Date a live - spirit child

Ch.20 Past Phantoms

Everyone, except Kotori, Kurumi, and Akane, who all voted on staying aboard the ship, are attending the celebration at the Izayoi manor. Ellen is wearing some of the wash-out hair dye that Shido used to dye his hair black to disguise herself a little from Miku. She is a little worried given that Miku has seen her face before, and doesn't want to cause a scene. This world's Shido has prepared a banquet for everyone, but he collapsed from exhaustion due to everything he did in the last two days, including the cooking.
Shido is the center of attention, of course, and he is relatively happy with this celebration. Shiori is playing with her two younger brothers, Akihiko is fixing his plate while chatting with Ellen, Hiro is chatting with Mana, Saori is being a recluse considering she is feeling the tension in the room, and Shido is getting ready to chat with Miku. Miku has just put her young baby to sleep so that she could mingle with her guests. She is rather calm about having more men in her home, but Shido chalks it up mostly to gratitude.
Miku approaches Shido while holding a glass of water, and has a smile on her face as she expresses her gratefulness to him.
"I can't believe I ever doubted you, Mr. Souka. You saved my daughter, and saved me from doing something stupid."
Shido shakes his head as he explains to Miku, kindly.
"Like I said, you were just trying to help her. I probably would have done the same in your position."
Miku chuckles a little as she replies.
"I bet my Darling would say the same thing."
Miku then invites Shido to see her family photos. He is a little surprised, but is very interested in seeing them, so he accepts. Miku and Shido then leave the room to go look at photos. Ellen is eating a piece of cake with a glass of milk while talking with Akihiko. She wonders why he didn't watch the trial for the most part, and he responds.
"I wanted to learn more about my powers, so I talked with Valor."
He explains to her about his talk with his guardian. Ellen is wondering more about spirit children because she has worries about her own daughter. She doesn't mention anything on it since she is making a couple of theories. She then talks more about their training on the ship since Aki's training has proved very beneficial to learning more about his powers.
Hiro is talking with Mana about the improvements made to the city of his time. He explains to her about the AST of his time, and she asks a question that has been looming on her mind for a little while now.
"Hey, Hiro, is the AST still called the Anti Spirit Team? I mean, it seems weird that without Spirits being a threat, the name would be weird."
Hiro wonders why no has asked him about that yet, and he answers.
"No, it is now known as the Allied Societies of Terraforming. We changed it during the war. Other organizations joined us with DEM being exposed. Like the SSS and others. We wanted to keep the acronym because it is short."
Mana just becomes more interested with Hiro's explanations of his organization. She then asks about how the organization was finally exposed, but Hiro clams up as he replies, nervously.
"I found and exposed some of their darker secrets...by unconventional means."
Mana doesn't like how he explained that and sternly responds.
"Unconventional... like how?"
Hiro doesn't give an answer; he simply goes back to eating a slab of roast with a glass of soda pop.
Saori is sitting with a glass of milk in her hand, wondering why she even bothered to come along. Since the trial, she has been deep in thought about something. Saori is then approached by Shiori, who offers her a bite of cake. Saori ignores the offer and wonders.
" Stupid girl..."
Shiori simply tells Saori.
"I don't hate you, you know."
Saori then sets her eye on Shiori and responds, bluntly.
"Why?"
Shiori happily says.
"Because bearing a grudge is no way to live."
Saori rolls her eye and retorts, softly.
"You're an idiot, like your whore mother."
Shiori gets offended, but doesn't respond. Saori simply stands up and begins to walk out of the room. Hiro notices this, and tells Mana that he has to go to the bathroom.
Outside the manor, Tohka is stretching her arms. She wanted to get some fresh air because today has been an ordeal for her. She is thinking about going inside, when she hears a voice asking.
"Is this the home of the Itsuka family?"
Tohka looks and sees a young woman approach. She has long blonde hair that she parts to cover her right eye. She wears a monocle on her left eye which is blue, a violet blazer with three tails in the back. A knee-length rose colored skirt, violet stilettos, a rose colored chocker, and has a butterfly tattoo on her left cheek. The young woman then asks, more irritated.
"I asked you if this is the Itsuka residence."
Tohka gives a serious response.
"And what if it is?"
The young woman just replies.
"I see...then I am in the right place....You must be Princess."
Tohka hasn't been called Princess in a long time, so she can tell this woman is bad news. She gets ready to fight and cracks her knuckles. The young woman then smiles a little as she explains.
"You know, I was beginning to get tired of walking. I really hate sweating while wearing my outfit. It irritates me to no end. Now, it seems I can vent my frustration."
The young woman then materializes an rapier-shaped weapon in her left hand, clicks a button with her thumb, and the blade on the weapon begins to glow red. Tohka then gets a little nervous; she hasn't fought with anyone using a wizard weapon in years, so she is rusty. The young woman then proclaims as she readies her weapon.
"You know, I really hate this city; the people, the buildings, and the smell...coming from YOU!"
Inside the manor, Saori is pressed against a hallway wall by Hiro, who is angry with her. He asks her, in a demanding manner.
"Why did you prosecute Shiori? Why did you assault Miku."
