Chapter 6
[Interruption]
Evening of August 11th, local time, Uzbekistan. Tatsuya receives a call from Fujibayashi on the satellite phone. Without so much as a word of greeting, the news of the attack on the FLT Labs was the first thing Fujibayashi said to Tatsuya.
"Are there any casualties? Wounded?"
[Fortunately, no fatalities. But Tookami-san sustained a serious puncture wound in his side.
"Tookami-san, you say? Was his magical armor broken?"
Tatsuya couldn't hold back his surprise as he asked back.
Despite much of Ryousuke's efforts to keep it a secret, Tatsuya had [Elemental Sight]. He knew of Ryousuke's [Reactive Armor] ability and that it originated from the former Tenth Research Institute.
That individual armor magic is not something so easily broken. Noted for its defensive power against all forms of physical attacks, it should also have neigh-impermeable resistance against magic attacks that are mediated by physical phenomena.
Sure it may have some structural vulnerability in the magic. Tatsuya knows Ryousuke is an Extra. And for the number to be stripped of his family, there had to be some inherent flaw in the Reactive Armor that Tatsuya is unaware of.
That, or perhaps the enemy may have employed a special technique to break through the magic shield. That seemed the most likely of the two.
[The details are unknown. He is still undergoing treatment so we haven't been able to hear any details from him yet.]
"I see. Is there anyone else injured? How is Saegusa-san?"
As their de facto employer, it was the next natural question to ask about the person Ryousuke was paired with, Mayumi. His concern about her well-being was more than just out of a sense of responsibility as her employer.
An injury to Mayumi meant a disservice to the Saegusa Family by the Yotsuba Family. Tatsuya questioned himself if it was poor judgment on his part to assign Mayumi in guard duties.
[Mayumi-san is unharmed.]
Therefore, hearing this answer, Tatsuya felt relieved as any other person would.
[However, besides Tookami-san, there were also five security guards who were in serious condition.]
"By serious, you mean life-threatening?"
In inquiring, there wasn't much of a hint of concern in his tone.
The same could be said for the calmness of Fujibayashi's voice over the phone.
[All five appear to have lost the ability to communicate. Not only are they unable to speak, but they are also unable to read and write. There are no signs of physical trauma or brain hemorrhage from the exams, so I assume it must be the result of magic.]
Fujibayashi's first sentence was enough for Tatsuya to understand what had happened to the guards.
"That seems to be the symptom caused by the magic of a prehistoric civilization, [Babel]."
[…Are you familiar with it?]
"It is a magic that was used by members of FAIR on the American West Coast, where I recently went. It is contagious, so please have them magically quarantined."
[─Understood. I will arrange it immediately.]
Fujibayashi couldn't hide, nay, she didn't even attempt to hide an accusatory nuance to infuse in her voice. Most likely out of discontent that information was withheld from her.
"Please contact Yuuka-san and inform her that there has been a [Babel] victim. She knows the treatment procedure."
[So am I to contact Tsukuba-san directly? Noted."
Tatsuya submitted a detailed report about [Babel] to the main house. But Maya was not the only person to receive his report. He submitted a detailed report to the head family. He also brought the information and method on how to counteract the effects of Babel directly to Yuuka, who specializes in mental interference magic. She should be able to prevent the spread of further damage.
He should have warned Fujibayashi, and maybe Mayumi, about [Babel]. ─He thought as
he hung up the call. Although he did not go out and say it, Tatsuya at least acknowledged his mistake to himself and regretted it.
The possibility that Laura Simons had obtained Babel using the " Guru's Tablet" was predictable enough. His preoccupation with the search for Shambhala must have blinded him from considering the risks that came with the news of her arrival in Japan.
Fortunately, it seems that Babel didn't result in any extensive damage. He can take that as some small respite. That said, he couldn't ignore the fact that Laura Simons was using [Babel] and that the other burglar managed to bypass [Reactive Armor].
If necessary, he would be obliged to return to Japan.
He frowned at the prospect of the disruption of his plans.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya wasn't the only one furrowing his brows at ruined expectations. Having coursed through a report from an intelligence officer in Uzbekistan, Canopus sighs and leans back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Lack of training… Lack of experience… No, you don't have any to begin with. Are you really fundamentally unfit for this?"
The soliloquy, a complaint, escaped him.
Once again, he looked down at the report. It detailed Evelyn's deployment to the IPU.
Written there were the details of the commotion she had caused in Samarkand.
(What were you thinking when you decided to launch a preemptive strike…)
This time he didn't voice his mind, but instead kept his grumblings to himself. No matter how many times he found himself being followed, he would never have voluntarily started a battle when it was unrelated to the mission in a foreign country he was undercover in. It was common sense.
(And what was his officer doing, too? Why didn't he stop her…?)
The stance from the report was if it wasn't his problem. It is written as if he was an examiner or a critic. While objectivity is an essential quality for an intelligence officer, lack of responsibility seems to better describe this case.
(And I heard he was a veteran in his field…)
More of a veteran in avoiding responsibility, it seems. He was a poor choice to work with someone new to foreign missions like Evelyn. In fact, selection of personnel appears to be the issue with this operation, the choice of Evelyn for it was also inappropriate.
There was a failure in the vetting of the mission itself. It was impossible not to admit that he had misjudged the situation in the region himself. ─Canopus reflected as he considered the situation.
He came to the decision to abort and re-evaluate the operation, and to recall Evelyn.
◇ ◇ ◇
The day after the attack, Fujibayashi visited Ryousuke in the hospital with Mayumi in tow.
"I heard the surgery was a success. That's some relief."
Fujibayashi speaks to Ryousuke, who is awake. His gaze was steady, the anesthesia seemed to have worn off.
"I'm sorry. I suffered an embarrassing defeat…"
Ryousuke's face contorted in frustration. There also seemed to be some residual pain.
"I wouldn't say so. You repelled the thieves and nothing was stolen." Mayumi offers some consoling words to Ryousuke.
"…And the guards, how are they?"
"The injuries are nothing serious. Magical effects have also been addressed." Fujibayashi gives an honest answer to Ryousuke's question.
Mayumi kept the guards outside the range of the [Hail Storm], and Yuuka had already restored their language faculties impaired by [Babel] by removing the magic sequence lodged in their left temporal lobe.
"You were the only requiring hospitalization, Tookami-san."
"I see…"
A shadow fell over Ryousuke's face again.
Mayumi opens her mouth to offer some words of encouragement.
But Fujibayashi's line came first.
"Didn't the enemy magician retreat because you did enough damage to him?"
"…I did feel that I broke his ribs."
"Then it was a draw."
"You think so?"
"I do."
Her tone was objective, as if she's simply noting the facts. This brief exchange with Fujibayashi, helped Ryousuke conclude that, in a sense, it would be presumptuous of him to feel like a loser when he has not lost. He realized that behind that vanity lurked the notion that if he didn't win he would be pathetic.
He doesn't need to be the absolute strongest. It's not possible to always win all the time. He realized that this was an obvious fact.
Though it was no consolation, it served to lighten Ryousuke's depressed mood.
"But still, for someone to be able to pierce Tookami-san's magic shield with a knife, he's definitely no ordinary person. Do you have any clue as to who he might be?"
"…To be honest, I'm not too familiar with the names in the magic community… But, come to think of it, he called himself 'Lü Dongbin'."
"Lü Dongbin… as in 'Ryou Doubin'?"
Due to her background as a descendant of a lineage of prominent ancient-style magicians, as well as her service in a special unit based around modern magic, Fujibayashi has extensive knowledge about both modern and ancient-style magicians.
She immediately connected the phonetics of "Lü Dongbin" with that of "呂洞賓" ─ "Ryou Doubin" as is pronounced in Japan ─ the legendary Xian of the East-Asian continent.
"How did it feel when you noticed your shield was broken?" Fujibayashi asks another question.
