This chapter turned out longer than I expected, but we're finishing the Yamai Arc here!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date a Live.
Third POV:
Things have taken an unexpected turn.
Shido knew that Kaguya and Yuzuru actually cared for each other. He knew that, despite acting like they hated each other's guts, they both want the other to survive.
But...
"Now, Shido! I want you to choose Yuzuru and not me!"
"Request: I want you to choose Kaguya over me."
He never expected them to want to sacrifice their own existence for the other to continue living. And neither one is aware about the other's true desire. This'll get seriously out of hand if they learn the truth. It'll lead to an even bigger argument that could escalate into a battle.
'What am I supposed to do?' The [Sealer] questions inside his mind, wondering just what he can do to save both twins.
"Shido?" The voice of his wife-in-name snaps him out of his thoughts. He blinks and looks to his left to see Tohka, Rinne and Origami standing there, all three clothed in robes with jackets.
"Tohka? Rinne? Origami?" Shido says in surprise, having not noticed the trio of Spirits before.
"Is something wrong, Itsuka-kun?" Origami asks. "You seem deep in thought about something." Shido gives a hum in response.
"Why don't the four of us take a walk down the beach and you can tell us about it?" Rinne suggests.
Shido nods. "Sure."
The quartet leave the hotel and walk down the beach, however, they are currently unaware that Ellen is spying on them. The DEM Wizard, clothed in a pink robe and jacket, is hiding behind a boulder as she watches the four. "Arbatel, can you see her?" She contacts the airship. "The target is currently on the move along the coast with three students. One male, two female. I will now commence the attack."
"Roger that." One of the subordinates responds.
"Also, have Project: SIREN on standby. We need to be prepared in case [Hermit] makes an appearance."
Shido's POV:
"So, that's what's bothering you." Tohka says after I explain my situation to the girls.
"They made us think that they hated each other." Rinne speaks. "But in truth, they really want each other to survive."
"But... isn't this a good thing?" Origami asks. "If they have each other's survival in mind, then it might really be possible to save them both."
"That's what I thought, too." Shido agrees. "The main problem is that Kaguya and Yuzuru are unaware of each other's true wishes. If they were to find about-"
A powerful gust of wind suddenly interrupts me, with a voice following it. "Find out about what?" Our eyes widen and we turn to see Kaguya standing atop a large rock, clothed in a light blue robe and sash.
"Kaguya?!" Crap. She must've heard everything.
"Yuzuru... I don't buy that. It doesn't make any sense." The chuunibyou twin says in denial, refusing to believe what she heard.
I quickly rise to my feet and raise my hands. "Hold on! Just calm down and let me explain!"
"Demand: Repeat." Another voice demands me, grabbing my attention as I look to see Yuzuru standing atop another large rock, clothed in a pink robe and sash. "Kaguya told you to choose me? Is that really what she said?" The twins jump off their respective rocks and walk towards each other. This is getting out of control!
"Both of you want each other to live! That's the truth! There's no need to continue with this ridiculous competition if it's gonna end with one of you being erased!" Rinne calls out. Unfortunately, it seems to two only got angry at her words.
"Rinne's right! Just listen to me! You have no idea what awaits you two if you continue this!" I plead to them, hoping they would stop, but their expression tell me they unfortunately aren't going to.
"WHAT THE HELL!" They shout at the same time, releasing a powerful tornado of wind around them.
The girls and I quickly hold onto each other as they powerful winds strike us head on, all while Kaguya and Yuzuru transform into their Astral Dresses.
"Raphael! El Re'em!"
"Response: Raphael! El Nahash!"
The twins both summon their Angels, with Kaguya's being a massive spear and Yuzuru's being a long chain with a bladed tip at the end. Along with that, they each have a single wing appearing on their backs. Kaguya has a silver right wing with a purple jewel, while Yuzuru has a silver left wing with a blue jewel.
"What the hell was that about, huh?! Why tell him to choose me?!" Kaguya questions Yuzuru with an unhappy frown.
