Chapter 6 : Recon(2)

===

After our impromptu breakfast, and after sorting our 'loot'. Eli, whose tummy might bulge at this point asks us where we got our food.

"EH!?!?!? YOU WENT TO SAKURA MACHI WITHOUT ELI!? SMELLY SMITH AND STUPID NATHAN IS MEAN !!!! UWAAAAAA"

she... then threw a tantrum.... I look at smith, who at this point already excuses himself saying that he's going to share the food with the rest of the office. and leaving me alone.

Traitor.

I cursed the baldy in my mind.

"... calm down Eli. I'll take you th--"

"YES! NOW NOW NOW I WANT IT NOW!"

ugh... I'm not going anywhere without my walking wallet. AND WHAT'S WITH THOSE EYES. STAPH! PLEASE!

Eli used puppy eyes. It's super effective. Nate is Paralyzed and cannot use any moves.

"Ok... but you better take a bath and brush your teeth first! Wouldn't you want to go to Sakura-Machi looking like that now would you?"

Eli jumps up and down and rushes towards the bathroom. wait... we had a bathroom in this office?

shaking my head for my obliviousness towards my surroundings, I walk out the office, hoping to find my walking wallet. I need funds...

===

I thought I'll have a hard time finding Smith's office, but it turns out that his office is directly paralleled to mine...

and like a barbarian I kicked down the door only to find... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ROOM!?!?

"Ah Nate, there you are! you're right!"

"!?"

"After cross checking ---"

WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE! I KNOW YOU'RE A FAN OF 'TWO-PIECE' AND 'WASHING-DETERGENT' BUT WHY THE HELL IS YOUR OFFICE, NO, SCRATCH THAT, WHY IS THERE AN EXHIBITION HALL HERE!?

"Hey you paying attention Nate?"

"Ah yeah, I was pondering about something.... you can continue..."

"Ok... As I was saying... You're right on the money Nate, There seems to be an abnormal case of Theft, especially identity theft in the area, most of the reports are filed and dismissed as carelessness."

He gave me a file. It's a file of a female.

"Well usually I would pass it as a coincidence, but After cross checking the abnormality with one's prior, we found a case. you see that is the file of a Yukira Anne. She's a 'Returnee' just like you."

I opened the file. The suspect seems to have a rather sharp eye. a mole under her right eye. and the most striking thing is a tattoo, no it's a brand on her neck. A brand is a magically applied contract, and it's a tracking device for the more magically inclined.

Wait... Why does this suddenly turn into a real case? Nah, it's just a lot of misunderstanding perhaps. oh well. But I'll keep the girl in mind just in case... but he said something interesting...

"You said she was a 'returnee' then why doesn't she work here?"

"Well you see. there are cases that a returnee is a Hero, like you---"

Well if only he knew how my story ended....

"Then there are also those who are more.... let's say unfortunate: bandits, thugs and all those other low lives..."

Ah... Makes sense.

"And Then. There are victims like her. those who are instantly sold to slavery, prostitution... "

... Makes sense, I mean you can't always win the lottery.

"And lastly, although rare, there are some cases where one is a tyrant, a ruler, or a demon king..."

Oh... There's cases like mine too?

"But, in the past they're always dealt with by Ethan... They either submit to the norms of our society or ..."

Executed. Branded. Banished? Don't keep a man hanging...

"Community service."

!?!?!?!?

"Ethan said the best way to beat the pride out of people is to teach them to be humble."

Humble huh....

"I thought that after he's gone we would have a war on our hands with 'returnees' taking over everything..."

...

"BUT DAMN SON, I SHOULDN'T HAVE DOUBTED YOU! You know how cocky those Demon Lord returnees are? When they saw your display of strength they immediately turned over a new leaf... spouting nonsense like Don't let him meet me, He'll consume my Demon essense whole. HAH, they even apologized to the staff that they harassed before."

...

Well It's true, Demon lords can consume each other, hence that's why there's always only one demon lord, but multiple heroes.

But to think they know that I was a demon lord only from the video. No I think they sensed something other than me being a demon lord, for them to cower in fear.

Meh, I don't really care. as Long as they bow down and keep themselves in line. I would not have a problem with them.

"So... Eli asks me to take her to Sakura Machi, you up for it?"

"Thought you never ask! Wait... before that though, I think we should change our clothes into more.... tactical approach."

!!!

"You're a genius Smith! no, in Sakura-Machi, Call me Smito!"

!!!!

