In the distance, atop a cliff still dusted with snow and shards of ice, two figures stood watching everything unfold.
Nia froze for a full two seconds.
"...EH????"
She immediately clamped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide as if she'd just witnessed a leaked plot twist from the final volume before release.
"That was—was that a kiss!? Live event!? No cutscene!? No build-up!? This is romcom-climax-level illegal!!" she whispered frantically, leaning forward as if afraid to miss a single frame.
Her hands were already trembling, itching to summon Rasiel.
"I need a replay. Another camera angle. Expression analysis. This is material for three months of character theory…"
Beside her, Ren just stared straight at the battlefield.
Her expression was as flat as ever.
"…Embarrassing," she muttered briefly.
Yet the tips of her ears were slightly red.
She cleared her throat softly, turning her head for a split second before looking ahead again.
"Your focus is weird. They just finished a high-level battle, and that's what you're paying attention to?"
"EXACTLY THAT!!" Nia hissed. "From a deadly duel straight to a romance flag—that transition is legendary!"
Ren let out a long sigh, no longer paying attention to Nia's chatter.
"…Ash off his guard," she said softly, her tone more serious now. "Not because of injury. Because his mind is shaken."
Her gaze fixed on Gabriel in the distance.
"And he… didn't attack."
A brief silence followed.
"Then the fight is truly over."
Back on the silent battlefield, Gabriel scratched the back of his neck awkwardly—not out of itch, but more like his own body didn't know how to react.
In front of him, Tenka crossed her arms, observing him for a moment.
Her gaze remained cold, but no longer carried any intent to fight.
She closed her eyes.
"I want to rest," she said calmly. "My Reiryoku is spent."
Her eyelids lifted again, locking eyes with Gabriel.
"If you're not my enemy… I leave this body in your care."
Then, she closed her eyes completely.
Nahemah, embedded in the snow, vanished into particles of light, followed by the unraveling of her Inverse Astral Dress like shards of night. Her dark aura gradually dissipated.
Her body softened.
Her hair, expression, even the presence of her energy shifted—Tenka faded, leaving only Tohka.
The girl now wore a cultural festival maid outfit: a neat blue dress with a white apron, stark against the cold, ruined battlefield around her.
Her body wobbled and collapsed, unconscious, onto the thin layer of snow.
Gabriel paused for a moment, then stepped closer. He knelt beside her, his index finger gently touching Tohka's forehead.
A faint light shimmered.
In an instant, Tohka's body vanished—relocated back to the spot she had been before this arena was created, safe from the lingering destruction of the battle.
Silence returned.
Only the cold wind whispered past his black cloak.
Gabriel exhaled deeply.
"Why did it come to this…" he murmured softly. "This wasn't Ash's intent. And again… just because it's the world of Date a Live, do all the girls in this world just hand out kisses like that?"
He massaged his forehead.
"This makes no sense!"
"How could a relationship like this possibly form in just one day...!?"
He stared at the fractured snowfields, then turned his face away.
Yet, try as he might, his mind couldn't fully let go of what had just happened.
The mood weighed on him.
Gabriel's gaze shifted, piercing through the distance and the thin mountain mist.
Two silhouettes stood clearly on the snowy cliff—one relaxed with a carefree yet complicated aura, the other calm like the surface of a lake hiding hidden currents.
He tilted his head slightly.
His feet pressed against the frozen ground, then his body sprang lightly into the air.
The tip of his black trench coat fluttered softly before he landed smoothly a few steps away from them, his shoes touching the ice with barely a sound.
"Finished watching?" Gabriel asked calmly, his gaze alternating between Ren and Nia.
"You noticed?" Ren replied flatly.
Gabriel gave a small nod. "Since you appeared."
Nia immediately raised her hand like an eager student.
"Hehe~ caught you, huh? But seriously, that was INSANE. I thought there'd be some huge climax explosion, but instead—existential ending + character naming?? 10/10 for drama, stunning visuals, sharp choreography—just missing popcorn."
She squinted at Gabriel. "And you being OP like that isn't fair. Tenka went into low-battery mode, you know."
Ren exhaled slowly, clearly already immune.
Gabriel didn't respond to that comment. His gaze returned to Ren.
"Ren," he said briefly, "I want to go home. Use your Mirror Water."
Nia immediately turned her head.
"Ohooo, going home together~ right after the duel, just vanishing like that, so cold, Ash."
Ren stared at Gabriel for a few seconds, reading his mana state, expression calm, then slowly raised his hand.
