NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

[Shuen: Come to Missilis Building, right now, hurry up!]

Is this the final list of unlucky people?

Phoenix typed a reply while drinking a carbonated beverage.

Phoenix: Did they just come over without a reason?

[Shuen: Are you an idiot? Of course I had a reason for letting you come. Stop talking nonsense, I want to see you in twenty minutes.]

[Phoenix: You want me to be 20 minutes late during rush hour? Fine, send your people over in a flying vehicle to pick me up.]

[Shuen: What kind of attitude is this?! I already gave you those two pieces of scrap metal to use, and you still want me to send a flying vehicle to pick you up?]

Phoenix: Then you just sit here and wait while I take a taxi over.

drop--

"Exit blah blah," someone said, fiddling with their phone and glancing at Mihara, who was wiping the table.

"Shu En needs to talk to me."

Shuen?

When that awful name echoed in the living room.

Mihara, Yuni, and even the venomous snake, who had been silent for a long time, all stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Anise, who was browsing the delivered snacks, caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye and looked up in confusion.

"Shuen, it seems to be... your Missilis CEO?"

"Ah."

Phoenix put his phone in his pocket and considerately answered for the three of them:

“A brat with a terrible personality. I’ll tell you the details when I get back.”

After saying that, the man tilted his head back and took a sip of his drink. Taking advantage of this brief moment, he had already made up his mind, and then he smiled and said:

"You two don't need to come this time. Don't worry, I won't let her transfer you back again."

"...It's alright, I can go with you."

Faced with the commander's promise, Mihara's initially stiff expression quickly returned to its initial gentleness. She shook her head, her eyes filled not only with admiration but also with unwavering determination.

"You can't let people from the Ark become suspicious of you just because you're trying to be considerate of my and Yuni's feelings."

“I’ve thought about it.” Phoenix didn’t want to keep anyone in suspense and explained directly, “I plan to have D come with me, the results should be about the same.”

"..."

Having an assassin by your side? Or the kind who beat up the other party yesterday and then used hostages to force them into submission?

Phoenix's words caused a momentary blank in Mihara's mind.

The next second, Nikki, who was completely obedient to the commander, lowered her gaze, swept her hands and feet across the ground twice, then suddenly jogged forward a few steps and grabbed Phoenix's right hand, which hadn't yet been stitched up at the hospital.

Even so... even so, as long as they don't see Yuni and me with you, they will still be suspicious of you.

Let me go with you!

Mihara's concerns are logically sound, but judging from her actions, they are at least very problematic for Anis.

Master!

Definitely a master!

With such an aggressive offensive that attacks at the first opportunity, even if she were the commander, she wouldn't be 100% confident she could withstand it!

"Does CEO Missilis have some kind of strange physical condition?"

Still not quite understanding the situation, Anise tried to stop this damnedly sentimental atmosphere from spreading further. Incidentally, she also wanted to take this opportunity to ask the Commander about his current situation.

So the mischievous girl teased, "Is she some kind of jinx? The kind where people die wherever she goes?"

"She's so mean!!!"

Upon hearing that Anise wanted to know about Shuen's character, the little girl, who was still pulling the dog's hair, immediately answered excitedly.

"All she does all day is beat up Eunice and Mihara, and call everyone else scrap metal!"

"Oh~~ so you're the biggest boss among Niki's instrumentalists, right?" Anise first feigned sudden realization, then raised her eyebrows and asked:

"Then why do you and Mihara insist on staying by the Commander's side?"

"Because I'm still under surveillance."

Phoenix checked the time on his phone with his left hand, then quickly glanced at the twenty-odd abusive messages from Shum. Afterward, the man succinctly gave orders to the girls in the hall.

"Anise, ask them your questions first. I'll tell you about what happened these past few days when I get back."

Mihara, go to the restroom and call D out. We'll go to the Missilis Building together.

Others are free to move about as needed.

Perhaps influenced by Phoenix's commanding aura, all the Nikis instinctively straightened their posture and answered in unison:

"Understood, Commander."

……

……

This is a bizarre man who is willing to develop feelings for Niki.

Inside the taxi, D, disguised as a white-collar worker, sat in the back seat, looking at Phoenix's profile in the passenger seat to his right, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This was the first time she didn't know how to use her own standards to judge a person's life or death.

From the perspective of the Ark's order, this man definitely has anti-government tendencies.

Unlike those who vent their emotions online, D is certain that if the other party were ever truly determined to rebel, they would absolutely have the courage and ability to take action.

For that reason alone, he deserves to die.

But D's intuition stubbornly denied her logical judgment.

If someone with no criminal record who is willing to treat Niki well should be wiped out, then how many people on the Ark shouldn't die?

"Don't forget what we talked about."

While the captain of the danger zone was still deep in thought, Phoenix's sudden words instantly pulled her back to reality.

The negotiation in the haunted house?

Remembering the clause that required her to conceal information from her superiors within fifteen days and to prohibit her from tracking and observing him, D gave a noncommittal "hmm" without offering much further comment.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the Ark City outside the window.

……

Forty minutes later.

Upon arriving at the Missilis Building parking lot, Phoenix and his two companions were led by Missilis employees to the building's lobby on the first floor.

"Mihara, wait for us on the first floor."

"Ah."

Because prior communication had already taken place inside the vehicle, Mihara did not insist further. Instead, she concealed her worries and watched the commander enter Shuen's private elevator, eventually disappearing from her sight.

Drop drop drop-

The moment Phoenix stepped into the elevator and turned around, Shum's phone began bombarding him with calls.

"Hey."

"Are you kidding me! Who's that woman next to you? Who gave you permission to bring a woman here?! Did you even get my permission?!"

The man disdainfully moved the phone away from his ear, intending to give the other person a perfunctory reply, but unexpectedly, Shu En's voice became even more shrill.

"Hey! What do you mean by taking your phone away?! You think I won't...?"

"It's noisy."

drop--

The person hung up the phone without any hesitation, then looked up at the elevator's security camera and waved.

……

Ding-dong-

With a gentle notification sound, the elevator arrived at the top floor.

The sliding gate opened smoothly, and the man couldn't help but find it amusing to see Shu En with a sullen face, standing at the door like a maid to greet him.

"Let me introduce you. This is my assistant. He graduated from the assassination department of university."

Shuen: "You, do you really think you're... Huh? What did you just say?"

Phoenix: "I said, this is the professional hitman I hired."

Shuen: "?"

D: "?"