Date A Live Encore - Volume 10 - Chapter 3

Mana Again

 Located in the residential area of East Tengu, the Itsuka household was the picture-perfect image of a leisurely afternoon at the current time of 3:00 PM. 

 The bright sunlight shone through the lace curtains, illuminating the teapot and teacups placed on the table. The cookies on the plate were homemade. Although their shapes were somewhat different depending on the maker, each had their own special flavor. 

 “Fu…” 

 Shido sighed as he took a sip of his black tea. While the rich fragrance of the black tea spread through his mouth, the steam fluttered up and soon dissipated into the air. 

 Seeing this normally uninteresting sight really showcased how relaxed the current mood was. Shido smiled while looking at little sister sitting on the sofa opposite him. 

 “How do I say this… It really has been such a long time since we had time like this.” 

 “Right. Even though being busy isn’t bad, having some time to relax like this every once in a while is nice.” 

 Kotori gently nodded as she spoke. Her hair tied up with her white ribbon faintly swayed to the side. 

 With only Shido and his little sister Kotori in the living room of the Itsuka household, this was their so-called afternoon family tea time. 

 While this would have been a common scene a year ago, with the focus on handling Spirits now and the construction of the Spirit mansion, such moments became scarce. Shido sighed deeply while taking another sip from his drink. 

 They were truly living a peaceful and leisurely life, accompanied by the illusion of time passing slowly. It was good for them to occasionally reach this peace of mind. Shido placed the tea cup back on the cup holder and gently stretched out. 

 —At that very moment. 

 At that moment, fierce footsteps, which came from the direction of the corridor, broke apart the calm and steady atmosphere. The door to the living room was forcibly opened. 

 Shido instantly thought it was a Spirit—but that wasn’t it. An unexpected face appeared from the door. The moment they saw her, both Shido and Kotori’s eyes widened at the same time. 

 “Huh…?” 

 But that was a natural response, after all, in front of them was their mother who should be working abroad—Itsuka Haruko. 

 She had a slim figure with short hair. Likely from running all this way, she was having trouble breathing as sweat fell from her forehead. 

 Despite having said that, this wasn’t the problem. Haruko never informed Shido and the others when they were coming home. And it was pretty hot out today, so of course someone would sweat after a little exercise (all of this was par for the course). 

 The problem was the tears in her eyes. 

 “M-Mom…?” 

 “What’s wrong, you look flustered…” 

 After Shido and Kotori asked in surprise, Haruko took a deep breath as her gaze became sharper. 

 “Shii-kun, Koto-chan, please listen.” 

 After pausing for a while, she made a firm resolution to continue. 

 “I… I want a divorce!” 

 That explosive statement caused Shido and Kotori to turn to look at each other— 

 “Huuuuuuuuuuh?!” 

 At the same time, both of them let out a blood-curdling scream. 

◇◇◇

 —Turning the clock back a bit. 

 “Ah, long time no see my hometown!” 

 After about two and a half hours of taking a direct bus from the airport, Haruko, who got off at Tengu Station, took a deep breath and lazily stretched. 

 Haruko, an employee for the large electronics manufacturing company Asgard Electronics, usually lived in the United States where the company was headquartered. However, the land of her birth still filled her with a sense of comfort and nostalgia. She looked at the building in front of the station, the fountain, and the mysterious dog statue. Taking a breath in, the air of her hometown circulated throughout her body. 

 “I’m not sure how to say it, but there really is a different feeling arriving home here. When I was at the airport, there was still this feeling of everything inexplicably going back to English, but now I can finally switch back to Japanese mode completely.” 

 “Ah—I understand, I understand.” 

 Responding with a wry smile, her husband Tatsuo, was standing right beside her. 

 With his black-framed glasses, he had sparse words to share. He was now wearing a light coat and carrying a large portable suitcase. 

 Like Haruko, he was also an employee at Asgard Electronics. That’s right, even as a married couple, both of them worked abroad together. 

 “Speaking of which,” while looking at Tatsuo’s expression, Haruko scratched her face as if she just remembered something important. 

 “With what’s going on, I’ve been waiting to come back to Japan. Of course, I also want to see that Shii-kun and Koto-chan are doing fine as well.” 

 That’s right. Haruko and Tatsuo returned to Japan several times a year during long vacations—but this time they spontaneously decided to use their annual paid leave to come home. 

 Of course, a similar situation had happened before, but that was because Haruko basically threw a tantrum and said, “my Shii-kun and Koto-chan are gone…” Only then did Tatsuo make the extraordinarily rare proposal of going home. 

 “Aah—” 

 As he listened to Haruko, Tatsuo adjusted his glasses and smiled. 

 “Um… there’s also one person that I want you to meet.” 

 “A person you want me to meet…?” 

 Hearing those words, Haruko gave a suspicious look. 

 “Who would that be? A new Spirit?” 

 The Spirits under protection frequented the Itsuka household. They had met several of them before, but while Haruko and Tatsuo were in the United States, two new Spirits had joined in. 

 “Nothing bad, but they’re a very special person. I think Haru-chan will be very surprised.” 

 “Huh, don’t tell me it’s the queen of Enka—Daidouji Miyuki. Is that who it is?” 

 “…Sorry, for not living up to your expectations.” 

 Tatsuo sincerely lowered his shoulders in regret. Haruko smiled wryly and patted him on his back. 

 “What are you upset about? I’m just kidding, I’m looking forward to it. Takkun has never told me to take paid leave before, so there must be a reason, right?” 

