The showdown in the digital world is upon us!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date a Live.
Shido's POV:
What a date this was! We visited the arcade, the café, the clothes store and the gift ship. The sun begins to set as Maria and I are at the park again. "Shido, thank you once again for giving me a wonderful date." Maria thanks me with a cute blush.
"My pleasure." I reply with a smile. "Anytime you need help with love, I'll be here."
"... Then... could I possibly ask for one more request?" Here it comes.
"Let me guess. You want to kiss?" I ask, knowing this thanks to Yoshino. Maria blushes and nods timidly. "In that case, can I say something first?" She looks at me curiously, wondering what I'm about to say. There's not much time, but I wish to speak my feelings I've developed with Maria. "Maria. Throughout all the dates we've had, I feel like I've gotten to know you so well. To me, you're more than just an AI in a supercomputer, you're just like the other girls. You're someone special who will always be a part of my life. To put it simply... I love you, Maria."
Maria gasps at my confession, and then smiles happily. "Shido... I love you, too."
Not wasting anymore time, I kiss her on the lips. She gasps a little, but quickly relaxes into the kiss. I don't hold anything back, pouring my love into the kiss as well as some tongue. As we kiss, though, I feel it. The telltale sign of my Sealing power working. I guess even though Maria is an AI, she's still a Spirit, so my powers can affect her since she's fallen in love with me. After a full minute, we part from the kiss, a trail of saliva connecting us.
"That was... my first kiss."
"Then I'm glad that I've given you your first kiss." I reply with a smile.
Suddenly, I start seeing static lines around us. Not only that, flinches back, clutching her chest. Is this Marina making her move? "What is this? My powers are..." Maria doesn't get to finish, letting out a cry of pain as she falls to her knees. I then watch in shock as Marina starts appearing from Maria's body. Just like Yoshino said, the two of them are now separate from each other, with Marina taking most of Maria's authority controls.
"Good grief. You mademe wait quite a while." Marina says. "But at last, the time has come!"
I help Maria back onto her feet. "Are you alright, Maria?" I ask her.
"Yes. Nothing serious happened to me." She assures me. "However, most of my authority controls have been taken from me."
"That's right. Now I've become the controller." Marina smirks. "An equivalent exchange, I would say."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"I'm the one who gave this girl everything. Her voice, her body, the information with which she operates. Otherwise, she wouldn't exist."
Maria is displeased by the reveal. "I did not always exist in this world? Are you saying I was created from you, an irregularity?"
"That's right." Marina confirms. "Well, all things considered, it was not intentional. You were created through a distorted world. That's the truth." Maria looks saddened by this, so I hold her close.
"Shido! Maria!" I hear Tohka's voice call out to us as all the others arrive in their Astral Dresses.
"Girls!" I exclaim.
"Yoshino felt Maria-chan's power fluctuating, she we got here as fast as we could." Rinne says.
"Yeah. She broke out as soon as I finished kissing Maria."
"Oh, she came out after you finished?" Yoshinon asks in a teasing manner. "Could it be that she's jealous that you kissed Maria instead of her?"
"Th-That has nothing to do with it, rabbit!" Marina shouts in denial. I look back at her and... wow, she's actually blushing.
"Sure, it doesn't."
"So, you've taken most of Maria's authority controls, huh?" Kotori asks with closed eyes. "Do you plan on causing havoc with MY airship?"
"Heh. A good guess." Marina replies. "For a long time, I could not escape, but you solved that problem for me, Shido." Her face gets serious. "But I no longer need this girl, nor you. You are free to vanish alongside her."
In response, I summon Soul Steel. "Don't think that'll be so easy."
"Oh-ho! So, you wield an Angel of your own?" She looks at me with intrigue. "I suppose you mean to stop me. Well, against all of you, I would at a heavy disadvantage." She holds out her hand. "Perhaps this one will suffice." Her hand glows, and a portal opens up between her and us, and from it forms a very, VERY familiar black cow. At least, to those of us who were there during Eden.
