Honjo Nia, an orphan from a very young age, had no memory of her parents or family. All she knew was that she had been taken in by a church during her childhood.
Unlike the antagonistic churches often found in fantasy novels, the church that raised Nia was simple… a charitable organization that helped lost believers with prayers and conducted fundraising activities within its means.
Naturally, such a church could offer little help to a young Nia.
Growing up within the church, listening to the adults who came and went talk about their daily troubles, the precocious Nia didn't dislike the place. It was, after all, the home where she grew up.
But at the same time, she didn't want to become a nun. She yearned for the outside world, for its dazzling, colorful reality.
Therefore, becoming a nun upon growing up was not within her considerations.
She grew up little by little. In the year she turned ten, Nia met someone.
"Are you Honjo Nia?"
Even through the eyes of a ten-year-old, the man named Ryuya was an exceptionally outstanding individual.
Drawn to Ryuya's radiance, the young Nia learned for the first time that such a luminous person, bright as the sun, existed in the world.
"Ryuya-nii, the stories you tell are so interesting."
She didn't know why Ryuya sought her out, nor why he paid attention to a parentless little girl like her. But for Nia, Ryuya was the only light outside the church, the future she aspired towards.
Although their time together was brief, just a week, Nia still gained much knowledge and insight from Ryuya, making her already precocious soul even wiser.
"Ryuya-nii, are you leaving?"
Looking at Ryuya's figure, although she knew this man would leave her eventually, for Nia, it was still too fast. Too fast for her to even think of proper parting words.
"Yes, I'm leaving, Nia."
"I've left enough funds for you to live comfortably until adulthood and beyond. Use this money to do what you want without worry."
Feeling his hand pat her head, Nia remembered Ryuya's touch as so warm, so deeply moving.
"Nia, although we might not meet again, perhaps we might cross paths someday. I hope by then, you will have achieved the dreams you want."
[My... dreams?]
After Ryuya left, Nia didn't know what her dreams were.
Continuing to grow up in the church, she finally left the place that had been her home for eighteen years upon reaching adulthood, setting out into the world with a small amount of luggage.
"The world is so vast!"
The more she learned about the world's greatness, the more she marveled at the things Ryuya had said and done. Catching her breath, Nia began her debut as the manga artist Honjo Soji.
Of course, as a novice, she wasn't very successful initially. If not for the substantial funds Ryuya had left her, she might not have persevered.
But then...
"Hmm? Ryu's scent? Are you someone Ryu once paid attention to?"
A mysterious phantom, whose true nature was unclear but who felt like a very beautiful girl, appeared.
Muttering to herself, the phantom caused Nia to faint, her last memory being a glimpse of silver-white hair.
After that...
'? Is this my power?'
Becoming a Spirit, then using the Spirit's power, Nia was no longer human. With her inherent talent, she began to grow at an astonishing rate.
For a time, the pen name Honjo Soji became hugely popular, making her a world-renowned bestselling author.
Yet, even so, Nia felt somewhat bored. What she desired wasn't an illusory world, but a real, fantastical world she truly wanted to see for herself.
'Search, search, search... Can't find them. Who exactly turned me into a Spirit? And who is Ryuya-nii?'
Completely unable to find information about the phantom who made her a Spirit or Ryuya's identity, Nia discovered her Angel's ability had limitations.
After that, she continued drawing her works while searching for information about other Spirits.
'I see, found him. Westcott... This guy is that impressive?'
Suddenly remembering that Ryuya had once told her if she ever met someone named Westcott, to tell him she was Ryuya's little sister. Since she couldn't find information on the phantom or Ryuya, Nia decided to start with Westcott.
Rasiel showed some information about Westcott… not much, just indicating he was the current Executive Director, the actual controller, of DEM.
Dissatisfied with this level of detail, Nia wanted to learn more about Westcott's past, but Rasiel didn't display it.
'So... I still can't find truly useful information?'
Himekawa Yoshino, Tokisaki Kurumi, Yamauchi Sawa… these were the three Spirits Rasiel told her about.
Besides them, there was a Spirit named Hoshimiya Mukuro, but information about her, like Westcott's, was extremely scarce. Nia began to suspect, 'Could it be that Spirits or people connected to Ryuya-nii or the phantom couldn't be searched?'
She could learn much about Yoshino and Kurumi, but this situation suddenly stopped a year ago.
'Huh? Can't find Tokisaki Kurumi's information anymore? Did she travel through time?'
In her studio filled with manga, looking at the 'Unknown' displayed by Rasiel, Nia knew her Angel couldn't show future information.
'But wasn't Tokisaki Kurumi's goal to travel to the past?'
'So that meant...'
'Ryuya-nii? Have you returned?'
As for her feelings for Ryuya... how to put it? Nia admitted she liked him, sure.
After all, Ryuya had looks, knowledge, a good physique, and personality... To the young Nia, such a man could be called a god, right?
But people always grow up, and Spirits are no different. As time passed, having seen too many beautiful things, Nia unconsciously placed Ryuya on a very high pedestal.