 “Yeah, thank you.” 

 After Haruko finished speaking, Tatsuo nodded slightly. 

 This man was as straight-laced as ever. Haruko continued with a wry smile. 

 “Well, shall we go home? Let’s go—Ah but before that, I need to go to the restroom, can you wait for a bit?” 

 “Ah, sure.” 

 Tatsuo nodded. Haruko lightly waved her hand as she departed for the powder room. 

 “…” 

 Looking at Haruko’s back as she walked to the restroom, Tatsuo sighed. 

 —So far, it’s been a success. Despite Haruko being a little suspicious, he managed to get her to return to Japan without giving away the purpose of their trip. 

 Everyone may think this was a crafty ploy, but for Tatsuo, who could never hide anything from Haruko, this was a major event. 

 Of course, having said that, everything Tatsuo did was to see Haruko’s smile. He renewed his determination as he clenched his fist. 

 The reason why Tatsuo suddenly asked for annual paid leave and to return to Japan—as he told Haruko before, was because there was someone that he wanted her to meet. 

 He had only recently learned of this person’s existence a few weeks ago, while he was browsing his company’s database at work. 

 Although they were originally a Wizard from DEM, Tatsuo was speechless once he saw her name and appearance. 

 It couldn’t be. After all, that person was— 

 “—That person, could it be?” 

 “…!” 

 When he heard that voice, Tatsuo turned around, astonished. Right there was a familiar girl standing before his very eyes. 

 She looked to be around 14 or 15 years old. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and a tear-shaped mole rested beneath her left eye. Despite being quite petite, she was standing upright full of confidence and gave off a feeling just like a gallant wolf. 

 “It sure is! Long time no see, Tatsuo-senpai!” 

 The girl spoke with a smile. Her expression caused Tatsuo to feel inexplicably and deeply moved. 

 But that was only natural, her appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest for 30 years. 

 “Yes, long time no see—Mana-chan.” 

 The girl called Mana smiled once again in response to Tatsuo. 

 That’s right, she was Takamiya Mana. Around 30 years ago, she was Haruko’s closest friend who had mysteriously disappeared one day. 

 She had been kidnapped by DEM, her memories tampered with, and forced to become a Wizard. But until now, he couldn’t believe it just from what he was told. Seeing her now, like this, finally cemented it in his mind. His thoughts focused on these inconceivable events, Tatsuo could only force a strained smile. 

 And then, Mana turned to look at Tatsuo’s face with interest. 

 “Wow, nothing’s changed about you in thirty years, senpai.” 

 “Nothing when compared to you.” 

 Tatsuo shrugged. Relying on a Realizer for metabolic control, or perhaps simply through the use of deep sleep. Either way, Mana’s appearance hadn’t changed at all. 

 “Ahaha, that’s true.” 

 Mana smiled happily, but suddenly frowned upon recalling something. 

 “Speaking of which, what about Haruko? Shouldn’t you two be together?” 

 “She went off to the restroom. Rest assured, I haven’t told her about you at all yet.” 

 “Ooh, thank you—hehe, I can’t wait to see the surprise on Haruko’s face.” 

 After saying that, Mana playfully crossed her arms. Certainly, she was looking forward to this as well. After all, this was a reunion thirty years in the making. 

 “Kya, that really startled me. I expected Tatsuo-senpai to marry Haruko, but I never expected that you’d also be Kotori’s parents.” 

 “I was surprised too. When I was going through the list of Wizards, suddenly there was one written as Takamiya Mana.” 

 “Well, a lot of things happened. What’s more frightening is that you’re Nii-sama’s parents now, right? Hmm, would it be better if I also treated you like my parents as well?” 

 Mana touched her chin with a sly expression. 

 Her older brother, Takamiya Shinji, was an old friend of Tatsuo. Like her, he also disappeared 30 years ago, but after various twists and turns, he now had the name Itsuka Shido and was living as the adopted son of Tatsuo and Haruko… well, obviously Tatsuo only recently learned about this. 

 “Um, I can’t imagine Mana-chan calling me Otou-sama.” 

 “Fufu, my Nii-sama’s Otou-sama is my Otou-sama. What do you say—Otou-sama!” 

 “H-Hey now, please spare me.” 

 “This should be fine, Otou-sama—you just feel that way because we haven’t seen each other in such a long time!” 

 Mana grabbed Tatsuo’s hand in a joking manner. That left him no room to reply with anything but a powerless smile. 

 “Hum~hum~~hum~~” 

 Haruko, who had just left the restroom, was humming as she was walking over to the place where Tatsuo was waiting. 

 While she kept thinking of seeing Shido and Kotori immediately, Haruko’s mood naturally became more and more cheerful. Of course, this time they went back home without telling them in advance. Haruko and Tatsuo were both fond of surprising the other… Well, because it was in their nature to be like this, they certainly had a fright the last time they came home. 

 Despite having said that, they now knew there were Spirits coming in and out of their home. It was also going to be fun to meet them after such a long time. 

 “Say—” 

 On the way there, Haruko whispered to herself. 

 Speaking of which, there was one point Tatsuo said that had Haruko a little concerned. 

 “The person you wanted me to meet… who on earth is that?” 

 Tatsuo took the initiative to apply for vacation. He was even so confident in doing so that it shocked her. Who was this other person? Someone he wants me to see… that meant either someone she hadn’t seen before or maybe someone she hasn’t seen in a long time. If it were like that… 

 “Ha, maybe it’s Shii-kun’s girlfriend…?” 

