Date A Mysterious Being

Chapter 17 - Sisterly Bond

Krr, krr, krr!

The wind roared like the earth rumbling in an earthquake, and the exterior walls of the inn began to creak.
The reactions of the students inside were varied. Someone turned on the TV to check the weather report; another quickly took shelter underneath a blanket, frightened by the rumbling; still others laughed that it was a good thing the storm hadn't hit during the day. Naturally, however, not one of them attempted to leave the inn with this squall outside.
With the exception of Tobiichi Origami.

"..." She silently slipped on her shoes and put a hand on the door of the inn.

The reason was obvious. When she'd gone looking for Shidou earlier, she had obtained the information from Ai, Tohka's roommate, that she had seen Tohka leading Shidou outside. Not only that, but Kurumi, alongside Lucas and the Yamai Twins have suddenly vanished as well.

Origami's movements were quick. She slapped down the hand of Ai inviting her to play cards and ran to the inn's entrance, taking in a warning from Tamae not to run in the halls along the way. A little thing like a storm couldn't stop Origami.

She didn't like the fact that Shidou had gone out alone with Tohka. But more than her personal annoyance, being outside so close to the ocean in a storm was dangerous. She had to bring him back as soon as possible.
The wind was strong, but not so strong that she couldn't walk normally.

"...?!" Sensing a presence behind her when she stepped outside, she immediately leaped back.

Sure enough, a metallic clang rang out from the place where she had only just been standing.

"Wha...?" She frowned the tiniest bit as she looked over to see what had appeared in that spot.
A thing in the shape of a human was standing there, fists pressed on the ground.
For a moment, Origami thought it was someone from the AST. It was equipped with a CR unit that closely resembled the official AST equipment, and being so close to it, she felt a twinge of the same headache she got when her Territory was deployed. The thing had likely activated the Realizer.

But it wasn't the AST. Whatever it was wearing this CR unit was clearly not human.
The inorganic external appearance would have been impossible for a living creature. Rounded legs designed with an emphasis on efficiency and efficiency alone. A machine that took the shape of a person, what most people would describe as a robot or a mechanical doll or something along those lines.

"What on earth...?" Origami's throat constricted around her words. A machine shouldn't have been able to control a Realizer, not without using human brain waves. A robot deploying a Territory was just...

"Ngh..."

The puppet jumped at her, interrupting her thoughts.
She barely managed to dodge it and jumped as far back as she could.

"What are you?" She tried talking to it without much hope. But of course, the doll did not respond. It merely attacked once again.

"...!" Evading by a hair, Origami noticed something curious. As far as she could tell, the doll was equipped with a basic loadout like a laser blade and a gun. But for some reason, it wasn't using them on her. It only punched at her with its bare hands, like it was trying to capture her uninjured. Or block the way to keep her from going any farther.

"...! Out of my-," she shouted, annoyed, and leaped back. While she was dancing with this doll, Shidou was in danger.

"...Tobiichi Origami, what are you doing? It's dangerous out here. Hurry back inside."
She heard the sleepy voice of her teacher, Reine Murasame, from the direction she had come. Maybe someone told her that Origami had gone outside.