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1Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
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3Volume 29 - Pursuit (Chapter II)
4 
5by Sato Tsutomu
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15Chapter 8
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17
18It was already later than 8 PM. However, one department of the Defense Forces responsible for planning land, air and sea operations, continued its work at the same pace as in the daytime. The NSU fleet left the sea area near the Noto Peninsula, but a ceasefire agreement has not yet been signed. Although there had been no declaration of war before, Japan and the NSU were already at war. As long as this military tension doesn’t disappear, the lights in the command sections won’t go out.
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20Of course, the command of the 101 Battalion from National Defense Forces was also no exception.
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22The commander of the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Kazama was summoned by the battalion’s commander, Lieutenant General Saeki, and arrived at her personal office. Kazama wasn’t a part of battalion commanding officers, but occupied position of Saeki’s dedicated subordinate.
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24Kazama himself didn’t resist this role and waited in his office in order to arrive at the battalion command headquarters at any time upon request.
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26“Lu Ganghu, who entered the country yesterday through Matsue, was neutralized today in the city of Komatsu.”
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28“Was he arrested?” Kazama supported the conversation with a short question.
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30“No, it looks like he was killed. This was done by Lieutenant Chiba Naotsugu, a student from the Defense Academy, temporarily assigned to the guerrilla infantry platoon from the first division.”
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32“Is this the “Illusion Blade” who has the rank of Lieutenant, although he is still a student? Killing of that Lu Ganghu is worth it to be called the highest world elite among melee magicians. Honestly, I would like such a talented fighter to join my battalion.”
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34Saeki listened to Kazama’s eulogy with a lack of interest on her face. There was simply no place in her mind for Chiba Naotsugu. If Lu Ganghu had been killed by another officer, even by a policeman or a civilian, Saeki’s face would be exactly the same now.
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36“In general, we should rejoice we were able to prevent sabotage in advance, but … such negligence of Lu Ganghu was beyond my expectations.” Saeki complained.
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38Depending on how you listen to her words, there could be heard the expectation that the “sabotage” of Lu Ganghu (murder of Liu Li Lei) would end in success.
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40Kazama didn’t pretend that he had not heard these reckless words, but simply ignored them.
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42He learned about this expectation of Saeki the day before yesterday.
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44In truth, Saeki and Kazama had previously received information about Lu Ganghu's infiltration into the country.
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46Senior Lieutenant Fujibayashi Kyouko, acting as adjutant of Kazama, was known among the people aware of her abilities as the “Electron Sorceress.” This ambiguous nickname meant that she was a magician capable of skillfully using magic for interfering with electricity and electromagnetic waves. And at the same time, this nickname was a reference to her unsurpassed hacking abilities, thanks to which she played with information networks like a toy.
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48Zhou Gongjin’s network possessed not only anti-hacking tools, but also magical protection. But Fujibayashi’s ability won out in the area of electronic networks. Saeki and Kazama received all correspondence between Chen Xianshen and Minoru (posing as Zhou Gongjin) with the help of Fujibayashi.
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50Saeki and Kazama were aware of Lu Ganghu's plans to infiltrate the country. They knew both the place and the time. They could have caught Lu Ganghu when he came ashore. Kazama even wanted to send his subordinates to Matsue port.
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52But Saeki didn’t allow Kazama to send soldiers. Moreover, she ordered not to share this information with anybody. Saeki, though reluctantly, tried to help Lu Ganghu’s sabotage.
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54Kazama, of course, asked about the reason. In general, command orders in the army should not be discussed. But he simply could not accept an unreasonable order — he was such a “wrong” military. Many were cold toward Kazama due to the fact that when he was “green,” in battles he often did more than was ordered. And his character has not improved despite this bitter experience.
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56Saeki didn’t try to avoid the answer and explained to Kazama the course of her thoughts.
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58…NSU sent their fleet south, ostensibly to pick up Lieutenant Liu
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60…Whatever their true purpose, the NSU military actions will lose their pretext if Lieutenant Liu disappears.
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62…But even if there had not been an NSU invasion, the presence of Lieutenant Liu is a great risk.
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64…There is a great chance that she will be returned to her homeland, and “Thunderclap Tower” will be aimed at our country.
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66…If Lu Ganghu kills Lieutenant Liu, it will benefit Japan.
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68…Defense Forces will be subject of public criticism due to their inability to protect refugees. The loss of international reputation is also inevitable.
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70…But the benefits of removing Lieutenant Liu from the country outweigh all these disadvantages.
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72…After all, Ichijou Masaki-kun from the Ten Master Clans joined the care of Liu
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74…And if it won’t be possible to prevent the murder of Lieutenant Liu, the criticism will fall on Ichijo-kun, who is on the same base as she.
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76…Murder of an escaped magician by a magician agent. In this case, it can be expected that the Ten Master Clans will be subjected to much harsher criticism than Defense Forces.
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78These were Saeki’s reflections.
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80Kazama reluctantly had to humbly become her accomplice.
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82But the result wasn’t what Saeki expected. Lu Ganghu was killed, not even reaching the base, and his subordinates were captured one by one.
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84“Lieutenant Chiba’s presence wasn’t part of my calculations.”
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86In such a phrase, Saeki admitted that she was naive with such defective plans.
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88“It seems that the guerrilla infantry platoon was originally sent to capture Kudou Minoru.”
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90Kazama’s words included an attempt to comfort her.
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92Saeki seemed to understand this, and looked at Kazama with doubt in her eyes urging him to continue.
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94“And Kudou Minoru is supposedly hiding in the Aokigahara Sea of Trees.”
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96“This information has been refuted after a search operation conducted by the guerrilla infantry platoon.”
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98“This unit is simply committed to His Excellency Kudou, they don’t have skilled magicians of ancient magic. They won’t be able to overcome the barrier.”
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100It seems that Kazama believed that Minoru is still hiding in the Sea of Trees. Saeki already understood that. But she didn’t understand why he brought it up.
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102“Are you satisfied that we aren’t chasing him?”
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104It seems that Kazama had no intention to talk in riddles. He immediately made it clear what he was talking about.
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106“Are we?”
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108Saeki was unable to predict Kazama’s question because its content was completely unthinkable.
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110“Why should our 101 Battalion deal with Kudou Minoru’s arrest?”
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112Saeki’s counter-question was rather an indirect refusal to Kazama’s offer rather than an expression of her doubts.
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114“Chasing murderers and kidnappers aren’t part of our duties.” “But we’ll be able to determine his location if I go.”
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116There was no doubt in Kazama’s words. Indecision or vanity wasn’t there either.
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118He was called a “forest fighting expert” not only because he was excellent in guerrilla warfare. The ancient magic “Tengu-jutsu,” which was perfectly mastered by Kazama, showed the highest efficiency in mountain forests.
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120Kazama was sure he could find Minoru while he was in the Sea of Trees (forest), no matter how powerful the barrier that hides him.
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122However, Saeki’s answer was still negative.
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124“I’ll say it one more time lieutenant colonel. This is not the responsibility of our 101 Battalion.”
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126“You don’t care that we are ignoring the Parasite strong enough to kill Kudou Retsu? In addition, if it is we who catch Kudou Minoru, then we’ll rub the Ten Master Clans noses in it.”
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128“We don't have any intentions to touch Kudou Minoru as long as he doesn’t show hostility toward the state.”
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130Saeki concluded with a harsh tone.
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132Kazama expressed surprise with his eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
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134But he asked nothing out loud. Therefore Saeki could ignore Kazama’s doubt expressed, but she didn’t do that.
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136“…While Kudou Minoru keeps running away, the special officer Ooguro … more precisely, Shiba Tatsuya will be busy chasing him and won’t be able to be distracted by other business.”
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138“Other business? Are you worried that Tatsuya might do something unnecessary?” Was Kazama’s incomprehension simulated or real?
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140Anyway, Saeki just sighed.
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142“Lieutenant Colonel, you should’ve seen the information provided by the Mitsuya family. It says that Shiba Tatsuya is planning an attack on Midway Prison, owned by the USNA.”
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144Saeki called Ichijou Masaki “kun” and Tatsuya simply by name. Kazama’s attention got a little hooked on this fact, but he didn’t ask about the reasons.
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146Instead, he asked:
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148“Are you helping Kudou Minoru to prevent Tatsuya from going to Midway Island?”
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150“I won’t deny your indication that inaction is passive support. However, Shiba Tatsuya doesn’t pay attention to restrictions imposed by the authorities. I don’t think that a simple ban on leaving the country will be effective in his case.” “That’s really true” — Kazama mentally agreed.
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152In Tatsuya’s case, he is able to not just illegally and without permit leave the country (by hijacking a plane or boat for example). He can just go and fly himself. But even if a hidden departure from the country will be disclosed, it won’t be possible to ban him from entering back or put him in jail. He is Japan’s greatest military power, their most powerful strategic weapon.
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154“Lieutenant Colonel, don’t go doing something with Kudou Minoru.” “I get it.”
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156Kazama straightened up and gave such an answer after Saeki has repeatedly reminded about this.
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158Illegal Mystic Assassin Platoon (Illegal MAP). Covert squad of assassin magicians. This is a squad of magicians specializing in assassination missions that cannot be made public. It's made up of three platoons: “Coalsack,” “Cone Nebula,” and “Horsehead.” This formation wasn’t officially recognized as soldiers of any country, but in fact they were a detachment of magicians under direct control of the USNA Army Joint Chiefs of Staff, so if you look at subordination they could be considered fellow comrades of Stars. In legal terms it is like comparing legitimate children and illegitimate ones (from another mother).
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160Since their system of command was the same to a certain degree, it is not surprising that they were commanded by the same officer somewhere on some level. The commander of Horsehead squad sent to Japan, Al Wan, sent an email asking for further instructions from a Stars Commander, Paul Walker, because Walker was their contact and intermediary transmitting instructions from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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162To be more precise the current actions of the Illegal MAP weren’t dictated by unified opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but only by the hostility to Japan of some of its officers. It was a faction arguing that it was necessary to eliminate Shiba Tatsuya, a dangerous Strategic-Class magician who is threatening the hegemony of the USNA. Colonel Walker was entrusted with command of the Illegal MAP, as an influential officer supporting this tough course.
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164The answer from Walker came when the date had already changed in Japanese time, after midnight and already past 1 AM. This was quite expected given the time difference between time zones. However, it was clear that the members of Horsehead squad were already waiting for an answer, because they all unceremoniously stared at commander Al Wan who was deciphering the encrypted message in their hideout.
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166“Hey, don’t act like whining schoolboys! I’ll read it to you right after finishing the deciphering!”
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168Al Wan seemed to have unpleasant feelings because they were within spitting distance, so he yelled at his subordinates, chasing them away as if a big dog was shaking off water. Even the youngest soldier in the Horsehead platoon was over 30 years old, so the phrase “don’t be like whining schoolboys” undoubtedly suited this situation.
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170Al Wan’s subordinates obediently retreated from his back. But this didn’t mean they felt guilty and apologized. You could clearly see their cultural level, there was aluminum cans with beer or whiskey in the hands of more than half of the squad.
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172Illegal MAP was an irregular unit. From the beginning nobody expected from them the same discipline as from regular troops. The commander himself also didn’t expect this from his subordinates. But Al Wan’s facial expression totally changed after he finished deciphering, and after he raised his head to look at the alcoholic beverages of his subordinates.
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174“Commander, what did the bosses write?”
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176“What was actually expected.” He responded with a suitable wording, but his face was expressing the words “isn’t it obvious?”
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178“Plans don’t change. We’re ignoring Angie Sirius.” “So our target is only Shiba Tatsuya?”
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180Was asked by another subordinate in at least a polite tone. Horsehead squad consisted of 10 people including the commander. The one who asked this was one of the two women in the squad.
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182“Yes. We will continue to act according to the negotiated plan. Ellie along with Julia and Frank, you’ll take Mitsui Honoka. Gabe, Henry and Iggy will be handling Shibata Mizuki. Bart, Charlie, Don and I are remaining in this hideout as reserves.”
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184“Roger that.”
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186“Commander, are we really going to use hostage-taking tactics?”
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188“We will simply be brought back for re-education if we don’t use them.”
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190Al Wan was referring to brainwashing when speaking of “re-education.” The trick is when it’s needed to use hostages as bait to lure and kill a target, it's a common tactic to which all three squads of Illegal MAP constantly resort to in their missions.
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192“But in that case isn’t just one hostage enough?”
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194Deputy commander of the squad Bart Lee expressed his doubts about the approved tactics. It wasn’t the first time he talked about this. He returned to the same topic he raised during the tactics discussion last night.
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196“The Target is Shiba Tatsuya from That Yotsuba. I don’t know how much their title “Untouchable” reflects real situation, but we don’t know his real abilities so we can’t treat the matter casually.”
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198“Bart, it’s all settled already. Although, we aren’t soldiers now, we must obey the commander’s decision. Right?”
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200A member of the squad named Charlie Chan, who spoke with Al Wan in a friendly tone from the very beginning, turned to Bart Lee. But his voice was more “teasing” than “reproaching.”
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202Bart Lee fell silent with a disgruntled face.
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204As one could understand from this conversation, the Horsehead squad was far from being a friendly and close-knit team.
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206But no one in the squad was bothered. The squad commander Al Wan didn’t care about that either.
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208“Bart, you can go alone if you are so sure of yourself.” “…You are the commander. I will follow your instructions.”
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210Illegal MAP was a unit where it was easier to dispose of each and every member, if they started doing something reckless. It was believed that they aren’t lab rats, because they are more useful in their current forms.
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212The atmosphere inside the squad doesn’t matter as long as they are able to eliminate designated targets. This was not only the members of Horsehead squad, but also the rest of Illegal MAP platoon members who thought this way.
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214Early Friday morning, July 12th. “Onii-sama, we’re leaving.”
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216“Yes, be careful. Lina, Miyuki is in your care.” “Leave it to me.”
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218Tatsuya looked at Miyuki and Lina who went to First High School. It wasn’t yet 7 o’clock in the morning. They left the house earlier than usual because Miyuki needed extra time to remove the disguise she's been using lately.
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220Tatsuya didn’t go to school today either. After the two girls had left, he immediately went to the laboratory located on the underground floor of the high-rise building.
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222Fujibayashi Kyouko visited Tatsuya yesterday as a representative head of the Fujibayashi family. He received documents containing the activation sequence for “Parade” and explanations of how to use it from her, as well as information about “Sekirei Hachijin” aka. “Stone Sentinel Maze” — barrier construction techniques using East Asian continental ancient magic. It is highly likely the hideout where Minoru is currently hiding was built by Zhou Gongjin with the use of “Sekirei Hachijin” technique. It was necessary to overcome both “Parade” and “Sekirei Hachijin” to find the location of Minoru and return Minami.
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224Truth be told, it is only a hypothesis that this barrier was created using “Sekirei Hachijin” technique.
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226Tatsuya has been analyzing “Parade” and “Sekirei Hachijin” since yesterday to come up with techniques to neutralize these two magics.
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228“Parade” is roughly understandable. The Problem lies in “Sekirei Hachijin”…
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230Tatsuya voiced aloud the results of yesterday while sitting at a table in the laboratory.
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232He received the activation sequence of “Parade” and the guide to its use from Fujibayashi yesterday about 9 o’clock. Tatsuya understood the data recorded in the format of modern magic without difficulties.
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234Even if you subtract time for food, bathroom, and sleep, no more than 10 hours passed from the moment Tatsuya began the analysis. And yet Tatsuya has almost figured out how the magic “Parade” of the Kudou’s family works.
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236“But still … I didn’t expect the difference with Lina’s “Parade” to be so great. Now that’s clear it cannot be overcome with such an approach…”
237
238“Parade” of the Kudou and Lina's family were the same in terms of editing and processing copied Eidos and overlaying with original Eidos to disguise it. However, there was a process of turning a copy of the edited and processed Eidos into an artificial Spiritual Being (artificially created independent information body), which was added to the Kudou family's spell. As a result, the caster is able to perform activities such as maintaining, restoring, changing and moving [Parade SB] after the magic was activated.
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240It is possible to attract the enemy’s attention to the disguised information body copy with such a construction of the Magic Sequence. And further mislead the enemy by distancing the copy from the original. The copy and the original would be located in different places, so if you destroy the disguised information body, you won’t find anything under it. In addition, if you make additional changes to the disguised information body already recognized by the enemy, the enemy won’t even be able to aim at it.
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242But, now that this mechanism has become clear, it will be possible to neutralize the Magic Sequence of “Parade” even if it cannot be seen. If Minoru hasn’t made significant changes to the Kudou family spell, even an indirect “Gram Dispersion” should be able to decompose this Magic Sequence.
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244But, Tatsuya hasn't tried this in practice yet. He already knew the real (not the bogus one's by “Parade”) coordinates of the hideout where Minami is kept. If they didn’t move anywhere in the last three days, the hideout is inside a zone with a radius of 100 meters located in the Aokigahara Sea of Trees. However Tatsuya, who has personally visited that forest area, was unlucky with finding the hideout.
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246East Asian continental ancient magic “Kimon Tonkou” is one that distorts the sense of direction. “Sekirei Hachijin” is a large-scale barrier that is built from people who were killed at the moment they experienced strong emotions of anger and buried in the right places. It is this anger that feeds “Kimon Tonkou” and allows it to persist for a long period of time. If Tatsuya doesn’t overcome this barrier, he won’t be able to reach the hideout where Minami was brought to.
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248Even if it is possible to drive Minoru out of this hideout, it will still be difficult to catch him without a way of neutralizing “Kimon Tonkou.” Such a chase won’t bring any results if it is impossible to correctly ascertain in which direction the enemy is fleeing.
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250“Still, if I won’t be able to overcome “Kimon Tonkou,” that is, “Sekirei Hachijin,” I won’t be able to detect Minoru and Minami.”
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252Tatsuya has determined the future course of action while muttering to himself.
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254Minoru got up an hour earlier than usual and went on a hideout inspection. He just wanted to get rid of drowsiness under the pretext of checking the barrier.
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256Minoru barely slept last night.
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258The reason for this was frustration at his miscalculation that Lu Ganghu hasn’t gained him any time, as well as the resulting nervousness. Minoru planned to leave this hideout while Lu Ganghu was causing unrest.
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260He believed that it would not be long before Tatsuya would find this place. For Now “Parade” and “Sekirei Hachijin” are still able to deceive Tatsuya’s “sight,” but Minoru felt he didn't have much time.
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262It wasn’t some kind of “vague” feeling. After assessing the extent of the damage his Magic Sequence received, he believed it's only a matter of time when his magic would become useless.
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264Raymond had suddenly spoke to him that night through the Parasite’s telepathic network, and Minoru accepted his offer precisely because of this nervousness.
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266Minoru realized his condition only after he had finished this conversation and laid down in bed.
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268He regretted that he succumbed to Raymond’s persuasion so easily. That was the reason he couldn’t sleep. Raymond offered Minoru an escape from Japan while taking Minami with them. A military vessel of the USNA Army will be used for this purpose.
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270Minoru accepted the invitation without asking opinions from Minami.
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272Minoru noticed his haste and rashness only after the conversation with Raymond was over.
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274But he doesn’t regret accepting Raymond’s offer itself.
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276Minoru regretted that he had not been able to cancel his response so far.
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278Minoru who was feeling this way could contact Raymond at any time. No tools, complex procedures, or ceremonies were needed to use the mental connection between fellow Parasites. This connection was usually always active, but Minoru has forcibly blocked it.
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280So when he noticed that he hadn’t yet received Minami’s consent to this, he could easily release the lock and report the refusal.
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282But Minoru didn’t. He only continued to worry about it lying in bed, but ultimately he left everything as it was.
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284He knew why he was doing this.
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286In fact, he wanted to take Minami with him somewhere far away. “…But I made a promise. “
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288He promised he wouldn’t force her.
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290He will immediately return Minami back to Tatsuya and Miyuki if she wants it. Minoru once again swore to himself.
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292“That’s why I can’t be caught … until I hear Minami-san’s answer.” Minoru came to the conclusion when he was thinking about this. “'Parade' alone would not be enough to escape successfully.”
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294He decided that this hideout would not last long, because his perception as a “magician” informed him that Tatsuya would break through “Parade” in the near future. Therefore, he feared they’ll reach him quickly. There was no way he could successfully escape from this barrier using “Parade” alone.
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296“What should I do? I currently don’t have time to think of a new magic.” “Think.”
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298“Think, Kudou Minoru.”
299
300Minoru looked around at the surrounding walls of green leaves, and then looked up at the bright cloudy sky. He did this not in search of a hint. It was a kind of conditional gesture to help get rid of the mental impasse he was in.
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302However, the artificial sky reflected in his eyes brought him inspiration.
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304The light reflected from the Earth’s surface was scattered in the air, and even on a clear day it created a bright white cloudy sky, like dull glass.
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306This was an obvious sign of the barrier wall being here.
307
308“I cannot escape from Tatsuya-san's "sight" while using only 'Parade.'” “So I need to combine “Parade” and 'Kimon Tonkou?'”
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310“This place is still hidden thanks to not only my "Parade" alone. “Sekirei Hachijin” built by Zhou Gongjin also doesn’t allow Tatsuya-san to approach.”
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312“I can not take "Sekirei Hachijin" with me.”
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314“But in my current state, I am still capable of deploying "Kimon Tonkou" and "Parade" simultaneously”
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316“Kimon Tonkou” — this is magic that derails orientation.
317
318“But Tatsuya-san is probably also preparing measures against "Kimon Tonkou" as well…”
319
320“…But even if he is, I can still use them.”
321
322Minoru has cheered himself up. However, the wrinkles have not completely disappeared from his frowned forehead.
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324“The question is what to take as bait (on which the copied Eidos will be attached) …” The most important parts in his escape plan were still missing.
325
326Friday, July 12, 2097, 7:00. A secret meeting of the top brass from the National Defense Forces Intelligence Department began with one simple announcement.
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328This meeting wasn’t on schedule and even more so it was not official. Such informal meetings are held only when necessary. The Army Intelligence Department Command meets only in response to situations that require discussion. This indicated the Intelligence Department realized there had been some kind of emergency.
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330“Although we were not able to capture specific agents under cover, it was determined that an illegal squad of assassin magicians of the USNA Army had infiltrated the metropolitan area.”
331
332“Illegal MAP …?”
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334The activity of the killer squad who even inside the USNA Army is called “illegal” was a problem, known as an “emergency.”
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336“What is the basis of the belief that someone has infiltrated our country, even though no agents have been found?”
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338The question was asked by the deputy director, whose existence was not known outside the Intelligence Department …
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340“Information about people, most likely members of Illegal MAP, were found in the Arrival Records dated 10 July.”
341
342… answered chief Inukai from 10th Counterintelligence Division of Intelligence Department in the capital region without getting up from his chair.
343
344By the way, the name “10th Division” did not mean that it was “tenth in order.” There was a meaning hidden in this name, that the Tooyama family from the 18 Assistant Houses, who is from the numbered families of 10, was secretly cooperating with the military.
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346“July 10th …? That means they seized the moment.”
347
348No one asked the deputy director to explain the meaning of his words. Following the withdrawal of the NSU fleet, the government announced the normalization of sea and air traffic at 9:30 on July 10. The fact that foreign agents could take advantage of that time period when control is weakened was quite predictable, therefore the vigilance of the security services was increased at airports and seaports.
349
350But at that time a stream of guests poured into Japan, who have been waiting to visit this country for a long time, thus it was impossible to thoroughly check each and every one in such an environment.
351
352…All department heads present at the meeting shared this regret. “What is the size of the infiltrated squad?”
353
354Chief Onda asked Inukai from 1st Special Issues Department.
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356“They went through the border checkpoints of the country, so it’s no longer entered into the country but illegal entry… A total of ten people were counted, presumably all of them are agents. We know that Illegal MAP consists of three squads. This means that one of these squads has been sent in its entirety. Take a look at this.”
357
358Inukai said and typed a command on a console. The last phrase was addressed to all present.
359
360Passport data was displayed on desktop displays installed in front of each meeting participant. It was a ten-page file, a page per person. Some of those present took “smart glasses” from holders mounted on the table.
361
362Inukai continued his speech after waiting for the attendees to finish reading the data.
363
364“You can’t trust these passports too much, but judging by the distinctive features in appearance and names it is assumed that the infiltrated squad is 'Horsehead.'”
365
366“A squad of assassins manned by East Asian magicians, supposed to be used in missions against GAU?”
367
368The Intelligence Department didn’t have the personal data of Illegal MAP members . But they managed to find what squad it is. Distinctive features voiced by one of those present corresponded to what they saw in the photos.
369
370“Did you find out their purpose?”
371
372To the question asked from the seat next to the deputy director …
373
374“No, unfortunately. But given the current situation, the most likely assumption is the murder of Shiba Tatsuya.”
375
376…Inukai replied that it was an assumption, but his voice was confident enough. “It is clear. I think so too.”
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378After Chef Onda supported Inukai’s opinion…
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380“We’ve already failed recently when we tried to fix this guy. But what are we going to do this time?”
381
382… he asked the deputy director what to do with Illegal MAP. “Chief Onda. What do you suggest?”
383
384The deputy director asked Onda’s opinion instead of answering his question.
385
386Onda exchanged glances with Inukai before answering. In less than a second, they came to a mutual agreement.
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388“No matter what this guy’s thinking, he is useful for our country. I believe that even if he doesn’t obey us directly, it will still be possible to make deals with him.”
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390“His name is also spread widely in society, when on Tuesday the media called him a co-developer of the Strategic Class magic, which pushed back the NSU fleet. If a situation comes to the point that he is killed or wounded by foreign terrorists, the government will be criticized by our citizens.”
391
392Continuing after chief Onda, chief Inukai addressed an indirect hint to the deputy director.
393
394“Really. Shiba Tatsuya’s murder from the hands of Illegal MAP must be prevented. And in general, we should not endure foreign agents on our land. We can not deviate from these principles.”
395
396The deputy director understood him despite that he gave his proposal in form of indirect hint.
397
398“Chef Inukai.” “Yes?”
399
400Inukai stood up when the deputy director spoke to him in a changed tone. “Give Sergeant Toyama a chance to regain her honor.”
401
402The deputy director ordered Inukai who was standing at attention.
403
404It was 7:30. Miyuki and Lina arrived at First High School’s Student Council room about 30 minutes before class began.
405
406There they were met by Izumi. She had already seen Miyuki’s disguise yesterday, so she wasn’t confused. Instead, a large question mark popped over the head of another undergraduate girl present. Today, in addition to Izumi, Shiina also came to the school council room early in the morning.
407
408“Shiina-chan. You are pretty early, has something happened? Or are you worried about something?”
409
410Miyuki who regained her appearance, asked Shiina who had round eyes after seeing this reincarnation.
411
412Miyuki didn’t force the Student Council members to work in the morning. She herself also usually went to the classroom in the morning. Izumi has lately often started coming early and doing work (it seems she had some reason to not stay at home). In contrary to her, Shiina rarely appeared in the Student Council room before the start of working hours.
413
414“Yes, no, this is …”
415
416Shiina hesitated and could not answer clearly. Doubt and hesitation could be clearly seen on her face.
417
418“…President, to tell the truth, I’d like to tell you something…”
419
420In the end, Shiina found strength in herself and spoke after a short pause. “To me? So should we need to move somewhere else?”
421
422It seems that Shiina has not yet made up her mind. Miyuki invited her to talk in private after reading the hesitation on her face.
423
424“Miyuki-senpai, perhaps I’ll leave you alone this morning.” Izumi stood up at ease and bowed to Miyuki.
425
426“Yes, thank you. See you after class.”
427
428Miyuki noticed Izumi’s intentions and answered her in a relaxed tone. “Yes, I do. OK, see you later.”
429
430Izumi left the Student Council room.
431
432“Miyuki, I’ll go to class too.”
433
434At that moment, Lina noticed why Izumi left the room, and also headed to the door in a slightly unnatural manner.
435
436Miyuki smiling followed Lina with her eyes, and turned to Shiina at the same time as she heard the sound of a door closing.
437
438“Shiina-chan, let’s sit down? Pixie, make us some drinks.” “At your service.”
439
440Pixie, who settled in the Student Council room on Tatsuya’s orders, started a process for serving drinks. Pixie returned to her place in the room corner after placing iced coffee with milk in front of Miyuki and cold cocoa (with a high syrup ratio) in front of Shiina.
441
442Shiina wearing a tense look grabbed the glass of cocoa. Even when she took a couple of sips, the tension didn’t disappear from her face. She still couldn’t begin to talk.
443
444Miyuki didn’t hurry Shiina. She picked up the glass of coffee with milk from the table in a relaxed manner. Red lips clutched a translucent drinking straw. The snow- white throat moved slightly, showing that she had taken one sip. Then, she returned the glass to the table exhaling slightly.
445
446Lifting her eyes up from the cup, Miyuki noticed Shiina was looking at her with a devouring look.
447
448“…What?”
449
450There was still time before the lessons began, and Miyuki was going to wait for Shiina to speak herself. But eventually, she could not help asking feeling the suspicion from such a look.
451
452“Ah! This, no, uh … It’s about my father and brother!”
453
454Shiina couldn’t answer honestly that she was simply fascinated while staring at her, so she hurriedly went straight to the main topic with a blushing face.
455
456Miyuki, of course, noticed this unnatural behavior of Shiina. Miyuki was very familiar with such a scene (although she could understand the reason). She knew from her experience that the best way to handle this situation would be to leave everything as it is. So Miyuki silently waited for Shiina to continue her story.
457
458“…Father and brother are going to r..report to the Defense Forces… about Shiba- senpai's plan …”
459
460Shiina’s voice became completely quiet toward the end of the phrase.
461
462But for Miyuki sitting in front of her, the volume was enough to hear everything.
463
464Shiina began calling Tatsuya “Shiba-senpai” and Miyuki — “president” over the past three months. Miyuki knew this, so she understood who Shiina was talking to.
465
466“Plan of Tatsuya-sama? Isn’t it, by chance, about the case we had bothered you with the other day?”
467
468“Yes … that same case.”
469
470Shiina cringed with fear and answered in a thin voice, even though Miyuki didn't ask her in a strict tone.
471
472When Miyuki was saying “the other day,” she meant the day when Tatsuya visited the Mitsuya family to learn about the Midway Island defenses. When Mitsuya Gen asked Tatsuya why he wants to learn about it, he replied: “in order to decide whether it is possible to organize an escape for one of the magicians imprisoned in Midway Prison.” That is, Shiina meant her father and brother are going to tell the Defense Forces exactly about that case.
473
474“I understand …Well, nothing can be done. Shiina-chan’s father is still in this position.”
475
476Miyuki didn’t ask for details, deciding not to torture Shiina any more. But in reality, she was very interested with whom exactly in the Defense Forces Mitsuya family reported to. But Shiina hardly knew so much. Miyuki decided it was better to investigate this question on her own instead of interrogating her kohai from the Student Council.
477
478“Brother said he was going to report to “Major General Saeki from the 101 Battalion.”
479
480But concern about this turned out to be superfluous. Shiina herself issued the person who was reported to about the case, even without a question from Miyuki.
481
482Miyuki wasn’t shocked when unexpectedly she heard that familiar name. Shiina spoke only about the information leak from the Mitsuya family to Saeki. There was no talk about the fact of Saeki betraying Tatsuya. Though Miyuki wouldn't have been surprised even if that were true.
483
484From the beginning, Miyuki wasn’t very friendly towards Saeki and Kazama, who gave Tatsuya dangerous work. If Saeki will take a stand against Tatsuya, Miyuki will not hesitate to mark the 101 Battalion as her enemy.
485
486However, Miyuki thought that she should at least inform Tatsuya about this. “Thank you, Shiina-chan. I'll pass it on to Tatsuya-sama.”
487
488Fujibayashi, who took the day off yesterday to become her family’s envoy, today, as usual, was already present and on duty at 8 AM. She was the assistant commander of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, her duty station was located in battalion headquarters. Her actual duty station was the commander’s office at the Kasumigaura base when she didn’t spend time on missions and operations.
489
490Kazama, the office owner, came on duty at different times. Sometimes he showed up in the office far after noon, and sometimes he would come before Fujibayashi.
491
492Kazama didn’t say anything if Fujibayashi came later than him. First of all, it is worth noting that the door to the office was arranged in such a way that it would not open before 8 AM. Fujibayashi didn’t know how Kazama goes through this door. She was very curious, but she followed her intuition that was telling her it’s better not to ask about this matter.
493
494Today, Kazama appeared about ten minutes after Fujibayashi began work. Fujibayashi immediately rose from her seat, stood in front of Kazama’s table, for which he was already seated, and bowed.
495
496They exchanged polite greetings, then checked the schedule for today and clarified the battalion’s orders. Kazama asked about the results of yesterday after [an] usual morning routine was over.
497
498“Regarding Shiba Tatsuya-shi…” (-shi is an overly formal way of referring to someone)
499
500Fujibayashi began her report calling Tatsuya not her usual “Tatsuya-kun” or “Special Officer Ooguro.”
501
502“In response to a request from the Fujibayashi family head, that we should have caught Kudou Minoru on our own, he asked to be taken for a capturing operation. The Fujibayashi family head gave his consent.”
503
504It was not an army operation, and she was not obligated to report it. However, both Kazama and Fujibayashi looked as if it was naturally something to report.
505
506“What about time and place?”
507
508“The meeting is tomorrow at noon on the state highway northwest of Fuji Fuketsu Cave.”
509
510“Okay. Thank you, at ease.” “Understood.”
511
512Fujibayashi bowed and returned to her seat.
513
514Kazama leaned back in his chair without opening his workstation terminal. He leaned back so much that in his posture, when his face was pointed up into the ceiling, one would have thought he decided to take a nap.
515
516Fujibayashi peaked over to take a look at Kazama. But she couldn’t understand what the commander was thinking about.
517
518
519
520
521
522Chapter 9
523
524
525On Friday, July 12, Tatsuya remained in the laboratory in the morning, located on the underground floor of their high-rise building. Based on the Parade and Sekirei Hachijin data from Fujibayashi, he brainstormed to find a way to overcome these two magics.
526
527To hide, Minoru uses both of these magics. It won’t be possible to return Minami, who was abducted by Minoru, until he can at least partially neutralize “Parade” and “Sekirei Hachijin.”
528
529The purpose of the current study was exclusively the return of Minami. The prerequisite for this was determining their location. Working on the analysis of Parade and Sekirei Hachijin, Tatsuya never for a second forgot about his original goal. Although physically he was now underground, his mind regularly looked at Minami’s condition through magical perception.
530
531When his "sight" caught the change, it was already past 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
532
533It wasn’t a deterioration. On the contrary, this change could be called convenient for Tatsuya.
534
535“Is there a hole in the barrier?"
