Tatsuya visited Kyuuchou Temple to borrow the underground training room and was promptly invited into a room in the monks’ quarter when he arrived. It was the same room, he had met with Yakumo to consult with him on the Parasite Doll matter in. Yakumo sat down at the same time as Tatsuya and started the conversation without a preamble.
“It seems like you’re entangled in another troublesome matter.”
With just that, Tatsuya was aware that this was about today’s shikigami incident.
“I’m sorry, have I caused you difficulties?”
If you thought about it then Yakumo's usage of long distance monitoring spells in broad daylight on those who could be said to be under his protection in a nearby city wasn’t something his pupils are going to observe without saying anything.
“Many of my pupils have an abundance of hot blood.”
While smiling wryly, Yakumo answered yes to Tatsuya’s question indirectly.
“So then, what happened this time?”
Perhaps Tatsuya had to answer in some way but, as to be expected, he was puzzled about how to answer. However, that was only for a minuscule period. He decided to take the middle path between answering and not answering.
“I think this trouble is related to the work I took on.”
“Work? For Kazuma-kun?”
“No, the work did not come from the military.”
Yakumo’s eyes narrowed as they remained in their smiling state. As he smiled. a strong light was emitted from his eyes.
“Is it alright to ask about the details of this work?”
“There’s a good chance that it will become a job in the Kyoto district. So, I think it's best if I don’t cause you more trouble, Master.”
Yakumo’s lips twitched up slightly. The light in his eyes abated, the slight smile became his usual one.
“You don’t need to be so diffident. There is somewhat of a connection to the ‘traditionalists’.”
It was unexpected that Yakumo was the one who brought up the name of ‘traditionalists’ but Tatsuya’s conviction was that his family’s search for the magician did not fall under Yakumo’s purview.
“As I thought, this is related to the group of ancient magicians called ‘traditionalists’.”
“They are not called that, they have merely claimed the name……”
Yakumo’s display of fastidiousness was cute to Tatsuya but he refrained from showing it.
“Therefore, Master must not lend a hand. A civil war between fellow ancient magicians is no joke.”
There was no one within the nation’s ancient magicians’ that took the name of ‘traditionalists’ lightly. From the beginning, the ancient magicians who claimed the name ‘traditionalists’ were not particularly loyal to the traditional training regimes, they had cooperated with the former Lab 9 because they desired the know how of modern magic. For those who had continued to strictly defend their traditions, it was shameless of them to claim the mantle of ‘traditionalists’. Many of the magicians attached to the Traditionalists were employed in covert operations, so the number of magicians who knew not much more about the faction than the name who proclaimed ‘the Traditionalists must be purged’ is not small.
“Aw nuts, I’m still far from enlightenment.”
Perhaps he recognized that the hostility he felt was unlike him, Yakumo let out an embarrassed smile.
“Are the guys who were peeking at my house still secured here? There’s still a little something I wish to ask them?”
“It’s impossible today.”
Yakumo answered Tatsuya’s question with a penetratingly cold smile.
“I’m a little tired today. I’ll go take a rest in a quiet place now.”
Of course, Tatsuya was not overwhelmed by that level of pressure. He continued to ask polite questions with an amiable smile.
“Is that so? Then won’t you at least tell me of their background?”
“Oh, those guys are wild magicians employed by the ‘Traditionalists’.”
“Wild?”
Doubtfully, Tatsuya repeated the word.
“Do you mean free magicians?”
“You can call them that also.”
“There are people like that in this country?”
Magicians were a scarce human resource, all of them from the good to the bad were under a country’s control. Tatsuya himself was an exception in that he was not under governmental control but people like him were corralled in general under the private combat power of the twenty eight families, the Ten Master Clans system could be called an indirect form of government management. It was a novel surprise for Tatsuya that a magician with practical skills could be unaffiliated with an organization.
“There are. There are a quite a few people who can’t acquire the skills of modern magic but can use unique skills.”
“…So you mean there are quite a few free magicians on the ancient magic side?”
“Well. I don’t know the exact number but, I believe it’s not a small number.”
In short for this job, this meant he could potentially be taking on more magician opponents than he had supposed before now. In his head, Tatsuya revised the level of difficulty upward.
Common Era 2096, October 1. The inauguration of the new student council of the First High School attached to the National Magic University. Members: President Shiba Miyuki, Vice President Saegusa Izumi, Treasurer Mitsui Honoka, Secretary Sakurai Minami and Secretarial Chief Shiba Tatsuya.
Of course, there were objections to the enigmatic post of Secretarial Chief. The Staff Room that normally interfere with the the student council’s granting of positions asked ‘What the heck is this?’. The default organization of student councils in schools was ‘President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary’. There was no ‘Secretarial Chief’ post, however, Miyuki repelled all opposition with a smile that neither agreed or disagreed and made the statement, ‘the official nickname of Secretarial Chief is Secretary’. Not one person was able to make the reasonable objection that there was no reason for the ‘Secretarial Chief’ to be nicknamed secretary.
