Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date A Live.
Elliot's POV:
My name is Elliot Baldwin Woodman, founder of Ratatoskr, Kotori's benefactor in her plan to seal the Spirits' powers through Shido Itsuka... and co-founder of Deus Ex Machina Industries.
30 years ago, after my village was attacked and Ike, the Mathers twins and I were the only survivors, I swore vengeance against humanity and assisted Ike in founding DEM. We invented the Spirit Formula and created the First Spirit, [Deus], killing over a million people in the process, but I fell in love with [Deus] the moment I first laid eyes on her, and left Ike to create Ratatoskr, with the purpose of saving other Spirits.
When I learned about Kotori Itsuka becoming a Spirit, I recruited her and gave her the rank of Commander. However, I could not extract her Sephira Crystal to turn her back into a human. I theorized that that can only be possible if all known Spirits have their powers stored in a single individual.
I was against this at first, as that much power in a single person can never be a good thing, but with no other options, I trusted Kotori's plan to seal the Spirits using Shido Itsuka's power. However, I told her to give me any and all updates on her brother's progress, in case he begins to run rampant due to the Reiryoku inside of him.
However, then came the Wild Card.
Yoshino Himekawa, AKA [Hermit], the Third Spirit to appear in the world and the second to be given a Sephira Crystal by [Deus]. She proved to be the most special out of all the Spirits, not just due to her abnormal intelligence on Spirits, but because she was personally blessed by [Deus] with the power to use Pure Reiryoku. With this power, she was able to best Karen's sister, Ellen Mira Mather, dubbed the Strongest Wizard, and became known and feared as the Strongest Spirit.
Yet despite this, she willingly allowed herself to be sealed by Shido Itsuka. This admittedly worried me at first, as I was unsure how the young boy's body could handle taking such a godly power, however, I was put at ease after hearing Kotori's report that the Pure Reiryoku is helping stabilize the Reiryoku stored with Shido.
She even took to lead Shido Itsuka's training when he realized his ability to use the Angels. Her efforts to our cause led to her permanently becoming Ratatoskr's Second Commander.
Hearing of her accomplishments has always been intriguing, and I cannot help but wonder about the secret of her knowledge.
With Kotori's latest report, I now know the answer.
Yoshino Himekawa was a human from a previous life, under the name "Fuyu Hana". Her knowledge was thanks to an anime-adapted manga that shares the name of Kotori's Operation Date A Live, meaning she knows every important info about all the major characters, including myself.
Kotori made this report with Yoshino's permission, meaning she considers me trustworthy enough to know this. Quite an honor, I must say, to be trusted with such a shocking truth.
I suppose it's only fair that I reveal my own truth. Especially since Ike has already told them how everything started.
Shido's POV:
Things have been crazy lately, but now we should be having a mostly quiet day.
"Yo, Itsuka!" Tonomachi greets me in my class. "Rumor has it that you got yourself yet another girlfriend."
I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, what of it?"
"How many girls do you plan to get? First Tohka-chan, then Origami-chan, then Rinne-chan, then you hooked those twins during the trip... When do you plan to stop and let the rest of us have a shot?"
As soon as I seal all the Spirits. But there's no need to tell him that, so I just shrug.
"There you are, Itsuka!" I hear as as the Trio approach my desk. "We heard about how you took down that bastard producer that ruined Izayoi-chan's life!" Ai says, drawing attention from the rest of the class.
Word gets around quick. "Yeah. Though, I had to call up some connections my family had." I say.
"Well, your family just did a big service to all women!"
"Yeah! That bastard deserves to rot in prison for what he's done to all those poor idols!"
"He's so lame!"
"I couldn't agree more." I nod in agreement. "When I learned the truth of his actions, I got so angry that I beat his face black and blue."
"Don't forget that you made it so he'd never have sex again." Tohka chimes in.
"Oh yeah. I did do that."
Tonomachi and all the men in our class cover their penises in instinctive fright, while Ai laughs. "You know what? You're actually not bad, Itsuka!"
Mai gives a thumbs up. "We don't have to worry about Tohka-chan's safety as long as she's with you."
Mii smiles. "You're so cool!"
I'm glad I earned their approval... along with a response from Mii that wasn't just "That's so lame." in another tone of voice. Heck, everyone else is staring at Mii in shock, unable to believe that she has more than a 3-word vocabulary.
