By the time they walked under the lamppost, Nether Demon had slipped back into her unconcerned demeanor, intimately linking arms with Dead Frenzy as she asked, "Quick question—Observer, who are you more worried will cause trouble, Sword Demon or me?"
Mirror Master took the plastic bag from Dead Frenzy on her own initiative, took out a few packets of gummy candy, and murmured her thanks.
Observer took nothing. Ignoring Nether Demon completely, he asked Dead Frenzy, "What identities do we have available?"
Dead Frenzy pondered for a moment before offering four names: "Tide, Star Veil, the Eastern Heaven-Questioning Society, and Maiden Gazing at the Half Moon. But aside from Tide, the other organizations should still be lying dormant right now, only officially launching anti-Starry Sky activities after the angel hunt."
Observer crossed his arms over his chest and nodded noncommittally. "The sorcery spirit projection will take another half hour to complete. Let's head over and take our positions in advance."
"Why?" Nether Demon cried out. "Since there's still time, why not let us stroll around a bit longer? Is there any need to get in position early for a job that feels like a picnic outing?"
"Yeah, exactly!" Black Demon chimed in, looking just as disgruntled. "I still wanted to hit that big fox doll!"
Because of the mask he wore, no one could see Observer's expression, but the chill that crept into his voice made his attitude clear enough: "What gave you the impression that I was negotiating with you?"
"Open up."
Seeing the gummy candy Mirror Master suddenly offered to his lips, Observer fell silent for a moment before taking it between his lips and slowly chewing.
Mirror Master turned to Dead Frenzy and asked, "Do members of Tide have any signature attire?"
"Yes, their clothes are generally dominated by shades of purple and blue."
"Then we should go buy some clothes," Mirror Master said. "We can't very well shout that we're members of Tide just to frame them—that would be too obvious. At the very least, we should wear similar clothing. That way, even if we don't say a single word, Stars will still assume we belong to Tide."
Observer said calmly, "We can simply use a miracle to conjure clothing later."
"Or... we could take advantage of this free time to buy some clothes, since we have the time anyway," Mirror Master suggested cautiously. "It isn't often that everyone gets to come out, so everyone's feeling a little restless."
Observer stayed silent for a second, then glanced at Dead Frenzy. "What do you think?"
"If I remember correctly, there's an inexpensive large clothing chain nearby called Kuro," Dead Frenzy replied. "You can find essentially all the styles Tide wears in there. You could practically say Tide sources their clothes directly from Kuro."
Under the gaze of the four women, Observer gave a slight nod. "Let's go, then."
"Yay! We're buying clothes!" Black Demon goose-stepped happily like an excited child. "Buying clothes, buying clothes~"
"Aren't we going to a luxury brand store?" Nether Demon complained. "Wearing commoner clothes like that makes me feel degraded. I'm a noble Evernight elf, you know."
Dead Frenzy: "Do you have money?"
Nether Demon: "Do we pay?"
Watching them bicker as they walked ahead, Mirror Master smiled. "In the past, I never could have imagined these three getting along so harmoniously, just like normal friends."
"If you say so."
"No matter who sees them, they'd just think they're vibrant university students who haven't graduated yet. No one would ever associate them with the word 'demon.' Perhaps in a normal environment, they could survive even without hurting others—"
"That is because I am here."
Observer looked straight ahead, not shifting his gaze. "Without me, everyone is insane."
"Including you."
......
...
Inside the Kuro clothing store, Observer had changed into a set of purple-and-blue clothes, though he still wore the stolen trench coat over them. He stood by the entrance and waited for a moment, but only Mirror Master quickly emerged, having changed into a dress.
"Where are the others?"
"Taking their time picking outfits."
"Nether Demon too?"
"She said that even if it's just to make you anxious, she's delighted to try on a few more outfits."
Observer offered no reaction, seemingly not even bothered to scold her. But the very next second, his pupils constricted sharply, and he turned to walk deeper into the store.
"Do you want to change into another outfit too?" Mirror Master asked. "There's a rather nice men's skirt over there—"
"It's Sonia, Lisdia, Felix, and Daidalos."
