Date A Mysterious Being

Chapter 63 - Nibelcol

"This girl...... She's a Spirit, right?"

"That is correct. Codename Angel. The Spirit this world once termed Devil."

"Was she previously one of the AST?"

"Yes, apparently abdicating her post on account of becoming a Spirit."

"Hmph......" Fingers still grasping her chin, Artemisia examined a photograph of Origami which turned up on the screen anew, murmuring a few seconds later.

"About that, Ellen. She and I have met in days gone by, I suppose?"

"......What are you driving at?"

"This girl appears to recognize me."

"............"

Her words annihilated any of Ellen's, though after a short time; alongside airy breaths, she regained her savoir-faire.

"Artemisia, you're belittling yourself to too great an extent. There isn't a thing over the top about a former AST member knowing the SSS-ranked Artemisia Ashcroft."

"Un...... perhaps you're right."

"I am. Frankly, I haven't the faintest how you believed I'd know something you don't yourself."

"Ahaha...... I guess so." Watching Artemisia shrug her shoulders and form a wry grin, Ellen could not help but sigh.

"Either way, Ike's calling for us. Let's go."

"Ah, all right. In a minute."

Having sent the computer into sleep mode, she followed Ellen's retreating figure out of the room.

"............"

As they made their way through the corridor wordlessly, Ellen shot a peek at Artemisia from nowhere. Naturally, being the sentient girl she was, it had been a mere trifle for her to perceive, and thereupon to reciprocate with a smile, discountenancing Ellen, who returned to face forward again.

When Artemisia had first touched upon the subject of Tobiichi Origami, Ellen felt rather unnerved straight from the shoulder, but it looked as though Artemisia had not indulged in reminiscence.

She had indeed clashed blade to blade with Origami in the latest battle. There was no helping it if some uncertainties had arisen during their heated dialogue.

Swordplay exchanged on the battlefield surely could not have jogged her memories. Even so, it would prove more prudent to confirm her conversation log later just in case. Thinking thus, Ellen entered the elevator together with Artemisia.

"Um, Ellen, does this meeting mean that we've new plans?"

"Who knows? Anyhow, he did say that he has something to show us."

"Something to show us?"

"Yes."

Trading trivial banters and immaterial whatnots, both of them reached the top floor of the building-before DEM Industries' Managing Director, Isaac Westcott's chamber.

But.

"-"

Ellen came to an abrupt standstill, having detected that beyond the door lingered an unwonted presence.

Despite Westcott possessing an air of intimidation that the majority of commoners nowhere near did, the roiling presence a meager doorstep away distilled a unique ambiance.

As if.....a horde of horrors awaited them both with hushed breaths.

"Ellen."

"Yeah." Artemisia showed signs of realization, knitting her brows and grimacing.