536
537The magical barrier hiding the location of Minoru and Minami weakened. The weakening magic was “Sekirei Hachijin". This didn’t mean that the disguise was completely canceled, but the current state looked like if you hurry to the site right now, you may be able to break through the barrier by force.
538
539But this weakening was clearly limited. And it aroused interest. “Does that mean... that someone passed through the barrier?"
540
541The masking barrier was not destroyed. But they didn’t go through it according to the established rules.
542
543Someone found a loophole and penetrated through it through the “Sekirei Hachijin". As a result, a small hole remained in the barrier.... Such is Tatsuya's impression.
544
545“I was ahead of the Fujibayashi family...?"
546
547It was about this opportunity Tatsuya first thought. He agreed with Fujibayashi Nagamasa that he would meet with the Fujibayashi family at noon tomorrow. However, at first, the Fujibayashi family told Tatsuya that they wanted to grab Minoru only on their own.
548
549“The likelihood of this is high. I can’t say.”
550
551Not only Tatsuya and the Fujibayashi family hunted Minoru. The Ten Master Clans also chased Minoru. There was also evidence that the self-defense forces are also working on capturing Minoru. In addition, in Japan there are groups that, in tribute to tradition, regard “demons" as “evil". Parasites for them - this is also the “demons" that must be destroyed. Therefore, it was likely that such forces also began to move.
552
553“I'll watch the situation a bit..."
554
555If you blindly rush there, not knowing the circumstances, then everything can end with adding new enemies.
556
557Tatsuya temporarily suspended the analysis of “Sekirei Hachijin" (he already studied the “Parade" magic), and first decided to ask the main house of Yotsuba if there could be any third party in this matter.
558
559◊ ◊
560
561At 3 pm Minoru was sitting in the dining room at the same table with Minami.
562
563When Minoru was still living at his parents' house (that is, just a month ago), he didn’t have the habit of having tea parties, but now he couldn’t refuse an invitation from Minami.
564
565Before Minoru there was a cup of classic black tea, and in front of Minami - a tea with milk. Dessert for tea was lichzhi mousse (similar to berry jam). Of course, cooked by Minami.
566
567Everything Minoru ate in this hideout was cooked by Minami. However, Minoru (who still didn’t have a girl at his age, because his beautiful appearance had the opposite, repulsive effect) was worried just like on the first day he met her. He decided to forget for a while the feeling of guilt from the abduction, and tasted “dessert prepared by the hands of a girl."
568
569But he didn’t enjoy this taste for long. The situation didn’t allow to soar in the clouds, running away from reality. He was drunk with happiness only for a while, while he tried the mousse. Putting the spoon on the table, Minoru looked at Minami with a serious look.
570
571Minami still had about a quarter of the mousse in the bowl, but she noticed Minoru's gaze and removed her hands, putting them on her hips.
572
573Then she looked straight ahead at Minoru. “... Um...”
574
575Mentally encouraging himself not to lose his presence of mind, Minoru immediately turned to the main topic.
576
577“Today or tomorrow I am going to leave this refuge.” “Good.”
578
579Minami answered briefly and offered to continue her gaze. “To begin with, I will go to Yokosuka.”
580
581Minoru has already told so much. It was too late to stop.
582
583“And from there I'm going to escape from Japan on a ship of the American fleet.” “......”
584
585Minami face expressed astonishment. Escape from the country. It was so unexpected that she couldn’t utter a word.
586
587“Sorry.”
588
589She couldn’t even now ask Minoru, for which he apologizes. However, she didn’t need to ask anything.
590
591“I said that there is no need to hurry with the answer, and now I have to change my words.”
592
593Minami tightly squeezed her hands, lying on her thighs. Not only palms, her arms to shoulders strongly strained.
594
595“If you can make a decision right now, then I want to hear the answer. If you answer that you want to remain a human, then I will go to Yokosuka alone.”
596
597“......”
598
599“If you haven't decided yet, then please make a decision before arriving in Yokosuka. If there you say that you don’t want to become a Parasite, then I will board the ship alone.” “......”
600
601“If you still doubt... still can’t decide, then I want you to board the ship with me. But even in this case, I give my word that I won’t do anything against your will, Minami- san. And I won’t let the US military force you to do anything.”
602
603“...Where...?”
604
605Minami couldn’t give an answer, however, although with difficulty, she was able to squeeze out only one word from herself - and it was a question.
606
607The question consisted of just one word, but its meaning was obvious. “... I'm sorry. I don't know that either.”
608
609However, Minoru couldn’t answer this question.
610
611Minoru thoughts were filled with the awareness of his own insignificance.
612
613Driven by this thought, he tried to open a line of mental connection with Raymond.
614
615“Northwest Hawaii. I think it will be Midway Island or the Pearl and Hermes Atoll located next to it.”
616
617But before he could do it, the answer came in a voice unfamiliar to Minoru. “Who is there!?”
618
619Minoru jumped up so abruptly that even the chair fell.
620
621The chair fell with a heavy crash, but Minoru didn’t have time to get distracted by it. Only Minoru and Minami should be in the dining room.
622
623In this whole mansion it was only supposed to be Minoru and Minami.
624
625And this skinny man who looks like a monk shouldn’t be here. Minoru didn’t notice not only the breakthrough through the barrier, but even the penetration into this room.
626
627“Yakumo-sozu * -sama!?
628
629[Buddhist nun title. In the table of ranks of 15 places takes 7 place below. In general, with the name of as many as 6 ranks, from “junior" to “senior". Minami could just cut it, so his real rank might be different.]
630
631Minami got up too, but the surprise in her voice had a slightly different character from Minoru.
632
633Suddenly, a man in a monastic attire appeared in this room as the “ninjutsu user” Kokonoe Yakumo, whom Tatsuya called “Master Yakumo,” and Miyuki 'Yakumo- sensei.'”
634
635“I feel embarrassed when such a young maiden calls me a monastic title.” “...Excuse me.”
636
637“There is nothing wrong. It is a kind of pleasant feeling.”
638
639Minami called Yakumo, using a system of monastic titles. She met Yakumo through Tatsuya, but for her Yakumo wasn’t one who could be called a “master" or “Sensei."
640
641Tatsuya told her that calling him “the abbot of the temple" would be wrong, which finally confused Minami, and in the end she decided to call him “(Yakumo) -sozu- sama".
642
643By the way, it wasn’t the first time when Minami addressed Yakumo using the monastic title. A similar conversation during their greeting has already happened several times.
644
645“By the way, Minami-kun. Your boyfriend seems a bit confused.” “P-guy...”
646
647“How innocent. But, from Tatsuya-kun such a reaction won’t wait.”
648
649Yakumo, with a contented smile, narrowed his eyes, looking at the completely reddened faces of Minoru and Minami.
650
651However, the conversation wouldn’t have happened if he concealed his identity. Yakumo had this kind of common sense.
652
653“You're Kudou Minoru-kun, right? My name is Kokonoe Yakumo. I work as a monk, but in reality I am a shinobi. Please forgive me for entering without permission.
654
655Sneak and all that - this is our nature.”
656
657Other ninjas (“users of ninjutsu") would probably have been outraged if they had heard these words, but, despite such a frivolous tone, Yakumo was serious. Perhaps this intention was conveyed to Minoru, or such a silly formulation stunned him. In any case, he slightly weakened his wariness.
658
659“... It looks like you already know me, but I still would like to introduce myself. Kudou Minoru, The Parasite.”
660
661Minoru's presentation was a kind of provocation. “Yeah, I'm in the know.”
662
663But Yakumo only nodded in response. From such a reaction, Minoru was ashamed of his useless efforts.
664
665“... I apologize, but let's return to the previous topic.”
666
667Having overcome his embarrassment, Minoru returned the conversation to a question that he couldn’t ignore.
668
669“Is it true that the Parasites from the American army are going to take us to Midway Island?”
670
671Minoru wasn’t aware now that his statement stated that Minami would go with him. He simply didn’t notice this. Minami also didn’t notice.
672
673“I don’t know for sure whether it will be Midway or Pearl and Hermes.”
674
675The answer was given in such a tone that it was clear that Yakumo was fooling around pretending to be ignorant. However, from this answer, Minoru understood that Yakumo had already narrowed down the list of suitable places to two points: the island of Midway and the atoll of Pearl and Hermes.
676
677If it was true, then it meant that Yakumo possesses simply phenomenal intelligence capabilities.
678
679The back of Minoru was covered in cold sweat. He didn’t feel such awe even when he encountered his grandfather, Kudou Retsu.
680
681“But how did you...”
682
683“But how did you know that?" - Minoru couldn’t finish this question to the end. He didn’t have enough breath to finish it.
684
685“How? Of course, that’s a secret.”
686
687But the answer of Yakumo was simple. With his answer, he had the impression that he winked, although he didn’t.... As expected, he replied in his own style.
688
689Minami hands were no longer tense. With such a behavior of Yakumo, she could no longer remain in suspense.
690
691However, Minoru was tense and kept alert so as not to make a mistake.
692
693“Instead, let's move on to the main topic. I don't care if you get on the ship alone, or you continue your journey together. But if you intend to leave this country, I would like you to promise me something.”
694
695“... That is, you don’t mind that I abducted Minami-san?”
696
697In his question, Minoru used the eloquent word “kidnapped." “You're not forcing her, are you?”
698
699The tone of Yakumo voice remained frivolous.
700
701“But it won't stop others, will it? It is unlikely that you want to get under the hot hand and die. And we, in turn, will only be glad that if you become a Parasite you leave this country.”
702
703This meant that he was hunted by many different influential people. But now Minoru couldn’t afford to worry about it.
704
705“... And what should I promise?”
706
707Yakumo behaved unobtrusively. However, his expression and behavior, on the contrary, gradually put more and more pressure on Minoru. And now this psychological pressure was so great that Minoru could barely remain conscious.
708
709“I want you to keep secret the secret knowledge of the Parade spell. The fact that no one should be taught this is self-evident, but I would like you to also pay special attention to ensuring that this technique isn’t stolen.”
710
711The tone of Yakumo until then remained such that his true motives were very difficult to grasp. But now his tone has changed in such a way that in his words his intentions and his earnestness were unmistakably read.
712
713“If you promise me this, I will promise in response that I won’t interfere with your escape.”
714
715In other words, this meant that if Minoru refused the offer of Yakumo, he would help Tatsuya or other groups trying to seize Minoru.
716
717Minoru couldn’t ignore such an unfavorable situation.
718
719Yakumo had abilities that allowed him to break through the magic of disguise / concealment to Minoru. Proof of this was that he was now standing in this room. Probably, Yakumo, even alone, will be able to grab him, and his escape will end there. And the mind and intuition of Minoru came to this same conclusion.
720
721Minoru had no intention of sharing the Parade with anyone from the start. He wasn’t going to reveal his secrets even to other Parasites.
722
723“... I promise.”
724
725For Minoru, this was only an addition to his plans of another constraint from a verbal promise. He had no choice but to accept this offer from Yakumo.
726
727◊ ◊
728
729Leaning back in his chair, Tatsuya looked with half-closed eyes into emptiness. He plunged into meditation, not in the underground lab, but in his room on the top floor.
730
731He interrupted his research, because with the barrier hiding the hideout in which Minami (Tatsuya thought so) was locked up, something strange happened.
732
733This “strange thing” wasn’t an unfavorable change for Tatsuya. On the contrary, one could say that the situation has improved, bringing the rescue of Minami closer.
734
735A small hole appeared in the barrier. Not such that through it you could look inside. The functions of the barrier itself remained working. At least, observing through the information dimension from here, from Tofu, through this gap it was impossible to determine the exact location of their refuge.
736
737But in this case there was a saying “even an ant can destroy a huge dam.” Only this case wasn’t close to the proverb, but to its original meaning “even a small flow can sink a huge ship." Because of this newly emerged small hole, the Sekirei Hachijin barrier hiding Minami's location may soon be completely useless.
738
739The question was what caused this “hole” to appear. The probability of wear on the barrier over time was also not zero, but at the moment it could be excluded from consideration.
740
741Why did this “hole" appear? Who made this “hole"?
742
743Without knowing the answers to these questions, it will be difficult to deal with. It should also be kept in mind that a clash with this “someone” may end up putting him in a difficult situation that will help Minoru escape.
744
745In search of information, Tatsuya called the main house of Yotsuba some time ago. Now he was waiting for a response.
746
747After the call with his request, it has already been an hour. Tatsuya didn’t expect the investigation to take place in an instant, but the wait dragged on longer than he expected.
748
749But if you try to hurry them, it will only give the opposite effect. To be ready to go at any moment, he was already dressed in a “Freed Suit” and had a helmet in his hand. He even wanted to return to the laboratory in this form in order to continue his research.
750
751At about four o'clock in the afternoon, Tatsuya decided to “return under ground.” And it was at that moment that he felt “something strange” a second time.
752
753“Is the barrier broken!?"
754
755From that moment about an hour ago, Tatsuya watched the barrier of the “Sekirei Hachijin" where Minoru and Minami has hidden. It was a long-range observation, so as not to be seen by the enemy. Also, this “adversary” meant not only Minoru, but also that “someone” who made a hole in the barrier.
756
757And now Tatsuya's “Elemental Sight" caught that someone else broke through the barrier and penetrated inside.
758
759The hiding effect of the barrier, “Sekirei Hachijin," recovered in an instant, but in that short time Tatsuya clearly saw what was inside the barrier. Because of the observation range, he couldn’t identify the identity of the intruder, but he “saw" information about the “mansion" located right in the center of the barrier.
760
761“This time I managed to get the exact coordinates."
762
763Unfortunately, to determine the location of the hideout hidden behind the barrier, he used all his strength, and he didn’t have free resources to use magic to neutralize “Parade". He was unable to locate the exact location of both Minoru and Minami.
764
765Therefore, he couldn’t shoot a tracking marker. However, it was a good chance. Tatsuya hurried to the videophone.
766
767“... Tatsuya-sama.” Hyougo at your service.
768
769Before the three beeps had passed, the upper half of the body of Hanabishi Hyougo appeared on the screen in a bow.
770
771“The request we received recently is still under consideration. I apologize.” “No, I'm not calling about that.”
772
773Assuming why Tatsuya called, Hyougo apologized. However, Tatsuya hinted at his answer that one should not rush to conclusions.
774
775So, before Hyougo regained his useless apologies, Tatsuya went to the heart of his call.
776
777“I just noticed that someone had penetrated the refuge of Kudou Minoru.” “Someone else who isn’t related to the one whom you reported earlier?”
778
779“Obviously someone else. Unlike the first, it had a rougher way to overcome the barrier.”
780
781Although Tatsuya called his way rude, but he didn’t mock him. Because this someone, unlike himself, (probably) was able to break through the barrier. Compared to the first person who made a hole in the barrier, it was something else.
782
783“The barrier has already been closed, but I was able to locate the hideout.” “So you're going there?”
784
785“I will go on Wingless.”
786
787Tatsuya gave a positive answer to Hyougo's question about the mode of transportation.
788
789The Wingless is an electric motorcycle designed to be used in conjunction with a Freed Suit. Its flight function is arranged in the same way as that of the Aerocar, but it’s not intended for long-distance flights.
790
791“Really. Although, ground travel takes a little more time, but it won’t cause problems with law enforcement.”
792
793This Monday, Tatsuya first flew from Tofu to Miyakijima and back on the Aerocar, and then flew to the western slope of Mount Takao in the Freed Suit. These noticeable unauthorized flights, obviously, caused a lot of problems among the officials responsible for domestic air traffic. In addition, there was an unauthorized use of magic. Hyougo's words about the fact that you shouldn’t mindlessly annoy law enforcement agencies exactly coincided with Tatsuya's thoughts.
794
795“If you find out something, contact me via radio in the suit.”
796
797“As you order. Be careful.”
798
799Nodding in response to the polite bowing of Hyougo, Tatsuya turned off the videophone.
800
801◊ ◊
802
803An hour has passed since Yakumo disappeared from the dining room, and the dining table was already empty. But despite this, Minoru was still sitting at the table, and Minami was opposite him.
804
805Minoru didn’t hold her here. They just sat and did nothing.
806
807Minami spent more time in the dining room than in the bedroom. In most cases she spent her free time (when she wasn’t busy with housework), sitting at the dinner table.
808
809So it was Minoru who was different from the usual behavior. Minami has always been laconic, and Minoru simply didn’t know how to make small talk. And both of them were such people whose language begins to stumble in conversations with a representative of the opposite sex. Minami didn’t usually worry about this silence, but now Minoru was strained every time by this silence without talking, and he usually returned to his office.
810
811However, today Minoru didn’t get up from the table after the dishes were removed, and even after ten minutes of silence followed. In fact, Minoru didn’t have time to sit quietly like this. He decided to leave this hideout no later than tomorrow.
812
813They couldn’t take a lot of luggage with them, but a minimal set of personal belongings was vital. A change of clothes you could easily take from this mansion. And if the end point of the escape is another country, then just in case, it was necessary to make fake passports. It was necessary to ensure that they were ready to receive without delay, so as not to waste time.
814
815Minoru understood that he shouldn’t waste time. But he couldn’t proceed with any specific actions, because the visit (more precisely, the invasion) of Yakumo was too shocking.
816
817Minoru didn’t think that “the barrier that hides this mansion will never be broken." And “Kimon Tonkou" and “Parade" can be neutralized if you put against them more powerful magic or more advanced magic techniques. It was this understanding that Minoru's desire to leave this hideout was connected.
818
819However, Yakumo didn’t pierce and didn’t disperse the barrier “Sekirei Hachijin", and didn’t go through it in the correct way. He made his way through a hole that even Minoru didn’t know about.
820
821He was on a completely different level.
822
823If Yakumo had joined the persecutors, then Minoru would have been caught by now. If you think about the connections between Tatsuya and Yakumo, then it is very strange that Yakumo didn’t join the chase.
824
825... What the hell was this Kokonoe Yakumo thinking?
826
827... With what intention did he just take and let me go?
828
829Such doubts have been tormenting Minoru for some time now.
830
831The pretext to get rid of this confusion was a new attack on the concealed barrier. “Someone slipped through the barrier?”
832
833Although the identity of the intruder couldn’t be established, but someone accurately partially and temporarily neutralized the barrier and penetrated inside. The magic structures from which the barrier was composed of weren’t destroyed. Instead, it was neutralized by the shock wave in anti-phase. And this time Minoru found out about it.
834
835The barrier was turned off by anti-phase neutralization, therefore, if these waves cease, the barrier will restore its functions. After the invasion, there is no need to maintain a neutralization spell. And the barrier has returned to its original state.
836
837“...We have guests?”
838
839Hearing this question, Minoru noticed that Minami, who was sitting across from him, had a worried expression on her face. He wanted to say his previous words in his thoughts, and didn’t even notice that he had said them out loud.
840
841“Everything is good. Whoever it is, I won’t let them touch Minami-san.”
842
843For Minoru, the fact that his words caused concern to Minami wasn’t welcome. It was with this feeling that he hurried to calm her down. So that these words didn’t turn out to be lies, Minoru directed all his attention to the search for the intruder.
844
845He didn’t believe that his speech was convincing. Besides, he didn’t notice right now that Minami's cheeks were slightly red. Because he focused on the presence of the intruder.
846
847It has been about five minutes since Minoru noticed that the barrier was broken. Minoru got up from his chair and headed for the door to the dining room.
848
849He knew that the one who had passed through the barrier was already inside the mansion.
850
851“Please, come in.” Minoru opened the door.
852
853“I didn’t think you would come to such a place....Father.”
854
855The identity of the intruder Minoru also learned through his “Elemental Sight." “I apologize for the intrusion.”
856
857Kudou Makoto, head of the Kudou family and Minoru's father, entered the dining room, without being surprised at all.
858
859◊ ◊
860
861“Tatsuya-sama, can you hear me?”
862
863Hyougo got in touch with Tatsuya immediately after he left the high-rise building. “I hear you well. Did you find out something?
864
865“Besides us, the other Master Clans didn’t send people to the Aokigahara “Sea of Trees.” There is no corresponding movement of the self-defense forces either.”
866
867“In other words, is it someone other than the army and the Ten Master Clans?”
868
869Tatsuya quickly noticed that Hyougo hinted at something indirectly. If he had not figured out anything, he would not have contacted with only such data.
870
871“The person who discovered them wants to tell you personally.”
872
873And this one spoke himself before Tatsuya managed to ask, “and who is this?". “Tatsuya-niisan, I'm sorry for distracting you when you are driving.” “Fumiya?”
874
875Tatsuya was going to ask why he wasn’t at school, but changed his mind, deciding that he shouldn’t be asked.
876
877“Sorry to hurry, but could you get straight to the point?” Instead, he asked about the results of the investigation. “Y-yes!”
878
879From the speaker in the helmet came Fumiya's cheerful voice. With this reaction, he looked like a puppy, rejoicing that he was helpful to Tatsuya.
880
881“From this morning it became impossible to determine the location of the head of the Kudou family and his second son.”
882
883“Were they watched?” Although, no, this is logical.
884
885No need to repeat once again that Minoru is a member of the Kudou family. If you think about what Minoru can hope for besides Zhou Gongjin's networks, then it is the Kudou family that comes to mind first and foremost. Tatsuya said that “this is logical," based precisely on this reflection.
886
887“True, only from Tuesday, but...”
888
889“Tuesday” is the day after Minami's abduction.
890
891For her abduction, parasitic dolls were used. This humanoid magic weapon was developed at the Kudou Family Research Center. Kudou Retsu, the previous head of the Kudou family, died trying to stop Minoru from coming to steal these parasitic dolls. This fact saved the Kudou family from suspicion of colluding with Minoru, but the assertion of the complete innocence of the Kudou family can be called a hasty conclusion.
892
893The current head of the Kudou family is Kudou Makoto. The fact that the relationship between the previous head Retsu and the current head Makoto didn’t develop very well is a fairly well-known fact.
894
895Although the relationship between Makoto and Minoru also couldn’t be called good, but they were still father and son. The likelihood of Makoto working with Minoru couldn’t be completely ruled out.
896
897Fumiya's unspoken remark said it had something to do with this fact. It was estimated that the number of parasitic dolls involved in the abduction of Minami was greater than the number of ginoids stolen on the day of the assassination of Kudou Retsu.
898
899Perhaps, if the Kudou family would have been monitored even earlier, it would have been possible to prevent the use of that tactic with the self-blasting of a large number of parasitic dolls. In such a case, the detachment of the Juumonji family would survive, the perimeter wouldn’t be broken, and Minami wouldn’t be kidnapped.
900
901“We don’t have enough people, nothing can be done. There are too many things to do lately.”
902
903But Tatsuya wasn’t going to criticize Fumiya.
904
905The fighting strength that was lost 34 years ago in the “war” with Dahan, who controlled the southeast region of East Asia at that time, was restored to a decent amount in the past 30 years. However, the Yotsuba family still remained in a state where they had to compensate for the quantity with quality.
906
907However, the cause that led to this chain of events, which grew into all sorts of collisions of different forces, was Tatsuya himself. And Fumiya, who even had to wear a “priestess outfit," was only a victim in this whole story. It was impossible to scoff at the poor man who had already suffered.
908
909“If you say so, then I feel a little calmer.”
910
911Said Fumiya with sincere gratitude in his voice.
912
913“You from the very beginning couldn’t worry about it. So, the head of the Kudou family and his second son aren’t visible anywhere from this morning?”
914
915Tatsuya easily parried this influx of emotions of Fumiya and asked him a counter question.
916
917“Yes. However, the abilities of the person sent to observe are at the “average" level, so there is also a chance that they set in motion during this night, and not in the morning.”
918
919“No. If we consider the time it takes to go from Ikoma to Aokigahara, then they left the Kudou mansion in the morning.”
920
921“So, after all, they have a secret connection with Kudou Minoru?”
922
923“The probability of this is quite high. But for Minoru, this seemed to be an unplanned event.”
924
925“Are you talking about his father and brother visiting the refuge?”
926
927Fumiya spoke on the basis of the assumption that Kudou Makoto and Kudou Soshi were the invaders in Minoru's hideout. Although, Tatsuya didn’t indicate to him that this wasn’t yet precisely defined.
928
929Perhaps because he himself believed that it was, nevertheless, true.
930
931“If they had agreed with Minoru in advance, they wouldn’t need to break through the barrier. Even if the visitor who came to Minoru is Kudou Makoto, he did it, obviously, not in the form of a friendly family visit.”
932
933“Oh, I see.”
934
935“I'll go to Aokigahara anyway.” “Do you need help?”
936
937“It will be needed if he escapes.” “Good. We will be ready.”
938
939Tatsuya turned off the radio and increased the speed of the motorcycle.
940
941◊ ◊
942
943Drinking tea from a cup, Kudou Makoto exhaled in satisfaction. At the request of Makoto, Minami brewed hot tea instead of ice tea for him.
944
945“So, wouldn’t it be time to get down to business?”
946
947Although Minoru said “wouldn’t it be time,” as if he were hurrying his conversational partner, but the delay was caused by him. It was Minoru who asked Minami to serve tea so that he had time to put his thoughts in order.
948
949Despite the fact that he had learned in advance that the intruder was his father, he couldn’t get rid of the excitement that arose when they met face to face.
950
951“Before that, could you let Soshi inside?” “Did Soshi-niisan come too?”
952
953In the voice of Minoru slipped notes of surprise, but it was an acting game. Minoru had already seen with “Elemental Sight” that two large cars were standing outside the barrier, and in one of them Soshi was sitting in.
954
955Since the enemy wasn’t Tatsuya, he could freely use the “Elemental Sight" without fear of reverse detection. Also, the fact that the intruder isn’t Tatsuya, said the fact that the barrier wasn’t completely destroyed, but only temporarily neutralized.
956
957Makoto nodded, not noticing the pretense of Minoru (or not showing what he noticed).
958
959“Yes. He is going to work as bait for you.”
960
961“... I would like to hear the details when Soshi-niisan joins us.”
962
963Before he answered, there was some unnatural delay. Minoru still blatantly worried. “Should I go meet a guest?”
964
965Minami's suggestion wasn’t just a manifestation of the professionalism of the maid, but also, perhaps, carried a hidden meaning in the form of helping Minoru until he collected his thoughts.
966
967“Thanks, but not necessary. I will send a ginoid to meet him."
968
969The battle-like ginoid (not converted into a parasitic doll), which was used as a driver during the escape to this place, is now stored in the lobby of the mansion on standby. Minoru took out a thin mobile terminal from his breast pocket, entered through him a command of canceling the stand-by mode of the ginoid, and gave him the command to meet the “guest.”
970
971Returning the terminal to his breast pocket, Minoru sipped some tea from his cup. Makoto also took his cup in his hand.
972
973Minami went to the kitchen to make some more tea.
974
975Kudou Soshi, the brother of Minoru and the second son of the Kudou family, arrived in the dining room even before Minami returned.
976
977At the time of the meeting with Minoru, the behavior of Soshi showed that he was a little scared. The fear left over from Minoru's attack on their home in Ikoma hasn’t yet passed.
978
979“Nii-san, please come in.” “Don’t be shy, Soshi, sit down.”
980
981Keeping a serious expression on his face, Soshi followed Minoru's request and Makoto's order, and sat down next to his father.
982
983At this moment Minami returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray with cups of tea. She showed no reaction to this strained atmosphere caused by Soshi, took the old cups and saucers that stood before Makoto and Minoru, and put new tea in front of all three people.
984
985“Minami-san. so sorry, but...”
986
987With such a slightly blurred wording, Minoru wanted to ask Minami to leave this room.
988
989“Yes, I understand.”
990
991Minami understood everything from a half-word, bowed politely and left the dining room.
992
993“It was possible to leave this girl here. Was it the reason for your refusal of humanity?”
994
995“Yes, I became a parasite for her.”
996
997In an elevated tone, Minoru answered the question of his father. He didn’t like it when they talked about Minami with that attitude.
998
999“I see.”
1000
1001Makoto smiled slightly at the difference in enthusiasm between him and his son. It looked like a mockery, but this time Minoru showed no negative reaction.
1002
1003“So what is the reason for your sudden visit?”
1004
1005Minoru spoke in a rather constrained tone, however, he began to behave this way not only now. The relationship between Minoru and Makoto cooled a few years ago. The attitude of Makoto to Minoru was close to dismissive, and if his grandfather Retsu hadn’t become much earlier, then Minoru would also, much earlier and in another form, abandon his humanity.
1006
1007“I've been thinking, do you need help?” “Help?”
1008
1009This time, there was surprise on Minoru's face. He didn’t think that in his father he could suddenly wake up late parental love. Minoru couldn’t understand the reason why his father offered him his help.
1010
1011“In the current situation you can’t escape.”
1012
1013Makoto noticed that Minoru feels doubt, but didn’t explain why he offers his help.
1014
1015“Even if you have a Parade capable of fooling the eyes of your pursuers, what will you do about “vessels” that will bear illusions?”
1016
1017“... You have prepared other “actors" besides Soshi-niisan?”
1018
1019Minoru indirectly agreed with Makoto's inquiring, answering him with a question.
1020
1021“Except Soshi, all the others are androids. After all, one doesn’t need to be a man to take on the role of a “vessel” for Parade.”
1022
1023“...I am very grateful. So you suggest I use them to leave this place?”
1024
1025“Yes. Do you have anywhere to go? I have connections in Taiwan and Indochina. If you want, I'll talk to my intermediaries.”
1026
1027Minoru now thought not at all that there is no parent who doesn’t think about his child, despite the cold attitude towards him.
1028
1029“So you want to drive me out of Japan?”
1030
1031That is the purpose of his father. When this became clear, Minoru finally understood the meaning of this “friendliness" shown by his father.
1032
1033“If the other Master Clans find out that you are helping me, then this time the Kudou family will even fly out of the Twenty-Eight Families. Maybe even lose their place in the magical world. So you want to let me run away before the Yotsuba family or the Juumonji family catch me?”
1034
1035The Magical World is a magician society. The Twenty-Eight Families are the Ten Master Clans plus Eighteen Substitute Families. Minoru asked his father Makoto if he wanted to expel him in order to avoid the “social death" of the Kudou family.
1036
1037“And this too.”
1038
1039Makoto nodded slightly at Minoru's counter-question.
1040
1041“But besides this, the fact is that you are the greatest masterpiece of the Kudou family. It will be a pity to lose you.”
1042
1043Continuing, Makoto brought heartless, insensible words to Minoru.
1044
1045“Then we do it as if you manipulated Soshi. Sure, the Kudou family will lose part of its reputation, but it will be better than giving away the valuable finished product to the Yotsuba or Saegusa.”
1046
1047Soshi whole body trembled. The person sitting next to him just said without hiding that he would have to become a bargaining pawn. It was quite humiliating.
1048
1049But Soshi said nothing. And absolutely didn’t show any resistance. “Everything is already prepared.”
1050
1051“... Did you use the “Puppet Law" on Soshi-niisan?”
1052
1053This question meant: “Did you turn Soshi into a controlled doll with the help of the magic of controlling a man's will?" But Makoto shook his head at Minoru's question.
1054
1055“I just reminded him that the duty of the magician of the Kudou family... the magician of Nines should be fulfilled.” Soshi gave his consent.
1056
1057Minoru turned his gaze to his second oldest brother, Soshi. He had a facial expression that didn’t speak at all about consent.
1058
1059“Okay. In that case, I will accept your generous offer.”
1060
1061However, Minoru with this stopped the interrogation of Makoto. The kindred feelings between them were rather weak, so Minoru couldn’t blame Makoto. Minoru won’t grieve when Soshi, who plays the role of lure, is caught, and his reputation will then sink to the very bottom. Although,Minoru also didn’t have such feelings like “it serves him right.” The expression that most accurately describes Minoru's attitude was “I don’t care.”
1062
1063“However, from the proposed destinations, I'll probably refuse. Because my friends have already organized an escape route for me.”
1064
1065Hearing Minoru's answer, Makoto nodded and asked: “Parasites from the USNA Army?”
1066
1067According to this behavior, the head of the Kudou family didn’t look like he wanted to completely control the movement of his son.
1068
1069“On a ship from Yokosuka?... No, don’t answer. When is the departure?” “Immediately, as soon as preparations are complete.”
1070
1071“Shouldn't you have to persuade that girl?”
1072
1073Obviously, by “that girl,” Makoto meant Minami. To expel Minoru more effectively, it was necessary for him not to take Minami with him, however, Makoto didn’t seem to have the intention to separate Minoru and Minami.... Or, he just didn't care.
1074
1075“Not necessary.”
1076
1077Minoru answered Makoto's question with a clean and innocent smile on his face. “I decided that I wouldn’t force or try to convince her.”
1078
1079Minoru swore to himself that besides the already-made “restriction of freedom” by Minami, he wouldn’t oppose her will.
1080
1081“Eh, the young.”
1082
1083Makoto mumbled in an uninterested voice, realizing that Minoru was filled with determination.
1084
1085◊ ◊
1086
1087Leaving the dining room in which the conversation between son and father from the Kudou family began, Minami went to the room playing the role of the bedroom. She used this room only for dressing and sleeping, but besides the closet and bed there were also: an old-fashioned writing desk, a small piano, and a shelving with books.
1088
1089Minami sat in a classic designed chair, complete with antique writing desk. The chair had curved legs and there were no rollers, but despite such an elegant design, it didn’t have any difficulties with its movement. Minami herself, who has a frail build inherent in girls, had no problems sitting on this chair, but a large man weighing 90- 100 kg was better off not sitting on this chair.
1090
1091The desk was the type that, when you use the table you need to open the top of the table top. But Minami sat sideways to the table, not opening the tabletop.
1092
1093The bookcase was full of rare paper books these days. About half of the books were in Japanese, and the other half were in Chinese. The Japanese part of the collection included the complete collection of literature of the last century, which on the contrary, was new to Minami. She spent most of her time in this mansion in the dining room reading these books in order to distract herself and diversify her leisure time.
1094
1095But now she didn’t even reach out to the bookshelves. She was immersed in her thoughts, and now she had no time for books.
1096
1097Escape abroad is too sudden of a news. Reason told her that “you shouldn’t do this."
1098
1099Minoru said he would let her go if she refused to follow him. In addition to the thought “I can’t appear in Miyuki-sama's eyes,” inside Minami, there was also a feeling saying “I want to go home.”
1100
1101Both mind and senses gave the same answer. But Minami still hesitated. And that was because her feelings weren't one.
1102
1103“Am I now trying to compare Miyuki-sama and Minoru-sama...?"
1104
1105The desire to return to Miyuki and the desire to at least be with Minoru a little more. Minami hesitated between these two thoughts.
1106
1107“... I am disgusting..."
1108
1109... betraying her mistress Miyuki, and wanting to return to her?
1110
1111... Without giving an answer to Minoru, being in an unclear relationship with him, enjoying the desired feeling of being in love?
1112
1113The more she thought about it, the lower, meanest and disgusting person she considered herself.
