Kotori naturally knew this situation was utterly abnormal—like farmers' son becoming emperor levels of absurd.
If Kotori were in her thirties or forties, or had some powerful background, it might make sense. But she was just a girl who hadn't even attended high school.
Why would an organization like Ratatoskr bring her in as the commander of a battleship?
'Don't tell me you're the second coming of Durandal?'
"Hah…"
Kotori took a deep breath, then straightened her expression. "Since things have come to this, I'll keep it simple. Once the World Serpent starts infiltrating Japan, it's not like we'll be able to keep it from you anyway."
Rita maintained her smile, showing no intention of interrupting.
Amber frowned slightly but likewise stayed silent.
"Ratatoskr's method of sealing a Spirit's power… is my sister, Shiori Itsuka."
"???"
Rita had considered all sorts of secrets Kotori might reveal, but this particular possibility had never crossed her mind.
"But judging by your attitude, and Shiori's behavior, it seems she isn't aware of it."
Amber put on a serious expression.
"Aren't you going to question it at all?"
Kotori glanced curiously at the golden-haired girl, but remembering her straightforward nature, while still a bit puzzled, she wasn't entirely surprised.
She continued, "Even if you don't doubt it, I'll still provide proof."
"Proof?"
Truthfully, Rita wasn't skeptical either—not out of any particular trust, but simply because if this were a lie, it would be easily exposed.
Still, she was curious about what this so-called proof might be.
"The proof is me."
Kotori's words were startling. "Five years ago, a great fire broke out in Tengu City. That disaster was triggered by the birth of the Flame Spirit—and that Spirit was me."
Without pausing to let anyone digest the information, she went on, "During that catastrophe, Shiori sealed my spiritual power, and afterward, she lost all memory of it."
Having said that, she turned toward the staircase leading to the second floor, her tone complex yet still calm and forceful. "That's the truth of it, Shiori."
"Wait… Is this some kind of tabletop game setting? Is 'Spirit' some kind of character class?"
Shiori, who'd overheard the conversation on her way down, stepped out awkwardly from the stairwell—partly because she'd been caught eavesdropping, but more out of frustration.
"Kotori, since when do you call your big sister by her first name?"
She instinctively tried to act the older-sister role, only to realize Kotori's expression showed no hint of a joke—only seriousness.
And it wasn't just Kotori; the blonde girl and the maid, who'd seemed like ordinary guests moments before, were now looking at her with thoughtful expressions.
This atmosphere made Shiori uneasy.
"Are you saying that Ratatoskr's plan to draw Schicksal into the game… revolves around a girl who knows nothing about Spirits?"
Finally, Amber, her brow furrowed, couldn't hold back anymore.
Rita, who'd been pondering what made Shiori Itsuka so special, smiled wryly at that.
Rather than focusing on the secret or any hidden conspiracy, her concern was for the innocent girl being used as a pawn? That was just like Durandal-sama's style.
Kotori picked up on it too, and the question instantly put her on the defensive.
"Y-yes, that's right. Although we've secretly looked into why only Shiori has this ability, still…"
She couldn't quite finish. The subject of their research, the one dragged into this inexplicably, was her own sister—and yet, as her younger sister, she hadn't considered Shiori's own feelings, focusing only on the 'greater good.'
From a big-picture standpoint, she hadn't done anything wrong, but… even Durandal, an outsider, was questioning it, while she, Shiori's own family, had acted as though it were perfectly natural. It was… a little shameful.
Shiori herself was quite shaken, staring at Kotori in disbelief.
She accepted these wild claims almost without skepticism—not just because she'd had her own share of chuunibyou fantasies as a kid, but more importantly… Kotori's reaction felt too real, and the girl before her seemed nothing like the little sister she remembered.
"You… are Kotori, right?"
The blue-haired girl murmured without thinking, then quickly realized how her words must sound.
Sure enough, Kotori—already looking somewhat upset—stared at her in shock.
"Um… sorry…"
Even though Kotori had kept so many huge things from her without a word, Shiori couldn't bear to see her little sister's pained expression. "It's just… I never knew Kotori had a side I didn't know about."
"What are you apologizing for, you dumb big sis!"
Kotori quickly readjusted her expression.
"Who are you calling a dumb big sis…?"
In the past, Shiori could never have imagined a day when her sweet, affectionate little sister would call her by name and say something like that.
But her apology wasn't entirely baseless: "I just feel like it's partly my fault too. As your big sister, I never even noticed what was going on with you."
That wasn't entirely fair—after all, Shiori wasn't some superhuman.
She had school, club activities, and on top of that, she'd taken on a motherly role: grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning—almost everything fell on her shoulders. She was only sixteen, just two years older than her sister.
That she could still remain sunny, gentle, and doting on her sister despite all that—no one could possibly ask more of her.
Kotori knew these words came from Shiori's heart, but they didn't comfort her; they only made her feel worse.
"So… can you tell me about it? About Spirits, and sealing their powers?"
