Chapter 13
Gu Jie was currently hiding in downtown Hiratsuka. In order to surround their target while avoiding detection, as well as to keep the local residents from becoming anxious. Katsuto, as the head of the Gu Jie capture party, limited the number of people in his party, as he secretly deployed them in order to advance.
However, the enemy could sense their movements. By ‘enemy’ this was not referring to Gu Jie, but rather, another force that was aiding his escape.
“Major, we’ve confirmed that the combined Magician and Police forces lead by Juumonji Katsuto has started sending personnel into Hiratsuka.
It seems that the Japanese magicians have also pinpointed Heigu’s secret location.”
“So, they’re bringing the police in, as well. It appears that the Japanese side wants to apprehend Heigu.”
Benjamin Canopus was recognized as the No.2, after the General Officer and leader of ‘The Stars’ Angie Sirius. He is the UNSA’s Joint Chief of Staff with direct supervision over ‘The Stars’, and leads them as their commanding officer. He received the report from his men who were stationed in a mobile base disguised as a trailer, and returned from unanswerable soliloquy.
They were not First-Class Stars members. For this operation, aside from Canopus, there were no regular Stars members being commissioned. The terrorist escape assistance ?? or more accurately, capture interference ?? and assassination. Because of this operation’s extreme illegality, compared to last year's operation dealing with the disposal of the runaway soldiers, the importance to leave no evidence of their involvement was stressed.
At Zama, their location was next to the joint base and thus had convenient conditions to be able to use soldiers. Unfortunately that wouldn’t work in this case. This time, the men Canopus was leading were composed of soldiers with an East Asian appearance employed by the military intelligence department as a group for subversive actions.
They were of a disposition similar to that of Stardust. Like the Stardust that couldn’t become stars, all members were taking drugs that exchanged their life span for increased ability. They were disposable enhanced soldiers.
The percentage of those that were and were not magicians was 50:50.
Among those that didn’t possess magical abilities were those who had received biochemical and mechanical strengthening measures. Their ability was not to the same degree as the fully mechanized cyborgs who appeared with special effects on entertainment channels, but their ability to slip in with the citizens and perform their subversive activities was not inferior to that of the magicians.
They are a tough group of combatants who feared no law and had no moral, yet Canopus managed to completely command them once he showed his power.
“In accordance with the simulation, obstruct the capture of Heigu.”
To the anticipating temporary forces, Canopus incisively passed these orders.
With technology that the Japanese side didn’t possess, Canopus’ forces had a continuous grasp on the whereabouts of Jiedo Heigu, or Gu Jie. As well as having full knowledge of the state of affairs in Gu Jie’s vicinity, they had thoroughly investigated and arranged an anticipated escape route. The fact that this was a foreign country was of no handicap to them. The advantages and disadvantages of home and away were rather instead reversed.
In accordance with Canopus’ orders, the group of illegal covert operatives immediately commenced their mobilization. Canopus himself was personally heading towards the destroyer waiting on standby in international waters.
Since he had entered the country, Gu Jie had been mostly moving between his hiding locations by himself. He had relied on some old friends who had offered him refuge, but he had also procured guards and troops to be used for disturbances, on the fly.
If the amount of people he had a connection with increased, that alone would make it easier for intelligence on him to leak. So, Gu Jie kept the amount of people he had contact with to a minimum, and if he felt those companions were ever being traced, he’d immediately deal with them to evade the Japanese magician’s pursuit. To Gu Jie, a “blood companion”
possessed that degree of reliability and merit.
However, it was finally the moment to escape from Japan, and Gu Jie could no longer make arrangements by himself.
First, for the means of departure, the freighter he used to smuggle himself into the country was going to remain as a decoy, until the very end. In actuality, the ship was under ownership of the remnants of No Head Dragon for the purpose of smuggling. However, that had been an unexpectedly rough passage.
Gu Jie had supported Richard Sun and created the organization No Head Dragon, but in the Summer of 2095, the organization was temporarily destroyed by a joint operation of the USNA and Japan. (On that occasion, the Great Asian Union tacitly consented to the actions of Japan and the USNA) Afterwards, the remnants of the organization accepted the only daughter of Richard Sun who was commuting to a university in California as the head, and started rebuilding the organization. The problem was that daughter’s name was Sun Meilin. As a law in effect for the new organization, she forbade any hostility in Japan. She would overlook smuggling, but those that ignored her orders and engaged in illegal drug transactions or human trafficking would be given no mercy and subsequently be purged.