It was also a fact that a multitude of students wanted Tatsuya to remain a student council officer. If Miyuki went out of control, the only one who could stop it was Tatsuya. That was something acknowledged by the third and second year students and if Tatsuya was driven off the student council, they would be able to see Miyuki go out of control with their own eyes.
The significance of this morning to the student council of First High was fraught with fear of political dictatorship but, the dominated students looked happy while appearing that they wished for a little rescue. A dictatorial system run by an Idol might be a good way to put it. For the dictator, it was a type of paradise.
Of course, Miyuki didn’t have a desire to dominate, much less aspirations of becoming a dictator. The truth was she was reluctant to even take up the duties of student council president. Her true unadulterated feeling was ‘wouldn’t it be great if Onii-sama became student council president’. And, would fall into dangerous supplemental delusions such as ‘If that happened then I would go all out doing anything for him, vice president, secretary, tea server, anything’; if anyone asked.
Anyway, Miyuki did not want Tatsuya in a subordinate position to herself. That was in spite of the pointed reminders from the Yotsuba clan of what their relationship was, it was unendurable for her. So she created the unusual title of ‘Secretarial Chief’ to elevate him a little in order to reach a compromise inside herself.
Anyway in these circumstances, all objections and logical arguments about Tatsuya’s title of Secretarial Chief were silenced in one hour at the lunch break and another hour after school by Miyuki’s persuasive power and peace was finally restored to the student council room.
The timing was probably calculated. The newly inaugurated Club Activities Head and the newly appointed Public Morals Chief came into the Student Council room together.
“Umm, I am looking forward to working well together this year.”
“I am looking forward to working with you as well, Yoshida-kun.”
Miyuki replied to the nervous Mikihiko who never lost his stiffness while attempting a friendly attitude with a smile filled with affection.
Betraying the expectations of the majority that Kanon’s successor would be Shizuku, Mikihiko was chosen to be the new Public Morals Chief. The Public Morals Chief was elected from and by the nine committee members; this time it was a close contest with five votes for Mikihiko and four votes for Shizuku. Incidentally, Mikihiko voted for Shizuku and Shizuku voted for Mikihiko. There was an attempt to halt Mikihiko’s assumption of the office of Public Morals Chief because he was a former second course student but the majority of the committee members yielded to the outstanding force of Shizuku’s aura of ‘ I don’t want that bothersome job’.
Therefore Shizuku abandoned the nervous Mikihiko and engaged in animated girl talk with Honoka like “Isn’t it great that Tatsuya-san is remaining on the Student Council?” “Uh, huh……”
This was the first face to face between the student council president and the newly elected public morals chief, they discussed the problem of choosing public morals committee members to replace the retirees but, as it happened at this time, the student council had yet to make the three recommendations from the second years so that they would stay on the public morals committee so, Mikihiko’s part of the conversation was really over with the greeting. Apparently, there were some procedural concerns to take care of so, Mikihiko had some time to kill. He and Tatsuya went to a corner of the room with an isolated terminal emplaced.
“What’s up, Tatsuya?”
Mikihiko thought Tatsuya’s posture indicated something was going on so, he sat down on the chair in front of the terminal and whispered the question to Tatsuya who was standing to the side.
“First, take a look at this for me.”
He didn’t answer the question directly, Tatsuya manipulated the terminal’s keyboard with one hand.
The monitor displayed a string of characters and a graph.
“An activation sequence?”
It was an activation sequence in machine code not converted into psion signals but, it was translated into model language that was easy for people to understand and a graph.
“Is this… a description of an activation sequence that constructs a shikigami? You were lucky to find such rare data.”
“It was by chance. What I wanted to ask is if shikigami construction differs by school or something like that.”
It seemed like Mikihiko assumed that he pulled it out of some library. He didn’t say that he had created this analysis himself, he was indirectly inquiring about the origin.
“Of course, there are. What’s more, there are easy to spot peculiarities. For example, this… should be a Shugendou school. The occultist using this shikigami is likely a member of the Shugendou Touzan group, unmistakably.”
“Are there factions in Shugendou?”
“I’d call the schools rather than factions, no, sects? A Shugendou descended from Shingon Buddhism.”
“Shingon Buddhism? I thought shikigami were Onmyou spells, mage arts and the like, but, are there spells that support shikigami in the esoteric buddhist teachings?”
Mikihiko’s face had a somewhat proud look as he nodded his answer to Tatsuya’s naive questions.
“There are. Practitioners linked to the esoteric buddhist teaching call them, Gohou though. They are in essence the same.”
Just then, Mikihiko casually returned his eyes to the monitor and a “Oh?” look surfaced.
“What’s this? The way it’s arranged is unusual and weird……”
After looking at the monitor for awhile, Mikihiko looked up at Tatsuya with a look of comprehension.
“I see, I understand why you’re being so sneaky, Tatsuya. You pulled this data out of an underground website, right?”
“Why do you think so?”
Tatsuya’s question was purely a request for an answer but, Mikihiko nodded with a “Got it, got it” look.
“After all, isn’t this shikigami clearly for bugging and surveillance?”
“Really?”