1114
1115Her psychological state didn’t fall to a level where recovery is impossible... “...But! Who is there!?”
1116
1117... because her level of alertness rose sharply when suddenly there were signs of the presence of another person in the room.... It will probably be more accurate to say “thanks to the fact that it has risen."
1118
1119“Sorry Sorry.”
1120
1121Surprisingly, at first only her voice reached her consciousness. “Looks like I scared you a little.”
1122
1123Minami blinked unconsciously several times. “Sozu-sama (Yakumo)...?”
1124
1125After she heard a voice in front of her, Yakumo finally became visible. “When did you get here...”
1126
1127“Just now. Sorry I didn’t knock, but I didn’t want to be noticed by those sitting over there.”
1128
1129Said Yakumo, looking in the direction of the dining room. “No... I was just immersed in my thoughts, no big deal.”
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135It was an invasion without permission into the room of a young girl. In fact, this shouldn’t be so easy to say goodbye, but Minami simply couldn’t get angry because she was caught off guard.
1136
1137“Better tell me sozu-sama, why did you come back...?”
1138
1139During that recent visit, Yakumo said: “I would like you to promise me something." And Minoru gave him the answer. Minami thought that this was the end of the Yakumo case.
1140
1141“I would like to inform you of something.” “Me?”
1142
1143As Minami thought, the deal with Minoru was over. Instead, it turned out that Yakumo wanted to discuss something with Minami. And the word “notify" usually meant that the conversation would go to some already known topic, with the addition of some facts.
1144
1145“Tatsuya-kun was asked to release several magicians from the American military prison located on Midway Island.”
1146
1147“Insane...! Even for Tatsuya-sama it will be difficult.”
1148
1149“With his abilities it’s not a problem. And for Tatsuya-kun himself this will be a personal gain.”
1150
1151Attempting to get into the American military prison Minami considered recklessness. But she understood that Yakumo knows Tatsuya's abilities better than her.
1152
1153But Minami had no idea what all this had to do with herself. “The point is location. Tatsuya-kun, it seems, can’t yet decide.” A sly smile appeared on Yakumo's face.
1154
1155“Well, nothing surprising. Tatsuya-kun doesn’t seem to understand the real benefits he will receive from fulfilling this request. For him, this is just a request from one familiar pretty girl, and he has no particular desire to go on an expedition to the remote island of Midway.”
1156
1157The words “pretty girl" Yakumo singled out in his speech, saying them with a mischievous grin. But Minami's attention caught on the repeatedly repeated geographic name, and she realized that Yakumo wanted to say this.
1158
1159“... Sozu-sama, you mentioned earlier that the destination of Minoru-sama would be Midway Island.”
1160
1161Yakumo slightly rounded his eyes from these words of Minami, as if asking “what's next?".
1162
1163“If I follow Minoru-sama...” “Tatsuya-kun will chase you...”
1164
1165Yakumo smile changed from a grin to a smile from ear to ear. “... even to the island of Midway.”
1166
1167“...You think so?”
1168
1169“Yes, I am sure. And in between times, while on Midway Island, Tatsuya at the same time fulfills the request to release those magicians from prison.”
1170
1171“... And will it bring Tatsuya-sama much benefit?”
1172
1173“I believe this will be one of the factors that will ultimately ensure the future for Tatsuya-kun and Miyuki-kun.”
1174
1175Yakumo's answer exceeded all Minami's expectations.
1176
1177“Well, I understood. Honestly, I didn’t know what to answer, but thanks to the advice of the sozu-sama, I made a decision.”
1178
1179“I wasn’t going to give advice, but since my words were useful, then so be it.”
1180
1181Minami bowed low to Yakumo. When she raised her head, Yakumo had already disappeared.
1182
1183◊ ◊
1184
1185The conversation of Minoru and Makoto lasted about 15 minutes. He decided to accept the help of the Kudou family with the escape rather quickly, but it was also necessary to clarify some small details.
1186
1187After sending off his father Makoto and elder brother Soshi (Makoto went home, and Soshi stayed waiting in the car outside the barrier), Minoru went to Minami's room.
1188
1189Overcoming indecision, he knocked on the door. From inside, I heard the answer: “wait a bit, please."
1190
1191Then from inside came a sound like a suitcase slamming. She's collecting her things?
1192
1193To go back home? Or to go with me...?
1194
1195“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
1196
1197When Minoru was already dreaming about an appropriate interpretation of this sound, the door opened.
1198
1199“Oh, yes, I'm sorry.”
1200
1201Seeing Minami, he apologized reflexively.
1202
1203Minami, of course, didn’t understand why he apologizes.
1204
1205When Minoru saw that Minami tilted her head inquiringly, his heartbeat increased. “Um...”
1206
1207Having put his breath in order, Minoru tried to start a conversation. “Minoru-sama.”
1208
1209But Minami interrupted him.
1210
1211“Abandon humanity or abandon magic. I haven't made a choice yet.” “I see...”
1212
1213Minoru tried to hide his despondency, but couldn’t do it completely. His voice completely betrayed his mood.
1214
1215“So could you give me a little more time to think?” “Uh...?”
1216
1217But when Minami continued, the faint disappointment on Minoru's face gave way to unconcealed hope.
1218
1219“I can’t say when I'll give an answer. And yet, could you let me go with you?” “Yes of course! With joy!”
1220
1221Minoru face lit up with joy. Even if his beauty wasn’t of this world, it only confirmed his similarity with some young deity, commanding art and light.
1222
1223Minami was so stunned by this beauty that she began to feel light tingling in her heart.
1224
1225Minami didn’t lie about the fact that varies between the two options. She was afraid that she would turn into a useless creature.
1226
1227Useless for everyone, not needed by anyone. This is what Minami was blindly afraid of. It could even be called paranoid fear. So Minami represented her worst future.
1228
1229Having lost her magic, it will become unsuitable for the service of “Miyuki-sama." Rejecting humanity, she will no longer be able to stay close to Miyuki-sama.
1230
1231She couldn’t even conceive of the fact that Minoru really needed her. There was no doubt that Minoru was serious about her treatment. Now he is serious, but she didn’t think that it would continue after.
1232
1233Now she wanted to stay with him.
1234
1235But she didn’t know how long it would last.
1236
1237... Minoru-sama and I don’t match, there is no balance between us.
1238
1239... I can’t believe that I have the charm that can attract the attention of Minoru-sama. Therefore, Minami couldn’t decide.
1240
1241She didn’t pretend to be hesitant, but really couldn’t decide.
1242
1243However, it was obvious that the phrase of Yakumo “this would provide a future for Tatsuya and Miyuki" influenced her decision to go along with Minoru.
1244
1245... Minoru-sama sincerely worries about me.
1246
1247... And I use this grace to Minoru-sama.
1248
1249That was the feeling of guilt, like the prickles stuck in her heart now.
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
1255Chapter 10
1256
1257
1258When Tatsuya arrived at the Aokigahara “Sea of Trees,” the hands of the clock had already passed 17:00.
1259
1260He returned to the same place where the pursuit squad from the Juumonji family had lost sight of Minoru's car. On that narrow road, which he then discovered, having destroyed the illusion, now new traces were visible.
1261
1262“So, after all, it was the right way?"
1263
1264Such a thought of bitterness came to Tatsuya's mind. Now that he had determined the exact coordinates of the hideout, he knew for sure that this road leads to the right place. If that day he would have searched a little more aggressively and persistently...
1265
1266“... No, this is a useless assumption.”
1267
1268That day he wouldn’t have been able to find the right way, even if he had been searching until the late night. Even today, he was able to see his goal only because someone else had broken the barrier before. He wouldn’t know the route to the goal if he hadn’t traced backwards, starting from the final destination. For Tatsuya, this barrier was such a complicated and confusing maze.
1269
1270Tatsuya parked Wingless the electric motorcycle on the side of the road and entered the Sea of Trees on foot. From the place where the bike was parked, to Minoru's hideout was about 700 meters in a straight line. Even when walking, it won’t take long. Even if the road is winding, you can get there in less than 10 minutes. It wasn’t the time that bothered him any more, but the fact that along the way it was possible to turn the wrong way at the forks.
1271
1272The Freed Suit created by the Yotsuba family, now worn by Tatsuya, in contrast to the Mobile Suit developed by the Independent Magical Equipped Battalion, wasn’t equipped with the power assistance function. But fewer mechanized parts also made it easier. His total weight was less than 20 kilograms. Such a weight Tatsuya wasn’t a burden even without magical support. He could run at a speed approximately equal to the speed of a regular high school student in running sports.
1273
1274Starting to run slowly, he increased his speed with every step.
1275
1276◊ ◊ “Coming!”
1277
1278Minoru didn’t feel the approach of Tatsuya with “Elemental Sight,” but the sensory function of the barrier 'Sekirei Hachijin.'”
1279
1280At the moment, he and Minami were still in the hideout. Not to ambush and counterattack Tatsuya. The barrier “Sekirei Hachijin" interferes with magical detection and is an array of “Kimon Tonkou", installed in fixed positions. This barrier may no longer prevent Tatsuya's invasion, but inside the barrier, Tatsuya will have a harder time finding them than he would outside the barrier.
1281
1282At that moment, when Tatsuya gets inside the barrier, the “competition" will begin.
1283
1284When Sekirei Hachijin disrupts Tatsuya's “sight,” Kudou Soshi will copy the Eidos of Minami and put the copy on the ginoid, then copy the Eidos of Minoru and cast it on himself. After that, start driving away from the barrier by car. If Tatsuya buys it, Minoru will take Minami with him and run in the opposite direction. And if he doesn’t buy it... then he was ready for a direct confrontation.
1285
1286If he manages to escape from here and get to Odawara, then there will be all the necessary geographical conditions for the use of “Kaso Tonkou*". Kaso Tonkou is the composite magic from Parade and Kimon Tonkou. This improvised spell Minoru concocted today for half a day, and theoretically no one should know this magic except him. Even Tatsuya won’t be able to quickly understand the magic unknown to him.... At least Minoru hoped for it and prayed about it.
1287
1288Although he understood that he, the Parasite, didn’t have a god to whom to pray.
1289
1290[Could not come up with a normal version of the translation of this. The name is formed from the first two characters of the Japanese name Parade and the second two characters of the Japanese name Kimon Tonkou. “Parade Thin" or “Disguise Thin" - all these options sound silly, given the fact that the second word is a transliteration from Japanese, resembling a Russian word.]
1291
1292◊ ◊
1293
1294“... hm?”
1295
1296Tatsuya, who ran with the speed of a middle distance runner, stopped, feeling a weak but sufficient not to ignore, feeling that “something is wrong here." He felt that he had shifted slightly from the desired path, as if his feet were slightly leading him away.
1297
1298“This is the impact of “Kimon Tonkou"...?"
1299
1300“Kimon Tonkou" is magic that distorts the sense of direction. Tatsuya had known this before, but now for the first time he had personally experienced what this “distortion of the sense of direction” is.
1301
1302Perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed it if he rode a motorcycle. And I wouldn’t have known about it if I had fled with magical support. He was able to detect a slight deviation only because he felt the surface of the earth well while running, stepping securely on it with his legs.
1303
1304“It's only because I know where to go?”
1305
1306This time the destination has been strictly defined. He was moving along a winding road, constantly keeping in mind the location of the target, so when the direction shifted, he could understand that it wasn’t his mistake.
1307
1308“Pretty problematic magic...”
1309
1310Tatsuya once again convinced of the effectiveness of this East Asian continental ancient magic “Kimon Tonkou". It would be too difficult for him to overcome this barrier only on his own. Whatever the intentions of the Kudou family, now they only helped him.
1311
1312Tatsuya finally crossed the “Sekirei Hachijin" barrier.
1313
1314◊ ◊ “Come!"
1315
1316Finding out about Tatsuya's invasion, Minoru turned on a short-range directional radio station.
1317
1318“Soshi-niisan, move out, please.” “Understood.”
1319
1320The answer came back in a clearly dissatisfied voice, but Soshi still showed no signs of resistance.
1321
1322The barrier passed the response from the exit of the car outside. With the help of Elemental Sight, Minoru watched as the car followed the course. In the car, he “saw" Soshi, on whom he was imposed (Minoru) Eidos and a female-type android, on which Eidos Minami was superimposed.
1323
1324“Now let's see if Tatsuya-san can be fooled by this!”
1325
1326Although Tatsuya hadn’t yet penetrated the inside of the mansion, Minoru unconsciously held his breath and began to observe Tatsuya's movements reported by the barrier.
1327
1328◊ ◊
1329
1330“What is it!? Minami and Minoru?”
1331
1332Less than a minute has passed since Tatsuya received a response that the “barrier is crossed." Now he suddenly caught the clear signs of Minami and Minoru's presence.
1333
1334He again used “Elemental Sight". Information about Minami and Minoru moving northward at a speed of about 30-40 km / h was displayed in his “field of view".
1335
1336“So, not one road leads to this hideout?”
1337
1338Providing a variety of escape routes during preparation for a likely escape from persecution is common sense. There was nothing surprising in the fact that Minoru fled along a different path when he discovered the approach of Tatsuya.
1339
1340But...
1341
1342“... Where is he going? Besides, so openly?”
1343
1344Tatsuya couldn’t believe his perception, because Minoru behavior seemed unnatural.
1345
1346Although he said “so openly,” Parade acted on the Eidos of Minoru and Minami. Not Lina's spell, namely the “Parade” of the Kudou family. Without data from Fujibayashi, he wouldn’t be able to “see” it so clearly.
1347
1348But it was too clear. He saw them too well. It seemed to Tatsuya that they seemed to flaunt themselves, knowing that they would be “watched.”
1349
1350In addition, the direction of escape also caused doubt. The Minoru Group passed through the Sea of Trees and continued to follow north along the state highway.
1351
1352If they continue in this direction, they will stumble upon Saiko Lake. If from there they turn east, they will follow the central road along Lake Kawaguchi. And if they turn to the west, and then, before reaching Lake Motosu, turn to the north again, they will eventually end up in the city of Kofu. The route leading south of Lake Motosu could be completely excluded. Because in this case they would immediately go south from the Sea of Trees.
1353
1354The question is where will they go next.
1355
1356If east, then they will be in the suburbs of Tokyo. They fall into the territory of the Juumonji family.
1357
1358If to the north, then the Yotsuba family is waiting for them there. The location of the main house of the Yotsuba family - the former Fourth Laboratory - was kept secret from the other Master Clans and the Magic Association. But the Mitsuya, Mutsuzuka, Saegusa and Kudou families knew that this place is somewhere in the region 'from the city of Kofu to the city of Suva.'” Nobody particularly followed the non- disclosure of this information, so the neighboring families of Ichijou, Futatsugi and Juumonji also learned about this.
1359
1360Perhaps Minoru himself didn’t know about it. Or was he going to cross the backyard of the Yotsuba family and continue on to the north?
1361
1362“... But is it really Minami and Minoru?”
1363
1364The more he thought about it, the more he doubted it.
1365
1366“... But I just can’t leave it without attention, I have no other choice.”
1367
1368There were no guarantees that these carriers of Minami and Minoru's Eidos aren’t fakes.
1369
1370“Should I wait for reinforcements?”
1371
1372Instead of training staff, priority was given to rapid response. And it gave the opposite effect. Regret about it filled Tatsuya's thoughts.
1373
1374Experiencing hesitancy with the choices, he nevertheless turned and followed back along the road he came here on.
1375
1376◊ ◊
1377
1378From information received from the barrier, Minoru learned that Tatsuya had come out of Sekirei Hachijin.
1379
1380In general, the disguised road was part of this barrier, but there were only devices to support the illusion. The barrier didn’t have a surveillance function for intruders.
1381
1382Minoru had difficulty restraining in himself the desire to directly verify Tatsuya's movements by sending Elemental Sight at him.
1383
1384If he sends his "sight" to Tatsuya, he will feel it. The same was true for surveillance hardware — cameras, sensors, etc. He will soon notice that a car heading towards Lake Saiko is a dummy.
1385
1386If I leave the hideout to early, Tatsuya will notice this too.
1387
1388However, it was impossible to hide here indefinitely. The bait won't earn too much time.
1389
1390Minoru was sure of that.
1391
1392“... Minami-san, we set off.”
1393
1394“...Good.”
1395
1396About 5 minutes after the response from Tatsuya disappeared from the barrier. Taking Minami with him, Minoru left the hideout.
1397
1398Having passed along a narrow road surrounded by trees, they drove onto a public road leading from north-north-east to south-south-west.
1399
1400Tatsuya wasn’t there.
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406Chapter 11
1407
1408
1409Although the NSU had withdrawn its fleet, it was impossible to say for sure that the military threat had already passed. It will take several weeks for daily life to return to its normal course.
1410
1411Classes at all high schools at the National University of Magic have already resumed, but extracurricular activities were limited to 4:30 pm. Classes in the schools of magic ended at 15:20, so extracurricular activities were reduced to about 1 hour.
1412
1413Of course, First High School was no exception. The school board and the disciplinary committee involved in supervising extra-curricular activities also completed their work before 5 pm
1414
1415Shortly before 4:30 p.m.
1416
1417Erika, Leo, Mizuki and Mikihiko were waiting for individual Cabinets on the platform of the station closest to First High School. Miyuki and Lina now left the school separately from everyone, and left today a little earlier than the rest.
1418
1419Shizuku and Honoka turn came first, they already got into separate cabinets and left. The others now waited for the next Cabinet.
1420
1421“Oh, there she goes.”
1422
1423The individual cabinets didn’t have an arrival schedule, but during the busy hours the next free cabinet appeared within five minutes. This station was mainly used only by students to come to school and go home. At the moment, the peak of the passengers has already passed, and only these four have remained here, but still the next car arrived at the station just five minutes after the departure of Honoka's cabinet.
1424
1425“Ok, I'm next.”
1426
1427Mizuki walked to the opened door. The order in which they sat down, they were strictly defined. Apart from Honoka, who needed to go in the opposite direction, in those days when Miyuki and Tatsuya weren’t with them, their order was this: Shizuku, Mizuki, Erika, Mikihiko, Leo.
1428
1429But today there are also some differences from the usual order.
1430
1431“Miki, take her.”
1432
1433Erika suddenly didn’t just ask, but ordered Mikihiko to escort Mizuki. “Uh!?”
1434
1435“Hurry up. Even if there are no other passengers, your slowness is annoying.” “Well, if she doesn't mind...”
1436
1437Although Erika's demand was completely unreasonable, Mikihiko somehow agreed too quickly. On the contrary, he looked like he wanted to do it.
1438
1439“Um, but... this is somehow wrong.”
1440
1441Mizuki shyly looked at Mikihiko, but even without her confirmation it was obvious that she didn’t like this idea.
1442
1443“No, Mizuki. After all, the danger has not yet passed.” But regardless of Mizuki's opinion, Erika was adamant. “Hurry up.”
1444
1445“Uh-huh...”
1446
1447As a result, Mizuki and Mikihiko surrendered under pressure from Erika and sat in one cabinet.
1448
1449The cabinet with Mizuki and Mikihiko left the platform. Seeing her with her eyes, Leo briefly asked Erika:
1450
1451“... What are you thinking?” “What are you talking about?”
1452
1453Erika answered, not turning her face to Leo.
1454
1455“I’m talking about the reason you told Mikihiko to accompany Mizuki.”
1456
1457“I already told you? Because of the danger.”
1458
1459Erika was still looking in the direction of the retreating cabinet from Mizuki. Leo knitted his brows at such a tense atmosphere.
1460
1461“Yesterday you didn't say anything about any danger. Is something bothering you now?”
1462
1463Erika finally turned to Leo.
1464
1465“... It would be nice if these were vain experiences.”
1466
1467Immediately after these words, the next car arrived at the platform. Erika walked over to him and looked around.
1468
1469“Leo, we’ll go for a bit together.” “Why are you so suddenly?”
1470
1471“If you go, then go. I'll tell you inside.”
1472
1473Erika said and sat in the Cabinet transportation system.
1474
1475Leo nervously scratched his head, after which he crossed the road on a sliding bridge blocking the cabinet from the front, went into the cabinet through the opposite door and sat down on the seat next to Erika.
1476
1477◊ ◊
1478
1479Since Tatsuya sat on the electric motorcycle “Wingless" and began the pursuit, more than 10 minutes have passed.
1480
1481At the entrance to Lake Saiko, Tatsuya saw a car with carriers of Minami's and Minoru's Eidos with the naked eye.
1482
1483Speeding up, he caught up with a riding car on the right side. In the driver seat, he saw the man holding the steering wheel with the face of Minoru. Although persons under the age of 18 may be licensed to drive four-wheeled vehicles under special conditions, Minoru is unlikely to meet these conditions.
1484
1485But now this wasn’t a problem.
1486
1487With the help of psionic waves, he activated the CAD that was built into the suit with full mental control, and considered the activation sequence he derived.
1488
1489The magic output was a Dispersion Spell, specifically tuned for use against Parade. It was a sequence of Decomposition magic corresponding to the Kudou family spell. It will decompose a magic sequence that builds a visible illusion, even if Minoru himself can’t be seen with the naked eye.
1490
1491Tatsuya released magic.
1492
1493Minoru visual noise ran across his face, and the outline of his entire body became blurred.
1494
1495This doesn’t mean that the body of the Minoru image was destroyed.
1496
1497The magic sequence that forms the image of Minoru, having lost its structure of the information body, began to dissipate.
1498
1499After the haze of psionic particles cleared... “Kudou Soshi! Still, it's fake!”
1500
1501Tatsuya didn’t even look at the “something that had the image of Minami” sitting in the passenger seat.
1502
1503Minoru turned out to be a fake. Minami shouldn’t be real either.
1504
1505Tatsuya pressed the brake, deciding to go back to the hideout located in the center of the Sea of Trees.
1506
1507At the same time, Soshi turned the steering wheel to the right.
1508
1509Screeching tires, a large passenger car went on a sharp rapprochement with Tatsuya.
1510
1511From this the car spun.
1512
1513As if knocked down, an electric motorcycle flew off the road. Run by Tatsuya, “Wingless” flew to the side in an arc.
1514
1515But in fact, the bike wasn’t hit by the car.
1516
1517He took off himself, using the magic of flight.
1518
1519Having deployed the flying Wingless motorcycle 180 degrees in the air, Tatsuya brought it back to the road.
1520
1521Then he looked in the rear-view mirror. There he saw that the car had stopped, turning sideways.
1522
1523Further, this car driven by Soshi began to turn around, apparently in order to pursue Tatsuya's motorcycle.
1524
1525Using psionic waves, Tatsuya activated the CAD built into the suit.
1526
1527At the same moment when the magic was activated, two wheels fell off on one side of the car, and that side crashed onto the road with a crash.
1528
1529More this car won’t be able to prevent Tatsuya.
1530
1531But Tatsuya remained vigilant, realizing that instead, Soshi himself could attack him with some kind of magic to hold him.
1532
1533The inclined car without two wheels was getting smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror.
1534
1535Some time had already passed, but Soshi never released any attacking magic.
1536
1537Tatsuya arrived at the hideout Minoru used at about 5:45 pm
1538
1539Before entering the Sea of Trees, he was directly on the move through the suit communicator to inform Hyougo about Soshi. At the moment, one of Hyougo's father's subordinate, Hanabishi Tajima, has already been sent there for insurance.
1540
1541Tatsuya left the bike on the sidelines. But it turned out that this was no longer necessary. Unlike last time, the barrier no longer interfered with him.
1542
1543The barrier itself, distorting the sense of direction, still existed. But its functions are significantly weakened.
1544
1545This could happen due to the lack of a “master” who needs to be hidden. Either that or the mechanism that continuously maintains the magic could weaken due to several barrier breaks.
1546
1547But this isn’t what was needed now. Tatsuya stopped in front of the entrance to this exotic one-story wooden house, and opened the door.
1548
1549Tatsuya's expectation that this house would be completely abandoned turned out to be wrong.
1550
1551Immediately after opening the door, his perception caught subtle signs of presence. These signs of presence were very similar to human, but the life energy in them wasn’t felt. Tatsuya didn’t have the so-called “ability to sense otherworldly phenomena," but it seemed to him that if you collide with a ghost, you will experience just such an impression as it is now.
1552
1553It was impossible to ignore this creature. Tatsuya simply had no other choice.
1554
1555Something like a ghost turned its attention to Tatsuya. Tatsuya realized that it was waiting for him.
1556
1557Now he couldn’t afford the extra battles.
1558
1559And at the same time, he shouldn’t lose sight of the slightest clue.
1560
1561In addition, if the owner of this presence is the enemy, then it will be faster not to wait for him to prepare a trap, but immediately rush over to him.
1562
1563Tatsuya went deep into the mansion, in the direction from which the signs of presence were felt.
1564
1565◊ ◊
1566
1567Honoka returned home around the same time that Tatsuya entered the hideout that Minoru used.
1568
1569She lived alone. Her parents were alive and well, just that since Honoka went to junior school, they were often away from home, almost living at work.
1570
1571Honoka and Shizuku were close friends from a young age, and her mother often let Honoka visit Shizuku's home. And during high school, she always lived in Shizuku home when her parents were absent from work for a long time.
1572
1573The Kitayama couple treated Honoka like Shizuku's sister. In particular, the care of Shizuku's father, Kitayama Ushio, manifested itself in such a way that Honoka began to be ashamed of this when she grew up. Honoka began to live alone when she entered First High School, no doubt, mostly due to the fact that she decided that she couldn’t use the good nature of Shizuku's parents forever.
1574
1575When Honoka finally decided to live in a separate apartment, this caused a slight disagreement.
1576
1577The first thing, Kitayama Ushio said, “I'll buy you an apartment.”
1578
1579When she refused, he offered to arrange for her a luxurious apartment, which he described as follows: “it has a reliable security system, and the management company is in my group of companies.” That is, he tried to “buy” Honoka an apartment not an apartment room, but a whole apartment complex.
1580
1581She refused and from this. “Then at least live in a securely guarded apartment,” said Ushio, and ordered his subordinates to find suitable apartments. They found more than a dozen options.
1582
1583After discussion with her parents, Honoka chose one of these options, and now she lived in this apartment. This apartment had a huge rent and was too spacious for one person to live in. The security system in it, although it wasn’t the latest in technology, but it was enough to protect the girl living alone. This apartment was also conveniently located for visiting the school.
1584
1585Therefore, she had no fear that someone would get there while she wasn’t at home.
1586
1587Besides, even though she was a sorceress, in terms of perception and way of thinking, she, nevertheless, was closer to an ordinary girl. When she came home, she didn’t even think about being wary of suspicious people.
1588
1589From Honoka's blind spot, silently and imperceptibly crept a shadow, and grabbed her from behind.
1590
1591“Kya (umm)...”
1592
1593Her mouth was closed with a rag, and she didn’t have time to cry out distinctly.
1594
1595She didn’t even have time to think about holding her breath, and she inhaled the substance applied on the rag, which deprived her of her freedom of thought.
1596
1597◊ ◊
1598
1599Miyuki, who left school a little earlier than her friends, was already at home and changed into home clothes.
1600
1601She had learned about Tatsuya's absence at home even earlier than the message he had left. There was a desire in her heart to hear his voice, at least through audio communications, but the strong feeling “I shouldn’t bother Onii-sama” somehow held her back.
1602
1603And at that moment Miyuki heard the sound of an incoming call. Miyuki rushed to the desktop terminal in hope.
1604
1605However, the monitor of a small terminal installed on a table in her room didn’t display the name Tatsuya.
1606
1607“Pixie, what happened?”
1608
1609The caller was Pixie, who currently lived in the room of the school board of First High School.
1610
1611“Miyuki-sama.”
1612
1613Tatsuya ordered Pixie in his absence to obey Miyuki's orders. At the moment, Miyuki was considered a temporary mistress for Pixie, but Pixie didn’t call Miyuki a “mistress.” Pixie... more precisely, the Parasite inside Pixie considered only Tatsuya to be her master.
1614
1615She simply followed the orders of Tatsuya, and when the need arose, it was Miyuki who she reported to.
1616
1617“Mitsui-sama was • kidnapped.”
1618
1619The same goes for this emergency alert. “What!?”
1620
1621Miyuki involuntarily switched to a high tone of voice.
1622
1623Miyuki had some experience in falling into various unusual situations, but the abduction of her classmate was completely unexpected for her.
1624
1625In itself, abduction isn’t a rare crime. Their number significantly decreased after the installation of outdoor cameras, but so far there are about 60-80 cases per year. And last year, for example, there was a major incident with the trafficking of people by one large gangster group, and the total number of victims exceeded 200 people.
1626
1627But Miyuki couldn’t even think that her friend would be the victim of these criminals. They lived in a world in which life was far from calm, but at least in their country, public safety wasn’t at a level where life in fear of criminals for people is everyday.
1628
1629“Pixie, do you know what the situation is now?”
1630
1631However, Miyuki quickly regained her composure. Miyuki was born only 17 years and 4 months ago, but her life, to put it mildly, was already filled with all sorts of events. And such a “career" wasn’t an empty boast.
1632
1633“Mitsui-sama • deprived of • freedom • of will • with the help of • narcotic • substance. Two • abductors • removed • her • from the building. At the moment • they
1634
1635•	move • on foot.”
1636
1637The parasite living inside pixie has awakened and got its “personality” based on the
1638
1639“thoughts” of Honoka. Therefore, Pixie and Honoka were spiritually connected. For her part, Honoka couldn’t watch Pixie due to a lack of computational capabilities, but Pixie was able to track the experiences that Honoka was experiencing in real time.
1640
1641Tatsuya ordered Pixie not to spy indiscriminately on Honoka's personal life. Through the “path” connecting Pixie and Honoka, Pixie saw the state of Honoka, even without having the intention to do so. Therefore, Tatsuya imposed on this restriction.
1642
1643But now Honoka was in danger, it was an emergency.
1644
1645Pixie's body was a machine that couldn’t produce psion. Living in Pixie, Parasites couldn’t support their activities without the supply of psions from the outside. And the largest source of psions for Pixie was Honoka.
1646
1647If the activity of the Parasite stops, then it will have a “reset” of the individual. For a living being, such a suspension of activity is tantamount to death.
1648
1649In other words, the security of Honoka was a vital issue for Pixie. In order to ensure the safety of Honoka, Tatsuya allowed Pixie to monitor Honoka's activities to the minimum extent.
1650
1651“Amendment. They • just • got in the car. With the addition of a driver, the number of kidnappers • increases to three.”
1652
1653“Okay. If they try to do any harm to Honoka, stop them with telekinesis.” “Yes, I will. The terms of • lifting the ban on use are • accepted.”
1654
1655“Check the map to see the exact location of Honoka. If you decide that the kidnappers have arrived at their hideout, then let me know about this place.”
1656
1657“Yes, I will.”
1658
1659Miyuki ended the conversation with Pixie and phoned Hanabishi Hyougo, Tatsuya's personal butler.
1660
1661◊ ◊
1662
1663Minoru''s hideout was a one-story house, but this house was quite extensive and had many rooms.
1664
1665Tatsuya temporarily left the house, walked around, made sure that he didn’t have a back entrance, and again entered the front entrance.
1666
1667He didn’t take off his shoes. The floor was clean, but Tatsuya didn’t care that he could get rid of the dirt. For him, this house was the “purpose of the search” and not the “place of residence”
1668
1669Tatsuya spent about five minutes inspecting the mansion outside, but that didn't bother him either. Not because he followed the proverb “you go slower - you will continue", but because this detour has benefited from the knowledge that no one will run away through some secret exit while he is inspecting the house from the inside.
1670
1671The owner of the previously detected signs of presence was found relatively quickly. “Fujibayashi-dono?”
1672
1673In the back of the house, in a room without windows, similar to the pantry, Tatsuya waited for Fujibayashi Nagamasa, head of the famous Fujibayashi family, magicians of ancient magic and “ninjutsu users", the father of lieutenant Fujibayashi Kyouko from the Independent Magical Equipped Battalion. Tatsuya took off his helmet, which he still wore, put it under his arm, and spoke to a creature that looked like Nagamasa.
1674
1675“Shiba-dono. Did you come too?”
1676
1677In the voice of the respondent Nagamasa there was no accusatory tone. “I found an anomaly in the barrier.”
1678
1679But even if Tatsuya was accused, he wouldn’t have experienced any feelings of guilt. “Fujibayashi-dono, are you here for the same reason?”
1680
1681Tatsuya asked in a friendly tone, but his eyes burned with bright fire. “No. I am here according to plan.”
1682
1683The fire in Tatsuya's eyes flared even brighter, while the eyes themselves narrowed to a harsh, sharp look.
1684
1685“Does this mean that from the very beginning you were planning to deal with it without me?”
1686
1687Out of Tatsuya manner of speech, respect for the elder is lost. However, Nagamasa showed no concern about this.
1688
1689“Sort out...? Hmm, in a sense, this is the correct expression. I came here to deal with the situation that led to this mess.”
1690
1691“Your goal isn’t to grab Minoru, but let him escape?”
1692
1693Tatsuya asked a question not directly related to the words Nagamasa.
1694
1695“It was our Fujibayashi family who transferred the spell to the former Ninth Lab, which later became the basis of Parade.”
1696
1697Nagamasa also spoke on a topic not related to Tatsuya's question.
1698
1699“The indisputable fact is that it is based on the “Matoi” spell created by Kokonoe predecessor, however it is the “Shadow Twin” of the Fujibayashi family that connects it with modern magic. We also transferred many other techniques to the former Ninth Laboratory.”
1700
1701“So what? I have no desire to listen to these complaints.” Tatsuya listened to everything his opponent said.
1702
1703“This is in no way a complaint. We don’t cling to coarse benefits like traditionalists.” “You want to say that you have such a lofty goal as the search for truth?”
1704
1705In the voice of Tatsuya, there were weak signs of ridicule. “The search for truth. Exactly.”
1706
1707But Nagamasa agreed, becoming absolutely serious.
1708
1709“Shiba-dono. Do you know what the art of shinobi is for?” “I don’t know.”
1710
1711Dry and briefly answered Tatsuya. The thought was read in his voice: “I didn’t come here to answer questions."
1712
1713“In an era when electronic equipment wasn’t yet invented, the art of shinobi was a technique for intelligence and murder. Spies and killers were both shinobi using ninjutsu and not using it. And they didn’t do anything else.”
1714
1715“Even if they were unhappy about it?”
1716
1717“The shinobi who lived at that time may have been pleased with such a life. Despite their attitude to them, their skills were considered important and necessary.”
1718
1719“The art of “ninjutsu" is of great importance in our time.”
1720
1721“Do you really think so? With the spread of electronic equipment, the number of places where shinobi can actively operate has significantly decreased. And with the development of modern magic, capable of activating quickly and reliably, the “ninjutsu" was forced out even from the sphere of intelligence.”
