May 3rd, 4:00 PM.
Hidden Management Department, 3rd Floor.
Leaning against his office window, Luo Shu idly nibbled on a cookie stick between his teeth.
Knock knock!
The sound of rapping came from the door.
Immediately afterwards, the door swung open as a girl in a Toyogasaki High School uniform, her hair tied in a white hairband, entered. She casually locked the door behind her, strode up to Luo Shu, and snatched the cookie stick from his hand, taking a bite herself:
"Hiding here, eating junk food?"
Luo Shu gave Utaha Kasumigaoka an exasperated look:
"What do you mean by 'hiding'? Can't I have a snack in my own office without it being called hiding?"
"When you're in a bad mood, being alone anywhere counts as hiding."
As she spoke, Utaha reached out to brush some crumbs from Luo Shu's collar, then asked with a smile:
"Heard you're planning to clean up Tokyo?"
"News travels that fast? Even you, holed up in Copernicus lately, know about it?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Utaha didn't bother correcting the "holed up" comment, calmly stating:
"Well, when even someone as lazy as Mukuro gets dragged back, it's hard not to notice."
"Besides, suddenly recalling all SDS Demigods to headquarters? That clenched fist posture clearly means you're planning to hit someone."
Luo Shu conceded the point with a sigh:
"What choice do I have?"
"With Aya camping outside my home, I can't rest easy without cleaning up the surroundings."
Utaha didn't seem particularly surprised, having already guessed Luo Shu's reasoning:
"Because Aya Tokoyogi knew Kisara's whereabouts, you suspect Tokyo has ghosts?"
'Ghosts' here being metaphorical.
She meant Luo Shu suspected someone within Tokyo's personnel - whether officials, partners, or even SDS insiders - had leaked Kisara's movements.
After all, all intelligence regarding Kisara was supposed to be strictly classified.
For Kisara, whose daily routine hardly differed from that of an ordinary high school girl—aside from frequent supermarket trips to cook for Luo Shu—discovering her true nature would be exceptionally difficult.
Yet for official investigators, tracking her down was relatively straightforward.
Whether through surveillance or bank transaction records, pinpointing someone's movements was entirely feasible.
Given the prior knowledge that a demon lurked near Luo Shu, a targeted search made uncovering Kisara's identity inevitable.
After all, among the girls frequently around Luo Shu, Kisara was the only one with a vague background.
Thus, Luo Shu concluded there were only three possibilities: either Aya Tokoyogi employed extraordinary methods, some Abyss Artefact specifically designed to detect demons was in play, or Tokyo itself was haunted.
His reaction to this realisation was eerily calm:
"If trouble comes knocking, I won't sleep soundly until it's dealt with."
Precisely because of Luo Shu's composed expression, Utaha Kasumigaoka understood he was already simmering with anger.
Seeing this, she couldn't resist pinching his cheek affectionately, her tone teasing:
"You really do remind me of a territorial stray cat—a black one, at that."
Luo Shu shot her an unamused look. "So you came back just to say I'm overreacting?"
"Whether you overreact or not is entirely your prerogative."
Utaha pulled over Luo Shu's office chair, sat down, and crossed her legs:
"I just think you might not be going far enough, so I came to encourage you."
"Not far enough?" Luo Shu gave her a strange look.
He had already summoned all three existing Demigod Spirits within the Familia, preparing for a full-scale sweep of Tokyo—and she thought he wasn't being extreme enough?
At this, Utaha grinned mischievously:
"Ever wonder why it's me here from Copernicus, and not that Chairwoman of yours?"
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow, then hesitated.
"That... is odd."
"Admittedly, I was thinking along the lines of 'if the Union fears us, we might as well bare our fangs and show them our weight.'"
"If Lacus disapproved, given her personality, she'd likely come herself to dissuade me... Yet she sent you instead..."
His expression grew increasingly peculiar:
"Don't tell me she thinks the chaos isn't big enough?"
Utaha shot him a slightly sour glance:
"You certainly know your Chairwoman well."
She absentmindedly bounced her leg, her smile laced with amusement:
"So, why do you think I rushed back?"
"You..." Luo Shu hesitated. "Why did you come back?"
"To be your excuse." Utaha huffed. "A reason for you to go berserk 'unprovoked,' deploying Demigods to purge the surrounding riffraff."
"Ah..." Realisation dawned on Luo Shu, leaving him torn between laughter and exasperation.
They were planning to pin an "attack on his girlfriend" label on Truth Astronomy, giving the Hidden Management Department justification to mobilise Demigod strikes?
'I just thought it's impossible to stay on guard forever, so I decided to give Truth Astronomy a good whack first, to let them know who's really in charge of Tokyo.'
'Are you saying everyone around me has become a nuclear launch button now?'
"So that's what Lacus was thinking?"
Is this a warning to the Union not to touch the people close to him? Or else face nuclear retaliation?
As for why Utaha Kasumigaoka had to stage this herself instead of using Kisara, who was directly involved - that's because of Kisara's identity as a demon.
Humans going berserk over their companions being harmed is one thing, but doing it over demons is entirely different.
The latter could easily become ammunition for the Union's criticism, while the former would have to be swallowed bitterly.
Having figured this out, Luo Shu's expression turned rather peculiar.
Especially when he saw Utaha Kasumigaoka sitting grumpily in his office chair, his mood grew even more complicated:
"Why do I get the feeling you're actually enjoying this, Utaha?"
'So you actually want to be the 'beauty' that sparks a heroic rage, is that it?'
'No wonder you were smiling so brightly when you came in.'
Even after having her thoughts exposed, Utaha remained perfectly composed:
"This is merely a necessary measure to ensure Kisara's safety."
"After all, I've eaten several meals she's prepared. If she's in trouble, I can't just stand by and do nothing, can I?"
Hearing the repeated denials, Luo Shu suddenly looked enlightened:
"So you actually do want to be the female lead!!"
Utaha Kasumigaoka's face immediately turned red as she snapped:
"Never mind that! Just say whether you'll do it or not!"
She's flustered, she's flustered!!
Luo Shu couldn't help but laugh inwardly, his face twitching as he looked at Utaha Kasumigaoka.
After a moment, he walked up to her and pressed down on her black-stockinged leg that was shaking with irritation:
"If we're going with the injury act, I think we should make it look convincing."
"At the very least, you shouldn't be able to walk properly, right?"
Utaha was stunned.
When Luo Shu took action, she finally understood what it meant to have legs so weak you couldn't walk.
Legs really could tremble like this...