Just as they expected, they could not enter Aoyama Cemetery.
Still, there was no need to do so.
Along the high wall built after the war (a tactic employed against disrespectful people snapping pictures of the dead), the three fashionable(?) youngsters and one machine were taking a walk at night when they detected auras approaching from the front and back.
((Master, three "Parasites" are coming.))
Tatsuya stopped upon hearing Pixie’s telepathy.
The reason why they used telepathy instead of the body’s speakers was to draw in the Parasites.
He had also ordered Pixie to telepathically communicate with Miyuki and Honoka.
At pretty much the same time Tatsuya halted, the two girls also came to a stop and drew near Tatsuya’s sides.
Though the two of them were unafraid, their faces betrayed their unease.
Tatsuya himself was not immune to anxiety, so he was not displeased with their attitude.
As prearranged, Tatsuya pressed the button on his terminal that activated the beacon. Through the GPS, he located his position and passed it along to Erika and Mikihiko. Immediately, they would hasten towards there with the members of the Chiba Family in tow. Once they had prepared their ambush as planned, they would start capturing the Parasites.
Still, based on their opponents’ situation, Tatsuya was figuring on waiting for reinforcements.
Tatsuya pulled his favored silver machine from a pocket on the left side. His right hand carried the pistol-shaped Specialized CAD "Trident" as he naturally allowed his hands to drift downwards, waiting for humans possessed by demons to approach.
As if protecting Tatsuya’s back, Miyuki stood there with her back to him and a terminal-shaped CAD in her hand. Pressing her right hand to the bracelet-shaped CAD worn on her left hand, Honoka stood at Tatsuya’s side as she altered between looking forward and back.
Seeing these trustworthy silhouettes around him, Tatsuya unconsciously smiled.
In a thoroughly unexpected area, his anxiety eased.
The source of his anxiety was that he was worried about putting these two girls in danger.
Once he realized that there was nothing to worry about for these two, his anxiety dissipated.
Settling himself, he directed his gaze toward the area illuminated by the street lights.
Three figures walked towards them. Their footsteps were free of hesitation. Just as Pixie had said, the Parasites appeared to have found Pixie’s location.
Neither side fired the first shot as both sides shrank the distance between them even further.
When they came within range of identifying their clothing, two of the Parasites came to a halt.
The last remaining one continued to plod forward towards Tatsuya.
As their features became less murky, the sense of awkwardness grew steadily.
The source of this awkwardness was swiftly unraveled.
That was because the information presented by the eyes was different from the information relayed by the skin.
He wore a plain windbreaker coat and striped pants. The coat was unable to hide the physique and the face was not covered. Eyes, mouth, ears, hands, and feet all did not exceed normal parameters. Despite being plainly human in appearance, there was no aura of humanity. So this was what a demonic aura truly was.
As Tatsuya carefully scrutinized the target, the gap between him and Parasite continued to close, until they were close enough to hear each other’s voice and see each other’s expression.
"Shiba Tatsuya, we need to speak with you."
Since Tatsuya was not planning on speaking, it was within his scenario for the other side to initiate communications. This was a stable situation for a conversation (wording was another problem altogether), so everything was still within expected boundaries.
Still, the other side calling out his name came as somewhat of a shock.
"What should I refer to you as?"
In reply, this was how Tatsuya responded.
No words came from the open mouth belonging to the man possessed by the Parasite. This sort of blank staring was actually quite human-like, Tatsuya thought. The personality may have been taken over, but the emotional base remained unaltered.
Maybe, using the term taken over may be erroneous. Based on the information he got from Pixie, Parasites only carried the original consciousness. Put another way, this was as far as their emotions could develop. It was possible that the Parasite’s sense of self had not taken over the human host, but had merged with the human to create a new personality. Tatsuya renewed his own understanding.
"Marte."
In regards to the contemplative Tatsuya, the Parasite gave this concise answer. In regards to how to refer to him, he had replied to this question with his own name. Tatsuya knew enough to know that this was either the Spanish or Italian word for "Mars".
