"This... is a big problem." Kotori's voice sank.
"What we are facing might not be a newly manifested, ignorant Spirit... but rather a 'veteran' who understands our situation, is meticulous, and... is extremely skilled at disguise and manipulating people's hearts."
"And Koushi... he might have become a... variable, or perhaps... a hostage in this matter." She added, her tone filled with deep worry.
Reine chimed in at the appropriate time, offering another hypothesis:
"...The higher probability is that the target possesses an Angel unknown to us. Perhaps an unconventional Angel like 'Mind Reading,' 'Memory Probing,' or even 'Peering into Destiny.' She might have captured this information from Shido-kun himself, or from 'information residue' in the surrounding environment."
Kotori's eyes widened: "Mind reading? Memory probing? If that's really the case... wouldn't we be completely exposed in front of her..." She stopped mid-sentence, the shock in her eyes quickly replaced by sharpness.
"...No, that's wrong. Reine, if her ability were truly invincible, she would have known everything already, not just my name and temperament. Her ability must have significant limitations or triggering conditions, right?"
"Theoretically, yes." Reine confirmed calmly. "Otherwise, what she knows shouldn't just be surface-level information."
"I knew it!" Kotori clenched her fist, as if grasping a breakthrough, but then irritably ran her hands through her hair. "But it's still so annoying! I feel like I've been seen completely naked!"
Shido: "..." (His face slightly flushed, unsure of what he was thinking.)
Kotori took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. When she spoke again, her voice lacked the previous impatience; instead, it held the composed decisiveness of a commander:
"The situation has changed." She looked at Shido, her eyes sharp and serious. "A Spirit capable of discerning the existence of our surveillance, and perhaps even understanding our internal response patterns, must have its threat level and uncertainty factor raised to the maximum. This is no longer a game, Shido."
In the kitchen, the smell of burnt food began to spread, but what was thicker now was a cold, suffocating sense of crisis and worry over their friend's situation.
Their self-proclaimed "observation" and "capture" might have been a spectacle and a joke in the eyes of the other party from beginning to end, and their important friend might be deeply entangled in it.
Shido's heart also tightened, as he grasped the seriousness of the problem.
"The previous 'capture' plan is suspended." Kotori ordered decisively.
"You will continue contact with her tomorrow, but the primary objectives have changed: First, prioritize your own safety. If anything feels wrong, withdraw immediately."
"Second, without compromising your own safety, try to confirm Koushi's well-being and whereabouts. I fear he might be more than just 'injured.'"
"Third, Reine, focus your analysis on her ability—is it mind reading, precognition, or something else entirely! We must find the source and limitations of her information!"
"Since the disguised observation has been seen through, we will partially shift to a 'face-up' strategy! Shido, you can be a bit more direct in probing her abilities and intentions."
"At the same time—you absolutely must! Absolutely must! Find a way to extract Koushi's whereabouts! I'm worried that idiot might genuinely be controlled by her through some strange method!"
She paused, emphasizing her tone: "Remember, she might understand your hand better than you do. Do not try to act in front of her, but you must also guard all core secrets concerning the Spirits and the organization. This is very difficult, but you must achieve it."
"I understand." Shido nodded solemnly. The mission had become incredibly clear, and incredibly difficult—protecting himself and searching for his friend while potentially being completely transparent.
"Reine," Kotori turned to the analyst, "re-evaluate all data concerning 'Chinatsu,' focusing on analyzing any anomalies in her behavior patterns that might point to her source of information. At the same time, raise the monitoring and support level for Shido to the maximum, and be fully prepared for any emergency."
"As for you," Kotori looked at Shido, showing a mischievous, devilish smile.
"Your 'Resistance to Charm' training is doubled tonight! Otherwise, if you get flustered just because she hugs your arm again, I'll seriously consider getting you a defibrillator collar!"
Shido's face instantly flushed bright red: "W-when did I get flustered!"
"Shido-kun, heart rate instantly spiked to 135. Recommendation: calm down." Reine's timely jab arrived.
Shido, stirring the food in the pan, listened to his sister's scolding and Reine's calm analysis, his mood reaching extreme complexity.
Chinatsu's smiling eyes and Kotori's exasperated face alternated in his mind.
(Are all Spirits... this... elusive?) (How exactly should I face her... tomorrow?)
Reine nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the void, as if reading data:
"...Currently, there are too many contradictions in her behavior pattern. First, she actively approached Shido-kun, showing an unusual level of favorability, which contradicts the avoidance or aggression seen in most Spirits."
"Second, her carefully disguised identity, 'Phoenix-in Chinatsu,' was easily used to approach the target. She doesn't seem afraid of deep investigation; she even intentionally guided us to focus on 'Koushi.'"
"Speaking of Koushi..." Kotori frowned. "She said he was injured at home, but our people can't confirm his situation at all. His simultaneous appearance with this 'Chinatsu' is too much of a coincidence. Reine, is it possible..."
Reine was silent for a moment before offering a hypothesis: "...Possibility one: 'Koushi' is her accomplice, assisting in the disguise but currently in hiding."
"Possibility two: 'Koushi' himself has met with misfortune, and his identity is being exploited by the Spirit."
"Possibility three..." She paused. "...The person 'Koushi Hōoin' was, from the very beginning, one of the 'disguised identities' used by the Spirit to blend into society. The so-called 'younger sister' is just a new role she extended based on that identity."
"Possibility three is absolutely impossible!" Kotori immediately cut her off, her tone exceptionally firm, even carrying a hint of being offended.
"Koushi is Koushi! He grew up with us; he is a real person! Shido and I know that better than anyone! Reine, that hypothesis is too preposterous!"
Shido also nodded vigorously, the color draining from his face, but what dominated was the fear of "meeting misfortune": "...Met with misfortune? Exploiting his identity? No way! Koushi, he..."
Although he also found it sudden that Koushi had a sister, he absolutely could not accept the suggestion that his friend might have been harmed or exploited.
"Idiot Older Brother, this is not the time to be emotional!" Kotori interrupted him, but this time her tone was not scolding; instead, it carried the same anxiety and worry.
"But the first two possibilities Reine mentioned... we must take them seriously. Koushi is very likely in danger right now!"
Reine calmly accepted the rebuttal and continued: "...Therefore, based on the existing intelligence, Possibility One and Possibility Two carry the highest weight. There is also another possibility: this Spirit possesses an Angel unknown to us that can modify perception or create illusions."
"She might have done something to Koushi, or manipulated the perceptions of all of us, causing us to falsely accept 'Chinatsu's' existence."
"If she can modify perception, how much of the 'reality' we currently accept is actually true?"