Schicksal's sudden, predatory focus on Japan had naturally thrust this tiny island nation into the global spotlight.
Why had Schicksal suddenly taken such an interest here?
What had Durandal, missing for two full years, been doing all that time?
And now, reappearing right here in Japan—didn't that suggest Schicksal had been quietly, secretly laying the groundwork across Japan for those two years, right under everyone's noses?
If last time it had been three factions on the surface but five in reality, this time it was three on the surface, but who knew how many lurking beneath.
The small room held over ten people, yet each of them carried at least two different identities.
One of them was even a spy serving seven different parties. Yet, the only ones who had any real hope of figuring out Schicksal's intentions were those groups connected to Ratatoskr.
Rita's irritation grew with each interaction.
Her excellent training as a multifaceted operative and her powerful backing allowed her to maintain an air of effortless control throughout the entire meeting.
Still, that didn't mean she was immune to the sheer frustration of dealing with these politicians who played dumb so expertly.
Talking to them was more exhausting than fighting Spirits.
Time, however, marched on.
After three consecutive but separate sessions, the meetings finally concluded. Rita had secured what she wanted: independent administrative rights for Schicksal within Japan.
In simple terms, they could now operate according to Schicksal's own laws and move freely throughout Japanese territory.
This would greatly facilitate Valkyrie deployments and operations. No more need to submit reports to the Japanese authorities like last time.
Yes, previously, Schicksal's operations required submitting applications and reports. After all, this was another nation's territory. Engaging in combat without permission was little different from a terrorist attack.
While the Japanese side would never dare refuse them or risk a falling out with Schicksal, the tedious negotiations and political horse-trading were unavoidable.
Now, Schicksal could skip that step entirely. However... this had its pros and cons.
Last time, only DEM combat personnel had appeared, while the AST hadn't mobilized.
That was because Schicksal had preemptively submitted a 'protective action' request, essentially giving a heads-up, which kept the AST standing down.
Next time, that wouldn't be the case. Furthermore, since the AST and DEM were practically tied together, it was certain that future operations would involve facing both simultaneously.
But... that was hardly a concern for Schicksal.
Finally free from the most arduous part of her work, and thinking about how she could properly relax with Durandal later, Rita's mood improved considerably. She finally took out her phone to check the messages that had piled up during the day.
Of course, none were urgent. Urgent messages would have triggered an alert immediately.
But the moment she opened Schicksal's internal communication app and found Durandal's chat window, Rita was met with a series of messages that left her momentarily bewildered.
Durandal: 'I went out with Origami today. Her investigation suggested that Izayoi Miku might be a Spirit, so we decided to check out her concert venue. It also served as a break for Origami from her intense training lately.'
Durandal: 'Should I bring anything back for you?'
Durandal: 'The concert venue is really lively. [Image]' (A photo of her standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Origami, both holding crêpes.)
Durandal: 'Origami took the photo. Thinking about it, besides you, Rita, this is my first time taking a photo with someone else.'
Rita's knuckles tightened on her phone, a faint blue vein bulging on the back of her hand.
A wave of inexplicable anger simmered in her already frustrated chest. But, relying on her excellent emotional control, she decided to skip over this for now.
Durandal: 'We plan to make contact with Izayoi Miku before the concert starts. I asked the logistics officer to get us access. We're going in to meet her now.'
Durandal: 'Izayoi Miku confirmed as an unidentified Spirit. Target has been captured.'
Rita: '?'
Captured? Just like that? What about the fight? Was there no fight?
If there had been a fight, her phone would have definitely alerted her.
After all, combat involved more than just the fighting itself; minimizing civilian casualties and property damage required significant coordination and control—things Durandal's brute strength couldn't handle alone, needing many human personnel on the ground.
So, what was the situation with this Spirit, captured without even a ripple? Did she not even resist?
--+--
Right now, Miku's mood had hit rock bottom.
She sat cautiously in a corner of Amber's room, looking every bit like a pitiful young girl kidnapped by villains, a far cry from her usual confident and proud demeanor.
Because she was genuinely afraid.
