"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 will enter the shelter and kill the Spirit."
A Spirit had mixed into the shelter?
Artemisia and Ryouko exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
"…Sorry, but we have not detected any Spirit reactions in the shelter. May I ask whether the source of your information is reliable?"
After hesitating for a mont, Ryouko asked the woman nad Minerva.
"Huh? What stupid question are you asking?"
Minerva glanced at Ryouko speechlessly, placed one hand on her hip, raised her head like a swan, and replied arrogantly:
"This is information from Director Westcott. If there is sothing in this world he does not know, then no one under heaven knows it."
Is this woman here to pick a fight?
The corner of Ryouko's eye twitched slightly. After forcibly suppressing the anger rising in her chest, she turned to Artemisia for confirmation.
"Although it is not quite that exaggerated… if Director Westcott said it, then it is very likely true."
Artemisia slowly nodded. As a mber of DEM, she had heard sowhat about just how powerful Beelzebub's information-gathering ability was.
Ryouko frowned. Although she did not trust the words of the woman before her, she did acknowledge Artemisia's character and conduct.
"Are you done asking what you wanted to ask? Then I'll go ahead… hm?"
Just as Minerva prepared to head toward the shelter, Ryouko suddenly took a step forward and blocked her path.
"What is the aning of this… AST Wizard?"
Minerva narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
"Sorry. Assuming that a Spirit really is in the shelter, in my view, having all of you rush in fully ard is not the best plan. The citizens do not know about Spirits or Wizards. If we accidentally cause panic, it may instead lead to even larger casualties."
Ryouko answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Although Ryouko temporarily believed this explanation, looking at this woman who had clearly co with ill intentions, she felt that things were not that simple.
"Ah~ Are you trying to say that leaving the Spirit alone would cause less damage instead?"
Ryouko could not help frowning and was just about to refute her when Origami's figure suddenly flashed through her mind.
"…I simply think there should be a safer thod."
"Hmph! And what if I insist?"
Clearly, Minerva had no intention of listening to Ryouko's suggestion. She pressed aggressively, like a thug.
"Unfortunately, AST's duties include not only subjugating Spirits, but also protecting civilians. If DEM refuses to cooperate, we cannot let you pass."
Ryouko answered firmly, refusing to back down.
"Pfft… hahahahaha!"
However, faced with Ryouko's attitude, Minerva not only showed no frustration or anger, but laughed loudly as if watching a farce.
"What are you laughing at?!"
"I must say, the work efficiency of your country's military organizations is so low it exceeds my imagination."
Minerva shook her head and looked at Ryouko with a cold smile.
"Kusakabe Ryouko, it seems you still don't understand the current situation."
"What are you talking ab—"
Before Ryouko could finish asking, her communicator suddenly received a call. Seeing the caller's na, Ryouko's expression changed.
"…Hello. It's … What?!… But… If we do that… Fine… I understand."
Ryouko's face first showed shock, then gradually beca shaken and flustered. Finally, as if suppressing anger, she gritted her teeth and ended the call.
"From now on, AST is under DEM's full command. No objections, right?"
Minerva stepped forward and asked with a smile.
(This country is dood sooner or later.)
After cursing inwardly, Ryouko silently stepped aside. Minerva walked past her smugly, then seed to rember sothing and suddenly stopped.
"Right, I almost forgot. Disobedient subordinates need punishnt."
After saying that, before Ryouko could react, the flash of a blade appeared. Minerva drew the sword at her CR-Unit and spun around to slash at Ryouko.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of blades clashing rang by her ears. Looking at the magical blade only a few centiters away from her neck, Ryouko widened her eyes in shock. Only after a long mont did cold sweat belatedly roll down her forehead.
If the blade had moved a little further, her head would already have been separated from her body. She never dread that the other party would launch an attack so indiscriminately.
However, that unexpected attack had been blocked by Artemisia, who moved after Minerva but arrived first.
"Oh… truly impressive. As expected of our company's second ace."
Looking at Artemisia, who had instantly manifested the armor on her arm, Minerva licked her lips, and excitent appeared in her eyes.
"Minerva Riddell. Do you think attacking your own ally like this is appropriate?"
Holding back Minerva's sword with one hand, Artemisia questioned her with an icy expression.
"Just joking~ It was only a small warning. Things like this have long been as ordinary as eating in DEM, haven't they?"
Minerva smiled and shrugged, lightly withdrawing her weapon. Then she glanced at Ryouko and turned toward the shelter.
Ryouko stood up in agitation, but Artemisia pressed down on her shoulder and silently shook her head.
"Calm down. If you act impulsively now, they'll only treat it as disobeying orders."
"But…"
Ryouko still wanted to say sothing. Artemisia smiled gently and comforted her.
"Don't worry. If she truly does sothing abnormal, I will stop her."
…
The scene returned once more to the shelter where the citizens were gathered. Just as everyone was praying for the spacequake to end as soon as possible, Minerva and her troops barged in as uninvited guests.
