Chapter 0

The National Particle Accelerator Lab was located in Dallas,

Texas in the USNA (not the northern part of the United States, but
the United States that encompassed all of Northern America) At a
full len!th of "# $m, the linear particle accelerator was preparin!
to experiment with micro blac$ hole creation and e%aporation
based on the &aw$in! radiation theor'
(n realit', preparations had alread' been completed two 'ears a!o,
but the reason wh' this pro)ect was restarted despite its failure to
recei%e appro%al due to its comparati%el' lar!e un$nown ris$s was
because of what happened in the *ar +ast sector near end of last
month
A titanic explosion eradicated the militar' harbor located on the
southern tip of the ,orean peninsula and the fleet stationed there
within an instant This was not )ust a simple e%ent, but worth' of
ratin! a ma)or crisis
This was not because of the scale of destruction, but because of
the estimated instrument of this carna!e
After fierce debate amon! the scientists from the Department of
National Defense, the cause of the detonation was determined to
be matter con%ersion Three 'ears a!o, onl' a small portion of the
scholars stood b' this, but this time there was consensus amon!
the researchers
-' tracin! bac$ the estimated scale of the explosion, the amount
of matter transmuted into ener!' was rou!hl' . $! // Althou!h
matter con%ersion such a lar!e scale had ne%er been detected
before, but since the' alread' used an experimental de%ice to
record the annihilation reaction, the' were able to use that to
estimate what had occurred
0hat re1uired an explanation was that, based on the data of the
2titanic explosion2 recorded b' the satellites, the distincti%e
properties of the annihilation reaction did not match those created
under experimental conditions Nor did the' detect an' debris left
behind b' nuclear fission or fusion (n other words, re!ardless of
whether throu!h the ad%ent of some technolo!' or ma!ical power,
someone utili3ed a pre%iousl' un$nown method to create a
practical application or hi!h ener!' explosions
This result !a%e the upper echelons of the USNA fits
(f this was caused b' ma!ic, then the' could hardl' bemoan the
fact that no one could replicate this achie%ement 0hile the ma!ic
s'stem itself was s'stematic, ultimatel' human !enes was the
dominant propert'
&owe%er, there was simpl' no wa' to craft an' countermeasures
if the' had no idea how this phenomenon was achie%ed in the first
place
4nce an enem' turned this upon them, the onl' path remainin! to
them was complete destruction
This was a ni!htmare come to life
&ow was the explosion brou!ht about, the $e's to the matter and
ener!' con%ersion s'stem, were these be'ond their !rasp 5et,
this was precisel' the impetus that re%itali3ed the micro blac$ hole
creation and e%aporation experiment
(n re!ards to the obser%able effect from matter to ener!'
con%ersion from blac$ hole e%aporation, the theoretical proof was
sound The micro blac$ hole experiment itself was desi!ned to
brin! these theories to fruition And then there was the matter of
how the data from the 2titanic explosion2 differed from
experimental estimates
Still, accordin! to the predictions from USNA scientists, althou!h
the annihilation effect did not match up perfectl' with the
experimental obser%ation of &aw$in! radiation, there was still the
possibilit' of obtainin! a result that was completel' different from
theoretical estimates
(n summation, there was a chance that the' could obser%e the
same distincti%e properties obser%ed durin! the 2titanic
explosion2 The probabilit' of this was not 3ero
The fact that this flims' possibilit' was enou!h to reopen such a
dan!erous and ris$' experiment was a clear testament to how
desperate the upper echelons of the USNA had become
To the point that the' could i!nore the dan!ers of the un$nown
The result of such a decision was encroachin! towards them, na',
the entire world
This hitherto undetected disaster was creepin! closer
Chapter 1
There was still one month left in the 'ear 6#78 AD
Thin$in! bac$, this was 1uite the chaotic 'ear As he thou!ht o%er the
past 'ear, e%en Tatsu'a couldn9t help but fall into a re%erie The
terrorists in April, the international criminal or!ani3ation in Au!ust,
then came the forei!n in%aders durin! 4ctober +%en the word
2turbulent2 should ha%e a limit
Still, Tatsu'a did not possess the leisure to ruminate and reflect o%er
the 'ear !one b' This was hardl' because he bore an' pessimistic
outloo$ li$e 2there9s still one month left, who $nows what could
happen2 :ather, he had a more practical reason before him
20ah/; ( still don9t understand no matter how man' times it9s been
said;2
2,eep it to 'ourself; There9s no need to holler; <ust suc$ it up;2
2:elax, Leo/$un, +ri$a/chan2
No matter if one was a middle school student, hi!h school student, or
colle!e student, so lon! as the' were students, this was undoubtedl'
their most loathed nemesis The una%oidable obstacle that the' were
forced to o%ercome // The ine%itable final exams that were )ust
around the corner
The usual crowd was currentl' !athered in Shi3u$u9s house // more
li$e a mansion, to be precise
Tatsu'a, =i'u$i, +ri$a, Leo, =i3u$i, =i$ihi$o, &ono$a, Shi3u$u,
e%er'one was here and en!a!ed in the stud' session in preparation for
the upcomin! final exams
Despite callin! this a stud' session, the !roup assembled here were
lar!el' 1uite capable on the written portion of the exam The onl'
exception here was Leo, whose !rades were onl' so/so, but who was
still in no dan!er of failin! The area of !ra%e concern was actuall' the
technical s$ills portion, but that was not bein! co%ered in the stud'
session
-esides from the odd s1uaw$ here and there, the mood of the stud'
session closel' mirrored that of a collo1uial tea part' // That is, until
Shi3u$u dropped the bombshell
2+h> Shi3u$u, can 'ou repeat that one more time>2
2(9m actuall' preparin! to stud' o%erseas in America2
&ono$a as$ed in a frantic manner while Shi3u$u replied in her usual
bland tone
2-ut ( ne%er heard about that;>2
2Sorr', ( was forbidden from disclosin! that until 'esterda'2
Seein! the completel' pale &ono$a press on with more 1uestions,
Shi3u$u9s head dropped in a clear si!n of !uilt Plainl', Shi3u$u
wanted to tell them from lon! a!o, so in that li!ht, &ono$a didn9t push
her an' further
2&owe%er, are 'ou seriousl' able to stud' o%erseas>2
&ono$a9s 1uestion was not 1uestionin! Shi3u$u9s abilit'
(n the modern a!e, in order to pre%ent hi!h/class =a!icians, and
especiall' their !enetics as well as militar' capabilities, from driftin!
o%erseas, %arious !o%ernments hea%il' restricted unofficial
international tra%el
The USNA remained allies on the surface, but in realit' the' were one
of the countr'9s direct competitors in the western Pacific &ence the
t'pical re1uest to stud' abroad in America was usuall' denied
(n other words, sa'in! that she was stud'in! abroad in America hinted
at tacit appro%al
2Ah, well, we9%e alread' recei%ed appro%al *ather said that this was
because this was a forei!n exchan!e, or somethin! li$e that2
2So forei!n exchan!e students are automaticall' 1ualified>2
20ho $nows>2
Althou!h =i3u$i9s 1uestion seemed reasonable, an' hope of a positi%e
response died when Shi3u$u tilted her head and replied bac$ +%en
Tatsu'a was unable to follow an' lo!ic that !ranted special exceptions
to forei!n exchan!e students
2*or how lon!> 0hen do 'ou lea%e>2
0hile he wanted to properl' anal'3e the situation, there was simpl'
too little information on hand Tatsu'a fran$l' !a%e up on an'
meanin!less ponderin! and focused bac$ on the situation before him
2( lea%e after the end of the term The duration is three months2
2So it9s onl' three months Don9t scare us li$e that2
&ono$a hea%ed a si!h of relief after hearin! Shi3u$u9s words (t
loo$ed li$e she was expectin! this to be a lon!/term arran!ement
&owe%er, accordin! to Tatsu'a9s 2common $nowled!e2, e%en three
months was 1uite a lon! duration (was there some bac$room dealin!
that led to !o%ernment ratification)
Nonetheless, that was important ri!ht now
2Then we need to prepare a proper farewell part'2
So, Tatsu'a proposed 2somethin! that had to be done2 to his friends
? ? ?
The final exams came and went without an' disturbance Toda' was
Saturda', December 6@th Toda' was the last da' of the second
semester and also Ahristmas +%e
Since the Third 0orld 0ar until now, the <apanese citi3enr' remained
indifferent towards reli!ion This was hardl' because this was a
countr' of atheists, but more because the' subconsciousl' attributed
the one true !od that others belie%ed in to be one of the m'riad spirits
in the world Thus, there were alwa's preparations for celebrator'
e%ents, re!ardless of whether it was the lunar new 'ear or Ahristmas
The streets were filled with Ahristmas cheer
+%er' shop was en!a!ed in the annual Ahristmas mercantile warfare,
althou!h e%en if this was the true topic of the season, simpl' shoppin!
around b' oneself definitel' rated as a foolish decision Settin! aside
the people who hadn9t found someone 'et, if someone decided to
throw a hiss' fit because the' weren9t surrounded b' cute !irls at this
time and ruined the mood for their friends who were en)o'in! the
atmosphere, a beatin! would li$el' be una%oidable (4f course, that9s
onl' the masculine side of thin!s 5oun! ladies probabl' want to be
2surrounded b' strappin! 'oun! lads2)
So +%en if this was the 2farewell part'2, the' still chose to hold it
on December 6@th :i!ht now, there was a !iant cream ca$e in front of
them with a chocolate pla1ue that had the words 2=err' B9mas2 on it
No matter what, this !a%e off an odd feelin! To top it off,
accordin! to this restaurant9s st'le, Ahristmas should be spelled with
20eihnachten2 rather than 2B9mas2 Still, this was perfectl' charmin!
in its own wa'
24nii/sama, what9s on 'our mind>2
+'ein! his sister, who mana!ed to bloom li$e a flower despite bein!
!arbed in her school uniform, Tatsu'a shoo$ his head to si!nif' that
2it was nothin!2
(ndeed, in realit' he couldn9t simpl' write it off as nothin! Still, he
was bein! in%ited as a participant, so he couldn9t ruin the mood for the
main act
2&as e%er'one !otten their drin$s> Then, althou!h this is sli!htl' off
$ilter from the main theme of a farewell part', but since we rarel' !et
such an ex1uisitel' prepared ca$e, bottoms up e%er'one =err'
Ahristmas;2
2=err' Ahristmas;2
Usin! the clin$in! of the cups to )oin the well wishers, Tatsu'a
responded to his friends9 cries and raised his !lass alon! with e%er'one
else
(n front of the Aafe 2+ine -ree3e2, a 2:eser%ed2 si!n hun! from the
entrance
? ? ?
(n central North America on the other side of the Pacific, this was still
the da' before Ahristmas +%e The time was almost about to turn to
the 6@th
Aompared to the ma)orit' of <apanese who %iewed Ahristmas as a
simple celebrator' e%ent, those that went throu!h the 6# 'ear lon!
wa', or more li$e the Americans who sur%i%ed that catastrophe and
especiall' for the new 2Americans2 after the war, these people
embraced Ahristmas with sincerit', de%otion, and !ratitude (n order to
prepare for Ahristmas +%e on the morrow, e%er'one went to bed earl'
// At least, that9s how it was supposed to be
(n the deepest ni!ht before Ahristmas +%e, se%eral fi!ures were
flashin! across the street corners of one of the !reat cities in southern
America, Dallas, Texas
Se%eral more fi!ures leaped across the rooftops from one buildin! to
another
Additionall', se%eral more formed a containment net in the air used
a!ainst suspicious indi%iduals Ci%en that the' were e1uipped with
Speciali3ed AADs loaded with *l'in!/T'pe =a!ic that hadn9t e%en hit
the mar$et 'et, the' were probabl' law enforcement or combat
=a!icians
2&alt, Lieutenant Alfred *omalhaut; 5ou $now 'ou ha%e nowhere to
flee;2
Standin! in front of the fleein! indi%idual, a petite fi!ure wearin! a
mas$ that co%ered the e'es barred their path
(t was the tin$lin! %oice of a 'oun! !irl that called for surrender The
fu!iti%e, Alfred *omalhaut, immediatel' came to a halt upon seein!
that tin' fi!ure
20hat happened> *red, 'ou are someone who has recei%ed the
*irst Alass Star of &onor, so wh' are 'ou desertin!>2
The earlier arro!ant tone altered This time, the mas$ed 'oun! !irl9s
%oice contained the unease, bewilderment, and childish tones that
were expected of her ima!e
22
5et, the other side !a%e no repl'
2There was a series of arson and homicides alon! this street said to be
caused b' 'our P'ro$inesis That must be a )o$e, ri!ht>2
22
2Answer me, *redd';2
&owe%er, the response the other side !a%e came not in the form of
words
The 'oun! !irl 1uic$l' leaped bac$wards
The onl' thin! she left behind was the cloa$ she wore on her
shoulders
0ithout an' warnin!, the cloa$ that co%ered the 'oun! !irl9s bod'
erupted into flames and was burned to ash
Pr'o$inesis // the fire starter abilit'
This was not modern ma!ic from an' s'stem, but a special power that
was once $nown as a Superpower
The cloa$ that the 'oun! !irl wore o%er her purple uniform and the
easil' remo%able windbrea$ers and cloa$s that the surroundin! men
wore were not to defend a!ainst the cold, but to bloc$ their ph'sical
bodies from the man9s direct line of si!ht and ma!ic
The second the flames %anished, e%er' li!ht in the man9s surroundin!s
win$ed out
Settin! the tar!et as the ori!in, e%er' li!ht source within a certain
radius was re%ersed so that no outside li!ht could penetrate this prison
of pitch dar$ness This was the area of effect ma!ic 2=iller Aa!e2
4ne of the surroundin! indi%iduals acti%ated this defensi%e abilit' to
den' the tar!et an' %isuals
2Lieutenant *omalhaut, in accordance with the special pro%ision
!ranted under federal militar' law and under m' own authorit' as the
commandin! officer of Stars, ( hereb' enact 'our punishment;2
This declaration was made as if in lamentation
The mas$ed 'oun! !irl, =a)or An!ie Sirius, commandin! officer of
the Stars, raised the automatic pistol e1uipped with a silencer and
aimed at Lieutenant *omalhaut, who was still imprisoned within the
ma!icall' created cell of dar$ness
+mpowered b' Data *ortification to i!nore all ma!ic interference, the
bullet pierced throu!h Lieutenant *omalhaut9s heart as he stood
trapped within the dar$ barrier
? ? ?
Despite callin! this a farewell part', since the' $new that the' would
be reunited in the sprin! after the trip and that this $ind of stud'
abroad sessions weren9t usuall' appro%ed, rather than bein! lonel', it
would be more appropriate to sa' that there were more expectations in
the air
2&e', where are 'ou !oin! for 'our stud' abroad pro!ram>2
2-er$ele'2
At +ri$a9s 1uestion, Shi3u$u onl' replied bac$ with a sin!le word
This was not because Shi3u$u was in a dar$ mood, but because that9s
how her personalit' was
2So it9s not -oston2
Amon! <apanese =a!icians, the belief that the center of America9s
modern ma!ic research facilities was -oston ran deep =i'u$i9s
comment came from this particular bac$!round
2That9s because the +ast Aoast isn9t %er' stable ri!ht now2
2Ah, the 2&uman (deolo!ists2 are rampa!in! o%er there 0e see them
on the news 1uite often these da's2
=i$ihi$o a!reed wholeheartedl' with Shi3u$u9s repl'
2So the witch hunts ha%e now turned into 2=a!ician hunts2 +%en if
'ou sa' histor' repeats itself, this is simpl' ridiculous2
Leo coldl' retorted
2(t9s not a perfect replication of histor' Althou!h we ha%e no idea of
the bac$!round of the .Dth centur'9s witch hunts, the recent 2=a!ician
hunts2 and new white supremacist mo%ement are fundamentall' two
different thin!s2
Tatsu'a chimed in with a more conciliator' tone
2Still, it ma' be best to a%oid the +ast Aoast2
Not that Tatsu'a9s words were meant to defend the 2=a!ician hunts2
in an' wa'
2( didn9t $now about that2
=i'u$i inter)ected while %isuall' promptin! her brother to continue
Aatchin! his sister9s re1uest, Tatsu'a continued onward
2This is because the rosters for both or!ani3ations shared 1uite a few
members &owe%er, the member rosters are not somethin! open to the
public, so it9s onl' natural to be i!norant of this detail2
2( smell criminal acti%it' in Tatsu'a/$un9s words Let9s table this
disturbin! con%ersation here2
Seein! +ri$a intentionall' crac$ a )o$e and sha$e her head, both
Tatsu'a and =i'u$i chuc$led wr'l' and nodded
The two of them both $new that this was not the ri!ht time and place
for that con%ersation topic
2Do 'ou $now an' details about the exchan!e student>2
Possibl' because she wanted to 1uic$l' alter the atmosphere, =i'u$i9s
chan!e in sub)ect was a little abrupt
2+xchan!e>2
2The child that will be the exchan!e student at our school2
As expected, Shi3u$u initiall' missed the meanin! behind =i'u$i9s
words until =i'u$i repeated herself before lettin! out an 2Ah2 alon!
with an comprehendin! expression // -ut, as usual, it was difficult to
discern her chan!e in expression
2( belie%e it9s a !irl of the same a!e2
2So 'ou don9t $now an'thin! else>2
25eah2
(s that it> +%er'one loo$ed at one another blan$l' Tatsu'a chuc$led
as he as$ed this 1uestion while Shi3u$u nodded her head as if this was
perfectl' natural
2That9s true No matter how much 'ou cared, it9s not li$e the'
would tell 'ou who was !oin! to cross o%er in 'our place2
0ith =i3u$i9s comment, this topic came to a close
-ased on the fact that the' selected toda' for their farewell part', the
ei!ht people !athered here didn9t seem to ha%e an' special plans for
Ahristmas +%e Still, it was a little surprisin! to see that Shi3u$u,
+ri$a, and =i$ihi$o were not obli!ated to attend an' famil'
!atherin!s, which hinted that the ,ita'ama, Ahiba, and 5oshida
*amilies probabl' held !alas for the adults, e%ents where hi!h school
freshmen were not re1uired to attend // And not because their parents
made specific arran!ements
*aced with the temptation of unrestrained freedom, the' would ha%e
li$ed to part' late into the ni!ht and deepen their friendship, but since
the' were all wearin! their school uniforms, the' wouldn9t be able to
sta' out too late
2( thin$ the owner will !et a little sour if we sta' an' lon!er2
Such an innocent, but at the same time sli!htl' wic$ed, phrase
stumped the owner of the cafe (0ho said this aloud was irrele%ant)
The ei!ht of them pac$ed up their thin!s and prepared to head home
&ono$a and Shi3u$u too$ the same bus, so she must be sta'in! o%er at
Shi3u$u9s place At an' rate, this wasn9t an' new headline at ma!ic
hi!h schools, thou!h the primar' reason was because &ono$a wasn9t
%er' close with her parents
+ri$a, Leo, =i3u$i, and =i$ihi$o each !ot onto a train There was
expectation of some theatrics on their part, but plainl' these four were
a lon! wa's off from that point
*inall', Tatsu'a and =i'u$i climbed onto another train without an'
further concern and happil' en)o'ed their ride home to!ether 0hile
modern cabins had been desi!ned into pri%ate compartments after
re1uest, Tatsu'a ne%er for!ot the ancient maxim 2the walls ha%e ears2
*urthermore, =i'u$i didn9t ha%e an'thin! to sa' either as the'
wordlessl' returned home The real con%ersation could onl' be!in
when the two of them were able to relax in their own home
2( somehow feel that somethin! is awr' with Shi3u$u9s stud' abroad
pro!ram2
After chan!in! clothes in their respecti%e rooms, =i'u$i poured two
cups of coffee and the two of them sat side b' side on the sofa before
=i'u$i finall' broached her own thou!hts
2Awr' 5ou do ha%e a point2
Tatsu'a shifted his coffee mu! from his lips and, under her brother9s
silent ur!in!, =i'u$i hesitantl' listed her s$epticism
2*irst of all, the idea that such a ma!icall' talented indi%idual li$e
Shi3u$u could obtain permission to stud' abroad is alread' unnatural
That bein! said, this mi!ht fl' if she was stud'in! abroad as the
dau!hter of a ma)or entrepreneur and not as a =a!ician/in/trainin!,
but our complete lac$ of $nowled!e on the transfer student is too
suspicious *urthermore, specificall' selectin! this moment to
suddenl' sprin! an exchan!e pro!ram smac$s of an ulterior purpose
(t9s almost as if2
2As if the'9re tr'in! to secretl' sound us out> Accordin! to 4ba/san,
we are under suspicion2
Tatsu'a smir$ed sli!htl' and continued on as if he was tal$in! about
someone else9s business
2=aterial -urst Loo$s li$e we can9t )ust lea%e this situation alone2
4nce she heard the hea%' sub)ect that she was unable to utter sprin!
forth from her brother9s lips, =i'u$i9s e'es widened in shoc$ but, at
the same time, she seemed to relax into a smile
2(s that so Loo$s li$e 4nii/sama alread' too$ this into
consideration2
2Settin! aside the student exchan!e situation for the moment, after
ta$in! into account 4ba/san9s warnin!s, this is most definitel' not a
simple coincidence2
Tatsu'a alread' disclosed the con%ersation between himself and =a'a
to =i'u$i the da' it happened +xactl' wh' he was under suspicion
and who was tar!etin! him
2Then, is it reall' Stars>2
2(n that case, bein! forbidden from ma$in! contact with the =a)or
ma$es this a little difficult2
As punishment for Tatsu'a acti%atin! Strate!ic/class ma!ic without
obtainin! permission before hand, =a'a forbade him from ma$in!
contact with the (ndependent =a!ic/+1uipped -attalion Althou!h he
didn9t plan on obedientl' followin! orders to the letter, but in order to
a%oid undue ris$, followin! orders was the smarter mo%e at the
moment
2+%en if we as$ed 4ba/san She probabl' wouldn9t tell us
an'thin!2
2And !i%en that the exchan!e pro!ram has alread' been ratified, this
si!nifies that 4ba/san has alread' a!reed to this arran!ement2
The 5otsuba *amil' currentl' matched the Sae!usa *amil', who led
the Ten =aster Alans, so there was no wa' the' would be in the dar$
about talented =a!icians under!oin! the forei!n exchan!e pro!ram
24n the other hand, this isn9t a completel' ne!ati%e turnout for us
+%en if the opponent the' sent was )ust to sound us out, 4ba/san
wouldn9t underestimate them :ather, there mi!ht ha%e been some
troublesome turn of e%ents on the American side 4ba/san9s intent is
li$el' to ha%e us catch them b' the tail instead2
:ather than bein! a wr' !rin, Tatsu'a9s smile was closer to that of a
helpless smile
20e cannot be certain that is how the situation will unfold (t will
do us no !ood to o%erthin$ this2
2That9s true 5ou9re absolutel' ri!ht, =i'u$i2
No matter what was said, both the comfortin! side and the comforted
side $new that these words were enou!h to trul' let them relax
? ? ?
After ta$in! the Stars exclusi%e ET4L aircraft bac$ to base and
ma$in! her report to the <oint Ahiefs of Staff %ia encr'pted
communications, =a)or An!elina Sirius, also $nown as An!ie Sirius,
was still in her uniform as she rolled bac$ and forth on the bed in her
room
She flipped o%er and buried her face into the pillow
No matter how man' times she performed them, she still couldn9t !et
used to Search and Destro' missions 0hile she didn9t %omit li$e she
did after first completin! this mission, that was onl' because her
ph'sical bod' had become accustomed to her mental pain
5et her mental sufferin! onl' worsened
An American =a!ician, a Stars member under the direct command of
the USNA <oint Ahiefs of Staff, who was her comrade on multiple
le%els, had )ust been executed b' her own hands
0hen she heard that this was the dut' of the &i!h Aommander, the
one who was bestowed the title Sirius, she didn9t ha%e an' real
feelin!s on the matter
+%en if this was a hi!h honor, she still didn9t comprehend She still
didn9t comprehend the meanin! behind $illin! her own comrades
She turned o%er once a!ain and used her hand to co%er her e'es from
the piercin! li!ht (t was onl' then she reali3ed she for!ot to turn off
the li!hts
At this moment, the doorbell ran! =a)or Sirius9s lips curled into a
wr' smile
Loo$s li$e toni!ht, her meddlesome subordinate was chec$in! in on
her
Stars consisted of twel%e units, each led b' a captain and then the
&i!h Aommander &er subordinate was exactl' one such captain
responsible for ta$in! care of their own unit
4ri!inall', he should ha%e no time to interfere with her business //
2Aome in2
Cettin! up from the bed, =a)or Sirius $e'ed the mic leadin! to the
door and made a simple repl' before hittin! the remote to open the
door
2Sorr' for disturbin! 'ou, &i!h Aommander2
The one who came in was the expected indi%idual
=a)or -en)amin Aanopus, call si!n 2Two2 within Stars, captain of the
first unit and de facto &i!h Aommander when she was absent
Positions within Stars did not necessaril' correlate with militar' ran$,
which was a rather odd arran!ement for a militar' unit (t was unheard
of for a captain to outran$ the &i!h Aommander, but it was 1uite
common to see the &i!h Aommander and the captains to share the
same ran$
Aurrentl', besides the six who held the ran$ of captain, the other six
shared the same ran$ of ma)or with the &i!h Aommander
(f =a)or Sirius had to %oice her displeasure, it was that Aanopus was
plainl' much older than she was 'et held the same ran$, which
actuall' ser%ed to ma$e her uneas'
2Aonsolation pri3e2
=a)or -en)amin Aanopus loo$ed e%er' inch the hi!h ran$in! officer
A tou!h but %i!orous man in his forties, the atmosphere around him
was completel' unli$e the soldiers or ci%ilian industrialists who
clawed their wa' throu!h the ran$s
2-en, than$s2
There was a steamin! cup of hone' mil$ on the table next to the bed
=a)or Sirius easil' accepted the condolences from her subordinate,
who was the same a!e as her father
This wasn9t one of those !lasses used as munitions durin! combat
operations, but a beautiful mu! with warm mil$ with hone' that came
strai!ht from a hot water bottle =a)or Sirius li!htl' raised the mu!
and too$ a sip
The warm sweetness !raduall' spread across her taste buds, and the
pain in her heart seemed to lessen with it
25ou9re welcome &i!h Aommander, are 'ou finished preparin!>2
=a)or Aanopus !lanced at the personal lu!!a!e lumped to!ether in
one corner of the room and as$ed
25es, prett' much2
25ou cleaned up 1uite nicel'2
2( am a !irl, after all2
=a)or Aanopus shru!!ed as he exchan!ed words with someone who
would be the same a!e as her dau!hter &e actuall' had a dau!hter
who was two 'ears 'oun!er than her
2The fact that 'ou care about somethin! inconse1uential li$e 'our
!ender (s that because of 'our <apanese ancestr'>2
2The idea that politeness and decorum is expected of <apanese people
is completel' outdated2
0hen the other person mentioned her 1uarter <apanese ancestr', this
time it was =a)or Sirius9s turn to shru!
Not out of irritation
Someone who 1uibbled o%er tri%ial matters li$e this wasn9t !oin! to
last in Stars
25ou ha%e a point, thou!h let9s set that aside for now :i!ht now,
)ust for!et about 'our mission for a moment and !et some 1ualit'
:F:;2 (*R&R : rest & relaxation )
2This isn9t a furlou!h, but a secret mission2
=a)or Sirius pouted when faced with =a)or Aanopus9s merr' lecture
That expression perfectl' befitted the mood of a 'oun! !irl her a!e
2( should sa' it9s rather depressin! instead Sendin! me to in%esti!ate
whether the suspected tar!et is the Strate!ic/class =a!ician (t9s one
thin! if one of the two was the person in 1uestion, but there9s a si3able
possibilit' that both of them are not who we9re loo$in! for 0h' are
the' sendin! me to underta$e infiltration that isn9t m' specialt'
+%en if we ha%e to consider a!e as a re1uirement, there should be lots
of people with specialist trainin! for this2
The mission !i%en to =a)or Sirius was to in%esti!ate the culprit
behind the titanic explosion obser%ed in the *ar +ast sector at end of
4ctober that was suspected to be caused b' Strate!ic/class ma!ic,
which was essentiall' the true identit' of the =a!ician (ntel tried
their best and narrowed down the list of suspects to 8. tar!ets, and
amon! them were two students attendin! hi!h school in To$'o (n
li!ht of this, =a)or Sirius was ordered to !o underco%er because of
their similar a!e (which was purel' coincidental)
2&e', don9t be li$e that2
(n order to comfort his si!hin! superior officer, =a)or Aanopus wa%ed
his hand bac$ and forth
2( suspect the <oint Ahiefs expect this opponent to be extremel'
difficult (f the tar!et is trul' an existence alon! the lines our
predictions, then that would ma$e them a dan!erous opponent with
the firepower to exceed a tactical nu$e *urthermore, we are still in the
dar$ re!ardin! their identit' This wa', it9s not hard to s'mpathi3e with
the <oint Ahiefs usin! pure combat abilit' rather than trainin! as a
criterion when selectin! the intelli!ence officer for this op2
2( !et that2
2Since our suspected tar!et is a hi!h school student, establishin!
contact as a student from the same school would be much easier, so
the onl' person who could possibl' accomplish this in%esti!ation
would be 'ou, &i!h Aommander2
Althou!h this was a matter of fact, in realit', there was a host of
support personnel wor$in! in the shadows to help =a)or Sirius ma$e
contact with the tar!et Stars was also sendin! a planet/class =a!ician
to support the ma)or There was no wa' that she could be obli%ious to
all that
2( understand that as well2
&ence =a)or Sirius9s response too$ this all in stride
20h' don9t 'ou thin$ about it li$e this The &i!h Aommander9s
mission is to ma$e contact with the suspicious tar!et and cause him or
her to wa%er2
2&m That9s a much better wa' to approach this After all, (9m
completel' inept at intel wor$2
2(n that case, !o ahead and relax a little There9s nothin! wron! in
bein! a little more cheerful This will li$el' ma$e it easier to find our
opponent9s wea$ness as well2
2&a That9s true &opefull' it9ll turn out )ust li$e 'ou sa', -en2
After lettin! out a hea%' si!h, =a)or Sirius set the mu! bac$ onto the
table and stood up in front of =a)or Aanopus
2-en, ( will lea%e the defenses up to 'ou The rest of the deserters
ha%en9t been dealt with 'et, so the tas$ that was ori!inall' m'
responsibilit' will ha%e to fall to 'ou &owe%er, the onl' person (
can count on is 'ou2
2-e at ease, &i!h Aommander This is a little earl', but ( wish 'ou
!odspeed2
At =a)or Aanopus9s affectionate smile and salute, the 'oun! lad'
returned a heartfelt smile of !ratitude
Chapter 2
As in the past, Tatsu'a and =i'u$i welcomed New 5ears for 6#7G AD
to!ether
This 'ear, their father also spent the e%enin! at dwellin! of his first
lo%e This actuall' did not ma$e the situation more aw$ward for
Tatsu'a and =i'u$i, so there were no complaints
Neither Tatsu'a nor =i'u$i were the t'pe to la3e about on the
holida's Tatsu'a rose at the usual time for school and waited at the
threshold for =i'u$i, onl' raisin! his head when he heard her call out
2Sorr' for the wait2
0earin! a lon!/slee%ed, crimson $imono with white flowers, =i'u$i
!racefull' descended down the stairs
The pearl' s$in, unadorned with an' extraneous ma$eup, onl' ser%ed
to hei!hten the brilliant red around her succulent lips
&er sil$' tresses done up with a hairpin ma' !i%e off a childish
feelin!, but that onl' ser%ed to brin! out the uni1ue allure of a 'oun!
maiden in the midst of the mature wardrobe
(n addition, what drew the e'es was not )ust the products of nature
,imonos of the past were desi!ned to confine the chest area, whereas
modern desi!ns incorporated a "/D cut off method &owe%er, the
traditional $imono =i'u$i wore miraculousl' ti!htened the bust and
waist area while still $eepin! with tradition and maintainin! a modest
appearance
The breathta$in! si!ht of the world9s cutest 'oun!er sister // these
were Tatsu'a9s true feelin!s // appeared to be see$in! her older
brother9s praise
2&m, simpl' beautiful2
Standin! in front of his sister while she was puttin! on her shoes,
Tatsu'a held nothin! bac$ with his praise
=i'u$i9s face immediatel' flushed crimson
2Seriousl', 4nii/sama Don9t tease me an' more2
Despite her embarrassment, she did not shift her !a3e and pla'full'
pouted at her brother A lesser man with a wea$er immune s'stem
would ha%e been annihilated instantl'
2( am not )o$in! in the sli!htest 0ell, let9s be off2
To be able to be the master of himself e%en under such conditions, no
wonder Tatsu'a was the 4nii/sama who had li%ed to!ether with
=i'u$i for the past .G 'ears (to be precise, it was the past .8 'ears
and 7 months)
There was an automated car par$ed outside the door Nonetheless, an
automated %ehicle did not impl' that no one was on board The four
seater car had an adult male and adult female sittin! in the bac$ row
2&app' New 5ear, master2
2&app' New 5ear, ,o$onoe/sensei Please ta$e care of us in the
comin! 'ear as well2
Seein! Tatsu'a9s simplistic !reetin! and =i'u$i9s decorous bow,
5a$umo replied with a cheerful smile of his own
2A'a, 'ou9re e%en more beautiful than usual Almost as if the di%ine
descended from hea%en (f the' saw =i'u$i toda', e%en the fairies of
Sumeru would hide their faces in shame2
4n some le%el, this was a response filled with 5a$umo9s uni1ue fla%or
2=aster ( don9t thin$ that is what 'ou9re supposed to sa'2
The one who retorted so was the woman next to him
Seein! that someone stole a march on him, Tatsu'a sli!htl' lowered
his head to the woman before 5a$umo could fire bac$ a response
24no/sensei, &app' New 5ear Still, would it be alri!ht if someone
saw 'ou with master>2
2&app' New 5ear, Shiba/$un *irst da' of the new 'ear and this
unpleasant alread'2
4ri!inall', Tatsu'a was trul' !ettin! a little worried, but it appeared
that &aru$a was alread' !ettin! sic$ of him Thin$in! bac$ to his
usual beha%ior and pre%ious run/ins, Tatsu'a shru!!ed as he came to
the conclusion that 2bein! misunderstood couldn9t be helped2
2=eetin! sensei here was purel' coincidental Toda', ( am ser%in! as
'our !uide2
2( see, so that9s how it is Still, if callin! a hi!h school student a !uide
is a little pushin! it Then that earlier honorific 2sensei2 ma' be a
little problematic2
At Tatsu'a9s words, &aru$a furrowed her brows from the bac$ seat
(ndeed, for a modern hi!h school student, a sin!le da' %isit to the
shrine did not necessitate an adult chaperon
Simpl' put, a 2!uide2 was )ust an excuse, as the actual purpose was
for them to 2accompan'2 them
*urthermore, e%en for random b'standers, since he was not a facult'
member, usin! the honorific 2sensei2 ma' easil' lead to terrif'in!
delusions that la' in perilous territor'
2Let9s thin$ about it as we !o Shouldn9t we be lea%in! now>2
=i'u$i made this su!!estion after Tatsu'a opened the car door
0ithout pa'in! an' heed to the ruminatin! &aru$a, Tatsu'a waited
until =i'u$i boarded the %ehicle, closed the door, and too$ his seat in
the dri%er9s seat After Tatsu'a closed the door, the car automaticall'
too$ off
After switchin! onto the train at the station despite unprecedented
attention, the four of them !ot off at the meetin! place a!ain under
intense scrutin' and wal$ed for fi%e minutes
2&e', =i'u$i, 'ou loo$ !reat;2
This was the first sentence that !reeted Tatsu'a and =i'u$i at the
meetin! place 0earin! a leather )ac$et o%er her lon! dress, =i3u$i
was !a3in! at =i'u$i mesmeri3ed To the side, e%en Tatsu'a was
under suspiciousl' warm scrutin'
2&app' New 5ear, Shiba/$un 5our attire suits 'ou, howe%er
unexpected2
Dressed in a $imono )ust li$e =i'u$i, &ono$a seemed to be sli!htl'
cowed b' her classmate9s lo%eliness, but upon catchin! si!ht of
Tatsu'a9s plain but alto!ether different aura, her heartbeat spi$ed and
she immediatel' too$ on a co' smile
2&app' New 5ear &ono$a loo$s !reat too2
Tatsu'a wasn9t )ust offerin! empt' flatter' &e honestl' belie%ed that
&ono$a9s $imono was ex1uisite
Tatsu'a smiled sli!htl' at the ecstatic &ono$a and lowered his !a3e to
his own clothes
2Since 'ou mentioned this was unexpected, do ( reall' loo$ that out of
place>2
20hat are 'ou tal$in! about, Tatsu'a, it fits 'ou 1uite well 5ou loo$
li$e a boss2
2So (9m the mafia now2
The one who inter)ected with this comment that was un$nown to be
whether in earnest or )est happened to be the )ac$et/clad Leo
The three who )oined them at the shrine were =i3u$i, &ono$a, and
Leo +ri$a and =i$ihi$o were unable to spare themsel%es due to the
hi!h number of disciples at their respecti%e families, and Shi3u$u was
about to stud' abroad and was unable to attend due to her father9s
business
2Althou!h 'ou don9t loo$ li$e the mafia, but it9s definitel' a rare si!ht
to see a hi!h school student wear a haori ha$ama so well2
2:ather than bein! from the mafia, 'ou loo$ more li$e a police chief2
<ust as the sli!htl' tard' &aru$a and 5a$umo said, toda' Tatsu'a wore
the traditional <apanese ha$ama and bamboo clo!s =uch li$e what
&ono$a and Leo said afterward, he reall' did loo$ the part The onl'
thin! missin! was a pair of swords and a police baton
2&o, &aru$a/san &app' New 5ear2
2&app' New 5ear, 4no/sensei Tatsu'a/$un, and this is>2
(mmediatel' on the heels of Leo9s well wishes, &ono$a also followed
up with her customar' !reetin! towards a teacher as she $ept one e'e
on 5a$umo and the other e'e carefull' watchin! Tatsu'a
Upon hearin! Tatsu'a9s introduction, both &ono$a and =i3u$i
widened their e'es in shoc$ &ono$a was aware of 5a$umo9s name,
but e%en Tatsu'a was ama3ed to learn that =i3u$i had heard of
5a$umo as well
2( see, so that9s wh' we9re at the shrine2
Tatsu'a was ama3ed b' Leo9s displa' of hitherto un$nown depths, but
this was in no wa' meant to be dero!ator' towards Leo
2So>2
Ci%en that &aru$a was unaware of the lin$, this definitel' wasn9t
common $nowled!e
2&m> 0hen it comes to -uddhist mon$s, wouldn9t the' be mon$s
from the Tiantai school of -uddhism> The Sanno faith and inner sect
is practicall' inseparable2
&earin! Tatsu'a9s simplistic explanation that was phrased as a
1uestion for some reason, the number of 1uestion mar$s floatin!
around &aru$a9s head onl' increased
2( sa', 'ou9re 1uite $nowled!eable despite 'our 'outh ( belie%e 'ou
are Sai)ou Leonhardt/$un>2
(!norin! the completel' confused &aru$a, 5a$umo happil' struc$ up
a con%ersation with Leo
2+h> Do 'ou $now me>2
*aced with someone he met for the first time, Leo responded in a
rather serious tone
2That9s because ( watched the recordin!s for the Nine Schools
Aompetition2
5et, 5a$umo9s response was also a perfectl' serious, uninhibited
response, but that onl' caused Leo to furrow his brows on reflex This
was probabl' because the ima!e of him wearin! a cloa$ and hood that
belon!ed in a different a!e and location was li$el' a memor' that
would sta' with him no matter how badl' he wanted to for!et it
After the mutual introductions were finished, the fi%e students and the
bald man (in a normal male $imono and not the $asa'a) and the 'oun!
woman wal$ed towards the shrine to!ether // *ortunatel', no one
in1uired the reason wh' &aru$a came alon!
The scener' linin! the path remained unchan!ed o%er the past .##
'ears &owe%er, this scener' was onl' possible after the world food
crisis had passed This was a scene that mo%ed an'one of ad%anced
a!e who li%ed throu!h that time, but Tatsu'a and compan' had
nothin! to be emotional about
0ithout an' cur%ed paths, up on a lon! fli!ht of stairs, past the
threshold, the' arri%ed at in the court'ard of the shrine There, Tatsu'a
abruptl' noticed a pair of e'es !a3in! this wa'
This was not an impolite !a3e stal$in! them, but a pair of peepin!
e'es that occasionall' !lanced this wa'
2Shiba/$un, is somethin! up>2
2No2
2( !ather the forei!ners are rather curious about Tatsu'a9s wardrobe2
Despite the dis!uise, there was no wa' to escape 5a$umo9s e'es +%en
Tatsu'a disco%ered the source without usin! +lemental Si!ht and,
excludin! &aru$a for the moment, it was !uaranteed that 5a$umo
would notice
The 2forei!ner2 5a$umo spo$e of was a model 'oun! woman with
blonde hair and blue e'es Still, in this da' and a!e, )ust this alone
ma' be insufficient to determine forei!n ancestr' Ne%ertheless, that
'oun! woman9s features !a%e a hint of <apanese descent
&er a!e was rou!hl' the same as Tatsu'a After ta$in! into account
the differences between white and Asian peoples, the differential
would be sli!ht, Tatsu'a thou!ht
24nii/sama, what are 'ou loo$in! at>2
0hile Tatsu'a onl' obser%ed the 'oun! lad' for less than a second,
this was enou!h to rouse =i'u$i9s attention
*ollowin! her brother9s !a3e, her e'es !linted as an 24h2 passed her
lips
20hat a beautiful child2
=i'u$i softl' expressed her internal thou!hts
(n =i'u$i9s e'es, that 'oun! woman was a !or!eous 'oun! lad' who
full' deser%ed the description 2beautiful2
&er hair and e'es were both brilliant in color 4n some le%el, she had
the features that ri%aled e%en =i'u$i herself
:e!ardless, Tatsu'a was not obser%in! her for these reasons
&e sent an in1uirin! loo$ to 5a$umom for help // but seein! 5a$umo9s
hi!hl' entertained smir$, he was forced to defuse the situation on his
own
Tatsu'a held his sister9s !a3e while repl'in! to her complaint in an
e%en tone
2There9s no wa' she can hold a candle to 'ou2
25ou sa' that e%er' time Don9t thin$ 'ou can alwa's coax me
with that2
0hile the literal words ma' seem li$e a %ibrant counterattac$, but her
embarrassed %isa!e that was flushed beet red undercut an' threat
behind her words
2(9m not coaxin! 'ou, ( trul' thin$ that wa' Also, that9s not the reason
wh' (9m watchin! her2
2Seriousl', 4nii/sama2
=i'u$i turned her face to one side upon disco%erin! the hidden
warnin! tuc$ed in Tatsu'a9s words that could not be i!nored
2(s there somethin! suspicious about her>2
2(n terms of suspicious ( suppose her wardrobe is a little
suspicious2
Tatsu'a replied with a wr' tone -ecause of this, =i'u$i too$ another
loo$ at the 'oun! blond woman and finall' reali3ed what he was
tal$in! about
She wore a bri!ht tan coat o%er her pleated s$irt alon! with striped
pants and a pair of lon! boots (n truth, if that9s all there was then this
was not worth' of note &owe%er, the len!th of her coat was
approximatel' the same as her s$irt, which was about .# cm below the
hips, so 'ou could onl' see the bri!ht patterns on the tip of the pleat
s$irt (n addition, she wore tall boots with a thic$ cushion that was
hi!hl' elastic as well as practicall' see throu!h lace le!!in!s To top
off the ensemble, she carried a ba! co%ered in artificial fur alon! with
a soft hat with animal fi!ures embroidered on the side All in all, this
made her stic$ out li$e a sore thumb when it came to modern fashion
(t was almost as if she wore a combination of fashion desi!ns from the
pre/war Spice Cirls 0ith this in mind, it was hardl' ama3in! for
Tatsu'a to thin$ that she was hi!hl' irre!ular
Still, =i'u$i $new that her brother wasn9t trul' pa'in! attention to
external appearances
2-ut, that9s not all there is to it2
=i'u$i directed an alto!ether different, and more intent, !a3e toward
the 'oun! !irl
=a'be it was because she noticed that she had been disco%ered, the
'oun! !irl started wal$in! as if nothin! had happened
She was headed strai!ht towards Tatsu'a9s !roup
She silentl' passed next to them before departin! down the lon! fli!ht
of stairs
Still, the profound !a3e sent this wa' as the' rubbed shoulders was
most definitel' not Tatsu'a9s misconception
? ? ?
The infiltration mission assi!ned to =a)or An!elina Sirius also
included blatant misdirection Amon! them, the initial contact with the
tar!et also included allowin! the tar!et to catch a !limpse of herself,
so this was successful Althou!h she was initiall' worried that hidin!
her own presence would pre%ent her tar!et from disco%erin! her, but
this apparentl' was a !roundless concern, )ust as her subordinate had
said Still, bein! disco%ered so easil' didn9t sit %er' well with her
:uminatin! on this, =a)or Sirius returned and opened the door to the
hi!h class condo that ser%ed as her 1uarters for the duration of this
mission
20elcome bac$2
4ri!inall', =a)or Sirius belie%ed that her roommate shouldn9t ha%e
returned 'et &owe%er, contrar' to her expectations, a welcomin!
response came from within the house
2Sil%er, 'ou9re bac$2
The =a)or used her pet name to !reet her adult roommate who
intentionall' met her at the door
&er roommate was called Sil%ia =ercur' *irst -esides from her first
name Sil%ia, the rest were all code names, meanin! that she ran$ed
first amon! the Stars planet/class 2=ercur'2 :an$ 0arrant 4fficer
Twent' fi%e 'ears of a!e She was a hi!hl' re!arded female A4 who
attained the title of 2*irst2 at an earl' a!e (n the be!innin!, Sil%ia
didn9t want to )oin the militar' and intended to become a )ournalist
after !raduatin! from colle!e This time, her outstandin! abilit' in
data anal'sis prompted her selection as =a)or Sirius9s support
personnel
2Sil%er>2
This talented roommate paid no heed to Sirius9s words and )ust stared
blan$l' at her *eelin! that somethin! was awr', the ma)or called out
to her a!ain before Sil%ia replied bac$ her e'es still !lued to the ma)or
2Lina 0hat can ( sa' about that !etup>2
Lina was the pet name for =a)or Sirius Ci%en the re1uirements of the
infiltration mission, it was %ital to hide her identit' and a%oid terms
li$e 2&i!h Aommander2 or 2=a)or2, hence wh' she was ordered to
use her pet name Lina *urthermore, Sil%ia ori!inall' possessed an
unrestrained personalit', so she 1uic$l' for!ot about the differences in
militar' ran$ and warmed up to Lina
Althou!h her word usa!e did not contain an' honorifics when
addressin! a superior officer, Lina paid no heed whatsoe%er
2Ah, 'ou mean m' appearance> (n order to a%oid notice, ( spent some
time in%esti!atin! <apanese fashion ma!a3ines from the last centur' (t
was reall' tirin! So, how do ( loo$>2
2-efore ( answer the 1uestion, ma' ( present another>2
2Sure, !o ahead2
Althou!h Sil%ia was currentl' rubbin! her temple with the appearance
of a !rie%ous headache, Lina didn9t notice an'thin! off
2Don9t 'ou ha%e a lot of problems wal$in! around in those boots>2
2(ndeed, ( almost fell o%er 1uite a few times (9m ama3ed that <apanese
!irls can wal$ around in these boots without twistin! their an$le2
2&a%e 'ou seen an' !irls wearin! those $ind of boots>2
The ori!inal 1uestion had now turned into two 1uestions, but a!ain
Lina didn9t notice
2&m> Now that 'ou mention it, ( don9t thin$ ( ha%e2
Sil%ia9s expression shifted from pained to helpless
2Lina, allow me to put it bluntl' Those boots of 'ours were out of
date a lon! time a!o;2
2+hH;>2
Lina9s e'es widened in shoc$ at Sil%ia9s words Seein! this reaction,
Sil%ia9s frustration finall' exploded
20hat do 'ou mean, eh; Not )ust the boots The le!!in!s and hat are
also out of date That9s the fashion statement from .## 'ears a!o;
Also, 'our wardrobe doesn9t fit %er' well and is completel' unli$e
somethin! a 'oun! !irl would wear There9s no wa' 'ou can wal$
outside without drawin! attention2
Lina9s facial expression became stiff upon hearin! this reprimand,
probabl' because she was aware of this herself (n realit', she did
notice that she drew a lot of attention when she left this mornin! Still,
at the time this occurred, she thou!ht this was onl' because the
populace didn9t see forei!ners %er' often
2No matter how badl' 'ou wanted to !et the attention of the tar!et
0h' the hec$ are 'ou drawin! attention from unimportant people as
well>2
As if unable to hold it bac$ an' lon!er, Sil%ia !a%e a hu!e si!h of
defeat
2&i!h Aommander;2
The tone was %er' calm and stead', but Lina felt a cold bead of sweat
tric$le down her bac$
2Toda', the rest of 'our itinerar' is canceled Allow (, =ercur', to
personall' !i%e 'ou a simple and eas' to understand explanation on
the most up to date <apanese fashion2
Sil%ia made this declaration with both hands on her hips 0hile Lina
%astl' outran$ed Sil%ia in combat prowess, but for some reason she
couldn9t muster a sin!le counter ar!ument
? ? ?
