Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 32 - Sacrifice Arc - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Sunday night, August 25th. 

The place Minoru determined was the field used as the Monolith Code grassfields stage of the nine-school game until last year, and it was the planned place for the game in the upcoming Inter-School Matches. 

The ground leveling has already been completed. There are no plans to build a spectator seat in this year's Inter-School Matches, so all there is to do is install the monoliths. 

Today is Sunday, so the venue has not yet been set up. Moreover, it is almost 10 pm. There was no one around. 

Although, this is on the grounds of the Defense Forces training ground. There were fences and surveillance equipment in place. The guards also patrol regularly. It wasn't supposed to be an easy place to enter. 

However, the self-driving car that Tatsuya is driving not only passes through the gate of the exercise area without being asked to show an ID, but also passes through with a near-face pass, and there was not a single soldier on patrol from the parking lot to the grassy field where he was invited. 

"Hey, how weird is that?" 

In response to Lina voicing her bad feeling, 

"Onii-sama, this is…" 

Miyuki spoke to Tatsuya with a grim expression. 

"Yeah, it must be Minoru's doing." 

Lina stares at Tatsuya, astonished. 

"Do you mean he is manipulating with Mental Interference magic!? With a range so wide!?" 

"The Zhou Gongjin in Minoru was good with an East Asian continental Ancient Magic called Kimon Toukou, that derails the sense of direction. That magic does not taget someone specifically, but rather any unspecified opponent has his or her own sense of direction thrown off. Perhaps that's the application of it, so that the security soldiers don't perceive us. " 

"You say 'unspecified target', is that really possible?" 

"Isn't it the case with your Parade? The effects of disguising an information body to an observer don't have to be limited to just one person." 

"That's right… Then at the gate!? Didn't the gate sentry know us.?" 

"That would be another magic. I think there was some kind of suggestion that they wouldn't have any doubts about letting us in. The permission I had prepared was wasted." 

Tatsuya had a permit to legally enter the base adjacent to the training ground. But it eventually became unnecessary. …Well, for Tatsuya, it wasn't too disappointing because he got it in half a day. 

There didn't seem to be anything more that Lina wanted to ask about. The four remained silent and stopped at the place designated by the challenge letter. 

There was almost no need to wait. 

Minoru and Raymond appear from the other side of the darkness in the opposite direction of Tatsuya's walking path. 

About 5 meters. Minoru stopped at a distance a little far to talk, and for a short time of less than a second, of the three standing diagonally to the left of Tatsuya, Minoru's eyes were fixed on Minami, immediately turning his eyes back to Tatsuya. 

"Tatsuya-san. I'm glad you came, even though I did call you yesterday." 

"I didn't have the option of not coming, because I also have business with you." 

Tatsuya looks back and glances at Minami. 

It was a movement of the eye that was easy to understand, although, maybe it was on purpose. 

"Of course, I think you know what business it is." 

"Yes, I understand. Do you want to ask me to remove the parasite that is blocking Minami's magic calculation area?" 

"Yes. Minoru, you said you wouldn't insert a parasite into her, unless Minami accepted on her own initiative." 

Minoru smiled in an eerie way at Tatsuya's denunciation. 

"The parasite that prevents Minami from overheating is completely dormant. Unless ordered, she won't become a parasite." 

"Do you want me to believe in your self-control?" 

Minoru's smile becomes even more eerie. That smile, which suited the darkness of the night, had a beauty that was unintentionally captivating. 

It was a completely inhuman beauty. 

"You can't trust it, right?. To be honest, I can't trust 100% myself." 

"Minoru, you…" 

"Tatsuya wouldn't understand. You, who is allowed to live with your loved one." 

"Minoru-kun, you are…" 

Miyuki leaks a sad mutter. 

"I don't think that Tatsuya-san's life has been smooth sailing. I spent a quarter of the year in a sickbed and the other three quarters of the year not being allowed to do anything dangerous. So I think you may have had some sad experiences that I couldn't even imagine. Otherwise, I wouldn't imagine that you would fight the world like that." 

The smile disappears from Minoru's face, and is replaced by an expression like he swallowed something incredible flashes through his beauty. 

"But Tatsuya is not alone. I don't know your past, but in your present and future you are not alone." 

"…Even though you too were not alone?" 

Minoru shook his head at Tatsuya's question. 

"I know. I wasn't alone. Even now, I have friends who are willing to risk death by following me." 

Minoru let out a self-deprecating laugh. 

"It's no one's fault that it's come to this. This is the result of my own choices. I don't think it was wrong. It may not have been the best to be a parasite, but I still think it was the right choice." 

Tatsuya did not point out that the "right choice" had the tragic consequence of killing his grandfather. 

"It's foolish rightness." 

He just said so with a cold voice. 

"From Tatsuya-san's point of view, I suppose. You are a strong person. You can understand the weakness of hanging on to your foolishness, but you cannot sympathize with it." 

That's not true, Tatsuya thought. 

—He was just not allowed to be weak. 

However, he just thought but didn't say it. That was probably not something suitable to say here. 

"And I'm so weak, that I'm not confident that I can keep self-control over my true feelings. I don't know if I can keep up with the desire to be with her and make her the same as me." 

"Do you think you are forgiven if you are weak?" 

Tatsuya asks with a harsh voice. 

"I don't think weakness is a justification." 

Minoru weakly shook his head from side to side. 

"I'm just acknowledging the facts." 

"That's even more so. Remove the parasite that is possessing Minami right now." 

"What do you do after removing it? If the hibernating parasite that serves as a lid is removed, Minami-san will be at risk of overheating the magical calculation area again." 

Minoru asks in a slightly cynical tone and seriously gazes at Tatsuya. 

"Even if treatment is not possible, the erosion can be stopped, and certainly, we will develop a cure before it's too late. 

