Date A Live: Starting as Acheron

WHOOSH- 

Kyo ducked and weaved around the two other Spirits, the air filling with mist and sparks. As Tohka continued to fight Kyo head-on, Yoshino darted around the outskirts of the battle with unnatural nimbleness to shoot icy blasts at him. As for Shidou…

"Tohka! Behind you!"

"Umu!"

Shidou was standing to the side, shouting the occasional word of encouragement or caution.

WHOOM- CRACKLE-

Kyo and Tohka locked blades, the sheathed sword putting up a surprisingly good struggle against [Sandalphon]. "Hey Shidou," Kyo called whilst glaring at Tohka, "What the help do you think you are, a damn Pokémon trainer?"

Before Shidou could process the question, Kyo jumped away, dodging a blast from [Zadkiel]. But even before he could touch the ground again, Tohka was already on him, swinging [Sandalphon] in an overhead slash.

BOOM-

For the umpteenth time, a dust cloud was lifted into the air. Tohka jumped back to guard Shidou, with Yoshino landing next to them still riding [Zadkiel], whose mouth was still brimming with icy Reiryoku.

"Tohka, how are you holding up?" Shidou asked concernedly. She's been fighting for so long, and she doesn't even have her entire pool of Reiryoku…

"I'll be fine, I think. He hasn't gotten any major hits on me yet." Tohka spared him a rough grin before turning back to the slowly fading dust. Shidou smiled in return before turning to Yoshino.

"And you? Are you ok, Yoshino?"

"Oh… I-I'm fine… thanks for asking…" Yoshino shied away, blushing slightly. Shidou laughed lightly. Looks like she's doing just fine.

"Hey doofus, focus on the battle." Kotori's voice echoed in his ears, causing him to snap his attention to the last of the dispersing dust.

"Damn berserker," Kyo's voice sounded. "Honestly, am I going too easy on you? Even though I've slapped you around with a sheathed [Naught] for this long, you're still awake?" As he spoke, his tired figure slowly emerged from the dust, annoyance written all over his face as he addressed the trio.

"Well, you've managed to hold up against both of us all on your own," Tohka replied, grudging respect in her voice. "But I think it's time you surrendered."

"...one last thing, then." Kyo sighed and straightened his posture before holding up his sheathed blade. Sliding two fingers dramatically over its measure, a strange darkness enveloped the weapon. Shidou couldn't help but shiver while the two girls both flinched. Tohka in particular slammed her foot into the ground, raising a golden throne at her position.

"[Sandalphon]: [Halvanhelev]!" She announced as she sliced it in two, allowing the crumbling remains to quickly coat her sword.

"Unfortunately for you, this time…" The two jumped at each other, each swinging their sword with all their might.

CRACK-

"It's meaningless." Tohka's eyes widened as [Halvanhelev] shattered the moment it touched that ominous energy, rendering her powerless to stop the incoming strike. 

"TOHKAAAAAA!" A familiar scream from behind, from a familiar boy. 

"Shi-" Before she could finish, Kyo whacked her on the head with the handle of his sword, sending her unceremoniously crumpling to the ground in a heap.

"Don't take another step, or her head flies," he warned Shidou, who immediately froze in his tracks. Seemingly satisfied, Kyo turned and directed his blade at Yoshino. "Finally. It's just you and me."

——————I am the dividing line that shifts perspectives——————

Yoshino stared with wide eyes at the ominous weapon now directed at her. The familiar stiffness in her body returned. Her breath shook and her hands were unsteady. Kyo sighed.

"...did your resolve really only amount to so much?" He asked with a peculiar tone. Yoshino shut her eyes in response. "Well, so be i-"

"N-no… no!" I… have to do something! Yoshino pulled back her arms, causing [Zadkiel] to unleash a blast of icy shards at Kyo. His figure blurred before appearing slightly to the left, the ice sinking into the ground beside him. 

"No? Then strike me down. If you do, everything will be returned to you. Tohka, Shidou, Yoshinon. As long as you fight." Another blast of ice, and another seamless dodge. But this time, Kyo reappeared directly in front of Yoshino, standing on top of [Zadkiel]'s head.

"Eep-" 

"Shh." Kyo plunged his weapon into [Zadkiel], causing it to begin breaking down back into Reiryoku. Within moments, the entire body had faded away, leaving Yoshino to fall heavily to the ground. 

"Yoshino!" Despite his earlier warning, Shidou was suddenly at Yoshino's side, helping her back to her feet.

"Seriously?" Kyo glared at the two of them as he slowly floated down, his eyes sparking with violet lightning. "Are you deaf, stupid, an amnesiac, or all three?"

"I promised Yoshino that I'd protect her," he spat back, his voice filled with determination. Shidou…

"You- that doesn't answer my question at all!" Kyo groaned. Shidou ignored him, putting himself in between the two remaining Spirits.

"Yoshino, are you ok?"

"Are you fudging ignoring me?!"

Yoshino looked up at Shidou with eyes that were once again filled with tears. Why are you here? Isn't Tohka in danger? Shouldn't you be by her side? Her questions caught in her throat, and she shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I'll be here for you, always." His kind smile, though marred by dust and stress, shone like the brightest star in her eyes. Giving a small but firm nod in reply, Yoshino turned and looked an exasperated Kyo in the eyes.

