Today was the fourth day after the incident where Miku caused a disturbance at the Tengu Festival and DEM took advantage of the chaos to kidnap Tohka ca to an end.
Ryougi Yutsuki was currently walking down the hallway of the Fraxinus airship with steady steps.
Halfway there, Yutsuki ran into Ms. Minowa, whose codena was "Deep Love", who was currently working.
Before Yutsuki could speak, the other party warmly greeted her.
"Yutsuki-san? I heard you passed out during the operation earlier. Are you alright?"
"Thank you for your concern. As for my body, as you can see, after resting for a few nights, it's as good as new."
Yutsuki shrugged and answered without any stress.
"Oh, as expected of a Spirit. Your body really can't be compared to normal people." After showing a sowhat admiring expression, Minowa sighed softly and said, "However, Yutsuki-san, please also take care of your own body. Although a Spirit's body is indeed very strong, please don't push yourself too hard during operations."
Yutsuki could feel that the other party's words didn't contain any special treatnt because she was a Spirit. It was just a concern raised as a coworker, or perhaps as an observer.
"Well, but regarding Yutsuki-san's love, not hesitating to infiltrate the enemy camp to help Shido-san, I admire it from the bottom of my heart. Thinking back to the days when I tailed my boyfriend for twenty-four hours straight just to protect him from weird won getting close..."
"...Haha." Seeing Minowa starting to get lost in her own mories, Yutsuki gave an awkward, dry laugh and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Minowa-san, is Kotori-chan available right now?"
"The Commander, huh? She's currently in the command room reviewing the data from the incident the other day. You should be able to see her if you just go straight there."
"Mhm, thanks."
After thanking Minowa, Yutsuki parted ways with her, who still had work to do, and walked towards the command room.
"Yo, Yutsuki-san. Good work, you really worked hard during the last operation."
"That's right. The precise analysis of the battle situation, the clear and decisive way of acting, and that incredibly calm ability to take action on the battlefield. I, Mikimoto, am completely convinced."
"Yutsuki-tan, are you interested in seriously pursuing an idol career? I'm willing to be your first fan!"
Along the way, Yutsuki successively t people often seen during Shido's Spirit conquests, such as "Bad Marriage" Kawagoe, "President" Mikimoto, "Dinsion Breaker" Nakatsugawa, and others. They all greeted Yutsuki with great respect.
During Miku's conquest, Yutsuki's actions gained the unanimous respect of the Fraxinus staff.
...No one showed any dissatisfaction regarding the fact that she was a Spirit.
Seeing this scene, a slight smile appeared on Yutsuki's face.
"Yo, yo! Yutsuki-nee, have you recovered!"
Then, a voice full of pleasant surprise sounded from ahead. Yutsuki looked and saw a girl with a single ponytail, a beauty mark under the corner of her eye, who looked sowhat similar to Shido, running towards her to greet her with a joyful face.
"Mhm! As you can see, completely revived!"
Yutsuki struck a bodybuilder pose to show she was in top condition. In response, Mana let out a cry of admiration.
"Oh, oh, as expected of Yutsuki-nee! I have to learn from you too!"
Seeing Shido's energetic little sister, Yutsuki chuckled softly, then asked.
"Well, how are things recently? Are you getting used to life on the Fraxinus?"
"Although to deal with the magic processing DEM did to before, I have to undergo regular treatnt every so often. But this is a completely minor issue!"
"Yes, yes, Mana-chan is amazing."
Yutsuki smiled and patted Mana's head, encouraging her.
"Ugh, please don't treat like a child!"
Mana puffed out her cheeks sowhat unhappily, but she didn't shake off Yutsuki's hand petting her head.
"Yutsuki-nee... I have to thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably would still be ignorantly used by DEM."
Mana bowed slightly to Yutsuki with a solemn expression, earnestly expressing her gratitude.
Her body had been subjected to various magic processes beyond limits by DEM. Although Mana gained strength almost rivaling a Spirit because of this, as a price, her lifespan was compressed to a re ten years or so.
Thinking back to a few days ago, Jessica, who she t inside the DEM base, because her brain had undergone extrely crazy magic processing, not only was her sanity near collapse, but all her life force was squeezed into a single day. In the end, she had to give her "release" herself.
One wrong step, and she would have walked the exact sa path.
"My, don't thank so seriously. It feels weird instead." Yutsuki gave a helpless, dry laugh and said, "Besides, Kotori and Reine care much more about your situation. If you want to thank soone, you should thank them."
"Mhm, of course I've already thanked them too. But more than that, I still wanted to say one more thing to Yutsuki-nee: thank you for telling 'I want to be family with Mana and Shido, I will protect you!'."
Moreover, Yutsuki had already proven the resolve of that promise to Mana through her actions.
