Chapter 164

Nana nodded in response through the stylish glass window. Presumably, with the hunter's eyesight, the mere dark glass couldn't block her disciple's hawk-like gaze... Well, mainly because Nana had given Typhon's binoculars some polarization and night vision capabilities; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to monitor that dimly lit street.

Without touching any of the items in the bedroom, Nana only briefly checked the clothes on the hangers and found all the pockets empty. She also noticed there were no paper items in the room before giving up on searching the place... anything that could possibly help her was definitely not in this bedroom.

After briefly memorizing the room's layout, Nana turned and left, silently entering the target study.

Of course, the house was locked... but as someone who always carries Master Key and lock-picking tools, the mere mechanical lock cylinder was opened smoothly in just twelve seconds of Nana's life.

Ignoring the dusty bookshelves that had clearly been untouched for years, the first thing Nana saw upon entering the room was the still-on personal computer... She gently roused it with the keyboard, and naturally, it had a password.

"Password..."

[... What mother?]

Remembering the days when she could always get the password by asking, and even if she couldn't get the direct password, she could still get advice from her manager... and replacing that with the little Typhon who was supporting her now, Nana thought for a moment and then gave up on seeking advice from him.

After all, for the Sami village girls, computer passwords might be something even more sinister than Demons.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly realized there's more and more to teach you, Mio Takeshi..."

While talking, he restarted the computer, then created a new user account with administrator privileges in safe mode and restarted it... Bypassing the system password itself is not difficult; the troublesome part is cleaning up the traces afterwards.

Without an agent to help with remote control, Nana could only consider hiring someone to handle the evidence of her presence later... While Nana was installing a mobile device to copy the target Terminal data, Typhon's binoculars revealed a convoy of six cars approaching with their high beams on, a stark contrast to the dim streetlights.

[Master...]

"I saw it."

The dark study windows provided Nana with ample cover, and the loading speed of the ICA-made portable hard drive was beyond question... It's just that this group appeared far too quickly, and their target was very clear: they were coming here.

Their old-fashioned Columbia Army uniforms identified them, and as twenty or thirty people pushed open the fence and filed in, even Nana couldn't help but frown... This group of people, making a racket late at night, looked just like bandits.

Despite Nana's repeated emphasis to Typhon that she wouldn't send someone on a dubious plane without a reason, from Typhon's perspective, seeing his Kitty Teacher being squeezed into a transparent corner of that building by a group of imposing figures was already extremely urgent!

My bow is ready to fire at any time...

"Don't worry, they haven't noticed me."

Using a special method, making only inaudible sounds from their throats, Nana and Typhon's communications went unnoticed by anyone in Atlas.

Seeing these people shouting "Director! Director, are you there?" as they entered, Nana unexpectedly received a brand new message from the author.

"It seems our target didn't attend the anticipated emergency meeting..."

[In other words, if they were to ride the dirt plane, this guy would slip through the net... and in a hunt, even a young herbivorous deer, if attacked with full force, could pierce a wolf's stomach... Is he the kind of character who would inexplicably jump out shouting for revenge?]

"... I think we don't need to talk about the dirt plane anymore... Besides, even if he's going to slip through the net, he has to be a fish first... I haven't even made a move yet, and he's already disappeared..."

[Fleeing to evade punishment?]

"... It might be an even worse situation."

Hearing the footsteps coming from below and the haunting sound, Nana calmly removed the hard drive containing the copied data. She then entered the command to delete the new user and restart the computer... The people of Atlas seemed certain that their target was not in the study, and no one interfered with Nana's actions.

By the time they began a thorough search of the second floor, Nana had already climbed up to the roof via the bedroom balcony... Generally speaking, people don't search for someone on the top floor, which has no function as a place to live.

After that, once the group leaves, he can quietly hand over the data to Anna or Lycoris for processing.

Just as Nana was enjoying the cool breeze and contemplating how smoothly the mission had gone, a sudden male scream from inside the house brought a few more lights back on in the mostly dark villa street.

"Ghost... it's Ghost!!"

The heart-wrenching screams drew the attention of the neighbors, who impatiently peered over to investigate. Forced to duck and hide, Nana was filled with confusion: how had she been exposed so inexplicably?

Just as Nana was wondering what was going on as the Silver Dancer withdrew her right hand, preparing to fight, the voice added:

"He killed the director!! Right there in the garage!!"

A garage? I've never been to that place before.

With the people who had searched the second floor all rushing down to the first floor, Nana finally had a chance to get through to Typhon's communication:

"They say the target died in the garage... Typhon, can you see him from there?"

[Light is shining through the large iron gate underground, but I can't see anything here... At least open the gate, I don't have X-ray vision... Alki might.]

"If I could predict the future, I probably wouldn't need any clairvoyance... although I certainly wouldn't use my abilities in that situation."

After a moment of silence, listening to the crowd below shouting things like "seal off the scene" and "the prosecutor's Terminal," it was unclear whether they were calling the police or trying to clear evidence. Nana leaned against the exhaust fan, gazing at the twinkling stars.

