"Yumiko, look there."
I pointed on a vacant lot big enough for a megamall to be built not far from a farm near the edge of our city. It's devoid of people currently but something didn't feel right. From my eyes, the area was covered by a dense clump of Dark Energy which turned it into something like a concealed space.
If I didn't focus on it, I would've passed it off as something normal.
Compared to what I've seen in the fortress back in the World of Spirits, this one created an illusion that everything's fine and there's nothing wrong in its surroundings.
From the time we left our house, we're mostly walking on foot to scan anyone within our range. Yumiko will only occasionally fly while holding onto me for us to scout the area.
Well, there's someone else besides us and it's more efficient this way, the traces of the Dark Energy could be seen better on land than on air, especially if it is too thin.
Even if the Corrupted Humans contained the Dark Energy inside them, it won't be perfect. A little of it will slowly ooze out of them which can leave traces in the atmosphere. And since the Earth was currently devoid of its Source Energy, those energy traces from the Corrupted will probably stand out to those with keen senses when it comes to energies.
Yumiko followed my arm to see where I was pointing at. Though she's also a bit sensitive with energy, it's probably harder for her to detect it from up here.
After a few seconds of concentrating at that area, Yumiko exclaimed which means she finally saw what I'm pointing at.
"Uhm. Let's slowly go there. We don't know when it appeared."
Yumiko suggested to me after marking the place in her memory.
"Right. For now, we have to be cautious to not alert them. Even if they're weak, it's better to count on any possibilities. Let's first infiltrate inside. I'll prepare the Orb of Concealment so we can leave if it really became dangerous. Listen…"
Yumiko nodded at my response and listened to what I cooked up for our infiltration while we slowly descended back on the ground where the EDA Soldier named Godai was waiting.
Upon seeing us approaching from above, he stood up in attention. Though he still looks like a soldier from what he's wearing, his posture right now was different from earlier.
"Uhh. Do I need to go with you? Sir?"
The soldier Godai asked timidly after telling him our plan.
What's wrong with this guy? He suddenly displayed this kind of act after he saw Yumiko flying to the sky.
"You've been trained and sent to another world, don't tell me you're scared?"
I asked him and that just made him shrink back.
Ah. He's probably not aware of the real nature of the Heroes, we look young after all. So when he saw Yumiko spread her wings and flew up the sky, he got the realization that we're different from him. He's just a Rank 1 Mortal whereas Yumiko is already a Rank 5. Well, I'm a Rank 5 too after registering 4 more Heroes before we left for our vacation.
"Uhh. I'm not used to fighting, sir. I'm more specialized in a support role."
Godai answered as he tried to stay firm. He had training, alright.
But a support role? What a coincidence.
"Daisuke, he's interesting. He's a support. Should we throw him right in the middle when we find the enemies?"
Yumiko giggled at her idea. Though she's lovely like that, her playfulness might scar the guy for life.
"Eh? Ma'am have mercy!"
And like I thought, Godai stepped back after hearing her words.
"Relax. We won't do that. Tell me the status of the three groups."
Though we're younger, this man was probably only in his 20s, I wonder what's the criteria of the Principal for picking who he will send for training?
He fumbled on his comms and started contacting the three groups. After a while, he opened his mouth to summarize.
Well, we already heard it but we let him do his job.
"Team A found suspicious individuals and was currently following them, Team B and C didn't have anything from their end."
At first, I was concerned that uniformed soldiers like them might create a panic by patrolling the city, however, I was informed that they have a skill where they could mask their presence around normal people. I don't know if it was taken into account by the Principal but that was impressive at least.
"Tell them we found the possible Breached Portal location. If Team A determines the suspicious individuals as a threat, take them in and have the other teams to assist them. If not, all of them should double up here at our location."
After telling Godai my orders, he nodded and saluted before contacting the other three teams again to relay my orders.
Yumiko stuck close with me while clasping my hands with hers and at the same time staying vigilant of our surroundings. Err… she's also probably making use of this time when Yuko wasn't with us.
