When he heard the analysis of "dual personality," Shido visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

(So ​​that's how it is... Chika... she didn't really want to do that, was it another consciousness within her that was causing trouble?)

Upon arriving at the control room, Kotori was staring intently at the air combat on the main screen, a jewel dangling from her lips.

"Kotori! Let me go! I'm going to stop Tohka and Chinatsu!" Shido said without hesitation.

Kotori turned her head and saw Shido, who had recovered completely. A fleeting, almost imperceptible relaxation crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an expression of anticipation. She licked her lips and pointed at the screen:

"Oh? You want to break up the fight? Sure. But look, the princess and the queen are both flying in the sky..."

She paused, then gave a sly smile: "In that case, shall we just throw you down here? A parachute? We don't need that."

"What?!" Shido's face turned pale.

Kotori ignored his reaction and continued explaining in a lighthearted tone, "Because we've already descended to a low altitude for flight. And when you get close to the spirits, we'll help you adjust the surrounding gravity to ensure you don't fall to your death. Ah, um, no problem, no problem~"

She then changed the subject, her smile becoming even more "kind": "On the condition that you stay obediently directly below <Fraxinus>."

Shido swallowed hard, his voice trembling: "What if... what if it deviates from directly below...?"

Kotori tilted her head and said in a tone as if discussing the weather, "Hmm... of course, a beautiful flower will bloom on the ground~ It'll be bright red~"

"This is basically going to turn me into mincemeat!!!" Shido was sweating profusely.

Immediately afterwards, Kotori quickly explained to Shido "the method to stop Tohka and Chinatsu," the content of which sounded extremely unreliable and incredibly difficult.

"Wait...wait a minute! This method sounds too difficult, why choose this method...!" Shido tried to protest.

"How annoying," Kotori pouted. "Since the success rates are about the same, of course we should choose the more interesting method."

"You're the only one who finds this funny, ahhhhh!"

"How tedious," Kotori waved her hand impatiently. "Take him away."

At Kotori's command, two strong, expressionless crew members appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Shido's arms from either side.

"Ah! What are you doing! Kotori—you bastard, you'll remember this!" Shido struggled in vain.

"Okay, okay. I'll remember that~" Kotori waved with a smile.

"Bon voyage~"

Amid Kotori's "sincere" blessings, Shido was swiftly dragged away from the control room by two burly men with no room for resistance, and taken to an emergency exit hatch located below the ship's hull.

"Good luck." One of the burly men said emotionlessly, and together with his companion, they flung open the hatch!

A powerful gust of air rushed in instantly, making it impossible for Shido to open his eyes.

"wait--!"

Before he could even utter a complete complaint, he felt a tremendous force coming from behind him!

"Aa ...

With a long, piercing scream that echoed through the sky, Itsuka Shido—the boy who bore the heavy responsibility of communicating with the spirits and saving the world—was kicked off the high-hanging Fraxinus like a piece of trash!

It began to freefall towards the area where fierce air combat was taking place!

His mission to "mediate" the fight officially began in this extremely hardcore and irresponsible way.

Chapter 165 The Empress's (?) Questioning

Just as Tohka was locked in combat with the "Celestial Judgment," whose movements were sometimes fast and sometimes slow and extremely uncoordinated, and the sword of the Slayer King collided with the distorted spatial barrier, constantly emitting dazzling light.

A familiar yet piercing scream, growing louder as it approached, ripped through the battlefield's clamor like a shooting star, precisely reaching Tohka's ears—

"Tohka, ahh ...

Tohka shuddered violently! The sword she was about to strike froze in mid-air.

She maintained the posture of holding the greatsword high, and subconsciously looked up in the direction from which the sound came.

A blue-haired boy was seen dancing and falling rapidly from the sky. Who else could it be but Itsuka Shido?

Her cheeks and nose were red from the previous battle and grief, and her eyes were still swollen and red, making her look somewhat disheveled.

At this moment, her amethyst-like eyes were filled with extreme shock and disbelief, as if she had witnessed the most incredible miracle in the world.

His eyes met those of Shido...

"The Way of the Scholar...?"

As if she hadn't yet grasped the situation, Tohka murmured softly, her voice as light as a dream.

At the same time, Fraxinus precisely manipulated gravity, and Shido's falling speed suddenly slowed down. He seized the opportunity, stretched out his hands, and steadily placed them on Tohka's slender yet surprisingly strong shoulders.

With Tohka's help as she flew through the air, Shido finally stopped falling and hovered somewhat awkwardly in mid-air, facing Tohka.

