Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 485 485: Flagship

"Biri-chan!"

The mont Yutsuki boarded the airship, what greeted her was Nia throwing herself at her in a flying hug.

"Thank goodness... Thank goodness... Biri-chan... I'm so glad you're okay... I thought you also... uwaaaaaaah!"

"...Seriously. You're already an adult, so don't cry all the ti. Your snot and tears are getting on my clothes."

With a helpless sigh, Yutsuki looked at Nia, who was hugging her tightly and crying so hard she could barely speak. Yutsuki gently patted her back and spoke softly.

"Because... you never contacted us... I thought you had Inversed like everyone else."

After blowing her nose, Nia said with a dissatisfied expression.

"Sorry. There were so things I had to do."

Yutsuki answered with a bitter smile.

At the sa ti, the screen on the wall suddenly lit up. Two girls appeared on it, one white and one black, both wearing nun outfits.

[Yutsuki, you're back.]

[...Welco back.]

"I'm back, Maria, Marina."

Hearing the greetings from Arusu Maria and Arusu Marina, Yutsuki nodded and answered.

"You two don't seem very surprised that I ca back."

Hearing Yutsuki's question, Maria calmly explained.

[Mm... Although we received no contact, and we could not detect a spirit wave reaction, based on the situation at the ti, your personality, and your ability evaluation... Onee-chan and I calculated that the chance of you surviving safely was as high as 92.4%.]

[...Although Nia here did not take our words seriously.]

After giving Yutsuki a complicated look, Marina sighed and made a jab at Nia, whose face was now covered in tears.

"I-I didn't doubt you. I was just worried."

After defending herself in a small voice, Nia cleared her throat and tried to maintain her dignity as the older one.

"Anyway, standing here and talking isn't too good. Let's go to the command room."

"Mm."

Yutsuki nodded and followed Nia toward the command room.

On the way, through Nia's patient explanation, Yutsuki learned about what Fraxinus had gone through over the past month.

One month ago, because she had witnessed Shido's death, Itsuka Kotori's heart had been crushed by grief and despair, and she had fallen into Inversion.

At the ti of the sudden change, everyone inside the airship panicked.

They could only watch helplessly as Kotori was swallowed by flas, not knowing what to do.

Among them, only one person reacted.

No, strictly speaking, it was an artificial intelligence.

Arusu Marina.

The electronic Spirit who had once belonged to DEM and opposed Kotori and the others forcibly seized control of Fraxinus EX the mont Kotori's spirit wave reaction appeared. She used the spatial transfer function to forcibly move Kotori outside the airship, then imdiately withdrew at high speed.

[If not for Onee-chan's help, everyone on the airship would probably have been buried in flas.]

Recalling that scene, Maria spoke with lingering fear.

"I see... Marina, thank you for saving everyone. You were a big help."

Hearing Maria's words, Yutsuki looked at Marina and thanked her.

[It was nothing... I only did it because I did not want the computer holding my data to be destroyed. Saving people was just incidental. There is no need to thank .]

Marina turned her head away and spoke a little awkwardly.

[That's right. Although Onee-chan is not very honest, she is very reliable when it matters.]

[The 'not honest' part was unnecessary...]

Suddenly, the corners of Marina's mouth lifted. She looked at Nia with a mischievous smile.

[Speaking of that, I suddenly rembered sothing. At the ti, I had actually planned to transfer two people out. But then I noticed that the other one had not changed at all, so I only transferred Kotori.]

"Uh..."

Nia's expression stiffened.

Of course, she understood very clearly who Marina ant by "the other one."

"Well, how should I put this... What happened back then was too sudden. I didn't understand what was happening at all. And even if I had understood it, there was no Sephira Crystal inside that could Inverse."

Nia scratched her head and awkwardly explained.

[I see. So it was because Nia-san was too useless that she ended up safe.]

Maria spoke with a face full of sudden understanding.

"...Although I've vaguely felt this for a long ti, Maria-chan, Marina-chan, do you two hate ?"

The corners of Nia's mouth twitched slightly.

