Date A Mysterious Being

Chapter 28 - Return

"Miku." He patted her back gently in encouragement.

"Yes, that's right," Miku said. "Several months ago...everyone in my life betrayed me. I lost my voice due to psychological aphonia, and with it, all hope. That's when God appeared before me."

""God?"" Kotori's and Lucas' gaze sharpened the tiniest bit. Shidou furrowed his brow, slightly.

But Miku appeared not to notice this as she continued speaking. " 'Don't you want power? More power than you've ever imagined, enough to change the whole world,' God said and handed me this shining purple jewel. I reached out to take it, and the jewel melted into my body. And then I had the magical voiiice that could make anyone do whatever I told them to."

"Sephira...." Lucas muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

"I see," Kotori said, a complicated look on her face, and flicked up the stick of the Chupa Chups in her mouth. "Tell me everything you know about this 'God' of yours."

"Everything? Ooh." Miku's eyebrows climbed up her forehead. "It felt strange somehooow. They were definitely there, but I couldn't really see them. It was like they were covered in static. And I could hear their voice and understand what they were saying, but I had no idea what their voice sounded like. Pixelated and blurred out, like on TV."

"Pixalated...you say?" Kotori repeated, turning her gaze to Lucas.

As if knowing what Kotori was about to ask, Lucas shook his head left and right.

"But then, when Lucas suddenly stepped into the fight against Tohka, I felt like...I saw my 'God' again!"

""Huh?!"" Kotori and Shidou gasped in sync.

"...! Nonsense! As if I can turn people into Spirits!" Lucas protested. "Sure, I can manipulate Mana, but not Reiryoku! Maryoku. I use Maryoku!"

"We get it, we get it! ...Next question. After you gained your Spirit powers, were you ever overcome with destructive urges? Did you ever feel your sense of self erode?"

"Destructive...urges? No, nothing in particular comes to mind."

"Hmm." Scowling, Kotori made some notes on the page in front of her.

"Destructive urges..?" Shidou questioned. Right. He didn't know a single bit of what they were talking about.

"Yeah." Lucas nodded. "I've seen too many people transform into mad beasts after receiving a Sephira crystal. I still wonder just how she knows who is compatible with one or not. It's extremely lucky that you are still alive Miku, else you would've probably been killed by now. And not just you. Everyone else too." Lucas said, bitterly.

"S-she..? Who are you referring to?"

"This 'god' she had seen was probably the First Spirit."

"F-First Spirit...?" Shidou's shoulders jumped. Not only Shidou, but also Kotori. She is the commander of the Fraxinus airship, so she of course knew about the Spirit of Origin.

"B-but, why would she..?"

"I don't know myself. I don't remember too much from when I faced her because she almost killed me." Lucas told him, somehow not bothered by the fact he almost died.

"Could both of you pleeease not ignore me and just sit there thinking," Miku tugged on Shidou's arm and begged.

"Oh. Sorry." Shidou smiled at her.

"The inquiry's only just begun. I'm going to be listening very closely to everything you have to say. We can't discard the possibility that your memories were manipulated by her, though, so we're going to put a few electrodes on your head to watch your brain waves, okay?" Kotori grinned, while Miku looked apprehensive.