Tatsuya’s single word meant “Limited utility in shikigami are distinctive?” however,
“It’s clearly made to be used for illegal purposes.”
Mikihiko made a more restrictive interpretation.
“Oh. A dangerous thing. It was correct to consult with you, Mikihiko. I’ll erase this data.”
“Yes, that’s the best thing to do.”
Tatsuya’s casual flattery made Mikihiko smile in good humour.
Mikihiko returned to public morals headquarters to draw up the patrol record---it had been a very long time since a public morals chief had personally drawn up the patrol record---it was nearly time for the school gate to close, the new club activities chairman was the next to come and say hello.
“Igarashi-kun, congratulations on assuming the club activities chairmanship.”
“Uh, huh. Thank you, President.”
The new chairman’s nervousness really went up in front of Miyuki.
“In order for the smooth management of the student council affairs, we depend on the cooperation of the club management committee for many things. I am looking forward to working with you.”
“My-myself included! I believe I will be using the help of everyone in the student council in various matters. I look forward to working with you, as well.”
Izumi who was watching the meeting between Miyuki and Igarashi from not far away, murmured “he looks somewhat unreliable” to Honoka who was next to her. Honoka’s only answer was a pained smile.
“New Chairman Igarashi-senpai seems kind of timid, no rather he seems docile.”
While continuing to work, Izumi casually, as if she just happened to think to mention it, reported her impression of New Chairman Igarashi to Miyuki.
“I wonder why? He did seem extremely tense.”
“Tense?”
Izumi’s voice was filled with extreme doubt.
“Miyuki do you know Igarashi?
Tatsuya threw a lifeline to Miyuki who was puzzled on how to respond to Izumi’s overly candid reaction.
“Yes, our classes are different but despite him being someone with superior practical skills, I’ve worked with him countless times on the data management side. However, I think Honoka and Shizuku know him better. I’m certain that they are in the same club.”
Receiving an eye-signal from Miyuki, Honoka opened her mouth.
“He is the younger brother of last year’s girls biathlon club president, Igarashi-senpai.”
“Because he is not inclined to any specialized magic, his performance records in competition aren’t all that great but, in terms of ability alone, he can’t be criticized.”
“Ability alone?”
Sensing the implications in Shizuku’s statement, Tatsuya parroted her words into a question.
“Igarashi-kun, how should I put it…… calling him timid doesn’t seem quite right but, at critical moments.”
A tendency to hesitate. That trait meant that if he was driven into a corner and had to take a reckless chance to get out, he would self-destruct… a good way to put it might be to say his disposition meant he fared poorly in competitions.
“So he’s more of a staff officer or a second in command. Not really suited for leadership.”
After Honoka had painstaking chosen somewhat mild words to critique him, Shizuku spoiled it with her severe evaluation.
“Come to think of it, why isn’t Tomitsuka-kun the new chairman?”
Mikihiko posed the question after the work of the public morals committee was done and he once again came to the student council room.
“The gossip beforehand made it seem like Tomitsuka-senpai was a sure thing?”
Perhaps because she's so familiar with him as a fellow public morals member, Kasumi readily chimed in her agreement with Mikihiko’s comment.
“Hattori-senpai probably felt differently.”
By implicitly pointing out that it was for the Club Management Group to decide who would be chairman, Miyuki pressed them to cease their anti-Igarashi gossip.
There was a brief pause from the student council president’s election until the student council officers were appointed then, the preparations for the Thesis Competition went full throttle. Even though in the Kyoto exhibition, the realm of pure theory had the upperhand, the Thesis competition still required a presentation of magic which meant they had to rapidly work on preparing the devices for the performance.
However, unlike last year, the place where they were making stuff was not mainly in the school courtyard but the lecture hall. The great clamor of last year’s production was reduced in volume to make the uproar a comparative shadow of the previous year. Silent figures could be seen constructing elaborate blueprints.
While Tatsuya was watching Isori direct the construction of the ‘Projection type Magic Circle’ from the second floor of the lecture hall, he met with Mikihiko regarding security.
“---so I believe it will be alright, if we don’t just select from the public morals committee, instead we’ll solicit for volunteers extensively and select guard members from them as usual.”
“Of course. Since the public morals committee only has nine people and that’s not enough to work well. I think you’ll have a lot of people interested in guarding the site not just guarding the representatives.”
“I believe the person in overall charge of security this year is Hattori-senpai?”
“Senpai is in an online conference with the persons in charge of the other schools’ security forces.”
“The other schools haven’t expressed any dissatisfaction about a First High student being in charge overall for two years in a row?”
“That’s fine. The overall security chief is dispatched by the school which won Monolith Code in the Nine Schools Competition seems to be an unwritten rule.”
“Eh, that’s how it goes.”
“Juumonji-senpai being the chief last year wasn’t just because he was a member of the ten master clans.”
The ones who interrupted Tatsuya and Mikihiko’s conversation were Leo and Erika. They had been quiet up until then to keep from interfering but, the insider info made them speak without thinking.
“Ahh, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it as well.”
“The truth is I didn’t know until recently as well. It’s not something known without being told.”
However, Tatsuya and Mikihiko didn’t seem to mind and just made a show of teasing them.
