Kamen Rider Date A Live

"Ah, it's too early to talk about this now, there's no need to know—besides, you've been here for so long, Shido, you should go back to fight. Everyone is waiting for you, whether they're outside or in another world."

"...Okay. I'm leaving now. I hope that next time, you won't hide anything from me. I'll handle any troublesome matters."

After uttering those meaningful words and pausing awkwardly, Agitω vanished from the mental space.

"Oh dear, it seems I've been seen through a little—but as you said, I'll leave the rest to you, Shido."

With a smile on his face, Rector gently tapped the table, and with that smile, he disappeared from the mental space.

————Back to the dividing line————

"Hmm? Is there anything strange about what I said?"

Upon returning, she heard Kotori's strange question. Knowing what had happened, Strike Agitω calmed herself down and replied.

"Ah, it's nothing, Kotori. It's just some personal reasons... Now, let's all go!"

"Please lend me your power!"

"Oh!! Shido (Darling) (Mr.) (Kimi)!!"

The lively question-and-answer session was met with equally enthusiastic responses, but this blatant attempt to shift the topic made Kotori, Kurumi, and the others, sensing something was amiss, frown slightly… However, seeing the increased enthusiasm around them, Kotori and the others still didn't voice their questions—because they trusted Shido. Since Shido was unwilling to speak, forcing him would only cause trouble.

After figuring it out, Kotori and the others, like the other girls who hadn't noticed, responded to Shido's questions, and then... a rainbow of light burst forth from the girl's phone and from the phone of Strike Agitω!

Chapter 253 Our meeting was fate, our bond

Our meeting was destiny, and our bond is our trump card. (253rd Promise)

"Let's begin... origami!"

"Yes, Shido. First Point Crown (kether). Ready to go."

The first to take action was Origami. Floating above Agitω, after making a declaration, it transformed into a giant, pure white sphere with an origami angel pattern floating on it.

"Please, Juya!"

“Oh. The absent Second Matter Wisdom (chhokmah), I will take its place, Shido.”

Juya emerged from Agitω's phone. Her complexion wasn't great, but she had at least recovered to the point where she could speak normally—though she sounded weak and listless no matter how you looked at her.

After Juya responded, she transformed into a silver-white orb with the pattern of the airship Fraxinus floating on it, hovering in the lower left corner of the origami.

"Kurumi, it's your turn!"

"Hey, Shido-kun. The third point of understanding (binah) is always available."

Kurumi responded to the attack from Agitω with a smile, transforming into a black and red sphere with the Kurumi Angel pattern appearing on it, and floated to the lower right of Origami, which is to the right of Maria.

"Thank you for your help, Yoshino, Yoshina!"

"Yes, leave it to me, Mr. Shido!"

[Fourth point of compassion (chesed), all ready, Shido-kun!]

With all her might and courage, she responded to Yoshino's attack on agitω. After Yoshino finished speaking, she transformed into a blue sphere of light, with the image of Yoshino the Angel appearing on it, hovering below Maria.

"Kotori! Let's all attack together!"

"Ah! Let our war begin! Fifth Point Force (geburah), ready!"

With a smile that could be described as arrogant and full of fighting spirit, Kotori bit into the precious pearl she had just been holding in her mouth, turning it into a crimson sphere with the image of Kotori the Angel appearing on it, hovering below Kurumi.

"Rinya, thank you for your help!"

"Well, since the sixth point, Tipareth, is absent, I will take its place."

With a gentle smile on her face, Rinya transformed into a pink sphere as she spoke, and a semi-circular pattern appeared on the sphere, which then floated below Strike Agitω.

"Next... Tch! So it's finally here!"

Just as he was about to call on the next girl to continue this tedious transformation, it was clear that no fool would stand idly by while the other party was obviously unleashing a powerful attack—except for gentlemen.

The black mud beneath, clearly not a gentleman, was filled with mortal danger. Feeling the imminent danger to his life, and disregarding his incomplete state, he transformed the black mud into weapons, mimicking Archer's attacks, and unleashed these weapons towards the location where Agitω and the girls were!

(Not here yet...!?)

Seeing the rapidly approaching weapon, and unable to move due to its current fusion state, Strike Agitω was completely unable to retaliate. In future memories, in such situations, it was always another rather special partner who helped him stall for time. Of course, it wasn't Shiori. Although Shiori wasn't unique—indeed, every parallel world had a Shiori—not every Shiori in every world decided to take the path of combat. Just like the Shiori in the future memories, she followed the path of a healer. Although she wasn't incapable of fighting, she mainly used her superpowers to attack. In a real melee combat, she wasn't as good as the Shiori in Strike Agitω's world.