"Rebuttal: What about you? What is your intention?" Yuzuru questions back, but neither give a proper answer.
"It seems there's only one true way for us to settle this." Kaguya decides.
"Agreement: Of course."
"THE ONE WHO FALLS FIRST IS THE WINNER!" They declare with a shout. In the blink of an eye, the twins disappear, only to leave streaks of light at high speed and dark clouds surrounding their battlefield.
"BOTH OF YOU STOP! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!" I try to call out to them, but it was no use. They were so high up in the air that they couldn't hear me, especially with the tornado blowing around them, but I have to stop them before they kill each other.
Before I could do anything, though, I feel a sense of alert telling me that it's not just us who are here. The girls also feel it and stand on guard. "We go company." Tohka warns.
We look in the forest in front of us and see green lights begin to emit and shine. "What the hell are these?" I ask.
"Model number DD-007: Bandersnatch." The voice that answers my questions puts us on high alert as Ellen herself walks out into view.
"Ellen." Origami scowls.
"Long time no see, Origami Tobiichi." Ellen greets with a deadpan. "Still gallivanting with Spirits, I see."
"So, you're Ellen Mathers, DEM's Strongest Wizard." I say, glaring at our "photographer".
Ellen raises an eyebrow at me. "Oh? How interesting that you knew who I was."
"How can I not? Origami told us about you and how you killed her parents four years ago." I scowl. "Ever since we saw you before the trip, we knew that you hijacked it to capture Tohka."
"How perceptive. You are correct that we've been waiting for our chance to capture [Princess]. However, I must admit that I didn't expect those two to be Spirits, much less a single being split into two." She's talking about Kaguya and Yuzuru. "Now, [Princess], you'll be coming with us. You as well, Origami Tobiichi." She raises a hand, commanding the Bandersnatch to attack us as some of them jump towards us.
"Sandalphon!" Tohka acts quickly and summons her Angel and Limited Astral Dress, slicing through the Bandersnatch.
"Metatron!" Origami also summons her Angel and Limited Astral Dress and fires beams of light, providing cover fire for Tohka and destroying the remaining Bandersnatch.
"Oh?" Ellen gives a look of surprise. "You've also become a Spirit? And [Angel] on top of that. It seems [Hermit] has truly killed Minerva." So Minerva was once a part of DEM. "Nonetheless, it seems you are the real deal. Why don't you both make it easy and come with us?"
"Cut the crap!" Tohka snaps back at Ellen. "You just want us for our powers!"
Ellen sighs. "So, she told you that much..." The next moment, she's suddenly in her Realizer. "Well, you are correct that we only need your powers. Dead or alive, I shall bring your Sephira Crystals to Ike." She points her sword at us. "This is your last chance for surrender. As the boy said, I am the Strongest Wizard. None on this planet can defeat me."
"Sounds like someone forgot how our previous battle ended." A new voice rings. One that we all recognize very well. Mist begins to swirl between our two sides, and from it forms the Strongest Spirit, Yoshino Himekawa, wearing her Astral Dress and already wielding Yoshinon in her scythe form. "Perhaps I need to remind you who is stronger."
Yoshino's POV:
The moment I sensed the Yamai twins' storm, I knew that DEM would now start their attack. Giving command of Fraxinus to Kannazuki, I summon my power and use my Mist Dash to Ratatoskr's airship to help the others.
"This is your last chance for surrender. As the boy said, I am the Strongest Wizard. None on this planet can defeat me." I hear Ellen threaten them. She's still as prideful as ever.
"Sounds like someone forgot how our previous battle ended." I say, using Pure Reiryoku to let my voice carry through the air as I reform in front of my friends. "Perhaps I need to remind you who is stronger."
"Yoshino!" Shido exclaims, happy to see me. I give him a smile before turning back to Ellen.
"We meet again, [Hermit]." Wescott's dog greets me.
"It's been four years since we last fought." I say in reminder. "Given your pride, I don't blame you for forgetting how it ended, but I'll be more than happy to remind you."
