"Emperor? Is that what they call me now?"
This was Yuki's spirit name, given to him because of the crown that floated above his head.
"What do you want?"
"What do I want? What would a spirit of Ratatoskr seek?"
Yuki responded with a question, leaving Kotori puzzled. She hadn't lowered her guard for a second...
"Ratatoskr saves spirits, right? That's why I'm here, just like you, Kotori Itsuka..."
"....."
Kotori remained silent. This spirit had invaded her home and seemed to know a lot about her and Ratatoskr.
[Stay calm, Commander. We are monitoring the situation...]
Kyohei's voice, as vice commander, reassured her. When Kotori sent a distress signal, Franixus immediately went online and used the cameras in Kotori's house to monitor Yuki. If Yuki turned hostile, they would evacuate the commander immediately...
They were also monitoring Yuki's emotional state...
[His emotional state is unchanged. He doesn't seem aggressive...]
Reine's voice calmed Kotori a bit, and she lowered her weapon. However, the caution in her eyes did not fade...
"Are you seeking refuge? That's not a problem. As Ratatoskr, we help all spirits to live as humans. Since you know about us, you should know that we need to seal your powers..."
"That's impossible..."
Kotori didn't finish speaking before Yuki interrupted her...
Seal his powers? Did they think he was an idiot? Besides, sealing his power of Order was nearly impossible. It would require a massive amount of energy and would only be temporary. Trying to seal it was almost futile unless high-ranking Gods or Overlords intervened.
"That is our condition here in Ratatoskr. You must know the consequences your Reiryoku brings to this world."
Kotori didn't ask why Yuki was seeking refuge, but it was good that he considered them. Still, she had to make it clear that sealing his powers was necessary for Ratatoskr to protect him and prevent this spirit from going out of control. However, Yuki just smiled at this...
"Are you talking about spacequakes? I am very aware of this phenomenon, but I assure you I won't create such events. When your body has complete control that prevents Reiryoku leaks, spacequakes aren't a problem... I believe you know this well."
"..."
Yes, as long as his body prevented energy leaks and maintained strict control over his powers to avoid affecting the world, spacequakes could be avoided. Kotori knew this because, thanks to the mark on her chest, she couldn't cause spacequakes and lived as a normal human.
Kotori didn't know how this spirit knew about her body and whether he knew about the mark, but this only made her more guarded...
"Our rules are very strict! If you want our help, it must be on our terms."
"Rules are meant to be broken. Besides, it's impossible for you to seal my powers..."
Yuki slowly walked over and took a framed photo. The picture showed a girl and a boy hugging. Judging by the girl's appearance, Yuki instantly deduced it was Kotori, and the boy...
(Itsuka Shidou... Kotori's lost brother)
Through Rasiel, Yuki knew many things about the Itsuka family, including Kotori's search for her brother...
(Five years ago... I suppose I must fix this timeline.)
His future self had left many unresolved issues. However, until the time came, Yuki wouldn't interfere.
"Impossible?"
Kotori didn't believe him, but Yuki waved his hand in response.
"Even if I tell you, you wouldn't understand..."
"..."
"Besides, I'm not begging you to accept me. Our goals are similar, and it's better if we collaborate. We both win, so instead of joining, we should be partners..."
"Goals? Partners? Are you joking?"
"Eh! You want to save spirits, and I want to gather them all. Our goals are similar..."
Kotori is a spirit, so Yuki already had three spirits with him. Although Kotori didn't react violently like Kurumi and Princess, it was due to the seal on her chest, but Yuki had already marked her.
Thus, Yuki wasn't worried. Not to mention that now it felt like Dragon Ball, where he had to gather the Dragon Balls, except this time, it was spirits.
"Gather spirits? For what purpose?"
Kotori couldn't even begin to think about Yuki's purpose for gathering all the spirits, who were a volatile and dangerous energy source for the world. If all were gathered, it might be the start of a true disaster, and perhaps this was why Yuki attacked Princess.
With Princess and Nightmare, having two spirits in his collection, Kotori started feeling uneasy as Yuki's heterochromatic eyes sent chills down her spine, like a predator eyeing its prey.
Although they also wanted to gather all the spirits, their goal was still to save them. Yuki, on the other hand, was shrouded in mystery.
"I can't tell you my true purpose, but I don't intend to harm them. They are very important to me, and I want to protect them..."
Kotori didn't speak, frowning at these words as she didn't know if they were true or if he was trying to deceive her...
[His emotional state is stable. He's telling the truth.]
Fortunately, Reine spoke, and according to her analysis, Yuki wasn't lying; his words were sincere. Kotori didn't know what to think now...
(Maybe I judged him wrong?)
Kotori's first impression of this male spirit was low. During his appearance, he had already caused many disasters and was abnormally strong, making his danger level on a different scale from all others. Honestly, Kotori couldn't stop him if they fought.
But if what he said was true...
Then this male spirit might be the end to all these spirit disasters. Maybe if they gathered, they could live in harmony.
Maybe this spirit was the key to making it happen...
Kotori didn't know, but her guard lowered significantly. After all, if this spirit wanted to harm her, he would have done it already and wouldn't have bothered with talking nonsense.
"It's understandable that you don't believe me, but I'm serious about protecting them. That includes you, Kotori Itsuka. Don't you have an older brother? Itsuka Shidou, right? I can help you find the answer you seek..."
"!!"
These words were precise, and Kotori's emotional state fluctuated strongly when he mentioned her older brother. This spirit knew too much, and maybe he could help her...
Kotori forced herself to calm down and continue probing, but in her heart, she already had the answer to her question...
"What exactly do you want from us?"
"A temporary place for me and the spirits. We want to live peacefully, and I want you to handle AST. In return, I promise to bring all of them. We won't cause more destruction, and when it's over, we will leave this world in peace..."
"Leave this world?"
Kotori was stunned. Spirits could live in space, so theoretically, they could travel through the cosmos. But finding another habitable world like Earth was scarce, and such planets were far away. It would take hundreds of years to travel, even at the speed of light.
So inhabiting another world wouldn't be easy...
"Yes, we will leave this world and never return. It's a promise."
If what Yuki had in mind was true, then he had to take the spirits with him. These girls were connected to him in ways beyond a contract, so it was important for them to be together. Therefore, Yuki wasn't lying. When he fulfilled Kurumi's wish, they would leave this world.
And this included Kotori, of course. He needed to make a good impression on her so she would follow him to another world without worries, sever all ties, and depart.
Otherwise, with Yuki's personality, he would have already controlled Ratatoskr's founder, Elliot Baldwin Woodman, avoiding the trouble of convincing her.
However, Kotori's karma was very strong in this world. If he wanted to sever it, he had to start slowly. A single misstep, and the chances of Kotori hating him were high...
After all...
(I am the one who made Itsuka Shidou disappear.)
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TN: Damn rip shidou even if I hated him to bones still a good guy nonetheless
And no kotori you did not judged him he's the worst scum of society!! Be safe