Her mind control had no effect on Durandal whatsoever.
While that wasn't her only ability—she did possess some combat and destructive power—facing the tip of that spear, moving faster than she could react, had stripped her of any courage to resist.
If she really tried anything, she'd probably be killed before she could even process the thought.
Unlike the Miku from the original storyline who had some combat experience, this Miku, during her first potential encounter, had been cowed into hiding by the twin threats of the 'World's Strongest' and 'Spirit Killer.'
The longer she hid, the more her fear grew.
After all... if the other party wasn't as terrifying as she imagined, wouldn't that make her previous caution utterly foolish? Wouldn't all that time spent hiding be a complete waste?
Driven by this subconscious thought, over time, without ever having seen her opponent, Miku had constantly reinforced the image of their invincibility in her mind.
Compounding this, she never had a second encounter to potentially boost her confidence.
The result was an incredibly fragile core hidden beneath a strong exterior, shattered by a single, non-confrontational glimpse, leaving her without the nerve to fight back.
"What are you going to do to me?" Miku couldn't help asking as she watched Durandal enter the room.
According to the clock, two hours had passed since she'd been brought to this room. Because she'd revealed hostile intent, she hadn't even been able to attend her own concert before being hauled here.
After bringing her in, Durandal had simply said, 'Wait here for a while,' and then left.
"There's a matter we need your cooperation with."
Having kept the other waiting for so long, Amber felt a little apologetic.
But considering Miku had tried to attack Origami without warning, this was a bit of payback. With that thought, Amber felt somewhat justified.
"W-What is it?" Miku instinctively felt a surge of fear. From what she understood, Spirits were a rare breed. Were they going to dissect her for research?
If Dark Amber had heard that thought, she would have scoffed in disdain.
Not only had she already researched Spirits extensively, but even if they needed to study one, dissection was out of the question. A live specimen was always more valuable than a corpse.
Where did this 'dissection' trope even come from? A controllable, rare, live specimen—and you'd just slice it up?
"You have some understanding of Spirits, so you should also be aware that Spirits are dangerous and unstable entities for humanity."
Miku couldn't deny that. Although she lived within human society, she occasionally felt an uncontrollable urge 'to let one loose,' and giving in to that feeling would trigger a Spacequake.
She might think it, but she'd never admit it aloud.
Miku was well aware of the potent effect her looks had on most people. She put on a pitiful, sorrowful expression.
"I don't understand what you mean... I've never done anything bad."
It wasn't even acting anymore; it was genuine feeling.
She truly felt wronged. Miku admitted she always had ill intentions, but regardless of whether it was due to fear or cowardice—whatever the reason—she genuinely hadn't done anything outrageous.
At most, she made herself more likable to others.
To avoid drawing attention, she'd always triggered her spacequakes far from urban areas.
Amber knew she was telling the truth.
Honestly, she'd somewhat viewed this Miku through the lens of the original storyline's stereotypes.
In her mind, she'd assumed Miku was undoubtedly a lecherous woman who had coerced many girls.
The reason she'd been out for three hours was because she'd been using the Fenghuang Down to investigate how many girls Miku might have defiled.
But after a thorough search, the result was... Miku had actually lived a rather tame and law-abiding life for two years. That made it unsuitable to restrict her freedom directly, like they had with the Yamai sisters.
Not that the Yamai sisters were heavily restricted; they just weren't allowed to leave Schicksal's artificial island.
It was worth noting that while Schicksal's artificial island was said to be the size of a city, it was actually somewhat larger than the entirety of Japan.
If one could live in Japan in the original storyline, living on Schicksal's island shouldn't be a problem.
Besides, Schicksal's artificial island was far more interesting than Japan.
As for Yoshino... even a Spirit with her non-confrontational nature had caused significant property damage.
While there were no casualties, Schicksal still restricted her to the artificial island, same as the Yamai sisters.
It wasn't a punishment, but because on the island, they didn't have to worry about spacequakes or going Lost, allowing them to experience a relatively normal life to the fullest.
"I know. In fact, before bringing you here, I didn't expect you to be so... well-behaved."