Ellen tenses up and quickly raises a hand up to her right ear. "Adeptus 1 to Arbatel! [Hermit] has made an appearance! Requesting backup immediately!" He reports to her airship. However, the response she receives grits her teeth. "What do you mean you're locked into battle with another airship?! I don't remember giving you that order!"
I smirk. "Did you think we wouldn't prepare for Arbatel? Like Shido said: We knew about your plan and were ready to face you."
Ellen growls at me. "Can you at least send down Project: Siren?" Project: Siren? That's new. "Send her down now!"
Before I could wonder about Project: Siren, I sense a powerful energy signature and look up to see another Wizard flying down and landing next to Ellen. This one seems to be a mature woman based on her body, and is wearing a white Realizer similar to Mana's [Murakumo], but with indigo outlines instead. It also came with a white helmet and face mask to completely cover her face, and her weapon is instead a white polearm with indigo outlines, matching her Realizer. But what catches my interest most is the black diamond just above her cleavage, which has small wires connecting to her face mask, which actually has three small vertical lines on it.
I stand on alert as I look at her. This Project: Siren, whoever she is, is a completely new variable; another result of the changes I've made. And yet, for some reason... staring at her now... my heart is telling me that I know her.
"Allow me to introduce her to you, [Hermit]. This is Project: Siren." Ellen introduces her new ally. "This is an experiment that we had started 26 years ago."
"26 years ago?" Origami notes the timeframe. "Isn't that...?"
"That's around the time Yoshino became a Spirit." Shido realizes what the Light Spirit is hinting at.
I feel myself tense as I come to the same realization, the feeling in my heart growing stronger.
"Originally, we had to shelf the project due to a lack of materials, but after your raid four years ago, we decided to continue the project." Ellen smirks. "And six months ago, we had finally acquired the final piece to complete her."
They completed the project six months ago? For some reason, that worries me. "So, did you make Project: Siren specifically to defeat me?" I ask with narrowed eyes.
"Originally, we started the project for a different purpose, but we believe you'll find her to be a formidable challenge." A different purpose, huh? I can already guess. "I will leave [Hermit] to you, Project: Siren."
Siren silently rushes at me and thrusts her polearm forward as I block with Yoshinon. "Everyone, I'll leave Ellen and the Bandersnatch to you!" I quickly say to them before knocking Siren away and flying after her.
Third POV:
As Yoshino flies up to face Siren, Shido, Tohka, Origami and Rinne face off with Ellen and the Bandersnatch. "Hmph. [Hermit] must have a lot of faith in your abilities, if she trusts you to fight me." Ellen says, not believing Tohka and Origami can defeat her, even together.
"Oh, you'll be surprised." Shido says bravely. "Let's go, Rinne!"
"Alright!" Rinne nods, determined to help fight.
"Soul Steel!" Shido calls forth the blade gifted by the Samurai, the weapon forming in his left hand.
"Eden!" Rinne calls forth her own spirit power, transforming into her Spirit Form, [Ruler].
"What?!" Ellen's eyes widen with surprise. She did not expect Rinne Sonogami to be yet another Spirit, one which they have no prior records of, but she was even more shocked by Shido Itsuka summoning what she presumes is an Angel. Regaining her composure, she regards the group. "Well, you kids are certainly full of surprises, aren't you?" She points [Pendragon] at them. "I've decided. You'll all be coming with me."
"Sorry, but I'll have to pass." Shido declines. "My mom told me not to trust strangers."
Ellen frowns. "Fine. Let's see if [Hermit] is bluffing about your potential."
She commands the Bandersnatch to attack again as Shido takes a stance. "Soul Surge: Camael!" He infuses the blade with the power of Kotori's Angel, the orb turning red. "Phoenix Slash!" With a shout, he draws his blade and slashes forward, releasing flames in the form of a phoenix that incinerate the Bandersnatch, leaving nothing but ash.
"Impressive." Ellen admits. "However, let's see how you fare against me." She charges forward to attack Shido, slashing him as he blocks with his blade.