Tatsuya answered "certainly" and his gaze had an unwavering light. 

"Is that so?" 

Hearing Tatsuya's answer, which was more firm than expected, Minoru muttered with an expression that looked like a Noh mask. 

Immediately after that, the eerie smile returns to his face. 

"There are two ways to do this. Needless to say, I order the Parasite to leave Minami-san, the Parasite's hibernation is momentarily released, but since it's under my control, Minami-san won't suffer erosion." 

If Minoru intended to do so, he would have removed the parasite from Minami before explaining it. In other words, he has no intention of adopting this first method. 

"And the second is to kill me. In this case, the parasite will be released, but since it is weakened by the forced hibernation, Minami is unlikely to suffer erosion. Sorry for the intuitive numbers, but I don't think there is a sufficient 10% percentage of the probability of erosion to start. At most 5%." 

If he kills Minoru, Tatsuya's wish will come true. In other words, Minoru himself is telling Tatsuya to kill him, as if he was calmly telling a story. 

"Tatsuya, a second." 

Lina, who had been silently watching the confrontation between Tatsuya and Minoru, tug Tatsuya's sleeve twice. Tatsuya shifted his attention to Lina without turning his face. 

"I can't believe it. It's not a trap, but it's a way to turn Minami into a parasite." 

Lina whispers in a small voice. 

"It's not a lie. Even if Minami becomes a parasite, it won't mean anything to Minoru if he dies." 

Tatsuya answers Lina loud enough for Minoru to be able to hear. 

When Minoru heard those words, his expression distorts for a moment. 

But soon, it regains its neat appearance. 

"That's it. Tatsuya-san, let's begin." 

"—Lets Kill each other." 

A bursting sound occurs immediately after. 

Electric light bursts right in front of Tatsuya. 

The sparks disappeared without growing into a lightning strike. 

Minoru's "Spark" and Tatsuya's "Gram Dispersion". 

"You three fall back! Lina I leave Miyuki and Minami to you." 

"Yes!" 

At Tatsuya's instructions, Miyuki pulled Minami's hand and fell back, 

"Leave it to me!" 

Lina stands in front of Miyuki and Minami. 

On the other hand, there was no exchange of words between Minoru and Raymond. 

Raymond jumped out of the way as Minoru casted magic. 

Psion light is emitted from Minoru's whole body. It's a sign that high-powered magic has just been used. 

But nothing happened. 

If you look closely, a faint psion light is fluttering around Tatsuya. The psions in the air are being repelled at the boundary of 50 cm from Tatsuya's body. 

Psion is permeable into matter. Repelling means that a magical force field that acts on psions is deployed around Tatsuya. 

However, there was no magical information structure there. It is a fact that is obvious to magicians who have the perceptual power to recognize the existence of information bodies, even if it is not a full-fledged "Elemental Sight". 

"Is it a perfectly homogeneous, high-density layer of psions…?" 

What Lina instinctively said was wrapped around Tatsuya's body. 

"And I haven't noticed a single leak of Psions. This is the completed form of the psion's armor, Contact-Type Gram Demolition, isn't it? Onii-sama…" 

Miyuki spills a mutter of awe and euphoria. It is not simply a structure-less, Contact-Type Gram Demolition that uses chaos as armor, but a counter-magic defense created with high skill. 

"Direct attacks are ineffective…" 

Involuntarily Minoru leaks a mutter. He is unaware that he is speaking out loud. That's probably how shocked he was with Tatsuya's version of Contact-Type Gram Demolition. 

Tatsuya used this skill in an actual battle for the first time in mid-July when he confronted Yakumo. This is the first sight of this counter magic for Minoru. Due to his specialization on "Decomposition" and "Regrowth", Tatsuya had a disadvantage in defense magic. In particular, it was difficult to defend against magic that acts from a close distance. Minoru must have thought that was the strategy point of defeating Tatsuya. 

The magic that Minoru has used now is "Jintai Hakka". It is very similar to "Human Ignition", but it is a different magic. 

It is the same in that it causes an oxidation phenomenon in the sense of "taking electrons". However, while "Human Ignition" destroys tissues by rapid compounding with oxygen, "Jintai Hakka" is a magic that destroys cells at the molecular level by robbing the electrons used for intermolecular bonds. "Jintai Hakka" is superior in terms of difficulty and power, but it is the same in that it attacks the opponent's body directly with magic. This point is what's important in this battle. 

Since it acts directly on the body, damage will still be applied even if the magic is disabled on the way. 

After becoming a parasite Minoru's magic activation speed is comparable to Tatsuya. If Tatsuya uses the version of "Gram Dispersion" that constructs a magic after recognizing the opponent's magic sequence, when Minoru uses "Jintai Hakka", Tatsuya would try to decide the match before he became unable to prevent the activation. Minoru's aim was to bring out that impatience. 

However, this strategy will not work if his defense is strengthened in advance with the Contact-Type Gram Demolition. On the contrary, the current state of offense and defense caused Minoru to be impatient. 

Tatsuya rushes towards Minoru. 

Minoru launched a variety of magical attacks while retreating with "Leaping". 

However, not only the magic that directly interferes with the body, but also magics that attacks using modified physical phenomena such as lightning, heat, cold air, compressed air, etc., if the activation point is within 50 cm from Tatsuya's body, it is blocked by the high density Psions and ends unactivated. 

So all the magic that he can use needs to come from a point more than 50 centimeters away. However, the short distance of 50 centimeters is a sufficient safe distance for Tatsuya. 

So, if he tries to release a powerful magic outside that 50 cm range, he may give an indication before projecting the magic sequence and will end up nullified by "Gram Dispersion". 

He got stronger. Minoru thought so. 