 Haruko frowned. Incidentally, the possibility of Kotori having a boyfriend also flashed through her mind. But if that was the case, Tatsuo’s mood would be gloomier. 

 Well, the same also held true for Haruko. If Shido or Kotori ever got a lover, Haruko would want to congratulate them, but it wouldn’t be true to say that she wouldn’t feel lonely at all. 

 “Yeah, shocked, but not necessarily joy…” 

 Haruko shook her head as she reorganized her thoughts. That’s right, stuff like bringing a debt collector and saying, “Actually, I owe a lot of money…” or bringing a music teacher and saying, “Actually I plan to live my life through hip-hop now,” or saying “Actually there’s someone else I love…” and bringing the object of his fancy or an illegitimate child. The possibility of any of those wasn’t zero. 

 “—Then again, something like that would be impossible for Takkun. Ahaha.” 

 Haruko smiled as she waved away these bad thoughts that flashed through her mind. Tatsuo would report any financial issues to her one by one and his singing level wasn’t enough to make a career out of music. And more importantly, her Tatsuo having a love affair would be— 

 “…” 

 At that moment, Haruko was speechless. She didn’t have any doubts over Tatsuo’s love for her, but one of his danger points was his skill in misunderstanding women. Especially in their workplace, likely due to his gentle personality and rational manner of speech, he was very popular among female coworkers. He was very gentle to everyone but woefully unprepared to withstand temptations… Speaking of which, he seemed to have secretly gotten in touch with someone recently…? 

 “No, no, no, there’s no way…” 

 —At that moment, Haruko stopped. 

 In front of her was Tatsuo and a peculiar girl. 

 She looked to be around junior high age, and quite energetic too. 

 Well, this much was fine. If it was only this, Haruko would probably imagine that the other person was simply asking directions from Tatsuo. 

 The problem was that the girl and Tatsuo were holding hands and talking in a very close manner. 

 “H-Hey, please spare me.” 

 “Shouldn’t that be fine, Otou-sama—it must be difficult to see each other after such a long time!” 

 “—” 

 Haruko heard the conversation. 

 The phone in her hands fell to the ground. 

 As Tatsuo was talking to Mana, there was suddenly the sound of something dropping nearby. 

 “Huh?” 

 Tatsuo turned to look and saw Haruko. It seemed she had already returned from the restroom. But, the expression on her face was inconceivable and her complexion was turning grey. 

 At that moment, Tatsuo thought that she was surprised at seeing her missing best friend—but that wasn’t it. She was baffled. This was indeed a surprise, but rather than being deeply moved and pleasantly surprised, she was trembling in anger. 

 “OOOOO… Otou-sama…?!” 

 Haruko pointed at Tatsuo, her trembling finger as she said those words in shock. 

 “Ah.” 

 Hearing that, Tatsuo looked on in surprise of his own. If he tried to explain the situation, it would likely cause a huge misunderstanding. 

 “A-An illegitimate child…? And around the same age as Koto-chan… could it be that you wanted me to meet—” 

 “No, Haru-chan, please listen to me, she’s—” 

 “—Takkun is a skirt chaser—!” 

 Haruko yelled as Tatsuo tried to stop her and then ran away. 

◇◇◇

 “Um… ooh… so that’s how it went…” 

 Haruko, who had rushed back to the Itsuka residence, finished crying and blew her nose as she drank the black tea Shido handed to her. Black tea could help eliminate worries, but it was still difficult to recover from something like this. She was still softly sobbing. 

 “Dad actually…” 

 “Are you sure you weren’t mistaken…?” 

 After Haruko told Shido and Kotori the story, they both looked at each other with clear doubt on their faces. 

 That was natural after all. Indeed, the matter was discussing their father having a secret love child from who knows when. 

 Having said that, their earnest and honest to a fault father—Tatsuo, and an unfaithful man with a secret love child. It was impossible to reconcile those images together. 

 Moreover, for Shido, who had regained the memories of Takamiya Shinji through his fateful encounter with Mio, Tatsuo and Haruko were both his foster parents and also his former friends. Hearing that they were about to divorce, Shido’s feelings grew even more complicated. 

 “Mistaken?! How can there be any mistake when he’s holding hands with a junior high school student and being called Otou-sama?! How could that be some new custom that took root here during my absence from Japan?!” 

 Haruko emotionally placed down her cup and yelled… Well, it was just as she said. 

 However, even so, Shido couldn’t silently sit by and watch his parents in crisis. Shido tried to continue comforting Haruko’s fears. 

 “Calm down. Did you really hear her call him Otou-sama? Maybe you heard it wrong…” 

 “Yeah. And even if he was called Otou-sama, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean your actual father, right? For instance, the sort of father that lends out pocket money…” 

 “Isn’t that also a problem—?!” 

 Hearing what she had said, Haruko shouted again. Shido gave her a ‘what are you saying’ glare at Kotori, who then quickly expressed her apology. 

 “Ah really… I always knew it was dangerous! That man is always being inexplicably admired by girls, plus he has the physique of a natural lucky pervert… and he doesn’t know how to reject others! He’s just too nice to everyone! So of course he would be deceived by a wicked woman!” 

 Haruko groaned while clutching her head. Not being able to tell if this was supposed to be praise or a backhanded compliment, Shido couldn’t help but force a smile. 

 “This is starting to just look like some random public display of affection…” 

 As Shido said that. 