Ryousuke wrinkled his brow in thought. It had been only half a day past the surgery on his flank. There were some signs of exhaustion in his expression. Both the battle and the surgery had probably sapped much of his strength.
But she kept her eyes on him, waiting for an answer, ignoring Mayumi's pleading look in her eyes to call it off.
Mayumi was there to visit him, but Fujibayashi was there to question him. She wanted to learn as much as she could about what cards the enemy had in their hands. With Ryousuke as one of her only sources of information, she had to speak to him if she wanted to find out more about them, however injured he might be.
"…I don't think it was the knife that pierced my armor."
Fujibayashi called it a shield, Ryousuke, armor. Both refer to the same magic shield as a general term. And "Armor" is Ryousuke's short for [Reactive Armor]. "Right after I punched him in the chest, my armor was gone."
"A compulsive magic deactivation on contact? Neutralization, perhaps."
"Neutralization?"
Ryousuke repeats quizzically.
From her expression, Fujibayashi seems to have an idea of what happened.
But all she said was, "No, it's nothing",
Fujibayashi apologized for tiring him out, and left the hospital room.
Mayumi and Ryousuke were left alone in the private hospital room. Left with them was an awkward atmosphere.
Unfortunately, if you will, without any romantic undertone.
"Er, um… And you, Saegusa-san, did you get hurt?"
Feeling the weight of the silence become unbearable, Ryousuke anxiously attempts a conversation.
"Yes, I'm fine. Mostly thanks to you…"
And from the slight look of relief on Mayumi, she couldn't bear it either.
"Wow, so you really managed to take on Laura Simons unscathed."
"I wouldn't say that much, it was just because you were taking care of the most troublesome opponent, Tookami-san."
Gradually getting back into the swing of things, Mayumi brings a smile befitting a daughter of the Saegusa Family.
The greatest woman in Ryousuke's eyes is Lena. But his feelings for her go beyond love, into worship. He sanctifies her so profoundly, in such a high regard that he does not even recognize her as a fellow person of flesh and blood, let alone as an object of love.
Mayumi's elegant forged smile has a certain calculated charm ─ an alluring effect that Lena's gracious, yet simple, genuine smile does not have.
Is not Mayumi's design to seduce Ryousuke. Her "forged smile" was perfected to the extent she could create one without consciously trying to do so.
With Ryousuke at an abrupt loss of words, Mayumi tilts her head to the side without dropping her smile. Even that seemingly innocuous gesture was similarly crafted over the years to evoke the goodwill of the other. While head tilting training was certainly not among Mayumi's etiquette curriculum, it was but a minor detail she developed over the course of her lessons in dance and etiquette.
"Are you perhaps not feeling well?"
Saying this, Mayumi bends over to meet Ryousuke's eyes. Most likely, simply to assure he was not masking his pain.
But having someone who, due to the height difference, you are used to looking down on on a daily basis looking down on you can feel uncomfortable. Unbearable even if said person was a very attractive member of the opposite sex.
He did the only logical thing (?) and looked away.
Simply tuning his head around would make it too clear he was trying to hide his embarrassment. He was also concerned it would seem rude to Mayumi. Therefore he chose to keep his head in place and avert his eyes downwards.
His plan led him straight to the sight of her bosom, of quite generous proportions for such a petite figure.
Despite the midsummer weather, her short-sleeve blouse left no inch of bare skin visible.
But even without clear exposure, or degree of transparency, nevertheless its summer clothing with its customary thin fabric. From such a close distance, liking or not, there it was the very shape of her breasts under her underwear.
Ryosuke hushed to close his shutters.
Mayumi finally realized from his reaction the effect her position was having on him.
She brought her back upright in a similar hurry, raising her arms in an attempt to cover her breasts, her cheeks stained with embarrassment.
Each movement in its own way was mesmerizing, much to Ryousuke's consternation.
Sentiment Mayumi shared. Finally not being able to stand it any longer, she uttered the pleasantries almost as a gesture of resignation, and quickly left the hospital room.
◇ ◇ ◇
Bukhara, Uzbekistan. August 12th, 9:00 A.M. local time. Same day, 1:00 P.M. Japan time.
Tatsuya received the report from Fujibayashi via satellite phone.
"…I see. So he made the shield disappear on contact."
The contents of the report discuss the results of the investigation conducted with Ryousuke at the hospital.
[I suspect it was neutralized by emitting Psion waves of the inverse phase.] Tatsuya nodded with a "I concur" with Fujibayashi's speculation.
"About the name the enemy gave, are you positive that it is 'Lü Dongbin'?" Then he double-checked the identity of the enemy.
[Yes. Likely one of the 'Bāxiān']
[Bāxiān], the special operations unit of the GAU military, composed of the elite of the elite of the ancient-style magician combatants. The existence of this team was deemed of high concern by the Independent Magic-Equipped Regiment since its battalion existence. Although Tatsuya was not clear on the details in his service with the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, he was briefed on the general outlines. Presumably, even as of now, Fujibayashi may be a better informed person about "Bāxiān" than he is.
"So what are your thoughts on the GAU possibly having an interest in FAIR?"
[Considering the fact that FAIR was founded under the devices of Gu Jie behind the scenes, I wouldn't assume a pre-existing connection. I suspect they made contact via a network of local ethnic Chinese and offered help with the escape from the police.]
"Perhaps that's how it went down. But that aside, FAIR seems to be the least of the issues in this case."
[I am inclined to agree with you.]
This time, it was Fujibayashi to back-channel Tatsuya's point.
[It is difficult to understand why the Bāxiān, which is contained to the western region of the GAU, would join forces with the FAIR from America and attempt to commit robberies in Japan.]
"This is still just speculation, but perhaps they are interested in the magic of prehistoric civilizations that FAIR unearthed."
Tatsuya offers a hypothesis to the question posed by Fujibayashi.
[Could their goal be the prehistoric civilization's magic [Babel]?]
"If so, then the use of [Babel] in this latest attack may have been prompted by Lü Dongbin."
[Are you suggesting that Lü Dongbin's participation in the FLT attack was to observe the effects of [Babel]?]
"It would explain why he withdrew so readily if you think so."
Tatsuya expressed withdrawing after having suffered broken ribs as "readily".
Fujibayashi felt a brief moment of discomfort, but then reconsidered, "Surely a broken rib or two was not reason enough when it came to the elite of the operative unit".
Having finished his call with Fujibayashi, Tatsuya kept the satellite phone in hands and dialed another number.
Three rings, then four, and still no answer. Seven went by, and he still couldn't get through.
It was past one o'clock in the afternoon in Japan. Maybe he was busy at work.
Tatsuya thought, "I'll call back later," at which point he received an answer.
[Sorry, I made you wait! It's me, Fumiya]
His voice over the phone sounded rushed. So he's really busy, Tatsuya thought.
"You sound busy. I'm sorry to bother you. I'll call you back when it's convenient for you."
[No, I'm fine now. What can I do for you?]
The urgency in Fumiya's voice grew a degree stronger. Tatsuya wondered if he was pushing himself in doing so, but decided not to be deterred, as he had business that made him make the call.
"I assume you know about the recent attack on FLT."
[Ah, yes. I was surprised. If we were guarding the place, we wouldn't have let the bandits get away…]
"I need your help to clean up that mess. I'm sorry you may be in the middle of another case, but I have to ask."
[There is an agent from the GAU military involved, isn't there? If so, this has a higher priority. So, should we catch the culprit?]
Fumiya sounded enthusiastic. So eager to almost seem like he was looking forward to the task.
Fumiya sounded enthusiastic. So eager to almost the level of impulsiveness.
"No need, I'll catch them myself. I have something I'd like to verify."
[Understood, I'll start the search right away.]
Before Tatsuya could even verbalize, Fumiya grasped what Tatsuya's next words were.
[The targets are Lü Dongbin and Laura Simons, correct?]
"No, just Lü Dongbin is fine; Laura Simons is fine as an afterthought." But alas, there seems to be the limit to their synchronicity.
