Chapter 3
[Ataraxia]
The riots have not spread over the entire area of San Francisco. The northeastern part of the peninsula, where Downtown and Chinatown are located, saw the heaviest intensity, clusters formed in the commercial areas along Route 101 that runs through the eastern part of the peninsula, in the upscale residential areas, and farther down south, at the airport.
The bay area southeast of San Francisco is one of the locations clear of the clusters of riots, there where is located one of the secondary residences of Zhu Yuen Yun, a prominent overseas Chinese figure and senior member of the American Hongmen.
On the evening of the day Tatsuya was flying around the West Coast, Dean and Laura joined Zhu Yuen Yun at the dining room table in said residence.
"I have prepared a private plane for you, my brother, so you can fly to Honolulu first," Zhu Yuen Yun addressed Dean. "From there, we will arrange a new flight. Would you prefer Shanghai or Singapore?" They were discussing Dean and Laura's country exit plans.
"We are immensely grateful. What would master suggest?"
Dean never loses his reverent attitude toward Zhu Yuen Yun. Though it might seem like a calculated gesture, the impression was more that it had been imprinted in his mind that is how he should behave.
The silent Laura in Dean's neighboring seat was not amused by his deference.
But that, and any other of her true feelings, was hidden behind her bewitching ingratiating smile.
Dean was likely unaware of Laura's honest thoughts on his behavior, and Zhu Yuen Yun, if he was, probably didn't care in the slightest about her opinions. His guest, and the person to whom he extended a helping hand, was Dean, his fellow countryman. Laura, who has no ties, neither here nor there, is in his book nothing more than an accessory of Dean's.
"I would prefer it if you chose Shanghai. But, since I have a particularly challenging favor to ask of you in Japan, Rocky, I believe Singapore would be more convenient. Quite a vexing decision, I must say."
"With all due respect, Master Zhu…" Zhu Yuen Yun's answer prompted the hitherto reserved and silent Laura to speak up. "Would you permit me to ask one question?"
"What is it?"
"May I ask what is the nature of the favor master has for Dean? What do adults want from Dean? I presume that would determine the order of priorities."
"That is true," Zhu Yuen Yun nodded haughtily. "I want Rocky to cook up a storm in Japan. It'd be perfect if it leads to somewhere near a civil war, but a major metropolis engulfed in riots, like here in San Francisco, is good enough for me."
Zhu Yuen Yun flashed Dean a knowing smile.
At the other end, Dean's poker face betrayed an air of dismay.
"Rocky, you can't fool me, I know you are behind this ruckus."
As a matter of fact, the ongoing riots in San Francisco resulted from Dean's experimentation with Gjallarhorn to test its effectiveness, nothing else. The reason why most riots seem to originate in clusters from all along Route 101 is because Dean used his magic while driving through it in his self-propelled car.
Well, Laura drove, to be more precise.
They kept it a secret from Zhu Yuen Yun; the experiment, as well as their possession of [Gjallarhorn]. Or at least, they thought they did.
But Zhu Yuen Yun demonstrated he was well aware of the most valuable magic that was found in the ruins of Mt. Shasta.
Cold sweat beaded on Dean's back. For much that he is leader to a section of a dissident organization, he is no match for the Triad, the violent arm of the hongmen. It's a paper boat, aircraft carrier level of capability gap of capabilities between Triad and FAIR. Even the overconfident and arrogant Dean doesn't have the courage to stand up against the Triad.
He attempted an excuse, "Master Zhu, I-…" but wasn't able to come up with any.
"Well, Japan is not the only one that I'd like to see having a civil war," Zhu Yuen Yun continued with his subject, not caring about Dean or his lack of excuses, "I would like to see one in the GAA as well. I personally don't have a preference whichever happens first, but I think it would be easier for you to start with Japan." Zhu Yuen Yun's words became noticeably harder in tone, the affectionate "Rocky" replaced with a generic "you". "If you do that for me, I'll overlook your snatching of the true treasure in the ruins from me."