After the brief but densel' pac$ed winter %acation, the third semester
be!an
2Densel' pac$ed2 included ta$in! Shi3u$u to the airport, where an
unexpected 2tearful departure2 (starrin!I &ono$a and Shi3u$u, co/
starrin!I =i'u$i and =i3u$i) forced them into a corner (this wasn9t
somethin! that could be sol%ed with brute force), which ser%ed as a
%aluable life experience, but Tatsu'a firml' belie%ed that all this
would e%entuall' become nothin! more than a 2wonderful memor'2
// At least, it would be too depressin! if he didn9t tell himself that
Supposedl', the new transfer student ta$in! Shi3u$u9s place in Alass A
would be arri%in! toda', but Tatsu'a felt this matter didn9t relate to
him 0hile this person was !oin! to be =i'u$i9s new classmate, so it9s
not li$e it9s wholl' unrelated, but there was enou!h de!rees of
separation that he didn9t need to %oluntar' !reet them
Spea$in! of classes, startin! on the first da' of the third semester, the
course schedule would last the entire da' 0hile rumors of the
m'sterious transfer student in Alass A would lea$ out the moment first
period ended, Tatsu'a didn9t proacti%el' see$ them out and paid little
attention to the rumors that drifted in one ear and out the other
Ne%ertheless, his aloof attitude was decisi%el' amon! the minorit'
Durin! the brea$ time after second period, e%en he was dra!!ed into
the rumor mill than$s to his o%erl' curious friends
2( hear it9s an incredibl' beautiful 'oun! lad'2
Seein! the hi!hl' excited, or perhaps anticipator' loo$ on +ri$a as she
struc$ up a con%ersation finall' caused Tatsu'a to capitulate
2She9s !ot a head of luminous blond hair, e%en the upperclassmen are
!oin! to loo$2
2+ri$a didn9t !o catch a !limpse>2
At an' rate, the basis for such a li%el' con%ersation was nothin! more
than rumors, which was somewhat of a concern for Tatsu'a,
promptin! his inter)ection
2There9s a crowd of people there, so there9s no wa' to !et in2
2( $now exactl' where 'ou are most concerned about2
The moment Leo )umped into the con%ersation, he alread'
preempti%el' co%ered his head with one hand
A second later, Leo was warblin! li$e a fro! that was off tune as he
$eeled o%er to the floor while clutchin! his throat
((f 'ou $new that was !oin! to happen, then $eep an' unnecessar'
thou!hts to 'ourself)
Tatsu'a stared in ama3ement at Leo, who had been rendered
unconscious b' the sudden )ab to the throat b' a rolled up noteboo$,
while the person responsible, +ri$a, continued on as if nothin! had
happened
2( am a !irl after allH No matter how prett' that !irl is, ( sure don9t
want to s1uee3e throu!h that crowd2
0hile Tatsu'a supported the idea of not %enturin! forth specificall' to
!et a loo$, but her perspecti%e that lumped curiosit' and lust into one
cate!or' would draw outra!e from an' male present
2That9s because this is a ma!ic hi!h school with no precedent for
transfer students +%er'one would naturall' be curious about students
from abroad After all, this hasn9t occurred in the past .# 'ears2
2(9m not %er' clear on what happened in the past, but we9re not the
onl' one who recei%ed transfer students2
The one who interrupted was =i$ihi$o, who came fresh from the
Ceometr' Preparation :oom
2Second &i!h, Third &i!h, and *ourth &i!h all recei%ed short term
transfer students The uni%ersities also recei%ed people who came in
the name of research ( heard this from the famil' disciples2
2Ah, ( also heard about the uni%ersit' 0ith the incredible ed!e
*l'in!/T'pe =a!ic lent to the militar' in the 5o$ohama incident,
there are rumors that the' are franticall' tr'in! to !et more
information from us2
Ancient =a!ic and modern ma!ic belon!ed in separate fields The
5oshida and Ahiba *amilies both boasted hi!h numbers of disciples,
so naturall' their le%el of information was superior to the norm
Apparentl', the USNA had in%ested a surprisin!l' hi!h amount of
personnel 0hen coupled with the information re!ardin! independent
Stars mo%ement he recei%ed in No%ember, the situation loo$ed to be
!ra%e indeed, Tatsu'a thou!ht
2So the transfer student in Alass A is a sp'>2
25ou moron2
At the completel' uninhibited 1uestion from the newl' re%i%ed Leo,
not )ust +ri$a, but e%en =i3u$i and =i$ihi$o loo$ed o%ercome
2Leo/$un, 'ou can thin$ about those thin!s, but don9t sa' that
aloud2
2As students, we ha%e to at least maintain a cordial relationship2
Despite sufferin! a double whamm' from both =i3u$i and =i$ihi$o,
Leo still soldiered onward
20h' would we need to do that, she9s in Alass A, isn9t she> There9s no
connection, ri!ht>2
25ou idiot, =i'u$i is in Alass A That9s the transfer student 'ou see
once in a blue moon alon! with the Student Aouncil Eice President
Until the transfer student has full' acclimated to the school, =i'u$i
will at least ha%e to watch o%er her for appearance9s sa$e So lon! as
this impacts =i'u$i, there9s no wa' we can remain unrelated2
+ri$a immediatel' o%erruled Leo9s rebuttal
Unwillin! to draw more trouble, Tatsu'a inwardl' si!hed 20hat she
said2
That 2relationship2 materiali3ed faster than expected
Na', more li$e amon! the m'riad possibilities, the earliest opportunit'
mercilessl' manifested itself
(n the student cafeteria, the late arri%als were =i'u$i, &ono$a, and the
'oun! !irl with blond hair and blue e'es Upon seein! 'oun! !irl,
althou!h Tatsu'a was o%erl' ama3ed, he still felt a little surprised
The hair and e'e color he had alread' heard about alon! with the
rumors of !reat beaut' And if her beaut' was all there was to it, then
Tatsu'a9s ner%es had alread' been honed b' =i'u$i The source of his
surprise came not from this, but because this was the same !irl he saw
at the shrine // or more appropriatel', the 'oun! !irl he noticed at the
shrine
2+xcuse me, ma' ( sit with 'ou>2
The 'oun! !irl spo$e fluent <apanese &er hea%' accent couldn9t be
helped, as expected of a transfer student stud'in! abroad in <apan // or
an infiltrator dis!uised as a transfer student
24f course, please !o ahead2
&er !a3e swept o%er Tatsu'a Still, there was no need to put on an'
airs, so Tatsu'a 1uic$l' ac1uiesed
2Lina, let9s !o !et a tra' first2
2Tra' Ah, 'ou mean edibles Understood2
Tatsu'a9s !roup had alread' obtained their food
Under =i'u$i9s ur!in!, the three of them wal$ed towards the cafeteria
counter
And because of this, the ruc$us surroundin! the counter was !reater
than usual
4%erawed b' that formation, the other students seemed to scamper out
of the wa' faster than usual as well
2Those two to!ether are certainl' a force to rec$oned withH2
As a beautiful !irl in her own ri!ht, but certainl' not commandin!
such presence, +ri$a couldn9t help but si!h in appreciation
2The' loo$ li$e the'9re !ettin! alon! 1uite well2
Didn9t the' meet for the first time toda', that was probabl' what
=i3u$i reall' wanted to sa'
2&e', Tatsu'a ( thin$ (9%e seen her somewhere2
20ow, old school, much>2
As soon as Leo opened his mouth to spea$, +ri$a immediatel' bro$e
in Althou!h she $new Leo was sa'in! this because of the 'oun! !irl9s
features, +ri$a still interposed because Leo9s phrasin! was too direct
2Now that 'ou mention it, indeed2
2+h, Shibata/san as well> Unless she9s an artist or model -ut that9s
rather unli$el', ri!ht>2
As apparent from =i3u$i9s supportin! comment, =i$ihi$o9s words
were pure speculation
4f course, Tatsu'a $new exactl' what the truth of the matter was
:ather, the inabilit' to recall such a conspicuousl' dressed 'oun! lad'
was e%en more astonishin! <ust as Tatsu'a hesitated whether to dispel
his friends9 bewilderment, the topic of their con%ersation had alread'
returned with =i'u$i
Tatsu'a felt a massi%e amount of e'es turned this wa' 0hile
pretendin! to !o about their business 'et unable to contain their
curiosit', !a3es were restin! on them from all four directions Thou!h
=i'u$i still drew the usual amount of stares, the number of
surreptitious loo$s had increased substantiall' compared to usual
2Sorr' for the wait, 4nii/sama2
As if wholl' i!norant of these details, =i'u$i sat next to Tatsu'a as if
this was the most natural thin! in the world
2Tatsu'a/$un, allow me to ma$e a few introductions2
Naturall', &ono$a sat directl' across from Tatsu'a and spo$e towards
the 'oun! !irl b' her side
2An!elina ,udou Schult3 5ou mi!ht ha%e heard about this alread',
but she is the transfer student that will be )oinin! us in Alass A startin!
toda'2
&earin! &ono$a9s introduction, not onl' Tatsu'a // but the other three
also re%ealed bemused expressions
2&ono$a, don9t )ust face me, shouldn9t 'ou introduce e%er'one else>2
As the person in 1uestion, the transfer student espoused e%er'one9s
sentiments
2+h, ah, s/sorr';2
20ell, that9s our &ono$a2
2(ndeed, that9s 1uite li$e &ono$a2
*aced with +ri$a and =i3u$i9s commentar', which were more li$e
barbs landin! ri!ht on tar!et, &ono$a flushed red and was unable to
spea$ a sin!le word
2Then, allow me to ma$e introductions This is An!elina ,udou
Schult3 from America2
After =i'u$i made the second round of introductions, the transfer
student9s hair swa'ed sli!htl' as she bowed sli!htl' in her seat
2Please call me Lina2
As she said this, her e'es sli!htl' s1uinted as she re%ealed a da33lin!
smile
&er blue pupils, not the color of water or ice, but reminded people of
the sapphire of the s$' // a3ure
The two wa%' tresses on the sides of her head were secured b' ribbons
and, if released, would li$el' trail to waist len!th The' ma' be e%en
lon!er than =i'u$i9s hair
*or a hi!h school freshman, such a mature !a3e didn9t !o %er' well
with that childish hair st'le, but this perfectl' coincided with that
perfect blend of shoc$ and beaut', with a de!ree of familiarit' to !o
alon! with it
Loo$s li$e the ma)orit' of the stares were definitel' because of her
Upon hearin! =i'u$i9s second introduction, Tatsu'a led the wa' with
the introductions in place of his friends who were a little o%ercome b'
that da33lin! smile (especiall' the 6 bo's) and wore an 24h>2
expression of shoc$
2Alass +, Shiba Tatsu'a (n order to differentiate from =i'u$i, please
call me 2Tatsu'a22
2Than$ 'ou And please call me Lina Also, ( would !reatl' appreciate
it if 'ou don9t use honorifics2
2( understand, Lina2
2Nice to meet 'ou, Tatsu'a2
Li$el' out of habit, Lina extended her hand across the table, which
Tatsu'a li!htl' !rasped from beneath
This was )ust a handsha$e, and not somethin! ridiculous li$e a lad'
extendin! her hand for a $iss
2(s Tatsu'a b' an' chance =i'u$i9s brother>2
&er a3ure e'es betra'ed a hint of wa%erin!, but Lina pretended
nothin! had happened and pressed on
She doesn9t seem to be able to hide her expressions, Tatsu'a thou!ht
as he paid heed not to accidentl' lau!h and )ust smiled and nodded his
head // <ust now, =i'u$i clearl' referred to Tatsu'a as 24nii/sama2,
which clearl' hinted at their relationship
2( am Ahiba +ri$a Please call me +ri$a, Lina2
4ne of +ri$a9s stron! points was not cowerin! durin! these situations
2=' name is Shibata =i3u$i Please call me =i3u$i2
2Sai)ou Leonhardt, but Leo is fine (9m a little rou!h and spea$ li$e
this, so please don9t ta$e offense2
&is tone was coarser than usual, but not enou!h to notice
25oshida =i$ihi$o, please refer to me as =i$ihi$o2
-uo'ed b' her coura!e, =i3u$i, Leo, and =i$ihi$o all presented
themsel%es
2+ri$a, =i3u$i, Leo, =i$ihi$o Nice to meet 'ou2
0ithout as$in! an'one to repeat themsel%es, Lina remembered all
their names on the first tr' Althou!h this was onl' the be!innin!, but
she succeeded in attainin! a fa%orable impression at this first crucial
step
&owe%er, upon hearin! =i$ihi$o pronounce his name as 2=i$hi$o2,
this purel' <apanese name seemed to ha%e stumped her as an
American
2(t9s a little hard to pronounce, so if 'ou can9t sa' =i$ihi$o, !o ahead
and use =i$i2
(f the person in 1uestion had !i%en permission, then e%er'thin! should
be fine 5et, comin! from someone else, and especiall' out of +ri$a9s
mouth, there was no sense of cordialit' At least, that was how
=i$ihi$o felt as he prepared to re)ect +ri$a9s proposal
2Ah, is that so> Then allow me to do so =i$i, is that 4,>2
Nonetheless, when that charmin! smile stole his thunder with 2is that
4,2, =i$ihi$o could onl' capitulate
Lina, who intentionall' selected buc$wheat from the menu, was bus'
duelin! her chopstic$s while tr'in! to contain her frustration and
answer the occasional 1uestion 4f course, e%er'one was %er'
courteous and didn9t as$ an' impolite 1uestions <ust as e%er'one was
about to finish eatin!, Lina finall' appeared to master her chopstic$s
Seein! this, the 1uestions bubblin! up from the Alass + members were
finall' %oiced b' their representati%e, Tatsu'a
2Spea$in! of which, is Lina a blood relati%e to +lder ,udou>2
The t'pical term amon! <apanese =a!icians was 2sensei2, but Tatsu'a
personall' did not prefer this title (nstead, he used the !eneral catch/
all term 2elder2, which was an honored title for retired officers when
phrasin! the 1uestion to Lina
2( remember that the elder9s 'oun!er brother went to America and
started a famil' there2
That was an a!e when =a!icians were encoura!ed to marr' across
international boundaries At the time, the news that the 'oun!er
brother of ,udou :etsu, the 2wiliest2 amon! the world9s =a!icians,
had headed for America and started a famil' with an American
=a!ician was a topic of heated debate
2Ara, (9m ama3ed 'ou heard about that, Tatsu'a That9s definitel' news
from a lon! time a!o2
Tatsu'a9s con)ecture appeared to be ri!ht on the mone'
Additionall', for an American =a!ician, sa'in! that ,udou :etsu9s
'oun!er brother went to America 2a lon! time a!o2 made sense
2=' mother9s !randfather is Sho!un ,udou9s 'oun!er brother2
She used the word 2Sho!un2 for Ceneral Tatsu'a didn9t hear her
incorrectl'
That was the term the =a!icians from +urope and America used when
referrin! to ,udou :etsu, who spent man' 'ears in a leadership
position amon! the <apanese =a!icians +%en if she had a 1uarter of
the ancestr', no matter how fluentl' she spo$e <apanese, she was still
an American =a!ician throu!h and throu!h
2Than$s to that, ( am able to come here to stud' abroad2
2So Lina didn9t come here out of her own %olition>2
+ri$a inad%ertentl' as$ed
The ner%ousness and anxiet' that Lina re%ealed didn9t appear to be
Tatsu'a9s misconception either
Chapter 3
Those that prowl in the dar$ of ni!ht are not restricted to those from
sinister bac$!rounds
That citi3ens could mo%e about freel' without the threat of hoodlums
// and completel' free at that, is than$s to the tireless efforts on part of
the 2apostles of order2 Toni!ht, a 'oun! man who was (supposedl')
one of these pillars of order was !rousin! to his male companion
2Seriousl', one trouble after another2
22
2&asn9t our crapp' luc$ from last 'ear alread' come to a close>2
22
2Somethin! must ha%e happened This wa', it9s reall' eas' to tell if
the'9re ille!al aliens or forei!n in%aders2
2(n%esti!atin! them is our )ob 0e9re emplo'ed because of this
rash of incidents, so 1uit 'our 'appin!;2
At the same time as he used his clear and capable %oice to ad%ise his
superior, who was still softl' mutterin! 2Thin!s li$e this shouldn9t be
happenin! at all2, he also suc$ed in a breath
25es, this is (na!a$i2
&earin! a short burst from his ear set, (na!a$i immediatel' replied
bac$ in a terse tone
2Ac$nowled!ed 0e9ll be at the scene shortl'2
After turnin! off the transmission de%ice, (na!a$i swept a se%ere !a3e
o%er his superior, who wore a lan!uid loo$ on his face as he sur%e'ed
his surroundin!s
2(nspector, 8 bodies Aause of death is the same as the ones from
before <ust as before, there are no external in)uries2
&earin! Ser!eant (na!a$i9s report, (nspector Ahiba Toshi$a3u si!hed
as his e'es drifted to the s$ies
2And all their blood must also be !one Seriousl', 8 weird corpses
e%er' month There should be a limit to tr'in! to draw media
attention2
0ithout alludin! to the %ictims or murderer, (nspector Ahiba
Toshi$a3u was onl' si!hin! to elucidate how troublesome this all was
Still, amid the incon%enienced expression on his face, his pupils
flashed with the ra3or sharp !a3e of a hunter
? ? ?
An!elina Shields was currentl' puttin! on a performance worth' of
bein! called an exhilaratin! entrance
4n the first da' of her transfer, her appearance alone was such that no
one on campus was unaware of her
-efore this, the throne of the most beautiful !irl in school belon!ed
solel' to =i'u$i This was the combined consensus of the
upperclassmen and female student bod' as well
&owe%er, with the addition of Lina, the title of 2Jueen2 had morphed
into 2Twin -eauties2 Add in the fact that the two of them often mo%ed
to!ether, this onl' ser%ed to deepen the impression that 2her beaut'
ri%aled that of =i'u$i2
The blonde hair that shone luminousl' beneath the sun and the a3ure
pupils that put e%en sapphires to shame
The dar$ tresses deeper than the ni!ht itself and the brilliant e'es that
surpassed the luminescence of blac$ pearls
=i'u$i and Lina, e1ual in beaut', 'et diametricall' opposed in
appearance Li!ht fairl' shone from the school campus that housed the
both of them
<ust ha%in! that le%el of beaut' was enou!h to send ton!ues wa!!in!
//
2=i'u$i, (9m startin!2
2*eel free to be!in whene%er, ( will lea%e the countdown to 'ou,
Lina2
The two of them stood facin! each other across a distance of "#
meters
-etween them, a small metal ball with a diameter of "# cm was placed
on a thin rod
Althou!h there were man' similar instruments in the Practical S$ills
:oom, all of their peers abandoned what the' were doin! and
concentrated all their attention on =i'u$i and Lina
No, not )ust their peers (n the obser%ation stands on the second floor,
there were 1uite a few 5ear " students who possessed the freedom to
select their course schedule
=a'umi and =ari were included amon! them
2=a!ic Power that can ri%al =i'u$i, do 'ou thin$ that9s possible>2
24n some le%el, she9s the American representati%e to <apan, so this
isn9t impossible Nonetheless, it9s still hard to belie%e that someone in
the same a!e brac$et as =i'u$i can stand up to her =a!ic Power2
2( a!ree 0ell, seein! is belie%in! (9ll onl' belie%e it when ( see it with
m' own e'es2
20e are here precisel' to %erif' the truth of the matter2
The !oal of the practical exercise was for both sides to acti%ate their
AADs simultaneousl', with the winner sei3in! control of the metal
ball in the middle Not onl' was this practical exercise eas' to
manipulate, there was a hi!h competiti%e feel to it as well
Precisel' because of its simplicit', this was a simple wa' to determine
the difference in power between the two sides
Since startin! this exercise last month, =i'u$i had alread' reached a
le%el that her peers could not hope to reach The difference between
her and the rest of her peers was so !reat that the instructors had
deemed that continued practice a!ainst other students had alread'
become meanin!less
(t was an open secret that not e%en the newl' returned Student Aouncil
members (and Public =oral Aommittee members) who came to
challen!e =i'u$i upon catchin! wind of this were her match
5et, this =i'u$i was about to pit her mi!ht a!ainst a transfer student
Ci%en that the upperclassmen completel' lost face despite
wholeheartedl' acceptin! the outcome (of course, =i'u$i wasn9t the
t'pe to a!!randi3e her accomplishment and was rather embarrassed
o%er the whole ordeal), =a'umi and =ari had to attend this exercise
2Three, two, one2
The moment Lina called out 2one2, both of them put their hands on
the dash board
2Co;2
The last si!nal erupted from both of them
=i'u$i tapped the board with her fin!ertips, while Lina pressed her
whole hand onto the board
Stillness and action, their true colors were reflected in their openin!
motions &owe%er, this onl' reflected the ph'sical side of thin!s
Da33lin! arra's of psions were combinin! and explodin! on the +idos
of the metal ball that ser%ed as the tar!et Since this was a li!ht that
could not be seen b' the na$ed e'e, closin! one9s e'es ser%ed no
purpose
Some of the obser%ers who had not mastered the suppression ma!ic
interference techni1ues pressed their temples and couldn9t stop
sha$in! their heads
The li!ht faded after a brief moment as the metal ball slowl' rolled
towards Lina9s direction
2Ah, ( lost a!ain2
2*ufu, (9m ahead b' two rounds now, Lina2
Lina loudl' proclaimed her unwillin!ness to accept defeat while
=i'u$i smiled sli!htl' while secretl' hea%in! a si!h of relief
-ased on their reactions, it was blatantl' ob%ious that the %ictor of this
contest (not that this was a real contest) was =i'u$i Despite sa'in!
2ahead b' two rounds2, this phrase that was normall' reser%ed for the
%ictor didn9t lea%e an indelible impression of an o%erwhelmin! %ictor',
more li$e //
2The'9re trul' nec$ to nec$2
2(n terms of Acti%ation Speed, the transfer student is actuall' faster,
isn9t she>2
2&m, but =i'u$i wins in interference stren!th, so she sei3ed control
before her opponent9s ma!ic was finished (nitiati%e %s power
:ather than callin! this a pure contest of stren!th, this is more li$e a
tactical %ictor'2
(n =a'umi and =ari9s e'es, in terms of sin!le s'stematic processes,
the two of them possessed e1ual =a!ic Power
// Afterwards, the same exercise was repeated four times, with both
sides splittin! the result 6/6, so the da' ended with =i'u$i still ahead
b' two rounds
Noon in the nei!hborin! cafeteria
Since Lina was sittin! with them toda', this couldn9t be described as
their usual arran!ement Since transferrin! a wee$ a!o, she had been
tu!!ed this wa' and that and sat with a different !roup each time for
lunch
-' maximi3in! her networ$in! possibilities, she could be said to be a
model transfer student (n terms of eatin! with Tatsu'a9s !roup, this
was actuall' the first time since the first da' of her transfer
25ou9re 1uite popular, Lina2
2Than$ 'ou (9m !lad that e%er'one is so nice2
At +ri$a9s undis!uised praise, Lina opted a!ainst repl'in! with
meanin!less, embarrassed humilit' and came bac$ with an uncarin!
attitude
There was no wa' to tell if this attitude was her personalit' tal$in! or
simpl' her cultural bac$!round, but Tatsu'a and compan' (+ri$a
excluded) found this to be a refreshin! chan!e of pace
2Still, Lina was surprisin!l' capable Thou!h ( $new that an'one
selected to stud' abroad definitel' has the s$ills to bac$ it up, (
seriousl' can9t belie%e 'ou can match =i'u$i to that de!ree2
2No, ( thin$ ( should be the one who is surprised2
At =i$ihi$o9s praise, Lina widened her e'es in disbelief
// Spea$in! of which, at least when compared to =i'u$i, =i$ihi$o
found Lina easier to tal$ to 0hen spea$in! to =i'u$i, =i$ihi$o still
spo$e formall' while he could spea$ more casuall' with Lina
2( used to be undefeated in hi!h le%el competitions li$e this, but ( can
ne%er seem to beat =i'u$i, and when a!ainst &ono$a, ( ma' win in
o%erall s$ill but ( still lose in complexit' of desi!n As expected of the
<apan, one of the stron!est ma!ical countries2
2Lina, practical exercises are )ust that and not a competition ( belie%e
there9s no point in dwellin! on %ictor' or defeat2
2=a!ic competitions are %er' important 0hile these are onl'
practical exercises, ( belie%e specificall' choosin! hi!hl' competiti%e
sub)ects where %ictor' matters is the onl' wa' to impro%e2
*aced with =i'u$i9s humble deflection, Lina char!ed forward with
her counter ar!ument, completel' unafraid of an' potential clash
This was )ust the wa' she was, which was a refreshin! chan!e of pace
in its own ri!ht
2The will to compete is %er' important durin! contests, but surel'
there9s no need to carr' that be'ond the e%ent itself, ri!ht> Practical
exercises are ultimatel' onl' practice and are fundamentall' different
than practical s$ills examinations that determine personal s$ill2
2True =a'be Tatsu'a is ri!ht ( mi!ht ha%e been a little too
excited2
2+xcitement isn9t a bad thin! =i'u$i has also become more moti%ated
with a new opponent ta$in! the field, so on that point, ( should than$
'ou, Lina2
Lina was fran$l' noddin! her head in assent to Tatsu'a9s words in the
be!innin!, but now she turned an incredulous expression towards him
2(t appeared; Tatsu'a/$un9s sis/con commentar';2
To one side, +ri$a !a%e off an 2Ah ha2 comment while pretendin! to
si!h
2Ah 4h, so that9s how it is Tatsu'a and =i'u$i are on %er'
!ood terms2
Swallowin! a more impolite outburst, Tatsu'a seemed to feel that the
!a3e Lina sent his wa' was rapidl' droppin! in temperature
2Spea$in! of which, Lina, althou!h this isn9t reall' ma)or2
Detectin! the atmosphere headin! in a won$' direction, Tatsu'a
chan!ed the sub)ect
20hat is it>2
She sent a chillin! !a3e his wa', but it was bereft of an'
condescension, so this was probabl' an act to parallel +ri$a9s practical
)o$e
0hile this was the result he was hopin! for based on his obser%ations,
there was no !uarantee he was correct Still, this was Tatsu'a, and
Tatsu'a was not so tender that he would shut his mouth and retreat
from )ust this
2(f ( recall correctl', isn9t 2An!ie2 the usual nic$name for
2An!elina2>2
This was not supposed to be a !roundbrea$in! 1uestion
At least, that was the case for +ri$a, =i3u$i, and &ono$a, who were
sittin! at the table with them
5et, for one brief moment, Lina9s expression definitel' faltered
2No, 'ou remembered correctl', but the nic$name 2An!ie2 isn9t as rare
as 'ou thin$ *or comparison, ( had a classmate in elementar' school
called 2An!ela2 who was referred to as 2An!ie22
2So that9s wh' Lina prefers to $nown as 2Lina2 and not 2An!ie2, eh2
Tatsu'a nodded his head in comprehension
&e ne%er !a%e a hint that he disco%ered how badl' Lina faltered )ust
then
? ? ?
*irst &i!h did not ha%e an' student dorms
Since there were onl' nine ma!ic hi!h schools in the entire countr', it
was ine%itable that students from abroad would be present
Thus, while student dorms didn9t seem to be entirel' out of the
1uestion, in this da' and a!e, besides a few speciali3ed boardin!
schools that %iewed student dorms as an inte!ral part of the
curriculum, facilities such as student dorms were no lon!er in ser%ice
(n the modern a!e, &A: (&ome Automation :obot) has alread'
entered the mass mar$et, purchase of dail' items can be done online
and deli%ered directl' to the door, so students can freel' li%e on their
own without discomfort, ma$in! student dorms a redundant facilit'
4win! to the abo%e reasons, most of the students who were unable to
return to their famil' homes lar!el' chose to rent housin! close to the
school As a transfer student, there was nothin! odd in Lina rentin! an
apartment &er house was onl' two bus stops from school, which was
considered close proximit' than$s to modern public transit The
reason that she did not rent a personal studio or a one room apartment
and instead chose a small, famil'/si3ed apartment was because Lina
wasn9t li%in! on her own
20elcome bac$, Lina2
2Sil%ie, bac$ alread'>2
The moment Lina opened the door to the apartment, 0arrant 4fficer
Sil%ia, who was ser%in! as her support on this mission, immediatel'
!reeted her as if she had been waitin! for her arri%al for 1uite some
time
2(t9s 1uite late now, isn9t it>2
Lina smiled wr'l' upon hearin! this after ta$in! a roundabout wa'
home and wal$ed towards the dinin! room in her uniform There was,
2=ina, 'ou9re here2
A 'oun! woman wearin! a tense expression !reeted Lina She was
standin! in front of the table and had probabl' )ust con%ersed with
Sil%ia
25es, sorr' for botherin! 'ou, =a)or2
The woman called =ina replied bac$ in a stiff tone 0ith a perplexed
smile on her face, Lina too$ a seat b' the table
2Please sit, =ina Sil%ie, could ( trouble 'ou for some tea>2
Normall', Sil%ia would completel' i!nore the chain of command and
fire bac$ with 2Ci%en that 'ou9re a !irl, 'ou should fix 'our own tea2
&owe%er, she wasn9t someone who couldn9t read the atmosphere
2(s mil$ tea 4,> =ina, would 'ou li$e a cup>2
2Ah, 4,, sorr' for the trouble2
Sil%ia9s 1uestion seemed to terrif' =ina, but at least she loosened up a
few de!rees as she replied bac$
The woman9s full name was =ichaela &on!o, or =ina for short She
shared Lina9s <apanese/American herita!e, but unli$e Lina, =ina
could full' blend in based on her appearance Perhaps her s$in tone
was a little dar$er> This de!ree was not enou!h to raise e'ebrows in
<apan
She was one of the spies who had entered <apan ahead of Lina9s !roup
That bein! said, this wasn9t her ori!inal occupation either &er true
identit' was a ma!ic researcher attached to the Department of Defense
who speciali3ed in :elease/S'stematic =a!ic She was a talented
woman who participated in last No%ember9s blac$ hole experiment in
Dallas She %olunteered for this mission in search of an alternate
brea$throu!h for 2annihilation reaction ener!' con%ersion2 after the
debacle at the Dallas :esearch Aenter
Li$e man' ma!ic researchers, she was also a =a!ician Unli$e the
fa$e students who came this month under the !uise of mutual
research, she had infiltrated the ma!ic uni%ersities under the identit'
of a salesperson and en!ineer from the <apanese branch of =aximilian
(ndustries, 2=ia &on!o2 Spea$in! of which, her current housin! was
directl' next door to Lina9s rented apartment Despite not bein!
combat or intelli!ence personnel, she still ser%ed as support and was
concealed enou!h to ser%e as an acti%e asset for this infiltration
mission
2Do 'ou ha%e an' clues>2
Lina9s initial 1uestion was posed for Sil%ia, who had )ust sat down
after settin! down the cups
2(9%e !one o%er the publici3ed information, but so far ( ha%en9t found
an' new data2
2( see, loo$s li$e there9s no wa' to !et results 1uic$l' from that
direction2
This time she turned towards =ichaela
2&ow about 'our side, =ina>2
2Nothin! here either Sorr'2
=ichaela had somewhat relaxed a little before curlin! up a!ain out of
anxiet'
(t wasn9t Lina9s intent to ma$e e%er'one so hi!h strun! li$e she was a
strict person &owe%er, e%er since the end of last 'ear, =ichaela had
alwa's been extremel' ner%ous around Lina since da' one :ather
than sa'in! (because) there was a di%ide between researchers and
combat personnel, the more li$el' cause (reason) was because Lina
stood at the pinnacle of USNA =a!icians as 2Sirius2 despite her
'outh Simpl' tellin! her to relax wasn9t !oin! to achie%e an'thin!
+%en thou!h it had alread' been two wee$s since that da' and the'
were now able to ha%e some de!ree of interaction, this was onl'
restricted to e%er'da' con%ersation (n the short term, Lina herself
$new that it was impossible to achie%e the same de!ree of an eas'
wor$in! relationship she had with Sil%ia
2&ow9s 'our side Lina, did 'ou !et closer to the tar!et>2
&earin! Sil%ia9s 1uestion, Lina9s expression seemed to be en%eloped in
fo!
2( feel that ( ha%en9t !otten closer at all2
Lina si!hed and wore a bitter smile on her face
2( ha%en9t !otten a sin!le piece of critical information and it seems li$e
the'9%e alread' seen throu!h m' dis!uise2
20hat are 'ou tal$in! about>2
2Tatsu'a as$ed me 2isn9t An!ie usuall' short for An!elina2 and almost
scared me half to death2
2Aouldn9t that be a coincidence>2
2( ha%e no idea (9m such a failure So ( !uess (9m reall' not cut out for
this (t'pe of wor$), eh>2
Lina $ept si!hin! deepl' Sil%ia filled her cup of mil$ tea a!ain
Noticin! that Sil%ia and =ichaela were sendin! worried loo$s her
wa', Lina mana!ed to find her second wind
2Don9t worr' about it, m' opponent is onl' a hi!h school student after
all &e shouldn9t able to discern m' identit' as Sirius +%en if he
suspects somethin!, there9s no wa' he9ll stumble onto somethin!
concrete2
(t didn9t ta$e a !enius to tell that these bra%e words were onl' empt'
tal$ (n the be!innin!, Lina had alread' been tas$ed with identif'in!
their tar!et under an' circumstances, so sa'in! 2not !ettin! identified2
was )ust empt' tal$ Sil%ia was well aware of this, but decided to
abstain after considerin! that this would dama!e morale too badl' (n
addition, nor could she sa' that their opponent was no ordinar' hi!h
school student
? ? ?
After handin! a robe to his sister, who )ust rose from the bed of the
psion wa%e examination de%ice in nothin! but her underclothes,
Tatsu'a watched the examination results while his customar',
machine/li$e po$er face contained sli!ht traces of concern that could
not escape =i'u$i9s e'es
2Are 'ou troubled b' somethin!> 4nii/sama, please feel free to
tell me an'thin! No matter what 4nii/sama needs to sa', ( am alwa's
willin! to listen2
:ather than callin! this an o%erreaction, this was more li$e o%erl'
moti%ated
As this thou!ht ran across Tatsu'a9s mind, he was m'stified as to how
to respond and what expression to !reet this with, and in the end onl'
adopted a dr' chuc$le
2No, rather than sa'in! what troubles me, ( thin$ this time it9s m' own
problem Since the upper ceilin! of the scale of ma!ic desi!n
exceeded ori!inal expectations, the processin! power of the AAD can
no lon!er $eep up with 'our =a!ic Power ( was plannin! on settin! a
lar!er ma!ic calculation area inside 5ou9re o%er thin$in! this2
2( apolo!i3e2
20hat are 'ou apolo!i3in! for> ( should be the one praisin! 'ou2
Centl' caressin! his sister9s hair as she $ept her head bowed, Tatsu'a
smiled warml' at =i'u$i when she raised her head
=i'u$i followed her brother9s lead, more li$e mirrored her brother9s
smile +%er'thin! was fine up until this point //
(This is not the time to start blushin!)
Ao!ni3ant of the inherent dan!er // lar!el' presented b' the clea%a!e
pee$in! throu!h the !aps in the robe // Tatsu'a 1uic$l' pic$ed up the
con%ersation
2Loo$s li$e Lina transferrin! into the same class became an excellent
stimulus2
Upon hearin! Lina9s name, the brilliant blush across =i'u$i9s face
immediatel' faded
2(ndeed This ma' sound a little arro!ant, but (9%e 'et to meet an
opponent of her caliber before2
This was not because the mood had been ruined =i'u$i wasn9t the
sort of woman who would be upset that another woman9s name came
from Tatsu'a9s lips &er expression contained a %isible de!ree of
transparenc' for another reason alto!ether A 1uiet, burnin! fi!htin!
spirit lur$ed in =i'u$i9s e'es
24h 'es, 4nii/sama, 'our 1uestion earlier this mornin! was indeed>2
25ou noticed>2
Tatsu'a chuc$led li!htl' as he said this
2As ( suspected, Lina is 2Sirius22
Tatsu'a declared this as his smile was replaced b' a sharp expression
2As surmised, there9s no wa' to hide these thin!s from =i'u$i2
Seein! Tatsu'a lau!h once more and raise his arms to stretch, =i'u$i
couldn9t $eep a strai!ht face an' lon!er and smiled mischie%ousl'
while raisin! a fin!er towards Tatsu'a
24f course, because =i'u$i watches 4nii/sama more closel' than
an'one else2
Tatsu'a intentionall' lau!hed aloud There was no wa' to tell whether
he felt that =i'u$i was )o$in! or he was simpl' tr'in! to re!ard it as a
)o$e
Seein! her brother lau!h, the onl' thin! on =i'u$i9s mind was how
badl' she reall' wanted to $now what Tatsu'a was trul' thin$in!
about
:ather because the basement (more li$e under!round facilit') air
conditionin! was still runnin!, it was more li$e a flims' robe co%erin!
her under!arments was the true reason wh' neither one of them could
relax
=i'u$i needed to return to her room and chan!e, so the two of them
returned to the house
0hat co%ered =i'u$i9s slim and ex1uisite le!s were not a pair of
blac$ le!!in!s or ti!hts, but blac$ stoc$in!s The clothin! around her
upper bod' was rather loose and there was a hint of =i'u$i9s pale
flesh between the mini/s$irt and stoc$in!s
This was all well and !ood while standin!, but the moment =i'u$i sat
down, he immediatel' noticed that, wasn9t this a terrible situation> //
And exactl' wh' was this terrible, Tatsu'a calculated
Unaware of her brother9s feelin!s // not that he had an' wa' of tellin!
// =i'u$i placed the coffee mu! in front of her brother
+xcept toda', she sat across from Tatsu'a rather than on the sofa next
to him
She did not adopt a lotus/li$e posture and place her le!s atop one
another
:ather, she placed her $nees to!ether and $ept them slanted
dia!onall'
This was a %er' amorous posture which hinted at the secret charms
beneath her s$irt
Uncertain of =i'u$i9s intention (the superficial intent was ob%ious,
but the true meanin! remained elusi%e), Tatsu'a elected a!ainst
focusin! on that
After ma$in! that decision, Tatsu'a9s !a3e ceased wa%erin!
Across the table, he could detect a trace of displeasure from =i'u$i,
but he chose not to call her on it and be!an to spea$ while watchin!
=i'u$i
2Aontinuin! our earlier con%ersation, ( belie%e there is a hi!h
possibilit' that Lina is 2An!ie Sirius22
Last month, Tatsu'a had recei%ed a warnin! from his aunt 5otsuba
=a'a that the USNA9s Arm' =a!ician unit Stars had be!un
in%esti!atin! the =a!ician responsible for the Strate!ic/Alass =a!ic
2=aterial -urst2 At the time, =a'a had made it %er' clear that
Tatsu'a and =i'u$i were li$el' to be included amon! the possible
suspects
Tatsu'a belie%ed that Lina comin! to *irst &i!h was li$el' one aspect
of the on!oin! intelli!ence war
2Aurrentl', the problem is that we ha%e unco%ered Sirius9s identit'
despite our opponent9s efforts to conceal her identit' (n addition, we
can also see that the' are tr'in! to unra%el our true identities2
(t was onl' natural that Tatsu'a was confused, !i%en the inexplicabl'
wea$ personal and mental defenses around Lina, at least b' USNA
standards The reason behind this remained be'ond Tatsu'a9s !rasp at
the moment
2*urthermore //2
=a'be he would burst into lau!hter upon learnin! the truth, but ri!ht
now Tatsu'a wore a serious expression as he continued his anal'sis
20h' would USNA send Sirius, who is practicall' their trump card,
o%er here>2
=i'u$i had lon! since switched !ears and was followin! Tatsu'a9s
example b' adoptin! a serious tone of her own
2<ust so -ased on the obser%ations in the past wee$, ( feel that Lina9s
stren!ths do not lie in intelli!ence wor$ ( fear that her real mission
ma' lie elsewhere and her dis!uise is meant for that2
22Sirius2 simpl' co%ers too man' an!les2
2Assumin! Lina is Sirius &er infiltration mission ma' )ust be a
co%er &er real tar!et ma' lie somewhere else2
2To force the USNA to in%est Sirius into an international mission
0hat could it be>2
The' mi!ht be dwellin! on this too much, but fortunatel' the two of
them were still in the dar$
2( ha%e no idea &owe%er, ( thin$ ri!ht now we don9t ha%e to focus
on that2
*rom an omniscient perspecti%e, Tatsu'a9s speculation had alread'
drifted off sub)ect as his tone suddenl' lost its earlier intensit'
20e are %er' fortunate that America has pro%ided 'ou with an
excellent opponent, =i'u$i2
Nonetheless, his earnest tone did not disappear
2(ndeed, 4nii/sama2
At her brother9s sincere tone and !a3e, =i'u$i chan!ed her tone
2Aompete a!ainst Lina with all 'our mi!ht 0e were )ust tal$in! about
it this mornin!, but we should care about %ictor' or defeat That will
push 'ou to a hi!her plane than e%er before2
25es2
2=utual competition as the fuel for !rowth applies towards Lina as
well, but ri!ht now 'ou don9t ha%e to worr' about that This is a rare
opportunit'2
&earin! Tatsu'a9s powerful words, =i'u$i re%ealed a serene smile
without a trace of unease
2That9s true Also, =i'u$i has 4nii/sama with her So lon! as 4nii/
sama is b' m' side, ( will fear no foe, e%en if the' be Sirius herself2
Tatsu'a9s words spo$e of a ri%al and not an opponent
There was a sli!ht feelin! from =i'u$i9s words that she was a little off
topic
&owe%er, in the face of =i'u$i9s limitless faith, Tatsu'a nodded his
head without an' hesitation
? ? ?
There were 1uite a few alterations in Tatsu'a9s extracurricular
acti%ities 4n paper there were onl' two, sta'in! in the librar' or
patrollin! the !rounds as a member of the Public =oral Aommittee,
but the latter presented man' interruptions
+nou!h to !i%e one pause and consider if someone was conspirin!
somethin!