That made sense. Though they had a fluent grasp of Japanese that might be misleading, closer inspection revealed that their facial structure was that of Caucasians. Having never lived out of the country, Tatsuya only had a theoretical grasp, but the man before his eyes appeared to carry distinctive features found on Latinos in America. His name was a call sign, no, there was an 80% or 90% chance that was a call sign, so referring to oneself as Marte wasn’t surprising.
However, Tatsuya was unaware that there were Planet and Satellite Classes within the organization called Stars. He assumed that the title of Stars was the literal definition of a "fixed star". Thus, he only understood that "Mars" referred to the Planet-Class Magician "Marte" within Stars, and not the host’s jealousy, obsession, and envy that came within someone from the Planet-Class who trained to be a substitute but still failed to be one of the Stars.
"So, Mr. Marte, or should I refer to you as Señor Marte? What do you need to talk about?"
There was no deeper meaning behind that question. For Tatsuya, "Marte" was nothing but a simple label.
Which was why when he found his opponent being enraged by these mere words, he only thought this was because the man had been cut off.
"That’s Mister, Boy."
After being referred to as "Boy" by the Parasite named Marte, Tatsuya felt that the man’s attempt to ridicule him was a clear sign he was losing his composure.
"Well, what is it?"
In order to continue biding time, Tatsuya didn’t care that he had to continue this provocation, but since his comrades were getting fidgety, he elected to push the conversation forward.
"……Shiba Tatsuya. We bear no ill will towards you all."
For "Mr. Marte", it appeared that calling him by his full name was more appropriate than referring to him as "Boy".
Still, that detail was unimportant to Tatsuya (he never anticipated any overtures toward politeness).
"That’s a little too vague for me to understand. Who is this we you speak of? Who are you referring to and what do you mean by ill will?"
Compared to that, what the other side was trying to convey was far more critical.
"—From this point forward, we Demons do not plan on any hostile action towards you Japanese Magicians."
(So they call themselves demons......)
Not devil, ghost, or specter, but demon. This was how they saw their own existence. Since he never heard that term from Pixie, they must have discussed beforehand to decide on a term that humans could refer to them with.
Tatsuya wanted to break into a wry chuckle because he knew that there were people who referred to his Decomposition Magic as "Demon Right". The primary reason for that was because he usually activated his Decomposition Magic at whatever his right arm pointed to, but he was not endeared to the Parasites because of this.
"So? Is there anything else?"
In regards to the short comment from the Parasite known as Marte (the self-proclaimed Demon), Tatsuya also had a few things he wanted to say.
But first, it was probably best for the other side to finish speaking first.
"As the price for keeping us from seeing you as enemies, we hope that you will turn that robot over to us."
Tatsuya must have imagined Pixie’s body shivering. After all, a robot had nothing to do with biological reactions.
"……I say, Mr. Marte. Please elaborate a little more on that. Even if I gave her to you, why do you want her? I can’t answer that if you don’t explain it clearly."
"I don’t think I need to explain, do I? You are the ones who should have no reason to protect that robot."
"We will decide whether there is a reason or not."
Marte frowned upon hearing Tatsuya’s response. After considering that his physical appearance and age were different, that displeased expression wasn’t that strange any more.
"……It’s in order to free our companion trapped within that robot."
Hearing this, Tatsuya intentionally tilted his head.
"So a robot can’t be a host?"
Marte’s expression grew solemn.
"I don’t know how you guys think, but we are life forms. Furthermore, our connection with each other far surpasses you humans. In regards to saving a companion who is a life form but trapped with a lifeless vessel, is that something that is beyond you human’s ability to grasp?"
However, both the voice and the tone were reined in.
"No, I can understand."
Tatsuya answer was just as decisive. Yet in this instance, Marte’s answer was much like what he learned from Pixie earlier and could not rouse Tatsuya’s interest. From another perspective, that also meant Pixie’s words were trustworthy. The question and answer phase could stop here, Tatsuya thought as he continued to speak in order to buy time for the trap to be prepared.
