Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1496 Distant Moon Stars
This anxiety, in turn, affected her performance in high-intensity tasks, creating a vicious cycle.

She became even more silent, only daring to show a hint of vulnerability when she was alone with a very few old friends (such as Soma, Miku, and Mito Ikumi).

Alice Nakiri adapted to and enjoyed the life of a celebrity the fastest.

She moves gracefully through high-society settings, collaborating most deeply with top brands, and skillfully leveraging her charm and the mystique of her psychic powers to become a darling of the crossover between fashion and strength.

The island nation's official team of psychology experts is closely monitoring all of this.

Detailed reports were submitted to senior management: "The target's psychological state matches the expected model, and is in a controllable period of 'glory inflation' and 'responsibility pressure.' Their dependence on external recognition (honor, status, material security) has significantly increased, and their obedience to official guidance has improved. Their need to maintain their 'heroic image' can be used to deeply bind them to the target."

This is exactly what the authorities wanted—a group of powerful, renowned heroes with inner "cracks" are far easier to control than an impeccable "Valkyrie".

They are like meticulously polished gems, set in the scepter of the nation's will.

The Strategic Intelligence Analysis Room (codenamed "Eagle's Nest") deep underground at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

On the huge screen, two completely different images were playing repeatedly: one was a blurry but breathtaking image captured by a satellite, which was a top-secret file codenamed "Demon Blade Princess, Goddess of Death Hela, Female Satan" belonging to Saeko Busujima.

The other segment featured high-definition news footage: Soma Yukihira was greeted with thunderous cheers from the crowd at the grand "Psychic Show" held at Tokyo Dome.

“Gentlemen,” CIA Director Williams said in a hoarse voice, “the islanders are clever. They know that the ‘Valkyrie’ is an uncontrollable absolute power, so they introduced these… ‘Secondary Stars’ (codename ‘Tōtsuki Stars’).

A four-star general stared intently at the image of Soma Yukihira: "Secondary? Williams, you call this 'secondary'? According to technical assessments, the instantaneous burst of psionic energy from that red-haired kid (Soma Yukihira) has already reached the threshold of battleship-level! Not to mention that they represent a completely new, replicable psionic energy development model. Just imagine if their armies were equipped with it on a large scale..."

“That’s the most unsettling part, General.”

The Director of National Intelligence interjected, “'The terror of the female Satan' lies in her uniqueness and irreproducibility. The essence of her power is closer to an erasure at the level of 'rules,' the ultimate in personal martial arts. We tend to believe that her existence is a miracle rather than a technological path. But the 'Totsuki Stars' are different. Although their power is far inferior to 'the female Satan,' it is clear, quantifiable, and seems… traceable. Their growth trajectory is inseparable from the system of the 'Totsuki Reigen Exorcism Academy.' The island nation is showing us, and the world, a possibility: as long as this method is mastered, 'controllable' strategic or quasi-strategic psychics can be mass-produced! Even if it's only one-tenth or even one-hundredth of Saeko Busujima's power, once it reaches a certain scale…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone in the conference room felt a chill.

The shadow of Saeko Busujima single-handedly forcing back (or rather, "erasing") the Hundred Nations Coalition's exercise forces has not yet dissipated.

That power was so despairing that it made one not even think of resisting it.

But the power of Soma Yukihira and his team brought a more real and anxiety-inducing sense of threat—it seemed to be something that could be caught up with, imitated, or even surpassed.

The island nation is taking a huge gamble by capitalizing on the success of "The Far Moon Stars," attempting to seize the moral high ground and technological leadership in the international psychic power landscape of the "post-Valkyrie era."

"The island nation's government is playing with fire."

Williams concluded, “They are trying to use the brilliance of these ‘stars’ to cover up the absolute power gap left by the ‘Valkyries,’ while using them to leverage greater international interests, and perhaps even… to incite a new round of state-led psionic arms race. We must act immediately:” 1. Deeply infiltrate “Far Moon”: Obtain the core secrets of its psionic education system at all costs.

2. Contact the 'stars': Assess their personal weaknesses, attempt to establish unofficial connections, and try to divide or win them over.

Pay special attention to those whose psychology fluctuates (such as Megumi Tadokoro's anxiety, Alice Nakiri's materialism, and Miku Nakano's materialism).

3. Accelerate the 'Prometheus' program: The United States must have its own systematic psychic training program that can rival or even surpass the "Far Moon Model".

While the strategists on the other side of the ocean were plotting their plans, deep within the Tokyo Metropolitan Totsuki Spirit Exorcism Academy, the door to the almost untouched special training room was gently opened.

Saeko Busujima concluded her week-long meditation and swordsmanship training.

She walked out slowly, her long hair cascading down her back, her eyes calm and deep, as if still as a deep well. The clamor of fame and fortune, the complex political games, and the undercurrents of international scheming had not left a trace in her eyes.

She simply walked up to a higher place out of habit, gazing at the bustling, energetic, and hopeful freshmen on campus, and also seeing in the distance Soma Yukihira and others surrounded by reporters and fans, their smiles radiant yet subtly bearing the marks of fame and fortune.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her fingertips unconsciously brushing against the hilt of the knife at her waist.

That icy touch was the last and most solid barrier between her and this noisy world.

She could clearly sense the subtle changes in the soul light of her former companions. The flames that were once as pure and fiery as the fire of cooking, burning only for the pursuit of deliciousness and protection, now seemed to be mixed with some other fuels. They burned brighter, but they might also be... more unstable and more likely to burn themselves.

"purely……"

She murmured to herself, her voice barely audible, like the hum of wind whistling across a sword's blade.

In this world, those who can hold onto their true selves and remain unmoved by external things are extremely rare.

She wouldn't interfere with her companions' choices; that was their path.

Her path has always been singular—to use the sword in her hand to sever all the falsehoods and evils that erode the present world.

As for those glimmers of light that gradually lose their way in the world of fame and fortune, will they eventually be extinguished, or will they ignite into an uncontrollable wildfire?

She simply watched quietly, like snow on a mountaintop, overlooking the prosperity and changes below.

This detached silence is itself the most profound and silent deterrent to the island nation's officials and all those who covet it.

(End of this chapter)