Toda', this feelin! was particularl' prominent
0hile Public =oral Aommittee members were bestowed with the
ri!ht to carr' AADs on campus, howe%er Tatsu'a t'picall' didn9t use
one while executin! his duties to the committee
4ri!inall', AADs were tools that shortened the time needed to acti%ate
the *our S'stematic =a!ics (t was onl' of limited use to other ma!ic,
such as 4uter/S'stematic =a!ic, Non/S'stematic =a!ic, Ancient
=a!ic, and especiall' if Non/S'stematic =a!ic was onl' releasin!
psions to the point that the lac$ of a AAD would not seem unnatural at
all
After accidentall' re%ealin! his abilit' to use Cram Demolition durin!
the Nine Schools Aompetition, Tatsu'a restricted himself to Non/
S'stematic =a!ic outside of class since the start of the second
semester This was more than enou!h to handle an' trouble, so there
was no need to carr' a AAD
The reason he carried the committee9s AAD while on patrol was
because of its demonstrati%e power Althou!h the' did not possess
!reat power as a deterrent, Tatsu'a customaril' returned to &J before
his patrol and put on AADs on his two wrists
As was usual, Tatsu'a headed for the committee &J after class toda'
and saw Lina9s fi!ure +%en from afar, that bla3e of !olden hair was
unmista$able
Suppressin! the ur!e to flee based on premonitions of trouble, Tatsu'a
wor$ed hard to $eep his %oice le%el
2Cood mornin!2
&e had lon! become accustomed to the committee members9 !reetin!s
that paid no heed to the time of da' &e wal$ed past the crowd //
which was actuall' no more than 8 people, and deftl' finished the
preparations on his hands
2Ah, Shiba/$un, perfect2
Unfortunatel', Tatsu'a was nabbed b' ,anon
&is abilit' to hide his disappointment was the product of his dail'
trainin!(>)
20hat is it>2
Tatsu'a9s %oice did not betra' an' sub)ecti%e or ob)ecti%e warmth (t
was both a stron! and wea$ point for ,anon that she paid no attention
to details such as this
2This is Shields/san ( belie%e 'ou alread' $now her>2
(t wasn9t much of a 1uestion 4f course, Tatsu'a9s onl' option was to
nod
2Shields/san wishes to obser%e the Public =oral Aommittee9s dail'
acti%ities ( belie%e she wanted to see how <apanese ma!ic hi!h
schools !o%ern themsel%es Shiba/$un is on dut' toda', so would 'ou
be able to brin! her alon!>2
&ow troublesome, Tatsu'a thou!ht &e was unclear on Lina9s
intentions, but he felt this definitel' raised the probabilit' of
troublesome e%ents happenin! This was a !uarantee, since he was
sure the' would run into male students (all the upperclassmen)
enamored of Lina watchin! him with sharp !a3es +%en if he was
spared the )ealous !lares within the committee, he didn9t dare to
ima!ine how incredibl' irritatin! it would be to wal$ around campus
with Lina in tow Alas, both Lina9s re1uest and Tatsu'a9s appointment
were perfectl' lo!ical turns of e%ents
2Understood2
Tatsu'a had no options but to offer an immediate and unconditional
surrender
Lina had recentl' transferred here so there wasn9t much of a surprise,
but this was the first time the' were wal$in! to!ether alone Strictl'
spea$in!, with all the students millin! about the two of them weren9t
wal$in! alone on campus, but the uncomfortable atmosphere wasn9t
li$el' to chan!e dependin! on whether other people were present or
not
*irst of all, in Tatsu'a9s defense, the uncomfortable atmosphere wasn9t
because he had an ama3in! beaut' li$e Lina wal$in! next to him, but
because Lina ne%er let up on that in1uisiti%e feelin! of hers +%er'
once in a while, she would secretl' snea$ a 2&mHH2 pee$ at Tatsu'a,
and, despite her efforts at tr'in! to conceal these loo$s, Tatsu'a felt
that the' were onl' di!!in! her deeper
+%en so, Tatsu'a couldn9t )ust directl' come bac$ with 25ou9re a sp',
aren9t 'ou2 The pressure )ust $ept buildin! li$e a %olcano read' to
burst
2Did Lina9s old school not ha%e this s'stem>2
Tatsu'a felt that he couldn9t stand this silent drama an' lon!er
(technicall', the' were onl' a do3en 'ards from &J) 0hat sort of
hea%' silence is this, Tatsu'a thou!ht as he indul!ed in his rarel' seen
sense of public ser%ice and pro%ided the initial 1uestion // Now that
he thou!ht about it, that was a terribl' malicious 1uestion
2+h> Uh2
=alicious, because he could see Lina9s anxiet'
:umor had it that e%er'one bestowed with the title of 2Sirius2 was a
front line fi!hter throu!h and throu!h Surel' it wasn9t possible that
Lina ne%er went throu!h infiltration trainin!, Tatsu'a thou!ht, unable
to decide if he wanted to lau!h or cr'
2(t can9t be helped if a 5ear . student doesn9t $now an'thin! about
it2
*eelin! somewhat !uilt' for Lina9s distressed state, Tatsu'a tried to
!i%e her a wa' out There was no need to shred her dis!uise, since
puttin! all the cards on the table would onl' ma$e thin!s more
troublesome
2+h Ah, )ust so That9s the reason wh' ( wanted to understand the
secret to wh' a 5ear . student could )oin in this acti%it' on this
campus2
She wasn9t reall' adept at handlin! cur%e balls, but she had a !ood
head on her shoulders, Tatsu'a thou!ht She was nimble enou!h to
!rab the lifeline that other people threw to her, which mi!ht actuall'
put her on a better footin! than his own sister
As he suspected, he was bein! stabbed left and ri!ht b' all sorts of
!a3es &owe%er, probabl' war' of lea%in! a ne!ati%e impression in
front of the transfer student, no one actuall' made a mo%e a!ainst him
As such, Tatsu'a led Lina throu!h the primar' practical exercise
rooms and research labs This patrol accompanied with explanations
!a%e the impression that he was !i%in! a campus tour
Lina halted her footsteps at one end of the buildin! that ran alon!side
the research labs near the staircase that led to the nei!hborin!
buildin!
2Are 'ou tired> Do 'ou want to head bac$>2
4f course, he $new that this wasn9t the real reason she stopped &e
was onl' usin! this to open the con%ersation
2No, (9m fine2
&er tone !a%e the impression that she wasn9t sure where to be!in
20hat is it>2
At Tatsu'a9s ur!in!, Lina finall' bro$e free of her hesitation
2Tatsu'a is a substitute // a Aourse 6 student, correct>2
2That9s true, is there a problem>2
(t had been a lon! time since someone came strai!ht out with that
1uestion (s it this a!ain> :ather than ha%in! that feelin!, he was
rather refreshed b' this and replied with a 1uestion of his own
20hen ( as$ed =i'u$i as to wh' 'ou wore a different uniform than
e%er'one else in Alass A, she told me in a rather anno'ed %oice2
Lina burst into lau!hter when she recalled that incident That certainl'
sounded li$e =i'u$i9s button bein! pressed, Tatsu'a chuc$led wr'l'
2-ut, when ( as$ed ,anon earlier, she said that Tatsu'a stands in the
top tier amon! =a!icians in *irst &i!h2
0hen Tatsu'a heard ,anon9s name pronounced as 2cannon2, he
unilaterall' interpreted it as canon rather than cannon // callin! ,anon
a cannon was a little too insultin!
0ith so man' unnecessar' thin!s runnin! throu!h his head,
comprehendin! what Lina was tr'in! to sa' too$ more time than
usual
2Tatsu'a, wh' are 'ou pretendin! to be a poor student> And since 'ou
are pretendin! to be a poor student, wh' did 'ou so easil' re%eal 'our
true stren!th> Tatsu'a9s beha%ior is hi!hl' irre!ular so ( don9t
understand wh' 'ou went about it the wa' 'ou did2
After listenin! to Lina9s 1uestion to the end, he finall' understood
what Lina reall' wanted to sa'
2( ha%e no idea what 'ou as$ed Ahi'oda/senpai, but it9s not li$e ( was
pretendin! to do nothin! ( trul' am a poor student2
*ortunatel', Lina !a%e a detailed explanation in order to con%e' her
1uestion and didn9t )ust lea%e Tatsu'a han!in!, or he reall' mi!ht ha%e
embarrassed himself &e reall' needed to curtail those unnecessar'
thou!hts, Tatsu'a thou!ht
2The practical s$ills examination is dependent on speed, scale, and
interference stren!th and is based on international standards &owe%er,
%ictor' or defeat in li%e combat does not depend strictl' on those three
%ariables 4ri!inall', ph'sical prowess pla's a hu!e role in li%e
combat 0hile m' practical s$ills examination labeled me a poor
student, ( can hold m' own in a fi!ht Simple as that2
That was the indisputable truth Tatsu'a belie%ed this was enou!h to
answer the 1uestion, or on some le%el, deflect the 1uestion
2( do a!ree that practical s$ill scores and combat capabilit' are
two different thin!s2
&owe%er, Lina9s words were not expected and seemed to hint at
somethin! more
2( too was someone who wasn9t ama3in! at school but was a =a!ician
who was useful on the battlefield2
A suspicious aura seemed to slowl' emanate from Lina9s bod'
2(sn9t that wonderful>2
The warmth in Tatsu'a9s e'es %anished
2( can tell, 'ou9re !ood2
-efore that cold, or rather, steel' !a3e, Lina let out a da33lin! smile
This was not a blossomin! flower, but the beaut' of a ra3or sharp
blade honed to its finest
Lina9s hand suddenl' mo%ed;
Tatsu'a swiftl' intercepted the stri$in! palm
The ed!ed ri!ht hand that Lina used the smallest possible mo%ement
to stab forward with was cau!ht at the wrist b' Tatsu'a
The thrustin! palm aimed for Tatsu'a9s chin was intercepted before it
could e%en reach the throat
Lina shifted the captured ri!ht hand into a pistol shape and stabbed
forward with her index fin!er
A terrif'in! claw came whistlin! towards Tatsu'a9s face
(n a flash, Tatsu'a flun! Lina9s ri!ht hand to one side
Lina frowned as the psion li!ht !athered at the tip of her index fin!er
was dispersed before the blow landed
2&ow dan!erous2
2( belie%ed that 'ou would dod!e it2
2Aare to explain this for me>2
2-efore that, can 'ou let !o of m' hand> That stin!s, and this position
is a little embarrassin! for me2
(n order to flin! her hand to one side, the distance between Tatsu'a
and Lina9s bodies had closed 1uite a bit *rom the side, it loo$ed li$e
Tatsu'a was attac$in! Lina // and forcin! a $iss
Tatsu'a immediatel' let !o of Lina9s hand
&owe%er, his e'es !a%e no hint of shame or remorse
2Seriousl', that hurt 5ou e%en left &uh> No trace> Precision
stren!th control>2
Lina wore a perplexed expression as she used her left hand to pull
bac$ her ri!ht slee%e
2After stri$in! at the pressure point on another person9s face, lettin!
'ou experience a little pain is the least 'ou deser%e2
2That was onl' a simple psion bloc$ that contains no threat
whatsoe%er The most it could do was !i%e the impression of bein!
struc$ b' a !un2
2( do belie%e that more than )ustifies 'our %iolent treatment2
+%en after seein! such a warm smile, Tatsu'a9s expression didn9t relax
in the sli!htest
Lina could onl' si!h and raise both arms
2( !et it, ( !et it Please for!i%e m' rudeness, Tatsu'a/sama2
Lina reset her attitude and formall' bowed to Tatsu'a before raisin!
her head
The once se%ere expression on Tatsu'a9s face suddenl' cur%ed at the
corners of his mouth for some bi3arre reason
2(s there an'thin! else>2
2No, that is sufficient ( thin$ we can tal$ normall' in the future
Thou!h this refinement doesn9t seem li$e Lina at all2
(t appeared that the chan!e in corners of Tatsu'a9s mouth was because
he felt that it didn9t suit her
2(n what wa' am ( not refined;2
25our character2
&e wasn9t sure whether she would !et the meanin! of a %a!ue term
li$e 2character2, but !i%en Lina9s fluent <apanese there should be no
problem, hence Tatsu'a s$ipped the explanation time
Then, whether this was a blessin! or a curse, she successfull'
interpreted his words
2There9s no such thin!; At the %er' least, (9%e been in%ited to tea with
the President;2
Propelled onward, Lina was tr'in! to pro%e her ele!ance
24h2
&earin! this, Tatsu'a chuc$led li!htl'
Amid this lau!hter, there were hints of chillin! frost
4n reflex, Lina co%ered her mouth
(n Tatsu'a9s expression, she could see =ephistopheles !rinnin! at her
2The President, eh2
There were man' in positions of power that could !i%e e%en
=a!icians, capable of murder without an' weapon, pause +%en in a
countr' li$e <apan that had %er' low walls, there were a few special
people in power that e%en =a!icians had to ta$e periodical antidotes
to defuse the poison in their bodies before meetin! them
(n the USNA, the onl' =a!ician who could meet the President face to
face was probabl'
2(9%e been had, ri!ht>2
Unwillin! to accept the outcome, Lina !lared at Tatsu'a, but this
debacle was entirel' on Lina herself
2=' infam' precedes me (t was pure coincidence that the
con%ersation went the direction it did (n re!ards to that 1uestion, (
belie%e Lina imploded on 'our own, correct> After all, Lina was the
one who insti!ated this2
And that is what it9s li$e to suffer in silence The onl' thin! Lina could
do was continue to stare at Tatsu'a in frustration
2So, should 'ou explain wh' 'ou went about doin! this>2
2( )ust wanted to $now how capable Tatsu'a is2
2&ow capable ( am> *or what>2
Lina9s e'es drifted awa' from Tatsu'a as he stood there frownin! in
suspicion
2Nothin! reall' (t was out of pure curiosit'2
2Auriosit' 5ou did all of this )ust for that2
+asil' seein! throu!h this blatant lie, Tatsu'a continued to murmur
Lina sul$il' !a%e a small 2&mph2
2Strictl' spea$in!, that is true Actuall'2
=utterin! softl', Lina dra!!ed her !a3e bac$ to Tatsu'a
2( wanted to $now if 'ou wanted to come to the USNA2
2=e, to America>2
2(n m' opinion, 'ou ha%e such a hi!h le%el of s$ill 'et are rele!ated to
such a lowl' position, wouldn9t 'ou want to be on a sta!e that !i%es
'ou the reco!nition 'ou deser%e 0hile a =a!ician9s !rade is assessed
in America much li$e the international standard, there are still places
that aren9t li$e that America is a free and di%erse countr' There9s no
wa' that 'ou would be rele!ated to a substitute simpl' because 'ou9re
lac$in! in one area ( belie%e that Tatsu'a will be reco!ni3ed as
befittin! 'our true potential2
2An interestin! declaration2
*aced with an unexpected in%itation, Tatsu'a9s attitude softened
somewhat
2(n that case2
Seein! this, Lina immediatel' char!ed into the breech
2(f that was the unadulterated truth2
&owe%er, Tatsu'a9s satire immediatel' too$ the wind from her sails
2Lina, where exactl' is this unorthodox place that pri3es merit abo%e
all else> Sa', Arlin!ton>2
Arlin!ton used to be a na%al academ', but was now one of the primar'
pro%iders for =a!icians and ma!ic researchers in the USNA militar'
25es -ut, there are other places2
2Lina, assessment based on merit is desi!ned to select the ri!ht wa' to
use tools2
Despite the fact that Tatsu'a9s tone remained moc$in!, it lac$ed the
chillin! cold that deafened the soul
2(n re!ards to selectin! =a!icians best suited for the militar',
Arlin!ton and the <SD* are two sides of the same coin 4n some
le%el, there will be a few differences2
(n the end, Tatsu'a seemed to be pro%idin! !uidance for a friend
24h well, for!et it2
2+h>2
Suddenl', Tatsu'a murmured somethin! as if nothin! mattered
Lina was unable to follow this abrupt chan!e in !ears and could onl'
repl' with a befuddled %oice and expression
2Lina was )ust tr'in! to test m' s$ills, is that ri!ht>2
2Uh 5es2
2Then let9s lea%e it there Please refrain from doin! such thin!s in the
future2
(sn9t it about time for 'ou to !o> Ur!in! her to do so, Tatsu'a9s
expression was now no different than usual
Lina could no lon!er tell the difference from the usual Tatsu'a
2Don9t 'ou ha%e an'thin! 'ou want to as$ me>2
(t was understandable that Tatsu'a wanted to pretend that scene ne%er
happened This was also in Lina9s best interests &owe%er, she had no
idea wh' Tatsu'a would do this, or his intentions
(t was incredibl' fortunate that Tatsu'a wasn9t as$in! an' 1uestions
and Lina $new she could be tramplin! on his $ind !esture, but she
couldn9t resist her own 1uestion
2As$ what>2
20hat do 'ou mean> Li$e =' real identit' or somethin!, don9t
'ou want to $now>2
2Don9t worr' about it There are some stones in the world better left
untouched2
Lina wasn9t certain if he was bein! truthful or e%asi%e
The human bein! $nown as Shiba Tatsu'a was too incomprehensible
for Lina
25ou, are incredibl' irritatin!2
Tatsu'a onl' shru!!ed his shoulders and turned around at Lina9s blunt
accusation
At the same time that she was followin! his bac$, Lina was
clair%o'ant that the word 2irritatin!2 didn9t refer to its superficial
meanin!
Chapter 4
January 14, A.D. 2096, Shibuya 11:00 p.m.
Late at ni!ht on a Saturda', thou!h there were no cars on the street, it
was filled with 'oun! people
There were no cars in si!ht due to the chan!es in both the traffic
s'stem and the customar' wor$in! hours The self/dri%in! (auto/pilot)
indi%idual transportation trams wor$ around the cloc$ -esides, in a
bi! cit' li$e Shibu'a, there is no need to emplo' these %ehicles that
are meant for communal use, as b' usin! the motori3ed sidewal$s that
ha%e been laid out under!round, one can reach the train station easil'
=oreo%er, in the present a!e, where infrastructure for wor$in! from
home has been up!raded, there is no lon!er an' need for one to sta'
bac$ in the office till late at ni!ht (n case of ur!entl' needed wor$, the
current trend in businesses is to settle it at home and submit it bac$ to
the compan' %ia a pri%ate line =odern offices are places for business
ne!otiations, not places for paperwor$ (n the first place, as lon! as
one is doin! an honest business, the need for deliberatel' schedulin!
business ne!otiations at midni!ht would disappear
Shibu'a at ni!ht is the town of 'oun! people where adultsK fi!ures are
not seen
(n fact, one cannot see this $ind of scene at this time in an' town other
than Shibu'a
Shibu'a, Shin)u$u, ($ebu$uro, :oppon!iL -efore the war, those
towns flourished as shoppin! districts for 'oun! peopleM but now,
seein! 'oun! people wanderin! and !atherin! late at ni!ht is a scene
that one would onl' see here in Shibu'a
Durin! the era of chaos which spanned two decades, at different
periods, in Shin)u$u, ($ebu$uro and :oppon!i, as a result of the
destructi%e acti%ities caused b' the forei!ners, to!ether with the
extreme de%astation caused b' the xenophobic acti%itiesN.O of the
ra!in! nati%e 'oun!sters in response to the forei!ners9 deeds, emer!ed
widespread %ermiculated ruins =easures for the thorou!h restoration
of public order were ta$en durin! the course of reconstruction, and
these towns ha%e been rebuilt as fairl' dense bustlin! towns
-ut, Shibu'a was the exception
Since before the war, the de!ree of de%astation had deepened and the
disputes between 'oun!sters intensified, and thus, as a result of bein!
the first to expel the forei!ners, in contrast Shibu'a had been spared
the absolute total destruction that had befallen the other towns And as
the lawlessness of the ni!hts in Shibu'a were left alone conse1uentl'
e%en now, one cannot flatl' assert that one end result is better than the
other
(f this was such a lawless area, be it da' or ni!ht, the
2:ede%elopment2 initiated b' the !o%ernment, and the local
municipalit' who has become %er' much intolerant to the absence of
order as compared to the pre/war da's, would probabl' ha%e
proceeded, as one mi!ht !uess The current administrati%e authorities
ha%e become considerabl' strict re!ardin! the restrictions on pri%ate
ri!hts related to real estate
&owe%er, Shibu'a holds completel' different faPade durin! da'time
and ni!ht
Durin! the da'time, it is a business center where honest compan'
emplo'ees busil' come and !o
At ni!ht, it is a pleasure 1uarter where 'oun!sters loiter, with the
affectation of outlaws
As the' can9t round them up at once, it9s difficult for the authorities to
ta$e the plun!e into rede%elopin! the cit'
And on this %er' e%enin! as well, at the be!innin! of the New 5ear,
there were man' 'oun!sters !athered on the streets ma$in! as much of
a rac$et as the' wanted, lau!hin!, flirtin!, and exchan!in! blows
Amon! them, with finel' chiseled features, and a sturd' build, a
'oun! manKs fi!ure could be seen
Dressed in a sweatshirt and )umper pulled o%er it, which was
unthin$abl' li!ht clothin! in the deep of winter, Leo was wal$in! with
falterin! steps in Shibu'a in the dead of the ni!ht Althou!h we use
the word 9falterin!9 here, his le!s and feet were properl' co%ered in
)eans and snea$ers &owe%er, )ud!in! b' the steps he was ta$in!, he
seemed to ha%e no specific destination in mind
Leo had one bad pastime No, rather than a pastime, it was probabl' a
habit
The habit of roamin!
Not wal$in!, runnin!, nor shoutin!, but roamin! in the ni!ht
As the dead of the ni!ht drew near, he would want to randoml'
wander about in uncertaint'
Leo thou!ht that this was due to his instincts that ha%e been car%ed
into his bod'Qs !enes
&e is the third !eneration of the 2-ur! *ol!e (*ortress Series)2 that
was de%eloped in Cerman' in the initial da's, which put the techni1ue
of tunin! =a!icians %ia !enetic manipulation in practical use for the
first time in the world
The -ur! *ol!e was a bod' tunin! techni1ue de%eloped with an
emphasis on impro%in! the durabilit' of the bod' (n those da's, in
order to raise close 1uarters combat abilit', thou!ht to be the wea$er
point of ma!icians, rather than stren!thenin! ma!ic abilit', the -ur!
*ol!e, which stren!thened the ph'sical abilities contained in !enes,
brou!ht forth a breed of 2Super soldiers that can use ma!ic2, or
2+nhanced humans that can simultaneousl' use both superhuman
ph'sical abilities, and ma!ic technical abilities2, both of which were
more apt descriptions than callin! them tuned ma!icians
Althou!h Ahimera/fication measures were not included in the tunin!
methods, it is not difficult for one to ima!ine that lar!e si3ed
mammals that are much more tenacious than humans had been used as
a reference at the inception of the !enetic remodelin! method
Not b' remo%in! the bod'Ks limiter with external means R it was
alread' $nown at that time that such a method would ha%e a hi!h
probabilit' of dama!in! an indi%idual9s ma!ical technical abilit' R but
b' raisin! the performance of the ph'sical bod'
Possibl' as a result of that unreasonable !enetic remodelin!, man'
amon! the -ur! *ol!e9s first !eneration died durin! childhood, and
e%en the ma)orit' of those who !rew to adulthood went mad and died
LeoQs !randfather was one of the few sur%i%ors
Leo had a fear
Someone loo$in! at him as a person from the outside would be unable
to see it, but he has been li%in! his life while carr'in! that fear deep
down in his heart
&e wondered if he would also !o mad one da'
0ith a non/human factor de%ourin! his human factor, he wondered if
he would end up losin! his senses
Since he thou!ht that, b' releasin! his impulses, whether or not he
would be able to dela' the moment when his crea$in! heart bro$e &e
tried to be lo'al to his own impulses &e $new from example that his
!randfather was able to freel' li%e a natural span of life
That was wh' he didnKt !o a!ainst his impulse of 2wanderin! at
ni!ht2
At the whim of this impulse, underneath the moon, underneath the
stars, underneath the )et/blac$ clouds, he was wal$in! aimlessl'
4ne ni!ht in the center of the cit', one ni!ht in the shoppin! districts,
one ni!ht in the suburbs, one ni!ht on a secluded mountain 0ithout
destination 4n a whim, he chose a road b' the mood of the da'
That he came toda' to Shibu'a was merel' pure coincidence
There was a fi!ure of a 'oun! man in a dar$ suit wearin! a !ra' trench
coat, which, e%en thou!h new, had creases here and there
2&uh> +ri$aKs older brother, =r (nspector>2
The person who )ust passed b' was coincidentall' an ac1uaintance (t
was onl' that, but Leo called out to the 'oun! man R=erel' at a
whim, since one doesnKt alwa's call out to an ac1uaintance upon
seein! him each and e%er' time
The next moment, a wa%e of noise sur!ed towards him
LeoKs %oice was b' no means bi! (t was )ust enou!h to call a passin!
person to stop
Despite that, !a3es one could certainl' not call friendl' were drawn
from both sides of the street
25ou, come with me for a moment2
:espondin! with a smac$ed expression was the man who was wal$in!
next to 2+ri$aKs older brother2 Leo also remembered the face of the
man, who was at the a!e b' which it has become a little painful to call
a 'oun! man &e not onl' remembered the face, but also the name
2(na!a$i/san, ri!ht> 0hat is it all of a sudden>2
0ithout answerin! the 1uestion, which could also be treated as rude,
(na!a$i !rabbed LeoKs left wrist
Althou!h sha$in! it off would be eas', Leo 1uietl' followed (na!a$i
&e was brou!ht to a small bar inside of a bac$ alle' Althou!h 2-A:2
was written on the si!nboard, it was a storeKs appearance that Leo felt
did not need the use of western/st'le characters at all
2=aster, (Qll borrow the upstairs2
(na!a$i called to the proprietor of the shop, who was polishin! a !lass
on the other side of the counter, and went up the stairs at the far end
without waitin! for a repl' Leo was brou!ht to a cramped small room
which was filled onl' with four chairs placed around a small round
table The doorwa' bein! a bul$', airti!ht constructed door, loo$in!
li$e the hatch of a spaceship, was awfull' mismatched to the worn/out
interiors
2(Km still a minor2
Leo said so in a )o$in! manner, forestallin! (na!a$i, who was on the
%er!e of tal$in! after rotatin! the handle with both hands, firml'
loc$in! the door
Next to (na!a$i, who loo$ed li$e he chewed on a sour bu!, Ahiba
Toshi$a3u pleasantl' R not in the sense of ha%in! fun, but in the sense
of deep interest R lau!hed
2Sai)ou/$un, ri!ht> 5ou did well to spot us +%en thou!h we should
ha%e had properl' concealed our presence2
<ust with that, Leo understood what Toshi$a3u was tr'in! to sa'
2L&a%e ( perhaps interrupted an in%esti!ation>2
Toshi$a3u seemed to be surprised b' that !ood !uess
2&eeh 5ouKre not )ust brawn 0ell, +ri$a wouldnQt support a mere
muscle/brain, ( suppose2
Thou!h Leo reflexi%el' frowned, aside from whether it was from
!oodwill or malice, since he was aware of the fact that he was tau!ht
techni1ues, lent speciali3ed weapons, and also supported in %arious
wa's, he refrained from rebuttin!
2(snKt =r (nspectorKs &ouse mista$in! the wa' of raisin! dau!hters>2
The counterattac$ was at best a de!ree that would be $noc$ed down
for abusi%e lan!ua!e (would be dis!ustin!)
2ThatKs for sure2
Toshi$a3u said so with a wr' smile -ut, contrar' to his li!ht tone, the
li!ht within his narrowed e'es felt li$e somethin! deep/rooted
Sensin! dan!er of ha%in! crossed where he shouldnQt, Leo shut his
mouth
2DonKt mind the in%esti!ation 0e were )ust tr'in! to conceal our
presence in order to a%oid meanin!less troubleM itQs not li$e we were
tailin! an'one Since late at ni!ht here, this is a place where the police
would draw loo$s of resentment2
2Loo$s of resentment, huh (tKs certainl' li$e that2
Leo, loo$in! li$e he was reminded of somethin!, nodded deepl' That
!esture con%e'ed that he felt s'mpath' more towards the police than
the 'oun! people of this town
(f !oodwill is turned, the attitude will softenM itKs one of the most basic
patterns of interpersonal relationships (This ma' not necessaril' be
true with the opposite sex thou!h)
Therefore, the !lint in (na!a$iKs e'es towards Leo became much
friendlier
2(nspector, isnKt it )ust the ri!ht time> 0h' donKt 'ou as$ him 9that9>2
0ith that alone, Leo naturall' didnKt $now what 2that2 was, but he did
not ur!e on an explanation Leo was calml' watchin! Toshi$a3u, who
nodded and turned to face him
2Sai)ou/$un, what business do 'ou ha%e toda' in Shibu'a>2
2( ha%e no business in particular2
2&mm, do 'ou often come to Shibu'a>2
2No, not oftenM ( onl' come here occasionall' ( also strolled here on
New 5earKs +%e2
2Two wee$s a!o, huhL Then, do 'ou $now of the stran!e e%ents that
ha%e occurred in the shoppin! districts>2
(na!a$i didnKt stop Toshi$a3u, who was tr'in! to re%eal details of an
incident o%er reportin! restrictions At an' rate, (na!a$i $new that b'
tomorrow it would be a 2scoop2
2Stran!e e%ents> ( thou!ht that such thin!s happen e%er' da' -' the
wa', =r (nspector, werenKt 'ou in char!e of 5o$ohama cit'> 0h' are
'ou in%esti!atin! the incidents of this town>2
20e are members of the Police Department 0eKre transferred here
and there all o%er <apan -ecause of that, we are now in%esti!atin! the
incident of continuous unnatural deaths in the metropolitan area2
0ords which li!htl' and smoothl' flowed out &owe%er, Leo was not
misled b' his tone
2Unnatural deaths Stran!e murders> And continuousl'>2
*urrowin! his e'ebrows, Leo as$ed Toshi$a3u re%ised his e%aluation
of Leo upwards without showin! an' si!n of doin! so
2ThatKs ri!ht 0ell, since itKs somethin! that will be $nown b'
tomorrowL2
Sa'in! that, Toshi$a3u and (na!a$i exchan!ed loo$s (na!a$i nodded,
and remo%ed from his o%ercoat poc$et a mobile terminal 4penin! the
foldin!/t'pe terminal, he brou!ht up the ima!e file on the screen
Seein! the photo on the terminal, switchin! in a slideshow, Leo
breathed and swallowed his sali%a
2The latest %ictim was found in Dou!en3a$a Par$ three da's a!o The
estimated time of death is around .I##A= to 6I##A=2
2:i!ht in the middle of the town;>2
Leo thou!ht that 2ri!ht in the middle of the town2 was a stran!e
expression, but he couldnKt come up with a better wordin! to properl'
express his feelin!s
R&e probabl' thou!ht that this $ind of thin! happens in sparsel'
populated areas
2Lea%in! aside the da'time, it would not be stran!e e%en if somethin!
li$e this happened in the middle of the town at ni!ht At least in this
town2
&owe%er, as Toshi$a3u answered bac$ with a bitter expression, Leo
couldnKt help but nod 25ouKre ri!ht2 Leo also $new from experience
that the present Shibu'a had an unusual dual nature
2Therefore, ( would li$e to as$ somethin!M do 'ou happen to $now
an'thin! about a stran!e !u'> ( donKt mind e%en if it is )ust rumors
that 'ou ha%e heard2
2There are a lot of stran!e !u's loiterin! around this town in the dead
of ni!ht Specificall', what $ind of !u' do 'ou want to $now about>2
To LeoKs )ustifiable complaint, Toshi$a3u, $nowin! that itKs not such a
case, lea$ed a wr' smile
2Aertainl', itKs not clear -ut, the in%esti!ation would ha%e been fairl'
eas' if we $new the criminalKs featuresL2
Leo was silentl' starin! at Toshi$a3u, who was ponderin! 2*rom
where should ( be!in to explain>2
20ellL The %ictimsK corpses we showed 'ou earlier2
(na!a$i did not tr' to interfere &e also had no intention to stop his
superior, who had started lea$in! secret information of the
in%esti!ation to a ci%ilian
2The cause of death for all deaths was unnatural There was no trace
of external in)ur' to find on the se%en people2
2There was no in)ur'> 0as it poison>2
To the 1uestion of Leo, who chan!ed his expression, Toshi$a3u shoo$
his head
2The tests of dru! reactions are all ne!ati%e And e%en thou!h there is
no in)ur', about ten percent of the estimated blood has been lost from
the %ictimsK bodies2
2All the %ictims>2
2All the %ictims2
2( seeL That is indeed 9unnatural death9 :ather than stran!e murders,
itKs a stran!e incident2
Neither bein! fri!htened nor feelin! uneas', Leo muttered so in an
ama3ed %oice
20hile it ma' seem a supernatural phenomenon, the incident is
realit'2
0hile bein! ama3ed at Leo9s attitude, Toshi$a3u returned the ori!inal
1uestion
2So, ( wonder if 'ou happen to $now a !u' li$el' to perpetrate this b'
imitatin! somethin! occult Particularl' with forei!ners these da's,
such as stran!e rumors, which spread out about those !u's2
2*orei!ners these da's, huhL2
*rom before bein! as$ed a!ain, Leo crossed his arms, but before lon!,
uncrossed them with a loo$ of resi!nation
2=' bad, no one comes up in m' mind2
(t was a rude, or rather, a muddled tone as if to sa' 20hat $ind of
manners were those>2 but without feelin!s of wonder or hatred
2(Km stoc$in! up on )o$es from a friend2
2+h, no, itQs alri!ht That sort of thin! is the )ob of the police, and it is
also not limited to sniffin! around and not $eepin! an e'e out2
2-ut (nspector, it is Shibu'a at ni!ht, 'ou $now> ( thin$ that ha%in!
adults, and moreo%er, policemen, out to as$ %arious thin!s will be
difficult2
20ell, that mi!ht be so, butL2
+%en without the need to recei%e indication a!ain, both Toshi$a3u and
(na!a$i actuall' reali3ed the difficult' of an in%esti!ation 4therwise,
the' would not !o as far as to re%eal the secret details of an
in%esti!ation to a bo' who was simpl' an ac1uaintance
2( also donKt intend to stic$ m' nose in the dan!er And e%en if ( could
see it, ( ha%e confidence in m' sense of smell2
2:eall'> Then2
2(nspector;>2
&a%in! said that, ma$in! a hi!h school student cooperate in a criminal
in%esti!ation was !oin! too far and too dan!erous (na!a$i hurriedl'
raised his %oice as !esture to stop, but Toshi$a3u brou!ht out a
business card from his breast poc$et
2(f 'ou find an'thin!, mail me here 5ou manuall' enter for the first
time, and itKs automaticall' updated from the second2
The !ood sense of (na!a$i was i!nored b' both Leo and Toshi$a3u
2(tQs reall' strict 0ell then, if ( find an'thin!, (Qll let 'ou $now2
Sa'in! so, Leo stood up, with one hand easil' turnin! the airti!ht
loc$Ks handle that (na!a$i had to use two hands to turn, and went
downstairs
? ? ?
<anuar' .@th, AD 6#7G, USNA 0ashin!ton DA ..I"# local time
<anuar' .8, #.I"# <apan time R =idni!ht
Lina, who had !one to bed, was wo$en up b' her housemate S'l%ia
2S'l%ie, what is it>2
Lina also became a re!ular officer not less than three 'ears a!oM e%en
if rec$onin! after she too$ the post of Stars9 &i!h Aommander, she
had a militar' career of one 'ear and a half She !rew accustomed to
bein! dra!!ed out of bed in case of emer!enc' :e!ainin! her
consciousness in an instant, she re1uested an explanation from S'l%ia
in a clear %oice
2(tKs an ur!ent communication from =a)or Aanopus2
To the answer which was returned b' S'l%ia, Lina silentl' ran towards
the communication de%ice
2-en, sorr' to ha%e $ept 'ou waitin! +xcuse me that itKs audio onl'2
Li$ewise, it is ( who should sa' so for disturbin! 'ou while 'ou
were sleepin!
As far as Lina $new, -en)amin Aanopus was a man of common sense
e%en within Stars Amon! the first Stars class, he mi!ht ha%e the most
common sense &e, while bein! aware of the time difference, in other
words, while $nowin! that here in <apan was midni!ht, called Lina
And it could not be for a tri%ial matter
2( donKt mind 0hat on earth happened>2
0eK%e found the whereabouts of those who escaped last month
20hat;>2
The desertion incident of the star/of/the/first/ma!nitude class of Stars,
Alfred *ormalhaut, which occurred last month, was not onl' limited to
the scandal of Stars, but also !a%e a !reat shoc$ to the USNA
executi%es
That incident did not end with *irst Lieutenant *ormalhautKs disposal
b' LinaKs hands The fact is that in the same period, se%en ma!icians,
and also ma!ic factor' masters had escaped from the USNA forces
0ithin them, althou!h it was the satellite class of the lowest ran$, the
members of the Stars were also included The mission entrusted to
Lina b' =a)or Aanopus bac$ then was the pursuit and disposal of
these fu!iti%es (t was about them, he was sa'in! that, their
whereabouts were found out
20here is it;>2
(n <apan After landin! at 5o$ohama, it seems that the' are
currentl' hidin! in To$'o
20h' in <apanL And moreo%er, in this To$'o;>2
Lina turned around in surprise -ut Aanopus also didn9t ha%e the
answer to this 1uestion (t was not onl' Lina who as$ed that 1uestion,
and it was not onl' Aanopus who could not answer it
L The <oint Ahiefs of Staff decided to dispatch an additional trac$er
team
2Does the <apanese Co%ernment $now>2
No, itKs a secret operation
(n a pursuit operation of fu!iti%es coupled with espiona!e and combat
in a forei!n territor', the impression !i%en to the partner countr'
!o%ernment was totall' different There was e%en a possibilit' that it
could be considered as a serious pro%ocati%e act to so%erei!nt', and
de%elop into a rupture of diplomatic intercourse Lina was once a!ain
aware of how the Penta!on attached importance to this matter
&i!h Aommander, we will pass on the instructions from the Ceneral
Staff &ead1uarters The mission currentl' !i%en to =a)or An!ie Sirius
should assume a priorit' of second de!ree, and 'ou should !i%e top
priorit' to the trac$in! of the fu!iti%es
Lina, once after ta$in! a deep breath, answered to the communication
de%ice
2-en Please con%e' to the &J that ( accept it2
:o!er &i!h Aommander, ta$e care
The communication cut with those words of worr'
2(t loo$s li$e ( wonKt be able to sleep an' lon!er toni!ht2, Lina
thou!ht
? ? ?
(n the classroom at the be!innin! of the wee$, the stran!e murders
e%ent was the hot topic
Sunda' mornin!, e%er' news compan' came out with what was a
%eritable festi%al of articles about the continuous stran!e murders
e%ent in an attempt to compensate for ha%in! been out/scooped b' the
6nd ran$ed domestic news site That their conduct was rather manic,
or rather their screws were loose, to the extent that the' were tr'in! to
ma$e it up to their disappointed subscribers, one could sa' it was an
act of !ratitude
&owe%er, because of that, the news 1uic$l' spread li$e wildfire S
-ut, the main point especiall' emphasi3ed the occult aspect, a!itatin!
the sensation
2=ornin!H &e', he', Tatsu'a/$un, did 'ou see 'esterda'Ks news>2
&owe%er, the onl' people who understood that the' are bein! a!itated,
but still dared to ta$e ad%anta!e of that, were probabl' people around
Tatsu'aKs a!e As usual, definitel' without bein! led, the friend who
would seem li$el' to dance upfront was the %er' first %oice that called
out
2News, 'ou mean about the 9%ampire9>2
+%en thou!h it was ob%ious, he was )ust tr'in! to ma$e sure that this
was the !eneral eti1uette Then +ri$a, as he thou!ht, nodded happil'
2About that, itKs after all impossible that it would be done b' a sin!le
criminal, ri!ht> (s it a professional or!ani3ed crime> =' %ote is that it
is an ille!al or!ani3ation dealin! in or!ans and blood2
-efore Tatsu'a sat in his chair, she li!htl' sat on his des$ and twisted
around and brou!ht her face closer
At this time, Tatsu'a thou!ht 9(t9s reall' insi!nificant, but that bod' is
flexible9 which was a reall' insi!nificant thin! to be thin$in! about, so
he put on a serious loo$ on his face and shoo$ his head
2(f thatKs the case, then ( donKt understand wh' onl' ten percent of
blood was extracted2
So as not to cause trouble in %ain to the world, it was certain that the
authorities wanted to conceal it, but the fact that the %ictims lost about
ten percent of blood had spread to the societ' alon! with, stirrin! up
the complaint of the 2Eampire e%ent2
20asnKt there an intention of $illin!> DidnKt the' thin$ possibl' to use
the blood for a blood factor' if usin! it efficientl'>2
2(f itKs the case, then the' would not lea%e the corpses in the town
-esides, it is a m'ster' that there was no mar$ that blood was
extracted, either2
(n the articles, 2After extractin! blood with a needle, the' erased the
traces b' ma!ic2M althou!h the' also assumed ma!icians were
in%ol%ed, it was impossible to erase the in)ection mar$ permanentl'
with a sin!le use of healin! ma!ic
2&mm, ( seeL (tKs certainl' stran!e that there is no scar2
2As said on TE, is it a homicide b' occult means>2
*urrowin! her e'ebrows from the seat nearb', rather with a somehow
ner%ous expression, =i3u$i )oined to the con%ersation
24ccult means, huhL (f thereKs reall' such thin! as %ampires, then itKs
li$el' to be $nown lon! a!o2
=odern =a!ic, in the process of s'stemati3ation theor', was
welcomed b' those who con%e'ed Ancient =a!ic from the other side
of the le!endar' %eil (f the hob!oblins or the li$e with substance
reall' existed, their existence should ha%e been disclosed alon! with
that of the 2wi3ards2 Tatsu'a had at least thou!ht so
2Then is it Tatsu'aKs opinion that till the bitter end, it was an act done
b' humans and not b' occult means>2
20hat about 'ou, =i$ihi$o> Do 'ou thin$ that 5ou$ai or demons,
those sort of bein!s are in%ol%ed>2
&e struc$ bac$ at =i$ihi$oKs 1uestion with the contentKs same
1uestion
=i$ihi$o chimed 2&mm2, sha$in! his head bac$ and forth
2L( canKt thin$ that this is the wor$ of a mere human, but ( can9t ma$e
an assertionL2
To the aw$ward answer of =i$ihi$o, Tatsu'a re%ealed a nast' smile
2Spea$in! of the occult, until )ust .## 'ears a!o, ma!ic was the prime
example of the occult2
+ri$a promptl' leaned forward in excitement
2Does Tatsu'a/$un thin$ that this crime is related to ma!icians>2
2( ha%enKt clearl' thou!ht about it till that point Neither the street
cameras nor the Psion radars that were installed captured an'
reactions2
Soon after ha%in! finished sa'in! so, Tatsu'a, as he has reconsidered,
shoo$ his head
2L&owe%er, if it is a hi!h ran$ed ma!ician, he could tric$ the radars,
and if it is a practitioner able to use a =ental (nterference +xternal
S'stematic =a!ic, he could also commit the crime in the center of the
cit' without an'one noticin!2
2(t9s unpleasant (tKs !ood that the &umanism trend doesnKt become
stron!er2
=i3u$i muttered in a !loom' %oice
The current a!eKs 2&umanism2, flatl' spea$in!, is a $ind of anti/
ma!ician mo%ement
(tKs a mo%ement that attempts to ban the use of ma!ic, sa'in! that
2=a!ic is not a power permitted to humans,2 which is the essence of
the cult ideolo!' for a sub/sect of Ahristianit'
The assertion 2&umans should li%e with onl' the power accorded to
humans,2 or perhaps one should sa' from the public stance named
2&umanism2, is a part' which has been expandin! their influence in
recent 'ears in the central east coast of America
(f itKs )ust 2stop usin! ma!ic2, then there is no particular harm (man'
people would a!ree), but radical elements of &umanism conducted
%iolent acts aimed at the re)ection of the %er' existence of ma!icians
+%en in the USNA the' recei%e their own authoritiesK sur%eillance as a
form of anti/crime reser%e troops (A %iolent action, USNA alwa's
monitored or!ani3ations)
2Now that 'ou mention it, ( saw those sheep clamorin! for that on the
TE2
2=ornin!, what are 'ou tal$in! about>2
(nterruptin! +ri$aKs speech as usual, in the seat in front of Tatsu'a S
itKs ob%ious that from the be!innin!, there was no 2homeroom
teacher2 who would propose a seat chan!e S was Leo
2DonKt 'ou seem 1uite late toda'>2
:aisin! his hand to !reet him, Tatsu'a as$ed so <ud!in! from the
impression of his outward appearance, it ma' be surprisin!, but it is
unusual for Leo to come at the last minute )ust before the openin! so
much without mar!in (to arri%e late)
2Ah/ ( had a little bit of minor business and ended up sta'in! up late
Aside from that, what were 'ou tal$in! about>2
2(tKs the usual 9Eampire e%ent9 we are tal$in! about2
Leo frowned at =i3u$iKs answer
A little mutterin! 2A!ain>2 lea$ed from his mouth, and at that
precise moment, the terminal displa's information for the course start
0ithout time to follow that up, the mornin!Ks idle chatter came to a
close
? ? ?
There was no !olden haired companion beside =i'u$i, who appeared
in the school cafeteria
Tatsu'a didnKt feel an' doubt or dissatisfaction because he also did not
ma$e a separate appointment -ecause of that, this 1uestion, not that
he was that interested, simpl' came to mind
2Toda' 'ouKre not with Lina>2
&owe%er, his 'oun!er sisterKs answer was outside of Tatsu'aKs
expectations
2Toda', she is absent, 4nii/sama She was in a hurr' re!ardin! some
business related to her famil' and the li$e2
2&mm>2
QAbsent )ust after transferrin! in from o%erseas>K Tatsu'a thou!ht, but
since he didnKt also $now a forei!n ma!ician student other than her, he
did not assert it to be abnormal (n the first place, if her identit' is
considered, there should be a lot of thin!s which ha%e priorit' o%er
school -esides, there was no wa' that Lina would ha%e told =i'u$i
or &ono$a reasons more than 2&ouse/related2 Therefore, Tatsu'a did
not in1uire further
+ri$a and =i3u$i had displa'ed concern in her beha%ior, but S in
fact, the difference was that =i3u$i was 2worried2 and +ri$a was
2curious2 S more than that, e%en if he as$ed =i'u$i, he understood
that the answer !i%en to them wouldnKt necessaril' be the truth <ust
li$e that, as usual, thou!h one person was missin! (the person missin!
bein! Shi3u$u, not Lina), the se%en people crowded around the table
2Spea$in! of that, is Shi3u$u doin! well>2
+ri$aKs line of si!ht turned towards &ono$a
25eah, she seems to be doin! well She also said the lessons are not
that difficult2
0ithout e%en considerin! the 1uestion, &ono$a immediatel' replied
Due to the present eraKs communication infrastructure, the other side
of the Pacific 4cean was not such a bi! distance
2&owe%er, she said that she was surprised that class discussion forms
includin! teachers still remain2
*or this episode, e%er'one showed facial expressions mixed with
surprise and interest Since the s'stem of students !oin! abroad to
learn ma!ic has %irtuall' ceased, what $ind of teachin! was done in
forei!n countries was a $ind of information that was hardl' a%ailable
2Then, ma'be Lina is perplexed as well in %arious wa's, ri!ht>2
2That reall' doesnKt loo$ li$e it2
=i'u$i, while smilin!, denied =i3u$iKs concern (n fact, Lina did not
appear to be perplexed at the difference of lessons structure between
America and <apan QAs if from the %er' be!innin!, she has onl' e%er
attended <apanese =a!ic &i!h SchoolK, =i'u$i secretl' re%ealed a
nast' smile
(t was a sex' little de%il smile, fortunatel' no one had noticed it &er
friendsK awareness was rooted to the spot at the next bombshell
announcement &ono$a brou!ht out
20e spo$e on the phone a little 'esterda' as well, but Shi3u$u was
also surprised at the news of the 9Eampire e%ent9 Somehow, a similar
incident seems to ha%e happened in America as well, she said2
2+eeh; (s that true>2
2( also as$ed Shi3u$u the same thin! (t seems to ta$e place not in the
0est Aoast where Shi3u$u is, but in the central area in the southern
part of Dallas2
2(tKs the first time ( heard of this2
&a%in! also recentl' recei%ed warnin!s from his aunt, Tatsu'a, who
dili!entl' chec$ed the USNA/related news, unexpectedl' muttered so
in an admirin! tone
2+%en on the other side, it seems that the' ha%e a tolerabl' wor$in!
information restriction Shi3u$u also said that it was not from the
news that she heard it, but from a well/informed student who
happened to be a former exchan!e student2
Possibl' happ' at drawin! Tatsu'aKs attention, &ono$a had a bashfull'
smilin! face as she explained
(n the e'es of Tatsu'a who nodded, a li!ht stron! enou!h to be said it
was )ust out of curiosit' was dwellin!
? ? ?
