Chapter: 83. Come and Utilize the “Simple and Sweet” Me (3k) (39/46)
“Is this… a whole new possibility of authority?”
“Star Spirit, this power is truly unbelievable…”
In the dim conference room.
The white projection on the screen brightly illuminated the faces of the higher-ups of the Star Academy.
At this moment, they were all focused on watching the video recording of Kamishiro Akane during the practical assessment.
Although they were separated by a screen and could not personally experience the unique fusion of “authority and soul,” what was more captivating was the existence known as the “Star Spirit.”
It completely subverted everyone’s inherent understanding of the power of “authority.”
It was an unprecedented, brand new form of power—full of possibilities.
“Is this also one of the influences of the End Power? Before this, we had never observed similar phenomena.”
“No, after the assessment ended we conducted tests on-site, and the residual amount of the End’s aura was quite low, and most of it came from the on-site ‘X-level abilities user,’ so we can initially rule out that this was caused by the End Power.”
“What about her personal test results? Is there anything noteworthy?”
As soon as the question was asked, someone immediately took out a physical examination report conducted while Nagi was unconscious, along with a report after she completed the practical assessment. After comparing the two, they found no significant differences.
“The results are still the same as before; her soul is in a very strange state due to the influence of the End Power, and within it, three kinds of authority powers can be detected—”
“We can confirm that her soul has indeed been infected by fragments of the End, and it is speculated that the source should be the seven X-level abilities users who sacrificed themselves during the ‘Stellar Association Incident.’ After their deaths, the fragments of the End that resided in their souls transferred to her.”
The atmosphere in the conference room became incredibly heavy, and the senior officials of the Star Academy began to discuss heatedly.
At this moment, the practical assessment video of Nagi had been classified as the academy’s highest secret.
It was only circulated among the higher-ups of the Star Academy, and the information had not even been disclosed to the Special Ring SEMAs or the other two major academies.
Because the “Kamishiro Akane” girl contained a value that was simply too special.
Whether it was the “Soul Fusion Authority” or the extraordinary “Star Spirit,” they likely represented a new direction for the development of abilities.
The Star Academy did not want to hand her over to others.
At the end of the meeting, the senior officials also reached a resolution regarding her ability level—
—————–
A few days later, at the Star Academy.
“Congratulations, Kamishiro Akane, you have successfully passed the practical assessment—well, the official notice will probably be issued tomorrow.”
Hikari sat in a spacious and tidy office, speaking calmly yet with hinted significance to the black-haired girl before him.
He was the one who initiated this private meeting.
As an S-level abilities user of the Star Academy, even after the “Stellar Association Island Incident,” he still held considerable influence within the academy.
He could anticipate information, resources, and even the shifts in the board of trustees’ opinions.
Whether it was regarding Kamishiro Akane’s ability assessment or her subsequent assignments as an abilities user.
“R-really? Thank you…” The girl in the academy’s white uniform bowed in respect, her tone carrying a hint of nervousness and restraint.
Compared to their previous meeting, Hikari could tell that her current state had improved quite a bit.
Clearly, she had caused a significant commotion during the practical assessment, yet Hikari still could not sense any trace of magical power from her.
This phenomenon piqued Hikari’s interest, although he could vaguely guess what was happening.
He had a part of “light” memory, knowing that in this world, abilities stemmed from cracks deep within the soul. The girl before him, having been eroded by the fragments of the End, might produce a special reaction, allowing her, despite not having awakened, to gain powers through the power of the fragments… This possibility was very high.
But at this moment, Hikari had to suppress his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
What he was more concerned about was another matter.
The reason Hikari had arranged this meeting with her in advance was that he had a more important “task” to assign to her.
At the same time, it was also a form of “assessment” for her.
However, before he spoke, Hikari needed to lay some groundwork.
“Perhaps according to the rules, I shouldn’t leak results in advance… But I haven’t seen a beautiful, potential, and justice-driven abilities user like you in a long time…” As he said this, the silver starry light in his eyes became even more brilliant.
This indicated that he was using “Light Forging Truth.”
Then, Hikari smiled slightly and slowly said, “Kamishiro Akane, congratulations, you have been exceptionally rated as an—ACE-level abilities user by the Star Academy.”
“This kind of thing has never happened since the establishment of the Star Academy, which makes me exclaim… Truly, the younger generation is formidable…”
“I’m really glad that the Star Academy has had such an outstanding abilities user join.”
……
……
As Hikari’s voice fell, a wonderful feeling slowly spread in Nagi’s heart.
But she immediately realized—this “feeling” did not stem from her emotions, but from the abilities that Hikari was currently releasing—”Light Forging Truth.”