[That is your imagination. Nia-san.]

[Exactly. Your imagination.]

The two denied it without changing expression.

"Pfft..."

Watching the three of them interact, Yutsuki could not help almost laughing. Her expression softened slightly.

"Mm, that's roughly our situation. Biri-chan, what happened on your side?"

"I..."

Yutsuki opened her mouth, hesitated for a mont, then did not speak. She pointed at the nearby command room and said.

"Let's go inside first."

The automatic door slowly opened, and Yutsuki stepped into the command room.

"Yutsuki-san?!"

"It really is you? Thank goodness you're okay."

"Mm. Long ti no see, everyone."

Looking at the crew mbers of Fraxinus EX, Yutsuki answered softly.

Looking around the room, Yutsuki saw "Bad Marriage" Kawagoe, "President" Mikimoto, "Nail Knocker" Shiizaki, "Dinsion Breaker" Nakatsugawa, "Deep love" Minowa, and the vice commander of this ship as well as the designated masochist, Kannazuki Kyouhei.

Yutsuki noticed that their faces all looked sowhat worn out.

Compared to the people in her mory, they had lost so of their life and energy.

That was only natural.

In their hearts, Kotori's position was no less important than Shido's position in the Spirits's eyes.

They had personally watched their superior Inverse from despair, while they themselves could do nothing. Of course they would have suffered a heavy blow.

"Mm?"

Suddenly, Yutsuki felt sothing was off.

She noticed that aside from Kotori, there was one more person missing from the command room. Soone she knew.

"Where is Reine? Is she not here?"

"..."

Hearing Yutsuki's question, everyone instantly fell silent.

After a long while, Kannazuki stepped forward and spoke with so difficulty.

"...Analysis Officer Murasa is currently missing. When the Commander Inversed, everyone was in chaos. By the ti we cald down, she was gone. We sent people to search for her, but as things stand... the chances are not good."

Hearing this, Yutsuki could not help falling into thought. Then she lowered her head apologetically.

"I see... Sorry. I asked a strange question."

"We believe Analysis Officer Murasa must also be safe right now."

[Everyone, sorry to interrupt. We have a communication request from Director Woodman at headquarters.]

At that mont, Maria suddenly spoke.

Woodman?

Hearing that their boss was calling, everyone quickly returned to their seats. Their faces were full of tension and unease.

Soon, the image on the screen switched to headquarters.

Everyone saw Woodman sitting in a wheelchair facing the cara, while his personal secretary Karen stood silently behind him.

"Director Woodman."

Kannazuki straightened his back and gave Woodman a serious salute.

[Sorry. Am I disturbing you during work hours, Vice Commander Kannazuki?]

Woodman smiled gently and asked in a warm tone.

"No, not at all. It is just..."

Kannazuki shook his head, then asked with so confusion.

"Did you contact us specifically because there is sothing important?"

[Yes, indeed. I just received a report. You have joined up with the Spirit called Ryougi Yutsuki, correct?]

"Eh? Yes... that is correct."

[Would it be possible for to speak with that Spirit?]

"This..."

Hearing Woodman's request, Kannazuki looked toward Yutsuki in the shadows with a questioning gaze.

Yutsuki thought for a mont, then walked in front of the screen.

"...What do you need, Elliot Baldwin Woodman?"

[Oh, so you are Ryougi Yutsuki...]

Woodman showed a sowhat surprised expression. After studying Yutsuki for a few monts, he spoke.

"Co to think of it, this is our first eting. You have helped us quite a lot before. I had always wanted to et you, but unfortunately, I never had the chance."

"Well, for , this isn't exactly the first eting. You have also helped quite a bit. Let thank you for that first."

After answering politely, Yutsuki looked at the gentle-looking middle-aged man on the screen and asked.

"Then, is there sothing you want to ask ?"

[Yes. A few days ago, I received news from an informant inside DEM. The director of DEM, Isaac Westcott, was assassinated by an unknown person and unfortunately died.]

Woodman lightly dropped a heavy bombshell that made the whole room explode into chaos. He watched Yutsuki's eyes and slowly asked.