“Then, which one are you going to take care of for me, guarding or security?”
“So my cooperation is taken as a given?”
“Of course. I’m counting on you.”
The impudent comments only made Tatsuya smile without a word and he didn’t bother to pretend that he was going to turn down Mikihiko’s request. He had come to speak to Mikihiko for the sake of cooperation between the student council and the public morals committee, however he was also ready to lend his own personal efforts.
“Okay. How about I take on site security?”
The place called Kyoto was convenient for reasons other than the work after all.
“Then, I’ll help you out there as well.”
What could he be thinking, Leo had suddenly raised his hand when he heard that.
“If I become site security, I’ll need to do a preliminary inspection.”
---no, what he was thinking was quite obvious.
“Eeh, since I’m going to Kyoto with Tatsuya-kun, you’ll join the guards. That’s your strong point right, being a meat wall?”
Just then, Erika voiced a different opinion in a tone that did not sound at all joking.
“Aren’t meat walls just for getting hit and stabbed! Don’t say anything so whacked!”
“Sometimes being hit is a choice.”
Naturally, the second half was shocking. However, the earnest Mikihiko was bothered by the first half of the comments.
“Erika… you intend to go and stay overnight in Kyoto?”
“That’s what I said, so?”
Going on a round trip in a day between Kyoto and Tokyo was not absolutely impossible, now. For business purposes, it was a rather normal schedule. However, this was a preliminary security inspection, not just the site, the Kyoto conference center and its environs, but a wide area around them had to be inspected. Last year’s incident comes to mind quickly but, conversely, since it was just last year, no one would expect to catch them off-guard so quickly.
“By that… you want to go on an overnight trip with Tatsuya…?”
“Id-idiot…!”
For some reason the suspicion that she might be taking a trip for a one night stand did not make Erika’s face turn red but white.
“Wh-what?”
That threatening look so desperate and forceful as if her life was in danger caused Mikihiko’s tongue to tangle, unfortunately. Just then, he was overpowered by what he thought as Erika’s excessive response but, when he heard her reasoning, the blood drained from Mikihiko’s face as well.
“What would I do if Miyuki heard that!? She wouldn’t let it go as a joke!”
Mikihiko busily looked hither and thither. Furthermore, his eyes were those of someone on a battlefield. To say he looked like he was in a life and death struggle was not a grandiose exaggeration.
It wasn’t let it go as a joke, it was that she wouldn’t let it go even though it was just a joke. That wouldn’t mean that she was taking their frivolous talk seriously but, rather that she wouldn’t forgive them for saying such a thing even when she knew they were joking. That wasn’t just a distinct possibility, that was unmistakably how it would go, thought Mikihiko. Was there already an absolute zero cold front bearing down on them already… Mikihiko earnestly feared there was.
However, such nakedly fearful vigilance was reckless behavior.
“…You guys, just what are you thinking about my sister?”
Mikihiko and Erika’s necks gave off squeaks as they whipped their heads toward the voice they heard.
Before their eyes as they looked behind them was Tatsuya with a penetratingly cold smile on his face.
“Good grief…… your loose talk took years off my life, Miki.”
“My name is Mikihiko…”
The voice, Mikihiko whipped out to make his usual protest, lacked its usual vigor. The truth was Mikihiko was engulfed by sympathy for Erika and it was not for the first time.
They were not directly harmed by Tatsuya, of course. He had just turned an ice cold stare on the pair. However, just that was enough to make Mikihiko fall under the delusion that his life was being whittled away.
It was not the cold of snow and ice. It was the cold of a keen sharp blade. It came directly from its threat to one’s existence.
Erika was in a similar state, her face looked completely drained and exhausted.
“I think you were both irresponsibly rude, Erika, Mikihiko.”
From their friends’ attitudes, they probably hadn’t been cleared from suspicion, yet. Tatsuya was yelling his dissatisfaction with his disappointed face. The flattening intimidating look was already gone but, no one needed to be told that he was in ill humor. Not just, the interested parties, Erika and Mikihiko but Leo, the innocent bystander strongly felt the need to change the subject.
“We-well, wouldn’t it be alright if all of us were site security? Chiyoda-senpai is going to be clinging to Isori-senpai as she guards him, right and Kitayama is going to be attached to Nakajou-senpai, right?”
Practically, nothing had happened and he probably considered it childish to stay angry. Tatsuya was the one who responded to Leo’s tactful attempt.
“Not just Shizuku. Chikura-senpai and Mibu-senpai are also cooperating with her to guard Nakajou-senpai.”
Seeing Tatsuya respond positively to the change of conversation, Erika and Mikihiko breathed sighs of relief. No, actually they did not do that---the pair did not actually perform the act---it was just clear from seeing the tension disappear from their manner.
“Kei-senpai should be fine enough even without a guard.”
“Kirihara-senpai has volunteered to be Minakami-senpai’s guard.”
Mikihiko followed up Erika’s comment by alluding to who would be guarding the other representative, Minakami Carey. Hearing those words, for some reason Leo let out a groan.