"Holy! Then What should I call myself!?"

"I think Naoto-san would be good?"

"Heh, no wonder you're the backbone of the company."

"You praise me too much."

and so, we equipped our 'tactical' gear.

===

Spy number 17012307786 here. the name's too long? well you'll learn to deal with it. Today's any other day for me. the usual scouting and reporting kind.

What's my job? well it's simple. I scout the area, report any abnormalities, any 'returnees' passing by, and anything else out of the ordinary.

My area of operation is Sakura Machi sector 2. That's the commerce section, only an elite like me is tasked with this important location, Yep, when foot traffic is abundant only a few of us can calmly and professionally tail, keep track, and even assassinate so called 'returnees'.

But today... Yeah Today IS A DUMPSTER FIRE! Imagine you being the best spy there is, being tailed by a freaking man wearing a BLACK ARMOR with another man wearing a SUIT. THEY EVEN BAD MOUTHED ME IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! SAYING THAT I'LL CALL MY SUPERIORS AND THEY'VE TRAPPED ME NO SPY WOULD DO THAT YOU MORONS!

*cough cough* I lost my cool yeah. Anyway we do have info on the armored man, and the suits. The armored man seems to be a new 'returnee'. but that doesn't make him special. What made him special is the fact that he single handedly ENDED an alien invasion! When I said end I meant Decimated the entire battalion of UFOs, not just the ones spying on cities, but even the ones that's just casually orbiting the planet!

How did he do it? I remember seeing a UFO in the news... it all started with the one above CottonBirch which has a faulty stealth system, and without warning nor provocation he grabbed the damn thing, threw it to it's ally's spacecraft which we cannot even see mind you and annihilated the entire battalion, My superiors said that there's probably a good 20 or so UFO's in the path. I meant what kind of monster plays with their food like that.

No warning no nothing and he suddenly commit a mini genocide unprovoked. well the last part is a stretch.

and guess who I found today while patrolling my route. yep. that FREAK. I screamed internally when I saw a portal open up.

I MEAN WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? REPORT SAYS THAT HE CAN ONLY OPEN PORTAL 50KM of his position this is like the other half of the world! HEY 'LEAKER'-san you wanted to keep your job don't you WELL GOOD BECAUSE I WANT TO KEEP MY LIFE DAMNIT!!? I screamed in my mind. As a professional one must keep his cool under any circumstance, but WHAT THE F**** HELL WAS THAT!? A MAN IN AN ARMOR AND A MAN IN A SUIT CHASED ME AROUND THE WHOLE MORNING BEFORE INSULTING ME AND LEAVING ME THERE!

DEEP BREATS ME! Deep Breaths!

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

as I walked to an alley I remove my disguise, while walking and

*bump*

huh!? I was sure there's no body... I looked up. I stared at the man. his eyes black as the abyss, as if there's something that sucks your soul into it. His hair is well kept, black in color with a tint of purple by the edge. wait... This GUY! YOU CAN ALSO REMOVE YOUR ARMOR LIKE THAT!? THE REPORT SAYS THAT IT'S STUCK AT HIS BODY AND ---

*Bonk*

suddenly the world spins around and it all goes black...

===

I opened a portal like before but what's different this time, Smith said that he prefers that if we can open one that's in the alleyway to not spook our target.

I complied and I opened the portal, Eli jumped right in without a care in the world.

Exiting the portal I saw a strange old man, complaining about something about some stupid armor... he must be a craftman of some sort, I payed the man no mind, until he FREAKIN RIPS HIS OWN FACE O--- oh....

"Smito-san"

"Yes, Naoto-san?"

"Is that who I think it is..."

"I belive so Naoto-san."

*bump*

"YOU CAN ALSO REMOVE YOUR ARMOR LIKE THAT!? THE REPORT SAYS THAT IT'S STUCK AT HIS BODY AND ---"

*Bonk*

I bonked her on the neck to knock her out. I then looked at Smith, as he looked at me.

"Should we..."

"I mean we can just tie her here first..."

!!!

"Smitho-san you're a genius!"

and so I tied her up. and left her hanging there just like a certain spider themed hero would.

"Are we going to finish this trip before she wakes up Naoto-san?"

"Don't worry Smitho-san. I came prepared!"

I said that as I Cover the whole alley with a barrier that makes everyone except us ignore this alley. it's more of a strong suggestion in the subconscious mind and those below my level of magic mastery would not notice.

"Nice."

And like the responsible adults we are. We spent too much time and money on figurines.