Chapter 1
Early Saturday morning, July 13th. More specifically, it is ten minutes to seven in the morning.
“Are you going to go visit Honoka right after returning home?”
Tatsuya with his usual expression, asked Miyuki with his usual voice while they were on their way to the school.
“'Yes, as planned.”
Miyuki with a different appearance has bright chestnut-colored hair, light brown eyes, and a different voice than usual, due to Lina’s magic “Parade,” but she speaks with the same tone of voice.
Yesterday, July 12, Minami was taken out of the country through a sea route by the efforts of Minoru, who secured the support of the Parasites from the American army.
Tatsuya's chase ended in failure.
But neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki became discouraged.
“Tatsuya, will you come too?”
Lina asked Tatsuya, who had exactly the same face as Miyuki, but they differed in the color of their hair and eyes.... Lina took her face as the basis for changing the appearance of Miyuki, so if we exclude the difference in colors, they were indistinguishable from one another, like two peas in a pod.
Lina also knew that Tatsuya failed to return Minami.
However, Lina didn't seem to worry about Tatsuya.
Not because she thought that Tatsuya didn’t care about yesterday’s failure.
Lina knew perfectly well that both Tatsuya and Miyuki took some damage mentally.
However... neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki has given up.
Lina was also aware of this.
“Yes, I'm going. Lina, are you going to go too?”
“Of course. Honoka is my friend.”
"... If Tatsuya and Miyuki behave as if nothing had happened, then I will also maintain my usual behavior," Lina thought to herself.
Miyuki was forced to change her face with Lina's magic in order to avoid the attention of reporters.
On Monday, July 8, Ichijou Masaki, with the help of the new Strategic-Class magic
“Ocean Blast,” stopped the advance of the NSU fleet in the Sea of Japan.
By itself, this event went exactly as Tatsuya had calculated and planned. However, Kichijouji Shinkurou's speech to reporters told them the name of another hero, greatly disrupting Tatsuya’s plans.
Absurdly honest Kichijouji told reporters the name of Tatsuya as the co-developer of Ocean Blast. Now “thanks” to this, not only Tatsuya, but Miyuki has also become the target of aggressive attempts by journalists to get information.
Fortunately, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki have yet to be surrounded by reporters and photographers.
The school still doesn't know that Tatsuya and Miyuki moved to the building in Tofu.
According to the records, they still live in their private home that's owned by their father, Shiba Tatsurou, in Fuchu. As a result, the media is now mainly targeting that house.
Therefore, one could easily guess that reporters who could not get anything from their home would decide to ambush them on the road from the station to the school. In fact, that's the way it was. Anticipating this, Tatsuya asked Lina to change Miyuki's appearance to another person.
Miyuki is headed to school with Lina earlier than usual, because it takes time to dispel Lina's “Parade.” The magic can be undone in an instant, but in order to prevent an unspecified number of students from seeing this transformation, they must go to the student council room, not the classroom, and cancel the disguise there. For that reason, they went to school earlier than the usual time.
When Miyuki and Lina left, Tatsuya settled in the dining room. Despite the setbacks, he hasn't given up on the rescue of Minami, and he hasn't been driven away or been beaten by Minoru.
This morning, he had gone over the consequences of his actions yesterday. But no matter what he did, it was still left unfinished.
"... Minami is heading east across the Pacific Ocean. Their course remains unchanged..."
Sipping coffee brewed by a home automation system, he turned his "sight" to Minami.
He could easily track her Eidos in the information dimension without any issues.
"Minoru... hasn't noticed that I'm "looking."”
Minoru was supposed to be next to Minami. Tatsuya decided to follow this
“connection” and tried to read Minoru's Eidos. But, before he could focus, the "image"
of Minoru disappeared from his "field of vision."
"Kimon Tonko?"
Obviously, Tatsuya's “line of sight” was disoriented with the help of Minoru's Kimon Tonko. It seems that Minoru has perfectly mastered the East Asian continental ancient magic, "inherited" from the ghost of Zhou Gongjin.
At this, Tatsuya consequently stopped his observation. Attached to Minami's Eidos, the marker he put there still remained, and he doesn't particularly want Minoru finding it.
By continuing such a careful observation, it is likely that the ship carrying Minami would be able to be stopped. However, a careless attack could hurt Minami and that would be getting his priorities mixed up. Even if he tried to destroy only the engine, the ship in the end may just sink, which is completely unacceptable, and the connection between that and his “sight” could be exposed.
"It's still too early..."
Thinking that it was time to get ready to leave, Tatsuya finished his coffee. He was going to a meeting of the Ten Master Clans. Although, no formal attire was required, at least some formal attire was required . Officially, he was still a high school student, so his school uniform was suitable for this, but he decided to change into a suit.
Having put the cup in the dishwasher (there was no need to press a button, since the
sink started automatically when a sufficient amount of dirty dishes was reached), Tatsuya went to his room while walking past the living room.
At that moment he was stopped by the sound of an incoming call on the videophone.
