On the Fraxinus bridge, the tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed like a punctured balloon.
"Report! The spiritual power fluctuations of the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher are rapidly stabilizing! The violent consciousness spectrum characteristics detected earlier have significantly weakened, indicating that a relatively calm consciousness has regained dominance!" The analyst's voice was filled with unbelievable joy.
"Mood value curve has returned to normal fluctuation mode! Aggressiveness assessment has dropped to the lowest level!"
"That's great!" A small cheer erupted on the bridge. Everyone understood that a disaster that could have destroyed the city, or even the world, had been successfully averted at the last moment.
Kotori let out a long sigh, leaned back in the Commander's chair, and popped a new precious jewel into her mouth.
(That's good... It seems my immature Older Brother is still somewhat useful at critical moments. My Spirit identity... this time I won't have to expose it.)
"As expected of Commander! Your wise decisions and Shido-kun's heroic performance have successfully appeased the rampaging Spirit! This is a victory of love and courage!" Kannazuki Kyohei immediately seized the opportunity, kneeling on one knee and beginning an operatic praise.
"Bang!"
The familiar fierce kick arrived as expected, and Kannazuki skillfully rolled to the side, but his face still beamed with a satisfied smile... In the air below, just as Shido and Tohka were worriedly trying to approach Heavenly Judgment, who had suddenly clutched her head in pain, that heart-palpitating violent aura receded like a tide.
Heavenly Judgment... No, now she should be called Chinatsu.
She slowly lowered her hands and raised her head. Her golden eyes regained the sparkle everyone was familiar with, and although there was still a hint of aloofness, the madness and cruelty within them had disappeared.
She looked at Shido, who was tense but still firmly shielding Tohka, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, as if she wanted to smile, but it ultimately just turned into an almost inaudible sigh.
"Shido..." Her voice returned to its clear and cool tone, but it was no longer bitingly cold, "...Thank you."
Shido was stunned: "Thank me... for what?"
"If it weren't for your... foolish yet sincere words just now," Chinatsu's gaze swept over him with some complexity, "this world might truly have faced a catastrophe."
She was, of course, referring to the World Ender Consciousness that had awakened due to negative emotions.
Shido seemed to want to ask something, about that "other consciousness," about her current state, about her relationship with Koushi... But Chinatsu seemed to read his mind. Before he could speak, she gently raised her flawless, slender finger and elegantly placed it on his lips.
The cool, soft touch of her fingertip instantly silenced Shido, and his cheeks involuntarily flushed.
Chinatsu tilted her head slightly, a smile with a hint of mystery and playfulness appearing on her face, and whispered in a magnetic voice:
"Shh... don't ask." A cunning glint flashed in her golden eyes. "A secret makes a woman woman."
After speaking, she even playfully winked her left eye at Shido, who was completely stunned, his brain seemingly having stopped functioning.
—!!!
This sudden, adorable critical hit, forming an extreme contrast with her previous cold Herrscher image, struck Shido like a bolt of lightning!
He felt his heart being squeezed hard, blood instantly rushed to his head, and he froze in place, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word, completely "killed" by that wink into a state of shutdown.
Looking at Shido's dumbfounded expression, Chinatsu's lips finally curved into a real, faint smile, but it quickly faded.
She sighed softly, her voice carrying a hint of elusive weariness and self-mockery, her gaze sweeping over Shido, then over Tohka, who was equally bewildered behind him.
"Ah, ah... It seems today," she said, as if making an announcement, or perhaps to herself, "is another one of my failures, Shido."
Before her words finished, the space behind her already rippled, and a familiar teleportation gate, its edges flickering with electricity, rapidly unfolded.
Without giving Shido any chance to respond or question further, Chinatsu elegantly turned, her long white hair tracing a resolute arc in the air, and stepped into the teleportation gate in a single stride.
The teleportation gate quickly closed after her figure disappeared, as if it had never appeared.
Only Shido remained, having just experienced a life-and-death crisis, but now his soul was flying away because of a wink; and Tohka, finally relieved, flew over and shook Shido's arm with concern; and that gradually calming, yet still ravaged, plateau night sky.
On the Fraxinus, Kotori watched the finally calm scene on the main screen, crushing the precious jewel in her mouth.
(Forget it, at least this time... it seems we got through it safely.)
(Next, I need to properly "interrogate" that Idiot Older Brother, and also deal with Tohka's issue.)
As night deepened, the crisis in Amamiya City was temporarily averted, but the mysteries and stories surrounding the Spirits were far from over.
After handling Tohka's initial placement and Shido's "interrogation," Itsuka Kotori went alone to the special communication room located in the deepest part of Fraxinus, accessible only with Commander authority.
The room was dimly lit, with only an antique round table in the center illuminated by a beam of cold light from above. Kotori pulled out a chair and sat down, her hands clasped on the table, her expression unusually serious and formal.
