Chapter Text
Well everyone, the time's finally here. After a long time waiting, the full-story version of "The Dark, but Not Evil" is finally starting!
Before we begin, I wanna thank everyone who wanted this to become a full story. Also, I'm happy to say that thanks to Vol 17, where the one-shot version ended on an ambiguous situation, this version's path is clear. Oh, and just to be safe in case you didn't notice it in the summary, this story contains a few spoilers for a few of Volumes 17's revelations.
Like the original one-shot, this story's going to be starting around the scene before Shido and Miku find Tohka, with a few alterations from canon. But this time, the events won't happen as near-identically to canon, and there are some new alterations that didn't exist before. Now, to avoid any potential confusions that could result, let's list what all the said alterations are.
They are:
~ Shido has already gained Miku's trust, having been able to earn it due to attracting Adeptus 4-12 to Tenguu Square during the process of him and Kurumi trying to convince her, causing a similar scenario to where he saves her from Inverse Tohka. Her voice is too weak for any of her sonic attacks, but she can still influence people with her voice. (Since she needs to get them the key card)
~ The Natsumi arc happens BEFORE Miku's arc, this is because after Miku's arc, an Inverse Form shows up in every arc following hers, with Natsumi's being the sole exception. As the Inverse Form is a main theme in this story, focusing on the arcs with it felt like a better idea, and I didn't just want to jump from Miku's arc to Origami's.
~ The Spirits have all been freed from Miku's control, but they're outside rather than aiding Shido and Miku because Kotori mentions that if they all went in together, it might give DEM the incentive to relocate Tohka before they can reach her in time. At the same time, they need to limit how many DEM wizards stay inside the building for Shido and Miku to deal with.
~ The terminology for the Inverse Form from canon doesn't exist here, and will not be used. The Inverse Forms themselves are just called the Spirits' true forms, as are the Demon Kings for their respective Angel counterparts. There may be some exceptions though, which will most likely some of Beelzebub's abilities shown while in Westcott's possession.
~ Origami never managed to injure Ellen because the changed events with Miku cause them to reach Tohka and Westcott sooner, causing her to be called back before she could inflict it. This event, as well as a few you'll actually see in the chapter, will be what cause Origami to accept Westcott's offer, and initiate the Origami arc.
~ And finally, the biggest and most important, especially if you didn't read the original one-shot. Westcott doesn't know the existence of the Inverse Form in this story, he's just trying to undo Shido's sealing of every Spirit but Miku.
Alright, that's all the necessary information that aren't spoilers, so let's get the story started. In case anything in the story confuses you, I'll explain any further changes that happen within this one-shot in the end notes.
Chapter 1, Tohka Arc - Ascending the Throne, Part 1
The scene opens up to the battlefield taking place around the DEM's Japanese Branch building, with explosions lightning up the sky as the DEM and AST were facing off against the Spirits, with the Fraxinus hovering overhead to provide the latter their support if needed.
Currently, the fights that onlookers could witnessed were those happening between Mana Takamiya and Jessica Bailey, Origami Tobiichi and Ellen Mathers, and he AST fighting the Spirits, with the Bandersnatch aiding the former, and Kurumi's clones indirectly helping the latter.
As the fighting became more intense, the Yamai sisters soon flew back to back at the ensuing onslaught they were facing.
"Damn it, how many of these buckets of bolts do they have!?" Kaguya complained.
"Irritation. I agree, there doesn't seem to be any end to their numbers." Yuzuru replied.
As another group neared them, the Yamai twins readied their Angels, only for green light to hit them, and turn them into pig shaped grenades that fell to the ground, making cartoonish explosions upon impact. The two looked to see Natsumi holding out Haniel.
"We're dead, might as well just give up now, I doubt we'll ever win this fight..." Natsumi sighed.
"H-hey, don't be cynical right now!" Kaguya exclaimed, panicking a bit.
Meanwhile with Origami and Ellen, the former was being held by the throat as Adeptus 1 held her in a choke hold.
"I hate to kill Ike's favorite, but I don't have any other choice. Besides... you'd do the same to me, wouldn't you?" Ellen stated.
Origami grunted as Ellen neared Caledfwlch's blade at the AST Wizard's throat, intending to kill her.
"Time to say goodnight, Sergeant Tobiichi-"
Right before she could do the deed, Ellen suddenly heard Ike's voice contact her through the Pendragon, making her scowl at the timing.
"Damn it, they're already near the quarantine room?" She commented.
