Date a Live Volume 18-22

Volume 20 Prologue: Another Spirit

If Takamiya Mio were told to describe the events that had a pronounced lasting impression on her life time, then most of them were──

Good or bad──there was no difference of it being filled with stories about Takamiya Shinji. The day when she first meet Shinji.
The day when she was taken to the ocean by Shinji

──The day when Shinji died right before her eyes.

Like the roots of a large tree, or possibly a sharpened lynchpin, it was deeply craved into Mio's
memories, becoming the driving force pushing her towards the path of ruin and salvation.

Everything was for Shinji's sake. All in order for her to regain that most glimmering time with Shinji. With those thoughts in mind, Mio fought through a long period of thirty years alone.

But there were exceptions in all things.

Along with her memories of Shinji colored by joy and sadness, there were several other events that remained strong within her heart.

For example, her encounter with Tokisaki Kurumi. For example, her memories as Murasame Reine.
And also──

◇◇◇

It happened around the time Mio had produced a few Sephira Crystals.

──Sephira Spirit Crystals. The devilish gemstone that transformed humans into Spirits.

Mio, for the sake of her goal, divided her power to create them, turning humans into Spirits one by one.

However, the Sephira was not originally compatible with human attributes. A human being who was given a freshly made Sephira would not be able to control that power and run rampant. In order to create a perfect Spirit, it was necessary to use several human bodies to purify the Sephira.

But one day, Mio had thought. If she could skip that stage, it would save time and above all there will be no unnecessary sacrifices──then.

On that day, Mio produced a Sephira Crystal in a slightly different way than usual.

"──Form."

While quietly saying that, she sharpened her mind.

She split and condensed a portion of the reiryoku overflowing from her own body. At that time, she concentrated and separated the so-called "poison" that could harm humans, into a place inside Sephira.

Without using humans as filters, can it be possible to create refined Sephira from the beginning?

"────"

As if to bring life to the product just created, she blew to it. Immediately, the Sephira began to faintly shake and glow.

This ritual-like process was the final step in determining the attributes of the Sephira Crystal. She consolidated this power into a single mass through the image of bestowing a portion of her emotions. While doing so, the Sephira would change into various different colors

If she put in wrath, it would be a fierce red.

If she put in sorrow, it would be depressed blue.

If she put in regret───it would be a deep bottomless black.

Experience had shown that it was easier for the Sephira Crystal to exert a strong power if negative emotions were included. However, at the same time, then the number of people sacrificed for the refining process would also increase.

So this time, Mio put in a warm, but intense emotion, onto the Sephira Crystal.

All of Mio's motivation───the emotion scorching this body: love.