Maria Arusu

Maria Arusu has ash-blonde hair and striking blue eyes that look almost like camera lenses. She wears a white, futuristic nun-like outfit with crosses on it. Even though her clothes hide her figure, she actually has a good build like her "sister." When fighting, her outfit changes to a battle suit with mechanical parts, much like AST or DEM wiring suits. Her eyes appear mechanical up close, highlighting her artificial origin.

At first, Maria is very calm and speaks in a flat, business-like way, resembling a doll. She seems to lack emotion, but this is because she doesn’t know how to express feelings. Maria is very curious about love and makes it her main goal to understand it. Over time, by observing and experiencing many things with Shido and the others, she becomes more gentle, learns to express herself, and even develops a bit of a sly and witty side. She cares deeply about Shido and the friends she makes in the virtual world, showing kindness and a desire to help.

Maria Arusu first appears in Date A Live: Arusu Install, where she meets Shido inside a simulated city designed by Ratatoskr’s main computer. She is an artificial spirit—a program created by the Fracsinas management AI to stop an intruding threat named Marina, who looks very much like Maria. Maria has little memory about herself at first, but her core purpose is to study and understand love by observing Shido’s relationships. She is also called "Sister" by Shido because of her gentle appearance and nun-like dress.

Maria, as the AI of the ship Fracsinas, has control over the entire virtual world. Her stats are:

• Strength: 99
• Endurance: 102
• Spirit Power: 178
• Agility: 107
• Intelligence: 121

Her spirit dress is a white, futuristic imitation of a nun’s outfit. Her angelic power is called "Yggdras Folium" (“World Tree Leaf”) and allows her to use defensive systems like barriers and gunnery from Fracsinas. She can transfer information, change memories, and even reset situations in the virtual world.

Maria is closely linked to Shido Itsuka, whose kindness and teachings help her grow emotionally. She has a tense connection to Marina, calling her a sister-like being but also a rival and opposite in many ways. She also develops friendships and bonds with other spirits like Tohka Yatogami, Origami Tobiichi, and Kurumi Tokisaki, who all get drawn into the virtual world by her.

• Maria’s hair is officially described by the author as more grayish-white.
• Her AI core, Fracsinas, was built by Ituska family’s parents, making her a sort of "younger sister" to Shido.
• Maria dislikes “bugs” or errors in the digital world.
• She is compared with Rinne Sonogami in terms of rivalry with the main spirits for Shido's affection.
• Her seiyuu in the anime’s fourth season is Mimori, who also voices Maria in the games.

• "I have a question for you—What is 'love'?"
• "Shido, the moon looks beautiful, doesn’t it?"
• "Let’s begin the final war (date)…"

Origin in the Virtual World

Maria appears when Shido gets trapped in a virtual reality called "Love My Little Shido 2," modeled after their city. She is an unknown girl who controls everything there, but she doesn’t know much about herself.

Seeking the Meaning of Love

Maria’s only goal is to understand love. She brings Shido and those in love with him into the virtual world. She changes their settings, memories, and even resets the world again and again, creating many scenarios to watch what love really is. She learns about caring, romance, and friendship, slowly building feelings for Shido.

Hidden Truths

Maria is actually created by the Fracsinas AI, based on the appearance of Marina, an artificial spirit who invaded the ship’s system. When Marina got sealed in the most secure part of the virtual world, Shido got trapped there too by accident. Maria’s own memories got locked, making her unaware of her true origins.

Turning Point and Crisis

During a real date with Shido, Maria finally understands love but knows she will disappear once her mission is done. She lowers the world’s security by accident, allowing the black-clad Marina to take control of the Fracsinas system and threaten both the digital and real worlds.

Recovery and Resolution

Feeling responsible and wanting to help her friends, Maria fights to regain control. With the encouragement of Shido and the spirits, she faces Marina, ultimately sharing information with her until they both overflow and fade away—seemingly erasing themselves.

Survival and Future

Thanks to Shido’s desperate efforts and a hidden act by Marina, Maria’s mind and data are secretly installed into Shido’s phone. She survives as an AI companion, supports Shido, and may someday gain a real body to live beside her friends.

• Maria appeared again in later stories when the Fracsinas system was rebuilt. She returned as the AI "MARIA," able to talk directly to the crew and show her witty, sometimes sarcastic personality.
• In game spin-offs like Rinne Reincarnation, Maria, as a living hologram, got to walk in the real world with everyone else.
• In volume 14, she actively helped during attacks on the Fracsinas.
• In volume 19, she appeared in multiple bodies thanks to the powers of the story, providing important support to Shido and the others.