No coincidences. All acting. Every scene was something she'd fought to win for herself.
Inori gazed at Flay, expressionless.
"Coordinator, don't talk to me." Flay sneered.
"Based on my assessment, you were just now communicating a message to me, Flay-san. I believe it's necessary for me to respond," Inori said.
"Wow, so high and mighty." Flay's voice rang out through the mess hall, laced with biting sarcasm.
Kuzzey and Miriallia both stopped what they were doing, their eyes darting between Flay and Inori. A tense atmosphere filled the air.
The two exchanged a glance, unsure whether they should try to stop Flay.
But with the look on Flay's face like she might explode any second, no one dared get too close.
Inori slowly set down her coffee.
She lifted her head, her eyes—that same vivid red as her goldfish outfit—settling calmly on Flay.
There wasn't the slightest flicker in her gaze, as if Flay's words hadn't affected her at all.
Inori spoke softly, her voice as cool and calm as clear spring water. "Flay-san, your statement is full of bias and ignorance. Are you truly a human being with normal cognitive capacity?"
Flay froze for a moment, clearly not expecting such a direct response.
And what did she even mean by "normal cognitive capacity"?!
Was she calling her stupid or something?!
Flay's expression shifted, her tone growing sharper. "So I'm wrong, is that it? Coordinators go against nature to begin with! Coordinators just disgust me!"
"In that case, Flay-san, the clothes you're wearing also go against nature. Since you're wearing them right now, doesn't that disgust you too?"
Inori tilted her head.
She genuinely seemed puzzled.
"…Huh?! This is completely natural!"
"The clothing you're wearing is a cotton textile. The cotton humans currently use has all been artificially selected and cultivated. It's also been genetically engineered to resist pests and disease."
"That's twisted logic!" Flay shouted.
"You don't even feel disgusted by yourself. Modern humans are the product of a long process of natural evolution—genes constantly mutating, being selected. Under these conditions, nature has effectively served as a natural 'genetic engineer.' Your wine-red hair, your appearance—both were shaped by nature's own modifications. So why don't you feel disgusted by yourself?"
Inori's words made Flay's eyes go wide.
"Even now, as you stand here, the cells in your body are dividing, and errors occur with every division. That kind of chaotic replication error is, itself, a change at the genetic level as well."
"Enough! I don't understand a single word of this nonsense you're spouting!" Flay shouted.
"No, you understand it perfectly well. You're the child of a Deputy Foreign Minister, and you're capable of studying at a technical college—you have the intelligence to grasp this information. You just want to refuse what I'm saying, but you have no argument to back it up."
[TL;DR: Inori: she's mad, she's really mad]
[Coordinators are basically artificial gene mutation, like artificial breeding?]
[Should be "manual breeding" I guess]
[Inori, my logic superhero]
[Hard to say though—didn't they say Coordinator birth rates are affected?]
[That just means the technology itself isn't perfect yet]
[Actually, just compare it to how the U.C. timeline developed. C.E. tech progresses insanely fast—Coordinators are basically a tech accelerator]
[Wild take, C.E. is actually in a tech explosion phase]
"Natural selection, that's all natural—human intervention is ugly and disgusting!" Flay stood up.
Inori's expression stayed just as calm. She rose slowly as well, walking up to stand in front of Flay.
Her gaze fixed directly on Flay, her tone still without the faintest ripple: "Modifying genes isn't going against nature—it's humanity exploring its own evolution. Nature itself is constantly changing and evolving, and as part of nature, humans have both the right and the ability to pursue a better way to live. Are you trying to exclude humanity from nature altogether? That's a rather arrogant idea."
Flay's expression darkened. She gritted her teeth and shot back, "But you Coordinators are naturally stronger than us Naturals—that's not fair! Your very existence is oppression of Naturals!"
"That statement applies to anyone with above-average ability in any field, whether Natural or Coordinator, including yourself. Flay-san, you're simply jealous."
"——?!"
"You quite enjoy that feeling of being coddled and adored by everyone, like a star surrounded by admirers, don't you?"
Inori took a step forward.
Flay took a step back.
"You enjoy it, too, when people envy your looks, don't you? And when you were fixing Kira's hair, didn't you enjoy that sense of superiority, that 'onee-sama' feeling…"
Flay took another step back.
[Wait, wasn't Inori not even there at the time?]
[Don't tell me Inori's been monitoring Kira this whole time]
[Holy crap, is Inori secretly a yandere?]
[Girl-obsessed AI?]
[I love this tag]
[This is getting a little personal here]
[I feel like there's some genuine logic mixed in with the personal grudge]
[I think it's all personal grudge lol]
[She's straight-up grilling her, no mercy lol]
Flay pressed both hands to her chest.
It was an obvious defensive posture.
But Inori had no intention of letting up: "Whether or not you're strong isn't the sole standard for determining the value of your existence. Everyone has their own unique worth and meaning, whether Coordinator or Natural. Flay-san, your statements are nothing more than excuses for your own inadequacy. When you do have power of your own, aren't you enjoying the sense of superiority it gives you?"
Flay's fists clenched tight, her nails digging into her palms.
Her voice trembled: "Y-you, how dare you say that! You Coordinators don't understand our pain at all!"
Something finally shifted in Inori's gaze.
It was a kind of pity.
Yet her tone remained just as calm as ever: "Flay-san, your pain doesn't come from the existence of Coordinators—it comes from the jealousy and inferiority inside you. You can't accept the gap between yourself and Coordinators, so you direct all your resentment at them. But that doesn't change the facts, and it won't make you any stronger."
"That kind of thing only disgusts me!" Flay kept shaking her head.
"That's just your jealousy. Unable to have that same kind of power as Coordinators, out of a need for self-protection, you've decided to label that strength as 'unnatural'… and through that, you're able to hold onto your own self-esteem."
Inori had backed Flay completely into a corner…