"Kaguya was slightly taken aback. 'Very dangerous?' she asked, surprised.
Had Yatogami Tohka been affected by some butterfly effect due to Kaguya's arrival, causing her to change?
Origami nodded seriously. 'Yes. This Spirit is considered an evil one, personally responsible for over ten thousand deaths. She possesses immense power and even some baffling abilities, putting her at the highest danger level, an S-Class Spirit.'
'Baffling abilities?' Kaguya asked, puzzled. In her impression, Tohka wasn't that strong, nor had she killed so many people. She wasn't anything like an evil Spirit.
'Previously, AST managed to kill her, but…' Origami paused, her face growing somber. 'Somehow, she reappeared without a single mark on her, as if the person who was killed wasn't her at all. There are even records of her appearing simultaneously in two different locations. She was originally active in a neighboring city, but recent surveillance suggests she has moved into this one.'
Kaguya's eyes widened with realization. The Spirit Origami described wasn't Tohka but another Spirit entirely: Kurumi Tokisaki. Only Kurumi possessed such abilities. It was surprising she had already appeared—and even before Tohka.
'I see,' Kaguya nodded thoughtfully. Then, as if something had come to mind, she asked, 'Do you have any other records on Spirits? Or anything strange in relation to their appearances?'
'Nothing else,' Origami shook her head. 'There are rumors of other Spirits, but no confirmed sightings or data available with AST.'
Kaguya held her chin thoughtfully. Given the current situation, her presence seemed to have caused quite a few changes to this world, though it was unclear if the other Spirits had also undergone shifts in their timelines.
Under Origami's guidance, Kaguya completed her entry procedures, officially becoming a member of AST. However, she was still a recruit, which meant she couldn't yet participate in operations or training exercises. In other words, she was in a probationary period, during which she would learn basic skills and equipment handling. Only after rigorous training would she be considered a full-fledged AST operative.
However, the moment she arrived at the AST base, Kaguya drew plenty of attention. Numerous AST members whispered among themselves as they stole glances at her, many looking openly curious.
'Hey, look over there. That new recruit they were talking about.'
'Ah, is that her? She's really beautiful.'
'Yeah, with looks and a vibe like that, she's seriously enviable.'
'Bet she's some rich young lady just here for a thrill.'
'No doubt. Did you see? Even the Captain came to greet her.'
'I wish I could get that kind of treatment.'
'Maybe once you lose all that weight.'
'Oh, stop it!'
'I'm betting she won't last here long. New recruit training here is brutal.'
'Tell me about it. I nearly gave up myself during my first week.'
'I bet this young miss won't hold out for long. This isn't exactly some rich kid's playground.'
'It'd be great to see her hightail it out of here. That would be a real show.'
Hearing this chatter, Kaguya sighed. She hadn't expected the AST girls to be so prone to gossip—no, to revel in it, actually. And their personalities were unexpectedly sharp-edged! Her expression softened into a smirk. Well, if the opportunity arose, she'd certainly enjoy teaching these girls a lesson.
'Look at her, she's smirking right at us!' a pretty girl muttered nearby, clenching her fists. 'What a cocky brat. When she gets put in her place, she'll know what respect means! Right, Mana?'
'Huh?' Mana blinked, seeming distracted.
She was a young girl with delicate features, arched brows, large clear eyes, and a faint hint of baby cheeks. A small beauty mark below her left eye added a touch of softness to her otherwise mature look. Her neatly tied ponytail and petite figure gave her an energetic, cute appearance—she seemed only around fourteen.
If Kaguya had been paying attention, she might have recognized this young girl as Itsuka Shidou's little sister, Mana Takamiya.
"Hey! You're spacing out again," the other girl complained, stepping up to her. "What's got you so distracted?"
"Sorry, sorry." Mana clasped her hands together apologetically. "I didn't sleep well last night; maybe that's why."
"Is that so?" The girl looked at her skeptically, then slung an arm around Mana's shoulders with a grin. "Alright, if you buy me a yakisoba bun, I'll forgive you."
"Huh? But you promised to treat me last time. You still haven't kept that promise," Mana replied.
"Oh, did I?" The girl let out a guilty laugh. "Never mind that—let's go grab some food." She nudged Mana toward the cafeteria.
Sensing something, Kaguya paused, glancing back toward the hallway they'd gone down, but they had already disappeared around a corner.
"What is it?" Origami asked, curious.
"Nothing." Kaguya smiled. "Let's head over to the training field. I want to see what sort of equipment they have."
Although she had already seen the training ground, walking through it revealed its surprising scale, much more extensive than she had initially thought. All around, AST members were focused on training, their energy and vitality on full display.
Just then, a slightly raspy voice sounded from nearby.
"Has AST really fallen to such a low that they're letting in any stray cat or dog now?"