Saori has a blank expression, smiles and responds.
"Because it was fun."
Hiro is in no mood for mischief and adds.
"Not good enough. I want to hear why."
Saori then asks, with feigned innocence.
"Don't you trust me?"
Hiro, without thinking, responds.
"No, why would I ever trust anyone like you. You are hiding too many things from us, and you know it."
Saori chuckles as she retorts.
"Well there's some charming hypocrisy."
Hiro has a slightly nervous look as he asks.
"What are you talking about?"
Saori tilts her head back, smiles, and utters.
"Operation Dullahan."
Hiro is horrified at those words as he responds.
"How...do..you."
Saori snickers as she mockingly illustrates.
"What would happen if I told Shido and Mana about that horrible thing you did, Mr. War Hero. The final downfall of DEM, began with that very operation, did it not?"
Hiro gets defensive as he explains.
"I did what needed to be done."
Saori sarcastically retorts.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Saori kicks Hiro in the stomach to get him to let go. He now has something to fear in Saori. He watches as she walks away. Saori has a smile on her face as she silently thanks Hiro in her thoughts.
" He may be a hypocrite, but he sure knows how to make a girl smile."
In a different room, Miku is showing Shido various photos that have been taken over the years. Miku has her head in the clouds as she explains the events that led up to these moments. After some time has passed, Shido finishes the album, but Miku says, calmly.
"Oh, I do have one more album."
Shido is a little worried, but understands why Miku would take so many photos. She hands him a big book, and he looks inside only to see a big empty book. He gets confused and utters.
"Hey, this is..."
Out of nowhere, Miku pours her glass of water on his head causing the dye to come out. He puts his hands on his head to cover his hair knowing that the dye is coming out, but Miku smiles wide and shouts.
"Darling!"
She then nuzzles up to Shido and hearts can definitely be seen coming from around her. Shido isn't play around given the fact that Miku has already figured him out, but he is inclined to ask.
"How long have you known."
Miku, still nuzzling, explains.
"I could never mistake my Darling's handsome face. I've been with him for a long time, so of course I'd notice."
Shido argues.
"But what if I'm a copycat or something?"
Miku retorts.
"Never! You're just like him."
Miku backs off, but wonders about...well, why another "Darling" is around. He gives some of the rough details, but doesn't mention the other exciting things that have happened so far. He asks her about a second Tohka or Origami. Miku hasn't seen any of them besides the Origami and Tohka of her time. She assures him that she would definitely notice something like that, and of course, he believes her. He also thinks.
" Why do I even bother trying..."
He shouldn't even try to fool the girls anymore since they always see through him. Despite being told multiple times from different sources, he asks her if he's good husband; to which she goes into a long winded discussion about how much she loves her "Darling husband".
Back outside, Tohka is bleeding from her left arm, and the woman she is fighting is unharmed. The woman shakes her head as she expresses her disappointment.
"I really hoped you would use even a fraction of your power, Princess. But I guess I overestimated you."
Inside the manor, everyone is continuing with the celebration. Shiori is about to improve the festivities by walking towards a piano in the room, and gets ready to play it. Everyone is waiting with anticipation because Mana told everyone about Shiori's supposed talent with Italian opera. She begins to play a sweet calming melody with her fingers lightly tapping the keys of the instrument. She plays some more notes and begins to sing in language that nobody can understand, but her vocals sound very light and soothing. Her singing is so sweet that everyone can only stay still and listens to her. She plays this song for a few minutes.
As Shiori stands to give a bow, a crashing noise can be heard from the entrance. Everyone in the room hears this, and runs towards the source of the noice. Shido and Miku fail to hear this because the room they are in, plus their talking, is in place where the noise couldn't be heard. Hiro isn't present because he is a different area entirely, and Saori isn't anywhere to be seen. The group makes it to the entrance, and Shiori gasps in horror as she sees Tohka laid on the floor bleeding from a gash on her chest.
Akihiko is angered by this, and everyone else is trying to get a hold of situation. Tohka was blown through front door, and left a big hole at the entrance from her collision with the doors. The woman she was fighting, casually enters through the hole, and utter in an irritated tone.
"Eh, I got dirt on my clothes."
She looks at the group, and asks, nonchalantly.
"Where is Shido Itsuka?"
Akihiko tries to remain calm, and tells everyone.
"I want this one."
No one is arguing with him. Ellen picks up Tohka and escorts the others to safety since this location is bad for more than two people to fight at once. Mana stays behind since she doesn't want Akihiko to fight alone, but he says.
"Don't worry, I won't lose to her...whoever she is."
Mana nods, and the woman inserts herself into their plan by explaining.
"If the traitor would like an opponent, my four associates are on their way."
Four more enemies are coming, and this could be bad news without many reinforcements. Mana decides to leave to get Kurumi, Kotori, and Akane from the ship. Akihiko is now alone with the woman and asks, with slight anger.
"Who are you?"
The woman doesn't answer, rather, she insults him by saying.
"I don't see the need to give my name to an obstacle."
Akihiko then strategizes to himself.
" If this woman is a DEM wizard, she isn't equipped with her realizer, so I should be able to beat her without using my full power...But I can't underestimate her."
