Creak... creak, creak.
The faint sound was grating, especially in such an utterly quiet environment.
Hearing this strange noise, the man named Knox realized his teeth were chattering, and his body was trembling involuntarily.
Logically, it was only early autumn, far from cold enough to cause such a reaction, especially here in the DEM Headquarters, a building housing the world's most cutting-edge technology.
But!
"My, my, Knox-san, Barton-san, what's with those expressions? Are you afraid of Yoshinon?"
A girl with astonishing beauty, her long hair flowing like seawater, possessed an elegant, peerless beauty beneath her sky-blue eyes.
Dressed in a rather adorable dress, her initial impression was one of obedience and docility. In her left hand was a white rabbit puppet, and the voice speaking came from the puppet's mouth.
Hearing the puppet speak, Knox didn't seem surprised at all, instead looking accustomed to it, "You jest, Yoshinon-sama. How could we possibly be afraid of Yoshino-sama?"
"And congratulations, Yoshino-sama's spiritual power has increased again, currently reaching the critical threshold."
His tone was exceedingly respectful, but his expression was tinged with tension.
Knox's reason was simple: the girl before him was the Fourth Spirit, known as the Freezing Puppet Yoshino, reputed to have the power to destroy the world.
"Yoshinon, don't trouble Knox. You know how he is… stubborn, yes, but generally well-intentioned."
"Right, Knox?"
Besides Knox, Barton, Yoshino, Yoshinon, and some other staff, a fifth person's voice rang out.
Hearing this man's words, Knox instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
If he could maintain composure before, now he was like a lamb stared down by a beast of prey.
Not just Knox, but his subordinate Barton and the other laboratory staff also showed expressions of fear.
The man who spoke was a Caucasian male characterized by his dull, rust-colored ash-blond hair.
His eyes gave a feeling of sharp, keen intensity. His violet eyes, representing nobility and elegance, seemed devoid of any emotion.
He appeared young, looking only in his twenties, yet the man exuded a maturity and experience completely at odds with his appearance.
In fact, even the forty-one-year-old Knox didn't feel older than this man.
Because ten years ago, when he first joined DEM, the man looked exactly the same… unchanged for a decade.
But it was precisely this mystery that made Knox and others respect the man. For this man, with just a few individuals, had created the world's top-tier company, DEM… Sir Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott.
"Westcott-sama, we have detected Yoshino-sama's spiritual fluctuations. She has now reached a mature stage. We believe, given her current condition, it's best not to continue training her spiritual power further. We should consider stabilizing her emotions and allowing her to relax."
Struggling to keep his mind calm, everyone felt oppressed in Westcott's presence, and Knox was no exception.
"Is that so? Then proceed as you see fit. Yoshino, Yoshinon, you should rest for a while."
Speaking kindly, delivering the conclusion for the Fourth Spirit to relax, Westcott's demeanor was like that of a friendly neighbor.
Yet, it was precisely this aspect of him that was even more frightening.
Because everyone present knew just how obsessed the man named Westcott was with Spirits. He was someone who could collapse a nation's economy through his will alone. His desire for Spirits was his long-standing obsession.
Having constantly pursued and researched Spirits, for him to now tell the Freezing Spirit to rest was truly incomprehensible.
Of course, despite these many questions, neither Knox nor anyone else dared to say anything more. After all, Westcott's authority was absolute.
The way this man seemed to view all things as ants even made many suspect that Westcott held a grudge against humanity and wanted to destroy it.
Watching Westcott lead Yoshino away, Knox and many staff members let out a long sigh of relief, finally temporarily free from this terrifying man.
The top floor of DEM Headquarters, Westcott's office.
"Westcott, Yoshinon doesn't need to rest! Shouldn't we continue looking for Ryuya?"
About three years ago, Yoshino's mother, Himekawa Nagisa, reached the end of her life. After her mother's passing, the timid Yoshino was alone once more.
Due to emotional fluctuations releasing some spiritual power when her mother died, her location was found by Westcott, who then met her.
"You are the Fourth Spirit? Quite a beautiful girl."
Fully aware of how excellent her appearance was… because Ryuya had helped restore Yoshino's health, this world's Yoshino was more mature than her original counterpart.
No longer possessing the appearance of a 13-year-old from the original work, she was now a vibrant eighteen-year-old young woman. Her personality hadn't changed, but she was much bolder.
Seeing Westcott surround her residence with a group of well-equipped soldiers, Yoshino showed no sign of fear.
"Not afraid of me?"
Looking at Yoshino with interest, Westcott and Elliot had parted ways a decade ago. Elliot had discovered his true goal: to use the power of Spirits to destroy the world.
Declaring his intent to protect the world Ryuya left behind, Elliot couldn't accept Westcott's ideology and chose to leave to stop him.
"Ellen, Karen, will you two stand with Westcott?"
Initially thinking the sisters Ellen and Karen would join him in stopping Westcott, Elliot was surprised to find they sided with Westcott.
"Elliot, the times have changed. The humans of today are not worth saving."
Like Westcott, viewing Ryuya as their entire world, the two sisters expressed the same mindset as Westcott.
After that, DEM, created by Westcott, Ellen, and Karen, began their journey to find Spirits.
And Yoshino was the first Spirit they found!