This chapter is updated by Novels.pl
In an intersection between the station and First High, Humanists were activating Antinite, sothing inaccessible to civilians. With it, they were releasing Psion noise that interfered with the activation of magic.
Minamis expression contorted at the sound of Cast Jamming.
She grasped her chest and fell, facing down.
Her slender shoulders rose up and down as she struggled to breathe properly.
Her suffering figure reminded Miyuki of the mories from that sumr day, five years ago.
August 11th, 2092, the events of Great Asian Unions assault on Okinawa.
During their insurrection, soldiers attacked while seeking refuge in the territory of the National Defense Force.
From her mories of that ti, in order to stop an enemy, to stop all of their enemies, Honami was shot, her mother was shot, and even Miyuki herself was shot and was about to die.
At that ti, the three of them were saved by Tatsuyas Regrowth. However, in the end, Honami didnt make it.
At this mont, there was Minami, the spitting image of Honami, suffering under the events of Cast Jamming. Suffering just like Honami had. The sight of her figure replaying the sa scene as that day before Miyukis eyes
I wont allow it.
Miyuki murmured softly in a voice quaking in anger.
To once again make her suffer. To once again take her away. I wont allow it.
This ti, I will stop them.
This ti for sure, I will stop all of them.
In a world where past and present blended together, Miyuki lost sight of herself. Driven by the regret and anger of the past, Miyuki tried to release her powers.
Miyuki-sama, please stop!
In the midst of pain, Minamis strained voice stopped Miyukis rampant magic.
Do you wish to defy Tatsuya-samas orders?
Tatsuyas words repeated in her heart, which had begun relinquishing all self-control.
It would be bad if you, as the successor of the Yotsuba Family, used magic to act against a non-Magic using citizen
Those were the words of Tatsuya last night. To Miyuki, Tatsuyas orders took precedent, and suppressed the mories of the scenes from that day.
Miyukis magic, Cocytus, that could even stop the spirit, heart, and body was on the verge of being invoked, but dispersed with the ntion of Tatsuyas na.
Minami-chan?
As if she had just woken up from a nightmare, Miyuki called out Minamis na with an uneasy voice and expression.
Im fine, Miyuki-sama.
Minami forced a smile, trying to pacify her master despite the danger of that mont.
Giving up on casting Deceleration on the wall that shook from the effects of Cast Jamming, she concentrated on Isolation.
The hands of the attackers struck against an invisible wall. It was a sight that would arouse instinctive fear in any weak, young girl, but Minami ignored it, directing a firm gaze at Miyuki as cold sweat ran down her forehead.
Minami looked at Miyuki protestingly to tell her that she was fine and to keep her from doing anything rash.
At such a look, Miyuki gave a smile that seed to say Im fine.
Miyuki returned the CAD in her left hand to her breast pocket.
Miyuki-senpai ?
While frowning at the Psion noise, she asked Miyuki in a wondering tone.
There was no way that Miyuki couldnt resist the Cast Jamming.
Izumi believed so for no reason.
Unfortunately, Izumi herself had difficulty using magic, but if it was the respected Miyuki Senpai, then small fry of this level would be easily defeated. That was how much Izumi admired Miyuki.
Miyuki then nodded and gave a look that said Dont worry to Izumi. She then cast down her eyes and crossed her hands on her chest.
A tender radiance emanated from Miyukis body.
It was a light that the self-proclaid humanist thugs could not see.
It was a non-physical light that only people of magical disposition could see. The Psion light radiated from Miyuki.
The light possessed no power of influence. Rather, it didnt contain any intention. The light that Miyuki released was a pure psion light that held no qualities.
Psions that had no interference strength had no effect on phenona. Without harming Minamis wall or the n trying to harm them, the radiance spread outwards.
Wrapped in the gentle light, Minami suddenly noticed that the pain from the Cast Jamming had lifted.
Cast Jamming was, first and foremost, a tool to hinder the activation of magic, but not to inflict damage on magicians. In the case of magicians with high Psion sensitivity, Cast Jamming caused a nauseating and dizzying effect.
No, a noise that could hinder the magic activation was no ordinary noise. Magic activation was not related to the object of operation, but rather to the origin of the operation, more specifically, the Magic Calculation Area in the subconscious of a magician.
Even if the sensitivity to Psions wasnt strong, the instant that the route of magic activation opened, the effect of the noise could not be avoided. For barrier magics, small cycles of renewal were required to continue the (seemingly) continuous magic. Therefore, Magicians who use this kind of magic suffered more damage from Cast Damage.
Minami could feel the sickness caused by the noise of Cast Jamming on her mind and body subsiding. The effects were still there but her discomfort was half gone.
Miyuki-sama?
Minami watched Miyukis face and figure with renewed intensity. The only thing she knew was that this change was brought about by her master.
Miyuki-senpai, amazing! Youre using thick Psion curtains to drown out the waves from Cast Jamming!
Izumi betrayed a voice of admiration, and Minami expressed her agreent, too. Psion clouds that had no interference could not stop magic, but against the Cast Jamming which had a similar nature and no phenona interference, it acted as a thick cushion.
Izumis voice was heard by the villainous n.
Impossible! There is no magic that Cast Jamming cant penetrate!
The leader of the humanists shouted with impatience. Unwittingly exposing his own ignorance, his words were humorous to Izumi and Minami. Since they felt this way, the two stopped hiding their amusent. Rather, the two never had the intention to do so.
Minami wore a faint smile without any intent behind it. In contrast, Izumi grinned widely, making it a point to mock the n.
It was indeed true that Cast Jamming was effective against most magic. Though, the technique that Miyuki just perford wasnt true magic. Rather, it was a technique that released and controlled external Psions, which in a sense could be considered magic.
It was a magic that was not magic, that obstructed techniques ant to obstruct magic.
The degree of difficulty in the technique that Miyuki displayed, coupled with her talent as a magician, were both things that the ignorant mbers of the cult could never comprehend.
Of course, there remained the fact Cast Jamming was ineffective on other magic as well.
For example, magic that decomposed the structure of the Psions that interfered with magic activation.
Suddenly, the Antinite that had been releasing the Psion noise dissolved. The irregular noise of Psion waves beca uniform waves of Psions.
Onii-sama!
Miyuki opened her eyes and looked over.
There, Tatsuya stood with a Noh mask on his face, but both of his eyes were burning fiercely.
Today, Tatsuya had reached a dead end with his investigation and had decided to head towards Kamakura to try and track down the mastermind of the terrorist attack, Gu Jie.
He had already inford Katsuto that he would not be attending the eting today. After Kamakura, he planned on heading towards Zama to once again check if any clues had been left behind.
If he got serious about finding Gu Jie, there was a more efficient and reliable way to do it.
Although it was only once, Tatsuya had seen Gu Jie.
To clarify, Tatsuya did not have the power of clairvoyance. He was not adept at finding the presence of people that he did not have a connection with.
Since they never ca into close contact, there wasnt much of a connection between them. The fact that Tatsuya had fought his student, Zhou Gongjin, would not serve to deepen the connection between Tatsuya and Gu Jie. Tatsuya also did not consider the fact that Maya was attacked to be an incident of much importance. If he allowed himself to form connections for such trivial matters, his sight would soon be clouded by the imnse amount of information.
To track down an opponent that he had only seen once, he would have to focus his perception on that target alone. He would have to remove his sight from other targets that he was observing.
Which ans, he would have to remove his sight from Miyuki.
For Tatsuya, Gu Jie did not have that much value.
However, if there was sothing left behind that had a strong tie to Gu Jie, he could use that as a clue to track down the trail of information. If such a clue had been left behind, the other investigators would have found it long ago, but the current situation was so dire that even such a remote possibility had to considered.
In spite of that, he turned back while he was on the way to Kamakura.
Not towards his house, but towards the school.
He did not have the power to see the future. His "eyes" could only allow him to look back in ti only to a very short extent
to be precise only up to 24 hours
from the present.
That is why, this was just intuition. That soone was attempting to harm Miyuki.
However, Tatsuya did not have the option of ignoring this feeling. Because, compared to Miyuki, the matter with Gu Jie was aningless to him.