At the time that Tatsu'aKs !roup had been excited with the topic of
their friend who was stud'in! o%erseas, the blond haired and blue
e'ed hi!h school student who had come to stud' from abroad was in a
secret meetin! at the USNA embass'
2(n other words, 'ou sa' that in *redd'9s, no, *irst Lieutenant
*omalhautKs cerebral cortex, a neuronal structure ne%er seen in a
normal human was formed>2
Thou!h the meetin! was encroachin! into lunch time, no one there,
includin! Lina, re1uested a brea$
2(t ma' be misleadin! to sa' normal human2
The one who answered was a man who, thou!h not wearin! the white
lab coat, had indeed the appearance of 'our e%er'da' re!ular scientist
2*rom the results of the autops', in Alfred *omalhautKs brain, a
neuronal structure, which has ne%er been obser%ed in the cerebral
cortex of a human so far, ma!icians included, has been identified
Specificall', a structure similar to a small corpus callosum was formed
in the pre/frontal cortex2
Seein! there bein! man' participants re%ealin! an ambi!uous
expression (of course Lina was also of them), the scientist be!an to
explain once a!ain except this time with a sli!ht lecture tone
25ou $now that human brain is di%ided into the left hemisphere and
ri!ht hemisphere, ri!ht>2
Seein! all the participants noddin!, he continued
2So, the left and ri!ht hemispheres are connected b' the corpus
callosum located in the center of the brain Aon%ersel', this means that
the brain of an ordinar' person does not usuall' ha%e a structure,
which onl' connects the ri!ht and left hemispheres of the brain in the
center part2
2The pre/frontal cortex is the surface portion of the brain 4ri!inall'
there should not be a structure which connects the left and ri!ht
hemispheres of the brain there, ri!ht>2
2ThatKs ri!ht (n other words, it means that there is somethin! in *irst
Lieutenant *omalhautKs brain that a human should not ha%e2
Lina finall' understood wh' she personall' had to come here toda'
Aertainl' itKs not somethin! that can be discussed on the phone
20hat $ind of function does it perform> (K%e heard before that the pre/
frontal cortex is the area closel' connected to the abilit' of thin$in!
and )ud!ment, but Aan the newl' formed brain cells affect the
mental capabilit' to that extent>2
20e USNA ma!ic researchers belie%e that the brain is not an
independent thin$in! or!anM the real thin$in! core is the Pushion
(nformation -od'M the brainKs role is to recei%e the information sent
from the so/called 9mind9, and the communication or!an transmits the
information of the bod' to the mind Althou!h still in the theoretical
sta!e, the possibilit' is %er' hi!h2
The scientist, with an in!ratiatin! smile shoo$ his head at the 1uestion
of the senior officers sittin! on the other side
2(f this h'pothesis holds, it is concei%able that the new neuronal
structure formed in *irst Lieutenant *omalhautKs brain lin$s with
un$nown mental functions, which was not con%entionall'
downloaded2
The attendee 'et a!ain had a confused expression Amon! them, Lina,
who was still lost in thou!ht, re1uestin! to spea$, raised her hand
2=a)or, what is the matter>2
Althou!h prompted b' the scientist to spea$, words would not come
out *rom her red lips, without attractin! the men9s e'es, Lina spun her
tale after three seconds had passed
2Doctor, re!ardin! the un$nown mental functions, is there a
possibilit' of the inter%ention of an external ma!ic>2
The scientist was 1uic$ to answer
2( thin$ what =a)or Sirius is tr'in! to sa' is that there is a possibilit'
that *irst Lieutenant *omalhaut was bein! manipulated, but
unfortunatel', that possibilit' does not exist Althou!h there is a
h'pothesis, there is no doubt to assume that the mind and the bod'
interact one/to/one +%en if one could interfere with someone elseKs
mind, it wouldnKt be to the extent of affectin! the brainKs structure
-esides, a ma!ic which alters the mindKs %er' structure does not
exist2
*rom the phrase Q=a!ic which alters the mindKs %er' structureK, Lina
remembered the le!end of one ma!ician &owe%er, that ma!ician was
alread' dead At the end of twent' 'ears of hospitali3ation, without
bein! married, and certainl' without ha%in! children, that one should
ha%e left this world
Lina sli!htl' shoo$ her head, thin$in! bac$ to the matter at hand
? ? ?
Thou!h it is the afternoon session, the third/'ear students alread' had
free attendance to school Ta$in! ad%anta!e of the fact that the
second/'ear students were bound in classrooms and practice rooms,
two third/'ear students, a man and a woman, secretl' met in an empt'
clubroom
&owe%er, there was no sweet atmosphere there at all Despite the fact
that both sets of parents re!arded the pair as possible marria!e
partners (Thou!h one mi!ht sa' that each of them had more than one
couplin! candidate)
And of course, this secret meetin! can onl' bein! described as 2secret
meetin!2 instead of 2date2 ,atsuto and =a'umi came to this place on
behalf of the <uumon)i &ouse and the Sae!usa &ouse, respecti%el'
2( wonder wh' we ha%e to come specificall' in a place li$e this2
2Sorr' for that ( )ud!ed that it was the least outstandin! wa' As the
<uumon)i &ouse, ( want to a%oid stimulatin! the 5otsuba as a result,
for now2
2There is an on!oin! Aold 0ar status between our &ouse and the
5otsuba since last month Cee3, because that sl' fox old man did
somethin! unnecessar'2
Turnin! towards =a'umi re%ealin! a little !runt of dis!ust, ,atsuto
chuc$les
2+%en Sae!usa can spea$ in such a wa'2
2Ara, Sorr' 0as it %ul!ar>2
As =a'umi startin! puttin! on a false co1uettish air, ,atsuto9s
chuc$les turned into a bitter smile
20hen (Km with 'ou, ( sometimes happen to wonder whether or not
(Km treated li$e a man2
2(tKs a misunderstandin!, 'ou $now> <uumon)i/$un is, amon! m'
ac1uaintances, the most manl' (t9s that simple2
2AanKt it !row into a relation between a man and a woman, now>2
2Since the entrance examination, we are ri%als of three 'ears2
After each lau!hed at the other in a hushed tone bout, the two people
chan!ed their expression at the same time Since e%en while lau!hin!,
the hea%' feelin! of tension was driftin! between the two people, one
canKt sa' that the atmosphere chan!ed
2<uumon)i/$un ( will con%e' the messa!e from m' father, no, the
&ead of the Sae!usa &ouse, Sae!usa ,oichi The Sae!usa &ouse
expects a united front with the <uumon)i &ouse2
2&ow hast' Not a 9cooperation9, but suddenl' a 9united front9, huh2
Auttin! his speech, ,atsuto re1uested an explanation with his !a3e 4f
course, e%en =a'umi intended to !i%e an explanation so that the other
part' could understand the circumstances
2&ow much do 'ou $now about the Eampire e%ent>2
2( donKt $now an'thin! be'ond what is reported 4ur &ouse doesnKt
ha%e as man' henchmen as the Sae!usa &ouse2
To the words that could be ta$en as ,atsutoKs humilit', =a'umiKs lips
loosened a little
20ell, matchin! for a thousand is the motto of the <uumon)i &ouse
0hereas in the Sae!usa &ouse, as far as ( $now, itKs onl' the number
that is lar!e2
=a'umi su!!esti%el' cuts her words
And, before bein! ur!ed b' ,atsuto, continued li$e this
2The %ictims of the Eampire e%ent are exactl' three times of what was
reported Twent'/four %ictims ha%e been confirmed 'esterda'2
+%en if itKs ,atsuto, he could not help bein! surprised at this
2L(s that onl' in this To$'o nei!hborhood>2
2The metropolitan area of To$'o, and moreo%er also concentrated in
the urban areas2
,atsuto crossed his arms and was 1uietl' thin$in!
=a'umi silentl' waited for him to spea$
2There are %ictims that the Sae!usa &ouse $nows that the police donKt
$now =oreo%er, itKs in a limited narrowed area that dama!e has
occurred (the %ictim is still in place, bein! loc$ed into a narrow area)
L &a%e the Sae!usa officials been %ictims>2
2(tKs half correct The %ictims who the police donKt $now are all our
ma!icians and those in cooperation with us +%en the %ictims who are
not are pro%en to be either ma!icians or those who possess the
disposition to ma!ic *or example, li$e the students of the =a!ic
Uni%ersit'2
2(n other words2
,atsutoKs expression tin!ed with dreadfulness
2That means the culprit is tar!etin! ma!icians, huh2
2L<uumon)i/$un, 'ouKre a little scar'2
-ut the stimulus of that expression seemed to be too stron! for a hi!h
school !irl Apart from whether it was his real intention or actin!
2&mmL Sorr'2
And e%en if it was an act, it had enou!h effect to dent ,atsuto
20e donKt $now whether there are one or multiple perpetrators of
those serial murdersM an'wa', it is safe to presume that this 9%ampire9
assumes ma!icians as tar!ets2
*or some reason, b' calml' returnin! to the topic without a follow/up
to ,atsuto, who started off the melanchol', the true nature of =a'umi
showed she was surel' a 2de%il$in2 after all
2(n chronolo!ical order, first off the =a!ic Uni%ersit' students and
staff ha%e been $illed, the staff of our &ouse in%esti!atin! were $illed
while tr'in! to a%en!e the pre%ious loss, and meanwhile the %ictims
had also increased, causin! this $ind of situation2
2(ndeed, we canKt i!nore it2
Lea%in! the dama!e recei%ed to the ed!e of the facial expression from
=a'umi, ,atsuto nodded deepl'
2Are there not an' clues> (f itKs someone who possesses abilit' to
in)ure the Sae!usa ma!icians, we can onl' consider either enhanced
soldiers or ma!icians And also, the possibilit' that it is a forei!ner is
hi!h +ither someone who entered the countr' before and after the
case outbrea$, or a suspicious person amon! the forei!ners who ha%e
!one to To$'o>2
To ,atsutoKs in1uir', =a'umi shoo$ her head (tKs li$el' that the
Sae!usa also considered the same thin! and had alread' in%esti!ated
2-ut, spea$in! of forei!ners who entered the countr' before and after
the case outbrea$L2
=a'umi had faltered there, but in response to ,atsuto9s !a3e ur!in!
her to continue, she hesitantl' continued spea$in!
2*rom the USNA, there are a lot of forei!n student ma!icians and
=a!ic +n!ineers who entered the countr' There is also an exchan!e
student in this school, who has comeL <uumon)i/$un, do 'ou thin$
she is suspicious>2
2( thin$ she is suspicious, but she is probabl' not the culprit2
,atsutoKs repl' was immediate
2( donKt thin$ she is completel' unrelated, but ma' we lea%e her for
the time bein!>2
2(f <uumon)i/$un sa's soL2
=a'umi also did not seriousl' seem to doubt Lina To =a'umi, who
cast down her e'es as a loss of self/confidence, ,atsuto as$ed
somethin! that was botherin! him
2-ut, if it is such a thin!, ( thin$ 'ou should cooperate with the
5otsuba2
To the reasonable proposal of ,atsuto, (t was =a'umiKs turn to frown
this time
2Actuall', ( thin$ so too, butL this is brea$in! the unwritten rule here
(f *ather doesnKt apolo!i3e and admit his faults, ( thin$ that the fence/
mendin! will be impossible2
2-ut 'our father has no intention to apolo!i3e to the 5otsuba, huhL
thou!h it is understandable !i%en the past discord between =a'a/dono
and ,oichi/donoL &owe%er, it is reall' rare for the 5otsuba to harden
their attitude until now2
(n the polic' of independenc' if portra'ed positi%el', or the polic' of
self/centeredness if portra'ed ne!ati%el' that the 5otsuba adopted
(thou!h, the independence doesnKt ori!inall' ha%e a bad meanin!),
the' had alwa's adopted the stance of not carin! about what the other
&ouses do Solidl' pro!ressin! towards impro%in! their own
efficienc', ran$ed with the Sae!usa in the top of the Ten =aster Alans
onl' b' the %irtue of their ma!ic power, it was a Alan which can be
said to be heretical e%en amon! the Ten =aster Alans
,atsuto had sometimes thou!ht what on earth the' e%en did behind
the scenes, but e%en so, that the' were showin! a clear confrontational
attitude that disrupts the clan meetin! was as far he $new Thou!h, he
could not sa' it to =a'umi, it was the Sae!usa who substantiall'
brou!ht up the seeds of conflict
Thin$in! that 20hat on earth had happened>2 was probabl' reflected
on his face
2( donKt $now the details either, butL2
=a'umi with a bitter feelin! reluctantl' opened her mouth
2To a certain section of the Defense =ilitar' (ntelli!ence under the
patrona!e of the 5otsuba, that sl' fox father seemed to ha%e secretl'
meddled in And that was disco%eredL2
2L( see2
Then, the 5otsuba9s firm attitude made perfect sense To =a'umi, who
had a face li$el' to be!in !rindin! her teeth at an' moment, ,atsuto
could onl' repl' so
A not too short period of time had elapsed and =a'umi, who finall'
re!ained a calm expression, turned a!ain toward ,atsuto
2So, what do 'ou thin$> 0ould the <uumon)i &ouse collaborate with
the Sae!usa &ouse>2
To =a'umi who as$ed once a!ain, ,atsuto nodded immediatel'
2( will cooperate2
2Althou!h it is the usual thin!L it is a reall' prett' strai!htforward
answer2
To ,atsuto9s repl', with also no trace of doubt, =a'umi bustled with a
shoc$ed %oice
2( ha%e said it before Since ( heard the stor', e%en for the <uumon)i
&ouse, it is not a situation which can be i!nored2
4f course, he would not be ,atsuto if he was sha$en b' that
Chapter 5
An unbro$en stream of pedestrians plodded beneath the ni!ht s$ies of
Shibu'a &owe%er, from a !randiose perspecti%e, this was a problem
restricted to Shibu'a onl'
Late in the ni!ht, there would be brief durations where no one was
around, creatin! small poc$ets li$e the e'e of a storm Such as the
narrow alle's between the taller buildin!s and s$'scrapers Li$e the
small par$s that dotted the landscape between the intersections of
lar!er boule%ards and smaller lanes R This, was )ust li$e the confined
!reen lands which onl' allowed one step at a time
Still, )ust because no one was wal$in! did not denote that no one was
present There were two humanoid entities in the par$ 4ne was a
shadow/li$e fi!ure who wore a lon! o%ercoat and scarf with a round
hat co%erin! the e'es, completel' concealin! an' features or hints of
!ender The other wore a !or!eous coat o%er a $nitted sweater and
mini s$irt with a pair of thic$ heeled shoes and was clearl' a 'oun!
woman
After co%erin! the female corpse on the bench, the indi%idual wearin!
the hat rose when a new fi!ure appeared to their rear and struc$ up a
con%ersation
(Still incompatible>)
Lon! o%er coat, scarf, hat This new fi!ure was dressed in the exact
same wa' as the first one and in1uired in a %oice that did not %ibrate in
the air
(Ne!ati%e The connection was lost after transferrin! the replica this
time, but )ust as before, we could onl' absorb psions from the blood
before the replica lost stabilit' and returned)
The first indi%idual responded to the second in the same soundless
%oice The two fi!ures were communicatin! usin! telepath'
(So replication remains be'ond us>)
(ThatKs impossible After all, we oursel%es are replicas of the ori!inal)
(&mLL Then, e%en if the' possess ph'sical compatibilit', the'
cannot become one of us without desires of their own)
(Are there people in this world without desires>)
(5ou mean there are other conditions>)
((n order to determine the truth, we need more samples)
(LLThat remains unchan!ed)
(<ust as ( am m'self and 'ou are 'ou Nothin! has altered)
(5ou ha%e a pointLL &m>)
The two fi!ures bro$e off their con%ersation o%er the telepathic lin$
and turned their faces towards the same direction
(Someone bro$e throu!h the spiritual barrier TwoLL No, three
people>)
(( raised the power of the barrier specificall' because ( was conductin!
an experiment Loo$s li$e these are particularl' talented indi%iduals)
(There are onl' two of us Shall we retreat>)
(No, this is a rare opportunit' The ph'sical %essel of someone capable
of brea$in! throu!h the spiritual barrier mi!ht be compatible
*ortunatel', the last member seems to ha%e been separated from the
other two 0e should be able to neutrali3e the first two before the'
meet up)
(Cot it Then are we of accord>)
Si!nals of consent were passed alon! Lea%in! the corpse on the
bench, the two fi!ures disappeared into the shadows be'ond the street
lamps
? ? ?
Toni!ht, Leo was also trod the streets of Shibu'a 5et, this wasnKt the
usual Taimless wanderin!U &e had recei%ed details re!ardin!
suspicious indi%iduals from a close friend and was hurr'in! alon! to
%erif' the %eracit' of the e'ewitnesses
+%en Leo himself did not $now wh' he was so moti%ated in doin! this
sort of sleuthin!
A sense of )ustice> There were other more heinous crimes
Territorial> Shibu'a was not his home turf
Auriosit'> (n all honest', he didnKt reall' care about the real identit'
of the perpetrators
At an' rate, he felt that this wasnKt somethin! he could i!nore This
was probabl' the reason that was closest to the truth
After searchin! his feelin!s, Leo arri%ed at this conclusion
0al$in! at ni!ht =o%in! in the dar$ness <ust now, he heard a bro$en
series of noise li$e the sound of insects beatin! their win!s This
wasnKt a sound in the audible spectrum, but a sound that brushed
across the deepest recesses of LeoKs consciousness
&e couldnKt explain wh', but Leo was unable to see this as )ust simple
bac$!round noise Nonetheless, LeoKs instincts told him that this was
the sound of people con%ersin! This was someone usin! the ma!ic
calculation area in the depths of the consciousness to spea$ *ollowin!
the source of the si!nal, Leo !raduall' drew closer
? ? ?
Stars was the premiere ma!ic combat force within the USNA R That
bein! said, not all the American combat =a!icians were directl' a part
of Stars (n realit', of the three Strate!ic/Alass =a!icians that are
officiall' reco!ni3ed within the USNA, onl' An!ie Sirius is affiliated
with Stars The other two are currentl' split between an Alas$an base
and a base in Cibraltar
+%en so, it remained an unsha$en fact that the primar' source of the
USNAKs ma!ical prowess in the arm' came from the =a!icians in
Stars This was especiall' the case for the =a!icians !ranted the ran$
of planets, as the' s'mboli3ed the Tstron!est ma!ical combat force in
the worldU Precisel' since Alfred *omalhaut was also of planet ran$,
his desertion inflicted a hu!e blow to the hi!h command with the
USNA (n this particular desertion incidence, the USNA could not
draw the line at *omalhaut alone The' had to execute e%er' deserter
as a warnin! to the rest
Aurrentl', the two people who were rapidl' pro!ressin! throu!h the
Shibu'a ni!ht were also hunters dispatched from the USNA arm' to
pursue the deserters and belon!ed to the unit TStardustU Li$e Stars,
the' too were under the direct command of the <oint Ahiefs of Staff,
but the' were onl' the remnants of the stars that could not become
stars themsel%es (n spite of this, these ma!ic troopers still possessed
considerable combat prowess The' had !i%en up on bein! well
rounded and instead honed their specific talents to the le%el of the
Stars That was what it meant to be Stardust This time, the members
selected to hunt the deserters speciali3ed in pursuit The' were
=a!icians who had been implanted in <apan, but pre%iousl'
inacti%ated assets, and speciali3ed in identif'in! psion wa%es and
traces of ma!ic
Toni!ht, the' finall' found the psion trail of one of the deserters, Stars
Planet/Alass Specialist, Aharles Sulli%an, call si!n TDemus SecondU,
and had closed to within an eas' distance on foot
TTar!et is in the clearin! up aheadU
4ne of the two came to a halt and nodded at the otherKs words before
remo%in! an information terminal from the coat the' wore After
callin! up a map, the' %erified throu!h the search function that there
was onl' one path to the par$ There was one entrance to the left of
their current position as well as an entrance to the ri!ht around the
corner
T0e ha%e detected one tar!et LetKs stri$e from both sides (Kll !o
ri!htU
Cone were the lar!e coat and s$irt, re%ealin! a da33lin! set of ti!hts
and hea%' boots The outer !arb was to better min!le with the 'oun!
women mo%in! about at ni!ht while hidin! their identit' as American
soldiers The onl' t'pical aspect of these female =a!icians was that
the' were spea$in! in normal tones
TUnderstoodLL LetKs !et mo%in!, we donKt ha%e much time
:emember, stri$e at the same timeU
TCot itU
The two hunters split off to the left and ri!ht
-eneath the hat pulled low and the scarf, a !ra' cloth co%ered in a
pattern of blac$ bats obscured the face *eatures completel' hidden
from %iew, the fi!ure in the lon! coat wal$ed while $eepin! an e'e on
the alle' exit A smir$ tu!!ed at the corners of the mouth co%ered in
cloth
(Pursuers from the militar' The' ha%e sorel' underestimated me if
the' thin$ two Stardust members will be a match for me )
(ThatKs based on who 'ou were before)
:ecei%in! the co!niti%e si!nal from his %anished companion, the
creature who was once Aharles Sulli%an turned its derisi%e smir$ into
a wr' one +%er since turnin! into this form, there was no wa' for him
to hide an'thin! from his compatriots There was no sense of pri%ac'
at all &owe%er, the current Aharles Sulli%an wasnKt displeased at this
turnout *or them, this was onl' a natural course of e%ents and did not
constitute a source of irritation
4nce he put all his concentration into the depths between his brows,
he could also detect what his comrade was thin$in! about Throu!h
the new sensor' or!an located between the ri!ht and left hemispheres
of the brain, the' could easil' reach consensus &e was the entit'
$nown as Aharles Sulli%an, but at the same time he was also a part of
TthemU
(( see Ci%en their $nowled!e of m' ran$ as a Satellite/Alass, we can
also predict their mo%ements ( wonKt need the bac$up)
(n response to the Sulli%anKs co!niti%e si!nal, this time the sound of
bees flappin! their win!s came bac$
(<ust in case, (Kll still ma$e a few preparations)
This formulated response came from his other comrade in the %icinit'
Aontact between the two sides came in the next instant
TDeserter, Demus Second Put 'our hands in the air and $eep them
where ( can see themU
A 'oun! womanKs %oice cried out in front of Sulli%an At the same
time, a silent wa%e of noise impacted him li$e cuttin! throu!h !lass
The real identit' of this noise was the psion wa%e comin! from Aast
<ammer, a de%ice de%eloped b' the USNA Arm'Ks :FD Department
to inhibit weaponr' and e1uipment worn b' =a!icians The inhibitor'
wa%es from the Aast <ammer were unli$e the bac$!round noise that
indiscriminatel' affected all ma!ic li$e the ones seen in Aast <ammin!
when usin! Antinite The Aast <ammer specificall' tar!ets AAD
functions -' intentionall' usin! multiple AADs to !enerate
additional psion wa%es, this directl' interfered with the Acti%ation
Se1uenceKs processin! Cenerall', this t'pe of interference could onl'
occur when one indi%idualKs psion wa%es were interferin! with one
another, but throu!h the anal'sis of their opponentKs psion wa%e
si!natures, the USNA had successfull' neutrali3ed AADs (to a limited
de!ree)
This wasnKt somethin! that could be used on an'one (n order to use
Aast <ammer, a hi!h le%el of Non/S'stematic =a!ic was re1uired to
release psion wa%e t'pes (n addition, its effecti%e ran!e was less than
8 meters Ne%ertheless, in terms of counter ma!ic abilities that did not
re1uire Antinite, Aast <ammer was definitel' the USNA Arm'Ks ace in
the hole in this a!e
*aced with the na$ed barrel of a !un, Sulli%an raised both hands abo%e
his head as instructed, with both hands easil' %isible This order
seemed rather %a!ue to the a%era!e la'man, but its intent was to den'
the tar!et the abilit' to use a AAD -ased on the data in the possession
of the pursuers, or executioners in this case, Demus Second was
incapable of usin! ma!ic without a AAD and his ph'sical abilities
were that of an a%era!e soldier 4rdinaril' spea$in!, once ma!ic was
out of the picture, he would be unable to offer much resistance a!ainst
them, who were both =a!icians and au!mented soldiers
TThe hi!her ups ha%e ordered 'ou to be $illed on si!ht &owe%er, if
'ou are to cou!h up information on 'our cohorts, a li!hter sentencin!
would be a%ailableU
After hearin! the hunter sa' her piece with her fin!er still on the
tri!!er, Sulli%an shru!!ed
TDemus Second 5ou ha%e .# seconds to decideU
TNo, thereKs no needU
She must ha%e been bemused b' the utter lac$ of terror or anxiet' in
Sulli%anKs tone, because she failed to fire an' bullets
T5ou two should be &unters J and : from StardustU
Upon hearin! Sulli%an name their call si!ns aloud, the sli!htl'
slac$ened fin!er once a!ain ti!htened
TThereKs no wa' 'ou can beat meU
At the same time Sulli%an made this outra!eous declaration, a !unshot
ran! out Than$s to the silencer, the sound was rou!hl' e1ui%alent to
that of an air !un &owe%er, the bullet fired from this !un could snuff
out life with little to no difficult'
A muffled !roan ran! out from behind Sulli%an The fired bullet did
not penetrate Sulli%anKs breast that la' directl' ahead, but went
throu!h &unter :Ks arm
TDidnKt 'ou hear> The' must ha%e told 'ou to a%oid firearms when
!oin! up a!ainst meU
TThis is Tra)ector' Alteration>U
4nce Sulli%an condescendin!l' said those words, J re%ealed an
expression of utter shoc$ The' $new that Sulli%an speciali3ed in
ma!ic that altered the tra)ector' of pro)ectiles, but the' also heard that
he was unable to use ma!ic without a AAD
TAould it be that the Aast <ammer was ineffecti%eLL>U
T0ron!U
Sulli%an didnKt e%en turn around as he directl' re)ected :Ks words as
she pressed a hand to her arm
TAast <ammer is functionin! normall' +xcept,U
J and : noticed throu!h the surroundin! atmosphere that Sulli%anKs
face under the cloth with blac$ bats had twisted into a sneer
T( ha%e lon! since surpassed the need to use a AADU
J holstered the !un beneath her s$irt The two hunters drew stilettos
from their slee%es and char!ed at Sulli%an from both the front and the
rear
A normal human bein! should not be able to a%oid the attac$s from
au!mented ph'sical bodies 5et, the supposedl' normal Sulli%an
fluidl' dod!ed the attac$s This wasnKt somethin! that could be
accomplished with athletic prowess :Ks blade, which was ori!inall'
aimed at Sulli%anKs nec$, had unnaturall' shifted its tra)ector' and slid
elsewhere As if bein! pulled alon! b' the blade, J slid before : and
mana!ed to stifle Sulli%an before he be!an his attac$
T&e can e%en chan!e the tra)ector' of the blade thatKs in m' hand;>
&ow are 'ou able to manipulate such powerful ma!ic>U
T( ha%e no reason to explain this to 'ou wh' ( am no lon!er who (
wasU
TSilence;U
Suddenl' burstin! in a sprint, J chan!ed the direction of her
downward stro$e and cut a hole in Sulli%anKs coat to re%eal the carbon
armor beneath (mmediatel' on her heels, : was closin! in and
stri$in! at the !ap between the armor with her bladeU
TU!h;U
Still, :Ks blade slid across Sulli%anKs chest as he turned The bladeKs
tra)ector' once more when awr', causin! : to lose her balance and let
out a !asp
As if performin! a ma!ic tric$, a blade that loo$ed )ust li$e the ones
the hunters had materiali3ed in his hand
Sulli%an immediatel' swun! the blade downwards towards :Ks bac$
5et, his blade bounced bac$ as if it had impacted an in%isible wall
T(nertia :e%ersal;> And at this de!ree of stren!th;U
T=a)or;U
Sulli%anKs line o%erlapped with JKs outcr'
Sulli%an immediatel' reali3ed the implication behind those words and
swooped directl' towards :, who was still tr'in! to reco%er her
balance
At this time, blades descended from the s$ies
*our da!!ers flew towards Sulli%anKs bac$ as he leaped
Sulli%anKs bod' massi%el' slid to one side
&is ori!inal leapin! tra)ector' would ha%e led directl' to :, but he
was forced to slide to the ri!ht in order to a%oid the descendin! blades
The moment he landed, Sulli%an immediatel' pulled :Ks bod' towards
J and threw the four da!!ers towards them
The blades that flew towards Sulli%an rebounded )ust before hittin!
the !round and bloc$ed the da!!ers throu!h towards J and :
Sulli%an too$ this openin! to leap onto the walls of the s$'scraper
After $ic$in! off three times from the s$'scrapers, he reached the
rooftop of the buildin!s that formed one of the alle's
A =a!ician with flamin! red hair, !olden e'es, and wearin! a mas$
planned to follow the others footsteps and pursue as she watched his
fleein! form
Still, ta$in! note of the newl' acti%e psions bustlin! about in the alle',
she abandoned the pursuit
Aorrection, in order to pre%ent additional %ictims from appearin!, she
char!ed headlon! into the depths of the alle'
? ? ?
*eelin! the rapidl' !rowin! tension in the air that could mean nothin!
but combat, LeoKs footsteps came to a !rindin! halt rather than
speedin! up &e wasnKt l'in! to Toshi$a3u when he said he wasnKt
plannin! on doin! an'thin! dan!erous LeoKs instincts told him the
area ahead of him wasnKt somewhere he could safel' tread out of
curiosit' alone
&e remo%ed the information terminal from his poc$et and sent a
concise messa!e to the address that Toshi3a$u tau!ht him The
contents were simpl' TThe %ampire is hereU After reportin! his
current location, Toshi$a3u could immediatel' arrest the suspect of the
serial homicides if he was on the ball Leo planned on lea%in! the
current area before he could be embroiled in another incident, so he
turned around R to find a fi!ure la'in! on one of the benches in the
par$
Aoncern and caution warred within him before caution finall' ca%ed
in the end (nstead of callin! him a !ood' two shoes, it was more
appropriate to sa' that he was a little deficient in the fear department
This was a wea$ness onl' the stron! are born with, so suffice to sa', a
descendant li$e him also inherited that Despite this, he wasnKt entirel'
defenseless as Leo carefull' and exhausti%el' approached the 'oun!
womanKs side
T&e', are 'ou 4,>U
Leo carefull' reached out a hand to sha$e her b' the shoulder, but the
woman failed to react in an' wa' 0hen he pressed a hand to the
womanKs nec$, LeoKs expression stiffened The flesh was old, with no
si!n of a pulse R Scratch that, while %er' wea$, but at the %er' least
there was still somethin!
Leo franticall' pulled out the information terminal and sent out an
emer!enc' distress call, this time directed to the ambulance instead of
the police <ust as Leo was about to send out a distress call about
someone bein! on the %er!e of death,
&e reflexi%el' turned his head around and raised the hand holdin! the
terminal in front of his face
The terminal shattered into pieces -' the time Leo was able to
reco%er after leapin! bac$ se%eral steps, he alread' $new that his
opponentKs weapon was a retractable police baton
0hat an odd opponent -eneath the round hat, onl' the e'es could be
seen since e%er'thin! else was co%ered b' a chillin! white mas$ The
lon! o%er coat that went all the wa' from the shoulders to the feet
obscured an' human form or hint of !ender Na', for!et !ender, Leo
couldnKt e%en tell if he was fi!htin! a human
(n the depths of LeoKs consciousness, the sound of insects flappin!
their win!s could be heard, )ust as silent as it was before -ut this
time, Leo felt that this was a T%oiceU ur!in! its comrade to retreat
Ta$in! ad%anta!e of the fact that he was distracted b' the noise, the
mas$ed indi%idual had char!ed in front of him in a flash Leo was
aware that this was Personal Acceleration =a!ic, but he couldnKt
detect an' si!n of an Acti%ation Se1uence (t was almost as if the'
were directl' manipulatin! the =a!ic Se1uence before char!in!
forward &e didnKt e%en ha%e time to call up *ortif'in! =a!ic, so Leo
could onl' raise his left arm to bloc$ the police baton that was
sweepin! forward in a hori3ontal arc
The next instant, a dull thud heralded somethin! bein! smashed in
Seein! the police baton bent out of shape, the mas$ed indi%idual
%isibl' faltered
TThat hurt;U
Leo struc$ the mas$ed man dead center on the chest, creatin! the
sound of two hard ob)ects impactin! one another
The odd man lurched bac$wards while Leo shoo$ both his hands as if
in !reat pain Still, he appeared to ha%e been spared the fate of
fractured bones The left arm that too$ the full brunt of the police
baton also seemed to retain its full freedom of mo%ement
TAarbon armor beneath that coat, huh> 5ou came well preparedU
Leo inwardl' re!retted not brin!in! a weapon while $eepin! a war'
e'e on the mas$ed man, fallin! into a combat stance in the meantime
LeoKs !ut feelin! told him this mas$ed man was the T%ampireU
The stran!er abandoned the police baton and extended both hands
forward 4n the left side, the left fist was raised to chin hei!ht while
the ri!ht fist was held before the chest This loo$s li$e Ahinese martial
arts, Leo thou!ht Still, there was one other detail worth notin! The
si3e of those fists loo$ed li$e the' belon! to a woman R
The stran!er struc$ with the wind Personal Acceleration =a!ic
coupled with =o%e/T'pe =a!ic with the wind at their bac$
Leo used his )ac$et, alread' with *ortif'in! =a!ic spread throu!hout,
to deflect the narrow blades that came with the wind
The stran!erKs hand chopped towards LeoKs left arm
The stran!er mana!ed to !rab hold of LeoKs left arm
(n the next moment, Leo suddenl' felt li$e his stren!th !i%in! wa',
causin! his ri!ht fist to come to a halt
&is opponent stretched the ri!ht hand towards LeoKs chest, ri!ht abo%e
the heart
Leo exerted his stren!th one last time and mo%ed his ri!ht fist a!ain
<ust as the mas$ed manKs hand came into contact with LeoKs chest,
LeoKs fist struc$ a ma)or pressure point on the manKs waist The
stran!er crumpled bac$ while Leo fell wea$l' to his $nees
&e definitel' felt his blow stri$e home, but Leo wasnKt sure if that
constituted a fatal attac$
(f he lost consciousness here, he was as !ood as doomed There was
no !uarantee that his life wouldnKt end permanentl' here :eali3in!
this, Leo forced himself to raise his head
The mas$ed man had alread' risen 0hile he or she was pressin! their
chest, it was plain that the' hadnKt lost combat effecti%eness
&owe%er, for some un$nown reason, this stran!er wasnKt finishin!
Leo off or e%en loo$in! at him for that matter
:eadin! the atmosphere, Leo followed the mas$ed manKs !a3e to find
what Leo was forced to admit was a TdemonU
*lamin! red hair and !olden e'es =a'be because of the distance, the
bod' si3e loo$ed a little on the petite side, or ma'be Leo was plainl'
losin! consciousness
0ithin his mur$' awareness, Leo thou!ht he saw the stran!er flee
towards the side street, with the demon in hot pursuit
*ull' transformed into her persona as the mas$ed =a!ician Sirius,
Lina briefl' wa%ered after !lancin! o%er LeoKs crumpled fi!ure on the
side of the road Nonetheless, that onl' lasted a brief instant before
An!ie Sirius elected to pursue the stran!er +arlier, the man with the
bat mas$s R Aharles TDemus SecondU Sulli%an R escaped while she
was bus' pro%idin! co%er for her allies There was no wa' she could
afford for this white mas$ed indi%idual to escape as well
TSil%ie, can 'ou trace the psion wa%es>U
LinaKs 1uestion was posed to Sil%ie, who was still at their base
Unfortunatel', the answer that came bac$ was not the desirable one
T(Km sorr' ThereKs too much bac$!round noise, so ( canKt loc$ onU
T&ow about the cameras>U
&earin! that the psion radar was unreliable, Lina immediatel' as$ed if
the' could use low altitude satellite ima!in! to continue the pursuit
T0e still ha%e %isual on the tar!et &owe%er, thereKs a lot of obstacles
in the cit', so it is un$nown how lon! we can maintain %isualU
TUnderstood Aontinue the pursuitU
,nowin! that she could rel' on technolo!ical support, LinaKs pace
1uic$ened 4b%iousl', the late ni!ht streets were filled with the auras
of 'oun! men and women, causin! the stran!erKs psion remnants to
die out e%en faster (n order to $eep up with the mas$ed indi%idual
who was fleein! at superhuman speed, Lina raised the output on her
own Personal Acceleration =a!ic
=a'be it was because the tar!et noticed she was closin! the !ap, but
the tar!et in the white mas$ suddenl' altered their route The stran!er
switched from the streets filled with people to the slopes of the
residential sector The !reener' increased while si!ns of human life
decreased
This actuall' made it easier for Lina 0ith less people around, this
made it easier to differentiate the psions 0hile the fre1uenc' of her
losin! si!ht of her tar!et increased, but now she was !ettin! more and
more familiar with the prints of her tar!etKs psion wa%e She was
almost there, Lina estimated based off her experience She finall'
cau!ht up to her tar!et R or at least thatKs how it was supposed to be, in
the par$
Lina was immediatel' surrounded b' psion noise
(Aast <ammin!;>)
The moment that thou!ht crossed her mind, Lina 1uic$l' re)ected it
&er Personal Acceleration =a!ic had not decreased in the sli!htest
+%en if ma!ic applied to oneself recei%ed a reduced effect from Aast
<ammin!, that was still Tsomewhat more uncomfortable than usualU
and not complete immunit' +%en for Lina R no matter how capable
SiriusKs ma!ical abilit' was, it was impossible to completel' disre!ard
the effects of Aast <ammin! Thus, this bac$!round noise must come
from somethin! else
(Damn it;)
Lina immediatel' reali3ed its true purpose :ather, she personall' felt
it
She was unable to pursue the white mas$ed indi%idualKs psion
remnants The' hadnKt disappeared, she was )ust unable to
differentiate them
Lina finall' understood wh' her tar!et drew her to a place where there
was less people about Sure, it was easier for her to reco!ni3e her
opponentKs psion wa%es, but the re%erse was true as well This
bac$!round noise was a t'pe of lon! distance ma!ic (n order to create
this bac$!round noise specificall' for Lina, the white mas$ed
indi%idual brou!ht Lina into this remote location where no one was
around
(LL(tKs a shame, but ( canKt do this alone)
T=a)or, what happened>U
Li$el' out of concern for Lina, who had suddenl' stopped her
footsteps, Sil%ieKs %oice that came o%er the ear set was rather
perturbed
T( lost them :eturnin! to baseU
:e!retful, but fran$, Lina admitted her failure
? ? ?
Ahiba +ri$aKs da' started %er' earl' in the mornin! +%er' dawn, her
trainin! of blood and sweat was her homewor$
Until the a!e of .#, she had followed her fatherKs instructions without
1uestion
Until the a!e of .@, when told of who she was, she wanted to be a
Ahiba swordsman more than an'one else
Until last =arch, she alwa's did this out of habit
5et, since last April, since she first met him, this was now her own
wish
-' her own will, to become e%en stron!er
At dawn, she doesnKt hold a sword Accuratel' readin! +ri$aKs abilit',
her father dili!entl' raised her to be the user of the Secret Arte R
5amatsunami, no, trained her for the sa$e of her becomin! the wielder
of 5amatsunami The techni1ue imparted to her struc$ li$e the wind
and descended li$e li!htin!, a sword of a!ilit' &ence wh' durin! her
trainin!, the conditionin! of her le!s and the abilit' to run were
especiall' important (n da's of sloth where she had lost her !oal, the
lon! distance runnin! that she had lon! ne!lected was ne%er for!otten
a!ain once she %owed b' her own will to Tbecome stron!er than
toda'U
This mornin!, +ri$a wo$e with her alarm cloc$ and rose from bed -'
temperament, +ri$a wasnKt a mornin! person +%en if her bod' had a
ph'sical reaction, mentall' she wasnKt entirel' awa$e 'et +%en so,
than$s to the tens of thousands of repetitions that en!rained this habit
into her, her feet swun! off the bed
*i!htin! down a 'awn, her feet remained stead' as she meandered
o%er to her pri%ate bathroom Despite callin! it a pri%ate bathroom, the
onl' facilities inside were a bathin! area and a sin$, but the fact that
+ri$a had one of these in her own room was because she was the
dau!hter of a capitalist, and not reared in )ust an' normal famil'
The head of the Ahiba household was not miserl' enou!h to treat
children differentl' at least on a material le%el
The hot water heater was left off e%en at the hei!ht of winter, allowin!
+ri$a to use ice cold water to wash her face and finall' wa$e up
completel' As she stood in front of her dresser and prepared to put on
her sports clothes, she noticed her mailbox was lit with notification of
new messa!es
(t was still before dawn -' the local time, it was 8I"# in the mornin!
She went to bed at 6""# hours last ni!ht and there were no unread
messa!es, meanin! that this must ha%e arri%ed late durin! the ni!ht
Possibl' out of some promotion that she couldnKt explain herself,
+ri$a immediatel' opened the messa!e
Precisel' because of its ease of use, e/mail remained in use to this da'
without bein! abandoned 4nce the sub)ect headin! came to %iew,
+ri$aKs brows became furrowed After readin! the entire messa!e,
+ri$aKs teeth audibl' !round a!ainst one another as she mana!ed to
!rit out
TThat idiotic brother of mineLL 0hat the hec$ did he as$ that
moron to doLLU
Eiolentl' tossin! her pa)amas to one side, she chan!ed her
underclothes
*rom her wardrobe, +ri$a left her sports clothes where the' were and
remo%ed a sweater and dress
-efore school started, the bad tidin!s reached Tatsu'a )ust as he was
about to lea%e the house
Not b' the home phone, but b' text to the personal terminal
Normall', these time intensi%e notifications were reser%ed for ma)or
disasters, which definitel' lent an ominous anxiet' to this messa!e 4f
course, this anxiet' could be swiftl' replaced with somethin! else b'
readin! the messa!e within
The sender for this messa!e was +ri$a
T4nii/sama, is it bad news>U
Percepti%el' pic$in! up on her brotherKs mood fluctuation, =i'u$i
watched Tatsu'a with worried e'es
:emo%in! his sister from the seed of unease, this particular sort of
thin$in! did not cross Tatsu'aKs mind at this moment
T( recei%ed a communi1ue from +ri$a sa'in! that Leo was attac$ed b'
a %ampire and is currentl' hospitali3edU
TLL5ou must be )o$in!, ri!ht>U
The media had a dramati3in! effect *or example, in re!ards to e%ents
that happened in nei!hborin! cities, so lon! as the media had
extensi%e R or e%en exa!!erated R co%era!e, this ma' lead to the
misconception that this was an e%ent that did not relate to oneself or
e%en came from a fictitious world To compound matters further, an
irre!ular existence such as a T%ampireU committin! crimes onl' ser%ed
to deepen the lac$ of realism Nonetheless R
T(tKs the truthU
No matter how sudden, there was no ad%anta!e in i!norin! what
happened in front of them 4nl' b' directl' confrontin! these e%ents
could an' countermeasure be created
TLoo$s li$e heKs recei%in! treatment in a police hospital in Na!ano
Luc$il', his life is not in dan!er, so we can pa' him a %isit after
schoolU
TS5esU
To =i'u$i, Sai)ou Leonhardt was onl' one of her brotherKs friends
Since Tatsu'a said %isitin! him after school would be fine, =i'u$i had
no reason to refuse R Disre!ardin!, of course, what she was thin$in!
on the inside
? ? ?
Toda', +ri$a as$ed for the da' off
Since she had alread' notified Tatsu'a, =i3u$i, =i$ihi$o as well as
the schoolKs administration, prett' much e%er'one who needed to
$now alread' $new
&owe%er, +ri$a was watchin! LeoKs sic$room in the name of
careta$in! (that bein! said, she was sittin! on the bench outside of the
sic$room), so no upperclassmen would $now
Since the school was free attendance, time wasnKt an issue Still, for
the ex/Student Aouncil President and pre%ious Alub Croups Leader to
in1uire about an unrelated student was not within expectations The
present Student Aouncil President and current Alub Croups Leader
showin! up would actuall' ma$e sense
,atsuto discreetl' !lanced at +ri$a, who was still camped at the
entrance, before turnin! an uninterested !a3e towards the door
=a'umi wore a sli!htl' mischie%ous smile as she nodded in !reetin!
to +ri$a and also turned to the door
+ri$a didnKt stop =a'umi from li!htl' $noc$in! on the door to the
sic$room
She wasnKt here to care for Leo, she was here to watch out for him R to
be precise, she wasnKt watchin! out for him either, she was !uardin!
Leo a!ainst Tunin%ited !uestsU R so there was no reason to stop them
+ri$a rose and departed behind them without biddin! the two
upperclassmen farewell
+ri$aKs destination was one of the administrati%e rooms in the
hospital
&er older brother and his confidant were in that room
0hen +ri$a bar!ed into the room without $noc$in!, Toshi$a3u could
onl' aw$wardl', discreetl' tr' to a%oid her !a3e
The redness on his face was barel' %isible Seein! that the swellin!
had lar!el' faded from her brotherKs face, +ri$a re!retted not hittin!
him harder when she had the chance (She used her fist instead of her
palm this time)
-esides, it wasnKt %er' often that her Tidiotic brotherU willin! too$ a
beatin! without an' resistance
+%en if a little, if she could release some of the pent up resentment left
o%er from her adolescent 'ears, she wasnKt !oin! to let the sli!htest
chance slip throu!h her fin!ers
TLLUm, 'oun! lad' 5ouKre not considerin! an' more %iolence, are
'ou>U
&er dar$ fantasies interrupted, +ri$a turned her sharp !a3e on (na!a$i
4%ercome b' her forceful manner, (na!a$iKs e'es were driftin! all
o%er the room
Despite the cold shoulder from her father, +ri$a had the lar!est
number of supporters amon! the disciples
&er bri!ht personalit' coupled with her da33lin! loo$s and, most
importantl', she was the onl' wielder of the Secret Arte R
5amatsunami (n li%e combat, she was on record to wield
5amatsunami with ease :ather than rel'in! her bloodline as the
dau!hter of the house, she used her own techni1ue, stren!th, and
charisma to si3e an almost idol/li$e stance in the Ahiba *amil'
(n the face of her !lare, man' of the disciples of her house would
ca%e
-efore all of that, (na!a$i wasnKt in the same cate!or' as +ri$a (f
tapped as a sparrin! partner, he would simpl' be a to' for her to pla'
with 0ith her ori!inal outstandin! abilit' and the meteoric rise in the
past half a 'ear, the onl' worth' opponents for +ri$a in the Ahiba st'le
were probabl' restricted to onl' the current head and her two older
brothers The fact that +ri$aKs abilit' far exceeded her ran$ was out of
consideration for her older sister who was onl' mundane in
swordsmanship and talent, a fact that was well $nown amon! the
famil'Ks disciples
T-rotherU
At +ri$aKs call, Toshi$a3u reluctantl' turned his head to face her
Althou!h her tone was more masculine, it fit perfectl' with the
undis!uised displeasure +ri$a wore on her face
T:i!ht now, that !u' should be recei%in! %isits from direct
descendants from the Sae!usa and <uumon)i *amilies, correct>U
5ou $now exactl' what the'Kre here for, donKt 'ou> +ri$aKs !a3e
silentl' interro!ated him
(na!a$iKs bac$ became e%en strai!hter at +ri$aKs bitin! words and
furious e'es, but Toshi$a3u wasnKt so easil' awed b' his sister
TLast ni!ht, the woman rescued alon! with Sai)ou/$un appeared to be
someone from the Sae!usa *amil'U
TAnd thatKs all there is>U
T4rders from abo%e The' said, donKt in%esti!ate an' furtherU
&e spread his hands in an exa!!erated manner and shru!!ed his
shoulders
&earin! the answer that she alread' !uessed to be the case, +ri$a
cluc$ed her ton!ue
TSettin! aside ,asumise$i, Sa$uradamon is still within our famil'Ks
)urisdiction, ri!ht>U
T-ut our di%ision is within ,asumise$iKs )urisdictionU
T&ow uselessU
Despite her furious mutterin!, +ri$a possessed a firm !rip on lo!ic
and didnKt dissol%e into a lar!er tantrum
T0iretappin!>U
TDisabled once the' entered the room
( ne%er thou!ht that the +lfin PrincessKs =ultiscope would be so
capableU
+lfin Princess was morphed out of =a'umiKs nic$name T+lfin
SniperU, and was an endearin! term used b' her supporters in the
shootin! ma!ic competitions Since the term elf tended to remind
people of small creatures, this was a rather appropriate term of
=a'umi, but also the same reason wh' no one used this term in her
presence
TSo weKre becomin! e%en more uselessLL Then, what if we setup
the de%ices outside the room>U
TNeutrali3ed b' the sound barrier ThatKs probabl' <uumon)iKs
PhalanxU
&earin! (na!a$iKs ob)ecti%e answer, +ri$a didnKt e%en want to sa' the
words Thow uselessU
TThen we can at least speculate 5ou ha%e a !ut feelin!, ri!htU
Under +ri$aKs !a3e, Toshi$a3u could onl' shru! a!ain
T<ust speculatin!> Loo$s li$e Sae!usa is hidin! the %ictimU
TLL&idin! the bod', 'ou mean>U
&earin! a TspeculationU that far exceeded her expectations, +ri$a
didnKt bother to hide her surprise before as$in! a!ain
&idin! the bod' belon!ed to destro'in! the e%idence, and while it was
fundamentall' different from !ettin! rid (abandonin! or destro'in!)
corpses belon!in! to homicides a person was responsible for, this was
still brea$in! the law +%en if the Ten =aster Alans retained pri%ile!es
be'ond the scope of the law, obstructin! the police from in%esti!atin!
a lar!e chain of serial homicides wasLL
Upon arri%in! at this point, +ri$a noticed the dar$er connotation
behind this
T(n other words, this T%ampireU incident is related to =a!icians,
ri!ht>U
TProbabl' +xcept we donKt $now if itKs a %ictim or accompliceU
TEictim> (t would actuall' ma$e sense if a =a!ician committed the
crime so the' donKt want to hand o%er the bod' and tried to dispose of
it themsel%es (f e%en a =a!ician is the %ictim, wh' are the' $eepin! it
from the police at all>U
&earin! his sisterKs combati%e words, Toshi$a3u re%ealed a
meanin!ful smile
T5es, that is precisel' the point This case doesnKt seem so simple
now, does it>U
? ? ?
