Date a Live:Date Under The Moon Chapter 186 186: A Turning Point and a Sudden Change

[!!!]

Shido noticed that Mikoto had shown a sorrowful smile.

The emotion contained in the girl's eyes felt sohow familiar to him, yet at the sa ti, extrely ominous.

In the next instant, a powerful force rushed toward Shido.

It was Mikoto controlling Tsukuyomi, trying to push Shido out of the barrier.

[!!!]

However, very soon, it was Mikoto's turn to show a startled expression.

Another force had rejected her will to throw Shido out of the barrier.

"Shido… you…"

There was no doubt about it.

That was Shido's own Tsukuyomi, rejecting the repulsion of Mikoto's Tsukuyomi and firmly protecting the boy where he stood.

"Why did you know…"

"What are you saying, senpai? Even if I've lost my mories, I'm still Itsuka Shido. There's no way I wouldn't know what Yakumo-senpai is thinking."

While looking toward the aerial ship in the distance, Shido tried to strengthen the defense on his side.

Although he had no mories at all, for so reason, he just knew that in a mont like this, Mikoto might try to sacrifice herself in exchange for Shido's chance to survive.

As though—he had once experienced sothing like this before.

"Are you an idiot? You clearly don't have any mories about … so why are you still trying to protect ? I'll hold Origami back, and that aerial ship is targeting too… wouldn't it be better to use the chance to run? Why do you have to die together with ?"

Mikoto said angrily.

"Don't joke around! There's no way I could abandon senpai here—!"

Shido shouted in a forceful tone.

This had nothing to do with whether he had mories or not. Since Mikoto was in danger, there was no way he could leave.

"Don't tell you think Kotori's healing flas will work at a ti like this?"

Mikoto said anxiously.

"So what? I just—want to protect Yakumo-senpai!"

[Of course I know. Of course I know that…]

Shido thought in his heart.

Kotori's recovery ability had limits. At the very least, Mikoto still had a partial Astral Dress, while he was only wearing ordinary clothes.

If he directly took a battleship's main cannon and countless wings' combined attack, he would probably be vaporized on the spot. At that point, there would be no healing flas to speak of.

"Shi…do…"

For a mont, looking at the boy's desperate expression, Mikoto fell into confusion.

She was angry that he refused to leave this certain-death situation. At the sa ti, however, a certain warm feeling welled up in her heart.

[That's right… because… he's Shido…]

Looking at the boy before her, Mikoto revealed a gentle smile.

However, there was no ti left to persuade him to leave.

While the two were talking, as though they had agreed beforehand, the aerial ship and Origami fired fatal bombardnts at the two of them from opposite directions.

Boom—!

The intense bombardnt shook the barrier that had beco night.

"Ugh…"

Shido clenched his teeth. He used every bit of strength in his body to maintain the barrier. Even so, more and more cracks began appearing across it. Streams of energy pierced through the fissures, leaving countless bloody cuts on his body like scorching blades.

"Shido…"

Noticing that Shido's side was about to fail, Mikoto turned around. With firm resolve, she gathered most of her power on Shido's side.

As for her own side, she would use her body as the barrier and block Origami's lasers.

And so, as multiple layers of torii gates appeared in front of Shido, the night behind Mikoto shattered completely. Black lasers poured in, rushing toward the girl's defenseless back.

"Ugh…"

Mikoto closed her eyes, intending to withstand the terrifying attack with her incomplete Astral Dress.

However—

"Eh?"

The impact she had expected never ca.

What appeared instead was an out of season bitter cold, occupying the space not far behind her.

"That's… Zadkiel?"

Mikoto turned around and saw countless pillars of solid ice rising behind her, blocking Origami's attack.

"Shido…"

Turning her head, she saw Shido supporting Tsukuyomi with one hand while manifesting Zadkiel with the other, defending against both the aerial ship and the Demon King at the sa ti with the powers of night and ice.

"I told you… I'll protect senpai…"

Shido forced out a faint smile with difficulty.

Driving the powers of two angels at the sa ti made his body feel as though it had been thrown into a furnace. His organs, bones, and muscles were torn apart and shattered by that terrifying power, only to be scorched and healed again by the flas of recovery.

Alongside the enemy's attacks, that process repeated endlessly, without pause.

Crack!

Finally, cracks appeared in the solid ice.

Compared to the side where he and Mikoto were resisting the aerial ship's bombardnt together, the rampaging Demon King was the first to tear through Shido's one sided defense.

"Damn it… just a little more…"

If he could just hold on a little longer. Just a little longer.

Shido desperately prayed in his heart.

However, the black rays broke through the ice blockade and began seeping inside.

"Shido?"

Mikoto let out a small cry.

Shido pulled her into his arms, using his own body to endure the black aftershock that seeped through the barrier.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah—!"

The pain was so intense that he let out a scream.

Even so, Shido still held Mikoto tightly in his arms.

[We can't go on like this…]

Mikoto noticed that Shido was already approaching his limit. She tried to take his place, using her own body to resist that destructive energy.

And just then—

"Sandalphon—!"

A purple slash cut across the sky, blowing away the gathered wings.

"Zadkiel—!"

The rabbit puppet sprayed out a fierce blizzard, freezing the aerial ship's main cannon area.

"Gabriel—Requiem!"

A graceful song slowly healed the two of their wounds.

At the critical mont, the Spirits had arrived.

"Everyone…"

Shido and Mikoto looked at each other, and both revealed expressions of joy.

"Shido, Mikoto, are you two okay?"

Tohka landed and said.

"Kukuku, no wonder you refused to join our witch's banquet. To think you had committed such an act in breach of the covenant, Mikoto. However, considering the curse upon you, I shall forgive you this ti."

"Translation. Mikoto refused to go shopping with us because she was with Shido. But since you've been feeling down these past few days, we won't pursue this sneaky behavior."

As the Yamai sisters spoke, they summoned a gale and suppressed Origami, who had broken free of Mikoto's seal and was trying to fly into the sky.

"We can talk about the details later. First, let's deal with the trouble in front of us. Haniel—Kaleidoscope!"

Natsumi transford her angel into the form of Gabriel and began playing March, which could strengthen everyone's power.

"Everyone… ugh?"

Just as Mikoto was smiling because the Spirits had arrived, a chill suddenly ran through her entire body.

In an instant, her vision began to blur, as if she were drunk, and even her consciousness began to lt.

She wrapped her arms around herself and trembled nonstop, as though sothing inside her body—was struggling to surface.

"Yakumo… senpai…"

Shido stared blankly at Mikoto.

The girl's solemn, sun like Astral Dress was gradually being dyed in an ominous color.

Without any warning at all—

Mikoto began to inverse.