After passing through the café's kitchen, Luo Shu followed Chisato Nishikigi into what appeared to be the residential quarters, finally arriving at a stairwell that led down to what looked like a basement.
"By the way, Luo Shu, do you know how to use a gun?" Chisato asked casually, mimicking a finger-gun gesture and even adding a playful biu biu sound effect.
"I don't," Luo Shu replied with a shake of his head. Growing up under the red flag, he'd never had the chance—or reason—to learn something like that.
"You don't, huh... ah, that won't do at all..." Chisato said, slipping into the tone of a seasoned senior as she led him down the stairs. "Sure, psychic abilities are really handy. In special situations, a surprise attack might even land a one-hit kill. But when it comes to sheer firepower and efficiency, firearms still reign supreme."
Reaching a corner at the bottom, Chisato reached out and pressed a section of the wall. With a click, a small keypad popped out. As she typed in the code with practiced ease, she continued, "From what I've heard, in major transnational criminal groups like True Celestial Astronomy and Golden Dawn, only a handful of top brass can ignore bullets altogether. Each one is a major threat listed on international danger lists. But aside from those monsters, most of the others? A bullet works just fine. So yeah, learning to shoot is very important."
"Besides, in modern society, the threat of superpowers isn't nearly as direct—or persuasive—as the sight of a gun."
She nodded seriously at her own words, then suddenly changed the topic. "By the way, Luo Shu, what's your ability?"
"Ah—but if it's a secret you can't talk about, then don't worry! I'm just curious, that's all. Just a bit of innocent curiosity."
Hearing her say that, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow. He didn't feel particularly wary of this girl. After all, as far as he knew, heroines in anime were usually decent people—trustworthy enough, at least in the beginning.
"My ability is wind—control over the wind."
"Wind element? You're a Wind Warlock?!"
Chisato, who was walking ahead, suddenly spun around, eyes wide in delight. "No way! The legendary ace scout?!"
"Wow~~ Boss really did it! She actually recruited a Wind Warlock-level ace scout?!"
"...Ace scout?" Luo Shu looked puzzled. He honestly couldn't understand why Chisato was getting so excited.
"You don't know?" she asked, blinking, then quickly explained. "In our SDS, we lump all special individuals like onmyōji, Taoists, priests, and nuns into the general category of 'warlocks.' And among all those warlocks, wind users are famous for their ability to activate their powers quickly, scan wide areas, and excel at long-range surveillance. They're some of the most renowned scouts around!"
"I heard there's someone back in China who can monitor an entire city just by manipulating wind currents."
"Sure, Wind Warlocks might not be the most lethal among warlocks, but their versatility and convenience? Absolutely top-tier. Ah~ I'm so jealous of you psychics..."
"All I've got is decent aim with a gun…"
As she spoke, she made an exaggerated little stomp, brushing her hand against the scarf tied around the back of her head. The motion was cute, and Luo Shu's mood became a little complicated.
So... wind manipulation was considered top-tier for recon? That was... kind of awesome?
Suppressing his sudden urge to show off, Luo Shu let out a quiet sigh and quickly adjusted his mindset. Recon was fine—maybe even the safest role. After all, most of his scouting would be done via wind, without needing to show up in person. Yeah... that was safer than fighting on the frontlines.
Led by Chisato, Luo Shu arrived at a room in the underground facility. As she rummaged through a pile of clothes—mostly women's clothing—Luo Shu asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"Looking for men's tactical uniforms... Ah~~ why is it all Mizuki's and Kurumi's stuff? Did they seriously turn this place into their personal closet?"
She muttered complaints as she searched. Then, suddenly pausing, she turned back toward Luo Shu. "Oh, right! I almost forgot—I haven't introduced everyone here yet."
As she continued sorting through clothes, she explained, "This base is directly under the SDS Operations Division, led by the Boss. The café is just our front. The staff here includes me, Mika, and three other members: Mizuki Nakahara, Takina Inoue, and Kurumi."
"Mika-san is the café manager, but also our combat instructor and the one who keeps in touch with the Boss. He handles all our logistics, too. Mizuki is in charge of intelligence collection and verification, while Kurumi is a hacker who helps with special gathering and also manages equipment maintenance. Takina and I are partners—we're the front-line fighters, and both of us specialize in firearms."
"Ah, found it!"
Chisato finally pulled a few suits from the back of the cabinet and smiled in triumph. "So that's where it was. Had me searching forever."
"What size do you wear, Luo Shu?" she asked.
After a brief pause, Luo Shu gave her his clothing size.
Chisato nodded without missing a beat. "Oooh~~ in that case, this one should fit you best."
She handed him a sleek black suit. "Since all our missions are covert, our younger female members usually pose as high school students. Someone with your height... hmm, you'd make a perfect greenhorn office worker."
"The suit is custom-made, apparently from some Onmyō Bureau's special ballistic fiber. It's bulletproof—and it even offers some resistance to psychic abilities. Super expensive, so we only have two of these. If it doesn't fit, let me know."
"Oh, and for washing? Bring it to the café. We handle cleaning here."
Just then, Chisato paused and gave Luo Shu a long, thoughtful look. After confirming that he indeed looked quite young, she suddenly asked, "Oh right, Luo Shu—are you working a part-time job right now? If you are, you might want to quit and transfer here instead. Oh, and... wait, are you still in school?"
Luo Shu nodded. "Yeah, I'm a student. Just nearby, at Toyosaki."
"Lucky~~ That means you get paid to study. Even if you're in class, you still earn your salary. Only downside is when urgent missions come up, things get a little hectic..."
Chisato spoke with a mix of envy and resignation. "I always wanted to go to school... never got the chance."
Hearing that, Luo Shu furrowed his brows and asked, genuinely puzzled, "But Chisato, you don't seem that much older than me. Why didn't you get a chance to go to school?"
"Well..." Chisato raised a hand to scratch her cheek awkwardly. After thinking it over, she decided to be honest.
"Luo Shu, the Boss already told you about the 'Abyss,' right?"
"She did," he nodded.
Chisato's expression suddenly turned complicated. "…Actually, aside from the Boss, everyone in this café—including me—came from the Abyss."
Luo Shu froze in shock.