Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 152 152: Training

Today is Shido and Yutsuki's seventh day in the computer world.

Seven days might feel like a long ti for so, and very short for others. Why the difference in how ti is perceived? It just depends on whether seven days is too much or too little for what they want to do.

Undoubtedly, he was the latter.

Itsuka Shido wiped the sweat seeping from his forehead, looked up at the gymnasium ceiling, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"How is it? Shido, can you still stand up?"

A familiar voice rang in his ear. Shido gritted his teeth and slowly pushed himself up from the floor.

"Wow, you actually managed to get up. That's pretty impressive. Well, you'll just get knocked down by again in a few minutes anyway. Pfft—"

The corners of Shido's mouth twitched slightly. He knew Yutsuki was acting to provoke his hostility. But after being effortlessly knocked down by her no less than a hundred tis, getting up close and personal with the gym's wooden floor, he couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance, even knowing it was an act.

What a cute yet hateful face. Looking at Yutsuki covering her mouth and snickering, Shido took a deep breath with mixed feelings to calm himself down. He gripped Sandalphon tightly and got into a stance.

Over the past few days, he had undergone strict training in controlling Spirit power and increasing his actual combat experience.

Shido had to admit, Yutsuki was the most suitable teacher for this.

Spirits use their power naturally, but if you ask what principle it operates on, most Spirits wouldn't be able to give a clear answer.

It was like if Shido asked Tohka how to use Sandalphon. The answer he'd likely get would be sothing confusing like, "You go 'Boom—!' here, and when the enemy cos, you go 'Whoosh—!', and finally 'Bam—!'" So naturally, Shido also knew very little about Spirit power.

However, Yutsuki was different. Using precise Spirit power manipulation to achieve versatile abilities, and even developing "Hacker" techniques that countered Wizards, she had a very clear understanding of both Spirit power manipulation and Angel abilities.

Thanks to Yutsuki, Shido had gone from only being able to use his powers as an explosive aura in life or death situations a few days ago, to being able to summon his Angels at will. Under Yutsuki's constant drilling, his fighting style had also started to look decent.

But in exchange, Shido had lost count of how many tis Yutsuki had knocked him to the ground. Shido even felt he was more familiar with the gym's skylight than the ceiling of his own room right now.

(I've co this far, I have to score at least one point.)

Looking at Yutsuki in her black trench coat, looking completely relaxed, Shido thought to himself.

"Then, let's have a good match once again."

Saying that, Shido put so distance between himself and Yutsuki.

[Partial Manifestation—Zadkiel! Camael!]

The dark blue gauntlet on his right arm faintly flashed with a tallic gleam. Yutsuki felt a temperature change that was hard to describe as either hot or cold. The next mont, the gymnasium was enveloped in thick white mist.

(Using Kotori's and Yoshino's Angels to create steam? Shido, you actually ca up with a pretty interesting move.)

Seeing her vision blocked, Yutsuki wasn't very surprised. She just stood there, waiting to see what would happen.

Then, the flow of the mist began to change irregularly. Yutsuki's eyebrows twitched, and she leaped forward. A chain whipped past the spot she had just been standing in.

If she hadn't moved, Yutsuki would have been tied up tightly.

(Using the mist to block my vision, and then attacking with Yuzuru's El Nahash, huh.)

The corners of Yutsuki's mouth curled up, showing a bit of happiness. Although this level wasn't enough to stump her, it at least proved Shido was thinking for himself to improve during this training.

"Still, you're too naive."

Using mist combined with attacks from unknown locations was indeed a good tactic, but only in a sealed indoor space. Plus, the strong winds from Yuzuru's chain itself would affect the flow of the mist. Any Wizard with a bit of experience could calm down and predict the attacks based on how the mist moved, avoiding them.

And for Yutsuki herself, blocking her vision was a complete joke.

"Ratziel—Cannon mode!"

The grip of Ratziel closed and locked onto her wrist. The bow arms folded forward together, turning into a pincer-shaped cannon.

"Railgun!"

Iron sand gathered at Ratziel's muzzle. After counting a few seconds in her head, Yutsuki dodged a chain that suddenly shot out from the side and fired into the mist without hesitation.

"Waaaaahhhh!"

Shido's scream ca from the mist.

"Like I said, you're too naive, Shido. When you used Ratziel to detect my location in the mist, you should have realized I could use the sa thod to find you."

"Did you really have to use a Railgun?! That could kill soone!"

"Hehe, trust . Even firing with my eyes closed, I can guarantee the Railgun will only graze past you without hurting a single hair on your head!"

"I don't want that kind of trust!"

Looking at the wall next to him that had a huge crater blasted through it, Shido yelled, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"An opening!"

Before he knew it, Yutsuki had already charged right in front of him. Ratziel's cannon thrust towards Shido like a one handed sword. Shido hurriedly unsummoned Raphael, summoned Tohka's Sandalphon, and blocked Yutsuki's attack.

