Home Sweet Grave

Cheeseburger.

Quite frankly even by the series' own standards, I'd say the latest volume of Date A Live is a bit underwhelming and anticlimactic, but at least I didn't have to pause and bury my face in my hands regularly like I did with the godawful 新世黙示録－Death March－. In any case, let's get this over and done with. The illustrations are here.

The One Who Struggles

Continuing from the last volume, Shidou bumps into Tamae and discovers that he has traveled to the past. Tamae leaves after getting her notebook back, while Shidou tries to make sense of what has happened to him. He understands that time can't be reversed but he knows all too well that there is someone who has control over time. Just as he's thinking about Kurumi, a giggle startles him before he realizes it's Kurumi's voice. Shidou scans his surroundings looking for Kurumi but she tells him that she is in a different "time". Kurumi explains that she has sent Shidou 5 years into the past using the Twelfth Bullet -Yud Bet-, as well as the Ninth Bullet -Teth- which allows her to connect –communicate telepathically and share senses– with people from different times. Shidou says he needs to go back to the present to help Tohka and the others, but Kurumi tells him about how she had sent Spirit Origami to the past before she came back as an Inverse Spirit. Kurumi says she wanted proof that history can be changed. She gets a little sentimental and says she's talked too much. She then urges Shidou to hurry and find out what caused Origami to go Inverse.

Shidou rushes back to his old home and recalls the fire caused by Kotori 5 years ago. Kurumi tells Shidou that she understands his feeling but he should give up on saving Kotori because of the changes it would bring if Kotori didn't become a Spirit. Shidou realizes that had Kotori not become a Spirit, she would have not been recruited into Ratatoskr and Shidou wouldn't have been able to seal the Spirits. Or rather Date A Live would have been a very different story. Shidou apologizes to Kurumi who says she wasn't criticizing him because the possibility of redoing the past is like fine wine in a poisoned glass. Shidou notices Kurumi's words are like warnings to herself, but before he can ask Kurumi for some answers, he's interrupted by his neighbour Suzumoto who's come to share some fresh vegetables with the Itsuka family. Shidou becomes worried as he's just traveled back from the future and looks much older that he should be, but fortunately he's able to use Natsumi's power and change his appearance in time. Kurumi teases Shidou by asking him to stand before a mirror so she can see his cute face. Just then, the sky turns red and the area is swiftly engulfed in flames. Shidou runs to the park where Kotori is and finds his past self, his crying sister, and Phantom. Shidou calls to Phantom but she disappears in a ray of light. He looks up and sees Spirit Origami, clad in a fantastic white dress but her face twisted by anger and hatred. Origami quickly flies away fighting Phantom with Shidou desperately chasing after them. He eventually comes across a couple screaming Origami's name and realizes that they are her parents. Before Shidou can even do anything however, a ray of light rains down and he is blown away by the shock wave. Shidou gets up and is shocked to discover a massive crater where Origami's parents used to be. He sees the young Origami finding and cursing Spirit Origami and realizes that Origami is the person who killed her own parents.

Spirit Origami soon vanishes as the effect of the Twelfth Bullet wears off, while Shidou rushes to the young Origami's aid. Shidou tells the crying Origami that she's not alone and he would gladly take all her sorrow, rage and whatnot, and says to her that by doing so she must not despair. Origami thanks him and asks for his name. She then asks him if everything he has said to her is true, which Shidou confirms. Origami says she will give Shidou her tears, her smiles and happiness. Shidou doesn't expect her to react this way and is surprised. Origami tells him that this is the last time she will cry and the last time she will smile, and that she will keep her anger and kill that Angel no matter how long it takes and what methods she will use. She tells Shidou to keep all her other feelings with him until she kills the Spirit and leaves.