When Shido and Chinatsu stopped in the alley, Shido stammered out a greeting again and said, "You are beautiful."
The Fraxinus bridge had just slightly recovered from the shock of the "One-Punch Man" incident.
"Oh? It's starting, it's starting!" Kotori cheered up, licking her lips. "The standard opening compliment! Let's see how she responds!"
On the screen, Chinatsu's reaction immediately drew the attention of the bridge crew.
"She neither accepted nor rejected it directly..." Kanmoto stared at the data stream.
"There is a slight acceleration of facial blood flow (blushing), accompanied by small movements like lowering her head and playing with her hair... A typical'shyness' physiological response, but the degree is very slight."
"Hmph, she's putting on quite the act," Kotori commented, though her eyes were serious.
Immediately afterward, Chinatsu suddenly closed in on Shido, questioning his compliment as "vague," and threw out the killer question: "What part of me looks best today?"
"Whoa—!!" A collective gasp sounded on the bridge.
"There it is! The classic Tsundere reversal!" Kotori slammed her hand onto the console.
"First, she pretends not to care about the praise, then suddenly closes in, shows off her careful preparations, and finally throws out the killer question! This is high-level Tsundere maneuvering!"
Then, they watched Chinatsu's carefully prepared "display."
She twirled her skirt in the sunlight, showcasing her new outfit, hairstyle, and accessories... "This... this is practically a walking work of art!" Kanmoto pulled out his handkerchief again, his voice trembling with excitement.
"This coordination! These details! If Shido-sama can win her heart, I'm willing to sponsor..."
"Shut up, Kanmoto! I can smell your vulgarity through the screen!"
Kotori scolded him, but she herself was momentarily stunned by Chinatsu, who seemed to glow in the halo of light on the screen, and she muttered, "...Still, she really put in the effort."
Kawagoe stroked his chin, looking knowledgeable:
"This kind of 'request for praise' is essentially an insecure probe. If Shido-sama answers well, it will greatly satisfy her need to feel valued. But if he answers poorly... Tsk, her enthusiasm will quickly cool, and she'll immediately enter the'slump period.'"
Shiizaki, meanwhile, stared ominously at Chinatsu's face nearing Shido's: "Getting this close... is she casting some kind of charm spell? Do I need to prepare countermeasures..."
"No need! You settle down!" Kotori interrupted, rubbing her temples.
And when Chinatsu leaned in extremely close, tilted her face up, looked directly into Shido's eyes with her icy blue gaze, and softly asked, "So... what part of me looks best today?" the bridge alarm was nearly triggered by Shido's soaring physiological data!
"Waaah! Shido-sama's heart rate is 180! Core temperature rising! This, this is a complete overload state!" the operator exclaimed.
"Options! Emergency options!" Kotori shouted into the microphone. "A: Eyes! B: Hair! C... Ignore! Quickly choose one for him!"
However, Shido had completely crashed, his face flushed, his eyes darting around, unable to utter a single word.
Just at this critical moment, Chinatsu voluntarily backed away.
"Eh?" Kotori was momentarily stunned.
Chinatsu on the screen, seeing Shido's extremely flustered state, actually chuckled softly. The "request for praise" expression instantly vanished, replaced by a slightly smug, knowing Tsundere look.
"Hmph... Forget it. Seeing how dense you are, asking is pointless." She turned her face away, leaving Shido with a slightly blushing profile. "...You don't need to specifically say things like that, I already know."
Afterward, she very naturally shifted the topic to "where they were going next."
[Bridge Tactical Analysis]
"She kicked the ball over herself, then took the ball back herself?!"
Kotori leaned back in her chair, her expression strange. "This girl... her rhythm control is too good!"
"The data indicates," Kanmoto reported, adjusting his glasses.
"Target Chinatsu's emotional curve remained at a stable high level throughout the entire 'teasing' process, with only minor fluctuations. Whereas Shido-sama's emotional curve... looks like it went through a tsunami. The difference in skill level between the two sides is... abnormally vast."
"Waaah... It's too wonderful..." Kannazuki had somehow crawled back, a blush of adoration on his face.
"This effortless switch between offense and defense! This mercy of pushing the prey to the edge of the cliff only to gently pull him back! Miss Chinatsu is not just a warrior of love, but a great artist who profoundly understands the human heart!"
"...In this initial battle of love, our Holy Child has completely fallen, while the Ice Princess remains perfectly at ease, sitting calmly by the pond? Ah! This clear division of roles! This exhilarating contrast!"
"I told you to use normal phrasing!" Kotori threw something again.
"But... that is indeed the situation. Brother is completely being led around by the nose." Kotori threw the empty candy stick at him, but her brow was tightly furrowed.
"However... is this really just 'Tsundere'? Why do I feel... she looks more like she's... enjoying the process? Enjoying watching Shido panic?"
"That's possible," Kawagoe nodded.
"Based on my... uh... experience, some people in relationships gain pleasure by creating this small sense of 'control.' But her performance... is too practiced."
"Furthermore," Shiizaki added gloomily.
"She just knocked out a thug, and now she can immediately switch to this little devil mode... This mental fortitude, or rather... the speed of the switch, is not normal."
Kotori watched Chinatsu on the screen, who had returned to her cool, detached demeanor and was discussing the itinerary with Shido, her fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.
(This girl... definitely has issues. It's not just her Spirit status; it's this perfectly composed attitude... Is she really just a Spirit? Or is she... truly connected to Welt?)
"Commander," Kanmoto reminded her, "The target is asking about the next step in the itinerary. The system has generated alternative plans."
Kotori shook her head, temporarily pushing her doubts aside.
"Alright, regardless, the goal now is to advance the date! All hands, prepare for the next decision!"
The Fraxinus bridge became busy once more, but a new layer of mystery settled over everyone's minds.
This Phoenix-in Chinatsu was beautiful, dangerous, and utterly inscrutable. The complexity of this "Dating War" far exceeded their initial expectations.
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