Igor ran his eyes through the information about the vicinity of the target obtained from the information network of the army of the New Soviet Union.
The weather in the targeted area is shallow rain. There's no wind.
These were close to optimal conditions for the application of Tuman Bomba.
The current time is 6 o'clock in the morning. The local time in Japan is 5 o'clock in the morning, the target should still be asleep.
Igor prepared to activate the magic that will turn their usual dreams into eternal dreams.
In a Japanese-style room, where the ritual to remove the seal was held last month, two futons were now laying side by side.
Two mattresses were stacked, tightly lying next to each other, without a gap between them.
Under thin summer blankets a brother slept with his sister, Tatsuya and Miyuki. Both the young man and woman are engaged to each other.
However, the bedding of these two had no noticeable disturbance.
Naturally, both had not only their own mattress, but also their own blanket. Their futons, sheets and pajamas only had signs of bruising from moving in their sleep.
Miyuki with a happy face slept on her side, turning toward Tatsuya.
Tatsuya quietly slept on his back.
There was still some time before dawn.
Even at the earliest moment, it would still take 30 minutes until Tatsuya’s alarm clock was going to go off.
Neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki had shown any signs of awakening.
The supercomputer, which comes with the CAD "Argan", converts these targets' positions from the monitoring device into a format that can be used for the CAD. At the same time, the original activation sequence data required to build the magic sequence is created by the supercomputer under the control of Igor.
Rather than defining elements of the activation sequence within your mind, Igor builds an Activation Sequence based on conditions that were entered into the computer through the console. In doing so, he could build extremely complex and confusing activation sequences, impossible for ordinary magicians.
This CAD uses the same equipment-type computer that is located in the Far East Headquarters of the New Soviet Scientific Academy. The performance of the CAD at the academy is much higher, however it doesn’t have a system designed to use Igrok. Igor brought Argan because he decided that the assistance of Igrok was necessary for this operation.
Igrok forces whomever is in to sleep by using electric stimuli, but he can still extract the psions from the Andreevna sisters. The naked women in their late teens are immersed in a physiological saline that adjusts to the same temperate as their current body temperatures. They wear respiratory masks since they aren’t conscious.
However, the capsules did not have any transparent windows, besides, they were already loaded inside Argan, so no one could see their faces at the moment. But if you could see their faces it would reflect the sight of someone in agony, but neither Igor nor his staff would raise an eyebrow if they saw them suffering.
Immediately after the infusion of psions by Igor into the main module of Argan, the Activation Sequence starts. Igor and the Andreevna sisters read the Activation Sequence simultaneously. Igor consciously forces the two Igrok’s regardless of their consciousness.
Argan adjusts the Activation speed of all three of them so that the magic output timings are matched. These three people including Igor, automatically start up the Magic Activation Sequence which will activate the Strategic Class Magic, Tuman Bomba.
Evil intent threatens me and Miyuki.
Tatsuya instantly surfaced from the depths of sleep to the waking surface.
(Decomposition of water... formation and recombination of oxyhydrogen gas *)
[oxyhydrogen gas is a combination of O2 and H2 that is quite flammable in a 1:2
mixture which is provided from water: H2O]
Immediately after awakening, Tatsuya found the nature of the evil intent and the nature of the magic used.
(Tuman Bomba!?)
The rain, which went on for a long time, has already turned into a fog.
The process of dividing the rain drops into fog.
The process of the evaporation of fog into water vapor.
The process of decomposing water into oxygen and hydrogen.
And finally, the process of combining the hydrogen and oxygen, then igniting.
Tatsuya recognized the nature of the Strategic Class Magic "Tuman Bomba".
He almost unconsciously stretched out his hand to the pistol shaped CAD Silver Horn Customized modification of the "Trident" which he left near his cushion.
When he sleeps, he always keeps his favorite CAD within the reach of his hand.
Countermeasures were prepared, taking into account the experience he gained while supporting the battle in the Soya Strait.
The chosen magic was not Gram Dispersion, but Mist Dispersion.
Tatsuya targeted the modification of the phenomenon that decomposes water. Decomposition of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
The purpose of the modification is that all water molecules generated by the hydrogen and oxygen fusion within a radius of 50 meters will be decomposed.
Tuman Bomba activated.
Mist Dispersion activated.
The conflicting modifications of the two magics clashed and the challenge between both mages failed.
"Not completely!"
The enemy’s attack hadn’t finished yet. The magic that copies the Sequence of Tuman Bomba, “Chain cast” had not finished yet.
With a slight delay, new drops of rain were falling from the sky.
"Leave it to me!"
Miyuki’s magic activated at the same moment when Tatsuya heard her voice.
