I adopted a child demon from the Gap, and I'm a special agent for the Bureau of Supernatural Ab

Finally, Kiritsugu Emiya gently tapped the table, marking the end of this group discussion.

Of course, he wouldn't admit that he stayed at headquarters alone to smoke.

Everyone quickly dispersed and went home. Li Cheng, carrying the ramen he had packed to take back to Zi, slipped through a gap and went straight home, just in time to see Zi lying on the sofa fast asleep, with the TV still on.

Zi is getting lazier and lazier.

With a somewhat helpless sigh, Li Cheng placed the box of ramen on the table and opened it. The aroma of the noodles quickly filled the room. A moment later, Zi groggily raised her head, yawning as she sat up from the sofa.

"Ugh—, Cheng's back, so slow."

"Well, I'm not the one chairing the meeting, so I can't decide when I can leave. Oh, the ramen on the table is today's lunch, and it tastes pretty good."

As Li Cheng spoke, he turned off the TV, while Zi stretched languidly, letting a certain part of her chest sway up and down, before sitting down and picking up the chopsticks next to her ramen bowl.

"As for me, I actually prefer to eat the food that Cheng cooks himself."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it then. It's just too late this time, and I don't have time."

Li Cheng smiled and deliberately put his hands together in a solemn apology.

"Well, I'm not an unreasonable person, hehe, so please forgive me. But the operation is tomorrow night, so don't disturb my rest when you come back."

So you were listening in the meeting room back then?

"Also, will this be a lot of trouble? If they ask us for help, we're not unwilling to help."

Zi still had a smiling expression on her face, but for some reason, Li Cheng had a premonition that if he asked her for help, the twelve people in the direct squad would die immediately.

"...Uh, no need for that. Compared to the big scenes we've experienced before, this is nothing."

Li Cheng waved his hand and said to Zi with a relaxed expression, but at the same time, he silently added in his heart:

The premise is that the people in the direct subordinate team can act cautiously and not cause any trouble.

…………

This is the second update for today.

Without votes, I feel like I have no motivation to write Chapter 3 (hint)~

Chapter 4, Section 266: It's impossible for nothing to go wrong.

Many people believe that ruins are aesthetically pleasing.

The world that once belonged to civilization gradually declined and was destroyed after being abandoned. Such scenes always have a unique beauty and contain a soul-stirring power.

But at the same time, the ruins are also ugly.

Standing in this city, once bustling and prosperous before World War III, now desolate and shattered, Li Cheng could only feel a surreal sorrow. Only when he walked among the ruins of war could he truly feel the darkness that had once taken place here.

"Speaking of which, how many people originally lived here? More than 1.5 million, right?"

Recalling some of the history he had learned about this place, Li Cheng asked Emiya Kiritsugu, who was assembling a sniper rifle beside him.

"One million four hundred and ninety thousand."

Emiya Kiritsugu answered without looking up.

More than 1.49 million people...

During the Third World War, it was here that two transcendents clashed. The aftershocks and deadly poison destroyed the city. Almost no one escaped; the vast majority perished in the ruins, their bones dissolved and dried by the poisonous fog. There's even a saying that when you enter this city, even a gust of sand blowing in your face might contain the ashes of those who died tragically.

Even now, the rotten wooden floorboards covered in dust beneath Li Cheng's feet may have been stained with the bodily fluids of victims from years ago.

"So, are we just going to stay here forever?"

Trying not to think about whether he was stepping on someone, Li Cheng leaned against the wall and asked Emiya Kiritsugu, who was lying by the window watching the outside through the scope.

"That would be best. You should also understand what would happen if we really needed to be deployed?"

Kiritsugu Emiya's voice was icy cold; he was often like this during missions, and Li Cheng was already used to it. He simply nodded solemnly, then continued chatting with Zi through the contract link in his mind.

Zi, who was at home, was taking a bath in the bathroom. For her, who could cleanse herself with her demonic power, bathing was undoubtedly a form of enjoyment. At that moment, Li Cheng could hear a slightly suppressed groan from Zi, along with the sound of running water.

To make such strange noises when you're actually taking a bath, only Zi could do that, right?

Li Cheng leaned against the crumbling wall of the house, while Zi lay back in the warm bathtub. The two chatted casually, sometimes about food, sometimes about tea and appreciating flowers and snow. Finally, after Zi finished her bath, changed into her pajamas, and went to bed, Li Cheng rubbed his eyes and realized that it was almost 11 p.m.

In other words, the time for the operation to begin is not far off.

Have they started?

Li Cheng walked to the window and asked Emiya Kiritsugu, who was standing next to him.

"Not yet, but they've arrived at their designated location," Kiritsugu Emiya replied calmly.

The power of his realm silently enhanced Li Cheng's vision, allowing him to easily spot the direct subordinate team members lurking around the transaction site in the thick darkness of the night. He had to admit that although he didn't particularly like them, their professional level of operation was still commendable.

"One, two, three... twelve, hmm, have we arrived at all?"

The regular police officers had also assembled and were concealed at a slightly distance. Now, it could be said that everything was ready, and they were just waiting for their target to crawl into this trap.

Li Cheng stood quietly by the wall, waiting for time to pass minute by minute. Soon, it was eleven o'clock, then eleven-thirty, and then close to midnight. Tonight was a dark night; clouds and mist obscured the moonlight, and ordinary people could see nothing at all.

Soft footsteps sounded inside the house. Li Cheng turned his head and saw Lin carrying something as she walked out of the other room.

