Chapter 8
[Escape from Tibet]
Deep beneath the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the political and religious center of Tibet. Buried there lies a "tower", a remnant of Shambhala. With several fortuitous coincidences, Tatsuya and Minoru successfully infiltrated the Potala, and there guided by a lama, the caretaker of the ruins until ultimately arriving at this tower last night.
For the next day and night, Tatsuya and Minoru took turns using the "wand" to read the records stored in the "pillar" that runs through the center of the tower.
They did not split up the work. Initially, Tatsuya had intended to do so, but after his first access to the "pillar," he discovered that the information was of unexpected great importance, and decided that each of them should have full access to all the information as a sort of mutual backup.
With that, they revised their turns to every three hours, and took naps now and then during the process ─ though Minoru did not need sleep, it was more efficient to have a rested mind ─ they finished browsing all the information on the "pillar".
"Minoru, you good?"
Tatsuya was concerned about Minoru, who had severe expressions on his face after finishing his process. He was not worried about Minoru's physical condition, but was concerned about the mental shock he must be going through.
Recorded in the "pillar" of the stone tower was the location of the ruins of Shambhala and an inventory list of the artifacts stored therein.
Among the items listed, besides the risky parasitic infusion of information bodies into beings, magic to turn humans into parasites as well as magic to turn parasites back into humans.
Whether it was the Shambala civilization who created the Parasites, or they just created the magic to deal with them, remains unanswered questions at this point. But Minoru didn't need confirmation of that to know that this was information he could not ignore, even if he wished to. Needless to say that the desire to collect those magic first and foremost occurred in his mind.
However, there was a dangerous magic in the catalog that had a higher priority and had to be sealed as soon as possible.
Alas, the Shambala civilization was not an ideal paradise that did not know conflict. According to the various writings and lore, it was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction in anticipation of the coming final war. ─Magic for mass destruction; mass slaughter. There was no way such a thing could be unleashed on the world today.
"─It's okay. I understand the priorities."
Raising her face from his slumped position, Minoru responded with a resolute expression.
It is obvious that he is struggling with an internal conflict. However, Minoru couldn't abandon the responsibility to this world in which Minami lives. ─Just as Tatsuya never forgets his responsibility to Miyuki even for a single moment.
"Let's go, Tatsuya-san."
Minoru went ahead and picked up the backpack he had left on the floor.
"Sure, let's go."
Tatsuya also got his bag on his back.
Minoru went first and started to climb back up the spiral staircase.
◇ ◇ ◇
Up the stairs of the tower and up the long flight of stairs that led down to the basement, the two of them returned to the Potala Palace.
The door leading to the underground space opened effortlessly from the inside, just as the old monk had said. So easy that they wondered how it remained a secret.
The old monk was standing at the other side of the heavy wooden door. Suffice it to say, the two of them didn't bother to tell him what time they were coming back from the underground tower.
Does this lama, the keeper of the ruins, have any means of knowing what is going on underground?
Or has been waiting all this time for Tatsuya and Minoru to come back up?
"Have you retrieved the inheritance?"
The slight tremor in the old monk's voice was no auditory illusion. He was clearly wanting a confirmation, an assurance that the duties he and his ancestors had upheld for so many years had not been for nothing.
"I have acquired very meaningful knowledge. I greatly thank you for your collaboration."
"Ooh… But I should thank you very much. Hearing these words is rewarding not only to me, but to all the generations of keepers of this temple."
The old monk bowed deeply with his palms resting together.
This scene made Tatsuya and Minoru feel somewhat uncomfortable, all they could muster was a "thank you" and "excuse me", and then they quickly left the place.
◇ ◇ ◇
Outside, the sky was clear again today. Stars twinkled in the night sky. The stars are clearer than they were last night, probably because the city lights are more sparse and not strong enough to obfuscate the night sky.
The time now is not so much apart from the time of the night when Tatsuya and Minoru infiltrated the city of Lhasa. Yet there are clearly more stores that are closed, and the number of passersby seems much smaller than it did last night, when there was fighting going on the outskirts of the city.
"…Has the fighting intensified?"
Minoru speaks to Tatsuya in a low voice as they pause halfway down the stairs connecting the top of the hill where the Potala Palace is located to the foot of the hill to look down on the city.