He switched his bike into semi-automatic drive mode, transferred half of his sight into the information dinsion so that he could rescue Miyuki at any ti, and sped towards First High.
Although now, the sight of a group of ruffians keeping Miyuki trapped ca into Tatsuyas view.
Tatsuya neatly parked his bike, removed his helt and slowly let out a breath.
If he did not calm himself down in this manner, he risked being unable to rein in his murderous intent against these insolent people.
An attempt to harm Miyuki was not sothing he could ever forgive. Just knowing that his opponent had such thoughts would make Tatsuya want to erase them.
If he perceived any real threat to her, Tatsuya would not hesitate to kill. He had the ability to completely destroy a person without leaving any evidence, after all.
Even if Antinite was used, he knew that it would only make Miyuki feel slightly uncomfortable, so he didnt have to pull the trigger in his heart. The fact that Minami was suffering wasnt enough to elicit his killing intent.
Even so, Tatsuya couldnt just stand by and do nothing while a younger girl was in pain. Especially if the person in question was soone who was almost family. He activated a decomposition magic ant to erase the cast jamming that was causing Minamis suffering.
He didnt even need to use the circular-shaped CADs that he had on each wrist. Decomposition is one of the two magics that he could wield freely. He did not even have to use the gestures that magicians used to settle their aim, such as pointing his fingers, or stretching out his arm towards his target. Just by focusing his senses, he could set the target of his magic.
Gram Dispersion.
The magic that decomposes information bodies erased the complex structure of the Psion waves that interfered with the ability to use magic.
The structure of the jamming waves had been destroyed, and the waves turned into dull ripples then faded away.
Onii-sama!
He heard the voice of his sister calling out to him from within the crowd of people.
He could see Miyuki looking at him with eyes widened in surprise through the gaps in the crowd.
Tatsuya wondered why she was so surprised, and felt strange for a bit.
No matter how trivial it was, there was no way that he wouldnt co running whenever he sensed that Miyuki was in danger.
But his consciousness was instantly overwritten with rage.
Although it was faint, there were unmistakable traces of fear and unease on Miyukis face.
A high school girl was surrounded and confined by a group of unknown n. Regardless of how much power she had, it was natural for her to be afraid.
He glared at the crowd of people and sucked in a breath.
Out of the way!
Tatsuya spoke in a sharp and angry tone.
The n were staggered by the force contained within Tatsuyas voice, and the crowd split into two halves.
This was not the effect of a magic that affected the mind.
The ns bodies reacted faster than their minds when they heard the roar of a creature far more powerful than themselves.
Tatsuya walked briskly in a straight line.
He didnt even need to push his way through the crowd of n.
No one obstructed Tatsuyas way. No one even stretched a hand towards him.
Minami.
Standing in front of the magical barrier, Tatsuya called Minamis na. Yes, Tatsuya-sama.
Minami responded to his voice while keeping the barrier active.
Can you move while keeping that barrier up?
It is possible.
Tatsuya should have known that Minami was capable of that. Minami took it to an that Tatsuya was concerned about her present condition.
I see. Then follow
as you are, you three.
Tatsuya turned around. As he looked from one side to the other, the Humanists, frightened of that gaze, took one or two steps back.
W-What are you doing! Jamming team, one more ti!
As expected, the Antinite rings were given to the most proficient mbers selected from among the group. At their leaders shaken voice, the n gathered up the courage that had been broken by Tatsuya, poured Psions into their Antinite, and released Cast Jamming.
However, the structure of the Psion noise could not be maintained for even half a second.
Tatsuya just turned around while looking annoyed. He didnt even wave his hands.
That was all it took for the cast jamming to lose its effectiveness. It was a Psion noise that could inhibit all kinds of magic.
It was not sothing chaotic that was made by chance.
The noise from Cast Jamming was a wave pattern of Psions that followed a complicated set of rules in order to take shape.
As long as it has a structure, it cannot escape Tatsuyas Decomposition. Even more so if it was simply a bare information body. Against Tatsuya, the Cast Jamming that could neutralize magicians didnt even slow him down, so forget about it being a trump card.
What!?
The bearers of the rings shouted in dismay.
Dont falter! Once more!
The fanatics leader repeated his aningless order.
Tatsuya didnt even turn around anymore.
As expected, the noise that impeded magic didnt even last for half a second.
Cast Jamming was not a continuous emission of noise. It was a repetitive invocation wherein each burst of noise occurred before the previous one faded away.
It was a property of Antinite to convert the Psions injected into it into jamming waves that were released. However, continuously injecting Psions without the help of a chanical device, like the one used in flying magic, is difficult even for regular magicians. This was why Cast Jamming was only used intermittently.
For non-magicians who were not used to controlling Psions, even injecting enough Psions to produce an effective jamming wave would take a considerable amount of ntal concentration.
The noise was quashed as soon as it was invoked.
After doing this twice already, these young people did not have enough training to be able to imdiately repeat it for a third ti.
Tatsuya stopped walking and had the other three people go ahead of him.
They were already outside the crowd of Humanists.
Minami.
Yes, Tatsuya-sama.
Well done. You can release the barrier now.
Minami obeyed Tatsuyas words and cancelled the barrier magic. Miyuki.
After hearing Tatsuya call her na, Miyuki replied, Yes, Onii-sama with a ek voice.
Go back to school with the both of them.
Yes, certainly.
Miyuki gave Tatsuya a graceful bow, put a hand each on the backs of her underclassn, and urged them to head back to First High.
At this point, the leader of the Humanists regained his senses.
W-What are you doing! My comrades, do not allow those wicked people to escape!
However, that only served to bring them to an unfortunate conclusion.
The group of Humanists ignored
no, avoided Tatsuya, and ran past him.
However, not one of them managed to take more than three steps ahead.
There were a total of fifteen n. Not all of them started running at the sa ti. At that ti, only a third of the group, that is five people, had started to run. And now, the only ones who remained on their feet were the two-thirds who had not yet started to run.
Needless to say, the person who had caused one-third of the group who were guilty of capturing people and attempted violence (regarding their act of capturing people, it could be said that they were caught red- handed) was Tatsuya. However, this was not due to his magic.
The first person to step forward received a fist to the solar plexus and fainted while experiencing imnse pain.
The second person was struck in the temple by the base of Tatsuyas palm as he attempted to take a second step.
The third person had his neck grabbed from behind just as he took his second step, and was pulled backwards.
The fourth person received a blow to his chin as he was taking his third step.
The fifth person had his wrist grabbed as soon as he took his third step, and fell on the road after spinning one full circle in mid-air.
After experiencing Tatsuyas barrage of fluid techniques, none of the n were able to get off the ground, let alone stand up.
You bastard! Do you think you can get away with such violence!
The leader of the ruffians threw a selfish outcry at Tatsuya.
To this, Tatsuya replied with a smile filled with hostility, provocation, and ridicule.
I was just preemptively stopping an attack on won. The data captured by the street caras should prove that these people attempted to assault female students of First High.
Tatsuya deliberately directed his gaze at the cara installed on one of the streetlights. He then turned to the leader of the Humanists with a smile filled with scorn.
Even from afar, it was clear that the leaders face had turned red.
Of course, this was not because he had realized the folly of his actions and felt ashad. It was due to rage.
As expected of a fanatic, his eyes beca bloodshot from his madness and he scread while pointing at Tatsuya.
Finish this guy off first! Divine punishnt!
His lackeys shouted Oh! with raised spirits. Rather, it blended into a strange clamor.
Their bodies understood that they could not stand against Tatsuya, and automatically withdrew.
However, their minds had been poisoned by fanaticism, and they were unable to comprehend the danger signals called fear that was being sent throughout their bodies.
Realize your sins!
The young man who was standing in the front ranks attempted to assault Tatsuya. He was holding a collapsible baton that had already been expanded.
Tatsuya used his left hand to strike from the inside at the mans descending right hand. His sword-like hand hit the fingers holding the collapsible baton.
Aargh!
The baton went flying out of the young mans hand. He bent forwards and cried out in pain while holding his right hand.