Ellen simply through Origami into a building wall, the AST Wizard glared at her, trying to make her mishmash of equipment aim and fire at her, but to no avail. The damage it had taken from the impact had rendered it near-useless.
"Sorry, but my time here is up, lucky you. Bye, bye." Ellen stated, flying off.
"No, get... back here..." Origami muttered.
Origami could only watch as Ellen flew towards the main building, knowing that right now, Shido had to have been inside, trying to rescue Tohka.
"Sh... Shido..." She breathed, tearing up.
Meanwhile inside the DEM building, Shido stared awkwardly as Miku held a DEM wizard against the wall, using her... "charms" to try and get something from her.
"I'm looking for my friend, Tohka. Be a dear and tell me where you're keeping her?" Miku asked.
"Uh, sorry, that's classified information." The wizard replied.
Miku smirked at that.
"If you don't tell, I'll hate you. I'll have no choice but to hate you forever." Miku remarked.
Due to the effects of Miku's voice, the wizard suddenly became scared upon hearing that.
"No, please! Anything but that! Your friend is quarantined on the 18th floor." The wizard answered.
She holds up a card to Miku.
"If you use this ID, you'll be able to get in. Just don't hate me forever! I would die, like seriously." She stated.
"You're sweet." Miku replied.
She took the card from her.
"You see? Now that wasn't so terrible, was it?" Miku remarked.
Miku tapped her lips, and then tapped the wizard's, causing her to squeal before fainting, all while Shido stared oddly at the whole situation.
"Like they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat." Miku giggled.
"...You're freaking me out." Shido mentioned.
"Well that's because you're a boy, it isn't something you'd understand." Miku answered.
At that moment, Shido decided he didn't want to understand.
"We're on the 17th floor, which means the quarantine area's right above us, be ready for anything." Shido stated.
Miku nodded as Shido tightened Sandalphon's grip in his hand, and the two made it to the 18th floor. Once they reached the last floor, the large steel door to the quarantine room entered their view, and with it, the two gave nervous sweats.
"Well, I'm pretty sure this is it." Shido stated.
"Yeah..." Miku replied.
Shido looked at the door again.
"Hold on Tohka, we'll have you back soon." Shido said determinedly.
After holding the entrance card by part of the door, the door split apart as it opened. Another few layers of a lighter glowing metal spread apart in the same manner, some doing so vertically and diagonally unlike the horizontally opening main door, and soon they found a dark room with walls marked by glowing lines.
In the middle of it all was a chair with wires and IVs, all of which were attached to the currently unconscious Tohka sitting in it. She was bound to the chair by cuffs on each of her wrists, and another holding both of her ankles, and she still in the maid outfit she had been wearing when Ellen captured her.
"TOHKA!" Shido exclaimed, running ahead.
"I've been waiting for you!"
Shido stopped where he was, Miku staying slightly behind him due to her voice still recovering, and both of them noticed part of the walls shift apart. After they did, the sight of a pale haired man with soulless looking eyes entered the room, walking near the chair Tohka was seated in.
The head of DEM Industries... Sir Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott.
"May I call you a friend of [Princess]? That seems like a safe assumption." Westcott asked.
Shido held Sandalphon out while Miku formed one of Gabriel's organ pipes, hoping the sight would threaten him, or at least make him more cautious in his next move.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He stated, his eyes closed.
He soon opened them, looking towards his guests.
"Allow to officially introduce myself, Isaac Westcott, DEM Industries." Westcott greeted.
"Isaac Westcott? I know that name." Shido said quietly.
"Good job making it here alive, [Diva]. You as well-" Westcott praised.
However, his response was cut short upon seeing Shido, and he showed genuine shock upon seeing the boy's face. Due to the distance, neither him or Miku properly recognized his current expression.
"What are you..." He said.
After looking for a few more moments, he couldn't deny it, heknewhe had seen this boy's face before, sometime long ago he needed a moment to properly register it. That's when it hit him, the fact that resembled his former Adeptus 2.
"Wait, don't tell me... you can't be. There's no way!" Westcott stated.
"Huh?" Shido wondered.
Miku looked at Shido.
"Wait, do you know this jerk?" Miku inquired.
"No, I don't even get what he's talking about." Shido replied.
The two soon heard laughter, and turned to see Westcott being the source of it.
"So,you'reShido Itsuka? Amazing!" Westcott exclaimed.
Westcott's laughter became even louder, his right hand covering the same side of his face as he did.
'To think, you had the potential to do this all along.' He thought.
A gunshot was heard going off, the sight of a teenage boy's body falling over, dead as he bled where the bullet hit.
A girl stood over him, shouted with tears in her eyes.