It was still only eight in the morning. The only reason to call at such a time could only be an urgent matter. It could also mean that this person can only call at this time? If so, then it was impossible to remain indifferent.
Tatsuya went into the living room and pressed the call respond button.
Fujibayashi Kyouko in her military uniform appeared on the wall display.
“Tatsuya-kun, good morning. Sorry to call at such a time.”
Fujibayashi spoke without hesitation from the videophone screen. Her behavior indicated that she wasn't at all concerned about the fact that it was early morning.
“Good morning. Do you have an urgent matter?”
Tatsuya suddenly asked in a cold tone. He wasn't so inhospitable because his mood had deteriorated. This was a completely normal behavior for him.
“Not that this business was urgent...”
Fujibayashi mumbled.
With a silent look at the camera, Tatsuya urged her to continue.
Fujibayashi's eyes nervously ran from side to side, and she spoke without looking Tatsuya in the eye.
“... I want to apologize for my father. Tatsuya-kun, could you give me some of your time?”
“Do you mean you want to meet and talk face to face?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Fujibayashi finally looked Tatsuya in the eye with determination on her face.
“My father’s deed was a betrayal, for which you shouldn’t apologize through a camera and monitor.”
Fujibayashi Kyouko's father, Fujibayashi Nagamasa fought with Tatsuya yesterday at the foot of Mount Fuji, in the Aokigahara Sea of Trees. He stood in the way of Tatsuya to thwart his pursuit, and let Kudou Minoru escape. The night before, Nagamasa promised to cooperate with Tatsuya in the capture of Minoru, so his act can no doubt be called a betrayal.
“Not necessary.”
Tatsuya’s response was still indifferent and cold.
“But...”
“I just now received your apology, nothing more is needed.”
The tone of Tatsuya's voice seemed to say: "It is useless to object."
Fujibayashi had already opened her mouth to continue. However, Tatsuya's voice sounded before she could say anything.
“Instead, would you like to visit your father? Do you know which hospital he is in?”
Defeated by Tatsuya, Fujibayashi Nagamasa, was captured by Kuroba Mitsugu's subordinates and taken to the Yotsuba family-run hospital in Kofu. Now he is undergoing treatment there with limited freedom of movement.
“Yes. I've heard from my mother.”
“He was badly wounded, but not so much you would be refused to meet with him.”
This "restriction of freedom" of Nagamasa didn't mean that the Yotsuba family would interfere with his communication with the outside world. Last night, his family was told of the name, address, and telephone number of the hospital where he was being treated.
“...Okay, I understand.”
"First talk to the person responsible for the problems, Nagamasa, and only then come back." Was what Fujibayashi interpreted from the words of Tatsuya.
“Once again, I sincerely apologize for what happened.”
Tatsuya somehow understood that Fujibayashi misinterpreted his words, but didn't take the time to correct her.
“Everything is fine. Take care.”
Having finished the conversation with words that can be called cynical and easily be misunderstood, Tatsuya turned off the videophone.
Lieutenant Colonel Kazama who worked in the office of the 101 Independent Magic Equipped Battalion left his office without even being able to sit for a considerable time.
It's because he received a message from the terminal device above his desk.
Currently he was standing in front of the desk of the 101 brigade commander, Lieutenant General Saeki.
“Yesterday, in the former Yamanashi Prefecture, in the vicinity of Mount Fuji and the lakes of Kawaguchi and Saiko, a person named Kudou Soushi appeared in a police investigation.”
This was the first topic that Saeki raised right after the usual exchange of greetings.
A faint surprise appeared on Kazama's face.
“That person has the same name as the second son of the Kudou family.”
“That was him.”
The surprise on Kazama's face became clearly distinguishable.
“But, what was he doing there? The funeral of His Excellency Kudou is scheduled for tomorrow, so he should not have time for any long trips.”
As Kazama said, the funeral of Kudou Retsu, who was killed by Minoru (officially died of an illness), will take place tomorrow on property belonging to the main house of the Kudou family. Undoubtedly, the ceremony will be attended by many guests in order to express their condolences. The family of the deceased should be busy with
preparations not only today, but also for several days leading up to the funeral.
“Kudou Soushi seems to have joined the battle against Shiba Tatsuya to help Kudou Minoru escape.”
“Do you think the Kudou family is still connected to Kudou Minoru?”
Kazama's voice showed that he was not only surprised, but shocked.
“This is only circumstantial evidence.”
Saeki wasn't particularly surprised at Kazama's shocked state, and only answered him in an indifferent tone.
“But since Kudou Soushi was interrogated by the police, this mean that Tatsuya has not erased him, right?”
“Naturally. His Mist Dispersion is classified top secret magic. To use it to eliminate interference for the return of a servant - is not permissible.”
At this point, Saeki's poker face started to crack. Her words meant the direct enforcement of the point of view of the army. While this point of view didn't coincide with Tatsuya's priorities. However, Kazama didn't begin to point this out to her now.
“I think that to some extent he understands this...”
Saeki sighed.
