I Became a Spirit in Date A Live, but I Refuse to Date

"Do we have permission to snipe?" A voice cold enough to chill the heart came from behind Ryouko. She didn't need to turn around. It was Origami...

Can I Go On Living?

Once Origami confirmed that the girl on a date with Shido was a Spirit, she received permission to activate her CR-Unit. The ten AST members had split into five pairs and were standing by within a kilometer of the park where the Spirit was.

Origami lay on the ground, aiming a sniper rifle at Tohka. Tohka wasn't wearing the Astral Dress known as the strongest shield, so if they found an opening, Origami and the others might be able to kill her.

But their superiors hadn't given permission to fire yet.

In the park on the hill, painted red by the setting sun, only Shido, Lingmeng, and Tohka remained.

A crow called now and then in the distance, but otherwise the park was quiet.

"Wow, what a beautiful view!"

Tohka had been leaning over the guardrail for a while now, gazing out at Tengu City in the last light of sunset.

"It really is beautiful. I can't believe I missed it last time I came here. What a shame," Lingmeng said, looking a little surprised.

Shido looked at the two girls and couldn't think of anything to say. He just kept grinning.

Thanks to the clever guidance(?) of the Fraxinus crew, the three had followed their planned route and arrived at the scenic park just as the sun was setting.

This wasn't Shido's first visit. The park was one of his favorite secret spots. He had brought Lingmeng here shortly after meeting her, a little over a month ago.

Kotori definitely picked this place, didn't she?

While Shido was still thinking, Tohka suddenly pointed at a train in the distance, her eyes shining.

"Shido! Lingmeng! How does that thing transform?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but trains don't transform."

"Yeah, it's not a Gundam."

Shido and Lingmeng tried to explain.

"What? Then does it combine with other ones?"

"Uh... You can couple the cars together, I guess."

"Ooh!"

Tohka nodded as if she understood. Then she spun around, leaned her full weight against the railing, and faced Shido and Lingmeng.

Her innocent smile against the sunset was so beautiful it looked like a painting. Shido and Lingmeng both stared for a moment.

"Dating is actually pretty nice!" Tohka said with a happy sigh.

"Yeah. Going on a date with you made me feel relaxed!"

Lingmeng nodded, her eyes half closed.

"See? You haven't seen anyone trying to kill you, have you?"

"...No. Everyone's been so kind. To be honest, I still can't believe it..."

"Huh...?" Shido and Lingmeng said together, looking puzzled.

"Most humans didn't reject me. They didn't even deny that I should exist. But that robot army... What were they called? A..."

"AST?"

"Yes, that's it! It almost seems more believable that everyone on the streets works for them and was sent to trick me."

Even after all this, she still can't fully trust the people around her? That hurts to hear.

That was what Lingmeng thought, and Shido felt much the same. Tohka's theory made no sense, but he couldn't laugh.

After all, wasn't being rejected over and over the only thing Tohka knew? Even Shido, an outsider, couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

"By that logic, there's a good chance we were sent by AST too. Do you think we were?"

"...Yeah. What do you think, Tohka?"

Lingmeng spoke first, and Shido followed.

Once they had finished, Tohka shook her head hard.

"No! You and Lingmeng are different, Shido! They must have kidnapped your family or friends and threatened you!"

"What kind of backstory is that?" The corner of Shido's mouth twitched.

"Anyway... I don't think you're my enemies..."

"And you're right. We chose to talk to you and go on this date. AST had nothing to do with it."

Lingmeng smiled and patted her chest, speaking with conviction.

"Mm..." Tohka answered, then turned her face away.

As if forcing herself to change her expression, she slapped her cheeks and looked back at them.

"Honestly, today meant a great deal to me. I never imagined this world could be so kind, so interesting, so beautiful..."

"I see..." Shido sighed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Tohka, however, drew her brows together and gave a rueful smile.

"I think I'm starting to understand AST," she said. Her expression turned sorrowful. "Every time I appear, I destroy part of this beautiful world. If I were them, I think I'd do the same."

Shido held his breath. Lingmeng's expression grew conflicted.

"But... You don't choose to do that, do you?"

"No... I can't control when I appear or what happens when I do."

"Then..."

"But to the people living here, the damage is the same. I finally understand why AST wants to kill me."

For a moment, Shido couldn't speak. The grief on Tohka's face sent a pain through his chest that made it hard to breathe.

"Shido... Lingmeng... Maybe I really should disappear."