“Minakami-senpai… does that guy really need a guard?”
Apparently, he couldn’t understand why there was talk of attaching Kirihara-senpai to Carey.
“Even in our school he’s someone that is counted close to the top of the possessors of superior combat power, right? Mikihiko who has been on a team with him should be the most well informed, though.”
As Leo had stated, Carey, Hattori and Mikihiko had united as members of this year’s Monolith Code team to seize victory for First High. In bouts, he had displayed the defensive power of an iron wall and was a strong player who hadn’t allowed his opponents to interfere with the monolith he defended even once.
“Minakami-senpai has extensive knowledge of a lot of individual magics. That’s why he was able to completely block his opponents’ attacks in Monolith Code, he correctly grasped the opposing players’ magic in the first shot and from the second shot on, he was able to counterbalance it with his excellent magic that’s the incredible skill he possesses.”
A magic spell cannot interfere with a magic spell. Information fortification kept the phenomenon stable (the transformed event) as it advanced, it was a technique that caused the opponent’s magic to end in a misfire, area interference worked on targeted zone by ‘using event interference power to forbidding the transformed contents to change’ by brushing aside the opponent’s phenomena interference power, it never interferes with the opponent’s magic spell.
However, results were based on the effects the magic induced, in case where that magic interfered with an actual physical phenonomen ultimately it remained a physical phenomenon. Because it is possible of course to have the results of alteration to counterbalance each other. For example, if ‘a clod of air that decreases pressure through magic’ is placed inside the trajectory of a compressed air bullet the compression cannot be maintained. In short, the magic has been neutralized. This phenomenon is called magic counterbalancing. If one’s interference power is greater than their opponent’s then it was possible to calculate magic that would blot out the blowback phenomena alteration but, if the interference power is only a little higher than, the restoration power would overcome the counterbalancing effect.
However, in order to effect magic counterbalancing on purpose then, you had to correctly predict the magic that would be used including the coordinates of the event modification. Counterbalancing magic effects was an ‘easy to say, hard to do’ technique.
“A guy whom a magic won’t work on if he’s seen it once? How cool.”
“A guy who won’t let any magic he’s seen once get by him? How cool.”
Although Leo said it like it was a joke in a jesting tone, he knew enough to recognize it was a high level skill.
“Hahaha, for that reason Minakami-senpai is really much better at theory.”
While Mikihiko joined Leo in laughing at his childish joke, his answer did not really answer the question. Erika was the one who offered an answer to the question, did Carey really need a guard.
“In short, Minakami needs a tank to take the first hit of magic.”
“Oh. Got it!”
Both Erika who had never let go of the idea of a ‘meat wall’ and Leo who had just gotten the concept now
“Erika-chan… Leo-kun.”
got pierced by the cold glare of Mizuki.
The switch in public mass transit to small individual vehicles was not limited to trains. It had become normal in metropolitan areas to use an AI taxi to go between one’s own home and the neighborhood station. When going to the station from their homes, citizens ID were used to call a commuter to their home; when returning home from the station, they caught an empty car in the commuter boarding zone. On street corners without a commuter boarding zone, you could use a smartphone to access the public transit network to summon the nearest empty car.
Tatsuya’s household acted typically for their area, They used commuters to and from their home and the station. If they could have used magic then it wouldn’t be necessary, however, the legal restrictions on the use of magic were unfortunately excessive. Modern society was still not that tolerant toward magicians.
Tatsuya, Miyuki and Minami, all worked very late on preparations for the Thesis competition and were just now waiting in front of the station for a commuter to come under a purple stained sky.
It was not unusual for there not to be an empty car in front of the station. It just meant that there were not more commuters in use than were needed. In short, it would be a worldly excess.
Besides, the allocation of commuters was linked to the cabinet operation, Waiting over 5 minutes was rare. In short, enough were provided so that users would not feel it was inconvenient.
Actually, Tatsuya and the rest had only been waiting around 2 minutes. They had already entered a request for a commuter into the dedicated line in front of the station. Tatsuya and the others were pausing temporarily in the waiting zone about 10 meters away from the off-loading zone where a male had apparently been dropped off in the zone about 30 seconds before. The door automatically closed, Tatsuya watched the cab slowly near the parking lot without moving onto the road---and placed his right hand in his pocket where he was hiding his CAD.
Minami looked up at Tatsuya’s face with startled eyes, flustered she turned her eyes to the commuter. At the end of her line of sight, before the door of the stopped train’s door opened, a psion wave emitted from within the train car.
Before Tatsuya took out his CAD, Minami erected a cylindrical heat-resistant barrier against physical objects. The objects of her protection were herself and Miyuki. She had not put Tatsuya inside the barrier because it would hinder his movements. This was the result of half a year’s practice.
However, the deluge of the psion wave from inside the car was not meant to activate magic.
it was to chaotically broadcast an overlapping echo of psion noise. It did not have an obstructing effect on magic like cast jamming. Instead, the density which was slightly higher than cast jamming was high enough to hamper the ability to perceive magic and discern psions. It would probably be appropriate to call it a psion smokescreen.
