In the Familia Dormitory on the 5th floor.
A tall woman wearing a black strappy nightgown, her fragrant shoulders bare and ample bosom alluring, carried disposable cups and a large bottle of peach juice to the sofa. She sat down and poured a cup for each of them:
"Last night was quite the commotion, wasn't it~"
Enigma pushed a plastic cup of peach juice towards Luo Shu with a smile:
"How did it feel facing a demon noble?"
"Absolutely terrible."
Luo Shu took a small sip of the juice, then smacked his lips:
"Even with the world's innate suppression, the Apostle's Authority Prototype nearly breached my defences upon first contact."
"Challenging an Apostle at Hero Rank is undoubtedly the height of foolishness."
"Without the world's suppression, I'd probably have been severely wounded by that Viscount in a single encounter."
Listening to Luo Shu's self-deprecation, Enigma wore a helpless expression and sighed:
"The man who severed a Viscount's arm is telling me he couldn't stand against them."
"Hmph, are you boasting about your achievements to me? Or do you simply think I'm as easy to fool as Eriri?"
At these words, Luo Shu's expression turned somewhat awkward:
"Though I severed an arm, wasn't that due to multiple factors?"
Without Kurumi Tokisaki's time-stop on the Viscount, without Mukuro Hoshimiya forcibly sealing the inter-dimensional channel and cutting off the Viscount's power projection from True Hell, Luo Shu truly wouldn't have had the opportunity to sever the demon's arm.
One could even say that in such circumstances, surviving was already a victory.
"But in the end, it was you, Minister Luo Shu, who emerged victorious, wasn't it?"
After saying this, Enigma immediately regretted continuing the topic.
If this went on any longer, she feared she might fall ill from sheer exasperation at this excessively modest man before her.
"How are the cleanup operations in Akihabara progressing?"
At Enigma's question, Luo Shu leaned back on the sofa, tilting his head slightly to look at her:
"Let's just say everything's running smoothly."
"While I'm not particularly thrilled about rumours circulating that the Hidden Management Department dispatched a Demigod to resolve this demonic incursion, given the suddenness of the incident and the fact it's already public knowledge, we currently have no choice but to adopt a policy of non-engagement."
"No acknowledgement, no response, no explanation."
"That will be the official stance of both the Hidden Management Department and the SDS regarding this matter moving forward."
"If possible, I'd prefer to steer public perception towards the narrative that the authorities resolved the situation."
"Isn't that pushing it a bit too far?"
Hearing this, Enigma frowned slightly but understood Luo Shu's implication.
He wanted her to alter the facts when reporting back to the Hell Sect, attributing credit to the official authorities!
"As long as that Viscount maintains connections with the Sin Council, they'll surely know it was you who handled this matter, won't they?"
"What's the point of such deception?"
At Enigma's question, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow before chuckling, his tone laced with mild disdain:
"And if we admit it was us, what rewards would we actually gain?"
"Take Kotori Itsuka, for example - she was a member we proactively retrieved, and her very existence remains unknown to the outside world."
"So, setting her aside, what exactly has the SDS gained from deploying a Demigod in this operation?"
Here, Luo Shu gave a derisive snort:
"The answer is we gained no benefits while nearly getting saddled with blame - no, correction, we've already been saddled with it."
"Emma, your clearance in official channels isn't high enough to know what 'reward' the Joint Task Force has prepared for us."
"It's truly a magnificent prize~"
Luo Shu's voice took on a sarcastic lilt:
"The 7th Akihabara Joint Task Force! The only officially recognised task force composed of civilian organisations, granted equal standing with the Five Great Powers within Akihabara's jurisdiction!"
"Quite the generous reward, wouldn't you agree?"
Hearing Luo Shu's deliberately flat delivery, even Enigma could tell he was being sarcastic - no, he was openly contemptuous of this so-called reward.
"The sole honour being a civilian organisation replacing official forces... I see. Scapegoat contractors then?"
"Have the Five Great Powers - no, specifically America - reached some consensus with China?"