"Ah... that." Yutsuki scratched her cheek sowhat embarrassedly. "Although it's becoming family, it's not because Shido and I are going to have so special relationship. Um, I just ant a normal family relationship..."
"Well, either way is fine with actually." Mana looked at Yutsuki defending herself with slightly red cheeks, a smile appearing in her eyes. Then, she said sowhat helplessly, "My, my, Yutsuki-nee too, Origami-nee too. Nii-sama really is a sinful man~"
"Ma-na-chan~ You have quite the nerve to tease ~"
Veins popped slightly on Yutsuki's forehead. With a moving smile, she grabbed Mana's cheeks with both hands and pulled them to the sides.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! I'm thorry for getting carried away! (I'm sorry for getting carried away!)"
Really... whether it's Kotori or Mana. Having such cute girls as Shido's little sisters is such a waste. Yutsuki thought with a face full of regret.
(Shido: "Achoo!")
"Then, I have so business with Kotori-chan next. Mana-chan, you go rest for a while first. Even though the people here have sowhat weird personalities, inside Ratatoskr, the people on the Fraxinus can still be trusted."
"Understood!"
While saying goodbye to Mana, Yutsuki secretly added a sentence in her heart.
(However, it's only the Fraxinus...)
"Yahallo, Kotori-chan, I ca to find you."
After entering the command room, Yutsuki greeted Kotori.
"Yo, Yutsuki-nee. Congratulations on your recovery."
Putting down the docunts she was reading, Kotori, wearing black ribbons and in Commander mode, looked at Yutsuki with a deeply aningful smile and said, "How was it? How was the get well gift I gave you yesterday?"
"Good job!"
In response, Yutsuki gave Kotori a thumbs up and answered with a refreshing smile.
As expected of the Commander of the entire airship, she really knows how to win people's hearts. If conquering a Spirit gets you this kind of experience once, Yutsuki would definitely figure out a way to catch all the Spirits... even Kurumi and Phantom, and drag them in front of Shido.
"Well... Yutsuki, did you co here... because you have so questions you want to know the answers to?"
On the side, Reine, who originally seed to have her eyes closed, suddenly chid in sowhat groggily.
"...That's true. I indeed have so important things to ask coming here."
Since Reine pointed it out, Yutsuki didn't waste any more words. She took a deep breath and looked directly at Kotori with serious eyes.
"What exactly happened to Tohka at that ti?"
Yutsuki still couldn't forget the feeling at that ti.
The black Astral Dress Tohka wore that gave off a dangerous aura as if a photograph had its color drained, and that sword nad Nahemah filled with despairing, negative Spirit power, making people feel chilled to the bone... No, she should be called a demon.
The Tohka at that ti, whether on a ntal level or a physical level, gave off a very dangerous atmosphere, like a cruel tyrant. If Shido hadn't successfully sealed her then, Tengu City would probably have long beco a lifeless ruin.
"Ah... asking a very sensitive question right from the start, Yutsuki-nee..."
Kotori sowhat troubledly rubbed her temples with her fingers. After glancing at Reine and seeing that she didn't shake her head, she slowly opened her mouth.
"...Inverse. A state where the Spirit power within a Spirit changes in a negative direction. It feels like a positive number becoming a negative number... It is also the most dangerous state among the disasters caused by a Spirit going out of control, bar none."
"Inverse..."
Yutsuki repeated this word, unable to help but recall what Westcott had said earlier.
[Hah... It seems Hacker is the type to beco calr the angrier she gets. I was hoping we could create another Inverse like Princess. It seems my spur of the mont idea is impossible to realize after all.]
In other words, not only Tohka, but Yoshino, the Yamai, Miku, and even herself had the possibility of Inversing.
Her palms sweating slightly, taking a deep breath, Yutsuki cald down and asked: "Then, what are the conditions for a Spirit to Inverse?"
However, when she asked this, Yutsuki vaguely already had a clue.
"...It should be so kind of emotional rampage. Probably a very severe one."
Regarding Yutsuki's guess, Reine gently nodded.
"Mhm. Your guess, Yutsuki... Although the Inverse conditions for every Spirit have individual differences, a complete inversion of Spirit power ans that the Spirit's ntal state is in the worst possible condition. In other words, despair."
Just as I thought... In the prank like photo Westcott threw at her at the ti, the imprisoned Tohka helplessly watched Shido get killed by Ellen. For Tohka, who always saw Shido as the most important person in her life, at that mont, her mind must have definitely broken down.
"Despair... This really isn't sothing to laugh about." Slowly exhaling, as if thinking about sothing, Yutsuki muttered to herself, "If that's the case, for Yuzuru and Kaguya, if one of them get killed in front of the other, there's an eighty percent chance they'll Inverse. For Miku, if Shido and I directly betray and maliciously slander her, the possibility of Inversion is also very high. Yoshino... that child is too pure. Probably if Shido died because of her and then she was blad with words, she'd break."
