Hong Kong Airport, aboard a taxiing plane.
Kurumi Tokisaki observed the pure-looking girl before her with keen interest.
Pure - that was the word.
Though she'd spent time in Truth Astronomy herself, even being called an angel there, none of its members she'd met possessed such purity as this girl before her.
Like an untainted lotus flower.
"The Cardinal Witches representing the Seven Deadly Sins? Rarely heard of, but presumably the core of Truth Astronomy's Desire Faction?"
Though Kurumi had spent time in Truth Astronomy, her knowledge was limited.
After all, she'd been an external recruit who defected to the Hidden Management Department after just six months - likely without Truth Astronomy even noticing her departure.
Naturally, this meant her understanding of Truth Astronomy remained shallow.
Shallow as it was, she did know about its internal factions, particularly the Desire Faction.
An extremist group of sorcerers centred around witches who had stolen the power of demons, indulging their darkest desires.
And their leaders were the Cardinal Witches, those who embodied the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Yes, we Cardinal Witches do form the Desire Faction's core leadership."
Emilia seemed inclined towards negotiation, and Kurumi's conversational approach encouraged this belief:
"And the Desire Faction... operates under the Witch of the Notaria's jurisdiction."
At this, Kurumi raised an eyebrow and remarked with some surprise:
"So you're planning to take me hostage to exchange for that Notaria Witch our Director has detained?"
Emilia seemed to pause for a moment before shaking her head and saying:
"The instructions I received weren't of that nature, but rather to seize the wind-attribute Spirit Liquid and deliver a warning to the Hidden Management Department."
As she spoke, Emilia looked at Kurumi Tokisaki with confusion:
"Speaking of which, if I capture you, can I exchange you for my teacher's return?"
"Your teacher..." Kurumi's lips curled into an amused smile upon hearing this: "If you really do capture me and apply to our Director for an exchange, the success rate would probably be quite high."
"Is that so?" Emilia frowned, speaking hesitantly: "You don't seem to be lying, but... why?"
"These details aren't important." Kurumi deftly changed the subject, looking at Emilia with keen interest: "Rather than such trivial matters, perhaps we could discuss something else."
"Something else?" Emilia was puzzled.
At this moment, Kurumi said with a mischievous smile:
"Miss Emilia, isn't it?"
"Have you considered... switching sides and joining us instead?"
"Our Director would absolutely offer you a very favourable deal!"
Hearing this, Emilia froze.
She, who had come to steal the Spirit Liquid, was actually being recruited by Kurumi Tokisaki?
Didn't Kurumi understand the current situation?
"Why?" Emilia looked at Kurumi in bewilderment as she voiced her question.
At this, Kurumi smiled and said:
"Because you have the potential to become one of us, and..."
At this point, Kurumi Tokisaki said meaningfully:
"And sometimes, what you hear may not be the truth."
"Perhaps the Witch of the Notaria doesn't want you to rescue her?"
Though Kurumi couldn't be certain whether Aya Tokoyogi truly wished to escape the Hidden Management Department, the current situation suggested she seemed rather content staying put.
As for Emilia, Kurumi had specifically activated Divine Pantheon detection and confirmed she was indeed a suitable candidate to join their Familia.
That alone was enough for Kurumi to pick up her metaphorical shovel and start poaching.
And Aya Tokoyogi's circumstances were perfect for testing the waters.
After all, hadn't Emilia said it herself?
Aya was her teacher!
Hearing Kurumi's words, Emilia forced a serious expression:
"Please don't joke about this."
As if responding to Emilia's words, the entire airport transformed into flawless white ice crystals the moment her voice carried.
In an instant, the taxiing aircraft froze in place.
Along with it, the surrounding hundred metres of airport grounds became encased in ice.
Amidst the pristine white crystals, Emilia exhaled lightly, her breath gradually freezing mid-air.
In this frigid landscape, Emilia looked solemnly at Kurumi and said:
"Please hand over that case."
No one understood the Witch of the Notaria, Aya Tokoyogi, better than Emilia.
She was an idealist driven by pure desire - one who sought to save all witches suffering tragedies, to change everything, and return the world to normalcy.
For such a person to be detained was already miraculous. Not to want to escape after detention? That would be a miracle among miracles.
Such a person shouldn't suffer such humiliation.
Just as Emilia grew serious, Kurumi looked at her with unexpected interest:
"Freezing... no, temperature manipulation ability, and... at the conceptual level..."
"Demigod? No, lacking that post-spiritual metamorphosis sensation. I see, a Top Tier Hero Class then?"
Instantly, Emilia's pupils contracted at these words.
Before she could react, a pale hand came striking towards her head through the air.
In this sudden ambush, Emilia reacted swiftly, raising both hands to meet the incoming palm.
BOOM!
Crimson-black lightning erupted between their arms as the frozen crystals shattered into a blizzard of ice fragments.
Their arms never made direct contact; instead, they collided as if separated by an invisible wall.
The impact sent ripples through space itself, black lightning scattering like fleeing serpents in all directions.
Amidst the swirling ice fragments, the impact tore away the eyepatch covering Kurumi's right eye, revealing her golden clock-like pupil.
Gazing at the gritted-teeth woman before her, Kurumi revealed a maddened grin:
"As I thought, you're no Demigod."
"The Hidden Management Department's... Demigod?"
Emilia stared in shock at the frenzied Kurumi before her.
To escort the Spirit Liquid, the SDS had actually deployed a Demigod?
And that appearance...
"A clock-like eye, you're..."
Clearly, Emilia recognised Kurumi Tokisaki and her identity as a member of Truth Astronomy.
But why would a member of Truth Astronomy be...
"Checkmate!"
Kurumi Tokisaki flashed a mocking smile.
At that very moment, a pale ghostly hand emerged from behind Emilia, stretching out from the black-and-red City of Devouring Time.
In that pale hand, a short-barrelled flintlock pistol gleamed with a menacing metallic sheen.
—Zafkiel's Seventh Bullet!
Bang!
A bullet capable of stopping time fired from the barrel.