In the organization, it wasn’t like there were only a few members who held antipathy towards the weak stance they had in Japan, but for the young female head who wanted, in the short term, to remake the once already destroyed organization and produce reliable fruits of labor. For now most of the members were made to understand to wait and see, and so publicly pledged their allegiance. Gu Jie however, was found as considerably uncooperative.
“Lord Heigu, it’s Doe. Would it be fine if I entered?”
Under such circumstances, the mediator he had found last week was this person by the name of Doe. During the incident when the Japanese magicians had raided in Zama, Doe was the man who had operated the escape ambulance. In addition, Heigu was the codename used for Gu Jie by No Head Dragon, and he himself had ordered Doe to call him such.
“Enter.”
Gu Jie had no faith in Doe. In Zama he had run out of time, so he was forced to rely on him, but the timing of it was too good to be true. And besides, the name Joe Doe was a hoax. “Joe” was “John”, and was an abbreviation for “John Doe” used for unidentified bodies or suspects, and as someone who had lived in the USNA, Gu Jie naturally knew.
“Lord, the ship’s arrangements have been completed.”
“Is that so.”
However, despite his suspiciousness, he had no choice but to make use of this man. Gu Jie was emotionally cornered to that extent.
Early this morning, he had suddenly felt a mysterious glance aimed at him. Gu Jie had concluded that it was a Japanese practitioner's investigation magic meant to search for him. But what kind of magic or to what degree of accurate information it could get, Gu Jie didn’t know.
However, he believed that he was certainly apprehended by a Japanese magician, and most likely by someone in the Ten Master Clans.
He couldn’t help but be impatient.
He was currently within the midst of the enemy territory. At this rate, his revenge would be killed off halfway.
Gu Jie was more or less taking a risk, but he took leaving Japan as quickly as possible as his priority.
“We’re departing immediately.”
“I’ll lead the way.”
He was already finished packing. Naturally, his luggage was not normal by any means; money and curse tools. He held the curse tools himself, and the paper and electronic currencies from various countries were kept inside of a satchel held by the former policeman as Gu Jie followed after Doe’s back.
6:00 P.M. The cloudy winter sky was completely dark. In contrast, artificial light was flooding the street.
The proportion of those telecommuting at home was on the rise, and the term ‘commuter town’ was in the process of becoming a dead phrase.
Simultaneously, compared to a century earlier, with the development of high speed traffic networks, metropolis business regions were rapidly expanding. For example, it’s become to the same degree as the feeling of ‘shopping a bit in front of the station’. Compared to the olden days, in the surrounding urban areas of the Metropolis business regions, night instead came much quicker.
But even so, at 6 P.M. it was still a time with many pedestrians. It was too early to commence a fight in the urban areas.
“Gu Jie has started to move. He has three fellow companions.”
In response to the report given by the Saegusa’s subordinate magician, the eldest son of the Saegusa Family Saegusa Tomokazu replied in agreement with one word, “Understood”.
This year, Tomokazu was a man turning 27 years old. From an outward appearance, Tomokazu took after his father Kouichi (however, he wasn’t wearing sunglasses like his father). His magic ability was inferior to his brother Koujirou who was 3 years younger, and was roughly the same level as Mayumi. His skillfulness however, exceeded both his younger brother and sister. He lacked cunningness like his father, but he held a reputation for his organization, management and reliability of which Tomokazu already exceeded his father Kouichi’s reputation in that regard. He had a diligent personality without the same toxicity that Kouichi had.
In other words, he was the type that was “capable but not interesting”.
He might be unattractive as a friend, but is a very reliable business partner.
“Juumonji-dono. Shall we allow the police officers we’ve brought to also commence their interrogations?”
For tonight’s operation, Mayumi was not participating. For this matter the Saegusa Family member in charge was Tomokazu. In this final operation, it was natural that he would be commanding for the Saegusa Family, but the reason that Mayumi wasn’t there was not from Tomokazu’s aversion for his younger sister to be involved in this dangerous mission, but from some other ulterior motive. He loved his sister, but that was not the reason. It was that he would not let a woman behave in such a dangerous manner. Tomokazu was, compared to his father, certainly much more sensible.
However, he didn’t seem to be blessed with a good sense for roughness.
“…Wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous?”
To Kouichi’s proposal, Katsuto gently repudiated.
“I don’t think our opponent will obediently abide any orders given by the police. Even if we were to peacefully commence, there would only be more victims from a counterattack, and it would end in uneasy urban fighting.”
