Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 614 614: Victory Conditions?

The giant rabbit clad in ice armor stood in the city like a creature of snow and frost, causing both sides on the battlefield to look toward it.

Roar!

A low roar rippled outward. Countless chunks of solid ice burst and spread from beneath Yoshinon's feet. Frostbite cold winds swept through the streets like nimble vines, leaving clearly defined trails of ice behind.

In less than a few breaths, all of Tengu City was covered in snow-white frost. Looking at it from afar, it resembled an icy kingdom from a fairy tale.

"Yoshino-chan , are you okay?"

"No problem…"

Sitting at Yoshinon's broad neck, Yoshino nodded softly.

"I'll… do my best!"

…

Deep inside Fraxinus EX's main computer, within electronic space.

This virtual world, completely different from reality, had already removed the high precision city simulation and returned to its original form: a data space with no direction, where countless streams of information moved and intersected.

—Yatogami Tohka is on the outskirts of the city, engaged with Bandersnatch drone units. No imdiate danger to life.

—Tobiichi Origami has regrouped with the Yamai sisters and is moving toward Tohka.

—After retreating into Tengu City, Natsumi has lost combat capability and is currently evading Wizard units under Takamiya Mana's protection.

—Director Elliot Woodman is engaged with Ellen Mathers. No reference data available. Victory rate unknown.

—Hoshimiya Mukuro and Izayoi Miku…

Within this space, the twin girls dressed as black and white nuns outfit—Maria and Marina—stared at the three-dinsional map of Tengu City ford from information data in front of them, constantly processing the information windows popping up at every point on the map.

Although they could not participate in the real world battle, that did not an their mission was easier than anyone else's. Kotori and Yutsuki, who were normally responsible for decision making and command, were both currently locked in battles with the enemy and unable to spare attention. The two of them had to constantly monitor the enemy's movents and their own side's situation, while also ensuring that everyone's intelligence communication remained intact.

Honestly, now that all of Tengu City had beco a battlefield, handling the movents in every part of the city across multiple parallel threads at the sa ti was only possible because the two of them were electronic Spirits born from computers. If it were an ordinary person, their CPU would probably have exploded long ago.

—Yoshino's spirit power intensity has exceeded the highest recorded value so far. Spirit power category C. Emotional value has dropped to 42%. Stress value is approaching the limit.

Seeing Yoshino's current state, Maria frowned uneasily.

"These numbers… Could it be spirit power going out of control?"

"That should not be it."

Marina shook her head, denying Maria's guess.

"Judging from the data, this blizzard appears on the surface to be a large scale indiscriminate attack, but in reality, most of the spirit power is being used to freeze enemy drones and Wizards. The effect on our units is very small. If her spirit power had gone out of control, her Angel's attack couldn't possibly have this level of purpose and precision. It should be Astral Dress release."

"Even so, Yoshino's situation can't be considered optimistic."

Maria's expression did not relax because of that. When Yutsuki and the other Spirits underwent special training, the Arusu sisters were present as administrators of the virtual world. Naturally, they knew the advantages and disadvantages of Astral Dress release.

Although it could temporarily restore full-power strength, in principle, it was not removing the seal. Rather, through sothing like a reverse flow of spirit power, a massive amount of spirit power was drawn out from the spirit power channel all at once—enough to manifest a complete Astral Dress. It was like spending an entire month's salary to experience one day of life as a rich person. With Yoshino consuming spirit power on such a massive scale, she would be unable to maintain it for more than a few minutes before her power ran dry.

Moreover, the fully manifested Zadkiel was far too enormous. To DEM, it was undoubtedly an extrely obvious target.

Why would Yoshino do sothing so dangerous?

Just as Maria felt confused, Yoshino took the initiative to connect to the channel.

[Those Wizards… can't move anymore… Everyone, is there any way… to help them?]

"Yoshino…"

Receiving Yoshino's request for help, Maria was surprised, but also could not help feeling troubled.

In truth, the instant she received the request, Maria had already listed all the intelligence related to the abnormal Wizards. But precisely because of that, she felt this matter was difficult to handle.

They had been implanted with fragnts of Beelzebub's power, and their individual combat power was comparable to a Spirit deploying a partial Astral Dress.

They had no sense of pain or touch. Their ntal state was similar to sleepwalking. They could not be communicated with, and would only continue attacking Spirits.

To compensate for insufficient spirit power, they maintained combat by consuming their lives. Even if they were left alone, they would automatically disappear after so ti.

After comprehensive judgnt, Maria could not find a thod to return the Wizards to normal. Moreover, in her view, Yoshino had no need, nor any obligation, to make such a dangerous choice for these Wizards, who had spent their lives pointing weapons at them.