"I really should go down and take a look..."

[So...]

"No, we can't expose ourselves... Although I don't know what's going on, the general situation is that they're on guard against the 'Ghost'... And if I'm discovered at the scene now, wouldn't it make it seem like I really killed the target...? I haven't even determined whether he deserved to die yet."

[Um, I didn't mean to send them on a dirt plane... I meant, teacher, could you please look at the roof of the third house on your right? Am I seeing things...? I think I saw another... Kitty Teacher?]

Listening to Typhon's explanation, Nana took out a makeup mirror and peered slightly in the direction of their target... But it was nighttime, and with the Atlas people making a racket below, Nana couldn't see anything after a while, so she put the mirror away.

"I can't see from here..."

[... Hmm, maybe I misread it.]

"No... maybe it's true..."

[Teacher...] Ba

Nana is talking about things I don't understand again... It's understandable that Typhon would think that way.

But while Nana was puzzled by the current situation, she was also pondering another matter that was deeply concerning to her. She seemed to have experienced something similar before, when she was working with the sheriff's deputy... a period of inexplicably strong Empathy that shouldn't exist in theory.

That was clearly beyond the ordinary Sankta's understanding; Nana initially thought it was a manifestation of her own Collapse and loss of control... But if someone said it was another 'self' appearing in this world at the same time... Nana would be surprised, but not astonished.

Because that could explain the problems I'm facing to some extent... but if I take it as a hypothesis of some kind of truth, then it will lead to other questions... such as who is the 'Master' I heard in my ear earlier, and what are the numbers one, two, three, and four that he mentioned? Lu

And right now, on this battlefield surrounding the agent, the other side has lost someone who seemed to know crucial information... but it wasn't killed by our side... after all, the ICA has been ordered by the agent to cease all operations here, and Lycoris, the only one who could possibly act, has been given leave.

So, if he didn't kill him himself, does that mean that the motive that has been puzzling him all along—the missing piece of the puzzle in this incident—has finally appeared?

Nana now faces two choices... one is to immediately chase after the guy who seems to be another version of herself... or to check on the dead person in the garage below who won't leave.

The latter may not contain as much information as the former, but compared to the dangerous act of groping in the dark surrounded by multiple enemies, Nana thinks it might be better to see why Atlas is so certain that it was the work of the 'Ghost'.

As for why Nana hasn't acted yet despite the clear options, we have to mention a hidden option: immediately return to Typhon and evacuate.

After all, if the person Typhon saw was really 'himself,' then someone as sensitive to sight as himself couldn't possibly have failed to notice her observing him from the billboard... or rather, that prime spot would definitely be his primary area of inspection.

One's own disciple may be in danger; should one focus on the mission...? This is a question that must be considered when not acting alone.

Of course, relying on the power of the Demons and combining it with the Sarkaz spatial Witchcraft, Nana could also check the situation in the underground garage while protecting Typhon... But investigating the Security Bureau's mission using the methods of the Ursus Inner Guards on Columbia soil... that's just too sensitive.

Taking a deep breath, Nana weighed the pros and cons in that instant, but ultimately, it was the bright red uniform she was wearing that made her make up her mind.

She's no longer Assassin Seventy-Seven; she's Chief of Lycoris. Her agent demands that she showcase the ICA's image in a dazzling display, just like back then, and openly reclaim control of Laisenton... In that case, it's best to avoid using any underhanded tactics.

Looking at the structure of the ventilation ducts, Nana counted the number of exhaust fans on the second and first floors, and asked, pointing to her lips:

"Typhon, in your opinion, how long is this building?"

[My side... it's probably close to thirty meters long...]

"Thirty meters? I was wondering why. The bedroom and study on the second floor are only twenty meters in total. Is something missing from the walk? I thought I had forgotten to include the stairs in my calculations."

Recalculating the room's layout from memory, Nana looked at the extra ventilation ducts in the ventilation system and skillfully crawled into them... As viscous blood, like writhing chaos, gushed out of a completely enclosed safe room and formed a human shape, resembling Bloodfiend but actually a Sankta assassin, the young lady looked at the surveillance system hard drive she had never seen before and curled the corners of her mouth.

The constantly lit monitor displayed a complete view of the mansion's surveillance system...

As for the garage that Nana was curious about, it was a key target of surveillance with three cameras filming from every angle... Now, a stiff corpse was surrounded by a group of people in the center.

Nana immediately recognized that he had died from electrocution, seemingly due to a malfunction in the vehicle's Originium battery.

It does look a bit like he did it himself...

"Alright, let me see who's got the nerve... Also, Typhon... grab your weapon..."

Nana, who had started copying data again, had a faint Blacklight emanating from her left eye.

"You might become the prey."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

5th Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 179 Slightly, somewhat angry

You might have become the prey.

Typhon will definitely take Nana's words seriously.

Alki described Rong Nana as having a cat master who was the ultimate 'City Hunter'.

Despite the Cyclopes's assessment of the Void Constructs and prophecy, Typhon's interactions with the Snowfield so far suggest that she is not one to exaggerate or overstate the nature of such a creature.

