Chapter Six: The Airborne Warship Phonaxinas

Amidst a field of ruins, Su Mo and Tohka Yatogami were engaged in lively conversation. This spirit girl, utterly lacking in basic human knowledge, seemed endlessly curious about everything, so the exchange was essentially Su Mo speaking, with Tohka offering frequent gasps of amazement.

At that moment, Su Mo noticed something new. The system, previously silent, issued a prompt.

[Affection Level: 60]

Seeing this, Su Mo was pleasantly surprised; he hadn’t expected to raise her affection so quickly to a passing grade. At least now his life was safe, and he wouldn’t be suddenly struck down by Tohka as before.

Just as Su Mo prepared to press on and boost Tohka’s affection even further, the AST Spirit Combat Unit, hovering high above, began to move.

Origami Tobiichi, clad in a white exoskeleton combat suit, was suspended in midair, her propulsion unit glowing behind her, keeping her balanced. In her hands was a Gatling gun brimming with futuristic flair—a unique tactical manifestation device of this world, akin to a modern magician or artificial sorcerer.

With such devices, even ordinary people could wield power akin to magic.

Origami gripped her Gatling tightly, aiming through the scope at Tohka below. Yet, through the lens, she saw Su Mo standing before Tohka. Even this cold-faced girl, indifferent to all things, could not help but narrow her eyes when she saw Su Mo’s face.

“Not good, Su Mo is in danger!”

A flash of urgency crossed Origami’s eyes. Ignoring Captain Ryoko Kusakabe’s warnings, she dove straight down, her Gatling firing wildly. Every bullet rained upon Tohka, not a single one landing near Su Mo—a testament to Origami’s skill. With her equipment, she could rival the spirits, if only temporarily.

Facing the endless hail of bullets, Tohka’s ears twitched. She turned, waving her hand casually toward the sky; an invisible shield enveloped her and Su Mo. All bullets were stopped by the barrier—a true miracle.

It was then that Su Mo first grasped the terrifying power of spirits.

“I’m terribly sorry. It seems more troublesome humans have come to kill me again.” Tohka sighed. Though she had no intention of harming humans, she was always targeted by them, leaving her mood gloomy.

Hearing this, Su Mo looked up.

Seeing her firepower was useless, Origami drew a laser sword, furiously slashing at Tohka’s barrier. The grating sound made one’s teeth ache, sparks flying, but even this couldn’t breach Tohka’s defense.

Su Mo was not surprised to see Origami; he knew the storyline well. What puzzled him was why Origami had come down alone to face Tohka. He hadn’t realized she was disobeying orders to rescue him from the spirit.

After glancing at Origami, Su Mo withdrew his gaze.

With Origami’s current strength, she was no match for Tohka, and as classmates, Su Mo didn’t want Origami to be harmed. He pleaded, “Please don’t hurt them. They’re actually kind-hearted people, only fighting you out of desperation.”

Su Mo held great affection for the AST members—far more than for the later ENM. The girls were cute and gentle, which made him willing to intercede for them.

“But they want to kill me. Do you expect me not to fight back?” Tohka tilted her head, puzzled. At that moment, Su Mo saw Tohka’s affection level suddenly flash red, dropping straight to 50.

Damn, it could decrease as well.

Su Mo’s face changed, nearly coughing blood. After pondering for a moment, Tohka suddenly said, “But after hearing so much about humans from you, I’ve become curious about them. So, this time, I’ll spare them and avoid direct conflict.”

She smiled at Su Mo. “I’ll leave for now, but I’ll come find you. I look forward to our next meeting!”

With that, Tohka withdrew her shield and soared skyward, quickly vanishing from sight.

Watching her go, Su Mo let out a long sigh. His stamina, already depleted from running, and the pain coursing through his body, meant his previous lively conversation with Tohka had been sustained purely by willpower. Now, as tension faded, exhaustion washed over him like a tide; his body lost control, his consciousness grew dim.

He collapsed forward, fainting.

The only thing he sensed was a pair of arms catching him as he fell.

…………………………

When Su Mo opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed.

Before him, a woman in military uniform, in her twenties, pried open his eyelids with her fingers and shone a penlight into his eyes, examining their movement. The proximity made it seem as though she were leaning over him, and Su Mo could even smell her perfume.

“Ah—”

Su Mo started awake, springing upright so quickly their foreheads collided, leaving him dizzy. He had no time to dwell on the pain and instinctively asked, “Where am I? Who are you? Why are you here?”

The woman showed no expression despite the collision. She stood, dazedly shook her head, and swept aside her drooping hair. Only when she stepped back did Su Mo realize she was strikingly beautiful—her face pale as a patient’s, hair casually tied, deep dark circles under her black eyes, and, oddly, a battered teddy bear peeking from her uniform pocket.

“It seems you’re awake. Let me introduce myself: I’m Muramatsu Rei-on, the analyst here. You’re in the infirmary. The medical officer happens to be on leave, but don’t worry—I may lack a license, yet I can handle basic care.” Rei-on yawned, still seeming half asleep even standing, as if she might collapse at any moment.

“Muramatsu Rei-on?”

Su Mo repeated the name, then, as if recalling something, his body shuddered and his heart seemed to pause. After three or four seconds, he mechanically raised his head to look at this sleep-deprived woman. “So, where am I?”

“This is Ratatoskr’s infirmary. You passed out, so we brought you here,” Rei-on replied calmly.

Su Mo surveyed his surroundings. He noticed white curtains enclosed the space like a school nurse’s office, but the ceiling was different—constructed of rough metal pipes and wiring, giving it a sci-fi feel.

“Now that you’re awake, come with me. I’ll introduce you to a few people. I’m not great at explanations, so if you have any questions, ask them.” Rei-on turned, exposing her back to Su Mo, and strode out.

“Hey! Wait!” Su Mo scrambled off the bed and hurried after her. Emerging from the infirmary, his view opened up to a narrow corridor, its pale floors and walls imparting a mechanical sensation, as if inside a spaceship from a science fiction film.

Rei-on paused just outside the infirmary.

Then she abruptly stumbled, falling flat. Su Mo rushed forward, one arm supporting her waist, the other wrapping around her—a gesture both embarrassing and intimate, leaving him blushing as he asked, “Are you all right?”

“Mm—”

The only response was a soft snore; she had fallen asleep just like that. Soon, Rei-on opened her eyes, slipped from Su Mo’s embrace, and apologized, “Sorry, I’ve been a bit sleep-deprived lately. I think it’s been nearly thirty years since I last slept.”

The claim of thirty years without sleep sounded exaggerated, but Su Mo nodded, accepting it.

After all, someone who hadn’t slept in thirty years couldn’t be ordinary. In fact, Rei-on was not ordinary; she was a spirit, and not just any spirit, but the original spirit.

She had triggered the Eurasian Spacequake thirty years ago, making her the world’s first spirit. All spirits since were her offspring.

Why such a formidable boss was here, Su Mo couldn’t fathom.

The world of Date A Live was no longer as he knew it. In the anime, Rei-on was the lover of Shido Itsuka’s predecessor, Shinji Sakagami. After Shinji’s accidental death, Rei-on consumed his body, then bore him anew, distributing her powers among the spirits.

Her aim was for Shido Itsuka to gain the spirits’ powers and live forever, always by her side.

But in this world, the protagonist had changed, so Su Mo could not guess Rei-on’s true intentions.