Tatsuyas extended his right hand towards the young mans face. He wasnt moving at a speed that was too fast to follow. Rather, he was moving quite slowly.
From the side, Tatsuya thrust his thumb at the area directly below the mans ear.
The man ceased his cries of pain and his body crumpled to the ground.
Im warning you. If you keep attacking , I cant hold back.
Without even sparing a glance at the young man sprawled at his feet, Tatsuya said so while looking around at the ruffians.
He didnt an these words as a provocation. These were words of warning.
After Miyukis safety was assured, Tatsuya had cald down. He lost the will to proactively engage in violence.
Of course, that didnt an he would try to avoid a fight. If he was attacked, he would surely neutralize his opponent. The reason he said those words was mainly in order to provide an alibi for the caras that were recording the situation.
However, the people he said those words to took it as provocation.
Stop ssing around! Youre just a tool!
The leader of the Humanists thus acted in a detestable manner. However, his comrades were secretly exchanging looks amongst each other. At this point, the fear of fighting was starting to overco their blind faith.
Even so, they didnt try to flee the scene. They had yet to recover enough to make sound judgent calls. They werent under the impression that they would be given pardon for attacking a magician, rather they hadnt co to realize they were inferior in a fight.
This stalemate would probably work in Tatsuyas favor. On the way here, he saw that a crowd had ford near the police box as well. It was probably to stall the police. However, it was around ti for the police to start showing up.
The police will be here soon. Why dont you just run away? You perverts who attempted to assault won.
Tatsuya gave them a warning once again. This ti, however, it seed like he was inciting them. Tatsuya himself didnt see any reason to be careful of how he worded his sentence.
The fanatics easily flew into a rage.
This brat!
The leader let out a shriek as he himself rushed to attack Tatsuya.
Tatsuya narrowed his eyes at the weapon he took out from an inside pocket of his jacket. It was a stun whip that was approximately fifty centiters in length. By passing electricity through it, not only would it produce an electric discharge from the tip, but it could also beco more resilient and take the shape of a flexible leaf spring. However, once the switch was turned off, its state would change to sothing similar to a leather belt that could be wrapped around ones hand or body, allowing it to be carried discreetly and unnoticed from the outside.
This was the cane sword developed by Erikas family (A club made from shape-mory alloy that transforms into a short sword). It was just beginning to be adapted by the police, and was not yet comrcially available to the general public. It wasnt sothing that could be obtained unless you had connections with the police or the manufacturers themselves. Perhaps, he had stolen it from a policeman.
Investigating this could yield interesting results. While thinking of such things at a corner of his mind, he dodged the stun whip that was being swung down. Along with taking a step, he spun his body and got behind his enemy.
From his opponents perspective, it must have seed like the weapon passed right through Tatsuyas body.
Over here.
Tatsuya called out to the young man before he could discover Tatsuyas location.
The Humanists leader spun around in a panic. He must have thought that he would be attacked in return if he didnt do anything. He recklessly waved the stun whip about.
Tatsuya raised his arm and pretended to block the whip. Just before the whip made contact, he withdrew his arm.
To begin with, Tatsuya had already retreated beyond the range of the stun whip. The exaggerated attack from an unstable position ended in failure, and the young man lost his balance and fell on his behind.
Tatsuya let out a chuckle. It was not ant as an insult. Rather, at least, Tatsuya had no such intention. He just naturally laughed after seeing this display of excessive clumsiness. Tatsuya had no intention of deliberately insulting the young man before him, but he also didnt have any obligation to control his expressions out of consideration for his opponents feelings.
It couldnt be helped, even if the leader of the Humanists took Tatsuyas chuckle as an insult.
Ill kill you!
However, he had gotten into a fit of excessive madness. Whats more, the young mans hostility wasnt restricted to his words alone. He threw the useless whip aside and stuck his right hand into his coat pocket.
Just as his hand left his pocket, Tatsuyas right leg moved at lightning speed.
Tatsuya stomped down on the fanatics right hand instead of kicking it away.
Tatsuyas heel swung succinctly downwards and knocked the weapon out of the fanatics hand.
Instead of putting his right foot back on the ground, he shot it forwards.
After taking a front kick on his face, The Humanists leaders head snapped back and he fell down forcefully. It wasnt clear if he lay there without moving due to the impact of the kick, or because of the extre impact inflicted on back of his head the mont he fell down.
However, even if he had been hit at a bad place, the police probably wouldnt bla Tatsuya.
Lying on the road was a small gun with two barrels positioned one above the other. Even now, at the end of the 21st century, the palm-sized gun had continued to inherit the na Derringer, and this was the latest model of it. Of course, for regular civilians, carrying around one of these was a cri with no room for excuses.
In fact, the Humanists were the ones who were in a daze as they looked at the gun lying on the road. All of them who were standing and were conscious had a look of disbelief on their faces. It looked like they never imagined that their leader was carrying a gun.
Tatsuya turned to look at the remaining fanatics.
All the fight had gone out of them. Not only that, it appeared that they didnt even have the energy to run away.
Tatsuya judged that the matter was done and relaxed his fighting stance.
However, his expression imdiately stiffened as he turned around and prepared to fight.
Onii-sama!
He didnt even need the warning from Miyuki, who was watching him from the end of the street, he had already finished his preparations to use magic.
The leader of the Humanists was standing up.
He was supposed to have been unconscious. Even now, he didnt look like he had regained consciousness.
Although, that was a trivial issue.
What Tatsuya had reacted to was not an outward abnormality.
The expressionless Humanist had both arms outstretched, and a SB
a so-called spirit, was floating over them. No, it was more appropriate to call this ominous purple fla an evil apparition, instead of a spirit, or so Tatsuya thought.
Miyuki, stay hidden!
Yes!
Rather than because of Tatsuyas command, Miyuki retreated from the corner of the street because she was frightened of his nacing attitude.
Tatsuya stuck out his opened hand. A violent stream of Psions were released from his palm.
The purple flas that were hovering over the fanatics hands were erased by the gale of Psions.
Gram Demolition. After being hit by this non-systematic magic that was said to be one of the strongest counter magics, this was the obvious result.
What!?
However, a startled cry escaped from Tatsuyas mouth.
That was because the flas of the evil apparition once again flickered on the fanatics hands.
It was definitely not impossible to reactivate a magic right after the magic sequence has been blown away by Gram Demolition. Gram Demolition simply struck the target with a high-density stream of Psions. Its effect ended as soon as the stream of Psions stopped. The effect of erasing magic did not persist.
However, re-creating the magic required early preparation on the part of the caster. No matter how fast the magician was, they couldnt omit the step of building the magic sequence. Even people with supernatural abilities who didnt need an activation sequence couldnt overwrite a phenonon without a magic sequence.
This process was not detectable within this man.
(This power is not his. A third party is supplying him with SBs)
The spirits, no, evil apparitions were being delivered to the young mans hands by a different caster, ignoring the limits of physical distance and moving along the connection ford by association. In short, this ant that the anti-magic faction had beco underlings of Ancient Magicians. The person might have had the magic cast upon them without their notice. In fact, the probability of that was high.
Tatsuya once again erased the flas of the evil apparition
rather he didnt actually do that. A person who initiated violence against Magicians because of a terrorist attack presud to be carried out by Ancient Magicians was, in fact, under the influence of an Ancient Magician. There was no way that this could be a coincidence. Tatsuya used these flas as a foothold, and focused his eye on the real body of the caster.
A-A Magician!?
Leader is a heretic!?
Seeing the fireballs floating over the young mans palms, his comrades groaned with shocked voices.
The flas this ti werent sothing that only Tatsuya could see. The SB that had been summoned by
or rather, had been forcefully pushed onto the young man, took the shape of a purple fla. Since the flas were stained with a dark color, it wasnt possible to see what was happening to the hand underneath. Perhaps, it didnt just look like a fla, but also possessed the physical properties of it.
Uh Uwaaah!
The young people who were supposed to be his comrades ran away in all directions like a nest of disturbed spiders.
Tatsuya didnt chase them. Or rather, there was no need to chase them.
At that mont, the purple sphere burst open.