The highest-level reports related to Spirit capture and recovery operations would be conducted here.
Including Kotori, five invisible presences seemed to linger around the round table.
But only she was actually on the Fraxinus.
The voices of the other members were transmitted through several strangely shaped loudspeakers placed on the round table.
And Kotori, for her visual comfort (or perhaps mischief), had arbitrarily placed corresponding stuffed animals in front of those loudspeakers.
To her right was a cat doll with crooked stitches and an ugly expression.
To her left was a mouse doll with droopy ears and a mournful expression.
Next to the cat was a ridiculously designed bull terrier doll that seemed to be constantly drooling.
A bit further away was a squirrel doll tightly clutching a walnut.
At this moment, a processed, steady electronic voice emerged from the loudspeaker in front of the ugly cat doll:
"So, regarding the Spirit codenamed 'Princess,' the initial contact and stabilization report has been confirmed. Next, please report on the other target—the Spirit codenamed 'Heavenly Judgment.'"
Although she knew the other party couldn't see her, Kotori instinctively nodded at the ugly cat doll.
This bizarre arrangement made the confidential communication room resemble a re-enactment of the Mad Hatter's tea party from "Alice in Wonderland."
"Regarding the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher, this incident has revealed a situation far more complex than we previously estimated," Kotori began, her voice clear and calm.
She first briefly reiterated Heavenly Judgment's sudden appearance, her initial display of "grief" and "recruitment" behavior, and the sudden change in her behavior after Tohka's refusal.
"The key turning point was," Kotori emphasized, "that we monitored a severe divergence between her outward expression and internal emotional values. While displaying extreme 'despair' and 'anger,' her mood value curve remained unusually stable. Subsequently, when her behavioral pattern shifted to indiscriminate attack tendencies, we successfully separated two conflicting emotional spectra."
A slightly impatient voice came from the drooling bull terrier doll: "What's the conclusion? Was she acting?"
"It can be understood that way, but not entirely," Kotori replied. "Our current preliminary analysis concludes that the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher most likely possesses multiple consciousnesses, or more accurately, a dual personality."
A faint but clear voice came from the loudspeaker in front of the walnut-clutching squirrel doll: "Evidence?"
"Firstly, emotional monitoring data. Secondly, her performance in combat, where energy levels and operational precision were severely mismatched, as if two wills were vying for control of the body. Thirdly, and most importantly," Kotori paused.
"After Shido engaged in some... frank communication with her, the violent consciousness rapidly receded, and the originally relatively calm consciousness regained dominance, eventually retreating voluntarily. This transformation is consistent with personality switching."
The crying mouse doll let out a sound like a sigh: "Dual personality... a 'main personality' that can communicate rationally, even showing some degree of concern for specific targets; and a'sub-personality' that purely seeks destruction, is immensely powerful, and extremely unstable."
"Yes," Kotori confirmed. "Moreover, there are indications that the 'main personality' has likely been consciously suppressing the awakening of the'sub-personality.' This is also one of the reasons why she previously used the power of the Herrscher of Reason more often."
"The outbreak of the'sub-personality' this time may have been triggered by the shock of Shido's 'death' and Tohka's refusal, causing the 'main personality' to waver violently."
The voice of the ugly cat doll sounded again, with caution: "Then, for this 'main personality,' the entity codenamed Heavenly Judgment or self-proclaimed 'Chinatsu,' does the risk assessment need to be adjusted?"
Kotori pondered for a moment and replied: "A major adjustment is needed, but the direction is complex. She is not a pure destroyer; her actions have clear internal logic and purpose. She has some connection to specific humans, which is both a risk and a potential breakthrough point for the future."
"Her threat level is extremely high and unpredictable due to the existence of a dual personality. When the 'main personality' is dominant, there is a possibility of communication and even cooperation; but once the'sub-personality' awakens, it is a disaster of the highest level."
She concluded: "I recommend a dual-standard approach for dealing with the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher. On one hand, attempt to establish limited communication channels with the 'main personality,' using her relationship with Shido for guidance."
"On the other hand, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario, for the'sub-personality' completely losing control. At the same time, we need to intensify our in-depth investigation into the background of Welt Yang, the source of the Herrscher of Reason's power."
A brief silence fell in the communication room, with only a few dolls casting eerie shadows under the cold light.
Finally, the ugly cat doll made a decision: "This assessment and recommendation are approved.
Maintain the highest observation priority for the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher, cautiously attempt contact with the 'main personality,' but all actions must prioritize avoiding the awakening of the'sub-personality.' Submit detailed plans for related resource allocation and countermeasures as soon as possible."
"Understood," Kotori nodded.
This confidential report, conducted in a scene reminiscent of a mad tea party, temporarily concluded. But everyone knew that regarding the Heavenly Judgment Herrscher...
—that white Spirit with two faces—
—the mysteries and challenges she brought had only just begun.
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