Just as Luo Shu was busy.
To the right of the main entrance of the National Diet Building.
In a small grove.
Swarms of dark bats drifted over from the Imperial Palace nearby, arriving above the trees.
When the bat swarm reached this point, it slowly dispersed, revealing Evangeline and Krul being carried within.
At that moment, Evangeline glanced down at Shizuka Hio leaning against a ginkgo tree and Takatsuki Izumi sitting on a branch, swinging her legs, and said with some surprise:
"Giada still isn't here yet?"
"It seems there's a bit of a situation on her end."
Takatsuki Izumi scratched her head and looked toward the sky, still billowing with black smoke in the distance:
"Somehow, she apparently blew up the Ministry of Environment headquarters. The smoke is so thick it's clearly visible even from Sakuradamon."
"Strange, are there enemies there that require such drastic action from her?"
It wasn't that Takatsuki Izumi looked down on the sorcerers in Japan's government; the Ministry of Environment truly didn't have many powerful individuals.
The sorcerers most closely associated with the Ministry of Environment were the Jingūji clan, and their strongest member, Kuesu Jingūji, was still assisting the SDS in the Warring States Abyss. So where did these powerful opponents blocking Giada come from?
What exactly happened to make Giada late?
Just as Takatsuki Izumi was wondering, a flash of lightning appeared, and Giada instantly materialised before them.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Giada appear, Krul, who had been about to greet her, raised an eyebrow slightly and looked over the Chaos Brides's tattered clothing—fortunately not revealing anything—saying with some surprise:
"There's actually someone at the Ministry of Environment who could leave you in such a state?"
Giada, who had arrived via lightning, grabbed the severed head in her hand and complained with exasperation:
"There weren't many experts there, but there were plenty of lunatics."
At this, Giada said somewhat gloomily:
"Who knows what that madman buried underground at the Ministry of Environment? I just used a little force and ended up blowing up the entire building."
"Honestly, what kind of vampire blows themselves up to kill another vampire these days? They must be completely insane."
The greatest strength of vampires lies in their regenerative abilities. Bombs and missiles can injure them, but they can never kill them.
This goes without saying for primogenitors like Giada.
Yet today, Giada happened to encounter someone who resorted to self-destruction, leaving her utterly frustrated.
But frustration aside, after venting her irritation, Giada casually tossed the severed head toward Shizuka Hio and called out:
"Here, take this. See if there's anything unusual about it."
Hearing this, Shizuka Hio's eyes flickered, and the grass before her suddenly grew rapidly, catching the thrown head.
She lifted her gaze slightly, observing Hong Ruowang—eyes tightly shut, two trails of bloody tears staining his face, no longer breathing—and frowned at the sight of this vampire reduced to just a head:
"You didn't manage to capture him?"
At this, Giada scratched her head and said with some annoyance:
"So he really did escape after all?"
"I knew someone who planted a bomb like that wouldn't fail to have a backup plan."
"By the way, can you tell how he got away?"
Shizuka Hio glanced at Giada, then explained coolly:
"The pureblood vampires of the Hio family possess the ability to inject their consciousness into plants and animals and control them."
"And since the Hong family is a branch of the Hio family, they naturally possess a similar ability."
After saying this, Shizuka Hio examined Hong Ruowang's head, using the wild grass to probe it briefly, before stating in her clear, cold tone:
"He likely abandoned his current body and transferred his consciousness into someone he controlled, thus evading your pursuit."
"There's a method like that?" Giada exclaimed in surprise. "Is it that technique called soul usurpation?"
Just then, Evangeline, surrounded by bats in the sky, remarked:
"Such an ability usually comes with significant drawbacks, doesn't it?"
Shizuka Hio nodded slightly and said:
"Generally, this method can only be performed on those with similar bloodlines, and even after revival, it causes conflicts of consciousness."
Hearing this, Evangeline asked curiously: "What if the usurpation isn't targeting someone of the same bloodline?"
Shizuka Hio frowned, thought for a moment, and replied:
"If he usurps an ordinary person, having lost his vampire bloodline, he would simply become an ordinary human."
"And if he usurps a sorcerer, in the struggle within the consciousness realm, he would be at a disadvantage, even risk being devoured by the other."
Upon hearing this, Giada stroked her chin and said thoughtfully:
"So, if we want to catch this guy, the most important thing now is to find the body he usurped?"
"No need for such trouble. This kind of consciousness transfer is extremely complex, requires a great deal of time, and faces severe suppression when confronted with similar abilities in the same domain."
As she spoke, Shizuka Hio tightly wrapped Hong Ruowang's head in wild grass and said coldly:
"I only need to suppress his ability from functioning. Within three hours, his only fate will be the death of his consciousness."
Hearing this, Giada suddenly realised something and quickly asked Shizuka Hio:
"Wait, if you can suppress his consciousness, can you also read his memories?"
At this request, Shizuka Hio looked at Giada with puzzlement.
Just then, Krul nearby said:
"If you're looking for information on the Class of True Dragon Sorcerer, then there's no need to go to such trouble, as I've already obtained the relevant information from the Prime Minister's mind."
Upon hearing this, Giada shook her head and said to Krul:
"No, it's not the True Dragon Sorcerer, but another Class more suitable for vampires."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, everyone present except Takatsuki Izumi immediately became alert and looked towards the head wrapped in weeds.
A Class more suitable for vampires?!!
To think there would be such an unexpected gain?
Realising this, both Krul and Evangeline turned their gazes towards Shizuka Hio.
In response, Shizuka Hio remained silent for a moment before saying:
"I'm not an expert in the field of mental probing, but within the Hidden Management Department, there are several core members who specialise in mental domains."
Hearing this, Giada couldn't help but scratch her head:
"So doesn't that mean things have circled back to Luo Shu again?"
Originally, it was to avoid being restricted by Luo Shu and gain some negotiating leverage that Giada had launched the attack on the Ministry of Environment to seize the True Dragon Sorcerer Class.
But now, in the end, they still had to turn to Luo Shu?
Thinking this, Giada couldn't help but sigh:
"Fate really is something difficult to fathom!!"