The [Sealer] grits his teeth, noting how tough Ellen is as a fighter. If it wasn't for his Pure Reiryoku, he would be struggling to block her attack. "Rinne!" He calls his childhood friend for help.
Eden's Empress releases a gust of wind at Ellen, which hit her Territory, knocking her back. She easily rights herself, but Shido quickly charges in and attacks her. She meets his slashes with her own, but notes how he is able to keep up with her despite the obvious gap in experience.
"What are you, Shido Itsuka?" Ellen asks as they enter a blade lock. "Are you really human?"
"As far as I know, yes." Shido replies. "I'm just not your ordinary human."
The blade lock breaks, and Shido quickly uses Mist Dash to distance himself from Ellen. Tohka and Origami attack at that moment, sending light beams and ethereal blades at the Adeptus 1. She easily blocks the barrage with her territory, but then Rinne fires a pink energy blast infused with a bit Pure Reiryoku. The attack makes contact with the Territory, and the Pure Reiryoku in the attack causes it to crack, shocking Ellen.
"Now!" Shido shouts as he reforms back in front of Ellen, his blade imbued with a rainbow aura. With a shout, he slashes at the Territory where it is cracked, easily shattering it, with his Pure Reiryoku.
"What?!" Ellen gasps in shock as she staggers from the impact of her Territory being destroyed, something she has not felt since fighting Yoshino.
Shido capitalizes on the opportunity and raises his blade, swinging it down and releasing a wave of pure energy that sends Ellen flying into a tree.
Grunting in pain, Ellen slowly stands up and looks at the group of four, more specifically, Shido and Rinne. "It seems you are more skilled than I gave credit for. Especially you two, Shido Itsuka and Rinne Sonogami."
"Told you we'd surprise you." Shido smirks.
"Indeed. Your powers are quite interesting. All the more reason to capture you and bring you to Ike."
Before any more words can be said, Siren suddenly lands in front of Ellen with bent knees as Yoshino flies down in front of Shido's group.
Yoshino's POV:
Floating in the air, I face down Project: Siren. She's a completely new character from my knowledge, and yet it feels like I know her for some reason... Regardless, her abilities are a mystery, so it's actually best for me to fight her.
"You were originally meant to fight Inverse Spirits, I'm guessing?" I make an obvious guess as my Reiryoku surges. "Alright. Let's see what you can do."
Taking the initiative, I fly at Siren and slash at her. She swings her polearm to meet my slash, our weapons clashing as we gauge each other's strength. She thrusts her polearm forward in a flurry of stabs, but I evade them all and counter with an ice blast from my open palm, knocking her back.
She regains her balance, and then I notice the black diamond begin glowing with an indigo light, followed by the wires, and then the lines on her face mask. The next moment, Siren screams, sending an indigo shockwave right at me. I form an ice shield to block it, but the attack leaves me surprised. Unleashing shockwaves of sound... That's one of Miku's abilities, isn't it? How can Siren use it?
The moment the attack finished, I break the shield into icicles and send them at Siren. She lets out another scream, creating a sound barrier to block the icicles. She then charges at me for another stab, but I quickly use my powers to place a trap, and then evade using Mist Dash, letting her pass through me and activate my trap, a rainbow Territory surrounding her as strings form to lock her in place.
"Got you!" I exclaim, forming behind Siren and landing a roundhouse kick on her back, sending her flying. I quickly follow up by holding my hand out, sending more strings to grab her and yank her back for a downward slash back to the ground. I fly after her as she twists her body to fire another sound blast at me, which I cut through with my scythe as we both land in front of our respective allies.
I briefly look at Ellen, who seems to be wounded. "Having some trouble, Ellen?" I ask in a taunting manner.
"You've found some formidable allies, [Hermit]." Ellen admits. "However, it's time for you all to come with us. Project: Siren."
Siren stands upright, the diamond on her Realizer glowing indigo again. "You will submit to us." She speaks, her voice reverberating with power. I feel myself shiver as if something tried to take over my mind, but I manage to brush it off.