"But, how will you go about that?"
"Destroy the body. Once the host has been lost, then another host can be found."
"I see…… So that’s how it is. Pixie, do you wish to be freed from there?"
((I do not, Master!))
Tatsuya wasn’t seriously asking. Even if possessing a lifeless body, once it had expressed a desire for self-preservation, Tatsuya wasn’t going to agree to have it destroyed. Within the three fundamental processes of all robots – they were forbidden from harming humans, obeyed humans, and were able to defend themselves so long as the first two were not broken – the 3H was a viable tool.
Except, the telepathically expressed rejection was fiercer than he anticipated.
((I am myself. My only wish is to be something possessed by the Master. That is who I am.))
Not only did she possess the original self-preservation instinct, she had her own will to boot.
((No matter what I was originally, from where my core desires came from, all of these things are no longer important to me. I loathe the idea that I will no longer be myself.))
Pixie’s telepathy was sent not only to Tatsuya and the three Parasites, but to Honoka and Miyuki as well.
Honoka bit her lip.
Miyuki’s lips turned into a grin.
"There you have it, Onii-sama."
"Quite so."
A grin also appeared on Tatsuya’s lips.
Amazingly, a wry chuckle was not bubbling up at that unexpectedly passionate speech.
For some reason, Tatsuya didn’t plan on avoiding the thoughts projected from the demon dwelling in the robot.
"Then, I think you can already guess this side’s answer…… Before giving a decisive answer, I have two or three questions I would like to ask."
"You are more foolish than we imagined, Shiba Tatsuya. We are disappointed in you…… Very well, ask your questions."
"You said earlier that you bore no ill will towards Magicians, correct? Why did you say Magicians and not humans?"
There was no answer to that question.
No, he had asked that question with a mocking smirk on his face.
"If we agreed to your condition, then you Demons would no longer stand against Magicians. Then, what about humans who aren’t Magicians, what about them?"
"…………"
"After destroying Pixie’s body, what kind of host are you looking for? No, there’s no need to answer. I already know."
"......So you are a little clever beneath that stubbornness."
Marte shrugged at the steely gaze in Tatsuya’s eyes and the two girls who fell into combat stances.
"We cannot understand. We already said that we will not fight you, so how are you still dissatisfied? Just as we demons cannot coexist with humans, you Magicians are also an alien existence to humans."
"Huh?’
Tatsuya emitted a false sound of surprise during the Parasite’s sudden speech.
However, that speech was nothing more than inflammatory remarks.
Tatsuya would never believe any words uttered by that false tone were worth considering.
"My host is also a Magician."
As he said this, he patted his chest in an exaggerated manner.
There was a chance that this man was someone who worked as an inciter prior to being possessed by a Parasite. In that case, the call sign "Marte" didn’t suit him. The name "Mercury" was far better for him.
Completely heedless of Tatsuya’s cold gaze, the Parasite’s speech grew in fervor.
"So I know as well. How Magicians are treated by humans."
"How are they treated?"
"For humans, Magicians are both tools and lab experiments. Humans will never care about the Magicians’ feelings. They only use them as tools because of magic and as lab animals in order to create more magical power."
Though he felt like he had heard this speech somewhere before, Tatsuya still decided to allow the Parasite to finish.
"In regards to the humans who only seek to use you, what reason do you have to protect them? You have no such duty. You have your own will and dreams, do you not?"
Tatsuya locked his eyes on Marte’s face after he finished his speech.
No matter how earnestly Marte stared at Tatsuya,
Tatsuya only replied with a "ha" of a sigh.
"Hardly, the ones being used aren’t just the Magicians."
In response to the host with the malicious Parasite, Tatsuya spoke in a tone that had profound meaning.
"How should I say this......? I feel like I’ve heard those lines from a book somewhere."
Then, his lips turned into a mocking smile.
"To see humans as nothing but foolish…… You are the true fool."
Fury flickered in the man’s eyes.
Was that the Parasite’s emotions or the host’s feelings?