Class eventually starts, but I get a call from Kotori on my earpiece. "Yeah?" I answer quietly and discreetly.
"Shido, you and the girls need to come Fraxinus after school." Kotori tells me, her tone of voice telling me that it's urgent. "It's not another Spirit, but it's something just as important."
"Alright." I nod and quickly end the call, focusing back on the class.
School ends and I gather the girls and meet with Reine as we all head up with Fraxinus. Yoshino and Kotori are, of course, already present, along with Himekawa-san. "So, what's up this time, Kotori?" I ask.
Kotori looks over everyone and nods. "Good. Everyone is here." She says. "Make the call."
"Call to who?" Tohka asks curiously.
"Is there someone we should meet?" Rinne asks.
Yoshino is the one who responds. "If this person is who I think, then we're about to meet the founder of Ratatoskr." Our eyes widen. The founder of Ratatoskr wants to meet us?
Just then, a holographic screen comes up, showing a man in his late forties, along with a woman who reminds me of Ellen. "Hello, Kotori." The man greets Kotori. "Since you've made the return call, I assume you've gathered everyone."
"Yes sir." Kotori confirms. "My brother, Shido Itsuka, all the Spirits he has sealed up to this point, and even Yoshino's mother, Nagisa Himekawa, and Mana Takamiya, who recently switched to our side, are all present."
The founder of Ratatoskr smiles. "Excellent. It is wonderful to meet you all." He greets us. "As I'm sure Yoshino has probably told you, I am the founder of Ratatoskr. My name is Elliot Baldwin Woodman, and with me is my assistant, Karen Mathers."
"Mathers?" Origami immediately notes the woman's family name. "That means..."
"Yes, Ellen and I are twin sisters." Karen confirms what we thought. "Origami Tobiichi, I sincerely apologize for my sister killing your parents."
"... I will accept your apology, but it's unnecessary." Origami replies. "The one I want revenge against is Wescott."
Karen nods. "Understandable."
"Um, it's an honor to meet you, sir." I nervously greet him.
"The honor is mine." Woodman responds with a smile. "You must be Shido Itsuka. Thank you for your hard work in saving the Spirits."
"I couldn't have done it without everyone." I honestly reply. "Especially Yoshino. She's been a huge help."
"Yes, I've heard of her accomplishments through Kotori." Woodman-san bows. "It is an honor to finally meet the Strongest Spirit."
"Please, sir. There's no need to bow. I'm just happy to use my knowledge to help everyone." Yoshino says humbly. "But enough with the introductions. I'm sure you had Kotori call us all for a reason."
Woodman nods. "Indeed. It relates to the information Ike has told you."
"... The fact that you address him as 'Ike' like Ellen does is already very telling. Not to mention the fact that Karen is Ellen's twin sister."
Our eyes widen as Yoshino brings up two very good points. Ellen always addresses Wescott as 'Ike', which Woodman just did, and Karen just admitted that she and Ellen are sisters. Wescott said that three other magus helped him create the First Spirit, and it's obvious that Ellen is one of them, but...
"Then that means..." Tohka says, also connecting the dots. "You two..."
Woodman nods seriously. "That's correct. Karen and I created [Deus] along with Ike and Ellen 30 years ago." He reveals, much to our shock. "I also founded Deus Ex Machina Industries along with Ike and Ellen."
"Y-You co-founded DEM?!" Miku cries out, shocked to hear that the man on screen helped create the company that managed to harvest her power.
"I never knew about this." Kotori says, just as shocked as the rest of us. "But why?"
Woodman closes his eyes. "At the time, my reasoning was the same as Ike's: to get revenge against humanity for destroying our home. However, that all changed when I first laid eyes on [Deus], and immediately fell in love with her. It sounds silly, but that's what led me to leave with Karen and start Ratatoskr."
"I don't think it's stupid at all." I say in his defense. "Honestly, it's thanks to that that I was able to meet everyone."
"Shido's right." Yoshino says in agreement. "Had you not left DEM, we likely would've never met Shido. In that way, you have our thanks, Director Woodman."
"I am glad to hear that." Woodman says with a kind smile.
"So, what happened next?" Rinne asks. "Where Wescott left off, Mother escaped soon after her creation."
