Chapter 1
[San Francisco Riots]
September 22nd, 2:00 P.M, California, USNA.
Lena Fehr, accompanied by Tookami Ryousuke, Arya Krishna Shastri and Louis Roux arrived at the Oakland International Airport in the city of Richmond.
The group of four members of the Vancouver-based political organization FEHR did not come to the city of Richmond for sightseeing. Nor are they here in their mission to protect the human rights of magicians, the ideal in which FEHR was created. They are here to catch Rocky Dean, the leader of their rival organization, FAIR, as well as its sub-leader, Laura Simons.
Even if everything goes as Lena and company hope, and they catch them, they don't have the authority to arrest the FAIR duo. The actual formal arrest is to be carried out by the Special Operations Command Magician Unit, STARS, which is under the direct command of the General Staff Headquarters of the federal military, who set up this whole arrangement. Their role in this is that of a front for the federal military, which cannot interfere within the jurisdiction of domestic law enforcement.
Despite their reluctance with this whole arrangement, they weren't coerced into participating in Dean and Laura's capture. Lena joined in with STARS' plan because she herself strongly believed that those two couldn't be left unattended.
At a house on the outskirts of Richmond. STARS Second Lieutenant Sophia Spica passed on to Lena the location where the two FAIR members were hiding out. At this point, Lena wondered, if they know where they are, why haven't they cooperated with the police to arrest the duo already?
There must be some circumstance that she doesn't know about. But, there was no point in thinking about it now. Lena shelved the thought, she had other concerns to worry about, at the moment.
"How odd…"
Ryousuke was the one to break the uncomfortable silence, as they stood in front of the hideout.
"There's no sign of anyone."
Once she heard that muttered last line, Lena closed her eyes.
Concentrating her consciousness in her mind's eye, a mysterious aura flowed out of her.
"…Ryousuke is right. There is no one in this hideout," Lena informed the others with her eyes still closed.
"So they managed to escape? Did they know that we were coming?" Louis Roux pointed out the first possibility that came to his mind.
"Did the information leak?" Ryousuke on the other hand suspected that there could be someone working on the inside.
"No… it doesn' seem like it, but judging by the amount of residual aura, it's most likely they didn't come back here after leaving Mt. Shasta."
Lena, however, dismissed Ryousuke's suspicion.
"I didn't know you could tell that much. I should have expected that…" Ryousuke expressed his heartfelt emotion.
"So, you think they abandoned this hideout?" Arya questioned, though it was more of a statement.
As young as she might look, Lena is in fact much older than even Arya. Her actual age showed in the calm and collected nod she gave to Arya's words. "They had probably already decided to flee as soon as they obtained the ancient magic at those ruins. If anything, this might have been just a stop on their way to Mt. Shasta."
Lena's speculation was objectively mistaken, but it was sufficiently reasonable given the facts at their disposal.
"In that case, I doubt we'll find any leads here." Louis sighed.
Ryousuke was similarly dejected, "Did we come all the way here for nothing…"
"Milady."
Lena frowned. How many times now has she explicitly told Arya to call her by her name. And here she was using "Milady" like those conversations never happened.
In Arya's defense, she believed that was just Lena being shy, but not really minding the nickname. Not helping was the fact every other member of FEHR also called Milady and Lena (resigned) allowed them.
"Couldn't you use psychometry?" Arya finished her question, asking about the possibility of tracking.
"The best I can do at my level is traces up to a week old… But if I am to give it a try, I'd need to get inside." Her half-hearted response didn't come from modesty, but from genuine lack of confidence.
Ryousuke, who misunderstood that as modesty, made an innocent suggestion, "Then I'll tell that STARS officer to let us go in the house."
"…Let's first contact Second-Lieutenant Spica and inform her about this." Lena responded with evasiveness. Though never stating she couldn't do it.
Maybe because she couldn't make that statement.
◇ ◇ ◇
The person who advised Lena - or perhaps instigated? commissioned? - was Second-Lieutenant Spica of the STARS. At the time, she gave Lena her phone number and the assurance that it would "connect to me without fail."
And, sure enough, it connected right away. It seems like the Second-Lieutenant wasn't just giving false promises. Well, at least in that regard.
Unfortunately, they were not allowed to enter the house where Dean was presumed to be hiding. Spica's excuse over the call was that they didn't receive consent from the owner of the housing unit, but she actually didn't even contact the police.
No doubt the police would hate having the military butt in their cases, even if the wanted suspects were magicians. To say nothing of letting an obscure political organization headed by a civilian magician enter, and do as they please in a house that might still contain important clues. Chances were slim from the start, even if it might have helped them locate the wanted criminals.
While Ryousuke spat out curses against the judicial authorities at this outcome, Lena was secretly relieved.
While, objectively speaking, Lena's psychometric skills were not as bad as she made them to be, because of that mentality, her ability didn't go beyond the level of "probably could, if she tried". And when the situation came down to needing it, Lena didn't have the confidence to make it work out.
