Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 323 323: Beelzebub and Rasiel

If you ask what is absolutely forbidden in this world, it's not war, nor is it drugs, but an elevator malfunction.

This is a maxim concluded by the strongest Wizard—Ellen Mira Mathers—after consecutively climbing twenty-six flights of stairs.

"Hah... hah..." Barely supporting herself on the handrail to keep from falling, Ellen panted heavily. Her lungs taking in air felt like an overloaded engine running hot. Her pale blonde hair stuck to her cheeks and neck from the sweat, making her feel exceptionally uncomfortable.

"Why... why right at this ti of all tis... a malfunction..."

"...No problem, Ellen."

"Just four more floors to the finish line. Do your best,Ellen-san."

Ahead of Ellen were two won wearing the sa uniform as her. They were Wizards she had recruited as subordinates not long ago—the forr ace of the British SSS, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft, and the retired soldier from China, Ai Mulian.

Even though they had walked the exact sa path, they hadn't shed a single drop of sweat, forming a stark contrast with the heavily perspiring Ellen.

About half an hour ago, Ellen was undergoing physical training in a newly built swimming training facility.

It was an extrely difficult training session. As the strongest Wizard, Ellen deeply understood that if she wanted her subordinates to continuously grow stronger in training, she had to lead by example. Using the strictest training to temper her own body and mind, that was the only way to beco a role model for her subordinates.

Therefore, wearing her specialized water equipnt (racing swimsuit) and carrying the auxiliary weapon nad after the Holy Mother, Prydwen, Ellen entered the pool majestically, challenging her limits up to that point.

—Thirty ters!!!

Although Ellen was a bit out of breath when she crossed the standard line, seeing the awe-struck expressions of her subordinates made her feel it was all worth it.

However, unfortunately, just as she got out of the water and prepared to rest and recover her depleted stamina, she suddenly received a broadcast to go to the top floor. And even more unfortunately, the building's elevator had just malfunctioned.

"Are you really okay, Ellen? You look like you're sweating a lot right now." Artemisia asked with a worried face.

"I'm fine... it's just because I was swimming earlier." Ellen answered stubbornly. However, judging by her trembling knees that looked ready to give out, she certainly didn't look fine.

Seeing Ellen's state, Mulian smiled knowingly, walked down the stairs, and ca to Ellen's side. "Ellen-san, pardon for a mont."

"Eh?" Before Ellen could react, Mulian bent down, supported Ellen's legs and back, and lifted her up in a princess carry.

"Wh-What are you doing? Let down this instant!"

"Ellen-san, please understand. I have absolutely no ill intentions in doing this."

Ignoring Ellen's insignificant struggles, Mulian answered in a sincere and earnest tone, "Just now at the training ground, your heroic figure deeply moved . To be able to complete such a difficult long-distance swim at such a fast speed, the physical exertion must have been exaggerated. Yet even so, you continued to execute orders without a break after receiving the notification. Such steel-like resilient will is truly admirable."

Saying this, Mulian even closed her eyes, speaking with a face full of sha, "I'm ashad to say, during the training just now, I slacked off and cut corners to save a lot of stamina. Please allow to lend you a hand here, as punishnt for my own negligence."

(...Slacked off?) Hearing Mulian's words, Artemisia's expression was slightly weird. Just now, Mulian had swam more than a dozen laps with her without even changing her expression.

"Is that so... then it can't be helped." Hearing Mulian's words, Ellen's expression relaxed slightly.

Although she wasn't without the strength to climb the remaining stairs right now, since her subordinate had taken the initiative to confess her fault and wanted to make ands, as her superior, she had to give her a way out.

"But... at least change the posture... it brings back bad mories..."

"Ti is tight, I'm going to sprint. Don't speak,Ellen-san, it's easy to bite your tongue."

Seemingly not hearing Ellen's words, Mulian instructed, and then started sprinting at an astonishing speed that didn't look like she was carrying soone in her arms.

(This should... also be considered a way of showing care.) Artemisia sighed with a bitter smile, quickened her pace, and caught up.

In less than thirty seconds, the distance of four floors was covered. After being carefully set down by Mulian, Ellen gave a dry cough and said with feigned authority, "Ahem—Good work. Considering you just started working here, I won't pursue your mistake this ti. Rember to strictly temper yourself at all tis during training from now on, understand?"

"Understood." After instructing the newcor, Ellen exhaled, adjusted her attire, and knocked on the door.

"—Co in."

"Excuse ."

After receiving a response, Ellen pushed the door open and walked into the office.

In the center of the office, a man sat in an office chair. Gray hair as sharp as a blade, and dull eyes that made it impossible to read his emotions—this was the ruler of DEM Industries, Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott himself.

"My, I've been waiting for you for a long ti. Ellen, Ashcroft, Ai... You're sweating a lot, what did you do?"

"...It's nothing. More importantly, what urgent matter did you call us here for?" Ellen answered vaguely.

However, obviously, Westcott had no intention of delving into it either. With a wave of his hand, the pitch-black book nad "Beelzebub" opened before them.

"As I told you before, a few days ago, Beelzebub's search was interfered with."

"Interference... you an 'Sister' took action?" Ellen frowned slightly.

"Yes. As a result, the function of omniscience is greatly discounted. But fortunately, the necessary information has pretty much been retrieved."

"Oh?"