Dean couldn't bring himself to say his honest feelings, that he was who first found the treasure to begin with.
◇ ◇ ◇
9:00 a.m. 28th of September, local time.
Lena visited the Travis base, where the STARS base of operations was set up to respond to the riots in San Francisco. She was guided in by Spica, although the invitation was made by Tatsuya.
"Ms. Fehr has agreed to provide her assistance in quelling the riots."
Canopus has already been briefed the previous night on the nature of [Gjallarhorn] and the potential effectiveness of Lena's magic as a countermeasure, and has agreed to the plan of using Lena's magic to suppress the riot. The invitation was intended for Lena and Canopus to meet each other.
With a calm demeanor, in great contrast to her girlish appearance, Lena exchanges greetings with Canopus. Her hands, held together in front of her body, don't show any trembling anymore, unlike yesterday.
◇ ◇ ◇
Six days have elapsed since the first of the riots, and yet it had still no signs of abating. It is unusual for a movement's momentum to rage at the same or higher pace for such a long period of time without a befitting trigger or fuel. It's plausible to expect that there might have been a trigger, a point of conflict of the populace with the government, a dissatisfaction with the economic disparity, recent political developments, and so on, but none that was reportedly at a significant enough stage to act as a trigger.
Judging there were no triggers apart from the interference of [Gjallarhorn], there is little doubt that it is this magic that has continuously driven the people into violent behaviors.
And the fact that riots of this magnitude have continued for such a long period of time speaks to the power of [Gjallarhorn]. Of how deeply this magic works on the human psyche.
An open-top military vehicle rolled onto the San Francisco main street, where riot clusters of several hundred numbering up to a thousand people had gathered here and there.
Riding in that vehicle was Lena, letting the wind of the end of the dry season blow on her face under the clear sky.
The open-top was at her request, as opposed to the more secure armored transport, it was easier to cast magic when the target was visible to the magician's own eyes, specially if the target is a group, rather than an individual.
Tatsuya was not along for the ride, he waited back at the task response headquarters at the Travis base, in mind of the refusal of the judicial authorities' desire not to involve him in this matter.
Flanking Lena are Ryousuke and Arya. A STARS' satelite-class officer operated the vehicle, Spica sat at their side on the passenger seat, and additionally a combatant on the cargo space. Ryousuke and Arya, but particularly Ryousuke, strongly protested against leaving Lena's escort in the hands of the STARS, insisting on coming along.
Whenever the vehicle transporting Lena spotted a cluster of rioters, it would make a beeline for them, at which point Lena would activate her magic.
The moment she receives a response of her magic, they head back to the main street to look for the next cluster, without checking the result to see if the suppression was successful or not. Repeating this process several times, at a very slow pace including the time spent using the magic, the military vehicle crossed the main street southward towards Route 101.
◇ ◇ ◇
About 20 kilometers south of San Francisco down Route 101 the San Francisco International Airport comes into view.
The SFO (San Francisco-Oakland Airport), as it is also known, is one of USNA's West Coast major airline hubs.
Under regular business hours, you'd see aircraft takeoffs and landings minute by minute, hundreds to thousands of passengers, crew, workers, and baggage moving busily on and about the extension of its premises. But since five days ago, the airport has been completely paralyzed.
Staff had all been evacuated, including the flight crew on ground at the time, before they fell victim to the mobs drunk in violent impulses. Not even a single security guard remained in post.
Which is not to say the authorities stood idly by and let the mob take over the place. On the day the airport was raided, a fully equipped police response force was deployed. However, the mob continued to pour into the airport, undeterred by the muzzles pointed in their direction, as if fearless of the chain of events it could result, or even inviting it. In the end, despite the police opening fire, injuries and even fatalities incurred, the mob numbers increased as they kept rushing into the airport, until the officers' resolve broke down.
In such a state of emergency, military intervention appeared to be expected, and necessary, in order to bring the situation under control. So it was agreed by the San Francisco Police Department, and the White House was of similar opinion. However, due to a reluctance by the state's governor, the military has not yet mobilized in effect.
