Cirno's Ice Drink Shop

(Please vote at the end of the month—don't forget this time!)

"Here," Bellavella said, pointing at her head. "That voice can sever a Shilin Apostle's Spiritual Connection. That's enough."

My expression froze instantly. After a long while, I asked uncertainly, "What exactly does this Spiritual Connection refer to? Communication with other Apostles? Command links? The Database?"

Bellavella fell silent for a moment, seemingly reluctant to admit the helplessness she had displayed before nothing more than a voice. But in the end, she sighed. "If it were only that, the Fallen Apostles would never obey someone else's orders so easily. We're all an arrogant bunch, after all... But the owner of that voice possessed something even more terrifying. He could sever every form of spiritual connection a Shilin Apostle had, including any Information Link, the simplest mental communication between companions, psychic command over subordinate soldiers, even... the ability to summon Hyperspace Armament. You know that one of the Shilin Apostles' greatest technologies is Hyperspace Armament and the Individual Heavy Armor System. They give us the power for a single individual to unleash the combat strength of an entire army. Yet the owner of that voice could effortlessly sever that connection. No matter how powerful an individual was, once isolated and helpless, they would be swallowed by the storm of a legion. And among the scheming, faction-ridden Fallen Apostles, the consequences of falling into such a situation were obvious."

"A guy who fundamentally held the lifeline of every Shilin Apostle..." I unconsciously turned the cup in my hand. "He maintained his rule through violence and threats, yet never showed himself. That kind of rule isn't very secure."

"If it were merely violence and threats, of course it wouldn't be secure. That's why he had other methods," Bellavella said, rubbing her forehead. "There