After getting off the roller coaster, the three sat down on a nearby bench to rest.
Chinatsu naturally picked up the chilled drink she had just bought, tilted her head back and gulped down several mouthfuls, and then let out a satisfying, cool exhale, exclaiming without reservation:
"Ah—! That's great!"
Her bold, somewhat boyish action made Shido next to her stare blankly, while Origami slightly furrowed her brow, a barely perceptible trace of doubt flashing in her light blue eyes.
(This kind of defenseless, even somewhat clumsy, behavior pattern... does it really fit a Spirit who needs to conceal her identity?)
Just then, Origami's cell phone vibrated.
She took it out and glanced at the screen. The caller ID was clearly—[Kusakabe Ryouko].
(The Captain's call? At this time...)
Origami's eyes narrowed slightly. She immediately stood up, said "Excuse me for a moment" to Shido and Chinatsu, and quickly walked with her phone toward a relatively secluded corner nearby.
And just as Origami took out her phone, Chinatsu's seemingly casual glance happened to catch the name on the screen!
(Kusakabe Ryouko?! The AST Captain?!)
Chinatsu's heart violently skipped a beat! A strong sense of foreboding instantly gripped her!
(Why would she contact Origami right now? Isn't today Origami's day off? If it isn't an emergency mission...)
(Wait! Could it be... Damn it, are they targeting me?!)
This thought was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, instantly sobering her up!
She immediately realized that she might have been in danger all along without knowing it!
(Calm down! I must calm down!)
Chinatsu forced herself to settle down, and her brain began working at an unprecedented speed.
(If the AST has already confirmed my identity, why haven't they launched a direct attack? Instead, they let Origami approach me in this way? Are they confirming something? Or are they... waiting for something?)
She remained outwardly calm, but the authority of Reason Law had already been silently activated on a microscopic level!
Invisible perception, like a fine spiderweb, rapidly spread outward from her, analyzing every detail of the surrounding environment—energy flow, electromagnetic signals, and even the slightest Spirit Power residue.
At the same time, she knew that any unusual Spirit Power fluctuation could tip them off. She must maintain a disguise!
Thus, in Shido's eyes, Chinatsu, who had just been happily drinking her beverage, suddenly had her expression darken after Origami left.
She abruptly thumped the drink bottle onto the nearby chair, making a soft "thud," then crossed her arms, her ice-blue eyes fixed squarely on—him!—with obvious displeasure and scrutiny.
(Sorry, Shido, I'm borrowing your face for a moment, as cover!)
Chinatsu apologized silently internally, but externally, she perfectly enacted the image of a sulking girl who was "taking out her frustration on her male companion because Origami suddenly left."
Her cheeks were slightly puffed out, her eyes full of "it's all your fault" resentment, as if all her irritation and unease stemmed from this disturbed date.
And this deliberately created, intense "emotional fluctuation" perfectly explained the Spirit Power fluctuations caused by her precise and subtle probing activity.
Reason Law Calculation · Environmental Scan Report:
Target: Itsuka Shido- A micro high-precision communication device was detected in the left ear canal. The energy signature is consistent with known Fraxinustechnology. Confirmed to be a Ratatoskr communication earpiece. Target: Tobiichi Origami(Departed) - Carrying a standard civilian mobile phone (currently in use) and a silent, higher-encryption military-grade communicator. No signs of active Spirit Power fluctuations or weapon activation detected. Environmental Scan - Within a 500-meter radius, no large-scale Spirit Power aggregation, activation harmonics of Realizer devices, or obvious hostile targeting were detected. A faint, continuous observation signal source exists at high altitude, suspected to be a Fraxinusobservation unit. The overall Spirit Power environment of the Amusement Parkis stable, with no abnormalities.
(Strange... There are no signs of a direct attack. Origami's communicator hasn't been activated either. Why would the AST Captain contact her?)
Chinatsu's heart was filled with doubts.
(According to the "script," Tohka's second appearance should still be five days away. The AST shouldn't have any large-scale combat missions targeting other Spirits... Did my appearance change something?)
(Or... are they merely suspicious and lack concrete evidence? Or... are they waiting for a certain moment?)
Insufficient information prevents an accurate judgment. But the air of danger was already palpably surrounding her.
Chinatsu could only continue to maintain high alert while keeping up her "angry" facade, her mind racing through various possibilities and countermeasures.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shido and Fraxinus were sweating bullets.
Facing Chinatsu, Shido, subjected to the "death glare" of those ice-blue eyes, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, drenched in sweat!
(I-It's over! Chinatsu-san is definitely angry! Is it because Classmate Origami suddenly appeared and she thinks I handled it poorly, or because we didn't sit together on the roller coaster just now? Sh-She looks terrifying...!)
He felt Chinatsu's gaze cutting into him like knives, making him restless; he didn't even know where to put his hands.
He could only stiffly maintain a smile, desperately calling for help from Fraxinus internally.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the Fraxinus bridge was equally tense!
"Target Chinatsu's emotional index has spiked! Anger level, alertness level, and Spirit Power fluctuations are rapidly rising! Directionality: Shido!" Kanmoto quickly reported the dire situation.
"Gaze analysis... full of aggression and dissatisfaction! Is this the precursor to an outburst?" Kawagoe held his head.
"Has she discovered something? Has our plan been exposed?" Shiizaki also started getting paranoid.
Kotori watched Chinatsu's "murderous" glare and Shido's expression that was about to break on the main screen, chewing hard on her candy while her brain frantically searched for a countermeasure.
[Shido! Hold steady! Don't panic!]
She yelled into the microphone, trying to reassure him.
[She might just be redirecting her anger! She was annoyed because Origami suddenly showed up, and now that Origami is gone, she naturally doesn't have to pretend to be indifferent anymore!]
[This is a chance! While Origami is away, quickly! Stick to the plan and invite her to the next attraction! Use your sincerity to move her! Hurry up!]
(I-Invite?! Under that gaze?!)
Shido felt his legs turn weak, but under Kotori's repeated urging, he still steeled himself, forced out a smile uglier than a cry, and tentatively spoke to Chinatsu:
"U-Um... Chinatsu-san... later, should we go try something else? Like... there seems to be a shooting game over there..."
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