A beautiful girl who transmigrates into a Herrscher of the Void is treated like an elf and conquered

Kotori, who was initially just angry at being provoked, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

Sowing discord between siblings is a low-level tactic, but accurately predicting and mocking the "observer" himself is a completely different level of concept.

She suddenly stared at Shido, her tone urgent but her goal extremely clear:

"Shido! Think back immediately! Was there any moment today where she might have noticed the earpiece or that I was communicating with you? Was there any unnatural movement or expression?"

Shido was startled by Kotori's sudden change in expression. He immediately tried to recall, then shook his head with absolute certainty:

"No! I swear I was very careful! I covered my ears only after she finished speaking and turned her back!"

Upon receiving a negative answer, Kotori's expression darkened completely, her previous anger replaced by a deeper, colder vigilance.

She and Shido exchanged a glance, both seeing the same shock and confusion in each other's eyes.

"Then... how did she know?" she murmured, but then, the most direct and reasonable suspect jumped into her mind.

"—It's Chiin!" she blurted out, but immediately shook her head, rejecting the idea.

"No...impossible! Although Chiin is an idiot, there's no way he could know about Fraxisk, much less deliberately leak my information to pull off such a prank! He's not that kind of person!"

Shido immediately and firmly agreed: "That's right! Senin would never do such a thing!" His trust in his friend was unwavering.

Both of them knew perfectly well that their ordinary friend, Phoenix Institute Chiin, who liked surfing the internet and occasionally had a sharp tongue, could absolutely, positively not know about core secrets such as "Fracinas," "Commander," and "Real-time Monitoring."

This isn't a trust issue; it's a fundamental issue of understanding. The possibility of a leak never existed in the first place.

Just then, the communicator in Shido's ear, which was still open, suddenly picked up the noisy background sounds from the Fraxinus bridge, along with Kōhei Kannazuki's ecstatic voice:

"Ah~ What unwavering friendship! What burning trust! Itsuka Shido, the light you shine at this moment is enough to illuminate all the gloom! Even in the face of such doubt, choosing to believe in your best friend is the ultimate romance~!"

"Bang!" (The familiar sound of hitting)

"Shut up, you pervert! ...But Shido is right."

Kotori said something into the microphone, then turned to Shido and Reine.

"Chiin is innocent, that's pretty much certain. So the problem lies with 'Chika' herself."

Kotori frowned, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the dining table.

"But... that makes even less sense! If it wasn't Chiin who told her, then how did this 'Chika' find out about me? Does she really have some kind of intelligence-gathering ability that we don't know about?"

Lingyin's voice rang out at the opportune moment, its icy tone striking at the heart of the matter:

"...After eliminating all the impossibilities, the remaining conclusion, however unbelievable, is the truth. Target 'Chika' is aware of our surveillance activities and your reaction patterns, Commander."

"Her intelligence source... is unrelated to 'Phoenix Inu Senin.' She must possess an extremely unique information-gathering ability unknown to us, or..."

Lingyin paused, then voiced the more unsettling speculation: "...or perhaps she has a certain degree of, more than expected, understanding of our organization and its operating model, including your personality traits, Commander."

This conclusion implies that the other party may not be "acquiring" intelligence, but rather "confirming" the intelligence she already knows.

She paused, then stated her most crucial assessment: "...Target 'Chika' possesses far more intelligence than expected. She may not only have discovered Shido-kun's 'mission,' but she may also... have already known of Fraxinus and your existence, Commander. Her provocation is not a blind attempt to 'sow discord,' but rather a precise 'strategic strike' based on intelligence."

A terrifying feeling of being completely seen through, even the color of her underwear being known to the other party, instantly overwhelmed Kotori.

The other party wasn't dancing on her pre-set chessboard at all; instead, she had been standing outside the chessboard all along, watching with a smile as they all acted according to her intentions like chess pieces!

The previous "provocation" now seems more like a condescending and malicious "declaration".

Shido finally realized the gravity of the situation, his face turning pale: "She...she knows Kotori and...Fraxinus? Then she was..."

"Acting." Kotori gritted her teeth and finished his sentence, her voice trembling slightly with lingering fear.

"It was from the very beginning. She knew we were observing her, she knew you approached her with an ulterior motive, Shido, she even knew how best to provoke me..."

She clenched her fists tightly, her previous underestimation and anger completely replaced by a strong sense of vigilance and unease. Her worry for Chiin and her fear of "Chika" were intertwined.

A brief, suffocating silence fell over the kitchen. This conclusion completely overturned all their preconceived notions about the situation.

They thought they were observing an unknown target, but they didn't realize that they might have been exposed to the other party's view from the very beginning.

Chapter 30 Outwitting the Air

"This is... a huge problem." Kotori's voice turned somber.

"What we are facing may not be a newly appeared, ignorant elf... but a 'veteran' who knows our secrets, is meticulous, and is extremely good at disguising and manipulating people's hearts."