(An artificial spirit self-destructed!? Like a psion time-bomb!)
Miyuki and Minami were thrown into confusion by the unexpectedness of this type of surprise attack; Tatsuya saw through the nature of this attack at once.
(If this is a magical smokescreen then the next move)
“Minami, ‘Downward Whirlwind’.”
“Ye-Yes!”
Minami activated the magic at virtually the same time as Tatsuya gave the order. A fierce spray of water arose from the rotation of the fountain----no, the water of the fountain all changed into a spray of water, instantly it was transformed to a thick fog. Afterward the area was obscured by thick fog which would unmistakably be troublesome to get rid of even by magically rousing the wind. Because microscopic drops of water under their foe’s influence mingled with the air of the atmospheric current that was the target for manipulation.
Nevertheless, Minami had activated her magic before the fog reached them. Manipulating air currents with a high concentration of microscopic drops of water mixed in had a high degree of difficulty due to the fact that the target is always out of sight to the practitioner, after the shot is fired, the obscuring fog should not interfere with the magic.
As a result, swirling whirling air was drawn from the upper atmosphere down to the surface by the magic of ‘Downward Whirlwind’. Minami was in the eye as the whirlwind blew around her; before the trio’s eyes the obstructing fog was blown away by the whirlwind at once.
At once, they saw a small lean male blown out of the stopped commuter and meet the eyes of Tatsuya who headed up the trio. The man grasped a small crossbow in his hand, his eyes were wide with shock. It seemed that he had not anticipated the smokescreen being instantly destroyed by magic. However, being flabbergasted by the unexpected was a sign of inexperience. All it did was give your opponents an opening.
Tatsuya would not overlook that. Tatsuya adroitly bent his right leg aiming at the small man while he was temporarily defenceless.
He landed a roundhouse kick.
He knocked the crossbow out of the man’s hand.
Tatsuya bent his leg and switched to a side kick.
The small man with an aching belly was sent into the commuter behind him in a bent over stance. He crashed into the train and might have hit his head; there was no sign of any attempt to stand up. His mind was too hazy or he might be unconscious.
It seemed like the safety was already off, the crossbow shot off the dart as it hit the road. However, fortunately the dart only hit the road and no one was hurt.
As his right leg hit the ground, Tatsuya felt psions waver to construct a magic sequence from his right hand side. He swiftly turned to face that direction. The spell trace was emanating from the man who had fallen by the commuter.
Tatsuya, who was about to take out his CAD this time, stalled the movement.
Before Tatsuya could respond, Miyuki’s counterattack landed.
Presumably, the man had been the one to start constructing a spell first. However, Miyuki was actually the one to first activate a spell.
The man activated a spell. Tatsuya’s ability to observe information bodies caught the projection of the magic sequence aimed one meter over Miyuki’s head. And he also ‘saw’ that magic sequence fall apart without doing anything.
“Onii-sama. Was that recorded just now?”
Miyuki’s question referred to whether their foe’s magic had been recorded by the psion wave sensors installed with the street cameras; in short, she was asking whether the excuse of legitimate self-defense had been established.
“Maybe, anyway even if it wasn’t recorded, it’s fine since there are witnesses.”
Tatsuya’s answer signaled his approval of Miyuki’s attack. He was in front of the station and there were at least 4 spectators that had been aware of the psion wave of the development of the first magic sequence. Their faces were recorded in his memory. Because they were magicians they should have been able to see the exchange of blows.
As the siblings made their verbal exchange, the man released a spell for the third time.
All of it was blocked by Miyuki’s interference zone.
The man begun to construct a spell for the fifth time. Not for the purpose of attacking, the spell was for escape. Their male opponent turned on his heel.
“Do not flee.”
The quiet proclamation was from Miyuki. Instantly, the man faded from sight; immediately, the color returned and like a puppet whose spring was cut, he collapsed before he could move.
Tatsuya squatted by the man’s flank and checked his pulse. Next, he placed his hand in front of the nose, for now he was continuing to breathe albeit weakly.
“Looks like, there won’t be any after effects. Your skills have improved, Miyuki.”
What she had used was a spell that lowered her opponent’s body temperature and took away the ability to move one’s body. Lowering body temperature by only a few degrees without inflicting after effects was a very difficult technique but, this time she skillfully spread it out over the area to keep it from being excessive. Miyuki replied to her brother’s praise with red stained cheeks that said ‘thank you very much’. His mind had been in such a state of confusion, he had not even assumed a defensive posture, the man’s face though was horrible. The beautiful girl was getting flustered and blushing in front of the man she had left grazed, bruised and with a bleeding nose. From the bystanders’ point of view, it was an extremely surreal scene.
Of course, the injuries Tatsuya had inflicted on the small man with his flying kicks were more serious. After binding his arms and legs so he wouldn’t escape, Tatsuya left him on the road, hence in terms of ‘brutality’, Tatsuya was unmistakably in the winner’s circle.
“Tatsuya-niisama.”
There was no way Tatsuya would administer first aid to a person who attacked them, he quickly arose from the man’s side at Minami’s call.
“Please, look at this.”
