LycoReco Café basement.
Luo Shu and the others were busily preparing for their operation.
"Hey hey~ Mizuki, should we bring some RPG rounds along?"
"Abandon that dangerous idea immediately. Do you want to deploy that level of firepower in the city centre?"
"At least let me bring anti-tank equipment!!"
"...Seriously? Isn't that even more dangerous?"
Listening to the conversation and rapid footsteps in the corridor, Luo Shu glanced up from the shelf-filled room towards the doorway before returning to studying the firearm maintenance manual in front of him, preparing to service his handgun.
As a firearms novice, he only planned to bring a pistol for self-defence on this mission since he wouldn't be using anything else.
Of course, apart from firearms, he intended to bring all the Abyss Artefacts. After all, the Demon Heart had been deliberately stolen from Truth Astronomy by the deceased Demon Warlock to deal with the sealed demon in Chiba City; it might prove unexpectedly effective, so it had to be brought along.
As Luo Shu inspected his firearm, Takina Inoue nudged open the half-ajar door with her shoulder while carrying a small box.
"Luo Shu-kun."
"Hmm? Takina." Luo Shu turned his head and called out upon seeing who it was.
His casual address made Takina's face flush slightly as she involuntarily took a step back before murmuring:
"...We're not yet close enough to be using given names directly, are we?"
"Eh?"
Luo Shu blinked, then his expression turned slightly awkward.
Only then did he remember that in Japan, such naming conventions carried significance - addressing someone by their given name without their surname was something only very close friends would do.
Unfortunately, though residing in Japan, Luo Shu hadn't yet adapted to local customs:
"Where I'm from, using given names shows respect for a person."
Hearing Luo Shu's earnest explanation, Takina suddenly recalled his place of origin and nodded in understanding:
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot you were born in China."
"Did you need something from me?"
"It's about the ammunition."
Takina crouched down to place the box on the floor, her above-the-hips skirt naturally riding up with the movement.
'Hmm...safety shorts...' Luo Shu noted impassively with a glance.
Opening the cardboard box, Takina revealed pistol rounds neatly arranged in specific slots alongside stacked magazines:
"Twenty magazines, six hundred rounds. Remember to load them yourself."
Having said this, Takina stood up as if to leave.
But Luo Shu looked puzzled: "The armoury doesn't have any pre-loaded magazines?"
"Eh?" Takina seemed momentarily taken aback before hesitantly crouching down again. "The armoury really doesn't keep pre-loaded magazines. Fine, I'll help you - it'll be faster this way."
With Takina offering assistance, Luo Shu naturally couldn't continue with firearm maintenance, quickly turning to help with loading the ammunition.
The two of them worked efficiently together, quickly assembling ten magazines.
Just then, Chisato Nishikigi's head peeked through the doorway:
"Takina, are you in here?"
As she spoke, Chisato spotted Takina Inoue squatting on the floor, loading magazines with Luo Shu. She let out an exaggerated "Ooooh~~" before immediately turning to shout at Mizuki Nakahara:
"This is unbelievable, Mizuki! Takina's helping Luo Shu load magazines!!"
"Damn brat, stop yelling, I'm not changing clothes... Wait, what? Who's helping who with magazines?"
From the corridor came Mizuki's voice, laced with both wariness and surprise.
Hearing this, Takina jolted upright as if shocked by static, hastily saying:
"You should be able to handle the rest yourself. I need to go."
"Huh?" Luo Shu was utterly baffled by her reaction.
By then, Takina was already striding towards the door, clearly making a hasty exit.
"Eh? Takina, why are you rushing out?" Mizuki's surprised voice carried into the room. "Wait... you were really helping Luo Shu with magazines?"
"A soldier's most important asset is their weapon, and a gun's most crucial component is its magazine... Hmph~~ Entrusting magazine loading to someone else, oh~ has the relationship progressed to life-or-death trust already? Young people these days are something else."
As Mizuki finished speaking, Chisato's fake tearful voice drifted in:
"Takina's never loaded magazines for me before."
"Takina, I'm so jealous, Takina~~"
"Shut up!!"
Listening to Takina's flustered, angry retort, Luo Shu, inside the room, couldn't help but look down at the magazines in confusion:
"It's just loading bullets... does it really mean that much?"
Was it that Japanese people read too much into things, or was he just too inexperienced to understand? Luo Shu was utterly lost.
"Hey, aren't you guys done yet?" Mika's voice suddenly rang out.
"Eh? Mika, isn't there still time before we need to be ready?"
"There was, but not anymore."
Hearing this, Luo Shu stood up and walked to the doorway, where he saw Mika blocking the path of the three girls while wearing tactical gear.
Spotting Luo Shu, Mika immediately said, "Good timing, Luo Shu. Hurry up and get ready. New orders from above - we're moving out early."
Takina, who'd been embarrassed by Chisato and Mizuki's teasing, visibly relaxed before duty compelled her to ask Mika:
"Has there been an emergency?"
Mika's expression turned grave as he nodded solemnly:
"The intel's been compromised. Someone leaked news about the demons sealed in Chiba City. We're out of time."
Chisato's jaw dropped in shock: "No way... doesn't that make this mission way harder?"
Meanwhile, Luo Shu deeply furrowed his brows upon receiving the news.
Things seemed to be getting increasingly complicated!