Chapter 68

◊ ◊ ◊

After returning home from school, Tatsuya immediately walked towards the conference phone.

The first number he dialed was one he called earlier today. "Hello."

The voice came from a young woman (not a young girl) and used words that seemed two centuries out of date.

Not only the image, but even the volume quality had been boosted, but he could tell that the slightly murky image came from the phone on a mobile terminal.

"It's Shiba."

"Aya, it's quite rare for you to call twice in one day."

A clear, frank voice accompanied the image of a smiling woman wearing a suit like a young secretary from a large corporation that was displayed on the monitor.

She intentionally disguised herself inconspicuously, but her mundane cosmetics and ordinary wardrobe only served to intensify her moving features.

"My apologies, are you in the middle of a date?"

"Haha."

Fujibayashi, wearing clothes that perfectly suited that sort of nightly encounters, let out a professional, dazzling smile.

"Alas, this is work. Besides, the Casanovas are only welcome at this time. Since there aren't any good men around, oh wells."

Her tone was quite different than usual, which implied that she drank something containing alcohol. Of course, Tatsuya (on the other side) was never going to be caught dead saying something moronic like "you're in the middle of drinking".

Even though cars were now controlled by the central control system in the city proper, drinking and driving was still a punishable crime. To be precise, sitting in the driver's seat after imbibing constituted a crime. Social norms dictated that one must be able to maintain accurate judgment and normal mobility while operating a motor vehicle.

On the other hand, Fujibayashi's work wouldn't involve a normal car. As usual, she would be driving her modified car with boosted intelligence gathering functions. So, she was on her own car and was drunk. In other words, someone else besides Fujibayashi was currently in the driver's seat.

"Ah~...

I wonder where there's another handsome man like Tatsuya- kun."

Maybe she realized that Tatsuya was thinking about pointless things, Fujibayashi started flirting with Tatsuya in a sultry tone. Even after she spoke, she mischievously sent amorous gazes at Tatsuya.

"Is that so. I actually had a few things I wanted to talk about, so I guess I'll call back tomorrow."

Tatsuya only said this because he was absolutely certain that Fujibayashi was joking around with him. On the other side of the screen, Fujibayashi's coquettish expression was exchanged with an elated smile.

"How calm of you...

Well, that makes you worthy of the title 'man with most free time'."

"Somehow I feel that calling me the one with the most free time seems a little overboard...

By the way,"

"Relax, I'm alone right now."

Fujibayashi cut off Tatsuya before he could signify that he was concerned about information security.

"So, you can say anything you want." Then, she urged Tatsuya to cut to the chase. "Thank you."

Even Tatsuya, who was a proponent of sticking to his own guns, would be pulled along at another's pace if his opponent was Fujibayashi.

Tatsuya waved the white flag at someone who seemed to be able to switch between expressions like an actress before cutting to the heart of the matter.

"Actually, there was a burglary on campus today."

"Burglary? You mean the incident you mentioned this morning? They actually went through with it?"

"Yes, and they used sleeping gas as well."

On the other side of the screen, Fujibayashi wore an astounded expression that said "So they actually dared".

"Fortunately, it ended in an attempt."

"Sorry, I know we've restricted your side on our end..."

"This result isn't entirely because of my duty to the military."

Fujibayashi bowed her head in apology because Tatsuya was restricted to certain magics because of classified military secrets, so Fujibayashi was apologizing because Tatsuya had to unnecessarily go the extra mile.

Even if Fujibayashi's words were true and Tatsuya's words were only an excuse, repeating them was necessary to grease the wheels of this conversation.

Neither the apologizing side nor the receiving side truly meant what they said.

"I have a video recording at the scene of the attempted robbery."

"Eh... How did you manage that?"

When planning to steal information, cutting the video feeds was the basic of the basics. Also, there was no way he could be just sitting in that room waiting for the crime to occur.

"It was recorded by an independently running robot."

"Oh, the 3H, so you have that kind of interests."

"Negative, the location is the room belonging to the Robot Research Club and the 3H was an accessory within."

Since the 3H boasted refined features, some people believed that individuals who utilized the 3H had a certain sort of fetish.

Knowing this, Tatsuya tried to use "independently running robot" to muddle through, but it looked like that didn't work on Fujibayashi.

"That recording,"

There was no way Tatsuya could clear his name if it got stuck here, so he forcibly moved the conversation forward.

"I managed to save it, so can you investigate?"

"What did you get?"

Honestly answering at this point was likely one of positive sides of Fujiybayashi's personality.

Although this degree of interaction was normal, there was still an equivalent rating system. At any rate, in Tatsuya's social circle, this was already a "pleasant personality".

"The tool used during the attempted robbery includes the logo for the CAD containing the hacking processes."

"I see. Tatsuya-kun, looks like you've got the fox by the tail."

"That would be an exaggeration, but that would be the gist of it."

"No worries."

At Tatsuya's expressionless face, Fujibayashi intentionally replied with a robust voice. Truly a pleasant personality, indeed.

"The captain said it's about time to get started, so we've already been keeping tabs on logos. We should be able to narrow it down in the next day or two, so just sit tight and wait for the good news."

Mysteriously, Fujibayashi made this prediction.

Nothing more needed to be said after Tatsuya thanked her. Afterwards, he passed the data to Fujibayashi's terminal.

◊ ◊ ◊

After finishing the call with Tatsuya, Fujibayashi let Inspector Chiba Toshikazu and his sergeant back onto the car. —Although she did drink wine, Fujibayashi was still sitting in the driver's seat, which more or less coincided with Tatsuya's estimation. Anyway, Fujibayashi was one of the individuals in the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion that fell outside the norm.

Still, from Toshikazu's perspective, this movement was filled with an interesting aura. In order to continue the case where the trail had gone cold, he wanted to purchase information from the intelligence vendor who knew everything across the world, "the owner of Rothbart".

This was why he was acting in concert with the beautiful young woman he ran across in the Cafe Rothbart.

He originally wanted to borrow her strength, but now it looked like he was doing volunteer work. Even though he privately asked himself "How did it get to this?", he still hadn't arrived at a satisfactory answer. Earlier, he had believed that he was immune to her womanly charms, but upon repeated reflection, he was no longer so confident in himself.

"My apologies, Mr. Chiba, that was a private call."

"No, that's quite alright."

Toshikazu was wearing a high-class casual suit that matched Fujibayashi very well, though the fact that policemen still received a paltry pay from past to present was a headache for many people.

However, from his perspective, he received an extra stipend from his family in addition to his policeman's wage, so his wallet was considerably more corpulent.

"So, what clues did your private informer give you?"

In order to avoid breaking the relaxed atmosphere, Toshikazu stepped lightly into the issue. In response, Fujibayashi's face lighted up with a delighted smile the same way she smiled at Tatsuya earlier.

Emphatic men were always welcome. Fujibayashi was highly irritated by slow-witted opponents, so she appeared to think highly of Toshikazu's quick wit.

"A poor mouse that was used by the fox, as well as the picture of the tail lent to the mouse."

"...So it's a recording of the collaborator and the hacking tool?"

At Inspector Chiba's somewhat bewildered guess, Fujibayashi smiled and said "Correct" as she nodded.

