Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 502 502: Self Loathing

"Hey! Biri-chan! Reine! Hey—if you can hear , answer !"

At night, Nia shouted across the empty plain.

Two hours had already passed since Takamiya Mio's spirit wave reaction disappeared. Because of the strain caused by the Spirit formula, the mana generators inside the airships had all entered an overloaded state. Everyone could only take flashlights and perform a grid search across the area.

[Report, this is Team A. No life signs detected in our assigned area, including underground up to twenty ters.]

[This is Team B. We also haven't detected Acting Commander Ryougi's reaction.]

[This is Team C. Sa result as Teams A and B...]

"No reaction here either."

After giving a short report, Nia cut off the communication with a heavy heart.

Looking around, she saw that, due to Ain Soph and Ain Soph Aur, all the vegetation on the grassland had vanished. Even the originally uneven terrain had been shaved flat like an airport runway, making one shudder at the Origin Spirit's power to reshape mountains and overturn seas.

And on top of that flattened ground, the vicious cracks and craters, like open wounds, hinted at how brutal the battle had been.

(Don't tell ... Biri-chan and Reine really took each other down...)

Nia could not help thinking that.

Indeed, Yutsuki and Reine's spirit power reactions had both disappeared. Based on that alone, anyone would assu they had perished together. This aimless search seed less like refusing to give up and more like deceiving themselves.

(No, no! You're overthinking it, Honjou Nia.)

Nia desperately shook her head and threw that thought away.

(Biri-chan promised she absolutely wouldn't push herself. Not lying to family is her creed, so there's no way she would do sothing stupid like mutual destruction. Either she couldn't beat Reine and ran away, or she beat Reine and ca back safely. Right? I believe in you, Yutsuki.)

Nia slapped her cheeks hard, took a deep breath, then shouted with all her strength across the barren land.

"Bi——ri——chan——are——you——here?!! If you can hear ——answer eeee!!!!"

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

Just then, Nia's shoulder bag suddenly let out a violent alarm.

"Wah! Wh-what happened?"

Nia jumped in surprise. She opened the bag and saw the spirit power detector blaring its warning.

"Such a high spirit power reaction. Weird, there wasn't any reaction just now... And it's so close!?"

Nia hurriedly looked around. After confirming that there was nothing unusual nearby, she hesitated for a mont and raised her head toward the sky.

Within the dark night sky, a circular hole resembling an eye had appeared at so point. On the other side of the circle, Nia could faintly see a blue planet.

"This is... Michael's door. It's Yutsuki! She really is still alive!!"

Nia shouted in excitent.

At that mont, a figure suddenly ca out of the Gate and slamd heavily into the ground like a teor.

Nia hurriedly ran toward the place where the figure had fallen.

"Yutsuki, are you okay?"

Inside the dust-covered crater, a girl's figure slowly stood up, making Nia breathe out in relief.

"Seriously, Biri-chan, you scared to death. If you're okay, at least say sothing. Scaring people like this is bad for the heart——"

——!

Suddenly, a sharp numbing pain stung her cheek.

A pitch black bolt of lightning flashed past Nia's head, missing her by only a few centiters.

"Eh?"

It took Nia a mont to realize what had just happened.

"——————!"

A beast like roar ca from within the smoke.

Then, as the smoke cleared, what appeared before Nia was a white-haired girl wearing a pale white coat, her whole body wrapped in black lightning.

"Bi...ri...chan?"

Nia stared at the unfamiliar girl, utterly confused.

"——"

As if hearing Nia's voice, the girl slowly turned her head and fixed her eyes on her.

A chill crawled up from the depths of Honjou Nia's spine.

Those eyes glowed with a ghostly green light, filled with the aggression of a wild beast.

Run! Run now! If you don't, you'll be killed!

Like a herbivore locked in the gaze of a predator, every cell in Nia's body scread a warning.

But before she could run, those ghost-fire eyes suddenly enlarged in her field of vision. Her neck was seized, and her entire body was lifted into the air, both feet leaving the ground.

"...Yutsuki?"

Nia looked at the girl before her in disbelief.

There was no mistake. From far away, Nia had not been certain. But now, up close, aside from her hair and eye color, the girl's face was exactly the sa as Ryougi Yutsuki's.

(What's going on... Don't tell ... she Inverted?)

"Nia-san? What happened on your side?"

