After some effort, the guest room bed was finally tidied up properly.
Shido and Koushi, exhausted, fell backward onto the new bed in a 'big' character shape, letting out a long sigh.
"Phew... finally done... more tiring than fighting the'Shadow Dragon'..." Koushi grumbled weakly, expressing his fatigue in a chuunibyou manner.
"Cut it out, you barely did anything..." Shido retorted, though his body was equally unwilling to move.
"Ah... is this what it feels like to be dependent on others? Even making a bed requires doing it myself." Koushi chimed in, but his tone was clearly teasing.
After lying for less than a minute, Koushi tried to spring up like a carp, but failed, turning into a slow wriggle, and slowly sat up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Shido:
"Hey, Shido! We're comrades now, right?"
"Uh... I guess so." Shido had a bad feeling.
"Then, shouldn't comrades share resources and be honest with each other?" Koushi continued to coax.
"Just say what you want."
"Take me to see that! Fraxinus! The airship!" Koushi's voice was filled with the excitement characteristic of a late-stage chuunibyou patient.
"That's something that only exists in anime and dreams! I absolutely have to see it! Now! Immediately! Right away!"
"This isn't a chuunibyou fantasy, it's real! As an 'important helper,' I should at least familiarize myself with the work environment, right?"
Shido, annoyed by his clamor, sat up helplessly: "That's a military facility, not an amusement park..."
"Please! My best friend! My brother! As your future brother-in-law!" Koushi clasped his hands together in an exaggerated pleading gesture, "Just one look! I promise not to touch or move anything randomly! Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep tonight, and I'll definitely come to bother you!"
Annoyed by Koushi, Shido had no choice but to contact Kotori via his earpiece.
After briefly explaining the situation and getting Kotori's permission—"Okay, it's good for him to get familiar with the environment, but keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't cause trouble"—Shido grabbed Koushi's shoulder.
"Don't move around, prepare for transfer."
"Oh, oh! Is it spatial transfer? Cool--!" Before Koushi could finish speaking, a slight sensation of weightlessness came over them, and the surrounding scenery instantly blurred and distorted. The next moment, the two found themselves in a vast space filled with futuristic technology—the bridge of Fraxinus.
"Welcome to Fraxinus, Itsuka Shido, and Mr. Koushi Hōoin."
A calm, capable male voice rang out. Vice Commander Kannazuki Kyohei stood before them, impeccably dressed, with a serious expression and flawless demeanor.
As Kotori was not on board, he was temporarily in command, and naturally, he had reined in his perverted (complimentary?) demeanor, appearing exceptionally reliable.
"Wow... oh..." Koushi's mouth hung open, like a country child visiting the city for the first time, curiously looking around. The gigantic main screen, the sleek control panels flickering with various data streams, the crew members coming and going who, though curious, maintained their professionalism... all of it far exceeded his imagination.
Koushi curiously looked around, staring at the futuristic control panels, the huge main screen, and the busy crew members, constantly exclaiming "Oh, oh!" and "Wow!"
"Is this a real airship? It's even cooler than I imagined! Where's the energy core? Does it have a super gravity cannon? Can it transform?" He was like a child entering an amusement park for the first time, with questions one after another.
Kannazuki maintained a professional smile and began to give Koushi a basic introduction and guidance, his tone calm, the content detailed, perfectly playing the role of a reliable subordinate.
---
Meanwhile, at the Itsuka Residence.
After coaxing Tohka, who was a bit tired from playing, to sleep, Kotori returned to the living room. From the shadows, Murasame Reine quietly emerged.
"Kotori, what did Tohka say?"
"Tohka couldn't say anything, only that there was something, but it was very faint, like being in a house where someone had just left not long ago."
Kotori then put a new lollipop in her mouth, but her expression had returned to the calm and sharp demeanor of a Commander. She looked at Reine and asked directly:
"Reine, how is it? Brother Koushi... did you detect any problems?"
Reine pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses calm and unruffled. She reported in her characteristic, slightly weary voice: "Monitoring results... no abnormalities were found. Aside from an extremely faint spiritual power fluctuation, originating from Chinatsu, on him, no other abnormal energy reactions or traces of mental interference were detected. This aligns with our previous analysis—'his disappearance and return yesterday were most likely due to Chinatsu directly teleporting him using her spatial abilities'—this conjecture is consistent."
Kotori sighed helplessly, crossing her arms: "Combining Tohka's statement, it seems they might really have some connection. Koushi did indeed pursue Chinatsu, although the reason for the pursuit is unclear, he still found her, and then was thrown back by a spatial transfer, possibly even having his memory wiped again before being sent back."
"As for today's disappearance, Brother Koushi's explanation is that he was sleeping until I woke him up. Our monitoring robot lost contact shortly after entering the room. According to the timeline, Chinatsu must have come and taken Brother Koushi before morning. Perhaps Brother Koushi's search yesterday attracted Chinatsu's attention, and then something happened between the two, possibly ending in an unpleasant disagreement. Finally, Chinatsu once again cleared Brother Koushi's memory and sent him back."
"Reine, do you have anything to add?"
Reine paused, then added: "If there's anything worth noting, it's his emotional fluctuation spectrum. When he learned most of the truth, his emotional changes were much calmer than expected, appearing... overly calm. The only intense emotional peak occurred when..."
Reine paused, seemingly searching for the right words: "...it occurred when he mistakenly thought Shido was going to have a harem and intended to 'conquer' Chinatsu."
Kotori, hearing this, a knowing smile subtly curved her lips: "Heh, as expected. Doesn't that just confirm he's a hidden siscon?"
Reine, however, frowned slightly, with a hint of academic inquiry: "From the behavioral data, it does fit the 'overprotective brother' pattern. But, Kotori, is he 'really' a siscon? According to the archives, he was quite young when he was separated from Chinatsu, and his memories are now missing. How could such a strong emotional bond have been preserved until now?"
Kotori walked to the window, looking at the night outside, her tone tinged with a hint of nostalgia: "I think so. When we were little, Brother Koushi took special care of me. Even though he was only a little older than us, he always liked to hold me and tell me stories. Sometimes when Shido found me troublesome and didn't want to indulge my antics, Brother Koushi would always step in to smooth things over and spoil me. He also loved to pat my head and tidy my hair when it was messed up by the wind... That kind of natural closeness and affection can't be faked. It's definitely a manifestation of an inner desire to have a younger sister."
She turned around and looked at Reine: "I guess he always yearned to have a younger sister he could care for like that. Or perhaps..."
Kotori's voice lowered, carrying a hint of complex emotion: "Perhaps in his own subconscious, which he himself never noticed, there has always been a vague, empty space concerning a'sister.' His behavior towards me when he was little... could it be that he subconsciously treated me as a substitute for Chinatsu?"
"But now," Kotori shrugged, "he doesn't remember Chinatsu at all. So, his'siscon' level towards Chinatsu might not be as deep as we imagine? More likely, it's based on an instinctive blood connection, and the sense of responsibility and protectiveness that arose after just learning the truth?"
Reine nodded, recording Kotori's analysis: "A reasonable inference. Emotion and memory are closely linked. When key memories are missing, the corresponding emotions may become vague or transfer. This might explain his relatively 'calm' acceptance. Regardless, his concern for Chinatsu is real, and this will be an important foundation for our cooperation with him. We need to continue observing his reactions after he interacts with Chinatsu to more accurately assess the strength of their bond."
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