"Never thought I'd meet someone who could handle the power of the Spirits! I didn't think it was possible, but apparently, I was wrong!" Westcott exclaimed again.
He soon lowered his laughter a bit, soon changing it to room level volume.
"How incredibly funny this is, and every single detail is going precisely to that woman's plans!" Westcott remarked.
"Woman?" Miku whispered.
Shido took a moment to think, and soon his eyes widened as he remembered Phantom, and how the enigmatic Spirit turned Kotori into one herself. Then, he remembered how Mana ended up as a member of DEM Industries.
'Mana was part of this, if he recognizes me then...' Shido realized.
"Hey, hold on a sec... do you know who I am?" He asked.
"Oh no! I haven't the foggiest, not about Shido Itsuka anyways." Westcott answered, still laughing.
The way he worded that was funny, but looking at his words closer... he could see it. When he said that, he wasn't technically lying, because if he did know Shido... he knew him as ShidoTakamiya, the same name his sister possessed.
After taking another look at the scene before him, Shido now saw Tohka's capture in an even worse light, and held out Sandalphon with an angry look on his face.
"Let her out, or else, Westcott!" Shido exclaimed.
Westcott finally ceased his laughter.
"And if I were to say no? I wonder, what would you do then?" Westcott asked.
Soon he moved his hand so he could show both his eyes as he reopened them.
"I should probably be afraid, right?" Westcott wondered.
"If you don't let her go willingly, I'll have to make you do it!" Shido exclaimed.
"And how would you do that exactly? I'm very curious." Westcott asked, not feeling threatened in the slightest.
"This is your last chance! Let Tohka go! Now!" Shido demanded loudly.
Westcott closed his eyes.
"Don't worry, I won't fight. I'm not nearly as skillful as my counterpart, Ellen." Westcott replied.
He snapped his fingers, and the lights turned on.
The binds on Tohka's wrists and ankles unlocked themselves, leaving only the monitoring wires and the IV attached to her.
"Are you alright!?" Shido called out.
Tohka started to regain conscious, but was still a bit too groggy to properly identify anything.
"Who's... there?" Tohka asked, waking up a bit groggily.
"It's me!" Shido answered.
The moment Tohka heard that, her eyes instantly managed to regain their full focus, and she identified Shido calling to her from across the room.
"Shido? Shido!" Tohka shouted, knocking some of the wires off.
She quickly grabbed the rest of them, and ripped them off as she ran towards Shido as a glass wall appeared to divide them from each other. Despite that, the two happily reunited by having their hands met on the glass.
"I'm here, don't worry Tohka. I'm sorry it took so long." Shido said, comforting Tohka.
Tohka sniffled happily before sliding near the ground a bit, a bit weak from a lack of food for the last half of a day.
"Let her go, open this now!" Shido demanded.
"You can control the power of Spirits, can you not? Why don't you cut it and tear it open yourself?" Westcott asked, almost if to mock Shido.
"Miku, stand back for a moment." Shido requested.
Miku silently nodded, backing up a bit.
Shido readied himself to swing Sandalphon down, but the moment he did, Tohka looked up and her eyes widened at what she saw.
"Shido, look out!" Tohka screamed.
Unfortunately, her warning didn't come fast enough, and Shido's eyes widened as he felt a stinging pain through his body. Miku gasped as she noticed Ellen standing behind him, having just stabbed Caledfwlch through his back, while Tohka's eyes shook in horror as blood splattered against the glass wall she was looking through.
Shido slumped to the ground, and Tohka stared at Shido as he fell, Sandalphon dissolving away as Ellen looked at Shido coldly with blood-stained Caledfwlch in her right hand.
"Nothing personal, but it's my duty to break any sword pointed at Ike." Ellen stated coldly.
Miku scowled at her, intending to stop her in her tracks.
"Leave here, now!" Miku shouted, her powers active.
As the voice washed over Ellen, the Adeptus 1 wizard turned to her, making Miku stare at her confused.
"Sorry, but that isn't going to work." Ellen stated.
'It didn't affect, but... that can't be, she's not a Spirit!' Miku thought with horror.
Tohka slammed her fists against the glass, trying in vain to get Shido to respond to it.
"Shido! SHIDO!" Tohka cried.
"I didn't kill him yet, I hope that's OK?" Ellen asked.
"It's fine, it works out better this way, and I doubt [Princess] would have given us the reaction we're looking for if we took his life instantly." Westcott answered.
Tohka kept banging on the glass, even as she saw Shido's healing ability kick in, Kotori had already told her about it, not only did she realize how long the flames took to appear, but she could tell how weak the flames had become.