Amber carefully chose her words, finally settling on a more polite term.
Because 'well-behaved' was putting it nicely; it was more like timid or cowardly.
Miku picked up on the implication, but she could only maintain a stiff expression. There was nothing she could do—she was outmatched.
"So, you now have three choices."
Amber took out two folders and handed them to Miku, indicating she should look them over.
Miku swallowed hard. The other party's tone suggested her situation might not be as dire as she'd feared, perhaps not a death sentence.
This realization let her relax slightly, her expression softening a bit, though her hands still trembled faintly as she opened one of the folders. She read the brief documents inside.
The gist was that they would release her. She could return to her life as before, the collaboration with Monica would proceed as agreed, and on top of that, they would provide compensation, promoting and advertising her at the highest standard, with the treatment of a leading lady.
However, if after her release, any situation arose due to her subjective actions, she would be immediately taken into compulsory detention.
This document made Miku's eyes light up, her entire demeanor rejuvenated.
In her eyes, this was an excellent option. Just going back to pretending to be a normal person?
Sure, she'd have to continue suppressing her inner… thirst, but it was infinitely better than death.
But the patience and composure she'd cultivated as an entertainer kept her from focusing on just one option.
Curiously, she asked, "You mentioned three choices, but there are only two folders here?"
"Because the third choice isn't something Schicksal can arrange unilaterally; it requires the assistance of another organization."
Amber explained concisely: "Ratatoskr possesses technology to seal a Spirit's powers, allowing you to live a peaceful life as an ordinary human."
Absolutely not!!
As soon as the words left Amber's mouth, Miku's face twisted with intense disgust and rejection.
Losing her spiritual powers? She'd rather die! Singing was the most important thing in her life.
Without her powers, she wouldn't even be able to open her mouth. She'd have no courage to live on.
This option was completely unacceptable!
Taking a deep breath, Miku adjusted her posture slightly and opened the second folder.
The text inside made the furrow in her brow ease.
It outlined being placed under Schicksal's supervision, with future activities restricted to Schicksal's artificial island.
However, Schicksal would not strip her of her original profession.
As compensation for restricting her freedom, Schicksal would invest the highest level of resources into her entertainment career. Monica was just the tip of the iceberg among the many brands under Schicksal's umbrella.
To be honest, Schicksal's sheer financial muscle was tempting to Miku.
"The reason for restricting your movement to the artificial island is that it's the only place with facilities capable of neutralizing Reiryoku. There, you can reach a balance where you can use your powers without the risk of going Lost or triggering Spacequakes."
Amber explained further: "But this isn't necessarily permanent. Dr. Mobius has recently developed a portable neutralization field device."
"It was originally intended as anti-Spirit armament, but it can also be used to allow Spirits a certain degree of external activity. It's precisely because of this technology that the Overseer recently plans to come to Japan."
'You'? 'Us'?
A glint of dark light flashed in Miku's eyes. So, Schicksal was supervising other Spirits?
She felt a flicker of curiosity, but that was all.
Schicksal's offer was indeed generous. However, Miku felt it didn't equate to real freedom.
Besides, she was confident that even without Schicksal's cultivation and investment, she could become a top-tier entertainer on her own—it was only a matter of time.
The first option definitely suited her better.
Although she'd already made her decision internally, Miku politely turned to the next page, preparing to gracefully decline after appearing to give it due consideration. But... a photograph on the second page caught her attention.
It was a girl in a researcher's white lab coat over a green knit sweater.
Her green hair, pink-green eyes, and that face—both cute and bewitching—made it hard for Miku to look away.
After a long moment, she asked in a dry, hoarse voice, "This person is…"
"Dr. Mobius. She's also the primary guardian for Spirits, and the world's leading scientist."
Amber stated.
"A doctor… she's not a Valkyrie, but a researcher? She's coming to Japan soon?" Miku swallowed hard.
"...Yes. Dr. Mobius isn't involved in combat." Amber looked at Miku strangely.
"Can I… decide on these two files later?" Miku asked. "I think I should meet the guardian mentioned in the second option before making a judgment."
"...Alright, then."
--+--
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.