"What in the world is going on?"
Staring at the 200-meter-diameter sphere floating midair on the screen, Itsuka Kotori widened her eyes, unable to make sense of what it truly was.
She had witnessed everything that just happened.
Based on her judgment, this should be something created by that Schicksal Valkyrie, but... the feeling it gave off was far too ominous, making Kotori worry about the situation inside.
She had initially thought that as long as that Valkyrie could hold out for a while, she wouldn't have to swallow her pride and call Durandal again. But now, it seemed that call was unavoidable after all.
Yet, thinking it over carefully, Durandal was probably already deployed by now—calling her would be impossible.
In the past, they could have reached her over the comms channel, but now that the Fraxinus and Schicksal were no longer cooperating, she naturally had no way to access that channel.
"Is Tohka going to be okay?"
Shiori, who had already been brought aboard the aerial warship, wore a worried expression.
Like Kotori, she didn't believe that black-and-red sphere was harmless—its color scheme alone gave off a dangerous, eerie vibe.
Kotori couldn't give Shiori a definitive answer. At this point, all they could do was wait and watch.
Murasame Reine's gaze wasn't fixed on the screen but rather on the ground below it.
Her vision pierced through the hull of the aerial ship, observing the real-world location of the black sphere—even peering into its interior.
She wasn't concerned about whether the Spirits lived or died.
If a Spirit died, she could simply pass the Sephira Crystal to the next candidate. But that only applied to Spirits who hadn't been "conquered" yet.
For Spirits who had already been won over, Reine hoped they could live safely.
If they were to die carelessly, Shiori would have to go through the effort of conquering them all over again—such pointless work would be a waste of time.
After seeing the situation inside the black sphere, Reine finally relaxed.
Although that Valkyrie was currently subjecting the three inside to both mental and physical torment, her treatment of Tohka was more about frightening and toying with her, not going in for the kill.
As for the other two... she didn't particularly care.
Not receiving a reply from Kotori, Shiori grew even more anxious.
Although she felt the Valkyrie Durandal had called in wouldn't be dangerous, and through their interactions she didn't think Seele was a bad person, she couldn't help but worry.
"Can you send me in there?"
"No! Are you serious right now?!"
Kotori frowned at Shiori.
The blue-haired girl then realized her request was essentially asking her younger sister, who cared deeply for her, to throw her into a firepit. It was dangerous for herself and equally cruel to Kotori.
"Sorry... Is there... really nothing else we can do...?"
A sense of helplessness washed over Shiori.
Kotori couldn't offer any comfort in response.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Kotori's phone suddenly rang—and it wasn't her work line, but her personal number.
Who could be calling at a time like this? Durandal? Didn't she deploy?
Though puzzled, Kotori answered the call.
"Hello, is this Miss Itsuka Kotori of the Fraxinus?"
(What the—! How'd she get this number?!)
"Yes, that's me... and you are?"
Whoever this was knew she was from the Fraxinus and had her personal number. Logically, the only people who knew both were those aboard the Fraxinus, her sister Itsuka Shiori, and Durandal.
But everyone from the Fraxinus and Shiori were right here, and the voice on the other end wasn't Durandal's.
"My name is Tokisaki Kurumi. Or perhaps the Commander would prefer to call me... the Nightmare."
"Huh?!"
Nightmare? The Nightmare she was thinking of? No, if they mentioned the Fraxinus, they couldn't possibly not know what "Nightmare" signified.
What was going on now? Why was the Nightmare suddenly calling?
Satisfied by the shock in the other's voice, Kurumi's smile widened slightly.
Lately, she'd been living with those naive Spirits.
While she could still tease them for fun, she couldn't bring herself to mess with Yoshino too much.
And after picking on Kaguya one too many times, Yuzuru had started keeping an eye on her, making things a bit dull.
In the past, she would have loved this kind of life, but people change through their experiences. Expecting Kurumi to suddenly become some champion of justice was pure fantasy.
She could transfer her Sephira Crystal back to her original self from the beginning of time, making that version the true "her," but Kurumi wanted to witness everything come to an end with her own eyes.
"How did you get this number, and how do you know about the Fraxinus? What do you want from us?"
Kotori was starting to sweat. Just moments ago, she was worried about Tohka, and now the Nightmare had her personal info? This was the worst-case scenario.
Unlike other Spirits, the Nightmare hadn't killed countless humans due to Spatial Quakes—she had done so by her own will. Now that she knew about the Fraxinus, who knew if she would come after them?
Kotori herself could handle it—near-death conditions would trigger a reverse flow of spiritual power, granting her the strength to fight—but the others aboard the Fraxinus didn't have bodies as resilient as hers.
"Hehehe... Don't worry, Commander. I bear no ill will toward the Fraxinus."
Kurumi chuckled contentedly, then added, as if realizing her words might not be very reassuring, "Durandal asked me to pass along her regards."
"Durandal?"
Hearing that, the tension in Kotori's nerves eased considerably.
She couldn't help but feel grateful for the reliability of that golden-haired girl—even after being deployed, she still thought to send a message.
As for how she managed to get the Nightmare to deliver it, Kotori remembered what Mobius had said about Schicksal having several Spirits under their care. "So you're under Schicksal's supervision now too?"
"Just as you say, I am currently with Schicksal. But we are merely collaborators with shared interests."
Although the reality matched Kotori's assumption, Kurumi chose a different phrasing, considering how her own actions might cast Schicksal in a negative light.
The sudden shift from a pleasant dream back to reality, forced to confront her bloody past, didn't feel good.
Kurumi lost interest in continuing the conversation and cut straight to the point: "I've brought good news, Commander. There's no need to worry about that black thing in the sky. Seele Vollerei is a qualified Valkyrie—she knows how to exercise restraint. Even the other Seele."
"The other Seele?"
Seele Vollerei was clearly that Valkyrie's name, but what did "the other Seele" mean? Split personality?
Kotori's mind raced with guesses that were probably close to the mark, then she nodded. "I understand. Thank you for the warning, Miss Tokisaki."
"It's nothing. I'm merely repeating what I was told."
Kurumi replied casually. "What happens next is beyond my responsibility. Until we meet again, Commander."
With that, she hung up.
She seemed to be in a suddenly worse mood. Why?
Though puzzled by Kurumi's shift in attitude, Kotori felt relieved. "Don't worry, Shiori. Tohka will be fine. And besides..."
They really needed to make time to visit St. Freya. From every angle, that nest of Spirits was somewhere Shiori couldn't afford to miss.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.