As Izayoi Miku relaxed a little, a sense of confusion arose in her heart.
Why did Souta know her real name?
Even if by some chance he was a fan of hers, he should only know her stage name, Tsukino Yoimachi .
"Hmm? You don't seem surprised at all."
Souta pointed to the chair beneath him, sharing the same sense of confusion as Miku.
At this point, Miku had never encountered anything supernatural like spirits or spirit power.
Yet, when she saw him create an object out of thin air, she didn't even flinch—strange.
Miku shook her head at Souta and pointed to the manga book she had thrown on the floor.
She hesitated slightly while making this gesture, as if afraid that Souta would scold her for throwing the book carelessly.
This cautious state of living had been her norm ever since she lost her voice—it had already been a year.
"It's okay, no need to be afraid."
Souta noticed her unease and quickly reassured her.
Keeping a gentle expression, he said:
"You're lucky. When I passed by here, I happened to hear your call. Since I've come, of course, I'll help you fulfill your wish."
Hearing his warm and friendly voice, Miku's nervousness eased slightly.
He noticed my fear and comforted me on purpose... just like in a manga. What a kind person, Miku thought, feeling a bit happy.
"Manga recorded my abilities?" Souta asked.
Souta reached out, and the manga book on the floor floated into his hand.
Since he was in a hurry, he didn't flip through it page by page. Instead, he used his divine power to instantly absorb the book's knowledge.
As soon as he did, he froze for a moment and inwardly cursed himself—"What a waste of divine power!"
He had just said he needed to conserve divine power for "godhood," yet here he was, squandering it... Breaking a habit of luxury was tough.
Sighing inwardly, he quickly stopped dwelling on it and processed the new information in his mind.
The manga's protagonist had the ability of material creation—no wonder Izayoi Miku hadn't been surprised when he conjured a chair out of thin air.
Souta thought back—he had indeed used this ability in the Date A Live world, about 28 years ago.
That was when Kurumi had stayed in the past to accompany her friend, and he had visited her home, using this ability to create a gift for Kurumi's parents.
Honjo Nia must have found that record and used it as inspiration for the manga's protagonist's abilities.
He had to admit, Honjo Nia's "Angel" ability was terrifying. Aside from information about Mio Takamiya, she could basically retrieve past, present, and future knowledge at will.
Souta even saw the manga had accurately depicted his first encounter with Kurumi—word for word.
The way he initially caved to Kurumi's overwhelming presence was also perfectly illustrated—pretty funny in hindsight.
But at least the information retrieval was limited to this world.
Honjo Nia couldn't see beyond the Date A Live universe.
Thank goodness—if someone were constantly spying on every detail of his life, that would be too uncomfortable!
Now, Souta wasn't worried about being watched anymore.
After ascending to godhood, his divine power shield could block even time-space abilities—naturally, "Clairvoyance"-type skills wouldn't work either.
Honjo Nia couldn't see his current state, so he had no more concerns when visiting the Date A Live world.
"So it's all been turned into a manga, huh? Honjo Nia is such a voyeur!"
Souta sighed helplessly.
It was one thing to spy and make a manga, but at least get the facts right!
What's with this love triangle nonsense?!
With Shiroyasha's loli figure, people would seriously mistake me for a lolicon!
From Type-Moon to Date A Live, I keep getting slandered!
Hearing Souta's comment, Izayoi Miku looked at him with curiosity.
Honjo Nia... Is that the real name of Souji Honjo, the manga artist?
"Ah, sorry, I forgot about your situation."
Noticing Miku's gaze, Souta shifted his attention away from the manga and looked into her eyes.
"What is the reason you called me?"
Upon hearing his words, Miku's expression suddenly lit up with hope.
She was so excited that she momentarily forgot about her condition. She opened her mouth to speak—only for no sound to come out, leaving her with a blank, dazed expression.
Her face fell into disappointment as she pointed to her mouth, looking at him with a pleading gaze.
She must cherish her voice like it's her very life.
Or rather, more than life itself.
"I see... You're hungry, right?" Souta asked.
"Ahem, don't panic. I was just joking to lighten the mood."
Seeing the urgency in her eyes, Souta coughed lightly and continued:
"Restoring your voice is easy for me. But... let me put it this way: You actually have two choices.
You can let me help you right now, or you can wait a little while—someone else will come to help you soon."
Miku closed her mouth, looking at him in confusion.
Someone... will help me?
Souta didn't keep her in suspense and explained:
"As you read in the manga, I can travel through time, so I know what will happen in the future.
In this world, there exist Spirits—for example, Kurumi, the 'Time Emperor' in the manga.
There is also something called a Sephira Crystal—an item that can turn a human into a Spirit.
Izayoi Miku, in the near future, you will meet someone who will give you a Spirit Crystal, transforming you into a Spirit.
You will gain the ability to control sound, and your psychogenic aphonia will be automatically cured at that time."
Miku's beautiful face showed shock.
She stayed silent for a while, processing his words.
I will become... a Spirit?
Souta waited, and when he judged that she had mostly understood, he continued:
"Of course, if you can't wait, I can cure you now. But I don't know if that would make you miss the chance to become a Spirit—there's a bit of a risk.
So... what will you choose?"
Miku didn't hesitate at all—she immediately pointed at Souta.
Her answer was clear.
Having finally found hope to escape this desperate situation, how could she gamble it on an uncertain "future"?
At that moment, she looked at Souta with both expectation and anxiety, unable to calm down.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Don't be so nervous—I'll definitely help you."
Souta could only use a gentle voice to soothe her.
Instinctively, he reached out, wanting to pat her head—just like he did to comfort Kurumi.
But then he remembered that she had an aversion to men.
He quickly restrained the impulse.
Come to think of it... why do guys like to pat girls' heads?
Too scared to touch their chests, too perverted to hug their waists, too obscene to grab their butts, too intimate to hold hands...
So the head is the safest option?