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If it can be linked to terrorism, armed officials will be deployed immediately.

No, considering that Odilia is the Great Witch… it’s not just armed officials; they might send heavily armed agents. Perhaps the National Defense Force or Special Forces in exoskeleton suits could also be dispatched.

And what comes next?

It’s obvious.

They’ll try to extract the ‘terror plan’ with a little more force, employing all sorts of methods like magic science, alchemy, spells, and psychokinesis. Psychometry will be a given, and they’ll likely measure heartbeats, hormones, and brain waves to detect signs of lies.

And in that process, the terror plan will be thoroughly exposed, ensuring American security.

American security is the most crucial thing; it’s the highest priority!

While freedom is a lofty ideal and a precious value that shouldn’t be infringed upon, citizens have acknowledged that it could be temporarily compromised in the face of a serious threat to their security!

What? You disagree?

That can’t be true.

American citizens definitely agreed.

To escape the threat of terror, to protect American security, and to ensure the safety of this land of freedom! They surely agreed to suffer from a “little loss of freedom,” willing to endure inconveniences!

Otherwise, the Anti-terrorism Law wouldn’t be in place today.

American citizens love freedom.

But they love the security that allows them to enjoy that freedom even more.

That’s all there is to it.

That’s why the Anti-terrorism Law exists, branching out numerous laws like tree branches, transforming into a web, creating numerous intelligence agencies like dew collected in the spider’s web.

Everything that has happened has been solely due to the citizens’ choices.

After all, America is a democracy.

It’s not a failed Red state, nor a dictatorship; it’s the world’s foremost advanced country where each citizen can exercise the power of a vote.

[Can we catch Odilia using the Special Anti-terrorism Law?]

Thus, it is legal to detain Odilia, who seems connected to terrorism for investigation.

[It’s possible, this is confirmed.]

[Odilia’s departure has been confirmed. She left for Russia about 10 minutes ago.]

[Oh, what a loss.]

But sadly for the intelligence agencies, and fortunately for Odilia, she boarded a plane to Russia.

Just 10 minutes before discussing her treatment!

It was truly a hair’s breadth away.

It was a real disappointment for the intelligence agencies.

And Odilia, unaware that they were planning to capture her, had remarkably good fortune.

[Is Saigo Rise in the same situation?]

[Saigo Rise was also confirmed to have departed from the same airport. She boarded a flight to Japan 10 minutes earlier than Odilia.]

[Tsk.]

And the same goes for Rise.

Although not as dangerous as the Great Witch, she could still be taken in more politely than Odilia, but she too flew out.

Unless the airplane turning back is possible, capturing the two is impossible. Well, if the evidence is solid, requesting cooperation from the country that the plane lands in to detain them could work…

But right now, they have no evidence, not even sufficient suspicion, so that won’t happen.

The intelligence agencies swallowed their disappointment and decided to contact ‘Skinwalker K-B.’

The one responsible for colliding with America’s precious Shaman.

The sinister figure who attempted to frame the young Shaman from our ally, Korea.

What exactly was this suspicious shaman planning to do in America?

There was no choice but to ask him directly.

Of course, that question was bound to be a bit macho.

Skinwalker K-B was now intertwined with the valuable security of America.

And he was, after all, a ‘foreigner.’

* * *

When the agents entered the hotel, the scene before them was a part of daily life.

“Hm. It doesn’t look like the site of a clash at all.”

There was no sign of anything unusual in the hotel.

Guests were sipping coffee while looking outside, bellboys busily carrying luggage, hotel employees impeccably dressed attending to clients, and couples—some clearly wealthy young couples and others obviously middle-aged adulterous pairs—filled the place.

It was simply an ordinary hotel scene seen in everyday life.

It was hard to believe that just yesterday there was a blackout, and something had been done through magic here.

The agents found the tranquility suspicious and naturally rented a room.

Perhaps due to it being a hotel catering to tourists, the prices were a bit high, but—what can you do if you need it?

So they took the elevator upstairs.

As soon as they entered the rented room and locked the door securely, they began unpacking the equipment brought in their suitcases.

They activated a clunky device that looked like it had a battery with an antenna to block eavesdropping, then pulled out an apparatus resembling a thermal camera to scan the room. Finally, they took out a device that looked like a Geiger counter, which could detect the various energy waves generated when using magic.

It could basically be called a makeshift magic detector.

Of course, it would ring simply if energies mixed together, so the accuracy and reliability were questionable… but it was a choice that had to be made since having something was better than nothing.

“Okay. This should be enough to keep us safe.”

“Let’s fly the drone quickly.”

But isn’t that how things go in the field?

A little harsh, a bit dangerous, that sort of thing.

The agents were grateful for the equipment they had at least.

What they unpacked next was a small drone.

A drone smaller than an adult’s palm.

Moreover, it was made of a transparent material that didn’t reflect light, making it difficult to spot at a glance. Despite its small size, it was equipped with a high-resolution camera.

Whirring.

As an agent manipulated the remote control, the drone activated with a small mechanical sound.

It then rose into the air with a sound quieter than the numerous noises outside, swiftly exiting through the open window and gradually gaining altitude.

The drone successfully reached the room where ‘Skinwalker K-B’ was staying.

It began capturing the room’s scenes.

“Hmmm…”

The footage of the room captured by the drone was ordinary.

Though it was a suite, a little luxurious, there was nothing special about it.

It was so clean that it seemed like someone had just come in and tidied up, raising doubts about whether anyone had even been staying there. It was hard to believe that Odilia and Saigo Rise had been there just a short while ago.

The agents were left wondering, “Is it really true that Skinwalker K-B is here?”

Had he, like Odilia and Saigo Rise, flown off to somewhere else, or snuck out of the hotel to do something?

But such doubts faded quickly.

Because Skinwalker K-B was indeed caught on the drone’s camera.

“Wow.”

The image of Skinwalker K-B on the camera felt sinister.

Dressed in a suit, he stood oddly in a shadow, partially obscured, whether by the shadow or glass reflecting light, revealing nothing above his neck.

That appearance evoked a creepy and unsettling feel, reminiscent of a serial killer or monster from a horror film at midnight.

“Can we get a shot of his face?”

“Let’s give it a try.”

Moreover, that eeriness amplified as the face couldn’t be captured despite continually changing camera modes.

It’s strange.

Using technology such as infrared or other components to penetrate the darkness, it should have been able to capture a person’s face in such shadowy conditions.

How could it fail to shoot the face of someone standing in that shadow?

Unless the person had no face at all—

“…Tsk.”

One agent clicked their tongue as such thoughts crossed their mind.

Then, thinking perhaps they were just exhausted from working too many night shifts to be imagining all that, they silently rose from their seat. When the other agents silently inquired where they were going, he pointed to the bathroom with his finger and quietly entered to wash his face.

To shake off the fatigue with cold water.

Swish.

Cold water poured down, sweeping across his face.

The agent lifted his dripping face to look into the mirror, confirming his tired appearance reflected back and let out a silent sigh.

He stroked his unshaven jaw, glancing at the mirror for a moment before lowering his head again.

To wash his face once more.

The agent reflected in the mirror followed his actions identically.

Lowering his head, bringing his hands to the faucet, pooling the water in his hands, gazing at the water momentarily, adjusting his hands just so to make the water reflect like a mirror, tilting it slightly to angle the water towards the mirror, lifting his gaze slightly, and roughly splashing water on his face.

And then, suddenly removing his hands from his face, their eyes widening as they made eye contact.

“…Huh?”

Oh.

Well, isn’t this just great?

Caught!

 

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