"Mother? Ah, yes. You are Rinne Sonogami. I heard that you and Tohka Yatogami are both Pure Spirits, as well as [Deus]'s daughters." Woodman says, addressing Rinne and Tohka. "Well, after [Deus] escaped, I left DEM with Karen and sought her out, hopefully before Ike found her. I managed to find her first, but... she had changed a whole lot."
"In what way?" Rinne asks.
"She spoke, for one. Was far more expressive, too. That was the first time I'd heard her speak, and she sounded just as beautiful as I imagined she would, if not more so." Okay, while that does sound romantic, the new perspective of him being [Deus]'s father does make it a bit weird. "And, it was all thanks to that young man she was with."
"A young man?" I repeated.
"Indeed. It was plain to see that she had found someone she loved, and he loved her in return." Wescott turns his gaze to me. "Looking at you again, Shido Itsuka, you remind me very much of that young man." His words catch me by surprise.
"Someone that Mom loved... who looks just like Shido?" Tohka shares my confusion. How can it be possible that I remind him of someone from 30 years ago?
I briefly look over at Mana, remembering the picture she had that was supposed to be the two of us when we were younger. Yet, I still don't remember taking that photo with her.
Could that boy... actually be [Deus]'s lover? But wouldn't that mean he's Mana's true big brother, and that Mana knows [Deus] personally?
However, that also brings one more question. One which fills me with a sense of dread.
"What happened to him?" I ask slowly. Everyone else also realizes that whatever happened to him, it can't be good.
Woodman frowns sadly. "I tried to point them away from where Ike was, but... he found them anyway. The one she loved was shot and killed." Gasps filled the room, hearing the grim fate of the First Spirit's lover. "The Spacequake that followed soon after, I'm sure you can guess the result of."
"Tengu City." Origami mutters.
For everyone who was born here in Tengu City, including myself, it is harrowing thought. The very place that we called our home... was built upon the death of the one [Deus] loved.
I look over at Tohka to see her clenching her fists, her eyes shadowed by her hair. "Tohka?"
"Wescott... he hurt Mom by killing the man she loved. He killed someone who could've been my father." She says with gritted teeth. "No... Given that I was created from Mom's love... it's accurate to say that that man was my father." I couldn't say anything since I know that she is right. [Deus] used the love that she held for that young man to create Tohka. By that logic, that does make him the father of the Pure Spirits.
"Tohka-chan." Being able to relate to what Tohka's probably feeling, Origami hugs the Spirit of Malkuth. Tohka says nothing as she accepts the hug.
"So, what does this mean for us, who were given the Sephira Crystals she created?" Kaguya asks. "Were we chosen to be... instruments of [Deus]'s revenge?"
"Input: It's not like we don't have our own reasons to hate him." Yuzuru says to her sister.
"Yuzuru's right." Origami says with narrowed eyes. "He targeted me and killed my family when I wasn't even a Spirit at the time. He takes pleasure in making other people suffer. I can never forgive him for that."
"Everyone seems to want revenge, huh?" Yoshinon jokes.
"That seems to be the case." Reine comments as well.
"There's one thing I don't understand, though." I speak up, getting everyone's attention. "If Wescott is after [Deus] to use her power to rewrite the world, why is he targeting the Spirits she made?"
"Well, we already know that Wescott wants our powers." Kotori reminds me. "And with the exception of Rinne, our Sephira Crystals were made from [Deus]'s power."
"Yes, but when Tohka-chan, the twins and I were captured, he said we wanted to make us Inverse first before stealing our powers." Origami tells us. "That would mean he's after our Qlipha Crystals specifically. For what reason would he take that extra step?"
We all look at Yoshino, who knows the most out of all of us, and she gives a dead serious look. "Wescott wants to make us Inverse and take our Qlipha Crystals... so that he can use them to become the Second Spirit of Origin, [Deus]'s Inverse counterpart."
We all gasp in shock at the reveal. He wants to become the Second Spirit of Origin?
"I had suspected as much." Woodman says with the same level of seriousness as Yoshino. "The Qlipha Crystals are the original forms of the crystals before [Deus] refined them, so by taking all the crystals in their original, stronger forms, Ike can become a godly being equal to [Deus]."
"But that's crazy!" Kotori shouts. "There's no way a single person could take that much Reiryoku, let alone Dark Reiryoku!"
Woodman closes his eyes. "For any normal human, yes. However, even at a young age, Ike was considered a genius mage due to his powerful control over mana."
