“Shidou, I must reiterate,” Kyōhei Kannazuki’s hands clamped down on the struggling Shidou Itsuka like iron vices, his expression unusually grave.
“If you insist on going, I won’t stop you, but think carefully about what will happen to the Commander if something happens to you.”
“Right now, Shidou, you don’t have the Commander’s spiritual energy. You’re completely ordinary, with no second chances. And the support we can give you… is very limited.”
Fraxinus’s teleportation wasn’t something they could deploy freely, let alone prepare in the span of a single sentence.
If the spirit interfered with the positioning system like before, a forced teleport might only bring back half of Shidou.
“I want to help her,” Shidou replied, sidestepping the warning.
He locked eyes with Kyōhei, his unwavering resolve stirring the latter.
“It’s not about my own safety. I just don’t want to see that pained expression on her face again.”
“I don’t know what to do yet, but I know if I miss this chance, it’ll be nearly impossible to help her again…”
“I have to go!!!”
It wasn’t about stopping spacequakes or sealing a spirit’s powers.
From the start, the boy named Shidou Itsuka only wanted to erase the tearful, desolate expression of the lonely girl named Tohka.
That was all.
The fear of death he’d experienced firsthand still lingered deep in his body.
Truthfully, the thought of the dangers ahead made him want to run away.
He was just an ordinary person, without any extraordinary powers.
A single casual strike from them could kill him.
But he couldn’t break his promise or abandon that girl.
For that, he needed help…
“Please help me!!!”
Alone, Shidou Itsuka could do nothing.
“…I would never disobey the Commander’s orders. If she says you’re to stay here and take command, then no matter what, Shidou, you must stay here.”
Kyōhei averted his gaze.
The boy’s resolve and plea for help didn’t seem to sway the deputy commander, who was fiercely loyal to Kotori Itsuka.
“…”
Shidou was silent.
He was just an ordinary person, unable to operate the airship’s systems or leap from heights unscathed like a superhero.
If everyone here opposed him, there was no way he could help that girl.
…But I’m not okay with that…
“Ahem, but… since Shidou-kun is the acting commander right now, if you insist, I can’t entirely oppose you…”
Kyōhei’s words left room for hope.
In the next moment, Shidou noticed a flush creeping across the handsome blond man’s face.
“If I fail to stop Shidou, the Commander will surely chew me out and deliver her loving punishment… Just imagining her driving a tractor over me repeatedly—ohhh!”
…This might be rude to say, but Shidou instinctively edged away from the man writhing on the floor like a maggot.
The pressure on his shoulders vanished—naturally, since the culprit was now squirming on the ground.
Still unaccustomed to such rapid shifts in demeanor, Shidou turned his pleading gaze to Reine Murasame, who stood nearby, swaying as if on the verge of collapse.
“We support you, Shin…”
Reine’s eyes cracked open slightly, her unreliable appearance unchanged, her tone as calm as ever.
“Everyone… thank you!”
“Oh, when did Shidou head down? I didn’t notice~”
“If the acting commander wants to go, we won’t stop him~”
“Go with confidence, Shidou. We’ll provide the most reliable support.”
“If it gets dangerous, we’ll retrieve you as fast as we can.”
With the deputy commander and analyst agreeing to Shidou’s plan, no one raised objections as his gaze swept across them—only words of encouragement or assurances.
Since the person in question had made up his mind, it would be wrong, both emotionally and logically, to miss this chance to connect with Tohka.
“Don’t make Kotori worry…”
Reine rubbed Shidou’s head, offering one final instruction.
“Yeah, I won’t.”
***
“Hey, Shidou! What’s a date?!”
He actually came…?
It wasn’t that she doubted the boy’s determination… but rationally, for him to show up now, without having regained the healing flames…
Is there more than one person who can seal a spirit’s powers?
Are they that confident in letting him come down?
Could the entire organization be as naive as he is?
Whatever the reason, since he’d accepted the invitation, the girl had no intention of making things difficult for this naive boy.
“Huh? What’d you say?”
Shidou hadn’t caught Tohka’s earlier words—or rather, he’d been preparing for the teleport since spotting her.
Her sudden question caught him off guard.
“You’re the one who asked me out, right?! Explain! This ‘date’ thing! Are you messing with me?!”
Tohka’s stern gaze bore into him as she stomped the ground with force, kicking up dust and debris.
Radiant light scattered outward.
The light grazed Shidou’s shoes with a crackle, dissolving into sparks.
“W-Woah—?!”
“Come on, tell me what a date is!”
If he didn’t answer soon, he’d probably be attacked by that light.
Shidou glanced behind Tohka, where Kotori stood with her back to him, physically blocking Yuu from approaching.
…A phantom pain pulsed in his arm, sweat beaded on his forehead.
Just noticing that figure made Shidou’s heart pound with nervous tension.
“Uh… I think it’s when a guy and a girl go out to have fun… maybe?”
Honestly, the question was tricky.
Shidou had no dating experience himself.
He’d only seen related concepts in manga and TV dramas, so he scratched his cheek and gave what he thought was a safe answer.
“That’s it?”
Tohka’s brows furrowed in disappointment.
She spun around, pointing Sandalphon at the two girls.
“So for this date, you invited them too? Not just me?”
“…Huh? W-Wait, what…?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected accusation, Shidou felt the world’s malice descend upon him.
Panicked, he shot a questioning look at Kotori.
“…Stop acting like a mother hen guarding her chick…”
Since Shidou’s arrival, Kotori had been blocking Yuu’s path, making the spirit slightly embarrassed.
“I’m not planning to lay a hand—or foot—on the boy this time, so you don’t have to worry about him losing any parts.”
“You expect me to trust someone who doesn’t keep their word?”
“Oh? Are we talking about the ‘count to three’ thing, or the part where the AST called me untrustworthy?”
“Both.”
Kotori crossed her arms, frowning, not denying that she’d looked into the AST’s claims.
“They said I was lucky to escape with my life, so that hardly counts as fulfilling an agreement, right?”
“And finishing something in a few seconds doesn’t mean I have to count to the end… Besides,” a dangerous glint flashed in Yuu’s rose-red eyes.
She tilted her head slightly, and the ground split as if sliced by a blade, emitting smoke and revealing a trench.
“If I wanted to take his life, you couldn’t stop me.”
“You—!”
“Yeah, that’s right! This date is for all four of us to go have fun together!!!”
A voice rang out from behind.
Kotori, so focused on guarding against Yuu, hadn’t noticed Shidou’s arm reaching past her.
“Hey, Shidou! She’s dangerous!”
It was a box of snacks, simple paper packaging, already opened.
The familiar brand made the spirit pause slightly.
“Can I trust you?”
Shidou’s voice sounded.
“By the order of questions, it’s your turn now…”
A smile curved Yuu’s lips as she casually took the box of chocolate sticks, popping one into her mouth.
“Of course you can.”