[Do you believe that Laura Simons and Lü Dongbin are acting separately?]
"I'd bet 50% she is. But Laura Simons can't afford to leave the ancient master of the art alone even if we don't make a move." Says Tatsuya in ridicule.
'Yes, that's right. Witches are a 'noxious invasive species' to any kind of traditionalists." Fumiya responded in a deadly serious tone.
Both then broke into a laugh in unison across the satellite phone line.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya was using the satellite phone from the balcony of his hotel room. When he returned to his room after the two calls, he found not only Hyougo, but also Miyuki and Lina there.
"Tatsuya-sama, was it Fujibayashi-san?"
"That's right," Tatsuya answered Miyuki.
"She was reporting to me what she learned from Tookami about yesterday's attack." He then added.
"So the culprits were FAIR people after all?" Lina takes her turn to ask impatiently.
"There were two individuals. One was Laura Simons of FAIR, and the other one called himself Lü Dongbin."
"Lü Dongbin? Is he Chinese?"
"He is presumably a magician operative of the GAU military."
"FAIR is working with the GAU military?!" Miyuki expresses her surprise.
"Presumably."
"How on earth!?"
Lina seems outraged by the prospect.
The reason for her indignation was made clear in her next line.
"How did they allow an operative to infiltrate the West Coast?!"
It is unlikely that FAIR was the one to reach out to the GAU military for help, so it is reasonable to assume that it was an agent or an operative of the GAU military that reached for Rocky Dean or Laura Simons, since both are on the run. This would mean that an agent of the GAU military had infiltrated the West Coast of the USNA.
"They must have used local Chinese connections. USNA is not a particularly strict or isolationist nation. You have to account for the fact that infiltrations will happen eventually."
"You're right, but still…"
Appeased by Tatsuya, Lina settles down for the time being.
"In regards to this Lü Dongbin, he possesses a magic skill that cannot be dismissed."
"Is it a special magic?"
Miyuki asked in a calm tone, already having regained her composure.
"It nullified Tookami's individual armor magic."
"…And what's bothering you about that?"
Lina wondered, not sure what Tatsuya's issue on the matter was.
"Tookami's individual armor magic was was developed by the former Tenth Research
Institute. In terms of strength alone, it is comparable to [Phalanx]."
"…So?"
"The Juumonji family [Phalanx] is the strongest defensive magic in the Ten Master Clans. The fact that Tookami's individual armor magic, which is comparable to that, was nullified means, in other words, that there is no magic from Ten Master Clans that can prevent an attack by this Lü Dongbin. Was that what you were thinking, Tatsuya-sama?"
Miyuki guessed his answer to Lina's question before Tatsuya had the chance to respond.
"I get it."
Lina was satisfied with Miyuki's guess.
"I'd say that's not all."
But Tatsuya had another point left unsaid.
"It is also important to know how Tookami's individual armor magic was nullified. We need to be able to respond in case we find ourselves against an enemy with the same nullification technique."
"…Are you planning to fight them yourself?"
Miyuki couldn't hide the worry in her voice as she asked.
"I intend to."
Tatsuya's expression, on the other hand, showed no hesitation. Naturally ─ though not quite, in his case ─ there was no sign of uneasiness.
"Isn't it dangerous to fight an enemy that has means to nullify magic that we do not understand?"
"It's not like we have no idea how it works. I have some rough idea of what to expect myself."
"Really?"
"I presume it counteracts by applying the principles of Hex Reversal techniques."
"Hex Reversal…?"
"Counteracts, you say…?"
Both Lina and Miyuki tilted her heads in confusion.
However, Tatsuya left them in the dark as to the details.
◇ ◇ ◇
Lena felt nervous as she faced Evelyn, who had a stiff expression on her face.
They were in her hotel room in Samarkand. Evelyn came to her room and said, "We need to talk," so Lena invited her in.
She offered her a chair, but Evelyn refused to sit down, leaving Lena with no choice but to also remain standing.
It's just her and Evelyn in the room.
Lena was beginning to feel suffocated with the atmosphere.
"Just now, I received an order to report back home."
When Evelyn finally opened her mouth, the message was unexpected.
It didn't come as a surprise after careful consideration. After the commotion she caused in the city the day before yesterday."
Even if it happened in the outskirts of town, where there are few pedestrians around, it would still not be enough to justify the possible diplomatic issues that might arise from a magic shootout in the middle of a city in a foreign country. Although "possible" may be too optimistic, the incident has probably arisen as a diplomatic concern already.
"Ms. Fehr, what will you do?"
Lena blinked repeatedly wordlessly. The question came as too much of a surprise for her to answer on the spur of the moment.
"…Of course I'll return as well. We have no reason to stay any longer in this country."
This answer, given after a short delay, causes a slight shift in Evelyn's tense expression. "Ah!", she exclaims, as if she has just remembered something that she had forgotten.
The whole situation must have completely slipped Evelyn's mind, where she used Lena as a pretext to get into the IPU and have her dragged here to Samarkand. If she had that fact in mind she would have rather asked "I'm going back home, will you stay here?" instead of what she did.
"I see, then… If you excuse me. I will arrange with the consulate for the return ticket." Evelyn's demeanor flipped 180º into extremely cordiality.
Lena pitied her a little, for the severe punishment she may be subjected to.
◇ ◇ ◇
He was returning to his room after an early dinner on the following night of his request when Tatsuya received a phone call regarding Lü Dongbin's whereabouts.
"You found him out already? It may as well be a cliché at this point, but I shouldn't expect anything less from you.
Complaints from Ayako flow across the satellite connection.
"I'm sorry for not noticing. I'll be more careful, and I'll call you next time, Ayako."
[That's a promise, then.]
In true hot-cold fashion, her tone over the phone gave the impression that Ayako tried, and failed, to hide her upbeat mood.
[Now, we found out that Lü Dongbin is hiding in…]
Switching to work mode, Ayako reports the results of their investigation.
"…Nishi-kawaguchi. Surprising, isn't it?"
"…So, Nishi-kawaguchi. Not surprising, I guess."
Nishi-Kawaguchi, in the southern region of the formerly Saitama Prefecture. On hearing the name, Tatsuya muttered to himself.
The invasion of the GAU forces five years ago has heightened the wariness of Chinese and ethnic Chinese in the Yokohama area. Chinatown is under intense scrutiny, and many of the stores and restaurants have not recovered their customer base.
This trend persisted further across a wide swath, from Tsurumi to Yokosuka. In light of such circumstances, it was reasonable to expect GAU operatives to choose inland areas over those along the Tokyo Bay coast for their hideouts.
[And, unfortunately, Laura Simons…]
"You didn't find her?"
It was easy to guess the rest of her phrase from the clipped tone in which Ayako was speaking.
[Yes, you guessed it, it appears that they have gone their separate ways.]
The resigned note in Ayako's voice was less for the failure in locating Laura, and more for being seen through by Tatsuya.
"As I told Fumiya, Lü Dongbin is the main concern right now. Keep an eye on him so we don't lose sight of him."
[But of course, I assure you we'll be mindful of that.]
"I'll be back there tomorrow."
[We'll be gladly waiting for your arrival.]
Tatsuya returned to the room from the balcony and called for Hyougo.
Hyougo, who was already on his feet, answered, "You asked for me, sir?"
"I'll suspend the search for tomorrow and will head back to Japan."
"Understood, sir. What would you like to do with your baggage?"
"Just leave it at the hotel, please."
"It'll be taken care of, sir."
With a nod to the bowing Hyougo, Tatsuya picks up the retro-looking phone receiver and dials an extension line to the adjacent room. [Tatsuya-sama, is there something I can do for you?] Miyuki picked up the line.
"We need to talk about tomorrow. I'm sorry I'll have to ask that you bring Lina with you." With Miyuki's [As you wish], Tatsuya hung up the receiver.
Nearly five minutes later, Miyuki and Lina came to the room.
