A few weeks later

Castrue City

"Hm?" Lia looked up from where she was lounging against a pillar at the entrance to the train station as she saw familiar spiky hair finally exiting the station.

"Lia!" Jenos waved enthusiastically, grinning widely underneath his shades and Lia cocked a head as she examined the young woman beside the male Chronos Number.

Rinslet looked almost identical to the picture Lia had seen, with her short purple hair and green eyes, and the pink heart pendant hanging from her neck. The woman was perhaps a little taller than Lia herself, and dressed in a skimpy skirt with knee-high socks.

She was beautiful, and apparently knew it from the way she dressed and walked; certainly she was also probably used to using her looks to her advantage in her job as a thief.

"Who's this?" Rinslet asked as Jenos came up beside Lia and gave the young woman a greeting hug that for some reason ticked Rinslet off the wrong way.

"… Pleasure to meet you, Rinslet Walker." Lia greeted as Jenos let go of her. "I am No. VI of the Chronos Numbers; you may feel free to call me Julia, or Lia if you prefer."

Rinslet had stiffened upon hearing Lia's title, but she took Lia's casually offered hand gingerly in her own as she answered politely, "Likewise; and please call me Rins."

Lia turned to Jenos as she informed him, "Sephiria said she would meet us here and pick us up herself."

"Eh, really?" Jenos asked brightly. "So I get to ride with my special girl, and Rins, and Sephiria all together?"

"I'm not sure you should be so happy about it." Lia observed while Rinslet scowled a little.

She wasn't sure why, but Jenos's words didn't sit very well with her – and neither did the arm he'd casually laid across Lia's shoulder.

However, before anything else had to be said, a car pulled up smoothly on the sidewalk beside them. Lia turned, staying beside Jenos as they all faced the car as Nizer and Belga stepped out of the car before Nizer opened the car for Sephiria, acting as bodyguard.

The Chronos Numbers leader stepped out in all her usual elegance, wearing a floral patterned skirt suit piece instead of her usual Numbers uniform. Perhaps she was trying to appear less intimidating, Lia thought – after all, the padded Captain's uniform did speak 'power' more than Sephiria's current feminine outfit did.

But Jenos warned Rinslet anyways under his breath, "You better be careful, Rins; if Sephi gets mad, she can be very, very scary."

Rinslet blinked at Jenos, looking confused, while Sephiria walked up to them as she greeted, "Long time no see. You look pretty good, Janus."

"Yeah, of course!" Jenos replied brightly as he held up his arms in a fighting pose. "I'm full of energy right now!"

"That's good." Sephiria smiled, before nodding to the shorter woman next to Janus. "You're looking well as well, Lia."

"Of course, Sephiria." Lia replied calmly. "Thank you for the concern."

"Not at all." Sephiria smiled, before turning to Rinslet.

"You're Rinslet, I presume." She greeted politely with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you. I am No. I of the Chronos Numbers, Sephiria-"

"I get it now!" Rinslet suddenly interrupted, bursting out into laughter. "You're trying to trick me! Is this just another one of your stupid jokes, Janus?"

"Ah?" Janus asked, looking taken aback, while Lia actually looked at Rinslet in surprise. Was this woman stupid?

"How can she be the leader of such an important organization?" Rinslet was still cackling, pointing at Sephiria.

"I mean, one pretty face was one thing." Rinslet gestured at Lia - who frowned - before she pointed back at Sephiria. "But she looks so weak!"

Lia shot Janus a look, clearly asking whether this woman was insane. Janus, meanwhile, was staring at Rinslet with a sweatdrop down the side of his face, clearly not having expected this reaction as much as any of them had.

Sephiria chuckled lightly, before she commented, "You are very funny, Rinslet."

"Huh?" Rinslet asked, looking confused at Sephiria's reaction.

Lia however shook her head as Sephiria smiled widely as she said in a slightly mocking tone, "Only someone who is ignorant would judge people by their looks. But, I don't mind at all!"

Lia observed as Rinslet's eye twitched, clearly irked by Sephiria's words, but Sephiria went on without letting Rinslet speak.

"Next, I'm going to tell you why I have asked you to come here." Sephiria explained. "But before that, Rinslet… do you like Japanese food?"

"Huh?" Rinslet asked.

Lia observed from the side of the room, sitting beside Jenos, as Sephiria spoke with Rinslet across the table.

It was clear that Rinslet resented Sephiria slightly and was very suspicious of the older woman as she and Sephiria exchanged brief words. Her resentment seemed to fade slightly when Sephiria praised Rinslet's ability to collect information quickly – though it also brought out an egotistical speech that Lia could have done without – only to return full-fold when Sephiria commented flatly-

"At least, I can confirm your ability to collect information."

The tension in the room heightened as Rinslet asked slowly, through grit teeth, "Are you… testing me?"

Sephiria didn't respond, simply staring at Rinslet coolly, and Lia watched as the purple-haired woman lost her temper.

"What kind of joke is this?!" Rinslet shouted as she stood up, slamming her hand down on the table as she yelled down at Sephiria. "I don't care if you are No. I or not! I hate people testing me out! If this is your attitude, then regarding the job, I will-!"

She broke off abruptly as a gun was suddenly against her temple while a knife appeared right before her neck.

Rinslet looked over sharply at the owners of the weapons, whom she had initially thought to be regular bodyguards, and she finally noticed the tattoos on Nizer and Belga's left and right temples respectively: V and XI.

