Ikebukuro District.
Chisato Nishikigi, a panda plush tucked under her arm and six shopping bags of daily necessities in hand, trudged gloomily behind Takina Inoue into the dimly lit alleyway:
"I say, Takina!"
"Didn't we agree today was for setting up the Ikebukuro safehouse?"
"We've got all our shopping done. Shouldn't we be heading back to happily decorate our new safe house and maybe grab some late-night snacks from Kisara upstairs?"
"Why are we taking this alleyway that's completely out of the way from Sakura Apartments?"
Hearing Chisato Nishikigi's complaint, Takina Inoue slightly turned her head with a frown:
"I told you already, I sense something unusual here."
"There might be an Abyss Descent happening..."
"Huh?" Chisato looked utterly baffled. "But I don't feel anything at all!"
As she spoke, Chisato activated her spiritual sight, examining Takina's shoulders and head from a spiritual perspective:
"The Qi flames representing vitality are perfectly stable too, no sign of the wavering that happens during an Abyss Descent..."
"Takina, could you be mistaken?"
Takina turned her head forward again, replying calmly:
"Precisely at times like this, we should double-check."
"Moreover, if I'm not mistaken about that fluctuation earlier, it was definitely spatial teleportation!"
"It felt very similar to when Shirogane activates her ability."
Hearing this, Chisato's expression subtly shifted, becoming more serious.
Takina's Skill Demon God, Shirogane, possesses the rare spatial ability, Spatial Severance, among Skill Demon Gods.
Due to Takina's innate spatial talent, she's also received guidance from Natsuki Minamiya and begun studying spatial techniques.
Someone learning spatial techniques shouldn't make mistakes in sensing them.
Thinking this, Chisato couldn't help but quip:
"I'm starting to get worried now."
"If we end up in a fight, all the stuff we bought at the mall tonight will probably go to waste."
Takina remained silent, merely flicking her wrist to summon a custom pistol loaded with Death Qi Bullets before cautiously entering the alley.
Seeing this, Chisato sighed. She first secretly had her own Skill Demon God, Kurogane, hide in the shadows, while also preparing the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System's emergency escape function - fully intending to flee with Takina if things went south.
As the two entered the alley one after another, all they saw under the dim streetlight was an empty lane.
"Huh? Nobody here!"
Chisato blinked in surprise, then looked around before spotting a white cat yawning atop the wall:
"Well, there is a cat, though."
With that, Chisato cheerfully addressed the feline:
"Sorry about this, Mr Cat, but you're under arrest~"
The white cat looked down at the foolish human before it and yawned again.
Meanwhile, Takina was frowning as she surveyed their surroundings:
"Was I wrong...?"
"No, that spatial fluctuation was very faint in range but exceptionally dense in quality..."
"Shall we search the area again then?" Chisato smiled, seeing her partner's persistence. "Let's do two sweeps before leaving."
As she finished speaking, both Chisato and Takina clearly heard footsteps.
Instantly alert, they turned their gazes toward the source of the sound - the alley's entrance.
At that moment, under the dim glow of streetlights, a bright-smiling girl with vivid green hair led two oddly dressed men in sunglasses and suits into the alleyway.
Upon noticing someone already in the alley, the green-haired girl's smile widened further:
"My, my, seems someone's beaten us here."
"Identify yourselves?" Takina Inoue's expression instantly hardened. "Metropolitan Police Department business. Uninvolved parties, please vacate the area."
Though realistically, anyone appearing here couldn't possibly be unconnected to the mystic side - most likely drawn by the recent spatial disturbance.
Yet for some reason, upon seeing this green-haired girl, Takina instinctively sensed a horrifying threat.
As if... this woman before her wanted to devour her whole.
"Metropolitan Police, eh? Well then."
The green-haired girl produced a small brown booklet, flipping it open to show Takina:
"My credentials."
With sharp eyes, Chisato Nishikigi glimpsed the information on display.
'Giada Kukulcan, nationality... Australia... that Australia now classified as the Demon Realm?'
Instantly, Chisato realised this person might not be human.
According to SDS intelligence, the quarantined Australia had become a gathering place for non-humans.
It seemed that large groups crossing over from the Abyss - races or nations fundamentally different from humans - were ultimately guided to assimilate into Australia through some Abyss Artefact's influence.
Consequently, a black wall visible only through spiritual sight now encircled Australia's waters - the so-called Wailing Wall.
Control over passage through this Wailing Wall rested with the Five Great Powers.
Without Union approval, leaving Australia for other continents was virtually impossible.
For someone to emerge from that Demon Realm... could they be one of the Five Powers' collaborators there?
Seeing those credentials, Chisato immediately understood the other's identity, which only bred more questions in her mind.
Takina, seeing the documents a moment later, also grasped the situation and amended:
"Hidden Management Department business. Your understanding would be appreciated."
Hearing 'Hidden Management Department', Giada's eyes gleamed with interest as she studied them:
"So you're from the Hidden Management Department!"
"Quite the sharp eyes you have."
Giada smiled cheerfully at them, then deliberately raised her hand before their eyes, Spiritual Power coalescing into technique fluctuations.
Instantly, Takina and Chisato's expressions changed!