"Inspector, do you know the first step to hunting foxes?"

Afterward, she watched the man in the passenger's seat with serious eyes.

"I don't know...

Unfortunately, although I carry a gun...

I've never been a hunter."

Unable to keep up with the swift change in topic, the young inspector was unable to fluidly answer the question. The smile that masked his identity as an elite lieutenant fell away as he murmured with a solemn expression.

"Hunting foxes starts with finding the foxhole. Once the den has been destroyed, the hounds can be let loose to shoo the fox from the bushes."

"...So we should look for the den?"

"I'll leave the recording of the high school collaborator to you. Start by investigating this person's movements through the street cameras. If there was hardware that cannot be obtained normally, then it would mean that the student must have made contact somewhere."

Investigating the camera recordings without a warrant was unquestionably illegal. In addition, since the target was an adolescent, a search warrant wouldn't be granted easily. Still, Toshikazu had another question in mind.

"Compared to location, how long will we have to look? It would not be an exaggeration to say that there are nearly unlimited locations for one person to visit within a short one to two months. Trying to find a suspicious contact within this time frame is..."

"There are 32 locations within Tokyo proper. Among these locations, pick out the locations where the collaborator has visited in the past month."

Fujibayashi's answer nearly forced Toshikazu's mouth to drop open in shock.

"...Thirty two locations...

You've already narrowed it down so much."

"That's because the inspector isn't aware of data for other collaborators. While you're still thinking "Wow, now I'm going to be busy" and are at your wit's end, we got our hands on additional information."

"...Other collaborators? Why wasn't the police informed?"

"Naturally, that's because the other collaborator is a girl." Toshikazu was struck speechless at this concise answer.

"I cannot leave a girl with her future ahead of her on the police's blacklist."

"...So it's OK if it's a boy?"

"That's their own responsibility."

Toshikazu had no words for Fujibayashi's declaration.

"I believe in a patriarchal ideology, so I believe that men are supposed to work harder than women. Thus, men must learn to discipline themselves and take responsibility for their own actions."

At Fujibayashi suddenly using these archaic principles to stuff the conversation, Toshikazu could only continue to stare at her for a long time.

◊ ◊ ◊

It was already the second day when the wounded tiger returned to its lair after being wounded against the foxes. (Of course, they believed themselves to be the hunter.)

Seeing Lu's injury, surprise flooded Chen's face, but he didn't ask how the man suffered his injuries. He had already made his report on the mission. Before returning, Lu proposed another surprise attack, but Chen rejected that approach. Lu was supposed to be responsible for the failed assassination attempt on Hirakawa Chiaki, but Chen chose not to do so. The cause of the failure and especially Zhou's activities during this time weighed heavily on Chen's mind. They might fall into Zhou's snare if he prosecuted Lu's responsibility now. In addition...

"The situation has changed!"

Another emergency had occurred. In order to handle this situation, Lu's strength was imperative.

"Our allied collaborator, Sekimoto Isao's mission in First High has ended in failure. He has been arrested and is now being held in the Hachiōji Special Detention Center."

Forget the hospital, there was no way to breach a special detention facility designed to hold (or protect) magical adolescents without serious firepower. Additionally, Sekimoto had personally made contact with Chen and company, so he naturally stood at a higher priority than Chiaki, who only met through Zhou.

"Set aside Hirakawa Chiaki's mission for now. Concentrate on eliminating Sekimoto first."

"Yes, sir."

Although the mission difficulty had spiked several levels, Lu still blandly accepted his orders. It was impossible to tell from his expression that he had been injured.

◊ ◊ ◊

Monday.

While waiting for Miyuki to descend from the bus, Tatsuya found a pair of classmates sitting together in the back.

They must have felt his gaze. The man and woman sitting next to one another both formed an "Ah" with their mouths.

"Onii-sama, did you find something interesting?"

Gracefully descending from the bus, Miyuki asked when she noticed her brother's expression. Upon following the direction of her brother's gaze, she covered her mouth with one hand with an "Ah!".

Before the siblings' gaze and across the windows for two rows of seats, Erika and Leo stiffly smiled back in welcome.

Today, there were four companions going to school together from the station. Although it was rare that all eight of them were together, it was equally infrequent for four people to be together.

The reason for this was obvious.

"...Hey, why are you guys so early today."

Leo asked in displeasure.

However, although Leo appeared to be venting his ire, Tatsuya wasn't someone who walked on egg shells in fear of others.

"Since there's only one week left until the competition, there are all sorts of arrangements starting from the morning."

Right now, they were an hour earlier than usual. "Leo too, why are you here so early?"

Tatsuya had a legitimate reason in next Sunday's Thesis Competition. Objectively speaking, it was more perplexing for Leo to show up at this time than Tatsuya.

"Erika seemed to have gotten up really early today too?"

Tatsuya wanted to continue asking Leo, who seemed to be at a loss for words, but Miyuki beat him to the punch and asked Erika instead.

"...I usually get up really early."

Erika's answer seemed a little guilty as she replied back to Miyuki's innocent, refreshing smile with her pace noticeably picking up towards school.

"Is that so? So that's why Saijou-kun got up so early today."

Still, hearing Miyuki murmuring to herself, Erika finally stopped in her tracks. There was no way she would be able to stand aside and let a comment like that pass by.

"Hold on, Miyuki! If you say it like that, doesn't that sound like I get up every morning to wake this guy up?"

"Yeah! Seriously, I should be the one who got up earlier!" Yet, Erika's counterattack was horribly derailed by Leo.

"......"

"......"

"......"

Erika, Tatsuya, and Miyuki wordlessly glared at Leo. (To be precise, only Erika was glaring, the other two wore innocent expressions)

"...Eh? What's with this mood?"

Leo was the only one who could not comprehend the situation (that he caused).

"...Why isn't anyone saying anything?"

Although Erika's tone remained biting, her face was completely flushed and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Oh well...

The early bird gets the worm."

Tatsuya was no scoundrel, so there was no need to continue asking at this stage.

In truth, Tatsuya wasn't very capable at changing the conversation.

By his side, Miyuki's bewildered smile and Leo's confused tilt of the head were, on some level, a perfect comparison.

Tatsuya arrived at the classroom just before class to find Mizuki frantically trying to comfort the sulking Erika in the room.

"Ah, Tatsuya."

The one who struck up a conversation was Mikihiko.

As usual, Leo sat with his back to him and a scowl on his face.

Mizuki must have stepped on a landmine, with Mikihiko pouring oil on the fire.

Tatsuya immediately grasped the situation. "Erika, it's about time to let it go."

Tatsuya said as he brought up the soft drink can and lightly tapped Erika's face.

"Ah!?"

Erika jumped out of her seat in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Catch."

Tatsuya put the can of cola into the hands of Erika, who was 50% more aggressive than usual.

"Hot."

Erika said this in an odd tone like someone catching a hot potato while directing a confused look at Tatsuya.

"Drink something sweet to change the mood."

"...Hmph, don't think you can get back into my good graces with this."

Erika said this as she popped the cap, though her face had relaxed somewhat. Tatsuya's smile reached her eyes.

"...What?"

Upon seeing Tatsuya's expression, Erika was forced to ask. Still, though there was still some resentment, her overall tone had softened.

