Chapter 227: Origami Tobiichi's Inner World
Looking at Origami Tobiichi standing in front of him, Franklin smiled and patiently explained, "My relationship with Nightmare doesn't conflict with my relationship with you.
Inviting you to live together this time wasn't a decision made because I like you, or because you like me. I wanted you to start adapting in advance to some information you previously wouldn't even dare to imagine—
For example, the fact that spirits are actually all humans who were transformed, and that the reason they became spirits in the first place is mostly due to forces beyond their control…"
"Impossible! How could humans turn into those kinds of monsters?!"
Seeing the shock on Origami Tobiichi's face, her eyes filled with disbelief, Franklin helplessly shrugged.
"I'm not asking you to believe it immediately. In the future, various facts will prove everything I've said.
Oh, and there's one more thing I need to make clear. I have a special ability—I can turn girls who've become spirits back into humans.
So what you said on the rooftop at noon today wasn't wrong. You want to kill spirits because your parents died at the hands of one.
AST exists to reduce spacequakes by killing spirits.
And I do these things because I don't want to see an innocent girl die at the hands of another group of innocent girls.
My understanding isn't wrong, and yours isn't wrong either. From now on, we'll let our respective strength speak for itself.
If you're able to kill a spirit, you're free to do so. But if I've already turned a spirit back into a human, then you have to stop.
After all, are you prepared to kill a human being?
Even if you say you are, I'll still stop you. Otherwise, when you learn certain truths in the future, you'll definitely regret everything you've done now.
Right now, you're living solely on your hatred for spirits. That pillar can't collapse yet—if it does, it'll be very hard to save you."
Having said everything he could for the time being, Franklin gently patted Origami Tobiichi's somewhat dazed shoulder, then walked past her and strode forward.
People need to keep moving forward. If she couldn't even accept this much information and chose to stop here, that might not be a bad choice either.
Although he didn't know what his past self had done back when Kotori became the Flame Spirit to make him her new emotional pillar, his own pace was fast.
If someone couldn't keep up, then they could only stay where they were and wait for events to unfold on their own.
Origami Tobiichi felt lost, recalling the knowledge and information about spirits taught by the instructors when she first joined AST.
Comparing that with everything Franklin had just said, she no longer knew who she should believe—or what direction her future should take.
Feeling the pat on her shoulder and watching Franklin walk past her, Origami Tobiichi, in a daze, seemed to return once more to the moment her parents died.
She had already lost the will to live back then. It was the person in front of her who gave her a reason to go on.
So what was she hesitating about now?
When she had been willing to offer up everything she had, what was there left to struggle over?
"Lin… spirits or whatever, if I have the ability, I'll still kill them.
If you truly have the power to save them, that has nothing to do with me.
I only hope you won't stop me from avenging my parents.
The only spirit I will never let go is the one who killed them.
She must die. The Flame Spirit must die.
That is the most important reason I'm still alive right now."
Franklin, who had already taken several steps forward, stopped.
Some things still weren't the right time to tell her.
After all, the target of her revenge was actually her future self who would become a spirit—
And that spirit version of herself had gone back to the past and personally killed her own parents.
What kind of person could possibly accept something like that?
"Mm… I won't stop you. But there's one thing I still have to tell you.
The spirit who killed your parents wasn't the Flame Spirit.
She hasn't even been born yet.
When she does appear, I'll tell you everything you want to know.
Right now, your mental state is very unstable. Even though your endurance is strong, you still can't handle the shock of that information."
Receiving yet another piece of information she had never heard before, Origami Tobiichi's pupils contracted slightly.
After hesitating for a long time, she pressed all of it deep into her heart for now.
Lin wouldn't lie to her.
Lin was her everything.
As long as she believed, that heartfelt self-hypnosis allowed Origami Tobiichi to quickly return to her usual state.
"Lin, have you prepared the ingredients for dinner? Do you need me to go buy them?"
Seeing her current condition, Franklin didn't know whether it was good or bad, but at least she had managed to think things through, which was already a good thing.
Time was the best medicine for everything.
And with his own slow, methodical treatment as a practitioner of traditional medicine, it wasn't impossible for Origami Tobiichi to regain a girl's vitality.
"No need. I can create the ingredients directly.
They're completely natural, pollution-free, and rich in spiritual energy—very good for the body.
Your body only became this strong because of extensive modifications by AST.
Those modifications were squeezing your potential and consuming your lifespan.
Right now, your body may look fine, but in reality it's already riddled with damage.
My ingredients and cooking also have healing effects.
There's no need to waste money buying harmful ingredients. Just leave everything to me."
Hearing this, Origami Tobiichi silently moved up beside Franklin and hugged one of his arms.
Losing his balance all of a sudden, Franklin could only use spiritual energy to lift the huge bundle that was even bigger than Origami Tobiichi herself.
Looking at her expressionless face, clearly intent on clinging to him, Franklin could only smile helplessly.
At this moment, inside the Fraxinus control room, Kotori was grinding her teeth furiously.
She directly crushed the lollipop in her mouth and kept chewing it.
"Fox spirit. Bad woman. Seducing my big brother without even knowing her own limits.
Just wait until I get off work and go home—you're dead."
Everyone in the control room fell completely silent. No one wanted to become the target of her venting.
Except for Kannazuki Kyouhei.
And as he wished, he was struck down by Kotori once again, falling back into unconsciousness.
After opening the door and finding an empty room on the second floor, Franklin piled Origami Tobiichi's massive bag of belongings inside.
"Do you need help? If I help, we can finish much faster."
Origami Tobiichi stood still for a moment, thinking, then decisively nodded.
"With your help, Lin, that would be great. But you'll have to wait a moment."
Still curious about what she intended to do, Franklin watched as she opened the huge bundle and rummaged through it.
She pulled out a maid outfit in navy blue and white.
Then, right in front of Franklin, she slowly pulled down the zipper of her school uniform skirt.
The skirt slipped straight down, and pure white panties were fully exposed before Franklin's eyes.
Faced with such an unsolicited bonus, Franklin didn't avoid it at all—he leaned against the doorframe and calmly watched.