Among the reasons given by the governor to hold off the military was the low degree of lethality of the riots relative to the scale of the violence. Knives and blunt objects have been seen being brandished in many cases, but relatively few reported cases of firearms or explosives so far.
The reserved judgment from the authorities was fairly reasonable considering they were still unaware of the true cause of the riots. The whole event, from inception to the developments leading to the current stage, has been eerily different from the norm.
There was no political demand.
No justification or excuse for mass looting.
Or any apparent reason for the unrest.
It was as if the crowd wanted to die, or even to be killed.
At the lack of a concise reasonable explanation, theories have been thrown around in an attempt to explain the bizarre behavior, and even superstitious fears like the possibility of lemming fever, a fictional disease born from a misunderstanding of a certain small animal, have begun to spread among the population.
Regardless of their reluctance, the state cannot afford to keep one of the West Coast's most prominent hub airports closed indefinitely. The governor, still resistant to federal intervention, gave the green light to the National Guard, which finally deployed about a hundred troops into SFO on the same day.
Dean and Laura were summoned to the lavish dining room of Zhu Yuen Yun's second home a little too early for a morning tea time.
"With the deployment of the National Guard, the airport will resume its operations as scheduled," Zhu Yuen Yun shared the news while enjoying a cup of green tea.
The house servants led Dean and Laura to their seats. Dean was seated first, in this house rank preceded etiquette rules such as "ladies first".
Dean was openly surprised, "Did Master Zhu have a say on the timing of the National Guard's mobilization?"
The servants served both of them tea according to their tastes. Zhu Yuen Yun watched over the serving of the tea, once it was done, he replied, "I only offered a small piece of advice."
By Dean's account, the weight of that "advice" was grossly understated by what Zhu Yuen Yun's dispassionate demeanor and words otherwise seemed to indicate. It served as a somber reminder that before his air of reliability, Zhu Yuen Yun is in a greater sense an ominously intimidating figure.
"I suggest you take your flight while the runway is available. It'll take at least three days until regular flights resume, so you should leave right away." His suggestion didn't have any particular pressure on it. At least Zhu Yuen Yun didn't appear concerned about it being followed or not.
"Understood, sir. In that case, I'm ready to leave now."
"Please wait a moment," Dean was just finishing with that sentence when Laura interrupted. "Before we leave, Master Zhu, would you allow me to ask just one more question?"
"No problem. Ask it, Ms. Simons," he consented and flashed her a haughty smile.
"Thank you very much, sir. Then…" She stopped herself and breathed deeply. Was she so nervous?
"While I can understand that Master wishes for a mayhem in Japan, why would one within the GAA be desirable?"
"Well, and I ask you, if I want chaos to ensue in Japan, why wouldn't I want to see a civil war in the Great Asian Union?" he replied without any change in his demeanor.
Laura lost some of her composure, she couldn't mask the surprise in her tone,
"I believed Master supported the Union…"
"I don't." A straightforward answer.
"Ms. Simons, I am a USNA citizen. The Hongmen are not affiliated with any nation, our interests are the interests of our overseas Chinese compatriots only."
Zhu Yuen Yun purposely used the term "overseas Chinese" to distance himself from the Great Asian Union. Any relationship with the Great Asian Union is purely business, as he had said before, and then again he clarified that he considered the Great Asian Union as nothing more than a financial source.
◇ ◇ ◇
Shortly thereafter, just before noon, Dean and Laura reached the gates of the airport in a car driven by one of Zhu Yuen Yun's men.
Zhu Yuen Yun was not present, he stayed back at his secondary home, but followed the status of the situation through the communicator he provided his men with in the event that the exit encountered difficulties.
The skirmishes between the National Guard and the rioters have resulted in a wall of people forming in front of the airport. After being driven out of the airport, the rioters launched counter offensives with renewed vigor as they gained more allies.