It's getting intense 

Tatsuya's fighting power has improved by one level… No, not just one level. Even though only two months have passed since their direct confrontation at the hospital where Minami was hospitalized. He was strong even at that time, but now he's clearly more. 

With this short offense, Minoru realized that. 

Minoru thought that if the situation doesn't change, it will get gradually worse and worse. 

(With this, I will lose without doing nothing) 

(Why is there so much difference?) 

A question springs up in his heart. 

(…Is it the difference between me, who ran away, and Tatsuya, who kept fighting against strong opponents?) 

And a self-answer in the form of a question to himself. 

(At this rate, Tatsuya wouldn't even admit that I need to be killed) 

Minoru clenched his back teeth and endured his frustration. 

(That's not good) 

(At least I have to retaliate) 

Tatsuya did not use magic. He is chasing Minoru only with his physical ability. Despite this, Tatsuya was closing the distance into Minoru's vicinity, who was retreating with the aid of magic. 

Minoru stopped the continuous activation of "Leap" and dropped on the grasslands on his foot. 

Then, concentrated his power, including the magical power that was devoted to "Leap", on another magic. 

Immediately after Minoru stopped, Tatsuya also stopped. 

It was not to keep distance from him. In the first place, Tatsuya was rushing toward Minoru in order to bring him into close quarters. 

(Did you stop the continuous activation of Leap? Looks like he's noticed) 

Immediately after the battle began, Minoru used "Parade" and "Kimon Tonkou" to hide his presence. Due to these two camouflage magics, Tatsuya is unable to grasp the exact position of Minoru. 

It wasn't Minoru himself that he was chasing. He was chasing the signs of the magic that Minoru used to escape. Though, Tatsuya's clue was not the surplus of psion light. Such magical products are covered by "Parade". What he perceived was the local distortion of the laws of the world created by magic. It was not the distortion caused by the magic's event modification, but the laws of the world reestablishing after the completion of the magic effect. 

Tatsuya has not yet reached the level of perceiving the laws of the world by definition. All he could feel is a vague sign. But even so, it was enough to follow the trajectory of the world being restored. 

Minoru stopped "Leap" not because he knew what Tatsuya was doing. ?Tatsuya misunderstood that point. But the outcome was the same: he lost sight of Minoru's position. 

"Parade" and "Kimon Tonkou" These two camouflage magics are still effective against Tatsuya. 

If there was only "Kimon Tonkou", he can disable it with "Gram Dispersion". 

However, Minoru's Parade disguises even the coordinates of the magic sequence in the information dimension and does not allow the targeting of "Gram Dispersion". 

That doesn't mean there's nothing left to do. 

Minoru hasn't disguised his appearance, unlike Lina when she acted as Angie Sirius. 

As long as Tatsuya can identify his whereabouts, he will know the position of the vital parts. He doesn't need to break "Parade" or "Kimon Tonkou". All he has to do is know where Minoru is. Then, he can use his hands, like when he fought Yakumo. 

Track from the past to the present. The false information is retroactively traced back to the past, and the current information that is not false is obtained from the past that is not false. 

He doesn't have to beat Minoru as a magician. Even if he can't break "Parade" or "Kimon Tonkou", he can kill Minoru. 

Tatsuya's aim is to destroy Minoru's heart. To achieve this, all he has to do is touch the center of his chest, where the heart is. 

But Minoru isn't just waiting to be attacked by Tatsuya. 

Event interference power is rapidly gathered in the hand of the virtual image of Minoru. 

Normally, it would be a sign of powerful magic. 

Tatsuya tried to erase the magic sequence before the magic was released. 

However, there was no magic sequence there. 

(—Zone Interference!) 

The Counter-magic "Zone Interference" fills a certain space with event interference to obstruct the opponent's magic. What Minoru created in his virtual image was localized "Zone Interference." 

The purpose was to divert Tatsuya's "eyes". 

(—Good!) 

Minoru felt that Tatsuya's "gaze" was focused on the virtual image. 

At that moment, Minoru threw the magical activation medium he had in his hand. 

A black charm flew in the air, from this summoning tile a beast coiled in lightning suddenly appeared. This is an arranged version of Zhou Gongjin's specialty, the attack magic "Shadow Beast" that creates a chemical simulacrum of a beast, implemented with a coating of lightning magic. Rather than calling "Shadow Beast", which is in its entirety black, shouldn't this version instead be called "Thunder Beast3", a beast that wears lightning? 

The distance between Minoru and Tatsuya is only 15 meters. "Thunder Beast" ran through that distance in an instant. ?But even so, it couldn't reach Tatsuya. When "Thunder Beast" is one meter away it is erased by "Gram Dispersion". 

(That was also calculated!) 

Minoru activated the magic on standby without a moment's delay. 

The capacity to stock magic within himself. This is a clear advantage that Minoru has over Tatsuya. At this time, the location of the magic activation point, that is, Minoru, was exposed, but Tatsuya could not afford to take this opportunity in real time. 

Lightning extends from Minoru's hand toward Tatsuya. 

It was neither magically induced nor converged, was an aerial discharge that was materialized as a physical phenomenon. 

One meter to the left of the visible Minoru. The moment after he caught the activation of the magic discharge, just behind the point where the chemical beast appeared, Tatsuya kicked the ground with all his might and threw his body to the left. 

A branching of the lightning falls in the grass just to the right of where Tatsuya rolled to. 

Just in time. 

The evasion was a moment late because he stayed too long trying to neutralize the lightning magic after the activation with "Gram Dispersion", only to realize that it was impossible. 

A mere electric discharge produced will diffuse in the air. Normally, until the lightning strike hits the target, it must be magically induced and converged, so that it does not spread. By decomposing the magic sequence responsible for this convergence and induction, even if the discharge process has already been activated, it can be nullified. 

But Minoru's lightning strike did not include a process of convergence and guidance. 

