"Ha..."
Yabuki scratched the back of his head and let out a troubled sigh.
"Honestly, I'd really like to tell you if I could, but the president herself explicitly said she doesn't want you to know. You're putting me in a tough spot here!"
"If you don't talk, I can make things much tougher for you right now."
Roy tugged lightly at the corner of his lips, his tone dismissive as he clearly didn't believe a word Yabuki was saying.
"Ah, come on, I'm just trying to make a living under the president's command. I've got to at least pay some attention to her orders."
Yabuki spread his hands helplessly, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.
"So, how about cutting me some slack, huh?"
Julis kept shaking her leg, growing increasingly impatient with his excuses. She immediately cut him off with a sharp demand.
"Even if Claudia might not come back?"
"...Wait a second, I haven't heard anything about that."
Yabuki's pupils dilated slightly, his expression shifting for a brief moment.
"What exactly is the president planning to do...? Don't mess with me here. If something happens, I won't be able to escape responsibility either!"
His expression gradually twisted into one of distress, his face cycling through several emotions.
Julis' words could very well be a bluff. If he took her at her word and the president returned later, he'd definitely be in for it. But what if...?
What if she was telling the truth?
If the president really didn't come back, he'd be in deep trouble. He was the one who had given her his father's contact information. If Claudia died, her mother might not let things slide so easily! It was true that the top executives weren't supposed to act on personal desires—but that was only when it conflicted with their duties. At the end of the day, as long as someone was human, they couldn't be completely free of personal motives. If her mother found out Claudia's death was connected to him, giving him a lesson that didn't interfere with the conglomerate's interests was entirely possible!
Watching Yabuki struggle with his decision, Roy sighed softly.
He stood up.
"Yabuki."
"What—"
Yabuki lifted his head, about to look at Roy.
But in that instant, Roy drew his Orga Lux from his waist with lightning speed and swung it straight at Yabuki's forehead!
At that very moment...
Down on the stage below, the nine-year-old girl suddenly pricked up her ears and turned her gaze toward Seidoukan Academy's special viewing booth, a smile of pure innocence spreading across her face.
Meanwhile, in Queenvail's exclusive viewing room, Okita Souji silently rose to her feet and strode toward the door without hesitation.
"Souji, where are you going?"
"..."
Stella, seeing her leave without so much as a word of explanation, could only sigh in exasperation and shake her head before getting up to follow her.
...
The Redevelopment Zone was a particularly unique district within Asterisk.
Where there was light, there would always be shadows. For every person basking in the spotlight, earning fame and fortune on stage, there would inevitably be those who had abandoned everything and fallen into darkness.
This place was home to a large number of people who, for various reasons, could no longer survive in Asterisk City, as well as Genestellar criminals who had come from outside. Such individuals gathered here, forming the mainstream of this district. With its abandoned buildings and shuttered shops everywhere, only those with no money lived here—earning it the nickname "the slums."
In the land-scarce Asterisk City, every inch of space should be highly valuable. Yet for some reason, the authorities had repeatedly cleared this area with redevelopment plans, only for them to be inexplicably abandoned. Thus, this place came to be known as the Redevelopment Zone.
Amidst this lawless district, a golden-haired girl in Seidoukan Academy's uniform walked gracefully forward.
Her striking beauty and curvaceous figure stirred the desires of many criminals gathered here. But after glancing at the highlights of the Festa matches playing on the roadside screens, their faces filled with wariness. Suppressing their urges, they pretended not to see her.
Those who survived here understood the rules of survival. If anything happened to a Festa championship contender in the Redevelopment Zone, Seidoukan's higher-ups would never let them off.
More bluntly put—they stood no chance against this woman.
Though she hadn't lifted a finger in this year's Festa, her ranking as Seidoukan's #2 was already beyond their reach.
By midday, Claudia had traversed the Redevelopment Zone's streets, arriving near the harbor area. Beyond abandoned buildings, not a single shop remained—no one willingly came here.
"...Troubling the young Lady Enfield to make this trip personally."
Upon reaching a four-story derelict building, a low, raspy voice emerged from the shadows within the walls.
"A simple intelligence exchange could've been handled over the phone. Requesting a face-to-face meeting seems unnecessary."
From the building's shadows emerged a figure clad entirely in black, swathed head-to-toe with only his face exposed. His movements were utterly silent—not even footsteps betrayed his approach.
The visible face belonged to an elderly man, his sideburns and beard streaked white, appearing at least seventy years old. Though his speech carried cadence, his expression remained utterly blank, his aura cold as frost—like a legendary ninja.
"Master Bujinzai, this must be our first proper face-to-face conversation."
As the elder appeared, Claudia halted outside the building, offering a flawless smile with a slight bow.
"Phone communications risk interception. After all, all communication channels in Asterisk City are monitored by Saint Galahadworth's special intelligence unit—the Synod of Saints—through their unique Orga Lux. Without caution, we risk exposure."
Each of Asterisk City's six academy intelligence units had distinct specialties. For instance, Jie Long's Nine Sons of the Dragon were notoriously brutal, Queenvail's Alcor excelled at manipulating public opinion, while none surpassed Saint Galahadworth's Synod in intelligence gathering—thanks to their academy's unique Orga Lux capable of intercepting all communications within a certain range.
"True enough. Yet communication lines overflow with traffic. The human brain cannot process such vast information—the odds of detecting our brief exchange are negligible—"
"There's no guarantee it won't go wrong, is there?"
Claudia smiled as she interrupted Yabuki Bujinzai, her expression revealing neither joy nor anger, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.
"...You make a fair point."
Yabuki Bujinzai lowered his eyes slightly, pausing briefly before acknowledging Claudia's reasoning.
"Then, Miss Enfield, what exactly is this crucial information about the Evil Eye Sorcerer you mentioned?"
"That would be—"
Claudia gave a faint smile.
Then, without warning, she bared her fangs in a vicious snarl.
With the fastest movement of her life, she drew her twin-sword Orga Lux from her waist, the blades flashing like lightning as she slashed toward Yabuki Bujinzai!
The ambush was executed with terrifying speed—there was almost no room to evade an attack launched mid-conversation.
And in that instant, Claudia activated Pan-Dora's special ability—Future Prediction.
***
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