"It doesn't look like there's a curfew, though."
If there was a curfew in place, the streets would be more thoroughly deserted than now.
"Maybe the people are catching on to the scent of the battles to happen."Maybe they smell the burning smell and are voluntarily staying out."
"Indeed, that's very likely."
Tatsuya nodded agreeably at Minoru's conjecture.
The stairs linking the city center and the Potala Palace were, not surprisingly, guarded by soldiers of the Great Asian Union. Nevertheless, Tatsuya and Minoru walked past them without bothering to hide and went down to the city. Minoru's speculation that the fighting escalated was likely accurate. There was no magician stationed in that post that was capable of defying his [Kimon Tonkou].
They only managed to pass through unchallenged just until they exited the city center, however.
Once outside the city, the two quickly hunkered down in a depression on the side of the road. It didn't look like a natural depression. If anything, it looked like some sort of basic trench, or perhaps a fully built-up trench that had been left unattended.
Outside the city, the battle was in full swing. The Great Asian Union forces were deploying large numbers of personnel to sweep up guerrillas over a wide area.
Inconveniently for Tatsuya and Minoru, Inconveniently for Tatsuya and his team, a significant contingent was scouring the hill and surrounding area where they had hidden the stealth divers. The hill was dotted with abandoned houses that had been abandoned since the previous major war. The search most likely target is those abandoned houses, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to dig out and board the covert vehicle with enemy soldiers moving in and out of the surrounding area.
Should they wait for them to move on, or should they make a diversion so that they will move their attention to another location? Tatsuya observed the movements of the Great Asian Union forces as he pondered this, when Minoru suddenly let out a "That is…!" beside him.
"Did you recognize someone there?"
Tatsuya asked without turning to look at him. It wasn't much of a question as it was just a confirmation.
"Yes. It's the Iron-fan magician… The one I believe is from the Bāxiān."
"A Bāxiān who uses a fan… Zhongli Quan, then."
On hearing Minoru's answer, Tatsuya immediately pulled the relevant details from his memory.
"I heard that his specialty is magic to manipulate bodies, be it his own or others, the living or the dead."
"Manipulating people's bodies, you say…"
"It may sound powerful, but as long as you can counteract the counter-magic, it shouldn't be a problem for you, Minoru."
By "counter-magic," Tatsuya is refers to the counter-magic that Zhongli Quan used during Minoru's last time in Lhasa to nullify his magic, and that Lü Dongbin used to nullify Tatsuya's magic once in Japan. It is a formation of a dense, chaotic psion layer along one's own body. With it, a psion information body, that is, a magic sequence, is diluted and dissolved by the layer.
While it's true that it inviabilizes direct magic against them, without it they wouldn't be much of a challenge. That was Tatsuya's assessment of the Bāxiān, the Great Asian Union magician operative unit.
"Do you want to take him on?"
Tatsuya questioned if he wanted to make up for the last time. But from his tone, it sounded less like a question and more like a suggestion.
"Is that alright?"
Minoru's response was similarly forthcoming; he seemed ready to spring into action even in the event of a negative shake from Tatsuya.
"Sure, it's good. We won't be getting anywhere as it is."
Minoru flashed a smile at Tatsuya's answer as he dismissed [Parade].
And the next moment, he was gone.
◇ ◇ ◇
The group being hunted by Great Asian Union forces outside Lhasa City was not the blend of operatives and guerrillas led by the IPU magician operative Mizar last night.
It was a mercenary unit led by the other Sapta Rishi member who had infiltrated Tibet, codenamed [Megrez].
The mercenary unit led by Megrez comprised a small group of Gurkha mercenaries plus Tibetans who had sought asylum. Tibet had achieved independence at the time of the north-south partition of continental East Asia during the last war, but after the formation of the Great Asian Union, Tibet was once again subjugated under a large eastern power as a vassal state. Some of the Tibetans who fled to Tibet at that time turned into mercenaries and are now striving for the complete independence of their homeland.
The Gurkha soldiers, who are descended from the mountain tribes of Nepal, have been known throughout the world for their strength since the 19th century. In fact, the Sapta Rishi Megrez is also a Nepali.
