chsdbacks Chapter 43 American Witch
Chapter 43 American Witch
"It's quite a strange thing that a witch from America would admire us crazy witch hunters," Sharon said calmly.
The term "femme fatale" is a term used by secret organizations in Europe, America, and the Middle East to refer to Lux with both contempt and awe.
Only those with top-tier strength and exceptional skills can command such a title from those ruthless and secretive organizations.
Lux smiled helplessly, a helplessness that only made her seem more approachable: "If possible, could you please not call me that?"
Sharon was about to speak when she noticed the fully armed operatives on deck casting wary glances at her.
Although these team members were far less powerful than her, their loyalty to Lux was obvious. Sharon had no doubt that if she made any unusual moves, these people would attack without hesitation.
Everyone knew that Lux, known as the American enchantress, was by no means a weak woman.
She single-handedly built SDS and expanded it globally, establishing branches in various countries to monitor abyssal anomalies. Both her strength and methods are top-notch.
What's even more surprising is that such a powerful figure has always advocated for world peace and stability.
Sharon wasn't sure if her peace ideals were a carefully crafted image or part of her ambition, but she was certain she hadn't reached the point where she'd risk alienating the other side to eliminate her.
She asked, "You deliberately stopped me at sea. Did you not want me to get close to the demon's seal, or do you plan to capture me here?"
Lux gently shook her head: "No, I'm here to seek cooperation with you."
"Cooperation?" Sharon looked utterly astonished. "The cooperation you're talking about is surrounding me with armed boats and having armed men surround me?"
Lux remained unfazed by Sharon's taunts, maintaining her goddess-like smile: "Force is merely the foundation for our peaceful dialogue, isn't it?"
Sharon fell silent.
She possessed the clan privileges granted by Luo Tian and was confident that she could escape safely from Lux's clutches. However, if she used these privileges to return to the Starry Sky Society's headquarters now, she would be unable to fulfill Luo Tian's order for her to wait outside the sealed area.
After weighing her options, she decided to listen to the details of the collaboration: "What exactly is this collaboration you're talking about?"
Seeing that she had relented, Lux's expression softened even more: "I need all the research data on demons within the Demon Hunter organization. It would be even better if we could share the research content."
In return, I can give you a relic.
She gestured behind her, and a sullen-looking Tachibana Kirika walked out of the cabin carrying a square box, which she opened in front of Sharon.
Inside the box lay a steel-colored short sword with an inverted S-shaped hilt, which looked ancient and heavy.
"This is the sword that Joan of Arc once used. I hope to use it to cooperate with the Demon Hunter."
"If we can't cooperate at the organizational level, we can reach an agreement separately," Lux said with a smile.
Sharon's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
This relic is merely a tool to subdue demons for an ordinary demon hunter, but for this nun, its value is immeasurable.
Whether it's studying the remaining power of the saintess or using it for sacrifice, it's of great significance.
Sharon knew very well that the Demon Hunters could not share core data with SDS; the only feasible option was the private collaboration Lux had mentioned.
She used her Seven-Star Demon Hunter privileges to obtain information, while the other party gave up this relic. No matter how you look at it, Lux was at a disadvantage.
She couldn't help but admire, "I never imagined you would be willing to pay such a high price to seal away a high-level demon."
Lux's expression remained gentle: "A single artifact can only protect one area."
However, complete research data can protect every SDS member fighting against the demons.
In my opinion, this deal is a great deal.
Sharon was silent for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Now I understand why so many people are willing to follow you."
She glanced at the team members around her, took the box under Tachibana Misaki's reluctant gaze, and grabbed the yacht railing: "I will deliver the information you requested within three days."
One more thing to remind you: after you've captured and studied a high-level demon, it's best to dispose of it immediately; don't leave any survivors.
"Well then, see you next time, you naive enchantress."
After saying that, Sharon flipped over the railing, jumped onto the speedboat moored below, and drove the speedboat through the waves, heading into the distance.
