"Where's his destination?"
As Natalia packed weapons and equipment into a suitcase nearly half her height, she glanced at Kiritsugu, who was carefully searching through intelligence on his laptop.
"Four days from now, he'll be aboard a flight from Paris to New York."
Still leaning against the bed, Kiritsugu turned the laptop around for her to see. Displayed on the screen was a large commercial airliner.
Natalia's expression grew serious.
After a moment of thought, she said, "If we only engage him on the ground, there's no guarantee we can kill him. We both know how tenacious a Dead Apostle's vitality can be."
"So one of us has to board the plane and keep him occupied."
After a brief pause, she made her decision.
"I'll be the one getting on the flight."
"Natalia..."
Kiritsugu wanted to object, but she cut him off before he could speak.
"Ord Vozzak escaped from me once before. By all rights, I should be the one to finish the job."
"And I know exactly how troublesome he is. You're not ready to deal with him yet."
"You'll provide support from the ground."
She smiled faintly.
"You're still a little man. You need more training."
Her words carried a deliberate double meaning as one finger lightly brushed across Kiritsugu's slightly pale lips.
"..."
Kiritsugu fell silent.
He couldn't argue with her.
Paris Airport
Pushing a large suitcase almost as tall as she was, Natalia entered the airport with a composed expression.
After using a simple Magecraft spell to pass through security without incident, she pretended to look for the restroom while discreetly scanning the waiting area.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young man with short white hair sitting alone on a bench.
He looked refined and well-mannered.
Resting on his knees was a silver briefcase, both hands placed neatly atop it as he quietly admired the blue sky and white clouds beyond the airport's glass façade.
This was the target of their mission—
Ord Vozzak, the Dead Apostle who controlled swarms of bees.
"...Hm?"
Possessing keen instincts, Vozzak suddenly sensed someone watching him.
He turned his head.
But by then, Natalia had already blended naturally into the flow of pedestrians, never lingering long enough to attract suspicion.
She eventually took a seat several rows behind him, where she still had a clear view of the boarding gate.
Leaning back, she rubbed her temples.
"So even you make mistakes sometimes, Natalia."
Kiritsugu's teasing voice came through her earpiece.
"You almost let him spot you."
"Still holding a grudge?"
Natalia curled her lips into a smile.
"It was only because I squeezed you a little too hard."
"You young people shouldn't be so hot-blooded."
Then her expression became serious again.
"But it also proves how dangerous he is."
"We have to kill him for good this time."
"If he escapes again, the consequences will be disastrous."
"What should I do after I arrive in New York?" Kiritsugu asked.
"There should be accomplices waiting for him there."
"You'll take care of them."
"Understood."
After a brief pause, Kiritsugu asked,
"But are you really planning to kill Vozzak by yourself?"
"Relax."
Natalia smiled confidently and crossed her legs.
Out of habit, she reached for a cigarette, only to remember she was inside the airport. Too lazy to walk to the smoking area, she gave up on the idea.
"The bee-shaped Familiars are stored inside that silver briefcase."
"But the briefcase can't be brought into the passenger cabin."
"So..."
"So he won't be able to bring the bees into the cabin either?"
"Exactly."
Natalia nodded.
"Then we won't have to worry about him escaping this time."
"My, my."
"You certainly sound confident."
"I'd love to let you try fighting him yourself."
"Unfortunately..."
"I'd hate to lose you."
"..."
Whenever Natalia started making suggestive jokes, Kiritsugu's preferred response was complete silence.
Eventually, he spoke again.
"The telepathic communication spell will be disrupted once the plane takes off."
"We'll contact each other again after landing."
"Got it."
"And don't go dying in some back alley."
"After we get back..."
"I still owe you three hundred more rounds."
"..."
"Take care..."
The connection was cut.
A smile spread across Natalia's face.
Feeling the magical energy flowing through her body—far greater than usual—she slowly traced a finger across her lips before sliding it down to rest on her already-satisfied lower abdomen.
"Thanks for the meal."
Natalia aged faster than ordinary people.
The reason was that somewhere in her ancestry flowed the blood of a succubus.
Although she hadn't inherited true immortality or regenerative abilities, she had gained extraordinary athletic talent.
More importantly, she possessed another ability—one most people would be too embarrassed to discuss, though Natalia found it incredibly practical.
By absorbing sexual energy, she could temporarily store magical energy far beyond her normal maximum capacity.
It was the trait that most clearly reflected the succubus blood within her.
That was also why she hadn't resisted Kiritsugu's "revenge" before leaving.
Otherwise, with her skills, there was no chance Kiritsugu could ever have forced her into anything.
Everything was prepared.
Now all that remained was for the plan to begin.
Natalia quietly closed her eyes and rested.
Only when she heard the announcement for her flight's boarding did she slowly open them again.
A short while later, the white-haired Vozzak appeared in the boarding line.
His demeanor was perfectly natural, like a young nobleman traveling alone for leisure.
Several scantily dressed blonde women even cut in line to flirt with him.
None of the men waiting behind them complained.
Instead, they simply watched.
After all, those voluptuous women were exceptionally generous with what they showed off. Their striking figures made the wait considerably more enjoyable.
And once they boarded...
There would be nothing left to look at.
Whenever men started thinking with the wrong head, they had a remarkable tendency to become united.
As someone carrying succubus blood, Natalia understood that all too well.
In truth, if she chose to wear something more revealing and deliberately flaunt her charms, the effect would have been just as dramatic—perhaps even more so.
But that completely contradicted her principles as a covert operative.
Therefore, during every assassination mission, she habitually concealed nearly all of her feminine allure beneath a loose black men's trench coat.
To this day, only one person had ever truly seen what she looked like beneath it.
Kiritsugu.
And judging by how speechless he'd been afterward...
There were usually only two reasons a man became that quiet afterward.
Either he had been utterly useless...
Or his partner had been so overwhelming that she made him feel useless.
Kiritsugu belonged firmly to the latter category.
It was like leaving the beginner's village...
Only to run straight into the final boss.
After Natalia completed boarding, the aircraft encountered no unexpected incidents.
The flight took off smoothly.
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