After school
Tatsu'a led the usual part' to the police hospital in Na!ano to %isit
Leo After !ettin! the number of the sic$room at the receptionistKs
des$, the' headed for the ele%ator &owe%er, it was here that someone
called out their name
T+%er'oneKs here nowU
T+ri$a, 'ouKre still here>U
The !ist of the situation was alread' con%e'ed throu!h the mornin!
text +ri$aKs oldest brother was responsible for the %ampire case, Leo
was as$ed to assist in the in%esti!ation, but was unfortunatel' dra!!ed
into the mess To ma$e him shoulder the responsibilit' (but not ta$e
the responsibilit'), +ri$a as$ed for the da' off to %isit Leo at the
hospital At least, thatKs what the text messa!e said
5et, the' recei%ed the communi1ue before school and now it was
almost dus$ Tatsu'a usin! the word TstillU was probabl' 1uite
appropriate
T(tKs not li$e (K%e been here all da' ( returned home once toda' and
came bac$ about an hour a!o ( !uessed that Tatsu'a/$un would brin!
e%er'one about this timeU
As the' !ot into the ele%ator as a !roup, +ri$a answered Tatsu'aKs
1uestion
&er %oice and expression were not unnatural in the wa' that someone
was l'in!
+xcept, the fact that she was perfectl' normal onl' ser%ed to deepen
the idea e%er'thin! was false 4n this point, +ri$a was probabl' the
onl' one who didnKt notice
T+ri$a/chan, is Leo/$un !oin! to be 4,LL>U
=i3u$i was standin! ri!ht next to +ri$a in the ele%ator as she 1uietl'
as$ed her 1uestion +%en thou!h the' were )ust about to find out with
their own e'es, she was probabl' still uneas' These emotions differed
from one person to another, so some people were able to $eep a ti!hter
rein on bein! ob)ecti%e
TDonKt worr', =i3u$i DidnKt ( mention in the text messa!e> &is lifeKs
not in dan!erU
Nonetheless, this also depended on compatibilit' between peopleKs
differences Seein! =i3u$i hea%e a si!h of relief and pat herself on the
chest, +ri$a cast a warm !a3e at her, but if it was a !u' doin! this,
+ri$a would undoubtedl' be snar$in! mercilessl'
+%en if no one else said it, =i3u$i was definitel' not the onl' one
thin$in! the same thou!hts After a few more moments of aw$ward
silence, +ri$a $noc$ed on the door leadin! to the sic$room
TAh, come inU
A 'oun! womanKs %oice came from within the room
T,a'a/san, excuse usU
Lea%in! her bemused friends behind, +ri$a opened the door and
1uic$l' stepped in At this time, the first one to reco%er was, of course,
Tatsu'a
-efore the curtain in the room could obscure +ri$a, he entered the
sic$room
=i'u$i was ri!ht behind him Seein! this, &ono$a 1uic$l' hurried in
as well, with =i3u$i and =i$ihi$o comin! in after exchan!in! a
!lance and closin! the door behind them
(nside the spacious and undoubtedl' hi!h class sic$room, the ones
who !reeted them were Leo, who was sittin! up on his bed with a
bored loo$ on his face, and a 'oun! woman with ash blonde hair
sittin! on a nearb' foldin! chair
She was probabl' @/8 'ears older than the' were &er hair was the
same color as the owner of +ine -rise, which !a%e the impression that
the' shared the same nationalit' (n re!ards to her features, if the'
were a little cra!!' and accountin! for the !ender differences, she
would li$e exactl' li$e Leo, which clearl' hinted at her blood relation
to Leo
TThis is Sai)ou ,a'a/san, LeoKs older sisterU
-efore the 1uestion could be as$ed, +ri$a introduced them to the
'oun! woman &er identit' was )ust as Tatsu'a and compan' had
surmised
,a'a rose and respectfull' nodded to Tatsu'aKs !roup in !reetin!
0hile not particularl' !raceful or well/rehearsed, it was still a de!ree
of solemnness that students were unable to emulate
After e%er'one in1uired as to LeoKs health, ,a'a too$ the flower %ase
and left the room 0hile she excused herself to chan!e the water, the
unstated reason was because she wanted to !i%e them some pri%ac'
T0hat a !entle older sisterU
=i3u$i murmured once ,a'a disappeared throu!h the doorwa' These
were her true feelin!s, not )ust some social rhetoric
Tatsu'a shared similar feelin!s, and no one seemed to %isibl'
disa!ree
Still, Leo re%ealed a sli!htl' conflicted expression, remindin!
e%er'one that e%er' famil' had its dirt' laundr'
T=an, this suc$sU
&ence wh' Tatsu'a didnKt in1uire an' further After all, LeoKs famil'
situation had nothin! to do with Tatsu'a
T( canKt belie%e 'ou !u's are seein! me in such a stateU
Leo said in embarrassment There was no lon!er an' trace of conflict
on his features
TNow that ( loo$ at 'ou, 'ou donKt seem in)uredU
T(Km not that much of a pusho%er (tKs not li$e ( wasnKt resistin!U
T0here were 'ou hit>U
At LeoKs fearless !rin, Tatsu'a brou!ht up the ob%ious 1uestion
0ith that, LeoKs smile %anished
TThatKs where ( donKt understandLLU
That bein! said, this wasnKt because he was !ettin! mood' &is
expression declared that he hadnKt !i%en up, but he was honestl'
uncertain what happened
TAt the moment of contact, ( suddenl' felt li$e ( lost all m' stren!th (
mustered m' will to deli%er one last attac$, to which the perpetrator
fled, while ( was $eeled o%er on the !round until +ri$aKs older brother
found meU
T0ere 'ou poisoned>U
T0ell, no matter where the' loo$ed, thereKs no si!n of laceration or
puncture on m' bod' Nor is there an' forei!n elements in m' bloodU
Trul', a particularl' weird situation Tatsu'a also tilted his head while
=i$ihi$o chimed in
TDid 'ou see their features>U
T0ell, ( did see somethin! The' wore a hat, lon! o%ercoat with
carbon armor underneath, and a mas$ There was no wa' to tell facial
features or ph'si1ue, butLLU
T-ut>U
T( !ot the feelin! that it was a womanU
TLLA woman has the wrist stren!th to !o toe/to/toe with Leo>U
TThatKs hardl' unheard ofU
+ri$a immediatel' retorted at the wide/e'ed =i$ihi$o
T0ith the ri!ht medication, e%en an elementar' !irl can stran!le an
adult maleU
TThatKs trueLL -utU
T-ut>U
TThereKs also the possibilit' that 'ou werenKt up a!ainst a human
bein! in the first placeU
T+h> =i$iLL Are 'ou tellin! me 'ou bu' into that stuff li$e
%ampires>U
&earin! =i$ihi$oKs low mutterin!, +ri$a immediatel' shot bac$ with
her e'es bul!in! out
T=' name is =i$ihi$oU
&is tone remained li!ht, but he still stuc$ to re)ectin! that nic$name
=i$ihi$o seemed to ha%e that automatic response prepared 4n the
other hand, +ri$aKs response wasnKt her fault either 0hile the sub)ect
was interestin! in casual con%ersation, but people who actuall'
belie%ed in %ampires, e%en amon! =a!icians, was in the extreme
minorit'
TDo 'ou ha%e an' ideas>U
&owe%er, Tatsu'aKs reaction did not belon! to either the ma)orit' or
the minorit' Tatsu'a didnKt belie%e in demons and !hosts either, but
nor did he rule out the possibilit' of an inhuman creature
At Tatsu'aKs 1uestion, =i$ihi$o hesitated briefl' before confidentl'
addressin! the 1uestion
T( thin$ thereKs a chance that Leo ran into a TParasiteUU
TParasite> 5ou donKt mean literall', ri!ht>U
Seein! +ri$a tilt her head in one direction, she didnKt seem to thin$
=i$ihi$oKs words were ridiculous This time was li$el' out of !enuine
curiosit' &is mood li$el' buo'ed b' such a si!ht, =i$ihi$o lectured
on
TParanormal Parasites, a$a Parasite (n the modern a!e where the
existence and mi!ht of ma!ic ha%e been publici3ed, modern ma!ic is
not the onl' area see$in! international cooperation Ancient =a!ic
canKt remain sta!nant either, so !lobali3ation is una%oidable &eirs of
Ancient =a!ic ha%e hosted man' international conferences centered
in +n!land, aimin! to standardi3e terms and concepts and refine
themU
T( $now that Ancient =a!ic is more pro!ressi%e on the international
cooperation side 0hat of it>U
=i$ihi$o was startin! to pic$ up steam when Tatsu'a cut him short,
causin! =i$ihi$o to cou!h and rall' himself
TParasite is also one of the ac$nowled!ed terms =onsters, e%il spirits,
d)inns, demons, of all the %arious entities in the different countries, we
call the ma!ical bein!s that infest human bein!s and turn them into
inhuman creatures as parasites +%en if Ancient =a!ic has become
!lobali3ed, that still doesnKt chan!e the fact that the' $eep their secrets
to themsel%es, so itKs not surprisin! that e%er'one here with a modern
ma!ic bac$!round doesnKt $now about itU
T( canKt belie%e the monsters and d)inns actuall' existLLU
After listenin! to =i$ihi$oKs explanation, &ono$a murmured in fear
Tatsu'a dropped a handonto her shoulder
T(n the past, no one belie%ed that ma!ic existed &owe%er, we are
capable of usin! ma!ic +%en if we were i!norant of their existence,
thereKs no reason to be afraidU
This was not a natural reaction on Tatsu'aKs part &e $new these
words comin! from him would ha%e a profound reaction on &ono$a
0hich is wh' Tatsu'a retracted his hand after &ono$a )umped at the
human contact and he was sure that he dispelled that blind sense of
unease 4f course, he was also aware of how &ono$a lamented the
lost opportunit', but he pretended to be obli%ious
TSo thatKs the %ampireKs true identit'U
Afterwards, he !lanced at =i$ihi$o -ein! o%erl' fearful ser%ed no
purpose, but he was also well aware that i!norance could compound
the threat
0ithout directl' repl'in! to Tatsu'aKs 1uestion, =i$ihi$o turned a
determined loo$ at Leo
TLeoU
TUm, what>U
Leo was o%erwhelmed b' the ardor in those e'es
TAan ( examine 'our spectral form>U
TSpectral form>U
(t appeared that the term spectral form didnKt re!ister, seein! as how
Leo could onl' parrot bac$ the pronunciation 4n some le%el, this
wasnKt LeoKs fault, since neither Tspiritual formU nor Tsoul %esselU
were terms used in modern ma!ic, and not because Leo was too slow
to pic$ it up
TSpectral form refers to the information bod' that is shaped li$e the
ph'sical bod', except that it lin$s the ph'sical flesh with 'our spiritU
=i$ihi$o used his fin!ertips to trace a lar!e Tspectral formU
TThe $e' to the spectral form is life, or life force =onsters that
de%our the flesh and blood of man are rumored to pre' on the life
force that is ta$en with the fleshU
T(n other words, while %ampires suc$ blood, what the'Kre reall'
loo$in! to do is suc$in! awa' the life force>U
=i$ihi$o nodded with a ti!ht expression at +ri$aKs words
TEampires drin$ blood and !houls consume flesh, but since the'
werenKt material bein!s in the first place, the' should onl' be
interested in life force At least, if what the elders in Ancient =a!ic
told me is to be belie%edU
T-ased on that line of reasonin!, it shouldnKt be surprisin! to run into
a %ampire who relies on suc$in! out the life force, huhU Tatsu'a
murmured at =i$ihi$oKs words
(n response, =i$ihi$o nodded once more
T(f ( can examine LeoKs spectral form, ( thin$ ( should be able to find
out LL&onestl' spea$in!, ( was ne%er con%inced that this %ampire
incident was caused b' normal human bein!s (t alwa's seemed li$e
somethin! more than )ust serial homicides, and not )ust because there
was no trace of blood bein! suc$ed out =' instincts as an Ancient
=a!ic user tells me this, except ( ha%e no proof Precisel' because it
was onl' m' !ut feelin!, so ( ne%er told e%er'one about Parasites
&owe%er, now e%en Leo has been attac$edU
TCo ahead =i$ihi$oU
Leo o%errode =i$ihi$oKs self/incriminatin! words =i$ihi$o too$ a
lon! second to process the meanin! behind this concise phrase
TLLAre 'ou sure>U
T5eah Actuall', itKs more li$e (Km re1uestin! 'ou do so ThereKs no
wa' to respond if we donKt understand the causeU LeoKs underl'in!
meanin! also contained for!i%eness (n response to this de!ree of
trust, =i$ihi$oKs expression ti!htened once more as he reached his
hand towards the ba! next to his feet
0ieldin! bona fide talismans created with blac$ in$ on paper,
=i$ihi$o used traditional mediums that e%en Tatsu'a came across for
the first time to %erif' LeoKs status, and failed to dis!uise his shoc$
=ore li$el', he ne%er e%en thou!h of doin! so in the first place
T&ow should ( sa' thisLL 0hile Tatsu'a is also in a lea!ue of his
own, Leo, are 'ou reall' humanLL>U
T&e', how polite of 'ouU
(t was another thin! alto!ether as a )o$e, but when faced with those
words spo$en in dead earnest, e%en Leo wasnKt able to lau!h it off
LeoKs mood was plainl' affected
&owe%er, =i$ihi$o was alread' astounded enou!h to miss this
completel', or more li$e he wasnKt e%en able to detet this
TNo, butLL &ow are 'ou still up and about> The a%era!e =a!ician
would be unconscious if so much life force was de%ouredU
TSettin! aside exactl' what life force is, can 'ou also detect how much
is missin!>U
Tatsu'aKs expression showed how impressed he was, to which
=i$ihi$o replied bac$ with a neutral smile and a nod
TThatKs because the spectral form and the ph'sical bod' possess the
same shape
Since the capacit' si3e is a !i%en, the ori!inal amount of life force
compared to the current le%el is more or less detectableU
=i$ihi$o s1uinted his e'es and once a!ain !a%e a measurin! loo$ at
Leo
TAurrentl' at LeoKs life force le%el, for!et e%en crawlin!, the a%era!e
person wouldnKt e%en be able to remain conscious To able to sit up
and still con%erse li$e this, his ph'sical capabilit' must be
astoundin!U
*or =i$ihi$o, this was somethin! that )ust popped out
&owe%er, the phrase Tastoundin! ph'sical capabilit'U struc$ Leo in
the heart because his !enetic modifications to raise ph'sical prowess
TProbabl' =' bod' is speciall' desi!nedU
+%en so, Leo $ept up his smile &e didnKt plan on causin! a fuss at
someone who un$nowin!l' caused him harmU
TAt an' rate, ri!ht now ( feel powerless because that mas$ed woman
ate m' life force (s that how it !oes>U
Leo suppressed the fluctuations in his heart and as$ed
T( thin$ so, butLLU
T-ut>U
TLLSince this was durin! combat and the' ha%e the abilit' to
consume life force on contact, there should be no reason to suc$
blood 0hile ( ha%e no idea who the' can ta$e blood without lea%in!
an' wounds butLL 0h' is this Parasite wastin! additional time and
ener!' doin! somethin! extraneous li$e suc$in! blood>U
+%en Tatsu'a had no answer to =i$ihi$oKs 1uer' (n truth, this was
because blood was lost instead of bein! suc$ed awa', so ri!ht now
the' had no wa' of arri%in! at the truth
Eisitin! hours came to a close and fi%e people left the sic$room
The fi%e people were Tatsu'a, =i'u$i, =i$ihi$o, &ono$a, and
=i3u$i
+ri$a said she had to meet up with her brother Toshi$a3u and sta'ed
behind
Althou!h none of the fi%e understood those words at their literal
meanin!, a!ain, none of them %erbali3ed this
TSpea$in! of which R =i$ihi$oU
T&m>U
Suddenl' bein! called on, =i$ihi$o turned from his con%ersation with
=i3u$i and switched o%er to Tatsu'a
=i'u$i and &ono$a flan$ed Tatsu'a
0hile the' werenKt holdin! onto his arms, the ph'sical distance was
close enou!h to ma$e no difference
Let all the popular men burn +xcept there was no wa' of $nowin!
whether =i$ihi$o was trul' thin$in! this
No matter what =i$ihi$o thou!ht, it was unli$el' that Tatsu'a would
pa' heed to it
TThere was one detail ( for!ot to as$U
Actuall', he intentionall' failed to as$ this 1uestion out of concern for
listenin! de%ices +%en for someone other than =i$ihi$o, !ettin!
Tatsu'a to cou!h up dan!erous information was extremel' difficult
T0hat is it>U
T(n re!ards to creatures li$e demons and Parasites, do the' occur
fre1uentl'>U
+%en thou!h the' werenKt eatin!, =i$ihi$o almost !a!!ed
4win! to Tatsu'aKs nonchalant tone, =i$ihi$o listened in with onl' a
casual mood, onl' to hear a rather profound 1uestion
TLLNo, the' are reall' rare 0hile in the stories the' exist in hidin!
read' to do e%il, those are lar!el' =a!icians pretendin! to be dar$
creatures *or example, our side belie%es the' ha%e determined the
true identit' of the infamous spirit at =t 4'ama to be a practitioner
from the =iddle +astU
Unconsciousl', =i$ihi$o was stro$in! his chin )ust li$e someone in a
Tcontemplatin! postureU
TThe chances of a =a!ician runnin! into a real spirit is aboutLL
=a'be one in ten !enerations +%en so, those encounters are usuall'
somethin! accidentall' stumblin! into our world :eal incidents of
spirits harmin! humans that necessitated immediate extermination
from =a!icians probabl' once e%er' se%eral hundred 'ears across the
!lobe
At the end of the da', the last time on record that <apan exterminated a
true spirit was probabl' when 5usanari Abe exorcised the nine/tailed
fox nine hundred 'ears a!oU
T5et, this %ampire incident was probabl' done b' a Treal spiritUU
T( belie%e soU
TDo 'ou thin$ this is a coincidence>U
T0hile ( cannot sa' for certain, but the probabl' is near 3eroLLU
=i$ihi$oKs repl' was extremel' prudent
TAs histor' has pro!ressed into the modern a!e, incidents of spirit
acti%it' has been on the decline ( am unwillin! to belie%e that this
incident came out of nowhereU
After hearin! =i$ihi$oKs response, Tatsu'a softl' said T(ndeedU
After ma$in! sure that Tatsu'aKs !roup left and ,a'a returned to the
room, Leo collapsed bac$ onto the bed in exhaustion Althou!h +ri$a
was still in the room, he had alread' pushed himself to the limit
TLL=eh, ( alread' $now e%er'thin! an'wa's
ThereKs no need to $eep bluffin! an' lon!er, 4,> 5ouK%e alread'
wor$ed reall' hardU
TLL(Kll )ustLL Ta$e that as an honestLL AomplimentU
T(t was an honest one Aompliment, ( meanU
Seein! Leo painfull' close his e'es, +ri$a re%ealed a warm smile
TUm, +ri$a/sanLL (s m' brother reall' !oin! to be fine>U
Still, seein! this interaction, ,a'a didnKt seem to find an'thin! funn'
TNo worries (K%e alread' called the best doctor the Ahiba *amil'
$nows of ( $now it can be a little difficult for 'ou to understand since
'ouKre not a =a!ician, but life force exhaustion re1uires more time to
recuperate than ph'sical exhaustion All of the necessar' reco%er'
procedures ha%e been done alread' Afterwards, the best medicine
would be plent' of bed rest, so heKll be fine after a whileU
,a'a shoo$ sli!htl' at bein! identified as a mundane Thou!h +ri$a
noticed this, she didnKt espouse an' comfortin! words from her
mouth
TThen, (Km headed off to m' brotherKs place (f 'ou need an'thin!,
please donKt hold bac$ and call the nurses, m' brotherKs subordinates,
or e%en m'selfU
+ri$a !a%e a cursor' bow to ,a'a and excused herself from the
sic$room
Leo had no intention of chidin! +ri$a for her attitude
T5oun! mistress, can 'ou show a little merc'>U
The moment she entered the room that was listenin! in on LeoKs
sic$room, (na!a$i called out to +ri$a
Althou!h his words were %a!ue due to se%eral omitted words, +ri$a
$new exactl' what he was tal$in! about That bein! said, +ri$a also
held those words in contempt
T( donKt plan on re1uestin! an' =a!ician to ta$e care of him (t
doesnKt matter if itKs our parents or siblin!s, the'Kre all a hassle to deal
with ( thin$ $eepin! this de!ree of relationship here would be enou!h
Spea$in! of whichLL 5ou heard what was said in thereU
The last sentence was directed towards Toshi$a3u
+ri$aKs oldest brother was sittin! with his bac$ to a chair and both
hands clasped behind his head before he brus1uel' peeled off his ear
set and strai!htened up
T(t was %er' interestin! Then, assumin! the second son of the 5oshida
*amil' is spot on with his theor', +ri$a, what do 'ou plan on doin!>U
TUnder these circumstances, it doesnKt matter if heKs correctU
&ow tedious, +ri$aKs condescendin! !a3e seemed to accuse Toshi$a3u
as he sat on the chair
T+%en for a moment, that !u' counts as a member of the Ahiba st'le
and is one of our own (n addition, ( personall' instructed him in the
art of the sword, so he technicall' counts as m' first disciple No
master could )ust stand b' while their disciple too$ a beatin!U
T0hat a cold line of reasonin!U
TThereKs nothin! there, so stop fishin! +%en if the' donKt exist,
thereKs plent' of reason to accept the fi!ht ( ha%e no idea whether the
%ampire is male or female, the' were the one who !a%e the offense
All we ha%e to do on this side is acceptU
+%en her brother Toshi$a3u had no idea if she was bein! truthful or
pre%aricatin!
The onl' thin! for sure was that +ri$a was dead serious, thatKs all
? ? ?
At the same time that Tatsu'a was %isitin! Leo, Lina arri%ed at the
To$'o branch for =aximilian De%ices This was where =ichaela
&onda was wor$in! under the alias =ia &onda, and also one of the
secret meetin! !rounds for the unit huntin! for the deserters
+%en if not to the de!ree of ma!ic uni%ersit' students, it wasnKt
particularl' rare to see ma!ic hi!h school students %isit AAD
manufacturin! sites A letter of introduction from the embass' and
*irst &i!hKs uniform enabled Lina to pass throu!h all securit' and
enter a conference room, where she met the two Stardust members she
rescued last ni!ht in a nic$ of time, who were dressed in ti!ht s$irts
and tunics
T=a)or, than$ 'ou for the sa%e last ni!htU
TAt easeU
Lina !estured for the two salutin! members to sit before she also too$
a seat on the sofa After closin! her e'es and breathin! deepl' out, a
pair of !olden e'es opened beneath flamin! red hair
A completel' different color than An!elina ,udou Shields, and a
completel' different face
Still, neither of the two Stardust members betra'ed an' surprise on
their faces This !olden e'ed 'oun! !irl with a cold face was their
An!ie Sirius
T5ou two, what is the extent of 'our in)uries from last ni!ht>U
T=ostl' healed (t will not affect our missionU
&earin! the hunters refer to themsel%es as mere tools, Lina, no, An!ie
Sirius wrin$led her brows, but that onl' ser%ed to deepen the cruel
impression on her cold features rather than betra'in! her displeasure
T(s that ri!ht Then !i%e me 'our sit repU
T5es, maKamU
Lina herself felt that those words didnKt con%e' the complete picture,
but it loo$s li$e the other side !ot the hint
TAfter pic$in! up the trail on Demus Second, we utili3ed Aast <ammer
based on the tar!etKs profile &owe%er, Aast <ammer failed to ha%e an'
effect on Demus SecondU
TDid he affect Aast <ammerKs operation>U
TNe!ati%e, Aast <ammer was functionin! normall' -ased on Demus
SecondKs words, he no lon!er re1uires a AADU
TNo lon!er re1uires a AADLL Does that mean S!t Sulli%an has
achie%ed spirituali3ation>U
T( concurU
(n response to LinaKs suspicion, the hunters replied in the affirmati%e
TThe current Demus Second did not need a cad to use Tra)ector'
AlterationU
TSo no other ma!ic was usedU
TAffirmati%eU
T(n addition, Demus Second possesses superior ph'sical capabilities
than our au!mented bodiesU
The deserters ph'sical prowess had increased was fresh intelli!ence
Lina sli!htl' turned this o%er in her head before carefull' as$in! the
two of them the next 1uestion
T&as S!t Sulli%anKs psion wa%e si!nature chan!ed>U
TAt least, weKre still able to identif' itU
TDurin! m' pursuit of S!t Sulli%an, ( suspect he made contact with
his comrades &owe%er, ( was unable to obser%e that personKs psion
wa%e si!natureU
TLL=' apolo!ies 0e detected no other psion wa%e si!nature sa%e
for the =a)or and Demus SecondU
Lina closed her e'es and considered this for a moment
TLLLoo$s li$e our old data is no lon!er reliable *rom toda'
onward, continue sur%eillance on an' deserters that 'ou found the trail
for and do not en!a!e 0ait for me to arri%e before en!a!in!U
T5es, maKamU
:eturnin! the salute of the two Stardust members who had risen to
their feet, Lina 1uitted the conference room
(n the halls of the To$'o branch for =aximillian De%ices, Sil%ia was
waitin! for Lina
T&i!h Aommander, this wa'U
&earin! this, the red haired, !olden e'ed Lina followed Sil%ia Their
destination was the womenKs chan!in! room for the emplo'ees
TThis wa', =a)or (K%e alread' ascertained the premises are empt'U
*ollowin! Sil%ia after she unloc$ed the door, Lina swiftl' !lanced
around the chan!in! room and onl' let out a si!h of relief after
hearin! the loc$ on the door clic$ home
&er hair and irises chan!ed color
The red hair turned blonde and the !olden e'es returned to their a3ure
hue
TAs expected, this wa' is much easier Aompared to $eepin! TParadeU
up, hidin! the abilit' to use ma!ic is much harderU
T=a)or, thereKs no time Please chan!e before the emplo'ees returnU
Sil%ia immediatel' started na!!in! the relaxed Lina
Lina shru!!ed her nec$ and started spea$in! to Sil%ia as she was
chan!in!
TLoo$s li$e the pursuit unit couldnKt identif' the psion wa%e si!nature
of the person in the white mas$ eitherU
T:eall'LL Loo$s li$e there are massi%e indi%idual power le%el
differences between the desertersU
=a'be it was because she alread' had a premonition of what Lina was
!oin! to sa', but Sil%iaKs %oice wasnKt %er' ama3ed Still, a disma'ed
aura hun! around her shoulders
TSpea$in! of which, wh' are the' attac$in! the <apanese>U
Dressed in her underwear, Lina as$ed Sil%ia as she reached for her
*irst &i!h uniform
T0hat do 'ou mean b' wh'>U
Unable to ascertain the intent of the 1uestion, Sil%ia returned a
confused 1uestion
TThe' are currentl' bein! pursued Normall', wouldnKt the' tr' to
hide their presence as much as possible>U
TAh, so thatKs what 'ou meanU
At this point, Sil%ia finall' understood what threw Lina for a loop
0hat Lina reall' wanted to as$ was wh' the deserters were runnin!
the ris$ of re%ealin! their location in order to attac$ <apanese people
T( donKt $now either, exceptLLU
T+xcept what>U
After chan!in! her stoc$in!s for a pair of underpants and in the
middle of puttin! on her !own, Lina ur!ed her to $eep spea$in!
T( )ust feel that there is a connection between this and the new power
the' ha%e been !rantedU
TNew powerLL 5ou mean the %ampireKs abilit' to remo%e blood
without lea%in! an' wounds>U
0ith the outer )ac$et and !own in place, Lina $ept up her 1uestions
while fussin! o%er her hair
T0hile (Km not sure if we should call them %ampires, butLL Lina,
what are 'ou doin!>U
<ust as Sil%ia was tr'in! to or!ani3e her thou!hts, her !a3e once a!ain
drifted o%er to Lina
4nl' to find the beautiful 'oun! woman with blond hair usin! both
hands to li!htl' life the two sides of her inner !own before the mirror
as she struc$ a few poses
T+h, no, this isU
Seein! her superior officer 1uic$l' reco%er her posture and drop her
head while blushin! the entire wa', Sil%ia could onl' hea%e a deep
si!h
Chapter 6
The swun! fist impacted another one
The ph'sical positions switched in an instant, with offense and
defense seamlessl' switchin! between one another
Tatsu'a and 5a$umo were en!a!ed in their dail' mornin! bout
The' werenKt )ust ta$in! turns batterin! one another
-esides direct attac$s, there were also left and ri!ht hoo$s that came
from abo%e and below, $arate chops and palm stri$es A%oidin! the
attac$, sei3in! the opponentKs extended limb, all while fendin! off the
opponentKs other limb that was see$in! to dislod!e the counterattac$
at the last possible second
(n terms of martial arts ri!ht now, Tatsu'a and 5a$umo were e1uals
-oth of them extended their ri!ht arms
0ith both attac$s simultaneousl' missin! one another, the two of
them were now in a position where their bac$s were to one another
Tatsu'a shifted his center of !ra%it' and raised the le! he was
ori!inall' puttin! all of his wei!ht on and too$ a step forward
The expected elbow stri$e failed to arri%e
&e turned
<ust li$e Tatsu'a, 5a$umo had pulled bac$ to a safe distance
Seein! that the' both used the same sort of attac$, executed the same
e%asi%e maneu%er and ultimatel' created an unnecessar' !ap between
the two of them, the obli!ator' wr' smile R There was no time for an'
of that
Tatsu'a stepped towards 5a$umo
(n terms of techni1ues, the two of them were nec$ to nec$
Tatsu'a also held the ed!e in terms of ph'sical prowess
Strate!' was where he fell far behind 5a$umo
(n summation, the onl' path to %ictor' la' in a continuous stream of
attac$s from Tatsu'a to a%oid !i%in! his opponent an' opportunit' to
de%ise an' strata!ems An' situation that created unnecessar'
separation between the two left Tatsu'a in an una%oidabl' inferior
position As soon as he stepped into the !ulf and was prepared to
swin! his fist forward, Tatsu'a felt that 5a$umoKs presence was
wa%erin!
Tatsu'a had suffered 1uite a bit recentl' at the hands of this techni1ue
&e forcibl' suppressed his frustration and acti%ated Cram Demolition
5a$umoKs wa%erin! bod' 1ui%ered briefl' before disappearin!
Tatsu'aKs Cram Demolition mana!ed to nullif' 5a$umoKs abilit'
Tatsu'a full' extended his fi%e senses and sou!ht the location of
5a$umoKs actual ph'sical bod'
:i!ht> 4r was it the left>
+%en someone as stron! as 5a$umo shouldnKt ha%e the time to snea$
all the wa' behind him
Tatsu'aKs anal'sis was perfect
-ut Tatsu'aKs h'pothesis was flawed
5a$umo was standin! ri!ht in front of him
&e was thirt' 'ards behind the place Tatsu'a aimed at
(t onl' too$ an instant to land the decisi%e blow
The forestalled fist once a!ain flew out
Normall', this was an unreachable distance, but 5a$umo had also
ta$en into consideration that the moment the blow landed, there was
still the possibilit' of mutual defeat
+xcept, 5a$umoKs bod' was not ad%ancin! with his fist
Aompletel' blindsided b' the fist that was displaced from the bod',
Tatsu'aKs bod' was flun! into the air b' 5a$umoKs throw
T0hew, scar', scar'U
5a$umo finall' released Tatsu'aKs )oint after throwin! Tatsu'a to the
!round while espousin! words that didnKt sound li$e he had been
holdin! bac$
Since his wrist had been captured, Tatsu'a was unable to execute a
perfect landin! 0hile he mana!ed to dull the impact and pre%ent an'
fractures, he still too$ the blow and needed to cou!h a few times in
order to restore his breathin! to normal
TLL=aster, that was>U
&earin! the words Tatsu'a spo$e after finall' !ettin! to his feet,
5a$umo rubbed his temple with one hand as he replied bac$ R
Probabl' because he was wipin! awa' the sweat
T&m, ( didnKt thin$ 'ou would be able to brea$ throu!h =ira!e
Aloa$U
0hile his tone remained )o$in!, his astonishment was dead serious
&is feint with the after ima!e wasnKt somethin! that was planned
ahead of time and was a spontaneous creation That was because
5a$umo ne%er ima!ed that Tatsu'a could brea$ throu!h =ira!e
Aloa$
TSo that techni1ue is called =ira!e Aloa$, ehLL =aster, thatKs no
ordinar' illusion techni1ue, is it>U
TSo 'ou did see itU
Althou!h 5a$umo was si!hin! in an exa!!erated manner, he failed to
hide the fact that he was hi!hl' pleased R=ost li$el', he ne%er
planned on hidin! it in the first place
T5our abilit' to read an opponentKs techni1ue ma' be a threat to 'our
enemies, but that doesnKt mean there isnKt a wa' to ta$e ad%anta!e of
thisU
TLi$e 'our earlier illusion>U
T=ira!e cloa$ was a techni1ue ori!inall' desi!ned to shield a!ainst
e'es that are not of this world
As for its desi!nLL 0ell, 'ou !o ahead and ponder on 'our own (f
itKs 'ou, 'ou should be able to !rasp it in an instantU
Tatsu'a didnKt tell 5a$umo to stop beatin! around the bush Part of the
reason was because as$in! about the techni1ues of others was
forbidden, but what drew his attention e%en more was 5a$umoKs
choice of words
T=asterU
T&m> 0hatKs with this serious expression all of a suddenLL 0ell,
'ouKre alwa's li$e that, but now 'ouK%e !ot that scar' %oice tooU
There was a fine line between praise and moc$er' when it came to
that line about alwa's wearin! a serious expression, which Tatsu'a
finall' chose to i!nore because he was unable to decipher which one it
was R which meant he did nothin! whatsoe%er
Somehow, 5a$umoKs expression seemed less than pleased, which
probabl' denoted that he made the ri!ht decision *urthermore,
Tatsu'a wasnKt in the mood to pla' alon! with his )o$es (>)
T+arlier, 'ou spo$e of thin!s that were out of this worldU
TAh, so thatKs what this is aboutU
There was no need to complete the half/finished sentence
&is repl' left no room for misinterpretation, as if he had predicted that
Tatsu'a would as$ this 1uestion
T4ur enemies are not restricted to )ust humans (t isnKt that rare for
some of them to stri$e a bar!ain with forces be'ond this worldU
0hile this was the expected answer based on their earlier
con%ersation, this response ran counter to the $nowled!e he alread'
had
T&owe%er, one of m' friends who is an Ancient =a!ic user claims
that encounters with actual spirits are rare occurrencesLLU
Tatsu'a wasnKt sa'in! this because he belie%ed one person o%er the
other, but because he wanted an answer that he could belie%e
T( recall that Tatsu'a/$unKs friend is the second son of the 5oshida
*amil' 0hile his words are also trueLL (n 'our case, ( belie%e 'ou
didnKt consider the matter thorou!hl' enou!hU
5a$umo temporaril' halted spea$in! there After recei%in! the re1uest
to thin$ thin!s a little more thorou!hl', Tatsu'a immersed himself into
a sea of considerations and arri%ed at a solution after a short period of
time
T=i$ihi$oKs words are correct, but at the same time, imperfect (s this
what 'ouKre referrin! to> Actual run/ins with bona fide spirits are
extremel' rare, but incursions because someone else pro%ided the
impetus are not that infre1uent, am ( ri!ht>U
T(Kll !i%e 'ou the minimum passin! !radeU
As befittin! his words, 5a$umoKs expression was far from satisfied
T&mLL ( !uess e%en a sa!e li$e Tatsu'a/$un would fall pre' to
association bias and co!niti%e trapsU
Apparentl', the bar was set 1uite hi!h and the scorin! much more
ruthless
+%en so, Tatsu'a felt that it was too shameful (and not embarrassin!)
to be called a Tsa!eU to the face and pra'ed that this would not be
repeated
(t was a testament to how unruffled Tatsu'a was when bein! praised in
spite of his mista$e
Still, Tatsu'aKs poise was brushed aside b' 5a$umoKs followin!
words
T5ou too should ha%e had a brush or two a!ainst creatures that do not
exist in this plane (n re!ards to what 'ou modern ma!ic practitioners
refer to as S- =a!ic, what do 'ou thin$ the' use as a medium>U
A small TAhU escaped Tatsu'aKs lips
T( see 'ou connected the dots 0hat modern ma!icians refer to as
Spiritual -ein!s are le!itimatel' Tcreatures from another worldUU
This was indeed a blind spot Tatsu'a focused on 5a$umo as he
continued to explain
TAh, conscious thou!ht and self/awareness are both secondar'
-acteria does not ha%e consciousness or self/awareness, but it is able
to enter the human bod' and affect the operations of the human bod'
enou!h to impact health (n addition, the' e%en ha%e the incomplete
abilit' to self/replicate &owe%er, e%en if the' donKt fulfill the
re1uirements of a Tli%in! creatureU at the intellectual le%el, thatKs not
enou!h to den' that the' are Tli%in! creaturesU with the abilit' to
infect the human bod'U
T5ou are sa'in! that Spiritual -ein!s R nothin! more than isolated
spirit bodies remo%ed from ph'sical phenomena also 1ualif' as
Tcreatures not of this worldU>U
TStrictl' spea$in!, the' are more li$e creatures who do not possess a
ph'sical bod' (n addition, has an'one pro%en that spirits do not
possess thou!ht of their own>U
TLL(t is true that no one has done that 4n the other hand, ( $now of
one person who mi!htU
*urthermore, Tatsu'a had personall' beheld that friend of his
manipulatin! spirits ri!ht in front of him (n comparison to recei%in!
orders and ha%in! the spirit decide on their own, it made more sense
that the entire process was incorporated inside the =a!ic Se1uence
and the spirit possessed consciousness of its own
T=aster, ma' ( as$ another 1uestion>
TCo aheadU
T=odern ma!ic belie%es that a Spiritual -ein! is an information bod'
isolated within the information dimension from its natural phenomena
Since it ori!inated from natural phenomena, it is possible to use =a!ic
Se1uences to recreate the ori!inal effect This is the current theor'
behind Spiritual =a!icU
TPrett' much =odern ma!ic is trul' impressi%e if itKs capable of
comin! up with this $ind of theor'U
TThen, for the parasites that latch onto the spectral forms of human
bein!s and cause mutations, where do their information bodies come
from>U
After hearin! =i$ihi$oKs words, Tatsu'a suspected that Parasites were
information bodies that could affect the human +idos 5a$umoKs
allusion to bacteria and diseases onl' ser%ed to deepen that
impression
TParasitesLL 0hat an +n!lish wa' of puttin! it Alas, ( am unaware
of where these information bodies ori!inate Ci%en that the' are able
to affect human spirit, ( would ima!ine the' came from a similar
ori!inU
T(nformation bodies from the human spiritLLU
T( belie%e, re!ardless of whether the monster comes in humanoid or
beast form, the onl' thin! that can cause the li%in! creatures of this
world to alter in such a fashion must come from demons ori!inatin!
from spirit information bodies Afterwards, )ust as how the ph'sical
manifestation of these spirits ha%e one step in our world and the
alternate shadow of this world, demons ori!inatin! from the spirit also
straddle the mental landscape and the aether The reason that spiritual
encounters are infre1uent is not because the' donKt exist, but because
we are not e1uipped with the abilit' to obser%e the human spirit
0hile this line of thin$in! would definitel' be heres' in the e'es of
London, these are m' true feelin!s on the matterU
As expected of a ma)or authorit' on Ancient =a!ic, that name wasnKt
)ust for show
(t had been a lon! time since Tatsu'a thou!ht that wa'
? ? ?
Two da's later, Leo was still confined to bed The a%era!e person
would alread' be in a critical state of unconsciousness, so not bein!
able to chec$ out of the hospital for three to four da's was considered
normal 4n the other hand, people would be more worried that he was
pushin! himself too hard or bein! rec$less if he was actuall' able to
lea%e the hospital so 1uic$l'
At least, thatKs what Tatsu'a thou!ht
&owe%er, on some le%el, it was onl' natural that there were people
who didnKt thin$ that wa'
TLeo/$un, how are 'ou feelin!LL>U
=i3u$i was precisel' the t'pe who didnKt thin$ that wa'
T( should be alri!ht The' said that there were no si!ns of external
in)uries besides some bruises, and thereKs no si!n of fractures or
internal pain Unless 'ou belie%e that +ri$a is l'in!>U
As a side note, Tatsu'a actuall' suspected that the currentl' absent
+ri$a was bein! less than truthful
TThatKs not what ( meantLLU
Still, based on =i3u$iKs temperament, e%en if she harbored such a
thou!ht, there was no wa' she would be able to accuse her friend of
l'in!
+%en if the person in 1uestion was not present, scratch that, it was
precisel' because the person in 1uestion was not present that she
a%oided tal$in! behind their bac$s
Also, the reason that +ri$a wasnKt in the classroom R e%en if this
wasnKt the classroom before class be!ins, was not because she was
watchin! o%er Leo at the hospital, but merel' because she hadnKt
arri%ed at school 'et
5esterda', she also rushed in )ust before the bell ran!
Toda' was probabl' !oin! to be a similar case
TNow that 'ou mention it, =i$ihi$o isnKt here 'et eitherU
This comment was not made with an' prior considerations in mind
This was onl' because while he was ruminatin! o%er wh' +ri$a hadnKt
arri%ed 'et, he )ust remembered that =i$ihi$o was still absent
At those words, =i3u$iKs face turned a little stiff
Tatsu'a 1uic$l' reined in his facial muscles that were on the %er!e of
relaxin! into a !rin and debated o%er whether to sa' somethin! or
remain stoic &e trul' belie%ed that what =i3u$i was worr'in! about
could not possibl' come to pass, but he was unable to )ud!e if this was
a !ood time to broach the sub)ect
TCood mornin!HU
TCood mornin!, Tatsu'a, Shibata/sanLLU
<ust as Tatsu'a was bewildered o%er which action to ta$e, =i$ihi$o
and +ri$a entered the classroom wearin! e1uall' exhausted
expressions
<ust as the two of them sat down, the displa' monitor flashed the
si!nal that class had started
Durin! lunch brea$ that da', Tatsu'a and his !roup beha%ed a little
differentl' than normal (nstead of !oin! to the cafeteria, +ri$a was
slumped o%er her des$ (f one paid careful heed, small snores could be
heard emanatin! from her
There was no wa' to ta$e a nap durin! class because the' were lo!!ed
on to their terminals, but now she was fast asleep
=i$ihi$o said This head was bu33in!U and immediatel' left for the
infirmar' after finishin! lunch (t appeared that his headache, and not
mur$' state of consciousness, was also brou!ht on b' o%erexhaustion
Since he expected this to be simple exhaustion, he left e%er'thin!
re!ardin! =i$ihi$o to =i3u$i
Then, as for Tatsu'a himself,
TShi3u$u, sorr' for callin! 'ou so suddenl'U
T&m, whatKs up>U
T0ell, Tatsu'a/$un said he had somethin! he absolutel' had to as$
Shi3u$uU
&e as$ed &ono$a to rin! up Shi3u$u b' phone
T=' apolo!ies for callin! 'ou at such a late hour ( wanted to send an
e/mail, but ( felt that this definitel' needed to be communicated
directl'U
+%en smaller handheld de%ices in modern communication s'stems
could depict ima!es that were almost li$e face to face con%ersations
The ima!e that came throu!h his personal handheld de%ice was
Shi3u$u, who was also usin! a similar de%ice to communicate 0hile
it has onl' been a short month since the' last saw one another, she
seemed to ha%e %isibl' matured a little bit
TNo worries (tKs onl' Vpm o%er hereU
The 'oun! !irl on screen s1uinted her e'es as she smiled As usual,
this was a rather %a!ue expression to read, but b' now the' all $new
that this smile meant she was exceptionall' pleased
&ono$a and =i'u$i %en!efull' !lared at their own terminals
Unfortunatel', Tatsu'a had put Shi3u$u on the main screen and %ice
%ersa Personal handheld de%ices differed when %iewin! throu!h the
main screen or side screens in that it was difficult for the latter to
differentiate facial expressions
TSo, whatKs up>U
TAh, ( heard from &ono$a that 'ou also ha%e a %ampire incident near
'ou (f 'ou are aware of an' details, ( was wonderin! if 'ou could
di%ul!e themU
Shi3u$uKs head lilted to one side on the screen
TLLShi3u$u>U
TLLAh, that incident Um, are there reall' %ampires appearin! in
<apan>U
T0hat do 'ou mean b' <apan>U
TThe'Kre still treatin! it li$e an urban le!end o%er here in America At
the %er' least, thereKs no media co%era!eU
Thou!h somewhat different from m'ths or stor'boo$ creatures,
%ampires, or more accuratel' spirit/de%ourin! demons, trul' existed
Ci%en that an actual entit' was rele!ated to a rumor, somethin! must
be afoot (n other words, this incident was still bein! censored in the
USNA There was now a possibilit' that the web was more complex
than he pre%iousl' ima!ined
T:umors are fine ( would li$e to $now as much as possibleU
Shi3u$u leaned forward on the screen
Tatsu'a deliberated o%er when to inform the 'oun! !irl on forei!n soil
b' herself that one of their friends had been attac$ed
TLeo was attac$ed b' what we suspect to be a %ampireU
5et, he immediatel' made the decision that she had the ri!ht to $now
(n the end, Tatsu'a himself was unable to explain wh' he made that
choice
This ma' ha%e been an instincti%e response
Alternatel', he mi!ht ha%e felt a premonition of what is to come
T*ortunatel', his life is not in dan!erU
T&owLL>U
Still, causin! the person on the other side of the line to worr'
needlessl' was not his ori!inal intention Thou!h Tatsu'a added
another sentence to help alle%iate the shoc$ Shi3u$u felt, the'
unfortunatel' seemed to fall on deaf ears
TNo, heKs actuall' fine, so please donKt ha%e that loo$ on 'our face,
alri!ht> Leo used his own stren!th to repel the perpetrator, except he
was sli!htl' in)ured b' his opponentKs special powers durin! that time
Aurrentl', he is restin! in the hospitalU
Tatsu'aKs Tcomfortin! wordsU definitel' failed to constitute an'thin!
remotel' capable An' words li$e hospital rest would onl' inflame her
unease if she was of a wea$er constitution
T:eall'> Than$ !oodnessLLU
Than$full', Shi3u$u was not the t'pe to sin$ into despair or
pessimism Seein! Tatsu'a !i%e an ener!etic nod, she si!hed in relief
This t'pe of con%ersation could onl' be achie%ed throu!h %ideo calls
T( see, so thatKs wh' Tatsu'a/$un wants to $now about an'thin!
related to thisU
Tatsu'a once a!ain !a%e the affirmati%e to Shi3u$uKs words that were
not phrased as a 1uestion
T&owe%er, that doesnKt mean 'ou ha%e to in%esti!ate too muchU
-efore all that, he absolutel' had to remind her about this
T(f 'ou could tell me an'thin! 'ou are aware of would be more than
enou!hU
T-ut 'ou belie%e there are clues in America, ri!ht>U
T=ore li$e huntin! for clues To be honest, ( belie%e that the
perpetrator of the %ampire incident came from AmericaU
Shi3u$u was not the onl' one to betra' her astonishment
&e hadnKt e%en informed &ono$a or e%en =i'u$i about this leap in
lo!ic
TThat9s wh' ( donKt want 'ou to do an'thin! dan!erous, Shi3u$u
Definitel' a%oid doin! an'thin! that would put 'ou at ris$
(nformation from 'our end is not absolutel' criticalU
TLLCot it, ( wonKt act rashl' So, please wait for me without an'
hi!h expectationsU
T( wanted to as$ )ust in case, 'ou are tellin! me not to ha%e hi!h hopes
about collectin! information and not about doin! an'thin! rec$less,
did ( !et that correct>U
T4f courseU
Thou!h Shi3u$u was neither an idiot nor a bumblin! fool, he still
didnKt feel completel' at ease e%en after remindin! her one more time
? ? ?