With nothing else they could do, the FEHR group headed for the hotel where Spica had made reservations.
At the hotel, the FEHR group gathered to discuss their plans of action for the next couple of days, but without any lead to find out where Dean might have run off to, nothing came of that meeting.
Lena has her Astral Projection, which allows her to move freely to wherever she wants. While well suited to reaching out to help an ally, the same couldn't be said about searching for an enemy in hiding.
And although Louis' magic does allow him to scout out the general location of an enemy, it is not adequate for searching a large area. In which case it'd be more effective to do a conventional in-foot sweep.
As for Arya, she's able to cover a very wide area with her magic, but she lacks the proficiency to focus on a single individual in a large group of people. That said, she doesn't possess long-range or wide-area perception magic.
Lastly there is Ryousuke, who, for all intended purposes, specializes in close-quarters combat. He's more fit to be a bodyguard role, never a detective one.
The four ultimately concluded that, since they had nothing to contribute, it would be pointless to stay here in Richmond. They decided to return to Vancouver tomorrow.
As fate would have it, however, that plan had to be revised before even the date had changed. Their visit didn't turn out to be wasted, but Lena, Ryousuke, Louis and Arya very much wished it was, if it meant this never happened.
Just short past eleven o'clock in the evening, Lena was sitting on her hotel bed in her pajamas, when she heard the sound of the trumps of the apocalypse blowing from the south-southwest direction.
What she sensed was the sign of Dean activating the wicked prehistoric magic he had obtained from the ruins of the Kla-Klo.
◇ ◇ ◇
The riot that broke out just after 11:00 P.M. on September 22nd was at first only a small-scale incident of violence.
However, the single instance soon turned into two and three as incidents began to spread in chain reaction, escalating until engulfing the entire main district of San Francisco in riots in the blink of an eye.
The four FEHR members, plus Second-Lieutenant Spica, stood just in front of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, staring at the flames rising in the San Francisco city center across the river.
Lena immediately called her colleagues after sensing the activation of the prehistoric magic. She also called Spica's phone and asked her to bring a car.
Any reservations about being this late at night were out the window. She knew she could not, no, she wouldn't leave this magic unattended, and this conviction drove any doubts that might have got in her way.
Lena didn't understand where this determination came from.
She didn't question it, not even for a moment.
She was being driven by some sense of duty.
With no idea who -or "what" was commanding her, nor for what purpose.
Right now it was spurring her on, having her asking Spica to drive her to San Francisco.
But Spica's answer was a "No!" in clear english.
It was a logical decision. Across the bridge there was widespread panic due to the riots and fires. There was nothing they would gain by going there, other than getting caught in the middle of it.
"Second-Lieutenant Spica, if you say you won't cross the bridge, then please lend us the car. We'll make it to the other side ourselves."
"I can't allow that either. I have a duty to care for your safety as the person who involved you in this matter. I have to ask to at least wait until we have a better picture of the situation."
"By then it'll be too late. It is too late. Once active, it'll escalate and only get worse by the minute."
"I beg your pardon, Ms. Fehr, but what can you do about the situation? Do you have a way to calm the riot? Can you contain or put out the spreading fires?"
"I…" Lena was about to bitterly answer, "I don't know," when an explosion roared across the river, drowning out her words.
"But, Milady, it's too dangerous! Please don't do this." Ryousuke pleaded with Lena for her to change her mind.
Louis didn't even allow her the time to reply, asking Spica to "Please, take us back to the hotel."
Spica immediately made a U-turn with the self-propelled car.
At that point, the car she was driving was the only one remaining on that spot.
Back at the Richmond hotel, Lena had regained her composure.
"I apologize for my behavior earlier…"
After a word to Spica, she returned to her room appearing deeply heavy-hearted, accompanied by Arya, who hugged her on the shoulder.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was 6 P.M. on Thursday, September 23rd, when Tatsuya learned of the riots that broke out in San Francisco. His initial source was a news report from USNA. Despite it being around 2 A.M. local time, a national network television station is currently broadcasting the situation in real time from Oakland from across the river.
He is instantly linked between these riots and the ruins of the Kla-Klo.
According to the speculations of Lena from FEHR, the magic Dean obtained from the ruins is akin to a higher order of his signature [Dionysus].
From what he could gather, [Dionysus] is a magic that induces a number of people into a sort of inebriated, uninhibited state of mind. It doesn't attempt to exercise direct control over consciousness, instead going through the route of reducing inhibitory resistances. Then, as a result the target is more suggestible to verbal and visual stimuli.
It might seem at first to be just a lower grade of magic than those that seize targets' will, in fact, the reduced load on the magic calculation area works to its advantage. Meaning it only requires a small amount of magical power to activate. Therefore, even if a large group is targeted, it wouldn't pose as much of a strain on the caster. Making it much more suitable for inciting a group into rioting than magic that directly manipulates consciousness, such as [Puppeteer] or [Mindjack].
