'Even without a proposal, Yukino and the Director have promised to spend their lives together, haven't they? So Yukino really has no thoughts about it at all?'
'But come to think of it, making a lifelong promise with the younger sister immediately after doing the same with the elder sister... perhaps the Director is quite the lecherous type...'
'Considering this, I'm beginning to suspect the Director's motives. Given that he's Chinese, we might need to study their culture to truly understand his intentions towards you, Yukino...'
"So, how exactly do we undo this spell? Didn't Kotoko Iwanaga leave behind a technique analysis? The one you took earlier, Yukino. How's the research on that coming along?"
"Yukino? Yukino-san? Yukino-chan... Miss perfectly ordinary Yukino?"
"Hmm? Mmm."
Perhaps the 'perfectly ordinary' remark struck a nerve, as Yukino Yukinoshita finally snapped out of her reverie about last night's restaurant scene. She gave Luo Shu a puzzled glance before regaining her composure, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she replied coolly:
"So, Director, do you honestly believe I could fully comprehend Miss Iwanaga's technique in less than a day?"
"No, I just think you've been picking on me all day..."
Luo Shu couldn't help but mutter this complaint. If not for the fact that Yukino Yukinoshita had just tied his tie earlier—and noticing how she'd been acting shy in her own awkward way—he might have suspected she was planning to resign.
'Honestly, why is her personality so hard to read...' Luo Shu thought to himself as he explained to Yukino Yukinoshita:
"You're not answering me about the secretary issue, but at least give me a response on how to resolve the technique, Yukino."
Yukino Yukinoshita lowered her head, avoiding Luo Shu's gaze, and stepped into the refrigerated truck. She walked over to the freezer, glanced at the corpse inside, and narrowed her eyes slightly as they gradually deepened to a deep blue.
Without any visible movement, concentric blue rings seemed to light up in her eyes, as though some technique was forming within them.
As Yukino Yukinoshita's technique took effect, the corpse in the freezer began to turn transparent at a visible rate, until it vanished into nothingness.
Witnessing this, Luo Shu looked at her with mild surprise:
"Haruno did mention that the Fairy of Knowledge Class could construct techniques mentally and activate them directly, but I didn't expect it to manifest like this..."
'This innate ability to silently formulate and execute techniques in one's mind seems perfect for ambushes...'
Luo Shu's thoughts automatically veered toward underhanded applications of the Class ability.
However, at his description—and particularly at the mention of Haruno's name from his lips—Yukino Yukinoshita shot him an icy glare before turning away, clearly irritated.
'What's going on... Why does she get mad whenever I bring up Haruno in front of her...? I thought you two sisters had made up. Did you argue again yesterday?'
Just as Luo Shu sensed the awkward atmosphere and began mentally grumbling, a petite figure wielding a cane gradually materialised inside the refrigerated truck, as though being painted into existence.
"Good morning~ everyone~"
Kotoko Iwanaga curved her lips into a catlike smile as she cheerfully greeted them.
Then, she shivered, glanced around, and clicked her tongue upon realising she was inside a refrigerated truck:
"So cold... Not that I'm one to complain, but why choose this location to undo the technique..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu turned and gave Kotoko Iwanaga a sidelong glance:
"Well, did you expect the Union to transport your corpse here on a handcart?"
"Huh?"
Kotoko Iwanaga blinked rapidly at both his tone and the words themselves.
She first looked at Luo Shu, then at Yukino Yukinoshita standing nearby, raised her hand to stroke her chin, before breaking into a beckoning cat-like smile:
"You two seem to be having a lovers' quarrel~"
"My, my, the sweet bickering phase of young love~ How lovely~"
Kotoko Iwanaga sighed like a worldly elder reminiscing about youthful romance.
Yet to Luo Shu and Yukino Yukinoshita, this was nothing short of provocation.
"Perhaps we should inform the Union that during our examination of the Phenex executive's corpse, we discovered it was fake?"
"Director, leave this matter to me. Though I'm not particularly skilled at it, I'll find a tactful way to relay this information to the Union personnel."
Watching the two deadpan faces perfectly synchronise their act, Kotoko's expression gradually stiffened.
Finally, she raised both hands in surrender and cried out:
"I yield! I yield!!"
Seeing this, Luo Shu stopped his verbal assault and glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita before saying:
"What do you think about the technique?"
"There are many parts I don't understand..."
Before Yukino could finish, Kotoko hastily interjected:
"I'll teach you, I'll teach you~ Must you two be so perfectly in sync..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu's lips quirked upwards as he said:
"Let's go. We'll continue upstairs."
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't respond verbally; instead, she turned around to express her agreement through action.
With a tearful expression, Kotoko dejectedly followed Luo Shu and Yukino out of the carriage, taking the elevator to the third-floor reception room.
...
In the reception room.
"Thank you."
Kotoko accepted the black tea prepared by Yukino, blew on it gently, took a small sip to appreciate the flavour, then set down the cup and looked across at Luo Shu:
"So, has this matter concluded then?"
Opposite her, Luo Shu similarly accepted his tea before glancing at Kotoko:
"If you want to call it concluded, then I suppose it is."
"In that case, would you like to hear about what happened after your death?"
"While I am curious about events following my fake death, must you phrase it so morbidly? 'After your death' indeed!"
Kotoko complained before asking Luo Shu:
"So what became of that terrifying hand that appeared in the sky last night?"
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow at the words and calmly said:
"I had our department's people take care of it."
Hearing this, Kotoko Iwanaga first looked at Luo Shu in surprise, then frowned and asked:
"You handled it personally? What did the Joint Task Force people say?"
Luo Shu calmly explained: "They wanted the SDS to join and form a new Joint Task Force."
"Isn't that just setting you up?" Kotoko said incredulously. "Making a civilian organisation into official law enforcement? With that kind of outsourcing, they'd definitely throw you under the bus if anything went wrong."
Though closely connected to the American military and arms dealers with considerable influence, the SDS was, in fact, only an officially registered civilian organisation.
To put it plainly, it was a company on the mystic side.
And in Luo Shu's experience, not a single outsourced government project had ended up unproblematic.
This was also why he'd rejected the ambassador that morning.
"Exactly, so I refused." Luo Shu propped his chin on one hand, his expression disdainful. "I changed the terms - had them collect materials for my advancement instead. Managed to get some benefits back at least."
He chuckled lightly, scorn evident: "The authorities~ If things aren't blown out of proportion, resolved properly, or handled preemptively, they won't take it seriously at all. They'd just see you as a convenient tool."
'I already figured out their nature in my past life.'
"The world is already changing, yet they still underestimate the power of the mystic side... Really..." Kotoko shook her head, at a loss for words.
The upper echelons of the Five Great Powers' governments and military were still clear-headed, continuously strengthening official forces to prepare for the coming world.
But the middle and lower ranks were another matter.
For those people, what mattered more were their own power, interests and face.
Typical bureaucrats~
It was only because the world still limited the mystic side's power. If a native Angel were to emerge, the authorities would probably be utterly helpless...
After all, an Angel walking the earth wielded power sufficient to cleanse the surface...
Sighing, Kotoko glanced at Luo Shu before getting to the main point:
"So, have you taken in the Flame Demon then?"