Although these situations seed very unlikely to happen, in reality, if soone really put their mind to it, it wouldn't be impossible.
"Yutsuki-nee!" Hearing Yutsuki's words, Kotori couldn't help but widen her eyes, staring at Yutsuki and shouting sowhat angrily.
"...I'm just objectively offering my views based on my understanding of everyone. It doesn't an anything. Rather, this should be sothing you guys must think about." Yutsuki said with an innocent face.
Kotori fell silent. What Yutsuki said made a lot of sense. The goal of DEM this ti was clearly to make a Spirit Inverse. It's hard to guarantee there won't be a second ti in the future. Then, instead of avoiding this topic, using it as a premise to think of various possibilities and prepare counterasures early on was the best plan.
"Sorry... I understand. I'll discuss counterasures with everyone later."
"Mhm... and about the next thing." Saying this, a sowhat complicated look appeared on Yutsuki's face. "...From now on, I will not only stop supporting Shido's conquests of Spirits, but depending on the situation, I will even step in to stop them."
"...?!!!!"
If the previous words were still understandable, then this sentence from Yutsuki truly made Kotori and Reine feel dumbfounded.
Kotori slamd her hand hard on the desk and shouted.
"Why, Yutsuki-nee! As a Spirit yourself, don't you understand that what we want is to..."
"Seal the Spirits' power, prevent them from being hunted by wizards, and let the Spirits live a normal daily life like normal people."
Yutsuki cut in and finished what Kotori wanted to say first, then looked at Kotori with a serious face. "Is that... truly the belief of everyone in Ratatoskr?!"
"Ugh..."
Kotori was left speechless for a mont. As the Commander, she knew that in the organization she belonged to, not even a quarter of the people truly wanted to uphold this ideal.
"But, the people on the Fraxinus absolutely truly think this way."
Looking at Kotori trying hard to explain for her organization, Yutsuki sighed with a bitter smile.
"I know, everyone here is fun and kind-hearted. The people here are truly worthy of being Kotori-chan's subordinates. I don't regret entrusting my Spirit power to Shido, and I have one hundred percent trust in Kotori too."
"Then..."
"But I still refuse!"
"Why?!"
Kotori shouted, unable to understand. To this, Yutsuki scratched her head, looked at Kotori, then at Reine, and finally slowly answered.
"Although I really want to use a JoJo reference here... it seems the atmosphere doesn't allow it, so I'll just say it straight. There are two reasons."
Yutsuki held up two fingers toward Kotori.
"First, considering the Spirits. Although up until now, the Spirits including myself have been saved by Shido, after seeing Miku, I started to wonder, do all Spirits really need saving?"
"...What do you an?"
"Let give an example. The fundantal reason I was willing to be sealed is that controlling spacequakes is very difficult for , so I had to seal my Spirit power to enter human society. But Miku, even though she could freely control spacequakes, her values beca twisted and she ran away from reality because of past psychological trauma. Then, if a Spirit appears who can freely control spacequakes, has normal common sense, or is satisfied with their current life, what reason do we have to save them?"
Stepping in without permission when soone else doesn't need your help is simply self-satisfaction.
Yutsuki's words made Kotori freeze for a bit. Honestly, she really hadn't thought about how to handle it if they truly encountered a Spirit who didn't need saving.
However, she quickly snapped back to reality and argued.
"...I don't deny that such a Spirit might exist. But you've seen it too, Spirits like Tohka and Yoshino, if their Spirit power wasn't sealed, they wouldn't be able to live a normal daily life..."
"Then the second point. Have Tohka and the others really returned to a normal daily life?"
"..."
"DEM is now eyeing the appearance of new Spirits like a tiger watching its prey, and targeting the already sealed Spirits at all tis. Under these circumstances, are we living a normal daily life? The 'Princess' who could originally cleave a mountain with one strike being imprisoned and finally Inversing, is that the daily life Tohka should be living?"
Sealing a Spirit doesn't just an a peaceful daily life arrives, nor does it just an Itsuka Shido's harem gets a 1. It also ans that the Spirit at this ti is at their most vulnerable.
"No... It's not."
Yutsuki's decisive tone made Kotori answer with so confusion.
"We hand over our sharp blades to Shido hoping to avoid those annoying battles and wars, not to let the enemy take advantage and deal us a fatal blow."
Saying this, Yutsuki took a deep breath. To be honest, although she kept saying "we" just now to sound more convincing, in reality, this was purely Yutsuki's own opinion.
It couldn't be helped. Whether it was Tohka or the Yamai or Yoshino, they didn't really care much about this aspect. But in reality, after the enemy known as DEM appeared, it was clear they couldn't just seal Spirits without a second thought. Weakening a Spirit's power carelessly might very likely harm them.
