Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

"Really? Good luck then, I'll go to the other side."

Seeing Chris take the showerhead, Lingyi stopped caring and walked to the other showerhead, turned it on, and let the warm water flow onto her body.

Her platinum blonde hair clung together in the water, which flowed over her alabaster skin, outlining the girl's perfect silhouette. A thin mist, almost imperceptible, veiled her alluring features like gauze.

All of this was reflected in the eyes of those watching Lingyi from the other side.

"Gurgle, no, no, I have to concentrate, I have to concentrate, Yukine Chris, you're not like that."

Forcibly suppressing the flutter in her heart, Chris tried to focus her thoughts on serious matters, such as thinking more about the time she spent with Zero...

thump-

Chris pounded her head against the bathroom wall; otherwise, she feared her friendship with Zero would sour and cause her to do something irrational.

“Okay, Yukine Chris, you’ll be fine. Think about your dream. Didn’t you want to eliminate all the fighting in the world and wipe out all those who fight? You don’t need to, and can’t, indulge in this pointless emotion…”

Yukine Chris made a difficult decision in her mind.

P.S. Good afternoon.

ps..rd2(bushi

Chapter Eighty: Sprout

"Hmm--Uh-oh, what's wrong with you??Winged umbrella〨⊙?Dad〆?"

In the spacious hall, Chris, who had just woken up from her dizziness and was feeling an unusual pain in her forehead, lay on the sofa and muttered to herself, still not quite understanding what was going on.

"Chris, you're awake. The surgery failed. You're still a girl."

Chris heard a familiar voice from the side and got up to look. It was Lingyi, who had changed into her usual clothes and was rummaging through the white medical kit.

"What happened? What's wrong with me?"

Somewhat bewildered, Chris reflexively asked Zero, who was standing to the side, "What do you mean?"

"I also want to know the answer to this question... I really don't understand, Chris, how did you manage to knock yourself unconscious against the wall while showering? To be honest, since you had this idea, why didn't you just ask me for anesthesia? That would have been much easier."

Lingyi took out a plaster from the medicine box and said to Chris, half explaining and half complaining.

Despite Chris's prior assurances, when Zero finished washing the clothes, all she could see was a duck sitting on the ground, and Chris looking completely dazed.

What happened next is self-explanatory. Seeing this, Lingyi had no choice but to clean Chris's body herself, put on her dried clothes, carry her to the sofa in the hall, and finally search the medicine box for medicine to help Chris wake up again.

"Ah, I remember now."

With Lingyi's prompting, Chris finally recovered a part of her chaotic memories. At that time, she was immersed in her complicated feelings and couldn't extricate herself, falling into a state of confusion where she didn't know what to do.

Originally, this wouldn't have been a problem, but then she thought of a way to resolve her dilemma. As a result, due to the excitement of this sudden inspiration, her already exhausted body protested in terms of balance.

Finally, amidst a dizzying sensation, she regained consciousness here.

"It seems you've remembered. So, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Lingyi spoke, silently looking at Chris, waiting for her explanation.

"I just, well, okay, I'm sorry, I admit I made a mistake this time."

Faced with Zero's scrutiny, Chris tried to defend herself, but after her foolish actions, any explanation seemed powerless.

"Don't do that again next time. Adjusting your mental state is also part of the battle. When you encounter problems that the Serpent Armor can't handle, Chris, the only person you can rely on is Symphogear. If you're confused, Symphogear won't be able to exert much power."

As Lingyi spoke, she moved closer to Chris, who was lying down.

"Hmm...yes, I understand. Hey, Zero, what's this?"

Chris responded, and then noticed Zero coming over.

"You should be able to tell that I'm applying medicine so you can recover faster."

As Lingyi spoke, she tore open the plaster she had taken out beforehand and carefully applied it to Chris's forehead. Her slender fingers gently stroked the plaster, making sure the edges were perfectly smooth on her forehead.

