"I'm not too clear on that either."
"When I heard the news back then, I also wanted to sneak closer to eavesdrop, but the other party was quite vigilant."
"That's all I managed to overhear."
Belle shook her head; she had almost been discovered while eavesdropping at the time.
Luckily, she hid quickly.
"...Is that so."
"Alright, I understand."
"Thank you, Belle."
"When Aya and I go back, we will investigate this matter."
Ling nodded.
Regarding this matter, she should discuss it with her brother after they return.
Or perhaps ask Aya if she has any recollection.
"Ling, don't worry."
"No matter who the enemy is, I will resolve it easily."
Hoshimi Aya said seriously.
After all, with her strength, it was almost impossible to encounter anyone whose true power surpassed hers, except for Hoshimi Miyabi.
So she was very confident that no matter who came, she could easily handle them.
"Oh, Aya, it's not that I lack confidence in your strength."
"It's just that since the other party is looking for you, they must have prepared a plan targeting you that we don't know about."
Ling frowned in thought.
At the same time, she felt that the difficulty of this situation was quite significant.
"It's fine, I'll ask around."
"Ling, I still have some things to attend to. I will notify you when I gather new information."
Saying this, Belle pulled Girl A away, and Anby and Twiggy followed them out.
Ling and Hoshimi Aya returned to the Video Store.
And they immediately informed Zhe.
"Sister, why don't we ask the Hoshimi Family?"
"Perhaps they would understand this situation."
Zhe pondered. Anyone targeting the powerful Aya must either possess comparable strength or have a method specifically designed against Aya.
Whichever it was, it was beyond their ability to handle.
So, the best solution for now was to seek help from the Hoshimi Family.
"No need, I can solve it myself."
"Or are you all lacking confidence in my strength?!"
When Hoshimi Aya heard Zhe suggesting seeking help from the Hoshimi Family, she immediately refused, mainly because she didn't want to trouble them.
She felt she could handle it; as long as the other party dared to show themselves.
She was certain she could resolve it. This was her confidence in her own power.
Even if the other side had a trick designed against her, didn't she still have Ling and Zhe?
They could surely diffuse it easily.
"Aya, the other side is going to such lengths to find you."
"They must have prepared a plan targeting you..."
Ling persuaded, hoping Hoshimi Aya would listen.
After all, if the opponent was operating openly, there would be less to worry about.
But those who stab you in the back are usually the most dangerous because you have no idea what they plan to do.
The fact that they dared to look for her meant they already had a plan to restrain her.
"...Fine."
"Then you ask."
Hoshimi Aya was silent for a moment before finally agreeing.
How long had she been here?
Why would someone be targeting her?
And have means to control her? Wasn't that treating her like a joke?
She knew that even Hoshimi Miyabi didn't receive such treatment.
Hoshimi Miyabi was only tricked by a minor scheme from the Praise Society, causing her Demon Blade to go out of control.
But for her, there was a direct countermeasure ready? It was truly ridiculous.
First, her strength could be called the strongest below the Void Hunter Level with a degree of modesty.
Second, she didn't believe that New Elyse even had such a powerful organization capable of directly targeting a Void Hunter Level individual.
Such a thing hadn't even appeared in the game; how could such a powerful organization suddenly emerge just for her?
After Hoshimi Aya agreed, Ling and Zhe called to inquire and also informed Belle about what she had said.
...
Garage.
Hoshimi Aya was practicing with a bow and arrow.
Since she couldn't access the Demon Blade, she could only practice this.
She was mostly feeling annoyed.
"Forget it, I'll go take a look."
Ultimately, Hoshimi Aya decided to go back to the place where she awoke.
Regarding this organization, perhaps she could find a clue in that Void where she awoke.
Or perhaps she was targeted by this organization only after she woke up.
She didn't lean toward either possibility.
The main reason was that both possibilities seemed a bit absurd.
She had been following the main group since she woke up; it was impossible for someone to target her.
...
A few minutes later.
"No, I don't agree."
"Aya, you are being targeted now."
"And you still want to go to such a sensitive place? What if the other party is waiting for you there?"
Ling flatly refused.
She genuinely suspected what Hoshimi Aya was thinking.
Knowing someone was looking for her, not only did she fail to prepare, but she was heading to what might be the most dangerous place.
"What if I can find a clue there?"
Hoshimi Aya asked, as that possibility wasn't out of the question.
Moreover, it was the place where she awakened, so it definitely held something special, although she hadn't noticed such a possibility when she first woke up.
But now, with Ling and the others helping, maybe they could discover something?
"Whatever the clue is, at least don't go there again until this matter is resolved."
"We are doing this for your own good, understand?"
"Because we still don't know what methods the other party has, nor do we know who they are."
Ling still refused.
The opponent could fail countless times, but they could only afford one mistake.
"...Fine."
Hoshimi Aya nodded silently.
She hoped the other party wasn't the type of organization that appeared out of thin air with strength reaching the heavens.
Otherwise, she would truly break down.
Because this could very likely change the plot, and many familiar storylines might also change.
This was what she least wanted to see. As for someone preparing to target her, honestly, she wasn't very scared.
At worst, she could just shout, 'Nine-Tails, let's fight side by side!'
Then she would enter an out-of-control state, and her strength would definitely surge.
The only drawback of this state was that she couldn't distinguish friend from foe.
"I'm going back to my room to watch videotapes."
With that, Hoshimi Aya returned to her room.
After all, worrying at a time like this was useless.
It was better to watch some videotapes for some fun, some fun.
However, when Hoshimi Aya got back to her room, she couldn't find the videotapes she had left there ready to watch.
"That's strange, I thought they were here."
Hoshimi Aya started searching her room.
But she couldn't find them anywhere. Finally, she found a box in a small corner.
Inside were several tapes without watermarks or labels.
"What kind of movies are these? Can they be watched?"
Hoshimi Aya inserted the disc into the computer.
The scene that appeared on the computer screen made Hoshimi Aya's eyes widen.
She heard muffled sounds of 'en en a a' coming from the computer. Seeing this, Hoshimi Aya didn't choose to close the computer and take out the disc.
Instead, she chose to keep watching, turning the volume down to the lowest setting.
"How novel."
Hoshimi Aya looked at the scene on the computer as if she had discovered a new continent.
All the worries brought on by the mysterious organization previously vanished completely.
At the same time, Hoshimi Aya unconsciously clenched her legs.
...
Half an hour later.
Hoshimi Aya had finished watching the first tape at triple speed and started the second one.
Just then, Ling, who had finished dealing with her matters, came upstairs.
As soon as she entered the room, Ling's attention was drawn to the box next to the computer.
Ling:!!!!!!!!
"Aya!!!!"
Ling rushed forward and shut down the computer.
"..."
"Can't I watch them?"
"I thought they were fine to watch."
"They are all novel films I've never seen before."
Hoshimi Aya's eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge.
But in Ling's eyes, it transformed into a different look.
"Aya, how could you watch such dangerous films?"
"You're not old enough to watch these! You're forbidden from watching them in the future!"
Ling quickly put the items back into the box, placed it in a cabinet, and locked it to prevent Hoshimi Aya from watching them again.
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