The lightning strikes rushed to Tatsuya in a bundle without magical convergence or guidance. 

Unless the trajectory is controlled by magic, casting "Gram Dispersion" will not neutralize it. 

No, there is no longer a magical sequence to decompose with "Gram Dispersion". He would use "Mist Dispersion", instead of "Gram Dispersion", to eliminate the convergence and spread it, but he couldn't afford to switch magics. Therefore he had to evade relying on his physical ability. 

(Was the magical simulacrum prepared beforehand?) 

While standing up, Tatsuya infers on the trick Minoru used. 

The chemical beast coiled in lightning was not meant to defeat Tatsuya. It was a stepping stone to the next lightning magic in anticipation of being broken on the way. 

The Thunder Beast carried a high voltage. The appearance of the beast is of a non-existent virtual image, but the electricity on its surface is real energy. So, when the lightning beast runs through, the air in the path is ionized. 

In other words, there is a path for the electric current. The lightning strike was guided by this layer of ionized air. 

Therefore, at the one meter point where the Thunder Beast was decomposed, the lightning strike spread rapidly. The small lightning that Tatsuya evaded was a single branch of the branched lightning strikes. 

(It was a close call… but I caught it) 

The current lightning strike was undoubtedly released from Minoru's own hands. 

Tatsuya's "Elemental Sight" reads information that accumulates over time. It's "gaze" has been locking Minoru since the moment the lightning magic was released. 

Tatsuya continued to follow the path of Minoru's movement over time. 

(He evaded!? No, it doesn't mean it didn't work) 

Tatsuya had to evade the current lightning strike with his physical ability. It didn’t feel like Minoru let him with plenty of time. To a large extent, it was an evasion that relied on chance. 

Best of all, it wasn't nullified by counter-magic. He probably couldn't. The current blow definitely drove Tatsuya to a wall. 

(This tactic isn't wrong. I'll corner Tatsuya-san even more and make him impatient) 

If there is no room, Tatsuya will not even think about trying to catch Minoru alive. If Tatsuya isn't pushed to that extent, Minoru won't have a chance to win. 

He took the summoning tile out of the waist pouch. While crossing the Pacific Ocean in the ship, he created more than ten tiles. He had consumed some of them since he landed, but there were still five in the pouch, excluding the one he used now. 

With just this, it should be enough to take away Tatsuya’s composure. 

Minoru thought so. Rather than speaking it to himself. 

He forcibly dispelled the anxiety that was rising from the bottom of his heart to his head, despite the fact that it was supposed to be a favorable battle situation. And Minoru released his second "Thunder Beast". 

He tried to release it. 

However—. 

The magic ends up misfiring. 

(The magic was destroyed !?) 

It wasn't a mistake from Minoru part. 

The magic of the Kunlunfang Institute, inherited from Zhou Gongjin certainly had a response of activating. 

Also, the disposable tiles that were made on board the ship with insufficient time and equipment, vanished. 

(Gram Dispersion!?) 

Minoru hurriedly looked down at his body with his magical "eyes." 

(The Parade is still enabled, why !?) 

Immediately after the activation of the magic, while disguised with "Parade", his location was found out. Due to the strategic combination of creating a path for the electric current with "Thunder Beast", it must be released from his front, and the lightning magic must be shot from his own hands. 

If he looks at the point where the chemical body appeared and the launch point of the lightning strike, he could guess that Minoru is there. 

But now, the magical sequence that was trying to give form to the chemical simulacrum has been erased out. 

He was neither exposed to psion's shells nor exposed to psion's streams. 

The magic sequence that was output on the summoning tile was destroyed directly. 

In Minoru's knowledge, only a type of magic like "Gram Dispersion" could do that. 

And, as far as Minoru knows, only Tatsuya can use "Gram Dispersion" in actual battles. 

(But he shouldn't be able to use the Gram Dispersion unless he know the exact coordinates of the magic sequence) 

(Is he nullifying Parade without destroying it?) 

Minoru still doesn't know the difference between his "Elemental Sight" and Tatsuya's "Elemental Sight". It was unimaginable for Minoru to be able to determine the current coordinates from past location information. 

Tatsuya, who had stopped, starts running toward Minoru again. 

While holding impatience, Minoru focused on Tatsuya and reactivated "Kimon Tonkou". 

"Kimon Tonkou" is essentially a passive magic. It can be said to be a magic malware. 

Seeing, hearing, feeling of touch, sensing. The aim of consciousness and perception is to bring information about the environment to the person . In terms of its magical system, "Kimon Tonkou" manipulates the information by adding a magic sequence to the EIDOS of the visual information = the light reflected and the auditory information = the sound emitted, and then infects the consciousness of the observer who see the caster of the magic or hear the sounds they emit with the sequence, making them misinterpret the information. It doesn't matter if it's the naked eye or a camera, a sound heard directly or picked up by a microphone. It interferes with the consciousness of all those who take in visual and auditory information. 

Due to the nature of this system, "Kimon Tonkou" is not supposed to be actively targeted at anyone in specific. The reason why he could aim, and do something like shooting "Kimon Tonkou '' at Tatsuya, was because the Parasitized Minoru's magical sense was, and still is, outstanding. 

But because of that sense, Minoru notices a shocking fact. 

Not only the magic that works on physical phenomena, but also the Non-Systematic Mental Interference magic does not work with Tatsuya now. The reason "Kimon Tonkou" was effective was because it was a passive magic. 

It doesn't mean that Tatsuya won't be usually affected by Non-Systematic-type magic. However, now, the Psion's armor, which Tatsuya wears around his whole body, is densely and evenly deployed not only on the physical dimension as well on the information dimensions. 

Psion is a non-material particle that mediates information. It is natural not to be bound by the material dimension, and it is natural that the information "wrapped in a Psion layer" in the material dimension is reproduced in the information dimension, as it is a particle that mediates information. 