Instead of a large fla, it beca compressed into a small fireball and shot out, then it multiplied into around ten fireballs of the sa size, which scattered from the young mans hand.
The fireballs could not penetrate into buildings. Forget the walls, even the purple flas that ca into contact with the window glass vanished without leaving a trace.
However, the trees by the roadside that ca into contact with the fireballs were charred black and looked like they would break at any ti.
No, the word charred was probably not the right way to put it.
The parts that were exposed to the purple flas were dried out and beca black with decay. The effect wasnt like applying a high temperature to them, rather, it was more like their warmth of life was being seeped away.
What would happen if a human ca in contact with these flas?
Tatsuya shot down the fireballs that ca at him with Gram Demolitionbut only the ones that headed directly towards him. He couldnt deny that he had focused too much of his attention on discovering the true identity of the caster, and as a result, he was falling behind in neutralizing the magic.
Looking at the results, the fireballs werent aid and fired at a particular target. The fireballs that Tatsuya didnt shoot down passed on either side of him and flew off into the sky. A portion of them also rained down upon the young
comrades
subordinates.
Several of them let out screams in what could be described as agony in death.
Tatsuya didnt turn around, but behind him, there was a mysterious phenonon of human bodies undergoing localized desiccation. Rather than becoming dried out and mummified, only the portions of the body that were hit by the purple fla appeared to be experiencing rapid aging.
Tatsuya didnt see this condition as it occurred on their bodies, but he recognized that it would be dangerous to ignore this magic. Although he felt that it was a little too late, he cancelled his tracking of the caster and switched his focus to obliterating this magic.
If this magic was being summoned by the leader of the Humanists, then the matter would have been settled simply by knocking him unconscious. However, this young man was just being used as a dium to launch the magic. Besides, it wasnt possible to knock out soone who was already unconscious. The only thing you could do was to kill them.
That might have been the most efficient way to settle the issue. It was possible that the enemy could control the corpse and use it to relay the magic, but Tatsuyas thod of killing turned flesh into dust. No corpse was to be left behind.
However, he couldnt use that thod now. It would count as excessive self-defense no matter how anyone looked at it, and would only serve to needlessly incite the mass dia.
(The caster who is using the purple fla magic wont be able to send SBs here unless he uses that man to relay it.)
If the caster could freely launch fireballs at this location while staying hidden sowhere, he wouldnt go to the trouble of using that young man as a dium. If he made use of other fanatics as well, and created a free-for-all fight, he might have been able to injure Tatsuya.
(There must be so reason why he has to use that man in particular.)
For instance, he might have a sign carved into him that would serve as a marker to turn him into a dium.
Tatsuya thought of this and focused his eye.
(This is in the way.)
Once again, Tatsuya used Gram Demolition to blow away the flas hovering over the young mans hands.
The purple fla SB Magic was reactivated imdiately. (Found it.)
The seal was carved into the young mans hand. It was a pattern drawn by Psions that pierced the back of his hand and ran onto his palm. Even montarily extinguishing the flas was enough for Tatsuya to see through the trick behind relaying the magic.
There was a tattoo drawn on the back of the mans hand. A pignt similar to his skin color was used to try to hide it. It had a different pattern from the engraving magic that Tatsuya was familiar with, but it had similar properties that allowed one to produce a magical effect by running Psions through it.
Ancient magic still had the edge when it ca to such versatility. While thinking of such pointless things, Tatsuya used Decomposition on a portion of the tattoo.
So of the pignt was removed from the center of the tattoo, which was so complex that it seed impossible to have been drawn by hand. The pignt was separated from the underlying layers of the skin by the use of decomposition magic.
The last two purple fireballs that shot towards him from the front were shot down using Gram Demolition. By distorting the Psion pattern that served as a marker for the magic relay, it beca impossible to remotely operate the SB magic.
The tattoo must have also served to remotely control the leader of the Humanists. The man froze like a statue, his body sitting on the ground with his torso erect and both hands sticking forwards, before falling over backwards.
The young man didnt get up. It looked like he was really disabled this ti.
Tatsuya waited for ten seconds, then relaxed.
From the corner of the street, the voices of policen could be heard, yelling, Nobody move! Tatsuya, at least, did not think that they were useless for arriving after the matter had been settled.
He looked at the trees on either side and furrowed his eyebrows. He then looked back at the condition of the fanatics, and let out a small sigh. Tatsuya was honestly glad that the policen didnt get caught up in the fight. All the policen stationed in police boxes near the Magic High Schools were magicians who were trained in physical combat, but it was doubtful whether the policen from the one near the First High School train station could have defended against that SB magic, or neutralized it.
Tatsuya complied with the order to not move and stood motionlessly at the sa spot. There was no reason to move about now. He didnt need to move his body to follow the trail of data.
He had obtained the necessary information from the tattoo, which had been the enemy magicians magical dium, while he decomposed it. Tatsuya was now following the enemys trail in the information dinsion.
The effects of the magic had already worn off, but the person who had co into direct contact with the caster and acted as a dium for the magic was lying just a few feet away. In gathering data, there was both temporal proximity, since the magic had been used recently, and spatial proximity, since the dium used to remotely activate the magic was close by. There was also a cause-and-effect relationship ford due to the fact that Tatsuya himself was the target of the casters magic.
With so much information to work with, and the fact that information related to the magic was close at hand, it wasnt hard for Tatsuya to track down the ownerin other words, information on the magician.
He was here because he acted on a vague premonition that sothing bad was drawing closer to Miyuki. It wasnt due to his search for Gu Jie, so finding a clue here was a complete coincidence.
It was because of this that Tatsuya had no intention of letting this chance slip away, even if he had to take so risks for it.
Right now, the search for the terrorist by the Ten Master Clans was at a dead-end. Even the Yotsuba Family were unable to uncover any new clues, so people were now starting to get impatient.
However, it wasnt like Maya was demanding results from him, and Tatsuya himself felt little, rather, no impatience at all. He thought, in private, that it was alright to leave Gu Jie to the police or the Information Division. He also thought that the activities of the anti-magic faction were, to so extent, unavoidable.
It was an irrefutable fact that to non-magicians, magic was as dangerous as a weapon or a bomb. Magicians in their vicinity ard themselves with magic, so it was only natural for unard citizens to try and keep them at a distance. Tatsuya felt that this couldnt be helped, and the only option was to give up and accept it. Until just now.
If an enemy magician was taking advantage of the hatred and fear of the anti-magic faction towards magicians in order to use them as pawns, he couldnt ignore it. Though, perhaps, he hadnt realized that he himself had beco a magicians pawn, but in his case, he was more of a tool rather than a pawn. On the other hand, from the perspective of a hostile observer, there wasnt any real difference between being a pawn and tool.
A wristband with white and red stripes was around the wrist of the Humanist who was used as a magic relay device earlier. It was proof that he was a mber of Egalite, a lower branch of the national anti-magic organization Blanche that Tatsuya had a deep history with.
Controlling Blanche from the shadows was Zhou Gongjin, and Gu Jie commanded Zhou Gongjin. Tatsuya had heard this from various sources.
Looking at the chain of command, the mbers of Egalite had been pawns of Gu Jie from the start. However, it seed that the closer one got to the top, the more they resonated with the ideologies of humanism
or perhaps, brainwashed
and were included in the organization.
This leader didnt look like he was acting when he shouted about the creed of humanism, either.
As expected, they were being duped. The tattoo used to relay the evil apparitions was probably placed on him without his knowledge.
It would be dangerous if people ard with guns and magic infiltrated unard groups of demonstrators again and attacked Miyuki, like what happened just now. That was what Tatsuya was worried about. If he could constantly stay by Miyukis side, there would be nothing to fear, but until he captured Gu Jie, he couldnt do that. Due to the mission, there would be tis when he would have no choice but to work away from her.
In order to carry out his mission of exterminating the terrorist, he had no choice but to feel the fear of exposing the one he loved to acts of terrorism. It wasnt just limited to terrorists. Even if his opponent was a criminal organization, or on a larger scale, a civil war, or even an international war, it would result in the sa sense of irony. The only difference between war and terrorism was the whether or not direct attacks on non-combatants were permitted. Perhaps, it was right to say that war and terrorism ant different things only in the modern tis because so people differentiated between combatants and noncombatants. Although, it was a different matter, whether or not that rule was always followed.
