Obviously, Masahara Takashi wasn't the only one with this idea.
Everyone present shared the same suspicion.
Each creator's face revealed varying degrees of genuine joy, all sincerely hoping this possibility would become reality.
If Altair had truly been captured by Mio Takamiya for stealing the spirit, there was no way the enraged Mio would ever let her go.
Better yet, if one dared to think more optimistically, maybe Mio had even outright eliminated Altair.
If that were the case, then the crisis threatening their world would be resolved, wouldn't it?
There would be no more large-scale breakdowns, no more dangerous creations descending, no more worrying about losing their lives at any moment...
They could finally leave this place and return to their familiar homes, going back to peaceful and leisurely lives.
Most of the creators present were over thirty, well past the age of craving adventure.
As a represTachibanative of the government, Kikuchihara Aki certainly wished for this outcome even more.
The government had been operating beyond capacity for far too long to conceal the existence of the creations.
If this incident became known to the public or other nations, it would inevitably cause massive upheaval.
So, if Altair could quietly disappear into another world, it would be an ideal outcome for the government.
The various creations felt the same joy.
Altair disappearance meant they no longer needed to focus their attention and energy on how to fight the Military Uniform Princess. Instead, they could focus on finding a way home.
Not every creation was like Tsukigomori Makoto, wanting to stay in the real world.
Even if they were fictional characters, everything they had experienced was real to them.
In their original worlds, they had missions to complete, people and things to save, and loved ones waiting for them.
Altair disappearance was naturally good news to them.
Among everyone, only one person had a dazed expression.
That person was Natsumi Kyouno.
"...Wait a minute, if you got caught by Mio, then what about me?"
Faced with such a situation for the first time, even with her peerless acting skills, Natsumi couldn't control her expression. Her pupils lost focus as she stared into the void.
Her main quest was to become the "witch who brings chaos."
To complete that quest, she had always aimed to throw Altair plans into disarray and become an uncontrollable variable in her scheme.
But now, Altair was just... gone.
Tohka didn't become the witch who brings chaos — instead, Altair had become the chaotic Military Uniform Princess.
Her mind was a mess.
How was she supposed to complete her main quest now?
Although the title "witch who brings chaos" could be interpreted in many ways, and completing it didn't necessarily require derailing Altair plans — becoming a chaotic neutral third party could also be valid — the problem was, she had already joined Meteora camp, and formed strong bonds and friendships with everyone here.
It was far too late to switch to being some neutral chaotic entity now.
"If Altair really got caught by Mio Takamiya, then I have to go save her!"
After a brief panic, Natsumi Kyouno quickly collected her thoughts and made up her mind about what to do next.
Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she focused her attention once more on the people in front of her.
At this moment, it seemed everyone had accepted the possibility as very likely, and were halfway to popping champagne.
She had to think of a way to snap them back to seriousness — to make them realize that the danger wasn't over yet.
"Natsumi, what's wrong?"
Seeing the grim look on Natsumi Kyouno face, Mamika Kirameki asked in confusion, "If Altair is trapped in another world, isn't that a good thing? Don't you think so, Natsumi?"
"Of course. If that woman really got caught by Mio, that would indeed be good news."
Natsumi Kyouno nodded, but then her tone shifted:
"But even if she did get captured, that doesn't mean she'll stay there forever."
"Uhh..."
With those words, the wave of excitement from earlier began to fade.
Meteora previously relaxed expression suddenly tightened, as if she had thought of something, and she became serious again.
"You're right. If we assume Mio Takamiya captured Altair, it must be because Altair disrupted her plans and kidnapped Natsumi without permission."
Recalling the plot of Date A Live, Meteora pondered and said cautiously,
"But, if Altair surrenders and agrees to return Natsumi, then Mio might not want to escalate things and may just let her go."
"No — she might not just let her go."
Selesia also grew serious and added:
"She might even demand to come to the real world with Altair."
In an instant, the previously joyful atmosphere vanished.
Everyone's expressions became grim.
Altair alone was enough of a headache.
But if a being stronger than Altair like Mio Takamiya were to come to the real world as well...
The Kōshi Tachibana Company would be doomed!
No — not just Tachibana.
The entire Meteora faction might be completely wiped out!
Altair was a maniac who wanted to destroy the world, but was Mio Takamiya really any better?
She didn't care about the survival of this world — all she wanted was to resurrect her beloved.
She would sacrifice anything to achieve that.
In a certain sense, Altair and Mio were even somewhat alike.
If they learned of each other's backgrounds and goals, and happened to hit it off...
That would be a catastrophe beyond repair.
"No — the odds of that happening are probably small."
Meteora pursed her lips, frowning slightly as she said,
"The world has its own rules. Altair descent was already a miracle that defied those rules. The world rules that restrict Altair are unlikely to allow her to bring in a creation even stronger than herself. If Mio Takamiya really could be brought into this world, I suspect the world's repair mechanisms would just... reboot everything."
Her words reminded everyone of the three core forces: repair force, interference force, and acknowledgment force.
To put it in metaphorical terms, Mio Takamiya was akin to a being on the same level as a true god.
Whereas Altair was merely a mortal with the potential to become one.
The world might permit the latter, but would never accept the former.
"But even if the chance of Mio descending is small, we still can't ignore the possibility of Altair returning."
Meteora said seriously,
"Everyone — the crisis... is not over."