Chapter 493: To Enter or Not to Enter?
Noticing Kaguya's gaze, the beautiful woman lifted her head, locking eyes with her. Upon seeing Kaguya, she paused momentarily, then quickly averted her gaze and continued walking, brushing past Kaguya.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow slightly. She could clearly sense a faint magical aura emanating from the woman. Though others might not notice it, it was evident to Kaguya. For a human to possess such magical power was highly unusual. Typically, this kind of magic was only found in individuals who had undergone magical refinement, a process that greatly shortens one's lifespan.
There were plenty of examples of this in the original story.
Could this woman be one of DEM Corporation's specially modified humans? Or perhaps a high-ranking official?
Just then, the beautiful woman suddenly stumbled, losing her balance. Before Kaguya's astonished eyes, she fell awkwardly to the ground, scattering her documents everywhere.
Kaguya felt a cold sweat form on her forehead as the corner of her mouth twitched. Watching the woman lying there pathetically, Kaguya couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. The way she had fallen looked so painful.
Maybe I'm just overthinking things, Kaguya mused. A woman who trips on flat ground like that couldn't possibly be a high-ranking, specially modified human from DEM Corporation. Watching the woman clutching her injured nose, her eyes welling up with tears, Kaguya realized she was likely just a klutz—perhaps even a bit of an airhead.
Within the DEM Corporation building, there were 43 AST members being treated, most of whom had been placed in intensive care units. Although none of them showed signs of regaining consciousness, their vital signs were stable, and there were no other visible injuries.
After undergoing her own medical checkup, Kaguya was found to be in perfect health. There was no need for her to receive the same treatment as the other AST members.
In an office within the DEM Corporation building:
"Director, this is Kaguya's medical report."
The beautiful woman from earlier handed over a report. She was none other than the woman Kaguya had encountered in the hallway.
"Is that so?" The man receiving the report was strikingly handsome with white hair, though his complexion was unnaturally pale—matching the color of his hair. His narrow eyes gave off an unsettling, sinister vibe.
If Kaguya had paid closer attention, she would have recognized the woman as none other than Ellen Mira Mathers, the Deputy Chief Executive of DEM Corporation and the world's most powerful mage. Known for her ability to effortlessly overwhelm most Spirits in combat, Ellen usually appeared quite airheaded and clumsy—her physical prowess was severely lacking. It was no wonder Kaguya had misjudged her.
The man, on the other hand, was unmistakable. If Kaguya had met him, she would have immediately known. This was Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott, the head of DEM Corporation.
"The report shows nothing abnormal," Ellen said softly to Westcott. "The data reads like that of an ordinary girl—nothing exceptional, really. You could even say it's quite mediocre. Does she really possess such immense power?"
"Never judge something by its surface appearance," Westcott said with a faint smile as he sat back in his chair. "This may very well be a clever disguise. For someone with such great power to show such unremarkable data, doesn't that, in itself, raise suspicion?"
"A powerful Spirit?" Ellen smirked. "I don't see anything particularly special about her."
"Don't underestimate her," Westcott replied, smiling slightly. "She's different from other Spirits. The fact that our instruments couldn't detect even a hint of her Spirit power is intriguing. It suggests she may possess some ability to conceal her aura. Regardless, she's not someone we can afford to overlook, and I'm very interested in her power."
"These Spirits aren't all that powerful," Ellen scoffed. "No matter how strong they are, they can only go so far."
Westcott chuckled, "I know what you're thinking—you believe I'm overestimating the Spirits, and that annoys you. Isn't that right, 'the world's strongest mage'?"
Ellen's lips curled into a slight smile, her beautiful lavender eyes flashing with a glint of light. "If the opportunity presents itself, I'd love to face her in combat."
At that moment, the report in Westcott's hands suddenly began to float, transforming into a black and purple orb surrounded by crackling lightning. The ominous energy it radiated was palpable.
"What is this...?" Westcott's face froze in surprise, his pupils contracting. "This is bad."
"Huh?" Ellen blinked in confusion, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
BOOM!
A blinding pillar of light shot up into the night sky, tearing through the darkness like a second sun, turning night into day. The deafening roar of the explosion echoed through the entire city as a massive mushroom cloud rose into the air, followed by a towering inferno. The shockwave obliterated everything in its path, reducing the surroundings to rubble in the blink of an eye. In an instant, the once-proud DEM building was reduced to a half-destroyed ruin, with debris and dust swirling through the air as acrid smoke filled the scene.
Crash! Two figures pushed aside the debris and crawled out of the wreckage, their bodies covered in dust, their appearance more like beggars than the esteemed figures they were—Westcott and Ellen.
Gone was Westcott's usual composed, gentlemanly demeanor. His eyes burned with fury as he ground his teeth, his fists clenched tightly. His voice, cold and menacing, came through gritted teeth.
"That... bastard."
Even a fool could tell that Kaguya had outwitted them.
"Damn it!" Ellen fumed, punching the rubble in frustration. "I swear, I'll kill her!"
"Ah! That hurts!" Ellen yelped, cradling her reddened fist, tears welling up in her eyes. In her anger, she had completely forgotten that she wasn't wearing her manifestation device.
Meanwhile, far away and nearly home, Kaguya heard the thunderous explosion. She turned her head, glancing at the distant flames rising from the DEM Corporation building. A mischievous smile crept across her face.