If Lena's supposition ─ or should one say "intuition"? ─ turns out to be correct, and the magic Dean obtained at the ruins is a high-level [Dionysus], it would be fair to assume it could cause a riot on a major city scale, which would normally be impossible for a single mageist.
These riots now being reported could have the potential to escalate even further, to the point of engulfing even a nation as large as the USNA.
The terminal close at hand rang twice in quick succession.
There were two new transmissions, one from Canopus, New Mexico, and the other from Lena, California.
It was midnight in those places, which would usually ask for some discretion, but Tatsuya did not find the timing surprising. If what he heard in the news was just a normal riot, he would, however, take that as a bit of an overreaction.
But the thought of an unknown malicious magic possibly operating in the background was probably keeping them awake.
Both messages had effectively the identical content: "Would it be possible to have a call?"
Tatsuya took his mobile terminal and headed for the communications room set up in a separate building in the Yotsuba Family Miyakishima Branch residential compound.
Canopus called him a minute after he returned a text message agreeing to the call request.
"…So you also believe, Colonel, that the current San Francisco riots were caused by Rocky Dean using a prehistoric magic?"
[Correct. There was no signs that would have suggested the incidence of the current incident]
At the other end of the call, Canopus nodded to Tatsuya's query.
"Has Dean not been captured yet?"
[Unfortunately, no. Neither the federal police nor the FBI seem to have identified his whereabouts.]
"Not even the federal military? Didn't the STARS have a technology at their disposal that can locate an individual by their unique psion pattern."
[May I inquire where you heard that information?] A scowl forms on Canopus's face as he is asked about what is supposed to be confidential technology of the federal military.
"Not from Lina, I can assure you. I inferred it from certain circumstances."
About three and a half years ago, a stateless Chinese named Gu Jie led a bomb attack against Ten Master Clans in Japan, whom Tatsuya was among the people assigned to hunt down, but ultimately failed to capture due to USNA's interference.
Reason being that USNA at the time had tracked Gu Jie before Tatsuya's group did. Their forces took Gu Jie's life just in front of Tatsuya and company's eyes, not leaving even a body for them to retrieve. Tatsuya speculated from that incident that the USNA must have some technology that could track a person's specific signals, presumably their psion patterns.
[…Dean's pattern appeared to have been altered after acquiring a prehistoric civilization's magic.]
"His psion pattern was altered? Is this a normal phenomenon?"
In Tatsuya's perception, psion waves vary from individual to individual. Since he hasn't had observational samples, he wasn't sure if it is a lifelong constant, like fingerprints or iris patterns. But, in his account, patterns don't change so much that it becomes much different in a period of a year or so.
[It has been a novel case for us as well.]
"So the magic of the Kla-Klo has altered Dean's mind?" Tatsuya wondered privately in his mind.
He remembers when Miyuki's magic neutralized the FAIR mageist named Schneider, the inciter of the [Babel] chain. At the time, Tatsuya witnessed an unidentified information body ─ something akin to a familiar ─ slip out of the woman's body.
Perhaps, in learning, or rather installing, the Kla-Klo magic, the familiar alters the mageist's mind when it takes them as host.
─Like with the Artificial Magician Experiment, which implanted his virtual magic calculation area.
─Like a parasite that transforms a person's body by merging them with a spiritual life form.
Tatsuya set a part of his consciousness to develop his hypothesis on the background.
"So at this moment you don't have any idea where he is?"
While the other part continued the conversation with Canopus.
[We are aware that the Triad had a hand in Dean's escape. The judicial authorities seem to be working along that line.]
The Triad is known in the eyes of the public as a coalition of the Chinese mafia. While not necessarily mistaken, the group was originally an armed guerrilla force of ethnic Han Chinese whose goal was to wrest control of the East Asian continent back from the Manchu people. To this day, the organization still retains its irregular militia nature, working as a private arm of the hongmen, who were the upper echelon of the guerrilla movement.
"Are the STARS not assigned to this task?"
If there was clear circumstantial evidence of Triad's involvement, it would point at Dean being sheltered by overseas Chinese on the West Coast, possibly by the American hongmen.
No matter how much international influence the Hongmen may have, it is unlikely that they would be able to put up any opposition to the federal military in their home country. Domestic security is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, not the Department of Defense, but the federal military ─ the STARS ─ has the ability to easily transcend that division of power. At the end of the day, despite its many unique restrictions, being a governmental organ, an armed forces representative and maintained by a country's government enjoys a considerable amount of discretion and resources compared to a private organization, even one such as the Yotsuba family.
[Our current priority is to determine the causes of the riots, restore order to the situation, and acquire the means to prevent a recurrence.]
"I see, so as not to let the re-incidence of more riots become a card to play in intimidation."
If there is someone out there who thinks that the disaster caused by the current San Francisco situation is a product of inevitability, that person is not the Commander-in-Chief of the Stars.
[And it is for that reason, mister, that I asked for this call. Would you be willing to lend your assistance in uncovering the magic that caused the riots and the means to counteract it?]