However, Minoru could not predict that the reproduced Psion layer would block Non-Systematic magic that acts on the mind through the information dimension. Perhaps, even for Tatsuya, the effect of blocking active Non-Systematic magic must have been an unexpected byproduct. 

For Tatsuya now, only the normal, passive "Kimon Tonkou" that works through the information taken from him is valid. However, there is a good chance that it will be invalidated by "Gram Dispersion". It is possible for the "Elemental Sight" to filter and recognize visual and auditory information. "Kimon Tonkou" is a magic that works continuously through vision and hearing, but keeping the duration of each cycle extremely short. Once the sight and hearing are isolated, it is not difficult to recognize the magical sequence of "Kimon Tonkou". 

Minoru realized that he couldn't rely on Kimon Tonkou. He doesn't know if Tatsuya knows this strategy. Maybe Tatsuya hasn't noticed it yet. But now that Minoru knows, he is no longer willing to rely on Kimon Tonkou. 

Minoru renewed "Parade" and subsequently activated "Mock Teleportation". 

Minoru's body instantly moves to a position 5 meters diagonally behind Tatsuya, leaving his virtual image in his place. 

He prepared the construction of a magical sequence with the intention of casting the release-type magic "Cloudless Thunder" immediately after the "Mock Teleportation" movement was completed, without a time lag. 

"Cloudless Thunder" is a magic that turns the air into plasma and showers the attack target with an electron shower extracted from it. The negatively charged target of the attack is then exposed to a torrent of cations that was left behind, resulting in a two-stage attack. 

The magic starting point is 333 centimeters above the ground. It is one length of the East Asia continent's scale. 

Tatsuya is 182 cm tall. With the additional height of the "Contact-Type Gram Demolition" he wears, is plus fifty centimeters, so 232 centimeters from the ground. "Cloudless Thunder" should have been able to snipe Tatsuya without being blocked by counter-magic. 

However, by the time Minoru turned around after "Mock Teleportation" was completed, 

Tatsuya was approaching Minoru. 

Tatsuya immediately sensed that the effect of "Kimon Tonkou" had disappeared. 

(Did you cancel Kimon Tonkou?) 

It's not just the effects that have disappeared. The magic of "Kimon Tonkou" has been cancelled. 

(Is it a trap? No…) 

What are you going to do by undoing one of your camouflages? Regardless of the situation where the technique has been broken, "Kimon Tonkou" still continues to mislead Tatsuya's senses. It is not so difficult to nullify "Kimon Tonkou" alone with "Gram Dispersion", but it requires extra effort, so he may be late to respond to an attack. Combined with Parade, it's even more annoying. 

With the interruption of "Kimon Tonkou", Tatsuya can concentrate on the countermeasures for "Parade", so it makes the fight more easy for him. However, it was ominous not to understand Minoru's intentions. 

(…Don't get lost in thoughts. It's possible that his purpose is to get me hesitate) 

Tatsuya tells himself that and avoids stepping into a maze of thoughts. 

The sign that Minoru used magic caught Tatsuya's senses. He didn't "see" it with "Elemental Sight". It’s intuition. It was the result of Yakumo's repeated advice to him not to rely too much on the "Elemental Sight". 

Look back on the sign. Approximately five meters away, Tatsuya recognized a magical event modification. It is a trace of a sudden variation in inertial mass. A physicist might have described it as a gravitational wave. Tatsuya, a magician, regarded it as the aftermath of Weight Systematic-type inertial control magic. 

(Is it Mock Teleportation? Then Minoru is over there) 

If you believe in the location information, Minoru hasn't moved since. But it goes without saying that Minoru is disguising his information. 

Tatsuya used a flash cast to reduce the inertia on his body and kicked the ground toward where the Mock Teleportation seemed to have ended. There are signs of magic in the sky, but the presumed location of Minoru is just around the corner. 

Tatsuya released the inertia reduction and stepped hard on his right foot, not relying on his eyes, but using only the distance in his memory when he discovered the traces of magic earlier. 

Struck out his right hand in the form of a forward palm thrust. His hand got a solid response. 

Suddenly, Tatsuya appears in front of Minoru's eyes. 

Although Minoru was surprised, he didn't think it was strange. It was possible to guess right away that he used self-acceleration magic by inertial control. 

He could only think about it, but couldn't deal with it. 

He can see Tatsuya's right hand extending to his chest. 

However, it was impossible for Minoru, who had not trained his body, not to hesitate or prevent Tatsuya's palm thrust. Still, a part of his heart remained optimistic. 

The Parasitized Minoru has a strong self-healing power. Even if he suffers physical damage, it shouldn't prevent him from moving. 

In fact, being in close contact with him is an opportunity for Minoru. Minoru thought that, if he released the magic "Cloudless Thunder" with a resolution in damaging himself in the process, he would be hurt, but Tatsuya, who is only a human being — not mixed with demons or has not received any reinforcement measures —, would probably suffer more damage. 

But things weren't that simple. 

Tatsuya's thrust was as sharp as lightning . But for some reason Minoru could see it slowly. The body is totally unresponsive. Even the activation of magic cannot catch up. 

Only perception was following Tatsuya's technique. 

Just before Tatsuya's hand reaches Minoru's body. 

Even though he hasn't touched it yet, an impact is transmitted to Minoru's whole body. 

It's not a pain. It isn't a material feeling, but if he dared to say it, it's a wave. A hallucination that ripples ran through the skin. 

(Parade was broken through!?) 

The accelerated thought recognizes the true nature of that sensation. 

Prior to the contact with Tatsuya's palm, the dense Psion armor he wore pushed into the Psion information body that overlapped Minoru's body, blowing away the "Parade" magic sequence that was clad on Minoru's body. 