Meanwhile, the National Guard primarily focused on just preventing the rioters from getting back into the airport grounds for the time being. They were aware from the police's failed attempts of the ineffectiveness of deterrents like warning shots, so they resorted to active protection by building a wall with rows of armored vehicles and soldiers with large shields covering the gaps to counter the attempted break-ins.
"My Lord, do you want me to use my magic to make the soldiers move out of the way?" Laura asks Dean in the next seat. The car has stopped behind the wall of rioters.
"No, I'll take care of this."
"My Lord, you mean, use [Gjallarhorn]? That magic would be too disruptive in this area."
"At least in that way there won't be a record of it," Dean was more about being recorded by the National Guard surveillance.
"I apologize for my ignorance."
"You're forgiven. Besides, your concern is valid," his appeal was curt, his attention shifting from Laura to [Gjallarhorn].
Dean is still not accustomed to this prehistoric magic. Not due to [Gjallarhorn] being an extremely complex magic, but to just how much its grammar differs from that of modern magic.
Speaking purely on the technical difficulty, it is not a particularly difficult magic to execute. Heavy Metal Burst, Tuman Bomba, Agni Downburst and other magics developed through modern magical theory and practical expertise are far more sophisticated by comparison.
The reason for the difficulty lies deep in the question as to how a powerful, long-lasting, broad-target mental interference magic could exist when it has so far been unattainable through even modern magic. It is the different grammar, or, more accurately, the different architecture, and the expression it allows.
The apparent incompatibility stems from the fact that contexts give rise to different requirements, which in turn dictate the approach and design philosophy of each. The Kla-Klo magic, of which Gjallarhorn is one example of, was developed on the premise of guerrilla warfare against a dominant power with superior numbers and resources. Modern magic is the result of decades of development for use in operational, tactical as well as the strategic level in modern conflicts between nations, armies and other military forces.
Modern magic also follows a systematic, scientific approach that centers around the idea of achieving an effect on mainly physical phenomena through interference, meanwhile Kla-Klo magic finds interference with mental phenomena and human communication the most effective and direct way to overthrow an established system of rule.
Many of the evil magics depicted in folk tales, fairy tales, and religious discourses worked on the mind and language, causing bewitchment and discord, as they were more threatening to the rulers than natural disasters.
Furthermore, another major factor to consider is that, due to being guerrilla fighters, the Kla-Klo did not have the time or resources for training skilled soldiers. They had to regularly fight drilled armies with their artificially developed soldiers. Even ignoring versatility and applicability, the magic is still required to be available for use in imminent combat.
As such, the context, design philosophy and ease of use are what sets the "Kla-Klo magic" apart from today's magic. Gjalahorn in particular being a prime example; a culmination of the Kla-Klo philosophy.
For these reasons, Dean required a great deal of focus in order to use the magic. If he lets his mind dwell on trivial thoughts, the magic will fail to activate.
Dean closes his eyes, leans back and tries to block out all external information while diving deep into himself. To the average person, he might appear to be dozing off.
Two minutes passed, then three, on about five Dean straightened his back in a jolt, eyes wide.
Laura hurried to his aid, holding him back, as the sudden momentum would have him jumping out of his seat into the cramped interior of the car.
Dean didn't looked at Laura, much less thank her for the gesture,
And Laura showed no dissatisfaction with that, she understood that Dean must still be in some kind of a trance.
Dean stared at the crowd made up of National Guard troops and rioters in that awkward position supported by Laura. From his mouth came a mutter, "Go crazy," a soliloquy, and at the same time, a curse.
◇ ◇ ◇
Lena suddenly shouted in her self-driving car, which was slowly moving south on Route 101. She sounded both startled and trying to warn someone at the same time.
"Milady, what happened!?" Ryousuke hurried to find out why.
"The magic… [Gjallarhorn]… It has just been used!"
"You mean Dean used that calamity magic again!?"
Taking over after the rhetorical question from Ryousuke, Arya asked a meaningful question from Lena's other side, "Milady, can you tell where it is?"
"Just a moment, please," Lena said before closing her eyes. Honing her senses, she sought to actively probe the vibrations she had passively sensed.