1722
1723“Ancient magic is excellent for surprise attacks, so it still plays an active role in the killings.”
1724
1725“We wouldn’t be able to live a normal life if we were only killers.” “If you aren’t here to gain time, then say what you are driving at.”
1726
1727In response to this demand, Tatsuya, voiced with undisguised irritation, Nagamasa didn’t make a disgruntled face, but only nodded, saying “good."
1728
1729“According to its usefulness, “ninjutsu” can’t defeat modern magic. Useless technology is considered obsolete, and their fate - to disappear without a trace. Before this happens, we will incorporate “ninjutsu" into modern magic, developing it into a technology that meets modern needs. Our predecessor believed that it was the duty of our Fujibayashi family as followers of the supreme shinobi of the Iga clan.
1730
1731The development of the “ninjutsu". That is our goal.”
1732
1733“And how is all this related to Minoru?”
1734
1735“Kudou Minoru is a completed form of the “nine” magicians, whose goal was to create new techniques by introducing ancient magic into modern magic. At the same time, he is a member of the Fujibayashi family, possessing secret knowledge in modern magic. We can’t allow him to fall into the hands of the Ten Master Clans or the self-defense forces.”
1736
1737“But Minoru shouldn’t have a direct relationship with the Fujibayashi family.” “For shinobi blood connection isn’t important.”
1738
1739In his own words, Tatsuya didn’t try to convince Nagamasa. He was just trying to extract useful information from him. Hearing the answer, Tatsuya decided that further attempts would be hopeless, after which he turned his back on Nagamasa and walked away.
1740
1741He wasn’t careful to attack from the back. From the very beginning, Tatsuya saw that Nagamasa didn’t have a physical body, and therefore couldn’t attack him.
1742
1743The image of Nagamasa, left behind Tatsuya, dissolved into air. As Tatsuya assumed, there was no attack from behind.
1744
1745Tatsuya surprised round his eyes, quickly put on his helmet and ran to the entrance to the house.
1746
1747But then the sound of an explosion was heard and his way was blocked by intense fire.
1748
1749◊ ◊
1750
17516 o'clock in the evening is the time when dusk is coming soon. Although the summer solstice was quite recent, and the days were still long, but now the illumination was bad due to the fact that the sky was covered with clouds.
1752
1753“Perhaps it will rain heavily.”
1754
1755“If you want, take an umbrella from my house.”
1756
1757Mizuki and Mikihiko talked as they walked side by side along the road leading to Mizuki's house and along the riverbank.
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763“Or you can wait at my house. Father isn’t supposed to be home yet.”
1764
1765Said Mizuki and giggled involuntarily. It wasn’t for the first time that Mikihiko accompanied Mizuki to the house, and had already managed to “get to know” her parents.
1766
1767The attitude of Mizuki's father to Mikihiko at that time was rather severe. Mizuki's mother then even reproached him for his “childishness.” Mikihiko treated this with understanding. “Shibata-san is a girl, so this is a father's natural behavior,” he thought with a wry smile. However, he couldn’t deny that this incident left him with the realization that it would be difficult for him to cope with this again.
1768
1769“N-no, it's too late. I'll just take you to the entrance of your home.” “Okay.”
1770
1771Mizuki appeared regretful, but she immediately smiled again.
1772
1773Mikihiko froze for a moment at Mizuki's smile. However, he quickly came to his senses and smiled shyly in response.
1774
1775Creating a delicate atmosphere around them, causing embarrassment to passersby, Mizuki and Mikihiko walked along the pier.
1776
1777And this “good mood” was spoiled not by Mizuki's mother or her father, who returned home earlier than he should have, but three men, radiating an ominous aura.
1778
1779The people around them just idly strolled and chatted with each other, and these three purposefully approached them. Mizuki and Mikihiko simultaneously changed their faces and stopped.
1780
1781Despite the sinister feeling, these men looked quite normal. In appearance, their age was from 30 to 45 years. They didn’t emanate a feeling of rudeness. On the contrary. It was the feeling of some subtle, subtle deception.
1782
1783Mikihiko noticed the abnormality of these people in the disguise they were wearing, and Mizuki, without even taking off her glasses, saw an aura of the color that usually means trouble. All three men showed admiration for the reaction of Mikihiko, who instantly stood in a fighting stance, and Mizuki, who was hiding behind his back.
1784
1785One of the men suddenly flew forward. Not “jumped", but “flew".
1786
1787To avoid this, Mikihiko hastily bounced to the edge of the road, lightly hitting Mizuki with his back. Mizuki reeled, and Mikihiko held her with one hand. When he looked up, he saw that the man had blocked the way to the station.
1788
1789It was such a quick action that he didn’t even notice how the activation sequence was deployed. From this, Mikihiko already realized that these three were strong and dangerous magicians. Mizuki, too, intuitively sensed their danger.
1790
1791Two in front, one in back. Squeezed in pincers, Mikihiko turned to them sideways, his back to the river. He covered his back with Mizuki.
1792
1793“What do you want?”
1794
1795Two to the right, one to the left. Behind the river, in front of the wasteland. Mikihiko turned to the two men on the right, who blocked the path to the side of Mizuki's house. He didn’t expect to get an answer or start a conversation. They weren't somewhere in the highlands, distant from civilization, but right in a residential area, albeit at its very edge. He spoke in order to gain time, in the hope that passersby would call the police.
1796
1797However, the men didn’t answer.
1798
1799Mikihiko swung his left hand sharply down.
1800
1801And with the same hand it caught a metal fan that had flown out of his sleeve.
1802
1803Slightly opening this unique CAD with one hand, Mikihiko pressed the right index finger on one of the metal strips which the fan consisted of.
1804
1805The wind began to spin around Mikihiko and Mizuki. This vortex wind isolated them from the wind that had flown on the left side of Mikihiko, which had some kind of aerosol impurity.
1806
1807In reality, this admixture was a spray drug that paralyzed the victim's free will.
1808
1809The magic that had isolated them from the attack of the suspicious men, Mikihiko, released instinctively.
1810
1811The men's faces changed. Carefree faces expressing the thought that “they aren’t rivals to us” have changed into the facial expressions of people ready for battle.
1812
1813“Who are you!?”
1814
1815Mikihiko didn’t know everything about this attack, down to the ingredients of a narcotic substance. Although, the fact remained - they were attacked. It was an obvious malice, so Mikihiko called out to the opponents in a stern voice.
1816
1817His cry was made reflexively. He didn’t expect to receive an answer. But contrary to expectations...
1818
1819“Horsehead.”
1820
1821The question of Mikihiko was answered by the man on the left, who had earlier released the magic that had created the poisoned wind.
1822
1823“Horsehead?”
1824
1825Mikihiko had no idea what that name meant. This question captured his mind, and his concentration on the enemies weakened.
1826
1827In other words, it created a gap in his defense.
1828
1829The enemy on the right threw a thick needle. More precisely, it was a thin sharpened wooden stake.
1830
1831This stake, to which the magic of motion gave speed and penetrating power, Mikihiko shot down with his right hand.
1832
1833He wasn’t injured. Through a gap in the torn fabric of the sleeve of his school uniform, one could notice that his right hand was shimmering with a dull glossy sheen.
1834
1835Defensive magic covering the skin with the “Element of Metal" from the system of the Five Elements. If you look only at the effect, then this form of ancient magic was similar to the strengthening magic in which Leo was good at using, however, they differed in the principle of action.
1836
1837“It's good that I learned this...!”
1838
1839Mikihiko learned this “gold armor technique" from his father last month. When at the end of May, Mikihiko joined the battle with a detachment of self-defense forces led by Toyama (Tooyama) Tsukasa, he felt the need for melee techniques. He turned to his father for advice and as a result received this magic. It was possible to say that his sense of danger worked here, despite the fact that this situation was different from the intended one.
1840
1841The enemy attacks didn’t end there. On the contrary, the throw of a stake, it seems, was only for distraction.
1842
1843The man, who was standing next to the one who threw the stake, rushed forward, approaching 10 meters in 2 steps, and waved his right hand diagonally from bottom left to top to right.
1844
1845Everything looked as if in his right hand there was only a dagger handle. But Mikihiko wasn’t fooled by this.
1846
1847He stumbled back, his right hand out before him. A thin, barely noticeable cut appeared on the sleeve.
1848
1849“Glass Dagger!?"
1850
1851The hand, peeking through the slits on the sleeve, stopped shining with gloss and returned to his original skin color.
1852
1853The golden armor technique could cover only one part of the body at a time. Another disadvantage was the short duration it could be used. And for it to be re-used took some time.
1854
1855Of course, Mikihiko didn’t forget about it. The next magic, prepared in advance in anticipation of the completion of the action of the technique of armor, he activated immediately after receiving a blow with a glass blade.
1856
1857“Sorry!”
1858
1859That's all he could say now. Without waiting for Mizuki answer, he suddenly pulled her close to him, clasping her waist.
1860
1861Mizuki froze. And didn’t answer. No, she didn’t have time to scream. Mikihiko's magic activated.
1862
1863The air mass, located between Mikihiko and the man waving a glass blade - a member of The Horsehead detachment named Henry Fu - suddenly exploded.
1864
1865A gust of wind struck not only Henry, but also Mikihiko.
1866
1867As if riding this wind, Mikihiko jumped while still holding Mizuki.
1868
1869Jumping over the restrictive fence, he jumped off the embankment right into the river.
1870
1871Although it was called a river, in reality it was rather an “artificial channel.” It was narrow and not deep, and its course was weak.
1872
1873With the help of magic activated in the jump, he briefly managed to resist on the surface of the water, but the next moment he plunged knee-deep into the water.
1874
1875“Shibata-san, I'm sorry. Be patient a little more.”
1876
1877Again apologized Mikihiko. As he spoke, his fingers moved, preparing a new magic. “Don't worry about it.... Yoshida-kun!”
1878
1879From the mouth of Mizuki a warning came out in the form of a cry.
1880
1881But even without it, Mikihiko had already noticed that the Horsehead was chasing them.
1882
1883The grass on the shore swallowed up the lightning that had attacked them.
1884
1885Lightning was created by the magic of the release system released by Iggy Ho - a member of the Horsehead squad. Also, Mikihiko defended himself against it with the help of modern magic “Lightning Relay". Mikihiko's CAD outwardly looks like it was intended for ancient magic, but their were also activation sequences of modern magic written into it.
1886
1887Leaving Iggy on the shore, the other two jumped into the river. Upstream was Gabe
1888
1889Shu, who had previously released a cloud with a narcotic substance. Down the river Henry Fu got up - the one who was swinging a glass bladed dagger.
1890
1891Such a change in the situation wasn’t much of an improvement.
1892
1893◊ ◊
1894
1895The raging flames attacked Tatsuya, penetrating deep into the mansion, which Minoru used as a hideout. The fire spell was activated outside the building by Fujibayashi Nagamasa.
1896
1897Tatsuya initially could only use the magic of “Decomposition" and “Restoration." The magic activated by the artificial magic calculation zone added to it had a very low power of interfering with the phenomenon, so it couldn’t cover the whole house to put out the fire. “Mist Dispersion", decomposing substances to the level of chemical elements, he also couldn’t eliminate “combustible substances", because they will be decomposed into “combustible elements", which, in turn, can be more combustible, up to explosive combustion.
1898
1899Relying on the heat resistance function of the “Freed Suit,” Tatsuya ran straight through the fire.
1900
1901When Tatsuya ran out of the mansion engulfed in fire, a hail of shuriken came at him. There were twenty of them.
1902
1903Shurikens flew from four different directions, and with different time intervals. Tatsuya dodged them, flying into the air.
1904
1905Hanging in the air, he found the silhouettes of the enemy.
1906
1907Opponents with the appearance of Fujibayashi Nagamasa stood in all four directions. Tatsuya frowned.
1908
1909But besides this, there were no more delays on his part. Tatsuya's magic pierced four human silhouettes.
1910
1911And it wasn't “Decomposition."
1912
1913A “Psionic armor-piercing projectile." Non-systemic magic, firing a compressed psionic mass. This magic, developed under the leadership of Yakumo, existed both in the form (variety) of the projectile's flight in usual space (physical dimension) and in the form of its movement along the information dimension. Now Tatsuya used a variety with flying in the usual space.
1914
1915The distance between them was about 20 meters. Having overcome this distance in less than half a second, four psion bullets penetrated four human silhouettes.
1916
1917Four of the Nagamasa's simultaneously disappeared. “All four were illusions... Is this “Twins”?”
1918
1919Tatsuya muttered to himself, dodging the hail of stones that fell at him from behind.
1920
1921The fact that Nagamasa is using a Double, Tatsuya noticed during a conversation with him in the mansion. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised.
1922
1923“Although it looks like Parade, but this is something completely different...” Such a bitter thought came to Tatsuya when he came down to earth.
1924
1925The “Double" Nagamasa (or as he called it himself - “The Shadow Double") was different from both Minoru's and Lina's spells. Perhaps he doesn’t have enough power to fool “Elemental Sight."
1926
1927However, this magic made it possible to simultaneously create several doubles capable of functioning as batteries for invoking magic. But the most problematic was that the connection with the real body was cut off.
1928
1929“This isn't a transformed object. Maybe... this is “Shikigami” from the magic of spirits?”
1930
1931He didn’t know how it works, but he thought that an image is created from the independent information body of the “shadow” and the operator controls the magic from afar, hiding behind the projections.
1932
1933“If you apply reverse tracking to the information close to the exit point of the magic sequence, then you can find out the location of the real body, but...”
1934
1935“... It will be so simple," thought Tatsuya, destroying the next double that appeared behind him.
1936
1937To test this, he directed his “sight" to the source, who shot the stones with the help of speed magic. But there was no one there. When you “chase” for information, if it just moved, then a real body could be tracked. But in this case, it seems, information continuity was cut off using some kind of invisibility technique. Tatsuya remembered that Yakumo demonstrated possession of a similar technique.
1938
1939It won’t be possible to track the target through the information dimension, if you don’t catch the necessary information directly during the activation of magic. Also, Nagamasa only used magic at the same time as the shots with shuriken or stones, disabling the remote control immediately after the shot.
1940
1941Consequently, this battle turned into a guessing game, when and where the next magic will be launched. And Tatsuya at the moment was in the role of a laggard.
1942
1943While he spends time and effort here, Minoru continues to run away.
1944
1945Tatsuya was forced to fight not only with Nagamasa, but also with haste in his thoughts.
1946
1947◊ ◊
1948
1949Stakes and lightning bolts flew from the shore. From the top downstream, the wind blew with drops of narcotic substance. The blade was coming from his backside.
1950
1951Mikihiko repelled the attacks of all three members of the Horsehead squad, by directing water from the river.
1952
1953Stakes simply beat off with water balls.
1954
1955Against lightning, he created a veil of thick fog.
1956
1957Against the narcotic wind, it was defended by a wall of “reverse waterfall" - when water rushes upwards.
1958
1959Against the enemy attacking with a glass dagger, he defended himself with a water whip, divided into 8 parts.
1960
1961However, to repel long-range attacks and to prevent the enemy from reaching the melee range, Mikihiko spent all his strength, so he wasn’t able to counterattack.
1962
1963Behind him, Mizuki barely held back a shiver. Although it was now midsummer, it was already evening, and the river, although shallow, had a current. If you stand knee-deep in water for a long time, you can freeze. Mikihiko understood this, so his impatience increased too much.
1964
1965“... No, that won't do. Stop being nervous, Mikihiko. Impatience is absolutely forbidden.”
1966
1967But is it better to risk everything to escape? Struggling to tempt himself to do so, Mikihiko mentally scolded himself.
1968
1969At the moment, Mizuki received no damage, except for a small loss of temperature from the river water. Although this was precisely because of Mikihiko's protection. He himself was well aware of this.
1970
1971... If you hurry now, then all efforts will be wasted. Mikihiko turned to himself.
1972
1973... It's not just a coincidence that we were attacked here.
1974
1975... On this road, Shibata-san goes to school.
1976
1977... Their goal isn't me, but Shibata-san.
1978
1979With such thoughts, despite the nervous exhaustion, he could continue the battle, completely gone on the defensive.
1980
1981Mikihiko's patience was rewarded with the arrival of reinforcements.
1982
1983From the shore there was a loud noise from an impact. This sound was as if struck by a thin metal stick on a strong wood.
1984
1985“KH! Chiba swordswoman, you! Why are you here!?”
1986
1987Immediately afterwards, I heard Iggy Ho bewildered cry out. “You want me to answer that?”
1988
1989The voice of the respondent belonged, of course, to Erika. “Mikihiko! Mizuki! Are you okay!?”
1990
1991Then they were hailed by another voice, coming from the station, from a place a little behind Erika.
1992
1993“Leo!?”
1994
1995Even before Mikihiko had time to answer, a large human figure jumped from the embankment.
1996
1997Leo landed in the river with big splashes. “I take it upon myself!”
1998
1999He pointed to the assassin from the Horsehead squad named Henry Fu, frozen in surprise by this spectacular appearance of reinforcements.
2000
2001“Watch out! He has a dagger made of glass!” “Yeah!”
2002
2003Leo enthusiastically bellowed and pounced on Henry, who had already recovered from the shock and stood up.
2004
2005He didn’t scream “Panzer!” like usual. Because right now Leo used the CAD with mental control, received from Ernst Rosen last summer. Intense psionic light enveloped Leo without the usual cry, and he attacked the dagger.
2006
2007Now, except for Mizuki, the battle turned into a format of three against three. Mikihiko turned to his enemy, Gabe Shu.
2008
2009◊ ◊
2010
2011During the course of the battle with the Nagamasa doubles, Tatsuya was lured from the courtyard of the hideout into the Sea of Trees.
2012
2013Despite the name “Sea of Trees", this forest wasn’t so thick that it was impossible to move between the trees. Even an ordinary person (non-magician) didn’t worry that he would get stuck here if he turned off the road.
2014
2015But the fact that trees made movement difficult was an indisputable fact. People who aren’t accustomed to acting in the forest won’t be able to fight here at a decent level. A three-dimensional spatial maneuvering with the help of a flying suit was completely excluded.
2016
2017Perhaps for Fujibayashi Nagamasa, this was unexpected, but Tatsuya didn’t have any difficulty moving among these obstacles. He is accustomed to act on the basis of the information received from “Elemental Sight", replacing him with visual information from ordinary eyes. He also reached a level where he didn’t experience inconvenience when working even with non-visual information received from electronic devices, instead of information obtained from magic.
2018
2019In addition, the possible firing angles were limited to trees, so the location of the batteries of Nagamasa's magic was easy to read.
2020
2021Visible light, infrared rays and radio waves are blocked by trees, so searching with the naked eye or detecting a suit by sensors was more difficult than under normal conditions.
2022
2023Using “Elemental Sight" to determine the coordinates is much easier. At the time of activation of magic, the magician and the source of activation are connected informationally. If it is the same as before - shooting shurikens or stones, and if we can accurately predict the moment of its appearance, then we can say in advance that the reverse tracking will be successful.
2024
2025The Double appeared in the shade of the tree.
2026
2027But Tatsuya turned his “gaze" back to his backside. The front attack wasn’t followed.
2028
2029Shuriken flew back to the right.
2030
2031Before he could even make a step for evasion, the connection with the exorcist was already broken. Signs of activation of magic began to emanate from the Twin in front.
2032
2033“No, this one doesn't fit."
2034
2035Shooting a psion bullet, he destroyed the Double.
2036
2037The fact is that the Double, who stood in front, tried to activate camouflage magic with a delayed activation.
2038
2039Signs of activation of magic appeared from behind. “Attack by non-lethal sound waves."
2040
2041Looking back, he counterattacked the Psion Projectile with Armor. “Survived?"
2042
2043The twin didn’t disappear.
2044
2045Sound waves with a frequency close to the upper limit of a person''s hearing have come down on Tatsuya.
2046
2047However, Tatsuya's helmet automatically blocked sound waves that cause discomfort and interfere with mental concentration.
2048
2049If you look only at the direct impact, it was a meaningless attack. Tatsuya squeezed psions 3 times stronger than during the last attack. Counter-Magic Spell / Gram Demolition.
2050
2051A powerful stream of psions blew double.
2052
2053Immediately after that, a chain tied around Tatsuya's legs.
2054
2055That senseless attack turned out to be a distraction. Sparks and lightning fell from the chain.
2056
2057However, the next moment the chain disappeared.
2058
2059The damage to the costume and the wounds under the costume also disappeared. Something shook in the shadows of the trees.
2060
2061Tatsuya turned his gaze under his helmet toward this shaking. To the left of Tatsuya a new Double appeared.
2062
2063This Double tried to shoot stones shrouded in fire. Tatsuya's “sight” grabbed onto this “image."
2064
2065Tatsuya read the Double's information while he was connected to the real body.
2066
2067From information about the current moment to information about what was a moment ago.
2068
2069And even further. More for a moment in the past. Rewind back.
2070
2071Rewind back.
2072
2073Revealing the “past", hidden behind the “present" in the history of changing information, Tatsuya released his power.
2074
2075Local “Decomposition". Magic, piercing thin holes in the human body.
2076
2077Tatsuya heard the sound of a man falling who had both knees broken. This sound came from the shadows of the trees about 10 meters away.
2078
2079◊ ◊
2080
2081On the embankment leading to Mizuki's home, Erika entered into close combat with Iggy Ho, a member of the Illegal MAP Horsehead unit.
2082
2083Erika's weapon was a telescopic baton with integrated CAD. Iggy Ho's weapon was some kind of wire.
2084
2085“You’re pretty good at handling this homemade thing. You must be a good master.” Erika spoke with a mocking tone during their exchange of blows.
2086
2087Iggy only continued to look for Erika's weak points with his stern look.
2088
2089The weapon he used was a twisted, thick wire, the tip of which was sharpened with a file. A wooden stick was attached to it, which played the role of a handle. This weapon was used almost like a rapier.
2090
2091The Horsehead squad entered the country by plane under the guise of ordinary passengers, so they couldn't bring any weapons with them. And it's not just about the current moment. For them, making weapons on site from readily available materials was commonplace. The wooden stakes he threw at Mikihiko were also made from sawed logs. A glass blade, for example, was cut from ordinary window glass. To do this, they even mastered the special magic that helps with the processing of materials.
2092
2093Also, in order to compensate for the lack of strength of materials, magic was used not only during processing, but also when using the weapons. They make weapons from any available materials. Use as a weapon everything that comes to hand. Perform the assigned task of murder or sabotage, without receiving support from their country.
2094
2095That was the style of the Illegal MAP.
2096
2097Thanks to Iggy Ho's magic, the wire thin sword he used looked even more durable and flexible than a real rapier (at least outwardly). But it was only the effectiveness of the weapon itself. After all, martial arts skill is another conversation.
2098
2099In the skill of handling weapons, imitating the foil, Iggy was far from weak. His practical fencing techniques were high.
2100
2101However, if we talk about the techniques of the sword, then Erika was a step, or even 2-3 steps higher. The duel wasn’t yet completed just because Erika was wary of the possibility that Iggy might have something “stashed in his sleeve.”
2102
2103But in reality, in order for the wire sword to withstand the attacks of Erika, Iggy Ho was forced to maintain his strength and flexibility with magic, so he had no time for other magic.
2104
2105Erika intuitively guessed this, and went at Iggy with a continuous attack with an emphasis on speed. Her fighting style wasn't in the tactic of “hit-run” using self- acceleration magic, but in not giving the enemy extra time to take a breather, moving around in an arc, keeping distance.
2106
2107And now Erika is finally convinced that the enemy has no magic attacks.
2108
2109Iggy Ho moved horizontally with his wire sword. This sword had only a pointed tip, so it wasn't a cutting attack, but an attack with a strong and flexible wire like a whip.
2110
2111Erika dodged this attack, bouncing back. For the first time in this fight, she retreated from her template, and increased the distance.
2112
2113Without losing a second, Iggy Ho extended his left hand to his belt. These three members of the Head of Horse squad had CAD's not on their wrists, but on their belts.
2114
2115Erika didn’t know that her opponent was trying to control a CAD. She was just looking for an opportunity to attack.
2116
2117So, with the enemy's action, she saw a chance. She was ready to use it. Self-acceleration magic activated.
2118
2119Erika went on a rapprochement with Iggy at a speed that the human eye can’t follow.
2120
2121Iggy Ho hastily stopped managing his CAD and put the wire sword out in front of himself, supporting it with his left hand.
2122
2123Erika's baton lightly struck the wire sword.
2124
2125This unexpectedly too weak of a recoil slightly puzzled Iggy Ho.
2126
2127The murderer from the detachment Horsehead fell into a stupor for about half a second.
2128
2129While Iggy's consciousness was turned off, Erika managed to go behind him. He had no time to turn around.
2130
2131Hoping for intuition, he bowed his head with all his might.
2132
2133Erika's baton, aiming at the head, hit Iggy Ho in the left shoulder. In a place close to the base of the neck.
2134
2135Common sense said that the battle was over. However, Erika, without losing her watchfulness, immediately swung again.
2136
2137But here she was in for a surprise.
2138
2139The enemy with a bent neck, and turned his back to her, committed a self-explosion.
2140
2141From the back of Iggy Ho it broke out and began to spread in all directions a powerful stream of smoke.
2142
2143Despite the fact that it was a self-explosion, it wasn’t a suicide. “Smoke screen!?”
2144
2145As Erika said, Iggy Ho set up a smoke screen using special explosives mounted on the inside of his jacket.
2146
2147But despite the reduced power and temperature, the explosives remain explosives. When an explosion occurs under clothing, you don't end up without injuries.
2148
2149However, Iggy Ho moved on to his next action with such speed that he felt no pain at all.
2150
2151“Hey, stop!”
2152
2153Erika voice rang out, surrounded by a smoke screen. Even through the smoke, she was able to detect that the enemy had begun to move quickly away.
2154
2155Illegal MAP is an illegal sabotage squad. Members of this detachment must have a high level of combat abilities. But it was much more important not to fall into the hands of the enemy.
2156
2157With modern technology, it is possible to extract information from the brain of the dead. Simple suicide won’t be enough to preserve secrecy. Therefore, the ability to escape at any cost is especially desirable for illegal agents.
2158
2159Erika didn’t pursue Iggy. She immediately closed her eyes so as not to damage them. It wasn’t known what substance could be mixed into the smoke to cause any effects other than blocking the view. There was also a chance that she had already undergone some subtle paralytic exposure.
2160
2161With a careless pursuit it was possible to run into a counterattack. In addition, the goal of Erika and Leo, who rushed here, was to help Mizuki and Mikihiko. Fighting the remaining enemies was a priority over the pursuit of fleeing enemies.
2162
2163Erika leaned over the restrictive fence. There, in the river, Leo and Mikihiko still had to fight. Erika wanted to intervene in their battles, but looking down, she felt frustrated.
2164
2165The battle of Leo and Henry Fu was rather not a close fight, but a simple fist fight.
2166
2167Henry's dagger, though it was made from the most ordinary glass, was strengthened by magic. However, after the first collision with Leo's fist, reinforced with the magic of the same type, it broke into shards.
2168
2169Moving from a voice recognition system to a thought management system, Leo stopped wearing a protective glove with integrated CAD. Instead, he began to wear gloves with open fingers, reinforced in the area of fists, on both hands. He didn’t wear these gloves constantly, but just in case always kept them with him.
2170
2171It was the magic-strengthened fist part of his glove that broke the glass blade.
2172
2173The blade, strengthened by the magic of Henry Fu, was broken by the fist reinforced by magic. This meant only one thing: Leo's magic surpassed Henry's magic.
2174
2175Moreover, Henry Fu's face hardened by the crazy power of Leo, who didn’t grab the blade from both sides, but simply struck him with a direct blow.
2176
2177However, if he continued to stand in a daze, he would not be suitable even for serving as the simplest soldier, not to mention being an illegal agent. Henry threw the handle from the dagger at Leo to gain time, jumped back, despite the poor foothold in the form of a river, knee-deep, and tore off the left sleeve of his jacket with his right hand.
2178
2179On the left wrist, under this long-sleeved jacket, worn despite the middle of summer, wasn’t a CAD, but two thin weighted bracelets, the load for which was made of iron sand.
2180
2181Henry took off his weighted bracelets with his right hand. “Hah! Yes, you mean you wanted to give me a head start?”
2182
2183Not reacting to Leo's mocking saying, Henry wrapped the bracelets around his fists, partly with the load out.
2184
2185In fact, Leo didn’t believe that the enemy succumbed to him. He quickly realized why Henry had transferred the weight of the bracelets from his left wrist to both of his fists.
2186
2187It was a kind of replacement for gloves, which not only protected the fists, but also added power to the punches.
2188
2189Leo rushed to Henry at the same moment, that he understood it. When Leo managed to take just one step, Henry rushed to meet him. In the battle, Leo and Henry fought using fighting skills.
2190
2191Leo with his fists hard as steel.
2192
2193Henry with fists covered with a cushion of iron sand.
2194
2195From a direct strike with Leo's right hand, Henry dodged, tilting his head. Henry's right hook, aimed at the hull, Leo blocked with his left hand.
2196
2197This marked the beginning of the exchange of blows.
2198
2199Henry Fu only evaded Leo's direct blows, skipping the slips.
2200
2201Leo defended himself only from the dangerous blows of Henry, missing minor ones.
2202
2203Both soon lost the ability to use magic.
2204
2205The action of the strengthening magic of Leo stopped.
2206
2207It seems that after interrupting the magic of strengthening the dagger, Henry Fu also used a little magic to support his melee combat, but it also stopped.
2208
2209As magicians, these two were forced to continue the fight as ordinary fighters, only their physical abilities.
2210
2211Leo broke into a smile.
2212
2213And Henry's face was distorted, as if from torment.
2214
2215For Henry Fu, a member of the Illegal MAP Horsehead unit (and indeed for any killer or saboteur), such a direct clash was highly undesirable. Even in situations where it is impossible to avoid one-on-one melee combat, a direct clash usually doesn’t occur.
2216
2217If they were now on a good road surface, it would have been possible to gain distance by maneuvering their legs, pretending to run away, and then counterattack the pursuing enemy. In this case, it would be possible to use techniques to avoid direct collision.
2218
2219But here, in the river, they stood in water that was deep down to the middle of the calf. The state of the river bottom also didn’t lend aid to rapid movement. If in such a place to use the technique of moving the legs as in a box, then you can easily stumble and open for the enemy a gap in your defense.
2220
2221Continuing the fist fight with Leo, Henry Fu decided that this mission failed. Before the situation worsened even more, it was necessary to take a position suitable for evacuation.
2222
2223However, he couldn’t single-handedly make a decision to retreat. Henry thought about it, continuing to shower Leo with short, weak strokes. In the Horsehead detachment, he tried more than others to adhere to military discipline.
2224
2225They were divided. If all three could evacuate simultaneously, then there would be no problems. But if, with the cut off connection, at least one escapes, then the position of the remaining two will fall into a disadvantage, while finding themselves in the minority.
2226
2227The contempt for the fact that the opponents are only schoolchildren has disappeared from Henry. They turned out to be opponents who couldn’t be defeated in the format of three against four (more precisely, three against three). If they are even more disadvantaged in numbers, they may not even be able to escape.
2228
2229We must somehow convey to the rest the signal for evacuation... It happened at the same time that Henry Fu thought about it.
2230
2231From the embankment came the faint sound of an explosion.
2232
2233Henry grabbed one of Leo's fists after his lunge, and took advantage of his time to look up.
2234
2235“This is a smoke screen! Iggy lost and ran away!?"
2236
2237Seeing the black smoke flowing down from the edge of the road, Henry Fu immediately realized what had happened.
2238
2239At the same time, he had a strong sense of danger.
2240
2241The student in front of him not only mastered magic techniques, but also possessed physical strength and endurance at the level of navy seals or green berets.... Someone like Henry appreciated Leo. He delivered a lot of trouble, and it was impossible to cope with him without magic.
2242
2243And if the “Chiba swordswoman” connects here, which was given special attention during the preliminary investigation, then the simple “impossible to cope with” will no longer be an excuse. The idea of the worst outcome flashed through Henry Fu's head. The “worst” outcome for members of the Illegal MAP wasn’t death. But, falling into the hands of the enemy, with further disclosure of their origin and details of their mission.
2244
2245Leo threw Henry clutching at him.
2246
2247Henry recoiled and backed away about 2-3 steps back along the bottom of the river.
2248
2249Leo followed Henry, who caused a strong splash on the surface of the water. “Gabe! Retreat!”
2250
2251Without taking his eyes off Leo looming in front, Henry Fu shouted loudly to his comrade, who was upstream.
2252
2253But this sudden withdrawal statement didn’t stop Leo's rush. “Want to escape!?”
2254
2255He was not confused, but, on the contrary, became more serious.
2256
2257Almost catching up with Henry Fu, taking the next step in the immediate vicinity of him, Leo lightly plunged into the water.
2258
2259Stomping, he pushed through a deep hole in the bottom of the river.
2260
2261Using this pit as a foothold, Leo pushed off with his whole body and made a powerful lunge with his fist.
2262
2263It was an uppercut aimed at the torso that could cause damage to internal organs.
2264
2265Shortly before, Leo caught a glimpse of Henry Fu's arm reaching for his CAD, but he still hit him in the stomach.
2266
2267The body of Henry Fu, was hit with a fist by Leo, and soared into the air with serious acceleration.
2268
2269“What...?”
2270
2271Leo muttered in a stupid voice.
2272
2273After all, he himself had just delivered this blow, but he didn’t think that the enemy would be thrown back five meters.
2274
2275And not five meters back, but to a height of more than five meters. Leo was stunned by this scene, as if it happened in a cartoon or anime.
2276
2277Even Erika, looking out from the shore, looked at it with rounded eyes. Henry fell into the river.
2278
2279He rose in such a sharp movement as if he had received no damage at all, after which he turned his back on Leo and ran with all his strength down the river.
2280
2281“What the...?”
2282
2283It was only later, after thinking, that he realized that the enemy had used magic at the moment of receiving the strike, to use the force from the uppercut, to throw himself into the air.
2284
2285But during this very unexpected scene, Leo just froze in a stupor. Mikihiko's fight was difficult, even when the enemy was left alone.
2286
2287Unlike the battles of “Erika vs Iggy Ho" and “Leo vs Henry Fu", the fight of Mikihiko and Gabe Shu was a “magical exchange of fire."
2288
2289Mikihiko wasn’t weak in physical combat. His physical strength and mobility was at a level that even Tatsuya and Leo recognized.
2290
2291Still, his strongest point was the battle, where the main role is played by magic - that is, “shooting of magic" in the middle or long range.
2292
2293On the other hand, Illegal MAP was a sabotage squad, and with it a squad of assassins. By their nature, they preferred to use many different ways of killing, for example, stab them with sharp weapons or strike with blunt weapons. But in fact, being a detachment of conducting magical combat, they were more strong in this very magical battle, and not in battles with physical abilities.