Her real name is Sila Rana. She is a member of the Rana dynasty, which controlled the Kingdom of Nepal from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. Because of this lineage, she is looked up to as a leader by the Gurkha soldiers who joined the IPU federal army. ─Still, there are many Gurkha fighters who maintain their free status as mercenaries.
If not for her magical power alone, her influence over the Gurkha soldiers might have had an influence on the selection of Sila Rana of Megrez for this mission.
Megrez came with her mercenaries to scout Lhasa having heard that Han Xiangzi had been defeated by Mizar last night. Owing to their name of "Eight Immortals", the Bāxiān has only eight members. Even the Great Asian Union, which boasts a large number of personnel, only has a few Bāxiān-level magicians.
According to reports from members turned IPU informants stationed within the Great Asian Union ranks, it appears that Han Xiangzi will not be able to return to his post for at least a week. Another, though unconfirmed information, is that another Bāxiān member, Lü Dongbin, apparently infiltrated into Japan and killed by a magician of that Yotsuba.
It would not be overly optimistic to assume that the Great Asian Union forces, which also have a garrison in the border region, had their contingent in Lhasa thinned out. The purpose of this reconnaissance was to confirm the fact.
However, contrary to expectations ─ or contrary to the hopes ─ the Great Asian Union forces were quick to supplement their forces. Or, rather, they increased their efforts. It almost seemed as if they had read Megrez's movements.
For a brief moment, Megrez suspected that there might be spies among the group of mercenaries she was heading. But she soon reconsidered the possibility that the Great Asian Union forces' urgency might have led to this hasty reassignment of troops.
Bāxiān is the Great Asian Union's trump card in the Central Asian region. Besides the Bāxiān, they have dozens of tactical magicians, some of whom reportedly have even reached the strategic level. Some of them are said to be within reach of strategic magic. But those powerful magicians tend to be stationed mostly in the north and east of the country. Presumably, the Great Asian Union envisions a major conflict with the new Soviet Union or Japan more likely, while a clash with the IPU is expected to be more localized.
With this strategic vision in mind, it was no wonder that Bāxiān's absence from the front line was so disruptive. Their overreaction was to be expected then. Megrez felt the sting of her own lack of foresight now.
The Great Asian Union's search perimeter is steadily closing in. They have over five times as many as she does. She has a feeling her forces have better quality overall, but the number factor was still too great to compete.
Megrez thought that even if she took the initiative, they would probably be no match for the enemy. Commanding the enemy was Zhongli Quan, one of the Bāxiān.
His combat power in group combat was below that of Han Xiangzi.
─Fortunately, her own specialty in magic is suited for battlefield withdrawal.
─She could allow for a chance for the men under her command to escape, even at the cost of her own life, if the need arises.
Megrez made her resolution privately.
She was not one to show it, however. She called the retreat with a composed expression and even a smile on her face.
The Great Asian Union forces concentrated in the Great Asian Union are focusing their sweepings on vacant houses in the abandoned village. Meanwhile, in an effort to get as far away from Lhasa as possible, Megrez quietly moves the group of mercenaries out of the way.
Staying low, she keeps her footsteps quiet.
It's frustratingly slow, but the priority is not to be spotted.
This is what Megrez reminded herself, and she made sure that the mercenaries under her command did the same.
The area here is a series of highs and lows. The hollows and gouges here and there are a reminder of the artillery strikes of the past war. She and her group were now descending a slope that was more like a depression than a valley, so as not to slip.
A beam of light passes over their heads.
The ridgeline of the hill should have blocked their view.
So she told herself, suppressing a brusque reaction.
Just to be sure, she stopped and let the troop go on ahead.
Megrez peered in the direction of the light source, ready to activate her magic at any opportunity.
Suddenly, a scream came from that direction.
Megrez's heartbeat accelerated.
But she soon realized that it was not an aggravation of her situation.
It was a scream, not a shout.
A scream of pain.
No doubt about it. The Great Asian Union unit that was hunting them was under attack by someone.
(Mizar? No, he said he was leaving Lhasa.)
(But then, who the hell is?)
Megrez has not heard the details of how Han Xiangzi left the front.
She did not know of the unidentified benefactor that Mizar had encountered.
She stayed behind to assess the situation.
◇ ◇ ◇
With [Mock-Teleportation] Minoru appeared on the flank of the Great Asian Union unit and fired magic with zero time lag.
A torrent of lightning sprays over the Great Asian Union soldiers.
Lightning flashes, stretching; branching into numerous thin, finely branched, countless electrical bolts. It reminded the Great Asian Union soldiers of the wide-area lightning barrage magic of their own "Apostle".
The magic activated by Minoru was not, of course, the same [Thunderclap Tower] used by the Great Asian Union's Apostle, a nationally recognized Strategic-Class Magician. Its fundamental and popular modern magic [Spark], rearranged with an Ancient Magic approach.
But few soldiers actually had any firsthand experience with Strategic-Class Magic. The same can be said to Japanese and to those of other countries as well, except the aforementioned do have the opportunity to see it on videos and photos with more details than the public has access to; the minimum so that they would not disturb future operations. Though, even in that aspect, the Great Asian Union military only provides such opportunities to a few soldiers, and even many officers do not have access to detailed information.
As such, to the low-ranking soldiers of the Great Asian Union, the first thing they associate with wide-area electric strike magic, for the lack of any information, is the strategic level magic [Thunderclap Tower] used by the Apostle of their nation. Strategic magic for the average soldier of the Great Asian Union is more than a political bargaining chip, it is a lightning of damnation that could smite down on their heads at any moment. A sentiment resulted as the fate of a multi-ethnic imperialistic nation to live under constant threat of defection and purge.
The resemblance of the wide-area lightning magic to the reported [Thunderclap Tower] sent the soldiers of the Great Asian Union into a state of panic. Just like Minoru envisioned it would. Much as he had proficiency with emission-type magic, the psychological effect was his aim in using this magic.
(Now, come on out, Zhongli Quan)
Whilst muttering in his mind, Minoru once again invoked his wide-area lightning magic. The lethality of this magic is not very high. It hasn't nowhere near enough output to kill dozens of people at once. But it was powerful enough to take the less magically resistant soldiers' out of commission. With just two activations, a quarter of the more than 100 men in the search force were rendered combat ineffective. Had they not been scattered for the sake of the search, the outcome would have been even more significant.
A loss that no unit commander could ignore. Although, strictly speaking, Zhongli Quan did not hold an official command position, he was still in a position of leadership where he could still not ignore the situation.
The current Minoru is a shadow figure that does not attempt to conceal his presence. The same remnant looking fiend that attacked FAIR's headquarters. In contrast with having to create a new face and masking his physique, this is much less taxing on his magical resources. It was a very suspicious appearance to be sure, but now was an occasion when it wouldn't matter if he stood out.
That presence that he sensed. That figure that fell in front of Minoru. It was a middle-aged man, slightly overweight, with muscles and fat, much like a wrestler.
One of the Bāxiān, Zhongli Quan.
(There you are)
Minoru grinned under his shadowy veil.
◇ ◇ ◇
"What is that…?"
Megrez couldn't hold back the mutter at the sight of that bizarre thing she was looking at.
It was a shadow, a puppet-like figure, writhing in the darkness, like a black mist. An eerie figure, like a wandering remnant from a graveyard.
The shadow raised its arm, extending it toward Zhongli Quan. From the end of the arm, a piece of shadow detached itself and stood up on four legs. Pouncing on Zhongli Quan immediately afterward, quick, like a unleashed arrow.
"A [Shadow Beast]?"
Another mutter escapes Megrez. By that stage, she is no longer trying to keep her voice down.
"Is that thing a magician…?"
Megrez at least knew what the shadow in beast shape that had attacked Zhongli Quan was. It was an ancient form of offensive magic employed by the Great Asian Union's sorcerers. So, was that "shadow" from a Great Asian Union magician? Was she witnessing an internal conflict within the Great Asian Union? Or was it a friendly fire incident?
As Megrez pondered these questions, she saw Zhongli Quan meeting the [Shadow Beast] with his iron fan extended.
The iron fan and the [Shadow Beat] pushed against each other, in opposition to each other.
That confrontation only lasted a few seconds before it was broken.
The contour of the [Shadow Beast] melted and was sucked into the Iron Fan.
"[Chaotic Wholeness21]…"
Megrez could also tell what had happened this time.
