Chapter 690: Before the Wind and Rain

When Itsuka Shido and his group left the Mysterious Shop, their expressions were all somewhat grave.

During this time, because Yatogami Tohka had been learning to make snacks with Asuna, Itsuka Kotori had also gained some understanding of Lingyun. She knew that what Lingyun had said before was absolutely not a joke. In other words, this Takamiya Mana, who had been packed up and delivered to their doorstep by Tokisaki Kurumi, really could be Itsuka Shido's younger sister, and her lifespan might truly have less than ten years remaining. Every time she thought of this, Itsuka Kotori could no longer feel happy.

"Don't worry, Mana, I definitely won't let anything happen to you!" Itsuka Shido subconsciously gripped Takamiya Mana's palm tightly.

"Yes, Brother." Takamiya Mana revealed a smile toward Itsuka Shido.

By comparison, although Takamiya Mana's mood had indeed been low for a while after hearing Lingyun say that her lifespan might have less than ten years left, she had quickly adjusted afterward. However, the hand gripping Itsuka Shido's was unconsciously exerting a bit more force.

"Rest assured, since that man said before that he could take on this commission, it means he must have a way to solve Mana's current problem. If we really have no way on our side, then let's come find him!" Itsuka Kotori, who was on the side, suddenly said. "Besides, we don't know yet if that guy is just trying to scare us!"

"Brother, is that big sister really not going to live for much longer?" After Itsuka Shido and his group left, Yoshino asked with concern.

"That's right, I can feel that the time on that little girl is indeed running out. This feeling is exactly the same as the situation with those magicians I encountered on Nilier Island before," Tokisaki Kurumi nodded and said. "She has already overdrawn her own life force and converted it into her combat power."

"Then..." Yoshino still wanted to say something.

"Don't worry, your brother here, wanting to solve this kind of thing, is still not a problem," Bentiao Eya popped out from somewhere and said to Yoshino with a grin.

"Eh, Sister Bentiao Eya, who is called a salted fish by Brother Lingyun, you actually went out to buy things?" Seeing Bentiao Eya carrying a large pile of items, Yoshinon, who was on Yoshino's hand, couldn't help but let out a quirky shriek.

"Sure enough, Lingyun calling you a sharp-tongued Rabbit is really not wrong at all!" Bentiao Eya reached out and, annoyed, flicked Yoshinon's head.

"By the way, Lingyun, when I went to buy things earlier, I discovered that something seemed to be watching me in the dark, so in the end, I used the Small Teleportation Array you gave me to come back," Bentiao Eya put down the things in her hands and said to Lingyun.

"Something was watching you in the dark? It seems DEM has already discovered your existence," Lingyun's eyes narrowed slightly. "It looks like the other side's methods aren't bad; they actually infiltrated the entire Tengu City in such a short time."

"Infiltrated the entire Tengu City?" A smile curled the corner of Tokisaki Kurumi's mouth. "This is indeed a method of DEM!"

"Also, during this time, the number of strangers appearing in this vicinity seems to have increased as well. The strength of these people is generally comparable to a Stage 1 Gastrea, and some are even stronger!" Tina, who was dozing off on the side, said.

"If they were ordinary people, they would have no power to fight back in front of a Stage 1 Gastrea. It seems these people are not ordinary people!" Lingyun said. "It appears that Westcott should have gradually turned his gaze toward our place. Eya, Kurumi, Yoshino, you three should temporarily not leave here for this period of time. I think this is just the other side's probing for now; perhaps it won't be long before a direct confrontation begins!"

"No problem!" Bentiao Eya nodded indifferently. For her, the things she had bought back were already enough for her to stay home as a shut-in for a long time.

"I'll listen to Brother!" Yoshino also nodded.

"But what about the daily necessities for the shop?" Tokisaki Kurumi asked.

"These things, just leave them to us to buy!" Senju Kayo said.

"You all? That's fine, the other side's target shouldn't be placed on you," Tokisaki Kurumi nodded and said.

DEM Tengu City Branch.

Westcott stood in front of the giant glass window, looking down at the scenery below the building.

"Isaac, our people discovered a person earlier. After comparing it with the information in the database, we suspect she is Material A who escaped from Nilier Island," Ellen pushed the door open and walked in, saying to Westcott.

"Can you confirm this?" Westcott asked.

"This is still being judged, but there is one point mentioned in the report that makes me somewhat concerned. They said that after that person broke away from their surveillance, she completely disappeared. I suspect, could this situation have occurred because the other party returned to the Boundary?"

"Completely disappeared—this kind of method is indeed a situation that only appears when a Spirit returns to the Boundary. For this person, if she appears again, she must be strictly monitored!" Westcott said. "Also, if you really encounter the Swordsman, you must retreat at the first opportunity; those people will not be his match! By the way, how is the situation with the aerial warship Arbatel?"

"They are already on the way to Tengu City, and it is estimated they will arrive in these few days. But if we want to avoid the gaze of Ratatoskr, it will still take some time to operate," Ellen said.

"What about the situation at the Mysterious Shop?"

"We have now preliminarily locked onto the location of that small shop and are dispatching personnel to conduct a search. But that place is truly somewhat mysterious; we still haven't found that place even now," whenever this matter was mentioned, Ellen felt somewhat annoyed.

"No, I think it is your method of searching that is wrong!" Westcott said.

"The method of searching is wrong?" Ellen was somewhat puzzled.

"That's right. Judging from the style of this Mysterious Shop, the other party seems not to want too many people to know about this place, and if that shopkeeper is truly the Swordsman, then he must have used his own methods to conceal the existence of that small shop."

"In other words, if we want to find that small shop, can we start from the Spirit's spiritual power?" Ellen's eyes brightened.

"Looking at this sky, it seems it is going to rain!" Lingyun, inside the Mysterious Shop, looked at the sky outside the window and spoke.

"But, no matter what kind of wind and rain it is, you, Lingyun, can eventually calm it down, can't you?" Tokisaki Kurumi, beside him, chuckled and reached out to hook his arm.