Shido was running out of Reiryoku to heal with, as his healing powers were now... even one more attack from Ellen would actually kill him!
"Get up! Get up!" Tohka cried.
"I'd save my breath [Princess], there's no hope for Shido now. I'm going to make you watch Ellen as she kills him." Westcott stated.
Tohka's gasped loudly as she looked towards him, unable to comprehend that he just said that... comprehend that he just said he wouldmurderShido.
"There's nothing you can do, but feel free to try and stop her with everything you have. Your Astral Dress, and your Angel... I guess beyond that, we'll see what happens." Westcott smirked.
Tohka gasped as Ellen readied another slash, and then screams as she stomps the ground, forming her Limited Astral Dress, and calling the true Sandalphon into her hands as she then swung Sandalphon with all the strength she could.
The force had been enough that she felt the bones in her arms broke from forcing her body past its natural limits, and yet she didn't even leave a scratch on the wall. Her eyes and face shook, noticing Ellen moving her arms.
'No... no!' Tohka mentally shouted.
Even as the pain shooting down her arms was unbearable, she continued to slash the wall in vain, refusing to stop because she knew if she couldn't break it down... Shido would die!
She began to scream, her voice began getting progressively louder until it started to shriek and crack at the volume her lungs were emitting.
"I WON'T... LET... YOU... DO... THIS!"
"Don't worry, I'll save you! I won't let you die! I won't let you hurt Shido!" She cried, still screaming.
Westcott watched while Miku could only stare helplessly, and Ellen began raising Caledfwlch, causing Tohka's panic to intensify.
"Not that... stop it! Stop it!" Tohka continued screaming.
"DON'T HURT HIM!"
Time began to slow to a crawl for Tohka as memories of her and Shido since they first met flashed through her eyes.
'My Angel... it isn't enough, and I've already used all my strength... no, please... this can't be it!' She thought.
'Someone, please save Shido, please... I beg of you! I don't care who, I don't care what... please, there has to be something more! Just save him, I don't care what happens to me... Shido, please save Shido!' Tohka mentally begged.
After she did that, she gave a shrieking scream.
Meanwhile on the Fraxinus, Reine was sitting at her usual spot on the Fraxinus, when suddenly... she heard Tohka's loud shriek.
'Was that... Tohka?' Reine thought.
'Someone, please save Shido, please... I beg of you! I don't care who, I don't care what... please, there has to be something more! Just save him, I don't care what happens to me... Shido, please save Shido!'
While not showing it on her outer expression, the face Reine was making in her mind gave widened eyes, realizing just what was starting to happen.
'...There's only one-way Tohka could be breaking down like that, just what has Westcott done?' Reine thought.
She briefly looked towards the DEM building on the screen, wondering what she couldn't see.
'...Shin, not this time, I won't let him take your life again!' Reine thought.
Reine stood up, getting Kotori's attention.
"Reine?" Kotori wondered.
"Sorry Kotori, I need to check something really quick." Reine answered.
She left the room, leaving the Flame Spirit confused about what just happened. One she got into the med bay, Reine walked to the closet and went inside of it, soon closing her eyes as her form glowed.
'Tohka, don't worry... your words didn't go unheard!' She thought.
Ellen's arm reached the height of her prepared swing, and it looked like nothing could save Shido in Tohka's eyes until...
"...Did you call for help young child?"
Tohka's eyes shifted at bit, wondering who's voice she just heard... and then she suddenly noticed the entire area around her had lost all its color, everything completely grayscale as time itself seemed to have suddenly stopped.
"What... what is this?" Tohka wondered.
Suddenly, she noticed her clothes were missing, and the brief reflection she could see of herself had her eyes as two pools of purple, not a bit of light reflecting in them... and then that's when she saw something that truly surprised her.
Right behind her, at this very moment, was none other than... herself. No, more accurately it was her at the moment of her expression of helplessness, also frozen in time, and the her that could react showed shock at it.
"What's going on, why am I naked? And why is there two of me!?" Tohka asked, panicking a bit.
"Over here."
Tohka turned to the voice, and soon saw a silhouette of white light, shaped like a girl that was the same age as she was.
"I'd say it's nice to meet finally you, but this isn't actually the first time we've met."The girl stated.
"W-Who are you?" Tohka asked.
The girl's head lowered, showing her sadness.
"...Sorry, but I can't tell you that."The girl answered.
Tohka looked a bit confused at that.
"Then... you're the one that stopped time?" Tohka asked.
