Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

[Just found out from Ran that Hattori Heiji came to my house. That really surprised me.]

[Hattori Heiji came to my house.]

[I remember his reason for coming was that he hadn't seen Kudo Shinichi on TV for two months, and was encouraged by his childhood sweetheart to come compare their detective skills.]

[That reason really doesn't serve the story well, especially when shaping Hattori Heiji's character.]

[But this time, his reason is much more reasonable. Based on what Ran said, he probably guessed that Kudo Shinichi had encountered some kind of accident, so he came to investigate the forces behind it.]

[The intention is good. The reality, however, is harsh.]

[The organization is more complicated than expected. Many key members are undercover agents from various intelligence agencies around the world. Thoroughly investigating it will be very difficult.]

[It's definitely a tall order for just two high school detectives to take on this behemoth.]

[That said, I'm still very interested to see the sparks that fly between these two detectives and the organization in the future.]

[They're still one Shiho Miyano away from uncovering the organization's intel.]

[As one of the core members of the organization and the lead developer of A, she holds a lot of insider information. When she finally emerges, it will mark the beginning of the Death God's true confrontation with the organization.]

[The record of Ran's situation is complete.]

[Today, Miss Hatamoto contacted me. As expected, the internal chaos within the Hatamoto Zaibatsu is worse than I anticipated. Miss Hatamoto is being suppressed by a group of old-timers, and her authority doesn't reach far. I gave her some advice.]

[Cultivate your own confidants.]

[Of course, I wasn't just speaking casually. Miss Hatamoto can't rely on power or money to buy people, so I granted her three special slots.]

[I trust Miss Hatamoto will open her eyes and choose the right three.]

The diary ended there.

Sanzenin Nagi closed the diary while lying in bed.

"Hatamoto Zaibatsu… it looks like Ren is finally making a move."

She was aware of the gift system. Ren could bestow Pathway powers onto others, allowing them to gain mystical abilities.

"But… won't there be problems?"

"In today's world, it's easy to win people's loyalty with power, but people who believe only because of power are the first to betray it."

Sanzenin Nagi believed that there were those truly devoted to their beliefs, and some might follow Ren purely because of what he represented.

But faith built on strength alone was fragile.

"Do you think he would allow things to progress to that point?"

Maria, wearing a simple white nightgown, walked over with a gentle smile.

"Also, Nagi-chan, do you really think Mr. Amamiya would give others power without any form of restraint?"

"Probably not."

Sanzenin Nagi thought about it and nodded.

"Exactly. The power he grants still belongs to Mr. Amamiya. Do you really think those blessed by him could escape his grasp?"

"And don't forget what Mr. Amamiya said before. The power of the gift has certain side effects. Those who receive it slowly become aligned with the will of the giver. What does that sound like?"

"If you put it in religious terms, it's a fanatic."

"Such fanatics only hold the most devout beliefs and would never betray them."

"So, do you think Mr. Amamiya will advance that progression?"

With Maria's reminder, Sanzenin Nagi realized she had been too simplistic in her thinking.

"So in the end, it's not about whether something can be done, but whether Amamiya wants to do it."

Nagi agreed with that conclusion.

Some things aren't about capability, but intent.

"Then Maria, do you think he'll do that to me?"

Sanzenin Nagi's question made Maria chuckle.

"It's because Mr. Amamiya knows us deeply that he holds a good impression of us. Not because of what we are now, but because of the impression we left on him back when he viewed us from another perspective."

"It's because of that impression that Mr. Amamiya is willing to share what originally belonged solely to him."

"Again, this isn't about whether he can do it or not, but whether he wants to."

Maria reached out and lightly tapped the tip of Nagi's nose.

"So, do you really think Mr. Amamiya would treat us like that?"

Sanzenin Nagi lightly shook her head.

"No."

"Then you already know the answer. Mr. Amamiya wouldn't do that to us."

Maria laughed again.

"Also, do you really think the people Miss Hatamoto chooses would be so clueless?"

"Suddenly being granted such power by Mr. Amamiya—anyone with a working brain would realize it didn't come without strings. I think Miss Hatamoto should make that point crystal clear."

"If any of them are naive enough to think they can control that power freely, then that just means Miss Hatamoto chose poorly. And if that happens, Mr. Amamiya will clean up the mess for her."

That made sense… Nagi nodded thoughtfully.

"In that case… should I still help the Zaibatsu?"

Maria shook her head.

"The diary was clear. The Zaibatsu is in chaos. If Miss Hatamoto wants to regain power, she needs to earn it through her own efforts."

"Mr. Hatamoto Gozo isn't helping her directly because he wants her to grow."

"Mr. Amamiya's assistance is already a tremendous advantage. If you want to help, wait until Miss Hatamoto has real authority in her hands."

Maria had already grasped the rhythm of the situation.

The Zaibatsu's issues could be set aside for now. There was no rush to step in.

"Tomorrow is the weekend again."

"It really came quickly. But Amamiya had quite a fulfilling week. He was even invited to meet Sonoko's sister."

Maria noticed something in Nagi's tone and moved closer with a teasing smile.

"So, Nagi-chan, are you feeling a little lonely?"

"Who—who's lonely?! I'm just… not used to suddenly having nothing to do!"

Such a stubborn response. Maria was now convinced—Nagi-chan was absolutely lonely this time.

So Maria suggested,

"In that case, why don't you ask Mr. Amamiya out? For example, go visit Hakuo?"

(To be continued.)

***

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