Kirigakure scratched her head in exasperation, glaring at the sweetly smiling Lux: "You could have easily caught her, yet you still gave away this precious relic! Do you think we have too many treasures? And to Sharon, someone we have a grudge against!"
Lux laughed and said, "But I don't think Sister Sharon is hostile towards us."
"No way she's not hostile! She's just afraid you'll use the Kusanagi Sword against her!" Kaori Tachibana shouted frantically. "Can't you even do a proper calculation of the gains and losses?! You went through all that trouble collecting so much high-level equipment, coming all the way from America, just to deal with the situation of high-level demons going out of control, and now you're giving one to a potential opponent? What are you thinking?!"
Tachibana Kirika couldn't help but reach out and pinch Lux's cheeks, gently pulling them to the sides, her tone full of helplessness.
"I have thought about it seriously," Lux said vaguely. "The most important thing right now is to meet them."
Chizuka and the others have already sent back a signal that the mission is complete.
The spherical robot at his feet repeated, "Mission accomplished, mission accomplished."
Tachibana Misty released her grip and sighed, "Thank goodness they're all safe and sound. It's a real relief."
She looked at Lux again, her eyes filled with disdain: "Don't tell me you came all this way just to be a backup plan in case of an accident."
With your brains, you're probably thinking of doing other troublesome things.
Lux touched her cheek, which had been pinched sore, and gave a sweet smile: "There is indeed one more thing to do."
"Is it something you think is important again?" Kijiri raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'd like to meet Mr. Luo Tian and hear his thoughts," Lux said softly.
Kikumi Kaori paused for a moment, gave her a deep look, and finally relented helplessly: "I'm really scared of you. Don't let them get away."
Lux didn't respond, but maintained her sweet smile, which made Tachibana Kirika sigh again.
---
Under the giant banyan tree, Luo Tian carried the demon girl Kisaragi, while Nishiki Chizuka and Inoue Takina supported Kannagi Ayano, and Kazemaki Ryu followed alone. The group finally emerged from the cave.
Seeing the sunlight again, Feng Juanliu, who was pale-faced, was the most excited. Just as he was about to shout, the pain aggravated his abdominal wound, causing him to gasp and almost cry.
He suffered so much this time. He was supposed to be the support responsible for clearing the way, but he was targeted by the demons as the biggest threat. It's really unfair to think about it.
"Ryuuya-nii, please try to control yourself a little," Ayano Kaminagi said awkwardly, looking at his tearful face.
Luo Tian, holding Kisaragi, turned to Inoue Takina and asked, "Takina, has the communication signal been sent out?"
"We've sent three signals already." Inoue Takina supported Kannagi Ayano, making sure the weak girl wouldn't fall.
"It's good that it's been sent." Luo Tian gently put Musara down, supporting her with one hand, and took out a signal gun from the bag that Nishiki Chizuka was carrying with the other hand, and fired it into the sky.
With a crisp bang, the signal flare exploded high in the sky, creating a large cloud of pink smoke.
Less than two minutes later, the roar of helicopter rotors filled the air.
Soon, a large armed helicopter flew over the banyan tree, and Mizuki Nakahara shouted down through a megaphone, "Is everyone alright?!"
The ground response was drowned out by the noise of the helicopter. Relieved, Mizuki Nakahara said to Mika in the pilot's seat, "Everything seems safe. Lower the ladder."
Mika nodded, pressed a button to lower the ladder, and hovered the helicopter above the banyan tree.
Luo Tian looked at Feng Juanliu: "Can you still hold on?"
Feng Juanliu clutched his bandaged abdomen, his face pale: "I can still use my wind abilities to assist, but I need to prepare a little."
"There are only two of us boys here, you go first," Luo Tian said.
Ayano Kannagi, Chitsuka Nishiki, and Takina Inoue immediately turned to look at the two of them, instinctively covering their skirts.
Although they were all wearing safety shorts, they still didn't want anyone to see what was under their skirts.
Feng Juanliu's lips twitched, and he said helplessly, "Alright, I'll go up first."