Upon receiving the warning, Typhon had no time to guard Nana's surroundings anymore. He leaped down from the ten-meter-high billboard Typhon huge crossbow.

The Sarkaz's robust physique allowed Typhon to perform a dangerous maneuver capable of killing an ordinary Feline, and his years of experience leaping among the Sami treetops gave him the technical skill to land Typhon and retreat quickly... But, would that eliminate the danger?

No, the most dangerous moment is the instant you land!

The sharp blades flying through the air blended into the pitch-black night, the clanging of metal and the sound of blades cutting into wooden briefcases mingling together... Compared to the bustling scene of the Atlas across the street, the sound of Typhon's weapon case falling to the ground was barely audible.

As the billboard lights changed colors with the flip-screen advertisements, the briefcase with three daggers stuck in the withered lawn disappeared into the darkness. If it weren't for the empty briefcase still standing there, Typhon might have thought the confrontation just now was nothing but his illusion.

Using his briefcase to change direction and parry in mid-air, Typhon, now hiding in the bushes by the street, dared not move or even breathe, as if he had returned to the dark dream of being hunted by the 'enemy'... He was clearly under attack, but he couldn't even pinpoint the enemy's location, which was undoubtedly the worst possible situation.

Compared to fighting against evil beasts and nature on the Sami Snowfield, the intensity of human-to-human combat is far greater... The moment one's position is exposed, an attack will follow, and Typhon doesn't even want to be touched by that black dagger; who knows if it's covered in strange toxins or spells.

Or perhaps they were incredibly lucky that the first wave of attacks didn't involve firearms... were they trying to avoid alerting Kitty Teacher?

Thinking this through, Typhon, trying to blend in with the bushes as much as possible, casually turned off his electronic devices.

And if his 'account' goes offline, Nana will know instantly... This is his own distress signal.

But the problem is... when will our reinforcements arrive?

If the enemy were to check the crates he left behind, he might be able to launch another counterattack... but the darkness beneath the billboard remained untouched, with only the rustling of the cold wind.

'Teacher...'

A stalemate... a stalemate in silence.

The surroundings were so quiet that you could almost hear the ticking of the second hand on your wristwatch. In the darkness, as your senses became sharper, it seemed as if even the flow of time itself slowed down.

The pressure of "being exposed means death" blended into the night, seemingly attacking her from all sides. Fortunately, Typhon was best at dealing with fear... She had accumulated enough experience in similar scenarios in her dreams.

Darkness doesn't frighten the little hunter, nor does silence.

The massive crossbow swayed gently in the wind as naturally as the branches of a shrub, demonstrating how Sami hunters could become one with nature even in a foreign land.

Or rather, [nature] has never changed.

The fact that the enemy didn't attack suggests that the attackers lurking in the shadows also hadn't discovered their location.

The little hunter pondered this, persisting, his crimson eyes constantly scanning his surroundings...

She believed that everything would be alright as long as Kitty Teacher launched an attack.

[Number Three, reporting the situation.]

Hearing the irritated tone of his 'master' in the hidden earpiece, the expressionless short-haired Feline pressed the quick reply button for 'in battle'.

[Unable to reply? Is it a stalemate? Is it the target--?!]

Pressing the deny button, in the quiet night, listening to the commotion in the distance caused by her actions, the Feline girl known as 'Number Three' pursed her lips... Although she didn't understand the specific meaning of the word 'annoyed,' if she wasn't mistaken, she was indeed [annoyed].

The opponent was just a low-ranking Lycoris in a beige uniform, but her movements and responses were not those of a fresh graduate. Both the sudden sensing and response to the attack in mid-air and the current stalemate were quite unexpected.

Ultimately, if the 'Ghost' hadn't unexpectedly joined the police investigation, the 'master' wouldn't have been so anxious to send him to handle the cleanup work of the informant.

'Because he's a weakling, and knows where we came from, he'll definitely spill everything if the Ghost finds him... so we need to deal with him beforehand.'

The matter has indeed been resolved, but I haven't been able to find any written documentation proving the laboratory's cooperation with the government.

The director of that construction office, although he was a cowardly and easily manipulated guy, had indeed put a lot of effort into hiding things that were related to his life... In addition, Atlas returned much faster than expected, so he had to evacuate urgently after searching two houses.

And then, from afar, I met Lycoris's gaze... This is why I, who should have left long ago, am still stuck here.

Having learned the reason for the situation from the other team members, the 'master's' voice, though lowered, couldn't hide his annoyance:

[They have so much equipment... Oh well, based on Number One's observation, the Mercenaries seem to think the 'sponsor's' death was caused by Ghost. Let them just accept that interpretation... As for Lycoris, her area of operation has been noticeably shrinking lately. The police are already on their way. If Lycoris doesn't seem to have any strong combat intentions, let's just leave her alone.]

Negative... Negative Negative Negative...

Number Three frantically pressed buttons on the Terminal, and then, the 'master's' voice came through the earpiece, demanding an explanation: