"Mukuro Hoshimiya..."
Luo Shu stared at the screen, murmuring to himself at the sight of the ethereal girl with long golden curls, dressed in a pink-and-purple qipao.
"I had a feeling, but I never thought we'd actually find her..."
While Luo Shu was lost in thought, Ania, standing beneath the screen, spoke in a calm voice.
"According to intelligence from ground headquarters, we've confirmed that the girl drifting in space is named Mukuro Hoshimiya."
"Based on currently collected records, she stands at 148 cm tall, weighs 45 kg, and was abandoned as a child at the doorstep of an orphanage in Raizen City, Kanagawa Prefecture. At age eight, she was adopted by the Hoshimiya couple from the same prefecture, who already had a daughter. She mysteriously disappeared one year ago."
On the right side of the screen, photos of the Hoshimiya couple and their daughter, Mukuro Asahi, appeared.
Though their facial features didn't resemble Mukuro's, their clothing styles were strikingly similar. Moreover, in the family portrait, it was clear that there should have been someone standing to the right of Asahi Hoshimiya—or to the left of Mrs. Hoshimiya. Yet, the photo seemed to be missing a person inexplicably.
Ania's cold gaze fixed on the empty space as she explained.
"It's been confirmed that the Hoshimiya family has completely forgotten all memories of the target. Neighbours and anyone connected to the Hoshimiya household have also forgotten her existence, likely due to some form of memory-blocking ability."
"Based on genetic material from a fourth individual found during inspections of the Hoshimiya residence, as well as the target's life wavelength, we've preliminarily determined that the memory blocker is the target herself."
"Therefore, the Intelligence Department has assessed that the target possesses a certain memory-sealing ability and can sustain prolonged survival in outer space. Based on feedback from life-sign detection devices, the preliminary threat level has been classified as A-rank."
The threat rating system was a recent implementation within the SDS.
Ranging from the highest S-rank to the lowest D-rank, it provided a systematic evaluation to roughly gauge an enemy's danger level and determine appropriate countermeasures.
According to the rating standards, S-rank referred to top-tier Hero Rank individuals with Demigod-level destructive capabilities—such as Tatsuya Shiba, who wielded the large-scale destructive magic Material Burst, fitting this category.
A-rank, on the other hand, included figures like Rihan Nura, who commanded the Hyakki Yagyō, or Senhime Rin Getsu and Tōga, who had attained their Classes—all operating at this level.
Under the SDS's continuously updated protocols, when facing a B-rank threat, the standard procedure was to dispatch one S-rank operative (two tiers higher) accompanied by two A-rank operatives for capture, ensuring operational safety.
Of course, this was merely an ideal arrangement. In practice, actual circumstances dictated the response.
"They've already investigated this far?" Luo Shu was slightly surprised.
'Even family connections and physical parameters have been uncovered. Quite efficient.'
"This is largely thanks to the information you provided, which allowed Meer to locate her."
Lacus stepped closer to Luo Shu, gazing up at the screen overhead:
"However, during this process, Meer also reported encountering strange interference hindering the Intelligence Department's search for Spirits."
"For instance, individuals you mentioned—Kotori Itsuka, Miku Izayoi, Origami Tobiichi, and Nia Honjo—remain untraceable so far."
"Interference, huh?"
Luo Shu pondered who might be aiding the Spirits, but couldn't immediately pinpoint the mastermind behind it.
Unable to resolve the question, he sighed and refocused on the image of Mukuro Hoshimiya displayed on the screen.
Observing her serene sleeping face and recalling the intelligence just shared, Luo Shu spoke up:
"Let's upgrade Mukuro's threat level to Demigod Rank."
"If I remember correctly, her abilities revolve around conceptual manipulation—sealing and unsealing. This allows her to freely lock away objects or concepts, or conversely, release them."
"The target can likely open spatial pathways for teleportation, seal memories, or even access a living being's memories to infiltrate them."
"Based purely on the complexity of her abilities, my assessment is Demigod Rank."
"According to her own claims, her power could extend to sealing Earth itself, halting its rotation."
"Though whether that's truly feasible remains unverified."
Luo Shu had previously explained these details to Lacus, but due to the classified nature of Spirit-related abilities, only the two of them were privy to this information.
Hearing Luo Shu's remarks, both Ania and Natsuki Minimiya furrowed their brows.
The SDS's criteria for Demigod Rank included transcending typical biological vulnerabilities—retaining only the brain and heart as vital points—while wielding conceptual powers capable of manipulating abstract notions. With city-level destructive potential, a Demigod could essentially deliver a one-hit kill to anyone below their rank.
According to Luo Shu, Mukuro Hoshimiya's ability was even more dangerous than that of a Demigod.
Thinking of this, Lacus murmured softly to herself:
"If we're being serious, what level of power would it take to actually stop the Earth's rotation?"
"An Apostle who has condensed their concept into divine authority and wields it freely?"
"Or perhaps an Angel who has completely shed biological weaknesses and can cleanse a planet's surface on a whim?"
Luo Shu then thought of Mio Takamiya, the Spirit of Origin imprisoned within the Divine Kingdom, who served as the progenitor of all Spirits, and said gravely:
"Based on the information I've obtained, Apostles shouldn't be capable of stopping Earth's rotation. Only those Angels who have approached the realm of divinity could achieve such a feat."
"The reason Mukuro Hoshimiya's ability approaches Angel-level power is likely because her power originates from a higher source."
'Like Mio Takamiya at the divine level...'
Thinking of that woman—or rather, goddess—Luo Shu chose not to elaborate further and continued:
"In any case, to be conservative, we should treat Mukuro Hoshimiya as being at the Demigod level."
If Luo Shu's assessment was accurate, Mukuro's danger level was either on par with or extremely close to that of a Demigod.
"An indirect spatial ability?" Natsuki Minamiya fanned open her folding fan, pondering how to interfere with it.
Meanwhile, Ania was considering whether Mukuro's ability could be transplanted onto the Skill Demon Gods.
As the two were deep in thought...
In the corner, Tabane Shinonono squatted while munching on an ice pop of unknown origin, her fingers clattering away on the laptop resting on her knees:
"The intel matches the data! So that's why the capture drones I launched over there suddenly lost power—they were sealed!"
Hearing this mutter, everyone present, including Luo Shu, turned their gazes toward Tabane in unison.
Noticing the stares, Tabane looked up, blinked, then grinned foolishly:
"Why'd you stop talking?"
"Shouldn't we be focusing on formulating a capture plan now?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu flexed the fingers of his right hand one by one before clenching them into a fist right in front of Tabane.
Crackling arcs of electricity and dazzling blue-white light gathered in his palm.
This was the phenomenon caused by the Calamity Concept that he had absorbed from a thunderstorm.
With the concept coiled around his fist, Luo Shu smiled at Tabane:
"Honesty is a virtue~"
"Wouldn't you agree?"
Tabane glanced at Luo Shu's fist, then rubbed her head before mumbling:
"...If that thing hit me... I'd probably die, right?"
"What do you think?" Luo Shu said with a hollow smile, the lightning in his hand growing even brighter.
Seeing this, Tabane fell silent for a moment before slowly raising both hands straight up.
Fine, she surrendered.