Hearing Westcott's words, everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes in curiosity. Of course they knew what Westcott's next target was after obtaining Beelzebub.

"The new Spirit's hiding place, you already know it, Boss?" "Mhm."

To Mulian's question, Westcott nodded. With a aningful smile on his face, he pointed a finger towards the sky.

————————————

Rewinding ti a few days, to January 1st.

At noon, Nia called Shido, Kotori, and Yutsuki to her apartnt by phone, saying she wanted to explain the information she knew to them.

"All Spirits were originally human!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Huh?"

Looking at the three people who, instead of showing surprise at the earth-shattering news revealed, showed subtle expressions and remained silent, a drop of awkward sweat appeared on Nia's forehead. "Could it be... you guys already knew?"

Shido and the others nodded wordlessly.

"Ahhhh..." Slowly leaning back in her chair, Nia seed to have taken quite a blow, muttering absentmindedly to herself, "Strange... too strange. According to normal developnts, shouldn't what I revealed right now be an amazing secret the protagonist's group hadn't realized all along? Exploring the truth on your own before the plot unlocks it, what is the aning of my existence then..."

"Ahem... Well, although we know, our knowledge of this matter is only at the speculative stage." Kotori coughed lightly, straightened her expression, and asked seriously, "Nia, could you please explain the information you know to us?"

"I understand..."

Sighing lancholically, Nia began to explain the information she knew.

Just like Miku, Kotori, and Origami, Nia also t that unidentified Spirit "Phantom" one day, obtained a Sephira Crystal from her, and beca a Spirit. However, unlike them, Nia didn't know her identity at first. Like Tohka and the others, she descended into the current world with a spacequake without any mories.

Later, using the power of her Angel—Rasiel—she investigated the fact that she was once human.

"It was also then that I realized my mories had been sealed by that unidentified entity, the one you call 'Phantom'."

"Didn't you try using Rasiel to detect Phantom's true identity?" Kotori asked.

"I definitely did... but how should I put it? I was disconnected? Or couldn't get in? The search must have been blocked by so kind of Angel's power, and Rasiel couldn't find any information. For example, it's like in those manga, if the enemy's combat power is too high, the power scouter blows up, right?"

"Mhm..."

Kotori crossed her arms with a troubled look. Although she understood Nia's words, the feeling of being one step closer to the truth but still in the dark, this feeling like a fishbone stuck in her throat made her a bit uncomfortable.

"That's all I know. Sorry Imouto-chan, I couldn't be of much help." Nia scratched her cheek and said sowhat apologetically.

To this, Kotori shook her head. "Not at all. Thanks to your information, we can confirm our line of speculation isn't wrong. Just thank you for being willing to tell these things."

"Kotori is right, you've been a big help, Nia. Thanks."

"Ugh... Even though you say that, I still want to provide so more useful help."

Seemingly a bit dissatisfied with herself, Nia put her hands on her hips, pondered for a mont, and turned her gaze to Yutsuki, who had been silent since earlier.

"Biri-chan, can the current summon a partial Astral Dress and an Angel like Tohka does?" "Mhm... probably." After thinking for a mont, Yutsuki nodded.

"Although most of your Spirit power was taken, my Spirit power and yours are very similar in nature. Since you've already established a Spirit power pathway with Shido, and there is still a bit of power originally belonging to Rasiel in your body, you should be able to use my Spirit power as a substitute to summon your Angel."

"Oh." Hearing this news, Nia couldn't help but widen her eyes in pleasant surprise. "Really? Then how do you summon an Angel while sealed?"

"Hm? For a partial Astral Dress and an Angel, can't you just summon them by thinking about it?" Saying this, Yutsuki snapped her fingers, and lightning instantly transford into a dark blue chanical bow in her hand.

Nia was instantly left speechless. "Can't be used as a reference..."

Finally, relying on a reverse flow of Spirit power brought on by recalling the unbearable traumatic mories of manuscript deadlines, Nia finally managed to summon Rasiel.

Imdiately after, Nia played with the long-lost Angel. After tinkering for a bit, she took a quill pen and covered a blank page of the book with scribbles.

According to Nia, Rasiel and Beelzebub are essentially two different terminals opening the sa webpage. It's just that the Spirit power they possess—aning their permissions—are different, so the network resources they can access also vary.

Although Ratziel's Spirit power could serve as a substitute to form the frawork of Rasiel, it couldn't realize the sa authority.

However, relying on the little Spirit power remaining in her body, Nia successfully sealed Beelzebub's ability regarding Future Entry,and made a ss of its search function.

For Shido and the others, this was undoubtedly a great achievent.

"Imouto-chan, could you please pass that manga?"

"Mhm, this one right?"

"Right, right. Also, boy, give my shoulders a massage."

"O-Okay... how's this pressure?"

"Ah~ Very good, very good. Biri-chan, is my black tea not ready yet?" While leisurely reading manga and enjoying Shido's massage, Nia said with a blissful expression, "To seal Beelzebul, I even recalled my psychological trauma. I'm so exhausted~ Please make sure to properly reward and heal ."

"..."

Holding the freshly brewed instant black tea, the corner of Yutsuki's mouth twitched slightly. "Shido, I really want to pour this black tea directly on this idiot's head right now."

"Haha..."

To this, Shido could only reply with a bitter smile.

Original author's PS: I slightly altered the original setting here, or more accurately, added a bit of my own interpretation to Nia's Angel.