Date A Live: Faerie Knight Lancelot

Ariving at the location, Melusine scanned the area, her sharp eyes taking in every detail. The air was thick with the metallic scent, but there was no sign of a struggle or any immediate danger. The only living creature in sight was a small cat, licking its paw nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.

Melusine's gaze lingered on the cat. Could it be a Spirit in disguise? She watched it carefully, waiting for any sign of unusual behavior.

Minutes passed, but the cat remained just that—a cat. There was nothing extraordinary about it.

Finally, Melusine approached the feline, her hand reaching out to pet it. But just as her fingers were about to make contact, the cat hissed sharply, its fur bristling, and darted away.

Melusine stood there, her hand still outstretched. Her face, as always, was unreadable, but if one looked closely, they might have noticed a flicker of disappointment—or perhaps sadness—in her golden eyes.

"Kitty…" she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched the cat disappear into the distance.

For a moment, she wondered if there was something about her that made even animals wary. Was her presence so intimidating that even a cat would flee from her?

Shaking off the thought, Melusine turned her attention back to the scene. The spiritual energy she had detected earlier was gone, and the scent of blood was the only evidence that something had happened here. It was clear that the Spirit had already left—and it had taken a someone life before disappearing.

She had arrived too late.

Just as Melusine was about to leave, she noticed something unusual—a faint movement within her own shadow. She stopped in her tracks, her golden eyes narrowing as they turn into the vertical pupils of a dragon. She could see clearly now: someone was hiding in her shadow.

"I'll warn you once," Melusine said, her voice calm but laced with authority. "Come out of my shadow now, or I'll force you out. And I can't guarantee you'll survive the process."

For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, slowly, a figure began to rise from Melusine's shadow.

The girl who emerged was dressed in a striking crimson and black Gothic Lolita outfit, her hair tied into twin tails. Her eyes, unusual and clock-like, gleamed with amusement as she regarded Melusine.

"Ara? You found me," the girl said, her tone playful. "As expected from Meteor, the Spirit who caused an S-level spacequake."

Melusine's expression remained unchanged, her face as calm as ever. She studied the girl—or rather, the Spirit—with a steady gaze.

"Oh my, how rude of me!" the girl continued, placing a hand over her chest in a mock gesture of apology. "Let me introduce myself. People usually call me Nightmare."

Melusine's eyes flicked downward briefly before she spoke again. "I suggest you withdraw your shadow from behind me. It's pointless to try attacking me."

As if on cue, the tendrils of shadow that had been creeping toward Melusine from behind froze, then retreated back into Nightmare's own shadow.

"Oh?" Nightmare raised an eyebrow, though she didn't seem particularly surprised. After all, the Spirit standing before her was the infamous Meteor, the one who had triggered an S+ level spacequake.

Melusine's voice was steady, her words carrying the weight of absolute certainty. "Your attacks mean nothing to me. I'm the strongest. Before you could even land a hit, your head would already be separated from your body."

Nightmare laughed, a light, almost musical sound. "Hahaha, is that so? Forgive me, then. This girl would like to live a little longer."

Though she was merely a clone of the original Nightmare, this version shared the same desire to survive as her counterparts. None of them were willing to throw their lives away so carelessly.

Nightmare, despite her playful demeanor, knew she needed information about this new Spirit—Meteor. She had already made a contract with her original self, and she wasn't about to back down now. Without hesitation, she raised her hand, a flintlock pistol materializing in her grip, and pointed it directly at Melusine.

Melusine, unfazed, stared down the barrel of the gun with the same calm expression.

"You really think I'm joking?" Melusine asked, her voice steady.

Nightmare smirked, her clock-like eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, but how am I supposed to know if you're serious or just bluffing? Let's find out, shall we? My gun and shadows… or your attack. Which will come first?"

For most Spirits, this would have been a difficult situation. But Melusine was no ordinary Spirit. She was the Dragon of Albion, a Faerie Knight acknowledged by Queen Morgan herself as the strongest.

Melusine's gaze narrowed. She didn't flinch, didn't hesitate.

"Bang!" Nightmare exclaimed, pulling the trigger of her flintlock.

But in that same instant, Melusine moved.

"[Innocent Light of the Lake, Unbeknownst to the Present.]!"

A blinding silver glow, as radiant as moonlight, filled the alley. The air itself seemed to shimmer with the force of Melusine's attack.

The next thing Nightmare knew, her back slammed into something hard, the impact knocking the breath out of her. Her stomach churned, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

When her vision cleared, she found herself lying in someone's arms, warm blood pooling on the ground beneath her.