She activated “Freeze Flame” which is a Speed-Type and Oscillation-Type wide area magic that can freeze even fire. It is a conceptual magic that prevents anything from burning.
"Onii-sama, now!"
"Understood!"
Now, in a 100 meter radius around the villa, nothing could ignite.
Using the time Miyuki won, Tatsuya sent his "eyes" looking for the operator of "Tuman Bomba". Exploring the "link" aimed at him and Miyuki, he "searched" for the source of malice.
But he "saw" something else. The enemy attack had not yet ended.
Beyond the range of Miyuki’s magic, high up in the sky, a new Tuman Bomba was prepared.
Even when the first and second blows of Tuman Bomba were prevented, Igor was not worried.
Tatsuya was not the only one who gained valuable experience in the Battle at the Soya Strait.
When Igor suggested that his enemy was the Strategic Class Magician, wielding the magic of converting mass into energy. He conducted simulations to find countermeasures in the case they were to face off again.
The data he had entered into the supercomputer Argan was the data he had obtained from that tactical simulation to create a chain of Activation Sequences.
Although he did not expect an enemy that prevented anything from burning, this magic can’t stop something when the phenomenon has already occurred, so he aimed outside of the range of Freeze Flame.
In such a case, countermeasures should not be changed.
The simulation based magic attack has already been launched. Igor sat on his conductor’s chair and waited for the moment when his victory would be confirmed.
Tatsuya "saw" that at an altitude of 200 meters above the villa, a rain cloud was producing a dense fog in the shape of a funnel.
This was outside of the range of Miyuki’s "Freeze Flame".
The shape of the inverted funnel was obviously to achieve the Monroe effect.
Tatsuya tried to destroy the structure.
However, even with his Activation Speed for decomposition, he could not prevent Tuman Bomba, which has already come to its final stage.
He did not have enough time to read the structure of the magic that formed a funnel from the misty mass.
The foggy mass is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, but the oxyhydrogen gas is getting ready to ignite.
According to the Monroe effect, the shock wave of the ignition will be concentrated at one single point.
And the point of concentration was not in the hole of this funnel, but much lower, right at the villa.
"Victory!"
This was the final step in the sequence of the three attacks.
Igor was sure of his victory, receiving the response of a successful attack, which was the same as saying checkmate.
As a side effect of the use of magic, the rain clouds covering the sky were now gone. Igor doesn’t have a low-orbiting reconnaissance satellite this time, but he is making use of another satellite that is further away.
Igor accessed the observation data of this satellite using the command function installed in the CAD Argan.
"What!?" An astonished voice bursted out.
The image that appeared on the portable monitor had a completely intact villa.
Having taken the concentrated shock wave created by Tuman Bomba, the wooden building should not remain whole.
According to an analysis conducted half a day ago by a spy satellite, the villa was a regular wooden structure.
There was a possibility that it could be equipped with a shelter in the basement, but that the ground part of the building would remain untouched was impossible. Except for just one possibility.
(The magic of a protective barrier...? Able to stop such a shock wave?) Igor has not forgotten the existence of magic protective barriers. It was estimated that even if Shiba Tatsuya or his fiancée would have installed a shield, it would still not be able to stop the shock wave. Igor was sure of the power of the concentrated shock wave.
This version of "Tuman Bomba" was the same magic that killed the previous Commander of the Stars, William Sirius, during a local armed conflict with the USNA, which occurred in the Bering Strait, and was named the “Arctic Hidden War” (the Arctic hidden War).
(Has Juumonji Katsuto been involved in the defense?) Igor was aware of the existence of Juumonji Katsuto, who possessed powerful barrier magic. Igor knew of Katsuto as the strongest threat to stop his Tuman Bomba.
(No, there was no such information.)
Thinking about it in his mind, this idea of Igor was immediately thrown away as a delusional thought. Intelligence should not have lost sight of the movement of such a dangerous magician.
(But who was it then...?)
Igor was in a predicament when he could not answer this question.
Because of this senseless confusion he missed precious time... And a chance to win.
As the shock wave came right on top. Tatsuya reflexively hugged Miyuki in an attempt to protect her.
Minami’s morning began early.
As a performing maid, she was getting up earlier than anyone in the Shiba family. Away from home, in the villa, this did not change.
But since it was only 5 o'clock in the morning, she was still quite sluggish and sleepy. No, she didn't have low blood pressure, she's just not completely awake.
Her rival Pixie was the one who finally awakened the consciousness of the half-asleep Minami.
"Get up! Protect your master!"
This sound, bursting in her defenseless head, was like a blow to a gong. The realization that the scream that was made right inside the brain was the active telepathy of Pixie, came after she had activated her CAD.