"You think we'll submit to you just because you said so?" I ask, not seeing the point of their action.
"Hey, Tohka, what are you doing?!"
"Origami-chan, what's wrong?!"
Shido's and Rinne's alarmed voices make me quickly turn back, and I'm shocked when I see Tohka and Origami actually standing down, as if they're really giving up. I quickly notice that their eyes look unfocused, as if they've been hypnotized to obey.
Wait... Hypnotized... Making people obey using their voice... Not to mention the sound attacks she's been using so far...
My eyes widen as I connect the dots, quickly turning back to Ellen and Siren, the former smirking. "The final piece to complete Siren... was Gabriel's power?!" I ask
"That's correct, [Hermit]. We, DEM, have successfully pinpointed [Diva] and taken her power." Ellen tells us, making us gasp. "After seeing its potential, we decided to use it to capture you and the Spirits. However, it seems you, Shido Itsuka and Rinne Sonogami managed to resist. But we've successfully controlled [Princess] and [Angel], proving that the power still works."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. DEM managed to find Miku six months ago and take her power without Mio and I realizing it?! Does that mean Miku's... dead? Or did they capture her and brainwash her into becoming Siren? I shake my head at the second scenario. Siren didn't sound anything like Miku when she spoke. Either way, this is actually really bad!
"Tohka, Origami, capture Shido Itsuka and Rinne Sonogami." Ellen orders the two controlled Spirits.
I look back at Tohka and Origami and gasp when they attack them. Shido quickly raises his blade to block Tohka's Sandalphon, while Rinne forms a barrier to block Metatron's light beams. Before I could do anything to help them, I feel a sense of danger in front of me and quickly move to the side to avoid a slash from Ellen, but then Siren charges at me and thrust her polearm at me, forcing me to block with my Territory, the impact knocking me back.
Skidding to a stop, I glare at the two Wizards. "So, this was your plan? Making my friends fight each other while you two tag team me?"
"Admittedly, the ideal scenario was to control all of you at once, but I'll accept this outcome." Ellen smirks, before charging at me again with Siren.
I grit my teeth as the situation has taken a bad turn.
Shido's POV:
"Tohka, stop! Can't you see that DEM's controlling you?!" I shout, trying to get through to my wife as I block another one of her attacks.
"Just shut up and let us capture you, then we can all go to DEM together." Tohka says as she slashes at me again.
While Rinne and I are forced to hold off Tohka and Origami, Yoshino's haivng to fight both Ellen and Siren at the same time. Damn it! When did DEM manage to take another Spirit's power?!
"Shido!" I hear Rinne call to me. Blocking another slash from Tohka, I look over at my childhood friend, who's currently blocking light beams from Origami. "We have to do seomthing! We need to snap them out of it!" I couldn't agree more, but the question is: How?
Trying to come up with a solution, I come to a realization. They're using a Spirit's power to control them, so maybe I can cancel it with my Pure Reiryoku!
Taking a gamble, I gather my strength and push Tohka back, then focus my power. "Eden!" I slam my palm into the ground and call forth Rinne's Angel, causing pink vines to emerge from the sand and bind Tohka.
"What?! Let me go!" Tohka tries to break free, but I enhance the vines with Pure Reiryoku to make them harder to break out of.
With Tohka bound, I walk up to the [Princess]. "Don't worry, Tohka. I'm gonna free you." I say softly, before kissing her on the lips, channeling my Pure Reiryoku through the kiss. Her eyes widen as I continue to kiss her, her powers fading due to my sealing ability while her eyes start to refocus, the hypnosis she was put under breaking as I hoped.
I break away from the kiss and look at Tohka, who looks back with a blush. "Shido...?" She says. "What happened?"
"DEM's Project: Siren managed to control you and Origami and made you fight me and Rinne."
"Oh..." She looks a bit sad. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
I smile and pat her on the head. "It's alright. You didn't hurt me, and I managed to break you out of it." She cheers up, and I undo the vines. "Wait here while I free Origami, alright?" She nods, and I run over to save Origami.