"And Reiryoku as a whole is another form of mana." Yoshino follows up.
Woodman nods. "If anyone has the highest chance of becoming the Second Spirit of Origin, it would be him."
Origami gasps in horror. "But... if Wescott becomes the Second Spirit of Origin, then that would create a new Neighboring World! If since that Neighboring World will be directly tied to him, he can use to overwrite our world!" Our eyes widen as we all come to the same horrifying realization as Origami. If Wescott becomes the Second Spirit of Origin, he can fulfill his plans right then and there!
Kotori groans loudly, placing a hand on her forehead. "And it so much simpler when it was just dating Spirits to seal their powers... Now it's a war to save our world from a madman who seeks to remake it."
"In that case, we just need to find our fellow Spirits before Wescott!" Kaguya says as if the solution is simple. "If we can bring them all to safety before Wescott can get them, we can keep him from taking our Qlipha!"
"Unfortunately, it won't be that simple." Yoshino says, confusing all of us.
"Confusion: What do you mean, Great Sage?" Yuzuru asks.
Instead of answering Yuzuru's question, Yoshino looks up at Woodman. "Director Woodman, you and Wescott made the Spirit Formula to create [Deus], correct?"
"That's correct." Woodman confirms.
"Which of the two of you has it right now?"
Woodman frowns. "Unfortunately, Ike has it."
I immediately realize the problem. "You're kidding! So even if we do keep him from taking the Qlipha Crystals, he'll just use the Spirit Formula to become the Second Spirit of Origin anyway?!"
"That's what he did in the final battle of the anime." Yoshino replies.
Miku looks very nervous. "Then at that point, the only way we could stop him..."
"Is if we can convince Mother to help us fight him." Rinne finishes.
Those of us who didn't know already, now realize just how big the whole situation really is. "We'll figure out how to deal with him when the time comes." Yoshino says, getting our attention. "Right now, we need to focus on saving the remaining Spirits. Besides Kurumi, there's still five others out there: three of the remaining Sephira, and two who were created directly from [Deus]."
Tohka's and Rinne's eyes widen. "You mean we still have two other sisters out there?!" Tohka asks.
"Yes, and you'll get to meet them eventually." Yoshino confirms. Knowing that Tohka and Rinne have two more sisters that we've yet to meet gives us anticipation.
"Well, I suppose I'll leave you all to it." Woodman says, sounding like he's ending the conversation. "Keep up the good work, everyone."
"Yes sir!" Kotori, Yoshino and the Fraxinus crew respond.
"You too, Shido." Wescott addresses me with a smile. "Continue saving the Spirits. Oh, and take good care of my granddaughters."
That last bit catches us all by surprise. "You have granddaughters?" I ask.
Woodman chuckles. "Well, [Deus] did create Tohka, Rinne and the other two Pure Spirits. If we're going by that same logic, then as two of the people who created [Deus], that makes Karen and I their grandparents."
"E-Elliot!" Karen shrieks, her face red with embarrassment.
The rest of us are just stunned by the metaphorical flashbang Woodman just hit us with. "Well, I mean, logically he is correct." Yoshino giggles.
Woodman lets out a hearty laugh at our shocked reactions. "It's a wonderful feeling to have such beautiful granddaughters. You take good care of them, Shido."
"O-Of course, sir." I quickly reply, and then the screen closes as he ends the call.
After that is a few seconds of silence before one of us speaks up. "W-Well... that's one way to end a conversation..." Yoshinon Jr. meekly comments.
"Who 'da thought the Director has a sense of humor?" Yoshinon chuckles.
"We have a... very interesting family, Tohka-chan." Rinne nervously chuckles, her sister nodding with a hum.
I can't help but agree with Rinne. The Pure Spirits' family tree is very complicated.
And the plot is revealed earlier than expected.
Elliot and Karen are introduced earlier than canon, and the group now knows the full extent of Wescott's plan, along with what exactly is at risk.
Also, yes, this is really how the Takamiya family tree is like. Wescott, Elliot and the Mathers twins created Mio, meaning they are her parents, as well as the grandparents of Shido, Tohka, Rinne, Mayuri and Ren, who are all siblings by soul, and to top it off, the four mages are the great grandparents of Rio. Then there's Shinji, who would be the father of the teen Pure Spirits and Shido, while his sister, Mana, would be their aunt.
The Takamiya family tree is complicated. End of discussion.