Still, Tatsuya didnt have the option of stopping his search for Gu Jie. Even if he withdrew here, Miyukis safety wouldnt be assured. In the end, the only option that he had was to find Gu Jie as soon as possible and suppress him. There was no other way.
He divided his consciousness into two parts, and sent one half into the large ocean of information. The other half was on the lookout for anyone who might attempt to harm Miyuki, as the other followed the trail of the magician, who had used the purple fla magic.
Information was always attached to an event. If sothing underwent a change, there would always be traces of information left behind to indicate the event of a change. This didnt change, even if magic, a technique to manipulate information, was used. Even information manipulation designed to wipe out the information would leave traces of its own. Even if they tried to paint over the fact that SB was used, even if they used ink of the sa colors as the background to overwrite the black ink, the unnatural shade of color would remain behind. In addition, although faint, it would not disappear and could still serve as information about the event.
(There.)
Information about the magician floated up into Tatsuyas field of vision. (It isnt Gu Jie, but)
The information that Tatsuya perceived was unfortunately not that of Gu Jie, whom he had encountered in Zama. If the person he had encountered after tracking the information had been Gu Jie, he could have just used Mist Dispersion from here and the matter would be settled. If he could only see him clearly, physical distance was of no consequence.
(At this level of clarity, maybe I could gain so detailed information on his location as well?)
One after the other, Tatsuya read the information about the magician at the distance. His na was Oumi Kazukiyo, his pseudonym as a magician was Dollmaker, and his current location was in Kamakura at
(Tch!)
All of a sudden, a drastic change was introduced to the information that he was observing. In order to avoid damage from that backlash, he reflexively cut off the connection. Tatsuyas vision returned to what was observed through his normal sight. The distance between him and the oncoming police had barely changed since he shifted his perception to the information dinsion. Less than one second had passed.
(In other words, he killed him as soon as I destroyed his magic.)
The change in information was a transition from the state of being alive to death. Tatsuya had began to track down the information a little over ten seconds after destroying the purple fla magic. This was just about the amount of ti it would take for a person near the magician to realize what had happened. It was a coincidence that he had been killed while being observed by Tatsuya, but the killing itself might have been preditated. One of the reasons he could think of for the falling out was that the enemy knew he had the ans to track down information, or that they had inferred as much.
Hes a troubleso opponent
Tatsuya let out a sigh a he raised his hands and showed a posture of submission to the approaching police.
Perhaps he could no longer afford to nitpick over his thods.
Thats what Tatsuya thought.
In Oumi Kazukiyos mansion, Gu Jie finally began to reflect upon the fact that he was running out of ti as he gazed upon the corpse of the owner of the house whom he had just killed.
The reason why Gu Jie killed his friend, an Ancient Magician, was because he had sensed a retaliatory technique. It didnt fit into any category of magic that he knew of, but he sensed the intent of soone backtracking along the trail of the SB Magic that had been used and was approaching at a frightening speed.
Almost reflexively, Gu Jie had killed Oumi, and thereby cut-off the trail of magic. However, he wasnt confident that he had managed to entirely block off the enemys technique. Even though the risk of being exposed to counter-magic was abated, Gu Jie thought that there was a possibility that his location had been revealed.
He had sensed Tatsuyas gaze, but Gu Jie didnt know that it was an ability capable only of seeing, not attacking. However, after spending nearly fifty years living a life on the run and conducting his secret feud, Gu Jie was imdiately able to detect that montary observation in the information dinsion. It was hostility directed towards him.
I had originally hoped for one more day and night, but
Gu Jie murmured as he gazed towards the next room where two human bodies laid. One of these bodies had more potential than any other body he had handled before. It was enough to make Gu Jie feel that it was a waste to use it as a disposable pawn. If he had just one more day, he wouldnt have had to turn it into a soldier of death
not a soldier who was prepared to die
a literal undead soldier. Instead, he could have turned it into long-lasting Generator.
Its a waste though being too greedy is foolish as well.
Gu Jie shook his head as if to dispel any lingering regrets, then moved towards the next room while holding the elaborately decorated dagger, which he had used to take the life of his old friend, the Ancient Magician, Oumi Kazukiyo.
(My own vanity will probably end up destroying
soday)
Izumi put on a depressed expression to hide her bitter thoughts from the adults before her. She was actually depressed, so it wasnt that hard to put on an act.
So, apart from Sakurai-san, who used barrier magic to shut out the violence, no other magic was used?
Yes.
Izumi returned a short affirmative to the question raised by the teacher in-charge of her class, Class-1B.
Is it true that the opponents used Cast Jamming?
This question was put forward by the Vice-Principal, Yaosaka.
Yes.
Izumi once again answered succinctly, but, even for her, it wasnt easy to deal with four teachers including the Principal and Vice-Principal by herself.
Why did she have to go through sothing so botherso? Such resentful thoughts ran through Izumis mind. However, Izumi herself was responsible for being in this situation. Since she was aware of that fact, her anger and irritation continued to smolder under her skin without the flas getting bigger.
Female students from her school had been harassed by a group of young n. Besides, there was a chance that it might have escalated enough to cause injuries, so it wasnt strange that the matter didnt stop at the Vice- principal, and that even the Principal got involved. It was also reasonable that she was being questioned regarding the incident because she was involved in it.
The problem was, why was she being made to do this alone?
No, even Izumi knew why this was the logical conclusion, and that her current situation was unavoidable.
The opponents were ard with Antinite, a precious military resource. Not only that, they also tried to use a gun ant for assassinations.
In the end, the ruffians, who were supposed to be anti-magic supporters, used magic to cause damage to both people and property. The police wouldnt be able to write this issue off with a simple interview at the police box, either. Not only were the assailants being taken to the Hachioji police station, even Izumi and the others, who were the victims, had been asked to go there as well.
Since it was such a serious situation, soone had to imdiately inform the school, too. In other words, soone had to return to the school.
Minami had been asked to co by the police since she was the person who used the barrier magic. Tatsuya couldnt refuse to participate as he had used violence, even though it was in self-defense. As for Miyuki, she didnt really use magic, but the large amount of Psions she had released were detected by the sensors.
In the process of elimination, Izumi was the only person left to go back to school to report about the incident. From a logical perspective, Izumi understood this as well. However, as the saying went, Logic and feelings are different things.
Saegusa-kun.
Principal Momoyama, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
Yes.
Izumi looked at the principal and answered nervously.
Is it true that the thugs changed their targets to you and Shiba-kun after recognizing both of you?
While being apprehensive of Momoyamas sharp gaze, Izumi replied in an unwavering tone.
I am sure of it, Principal. They looked at
and called
a mber of the Saegusa Family, then, after looking at President Shiba, they said, First Highs Student Council President. They confird this among themselves before approaching us.
Which would an that your group had a higher priority to them, compared to the other first years from our school who were being harassed.
I think so, as well.
Momoyama replied, Fumu, and drifted into thought while folding his hands inside the sleeves of his Japanese-style clothes.
Izumi patiently waited for him to resu speaking. The ones who were unable to withstand the pressure of the silence were the other adults.
Principal.
Vice-Principal Yaosaka spoke to Momoyama in a reserved, or rather, frightened tone.
Momoyama looked at Yaosaka without giving any indication that he was annoyed at the interruption of his thoughts.
Vice-Principal. The school will be temporarily closed starting tomorrow. For now, the period of closure will be until Saturday, the 23rd.
Principal, temporarily closing the school on such short notice
Yaosaka unintentionally retorted at the Principals sudden decision. He imdiately shut his mouth and put on a chastised expression, but the scolding he expected from Momoyama did not co.
Do you need a reason?
Ah, yes, about that
Instead, Yaosaka was directed with a gaze filled with contempt that seed to say, Cant you understand even this much?
If our students were being attacked at random, that would have been just so discontented elents going on rampage.