"You borrowed the Chiba Family's power to train Leo and teach him new magic, right? I didn't intend to tease you guys, so relax."

These words were originally intended to soothe Erika, but they brought an entirely unexpected result. Pure astonishment suffused Erika's face.

"...Is Tatsuya-kun really clairvoyant?"

"No, I am not clairvoyant. I speculated that was the case after gauging Leo's energy consumption and, in conjunction, the fluidity of his magic."

The magic that Tatsuya spoke of was something that combined psion fluidity and phenomenon rewriting in order to invoke magic.

Fluidity of psions impacted Magic Sequence construction speed, precision, and scale. Yet, just this alone was unable to affect the Eidos. All of these had to be combined with the power to rewrite phenomena in order to constitute magic.

"No, energy this and magic that, you said it so naturally...

No, at this point."

Magicians were adept at perceiving psions and judging interference strength. However, Erika was getting tired of being constantly surprised by the depth of Tatsuya's knowledge. —Speaking of getting tired, Erika definitely wasn't the only one.

"Now that you mention it, Tatsuya, how bad was it yesterday?"

Seeing the storm pass, Mikihiko spoke with a much more relaxed expression on his face.

"Yesterday? Ah...

The news spread quite quickly."

Tatsuya paused for a moment not because he was playing dumb.

Regardless of whether it was Hirakawa Chiaki or Sekimoto Isao, he had handled both incidents yesterday, so it was hard to use "how bad" to describe them.

Given that Fujibayashi said "one or two days", the hackers would be captured today or tomorrow. This was as good as a fact for Tatsuya.

The Electron Sorceress — "Electric Witch".

Fujibayashi Kyouko's two titles not only signified her talent in electronic interference magic as a Magician, but also her ability to see information gathering on the Net as child's play.

Compared to manipulating the phenomena of the world, she was more adept at altering information on the network.

Just as Tatsuya could read the information that was written into an item in the past, so too could Fujibayashi Kyouko retrieve and reconstruct information that had been copied over from magnetic and optic memory units. And, unlike Tatsuya, she had no time restriction. In place of that, she had a limit where she couldn't retrieve the data if it had been physically deleted, but in an age where computers had linked the entire globe, completely eradicating data that had been recorded was practically impossible.

In other words, for her, so long as any trace of the electronic signal remained, she would be able to find it no matter where it hid.

Fujibayashi was the one who taught Tatsuya how to work the network, but in this field he had no chance of catching her in this lifetime. In Tatsuya's estimation, there were only a handful of network specialists who could rival her ability.

"Ah, the perpetrator has already been arrested, so there's nothing to worry about."

Hence Tatsuya answered Mikihiko in this manner.

Still, Erika and Mikihiko were unable to relax because they remained in the dark regarding Fujibayashi's movements.

"Just because we caught the perpetrator red-handed doesn't mean we're in the clear."

Erika said.

"This doesn't sound like a solo act, maybe there's some sort of organization behind this..."

Mikihiko also had similar concerns. "How about we go interrogate him?"

Then, Leo abandoned his role of quietly listening to everyone and interjected with his normal overly optimistic tone.

It wasn't that simple. Setting Chiaki aside, Sekimoto was in the special detention facility. Nonetheless, this time Leo's comment didn't invite the usual retorts and backlash.

"You're right...

We should seriously pursue the individual's responsibility."

Even Erika, the one who usually retorted the most, expressed her complete assent.

"Really? But Erika-chan, Sekimoto-senpai is currently at..."

"He's probably held at the special detention facility. We can't just simply walk in there and meet him."

Mizuki's hesitant words were quickly supplemented by Erika's own. Of course, she wasn't going to change her mind simply because Mizuki was against it.

"It's not that we're completely out of ideas. Barring further options, we could just sneak in."

"Hey~ Hey~."

Hearing this, Tatsuya finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Even if we don't do that, we can see him so long as we have a permission slip from the school. Currently, Sekimoto-senpai is still a student at First High."

Accidents were unavoidable during the course of magic training. Every year, several magic high school students would withdraw from school owing to accidents in training that led to the complete loss of magic. In a similar vein, so long as the perpetrator did not commit a heinous crime, expulsion was not a punishment granted often. While the crime Sekimoto committed was malicious in nature, it still remained at the attempted phase. Thus, Sekimoto's punishment was dependent on how repentant he was. Parole officers keep members of society with unique skills in the special detention centers to evaluate their progress, but students are still able to visit them.

"Eh~."

There was no way Erika was ignorant of this.

"That permission slip rests in the hands of the Public Moral Committee, I believe."

It was because Erika didn't want to use the legal methods that she proposed an alternate method that smacked of criminal activity.

"Regardless of how you put it, it's easier than trying to sneak into the detention facility."

However, Tatsuya frankly vetoed Erika's proposal.

Thus, after school in the Public Moral Committee HQ. "No."

Kanon simply and clearly rejected the proposal to visit Sekimoto. "...Can you give a reason?"

Since Kanon's reply was too concise, Tatsuya wasn't even sure where to begin.

"No is no."

Kanon stubbornly stuck with the word "No". Maybe this was her being emotional, but she appeared to be afraid that if they got into a debate she would be persuaded in the end.

"What I want to know is, why not? The permission slips for visiting the detention center are evaluated by the Chair of the Public Moral Committee or Student Council President, but the ultimate decision rests with the school. There's hardly any persuasive strength in just handing down a unilateral no."

Hearing Tatsuya's reply, Kanon furrowed her brows, a clear sign of her irritation. Her chilly attitude until this moment was blatant enough to cause people to wonder "if something had ticked her off" or some other ulterior reason. Yet, she couldn't just simply back down before Tatsuya, so Kanon's strategy seemed doomed from the onset.

"...Because this is going to be very troublesome."

Seeing no possible way to continue, Kanon reluctantly replied.

"Based on what...

First, what would be troublesome?"

Of course, this excuse wouldn't fly with Tatsuya. It was only natural that he would ask Kanon.

"Can you guarantee that nothing will happen with you guys just running around!?"

For some reason, Kanon's reply was a shrill question of its own.

"Seeing as you guys are all ignorant, allow me to put it bluntly! Shiba- kun, this sort of trouble always appears in your surroundings, yet you are either unaware or believe that you are blameless, but trouble still finds you on its own. With how busy we are right now, please stop creating trouble for everyone right now!"

Despite the stretch in logic, Kanon's words bore an indomitable force. —Also, Tatsuya was aware that Kanon's words weren't entirely wrong.

"Kanon, saying that about Tatsuya is going too far."

At this time, Mari, who had rarely popped into HQ due to her hectic schedule, arrived to break up the dispute.

"At any rate, Tatsuya-kun is still involved with the issue at hand. It stands to reason that he would want to understand the comings and goings."

"But, Mari-senpai."

"Well, OK, Kanon, it's not like I don't understand what you're driving at."

Do you really understand? Tatsuya thought. Nonetheless, since Mari was helping him out, he wasn't going to actually complain.

"Fortunately, Mayumi and I planned to visit Sekimoto tomorrow, so we can have him accompany us."

"Well...

If it's with Mari-senpai."

Looks like Kanon isn't someone that is overly stubborn as she reluctantly agreed with Mari's proposal.

