Date a Bride (Date A Live Fanfiction)

She stared at the creature, the firelight casting flickering shadows across its strange, plant-like body. Her mind screamed at her to move, to run, but her legs refused to obey.

The creature remained motionless, its glowing eyes locked onto hers, its tail swishing with an unsettling rhythm.

What am I supposed to do?

The sight of it seemed to root her to the spot, as though she were ensnared in an invisible web of fear.

"Okay... let's just—" She forced her voice to remain calm. "Slowly make some space—"

She attempted a cautious step back, but an abrupt resistance yanked her leg, holding her in place.

"!?"

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked down. A mass of vines, twisted and coiled like snakes, had wrapped tightly around her ankle. With each passing second, they slithered upward, tightening their grip as if driven by a will of their own.

"What the..."

She yanked at her leg, panic surging through her as she tried to free herself. The more she struggled, the more the vines constricted, their rough edges biting into her skin.

All the while, the creature before her remained motionless, its glowing eyes fixed on her. It made no move to attack, no sound to signal its intent. It simply watched...

Then, as her gaze drifted past the strange being and toward the greenery-filled cave, a memory surfaced. The once-barren cavern, devoid of any life when she had first found it, now teemed with vibrant plants.

Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. A chill ran down her spine.

"And the weird plant blanket I'd wake up under each morning..." she murmured, her voice trembling. "It was you."

The creature didn't respond—at least, not in the way she expected. Yet something shifted. The glow in its eyes dimmed slightly, softening in a way that felt almost... understanding.

The vines around her ankle slackened, though they still clung, as if hesitant to let her go entirely.

"?!"

The creature began moving again, inching closer, but this time her fear subsided, if only a little. Maybe, on some deeper, instinctual level, she understood. Whatever this creature was—after all it had done for her—didn't seem like a threat.

"...Alright, let's do this..."

Her breath hitched as she forced her trembling hand upward.

She raised her hand slowly, deliberately, her fingers hovering midair. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she gathered the courage to speak.

"Stop!"

Her voice rang out, shaky yet firm. For a moment, everything stilled.

Her hand trembled as she cautiously opened one eye, hoping, praying, that the creature would listen.

"...Hm?"

To her astonishment, the creature halted. Its glowing eyes widened, not with rage or malice, but with something akin to confusion. It tilted its head slightly, as though processing her command. The tendrils quivered, waiting for her next move.

"Good." She leaned down slightly, tapping her knee. "Now, come here."

She gestured for it to approach. The creature hesitated, its glowing eyes flickering briefly before it took a cautious step forward. A thrill of excitement stirred within her—maybe, just maybe, she could train it like a dog.

"Sit!"

The creature paused, clearly perplexed. It shifted its weight, as if unsure how to mimic her. She could see the vines rustle in uncertainty, but she persisted.

"C'mon, you can do it!"

After a moment, it seemed to understand. The creature sank—not quite like a dog, but in a way that mimicked her command. Relief flooded through her.

"Yes! That's it!"

The creature's eyes sparkled, and its tail wagged as it settled into position.

She couldn't help but smile. The absurdity of the situation—a plant-like creature responding to her commands like a dog—didn't escape her, but it felt like a small victory. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on her, reflecting an innocence she hadn't expected. It seemed eager to please, its strange form quivering with what could only be described as excitement.

"Okay, let's try something else."

She noticed the mass of plants around her legs slowly receding into the ground. Taking a few cautious steps backward, she held her breath. The creature tilted its head, watching her curiously but remained rooted in place.

For a moment, the creature stood perfectly still, watching her intently. She wasn't sure how much it truly understood, but it obeyed.

Slowly, she crouched down, her fingers brushing the dirt until they found a small, smooth pebble. Without thinking too much, she tossed it gently to the side, watching the creature's glowing eyes follow its arc.

"Fetch,"

The creature blinked, its head snapping toward the pebble, then back to her. It didn't move.

"Yeah, I guess that one was a bit much..."

Still, she was amazed at how far they had come in such a short time. This creature, whatever it was, had saved her, sheltered her, and now it seemed to want to bond with her.

"I guess you're not as scary as you..." she said softly, reaching out a hand toward it.

The creature hesitated only briefly before moving toward her again, this time without the vines reaching out to trap her. Its leafy body brushed against her fingers, soft and warm, almost like fur.

She hadn't realized it yet, but her mind had drifted away from all the dark thoughts she had been running from. With its gentle presence, it was as if the creature had quietly pulled her out of her despair.

Part 2:

The morning light crept across the horizon, spreading its warmth over the island. A new day unfurled quietly as if the world was waking from a long, peaceful sleep.

The wind tugged at her hair as she stood on the edge of the cliff, her eyes fixed on the point where the vast blue sea met the pale sky.

This wasn't where she'd expected to end up. She hadn't come with a plan or destination—just wandering, letting her feet take her wherever they wanted.

She knew there were tasks she needed to complete, things left undone. But the drive to tackle them had slipped away, leaving her standing here, lost in thought.

With a sigh, she sat down on the rough ground, hugging her knees close to her chest. The ground was cold, but somehow the sight of the endless ocean below gave her a strange sense of peace. She hadn't expected that.

The creature from before—the odd, plant-like being—had disappeared by the time she woke up. That should've brought relief, given how little she understood about it. But instead, she felt a strange hollowness, an unspoken disappointment.

Why do I feel like I'm missing something?

Her eyes drifted to the ocean. The gentle waves lapped at the shore far below, their rhythm soothing her as the sunlight shimmered and danced across the surface, alive with movement.

Then, something unusual caught her eye.

"...Hm?"

In the distance, further than any normal human could see—a small, weathered boat drifted across the water—It wasn't heading toward her but instead tracing a slow, deliberate path around the island.