Of course, that's not the end. 

Tatsuya's palm bottom collides with Minoru's chest. 

This time the impact is pain. 

And Minoru is striked by an agony of not being able to breathe. It was not just because the air was pushed out of his lungs. 

His heart stops for an instant, and the blood flow stops. 

It wasn't merely a problem with the body's metabolism, where the cells couldn't get the oxygen they needed for their activities. 

Tatsuya's Psion traveled from Minoru's heart, through his blood vessels, to his entire body, provoking a rejection from Minoru's own Psion information body. 

Minoru's limbs suffer from severe convulsions. No, not just the limbs. His torso, which had fallen on its back, repeatedly bounces on the grass, bending and stretching like a landed shrimp, and his head swings back and forth in opposition to the movement. 

Even the extra-corporeal perception was whitened out due to the same confusion as the body. 

Tatsuya straddles Minoru's waist and bends forward to peer at him. 

Both eyes were aimed not at Minoru's face, but at the center of his chest, where his heart was. 

Right next to the spot where he had just struck the palm bottom thrust. 

Bending down, Tatsuya held Minoru's right chest with his left hand and squeezed his right hand. 

However, this time his right hand assumed a stance in the form of a spear hand instead of a palm thrust. 

Minoru's spasms subsided as if he had run out of strength. 

However, he still hadn't recovered his consciousness. 

With blurry, unfocused eyes, Minoru looked up at Tatsuya, who was trying to gouge his chest. 

Tatsuya felt the Psion Layer coiled around the tip of his right hand dug into Minoru's Psion body. 

In the next moment, "Parade" loses its effect and Minoru's true form is exposed. 

Tatsuya recognized it in the space of 0.1 seconds. 

He didn't think about it, he knew. 

In his right hand is a collection of Psions used in his full-body armor. 

This wasn't because he had disabled "Parade". It was something he had decided to do by the time he unleashed the palm thrust. 

Tatsuya was prepared to be defenseless. Seeing Minoru's hesitation in disarming the Kimon Tonkou, he decided to take the fight to the next level. 

The right hand catches Minoru's chest. Slightly to the left, the place he was aiming for was not far from the impact caused by his palm, from there he poured the Psions. 

There was a positive response that Psion penetrated. 

There was also a reaction on Minoru, who fell on the grasslands. 

Minoru spasms and writhe around. 

Tatsuya straddles Minoru's waist to prevent him from escaping, and leans forward to observe his condition. 

The convulsions stopped and Minoru's body lay limp on the grass. 

The resistance appeared to be gone. Tatsuya judged that it was not acting. 

But, since he doesn't know how long this condition will last, he should finish the procedure while it still persists. 

Tatsuya leaned over and placed his left hand on Minoru's right chest. 

(Obtaining the body's structural information—completed) 

(Putting on standby the acquired structural information as a variable) 

Then Tatsuya squeezes his right hand in the shape of a four-pointed spear hand with only the thumb spreaded, 

and casually stabbed onto Minoru's chest. 

A cry of pain escaped Minoru's mouth, and his body strongly spasmed one more time. 

It was not just the four fingers from index finger to pinky that were penetrating into his chest. The thumb also dug in without resistance while extended to the side. 

This is, of course, the result of using "Decomposition". The event modification of the "Decomposition" is expressed in the area of effect form, wrapped in his right hand, and any object that comes into contact with it are indiscriminately decomposed. 

When his fingers had sunk to the base, Tatsuya clenched his right hand. It's just the position to grip the heart. 

Minoru opens his eyes wide and opens his mouth in the form of a scream. However, no voice comes out of his mouth. 

Tatsuya pulls out his right hand. 

There was nothing there but a gaping hole. 

Tatsuya immediately stands up and takes a step back. There is no spurt of blood to be found. There isn't blood even on his right hand, which should have crushed his heart. 

Tatsuya is watching Minoru with a serious expression on his face. 

One second has passed. Tatsuya keeps an eye on Minoru. 

Two seconds have passed. 

(It came out) 

He muttered in his mind. The main body of the parasite was about to escape from Minoru's body. 

(Analyzing the Pushion information body support structure.) 

Tatsuya turned his "eyes" to the parasite, half of which still overlaps Minoru's body. 

The purpose of this is to destroy the parasite that had been assimilated into Minoru through the Pushion Information Body Support Structure Decomposition Magic "Astral Dispersion". 

(Analysis of the Pushion Information Body Support Structure is completed. Astral Dispersion—) 

But a moment before he activated the Astral Dispersion. 

The parasite that was supposed to have discarded its physical body was sucked back into Minoru. 

(This is—!) 

At the end of Tatsuya's astonished gaze, the hole in Minoru's chest was closing up. 

Although he knew that the Parasitized Minoru had a high level of healing power, Tatsuya did not expect it to the extent of regenerating the entire heart. 

The wound on the chest is closed and Minoru opens his eyes. 

Tatsuya instinctively took a step back a step or two. 

Minoru gets up. 

"So, that was the case." 

Minoru said as he stood up and gave Tatsuya a smile without any meaning. 

After receiving Tatsuya's palm thrust, Minoru had lost his physical freedom, but his spirit was operating normally. The body was simply not accepting the commands of the spirit, but the spirit was caching information of the body. 

Tatsuya's left hand was placed on his own right chest. 

Immediately afterwards, Minoru felt that Tatsuya had read out the information about his physical body. 

Structural information of his body, down to the smallest cell. All the information of his body. 

He intuitively realized that it had been stocked inside Tatsuya. 

(Could this be the secret of Tatsuya's restoration ability…?) 

But what would be the point of restoring his current body? 

He holded that question for a moment. 

Minoru was then struck by an intense pain that seemed to bleach his consciousness. 

The signal that his heart had been erased had been sent from his body, along with signals of the painful sensations that had occurred at the same time. 