Hikari’s intention was very clear.
He wanted to use the effect of “Light Forging Truth” to quietly instill a sense of identity in her through what seemed like congratulatory words, making her unconsciously categorize herself and him as part of the same camp.
Even though Nagi was immune to the effects of “Light Forging Truth,” she did not show any sign of it.
At this moment, she rather decided— to pretend she was affected.
“Kamishiro Akane, I have a question that I would like to ask you as a formality.”
Hikari paused for a moment, his silver eyes fixed on her, his tone taking on a meaningful depth.
“What does justice mean to you?”
Upon hearing this, Nagi pretended to hesitate slightly, biting her lip as if she were trying to think through a heavy question.
She lowered her eyelids, took a slow breath, and her voice gently echoed:
“Justice… To be honest, I might not have thought that deeply… I also don’t know if what I say is right.”
She raised her head, her gaze landing on Hikari, her tone filled with a sincere and serious emotion.
“I just feel that… if someone gets hurt in front of me and I do nothing, I never want to experience that helpless feeling again.”
“So I want to save people, I want to help—no matter who the other person is, or whether this is the so-called ‘justice.'”
As she finished speaking, Nagi gave a light smile, as if self-mocking, and softly added:
Nagi made her response sound sincere and innocent, like an idealist who could rush to help others at any time.
Through the first sentence—lacking a clear definition of “justice,” she appeared pure and easily guided.
Secondly, she emphasized that “I can’t ignore what I see,” presenting herself as having a “reactionary” sense of justice rather than a strong belief rooted in a system with principles, making her more suited for being someone “assigned a task.”
Moreover, she did not mention personal goals or boundaries, making it easier for Hikari to define “what you should do constitutes justice.”
She carefully crafted her response, deliberately creating an atmosphere of “I am very useful, come and utilize me.”
After all, her goal was to make Hikari completely let down his guard, mistakenly believing that she was willingly standing by his side.
To gain trust, sometimes the best way is to follow the other person’s script and play the role flawlessly.
Nagi had to admit that her decision to prominently reveal the “Star Spirit” trump card during the practical assessment was an absolutely correct judgment.
Even Hikari, after witnessing that scene firsthand, could never passively allow her, who possessed the “Star Spirit” power, to be poached by others.
And this time, she had been exceptionally rated as an “ACE” abilities user by the Star Academy—
Only one last step remained to step into the ranks of “X-level” abilities users.
It must be noted that the so-called “X-level abilities users” are those whose souls are inhabited by fragments of the End.
As long as she became one of them, she would have the chance to contact these individuals one by one and search for opportunities to reclaim the fragments…
However, Nagi was very clear about one thing—
Hikari’s true purpose for today’s private meeting was certainly not just to inform her that she had passed the practical assessment and was awarded the ACE-level title, conveniently expressing the intent to draw her in.
From his seemingly gentle eyes, she sensed a subtle yet undeniable sense of vigilance.
She could feel—Hikari did not fully trust her.
Even though the other party possessed the ability of “Light Forging Truth.”
His attitude toward her still lingered in a stage of testing and observation.
Nagi realized that if she truly wanted to gain Hikari’s trust, she still needed to undergo an additional “assessment.”
As expected, after some simple small talk, Hikari finally introduced the topic at hand.
He slowly took out an undisclosed document from the drawer of his desk.
As the document cover unfolded in the light, a familiar emblem entered Nagi’s view—
It was the emblem of the “Joint Task Force.”
A special operations squad formed jointly by Special Ring SEMAs and the three major academies.
It was established urgently after the “Stellar Association Island Incident.”
Nagi knew about it because, during the period after she woke up, each body check involved the participation of this “Joint Task Force.”
The main task of the squad was to investigate and resolve the hidden truths behind the “Stellar Association Incident.”
Since that incident, both Special Ring and the various academies had become aware of the potential “spy” issues within their ranks.
To root out the hidden hands lurking within the organization, they formed this integrated “Joint Task Force” and invited trustworthy abilities users to join.
“The contents of this document are your first task entrusted to you by the Star Academy.”
Hikari spoke steadily: “It is also the first real test you will encounter after officially becoming an abilities user.”
“However, the official order will certainly be issued in a few days.”
He pushed the document in front of Nagi, his gaze serious as he looked at her.
“In a few days, the academy will arrange for you to join this Joint Task Force as reinforcements from the Star Academy.”
“At that time—”
Hikari gently clasped his hands, his expression becoming solemn.
“I hope that for the sake of justice, and for the world, you can accomplish something important.”