The reason Tomokazu didn’t say to suddenly commence the operation was the result of his consideration to not be criticized afterwards for overreaching the authority of the Ten Master Clans. However, he didn’t think too deeply about the possibility of the enemy strength exceeding their estimations, or the damage that would occur if such a situation were to happen.
“So Juumonji-dono is seeking to completely avoid urban fighting then?”
“Once the pedestrian traffic has diminished, then I believe it’ll be possible to go with a more aggressive plan.”
Katsuto had recognized his own miscalculation. He assumed that the target would start moving once it had started to get late.
“Saegusa-dono, I believe the enemy is heading towards the fishing harbor near the mouth of Sagami River, or just a bit further to the new port.”
“So, does that mean he’s formed some sort of plan to escape by sea then?”
“Yes. I heard the terror mastermind also smuggled himself into the country on a small freighter. He may be planning to use a small boat from the coast, and then change onto an ocean-going vessel anchored offshore.”
“Well then, shall we split the capture team into two then? We can have Ichijou-dono and Yotsuba-dono go on ahead to the new port, and Juumonji-dono and I shall bring along the police and pursue after the target’s car.”
Katsuto felt that Tomokazu’s plan had a bad balance. Tatsuya hadn’t brought any Yotsuba subordinates with him. The Ichijou Family subordinates Masaki had brought with him had already been deployed to block the north side route of retreat.
“I’ll provide men from my family to assist Ichijou-dono and Yotsuba-dono. However, it will leave us with only one party on this side, but if you don’t mind.”
To Tomokazu, this wasn’t a bad proposal. It had two benefits. One being that a group went ahead, the other and more important benefit was that the pursuant group had a higher chance of capturing the target.
Aside from Katsuto, if all members were Saegusa followers, then the merit of capturing the terrorist would go mostly to the Saegusa Family.
The honor of the Saegusa Family would then greatly recover.
“…Is that so. I have no objections.”
“Then let’s go with that.”
Katsuto brought out a communication device and called Tatsuya and Masaki.
“The Japanese magicians have caught on to us.”
The former Japanese policeman was driving, and in the back seat, Gu Jie immediately noticed a tail of vehicles.
The distance to their destination wasn’t much farther. Or rather, it was short.
Just by changing routes it would be impossible to shake off their pursuers.
“There’s no need to worry.”
Doe turned around and spoke out to Gu Jie in the back seat, who had been planning on using the dead soldiers he had prepared in advance to intercept.
“Their pursuit is within our range of expectations. We have measures for this.”
Immediately when he finished speaking.
From the rear of their car, a showy blaze had risen. The blaze did not consist of one explosion, but roared off a succession of explosions.
“It’s… not a grenade. It’s not carrying missiles either. Is it a continuous sequence grenade launcher?”
“Your discernment is correct, my Lord. However, despite them being taken by surprise, everything is being blocked by a shield, it seems the rumored Juumonji magician may have directly joined in the pursuit.”
“It’s not shaking them off. What should we do?”
Exactly as Gu Jie said, from inside the dispersing blaze the undamaged pursuit vehicles increased their speed and continued forward.
“There’s no need to be concerned.”
Doe’s face contained no traces of panic.
On one side of the two-lane highway, though surprised by the sound of explosions thus dropping their speed, the leading cars were still in pursuit and crossed the divider. On this side of the highway the vehicles were disconnected from traffic control. Even still, driving here was still supported by the automatic driving features of the vehicles.
Still, the trailing vehicles pursuing the vehicle Gu Jie was in were obviously breaking traffic laws. The leading pursuers were facing the oncoming traffic, which had started to go through their risk avoidance program as they approached and stopped on the shoulder of the road.
With the road lanes open, the pursuant vehicles raised their speed even more and cut across the intersection. Just at that moment, an automobile that had run through the light suddenly emerged from the side and blocked the way.
Now if this was a trailer or a large truck, then the pursuant vehicles would have either noticed and stopped or would have taken evasive actions. However, in the middle of the intersection, the large automobile, which had suddenly stopped had both its headlights and beacon off, had turned into a barricade.
Even the shrieking of the emergency brakes was in vain, as the vehicles pursuing Gu Jie collided with an intense force into the vehicle which had suddenly emerged from the side.
By the time Katsuto, hot in pursuit of Gu Jie’s vehicle, noticed the suspicious van from behind, a grenade had already been fired at them.
