Kotori Itsuka never imagined that one day she'd be on such friendly terms with Schicksal—or rather, with the Valkyries of Schicksal.
After all, before truly interacting with them, her view of Schicksal wasn't much different from her opinion of DEM, if not worse.
Sure, DEM had Ratatoskr cornered and actively sought to eliminate Spirits, but the former wasn't reason enough to despise them, and the latter was practically political correctness—even a necessary stance from a human perspective.
As a Spirit herself, Kotori didn't like the idea of killing Spirits, but she wasn't naive enough to deny the logic behind it.
Schicksal was similar to DEM on both counts, but what left a bad taste in Kotori's mouth was Schicksal's longstanding methods and decisions.
Everyone knew Schicksal operated with overwhelming force.
Back when only Schicksal could oppose Spirits, they used that as leverage to expand aggressively, asserting tight control and demanding autonomy over every region they could reach, almost becoming a separate government outside official channels.
Their subsequent actions only highlighted their ambition to bring the entire world under their 'protection.'
If DEM and Realizers hadn't emerged out of nowhere, Mobius might very well have succeeded.
No one likes ambitious schemers, especially those aiming to carve up your interests, and Kotori was no exception.
But now… perhaps after numerous interactions with Durandal, Kotori found herself thinking that Schicksal wasn't quite the den of monsters she'd imagined.
St. Freya Hotel offered ample and spacious recreational facilities.
Arranging a gathering for around ten people was a breeze for this hotel.
Whether it was the 'Presidential Suite' designed for VIPs on the top floor, the indoor pool, outdoor pool, private cinema, or banquet halls—St. Freya could provide it all.
Right now, the group was in one of the pools, not the rooftop outdoor one.
Though Kotori thought that would be nice, Shiori had talked her out of it with, 'Let's not cause too much trouble for others.'
Kotori wanted to explain that those pools were cleaned daily to ensure quality service, but she held her tongue.
Fortunately, the pool here wasn't bad either. At least it had an artificial beach, slides, and such—though it couldn't compare to the top-floor one or a proper water park.
The top-floor pool was one thing, but a water park… even Kotori wouldn't dare wander around with a group of unsealed Spirits if she had a choice.
Shaking off her thoughts, Kotori finally allowed a smile to touch her lips as she watched Shiori.
At first unfamiliar, then pulled by Kaguya Yamai into the circle of Spirits, Shiori had gradually grown comfortable and now, with her 'reliable big sister' vibe, had successfully won the Spirits' friendship.
This visit to the Spirits' nest wasn't in vain, and… this was how it should be!
While it was common knowledge that other Spirits wouldn't be as easy to befriend as Tohka, having someone as difficult as Natsumi as the second target was just too unbalanced.
This was much better! Even if those Spirits wouldn't be won over easily, at least they didn't start off oozing hostility. Instead, they were making contact, letting friendship warm up gradually.
This normal process finally put Kotori's mind at ease.
"Aren't you going to join the fun?"
Just as she was thinking, a tall figure with curves that were obvious even from the corner of her eye appeared beside her.
"..."
Kotori took a breath, then turned to look at the golden-haired girl who stood almost a head taller than her, an expression of sheer disbelief on her face.
"...What's wrong with you?"
Amber, who had just finished chatting with Kurumi and Rita and came over to check on Kotori, was thoroughly confused.
"No… it's nothing…"
Kotori opened her mouth to comment, then swallowed her words.
What could she even say? 'Long time no see, you've really… grown'?
She knew Durandal hadn't been in a normal state before, but seeing the other girl's development, which had surpassed even two years ago, Kotori found it both surreal and absurd.
Was this really what a seventeen-year-old should look like?
The body could influence a person's personality and preferences—a biological instinct driven by hormones.
But so far, Durandal's personality didn't seem to have changed, which Kotori counted as a blessing.
But… stealing another glance at the pale, ample scenery barely contained by the swimsuit, Kotori couldn't help but look down.
It was like a bean sprout standing next to a potato—they weren't even in the same league.
The stark, immense contrast made Kotori's eye twitch. Weren't we on the same side before…?
"I was waiting here for you. More importantly, are you done on your end? Didn't expect to interrupt your training today."
Dismissing her thoughts, Kotori made small talk.
"Actually, the Immortal Blades usually don't have days off outside of post-mission rest. Of course, official rest days do exist, but everyone wants to maintain peak condition to be ready for deployment at any time."
Amber explained.
"That's only part of it. The bigger reason is that even Lady Durandal trains every day, so how could we afford to slack off?"
Rita's amused voice came from behind them.
Seeing her alone, Amber asked, "Where's Seele and the others?"
"Lady Seele and Miss Kurumi are preparing some toys for everyone to play with."
Rita replied in her unhurried tone.
"Origami volunteered to stay in the training room. After all, she now has the strength to serve as an 'instructor.' Though her teaching skills are lacking, she makes a good sparring partner."
Amber suspected there was more to that 'volunteered,' but considering the increasingly heavy look in Origami's eyes whenever she saw 'big silly goose' Amber, she tacitly accepted Rita's arrangement.
"I saw how eager she looked earlier, but she gave it up in the end… Such dedication to improving her strength—no wonder she became the captain of Immortal Blades' second squad at her age."
Amber nodded.
Kotori blinked. The name Tobiichi Origami did ring a bell.
She'd heard she was a rising star in the Immortal Blades, with talent and strength ranking top among her peers, but the two had hardly met.
Their only encounter had been brief and unpleasant—not due to personal interaction, but because Kotori was, in fact, the root cause of Origami's tragedy.
So, inviting her hadn't even crossed Kotori's mind.
She only knew Origami was coming because Durandal mentioned it.
It didn't matter anyway. Kotori's goal was just for Shiori to interact with the Spirits and to express gratitude for Durandal's repeated help. One more or one less person made little difference, especially since Origami had agreed to come, clearly not holding a grudge.
"Speaking of which, Kotori said you were waiting for me. Did you have something to say?"
Amber looked at Kotori.
"Actually, yes…"
Kotori glanced at Rita standing beside them. She had intended to speak with Durandal alone, but as her ever-present adjutant, Rita listening in probably wouldn't change anything.
"Shiori and I are joining Schicksal."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.