The reason why it took so long was immediately apparent. They evidently were fixing their makeup.
Tatsuya was not about to blame the girls for just five minutes. He had them both sit down at a table and asked Hyougo for drinks.
"We have info on Lü Dongbin's whereabouts. We'll suspend tomorrow's search."
Neither seemed surprised, the search for the Shambhala had been scheduled to be suspended.
"Are you going back to Japan?"
Miyuki was mostly asking for confirmation with that question.
"I'll be landing at Miyakishima via Takachiho."
As he answered, Hyougo set a cup of green tea in front of each of the three.
"Hyougo-san."
Tatsuya addressed him when the same was done distributing the tea.
"Yes, Tatsuya-sama?"
"Do you mind driving me to the vacant lot where we picked up the space suits the other day?"
"Of course, as you wish."
As always, Hyougo bowed reverently.
"May I join you?"
"You know that we're coming with you, don't you?"
Those two, directing gazes with essentially the same message, asking to tag along; if it weren't for their different features they might as well be sisters. Although today Miyuki is his fiancée and Lina is her best friend and escort, Tatsuya felt as if he now had two younger sisters. Even if he didn't have the intention of doing so, he found himself involuntarily nodding his head.
"I was planning to invite you two along from the beginning."
But in this case it was his intention. Serves him better to bring this topic up and done right away.
◇ ◇ ◇
11 P.M. local time. Tatsuya gazed up at the starlit sky in a vacant lot on the outskirts of Kagan, Uzbekistan. Behind him was a camper converted from a conventional station wagon.
He was dressed in a skin-tight space suit. The suit that hugged his body closely gave less of an impression of a boiler suit or even a dry suit and more of a racing suit, or perhaps even the combat suit of the special squadron, with the fireproof hood over it.
The sound of the camper's rear gate opening drew Tatsuya's attention.
Out came two figures wearing the same space suits as Tatsuya. It was clear from the outlined graceful curves of their bodies accentuated by the suits that they were women. Their faces are obscured by the opaque visor built into the hood. But who else could these two be, from their silhouettes alone, radiating an aura of beauty, but Miyuki and Lina.
"Looks like there were no problems with size."
Tatsuya speaks as they approach within conversational distance. Not that it makes any difference, since the hoods are completely airtight, and they communicate through the built-in communicator.
[Say, it doesn't look weird, does it?]
Miyuki's voice comes from close to his ear. It felt like she was whispering to him from a huddling distance.
It didn't feel strange as it was Miyuki, but he thought it might be a bit strange with someone else.
"Nothing wrong at all. All I can see is a fine astronaut."
The word has the historical connotation of the astronauts who trained in America, but Tatsuya was referring to its general meaning.
[What about me?]
As he thought, hearing Lina's voice right next to his ear brought a weird feeling.
"Of course you as well, Lina. I don't see anything wrong with it." Except for the voice part, he thought but left unspoken.
EVA suits are a type of space suit for the purpose of Extravehicular Activity as its name suggests. Given that manned exploration of other celestial bodies hasn't been conducted for over a century at this point, it wouldn't be wrong to describe them as a tool for spacewalking.
At this point, it goes unsaid why Miyuki and Lina are wearing these space suits.
"So this is how space feels…! It's almost like flight magic… No, not really. I don't know how to describe it…"
Miyuki was so overcome that she lost her words.
"Ahaha! I'm in space! I've always wanted to come. It's so awesome! Ahahahaha!" As for Lina, she was in such an ecstatic state that it was almost hilarious.
Tatsuya watches those two with a smile.
Before their eyes is the Earth at night; behind is the large Orbital Residence. From above, below, and at the left and right are the stars suspended in the vastness of the cosmos. They were brought before Takachiho by the [Virtual Satellite Elevator].
"Are you enjoying space?"
They heard a voice from the communicator, making Miyuki and Lina look back behind them while Tatsuya was already facing the direction of the voice beforehand. With the lack of a foothold in space for them to turn their heels on, the flight magic device on their space suits allowed them to move as they pleased.
"Minoru-kun!"
"Minoru! Where's your space suit?
Minoru was standing in space in his everyday clothes.
"It's too much trouble to put one every time." They soon snapped out of their amazement.
It was understandable that Minoru would shrug his shoulders at the thought. The girls could imagine themselves also becoming weary of wearing space suits like Minoru after living here for such a long period of time.
They could simply make an anti-object plus anti-radiation shield with air inside to go outside, like Minoru. And the girls, much like him, also had the magical talent to do so effortlessly.
"…I'm sure the view here outside is spectacular, but shouldn't you be getting inside soon?"
Tatsuya, Miyuki, Lina, were now sitting with Minoru around a table in Takachiho's residential module.
"Please enjoy."
Minami placed a cup of coffee in front of each of the four of them. Miyuki and Lina's cups were topped with frothy milk.
"So you really can live here like it's down there…"
Lina muttered musingly with amazement as she picked up her cup.
The residence module on Takachiho is maintained at the same 1G as on Earth by the gravity magic stored in the Magistore onboard. The atmospheric pressure is also maintained at 1 atm. Inside, it is easy to forget that this is space.
Minami placed a cup of coffee in front of each of the four of them. Miyuki and Lina's cups were topped with frothy milk.
"So you really can live here like it's down there…"
Lina muttered musingly with amazement as she picked up her cup.
The residence module on Takachiho is maintained at the same 1G gravity as on Earth by the gravity magic stored in the Magistore onboard. The atmospheric pressure is also maintained at 1 atm. Inside, it is easy to forget that this is space.
Miyuki had the same thought.
They both knew that Tatsuya designed this facility for that purpose. Experiencing it firsthand, however, the environment has turned out to be more like the one on earth than they had expected.
"I should apologize to you, Minoru, and to Minami, too, for bothering you at this hour."
The two of them lived according to Japanese standard time; and it was almost 4:00 A.M. Even though he got their agreement in advance, it was still no doubt an inconvenient hour for a visit.
"Please. We do not mind."
Minami responded before Minoru could, in her same reverent manner as always.
"In fact, we are rather glad you came. Especially Minami-san, I'd say she's been eagerly anticipating for you all to come." Minoru was quick to add.
"Minoru-sama!?"
To a voice of protest from a visibly blushing Minam. Clear that her reaction was based more in embarrassment than any sign of anger.
Minoru stares fondly back at the reproachful glances from Minami. THe love-filled look only made Minami's face blush a deeper shade of red.
Minami is the first to disengage and look away.
To a voice of protest from a visibly blushing Minami. Clear that her reaction was based more in embarrassment than any sign of anger.
Minoru's gaze became even fonder, leading him to smile softly unconsciously.
But this was about as far as he would be left with his composure.
"…I see you two seem to be doing well. I'm happy for you both."
Because Miyuki entered the conversation from the flank, now Minoru found himself in the same red-faced predicament as Minami.
It was ten minutes later when the discussion resumed, or rather, finally got to the main topic.
"We'll be getting off at Miyakishima on the next approach to Japan."
"Understood. I'll adjust our orbit accordingly."
Takachiho is capable of changing its orbit up to 30 degrees to either north or south within the same altitude. The orbit changes do not use the conventional thruster approach, it is instead used a magical approach based on the same principles as flight magic. Given the restorative force involved in magical event modification, it will automatically return to its original trajectory after a set amount of time.
"I'll go see the enemy magician, Lü Dongbin, alone. Miyuki and Lina will wait for me in Miyakishima."
Hearing this, Minoru gives Miyuki and Lina a "Are you sure about that?" look
Miyuki made a tacit expression, as if to say "I don't agree, but I'm going to abide quietly" , whereas Lina gave a weak smile with a "there's no helping" expression.
"…How about this, Minoru and Minami, why don't you two also get down with us? Then it would be nice for Miyuki and Lina as well."
Aware of the exchange of glances among the three, Tatsuya made an off-the-cuff suggestion.
"Ah, yeah, that's right…"
Minoru's eyes darted about.
