Kusakabe began playing the footage and it started with AST chasing Hermit until she had somehow manage to escape their pursuit and enter a commercial building.
As the others focused on the recording, Origami and Mana quietly exchanged words.
"Captain Kusakabe is pretty stingy, isn't she?" Mana muttered, her eyes fixed on the screen. "That's why Spirits keep getting the better of us."
"I agree." Origami on the other hand was was also watching the footing while talking silently.
"Oh! We think alike." Mana sounded both surprised and amused by Origami's response.
A brief pause followed before Origami shifted the topic. "I heard you've killed a Spirit before. I'd like to hear more details about it."
Hearing Origami's words, Mana felt a bit helpless. "Killed a Spirit, huh"
"Well, you're not exactly wrong." Mana thought about the Spirit that she had killed before and thought about her troublesome ability.
"You've actually encountered this Spirit before." Mana stated, her tone casual yet firm.
"What?" Origami was stunned to hear what Mana said.
"Yes. It was... Nightmare." Mana nodded her head in response to Origami's confusion.
"...Nightmare." Origami repeated the name.
Mana shrugged. "Yes, but it's probably best if you don't lump all Spirits together. You'll understand what I mean soon enough."
Origami remained silent, absorbing Mana's words.
"Besides." Mana added with a smirk, "that's one of the reasons I was dispatched here in the first place."
Mana continued watching the footage until the screen displayed Shido and Yoshino emerging from the crumbling building, the aftermath of Jessica and her squad's barrage of missiles.
The camera zoomed in, capturing Shido standing protectively in front of Yoshino. The young Spirit clung to the hem of his astral dress, however, even though her petite body was trembling, she felt secured when she was beside Shido.
"Huh? Nii-sama" Seeing that person in the video, Mana's eyes widen in disbelief. Origami also heard her words and was stunned.
Mana couldn't remember her past, except for the last three years she had spent at DEM as a Wizard. The only thing that kept her going was the pendant she always carried, inside was a photograph of herself and a boy who looked strikingly like her.
Determined to reunite with him, she pushed herself harder, enduring relentless experiments conducted on her body. Mana also fought Spirits and even killed one, earning her the title Adeptus two, the second strongest Wizard just below Ellen Mira Mathers. Despite the hardships, her sole purpose remained unchanged, finding her lost brother, the only family she had left.
But now, she finally saw him. But she was at loss for words that her brother seemed to had turned into Spirit.
Her world turned upside down. She had been working hard to fight Spirits but seeing her long lost brother became a Spirit, Mana didn't know what to do.
Confusion. Denial. Uncertainty.
But above all, love.
No matter what had happened, no matter what he had become, he was still her brother. That truth alone was stronger than any doubts that plagued her mind.
She swore to find information about him and meet him.
Throughout the rest of the footage, she remained in a daze, unable to take her eyes off the screen. Only focusing her entire attention at Shido's elegant and noble appearance, she was completely captivated.
'Nii-sama, you became so handsome...'
Origami on the other hand was watching Mana's changing expression thoughtfully. Even though Mana's voice was low, Origami still manage to hear her. 'Nii-sama?'
Origami was dumbfounded when she heard it but she could feel that Mana was also shocked. But somehow, when looking at Mana's face, she felt something was wrong with her expression.
...
After the watching the footage, Kusakabe discussed to them the ways to counter and engage Lancelot. She even let Mana tell them what she thought about Lancelot but Mana was out of focus. Kusakabe was speechless and thought if she was always like this.
Kusakabe observed her in silence for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh. 'Is she always like this?'
Once the strategy briefing was complete, Kusakabe dismissed everyone, though she couldn't help but glance once more at the distracted Mana.
Mana on the other hand walked out of the room in daze. Seeing this, Kusakabe could only shake her head wondering why she suddenly became unfocused.
Along the hallway of the base of AST, Mana was walking towards the direction of the locker room to change clothes while pondering about something.
Around her, the other Wizards chatted about their grueling training sessions, their voices blending into the background. But Mana didn't pay attention to them as she was completely engrossed on her own thought.
As Mana walked alone, Origami suddenly stepped in front of her, halting her path just two meters ahead.
Mana noticed this and she looked confused why Origami stopped her. She also couldn't read her expression since Origami's expression was as deadpan as ever.
"What's the meaning of this?" Origami asked bluntly, her tone devoid of hesitation.
"Huh?" Mana frowned, clearly puzzled by the sudden question.
"I didn't know Shido had a little sister like you."
Mana's eyes widened slightly before excitement flickered across her face. "Are you an acquaintance of Nii-sama?"
She suddenly became elated knowing that someone knew her brother.
"An acquaintance?" Origami repeated and pondered but she shake her her in the end.
"I'm his girlfriend." she stated with absolute certainty. Her tone was serious as if it were an undeniable fact.
"Huh?" Mana was surprised to hear Origami's declaration. While she thought that Origami was lying, seeing the serious look on Origami's face, Mana thought that it was real.
However, deep inside her heart, she wondered how unexpected that her brother's like Origami's type of girl.
'So this is the type of girl Nii-sama likes...?'