"Ah—everyone, there is no need to panic. We are, um… what is it called in this country… Right! A special unit similar to the Self Defense Forces. We are here to carry out a special mission. As long as you cooperate, not only will we not make things difficult for you, we will even protect your lives."
Looking around at the citizens present, Minerva quietly revealed a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, while on the surface, she spoke with righteous conviction.
A wave of noisy discussion sounded. Everyone looked at Minerva, who was obviously a foreigner, their eyes full of disbelief and suspicion. But when Minerva raised her magical cannon and fired several fitness ball sized holes into the ceiling, the shelter quickly quieted down.
"Thank you all for your cooperation~"
Minerva chuckled, opened the communicator in her hand, and began scanning the crowd while comparing them with the data.
"You, you, you, and you…"
Minerva called people out as if taking attendance, selecting several dozen citizens from the crowd.
If Shido were here, he would definitely discover that the people Minerva had pulled out were either teachers and classmates from school who had interacted with the Spirits, neighbors living near the Itsuka household, or shopkeepers from the shopping district.
Looking at these confused citizens, Minerva smiled wickedly.
"Now then, you are suspected of being Spirits who caused the spacequake. Arrest them."
Hearing this, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Hah? What nonsense are you spouting? There's a limit to jokes!"
"Spacequake suspects? Spirits? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"That gross!!"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't give you permission to leave."
Just as the Ai, Mai, and Mii trio intended to leave, Minerva and several of her subordinates simultaneously deployed Territories, trapping them inside.
The three of them did not know Territories existed. They only felt as if they had suddenly bumped into an invisible wall in front of them, unable to move forward no matter how hard they tried.
"Now then, will all you Spirits please co with ?"
Watching Minerva gradually approach, everyone's faces gradually turned pale.
"D-don't co any closer! Although I, Tonomachi Hiroto, do indeed look as handso as a Spirit! I have always kept myself pure and untouched!"
"If you take one more step toward my students! I-I'll call the police… I-I'm serious, you know!"
Seeing that these people clearly still had not grasped the situation, Minerva could not help finding it funny. She began secretly adjusting the gravity density and directional distribution inside the Territory, preparing to tornt these people a little.
"CR-Unit authentication—Artemisia—Manifest—Lancelot!"
At that mont, Minerva suddenly felt a fierce wind sweep past her side.
"Cheshire Cat!"
Imdiately after, she felt her Territory destroyed by a sharp Territory. Minerva looked closely and saw Artemisia, now wearing blue white armor, standing in front of the citizens and staring at her with displeasure.
Killing intent. Looking at this gentle noble young lady acting so unlike herself, Minerva could clearly feel that the other party was truly angry this ti.
"Please give an explanation, Minerva Riddell."
"Explanation?"
Minerva answered with a cold smile.
"I am rely carrying out my mission. Executive Officer Artemisia, please do not interfere with my work, all right?"
Mission? Artemisia looked back at the citizens in confusion, then shook her head.
"These people are only ordinary cit—"
"They are Spirits!"
Minerva interrupted Artemisia without hesitation and answered almost dictatorially.
"According to the information we obtained, it is not impossible for Spirits to disguise themselves as ordinary people."
"But does that prove they are Spirits?"
"Director Westcott said they are Spirits! Therefore, they are Spirits!"
Minerva answered with complete confidence.
"Or are you saying Executive Officer Artemisia has a way to prove that they are not Spirits?"
"I…"
Artemisia was montarily unable to refute her. Looking at the amusent in the other party's eyes, she knew that no matter what she said, it would be aningless. As long as the other party wanted to, even if Minerva claid that an uncle nearly fifty years old was an eight-year-old child, Artemisia would have no way to reason with her.
[From my perspective, DEM can be said to have rotted all the way from the roots.]
[Pay attention to Westcott. If he really wants to, when he lies and kills, forget blinking, even the frequency of his heartbeat won't speed up.]
[Even if you eliminate and the other Spirits, will the future you hope for truly co true?]
The words Ryougi Yutsuki had said to her before now carried a completely different weight in Artemisia's heart.
At that mont, the citizens had no idea what to do. They did not understand the situation, nor could they hear what the two were saying. The only thing they understood was that the strange, arrogant woman opposite them possessed unbelievable supernatural power, while Artemisia might be the savior who had co to protect them.
And as for what outco awaited these people if they were taken away as Spirits, Artemisia could not even imagine it.
"Minerva Riddell… do you truly believe these people are Spirits?"
In response, Minerva silently shrugged.
"I think that in DEM, you are the only one who doesn't."
Hearing Minerva's answer, the last trace of hope in Artemisia's heart was extinguished.
She seed to suddenly understand why she had always felt out of place among the others in DEM. Why Ai Mulian always inexplicably disliked her. As if questioning why soone like her was in DEM at all.
She had truly been foolish. What exactly had she still been hoping for from an organization that had long since rotted down to the bone?
"As of today, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft formally resigns from DEM."
Artemisia took a deep breath and looked directly at Minerva.
"I will submit my official resignation letter to the personnel departnt afterward. If you want to lay a hand on these people, please get past first."
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