"What a strange person. Just now, she looked like she wanted to start a war, and the next second, she's inviting the other side's Commander for tea. I really don't understand your actions, Miss Toujou Nozomi." Itsuka Kotori took a sip of tea with a helpless expression, then sighed as she looked at the smiling Toujou Nozomi in front of her. She really couldn't read this person.
Everyone had initially thought that Toujou Nozomi and her two companions, fully armed, were planning to attack Ratatoskr, but Toujou Nozomi instead requested to speak with Itsuka Kotori, who was the Commander. Although at first, everyone disagreed, considering that the other party still had other personnel whose strength was unknown, as well as a Spirit on their side, Itsuka Kotori had no choice but to agree to her request and brought them to this room.
"I have something very important to discuss with you, after all, this matter cannot be known by others. So, talking alone is the best option. Besides you, I don't trust anyone else on your side." Toujou Nozomi blinked, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, why are you so sure that I am someone you can trust?" Itsuka Kotori asked curiously. They had only met for the first time today. Why would she trust her so much?
"Hehehe~ Because your older brother, Itsuka Shido, is a good person. Today, no matter how much Shiina and I spoke ill of him, he endured it all, looking as if he had eaten something bad, with a stomachache. As his younger sister, if there's even a slight fault in you, I can properly verbally abuse him at school. After all, a sister's mistakes are all because her brother didn't teach her well, isn't that right?" She had many other ways to mess with him. Rather, Toujou Nozomi hoped that Itsuka Kotori would give her a reason to mess with him, so that in the future, she wouldn't just make him uncomfortable with words.
"This should be considered a threat, shouldn't it, Miss Toujou Nozomi?" Let me remind you again here, Itsuka Kotori in 'Commander mode,' although she acts like a sadistic and sharp-tongued person towards everyone, her favorability towards Itsuka Shido has always been at its highest. Her inner thought has always been, 'Only I can bully Shido, no one else can bully him.'
"There shouldn't be any surveillance cameras monitoring this room, right?" Toujou Nozomi looked around the room. Although it looked like an ordinary room, it could potentially be a high-tech room. It might be transparent from the outside looking in, while the inside could not see the outside structure clearly.
"Sigh~ There isn't a single room on Ratatoskr that cannot be monitored. My disobedient Vice Commander is probably already monitoring this place. That guy isn't afraid of me beating him; if anything, he'd be happier if I did. Now, let me see if you have any anti-detection methods. You know, I'm very curious about how you make the Spirit waves on Spirits disappear." Itsuka Kotori was extremely curious about the abilities of Toujou Nozomi and her group. Moreover, she had already sent people to analyze this energy, wondering if science could measure such an unscientific thing.
Indeed, the large screen on the bridge was currently showing Itsuka Kotori and Toujou Nozomi's group sitting together. They had to be careful about unexpected accidents. Even if a fight broke out, it wouldn't matter, as Kannazuki Kyouhei's identity was not as simple as just being a masochist; he was the former AST captain.
"Yoshino, what we are about to discuss cannot be known by others. So, can you temporarily prevent the monitors on Ratatoskr from hearing our conversation?" Her own abilities couldn't deal with monitors, but for Yoshino, who possessed one hundred and three thousand grimoires, it was no problem at all. She remembered that during the last rescue of Honjou Nia, she had directly blocked the signal of an entire island. Now, it was just a single room, which could be done very easily.
"Yes, no problem." After Yoshino finished speaking, a small magic circle appeared at her feet, surrounding the room. Soon after, the room 'disappeared' from the monitors' view.
"It's gone! How did the room suddenly disappear? Everyone, quickly search for the room's location and make sure to rescue the Commander!?" Kannazuki Kyouhei shouted loudly after seeing the room disappear from the monitor. At this moment, she didn't have her usual goofy demeanor. A powerful aura of authority emanated from her, making people dare not disobey her words.
"Calm down, the Commander's room has not disappeared. There are no damage alerts for any structures on Ratatoskr, which means the other party used some method to prevent the room from being detected by monitors. The Commander is not in danger right now." Murasame Reine said calmly, which helped Kannazuki Kyouhei calm down. Seeing that their room was still in its original place, she felt relieved, but she didn't see anything. How could it disappear into thin air?
"It seems that besides being a Spirit, Yoshino also possesses other mysterious powers. What exactly did this child experience during the time she was missing?" Murasame Reine whispered, her voice so low that even Kannazuki Kyouhei next to her didn't hear what she was mumbling. Others didn't see anything, but she clearly saw the hexagonal magic circle enveloping the room.
"Eh~ This shouldn't be a Spirit's power, right? You know, according to our data, the Hermit's ability is to control water and cold. This magic circle, which looks like something out of a sci-fi book, is not scientific at all."
"Is it scientific for Spirits to appear in this world, Commander Itsuka? You should know that Spirits are also an anomalous existence. I know your direct superior might be a good person, but that doesn't represent all humans. You should be aware of the seven deadly sins born from humanity, which is also why I don't want so many people to know. Therefore, regarding this conversation, I also hope you don't report it. I know that on your Ratatoskr, there must be an organization that manages you."
"...Has this conversation reached such a point?" Itsuka Kotori asked with some confusion after Toujou Nozomi said this.
"The inherent evil of humanity is not as simple as you understand. However, you are still just a young girl right now, so it's normal for you not to understand." After witnessing DEM Industries' abuse of Honjou Nia, Toujou Nozomi did not trust some of the higher-ups in this world very much. Yoshino had also mentioned that there was a high-ranking executive organization called the Round Table Conference above their current organization. Those people were not trustworthy. After all, profit moves people's hearts~
Speaking calmly, Toujou Nozomi also redirected the focus of the conversation back to Spirits.
"I have a plan here that relates to your future combat strategy~ This is why I wanted to talk to you alone this time."
"Combat strategy…" Itsuka Kotori showed a look of disappointment after hearing that.
"From my findings, the so-called Spatial Quake is not actually emitted when a Spirit appears. After all, you should have records of instances where a Spirit appeared without a Spatial Quake, right? You should have records of such things."
"This…" Indeed, when Yatogami Tohka was initially captured, her appearance didn't cause a Spatial Quake. This means that a Spirit's appearance doesn't necessarily trigger a Spatial Quake.
"So, have you ever considered that the Spatial Quake might be forcing the Spirits to appear?" Toujou Nozomi smiled contentedly, seeing Itsuka Kotori's astonished expression.
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