Tohka smiled as she spoke, but it wasn't the innocent smile she had worn that afternoon. It was the frail, aching smile of a patient who knew she was dying.

"Hey! Don't just decide to disappear and tell us about it! If you did, Shido and I would grieve for the rest of our lives!"

The moment Tohka finished speaking, Lingmeng waved her hands and shouted at her.

"She's right! You absolutely don't have to disappear!" Shido clenched his fists, putting all his strength into his voice. "You didn't cause a Spacequake today, did you? Something must be different this time. We just have to find out what it is..."

Tohka shook her head. "No. Today was an exception. I can't be sure I'll stay like this."

"If you can't guarantee that coming back from the Neighboring World won't cause another Spacequake, then wouldn't it be enough to just stay here?"

Lingmeng thought for a moment before speaking. Shido raised his voice too.

"Lingmeng's right. Have you ever tried it? Even once?"

"That... I don't think..."

Tohka bit her lip. It seemed the idea had never occurred to her.

"But... there's another problem. There's so much I don't know."

"I can teach you!"

"I'd need somewhere to live and food to eat."

"We'll... find a way!"

"Something unexpected might happen."

"We'll deal with it if it does!"

After a moment of silence, Tohka's lips moved.

"...Can I really... go on living?"

"Yes!"

"Can I really stay in this world?"

"Yes!"

Tohka seemed to take in Shido's answer. Then she looked at Lingmeng.

"Lingmeng... What do you think? Can I really go on living?"

Shido—Dead

Huh? How did this suddenly become my question?

Lingmeng blinked, paused to think, then spoke.

"I can't promise you that. I'm not powerful enough to decide who lives or dies. How you live should be your choice. It's not for outsiders like us to decide.

"If you believe you can't survive here, nothing Shido or I say will help. Though I do hope you'll choose to live in this world."

Lingmeng shrugged. She had said what she thought.

"...You and Shido are the only ones who would say that to me. AST certainly wouldn't, and other humans would never let someone as dangerous as me live among them."

"Who cares what they think? AST? Other humans? If they deny your right to be here, then Lingmeng and I will stand against them and affirm it even more strongly!"

Shido shouted and held out his hand to Tohka. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

"Take my hand! Right now, that's all you have to do!"

"Shido..." Tohka lowered her head and thought in silence for a moment. Then she slowly looked up and reached out.

"Well, he might not have much else going for him, but he sure knows how to give a speech." Watching Shido speak so passionately, Lingmeng couldn't help admiring him.

Just as Shido and Tohka's hands were about to meet, Lingmeng caught a glint of reflected light in the distance.

Is that... No, a sniper rifle!

"Both of you, get away from there!" Lingmeng shouted, no longer caring about interrupting the moment.

Just as his hand was about to touch Tohka's, a chill ran through Shido's body.

"Tohka!" He shouted her name and shoved her aside.

Bang! A searing pain tore through Shido's upper abdomen.

"Aaah!" Shido screamed.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tohka had fallen to the ground when Shido pushed her. She rubbed her head and started to complain.

But the moment she opened her eyes, the complaint died on her lips. A huge hole had been torn in the left side of Shido's abdomen, and blood was pouring out.

"Shido!" Lingmeng ran to him and crouched down. "Hang on, Shido!"

She held him in her arms, panic on her face. The bullet had been aimed at Tohka. Lingmeng had never imagined Shido would throw himself in front of it to protect her.

"Lingmeng... Is it... bad?"

Shido looked into her eyes, his voice weak.

"Yeah... I think your kidney's gone..." Lingmeng's expression turned complicated. She had joked about Shido having kidney problems not long ago. Now his left kidney really was gone.

"Ah... That does sound... pretty bad." Shido gave a strained smile.

"How can you smile at a time like this? Don't you understand? You're dying!" Lingmeng shook him, her voice rising with panic.

"Shido! What did you do, Shido? You did that for someone like me..." Tohka seemed to finally grasp what had happened. She knelt beside him, tears spilling down her face.

"Well, I guess my reflexes are pretty good," Shido said with a smile as he looked at Tohka. "Why are you making that face? I'm a boy. Protecting you is my responsibility."

"B-but..." Tohka tried to speak through her tears, but Shido cut her off.

With difficulty, he raised his right hand to her cheek. His words came faintly, with pauses between them.

"This isn't your fault... I chose to do it. Tohka... remember... you're not someone others get to deny..."

When he finished, Shido closed his eyes. His right hand fell limp, and he stopped breathing.