"That spirit power reaction is enormous. Could it be Acting Commander Ryougi?"

"Not good! Nia-san is in danger!"

At that mont, the crew mbers and Wizards searching nearby began rushing over.

"————————————————!!!!"

Suddenly, a hoarse roar echoed through heaven and earth. A powerful spirit wave erupted from Yutsuki's body, turning into a shockwave that blew away everyone within a one-kiloter radius.

(This... is really bad...)

Feeling the grip around her neck tighten bit by bit, Nia's consciousness gradually blurred from lack of oxygen.

Unlike Shido and Yutsuki, when facing an Inverted Spirit, Nia could neither seal spirit power with a kiss nor forcibly extract the Sephira Crystal from the Spirit's body using power and knowledge like Yutsuki could. She was no more than a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

But——

(No... I can't die... I have to live... Otherwise, Yutsuki...)

With that thought, Nia sohow squeezed out a little strength and teased her.

"...Hey, Biri-chan... wake up... Don't you rember ...? I-I'm your... most respected... F-cup... gentle and virtuous... big sister confidante... Honjou Nia..."

After finally forcing out one complete sentence, Nia's vision sank into darkness.

"...Bull...shit!"

A curse rang beside her ear.

Nia felt the force binding her neck suddenly vanish, and then she landed on her butt.

"——Cough, cough! Ugh——cough, cough, cough——"

After a violent coughing fit, Nia breathed in large mouthfuls of air, her face twisted in pain.

As her vision slowly recovered, she saw Ryougi Yutsuki gripping her own right wrist tightly with her left hand, gritting her teeth as she cursed.

"Soone as shaless as you... always flatter yourself... My, my true waifu——will always be Shiori-chan!!"

Hearing that familiar voice, tears welled in Nia's eyes.

"Biri-chan!"

"Don't co over yet!"

A roar stopped Nia, who had been about to hug her. Yutsuki clenched her teeth and desperately suppressed the spirit power rampaging inside her body.

Finally, the black lightning slowly faded. The pale white coat returned to pure black, and her hair and eyes changed back to their original color. Only her bangs and the tips of her hair still held a faint grayish white tint.

"Haa... That was close."

At last, Yutsuki collapsed onto the ground and exhaled with lingering fear.

"Biri-chan!"

Seeing Yutsuki return to normal, Nia imdiately threw herself at her and gave her a bear hug.

"Ah! Biri-chan, I'm so moved! You actually managed to recover from Inversion. So my love really reached you after all?"

"To hell with the power of love. I recovered through my own will."

Yutsuki shoved Nia away in annoyance.

"Eh? No need to be shy. It's not embarrassing."

"Shy, my ass. If I had really fully Inverted, you and everyone else would already be dead."

Unable to stop herself, Yutsuki chopped Nia on the head with her hand, then explained helplessly.

"Well, anyway, as long as you're okay, that's what matters, Biri-chan."

Nia rubbed her head and smiled in relief.

"...Sorry. I couldn't control the Inverted spirit power for a mont. I hurt you."

Rembering how she had nearly lost control and hard Nia, Yutsuki lowered her head in sha.

"It's fine, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

Nia waved her hand casually.

"Anyway, staying in this godforsaken place is way too bleak. Let's head back to the airship first."

"Mm... You're right."

Yutsuki nodded and braced her knees to stand. But the instant she got up, her body tilted forward on its own.

"Oh——safe on base."

Nia carefully caught Yutsuki.

"Sorry... The burden on my body is worse than I expected. I should be able to move after resting for a bit."

"Idiot. How can you rest properly in a place like this? There's no need to force yourself at a ti like this. Co on, I'll carry you back."

"But..."

Yutsuki hesitated.

"You've fought enough already. At the very least, at tis like this, try relying on a little. Otherwise, wouldn't that make completely useless?"

As she spoke, Nia turned around and crouched with her back to Yutsuki.

"Mm... Thanks. I'll leave it to you."

After thinking for a mont, Yutsuki compromised and nodded.

"Hmph, leave it to ."

"——!"

The instant she lifted Yutsuki onto her back, Nia's eyes widened. Her knees bent, and her upper body pitched forward sixty degrees.

"Biri-chan... question. How much do you weigh?"

"Around forty five kilograms. Is it okay? I should walk by myself after all."

"Haha... Totally fine, totally fine. No problem at all. All right——let's go."