His heart pounding from the ordeal hadn't yet calmed down. Looking at Tohka, whose tears were still wet on her cheeks and whose expression was blank, Shido forced a reassuring smile, even though he himself was terrified.

"Y-you...hello...Tohka."

"Shido...is...is that really him...?" Tohka's voice was still trembling. She reached out and carefully touched Shido's cheek. Feeling the real warmth and touch, the confusion in her eyes was quickly replaced by immense joy.

"Ah...it should be right." Shido nodded affirmatively.

Confirming that what she was seeing was not an illusion, Tohka's lips trembled violently. All the fear, sadness, and despair that had been building up inside her transformed into immense joy at regaining what she had lost, surging forth like a flood bursting its banks!

"Shido, Shido, Shido...!"

She called Shido's name again and again, unable to contain her excitement any longer. She suddenly opened her arms, about to hug the "resurrected" boy tightly to confirm his real existence.

However, just as this atmosphere filled with emotion and joy was about to reach its climax, a cold, mocking voice, tinged with displeasure and sarcasm, pierced through like a biting wind, instantly freezing the air:

"Ah, what a touching farewell, young man~☆"

The "Celestial Judgment" hovering not far away had stopped its awkward dodging movements at some point.

She crossed her arms, tilted her head, and her golden eyes burned with a chilling flame, while a dangerous smile played on her lips. The "Divine Judgment Consciousness" within her was clearly enraged by the scene before her.

“However…” her voice suddenly rose, sharp with a questioning tone, “Have you forgotten about my other half?!”

She raised her hand, her fingertips crackling with dangerous purple lightning, and pointed it forcefully at Shido and Tohka.

"To call out to another girl, another fairy, right in front of my half-body?!"

Her tone was filled with an unbelievable sense of absurdity and overwhelming jealousy, as if Shido had committed some heinous crime.

"What?" She raised her chin slightly, revealing a twisted smile that was a mixture of sarcasm and rage on her face, which was exactly the same as Chika's.

"Am I destined to be like those pathetic wives in those boring TV dramas, helplessly watching their husbands cheat on them, only able to cry and whine, utterly powerless and cowardly?! ~☆"

The moment her words fell, an even more violent and destructive spiritual energy, like a volcano suppressed to its limit, erupted from her petite body! The surrounding space groaned under the strain, as if it were about to shatter completely at any moment!

------

On the Fraxinus bridge, the curve representing [Judgment]'s mood value on the main screen plummeted like a cliff, and the favorability indicator for Shido instantly dropped from the previously "friendly attention" range to below freezing point, plunging into a negative abyss that was even worse than being treated like a roadside cockroach!

"Warning! [Celestial Judgment]'s mood value has plummeted! It has fallen below the danger threshold!"

"Shido's favorability rating is plummeting! It has dropped to 'intense disgust'! And it continues to decrease! It's about to break the negative record! Current assessment... her dislike for Shido even surpasses her dislike for ordinary AST members, and even... cockroaches?!"

"Oh no!" Kotori sprang up from her commander's chair, the jewel in her mouth snapping with a "crunch".

"That idiot brother! He's provoked that crazy woman's personality! If this continues, they'll both be torn to pieces!"

A resolute glint flashed in her eyes, and an ominous red aura began to emanate from her body—she was preparing to personally intervene in this out-of-control conflict with the power of an elf!

"Commander! Wait a moment!" At this critical moment, Shen Wuyue, unusually clear-headed, shouted, and at the same time, the familiar options interface popped up on the main screen:

[Emergency Situation! Faced with the [Judgment]'s rage fueled by jealousy (?), please choose Shido's response strategy!]

1. A direct confession, extinguishing the flames with love! (Order Shido to immediately turn to [Tenjury] and loudly declare in the most affectionate tone: "The person I love most is you, Chinatsu! Tohka is just my wings, you are the home of my heart!" — Risk: May simultaneously enrage Tohka and be directly slapped to death by [Tenjury] as a clumsy lie.)

2. Be honest and open with each other! (Command Shido to face the [Heavenly Judgment], honestly acknowledge the hidden dangers of the spirit's power, the mission he bears (dating, kissing, sealing), express his deep apology for implicating Chinatsu and Chiin, and finally vow: "I will never abandon you/Chinatsu! No matter what you become, no matter how many difficulties we face, even if you hate me or break my limbs, I will find a way to bring you back from this painful power!" — Risk: The amount of information is enormous and may exceed the other party's comprehension, but it may be the only sincere path that touches the essence.)

