Chisato Nishikigi came from the Abyss?
And not just her—everyone at the café did?
Luo Shu was still reeling from that revelation when Chisato, arms behind her head in a casual pose, spoke nonchalantly, "When we first arrived in this world, we almost got gunned down by the Special Assault Team from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. There was a literal shootout. If the Boss hadn't stepped in to negotiate and use her position to guarantee us safe passage, we probably would've ended up as dissected specimens by now."
She dropped her hands and folded them across her chest, looking a bit troubled. "But even with her guarantee, we still weren't allowed to enroll in school. Seriously—back in my old world, I couldn't go to school because I didn't have an official ID. Now in this world, it's the same thing. It's... complicated."
"There's really such a thing?" Luo Shu asked, clearly stunned. "But come to think of it, Chisato... what exactly is the Abyss like?"
"Ah, that's hard to say," Chisato replied, scratching her cheek thoughtfully. She crossed her arms and looked up in contemplation. "The world Takina and I came from was, well, pretty normal. The tech was a bit more advanced maybe, but there were no warlocks, no psychics, no demons. Nothing supernatural."
She paused, then clarified, "Everyone at the café used to work for a government-affiliated agency back there. Uh, wait—would you call Lycoris agents 'spies'? Maybe. Close enough."
"We were doing a weekly deep-cleaning at the café when it happened. All of us were inside when—bam—we suddenly found ourselves in this world. A bunch of rats, roaches, and stray cats came along with us too. That's actually why we started cleaning in the first place—we spotted all those pests."
"But once we arrived here, the humans were fine, but those rats and cats? They turned into monsters. And they loved attacking people. Apparently, that's a unique symptom of something called 'Abyssal Descent'—at least, that's what people here say."
Chisato scratched her head awkwardly. "But honestly, if you ask me to explain what the Abyss is... I really don't know. One second I was there, and the next—snap—I was here. It just happened. And life back home? Super normal. No weirdness at all. It's this world that's bizarre."
Giant rats… Was that where the mutated rats on the news, the so-called "radioactive rats," came from? Could ordinary animals crossing from the original world through the Abyss really turn into monsters? Then what about humans? Chisato and the others all seemed perfectly normal.
As Luo Shu puzzled over that, Chisato, perhaps sensing his curiosity and eager to avoid further questions, swiftly changed the subject. "Oh right! I heard that some special warlocks called 'spirit mediums' have unique eyes that can see creepy things no one else can. But if they respond to those things—even once—those creatures descend from the Abyss."
Her expression grew suddenly serious as she turned toward Luo Shu. "Luo Shu-kun, can you help check if there are any weird things hanging around the café?"
"…Didn't you just say only special warlocks can see those things?" Luo Shu asked, deadpan. "Do I look like one of those?"
Chisato burst out laughing and patted his shoulder. "Haha, I was just messing with you~ This café is our base of operations, remember? The Boss installed all kinds of anti-Abyssal barriers here a long time ago. Even if you were a spirit medium, you wouldn't see anything unusual here."
Then she added, "Oh yeah—speaking of Abyss-related stuff, I'm guessing it was the Boss's wallet that you found, right? That's probably how she tracked you down."
Luo Shu blinked. "Wait… don't tell me that wallet was a special item too?"
"Of course it was! It's what we call an Abyssal Artifact." Chisato grinned as she nodded. "I call that one the 'Lucky Wallet.' It always gets lost, but once found, something good is guaranteed to happen to you."
"The Boss actually got her best weapon that way. She found it—right in front of me, too."
'So that wallet was that powerful? Dammit, I let her buy me off with just 200,000 yen?!'
At that moment, Luo Shu finally grasped just how dangerous Kurika Tachibana really was. That woman... she set him up with bait!
"All right, we're done picking clothes. Let's head out," Chisato said as she gave him a light push toward the exit.
"Wait, that's it? I don't need to try the clothes on?" Luo Shu asked, confused.
"No need, no need. My eyes are sharper than any machine, you know. I already figured out your measurements at a glance. That suit will fit you perfectly."
She paused, then quickly added with a cough, "Ahem, just kidding. Anyway, let's go to the armory now and get you your weapon."
She mimed a pistol with her hand. "It'll be your first time touching one of these, right?"
Luo Shu didn't reply—just held onto the suit and let her guide him out of the storage room. They soon arrived at a secure-looking door with a mechanical lock.
"Since you'll be using firearms going forward, Mika-san will snap your photo later and send it to the police department to register your gun license and officer credentials. Oh right, are you right-handed or left-handed?"
"Right-handed."
With that, Chisato expertly opened the door to the armory.
Click!
The motion-sensor lights flickered on.
Even though Luo Shu had mentally prepared himself, the sight still shocked him.
Inside the armory were rows upon rows of weapons: handguns, submachine guns, sniper rifles, and even single-man rocket launchers. It was a full-blown arsenal. He even spotted a drone fitted with a missile interface. Aside from lacking tanks and helicopters, this place had everything.
Seriously, was this SDS or some American military black ops team? You sure you're not working for US instead of the Japan?
Hands on hips, Chisato stepped into the armory with a grin. "Since you're a newbie—and a Wind Warlock at that—I recommend you just carry a pistol. Something for deterrence, especially when dealing with civilians."
"Anything beyond a handgun is risky for someone new. You might end up hurting yourself or someone else. Oh, but you should carry a few grenades. I heard that Wind Warlocks in China are famous for pairing grenades with their powers. They call it 'technical bombing.'"
"..."
Luo Shu silently watched as Chisato walked over to a counter, pulled out a pistol, and handed it to him.
"This is a SIG P226. Holds fifteen rounds, muzzle velocity of 350 meters per second, effective range of about 100 meters. It's one of the most beginner-friendly guns out there. Go ahead, see how it feels."
Luo Shu reached out and took the weapon, testing its grip. It felt decent—though, as a total novice, any gun probably would've felt decent to him.
Still, compared to his wind powers, the muzzle velocity alone was staggering. Bullets moved faster than sound. When he'd killed that mutated rat earlier, he could clearly see the path of his wind—it likely hadn't even broken the sound barrier.
So... was his psychic power too weak? Or was modern tech just that strong?
"Like it?" Chisato asked, watching him examine the gun with a smile.
"Feels pretty good," Luo Shu nodded.
Clapping her hands together with a satisfied look, Chisato beamed. "Then, in that case, would you mind if I take you to the shooting range right now?"
Luo Shu smiled in return. "I'd love to."