However, the gears of fate had begun to turn toward a more chaotic and interesting direction.
Just moments ago, it wasn't just the AST, DEM, and Shido on site who heard it.
In the various underground shelters across Amamiya City, citizens anxiously awaiting the lifting of the Spatial Quake alert had their overhead speakers—which were cycling through soothing announcements and gentle music—suddenly interrupted by a burst of piercing static!
Following this, a low, steady male voice, carrying a sense of ancient authority (mixed with electric static and the background noise of explosions from the scene), clearly entered the ears of every person through the shelter's broadcast system:
"If the Spatial Quake is a purely natural disaster, and Spirits are naturally occurring calamities, then why has this phenomenon only occurred frequently in the last few decades of Earth's billions of years of history?"
"The Realizer units you hold... their core technologies, 'CR-Unit' and 'Territory'... why did they suddenly appear and become applicable only after the 'Eurasian Great Disaster' thirty years ago?"
"Has the DEM Company, which manufactures and provides this equipment to you, and teaches you that Spirits are disasters... have they truly explained the ultimate nature of all this power to you?"
(Ellen Mathers' interruption: "Silence! Do not spread your heresy here!")
(Intense explosion sound)
"...I am—Welt of Anti-Entropy!"
"Here, I declare war upon all those who impose the guilt of disaster upon the innocent, conceal the truth, and wantonly exploit power!"
"...Look at us—the beings you call'Spirits'—and see if we truly have the right to live in this world!"
...The broadcast abruptly ended there, resuming the cycling shelter announcement.
However, a deathly silence enveloped every shelter. This was immediately followed by an unstoppable, tidal wave of clamor and discussion!
"Wh-What was that just now?!"
"Who was speaking? 'Welt'? Anti-Entropy?"
"What did he mean? That Spatial Quakes aren't natural disasters?"
"The DEM Company... hiding the truth?"
"Are the Spirits... declaring war on us?!"
"What he said... actually makes some sense..."
Fear, confusion, curiosity, and deep suspicion toward the official narrative spread rapidly through the crowd like a virus.
Half of Koushi (Welt)'s goal was achieved. He successfully planted the seeds of doubt, not only in the minds of the AST members but also directly among the general populace.
This eavesdropping transmitter, disguised as a button, was the true trump card of his "debut show."
The chaos and long-term impact it would cause would far surpass the skirmish on the battlefield.
Inside the briefing room of the Amamiya City AST Unit.
The scent of disinfectant mixed with machine oil permeated the air, and the cold metal walls retained the solemnity left after the combat alert was lifted.
Tobiichi Origami stood before her direct superior, Ryouko Kusakabe, having already removed her CR-Unit and changed into the standard AST military uniform.
Her posture remained ramrod straight, like a javelin, but a subtle trace of confusion flashed deep within her usually cool eyes.
"The above is the detailed report for this engagement."
Origami's voice was steady and emotionless, as if she were stating data irrelevant to herself.
"Target Spirit 'Princess' is confirmed 'Lost' and vanished. The newly appearing unknown Spirit, provisionally codenamed 'Reason Law' (Reason), displayed abilities involving large-scale material construction and high-speed maneuvering. He disengaged through unknown means after engaging with our unit and the DEM Wizard, Ellen Mathers. His final statement... was quite inflammatory."
She handed Ryouko an electronic report pad, which clearly recorded the combat data and included a summary of Welt's declaration at the end.
Ryouko Kusakabe rubbed her temples, her face showing clear signs of exhaustion and stress.
One battle involving two Spirits, one of whom attracted DEM's ace and delivered a world-shaking verbal attack—this was enough for her to write countless reports and face questioning from her superiors.
"Large-scale material construction... another troublesome ability."
Ryouko quickly scanned the report, her eyes lingering on "Welt's" statement for a long time.
"...Questioning the natural origin of Spatial Quakes, suggesting that Realizer units and Spirits share the same source, and even claiming DEM is hiding the truth... Hmph, standard tactics for sowing discord and confusing the public. Origami, you haven't been affected by this nonsense, have you?"
She looked up at her most outstanding, yet most worrying, subordinate.
