“We can’t just sit here and wait to die! We must strengthen our firepower!”
That afternoon, at the Hong Kong Hero Association Headquarters.
Hyacinth sat at the conference table, looking disheveled, and spoke to the serious-faced S-Class Hero Cobra nearby.
Hai Lan Shi and Red Zircon exchanged awkward, bitter smiles, but they strongly agreed with Hyacinth.
That morning, after receiving Hyacinth’s request for support, Hai Lan Shi immediately brought Red Zircon to assist, even driving a Hero Association van to pick them up.
Red Zircon had a driver’s license and was driving legally.
But Cheshire Rabbit’s terrifying firepower made everyone present quite fearful—heavy-caliber shotguns, heavy machine guns, and even rocket launchers, heavy firepower of that caliber, were completely incomparable to pistols or submachine guns.
“…So, Xin Yuehu and the others somehow got their hands on these military-grade weapons, right?”
The unsmiling veteran hero stared at the items on the conference table:
A SCAR-H heavy assault rifle, a weapon Nightingale had confiscated from the gray wolf Magic Girl Fenrir.
Under normal circumstances, it fired 7.62mm full-power rounds, and the bullets simulated by magic power also possessed immense destructive force, providing powerful firepower.
Although it couldn't compare to Cheshire Rabbit's heavy machine gun and rocket launcher, it was already a considerably weighty weapon.
“Yes, you don’t know what Cheshire Rabbit pulled out today! A rocket launcher! Such a huge rocket launcher!”
Hyacinth was agitated, gesticulating wildly, wishing she could project the scene onto a large screen.
The Maisui Squad remained silent, slightly relieved that it wasn't them who encountered Xin Yuehu today.
“You don’t need to worry about that. The Association is already allocating military-grade firepower to you, expected to arrive tonight.”
“In any case, today’s operation was eventful but safe. We will arrange personnel to investigate the situation inside the mall. Thank you for your hard work today.”
Cobra said calmly, with little expression, and after some polite pleasantries, he went to arrange the weapon distribution.
Everyone sat around the conference table, exchanging glances.
“So, next…” It was Hai Lan Shi who spoke first.
As a local Hong Kong City squad, following the default rule of local resident squads speaking first, Hai Lan Shi began:
“It’s time to discuss it, regarding the ‘mole’ Xin Yuehu mentioned.”
“…………”
Everyone fell silent, each of them fully aware in their hearts.
According to the notes Xin Yuehu had left for each of them at the start of this bomb disposal game, there was a mole among the Magic Girls, disguised as her familiar.
“Hai Lan Shi, you mean you want to uncover the true identity of that mole in this meeting, right?” Green Ivy spoke up.
“Exactly.”
Hai Lan Shi nodded, agreeing with Green Ivy.
“Our operation today should absolutely not have been exposed, so why did Hyacinth and her squad encounter an ambush?”
“How did Xin Yuehu know our investigation locations? Not to mention we attacked from three directions!”
“Alright then, let’s discuss it and see if we can find the mole.”
The essential meeting and Speech session for a werewolf game, commence!
First to speak was the Maisui Squad, who had been investigating in another location. Since the four of them had only gone to scout and investigate and had not attempted to dismantle the barrier, they did not provide any very valuable clues.
And according to the statements of Mai Sui and Green Ivy, no one in their team had displayed any strange behavior, so they were temporarily put aside.
The Maisui Squad was not cleared of suspicion, but they were also not confirmed to be the mole.
“Next is our side.”
Hai Lan Shi looked back at the members of her squad beside her.
Red Zircon, who was staring blankly with a cup of water, Gan Lan Shi, who was quietly observing those around her, and Zi Ying Shi, who was as silent as ever.
“My situation here is a bit complicated.”
“First, we originally planned to investigate in the afternoon, so we were all on standby and resting at the Association Headquarters. Who knew we suddenly received Hyacinth’s plea for help, so Red Zircon, who was the only one with a driver’s license, and I drove over to support.”
“Hmm, the four of us always acted together. At the Headquarters, Zi Ying Shi and Gan Lan Shi also stayed together. From beginning to end, they did not leak any information.”
Everyone looked at each other, speechless.
Especially Zi Ying Shi, who was already taciturn, was now being watched by many gazes, appearing quite flustered, yet not knowing what to say.
“So, everyone was at least in pairs during this time, right?”
Hyacinth pondered for a long time, pinching her chin, and said,
“Iris and Nightingale and I were also the same; we always acted together, so it’s even more impossible for us to have conveyed the message to Xin Yuehu and the others.”
“But how exactly did Xin Yuehu know about our actions? Since she herself said that everyone couldn’t use magic, she couldn’t have broken the rules first by using magic to detect our movements, could she?”
Iris, who had been silent, raised her question, pinching her chin in thought.
But this was not Xin Yuehu’s style. This Golden Fox had always strictly adhered to the rules of the game, being a woman of her word.
Especially since she had been very honest in today’s exchange of fire, not using magic to block them, and not even summoning Monsters as usual. She could be said to be very rule-abiding.
“…Unless, someone among us is lying.”
The speaker was Nightingale.
The words, once spoken, were astonishing, and everyone was momentarily stunned by this sentence, looking at each other with a hint of suspicion.
Seeing that things were getting a bit awkward, Hai Lan Shi quickly smoothed things over.
“Nightingale is right, but we can’t be suspicious of each other right now; we must cooperate.”
“Yes, since we can’t find out who the mole is today, why don’t we put it aside for now and discuss it again after tomorrow’s operation ends.”
“That’s all for today, meeting adjourned!”
Everyone left. Nightingale also put away the weapon she had confiscated from the table, holding it in her hand and examining it carefully.
“Nightingale, you didn’t have to be so direct just now.”
“Yes, everyone actually realized that point, but no one said it out loud.”
Iris and Hyacinth did not leave; they sat beside Nightingale and said to her.
“I don’t think there’s any need to beat around the bush. Catching a mole is a very serious matter and cannot go wrong.”
Nightingale tilted her head and spoke her thoughts,
“And don’t you two think that Xin Yuehu’s actions this time are very suspicious!”
“Oh? How so?”
Hyacinth raised an eyebrow and said.
She and Iris had been under constant fire suppression just now, heavy machine guns followed by large-caliber shotguns, interspersed with automatic rifles and grenades. It felt like a platoon’s worth of firepower was being unleashed on them.
They didn't even have time to pay attention to Xin Yuehu’s actions.
“I just went to dismantle the barrier node underground. The magic power of that node was very strange, and the barrier structure was extremely intricate. It constructed an unusually precise barrier with a small amount of magic power, which is completely not Xin Yuehu’s style!”
Hyacinth froze for a moment, then narrowed her eyes.
“Now that you mention it… Xin Yuehu’s barrier characteristics really do seem to be a broad and open style. Why would she use such a precise structure this time? Could it be to prevent us from dismantling it?”
“It doesn’t seem like it. Although that barrier was precise, the total magic power was insufficient, and it could be easily broken through with a large amount of magic power.”
They looked at each other, and a dangerous thought suddenly popped into Hyacinth’s mind.
“I say… Could it be that this barrier wasn’t set up by Xin Yuehu at all…?”
“But besides her, who else would set up so many strange barriers underground in Hong Kong City? No one would have the leisure to spend a lot of magic power to mess with these things, right?”
“Forget it, it’s better to believe it than not. Let’s think about how to act tomorrow.”
Hyacinth chuckled, hands on her hips, changing the subject.
The wind in Hong Kong City was slightly cool, as if winter had arrived overnight.