"Well……"

Feeling the gentle touch on her forehead and the warmth of the girl so close to her, Chris felt a disorienting sense of disorientation.

"Alright, that's fine. Chris, if you have nothing else to do, go back and rest. Of course, you can also choose to stay a little longer, since I promised you I'd rest tomorrow."

Removing her hand from Chris's forehead, Lingyi clapped her hands indifferently, turned and left, saying this to Chris as she did so.

"Um... Lingyi, aren't you going to rest?"

Seeing Zero's actions, Chris asked.

"I still have work to do. I need to go to the studio to process the information I've collected and to think about what to do next. I might rest a little later."

Lingyi replied.

Because of the unexpectedly heavy workload of Qi (Yao Saner) and the time spent dealing with Chris's problems, some routine tasks could not be completed in time.

"Lingyi, can I come with you?"

Seeing that Zero was about to leave, Chris immediately made this suggestion to her.

"Together... Chris, aren't you going to rest?"

Noticing Chris's words, Lingyi stopped and turned to ask, not quite understanding the meaning behind Chris's actions.

"I'm just a little curious about what kind of work you usually do, Lingyi. I'm just curious, I don't have any other thoughts, so, is that okay?"

Chris asked.

"Sure, as long as you don't interfere too much with my work, Chris, I don't mind. And you can do whatever you want with your rest time. If you think watching me work will give you a better rest, then go ahead."

Although she couldn't understand what she was thinking, since it wasn't anything excessive, Lingyi had no reason to refuse.

"Ah."

Zero's agreement brought Chris a slight sense of relief.

The reason she made such a request was mainly due to a conclusion she reached during her previous thinking.

The reason I'm currently experiencing this inner conflict is because I was misled by the allure of Zero Clothing during my investigation. Ingesting too many substandard products has distorted my thinking and weakened my once-firm resolve.

This was the conclusion Chris reached at the time.

Although there may be some logical flaws, and a closer examination may reveal numerous loopholes, it is undeniable that for Chris, who was somewhat confused at the time, this was an irrefutable truth.

Now that we have reached this conclusion, we need to analyze this conclusion and find the key to solving the problem.

Therefore, after analysis, Chris came up with two solutions to the problem.

Firstly, the investigation into Lingyi should be abandoned. As long as the root cause is eliminated, the various problems arising from it will naturally not exist.

But that's impossible. How could I just leave her like this? She absolutely shouldn't be like this. I refuse to believe that what she's showing is her true self.

Naturally, the moment this plan was conceived, it was completely forgotten by Chris.

So, is the second method the only option?

After rejecting the first option, the only option Chris could choose, and was willing to choose, was the second option she had come up with.

Since investigating from the sidelines will not only reveal indecent content but also yield unusable information, let's investigate from the front.

[I absolutely do not believe that Lingyi can continue to ignore my existence. As long as I consistently take the initiative, I will eventually discover her weakness and find out the reason why she has become the way she is now.]

This was the second plan that Chris came up with: abandoning the shame that might make her feel weak and directly investigating Zero's information.

Ultimately, this manifests in her current actions: increasing the time she and Lingyi have to think things through in order to discover the other party's weakness.

Yes, it's only to find out the truth. That's why I did this, definitely not because I've become weak or want to spend more time with her.

With that thought in mind, Chris followed Zero's steps toward the studio.

P.S. Good afternoon.

Chapter 81 Work and Accidents

Behind a door in the style of medieval Europe, Chris saw a room filled with various metal instruments, which looked very high-tech and was used for work by Zero.

"Wow, that's amazing! Lingyi, do you know how to use all of these instruments?"

Looking at the various instruments she couldn't understand scattered throughout the room, Chris couldn't help but sigh.

"Isn't this just common sense?"

Lingyi didn't find anything to be emotional about; it wasn't like she hadn't demonstrated her abilities and fighting style to Chris before.

"So, what are you planning to do? You've already seen my work tools, have you satisfied your curiosity?"