"Is that OK, Tatsuya-kun? Coming along with your senpais, that is."

Truth be told, he wasn't satisfied completely, but seeing as this was Kanon more or less backing down, Tatsuya expressed his agreement in the end.

◊ ◊ ◊

In a room with no windows, Chiaki sighed. Honestly, she was quite bored.

Despite her status as an invalid, she wasn't injured. No, though she did suffer injury, it wasn't to the extent that warranted a stay in the hospital. Within the extent of her own feelings, she didn't feel that she was injured to the point that required bed rest.

She was stuck in this sickroom not because she was injured or ill, but for other reasons.

For her, this was like a luxurious prison.

Of course, she knew that her presence here was entirely her fault, hence she didn't complain about her loss of freedom. But this was simply too boring. Naturally, she wasn't demanding television, wireless terminals, models or other luxury items, even unconnected cheap e-books would do. Even if entertainment was out of the question, even physical activity would do. Anyway, she couldn't just sit here doing nothing.

Earlier, about two hours ago, the nurse who checked in on her said "visiting hours are canceled today". Supposedly, this was because someone attempted to break in yesterday. Likewise, it wasn't the fire alarm but the riot alarm linked to the police that rang out yesterday, so it must have happened.

Regardless, it wasn't like anyone was going to visit her — her older sister must hate her because of this — so canceling visiting hours didn't affect her much, so there was no need to worry. In reality, Chiaki surmised that the target of the "break-in" was herself because the door to this sickroom had been damaged. Obviously, she wasn't asleep during that time, so she knew this even if she didn't like it. In Chiaki's eyes, "those guys" were trying to silence her. However, there was nothing she could do about that and Chiaki had already given up. She was only their collaborator and not one of their companions. Since Chiaki understood this, the other side must think so too. It was perfectly understandable that they would silence her in order to prevent a leak.

In truth, her mood had already reached a "do as you will" phase. Right now, she wasn't even sure why she bore such intense enmity towards "that guy". Maybe rotting away in this empty, white sickroom was the best ending for her, Chiaki ridiculed herself.

At this time, someone knocked on the door. In spite of Chiaki's muddled state, she still had a grasp of her mental facilities. The afternoon check up was already over and she hadn't pressed the button for a nurse. There shouldn't be anyone coming to see her, and didn't the nurse say today's visiting hours were canceled?

The knocking continued despite her amazement, so Chiaki frantically

—without thinking much — pressed the remote door control. "How are you feeling? Miss Hirakawa?"

The one who came in was thoroughly unexpected — but she had a premonition, if someone was to come see her, it definitely would be this person.

"Mr. Zhou."

Once, Chiaki was unable to keep watching her sister wallow away in pain and despair, thus forcing her to flee onto the streets one night. At that time, it was this person who comforted her with kind and gentle words. The person who told her that they shouldn't have suffered like this and reinforced her dark thoughts. The person who prodded her to vengeance, not through murder, but to right a wrong. The person who allowed her to vent those pent up feelings. The person who gave her the tools of her vengeance.

The savior who saved Chiaki's fragile heart stood before her with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

"Why... did you come? Visiting hours are canceled today..."

Gifts were no longer necessary, as there were a mountain of things she needed to apologize for. Chiaki utterly loathed how she was bound by these tedious emotions. Especially after saying those words, she wished she could slap herself.

"I used a few tricks."

Saying this, Zhou winked in a childish fashion, but his action wasn't particularly irritating.

"Tricks...

As in magic?"

"No, no, it's a little different than magic."

Based on her own understanding, Chiaki interpreted trick to mean magic.

Yet, Zhou shook his head at Chiaki's question.

"Even without magic, humans are still able to pull off a few miracles. Well, calling it a miracle is a bit of a stretch."

Zhou smiled once more and Chiaki finally managed to recover her wits (according to her).

"Then, Mr. Zhou, I... You helped me so much, but I couldn't do anything."

Before Chiaki could get started with her apology, Zhou dropped the bouquet before her.

For some reason, the bouquet was filled with a mesmerizing beauty that managed to capture her attention with its brilliant luster.

"All of that is unimportant."

Zhou's voice seemed to come from far away.

Chiaki stared blankly at the bouquet and lent her ears to Zhou's words. "If you feel regret."

Chiaki's eyes were glazed.

"If you feel the burden is too heavy."

Her consciousness was entirely dominated by Zhou's voice. "Then just forget about me."

"Forget...?"

Chiaki involuntarily spoke these words; she wasn't even aware what she was saying.

"Yes, just forget about me."

"Forget... Is it OK to forget...?"

Under Zhou's guidance, Chiaki allowed herself to forget. "Yes, all you have to do is forget."

"Understood... I will forget..."

Chiaki gave herself the order to forget.

◊ ◊ ◊

October 25th, the Tuesday after school. Tatsuya, Mari, and Mayumi went to the Hachiōji Special Detention Center where Sekimoto was held. There were only five days until the Thesis Competition, so this was really the busiest last leg of the preparation phase, but since Tatsuya's tasks were proceeding smoothly, he was able to spare two or three hours away from preparations.

In reality, Erika, Leo, and Mikihiko also wanted to tag along, but that was a little inconvenient for the upperclassmen. Mari only had reservations regarding Erika alone, but it was a little too challenging for innocent high school boys to associate with unfamiliar female upperclassmen. —Actually, the permission slip that Tatsuya handed in only had three spots anyway. Speaking of which, Miyuki was completely tied down with Student Council business, so she could only send the three of them off with an unsmiling "beautiful smile".

While there were all sorts of procedures at the door, there wasn't any hassle beyond the door. After handing them a LPS terminal as a guide, there wasn't even a staff member to accompany them, which was most likely the result of Mayumi leaning on the "Saegusa" name. Of course, Tatsuya wasn't certain of the veracity of that, nor did he wish to comprehend the reason behind their special treatment.

The room Sekimoto was held in wasn't a "cell" and there wasn't anything like metal windows or something like that. It was actually more like a second-class room in a hotel. Even then, there was a hidden room that could observe the contents of that room.

Mayumi and Tatsuya both entered the hidden room. Mari would be the only one to face off against Sekimoto. Although Mari was the one who proposed this arrangement, neither Mayumi nor Tatsuya voiced any disagreement. Tatsuya knew very well that even if Sekimoto proved to be violent, Mayumi was confident she could control him from the other room, although Sekimoto's talent was but a tiny fraction of Mari's own.

From the hidden room, they saw Sekimoto without any restrictive shackles. Of course, he was forbidden from leaving the room. Sitting obediently on the side of the bed, he was wearing simple clothes not out of place during a hospital check up. He probably had undergone a thorough full body search, so the chances he carried hidden weapons or a CAD was absolutely zero.

Under Tatsuya and Mayumi's watchful gaze in the other room, the door leading to that room opened. Needless to say, this was Mari. Sekimoto, nonplussed at the opening door, revealed his astonishment at this. However, in the next instant, his eyes were wary and suspicious. Sekimoto detected a hint of danger when Mari appeared by herself.

"Watanabe... Why are you here?"

Subconsciously, Sekimoto rubbed at his left wrist from his seat on the bed, probably involuntarily looking for his confiscated CAD. Although his voice did not waver, it was filled with a nameless dread.

