Rewinding time slightly, it was the exact moment Chinatsu, Shido, and Origami stepped out of the old shop's back door and into the dark alley.
Approximately eight hundred meters from the target location, on the top floor of a disguised commercial building, the atmosphere inside the temporary command center established by DEM was far from smooth.
Ellen Mathers stood like a statue before the massive one-way floor-to-ceiling window, her sharp gaze piercing the glass and locking onto the old shop in the distance.
Behind her, several DEM technicians at the control panels were nervously monitoring various data streams.
"Report, Lady Ellen!" A technical supervisor's voice carried a hint of barely concealed tension.
"The 'Creator Reverser' system has detected an anomaly during the deep scan of the target, 'Phoenix-in Chinatsu'!"
Ellen did not turn around, her voice icy: "Speak."
"The target... the Reiryoku fluctuation signal on the target drastically diminished after she entered the shop! Just now, after she left her seat to use the restroom and returned, the signal strength has dropped to the level of background noise! We... we have lost a stable lock on the target!"
"What?" Ellen finally turned around, a cold light flashing in her sharp eyes.
"An energy shield? Or did she realize?"
"It doesn't look like intentional shielding... it's more like..." The technical supervisor carefully chose his words.
"...It's as if the Reiryoku source inside her... suddenly vanished, or entered an extreme state of silence that we cannot detect. The scan progress is stuck at 90% and cannot proceed further!"
A low murmur ran through the command center. The target's Reiryoku vanished? This completely exceeded their understanding of Spirits.
Without a stable Reiryoku signal serving as the "Creation Mark," the inverse calculation matrix of the "Creator Reverser" cannot achieve final lock-on, and the accuracy of the "Return Command" it fires will be severely compromised, possibly even failing entirely.
"Check for equipment malfunctions! Expand the scan range! She couldn't have vanished into thin air!" Ellen's voice carried an unquestionable command.
The technical staff immediately busied themselves, turning all detectors to full power, and running repeated self-checks on the Reiryoku wave filters.
However, the data returned was still frustrating—the individual named "Phoenix-in Chinatsu" currently appeared no different from an ordinary human on the detectors.
"Lady Ellen, the equipment is functioning normally. The target... truly has no detectable effective Reiryoku fluctuations." The technical supervisor reported reluctantly.
Ellen's brow furrowed tightly. (Reiryoku vanished? Is it some unknown stealth ability? Or... did we really target the wrong person from the start? That 7.3% match rate...)
She forcibly suppressed the thought the moment it arose.
(No, DEM's technology cannot be wrong. The target must have used some unknown means.)
Just as the command center fell into a temporary deadlock due to this sudden change, worse news followed immediately.
"Warning! High-intensity, highly recognizable Reiryoku fluctuations detected!"
Another monitor shouted the report, "Source... right near the old shop where target Chinatsu is located! Identification code—[Nightmare]! She has appeared!"
On the screen, the red dot representing Nightmare abruptly appeared on the tactical map, nearly overlapping with the green dot representing Chinatsu and the other two!
(Nightmare?! How is she here so fast?! Did the containment in the other areas fail?)
A flash of surprise and anger crossed Ellen's eyes. Kurumi's appearance completely shattered her original plan of "precise assassination."
However, the chaos was not over.
Almost simultaneously with Kurumi's appearance, another even more glaring Reiryoku signal, bearing the distinctive characteristics of Construction Authority, suddenly flared up like a torch lit in the darkness on the edge of the battlefield!
The strength and waveform characteristics of this signal... were completely consistent with the "Herrscher of Reason"—"Welt Yang"—recorded in their database!
"Another target signal! It's 'Welt'! He appeared near Nightmare!" The monitoring technician's tone had changed entirely.
Everyone in the command center was stunned.
Two Spirit signals appearing simultaneously? One on the predetermined lure route (but the individual has no Reiryoku), and one on the edge of the battlefield (possessing a strong Reiryoku signal)?
Ellen stared intensely at the two prominent red markers on the tactical map, as well as the faint green dot representing "Phoenix-in Chinatsu" that was currently devoid of light.
Even for her, battle-hardened and iron-willed, her mind went blank and confused for a moment.
(Phoenix-in Chinatsu has no Reiryoku reaction... but Welt appeared... Did we really make a mistake? Is she not the Herrscher of Reason? Was that transfer student just a coincidence?)
(The true Herrscher of Reason has always been this 'Welt,' and he just happened to be near the transfer student? Are they completely two separate individuals?!)
All possibilities clashed rapidly in her mind. If they had targeted the wrong person, then their meticulously prepared "Creator Reverser," the vast resources they had mobilized, and even her personal command... would all become a tremendous joke!
"Lady Ellen!" The technical supervisor anxiously sought instructions.
"The 'Creator Reverser' system charge has reached its critical point, and maintaining maximum power consumption is enormous! Who... who should we lock onto? Welt? Or continue attempting to lock onto Chinatsu, who has no signal?"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Ellen.
Ellen's expression was terribly grim. She looked at "Welt," who was emitting intense Reiryoku fluctuations on the screen, and then glanced at "Chinatsu," whose Reiryoku signal was negligible.
Her intuition told her that the transfer student was definitely suspicious, but the "Welt" currently displayed was a clearer target, matching all the characteristics of the "Herrscher of Reason."
Time waited for no one. Nightmare's appearance meant the situation could spiral out of control at any moment.
(Prioritize eliminating the confirmed threat!)
Ellen made her decision instantly, her voice filled with cold killing intent, sharp and decisive:
"Abandon the lock-on on Phoenix-in Chinatsu! Recalibrate the 'Creator Reverser'! Target change to—'Welt'!"
"Focus all energy and computational resources onto Welt! I want the 'Creation Mark' scan and final lock-on completed on him in the shortest time possible!"
"Notify all peripheral units to prioritize vigilance against Nightmare, but the primary assassination target is the Herrscher of Reason!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The order was issued, and the massive "Creator Reverser" system began to emit a deeper hum. Its eerie blue muzzle slowly moved, and powerful detection beams, like an invisible giant net, enveloped "Welt," who had just appeared and was confronting Kurumi.
However, the suspicion Ellen held regarding Chinatsu was not entirely eliminated.
(Phoenix-in Chinatsu... whether you are a Spirit or not, regardless of your relationship with Welt... once this immediate trouble is resolved, I will personally confirm it.)
The chess game was thrown into disarray, and the hunter was forced to change targets. Meanwhile, the true "Herrscher of Reason," Chinatsu, used this trick of shedding her cicada shell to buy herself a moment of respite.
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