Then, Zero looked at Chris beside her and asked.

"Of course not. I'd also like to see what your usual work involves, Lingyi. There shouldn't be anything I can't see, right?"

Chris immediately said that since they were already here, they certainly couldn't back down in a place like this.

"Is that so? Then do as you please, just don't cause me any trouble. As for the things you can't see, I won't let you see them either. Find somewhere to stay, I need to hurry."

Lingyi glanced at Chris, whose eyes held a strange expectation, then turned her head away, walked to the sofa chair she usually used for work, sat down, turned on the screen in front of her, and began to work.

"Am I casual...?"

Seeing that Zero was no longer paying attention to her and had entered work mode, Chris began to think about what she needed to do next.

To fully understand her, one cannot overlook any unusual details. Only by applying sufficient pressure can one possibly find any oversights Lingyi might have made.

Chris had this thought in her mind.

So, it's quite obvious where I'm going.

Having reached her conclusion, Chris raised her slightly flushed face and looked at the Promised Land she had chosen.

"Let's do it here then."

With that statement, Chris leaned forward somewhat awkwardly in the spot she had chosen.

"..…ha?"

After Chris made that move, Zero, who was just getting into the zone, looked at the girl who had appeared next to her with a puzzled expression.

"W-what's wrong? I don't think I'm affecting your work, am I?"

The girl, whose face was as pale as a nightshade plant, murmured this in a trembling voice, her voice trembling with nervousness, beside Zero.

"..."

Lingyi fell silent, lost in thought.

At this distance, everything about the two of them—body temperature, breathing, heartbeat, and even smell—can be clearly perceived by each other's nerves.

Nevertheless, this quiet contact did not physically interfere with each other's actions. As long as they could ignore each other, it would not affect their movements.

"No, Chris, if you're not afraid of getting tired, then keep this position."

Time seemed to have passed for a long time, yet it also seemed to have passed only a short while. In any case, Lingyi tightened her collar slightly and did not object to Chris's actions.

"okay."

By deceiving her own heart, Chris gained a level of initiative she could never have imagined, and as a result, the scent she had always longed for became closer to her than ever before.

Although the person she longed for had undergone changes she couldn't comprehend, and her own circumstances had changed dramatically, for this very moment, Chris felt as if time had returned to that moment in her memory.

"Network security logs checked...no abnormalities found; defense devices and network connectivity...no abnormalities found; airspace alarm device test...no abnormalities found..."

Unlike Chris, who seemed lost in thought, Zero didn't appear to be affected by the presence of another person around her, and continued to handle her work calmly.

【No, Chris, you need to understand what you're here for. You can't keep indulging... no, getting lost in... damn it, it's all because of those indecent things that made me feel uneasy about Zero. Ugh, anyway, I need to shift my focus to observation now.】

As Zero calmly and steadily handled her work, Chris gradually grew accustomed to Zero's translucent skin, which had just been moistened by the steam, and her body, which smelled of fragrance from using bath products, and struggled to break free from a certain illusion.

[So many incomprehensible technical terms! What has Lingyi actually learned all these years? I know she's always been a good learner, but this level is just too exaggerated.]

Chris made this remark after shifting her gaze to the screen where Zero was working.

[Hmm, I understand now. These scrolling symbols are completely beyond my comprehension. I'm afraid only Finney could understand what Zero has written.]

Then, Chris, who shifted her attention to Zero's work, had a completely new feeling: she couldn't see anything in Zero's work.

[In the end, we still can't see anything. No, we can't give up, Chris. As long as we persevere, we'll definitely get something.]

Devastated by the harsh reality, Chris regained her spirits under the influence of some unknown driving force.

"...Phew, I didn't want anything to go wrong, but something still happened."

Just as Chris was still trying to find a reason for her delay, Zero's sudden sigh interrupted her thoughts.

"What's wrong, Lingyi? Is something the problem?"