 “Anyway! Betrayal must be met with the price in blood! The iron hammer must be lowered on this skirt-chaser! I need a large sum of divorce compensation…! Shii-kun and Koto-chan will definitely choose me, right…?!” 

 Haruko stretched as she approached them. Indeed, neither Shido nor Kotori were adults yet. If their parents divorced, they would have to choose which one of them they wanted to live with. 

 Though, this wasn’t something they could decide so easily. After he showed a troubled look, Shido spoke slowly to calm down the way too overly excited Haruko. 

 “If what Mom says is true, then there’s nothing that can be done about this… Anyway, let’s listen to what Dad has to say for the time being. Didn’t you run away without listening to his explanation? Perhaps there’s actually a reason behind this?” 

 “That’s right. Alright, let’s call Dad’s phone first…” 

 After talking, Kotori skillfully took out her cell phone and tapped on the screen. 

 Likely from seeing Shido and Kotori’s approach, Haruko jerked her face as a trail of tears fell from her eyes. 

 “Waah… waah—! Even Shii-kun and Koto-chan—! This household is no longer my safe harbor—!” 

 “Um… ah! Mom?!” 

 Shido tried to stop her but it was already too late. 

 Haruko cried out. She stood up from the sofa and frantically rushed out of their house. 

◇◇◇

 “…Sorry. I overstepped my boundaries with that joke.” 

 She lowered her head apologetically. Tatsuo shook his head slightly with a wry smile. 

 “It’s alright Mana-chan, please lift your head. I know you didn’t do it maliciously.” 

 “That’s certainly true… but it still caused an unnecessary misunderstanding.” 

 “Ahaha… but that’s also because Haru-chan hastily came to the wrong conclusion…” 

 Tatsuo scratched his face, picking up the phone that Haruko dropped and placed it in his bag. 

 “Right, I can’t contact her like this… it can’t be helped, let’s go back to my house for the time being. I know Haru-chan would definitely go there. Anyway, we’ll need to explain the situation first, that way she should understand.” 

 “Yes, that’s right…” 

 Mana sighed again as she raised her face. Tatsuo gently nodded, lifting up his suitcases and crossing the square in front of the station with Mana. 

 “But that was quite unexpected, she didn’t even notice me. We used to meet up every day before. Well, after 30 years, I guess it’s not all that surprising to forget…” 

 On the way back to the Itsuka residence, Mana pondered. 

 Tatsuo looked back at her while awkwardly whispering. 

 “Well, that may be true, but I also couldn’t even imagine that my old friends would look the same as they used to. If there wasn’t a name written in the data, I probably wouldn’t have noticed either…” 

 “Ah, it’s true then, people do grow older as time passes.” 

 Hold on, that was like Mana was some celestial being living secluded in the mountains. Tatsuo couldn’t help but laugh when he thought that—Actually, as ageless people that could exert a power beyond human wisdom, Wizards were kind of like that celestial-existence. 

 As the two of them were talking casually on the way back to the Itsuka household, Tatsuo’s phone suddenly began to vibrate. 

 A look on the screen showed Kotori’s name on the display. Tatsuo tapped the reply button and answered the phone. 

 “Hello? Is this Dad? Just now, Mom ran away after coming back home crying… and what’s this about an illegitimate daughter?” 

 Kotori asked suspiciously. Tatsuo had a pained look as he heard that. 

 “Aah… um, that’s because…” 

 As Tatsuo briefly explained the reason for the current situation, Kotori let out a surprised voice. 

 “Huh? Because of Mana? She’s an old acquaintance of you two? What, if that was the case, it would have been better to have made that clear earlier.” 

 “Sorry. I wanted to surprise Haru-chan…” 

 “Anyway, I understand the situation now. We’ll try and search from our side as well. Let’s contact each other afterwards.” 

 After saying that, Kotori hung up the phone. As they walked, Mana looked on at him with keen interest. 

 “Was that Kotori? What’s the matter?” 

 “Um… Haru-chan went home first, but then ran away crying somewhere else again…” 

 After Tatsuo said that, Mana let out an “Ah…” scratching her face as if finally understanding their predicament. 

◇◇◇

 “Wa… waaaa…” 

 After leaving the Itsuka house, Haruko wandered aimlessly until arriving at a nearby park. Anyway, there was no other place to go, and even if there was, her unpresentable crying state made her hesitant. 

 Haruko sat down on a bench in the park, squatting down and whimpering. The cold early spring wind even blew a chill through her heart. 

 “…Ugh…” 

 Not knowing how long this took, Haruko’s shoulders suddenly jolted in surprise. 

 The reason was simple. A pair of feet entered Haruko’s field of vision as she was facing the ground. 

 “Mun… What’s of concern? Is there some ailment afflicting you?” 

 At that moment, she heard a voice from above her. Haruko held her breath slightly and raised her face. 

 In front of her was a young girl. A slightly childish look combined with a pair of gentle eyes. Her age seemed close to Kotori’s. Her long hair was tied in braids wrapped around her shoulders. 

 It seemed she was worried about Haruko squatting alone on the bench and came over to talk. 

 Having lost anyone to rely on, she burst into tears again when confronted by this girl’s tenderness. But, crying any further would just make this girl even more worried. Haruko barely managed to wipe away her tears and shook her head. 

 “…I’m fine. I’m sorry to have worried you. I’m not injured or sick.” 

 “Mun…” 

 As soon as Haruko answered, the girl whispered and sat down right next to her. 

