Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 13 - Steeplechase - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Col. Sakai's group very hurriedly left behind the command tower. They reasoned that the possibility of them becoming targets of that flying magician [Makeishura] [10] was nil. But they were very aware that they were in a position to support the Parasite Doll experiments. Reason enough that some major horror was heading for them.

As they left the building and managed to reach the parking lot, for some reason the sky turned dark.

On seeing the sky, Sakai realized that something was amiss.

The sky didn't turn cloudy.

They were smothered with a thick fog.

"Just what is this ... ?"

"Is it gas?"

"No, it's magic!"

The magician accompanying Col. Sakai managed to get right what was behind the thick fog.

However, they only knew that it was magic. Without knowing its effects, they could not make it disappear.

"You have been invited, Col. Sakai and staff."

As they shifted their focus onto the playful voice, they saw a man in his prime dressed in a suit in spite of mid-summer and wearing diagonally a soft hat bowing smartly before them.

"I invite you to the world of dreams."

After that, Sakai's consciousness slipped into the darkness.

The steeplechase cross country concluded with Miyuki taking the girl's crown and Masaki taking the boy's crown.

And this year's overall went to First High. Though it was a tough fight all the way, the morale of Team First High was even higher than last year.

Although at the very end Masaki didn't manage to grab the overall title, Third High somehow showed up at the night after-party with satisfied expressions. It's possible that they may have felt Masaki's "next time for sure" reaction in his efforts.

For other schools it was Fourth High that stood out for winning the championship in Rookies' Monolith Code and Mirage Bat. The lovely twins responsible for them, their dignified manners so out-of-place for their appearances, gave credence to the rumors from before.

And it was not only the players. Even the adults were raising their celebratory cups all together ... .

With a smile, Kudou Retsu gave a toast to the former heads of house Kuki and Kuzumi, and all the families from the [Ninth] still following them up to now.

No way it was a radiant smile. It was a smile with regrets floating about somewhere. Even the former heads of house Kuki and Kuzumi knew what regrets were brewing deep inside Kudou Retsu's heart. That was why they didn't raise it to Retsu; they often alternated toasting each other as if telling him to do the toasting instead.

"Everyone, I thank you for your efforts."

Finally, Retsu started to spin out his words of gratitude spontaneously.

"The parasite doll experiments may have ended with disappointing results on the surface, but they gave a hard fight against the [Makeishura]. This would leave a strong impression to the people planning to use magic in the military."

Approving applause came from the party.

"Those who plan to draft young magicians will have been overthrown by tomorrow, along with the traditionalists. That too is a considerable result, I might say."

"Not tomorrow."

However, the voice suddenly interrupting them was heard from the other side of the door.

"Who's there!"

The lower-ranked stood up and faced the door.

Retsu knew who the voice that said those words belonged to before he could ascertain the appearance.

"Kazama-kun ... and Elder Saeki."

However, it was not only Kazama who had rudely disrupted the proceedings.

"It's been a while, Elder Kudou."

Everyone present at the party were lost for words at the unexpected incident.

None of them even offered Saeki a seat ---- and to which she paid no heed.

"What brings you here, to be so sudden. This is a private gathering. A shame, but we cannot offer you the hospitality you deserve."

"I'm very much aware that this is an unexpected visit. If you accept our present then we will take our leave."

"A present?"

Saeki's way of speaking was clearly undiplomatic. But even if that was not the case, the factions of [Nine] had bad impressions of her as a sly female fox who went against Retsu.

Amidst the silently rising animosity, Saeki signaled to Kazama.

["I am Col. Sakai of JSDF GHQ. I am the one who conspired with the head of house Kudou, Kudou Makoto, and promoted that the experiments on autonomous magic weaponry be held at the Nine Schools Competitions ..."]

Everyone present, apart from Retsu, all stood up and howled.

The voice being played back from the recorder in Kazama's hand was an acknowledgement and a confession that they conspired with house Kudou to force through a weapons test with high school students as guinea pigs.

"...So Col. Sakai fell into your hands?"

"We are not the ones who captured Col. Sakai."

"...Would you mind telling me who did it?"

"I received this voice recording from house Yotsuba."

All those who stood up and were gathering about had gasped.

"Maya.... As I thought, the Yotsuba would never let away those who made a move on their kin."

Retsu nodded, his way of speaking strangely consenting.

"That would not be the case."

However, Saeki repudiated those words.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"When I received the voice recording, Yotsuba-dono added a condition that this recording should not be announced publicly."

Retsu inquisitively raised his own eyebrows, unable to comprehend Maya's true intentions.

"Yotsuba-dono's objectives were to purge Sakai's group, known as the anti-GAA hardliners. I received this voice recording from Yotsuba-dono on the conditions that I do the clean up after the purge and not to open its contents to the public."

"I see... Sakai-kun has earned the wrath of [that person]."

Retsu muttered in agreement. However he was still unable to understand all of it.

"Well then, what will you do with the data you have?"

"Elder Kudou, the JSDF will no longer treat magicians as weapons."

"... ... ..."

"If you so wish I will even stake my own head for this. Magicians will no longer be compelled to stand in battle against their wishes. That goes for your grandson, and for [him], too."

"You ... want to tell me that I retire?"

"It's true that the parasite dolls make for a beneficial weapon --- as long as there are no mistakes on how it was used. Had you done it ten years earlier, misguided uses like this time wouldn't be done."

"You're speaking out of turn, Major General!"

"Enough."

Retsu followed it with a gesture to calm down Kuki Mamoru, who had snapped out of his astonishment and was getting enraged.

