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National Defense Force Joint Military Command Staff Headquarters, Director-General's Office.
The occupant of the room, Director-General Akiyama, frowned doubtfully at the call sign that appeared on the direct line of his telephone.
He hadn’t gotten a single moment of shut-eye since before dawn.
He had been holed up in his office, trying to gather his thoughts on how to evaluate, and possibly, how to respond to that unsettling comet explosion. Not wanting to be disturbed, he had instructed his second-in-command, who was acting as his adjutant, to turn away any and all visitors and to stay off the telephone.
While still filled with suspicion, Akiyama pressed the pick-up button on the phone.
He didn’t speak, just curiously listened to the speaker. Naturally, there was a full security measure against hypnotic suggestion sounds in place. As soon as a sign of its composition was detected, the connection was automatically cut off.
"Excuse me, Your Excellency Akiyama. My name is Shiba Tatsuya."
But when he heard that voice, Akiyama nearly jumped out of his chair, struck by a completely different sense of urgency.
[May I please have a moment of your time?]
"Ri-Right, I don't mind."
Akiyama forcefully suppressed his agitation and answered the voice on the phone. He was tempted to inquire how on earth he had connected to this direct line, but he decided to leave that matter alone for now. After all, the person who had been creating so many headaches for him was making contact from their end. There were other things he wanted to ask.
[Thank you very much. Did you have a chance to observe the experiment this morning?]
"──Yes, I saw."
Akiyama was aware that his voice sounded hoarse.
Before he continued, he cleared his throat.
"…What on earth are you trying to do?"
[What is it that I’m trying to do?]
"What are your intentions?"
[Right. I suppose the main purpose was to demonstrate the prevention of disasters caused by celestial collisions. As you could have witnessed, catastrophic disasters brought about by the collision of near-Earth objects can be avoided by means of magic.] "So you're saying it was a demonstration of the beneficial uses of magic?"
[Not exactly. It's a bit of a lengthy subject, if you don't mind.]
"I don't mind. Feel free to elaborate."
While saying this, Akiyama checked the light of the recording lamp with his eyes, to make sure it was still working properly up until now.
[In conclusion, it was about the cooperation between magic technology and scientific technology. This experiment was designed to show the validity of that.]
"Scientific technology?"
[I believe it would be more accurate to say natural scientific technology. In this case, astronomy. I believe that Your Excellency is familiar with the field of magic technology, so I will spare you the theoretical details regarding the magic activation process.]
That wasn’t a flattering remark on Tatsuya's part. Although Akiyama himself lacks magical skills, he was known for being the most senior soldier of the pro-magician faction among the top brass of the National Defense Force.
[The point I’m trying to convey here is that any magic will be of no use if you cannot recognize the target's existence.]
Akiyama stopped short of saying, "Isn't that obvious?"
"…Like, if we can't detect a potentially dangerous celestial body, we have no means of dealing with it?"
[Precisely. This particular comet would have been very difficult to detect if it were not for the equipment and facilities offered by a very competent observatory. Once it got close enough to be spotted by commercial telescopes, it may have been impossible to avoid any of its debris.]
"…So?"
[If, hypothetically, the dangerous object was one that approached from the southern sky, from a point unobservable from Japan, as like now, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with it.]
"Why not? If you have the astronomical coordinates and image data, can't you target it?"
[If it’s on Earth, no, even as far as lunar orbit goes, it’s possible to strike anywhere with just the coordinates and a visual…]
Akiyama felt a shiver run down his spine. With data alone, he was able to strike anywhere on the planet. Akiyama was aware of this information. Still, hearing it from the man himself, he was unable to shake off the shudder that crawled through his body.
[If it's millions or tens of millions of kilometers away, then it would be necessary for me to personally go to the observatory and observe it myself in order to be completely sure.]
There was a degree of exaggeration in Tatsuya's statement. It was, in fact, possible to establish an informational path using data alone. But it was not a lie to say that direct observation was more reliable.
[Since magic depends on the perception of the Magister, I would say that this represents not only a limit for me, but also a constraint for magic in the future.]
The word "Magister" was unfamiliar to Akiyama, but just before he inquired about it, he managed to recall from his memories that it was a new term being used by Tatsuya to refer to a "Magician."
[So, to put it simply, you're trying to say that if we want to avoid catastrophic collisions with celestial bodies in the foreseeable future, magicians must have free access to observatories around the world?]
[It's not just about avoiding celestial collisions. Magic is a craft in which each magister has their own distinct area of expertise. If we want to be able to mitigate the potential risks and impact of a wide range of disasters with magic, then magisters must be able to move freely to the places where they are most needed.]
"……"
Akiyama felt that he needed to pose a counter-argument. But he couldn't find the right words in his head to accomplish this.
[Otherwise, many lives that should have been saved from a catastrophe that could have been prevented will be lost. It is imperative that magic and science work together freely on a global scale, so that magic becomes more than just an instrument of destruction and slaughter, but be used for the prosperity and survival of human society.]
Tatsuya stopped here for a moment and said,
"And of course, I wish to see a future in which magic contributes to the prosperity and survival of our society."
After a pause, it was added.
"Is that… a demand that Magicians be allowed freedom of movement?"
[Your Excellency Director-General. The citizens, be they magister or not, are entitled to the freedom of movement. Why should we demand the freedom that we already have? I am talking about the future of human society here.]
"……"
[I hope not to see a situation where the information about a meteorite falling on Japan isn’t passed on to a Magister, and have the opportunity to intercept it be missed.] "Is that so…"
[Yes. Well, Your Excellency, thank you very much for your time. If you'll excuse me.] Akiyama stared impassively at the now silent speaker for a while.
Until yesterday, he was oblivious and uncaring about the risk of a meteorite falling on his head.
An inevitable death that would surely come. ──In normal circumstances. If the world continues as it has been.
But with Shiba Tatsuya's magic, it’s a catastrophe that can be avoided.
By neglecting the rights of magicians, they would very well be choosing to sit by and watch as a meteorite falls on Tokyo ── this is Akiyama's impression of what Tatsuya had told him.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, an emergency leadership meeting was held at the Ministry of Defense, with Furusawa, the Minister of Defense, in attendance.
Thereupon, the Chief of Staff, Akiyama, disclosed the contents of his telephone conversation with Tatsuya, and fervently stated that cooperation with magicians had now become more essential than ever.
As to the restrictions on the departure of magicians from the country, Furusawa stated that "there were no such laws in effect against it," and this young minister, who took nothing but the superficial legality of the matter as his point of contention, made it clear that the sabotage against Mayumi and Ryousuke's trip to the United States by the Army Intelligence Department not only should be called off, but that it should have never happened in the first place. ──Behind Furusawa's statement was a sense of urgency that had been instilled in him from his meeting with Saegusa Kouichi. As it turned out, Inukai's attempt to have Furusawa persuade Kouichi had backfired.
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