"Obviously, I'm here to understand the situation."

Likely due to his service as a Public Moral Committee member, Sekimoto knew what Mari was capable of. He must be downright terrified of Mari's ruthlessness.

"So...

Even you can't use magic here."

Sekimoto's accusation was correct. This was the place to detain adolescent Magicians who broke the law. Though there were no automatic anti-magic devices like "Cast Jamming" installed here, there were still devices that could detect magic invocation. Once magic usage was confirmed, disarming gas would be released along with rubber bullets from machine guns, followed by security bursting in wearing full protective gear.

"Is that so?"

—On the condition that the surveillance system was working properly.

Sekimoto finally comprehended the reason why Mari couldn't help but smile.

"We don't have much time. Just tell me the important details."

Seeing Mari's teasing grin (in Sekimoto's eyes), Sekimoto frantically stopped breathing. —But it was already too late, halting his breathing was insufficient to avoid magic.

Sekimoto's consciousness suddenly dipped into the fog. He wasn't even aware that he had succumbed to Mari's attack before starting to answer Mari's question.

"Is she using scents to control his mind?"

Tatsuya was perfectly clear on what Mari did after watching from the hidden room.

She was using various scents to directly provoke emotions and memory. This theory had already been medically proven in the previous century. Commercial aromatherapy relied on the powerful effects on emotions caused by smells.

Using the ventilation system, Mari sent perfume wafting through the nose into the olfactory cells, hereby combining a scent that lowered mental resistance and another which controlled the consciousness to create a literal truth serum.

"Tatsuya-kun, is this the first time you've seen this?"

Mayumi was not surprised that Tatsuya could see through Mari's technique. Taking Tatsuya's diverse knowledge in magic, Mayumi felt that this was perfectly natural. She was likely more amazed that he had served in the Public Moral Committee for half a year and had never witnessed Mari used this technique.

"This is truly the first time. Wouldn't blatantly using this sort of magic land her in a heap of trouble?"

Mayumi nodded at Tatsuya's words. "Just as you say." Magic usage has been heavily restricted by the law, not to mention this sort of brainwashing ability. If used recklessly surely this would come under fire from "collective reasoning" and "civic duty".

Despite his ongoing conversation with Mayumi, Tatsuya never lost sight of Sekimoto's "confession" for a second. What aroused his interest was Sekimoto confessing that "after obtaining the data from the presentation device, he planned to investigate Shiba's private possessions". When Mari asked for why, Sekimoto answered with "the Magatama relic".

"...Tatsuya-kun, do you have something like that?"

Mayumi asked him with wide eyes. "No, I do not have such a thing."

While Mayumi's question hinted at all sorts of underlying questions, honestly answering the question would only create more problems for Tatsuya.

"But..."

"Probably because recently I was researching things related to the "Philosopher's Stone". Maybe this is where he got mixed up?"

Mayumi also knew that he did use this excuse a few days before the election for the Student Council President, hence she didn't pursue the issue. Still, this wasn't because she entirely believed Tatsuya's words, but more because this wasn't the right time to do so.

Just as Tatsuya was let off from this easily debunked lie, the alarm sounded for the Hachiōji Special Detention Facility rang out.

The reactions from all three of them upon hearing the alarm were incredibly swift. After pressing the still befuddled Sekimoto down onto the bed (not to let him rest), Mari charged out of the room. At the same time, Tatsuya and Mayumi also exited from their chamber.

"Looks like we have illegal intruders."

Mari's voice trembled slightly in surprise. Thanks to the assault on the hospital affiliated with the magic university yesterday, the police in western Tokyo were on high alert. Although the mobile defense force (National Guard) that were the highest form of security hadn't been mobilized, the number of patrols today had increased by fifty percent. Likewise, this Hachiōji Special Detention Center was also twice as alert as usual. Only someone who truly had some skills or was a complete moron would charge in now. —Mari's gut leaned towards the former.

"Tatsuya-kun, do you know where they are coming in from?"

Hearing Mayumi's question, Tatsuya removed the LPS terminal and fiddled with it. The flip open display showed a 3D map for the evacuation route. They could estimate the intruder's point of entry based on the route.

"They seem to have come in through the roof. They might have used a flier or a spring loaded mechanism. Currently they are near the east wing of the third floor."

At Tatsuya's words, Mayumi's gaze drifted towards an unknown location. She had activated her Sensory Systematic Magic "Multi Scope" to its largest extent and looked in the direction Tatsuya indicated.

"...Found them. Nice work, Tatsuya-kun. There are four intruders, each armed with high power assault rifles."

High power rifles were mandatory weapons against Magicians. The explosiveness and flying speed of their rounds were three to four times higher than normal rifles and could even penetrate defensive magic. The surplus in strength could only be produced by highly skillful manufacturing. There was no way the average gangster or terrorist could get their hands on one.

"Security is setting up a defense line near the platform of the stairs using the terrain."

"The entrance to the corridor has been blocked by blast doors."

As Mayumi was reporting the current situation, Tatsuya pulled up the 3D projection for the building map. The three of them were on the first floor in the central building. Although there was no cause for alarm based on the current situation...

"Their target is here."

Half a beat after Tatsuya twisted his head to look towards the upper levels, Mari also watched the entrance warily.

"What? Ah!"

Mayumi had no idea what put the two of them on guard, but in the next instant.

Directly before their eyes, the figure of a large man appeared. He was taller than Tatsuya by a head and approached nearly 185 cm. His muscular physique didn't betray a hint of sluggishness, like a large carnivore advancing forward. Still, the man appeared to be using some sort of technique, since his aura and appearance were both faint. Despite his appearance before them, he seemed to disappear if they stopped paying attention, so he must have arrived here using some sort of invisibility spell. Of course, Mari had a deep impression of this man.

"Lu Gonghu!"

Mayumi didn't seem to comprehend Mari's soft whisper, so her facial expression didn't change much. On the other hand, Tatsuya kept a grim visage on his face. Although he had heard of this individual, after Mari calling out his name, this was the first time he had met the man face to face. —Of course, he was well aware of the man's reputation.

Advancing forward, Lu's eyes stopped on Tatsuya and company. Specifically, his eyes rested on Mari.

"I believe we should be beating a retreat at this time, but looks like it's too late for that."

Tatsuya said in a light tone as he stepped in front of the other two. As he prepared to walk towards Lu, Mari grabbed his shoulders. "I'll take him on. Tatsuya, you protect Mayumi."

From Tatsuya's perspective, this was a ridiculous arrangement. True, Mari boasted first class magic combat ability as a Year 3 magic high school student. However, Lu Gonghu's close combat magic level was "beyond first class". She had no chance of victory in a head to head confrontation. Their chances of victory were definitely higher if a "regular" like himself took the field.

"Mari, be careful."

Unexpectedly, Mayumi voiced her support for Mari's tactical assessment. Still, this wasn't the time to continue this conversation, so Tatsuya obeyed.

"I know he's no small fry."

Mari stretched her left hand slightly forward and, as if to pat her dress, swatted downwards before raising her hand again. With a sound, the normally straight pleat dress made from ultra thin fabric was massively raised, revealing a pair of tights that outlined delicious curves along with the leather holder along one thigh. A 20 cm long rod was removed from this leather holder.