The counter-magic [Chaotic Wholeness] used by Bāxiān. A magic that disables magic by destroying magic sequences rather than preventing it from working. It creates a dense layer of chaotic psions that dissolves and engulfs magic sequences. This counter-magic is what makes Bāxiān some of the best magicians in anti-personnel combat.
Because the Bāxiān have this [Chaotic Wholeness] that Megrez and the other Sapta Rishis have a hard time against them. The Sapta Rishi outperforms Bāxiān in terms of offensive magic. It was not just her personal assessment; it was something that the Great Asian Union secretly acknowledged.
[Chaotic Wholeness], by its very nature, protects only the individual caster. Hence, it was not difficult for Sapta Rishi to neutralize the force being led by the Bāxiān. But the Bāxiān would remain unscathed, who would eventually push them away. Or, alternatively, get away. This pattern has repeated itself during the past clashes between the Sapta Rishi and the Bāxiān.
The "shadow", whose [Shadow Beast] had been erased, showed no sign of perturbation. Although she could not make out their physiques, let alone their expressions, Megrez sensed that the "shadow" was expecting it to happen.
Before Zhongli Quan could counterattack, a snake-shaped lightning bolt shot out from the shadow's hand. The "snake", emitting its own light, crawled through the air, spraying sparks, and struck Zhongli Quan.
Zhongli Quan again used his folding iron fan as a shield to block the "snake".
Only to on the next moment hurriedly throw the iron fan away.
Rather than laugh at the comical act, Megrez let out a gasp of amazement.
Ancient-style magic imbues magic with form. Because it is given a form, [Chaotic Wholeness] cannot dissolve the magic sequence in an instant, and there is a time lag until it's nullified.
The "shadow" confirmed the fact first with the [Shadow Beast]. Once confirming the magic would linger as it was being nullified, and noting that Zhongli Quan's weapon of choice was an iron fan, he unleashed an ancient-style lightning magic, [Lightning Snake22], let's say, instead of the [Shadow Beast23].
"They are used to engaging in magic combat against others," Megrez thought about the "shadow" magician. And it didn't seem that they had just the number of battles under their belt. Behind the "shadows" she could catch glimpses of a terrifyingly high level of experience and expertise in battle. She felt so.
◇ ◇ ◇
(If isn't it just as Tatsuya-san analyzed it)
Minoru unconsciously nodded his head under the veil of "shadow" while muttering in his mind.
At the same time, he felt a sense of apprehension.
─The Bāxiān counter-magic requires time to nullify magic with a fixed form.
After fighting only once against another Bāxiān, Lü Dongbin, Tatsuya saw through the flaws in the counter-magic that Minoru had struggled with.
Tatsuya surmised, correctly, that if the magic's nullification was not instantaneous, the window of time until it was achieved would be useful in inflicting damage. The iron fan may have withstood the impact of the [Shadow Beast], but the lightning bolt imparted with the form of a snake passed through the iron frames of the fan and electrocuted its owner.
But he instantaneously let go of the iron fan, possibly because he remembered what had happened the last time they fought. In their previous encounter, Minoru had also sent an electric attack that had damaged Zhongli Quan's hand holding the iron fan with the shock. At that time, it was a thunderbolt molded in a ball of lightning, not an ancient magic that borrowed the form of an animal, but it seemed to have unintentionally been received as a "magic with a fixed form".
At any rate, the fact that he instantly let go of his fan after blocking the lightning snake with it was probably because his body remembered the damage he had sustained at that time.
Zhongli Quan takes out a new fan.
(Heh…)
Minoru chuckled in his mind.
That new fan was made entirely of bamboo, down to the faces.
(Prepared countermeasures, I see. Maybe he realized it was me he was dealing with?)
Bamboo is not electrically conductive. Also, bamboo is a hard and durable material. Even if the individual pieces are cut thin, when stacked together they are strong enough to be used as a weapon.
(…But isn't that a bit shallow in your thinking?)
(That's not the only thing different from last time!)
Zhongli Quan invoked the ancient-style wind magic with curses [Qiongqi].
Minoru activates his defensive command tiles. From the tiles he threw to the ground, shadow birds flew out one after another, slicing Zhongli Quan's winds in the opposite direction.
