I created a foundation

The volume of this video is not loud, but the sound filled with despair and collapse is like countless invisible ice needles, piercing the eardrums of everyone present and reaching deep into their souls.

Yotsuya Miko, who was helping to organize the documents on the other side, trembled violently and her face turned pale the moment she saw the video.

A bone-chilling chill, originating from the depths of her soul, surged madly up her spine.

In her [Yin Yang Vision], the video footage was covered in a thick, impenetrable, ominous black mist. The mist seemed to possess life, pulsating with the survivors' whispers and breathing.

"Kaguya-senpai..." Jianzi's voice trembled slightly, "This thing... is very dangerous."

She didn't need any more information; this indirect contact alone was enough for her to make a judgment. This was a being far more terrifying and ominous than any evil spirit she had ever seen before.

Kaguya's eyes moved away from the screen and fell on Jianzi's pale face. She nodded, her eyes becoming more serious.

"Shiyu, cross-reference the Foundation database with myths and legends around the world, and urban legends, looking for any records of anomalous entities associated with white, tall humanoid figures, and crying."

"Understood." Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression was more serious than ever. "We've started searching, and currently... there are no matches. This is a completely new, unrecorded anomaly."

Something completely new and unknown means the greatest danger.

"Eriri." Kaguya turned to the other side.

"Here!" The blonde girl stood up straight immediately, her usual arrogance gone from her face, leaving only the competence and determination of a Foundation investigator.

"Notify the Armed Forces and dispatch Mobile Task Force Mountain Ghosts to immediately establish a cordon around the incident area. The cordon standards are based on the containment protocol for Class A biological anomalies. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter. Violators... are authorized to be liquidated on the spot."

"Yes!" Ying Lili took the order and quickly turned and left.

Kaguya's gaze returned to the main screen, where the survivor's face, distorted with fear, filled the entire screen.

"An unknown, highly aggressive Keter-class humanoid entity suspected of possessing mental contamination or memetic effects."

She gave a preliminary assessment of the incident in an emotionless tone.

"Its trigger mechanism is unknown, its attack mode is unknown, and its upper limit is unknown."

Every "unclear" makes the atmosphere in the command room more solemn.

The Foundation's power is enough to subvert the world, but what they face are also these unreasonable terrors that are enough to destroy the world.

"Until its characteristics are thoroughly ascertained, no personnel are allowed to have any form of direct or indirect contact with the target. This includes visual, auditory, or any other actions that could be perceived by it."

Kaguya stood up, resting her hands on the cold command platform, and looked down at the red area marked on the battle sand table below, representing the Togakushi Mountain Range.

Her eyes were cold and sharp, as if they could see through the deep mountains completely.

"Phase One Mission Objective: Investigation. At all costs, find out what it is and... the rules by which it kills."

The order was transmitted instantly to every corner of the Foundation's massive war machine through encrypted channels.

Deep in the underground base, in a maintenance area specially prepared for the Mobile Task Force, the alarm lights rotated silently.

Twelve tall and powerful team members were wearing black special combat uniforms with mechanical efficiency.

They moved in unison, in complete silence. From specialized helmets designed to block mental contamination, to assault rifles capable of firing specialized psychic rounds, to the various high-tech containment devices slung around their waists, every one of them was armed to the teeth.

They are the sharp edges of the Foundation, the unsung heroes who walk the dark side, handling the dirtiest and most dangerous business.

Their captain, a man with a hideous scar on his face, took one last look at the operational briefing displayed on the screen before putting on his helmet.

His gaze lingered on the word "Keter" for a second, his eyes calm, with only a hint of the calmness he had long been accustomed to in the face of death.

"Mountain Ghost Squad, ready to go."

His voice was clearly transmitted back to the command room through the communicator of the tactical helmet.

Kaguya Shinomiya watched the light spots on the sand table representing the "Mountain Ghost" team begin to move, without any fluctuation in her eyes.

She pressed the talk button on her communicator.

"Order approved."

A cold voice sounded in the maintenance area.

"Enter target area, commence Operation Looking Glass."

Chapter 156: Elite Investigation Team

The air in the command room completely froze because of those two cold words.

"Operation Looking Glass."

Kaguya Shinomiya's finger moved away from the communication button, and her deep blue eyes reflected the deep red area on the tactical sand table that represented the Togakushi Mountain Range.

The Mobile Task Force, codenamed "Mountain Ghosts," is one of the Foundation's most cutting-edge conventional tactical units. Experts in dealing with known, quantifiable threats, they are the most sturdy cogs in the Foundation's machine of violence.

But this time, they faced the unknown.

The unknown means conventional tactics and firepower coverage may be completely ineffective, or even trigger worse consequences. In the face of absolute rule-based anomalies, mortal courage and armament are nothing more than moths to a flame.

Kaguya needs a more delicate and targeted scalpel.