In order to fulfill the purpose of the Guardian at any time, she always kept it at hand, ready for activation. She was already dressed, so it was in her apron pocket.
Sooner than she realized it, Minami grabbed her CAD in the form of a mobile terminal in her hand, and pressed the key for quick access, channeling psions through the finger.
She raised her eyes. In order to reduce the time required to activate magic as much as possible, she defined the coordinates for the Activation Sequence as "space in my view where there are no hard objects".
In Minami’s head, the image of a Dome shaped Magic barrier formed, covering the roof top. Following this image, the barrier magic was activated. Immediately after that, a shock wave struck the shield.
Tatsuya’s decomposition magic did not make it in time, but Minami’s magic made it in time because its magic shield had already completed formed.
It was magic, stopping any physical attack.
But such a fuzzy definition loaded the Magic Calculation Zone of the operator.
Magic is easier when you limit the kind of objects you want to protect.
Moreover, the flying shock wave possessed the power to break Minami’s barrier. In terms of single-layer barriers, Minami’s barriers are comparable to a Katsuto’s Phalanx. But the way to maintain the barrier is different from Phalanx.
In the Protective version of Phalanx of the Juumonji family, once the barrier is formed, it usually is left on its own. Only the duration of existence is decided, and if it receives an attack, and its superior in strength, it is simply destroyed. Instead, the next barrier is prepared, that uses the destruction of the existing barrier as the condition for activation. Maintaining a multi-layered shield, creating barriers one after the other with zero delay in time – that is the protective magic of the Juumonji family.
On the other hand, the barriers of Minami’s "Sakurai" series, is a two-stage technique of creating barriers to take on physical attacks and she has to use continuous magic power to maintain the barriers she creates and to make duplicates if necessary.
If it is the same kind of magic, there is no harm caused by duplication.
For example, Fortification magic, which Leo specializes in, does not require a higher Interference Power for the next Fortification magic.
Minami’s barrier magic was the same.
She continued to apply barrier magic to the same area. By doing this, Minami prevented the destruction of the barrier. But it meant that it continuously activated the magic of protection against accidental attacks, which has a heavy load, even when it does not accept any attacks. Such actions strongly overloading the Magic Calculation Area (...I won't lose!)
(I Can't Lose!)
(I will protect Miyuki!)
?
From an objective standpoint, Minami had no reason to be so obsessed with defending Miyuki.
She is not encouraged to do this out of kindred love, like Tatsuya.
Minami’s genetic aunt, Sakurai Honami took care of Miyuki like she was family, but these were the events of the past, and not related to Minami.
They were acquired for the protection of Miyuki, or, in a certain sense, their series of improved people, "Sakurai" series, was enslaved by the Yotsuba family only to obey the orders of the young mistress.
Minami has only lived with Miyuki for a short year.
However, suffering from her Magic Calculation Area overheating, Minami still supported the barrier.
Was it out of stubbornness as a magician?
Or was it because of the distorted system of values that was used in her training?
Or was it out of fear of being thrown out after use?
There were no such frivolous motives or other negative motives.
With such motives she would not have gone to such difficulties.
Why does she protect? Even when asking herself, Minami wasn’t able to answer this question.
She doesn't know the reason. She doesn't need a reason.
Having become a shield for Miyuki, Minami resisted the Strategic Class Magic “Tuman Bomba”.
Created by the magic of Igor Andreivitch Bezzobrazoff that made oxyhydrogen gas ignite. The shock wave was over. In time, it was a short event, lasting only one moment. But this "moment" was long enough for Minami to reach her limit.
Having received the response from the barrier that the attack stopped, Minami canceled her barrier magic. And at the same time, she lost consciousness.
Her body lost its strength and collapsed on the floor.
Overheating of the Magic Calculation Zone due to the excessive use of magic.
Minami fell, losing consciousness, the same way the previous Sakurai Honami lost her life.
"What happened...?" A stunned Miyuki muttered, still in the arms of Tatsuya.
She also felt the activation of Tuman Bomba and the attack wave.
Her "Freeze Flame" could not protect her. After switching to counterattacking, Tatsuya also did not have the time to intercept it.
She didn't think she was dying. Because any wound she would get, Tatsuya would cure her. No, "restore her" to be more precise.
Somewhere in her heart there was such a dependence on someone else's kindness, that she was not afraid of the pain that was to come soon.
However, the destruction that was definitely going to happen did not occur. The pain that comes with fatal injuries did not come. Miyuki, whose consciousness was occupied by the thoughts of "This is a miracle Tatsuya" and "You did it all for me", could not understand what happened.
"Miyuki, Deceleration Zone! Radius of 30 meters!"
"Y-yes!"