"…It's fine if I ask just Minami-san to keep them company, then?" Minoru thought for a moment and made that offer.
Tatsuya glances at Miyuki.
"Tatsuya-sama, I'm sure Minoru-kun would feel uncomfortable being the only man around while you are away… Minami-chan, I wonder if you could spend some time with us until Tatsuya-sama's work is done."
"I'd be happy to."
Minami didn't panic when the conversation suddenly turned to her.
"I don't see why Minoru shouldn't come too."
Lina tries to overturn the table, but Minoru just chuckles slightly and shakes his head silently.
The table transitioned to a ladies tea party.
Tatsuya used the excuse of wanting to inspect the magic system and the Stellar Reactor as an excuse to leave, and Minoru followed him.
Being only an inspection, it wasn't without substance.
"─Good, it seems like being in space doesn't make it degrade any faster."
"That's a relief to hear."
Tatsuya carefully went through each of the Artificial Relic Magistores used in Takachiho.
After inspecting all the artificial relics, Tatsuya proposed to Minoru to "take a break" at the information center, which was remodeled from the submarine's launch center.
Minoru ordered his support parasite doll [Mr. Co] to bring them water without Minami noticing.
Minoru accepted the two plastic cups brought by the neutral looking parasite doll and offered one to Tatsuya.
"So this enemy now is one of those I fought in Tibet, right?"
"It's a speculation, but I'm confident it is."
Tatsuya answered with confidence while receiving the offered cup.
"By the way, I'd like to hear your opinion on this."
Then Tatsuya added, with an unusual look of "I've just come up with something" on his face.
"What is it?"
"Those Daoshi you fought in Tibet, the ones who we think are the Bāxiān, they also used a technique to nullify magic, didn't they?"
"Yeah. You want to hear about what I know about that technique?"
"Yes. How do you think they neutralize it?"
"At the very least I don't think it was Gram Demolition or Gram Dispersion."
Minoru replied cautiously. This was because he, too, had not been able to come to a conclusion yet after much consideration about the magic nullification technique.
"I see. I was thinking it could be neutralized by applying the principles of the 'Hex Reversal' technique, but what do you think?"
"…May I ask how you came to that conclusion?"
Minoru asked back, and Tatsuya shared with him the information Fujibayashi had gathered about Ryousuke's combat.
"…So, right after the attack reached the opponent, the magic was nullified, did I get that right? Not at the same time?"
"The opponent probably didn't take the bare fist. He would have been able to evade or at least use some technique to mitigate the damage. Besides, it's hard to imagine he didn't do any sort of physical conditioning to resist blows. I'm convinced that a single bare fist was not enough to break his ribs, but rather that the effect of the individual armor magic was still in play at the moment of impact."
"I see… Are you trying to say that there was a slight time delay between the magic disappearing, and the damage was done in the split second before the magic lost its effects."
"I think the damage coincided with the fist strike, resulting in the broken bones." "But didn't Tookami sense he broke a bone?"
Minoru follows Tatsuya's example and calls Ryousuke by his surname, "Tookami".
"In that case, any time lag would be just for a moment, right?"
"I'm wondering, in that split second he could have created and released a psionic wave in the opposite phase."
"…Now that you mention it, something came to mind."
Minoru paused for a moment to think, then dug into his memory.
"When I reflected an enemy's attack with [Hex Reversal], he wasn't able to nullify the magic that was sent back to him."
"Is there any particular reason for that?"
"There is a technical limitation to ancient-style magic. It's impossible to reflect [Hex Reversal] with another [Hex Reversal]. Because if you did, the power of the art would increase endlessly."
"─'The World does not allow for infinity' huh?"
"Yes. That rule holds true for ancient magic as well."
Tatsuya and Minoru looked at each other and nodded.
"I think you are on the right track in assuming that their magic nullification technique is a counteracting effect applying the [Hex Reversal] method."
Minoru verbalized the answer they both reached through eye contact.
◇ ◇ ◇
August 14th, 10:00 A.M.
"Tatsuya-san, Miyuki-san, Lina-san, welcome back. It's been a while, Minami-san." Ayako received the four of them as they touched down at Miyakishima.
"You came to pick us up?"
"Yes. I'll be taking you to Lü Dongbin's hideout." She said with a smile to Tatsuya.
Tatsuya, by contrast, looks at her apologetically.
"I'm really sorry, but I'd like to take a break before I go. We were up most of last night. I know next to nothing about this opponent's hand. I need to be in the best shape."
"Y-you are quite right. I completely understand, I will wait patiently for you." Ayako gained an uncomfortable look on her face as well.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was past 4 P.M. when Tatsuya boarded the small VTOL with Ayako.
Until that time, Ayako spent her leisure time having tea with Minami, rather than waiting alone. Perhaps due to her parasitization, Minami didn't need as much sleep anymore. By her own account, her overall performance was more dependent on the cumulative magic use than the amount of time spent on sleep.
"I'll be off, then."
"Please take care."
"Make sure to bring back some souvenirs."
Said the always worried about his well being, Miyuki, and later Lina, with not an ounce of seriousness. And there was Minami, who bowed without a word.
With those three seeing them off, Tatsuya and Ayako took off from Miyakishima.
◇ ◇ ◇
From Miyakishima, they first landed on the helipad atop the Yotsuba Family's Tokyo headquarters building in Chofu, Tokyo.
From there, an employee of the Kuroba Family drove them to Nishi-kawaguchi in a self-propelled car, which Tatsuya was discouraged from driving himself because he was supposed to be out of Japan at the moment. Same reason why they didn't use his Air-Car as usual.
"Tatsuya, welcome back. Thanks for accompanying him, Nee-san." They arrived just before 6 P.M. being welcomed by Fumiya.
From her welcoming Tatsuya's group from their descent from Takachiho, Ayako had been wearing a summer sweater and a long, light skirt, what you would normally see on a female university student. Fumiya, for some reason, was wearing an ao dai (or something resembling one).
"Thanks for your work too. By the way Fumiya, is that supposed to be a disguise?"
It should be noted that, though worn mostly by women, there are also men's ao dai. So it would be a blunder to ask him if he was "dressing as a woman" just by looking at this outfit. When he went and asked, "Is that a disguise?" outright, it was probably due to how long they have known each other.
"Yes. It's very popular among the younger people living in the area." "I see."
Fumiya omitted a detail in that is with the "young female population" specifically, but Tatsuya didn't question him, either because he didn't notice or because he pretended not to.
As it turned out, his "disguise" proved unquestionably effective. Several young women dressed like Fumiya walked down the street. Some of them appeared to be Japanese, but unlike Chinatown, which is a tourist area, there seemed to be a larger number of immigrants, students, and migrant workers from continental China.
"I'll show you where it is. This way, please."
"Wait a minute. I'll disguise myself too."
Tatsuya activated the magistore hidden inside his summer jacket containing the magic sequence of the recognition-inhibiting magic [Aidoneus].
"Whoa! …This was surprising. Is that [Aidoneus]?"
"Fumiya exclaims in surprise as it becomes harder to take in Tatsuya's impression"
"First time seeing it? I thought I asked Yuuka-san to prioritize supplying it to the Kuroba family."
Tatsuya tilted his head in reaction.
"It still hasn't got to our end. It's still in testing at my father's place." It was Ayako who answered.
"It's been over a month already… They're being awfully cautious." Tatsuya let slip an exasperated voice.
Fumiya gave a bitter chuckle.
"…It can't be helped. Otou-san is still trying hard not to be dependent on you,
Tatsuya-san. It's a maybe, but I suspect that he is trying very hard to find a reason not to use Tatsuya-san's invention."
Having said that, Fumiya gripped Tatsuya's left hand with both of his.
This was the kind of innocent behavior one might expect from a high school girl or, for that matter, a junior high school girl.
Tatsuya was quite literally taken aback by this.
"The feeling of touch is also normal. It doesn't feel like my perception is being twisted. And yet my perception is waning."