“I expect it is a sacred purifying arrow.”
Tatsuya calmly muttered this while looking at the crossbow dart that Minami was holding in her hand and proffering up to him to see.
“……Do you know?”
He did not display the slightest sign of surprise but, this was probably a curiosity to Minami. The reflexive question was essentially incomplete.
“No, I just got a look at it when I sent him flying.”
Minami did not go ‘In that second!?’ in surprise. She had been raised by the Yotsuba as a maid who was a Guardian candidate. She had seen many aberrant people in the Yotsuba training course. Rather her scale of normal was set close to abnormal. For her, Tatsuya’s physical prowess was pretty much in the normal category.
Tatsuya had only glanced at it once but Miyuki examined the ‘Sacred Arrow’ closely.
“It’s used in Ancient Magic; as a tool to prevent the usage of magic?”
“To be exact, it is a tool to prevent the using of magic as an intermediary to SBs. It doesn’t have much effect on types of magic that infuse the magic sequence as a target directly.”
Hearing Tatsuya’s explanation, Miyuki canted her head
“Could they think we are Ancient magicians?”
“Unlike a genuine sacred arrow, this arrow has the ability to wound or kill when it strikes but……”
Tatsuya muttered cynically while looking at the sharpened arrowhead. The shaft and arrowhead were formed as a single object with the only distinctive trait visible the genuine bird feather used in the sacred arrow; all the other features appeared to be normal for a quarrel to be used in a crossbow. However, from looking at the sheer compression of wood in the shaft, charms (Shingon, invocations) had been written on shaved wood and rolled up like a thin paper scroll and made into a compressed material.
While it was called a ‘Sacred Arrow’, it’s users were not limited to magicians connected to Shintoism. ‘Text’ was a commonly used medium for spell tools among ancient magic users.
“Like I thought his hypothesis is that our offensive spells use SB magic. If he did not attack us because he mistook us for someone else then for some reason we’ve been mistaken for ancient magicians.”
At that point, Tatsuya notices a voice saying ‘Police’ nearing them.
“Let’s return to this topic later.”
The incident had occurred in front of the station closest to their home. There were numerous witnesses and the street cameras had also recorded everything. Running away would be idiotic.
Thinking of the time in which he would be held for questioning, Tatsuya let out a huge sigh.
The police released them about one hour later. Even so, that could be said to be rather quick. From the start, their status as victims had not been doubted; as expected, this was due to the data from the street cameras and psion wave sensors.
“Aw nuts, it’s so darn late.”
Looking only at the time, it couldn’t be really called ‘late’ yet. However, the psychological fatigue made it feel like the time was much later.
That was true for more than Tatsuya.
“You are right… I should start preparing dinner immediately.”
Fatigue also coated Miyuki’s voice as she replied.
“Miyuki-oneesama, that’s my job.”
Minami’s tone of voice was also strangely dull. Even so, she steadfastly proclaimed her kitchen rights either from stubbornness or diligence. Probably, from both.
“Really? Then, please do so.”
“Got it.”
While Miyuki easily surrendered with a feeble look, Minami went and stood in the kitchen without changing clothes.
“Onii-sama, I have to prepare for tomorrow.”
However, she turned around in surprise at the next statement. Minami’s face had a slightly sour cast. Tomorrow was the day, they would visit the Kudou house in Ikoma. She was between a rock and a hard place with regard to her duty : “It was only an overnight stay but, shouldn’t she be helping with that as a maid?”, “However, I have to get started on dinner immediately…”
“You probably don’t need to hurry so much. How about both of you change? It will be alright if you wait til after dinner to prepare for tomorrow.”
“Yes, Tatsuya-niisama. We will do it that way.”
For Minami who was in dire straits, Tatsuya’s words were a lifeline.
“It’s a directive from Tatsuya-niisama. Let’s do as he says, Miyuki-neesama.”
She did not give Miyuki time to speak up, Minami shooed her mistress to the second floor.
In the end, Miyuki and Minami only shared the preparations for the trip that were for Tatsuya; the pair took care of themselves afterwards. While he watched the excited pair merrily exchanging demurrations in front of his own closets, Tatsuya only made a ‘it’s inevitable’ smile.
And later, Tatsuya begun discussing the recent attack with the pair when they sat for their postponed tea time in the living room.
“Those guys just now were unmistakably ancient magicians. Not just the Sacred Arrow but the spell cast on that guy to let him escape, the transparency transformation spell did not interfere by light reflection or light refraction; it was mental interference magic that made recognition of one’s own existence trivial. It is the same type of magic that Kudou Retsu used at last year’s Nine Schools competition’s opening ceremony.”
“Then it is someone under the thumb of the Kudou clan?”
Tatsuya shook his head at Miyuki’s question.
“A Kudou clan practitioner would not mistake us for Ancient Magicians. Rather, they are probably underlings of ‘the Traditionalists’ who are fiercely hostile to them.”
“The ‘Traditionalists’ that Fumiya spoke of…… That’s an extremely grandiose name but, what on earth kind of tradition are they advocating?”
