Boom—
"Why does this Spirit look exactly like the 'Princess'!"
She blocked the Queen's deadly strike with a laser sword blade formed by concentrated energy, Origami shouted, the force from the hilt making her heart tremble.
Regular weapons were ineffective against Spirits, so she could only engage in close combat.
As soon as Origami finished speaking, an urgent voice came from the technical department through her earpiece.
"Lieutenant General, according to our detection, the new Spirit's fluctuations share some similarities with the 'Princess's' reactions."
"The base's current codename for her is 'Imperial Daughter'."
Imperial Daughter... Origami's expression turned grave. The next second, the Imperial Daughter swung her sword down heavily. Origami's pupils constricted, and she raised her sword to block, only to be knocked back several meters, gouging a fissure in the ground.
"Damn it." Sweat beaded on Origami's forehead, and she gritted her teeth.
This 'Imperial Daughter' was significantly more powerful than the 'Princess'.
When fighting the 'Princess', she could hold her own, but fighting the 'Imperial Daughter', she was completely outmatched from the start.
Several times she narrowly avoided the Queen's strike; if hit, she would at least be maimed, if not killed.
"Destruction..."
Origami, whose nerves were stretched taut, suddenly heard a muffled sound, like a suppressed groan, coming from the 'Imperial Daughter' not far away.
*Shwing!*
The Queen swung down again.
After rolling to the side to evade the giant sword, Origami glimpsed that the Imperial Daughter's pupils were completely red.
On the Fraxinus, Ling Feng, having already used his Analyze Eye, obtained information on the 'Imperial Daughter'.
[Name]: Yatogami Tohka
[Description]: Born from the 'Princess's' Spirit Crystal condensed by chaotic energy, possesses power originating from the same source as the 'Princess', a Spirit Chaos Body.
Looking at this information, Ling Feng fell into thought. He currently had two hypotheses.
The first was that this Tohka was the chaotic being that was corrupting the Date A Live world. If he eliminated her, his most important mission would be complete.
The second was that she was not a true chaotic being, but was created by one. It was possible that there was more than one Spirit Chaos Body, and this Tohka was just one of them.
Ling Feng leaned towards the second hypothesis.
The first one had significant loopholes. If she were merely a mere Tohka Chaos Body, she couldn't possibly eliminate all those favored by destiny.
Besides, the hell difficulty wouldn't be this simple.
If it were the second scenario... according to his deductions, he might need to deal with about ten Spirit Chaos Bodies, plus the main chaotic being.
"Ah... this is truly troublesome." Ling Feng could already feel the immense difficulty.
"The 'Imperial Daughter' has disappeared!" Reiichi exclaimed. The codename 'Imperial Daughter' had already been synchronized across various parties.
"Tohka has also disappeared," Shido's voice sounded.
As the 'Imperial Daughter' vanished, Tohka, who was at the school building, also disappeared.
...
The next day at noon, Ling Feng walked alone on the street, carrying two large bags of groceries, a dejected expression on his face.
"So... why doesn't such a large organization have anyone dedicated to buying groceries! They have to take turns!"
Ling Feng mentally grumbled, filled with dissatisfaction. He never would have imagined that buying groceries on the Fraxinus was a rotating duty for the crew members.
He was completely stunned when he first heard this news.
"Sigh, fortunately, the [White Radiance] has finished its modifications. Next, it's just time to test its performance."
Over these past few days, Ling Feng had finally managed to integrate the portable domain technology and magic energy technology into his armor.
He was curious how strong this third-generation Male Valkyrie armor, a fusion of technology from three different worlds, truly was.
Lack of data... a dire lack of data!
Ling Feng finally understood why scientists sometimes went mad... this feeling was like being scratched by a cat, incredibly uncomfortable.
After walking a few more steps, Ling Feng's body froze, his pupils contracting. He suddenly retreated and turned his head to look at the right side of the street.
About ten meters away, under a large tree, a purple-haired girl in a pink kimono was looking around, her demeanor like that of a bewildered newcomer.
"Tohka?"
This was Ling Feng's first reaction, but he immediately reconsidered.
"No... Tohka should be on a date with Shido right now. Then... it must be the Chaos Body Tohka!"
With this thought, Ling Feng unhesitatingly activated his Analyze Eye, and the results confirmed his suspicion.
The target was indeed the Tohka Chaos Body—the 'Imperial Daughter'.
Ling Feng instinctively reached for the summoning bracelet on his right hand, but for some reason, seeing the girl's pure, innocent eyes, his heart was slightly touched, and his hand stopped midway.
She didn't look like someone who wanted to destroy the world.
The girl's fair nose twitched, and her eyes lit up. Like a moth drawn to a flame, she rushed towards the glass window of a cake shop.
Looking at the colorful, varied, and delicious-looking cakes inside, the girl couldn't help but swallow. Her saliva was flowing uncontrollably.