Origami was silent for a moment, then, instead of answering directly, posed another question: "Captain. How long have we been fighting Spirits?"
"Counting from the Eurasian Great Disaster thirty years ago, when the Realizer units became practical, it's almost thirty years. Why do you ask?"
"Thirty years. Before that, there were almost no clearly documented phenomena similar to Spatial Quakes."
Origami looked towards the gray sky outside the window, as if gazing into the distant past.
"That Spirit asked, 'Why has this phenomenon only occurred frequently in the last few decades of Earth's billions of years of history?'"
"That..."
Ryouko was momentarily speechless. The question was too profound, and she had never considered it.
"Realizer units, especially the 'Territory'."
Origami continued to press, her voice still calm, but her questions growing sharper.
"Its theoretical foundation comes from the 'Otherworld Technology' discovered after the Eurasian Great Disaster. The DEM Company holds absolute rights to its interpretation and patent. We use it, train with it, and rely on it to fight Spirits. But do we truly understand its essence? That Spirit said, 'Its origin is one and the same as us Spirits.'"
A brief silence fell over the briefing room, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning system.
Ryouko's expression became somewhat helpless.
"Origami! These technical questions are not for us to consider! Our duty is to use the equipment issued by our superiors, eliminate Spirits, and protect the populace! As for the DEM Company and the technological politics behind it, that is not our concern!"
"But what if..."
Origami slowly turned her head to face her Captain, posing the most critical, and most dangerous, question.
"...What if Spirits are not natural disasters? What if their existence, and even their power, has a deeper, unknown connection to the technology we use, or even the disaster from thirty years ago? Then, what is the meaning of everything we are doing now—the fighting, the sacrifices?"
She paused, recalling the nearly endless mechanical army constructed by the new Spirit, and his final declaration of war.
"Furthermore, the power and organization displayed by 'Reason Law' are unlike any previous Spirit. He declared, 'I declare war upon all those who conceal the truth.' What if... what if Spirits are no longer mere disasters passively manifesting and causing Spatial Quakes, but instead transform into an organized, purposeful, perhaps even technologically advanced... hostile civilization? Can we, the AST, or even DEM, cope with the power they have shown?"
Ryouko Kusakabe was completely stunned. She looked at Origami as if truly seeing her subordinate, who usually only focused on combat and training, for the first time.
These questions struck the barriers of her deeply held beliefs like hammers, causing her a sudden, inexplicable panic and... fear.
She could not answer. She could only slam her hand down on the table, her voice betraying a hint of wavering she hadn't realized herself.
"That is enough! Tobiichi Sergeant! These are baseless speculations! They are the enemy's psychological warfare! Your mission is to focus on combat, not to have your resolve shaken by these illusory things! This report ends here today. Go and rest!"
Origami looked at her Captain silently for a few seconds, then did not argue further. She rendered a perfect military salute.
"Yes, Captain."
Then, she turned and left the briefing room. The door closed behind her, momentarily isolating her from the heavy, unspoken doubts.
But she knew that some seeds, once planted, would quietly take root and sprout.
The words of the Spirit who called himself "Welt," along with the incredible power he displayed, had already pierced her absolutely rational mind like a thorn.
She needed answers. And the answers provided by the AST and DEM officials seemed no longer enough to fully convince her... Tobiichi Origami left Ryouko Kusakabe's briefing room carrying a thread of unresolved doubt.
As she walked through the internal passages of the base, heading toward the locker room, she could hear the hushed discussions of other AST logistics personnel and technicians along the way, the content of which had already gone beyond the battle itself.
"Did you hear? About that battle just now..."
"More than just hearing about it, my folks live in the Eastern District of Amamiya City, and my parents heard it in the shelter!"
"Heard what?"
"The things that new Spirit said! It was broadcast through the shelter system! Asking why Spatial Quakes only have a history of a few decades, and saying Realizer units and Spirits might share the same origin..."
"Is that true?! That's outrageous!"
"Absolutely true! It's spreading like wildfire outside! Related topics even appeared online, though they were quickly blocked..."
"Oh my god... What does this Spirit want? To destabilize morale?"
