Ti rewound slightly, shifting the viewpoint to half an hour earlier, outside the battlefield of Tengu City.
At this mont, the citizens of Tengu City still had no idea that a great battle was about to take place in their city. Under the spacequake alarm Yutsuki had triggered, they moved toward the shelters with practiced familiarity.
To them, spacequakes had long since beco part of daily life. Especially since April of last year, spacequakes had beco like a girl's monthly period—sothing that would inevitably co once a month whether they wanted it to or not. Although it was troubleso, complaining would not change anything. They just had to endure it until it passed.
However, this spacequake seed slightly different from the ones before.
"Ah~ Is the spacequake still not over? I was planning to go buy so get well gifts from that newly opened dessert shop. Looks like I'll miss my chance this ti."
"I wonder if Tohka-chan is okay."
"That's gross~."
On the way to the shelter, the Ai, Mai, and Mii trio complained among themselves.
Suddenly, a faint tremor ca from above. It sounded low and heavy, like distant thunder. Dust shook loose from the ceiling. Although the shaking was not strong, it still made people feel uneasy.
"There it is again. Spacequakes before never caused this kind of thing."
"Could it be an earthquake?!"
"This is seriously unbearable."
"E-everyone! Please calm down! We'll arrive at the shelter very soon! Don't panic! Follow the line and don't run around! It'll be dangerous if you get separated! Anyway, first co over to teacher's side—Wah!"
Class 2-3's horoom teacher, Okamine Tamae, was leading the students to shelter at the front. However, she seed a little too nervous. She was only watching the students and accidentally bumped into an automatic door that had not opened yet, crouching on the ground with stars in her eyes.
"Are you okay, Tama-chan-sensei?"
"Tama-chan, you're the one who needs to calm down the most."
"We'll pay attention to safety, don't worry."
"Haha… I suppose that's true."
Watching the flustered Okamine Tamae, everyone stepped forward with both amusent and helplessness to help her up. Strangely, every ti they saw Tama-chan-sensei worrying for them in a panic, the students themselves instead beca much calr.
…
"Onee-chan…"
Looking at the situation on Raizen High School's side, a frizzy haired girl in a military uniform wore an awkward, helpless expression.
"Ah~ Private Okamine, so that's your older sister? She looks like a good teacher. Though she seems clumsy, just like you."
Kusakabe Ryouko said with a teasing smile.
"She's not clumsy! Captain, that's too rude."
Apparently dissatisfied with Ryouko's evaluation, Okamine Mikie puffed up her cheeks.
"Sure, sure~ Co to think of it, on paper, you're supposed to be studying at Raizen High too, right? Want to take this chance to say hello to your classmates?"
Hearing Ryouko's words, Mikie froze slightly, then shook her head.
"Eh? No need, no need. I haven't attended many classes anyway, and I don't really know anyone in class. Only Princess Bamboo occasionally contacts ."
"Princess Bamboo?"
Kusakabe Ryouko looked puzzled.
"Our class representative's nickna."
"Sounds like a pretty fun class…"
Before Ryouko could finish speaking, another tremor ca from above. This ti, the shaking was clearly much stronger than before, causing both of their expressions to change.
"Attention, everyone. The tremors are gradually intensifying. While checking the number of people in each shelter, stay alert for unexpected situations such as shelter collapse. Also, contact headquarters and have them report the situation on the surface every five minutes."
Changing from her previous relaxed attitude, Ryouko calmly and quickly issued orders to the AST Wizards.
"Private Okamine, go to the nearest shelter too and protect the citizens."
"Understood!"
Watching Mikie leave, Ryouko raised her head and sighed with a complicated expression.
"Looks like… what's happening above our heads right now isn't a spacequake."
"Why do you think so?"
Ryouko turned her head and saw a DEM Wizard, forr ace of SSS—Artemisia—walking out from around the corner of the corridor.
"Experience and intuition."
Ryouko answered firmly.
"I haven't been dealing with Spirits for just a day or two. Spacequakes are destructive, but they don't cause impacts underground. Otherwise, the governnt wouldn't have set shelters below ground. This shaking now is probably being caused by sothing else."
After saying that, Ryouko scratched her head in frustration.
"Explosions? Buildings collapsing? teor impacts? Judging from the range reported, it probably isn't just one isolated area, but sothing happening throughout the entire city. Are the people above trying to tear Tengu City down?"
Ryouko looked toward Artemisia as if asking. Clearly, she was referring to the DEM Wizards.
"Well… since this ti they have to face multiple Spirits, a large-scale battle is unavoidable."
Artemisia smiled wryly and explained sowhat awkwardly.
"Maybe."