"...I… won't back down this time! I won't… I won't run!" [Zadkiel] manifested once more by her side, its red eyes glowing in tandem with her newfound courage. "After all, I have my heroes by my side!"

"..." 

Kyo looked at her with narrowed eyes, but this time, Yoshino stared back. The field went silent. A gust of wind blew by. Then-

"KYOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

An unfamiliar voice rang through the air, accompanied with a fast-approaching shining object from the sky.

"Is that… [Raziel]?" Kyo stretched his hand out in order to catch the approaching object.

But before he could grab it, the flying book turned to avoid his grasp, veering in an impossible way to conk him on the forehead.

"Ow-"

"KYO! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" A gray-haired woman descended from the skies, wearing a strangely translucent gray nun's habit. Shidou blushed and turned away as she touched down and grabbed Kyo by the hair.

"I left you a note-"

"Yeah, and it explained absolutely nothing! Ugh, just my luck. The one time a week I go to restock my beer, you go and pull a stunt like this and raise the Spacequake alarm just before I got to checkout." She facepalmed, lamenting the failed purchase of her booze. "What were you thinking, picking a fight with two other Spirits?" 

"..." Kyo looked at her silently, then sighed and holstered sword. "I'll tell you later."

"Don't you dare-"

'[White]." And just like that, he disappeared.

"Oh, you little… when I find you…" The woman clutched at her head, evidently greatly annoyed. Only now did Yoshino finally get a good look at her, and at the object she was holding in her hand. Is that…

"Um… excuse… me?" Yoshino asked hesitantly. The woman looked up with a scowl and fire in her eyes, but upon seeing who addressed her, she quickly coughed and smiled.

"Oh, hello there. Your name is Yoshino, right?"

"Mm…" Yoshino bowed her head.

"Right, she's Yoshino, and I'm Itsuka Shidou. By the way, who are you?" Shidou stepped in, introducing the two of them with a wary gaze.

"Oh, me? I'm Honjou Nia, Kyo's… uh, well, you can think of me as his landlord. Yeah." Nia coughed again. "Anyway, I think this belongs to you…"

Holding out a hand, she presented a familiar rabbit puppet. Yoshinon!

"Hold on, you're just gonna give it to us like that?" Shidou asked with a hint of incredulity.

"Uh, yeah. That's what he said to do. 'Return this to Yoshino.' Of course, he didn't mention he'd also take a part-time job as a landscaper…" Nia mused, glancing around the decimated field. Yoshino quickly grabbed the outstretched puppet and put it on her hand before frowning. Something isn't right…

"Oh, right. Kyo did a little bit of a sewing job, too. There's a little strap on the inside now, see? Pull it like this to tighten it, and like this to loosen it. It's to keep it from falling off your hand being lost again, he said."

"Oh…" Yoshino said dazedly, rubbing the accessory. Kyo… he did this?

"Speaking of that bast- er uh, bad guy, I'm gonna need to find him again and tear him a new one for fighting such a cute girl. Do you need anything else from me?" Yoshino shook her head. "Alright then. It was nice meeting you~" 

Nia quickly floated into the sky and disappeared in the direction of the city, her speed betraying her underlying anger. Shidou shook his head.

"Well, that was weird… but at least Yoshinon is back." He smiled. "See? Everything turned out alright."

"Yeah… it's all thanks to you and Tohka…" Yoshino spoke softly. "Will… will she be ok?

"Don't worry, she was picked up by Frax- er, my friends. She just tired herself out; she'll make a full recovery after a good rest."

"That's good… I really… can't thank you two enough…" She smiled down at her puppet, basking in its familiar presence. Finally, my first hero is back.

"Yeah, thanks a ton, Shidou. Now, while I don't exactly appreciate you stealing my position, I guess I can grant you the title of 'sidekick.'" Yoshinon clapped its stubby cloth hands together, eliciting a small laugh from the newly-dubbed sidekick before he turned to face Yoshino directly, nervously shifting from one foot to the other.

"...well, anyways, now that we've saved Yoshinon, it's your turn, Yoshino."

"Mm?"

"Eh?"

Yoshino and Yoshinon made similar expressions of surprise.

"Hey, Shidou, Yoshino isn't being held hostage by a Spirit, you dummy." Yoshinon patted Shidou on the shoulder. "I know you're really excited about the sidekick thing, but really, it's fine."

"Er, no, that's not what I meant…" Shidou blushed and scratched his head. "Y'see, I can seal away your powers and let you live the life of a normal girl from now on. But in order to do that, er… we have to kiss."

"K-kiss…?" Yoshino tilted her head in confusion.

"Oya? Was this your plan all along, Shidou? Save the girl, kiss the girl?" Yoshinon's eye glittered mischievously.

"Um, er, well… it's fine if you don't want to! That's cool too, yeah." Shidou quickly retracted his statement with a stutter.

"W-what's… a kiss?" Yoshino spoke innocently. Shidou's blush deepened.

"Uh, well, it's when two people… get really close… and touch lip-"

Before he could finish, his lips were sealed.

"...was that ok?"

"...yeah, it was."