Even though it was obviously an unwise choice for Yutsuki, holding a ranged weapon, to engage in close combat with Shido, who held Sandalphon, Shido was still a beginner. He clearly couldn't use overpowering swordsmanship like Tohka or Ellen to deal with Yutsuki's fierce attacks. Even with the weapon advantage, he was stuck on the defensive, blocking Yutsuki's strikes.

"I never thought I'd see the day I could suppress an opponent in close combat. A true archer is one who excels at lee!"

Yutsuki couldn't help but yell excitedly.

"Isn't that standard a bit weird?!"

Shido retorted, then swung Sandalphon with both hands, locking blades with Yutsuki's Ratziel in a contest of strength.

"Shido, that's enough for now. You've done really well."

Yutsuki praised him.

Although she was at a disadvantage in terms of weapons, Spirits naturally possessed high physical abilities and actual combat experience. It wasn't like Shido and Yutsuki hadn't crossed blades over the past few days. If this kept up, Shido would definitely be defeated by her.

"Well... don't praise just yet. It's not over."

Under imnse pressure, Shido slowly let out a breath and forced a smile.

Yutsuki frowned slightly. It wasn't that she suspected Shido was bluffing, but she felt the temperature around them start to drop.

Shido already knew that mist couldn't block Yutsuki's vision. Using Yuzuru's El Nahash wasn't to tie Yutsuki up; it was to hide the true purpose of the mist.

With the help of Yutsuki's Ratziel, Shido used Zadkiel and Camael to make temperature adjustnts to create the vision blocking mist. And the reverse was also possible.

A block of ice the size of a suitcase rapidly condensed above Yutsuki and plumted towards her on the ground.

Realizing the object about to fall on her head, Yutsuki's eyes widened in surprise.

Strictly speaking, this thing wasn't much of a threat to Yutsuki. She just needed to manipulate the iron sand to crush the ice into powder. However, by doing so, Yutsuki would have to divide her attention, which ant she would probably be overpowered by Shido's Sandalphon and fall into a disadvantage.

Realizing she was about to fall for a trap she often used herself, Yutsuki clicked her tongue silently.

But making such delicate temperature adjustnts by controlling two different Angels at the sa ti, even with Ratziel's assistance, was incredibly difficult. Clearly, without Yutsuki knowing, Shido had done a lot of secret training.

—It can't be helped.

Giving up on the contest of strength, Yutsuki withdrew Ratziel. During the awkward mont when Shido lost his resistance and lost his balance, she reached out, pushed Shido away by his chest, and used the montum to step back, avoiding the falling ice block.

(Well, being able to do this much in just a few days is pretty impressive.)

Just as Yutsuki was about to steady herself and act cool by saying sothing like "Not bad making get just a lil bit serious," she suddenly felt her foot slip.

Damn it! What kind of jerk throws banana peels around!

Although she wanted to shout that out loud, Yutsuki quickly realized that what she stepped on was probably the moisture on the floor that had also frozen into a smooth patch of ice when Shido condensed the mist earlier.

(Well, whatever.)

After all, she wasn't the type to be a sore loser. Although she didn't know if Shido had calculated this intentionally, even if he didn't, luck was a part of strength. Yutsuki could only accept her defeat.

(Co to think of it, when I slipped on that banana peel and almost died in Japan in my past life, it felt kind of like this.)

Yutsuki thought casually.

It was as if ti had slowed down. Experiencing her body being manipulated by gravity, falling uncontrollably toward the ground. This familiar feeling brought a complex smile to Yutsuki's face.

"..."

Feeling a warmth completely different from the pain she imagined from falling, Yutsuki slightly turned her head. Looking at the boy holding her tightly and protecting her in his arms, a helpless look appeared in her eyes.

"Can you tell why, when your enemy exposes such a fatal opening, you don't take the chance to finish them off, but instead rush so quickly to act as a at cushion?"

"Uh..." Shido scratched his cheek awkwardly and hurriedly explained, "Um... I'm not joking, the floor here is a bit hard. Falling on it really hurts. Really!"

"Are you indirectly expressing your dissatisfaction to ?"

Yutsuki stared at Shido. Shido hurriedly waved his hands in denial.

"No, no, no! Absolutely not... okay, maybe a little. Ow—"

Yutsuki elbowed Shido in the stomach, looking annoyed.

"Geez... I thought you'd finally beco a bit more capable. But in the end, you still can't change that soft hearted personality of yours."

"Sorry. But seeing you about to fall and get hurt, my body just moved on its own."

"You... you really are a cute but frustrating idiot."

"Is that a complint or an insult?"

"Well~ guess."

(If... we had t earlier...)

Letting out a long sigh, Yutsuki silently leaned against Shido's chest. Looking at the gym ceiling, a sowhat helpless yet relieved smile appeared on her face.

(Please give ... a wonderful date...)