Ryouko shrugged noncommittally, then looked at Artemisia and asked in confusion:
"But why would DEM send a Wizard of your level to provide rear support? Isn't that way too wasteful?"
"No, I applied for it myself."
Artemisia lightly shook her head. Rembering Westcott's indifferent and hypocritical attitude earlier, as well as her conversation with Ryougi Yutsuki, Artemisia let her shoulders drop in dejection.
"I had a bit of conflict with my colleagues and superior… Even if I joined the battle now, I probably wouldn't be of much use."
"Ah… I see."
Looking at Artemisia's troubled expression, Ryouko vaguely understood sothing.
Generally speaking, the higher ups's understanding of spacequakes stopped at written reports. Compared to the damage caused by disasters, they cared more about how to obtain international aid, political party advantages, financial benefits, and so on through them, then used that as an excuse to order the people on site around. Ryouko had suffered greatly from this as well.
(She was probably given so absurd, impossible to justify demand by her superior, then got sidelined after arguing about it.)
In fact, after discovering the bombs in the shelters a few days ago, as well as the fact that Origami was a Spirit, she had gradually begun to doubt her own work too.
"Well… don't think too much about it. When a normal person stays among a group of weirdos, it's inevitable they'll get the illusion that they're the strange one. Once the mission is over, let's go out for a drink. My treat."
Ryouko sympathetically patted Artemisia's shoulder and comforted her.
Faced with Ryouko's warmth, Artemisia felt slightly confused. In her understanding, this should undoubtedly have been her first eting with AST, yet whether it was Ryouko or the Wizard nad Mikie from earlier, both of them acted as if they knew her. It made her unsure how to interact with them.
"That's true… Thank you. If there is anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to tell ."
After hesitating for a mont, Artemisia nodded and spoke seriously.
"Ah~ If only all DEM Wizards were like you."
Thinking back to those arrogant DEM Wizards from before, Ryouko could not help sighing.
Just as the two were talking, a strange sound of footsteps suddenly ca from deep within the tunnel. Ryouko and Artemisia exchanged glances, then raised the magical cannons in their hands and warily stared ahead.
"Spirit…"
"Spirit…"
"Sp… irit…"
"Are they… Wizards?"
After seeing the newcors clearly, Ryouko frowned in confusion. Judging from their Realizer models, this group was clearly a DEM Wizard unit. But unlike the DEM Wizards in her impression, this group's steps were unsteady, their eyes were unfocused, and their mouths kept repeating a few hoarse, gloomy syllables. Rather than soldiers, they looked more like a group of sleepwalkers.
What shocked Ryouko was that from those Wizards's Realizers, she actually detected spiritual wave reactions similar to a Spirit's.
What was going on? Was this a Spirit's ability? Should she attack? Facing this abnormal situation, Ryouko hesitated for a mont.
At that mont, Artemisia suddenly stepped forward and said in a low voice:
"I am DEM Second Executive Departnt Adeptus 2, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft. Please state your unit affiliation and mission."
However, faced with Artemisia blocking their path, the group of Wizards turned a blind eye. They rely silently went around her and continued walking toward the other side of the tunnel.
"What's going on? Are they all DEM Wizards?"
Ryouko asked. Artemisia also wore a grave and uncertain expression.
"They should be… yes. The direction they were moving in just now was not toward the shelter, but toward an exit leading to the surface. They are likely a secret weapon Westcott prepared to deal with Spirits."
Artemisia knew very well that although they looked weak on the surface, their actual combat power far surpassed that of ordinary Wizards.
"AST Lieutenant Kusakabe and Executive Officer Artemisia, correct?"
A female voice ca from the direction the Wizards had walked from.
The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw another group of DEM Wizards walking toward them. However, compared to the previous group, these Wizards clearly looked much more normal.
"That's . Who are you?"
Ryouko nodded and asked warily.
"DEM First Executive Departnt action squad leader, Minerva Riddell."
After briefly introducing herself, the leading Wizard turned to Artemisia, the corner of her mouth showing a strange smile.
"Executive Officer Artemisia, according to Director Westcott's orders, you are to cooperate with in carrying out a special mission."
A strange look flashed through Artemisia's eyes. She silently shook her head.
"I refuse… Before the battle began, I already told Director Westcott. In this combat operation, I will not participate in battle. I am only responsible for protecting the evacuated citizens."
"Haha, don't be so quick to refuse, Executive Officer Artemisia. This mission does not conflict with your duties."
"What do you an?"
In response to Artemisia's question, Minerva answered with a smile.
"According to Director Westcott's investigation, a Spirit has disguised herself and mixed in among the evacuated citizens. In order to avoid large scale casualties, we are going to enter the shelter and eliminate the Spirit."
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