Fumiya releases his hand, looking up at Tatsuya from the close proximity.
"I can tell I'm looking at Tatsuya-san because I know you're there now. If I didn't know and we passed each other without knowing, I might not recognize you even if we bumped into each other… In fact, I'm afraid that I would not be able to recognize you anymore if we were to get separated for a moment."
Fumiya clasped his hands on his back and walked backwards, one, two, he stepped lightly. ─He looks kind of feminine like now, doesn't he? Tatsuya thought.
"I was wondering, why don't we hold hands so I can show you the way?"
"Fumiya!"
Annoyed, Ayako chastised Fumiya.
Fumiya made an studied cowering gesture.
"I was just making sure Tatsuya-san wouldn't lose sight of me, but I guess there's no need. Please follow me."
Fumiya walks off with a lively gait.
His figure was soon lost in the dimness of the twilight.
"For crying out loud…"
Ayako exclaimed in exasperation.
"What on earth is Fumiya so excited about…? Tatsuya-san, do you want me to show you the way?"
Ayako asks Tatsuya with an expression of guilt on her face.
"No, thanks. Ayako, take charge of the overall encirclement in place of Fumiya." With these words, Tatsuya went after Fumiya at a brisk pace.
His figure soon blended into the twilight as did Fumiya.
They reached the destination about five minutes on foot after meeting at the rendezvous point.
"An apartment complex…"
"There is no automatic lock, so the entry will be easy, but it may be unavoidable that there will be some damage to the surrounding area."
As he said this, Fumiya looked at Tatsuya with a "what do you plan to do?".
"I don't want to delay too long. I'm going in as it is."
"That's very like you to make such a manly decision, Tatsuya-san. I respect it." Tatsuya couldn't help but to stare blankly at Fumiya.
He doesn't have much beyond the general notions of "masculinity" and "femininity," but he was suspecting that maybe Fumiya was getting more and more feminine as time went on.
"Is there something wrong?"
Seeing Tatsuya's apprehension, Fumiya tilted his head innocently.
"─I'll leave any follow-up to you."
Tatsuya quickly glosses over the situation.
"Leave it to me."
Fortunately for Tatsuya, there were no signs of suspicion on Fumiya's part.
Tatsuya turned off [Aidoneus] and entered the apartment alone.
Fumiya watched the building from the outside with his subordinates. They were in place in case Lü Dongbin was somehow able to escape from Tatsuya's grasp.
Lü Dongbin was hiding on the far end of the third floor of the four-story apartment building. An emergency staircase is located next to the room. While the entrance to the staircase is locked, a lattice door like this is hardly an obstacle for Tatsuya. Perhaps for Lü Dongbin as well.
The first and second floors were inhabited as they should be.
But once on the third floor, there was no sign of anyone.
He couldn't say that for certain, as he was taking into account the possibility of being traced and wasn't using [Elemental Sight]. But there was for sure no ordinary resident living there, at least.
Tatsuya grew more alert. It may be thanks to this that he was able to respond to what happened next.
It was just when Tatsuya reached, with cautious steps along the outer corridor, near the room where Lü Dongbin was hiding.
An explosion occurred in the apartment just ahead.
The iron door, blown out its hinges by the blast, flew at Tatsuya.
He jumped forward at once, instead of retreating. His judgment proved to be correct.
Because afterwards, a similar explosion occurred in the room two rooms away from him, sending their steel doors flying open as well.
The whole building made of reinforced concrete shook; sounds of its structure creaking could be heard all around.
Enter or exit the building? The decision took only an instant.
Tatsuya reaches for the door in front of him.
He turned the knob. It was unlocked.
(An ambush?)
With the certainty of a trap waiting for him, Tatsuya yanked open the door.
A knife came at him from inside the room.
Not a knife remotely controlled by magic. He would have detected the magic and avoided it in advance.
It was a surprise strike by throwing it.
Tatsuya didn't attempt to evade. He left it to the magic shield he deployed around his body prior to the earlier explosion to deal with. Being a shield maintained by the artificial relic he carries for self-defense, it is stronger than what he could have built on his own.
Tatsuya brings his right hand behind his back and pulls a handgun from a backside holster.
Not a handgun-shaped CAD, a 9mm automatic handgun. Attached under the barrel is not a light or a laser pointer, but a specialized CAD with silencing magic.
In other words, this was an equivalent to a suppressor that uses magic for the job.
But Tatsuya pulled the trigger without bothering with the silencing magic.
After those two explosions there was no point in hiding the gunshot now. Better to just avoid the slight time lag required for activating the magic altogether.
The man who threw the knife was unable to hide and the bullet digged into his chest The man falls backwards. Another man came at him with a knife from behind.
Caught by surprise, Tatsuya's reaction was momentarily delayed. He didn't sense the man's presence.
Tatsuya pulled the trigger.
To his surprise, the man managed to deflect the bullet with the short blade of the knife in his right hand.
The knife breaks and the bullet ricochets, making a hole in the wall.
The man throws a thin dagger at Tatsuya with his left hand.
Following his intuition, Tatsuya dodges the dagger.
The blade passed inches to the side of his face, slicing tentatively through the shield. There is no feeling that the magical shield was neutralized.
(Was it some sort of magic field anchored to the edge of the blade that disturbed the shield?)
Tatsuya instantly analyzed the enemy's attack.
He couldn't tell the exact nature of the force field, but he could make out what had happened.
The man slashed at Tatsuya with his newly drawn knife.
Tatsuya paired the left hand coming at him with his right with the gun.
Not missing a beat, there is a thrust with his right hand, which Tatsuya intercepts by catching the wrist.
The man threw a knee kick, which was met in turn by Tatsuya's own knee.
And so Tatsuya and the man glared at each other from up close.
The man promptly retreated a few steps, and in that instant Tatsuya figured out why he hadn't noticed this man's presence at first.
The presence of the first man who he shot and the second man were identical.
(Presence projection ─ [Kodama], huh…)
In his high school days, Yakumo once showed Tatsuya a ninjutsu for distracting the enemy by projecting one's presence onto a grove of trees or a rock. He was not taught how to use it, but rather it was used largely to his detriment in one of their practice sessions. This has probably the same underlying principle, whereby the first man was the projection of the second man's presence.
Tatsuya's hand pulled the trigger with this thought in the back of his mind.
Each of the successive bullets were deflected by the man's dagger dancing in mid-air.
The dagger was controlled by an unsubstantial string.
It matched Ryosuke's description of the magic used by Lü Dongbin.
Another knife lunges at Tatsuya from behind.
This tentative trap as well.
Tatsuya half-heartedly evaded the knife.
He went a step further and grabbed the handle of the knife that was passing right past him with his left hand.
At the same time, he decomposed the magic sequence of remote control.
Tatsuya made a mental note that Gram Dispersion works without any problem.
While addressing the enemy's attack, Tatsuya kept on pulling the trigger with his right hand.
A bullet broke the blade of his knife.
With almost no delay, there was a new blade in sight to shield him.
This process repeated itself once more.
The slide of the handgun locked back. In other words, he emptied the magazine.
The man who appeared to be Lü Dongbin ─ no, this was unquestionably the real Lü Dongbin ─ saw the opportunity, turned his back on Tatsuya, and lunged toward the balcony.
Tatsuya fired [Decomposition].
However, the moment after the [Decomposition] magic sequence landed on Lü Dongbin's information body it was engulfed and dissolved by a psionic wave that rebounded from the point of impact.
(Up to the reflection, everything seems to be as we guessed. But, to think it wasn't so much neutralizing, but dissolving.)
As Tatsuya calmly analyzes the situation of his magic being nullified, on the other end of the line, Lü Dongbin leaps out from the open balcony.
Knowing that the outside perimeter was surrounded by Kuroba combatants led by Fumiya, Tatsuya was not preoccupied.
But, after those two loud explosions, the police were bound to arrive soon, and Tatsuya was not supposed to be here. He couldn't afford much leisure time.