So in the future, after developing this form that required a long preparation time, [You] took Shido to learn a new ability—though we can't say much about it here, this ability is indeed very effective. However, although Strike Agitω also has a method to activate this ability, it's impossible to learn it without personal experience, learning, and imitation.

In the current situation where that ability cannot be used, and the white Shido below will not make a move, using this transformation would be tantamount to courting death.

...However, despite knowing that such a fusion would bring great risks, he still did it...because he firmly believed in his other irreplaceable partner.

--------

"Oh? They arrived at this perfect time? It's almost as if it was intentional."

Watching the black mud weapons raining down on Agitω's group, Shido, dressed in white, showed no intention of intervening. He simply observed quietly. But just as the black mud weapons were getting close to Agitω and the others, as if sensing something, Shido couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Hehe, everyone would think that way... But if it's a true hero, a comrade-in-arms coming to help... wouldn't it be inevitable that they would arrive at this time?"

"By the way, I'm really sorry for overwriting your real memories earlier. It was unavoidable. But I didn't expect it to turn out to be a waste of time so quickly."

Following Shiro Shido's sigh, the otaku who no longer hid his presence appeared beside Shiro Shido, replying with a somewhat helpless smile and apologizing.

"Ah, it doesn't matter... After all, it's not too bad to die knowing the truth before disappearing—I believe he can reach heights that Shiori and I can't."

Seeing Shido in white looking at Strike Agitω with encouragement and trust, without a trace of worry about the future, the otaku suppressed the thought that was about to utter, "Isn't his confidence a bit too exaggerated? Are you a narcissist?" As if understanding Shido's thoughts at that moment, he patted Shido on the shoulder and showed a helpless smile that was different from his previous one, and said...

"Oh my, seeing that kind of expression makes even someone as used to this kind of thing as me want to get involved... But all I can say is, trust Shido. After all, I'm not an omnipotent god who can do everything... But, right now, I have this feeling."

"Oh? I'm all ears, Mr. Otaku."

Although he didn't actually know the otaku, the fabricated memories gave Shido a general understanding of what kind of person the otaku was—absolutely unreliable in normal times, and not absolutely reliable in battle either, but... a strange and eccentric person who could be trusted with absolute certainty and had a hope of victory and success.

"Don't make it sound like you're so amazing... I'll get shy if you do that..." Although he said that, the otaku's face was beaming with joy... He couldn't stop smiling, and his smile was getting weirder and weirder—he was definitely unreliable!

"........."

Although he really wanted to retort with "You have no shame at all," Shiro Shido didn't actually say it out loud—unlike the otaku's reasons, Shiro Shido was well-mannered (is that what you mean by not being able to retort!?).

Believe it... and laugh, be grateful...

His style suddenly shifted 180 degrees, and he answered Shiro with a completely different calm tone than before.

"Even though that wasn't me, if I can't even trust myself, who can I trust? Since I said those words, then I must believe, firmly believe—this will brings hope."

"Laugh, Shido. Do you regret this life? Only by living without regrets can you laugh heartily anytime, anywhere. Say to yourself—this life, I have no regrets. I've lived a happy life. Be grateful, Shido. Be grateful for everything in this world, be grateful to your friends for showing you what friendship is, be grateful to your family for showing you what kinship is, be grateful to your parents for giving you life and raising you, be grateful to your enemies who were your adversaries, be grateful to fate... for allowing you to meet, know, and fall in love with the girls you cherish most."

"Perhaps, sometimes such encounters are not accidental fate, but an inevitable result... But in this world of seven billion people, the meeting of you and her, isn't that the greatest and most romantic miracle?"

"Believe in the hope you bring, and smile with gratitude for the miracle of our meeting... Shido, don't you think that you, who are standing here now, also appeared under the influence of hope and miracle? Don't be confused, don't be afraid, because you don't need to be confused or afraid... because the greatest hope and miracle have always existed in your hearts."

"...Mr. Otaku, do you know? Even when I killed Miku, and everyone was misunderstanding and afraid, I didn't cry. But after hearing what you said, I... couldn't hold back my tears..."