"Oh no, this isn't time freezing, I simply accelerated your mental processing speed, the information you're taking is focused to a point that time's nearly frozen for you right now, hence why there's two of you."The girl explained.
Tohka blinked at that, making the girl sweat drop.
"...Crap, I forgot you aren't good with more complex words."The girl apologized.
She cleared her throat.
"I'm talking to your mind, which is moving faster than everything else right now."The girl re-explained.
"Oh!" Tohka exclaimed.
Tohka soon realized this girl came after her call for aid.
"Wait, if you're hear, then..." Tohka realized.
"That's right Tohka, I have come to give you the strength you begged for, because... more than anything, I also can't bear to see Shin die, not a second time."The girl confirmed.
Tohka blinked at her words in confusion, with the girl only having said them because she knew Tohka wouldn't get it.
After a moment passed, she walked towards Tohka placing a finger on her head, soon lowering her head again.
"Tohka, I must warn you, the power I'm intending to lend you... I've never lent it to a Spirit, and I worry that there's a chance you may not be able to handle it. A chance you might lose the one you want to protect."The girl mentioned.
Tohka's eyes widened as she gasped, she tried to speak up, but the girl continued before she could find the words.
"The reason I'm even trying is because... you seem so much like me, enough that I'm willing to bet you can wield this power, and because if we do nothing, Shin could die..."The girl explained.
"You... think I can do it?" Tohka repeated.
She nods, looking at Tohka with her unseen eyes, giving a comforting aura through them.
"I've done a lot of horrible things, all for his sake, and I can't change them now... despite that, it doesn't mean I can't try to make up for them now."She admitted.
She pets Tohka's head.
"While I can't reveal myself yet, on the day I can, I hope we will be able to protect Shin and this world together. Honestly, as long as I can be with him again, I don't mind sharing him."The girl giggled.
"Huh!?" Tohka exclaimed with confusion.
At that moment, Tohka felt her Reiryoku start to leak out, becoming a dark black color as it seeped out, making her grunt.
"Try to bear with it, for Shin's sake."The girl pleaded.
"H-hold on... you act like you know about the Spirits, how is that?" Tohka asked.
The girl pondered about if this was a detail she could answer, and soon decided that there was something she could say without giving herself away.
"Because, I am..."The girl answered.
"The First Spirit."
Tohka's eyes widened at that, with the power ebbing around her getting more intense, and the First Spirit watching her, hoping she could handle it.
'Shido... you've given me so much, a life, a home, a name, and all of these memories... if you were to die, I know I'd lose myself... I don't want that, I don't want to try and forget you, to end up like I was before we met that fateful day!' Tohka thought.
She felt something ache in her heart.
'That feeling, what is it, just what is it? Why do I want to protect you so much, why can't I bear the pain of losing you, please... tell me!' She begged.
"Un. I'm happy, very happy...I love you. Let's always be together."
Tohka's eyes widened at that, and suddenly... the aching in her heart felt warm, as if responding to it.
'Love... love... that's...' She wondered.
She remembered that first kiss they shared, it didn't mean much to her at the time because she didn't know the meaning behind it, but now?
The feeling she had felt from being with him, seeing him kiss Yoshino and feeling horrible after, comforting Shido when troubled by Kurumi's actions. They all stemmed from one simple feeling.
"Shido, I... I love you, so please don't go!"
At that moment, the darkened purple energy soon changed, becoming brighter in color as it streamed out like a fire made of light, causing the Spirit of Origin to look in awe as she saw it happen. Tohka had done it!
"You did it, you've managed to control Sandalphon's true power!"The First Spirit exclaimed.
"This is..." Tohka breathed.
Seeing her work was done, the first Spirit smiled, and soon began to fade away, making Tohka reach out for her.
"Trust in your feelings, Tohka."
The acceleration of Tohka's mind stopped, and she began to see things at normal speed, right as Ellen's blade began its descent, and at that moment? Everything that just happened rushed through Tohka's head, and she knew what she had to do.
"SHIDO!"
At that moment, her evolved Reiryoku burst out, catching Westcott off guard as he guarded himself. The glass walls shattered into pieces, and Ellen, who was still stuck in the middle of her swing, was left completely defenseless as it struck her, knocking her back as she felt a sharp pain across her abdomen.
Miku's eyes widened at the sight, and she ran in front of Shido, using her voice to make barrier of sound, shielding him as the small bit of power he had left finished healing him. He looked up in response to the sight of the apparent power being emitted, and swirling around Tohka's form, confusing him a bit.
"What the hell... is going on?" Shido asked to no one in particular, and slightly worried about Tohka.