Melusine, however, looked puzzled. She had clearly aimed for Nightmare's neck, yet the Spirit was still alive. Her gaze shifted to the person who had intervened—the blue-haired teenager she had seen earlier on the street.

"Why do I keep seeing you, human?" Melusine asked, her tone calm but laced with mild irritation.

The teenager, Shido, was drenched in cold sweat, his heart racing as he held Nightmare in his arms.

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Earlier, before Shido arrived at the scene, he had reported his encounter with Melusine to Kotori. As always, he tried to be thorough, describing how the silver-haired girl had saved the female student from the falling billboard.

Kotori, sitting in her commander's chair, bit down on her lollipop and listened intently. But as soon as Shido finished, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"If you knew she was the Spirit—the one we've tentatively named Meteor—then why didn't you approach her, you useless Onii-chan?!" Kotori scolded, her voice sharp. "It's simple! Just ask her out or something!"

Shido scratched the back of his head, looking both confused and slightly defensive. "Uh, but she left before I could get closer…"

Kotori wasn't having it. "So? Are you going to tell me later, if another Spirit dies at the hands of AST, 'Oh, she just died, I couldn't help it'? Think, Shido, think!"

Her voice softened slightly, almost to a whisper, as she added, "How are you going to save me too if you're like this?"

Shido's expression hardened, his voice firm. "Kotori! I'd never let something like that happen!"

Kotori huffed, turning her head away to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. She then turned to Kannazuki, her second-in-command, who was—as usual—enjoying the sight of Kotori scolding her brother a little too much.

"Kannazuki, stop grinning like a pervert and get to work," Kotori snapped. "I need you to locate any unusual activity near the scene where Meteor recently appeared."

Kannazuki straightened up immediately, his playful demeanor replaced by professionalism. "Understood, Commander!"

With that, he hurried off to relay the orders to the rest of the crew, leaving Shido standing awkwardly in the command center, still processing Kotori's words.

Commander, we've detected a Spirit signature approximately three blocks away from the recent incident," one of the crew members reported, his voice urgent. "But it's not Meteor."

Kotori leaned forward in her chair, her expression serious. "Which Spirit is it? Run a comparison with our database."

The crew member quickly began cross-referencing the energy signature with their records. After a moment, he looked up. "It's Nightmare, Commander."

"Nightmare, huh…" Kotori muttered, her brow furrowing. She glanced at Shido, hesitating. Nightmare was undeniably dangerous, and sending her brother into a situation like this was a risk she wasn't sure she wanted to take.

Before she could make a decision, Reine Murasame, the ever-calm and enigmatic analyst, spoke up.

"I think Shin is ready, Kotori," Reine said, her tone as emotionless as ever. "He's proven himself capable enough."

Shido blinked, pointing at himself in confusion. "I'm ready but me Shin?"

Reine nodded, her expression unchanging. "Yes, Shin."

Shido sighed, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "My name is Shido, Reine-san…"

Kotori tapped her lollipop against her lips, her gaze fixed on Shido. "Hmm, is that so? Then…" She paused, her tone shifting to one of reluctant approval. "You're sure about this?"

Shido nodded firmly, his expression resolute. "I'm sure, Kotori."

Kotori sighed, then straightened up in her chair, her commander persona taking over. "Shido Itsuka, my useless Onii-chan, your mission is to go to the designated location and capture the heart of the Spirit known as Nightmare!"

Shido wanted to refute Kotori's claim that he was useless, but maybe he should stay quiet... definitely not because of her gaze that seemed to say, 'If you dare say anything.'

"Okay!" Shido replied without hesitation. He stepped onto the transfer machine's platform, his posture steady despite the nerves bubbling beneath the surface.

Kotori turned to the crew, her voice sharp and commanding. "Send my brother to the location. Now!"

The crew sprang into action, activating the device with practiced efficiency. As the machine hummed to life, Kotori added, "All of our crew will assist you to the fullest, Onii-chan. So don't stutter when you speak, and listen carefully to the guidance we give you!"

Shido gave one last nod, and in a flash of light, he disappeared from the Fraxinus.

As the crew busied themselves with their tasks, Reine Murasame stood quietly in the background, her presence almost unnoticed. Her calm, emotionless face betrayed nothing, but her eyes glimmered faintly as she stared at the screen displaying Shido's destination.

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(A/N: You know, I keep forgetting each character's name, so I check the wiki... Oh, she has a daughter, so I click. Then I see her daughter has a daughter, so I click again... and then I saw the father's name. WTH, my head went boom, and I lost brain cells. btw sorry for no post for almost 2 week ehe )

tomorrow i update one more i guess?