“And Chiin… he may have become a… variable, or… hostage, in this matter,” she added, her tone filled with deep worry.

Lingyin chimed in at the opportune moment, offering another possible interpretation:

"...It is more likely that the target possesses some kind of angel that we do not know. Perhaps it is an unconventional angel with abilities such as 'mind reading,' 'memory probing,' or even 'fate snooping.' She may have captured this information from Shido himself or from the 'information residue' in the surrounding environment."

Kotori's eyes widened: "Mind reading? Memory reading? If that's true... then wouldn't we be..." She paused halfway through her sentence, the horror in her eyes quickly replaced by sharpness.

"...No, that's not right. Lingyin, if her abilities were truly invincible, she would have known everything long ago, instead of just knowing my name and temperament. Her abilities must have huge limitations or triggering conditions, right?"

“That’s theoretically true,” Lingyin confirmed calmly. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t only know the surface-level information.”

"I knew it!" Kotori clenched her fist, as if she had found a way out, but then she scratched her hair in frustration. "But I'm still not happy! I feel like I've been seen naked!"

Shido: "..." (His face flushed slightly, as if he had thought of something.)

Kotori took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. When she spoke again, her voice was no longer impatient; instead, it carried the composed decisiveness of a commander:

“The situation has changed.” She looked at Shido, her eyes sharp and serious. “A spirit that can detect our surveillance presence and may even know our internal reaction patterns must be upgraded to the highest level of threat and uncertainty. This is no longer a game, Shido.”

The smell of burnt food began to permeate the kitchen, but what was even stronger at this moment was a cold, suffocating sense of crisis and worry about the situation of his friends.

What they perceive as "observation" and "strategy" may, in the eyes of the other party, be nothing more than a farce of being watched, while their important friends may be deeply entangled in it.

Shido's heart also tightened, realizing the seriousness of the problem.

"The previous 'strategy' plan is suspended," Kotori decisively ordered.

"You will continue to contact her tomorrow, but the primary objective has changed: First, ensure your own safety. If anything feels wrong, leave immediately."

"Secondly, without endangering myself, I must try to ascertain Chiin's safety and whereabouts. I am worried that his condition may be more than just 'injured'."

"Third, Lingyin, focus on analyzing her abilities. Is it mind reading, precognition, or something else? We must find the source and limitations of her information!"

“Now that our feigned observation has been seen through, let’s partially switch to an ‘open-hand’ approach! Shido, we can test her abilities and intentions more directly.”

"At the same time—it's imperative! It's imperative! We must find a way to get information about Chiin's whereabouts! I'm worried that idiot has really been controlled by her using some strange method!"

She paused, then emphasized, "Remember, she probably knows your cards better than you do. Don't try to put on an act in front of her, but also keep all the core secrets about the elves and the organization. It's difficult, but you have to do it."

“I understand.” Shido nodded solemnly. The mission became both incredibly clear and incredibly difficult—to protect himself and find friends while potentially becoming transparent.

“Reine,” Kotori turned to the analyst, “reassess all data on ‘Chinatsu,’ focusing on analyzing any anomalies in her behavior that could point to her intelligence sources. At the same time, raise the level of monitoring and support for Shido to the highest level and make full contingency preparations.”

“As for you,” Kotori looked at Shido, revealing a mischievous smile.

“The ‘resistance to charm’ training will be doubled tonight! Otherwise, if someone grabs your arm again and you get completely disoriented, I’ll really have to consider getting you an electric shock defibrillation collar!”

Shido's face instantly turned bright red: "W-Where am I going to lose my way?!"

"Shido-kun, your heart rate has instantly spiked to 135. I suggest you calm down." Reine's timely reply came through.

As Shido stir-fried the vegetables in the pan, he listened to his sister's scolding and Reine's calm analysis, his feelings extremely complicated.

Chika's smiling eyes and Kotori's exasperated face alternated in his mind.

(Are all elves...so...unpredictable?) (How am I supposed to face her tomorrow...?)

Lingyin nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the void, as if reading data:

"...There are too many contradictions in her current behavior. First, she takes the initiative to approach Shido-kun and shows an unusual level of affection, which contradicts the avoidance or aggression of most spirits."

"Secondly, her carefully disguised identity, 'Hououin Chika,' was easily used to approach the target. She seemed unafraid of conducting a thorough investigation and even intentionally drew our attention to the 'Chika' aspect."

“Speaking of Chiin…” Kotori frowned, “They said he was injured and at home, but our people can’t confirm the situation at all. It’s too much of a coincidence that he and this ‘Chika’ appeared at the same time. Reine, is it possible…”

Lingyin paused for a moment, then offered a conjecture: "...Possibility one: 'Qianyuan' is his accomplice, assisting in the disguise, but is currently in hiding."

"Possibility two: 'Chiin' himself has met with misfortune, and his identity has been used by the spirit."

“Possibility three…” she paused, “…‘Hououin Senin’ has always been one of the ‘disguised identities’ that the spirit uses to integrate into society. The so-called ‘sister’ is just a new role that she extends from this identity.”