Her long eyelashes gained a light tint as a golden light escaped the narrow margin in between her closed eyelids.
The pale golden light her eyes emitted is an unique phenomenon that occurs when she taps into her magical power. This peculiarity of hers is one of the reasons Tatsuya suspects that Lena's power is not magic but something else, such as a psychic power.
Lena remained like so for only a brief period of time.
The pale golden light vanishes and Lena's eyes flutter open, "Just up ahead, at the San Francisco International Airport."
Like she received an oracle, Lena solemnly announced the place where they should go.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, short of a hundred kilometers away from the event spot, someone else detected the activation of [Gjallarhorn].
At the Task Force headquarters at Travis Air Force Base, Canopus inquired Tatsuya when he noticed him staring into the void.
"I detected the activation of a magic, that I assume to be one that Dean obtained at the ruins, [Gjallarhorn]."
"Where?" Canopus' eyes sharpened, and he reinstated his question.
"The airport."
"The San Francisco International Airport!?"
"Could they be trying to get away in a private plane?" Tatsuya's conjecture also served as an confirmation to Canopus's line.
With his question answered, Canopus came to a quick conclusion, "There are no scheduled flights as of now, if they are fleeing to the airport, it's likely they have a private or chartered plane waiting for them. I'll have all the flights grounded for the day."
"Is that possible?"
But Tatsuya was skeptical. [Gjalahorn]'s capabilities, and consequently its threat profile, remains uncertain, at this point it can't be defined as a national security issue, as much as regional or local one.
Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the local government body that operates the airport would welcome the military's meddling save for an extreme, nation-wide security threat.
Even if, conversely, said request were to be accepted, it is questionable whether it could be done in time, since Dean is already in the immediate vicinity of the airport.
"In any case, we should move quickly," Canopus said while standing up, a hint of restlessness masked behind his hardened countenance. Like Tatsuya, Canopus was aware that they were in a race against time.
After Canopus left, Tatsuya, now alone, turned his "eyes" to the ongoing operation of Gjallarhorn, having passed by the airport yesterday he had a "feel" for the surrounding area. Though not necessarily a familiarity with the land, it was enough to directly observe how [Gjallarhorn] operated from that distance.
◇ ◇ ◇
Shots were fired against the rioters advancing outside the airport. There was no open fire order given, the National Guards suddenly became unable to bear the tension and on impulse pulled the trigger against the rioters, setting off a violent chain of events.
They were seized to the tune of [Gjallarhorn].
Civilians in the opposite crowd fell one after the other, blood spilled on the ground.
The people in the front desperately tried to run away, while the mob in the back tried to push them back and advance.
Cries begging to stop shooting and shouts of outrage in response.
Conflicts broke out not only between the National Guard and the rioters, but also in between the two groups.
In the blink of an eye, the stalemate turns to chaos.
Crowds can easily spiral out of control with the slightest push. Control a few and the rest will tumble down on its own. No need to control the consciousness of all the participants.
A leading figure can easily alter the direction of the crowd's behavior, for better or worse. But in this chaos, there was no one stepping up to the plate to take the initiative.
"Are we getting in there soon or not?"
"When are we getting in?" Dean pressured the driver, a servant of Zhu Yuen Yun and also a Triad combatant. He shouldn't be the kind to freeze when faced with violence and bloodshed.
"Certainly. With all the Guard gathering at the front, the flanks ought to be thinned out. Let's arrange for an entry through the loading dock entrance."
Zhu Yuen Yun's men, or rather members of the Hongmen, were also stationed at the airport. After contacting them, the driver started back the car and drove along the perimeter fence of the airport.
◇ ◇ ◇
"This is awful…" the murmur escaped Lena. In front of the airport many civilians and National Guard soldiers alike lay bleeding on the streets.
As the open-top car came to a stop, in an impetus, Lena stood up from her seat.
"Milady, it's dangerous!" Arya reacts by attempting to coax her back down to her seat, but Lena refuses with a small shake of the head.
