Let's Hunt to Our Hearts' Content!

But you can't see any of that on Mia's face.

She remained calm and composed, as if she weren't the one being strangled.

What's going on?

Just when everything was at a stalemate...

Suddenly, a strange smile appeared on Mia's lips, and her pupils, fixed on Mahiro, glowed with a cold light, revealing a gaze that was not human.

Just like Charles Sullivan, who launched the attack last night.

"The Fourth Laboratory's Body Adjustment Mage - Yotsuba Mahiro."

"You are without desire or want; I cannot sense any particularly strong wishes from you, yet you possess an unpredictable and intense hatred. And your body is undoubtedly the most perfect form that we all crave."

He wasn't sure if he was without desires or wants, but there was one thing he knew for sure.

This hatred was a gift from Maya, bestowed upon him by Maya's intense mental power when he was still a cell.

That was a desire for revenge against the whole world.

Although he may not always realize that he is too cruel to his enemies, his super brain often tells him to use his superpowers to solve the problem.

"Yotsuba Mahiro, I'll accept your body!"

"Oh, go to hell."

Click!

With a slight Yotsuba Mahiro snapped the other's neck. Neither Lina nor Sylvia had anticipated this sudden turn of events.

But they are now certain of one thing—

Mikaela Hong is a parasite!

The biggest blow was to Lina.

Although to her, Mia was merely a teammate, someone she shared a room with only a wall between them, with whom she would occasionally have tea and chat.

Even so, it couldn't change the fact that Mia had given her a lot of help so far.

However, now, the pair of empty eyes, devoid of life, revealed on that head that had fallen unnaturally, were frozen on her body.

"Yotsuba Clan, can you give me Mia's body?"

Lina had composed herself and stepped forward to make her request.

"Of course, no problem. I don't really need this thing, but... this isn't the end of the story."

"?"

Lina was puzzled.

Killing the parasitic body will also kill the parasite inside; this was an experience she gained when she hunted down and executed Alfred Fomahot.

However, now that the physical body called Mia is completely dead, how could it not be over?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, and just as Yotsuba Mahiro to activate "Lamenting Styx" to freeze the still-active spirit, Mia's corpse suddenly moved.

Even though the physical body was dead, magic was still used!

This completely defies common sense.

Suddenly, electricity crackled around Mia's body.

The lightning bolts bounced back and forth against the anti-magic barrier, and throughout this time Yotsuba Mahiro held onto her neck.

"Self-destruct?"

That's not the case.

Mia's body spontaneously combusted amidst the electric light, burning to ashes instantly as dry paper.

Then—after the ashes scattered and disappeared, magical lightning appeared in the empty place, darting around in the small space enclosed by Yotsuba Mahiro.

They attempted to use this to invade Mahiro's physical body.

But whenever lightning struck his body, the sparks melted away instantly, like ice and snow.

"Cast Dismantling"

The Psions waves enveloping the body completely Decomposition all incoming magic.

Immediately afterwards, a snowy hue filled Yotsuba Mahiro's Kurome.

"Lamenting Styx"

A cold wind howled in, rising abruptly from the ground and swirling around Yotsuba Mahiro.

A storm of frost swept through the vast living room.

A chilling aura, enough to freeze the soul, gradually spread through the air. Even a mage like Lina, who possessed extraordinary magical power and could drastically alter events, had to retreat.

Within the "Phalanx," the anti-magic protective barrier was covered in frost.

The energy phenomenon of lightning was frozen in an instant, and in the center of the flashing lightning, a non-material life form resembling an elf gradually condensed into ice crystals and solidified.

It was only the size of a golf ball, and eventually fell to the ground as a lump of ice.

It shattered like glass.

"Phew~ It's over."

The parasite inside Mia's body was beyond dead.

So there's only one thing left to do --

"Now, let's hunt down these damned parasites together."

That's what Yotsuba Mahiro said.

Night fell.

The Tokyo branch of the Maximilian Research Center, located in Shibuya Ward, was where Sue Hongo used to work and is also one of the secret bases of the deserter pursuit team.

However, even though Mia is dead, this has not changed.

And tonight, a strange visitor has arrived here—

It was a man.