The shadow birds took the silhouette of an owl. The technique used by Zhongli Quan makes use of the concept of Qiongqi, a creature equivalent to the Japanese yokai Kamaitachi, which is said to have been re-imported to the East Asia continent where it became the hex-carrying wind magic [Qiongqi].
And the owl is the natural enemy of the itachi, the Japanese weasel. Though the Qiongqi, a great peril and monster from China's mythology, and the Kamaitachi are completely different in essence, Minoru still made use of a defense based on the concept of the Kamaitachi, to deal with [Qiongqi] as it is a derivation.
Using the time the command tiles intercepted Zhongli Quan's magic by themselves, Minoru finished the preparation for activation of an ancient-style magic after consuming a bundle of charms.
"─I call upon you, Yakusa-no-Ikazuchi!"
With the power word as the final activation key, Minoru's pseudo-god magic activates.
It's the high order magic that mimics the nature of a god. In the Japanese tradition of ancient-style magic, it is considered to be the most difficult type of art. By using an exalted symbol, namely a god, this sort of magic can break through the obstinate "information preservation force" that the world exerts, and strongly rewrite reality.
For as powerful as it is, it also requires a high degree of magical power to activate. It also takes a considerable amount of time to prepare, even by the ancient-style magic standards, which are notorious for being slower. Due to these two constraints, it's regarded as a type of magic that would be impractical in a real battle.
There is where Minoru has solved this problem by having an enhanced magic power, in virtue of his parasitization, shortening the time by consuming a large amount of previously prepared charms, and securing the time required with an automated protection technique. It now has the issue of requiring a considerable amount of charms that will be disposed of, so it can only be used once in a battle, as a sort of special move. ─All that said, Minoru's repertoire includes several magic techniques that are more powerful than this pseudo-god [Yomi-Yakusa-no-Ikazuchi].
From the shadow that Minoru is clad in, a cluster of eight electric bolts in the shape of snakes leaps out.
The eight sparking "snakes" undulate through the air until striking Zhongli Quan.
Who, in turn, tried to swat away the snakes with his bamboo fan.
He tried, but the first "snake" slithered up through the supposedly non-conductive bamboo and coiled itself around Zhongli Quan's arm.
A scream gushed from Zhongli Quan's mouth.
The agony of electricity searing through his flesh. But he didn't even have time to faint.
Before the second "snake" wrapped itself around his other, left arm.
The third and fourth snakes entwined themselves around his left and right legs.
With each one, Zhongli Quan is forced back to consciousness, screaming and almost fainting again.
The fifth got his torso and then the sixth wrapped itself around his neck.
Finally, the seventh pierces his chest. By this point, Zhongli Quan was probably already dead.
So from that point onwards the electric current must be what has stimulated the muscles and made them move.
The eighth and final snake tore through Zhongli Quan's groin, slithering into his torso and exiting through the top of his head.
Zhongli Quan's body was finally allowed to fall to the ground after springing up with arms and legs outstretched to their fullest.
His body had shrunken from the loss of water, skin charred so black it was impossible to make out his features.
"That's some pretty wretched magic you've used."
At the same time Zhongli Quan dropped to the ground, Tatsuya emerged next to Minoru with [Mock-Teleportation]. He was now able to activate [Mock-Teleportation] at about this distance through the virtual magic calculation area he received from the Artificial Magician Experiment.
"I didn't think it would torture him to death like this…"
Minoru responded to Tatsuya's exasperated voice with a dumbfounded tone of voice.
But there was no reproach in Tatsuya's words, nor regret in Minoru's tone.
Despite Minoru's description of "torture to death," it took less than ten seconds for the eight "snakes" to kill Zhongli Quan. At that degree, it wouldn't be considered an "inhumane method of killing," as it is banned by international law.
Besides, using that magic was the best solution for this particular kill.
Besides, using that magic was the best solution for the current killing. In the end, the choice to kill in an inhumane or brutal manner or not is only reserved for those who are willing and have the luxury of choosing. The Bāxiān were not such easy opponents to allow as much.
However, the fact remains that [Yomi-Yakusa-no-Ikazuchi] exceeded Minoru's assumptions as a method of attack, a point that will serve as a reminder for the future. A technique whose consequences cannot be accurately anticipated may potentially bring harm to the user.