2294
2295Also, as could be seen from the initial distribution of roles in the attack on Mizuki and Mikihiko, Gabe Shu was a member of the Horsehead squad who specialized in pure magic combat. Therefore, it was inevitable that the battle of Mikihiko and Gabe took place in the form of a shootout of magic, given the strengths of these two.
2296
2297Gabe Shu is far superior to Mikihiko in experience of battles against people. Even considering Mikihiko's age, it was impossible to say that he had little experience in fighting against people.
2298
2299But the magic of the Yoshida family was basically not meant for battles with people. It was used to interact with otherworldly creatures, to expel them, invoke them, or to lend their power. Mikihiko gained experience in battles against people during joint actions with Tatsuya. But it was still difficult for him to fight an opponent who was trained to use magic specifically against people in a real battle.
2300
2301From under the feet of Gabe Shu, bursting out of the water, stones flew. Mikihiko knocked down the arriving river rubble with ice arrows made from river water. The freezing process was intentionally added, because according to the rule “the earth conquers water” in the liquid state, the water didn’t have sufficient force. In modern magic there were no problems with this, but in ancient magic it was impossible to ignore the “rules of rivalry of the five elements".
2302
2303Mikihiko sensed signs of underwater magic in front of him. In a hurry, he isolated the flow of the river, creating a wall of water.
2304
2305Under the water in front of him a bubble burst. The air was released, which was compressed by magic and submerged under water. This explosive expansion had the force of an explosion like that of a hand grenade.
2306
2307Rising strong water spray became an obstacle to Mikihiko's vision. And at this moment the river rubble flew again.
2308
2309The enemy ranked upstream, putting Mikihiko at a disadvantage.
2310
2311In addition to bubble bombs, upstream, Gabe Shu also launched attacks in the form of descent along the river of paralytic substance, and spraying it near Mikihiko and Mizuki. He also alternated this with shots of gravel and the emission of high- frequency sound waves. Although Gabe had a small variety of attacks, the pattern of their use in sequence was hard to read.
2312
2313But this doesn’t mean that Mikihiko was only defending himself.
2314
2315Ice arrows, which were used to beat stones, he also sent to the enemy. He also launched water spears at the enemy. Shot at the feet of the enemy with thin jets of water under high pressure. That is, he made a variety of attacks using river water.
2316
2317In other words, in terms of diversity, Mikihiko was better. However, the attacks of
2318
2319Gabe Shu, though simple, were specifically designed to inflict damage on a person. Therefore, Mikihiko was forced to repel all these attacks. After all, if he had not done this, then besides him, Mizuki would be injured, who was hidden behind his back.
2320
2321Thoughts about this depressed Mikihiko more than anything else.
2322
2323“But now, by the number of people, we are in a better position than at the beginning..."
2324
2325Before the arrival of Erika and Leo, it was three against two (actually three against one).
2326
2327And now, in fact, there were three on three, but because of the division, each had individual one-on-one battles.
2328
2329But despite this, Mikihiko felt stuck into a corner more than before. Suddenly the situation has changed.
2330
2331There was a small explosion above.
2332
2333Smoke mixed from black, brown and red flowed down from the shore. There was a shout from behind: “Gabe! Retreat!".
2334
2335The next moment the water surface exploded.
2336
2337Between Mikihiko and Gabe Shu, a dense wall of splashing water arose. When the spray fell, Mikihiko didn’t see the enemy behind them.
2338
2339◊ ◊
2340
2341When Pixie got in touch with Miyuki again, the hands of the clock showed 18:05. “Miyuki-sama. Sorry to bother you.”
2342
2343“Pixie? Report.”
2344
2345“The movement • Mitsui-sama • stopped. Presumably, the kidnappers • arrived • in their • hideout.”
2346
2347“Honoka is fine?”
2348
2349“It seems that • Mitsui-sama • is still • under • influence of a narcotic substance. Other • harmful effects • not felt.”
2350
2351“I see...”
2352
2353Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief.
2354
2355No medical sensors were connected to Honoka, and Pixie didn’t receive medical information. However, Pixie received psionic supplies from Honoka regardless of the distance between them. It seems that she could get the details about the state of Honoka as a side effect of this psionic transmission.
2356
2357While respecting the privacy of Honoka's private life, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki usually requested this information from Pixie. But now there was an emergency. The news that the victim of abduction has no physical injuries brings relief to the people who are worried about the victim.
2358
2359“Pixie, can I get accurate information about the location of the place where Honoka is being held?”
2360
2361Magic isn’t limited by physical distance. Even if you try to go back through the magical connection, you can’t get distance and direction.
2362
2363However, Pixie had a body derived from the merger of a Parasite with a humanoid machine. In much the same way that psionic radar works, it could recognize the direction and distance of the source of these waves, the source of the psionic flow that feeds it, through the received psionic waves.
2364
2365“I am conducting a • comparison • with cartographic • data... A comparison is • completed. Send • data?”
2366
2367“Yes please.” “Yes, I will.”
2368
2369Simultaneously with this response, the data receive signal flashed on the display. The call was in voice only mode, so the display was empty, but after loading the data a map was displayed.
2370
2371“Received. Please keep watching.”
2372
2373“All right, Miyuki-sama. I continue • to conduct • observation.”
2374
2375Through the remote control, Miyuki ended the conversation with Pixie. The first call from Pixie she took in her room, and now she was in the living room.
2376
2377Miyuki got up from the couch, turned around, and looked at the man standing behind her.
2378
2379“Hyougo-san.”
2380
2381“Yes, Miyuki-sama?”
2382
2383Hanabishi Hyougo replied in a respectful tone. “Can you prepare a car right away?”
2384
2385But Hyougo didn’t answer this question from Miyuki.
2386
2387“I dare suggest that Miyuki-sama is going to personally go and save Mitsui-sama?” “Right.”
2388
2389Although she was answered with a question for a question, but Miyuki only nodded in response, not showing that it somehow hurt her.
2390
2391“It is impossible.”
2392
2393To which, Hyougo gave an inexorable answer. “What do you mean it is impossible? Can't go?” “Absolutely.”
2394
2395“Are you ordering me?”
2396
2397“This isn’t an order. Just a warning.”
2398
2399Miyuki looked at Hyougo with unconcealed displeasure. Hyougo isn’t embarrassed.
2400
2401“Miyuki-sama, you are the heiress of the main family line, and also my lord Tatsuya- sama's bride. You are too valuable, and should not put yourself in danger for such trifles.”
2402
2403“Trifles? Hyougo-san, you want to say that the threat to the life of my friend Honoka is nothing?”
2404
2405In the living room there was a cold... no, frosty voice. Miyuki didn’t raise her voice. But her voice echoed throughout the room, in which such an effect should not have been created.
2406
2407Although, most likely, this isn’t the sound several times reflected in the confined space of the living room, and the voice sounded only in the minds of those who heard it.
2408
2409Hyougo bowed guiltily, but he clearly didn’t feel fear. Raising his head, he met Miyuki eyes.
2410
2411“It’s not so important that Miyuki-sama personally has to take care of it. So let me go and figure it out.”
2412
2413“For you to go, Hyougo-san?” Miyuki frowned in doubt.
2414
2415Miyuki knew about his career - about how he gained experience in a foreign private military company, before becoming the butler of Tatsuya. But Miyuki never saw Hyougo truly fight, and never even heard of anything like that.
2416
2417In addition, Miyuki's doubt was due to the fact that, from her point of view, Hyougo didn’t have special abilities as a magician. Miyuki simply didn’t see enough of Hyougo's combat power to be confident in it.
2418
2419“Yes. Leave it to me.”
2420
2421Hyougo bowed low to Miyuki.
2422
2423Miyuki's gaze on Hyougo remained sharp.
2424
2425The air in this room isn’t cooled with air conditioning. There was a long silence (perhaps this impact of Miyuki silenced everyone), which was broken by another person present here.
2426
2427“Miyuki, let me go with him? Is that what you want?” “Lina, you go?”
2428
2429“Yes. Miyuki, you know my power.”
2430
2431“But it’s not known who kidnapped Honoka? If these are USNA agents, then what will you do?”
2432
2433“Why would agents from the States (USNA) kidnap Honoka?” “I don't know, but...”
2434
2435At the moment, neither Miyuki nor Lina knew that Miyuki's assumption was true. In response to Lina's simple counter-question, Miyuki responded with a blurred phrase that carried the meaning of “maybe I exaggerate?”.
2436
2437If events had developed in this way, it could have come to such a difficult situation as the clash of an illegal detachment of assassins, Horsehead from the Illegal MAP and Lina, who is “Angie Sirius".
2438
2439Such a future was prevented by an incoming phone call that was received not on the fixed terminal in the apartment, but on Miyuki's mobile terminal.
2440
2441“Yes... Erika?”
2442
2443The call was from Erika.
2444
2445◊ ◊
2446
2447Leo, Mikihiko and Mizuki went upstairs with Erika. Mizuki rose with Mikihiko, with the help of his magic, and Leo climbed with his legs without the use of magic.
2448
2449Mikihiko's magic dried the clothes of all three and removed the dirt sticking to them.
2450
2451Finally having a refreshing feeling, Mizuki sighed with relief. After that, her legs sharply buckled.
2452
2453Mikihiko hurriedly gave her his hand. Mizuki managed to catch Mikihiko's hand and somehow escaped the fall.
2454
2455“I-I'm sorry...”
2456
2457Mizuki let go of Mikihiko's hand. Immediately after that, she's shaken again. Mikihiko extended his hand again, and Mizuki clung to him this time.
2458
2459“When you come out of a state of extreme tension, your legs and loins lose their strength. You'd better hold on to Miki for a while.
2460
2461This time, Erika advised in a serious tone, without teasing those two. Mizuki and Mikihiko looked away confusedly.
2462
2463Erika and Leo, each in their own way, simultaneously shook their heads, expressing the idea “nothing can be done about them."
2464
2465After which both of them noticed that they had the same reaction. However, both no longer had the strength for their usual quarrel. Erika turned away from Leo and took out a mobile terminal.
2466
2467Transferring the terminal to telephone mode, she called Honoka. However, the connection wasn’t established.
2468
2469Having made a serious face, this time she called Miyuki. “Yes.”
2470
2471“Ah, Miyuki? It's me. Erika.”
2472
2473“Erika? You seem excited. Something happened?” “Why is she in such a hurry?"
2474
2475Thought Erika. But, having decided to leave this question for later, she first answered the question that was asked.
2476
2477She quickly and in order told about what happened. Mizuki and Mikihiko were attacked. The opponents were East Asian in appearance, but with English names. After that, she called Honoka, but didn’t get a hold of her.
2478
2479“... By the way, are you all right, Miyuki?” The answer came after a second pause.
2480
2481“...I'm all good. I see... Mizuki was also targeted.” “Do you know something?”
2482
2483Miyuki said “Mizuki too." This meant that something similar happened to someone else. Erika quickly realized that.
2484
2485“Honoka has been kidnapped.” “...So that is how it is.”
2486
2487Although it was possible to assume in advance what happened, but Erika was still momentarily speechless.
2488
2489“We don't know who the criminals are, but, thanks to Pixie, we managed to figure out where she was taken.”
2490
2491“... Can Pixie do something like that?”
2492
2493“Yes, but not with anyone...” “Oh, I see.”
2494
2495Erika also knew the circumstances of the case when the Parasite settled in Pixie. Therefore, she quickly realized that there was a special connection between Honoka and Pixie.
2496
2497“So we are recovering to go help her out.”
2498
2499Erika didn’t waste much time thinking about this decision. “...It is dangerous.”
2500
2501“Miyuki, were you not going to do it yourself?” “You're right, but...”
2502
2503“I think Miyuki and Lina would be better off not going there. The opponents may be American agents.”
2504
2505On the other side of the phone line was briefly silenced. “I beg your pardon, Erika. Can I call you back?” “Good.”
2506
2507Erika ended the call.
2508
2509Less than five minutes passed before the incoming call signal came on her terminal. “Erika, it's me.”
2510
2511“Yeah. So?”
2512
2513“I think everything is exactly as you said, Erika. It is highly likely the opponents targeting Mizuki will be part of an illegal commando group from USNA. I think that the criminals who kidnapped Honoka are also from this unit.”
2514
2515“This is Lina's opinion?”
2516
2517“Yes. Like you said, Erika, neither I nor Lina should go. But you guys can't just go on your own. The opponents - agents from the USNA Army. They are too dangerous.”
2518
2519“We have already fought with them here, so it's too late to talk about danger.” Erika's ear, applied to the dynamics of the terminal, caught a faint sigh.
2520
2521“I could say that you don’t need to re-expose yourself to danger, but... Erika, you still don’t agree, right?”
2522
2523“You already understand, don't you?” Erika heard another sigh.
2524
2525“If you promise not to break into the enemy camp with only your strength, but to go there with the people who are suitable for this, then I will tell you where Honoka is being held.”
2526
2527Miyuki thought that further attempts at persuasion would be useless. Therefore, she set such a condition.
2528
2529“Who are the right people?”
2530
2531“I already asked the SMAT to go there. I ask you to unite with them who are already in place.”
2532
2533SMAT. Special magic assault squad. This is an organization that brought together police magicians, created as a result of rethinking the fact that the police couldn’t adequately respond to the Yokohama incident the year before last. The abduction of a civilian by a group of magicians was certainly under the responsibility of SMAT.
2534
2535“But won't the police make any noise?”
2536
2537As Erika said, the likelihood that large-scale police movements would endanger the abduction victim wasn’t zero. That's just...
2538
2539“Even if I hadn’t told you about this, you were going to use the police forces, weren't you?”
2540
2541Erika had a close relationship with the police. She could easily have used the police to locate Honoka, and she had planned to do that.
2542
2543“I give up. I will do as you say, Miyuki.”
2544
2545Realizing that Miyuki saw through her, Erika raised a white flag. More precisely, it could have been considered a draw, because she had won the compromise between Miyuki, namely the “transfer of the right to save Honoka.”
2546
2547“Sending the coordinates.” “... OK, received.”
2548
2549“Be careful, Erika.”
2550
2551“Leave it to us. I will contact you when we save Honoka.” Erika said and completed the call.
2552
2553◊ ◊
2554
2555Tatsuya headed toward the shade of a tree 10 meters away. From this place, he felt a response, and also heard someone fall there.
2556
2557This “someone" was Fujibayashi Nagamasa. “Do you know where Minoru is going?”
2558
2559Tatsuya didn’t boast of victory or accuse him of betrayal. He only indifferently began to interrogate Nagamasa. More precisely, judging by his tone of voice, he simply “asked,” and not “interrogated.”
2560
2561“I don’t know...”
2562
2563On the other hand, Nagamasa, sweating due to the sharp pain from the holes in his body, answered with a voice from which the will to fight had not disappeared.
2564
2565“I see.”
2566
2567Tatsuya asked nothing more. He turned his back on Nagamasa and was about to leave.
2568
2569“Wait...”
2570
2571The one who wanted to continue the conversation was Nagamasa himself. “Does it suit you...? You will not interrogate and torture?”
2572
2573“You don’t know? If so, then there is no need to ask questions.” “I see... Do you understand that I am trying to gain time...?”
2574
2575The suggestion of Nagamasa was partially correct. Tatsuya really assumed that Nagamasa was dragging on time, but he thought that it was useless to arrange an interrogation, because he didn’t know the way in which he could check whether Nagamasa was lying or not. Therefore, the first question about the direction of Minoru's escape was asked only from a whim.
2576
2577Tatsuya didn’t show excessive kindness as a waste of time to respond. He was about to leave this place, leaving Nagamasa sitting there, leaning his back on a tree trunk.
2578
2579“That's not all! I haven't finished yet!”
2580
2581Tatsuya wary. After all, Nagamasa has not yet lost his combat power.
2582
2583Tatsuya looked back, and at the same time a new hole appeared in Nagamasa's body.
2584
2585But the pain of these wounds wasn’t enough to stop Nagamasa. Tatsuya didn’t kill Nagamasa because he was the father of Fujibayashi Kyouko. And because of the difficulties with the subsequent settlement of problems that will arise if the head of the Fujibayashi family, the famous clan of magicians of ancient magic, is killed.
2586
2587But Nagamasa wasn’t such an adversary that you could handle so easily.
2588
2589Usually a person can’t use his right hand if shot in his right shoulder. However, Nagamasa wove both hands together in a kind of symbolic gesture.
2590
2591Seeing this, Tatsuya this time made a hole in the tendon of the left elbow.
2592
2593But this didn’t break the gesture of Nagamasa.
2594
2595On the contrary, he began to change the symbols shown by hand, and at such a speed that was impossible to keep track of with the naked eye.
2596
2597By the time Tatsuya decided to do away with Nagamasa, his equipment was already complete.
2598
2599The “Sekirei Hachijin” barrier covering this area focused with the center being in the form of Tatsuya and Nagamasa.
2600
2601It was already later than 6 pm. Although the days of the season were still long, but the Sea of Trees was shrouded in darkness.
2602
2603And now this darkness has become even more dense and impenetrable.
2604
2605And something in this darkness began to put oppressive pressure on Tatsuya. Tatsuya focused his “sight” on the true form of this pressure pressing on him.
2606
2607Something that looked like a misty haze in the shape of a man pulled his hands towards Tatsuya.
2608
2609“Twins...? Or Astral projection... No, residual thoughts of the dead!?”
2610
2611If we assume that the information received from the Fujibayashi family (from the enemy who is right in front of him now) is true, then the “Sekirei Hachijin” barrier, which is an array of “Kimon Tonkou” installed in fixed positions, uses the same technology, as “Magic Enhancers.” Or, most likely, “Sorcery Boosters” a magical tool, for the manufacture of which some of the technologies used in Sekirei Hachijin were borrowed.
2612
2613The technology of “Sekirei Hachijin” is as follows: while the magician is still alive, his body is transferred to the state of cadaveric wax, leaving only the brain, whose structure crystallizes in the process. On the forehead of the victim magical symbols and drawings are carved. As a result, these magician's remains are transformed into a magic output device that can work for hundreds of years. They are buried underground in several places, and they support the continuous work of the magic “Kimon Tonkou.”
2614
2615A week ago, Tatsuya didn’t know how corpses could support magic.
2616
2617But now, after the experience gained in the battle with the Astral projection of Arcturus, he guessed how.
2618
2619The source of the power to interfere with a phenomenon is the Psion waves. Tatsuya personally watched it in that battle.
2620
2621It is possible that in the magical processing that puts the magician into the condition of cadaveric wax, contains the process of imprisoning a pushionic information body inside these remains. Thus, the magic of the hidden barrier is maintained by periodic discharges of the force interfering with the phenomenon, using the pushions stored in the remains.
2622
2623Mental pressure (which can be rephrased as “pressure by external systemic magic"), acting now on Tatsuya, was undoubtedly caused by Pushion informational bodies, enclosed within human remains, transformed into magic output devices. Tatsuya described them with the phrase “residual thoughts of the dead," but usually these informational bodies are called “ghosts" or “wraiths."
2624
2625On the foreheads of the corpses, transformed into a device called “Sekirei Hachijin", the command “to distort the sense of choice of the path" was cut out. The ghosts were unable to think for themselves, and simply tried to lead Tatsuya astray. If they break through the barrier of Tatsuya's will, he will be forced to wander around the Sea of Trees until the powers of the ghosts are exhausted.
2626
2627“Fujibayashi Nagamasa... committed suicide?"
2628
2629The ghosts' hands also stretched toward Nagamasa. Tatsuya didn’t have the ability to “see” in detail the activity of Pushion information bodies. He could only dimly feel them. However, he realized that Nagamasa's mind had already been captured by these residual thoughts.
2630
2631He isn’t dead.
2632
2633But in such a state, Nagamasa was like a living dead.
2634
2635“If the caster commits suicide, then the magic can’t be undone."
2636
2637“If you continue to push away these residual thoughts, then one day their strength will be exhausted..."
2638
2639“But I can't wait for this!"
2640
2641Tatsuya focused his “sight” on the psionic information that was generated when these “ghosts” (residual thoughts) tried to interfere with him. If Tatsuya hypothesis wasn’t erroneous, then information should be recorded in this world that “something is trying to interfere with Tatsuya''s mind and distort his sense of direction,” as well as information about “Pushion informational bodies trying to interfere with Tatsuya's mind.”
2642
2643Based on these records, he considered the following information: “the structure of the Pushion informational body that exists in this world in such a way that it can interfere with the phenomena that form part of this world called Shiba Tatsuya".
2644
2645“I see."
2646
2647“I see it!"
2648
2649He discovered a foothold that allowed a pushion information body called “ghost” to exist in this world...
2650
2651Destroy it. Activate!
2652
2653“The magic of the decomposition of the structure that supports the Pushion informational body, "Astral dispersion,” activation."
2654
2655... Destruction of the structure of the psionic informational body that helps the spiritual body (the Pushionic informational body) to exist in this world.
2656
2657... Not the destruction of the Pushionic informational body, but its expulsion from this world.
2658
2659White-haired, human-shaped figures surrounding Tatsuya quickly disappeared one after another.
2660
2661After that, Tatsuya immediately realized that supported by the thoughts of the dead,
2662
2663“Sekirei Hachijin" was destroyed.
2664
2665The magic of the decomposition of the structure that supports the Pushion information bodies, “Astral dispersion".
2666
2667It doesn’t seal the spiritual body in this world.
2668
2669It makes it so that the spiritual body can no longer exist in this world.
2670
2671The phrase “can’t exist in this world" means that from the point of view of those who live in this world, it simply disappears.
2672
2673Dies.
2674
2675We can say that this is tantamount to killing by erasure.
2676
2677Tatsuya finally has at his disposal a means to kill spiritual bodies and spiritual life forms.
2678
2679
2680
2681
2682
2683Chapter 12
2684
2685
2686Having coped with the suicidal attack of Fujibayashi Nagamasa with the help of freshly developed magic, Tatsuya set off to leave the Sea of Trees.
2687
2688But he stopped, not even five meters away.
2689
2690The holes that Tatsuya made in Nagamasa with the magic of partial decomposition were tiny, but there were many. The bleeding was significant, and some of the holes also touched important nerves. If he left him like this, he wouldn’t live until morning.
2691
2692In general, he had already decided to erase this opponent, but the circumstances in which he didn’t do it from the very beginning, haven't disappeared. It was an enemy, which was extremely undesirable to kill.
2693
2694However, for the same reason, Tatsuya didn’t want to help him with Restoration. As soon as the wounds disappear, Nagamasa will again interfere with Tatsuya. He was an adversary who, under current circumstances, is difficult to deprive of consciousness, and Tatsuya had no means of deterrence.
2695
2696“Still, have to leave him?"
2697
2698When Tatsuya already wanted to go to the exit again, signs of the presence of another person appeared in front of him.
2699
2700“The supreme shinobi of the school of the Yga clan, the head of the Fujibayashi family defeated? Well, to be able to do something like that is quite natural for someone who belongs to the direct kinship of the Yotsuba family.”
2701
2702Black gloves and black coat, despite the middle of summer. A suspicious man in an obliquely worn black felt hat spoke in a haughty tone without any greeting.
2703
2704“Kuroba-san, how long have you been here?”
2705
2706This man, who suddenly appeared before Tatsuya, was Kuroba Mitsugu, head of the Kuroba family, a side branch of the Yotsuba family.
2707
2708“Just got here. I could only come here because you broke the barrier.” “Kuroba-san, the barrier would not hurt you, even if it functioned.”
2709
2710“I'm not being shy. If this barrier functioned properly, significant workaround methods would be required.”
2711
2712This meant that he still knew a way to overcome the barrier. And that isn’t all. The technique of approaching a short distance so that the enemy doesn’t catch the signs of the use of magic, only the father of Ayako possessed. Tatsuya was delighted with this, but at the same time he couldn’t help but be wary.
2713
2714“Did you come here by the order of Haha-ue?” “No. I came to ask you something.”
2715
2716“You have?”
2717
2718The question that surfaced in Tatsuya head wasn’t “and what did you want to ask?,” But “questions at such and such a time?”
2719
2720However, even if it was necessary to return to the pursuit of Minoru, he couldn’t ignore Mitsugu. For him, this would cause even more inconvenience than killing
2721
2722Nagamasa.
2723
2724Therefore, Tatsuya obediently waited for what Mitsugu would say. “Tatsuya-kun.”
2725
2726Tatsuya slightly rounded his eyes. As if taking off the jester mask, Mitsugu called his name without any hostility or hatred in his voice. Such that Tatsuya heard from him for the first time.
2727
2728“Why do you pursue Kudou Minoru with such zeal?” “Really?”
2729
2730Such a thought came up in Tatsuya's head. Honestly, for him it wasn’t a very pleasant question. But he answered this question without particularly delving into thinking why this particular question is unpleasant for him.
2731
2732“To bring back Minami.”
2733
2734He had no other reason to pursue Minoru. The fact that Minoru is a Parasite wasn’t a cause for Tatsuya to be hostile to him. While Minoru isn’t yet captured by the general consciousness of the Parasites, and while he has not yet begun to commit acts that violate Miyuki's calm, Tatsuya will only need to return Minami.
2735
2736“Where does such zeal come from for the return of one servant?” Mitsugu reused the word “zeal".
2737
2738“So I look for the rest now?”
2739
2740Tatsuya thought, looking at the circumstances from the outside. “I don't know.”
2741
2742Tatsuya responded quickly and without a doubt.
2743
2744This was due to the fact that he had already suffered enough doubts.
2745
2746Since Yakumo asked him about the reason why he is trying to save Minami, Tatsuya has been constantly searching for an answer to this question within himself. But he couldn’t find an answer.
2747
2748If a superficial answer were enough, then everything was simple. Because that is what Miyuki wants.
2749
2750And also in order to eliminate the feeling of repentance in Miyuki, who considers herself guilty of the fact that she missed Minoru right from under her nose, allowing him to abduct Minami.
2751
2752But were the reasons really just that? Asking this question, he couldn’t answer it right now.
2753
2754He wasn’t going to compare Minami with the deceased Honami. Minami and Honami are different people.
2755
2756“I know that. I understand that. It is definitely not an attempt to compensate for when I failed to save Honami... I think.”
2757
2758“Then why do I want to return Minami?” “I don’t know.”
2759
2760“... Oh, yes, it is now clear...”
2761
2762Now Tatsuya, even though it is already late, he noticed why he thought that this question was unpleasant to him.
2763
2764This is because he can’t understand his heart.
2765
2766And because he was reminded that he's running around, not understanding what the meaning of this activity is.
2767
2768Tatsuya's actions have always had a goal.
2769
2770The goal has always been clear: for the good of Miyuki.
2771
2772But of his own free will, he wanted to protect Miyuki present and future. But... really?
2773
2774... Is “my own will" my own?
2775
2776... And what if the “Real me" is empty?
2777
2778... And maybe this empty vessel is just filled with the task of “protecting Miyuki”? This suspicion was also the reason why this question was unpleasant for him.
2779
2780“Master Yakumo also asked about it. And since then I have been constantly thinking about it. But I still can’t understand why.”
2781
2782Tatsuya honestly voiced his feelings to Mitsugu. For some reason he thought he should do it now for Miyuki's sake.
2783
2784“... I see.”
2785
2786Mitsugu responded in a tone that read deep understanding.
2787
2788Mitsugu understood that Tatsuya couldn’t understand this. He somehow felt it in Tatsuya.
2789
2790“Up to this point, I have always believed that you have no heart.”
2791
2792Tatsuya really experienced a lack of emotions after interfering with the structure of his mind with the help of a secret technique. But Tatsuya felt that the words of Mitsugu now have a completely different meaning.
2793
2794“But it seems I was wrong.”
2795
2796But the very essence of what Mitsugu said Tatsuya didn’t understand.
2797
2798... A person without a heart has no doubts.
2799
2800To catch these unspoken words of Mitsugu, Tatsuya still lacked life experience.
2801
2802
2803
2804
2805
2806“Tatsuya-kun. I hate you.”
2807
2808Instead of those words that weren’t uttered, Mitsugu suddenly openly expressed his emotions.
2809
2810“I know.”
2811
2812Tatsuya isn’t upset. He really knew it, not bluffing. But he couldn’t say that he fully understood the reason for this hatred.
2813
2814“The thing is in your lifestyle, in which you skip the duties assigned to you and the rules established for all. No, you don’t even skip them, but just knock them down with your own power. For us, people who live by these duties and according to these rules, this way of your life makes you want to say: 'yes, are you mocking us!?.'”
2815
2816“... But I don’t mock you.”
2817
2818“I know. You, who was born with the power of absolute destruction, don’t understand the feelings of weak ordinary people who can’t confront the whole world alone.
2819
2820Similarly, I can’t understand your feelings. Feelings of the owner of the power, capable of bringing the world to its knees, but at the same time thinking about this world.”
2821
2822Tatsuya in confusion didn’t know what to say.
2823
2824“For your sake, I won’t move a finger.”
2825
2826Piercing Tatsuya with a look, Mitsugu took a shallow breath. “... with your finger.”
2827
2828And with disgust in his voice he expressed the conclusion of the phrase.
2829
2830“I see,” Tatsuya didn’t say aloud. It seemed to him that such an answer didn’t correspond to the current situation.
2831
2832“Therefore... Help will be provided, but not with my hands.” Mitsugu said and raised his left hand to the height of his face.
2833
2834A group of people in black clothes appeared from the shadows of the trees. Only nine people in black came out of the shadows of nine trees.
2835
2836“Leave them to deal with the state of Fujibayashi Nagamasa.” “...Good.”
2837
2838For Tatsuya, this was too unexpected.
2839
2840Not the appearance of people in black. And the fact that Mitsugu himself offered him help, without an order from Maya.
2841
2842“And also Ayako and Fumiya asked to give you something.” “What?”
2843
2844“I want you to tell Tatsuya-san about where Kudou Minoru is running.”
2845
2846In particular, it was Ayako who was very worried about Sakurai Minami. The Kuroba family is also helping you here because Ayako begged for this.
2847
2848“......”
2849
2850“I don’t know the final destination of Kudou Minoru. But now he is heading for Odawara.”
2851
2852“Thank you very much for this.”
2853
2854“I will give your gratitude to the children.” Mitsugu said and turned his back to Tatsuya.
2855
2856Tatsuya bowed to Mitsugu's back and ran to Wingless the electric motorcycle left outside the forest.
2857
2858◊ ◊
2859
2860It took 20 minutes after the end of her conversation with Miyuki. Erika arrived on the outskirts of the city of Yamato.
2861
2862During the Third World War, before the US Army had not yet withdrawn its troops deployed around the world, the airport of the American naval base was located here.
2863
2864When America became known as USNA and withdrew troops to its territory, this airport went to the nearby base of the air force of the Japanese national self-defense forces. It wasn’t a shared base, such as the Zama base, located in the metropolitan area. This base was used only by the Japanese air force.
2865
2866But America remained an allied nation for Japan, this has not changed. Even if there were any secret contradictions between them, ordinary civilians didn’t know about it. Therefore, the presence of Americans in this city didn’t seem strange to anyone.
2867
2868“Still, outwardly, these guys were almost indistinguishable from the Japanese...” Erika muttered with annoyance in her voice as she left the station.
2869
2870It was quite natural to choose agents from personnel in such a way that it would be difficult to distinguish them from the inhabitants of the place where these agents would be sent. If they sent agents to Japan with racial characteristics other than Japanese, they could have paid for underestimating the Japanese.
2871
2872However, these arguments didn’t console Erika.
2873
2874“You can’t go on foot, anywhere can be an ambush...”
2875
2876The realization that, instead of hiding enemies, you need to fear more that any pedestrian can turn into an enemy, greatly depleted mental forces. When the enemy isn’t visible, the nerves aren’t so tense. And when you see someone, but you don’t know if he is an enemy or not, you have to watch your entire field of vision with caution.
2877
2878“In my opinion, we should not worry about it.”
2879
2880With his usual good-natured tone, Leo turned to Erika, who was leading him with his sharp eyes, trying to disperse the tense atmosphere.
2881
2882“We know where the enemy hideout is. It is better to focus on them rather than on thoughts of an ambush, which may not even be there.”
2883
2884Erika turned away with a gloomy and seemingly offended face. “...Erika?”
2885
2886“So, that Leo can say something sensible...? And what if it is now for life?” “Hey!? Am I exhausted of my supply of stupidity!?”
2887
2888Erika pointedly turned away even further after Leo's joke. “Oh shit! How furious!”
2889
2890Leo swore only in his thoughts. He was able to, prudently, not to say it out loud thanks to reflexively activating the “brake” based on his instincts.
2891
2892If he said out loud that he was “enraged,” it would have led to an awkward situation. At the moment, Erika and Leo were alone. Nearby, Mizuki wasn’t there, who would have been their between them, nor was Mikihiko, who was a target for Erika to switch to from Leo.
2893
2894Mikihiko walked Mizuki home. And he stayed there to wait for the police to tell them the details. In general, Erika and Leo also had to stay for the proceedings with the police. But, worried about Honoka, Erika used the connections from the dojo of the Chiba family, and called the police officers who were trained there. She asked them to come to Mizuki's home, while she, along with Leo, went to the place that Miyuki had told her about.
2895
2896“Erika! Let's call a taxi!”
2897
2898Leo turned to Erika filled with despair in his voice. They didn’t have to walk to the place where Honoka was being held. On the contrary, it was better to get there as quickly as possible.
2899
2900Erika, as usual, didn’t answer. Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere was put to an end by the intervention of a third party.
2901
2902“Erika-ojousan!”
2903
2904From a car that braked sharply in front of Leo and Erika, there was a shout from a man who looked like he was 25-35 years old.
2905
2906“Shoji-san?”
2907
2908Seeing the man's face poking out of the front passenger window, Erika slightly turned her eyes.
2909
2910The car was a regular sedan... at least in appearance it was an ordinary commercial model, but this man wore a SMAT assault suit.
2911
2912“Shoji-san, did you join SMAT?”
2913
2914“Yes. I completed the training last month, and starting this month I’ve been in service.”
2915
2916Listening to their conversation from the side, Leo understood the connection between them. This man named Shoji was a student at the Chiba family dojo. It seems that when he heard that Erika would join them, he went to pick them up... more precisely, he was forced to go.
2917
2918“... This person may be a member of the Guard..."
2919
2920Leo couldn't believe it when he first heard about it. In the dojo of the Chiba family, there is a group called “Erika's Guard", honoring Erika as a “Princess General."... It isn’t necessary to explain why she wasn’t just a “princess."
2921
2922The loyalty of these people to Erika might have been even stronger than to her father, the master and the dojo owner. Leo had already managed to see their unity with his own eyes during the “Vampire Incident” last winter. If you look at this Shoji with such thoughts in mind, then in his eyes directed at Erika you could really catch signs of admiration, worship or even deification.
