Snap.
The sound of a doorknob turning echoed.
"..."
Natalia, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, looked up, a cigarette dangling from her lips.
She saw a girl with orange hair walk in, followed by a girl with silver hair, and a cute little blonde loli...
"Miss Aozaki, you're here!"
The two Werewolves watching her greeted her respectfully.
Their voices conveyed gratitude and admiration, definitely not insincere words.
"...Mm."
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly, then focused her gaze on the cigarette Natalia was holding.
Having completed the Gene Lock release, even without fully unleashing her physical potential, she possessed an extraordinary keen sense of perception.
For her, who had been exposed to Magical power fluctuations for years, this sensitivity was extreme.
In fact... if she were to release to the third stage, not to mention basic operations like cutting bullets with a knife, she could even detect electromagnetic waves in the air.
So, upon entering, the faint Magical power signal emanating from the cigarette was immediately detected by her keen senses.
"Miss Aozaki... it's truly an honor to finally meet you."
Natalia's mouth twitched, trying to divert the girl's attention.
Logically speaking... according to the usual plot, shouldn't she be escorted by a few Werewolves to a luxurious office, where Miss Aozaki, as the boss, would interrogate her with a detached tone?
And... this girl's senses were far too keen.
In fact, an ordinary Magician would never be able to detect such a faint Magical power signal without the aid of specialized magic.
Because... this was the limit for the human race.
"...Put out her cigarette."
Ignoring the bounty hunter, Aozaki Touko instructed the two Werewolves.
"Yes."
Upon hearing this, the two Werewolves immediately pulled the cigarette from Natalia's mouth and extinguished it, then took out the cigarettes from her pocket and respectfully handed them to Aozaki Touko.
"Transmitting messages via cigarette, that's quite a creative method.
Could you tell me how you do it? I'm quite curious."
Taking the cigarette, Aozaki Touko casually pulled over a stool and sat down, looking at Natalia with a helpless smile, her piercing gaze subtly carrying killing intent.
"..."
Natalia's body stiffened slightly, then she smiled kindly and said, "If Miss Touko likes it, I can tell you everything without reservation.
It's not a very complicated thing itself; it's just the materials that are a bit troublesome!"
"What materials?"
Aozaki Touko tilted her head.
"...It only requires my bodily fluids."
Natalia said with a smile, as if making a very explosive statement.
"I see."
Aozaki Touko nodded, then calmly said, "Is it blood? That's not a problem; just extract..."
"No."
Suddenly, Natalia interrupted her, stating very frankly, "...What's actually needed is just ; my has special components that can secretly transmit information."
"..."
Aozaki Touko was briefly silent upon hearing that.
Meanwhile, Irisviel covered her face, revealing a slightly surprised and shy smile.
Her gaze unconsciously shifted to Aozaki Touko, her ruby-like eyes holding an indescribable meaning.
The atmosphere became somewhat quiet for a moment.
"Alright... we'll postpone this question for a bit~"
Skipping the topic, Aozaki Touko pinched her brow, feeling that this woman was deliberately disrupting the atmosphere, but she didn't need to follow this woman's line of thought.
"Now... how should I deal with you, the thief? Should I kill you as a warning, or exchange you for a sufficient ransom?"
"I choose to pay the ransom."
Natalia answered decisively, and took the opportunity to observe the "Magician's Egg" opposite her.
This was a beautiful girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with bright, determined eyes and a confident face, as if she didn't know what failure was, a girl shining like the sun.
However... unexpectedly, she didn't seem unapproachable.
"Straightforward!"
Aozaki Touko clapped her hands, smiling sweetly, "Given that you attempted to steal the most important secret of this company, which could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the future."
"I'll be generous; I won't ask you to pay hundreds of billions of dollars... you only need to compensate me two hundred million dollars."
As her words fell, Natalia's smile froze.
Looking at the smiling Aozaki Touko, she harshly discarded her previous impression of her as not unapproachable, and stomped on it several times with her foot.
This girl named Aozaki Touko... was clearly engaging in blatant extortion.
"Even if you sold me... I wouldn't have that much money!"
In fact, if she had two hundred million US dollars, why would she still be a bounty hunter? Although she wasn't entirely a bounty hunter for money, if she had two hundred million US dollars, she could clearly make better choices.
"...That's true."
Aozaki Touko showed an expression that said 'you're right', then turned to Beo beside her and said casually, "Kill her, Beo... consider it your lunch."
"Huh... Yes!"
Beo was slightly startled, then her gaze turned cold. The aura of a Phantasmal Beast erupted, and her transcendent, non-human status sent shivers down one's spine, making it impossible to even conceive of resistance.
"Wait a minute! Don't you think this decision is too hasty?!"
Provoked by Beo's aura, Natalia involuntarily became a little flustered. This was the succubus bloodline within her trembling; the child opposite her was a monster far beyond human comprehension.
"Should I still kill her?"
Hearing this, Beo looked at Touko, as if asking.
"Just a moment~"
Aozaki Touko smiled, "I thought it was a bit hasty too. So, let's lower the conditions a bit. You will work for me from now on until you have repaid two hundred million US dollars."
"...I understand."
Glancing at the innocent-faced Beo, Natalia gave up with a bitter smile. This Magician's successor seemed far more terrifying than she had anticipated.
If she were given another chance to choose, she would definitely not take on this mission again.
"Then let's sign the contract!"
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly.
Seeing this, Irisviel took out a contract document from her handbag and placed it on the table. Clearly, this document had been prepared long ago, with its contents already drafted.
Natalia: "..."
Big shot, you're so powerful, you could have just told me to sign it directly. Why go around scaring her first, and then bring out the contract? She actually had no ability to resist at all.