"The requirements you mentioned aren't a problem, but..."
"Sigh." Lin Yun let out a quiet breath and handed over the photo. "Take a look at the target first."
"Fine." Guang Xi accepted it.
Five heads leaned in, studying the image closely.
The photo looked pieced together, clearly stitched from four separate surveillance shots.
The people in it were Cael, Makima, Asa Mitaka, and Reze.
Guang Xi's pupils shrank.
She went silent.
Seeing her reaction, Lin Yun continued calmly, "Relax. Your target is only this man, Cael. The others are listed so you understand the situation around him."
Guang Xi gave a faint shake of her head.
Lin Yun pulled out a chair, sat down, and folded her hands, speaking with measured confidence.
"Our undercover agents in Japan sent this information back. I will summarize.
First, Cael. He is... abnormal. He seems to have contracts with an unusually high number of devils. Not only does he wield the Chainsaw Devil's power, he has demonstrated at least four other devil abilities.
Makima, the Control Devil. Her strength speaks for itself.
The purple-haired girl is Reze, codename Pomu. Former Soviet KGB agent. For reasons unknown, she betrayed them and chose to stay with Cael.
Lastly, Asa Mitaka. Twin tails, quiet demeanor. Our satellites captured battle footage in Chiba Prefecture. She displayed abilities identical to the Gun Devil.
Our conclusion is simple. The missing Gun Devil pieces worldwide have likely been absorbed by Asa Mitaka.
Also, she and Cael are in a relationship."
"Hah." Guang Xi let out a dry laugh, tension easing slightly. "Lin Yun, you've got some nerve saying all that so casually."
Clatter.
She tossed the photo into the trash and looked at Lin Yun with cold indifference.
"Let me get this straight. My girls and I use a bit more resources than others, sure. But we follow the law. So why the hell are you handing us a suicide mission as punishment?"
Lin Yun frowned slightly.
"Guang Xi, you are the First Devil Hunter. Recognized as the strongest. And your four fiends are no joke either. With all five of you working together, this shouldn't be impossible."
Guang Xi gave a hollow smile.
"Cut the flattery. That kind of crap doesn't work on me."
She adjusted her clothes and continued calmly.
"If we are talking numbers, the only one I am confident I can kill is Pomu. Maybe. If everything goes perfectly, all five of us going all out, we might have a slim chance to instantly disable Asa Mitaka and Cael.
But if we take even one hit, we are dead. No second chances.
And then there is Makima sitting behind them like a final boss.
This is a death trap."
She exhaled slowly.
"I still plan to spend my days drinking, screwing, and enjoying life with my girls. I am not dragging them into a grave. I am out."
"Mmm..." Ping Cui hugged Guang Xi from behind, pressing her cheek against her waist. "Lord Guang Xi worries about us so much, I am touched."
Among the four fiends, Ping Cui was the most lively, always talking, always smiling.
Lin Yun rubbed her temple.
"Guang Xi, maybe we can approach this differently. The target is still Cael, but nowhere does it say you must kill him or take his heart.
We want cooperation. That is all.
No matter how you do it, as long as you bring him back to Xia Country and make him work for us."
She paused, her gaze sharpening slightly.
There was more behind that statement.
If Cael was taken, Asa Mitaka would follow. That meant the Gun Devil pieces would come along with her.
Two birds, one move.
Guang Xi raised an eyebrow.
"So what, you want me to seduce him?"
Lin Yun smiled faintly and spread her hands.
"You are attractive. Back when you trained in Japan, there was a man who chased you for nine years, right?
If a honey trap works on Cael, it is worth considering."
That was enough.
Ping Cui puffed her cheeks and stepped forward.
"Hey! What the hell did you just say? You want Lord Guang Xi to seduce some guy? Not happening!"
Cosmo raised her arms in an X shape. "Halloween!"
Weaving Brew lowered her head, silent but clearly unhappy.
Long's face darkened instantly.
She flipped Lin Yun off. "Fuck you!!"
She inhaled sharply, heat gathering at her lips.
Guang Xi sighed.
She turned and kissed Long without hesitation.
That shut her up immediately.
If Long actually spat fire and roasted Lin Yun alive, the consequences would be catastrophic. Guang Xi had no interest in picking a fight with an entire nation.
She was strong, but not stupid.
"Mmm..."
Long's anger melted away.
Guang Xi smiled faintly. "Relax. I like women. That is not changing. I am not ditching you just to chase some guy."
Lin Yun remained calm. "Figure it out however you want. We only care about results."
Ping Cui's twin tails bounced as she stepped forward confidently.
"Lord Guang Xi, I think we should take the mission. Honestly, it sounds easy."
"Oh?"
Ping Cui grabbed a red T-shirt with a map of Xia Country printed on it and pulled it on.
"The key point about Cael is not his strength. It is his identity."
"Go on."
"He is one of us. A citizen of Xia Country."
Ping Cui placed her hands on her hips, grinning.
"We head to Japan, find him, and I will handle the talking.
I will remind him where he belongs, awaken his sense of identity, and he will walk back with us on his own.
Japan has some nice food, sure. But we have better. Better food, better life, better everything.
That place is a damn mess anyway.
Cael will figure it out. There is nothing worth staying there for."
"Halloween?" Cosmo tilted her head.
Crunch, crunch.
Long, completely lost, started chewing on the bedside table.
Guang Xi nodded slowly.
"Not a bad angle."
She smirked.
"Alright then. Let's go bring that bastard home."