For now, it sufficed just to keep that in mind.
"Well, that's fine. Let's go?"
"Yeah. No reason to stay here any longer."
Tatsuya looked at Minoru, still clad in shadows, nodding, then turned his feet to the hill where they hid the Stealth Divers.
◇ ◇ ◇
"…Pff, hah, hah…"
Megrez released in a single burst the breath she had been holding, taking a series of vigorous breaths to devour the so longed for oxygen she deprived herself earlier.
What a frightening magic, both in its power and its efficacy. Megrez began trembling anew at the thought of it. Her subordinate came by to check on her, after she had not caught up with them for some time, but they didn't find that a matter of any shame.
For that subordinate, too, had their face frozen in horror. They could see it at the edge of their vision. The charred corpse of Zhongli Quan laid there at the corner of their gazes. Megrez as well as her subordinate had witnessed the electric magic that had cooked his body. Seeing in each other the reactions of dread that their bodies exhibited proved to them that the scene they had just witnessed was not a product of a terrible dream.
Another magician suddenly appeared beside that magician, who looked like a fiend wrapped in shadows ─ was that really not a fiend?. Common wisdom would suggest that he had "jumped" using the [Mock-Teleportation] magic. Yet there was no sign of anything. There was no post-movement disruption of the air flow either. They weren't clad in shadows, but they were a magician like a shadow.
That magician was a man. Probably young.
"Probably" because his face was fully concealed by a hat, mirrored sunglasses, and face cover.
He probably had a good physique. "Probably" again because, no matter how hard they looked at him, no clear impression of him was generated in their consciousness.
He is visible, but you inadvertently tend to lose sight of him for some reason. The magician was like a shadow, not only in the way he appeared, but his very existence.
The shadowy magician speaks something to the shadow-clad magician. The former was nodding his head, probably in response to the latter's reply. After a couple of words of conversation, they started walking.
In the direction of Megrez.
Megrez felt as if a gaze behind the mirrored sunglasses had caught hers.
Megrez's whole body stiffened. Even her heart felt as if it were about to stop.
She did not know why. The man had done nothing to her. He showed no hostility, not even vigilance. Yet for some reason, Megrez felt an unfathomable despair.
What she could not verbalize was their overwhelming gap in power.
A sense that defeat awaited her, that no matter what she did.,
It was the sort of despair that strikes a person who is suddenly thrust into a life-or-death situation.
The magician with mirrored sunglasses spared a glance at Megrez before turning his face, seemingly disinterested, in the direction he intended to go.
The shadowy, as well as the shadow-clad, magicians passed just by Megrez and her company.
"Just by" a couple of ten meters away, that is.
A distance that they could avoid each other if no one tried to engage.
"Wait… Over there, wait."
Even so, Megrez called out to them. The two stopped in their tracks, and she approached them herself.
The Gurkha soldiers under her command stopped where they were and did not follow her.
The man with the mirrored sunglasses turned his attention to Megrez. The shadow-clad magician probably was also looking at her.
"I'm committing a colossal foolish act…” The thought occurred to Megrez.
"I'm walking right up to the grim reaper and the devil in my own accord…" She also felt.
Still, she did not stop.
"I am Megrez, a magician officer of the IPU. I'd like to express my gratitude for your aid."
Megrez's voice had a slight quiver to it.
"We did it for our own reasons. No thanks necessary."
The response came from a shadowy man.
A very ordinary, young man's ─ human voice.
Megrez was relieved she felt like crying.
"If you don't mind ─ If it's possible, may I ask your names?"
The young man with mirrored sunglasses turned to the shadow-clad magician.
The black mist-like shadow disappeared and a plain-looking young man emerged from within.
At the same time she felt it somewhat anticlimactic, she also was astonished to notice that this seemingly ordinary young man appeared to be shining.
It was as if beneath his mundane appearance was hidden the beauty of a young god of light.
"Black."
So the young man with mirrored sunglasses called himself.
"Bright."
The ordinary young man followed.
"So, Black-dono24 and Bright-dono, is it? I offer my deepest gratitude."
Megrez bowed to the two men with joined hands, her language more courteous than she realized.