"Shock: What on earth?!" Yuzuru shouts, sounding shocked.
"Did Marina just a demonic being from Hell?!" Kaguya asks.
"The Tengu Cow?!" I shout, shocked to see it again.
"Damn! Never thought we'd see this guy again!" Yoshinon exclaims.
"Y-You know this thing?!" Natsumi asks, sounding rightfully shocked and afraid.
"It's a monster that lives within the shrine lake by the mountains." Yoshino explains to Kaguya, Yuzuru, Miku and Natsumi. "It was thought to be just a myth, but we learned that its existence is actually real. Truthfully, Shido's sword, Soul Steel, was originally the sword of its samurai friend." The four look shocked to learn that the Tengu Cow exists in real life.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Marina muses, earning our attention. "Not only are there Spirits, but mythical monsters also exist in the real world! Well, I'm sure this one will prove a fair challenge."
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Tengu Cow's eyes flash, and it lets out a powerful roar, forcing us to brace ourselves.
"Everyone, be careful!" Maria warns us. "Marina has enhanced the Tengu Cow's combat abilities upon summoning it! This one will be stronger than the one you fought in the real world!" Damn, so a harder fight.
"Shido Itsuka!" Marina calls my name. "If you truly wish to stop me, then meet me in the Mother Room. You'd best hurry, or there won't be a world for you all to return to." She then teleports away.
"Shido, you and Maria go on ahead and stop Marina!" Yoshino tells me. "We'll stay behind and fight the Tengu Cow!"
I nod. "Alright. Let's go, Maria!"
"Yes!" Maria nods, her face determined. "This way!" She runs in the direction to the Mother Room, and I follow after her. Looking back, I see the Tengu Cow turn to look at us, but a slash wave from Tohka turns its attention back to the girls.
Good luck, everyone!
Third POV:
Thanks to Tohka attacking the Tengu Cow, its full attention is now on the Spirits, allowing Shido and Maria to escape after Marina. "Heh, I never got to fight the Tengu Cow last time." Kotori smirks, sounding excited. "This is gonna be fun!"
"Don't let your guard down, everyone." Yoshino says as Yoshinon transforms into her scythe form. "The Tengu Cow is a formidable opponent, and that's without mentioning the enhancements Marina gave it, so don't hold anything back!"
"Right!" The other Spirits reply, ready for battle.
The Tengu Cow throws a punch at he Spirits, but they all split up and dodge as its fist hits the ground, causing a small shockwave and leaving a small crater from the impact. Flying into the air, Origami fires light blasts from Metatron at the Tengu Cow, but like before, it is protected by its aura, keeping it from being seriously damaged as it turns too her and attempts to punch her out of the sky, but the Light Spirits teleports to dodge.
Tohka then charges forward and slashes with her sword, but the Tengu Cow raises its arm and blocks it, then raises its other arm to block Kotori's axe. Kaguya uses this chance to attack it from behind, striking it in the back with her lance, but it doesn't even flinch, instead responding with a lariat that knocks all three back. The Tengu Cow then throws a punch at the air, sending a blood red shockwave at Tohka, who is unable to dodge, but is saved by Rinne flying in front of her and protecting her.
"Thanks, sis." Tohka thanks her sister. "This guys definitely stronger than before."
"Indeed." Rinne agrees with narrowed eyes. "We must be careful."
Kurumi summons her clones to surround the Tengu Cow and pelt it with bullets, but then it lets out a loud roar which stuns them all and leaves them disoriented. The Tengu Cow then faces one Kurumi and jumps up with its fist raised. It comes down for the strike, but Yoshino comes for the save and counters with an uppercut slash empowered by Pure Reiryoku, making it stumble. Miku takes advantage of this and lets out a scream, releasing a pink soundwave at the Tengu Cow, but it manages to regain its balance in time and raises its arms to take it like a champ.