After Feng Juanliu struggled to climb the suspended ladder, Luo Tian, with the help of Inoue Takina, used a safety rope to securely tie Kisara to his back. After confirming that it was stable, he jumped up and grabbed the suspended ladder: "I'll go up first. You three be careful."
He carried the unconscious Kisaragi on his back and quickly climbed onto the helicopter.
Seeing this, Nakahara Mizuki teased, "Not bad stamina." Then, noticing the girl on his back, she asked in surprise, "Is that the high-ranking demon?"
"That's right, the one that was sealed." Luo Tian untied the safety rope and placed Musara on the seat.
Mika asked sternly, "Did you give her a sedative?"
"I've fed her three times already. She definitely won't wake up for at least two hours." Luo Tian's answer reassured Mika.
Nakahara Mizuki was stunned for a moment. She could force-feed him the first time, but how did she manage to feed him the second two times? She glanced at Luo Tian's slightly damp lips and immediately decided not to investigate further, turning around to continue assisting the others.
At this moment, Mika, with her back to Luo Tian, spoke into the earpiece: "Luo Tian, the head of the department just sent word that you need to take the demon girl to the sea to meet her."
Luo Tian raised an eyebrow slightly: "Just me?"
"Yes, just you." Mika paused, then added, "Don't hold back, just tell the truth."
Luo Tian rolled his eyes, but he knew exactly what Mika meant.
Sharon will definitely tell the truth about what happened at sea. The American witch wants to see her, so she must already know a lot of information.
If it really is the person I'm guessing, then things will get interesting.
He fastened Kisara's seatbelt and fell into deep thought.
As Nishiki Chizuka and Inoue Takina helped Kannagi Ayano board the helicopter, Mika immediately shouted, "Everyone, hold on tight!"
The armed helicopter then climbed to a higher altitude and flew towards the sea.
The weapons bay door slowly opened, revealing the air-to-ground missiles hidden underneath.
Chizuka Nishiki suddenly became excited and shouted, "Wow! Are we about to start?"
She turned to Mika: "Mr. Mika, could I press the launch button?"
"You still have a long way to go!"
Mika casually replied, her finger steadily pressing the launch button.
With a loud blast of air, the missile hurtled toward the giant banyan tree, followed by a deafening explosion.
The towering ancient banyan tree, which was tens of meters tall, collapsed completely amidst the blazing flames.
"The connection between the abyss and the real world has been destroyed; the follow-up cleanup work can be left to the logistics department."
After saying this, Mika relaxed, her expression softening considerably, and immediately ordered, "Let's turn back now!"
Chizuka Nishiki immediately cheered, "That's fantastic! I want sukiyaki for this celebration!"
"Barbecue," Inoue Takina immediately chimed in, then, realizing their differing opinions, earnestly reiterated, "We absolutely have to eat barbecue."
Sukiyaki!
"Barbecue!"
Sukiyaki!
The two argued back and forth for several rounds, finally turning to Luo Tian simultaneously and asking in unison, "Luo Tian, what do you think is more suitable for us to eat?"
Luo Tian, who was suddenly called out, was stunned on the spot and silently complained in his heart: How did this matter involve me?
He thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Let's choose sukiyaki then, since we just had barbecue last time."
"Yay!" Chizuka Nishiki immediately flashed a victory sign.
Inoue Takina gave a soft hum and said no more.
"This is so noisy it's giving me a headache." Ayano Kannagi was exhausted, looking at the group of people playing around with a helpless sigh.
Feng Juanliu lay to the side, silently weeping: Could you please take me to the hospital first... at least give me the treatment of a normal person!
I will never trust women again!
---
Twenty minutes later, Luo Tian, carrying the still unconscious Mu Geng, boarded the white speedboat driven by Hilda and arrived at the armed vessel anchored in the near sea.
After boarding the ship, a figure that he recognized very well came into view.
Lux Klein, the peace-loving songstress with long pink hair.
