Chapter: 181. Report Part 01
This laboratory is located in one of the most secret corners of the world.
Only the senior executives of the Special Organization SEMA and the top brass of the three major academies are aware of its existence.
At this very moment, high-ranking individuals from around the globe are shirking all their work and tasks to gather here, solely to listen to a report.
Deep underground in this stronghold.
An obsidian-like conference table is surrounded by a circle of solemn figures.
The overhead lighting is cold and restrained, casting stark shadows on their faces, delineating deep contours.
All around the room, blue patterns flow with a soft light, seemingly filtering out all outside prying.
The massive screen mounted on the wall displays frozen images from the most recent special operation, showcasing the seemingly peaceful city of Kawano.
Standing at the front of the table is a girl from SEMA responsible for delivering the report. She wears a white uniform, stands tall, and holds in her hand the only stack of white papers in the room—the report on this incident—through which one can see the fervent handwritten notes, indicating the writer’s intense emotions at the time of penning the report, leaving deep impressions on the paper.
To mitigate any potential risks, SEMA does not plan to keep any tangible records of this meeting.
The report’s content will be immediately destroyed through extraordinary means after the briefing, excluding any possibility of reconstruction; all pertinent information will remain solely in the memories of those present.
The report concerns a mission several days ago, led by SEMA Board Chairman “Adam” along with a special operations team to Kawano.
The girl in the white uniform surveys all personnel with her luminous eyes. After confirming everyone on the list has arrived, she adjusts her glasses and states calmly and clearly:
“Now, let me present to everyone here the report submitted regarding the ‘special operation mission’ that took place a week ago—”
—————–
In Kawano.
Drizzling rain lightly taps on the ebony coffin.
The air carries a damp chill one can’t quite associate with the blazing summer heat, seeping into everyone’s clothing, yet everyone present seems completely unconcerned.
The funeral is held in an ancient church.
Such a ceremony is rare in Japan, especially a formal Western-style funeral.
Church personnel had inquired, and it appears the deceased’s family specifically requested a Western-style funeral, as they seemed to prefer to let the deceased retain their appearance in life, buried along with the coffin beneath the earth, rather than having the cremation process typical of Japanese funerals.
The church’s outer walls are weathered, gray bricks entwined with climbing vines, glistening with rain droplets, radiating a somber tranquility under the dim sky.
The hands of the church clock tower move slowly, the bell’s mournful tones reverberating over the tranquil land, as if bidding farewell to the departed.
—————–
For SEMA, the three major academies, and the entire world, this is an incredibly painful report.
More than a decade apart.
Time seems to have cycled once again for them.
“….. The identity of Hoshimiya Nagi, based on firsthand verification from the espers present in Kawano that day, as well as the correctly deciphered contents of the Book of Futures, can be confirmed. She is the true protagonist of this era and also the savior we once lost—the Elemental Sovereign.”
“According to reports from Adam and the ACE esper Midrash present, although the Elemental Sovereign died on the altar back in the day, at the last moment, she used the power of Cataclysm to send out fragments of her soul, which eventually landed in the infant girl named Hoshimiya Nagi, completing a rebirth.”
“Since the Elemental Sovereign retained her soul, she still possesses the abilities of her past contract beasts.”
“However, it is unfortunate that due to the incompleteness of the soul fragments…”
“During the years Hoshimiya Nagi has lived, her memories are not complete, and it is hypothesized that this is why she did not actively seek out SEMA or the three major academies after her rebirth—”
After finishing her statement, the bespectacled girl pulled out one of the report’s pages. A white flame coalesced at her fingertips, slowly igniting the densely written paper.
All the high-ranking individuals of SEMA and the three academies bowed their heads, expressions heavy, silently listening to the girl’s report, with no one showing any desire to ask questions, as if offering a moment of silence for the savior who sacrificed once again in this incident.
“According to the reports provided by Adam and ACE Midrash…”
“This mission was entirely a conspiracy orchestrated by Cataclysm.”
Surprisingly, as the girl reported the key details of this mission, she did not mention the fact that Adam had been eroded by Cataclysm.
And some of the few high-ranking members of the SEMA board who knew this information remained silent, showing no intention to point it out or correct it.
This was an obvious fact.
Because acknowledging this would inevitably lead to—
Many present might find themselves on the list of suspects.
Aside from the few new espers who had emerged in the new era, many high-ranking board members had been involved in that bloody battle, and they also knew the truth behind the Cataclysm fragments. If Adam could have been corrupted by Cataclysm, then all of them were at risk too—
On the left side, a silver-haired elderly man slightly furrows his brow, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, hiding deep contemplation in his eyes.
Beside him, a middle-aged man sits with his arms crossed, leaning against the back of his chair, squinting as he observes the girl’s expression.
On the other side, a woman in black-framed glasses sits silently, while the stern man beside her remains expressionless, arms crossed, like a silent rock.
…
…
Clearly, those sitting here should represent the most reliable forces of espers worldwide.
Yet in the eyes of some, this place is not much better than the abyss.
No one is willing to break through this thin membrane, and no one knows who they should trust.
They merely sit here quietly.
Silently listening to a report that will only be given once.
It seems that on this point, no one is eager to step out and be the first to speak.
—————–
The funeral procession lines both sides of the black carpet, everyone dressed in black mourning attire; the men in well-pressed suits and the women in elegant, somber gowns, their heads covered with black veils to conceal their grief-stricken expressions.
White lilies adorn the sides of the coffin, their elegant fragrance diffusing in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of incense.
Before the altar, a priest clad in white vestments holds a Bible, softly reciting the eulogy.
His voice is slow and steady, as if to soothe the soul of the departed, sending it into the embrace of the divine.
In the crowd, figures such as Renji, Mana, Sayaka, Ling, and Chika can be seen.
But missing is the figure of the black-haired boy who had always been by the side of the now-departed black-haired girl.