During our two weeks of living together, there were already some instances where they became curious about… adult things.
Err... not just them, that includes me as well.
That day when they watched my collection triggered their curiosity over it. However, even if I was also interested, there is a proper time for crossing that last line. A little curiosity is fine though and being teens that should've been in our puberty, there were already instances when we were overtaken by our curiosity. Because of that, our relationship had gone a few levels up.
We'll be together for as long as we're alive so we decided to explore those things bit by bit.
"Sir! They're doubling up to here at this moment. They reported that they lost the suspicious individuals. If you have another order…"
The EDA Soldier pulled me out of my thoughts as he reported the other teams' responses.
"Where did they lose those suspicious individuals?"
They're suspicious and they suddenly lose them. That's a problem.
"Here."
Godai took out a map of our city and pointed at the place near that vacant lot. If we're coming from the South, that Team A was in the North, which means those individuals have a high possibility of being corrupted.
But for them to be this prepared… It's the Principal's arrangement again, isn't it?
"I see. Wait for them here and follow us when you grouped up, here's the location. Don't engage and wait for us to contact you"
I pointed at the part of the map where that vacant lot should've been placed. Well, that's probably not as vacant now. I wonder what's in it?
After hearing my next command, Godai sighed in relief. He probably thought we're serious about taking him with us earlier. I accounted that they're part of the same squad. They're probably trained to fight in groups so it's better to give him back to them.
"Ah. Give me your comms. I gave mine to Yuko earlier."
After taking the comms from him, we started to leisurely walk towards the suspected location. It's an act to make us become their target to enact our plan. They probably still didn't have a proper measuring equipment to gauge our actual Power Level, if we showed up like this and they're really here, we will surely be targeted.
"Yuko. What's the situation there?"
Since there's still a bit of time before we reach the place, I contacted Yuko to check on her.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Ah. What would you like for dinner?"
Yuko's voice instantly rang out from the other side and immediately switched the topic as if it's normal.
"Err… You?"
I didn't expect her switch in topic that I immediately blurted out a response that probably came from my subconscious.
"Don't flirt with her over that, Daisuke."
Hearing my answer to Yuko, Yumiko complained as she started to pinch my side.
"Heh... Is that Yumiko being jealous? I got Dai-kun to say it to me."
Like a child who got what she wanted, Yuko was giggling as she teased Yumiko which made the latter increase the intensity of her pinch.
Ugh... I could only silently endure it as I earned this for myself. For a Hero to use her strength like this…
"Anyway, I'll help Mom prepare it, so you two come back soon."
Yuko added with a hint of worry after being satisfied from her giggling.
"Alright. We'll be back before dinner."
I answered her in a cheerful voice to ease whatever little worry she has. After that, I cut our communication and stored the comms in the Necklace.
"… You owe me a kiss, Daisuke."
Yumiko pouted at me before letting go of her hold on my side. She continued to stick close to me as she hugged my arm tighter.
She surely noticed it and so do I.
"I'll pay for it in full later. But for now…"
After saying that, we stopped our steps which led for the surrounding to turn completely silent. It's too silent that the earlier rustling of winds was muted.
We already passed by the neighborhood and arrived at the vicinity of that vacant lot.
Looks like our acting skills are quite high to fool these guys again. These Dark Cult members should stay like this so it will be easy for us, no?
After a few seconds, around twenty figures in black cloaks surrounded us. Like we planned earlier, we were going to act like a normal couple and be captured by them.
"Who are you?!"
I yelled with slight agitation in my voice as I put Yumiko behind me.
Like a fine actress, Yumiko shrank behind me as she held onto my sleeves while her body trembled visibly.
"Capture."
The leader of the black figures who was the first one to block our way immediately ordered upon seeing our reaction. As soon as his words landed to the figures in black cloaks' ears, they all moved toward us with the intent to knock us out.
Pretending to be knocked unconscious, Yumiko and I successfully infiltrated the first location of the Breached Portal.
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