The chair legs scraped against the floor, creating a harsh sound. Koushi grabbed Shido's collar and actually lifted Shido, who was slightly taller than him, right out of his seat!
His face was a mixture of anger, the absurdity of betrayal, and the instinctive protectiveness of a brother.
"No way! You bastard!"
Koushi practically roared.
"Forget whether these Spirits and Spatial Quakes you're talking about are real or fake! Just based on the fact that you want a harem and want to hit on my sister, I absolutely refuse! Don't even think about it!"
"Koushi!"
Kotori also stood up immediately, slamming her small hand heavily on the table with a crisp sound, her expression deadly serious.
"The current situation is not the time for romance or personal feelings!"
"Kotori..." Shido looked at the two tense figures, trying to mediate.
But Kotori ignored Shido completely, staring intensely at Koushi:
"We, Ratatoskr, need your help, Koushi! Based on my observations and Understanding over the years, you, Koushi, are fundamentally a hidden'siscon,' aren't you!"
Her words were like arrows, striking the unspoken corners of Koushi's heart.
"Now, a 'perfect' sisterrelated by blood, missing for many years, powerful, and in need of helpis right in front of you. Don't you want to find her? Don't you want to take the role of a big brother, Understand her, protect her, and make up for the years of lost kinship?"
Koushi's grip on Shido's collar loosened slightly, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was immediately suppressed by practical considerations:
"But... according to what you're saying, my sister... Chinatsu, she has the power to beat up the entire world, right? If she's really that strong, couldn't I just wait for her to solve these problems herself and then come back?"
"It's not that simple!"
Kotori's voice rose by an octave, carrying an undeniable urgency.
"Not only is Chinatsu's own power going out of control and her personality issues highly likely to cause her to self-destruct before solving the problem."
"Even if she truly'solves' all the enemies through violence, what will the world look like in the process?"
"Cities reduced to scorched earth, countless people displacedis that the 'peace' you want to see, bought with your sister's blood-soaked hands?"
Kotori pressed on, moving from the dangers of uncontrolled Spirit power to the world, to the catastrophic consequences Chinatsu's current extreme ideology might cause, and finally, to the situation Koushi, as Chinatsu's only known blood relative, would face during this process.
"—Most importantly, Koushi, your situation is extremely dangerous!" Kotori stated emphatically.
"A hostile organization named 'DEM' is also searching for and attempting to capture Spirits. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Once they learn of your relationship with Chinatsu, what do you think they will do?"
Kotori paused, then stated word by word: "You, Koushi Hōoin, will become the perfect 'hostage' they use to threaten and control Chinatsu."
Finally, Kotori took a deep breath and concluded: "We have now explained everything we could share with you, Koushi, without reservation."
"Koushi, do you decide to join us now? Not for Shido, and not for some ridiculous capture plan, but for your sisterPhoenix-in Chinatsu."
All eyes focused on Koushi. He released his grip on Shido's collar and slowly sat back down in his chair, lowering his head so his expression couldn't be seen.
The only sounds in the dining room were the ticking of the clock and Tohka carefully swallowing.
A heavy choice rested on the shoulders of this older brother who had just learned he had a "magical girl" sister.
Under Kotori's emphatic statements and undeniable gaze, Koushi's hand, which had been clutching Shido's collar, finally released its grip weakly.
As if all his strength had been drained, he stumbled backward and heavily collapsed back into his chair, leaning slightly back, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling.
The massive amount of information, the concern for his unknown sister, and the absurdity of being dragged into a supernatural event seemed to temporarily overload his brain.
"Koushi...?" Shido adjusted his ruffled collar, looking at him worriedly.
Just then, a warm little hand carefully poked Koushi's cheek.
Tohka leaned closer, her purple eyes filled with pure concern. She didn't seem to understand exactly what was happening but could sense that Koushi was downcast.
Feeling the soft touch on his cheek, Koushi's scattered gaze refocused.
He turned his head and saw Tohka's worried, animal-like eyes, and couldn't help but show a trace of a helpless, tired smile.
He raised his hand and gently stroked Tohka's smooth, dark hair, his movement tender. "Mmm..." Tohka purred comfortably from her throat, like a cat being petted, seeming to enjoy the reassurance.
"Heh..."
Koushi chuckled softly, withdrew his hand, and sat upright again. He took a deep breath, as if exhaling all the frustration in his chest, and immediately reverted to his usual expression of slight cynicism and chuunibyou flair.
"Kukuku... Fear not, Kin of the Night."
He spoke to Tohka in his chuunibyou cadence, "I am the Mysterious Immortal Black Mage, who wanders the boundary between life and death and controls forbidden secrets!"
"Truths and shocks of this magnitude are merely footnotes added to my epic; how could they easily defeat me?"
In this way, he cleverly reassured the worried Tohka, and also seemed to be cheering himself up.
Then, his gaze turned to Shido and Kotori, who were watching him closely, and his expression gradually became serious.
"Alright..." Koushi spread his hands, his tone carrying a sense of resigned relief yet also a hint of determination. "I agree."
He glanced at Shido, his expression complex: "After all, just like Kotori said, I have no reason to refuse. A sister who needs help... it sounds like a main quest the protagonist must accept in an RPG. Running away isn't my style."
But he immediately held up a finger, his tone hardening, his sharp gaze fixed on Shido:
"—However! My agreement to join does not mean I will force Chinatsu to accept your 'capture' plan! Shido, if you want to get close to my sister, you must rely on your own true abilities! Make her willingly accept you and approach you!"
He leaned forward, adopting the air of an older brother's authority (in his own opinion), and warned him slowly and deliberately:
"Furthermore, listen carefully, Itsuka Shido. If you dare to treat Chinatsu badly, or make her sad or unhappy... even if you are one of my best friends, I will absolutely not forgive you! I'll make sure you regret it! Do you Understand?"
Hearing Koushi's clear answer and personalized warning, Shido and Kotori simultaneously let out a silent sigh of relief. The tense atmosphere finally eased somewhat.
"Of course." Shido nodded solemnly. "I will do my best." Although the road ahead was full of unknowns, his friend's participation was undoubtedly a strong boost.
Kotori also showed her first genuinely relaxed expression of the day. She shifted the precious jewel in her mouth to the other side and concluded in her Commander tone:
"Very well. From this moment on, Koushi Hōoin, you are an assistant to Ratatoskr, and a crucial element in our plan to protect the Spirits and stabilize the situation."
She looked at Shido and Koushi, her black ribbon slightly swaying in the air:
"Now, we are comrades standing on the same frontline."
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