The sky gradually darkened as night fell, the last rays of the setting sun disappearing beyond the horizon. Darkness blanketed the earth once more, and a crescent moon slowly ascended from the horizon. Its soft light, like a pool of autumn water, cascaded gently over the lush treetops. A cool breeze passed through, causing a gentle rustling sound to echo through the forest.
By the time Kaguya returned home, it was already night. The medical examinations had taken longer than expected due to the large number of people being checked. Fortunately, Kaguya had anticipated this, so she had bought plenty of snacks and cookies at home. Though they couldn't compare to the meals Kaguya prepared herself, at least they would keep Yoshino from going hungry while waiting for her return.
"You're back, Kaguya-chan."
As soon as Kaguya stepped through the door, she saw Yoshino waving her small arms enthusiastically. Seeing Kaguya's return, Yoshino's large, beautiful eyes instantly brightened with joy.
"Sorry, something came up, so I'm a bit late today," Kaguya said apologetically as she entered the living room.
"We waited for so long!" Yoshinon laughed. "If you didn't come back soon, Yoshino was going to come looking for you!"
"N-No, I wasn't..." Yoshino said shyly, a slight blush on her face.
Kaguya walked over and glanced at the clean table, slightly surprised. "Didn't I leave some snacks in the fridge? You didn't eat them?"
"Yoshino wanted to wait for you to come back so we could eat together. Without you, I only ate a little and didn't feel much like eating afterward," Yoshino explained.
Sure enough, under the table was an opened package, with a cookie bearing small bite marks beside it—evidence of Yoshino's small appetite.
"Sorry about that," Kaguya said with a smile, gently patting Yoshino's head. "Thank you for waiting so long. I'll make sure to come back earlier from now on."
"Mhm," Yoshino nodded softly, a small, sweet smile appearing on her lips.
After dinner, Kaguya returned to her room, where she suddenly thought of Origami.
Origami had a mission tonight and wouldn't be returning home. There were reports that a Spirit had appeared again, killing several innocent civilians. A citywide alert had been issued, and Kaguya suspected that it was most likely Kurumi Tokisaki causing the trouble.
With the recent accident in the virtual simulation system, many AST members were still receiving treatment at DEM Corporation. And now, since Kaguya had destroyed the upper half of the DEM building, while sparing the lower half and ensuring no one was killed, many of the medical devices had been destroyed, which would delay their treatment.
As a result, Origami had been temporarily reassigned to the mission—something that had happened due to Kaguya's own actions.
It was probably time to get a phone. That way, she could easily stay in contact with others, especially in situations like this where she had no way to be informed of what was happening.
Kaguya stripped off her clothes and changed into a bathrobe, grabbing a towel before heading to the bathroom to take a hot bath. Recent events had left her feeling mentally fatigued, and she thought a bath would help her relax. To her surprise, the apartment actually had a bathtub, something she hadn't expected since she originally thought there was only a shower.
However, Kaguya's mind was elsewhere, occupied with her thoughts.
She couldn't help but wonder if her arrival in this world had disrupted the timeline. The Spirits weren't appearing in the same order as in the original story; instead, their appearances seemed chaotic and random. The first Spirit, Tohka Yatogami, hadn't even appeared yet. Meanwhile, DEM Corporation, the mastermind behind many events, had already made their move, seemingly focused on investigating Kaguya, possibly even identifying her as a Spirit.
As for the other Spirits, there had been no news of them. It would be helpful to gather more information, though it was unfortunate that Kotori Itsuka wasn't on friendly terms with her. Otherwise, Kaguya could have potentially used her influence to help.
But enough of that for now—Kaguya decided it was time to enjoy her bath.
Just as she slid open the bathroom door, she froze.
Someone was already inside.
Sitting on a small stool, Yoshino gently rubbed soap onto her body. Her light blue hair framed her large, sparkling eyes, and her fair skin glistened in the light. Though still a young girl, her small frame moved with the lightness of youth as water droplets slid down her smooth skin, splashing softly onto the ground.
Sensing something, Yoshino quickly turned around, and upon seeing that it was Kaguya, she let out a sigh of relief, smiling sweetly. "Do you want to join me?"
Facing Yoshino's innocent invitation, her body completely exposed, Kaguya felt like she was standing at a crossroad, about to make a difficult decision.
Should she go in? Or not?
An intense internal battle raged within Kaguya's mind.
"Am I bothering you?" Yoshino asked, clearly misunderstanding Kaguya's hesitation. Her expression became a bit flustered. "If I'm in your way, I can leave right away." With that, her small, delicate body stood up.
Kaguya saw the nervous expression on Yoshino's face and paused. It seemed that Yoshino had misunderstood her silence. Kaguya quickly made her decision. As a proud lover of lolis, there was no way she would hurt someone as precious as Yoshino.
If she left now, it would surely hurt Yoshino's feelings, making her think Kaguya disliked her. Kaguya could tell by her anxious expression how sensitive she was, especially about matters like these.
Stepping forward, Kaguya gently pressed down on Yoshino's white, round shoulders, guiding her back onto the stool. With a smile, she said, "You're overthinking things. I was just thinking that you're already so cute—when you grow up, you're going to be a real beauty."
"Re-Really?" Yoshino blinked her large eyes, still feeling a little unsure.
"Of course," Kaguya said with a chuckle, picking up the towel that had fallen on the floor. "Here, let me help you wash up."
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