The water-shaped bracelet on his wrist glimmered softly, its surface like liquid standing upright against gravity.
"Alright," he said briefly.
The air in front of them shimmered subtly, the surface like a liquid mirror beginning to open.
***
Several days had passed since the Miku incident.
The sequence had indeed deviated slightly from what Gabriel had anticipated.
Miku hadn't been immediately drawn to Shido during the Tenka Inverse incident—the interruption by Gabriel had shifted the momentum.
It took three days of subtle approaches, a single strike from the AST Wizard, and a few "coincidences" far too neat to be mere chance—all orchestrated quietly by Gabriel.
He did it not for romance.
More… out of responsibility.
By late morning, around eleven on a holiday.
The city streets were fairly busy, yet still comfortable to walk through. Among the flow of ordinary people, three figures moved with a rhythm distinctly unusual.
Sith led the way.
His steps were light, chin slightly raised, as if the world were meant to be his red carpet.
His hair swayed gently in the breeze, and without so much as turning his head, he spoke:
"Lowly Prey."
His voice was sweet. Yet the tone carried a threat.
"The heels you brought—I'll wear them all the way home. If even a single scratch… or drop occurs…"
A brief pause.
"You will pay for it."
"Yes," Gabriel replied flatly.
No objection. No defensive tone. Only acceptance of fact.
Behind him, Bargest walked in step. His massive body had been compacted to appear human-sized, yet the aura of a knight and predator could not be fully concealed.
His eyes fell on the stack of shoeboxes in Gabriel's hands.
"Master," he said softly, his deep voice gentle yet firm, "hand over some to me."
The tone was assertive—protective.
Strangely… it resembled Tohka's. And Tenka's.
{Note: natural, their seiyuu is the same}
Gabriel didn't turn his head. His reply came through telepathy, calm and direct.
"No. This is my task."
His steps remained steady.
"If I were to take them from you, it would only hasten Sith's true purpose."
Bargest fell silent for a moment, processing the meaning behind the words.
His gaze shifted to Sith's back ahead—a spoiled princess walking without looking back, yet fully aware of every step behind her.
"…I see."
Not a protest. Not an objection. Only understanding.
"So it's not about carrying things," he continued softly through their mental link, "but allowing her to have a reason to continue commanding you."
Gabriel gave no reply.
That alone was enough of an answer.
A few steps later, without any dramatic movement, Bargest lifted the top two boxes from Gabriel's stack—his motion smooth, like adjusting weight rather than seizing them.
"Not to replace your task," he said calmly, "only to balance the distribution of burden. A knight guards his king, even in small matters."
He fixed his gaze straight ahead once more.
"…And I'd rather carry a physical burden," he added flatly, "than restrain the instinct to hunt weak humans walking too close."
The words were delivered with the calmness of a weather report.
Ahead, without turning, Sith's lips curved ever so slightly.
She had heard everything.
Suddenly, her steps came to a halt.
Gabriel and Bargest instinctively stopped a second later.
The Faerie girl didn't look back. She only raised one hand to chest height—a small gesture, yet enough to make the air around them feel as if it were holding its breath.
"Lowly Prey," she said softly.
A sweet tone. Poisoned content.
"Give all your belongings to Bargest."
Her index finger lifted into the air, then moved slightly—as if pulling on an invisible thread.
"Then follow me. Just the two of us. Bargest, wait here."
There was no room for negotiation.
Gabriel understood immediately. Not out of anger. Not out of offense.
Simply because… this was a familiar pattern.
He transferred all the shoeboxes into Bargest's hands without protest. Bargest's gaze briefly met his—sharp, protective—but Gabriel only gave a slight signal with his eyes.
Safe. Do not follow. (~lol 🤦♂️)
Bargest nodded slightly. A knight knows when to advance—and when to hold back.
Sith walked ahead.
Gabriel followed her into a narrow alley between two buildings, away from the flow of people. His steps were light, casual, as if on a leisurely stroll—not like someone heading into clearly unsafe territory.
Once they stopped, Sith raised her hand.
A simple Bounded Field materialized—thin, transparent, just enough to block sound and outside disturbances.
The world seemed to shrink.
Suddenly, Gabriel was gently pressed against the wall. Not harshly, but firmly enough to make clear who was controlling the situation.
They stood extremely close.
Sith lifted her right hand, her index finger pointing directly at Gabriel's chest. The tip of her nail nearly brushed the fabric.
"Are you aware of your mistake, Lowly Prey?" she asked softly.