2923
2924“But enough about me, get in quick. The detachment is already prepared for the beginning of the assault.”
2925
2926“I see. Leo, let's go.”
2927
2928The recently annoyed face has already disappeared somewhere. Erika deftly jumped into the disguised patrol car, and called for Leo to follow her.
2929
2930◊ ◊
2931
2932The members of the Horsehead unit, who failed in the abduction of Mizuki, arrived in their hideout just shortly before Erika's group.
2933
2934As a representative of a group of three people sent to kidnap Mizuki, Henry Fu reported to commander Al Wan about the circumstances of the failure of the operation. Other members of the detachment who listened to his report didn’t give a single ridicule of these three.
2935
2936“Commander, maybe we should change the strategy?”
2937
2938Julia Ma, who kidnapped Honoka, suggested to commander Al after Henry finished the story.
2939
2940“The response rate to the environment of the target far exceeded our expectations.”
2941
2942“Isn't that just a coincidence? If they had previously calculated our actions, they wouldn’t have left Mitsui Honoka alone.”
2943
2944Ellie Chao intervened in the conversation - another woman in the detachment who also participated in the abduction of Honoka.
2945
2946“The very fact that we were prevented should not be neglected. First of all, as far as we found out in advance, Shibata Mizuki was supposed to return from school alone. We didn’t have information that she will receive support.” Julia objected, rejecting Ellie's suggestion.
2947
2948“That could also be a coincidence.”
2949
2950“As Ellie said, this could be a coincidence. But if such a random factor creates difficulties for us, then as Julia said, it would be foolish to ignore it.”
2951
2952Continuing with Ellie counter objection, Al Wan acknowledged the arguments of both. But he didn’t stop there.
2953
2954“The strategy was based on the fact that we will have two hostages. But we could only get one, so change is inevitable, as Julia said.”
2955
2956“But can we lure the target with only one hostage?”
2957
2958Don Yang asked. Who was one of those who didn’t participate in the abduction operations.
2959
2960“If there is only one hostage, then everything will simply end with her salvation. Because we can’t kill a hostage to forbid targets to resist. One hostage to lure the target, and the second to make the target obedient. We still need at least two hostages.”
2961
2962Frank Wu, the third person in the Honoka kidnapping group, answered Don Yang. And agreement with this opinion, supporting the decision of the detachment commander, was expressed not only by Julia, who from the very beginning was for changing the strategy.
2963
2964“So...? Commander, what exactly are we going to do?” To the question of the Deputy Commander Bart Lee...
2965
2966“Let’s let go of Mitsui Honoka in the form of a booby trap.”
2967
2968... Al Wan replied in a tone in which the question “is it not obvious?" was answered.
2969
2970While the members of the Horsehead squad were discussing how to use Honoka, she herself sat next to them with an expressionless, serene face.
2971
2972Her mind was paralyzed by a narcotic substance mixed with the help of Al Wan's magic. She didn’t sleep, but she wasn’t awake either. It was a kind of intermediate state. Ears perceived voices, but she couldn’t actively think about the information received.
2973
2974Her resistance to brainwashing has been lowered to zero. As such Al Wan began to inspire one thought in Honoka.
2975
2976... Kill Shiba Tatsuya.
2977
2978If you omit the minor details, then this idea was reduced to such a short phrase.
2979
2980Honoka shouldn’t have been able to resist. “...No...”
2981
2982“What?”
2983
2984Honoka could hardly understand the barely perceptible muttering, and not only Al Wan. Also, Bart Lee, Charlie Chan, and all the other members of the squad present here (except for Gabe Shuuya and Iggy Ho, who stood guard outside) sent doubtful glances to Honoka.
2985
2986“I can’t... kill... I resist you...”
2987
2988“Julia, give her some more of the drug.”
2989
2990Not surprised by the presence of resistance, which shouldn't have been, Al Wan immediately gave the order in a completely cold-blooded tone.
2991
2992Further administration of this drug threatened to result in irreversible effects and side effects. But no one objected to such a cruel and unfeeling order. Also, no one showed indecision in their actions. Julia Ma took a dose of the substance in the syringe and headed towards Honoka.
2993
2994But before she managed to make the injection, Honoka showed such a violent reaction, which in principle shouldn’t be possible for a person under the influence of this narcotic substance.
2995
2996She suddenly opened her eyes wide … “NO! I won’t let you touch Tatsuya-san!”
2997
2998... and screamed at the top of her lungs, hurting her throat in the process.
2999
3000
3001
3002
3003
3004This was probably due to a sense of devotion — the blood heritage of the Elements. Or was it a miracle caused by feelings of love?
3005
3006The room in which Honoka was kept flooded with bright light.
3007
3008The field of view of the members of the The Horsehead detachment filled with light of randomly changing colors.
3009
3010This light didn’t have a destructive effect on human bodies.
3011
3012It also didn’t have the act of suggestion, or the effect of deprivation of consciousness.
3013
3014It simply made it impossible to see anything with ordinary eyes, since the violent flicker completely covered their whole view.
3015
3016“Everyone leave this room!”
3017
3018They chose an abandoned one-story building, as their hideout, which was used as a branch office of a company a couple of years ago. All eight members of the Horsehead squad ran out of this meeting room and moved to the adjacent office space. The last one who left the meeting room was Bart Lee who closed the door behind him to isolate the light.
3019
3020Soon after, Iggy Ho, who was standing guard, ran into the office with an assault rifle in his hands. They came to Japan without weapons. Looks like he took it from the enemy who attacked him.
3021
3022“Enemies, a lot of them!”
3023
3024Iggy's stomach was bloody. At a glance. all those present realized that it was a gunshot wound, moreover, a fatal wound. They didn’t hear the sound of any gunshots, probably because the enemies used high-grade silencers.
3025
3026Only one battle group could use such equipment. And that wasn’t the police.
3027
3028This was the army.
3029
3030There was an explosion outside.
3031
3032It was the sound of a bomb exploded by each of them to destroy evidence. After the penetration of an illegal MAP into a foreign country, the manufacture of such a bomb is always the top priority.
3033
3034By the sound of this explosion, everyone understood that Gabe Shuuya had made himself self-explode, so that information from his brain would not fall into the hands of the enemy.
3035
3036“Leave! Iggy, you know what you have to do.”
3037
3038Al Wan ordered the seven members of the squad to flee, after which Iggy Ho looked into his eyes and reminded him of what he himself knew.
3039
3040Iggy pulled a bomb out of his pocket that fit in his palm, and shoved it into his mouth and smiled.
3041
3042Al Wan didn’t take away the kidnapped Honoka as a hostage. Instead, he took an assault rifle from Iggy's hands and ran into an underground tunnel used for cargo delivery.
3043
3044At the very same moment, when the door to the office was knocked out by a kick, Iggy Ho pressed the detonation button of the bomb he had prepared to blow-up his head.
3045
3046◊ ◊
3047
3048Sitting in a camouflaged patrol car, Erika heard the low sound of an explosion coming from the front.
3049
3050She turned to Leo sitting next to her. Leo also turned to face Erika.
3051
3052Having exchanged glances, they confirmed that this sound wasn’t in their heads. “What happened over there?”
3053
3054In a tense voice, Erika asked Shoji, who was sitting in the front passenger seat.
3055
3056“It seems that some other organization has rushed into the asylum seekers instead of us.”
3057
3058Shoji also couldn’t hide his tension.
3059
3060“Other organization? That is, not the police?”
3061
3062“The probability that this is the public safety department isn’t zero, but...” “Army.”
3063
3064“Probably.”
3065
3066Shoji immediately agreed with Erika's hunch, that was said in a statement. After that, there was no other talk in the car.
3067
3068A camouflaged police car stopped in front of a living wall of SMAT in assault suits.
3069
3070And in front of this wall in the battle formation were soldiers of the self-defense forces with assault rifles. Dual rifles were sent not to SMAT, but to the sky.
3071
3072The ranks of the soldiers parted. From the resulting opening came two young women. One of them was in the form of a high school girl.
3073
3074“Honoka!”
3075
3076Having identified her abducted friend out of the girls, Erika rushed to her. Leo followed her.
3077
3078“Honoka, what happened!? Do you recognize me?” Honoka merely looked at Erika with a clouded, absent look.
3079
3080At the sight of her unnatural behavior, Erika's face turned pale.
3081
3082“She has only a temporary paralysis of mental functions caused by a narcotic substance. According to the examination, this drug won’t leave irreversible effects or side effects. So everything will be fine with her.”
3083
3084To reassure Erika, this was the explanation given by a smiling female soldier who accompanied Honoka.
3085
3086Both Erika and Leo recognized the face of this female officer. “That's you from that time in Izu!”
3087
3088After this cry of Leo, Toyama Tsukasa smiled even wider. “Why did you save Mitsui...?”
3089
3090Toyama Tsukasa's real name is Tooyama Tsukasa. She is the daughter of the head of the Tooyama family of the Twenty-Eight Families. Title - foreman. The duty station is the intelligence department of the national self-defense forces.
3091
3092In May of this year, she led a detachment planning an attack on Tatsuya, secluded in a villa in Izu.
3093
3094Erika and Leo, with the support of Mikihiko and Honoka, stopped them. At that time, the two also fought with Toyama Tsukasa personally. That's why they knew her by sight.
3095
3096They interfered with the work of the intelligence department and even gave her a personal hard experience of defeat, so she should have had some thoughts on this. However, Tsukasa's smile didn’t feel any negative emotions at all.
3097
3098“I am in the counterintelligence unit. Our main task is to prevent foreign intelligence activities and sabotage.”
3099
3100“... So, you don’t bring your personal feelings to work?”
3101
3102Erika asked in a tone that voiced her suspicion that there is something wrong. Leo didn’t see any lies in Tsukasa's smile, but Erika was apparently able to, because she was also a woman.
3103
3104“In truth, I had personal motives. My boss ordered me to restore our honor after failing in Izu. But at the same time we didn’t know who we were saving.”
3105
3106“... Oh, I see...”
3107
3108When such details were revealed, Erika's drive was reduced to nothing. She didn’t want to save Honoka with her own hands. Also, after the recent battle, I didn’t really want to fight again. In any case, Honoka was saved. And, at first glance, there was nothing to complain about.
3109
3110“... does Honoka need medical attention?” For starters, she decided to ask this.
3111
3112“No. After 3-4 hours, the effect of the drug will pass by itself.”
3113
3114“For now, I will believe her words and wait for 4 hours. If Honoka doesn’t recover during this time, then you can show her to the doctor," thought Erika.
3115
3116After making sure that Honoka was safe, Erika was finally able to look around. Seeing that the soldiers of the rescue squad were carrying the corpses of their comrades-in-arms, she frowned.
3117
3118“You have some pretty big losses...” Leo muttered. He looked at the dead soldiers with about the same expression as that of Erika.
3119
3120“Indeed...”
3121
3122Tsukasa replied with a humble expression, although Leo's words weren’t a question, but a statement.
3123
3124“We were confronted by only two. And despite this, our casualties are four people killed and even more wounded. Although all were covered with shields. I even lost a little confidence.
3125
3126“You are from the Eighteen Substitute Families? Besides, an expert on shield magic? Were they such strong opponents?”
3127
3128After the incident in Izu, Miyuki told Erika and the others about Toyama Tsukasa's true identity, and scolded them for “getting in their way.” But, even if Miyuki didn't tell them about it, they could roughly estimate the power of the individual Tsukasa's shields when they saw them in battle against her.
3129
3130At that time, Erika and the others neutralized the Tsukasa led unit through a surprise attack that took advantage of the woodland. If you look only at the results, it was an easy victory, but Erika thought that it would not have been so easy if it happened in an open area.
3131
3132Although there were also obstacles to the view in the form of the walls of the building, but compared to the forest, there was less room for maneuver. Moreover, if we talk about a surprise attack... in this case, the side conducting the surprise attack should have been exactly the forces of self-defense. It seemed to Erika that with only two people on the defense side, the four victims of the attackers were too many.
3133
3134“I assumed they would be strong, but it seems I was naive. As expected from the Illegal MAP... Rumors about their notoriety turned out to be not idle chatter.”
3135
3136“Illegal MAP? So this is the name of the team these guys are called?”
3137
3138“American illegal sabotage detachment consisting of magicians. It is believed that by killing some important people from the NSU army, these guys provoked a serious local conflict between USNA and NSU. I also heard that this incident was considered by a tribunal of the American army, and they were finally disposed of.
3139
3140“Dangerous, these guys...” “Yes, you're right.”
3141
3142Tsukasa responded to the mumble of Leo.
3143
3144“You seem to be fighting with them too. You are lucky that you were able to do it without victims. They probably retreated because they didn’t want to stand out much. After all, it could hinder the achievement of their real purpose.”
3145
3146“Their real goal?”
3147
3148“The murder of Shiba Tatsuya.”
3149
3150Tsukasa immediately answered Erika's question. From what she heard Erika was confused even more.
3151
3152“The Horsehead squad... ah, yes, this is the name of one of the Illegal MAP units sent to our country... So, they certainly didn’t want Shiba-san to know what they are capable of, right? If they had shown their full strength, they couldn’t have even lured him with a hostage.”
3153
3154“So they kidnapped Mitsui and tried to kidnap Shibata in order to lure Tatsuya off with them?”
3155
3156“We believe that it was so.”
3157
3158Without pretending, Tsukasa answered Leo's question.
3159
3160“I know your abilities, but I don’t think that everything would have ended for you without injury if you were faced with a serious Illegal MAP.”
3161
3162So leave the pursuit to us. Also, I would like to ask you to also withdraw SMAT.
3163
3164It seems that Tsukasa answered the questions of Erika and Leo, in order to finally say this.
3165
3166“Then, all the best. We are advancing in pursuit of the remaining saboteurs.”
3167
3168Tsukasa said, who saluted (today Tsukasa was in combat gear and in a helmet, and apparently it was no different from other male soldiers), turned back to Erika and Leo, and went to her comrades.
3169
3170Watching the army convertible cars leaving this place, Erika spoke to Shoji, who had just come up.
3171
3172“Though the army said it, but what will SMAT do?”
3173
3174“Regardless of who the adversary is, any crimes within the country are under the jurisdiction of the police. Even if the army says that we withdraw our forces, we won’t obediently sit idly by.”
3175
3176Shoji's lips rose at the corners, showing boldness and arrogance inherent in people from the Chiba family dojo.
3177
3178“Erika-ojousan, could you escort the victim home? And tell the details tomorrow.” “...Okay.”
3179
3180Erika didn’t persist. She came here to help Honoka, and wasn’t particularly interested in arresting terrorists. The desire to do this, though present, was weak.
3181
3182She was a little concerned that the target of the enemy was the murder of Tatsuya. But, they are unlikely to succeed with his murder. Erika was sure of this, without even listing all the rationales proving it.
3183
3184Erika decided to follow Shoji's request and escort Honoka home. At the same time, she politely refused the offer of the detachment commander to provide them with escort from the personnel. Instead, she reluctantly took Leo to accompany her. They sat in the Cabinet transportation system which was still unable to move independently along with Honoka, and went to her house.
3185
3186◊ ◊
3187
3188Arriving at Odawara, Minoru got out of the car at the station. Minami went after him.
3189
3190The faces of both, of course, were changed, but not by Parade. It was a disguise, using makeup props, prepared by Zhou Gongjin in his hideout. The “Parade” at the moment was focused on concealing only their location.
3191
3192In the car, the androids received from Kudou Makoto, in which Parade attached individual information about Minoru and Minami remained. Turning the autopilot on, Minoru sent the car further east along the coast. The car was set to self-destruct when it reached the city of Zushi, but Minoru thought it would be discovered and caught up to much earlier.
3193
3194Minoru's and Minami's destination was Yokosuka. That is, their route and direction of travel coincided with the car that was left. From the point of view of common sense, in order to break away from the pursuit, you need to go in a completely different direction. However, in the current case, the coincidence of courses made sense.
3195
3196“Kaso Tonkou”... I hope it works as it should...”
3197
3198Deciding that in order to hide from Tatsuya's sight, magic is needed that combines the effects of “Parade" and “Kimon Tonkou", he hastily literally blinded the magic of “Kaso Tonkou" in a hurry. He himself understood that it was a hastily made, temporary spell. Although being limited in time, Minoru used all his strength and invented this magic. Therefore, even now he had a slightly inflated sense of conceit, although it wasn’t easy to see at a glance.
3199
3200Does Kaso Tonkou count as a cheat? You won't know until you run away. The car has already started, leaving Minoru and Minami behind. The plan he developed to ensure a successful escape has already started being carried out.
3201
3202The die is cast.
3203
3204It's too late to doubt anything. All that's left is only to act.
3205
3206Minoru and Minami got into an individual Cabinet. The destination of the “military port of Yokosuka" was chosen.
3207
3208◊ ◊
3209
3210When Tatsuya remained quite a bit before Odawara, he saw how Minami's Eidos split in two.
3211
3212“What does it mean?"
3213
3214If it weren’t a highway, Tatsuya would have stopped the bike on the side of the road. Instead, he switched the motorcycle to semi-automatic mode, and began to reflect on this mysterious phenomenon.
3215
3216“The coordinates, as before, can’t be determined."
3217
3218“The specific point is unknown, but at least the area where the target may be is known."
3219
3220“But now. even the vague location data split in two and set in motion?" Tatsuya felt that this wasn’t from “Parade,” or “Kimon Tonkou.”
3221
3222This phenomenon had features of both of these magics at once. Tatsuya had the impression that this wasn’t the use of two magics at the same time, but a kind of merging of “Parade” and “Kimon Tonkou.”
3223
3224“Did Minoru create a new magic?"
3225
3226If this is true, then it means that in such a short time Minoru surpassed what Kudou Retsu had been creating for decades.
3227
3228Also, it can’t be said that it is completely impossible. Because none other than Tatsuya himself in less than a week approached the completion of the “Astral Dispersion” magic.
3229
3230“No, it’s not important now."
3231
3232In this situation, the problem wasn’t the speed with which the magic used was developed. Tatsuya reproached himself, his thoughts were going in the wrong direction.
3233
3234“Which of them is Minami's Eidos... that is, Minami herself?"
3235
3236In the end, this is the only thing that really needs to be figured out.
3237
3238Tatsuya completely left control of the equipment to autopilot, and sent his consciousness to the information dimension.
3239
3240“The first one moves along the road along the coastline."
3241
3242“And the other... on the same road? No, on the line of intercity public transport...?"
3243
3244Tatsuya's “sight" couldn’t see what was hidden under the disguise. Due to the same direction of movement, the areas of possible location overlapped, erasing the differences between the two Eidos.
3245
3246“... For starters, I'll get to the place where they separated."
3247
3248The “disguise" showing the current location of Minami was divided near the Odawara station. Tatsuya switched control back to manual, and drove to Odawara Station.
3249
3250◊ ◊
3251
3252The most important rule for the members of the Illegal MAP squad, in carrying out the tasks assigned to them, was “by no means to fall into the hands of the local authorities.” It was necessary to hide the fact that they were committing crimes and terrorist acts on instructions received from the USNA government.
3253
3254Even if they didn’t have with them any property indicating a connection with America, they could be forced to admit if they were caught alive. But, even if they aren’t recognized, the information can be obtained by pulling it out of their brain. A certain amount of information can be read even from the brain of a corpse, so if it came to suicide, then they should blow up their brain.
3255
3256Gabe Shuuya and Iggy Ho, taken aback by a sudden attack by counterintelligence units led by Toyama Tsukasa, blew their heads off with small explosive devices made especially for suicide. But, such a self-explosion is the last resort. To avoid this, it was important to plan an escape route.
3257
3258In addition to Gabe and Iggy, the remaining eight members of the Horsehead unit slipped away from the raids of the army intelligence department, using an underground tunnel designed for transporting cargo. But, they still couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief. Squad Leader Al Wan knew that they were being pursued by at least two separate teams. The operation failed, but now it was more important to shake off the chase.
3259
3260They advanced down the underground tunnel about one kilometer in less than one minute. They used magic to get around, so there was also a chance that they were spotted. Without waiting for an order from the commander, the surviving members of the Horsehead squad one by one began to enter the helicopter.
3261
3262The helicopter, which they looked at in case they needed to escape, belonged to some news service. In truth, this place was on the territory of a branch of a large newspaper company. However, there was no secret collusion between this company and Illegal MAP.
3263
3264A preliminary inspection showed that the helicopter located here is extremely inefficient. They had to rely on such an escape route. After all, “efficiency is extremely low" doesn’t mean that it “doesn’t work at all."
3265
3266There was also no guarantee that the helicopter would be present here. If they were unlucky and the helicopter was currently in flight, then they planned to hijack another vehicle. So if you look at the circumstances from the point of view of luck, then to some extent it was “not so bad."
3267
3268Bart Lee, who had sat down in the pilot seat, immediately began the take-off procedure. Al Wan pulled a mobile terminal from the waist bag, specialized in communication functions, designed to intercept military and police radio communications.
3269
3270Putting the speaker to the left ear, he first tuned to the frequency of the police radio, as it was easier to decipher. However, before he could hear the police talks, the incoming message signal came on at the terminal.
3271
3272The sender of the message, shown on the display of the compact terminal, was "USNA fleet". From such an unexpected message, Al Wan frowned, but still pulled multi-functional smart glasses from his breast pocket and put them on his head. By clicking on the smart glasses icon on the communication terminal, he paired these devices, and a message appeared before his eyes.
3273
3274When Al Wan ran his eyes over the plain text message without any pictures, his eyes widened under his smart glasses.
3275
3276“Who are you!?”
3277
3278Through the microphone, the question Al Wan asked the communication terminal, automatically converted it to text and was sent to the other side.
3279
3280The answer came immediately.
3281
3282“Seven Sages? Why do Seven Sages provide us with information about Shiba Tatsuya?”
3283
3284All of Al Wan's subordinates heard his voice and turned around. Even some isolated members of the Illegal MAP in prison were aware of the "Seven Sages" as an influential force.
3285
3286“...OK I understand. This time I will believe you.”
3287
3288Al Wan unceremoniously turned off the receiver, and without removing his smart glasses, turned toward the pilot seat.
3289
3290“Bart, fly to the freeway leading west from Kamakura to Odawara.” Shiba Tatsuya has been seen riding on this road.
3291
3292“Understood.”
3293
3294Without saying anything extra, Bart set up a new route in the flight navigator. “Commander, what kind of group is Seven Sages?”
3295
3296Ellie Chao, seated on the right of Al Wan, asked in an inward tone.
3297
3298“The mission entrusted to the Horse Head is the murder of Shiba Tatsuya. You don’t have to worry about other things.”
3299
3300Al Wan answered Ellie, having read aloud the message he received earlier as a reply.
3301
3302“Though it gets on my nerves, the Seven Sages are right. In our case, the reliability of the source of information should be ignored.”
3303
3304“And what will we do if it's a trap?”
3305
3306The helicopter had already begun to rise, and Ellie Chao was still appealing with questions.
3307
3308“Then we will break through.”
3309
3310Al Wan told her in an orderly tone.
3311
3312
3313
3314
3315
3316Chapter 13
3317
3318
3319Tatsuya arrived at Odawara Station about 10 minutes after Minoru and Minami got to the station and on to the Cabinet, heading for Yokosuka.
3320
3321The clock was 18:00, Friday. The station had a lot of arriving and departing passengers, so it was difficult to find a psion track here.
3322
3323Also, the Eidos, shown by “Elemental Sight,” was still divided in two. Even if we walk back through the time stream before the separation, two different ways of Eidos were observed: in one of them two people got out of the car and got into the Cabinet, while in the other the two stayed in the car and drove further east. Unfortunately, Tatsuya couldn’t distinguish which Eidos was real and which was fake.
3324
3325“The only thing that is known for sure is that both are heading east.”
3326
3327Both parts of the information about Minami divided into two, moving in the same direction. If you choose which of them to pursue, then the fastest route was to go along the highway that runs along the coastline. That is, on the route the car in which Minoru and Minami drove in from the very beginning.
3328
3329“... I don’t like it, but nothing can be done about it.”
3330
3331He had a feeling that he was doing exactly what Minoru had planned, but he had no other choice. Tatsuya drove the motorcycle to the entrance of the highway.
3332
3333◊ ◊
3334
3335Having successfully completed the manipulation of the Horsehead unit, the “Seven Sages”... in other words, Raymond Clark began working on the following “secret report." For him, since becoming a Parasite, which was considered a useless addition by the Stars, it was a chance to show what he can do. Raymond's face had intensified.
3336
3337The next recipient for his information was the Japanese police. And it wasn’t the SMAT squad chasing the Horsehead. It was one of the police stations of the regional police, which even now is still sometimes called the “Prefecture Police.” More specifically, it was the Odawara police station.
3338
3339He looked at the text he had just typed on the keyboard, and grinned. For real-time communication, Raymond used voice input, but he preferred to type the first message he sent with the keyboard. From this message it seemed to him more like a “secret report,” which was very important for Raymond's so called “hobby.”
3340
3341“A terrorist on an electric motorcycle was spotted in the vicinity of Odawara station. There is a fear that he might arrange a battle because of internal differences among terrorists. He is supposed to head for Kamakura." “Isn't it too arduous...?”
3342
3343Muttered Raymond, looking at the written text in Japanese. “Ok, sending. Anyway, it won’t give us much extra time.”
3344
3345And right after that, to dispel his doubts, he pressed the submit button. “So... Tatsuya, will you fight the police from your own country?”
3346
3347There was a smile on Raymond's face. But it was a smile not from a villain, but that of a mischievous child.
3348
3349◊ ◊
3350
3351There was a suspicious message that made a fuss at the Odawara police station. The email stated that a terrorist had entered Odawara.
3352
3353After reading the message, the police first laughed at it, taking it as a stupid joke.
3354
3355But just in case, they decided to watch the live broadcast from the cameras next to the Odawara station (unlike with a recorded one, it was easier to watch live video). They managed to find the same motorcycle and rider, which was described in the message. As a result, more than half of the police officers were in favor of taking action.
3356
3357By itself, a black motorcycle with a fairing (an external motorcycle part which is used to increase streamlining & reduce drag) wasn’t uncommon. The same can be said about the black riding suit. However, the combination of a black motorcycle and a black rider for some reason seemed suspicious to them.
3358
3359“Chief. I found out the owner of the bike.”
3360
3361The officer who checked the license plate reported on the intercom. Quickly finding out the owner meant that at least the license plate wasn’t a fake.
3362
3363“It is registered to a legal entity in Tokyo. The name of the office is Hanabishi Motorsport.”
3364
3365“Who is their representative?”
3366
3367“The registered name is Hanabishi Hyougo. It seems that this is a small auto repair shop of an individual entrepreneur.”
3368
3369“I see. Thanks.”
3370
3371In addition to the heads of the criminal investigation and traffic control departments, front-line officers also gathered in front of the chief.
3372
3373“What do you think?”
3374
3375“No violations have been observed. At the moment we have no reason to stop it for verification.”
3376
3377The chief of the traffic department answered the question of the chief. After him continued the commander of the detachment of operatives.
3378
3379“Let's take the police armored cars and follow him? If there really is an exchange of fire between terrorists, then ordinary patrol cars and motorcycles won’t be able to protect officers from danger.”
3380
3381After the end of the Third World War, the armored cars of the Japanese detachment of special-purpose operatives were special armored vehicles of their own (Japanese) production, converted for police business.
3382
3383“You're right.”
3384
3385The chief agreed and ordered the assignment of a special purpose unit.
3386
3387◊ ◊
3388
3389“Target detected!”
3390
3391Charlie Chan, who had stuck his head out of the helicopter, using special magic to replace binoculars and a night vision device, stuck his head back into the helicopter and shouted it.
3392
3393Al Wan, sitting on the opposite side, slightly pushed the door open, stuck the upper half of his body out, and prepared to shoot the assault rifle that he took from self- defense forces in their earlier encounter .
3394
3395“Bart, take us down lower and get closer!” Al Wan ordered, shouting over the wind.
3396
3397The machine gun was taken during battle, so there were no extra magazines. This machine gun wasn’t the only means of attack, but from the point of view of preventing the enemy's counterattack, it was more reliable.
3398
3399“Understood!”
3400
3401Bart Lee shouted just as loudly, and directed the helicopter into a decline. Al Wan caught sight of a black-clad motorcyclist.
3402
3403◊ ◊
3404
3405About 10 minutes after departure from Odawara Station, when Tatsuya had already traveled about 20 kilometers, he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter in the east.
3406
3407Intuitively feeling the gaze that was clearly directed at him, he directed “Elemental Sight” in that direction.
3408
3409It was a news company helicopter whose course ran through Kamakura from the border between the cities of Yamato and Ayase. And on board were combat magicians...
3410
3411He read this information at about the same time as the machine gun fired at him.
3412
3413Tatsuya sank beneath the hood, lifted the front wheel high and aimed the motorcycle at the approaching helicopter.
3414
3415There were no firing sounds. Obviously, a high-end silencer was used.
3416
3417Released from the assault rifle, small-caliber bullets flew in different directions, hitting the fairing of “Wingless” the electric motorcycle. Fortunately, there were no other vehicles within reach of the bullets that ricocheted.
3418
3419At this rate, Wingless would inevitably fall, as it was in an unstable position with the wheel pulled up, so Tatsuya's magic lifted him into the air.
3420
3421The next shot flew under the motorcycle and hit the road, breaking through the road's surface.
3422
3423Continuing to gain altitude with “Wingless," Tatsuya hit the helicopter with both wheels.
3424
3425A dent was formed on the wall of the helicopter, and was strongly shaken.
3426
3427The stolen helicopter began to fall rapidly, but managed to level out just before the collision with the ground. Then began to take off again.
3428
3429Before he was attacked by a squad of assassins sitting inside the helicopter, consisting of combat magicians, Tatsuya activated magic, while flying away from them with all his might.
3430
3431The helicopter turned into a giant fireball. The wreckage didn’t scatter like an explosion.
3432
3433Because the helicopter was turned into dust by “Mist dispersion" - the decomposition magic of Tatsuya.
3434
3435The fireball was formed because the flammable substances present in the helicopter's hull caught fire, and the other combustible substances were set on fire by a chain reaction. In this case, the combustion process was relatively slow. Consequently, such a fireball gave a very weak blast wave, and thanks to the height at which the combustion occurred, the road wasn’t damaged at all.
3436
3437However, for surrounding people such a fireball in the cloudy sky close to sunset was quite a shocking sight. It wasn’t yet 7 pm. Not only 7 pm, but 7 pm on a weekday. On this highway at that time a lot of cars were moving in both directions.
3438
3439Because of the very first shooting, the flow of cars has already stopped, and panic started from the sudden fireball among the drivers.
3440
3441People abandoned their cars and ran along this suspended road. But precisely because of this there are almost no people left.
3442
3443Tatsuya's flying motorcycle landed on the road. Eight human silhouettes flew out of the fireball.
3444
3445Four of them were burned corpses, and four more were magicians who survived the flames.
3446
3447Tatsuya stopped Wingless and jumped off the seat. His opponents could have had other means of attack by long distance. Instead of taking the risk, and continuing to ride a motorcycle, substituting the opponent, he decided to finish them off right now, even though it would take some time.
3448
3449All four magicians had the appearance of 35 to 45 years old. Three men, and one woman.
3450
3451Tatsuya didn’t read their personal qualities recorded in their Eidos.
3452
3453He read only the information about the sequences of magic that these magicians tried to build, as well as information about the structure of the bodies of these four.
3454
3455He didn’t use the built-in CAD suit with full mental control, but pulled out a specialized pistol-shaped CAD from his belt holster and directed it at the magician holding an assault rifle in his hands.
3456
3457All four magicians began preparing for the activation of magic. Ignoring this, Tatsuya pulled the trigger of his CAD.
3458
3459His favorite CAD “Trident" launched the activation sequence of his three-step decomposition magic “Trident".
3460
3461The reading and then construction of the magic sequence was performed instantly. The time spent was approximately equal to the time of work of the CAD itself.
3462
3463Tatsuya simultaneously activated four three-step decomposition magics. 4 x 3 magical processes were performed simultaneously.
3464
3465Four combat magicians...
3466
3467Their external and internal data fortification interfering with the phenomenon was scattered...
3468
3469The data reinforcement armor protecting the physical body was broken...
3470
3471And the bodies themselves were decomposed to the level of chemical elements. Small flames lit and immediately disappeared.
3472
3473This effect arose from the ignition of flammable substances present in the composition of the human body.
3474
3475This phenomenon, which looks like the “burning of the human body", was actually “erasing the human body."
3476
3477Three-step decomposition magic, “Trident". Three men, and one woman.
3478
3479For Tatsuya's magic... that is, for Tatsuya himself there was no difference between men and women.
3480
3481The four magicians surviving fire instantly disappeared from being, while the other four ended their lives in the form of burnt corpses.
3482
3483Only two members of the Horsehead of the American Illegal MAP squad caused heavy damage to the counterintelligence army unit. Eight of these soldiers didn’t last three minutes against Tatsuya by himself.
3484
3485In less than three minutes, they were completely destroyed by Tatsuya.
3486
3487From the west, under the howl of sirens, an armored car approached. It was a special transport detachment of special-purpose operatives, which advanced by pushing the cars out of the way left by panicked people.
3488
3489Another was followed by the second one.
3490
3491Tatsuya returned the CAD to his holster, and ran to his motorcycle. He started the engine, and the motorcycle instantly sped up.
3492
3493Under current circumstances, Tatsuya couldn’t waste time talking to the police. Fearing consequences in the distant future, he also couldn’t afford to decompose the police cars with magic. The license plate of this motorcycle was duly registered with law enforcement. The registration data also contained information that could in one way or another indirectly lead to Tatsuya.
3494
3495With the power of thought, he activated the CAD built into the suit.
3496
3497Having activated the magic of “Decomposition", he released it in front of him.
3498
3499Surveillance cameras installed on the highway, as well as on the public road 800 meters ahead, were disconnected from the wires, and they ceased to function.
3500
3501He then activated the magic of flight.
3502
3503Tatsuya jumped with his motorcycle and descended onto the public road, which runs under a hinged highway.
3504
3505Then he clicked one of the switches located on the console, fixed in the middle of the steering wheel.
3506
3507The appearance of the motorcycle changed.
3508
3509The color of the fairing has changed from black to dark blue. The inscription on the license plate was rewritten to another.
3510
3511The traffic on this detour has decreased after the construction of the high-speed overhead highway, but even now here on the highway there were calmly traveling cars that Tatsuya deftly drove around. He sped up the bike and headed further east. After a while, he returned to the highway and continued the pursuit.
3512
3513◊ ◊
3514
3515An individual Cabinet has arrived in Yokosuka. Minoru, who walked onto the platform, barely contained his desire to check the current location of Tatsuya.
