Watching the operatives as they exited the construction site, Ayako took a cigarette from the pack. Putting it in her mouth, she used a lighter to ignite the tip, taking a long drag.

As she did, the partially-constructed building slowly crumbled to the ground.

"... Oh well, at least there wasn't anyone inside," she commented, with a shrug. Losing the most easily replaceable portions of a building currently in construction was nothing compared to the idea of losing the workers. They could fix the building, the same couldn't be said for themselves.

"Congratulations on a completed mission," she commented, without much inflection, before taking another drag on her cigarette, "For some of you, that's your first time. Good work."

It's not as if she didn't mean it. Perhaps it was just her natural tone of voice that sounded so harsh, however, even as she finished speaking, she was approaching Kaeru and raising her hand... before bringing it down to give the currently-female operative a chop between the ears.

"However, that doesn't mean you can just go messing around. Got it?"

"Emergence Gate closure confirmed," Shiro's mental voice chimed in.

"Good," Ayako took another drag, glancing at the construction workers and the rest of the crowd. Many of them were cheering at the obvious defeat of the demon, even if some of them were clearly a bit dismayed at how much cleanup and rebuilding they'd need to do.

It was better then dying, after all.

"Time to head back."

[hr]

The ride back to base was uneventful, and their return was equally so(aside from Terada immediately appearing to check the vehicle for damage).

After a brief meeting to summarize the events of the mission, the operatives were free to do what they liked.

Shiro had departed to return to her room, quietly, while Ayako remained in her office.

[@Raineh Daze][@Rune_Alchemist][@RolePlayerRoxas][@Quartz][@Emeth][@LuckyBlackCat]