The hem of her dress fell back down to obscure Mari's pair of mesmerizing legs. Maybe he had been caught up by the sight, but Lu didn't fall into a combat stance until Mari raised her left hand.

Lu Gonghu tilted his upper body forward with both hands dangling in front of him. His fingers were slightly curved, giving his body the impression that it was ready to pounce at any given moment.

Yet, the first to act here was neither Mari nor Lu Gonghu, but Mayumi standing off to one side.

The instant mist seemed to cover the walls to the left and right and the ceiling, countless white pellets swarmed towards Lu Gonghu. Lu Gonghu pounced forward, but over half of the ice pellets still struck his body.

However, Lu was not harmed by this barrage. His entire body was covered by Steel Qigong and managed to repel the incoming ice pellets. His momentum didn't decrease in the slightest as he charged towards Mari. Mari raised her 20 cm blade to meet him.

A dull metallic sound rang out as Mari stopped Lu's outstretched right arm. Afterwards, Lu's head massively tilted backwards as a 20 cm edged leaflet sheared by his face. The weapons in Mari's hand included a 20 cm long handle, two 20 cm long short blades, and another small short blade attached to a string.

At this time, Mayumi's second attack descended. Lu leaped backwards to a safe distance. His instincts were correct. The floor and neighboring wall where he just stood were peppered with numerous pellet marks. Mayumi's second attack was harder and even more precise than the first one, with superior speed and penetrating power.

For the first time, a human expression came across Lu's face, an expression called mystification. He knew that he wasn't at full power due to the injury in his side. Still, that a few students, and female high school students at that, were able to hold him off rather begged disbelief. Nonetheless, Lu's bewilderment only lasted a second. He canceled the magic that suppressed his aura and focused entirely on the battle at hand.

Lu erected several layers of psion information bodies around his entire body. Tatsuya could see that both his layers of information bodies and physical barrier magic were of the same nature. Earlier, his entire skin was covered by a high density of psions, which was the same as fortifying the Eidos of the skin. However, now he switched over to barrier magic. After Mayumi released her third shot, this attack was blocked by Lu's physical barrier. Afterwards, he closed in on Mari with lightning speed, to which Mari raised her dual-edged blades to counter, but it didn't seem likely that she could hold him with that pair of blades against the strength of that barrier magic.

At the point of impact with Mari, Lu's figure disappeared.

Mari frantically pivoted to the right, an action that was entirely based on her instinct, but fortunately this was the right choice.

Unfortunately, she wasn't going to make it in time.

Lu Gonghu had passed by Mari's short sword and got behind her.

Mari mentally called out "Mayumi!", but there was no time for her to actually verbalize this.

Just as Lu came face to face with Tatsuya, who was standing directly in front of Mayumi — a storm of psions devoured him.

Gram Demolition.

Seeing that Lu Gonghu had transferred his Data Fortification magic to a physical barrier, Tatsuya used a continuous stream of compressed psion particles to shred Lu's armor.

Lu's eyes were filled with shock.

Now, Mayumi's shooting magic activated once more.

Lu's reaction sustained his high reputation as "beyond first class".

He swiftly recovered from the shock that came from the destruction of his barrier Steel Qigong, and immediately erected Steel Qigong for Data Fortification. However, while Mayumi lowered the number of shots, she had raised the strength of each shot accordingly. Now, Lu Gonghu's hastily erected Steel Qigong was no longer able to completely deflect Mayumi's shooting magic.

Taking hits from the pellets, Lu was forced to halt his footsteps due to the impact from the large number of psions disrupting his senses. Now, even Mari was closing in from behind.

The twin blades in her left hand released a small short blade that flew towards Lu's head.

Mari's right hand suddenly hurtled some sort of black dust towards Lu Gonghu.

Lu immediately covered his eyes and ears.

The black dust seemed to cover his head and quickly dissipated after emitting a faint light.

Lu's large frame started to rock back and forth. Under the effect of Mari's Absorption-Type Magic, the rapidly "burning" carbon particles were restricted from interacting with heat and light, but quickly interacted with oxygen. The result was that much of the oxygen was converted into carbon dioxide. In a flash, the air became thin around Lu Gonghu's position.

Mari wielded the thin string in her left hand like a weapon. Along the direction of the swing, the string emitted the repulsion edge "Pressure Slash". Also, there was more than one. The twin blades falling upon the head also emitted "Pressure Slash" along the edges of the blades. The thin string in Mari's hand had exceeded the speed of her twin blades thanks to the application of Gravity-Type acceleration magic. Even Tatsuya wouldn't be able to dodge all three attacks at the same time, and the "Devouring Tiger" Lu Gonghu was no exception. Although Lu managed to evade the repulsion blade in Mari's hand, the other two struck him in the shoulder and back. Even with Steel Qigong sustaining him, he was in a state of oxygen deprivation after sustaining Mayumi's magic shooting, and the barrier wasn't operating at full strength. Thus, the two blades landed direct hits to his body. Although he was able to avoid major bone fractures, the blades still sank into his flesh, leaving two long cuts. Under the impact of Mari's direct attacks, Lu keeled over.

Cavalry was a role that always arrived late to the party. Only in movies do they appear in the nick of time.

Thus, reinforcements from security only arrived after Lu had been subdued. The four security officers beheld the scene where a young man was knocked down by twin blades and revealed astonished expressions, but upon closer examination of the uniforms the three students wore, they quickly bound Lu Gonghu tightly. Chances were high that these people knew of Mayumi as well.

Running counter to Tatsuya's estimation, they were not questioned by the authorities. Again, this might have been caused by the power coming from the name "Saegusa", though Tatsuya wasn't going to complain. He was already incredibly thankful that he didn't have to waste any more time, a thought that Mayumi and Mari must also share. By the time the three of them were conversing, they had already left the premises.

After leaving through the front door of the detention center, Mari somewhat hesitantly approached Tatsuya.

"Tatsuya-kun, uh, although you may know now, but please don't speak of what you just saw."

Naturally, Tatsuya had no way of making heads or tails of what she meant with just those words.

"In regards to not speaking of this, are you referring to senpai's weapon? Or the fact that senpai can wield 'Dojigiri'?"

Tatsuya asked this to verify the conversation topic, but when Mayumi and Mari heard his question, they both sighed in unison.

"So you really do know about it..."

"Tatsuya-kun, so you are omniscient after all..."

Based on the ladies' indecisive appearance, Tatsuya inferred that they must be talking about the "Dojigiri".

"It's not that I know everything...

Isn't the Genji 'Dojigiri' quite famous?"

Mari's final attack used three simultaneous attacks from different directions. Much like ninjutsu, in order to hide the identity of the attack, the name "Multiple Slash" was replaced with "Dojigiri" and passed on exclusively by Genji swordsmen. However, in the age where magic had become public knowledge, "Dojigiri" had suddenly vanished, becoming an ability that researchers are aware of but have not witnessed with their own eyes.

"Don't worry, senpai, I will not disclose the details of your technique."

Hearing Tatsuya's reply, Mari's expression was both tentative and embarrassed.

"Of course I believe you...