"Hey hey hey. You're a god, don't lose your dignity! But before you became a god, Shido, you were just a young man. Crying out loud isn't a girl's privilege... But, for now, let's suppress it for a while. Let Shido make sure everything is over before you have a good cry."

"Now all you have to do is stand tall and proud before your past self, true to yourself, and leave with a smile... Oh, you're here? Well, I should go too. To liven up the final stage, I'll be the accompanist today."

With a weathered look that only the elderly would have, the otaku looked at Shido in white, who was trying to hold back his tears, and smiled slightly. Then, as if sensing someone's approach, he said a sentence that he held as his motto to Shido in white.

"Believe in the hope you bring, and smile with gratitude for the miracle of our meeting... Remember, Shido. You are never alone."

The otaku who disappeared without a trace after speaking with a smile left Shido White wondering what was going on—but the next moment, the appearance of the newcomer attracted Shido White's attention, making him put aside his previous questions for the time being.

(Sorry... Shido. I overheard your conversation.)

She still wore a mechanical expression that made her look like a sculpture, but the clearly visible tear tracks on her face silently spoke of the girl's true feelings.

"Really... eavesdropping is not a good habit, Shiori."

With a wry smile, suppressing his own tearful expression that was truly unsettling, White Shido looked at Transparent Shiori and asked.

"How is it? Shiori? That Shiori... how is she?"

(She's stronger than me... at least, the path she chose to fight side by side is one I didn't have the courage to choose—and her heart, her strength... I was far inferior to her back then.)

(Moreover, her talent is so exceptional... that I have to describe her as—a shining moon shadow.)

"...That's quite an interesting assessment. So, Shiori, you think that Shiori's aptitude...is the opposite of Shido's?"

(Yes, Shido. Let's just watch quietly from now on. Let's overcome the sadness of the past without regret, and let's change that moment... I will always be by your side, and I will never let you be alone... Because we are of one mind and body... eternal companions (lovers).)

Although her face remained mechanical, a hint of tenderness seemed to appear on Shiori's face.

"Yes... Shiori. Then let us watch quietly... as witnesses and spectators of this battle, at this point of divergence."

Looking up at the new reinforcements that had appeared on the side of Strike Agitω, Shido in white made a new decision as he watched Strike Agitω and the others fight.

The Battle of Divergence in Treaty 255 (Part 1)

The Battle of Divergence in Treaty 255 (Part 1)

The white light gradually dissipated, and the figure of the Strike Agitω that had been in that location disappeared. In its place, a brand new figure vaguely appeared in the light.

"Hmm, this is somewhat similar to the Emperor Form of the Sword... It looks so cool—and it looks pretty strong too. But... let's not even talk about the power and abilities of this form. The spiritual power that Shido is about to unleash right now, enough to easily overturn this world, is enough to carve a huge chunk out of Earth-kun!"

Below, the otaku who saw agitω's current form and the spiritual power on his body that was enough to destroy the world made an evaluation—but even though he clearly felt that it would not be surprising if the spiritual power on his body could erupt at any time, the otaku was not panicked at all, and this was the same for both white Shido and transparent Shiori.

—Because they all understand that Shido would never let his spiritual power explode without doing anything—because if he did nothing and let it explode, it would probably cause a disaster even more terrible than the greatest disaster in Shido's original world—the Eurasian Great Space Disaster!

As for those on the ground, such as Joan of Arc, who hadn't appeared for a long time, they definitely wouldn't survive either.

"what……"

Although he spoke very softly, with the three otaku's abilities, hearing agitω's words was effortless.

However, it was precisely because of this that the three otaku were puzzled as to why agitω was suddenly speaking. But unlike the still puzzled otaku, Shido in white and Shiori in transparent seemed to understand what was going on, and at the same time raised their hands and covered their ears.

And then...

"Wa ...

A tremendous scream, comparable to a sonic weapon, suddenly resounded!

"@#￥%&*!??"

The otaku, his ears still ringing from the shrewish roar and his vision momentarily blurring, regained his senses and saw Shido in white beside him lowering his hands from his ears. Regardless of Shido's apparent intention to disappear, the otaku, with a thuggish air, grabbed Shido's sleeves, lifted him up, shook him, and shouted questions and curses.

"Damn it! You guys should have told me sooner! How disloyal of you! And seriously, what on earth is going on?!"

"Ah... well, I guess I was probably just scared, like the first time I was like?"

"What!?"

Upon hearing Shido's reply, the otaku responded with a short but questioning "What?".