"You performed magic weapon experiments on immature magicians. No matter how you gloss it over, I cannot say this was the right way to do it."

Kazama, from Saeki's side, butted in. His voice was filled with magma-like anger.

"Restrain yourself, Major Kazama."

"Sir, I apologize for my impudence!"

This time it was Saeki who rebuked Kazama.

She looked at Retsu squarely in the eye.

"Please leave the magicians' rights to us currently in active duty. We will not stand for any action that will put you, Elder Kudou, in fear."

Towards Saeki who had made that simple declaration,

"Very well."

As his shoulders dropped, Retsu answered back, somehow seemingly happy.

August 16, 2096. Night.

Yokohama Chinatown was wrapped up in a silent tumult.

"Target is heading for the west gate."

"We have an advantage in location on the other side. Make sure you corner him with no less than three people."

The group rushing about in the dark and exchanging only faint whispers at each other was a hit squad spearheaded by Kuroba Mitsugu.

"Target spotted... Guaaah!"

"What's wrong!?"

"Some kind of a hound-like being has......!"

"Everyone watch out! Zhou Gongjin uses magic different from even what the Dahan and GAA use."

The confidant standing beside Mitsugu raised an inquiry as if muttering.

"He's tougher than expected, Boss."

"He's a big game who had thoroughly messed up with domestic affairs. It's very unlikely that he's weak in personal capabilities."

Mitsugu answered in a composed voice. With even no hints of trembling.

The confidant continued on with a relieved tone.

"But the mistress obliged to deploy Shiba Tatsuya-dono...?"

"We will secure Zhou Gongjin before he arrives."

However, on hearing his confidant's words, Mitsugu abruptly laid bare his irritation, as if to make his composure unbelievable.

"Will it be okay not to wait for the arrival of Fumiya-sama and Shiba Tatsuya-dono?"

"What the hell is Maya-san thinking?"

Having totally lost his self-control, Mitsugu ended up calling Maya as [Maya-san] in spite of his confidant standing in front of him.

"That person shouldn't be used in this situation. That person shouldn't be even let outside in the first place. That person is the manifestation of the Yotsuba's sins. Just locking him up within the Yotsuba is enough for our atonement."

Mitsugu, after noticing his confidant's dumbfounded look, coughed loudly.

"I'm going in. You take charge."

"Yes, Boss."

Mitsugu's figure dissolved into the darkness.

This will be brought to an end without even waiting for Tatsuya, the confidant thought.

"End of the line, Zhou Gongjin."

A few minutes later, Mitsugu was standing in front of Zhou.

"My goodness...... It's Yotsuba's darker side, the head of house Kuroba, showing himself for a lowly servant like me. Looks like you have overestimated me."

"Don't think we underestimated you. Blanche's uprisings, No Head Dragon's secret maneuvers, guiding the GAA special forces, arranging to smuggle in Parasites...... You sure have the nerve to do them by yourself."

"I assure you, I only gave a helping hand. They would have happened sooner or later without my assistance."

"You're a bother for sure. For making later into now."

"Can't you see that postponing wouldn't solve anything?"

"I can't see the reason why postponing is a bad thing."

Mitsugu slowly closed the distance.

"At this distance you can't get away with your specialty Ghost Walker [11] . Give it up, Zhou."

"Indeed. To get up close and personal means my divination is useless."

Zhou didn't lose his composure as he judged that his special spells were sealed up.

"Therefore, this will hurt a little bit. --- 疾 , [ 哮 天 犬 ]!" [12]

Mitsugu didn't have the time to say "What the ---?"

For a four legged shadow descended from the night sky.

A silhouette of a giant hound rushed on Mitsugu and bit off one of his arms.

"Guh...."

Struck silent, Mitsugu crumpled down.

The black hound had already disappeared without a trace.

"Good grief...... That took me ten years to prepare it. Oh well, it would do in exchange for Kuroba Mitsugu's arm."

Muttering those words, Zhou Gongjin's figure slipped into the shadows.

"Father!"

After having gone to fetch Tatsuya, Fumiya, as soon as he saw Mitsugu's figure, pushed his way through the wall of men in black suits and ran up to him, his expression visibly changing.

"Just who did this...... Oh yeah! Tatsuya-niisan!"

Fumiya had remembered the unusual power of his esteemed second cousin he took along, and gave out a longing look. In response, Tatsuya used his left hand to draw out a pistol-shaped CAD.

"No... I don't need your help."

"Father, what are you saying!?"

"Fumiya."

Tatsuya told Fumiya, about to resort to violence by shaking hard at a heavily injured person, to control himself. Then he aimed his left hand towards Mitsugu.

"This may not please you, but leaving you as you are would only make Fumiya and Ayako unhappy."

He then activated Restoration. *Mitsugu's right arm*, bitten off and location unknown, had popped up from somewhere, joined with the injury and was connected.

As he unconsciously applied pressure onto *his own right arm*, Tatsuya muttered as if speaking to himself.

"Leaving behind Miyuki and Ayako and coming here was the right course of action. Be that as it may, Kuroba-san, for you to be that seriously injured... Just what kind of magic did Zhou Gongjin use?"

Mitsugu, looking annoyed at his own right arm, shook his head as he avoided looking Tatsuya in the eye.

"I don't know. Zhou Gongjin said something like [Howling Celestial Hound], but it's impossible that there's a spell with that name."

"That's fictitious then...... It must be a class of transforming bodies magic. He's a worrying opponent..."

Tatsuya didn't ask where Zhou ran off to.

All he knew was that from here on, they would have to locate this person at all costs.

(... to be continued in next volume)