Mulling over whatever Marte wanted to say, Tatsuya continued.
"You will not harm us Magicians. That sounds all well and good, but you have already harmed my companions. My friends, who are Magicians. In regards to this, you have failed to utter a single apology, so where do you suppose I will dredge up the reason to believe your words about not harming us? There’s no difference between this and respecting the human rights of Magicians. Not to mention using these empty words to swap with us as if trying to con us out of something. Even shamelessness should have a limit."
After his tirade, Tatsuya seemed to become bored and once again fell into a mocking smile.
"Come to think of it, I haven’t told you our earlier answer yet. The answer, is no."
"Boy……"
"Please don’t say you’ll regret this or something clichéd like that? I would be too ashamed to be your opponent."
Killing intent filled Marte’s eyes as he waved his right arm.
A small dagger appeared from his pocket. Based on the buttons on the hilt, this was no ordinary dagger and must carry some sort of contraption.
The other Parasites held similar daggers in their hands.
Seeing this, Tatsuya chuckled coldly.
"Well, that’s easy to understand. Then, allow us to simplify things as well."
Tatsuya sneered theatrically.
"Throw down your weapons and surrender quietly. You will not suffer should you do so. I guarantee you all a happy life as experimental animals."
"You…… wretched hound of the humans!"
The Parasite who had possessed the body of the human was in turn consumed by the strong "desire" in the human host.
Possessed, being possessed, ad infinitum.
Most likely, the Magician known as "Marte" must have fiercely hated the humans who controlled him prior to his possession.
That was the natural conclusion one arrived at after hearing the fury in his roar.
Without any Activation Sequence, the precursor for magic appeared. So it was true that Parasites did not need Activation Sequences or incantations to cast magic.
However, on this point, Tatsuya’s side was pretty much the same.
Faster than the Parasite’s magic could materialize, Tatsuya’s "Decomposition" shattered the information bodies that were trying to change reality.
The ability that dominated all Magicians, the power to decompose the information bodies.
That magic, "Gram Dispersion", was just as useful on the spells of inhuman creatures.
Soundless and without light, a silent means of attack and defense.
Yet Marte, who planned on using magic first before attacking, was completely befuddled when the magic unexpectedly fizzled.
Tatsuya was not going to miss that opportunity.
He fired at the joints of all four limbs and Marte rolled on the ground.
Even with a Parasite possessing them, there was no way for them change the structural composition of the human body. Even if they felt no pain, the limbs were rendered immobile once the joints were severed.
Tatsuya pointed his empty left hand at the Parasite on the road.
If the human vessel was destroyed, they would fly away seeking a new host.
They would also self-destruct and flee if frozen by Miyuki’s magic.
Parasites didn’t need Activation Sequences, so even an immobile body was probably still able to cast magic.
In order to completely nullify a Parasite, he needed to deliver direct harm to the mental information body.
Tatsuya tightly clasped the compressed block of psions in his palm.
Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that he would succeed.
Regardless, there was no hesitation in Tatsuya. If this didn’t work, then they had to wait for the sealing specialists who understood Ancient Magic to arrive.
Right now, hesitation held no merit for him.
Imbuing the concept of "Rejection" inside his hand, Tatsuya’s left hand stabbed towards the Parasite.
The compressed block of psions shot forth like a cannonball towards the Parasite’s chest.
Not the brain, the heart.
This was the result based on the information he received from Pixie and after a lengthy discussion with Yakumo. They did not attach themselves to the human body’s organs, but to the human spirit. In that sense, it was no different striking anywhere on the body. Given that, he might as well seek the deepest connection and aimed for the heart that provided fuel for all cellular activity.
The result was far more dramatic than he imagined.
Like a shrimp leaving the safety of the ocean, the Parasite’s body started to violently spasm.
Bouncing like crazy.
The body that the Parasite had invaded was rejecting it.
Tatsuya’s will had been injected into the Parasite and was rejecting the Parasite just as the Parasite was rejecting it.
"Onii-sama!"
