Chapter 688: Video Call
A time of many events…
Kazumi sighed softly, the sigh like the gradually sinking dusk outside the window, carrying a trace of cold weight. She held her mobile phone in her right hand, the screen still displaying an adorable cat emoji she had sent to Satō Shin’ichi over ten minutes ago.
But…
Not even a reply from her boyfriend until now. The smile on the girl’s face slowly faded, returning to its usual coldness and indifference as she looked at the scattered dim yellow afterglow in the sky. It was obvious that this direct confrontation between the [Dark] Organization and the Heroes Association was a huge vortex, and Kazumi had already been deeply drawn into it, with no way to escape.
However…
Especially from Kazumi’s deduction, the Heroes Association, having received related news in advance and prepared thoroughly with countermeasures, was far from the professional heroes she had faced during the rescue mission. Dealing with them, especially in Kyoto, was no easy feat.
What’s more, the defending heroes of Kyoto and the first hero who had always stayed in Kyoto were not something the [Dark] Organization, crippled by Hamano Tsukasa almost single-handedly, could handle. Not to mention the other heroes from the Heroes Association headquarters and the strong practitioners from the Kyoto Police Department. The importance of Kyoto could not be compared to the previous minor areas on the edge. Furthermore, after the previous attack, the defense capabilities of the military academy had been significantly improved, not to mention that, in Kazumi’s opinion, this mission was completely a suicidal charge, with no possibility of victory in sight.
“I hope the leader isn’t just acting on impulse…”
She sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of helplessness.
Due to her level, the information she could obtain was too limited. She had no idea about the real situation on the organization’s side. Coupled with the state she felt from the club before, this action was unlikely to be a simple act of seeking death.
Of course, from another perspective, Kazumi’s heart also didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Danger and opportunity often went hand in hand, especially in such a large-scale conflict. The girl’s capabilities allowed her to gain greater harvests. Of course, this was on the premise that Kazumi could safely survive this mission.
Setting aside these issues, Kazumi was somewhat grateful to the [Dark] Organization’s leader, Kurokawa Iori, for his crazy action to break with [Thundery] Hamano Tsukasa for the sake of his ambition. It was this extreme behavior, which gambled almost everything the organization possessed, that gave Kazumi, an operative at the bottom, a good chance for promotion. The title of an organization executive was, for the former Kazumi, something that could bring more resources and a certain voice within the organization, a goal she had always pursued.
But for the girl now, this position seemed somewhat insignificant. Because placed before her was a more tempting offer from Kurokawa Iori: a “neutral faction” executive position, independent of the leader’s faction and the radical opposition, aimed at preserving the organization’s “seed of fire” and continuity. In the girl’s eyes, this was incredibly appealing.
From Kurokawa Iori’s words and attitude at the time, it was clear that within the organization, some people were already dissatisfied and worried about the leader Kurokawa Iori’s obsessive and reckless personality. Although these people might not immediately openly resist, the fact that executives at Kurokawa Iori’s level were already quietly preparing a “fallback” for the organization was self-explanatory—he might not even think highly of the organization’s future under the leader’s current policy.
This meant that this time, or in the foreseeable future, the full collision between the [Dark] Organization and the Heroes Association could be devastating to the organization. When that time came, a forward-thinking and quietly supportive new force, aimed at preserving the seed of fire rather than blindly consuming it, would bring potential benefits and development space far beyond that of an organization executive who clung to the old framework and could collapse at any moment.
“Hoo…”
Thinking of this, Kazumi’s breathing became unconsciously rapid, and her fair cheeks flushed slightly. The girl’s keen mind seemed to have deduced the enormous opportunity and immeasurable benefits she could leverage in this great change, relying on her special identity and current delicate position. The prospect was so alluring that it made her heart race, as if everything she had ever fantasized about was within reach.
“Calm down, calm down!”
She suddenly shook her head, extended her slightly cool palm, and patted her cheeks forcefully, trying to dispel the overly heated fantasies in her mind with a slight pain.
“The situation is unclear right now. Thinking about those is superfluous, just castles in the air.”
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging thoughts of future gains. Everything now was just a blueprint based on rumors and deductions, and next, she had to participate in an extremely dangerous battle. Instead of thinking about those distant and uncertain things, what was more important now was: how to use all the intelligence and information she could obtain to gain more autonomy in the upcoming brutal battle, preserve herself to the greatest extent, and seize opportunities for profit when they arose.
In this regard, the most direct and possibly most effective channel she could rely on now seemed to be her boyfriend from the White family, who appeared simple yet had an extraordinary background. Thinking of this, Kazumi picked up her mobile phone again. The screen was still dark, and the cat emoji was still in the chat box. Several tens of minutes had passed. Given Satō Shin’ichi’s personality and his affection for her, Kazumi would have expected a message if it were anything else. If there was no news, it was definitely because he was busy with his own affairs.
“It seems he’s really gone to gather information…”
The girl thought to herself, “I just don’t know if he went directly to Grandpa Sato, or used some other method?” After the last incident, it wouldn’t be the same as before, would it? (Probably). Recalling Satō Shin’ichi’s foolish actions before, Kazumi tapped her forehead a bit as if she were going to knock some sense into him. However, the young man was merely憨 (endearingly clumsy), and such a thing was unlikely to happen again.
Kazumi pondered for a moment and chose to select a pleading little cat emoji and sent it. “Hmph, this doesn’t count as prying. It’s just a little couple in love showing extra care for their boyfriend.”
However, at this very moment, the mobile phone screen suddenly lit up without warning, accompanied by a rapid and crisp exclusive ringtone—not the text reply she expected, Satō Shin’ichi actually initiated a video call! The sudden video call ringtone sounded particularly jarring in the silent room. At this time, the screen of the mobile phone in the girl’s hand was displaying Satō Shin’ichi’s cute red and yellow little sun avatar.