But also, please don't tell anyone that I can use 'Dojigiri'."

After receiving Tatsuya's confirmation even though he didn't ask for a reason, Mari still continued on for some reason.

"Ah, of course."

Naturally, he complied. And he didn't really want to know the reason either. But, for some reason Mari started to talk about it.

"Thanks for your help. In reality, I didn't actually formally receive training in this technique. I stumbled across this after perusing the contents of ancient texts left at home and having Nao assist me in training and somehow ended up learning it."

After listening to Mari's explanation, Tatsuya judged that the "Nao" she spoke of must refer to Chiba Naotsugu. Speaking of which, that earlier "Dojigiri" included elements from the "Genius of Magic Close Combat".

"I see, so that's why your attack included 'Pressure Slash'."

"Exactly. Also, my house lies on the tail end of the Watanabe Family. I am of the Genji style, but my house's position isn't very high. If the Watanabe Family knows that I can use the Secret Sword of the Genji, then some trouble may arise..."

"Still, given your status as a combat Magician, I doubt you can keep that a secret for long."

In the end, this point was unavoidable. Mari's face darkened as Tatsuya pointed this out.

"I know that, but I hope to keep this a secret while I'm still a student." Seeing Mari pout, Mayumi burst into laughter.

"Understood, I'll keep that to myself."

At any rate, Tatsuya had no intention of interfering with mundane matters of such level, especially because they had nothing to do with him. Handling something like this was a piece of cake for someone like him.

◊ ◊ ◊

On the Friday evening that was two days before the official commencement of the "National High School Magic Thesis Competition", he received a phone call from Fujibayashi after eating dinner and taking a bath.

"...In other words, the mobile forces for spies have all been apprehended in the past two or three days."

After speaking these words clearly in an official capacity, Fujibayashi finally relaxed on the other side of the monitor.

"The intel Tatsuya-kun provided was a huge help. Thanks."

"Hardly, I was the one who made the request in the first place."

"That may be so, but the magic high school and FLT were not the only victims. Industrial spies are a headache not only for the semiconductor industry and magic academies, they also pose trouble for manufacturers as well. Intelligence and counter intelligence are not under our purview, but based on the nature of our unit, we cannot simply turn a blind eye to spies using magic to accomplish their objectives. So we planned to move out soon even without your communication, which merely hastened the operation time and really helped me out a lot."

"Is that so. Now that you mentioned it, where did the news from the relic leak from?"

"This is a little embarrassing, but the military's operational data was leaked out. In the end, based on the military's allocations for magic research and grants, they went down their list of targets."

So that's how it was, Tatsuya thought. No wonder their methods seemed so unprofessional.

So they were literally fumbling around in the dark. The intrinsic value of this might be low, but intel wasn't something that had uniform quality in the first place. Even the really valuable pieces of information that were mined from patent databases were one in a thousand, which may be why the spies adopted this plan of action.

"While the majority of those we caught were of East Asian nationalities, we may have been able to catch wind of our quarry."

"You seem quite pleased."

"Restraint isn't a bad thing, and I'm a cautious person after all. Still, since the enemy has the gall to waltz into our backyard, there's no need to suffer that. We may need to call on your support at that time, so take care."

"If there's a mission at stake, I have no objections. Thank you for the notification."

"You're welcome. Good luck on Sunday. I'll be there to cheer you on."

After encouraging Tatsuya, Lieutenant Fujibayashi hung up the phone. Plainly, she hadn't put much thought into the manipulator pulling the strings in the dark and saw this incident as the typical magic industry spying incident. Actually, even Tatsuya had no idea that "their opponent" was on such a scale.

Alas, they took their enemy too lightly.

◊ ◊ ◊

Having returned to the living room, Tatsuya collapsed onto the couch. Truthfully, it was very rare for him to show fatigue such as this. In terms of pure stamina, simply keeping vigil all night for a week straight would normally not wear him out to this extent. However not only did he have to work on a thesis dealing with one of the "Three Great Puzzles for Gravity Magic", a Sustained Gravity Control-Type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor, he also had to use his unique ability in analyzing structures to investigate a relic which modern technology could not hope to replicate, on top of looking out for spies. He was mentally exhausted as well.

Emptying his head for the moment, Tatsuya closed his eyes as he leaned back into the one seat sofa, curving his neck and resting his head on the backrest. There was no particular meaning to this position, simply his mood.

Sitting next to her brother as always, Miyuki was not irritated at all that Tatsuya had suddenly retreated into his own world. Leaving himself defenseless to this extent was something he reserved for her presence alone. Miyuki was overjoyed that Tatsuya would leave himself in her care so.

Miyuki did not wish for her brother to concern himself with her all the time. Just being able to be by his side, even if only for a while, was enough happiness for her. These words by no means meant that Miyuki was a doormat, but rather convey praise. It can safely be said that there is no one who would say such things about her.

Rather than being frustrated, Miyuki was much more worried about her brother. However much he insisted otherwise, not even Miyuki could recall the last time Tatsuya so honestly let his weariness show.

Taking care not to make a sound, Miyuki rose from her seat. Standing before him, she softly leaned closer to his face with their eyes closed. Ensuring that her long hair wouldn't brush against him, she pressed down on it with her left hand. Ensuring that she wouldn't end up accidentally touching him, her right hand pressed onto the sofa supporting her weight.

When the hem of her pleat skirt almost fell onto his legs, Miyuki's heart thundered in her chest, but Tatsuya didn't stir. Daringly wearing such a short skirt seems to have unexpectedly paid off, she thought.

Seeing from up close, her brother's complexion wasn't as bad as she had feared. In her relief, she continued observing his face for signs of anything awry. Watching him at this distance, Miyuki's consciousness gradually clouded. As her mind went blank she began to forget what she was thinking and doing, as her face slowly crept closer to his.

Her heart pounding, blood rushing to her head, she couldn't think of anything at all. Miyuki obliviously stared at her brother's face. Breathless, she didn't even notice that she was holding her breath. Immediately becoming aware of that situation, Tatsuya snapped open his eyes.

Tatsuya and Miyuki's eyes met.

Time stopped. Not just Tatsuya, Miyuki also stood absolutely frozen as if paralyzed.

Both Tatsuya and Miyuki simply stared at each other, their respective expressions full of surprise.

Suddenly, no longer able to sustain her unnatural position, Miyuki fell forward.

Her face closing in on his, Miyuki's lips rapidly approached Tatsuya's own.

Regardless of intention, just before the two of them crossed a line which absolutely should not be crossed.

—Tatsuya's body came back online. "Watch out!"

Faster than his voice traveled, his hands whipped out and supported his sister's shoulders.

"Kya!"

Unable to forcibly keep herself up, or perhaps just out of energy, Miyuki's feet staggered and she sank to her knees onto the couch. Or rather, she sank into Tatsuya's lap who was sitting on the couch.

The two froze again.

Once again close enough to kiss, Miyuki and Tatsuya stared at each other.

Tatsuya's hands were wrapped firmly around Miyuki's shoulders, and Miyuki was straddling Tatsuya on her knees.

This time, the ice melted quicker.

Taking care their near mistake didn't become reality, Tatsuya brought his head back to its original position.

Tatsuya's eyes dropped from her face to her chest, then further down.