He approached the balcony while swapping magazines. Making sure Lü Dongbin wasn't hiding as if he'd jumped out, he opened a line of comms with Fumiya.
"Where did he run off to?"
Tatsuya asked outright. Fumiya went to the balcony side of the apartment when they parted. Unless he changed positions at some point, he should have seen Lü Dongbin escape.
[He went up to the roof of the apartment and ran away to the other side. We are in pursuit.]
"Send me the location."
[I'll take you to him.]
"Got it, lead the way."
Cutting off the transmission, Tatsuya holstered his pistol.
He then jumped down from the third floor balcony to the ground.
With Fumiya's guidance, Tatsuya caught up to Lü Dongbin on a deserted riverbed.
He would like to say that they have "cornered him," but unless they had snipers in place, the encirclement was not quite complete. With only a few Kuroba's magicians able to ward off people from the area, Lü Dongbin still has some room to escape.
Both Tatsuya, the pursuer, and Lü Dongbin, the pursued, may have the same intention to settle the matter as soon as possible. ─Perhaps that was the impression conveyed by the situation.
"Are you Lü Dongbin?"
There might not seem to be any reason to ask at this point, but he has yet to confirm it definitively. It was a reasonable opening statement.
"Yes, I am. And you are Shiba Tatsuya of the Yotsuba, are you not?"
Tatsuya felt a slight sense of strangeness at having "Yotsuba" added to his name.
But he wasn't wrong, so Tatsuya nodded with an affirmative "That's right."
If asked about the point of this conversation, Tatsuya would probably have answered "None." Finishing his nod he immediately pulled out his gun.
"W-wait, wait! I-!"
Lü Dongbin attempted to say something.
Tatsuya paid no heed and pointed the muzzle at him.
About the same time, Lü Dongbin dropped down onto the overgrown weeds on the riverbank.
Knives sprang from the hems of his loose-fitting trousers, one from each side.
Tatsuya pulled the trigger.
One intercepts the bullet in mid-air. It deflects the bullet, just as it had before he escaped.
But the bullets from this new magazine were of an entirely different kind.
The bullets engraved with inertial enhancement magic smashed through the dagger in mid-air and grazed Lü Dongbin's left shoulder, leaving a shallow wound.
The other knife, which was moving toward Tatsuya, hurried to get back to Lü Dongbin, as if the thing itself had a will of its own.
Magic that remotely controls knives is not that unusual; a well-known example to Tatsuya is Stars' [Dancing Blades].
Compared to this one, it has a longer range and is probably more powerful, too.
That said, Lü Dongbin's magic seemed to have a greater degree of flexibility in control.
With these thoughts in mind, Tatsuya pulled the trigger again.
The knife back on Lü Dongbin's side deflected the bullet.
The inertia-enhancement magic on the bullet had been nullified.
Even another blade comes at Tatsuya, who wonders just how many knives he has hidden there.
Tatsuya pointed the muzzle at the flying knife.
He pulls the trigger, destroying the knife.
The next knife came flying at him, to which he fired just the same.
Meanwhile, he casts [Gram Dispersion] on the knife acting as a shield. The remote control magic was erased and the knife fell into the weeds.
But the knife was soon back up from the weeds. The instantaneous speed with which the magic was re-activated may suggest an unknown technique of stocking magic sequences, or perhaps a tool with that purpose, or maybe even a system that brings the same effects as a loop-casting.
No further action was taken. No further attacks on Tatsuya.
Tatsuya, too, did not pull the trigger.
"We have no intention of challenging the Yotsuba!"
Lü Dongbin, not wanting to miss the opportunity, shouted quickly.
"You say so after you attack FLT?"
Saying this, Tatsuya lowered his gun.
Lü Dongbin stood up with both hands raised. His left hand is slightly lower, probably due to the pain from the wound the bullet left.
That was the only visible sign of wounds. No apparent effect of ribs Ryousuke had broken on him.
"That was what FAIR wanted. I had no intention in that matter." Lü Dongbin appeals in a strong tone.
"Do you really think you can make such a claim?"
By contrast, Tatsuya's voice was indifferent.
"If I was serious, I would have taken an Artificial Relic!"
"Are you suggesting that you failed on purpose?"
"That's right, because I never intended to seriously antagonize the Yotsuba."
"Then what is the goal of the [Bāxiān] of the GAU in this matter?" Tatsuya returned the handgun to its holster.
"If you are so familiar with the [Bāxiān] then I'm sure you can at least guess that we do not work with only one objective in mind. Our work is hardly that straightforward." Lü Dongbin lowered his raised hands. They drop down limp and weak.
"So?"
Tatsuya also relaxed both arms. He kept them slightly flexed, however.
"For example, one of them is to have you alone with me like this."
"I've got my people all around here."
"No problem… My purpose is not with the Yotsuba."
Lü Dongbin clasps his hands behind his back, as if in a show of non-resistance.
Then he purses his lips and exhales vigorously.
A reddish-black arrowhead-like object flies out of his mouth.
It flew at high speed, sinking into Tatsuya's chest.
"My purpose is you."
He jumped nearly ten meters and looked at Tatsuya with a confident expression.
The arrowhead Lü Dongbin spit out was his trump card as an assassin, [Piercing Blood Nail]. He spits a blade molded and hardened from his own blood, accelerated to high velocity in a straight line via movement magic.
In the realm of ancient-style magic, blood is by far the best medium.
With it as a material, the magic weapon smelted inside the body is itself a microcosm. Knead within is the "will" to nullify magical defenses ─ a conditional activation magic sequence, in modern magical terms.
The blood arrowheads, imbued with the special magic-nullification effect inside and outside with the sharpness and speed to pierce even bulletproof and stab-proof gear, ignore enemy's magical defenses in their path and penetrate deep into their bodies, inflicting fatal wounds. [Piercing Blood Nail] was a "magician-killing" magic designated exclusively for use against combat magicians who defend themselves with magic.
Lü Dongbin was positive that his [Piercing Blood Nail] hit Tatsuya. He saw it hit him squarely in the chest.
"─What!?"
His eyes grew wide. There was no trace of blood on Tatsuya's chest. No blood spilled, no blood adhered to his chest.
Granted hit of the [Piercing Blood Nail] should have resulted in profuse bleeding from the wound from where it pierced.
Were [Piercing Blood Nail] to fail, then the arrowhead would revert to regular blood, soaking the clothing.
Even if it was, for argument's sake, blocked by a shield, the blood comprising the arrowhead would be splattered on the surface of the shield. To simply leave no single vestige of its existence, to disappear as if absorbed, was an impossible phenomenon for Lü Dongbin.
Not for those who were familiar with Tatsuya's magic, however. It was trifling to explain that he decomposed the blood arrowheads.
Lü Dongbin witnessed [Mist Dispersion] nullification before his escape from the apartment. How, he wondered, was the same magic-nullifying technique able to decompose the [Piercing Blood Nail] this time around?
This is no mystery. The answer is "order of events".
In the apartment, the magic sequence detailing decomposition of a body was nullified by Lü Dongbin's magic, which was activated in response to it.
In this case, the nullification sequence embedded in the [Piercing Blood Nail] was targeted and decomposed along with the blood arrowhead by the Decomposition magic.
By its very nature, magic sequences are uncovered on the surface of the eidos they are interfering with. Magic sequences are themselves defenseless in the informational dimension. This was the same for both modern and ancient-style magic; neither Tatsuya's nor Lü Dongbin's magic were exceptions.
Lü Dongbin, however, unaware of comprehending what had been done, froze in place, caught by a sense of surprise.
Tatsuya's right hand moved quickly. Out of the inside of his summer jacket, his hand brought forth a pistol-shaped CAD.
At first glance, Lü Dongbin assumed it to be a large handgun with an attached bayonet.
But he soon was struck with a bad feeling.
Fastened to the barrel of the gun was not a "sword", but a "stake".