"Is it acceptable to propose that as a request to me?"
This came as an opportunistic proposal to Tatsuya, who was interested in investigating the magic of Kla-Klo. To the USNA, however, they might not feel they are getting much in return for having him stepping in.
[The current priority for the Pentagon is to clarify the situation as soon as possible]
That was a nuanced response from Canopus.
It appears not even the great USNA is immune to turf wars.
"I'd like a moment to consider your request. I won't keep you waiting long."
If it was up to him, he would be leaving the country tomorrow, but unfortunately that decision wasn't solely his to make.
[Thank you very much, mister. I look forward to hearing your response.]
"Can you provide me with information you've collected so far on the riots?"
[Of course. I'll send a compilation via email later.]
Given it's already pre-dawn hours in New Mexico where Canopus is at, the staff must be at less than full speed.
"I appreciate it."
In any case, since Tatsuya won't have a decision by the end of the day, he finished the call without worrying about rushing Canopus.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was well past the hour to be acceptable to bring business talk with his employees. And, while Fujibayashi is not an employee in the strictest normal sense of the word, she was not his relative or close in other ways so that he could treat her without concern for her time. Tatsuya opted to send her a letter instead, requesting her to do a quick assessment of the situation in San Francisco.
The next morning, following breakfast, Tatsuya made an international call while reviewing the detailed assessment from Fujibayashi and the detailed on-site report provided by STARS.
The call was directed to a hotel in Richmond, California, USNA. As detailed for contact by Lena in her message the day before.
3 P.M. local time. For a moment Tatsuya wondered if she had already checked out, but the front desk clerk promptly relayed the call.
"I apologize for the late response, Ms. Fehr."
[By no means. I'm grateful you obliged, if anything.]
Tatsuya has some idea of FEHR's financial situation. Unlike the generously funded STARS, they don't have the budget to casually make international calls when it suits them… That was one of the reasons why she had him be the one to make the call. As a matter of fact, the circle centered around the Yotsuba family in general, not only Tatsuya, has a special contract that covers the cost of incoming calls as well.
"I assume you would like to speak about the riots in San Francisco."
[As perceptive as you are, mister, you may have already noticed these riots were caused by a magic that Rocky Dean obtained at some ruins.]
The overnight hours seem to have a calming effect on her. She was far from the almost hysterical state of mind she displayed at the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge last night, though some signs of tension still marked her tone of voice.
"You seem certain. Did you happen to notice the magic activation?" As Tatsuya pointed out, her voice was to the brim with conviction.
[Moments before the riots broke out, I sensed the activation of an exotic magic.]
"What do you mean by 'exotic'?"
Up to this point, the conversation went just as Tatsuya suspected. Lena's description of an "exotic magic", with these words" to describe the activation of Dean's magic," was quite intriguing. That word alone was more interesting to him than her expression or tone of voice.
"What was it about this magic that made it feel so unusual?"
[I sensed that there was more than one will behind the magic. One of a regular magician, and another of something without flesh and blood… Something like a ghost, for instance.]
Throughout history, language has developed as a means of communicating information derived from the five senses. It comes out as unwieldy to articulate the experience with magical senses that don't quite align with the regular five senses.
Even so, Tatsuya was mildly surprised when the description was more concrete than anticipated. Lena seems to have her consciousness more attuned to her extrasensory perception than he did.
Which may come as a surprise to some, given her teenage appearance, but understandable given her real age of 30. Her struggle with the disparity between herself and others of similar age and those of similar apparent age, as well as her inner power, must have prompted Lena to spend years accepting her heterogeneity and adapting to her unique abilities.
"You said the magician was Dean, the leader of FAIR, am I correct?"
[Yes. Although he was not the same Dean as in the past, I still believe that was Dean.]
Yesterday Canopus, and now Lena also suggested owning a transformation of the mageist after acquiring the Kla-Klo magic. The information presented until now indicates that the installation of Kla-Klo magic not only occupies the magic calculation area ─ which, as observed in the [Babel] mageist, has its own set of adverse effects ─ but also has the potential of altering the mind of the subject host.
"And that there was a second will, of a non-living being, was it?"
[Yes, that's how it felt to me. The spiritual waves that are emitted on activation felt different than when multiple magicians work together to activate a single magic.]
Tatsuya was unfamiliar with the term "spiritual wave," but he decided to just make a mental note to look it up later so as not to break the flow of the conversation with a question.
"I see. I think you might actually hit the nail on the head by referring to this being as a ghost," Tatsuya casually commented.
[…You mean, Dean was possessed by a prehistoric ghost that was dormant in the ruins?] the implication only made her already tense expression even more strained. Although she was the one who said it out loud, she was the most afraid of having the ghost's existence affirmed.
"Yes, though 'ghost' may not be the right word for it. I was considering the possibility that residual thoughts might have manifested as a result of magic activation."