Outside of the building, the power was even leaking outside, giving a variety of reactions. The first being all of the Bandersnatch which couldn't properly handle the pressure of the energy, causing them to spark with malfunctions.
"What's happening!?" Ryouko shouted in shock.
The Yamai twins and Natsumi all witness it as well, with Yoshino and Yoshinon soon flying near them, stopping once they reach the same spot the three of them had been watching from. It didn't take long for them to realize who was the source of this power.
"That's Tohka, it has to be." Yoshino breathed.
"What did she do though? I'm kinda worried, with all of that energy pouring it, there's a chance that someone may have just pissed her off!" Yoshinon mentioned with worry.
Natsumi didn't say anything, as she was unable to find her voice.
"Worry. She could be in danger, we should head over to her now." Yuzuru reasoned.
"Yeah, let's go!" Kaguya declared.
The four of them began flying over there as fast as they could. As this was happening, Kurumi stared at the energy, her eyes shaking as if she was having a panic attack from the sight of it.
Truth be told? She actually was, because... she had seen it in another form long ago. Once the initial shock faded, her expression changed to one of both rage and terror.
"No, this isn't possible... she can't be here!" Kurumi shouted.
Meanwhile on the Fraxinus, the ship's alarms went off as it registered Tohka's power as an unknown due to being unable to recognize it. Everyone seemed a bit surprised or panic, even Kotori who as a Spirit herself, was seeing something she had never witnessed before now.
It was at this moment that Reine finally came back in, getting Kotori's attention.
"Sorry for the delay, what's going on?" Reine questioned.
"We... we don't know, but levels are spiking!" Kotori answered, slightly panicked.
Reine soon sat herself down, and checked the readings before her, knowing exactly what to look for.
"Hmm... I think I've found something, it looks the cause of this is Tohka." Reine stated.
"What, Tohka's doing this, but how?" Kotori questioned.
"I'm not sure, but based on these readings..." Reine answered.
Kotori looked at Reine moved it to the larger screen, and Tohka's original readings were shown before the newer ones showed the chart growing. In other words, showing Tohka... was getting stronger!
Upon seeing this, Kotori's current Chupa Chups dropped to the floor and shattered, having unknowingly dropped it from the jaw drop she had just done.
Back inside the building, the evolved Reiryoku gave a sudden flash as it began to compress, slowly fading away and leaving everyone to witness the sight before them, and Shido realizing that Tohka's powers were no longer within him... and that's when he saw the reason for it.
Standing before them was Tohka in her Astral Dress, but not the one he knew from the day they met. This one was now a dark violet dress attached with black laces, and a set of grayish magenta, and dark pink plated armor that adorned her shoulders and waist. The dress was open at the back and the front, in which exposed most of her skin, and a two-layered, knee-length skirt. She had her usual butterfly ribbon, but it was now a dark violet color, and had a pointier edge type look to it.
It wasn't just her either, even Sandalphon seemed to have gone through some kind of change. The broadsword had become more asymmetrical in design, and more like a single-edged sword, now sporting a black, and magenta/dark purple color scheme, with the glowing blue lines now glowing red in color.
With her now serious and focused, but somehow angry and dangerous looking expression, Tohka shifted her gaze towards Ellen... glaring so intensely that her eyes felt like daggers from Miku view. Meanwhile, Shido could only stare at Tohka and Sandalphon's new appearances.
"Holy crap, is that really, Sandalphon? Is... that really... Tohka?" Shido wondered.
He had reason to feel worried, this appearance that Tohka had just assumed... it was very dark looking, almost as if Tohka had succumbed to the darkness, and fallen into Evil. There was little he could see right now to tell him that Tohka hadn't changed in more than looks.
Was this still the girl he met that fateful April 10th, was this... was this stillhisTohka?
"Ike, what is this?" Ellen asked surprised.
"I..." Westcott tried to say.
Westcott could only stare in surprise, the sight he was seeing right now was something he had never witnessed before. He had only been trying to make Tohka regained her powers, undoing the seal that had stabilized them, but this? It was almost as if... her powers had outright evolved.
Tohka soon turned towards Shido, still with the same look on her, and then... it morphed to one of concern.
"Shido, are you OK?" Tohka asked.
Shido's eyes widened.
"Tohka, is that still you?" Shido asked.
Tohka gave an all too familiar smile towards Shido, and at that moment, there was no more doubts in Shido's mind. She might look different right now, but the girl standing before him? She was still the same Tohka he had always known.