Nia gave a dry laugh, took a deep breath, and began walking toward the airship at roughly the speed of a turtle sprinting.

(I really need to work out after this.)

Nia secretly swore in her heart.

"Speaking of which, Biri-chan, you're amazing. You really beat the Origin Spirit"

To take her mind off her numb legs, Nia started chatting with Yutsuki.

Yutsuki gently shook her head.

"It was simply luck. Without your help, I would have lost long ago."

"Oh? So I was useful?"

"Mm. You helped a lot."

Yutsuki nodded softly and relaxed a little, leaning against Nia's slender back.

"...Nia."

"Mm? What is it?"

"Maria... and Marina... Are they all right?"

"..."

Nia was at a loss for words.

Without waiting for Nia's answer, Yutsuki continued on her own.

"When the Spirit formula you set up converted Ain Soph into Belial, I received two chances to use its authority."

Yes, two.

The first ti, just as Yutsuki had told Mio, she added the rule "injury ans death."

The second ti, while Mio was shaken, she secretly canceled one of the rules.

The rule Mio had declared at the very beginning——"All that exists in this world cannot leave."

Precisely because of that, at the last possible instant, Yutsuki had been able to use Michael to escape the range of the Angel of Nothingness.

"Heh... Sounds like a battle on a completely ridiculous scale. Maybe I can use it as reference for manga fights."

Listening to Yutsuki talk about her battle with Reine, Nia answered nervously.

Yutsuki continued.

"Without those two chances, I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat Takamiya Mio. I definitely wouldn't have survived. But I don't know why... The instant I used that Demon King, I felt like I lost sothing..."

"..."

"...Hey, Nia. Was that just my imagination?"

"Who knows... probably just your imagination."

"...Mm."

Yutsuki smiled faintly and slowly closed her eyes.

"Sorry, Nia... I'm a little tired. I'll nap for a bit."

"Mm. Rest well."

Nia did not dare turn around to look at Yutsuki's expression. She only nodded stiffly and kept walking.

"Haa... hff..."

Even breathing ca from her back.

After confirming that Yutsuki had truly fallen asleep, Nia finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

(Is this finally over?)

Walking across the dry wasteland, Nia looked at the airship slowly drawing closer and could not help thinking that.

Now, Westcott was dead. DEM had collapsed. Everyone who had Inverted had returned to normal. The Origin Spirit, Takamiya Mio, had also disappeared. They had gone through so many hardships and sacrifices, but at least this insane world had finally reached the end of one act.

(From now on, Yutsuki won't have to force herself anymore. Once everyone wakes up, we can return to a peaceful, ordinary life.)

Nia prayed silently.

However, just as she thought that, Yutsuki's steady breathing began to carry faint, choked sobs.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Shido... I couldn't protect everyone again... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...I'm sorry....." (TL:Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

That was the sleep-talk Yutsuki unconsciously spilled out after every disguise had been stripped away.

Nia held her breath and tightly pressed her lips together.

(Yutsuki really did know... about Maria and Marina... And I...)

Regret.

That emotion pierced Nia's heart like a needle.

She had no idea how many tis she had regretted her own powerlessness since Shido died.

Because of her powerlessness, she let Westcott steal her Angel, which led to Shido being killed.

Because of her incompetence, she could only watch as Yutsuki bore everything alone and beca covered in wounds.

Even now, it was the sa.

(At tis like this... how do supporting characters in shounen manga get the protagonist back on their feet?)

"Cheer up, this isn't like you, Yutsuki."

"Shido definitely wouldn't want you to suffer so much for him."

"You aren't alone. Don't think you can shoulder everything by yourself."

"You've done enough. You don't need to bla yourself anymore."

Nia realized that compared to what Yutsuki was carrying, those inspiring lines from stories were far too insignificant.

Yutsuki loved her family more than anyone, and she understood the pain of losing family better than anyone.

That was why she had used every possible ans. Even if innocent people were dragged into it. Even if she had to twist her own principles. She did not want anyone else to disappear from her side again.

Maybe, for others, this ending could not be called perfect, but it was still acceptable.

But for Yutsuki, it was unquestionably a failure.

(Maybe... to Yutsuki, Reine was also family she wanted to save.)

Thinking that, Nia let out a long sigh, her face filled with bitterness.

"Ah... This is bad. I'm starting to hate myself."