-ased on +ri$aKs $nowled!e, currentl' there were three or!ani3ed
!roups ta$in! action a!ainst the serial %ampire incidents in the cit'
The first !roup was headed b' the police, with the police departmentKs
special in%esti!ati%e unit (basicall' the <apanese %ersion of the *-()
leadin! %arious public safet' di%isions on the hunt
The second in%esti!ati%e !roup consisted of members from the Ten
=aster Alans, with the Sae!usa *amil' leadin! the wa' and the
<uumon)i *amil' ri!ht behind them The' had the bac$in! of the
(nternal Affairs (Aabinet Department of (nformation Aontrol) and
assisted the police in a half official, half ci%ilian role The onl'
difference was that, contrar' to normal, the Tci%ilianU half held the
ad%anta!e
The third !roup was the pri%ate %i!ilante team assembled b' the Ahiba
*amil' with the famous authorit' on Ancient =a!ic, the 5oshida
*amil', in support
(n short, this was +ri$aKs !roup
T0ouldnKt it be better if we )oined forces with our sempaisLL>U
The nature of the re1uest from the Ahiba *amil' to the 5oshida
*amil' mi!ht not be official business, but the re1uest for aid itself was
completel' b' the boo$ (n response, =i$ihi$o was immediatel'
appointed as a liaison, to which he %oiced the same 1uestion that he
as$ed for at least the .#th time since 'esterda'
Needless to sa', the tar!et for his words was his partner in this
operation, +ri$a
T( belie%e that we would be much more efficient if we had access to
the Anti/Arime S'stem pro%ided b' the street camerasU
TNo worries +%en the police, who ha%e the !reatest access to the
sur%eillance s'stems, ha%e 'et to sniff out a trailU
TThen in terms of manpower, ( thin$ that cooperatin! would be much
better than tr'in! to solo thisU
T0hich is wh' ( as$ed 'ou for help, ri!ht>U
TNo, not )ust the two of usLLU
=i$ihi$o !a%e up tr'in! to con%ince the rapidl' ad%ancin! +ri$a and
1uic$l' sprinted to catch up until he was standin! shoulder to
shoulder
T0e wonKt find an'thin! b' )ust meanderin! around pointlessl'LLU
&e was tal$in! to himself, but also !rumblin! at the same time This
wasnKt a %olume that +ri$a could hear, but she would probabl' i!nore
this e%en if she heard him (f pressed for a reason, this was the real
reason wh' =i$ihi$o was selected as +ri$aKs companion
The 5oshida *amil' was a clan that passed on Ancient =a!ic in the
Shinto st'le 0hile not completel' the same as families speciali3in! as
4nm'oshi, their combat prowess was still outstandin! 4ri!inall', this
countr' traditionall' allowed eas' access to techni1ues amon!
reli!ious !roups -ased on the fact that a Shinto st'le !roup was usin!
talismans as a medium, the' were not a stic$ler for the rules
After hearin! from Toshi$a3u that a scientific approach to the
in%esti!ation 'ielded little results, the commandin! officer from the
Ahiba *amil' (Toshi$a3u and +ri$aKs father), decided to rel' on the
s$ills that Ancient =a!ic users excelled in and formall' re1uested
cooperation from the head of the 5oshida *amil', which was their
closest friend amon! the Ancient =a!ic families Since the head of the
Ahiba *amil' was a Tm'sterious eccentricU who personall' belie%ed
that he was Tuseless without ma!ic abilitiesU, he probabl' felt that
Tthe occult could onl' be combatted with supernatural powersU
-ased on that, =i$ihi$o wasnKt accompan'in! +ri$a as a !uide, but as
a Tfortune tellerU
T=i$i, which wa'>U
Aomin! to a stop at the intersection, +ri$a turned her head to as$
( reall' wish 'ou could be a little more polite, =i$ihi$o mentall'
si!hed to himself as he placed the less than meter lon!, more li$e three
feet lon!, wooden staff on the road As a side note, after Lina decided
to )ump on the bandwa!on for T=i$iU, he officiall' !a%e up tr'in! to
chan!e it
:ather than callin! it a wooden staff, it was more li$e a thin!, lon!
wooden cane co%ered in tin' characters written in blac$ in$ The tip of
the cane was almost perfectl' round
&e put a hand on one end to ma$e sure it stood strai!ht and then
li!htl' remo%ed his hand
0hile it was perpendicular to the !round, the !round beneath was
pa%ement, so a simple wooden cane would not be able to pierce
throu!h
5et, without an' supportin! struts, =i$ihi$oKs wooden cane was
standin! upri!ht on the !round
=i$ihi$o fell bac$ three steps and swiftl' turned around The moment
his bod' turned around, the wooden cane lost its unseen support and
clattered to the !round
0ith a sorrowful sound, it rolled across the !round and finall' pointed
towards the ri!ht of the intersection
TThis wa'LLU
+ri$a wal$ed in the direction that the cane pointed in *or!et waitin!
for her companion, she didnKt e%en bother to turn her head
=i$ihi$o chuc$led wr'l' and pic$ed up his cane before hurr'in! after
+ri$a <ust before catchin! up to her, he suddenl' seemed to recall
somethin! and pulled out an information terminal from his inside
poc$et The terminal was set on broadcast After %erif'in! that the
terminal was still broadcastin! his position to the information networ$
that he re!istered at beforehand, he put it bac$ into his poc$et
The wr' !rin %anished from =i$ihi$oKs face &e had a premonition
that the' were !ettin! closer to their tar!et
&e slowed down after closin! to one step behind +ri$a and pulled out
the terminal a!ain while maintainin! the same distance
&e called out a list of location names After dra!!in! another new
entr' into the list, =i$ihi$o replaced his terminal and wal$ed
alon!side +ri$a as the' ad%anced
? ? ?
&e wore a lar!e o%ercoat and a hat pulled down b' the brim -eneath
the hat, there was a !ra' cloth with a pattern of blac$ bats that co%ered
the entire face Aharles Sulli%an, he who had been bestowed the name
of Demus Second with Stars, was currentl' usin! all of his stren!th to
flee for his life
&owe%er, no matter how he tried, he could not escape the pursuit The
hunter chasin! him was not from Stardust, but an executioner bearin!
the name of the bri!htest star in the ni!ht s$'
A =a!ician with flamin! red hair and !olden e'es chased after
Sulli%an After transformin! into An!ie Sirius, Lina had alread' been
immersed in psion noise se%eral times +%er' time, she felt that she
was !oin! to lose Sulli%anKs trail,
T&i!h Aommander, ta$e the next ri!htU
-ut Sulli%anKs location was completel' loc$ed on b' the psion radar
that was emanatin! from the mobile base dis!uised as a news %an (n
this re!ard, the USNA was a step ahead of <apan 0ith a radar that
could identif' psion wa%e si!natures, it was practicall' impossible to
escape from within the radarKs sensiti%it' ran!e *urthermore, so lon!
as Lina had that miniature, hand held radar si!nal broadcaster, fleein!
out of radar ran!e was out of the 1uestion
TAlara, :achel, switch to Sulli%anKs forefrontU
Lina called out into her transmitter Alara and :achel were the
nic$names for &unter J and :, respecti%el' Lina, who hated referrin!
to people as letters, was the one who !a%e them those names, as the'
were not their true names 4f course, TAlaraU was spelled with a TAU
and not a TJU, but Lina didnKt reall' care since the' were onl'
nic$names
Twent' to thirt' meters ahead, the aura of ma!ic combat intensified
The two of them were currentl' stallin! Sulli%anKs pro!ress *or Lina,
this was the simple matter of a sin!le step She was now completel' in
control of Sulli%anKs position
Despite the late hour, the streets were not entirel' %oid of people Still,
this failed to warrant an' concern when the' were en!a!ed in pursuit
that ri%aled the speed of a motorc'cle Aompletel' i!norin! the
possibilit' of police inter%ention, Lina pulled out a small blade R a
da!!er
=a'be it was because their mo%ements were too fast, but the scattered
pedestrians failed to ta$e notice of the da!!er Also, the non/reflecti%e
dar$ colorin! would ha%e been inconspicuous e%en in broad da'li!ht
0ithout botherin! to hide her intention, Lina threw the da!!er
forward
This da!!er was a 0eaponi3ed (nte!rated AAD <ust the act of
throwin! was enou!h to acti%ate =o%e/T'pe =a!ic, allowin! the user
to manipulate its thrown tra)ector' towards the tar!et The da!!er Lina
hurled chan!ed directions se%eral times in the air before fl'in!
towards Sulli%anKs bac$
An instant before the da!!er be!an its fli!ht, Sulli%an was aware that
e%en a %ampireKs ph'sical abilit' wasnKt enou!h to dod!e the da!!er
in time &owe%er, if it was himself with his mental powers restored,
then he should be able to cast Tra)ector' Alteration in time
0ith this in mind, Sulli%an concentrated on the da!!er and willed it to
fl' towards one of the hunters closin! in on his turned bac$ *riendl'
fire indeed, Sulli%an thou!ht mentall' Now, the da!!er en route
should ha%e altered its fli!ht path towards the hunterKs bac$
A soundless scream of terror slipped from Sulli%anKs lips
&is Tra)ector' Alteration abilit' completel' failed to affect LinaKs
=o%e/T'pe =a!ic
The difference in interference stren!th was simpl' too !reat
,nowin! that his abilit' was ineffecti%e, Sulli%an hurriedl' raised his
ri!ht arm, where LinaKs da!!er san$ deepl' upon impact
Sulli%anKs bod' stiffened
&is bac$ was slashed to ribbons b' :Ks combat $nife
Those would ha%e been fatal in)uries on a normal person
5et Sulli%an swept his arms around and sent : and her combat $nife
fl'in!
At this time, the mas$ed =a!ician appeared Those !olden pupils
pee$in! out from behind the mas$ beheld Sulli%anKs e'es
Lina halted and upholstered a pistol
All of a sudden, the shadows in the street released an electrical attac$
towards Lina
J, :, and Lina were completel' unable to detect this surprise attac$
before it spran!
Nonetheless, the electric shoc$ merel' !a%e off a flash and faded
awa' before comin! into contact with LinaKs bod'
Lina had acti%ated 0ide Area Disruption on reflex and nullified the
%ampireKs ma!ic
Durin! this time, LinaKs arm remained in its aimin! position
The mu33le was directl' pointed at Sulli%anKs heart
LinaKs fin!er ti!htened on the tri!!er
The bullet, reinforced b' Data *ortification, i!nored e%er' semblance
of defense and destro'ed Sulli%anKs heart
Lina did not dwell on this success for %er' lon! and be!an mo%in!
a!ain
&er e'es were loc$ed onto the !raduall' disappearin! ima!e of the
%ampire who released the electric attac$
? ? ?
Afterwards, the' used di%ination to point the wa' two more times
After wal$in! for approximatel' ten minutes, the two of them heard
the li!ht sound of runnin! footsteps The' were the sounds of rubber
heeled shoes, with one set of footsteps fleein! and the other steps in
pursuit
4ne of them was probabl' a runawa', the other li$el' the pursuer
The two of them exchan!ed a !lance
Then, without exchan!in! an' further si!nal, the two of them rushed
out
0ith different methods, the' had arri%ed at the same conclusion
//The' found it
+ri$a was sli!htl' ahead, with =i$ihi$o ri!ht on her heels
As she ran, +ri$a reached into the thin, lon! box she wore o%er her
bac$ and pulled out a na$ed sword that was not sheathed As a
replacement for the blade, the entire bod' of the blade was co%ered in
en!ra%in!s, !i%en that it was a weapon for!ed b' the (sori *amil'
This was a !ift from (sori ,ei to +ri$a as a replacement for the o%erl'
conspicuous 4rochimaru 0hile unable to achie%e the same power as
4rochimaru, it was still e1uipped with the abilit' to execute (nertia
Aancel
4n the other side, =i$ihi$o held a wooden cane in his ri!ht hand
while his left, about two fist len!ths awa' from his ri!ht, was 1uic$l'
flun! outwards Shootin! out of his slee%e, a fan li$e ob)ect was now
clasped in his left hand
The ob)ect that appeared to be an iron fan contained thin, paper/li$e
strips of metal lin$ed to!ether at a sin!le point +ach strip of metal
was co%ered in en!ra%in!s of %arious incantations and formations
These strips combined to form the iron fan that was the conduit for
psions fa%ored b' practitioners The tassel extendin! from the fan
went all the wa' into the slee%e, where it was connected to the de%ice
containin! the Acti%ation Se1uence that replaced an' need for
incantation
This was also a t'pe of AAD -ased on Tatsu'aKs su!!estion and
=i$ihi$oKs own ideas, this new t'pe of Ancient =a!ic supplemental
AAD was desi!ned to streamline the process where Ancient =a!ic
utili3ed both incantations and talismans
The two of them prepared for immediate combat and closed in on the
footsteps 4ccasionall', their rh'thm was !reatl' disrupted because
both of them were prepared for battle
+%en without this, +ri$aKs pace was still faster Ta$in! a shortcut alon!
the small alle' between the neat row of buildin!s and enterin! the
small par$ used for e%acuation purposes (actuall', more li$e the
temporar' e%acuation location durin! disasters), the two of them
finall' cau!ht si!ht of their tar!et
There were two humanoid fi!ures clashin! a!ainst one another 4ne
wore a lar!e o%ercoat and a hat to obscure an' hint of facial and
ph'sical features and the other wore a mas$ to co%er e%er'thin!
around the e'es
-oth of them appeared to be feminine
T=i$i, 'ou ta$e care of the one in the coat (Kll handle the one in the
mas$;U
-ased on LeoKs testimon', the one in the coat and hat was more li$el',
but someone wal$in! around in the dar$ of ni!ht and wearin! a mas$
to hide their features was also hi!hl' suspicious =ost importantl',
e%en from afar, the lar!e blade in the womanKs hand as well as her
expert handlin! of said weapon caused +ri$aKs sense of wariness to
spi$e
0ithout resortin! to Personal/Acceleration =a!ic and onl' rel'in! on
the +n!ra%in! =a!ic that increased the bladeKs stren!th, +ri$a slashed
towards the mas$ed woman +%en thou!h ma!ic was not used to
accelerate the blade, this was still a de!ree of speed that was
extremel' difficult to a%oid on ph'sical abilities alone except b' a
small portion of people who were masters in martial arts
That womanKs handlin! of the blade was certainl' first rate, but not
hi!h enou!h to be rated as a master
&ence e%en if she was able to ta$e one of +ri$aKs blows, there should
ha%e been no wa' for her to dod!e it R(f she was )ust a normal human
bein!, that is
A flash of li!ht
+ri$aKs blade touched nothin! but air while her tar!et had alread'
mo%ed three meters awa' from her
The li!ht wasnKt a ph'sical manifestation, but the psion li!ht that
accompanied the acti%ation of ma!ic After ta$in! notice of that, +ri$a
was entirel' unfa3ed that her attac$ had been dod!ed
The onl' detail worth' of shoc$ was the ma!icKs speed
+ri$a was confident that her opponent had not detected her attac$ until
the instant before the blow was struc$ (n short, durin! the short
instant when she raised her sword and struc$, her opponent was able
to select a ma!ical response, acti%ate it, and successfull' a%oid the
attac$
The mas$ed =a!ician shifted to a spot directl' beneath the street
lamp There was no wa' to tell, nor was there a need to, whether the
person in 1uestion actuall' cared that someone witnessed her present
That picture was deepl' en!ra%ed in +ri$aKs e'es and consciousness
0hat drew her attention was not the allurin! feminine features that
moc$ed the mas$Ks abilit' to hide them, nor the well/toned ph'sical
bod' that could be seen in spite of the hea%' clothin!, but the color of
her hair that was illuminated b' the street li!hts (t was a color that
one could not associate with human bein!s, an unhol' color
Dar$ enou!h to mista$e as blac$, a hair of the dar$est red
Alon! with the !olden pupils that seemed to draw one in, pee$in!
throu!h the !aps of the mas$
TSAttac$in!;U
&er swordsmanship trainin! acti%ated as if on reflex and bro$e free
from that draw +ri$a rallied and broadened her %ision, ta$in! the
entire bod' of the mas$ed =a!ician into %iew +ri$a reduced the
preparation wor$ down to a minimum and sprinted towards that
woman
She chose not to use an' :einforcement =a!ic A!ainst this t'pe of
opponent, ma!ical assistance would onl' achie%e the opposite effect,
so she relied on her instincts and abilit' to read her opponent
0ithout usin! ma!ic, +ri$a used a speed that was positi%el' ma!ic/
li$e to close in on that woman
4n the mas$ed =a!icianKs side, traces of wa%erin! could be seen
0ithout an' hesitation, +ri$a raised her sword
The mas$ed =a!ician released another ma!ic li!ht This wasnKt
Personal Acceleration =a!ic, but a Personal =o%e/T'pe =a!ic
+ri$a didnKt ha%e the abilit' to identif' the =a!ic Se1uence in an
instant
(n comparison, +ri$a possessed a set of piercin! e'es that belon!ed to
a trained swordsman
0ithout waitin! for her opponent to finish the motion, she had alread'
determined the direction of mo%ement in that same instant and altered
the path of her sword
&er sword swun! hard in the re%erse direction and passed o%er the
dar$ crimson hair of the stran!e woman who was directl' beneath the
direction of the swin!
She acti%ated the (nertia Aancel Abilit' and reined in her swin!
The mas$ed woman maintained her crouchin! position and leaped
hori3ontall'
+ri$a forcibl' halted her pursuin! footsteps
:i!ht before her, a da!!er hit the !round
Ta$in! ad%anta!e of +ri$aKs inacti%it', the mas$ed woman rose from
one $nee
The dar$ red tresses fluctuated wildl'
+ri$aKs sword without a blade had sheared throu!h the head band
holdin! bac$ the mas$ed womanKs hair based on speed alone
The scattered strands were chest len!th The li!ht wind caused her
hair to flutter, !i%in! an alto!ether unhol' %ibe to her appearance
((f her s$in is also blac$, she would be li$e ,ali come a!ainLL)
After briefl' considerin! this, +ri$a $ept her !uard up as she carefull'
examined her stalemated opponent &er appearance mi!ht seem li$e a
)o$e, but her s$ills were un1uestionabl' first class As for her ma!ical
s$ill, ri!ht now, that earlier performance in that solitar' instant was
enou!h to rate her be'ond first class +ri$aKs competiti%e spirit told
her that at this current rate, she would lose the initiati%e and be forced
onto the defensi%e, culminatin! in a crushin! defeat that was be'ond
ima!inin!
The outcome could be fatal if she o%erloo$ed an' opportunit'
*ortunatel', the woman appeared to be 1uite distracted +%en with this
tense standoff with +ri$a, her ultimate attention was still directed
towards the cloa$ed T%ampireU
The woman was actin! on her own, whereas +ri$a and =i$ihi$o
mo%ed as a team
+ri$a concluded that there was an opportunit' to exploit in there
The mas$ed woman and 'oun! swordswoman watched each other
-ehind +ri$a, a roar of thunder could be heard
The !olden pupils flic$ed awa' from +ri$a
(n that instant, +ri$a swun! her blade forward
-ehind him came the sound of rushin! wind
=i$ihi$o perfectl' understood how capable +ri$aKs techni1ues were
+%en thou!h he was not formall' trained in swordsmanship, Ancient
=a!ic and traditional martial arts were deepl' entwined to the point
that it was almost !eneral $nowled!e
0ithin the Ahiba *amil', it was not an exa!!eration to sa' that +ri$aKs
abilities were second onl' to her father and older brothers &owe%er,
in terms of pure swordsmanship, she had alread' surpassed her
fatherKs techni1ue and was hot in pursuit of her !enius second brother
And %ersus +ri$aKs slash, her opponent dod!ed that attac$ instead of
ta$in! the blow -ased on this alone, the opponent +ri$a was up
a!ainst was no random scrub &owe%erS
(LLThe one o%er here isnKt a pusho%er either)
There was no chance for him to offer an' aid
The opponent that s1uared off a!ainst him was )ust as Leo had
describedI hat worn low, white cloth mas$, lon! o%ercoat
She was not holdin! a weapon, thou!h she mi!ht be concealin! one
Still, this was enou!h to constitute a threat
LeoKs bod' had not contained an' blatant in)uries sa%e for ordinar'
bruises There were no si!ns of lacerations or burns (n other words,
=i$ihi$o belie%ed that his opponent didnKt utili3e fire, thunder, or
blades a!ainst Leo durin! their conflict
An' weapon in%ol%ed would ha%e to be a blunt, blud!eonin! tool
4therwise, she ma' ha%e resorted to her fists
Up until now, the an!les of attac$ were within their predicted
parameters
That bein! said, if an'thin! did escape their notice, it would ha%e to
be the enem'Ks outlandish speed and stren!th
:estricted to *ortification =a!ic, Leo was a first class practitioner
The female %ampire R =i$ihi$o assi!ned his opponent a !ender for
simplicit'Ks sa$e R swun! her fist towards =i$ihi$o The hea%' !lo%es
worn o%er the hands pre%ented her from inflictin! an' external
in)uries, but in recompense, the' could pro%ide tellin! blows on an
opponentKs internal or!ans
As expected, =i$ihi$o extended his iron fan (shaped AAD) and
tapped on of the metal strips with a fin!er
(0ataboshi)
Soundlessl' incantin! the spell, the acti%ated psions were passed
alon! his fin!ertip and acti%ated the spell
The demon fist was accompanied b' rushin! wind +%en throu!h the
o%ercoat, that slender wrist contained unima!inable power and
possessed almost sonic speed
Althou!h =i$ihi$o had obtained superior ph'sical abilities than$s to
intense trainin!, there was still no wa' he could a%oid a blow tra%elin!
at the speed of sound within that time frame
//A bloc$ of compressed air rushed towards =i$ihi$o before the
ph'sical blow arri%ed
//Aau!ht alon! the wind, =i$ihi$oKs bod' li!htl' floated awa'
&e a%oided the fistKs tra)ector' b' mo%in! with the air flow
(mmediatel' followin! on the heels of the air flow, the punch closed
in This was the application of the Ancient =a!ic concept T:idin! the
0indU b' combinin! !ra%it' nullification and inertia cancel into
phenomena alteration
=i$ihi$o mo%ed to his opponentKs flan$ and at the same time he
touched down because the effect %anished, he swun! the cane he held
in his ri!ht hand upwards at his enem'Ks outstretched ri!ht wrist,
ta$in! aim at the )oint
4ri!inall' intended to shatter the wrist with the downward blow, the
cane snapped in two with a clean brea$
&e subconsciousl' felt the numbness tra%elin! alon! the cane bac$ to
his hand while the other half prompted him to let !o of the bro$en
staff
(T-arrierU> 4r is this T0itherin!>U)
=i$ihi$o proacti%el' leaped bac$wards to a%oid the sc'thin! $arate
chop, and immediatel' pulled out a throwin! da!!er from his hidden
poc$et &e hurtled what could onl' be called a tin' throwin! blade at
his opponentKs outstretched wrist
Unfortunatel', the small blade onl' po$ed a hole in the o%ercoat and
failed to pierce an' further before bouncin! bac$
(T-arrierU, eh;)
There wasnKt an' si!n of ma!ic acti%ation in response to the thrown
da!!er, which meant that his opponent normall' surrounded herself
with a pro)ectile repellant field =i$ihi$oKs anal'sis led him to belie%e
that the uncommon power behind those punches and slashes was
probabl' also tied to this barrier
((n that caseLL)
&e mo%ed his fin!er and opened the first metal strip that was
pre%iousl' sealed
At the most easil' accessible slot, he had prepared the most complex
spell
0ithin =i$ihi$oKs $nowled!e, there was no ma!ic techni1ue complex
enou!h to create a barrier that bloc$ed ph'sical matter and ma!ical
ener!'
Althou!h the chance that there were multiple barriers in%ol%ed was
definitel' not 3ero, it was still worth' of puttin! it to the test
(TThunder AhildU)
Thunder Ahild R or more traditionall' $nown as TThunder SpawnU,
was a ma!ic that recreated a small scale thunderbolt in a small space
This was onl' an inferior imitation of the true ma!ic that actuall'
manipulated the clouds, TThunder AloudU, but its dischar!e and
%olta!e were )ust as powerful
A roar of destruction resounded throu!h the s$' and sped o%er the s$'
to the other end where it la' o%er the head of the %ampire and released
the electricit' The instant the ma!ic acti%ated, a hit was alread'
predetermined +lectricit' homed in on the %ampireKs head at .##
million meters per second
The ensuin! sound could onl' be described as a beast 'owlin! in pain
at the %olume of fabric bein! rent Swiftl', the %oice was chan!ed to a
more fittin! masculine %oice The li!ht that permeated the tar!et after
the stri$e was transferred to the hands of the female %ampire as she
held her head &er fin!ertips cac$led with sound and released spar$s
There, electricit' in excess amounts of what =i$ihi$o produced was
bein! !athered
(Dispersion/T'pe =a!ic;)
+xtractin! electrons from within an ob)ect was one of the techni1ues
in the *our =a)or T'pes and +i!ht S'stems and was a fundamental
techni1ue in Dispersion/T'pe =a!ic Since part of the electronKs
TphenomenaU was replaced, Dispersion/T'pe =a!ic was able to
channel hi!her amounts of electricit' compared to electric abilities
from Ancient =a!ic
The electricit' ran amo$ as it tried to hit =i$ihi$o as he rolled bac$ to
a%oid the blow
0hen comparin! Dispersion/T'pe =a!ic from modern ma!ic with
electric ma!ic from Ancient =a!ic, the power of the former was
!reater at the cost of less control =i$ihi$o was onl' able to a%oid the
first blow than$s to this Still, when literall' faced with a power that
mo%ed at the speed of electricit' at this ran!e, =i$ihi$o wasnKt
confident that he could $eep dod!in! fore%er
=i$ihi$o re!retted his unconscious error at lea%in! one aspect of his
opponentKs attac$ unaccounted for as he started desi!nin! defensi%e
ma!ic =i$ihi$o wasnKt tr'in! to match her power and merel' tried to
create a dense bloc$ of air as a ma!ic shield
&owe%er, this was a state where his opponent had alread' cast ma!ic
Somehow, she mana!ed to cast ma!ic without resortin! to Acti%ation
Se1uences and there was no si!n the spells wea$enin!
(n short, this was true ma!ic
ThereKs no time//
=i$ihi$o had alread' come to !rips with his hopeless situation, but
that doomed future did not come to pass
//(t was as if a storm had extin!uished a candle flame
//A shot of psion information bod' %anished alon! with the electricit'
in the %ampireKs hand
The mas$ed woman raised her left arm to bloc$ +ri$aKs downward
swin!in! sword
Accompanied b' a dull sound, the impact failed to !i%e an impression
of a bone fracture or shreddin! throu!h the flesh There was probabl'
a li!htwei!ht composite metal or cushion bod' armor R somethin! li$e
a bracer in%ol%ed
+%en if there wasnKt a $illin! intent in%ol%ed, +ri$a didnKt show an'
merc'
&er opponent held a !un in her ri!ht hand +%en if her opponentKs
mas$ was hilarious, she had under!one ri!orous trainin! as combat
personnel and not merel' as a =a!ician R0ariness permeated e%er'
inch of +ri$aKs consciousness as she willed her bod' to s1uee3e out an
extra ounce of power
The bracer that drew closer to the chin dipped R onl' because the
downward stri$in! blade had been retracted
-efore the wrist holdin! the !un could be raised, +ri$a shifted to her
opponentKs left flan$
&alf a beat before the raised !un could be aimed, +ri$a had alread'
struc$ the !un
Than$s to the suppressi%e nature of silencer, the !unshot was %er'
li!ht
The mas$ed woman reached out with her left hand towards +ri$aKs
face
She formed a circle with her thumb and middle fin!er
-efore her open hand, a small ball of electricit' danced around
+ri$a automaticall' acti%ated Personal Acceleration =a!ic
&er bod' achie%ed a de!ree of motion that surpassed common sense
:etreatin! to a%oid the electric ball, +ri$a lun!ed for the =a!icianKs
e'es before the mu33le could be pointed at her
Cot her, +ri$a thou!ht
<ust as this thou!ht crossed her mind and as +ri$a stepped within
stri$in! distance of her sword,
She was $noc$ed aside b' a sudden force that rose from feet le%el and
was onl' conscious of what had happened in the next moment
The shoc$ caused her consciousness to loosen her !rasp on the sword
for onl' a brief second
+ri$a immediatel' reco%ered her footin!
&owe%er, her opponent failed to ta$e ad%anta!e of the openin! for a
follow up attac$
The mas$ed =a!ician pressed her ri!ht shoulder with her left hand
=a'be it was Acceleration/T'pe or =o%e/T'pe =a!ic, but before she
was blown awa' b' her opponent, +ri$a mana!ed to connect a %icious
blow with her bladeless sword a!ainst her enem'Ks ri!ht shoulder The
mas$ed =a!ician $ept a hand on her shoulder while she !a3ed in the
direction of =i$ihi$o and the %ampireKs on!oin! brawl
To be precise, she was loo$in! e%en further She was watchin! a
'oun! man ridin! atop a motorc'cle with a sil%er AAD pointed at the
%ampire
The 'oun!sterKs face was obscured b' the helmet, so his features
could not be identified
(Tatsu'a/$unLL>)
(n spite of this, e%en barel' $eepin! a wea$ !rasp on her
consciousness as she maintained a combat stance, +ri$a clearl' beheld
with her e'es the form of her classmate beneath the street li!hts
+ri$a, =i$ihi$o, and the %ampire
Ta$in! in the si!ht of friend and foe intermixed with one another,
Tatsu'a loo$ed towards the mas$ed =a!ician as if drawn b' those
!olden pupils of hers
The mas$ed =a!ician raised her left hand at Tatsu'a Li$e a seal, the
premonition of ma!ic in%ocation was alread' at her fin!ertips in an
instant
&owe%er, that premonition faded awa' as the world was bein!
o%erwritten
Those !olden pupils were !reatl' sha$en
Three times she attempted to acti%ate different sorts of ma!ic, and
three times the' were blown awa'
+%er'one heard an TAhU The one who called out was =i$ihi$o, and
there was no need to state the reason
The %ampire was fleein!
&idden beneath the %isor, Tatsu'aKs !a3e drifted from the mas$ed
=a!ician
4nl' for the briefest of instants
The mas$ed =a!ician was not !oin! to let that instant pass b'
The next techni1ue wasnKt ma!ic
+%en if his !a3e was a%erted, so lon! as it was ma!ic, nothin! could
escape Tatsu'aKs T%isionU
(n other words, the mas$ed =a!ician also noticed that detail
The swa'in! ri!ht hand that held the !un pointed downward spat out a
bullet
Aimed around her feet, spar$s flew and immediatel' turned into
flashes
The dull sound of !unshots resounded fi%e times, until the mas$ed
=a!ician was entirel' obscured b' the flashes
Tatsu'a directed his ma!ic at the mas$ed =a!icianKs bod'
&e aimed at her le!s and attempted to use Decomposition =a!ic R or
at least that was the plan
The information bod' that should ha%e depicted the actual ph'sical
form onl' contained surface data and no actual content
0hile there were records of color and outer appearance, there was no
related information on mass, ph'sical desi!n or chemical composition
Tatsu'a suspended his ma!ic and lowered his arm
After the flashes faded from the par$, there was no si!n of the mas$ed
=a!ician or the %ampire
TAre the two of 'ou alri!ht>U
Abandonin! the pursuit, Tatsu'a climbed off the motorc'cle and
remo%ed his helmet before chec$in! on the othersK situation
=i$ihi$o appeared to ha%e been spared an' ph'sical in)uries
+ri$a on the other handLL
TLL(Km !ettin! a little embarrassed at the staresU
TAh, sorr'U
Aop'in! the example set before him with =i$ihi$o blushin! and
turnin! around, Tatsu'a followed suit
This was not to sa' that there was much in the wa' of re%ealed flesh
The protecti%e under!arments appeared to be undama!ed (tKs )ust that
there were cuts and tears all alon! the clothes and near the chest area
and there were hints of her cur%es showin!
<ust li$e an o%erl' excited roc$ band on sta!e
This alone would hardl' 1ualif' as indecorous, since this was
comparable to wearin! a swimsuit on the beach or while swimmin!,
but wearin! this on the street would probabl' be a little embarrassin!
TLL&e', can 'ou lend me a coat or somethin!>U
0a' to show off 'our carin! side As if hearin! someone sa' this,
=i$ihi$o franticall' too$ off his short )ac$et and threw it o%er to
+ri$aKs side (Tatsu'a was wearin! a shoulder holster under his coat,
so he wasnKt able to do so)
TThan$s, (Km !ood nowU
She wasnKt in the nude, nor was she an'where close to semi/nude
TToo exa!!eratedU was Tatsu'aKs undis!uised feelin!s on the matter,
but perhaps this was another sense of aesthetics (n the end, this was
far better than bein! completel' bra3en or lac$in! in shame
T+ri$a, are 'ou hurt>U
She seemed fine based on what he could see, but he still wanted to as$
her to be sure
TThan$full' ( wore under armor 4therwise, (Kd be in serious troubleU
The phrase under armor was certainl' out of date, thou!h Tatsu'a
wasnKt sure if it was a blessin! or a curse that he $new Tunder armorU
referred to somethin! else :ather than the hea%' !ear worn beneath
armor that ser%ed as protection a!ainst impact and s$in lacerations, the
Tunder armorU that +ri$a referred to was a set of underwear made of
s'nthetic rubber that possessed multiple 1ualities li$e bein!
bulletproof and slashin! resistance Unli$e hea%' ,e%lar, there were
ad%anta!es li$e a minimal restriction on mo%ement as well as
remainin! inconspicuous e%en when worn beneath re!ular clothin!
4n the other hand, strictl' from a material perspecti%e, the form fittin!
desi!n was not popular amon! those who wished to hide their ph'sical
features Normall', this wouldnKt be an issue with other clothes on top,
but this time, the suit posed a ha3ard to an' accompan'in! e'es rather
than the person in 1uestion
TThere appeared to be ,amaitachi mixed in with the !ustU
T( belie%e 'ouKre correct Seriousl'LL That accursed mas$ SheKs
!oin! to pa' for m' clothes next time we meetU
TStill, 'our opponentKs collar bone appeared to be causin! her !reat
painU
TThis is this That is thatU
As Tatsu'a said, +ri$a was not solel' on the recei%in! end and had
mana!ed to !et in a %en!eful stri$e of her own Thou!h the blow was
sli!htl' shallow, +ri$aKs blade definitel' made contact with the
mas$ed =a!icianKs ri!ht shoulder before she was blown awa' b' the
!ust
+%en if Tatsu'a had not personall' witnessed the occurrence, he still
would ha%e accuratel' deduced the proceedin!s based on the mas$ed
=a!icianKs appearance as well as the extent of dama!e done to +ri$aKs
clothes
TNow that 'ou mention it, Tatsu'a/$un, wh' are 'ou here>U
Ci%en the loo$ on her face, this was a 1uestion that +ri$a was burnin!
to as$ from the %er' be!innin! rather than somethin! she )ust
happened to stumble upon As for how to answer that, Tatsu'a
pondered se%eral different an!les before finall' settlin! on the direct
answer RLar!el' because this was the more interestin! one
T0h' are 'ou as$in! me> 4b%iousl' because ( recei%ed =i$ihi$oKs
messa!eU
=i$ihi$o face faulted and sent a T5ou traitorU loo$ at Tatsu'a
T&mHHU
&owe%er, in the face of that le%el of displeasure, =i$ihi$o reluctantl'
turned his e'es bac$ to +ri$a
TSo thatKs how 'ou were able to ma$e it in a nic$ of time Nice wor$,
=i$iU
The phrase was complimentar' on the surface, and this was a situation
where con!ratulations were in order
4b%iousl', the onl' responses =i$ihi$o could muster under that
context were TAhU and TThatU
No matter how he heard it, the %oice that wi!!led into his ears failed
to sound positi%e
TSpea$in! of which, when exactl' did 'ou ma$e contact> (, donKt
thin$ ( was e%er aware of thisU
TU
4f course she ne%er heard about this, since the' ne%er told +ri$a in the
first place &a%in! Tatsu'a follow their si!nal was entirel' =i$ihi$oKs
independent decision Naturall', he also had to report all their findin!s
to Tatsu'a Upon reflection, e%en =i$ihi$o himself would be hard
pressed to explain how he arri%ed at this conclusion
Under +ri$aKs cold !a3e, cold sweat rolled down =i$ihi$oKs brow
This was exactl' li$e Ta fro! fro3en under the e'es of a serpentU (t
loo$ed li$e he was unable to extract himself b' his own power,
Tatsu'a concluded with a mental TThatKs far enou!hU
TCu's, ( apolo!i3e for bar!in! in on 'our con%ersation, but shouldnKt
we relocate>U
&earin! another %oice brea$ into the con%ersation, +ri$a blin$ed twice
and reluctantl' pulled out a mostl' undama!ed information terminal
T( belie%e people are con%er!in! here>U
At Tatsu'aKs hint, =i$ihi$o franticall' remo%ed his own information
terminal
+ri$a %erified the time Almost fi%e minutes had elapsed since the'
made contact with the %ampire and mas$ed =a!ician The other
!roups would probabl' arri%e shortl'
=i$ihi$o unfolded the pursuit displa' The bri!ht li!hts indicatin!
allied in%esti!ators were ad%ancin! alon! irre!ular lines, a clear
indication that the' were definitel' not actin! in concert with the other
in%esti!atin! teams
T5ou donKt ha%e appro%al from the Alan =eetin!, do 'ou>U
0hile the' were not part of the in%esti!ati%e team led b' the Sae!usa
*amil', the' acted on an'thin! worth' of punishment
Still, if at all possible, it was worthwhile to a%oid notif'in! the
Sae!usa and <uumon)i *amil'Ks in%esti!ati%e team that the' had
en!a!ed in combat within their )urisdiction This could pro%e to be
especiall' troublesome if the' ran afoul of the pre%ious Student
Aouncil President
0hile the two of them a!oni3ed o%er this, Tatsu'a was preparin! to
e%acuate without a care in the world
T+ri$a, need a ride>U
4nce a!ain boardin! his motorc'cle, Tatsu'a as$ed aloud,
TSure, than$sU
To which +ri$a )umped onto the bac$seat and wrapped her arms
snu!l' around Tatsu'aKs waist
TTatsu'a, what about me>U
TSorr', o%er capacit'U
(n response to =i$ihi$oKs a!itated 1uestion, Tatsu'a flipped the en!ine
switch
T5ouKll !et fined for ridin! without a helmet;U
&earin! the shout rom behind him intermixed with frustration (and not
a small amount of unwillin!ness to admit defeat), Tatsu'a sped off on
the motorc'cle (Spea$in! of which, the fine for not obser%in! the
dut' to wear a helmet no lon!er existed in the 6.st centur' (nstead,
the dri%er could be char!ed with %ehicular manslau!hter dependin! on
the extent of the passen!ersK in)uries)
After losin! his )ac$et and bein! left behind, =i$ihi$o could onl'
stand there blan$l' for the moment
? ? ?
After returnin! to the mobile base that was dis!uised as a news %an,
An!ie Sirius R or LinaKs current form, !a%e the order to retreat e%en
before she too$ a seat
No one 1uestioned her orders because this was the expected action
The moment she sat down, the mobile base soundlessl' be!an to
mo%e Still, the interior of the %ehicle was filled with confusion, an
almost T( want to as$ but am too afraid to spea$ upU t'pe of
atmosphere The ruin of her hair and the dirtied boots caused b' the
flash practicall' screamed that she Tfled bac$U Nonetheless, the word
TfleeU was simpl' incompatible with the &i!h Aommander of Stars,
TSiriusU
T=a)orU
The interior possessed enou!h hei!ht to constitute a ceilin!, but in
spite of this, the two other members still bent at the waist in front of
Lina
T0e are terribl' sorr'U
The reason the two of them were apolo!i3in! was because the' fell
behind durin! the pursuit Lina en!a!ed the %ampire on her own
because her two companions were unable to $eep up with her speed
TDonKt worr' Althou!h a third part' interfered, ( bear the
responsibilit' for lettin! the tar!et !et awa'U
TLLThan$ 'ou %er' muchU
T(n addition, we successfull' carried out Ser!eant Sulli%anKs
punishment, so we canKt chal$ this up as a complete failure &a%e we
reco%ered the Ser!eantKs corpse>U
T:eco%er' confirmedU
T(s that so>U
&earin! the %oice from behind the two before her, Lina relaxed and
nodded her head
T(mmediatel' autops' the Ser!eantKs corpse Also, were 'ou able to
identif' the other one ( was pursuin!>U
&owe%er, she immediatel' ti!htened her expression and as$ed the
next 1uestion
T( am %er' sorr' Althou!h we were able to record a psion wa%e
si!nature, there are currentl' no matches in our databaseU
TSo itKs not a deserterLL 4therwise, the psion wa%e si!nature ma'
ha%e chan!edU
T(Km afraid itKs probabl' the latterU
TUnderstood Aontinue the pursuit based on the recorded psion wa%e
si!natureU
T5es, maKamU
Upon hearin! this response, Lina ordered the two before her to return
to their seats and leaned bac$ into her chair
Lina pressed a hand to her ri!ht shoulder and cast &ealin!/T'pe
=a!ic on herself *ortunatel', she was able to $eep a stoic expression
in front of her subordinates than$s to her ma!ical dis!uise, but she had
fired a !un while the collarbone was crac$ed, causin! a full blown
fracture that was painful enou!h to almost reduce her to tears
(&ow come ( ne%er heard that +ri$a was so stron!;> And Tatsu'a used
some sort of m'sterious abilit' to completel' nullif' m'
techni1ueLL 0hat the hell is up with <apanese hi!h school students
these da's;>)
Aompletel' i!norin! her own a!e, Lina complained bitterl' in the
pri%ac' of her own mind
? ? ?