At Enigma's speculation, Luo Shu fell silent before sighing:
"What else can you expect when the SDS is an organisation capable of deploying Demigods!"
Excluding Truth Astronomy, where the Witch of the Notaria, Aya Tokoyogi, resides.
Nearly all Demigods in this world operate as lone entities.
Whether it's Hao Asakura or Twin-Wings Edelweiss, this holds true.
Even though they had organisations under their command, these individuals never displayed much sense of collectivism from start to finish.
Even Aya Tokoyogi, due to factional divisions within Truth Astronomy, found it challenging to mobilise large numbers of mystic-side practitioners into a regiment-like unit.
And at this time, the SDS emerged.
An organisation that possessed Demigods and could even deploy them.
In practical terms, there was already suspicion that Demigods were being used as tactical squads.
To some extent, yesterday's operation was essentially the SDS deploying a Demigod (a small tactical nuclear weapon) and achieving complete success, demonstrating to the Five Great Powers their capability to deploy tactical nukes.
Although the bureaucrats of the Five Great Powers didn't spell it out, Lacus immediately discerned this politically sensitive fact.
It was only because Lacus informed him in the afternoon that Luo Shu realised just how severe the situation had become.
Since the personnel mobilised to deal with the demons from True Hell were almost entirely from the Hidden Management Department, the Demigod was presumed to exist among its members...
And as the leader of this department, Luo Shu naturally became the prime suspect.
A newly established department, rapid promotion, the youngest department head, and crucially, a Chinese national.
Perhaps, in the eyes of some sensitive Americans, the Hidden Management Department posed an even greater threat than Japan at its peak.
After all, Japan back then didn't have nukes stockpiled at home.
Moreover, China had sent out signals of cooperation that very morning.
This left Luo Shu in a slightly awkward position.
America thought Lacus was nurturing a tiger that would turn on them, while China saw him as a promising young ally worth collaborating with.
Caught between these two, Luo Shu belatedly sensed the storm brewing ahead.
Anyone in this situation would feel frustrated, and Luo Shu was no exception.
Noticing Luo Shu's expression, Enigma stood up, walked over to him, and gently embraced him, resting her chin on his head as she asked:
"Are you regretting it?"
"Regretting how this operation's unexpected outcome has left you in this passive position."
"Are you joking? How could I possibly regret it?"
Luo Shu scoffed, then said with genuine satisfaction:
"At least I completed my advancement ritual. I just need the materials to arrive before I can begin my ascension."
"That's the greatest victory!"
Regardless of everything else, as long as Luo Shu could continue advancing, becoming a Demigod, then an Apostle, and eventually an Angel...
As long as he grew stronger and stronger, rising to power before anyone could react, most problems would resolve themselves.
The Five Great Powers might be confident in their ability to eliminate Demigods and maintain their grip on the world—but could they eliminate Apostles? Or even Angels?
Let's not forget, according to Kotoko Iwanaga's description, Angels are beings capable of wielding Divine Authority to cleanse the earth.
'I'll endure their nonsense for now while I develop a world-ending weapon, then strike back.'
'If Homelander can lord it over America, surely I can take a step back and play the role of a father figure, right?'
Just as Luo Shu was thinking about being everyone's dad, Enigma lowered her head and whispered in his ear:
"Though I can't help you resolve your troubles, I believe I can still assist in venting your frustrations."
Luo Shu froze for a moment, then looked up at Enigma. Seeing the woman's delicate, orchid-like face, he didn't hold back and directly swept her off her feet, carrying her straight into the bedroom.
However, upon pushing the door open, Luo Shu was momentarily stunned to see Eriri sleeping inside.
At that moment, Enigma wrapped her arms around Luo Shu's neck and smiled coquettishly:
"What are you hesitating for? Carry on! Don't tell me you don't dare?"
"Cheap provocation."
Luo Shu scoffed, then fell silent for a beat before adding:
"But cheap as it is, it's remarkably effective!"
With those words, Luo Shu chose to stack her on top.