“... The ball of fire that was observed last night in the Shonan area was caused by his
“Mist Dispersion.” There is no direct evidence for this, but my subordinates analyzed images from infrared cameras on a stratospheric platform, as a result of which such a conclusion was made.
“This is the first time I'm hearing about this.”
This remark by Kazama expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that this information didn't reach him. Tatsuya, as "Special Lieutenant Ooguro Ryuuya," is commanded by Kazama in the Independent Magic Equipped Battalion. It is reasonable that the Information Division of Division Headquarters was responsible for the initial analysis, but Kazama believed that before making the final decision, they should naturally ask his opinions as the battalion commander.
Saeki understood Kazama's feelings, and actually expected them.
“Our battalion, won't protect Shiba Tatsuya in regard to the violations he committed yesterday.”
Furthermore, she completely ignored Kazama's displeasure.
“His behavior has recently become completely unacceptable. If he thinks that he can do what he wants, because he is a Strategic-Class Magician, then we should rectify the situation.”
“In my opinion, Tatsuya has no such error in his thoughts...”
So since we now have a new Strategic-Class Magician named Ichijou Masaki, that means that Tatsuya has "outlived his usefulness?” But, Kazama didn't say this out loud.
“By the way, if you say that Kudou Soushi helped Kudou Minoru escape, then that means... Kudou Minoru successfully escaped from Tatsuya's pursuit?”
“It seems that Kudou Minoru fled to the Pacific Ocean on a USNA army transport ship, taking Sakurai Minami with him.”
“Does he have connections in the USNA army?”
“Obviously, the Parasites from the USNA army helped him.”
The Japanese army managed to find out that the Parasites are building up their influence within the USNA army, making the Stars the center of their forces. This was information that was available only to a fraction of the Intelligence Department and a small number of people in the leadership, but Saeki was able to get the information through personal connections.
“I see.”
Saeki had not yet spoken about this with Kazama, but he wasn't surprised by this.
Kazama’s reaction was unexpected for Saeki, but she didn't ask him if he knew about it.
She had a fear that the conversation might turn into him inquiring about her source of information, which was undesirable for her, if she asked him about it.
“... Shiba Tatsuya most likely already knows how Kudou Minoru escaped. So, there's a good chance that he knows the place where he escaped too.”
“Tatsuya has that “sight.” But what is the problem with that?”
“The transport ship that took Kudou Minoru aboard seems to be heading to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.”
“Northwest Hawaiian Islands... Are you worried that Tatsuya might go to Midway Island?”
“Correct.”
Saeki answered in the affirmative, not even trying to get away from the answer.
“Lieutenant Colonel. The Independent Magic Equipped Battalion should in no way help Shiba Tatsuya with an attack on Midway Island.”
“I understand. I will also bring this to the attention of my subordinates.”
Seeing that Kazama understood, Saeki breathed a sigh of relief.
From Saeki's behavior, Kazama concluded that she fears that he might want to take part in such an attack on the base of the American army. It was extremely undesirable for Kazama to be considered such a person who puts personal feelings above national interests. Kazama was dissatisfied by her assessment of him.
“Is that all you need?”
That is why his words carried a tone of resentment. At that moment, Kazama no longer hid his discomfort.
“No. There is one more thing.”
There was no concern in Saeki's voice about Kazama's dissatisfaction. But the tone of her voice seemed somehow too calm.
“A decision was made to release the Australian magicians captured in March, Jasmine Williams and James J. Johnson.”
“Will they be extradited to Australia?”
“Yes.”
Kazama didn't ask about the reasons for their release. If this was the decision of the
government, then he didn't want to invite trouble by asking unnecessary questions.
According to official records, there are no Japanese soldiers held captive in Australia.
However, there may be undercover agents held in custody as criminals, and not as prisoners of war. Kazama himself also had some involvement with illegal operations, but in fact he didn't want to be involved with people engaged in similar work.
“Lieutenant Colonel, I would like to assign you with a mission to escort these two.”
“Me?”
But as soon as Saeki spoke about this, he immediately realized that the case of these two Australian agent magicians would concern him personally.
“This task will only take one day, and it won't interfere with the management of the battalion.”
“May I know the date and place?”
“Departure from our base on July 14 at 09:00. The two of them will be transported to our base today, during the day.”
“Tomorrow... And where do you need me to escort them? To Australia?“
“To the island of Iwo. Extradition will be made there.“
“We are just giving them back?“
“It won't be a prisoner of war exchange. However...”
Saeki paused and pulled a sealed letter from her desk.
“Pass this on to the person in charge on the spot. Be sure to personally hand it over.”
“Personally, to who, if I may ask?
No name or address was written on the envelope. Therefore, the issue Kazama had was quite obvious.
Saeki's answer turned out to be unusual.
“Lieutenant Colonel, you know this person both by name and appearance.”
At the moment, only Saeki and Kazama were present in the brigade commander's office.
This meant that he was a man whose name couldn't be spoken aloud, even here.
“I understand.”
Kazama didn't question any further.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login