Only then did Ellen slowly withdraw her gaze from the sky and redirect it toward Ryouko Kusakabe, whose face was slightly pale from shock and helplessness.
Her tone remained flat, yet carried an undeniable assertiveness, as if she were merely stating an established fact:
"Captain Kusakabe, I have heard and understood your concerns. The AST Unit's performance today has fully discharged its responsibility as a collaborator."
"Now, based on the relevant agreements and authorization between DEM and the Japanese government, the supreme command authority here and all subsequent combat operations will be fully taken over by DEM."
She made an extremely standardized, "please proceed" gesture, as if shooing away flies.
"Therefore, you may now lead your... 'fatigued' subordinates to safely withdraw from this battlefield and proceed to the designated area for rest and resupply. You are no longer needed here."
Ryouko clenched her jaw, looking around at the vast DEM army that surrounded her and her team like a steel jungle. A profound sense of helplessness seized her.
She knew that in the face of the opponent's absolute power, all her protests and insistence seemed so pale and ridiculous.
She took a deep breath, as if forcibly suppressing the humiliation and unwillingness in her chest, and was just about to issue the retreat order to her unit
"Captain! Wait!"
A cool, resolute voice, carrying a hint of unyielding finality, abruptly rang out, shattering the brief silence.
Everyone looked toward the sound, seeing Tobiichi Origami fully clad in the latest model Combat Realizer
the [Mordred (Test Unit)]
temporarily provided by DEM, featuring sharper lines and a specialized white livery.
She hovered quietly in the air, her unit emitting a faint energy signature that was the same source as the surrounding DEM Magicians, yet appeared more condensed.
Her face was still like a layer of frost, lacking obvious expression, but deep within her pale blue eyes, ice flames seemed to burn fiercely, revealing an incredibly firm will.
"In the previous engagement, I did not participate in high-intensity frontal fire conflicts, so my personal physical reserves remain intact, and my mental focus is at a high level." Origami's voice was steady and clear, stating her reasons to Ryouko and Ellen simultaneously, the logic rigorous and virtually flawless.
"Furthermore, the energy reserves and functional parameters of this latest model Combat Realizer, 'Mordred', provided by DEM, are currently in optimal combat condition, far superior to the standard AST Unit equipment."
She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping over the complex-faced Ryouko and the expressionless Ellen, and continued:
"Based on the objective conditions stated above, and considering the severity of the current situation, I believe I possess sufficient ability, corresponding responsibility, and reliable combat power to continue participating in the upcoming core area assault and sweep operation. I, Tobiichi Origami, request permission to stay!"
Although the reasons she provided were perfectly plausible and logically impeccable, deep within Origami's heart, there was only one unshakeable thought driving her to step forward, branded deep like a mark:
Shido... he is still inside! I must confirm his safety! No matter what, I absolutely cannot let him face the siege of these cold-blooded butchers from DEM alone, nor those Spirits whose status is unknown and who could lose control at any moment! Even if it means disobeying orders, even if it means opposing the entirety of DEM, I must go in!
Ryouko looked at her most excellent, diligent, yet most stubborn and enigmatic subordinate. Her lips moved a few times, but in the end, nothing came out. She knew Origami too well; beneath that seemingly calm exterior lay a will of such profound obsession and determination.
Once she made a decision, not even ten oxen could pull her back.
All attempts at dissuasion would be futile now. Ultimately, a thousand words condensed into a single heavy, helpless sigh, dissipating into the cold air.
Ellen's sharp, hawk-like gaze lingered on Origami for several seconds. Her eyes, which seemed capable of penetrating all disguises, appeared to catch a hint of dissonance hidden beneath Origami's perfect reasoning, but she did not expose it on the spot.
A top-tier AST Unit member volunteering to stay as a vanguard and auxiliary force
regardless of her true internal motives
was, in the current situation, more beneficial than detrimental to DEM.
"Request approved."
Ellen uttered the four words indifferently, then stopped paying attention to Origami, as if she were merely an irrelevant chess piece. She turned to face the vast DEM army standing silently below like a tide.
Through the global broadcast system, she transmitted her cold, murderous command into the receiver of every combat unit:
"All combat units, heed my command!"
"First priority target: Confirm and capture the 'Herrscher of Reason', Welt Yang, and his critical associate
Phoenix-in Chinatsu! If resistance is encountered, non-lethal force is authorized until they are incapacitated!"
"Second priority target: Seize the opportunity to completely annihilate the weakened 'Nightmare'! No restraint necessary; maximum firepower output!"
"Operation
Commence!"
Following her command, the DEM steel torrent, like bloodthirsty beasts finally unleashed, let out a deafening roar!
The Magician Unit and the Bandersnatch Legion transformed into a destructive metallic wave, launching a thunderous, determined, all-out assault on the abandoned factory that seemed to tremble.
And Tobiichi Origami, the white shooting star she had become, merged without hesitation into this cold steel torrent.
Clenching the light blade in her hand, driven by that unspoken and absolutely unrevealable selfish motive, she charged fearlessly toward the perilous final battlefield with its unpredictable outcome.
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