The metal stake was mounted, neither under nor over the barrel, but over the muzzle.
A grenade, Lü Dongbin thought back.
At last he regained his rational self, and realized that this was not the time to be dwelling on such things.
He turned his back on Tatsuya and tried to flee.
As he turned on his heels, Lü Dongbin deployed his magic nullification technique with full force.
Tatsuya pulled the CAD trigger at Lü Dongbin back before he could take a step forward.
The Pistol-shaped specialized CAD, Silverhorn Custom [Trident].
The "stake" on its "muzzle" is a magic dedicated attachment.
His trump card against enemies who have the means to nullify magic.
[Baryon Lance]
Now, he is about to deliver the spearhead of this special technique.
【Decomposition ・ Material: Baryon】
─The "stake" attached to the end of the barrel is decomposed into molecules, molecules are decomposed into atoms, and atoms into electrons and nuclei. From there, the nucleus is then further decomposed into protons, neutrons, and baryons.
【FAE Process Execution・Particle Convergence】
─By application of the FAE theory, where the constraints of the laws of physics are relaxed, the aggregate of particles which should otherwise diffuse, is compacted into a thin disk-shaped area. There, the leptons and electrons, not subject in the definition of the decomposition, are captured by the protons, and the protons are converted into neutrons.
【FAE Process Execution・Shooting】
─The thin disc of agglomerated neutrons is shot out perpendicularly to the standing firing vector towards the target. By means of the FAE theory, the cluster of neutrons reaches a speed of 10,000 kilometers per second, much beyond the boundaries of normal magic.
【Material・Regrowth】
─The entire process is reversed. All traces of neutron activation are gone, all that is left is the result of the neutron beam burning interaction with living tissue.
The neutron beam produced by [Baryon Lance], although under the influence of magic, is a physical phenomenon, not magic itself. It cannot be neutralized by magic nullification techniques.
A high-speed, high-density neutron beam pierced Lü Dongbin's heart from behind.
The cells are instantly carbonized, blood boils.
Needless to say, it's a fatal wound, no doubt.
With Lü Dongbin falling forward in the corner of his eye, Tatsuya returned his [Trident] to his shoulder holster after the attachment "stake" had been restored with [Regrowth].
◇ ◇ ◇
He made his pursuit of Lü Dongbin on foot ─ at a very high-speed pace aided by magic ─ on the way back he took a different self-propelled car that he had called while carrying Lü Dongbin's corpse.
"Tatsuya-san, what were you talking to that man about?"
Fumiya asks beside Tatsuya in the back seat of the self-driving car as it drives off.
"He was undoubtedly a member of the [Bāxiān], the magician special operations forces of the GAU."
"So the [Bāxiān], the 'Eight Immortals' are now the 'Seven Immortals'?" On hearing this, Fumiya commented jokingly.
"I'm sure they'll find a replacement soon enough."
Tatsuya's sarcasm was not directed at Fumiya, of course, but at the GAU military.
Aware of this, Fumiya chuckled with the same amused expression on his face.
"By the way, what was the [Bāxiān] point in all this? He seemed to be saying something before he jumped back."
The words that Lü Dongbin whispered out after firing the blood arrowhead didn't reach Fumiya's ears.
"Seems like the GAU wanted me dead."
"…Excuse me, they what?"
Fumiya's eyes flashed upon hearing Tatsuya's explanation.
"He said his goal was not the Yotsuba, but me."
"Unforgivable…!"
The look of indignation in Fumiya has the impression of an angry cat with all its hairs standing on end.
…Though there's no comparison to how intense he was in his high school days, Tatsuya thought secretly.
He, naturally, never breathed a word about it.
"This is a testament of what Lü Dongbin gained with this. It is to show that, if the [Bāxiān] so chooses to take up the challenge, they will only be making the same mistake."
A death sentence, cold and harsh; were the message Tatsuya in fact delivered.
Fumiya stared at Tatsuya with wide eyes, his body quivering.
It was then gone the anger, out of his expression, only to give place to a smile, of which wouldn't be strange to see in a maiden in love.
Reconvening with them on the way, Ayako, on hearing of the GAU's purpose in assassinating Tatsuya, she simply nodded, "I see," satisfied in her understanding. ─To the inevitable wonder if the act of men and women have been switched in those two.
"You are? All I can say is that I'm satisfied with the results."
Ayako answered Fumiya's query with a "but of course" attitude.
"Forget Japan or the USNA, the biggest hindrance to the GAU, and the NSU as well, is Tatsuya-san, is it not?"
Ayako followed up her words to Fumiya, seeming to be painting the details clearly.
"That said, both countries have now realized that it is too dangerous to fight Tatsuya-san head-on. Say the GAU, they have already been struck by a [Material Burst] once. Resorting to assassination is a natural step. After all, there is also our current homework, remember?"
Ayako concluded with an accusatory tone.
"Of course I didn't. Our summer assignment is to take out the NSU's assassins sent after Tatsuya-san."
Fumiya's tone is marked by strong resolve. Looking at him in this moment, Fumiya looked, for all intents and purposes, like a gallant boy.
"You don't need to waste your summer vacation on something trivial like that. I'm not particularly troubled by it, after all."
Tatsuya downplayed the situation with a bitter smile, fearing that Fumiya's determined expression could signal a future crisis due to lack of control.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was 7:30 P.M. by the time Tatsuya returned to Miyakishima. By the end, it had taken only 30 minutes from his arrival at Nishi-kawaguchi to settle the score with Lü Dongbin.
"Tatsuya-sama, thanks for your hard work."
Said Miyuki as she received Tatsuya's return with a polite bow, followed wordlessly by Minami.
"Tatsuya, how did things go with that [Bāxiān] guy?" Lina asks cheerfully with a smile from the side. "Lina, do you mean you wished to fight him? Luckily for you, there are seven others left, so I'm sure you'll get your chance."
Interjected Ayako with dismay, who for some reason had accompanied Tatsuya all the way to Miyakishima.
"I'll pass. It's not like that. I'm not Sirius anymore, after all." Lina countered in a light tone.
But this topic didn't die down there.
"Wait, Ayako-san… What did you mean by that?" Miyuki couldn't make light of the matter.
Before Ayako had a chance to answer, Miyuki turned her body to face Tatsuya.
"Tatsuya-sama… Could it be that the [Bāxiān] is after your life?"
Were another man in his position, they surely would find themselves cornered, bound in place by this gaze.
"It would seem so. At least that's what Lü Dongbin said." Tatsuya, however, assented with much nonchalance.
"How are you so carefree…"
Miyuki was absolutely mortified at his lack of urgency.
"On the contrary, why be so nervous about it? I've got a good look at the Bāxiān's magic nullification sequence. Once I figure it out, they won't be a threat to me. I won't let them get to you either."
"Tatsuya-sama…"
Miyuki now had other reasons to be speechless after Tatsuya's strong declaration. "…What about me?"
Lina asked gingerly to Tatsuya, trying not to get "kicked by the horse" in the process.
"I'm sure you can handle it on your own, Lina. I'll give you a tip, don't worry."
"Why am I getting treated so differently from Miyuki?"
"Sorry, but that's how it is, Miyuki here is my fiancée." Tatsuya had no trace of feeling sorry for that.
Miyuki as well, didn't blushed even a little with this sort of thing.
"I get it, I get it, geez…"
As was standard in cases like this, Lina mutters a mutter of resignation.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya and company ascended to Takachiho at 8:00 P.M.
During their stop at Takachiho, Tatsuya took the opportunity to share information about "Bāxiān" with Minoru. But with the obvious addition of Miyuki, Lina, as well as Minami, to the conversation. With this setup he described to them about the magic that Lü Dongbin had used.
And then, at 7:00 P.M. on August 14th, Uzbekistan local time.
Tatsuya, Miyuki and Lina descended on the vacant lot on the outskirts of Kagan, where they were to meet up with Hyougo.
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