Upon seeing the ethereal girl in a light blue dress with her pink hair tied into a single ponytail with a red ribbon, Luo Tian's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and steadily walked onto the deck with his arm around Mu Geng's waist.
"Hello~ Lux~ Hello~ Lux~"
Several round mechanical balls rolled around Luo Tian, leaving him almost nowhere to put his feet.
"You... you didn't even bother to clean it up properly before bringing it up?"
Standing next to Lux, Tachibana Misaki couldn't help but purse her lips when she saw Luo Tian bring the target, the "devil girl," directly onto the ship. She turned to the crew members and instructed them, "Go and bring over a stretcher, and have the medical staff prepare sedatives to ensure the target doesn't wake up during the journey."
After making the arrangements, Tachibana Kirika raised her chin at Lux, her tone tinged with pride: "Look, the kid I half-persuaded and half-dragged along back then has successfully captured a high-ranking demon. How about that, isn't he quite capable?"
Even if it wasn't done alone, successfully capturing a high-level demon is an unprecedented achievement within SDS.
Luo Tian's ability to achieve this is beyond doubt, and this also proves that Tachibana Misaki's choice to "recruit" Luo Tian was correct.
With a smug look on her face, before Lux could respond, and seeing Luo Tian helping to settle Kisara, she said, "Don't just stand there, come and meet our highest leader."
"For you, just call her Miss Lux. She doesn't really care about these titles anyway."
Upon hearing this, not only Luo Tian, but even Lux couldn't help but glance at the woman who was talking to herself.
After settling Mu Geng in, Luo Tian walked over and greeted her with a slightly reserved manner, like an ordinary employee meeting a top executive: "Miss Lux."
Lux Klein listened to Tachibana Misty's words with a hint of helplessness, but her gaze remained fixed on Luo Tian. She spoke softly, "Nice to meet you, Luo Tian."
The girl's voice was gentle and sweet, which made Luo Tian feel a sense of familiarity, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Upon hearing this question, Luo Tian's expression stiffened slightly as he looked at the pink-haired songstress with a curious expression.
Lux quickly added, "If it's inconvenient to answer, it's okay not to say."
Fearing Luo Tian might misunderstand, she explained gently, "From the moment you started looking at me, it didn't seem like you were looking at a stranger."
Luo Tian quickly racked his brains, trying to figure out how to get out of this.
Judging from her appearance, voice, and personality, he was almost certain that the person in front of him was Lacus Klein, whom he had seen in movies and TV shows.
The female protagonist who comes from the Gundam world, underwent genetic modification before birth, and possesses top-notch intelligence and political skills.
Why is she in this world? Is it related to the abyss again? Luo Tian wondered to himself.
Considering the female lead's exceptionally high intelligence and her reputation as a "demon," Luo Tian abandoned his idea of deceiving her with a simple lie.
He wasn't sure if his little trick would fool the other party, after all, in the setting, genetically modified individuals far surpassed ordinary humans in both ability and intelligence.
And Lux in front of us is one of the top-tier Coordinators.
After a moment's hesitation, Luo Tian tentatively uttered a single word: "PLANT?"
Upon hearing those two words, Lux's pupils dilated noticeably for a moment. She was stunned for a moment, then her smile became even more friendly: "I see, I understand."
Lux asked curiously, "Did Luo Tian see me on TV, or have you heard my songs?"
Before coming to this world through the abyss, she was already a household name in PLANT, with considerable fame worldwide, so it wouldn't be surprising if Luo Tian got to know her through any means.
"I've looked into both television and songs," Luo Tian replied honestly. In his mind, anime works also count as television programs in a broad sense.
PLANT is the space nation of Lux's original world, and also the country to which she belongs.
Although it was somewhat of a hint, Luo Tian still breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had barely passed the test.
"I see." Lux's smile remained unchanged. "I'm quite surprised by your frankness."
"Hey, what kind of riddles are you two talking about?" Tachibana Kirika, who was standing to the side, looked at the two chatting so amiably and felt a bit left out.
What TV show? What song?