[Residual thoughts… Yes, I think that's possible.] Her expression relaxed a little and she breathed out a sigh of relief.
Tatsuya was trying to appease Lena so that the conversation wouldn't bog down. He could see some success in that regard on the call screen.
That aside, the words he said without any deep thought got him thinking.
Residual thoughts manifesting with the activation of magic.
Residual thoughts' influence strengthens with the activation of magic, resulting in progressive alteration.
This seemed plausible.
In which case, what would happen after such alteration?
There he interrupted this line of thought.
"By the way, Ms. Fehr. What business did you have with me?" Tatsuya's polite way of asking Lena what she wants from him. Her answer will tell him how grave of a threat she feels this situation is.
[Oh, right! Apologies. Mr. Shiba, I'd like to ask for your assistance in stopping Dean! We can't allow this to continue!]
Again, Lena's response exceeded Tatsuya's expectations.
Over-exaggerated as her urgency felt, it didn't appear to be insincere.
"You believe this won't be limited to San Francisco?"
[I suspect this won't stop in just one state, or even country. I believe this could escalate to a worldwide threat.]
"You think this could be another Sarajevo incident? That it could trigger a new World War?"
[As dreadful as it might seem, I fear that possibility is very real,] Lena appeals with a serious expression.
Tatsuya recognized that Lena's extrasensory perception, inexplicable by current magical theory, may be able to hear the footsteps of catastrophe.
[Mister, I'm very aware of how busy a person you are. I will not ask that you capture Dean for us. For that I believe it is our responsibility as Americans to see this matter through, and not to impose on a Japanese citizen, such as yourself.]
"Please, don't hesitate to speak. If it is something beyond my capacity, I'll simply state it, so don't worry so much about it." Tatsuya nudged Lena out of her roundabout speech.
Looking down, she exhaled heavily. Then raised her eyes, breathing in, facing Tatsuya with what could be described as grim resolve.
"Miss?" Tatsuya calls out to Lena, who seems to be hesitating again.
[Would it be possible for you to come to the USNA again, Mister? I'm confident that you'll be able to work out a way to stop the tragedy caused by the magic Dean used,] Lena pleaded, not with a raised voice, but with the intensity of her gaze, for his help.
"My situation doesn't allow me to be away from Japan for an extended period of time. If that's alright with you."
At the end of Tatsuya's answer, Lena couldn't hold back her tone anymore and exclaimed, [Completely! I would be very grateful!]
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya's plans already were to go to San Francisco before even being asked by Lena. There was a procedure that had to be cleared for that to happen, however. When the time was appropriate, he made a phone call to Yotsuba's main house.
Unfortunately, he couldn't get a hold of either Maya or Hayama. He waited until nine in the morning, but it seemed that the both of them were busier than expected. Perhaps the Yotsuba was also troubled by the riots in San Francisco.
He left a message with the servant who answered the phone, and before noon, he received a phone call back from Hayama.
[─Milady would like to meet in person tomorrow at 7 in the evening.]
Tatsuya was surprised at how early it was.
"Tomorrow, 7:00 P.M., at the main house, is that correct?"
[Apologies, but no, she said she will meet with you in Tokyo.] With that, Hayama named a famous hotel in the city, not the family's Tokyo headquarters in Chofu. It was the hotel where she was currently staying in her stay in Tokyo. [I'll be waiting at the lobby.]
"Understood. Thank you very much."
With Tatsuya's acknowledgement, Hayama bowed his head reverently on the videophone screen, [Until then, sir.]
◇ ◇ ◇
"Tatsuya-sama, welcome back."
Her greeting was paired with a polite bow, there was an air of detachment about her. This attitude in a different relationship might arouse suspicions of infidelity, but this was not the case with Miyuki.
This is the first time in about a week that Tatsuya returned to his home in Tokyo. During that time, Miyuki was attending university. In other words, she was away from Tatsuya.
They spoke face-to-face on the videophone, but that was just moving pictures on a monitor, and the voice on the phone was not a real voice. And most of all, she couldn't feel his body warmth.
In other words, Miyuki had been sulking for being left alone for days now.
Seeing this Miyuki, Tatsuya hugged her saying, "I'm home." To which she couldn't resist but to let out a small cry.
His arms tightened their grip around the small of Miyuki's back. The sigh that escaped from Miyuki's lips was not so quite pained, if anything, it was the opposite.
The embrace was short-lived. Still, when Miyuki was out of Tatsuya's arms, she was back to her usual, demure, self.
When it comes to little matters like this, Miyuki could be, to put it mildly, a pushover. Well, only if the other person is Tatsuya.
In the living room, Tatsuya enjoyed a cup of coffee brewed by Miyuki for the first time in a while at his usual seat. In between sips,, he shared with her all that had happened as a result of the ongoing riots in San Francisco.
She did not protest against him traveling to America. She, too, recognized the seriousness of a magic capable of causing riots on a metropolitan scale.