"So, although I won't oppose conquering Spirits, I'm also giving up on helping Shido conquer Spirits. More than that. I want to think about ways to better protect my current family."
Yutsuki looked straight into Kotori's eyes and said solemnly.
After spacing out for a long ti, Kotori breathed out and said sowhat apologetically.
"...I understand. You have your own thoughts too, Yutsuki-nee. Sorry... I got worked up without listening to your explanation earlier."
"It's fine, as long as you understand, Kotori."
"That's true... Since the enemy's existence is confird, the previous plans indeed need so subtle adjustnts."
Kotori touched her chin and pondered.
"How to better handle the safety issues of Spirits after they are sealed, as well as preventive asures against enemy attacks and Spirit inversions... We need to overhaul everything."
Seeing the two lost in deep thought, Yutsuki chuckled helplessly and reminded them.
"Kotori-chan, don't forget. You are also one of the sealed Spirits... You should also pay attention to your own Inverse conditions."
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Kotori sighed sowhat helplessly and said.
"Please don't joke around, Yutsuki-nee. I personally feel I wouldn't fall into despair that easily."
"Well... if you ended up killing your favorite brother to prevent so necessary situation, I don't think Kotori-chan would have the confidence to face reality anymore."
Satellite orbital weapon Dáinsleif. A weapon prepared by the higher-ups of Ratatoskr to prevent Shido from falling into an abnormal state after sealing multiple Spirit powers, using the most inhumane thod of applying a Realizer. Even for Shido, who possessed regenerative powers, it was a weapon that would completely destroy every part of his body, making regeneration impossible. And the activation key for that satellite weapon, ironically, was in the hands of the little sister who loved Shido the most—Itsuka Kotori.
To be honest, when Yutsuki uncovered this piece of information, her affection for Ratatoskr instantly dropped to rock bottom.
Kotori showed a trace of wavering at Yutsuki's sudden question, but quickly realized that Ryougi Yutsuki had already grasped the secret she had kept deeply hidden through hacking.
Instantly understanding that extra explanations were aningless, Kotori took a deep breath and, with an incredibly firm tone, said to Yutsuki.
"...I won't let that situation happen. Absolutely!"
"..."
Hearing this, Yutsuki didn't say anything. Instead, she silently hugged her in her arms.
"Wh-What are you doing!"
Caught off guard by Yutsuki's unexpected reaction, Kotori said in a panic.
"Idiot. Did you think a half-baked answer like that could fool ? I can tell, you're lost, aren't you." Gently stroking Kotori's hair, Yutsuki sighed softly and comforted her, "Sacrificing the majority for one person, or sacrificing one person for the majority? This kind of multiple-choice question between justice and evil is still too early for you. There's no need to bear such a heavy burden alone. If we really run into that kind of situation, rely on us. A problem one person can't solve should be solved by everyone relying on each other, right?"
"..."
Kotori didn't speak. She just silently hugged Yutsuki tighter.
Yutsuki also just silently stroked Kotori's hair.
"Alright... that's enough, Yutsuki-nee."
Hearing Kotori's voice, Yutsuki let go of Kotori. Looking at her slightly red cheeks, she smiled, "How is it? How does it feel in Onee-chan's embrace?"
"...I lost."
Looking at her own chest, then recalling the feeling just now, she turned her head away and said with an incredibly desolate tone.
"...You should be glad the one hugging you wasn't Reine. = ="
Reine (F-cup or above): "...?"
"Then... after talking so much, Yutsuki-nee, have you ever thought about what your own Inverse condition is?"
Hearing Reine's question, Yutsuki raised her eyebrows. After a mont of silence, she smiled and shook her head, "Of course I've thought about it. But I feel like, if Shido was killed, I would at most be consud by anger and a desire for revenge. Despair is impossible."
"So confident..."
Kotori looked at Yutsuki with a suspicious face and said.
"Well, after all, I'm definitely the type to beco calr the angrier I get."
Yutsuki puffed out her chest and said confidently. Then, Reine on the side spoke slowly.
"...Then what if Shiori was gang-b*nged by a group of n?"
"She wouldn't... right?"
"What's the use of asking us back?!"
In response to Kotori's retort, Yutsuki laughed "Hahaha..." a few tis to bluff her way through.
(Inverse condition... sothing like that probably won't happen, right?)
Original Author's PS: This chapter is an extra chapter added after discussing it with a reader for a long ti. Mainly considering that after Tohka's Inversion, I felt Yutsuki should develop so suspicions towards both DEM and Ratatoskr and take action. And also to bring forward so of Shido's actions from the latest Volu 14 here.
TL: next arc is arusu install, I don't know much about the ga so there might be so error.
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