In the end, Kotori couldn't bring herself to say it—Amber made the final call. They'd just have to wait and test things out personally the next time a Spirit materialized.
If anything dangerous happened, she would step in immediately to stop it.
As for blocking DEM, it didn't necessarily have to be her personally handlingit.
After all, Schicksal didn't stop being the world's strongest armed force just because Durandal wasn't on the field. Durandal was Schicksal's indispensable top combat asset, but even without her, Schicksal still reigned supreme.
With Durandal's reassurance, Shiori visibly relaxed. The main points had been settled; the rest couldn't be decided by words alone. So they dropped the subject and moved on to dinner.
Rita's cooking leaned heavily toward balanced nutrition and energy.
Though she paid careful attention to flavor, it often took a backseat to health considerations.
As a result, her dishes tended to be on the blander side—not unpleasant, but hardly comparable to meals loaded with rich seasonings.
Shiori's cooking, on the other hand, was more ordinary. Nutrition was still a priority, but taste came first. The allure of delicious food was simply too strong for a girl who lived in the ordinary world.
Even if she occasionally consumed more calories than needed, she could always balance it out later with lighter meals.
Besides, with all the walking she did, Shiori rarely had to worry about consuming more than she burned. As long as she didn't overindulge, she could maintain her slender figure.
Thanks to Shiori, Amber got to enjoy what she hadn't tasted in ages—'junk food.'
Their private discussion among the four wasn't exactly a secret. The next morning, Kotori reported the details to the higher-ups at Ratatoskr.
The brass hadn't expected things to unfold in such an unexpected way, but they were overjoyed. Who would've thought a random turn of events would earn them Durandal's goodwill?
Even though it was Shiori and Kotori who'd gained her favor, Kotori was, after all, the commander of the Fraxinus under Ratatoskr—a high-ranking position in her own right.
They promptly asked if any additional support was needed.
Now that they were 'on the same side,' even if World Serpent and Schicksal were powerful, they had little presence in Japan. If needed, Ratatoskr could offer plenty of assistance.
But when Kotori relayed the offer, Amber declined.
Although their cooperation was basically settled, there was a trial period built into the agreement. If Itsuka Shiori failed to succeed after five attempts at contacting Spirits, the terms would have to be renegotiated.
Ratatoskr had no grounds to refuse—when it came to influence, the stronger side called the shots.
If anything, the fact that Durandal hadn't forcibly taken Shiori and Kotori away after learning the full situation, and was instead willing to cooperate and let them stay, spoke volumes about the character of this strongest Valkyrie.
Everyone, including Amber, assumed this trial period would last a while. But just three days later, another spiritual wave signaling a manifestation was detected.
According to the readings, it was the Princess again—and once more, in Tengu City.
The coincidence struck everyone as odd, but Spacequakes and Spirit manifestations had never followed strict patterns. It wasn't entirely impossible for the same Spirit to choose the same location on Earth just three days later.
The Spirit's appearance also meant Fraxinus was springing into action.
At the same time, DEM's mobilization order came through.
After the last squad leader brought news of Durandal's presence back to DEM, Westcott immediately sensed that something unusual must be happening on this small island nation to attract Schicksal's attention.
What's more, since Schicksal had prevented DEM from approaching the Spirit, he had reason to suspect that Mobius had made some kind of breakthrough in Spirit research.
He never underestimated Mobius—always giving her the utmost regard.
Not just because Mobius controlled the world's two most powerful forces in military strength and intelligence, but also because he knew her all too well.
They had met a few times before, and every encounter left him unsettled and pressured, as if in her eyes, he were nothing more than an ant that could be crushed anytime.
He admitted it: the one who had single-handedly created the Valkyrie system and their combat suits—Mobius—was every bit as capable as he was.
And now, that very Mobius had sent Durandal to this tiny island nation. Westcott was determined to uncover her intentions.
So this time, he deployed even more forces, even dispatching DEM's current strongest combat asset—Ellen Mira Mathers.
As one of the two strongest Wizards in the world, Westcott had absolute confidence in Ellen's combat prowess. Even facing Durandal, he didn't believe Ellen would fall short.
He knew that in terms of pure destructive power, Durandal surpassed Ellen. But individual combat effectiveness wasn't just about destruction.
Durandal could easily suppress Spirits, but Ellen, with her world's strongest Territory, could do the same.
The world only knew that Durandal had defeated three Spirits—they didn't know DEM had already captured one.
Who was truly stronger? They'd have to fight to find out.
Right now, Tengu City was under the highest alert as three major forces mobilized. Undercover agents from various nations were aware of the situation; countless eyes were monitoring the city through various means, watching to see what would unfold.
Shiori, who had been in the middle of class, was picked up by Fraxinus and brought aboard the ship. Soon, she was sent into the district damaged by the Spirit's manifestation.
The members of Immortal Blades, led by Rita, took up positions in the sky nearby—a clear signal for unwanted guests to keep their distance.
It didn't take long for those 'unwanted guests' to arrive, halting not far from Immortal Blades and staring them down from a distance.
"Where is Durandal?" Ellen, leading the squad, demanded outright.
"Lady Durandal is occupied with more important matters and is unable to receive uninvited guests at the moment," Rita replied, a faint smile on her face.
Enhanced by her Argent Knight: Artemis, her magical power was boosted to its maximum, and the scythe in her hand gleamed with a faint, chilling light.
Seeing her confident demeanor, Ellen smirked coldly.
"Just a nobody, and you think you can stop me, the strongest Wizard? …But it doesn't matter. I'll make you understand the gap in our strength."
"The Strongest Wizard?" Rita wasn't intimidated in the slightest; her smile widened.
"As far as I know, the only one in this world who can be called the strongest in combat is Lady Durandal. If you're here to perform magic tricks, perhaps the circus would suit you better."
There was no point in further talk. Since the other side refused to yield, Ellen saw no need to waste words. "Assume combat stance. Shoot down all of Schicksal's obstructors."
Rita had nothing more to say, either. "As Lady Durandal's unit, we excel in both combat and support. The afternoon tea we've prepared for you today is… a firm rejection."
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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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.