She squinted, her brow furrowing.

"Another one?" she muttered. "Now that I think about it... I've seen a few of these old boats, all doing the same thing—sailing in circles. Fishing? No, if they were fishing, they'd stop every now and then to cast their nets or lines..."

Something wasn't right.

"But these..." Her voice trailed off as she watched the boat move steadily along. "They keep going. Like they're circling something."

A shiver ran down her spine. The island was strange enough—creatures she couldn't explain, abilities she hadn't asked for. Now this. "A ghost ship...?"

She let out a soft laugh at the thought. A memory surfaced, bringing a small smile to her face.

She stood, placing her hands on her hips as her gaze swept across the endless sea. "I used to tell my kids stories like that... every Saturday night."

For a moment, she lingered there, her eyes following the boat as it grew smaller in the distance. The smile on her face widened.

"Well," she murmured to herself, "let's hope it's one of those mythologized ships and not someone I'd rather not meet."

With that, she turned away from the cliff, stepping back into the dense forest. The ocean and its mysteries would have to wait—for now.

Part 3:

High above the ocean and land, in the thin, crisp air where even birds dared not venture, an unseen presence loomed.

It wasn't just a simple plane casting fleeting shadows over the clouds below. This was something far more advanced—a silent sentinel of human ingenuity.

"Confirming thermal anomaly on the northeastern shore,"

The soft hum of machinery filled the air, punctuated by the clicking of keys and the occasional chirp of notifications.

"No sign of any fluctuations in Reiryoku levels."

The source of this meticulous surveillance hid among the clouds—a massive airship, like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

Inside, past pale mechanical-styled walls and into the command center, a man sat at the helm, controlling a myriad of systems with practiced ease. His eyes darted between screens, tracking streams of data flowing in from sensors and instruments.

"Increase resolution on Sector Seven. I want a closer look at that anomaly."

With a few swift keystrokes, the display zoomed in, revealing a sharper view of the northeastern shore.

"Finally..."

A smile crept across the man's face as his gaze locked onto the monitor. The image of a figure had come into focus at last.

"After all our efforts, we finally have her... Code name: ."

Success flooded through him—a feeling long overdue. For days, they had been working tirelessly to confirm the presence of the spirit on the island. The Reiryoku fluctuations had hinted at something extraordinary, yet visual confirmation had eluded them time and time again—until now.

He recalled the many failed attempts, each ending in frustrating obscurity. For some reason, their satellites could never capture clear images from the island's jungle or center. The images would blur inexplicably, becoming useless.

At first, they suspected a malfunction, but diagnostics proved the satellites were functioning perfectly. Everywhere else, the pictures were flawless.

"I've got you now..."

He reached out, his fingers brushing the monitor as if he could seize her through the screen. "Once I capture you, I'll finally earn the recognition I deserve from Sir Westcott—"

"Oh~ So that's my target?"

An unfamiliar voice cut through the air, stopping his words cold.

"!?"

He spun around, startled, his eyes locking onto the source of the voice.

"You guys call her , right? I can see why."

Behind him stood a young girl with blonde hair, her smirk as sharp as the gleam in her eyes. She was clad in a light blue and white Combat Realizer Unit.

"—Artemisia Bell Ashcroft."

Her name slipped from his lips as his eyes locked onto hers. His voice remained calm and steady, but his expression tightened as he clenched his fists.

Artemisia stepped closer to the monitor, her eyes narrowing as she studied the image of the Spirit. "Interesting," shemused, more to herself than to anyone else. "She looks... almost ordinary. If it weren't for the Reiryoku levels, you'd think she was just a lost soul wandering the island."

With a casual flick of her wrist, she turned away from the screen, casually brushing aside the man's tension with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get all the credit for this little discovery. After all, it wouldn't do to let your hard work go unnoticed."

She began walking toward the door, her steps unhurried, as though the situation was already well in hand. But just as she reached the exit...

"Wait,"

he spoke, His voice was steady, but there was a tightness behind it. He slowly raised his eyes to meet hers,

"That's not the plan...We're supposed to be the ones to make the first move, to capture her. You're not meant to get involved yet."

Artemisia paused for a moment, then turned halfway, just enough to look at him over her shoulder.

"Capture her? Do you really think any of you stand a chance of even harming her?"

He responded with nothing at first, a brief silence filling the room as the tension thickened. Her words cut deeper than he wanted to admit, especially because of the truth in them.

The last spirit they had faced before had either eluded or overpowered them and so had the one before her...time and time again. Their track record was less than stellar.

Artemisia seized the moment, her tone shifting from playful to biting.

"How many spirits have you managed to capture or kill on your own?" She raised an eyebrow, the question hanging in the air like a taunt. "What was it again? Zero?"

The jab stung, and his jaw tightened.

"That's why we should follow the plan. Stick to the strategy. If we don't, we risk—"

"We risk nothing."

Artemisia stepped closer to him, the playfulness in her eyes now replaced with cold authority.

"I'm the one in charge of this mission, remember? Sir Westcott didn't hand this over to you. He gave it to me. And I'll decide when and how we move."

He swallowed hard but didn't reply. Artemisia let the silence hang for a moment longer before turning away again, "You'll still get your recognition. But don't forget who's really calling the shots here."

Before disappearing into the shadow of the exit door, Artemisia paused, her hand lightly resting on the frame. She glanced back at him, a fleeting smile crossing her lips, one that was both enigmatic and captivating.

"But, Just because I'm in a good mood right now, I'll give you a few minutes to play your little games before I'll take over. Consider it a gift from me."

With that, she left, leaving him alone in the quiet hum of the command center, the image of the spirit still lingering on the screen before him.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, slamming his fist against the console.