She was tall and slender, with flowing silver hair that danced in the wind, and her strikingly handsome face reflected a pair of red eyes that seemed to illuminate the starry night.

Sylvia looked at the man with a complicated expression.

Without a doubt, this is Yotsuba Mahiro disguised using "Parade of Disguise".

The person assigning tasks nearby is the disguised Captain Angelina.

In contrast, a head of flowing red hair, while conveying the mission, swept across the team members present with his golden eyes.

Her cold demeanor was completely different from that of Angelina Kudu Shields.

It was their Major, Gian Hillious.

Meanwhile, the STARDUST members on the other side kept glancing curiously between Angelina and Yotsuba Mahiro, until Lina finished assigning the tasks.

"Does everyone understand their responsibilities?!"

"Yes, Captain Sirius!"

The members selected for this hunt for fugitives are all skilled in search and tracking, and have been equipped with skills that are not yet practical in Japan, such as the ability to identify Psions patterns and detect traces.

It's perfect for tracking these parasites.

"Captain, is it really okay to involve him?"

While the StarDust members hurriedly left to carry out their respective missions, Sylvia, who was in charge of communications, was not there. Instead, she came to Lina's side with great concern.

The main reason why Yotsuba Mahiro would join their search team was because of what happened in the apartment.

Yotsuba Mahiro says he wants to hunt parasites with them.

Their identities have been completely exposed.

In a very rare instance, Lina did not fulfill Sirius's obligation to kill the person in the know, but instead agreed to Yotsuba Mahiro's proposal.

Lina's expression at the time was also one of utter helplessness.

Just like now.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie. We... have no choice but to cooperate with him."

"I see."

Sylvia, who serves as Lina's adjutant and live-in partner, possesses not only exceptional domestic skills but also a remarkable ability to read people and situations.

Since Lina said that, she probably already knows.

It's hard to believe, but it's highly likely that Lina simply can't handle this man; at the very least, she's no match for him in terms of magic.

That's true.

Despite intelligence indicating that Yotsuba Mahiro is a member of the Yotsuba Family, he is able to use the same secret techniques from the Kudou Family as Captain-Commander Lina, and even the protective magic of the Jumonji family.

No wonder the Captain-Commander guessed that Yotsuba Mahiro would be a user of the "Scorched Halloween" strategic-level magic spell.

The probability is extremely high.

However, after all that happened that day, even she was exhausted.

She had no idea how things would unfold after that.

But most likely, Lina will be held accountable by those in power, right?

"Target spotted in the park area of Block 2."

"Only one person's reaction detected, let's attack from both sides. I'm moving to the right."

The hunters spotted their target and prepared to begin the hunt.

They were dressed in stylish coats, short skirts, black pantyhose, and ankle boots.

Disguised as a young girl enjoying a night out, a female magician hiding her USNA identity, she makes a suggestion to her partner while maintaining her original tone.

And they have already taken action, surrounding the parasites in the park, draped in coats, enjoying their prey.

But just then, a voice interrupted their communication channel.

"No need for that, let me do it."

Who is it?!

The voice sounded unfamiliar to them, but they immediately remembered the somewhat strange man they had seen at the outpost not long ago.

Then, they saw the man in the black coat suddenly appear above their target, his flowing silver hair, shimmering with moonlight, making him seem like the Lord of the Night, lurking in the darkness.

At the same time, he fell rapidly with the force of a thousand pounds, slamming his knee into the target and pinning him to the ground.

He placed his hand on the target's head, and a chilling aura emanated from him, instantly freezing the target.

With a slight exertion of force in his palm, the ice sculpture suddenly exploded, turning into ice shards that dissipated into the air.

After Yotsuba Mahiro spoke into the communicator again:

"Here's what we'll do: you guys locate the prey and report back, then I'll take care of it."

Yotsuba Mahiro took direct control of the team.

He didn't have time to waste with these people discussing who should be in command. Since these parasites had their eyes on him and those around him, he should prepare for his impending death.

On this point, Lina remained silent, offering no indication of refusal.

Therefore, even though these people didn't know why Yotsuba Mahiro was a person, they could only obediently follow orders.

After hanging up this call, Mahiro dialed another number.

Hello.

"Uncle Gong, this is Yotsuba Mahiro. Is it a convenient time for you to talk on the phone now?"