Katsuto’s vehicle was set up as the rear guard of the four-vehicle pursuit team. It was a stroke of luck that the team was set up this way. With Katsuto’s magic barrier, the grenades would not reach their target.
“Saegusa-dono, the current situation does not allow us to worry about the public.”
Katsuto informed Tomokazu, who was in one of the vehicles ahead, via the communicator.
“I will take care of the suspicious vehicle behind us, please apprehend Gu Jie.”
“Understood. Juumonji-dono, I leave the rear to you.”
While communicating with Tomokazu, Katsuto ordered the driver to stop.
The driver of the vehicle was a magician, specifically a subordinate of the Saegusa Family. Although he wasn’t a member of the Juumonji faction, nor was he a subordinate under Katsuto, the driver didn’t think twice about bringing the vehicle to a full stop at Katsuto’s command.
Katsuto stepped out of the vehicle onto the road.
The van that had been bombarding the pursuit vehicles slid to a halt. The van’s side was now facing Katsuto.
It was uncertain whether Katsuto was aware that there was no human presence behind the launcher muzzle that was sticking out of the window.
Katsuto extended his right hand forward.
A silent and unlit grenade was launched, but it was immediately blocked by the Anti-Matter Heat Retaining Barrier erected by Katsuto.
Katsuto held his right arm in the same position and switched to attacking the van.
In the next instance, the van was crushed.
The sunroof of the vehicle was crushed inwards, while the barrel of the grenade launcher that was caught between the roof and the door frame was completely deformed. However, there was no explosion. It was not certain whether it was because the grenade launcher was empty or if the safety mechanism of the grenade launcher prevented it from exploding, but the overturned van did not catch fire.
Katsuto maintained the square barrier formation and used magic to jump towards the van. He landed next to the vehicle and confirmed the situation.
There was no one in the van.
Behind Katsuto, who was attentively inspecting the van, from the direction of Tomokazu and crew came a violent sound of collision that shook his eardrums.
Katsuto turned and utilized movement magic to return to his own vehicle, then he raced towards the scene of the accident.
The front of the car that Tomokazu was riding in had been smashed, but the chassis was undamaged. Although the safety design of the vehicle must have contributed, it was most likely Tomokazu’s quick response that ensured his self-perseveration.
Unfortunately, the other two cars did not protect themselves in time. The police cars took heavy damage. On the other hand, it was the safety design of the vehicle that saved the occupants inside. Fortunately, the size of the vehicles blocking the road was about the same size as the overturned vehicles.
“Saegusa-dono, are you alright?”
Katsuto glanced through the window and asked. Tomokazu smiled as if mocking himself.
“Um, my body is alright, there are no injuries.”
Once the rapid ‘Kacha Kacha’ noise stopped, the back door of the vehicle finally opened. Tomokazu took his time to get out of the car because he had spent quite a bit of effort switching from the automatic lock on the car to a manual one.
“Tomokazu-dono, are you free to see what the situation is with the police’s side?”
After Katsuto saw that Tomokazu nodded in response, he walked towards the vehicles that were blocking the road.
The large self-driving car that had become a roadblock was struck several times. Thus the three vehicles blocking the intersection were then hit by their cars from the side. One of the vehicles had overturned from the collision, while another had lost its tires from the impact and its chassis was directly sitting on the road. The last vehicle had its rear seats crushed in by the front end of another car, turning into scrap metal.
Katsuto readied himself to release the Square barrier formation at any time and turned his attention to the interior of the vehicles helping Gu Jie’s escape.
Just like the interior of the van from earlier, all three vehicles had no occupants.
All obstructing vehicles were self-driving vehicles.
With such well-coordinated preparation, Katsuto began to be suspicious.
If the opposition had preparation to such magnitude, Gu Jie should have escaped japan already.
“Juumonji-dono.”
Tomokazu’s call interrupted Katsuto’s chain of thought.
Tomokazu was already by his side.
“Tomokazu-dono, what’s the situation?”
Katsuto inquired about the police officers’ injuries first.
“Nothing fatal. I already used healing magic to treat them, but we still need to call an ambulance. With the current situation, there was no way to keep pursuing with everyone. Especially since our cars are like this.”
Tomokazu said with a discouraged look at the wreck.
“Juumonji-dono please continuing pursuing the terrorist. I will send ground units towards the escape route to intercept and meet up with you.”
Was this arrangement from the Saegusa Family really alright? Katsuto almost asked this out loud, but quickly dismissed the thought. The betrayal of the current head of the Saegusa Family Kouichi had always lingered in Katsuto’s mind, but this was a bias created by the impression Katsuto had of Kouichi. Saegusa Tomokazu was someone who placed his country and the Japanese Magic Society’s interest as precedence.