Following her brother's gaze, Miyuki gingerly looked down at her own body. She did so 'gingerly' because she was already well aware of her own state without even seeing.

Sure enough, not only was she kneeling on her brother, her legs were spread beyond the original allowance of her short pleat skirt such that her underwear was almost visible.

"I am so sorry!!"

With amazing speed Miyuki leapt off Tatsuya, then faster than the wind (yet still dignified enough as to ensure that when her feet hit the ground nothing indecent was exposed) she flew out of the living room straight upstairs.

Diving into her own room, she slammed it shut, locked it, then finally fell back against the door panting. She couldn't muster the energy to stand. Perhaps due to the refined upbringing instilled within her she subconsciously tried to align her knees and sit up straight, but after fleeing into her room she was utterly drained and simply collapsed down to the ground.

She flattened her skirt where she sat, straightened up a bit then just spaced out for a while. Her feverish head refused to think at all. As time passed, her emergency evacuated thought processes returned little by little.

Where she was. What she was doing.

Why she was alone in her room right now—

Miyuki immediately buried her head in her hands. Her palms felt hot. Even without looking in a mirror, Miyuki knew that her face must have been burning red.

(I, just what was I doing to Onii-sama...!)

She couldn't even begin to understand what she was thinking at the time. All she could think of was that she must have completely lost it.

(Onii-sama and I, almost ki, ki, ki...)

Her consciousness began to overheat again, and she was forced to freeze her thoughts.

Left alone, Miyuki would likely have remained like this until morning. An infinite loop of restarting and freezing.

However, there was no way Tatsuya would leave Miyuki alone, "Miyuki?"

"Yes!"

And at the sound of Tatsuya's voice calling her name from the other side of the door, Miyuki responded in a panic from the floor.

She steadied herself by pressing hands that had been held against her flushed hot face onto her thighs. Her eyes were so moist that tears threatened to spill out any moment. Her arms were straightened out with such force, as were her shoulders and back, that her entire body trembled slightly. It was almost as if she was scared.

"May I come in?"

"Just wait a moment!"

Even so, within Miyuki, any thought of resisting her brother simply did not exist. She rose rapidly, defying belief that her legs had been powerless until now, and firmly unlocked the door with hands that had been trembling just a while ago.

"Please, come on in."

Shifting sideways as she opened the door, Miyuki made a space for her brother to enter. However, Tatsuya didn't set a foot inside.

He just watched...

Unable to meet her brother's gaze Miyuki tried to casually look away, but she could feel still feel his eyes on her.

She began to heat up again.

It wasn't a superficial heat from some childish sense of wrongdoing, but rather came from deep within her. That heat continued to rise, not her body temperature but rather perceived temperature—until finally she could bear it no longer, and turned her averted face to meet her brother's eyes.

Miyuki looked up from a height difference of 15 cm. From that distance, the tears gathered in the corner of her eyes were plainly visible. In a hurry, Miyuki tried to raise her hands and dry herself. However, before she knew it both Tatsuya's hands were already cradling her cheeks. Gently, he wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well, um, how to put this."

As Miyuki stared at him wide-eyed and lost for words, Tatsuya spoke bluntly.

"I'm sorry, I made you worry about me. I'm fine, so Miyuki, don't be so concerned anymore."

Saying so with a clumsy smile, he removed his hands from Miyuki's face.

"I'll clean up downstairs. You rest for today."

Ordering Miyuki in a somewhat embarrassed tone, Tatsuya turned away without waiting for a reply.

Waiting until her brother's back faded from view down the stairs, Miyuki closed the door again.

Walking unsteadily to her bed, she slowly took her clothes off, then slid under the blankets in her underwear.

Having finally made it thus far, Miyuki began frantically rolling around on the bed.

Despite appearing to be in agony all over, her face, unlike before, seemed really happy.

◊ ◊ ◊

The short hand on the clock had already reached 12. On the next calendar day, the "National High School Magic Thesis Competition" would officially begin in Yokohama. Of course, even if that was the case, there was no sign of festivities in the streets. The Thesis Competition held significant value for magic high school students, especially for the students who had been selected as representatives, to the point that it could impact future major events, but for the average plebeian who had no connection to magic, this event was no different than the dozens of gatherings that were held annually.

On China Street, which remained one of Yokohama's primary entertainment venues even in this age, the overwhelming majority of the stores still opened and closed at their usual times.

Among these stores, one of the larger restaurants appeared to be closed for the evening on the outside. Yet within, there was a suite that could not be seen from the exterior. Inside, two men sat there facing one another.

There were two cups on the table. Filled to the brim with matured wine, the cups were worthy of being called luxuries, but neither of the men took a sip. The young man who brought out the wine considered this to be a waste, but since the older man across from him suffered his cup to remain untouched, he could only mirror that gesture.

"Mr. Zhou, thank you for your considerable assistance."

"You honor me, my lord."

Chen's words were at odds with his arrogant tone, whereas Zhou respectfully bowed from his seat with a slight smile on his face.

"I have already linked up with the fleet dispatched from the homeland. We can now proceed to our next mission."

"It is my pleasure to be of service."

Neither Chen nor Zhou showed any change in facial expression. "However, there is still one unresolved issue."

"Oh? What is this problem, Lord Chen?"

Superficially, "there was no change", but both were surreptitiously sounding out one another.

"I'm not aware if you already know, but my assistant has run afoul of the fortunes of war and has been captured."

Their expressions subtly changed. Chen adopted a crestfallen expression as he continued.

"This I already know. What a terrible run of luck, I can't believe Mr. Lu would..."

With a gloomy expression, Zhou replied back in a voice filled with heartfelt concern.

"Yet, even though this misstep happened to him, he remains an absolutely integral asset of our country."

Zhou wordlessly nodded his head, signifying his agreement to Chen's words. —Because there was no point in making a promise now.

Zhou remained silent in order to force Chen to lower himself and beg for assistance.

"Can you lend me your aid one more time?"

Chen lowered his head and made his request, to which Zhou responded with a shocked expression followed by a smile.

"Oh, of course, my lord. Even I cannot just stand by and watch my countryman suffer."

Zhou smiled as he rose from the table.

"Actually, two days from now, nay, should be tomorrow based on the hour, Mr. Lu will be transferred to the International Prison in Yokohama."

A truly astounded expression made its way across Chen's face when Zhou dropped this bombshell.

"Truly?"

"Indeed, what a heaven sent opportunity. I already have the transportation route."

Zhou didn't tell Chen that he pulled a few strings to change the transportation date to tomorrow morning. Still, Zhou related all the other details in his comprehensive explanation.

"In return, I wonder if my lord would consider, during the battle on the morrow, to allow this street to... "

"Of course."

After finishing his explanation, Zhou raised his own request with some misgivings, but Chen accepted his proposal before he could even finish.

"The primary objective for tomorrow's battle will be the Kantou branch for the Magic Association. Although combat is inevitable, I will remind my officers in the field to do their best to avoid letting the carnage spread to China Street."

"Thank you very much!"

Zhou knew precisely what Chen meant with that careless promise as he bowed deeply.

—There was still one day until the commencement of the Thesis Competition. In regards to the oncoming storm, Tatsuya remained in the dark.