Even so, Momoyama gave an explanation. Maybe it was because he was a teacher, but he liked to explain things.
However, it appears that our students are being assigned priorities, and are being targeted based on that. Rather than a spontaneous outburst, there is a high probability that this is an organized and planned cri.
Organized cri, you say
Yaosaka wasnt the only one who went pale. The class adviser of Class- 1B, the teacher in-charge of all first-year students, the other adults who had gathered around the Principals desk, and even Izumi, went pale in the face.
Unlike ordinary rioting, there is a chance that their thods might get more radical. We need to wait out and observe the situation for a while.
Yes I agree with you completely.
Ill leave the formalities to you.
After giving Yaosaka that order, Momoyama once again looked at Izumi.
Saegusa-kun, thank you for attending.
Although there was no hint of gratitude in his voice, Izumi took this to an that she was being dismissed.
No, I only did what was natural.
Izumi wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, so she didnt let this chance pass.
In that case, please excuse , Principal.
She gave a courteous bow and turned towards the exit.
After completing the interviews at the police station, it was already past 7:00 P.M. by the ti that Tatsuya and the others reached ho. Due to what had just happened earlier, the police escorted them ho in an unmarked police car. A motorcycle police officer from the Traffic Division had driven Tatsuyas bike to their house. The police appeared to have noticed that the cowl and tires of the bike were bulletproof, but they didnt say anything. It was probably because they knew about his parentage.
The personal items belonging to Miyuki and Minami were still in their lockers at school. However, there was nothing among them that would lt or spoil, so they decided to retrieve them tomorrow and planned to stay at ho for the rest of the day. This ant that the long-awaited information regarding Gu Jie that was obtained from data tracking would go to waste, but Tatsuya had an idea on what to do about that.
In any case, both Tatsuya and Miyuki intended to completely relax at their own ho, but a mail arrived hardly ten minutes after they took off their shoes at the front door.
Tatsuya had promptly changed into casual clothes from his riding jacket and trousers that doubled as fighting togs. He then sat on the sofa in the living room, and looked at the fully unfolded screen of the mobile terminal with a frown on his face. At this ti, Miyuki who had taken a little longer to get changed, ca down the stairs.
Onii-sama, is sothing the matter? You have a troubled expression on your face.
No, its nothing like that.
Tatsuya raised his head and responded to Miyuki, then indicated the space next to him with his eyes.
Miyuki sat down next to him as invited, and looked at the screen of the terminal that Tatsuya turned towards her.
Tatsuya-sama, Miyuki-sama, the tea is ready.
Minami brought out the tea while wearing an apron over her uniform. As Tatsuya had requested, the tray held strongly-brewed Sencha. Minami placed the teacups on the table and looked inquisitively at Tatsuya to see if he had any other request.
Please wait a little.
After saying that to Minami, Tatsuya looked at Miyuki.
Miyuki had just finished reading the mail that wasnt very long, and lifted her head.
Onii-sama, this is we cant reject it, right?
Youre right.
Tatsuya let out a small sigh and looked at Minami, who was awaiting his orders.
After we finish drinking our tea, Miyuki and I will be going out. Well be eating outside, so you can do as you wish, Minami. Feel free to go to sleep early.
Miyuki must have felt that her brothers explanation was unsatisfactory.
Weve been invited by the new Head of the Juumonji Family. I think well be a little late in returning ho.
She gave an additional explanation before Minami could react to Tatsuyas order.
Understood.
Of course, Minamis answer wouldnt have changed, whether or not she had received a detailed explanation. She gave a respectful bow to the siblings, who were her masters.
Although Miyuki had told Minami that they had been invited by the Head of the Juumonji Family, that hadnt been the full story. As Tatsuya arrived along with Miyuki, it was not only Katsuto, but also Mayumi and Masaki, who were waiting.
The place was the restaurant that they always used for etings. From the outside, it looked like a slightly larger detached residence, but after entering it, even Miyuki was slightly taken by surprise.
Tatsuya had already explained the reason why he didnt attend todays eting to Katsuto. The ti was already past 2200. Usually, by this ti, they would be finishing their al after the eting.
However, they had still been summoned here. Katsuto, Mayumi, and Masaki greeted them with serious looks on their faces.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Sorry for asking you to co on short notice. Please, take a seat.
In contrast to Tatsuyas genteel apology, Katsuto responded in a tone that indicated that he truly felt guilty, and urged Tatsuya and Miyuki to take a seat.
Katsuto and the others, who had been waiting for Tatsuya and Miyuki, were already sitting at the table. Katsuto was sitting at the end of the table in the hosts seat, and Mayumi and Masaki were on either side of him. Although this was a French restaurant, was the table set in the British-Arican style to say that they need not be concerned about intricate table manners? Or perhaps, they never cared about such things in the first place. Tatsuya decided that it was the latter, and made Miyuki sit in front of Mayumi, while he sat in front of Masaki.
Shiba-san, are you alright?
As soon as she had taken a seat, Masaki asked Miyuki if she had been injured.
Yes. At the end of the day, there was no real damage. Thank you for worrying about .
Miyuki gave her answer, and smiled sweetly at Masaki. Masaki went red in the face, and relaxed with an expression of relief.
It appeared that Masaki was really worried about Miyuki. Both Katsuto and Mayumi understood that, and didnt berate Masaki for his rashness.
Shiba, it seems youve had a rough day.
Instead of reprimanding Masaki for his behavior, Katsuto spoke to Tatsuya.
Yes, I did. It was outside of my expectations.
Tatsuya didnt act tough, and instead, honestly admitted that his expectations were naive.
The assailant didnt just have a gun, but he also used magic, didnt he?
After Mayumi asked this with a worried expression on her face,
An anti-magic supporter used magic? Or did an enemy magician infiltrate the Humanists group?
Masaki ca out with a straight question.
Instead of answering Masaki directly, Tatsuya phrased his words in the form of a report to Katsuto.
The one who was used as a relay for magic was a mber of Egalite, asub-branch of Blanche.
Blanche?
Katsutos raised eyebrows indicated his surprise. Wasnt that organization eradicated from Japan?
The remnants must have burrowed underground.
At Tatsuyas reply, Katsuto replied, Fumu and folded his arms. His bearing indicated that he wasnt convinced. After the Blanche incident, the Juumonji Family had also participated in the clean-up. Katsuto must have been under the impression that they had completely neutralized Blanche and Egalite.
Tatsuya-kun, what do you an by relay?
Although Mayumi was also involved in the incident that took place in First High during April of the year before last, she showed interest in a different matter.
The mber of Egalite, who was leading the group that was harassing the First High students, was not a magician. An Ancient Magician was using him as a relay, or in their terms, a familiar, and was controlling the magic remotely.
They can do sothing like that?
Mayumi appeared to be genuinely surprised. The technique of setting up a relay and controlling magic remotely was not unique to ancient magic, but it was scarcely used in modern magic. It wasnt surprising that she didnt know about it.
Ill skip the detailed explanation, but the basic thod was to put a magical marker on the relay and invoke the magic from there. It doesnt have to be by ans of projectiles, heat, or sound. There are other thods available. In this case, an SB was activated from the relay, and used to perform an indiscriminate attack.
So the enemy was an Ancient Magician? Do you know their identity?
As Mayumi was saying hee while sounding impressed, beside her, Masaki asked this question.
Although he didnt say it aloud, Tatsuya thought that this was the most pertinent question.
I took a recording of the technique. Im having it investigated right now.
For now, Tatsuya covered up the issue with that answer. Although, saying that it was under investigation was the truth. While he did have a na and an address, those alone werent of any use since they didnt belong to Gu Jie.
What kind of background did the Ancient Magician nad Oumi Kazukiyo have? Who was he acquainted with within the country, and what places did he visit? What organization did he belong to? They still didnt have any information that would help them find out Gu Jies whereabouts.
Besides, while Gu Jie must have left Oumis residence already, he might have left so items behind that had so connection to him. Hoping that it was the case, he had asked Ayako and Yuuka to investigate the matter. The reason why he had called Yuuka was because he felt that the Tsukuba Family, who were skilled in ntal Interference magic, were better equipped to track down the enemy than the Kuroba Family for this case.