Back on the Fraxinus, Kawagoe suddenly noticed the jamming signal had faded, and their video feed was finally able to reach inside the building where Shido currently was.
"Commander, the jamming's finally gone, we should be able to see what happened!" Kawagoe replied.
"Then stop wasting time and bring it up, we're already in the dark as it is!" Kotori shouted.
The video feed soon zoomed into the 18th Floor's view, and at that moment, Kotori flinched as she saw it... Tohka's new form, and Sandalphon's new appearance.
"What... what is that?" Kannazuki wondered.
"It seems like the result of Tohka's abnormal readings, perhaps similar to when seeing Shido shot caused her to awaken her Halvanhelev, perhaps something pushed emotions past a threshold that had been acting as a limiter before now?" Reine theorized.
After claiming her hypothesis, Reine noticed Kotori still staring at Tohka.
"Kotori, is something the matter?" Reine inquired.
"I'm... I'm not sure, but seeing it gives me this strange feeling, how should I put this? It's..." Kotori answered.
A familiar feeling wrong through Kotori, one she didn't realize was flowing from the Camael Crystal.
"...Dark, but not evil."
As relief quickly washed over Shido's mind, knowing that Tohka's changes were only physical in nature, he was suddenly distracted by Westcott laughing slightly as his shock finally faded, intrigued at the mystery before him. Tohka's smile faded as he gave him a dark look.
"Wonderful, this is beyond my expectations." Westcott stated.
He looked towards Ellen, who despite the blow she just took, didn't look like she took any serious damage, if any at all.
"Look at this Ellen. Our dream, our dearest wish, it's even bigger than we had hoped." He smiled.
"Now... it's time to work, someone worthy for you to defeat has finally appeared. My strongest wizard, the moment has come for you to take the head of [Princess], and lay the foundation for our path."
Ellen tightened her grip on Caledfwlch.
"Yes, I'm ready, the hour is at hand!" Ellen replied.
At that moment, Ellen immediately rushed at Tohka, with the prideful wizard believing she'd have an easy result like she did in their previous two fights...
She couldn't have been any more wrong.
Tohka swiped Sandalphon at all of her strikes, not a single hit got through, and Tohka's expression actually even seemed to imply she wasn't even trying. Ellen growled a bit, trying another round of slashes at a faster speed, even trying to sneak a kick at her.
"Is that it?" Tohka inquired.
Tohka jumped over the kick, soon flying into the air where Ellen readied her next move, catching her attention as [Pendragon]'s second weapon slid into her left hand, charging yellow energy at the tip like a laser.
"Go Rhongomiant!" Ellen shouted.
A beam fired straight up, aimed right at Tohka, and moving way too fast for her to dodge. Shido and Miku gasped as the attack struck her, soon blasting into the air, and pushing everyone close to the area far away as the ceiling was obliterated!
After a long period of fire, smoke began to float around the area where the building's ceiling one resided, and Shido shook in horror as he didn't see Tohka's silhouette, or the sound of her voice.
"Tohka, no... TOHKA!" Shido screamed.
Ellen smirked, thinking she had won... only to gasp as the smoke was swiped away, showing Tohka as she was floating in front of the moon, not even having a scratch on her to show that all Ellen's assault had done was push her outside.
"What was it you said to me before you brought me here? Oh, that's right yeah, it was: "Your attack seems to be less powerful than it used to be." I think that would be a more accurate claim foryourattack." Tohka replied, smiling slightly.
Tohka raised Sandalphon as she readied an attack, making Ellen growl as she flew forward at the empowered Spirit.
"I won't let you!" Ellen roared.
Ellen swung Caledfwlch at Tohka, only to be surprised as the Spirit known as [Princess] stopped it entirely with her left hand, and it wasn't even bleeding. Ellen looked in shock as Tohka readied her Angel at her.
"Sandalphon." Tohka said without her usual shouting.
Tohka swung down, striking Ellen with a flood of her Reiryoku, causing an explosion of it that focused itself upward from the impact spot. The wind blew far out from spot, causing the nearby AST members, still malfunctioning Bandersnatch, and even the other Spirits to all be blown away, unable to push against the attack's incredible recoil.
As the Spirits went flying, Yuzuru noticed Origami being shot towards them, too injured from her fight with to even try resisting her. She quickly flew over to grab the weakened AST Wizard, successfully catching her in her arms.
"Worry. Master Origami, are you alright?" Yuzuru asked.
Origami weakly looked at her.
"Y-You're a..." Origami breathed out.
