"What? The Sakuramiya sisters ran into Hatsuye, and the girl inside them ambushed her and shot her in the face?"
Alistair put down his phone, stunned, waiting for Mina's reply. He'd just learned through LINE that Hatsuye Purplegrave had a "partner" too—a spirit named Rhea. According to Mina, Rhea was a high-mid tier spirit among the sisters.
The Sakuramiya sisters' partner, Vayas, was a bottom-tier demi-god and extremely weakened. Even with a sneak attack, she couldn't beat Hatsuye's partner.
Makes sense. Rhea is an assassin type, Vayas is a ranger. Alistair recalled feeling threatened by Vayas's bow before, but it wasn't nearly as terrifying as Seira with Sonaya's dagger.
"A self-defense mechanism? I see. I was wondering why those two sweet girls would attack Hatsuye." Alistair nodded.
"Oh, do you know the Sakuramiyas, Alistair?" Mina sent a 'curious' emoji.
"Met them by chance. I thought it was a 'thugs harassing girls' plot, but it was actually 'girls feeding their pets.' I almost got shot." Alistair regretted not filming it; he could have blackmailed them easily. But he wasn't afraid. He had Sister Anna and the "Big Sister" Sonaya on his side. If he couldn't win a fight, he could just call for backup.
"I see. Hatsuye says Rhea can sense how weak Vayas is. Vayas is mostly dormant now. Without her prompting, the twins wouldn't do anything like that. Hatsuye is still mad, but she's adapting well. Rhea says Hatsuye just needs combat experience now; she's accepted the supernatural side of things."
Alistair read Mina's updates. "What about Kasumi? Does she have a partner?"
"Kasumi? No. In this school, only the three—wait, four of us have partners." Mina had been wandering around with Joella, sensing for their "sisters." Finding three in one school was already a miracle.
Three here, two at St. Lux... that's five out of fourteen demi-god sisters in this one city. Including the eldest and second-eldest. Is this destiny or just a broken gacha system?
Alistair calculated. He had reached 60% progress in just two months. At this rate, he'd break the final barrier before the world gates opened in three years. He'd be ready for the "Black Beast" event.
But while the Dog and Horse talismans made him immortal, he could still be sealed or trapped. He needed more offensive power. Wait, the Dragon Talisman! It was the ultimate counter to a magic-based fantasy world. He just needed more talismans to fully fuse with it. He'd have to work harder on Chiaki tonight.
Back at home, Sonaya slammed the table in frustration. "Five! Five of my sisters are in this dump of a city?!"
She'd felt the second sister, Joella, releasing her aura at the school. Then her scouts confirmed three sisters were at that academy. Joella was the sister she feared most—Joella's power was "Stability," which perfectly countered Sonaya's "Disorder." Against Joella, Sonaya was basically a powerless human.
Plus, she sensed a fourth aura on Alistair, and he possessed the eldest sister's crystal. This place was a deathtrap.
"I can't compete with them here. I should leave... wait, if I leave, I lose track of the 'Chosen One.' My mana isn't high enough for long-distance surveillance yet."
She began looking for other schools further away. "Saint Flower Girls' Academy? A prestigious noble school. High-quality 'Lust' from the repressed students there. I can regain my strength by controlling the board of directors. In this world, 'Power' is everything."
"I'll take a leave of absence for now. It's too risky to go to school. I'll use my 'puppets' to keep an eye on things." Sonaya activated the control marks in the souls of several classmates, allowing her to see through their eyes and detect mana residues.