"It was a last resort~"
Nia spread her hands, wearing a regretful expression:
"After all, there's a terrifying figure in the Hell Sect constantly blocking divination effects, making it impossible for me to grasp their plans."
"Honestly, I have no idea how much preparation they've made to capture Kotori using the Anchor of Faith method, or how complete their anchors are."
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow:
"So that's why you're using the Phenex Society, a branch of Truth Astronomy, to act first and pull Kotori into reality?"
"Exactly." Nia nodded, then smiled faintly. "Only a few cultists died. You're not going to blame me for that, are you, Luo Shu?"
"Or perhaps, compared to the value of life, allowing those cult believers to commit evil is insignificant?"
As soon as she said this, the highly principled Yukino Yukinoshita immediately fell silent.
Cults in Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and even America are exceptionally rampant, with news of families being ruined by cults almost becoming the norm.
In such circumstances, Nia Honjo, who sacrifices cult believers to achieve her own goals, truly cannot be simply labelled as good or bad.
After all, concepts of good and evil are subjective judgments based on personal will.
Yukino Yukinoshita understood this well, so given her moral framework, it was difficult for her to judge whether Nia Honjo's actions were right or wrong.
After all, she had merely leaked a piece of information to the higher-ups of the Phenex Society, and it was those higher-ups who ordered the cult believers to commit suicide as sacrifices for the so-called phoenix.
Moreover, the sacrificed cult believers might even have believed they were doing something great.
In such a situation, Yukino Yukinoshita truly couldn't comment on Nia Honjo's actions.
The highly principled Yukino Yukinoshita might agonise over it, but for Luo Shu, it was no big deal.
Just a group of people he had never even met had died—would someone like him really go after Nia Honjo because of them?
The answer was obviously no.
Thus, what Luo Shu was actually concerned about was something else entirely:
"Why did the Phenex Society attack La Folia?"
At this point, Nia Honjo made a sheepish face and pointed repeatedly at the Raziel in Luo Shu's hands with both index fingers:
"Don't just listen to me, you can check it yourself~"
Luo Shu fell silent for a moment, then summoned the wool brush and used Raziel to investigate the question.
The answer he received, however, was startlingly straightforward.
"The higher-ups of the Phenex Society have formed a partnership with Jealousy of the Hell Sect?"
"Both sides hope to use the attack on the princess as a distraction for the Hell Sect's faith-anchoring ritual?"
"To this end, they deliberately attacked high-ranking officials of the Metropolitan Police Department and the princess to cover up the preparations for the real ritual?"
"These two factions actually collaborated?"
Luo Shu was utterly stunned by the intelligence displayed in Raziel.
"The Grand Dukes of Hell behind Truth Astronomy and the Hell Sect seem to be hostile towards each other, right?
The two actually cooperating?
Who could have predicted that?"
At that moment, Nia Honjo spread her hands and said:
"Monks and Taoist priests could join forces to fight against the Japanese invaders, so is it really strange for a branch of Truth Astronomy to cooperate with the Hell Sect?"
"If gods are hostile, must their believers necessarily be enemies too?"
"Besides, let's not even mention those in Truth Astronomy who want to replace the demon nobility themselves—does the Hell Sect not have any ulterior motives of their own?"
"After all, the demon nobles are too precious in True Hell to descend personally~"
Hearing this, Luo Shu understood Nia Honjo's meaning and stopped focusing on the details, instead frowning and saying:
"So, Kotori's summoning is already in preparation, perhaps even nearing completion?"
"It shouldn't be that far along, but the preparations have likely accelerated."
Nia Honjo pondered for a moment before continuing:
"Moreover, due to the environment of the Abyss Passage, Kotori should currently exist in the form of a Spirit Body within the Abyss channel."
"The two organisations, unaware of her resurrection ability, will probably prepare a Spirit Medium vessel for her."
"In other words, during this period, all shrine maidens with Spirit Medium potential in Tokyo are at risk of being captured!"
"How could this be..." Yukino Yukinoshita's expression immediately changed upon hearing this, and she couldn't help but turn to look at Luo Shu.
In response, Luo Shu simply nodded and said:
"Rescuing them goes without saying, but the question is how, and who exactly needs rescuing?"