Lux likes to sing, but she has never released a record; and she's on TV? Her intelligence level is so high that it's classified. At most, she has files with MI6 or the FBI. How could she possibly be on TV?
Noticing Kirika's displeasure, Lux chuckled but deliberately didn't explain, instead teasing, "Just consider it a little secret that Kirika can't know."
"What little secret! You two only met for the first time today, right?"
Ju Wuxiang was clearly unconvinced: "Don't tell me Luo Tian is your long-lost childhood sweetheart, I won't believe that."
Lux's smile deepened, teasing her deliberately, "If that's how you see it, that's fine too."
Tachibana Kirigakure froze on the spot, speechless.
You actually dare to say that?
Just as Kirigakure was caught between laughter and tears, Lux tilted her head slightly and said, "Kirika, could you perhaps give us, these two childhood friends who haven't seen each other for years, a little time to chat alone?"
Tachibana Misaki's lips twitched, her eyes seeming to say, "The cabbage we raised willingly gravitates towards the pig." She gave Lux a deep look, then glanced at Luo Tian, and snorted coldly, "Do as you please."
After saying that, she crossed her arms and stepped aside.
At this moment, Lux turned around and said to Luo Tian, "Luo Tian, could you come with me for a moment?"
Luo Tian's eyes flickered slightly, then he nodded: "Okay."
Under the watchful eyes of Tachibana Mizuki and the rest of the team, Luo Tian followed Lux into the cabin amidst the mechanical ball's "Hello" greeting.
The two walked along the cabin passageway and soon entered a room.
Luo Tian raised an eyebrow slightly as he entered the room, because he saw that Mu Geng had been carefully placed on a white hospital bed by a female nurse.
The nurse was about to put black restraints on Kisara when Lux stopped her.
"Wait a moment, you don't need to take these precautions for now."
"Could you please step outside for a moment?"
The nurses paused for a moment, then nodded, and left the room in an orderly fashion, closing the door behind them.
Once only Luo Tian, Lux, and the unconscious Kisaragi remained in the room, Lux turned to Luo Tian and said, "Luo Tian, you must be from another world, just like me, right?"
Although it was a question, her eyes were full of certainty.
Luo Tian opened his mouth, but finally said with some helplessness, "You saw through me way too quickly."
"It's not that I saw through it quickly, it's just that your pretense just now didn't match the situation I was familiar with."
Lux walked to the chair next to the hospital bed and sat down. A pink Hello mechanical ball jumped onto her lap and she gently pressed it down.
"In the world I was born into, genetically modified individuals and naturally born ordinary people are almost at the point of racial antagonism due to various conflicts."
"So if you and I come from the same world, as an ordinary person, you'd look at me with fear; as a Coordinator..."
Lux covered her mouth and chuckled: "That might sound a bit narcissistic, but before I came into this world, my first single was still in production."
This woman is too cunning... Luo Tian thought to himself.
It turns out that asking whether I knew her from TV or from a song was all a trap.
The fact that the single is still in production suggests that Lux came into this world long before she became a PLANT singer, possibly even during her childhood.
As a child, Lux could never have appeared on television, and she herself had no experience as a child star.
"Fine, I give up."
With his lie exposed, Luo Tian sighed, pulled up a chair, sat down, and looked up at Lux: "So, what did you want to do by calling me here specifically?"
"What are your plans for dealing with me, this person from another world? Lock me up, or send me to a research facility?"
Lux was visibly taken aback by the two options, then looked somewhat annoyed: "I don't know where you got your information about me, but do you think I'm some kind of cruel person?"
"No, not at all." Luo Tian shook his head, his tone calm. "At most, it's just that you're scheming and ruthless, that you orchestrated the deaths of the two PLANT speakers, and ultimately took control of the entire country."
Upon hearing this, Lux could no longer maintain her gentle expression: "I can accept being scheming and ruthless, but I orchestrated the deaths of two chairmen? The first chairman was my father!"
"How could I have caused the death of my own father?" Lux even suspected that Luo Tian was deliberately deceiving her.