Like the perfect protagonist in her works, Ryuya's image gradually became the most beautiful star in Nia's eyes.
Gazing at that bright star, Nia was afraid. Afraid that when she met Ryuya again, he might not be as excellent, not as likable as she remembered.
But fortunately, when she saw Ryuya again, she found him just as before… still so dazzling, still so intoxicating.
Looking at Ryuya, she wanted to tell him how hard she had worked to achieve her dreams.
Looking at Ryuya, she wanted to tell him she had become what he hoped. Looking at Ryuya, she wanted to tell him she never forgot this Big Brother.
Unconsciously making Ryuya her emotional pillar, what was Nia most afraid of at this moment?
Probably that Ryuya didn't remember her.
Arguing with Kurumi with an apprehensive heart, Nia had been observing Ryuya throughout. She didn't know what she was feeling, she only knew that the sole memory from her childhood, that man, had returned.
"Nia, I'm sorry my actions led to you becoming a Spirit. You... must feel very tired because of it, right?"
It was the same familiar embrace from childhood. Experiencing the memory of her dream, Nia showed an expression of immense satisfaction under Ryuya's gentle touch.
"Tired? Regretful? Not at all."
Shaking her head, she opened her arms and gently hugged Ryuya's waist, pressing her petite body tightly against his. Nia continued, "Meeting you, Ryuya-nii, is my happiness."
"Becoming a Spirit is my happiness."
"Being able to reunite with you today is also my happiness."
"With so much happiness, how could I dare say I've had a hard time?"
"I am clearly... already very happy."
Finding that Ryuya's image perfectly overlapped with the best, most excellent person in her memory, Nia truly felt she had gained everything the world could offer.
"So, Nia, you can't find specific information about Westcott and Elliot, only knowing they now belong to DEM and Ratatoskr respectively?"
Surprised that even Nia's Angel, Rasiel, couldn't find specific information about Westcott and the others, Ryuya began to worry about what his foolish disciples were thinking, 'Had they reverted to their twisted personalities, planning to destroy humanity or something?'
Pondering everything about Westcott, Ryuya suddenly remembered that Westcott had a little secret...
'Hmm... Elliot, and probably Ellen and Karen, likely don't know Westcott's secret. It seems he hasn't told anyone. I only found out by chance myself.'
'Tch... I need to find Westcott quickly and have a good talk with him.'
Recalling Westcott's significant secret, Ryuya remembered this was the biggest difference between his Westcott and the one from the original work.
"Sorry, Ryuya-nii. I don't know about Westcott and the others. I've let you down."
Seeing Ryuya silently thinking, Nia voiced her apology, seeming disappointed she couldn't help Ryuya.
"It's fine. If you couldn't find them, then you couldn't. We'll meet them eventually."
Smiling, Ryuya wasn't bothered by Nia's failed attempt. He had other methods. If necessary, he could scan the entire Earth, and he'd surely find some information about DEM or AST.
Of course, before that, he needed to gather the Spirits he could find.
"Nia, can you find Yoshino?"
Since Nia had become a Spirit following the original work, Yoshino at this time would be no exception. Looking at Nia, the answer Ryuya got was...
"Hmm, about three years ago, Yoshino's mother died of natural aging. After that, I couldn't find any information about the Fourth Spirit."
Although Ryuya had healed Yoshino and paid the hospital bills, allowing the mother and daughter to live happily, Yoshino's mother, Himekawa Nagisa, had ultimately overworked herself in her youth, damaging her health.
After happily spending the last part of her life with Yoshino, Nagisa passed away in her sixties, moving on to the next world.
Shaking her head, feeling useless again, Nia grew even sadder.
"Sorry, Ryuya-nii. Am I really that useless?"
Unable to help Ryuya at all after meeting him, only causing trouble, Nia, feeling utterly worthless, held Ryuya's hand, insisting she didn't mean to be unhelpful.
And then...
"Ryuya-nii, since I've been such a disappointment, please punish me properly."
In an instant, she changed into a cat-ear maid outfit. Who knows what she was thinking?
Blinking her large, adorable eyes, Nia looked at Ryuya expectantly and uttered words completely at odds with her holy nun-like appearance.
"I..."
"Honjo Nia, how many times do I have to say it? Someone flat-chested like you won't attract Ryu's interest! Stop daydreaming!"
A hand thrust itself between Nia and Ryuya. Kurumi, who had been enduring for a long time, told her to stay away from her husband.
If Nia could be useful and help Ryuya, maybe Kurumi wouldn't say anything. But this fool was good for nothing and dared to change into such an outfit seeking rewards from Ryuya
Kurumi truly couldn't tolerate such thing.
Seeing through Nia's intentions at a glance, she declared: You can have your fever dreams, but stay away from Ryuya.
"What's this? Tokisaki Kurumi, why are you stopping me from getting close to Ryuya-nii?"
Looking displeased at Kurumi, Nia unleashed her spiritual power without reservation. She was only the obedient ten-year-old little sister when by Ryuya's side.
Now, preparing for a girl-fight with Kurumi, she declared she would absolutely not lose to some Fifth Spirit!