The Light Spirit sees me coming and aims Metatron to fire at me, but I deflect the shots with my blade and continue running to her. "Eden!" I summon Eden's power again, and more pink vines rise from the sand and bind her in place. With Origami distracted by the vines, I take the chance and kiss her on the lips, using the same method I used to free Tohka to break the hypnosis on Origami. Her Limited Astral Dress disappears due to my sealing ability, and her eyes refocus as I break DEM's hold on her.
I part from the kiss to look at Origami blushing like mad. "I-Itsuka-kun..." She stutters.
I smile. "I'm glad you're ok, Origami." I say, to which she nods shyly.
With both Tohka and Origami freed, I look up at Yoshino's fight with Ellen and Siren. Looking over at Rinne, the two of us nod and prepare to help Yoshino.
Yoshino's POV:
Damn it, this is getting annoying!
Ellen is really relentless with her attacks this time around, and Siren isn't helping the situation with her attacking from a range with sound blasts. Any time I try to attack one, the other is ready to attack me, forcing me to play defensive. I'd have a better chance at beating them both if I went Origin Mode, but neither one is giving me the time of day.
Suddenly, pink vines suddenly bind both Ellen and Siren, locking them in place. "What?!" Ellen gasps at the unexpected interference.
"Now, Yoshino!" I hear Shido call to me, making me look down at him and Rinne. Tohka and Origami are behind them, and they both look normal. They must've found a way to free them from the hypnosis.
With a smile, I finally go on the offensive. Stretching my free hand out to the ocean, I manipulate the water into a large dragon and control it to ram into the two Wizards, sending them crashing into the ground.
Flying back down, I face the two Wizards as they stood up, with Shido and Rinne at my sides and Tohka and Origami behind us. "This is unexpected." Ellen grunts. "I didn't think you would manage to free [Princess] and [Angel]."
"Maybe you should stop underestimating our friends." Yoshinon says from my scythe.
"Fine. We'll retreat for now, but now that we know [Diva]'s powers works, we'll have an improved strategy to capture all of you at once." She takes flight. "Project: Siren, we're retreating."
Siren flies up after Ellen as the two retreat into the distance. I watch them leave with narrowed eyes. Project: Siren... Just who is she?
Shido let's out a breath and looks at me with a smile. "Thanks for the help, Yoshino. I don't think Rinne and I could've fought them both on our own." He thanks me.
I nod. "You're welcome. Now, let's stop those twin Wind Spirits."
His eyes widen at the reminder. "That's right! Kaguya and Yuzuru are still fighting!"
"Geez! Couldn't they hear us fighting and help us out?" Tohka pouts.
"Well, that's assuming they could hear us over their tornado." Origami points out the tornado surrounding the dueling twins.
"Then we'll have to break the tornado to get their attention." Rinne says.
"Got it!" Shido says, volunteering to do so. He sheathes his blade and takes on a stance. Closing his eyes, his Reiryoku surges around him in a deep blue as he prepares for a big attack, and I could see the orb on his blade glowing with a deep blue light. "ROARING SOUL SWORD FLASH!" With a shout, he draws his blade for a powerful slash, sending a powerful wave of energy that easily tears through the tornado and parts clouds, revealing the full moon.
Tohka, Origami and Rinne stand in amazement at the attack, and even I'm impressed that he immigrated his Roaring Flash Blast Wave into a sword skill. The twins also saw the attack and immediately stop fighting.
"Whoa! What the fuck was that?!" Kaguya swears.
"Turmoil: Who did that?" Yuzuru questions.
"LISTEN TO ME YOU TWO! STOP IT RIGHT NOW! THE FIGHTING MUST END HERE!" Shido shouts at them to end the fight, but neither look convinced.
"You still don't get it, do you? This has nothing to do with you, Shido!
"Agreement: Please do not come between us, Shido!"