 “W-What? What’s wrong?” 

 “It’s impossible to be fine. Crying without any pain or illness is a serious matter. There’s no harm in speaking and being listened to. Even if it’s merely taking part in a discussion, your mood should improve.” 

 “Huh…? B-But… doing something like this with a stranger I’ve never met…” 

 “Mun, then please excuse me. Muku is called Hoshimiya Mukuro, someone who lives nearby.” 

 The young girl spoke while looking directly into Haruko’s eyes. Although she thought, “I shouldn’t be talking about this to just anyone…” when she saw the serious look in Mukuro’s eyes, she paused for a moment. 

 “…” 

 Of course, Haruko could not easily tell personal experiences to a stranger she had just met for the first time, but the current situation was special. After all, she was lending a helping hand to Haruko at her lowest point—and most importantly; there wasn’t a hint of ridicule in her sincere eyes. They told her that she was genuinely worried about Haruko. 

 “…Um, then I’ll respectfully take your invitation and talk for a little.” 

 Haruko spoke, and then as she hesitated in clearing her throat, she began to talk. 

 Then, a few minutes had passed. 

 “—There was actually such a thing! Don’t you think that’s too much! Damn it, he already has me!” 

 In the end, Haruko was only hesitant at the beginning. In fact, Haruko didn’t want to confide in anyone, but as the topic progressed, her tone grew more and more agitated as she finally entered a drunken rant without actually having drank anything. 

 “Mun, so the situation is like this… this truly is an excessive matter.” 

 The girl—Mukuro listened to her words in a very calm manner and responded seriously. It wasn’t unreasonable for Haruko to be more enthusiastic about complaining than beforehand. 

 “Right?! Mukuro-chan thinks so too! So in the end, this can only be settled with a divorce!” 

 “…Mun.” 

 However, as Haruko uttered that aggressive statement, Mukuro’s face strained itself for the first time. Then, she touched her chin as if considering something. 

 “Um… what’s wrong? Mukuro-chan.” 

 As Haruko asked while slanting her head, Mukuro let out a small “No” lowering her eyes then shaking her head. 

 “What Haruko said certainly holds truth. In regards to those unreasonable and rude, they ought to be given a piece of one’s mind.” 

 “Right?! So it can only be like this?!” 

 “Yes. Already having a beloved wife and still being addicted to other women, he is truly a heartless rat, scum amongst men.” 

 “R-Right! Ah really, thinking about it again…!” 

 Haruko struck the palm of her hand with her other fist in a rage. Mukuro clenched onto her arm while nodding. 

 “Muku doesn’t imagine he can still maintain human reasoning. Such indecency is akin to a beast. He should be struck down with a club.” 

 Then, just like this, Mukuro said something too dangerous. Confronted by this sudden suggestion, Haruko couldn’t help but be stunned. 

 “…Huh?” 

 “This is merely a just end for committing the crime of adultery. After all, he’s a maniac that even has his brain tissue infringed upon by beastly desires. Perhaps through only death can he understand his own faults.” 

 “N-No… it’s not like that… relatively speaking, he’s honest to a fault and has little boldness compared to me who always takes the initiative. He must have been forced upon by the other party…” 

 “What? Are you pushing the blame for those sins only on the other party? It’s filthy and shameless. For these scoundrels, you need to give up on them as soon as possible. It’s best to find a new husband. The same goes for the children that would turn a deaf ear to Haruko. Presumably they lack honor just like their father. It’ll be wise to remove the roots before they rot everything surrounding them.” 

 “Don’t… don’t say it like that!” 

 When she heard such vulgar words coming out from the mouth of a cute girl like Mukuro, Haruko couldn’t help but yell. 

 “Like I said, even though an illegitimate child is unforgivable, it makes no sense to say those things about Takkun without knowing him at all. And also, this has nothing to do with the children! The two of them, both of them are my good and precious children—” 

 At that moment, Haruko had finally noticed. 

 Listening to her words, Mukuro was displaying a gentle smile. 

 “Mukuro-chan, you…” 

 “Mun.” 

 After Haruko called out her name, Mukuro slowly nodded. 

 “The reason why Haruko is sad and angry is because you still deeply love your partner and children—If what Haruko said holds true, then the matter is indeed serious. Perhaps an end in parting is inevitable.” 

 However, Mukuro continued on with a “But.” 

 “It’s simple to destroy, but not easy to restore. Such is the case of family. Muku advises you that no matter what the end result may be, you shouldn’t do anything that will lead to regrets. The situation must be seen through with a calm heart—Never repeat Muku’s mistakes.” 

 “…” 

 When she heard that and saw Mukuro’s sad smile, Haruko was speechless. 

 —Perhaps something similar had happened to her in the past. Her expression was sufficient enough in convincing others not to think like that. 

 The blood rushing to her head finally cooled… Ah, her sincere advice was the same that Shido and Kotori were trying to persuade her with. Why didn’t she listen to them at that time? When she considered that, Haruko’s heart was filled with regret and shame. 

 After washing her face with cold water, Haruko finally calmed down. She held her hand against her forehead, shaking her head before raising her face and letting out a sigh. 

 “…Thank you. I think I’ve finally calmed down.” 

 “Muku didn’t do anything to merit thanks… Muku used to be helped by others when in pain, now Muku is merely doing the same thing as that person once did.” 

 With that, Mukuro’s face slightly turned red. Haruko had to ask after squinting her eyes. 

 “Huh… that person, is he a boy?” 

