Chapter 20: The Irritable Madman and the Star Palace Sisters
"Are you sure I shouldn't go myself? Given the current situation, wouldn't it be better for me to test things out, Miss Nia?"
"Now now, little Mad Dog, don't be so impatient~ If you rush over there, I'm afraid you might end up absorbing that child right away~ You're far too agitated right now~"
"...But if the other party is already a Spirit and learns what Satoru is planning, they might strike first. Isn't that 'Michael' ability said to be extremely powerful?"
"Relax~ They're not like you, little Mad Dog. They won't attack people outright~"
"..."
"Ahem, just kidding, don't look at me like that~ Honestly, I'd love to go find her too, but if we're there, the First Spirit probably won't show up, right?~ All the Spirit Crystals must have come from it, so it would definitely recognize us~"
"...Hmm, that's true. But if it really appears..."
"You must restrain yourself. Wait until that child becomes a Spirit before going over, or you might lose the chance to wake your friend."
"...Sigh, I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Nia."
"No need for thanks. Also, could you ease up on your grip? I'm afraid you might crush my bones."
"..."
——————
"Please have some tea, Mr. Satoru, and Miss Yukinoshita~"
"Thank you."
"Thanks, Miss Hoshimiya~"
The polite black-haired girl before them smiled gently as she served tea. Ayano and Satoru each responded in turn.
Meanwhile, Mei seemed much more relaxed, cradling her cup of tea like an "old lady" and sipping slowly, playfully making little slurping sounds.
The black-haired woman didn't mind, continuing to watch them with an amused smile.
This girl was Asahi Hoshimiya, the same age as the others but attending an all-girls school. This was naturally her home.
Living next door to Mei, the two had become quite close.
...When Satoru learned this from Nia, he'd been stunned.
What an incredible coincidence...
Though whether it was truly coincidence remained unclear.
The world was vast, and even if its inhabitants were originally from 2D worlds, their distribution should have been more random.
Yet reality showed that familiar anime characters seemed to cluster around him.
While he didn't recognize this girl, her younger sister was someone he knew well.
Mukuro Hoshimiya—the last Spirit confirmed in Date A Live.
Mukuro had closed herself off due to a misunderstanding: her sister growing close to a friend led to Rokuro's cherished long hair being cut without proper consent, resulting in her memories being sealed...
Here, Mei seemed to have taken the place of that original "friend."
If events followed the original storyline, their memories might be erased too, with Mukuro eventually drifting into space.
Of course, Mukuro was still at home now, not yet a Spirit.
Satoru wanted to use this opportunity to win Mukuro over.
However, just following Mei would be too obvious, so he dragged Ayano along as well.
But Nia wasn't here—she was at home, monitoring their situation while surfing the internet.
Together with Kurumi.
Well, if any danger arose, they could help everyone escape in advance.
Otherwise, not to mention whether Inverse Kurumi would attack them, even the possibility of Tohka spontaneously manifesting as a Spirit could pose a threat.
Of course, there was an even more important reason—they had to avoid the First Spirit.
Though given her power, avoiding her might not be possible, but at the very least, they needed to make thorough preparations.
...Surely that Mio-san wouldn't harm an innocent person like him, right?
Satoru didn't believe for a second that he was truly the protagonist of the Date A Live world.
Since the First Spirit existed, the original "Takamiya Mio" must also exist, though he didn't know what name she went by now.
But one thing was certain—Satoru had absolutely no connection to her. So far, he had only met two Spirits: Nia and Kurumi.
"Nee, Asahi-chan, where's Mukuro-chan? I really want to see her again~"
At that moment, Mei cheerfully spoke up, addressing Asahi.
Naturally, the two of them wouldn't have come here without a reason.
Satoru had tricked Mei into coming, but he'd also told them that he had something to discuss with the younger sister of the Hoshimiya family. He couldn't reveal the details yet—they just needed to pretend it was a casual visit and meet the sister.
Though Ayano had teased him at the time, asking if he was a "lolicon," Satoru had unusually responded with seriousness, promising to explain later. So the two didn't press further.
"Mukuro? Lately, she's been spending most of her time in her room..."
"Onee-san, I'm here."
Just as Asahi was looking troubled, a sweet, slightly childish voice called out from around the corner.
Soon, a petite yet curvaceous golden-haired girl with a youthful face appeared, walking over expressionlessly...