Luo Tian casually added, "Oh, I didn't finish. The two after your father were Patrick Sara and Durandal."
"Uncle Patrick and Dr. Gilbert Durandal?"
Lux recognized both names; one was her father's close friend, and the other was his follower. She couldn't understand why she would target them.
Could it be that Luo Tian comes from a parallel world, and his counterpart in that world became an ambitious schemer?
Too much information to handle, Lux rarely showed a troubled expression: "Let's change the subject."
"Then tell me how you plan to treat me."
Luo Tian leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed.
"I won't do anything to you," Lux said firmly. "I will never give any harmful orders to an ordinary person who has done nothing wrong, never."
At this point, Lux said with some doubt, "I always feel that you have a lot of unease about you."
"I'm uneasy?" Luo Tian was taken aback, his expression strange. "Do I look uneasy to you right now?"
Although it was a bit embarrassing, he was confident that he could get away from Lux in an instant. In addition, he knew Lux's personality and knew that she was unlikely to lay a hand on him.
With double protection, he had no reason to be uneasy.
Korax, however, said with certainty, "It's not because of me that I'm uneasy; it's a deeper kind of fear—the anxiety of being in a completely unfamiliar environment and not knowing if I'll encounter danger any second from now on."
This conclusion was drawn by Lux based on the information about Luo Tian submitted by Tachibana Misty, as well as her observation of him in person.
In her report, Ju Wuxiang commented on Luo Tian: He only values the exchange of benefits and will only take action if he is given corresponding compensation.
But Lux prefers to interpret it as: not wanting to get too involved with others and being vigilant enough to cut off contact at any time.
She even suspected that Luo Tian deliberately emphasized the exchange of benefits so that he could act without any burden when he had a conflict with Ju Wuxiang in the future.
This is what Lux meant when she said that Luo Tian lacked a sense of security.
Lux saw through his thoughts, and Luo Tian opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
Lux didn't press further, instead bringing up what Luo Tian was concerned about: "Although it might make you suspicious, SDS actually allows members to voluntarily withdraw."
Luo Tian's expression became even more strange: "Are you sure you're not just going to use me and then discard me?"
"I'm absolutely sure," Lux said with a smile and a nod.
"Are there no additional conditions?" Luo Tian probed again.
Lux asked, somewhat puzzled, "Does advising against violating the laws of the country you're in count?"
Luo Tian was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Sorry, I don't plan to leave SDS for the time being."
Lux looked both amused and exasperated: "See? I told you you were insecure."
Lux's statement was clearly sincere and without any malice, but she knew very well that Luo Tian still suspected her true intentions.
She felt helpless about this, saying that one's own thoughts cannot be forcibly interfered with, and the most terrifying thing is that people can control other people's thoughts at will.
"What I just said about SDS allowing voluntary withdrawal remains true. You can always tell me if you change your mind in the future."
Upon hearing this, Luo Tian finally showed a hesitant expression: "Are you serious?"
After saying that, he added, "I really didn't expect you would be willing to let me leave."
"Is it the way Citrus Kiss is made that gave you this impression?" Lux asked with certainty.
It's clear that she has been troubled by Tachibana Kirika's way of doing things many times.
"Kirika and I are both eager for outstanding talent, but I have never agreed with her recruitment methods."
Lux picked up the pink Hello Mechanical Ball from her lap and handed it to Luo Tian: "You can probably tell that SDS is really short-staffed right now, right?"
"I can tell." Luo Tian nodded; it wasn't hard to guess.
SDS only has one branch in Tokyo, Japan, and they were previously discussing whether to establish a branch in Chiba Prefecture.
It's somewhat understandable for a multinational organization to have only one branch in a country, but SDS's core mission is to search for Abyss items, so this configuration is very unreasonable.
To put it bluntly, to search for randomly appearing Abyss items, you need to set up offices in major cities across the island nation, and if conditions permit, also send personnel to towns and villages.
In Luo Tian's vision, SDS should have been like the postal system, extending its reach to every corner of the country.