◇ ◇ ◇
There was an unexpected encounter between Tatsuya and Minoru with one of the Sapta Rishi, but the two paid no heed to the incident.
"Right about here."
"Do you know exactly where it is?"
"It's all right."
After a brief exchange of words, the two men dug out the Stealth Divers each with their own magic.
Climbing inside, they activated the flight magic system to turn the craft around. Incidentally, they already had checked the flight magic system's Activation Sequence prior to taking off from Kadena to make sure no foul codes had been mixed in.
"Let's sync up the destination."
Tatsuya spoke to Minoru using the short-range comms.
[Roger that. The data, please.]
Having established a data link between the stealth divers, Tatsuya set the destination to a point in the Bay of Bengal that he and Canopus had agreed upon in advance.
"I'll go first."
[I'll go next in ten seconds.]
"Roger that. Then I'll start the countdown."
Tatsuya presses a button, and the countdown begins at ten seconds.
At the moment the count reaches zero, the system sends an activation sequence to Tatsuya's magic calculation area, and the flight magic is activated.
The stealth diver takes off into the sky, less like a missile and more like a rail gun projectile.
◇ ◇ ◇
Landing on the water in the Bay of Bengal, the Stealth Diver sank like it should, and was recovered in the water by the USNA Federal Navy Nuclear Submarine Aircraft Carrier [Virginia]. A vessel that Tatsuya is no stranger to, having boarded it three years ago.
"Tatsuya, it's been a long time."
"Michael, it's good to see you again."
The ship's captain, Captain Michael Curtis25, also remained at the same post he had been at three years ago. By calling Captain Curtis by his first name, Tatsuya was following a request, so that he would distinguish him from Senator Wyatt Curtis.
"You over there must be Tatsuya's assistant, right?"
"Nice to meet you Captain, my name is Oujima Hikaru."
"So, Mr. Oujima, right? Well, let's leave it at that."
There were some exchanges of this kind, but Tatsuya and Minoru mostly welcomed it. He didn't touch on what they had done in Tibet, nor did ask about their experiences there. One point they, many of the crew, as well as the captain, asked in earnest, however, was about the stealth diver's experience and how they concealed it once they landed.
In particular, they engaged in detailed discussions with the flight deck personnel on the specific operational details of the Stealth Diver. Perhaps they are considering using the craft to operate with the submarine aircraft carrier.
They continued the lively discussion until the plane to pick them up arrived.
It was almost the turn of days.
Tatsuya and Minoru were standing on the flight deck of the surfaced Virginia.
The aircraft approached without lights in the middle of the night. Though the landing was almost entirely blind, neither the behavior of the aircraft nor the bearing of the deck personnel betrayed unease.
The aircraft approaching for landing is Tatsuya's private jet. A hypersonic aircraft, fitted with hydrogen-fueled engines, airflow control magic, and inertial control magic, capable of reaching a maximum speed of Mach 7. The airflow and inertia control magic systems also allows for short takeoff and landing (STOL).
Making use of the airflow control magic, it approaches at a speed that it would be sure to stall with the lift the main wings could provide naturally. Although Tatsuya has not assigned a name to the aircraft, his personal pilot, Yotsuya Tetsu, has taken the liberty of calling it "Raisen".
The landing gear of the tentatively named [Raisen] touches the deck. At the same time, strong air brakes are applied. This is another application of airflow control magic. The aircraft, whose inertia is neutralized by the magic, stops by itself with the air brake alone, without the aid of the barricade net or arresting cable.
"Michael, I would like to thank you and your crew for all your hospitality. I really appreciate your help."
"We should thank you as well for assisting us with a practical experiment. I hope that one day you might share with us what you have seen in Tibet, if it ever becomes possible."
Responded Capt. Michael Curtis as he shook Tatsuya's hand.
"I'm sure we'll be able to talk in the not-too-distant future."
"Is that so? Then I'll be looking forward to it."
Tatsuya's line, at least in his own mind, did not classify as a lie.
Curtis, seemingly reluctantly, released Tatsuya's hand. He then saluted Tatsuya.
The crew on deck also saluted collectively.
Tatsuya responded with a gesture with his right hand on his left chest and boarded the tentatively named [Raisen].
Minoru attempted to emulate the gesture, but it didn't come out as smooth as Tatsuya's.
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