing quickly takes effect as Tohka's dress, which was made by Reiryoku, dissipates and leaves her naked.
The two pulled apart, and then quickly notice the Spirit's state of undress. "The heck!?" Shido yelps in surprise while Tohka bashfully covers herself.
"Please don't stare." She timidly asks.
"S-Sorry!" He quickly apologizes, the air becoming awkward between them.
"Well done, Shido. We're bringing you both up now." Kotori tells Shido, and then a strange sensation surrounds the two as they were teleported to Fraxinus.
Yoshino's POV
I stayed hidden nearby to watch everything play out, waiting for the right moment to act. Shido was comforting Tohka, who now knew of the beauty of this world, and I knew that, at any moment, the AST would fire while Tohka's guard was completely down.
I had Yoshinon secretly spy on the AST's location, using the link between us to mentally talk to each other, and sure enough, Mikie Okamine was taking Origami's place as the sniper. She was originally a character from Date A Strike, so it's interesting to see her here.
Regardless, I wait for the moment that Shido notices the sniper rifle, and as soon as he shouted Tohka's name, I made my move.
Now, while CCC could easily pierce an ordinary Reiryoku shield, Pure Reiryoku is another beast entirely, giving impenetrable defense. And the ice wall I made was reinforced with Pure Reiryoku, so even CCC's bullet wouldn't be able to pierce through it.
Shido was saved, and the AST quickly retreated, probably because the chances of me being around made them retreat. According to Miyoi, I'm now classified as a SS-Class Spirit, so I suppose I'm well above the AST's paygrade.
Now, I could've left since Shido and Tohka were no longer in danger, but I found myself sticking around to see the sealing through to its conclusion. This led to me hearing Shido's declaration that he would save all the Spirits and ensure that we can live normal lives. Hearing the conviction and determination in his voice, it actually made my heart flutter, and I found my cheeks heating up as well.
Was this because Mio added a feature to the Sephira Crystals to make us have subtle feelings to Shido? Or... am I actually falling in love with him?
"Hey, partner, you alright?" Yoshinon asks from next to me, snapping me out of it.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine." I assure her as I see Shido and Tohka get teleported to Fraxinus. "Come on. We're done here."
And that's pretty much Tohka's arc done.
Yeah, Origami grew up to be the New Timeline Origami this time around. Forgot to mention that little bit at the end of last chapter.
Anyway, this time Shido has a "dream" while knocked out after first meeting Tohka, then he was saved from CCC's bullet. And this leads to him learning about there being more Spirits earlier.
Next chapter, however, Shido will learn the truth of the Spirit that saved him and Tohka.
See you guys then!