As Aoto asserted his strength, Sakura couldn't help but be intrigued by his confidence, even if tempered by a hint of humility. His declaration hinted at a deeper reservoir of power lurking beneath his unassuming exterior, sparking her curiosity and prompting her to delve further into the extent of his abilities.
"I may not be the strongest, but I'm not the weakest either!" Aoto declared, his words resonating with a quiet determination that belied his youthful appearance. In that moment, Sakura sensed a glimmer of potential within him, a latent strength waiting to be unleashed.
Eager to gauge the breadth of Aoto's powers, Sakura posed a question that cut to the heart of the matter. "From a scale of 1 to 10, how powerful are you?" she inquired, her gaze fixed intently on Aoto as she awaited his response.
Aoto, ever the pragmatist, sought clarification before offering his assessment. "What is 1 equivalent to, and what's 10 equivalent to?" he asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he sought to contextualize the parameters of Sakura's scale. "If 10 is being capable of destroying dimensions, then I'm nowhere near," he added, his tone tinged with a note of self-awareness.
Sakura pondered Aoto's question for a moment before offering a revised scale that aligned more closely with their shared understanding of power. "Let's say... 1 is capable of destroying buildings, and 10 is capable of... Using 'Celestial Weaver'," she suggested, her voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty as she attempted to convey the magnitude of each level.
Upon hearing Sakura's revised scale, Aoto deliberated for a moment before offering his assessment. "Uh... 6?" he ventured, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty as he gauged his own abilities against Sakura's scale.
Sakura nodded in response to Aoto's assessment, her expression thoughtful as she considered the implications of his rating. "Not terrible," she remarked, her words laced with a sense of approval as she acknowledged Aoto's modest yet respectable standing.
However, Hikari, ever the skeptic, couldn't resist injecting her own opinion into the conversation. "Terrible," she declared bluntly, her voice dripping with disdain as she dismissed Aoto's rating with a wave of her hand. In Hikari's eyes, Aoto's perceived weakness was a glaring flaw, one that warranted no shortage of criticism.
Hikari's frustration simmered just beneath the surface as she grappled with the uncertainty surrounding their mission. With each passing moment, her impatience grew, fueled by a relentless desire to uncover the truth lurking just beyond their reach.
"Tsk. We should be searching for that kid with the special Enes, and overwhelming power—" Hikari began, her voice tinged with frustration as she voiced her mounting frustrations. But before she could finish her thought, Sakura interjected, her tone measured and rational as she sought to temper Hikari's impulsive impulses.
"It's not guaranteed that such an individual even exists," Sakura countered, her words carrying a note of caution as she urged Hikari to consider the possibility of the unknown. "Plus, if such an individual does exist... Well, the Divine Council may have already taken notice and have already started training them," she added, her gaze fixed intently on Hikari as she emphasized the potential implications of their quest.
Hikari, ever the pragmatist, remained unconvinced by Sakura's rationale, her skepticism unyielding in the face of uncertainty. "Why wouldn't they publish it, though?" she questioned, her voice laced with skepticism as she challenged Sakura's assertions. "Also, the Divine Council is the one that assigned us with such quest," she continued, her tone bordering on accusatory as she sought to unravel the mysteries shrouding their mission.
Sakura paused for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered Hikari's line of questioning. "I don't know... But they definitely would have a reason, if they've found them," she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she grappled with the enigma surrounding the Divine Council's motives.
Hikari remained unconvinced by Sakura's response, her skepticism unyielding as she struggled to reconcile the contradictions inherent in their mission. "Yeah, sure," she muttered dismissively, her tone tinged with a hint of frustration as she resigned herself to the uncertain path ahead.
The tension in the air was palpable as Aoto's words hung heavily between them, his revelation casting a shadow over their conversation. Sakura's mind raced with possibilities, her thoughts consumed by the looming threat of Enishi and the ominous implications of Aoto's cryptic statement.
"I wonder what we're going to do against Enishi," Sakura mused aloud, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she grappled with the gravity of their predicament. "But it's also weird that he has only attacked the prefectures around Tokyo... Especially when you consider that he only did that when we sent 'scouts'," she added, her brow furrowing with concern as she pondered the enigma surrounding Enishi's motives.
Aoto's response was laden with hesitation, his words trailing off as he struggled to articulate the weight of his thoughts. "I know someone who could help... But... He's clueless," he finally confessed, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he broached the topic of his mysterious acquaintance.
"What do you mean?" Sakura pressed, her curiosity piqued by Aoto's cryptic revelation. But before he could respond, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught them off guard, sending shivers down their spines as an ominous presence enveloped them.
Sakura's heart raced with apprehension as she scanned their surroundings, her senses on high alert as she braced for the unknown. "WHAT WAS THAT!?" she exclaimed, her voice echoing with urgency as she sought to unravel the mystery shrouding their encounter.
Hikari's expression darkened with unease, her instincts screaming a warning as she grappled with the unsettling sensation washing over her. "I don't like what I just felt..." she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to articulate the depth of her discomfort.
Aoto nodded in silent agreement, his eyes darting nervously as he surveyed their surroundings for any signs of danger. "Same..." he murmured, his voice barely audible above the faint rustle of the wind as he struggled to make sense of the foreboding atmosphere surrounding them.
Sakura's mind raced with possibilities as she sought to piece together the puzzle of Enishi's intentions, her thoughts consumed by the looming threat of his impending attack.