Akihiko only releases his power to the point where a light-purple that fades into cream mantle forms around his neck, and his blazer begins to change into the same pattern from top to bottom. He equips his sword, and the woman takes a more intrigued look as she says.
"I've never seen something like you before...this may be interesting."
Akihiko readies himself and is anxious to test his training. The woman raises her weapons and utters, casually.
"Please don't give me a hard time."
Akihiko waits for her to make the first move. The woman accepts this, and thrusts herself at Akihiko, but he deflects her charge by just using the blunt edge of his sword as a shield. He then slashes at her while recovers, but she jumps out of the way and runs across the walls of the hallway, to which he reacts, shocked.
"Oh, come on! You can't run on walls."
She runs across the hallway and Akihiko chases after her. She pays attention to his movements, her blade begins to glow a little brighter, and she leaps off the wall, swings her sword, and unleashes a sword-shaped blast from her sword as she announces.
"J'accuse!"
Akihiko fails to notice in time and is struck on his chest which knocks him back. The woman gives herself praise by uttering.
"I can hear the accolades."
Akihiko gets back on his feet and holds his sword forwards causing it glow. He prepares his on sword beam, and now has a name for it. He announces.
"Rending Edge!"
The once raw shot of energy now has a wider range and is too wide for the woman to dodge. She instead chooses to block it with her weapon, but the sheer force presses her against the ceiling. Not taking any chances, Aki charges his sword again, leaps in the air, and comes back down as the woman falls, and unleashes a new attack the creates a shockwave of small erupting energy from ground which hits the woman before she hits the ground. He names this attack.
"Exalted Divide!"
The force from the attack causes the woman to slide against the floor and drop her weapon. Aki walks up to the woman to see if she is knocked out. He takes caution in his movements, and has his sword ready, just in case. The woman isn't moving, so he takes this as a sign that he has beaten her. Knowing that reinforcements are coming for both sides, Aki then makes his way outside to wait for the others.
Ellen has taken Tohka, Shiori, and Shiori's two brothers into a bedroom across the mansion, and places Tohka on the bed. Tohka's wound isn't fatal, but she is clearly in pain from it. Shiori holds her brothers tightly and tries to comfort them since they are panicking. Ellen doesn't want them alone since she knows that backup is on the way, and would endanger everyone. She instead pokes her head through the door, and by a stroke of luck, she spots Hiro. He has been wandering the halls, and isn't aware of the situation. Ellen explains to him, and he rushes towards the entrance.
In the city, Mana waves towards the sky to get the attention of the ship. But what she doesn't know is that Kotori has already dismissed herself along with Kurumi while Akane stays aboard the ship. She had seen the other four wizards in the city. Kotori makes contact with Mana where she is, and says that the other four have started to move as a group, and are closing in the mansion.
Back at the mansion, Akihiko can see the other four wizards approaching. He can tell because he doesn't recognize any of the ones he can visibly see. The two that he can make out are Jessica Bailey and Artemisia Bell Ashcroft. He gets nervous and utters with sarcasm.
"Ah, that's FAIR, now I can fight four at once."
He readies himself by entering his full spirit form and keeps his guard up. As he holds his stance, Aki is struck from behind by a shot from a blaster. He turns around and sees the woman from earlier, but now she is wearing a violet and black full-body combat wire suite, her monocle is gone, and her hair has parted away from her right eye revealing a green eye. Her realizer resembles Ellen's Pendragon, is dark-blue, has sharper edges, and looks smaller. The blast was relatively weak, so Aki's injury doesn't hurt as much as it could. She floats towards her allies, and now Aki is alone with five opponents, odds he doesn't like.
One of the wizards equips her Realizer and charges at him with her weapon ready. Aki is still recovering from being blasted, so he has little time to guard. Luckily, as the weapon draws closer to Aki's face, Hiro shows up and deflects the weapon using his dual blades. He also counters the wizard by kicking her in the face. He reacts too fast to actually see who he attacked, but he is more concerned with helping his comrade.
Hiro looks at Aki and asks.
"Need a hand?"
While Aki doesn't trust Hiro, he knows very well that he needs his help, and that Hiro isn't the type to betray his allies. Hiro turns around and then gets a horrified expression. One of the wizards, the one he attacked, is Origami, but wearing her DEM equipment, with the Realizer MORDRED. The other one causes anger in him as he utters her name.
"I thought I finished you...Collette!"
Hiro has fought with the blonde woman before. To him, she is the woman who killed Yuzuru, Collette Bastille, and the last Adeptus 2. The last wizard makes her appearance known. It is Mana, but a different one. The two boys have to hold out until their backup shows up. Aki is nervous because of his injury, and summoning Valor may not be enough. He is debating on equipping Azael. The rest of the DEM group equips their Realizers, and even Jessica is equipped with a unique one. Hiro equips his armor to cover his hands and feet, and assumes a stance. He seems to have no qualms about fighting Origami and Mana, but Aki is uncertain, so he has his sights set on the other three.
Saori watches from a distance on top of a building. She is wondering if she should fight considering the amount of fun she would have with it.