Above Tengu City, a battleship named Ratatoskr was docked in the stratosphere. Ratatoskr is a mysterious organization formed with the goal of communicating with spirits and resolving the disasters caused by Spatial Quakes through peaceful means. With Itsuka Kotori as the Commander, it recruits various volunteers under the banner of protecting spirits. On this day, during their daily routine reconnaissance, a member in the bridge detected a spiritual power fluctuation.
"Commander, a spirit fluctuation was just detected, and Tengu City just issued a 'Spatial Quake' alert. It seems a spirit has appeared." The member immediately reported to Itsuka Kotori, who was the Commander.
"Oh? Good. So, which known spirit's fluctuation is it? Also, report if there were any casualties from this Spatial Quake." Itsuka Kotori, sitting in the Commander's seat with her favorite lollipop in hand, looked at the reporting member. Recently, Kamijou Touma had successfully conquered a spirit, which greatly boosted their morale. Not long after, another new spirit appeared. Now, Ratatoskr members automatically began inputting the detected spirit's fluctuation into the battleship's database for comparison with known spirit data. A short while later, the results came out.
"Commander, this fluctuation belongs to a known spirit, identification code: Hermit. The range of this Spatial Quake was very small, so there were no casualties. Now displaying the surveillance camera's target." A bespectacled member rapidly clicked on the keyboard on the computer. Soon, a huge virtual display appeared in the center of the bridge, showing the spirit.
And this suddenly descending spirit was Yoshino, who had just been pulled back by world consciousness. Although she had basically mastered the control of spiritual power, this descent was too sudden, and she couldn't control it in time, causing the Spatial Quake to occur. Fortunately, at the last moment, she managed to control the range of the Spatial Quake, minimizing losses and ensuring that citizens who hadn't evacuated were not in mortal danger.
In the video displayed on the bridge, Yoshino had changed back into her original spirit dress, a green cloak adorned with rabbit ears, and was looking around in panic at the buildings destroyed by the Spatial Quake.
Her pitiful, soft, and adorable appearance was like an arrow piercing the hearts of the male members of Ratatoskr, hitting their soft spot.
For a moment, they were all deeply captivated by Yoshino's beautiful, doll-like appearance.
"So this is our target this time.
She doesn't seem to be an aggressive Spirit.
That's good.
There's no danger if Shido goes to capture a non-aggressive Spirit like this.
And looking at this child, she should be much easier to capture than Tohka." Itsuka Kotori tore open the wrapper of a lollipop and put it in her mouth.
This Spirit was clearly not a highly aggressive one, and with their help, plus Shido's experience in capturing one Spirit already, there shouldn't be any problems.
"Kannazuki Kyouhei, what is Shido doing right now?" Itsuka Kotori turned to look at Kannazuki Kyouhei, who was stroking his chin with a strange smile as he watched Yoshino on the screen, and asked with a frown.
Knowing this masochistic pervert, she was sure he was thinking of something unreliable.
"He's probably with Tohka right now.
After all, that Spirit is very clingy to Shido and keeps pestering him to go on a date.
He's really an enviable guy." Itsuka Shido was also a good cook, and Tohka would always pester him to make her food.
So, this just goes to show that men who can cook are generally more popular.
"What were you just thinking, Kannazuki Kyouhei?" While Kannazuki Kyouhei was still feeling envy, jealousy, and hatred, Itsuka Kotori suddenly spoke.
"When I first saw this Little Loli, I wanted to take her home and push her down.
A while ago, I saw a saying online: 'Three years is a huge profit, death penalty is not a loss.' I feel like I can… Haaah!!" Kannazuki Kyouhei, who had inadvertently blurted out his wicked thoughts, was still speaking when Itsuka Kotori delivered a heavy punch to his stomach, knocking him to the ground and making him let out a joyful cry.
"Someone, drag this pervert away and give him a good education.
Death penalty is not a loss? Then I'll make your life worse than death!" Little Loli?
Wasn't she also a loli?
Hearing Kannazuki Kyouhei say that about Yoshino, Itsuka Kotori connected it to herself and vented her anger on Kannazuki Kyouhei.
Seeing his joyful expression, she snapped her fingers, and two men in thongs appeared and dragged Kannazuki Kyouhei away, ignoring his pleas for mercy, and then turned to look at the woman with heavy dark circles under her eyes and wearing glasses.
"Reine, have Shido come to Ratatoskr now, and bring Tohka along too.
It's still a special period; it wouldn't be good if her spiritual power reversed due to Shido's absence." As Itsuka Kotori's most reliable right-hand woman, Murasame Reine was highly trusted.
"Understood, Commander." Murasame Reine nodded, preparing to leave.
As the automatic door of the bridge opened, she didn't immediately walk through but turned around to glance at Yoshino on the screen.
She seemed to be thinking about something, then shook her head and left.
A short while later, a blue-haired boy and a purple-haired girl were brought by Murasame Reine to Ratatoskr's command center.
"Kotori, what's going on now? Has another Spirit appeared?" Itsuka Shido asked Itsuka Kotori, who was still sucking on a lollipop, as soon as he arrived.
He had just been making food for Tohka at home when he was told to come to Ratatoskr, and Tohka was brought along too.
Aside from Spirit matters, there shouldn't be any other reason.
"Call me Commander, you amoeba! But you're not wrong; I called you here because of a Spirit.
Look at the screen; this is the Spirit that appeared this time." The screen zoomed in again, and Yoshino's cute little face appeared before Itsuka Shido's eyes, making his face flush.
Was such a cute child also a Spirit?
"Hmph! It seems Shido is not only an amoeba but also a perverted lolicon.
Did you just see this child and want to push her down?" Itsuka Kotori felt a surge of displeasure when she saw Itsuka Shido's captivated expression and immediately spoke with a sharp tongue.
Her own younger sister was also very cute, so why had she never seen that expression from him?
"Don't talk nonsense, Kotori.
What lolicon? Tohka is still here." Itsuka Shido said in a flustered manner, having been seen through, and at the same time, he nervously looked at Yatogami Tohka beside him.
She was very prone to jealousy, and it would take a long time to coax her back if she got jealous.
"Shido, what's a lolicon? Is it delicious?" Yatogami Tohka, lacking common knowledge and being naturally naive, sucked on her index finger and looked at Itsuka Shido curiously.
Anything she heard for the first time, she assumed was something delicious.
What kind of delicacy was this 'lolicon' now?
"Uh… that, never mind.
Just be happy." Itsuka Shido was relieved that Yatogami Tohka hadn't understood the meaning of the word, but he was also helpless that she was still so lacking in common sense.
He had clearly taught Tohka these things.
"What's the situation with Hermit now? Have there been any abnormalities?" Ignoring Itsuka Shido, Itsuka Kotori asked the members on the bridge.
"Yes! The Spirit's condition is completely normal, but someone has already rushed to the Spirit's location." A female member quickly replied, and the screen's image shifted to show people moving towards Yoshino in the sky.
The AST personnel had already arrived.
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