Su Xiao walked out of the hospital's main entrance, followed by a yawning Bubu.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and most were vibrant students aged between 14 and 19. During the day, Academy City felt full of life and energy.
As he walked among the pedestrians, Su Xiao took out his walkie-talkie.
"Alester, I'm discharged."
For a long ti, there was no response from the walkie-talkie. Su Xiao tapped it a few tis.
Beeep, beeeep, beeeep~
A nearby pedestrian's phone rang. The pedestrian answered the call, looked puzzled for a few seconds, then handed the phone to Su Xiao.
"It seems to be for you..."
Su Xiao glanced at the bewildered student, then at the walkie-talkie in his hand, and finally at Bubu. Did Bubu drool on the walkie-talkie last night, causing it to short-circuit? After a mont, he took the phone.
"I've dispatched the Hound Troop to the vicinity, but whose side are you on now?" Alester's voice ca through, having intercepted the phone's signal.
"It seems my previous information was incorrect. This place isn't solely your domain. As for whose side I'm on, do you need to ask? Compared to that doctor's way of doing things, I prefer a simpler, more direct approach."
"It seems my 'old friend' didn't manage to sway you," Alester's tone had a hint of amusent. Su Xiao chuckled. He had a feeling Alester had known all along that he wouldn't join Heaven Canceller's side, as there was no connection between Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Heaven Canceller.
"Our ideologies don't align, so working together is impossible. I'll handle the aftermath of last night's incident. Once this is resolved, I'll et Tsuchimikado Motoharu."
"You will et him," Alester confird.
Su Xiao hung up and returned the phone to the student, who remained baffled, unable to keep up with the situation.
After the student left, two n in black suits approached Su Xiao.
"Mr. White Night, we're from the Hound Troop."
"Where are those two from last night?"
"The Tenth District. It's a complicated situation there. Last night, they t with a magic spy who sheltered them."
A Hound Troop mber handed over several docunts. Su Xiao skimd through them to understand the situation.
"What about Awaki Musuji?"
"Ms. Musuji is recuperating. She was seriously injured in last night's battle and is currently in the sa hospital you were in."
"Is that so?"
Su Xiao pondered for a mont. "If it's that hospital, we can contact her now."
Two hours later, Academy City, Tenth District.
The Tenth District bordered the Seventh District, located on the outskirts of Academy City. No schools were there, and there were only many 'experintal animal' incineration sites. The only juvenile correctional facility in Academy City was also established here.
Without outstanding research projects, the institutions here weren't affluent. Over ti, they beca dilapidated and eventually beca slums within Academy City.
Yes, even Academy City had slums. However, compared to the outside world, the slums here didn't face hunger or cold or struggle to et basic needs.
Many idle people gathered in the Tenth District, their violent tendencies activated by the environnt, leading to a high cri rate. Any student, especially female students, would avoid this place after 6 PM.
Alester tacitly allowed the poor security environnt here. To Alester, this was a dumping ground for useless things, reducing the risk of secrets being exposed to the outside world due to the poor security deterring students.
Under this tacit approval, the Tenth District beca notorious, with many groups of powerless individuals, known as Level 0s, running rampant. Despite their lack of abilities, they operated like terrorist organizations.
A black car drove through the Tenth District. The driver was a sniper from the Hound Troop, and the front passenger, also a Hound Troop mber, had a laptop on his lap, displaying several surveillance feeds. One specialized in sniping, the other in intelligence gathering.
In the backseat, three individuals and a dog were cramd together.
Awaki Musuji's pale face was pressed against the window, her eyes rolling back in annoyance.
"Couldn't you... get another car? I want to kill you all," she grumbled, glaring at Su Xiao. Wearing minimal clothing in the cramped backseat, she was almost sitting on Su Xiao's lap.
Su Xiao didn't look too pleased either. He wouldn't have been squished in the car if he hadn't been worried about the target escaping. Bubu was extrely adept at squeezing in.
Compared to the two of them, Bubu was much more composed; its small eyes seed to say, "Master, that woman feels soft, right?"
Bubu's fluffy tail wagged, occasionally brushing against Su Xiao's face. Seeing this, Awaki Musuji felt a bit vindicated. Her large chest was being squished, which was embarrassing.
Screech. The car ca to a sudden stop.
"Mr. White Night, we've arrived at the designated location."
The sniper in the driver's seat opened the door and retrieved a case from the trunk, quickly disappearing into an abandoned building.
In the front passenger seat, the Hound Troop mber handed out three earpieces, which Su Xiao, Awaki Musuji, and Bubu put on.
Climbing out of the cramped car, Su Xiao stretched his stiff right arm. Although he couldn't wield a sword yet, he could fight with it in 15 to 20 hours. But just because he couldn't use his right arm didn't an he couldn't fight. Besides, the enemy was more severely injured.
Su Xiao, Awaki Musuji, and Bubu walked towards a Forest of Fire bar. According to the intelligence, Kanzaki Kaori was recovering there.
A sign outside the bar read: "Open for three months, now hosting a welco and thank you event, discounts on drinks, 25% off for groups of two or more."
Despite noon, the discount attracted custors, with people entering and leaving the bar.
"It seems this is the place. The discount... just a cover to hide the target," Awaki Musuji muttered into her earpiece.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm in position, ready to provide fire support. Given the bar's layout, I need precise coordinates."
"No problem," Awaki Musuji replied, tossing a key-sized signal emitter to Su Xiao.
"Activate this; three seconds later, the location will face indiscriminate fire."
Awaki Musuji had experience working with the Hound Troop and seed unusually enthusiastic about this mission.
Or rather, Awaki Musuji held a grudge. She suffered severe burns over 60% of her body last night. Even with Heaven Canceller's treatnt, she wouldn't be scarred, but the mory of being roasted by flas lingered.
Su Xiao caught the signal emitter and led the way into the bar.
Pushing open the wooden door, Su Xiao found a bar that was not in modern style but more reminiscent of old European design. The interior was filled with round wooden tables, and the seats resembled wooden stumps.
"That student last night was pretty good; it was too bad she escaped."
"Are you crazy? Causing trouble in the Seventh District?"
"Bartender, another bottle of Fire Leech."
The bar buzzed with conversation, mostly from patrons between their teens and thirties. A short-haired woman in a purple dress moved among the guests, wearing a gold snake-shaped earring on her left ear. She seed to know everyone, frequently greeting or chatting with patrons. She appeared to be the bar's owner.
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