[Umu! I understand, Yoshino! I'll think of sothing too.]

[I'll gather as much information as possible on my side as well.]

[Kuku—not bad, Yoshino. To think you would make such a magnificent entrance. The children of typhoon shall lend you our strength!]

[Confirmation. Do your best, Yoshino. Yuzuru will take this chance to clean up the drones first.]

However, before Maria could speak, all the Spirits on the communication channel supported Yoshino's judgnt one after another.

"This…"

For a mont, Maria could not help falling silent.

"Ah~ Give up, Maria. From the mont I heard those Spirits choose not to kill during the eting, I was already ntally prepared. No matter how naive a decision they make, I won't be surprised anymore."

Marina smiled and patted Maria's back, pretending to act like an older sister as she spoke earnestly.

"After all, from a certain point of view, they're quite similar to these Wizards."

Hearing that, Maria vaguely realized the reason.

Whether it was Yoshino or the other Spirits, at the beginning, they had destroyed the world without regard to their own will and were rejected by humanity and Wizards. Because of that, they had suffered pain and despair. So had even nearly given up on themselves. Yet under those circumstances, they had been saved by people unrelated to them, through simple goodwill.

For them, it was inevitable that they would see so shadow of their past selves in these out of control Wizards.

Marina sighed, a helpless wry smile appearing on her face.

"I see… I originally thought I already understood what heart and love were. Looking at it now, there's still a lot left to learn."

"In any case, let's set reason and logic aside for now. Right now, let's do our best to fulfill their request. Ah—"

At this point, coordinate information from a certain location in Tengu City ca in, causing Marina's eyes to light up.

______________

Although it frustrated her greatly, Ryougi Yutsuki had to admit that, for the mont, she still could not shake off Ai Mulian.

In terms of aerial combat, Yutsuki did indeed have the edge over Ai Mulian. However, Ai Mulian skillfully neutralized that disadvantage through support from the airships.

If Yutsuki tried to attack Ai Mulian, the airships's bombardnt would interfere. If she prioritized dismantling the airships, Ai Mulian would close the distance and restrain her. As a result, Yutsuki had fallen into this irritating stalemate.

(Calm down! Don't get impatient, Ryougi Yutsuki.)

Slowly taking a deep breath, Yutsuki warned herself inwardly.

Although the appearance of those Wizards had indeed made Yutsuki anxious for a ti, after seeing that everyone's lives were not in imdiate danger, she did not rush to shake off Ai Mulian. Instead, while dealing with the enemy, she thought through the abnormalities in this battle.

At first, everyone had believed that as long as Westcott was defeated, DEM would collapse after losing its leader. Even Yutsuki herself had not doubted this point. But in reality, even after Westcott's death, DEM had not stopped attacking. On the contrary, there was even a faint sense that they intended to fight them to the death.

If they could not determine the victory condition, continuing to fight like this honestly had little aning. It was not as though they could simply kill every single DEM mber.

(What exactly is Westcott planning?)

With that question surfacing in her heart, Yutsuki could not help glancing toward the airships in the distance.

Honestly, if one were to ask what parts of this battle were unreasonable, one would be those Wizards who should have lost their will to fight. The other would be the dozen or so airships that had stopped in midair and were waiting for sothing.

Although Yutsuki could not yet see the problem with the information currently in her hands, anything abnormal had a reason behind it. If they did not quickly shoot those airships down, Yutsuki felt sothing would go wrong sooner or later.

[Hey, hey, Yutsuki. Can you hear ?]

At that mont, Marina's communication suddenly ca through Yutsuki's earpiece.

"Marina, Maria, what is it?"

[Good news. We've already found a clue on how to return the Wizards to normal.]

"Really—?"

Before Yutsuki could finish, she imdiately retreated half a ter and dodged Ai Mulian's slash.

"Don't be so cold. Keep playing with , Yutsuki-san!"

[…Are you busy?]

"…It's fine. Continue."

Relying on future calculation to dodge several shots from magical cannons, Yutsuki urged her with an unchanged expression.

[From the current situation, there are two main reasons those Wizards went berserk. First, they absorbed fragnts of inverted Crystal spirit power. Second, they received so kind of suggestive brainwashing. At present, we've confird that if the spirit power can be sealed, or if the brainwashing effect can be overwritten, the Wizards can be cald down.]

"Did Mukuro and Miku resolve their side?"

Hearing that, Yutsuki imdiately reacted and asked.

[Honey ♥~ Sorry to keep you waiting! Your beloved Miku has co to help!]

As if the timing had been calculated, a familiar voice reached her ears. Yutsuki lowered her head and looked toward the ground, only to see Izayoi Miku standing at the top of the ice sculpted Tengu Tower, cheerfully waving at her.