"Yukino, do you know how many women in Tokyo possess Spirit Medium qualities? Where do they live? Are they at risk of being captured by the Hell Sect or Truth Astronomy?"
Yukino Yukinoshita immediately calmed down upon hearing this. After hesitating for a moment, she said:
"Then, could we proactively offer up this shrine maiden Spirit Medium to prevent the Phenex Society and Truth Astronomy from harming innocent people?"
"Wouldn't that plan be feasible? After all, shouldn't no one know yet that Miss Enigma is on our side?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow slightly, turning to gaze deeply at Yukino Yukinoshita as he said:
"You want to take on that role yourself?"
Yukino Yukinoshita opened her mouth, about to say she could, but before she could finish, Nia Honjo said with a smile:
"Yukino, that won't work. You don't possess Spirit Medium qualities, and even if we faked it, there's a risk of exposure."
Yukino Yukinoshita seemed to deflate at this, sitting silently to the side.
At that moment, Nia Honjo turned to Luo Shu and said cheerfully:
"My, my, I really shouldn't have let you see these things, Luo Shu. You figured it out right away!"
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita immediately looked up at Luo Shu, while Miko Yotsuya beside her couldn't hold back and asked directly:
"Mr. Luo Shu, have you thought of a solution?"
"The solution has been right in front of you all along, hasn't it? Nia's hint was quite obvious—it's the ability she demonstrated."
Luo Shu shook the Raziel in his hand and said calmly.
At that, Nia Honjo spread her hands and said: "Their spiritual intuition isn't as strong as yours, Luo Shu, so I suggest you just spell it out for them."
Hearing this, Luo Shu glanced at Nia Honjo but didn't expose her subtle implication that Yukino and Miko were fools. Instead, he flicked his wrist and tossed out the copy of Raziel in his hand.
The black cover emblazoned with a cross pattern tumbled through the air before suddenly twisting and distorting.
Finally, a girl with ash-grey twin tails and bronze-green eyes materialised mid-air.
Watching this unfamiliar girl appear as Yukino Yukinoshita and Miko Yotsuya stared in shock at the sudden manifestation, Luo Shu calmly explained:
"Nibecol. A girl manifested from the pages of Beelzebub, the inverse power of Raziel. A fragmentary avatar of an Angel."
"Using her as a Spirit Medium to bear Kotori Itsuka's power would be the optimal choice."
"After all, in essence, they're both part of the Almighty God Class."
"So it can be done this way..."
Yukino Yukinoshita observed the girl before her. Though she felt some discomfort seeing the girl's form, remembering she was fundamentally just a page - a sheet of paper - made this seem the most appropriate method.
Given Nia Honjo's earlier actions suggested the pages could be recovered, sacrificing a recyclable book was infinitely preferable to sacrificing a person.
"But..." Miko Yotsuya timidly raised her hand, "How do we deliver this Miss Nibecol without being noticed?"
Pondering this, Luo Shu turned to Nia Honjo:
"Nia, you must have methods to dye hair silver while ensuring it can't be seen through, right?"
Nia's eyes immediately lit up as she grinned mischievously: "Oho!! As expected of Luo Shu, so quick-witted!!"
"Dye hair silver?" x2
While Miko still looked puzzled, Yukino clearly realised something, her expression turning peculiar as she looked at Luo Shu.
At this moment, Luo Shu smiled and said:
"Her Royal Highness Princess La Folia Rihavein of the Aldegia Kingdom suddenly visiting Japan... Her true purpose being to locate the royal illegitimate daughter rumoured to be in Japan."
"This script should please many people!!"
"But would that princess cooperate?" Yukino doubted the princess she'd seen in reports would be easily fooled.
Facing Yukino's question, Nia gave a thumbs up:
"Don't worry, Yukino-chan~"
"Because the illegitimate daughter should have been captured by Natsuki-chan by now~"
Hearing this, both Luo Shu and Yukino froze before giving Nia identical strange looks.
Puffing out her chest proudly, Nia declared:
"That's right! I was the one who tipped off Natsuki-chan!!"
Nobody asked you that!!!