Alas, they did not have the leisure to savor this.
Forced into a corner, Miyuki called out.
However, Tatsuya’s "eye" never left Miyuki’s side.
The moment danger approached Miyuki, Tatsuya would notice even without her calling out.
Exactly what was before him when he turned around,
Next to where Miyuki had not just frozen the four limbs and clothes of her opponent, but was also using Zone Interference to forestall her opponent’s magic, Honoka was under siege from the small blades connected to some sort of device. Serving as her shield, Pixie was weathering the blows on her behalf.
"Honoka!"
"I’m fine!"
As if rejecting Tatsuya’s offer of support, Honoka replied back in a stiff tone.
A powerful light dwelt in Honoka’s eyes.
That burning light that dwelt there declared that she was not going to be a stumbling block.
That light was in Honoka’s eyes,
Just as it was in her hair decorations.
Tatsuya felt the psion waves spike dramatically.
That was the harbinger of a massive increase in mental energy.
Not magic.
This was something more direct, the interference of the mind.
Immediately,
A furious psychic blast was released from Pixie.
As a price for its lack of fine-tuned control, the coarse form that was released carried the furious might to batter all phenomena. Even Miyuki’s erected Zone Interference was shaken.
Among the currently living Magicians, even the Zone Interference belonging to one of the very best, Miyuki, had been shaken.
Tatsuya formed a new psion bullet and shot it into the Parasite that was fighting his sister.
Once again, the dance from the rejection effect occurred.
Yet now, Tatsuya and Miyuki’s attention was no longer there.
Pure motion alteration interference strength – so called "psychokinesis", had just been released at that very spot.
Honoka, who was still in a daze from the sudden release of powerful psion waves, and Pixie, who stood there in a protective stance.
Of the Parasite who stood against them, it had long been blown out of sight.
Shocked beyond words by the display on the monitor, Fujibayashi only recovered her wits once she heard the delighted chuckle from behind her and turned around.
"……Ho, never thought that I would witness something so fascinating here."
Behind the swivel chair, Elder Kudou coughed as he spoke with a tone that seemed to be looking for excuses at his granddaughter’s glare that he was not acting his age.
"Did the 3H release that last burst of psychokinesis? I never heard that we have already developed robots capable of using psychic powers."
Fujibayashi was sitting in front of the control panel for the psion wave detector. There was no way to hide the readings displayed on the monitor in front of her.
"……I never heard of it either. From a technological standpoint, I thought that was impossible."
"Indeed. With the current technology, neither magic nor psychic powers can be manifested by machinery alone. In other words, there is something other than machinery inside that 3H."
"…………"
A light sound that could be interpreted as either a sigh or a sob leaked from Fujibayashi.
"Is there a monster in that robot?"
"…………"
"Though I have received reports on the Parasites, I didn’t hear about this detail."
"We have not received a report about this either. This was only spoken of in private conversations."
"No, no."
Elder Kudou waved his hand as if to comfort his granddaughter, who had replied back in a stiff manner.
"Kyouko, I am not scolding you. That was not my standpoint from the very beginning. I am just highly interested."
Fujibayashi’s poker face caved in.
The source of her fluctuating emotions lay directly before her gaze.
It had been a very long time since she saw the shadow of ambition flitting across her grandfather’s face.
"I never imagined that robots could be used in this way……"
The usual Fujibayashi would have already noticed.
However, right now she was acting in the capacity of an operator and not a hacker, so today she could only manipulate the system according to the rules. Under those conditions, even the "Electron Sorceress" would be hard pressed to catch observers who were acting beyond the system’s defensive capabilities.
The observer who had just beheld the scene, Yotsuba Maya, removed the display monitor from her eyes before leaning back deeply into the chair and closed her eyes.
This lasted approximately 10 seconds.
After placing the display monitor back into a drawer in her desk, she picked up the bell and softly shook it. The crisp sound reverberated in the room that she alone inhabited.
"Did you call for me, madam?"
Opening the door, Maya’s butler and confidante, old Hayama, appeared.