"Haniel: Kaleidoscope! Gabriel: March!" Natsumi transforms Haniel into Gabriel and plays March, empowering Miku with her own Angel and allowing her to unleash a stronger soundwave that manages to make the Tengu Cow skid back.
"Raphael: El Ka'naph!" Kaguya and Yuzuru tag in, using Raphael's strongest form as they fire Kaguya's spear at the Tengu Cow, the combined assault finally breaking its guard, its aura breaking as well.
"Kotori! Now!" Yoshino calls to Kotori as she summons her strings to bind the Tengu Cow. Kotori then swings Camael, releasing a flaming wave that ignites the strings, causing the Tengu Cow to burn.
"Kukuku, how disappointing from such a powerful-looking adversary." Kaguya smirks, thinking the battle is won.
"Don't relax now! It's not over yet!" Tohka warns.
"That's right!" Yoshino confirms. "If I remember correctly, right when we had it cornered the first time..."
"My friend..." A ghostly voice says, spooking the newcomers, and then the ghost of the samurai appears above the Tengu Cow.
"GHOST!" Miku and Natsumi scream in fear, hugging each other.
"It's the ghost of the samurai!" Rio exclaims. "The one that gave Papa his sword!"
"Take my power, and cut down our foes." The ghost speaks before entering the Tengu Cow, and at that moment, the Tengu Cow's eyes flash through the fire.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Empowered by the ghost of its samurai friend, the Tengu Cow roars, its aura resurging as it breaks free of Yoshino's strings and dispels the fire around it. It then takes a stance and summons a large katana covered in a ghostly blood red aura in its hands.
"There it is." Yoshino says with narrowed eyes. "Time for round 2!"
The Tengu Cow swings its sword around it, launching a area-wide slash wave that makes the Spirits dodge into the air.
"If that's how it is..." Natsumi says with a frown. "Haniel: Kaleidoscope! Soul Steel!" She transforms Haniel again, this time into Shido's katana. However, the orb is automatically set to green, meaning it has defaulted to Natsumi's power, the blade imbued with a green aura. She then flies in and starts a sword clash with the Tengu Cow, with Yoshino coming in to help her. Eventually, though, the Tengu Cow jumps into the air, forcing them both to fall back to avoid it coming down as it stabs the ground, slash waves surrounding it upon impact.
"Camael: Megiddo!" Kotori transforms her axe into its cannon form and fires a fiery beam at the Tengu Cow, but it raises its sword and cuts the beam in half, making Kotori grit her teeth. "This guy's no joke." She mutters.
"Kotori, let me help." Origami offers, position Metatron's cannons around Camael. Seeing what she has planned, Kotori nods.
The twins fire El Ka'naph again, but this time, the Tengu Cow sees it coming and slashes at the incoming spear, knocking it away. It then jumps up to the Wind Spirits and slashes at them, but Rinne and Rio appear in front of them and block the katana, and then Tohka comes from higher above and kicks the Tengu Cow in its forehead, knocking it back down to the ground.
"Zafkiel: Zayin!" Kurumi fires her seventh bullet the moment it lands, freezing it in time. "Now, you two!" She calls to Kotori and Origami, who have finished charging their attack.
"Camael + Metatron!" Kotori and Origami shout in unison. "Radiant Sun Cannon!" Combining the powers of their Angels, the two fire a beam of golden fire at the frozen-in-time Tengu Cow, resulting in a powerful explosion that breaks its aura, making it stumble back the moment its time resumes.
"Natsumi, our turn!" Yoshino calls.
"If you say so, sis!" Natsumi replies, using Kaleidoscope once again, this time turning Haniel into a scythe similar to Yoshino's, but with green accents.
"I'll help, too, Onee-chan!" Miku says. "Gabriel: Rondo!" The Sound Spirit plays Rondo to bind the Tengu Cow in place.