[Was that person... you?]

In an instant, shocked gazes gathered on Ryougi Yutsuki at the sa ti.

Who was Westcott?

He was the boss of their mortal enemy, DEM, and also the main culprit behind the current situation.

They could no longer rember how many tis their missions had been disrupted by him.

It was no exaggeration to say that there was not a single person present who did not want to cut him into ten thousand pieces.

But hatred was one thing.

Everyone also knew clearly that Westcott was not only cunning, but also extrely cautious.

Their greatest enemy had suddenly been killed sowhere they knew nothing about.

Honestly, when the people of Fraxinus heard the news, rather than feeling relieved, what filled their hearts more was a sense that it did not feel real.

"Mm. I killed him. That's right."

Yutsuki did not hide it and nodded very readily.

[You admit it quite openly.]

Woodman said with so surprise.

"It's nothing. Even if you didn't ask, I was planning to tell everyone anyway. After all, I don't think I did anything wrong, and there is no need to hide it."

[I see. So that's how it is... Ike is dead...]

[...]

After letting out a long breath, Woodman and Karen on the screen both had very complicated expressions.

They seed sowhat relieved, yet also sowhat sad.

[Yutsuki-san.]

After a long while, Woodman finally adjusted his mood and slowly spoke.

[Ike was once my coworker and also my companion. I know what kind of person he was better than anyone. The cris he committed were enough that no matter how he died, he would have deserved it. Even if you had not killed him, he would probably have died by soone else's hand one day. So I will not hate you. Rather, please allow to express my thanks.]

"There is no need for thanks. If possible, I hope you can repay with sothing more practical, Woodman."

Yutsuki shook her head and said.

[Oh? What do you want?]

Hearing Yutsuki's words, Woodman raised an eyebrow and looked at her with interest.

Yutsuki did not rush to state her request.

Instead, she turned to the crew of Fraxinus EX and asked with a serious face.

"Everyone. Do you want your Commander——Itsuka Kotori——to co back?"

The mont they heard those words, everyone's hearts trembled.

"What do you an? Do you have a way to return the Commander to normal?!"

"I do."

Yutsuki answered with absolute certainty.

"The reason I assassinated Westcott was first because if he stayed alive, he would bring harm to Tohka and the others. Second, it was to search through him for a way to return Inverse Spirits to normal. In fact, I did achieve that goal. Unfortunately, this thod cannot succeed with alone. I need help from others."

After saying that, Yutsuki repeated the question she had asked just now.

"I'll ask again. Do you want Kotori to co back?"

"Yes! Of course we do! As long as the Commander can be saved, I, Kannazuki, will gladly put my life on the line."

"Of course. I owe the Commander more favors than I can count. It would be too much if I didn't repay them."

"Although I'm annoyed that Kannazuki answered first."

"Although I'm a little uneasy... if it's Yutsuki-san, I'm willing to believe you."

The mbers of Fraxinus responded emotionally.

Before this, they had already stopped hoping that Inverse Spirits could be restored.

After all, as far as they knew, in order to return an Inverse Spirit to normal, Itsuka Shido's power was necessary.

And now that Itsuka Shido was dead, there should naturally have been no possibility of the Spirits recovering.

But Yutsuki's words reignited their fighting spirit.

"Woodman. This is my request."

At that mont, Yutsuki turned her gaze back to Woodman on the screen.

"My goal is the sa as yours. I want to save the Spirits who are in danger. But my power alone is far from enough. Therefore, I hope you can give command right of this airship, as well as support through Ratatoskr's resources."

After listening to Yutsuki, Woodman closed his eyes and thought for a long while.

Then he finally nodded in acceptance.

[Indeed, I have no reason to refuse... I accept your request, Yutsuki-san.]

"...Biri-chan?"

Staring blankly at everything happening before her eyes, Nia found herself unable to speak for a mont.

Suddenly, she felt that the Ryougi Yutsuki before her eyes seed sowhat distant, and sowhat unfamiliar.