"Call Aoki here for me please."
"Understood."
Respectfully bowing, Hayama the butler once more left the room.
This time, a short moment elapsed.
Though there was no sound of any footsteps, an anxious presence drew closer before the sound of knocking could be heard.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
Hayama replied in a solemn voice.
The anxious presence came from his side.
The one who came in was a butler far younger than Hayama (though still older than Maya) in his prime.
"Sorry for calling you so late, Aoki."
"No problem at all. So long as the madam gives the summons, I, Aoki, will immediately be at your side even if I was on the other side of the world."
Aoki had not learned how to perform Flash Step – in short, no one had accomplished instant teleportation – so "immediately" was physically impossible, but given that his exaggerated fashion of speaking was typical for him, neither Maya nor Hayama paid any extra attention to it.
"Though this is very sudden, there is something I wish to have immediately."
"As you wish."
Aoki was the financial manager who was responsible for overseeing all of the Yotsuba Family’s assets. He believed that being able to deliver on these demands was the very purpose for his existence, so while there were a few problems with his personality, his abilities in both the legal and illegal fields were undeniably outstanding.
"Swiftly purchase the rights for the 3H-P94 on lend to the Magic University Affiliated First High. Money is no issue. Do this by any means possible."
Maya saying "money is no issue" wasn’t surprising, but she rarely said directly "by any means possible".
"If that is too difficult, find a way for the current owner to be unable to transfer ownership rights. In particular, do not allow the other families from the Ten Master Clans to get ahold of it. Do not be concerned about the price involved for this task."
This was the first time in Aoki’s recollection that she even handed out specific instructions in the event of failure.
"Understood."
For an instant, Aoki wavered there, but that failed to extend to his voice as he bowed respectfully.
As Aoki frantically left, Maya turned towards the waiting Hayama by her side and gave him a searching gaze.
"……Don’t you have something to say?"
Yet in the end, Maya was unable to pierce Hayama’s poker face and urged him to speak.
"I know it is not my place……"
He was still going to ask despite knowing this, so Hayama started speaking while bending at the waist. Though this just the customary phrase that observed decorum, that particular tone told Maya that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Shouldn’t you be a little more prudent about using "Hlidskjalf"?"
Even so, she couldn’t tell him to recant those words – or suggestion. The honest suggestion was just as bitter as she anticipated, but Maya failed to frown or become enraged.
As the operator, Maya – along with the other 6 operators who also had access rights – knew that there was more than just mere benefits better than anyone.
"—That is a product of pure science. Furthermore, at least when compared with magic, the risk of those black boxes is still lower."
"Maya-sama, I wasn’t referring to that."
Hayama decisively cut short the twisted counter argument that she herself knew rang hollow. Maya wore an expression indicating she wished to change the subject.
"Furthermore, when it comes to black boxes, we don’t even know where the real Hlidskjalf is located. Just because it has not lied to us yet does not guarantee that will not happen in the future."
Hayama’s opinion definitely had a point.
Likewise, Maya was conscious of the danger even if he hadn’t pointed it out.
"That’s true…… Hayama, let’s proceed with your idea. Recently, I have been too reliant on that ability to gather information."
"It would be a shame to abandon such a useful function. This is only a foolish thought on my part, but if it’s Tatsuya-dono, he may be able to figure out where the real location of Hlidskjalf is. Once connected to the real one, complete dominance of Hlidskjalf may also be possible."
Hayama’s words completely caught Maya by surprise. In order to fully comprehend his meaning, Maya contemplated this for a while before finally shaking her head.
"It’s still too early."
As to what exactly was too early, the answer left that to one’s imagination.
Hayama bowed deeply before leaving Maya and quitting the room.
"What a mess……"
In response to the words that involuntarily slipped from Tatsuya’s mouth, Miyuki raised her head from where she was taking care of the dazed and fainting Honoka.
"Now that you mention it…… That’s kind of true. Onii-sama, should we leave here for now?"