Her wounds finally caught up to her, and Origami passed out in Yuzuru's arms, leaving the Spirit unaware of what she was trying to say to her. As the attack finished, Tohka looked and saw Ellen still unharmed, but she had her territory up, so she didn't just no sell the attack, either because she couldn't or being unaware how strong it might be.
'What happened to her? Sure, she was strong, but a single slash of Sandalphon never did that kind of damage before. What happened after I got stabbed?' Shido wondered as he watched.
"I'll admit it [Princess], you've grown much stronger than before." Ellen admitted.
Tohka grunted slightly, gripping Sandalphon closer as kept her guard up against DEM's strongest wizard, right as she got heard Westcott's voice through her CR-Unit.
"So tell me, what do you think of Princess now?" Westcott asked.
"She's definitely grown much stronger than before, my estimate is she's at least a SS-Rank." Ellen answered.
That got Westcott's interest, the highest ranked Spirit they currently had any information on was Nightmare, who was an S-Rank, so to hear Ellen claim that was surprising. Though admittedly, he didn't blame her, even Nightmare didn't have the destructive power Tohka had just used on her.
"Really? Alright then, can you still win?" Westcott inquired.
"Nothing that lives on this Earth can beat me..." Ellen declared.
Ellen readied Caledfwlch, glaring at the Spirit standing before her.
"...not even her!" She exclaimed.
Adeptus 1 rushed at the guarded Spirit, clashing against her before they both flew across the skies, appearing as a green and purple streak that collided with one another. As Shido and Miku watched, Westcott decided this was his cue to leave.
"It would be worrisome to Ellen if I got killed in the crossfire, I'll need to retreat for the time being." Westcott stated.
Westcott took out a Realizer, and Shido noticed them.
"Hey!" Shido called out.
"My apologies, but you'll have to excuse me for now. Let us meet again... Takamiya-I mean, Shido Itsuka." Westcott replied.
Shido froze up at that as Westcott disappeared, those last words of his had only confirmed his prior thoughts. Westcott clearly knew who he was, and whatever he knew about him, it had to be related to his, and Mana's, amnesia.
His thoughts were quickly ended when his headset as he heard Kotori's voice ring through it.
"-do! Shido! Please respond!" She shouted.
"Kotori?" Shido replied, tapping the headset.
Back inside the Fraxinus, everyone was seen typing as Kotori began her talk with Shido, the only change was Reine was standing by her, rather than at her seat as she usually did.
"Yeah, sorry for the long delay, but thanks to the building getting blown up, the jamming's been cleared up." Kotori responded.
She took a deep breath, focusing on the
"What in the world happened in there?" Kotori asked.
"I'm... honestly not sure, I took a sword to the back and next thing I knew, Tohka broke free of her prison and transformed! Was it related the reverse flow of Reiryoku?"Shido asked.
"Doubtful, while this is clearly still Reiryoku she's emitting, and it shouldn't affect your attempts to re-seal her powers later, what happened to her seems to be something completely different to us. We honestly can't say anything definite about this right now." Reine answered.
That surprised Shido a bit, even they were stumped.
"Either way, it's impossible for us to get any real readings on her power right now, the system can't properly identify her Reiryoku in this state." Kotori remarked.
She took out a new Chupa Chups, waving it slightly in the air.
"No pressure big bro, but until we can come up with something, we'll have to hope Tohka can actually beat her this time." She stated, slightly nervous.
Shido watched the battle unfold, sweating worriedly as he wondered if Tohka would be OK.
"I just wish I do more than just watch this." He said to himself.
Ellen jumped back before rushing at Tohka, with the empowered Spirit doing the same, their blades clashing as they unleashed a huge burst of power across the sky.
This battle had only just begun...
And that's a rap on the first half of Tohka's arc in the story. To try and be different, unlike most stories that get to this point in the series, I didn't injure Ellen because I thought to myself when making this: "I wonder how the fight would have gone if she never gained her injury, period." As a result, she didn't get that wound on her chest from Origami, or Tohka's awakening.
The next chapter's gonna be bringing that fight to an end, and focusing on the whole aftermath of this incident, slowly building the bridge to initiate the adaption of Tobiichi Angel for the story. *giggles* I'm really excited for what comes next, and as a bonus for any Kurumi fans reading this? She's got a pretty big role in this story, meaning she'll have scenes in arcs she was absent for during canon ;3
I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of "The Dark, but Not Evil" in its full story form, and I can't wait to see where I'll be taking this story. As a fair heads up, this story's updates will be slow for a while, as it currently isn't one of my main story projects, but I will make sure to give it my fair share of effort when I'm able to work on it!
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^