 “…! How did you know?” 

 “Ahaha, women’s intuition—he must be a good man. Shouldn’t you also not let go of such a boy so easily? You can’t let other girls snatch him away either.” 

 “Mun… that is certainly true.” 

 Mukuro touched her chin and let out a whisper. Seeing such a cute reaction, Haruko couldn’t help but loosen her cheeks. 

 “Anyway, you were of great help… I’ll go talk to him first.” 

 “Mun.” 

 After listening to Haruko, Mukuro happily smiled. 

◇◇◇

 “—Not over here. Where is she?” 

 “I haven’t found her here either.” 

 After Mana shook her head, Tatsuo followed with the same. 

 The two of them were in a corner of the residential area of Tengu city. After first leaving behind the luggage at the Itsuka house, the two of them searched around the home to find the missing Haruko. 

 Shido and Kotori were also looking for Haruko, but it seemed that they had little progress as well. Tatsuo took the time to check his phone, still no new calls, and sighed. 

 “Really, where did you go? I can’t think of anywhere else…” 

 “Well… let’s hurry up and find her to fix this misunderstanding…” 

 As both Mana and Tatsuo crossed their hands with troubled looks, a car horn echoed behind them. 

 “Huh?” 

 After hearing that sound, Mana looked back to see a woman riding a small automobile there. She was wearing old sportswear with her jacket completely split at the seam. The serious goggles on her head felt slightly off, like an ornament painted on as a last thought. 

 “Hey, Manacchi. What are you doing here?” 

 “Nia-san!” 

 Mana cried out her name when she realized who it was. That’s right, she was a manga artist who lived in this city, the Spirit, Honjou Nia. 

 “…Hmm? Who is this middle-age man? Hmm… a harmless glasses wearer, feigned the ever-popular uke role, a brute with spectacles, or a look fit for simple innocence. Which one could he be? How terrifying.” 

 “I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about, but what you said is probably not in the bounds of my knowledge.” 

 Mana opened her eyes and let out a sigh. 

 “This is Nii-sama and Kotori-san’s father. He’s a researcher at Asgard Electronics and connected to the construction branch that built the <Fraxinus>. Additionally, although the reason for it is a bit complicated, he was originally my senpai.” 

 “Hello, my name is Itsuka Tatsuo.” 

 “Huh, Boy and Imouto-chan’s?—Hey, you’re the person that built that? That’s really amazing, but the AI on that ship sometimes feels like she’s tough on me in particular. Is that a bug? If it’s still within the warranty period, can I ask you to take care of it, please?” 

 “Is that right? I haven’t received any reports…” 

 As Tatsuo scratched his face in confusion, Mana strained a bitter smile. 

 “—Senpai, this is Honjou Nia-san, a Spirit.” 

 “Huh, a Spirit?” 

 When he heard what Mana said, Tatsuo turned to look at Nia again. Seeing the spotlight on her now, Nia let out a proud “humph.” Mana sighed at her hubris. 

 “Yes. But only about 70% of her words can be taken seriously, so please don’t take her too seriously.” 

 “Hey, you’re as cold as ever Manacchi.” 

 Nia laughed as she said that. Actually, Mana didn’t mind Nia all that much, but since Tatsuo was the type to take everything he heard seriously, she knew she had to inform him of her true nature. 

 “Hmm, Itsuka Tatsuo… the father of Boy and Imouto-chan…” 

 Nia seemed to be thinking something as she touched her chin. Mana slanted her head in wonder. 

 “No, I’m just thinking of a nickname to give you. Doesn’t everyone love my nicknames?” 

 “Not at all…” 

 Despite being against it, she gave the always serious Mana a nickname that sounded like an aquatic creature. But Nia didn’t seem to care, she clapped her hands after thinking something up. 

 “Well, I’ll call you Papa since that’s easy to understand.” 

 “…That’s the one thing you shouldn’t have said. I’m suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu.” 

 Mana sighed as she shook her head, while Tatsuo also had a troubled smile on his face. 

 “Huh, what’s with this? Did something happen?” 

 Nia blinked. Mana glanced at Tatsuo as they briefly explained the situation. 

 “I see, I see, so that’s what this is… the old misunderstanding routine.” 

 Nia started nodding as the very corners of her mouth turned into a grin. 

 “If that’s the case, then the two of you are very lucky.” 

 “Huh?” 

 The pair’s eyes widened simultaneously, Nia raised a finger up and exclaimed. 

 “Have you forgotten who I am? The one who possesses the super invincible, omniscient Angel <Rasiel>, the girl with a super beautiful soul—Nia?” 

 “Ah—” 

 Hearing those words, Mana raised her voice. 

 That was certainly true. The Angel <Rasiel> she held was known as the omniscient Angel. The Angel with the power to understand every natural phenomenon in this world. With that, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out where Haruko is. 

 “Really… it’s just as you say.” 

 “Humph. That’s right. Not just the location, I can figure out what she’s doing as well. Although I can’t see her inner thoughts, it’s still possible to tell if she’s still angry or not based on her words and actions. It would be good to wait to rush in until your opponent is calm once again.” 

 “I see… this is more efficient. I didn’t think of this because I was under the impression that <Rasiel> was Tokisaki Kurumi’s Angel.” 

 “W-Who would you rather have help you with this?!” 

 Nia couldn’t help but yell out when even Mana said something like that. A lot of things had happened during the final battle against DEM, and in the end, Kurumi had also obtained <Rasiel>. It seemed that Nia still was self conscious about that. 