3516
3517If he directs Elemental Sight at Tatsuya from here, then Kaso Tonkou will be destroyed with a high probability. The escape isn’t over yet. Don’t be distracted until the very end.
3518
3519Minami came out of the Cabinet. Her lowered gaze rose and headed north, then sank back into the floor. Her attention wasn’t directed towards Tatsuya who was pursuing them. In the direction Minami looked, the city of Tofu was located, and there Miyuki should have already returned home to the apartment in her high-rise building.
3520
3521Minoru felt it was better not to ask what Minami was thinking. It was so obvious that she remained attached to her former life when she spent day after day with Tatsuya and Miyuki.
3522
3523... Can I just go and take her away like that? Such doubts developed in Minoru.
3524
3525... Isn't it too late for me to think about this?
3526
3527He mentally ridiculed himself. However, he couldn’t help thinking about it. Minami didn’t need to escape from Japan.
3528
3529There is no guarantee that the USNA Army will treat Minami politely. If she leaves Japan, only Minoru will remain her only friend.
3530
3531The USNA Army may try to take Minami hostage to control Minoru.
3532
3533And then they can even try to use him to kill Tatsuya.
3534
3535Minoru could do nothing with the idea that it would be better for Minami if he ignored his feelings and they parted here.
3536
3537“Minami-san...” “Yes?”
3538
3539Minami responded to Minoru's voice, without raising her head and not meeting his eyes.
3540
3541... are you staying here?
3542
3543... Let's say goodbye here.
3544
3545He was close to saying one of these phrases. “... Let's go?”
3546
3547But in the end he didn’t offer to leave.
3548
3549The word he uttered meant a request to go with him. “...Yes.”
3550
3551Minami agreed.
3552
3553Minoru went, and Minami followed him, keeping some distance.
3554
3555...Everything is good.
3556
3557... because she agreed.
3558
3559Minoru convinced himself with such thoughts.
3560
3561And he once again vowed to himself that he would surely protect Minami.
3562
3563Minoru led Minami who was behind him, and they headed to the Yokosuka military port.
3564
3565◊ ◊
3566
3567After the battle with the Horsehead detachment took about 15 minutes, and he had already drove into Kamakura, Tatsuya saw the car he pursued with the naked eye.
3568
3569It happened 10 minutes later than Tatsuya expected. The time he loss due to the descent from the highway in order to shake off the police cars pursuing him took longer than he spent repelling the attack of the Horsehead detachment.
3570
3571“Something is wrong here..."
3572
3573Now that he wasn’t only observing the goal through the information dimension, but also saw her physically, he could clearly feel the discrepancy that wasn’t visible from Odawara.
3574
3575Minoru and Minami, who were riding in this car, didn’t have a temporary depth. They had only about one and a half hours of history. In other words, these were copies made about an hour and a half ago.
3576
3577“I see... If the twin was made in the last 24 hours, then you can determine that it is a twin, if you go back through the history of Eidos?"
3578
3579With the self-reproducing thought of “thinking too late,” Tatsuya retained this discovery in his memory.
3580
3581But he could have made this discovery around Lake Saiko, when he caught up with Kudou Soshi, playing the role of bait. However, there was no point in punishing himself for what had already happened.
3582
3583This time he was beautifully deceived. It was necessary to remember this in order to not run into this problem again.
3584
3585But this time, Tatsuya didn’t stop pursuing the car like he did with Soshi, because he decided to try to extract information about the real object from the copied Eidos. And in order to read information more reliably, he had to stop the car and touch the “someone or something” to which the copy of Eidos was attached.
3586
3587Stopping the car in a rude way, like removing the wheels or destroying the engine, could cause an accident, so this method was undesirable. It would have been better if the vehicle's security system had issued a stop command due to a malfunction that would not lead to an accident.
3588
3589Considering the options of what can be broken, Tatsuya decided to disconnect the wires of the computer control system that soften the blow in an accident.
3590
3591Carefully aiming, he activated decomposition magic. The computer controlling the airbags, seat tilt angle and emergency braking was disconnected from the system.
3592
3593As Tatsuya planned, the car slowed down and stopped on the sidelines.
3594
3595Overtaking the car, Tatsuya parked the motorcycle in front of it, went to the front passenger seat and pulled the door handle. The door was locked, so he destroyed the locking mechanism with magic. Opening the door, he put his left hand on the head of a ginoid sitting in the passenger seat (the android in the form of a woman).
3596
3597On the ginoid there was a copy of Minami's Eidos.
3598
3599Tatsuya went back through the story of the Eidos from the time this copy was made.
3600
3601And this time he went even further, in search of the original Eidos, which became the source for copying.
3602
3603Something like that could be done because the Eidos used for masking the ginoid was reproduced by copying information from the original. At the time of the copying process, the copy is always in contact with the source, so if you go back to this point, you can stumble upon the original Eidos.
3604
3605True, with clothes or accessories that people used, it doesn’t work. But with parts of the body, such as hair or bodily fluids, this is quite possible. If the hideout in the Sea of Trees wasn’t burned by the firing magic of Fujibayashi Nagamasa, Tatsuya could have searched for Minami's hair there, and determined her location much earlier.
3606
3607Although it was Minami. She must have carried out a complete cleaning in the hideout, leaving no dust and hair there. Just as she did in the hospital ward, when she was ready for discharge.
3608
3609But this wasn’t the point to think about.
3610
3611For the first time since the abduction of Minami, Tatsuya came into contact with her present Eidos, not exposed to “Parade" and “Kimon Tonkou." Now Tatsuya won’t lose sight of her, if he doesn’t withdraw his sight from her deliberately. No matter how Minoru disguises her, he won’t be able to fake the information obtained as a result of a search in records about the past.
3612
3613“Hmm?”
3614
3615Tatsuya had a short chuckle.
3616
3617The copies of Eidos from Minoru and Minami, attached to the androids, suddenly disappeared.
3618
3619Perhaps Minoru noticed Tatsuya's touch and canceled his magic.
3620
3621Or the condition “cancel if someone touches" was imposed on the magic in advance. But whatever it was, the result was one... or rather, two.
3622
3623First, Tatsuya lost track of Minoru.
3624
3625Secondly, Tatsuya aimed his “sight” at Minami so that he would not lose sight of her anymore.
3626
3627The first will be true until they come in contact again.
3628
3629The second will be true until he himself wishes for the opposite. But this result was satisfactory.
3630
3631Now he knew the current location of Minami. “Yokosuka military port?"
3632
3633Minami was currently near the entrance to the military port of Yokosuka. Minoru should be there too.
3634
3635In order to finally settle this question, Tatsuya decided to fly to Yokosuka using the flight function of the “Freed Suit.” “...What the?"
3636
3637But he couldn’t fly.
3638
3639Because at this moment Tatsuya was prevented in a completely unexpected way.
3640
3641◊ ◊
3642
3643From the Cabinet transportation station to the entrance of the military port in Yokosuka, it was about 450 meters along the road. Such a distance, according to average calculations, can be covered in about 6 minutes. Minoru and Minami took 10 minutes to travel this route.
3644
3645The slow pace was a sign of their doubt. Both Minoru and Minami were hesitant.
3646
3647They were both confused, wondering whether it was possible to continue to move on without changing anything.
3648
3649... Is it possible to continue to be silent without telling this to Minami? That was the question Minoru asked.
3650
3651... Is it possible to continue to be silent without telling Minoru this? That was the question Minami asked.
3652
3653Each of them felt guilty about deceiving the other.
3654
3655Minoru didn’t say that he assumes that the USNA Army may try to use Minami as a hostage against Tatsuya.
3656
3657Minami didn’t say that she was provoked by Yakumo with help from the statement that “following Minoru is for the good of Miyuki."
3658
3659While they were walking, they wanted to admit it several times, but they couldn’t speak.
3660
3661Without confessing to each other, they reached the main gate of the military port of Yokosuka.
3662
3663At the gate, in addition to the soldiers of the self-defense forces, stood an officer of the USNA fleet.
3664
3665More precisely, it was a young man dressed in a military uniform of a junior officer.
3666
3667-	Hello, Minoru. I came to pick you up.
3668
3669-	Raymond. But you...?
3670
3671The man who came to pick them up was one of the Parasites, Raymond Clark.
3672
3673
3674
3675
3676
3677Chapter 14
3678
3679
3680At that moment, when Tatsuya tried to take off with the help of the magic of flight, the top and bottom were swapped. He stood in the clouds of the evening sky, and on top was the smooth surface of the freeway.
3681
3682Logically, it was an illusion.
3683
3684Turning to heightened vigilance from such an ability, which managed to cover his mind with an illusion in one instant, Tatsuya interrupted the activation of the magic of flight and began to prepare to use “Gram Dispersion” to dispel this illusory vision.
3685
3686But at that very moment, as he interrupted the magic of flight... The inverted world become normal again.
3687
3688“I have a feeling from this technique of illusions..."
3689
3690The word “feeling" Tatsuya expressed some atmosphere, the distinctive features of magic, which he couldn’t clearly describe.
3691
3692The words weren’t important at the moment. The problem was that he remembered this magic of illusions.
3693
3694Tatsuya activated the magic of flight. This time, he no longer interrupted it immediately before activation. Gravity control has already begun to act.
3695
3696However, he decided not to take his feet off the ground. And again, heaven and earth swapped just before activation.
3697
3698The magic of flight is, roughly speaking, a “fall” in a chosen direction, by changing the gravity vector.
3699
3700If Tatsuya were already in the air, he would lose his sense of direction and couldn’t control the magic of flight. But Tatsuya didn’t lose awareness of where the top, bottom, left, and right, because he felt the road's surface through the soles of his feet.
3701
3702Intervention in the sense of direction is almost the same as that of “Kimon Tonkou.” So, the techniques borrowed from the same source as that of "Kimon Tonkou ” were introduced into Ninjutsu?
3703
3704If the purpose of the illusion wasn’t to let Tatsuya fly, then in this situation the goal can be considered fulfilled. However, now that the magic of flight was in the process of execution, he couldn’t cancel the illusion. Tatsuya considered the sequence of illusion magic, which continues to operate until now, and from the history of the activation process he determined the place where this magic was released.
3705
3706Tatsuya canceled the magic of flight and at the same moment released Counter-Magic Spell.
3707
3708When a “Counter-Magic Spell” is released on a magician who doesn’t use magic on himself, it doesn’t have the effect of canceling magic.
3709
3710However, this action has the effect of smoking out a hidden enemy. The flow of psions under high pressure, shakes the psionic field, enveloping a person. And this shaking spreads into the surrounding space in the form of random vibrations.
3711
3712If the caster applied the magic of illusion in motion, the “Interruption of the spell” would seem to be a simple shot into the void, however, apparently, this enemy didn’t want to hide completely.
3713
3714A man with a thin physique in monastic attire appeared before Tatsuya. Tatsuya knew this man by sight.
3715
3716The one who, with the help of an illusion, prevented Tatsuya from going further, turned out to be Kokonoe Yakumo, whom he called “master.”
3717
3718◊ ◊
3719
3720An open-top car with Raymond behind the wheel in which Minoru and Minami got into, drove slowly through the territory of the naval base in Yokosuka.
3721
3722“Raymond. Have you had any problems with your stay in our country?
3723
3724It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, so there were few people on the inner road of the base. As well as people driving cars too. Therefore, it was possible not to worry about eavesdropping.
3725
3726“Problems?”
3727
3728Asked Raymond. At the same time, no pretense was read in his voice.
3729
3730“Were you harassed by the police in Osaka? I thought that search activities have yet to cease.”
3731
3732“Oh, you don''t have to worry about it. Until we leave the base, there will be no problems.”
3733
3734The USNA Army had the right to use the naval base at Yokosuka, but it wasn’t subject to extraterritorial rights, allowing them to not comply with Japanese laws. However, it was also a fact that it was difficult for the police to obtain the right to conduct an investigation on the territory of the army base. Minoru, who didn’t know what the relationship between the army and the police was easily agreed with this, deciding that it was so.
3735
3736“Minoru, you also got here safely. Tatsuya didn’t catch up with you?” - Raymond asked with a big smile.
3737
3738"Yes, that expression on his face I'm familiar with..." thought Minoru and answered: “He is probably still pursuing us so far.”
3739
3740And after a short pause added:
3741
3742“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tatsuya-san appears over our heads right now.” “In the airspace of a military base? Even Tatsuya won't go that far...” Raymond shook his head first...
3743
3744“... No, Tatsuya can, and probably will do it.”
3745
3746... and quickly corrected his opinion. “So we better hurry.”
3747
3748Having said that, Raymond increased the speed of the car.
3749
3750While Minoru and Raymond were talking, Minami sat silently beside Minoru. Raymond never turned to Minami.
3751
3752◊ ◊
3753
3754“Master, what is the meaning of this?”
3755
3756The fact that Tatsuya spoke in an accusatory tone with the very first phrase was, under current circumstances, quite reasonable. Without any warning, he was attacked by illusion.
3757
3758“Well, don’t be so angry. Maybe we should talk a little?”
3759
3760Yakumo wasn’t eager to respond properly. Having come to this conclusion, Tatsuya again tried using the magic of flight to go in search of Minami.
3761
3762But Yakumo's spell again prevented Tatsuya. “Master! Have you decided to side with Minoru!?
3763
3764Naturally, Tatsuya raised his tone.
3765
3766The usual slippery smirk disappeared from Yakumo's lips.
3767
3768“Kudou Minoru and Sakurai Minami-jou have already arrived in Yokosuka. Perhaps now they are already boarding the ship.”
3769
3770“Therefore, I must hurry.” “What for?”
3771
3772“What?”
3773
3774From his manner of speech Tatsuya's politeness finally disappeared. “Tatsuya-kun. Why do you need to hurry?”
3775
3776“If they go to sea, it will grow into a dilemma.”
3777
3778“Into a dilemma? But your own actions have already grown into big problems.” “...”
3779
3780Tatsuya was stymied by such a counter argument.
3781
3782“With a special squad looking for you. There hasn't been any armed shootouts on public roads in our country even during the war. And also the blasting of a helicopter and four burnt corpses. The police won’t be able to avert their eyes to such an incident.”
3783
3784“...”
3785
3786“Leaving a car with ripped tires near Lake Saiko was also a bad decision. The second son of the Kudou family already testified to the police and caused confusion in the Magic Association. And you started a fire that began in the Aokigahara “Sea of Trees.” Fire protection rushed there in full swing.”
3787
3788“That...”
3789
3790“You should be well aware that excuses like “I didn’t do it,” and “it didn’t happen through my fault” won’t work here. And it's not only about today's events. Automatic dolls were blown up near the hospital in Tofu. Do you know what kind of excitement was caused with only a few demons released? The death of Kudou Retsu and the related unrest in the army was also indirectly caused by your quarrel with Kudou Minoru. It can also be argued that the standoff around Minami-jou also has to do with the fact that the events on Miyaki-jima didn’t go unnoticed.”
3791
3792“... And why are you interfering with me now?” “Do you think I should let you go?”
3793
3794To Tatsuya question, issued in a desperate voice, Yakumo answered in a cold-blooded tone, without raising his eyebrow.
3795
3796“Minami-jou is still a human being, right? Is this not proof that Kudou Minoru respects her opinion? He himself is undoubtedly a demon, but he doesn’t harm Minami-jou.”
3797
3798“That is... do you mind if Minami becomes a Parasite?”
3799
3800“It's not up to me to decide. Staying human or not - it depends on her own choice. This isn’t something you or Miyuki-kun should interfere with.”
3801
3802Tatsuya clenched his teeth tightly, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them wide. “Kokonoe Yakumo. Don’t disturb me!”
3803
3804“No, I will disturb you. I'll make sure you keep me company for a while.”
3805
3806
3807
3808
3809
3810Tatsuya forcefully pushed off the ground and flew up.
3811
3812However, Yakumo's illusion didn’t let him fly more than 10 meters, as a result he fell back to the ground.
3813
3814◊ ◊
3815
3816Minoru and Minami were transferred from the car to a small boat. It was a common rowboat without a roof, which had a small motor with a propeller attached. Raymond was driving a stern-mounted lever that turned an old-fashioned rudder.
3817
3818On this boat it was impossible to cross the Pacific Ocean. Apparently, a larger vessel awaits at sea. Minoru didn’t ask about this, so as not to interfere with Raymond's control of the boat.
3819
3820But contrary to his concern, Raymond spoke himself. “Looks like Tatsuya didn't make it.”
3821
3822“Will we board the ship soon?”
3823
3824Raymond words seemed an ominous omen, so Minoru, feeling some impatience, asked this question.
3825
3826“Yeah, soon.... Oh, there it is already in sight.”
3827
3828Although Raymond said this, Minoru didn’t see any ships nearby. “Submarine...?”
3829
3830Muttered Minami, sitting next to Minoru.
3831
3832Hearing her voice for the first time in a long time, Minoru looked again at the surface of the sea.
3833
3834“There...?”
3835
3836In the place where he looked, there was barely any of the dome-shaped object coming up from beneath the water. “You noticed, finally?”
3837
3838Raymond answered Minoru for some reason with pride in his voice.
3839
3840“High-speed transport ship fully submersible type, “Coral." Well, it should be easier to call it a transport submarine.”
3841
3842“Fully submersible type?”
3843
3844-	Yeah. And it also has the function of minimizing vibrations... oh, let's talk about it when we are inside.”
3845
3846Without slowing down, Raymond tilted the engine forward to lift the propeller and steering wheel out of the water.
3847
3848They drove directly to the dome - the back of the transport submarine.
3849
3850Raymond grabbed the thin pole, which became visible only when they got next to it.
3851
3852It seems that it served as a signal, because a gap appeared in the curved hull of the submarine - a large hatch opened.
3853
3854“Okay, here we go.” Raymond jumped off the boat.
3855
3856Minoru also set foot on the hull of the submarine. A sensation of a soft surface that wasn’t as slippery as he had expected was transmitted through the soles of his feet.
3857
3858He extended his hand to Minami and helped her off the boat on to the submarine's hull.
3859
3860Following Raymond, they walked up the steps, going down from the opened hatch. Behind them, the crew dragged the small boat inside the ship.
3861
3862The hatch closed automatically when they descended the stairs.
3863
3864Raymond turned and spread his arms wide.
3865
3866“Welcome to the USNA Naval Transport Ship, Coral.”
3867
3868Raymond said this to Minoru and Minami in a dramatic, theatrical tone.
3869
3870◊ ◊
3871
3872Tatsuya barely managed to land on his feet, because of the illusion of Yakumo which made him fall. Repositioning himself after landing, he flew again, but this time horizontally to the east. He wanted to fly up immediately after he got out of the area of effect of the illusion magic of Yakumo.
3873
3874But the illusion again forced him to interrupt the flight. Turning in flight, he stopped by braking his feet on the road. Having slipped back and forth a few meters, he raised his head and looked at Yakumo, who continued to stand still.
3875
3876Tatsuya's right hand reached to his belt. He pulled “Trident" out of the holster and aimed his “barrel" in Yakumo's direction.
3877
3878The image of Yakumo slowly wavered and dissipated like smoke. Tatsuya kicked off the road.
3879
3880But not to take off.
3881
3882He rushed forward and lunged with his fist one meter to the left of the place where Yakumo disappeared.
3883
3884A soft breeze wrapped around Tatsuya. The air around Tatsuya suddenly became heavy and viscous like oil.
3885
3886Tatsuya's forefinger pulled the activation switch on his CAD, in the form of a trigger. But not in order to blow away the air that is enveloping his body.
3887
3888And in order to erase the magic that gives the viscosity to the air, and return freedom to his body.
3889
3890Tatsuya lunged with his left hand. Not with a fist, but palm forward.
3891
3892The left palm, with the fingers pointing upwards, struck into the space in which there was no one to see.
3893
3894There was a sound.
3895
3896And it wasn’t the sound of hitting hand in hand. It was a shrill echo, like a metal hammer striking a shield.
3897
3898The transparent haze cleared, as if blown away by this sound. In its place, the figure of Yakumo appeared, oxidized Tatsuya left palm with his right hand.
3899
3900Tatsuya jumped back.
3901
3902The throwing knife-kunai, thrown by Yakumo from his left hand, only pierced Tatsuya's after image.
3903
3904Tatsuya returned the “Trident" from his right hand to the holster. Instead, he pulled out a combat knife with hand protection from somewhere. He abandoned his favorite CAD because he decided to switch to close combat.
3905
3906The output of activation sequences can be made using the suit's built-in CAD with full mental control. Instead of his usual CAD in the form of a pistol, he chose to take a blade in his hand. Tatsuya came to the conclusion that Yakumo couldn’t be defeated by magic alone.
3907
3908Yakumo grinned and threw another kunai.
3909
3910Tatsuya didn’t shy away from him, but knocked him off with a knife in his right hand.
3911
3912Tatsuya tried not to take his eyes off Yakumo. But as soon as he turned his gaze to the kunai for a moment, Yakumo disappeared from his sight.
3913
3914Tatsuya switched his perception to “Elemental Sight."
3915
3916However, at that very moment, nine Yakumo's appeared in his “field of vision.”
3917
3918They ran and jumped around Tatsuya.
3919
3920However, in reality only the dull landscape of the highway was visible around him. Occasionally cars drove by, avoiding the lane in which Tatsuya stood.
3921
3922“Is this the “Multiple Mirage Matoi?” - muttered Tatsuya.
3923
3924He gathered Psions in his left hand and squeezed it in his palm. He stretched his left hand forward.
3925
3926And immediately released nine psionic shells.
3927
3928Nine compressed psionic balls pierced the physical space along the coordinates where each Yakumo should have been.
3929
3930The eight Yakumo, which he “saw" in the information dimension, disappeared, and the remaining one appeared, but in a slightly different place.
3931
3932The ninth appeared right in front of Tatsuya.
3933
3934Yakumo appeared, swinging his short kodachi sword from top to bottom. Tatsuya took the slash with his knife blade.
3935
3936“Not bad.”
3937
3938After the blades were crossed , Yakumo's lips curved into a smirk. And Tatsuya's face, hidden under the helmet, still hasn't changed. Tatsuya extended his left hand.
3939
3940Yakumo stepped back with a big jump to dodge Tatsuya's left hand, which tried to grab his wrist.
3941
3942“So, you want to capture me? Do you think that if you grab me, you will know where I am, even if I use illusion techniques?”
3943
3944Tatsuya's face, hidden under his helmet visor, didn’t express concern that he had just been shown exactly what he was doing.
3945
3946The gliding movements of Tatsuya's legs went along with Yakumo. The image of Yakumo trembled and disappeared.
3947
3948Ignoring this, Tatsuya lunged with his right hand holding the knife. There was a rattle of metal on metal. At first there was only sound.
3949
3950Next came the figure of Yakumo. He moved the kodachi horizontally, sliding it over Tatsuya's knife.
3951
3952Tatsuya again extended his left hand forward, but Yakumo removed his right hand from the handle of the kodachi and knocked away Tatsuya's left hand with it.
3953
3954Tatsuya's hand protection that was built into the knife handle struck a small part of the kodachi.
3955
3956The kodachi which was being held with his left hand, fell out of Yakumo's hand. Tatsuya threw down the knife and extended his right hand to Yakumo's collar.
3957
3958Yakumo waived his right hand from top to bottom.
3959
3960In his right hand, at the same time, a small ball came from somewhere.
3961
3962When this ball hit the road and exploded, it became clear that it was a smoke bomb. Thick smoke appeared between Tatsuya and Yakumo.
3963
3964The figure of Yakumo dissolved in this smoke.
3965
3966At the same time, even when Tatsuya “looked” at the informational dimension “with his sight,” he still couldn’t detect Yakumo's Eidos.
3967
3968“Now that was pretty scary. But can you see me now?” The voice was heard as if it came from the front.
3969
3970Or was it heard from behind?
3971
3972No, it was heard in front and behind, left and right, top and bottom... but in general from all directions. But at the same time, for Tatsuya, the voice sounded as if he had just misheard and in fact didn’t hear anything.
3973
3974Tatsuya didn’t even try to search for the real Yakumo through searching for the source of the voice.
3975
3976His mind went to the past, but at the same time he looked at the present. Chasing the present from the past.
3977
3978False information superimposed on the present, and information about the present, obtained by scrolling from the past.
3979
3980Tatsuya lunged with his left fist, and was stopped by Yakumo's right palm. “How delightful.” - Praised Yakumo.
3981
3982A car approached Tatsuya and Yakumo. Through the windshield, one could see the driver's face with eyes wide open from shock.
3983
3984Tatsuya and Yakumo jumped in different directions to dodge the car.
3985
3986At that moment, Tatsuya realized that up to this point, the illusion of Yakumo was diverting passing cars, so that they would not interfere with their battle. Tatsuya realized that he was finally able to overcome the limits of Yakumo, to which he could simultaneously fight with him and control the drivers of cars.
3987
3988Yakumo jumped over the fence railing.
3989
3990Tatsuya followed him and jumped down from the highway.
3991
3992◊ ◊
3993
3994When Kuroba Mitsugu brought Fujibayashi Nagamasa to the shores of Lake
3995
3996Kawaguchi, he was subjected to fierce pressure from his son and daughter.
3997
3998“Otou-sama, please, tell me what is the reason? Why don't you send Tatsuya-san reinforcements?”
3999
4000“I have said many times why. Tatsuya-kun has already crushed an illegal squad of saboteurs from the USNA Army, and got rid of the pursuit of a special-purpose squad.”
4001
4002“But he is also hampered by Kokonoe Yakumo-sensei? I believe that you need to send help, regardless of whether he needs it or not.”
4003
4004The Kuroba family monitored the situation around Tatsuya, using the possessors of clairvoyance and Hearing wind powers.
4005
4006“Clairvoyance” is a superpower of distant vision, and “Hearing of a tailwind” is a superpower that allows you to hear from afar. Both of them are merely perceptions of physical signals. Such abilities weren’t enough to break through the illusions of Yakumo, but Tatsuya occasionally pierced these illusions, so observers were able to identify the enemy with whom Tatsuya fought.
4007
4008All information received by the Kuroba family was also sent to the main house. Among all the people associated with this problem, probably, only Miyuki didn’t know about the changes in the situation.
4009
4010“I agree with nee-san!”
4011
4012Fumiya complained in a heightened tone, agreeing with Ayako's words.
4013
4014“Now the main enemy of Tatsuya-niisan is time. Tatsuya-niisan it is important not to have lunch or lose, but to get out of there as quickly as possible! I believe that our help won’t be completely useless!”
4015
4016“Fumiya. Indeed, as you said, Tatsuya-kun's real enemy is now time. However, the real enemy who stands in his way is a man known as one of the best users of modern ninjutsu. Trying to fight him with a large number of people isn’t the best option. Most likely, if you go there to help, then, on the contrary, you will only delay Tatsuya-kun.”
4017
4018Mitsugu tried to dismiss Fumiya's protest, at first glance, with plausible arguments. And he realized that it worked when he saw an expression of frustration on his face.
4019
4020“Otou-sama, I don't think so.” However, he didn’t convince Ayako.
4021
4022“Kokonoe-sensei is a ninjutsu user. The field of application in which Ninjutsu shows itself well is the magic of illusions based on interference with the mind. Yes, I don’t have the ability to use mental interference with magic, but Fumiya, possessing high compatibility for this magic, can become good support for Tatsuya-san.”
4023
4024“Maybe you're right...”
4025
4026Mitsugu was a loving father. He appreciated the abilities of his son and daughter like no other.
4027
4028In fact, he also believed that Fumiya would be able to compete with Yakumo. Thus, only because Ayako was angry with him, Mitsugu couldn’t deny her arguments that coincided with his true feelings.
4029
4030“In addition, in our family there are also a lot of “ninjutsu users" who have gained knowledge from the teachings of the Koga clan. Maybe for one Fumiya it will be too much of a burden, but it seems to me that with the support of subordinates from toshu-sama he will be able to at least detain Kokonoe-sensei.”
4031
4032This also completely coincided with the opinion of Mitsugu. And he answered: “It's impossible. Maya-san... the head of the main family forbade it.”
4033
4034Finally, he revealed the true cause.
4035
4036“Head-sama!?” - In unison Ayako and Fumiya asked. “Why!?”
4037
4038This question was also asked simultaneously by two voices. “... I wasn’t informed of the reason.”
4039
4040Sensing a slight dissatisfaction in Mitsugu's voice, Fumiya realized that his father really didn’t know the reason.
4041
4042It looks like it was too hard for his father. Realizing this, Fumiya decided not to go further into this matter.
4043
4044But his sister Ayako had the opposite opinion.
4045
4046“I see. Then I will ask for the reason why directly from the head-sama.” “Nee-san!?”
4047
4048Fumiya tried to stop Ayako's rebellious behavior.
4049
4050But Mitsugu didn’t interfere with his daughter's selfishness.
4051
4052“Indeed... If it's Ayako, then the clan head will probably tell the truth.” “Thanks for the permission, Otou-sama.” Then, I'll go call.
4053
4054Having said that, Ayako stood up. “Nee-san, wait for me!”
4055
4056Fumiya, too, hurriedly jumped up and followed her.
4057
4058◊ ◊
4059
4060The place where Tatsuya and Yakumo had jumped was close to some kind of comprehensive high school. The territory of the schoolyard was extensive, and the whole landscape was covered with greenery. Yakumo led Tatsuya precisely here.
4061
4062But he led him, not just running away. He retreated, choosing the perfect moments to attack. Tatsuya couldn’t ignore them, and was forced to follow Yakumo into the courtyard of the high school.
4063
4064There were no signs of the presence of other people in the school building or outside it.
4065
4066At this time, there could still be school staff. And on the contrary, it would be strange that there would still be students at this time.
4067
4068However, it seems that in this school, students and staff also went home early due to the fact that the state of emergency wasn’t yet completely lifted. And maybe the school was even left closed or was out for summer holidays a little earlier.
4069
4070It wasn’t known why the decision was made. Only the result was known. The territory of this school was completely without people. At least that's what Tatsuya's perception said.
4071
4072Yakumo may have felt the same. Tatsuya himself understood this when he burst into the school grounds, and Yakumo, no doubt, learned about this fact from a much greater distance. At the very least, this is the kind of proof that Tatsuya developed.
4073
4074That is, Yakumo in advance was concerned not to involve people who weren’t involved in the case. But on the other hand, this meant that he no longer intended to restrain his techniques and abilities.
4075
4076Tatsuya was in the same situation. Although he felt that the battle is still not serious in the true sense of the word, but to the extent that this is possible in a battle not to die, he stopped holding back some time ago.
4077
4078More precisely, Tatsuya thought that he would not repent if it came to the decision to kill Yakumo. Honestly, he didn’t want to kill Yakumo for the sake of Minami. Tatsuya didn’t think that Minami was more important and more valuable than Yakumo.
4079
4080But since neither Tatsuya nor Yakumo were going to retreat, even the worst outcome could have been expected.
4081
4082And giving up the chase was for Tatsuya a better choice in order to avoid this “worst outcome.”
4083
4084◊ ◊
4085
4086“This is a request from the sponsor-sama.”
4087
4088When Ayako asked Maya on the phone about the reasons for the ban to send reinforcements, she answered her and didn’t hide the facts.
4089
4090“Sponsor-sama?”
4091
4092Ayako didn’t hide her surprise on the videophone screen. And it was quite natural. The intervention of the sponsors in the work of the Yotsuba family, which is already in the middle of execution, was extremely rare. In recent times, of such cases, one can only recall the acceleration of the resolution of the “Vampire Incident” that took place last winter.
4093
4094Besides, this time it’s not even a “job.” And the question of returning the servant of the Yotsuba family should not be related to the sponsors. Even Maya herself didn’t expect intervention.
4095
4096“Yes. I would like you to refrain from further participation in these events tonight."
4097
4098Approximately in such form there was a request to remove excess details. It didn’t say that we would directly stop Tatsuya-san, but we can’t yet send out any new help. The Yotsuba family isn’t subordinate to the “sponsors." They have relations as clients and a contractor, while they have almost equal provisions, and not the same as in the case of a subcontract.
4099
4100However , this relationship has not been established from a position of strength, where the Yotsuba family would take a dominant position. From the position of power (brute force), the Yotsuba family is higher, but the sponsors surpass it from the position of political and financial influence. Therefore, even when the request came in the form of a “request," Maya couldn’t reject it.
4101
4102“... Does that mean we’ll leave Minami-san?”
4103
4104“In the request from sponsor-sama it was spoken exclusively about “tonight.” We aren’t going to abandon Minami-chan.”
4105
4106“I spoke nonsense. I apologize.”
4107
4108“I understand your feelings, Ayako-san, but today I can’t allow the sending of reinforcements.”
4109
4110“As you say.”
4111
4112“Fumiya-san, did you understand everything?” “Yes, head-sama.”
4113
4114After asking for the opinion of Fumiya on the monitor, Maya ended the telephone conversation with Ayako.
4115
4116“And yet... what do these gentlemen really think about...?”
4117
4118She spoke in such a tone as if she was talking to herself, but at the same time she clearly spoke to Hayama standing behind her.
4119
4120“Perhaps they very much want to cleanse our country of the Parasites?”
4121
4122“It seems to me that it would be faster to destroy them, and not let them go abroad.”
4123
4124In fact, Maya’s discontent with the instructions of the sponsors was no less than that of Ayako.
4125
4126“Perhaps the gentlemen thought that eliminating Kudou Minoru took too much time.” “If so, they would have said so then...”
4127
4128Following the rules of decency, Hayama kept silent, without reacting in any way to Maya’s dissatisfaction, which she expressed like a young girl.
4129
4130◊ ◊
4131
4132The signal for the beginning of the battle was the rotation of the leaves in the wind.
4133
4134Elm, Oak, and Mountain cherry. Despite the midsummer, green leaves still began to fall from the trees growing in the schoolyard, as if they had been torn off or cut off.
4135
4136Both this leaf fall and the wind were unnatural.
4137
4138Tatsuya jumped aside before this swirling of leaves approached him.
4139
4140He didn’t manage to dodge some of the leaves, and they hit him on the arm, leaving a line of cuts.
4141
4142The leaves looked thin, but they were able to cut the “Freed Suit,” which possesses properties of being bulletproof, and durable to piercing and cutting blows.
4143
4144“Leaves" and “blades." It was probably “Imitation Magic” that used “kotodamas” - the word spirits.
4145
4146A swarm of leaves flying past spun in a big arc and again rushed at Tatsuya. Tatsuya's body was covered in blinding psion light.
4147
4148Contact-Type Gram Demolition.
4149
4150It was a special skill Tomitsuka Hagane used, with whom Tatsuya once fought. With the help of psion manipulation techniques, he developed a technique that has a similar effect with the unique ability of Tomitsuka.
4151
4152Touching psionic armor, the wind lost its power, and the leaves lost the properties of the blades and fell to the ground.
4153
4154“Is this a kind of “Mokuton-jutsu*” - 'Hidden foliage?'”
