Hidden Management Department garrison.
After spending 1,000 Points, Luo Shu and Yukino Yukinoshita teleported back to the Divine Kingdom, heading straight to the underground Hidden Management Zone and taking the internal elevator up to the fifth floor.
The two didn't exchange a single word the entire way, though from Luo Shu's silent expression, Yukino could vaguely guess that Nia Honjo—the new Familia member who had only moved in a few days ago—had done something major again.
Since Nia Honjo was able to pop up in the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System's built-in chat group and was quite active, the other Familia members had tacitly accepted her as a new recruit.
However, only Luo Shu and Nia herself knew that apart from accessing the internal chat group, Nia—with her temporary permissions—couldn't earn points, use the Dream Simulation Chamber, or even log into the Divine Kingdom space.
This was why Luo Shu hadn't directly asked Nia to enter the Divine Kingdom or spent points to teleport to her location.
Ding—the elevator arrived at the fifth floor.
Luo Shu stepped out and immediately headed for Nia Honjo's apartment, soon reaching her door.
Seeing this, Yukino Yukinoshita, who was following behind, was about to ask Nia to open the door via the chat group. But before she could, Luo Shu stepped forward and placed his hand on the fingerprint lock.
Click—the fingerprint unlocked successfully, and the door opened.
Witnessing this scene, Yukino Yukinoshita fell into deep thought as Luo Shu entered.
Why would the Director's fingerprint be registered on Nia Honjo's door lock?
This was a question worth pondering.
Unaware of Yukino Yukinoshita's expression, Luo Shu walked through the entryway and spoke directly:
"Nia, hand over the detailed intel on the Phenex Society."
As he entered the living room, his gaze froze instantly.
In the middle of the room stood Miko Yotsuya, wearing only a sailor-style skirt with her hands still resting on the hem, staring blankly at Luo Shu, who had barged in.
Not far from her on the sofa lay a light blue nightgown.
Further away, Nia Honjo, dressed in panda-print pyjamas, let out a soft "oho" upon seeing Luo Shu's sudden entrance.
"My my, Director-san's timing is impeccable. Could it be you've had your eye on Miko-chan all along, waiting for this very moment to barge in?"
"..."
Luo Shu fell silent for a beat, mentally noting Miko Yotsuya's appearance before hastily shaking off the distracting thoughts. He turned around and said:
"I'll wait outside. Call me when you're decent."
Blushing furiously, Miko nodded and quickly grabbed the nearby nightgown to put on.
Meanwhile, Yukino Yukinoshita also entered the room. Unlike Luo Shu, who had rushed in without even changing slippers, she had taken time to swap footwear, arriving seven or eight seconds later.
The explosive scene that greeted her left Yukino Yukinoshita at a complete loss for words.
Should she blame Luo Shu?
He couldn't have known Miss Yotsuya would be in Miss Honjo's room.
But shouldn't she blame him?
It was he who barged in without even knocking.
Though admittedly, the fingerprint lock on Nia's room did have Luo Shu's prints registered.
So was this just an unfortunate accident?
As Yukino stood bewildered, Luo Shu had already doubled back, pulling her towards the door. Once they reached the entryway, he lowered his voice urgently:
"Why is Miko here?"
Yukino blinked. "Director, you're the one who arranged for Miss Yotsuya and Miss Yurikawa to stay at the garrison for protective custody?"
Miko Yotsuya lived on the same floor - practically next door. Wasn't her presence here perfectly normal?
Luo Shu pressed further in hushed tones: "I'm not asking why she's at the garrison. I'm asking why she's in Nia's room!"
Yukino looked at him as if he were an idiot: "Director, they're both girls who'll be neighbours for the foreseeable future. Paying a visit is completely ordinary, isn't it?"
"This is normal?"
Luo Shu paused, glancing back towards the living room.
In girls' minds, was changing clothes in another girl's home - someone they'd only known for days - considered normal behaviour?
