When Luo Shu spotted the ethereal girl in a pale blue dress, her pink hair tied up with a red ribbon into a single ponytail, his pupils contracted slightly before he calmly adjusted his grip around Kisara's waist and stepped onto the deck.
"Haro~ Lacus~ Haro~ Lacus~"
Several round robotic balls rolled around Luo Shu's feet, making it difficult for him to find a stable footing.
"You brat... didn't even bother cleaning up before bringing her aboard?"
Kirika Tachibana, standing beside Lacus, pursed her lips at the sight of Luo Shu boarding with the demon girl they'd targeted. She immediately turned to the operatives on deck and ordered:
"Fetch a stretcher and have the doctors prepare suppressants to ensure the target doesn't wake up."
After issuing these instructions, Kirika nudged her chin towards Lacus and said:
"Well? See here—this boy you claim I swindled actually managed to capture a High-Rank Demon. Quite the talent, wouldn't you say?"
Her tone carried more than a hint of pride.
Though he hadn't done it single-handedly, capturing a High-Rank Demon was unprecedented in SDS history. Achieving this alone proved Luo Shu's capabilities—and by extension, validated Kirika's recruitment methods.
Beaming like a sunflower, Kirika didn't wait for Lacus's response. Instead, she watched Luo Shu carefully lay Kisara down before announcing:
"Alright, stop standing around. Come meet our big boss."
"Ah, for you, just calling her Miss Lacus is fine. She doesn't care much for formalities anyway."
At this, not just Luo Shu but even Lacus couldn't help but side-eye the self-assured woman.
After shooting Kirika a glance, Luo Shu—now that Kisara was settled—finally approached. Like any junior employee meeting the top brass, he offered a slightly stiff greeting:
"Miss Lacus."
Lacus Clyne sighed faintly at Kirika's words, but her gaze remained fixed on Luo Shu the entire time:
"Nice to meet you, Luo Shu-kun."
Her voice was gentle and sweet, stirring both familiarity and a sudden thump in Luo Shu's chest.
"Have we... met before?"
At the question, Luo Shu's expression froze slightly as he stared at the curious pink-haired songstress.
Seeming to sense his hesitation, Lacus tilted her head and added softly: "Ah, if it's something difficult to answer, you don't have to respond."
As if worried he might overthink it, she quickly clarified:
"From the very start, the way you've been looking at me isn't how one looks at a stranger."
Hearing this, Luo Shu pondered how to fob off Lacus before him. But judging by her appearance, voice and personality, he was certain this woman was the Lacus Clyne he remembered from anime - a politically astute heroine born in the Gundam universe after undergoing Gene Adjustment before birth.
'So why was this girl appearing in this world... was it that Abyss Descent again?' Luo Shu inwardly grumbled.
Considering this heroine's canonical intelligence and her 'Enchantress' nickname, he decided against using shallow lies to deceive her. After all, according to the setting, Coordinators who underwent Gene Adjustment surpassed ordinary humans in all capabilities, including intellect, and Lacus ranked among the most capable Coordinators.
Facing Lacus's inquiry, Luo Shu tentatively ventured: "PLANT?"
At this, Lacus's pupils visibly dilated for an instant. After a brief pause, her smile returned - even warmer now. "I see. I understand."
She couldn't help feeling curious: "So did Luo Shu-kun know me through television? Or my songs?"
Before arriving in this world via Abyss Descent, she'd already been PLANT's celebrated songstress with international fame, so neither explanation would surprise her.
"Both television and songs, I suppose." Luo Shu's answer was truthful - anime counted as television, right? PLANT was the fictional space nation from Lacus's original world, and her own nationality.
Though there was an element of leading the witness, Luo Shu felt some relief at passing this test.
"Ah~ Is that so?" Lacus's smile remained unchanged. "Your honesty is rather surprising."
"Hey, what's this coded conversation about?" Kirika Tachibana interjected, frustrated at being excluded.
What television? What songs? While Lacus enjoyed singing, she'd never released records. And television? Given this enchantress's classified status, having photos in MI6 or FBI files would make sense - but appearing on TV?
Noticing Kirika's jealousy, Lacus giggled mischievously without explanation, teasing: "Consider it a little secret Kirika isn't allowed to know."
"Little secret, my foot! You two only met today!" Kirika clearly disliked this answer. "Don't tell me Luo Shu is some childhood friend you haven't seen in years? I won't buy that cliché."
Lacus's smile deepened as she provoked further: "If that's how Kirika wants to interpret it~"
Kirika's expression froze. 'You're actually going with that?'
As Kirika stood speechless, Lacus tilted her head slightly.
"Then, Kirika, could you spare some time for these two childhood friends who haven't seen each other in years?"
At these words, Kirika Tachibana's lips twitched slightly, her gaze implying watching one's own cabbage eagerly rushing towards a pig.
She gave Lacus a deep look, then glanced at Luo Shu before scoffing and saying:
"Do as you please."
With that, she crossed her arms and consciously stepped aside.
At this moment, Lacus turned to Luo Shu and said:
"Could you come with me for a moment, Luo Shu-kun?"
Seeing this, Luo Shu's eyes flickered briefly before he nodded:
"Alright."