4155
4156[Tonjutsu - ninjutsu techniques (for stealth and escape) with the participation of the Five Elements. Roughly speaking, the use of each of the elements to distract the attention of the enemy. Fujibayashi Nagamasa's fire spell, for example, was also from Tonjutsu. Not so bad “distracted attention," having burnt the whole house. Prefixes for tonjutsu: Moku is a tree, Ka is a fire, Do is earth, Kin is metal, Sui is water.]
4157
4158[Read more about the Five Elements themselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/y-syn]
4159
4160Tatsuya canceled the psionic armor, and began to look for signs of Yakumo's presence.
4161
4162Not using his “Elemental Sight." In the course of the battle on the highway, it became clear that Yakumo possesses techniques capable of deceiving “Elemental Sight.” Relying only on that is too dangerous. Rather, on the contrary, there are more opportunities to fall for some trick of Yakumo.
4163
4164Tatsuya's perception caught not the location of Yakumo, but signs of activation of magic.
4165
4166Right under his feet.
4167
4168Tatsuya abruptly jumped from this place.
4169
4170While he was in the air, all the leaves that fell to the ground at the same time caught fire.
4171
4172The fire was quite strong, as if dried leaves were burning, not fresh and green.
4173
4174“Is this “Katonjutsu" the magic of fire adhering to the system of the Five Elements?"
4175
4176According to the system of the Five Elements, “wood makes fire." By forcefully applying this concept to reality, this magic burned the fresh leaves as if they were dry. Perhaps this, too, can be called the magic of the spirit of the word.
4177
4178The fire didn’t go out even after the leaves burned. Tatsuya was pursued by a physically impossible fire magic burning without combustible substances.
4179
4180It wasn’t a real flame.
4181
4182It was an illusion of a flame.
4183
4184However, Tatsuya knew that if you touch this flame, it will burn the skin. Tatsuya threw a projectile of compressed psions into this illusory flame. “Gram Demolition."
4185
4186Illusions are nothing but information that doesn’t possess a material entity. And the psion projectile just blew it away.
4187
4188He didn’t use Gram Dispersion because he was cautious, suggesting that a trap might be waiting for him in the process of reading the magic sequence.
4189
4190Of course, this could be unnecessary suspicion. But if the goal of Yakumo is to seal Tatsuya's special abilities, making him cautious, then it turns out that Tatsuya has already fallen for his trick.
4191
4192But Tatsuya wasn’t so simple.
4193
4194“If he follows the Five Elements, then the next one will be “Earth.”
4195
4196“Dotonjutsu?”
4197
4198Tatsuya with both legs high up, while still in the air, extinguished the flames an instant before landing. And at the time of landing he strongly stamped them on the ground.
4199
4200Psionic waves, propagating from the soles of his shoes, shook the surface of the earth.
4201
4202The magic sequence that began to “get infected" by coming into contact with the “ground" obtained from the ashes of the burnt leaves was broken by the psionic shock wave.
4203
4204“And you are well-versed in the Technique of the Five Connected Tonjutsu.”
4205
4206In the schoolyard, Yakumo's voice echoed, the source of which was impossible to determine.
4207
4208Tatsuya first heard the name “Technique of Five Connected Tonjutsu," but he decided not to be distracted by this.
4209
4210It was probably magic that, uses the principle of the interaction of the Five Elements, connected together the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Tatsuya himself suggested this when he was able to predict the attack with the help of Dotonjutsu, the magic of the earth.
4211
4212However, he didn’t give this thought the slightest bit of the resources of his mind. Instead, he concentrated his mind on finding the location of Yakumo.
4213
4214“Only this isn’t the end.” Yakumo's words weren’t a bluff.
4215
4216Guided by intuition, Tatsuya looked up.
4217
4218An innumerable number of needles fell from above.
4219
4220Tatsuya had to exert all his strength to breakthrough and avoid this swarm of long needles, which were coming down with considerable acceleration.
4221
4222Needles with a length of about 30 centimeters, one after another, stuck into the ground of the schoolyard. Their length and thickness were completely the same. Obviously, they were made with one standard for use as a throwing weapon.
4223
4224Periodically activating the magic of self-acceleration using his instant recall technique, Tatsuya dodged all these long, thick, and sharp needles, arriving from the sky.
4225
4226However, he didn’t leave a moment of time for a break. The needles stuck into the ground still existed. From all these needles emanated signs of magic activation.
4227
4228“Magic of the release system?"
4229
4230The fact that this magic creates lightning, Tatsuya intuitively felt, not even using his “sight."
4231
4232“By the way, “ninjutsu users" and “exorcist-onmyoji" are completely different things!"
4233
4234In general, in the ideology of the Five Elements, lightning refers to the element of the tree. The generally accepted principle of interaction between the element of metal and the element of tree seems like “metal beats tree,” therefore it can’t lead to the phenomenon of using metal needles of lightning. Tatsuya's discontent was based precisely on this inconsistency, but regardless of his swearing thoughts, he had already begun to confront another real threat.
4235
4236By activating the CAD embedded in his suit with the power of thought, Tatsuya released the activation sequence.
4237
4238The construction of the magic sequence took just an instant.
4239
4240And it wasn’t “Gram Dispersion” - the magic of decomposition of information bodies, designed to neutralize magic.
4241
4242It was “Mist Dispersion” - the magic of decomposition, designed to break down any object, solid or liquid, into their basic molecules & elements by interfering with the structural information.
4243
4244Several objects of the same form can become the goal of decomposition magic as a single set of objects. This is an extremely useful feature of Tatsuya's decomposition magic.
4245
4246All the needles that fell from the sky were of the same length and thickness, and ended with the same point. This made it possible to recognize them as a single set of objects.
4247
4248One step ahead of the activation of the magic set in the needles, Tatsuya applied “Mist Dispersion" at the same time on all the needles stuck into the ground.
4249
4250The forest of needles instantly disappeared, as if they evaporated.
4251
4252And along with this, the magic built into the needles was also forcibly canceled.
4253
4254The power of intervening in a phenomenon harvested to perform magic has lost the place in which it should have fallen.
4255
4256Most of the force of intervention in the phenomenon simply scattered into the surrounding space, but a small part of it returned to the caster in reverse.
4257
4258If Tatsuya had not previously observed the true nature of the force of the intervention in the phenomenon, he would have lost sight of it.
4259
4260If magic had been released from a remote place, unattainable for the usual five senses, then Tatsuya, who wasn’t able to see pushions, couldn’t do anything.
4261
4262But now this place was within the reach of ordinary sight. Pushion streams rushed to one point, which was in sight of Tatsuya.
4263
4264Tatsuya (like most other magicians), although he couldn’t recognize Pushion information bodies, but he could vaguely feel the Pushion streams.
4265
4266Tatsuya confidently saw how the Pushion fluxes returned to the exorcist — that is, to Yakumo.
4267
4268The distance to it was about 25 meters away from him. Which was within reach of his “Gram Demolition."
4269
4270Tatsuya squeezed a lot of psions into his hand in less than an instant...
4271
4272And a shot of compressed psions from the right palm set forward.
4273
4274A dazzlingly shining, powerful psionic stream collided into the trunk of a suspicious- looking elm tree towering on the edge of the schoolyard.
4275
4276Ripples appeared on the surface of the trunk.
4277
4278As if emerging from muddy water, the silhouette of Yakumo appeared from this ripple.
4279
4280Then before he turned to Tatsuya.
4281
4282Hearing a quiet voice from this distance won’t work. But according to the movement of his lips, Tatsuya could read the question of Yakumo: “Did you find me?"
4283
4284But at the same time he looked tense like nothing more than a child found while playing hide and seek.
4285
4286Tatsuya didn't say anything in return.
4287
4288He only rushed off in the direction of Yakumo.
4289
4290◊ ◊
4291
4292High-speed transport ship Navy USNA fully submersible type, “Coral". Inside it, accompanying Minoru wasn’t only Raymond.
4293
4294Raymond led Minoru and Minami behind him, and behind them were two soldiers and one female officer. They walked along the wide aisle towards the stern of the ship. The female officer was First Lieutenant Zoe Spica, the Parasite of Stars, having a class of First Stars magnitude.
4295
4296The spacious interior of the warship “Coral" contradicted the generally accepted image of a long and narrow submarine. Perhaps it was designed so that there was even more space on it than on a luxury passenger liner.
4297
4298“This is your cabin, Minoru, and next to it is the cabin for your girlfriend. However, the lock is locked only from the inside. Sorry about that.”
4299
4300“I wasn’t going to ask for luxury. But thank you for the individual cabins.”
4301
4302Minoru gratefully replied to Raymond, who was completely apologetic when he apologized.
4303
4304“Though perhaps it was better to put you in one cabin?” “It's nothing like that.”
4305
4306Minami didn’t react to this teasing of Raymond, as if her face had a mask, and Minoru answered with a short, dry phrase.
4307
4308He seemed to be trying to hide his embarrassment in this way.
4309
4310“Oh, yes, by the way. The fact that you can’t close the door from the outside also means that you can’t open the door from the outside. This means that if the door is locked , then no one can find out what you are doing inside.”
4311
4312Raymond added with a smirk.
4313
4314“That's unlikely. Also did you say that there are no surveillance cameras.” Minoru voice lost its power. He didn’t even try to hide his dark feelings.
4315
4316Minoru and Minami were strangers here. And on a warship it is impossible to remain without observation. Minoru believed that the statement about the impossibility to open the door from the outside - a blatant lie. It is unlikely that the USNA Army was so good.
4317
4318“No, no, it's true. You aren’t prisoners of war, but guests. Such rudeness like peeping is impermissible.”
4319
4320Minoru decided to ignore Raymond's stupid joke and changed his mind about arguing about it.
4321
4322“Since you are treating us with such hospitality, can you at least let us know where we are going?”
4323
4324Minoru had not yet heard from Raymond about the destination of this ship, and didn’t know where Minami was taking him. “Of course, we can.”
4325
4326Raymond nodded.
4327
4328Lieutenant Spica and two soldiers didn’t stop Raymond. Therefore, Minoru thought that treating them not as prisoners of war was probably not a lie.
4329
4330Without even noticing that he was being treated with suspicion, Raymond turned his face to Minor and said:
4331
4332“This ship is heading to a naval base on the Pearl and Hermes Atoll.
4333
4334◊ ◊
4335
4336Tatsuya abruptly approached Yakumo. Made a false lunge with a left hook. And with an actual right uppercut Yakumo took a hit to his his left elbow.
4337
4338Opening his left hand, Tatsuya pulled him to Yakumo's right hand and grabbed hold of him. Even though it was through a glove, he definitely felt that he had touched Yakumo's hand. That is, in front of Tatsuya now, undoubtedly, was the real Yakumo.
4339
4340But despite this...
4341
4342Tatsuya was hit in the back with a heavy blow.
4343
4344Tatsuya lost his balance, leaning forward. Yakumo aimed his right hand at his head. A blow that flew in from behind was affected by the blind spot in the limited field of view of Tatsuya's helmet. Tatsuya semi-intuitively tilted his head diagonally forward and to the right.
4345
4346It wasn’t possible to completely dodge, and Yakumo's right hand touched the helmet.
4347
4348Without resisting the impulse of impact, Tatsuya rolled over in the direction in which he had tilted his head. Rising, he took off and dropped his helmet. The final blow had the power to penetrate this helmet. More precisely, this power really pierced the helmet.
4349
4350His armor or helmet won’t protect him from Yakumo's attack. Such a helmet, which impeded visibility, is only a hindrance when the enemy has strikes that penetrate armor. Tatsuya took off his helmet, because he understood it instantly.
4351
4352With his head now exposed, Tatsuya rushed to Yakumo at an even higher speed than the last time. His left jab rushed to Yakumo's face.
4353
4354But the enemy didn’t even budge or dodge. It was an illusion.
4355
4356Tatsuya stopped the left jab a moment before his hand was fully extended, then opened his hand and sent it down.
4357
4358And with his palm in this position, he waved his left hand down.
4359
4360This hand touched Yakumo's monastic attire. The illusion was canceled, and the real Yakumo appeared.
4361
4362Tatsuya grabbed Yakumo by the collar of his monastic robes around the collarbone.
4363
4364And he tried to activate the magic of decomposition on the fingertips of his left hand. He tried to inflict damage by making a hole with “decomposition” in the places where his left hand made contact with the body of Yakumo.
4365
4366But before Tatsuya managed to activate his magic, a side blow flew to his right. Tatsuya involuntarily had to remove his left hand and increase the distance away from Yakumo.
4367
4368At the same time, Yakumo also stepped back to the place behind the mountain cherry tree growing nearby.
4369
4370“That was dangerous. I can’t thoughtlessly let you get so close.”
4371
4372Yakumo mumbled in a tone in which the tension was read. It seems that the last attack almost managed to get him.
4373
4374About Yakumo, Tatsuya now didn’t have time to talk. “What was that blow just now?"
4375
4376Tatsuya couldn’t recognize the last attack that caused him damage. “It wasn’t a left-handed hit. I saw Kokonoe Yakumo's left hand."
4377
4378“With his right hand from that position, he couldn’t strike at that angle."
4379
4380“The legs also don’t fit. I saw the left leg. As for the right leg, the angle is even bigger than for the right hand."
4381
4382“... Was it 'direct pain?'”
4383
4384Tatsuya involuntarily voiced the thought that came to his mind out loud.
4385
4386The magic of mental intervention “Direct Pain." It's magic that hurts the mind directly, bypassing the physical body.
4387
4388“Other than Fumiya, are there other users of it?"
4389
4390“Direct Pain" is magic that his second cousin Kuroba Fumiya masterfully owned. However, Tatsuya didn’t know anyone except Fumiya and who would put it into practice. Tatsuya considered this magic to be a kind of innate superpower that only Fumiya could use. But it turned out that...
4391
4392“...I was wrong?"
4393
4394“Wrong. This isn’t 'Direct pain.'”
4395
4396Seeing Tatsuya's doubt, Yakumo spoke to him.
4397
4398“This technique is called “Gishin Anki.*” Pure Ninjutsu. Well, more precisely, only one of the many secret techniques in ninjutsu.”
4399
4400[Literally, something like “dark spirit, deceiving the body."] “'Gishin Anki'...”
4401
4402“Technique, though secret, but it works very simply. This is a kind of illusion that causes the enemy to hallucinate that he “received a blow." Well, have you heard about hypnosis? There is a phenomenon when the subject's skin blisters like a burn, when he is inspired, as if touched by a red-hot iron rod. “Gishin Anki" is a technique that allows you to do this, skipping the procedure of hypnosis. That is, it can be applied without words, simply by putting your own fighting spirit into it. At the same time, unlike “Direct Pain,” it is the physical body that feels the pain. And this pain won’t disappear until you destroy the illusion.”
4403
4404Simultaneously with the completion of this monologue, a blow flew into Tatsuya's belly. He lost his breath, and he involuntarily stepped back half a step.
4405
4406Yakumo's verbose speech wasn’t intended to boast of his scholarship and skills. Just a strong impression of the existence of a technique called “Gishin Anki" was supposed to enhance its effect.
4407
4408In desperation, Tatsuya released “decomposition." But this magic, as if entangled in the mountain cherry tree branches, ended up failing to activate.
4409
4410Technique “body substitution."
4411
4412A high-level ninjutsu user like Yakumo can’t just use the “body substitution." Unlike the standard “body replacement," Yakumo left in the branches of the tree a double with his Eidos. That is, Tatsuya tried to apply magic to this deception. And if you decompose structural information that doesn’t have a material entity, then it simply doesn’t affect the material world.
4413
4414Tatsuya realized his haste and clicked his tongue.
4415
4416And he took the chance to meet the counter-attack of Yakumo. Tatsuya was expecting an attack with the Gishin Anki technique. Therefore, directed “Elemental Sight" at himself.
4417
4418He considered that if pain was caused by a hallucination, the illusion technique should be directed straight at his body.
4419
4420In the information dimension, the viewpoint isn’t fixed. Therefore, he could “see" himself even without a mirror.
4421
4422In the informational dimension, Tatsuya “saw” how two large snakes crawled out of the ground right under his feet, twisting in a spiral around his body. These snakes were chains of magic sequences. In order to use only one illusion, Yakumo built dozens of magic sequences, divided into two groups.
4423
4424Tatsuya covered his body with psion armor. Contact-Type “Gram Demolition."
4425
4426However, the snakes from the magic sequences didn’t collapse. And didn’t even bounce off.
4427
4428They just wriggled around the psionic armor. And the hallucination effect began to seep into the armor-forming psion.
4429
4430Tatsuya canceled the contact-type “Gram Demolition" and activated “Gram Dispersion."
4431
4432This time, the magic sequences of illusion dissipated.
4433
4434In order not to be deceived again by the “substitution of the body,” Tatsuya began to look for Yakumo's Eidos with his “sight.”
4435
4436He found nine informational bodies of Yakumo. Probably one of them was real, and eight were doubles. Surname “Kokonoe*" and Nine Doubles. A very symbolic coincidence.
4437
4438[Kokonoe ( 九重): approximate translation (if surnames could be translated) - “nine- fold", “nine-nine yen"]
4439
4440Instead of releasing the magic of decomposition of information bodies to erase the twins themselves, Tatsuya tried to activate the “decomposition” aimed simultaneously at nine information bodies at once. At the moment, he has already increased the number of objects that he can simultaneously aim at, up to thirty-two. If you don’t follow the two-step procedure, which consists of erasing the twins and aiming at the real body, but simply aiming at both the twins and the real body at the same time, this will save some time and increase reliability.
4441
4442However, immediately after Tatsuya set out to target nine information bodies, he was again attacked by the snakes of the magic of illusions.
4443
4444Yakumo was an experienced combat magician. He wasn’t stupid enough to silently wait for Tatsuya's attack.
4445
4446Tatsuya neutralized this scattering illusion.
4447
4448And again found every Eidos double of Yakumo.
4449
4450But an instant before he had managed to aim the magic at them, the illusion reappeared and attacked him.
4451
4452All this was repeated many times.
4453
4454Apparently, Tatsuya and Yakumo had exactly the same speed of magic activation.
4455
4456But it was Yakumo who made the very first move, so Tatsuya couldn’t overtake him in building magic.
4457
4458Yakumo couldn’t attack, but at the same time Tatsuya couldn’t attack. It all came down to a draw with alternating repetitive actions.
4459
4460That's just the time everything went and repeated.
4461
4462And the time lost in this battle meant victory for Yakumo, and defeat for Tatsuya. The illusion attacked, the illusion disappeared.
4463
4464It took time to activate Gram Dispersion to erase the illusion, so Tatsuya didn't have time to attack.
4465
4466To destroy illusions, it was necessary to abandon attacks. “... Do I really need to destroy these illusions?"
4467
4468Tatsuya thought with another part of his consciousness, not responsible for the application of emotion.
4469
4470“If you don’t destroy the illusions, then I will get hit by the technique of 'Gishin Anki.'”
4471
4472“Then my body will have to endure the pain."
4473
4474And at that moment the direction of his thoughts changed. “But why should this pain bother me?"
4475
4476“Even when something hurts, it doesn’t mean that the motor functions are damaged." “This is only pain."
4477
4478“Am I not accustomed to such pain, which exists only in the form of sensations?”
4479
4480During Tatsuya's “Regrowth” the reverse tracking process in an instant, in a concentrated form, recognizes the information received by the object. When using “Regrowth” to heal wounds, he feels all this pain, accumulated from the moment of injury until the application of “Regrowth,” in a moment in a concentrated form.
4481
4482He personally experienced pain already tens or hundreds of times more intense than the pain of a fatal injury.
4483
4484He experienced the pain of hundreds of people, intensified tens and hundreds of times.
4485
4486“The pain can be simply ignored." - Thought Tatsuya. Such determination greatly simplified the matter.
4487
4488A sharp pain shot through Tatsuya's chest.
4489
4490Ignoring it, Tatsuya activated a two-fold “decomposition."
4491
4492First, he laid out the Strengthening of the data, covering the shoulder joints of nine information bodies corresponding to the twins of Yakumo, and his real body.
4493
4494Yakumo, himself, and his doubles became partially defenseless.
4495
4496With an absolutely zero time delay, he laid out the tissues of the body. Skin decomposition
4497
4498Muscle breakdown
4499
4500Blood vessels, nerves and other body tissues found in a straight line — everything was also decomposed.
4501
4502A hole was drilled in the joint of the right shoulder. Signs of Yakumo's presence faltered.
4503
4504In the information dimension only the real body remained, and the twins disappeared. At the same time, the figure of Yakumo appeared in the sight of the naked eye.
4505
4506Tatsuya instantly moved to Yakumo, dropping to one knee.
4507
4508And he put the edge of the palm to Yakumo's throat, on the edge of which was a “decomposition” prepared for activation.
4509
4510“... Master. This is the end.” “... I admit. I lost.”
4511
4512The killing intent then disappeared from Tatsuya's eyes. “No, I lost.... Minami has left Japan.”
4513
4514Immediately after Yakumo was neutralized, he focused his “sight" on Minami. So he learned that Minami was already outside the territorial waters of Japan.
4515
4516In international waters, a sovereignty rule applies on board any vessel assigned to a State. For civilian courts, this rule can be ignored, but an encroachment on the sovereignty of military ships can easily ignite international conflict.
4517
4518The easy solution to this problem from now on has become impossible. “I see.”
4519
4520Yakumo didn’t smile. He didn’t have his usual vague smirk on which it was impossible to read his thoughts. Instead, a feeling of fatigue emanated from him, as after the finished work.
4521
4522“Master.”
4523
4524Tatsuya said and stretched out his hand to the right shoulder of Yakumo. The hole in Yakumo's shoulder instantly disappeared.
4525
4526“Thanks.”
4527
4528Yakumo smiled wryly.
4529
4530Between them, the familiar atmosphere reappeared. “Can I hear the reason?”
4531
4532“The reason why I prevented you?”
4533
4534Tatsuya nodded silently in response to Yakumo's question. “Alright.”
4535
4536Yakumo agreed, continuing to sit on the ground.
4537
4538But he didn’t begin to tell immediately. Mumbling “Let me think...,” he seemed to be pondering how best to explain everything.
4539
4540“In our country there are people who really don’t like the filth generated by demons.” “I know.”
4541
4542Tatsuya nodded.
4543
4544“No, I'm talking about an organization unknown to you.” Yakumo shook his head with a bitter smile.
4545
4546“The people in this organization don’t hold any posts in the government. They have no official status. But in our country they occupy the second place in terms of influence.”
4547
4548“Secret state rulers?”
4549
4550“Well, you could say that. This time I worked at the request of these people. The request was to banish these monsters - Parasites - from our country as soon as possible.”
4551
4552“... So you helped Minoru to escape?”
4553
4554“Sealing monsters for those people doesn’t look like a good option. Everyone understands that sealing is something that might break one day. Therefore, it is obvious that these people want to drive out the monsters, since they can’t be destroyed.”
4555
4556“And you can’t go against these people?” Tatsuya asked in a caustic tone.
4557
4558Yakumo answered him in exactly the same tone:
4559
4560“Among these people is also His Excellency Toudou Aoba. The expression disappeared from Tatsuya's face.
4561
4562With the face of Yakumo, too.
4563
4564An awkward silence arose between them. This silence was broken by Tatsuya.
4565
4566“Master, you always said that you are a hermit...”
4567
4568Even by this vague phrase, one could understand what Tatsuya wants to say. At that moment, the bitterest smile that evening appeared on Yakumo's face. “Yes, here you deftly caught me.”
4569
4570Yakumo muttered in such a tone as if now it wasn’t spoken about him at all. “That's for sure. This can’t be called mortal existence.”
4571
4572In addition, Tatsuya said nothing more, but turned his back to Yakumo who continued to sit on the ground with his legs crossed, and walked away.
4573
4574
4575
4576
4577
4578Chapter 15
4579
4580
4581Having taken the Wingless electric motorcycle left on the highway (fortunately, the police didn’t take it), Tatsuya sat on him and drove home. He arrived at the multi- story building in Tofu a little after 9 o'clock in the evening.
4582
4583“Welcome back, Onii-sama.”
4584
4585-	I returned.
4586
4587Tatsuya felt embarrassed that Miyuki had gone out to meet him straight to the front door. Today, he didn’t warn Miyuki in advance that Minoru was about to break into the hideout. While he was riding home on a motorcycle, he was constantly thinking how to explain to him now that saving Minami was getting harder and harder.
4588
4589However, he couldn’t think of anything. In the end, he didn’t know what to say.
4590
4591“Onii-sama, I heard from Hayama-san of today events.”
4592
4593It was none other than Miyuki herself who came to Tatsuya to help.
4594
4595When Kuroba Mitsugu appeared in front of Tatsuya then it became clear that the main house was following Tatsuya actions. And there was no reason to hide it from Miyuki. So it was reasonable to expect her to tell it.
4596
4597-	I see... Yes, the situation has become more complicated.
4598
4599-	Even Sensei stood on the other side and prevented you, so that nothing can be done. Miyuki needs only the fact that Onii-sama returned safely.
4600
4601-	I see... I'm sorry I made you worry.
4602
4603-	I don’t...
4604
4605Miyuki faltered and didn't know what to say.
4606
4607One look at such Miyuki for Tatsuya was enough to understand that she was really worried.
4608
4609Gently hugging Miyuki shoulders, he led her into the living room.
4610
4611They sat next to each other, and Miyuki sat for a while with her head on Tatsuya shoulder. Then, apparently, finally calming down, she carefully pulled away from Tatsuya and stood up.
4612
4613Miyuki blushed slightly around her eyes, but Tatsuya didn’t tell her that he had noticed this.
4614
4615-	I'll make coffee. Or is it better than tea?
4616
4617-	Let me think... Now, probably, I would like tea.
4618
4619-	As you wish. Tea to make hot?
4620
4621-	Yes. Thank.
4622
4623Miyuki left the living room and went to the kitchen.
4624
4625And as if to replace it, at that moment Lina appeared in the living room. “You are finally back, Tatsuya.”
4626
4627-	Lina. Have you been with Miyuki?
4628
4629-	Yeah. It seems that you had difficulties, however, and we had a big stir here.
4630
4631-...Something happened? - Frowning, asked Tatsuya Lina.
4632
4633-	It happened. Serious incident. I'll tell you when Miyuki returns. Although, perhaps, she wants to tell about it herself.
4634
4635-	I see.
4636
4637Tatsuya didn’t ask further.
4638
4639Lina also fell silent. It seemed that she felt embarrassed in the silence that had come, but it was she herself who offered to wait for “when Miyuki returned." However, it seems that she didn’t plan to cancel her last statement.
4640
4641Miyuki returned to the living room.
4642
4643-	Lina. I should have said you got up. I didn't cook for you. Hearing Miyuki say the word “rose," Tatsuya looked at Lin. Lina abruptly looked away.
4644
4645By the way, her hair was loose and slightly disheveled like after sleep.
4646
4647Looks like Lina decided to take a nap. Thinking that Lina would not like it if he asked if she was sleeping, Tatsuya decided not to touch this topic.
4648
4649-	I have enough juice.
4650
4651Still turning away from Tatsuya, Lina answered frantically in a cold voice. After that, she pressed a button on the console and ordered orange juice for herself in the home automation system.
4652
4653In an elegant manner, Miyuki placed a saucer in front of Tatsuya and a cup of tea on him. She put her kit on the table on the opposite side of Tatsuya. By the time she sat down next to Lina, the non-humanoid robot of the home automation system had already brought a glass of juice ordered by Lina.
4654
4655They had drinks now, and everyone exchanged glances again.
4656
4657-	Miyuki. Tell Tatsuya about the incident with Honoka and Mizuki? “Has something happened to Honoka and Mizuki?”
4658
4659Tatsuya looked at Miyuki with a serious look.
4660
4661Miyuki didn’t look away. She planned to tell Tatsuya about today events from the very beginning.
4662
4663-	Yes, the truth is...
4664
4665Miyuki told Tatsuya about the abduction of Honoka and the attempted abduction of Mizuki.
4666
4667-	With Honoka now Erika. It seems that the effect of the drug is still preserved, but according to a doctor organized by Hyougo-san, there will be no irreversible consequences.
4668
4669-	I see... This is a relief. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining.
4670
4671-	Yeah, that's for sure. And also, if it weren’t for Erika intuition, Mizuki would also be in great danger.
4672
4673-	You're right. Later, I will thank Erika.
4674
4675-	And also Pixie. If it weren’t for her, we would not be able to find out where Honoka was taken.
4676
4677-	Yes. Pixie, too, thank you.
4678
4679Tatsuya agreed with Miyuki and Lena who followed her. After which he fixed his eyes on emptiness.
4680
4681-... Onii-sama?
4682
4683-	M? Oh, sorry.
4684
4685-	What are you thinking about?
4686
4687Miyuki and Lina stared at Tatsuya with their looks, bending him to answer.
4688
4689-	No... What I thought was, perhaps, exaggeration. Neither Miyuki nor Lina looked away from Tatsuya. Having resigned , Tatsuya continued.
4690
4691“Honoka and Mizuki became targets of hostile armed forces just because they are my friends.” But I don’t intend to torture myself with the thought that it is my fault that they faced the danger face to face. This may sound insensitive, but the villains here are illegal saboteurs and the USNA government that sent them.
4692
4693-	This isn’ t unfeeling! What Onii-sama said is an indisputable fact.
4694
4695-	Right! As Miyuki said, the villains are the Illegal MAP and the Pentagon!
4696
4697Tatsuya was confused by the formidable faces of the two girls. The fact that Miyuki would protect him would have been expected for Tatsuya, but he didn’t think that Lina would join her.
4698
4699-	I am not going to take responsibility for the actions of USNA... but I also can’t pretend that I have nothing to do with it at all.
4700
4701“Does that mean you feel responsible for the safety of Honoka and Mizuki?” “Similar things can happen in the future.”
4702
4703-	Do you... have any specific plan?
4704
4705After asking Miyuki, Tatsuya showed unusual indecision.
4706
4707However, he couldn’t forever hesitate with the answer, therefore, in the end he decided.
4708
4709Tatsuya met Miyuki eyes, which from the very beginning didn’t take her eyes off him, and gave her answer.
4710
4711“... I thought, why not take care of the protection of Honoka and Mizuki by the forces of the Yotsuba family... no, by my own strength. Of course, if they themselves want.
4712
4713At that moment, he realized that such an answer wasn’t enough.
4714
4715-	I wasn’t only thinking about Honoka and Mizuki. But you should not worry about Shizuku, because behind it stands the whole strength of the Kitayama family... And also, should we also consider Erika, Leo and Mikihiko as those who need protection...? We need to think about it.
4716
4717-	I guess it won’t be superfluous.
4718
4719Miyuki didn’t object to Tatsuya words. However, if only Honoka , Mizuki, and Erika were the targets of protection , then she might have objected. Because it could be interpreted as a declaration of the so-called “harem." But this suspicion disappeared with the addition of Leo and Mikihiko to the list of names.
4720
4721-	And you gathered an impressive company. Gathered Xia founded the kingdom?
4722
4723Lina expressed her impressions in such a tone that it wasn’t clear whether she was joking or not.
4724
4725Tatsuya only smiled wryly, but Miyuki didn’t react at all.
4726
4727◊ ◊
4728
4729Japanese time: July 16, dawn. Local time: July 15, early morning.
4730
4731A fully submersible transport ship, the Coral, with Minoru and Minami on board, arrived at the USNA Pearl and Hermes naval base on the North-West Islands of the Hawaiian archipelago.
4732
4733(Continued in the next arc “Return")
4734
4735
4736
4737
4738
4739Afterword
4740
4741
4742Vol and released the first in the new era of “Rave *" edition of the series “Bad student in the school of magic." How do you like Volume 29, “The Chase (Part 2)"? Did you like it?
4743
4744[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rave]
4745
4746Above the picture of the collision of Tatsuya and Yakumo, I have been thinking since the early period of work on this series. And more specifically, over this confrontation “teacher against student” I began to think from about volume 13 “Cross with obstacles”. Volume 13 was released in April 2014, so we can say that it took a full five years to complete the work.
4747
4748In the drafts of the plot, I even had an absolutely serious battle, where Tatsuya killed Yakumo, but the final version was exactly the same as you read. As an author, I couldn’t come to an agreement that such strong emotions could arise between them or, like oh, any other excuse for them to fight to the death. Although in the final version some dissatisfaction is felt, but in the end it seems to me that such a contest of martial and magical arts, from which they both came out without injury, fits best into the plot.
4749
4750As I mentioned at the beginning of the afterword, last month His new Majesty the Emperor was crowned, and the era changed to “Rave." This is a good name in order to increase the productivity of my work... I think that I am not the only one who was concerned with the question of how to deal with the name of the era in fictional works about modern Japan and Japan in the near future.
4751
4752Therefore, I think that many were grateful when it was reported that all candidates were eliminated and only one remained. Although for many non-popular writers, this message won’t be a particular problem in terms of privacy policy.
4753
4754Many authors have fictional period names in fictional works, for example, “Showa”
4755
4756[ 照 和 ] instead of “Showa" [ 昭 和 ], “Taisho" [ 太 正 ] instead of “Taisho" [ 大 正 ], “Meiji" [ 明冶] instead of “Meiji" [ 明治]. There was also a book where “Showa" was simply replaced by “Sink". Therefore, I don’t even know how to choose the correct pronunciation for the fictional name of the era.
4757
4758In the novels that I am going to write in the future, I intend to use “Genk" instead of “Showa", and “Syubun" instead of “Heisei". This won’t violate the privacy policy, even if the last candidate isn’t approved.
4759
4760And what should I use instead of “Rave"...? I think “Eiko" will do. Or will it be easier to use the European calendar, as in the Mahouka series? Incidentally, this doesn’t mean that in the world of “Mahouka" the system of names for the periods of government was abolished. I just couldn’t think of how the era could be called 80 years later.
4761
4762This time, Tatsuya had a statement that could be misinterpreted as a harem ad, but Tatsuya doesn’t intend to change Miyuki. Polygamy, he also doesn’t plan.... Actually, I have plans to write a story with a similar plot, but at least in this series, and with this character nothing like this will happen. And you can be absolutely sure that this is my opinion will never change.
4763
4764As I said last time, the next 30 volume will be called “Return rotation *". It’s not yet decided whether this arch will be a two-volume or not. In the “Return", we will leave Japan, and we will face some excesses against the US Army. I’m concerned if I can dock the plot connectivity, but I’ll give up all my strength so that you find this plot terribly interesting, so please wait.
4765
4766[From the translator: I decided to use “return" instead of “salvation". For the literary translation of the word used sounds something like “return, repel, recapture your own (selected , stolen, etc.) with the use of force.”]
4767
4768Hope to see you again in the next 30 volume. ( Satou Tsutomu )