Inside the parking lot.
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
"A woman in armour just dropped from the sky, and some man with weird face paint flew up there! I definitely saw it!!"
A middle-aged woman wearing a pearl necklace flailed her arms dramatically as she described the scene to the airport staff.
Faced with her animated account, the staff member kept a professional smile as she reached into her bag. She retrieved a spray bottle and said politely:
"My apologies."
With practised ease, the staffer sprayed the woman's face, then caught her as she immediately collapsed. She handed the unconscious woman to colleagues behind her.
The backup team, well-drilled in this procedure, produced a stretcher and carried the woman away for further processing.
The staff member who had administered the spray then calmly picked up her walkie-talkie.
Beep—!
"Target 22 has been preliminarily dealt with. Awaiting further instructions."
Beep—!
"Command received. Proceed to Sector C22 to handle Target 58."
"Roger!"
At the other end of the parking lot.
Yukino Yukinoshita watched the official personnel clean up the scene.
Just then, Joan of Arc approached in casual attire and inquired:
"Still no news from Mr Luo Shu?"
Hearing this, Yukino turned to look at Joan.
She was genuinely curious about this reincarnation of the Christian Saint whom the Director had encountered in America.
After all, she'd read light novels featuring this very figure.
Meeting the actual reincarnation naturally piqued her interest.
Especially after learning that Joan had co-founded the SDS with Lacus Clyne and Kirika Tachibana, while also being the Saintess of the Patch Tribe and the planet's chosen agent.
By that measure, shouldn't she be considered her superior's superior?
'For someone of such calibre, the Director isn't recruiting her into the Familia... His concerns about conflicts with the planet's will must be genuine, not just idle talk in the group chat.'
Yukino thought oddly to herself, though her expression remained composed:
"Currently, there's no news."
"But rest assured, if the Director requires assistance, I'll notify you immediately, Miss Joan."
Though she said this, Yukino doubted Luo Shu would need Joan's help.
As a Familia member who could contact Luo Shu through the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System's chat interface, she was well aware of his preparations.
Counting carefully, three Demigods—including the newly joined Origami Tobiichi—had been dispatched to intercept that Truth Astronomy Demigod witch, with even Mukuro Hoshimiya from the orbital city joining the operation.
With Luo Shu buying time and Mukuro, Kurumi Tokisaki, and Origami forming an encirclement, Yukino couldn't foresee any mishaps.
Unaware of Yukino's thoughts, Joan sighed in relief:
"Is that so? Then, as a precaution, I'll remain by your side on standby, Miss Yukinoshita."
Just as Joan finished speaking—whoosh—two figures materialised before them.
Luo Shu and Natsuki Minamiya had teleported in.
"Director? Natsuki-sensei?"
"Mr Luo Shu?"
Their sudden appearance startled both Yukino and Joan.
At that moment, Luo Shu glanced at Yukino and urgently asked:
"Where's Kisara right now?"
"Senior Kisara?" Yukino blinked, then gestured to the right: "She should be in the black van over there."
After answering, she asked with concern: "Has something happened?"
Beside them, Natsuki replied irritably:
"We failed to stop Aya."
"What?" Yukino looked at Luo Shu in shock.
To which Luo Shu sighed:
"That woman's slippery. She used some strange method to escape before Origami arrived, let alone the others who were further behind."
"Ah..." Yukino was visibly surprised by this revelation.
Origami Tobiichi went out with Luo Shu, yet even she couldn't catch up before that Witch of the Notaria, Aya Tokoyogi, escaped with her people?
That was absurdly fast!!
Natsuki Minamiya seemed to have mixed feelings about Aya Tokoyogi's efficiency:
"Aya wasn't like this before."
Hearing this, everyone present immediately turned to look at Natsuki Minamiya, apparently eager to listen to her insights.
At this moment, Natsuki Minamiya said with a grave expression:
"In the past, though troublesome, I could still catch up whenever I wanted to find her."
"But after coming to this world, especially after she joined Truth Astronomy, the more I wanted to talk to her, the more she'd go into hiding."
"Yet when I least expected it, she'd suddenly appear near me, sometimes even meeting me in secret..."
"Honestly, I'm finding it harder and harder to understand what Aya is actually thinking."
After speaking, Natsuki Minamiya suddenly felt something was off.
She looked up to find everyone staring at her.
Had she been acting strangely just now?
Just as Natsuki was bewildered, Luo Shu remarked with a wry expression:
"So that's why Aya Tokoyogi is so slippery—she's gained experience from being chased by a spatial magician like you?"
Truth be told, Luo Shu had been quite impressed by Aya Tokoyogi's escape skills, but considering Natsuki's words, it all made sense now.
Give anyone a spatial magician constantly chasing them, and they'd develop such miraculous fleeing techniques, too.
Moreover, Aya Tokoyogi specialised in learning and inventing a range of techniques.
Luo Shu now suspected that Aya Tokoyogi had multiple technique protocols specifically designed against tracking—the kind that could counter spatial magicians.
Nearby, Joan of Arc's expression became somewhat complicated:
"Well, while I'd like to say the Witch of the Notaria isn't famous for running away, it does seem her escape methods are arduous to catch..."
Joan knew Natsuki Minamiya—after all, she was a rare mystic-side individual willing to share her sorcerer knowledge.
She was also aware of Natsuki's identity as a spatial magician.
Being frequently pursued by someone like that... one couldn't help but feel that the Witch of the Notaria had undergone rigorous training.
Yukino Yukinoshita gave Natsuki a subtle glance before turning to Luo Shu:
"Director, about that Witch of the Notaria..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu nodded:
"Her target is Kisara."
"Senior Kisara?" Yukino's eyes immediately grew complex: "So she appeared here because Kisara and I were waiting for you at the parking lot?"
"Essentially, yes." Luo Shu paused before continuing: "Anyway, let's return to the garrison first. We'll analyse this matter properly there."
"Understood."
Yukino sighed at his words, then turned to notify colleagues of the preparations for the return trip.
Watching Yukino's retreating figure, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes before surveying the surroundings. Seeing official personnel busy concealing information from the ordinary people, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Not a moment's rest!"