It was not difficult for Mugino Shizuri to realize that this mission was merely a power struggle among the higher-ups.
If the massive earthquake that had swept across the entire Island Nation, with Academy City's classified Second School District as its epicenter, had resulted from some director or research institution acting recklessly, the entire Dark Side would have long since received emergency orders to purge them.
Only the Board Chairman's authority could have prevented that.
The current lukewarm investigation seemed more like the Board of Directors exploiting the unstable situation to fish in troubled waters while skirting the rules.
-that was the extent of what she could understand.
Even so, Mugino Shizuri had no intention of getting to the bottom of it.
Whether "Dragon" was actually a weapon of mass destruction capable of casually producing natural disasters like earthquakes meant nothing to her.
After all, she wanted no part in the troublesome struggles between the leadership.
ITEM existed to prevent the higher-ups or top-secret groups from running out of control, and that job had to be done properly.
"Let's call it a day and head straight back."
With no reason to stay, Mugino Shizuri did not intend to waste any time and ordered a retreat.
Amid Frenda's cheers, the members of ITEM quickly secured their target and headed out of the building.
At the rear of the group, however, one member gradually slowed down, eventually stopping altogether just before they reached the exit.
Had anyone else acted contrary to Mugino Shizuri's orders like this, she would already have berated and questioned them.
But this girl's reaction alone was something Mugino Shizuri could not lightly dismiss.
She frowned at the girl staring blankly into the building.
"Takitsubo, did you find something?"
"No, but the AIM Diffusion Fields here... they're so chaotic."