Origami's footsteps paused slightly. Her expression didn't change, but she listened clearly to these words.
(That Spirit... actually broadcast the conversation? His target isn't just us on the battlefield, but society as a whole?)
When she exited the AST base, she noticed that the passersby, usually rushing about, were now gathered in small groups, discussing in hushed tones, their faces showing confusion and a hint of unease. Fragmented words drifted into her ears:
"...Did you hear? That broadcast..."
"...Saying the DEM Company is hiding the truth..."
"...Spirits declaring war... Have we been wrong about something all this time?"
"...It's terrifying, if the Spirits are truly organized..."
The air was thick with a tension different from a Spatial Quake alert—it was the confusion and restlessness that arises when deeply held beliefs are challenged.
Origami walked through the crowd impassively, but the words and the questions in her heart intertwined, deepening her gaze.
"That new... target, his ability is too strange, construction..."
"And those words... it sounds like he knows a lot of inside information?"
"The higher-ups have already issued a gag order, prohibiting discussion of combat details, especially the target's final statement."
"Understood... But, I heard that the civilian communication and broadcast signals nearby were severely jammed at the time?"
Origami's steps paused slightly.
(Jamming? Was it just jamming?)
As a firsthand witness, she felt it was more like a targeted information projection. But the discipline of the organization kept her silent... "Despicable trickery!"
Ellen Mathers' voice came through the encrypted communication line; even through the electronic device, her anger, which seemed almost solid, could be felt.
"That damned rat! Not only is he slippery like an eel, but he also uses such vile methods!"
On the other end of the screen, Isaac Ray Peram Westcott held a glass of red wine, his face bearing an amused smile, as if enjoying a good show.
"Relax, Ellen Mathers. It's just the noise of a dying struggle."
He gently swirled his glass. "Doubt, incitement, creating chaos... these are the usual tricks of the weak. If anything, it proves our path is correct; they are afraid."
He continued unhurriedly, "Our 'friends' have already taken action.
All abnormal broadcast signals received in specific time periods and areas will be uniformly classified as—malicious terrorist psychological attacks and hacking activities carried out by exploiting electromagnetic chaos during the Spatial Quake."
"But the things he said..." Ellen Mathers gritted her teeth. "They have already caused a terrible impact! We must take immediate action before he causes greater damage..."
"Of course we must act," Westcott interrupted her, his smile unchanged but his eyes cold.
"But not by having you charge in like an enraged bull. Immediately prepare a statement, in the name of the DEM Company—no, have the authorities issue it through our 'partners' channel."
"The content?" Ellen Mathers pressed.
"The content?" Westcott chuckled lightly. "It's nothing more than clumsy, conspiracy-theory-mimicking ravings, attempting to twist a 'natural disaster' into a man-made plot to create social panic. No specific, sensitive information about'Spirits' or 'Realizer units' will be leaked. What the public hears will be filtered and distorted, meaningless noise and fragmented rumors. Our information processing department will handle this very efficiently."
He took a sip of wine and continued, "Classify it as—a malicious, premeditated terrorist psychological warfare and hacking incident, exploiting a vulnerability in the public broadcast system during the Spatial Quake crisis."
"Emphasize that its goal was to create social panic. As for the supposed 'Welt' and his 'Anti-Entropy'..."
Westcott revealed a look of contempt.
"...Say it was a clumsy impersonation by some extremist group, or simply blame it on those rat organizations hiding in the shadows who have always doubted us. The public needs a simple, easy-to-understand explanation and a clear enemy, not the unsettling truth."
He paused, then added.
"As for any slight wavering that might occur within the AST... that will require you and your colleagues to reinforce your 'convictions.' We need soldiers, not philosophers."
"I understand." Ellen Mathers calmed down, her tone regaining its decisiveness. "I will handle it immediately. And the Spirit itself..."
"Continue the search, raise the priority to the highest level. His ability is interesting, and that mouth of his... is too noisy. He poses a new, unexpected threat to our 'cause.' I need you to bring him back, Ellen Mathers."
Westcott set down his wine glass.
"I need him, whether he's lying on an operating table or permanently silenced."