Miyuki canted her head in puzzlement. Anyone who did not know of the source of the name of the ‘Traditionalists’ would unmistakably think that.
“There might not be a particular meaning.”
Tatsuya turned his head at the scathing point Minami made with a wry smile and a ‘Oh?” look on his face.
“It seems like Minami knows of the ‘Traditionalists’.”
“Yes. I was taught about all about them since they are one of the Magic Societies the main family has to monitor. The ancient magicians who feel betrayed by the former Lab 9 might be assembling for the purpose of avenging themselves on the Ten Master Clans.”
She displayed no sign of unsurety in her manner, so she definitely knew of them as surmised.
“I think saying their goal is vengeance would be an overstatement but, the rest matches what I know.”
Of course, they differed slightly in their perception but this was due to the difference in how the information was transmitted to them so it could be called inevitable.
“So then, the reason we were mistaken for ancient magicians… Miyuki do you remember the artificial spirit that investigated our house a few days ago?”
“Yes, you mean Sunday?”
“It seems that Master’s disciples caught the culprits for us.”
“I see… so you mean it’s because we have been mistaken for Yakumo-sensei’s underlings.”
Miyuki nodded with a look of understanding. However, on the other hand, Minami looked unconvinced.
“What is it, Minami-chan. You know of Yakumo-sensei of course?”
Miyuki’s perceptive skills were not sharp but she noticed and ‘Don’t hold back to be polite, if there’s something you want to ask’ was implicit in her prompting.
“Yes, I know of him… but, why would Yakumo-sensei detain the magicians who were searching the house?”
The light in Minami’s eyes showed her doubt went beyond simple puzzlement and into suspicion. Miyuki did not comprehend what was weighing on her mind but Tatsuya understood.
“No, Minami you are mistaken. Neither I nor Miyuki have accepted Master’s patronage.”
Minami would probably consider not just being taught martial arts by Yakumo-sensei but being under his patronage to be a form of betrayal of the Yotsuba clan.
“One of Master’s favorite things to do is to proclaim himself more a shinobi than a monk. I dare say that as a ‘Shinobi’ he probably can’t ignore anyone sniffing around his garden and the like. Even if he wasn’t looking for them.”
“It’s that kind of thing?”
Apparently, she finally understood the explanation. Suspicion vanished from Minami’s eyes.
“Thanks to today’s attack, I know two things.”
They had cleared up the odd suspicions, they were now on to the main topic.
“First, I know that we have clearly become a target of the traditionalists.”
Tension ran through Miyuki and Minami’s faces.
“The other thing, I know is that our enemy is unaware of our background.”
Miyuki successfully suppressed her surprise but, Minami let out a small ‘ah!?’.
“It’s fairly certain that Fumiya and Ayako were tailed. If they know Fumiya and Ayako are ‘Kuroba’ then they would know that the Kuroba clan is connected to the Yotsuba clan. At the very least, Zhou Gongjin would seem to know that the Kuroba are in charge of the Yotsuba’s covert operations.”
Tatsuya seemed to find something amusing about this point, he made a small smile.
“Onii-sama?”
“Oh, sorry. I said ‘Yotsuba’s covert operations’, the expression implied that the Yotsuba undertook non-covert operations and that made me smile. Pay it no mind.”
Tatsuya shook away his idle thought and returned to the main subject.
“In short, while they know that our house was visited by people related to the Yotsuba clan; they don’t know that we are related to the Yotsuba clan. So they think we are nothing more than magician subordinates of the Yotsuba. Since if they thought we were Yotsuba magicians then, they would not expect us to have the charms and tools of ancient magicians.”
“In short… they believe that we are ancient magicians employed by the Kuroba who are Yotsuba subordinates, right?”
This question burst out of Minami. Although it was faint, she sensed danger.
“That is the way it is. Even though they know of our existence, they don’t know who we really are. They don’t know why the Kuroba chose us as accomplices.”
“So that… means that there is a possibility that they’ll attack people other than us?”
Miyuki’s eyes widened slightly at Minami’s pronouncement and Tatsuya’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Right, we cannot ignore the possibility that Erika, Mikihiko or the others might become targets. There’s even the possibility that Honoka or Mizuki might become hostages.”
“Shouldn’t we request protection for them from Obasama or Kuroba-san?”
Miyuki was relatively calm because Tatsuya was unflustered. Even so it was understood that it was an emergency situation. That the suggestion that they might rely on Maya was proffered without hesitation was proof.
“We shan’t rely on Obaue. We might intend to ask for protection but, end up using them as bait”
“Then Sensei.”
“I get the feeling it would be costly but…… we might have to.”
Tatsuya drained the contents of his cup and stood up.
“I’m going to Master’s place.”
He might have intended to go there anyway to practice his new magic, Tatsuya seemed about to leave immediately. His attache case with his experimental CAD inside was already to go in the vestibule.
“Please go to bed before me. Shut the doors tightly”
He took his CAD Trident out of the vestibule storage cubby and put it on, and as Miyuki and Minami watched him put on a thin sweater, they called out.
“Understood.”
Seen off by the pair speaking and bowing as one, Tatsuya opened the vestibule door.
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