"This is..." The trio say as Yoshino and Natsumi charge their power into their scythe, making the blade glow and extend, with Yoshino's being blue and Natsumi's being green. "Reaper's Requiem!" The two scythe-wielding Spirits blitz forward together and slash at the Tengu Cow, striking it in an X-shaped slash of energy, which then explodes and knocks it down.
"Did we get it?" Tohka asks.
But at that moment, the Tengu Cow's eyes flash once again, and its aura resurges once more, forcing Yoshino and Natsumi back to the group as it stands back up. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It roars once again, and its body glows red as its aura grows thicker.
"No. Not yet." Rinne answers.
"Damn. So Marina added a Phase 3!" Yoshinon says.
The Tengu Cow then makes a stance, and everyone feels a powerful pressure forming in the air. "What is this feeling?" Kurumi grunts, feeling the pressure weigh down her body.
Yoshino looks at the Tengu Cow and notices something about its stance, frankly how familiar it looks. It was then that she sees an aura field forming around the Tengu Cow, with them inside it, and her eyes widen in alarm, a sense of danger washing over her. "EVERYONE, FALL BACK!" She shouts loudly in alarm. No one questions her for even a second, feeling the same sense of danger wash over them as they quickly retreat away from the Tengu Cow, barely escaping the aura field in time as the Tengu Cow slashes forward. From that single slash, though, came multiple slashes all over the area within the aura field, before the entire thing shatters.
"Wh-What was that...?" Origami gasps.
"It felt like I was gonna die if I stayed in there."
"And you would've." Kurumi confirms with grim seriousness. "That attack was so powerful that it cut apart the fabric of space-time within that field. Had we reacted a second too late, we could've been cut to pieces."
'Judgement Cut End.' Yoshino thinks, recognizing that attack anywhere. The most powerful attack from Devil May Cry's Virgil. Kurumi's right in that getting caught by that attack would be a death sentence.
With gritted teeth, she looks at Rinne. "We can't afford to hold back anymore. We need to go all-out!" Eden's Empress nods in agreement.
"Rio will go all-out, too!" Rio chimes in, reminding everyone that despite being a child, having all of Rinne's powers makes her the third strongest Spirit here.
Kaguya looks at her sister. "Yuzuru, is it time?" She asks.
Yuzuru looks back and nods. "Agreed."
"What are you two planning?" Kotori asks.
The Yamai twins smirk. "Trust me. You're gonna love it."
Kaguya closes her eyes and holds her free left hand over her face. "Watch and be amazed..." She starts, an orange glow coming from her chest.
Yuzuru actually does the same, closing her eyes and holding her free right hand over her face. "And bear witness..." She continues, her verbal tick absent as an identical orange glow comes from her chest.
Both twins open their uncovered eyes and shout in unison. "TO THE TRUE GLORY OF YAMAI!"
At that moment, the orange glow completely consumes their bodies, shocking the other Spirits. The two orbs then fly into the air, circling around before combining together, resulting in a very powerful hurricane that makes the others brace themselves as to not get blown away. Yoshino, however, manages to catch a glimpse of an orange glow in the hurricane, which shines brightly before parting the hurricane, revealing a single figure.
Everyone looks up at the newcomer, with Yoshino's eyes widening as she recognizes her. A girl with orange hair and icy-blue eyes, whose appearance stands as in "in-between" of Kaguya and Yuzuru, with the only difference being that her hair remains unbraided. Her Astral Dress is a combination of the twins, along with combining their colors, and includes several extra pieces of armor as well as a long muffler around her neck.
"Whoa! Did Kaguya and Yuzuru fuse?!" Tohka shout in shock.
"Ara~ This is interesting." Kurumi muses. "So, this is the Original Yamai."
The others look at Kurumi with wide eyes. "Did you say... the Original Yamai?" Kotori asks.
"She's right." Yoshino confirms. "This is the Original Wind Spirit, the vanishing twin who split into Kaguya and Yuzuru upon becoming a Spirit... Yamai Kazamachi."