"…So then, will you be meeting with Aunt in Tokyo tomorrow?" That was her point of greater concern. "Would you care for me to join you?" Miyuki asked in a reserved tone.
"No need, I'll be fine on my own."
"Alright… If you prefer that way." Despite her words, Miyuki didn't appear dissatisfied with that response. In fact, she even seemed a little relieved.
Until four years ago, She regarded Maya as an enemy due to her aunt's unfavorable treatment of Tatsuya.
Ever since their engagement was approved by the aforementioned, the hostility has mostly dissipated. But it is not so easy to switch tracks and start getting along with someone with whom you have long harbored negative feelings for. So, instead, that remaining hostility usually manifests as a sense of bitterness toward Maya.
Maya, for her part, does not reciprocate the antipathy. On the contrary, she found Miyuki's "youthfulness" amusing.
At dinner time, their usual guest made her appearance. It would appear that Miyuki has continued to feed Lina while Tatsuya was away. At this point, Miyuki may have a stronger grip on Lina by the stomach than Tatsuya.
Initially the conversation at the table covered recent happenings at the university, it wasn't before long, perhaps in a timely fashion, that the subject shifted to the San Francisco riots.
"So you'll be going to the States, Tatsuya? Should I go too?" Although she offered, there was little in her tone or expression that could be interpreted as assertiveness. It could be because Lina is from the Midwest, and has spent most of her time in the South, in New Mexico, that she does not have as much of an attachment to the West Coast.
Or perhaps she is growing more attached to her life in Japan. And if so, this was a desirable prospect for Tatsuya. Not because of her good looks, of course. Her irreplaceability as a mageist of high-level on par with Miyuki, who could also be a good friend for her was a fact.
"No, I'll go alone this time. You can just stay at home and focus on your studies."
Lina giggled. She must have found something he said funny. "You say it like it's the most fun thing in the world to do in the world. But again, that sounds just like you."
In response to being made fun of, Tatsuya's eyebrows arched quizzically instead of down in a scowl. University life in Japan was only thought of as a moratorium of social responsibilities for a period of time in the last century. Nowadays, with the practical-oriented focus on academics, students are far more likely to be seriously engaged with their studies.
"There is more to university life than what is teached in the classrooms."
Seeing Miyuki awkwardly smiling, but not denying Lina's statement, Tatsuya grudgingly admitted, "It seems I'm the one who is out of sync."
◇ ◇ ◇
The next night, Tatsuya arrived at the designated hotel in his business suit.
While not exactly established as some other more recognizable names, this hotel has maintained a high rating over the last few years. Unbeknownst to Tatsuya, the Yotsuba family became its effective owners about ten years ago and has since carried out a number of renovations and other improvements that have brought it in line with first-class hotels.
Speaking of hotels owned by the Yotsuba family, there is another hotel, which is managed by the Kuroba family, primarily intended for use in intelligence operations. This current hotel is maintained purely as a lodging facility.
Per his words, Hayama awaited him at the lobby. From there he guided Tatsuya to a royal suite on the top floor.
"Welcome, Tatsuya-san."
Maya was already in the Royal Suite's reception room waiting for him. She didn't bother to stand up from the sofa to greet Tatsuya, and simply offered the seat across from her.
Apologizing for his lateness ─ despite arriving five minutes early ─ as it was praxis, Tatsuya took the offered seat directly in front of Maya.
On cue, Hayama inquired about beverages; Tatsuya went with coffee, as usual, and Maya for tea.
Watching the butler's back as he retreated to the kitchen, Maya brought up the subject of the meeting without preamble, or waiting for Hayama's return.
"Tatsuya-san, I have to ask you, what merits don't you see in going to San Francisco?" Rather than going with the question of whether or not he wanted to go, Maya asked about what gains would be made by getting involved in the riots on the West Coast of the USNA. Moreover, though not explicitly stated, it was clear in the context the concern wasn't for the national interest, but for the Yotsuba family.
"Obtaining more information on the nature of Kla-Klo magic unearthed by Rocky Dean and how to respond appropriately."
"And you don't suppose this Dean will make himself an easy mark, do you?"
Tatsuya, seemingly unfazed by Maya's dismissive remark, admitted, "I'm aware of the implications."
Despite the evidence being largely circumstantial at this point, Dean is the main suspect in inciting the riots that have affected one of the largest cities in the country. If the USNA wants to save face, they need to catch him, and once they have him, they will never let him go.
"We'll be able to glean some information samples from the victims, regardless of his capture."
"So your purpose of traveling to America is to collect samples?"
"It's not just a matter of data amount, I won't be able to ascertain it without direct observation."
"I see… Well, it'll be a matter of luck to find a sample within the 24 hours window."
Tatsuya can trace the Eidos changelog back up to twenty-four hours. However, his power does not extend to changes in the mind. That said, if a magic that affects the mind is based on a magic sequence constructed by psions, Tatsuya can catch the moment when the magic sequence takes effect.