However, apart from support from the Americas, SDS is currently just an ordinary security company in the island nation.
While in Tokyo, the presence of military forces can be used to control the Abyss items that appear in the area, but once outside of Tokyo, the available means become very limited.
This operation to capture the demon, which even involved deploying troops to seal off the city, was a complete waste of resources.
From this, Luo Tian saw the true situation of SDS: it had a strong background, abundant resources, and excellent logistics, but it was severely lacking in personnel. Its influence seemed extensive, but in reality, it was very limited.
From Luo Tian's expression, Lux knew that he had seen through SDS's shortcomings, and sighed softly: "We have enough resources, but SDS was founded by me and Kirika when we were freshmen, so it's been less than four years."
"Wait a minute." Luo Tian raised his hand to interrupt, looking Lux up and down. "How old are you this year?"
"Seventeen," Lux replied, tilting her head. "I was admitted to university at thirteen through a joint recommendation from three professors. Is that strange?"
"It's alright, this is very much in line with the talent of a Coordinator." Luo Tian nodded, his heart filled with envy.
Interrupted, Lux took a deep breath and reorganized her thoughts: "Where were we? Oh, because there have been more and more Abyss events in recent years, with my father's help, I expanded the Special Data Research Laboratory, which was originally only developed in Massachusetts, into a special agency with offices throughout the United States and branches in major countries."
"That's why the already limited manpower has become even more scarce."
"Of course, this is also related to my criteria for selecting personnel."
Selection criteria… Luo Tian thought of Tachibana Kirika’s somewhat coercive recruitment methods and asked, “Do you and Tachibana Kirika have disagreements on personnel recruitment?”
"That's right." Lux nodded frankly, making no attempt to hide the internal conflict.
She held up the Hello mechanical ball and said to Luo Tian, "For example, the Hello in my hand is a member that meets the SDS standard."
Lux showed Hello to Luo Tian, then slowly withdrew her hand: "I hope Hello joined SDS voluntarily out of his own will and because he agrees with my philosophy."
She gently tossed the hello to Luo Tian, who caught it without hesitation.
"But Wuxiang believes that there are too few qualified personnel now. In order to meet the needs of the mission, we should make use of the existing conditions to conduct a large-scale screening and fill the gap first, instead of getting bogged down in conditions such as ideological agreement and voluntary participation."
"They pursue quality while also valuing quantity," Luo Tian remarked after hearing this.
"That's right." Lux said helplessly. "Kirika joined because she agreed with my ideas, but now she feels that ideas are no longer important."
"Putting the cart before the horse." Luo Tian casually uttered an idiom.
"Is it a Chinese idiom? It describes it perfectly."
Lux smiled slightly, and the Hello in her hand swayed its ear parts as if in agreement.
"Then why did you specifically seek me out?" Luo Tian had a rough idea in his mind.
Lux held up Hello, her tone apologetic: "Because Kirika keeps telling me that she recruited some excellent members in Tokyo using her own methods, I'm worried about your situation."
"Are you worried that I'll be forced to join, harbor resentment, and do something impulsive?"
Luo Tian could guess her concerns, and at the same time, he was somewhat annoyed: "I didn't expect that you would just happen to catch someone from another world like me?"
There are many transmigrators in this world, who are generally called visitors from the abyss, so Luo Tian doesn't mind revealing this superficial identity.
"That's right." Lux suppressed a laugh as she looked at Luo Tian's dejected expression.
Luo Tian sighed softly, no longer caring about his identity being exposed.
Perhaps because Lux's attitude was gentle enough and they had similar time travel experiences, he lowered his guard a lot: "I admit, I don't really like doing frontline emergency work. I'm a person who values my life a lot, and sometimes I wonder if I should refuse if Chief Tachibana issues a mandatory order."
"But at the same time, I do not refuse the opportunity to draw power from the abyss."
Having the ability to protect yourself and having no ability at all are two completely different situations. Do you understand this?
"I understand."
Lux didn't think Luo Tian was selfish; it was just human nature.
