Chapter 511: The Radiant Morning
Leaving her home, Kaguya couldn't help but sigh. Learning to act up was so much easier than acting decently—it felt as though her once pure and innocent Tohka Yatogami had somehow picked up so much, leaving Kaguya thinking how times had changed, with people growing ever more deceitful.
Of course, a "righteous young women" like Kaguya would never secretly relish something like this.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on it, though; she had business with Kotori Itsuka. Although Kaguya couldn't guess what game she was playing, Kotori did seem to know something unknown to Kaguya. Since she'd gone out of her way to ask Kaguya to come find her, it was likely she had something up her sleeve.
Kaguya stood in her yard, breathing calmly. Her clear eyes glimmered with a faint, invisible power as her mental energy expanded outward, spreading in all directions like a vast, probing net.
Got it.
Kaguya's gaze sharpened, turning to the blue sky above, feeling a strong energy fluctuation there. Though something up there was trying hard to mask its aura, that was no match for Kaguya's heightened perception—especially in the open sky, where there were no buildings or crowds to mask it as in a busy city.
Ten thousand meters high, the airship Fraxinus was waiting.
Just then, Kaguya sensed a slight movement, glancing to see a small figure darting through the bushes in the distance, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Though it had been brief, Kaguya saw it clearly—a young girl with disheveled, pale green hair, a fair face, a petite frame, and a wide-brimmed hat. Kaguya recognized her as the little girl she'd encountered twice before.
It's her again?
Slightly taken aback, Kaguya hadn't expected to see her here once more. But she didn't think much of it. There were plenty of homeless children wandering the streets, often orphans or runaways who'd chosen the streets over shelter facilities.
The shelters weren't exactly welcoming places, after all. Despite their name, they held a notorious reputation for their sinister dealings, including some incidents as horrifying as mummified bodies discovered within. So encountering unfortunate children on the streets had become almost routine.
Now that Kaguya had locked onto Fraxinus's location, she didn't hesitate. She braced her foot against the ground, propelling herself like an arrow into the air. Her figure swirled upward, becoming a streak of light cutting across the sky.
"Commander, do you really intend to go through with this?" A lean, handsome man with golden hair asked anxiously. "You have to remember—our target is a powerful Spirit. Even DEM's teams have suffered heavy losses at her hands. Engaging her head-on like this might lead to unforeseen complications."
"No need for more persuasion; I've made my decision," responded a young girl with fiery red twin tails, her fair skin and striking face accentuated by black and red ribbons. Sitting back with her legs crossed, Kotori grinned confidently. "We need to at least try this approach, don't we?"
The two were Fraxinus's deputy commander Kyouhei Kannazuki and its commander, Kotori Itsuka.
"But…" Kyouhei Kannazuki pressed, "this is extremely risky. If she really is a hostile Spirit, it could—"
"Even if that happens, it's of no consequence," Kotori said with a casual smile. "After all, I won't actually be in any danger. Have you forgotten my position?"
Kyouhei Kannazuki paused, understanding gradually easing his expression. However, he still spoke gravely. "It's still exceedingly risky. If you, the commander of Fraxinus, suffer any mishap, the entire organization of Ratatoskr would be thrown into disarray."
Kotori chuckled, her tone light. "Don't worry, I've already thought it through. It won't come to that, even if things take a strange turn. Besides, I know how to defend myself."
"Fine," Kyouhei Kannazuki said, acknowledging Kotori's determination with a sigh. He could see that she'd made up her mind, so continuing to argue would be pointless. "In that case, allow me to at least—"
His sentence was abruptly interrupted by a sharp, blaring alarm. Red lights pulsed around the room, alerting the crew.
"Commander, unusual energy fluctuations detected southeast of the ship. It could be a Spirit approaching," reported one of the crew members in a hurried voice.
At the same time, the monitors in the control room switched views to reveal a silhouette streaking toward them through the billowing clouds, moving at a staggering speed.
Seeing the image on the screen, Kotori smiled slightly. "So she's finally coming. I was starting to think she might not show up, but this timing is perfect."
"Commander, what are your orders?" The crew turned their attention to Kotori, awaiting her direction.
"Enter full alert status," Kotori commanded, her eyes gleaming. "Let's test her strength."
"Yes, ma'am."
The massive form of the airship sprang to life, its gigantic frame slowly rotating as the enormous turrets and cannons locked onto the rapidly approaching Kaguya. Smaller turrets activated across the ship, taking aim as well.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid the thunderous cannon fire, countless missiles shot out from the airship, trailing plumes of smoke as they streaked toward Kaguya with blinding speed.
Kaguya smirked at the sight, clearly unperturbed. These missiles were as insignificant as toys to her, hardly a threat at all. Even nuclear bombs were nothing more than oversized firecrackers in her eyes. If they thought such attacks could take her down, they were delusional.