Perhaps because Lena was standing, but they appeared to become even more conspicuous at that point, because the rioters in the area started to swarm towards the open-top car.
As Ryousuke moves to jump out of the car and intercept them, he holds back as Lena places her hand on his shoulder. When he turns around to look up at her, he finds Lena in her prayerful pose.
Next moment, the vehicle was surrounded by a clean, almost ethereal air.
The peaceful atmosphere blanketing the area prevailed even amidst the bustle and shouts of the rioters and the National Guard.
Lena's eyelashes were once more bathed in gold from the light that escaped through the gap between her closed eyelids.
Lena had invoked the magic.
The rampant momentum of the crowd rushing toward the vehicle turned into hasty, the hasty into slow pace, by the dozen paces the earlier momentum waned until one by one the crowd stopped.
The crowd naturally gathered around the self-driving, or rather around Lena. Their eyes no longer had the maddening heat in them. On their relieved faces, it was as if they had been exercised from evil spirits that possessed their bodies.
Yet, it could hardly be said that those expressions were them back to normal. The soot of anguish and frustration that unknowingly accumulated over the years of city life is missing. Which is not to say happy dreams were all that existed for them at that moment.
Expressions of momentary peace, from the walls they have created, relied and accepted, that keep them safe from the suffering of the daily grind that drives them.
As the excitement is contagious, so is the calm. Each of the crowd that was approaching and came to a silent stop next to Lena, invited more of the following crowd to do the same, like a sequence of ripples in a body of water.
The scene resembled a crowd of devouts beholden to the figure of a worshiping saint.
Nothing of this event was natural.
It was the effects of Lena's magic, Ataraxia.
An antithesis to [Gjallarhorn]'s.
For as people have the inherent desire to destroy, so they have the desire to persist and avoid destruction. As one will not be forever attached to an ambition that will spiral into eventual destruction, there will be ever be a desire to live a tranquil life, away from suffering.
It was not a story of individuals, idiosyncratic figures who fought or were unwilling to fight, adventurous or static, but of the duality that coexists within any single person.
Lena's [Ataraxia], like [Gjallarhorn], tapped into that duality, tipping the scales to the other side, promoting the desire for peace and to escape from suffering.
Her wishes were born out of pure and honest feelings befitting of the "Saint" moniker.
Pure feelings that human beings long to have.
That is why her wishes and hopes have such a strong pull on the hearts and minds of ordinary people. So strong in fact, that it surpasses the magical power of [Gjallarhorn], the pinnacle of its prehistoric magical civilization.
Lena previously stated that the scale limit of her magic was "a hundred people at a time". This figure, however, is just the limit of targets she can directly affect with her magic.
In the absence of wind or stones being thrown disturbing a calm water, there will be no waves rippling across its surface.
In the absence of wind or stones being thrown disturbing a calm water, there will be no waves rippling across its surface. Likewise, once the mind has been calmed by [Ataraxia], it will remain tranquil until it is stirred by a new, strong external stimulus.
In crowded situations like this, Lena is able to amplify the effect to hundreds of people by gradually broadening the range of her [Ataraxia].
Her [Ataraxia] brought the clash in front of the San Francisco International Airport to a swift conclusion.
Once Dean learned that the riot in front of the airport had been brought to an end by Lena's magic, he felt that his pride was hurt, and he may have reacted in anger. But from a pragmatic point of view, that riot being over was a positive thing for him as well.
Since it ended without affecting the airport facilities, the reopening is progressing as planned, and they would be able to take off in small private plane without having to worry about forcing their way through.
Dean was escorted inside by a member of the Hongmen, who was duly employed as a regular airport staff, to board a small jet plane. It doesn't have any of the fancy features of Tatsuya's private plane, but it is more than adequate to take him all the way to Hawaii.
Being told that he would have to wait 30 minutes before the plane was ready to board, Dean settled down quietly in his seat.
He settled down quietly in his seat, he was told that he would have to wait 30 minutes for the flight preparations to be completed.
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