"This the luck required is significant, I agree, but if the magic has a continuous operation or renewal even before 24 hours of activation, I believe I can analyze the process and figure out the underlying system."
"I see you feel quite positive about your chances, Tatsuya-san." Maya's smile changed from provocative to pleased. "Still, I hear that the Senate is divided in its approach to the present San Francisco riots," in that, she implicitly revealed that Toudou was already consulted on this matter.
"Some advocate active intervention, while others insist that we must stay on the sidelines?"
"Yes."
There wasn't any sign of gratification on Tatsuya's face as his guess was proven correct. In his view, it was a reasonable inference from Maya's "opinions are divided."
"What is His Excellency Toudou's stance on the issue?"
"Per his words, he is willing to allow the trip, as long as it is short term, no more than a week."
"I see." Tatsuya's voice was filled with relief. His biggest concern at this point in the case was the unknown that was Toudou's consent.
"However." Before the atmosphere had relaxed, Maya reined it back with a single word. "You are to be made clear that you are to refrain from using force for any purpose other than self-defense and investigation."
"Meaning, I am not to be involved in suppressing the riots or Dean's capture, is that correct?"
"That is correct."
The order was unexpected, but Tatsuya's main objective was to elucidate on the Kla-Klo's magic. The restrictions weren't of any particular consequence.
"Understood," Tatsuya replied with acceptance without wasting any additional thought.
◇ ◇ ◇
Returning to his home in Chofu, Tatsuya made a call to Canopus an hour before the date changed.
It was only a few minutes past eight in the morning at the STARS headquarters in New Mexico, but Canopus appeared on the videophone screen seamlessly dressed in his uniform. Tatsuya was still in his suit.
"Colonel Canopus. I'm calling in regards to the San Francisco case. I have settled matters on my end. issue of San Francisco. So, would it be possible for me to go there and inspect the situation?" Following a short preamble, Tatsuya delivered his response to Canopus's request.
There wasn't any great excitement on Canopus's part, [You have my gratitude, Mr. Shiba.] Just a word of gratitude. He then moved right onto the practical details, [How many individuals should we expect?]
"The plan is for two men."
[Understood. I'll make the arrangements on my end for the accommodations and transportation. Will the day after tomorrow be acceptable for departure?]
By the schedule, it was clear Canopus didn't want to waste any more time. Something you wouldn't be able to get from the solemn expression he maintained for the duration of the call.
Still, Tatsuya felt no need to say anything other than, "That's fine for me."
Tatsuya didn't inform Lena of his trip until the morning of the day after his confirmation with Canopus.
"I should be there by tomorrow or the day after." In contrast with Canopus, Lena's delight at the news was great and apparent. From the videophone call it was easy to tell she was, point in time, at a mental breaking point. "Do you plan on staying at this current hotel, Ms. Fehr?"
[Yes. I won't be returning to Vancouver for a while,] Lena answered appropriately, recognizing the meaning behind Tatsuya's question. [The Army ensured that I would be provided with clothing and necessities while I'm away from Vancouver.]
But the added information was unnecessary; Tatsuya didn't really worry about her change of clothes or lack thereof.
"You've been in the city since the riots broke out three days ago, right, Ms. Fehr? What is your impression of what is happening?"
[My impression, mister?]
"I simply want to know how it feels for you."
Tatsuya already received detailed on-site observations from Canopus, but the strictly objective reports only paint a partial picture of the situation. There are bound to be clues hidden in the subjective observations that aren't readily quantifiable, which may be even more valuable given this context.
He was mostly hopeful that someone like Lena, with her special senses, might be able to glean anomalies that might have gone unnoticed by the STARS.
[How it feels… This might be just my imagination, but…]
Lena's eyes wandered, unsure.
Tatsuya prompted her to continue, "What is it?"
[Sometimes I have the impression of hearing rustling… Something like the sound of tidal waves.]
"Rustling?" The pressure of the questioning gaze made Lena lose her composure like a teenage girl. Knowing her real age, Tatsuya offered no sympathy. "Is that a sound you hear? A real sound that you hear with your ears? Yes or No?"
[…No, I don't think so. It doesn't seem like a real sound.] Lena gesticulated with her head, her tone uncertain.
"You referred to tidal waves. Could it have been the sound of human voices?"
[It could have been the voices of many people, I think.]
"I see."
[Do you have any idea what it was?]
"No, I'm afraid not." Tatsuya was not lying. He did not know how to interpret the idea of Lena hearing the buzz of voices of a large crowd at that point in time, nor did he know what kind of implications it might have.
He could only tell intuitively that it wasn't meaningless.
Still, he felt no reason to say anything in consolation.
Tatsuya left the dispirited Lena with only the promise of contacting her again in the near future.
◇ ◇ ◇
An email with the details of the trip to the USNA arrived at 8:30 a.m. JST, about half past five in the afternoon local time. Canopus was not so forthcoming to detail his daily schedule in any of their meetings, but Tatsuya just attributed the irregular timing to emergency expeditiousness.