I want to eat it so badly...
The air, filled with the scents of cream, fruit, and pastry, constantly tempted her taste buds.
At this moment, a strawberry cake was suddenly offered to her. The aroma of strawberries, cream, and pastry assailed her.
"Here."
Following the strong arm, she saw a handsome young man offering her the enticing cake.
"!!!"
The Imperial Daughter, like a startled little rabbit, flinched back a step or two, creating a safe distance from Ling Feng.
"Don't be nervous, my name is Ling Feng. I saw you looking like you wanted to eat cake just now, here, it's for you." Ling Feng said with a gentle smile, doing his best to show goodwill.
"Mmph... you think I'll be fooled so easily?!"
The Imperial Daughter said indignantly.
Ten minutes later, on a park bench nearby, the Imperial Daughter was hugging a pile of cakes, still holding one, eating it with gusto.
"Mmm~ delicious~"
In two or three bites, a cake was finished. The Imperial Daughter took another cake from the bag and started eating, her face filled with a happy smile.
"Tohka, why were you there?" Ling Feng asked, his hands resting on the chair, gazing at the lake not far away.
As for calling her Tohka, that was her own request.
Tohka put down the cake and looked at the lake with a complex expression. "I don't know either. My memories are distorted and confused. I remember my name, but nothing else."
"Is that so?"
"That's right." Tohka raised the cake and took a delicate bite.
"Do you know about the Queen's Strike?" Ling Feng asked indirectly. He realized that this Tohka didn't even seem to know she was a 'Spirit' or a chaotic being.
"No, what is it?" Tohka shook her head and asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing."
Very good, it was almost certain... this Tohka didn't even know her true identity.
Could it be a split personality? No, he couldn't jump to conclusions. What was certain was that in her current state, Tohka was no different from a bewildered young girl.
If he attacked now, he might be able to kill her instantly, but...
Beside him, Tohka was happily eating cake, her face full of innocent charm, as cute and simple as any ordinary girl.
...This made it difficult for him to act. He wasn't a killer who killed indiscriminately; he had his own principles and bottom line.
But... if he didn't deal with Tohka now, she would surely threaten world safety in the future.
For a moment, Ling Feng's heart was filled with a mix of emotions, but there was no doubt that the time he had was very short, as he didn't know when the 'chaotic' Tohka might reappear.
And to save this world, he had to eliminate the chaotic beings.
The life of one person versus the lives of all beings in the world, how should he choose.
"I'm sorry..."
[Ding! Host detected facing a choice, triggering the choice system.]
[Option One: Kill the Chaos Body Tohka. Reward: 1000 Willpower points, Spirit Crystal Absorption ability (can absorb Spirit Crystals to convert into one's own power).]
[Option Two: Save the Chaos Body Tohka. Reward: 1000 Willpower points, Spirit Power Absorption ability (can absorb Spirit Power to convert into one's own power).]
"A choice, but how can I save her?" Ling Feng muttered as he looked at the suddenly appearing virtual panel.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. "System, if I remember correctly, Merit points can purify chaotic beings, meaning..."
"Yes, half a Merit point can purify the chaotic energy within Tohka."
"Half a point?"
"I don't have many ambitions. I focus on the present, doing my best, and doing what I want. Therefore... I choose two!"
Ling Feng said with a deep voice, seeking nothing more than peace of mind. Merit points could be earned later.
[Ding! Rewards have been issued!]
"Tohka, I might have a way to help you remember everything," Ling Feng turned to Tohka.
"Really?!" Tohka exclaimed, appearing very concerned about her memories.
"The process might be a little painful, bear with it."
"Yes, don't worry, I'm not afraid," Tohka said, patting her chest.
Seeing this, Ling Feng no longer hesitated and instructed the system to begin purification.
[Ding! Consumed 0.5 Merit points! Purification commencing!]
Ling Feng saw a golden orb the size of a glass bead float out from his body and, before he could react, it rushed into Tohka.
"Mmm~" Tohka softly moaned, as if feeling comfortable. She closed her eyes, and a faint golden light emanated from her body.
After a long while, the light gradually dimmed, and Tohka slowly opened her eyes.
"How do you feel?" Ling Feng immediately asked as he noticed Tohka opening her eyes.
Tohka's gaze was clear, and she smiled beautifully.
"I'm fine, thank you Ling Feng. I remember everything, and I know everything now..."
"Chaotic being, kill Tohka, destroy everything... this sounds like a villain."
"Thank you, Ling Feng, for saving me from a bad person."
"No problem," Ling Feng said with a smile, rubbing his nose.
[Ding! Side quest triggered: Conquer Tohka, Seal Power. Reward: 1000 Willpower points, Physique increased by two times.]
This is great... Ling Feng looked at Tohka and extended an invitation, "Hey, Tohka, would you like to go on a date with me?"