Mirror Master froze. Without turning around, she peered out of the corner of her eye and indeed saw the leaders of the Four Pillar Cult passing by the front of the shop.
Then something worse occurred—they actually walked into the clothing store, cheerfully dragged inside by none other than Sonia!
"We shouldn't have listened to Sword Demon's recommendation." Observer walked briskly toward the back of the shop. "Go inside and warn them."
"Tell them to leave immediately?" Mirror Master asked.
"No, tell them to stay inside the fitting rooms and not come out!" Observer shook his head. "The resonance rate between original bodies is far too high. Even if Sword Demon and Black Demon are fully disguised, appearing in the crowd for even a second would definitely trigger the subconscious attention of Sonia and the other.
"What's more, Sonia and Lisdia are already legendary sorcerers. The Sword Heart Communion trait of sword-colored sorcery power and the Flashback trait of flowing-gold sorcery power are both more than enough to let them catch any meaningful information!"
"The projection—"
"Not finished yet," Observer said, clenching his fists. "Otherwise, I could simply use the Substitute sorcery spirit to stir up a commotion outside and divert their attention."
However, the two of them were stopped right at the entrance to the fitting rooms. Because of the Starry Festival, there was a massive crowd shopping today, and naturally just as many people trying on clothes. Furthermore, the fitting rooms strictly enforced a rule of one person per stall—aside from designated rooms where parents could accompany children for kids' clothing—and once the stalls were full, one had no choice but to wait in line outside!
Even without their sorcery spirits projected over yet, Observer and Mirror Master possessed countless ways to resolve such a minor obstacle. But with Sonia and her companions right inside the shop, they could not act rashly—the two of them were also at risk of being recognized!
Any action that drew attention would increase the risk of exposure. Compared to the Divine Lord of Stars, whose power could shake heaven and earth, Sonia and her companions were the far thornier complication in this operation!
Fortunately, Nether Demon stepped out of a fitting room at that moment. From a distance, she caught sight of the two standing at the end of the line. Following the direction Observer indicated, she instantly grasped the gravity of the situation, spinning around to alert Dead Frenzy and Black Demon.
Observer and Mirror Master left the queue and hid in a corner of the shop, using the merchandise racks to conceal themselves as they waited for Sonia and the others to finish shopping and leave.
Before long, Nether Demon sauntered over with light steps. Perhaps out of a desire to annoy Observer, she had deliberately put together a purple-and-blue maid outfit that was as flashy as could be. Yet she was the only one who didn't need to care about exposing her whereabouts—everyone who knew her was back in the Country of All Stars.
"I saw Sonia and the others waiting in line for the fitting rooms too," Nether Demon said with the look of someone eager to watch the world burn. "Who knows, maybe they're changing right next door to them right now."
Mirror Master let out a sigh. "I'm sorry..."
"This accident was a lapse in my decision-making," Observer cut in. "Seriously entertaining your suggestions only proves my own foolishness."
"It's good that you recognize your mistake. Just remember to be more careful in the future," Nether Demon remarked with mock gravity. "Autocracy is a leader's finest virtue."
"Go cause a disturbance outside and lure Sonia and the others away."
"Why does it have to be me? Mirror Demon could go too!"
"First, they might recognize Mirror Demon. Second, no reason is needed. Third, you must make up for your mistake."
"You admitted your own mistake just now, and I already forgave you! How are you still pinning the blame on me?" Nether Demon scoffed. "While I'm willing to do my part for the team, I'm certainly not admitting any fault—"
Just then, footsteps and voices drifted over from the other side of the merchandise racks:
"Come on, Felix! You'd definitely look adorable in a maid outfit!"
"That pretty young lady from earlier seemed to be around here. Let's go ask her how she put her outfit together."
Nether Demon looked down at her purple-and-blue maid outfit, then met Observer's gaze, which looked sharp enough to skewer her on the spot. Blinking, she said:
"All right, this time it really is my fault."
Chapter 855