Shido was about to start yelling again, but I place my hand on him to get him to look at me. "Let me take it from here." I say. Knowing what I plan to do, he nods and calms down, and I fly up to face the twins. "That's enough, both of you." I say strictly. "Like Shido said, this pointless fighting has gone long enough. Neither of you will be dying today."
"Not another one." Kaguya groans. "Can't you just stay out of this?"
"Agreement: This does not involve you." Yuzuru says, agreeing with Kaguya.
"I wouldn't say that." I smirk, getting the two to look at me with narrowed eyes. "You both wanted to meet me, didn't you? To learn the truth of Yamai Kazamachi?"
The twins' eyes went wide. "You know the name of the original Yamai?!" Kaguya gasps.
"Realization: Does that mean... you're Yoshino Himekawa?" Yuzuru asks in realization.
"Yes, I am." I nod. "I know you both want to know the truth about how you split apart, and I will tell you. All I ask is that you stop fighting this instant."
The two Hod Spirits look at each other before nodding. "Fine. We'll listen to you, Great Sage Yoshino." Great Sage? I wouldn't go that far.
"Plea: Please, tell us the truth about ourselves."
I gesture the twins to follow me to the ground, and we fly back to Shido and the others. Once we land, I begin to tell the story. "Now, as you all know, Kaguya and Yuzuru used to be a single Spirit, named Yamai Kazamachi." I start, before looking at Kaguya and Yuzuru. "However, what you two aren't aware of is the fact that Yamai wasn't always a Spirit."
The twins are understandably surprised. "She wasn't?" Kaguya asks.
"That's right. A lot of today's Spirits were former humans who were given Sephira Crystals that gave us our powers, including myself and Yoshino." Origami reveals. "Tohka and Rinne are the only two Spirits besides the First who are Pure Spirits."
"Surprise: I did not think that." Yuzuru says.
"That's true. However, there's one more thing about the Yamai to note about." I say sadly, getting everyone's attention. "She was actually born a vanishing twin."
Shido, Origami and Rinne let out horrified gasps, while Tohka looks confused. "What's a vanishing twin?" She asks, not understanding their reactions.
"It means that Yamai was originally meant to be born with a twin." Origami answers shakily. "But that twin died stillborn and was absorbed by Yamai." Now it was Tohka and the twins' turn to look horrified. The twins, especially, were utterly shaken by the news.
Nodding slowly, I continue Yamai's story. "After her birth, she grew up to be an ordinary high school student heavily involved in anything she could participate in, such as music and athletic activities. A lot of the activities you two have done in your duels were most likely things Yamai herself has done back then." Kaguya and Yuzuru nod in understanding. "However, around the age of 17, she saw a child that was about to be hit by a vehicle. Wanting to be like a hero she always admired as a kid, she moved to save the kid at the expense of being struck in that child's place."
Rinne gasps. "She nearly died from a hit and run."
I nod. "It left her fatally injured, and it was at that moment that the First Spirit appeared and saved her by making her into a Spirit. However, in her case, receiving her Sephira Crystal caused a unique reaction, responding not just to Yamai, but also the DNA of the stillborn twin she absorbed, resulting in her splitting into two." Kaguya and Yuzuru gasp at the last part.
"So that's it." Origami says. "The Sephira Crystal was technically reacting to two different people, and that's what caused the split to happen."
"Maybe it wasn't just that." Shido says. "Maybe... deep in her heart, she was wishing that her twin sister was still alive. That they could live together as twins like they were meant to." Shido brings up a valid point.
"Maybe so." I hum in agreement. "The Sephira Crystal are said to grant wishes, and it granted hers by splitting her into twin Spirits."
The twins look down, their faces showing clear sadness and regret. "So, Yuzuru and I split apart because that was the original Yamai's wish." Kaguya says.
"Regret: And we were stupidly trying to kill each other believing we were meant to be one Spirit." Yuzuru adds.
"But isn't that great, you two?" Shido asks, making us look at him. "It means you no longer have to fight. You can continue living together, just like Yamai wanted." He says, trying to cheer them up. "I know that neither of you want to kill each other, and this proves that you don't have to. You don't have to keep acting like you hate each other. You can finally act like yourselves."