 “If you keep talking like that, I won’t check for you!” 

 “Ah, sorry, sorry. Please, if you will.” 

 “I can’t say no to Manacchi…” 

 Nia grunted and snapped her fingers. 

 Then, light particles began to concentrate into the shape of a book. 

 “Ooh…?!” 

 Seeing this unfold, Tatsuo cried out. Well, it couldn’t be helped. Even if he had already learned about this from his company’s info, this was the first time he saw an Angel manifest with his own eyes. 

 Probably because Tatsuo’s reaction was exactly what she wanted, Nia smiled as she opened the cover of the book. 

 Then, she closed her eyes to concentrate as her fingers flicked over the pages. 

 “Hmm… it doesn’t seem like she’s left the residential area. Hmm? There’s someone next to her. Is that… Mukku-chin?” 

 “Mukuro-san?” 

 Mana’s eyes widened at the unexpected name. Hoshimiya Mukuro. Like Nia, she was also one of the Spirits that had her Reiryoku sealed by Shido. Did she end up coming across Haruko while she was alone? 

 However, Nia didn’t respond to Mana, keeping her eyes closed with a slight frown on her face. 

 “Wow, she really is in a terrible mood. She seemed to have calmed down not too long ago, but now it seems she’s super angry again? It’s like there’s a bright flame burning in the background. Mukku-chin’s hands are even trembling. What… is she watching…? A scene that has gone off the rails? Not just an illegitimate child, but a third party has appeared as well? Hey, this is—” 

 At that moment, Nia noticed something and opened her eyes to look to the right. Mana and Tatsuo also turned to look in that direction. 

 “—Ah.” 

 Then, they all noticed. They didn’t know how long she was standing there, but Haruko was standing there with a furious look. 

 From her glare alone, it was obvious that she had yet again misunderstood something. 

 “H-H-Haru—” 

 “T-Takkun!” 

 Ignoring Tatsuo’s plea, Haruko ran away once more with tears in her eyes. 

 Running on the residential road, she was filled with exceptional regret. 

 From Mukuro’s persuasion, Haruko was intending on walking home to listen to Tatsuo’s explanation, but then she accidentally encountered him. 

 Another woman who looked different from his illegitimate child (tentative name) was at his side. Not only that, she seemed to have a very worry-free face and a close relationship. Her woman’s intuition told her that—she had to be the mother of his illegitimate child (tentative name). 

 “Waah—! Takkun, you big idiot—!” 

 With tears in her eyes, she ran down the street. 

 Although it was a lie to say that Haruko was completely unprepared for this, she didn’t expect to witness that so suddenly. And to think that the other party would be that sort of woman. She wore loose and open sportswear and had a tired face like some manga artist that had barely passed a deadline. She was the complete opposite of Haruko. Her heart was filled with complicated feelings. If you get used to the same taste, is it not in a man’s innate nature to occasionally want to try something else? Ah, ah, damn it. If that was the case, he should have just told her and she would have stayed up all night and wear worn-out sportswear— 

 —Just at that moment. 

 Haruko’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a sharp car horn. 

 In less than a second, she understood what was about to happen. The situation she had gotten herself in. Yes, she had run down the street, and at the moment she crossed the intersection, a high-speed car was coming from her left. 

 “Watch out!” 

 “Haruko!” 

 “Ah—” 

 Almost subconsciously, a voice like a mouse leaked from her throat. 

 Her body suddenly froze up and made it so that she couldn’t move. Despite that, her consciousness still firmly grasped the situation in front of her. 

 It felt like time had stretched out a hundred times over. The so-called revolving lantern phenomenon. Various scenes flashed through her mind and disappeared just as fast as they came. 

 “—” 

 In that moment, Haruko noticed. In those unbroken successive scenes, there was only Shido, Kotori, and Tatsuo. 

 —Nothing other than that. Why was it, that only in these very last moments could she truly realize that— 

 “Haru-chan—!” 

 Just then, accompanied by that scream, Haruko felt something attempt to grab her. 

 No need to even think who that person was—Tatsuo. Tatsuo had run up from behind, putting his body out as a shield in order to protect her. 

 But—it was too late. The car had already arrived. It would be impossible to avoid it. Even if he saved Haruko, it would come at the cost of Tatsuo’s life itself. 

 As her thoughts started to condense, they arrived at a certain possibility. 

 Was this… what Tatsuo was intending? 

 “No, Takkun—!” 

 At the moment she called out his name— 

 The world stood still. 

 “Huh…?” 

 The sense of disconnect from her body caused Haruko to blink in confusion a few times. It was as if Haruko, Tatsuo, and the even galloping car had all been lifted up by a giant pair of invisible hands. 

 Their bodies floated away from the car. After the car had passed, the two of them gently fell back onto the ground. 

 “Just now, that was—” 

 “Ouch… are you okay, Haru-chan…?” 

 She stared blankly as Tatsuo, who had somehow become her cushion, let out a pained groan. 

 “Ah… um. Hey…” 

 It was at this time that Haruko finally noticed. In order to protect her, Tatsuo’s hand had perfectly latched onto Haruko’s chest. 

 “…Even in moments like this, you’re still the same as ever, Takkun.” 

 “Ah… sorry. That wasn’t my intention…” 

 Tatsuo hurriedly released his hand. Haruko sighed and bitterly smiled. 

 “It’s okay. I know… thank you for saving me.” 