A recording of the technique? Just how did you do that
The CADs activation sequence program was a blueprint of the magic sequence that was been stored in a digitized form. Recording the magic sequence was a technique that was currently being used, so it was definitely not impossible. However, that technique only assembled a magic sequence that would bring about the desired change and recorded it. Observing, analyzing and recording the magic sequence of another person as data in the middle of combat exceeded the current limits of Magic Engineering. It was natural that Masaki had his doubts regarding that matter.
No, that was insensitive of . My apologies.
However, Masaki didnt wait for Tatsuyas response, and instead apologized to him while bowing his head. In the magical community, prying into the nature of magic used by others was considered rude. Masaki realized that his question went against this principle before any of the other attendees could point this out.
Thats okay. However, I would appreciate it if you could keep this matter a secret.
Of course. So, Shiba, when will the results of the investigation be available?
Tatsuya accepted the apology with a smile, and Katsuto turned the conversation back to the main topic.
Tatsuya stopped smiling and turned towards Katsuto.
I think it will take all of tomorrow. I will let you know as soon as we find any leads, senpai. Of course, Ichijou, as well.
Understood. Ill leave that to the Yotsuba Family.
Neither Mayumi nor Masaki objected to Katsutos statent.
Instead, Mayumi exchanged a glance with Katsuto, and turned towards Miyuki.
Miyuki-san, youve had a terrible day, right? Im glad that you werent injured.
Thank you for your concern.
Miyuki slightly bowed her head and waited for the next words.
Of course, what Mayumi really wanted to talk about was sothing else.
I heard the story from my sister, and it seems that the people from the anti-magic faction were aiming for Miyuki-san?
By sister, she must have ant Izumi. Since there seed to be a miscommunication, Miyuki inserted a correction.
Actually, they were originally harassing a different group of students, and ca our way after noticing us.
So, Miyuki-san, they knew about you, after all.
What Mayumi was probably trying to say was, Did they know Miyuki was going to be the next Head of the Yotsuba Family?
Miyuki refuted that in a roundabout manner.
It seed that they knew that I was the Student Council President of First High.
In terms of people who were connected with the Ten Master Clans, Izumi was actually the one who was tentatively identified by the mob as a direct descendant of the Saegusa Family, but Miyuki didnt talk about that.
In any case, were the Humanists insolent enough to set their eyes on Shiba-san?
Masaki asked from beside Mayumi.
We think so.
Mayumi instantly replied as if seeking to prevent Tatsuya and Miyuki from disagreeing.
Thats why, would you let us assign an escort to you, Miyuki-san? Mayumis proposal caused Miyuki to be perplexed.
An escort? But I already have
Miyuki was about to say, I already have Onii-sama, but realized that those words wouldnt be accepted due to the current situation.
Currently, Tatsuya was returning from school separately from Miyuki due to the search for Gu Jie. Although they were physically apart, Tatsuya always kept an eye on Miyuki, and eliminated any danger in her vicinity. However, this was a secret pertaining to Tatsuyas strength, and could not be explained to people from other families.
Mayumi and the others probably wouldnt be convinced, unless she explained Tatsuyas abilities in detail. Especially since just today, he had rushed to save Miyuki.
You an, you want to assign soone to capture the people who might co to assault Miyuki?
As Miyuki was struggling to give an answer, Tatsuya ca to her rescue by speaking in a voice filled with displeasure.
Tatsuya looked at Katsuto and Mayumi, and fixed his sight on Masaki.
Ichijou. Do you intend to use Miyuki as bait?
No!
Masaki replied in an extrely agitated voice.
I wont let them do that! I will act as the bait instead!
There wasnt a hint of deception in Masakis words, but Tatsuya continued to look at him with a narrow gaze.
So, you wont deny that there is a plan to lure the enemy out? Masaki made a oh, crap! expression and closed his mouth. This must be Kichijoujis idea.
Since Tatsuya hit the bullseye, Masaki wasnt able to say anything back.
Yes, Ichijou did put forward an idea wherein he would act as a bait.
In the middle of the uncomfortable atmosphere, Katsuto began to arbitrate.
Regarding the issue of assigning an escort to the next Head of the Yotsuba, I will not deny that there was a plan to capture a group of terrorists and use them to gain a clue about the hideout of the mastermind, Gu Jie.
Needless to say, the Next Head of the Yotsuba that Katsuto was talking about was referring to Miyuki. He admitted that Tatsuyas criticism was not unwarranted.
However, that is not the main reason. The escorts main task is to act as the next heads protector. Shiba, this is sothing that Saegusa ca up with so that you could focus on your search.
Tatsuya shifted his gaze from Katsuto to Mayumi.
Mayumi put strength into her eyes and received Tatsuyas gaze. Understood.
Saying so, Tatsuya softened his gaze.
However, we will have to decline. The Yotsuba Family will assign an escort.
However, his tone of voice completely rejected Mayumis offer. Considering her personality, she probably wanted to assign an escort to Miyuki purely out of goodwill. However, the person who would actually assign the escort was her father. There was no way that it would be limited to just bodyguard duties.
I see Considering Miyuki-sans position, I suppose that is only natural.
Not at all. Its the thought that counts.
Miyuki gave Mayumi a courteous bow.
As Mayumi shook her head while laughing, this discussion ca to a close.
Juumonji-senpai.
As Miyuki and Mayumi looked at each other, Tatsuya spoke to Juumonji past their gazes.
In response to Tatsuyas voice, Katsuto looked at him.
I am the person who actually caused harm to the Anti-magic faction. If you need soone to act as bait, am I not the best choice?
The person who objected to Tatsuyas words was not Katsuto, but Mayumi.
No hyena would willingly rush towards a lion, unless it was being chased by the lion and had no choice but to fight back.
It could also happen if they were both fighting over the sa prey.
Mayumi looked intently at Katsuto, who had casually made such a comnt.
Juumonji-kun. Dont tell , are you really planning on using Miyuki- san as bait?
Saegusa, dont talk like this doesnt concern you. Its not just the next Head of the Yotsuba, but as the eldest daughter of the Saegusa Family, there is a good chance that you might be targeted by the Anti-magic faction as well.
Caught by surprise, Mayumi blinked at him.
Regarding the incident today,
To fill the gap in the conversation while Mayumi was at a loss for words, Miyuki began to speak.
I was not the only one who was targeted by the Humanists. I definitely heard them say belonging to the Saegusa Family after seeing Izumi- chan.
Miyuki didnt particularly wait for a situation where her words would have the most impact, but she didnt waste the unexpected opportunity that ca her way.
Katsutos, Tatsuyas, and Masakis gazes gathered on Mayumi. Eh, ?
Mayumi pointed at herself with a flustered expression.
Saegusa. What about your escort?
Ill be fine. I can look after myself, after all.
Katsuto repeatedly shook his head sideways.
I think the issue of Saegusa-senpais escort is what actually needs to be reviewed.
Indeed.
At Tatsuyas comnt, Katsuto, as expected, moved his head repeatedly, this ti in a nod.
Hey, didnt I say that I would be fine?
I dont intend to doubt your skills, Saegusa, but this is just in case.
Its not like Im walking around completely unprotected!
Is that so? I dont recall seeing anyone like that on campus
Theres no way I would bring a bunch of unrelated people into the campus!
It appeared that they would be able to avoid having an escort from the Saegusa Family assigned to Miyuki. Tatsuya and Miyuki thought that as they watched Mayumi and Katsuto arguing.
As Tatsuya and the others finished their eting and moved on to dinner, Kokonoe Yakumo was entertaining an unexpected visitor.
At the back of the temple, Yakumo was wearing a monks stole, which was unusual, and was sitting in a respectful manner. Although he called himself a hermit, he could not ignore the customs when eting with this person.
The guest had a strange air about him. His muscle mass may have reduced due to age, but he was broad-shouldered. Even while sitting, it could be inferred that he must have had a magnificent body in his youth.
His head was clean shaven like that of a monks. However, he was wearing an obviously expensive-looking suit. It looked very natural on him. He didnt look like soone who was just used to having expensive things. Instead, he gave off the feeling of materialistic power that his expensive bespoke suit symbolized.
