Passing through the silver-white metal gate within the Hidden Management Zone.
After the peculiar sensation of spatial teleportation faded, Natsuki Minamiya saw a stretch of verdant mountains.
This was a sight that shouldn't appear in Akihabara, much less beneath the garrison of the Hidden Management Department.
Upon witnessing this sight, Natsuki Minamiya immediately activated her Spiritual Vision and used the Reflection Art to observe the Essence, Qi, and Spirit Three Flames above her head and upon her shoulders.
A murky blue flame tinged with black swayed languidly above her head.
The sight genuinely startled Natsuki:
"The Three Flames are flickering... So this truly is the Abyss World?"
"And judging by the degree of their movement, the spatial stability here is remarkably high?"
"Your SDS actually possesses control over an alternate dimension?"
As Natsuki exclaimed in shock, Luo Shu slowly emerged from the torii gate of Kikyo Shrine, which served as the world-crossing portal:
"However unlikely, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this, Natsuki."
With a swift motion, Natsuki Minamiya unfurled the folding fan she always carried, shielding her face as she masked her emotions while watching Luo Shu and Lacus emerge from the torii gate:
"If Lacus said that, I'd naturally believe it."
The subtext was clear: 'I don't believe anything you say, Luo Shu.'
Luo Shu deliberately adopted a sorrowful expression, feigning deep disappointment as he said:
"If you say things like that, I might actually cry. I'm your dear student, Natsuki!"
"Hmph, student!"
Natsuki Minamiya scoffed coldly.
If Lacus hadn't been present, she would have asked Luo Shu outright: 'What kind of student fantasises about their teacher?'
This damn lolicon! Where exactly does he keep looking every day? Should she explain it to him?
Meanwhile, Lacus removed her black baseball cap and face mask after passing through the torii gate, taking off her hairband and letting her waterfall-like, silky smooth hair cascade freely down her back.
As the hairband came off, Lacus's disguised blonde hair gradually transformed into a bright, soft pink.
Having shed her disguise, Lacus smiled at Natsuki Minamiya:
"Natsuki seems to have quite the misunderstanding about Luo Shu."
"You should focus on keeping your man in check, Lacus Clyne."
Natsuki only offered this brief admonishment without elaborating further—a rare show of goodwill towards Luo Shu.
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Lacus smiled while saying something Natsuki would never believe.
Yet her words seemed to reveal a hint of truth:
"After all, Shu is far too important. If I tried to constrain him with my own ideas, I'd probably get dumped, don't you think?"
Hearing this, Natsuki frowned uncertainly at Lacus.
What did this woman mean? Wasn't Luo Shu supposed to be her subordinate? Why did it sound like the opposite—that she had become his subordinate instead?
No, perhaps 'superior and subordinate' wasn't the right way to describe their relationship.
And this woman didn't seem the type to lose her head over love.
Could it be that Luo Shu's importance to Lacus—to the SDS—far exceeded her imagination?
Was that why Lacus wouldn't restrain Luo Shu's actions, because the cost of doing so would exceed what she could bear?
Natsuki snapped her fan shut, studying Lacus as she said: "This doesn't seem like you at all."
In response, Lacus teased lightly: "Natsuki, have you considered that the more I tolerate his mistakes, the more he can't leave me?"
"Uh..." Natsuki choked momentarily. What kind of nonsense was this to say to a 26-year-old woman who'd never been in a relationship?!
"Could you two discuss me without doing it right in front of me?"
Luo Shu mentally deactivated the internal comms system before placing a hand on his hip, looking exasperatedly at Lacus:
"I heard every word just now."
Lacus blinked, then smoothly changed the subject with a smile:
"Have you notified Miss Kikyo yet?"
"Already done. She's coming down from the shrine now."
Luo Shu pointed at the long stone steps behind him leading to the shrine, then glanced at Natsuki:
"So, Natsuki, what do you think of my spoils of war?"
Barely suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Natsuki clicked her tongue and said:
"Is this alternate space one of your gains from the Abyss incident in Itō City last time?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu smiled faintly: "I just got a bit lucky."
Natsuki Minamiya almost felt like punching him upon hearing that.
'A bit lucky?'
'Who gets lucky enough to obtain an entire alternate space?'
'Why don't you let me have that kind of luck, too?'
The Abyss jointly explored by the Onmyou Agency, Bujin-shū, Ministry of Environment, Nura Clan and other major factions only yielded scraps. Yet, you managed to take the entire thing and call it luck?
"You insufferable brat."
Natsuki Minamiya closed her eyes, sighed deeply, then said:
"So, by exposing such classified information before me, the two of you must be preparing to lay your cards on the table?"
"Or rather, following the customs of your homeland, Luo Shu, should this be called 'the dagger revealed when the map is unrolled'?"
Alternate spaces were something even Natsuki Minamiya had only heard rumours about.
It was said that Truth Astronomy's headquarters was an alternate space constantly roaming across the European continent. It was precisely because of this that, despite numerous factions launching countless assaults against Truth Astronomy, they always managed to resurge.
One could say that such stable alternate spaces, which had transformed from unstable Abyss worlds, were practically equivalent to exclusive logistical bases.
Their importance likely surpassed even the SDS's space stations in scale.
After all, human society could still access space through conventional means, such as rockets. But for alternate spaces, unless one obtained precise coordinates and employed either a masterful spatial magician or high-level Abyss Artefacts, breaching them would be impossible.
Having been brought to such a crucial location, Natsuki Minamiya found it hard to believe Luo Shu and Lacus wouldn't impose confidentiality measures on her.
Perhaps Lacus might settle for having her sign a confidentiality contract out of trust, but someone like Luo Shu would undoubtedly devour her whole.
Though their acquaintance was brief, Natsuki Minamiya could already discern Luo Shu's character.
This man, inherently wary of others to an extreme degree, could never be that straightforward.
"'The dagger revealed when the map is unrolled'... as my homeland would say it?"
Hearing Natsuki's words, Luo Shu murmured with a hint of nostalgia.
According to Natsuki and others' understanding, his homeland was this world's China.
Yet only Luo Shu knew his true homeland was in another world - another world's China.
No, to be precise, the place where his family existed, where he had truly lived for over twenty years - that was his real home.
This world's China was merely a similar yet different place.
"What a nostalgic phrase."
Luo Shu shook his head, then fixed his gaze on Natsuki's furrowed brow:
"Since Natsuki-chan brought up my homeland, as reciprocation, let me ask about yours."
Here, Luo Shu looked meaningfully at Natsuki:
"Is the prison barrier of Itogami Island still standing?"