A woman strutted over from behind, moving with a seductive sway. Her wavy, light-brown hair framed an elegant oval face, with features that carried a hint of allure. She had large, expressive eyes filled with a certain sharpness, a tall and shapely figure, and a full, ample chest.
She could indeed be considered attractive, yet the disdain and loathing evident in her eyes utterly marred that allure.
She glanced briefly at Origami before turning her sneering gaze on Kaguya and remarked arrogantly, "Young ladies should stick to their own playpens. This isn't a sandbox or some make-believe playground. Spirits won't hold back just because you have a pretty face."
Kaguya, however, didn't get angry; she just smiled and ignored her. Who would waste time over a mere ant scuttling around?
But Origami wasn't as forgiving. She stepped forward, her voice cold. "The weakest are always the loudest, because they don't realize their own limits. They're arrogant and self-absorbed, like you, Jessica Bailey."
"Absurd!" The woman named Jessica's face twisted with anger, then a sneer. "People like you are exactly why AST's combat strength is so pitifully weak. If it weren't for orders from above, I wouldn't waste my time with you simpletons. What a waste of my talents."
Jessica Bailey. Kaguya had some memory of her. She'd once been a team leader within the ranks of the DEM Corporation and had earned a fair amount of recognition for her combat prowess, even surpassing many members of AST's ground force.
Origami's expression remained frosty as she retorted, "So, losing every time to the same person has become your bragging right now, Jessica?"
"What did you say?" Jessica's anger spiked, her face twisting with fury.
"Am I wrong?" Origami scoffed, her gaze flicking dismissively over Jessica. "If your abilities matched even half your arrogance, maybe you wouldn't be lying flat on the ground every time Takamiya Mana faces you."
Jessica's face darkened immediately, flames of rage blazing in her eyes. She clenched her teeth, voice like a venomous hiss as she said, "You wretch. You need a lesson, clearly. I'll show you what happens to arrogant fools who don't know their place."
This was a sore spot for Jessica. Takamiya Mana's skills had consistently overshadowed her own, with Mana's combat ability repeatedly proving superior. Jessica, prideful and competitive by nature, had always seen this as a deep humiliation and vowed to surpass her one day. Yet, despite her best efforts, she had yet to triumph over her.
This failure had festered into a serious complex, a subject none of her DEM colleagues dared to mention for fear of incurring her wrath. It was an unspoken rule within the team.
Origami's eyes flashed with cold light, stance ready for combat. "Did you think I'd be afraid of a bloated pig like you?"
The tension between them mounted, the air crackling with animosity as they braced for an all-out clash.
Just then, a young girl rushed over, calling, "Captain! A message just came in from DEM Headquarters."
"I'm busy. Don't interrupt me." Jessica's voice was thick with irritation. "I'll teach this wretch a lesson first."
"But… it's… it's from Lord Westcott." The girl shrank back, her tone timid.
Jessica's impatience flared, but at the mention of "Lord Westcott," she hesitated, then asked, "A message from Lord Westcott?"
"Yes, it just came in," the girl answered hesitantly. "You said before, any message from him should be relayed to you immediately."
Jessica's scowl shifted into a glint of satisfaction, quickly hidden as she turned back toward Origami with a sneer. "Consider yourself lucky. Next time, you won't get off so easily. I'll chop you to bits, piece by piece. Let's go." She threw Kaguya a disdainful look before turning and marching off with her subordinates.
Origami, still tense, let out a breath, her brows furrowing as she murmured, "That self-absorbed, arrogant fool… utterly intolerable."
To be deemed intolerable by the typically composed Origami suggested how extreme Jessica's behavior was.
Origami turned to Kaguya, her expression softening. "But don't worry, I'm here. Nothing will happen."
"Huh?" Kaguya blinked, feeling slightly confused.
Wasn't Origami convinced Kaguya was a Spirit? Why would she speak with such protective resolve, given that Spirit powers were leagues beyond AST's capabilities?
Origami reached out, taking Kaguya's hand gently. "Even if you've lost your memory, I'll help you recover it."
Feeling Origami's cool, soft hand in hers, Kaguya felt a strange warmth. Could it be that, for once, someone was here to protect her? She glanced at Origami's composed expression, noticing a glint of warmth in her clear eyes, an unexpected softness.
Was she imagining it?
"Oh, and I've deleted your data labeling you as a Spirit. As long as you don't use any Spirit powers, your identity will stay hidden," Origami added.
Kaguya recalled that earlier, Origami had been working on a device back in the break room. It was likely she had been deleting Kaguya's data then.
"Got it. I'll be careful. If it's not an emergency, I won't use any Spirit abilities," Kaguya replied, smiling faintly.
Not that she had any Spirit powers in the first place. Even if she wanted to, it was simply impossible.
Yet she understood what Origami meant. In Origami's eyes, she was protecting Kaguya by keeping her identity as a Spirit hidden.
But Kotori was already convinced Kaguya was a Spirit. Given Kotori's nature, she would not be one to let this go so easily.
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