3. I want them all, the King's declaration! (He commands Shido to open his arms wide, revealing a confident (and slightly irritating) smile, and loudly proclaims: "Hmph, what an adorable little troublemaker! Why fight over them? Whether it's Tohka or Chinatsu, they are both people I, Itsuka Shido, am going to save (conquer)! Only children make choices, I want them all!" — Risk: Extremely high probability of being beaten up by both Spirits simultaneously; Fraxinus may need to prepare for the worst.)

"What kind of ridiculous options are these!" Kotori was so angry her forehead was practically steaming, but her eyes quickly scanned the three options. Option 1 was too frivolous and extremely risky, and option 3 was pure suicide. Her gaze finally settled on option 2.

"No time to hesitate! Choose option 2!" Kotori made a decisive decision and shouted into the microphone, "Shido! Listen! Do as I say! This is the only possible chance!"

She took a deep breath and, speaking rapidly but clearly, conveyed the polished core message to Shido:

"Tell her the truth! Tell her about the potential dangers of the spirit power, tell her about your predicament of having to date and kiss spirits to seal the power! Apologize to her, because it was your appearance that dragged Chinatsu and Chiin into all of this!"

"Finally, swear to her—you will never abandon Chika! No matter which consciousness is in control within her, no matter how much she resists, even if it means traversing thorns and having your legs broken, you must bring her back to your side from this cursed power!"

"Tell her that there is a place for her in this world!"

These words are no longer frivolous strategies or techniques, but rather a clumsy yet incredibly profound sincerity that strips away all pretense and confronts the core of the problem.

It returned the choice to the girl who might be struggling deep in her consciousness.

Kotori clenched her fists and stared intently at the screen.

(Silly brother... It's all up to you now... And... Chika, can you hear me?)

Chapter 166 Frankness

Upon receiving Kotori's orders, Shido, though still flustered, looked at the murderous and jealous "Celestial Judge" before him, and Tohka beside him, who was crying tears of joy because of his "resurrection." He understood that running away and lying would only make things worse.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart, and looked firmly at the white elf floating in the air.

He gently patted Tohka to calm her down, then took a step forward (albeit in mid-air) to face those golden eyes burning with rage.

"You...you're right!"

Shido's voice was a little hoarse at first, but it quickly became clear and strong, "I did... neglect 'her' feelings!"

His words startled "Tianchai," who seemed not to have expected him to admit it so directly.

Without pausing, as if throwing caution to the wind, Shido began to painstakingly reveal his innermost thoughts, following Kotori's instructions:

“I know that the power of the elves… is not all a blessing. It can bring chaos, spacequakes, and… pain and struggle like this!”

His gaze seemed to pierce through that arrogant facade and see the essence beneath.

"And the reason I... I go on dates with elves, and even... kiss them, is to seal that power that might get out of control! It's to find a way for elves to live safely in this world like ordinary people!"

He glanced at Tohka with apologetic eyes, then looked back at "Tenjaku".

"I know this is absurd and selfish! To drag you all into this strange thing... especially Chinatsu and Chiin... I'm really... so sorry!"

As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly with excitement, but his eyes grew even more resolute, as if he were making an unshakable vow:

"But—I will never give up because of this!"

He practically roared out the next words, his voice echoing in the empty sky:

"I will never give up on Chika! No matter if 'you' are in control or 'she' is struggling! No matter how much she hates me or resists me, even if... even if you have to break my arms and legs because of it!"

His gaze was intense, with an almost obsessive focus, fixed intently on "Divine Judgment":

"I will definitely find a way! To get you... to get Chika out of this painful situation that forces her to pretend—"

"Bring it back!!!"

"This world absolutely! There is definitely a place for her! This is my promise to you, Itsuka Shido!"

These words, though clumsy, heavy, and even somewhat chaotic, were filled with unadorned sincerity and a do-or-die determination.

It offers no eloquent excuses, no frivolous promises, only the courage to confront the cruelest reality and vow to fight against it.

The bridge of the Fraxinus was silent. Everyone held their breath, watching the "Judgment" on the screen.

After hearing Shido's confession, the rage and sarcasm on her face froze like ice.

In those golden eyes, intense emotions were churning—there was anger at being offended, disdain for these "absurd" remarks, but also...a very subtle wavering, one that even she herself was unaware of?

But in the inner world.

Chika, who was wrestling with the "Celestial Consciousness" and fighting for the handle, suddenly stopped.

(Are you kidding me? I don't need your help!)

(But I'm a guy, bro. Trying to seduce me? No way!)

She struggled to hold the handle, and unconsciously relaxed for a moment.

This moment of relaxation was keenly captured by the "Divine Judgment Consciousness".

"Hmph! Sweet talk! A man's boring promises! ~☆"

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