Up in the air, Yamai smirks as she assumes a pose. "Introduction; And so, the original Goddess of the Wind descends unto this digital world!" She heralds her arrival.
Her dramatic introduction earns a few sweatdrops from the other Sprits, while the others giggle. "She really is a fusion of the twins." Rinne smiles. "Right now to Yuzuru-chan's verbal tick."
Yamai looks down at the Tengu Cow. "The demonic cow of myth, huh? Such a fitting opponent for my return." She smirks. "Raphael!" She summons the two halves of her Angel, with the lance held in her right hand while the pendulum is held in her left. "Challenge; Now, let's see what you can do, Tengu Cow. El Tsuofuel!" She fuses the pendulum with the handle of her lance, and then launches it at the Tengu Cow. It raises its sword to block the lance, but then, using her superior speed, Yamai grabs the lance and thrusts forward with further impact, causing a gust of wind that manages to push the Tengu Cow back a bit.
With a growl, the Tengu Cow swings its sword at Yamai, who easily dodges with her speed. The Tengu Cow follows up with another slash, this one creating a blood red tornado. "Mocking; Your false tornado is no match for the Child of the Storm!" Yamai shouts, using her pendulum to whip up a tornado that cancels out the blood red one.
"Hey, why are we just standing here?!" Kotori exclaims. "Let's go help her!"
"Right!" Tohka replies, rushing in as Yamai's spear clashes with the Tengu Cow's sword. The Malkuth Spirit jumps forward and slashes at the Tengu Cow, the combined force knocking it back a bit.
"Gratitude: I appreciate the assistance, my sister-in-arms." Yamai thanks Tohka, and then the two dodge back as the Tengu Cow slashes at them.
Yoshino looks at Rinne, and Eden's Empress nods and closes her eyes, beginning to convert her Reiryoku into Pure Reiryoku. Rio closes her eyes and does the same thing, pink streams of Reiryoku flowing in and out of them that soon turn into rainbow Pure Reiryoku. Shockwaves of Pure Reiryoku then erupt from the two Pure Spirits as they enter a Complete Origin Mode.
"Ain Soph!" Rinne summons Ain Soph, the area around them becoming the Neighboring World, and immediately sets it to allow Yoshino to enter Complete Origin Mode. Feeling the change, Yoshino converts all her Reiryoku into Pure Reiryoku, entering her own Complete Origin Mode.
The Tengu Cow turns to the three Spirits, sensing their growing power and seeing it as a threat, as it slashes in their direction, sending a blood red slash wave at them "Raphael! El Peguz!" Yamai moves in front of them and folds her wings in front of her, then wraps her chains around them, creating a sturdy knight shield that easily blocks the slash wave. Yoshino then blitz forward, channeling forth the power of her Ascended Angel, Chesed, and slashing upwards, unleashing a powerful torrent of water that carried the Tengu Cow into the air.
"Zayin!" Kurumi fires her Seventh Bullet while the Tengu Cow is in the air, freezing it in time once again. "Odd. That one didn't use up my time."
"Because Rio made it so Kurumi's bullets wouldn't drain her life force with Ain Soph." Rio explains.
Kurumi smiles at the child Spirit. "Aw, how sweet of you~"
"Gabriel! March!" With Natsumi transforming Haniel back into Gabriel, she and Miku play March together, empowering their friends significantly.
"Sandalphon! Halvanhalev!" Tohka summons throne from the ground and slashes it with her sword, destroying it and combining the pieces with her sword and bringing out its true form. Wielding her sword with both hands, she slashes down and send a large wave of purple energy at the Tengu Cow.
"Raphael! El Yevurn!" Yamai fuses all the components of her Angel together with portions of her Astral Dress to summon a huge ballista. Aiming it at the Tengu Cow, she fires a pure concentrated arrow of wind pressure.
"One more time! Radiant Sun Cannon!" Kotori and Origami shout, firing their combo move once again.
