Shortly after Chinatsu left her seat to go to the restroom, Shido, feeling a bit awkward, was trying to find a topic of conversation when his gaze inadvertently swept across the corner of the shop.
He paused slightly—the elderly couple who had been quietly sipping tea and exuding an aura of peaceful tranquility had left at some point.
In their place were two young women who looked to be in their early twenties, dressed simply but with an undeniable air of competence, sitting in the same spot.
Untouched refreshments sat before them, and their eyes seemed to casually survey the shop environment, but when their gazes occasionally met, they revealed a sharpness that Shido vaguely found familiar.
(Hmm? Where did that old grandpa and grandma go?) A hint of doubt surfaced in Shido's mind, but he didn't dwell on it.
However, Origami, sitting across from him, had subtly moved her light blue eyes when the two "new customers" entered.
The moment her gaze connected with one of the short-haired women, the woman gave an extremely slight nod and made the internal AST "Controlled, Secure" hand sign under the table.
Origami immediately recognized her teammates disguised as customers. Their appearance meant that the peripheral evacuation and substitution work had been completed.
The shop was now under AST control, and only their table, the "target," remained.
(The operation has begun...)
Origami calmly confirmed the situation internally, but outwardly remained expressionless, maintaining her usual placid look, as if completely unaware of her teammates' presence.
She merely pushed the menu toward Shido again, signaling him to order quickly.
Just then—
Wuu—!!! Wuu—!!!
The sharp, urgent Spatial Quake alarm, loud enough to instantly put the entire city on edge, tore through the quiet, warm air of the old shop without warning!
"A Spatial Quake alarm?!"
Shido stood up almost reflexively, his face filled with shock and tension. Almost simultaneously, Kotori's extremely anxious voice came through the invisible earphone in his left ear:
[Shido! Emergency situation! A Spirit has been confirmed, codename Nightmare! It is currently engaging the AST, and its movement path... Damn it! It is predicted to pass through your area! It's too dangerous here, immediately take Chinatsu to the nearest shelter! Hurry!]
(A new Spirit?! Why would one appear now?! And heading straight for us?!)
Shido was greatly alarmed and instinctively looked toward the restroom, worried about Chinatsu's safety.
Almost the moment the alarm sounded, the civilian cell phone Origami carried for emergency communication with the AST also vibrated.
She quickly checked it; the screen displayed an encrypted message from an unknown number, the content brief and cold:
[Plan changed. Guide target along the attached route to Shelter 7. The Creator Reverser is in position and will execute purification at the route coordinates. Execute immediately.]
Attached was a clear electronic map marking a route starting from the old shop's back door, passing through several small alleys, and finally reaching a large underground shelter nearby.
Midway along the route, a prominent red "X" was marked on the edge of a rarely visited street park.
(Sniper point...)
Origami immediately grasped the full meaning of the directive. Her mission had changed from close-range surveillance and guidance to personally delivering the target into the range of death.
However, for her, protecting Shido remained the highest priority.
The two of them received instructions almost simultaneously from different factions, but with a temporarily unified goal—to head to the shelter.
Just then, the restroom door opened with a "click."
Chinatsu walked out with a normal expression, her ice-blue eyes holding a suitable amount of confusion and a hint of barely noticeable vigilance.
"What happened? A Spatial Quake alarm?"
She asked, her gaze sweeping over the standing Shido and the still-seated but clearly alert Origami, also noticing the two "unfamiliar" young women in the corner.
(AST personnel... They move fast. It seems the encirclement is complete.)
"Y-Yes!" Shido quickly replied, his tone urgent. "We just got a report that a Spatial Quake has occurred and might affect this area! We need to hurry to the shelter!"
Origami also stood up and interjected in a calm but undeniable tone: "Follow me. I know the quickest route to avoid potential congestion on the main roads."
She shook her phone, the screen displaying the "safe" route. "We'll take the back door."
Chinatsu looked at the route map on Origami's phone, then sensed the almost vanished Spirit Power fluctuations within herself and the distant decoy lurking and emitting the aura of Welt Yang, and she sneered internally.
(They came, just as expected. Did they specifically choose a'secluded' path? Do they intend to make their move there?)
Outwardly, she showed a slight hesitation but quickly nodded: "Alright, safety first."
What she was thinking internally was: (The notification for Aha's mission hasn't popped up yet. It seems this 'date' will have to continue on the way to the shelter. Perfect. Let me see what 'feast' you've prepared.)
Thus, amidst the mournful wail of the Spatial Quake alarm, the three of them stood up, each harboring their own hidden intentions.
Origami led the way toward the back door leading to the kitchen area. Shido followed closely behind, nervously monitoring the surrounding movements, while Chinatsu walked last, the depths of her ice-blue eyes holding an ocean of extreme calmness.
The old wooden door was pushed open. Outside was no longer warm sunlight and old street scenes, but a narrow, dim back alley leading toward unknown traps and danger.
This forced "evacuation" journey was permeated with the heavy scent of gunpowder from the very start.
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