In the message it detailed that "a supersonic military transport plane will be ready at Zama Air Base, so please be there by 9:00 A.M. tomorrow." It also stated that they would take care of all the entry and exit formalities. In his last trip to America in July, Tatsuya had to bypass the departure procedure. This time, however, it seems that there will be no need to do so.
It begs the question of how this action will be viewed by national intelligence agencies, Japan's included. Showing a close relationship with the USNA's military would not be all negative as far as Tatsuya is concerned. It could act as a provocation to the New Soviet Union and Great Asian Union, but it would also be a check against the USNA and its allied nations. The impact on the domestic intelligence sector and politicians behind those would be particularly significant. With that last one in mind, Tatsuya concluded that there would be no need to cover his movements.
Just as he thought about calling Hyougo to order him to get ready for tomorrow, there was a ring of a text message.
"I have something I want to discuss with you, tell me if you are available today," from Kazama.
In virtue of his trip to the USNA tomorrow, his schedule was anything but open.
However, behind Kazama is the Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Akiyama. It wouldn't hurt to find out what he has to say.
So, Tatsuya returned his email, inviting him to lunch after making a reservation at a restaurant.
◇ ◇ ◇
This restaurant is not open to the general public, it is reserved to the members of the Yotsuba family and their guests. A perfect place to have a private conversation, though Kazama seemed to be slightly uncomfortable there.
Who could blame him? The entire building was a Yotsuba base of operations, and now he was caught in the belly of the monster, you might say. A level of wariness was to be expected, especially for someone in Kazama's position.
But so the opposite is true, Kazama was not the type to let that stop him from having the conversation he came for.
Passing a light chatter, they moved to the topic at hand. And, to the surprise of no one, it was related to the San Francisco riots. When asked about his thoughts on the riots, Tatsuya chose to keep his answer general for the time being, "It's an alarming situation."
"To put it lightly, yes. It's quite an alarming situation." Kazama's reaction was stronger than Tatsuya had expected. "If the riots spread even further, USNA will be forced to temporarily redirect its focus from international affairs. There is still a large military conflict ongoing in Asia, and it would be undesirable for our country to have a reduced USNA diplomatic presence there."
"Is that the opinion of the National Defense Forces?"
Tatsuya was asking if that was his personal opinion or a consensus of the National Defense Forces.
"This is the assessment of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"So that's Chief of Staff Akiyama's opinion." Akiyama's position, the Chief of Staff, is not necessarily the leading figure in the armed forces. But he is still the one with the initiative in the current Joint Chiefs of Staff. "That said, the riots are a domestic affair of the USNA. Even if undesirable, there isn't much that can be done about it."
"You are correct. For much as we are allies, our military cannot directly intervene in the internal affairs of other countries." Kazama agreed with Tatsuya's statement, his eyes glinting sharply as a "but" very much ensued. "While there isn't much we can do, Shiba-san you have your connections, don't you?"
"Connections?" Tatsuya called his bet, "What are you referring to, specifically?" He wanted to see what cards Kazama had.
"Didn't you, sir, settle a magical terrorist attack in northern California in mid-July at the behest of the Stars?" Kazama's expression didn't look like that of a gambler bluffing, or of a detective seeking a confession. He was positive of it.
Tatsuya may have to take military intelligence more seriously from now on.
"I'm surprised you know about it." He knew better than to try to weasel his way out of it. It won't change the fact the information is already known.
"This riot also seems to be a product of a magic we don't know of, what do you think?"
"What makes you think so?"
"Whether it is public insurrection or civil war, as some say, there just weren't any signs of it. There must have been an event that caused this to burst up out of thin air."
"Couldn't this riot have been a sudden outburst?"
"Those don't exist. By its nature, riots happen when the social order of a given region is at its breaking point."
"And seeing that you won't say that if the social order has already collapsed."
Kazama gave a wry smile at Tatsuya's twisted reply. "I don't think California is at that stage quite yet."
"Then what if… No. I'll stop being argumentative. Certainly, it seems that an unknown magic is involved in the San Francisco riots."
"Where did you get this information?"
"Here and there." Tatsuya kept hold of his sources without a hint of apology, and without even trying to hide the fact that there was one.
Kazama immediately gave up the pursuit. "…This morning, the USNA military submitted a flight plan for a supersonic transport to land at the Zama Air Base."
"Did they submit the flight plan in advance?"
By regulation, military aircraft are required to submit a flight plan. Due to operational demands, they are often submitted at the last minute, or outright neglected.
"In the plan, the transport will arrive at 19:00 today and take off at 10:00 tomorrow. Should I assume that the aircraft will come to pick you up, Shiba-san?" Kazama was quite assertive today. This was a surprisingly direct question from him.
"I don't intend to leave the country illegally. If that's what you're asking," This was Tatsuya's indirect way of confirming Kazama's deduction.
Perhaps satisfied with Tatsuya's statement, even if indirectly, Kazama did not press the issue any further.
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