Aided by Ratatoskr's precise teleportation coordination, Shido, Koushi, and Reine found themselves on the bridge of the futuristic Fraxinus almost immediately after leaving the school building.
Before they had fully steadied their steps, Kotori, who was seated in the central Commander's chair and had already switched to commander mode, spoke with a slightly urging yet still composed voice:
"—Ah, you two are finally here. The precursor to the Spirit's manifestation is very clear; she will appear formally very soon."
She bit on her precious jewel, her gaze sweeping over Shido and Koushi who had just arrived, then turned to Reine, who was walking towards the control panel, "Reine, please prepare."
"...Yes." Reine nodded lightly, without any superfluous movements, neatly flipping up the hem of her lab coat and sitting down in the seat at the front of the control panel, located below the bridge and covered with various indicator lights and screens. Her hands began to operate quickly on the complex interface.
Just then, the main screen at the front of Fraxinus and the auxiliary screens surrounding the bridge clearly projected real-time footage of Amamiya City below.
An area that should have been a part of the city was now enveloped by an abnormal energy field. The air twisted violently like water into which a stone had been thrown, rippling with ominous waves.
Immediately after, as if some invisible boundary had been broken—
Boom!!!
Even through the screen and Fraxinus's soundproofing, a dull but soul-shaking roar seemed to faintly penetrate. The scene on the screen suddenly changed dramatically!
Centered on that twisted point, space itself shattered inch by inch like fragile glass, collapsing inward!
Violent energy currents, like an invisible giant beast, frantically tore and devoured everything around them!
Reinforced concrete buildings were easily ripped apart and thrown like building blocks, the solid ground was ploughed with deep scars, and a fierce shockwave, carrying dust and debris, rapidly spread outwards in a ring!
That was not an ordinary explosion, but a more fundamental collapse and reconstruction at the level of laws!
A huge crater, its edges flashing with dangerous arcs of energy, was thus "branded" into the city in just a few short seconds.
"This... this is... a Spatial Quake..."
Shido involuntarily held his breath. Although he had heard about it from files and Kotori, witnessing this disaster-like scene firsthand still brought a shock far beyond imagination.
That destructive power made his heart palpitate.
Koushi, standing next to him, also shed his usual playful expression, his eyes wide, and he murmured:
"Woah... this commotion... it's more intense than I imagined... it's practically a live broadcast of an apocalypse movie..."
Kotori, sitting in the Commander's chair, took in their reactions. She let out a soft "hmph," and said with a tone tinged with superiority and teasing:
"Look at you two, so uncultured, your eyes are practically popping out. It's just a Spatial Quake phenomenon that accompanies a Spirit's manifestation, basic stuff."
She shook the precious jewel in her hand, as if commenting on two country bumpkins who had never seen the world.
"Honestly, you haven't even seen a Spatial Quake with your own eyes, and you still have the nerve to call yourselves Spirit experts? Or assistants? Looks like you two have a lot of catching up to do."
Her accurate jab hit both their shock and slight embarrassment, making Shido and Koushi snap back to reality simultaneously, their faces showing somewhat awkward expressions.
Indeed, before witnessing this world-ending scene firsthand, their Understanding of the term "Spatial Quake" was, after all, too abstract and superficial.
And now, the cruel reality was before them, and they were about to confront the existence called a "Spirit" that caused this phenomenon.
Tension and a sense of mission once again overshadowed the initial shock.
While Shido and Koushi were still immersed in the shock brought by the Spatial Quake's direct destructive power, Kotori licked her lips and said in her Commander-specific, evaluative tone:
"Judging by the energy level and destruction range, it's just a small-scale Spatial Quake. However, if it's 'The Hermit,' this scale is normal."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kannazuki Kyohei, who was standing by, immediately stepped forward and began his explanation in his pleasant, well-modulated voice, like an announcer introducing a rare animal:
"Yes, Commander. According to our database comparison, the Spirit manifesting this time is identified as: The Hermit. Her Reiryoku pattern matches previous records."
"This Spirit's characteristic is—she usually exhibits a gentle tendency to avoid contact with others. Among the confirmed Spirits, she belongs to a relatively... well, what you might call 'harmless' type."
As Kannazuki spoke, the image on the main screen quickly zoomed in and magnified, precisely pinpointing the very center of the Spatial Quake crater.
At the same time, environmental data in the corner of the screen showed that light rain had begun to fall in the area, the cool raindrops washing away the dust on the ruins.
The image finally froze, clearly capturing the petite figure standing alone amidst the ruins and rain.
And the moment he saw that figure, Shido felt as if struck by lightning, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he instinctively took half a step forward, almost pressing against the screen.
"That... is..." he murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.
There was no mistake!
That girl, wearing a cloak adorned with large rabbit ears and possessing a head of curly, ocean-blue hair.
She appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a slightly oversized green jacket and an inner garment made of an incredible material.
And the most striking feature was—she wore that comically designed rabbit hand puppet on her left hand.
As long as Shido's eyes and brain were normal, there was absolutely no way he could mistake the person.
She was—the shy and peculiar girl Shido had met yesterday on his way home from school, in that sudden rain, dancing in the rain, who had accidentally fallen!
"What's wrong, Shido?"
Kotori keenly noticed Shido's unusual reaction and asked, tilting her head, her black ribbons gently swaying, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Shido snapped back to attention, pointing at the blue-haired girl on the screen, and rapidly explained to Kotori, "Kotori! That girl... that Spirit 'The Hermit'! I've seen her! Just yesterday! On my way home!"
He quickly recounted the encounter in the rain yesterday—how he saw her dancing alone in the rain, how she fell, how he went to help, and how the talking rabbit hand puppet spoke for her shy self, and finally, how she hurried away.
"...I absolutely didn't mistake her, it's her!" Shido concluded with certainty.
This news surprised everyone on the bridge. A peaceful, even "friendly," accidental encounter with a Spirit that had not yet been formally contacted undoubtedly added new variables and... perhaps a glimmer of opportunity... to the upcoming operation.
Kotori lightly tapped the armrest of the Commander's chair with her finger, looking at the blue-haired girl standing quietly in the rain on the screen, seemingly out of place with the surrounding ruins, a calculating light flashing in her eyes.
"Oh? So that happened... This is interesting."
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