But the intense pain soon disappeared. 

The pain was so great that the brain blocked out the pain information. 

The heart has been lost, but the connection between spirit and body is still maintained. 

The cerebrum is the transmitter and receiver between the spirit, which exists in the spiritual dimension, and the body, which exists in the material dimension. 

The cerebrum remains active for three to five seconds, even if the heart stops functioning. So Minoru's spirit can still know about his physical condition. 

To the spirit, the body is still alive as long as the brain is active. 

However, due to the nature of the initial process of assimilation into the human body by the blood stream, the parasite perceives the loss of function of the heart as the death of the host, even after assimilation, when it is no longer bound to the material existence of the blood. 

And the "death" of the host makes the parasite leave its body. 

(Was this Tatsuya's aim?) 

The parasite actually escapes from Minoru's body. 

Tatsuya is about to use a magic that Minoru doesn't know about, toward that Parasite. 

Minoru felt that was a magic to bury parasites, 

Minoru had a hunch — He doesn't know how it works, but Tatsuya has created a spell to erase the parasite from this world. 

He understood. 

Tatsuya was trying to save him. 

Probably not for his sake. Tatsuya said that he was trying to avoid the consequence of killing him because of Miyuki and Minami. 

(But that's not good enough.) 

(That's not going to save her…!) 

He can't let Tatsuya do what he wants. 

The spirit cannot interfere in this world without the body. Having lost his heart, Minoru is rapidly losing the power to interfere in this world. 

Nevertheless, Minoru used all his remaining strength to pull back the parasite that was trying to leave him and restore his body. 

"So, that was the case, Tatsuya-san." 

Minoru repeated the same line towards Tatsuya. 

"Tatsuya-san tried to turn me back into a human. And by doing so, you tried to help me." 

Tatsuya does not respond to Minoru's words. 

He just interrupted his Astral Dispersion, which was in the process of being activated, and discarded the prepared magic sequence for Regrowth, which was on standby to restore Minoru's body, along with Minoru's physical structure data. 

"After driving me to cardiac death, you would destroy the escaped parasite's main body, and restore my body. In doing so, you intended to separate the Parasite from me and turn me back into a human, right?" 

"Yes." 

This time, Tatsuya responded to Minoru's words. 

He had no choice but to admit it after being completely seen through to that point. 

''Tatsuya-san is a kind person after all, even though he seems cold, isn't he?" 

"?" 

Minoru couldn't hold back a smile at Tatsuya's surly face. There was no sign of hostility in that smile. 

"But I can't go back into being a human." 

"Why not!?" "Why would you not!?" 

Their cries were released simultaneously. 

Miyuki and Minami immediately asked the reason for Minoru's line. 

They blame Minoru in the form of a question. 

They want Minoru to change his mind. 

"By being killed as a Parasite, I would absorb the Parasite into my spiritual body and use the Parasite's ability to possess the human spirit to submerge myself into the depths of Minami's spirit, and also combine with the Parasite she already possess to become a safety device in her magic calculation area." 

This time, there was no room for the question "why". 

"This is the only currently viable way to fully treat Minami." 

That's Minoru's answer. The reason why he refused to turn back into a human. 

Minami vigorously covered her mouth. 

"For my sake, you mean…?" 

Minami swallowed back a scream and asked sluggishly as she slowly lowered her hand. 

Minoru shakes his head sadly. 

The denial gesture was not a direct denial to Minami's question. 

"…Tatsuya-san, I must confess that it is my fault that Minami-san's condition has deteriorated decisively." 

Tatsuya doesn't say anything. 

He just stared at Minoru. 

Minoru interpreted Tatsuya's gaze as being urged to continue. 

"At the U.S. military base, to where we did take Minami-san, we were attacked by American soldiers who were trying to eliminate the parasites. At that time, Minami defended me using a high-powered anti-object barrier magic." 

An expression of silent understanding floated on Tatsuya's face. 

"That's why Minami's overheating symptoms have definitely worsened. 

''Because of that, Minami-san's overheating symptoms have definitely worsened. Even with the knowledge of Zhou Gongjin inside me, it's too much for me to handle. It's so difficult to even buy time.'' 

''Then you're taking the responsibility with your own life?'' 

Minoru gave a bitter smile that wasn't sarcastic at Tatsuya's words. 

''It's not a matter of responsibility.'' 

Minoru hesitates a little before continuing with a shy look on his face. 

"I just want Minami-san to live." 

His true intention. 

"That's why Tatsuya-san, please kill me." 

"Do you have to be killed?" 

"Suicide would be useless. The parasite's instinct is to avoid suicide. That would create a rift between my spirit and the body of the parasite, making it difficult to absorb it afterwards." 

Tatsuya understood that Minoru didn't seem to be pestering towards him, and extended his right arm with a silver band on the wrist, to Minoru. 

"Please wait!" 

A voice of restraint was raised. 

Miyuki was caught off guard, and Lina reached out to stop her, but she couldn't do it in time, so Minami ran in between Tatsuya and Minoru. 

With her back turned to Tatsuya, she faced Minoru head on. 

"Minoru-sama, I did not wish for that to happen." 

Minoru diverts his eyes looking in pain. 

"I have no desire to live on Minoru-sama's sacrifice." 

"……I know." 

Minoru knows that what he is doing is selfish. 

He understands that he is putting a lifelong heavy burden on Minami. 

Still, he can't think of anything else to do. 

"Still, I…" 

"Minoru-sama." 

Minami didn't let Minoru finish. 

"I've made up my mind." 

"…" 

"I've finally made up my mind." 

"……What?" 

Minoru didn't play dumb. He didn't really know what Minami was trying to say. 

"Minoru-sama, please make me a parasite." 

