"This plan claims to have started as an experint to eliminate Spirits, but in reality, it was nothing more than a pretty excuse the proposer used to satisfy his own selfish desires."
Looking at Artemisia, whose expression made it seem as though she was questioning her entire life, Yutsuki calmly explained her view.
"You can understand it if you think about it a little. If the goal was truly to eliminate Spirits, then the contents of the plan should have been targeted enhancent of you as a Wizard. Not cutting open your head, splitting apart skills that only you could use, transplanting them into machines, and then letting other Wizards use them."
In Yutsuki's opinion, this approach was like playing Fight the Landlord by splitting up all the bombs and airplanes in your hand, then playing them one card at a ti. Although the developed Realizers would make their equipped Wizards sowhat stronger than ordinary Wizards, if the goal was fighting Spirits, they would not even be qualified to carry a Spirit's shoes.
However, while Yutsuki had found this plan baffling when she first discovered it, after actually coming into contact with Artemisia, she more or less understood.
In her view, Artemisia was friendly, had a powerful sense of justice, and was outwardly gentle but inwardly firm. However, as a noble young lady raised in a greenhouse, her behavior also carried so innocence.
If she were sent to battle Spirits, she would likely give it her all. But if she were made to take part in power struggles between people, that would be difficult.
The mastermind behind the scenes probably coveted her power, but believed he could not gain her cooperation, so he resorted to this thod.
"The proposer's na… if I rember correctly, was Edgar Carroll. According to my investigation, there is no longer any such person among DEM's board mbers. He was probably silenced. The reason was most likely sothing like trying to seize power and replace Westcott as chairman."
Thinking about it this way, everything made sense. After all, Westcott's true nature was closer to that of a researcher and pleasure seeker than a businessman. He did not care about cost or profit, so in the eyes of those profit seeking capitalists, he naturally beca an eyesore. But in order to bring him down, they had to deal with Ellen, whose combat power at his side was off the charts. Naturally, their eyes would lock onto Artemisia.
In fact, more than half of the dirty information Yutsuki had hacked from DEM had no direct relationship with Westcott. Most of the ti, he simply provided a stage where people could act without restraint, then allowed his subordinates to do inhuman and utterly deranged things.
As for those directors, as long as a Spirit's spacequake did not land on their own heads, they would rather more of them happen so they could earn more money.
"Honestly, I'm surprised. After having sothing like that done to you, you can still work at DEM?"
Yutsuki remarked speechlessly.
"I don't know… The things written here… I have no mory of them at all."
As though she had not yet recovered from the shock, Artemisia blankly shook her head.
"Well, you basically just escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's cave."
Sighing sympathetically, Yutsuki took another docunt from her bag.
"This is a passenger list for a flight. It shows that on the second day after you arrived in Japan, your companions ca to Japan on the sa plane."
"Everyone… ca looking for ?"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, surprise appeared in Artemisia's eyes.
"Well, from their perspective, DEM was already undoubtedly a black company. Naturally, they wouldn't let you get involved with it again. And that was indeed the case. After your mories of that experint were erased, you joined DEM again. To stop them from interfering, soone erased your existence from your companions's mories and sent them back to London."
"As for why they didn't erase your mories of them, or simply silence your companions entirely, I can't guess for certain. Maybe Westcott's brainwashing technology isn't perfect, and he was afraid that controlling you too much would turn you into a useless husk and make you lose your value. Or maybe he kept them as hostages for later, in case you regained your mories and betrayed them. Or maybe Westcott simply has so strange kind of ntal illness."
After listing the possibilities that ca to mind, Yutsuki shrugged.
"By the way, I also have information about DEM's brainwashing technology. Do you want to see it?"
"…"
Artemisia did not speak. Instead, she fell into thought with an extrely pained expression. It looked as if she was trying to swallow a bowl of extrely bitter dicine.
If she swallowed it, there was still a sliver of hope. If she could not swallow it, the illness would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Yutsuki was in no hurry to hear her answer. She took advantage of the ti to enjoy her pasta and coffee. After all, these facts were far too shocking for the person involved. Artemisia needed ti to digest them.
"…I cannot believe your words."
Finally, Artemisia slowly shook her head.
"…Whether these docunts, this evidence, or your guesses about my mory loss, everything is evidence and testimony provided solely by you. Besides…"
"Besides, I'm a Spirit, and all of this might be false information deliberately prepared to drive a wedge between you and DEM. That's what you're thinking, right?"
Artemisia remained silent. Clearly, Yutsuki had hit upon her concern.
Yutsuki was not surprised by Artemisia's answer. After all, she and Artemisia stood in hostile positions. This kind of doubt was only natural. Since Yutsuki could so easily produce so much classified information, then by the sa logic, the possibility that all this information was forged also existed.
The credibility of the sa dicine would be completely different depending on whether it was handed over by a kind old doctor or a suspicious, lecherous looking uncle.
(Pah, who's the suspicious lecherous uncle?!)
After reflexively retorting to herself in her heart, Yutsuki continued.
"Well, I won't deny that I want to drive a wedge between you and DEM. But that doesn't an these things are false. In fact, the fact that you accepted my text and ca to et alone ans you really did feel sothing wrong with DEM, didn't you? For example, Westcott preparing to use all the citizens of Tengu City as hostages?"
"—"
Artemisia worked hard to keep her expression calm, but in Yutsuki's eyes, the fingers interlocked on the table still exposed the turmoil in her heart.