"what is that?"

Li Cheng asked with some curiosity.

“It’s just a photo,” Rin’s voice was slightly low. “It’s probably a family photo. Shin found it while cleaning the observation point.”

Li Cheng took the old photo covered in a layer of dust. The photo itself was a bit blurry, but it was still clear that it showed a family of four. The strong father was supporting two children on his shoulders, while the mother was holding the father's waist. All four of them were facing the camera and smiling foolishly.

"When I think about the terrible war that happened in the past, and then look at these ruins that still exist today, sometimes it really feels unreal."

Rin remarked with a sigh.

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, humans are inherently greedy and tyrannical creatures. Even now, the international situation is still very tense, isn't it? It's just that we're still too close to the last war, and those big shots know that if we start fighting again now, it could very well lead to the extinction of humanity."

A faint flame rose from Li Cheng's hand, engulfing the photograph in the next moment, along with the four blurred smiling faces, burning them into scattered ashes that fell into the dilapidated house.

"Let's just burn it as a memento for them, if they actually receive it."

Rin didn't speak, seemingly lost in thought. Li Cheng glanced at the usually carefree girl who had suddenly become quiet and artistic, but didn't say anything more. He returned to the observation point next to Kiritsugu Emiya, stood still, and looked out the window, waiting for the operation to begin.

Then he realized something was wrong.

"Wait, Emiya, what's going on with this car?"

He watched as one black car after another drove past on the bumpy, dark road, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"Yes, that's true."

After putting away his sniper rifle, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression remained as serious and cold as ever.

"The weapons deal was moved up by half an hour, and the number of people present was at least twice as many as previously expected."

Without the slightest hesitation, Kiritsugu Emiya immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and contacted the captain of his direct squad, the tall, bearded man.

"Let's retreat, Ghost Fist. The timing is wrong, and their numbers are wrong. Continuing our operation might cause problems."

Seeking stability in all things is Kiritsugu Emiya's consistent principle. When situations exceed expectations, preserving one's own forces is always the top priority. The Sixth Squad frequently encounters various high-risk incidents, but always manages to emerge unscathed, precisely because of the presence of a cautious individual like Kiritsugu Emiya.

However, Kiritsugu Emiya's own caution does not mean that everyone will accept his style.

"A B-rank magician, are you telling me to retreat now? Are you trying to order me around?"

A voice, simmering with suppressed anger, came from the other end of the walkie-talkie.

"I have no authority to order you around. I'm just reminding you, Ghost Fist, that the current situation is far different from our intelligence. Protecting your own safety is the most important thing right now."

Kiritsugu Emiya's voice remained calm, but his words seemed to have the exact opposite effect.

"Hahaha, hahahaha—"

On the walkie-talkie, Ghost Fist's suppressed laughter came through, as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous and was trying hard not to laugh out loud.

"Do you think our direct subordinate team would back down so easily? Do you think we're like those cowards in your Sixth Group who run away at the first sign of trouble? What a joke! Even if the enemy outnumbers us by three times, they still can't defeat us."

"We are—the most elite action team composed entirely of A-rank members, the strongest squad in the entire Special Operations Department! Do you know what that means, you little magician who's only a B-rank!"

After the last angry sentence, the other party immediately turned off the walkie-talkie.

"..."

It's like he's some kind of invincible A-rank magician. Doesn't this guy know how many A-rank magicians Kiritsugu has killed in his past missions? Putting aside everything else, there must have been seven or eight A-rank magicians alone.

Li Cheng pondered with an embarrassed expression.

Kiritsugu Emiya didn't react at all. He calmly used the walkie-talkie to contact Ryougi Shiki, Rin, and the believers in turn, asking them to come over to discuss the next move. Then he put down his sniper rifle, took out the old-fashioned pistol from his pocket, and loaded an Origin round.

Rin and her followers arrived quickly because they were together and close by. Ryougi Shiki, who was on the rooftop keeping watch, arrived a little later, but she brought news that the ordinary police officers who were hiding in a building in the distance had been attacked by gunfire. Although there were no serious casualties yet, they were suppressed by the firepower and could not leave the building. They would definitely not be able to support the direct squad as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the partially collapsed stadium, which served as the trading location, was engulfed in a series of explosions, and flames could be seen everywhere, indicating that an extremely fierce battle had already begun.

"To make a long story short, things have gone wrong. The number of enemies and the timing of their appearance are completely wrong; it's very likely we received false intelligence. If I'm not mistaken, there's probably another team coming to attack us now—"

Boom!!

Before Kiritsugu Emiya could finish speaking, a violent explosion occurred on the floor directly below where everyone was. The intense shock destroyed the already damaged floor, and everyone who lost their footing began to fall downwards.

In the end, did something really go wrong?

Looking down at the densely packed, sharp spikes standing upright below, Li Cheng couldn't help but think to himself.

Come to think of it, why wasn't I surprised when something went wrong? Could it be because I've experienced it so many times that I'm completely used to it?

…………

Thank you, reader, for pushing me to the edge of a cliff. Thank you so much!

Thank you to readers Yuan Guoli and Ni Wo Tui Xiang Ya Cliff for their monthly tickets.

Thank you to readers Moulei9, Meizhiyuanguoli, Dingye, Niwotouxiangyabian, and Fengyongsuiyoufei for their recommendation votes.

Finished at midnight!

We did it!

Chapter 5, Section 267: The Night of Chaos