The three powerful, empowered attack hit the Tengu Cow, resulting in a powerful explosion of energy. The Tengu Cow falls back to the ground, its aura shattered by the combined assault. It shakily stands on its feet, but then it is bound by rainbow strings.
"Feel the eternal chill of imprisonment in an endless frost." Yoshino chants, a Pseudo-Territory forming around the Tengu Cow as the temperature around it drops at a dangerous rate. "Puppeteer's Cocytus!" A huge beam of ice energy rises into the air and engulfs the Tengu Cow, its power astonishing everyone. When it settles, the Tengu Cow in completely frozen inside a huge glacier that stretches into the sky.
Yoshino calmly walks up to the frozen Tengu Cow, and with a single slash of her scythe, the entire glacier shatters into bits of diamond dust, along with the Tengu Cow. "It's over." She says as she exits Origin Mode.
"Praise; A brilliant finish, Great Sage!" Yamai praises Yoshino.
Yoshino shakes her head with a chuckle. "I should've expected that you would also refer to me as 'Great Sage'."
"So, um, you're Yamai Kazamachi?" Origami asks. "The human that Kaguya and Yuzuru Split from?"
Yamai chuckles. "The Great Sage must've told you about me already. Indeed! I am the original daughter of the wind, Yamai Kazamachi!" The fused Wind Spirit greets herself with flair, and then looks over herself. "Deduction; Though, I will say that I am taller than when I was human." She brings a hand up to her chest. "Bustier, too."
"Well, I certainly don't mind your new look." Miku smiles, her lesbian side showing.
"Nice to meet you, Yamai!" Rio greets her happily.
Yamai looks at Rio and smiles. "Ah, the loving mortal's child." She kneels down to Rio. "Such a blessing it is to meet you!"
Kotori coughs. "Anyway." She speaks up. "I'm curious as to how Kaguya and Yuzuru are able to fuse into you."
Standing upright, Yamai crosses her arms and thinks about it. "Deduction: I would say that this is thanks to the twins' Complete Seal and how it was formed." She replies, earning curious looks from the others. "Explanation: When Shido and the twins..." She pauses and looks at Rio. "did it, he started with Kaguya, but the Complete Seal didn't form until after he did it with Yuzuru."
Yoshino hums. "I think I understand. Kaguya and Yuzuru each hold half of Raphael's crystal, so Shido forming the Complete Seal with them must've connected their souls together, giving them the ability to fuse into Yamai." She looks at Yamai with interest. "The fusion happened in canon, too, but it was a forced fusion, so the twins were forcibly split back after a certain time. However, since this time it was done on their own accord."
"Confirm; I can split back into them whenever I want." Yamai confirms.
"Neat!" Yoshinon replies.
It is then that the Spirits all feel a surge of power. "This power..." Tohka says, looking in the direction she felt the surge. "It's Shido!"
"He must be wrapping up his own battle with Marina." Kotori guesses.
"Then let us go!" Yamai exclaims. "Curious; I'm eager to meet the man my two halves love!" She zooms off in a gust of wind.
"Y-Yamai! Wait up!" Origami calls out as she and everyone else flies after Yamai. As they do, Yoshino wonders about the outcome of the battle, hoping Shido managed to succeed the desired outcome.
FUUU-SION! HA!
Yeah, the final battle will be in two different POVs. One will showcase the Spirits' battle against Marina's summon, while the other will be Shido and Maria fighting Marina herself.
Speaking of, didn't expect the Tengu Cow to make a return, did you? To be honest, I had a Phase 3 planned for the big guy in the initial battle, but ended of shelving it. So, I decided that this would be the perfect time, replacing Marina's clone army with one full-powered Tengu Cow!
If any of you play Honkai: Star Rail, this is kinda similar to the bosses in Simulated Universe.
It also allows me to show the result of Kaguya and Yuzuru's Complete Seal! That's right! They're now able to fuse at will, meaning Yamai joins the fray early!
Now that the Spirits have won their battle, let's see how Shido and Maria are faring against Marina.