Yukino nodded firmly. "Perfectly normal. Just common social interaction. If anything, your reaction is the strange one here."
For the first time, Luo Shu felt the stark difference between male and female perspectives.
"Fine, let's assume this is normal for now." Luo Shu gritted his teeth. "Damn that Nia... she set me up again."
Originally, Luo Shu had come to confront Nia Honjo with grievances. But after this stunt, simply being in the room made him uncomfortable, let alone trying to reprimand her.
With Miko Yotsuya sitting there, his mind kept replaying that earlier scene. How could he possibly maintain a stern face to deliver any lecture now?
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita turned to Luo Shu with a somewhat admonishing tone:
"This... shouldn't be entirely blamed on Ms Honjo, should it?"
As she spoke, Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to explain that this was an accident caused by multiple factors.
But before she could continue, Luo Shu glanced at her and said calmly:
"Do you know what Nia's ability as a Spirit is?"
'A Spirit?'
Yukino Yukinoshita immediately became alert, and even Kurumi Tokisaki's hidden shadow clone pricked up her ears.
The term 'Spirit' wasn't unfamiliar to members of the Hidden Management Department or Luo Shu's Familia.
Whether it was the particularly dazzling Ms Mukuro Hoshimiya or the endlessly cloning, ever-changing Kurumi Tokisaki, both had left deep impressions on other Familia members.
Of course, what left the deepest impression was the fact that both were Demigods, standing at the pinnacle of all Familia's strength.
Because of this, the equation 'Spirit Familia equals Demigod' had taken root in many Familia members' minds.
Naturally, Yukino Yukinoshita was no exception.
'So, that Ms Nia Honjo was actually a Familia member too? A genuine Demigod?'
'Then what was her special ability?'
'Was it space-time manipulation like Ms Kurumi Tokisaki, or an exaggerated power to seal concepts like Ms Mukuro Hoshimiya?'
It had to be said, Yukino Yukinoshita was extremely curious at this moment.
And Luo Shu didn't disappoint her, explaining directly:
"Nia's ability has no combat power whatsoever, yet it's simultaneously the most exaggerated ability."
"Because her Angel Raziel's power is omniscience derived from Kabbalah's Second Sephirah, Wisdom."
"Excluding uncertain futures, Nia Honjo can know most things that have already happened through Raziel's power, even glimpsing others' behavioural logic."
"So there's no way she wouldn't know exactly when I'd arrive here. From the beginning, Miko being here was something she'd already calculated."
"How can such an ability exist..."
An Angel symbolising omniscience? Yukino Yukinoshita was shocked by Nia Honjo's ability.
After all, such exaggerated powers of omniscience and omnipotence were only seen in mythological stories, usually possessed by extremely overpowered final bosses.
And now, she'd actually met someone with this ability, who was also a fellow Familia member...
Although Nia Honjo's ability had limitations—like being unable to see the future or being susceptible to interference—even so, Yukino Yukinoshita found it utterly astonishing.
As expected of Demigod-level Familia members. Every single one had ridiculously overpowered abilities.
But at the same time, Yukino Yukinoshita was puzzled:
"But why would Ms Honjo do this..."
What purpose could there be in letting Luo Shu witness such a scene?
Luo Shu hesitated for a moment before slandering:
"Nia's probably bisexual, and might have a bit of a cuckolding fetish too."
"And apparently, I'm one of her targets."
Saying this, he glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita again before adding:
"Be careful around her in future. Don't let her take advantage of you, and don't let her schemes result in me taking advantage of you either."
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita was dumbfounded.
She was familiar with the term 'bisexual', but an NTR fetish too?
And the Director was actually one of Nia Honjo's targets?
Wait a minute, come to think of it, didn't Miss Honjo seem to enjoy watching the Director flirt with other girls in front of her?
Miss Yukino was utterly shocked.
Miss Yukino momentarily lost the ability to think.