She raised her arm and summoned her power. Energy surged within her, converging at her palm and bursting forth with a tremendous repulsive force.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under the immense repulsion, the missiles contorted, twisting into misshapen forms before exploding mid-air in brilliant bursts of light. In an instant, the sky lit up in a dazzling display of fireworks, bright and beautiful.
The airship Fraxinus was utterly silent. The crew members stared unblinkingly at the figure on the screen, rendered speechless, their expressions frozen in shock, beads of cold sweat dotting their foreheads.
On the monitor, the silver-haired girl soared gracefully through the sky like a dragon. Moving as effortlessly as if on a leisurely stroll, she weaved through the missiles and gunfire as if they didn't exist. Before the missiles even reached her, they exploded into fragments with a loud "boom," their massive shockwaves failing to even brush the hem of her clothes.
Their attacks had no effect at all—not even enough to slow her down.
So this is the Spirit hailed as the world's strongest?
Just then, the beautiful silver-haired girl on the screen seemed to sense something, turning to face the monitor with a radiant smile. Her clear, captivating eyes held a charm that seemed to reach right through the screen.
She already knew the surveillance system's location.
Such an acute perception was terrifying.
In that instant, not only did the crew fall into a trance, but even Kotori felt her mind go hazy, her thoughts clouded. Just as quickly, she snapped back to reality, feeling a cold sweat break out along her spine.
What incredible mental power.
Even she had been affected. Those eyes of hers seemed to have a soul-capturing ability, like a vortex pulling people in unknowingly. If it hadn't been for her own uncommon spiritual strength and power, Kotori might have fallen under her sway as well.
"Hey, snap them out of it—" Kotori turned, intending to ask Kyouhei Kannazuki to rouse the crew, but instead found him staring at the screen with a lewd grin, eyes glazed over, drooling so much that his shirt was soaked.
A vein pulsed on Kotori's forehead as anger flashed across her face. She stomped on his foot, hard.
"Aaaah!"
A piercing scream echoed through the room.
Hopping on one foot, Kannazuki clutched the other, wailing in pain, especially since Kotori's black-and-red heels added an extra bite.
Thanks to Kannazuki's scream, the crew finally snapped out of their daze. They looked at each other uneasily, a deep-seated fear welling up inside. Thinking back, they were horrified to realize their minds had been completely controlled—no different than being dead.
"Commander! Bad news! She's approaching the ship and will make contact in less than a minute," a crew member reported, panicked.
"Should we use the Mana Cannon? It might buy us time to retreat," another bald crew member suggested. "That way, we'll have enough time to get out safely."
All eyes turned to Commander Kotori, awaiting her final decision.
"Retreat?" Kotori smiled faintly, crossing her legs. "Who said we're retreating?"
The crew was taken aback, alarm growing as they realized the ship's weapons posed little threat to this foe. Even their Mana Cannon, despite upgrades, seemed unlikely to hold her off, given her ability to wreak havoc on the DEM headquarters. They were understandably anxious.
"Commander, if we don't retreat now, we'll end up—"
"Captured, right?"
A clear, melodious voice cut through the room.
Everyone went rigid as if petrified. Their eyes widened, pupils constricting with uncontainable fear as cold sweat began to flow.
"This is how you welcome guests?" Kaguya strode forward with a calm elegance, a slight smile on her lips. "It seems you're not too happy to see me."
Suddenly, a figure shot forward like lightning to stand between Kaguya and Kotori. It was Kyouhei Kannazuki.
Kaguya glanced at him, surprised. She hadn't expected him, a character with little screen time in the original story, to show such skill. Though mainly portrayed as a tactical officer, Kotori's words implied he might be quite powerful, even possessing strength to rival Spirits. Otherwise, Kotori wouldn't have counted on him in a pinch.
"I thought you might not dare show up," Kotori said, standing up from her chair and approaching until she stood face-to-face with Kaguya. Her eyes locked onto her visitor as a sly smile curved her lips. "Either way, welcome."
"Not dare?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, giving a smile that could enchant the soul. "That word isn't in my dictionary. I was just a little curious, so I decided to come. But, of course, you'll need to show some sincerity. Otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't do something…unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Kotori's eyes narrowed slightly.
"For instance, sending this ship on a lovely free-fall." Kaguya tilted her head, smiling.
"Is that a threat?" Kotori asked coldly, her hand unconsciously clenching.
"A threat?" Kaguya chuckled. "I don't waste time with such boring tactics. I'm sure you've heard about DEM's airship going down recently. Well, I'd say your ship here doesn't look much sturdier than theirs, wouldn't you agree?"
The command center's atmosphere turned tense, thick with unspoken dread.
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