Minami's words were heard not only by Minoru, but also by Tatsuya and Miyuki. 

"Minami-chan, what are you saying!?" 

Faster than Minoru could react, Miyuki screamed. 

"I'm very sorry, Miyuki-sama." 

Minami turned back at the sound of Miyuki's voice and bowed deeply. 

"I didn't need to hear it from you, Minoru-sama, but I knew somehow. My life as a human being will not be much longer." 

She looks up and reveals what she's been hiding in her heart. 

"So you're throwing away your humanity!?" 

Minami didn't say "life is unfortunate". 

''I've realized that I can't serve Miyuki-sama for too long. 

This wasn't an excuse, this was Minami's true feelings. 

"That's okay. Until just a moment ago I was thinking that. If Miyuki-sama needed me, I would serve her until the end of my life, even if only it was for a short time. That is the only thing I can do to make amends after betraying Miyuki-sama, and it is the only way I can repay." 

"You don't have to think about atonement! I'm not asking for repayment!" 

"Miyuki-sama. Tatsuya-sama. I want a master to serve. And feeling that the master needs me is the happiest thing for me. …Is that strange?" 

Neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki could answer "It's strange” —regardless of how they really felt about it. 

They couldn't deny Minami's values, which had been imprinted on her from a young age, probably for Miyuki's sake. 

"I'm very sorry, Miyuki-sama." 

Minami apologizes again. 

"I have not been a human being for very long, but I wonder if you could consider letting me retire today, at this moment. 

"Minami-chan…" 

''I can't bear to have Miyuki-sama take care of me. It is too painful for me to have you shed tears for me." 

Minami spoke the line with a straight face, making it hard to tell if she was serious or joking. 

Naturally, no one could laugh. 

In a somewhat awkward and tense atmosphere, Minami turned to face Minoru again. 

"Minoru-sama. Please don't think about dying for me. If you hold me dear that much, please live with me as my master. I would like to respond to the feelings that make Minoru-sama try to save my life, even if it would mean giving up yours." 

"Minami-san, that means…" 

Minoru was about to say something thoughtless, but Minami silenced him with a smile. 

"If this world won't allow parasites to exist, will you sleep with me? We will only be together for a moment, but I think that moment will be worth a lifetime." 

Tatsuya, Miyuki, Lina, and Minoru knew that the word "sleep" that Minami said meant "eternal sleep". Minami's lines were contradictory on the surface, but the four of them who listened to her words didn't find it strange. 

"—Okay, Minami-san." 

Minoru nodded and stepped forward. 

In front of Tatsuya, in a protective stance with Minami at his back. 

"Tatsuya-san, I have a favor to ask." 

"If you want me to turn a blind eye, then there is no way." 

Tatsuya didn't let the atmosphere get in the way. He felt ruthless himself, but Tatsuya knew that if he let them escape here and now, all that awaited them was another day of being driven away by another hunter. 

"I don't want that." 

Minoru's tone was composed. Instead of a smile, he had a very calm expression with no irritation or despair. 

"I will sleep with Minami-san, not in death, but in a dream. The Parasitized Minami and the me Parasitized will share the same dream, and I will keep us in a sleep prison until my life run's out." 

"Are you saying that you will cast magic of artificial hibernation in yourself and in Minami?" 

"Artificial hibernation…, yes, that's right. It's the same as artificial hibernation in the sense that the person doesn't wake themself up. So what I'm asking is that you make a place for us to sleep." 

"You want me to protect you in your sleep?" 

"I know it's a selfish request, but I don't want my dreams with Minami to be interrupted by anyone." 

"Onii-sama." 

The voice came from just behind Tatsuya. 

Before Tatsuya knew it, Miyuki had walked up to him with Lina. 

"Can't you grant Minoru-kun and Minami-chan's wish?" 

"—Okay." 

As a matter of fact, while he agreed to Miyuki's request, Tatsuya had already decided to accept Minoru's proposal. 

"There is a good place on Miyakijima. It's a underground prison, but if you keep sleeping, there should be no problem." 

Miyakijima was originally used as a prison for serious criminal magicians. Even now that it had been converted to a research island, an underground prison with a twenty-four-hour monitoring equipment installed was still ready for use at any time. 

''Of course, I don't mind'' 

Minoru nodded with a two-fold answer. He didn't know what the ''underground prison'' was like, of course, but he found himself trapped in a sleep where he had no idea what was going on outside. Any place was fine, as long as it didn't interfere with his sleep. 

''Tatsuya-san, please. Lock us in that underground prison.'' 

The way he will deal with Minoru has now been decided. 

But one parasite remains. 

"Raymond Clark, what about you?" 

''Do I have a choice?'' 

In response to Tatsuya's call, Raymond, who was standing some distance away, approached him. 

''You have two choices.'' 

''Two?'' 

Raymond chuckled in self-deprecation to himself. He made no pretense of resistance. 

"Either I destroy you here, or you'll be handed over to the USNA authorities. 

Tatsuya didn't waste a word. 

'I'll take the second option, please.' 

Raymond answers immediately. Certainly, with this choice between the two, there might be no need to think about it. 

"All right, then. Then you're coming with me. Not behind. Walk in front. Minoru and Minami will follow. Miyuki and Lina will go behind Minoru and Minami. Miyuki." 

"Ye- Yes." 

Miyuki responds to Tatsuya's unexpected cold voice with a rubbing voice. 

At the unexpected sound of Tatsuya's cold voice, Miyuki responded with a high-pitched voice. 

"If Minoru shows a strange behavior, don't hesitate to use Cocytus." 

"I understand." 

Miyuki turned around and nodded in a tone that suppressed her emotions. Tatsuya silently nodded back in response. 

Minoru had no intention of resisting, but he didn't protest to Tatsuya. 

Taking Raymond a step forward, Tatsuya started walking.