T&uh> *rom 4ba/sama>U
After sweepin! a !lance o%er her older brother, who had hurriedl' left
the house after !lancin! at the information terminal from his poc$et
and )ust returned while explainin! the situation, =i'u$i couldnKt help
but as$ this 1uestion
(mmediatel' after the 1uestion, she flushed in embarrassment after
reali3in! her improper beha%ior
Still, Tatsu'a felt that her 1uestion was onl' a natural course of e%ents,
so he wasnKt !oin! to chide his sister o%er such a minor detail
TThereKs somethin! ( wish to discuss with 4ba/ueU
(n other words, could 'ou please call her for me, was Tatsu'aKs re1uest
to =i'u$i
The ma)orit' of those wor$in! for the 5otsuba *amil' were aware that
Tatsu'a was =a'aKs nephew At the same time, the' also $new that
Tatsu'a ser%ed as nothin! more than a tool R+xcept, onl' a select
minorit' had access to the information that he was bein! utili3ed as a
weapon (n li!ht of this, e%en if Tatsu'a reached out to his aunt %ia
phone, the call would ine%itabl' be curtailed
(n other words, for!et Tatsu'a, not e%en =i'u$i $new the number for
the direct line The information control surroundin! the 5otsuba
*amil' was se%eral times more intense than the !o%ernment, and that
was no idle exa!!eration b' those in the $now
TSo lon! as 4nii/sama sa's so Aan 'ou !i%e me a minute>U
TAhLL (Kll !o chan!e as wellU
+%en thou!h the' were related b' blood, the occasional phone call or
%ideo call failed to materiali3e That was the t'pe of existence that
their aunt (and other famil' members) was
T( apolo!i3e for callin! 'ou so lateU
TThatKs fine Aompared to that, itKs 1uite rare for =i'u$i to call me b'
phoneU
As usual, =a'a appeared on the screen of the %ideo call with her
customar', a!e/def'in! beaut' and m'sterious smile &a'ama stood
b' her side, dressed neatl' in a three piece suit 0hile Tatsu'a
pondered the oddit' of ha%in! &a'ama attend a famil' call, Tatsu'a
was also standin! next to =i'u$i in a blac$ suit, so the' were
probabl' about the same
After the usual customar' words of welcome that carefull' mas$ed the
mountin! a!itation, =i'u$i used an ob)ecti%e tone R a definite chore
for her in this case R to con%e' the hi!hli!hts of Tatsu'aKs messa!e
TTatsu'a too> This is also somethin! rareU
Ahoosin! to for!o an' attempt to hide her interest, =a'a allowed
Tatsu'a to spea$
T4ba/ue, thereKs actuall' one thin! ( would li$e to as$ 'ou and another
( would li$e to re1uestU
TCo aheadU
=a'a nodded in an excellent mood 0ell, at least from her
appearance, at least
T(n that case, allow me to !o ri!ht aheadLL 4ba/ue, can 'ou please
tell me how the ,udou *amil'Ks Aounter =a!ic TParadeU wor$s>U
Next to Tatsu'a, =i'u$i emitted a small sound while shoc$ suffused
her face
4n the screen, &a'ama raised one e'ebrow si!nificantl'
Unable to mas$ her expression, =a'a burst into lau!hter
TAome nowLL Tatsu'a, TParadeU is one of the ,udou *amil'Ks
closest !uarded secrets Did 'ou thin$ ( would $now this secret>U
Amid her lau!hter, =a'a deflected the 1uestion
T4ba/ue once learned from +lder ,udou directl' +%en if 'ou do not
$now the =a!ic Se1uence, (Km sure 'ou at least $now the ins and
outs, correct>U
After establishin! that Tshe couldnKt teach himU, Tatsu'a continued
pushin! with his own 1uestion
TAounter =a!ic TParadeU applies Data *ortification on 'our own
+idos and rewrites or alters 'our appearance To be precise, it is a
=a!ic Se1uence that applies a different appearance or a fa$e mas$ on
the +idos and creates a false appearance, usin! the new appearance to
mas$ the ori!inal in order to protect the real form from hostile ma!ical
effects, correct>U
Not onl' was he pushin! on, he also supplied his own h'pothesis
TLLUAlterationU =a!ic is somethin! that cannot be achie%ed in the
real world, but ( thin$ 'ou are alread' aware of that, no>U
=a'a responded directl' to Tatsu'aKs h'pothesis <ust this alone was
sufficient to inform Tatsu'a re!ardin! the truth of his words, but this
wasnKt enou!h to satisf' Tatsu'a
T:ather than usin! TAlterationU, a simple ad)ust at the %isual le%el
usin! Li!ht :efraction =a!ic would be enou!h The problem lies in
that Li!ht :efraction =a!ic cannot escape m' Te'eU, hence where the
issue liesU
T4nii/sama, thatLLU
The one who responded %erball' while loo$in! completel' astounded
was =i'u$i
T( canKt belie%e that thereKs an opponent who cannot be identified b'
4nii/samaLLU
TNot onl' that, the' also a%oided =ist DispersalU
Pale faced, =i'u$i was struc$ dumb
As if she also recei%ed a blow, =a'a wrin$led her brows in an instant
on the other side of the screen
Thou!h she swiftl' reco%ered her smilin! %isa!e, the tan!ent in the
con%ersation had been dispelled
T(f =ist Dispersal is useless, then Trident should ha%e no problemU
TAan Parade be cast on top of itself>U
At =a'aKs su!!estion, Tatsu'a once more %entured another 1uestion
5et, =a'aKs response referred to a wholl' unrelated topic
T-' m' recollection, when it came to Parade, it was senseiKs 'oun!er
brother who was more adept at Parade than sensei himselfU
TThan$ 'ou %er' much 4ba/ue, it appears that ( will be unable to
handle this incident alone &ere, ( formall' re1uest for
reinforcementsU
T(s that the re1uest 'ou would li$e me to !rant>U
Across the screen, aunt and nephew cau!ht each otherKs e'e
TLLEer' well (t is true that thin!s ha%e pro!ressed far be'ond our
initial estimates
( will allow 'ou to ma$e contact with =a)or ,a3amaU
Tatsu'a bowed and retreated out of the %ideo screen
Chapter 7
(t was another mornin!, and another school da' Tatsu'a exited the
station with =i'u$i and the two of them went to meet up with their
friends, then !o on their wa' to school 4ne had left earlier in the 'ear,
and last wee$ 'et another had !one, but besides that it was the same as
since sprin!
This mornin!, howe%er, somethin! different awaited Tatsu'a -efore
the' could find their friends, the %oice of a senior called out from the
tic$et !ate -oth Tatsu'a and =i'u$i had alread' been aware of her
presence before she had called out
At this time, most of the people usin! the station were students of *irst
&i!h and associated persons Unli$e with the mass transit trains of
old, it is now uncommon to see lar!e crowds of passen!ers at the
station all at the same time Nonetheless, in order to !et out of the wa'
of the students arri%in! moment b' moment, the siblin!s wal$ed o%er
to where =a'umi stood b' the wall
=ore than a few students flic$ered !lances their wa', but none of
them were o%erl' concerned There was nothin! particularl' wondrous
about the pre%ious Student Aouncil President and the current Eice/
President con%ersin!, and that the brother of the EP was a fa%ourite
with the pre%ious Pre3 Sfrom a !ossip point of %iew an'wa'S was a
well $nown fact amon!st *irst &i!h
(n truth, there wasn9t e%en a con%ersation 0ithout lin$in! up and
wal$in! to school to!ether, Tatsu'a and =i'u$i went throu!h the
tic$et !ate =a'umi had uttered onl' one lineI 2After school, come to
the second cross/field club room2
The cross/field club (a club for ma!ic combat sur%i%al !ames) was a
club ,atsuto had once been a member of Their second club room
implicitl' ser%ed as an informal meetin! place, and amon!st those in
the $now, it was an open secret that ,atsuto continued to use this
room pri%atel' after he had left the club Sure enou!h, when Tatsu'a
turned up, both =a'umi and ,atsuto were alread' waitin!
25ou9re alone>2
(t wasn9t )ust ,atsuto who as$ed this, but a surprised =a'umi as well
25es, 'ou called onl' me after all2
Truth be told =i'u$i had %ehementl' insisted on accompan'in! him,
but he had somehow e%entuall' mana!ed to coax her cooperation S
The price had been as cheap as promisin! to accompan' and treat her
to a ca$e buffet
:e!ardless, it was e%ident that Tatsu'a had come himself 0hile it
was true that =a'umi had called out Tatsu'a onl', she hadn9t reall'
expected that =i'u$i actuall' wouldn9t come Despite that, she
immediatel' launched into the topic at hand
2Tatsu'a/$un, last ni!ht, did 'ou !o out>2
=a'umi9s 1uestion was within Tatsu'a9s expectations
2( did2
&e didn9t add 90hat of it>9
2-' bi$e>2
25es2
People normall' become more tal$ati%e when tr'in! to decei%e
another Tatsu'a at this moment howe%er had no need to fei!n
%erbosit'
2=a' ( as$ where 'ou were !oin!>2
:ather, it was =a'umi who had to pu33le o%er how best to proceed
She didn9t ha%e the de%iousness or experience for such subtle probin!
,atsuto, waitin! beside her, didn9t e%en seem to be bothered at all
2( was called b' 5oshida who was en!a!in! the %ampire, and saw
there both the %ampire as well as an unidentified ma!ician who was
followin! it2
Thin!s could ta$e a while at this rate Tatsu'a thou!ht, as he
%oluntaril' decided to ad%ance the discussion As =a'umi blin$ed in
ama3ement, he $ept his expression emotionless +%en a more
experienced adult, for example =a'umi9s father, would ha%e found it
difficult to read his face
She had no idea what he was thin$in!
That simpl' fueled =a'umi9s anxiet', and her ps'cholo!ical defenses
be!an to wa%er
2*rom when>2
Perhaps steppin! in to support =a'umi, or perhaps not, ,atsuto came
up with a 1uestion in her stead
2( merel' rushed o%er 'esterda' because ( was called ( was not
in%ol%ed in the actual search for the %ampire2
Since the 1uestion didn9t as$ b' whom, or for what, Tatsu'a omitted
such thin!s in his answer &e had no interest in findin! out what
,atsuto or =a'umi thou!ht either
2The two of 'ou are aware that Sai)ou of Alass ./+ was attac$ed,
correct>2
There was no wa' the' didn9t $now &e was more ma$in! a statement
than as$in! a 1uestion The repl' was of course in the affirmati%e
2(t9s not )ust me who wants to find out exactl' what is !oin! on Until
those responsible are found and apprehended, there can be no peace
0hether there9s a lone culprit or a !roup, whether it9s non/
communicable or conta!iousM sheddin! li!ht on at least these is the
bare minimum2
&a%in! bein! loo$in! at the two of them while tal$in!, Tatsu'a now
shifted his !a3e to =a'umi alone
2Sempai, if 'ou don9t at least tell me how much 'ou $now about the
situation, or what 'ou intend to do about it, ( can9t help 'ou2
&is sei3in! the initiati%e was probabl' the opposite of what was
expected Ta$in! a breath, =a'umi9s expression turned serious
2(f Tatsu'a/$un promises to help, we9ll !ladl' !i%e 'ou the
information we9%e !ot As (9m sure 'ou $now thou!h, 'ou mustn9t lea$
an'thin!2
2Understood Let9s cooperate2
Tatsu'a a!reed immediatel' to =a'umi9s proposal (t was the answer
she had wanted to hear, but bein! unable to comprehend his true
intentions, she continued to scrutini3e him for a while
2Does that mean 'ou9ll )oin our search parties>2
2That9s what ( meant2
20h' now, all of a sudden> (t9s not li$e 'ou didn9t see the conference
notice2
That was ,atsuto spea$in! The Sae!usa and <uumon)i families had
)ointl' set up 9Eampire &unt9 teams, and notices had been sent to the
heads of the Ten =aster &ouses, .V auxiliar' houses, and &undred
*amilies re1uestin! cooperation (f one is not connected with the
9Numbers9 then it9s certainl' not somethin! a mere hi!h school student
would ha%e seen, 'et ,atsuto was basicall' spea$in! as if it were
alread' a fact
2Aonsiderin! (9m not e%en of the &undred *amilies, ( had thou!ht it9s
none of m' business2
*or his part, Tatsu'a didn9t bother tr'in! to conceal that he had indeed
read it 4btainin! non/classified notices wasn9t a hard thin! to do,
after all
2-ein! as$ed directl', howe%er, is a different stor'2
(t was a rather %a!ue answer, but while it wasn9t perfectl' clear, there
was nothin! irre!ular or particularl' stran!e about it Thus, both
=a'umi and ,atsuto felt compelled to accept
(n terms of pre%ious experience, =a'umi9s exposure to Tatsu'a9s
terrible personalit' was different from ,atsuto9s
2Still, is this alri!ht> +arlier, ( do belie%e it was said that before
cooperatin! it9d be necessar' to disclose information2
2(f neither of us ma$e concessions we won9t !et an'where -esides,
e%en if 'ou do bac$ out ( can do )ust as easil'2
At his words, which while appearin! far too strai!htforward, seemed
to contain %arious hidden meanin!s within them, =a'umi !a%e a dr'
lau!h There was a sense of secrec' comin! off her, 'et for the most
part it loo$ed li$e she simpl' wanted to !et thin!s o%er with
2UnderstoHod Then, (9ll tell 'ou e%er'thin! we $now at this sta!e
-efore that thou!h, can ( sa' )ust one thin!>2
20hat>2
2Tatsu'a/$un, 'our personalit' is too terrible2
22
(n the information =a'umi shared, Tatsu'a learned three thin!s in
particular
*irst was the scale of dama!e This far exceeded his pre%ious
expectations, 'et still did not seem to be at a critical le%el 'et
Second was that it was increasin!l' unli$el' all this was the wor$ of a
lone perpetrator Tatsu'a had considered the possibilit' of
collaborators before, but the idea there were multiple %ampires
themsel%es had not crossed his mind
And lastl' was the presence of a third force interferin! with the efforts
of =a'umi and the others At first Tatsu'a had thou!ht of +ri$a9s
!roup, but upon hearin! the details he soon reali3ed it was a different
!roup alto!ether
The second and third points particularl' bu!!ed Tatsu'a That mas$ed
ma!ician li$el' was one of those disruptin! the search parties &e
could also ma$e a !ood !uess as to their identit'
&owe%er, he could not fathom the moti%e the' would ha%e to do such
a thin! &e felt that if onl' he could understand, it would ma$e thin!s
so much easier, 'et that onl' ser%ed to irritate him more
20hat do 'ou intend to do after catchin! one>2
(n order to a%oid bein! stuc$ in those roundabout thou!hts, Tatsu'a
switched issues Thou!h he had onl' promised cooperation, he
couldn9t simpl' i!nore what would come after
20e9ll interro!ate them, find out their true identit' and purpose After
that2
2(t9ll be disposal2
,atsuto finished off =a'umi9s sentence 0ell Tatsu'a wasn9t
particularl' $een on hearin! a phrase li$e 9disposal9 comin! from a
hi!h school !irl9s mouth either, so he didn9t thin$ of it as bein! soft or
nai%e
-esides, humanitarianism wasn9t one of Tatsu'a9s stron! points
Neither practicall' nor emotionall'
2SCot it So, what should ( do>2
2Accompan' us then, ( !uess (f possible from toniS2
2No Shiba, mo%e on 'our own Please report in if 'ou find an'thin!2
At ,atsuto o%erturnin! her instructions, =a'umi simpl' stared in
silence There was no discomfort in her e'es, but a dramatic sense of
suspicion
2Understood2
To be honest, it would ha%e been easier for Tatsu'a to !o alon! with
=a'umi9s instructions (n an' case he had ne%er been too serious
about his promise of 9cooperatin!9, so he nodded without hesitation to
,atsuto9s words
:e%ealin! nothin! of his own hand, and ha%in! heard e%er'thin! he
wanted to hear, Tatsu'a left the two and departed
0hen Tatsu'a9s footsteps were no lon!er audible (there were hidden
mics as sp' countermeasures in the room), =a'umi spo$e
2<uumon)i/$un, wh'9d 'ou tell Tatsu'a/$un to mo%e alone>2
There wasn9t reproach in her tone, but a sense of incomprehension
2( thou!ht it9d be more efficient that wa'2
,atsuto9s %oice as he answered lac$ed no confidence
2-ut as thin!s are, wouldn9t he simpl' !o with the Ahibas>2
=a'umi $new that +ri$a9s !roup was !oin! around in a wa' contrar'
to the notice Althou!h the Ten =aster Alans are leaders, the' are not
rulers, and so cannot easil' !o around enforcin! their will or throwin!
out penalties -ut in a situation where the shadows of forei!n powers
can be !limpsed, bein! headstron! and doin! thin!s one9s own wa'
was incon%enient trouble 0hile the combo of Ahiba +ri$a and
5oshida =i$ihi$o was una%oidable, =a'umi9s true intentions had
been to $eep at least the siblin!s, Tatsu'a and =i'u$i, within e'eshot
2Truthfull' spea$in!, that will li$el' be the case2
&owe%er ,atsuto wa%ed awa' =a'umi9s concerns
2As lon! as we $eep faith, Shiba li$ewise will not betra' us That9s the
sort of man he is2
2So an absolute form of !i%e and ta$e> 0hat a subtle reliabilit'2
2+%en the code of the samurai came from 9fa%our9 and 9dut'9, or !i%e
and ta$e (9d sa' it9s much more trustworth' than blind submission2
2And underl'in! absolute lo'alt' is 9dependence9 That9s not
somethin! to be expected from Tatsu'a/$un, nor is it somethin! fittin!
the *irst2
At ,atsuto9s nod, satisfied, =a'umi returned a nod

Althou!h he was still missin! se%eral crucial pieces S meanin! that

he had !athered enou!h pieces alread' to reali3e that he was 'et
missin! somethin! definiti%e S what he had collected thus far was
still a satisfactor' result Coin! o%er the information he had, Tatsu'a
hurried o%er to the Student Aouncil room where =i'u$i was waitin!
(t was still li!ht out Perfectl' natural, considerin! it was a Saturda'
School had ended, but it was barel' past noon Tatsu'a wasn9t
hurr'in! because he was !ettin! late !oin! home, but because he was
!ettin! late for lunch
There wasn9t a pra'er that =i'u$i would be!in eatin! without waitin!
for Tatsu'a (t9d be different if he as$ed (ordered>) her to eat without
him, but he hadn9t done so toda' because he hadn9t thou!ht he would
end up bein! this dela'ed (n fact =i'u$i wouldn9t ha%e been waitin!
for that lon!, but the mere thou!ht that he was $eepin! his sister was
sufficient to dri%e his feet forwards
SThat made two of them
Tatsu'a9s ph'sical prowess was on full displa' as he leaped up an
entire fli!ht of stairs, to come to a stop in front of the SA room The
moment he did, almost as if watchin! and waitin!, the door opened
A brilliant !old flashed into his %iew
Tatsu'a slid aside while Lina bac$ed awa' from the door at almost the
same time The' had been tr'in! to !et out of each others wa', but
seein! the humorous situation the' were now in the corners of
Tatsu'a9s mouth twitched as he stepped into the !ap once occupied b'
the one who was bloc$in! his wa' (>)
Technicall' he was i!norin! the con%ention 9ladies first9, but he didn9t
i!nore the lad' herself
25o, Lina &ow9s it !oin!>2
Turnin! to her as he passed, he li!htl' patted her on the shoulder
2&ello, Tatsu'a ( am doin! fine Than$ 'ou2
-ein! suddenl' touched, Lina didn9t cr' out 9Sexual harassment;9 or
an'thin! (nstead, without raisin! one e'ebrow, she simpl' smiled as
she replied, returnin! Tatsu'a9s pat twice
-oth =i'u$i and &ono$a )o'ousl' rose at the si!ht of Tatsu'a, as he
too$ a seat at what he !uessed was a conference table S&e didn9t
e%en want to thin$ that it was there expressl' for the SA members to
simpl' ha%e meals and drin$ tea off of
There was no si!n of A3usa or (sori Not that he would ha%e been
troubled if the' were here, but he did feel more comfortable this wa'
(t wasn9t that he was tense around seniors, rather that he had to ta$e
care Particularl' around A3usa, who at the sli!htest matter (or so
Tatsu'a thou!ht) would immediatel' start loo$in! terrified
=a'umi callin! him had been completel' unplanned for So, he didn9t
ha%e an'thin! prepared for lunch -esides, if he suddenl' brou!ht up
what had happened, it would definitel' cause panic rather than help
Coin! to the cafeteria b' this time would li$el' onl' lead to a %iew of
9Sold out9 si!ns e%er'where, so he decided to lea%e himself in the care
of the SA dinin! ser%er
&ono$a was operatin! the coo$in! panel, while =i'u$i prepared
drin$s Tatsu'a9s role was to sit 1uietl' and wait to be ser%ed
Loo$in! at thin!s ob)ecti%el' it9d be 9what a luc$' bastard9, but he
cut off such unproducti%e thou!hts before the' reached his conscious
2Aome to thin$ of it, what was Lina doin! here>2
(nstead, he turned his mind to another matter
2The school su!!ested ma$in! Lina a special SA member durin! stud'
periods2
Settin! a coffee cup before Tatsu'a, =i'u$i tilted round and answered
his 1uestion
&er lustrous )et blac$ hair cascaded before Tatsu'a9s e'es li$e a
waterfall Transfixed as she li!htl' brushed her hair behind her bac$,
his mind ne%ertheless resolutel' processed the information his ears
had )ust recei%ed
2Ah That reminds me, earlier, she had said she couldn9t decide on
an' clubs and was feelin! troubled2
25es The solicitin! from behind the scenes had !otten rather intense
(t seems that President &attori then came up with this idea2
The one who answered this time was &ono$a, brin!in! a steamin!
tra' up to him (n that manner &ono$a, U/turnin!, and =i'u$i,
wal$in! around the table, brou!ht their own tra's to the table and
lunchtime be!an
2She9s onl' stud'in! here this one semester, so she wouldn9t e%en be
able to attend the athletics festi%al2
2(9m prett' sure there were more ulterior moti%es behind it2
A rather wic$ed smile flitted across =i'u$i9s face,
2There were e%en idiots who wanted to ma$e photo albums of Lina to
sell off2
As &ono$a si!hed with a frown
2There9s a photo!raph' club in this school>2
Tatsu'a wouldn9t ha%e been surprised if there was, but he had no
recollection of there bein! one
2The Art department9s photo!raph' team The' wanted to do
somethin! as moronic as ha%e Lina )oin the li!ht !'mnastics club and
ta$e pictures of that2
Li!ht !'mnastics is a sort of !'mnastics for ma!icians with the limits
of !ra%it' and inertia lowered, performin! floor exercises as if on a
trampoline without actuall' usin! trampolines The =ira!e -at
competition which =i'u$i and &ono$a had competed in was a
de%elopment from li!ht !'mnastics
2( see Aertainl', that would ma$e for 1uite the picture2
24/nii/sa/ma>2
2Althou!h (9m not sure about sellin! them2
22
As =i'u$i swun! a suspicious loo$ in his direction, Tatsu'a 1uic$l'
a%erted his !a3e
&owe%er, a similar loo$ stared bac$ from that direction as well
20ait, that was a rather bad wa' to put it Sorr'2
:eturnin! to face his sister, he raised the white fla! (f he had faced
those fierce !lares in a 9starin! contest9 it was li$el' the !irls would
ha%e ca%ed first, but exploitin! their feelin!s o%er somethin! as tri%ial
as this seemed li$e a %er' bad idea
4n =i'u$i9s part, upon realisin! that Tatsu'a hadn9t meant an'thin!
b' those words 'et had acted so apolo!eticall', was unable to contain
her embarrassment and lowered her head
2A/An'wa' Similar stories were abound, and the situation was
!ettin! to the point that the recruitin! was troublin! not onl' Lina
herself but staff as well, and um2
&ono$a, often seen as someone rather intense 'et in fact a delicate (or
timid) person, be!an to fret at the stran!e atmosphere
2So it was decided to ma$e her a SA member2
(mmediatel' understandin! &ono$a9s consideration, Tatsu'a came up
in support,
25es (f she uses SA duties as a front, it should be enou!h to head off
an' club2
And =i'u$i followed up
Seein! that the sensiti%e air which had drifted between the siblin!s
was swept awa', &ono$a breathed a si!h of relief The one
anticipatin! a 1uarrel between them and thin$in! other such
disin!enuous thou!hts was, unfortunatel'(>), a different !irl
2So, what was Lina9s decision>2
2She didn9t seem terribl' enthusiastic2
2(t seemed li$e she wasn9t $een on spendin! an' time after school (
thin$ that could also be the reason she9s still undecided on clubs,
despite bein! so sou!ht after2
At =i'u$i and &ono$a9s replies, Tatsu'a nodded with a 9That )ust
mi!ht be it9 loo$

After dinner, Tatsu'a was sittin! on the sofa in the li%in! room
loo$in! at a lar!e screen mounted on the wall
=i'u$i was snu!!led up beside him
The screen was di%ided into three The main section depicted a real
time %ideo feed of To$'o seen throu!h stratospheric sur%eillance
cameras as well as three !lowin! dots mo%in! throu!h it The top
subsection had roads and maps o%erla'in! the same three dots, while
on the bottom, text scrolled b' in "# second inter%als
The reason he had access to the stratospheric platform cameras was
than$s to Sanada
The reason he had access to and could monitor the tracer si!nals of the
Sae!usaW<uumon)i search parties was not because =a'umi had
pro%ided the authentication codes, but because of the unparalleled
hac$er *u)iba'ashi ,'ou$o
&e trac$ed the si!nal of the Ahiba search part' at the same time
The spots of li!ht were apparentl' interference stren!th, the wa%es of
which were detected b' transcei%er interceptors mounted on the
stratospheric platforms and processed b' the supercomputer belon!in!
to the (ndependent =a!ic -attalion
-ein! an experimental ma!ic force, and as far as Tatsu'a %a!uel'
$new, bein! e1uipped with state/of/the/art technolo!' (the' wouldn9t
ha%e the =obile suits otherwise), he was reminded a!ain of their
peculiar abilities
And spea$in! of technolo!'
2(t seems li$e the Stars ha%e better technolo!' for detectin! Parasites
than us2
0atchin! the StarsK mo%ements as the' fixed on a spot of interference
stren!th, Tatsu'a muttered in an impressed %oice
Althou!h it9s impossible to trac$ the mo%ements of Parasites directl',
b' anal'sin! the pathwa' of the ener!' the three Parasites the' were
trac$in! left, it was possible to trace them And despite not ha%in! the
benefit of street camera sensors nor stratospheric platform obser%ation
e1uipment, the ones Tatsu'a estimated to be the Stars were tracin! the
mo%ements of the Parasites the fastest Tatsu'a didnKt $now whether
that was due to some special abilit' or ad%anced technolo!' &e also
didnKt $now whether it was specific to trac$in! the Parasites, or if it
was capable of detectin! other ma!ical si!nals All he $new was that
the USNA was ahead of <apan in this field
Tatsu'a had ne%er considered <apanKs ma!ic technolo!' to be in the
forefront of the world &e didnKt consider himself to ha%e an
exhausti%e $nowled!e of current technolo!' either 5et e%en so, he
couldnKt help feelin! some pan!s of re!ret and a desire to $now
TNowKs not the time for that thou!hU
Sa'in! so and cuttin! off unnecessar' thou!hts, Tatsu'a strai!htened
T4nii/sama, are 'ou !oin!>U
As Tatsu'a rose, =i'u$i spo$e while loo$in! up from the sofa
T5ouKre a !ood !irl, so )ust wait here alri!ht>U
Tatsu'a stro$ed her chee$
=i'u$i raised her hand and pressed Tatsu'aKs palm a!ainst her chee$
(t was as if she were imprintin! his warmth onto her
T(Kll be waitin! for 'ouU
T5eah 0ithout a doubt, sometime soon, 'our stren!th will be needed
0hen that time comesST
T5es Then, to!etherSitKs a promise, 4nii/samaU
TL0ell, ( donKt thin$ this situation will turn out as dan!erous as
5o$ohamaU
0hile Tatsu'a )o$ed, =i'u$i, also smilin!, released Tatsu'aKs hand
=i'u$i saw Tatsu'a off at the doorwa', e1uipped with his fa%ourite
AAD and other e1uipment as he went to battle
She continued starin! at the closed door until her brotherKs presence
faded
Then the moment she could no lon!er ma$e sense of his whereabouts,
she turned around with a snap
There was no trace of sadness 0ithin her determined expression, her
e'es burned with a bri!ht li!ht
=i'u$i returned to the li%in! room, and hit the switch of the dimmed
screen Althou!h b' no means mechanicall' incompetent, in terms of
stren!ths and wea$nesses, what she now had at hand was definitel'
not her area of expertise
&owe%er she was blessed with extraordinar' memor' Althou!h not as
!reat as Tatsu'a, who had %ast memor' capacit' as a side effect of his
mental remodellin!, reproducin! the operatin! procedures she had )ust
seen earlier was not a problem
She brou!ht up the displa' she had been watchin! a while bac$ with
her brother The scroll speed of the text data was a little too fast for
her, but she didnKt $now how to chan!e it so she bore with it
She desperatel' tried to calculate her brotherKs whereabouts from the
points of li!ht mo%in! around She had been told to )ust QwaitK, but
this time she didnKt intend to Q)ust waitK +%en if it meant !oin! a!ainst
her brotherKs orders, e%en if it meant she would be scolded when he
!ot bac$, it was still far more preferable to doin! nothin! as her
brother was hurt
Aertainl', there was little chance of a lar!e scale conflict brea$in! out
(n that sense, the dan!er was indeed less than 5o$ohama
-ut e%en thou!h the scale was small
+%en thou!h the situation would !reatl' limit the use of force
&is opponent, in all probabilit', would end up bein! those Stars
SThou!h ha%in! said that, there was nothin! =i'u$i could do
As an indi%idual, at .8 'ears of a!e, she possessed one of the hi!hest
le%els of power in the countr' (t mi!ht easil' be one of the hi!hest
le%els of power in the world
-ut her power la' not in farsi!ht or clair%o'ance
Nor did she ha%e the authorit' 'et to mobilise the 5otsuba
Unli$e her brother, she did not ha%e a personall' built/up networ$
None of the hac$in! s$ills of *u)iba'ashi either
0ith no specialised ma!ic to find Tatsu'a, neither contacts nor
expertise, =i'u$i could onl' hu! her chest as she stared at the screen
(t was an unconscious action
(n her chest was her heart And althou!h her clothes were in the wa'
and she couldnKt feel it beat, she could feel somethin! else in its stead
0ithin her chest, in her heart,
She could feel her connection to Tatsu'a
Abhorrent, latchin! on to her brother
The reconfi!ured Limiter
The loc$ and chains were none other than she herself
She herself was also the $e'
-indin! her to bind her brother, it was nothin! short of a curse
5et for all that, it was still a definite connection which lin$ed her and
her brother
//(f onl' ( could see too//
=i'u$i thou!ht
&owe%er far Tatsu'a was from =i'u$i, he was able to $now her
situation She had heard that his Q%isionK could anal'se existential
information, and thin!s such as her whereabouts and condition were
alwa's $nown to him in the form of data
(n a sense that meant she had absolutel' no pri%ac' whatsoe%er, but
that didnKt bother =i'u$i in the least
She didnKt ha%e a sin!le secret she had to $eep a!ainst her brother (f
there e%er was somethin! she could not sa' hidden in her heart, she
would want him to $now of it throu!h his power She thou!ht so e%en
as she $new his Q%isionK didnKt extend to the mental realm
4n the other hand, =i'u$i had no wa' to QseeK her partner from a
distance
(nstead, for =i'u$i who was born with =ental (nterference ma!ic, she
could QsenseK the QlocationK of the QmindK -' releasin! the Limiter on
Tatsu'a and thereb' freein! her own abilities, =i'u$i could QtouchK
the minds of others She mi!ht e%en be able to touch the spirits
driftin! in the world
&owe%er, she couldnKt feel the Qbein!K of one far awa' She couldnKt
transmit li$e her brother in the dimension of information, where
ph'sical distance had no meanin!
That was the difference between si!ht and touch +%en if she could
touch somethin! which Qis thereK, she couldnKt use it to find somethin!
she couldnKt locate
*eelin! her brother in her chest, which onl' hei!htened her sense of
frustration, =i'u$i thou!ht hard
Dri%en b' an unexplained ominous sense of forebodin!, she wished
she could rush to his side
She didnKt $now how lon! she had continued to feel so, as she stared
at the screen
Awa$enin! her was the chime rin!in!, announcin! an unexpected
%isitor
0ith a start, she !lanced at the cloc$
Alri!ht, let them lea%e, =i'u$i thou!ht There was no fault in not
e%en pretendin! to not be at home, since it was far too late an hour to
be %isitin! others an'wa'
She had a loo$ at the intercom monitor :eco!nisin! the %isitor,
=i'u$i immediatel' modified her plans 0hile considerin! what to
chan!e into, she also calculated how lon! it would ta$e
TPlease wait a moment, SenseiU
Standin! there was 5a$umo

Tatsu'a watched the fi!ht between the Parasite and the mas$ed
ma!ician from the shadow of a tree
&e had !otten to the par$ three minutes before the battle bro$e out
0hen the' had reached the predicted point of capture he had let out a
sound despite himself, but now he concealed his breathin! and erased
his presence, awaitin! an opportunit' to inter%ene
Accordin! to the information from =a'umi there were multiple
%ampires and multiple hunters after them, but seein! the two before
him he was certain the' were the same two from 'esterda' &e had
merel' loo$ed at the mo%ement of the !roups and predicted where the
first contact would occur, but he hadnKt identified the indi%iduals
(LThis is a coincidence, ri!ht>)
A shi%er ran down Tatsu'aKs spine and he almost inad%ertentl'
re%ealed his position Somehow holdin! it bac$, he complained in his
mind RSomethin! alon! the lines of Qif this is fate, itKs far too
disa!reeableK
&e loo$ed bac$ to the state of the battle The momentum was clearl'
on the side of the mas$ed ma!ician -' comparison, the white mas$ed
%ampire was attemptin! to !et awa' And the net to bloc$ that escape
was 'et incomplete
(*our people As ( thou!ht, itKs not enou!h)
As three forces S if 'ou include the police who werenKt wor$in! with
the Sae!usa, itKd be four S ran to!ether and !ot in each others wa',
four ma!icians were con%er!in! here from four different directions
The' were the awa' team, without an' street monitorin! e1uipment,
'et had impressi%el' mana!ed to call in four other people unnoticed
b' the others, is what he would ha%e thou!ht, but at the end of the da'
it was safe to sa' such numbers could not hope to cut off all the escape
routes in this three/dimensional cit'
0hich was wh' this situation would soon become not 9hide and see$9
but 9ta!9
(5our enem'9s enem' is, in the end, )ust another part' That one fact
alone doesn9t automaticall' ma$e them an all', huh)
(f all the forces pursuin! the Parasites were to wor$ to!ether, each
team had onl' to send this man' people out and then herdin! them in
would be a simple matter -ut due to the differences in intent, it
wouldn9t wor$ out +%en his own !oals did not completel' match with
that of =a'umi or +ri$a
-ut for the moment, the %ampire was more of an enem'
(Now then, how to ma$e m' entrance)
0hilst predictin! the %arious reactions the mas$ed character could
ma$e, Tatsu'a pulled from his waist not his AAD but a !un 4f course
it was ille!al, but that was about the furthest thin! on his mind at this
point &e pointed the !un at the %ampire which had )ust made a hu!e
leap to a%oid a $nife stro$e with complete calm, aimed at around the
bell', and casuall' pulled the tri!!er
The a%era!e effecti%e ran!e of a hand!un is 8# metres, while in real
combat the effecti%e ran!e is said to be more within 6#m This had
chan!ed little from the last centur', and the reason was because
hand!uns were a weapon made with those needs in mind
The distance between the shaded tree under which Tatsu'a was hidin!
and the lon!coat wearin! phantom was about .#m Althou!h Tatsu'a
had exceeded the minimum necessar' trainin! time, he b' no means
practiced with a hand!un e%er' da', and it was a still a fairl' difficult
distance
The !un in his hand was a sin!le shot chambered !un desi!ned for a
special bullet There were no second chances &e would ha%e
preferred to aim for an area of exposed s$in, but he had to !i%e up on
what he couldn9t do
-esides, as the tar!et was wearin! a hat o%er the e'es as well as a
lon!coat which stretched down to the an$les in addition to a white
mas$ which completel' co%ered the face, it was a fair bet that there
was no exposed s$in in an' case There was nothin! to fret o%er
The low speed hea%' bullet absorbed more of the dischar!e than a
suppressor would ha%e, 'et as aimed, the bullet hit the abdomen of the
coat 0hile the wei!ht of the bullet was twice that of a standard 7mm,
the lac$ of speed was compensated b' the fact the %ampire had been
fallin! bac$ towards the bullet
The mas$ed ma!ician turned towards Tatsu'a Colden pupils !linted
with a harsh li!ht as the' watched him
Discernible within them was unmista$able hostilit'
She abandoned her $nife at the same time Tatsu'a released his !un
&er hand shot to her waist, as Tatsu'a9s went to his breast
Tatsu'a9s hand reached his destination first
-ut his fin!er fro3e midwa' throu!h pullin! the tri!!er of his AAD
(n his opponents hand was a medium si3ed automatic pistol Tatsu'a9s
%ision discerned a ma!ic formula alread' formed within its barrel
The acti%ation speed was comparable to Tatsu'a9s Decomposition (t
was a specialised de%ice which be!an an acti%ation se1uence the
moment it was !ripped, cuttin! out the time and effort needed to
operate the switch and thus sei3in! the initiati%e
The ma!ic tri!!ered was Data *ortification A ma!ic which
stren!thened an' bullets passin! throu!h the barrel
Tatsu'a flic$ed the selector of his AAD, switched from a ma!ic for
decomposin! +idos to one for decomposin! entities and be!an
acti%ation
&is tar!et was the chamber of the !un the mas$ed ma!ician held
=ore precisel', the bullets which would be fired from therein
Time seemed to slow durin! that moment of hi!h/densit' information
processin! as ma!ic was acti%ated, as Tatsu'a watched the mas$ed
ma!ician pull bac$ the tri!!er of her automatic pistol while Tatsu'a
did the same with his AAD
The distance between the mas$ed ma!ician and Tatsu'a was
approximatel' .8m The subsonic bullets fired from that suppressed
!un, which emphasised stealth, would ta$e ##8s to reach him
That was almost the same as instantaneousl'
&owe%er, the time after bein! enhanced with Data *ortification would
be e%en less
As the speed enhanced bullets sped throu!h the air, the' disinte!rated
to dust
A )olt was e%ident from behind the mas$
She certainl' had reason for her confidence, Tatsu'a thou!ht
=ere 9suspension9 or 9%ector modification9 would not ha%e been
sufficient to stop those bullets (f one had sufficient abilit' such as
,atsuto it would be a different stor', but the a%era!e ma!ician
wouldn9t stand a chance +%en a ma!ician of the combat class from the
Ten =aster Alans would be hard/pressed
(n Tatsu'a9s case, 9Decomposition9 was a stron! counter to 9Data
*ortification9 so he was able to cope, but if that hadn9t been the case he
would ha%e definitel' been in trouble with no countermeasures
That was all, howe%er, mere con)ecture And now, the mas$ed
ma!ician had exposed a !ap before Tatsu'a
&e fired off ma!ic the instant he became aware of that !ap
The ma!ic he had failed to fire off initiall', now hit the mas$ed
ma!ician head/on
:eflected in Tatsu'a9s %ision, thin!s such as 9colour9, 9shape9, 9sound9,
9heat9 and 9position9 were written as information &e tar!eted not the
ma!ician herself, but rather loc$in! on to her dis!uise ma!ic he
released the anti/ma!ic Cram Dispersion
Decomposin! the ma!ic formula itself, it stripped her insubstantial
outer co%erin! and scattered it awa'
S(n that instant,
Sthe demon was reborn as an an!el

The ni!ht s$' was filled with stars 0ithin the inside of the motor
sedan which was racin! alon! the hi!hwa' in the heart of the cit',
%iews of the outside came as "D ima!er' as neither sound nor
%ibrations transferred throu!h
2Sensei2
Sittin! in the bac$ seat of that 1uiet cabin, =i'u$i hesitantl' opened
her mouth
The person she was addressin! was the Nin)utsu user sittin! next to
her, ,o$onoe 5a$umo
2Nn, what is it>2
5a$umo opened his e'es, and turned to face =i'u$i
20h' at this timeare 'ou helpin!> (f ( remember, 'our rule had
alwa's been to not !et in%ol%ed in the real world2
(t was caution, or rather obser%ance of -uddhist principles The
meanin!s were different, but the results were similar And the
commandments 5a$umo had imposed on himself in%ol%ed both
20ell, there are some circumstances in%ol%ed2
5a$umo9s tone was fri%olous as alwa's, and it was difficult for =i'u$i
to see throu!h to the true intent beneath
2Thou!h ( discarded all earthl' bonds when ( too$ up m' ordination, (
did not discard m' wor$ as a shinobi (t wasn9t m' call alone to ma$e
after all
Not that he couldn9t, but that he Xdidn9tX There was no sense of re!ret,
but rather the feelin! that 5a$umo considered it to be perfectl'
naturalthat was what =i'u$i read
2There are those who call it the responsibilit' or obli!ation of those
who ha%e inherited s$illsit ma' be considered the hei!ht of
worldliness, but e%en in -uddhism, authorit' is not free from tradition
so it should be acceptable ( !uess>2
Althou!h he had technicall' as$ed a 1uestion, =i'u$i had no answer
Ne%ermind =i'u$i, it wasn9t somethin! 'ou9d as$ a .8 'ear old !irl in
!eneral
2&aah2
The best she could do were ambi!uous words of support (t seemed
that 5a$umo9s disciple in the dri%er9s seat was sendin! si!nals
reminiscent of raised e'ebrows, but that ma' ha%e been )ust her
ima!ination
2The thin! is, ( heard from ,a3ama/$un that the enem' Tatsu'a/$un
was facin! ma' ha%e been usin! the ,udou9s 9Parade9 (f that reall' is
the case, we9ll ha%e to !i%e them a warnin! The one who tau!ht the
,udou 9=atoi9, which the' de%eloped into Parade, had been m'
predecessor after all2
The whole thin!9s such a pain, 5a$umo si!hed
That indiscreet remar$ howe%er passed =i'u$i b'
2The precursor to the ,udou9s secret techni1ue 9Parade9, was tau!ht b'
Sensei9s master2
(f it had been Tatsu'a, he would probabl' ha%e )ust said 9ah, so that
sort of thin! happens9 and simpl' accepted it -ut for =i'u$i, it wasn9t
as eas' to swallow
24h> 5ou didn9t $now> The purpose of the Ninth (nstitute had been to
de%elop ma!icians who could implement streamlined and re/
s'stematised Ancient ma!ic into modern ma!ic To that end, the Ninth
(nstitute !athered man' Ancient users =' predecessor was amon!st
them2
Naturall', =i'u$i had no idea
:ather, the idea that a hi!h school !irl would be $nowled!eable about
the dar$ side of modern ma!ic, the sealed miseries which were the
=a!ic Abilit' De%elopment (nstitutes, was more absurd +%en
=i'u$i, an inheritor of the results of the most infamous *ourth
(nstitute, would be clueless as to what the other institutes had been up
to
2Then could it be, Sensei9s famil' nameN.O>2
=i'u$i9s e'es widened as she !asped, and she in1uired with a pale
expression
2No, 'ou9re )ust o%erthin$in! thin!s2
&e probabl' !uessed what =i'u$i was thin$in! immediatel'
Lau!hin! bitterl', 5a$umo shoo$ his hands in denial
2The name ,o$onoe is merel' somethin! ( inherited from m'
predecessor2
The air in the car eased up a little -ut that warmth plun!ed bac$
down almost immediatel'
2An'wa', it was under those circumstances that m' predecessor
tau!ht the ,udou 9=atoi9 and the' de%eloped it into 9Parade9 (t
in%ol%es ori!inal secret techni1ues of our own So if the ma!ician
tan!led with Tatsu'a/$un is trul' usin! 9Parade9, the'9ll ha%e to be
warned not to flash it around an' further And if the'9re not inclined to
listen, well, that9d be most unfortunate2
5a$umo9s tone and expression were as carefree as e%er And 'et,
=i'u$i felt a chill run down her spine Nor was it )ust her Crippin!
the wheel, 5a$umo9s disciple9s hunched shoulders were ri!id as stone

A demon turnin! into an an!el That was the impression left on

Tatsu'a9s mind, so %i%id was the chan!e
The scarlet hair, reminiscent of the dar$ness of the ab'ss bla3ed into
!old shinin! in the feeble li!ht
Aruel !olden e'es transformed into the serene blue of an a3ure s$'
The cur%es of her face softened, and her fi!ure slimmed down
+%en her hei!ht seemed to shrin$ sli!htl'
Such beaut' couldn9t possibl' ha%e been hidden b' such a small mas$
4f course, if one could chan!e e%en their ph'si1ue, it9s no wonder
the' could ha%e fooled the world
(f %arious e%idence had not built up until now, e%en Tatsu'a probabl'
would not ha%e $nown
Tatsu'a9s hand mo%ed unconsciousl' *rom the hand of the !olden/
haired sapphire/e'ed !irl flew another fi%e bullets, all of which
disinte!rated before reachin! him
Then )ust before she could fire off an' more bullets, the slide of her
hand!un flew off and the barrel fell out
-ein! forced to stop shootin!, not to mention ha%in! her De%ice
impossibl' destro'ed b' ma!ic, the mas$ed !irl fro3e
2That9s enou!h, Lina; ( don9t want to fi!ht 'ou;2
Ta$in! ad%anta!e of the lull, Tatsu'a tried to contain the situation &is
!oal toda' was the capture of the Parasite To restrain it, and find out
it9s identit' That was wh' he had ta$en the hard route of firin! a bullet
which would shoot out an anesthetic needle from that sin!le/shot !un
To him, the fi!ht with the mas$ed ma!icianWLina was a pointless
waste of time That line should ha%e been the end of the battle, but
(t was a bad mo%e S achie%in! instead the opposite effect *rom
behind the mas$, blue e'es !linted with a hard li!ht
:eturnin! the wrec$ed specialised AAD to it9s holster with her ri!ht
hand, she withdrew it holdin! miniature throwin! da!!ers instead
The ma!icians of the USNA fa%our and ma$e widespread use of
inte!rated armament AADs (t was more than possible that those
da!!ers weren9t simple blades, but some sort of armament de%ice
Short boots $ic$ed off from the surface of the softcourt (t was hardl'
a speed one would expect out of a 'oun! lad', but it didn9t exceed the
limits of ordinar' men
Tatsu'a too$ a ball of lead out from his poc$et and flic$ed out his
fin!ers
0histlin! throu!h the air, it flew strai!ht towards Lina9s ri!ht hand S
and passed ri!ht on throu!h
There was no spra' of blood (t hadn9t hit flesh, but rather an illusion
At that moment Lina pulled bac$ her arm The da!!er sped towards
Tatsu'a from a metre awa' from where his na$ed e'e had percei%ed it
<umpin! aside to dod!e, Tatsu'a9s e'es traced it9s tra)ector' 0here his
e'es led, he saw an illusion throwin! another da!!er
&is na$ed e'es saw a small mas$ed !irl, 'et his minds e'e $new it
was onl' an insubstantial stereoscopic ima!e
(&ow troublesome;)
Tatsu'a let out a wordless complaint The difference between $nowin!
and actuall' dealin! with somethin! reall' was 1uite pronounced
The techni1ue Parade created an (nformation -od' containin! all the
elements 9colour9, 9shape9, sound9, 9heat9 and 9position9 (t was the same
as 5a$umo9s 9=atoi9
Unli$e 9=atoi9, which pro)ected a -od' identical to the ori!inal in
colour, shape, sound and heat 'et with a different position, Lina9s
Parade emphasised pro)ectin! different colours and a different shape
&owe%er, that didn9t mean Parade was unable to shift position too The
techni1ue which the ,udou de%ised, and Lina inherited, was perfectl'
capable of doin! so as well
:i!ht now Lina was focusin! the computin! power for chan!in!
colour and shape all into chan!in! position, pre%entin! Tatsu'a from
!ettin! a !rip on her real location And without tar!et coordinates, he
was unable to cast ma!ic =a!ic which re1uired coordinates based on
determination from %isual information was as !ood as disabled once
the tar!et was no lon!er in si!ht And the difference between 9Parade9
and an illusion was that the false position carried o%er e%en into the
dimension of information
*or ma!ic to ta$e effect, the ma!ic se1uence must be pro)ected upon
the tar!et9s +idos *or example, to execute a file on a computer, the
path of the director' where the file is located must be specified and an
execution command must be carried out, but since specif'in! the path
e%er' time is laboursome a shortcut is often used (f the shortcut is
chan!ed to instead specif' a path leadin! to an inexistant dumm' file,
then despite carr'in! out the same procedure as before, rather than
executin! the actual file an error will occur
Appl'in! this principle to the ma!ic process, in most cases the %isual
information is the shortcut icon, and within it is the auditor' and
temperature tactile information (f the %isual information is disrupted
due to an illusion the ma!ic will not tri!!er, 'et if the illusion and true
bod' are o%erlappin! the se1uence can still reach the +idos throu!h
the coordinate information most of the time (n this case, despite a
dela' the ma!ic will function as normal
+%en if the illusion is in a different place, it9s still possible to ta$e the
association between the illusion and true bod' as a $e' and attempt to
locate the position of the true bod' -ut if the coordinates are fa$ed
and a dumm' is present in the dimension of information, the ma!ic
formula released ta$in! the information from the fi%e senses as a
shortcut acts instead towards the dumm', the result of which is
9nothin! happened9
This is the s'stem of the anti/ma!ic 9Parade9
SThus in order to brea$ throu!h 9Parade9,
Sit9s necessar' to either locate the bod' between the time when the
old illusion brea$s down and a new illusion is created,
Sor disre!ard the fi%e senses to find the coordinates of the bod'
directl' in the dimension of information
The former was currentl' not !oin! so well To ma$e matters worse,
Lina9s ma!ic acti%ation was blindin!l' fast &er acti%ation speed
surpassed that of e%en =i'u$i Not to mention, she would ha%e
especiall' practiced this particular ma!ic to death The speed at which
she reacti%ated the ma!ic was utterl' monstrous
*or Tatsu'a, the latter method was a possibilit' -ein! under constant
ph'sical attac$, howe%er, the ma)orit' of his perception was in the
material realm, and shiftin! into the immaterial would be a
considerable !amble
(SThere9s no choice)
As she pulled out the fifth da!!er, Tatsu'a decided Unable to find the
bod' before a new illusion spran! up, nor able to locate his tar!et9s
+idos in the dimension of information, he settled for the third option
&e too$ out a small c'lindrical can from the poc$et of his )ac$et
And threw it li!htl' upwards
*or a split second, a confused expression floated on Lina9s face, 'et
upon reco!nisin! what the 9can9 was, her e'es widened
(t was a miniature canister !renade
2<eS2
<esus, was probabl' the word she was !oin! for -ut Lina didn9t ha%e
the chance to finish 0astin! not the time to utter e%en that short
word, she threw up an ob)ecti%e barrier
(*ixed Deceleration)
4n the other hand, Tatsu'a *lash Aasted a ma!ic for constantl'
deceleratin! the mo%ement speed of ob)ects (f he had tried creatin! a
wea$ barrier with his %irtual ma!ic area, it would ha%e been
impossible for him to completel' bloc$ out his own canister !renade
(a !renade specialised for throwin! out shrapnel)
And if he had used speed stoppin! suspension ma!ic, it was possible
that it would lose out to the sheer $inetic ener!' of the pro)ectiles and
fail to modif' the e%ent
0hich was wh' he used fixed deceleration +%en then, he wouldn9t
ha%e been able to achie%e a lar!e scale deceleration li$e to a
hundredth or a thousandth of %elocit'
-' combinin! the fact it was a weapon he had prepared and $new
e%er'thin! about with his %irtual ma!ic area9s interference stren!th, he
was able to produce ma!ic of the bare minimum re1uired for success
*ixed deceleration alone, howe%er, couldn9t stop the shrapnel (t wasn9t
a ma!ic desi!ned for that tas$ As he turned to his side and dropped to
his $nees, tin' shards peppered his flan$, thi!h, and the arm he had
raised to co%er his head
Eer' few penetrated the fabric of the artificial leather with a minor
bulletproof capacit', but still o%er a do3en were now di!!in! into the
flesh of his limbs
NSelf restoration W Auto startO
(Self restoration cancel)
0illfull' suppressin! his self restoration which automaticall' tried to
initiate, Tatsu'a leaped towards Lina who was completel' unscathed
behind a barrier &e immediatel' be!an wor$in! to decompose the
anti/personnel barrier Lina had newl' thrown up -ein! completel'
cau!ht off !uard, e%en Lina couldn9t mana!e an' more than that
2&ow rec$less, Tatsu'a2
Lina was thrown onto the !round, and Tatsu'a pressed down from
abo%e Pinned to the !round, Lina spo$e in an ama3ed %oice &er lips,
not hidden behind her mas$, were curled into a smile, but it wasn9t
difficult to see throu!h her bra%ado
2(t9s textboo$ when dealin! with an opponent 'ou can9t locate to
simpl' brin! out non/directional attac$s, ri!ht>2
2That9s called an indiscriminate attac$2
2*eel free to thin$ so Unfortunatel', ( simpl' don9t ha%e the s$ill to
cast area effect ma!ic 0ell, if it9s Lina (9m sure 'ou would9%e been
able to defend a!ainst that an'wa', so with that said please for!i%e
me2
2(f 'ou incapacitate 'ourself in the process, ( thin$ it defeats the whole
purpose2
20ithout resortin! to this, there was absolutel' no catchin! 'ou2
25ou wanted to catch me> (f 'ou9re !oin! to declare 'our lo%e, (9d
ha%e preferred a more romantic manner2
Loo$in! downwards into those a3ure e'es, Tatsu'a !rinned &e was
pinnin! both of Lina9s hands abo%e her head with one palm
0hen he mo%ed his free hand towards her mas$, Lina9s shoulder
twitched The fin!ers of her left hand wrapped in thic$ !lo%es tried to
mo%e, but Tatsu'a forcibl' spla'ed them open
2(t hurts, Tatsu'a2
2Unfortunatel', ( $now the tric$ of that AAD Now then2
Tatsu'a9s hand too$ hold of the mas$
Lina closed her e'es, and turned awa' +%en thou!h her identit' had
lon! since been exposed, she still seemed reluctant to show her true
face Tatsu'a didn9t understand the thin$in! behind such rationale, but
it wasn9t li$e he was tr'in! to strip her, so he had no reason to stop
2Acti%ate, NDancin! -ladesO;2
The moment his hand touched the mas$, Lina facin! awa' cried out
The fi%e da!!ers Lina had thrown out responded to the sound of her
%oice, and whirled towards Tatsu'a
(A %oice acti%ated armament is ita de%ice which acti%ates not on an
acti%ation se1uence but on a dela' tri!!er is prett' interestin!)
