Date Acceleration II (Complete)

Chapter 9

"...... Ah......"

Shido groaned in a low voice and opened his eyes.

"That was..."

He felt as though an inconceivable dream had just occurred—one that inspired cherished memories yet remained vague; a dream that induced sadness but also radiated a tender warmth.

"Nn......"

Within his dimmed consciousness, Shido felt a slight itch irritating his cheek, so he wiped his face with his hand.

It was then that he immediately realized those were moist teardrops dripping onto his face, clearly more than what would come from a mere yawn. It seemed they had been shed during his slumber.

"...What happened to me...?"

Shido fiddled with the fringes of his hair as he surveyed his surroundings. Soon, his blurred vision sharpened, clearly projecting the objects around him.

It appeared that he had been sleeping atop a bed. A pure white wall and ceiling came into view, indicating that he was in Fraxinus' infirmary.

Shido unhurriedly straightened his upper body, stretching substantially. His stiff muscles ached, and his joints clacked slightly.

At that moment, the door to the room abruptly flew open, and the Spirits entered one after another, led by Kotori.

"Excuse us...... Wha, Shido!"

"Ooh! You're awake!?"

Filled with astonishment, everyone's eyes widened. Shido managed a wry grin as he charged toward them.

"Aah... I've just come to."

He forced a laugh in response, which caused Tohka, standing behind Kotori, to tilt her head, sensing that something was amiss with Shido.

"Shido, is something wrong? Were you crying?"

"Ah, it's nothing... I was just feeling a bit drowsy."

Since admitting that a dream had made him weep was complicated—and he certainly didn't want to worry anyone—Shido made an effort to gloss over it with a smile.

"............"

Whether Kotori sensed something amiss in Shido's demeanor or not, she wore a doubtful expression, then sighed helplessly and looked at him again.

"Forget about it. —More importantly, Shido, is your body okay?"

"Eh? Ahh... I think I'll be fine..."

Though Shido was momentarily puzzled by Kotori's serious demeanor, he quickly dismissed it with a gulp. With her words serving as a catalyst, his formerly vague and unclear memories resurfaced vividly all at once.

Before losing consciousness, while embracing Mukuro, Shido had gone through atmospheric entry, relying solely on his physical body as a shield. Even with the added protection of an angel, such a reckless stunt would undoubtedly cause anxiety and distress for Kotori.

"Where's Mukuro...? How's Mukuro!? Is she alright!?"

Shido instantly jumped up, sending the blankets flying. Fortunately, with the safeguards of Zadkiel and Raphael, along with the healing from Camael's recovery ability, there were no visible wounds on his body. However, having lost consciousness before even landing on the Earth's surface, Shido couldn't confidently ascertain Mukuro's well-being.

Kotori let out an uneasy sigh and began to speak.

"——Unknown. When we found you, there were no traces of Mukuro. Of course, we considered the possibility that you two got separated in mid-air and conducted a large-scale investigation of your landing site..."