“Even though I think there won’t be any more surprise attacks, please be careful Saegusa-dono.”
“Juumonji-dono please take care.”
Katsuto used magic to remove the enemy’s vehicle that was blocking the road. Once he was sure the road was cleared, Katsuto returned to his own vehicle.
Tatsuya and Masaki, who were riding motorcycles, lead two sedans and arrived at the new port at the mouth of the Sagami River.
Both vehicles had five accompanying magicians. Juumonji Family magicians were known for their abilities as a ‘one-man army’. They were known to have considerable combat power.
Tatsuya and Masaki stopped their bikes side by side and stood at the entrance of the new port. Four boats were parked at the new port that was surrounded by embankments. These boats were designed to only be used near the coast.
“Perhaps they will switch once they are out on the sea”
“Possibly.”
Tatsuya responded normally to Masaki’s mumbling.
As if he had been surprised, Masaki felt a bit embarrassed.
“Shiba, do you know Gu Jie’s position?”
He asked Tatsuya in a slightly sharp tone.
“Coming towards this direction.”
However, Tatsuya chose not to point that out. He takes no pleasure in teasing the same gender.
“As predicted.”
The two that had sent them here, Katsuto and Tomokazu, had predicted correctly. Masaki thought so, at the same time, the upcoming battle made him tremble in excitement.
Masaki was unsure how Tatsuya was tracking Gu Jie’s position, but he did not doubt Tatsuya’s words. Tatsuya’s actions so far was enough to make Masaki trust him.
If Tatsuya was correct, the achievement for capturing the mastermind of the terrorist attack would go to Masaki who was waiting in ambush ??
though more correctly it would go to both he and Shiba Tatsuya ?? to be exact. Once Masaki thought of this, he was excited.
“How long till?”
“Soon… No!”
Tatsuya quickly finished, stepping on to his own bike.
“Gu Jie changed course to the west! Ichijou, let’s go after him!”
“Understood!”
Not long after Tatsuya left, Masaki throttled his acceleration. Since the bike was both front and back wheel drive, the front wheel did not lift up because of the hasty start. Tatsuya and Masaki rode West towards the main road that was parallel to the coastline.
One car was driving in front of them. Without Tatsuya informing him, Masaki knew that Gu Jie was on the vehicle.
He accelerated to reach Tatsuya’s side.
Just as he was parallel to Tatsuya, Tatsuya suddenly stopped accelerating and jumped off his bike.
Masaki reflexively steered his bike away from Tatsuya’s bike.
He used his brakes in a hurry, drifting to turn his bike. The automatic balancing mechanism fixed the bike’s posture autonomously, as if matching Masaki’s intentions, Tatsuya’s bike was located in the front of his field of view.
Tatsuya’s motorcycle was split in two by the mid-air attack.
Contrary to Gu Jie’s expectation, Doe did not head towards the new port but instead drove along the main road heading west.
“Are we not heading towards the new port?”
“The enemy should be anticipating that. We will head towards the sea via a different route.”
Seems like Doe had made preparations beyond Gu Jie’s imagination. Gu Jie was worried that the enemy would ambush at the port, but since they can avoid this risk, he did not object.
“… The enemy’s response is faster than we imagined. They probably have a powerful Sensory Type magician on their side.”
Not long after turning onto the main road, Doe looked at his rearview mirror and bit his lip. (The vehicle that Gu Jie was riding in was the type that could be driven by both front passengers.) Gu Jie turned around and looked.
The headlights from two motorcycles and two cars were in pursuit and closing the distance on them.
“Who is responsible for intercepting?”
“Lord, deepest apologies, I had them set up in a place further ahead.”
Gu Jie did not express displeasure. He was not trying to conceal his attitude. Discovering a flaw in this man that was over prepared had him breathe a sigh of relief.
“If the situation continues they will catch up.”
“Let me drive, I will throw them off.”
“No, there’s no need.”
Gu Jie turned towards the corpse soldier and let out a command.
“Go and kill them.”
The rear sunroof opened, the corpse soldier carried the magic invoked katana. He held the cane sword in his hand and rushed out of the vehicle.
Just like that, he had attacked the leading motorcycle. He drew his sword from the cane in midair and struck towards the motorcycle, splitting it in two.
Tbh I kinda hope the USNA is exposed for helping the terrorists, and they go to war…