Luo Shu studied the note intently, his mind racing.
He knew exactly what the name Nia Honjo represented.
The Second Spirit, akin to Kurumi Tokisaki.
The second Sephirah of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, representing Wisdom.
Bearer of the Spirit Dress of Divine Might No.2, whose ability embodied omniscience.
Though unclear about Nia Honjo's motives for revealing herself, Luo Shu fully understood her capabilities.
Thus, her warning demanded serious consideration.
'Divination isn't omnipotent. Everything is an illusion.... So... Robert's death was completely a conspiracy, an illusion?'
'An illusion would mean... everything I saw wasn't real.'
"...Is Robert still alive?" Luo Shu murmured softly after a moment's contemplation: "Faking his death to escape? But why would he do that..."
Hearing Luo Shu's muttering, Utaha Kasumigaoka froze momentarily before instinctively glancing at Eriri and Sayuri Sawamura. Without hesitation, she lowered her voice:
"You know the person who sent the note?"
Luo Shu nodded, naturally lowering his voice as well: "She's similar to Kurumi, except while Kurumi's Angel controls time and space, hers governs omniscience."
"Omniscience?" Utaha barely suppressed her gasp.
As the earliest Familia member, Utaha naturally understood what Kurumi Tokisaki's power represented.
The ten Sephirot stripped from Almighty God's being, containing fragments of divine authority's sublime power.
In other words, the Angels possessed by Spirits could essentially be considered portions of Almighty God's authority.
If that were the case, so-called omniscience would be terrifying indeed.
And for someone with such an ability to send this note, its credibility would naturally be extraordinarily high.
Which meant...
"Everything was an illusion..." Utaha's expression turned slightly complicated: "So, should we tell Eriri and Madam Sawamura?"
"Not yet. Let me verify first."
Before Utaha could ask how he'd verify, Luo Shu flipped the note over and, using his finger as a pen and Dying Will Flames as ink, wrote:
[Meet up? You choose the location.]
He wrote these words, rolled up the note again, tied it back onto the pigeon's leg, then patted its rear and released it directly.
The snow-white pigeon flapped its wings mid-air, swiftly ascending towards the sky.
Almost simultaneously, another white pigeon descended from above, landing before the window like a shift change, tilting its head and cooing at Luo Shu.
Seeing this, Luo Shu was momentarily stunned. Then, noticing the identical note tied to the pigeon's leg, he couldn't help but laugh:
"Turning carrier pigeons into a real-time chat app?"
He chuckled, though a thought nagged at him.
'Could it be that my reactions are being monitored by Nia Honjo through Raziel?'
'Wasn't Raziel incapable of foreseeing the future, only partially omniscient? Unless its abilities have expanded beyond my understanding after the world's transformation?'
'That would be truly terrifying...'
Faced with the prospect of a woman who could peer into the future, Luo Shu felt an unprecedented wariness.
He activated his Calamity Priest abilities, ready to alter his state at any moment, while reaching out to untie the note and unfurl it slowly.
Just then, the words on the note came into view:
[Meet at Dreamland Maid Cafe~]
[By the way, this isn't foresight—just advance planning. Look outside~]
Reading the message, Luo Shu instinctively glanced up at the sky.
Amidst a chorus of coos, a massive flock—at least several hundred carrier pigeons—took flight from a nearby building, sweeping over the Sawamura residence like a rolling cloud.
Staring at the pigeons, each with a note tied to its leg, Luo Shu froze.
Outside the window, Chisato Nishikigi's indignant shriek rang out:
"Ah!! Where did this pigeon swarm come from?! Wait—they're pooping mid-air?! Nooo!! Don't aim for my head!!"
From the second-floor window, Luo Shu watched as Chisato, who had just seen Conan off, desperately dodged the aerial assault in the courtyard. Even from behind the glass, he couldn't help but take several steps back.
Beside him, Utaha Kasumigaoka, also retreating with a green-tinged face, asked:
"Is... this within the scope of omniscience too?"
"Probably not..." Luo Shu replied uncertainly.
After a pause, he added, "I'll go meet her. Until then, Eriri and Sayuri are in your hands."
"I know what to do..." Utaha said, then fell silent briefly before warning, "Be careful."
"I will." Luo Shu rolled up the note, pocketed it, and glanced at the Sawamura mother and daughter. In the end, he chose not to explain Robert's anomaly, turning wordlessly to leave the room.
Only once Luo Shu was completely out of sight did Utaha turn back, her gaze settling on Eriri, who had cried herself to exhaustion in Sayuri's arms.
Finally, she sighed.
"Perhaps... this is the cost of growing up."
...
Dreamland Maid Cafe.
Dressed in a modest black-and-white maid outfit, Maria Naruse—whose home resembled an airport runway—smiled brightly at Luo Shu as he arrived at the cafe entrance.
"Well, well, if it isn't our multi-talented Director?"
"What's this? Missing your poor abandoned soul after just half a day?"
Hearing this, the preoccupied Luo Shu halted mid-step, lowering his half-raised hand of greeting as his expression turned peculiar:
"What's wrong with you? Taken the wrong medicine today or something?"
As he spoke, Luo Shu's eyes swept over the shapeless maid uniform clinging to Maria Naruse's frame before clicking his tongue:
"And this outfit... frankly, it doesn't suit you at all."
"Tch. Went through the trouble of wearing this as a reward for you, and this is the thanks I get?"
Maria crossed her arms, shooting Luo Shu a disdainful look: "Though honestly, this uniform really doesn't do me justice. A bikini suits me far better. Not that you deserve more than this, considering you only introduced some petty business deal."
Realisation dawned on Luo Shu as he recalled yesterday's business referral, prompting genuine surprise:
"So the pass permits are actually viable then?"
"Thanks to you, eleven sold in a single day. Though I did have the misfortune of encountering that fellow in the private booth."
Maria tucked a stray lock of white hair behind her ear as she spoke: "Enough small talk. That unbearably flirtatious nun is waiting for you in the usual room."
At the mention of the nun, Luo Shu's eyes narrowed as he studied Maria intently before remarking:
"What an honour indeed."