"Robin, Shiyu." She didn't turn around, her voice sounded calmly.

"exist."

"exist."

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Nico Robin, who appeared behind her at some point, responded at the same time.

"Conventional troops can't handle rules." Kaguya's fingertips lightly slid across the tactical screen, pulling up two files. "We need people who can see the rules and break them."

Two girls' faces appeared on the screen.

One photo shows Yotsuya Miko, who has long black hair, a delicate temperament, but a look of fear in her eyes that others cannot understand.

The other one shows Busujima Saeko, who is heroic, holding a long sword and exuding a sharp sword aura.

"Yotani Miko's [Yin Yang Eyes] are the ultimate enemy detection unit against spirits, curses, and mental pollution. In this forest shrouded in unknown shadows, she is our eyes, our radar."

"Bukujima Saeko's [Zanpakutō Nosai] is the Foundation's most powerful single-target physical spirit-destroying weapon. If that thing has a core that can be physically destroyed, it will be our sharpest dagger."

Kaguya's thinking was clear and cold.

The strongest "shield" is responsible for seeing the danger and circumventing the rules.

The strongest "spear" is responsible for killing the enemy with one blow the moment the opportunity is found.

This is the optimal solution for handling new Keter-class anomalies.

"I agree." Nico Robin smiled and nodded, her eyes deep behind her glasses. "When sailing on an unknown sea, a good navigator is far more important than a hundred cannons."

"I have no objection." Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly gathered intelligence. "I have transferred the supreme command of Operation Looking Glass from the Yamagi Squad to the newly formed Narukami Task Force. The captain is Busujima Saeko. The vice-captain and observer is Yotsuya Miko."

"Notify them." Kaguya gave the final order.

……

Foundation underground base, A-3 training ground.

Sweat trickled down Yotsuya Miko's cheeks as she clumsily practiced the basics of the physical techniques Lin Qing had taught her. Her shared talent had given her physical prowess far surpassing that of an average person, but she remained a complete novice when it came to combat instincts.

Elsewhere, Busujima Saeko had just finished a thrilling swordsmanship practice session. She wielded her Zanpakutō, Nosai, after its Shikai stage. The massive, animal-bone-like blade formed a striking contrast with her slender figure. She closed her eyes, concentrating, regulating the reiatsu surging between her and the blade.

Suddenly, the personal terminals on both of their wrists vibrated slightly at the same time.

An encrypted instruction appeared on the small screen.

[S-rank mission command: Ming Shen]

The moment Jianzi saw the command, his pupils shrank slightly, and he subconsciously clenched his fists. It was that same feeling again, just seeing the mission code, as if an invisible chill seeped out from the screen.

But Busujima Saeko just calmly opened her eyes and sheathed her sword.

"Let's go, Jianzi." Her voice was calm and steady. "It's our turn to go on duty."

Fifteen minutes later.

A new elite team assembled in the underground hangar.

Busujima Saeko and Yotsuya Miko walked in front, followed by ten of the most experienced elite investigators drawn from various departments of the Foundation. They also wore black special operations uniforms, but their equipment was even more sophisticated and specialized than that of the "Yama Oni" team.

Amidst the roar, a state-of-the-art stealth transport aircraft soared into the sky and disappeared into the night.

Huyin Lianfeng, outer blockade area.

The transport plane landed smoothly on the makeshift landing pad. The hatch opened, and a cold, damp mountain breeze blew in, carrying the scent of earth and humus.

The forest in the distance, under the cover of night, was like a crawling giant beast, silent and exuding an ominous aura.

"All of them."

Busujima Saeko stood at the front of the team, her eyes sweeping over the faces of each member. Her voice was soft, but it reached everyone clearly.

"Now, repeat our mission."

"Phase One Objective: Investigation. Discover the target's true form, abilities, patterns of action, and rules of engagement."

"Phase 2 Objective: Assessment. Reassess the threat level and report to command."

"Phase Three Objective: Containment. While ensuring your own safety and with command approval, attempt to achieve initial containment of the target."

Her voice paused, and her eyes became sharper than ever.

"This mission is codenamed 'Looking Glass.' Remember the meaning of this codename: we're going to spy, not fight. Until you understand that thing's killing rules, all the weapons in your hands are useless."

"Everyone, check your equipment."

The team members immediately began to make final preparations.

"The mental pollution isolation helmet is operating normally."

"Life signal monitor, online."

"Cleansing Rune Magazine, reloaded."

"Most importantly," Saeko's gaze fell on everyone's tactical eyepieces, "[Prometheus-III] Image Filtering System, confirmed activation. From now on, the system will automatically filter and blur any visual signals determined to be high-threat information pollution sources. No one is allowed to disable the filtering system for any reason before receiving my order."

"Understood!" The answer was in unison, with a metallic texture.

"very good."

Saeko turned around and faced the bottomless dark forest.

"Set off."