At this moment, in the distance, inside the room, Kotori, who was frowning and thinking about a countermeasure, was suddenly stunned because a shrill alarm sounded in the earphone on her right ear.
It wasn't the routine warning that announced a spatial quake, nor the softer chime that flagged a spirit's emotional instability. This tone was different, impossible to ignore, intimate and terrible all at once.
Kotori had only heard it once so far.
That was when she was testing the alarm. Someone reminded her that there was also a "this" type of alarm and she should remember it and it was best not to hear "this" alarm.
"No… this can't be." Her voice inside her head was thin. Her heartbeat stuttered; her breath came ragged and shallow. Colors around the control room smeared, then snapped back into focus. For a second, she couldn't stand it; she wanted to lose control and destroy this place.
The messenger blew the trumpet of the end. Hearing this absolutely unheard sound, Kotori's consciousness became intermittent for a moment.
She didn't even dare to look at the screen at this time.
"Ah! Is that Mitsu-chan?"
"Hmm... my upper body is so uncomfortable, it's like I'm wrapped in the sun."
"But, Katsu brother's condition...seems a little bit bad..."
"Hmm...what's going on?"
"No, I feel uneasy. I have to go to Katsu place."
"Oh, I'll go too."
"Let's all come together."
The spirits moved as one toward the gate, their instincts pulling them to find Katsu like iron to a magnet. They were sheltering instincts and reckless loyalty.
However
"Kotori! What's wrong with you? You have to go catch up with Darling!" Miku's voice cut through, urgent and sharp.
Kotori looked up at the speaker's face on the screen and felt her resolve ripple. To go meant risking everything. To stay meant trusting that she could find another way. Either choice felt monstrous.
She steadied herself with a practiced breath. Her voice, when it came, was small but steady. "Everyone — please wait here. I'll find a solution."
But, Kotori insisted for the sake of this world. For humanity...
That was her responsibility as the commander of Ratatoskr.
Her hands trembled, but she forced her voice to remain calm.
"Everyone, please stay here. I'll take care of this."
The spirits exchanged startled looks.
"You want us to wait? Let us help you."
"Katsu… I'm getting a very bad feeling about him right now."
Their protests overlapped, each filled with concern. And yet Kotori understood. If she were in their place, kept in the dark, she would have reacted the same way.
But she couldn't risk bringing them along. Drawing in a deep breath, she forced a hint of brightness into her tone.
"I told you before, didn't I? I'll handle the problem between Shidou and Katsu-nii. Leave it to me. Ratatoskr has already prepared countermeasures."
The spirits still looked uneasy, but one by one, their doubt gave way to trust.
"Then… we'll leave it to you!"
"Please… do your best…!"
"Okay." Kotori gave a brief nod, then turned away. Leaving the spirits and the Ratatoskr staff behind, she climbed the stairs toward the surface alone.
… …
Shidou's spiritual power surged outward, sweeping through the forest like a rampaging beast. Every step forward brought him closer to Katsu.
Kotori's breath caught in her throat. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to remain steady. From inside her uniform, she drew a small terminal.
The device felt unbearably heavy in her trembling hands.
The destruction button.
The one she had sworn she would never use.
Her fingers quivered as she began the sequence: fingerprint, retina scan, password. Each confirmation tone cut into her chest like a blade. At last, the screen lit up, the final key waiting.
She raised her hand, hovering above it, her fingertips brushing lightly over the button.
Just one press.
Wait until Shidou and Katsu meet—
And then… erase them both in a single stroke.
Boom.
The ground shook as the two finally came face to face. Both burned with wrath, both consumed by the oppressive aura of the other.
Shidou lifted his hand. A flash of silver light burst forth, condensing into a delicate flower.
Opposite him, Katsu tilted his head and raised his arms. In his grip materialized a massive broadsword [Sandalphon].
…
"I'm sorry… Katsu, Shidou."
Kotori's voice broke as she hovered above the final key. Guilt pressed on her like a physical weight, and the tears she had tried so hard to hold back spilled freely down her cheeks.
However, at this moment, Kotori felt a sharp murderous aura emanating from the left, and her consciousness was confused for a moment.
Then, with a "crack" sound, Kotori felt a cold and hard touch on her temple.
Kotori immediately felt someone put a gun to her head.
"...!" Kotori's head snapped toward the weapon. The figure holding it was Origami, she should have been with the other spirits underground, but now she stood inches away, eyes dark as a knife.
Origami showed a dangerous look, pointed the muzzle of the simple 9mm pistol at Kotori, and made a soft but bone-chilling sound:
"What's that in your hand? What are you about to do to Katsu and Shidou? Kotori…"
Her words cut off. Origami's expression flickered, a rare softness passing across her features as she caught sight of Kotori's tear-streaked face.
Kotori could vaguely guess the reason; it must be because she saw her cheek when she turned her head.
Because tears covered her pretty face which was usually lively and lovely, now had an expression of extreme misery and grief.
"...Explain to me what's going on?" Origami frowned and continued.
Kotori swallowed, throat raw. Lies would not stand up to Origami's sharp mind; even if she tried to fabricate something, the girl before her would see through it. If Origami moved to stop her, everything Kotori had planned could be undone, so she spoke the truth.
"I'm going to… kill Katsu and Shidou."
The pistol didn't waver, but Origami's face darkened to something far colder. "What is this? An order from Ratatoskr?"
"You guessed half right," Kotori said with some self-mockery.
"Now, Brother Katsu and Shidou are like time-limited bomb, repeatedly expanding their spiritual power. If we leave them alone, it will cause an explosion that exceeds the South Kanto Sky Disaster."
Origami's jaw clenched so hard a vein stood out at her temple. The pistol trembled ever so slightly. "So you plan to kill them."
"Yes." Kotori's voice was barely more than a whisper. "This is the last responsibility I can take for my failure. If I eliminate them before detonation, I can reduce the scale of the blast."
"If I have to choose between watching tens of millions of lives being buried with them and killing them, I will choose the latter..."
Kotori's plea echoed like a struck bell: "If I can exchange the lives of tens of millions of people for their safety, I would be willing to do so even if I have to live in endless sin for the rest of my life! But… there is no other way. Either the two of them die with tens of millions of people, or… only the two of them die. If it were you, what would you choose?!"