 As Haruko said that, she turned to look around. 

 “…Say, what happened just now? Did Takkun somehow awaken a superpower during a moment of crisis?” 

 “N-No, I didn’t do that. If I were to guess—this was a Territory.” 

 Tatsuo said while adjusting his glasses. Territory, that is to say something like an enchantment a Wizard unfolds through a Realizer. Indeed, if someone used a Territory, it would be possible to accomplish what just happened. 

 “But, that Territory, just who—” 

 “—Really, you’re still as rash as ever, Haruko. Don’t cause too much trouble for Tatsuo-senpai.” 

 Just then. 

 A voice from above came to answer Haruko’s question. 

 She looked up a little. 

 The girl that had appeared there, was Tatsuo’s illegitimate child (tentative name). 

 “Huh—” 

 Haruko couldn’t help but hold her breath. 

 Her posture, her look, her manner of speaking. 

 All of this was so nostalgic in Haruko’s mind. 

 Of course, something like this couldn’t be happening. She disappeared thirty years ago when she was the same age as Haruko. 

 However, the girl standing in front of her now was ‘too similar to her,’ to the point where it would be nonsense to believe anything else. Haruko raised her head with a dumbstruck expression and a trembling voice. 

 “Ma, na…?” 

 To that voice. 

 “—Yes, long time no see Haruko.” 

Takamiya Mana replied back with a smile that hadn’t changed at all from her memories. 

◇◇◇

 “What! That’s what was going on?! Takkun, you idiot! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier!” 

 “Um, well, I wanted to tell you…” 

 “Haha… well, I’m just glad this misunderstanding is finally cleared up.” 

 The scene had shifted to the living room of the Itsuka household. Shido wryly smiled as he listened to the conversation between Haruko and Tatsuo. 

 It seemed like there was a small quarrel while the siblings were searching for her, but everything had been resolved by itself in the end. Shido and Kotori exchanged glances with each other before letting out a collective sigh of relief. 

 “Anyway, I didn’t think you were taken by DEM and made into a Wizard… are you okay?” 

 As Haruko worriedly asked, Mana gave an exaggerated shrug from the opposite sofa. 

 “Ah, well, my body had been modified, but that’s been fixed now. More importantly, my heart has been much happier now that DEM’s unpleasant CEO has been killed off.” 

 “Hehe… that frank and refreshing side of yours hasn’t changed at all. It soothes my troubled heart.” 

 Haruko wiped the corners of her eyes while laughing. 

 Of course, it wasn’t difficult to sympathize with Haruko’s feelings. She was talking to a good friend whom she thought she would never see again. After having Shinji’s memories restored during the final battle, this was also a scene that made Shido quite emotional. 

 Haruko clapped her hands together as she remembered something important and turned to look at Mukuro and Nia who were sitting next to Mana. It seemed Mukuro and Haruko, and Nia and Tatsuo had run into each by chance. 

 “I wanted to say hello again to these new Spirits—My name is Itsuka Haruko. Thank you for always taking care of Shii-kun and Koto-chan.” 

 “Fumu, it goes without saying that Muku and the others are the ones always being taken care of by them.” 

 “Yes, yes, don’t worry about it. Say Itsuka Mama, you said ‘that type of woman—!’ Right? What type of woman is that? It couldn’t be me? That isn’t true, right?” 

 As Mukuro smiled, Nia slanted her head but still gave a slight smile. Haruko was awkwardly sweating as she tried to look away from her. 

 “A-Anyway, Takkun was so dashing at that moment. That heroic appearance coming in to rescue me from danger! I wish Shii-kun and Koto-chan could’ve seen how manly he was too!” 

 “Ahaha… in the end I couldn’t have done anything alone. It was thanks to Mana-chan’s help.” 

 “That’s not the problem. It means a lot that you came to my rescue… but what if you messed up? If something happened to Takkun, I wouldn’t know what to do.” 

 “Haru-chan…” 

 “Takkun…” 

 The two of them looked at each other with glimmering eyes. It seemed that the bond between them had grown stronger after going through this whole ordeal. Seeing their newlywed couple look, Shido couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

 “It’s unimaginable that they were just arguing earlier.” 

 “Well, it was impossible for Dad to actually have an affair.” 

 As Kotori shrugged, Shido replied back with an affirmative nod. 

 —And then. 

 “—Oh.” 

 Suddenly, the living room door opened, and a voice was heard coming from it. 

 Shido thought it must have been one of the Spirits living in the mansion next door—but that wasn’t it. What appeared there was a girl with lightly colored hair tied up in a ponytail. 

 She was Maria, the AI of the airship <Fraxinus>. She had obtained a physical form through a Realizer and the power of the Angels. 

 “Ah, Maria. Welcome.” 

 “Yes, there seem to be rare guests here, Shido.” 

 Maria looked on at Haruko and Tatsuo in the living room with keen interest and then quietly walked towards them. 

 Then, standing in front of Tatsuo, she displayed a soft smile. 

 “I’ve wanted to meet you for so long—Dad.” 

 “Ah…?!” 

 As Maria said that, Haruko, who had been smiling up until then, once again froze. Tatsuo also inexplicably opened his mouth. 

 …No, certainly, Maria was an AI, it wasn’t that much of an issue to call Tatsuo and Haruko her parents. However— 

 “You couldn’t have picked a worse time, Maria—!” 

 Shido screamed as he barely managed to hold back Haruko, who had burst into tears and was trying to grab the door handle again.