"Because this bottle held a Crystal Shell that Shiz had shed."
Angel had suspected the crystals in the bottle might have come from Shiz, and the Inspector had now confirmed it. But the word he had used was "shed." That was interesting.
"Shiz could shed its shell?"
"Of course," the Inspector said. "When it had a better shell, it naturally replaced the old one."
Seeing the doubt still in Angel's eyes, the Inspector thought for a moment and offered an explanation.
The purple-black crystals covering Shiz were actually a kind of "exoskeleton" it constructed by digesting certain extraordinary materials. The Crystal Shell served as a medium for releasing the energy within Shiz's body and provided a measure of defense.
That exoskeleton was not fixed forever. When Shiz digested extraordinary materials better suited to it, it built a new one. Generally, the new exoskeleton was of higher quality than the old shell it shed.
That, too, counted as a form of evolution.
After hearing the Inspector's explanation, Angel understood.
In short, the bottle contained an extraordinary organ. Judging by its form, it had probably also been fitted with Soul Armament.
Angel had hesitated to identify it as an organ from Shiz because the Shiz Juvenile was clearly still alive and well. How could an organ have been removed from it?
But Shiz could shed its shell, discarding an old exoskeleton and building a new Crystal Shell.
That explained it.
Since No. 01 had discovered Shiz's nest, he must have visited it repeatedly, stealing Crystal Shells from the nest for his Soul Armament experiments.
The box in the hidden room had indentations for two bottles. Presumably, No. 01 had made two Crystal Shell organs, and he might already have used the other one.
It was a pity, but getting even one was