Since the response was so natural, Tatsuya was practically on the verge of nodding.
(……No, that’s actually OK.)
If he continued to believe that it was natural for someone to grasp the situation that quickly, sooner or later he was due for a comeuppance. However, right now there were other things to worry about.
There was that gigantic psychic blast from just now. That reaction was undoubtedly noticed throughout the Aoyama and Akasaka regions. Soon, unwanted guests would arrive in droves.
The Parasites that had been struggling furiously a moment ago had now quieted down in exhaustion. Just in case, he had bound their wrists, but as to what practical purpose that served, even Tatsuya didn’t know. At least, so long as the vessel wasn’t destroyed, they weren’t able to flee the host’s physical flesh, but their opponent could still "self-destruct" as a last resort.
(That’s true…… If only we had some sort of technique from Ancient Magic.)
"Tatsuya-kun!"
"Sorry we’re late!"
Speak of the devil, scratch that, just as he thought about that person, their voice rang out. About time they arrived.
Still, Tatsuya wasn’t going to scold them for being "slow" since they were also using their methods to search for the Parasites. It’s not like they were being lazy about it, so there was nothing to complain about.
Indeed…… There was nothing to complain about even if they arrived at a time when all the violence had ended, Tatsuya mentally stressed to himself.
"Um...... Tatsuya? Why do I get the feeling that your expression is a little terrifying?"
"My attitude is just a little belligerent."
"No, I don’t know about belligerence, but somehow I don’t feel that’s the reason……"
After sweeping an eye over the strangely(?) petrified Mikihiko, Tatsuya began conversing with the extra individual who was not expected to appear.
"Leo, so you came as well."
"Ah, since I just recovered, might as well add me to the mix."
"Don’t force yourself. Now, Erika……"
"Hm? What’s up?"
As he spoke to Erika, who was watching the captives with a solemn gaze, Tatsuya unexpectedly spoke in a calm voice.
"Although we are forced to leave this area as soon as possible, can you prepare a way to transport these three?"
Seeing that none of them made any heart pounding actions, Tatsuya relaxed a little and began talking about the things on his mind. Tatsuya casually glanced around him to find the two motorcycles that the three of them arrived on. –As to who sat with who, Tatsuya wasn’t able to see that.
"Eh, why?"
Reacting to Tatsuya’s words, Erika took on a perplexed expression.
"What do you mean why, Erika?"
Tatsuya wasn’t the one who said that. Unable to hide his agitated visage, Mikihiko quickly interrupted their talk.
"Did you not feel that shockwave? After releasing such a ridiculous amount of magic, I doubt the ones arriving here will be normal policemen."
"Though I really want to say that I’ve resigned myself to that from that start…… That would trouble Tatsuya-kun’s group."
Besides a few looks snuck in between, this was the usual Erika. At the very least, neither Leo nor Mikihiko noticed anything different.
"So, will it be OK if we cart them to the storage shed at Miki’s house?"
The "storage shed" that Erika spoke of was obviously not a literal storage shed. It was not one of the Chiba Family’s facilities, but transported to a restrictive field operated by the Yoshida Family specifically designed to seal the Parasite.
"Will that be alright, Mikihiko?"
"Eh? Of course. Now that you mention it, that was our job all along."
Our referred to Ancient Magic users.
He probably meant sealing demons was the mission of the onmyoji (the Yoshida Family were of the Shinto sect and not actual onmyoji).
"Then Miki and I along with Leo will take over here. Tatsuya-kun, you guys should get going first."
"Why? During that time, I can wait here."
"I’m just a tagalong!?"
Ignoring Leo’s furious roar for the moment, Tatsuya asked in amazement.
Erika seemed to have a hard time finding the right words.
"Tatsuya, well, uh……"
Tatsuya followed the stammering Mikihiko’s gaze.
Ahead of him stood Pixie with a slightly ripped dress as well as Honoka’s figure with several large rents in her halfcoat.
"……I’ll call the car."
"I think that would be best."
And thus, Tatsuya left the scene to Erika’s group.
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