Jenos just watched silently, his face very serious, while Lia looked at Sephiria as the blonde woman said politely but sternly, "I'm very sorry, Rinslet. But you can't turn back now; not when you have already participated in all of this."

Rinslet's jaw had clenched, while Nizer's eyes slid over to Sephiria.

"Captain," he began as he lowered his gun while Belga re-pocketed his knife, "after talking with this person, I can't stand just listening. Can we really use her? I'm still really doubtful."

Sephiria didn't answer, and Nizer turned to Belga as he asked, "You're feeling this way too, right, Belga?"

The gigantic man didn't respond, and Nizer scoffed, "You still have nothing to say?"

"Nizer!" Jenos piped up, and Nizer glanced over.

"Don't underestimate Miss Rinslet Walker." Jenos said seriously; too seriously. "Even though she has a violent temper, she is still beautiful. More importantly, her breasts are very big-"

He was abruptly cut off as a tea cup hit him hard in the face while Rinslet snarled, "What did you say?!"

Lia shook her head, when Sephiria spoke up, "Nizer, I understand your feelings. But it's my fault. Looks like my offer lacks, considering…"

Rinslet looked back down at the blonde woman, scowling, and Lia straightened up at last as Sephiria said seriously, "I'm very sorry, Ms. Walker. The food is almost ready; let's change the mood, and talk about work."

"… Work…?" Rinslet repeated warily, and Sephiria gestured for the other woman to sit down, just as the doors to the private room slid open and the ordered food arrived.

"Seetokhot?" Rinslet repeated, and Sephiria explained, "Yes. It is located at Lamboolisee Republic's township."

Lia was now paying full attention as Sephiria informed Rinslet, "In the last couple of weeks, according to our research, there are almost twenty sweepers there, missing. They were all after Creed."

Rinslet's interest finally perked up, and she asked, "And then…?"

"Correct." Sephiria answered. "I'm almost positive that Creed is there. I don't want to miss this opportunity."

Rinslet pursed her lips, while Sephiria continued, "Once I send out Cerberus and the Reaper to investigate, I intend for them to proceed with the assassination if possible."

"Cerberus? Reaper?" Rinslet repeated sharply, frowning.

Sephiria closed her eyes briefly before she opened them again as she answered, "Cerberus is a team consisting of Jenos Hazard, Naizer Blackheimer, and Belga J. Hard. It is a team that focuses on speed and aggression in order to succeed in their assassination missions."

Rinslet shot Jenos a doubtful look, clearly not sure if she could believe the dopey-looking man she'd been travelling with for the last few weeks could be a highly skilled assassin.

She then looked back as Sephiria continued, "Reaper is our best stealth and assassination member. You've met her already."

She nodded at Lia, who just sat coolly as Rinslet blinked, startled. That… somehow, Rinslet could believe. Lia exuded mystery and danger, in a way that Rinslet had expected Sephiria, as the leader of the Chronos Numbers, to as well.

"Rinslet Walker."

Rinslet looked back at Sephiria as the blonde woman called for her attention, and Sephiria continued seriously, "I hope you are able to advance to Seetokhot with them. In finding the Apostle of the Stars' base… I hope that you can help me."

Rinslet jerked, clearly taken by surprise at the request, before she shouted sharply, "Wait a moment, you're going too far! Why do I have to go-!"

"Aren't you now hired by us?" Sephiria interrupted calmly as she ate. "Though, it is a dangerous mission. If you're scared, you can certainly refuse. Because people who contain fear in their hearts will only get in the way."

'Oh, boy.' Lia sighed to herself. 'She's got Rinslet now. As expected of Sephiria,' her silvery-grey eyes moved to rest on her leader, 'she knows exactly how to read a person, and make them do what she wants. And they don't usually even realize it.'

"Oh, are you not hungry?" Sephiria asked as she looked over at Rinslet's untouched food, when Rinslet suddenly slammed her foot onto the table.

"If!" Rinslet spat, heedless of the food she'd spilt and Nizer and Belga's tense shoulders. "'Creed is gotten rid of, you will receive the compensation you desire'. This was the condition you guys hired me with from the start."

Lia cocked her head slightly, before she raised a brow as Rinslet snapped as she pointed at Sephiria angrily, "My wish is this! You will resign from the duty of leader of the Chronos Numbers, and never show yourself in front of my face again!"

Lia actually blinked, she was so surprised by Rinslet's hotheaded demand, while Jenos gaped, "Ah?"

"Uh…" Nizer murmured, while Belga seemed in a similar state as Lia as he simply stared at Rinslet.

It was actually remarkable that Rinslet had managed to stun and silence all the Chronos Numbers present, and a small part of Lia was impressed. And, if the looks on Nizer and Belga's faces were anything to go by, she wasn't the only one.

Sephiria gazed back into Rinslet's fiery eyes, before she smiled.

Much later

"… I never thought you would dare to say that kind of thing to provoke Captain." Nizer observed as the group got ready to board the plane to Seetokhot.

"Hmph!" Rinslet snorted. "Thank you for your compliment."

"… So you dare to admit it." Nizer muttered as he stared at Rinslet's back as she went first.

Lia glanced at Nizer as the older man's lips curved up into a smirk as he said, "Regardless, I must admit you've got guts."

Rinslet just nodded once, and Jenos smiled from his place beside Lia as he watched Rinslet almost proudly while the purple-haired woman walked with a straight back towards the plane. Lia observed him for a moment, before she closed her eyes and reopened them to face forward.

It was almost time… the real show was only just about to begin.