The twin Hod Spirits silently stare at each other for a moment. "He... He's right, Yuzuru." Kaguya starts. "I know I said all those things to you, but I never meant them. I just want to live with you. I want us to stay together." She admits tearfully.
"Reply: I don't want to disappear either... I want to stay by your side." Yuzuru admits, also bursting into tears.
The twins recall their Angels and tearfully embrace each other, the sight making me smile. I could feel myself start to tear up a little because of how touching this moment is. I look over at the other, seeing Tohka and Origami also tearing up. Meanwhile, Shido and Rinne smile, happy that the twins have finally dropped their duels.
Of course, the teary moment was interrupted as we hear a loud noise and look up to see the Arbatel flying above us and deploying waves of Bandersnatch. "They ruined the moment!" Tohka shouts angrily.
"Don't these guys know when to quit?" Yoshinon asks, sounding annoyed.
"I wish." I reply, getting ready to attack them, with Shido standing next to me.
"Now, hold on, Great Sage." Kaguya interrupts me with a smirk. She's still calling me Great Sage... "There's no need to waste your energy with them."
"Volunteer: Allow us to deal with them instead." Yuzuru volunteers.
Looking at them, I nod and step back, gesturing Shido to do the same. "They're all yours." I tell them. The twins nod and look up at the DEM airship.
"Raphael: El Re'em!"
"Raphael: El Nahash!"
The twin Wind Spirits re-summon their Angels, facing the Bandersnatch. "Raphael: El Ka'naph!" They shout simultaneously, their Angels and wings combining into a large bow, with Kaguya's spear as the arrow. The spear glows brightly as they fire it, a powerful burst of wind following it as it pierces through the Bandersnatch, and eventually, the Arbatel, tearing right through its Territory and the ship itself.
Even though there was a bit of a setback, we ultimately defeated DEM today.
As I leave Shido to seal Kaguya and Yuzuru, I quickly head over to Reine's room. If DEM has truly taken Gabriel's power, then this could be a danger to both of our plans. I'm also worried about Miku. I may have hated how she acted before she was sealed, even calling her a tyrant, but that doesn't mean I want her to die! She's still an important character to the series, and things could get really bad without her.
Reaching her room, I knock on the door. "Reine, it's me. We need to talk. It's important." I say.
She opens the door after a few seconds, letting me into the room. "Is something wrong?" She asks, seeing the look on my face as she closes the door.
Looking her dead in the eyes, I tell her the bad news. "DEM has Gabriel."
Her eyes narrow dangerously. "What?"
"DEM actually brought another Wizard with them in case I showed up to fight Ellen. I don't know her name, but Ellen calls her Project: Siren." I tell her. "During the battle, that Wizard used Gabriel's power to influence others with her voice, controlling Tohka and Origami and making them fight Shido and Rinne, leaving me to fight both Wizard in a 1v2 battle. Thankfully, Shido managed to free Tohka and Origami from the mind control, but you can see the problem. DEM somehow found Miku and took her powers without either of us knowing about it."
Reine grits her teeth. "That is a problem. It's bad enough that Wescott canonically stole Beelzebub, but Gabriel is actually worse. Its powers could allow Wescott to control the sealed Spirits and make them willingly give up their powers."
"Yeah, but knowing Wescott, he'll want to make them Inverse first. Most likely, he'll make them kill Shido, and then snap them out of it to make them see what they've done." Reine growls, knowing that I'm most likely right. "We need to figure out a plan to take back Gabriel, but first, I need you to check on Miku. I know it's unlikely, but it's my hope that she's somehow survived DEM taking her powers from her."
"...I'll contact Mio and see if she can find her. I also hope that she's alive." I nod and leave the room.
Miku... please be ok.
The Yamai Arc is done, but a new problem arises! DEM has already taken Gabriel's power and implanted it in a seemingly new character!
How will Yoshino deal with this problem, and what has become of the yuri idol?