He had thick, grey eyebrows and large, round eyes. While his features couldnt be called handso, his face had a dignified look. However, his cloudy white left eye gave off a strange sense of pressure to people who faced him. The strange impression he gave off was, undoubtedly, mostly due to this eye.
For Your Excellency, Priest Aoba, to visit a naless temple like this, whatever could be the reason?
Yakumo served the guest a cup of carelessly-made tea.
The monk, who was wearing a suit, casually picked up the tea cup, took a large gulp and returned the cup to the tatami mat. It was a way of drinking that wholly ignored propriety, but strangely did not appear to be rude.
Naless temple? Being too modest makes you sound sarcastic, Kokonoe Yakumo.
My apologies.
As Yakumo answered in an aloof manner, the elderly person called, His Excellency, Priest Aoba, scrutinized him with his right eye.
Besides, theres no way a lowly chief priest of a naless temple could talk to , Toudou Aoba, in such a rude manner.
Oh, did I hurt your feelings?
No. In fact, it makes
feel more comfortable.
This ti, Elder Toudou drained the remaining tea that Yakumo had prepared in one gulp.
I request a refill.
Yakumo gave a faint smile, bowed, and received the cup.
Yakumo poured the water that he had boiled on the portable stove
this back room used a portable stove even in mid-winter, despite having a fireplace
into the teacup, picked up the tea whisk, and asked in a carefree manner.
So, Your Excellency, what brings you here today?
Yakumo stirred the mixture of matcha and hot water, removed the tea whisk, then pushed the tea cup towards Elder Toudou instead of presenting it to him, before raising his head.
You just visited us last month, so it cant be that you wanted to see the face of this humble priest once again.
The last month that Yakumo was talking about was regarding the fourth of January, when Tatsuya and Miyuki had co to give their New Years greetings. The person who had arrived without notice and spoke to Yakumo before them was this elderly monk.
Kokonoe Yakumo, I wish to borrow your strength.
Elder Toudous answer to Yakumos question was very direct.
Well, I am rely a monk who is lacking strength, so will I be able to help Your Excellency?
Enough of the humility. You are praised as the reincarnation of Kashin Koji due to your illusionary techniques, so if you are lacking strength, then there are no strong practitioners in this world.
Well, now. Kashin Koji was rumored to be a simple conjurer. If that is the case, perhaps that gossip about
being Kashin Kojis reincarnation ant that my techniques were no more than a sleight of hand?
Isnt that a belief from when magic was considered to be a pipe dream? Such deception wont work on . I am well-aware of your true ability.
After hearing that declaration of confidence in a tone of voice that indicated that it was taken for granted, Yakumo scratched his head.
So, Your Excellency. What do you require of ?
To begin with, Yakumo didnt think that he could deceive Elder Toudou. Yakumo was well aware of just who this elderly man with a cloudy white eye was.
The unrestrained activities of the necromancer from the continent, Gu Jie, are inexcusable. The technique that uses corpses as puppets spreads enough impurity as it is. If he uses it indiscriminately like that, it will be too late to exorcise.
Your Excellency. Theres no point in talking about Shinto rituals to a Buddhist monk like myself.
I wont ask you to participate in the exorcism. I just want your help in removing the source of the impurity.
So, you want
to exterminate the necromancer known as Gu Jie? Yakumos sigh was not a pretense.
It is enough that you remove him from Japan. I dont care if he is dead or alive.
It seems that your subordinates dont feel that it is okay to let him escape, Your Excellency.
The people of the Yotsuba are no longer my subordinates. Now, I am rely a sponsor.
Yakumo did not take Elder Toudous words seriously. It was true that this old man was once the owner of the Fourth Institute, and was now a sponsor of the Yotsuba Family, but the word rely was false. Yakumo was also aware that it wasnt just the Yotsuba Family that he was sponsoring.
If I dip my hands in such worldly issues, the main temple will get noisy.
This was not an excuse. It was a pretty shaful thing for Yakumo, but it was the truth.
Of course, there was no point in complaining to Toudou Aoba about such a thing.
I have already talked to Mt. Hiei regarding this.
This old man already had enough influence in the shadows to easily overturn sothing like that.
Is that so
Although it was rare for Yakumo, he felt like there was nothing he could do but sigh.
Despite what I said, I dont intend to ask you for a very big favor. I am not in a position to do so, after all.
To begin with, please tell
what it is you wish of
in more detail. I will let you know if I can accept the job after that.
Yakumo was the only person who could give such a reply. For example, even though Kudou Retsu was older than Elder Toudou, he would not be able to decline his request.
I want you to help Shiba Tatsuya.
You are worried about him, as well, Your Excellency?
Although he was an accidental creation, he is still one of the extre cases. I need him to remain useful for a while yet.
Yakumo felt sympathy for Tatsuya. He knew that what Elder Toudou ant by useful, was that he wanted Tatsuya to act as a lab rat in gathering more data.
Toudou Aoba had a long reach. Yakumo thought that it would be considerably difficult for Tatsuya to escape from his clutches.
However, Yakumo did not think that Tatsuya would have any trouble with the circumstances he was currently facing.
I dont think soone like Gu Jie could do anything to him.
I am not worried about Shiba Tatsuya fighting against Gu Jie.
In that case, are you worried about a possibility of clashing with the STARS?
Yakumo was aware that one of the leaders of the STARS, the magician corps under the direct command of the USNA Joint Chiefs of Staff, had secretly entered Japan, and he also knew about his objectives. Although he didnt know the motives behind it, he was aware that the USNA military wanted to assassinate Gu Jie with their own hands. The USNA military was trying to prevent Gu Jie from falling into the hands of the Japanese authorities. There were probably so shady circumstances that they didnt want Japan to find out about.
If Tatsuya drove Gu Jie into a corner, it was easy to predict that the STARS would once again get in his way. Even so, Yakumo didnt believe that it would beco a situation where his help would be absolutely necessary.
If were talking about pure combat ability, I dont think even the second strongest mber of STARS, Benjamin Canopus Loews, could win against Shiba Tatsuya.
Yes, if it were just a fight to the death with no rules.
I see.
Yakumo understood what Elder Toudou was worried about. What he was afraid of, was going against the rules. Toudou Aoba was trying to prevent Yotsubas creation from getting dragged into a decisive fight by ans outside of violence.
What I want to ask of you, is to hold on to his reins, and prevent him from falling into an unfavorable situation.
What about searching for Gu Jie?
If you are able to dispose of him, then that would be great, but that is of lower importance. In any case, even if we leave him alone, the STARS will get rid of him.
Basically, it was okay, even if Gu Jie was assassinated by the STARS. This ant that there was no need to worry about the honor of the Ten Master Clans. From Elder Toudous perspective, it was probably better if the Ten Master Clans were driven into a slightly difficult position.
If that is the case, then I will accept your request. Shiba Tatsuya isnt a stranger to , after all.
My thanks. Is ten cushions sufficient as your paynt?
The cushion ntioned here is a code word from back when deals were often settled with paper money. One cushion ant 10,000 notes, with each note being worth 10,000 Yen, so basically, it was one hundred million Yen. Ten cushions would be equal to one billion Yen.
Yakumo gave a bitter smile and shook his head at Elder Toudous proposal.
No, no. Despite appearances, I consider myself a hermit. There is no need for monetary compensation.
This ti, Elder Toudou shook his head with a serious face.
The truth is, there is nothing more valuable. At the very least, this is what I think. If you cannot accept cash, then Ill find a statue of Buddha from sowhere and deliver it to you.
Incidentally, the statue of Buddha that Toudou Aoba would send would be made of pure gold.
Please, dont send anything that would be difficult to dispose of.
Sothing that you would find difficult to dispose of? Although that would be interesting to see, I doubt that could happen.
Elder Toudou stood up by putting a hand on his knee. It was an action befitting his age.
A second later, Yakumo stood up without a sound.
The tea was horrible as usual, but thanks, anyways.
Yakumo smiled at Elder Toudous usual phrase and opened the sliding door.
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