She has always believed that only by grasping the power to protect oneself can one safeguard the life one desires.
"So, I can understand that you're willing to work for SDS, under safe and controllable conditions, to extract power from the Abyss that can protect yourself and those around you?"
Lux tried to summarize Luo Tian's thoughts, then raised her phone and said, "Can I offer my suggestions?"
Luo Tian nodded: "Okay."
"I understand why you don't accept the way Wuxiang is made."
Lux actually traveled all the way from the Americas to the island nation because she was worried about this.
Tachibana Kirika's personality is destined to make Luo Tian frequently participate in front-line missions. In one dangerous situation after another, the already fragile trust between the two is easily and completely destroyed.
Lux had anticipated this before setting off, but when she saw Luo Tian in person, she found that the situation was more serious than she had imagined.
Despite their brief encounter, Lux was still able to tell that Luo Tian harbored many secrets and was extremely insecure.
This personality trait is advantageous in a dangerous world, but it is not suitable for frontline personnel fighting against the abyss.
What the front line of the abyss needs are executors who strictly follow orders and do their best to complete the mission while ensuring their own safety.
Given Luo Tian's personality, it's inevitable that he would hide his strength and conceal his gains, which would cause Tachibana Kirika to seriously misjudge his abilities.
Based on Lux's understanding of Tachibana Kirika, she would definitely test Luo Tian to ascertain his true strength before assigning him a mission, and these actions would completely destroy internal trust.
Fortunately, all of this hadn't happened yet, or rather, she discovered the problem in time before it happened.
"I suggest you leave the Tokyo SDS branch and form your own squad, a squad that will be directly under my management."
"Of course, whether or not this squad follows my orders is entirely up to you."
"If you don't like the term 'squad,' you can call it an 'action group' or 'establish an agency,' whichever you prefer."
"I will provide you with funding and intelligence support, and I can also allocate some Abyss items. However, the demand from each branch is very high, so I can't give you any very powerful items."
"I'll handle the communication with Tachibana Misty, since the demon we captured this time needs someone to guard it, and the demon heart you possess can help restrain it."
"Using the pretext of guarding demons, I'll let you set up your own department. I doubt Tachibana Kirika would object too much."
After hearing Lux's suggestion, Luo Tian was stunned for a while, and said with a strange expression, "If I didn't know you well, I would definitely suspect that you have ulterior motives."
"Given the current situation, it should be me who suspects that I've controlled you with the Heart of the Demon."
"This? I always carry Abyss items to guard against mind control."
Lux gently patted Hello, and the sphere instantly split apart, revealing the small compartments inside.
Inside the compartment, a white pearl, about five centimeters long and resembling a dragon ball, is slowly rotating.
"Look, this is it, so you don't have to worry about me being controlled."
Luo Tian looked at Lux, who had an innocent expression on her face, and was speechless: That's not what I'm worried about at all.
This woman is too good at playing dumb… Luo Tian sighed helplessly and looked up at Lux: “I can understand your desire for peace, but I really can’t understand why you are using your own resources to support me like this.”
"Good intentions without a reason are the most unpredictable."
Faced with Luo Tian's question, Lux simply closed her hello and smiled, saying, "I just hope that there will be more partners standing on the side of protecting humanity."
"A partner...?" Luo Tian paused, looked intently at Lux, and suddenly asked, "Can I ask you something? Can I pursue you?"
"Huh?" Lux was completely taken aback by Luo Tian's sudden question and was stunned.
The next second she realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked a little flustered: "Why did we suddenly bring this up?"
Seeing Lux's flustered state, Luo Tian was in a good mood and added, "Because I feel that if I miss someone like you, it will be hard to meet another one like you in the future."
From the perspective of protecting all humanity, I think you are a very good person.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any plans in that regard at the moment."
It's not that I'm deliberately rejecting you, it's just that I feel... okay, can I not answer this question?
Lux looked at Luo Tian with hopeful eyes, as if begging him to stop making things difficult for her.