Sensin! the da!!ers rushin! at him, Tatsu'a muttered to himself
Two were aimed at his ri!ht hand holdin! the mas$, one at his ri!ht
shoulder, one his left arm and one his le!
None tar!eted his %itals
Aome to thin$ of it, all of Lina9s attac$s had been meant to disable,
none with the intent to $illas he considered such thin!s, the da!!ers
had alread' reached his flesh
And the moment the' made contact, the' dissol%ed into dust
2Aorrosionno, Decomposition>2
Lina9s e'es returned to face Tatsu'a, as the' widened in shoc$
Pa'in! it no mind, Tatsu'a be!an peelin! off the mas$
Lina tried to resist, %iolentl' sha$in! her head, but Tatsu'a9s hand was
immo%able
25ou9ll re!ret this, Tatsu'a;2
2The moment the tar!et ( should ha%e successfull' captured fled, ( felt
plent' enou!h re!ret2
Durin! the scuffle with Lina, the Parasite had escaped a !ood distance
awa' +%en thou!h he had insurance, he couldn9t help feein!
frustration o%er the whole affair Lina should ha%e been after the
%ampire too, so what in the world were her intentions in helpin! it
escape filled Tatsu'a9s thou!hts
Despite bein! faced b' those tear' e'es, bein! pleaded to in such a
desperate %oice, Tatsu'a felt no obli!ation to hesitate &e remo%ed the
recei%ers actin! as clasps on her ears As expected, it seemed the mas$
acted as an information terminal
&e !entl' remo%ed the mas$ which was made of a surprisin!l' firm
material +%en Tatsu'a, who was more than accustomed to !ood
loo$s, couldn9t help almost lettin! out a si!h at the sheer beaut' now
re%ealed
Lina clenched her lips and !lared at Tatsu'a
The %er' next moment, heartrendin! screams issued from those lips
At that totall' abrupt de%elopment, Tatsu'a was stunned
&is arm restrainin! Lina9s hands didn9t loosen howe%er, ha%in! bein!
mercilessl' educated as a subordinate of the unscrupulous ,a3ama
2Someone, an'one help;2
(t was li$e she was cr'in! to be sa%ed from a rapist
Althou!h not a rapist, Tatsu'a9s %er' con%incin! cold e'es weren9t
helpin! his case
As if l'in! in wait for Lina9s scream as a si!nal, the sound of rushin!
footsteps could be heard 0earin! na%' blue uniforms under scarlet
bulletproof %ests lined with white reflecti%e paint, four people hurried
in from four directions The emblem that shone on their caps was the
sa$ura crest
Craspin! Lina9s left arm, Tatsu'a forcibl' tore off the !lo%e from her
left hand
0ith the sensation of a cord rippin!, Lina9s white hand was re%ealed
2Put 'our hands in the air and turn around;2
A policeman S or at least a man dressed up li$e one S 'elled as he
ran up while aimin! a hand!un
Tatsu'a spun behind Lina, and rushed the man
Lina was pushed into the chest of the man as he !a%e a cr'
The man cau!ht her
And Tatsu'a, %aultin! o%erhead, landed on the man9s shoulders
As if bootin! a soccer ball, he slammed a $ic$ ri!ht into his face
Leapin! off the shoulder of the man who crumpled bac$ without a
sound, Tatsu'a slipped out from the encirclin! fa$e cops
20hat in the world would 'ou ha%e done if he had been a real cop>2
Lina9s %oice was absolutel' disbelie%in!
&owe%er,
2(t9s reall' time 'ou dropped the act, An!ie Sirius2
At Tatsu'a9s repl', the atmosphere hardened
2(f the'9re aidin! 'ou, it doesn9t matter if the'9re real or not Althou!h
complacent .## 'ears a!o, modern criminal law states that e%en
unwittin!l' abettin! forei!n a!!ressors is !rounds for prosecution (f
'ou thin$ dressin! up as cops is enou!h to scare people, 'ou9re
!ra%el' mista$en Don9t underestimate the resolution of the ma!icians
of <apan2
The three fa$e officers, excludin! the one $ic$ed down, turned to
await the decision of Lina, of their commander An!ie Sirius
0ith a si!h Lina faced Tatsu'a and, li!htl' bendin! her $nee, !a%e a
polite bow
20e9re sorr' for the rudeness Trul', we underestimated 'ou There9s a
!reat difference between hearin! and seein! As a fellow ma!ician, (
apolo!ise2
Then she ali!ned her feet, stood up strai!ht and placed her ri!ht hand
to the side of her forehead +%en without a militar' cap, it was
unmista$abl' a salute
+arlier she had been )ust another ma!ician, but now she was actin! as
the captain of the USNA militar' ma!ician corps That was what
Tatsu'a interpreted her !esture as
2( am the captain of the USNA arm' inte!rated ma!ician force Stars,
reportin! directl' to the Ahiefs of Staff, =a)or An!elina Sirius An!ie
Sirius was the name ( went under durin! m' pre%ious dis!uise, so
please )ust continue callin! me Lina as 'ou alwa's ha%e done Now
then2
The $illin! intent which she had $ept under wraps for the sa$e of
courtes', now assaulted Tatsu'a full force
2Now that 'ou $now both m' true face and true identit', Tatsu'a, the
Stars ha%e no option but to annihilate 'ou (f 'ou had left the mas$ on
we could ha%e a%oided this, howe%er much a deception it would beenM
it9s a pit'2
2Are 'ou tellin! me 'ou re!ret this>2
(n the midst of that bloodthirstiness, Tatsu'a lau!hed fearlessl'
2(f 'ou had )ust sta'ed 1uiet and allowed 'ourself to be cau!ht, we
could ha%e ended this without $illin! at the least2
2=' bad (9%e let 'our heartfelt consideration !o to waste2
2No, what will be ta$in! 'our life is our self/centred circumstance, so
there9s no nothin! to apolo!ise for 5ou ma' e%en feel free to resist2
4ne of the fa$e cops handed out to her a combat $nife in one hand,
and a medium/si3ed hand!un in the other A blade form armament
de%ice, and a !un shaped specialised AAD
Tatsu'a also drew his AAD
2This reall' is a shame, Tatsu'a ( had !otten to 1uite li$e 'ou2
Stretchin! out her left hand, Lina pointed her AAD at Tatsu'a
Stretchin! out his ri!ht hand, Tatsu'a pointed his AAD at Lina
Lina9s subordinates too$ positions behind him &e was surrounded
2Coodb'e, Tatsu'a2
2( won9t let 'ou, Lina;2
Suddenl' at that moment, a commandin! %oice cold as deepest winter
fro3e the air
A startled li!ht floatin! into her e'es, Lina turned towards the sound
of the %oice
As if co%erin! their now wide/open superior, Lina9s subordinates
mo%ed in to simultaneousl' attac$ Tatsu'a from three sides
Lar!e combat $ni%es swun! towards Tatsu'a +xtendin! from the
blades ed!es was 9=olecular Di%ider9
Tatsu'a pulled the tri!!er of his AAD The %irtual territor', desi!ned
to in%ert the bonds holdin! molecules to!ether, %anished in spite of the
operators intent
Now that the combat $ni%es was a mere blades, Tatsu'a bro$e out
from the net 4ne of Lina9s subordinates, runnin! ri!ht past Tatsu'a,
suddenl' pressed a hand to his stomach and fell o%er 0ellin! out
from between his fin!ers was blood
&is blood/soa$ed left hand flun! out -lood splattered towards the
other fa$e cops
4ne of them stopped in his trac$s, and the other one ran ri!ht into
him
Tatsu'a9s ri!ht hand returned to point towards Lina
Lina9s left hand was aimed at the person who had !otten in her wa' S
=i'u$i
The acti%ation se1uence she initiated was dispelled b' Tatsu'a9s 9Cram
Dispersion9
-efore a man could )ump at Tatsu'a, a cold which chilled the blood of
all the attac$ers descended
The man9s footsteps came to an abrupt halt
-ehind him stal$ed up a shadow
0ordlessl', the man fell unconscious
The one person remainin! was alread' flat on the !round
20ell, Tatsu'a/$un, that was prett' dan!erous2
&a%in! incapacitated two of the Stars members in an instant, 5a$umo
strolled up with the same unconcerned expression as alwa's
Seein! that fi!ure able to maintain 9as alwa's9 e%en in this situation,
Tatsu'a ac$nowled!ed his own inexperience
2&ow shameless, master Despite the fact 'ou were waitin! to ma$e
the perfect entrance2
-ein! impressed in spite of himself was %exin!, so he threw out
sarcasm instead
At that line, Lina9s e'es widened
(n front of her was =i'u$i, AAD prepped and battle read'
Tatsu'a9s ri!ht hand was aimed strai!ht at Lina
5a$umo9s e'es were directed towards Tatsu'a, but Lina was also full'
within his field of %iew
The one surrounded was now Lina
20ell, ( !uess this is fine There are some thin!s ( had wanted to as$
'ou an'wa'2
2+h, was that so 4nii/sama>2
=i'u$i turned around in disma' Loo$in! awa' from Lina she left
herself wide open, but due to the increased pressure from both Tatsu'a
and 5a$umo, Lina was paral'sed
(mmediatel' noticin! her own blunder, =i'u$i also returned her focus
to Lina in a hurr'
25ou allowed 'ourself to be surrounded on purpose in order to draw
information from them ri!htand without considerin! that, ( )ust
stormed in Please for!i%e me, 4nii/sama2
Still turned towards Lina, =i'u$i spo$e in an apolo!etic %oice as she
be!!ed Tatsu'a9s pardon
2No, it reall' was dan!erous, so 'our )ud!ment wasn9t wron!
Therefore there9s nothin! to apolo!ise for :ather, ( should be the one
expressin! m' !ratitude =i'u$i, than$ 'ou2
24nii/samathere9s no need2
=i'u$i muttered with a da3ed expression 0ell, =i'u$i apolo!isin! to
Tatsu'a and then this happenin! was prett' much a !uaranteed
occurrence 4r li$e some sort of ritual Despite ne%er ta$in! her e'es
off Lina, =i'u$i was pa'in! onl' the bare minimum of attention
2-esides, ( can simpl' start as$in! them now2
This was spo$en towards =i'u$i, but the' were also meant for Lina
*rom the wa' he spo$e e%er' word clearl', Lina realised his intent
2Are 'ou !oin! to tr' to force me to tal$>2
2(nterro!ation !enerall' in%ol%es force2
Lina spo$e throu!h !round teeth, and Tatsu'a returned an indirect
confirmation
2Three on one is cheatin!; Unfair;2
2Unfair)ust how man' of 'ou were !an!in! up on 4nii/sama
earlier>2
At that %exed cr' of complaint, =i'u$i hit bac$ dumbfounded
2Aome now, don9t sa' that2
-efore her shoc$ turned to an!er, Tatsu'a soothed his imouto
2*air is a faPade when in a fa%ourable position to maintain that
condition, and unfair is an expedience when at a disad%anta!e to
wrin! concessions from the other side *rom a tactical perspecti%e,
usin! words to a%oid conflict when one cannot win throu!h force is
not wron! The moment 'ou9re drawn in is when 'ou lose, =i'u$i2
2( see, so that9s what it was2
(t was rather blunt, but at least it mana!ed to achie%e it9s effect of
calmin! =i'u$i down
2*aPade> +xpedience>2
At the same time, it had the effect of settin! Lina off
(ncidentall', 5a$umo was )ust mufflin! his lau!hter all the while
2( don9t want to be told that b' 'ou <apanese who aren9t ashamed to
hide 'our true intentions with a faPade;2
2Aren9t 'ou .W@ <apanese 'ourself>2
22
2The 9Parade9 'ou use was de%eloped in <apan, and the reason 'ou can
use it is because of the ,udou, in other words <apanese, blood flowin!
within 'ou ri!ht> -eside which, double standards are the hallmar$ of
the white establishment (9%e 'et to hear of a people who don9t separate
their true feelin!s from their faPade2
Lina silentl' !lared at Tatsu'a, her white s$in flushed bri!ht red
Silentl', as she didn9t e%en let out a !roan
*acin! Lina9s e'es with his terrible !rin, Tatsu'a noticed her bloodlust
had completel' faded and he smiled wr'l'
2(s somethin! stran!e>2
2No, (9m )ust thin$in! that interro!atin! Lina at this rate is )ust !oin!
to ma$e her more obstinate2
2At least call it pride;2
,nowin! the difference between obstinac' and pride, her <apanese
reall' isn9t bad, Tatsu'a thou!ht, impressed SNot that that was %er'
rele%ant
2The other !roups will be here soon too2
20ait; Are 'ou listenin! to me at all>>2
(t was best to i!nore the irrele%ant thin!s
2Lina, let9s ha%e a fair deal (f 'ou thin$ three on one is unfair, what
about a one on one (f 'ou win, we9ll let 'ou !o for toda' (f ( win,
'ou9ll ha%e to truthfull' answer our 1uestions &ow9s that>2
+%en if Lina won, Tatsu'a still $new her true identit', and if he won,
she would ha%e to tal$ Althou!h the match would be one on one, the
conditions still weren9t balanced
2*ine2 2Please wait;2
As Lina accepted bitterl', =i'u$i spo$e up at the same time
-oth Tatsu'a and Lina loo$ed o%er at =i'u$i
Undaunted, =i'u$i spo$e clearl'
24nii/sama, please lea%e the match with Lina to me2
2=i'u$i, )ust what are 'ou2
2Lina, remember this ( will ne%er for!i%e those who intend harm on
4nii/sama ( thin$ of 'ou as m' ri%al and m' friend, but when 'ou
declared 'our intent to $ill him, e%en if those were mere words, (
absolutel' will not for!i%e it -' m' own hands, ( will ha%e 'ou
realise 'our sin2
=i'u$i9s e'es shone with a full' serious li!ht Seein! that far too deep
obsession, it seemed li$e Lina would lau!h it off as deception, but she
onl' let out a chuc$le
2Don9t worr' ( won9t $ill 'ou2
=i'u$i9s words declared it was alread' her %ictor'
2&mph=i'u$i, 'ou thin$ 'ou can win a!ainst me> (, who hold the
name of Sirius, me;2
&earin! that, the flames of battle flared up in Lina9s chest
The two 1ueens !lared at one another
2Alri!ht =i'u$i, ( lea%e it to 'ou (s that fine with 'ou, Lina>2
2Than$ 'ou %er' much, 4nii/sama2
2&a%e it 'our wa' (f ( lose, (9ll tell 'ou whate%er 'ou want Not that
that will e%er happen thou!h;2
The a!reement was made And so it was that the two extraordinar'
beauties, prepared to raise the curtain on a ma!nificent duel

=i'u$i9s prowess with coolin! and free3in! ma!ic was unri%aled

&owe%er the nature of her ma!ic came from shuttin! down the motion
of molecular %ibration, and wasn9t deri%ed from the harnessin! of
snow spirits or ice demons 4f course, it wasn9t li$e in those settin!s
common to fantasies aimed at 'oun! $ids, where recei%in! the
patrona!e of such a spirit !ranted immunit' to cold The point bein!
Aold is cold
:idin! tandem in a bi$e in the midst of this midwinter ni!ht, there was
no wa' she wouldn9t ha%e been cold
SoS
(There9s no problem in bein! li$e this, ri!htit9s cold after all)
0hile clin!in! ti!htl' to Tatsu'a, pressin! her chee$ to his bac$ as
well as her chest, =i'u$i repeated such an excuse in her head
S(s there an' point ma$in! excuses b' this time> 0as somethin! that
was best left unsaid
*lic$in! a !lance at the headli!hts of the motorc'cle ri!ht behind him,
if an'one had seen his expression, it could onl' ha%e been described
as 9mischie%ous9
*rom his position he was unable to see =i'u$i at all behind Tatsu'a9s
shadow, but he was perfectl' able to predict what her actions,
condition and expression would be To him, the feelin!s the siblin!s
had for each other was somethin! 1uite of interest
As the corners of his mouth twitched, he felt a risin! tension from next
to him (t seemed li$e his smile had been misinterpreted
2There9s no need for such concern As lon! as 'ou follow the
a!reement, ( ha%e no intention of harmin! 'ou2
2Aonsiderin! the position (9m in, are 'ou reall' tellin! me to belie%e
that>2
&er e'es fixed forwards, Lina replied in a harsh %oice No, rather than
9harsh9 it would be 9stiff9
20ell, ( can see where 'ou9re comin! from2
Aau!ht between 5a$umo and his disciple in the bac$ seat of the sedan,
if an'one had seen her position the' would no doubt ha%e assumed
she was bein! escorted ,nowin! the power of the men sittin! beside
her, that feelin! onl' deepened
5a$umo had ta$en out two Stars in the blin$ of an e'e
0ithout an' one of them noticin! at all, that blac$ cladS nin)a had
suddenl' appearin! ri!ht behind them The bac$ of the man !rippin!
the wheel had no openin!s either
+%en at three to one odds she didn9t thin$ the' would ha%e been
opponents she couldn9t defeat, but she $new she would most li$el' not
escape unscathed either
2-ut 'ou can be at ease2
Percei%in! her tension, and estimatin! that it stemmed from her
%i!ilance and hostilit', 5a$umo spo$e in a relaxed tone
*or Lina, that was e%en more disconcertin!
2( ha%e no interest in what happens between 'ou and Tatsu'a/$un ='
onl' interest is the proper handin! down of our secrets All ( as$ of
'ou is, li$e ( said earlier, to not re%eal what we tau!ht the ,udou to
others So that those who are not pri%ile!ed to $now do not learn2
25ou don9t care e%en for 'our national interests>2
2Nope2
2Not e%en world peace> The future of humanit'>2
2Not in the least (9m a recluse2
25ou9re a ma!ician as well, aren9t 'ou;2
5a$umo9s words were simpl' irreconcilable with Lina9s %alues And
so, she unnecessaril' wasn9t able to belie%e him
2( am a shinobi Not a ma!ician2
5a$umo replied to her in a calm %oice A decisi%e refutation
2Aren9t Nin)utsu users a t'pe of ma!ician>2
2<ust because we can use ma!ic, doesn9t mean we must become
ma!icians2
She $new what he meant
She could understand
5et e%en so, Lina could not a!ree to what 5a$umo said
2(n the same wa', )ust because one became a ma!ician doesn9t
automaticall' place an obli!ation upon them to ser%e their countr'2
She couldn9t a!ree, but for some reason, she couldn9t ob)ect either

The car Lina rode in stopped somewhere at a ri%erban$

9Somewhere9 was in the sense that Lina had no idea where it was, but
!uessin! from their tra%el time it should still be within the cit' or the
suburbs Lina was surprised that such a metropolitan cit' li$e To$'o
still had such places
No li!hts were %isible at all
0ith the sedan9s headli!hts turned off, as well as the li!hts of the bi$e
behind, the place was pitch blac$
0ith no moon, and onl' the starli!ht to !uide them throu!h the
dar$ness, Tatsu'a and =i'u$i wal$ed up
All of a sudden, Lina was attac$ed b' anxiet'
&er AAD had not been ta$en, but she no lon!er had her transmitter or
communications terminal She hadn9t been sub)ect to a bod' chec$,
but all her e1uipment had been !uessed and she had had no choice but
to obedientl' hand them o%er
She was assured that the' would be returned to her later, but for now,
she had no wa' of contactin! her compatriots as to her whereabouts A
satellite should ha%e been monitorin! her mo%ements, but the ones
ta$in! her here were s$illed in the art of 9Nin)utsu9, well $nown for
their illusionar' shadow ma!ic (t was more than plausible the' could
fool e%en militar' !rade hi!h resolution satellite cameras
S(t was possible that she had been brou!ht to this isolated place to be
confined (n the worst case, she ma' e%en be assassinated
Lina ti!htl' s1uee3ed the AAD at her breast throu!h her clothes
S(n that worst case, she would ha%e to pla' her trump card
2( can prett' much !uess what 'ou9re thin$in!, but we9re seriousl'
!oin! to $eep our word so relax2
(t too all Lina had to not cr' out -ein! spo$en to so suddenl', she
couldn9t suppress a shi%er 0hen she turned around, she saw Tatsu'a,
who had closed in enou!h for his expression to be %isible under the
starli!ht, lau!hin! silentl'
2(9m )ust remindin! 'ou of the conditions (f 'ou answer the 1uestions
( ha%e, we9ll drop 'ou off at the station2
-ein! the other part', it was a %er' outra!eous lau!h
2That9s onl' if 'ou win2
Naturall', Lina9s %oice was sour
24f course (n that case, we9ll carr' out the terms as well2
&is shamelessness, not decreasin! in the least, was irritatin! her more
and more, 'et Lina $new that !ettin! all wor$ed up here would onl'
worsen her position
Ti!htl' clenchin! her teeth, she set her e'es behind Tatsu'a S
towards =i'u$i
+'es o%erflowin! with fi!htin! spirit stared bac$ =i'u$i too was
alread' brimmin! with moti%ation
2Now thenLina ma' be dissatisfied with this, but the referee will be
=aster All he9ll be refereein! howe%er is decidin! who wins and who
loses, so he won9t be pausin! the match or interferin! partwa'
throu!h2
2( $new that there would be no one but enemies here from the start, so
there9s nothin! to be dissatisfied o%er2
2That9s %er' !ood !race2
Tatsu'a cool' cruised o%er her sarcastic comment
&er frustration had been boilin! o%er, 'et now Lina suddenl' felt
calm
2Then, this humble ser%ant ,o$onoe 5a$umo will be 'our referee for
this match The %ictor' conditions are when one part' surrenders, or is
rendered incapable of further combat No $illin! please That would
onl' lead to ill/will2
2Understood That9s perfectl' fine2
2(9ll finish e%er'thin! lon! before that2
=i'u$i nodded 1uietl', while Lina !a%e a spirited a!reement
0hile their attitude was contrastin!, their absolute faith in their own
%ictor' was shared
+%er'thin! was on ed!e
2Then, shall we start>2
2=aster, one moment please2
Unfortunatel', someone who was totall' incapable of readin! the
mood was there Absolutel' i!norin! the stares 5a$umo and Lina were
sendin! him, Tatsu'a wal$ed to his little sister
&e approached to within two feet of her, 'et still didn9t stop
2Um, 4nii/sama>2
0ithout repl'in! to =i'u$i, who was confusedl' unable to !uess her
brother9s intent,
4ne foot
&e continued on
&e finall' stopped close enou!h to be able to hold =i'u$i if he
stretched out,
Sand embraced her
2Ummmumumum2
-ein! held so ti!htl' at the waist, =i'u$i blushin! furiousl' be!an to
panic A third part' would probabl' ha%e found that odd, considerin!
how much she had been hu!!in! him )ust earlier, but to her hu!!in!
and bein! hu!!ed were two entirel' separate thin!s
Tatsu'a9s other hand caressed =i'u$i9s head
=i'u$i was no lon!er capable of sound
:unnin! his fin!ers throu!h his sister9s hair,
Drawin! her face which had ceased all resistance to his lips,
Tatsu'a !a%e =i'u$i a $iss on the forehead
0hen he finall' let !o, =i'u$i9s wide/e'ed face was re%ealed
There was no embarrassment, onl' fro3en shoc$
2Thiswh'2
25ou showed me how to do this earlier, and while it9s imperfect, (
remembered the !ist of it Althou!h it9s onl' temporar', ( restore 'our
power to 'ou Please compete to 'our heart9s content2
25es;2
At her brother9s words, in utter earnest, =i'u$i nodded with an
indomitable smile
2Sorr' to $eep 'ou waitin!, master2
Lina, standin! next to 5a$umo, was ma$in! a face as if she had eaten
too much and !otten heartburn
2Lina as well( $now that was rude, but 'ou don9t mind a few
moments ri!ht>2
25ou9re one to tal$no, it9s fine2
:epl'in! to the (in her e'es) now utterl' indifferent Tatsu'a, Lina
answered in her most sarcastic %oice
=i'u$i didn9t follow behind (t seemed she didn9t intend to en!a!e in
close combat
*rom Lina9s obser%ations so far and in the li!ht of this, Lina
determined that =i'u$i was a t'pical ma!ician deficient in ph'sical
abilities *or the ro!ue ma!ician executioner 9Sirius9, the' were the
easiest t'pe of pre'
((9ll end this in one blow;)
There had been no startin! si!nal 'et, but Lina had no intention of
waitin! for an' such thin! There had been nothin! in the
arran!ements about a si!nal after all
Alose the !ap with self/acceleration ma!ic, neutralise the opponent9s
ma!ic with Data *ortification, then eliminate in AJA
Then while Tatsu'a and the other9s were distracted b' =i'u$i9s loss,
use hi!h speed ma!ic to ma$e an escape
That was the plan
&owe%er, she could onl' let out a silent cr'
4ne step faster than she could acti%ate ma!ic, a tempest was rushin!
in
The moment Lina leaped aside, a torrent of fro3en air flashed past As
she raised her head, this time she saw a bli33ard howlin! in from the
side -' manipulatin! air densit' and creatin! a wall of %acuum, Lina
was able to weather the storm somehow
2( !uess this much isn9t enou!h2
As =i'u$i muttered to herself, the ni!ht air be!an to !ather around
her
Lina clenched her teeth
(n terms of acti%ation speed, Lina wins o%er =i'u$i
*or =i'u$i to ha%e made the first mo%e, meant she must ha%e set up
earlier
Not to mention the two %olle's )ust earlier were se1uences desi!ned to
maximise speed at the cost of power
Lina felt shamed twice o%er
-oth at her intention to exploit her opponent9s nai%et', and bein!
cau!ht off !uard in turn
She had thou!ht she could win e%en with powered down attac$s and,
in fact, she had come dan!erousl' close
(-ut now it9s m' turn;)
The !ap was li$el' in order to cast a stron!er ma!ic for the decisi%e
blow -ut that would be fatal, Lina thou!ht As she did so she
simultaneousl' acti%ated self/acceleration and Data *ortification
-' claddin! herself in self/acceleration ma!ic which lowered both
!ra%it' and inertia, Lina rushed strai!ht towards =i'u$i &er ri!ht
hand !rasped what had loo$ed li$e decorati%e buttons on her )ac$et
She hadn9t ta$en out her !un, but this much should be more than
enou!h to ta$e out a hi!h school !irl
Then the moment Lina was fi%e metres awa', her intuition screamed
for her to halt
She planted her feet firml' to resist a !ale which suddenl' threatened
to pull her bod' in
She applied a static ma!ic on herself to further counter that dra! force
(n that position, she tri!!ered mo%ement ma!ic on the buttons in her
hand The buttons, empowered to mo%e at "## $mWh without
acceleration, slowed and dropped to the !round before the' had
tra%eled e%en one metre
=i'u$i9s senses had felt Lina bla3in! in faster than the e'e could see
Althou!h she couldn9t draw data directl' from the dimension of
information li$e Tatsu'a, it was possible to percei%e the traces of
e%ent modification left b' ma!ic This was somethin! an' ma!ician
could do at %ar'in! le%els, and an'thin! a ma!ician could do =i'u$i
could do at the hi!hest le%el
Self/acceleration was a ma!ic which caused e%ent modification on the
user themself Therefore b' trac$in! the traces of e%ent modification
in real time, it was possible to determine the position of the caster
=i'u$i had learned how to exploit that wea$ness of self/acceleration
from Tatsu'a
+%er'thin! so far had proceeded )ust as planned &er sa'in! 2( !uess
this much isn9t enou!h2 had been deliberate, a su!!esti%e plo' to
pro%o$e the other side
The clincher would be this next ma!ic
(NDeceleration YoneO)
The techni1ue itself was rather commonplace (t was a ma!ic widel'
used both in <apan and abroad to slow the mo%ement of a tar!et
ob)ect
-ut when =i'u$i uses this ma!ic, her tar!ets can extend e%en to !as
molecules
The mo%ement speed of !as molecules is proportional to its pressure
To be precise (althou!h this is still )ust an approximation) in an
enclosed space, the pressure of a !as is proportional to the s1uare of
its mo%ement speed -' forcibl' deceleratin! the mo%ement speed of
air molecules in a re!ion the pressure falls, and the resultin! pressure
!radient causes air from the surroundin! space to mo%e in
:apidl' and forcefull'
Not )ust air, but people and ob)ects were suc$ed in as well
(f a person cau!ht in this had insufficient power to oppose the ma!ic,
the' would be depri%ed of their mo%ement speed and trapped
And if the person had sufficient interference power to shut down the
ma!ic, the !reatl' decelerated !as molecules would suddenl' re!ain
their speed and expansion bac$ to an appropriate pressure would
occurM in other words, an explosion
A ma!ic which ori!inall' was onl' used in battle as a second option to
reduce the impact of pro)ectiles when lac$in! the power to outri!ht
stop them, had been wrou!ht into a two/fold anti/personnel ma!ic b'
=i'u$i9s o%erwhelmin! ma!ic power
&owe%er, Lina held her !round a!ainst the ra!in! suction force
0hat she had shot out had loo$ed li$e ornamental buttons
=erel' !i%en some initial %elocit' there was no wa' those clumps of
resin could brea$ throu!h =i'u$i9s Deceleration Yone, but more
importantl', the' had clued Lina in as to exactl' )ust what $ind of
ma!ic =i'u$i was usin!
((f that9s the case;)
Alwa's be prepared two, three steps ahead of 'our opponent, was
somethin! repeatedl' tau!ht to her b' Tatsu'a on a dail' basis (f the
plan to draw the opponent into Deceleration Yone and eliminate her
there failed, she had planned strate!ies to ta$e her down outside the
area as well
0hilst doublin! o%er the inside 3one, =i'u$i released the outer area
The forcibl' slowed air molecules returned to their ori!inal speed
The air, once contained in a small area was freed in a !reat rush of
pressure, and en!ulfed Lina in a blast
The traces of a lar!e scale phenomena alteration disappeared
Accordin! to her instinct, Lina flattened herself on the !round and cast
an ob)ecti%e barrier abo%e
A blast wa%e washed o%er the top of the shield The hi!h/speed air
flow threatened to lift her shield and all off the !round, and after
holdin! b' appl'in! ma)or inertial increase ma!ic se%eral times whilst
remainin! prone, Lina raised her head and loo$ed for an opportunit'
to counterattac$ S or rather to assess the situation
Lina had no intention of leisurel'(>) waitin! for a chance to arise
Up to this moment, she had been entirel' on the bac$ foot
&er opponent was a mere hi!h school student, while she was the
captain of the world9s stron!est unit
Naturall' such pride had been there, but now more than that, the
awareness that she was losin! !round brou!ht its own mental
pressure
(f she didn9t retaliate at least a little, she would be o%erpowered
Unless one has an o%erwhelmin! defensi%e ma!ic, in a ma!ic battle
offense was stron!er than defense So went the theor'
Lina felt the wind pressure wea$en (t wasn9t so much due to
cancellation of the ma!ic as the blast which occurred as a resultM after
all that compressed air had been released, it was little wonder the wind
had dropped
Lina !ripped her combat $nife in her ri!ht hand
&er !un had been ta$en, but this $nife capable of operatin! 9=olecular
Di%ider9 had not
The armament de%ice of the ma!ic de%eloped b' the pre%ious Sirius,
and now the trump card of the Stars
0hen materialised, this ma!ic, similar to an extended %irtual area,
must surpass the opponent9s interference power
*urthermore, since winnin! b' hal%es wasn9t an option, it would
actuall' ha%e to be a ran$ hi!her
At the %er' least howe%er,
(This should be enou!h to !et =i'u$i9s attention;)
0ith her left hand which was still flat on the !round, she scattered
da!!ers where =i'u$i couldn9t see
She canceled her inertial increase, then risin! up at full speed,
(=olecular Di%ider)
4n her $nee, she swun! her $nife
She acti%ated the %irtual area almost simultaneousl' At that time, Lina
felt an o%erwhelmin! interference stren!th surpassin! an'thin! she
had e%er seen burst into the space between her and =i'u$i
The %irtual area, in the midst of bein! formed, was o%errun b' the
torrent of interference
She $new that she would be stopped (t mi!ht e%en be said she had
counted on it
2Dancin! -lades;2
+%en before confirmin! that =olecular Di%ider had been disabled,
Lina acti%ated her next ma!ic
&er discreetl' scattered da!!ers rose and flew forwards in the blin$ of
an e'e
-' !ra3in! the !round, the' a%oided the space dominated b' =i'u$i
((f 'ou9re able to stop four blades attac$in! from the front and bac$ in
this dar$ness, please !o ahead and tr';)
Sensin! ma!ic tin!ed ob)ects closin! in at hi!h speed =i'u$i canceled
her offensi%e ma!ic se1uence partwa', and switched to an area
defensi%e ma!ic
The da!!ers approachin! =i'u$i lost their fli!ht momentum and fell
to the !round
&er ma!ic which indiscriminatel' defended a!ainst all directions was
more difficult than one which tar!eted an area, far more difficult than
one which tar!eted indi%idual ob)ects, 'et =i'u$i as she was now
could pull it off with ease
(t could e%en stop this attac$ filled with the ma!ic power of the Sirius,
Lina
(f her control had been tied up in Tatsu'a9s seal as usual, it would ha%e
been hard for her to defend a!ainst that
She most li$el' wouldn9t ha%e been able to mana!e the control needed
for such a dense techni1ue
(f she had challen!ed Lina to a battle alone, she would ha%e lost
alonethin$in! that, =i'u$i offered a pra'er of !ratitude in her heart
(4nii/sama is watchin! o%er me( won9t lose ( can9t lose;)
Seein! her elaboratel' de%ised surprise attac$ crushed throu!h sheer
power, Lina felt a risin! sense of both trepidation and exhilaration
&er mind suddenl' returned to that saccharine sweet, heartburn
inducin! si!ht from earlier
At that time, she had thou!ht he was merel' messin! around with the
fi!ht
-ut at that time, Tatsu'a had certainl' whispered somethin! to
=i'u$i
Thin$in! about it, it was full' possible Tatsu'a had been informin!
her about 9Dancin! -lades9 She had seen Tatsu'a decompose fi%e
incomin! blades at once
(t was not a se1uence for an' intermolecular force neutralisin! ma!ic
that she $new, but from the results, she !uessed that it must ha%e
somehow undone the bonds holdin! molecules to!ether
-ut that wasn9t the point
0hat was critical was that it had tar!eted multiple pro)ectiles closin!
in at the same time, and dealt with them at the same time 0hat had
stopped her attac$, was not =i'u$i9s stren!th alone
(( seeso he won9t ma$e a mo%e, but he9ll !o ahead and spea$ Not
bad;)
=i'u$i thou!ht
( absolutel' cannot lose
Lina thou!ht
(9ll ha%e to !o full force
The two of them cried out at the same time
2=i'u$i;2 2Lina;2
2This is it;2
The world fro3e
The world burned
The ma!ic of the two repainted realit' itself, as two worlds collided
Clintin! with cr'stal li!ht, an endless plain of ice and snow
:oarin! with thunder, an infernal storm of fire and li!htnin!
A hell which fro3e the air in eternal winter, 9Niflheim9
A hell which consumed the air in scorchin! pur!ator', 9=uspelheim9
4n one hand, an area ma!ic which slowed down the %ibration of !as
molecules free3in! not onl' water %apour and carbon dioxide, but
ri!ht down to nitro!en as well
4n the other hand, an area ma!ic which decomposed !as molecules
into plasma, and furthermore, b' forcibl' separatin! the ions from the
electrons, created a hi!h ener!' electroma!netic field
The sheer cold cooled the plasma bac$ into !as, and the molten
plasma re%erted the fro3en air
The fur' of the two powers now clashin! created an aurora on the
!round
(t reall' was a %er' prett' si!ht
Almost enou!h to ma$e one for!et that life and death hun! in the
balance
Tatsu'a, his fin!er on his AAD tri!!er, carefull' scrutinised the scene
(f either side lost control, he would immediatel' erase the spells
&e expected substantial difficult' in cancelin! the ma!ic of these two
at the same time, but he was a ma!ician who specialised in restoration
and decomposition &e full' intended to surpass such absurdit'
(n the midst of that aurora, as fire and ice met in what seemed an
eternit' of mutual destruction, in less than a minute the tide was
re%ealed
The cold air was expandin!, and the plasma was shrin$in!
(n the first place, =i'u$i was a ma!ician who excelled in lar!e scale
ma!ic o%er a wide area
4n the other hand Lina9s power was focused on indi%idual ob)ects,
excellin! in se%ere ma!ic on those
*rom the be!innin!, this sort of en!a!ement had fa%oured =i'u$i
Addin! to that howe%er Lina had alread' fou!ht the %ampire and then
Tatsu'a, ma$in! this her third consecuti%e battle
+%en thou!h she herself was not aware of s'mptoms, fati!ue was
alread' settin! in
0ith her opponent holdin! the ad%anta!e and herself handicapped, the
result was clear
The match between =i'u$i and Lina had ne%er been a competition of
ma!ic power, but was to be decided b' who could $eep calm and
ma$e the most rational decisions
2,uh2
She herself li$el' $new this as well Lina !roaned painfull'
And mo%ed her hand to her bac$ She pulled out another armament
de%ice =ulticastin! in this situation, howe%er s$illed a ma!ician she
ma' be, was pure suicide
2That9s enou!h, 'ou two;2
Shoutin! out, Tatsu'a pulled the tri!!er of his AAD
&is 9Cram Dispersion9 dispelled both =i'u$i9s 9Niflheim9 and Lina9s
9=uspelheim9 at the exact same time
The cold and hot air rapidl' mixed, creatin! a !ale which would cause
both frostbite and burns -racin! himself for the se%ere pain he was
sure was incomin!, the storm of sheer cold and scorchin! heat was
bloc$ed ri!ht before him b' an in%isible wall
24nii/sama; That was far too rec$less;2
&er face pale, =i'u$i came runnin! up
Stunned, Lina could onl' stare
*or those two, protectin! themsel%es from the thermal aftermath was a
piece of ca$e re!ardless of fati!ue &owe%er, that sort of thin! was
impossible for Tatsu'a (t was at times li$e these that Tatsu'a, who
loo$ed with indifference on his own talents, was somewhat en%ious of
the s$ills of ordinar' ma!icians
2=' m'Tatsu'a/$un, what will 'ou do now>2
&a%in! made no mo%e to defend himself 'et ne%ertheless appearin!
unharmed, 5a$umo spo$e in moc$ surprise SNo, loo$in! at how
mudd' his disciple followin! after him was, he had li$el' di%ed into
the !round So called +arth :elease )utsu
2=asterwhat do 'ou mean>2
&e $new how 5a$umo had escaped the heat and cold, but he didn9t
understand the 1uestion Towards Tatsu'a who had replied
strai!htforwardl', or rather reflexi%el', 5a$umo showed a trul'
surprised face
20ell, 'ou $nowthe %ictor' conditions had been decided as when
one side surrenders, or is rendered incapacitated This was a match
ori!inall' concei%ed b' 'ou, and now that 'ou9%e !one and wrec$ed it,
what will 'ou do>2
Tatsu'a had no words to repl' with
(n that situation, if he had not inter%ened it would ha%e !one a!ainst
the condition of 9no $illin!9 and so he had no re!rets concernin! the
inter%ention itself
-ut the entire match after all had simpl' been an excuse to slip around
re!ulations
The fact was, their treatment of Lina was a %er' mess' situation
As an actual soldier, Lina had !uaranteed ri!hts as a prisoner of war (f
she had remained inco!nito that wouldn9t ha%e been an issue, but
Tatsu'a had heard from her own mouth that she was the 9Stars
captain9, and a 9USNA arm' ma)or9 not to mention ac$nowled!in! it
himself before that &er ri!hts as a P40 couldn9t be i!nored
+%en without a le!al state of war, practicall' spea$in! an'one
captured durin! a militar' operation had the ri!hts of a P40 Addin!
to that, Tatsu'a9s !roup as ci%ilians technicall' weren9t allowed to
apprehend the soldier Lina
(f he could pro%e his connection to the (ndependent =a!ic/+1uipped
-attalion the' could ta$e her prisoner, but unfortunatel' there was no
chance his hi!hl' classified status would be brou!ht to li!ht o%er an
incident of this scale
(f the' interro!ated or detained Lina without le!itimate ri!ht, the'
could onl' offer the USNA political excuses This wasn9t e%en
be!innin! to consider punishment
4f course on the other hand, the' could raise the issue of Lina
attac$in! ci%ilians, but unfortunatel' a ma!ician9s ri!hts to be
protected as a ci%ilian were still !reatl' restricted (n a court of
international law, Tatsu'a and co would be hea%il' disad%anta!ed
5et that bein! said, considerin! the future, there was no wa' the'
could )ust let her !o without doin! an'thin! &ow in the world will we
sort out this situationTatsu'a thou!ht as he felt a headache approach
2(t9s fine as m' loss2
&owe%er, there was no need for that worr' A helpin! hand extended
from the most unexpected place
2At that moment, ( most certainl' was bein! o%erpowered (f ( had
transferred capacit' to another ma!ic in that state, ( li$el' could ha%e
been o%erwhelmed b' =i'u$i9s ma!ic and lost m' life At the least, (
would ha%e been in no condition to fi!ht further2
Turnin! to Tatsu'a and =i'u$i, Lina !racefull' ac$nowled!ed her
own defeat
2So it9s m' loss, =i'u$i Tatsu'a, ( ha%e no intention of an' further
undi!nified resistance2
&owe%er, the feelin! of relief was premature
2(t was a promise (9ll answer whate%er 'ou as$ &owe%er2
2&owe%er what>2
2&owe%er, m' replies will onl' be 9'es9 or 9no9 An'thin! which cannot
be answered b' that, ( cannot disclose 5ou interfered and chan!ed the
conditions a!reed to between =i'u$i and (, so let me chan!e our
conditions m' wa' this much Tatsu'a2
She was rather more stubborn than he had thou!ht
At Lina who was smilin! so radiantl' one would hardl' thin$ she had
lost, Tatsu'a could onl' nod
Afterword