"But… Director Westcott said that was only a joke."
Artemisia swallowed, saying this without much confidence.
"You don't actually believe him, do you?"
Yutsuki asked back with a mocking smile.
"I don't know… But he did indeed abandon the hostage plan."
"I see. So he smoothly used the situation to gloss it over. Westcott really knows how to put gold on his own face."
"What do you an by that?"
Artemisia could not help frowning.
"Simple. That operation wasn't stopped because he voluntarily gave it up. It was forcibly terminated because we dismantled the bombs."
"You? How is that possible?"
Artemisia's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How could it not be us? Because I'm a Spirit?"
Yutsuki traced a circle around the rim of her coffee cup with one finger and asked Artemisia as if it were only natural.
"Then, Artemisia, can you tell exactly how many people I, as a Spirit, have killed so far?"
"Ugh—"
Artemisia was rendered speechless. Although Hacker was called the most dangerous Spirit to humanity, her spacequake scale was so small that she had never hard a single person. As for the Wizards who fought her, they had been disard and incapacitated before casualties occurred.
"Hmph-hmph-hahaha—yes, that's the expression. I just love seeing you Wizards fall silent when I point this fact out."
Yutsuki happily raised the corners of her mouth, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"You—"
Seeing Yutsuki's reaction, Artemisia could not help feeling angered from embarrassnt.
"Well, as thanks, I'll give you a warning."
Yutsuki withdrew her smile and spoke earnestly.
"Be careful of Westcott. He's different from other people. Social rules, morality, law—normally, even ordinary people, even criminals who commit great evils, are still bound sowhere by these things. But he is different. He only uses those things as a disguise to make others believe he is no different from ordinary people. In reality, if he truly wanted to, whether lying or killing, forget blinking, even his heartbeat wouldn't speed up by a single beat."
"…"
Artemisia opened her mouth wordlessly, wanting to refute sothing but having no idea where to begin.
At this mont, her mind was in complete chaos. Her reason told her that the Spirit before her eyes was an enemy and could not be trusted. Even if she had not killed anyone now, that did not an she would never bring harm to humanity in the future.
However, her feelings were arguing back. Could this girl, who blended into the crowd without the slightest sense of wrongness, ca to a café to drink coffee like an ordinary person, and spoke with her like this, truly be an existence that had to be annihilated by force?
If what she said was true, then what exactly was the justice Artemisia had upheld? What was she supposed to believe?
"Well, if you can't believe my side of the story, and you can't stop doubting DEM either, you can go to the AST and confirm it yourself. After all, they were the ones who actually dismantled the bombs."
"Or, you can choose to start a battle here and subjugate directly. Only, please think carefully."
Gazing at the lost Artemisia, Yutsuki said each word clearly.
"Even if you eliminate and the other Spirits, will the future you hope for truly co to pass?"
"...Hah."
A wordless silence continued for a while. Then Artemisia let out a powerless sigh, and the tense atmosphere surrounding her finally relaxed.
"Thank you for your rcy, young lady."
Yutsuki said with a smile.
"Do not misunderstand. I simply do not want a battle to involve innocent people. Whether your words are true or false, I will confirm them myself and make my own judgnt."
"Mm-hm, that's enough. All right, the dry topic ends here. Eat, eat. If you think the pancake and tea have gone cold, you can order another serving."
"No, this is fine."
Artemisia gently shook her head. She picked up the knife and fork, cut off a small piece, placed it in her mouth, then raised the black tea and sipped it carefully.
As expected of a young lady, even eating dessert was so elegant.
"It tastes good. Thank you for the al."
After wiping her lips with a handkerchief, Artemisia placed a ten thousand yen note on the table.
"Hey, didn't I say this was my treat?"
"I do not want to owe a Spirit a favor."
Saying this, Artemisia calmly left her seat.
"One last question, Ryougi Yutsuki."
"What?"
"Why were you so certain I would accept the invitation and co et you?"
"Ah… because soone told that, with your personality, there was no way you would join DEM unless sothing was wrong. That's why I contacted you."
"Who?"
"Tobiichi Origami."
"…That Spirit?"
After thinking for a mont, Artemisia rembered the Spirit who had equipped a Realizer unit and fought her in space.
"Because she is a Spirit like you?"
"No, because she is my family." Yutsuki gently shook her head and denied it. "When people live in this world, what matters is having a few companions you can truly open your heart to. If you doubt everything around you, life gets very tiring."
"I see…"
After quietly murmuring that, Artemisia said nothing more and turned to leave the café.
(Well… everything went smoothly, I suppose.)
Yutsuki secretly let out a breath in her heart. In truth, she felt a little guilty toward Artemisia.
She sympathized with Artemisia's situation and had wanted to speak with her while giving her as much equal respect as possible. Otherwise, she had plenty of simpler ways to make Artemisia betray DEM directly.
Moreover, this conversation had been unfair from the very beginning. Although Westcott's attention was currently focused on Shido, and he should not go so far as to use Beelzebub to investigate a subordinate's private life, if this eting were exposed by so chance, Artemisia's fate was easy to imagine.
Even so, for Yutsuki, she had resolved one of the enemy's powerful Wizards without shedding blood. It was a profit with no loss.
(TL:Don't know how to explain but this is one of my favorite chapter~ I just love so good dialouge~)
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