Shiori asked.
If Shiori were one of her subordinates, Kotori would've kicked her by now.
If she'd eavesdropped on the whole thing, she should've realized these two guests were outsiders, not from the same faction.
But remembering that Shiori was just an ordinary high school student, and that she herself intended to come clean anyway, Kotori held back her reaction.
She sighed, then gathered everyone around the dining table to explain the situation in detail.
Mostly for Shiori's benefit.
Shiori truly hadn't expected the world's truth to be like this—that Spacequakes weren't ordinary disasters, but side effects of Spirits manifesting in this world.
By sealing a Spirit's powers, Spacequakes could be stopped at the source.
She was even more shocked to learn that the little blonde girl she'd randomly met while grocery shopping was actually the strongest human in the world—someone who could single-handedly defeat Spirits, the embodiments of natural disasters, and had already taken down three.
"But, if Durandal can defeat Spirits, why do we need to seal them?"
Shiori voiced her confusion.
Amber fielded that one: "Because Spirits aren't beings that can simply be killed."
Her expression was stern. "We've dealt with Spirits before. A Spirit's power comes from a Sephira Crystal. If you remove the crystal, the Spirit dies—but soon after, the crystal vanishes into thin air, and a new Spirit is born."
"So the Sephira Crystal keeps creating new Spirits… meaning even if you kill one, there'll always be another…"
Now Shiori understood.
Kotori was hearing this for the first time. She knew Schicksal was the organization with the most knowledge about Spirits, but she hadn't realized they understood their very nature this deeply.
Is it really okay to tell an outsider like me this?
Still, she never expected that Ratatoskr's plan to seal Spirit powers had accidentally stumbled upon the only permanent solution to Spacequakes.
She'd thought Schicksal didn't necessarily need Ratatoskr.
Well, not Schicksal per se—more like Durandal.
Schicksal probably never considered permanently solving Spacequakes.
Only someone with Durandal's straightforward, guileless personality would think that way.
Wait, that's not right… While Schicksal might refuse Ratatoskr or even try to steal the sealing technology, the one who came to negotiate was Durandal.
Which meant… she probably hadn't needed to reveal everything like that. With Durandal's upright character, she'd never abandon a potential solution to Spacequakes.
Realizing this, Kotori's eyes widened as she stared at Amber.
Oh, I see. So when you said 'refusal' earlier, you were just pressuring us—you never actually planned to walk away that easily!
Kotori pursed her lips. Even realizing this now was useless—in the end, the power gap was just too vast.
She could only continue with her explanation: "Anyway, Shiori, your job is to seal the Spirits' powers, to keep them from going Lost. That way, they won't cause Spacequakes when they manifest."
Shiori nodded, her expression grave.
"This responsibility has been forced upon you, Shiori. While I'd like to say Spirits aren't as terrifying as you might imagine, if you're afraid, you can refuse outright. You're not a soldier. Carrying the world's fate on your shoulders isn't your duty. No matter who tries to hold you accountable, I'll stand in front of you."
Amber offered Shiori a way out, her tone apologetic.
Honestly, whether it was Shiori, the Spirit girls, or even Shiori's male counterpart in another timeline, in Amber's eyes, they were all pitiful pawns manipulated by Mio Takamiya.
So if Shiori truly said she didn't want to be part of this plan, Amber would protect her—even if it meant facing Mio Takamiya directly.
"Thank you."
Amber's voice was firm and carried a sense of strength. This was a promise from the strongest human, perhaps even the strongest being on Earth, and it gave Shiori some small measure of peace.
Though she still felt unfamiliar with all these supernatural concepts, she understood the weight of such a guarantee.
Shiori's smile relaxed a little. "And here we've only just met… yet you say all this for my sake."
"You have the right to choose how you live your life. Not just you—everyone does."
Amber stated.
Watching the two exchange such 'meaningful glances,' Kotori couldn't take it anymore and hurriedly steered the topic back: "So, Shiori, what's your decision?"
Though earlier she'd taken Shiori's involvement for granted, after that conversation, Kotori realized her own thoughtlessness and now handed the choice back to Shiori.
"I'll do it."
This time, Shiori nodded without hesitation. "If this is something only I can do, then I have no reason not to."
Her answer made both Kotori and Amber breathe a sigh of relief. The three shared a smile—genuine ones, free from organizational allegiances.
"So, what's the method of sealing?"
A sudden interjection reminded everyone there was a fourth person present.
The maid's smile was colder than ever. Anyone could tell she wasn't in a good mood.
But her question wasn't loaded—it was purely practical. Kotori, the only one who knew the method, blinked. "Did I not mention it?"
"You really didn't."
Amber confirmed.
Shiori's expression grew more serious. Though she'd spoken brave words, she knew this had to be incredibly dangerous. She swallowed nervously, eyes fixed on Kotori.
"Simply put… go on a date with the Spirit, make her blush with affection, and then kiss her."
Shiori: "…Hah?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.