"Possibility three is absolutely impossible!" Kotori immediately interrupted her, her tone unusually firm, even carrying a hint of offense.

“Chiin is Chiin! He grew up with us, he's a real person! Shido and I know that better than anyone! Reine, this speculation is too outrageous!”

Shido nodded vigorously, the color draining from his face, but more so from the fear of "meeting an unforeseen event": "...Meeting an unforeseen event? Using my identity? No way! Chiin, he..."

Although he also felt it was sudden that Chiin had a younger sister, he simply could not accept the idea that his friend might have been murdered or used.

“Silly brother, now is not the time to act on emotion!” Kotori interrupted him, but this time her tone was no longer reprimanding, but rather filled with the same anxiety and worry.

"But we must face the first two possibilities that Reine mentioned. Senin is likely in danger right now!"

Lingyin calmly accepted the rebuttal and continued, "...So, based on the existing information, possibility one and possibility two have the highest weight. There is also another possibility: this elf possesses an angel that we do not know about, capable of altering cognition or creating illusions."

"She may have done something to Chiin, or manipulated our perceptions to make us have a wrong acceptance of 'Chika's' existence."

"If she can change her perception, how much of the 'facts' we currently accept are true?"

Chapter 31 Heartbeat and Guilt

"...As for the unusually high level of affection she showed for Shido-kun, that is the most difficult variable to analyze."

"It's impossible to determine whether it's a disguise, a condition for activating some kind of ability, or a peculiar preference of the individual... or perhaps, some kind of instinctive attraction to the spiritual power within Shido-kun?"

"Attracted?" Shido was stunned.

“Hmm.” Reine looked at Shido.

“The power of spirits will attract each other, and may also have a special reaction to the power that can contain them. This ‘favor’ may not be directed at you personally, but may be directed at the ‘sealing’ ability within you.”

These words left Shido with a strange feeling of unease.

“No matter what!” Kotori concluded, pointing at Shido with her lollipop.

"Until you figure out her purpose, Chiin's whereabouts, and the authenticity of that 'favorability rating,' you must not let her lead you by the nose anymore! You can maintain a friendly facade, but you must be vigilant at all times! Every word and every action of hers may have an ulterior motive!"

She stared at the vegetables simmering in the pan, as if she were watching some kind of elf:

"'Want to be a little sister'? Hmph, she might just pull out a beam cannon and blast you away the next second! Starting tomorrow, intensify our surveillance, especially any contact she has with the Chiin family! We must find out what's going on with these two 'Phoenix Inu's'!"

Shido silently stirred the dishes, his mood growing even heavier.

The mystery surrounding her friend's disappearance, the enigmatic purpose of the spirit, and the uncertain affection... all the clues intertwine, pointing to the sweet-smiling yet enigmatic "Chika-chan."

(Chika...who are you? Chiin...where are you?)

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of burnt food, but also with a deeper sense of confusion, suspicion, and unease.

This review, instead of unraveling the mystery, has brought forth more worrying possibilities.

. . . . . .

Itsuka Shido's Room

The night was deep and all was quiet. Itsuka Shido lay flat on his bed, his eyes wide open, staring at the blurry lines on the ceiling, but he couldn't fall asleep.

The daytime scenes played uncontrollably in his mind, clearer and more shocking than any visual novel's CG.

Those long, white legs, dazzlingly straight in the sunset, seemed to step on his heartbeat as they moved.

The gymnastics suit, stretched to a breathtaking arc, challenged his pitiful sanity with every leap as he ran, leaving behind a bouncy trail.

When she played basketball, the occasional focus she showed, so different from her cold and beautiful appearance, and a hint of boyish frustration, created that damnable contrast that made his heart skip a beat.

Finally, there was that short, shy "Ah!", and when she suddenly hugged herself and squatted down, her earlobes were bright red and her figure looked incredibly fragile...

Shido let out a painful groan and abruptly pulled the blanket over his head, as if that would banish those images from his mind.

But in the darkness, the senses become more acute, and the images become clearer.

(What am I doing...) He felt his cheeks burning and his heart started racing again.

(That's Chiin's sister... My friend is injured and at home, and here I am... having fantasies about his sister... Itsuka Shido, you're a complete scumbag! A beast!)

A wave of intense guilt washed over him. He felt sorry for Chiin, who was recuperating at home, and even more sorry for his seemingly aloof younger sister, Chika, who appeared troubled by the situation.

But then, another image flashed into my mind—she took the initiative to approach him, hugged his arm, tilted her little face up, looked at him with her big, watery blue eyes, and said softly:

"...It feels so warm...completely different from those boys..." "Can I treat you like an older brother too?"

The touch, the scent, and the sense of dependence in his words at that moment were like a faint electric current, unexpectedly surging through his heart and bringing a strange, tingling thrill.

(Was she... telling the truth? Or was she just flattering me, as Miss Reine said?)