Between the orbits of Earth and the Moon lies the space city Copernicus.
Though it was called a city, there were no towering skyscrapers in sight. Instead, there were rows of residential buildings no taller than five storeys, and a simulated azure sky.
Walking on the transparent automated walkway suspended mid-air, Luo Shu gazed into the distance. Beyond the orderly structures, he could see dense forests and lakes.
With his sharp eyes, he even spotted egrets soaring over the lake's surface.
"Not quite what you imagined a space city would be like, is it?"
Lacus's voice, laced with amusement, came from beside Luo Shu.
"Indeed, not quite," Luo Shu nodded, glancing down at the city beneath his feet.
It was called a city, but it felt more like a small town nestled in a scenic tourist area, exuding an atmosphere of peaceful, unhurried living.
"Actually, Copernicus is primarily a research city. Its main purpose is to conduct experiments that can't be performed on Earth."
"So aside from essential security personnel, most of the people living here are scientists or their families."
"Whether for the sake of their mental and physical well-being or for confidentiality control, Copernicus needs a comfortable living environment."
As Lacus spoke, Luo Shu turned his gaze forward. Through the transparent glass, he saw a colossal silver tower stretching into the sky—the central axis of Copernicus, its primary connecting point.
Centred around this connecting point, two massive inverted diamond-shaped pillars formed the hourglass-like structure of Space Colony Copernicus.
"So the other end of the central axis connects to the research zone?" Luo Shu asked.
It was a simple deduction—if this side were the residential area, the opposite end would logically be the research zone.
However, Ania, walking at the front, glanced back at Luo Shu and said,
"Sorry, but you guessed wrong."
"The residential and research zones are actually the same place. The other end of the central axis connects to our space military base."
"Eighty per cent of our warships and hazardous weapons are stationed there."
"In critical situations, those warships can strike any target on Earth."
Hearing this, Natsuki clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Tch, so those accusations from the Union about the SDS conducting dangerous weapons experiments weren't baseless after all!"
"No wonder I heard rumours about you getting the North American base to cooperate in an investigation. Turns out the real research was happening up here in space."
"You really pulled off quite the deception."
"As difficult as it may be to accept, lofty ideals must be backed by formidable force."
Lacus's expression remained calm as she spoke, like an endless ocean—serene, yet unfathomable.
Luo Shu found this side of her incredibly alluring, stirring an almost blasphemous urge within him.
"One hand wields the stick, the other offers candy—no wonder you managed to establish the SDS."
Natsuki Minamiya flicked open her folding fan, her azure eyes fixed on Lacus before shifting to Luo Shu.
"Thanks to you, I'm now stuck with this dangerous woman."
"Honestly, I don't have any noble sense of duty to protect humanity's survival."
Hearing Natsuki's complaint, Luo Shu couldn't help but smile.
"Funny, I don't have that awareness either."
"Quite a match for you, Natsuki."
"Tch." Natsuki Minamiya curled her lips in displeasure. This infuriating man was taking liberties with her again—utterly hopeless.
"We're here."
Ania, walking at the front, pointed towards the end of the passage ahead and turned to address the group:
"It might be a bit late, but let me say it anyway: Welcome to the Copernicus Research Base."
"I'm Ania Fortuin Sōmeche Mik Klauzenburgh, the base director here. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"
"What about me? What about me? I'm the primary director, aren't I?" Tabane Shinonono pointed at her own cheek, her face a picture of indignation.
Watching this scene, Luo Shu smiled faintly and extended his hand towards Ania:
"Luo Shu, Director of the Hidden Management Department. I look forward to working with you."
Ania narrowed her eyes slightly but still reached out to shake his hand. Then she sighed, pondered for a moment, and used a technique to transmit her voice covertly:
"I apologise for earlier, but I feel obliged to warn you..."
"If possible, you should calm down the female demon in your household. She's left her scent all over you—did she lick every inch of your body?"
"Just a heads-up: if other demons encounter this scent, there are only two possible outcomes. Either they'll despise the smell and kill you, or they'll be curious enough to come and have a taste."
"Neither outcome is favourable. You'd better weigh your options carefully."
The previously friendly atmosphere between colleagues was instantly shattered.
Luo Shu's face stiffened, feeling that even if he had ten mouths, he would likely be unable to talk his way out of this. What made it worse was that Ania was telling the truth, which made the situation all the more awkward.
Kisara, why couldn't you have just stayed calm back then?
But who knew that doing those things with a demon would leave behind a special scent and attract the attention of other demons? What kind of absurd setting was this?
'I really can't even begin to complain...'
Luo Shu sighed and stopped speaking, simply following behind Ania as they pressed forward.
The atmosphere progressed in silence.
As they advanced wordlessly, the group passed through several corridors. After security checks, they arrived at the Copernicus Satellite Monitoring Centre, where a massive 0.7-metre colour screen occupied an entire wall of the hall.
Beneath the enormous electronic display, Ania approached slowly, came to a halt, and looked up at the screen.
"This is the surveillance footage transmitted by the detector three minutes ago. The coordinates are directly above Akihabara, Tokyo, in outer space."
As she spoke, an aerial view of Akihabara appeared on the screen, gradually zooming out until the entirety of Japan and East Asia was visible.
"And what's displayed at the centre of the screen is our detected target."
The continuously expanding image finally locked onto a single point—a tiny figure.
A golden-haired girl, curled up with her knees hugged to her chest, floating in space.
"—A Spirit adrift in satellite orbit."
"Internal codename: Hoshimiya."