The Freeze Flame effect had already ended. Miyuki activated the magic that Tatsuya requested without any fear of the effects of the magics overlapping.
Deceleration Zone.
This is the magic that slows down the movement of physical objects in the targeted area.
In the usual case, this magic only slows down solid bodies, but Miyuki’s "Deceleration Zone" was able to slow down even gas molecules.
It could also inhibit the expansion caused by an explosion, or in other words, decrease the speed of the chaotically moving air molecules.
From such deceleration, the shock wave faded and lost its destructive force.
Tatsuya and Miyuki were originally mistaken. The correct magic to confront Tuman Bomba was not "Freeze Flame", but "Deceleration Zone".
"Pixie, take care of Minami!" Tatsuya said in to the darkness, not waiting for any confirmation of Miyuki activating her magic (because he trusted Miyuki’s magic skills).
"Yes, sir" Pixie answered telepathically.
He did not give more instructions.
Now the main priority was to prevent further attacks.
Tatsuya resumed the interrupted search for the target. He pulled his right hand over his head while holding a specialized CAD ,"Trident", in the form of a large pistol.
With Elemental Sight, he looked for the source of Tuman Bomba. Not at the source of the explosion, but at where the magic originated from.
The magician who started the magic.
"...It's not Bezzobrazoff?"
Tatsuya read the Eidos of two young women. They were terribly distorted and fragile Eidoi, clearly, magicians with unsuccessful bodies.
Igor, who was shown at a press conference about his participation in Project Dione, was a man over 40 years old. There was no guarantee that that was really him. However, he could with full confidence say that Igor was a Russian man. He wasn't supposed to be a twenty year old woman. And Elemental Sight is not mistaken.
Traces of a disguised Eidos, done with the magic "Parade", which is used by Lina, was not observed.
"Is this another Strategic Class Magician hidden by the New Soviet Union?"
According to rumors, in addition to the thirteen official Strategic Class Magicians recognized by States, the world is hiding another thirty to forty Strategic Class Magicians.
Tatsuya himself was "a Hidden Strategic Class Magician". No matter who the two women were, he was sure they were the source of Tuman Bomba.
"If that is the case, I must erase them."
Having strongly said this, Tatsuya activated his three-stage decomposition magic "Trident", which has the same name as his favorite CAD.
First it eliminates the event interference that is covering the magicians, then it eliminates the Data Fortification that protects their bodies, and finally it decomposes the body down into its constituent elements.
This magic does not "burn" The human body, but makes it "disappear".
This magic that erases human bodies has been activated at a distance of more than a thousand kilometers.
On the console of the large CAD "Argan", a blinking signal appeared.
At the seat of the "conductor", which was occupied by Igor, the alarm sounded.
Igor was shocked when he checked the cause of the alarm.
At the same time he felt a strong relief, thinking: I am saved...
The alert message displayed on the console was similar to the following:
"Both capsules, in which the Igroks Anna Andreevna and Veronica Andreevna were held, exploded."
As if they were fairy princesses, the two Andreevna sisters disappeared in the form of bubbles inside the capsules filled with saline solution.
The increased pressure due to the vaporization of the human body exceeded the durability of the capsules, causing the excess pressure to burst and damage the Argan.
Igor urgently evacuated Argan.
The large CAD, which was damaged by the rupture of the capsules, required repair. He wouldn't be able to continue attacking even if he stayed inside.
But now that his dolls have disappeared, he was no longer hidden from the information dimension. This made Igor afraid of this ultra-long range magic attack, that made the two bodies disappear.
Igrok's were not only external terminals that helped to activate Igor’s magic, at the same time they were "firewalls" protecting him. Igor released Tuman Bomba through Anna Andreevna and Veronica Andreevna.
Now this barrier is gone. Igor was relieved that he used Argan this time around, because if he hadn’t, he might have been the one to be erased.
Igor was not dumb enough to just get out of the Argan’s cockpit, he also popped out of the wagon shaped CAD. And, having ran away from the railway path, he stared closely at the wagon, fully occupied by the large CAD.
No more attacks. Igor did not feel humiliation. He just felt relief that he survived.
Tatsuya erased the two enemy magicians, that he saw through the information dimension and damaged the CAD they were using, which could no longer be used to fight.
"Miyuki, that's good enough"
"Yes, uh, Minami-chan..."
Miyuki already understood. That she defended them with her barrier magic from the shock wave.
"Come with me."
Tatsuya did not have the time to even look Miyuki in the eye as they left the Japanese style room that was used as a bedroom.
Ignoring Tatsuya’s behavior, Miyuki hurried after him.
And screamed when she saw Minami lying on the floor in the dining room.
(continued in the volume Escape, Part 2)
(Grammar and structure edited by englishmuffins10)
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