Tatsuya and Fujibayashi ascended to the roof of the northern building of the Yokohama Bay Tower.
Here, along with the broadcasting antenna for the television station, there was also a wireless communication device.
Fujibayashi connected her terminal to the wireless communication device and rapidly tapped the screen.
"...OK, we're in. I've rerouted every wireless communication through here."
"As expected of the 'Electron Sorceress'. This point remains immune to imitation regardless of what I try."
"Thanks. I would be in serious trouble if someone could imitate me so easily."
Fujibayashi adopted a superficial smile that obviously didn't come from the heart.
"Have we already cut the line?"
"Captain Sanada already has that end covered."
Tatsuya pulled out the speaker attached to the information terminal with his left hand. After punching in the number Fujibayashi passed to him, he pressed the last key to enable voice communication.
He removed a pair of riding goggles from his jacket pocket.
Next, he pulled out a long-barreled CAD from his left shoulder holster.
This was a Specialized CAD shaped like an automatic pistol that was modeled after the Silver Series Long-models.
He stood before the protective railing and slightly raised his right hand.
The "muzzle" of the CAD was aimed at the Yokohama Grand Hotel far off near the bottom of the hill.
"...So that is a 'Generator'?"
"Yes, definitely. This is the first time we've captured one, but it's characteristics perfectly match the intelligence report."
There was a solid kilometer from the top of the Yokohama Bay Tower to the Grand Hotel's roof.
Tatsuya adopted a shooting posture with a pistol-shaped CAD, so of course there wasn't a scope attached.
Even so, Fujibayashi never asked: "Can you see it?"
That was because she understood perfectly that, of course Tatsuya could see it.
Fujibayashi used an altogether different method of observation than Tatsuya, but even she was perfectly clear on who the Magicians and who the Generators in the room were.
"Magic tools that have been stripped of their sense of self. So this is the end that awaits all Magicians developed as humanoid weapons..."
"........."
"...I spoke too much, I apologize."
Feeling Fujibayashi's cold and disapproving gaze, Tatsuya hastily made amends and apologized.
Not all Magicians wished to be used as weapons, so his comment was indeed out of line.
Despite his apology, Tatsuya did not deny that he did resonate with the feeling somewhat.
There are indeed similarities between the way he and the Generators conducted their lives, Tatsuya thought.
Precisely because of this, within the remnants of the emotions left to him, the dominant emotion he felt was disgust.
They were a harmful, unpleasant existence.
Tatsuya never hesitated when destroying such a "device".
Silver Horn Custom, "Trident".
This was Tatsuya's favored instrument, that which brought out the finest of his magic. Tatsuya squeezed the Trident's trigger.
His original magic, the military secret "Decomposition" activated.
This spell broke the wall's basic components into powder.
By creating a physical hole in the wall that served as medium, he opened a hole in the "sealed" concept that protected the room from the effect of external magic.
Tatsuya's "view" of the interior had never been clearer.
When the activated magic was forcibly destroyed, the Generator shook from the blow.
Under normal circumstances, the Magician wouldn't suffer from the feedback even if the magic was destroyed.
This was likely a by-product of their inability to consciously terminate or halt magic by themselves.
He coldly surveyed the scene while his attacks — killing intent did not falter.
He noticed that one of the Generators released Wide Area Interference to protect the five members of the brass while the three others adopted Wide Area Interference to defend themselves.
He squeezed the Trident's trigger.
He set the "Wide Area Interference" from the Generator injured by the wall's collapse, the "outer shell of the Eidos", and "flesh" as the variables and plugged them into the Magic Sequence.
The processes for all three magics were completed in a split second with no time lag in between.
The first process decomposed the target's protective Wide Area Interference.
The second process decomposed the target's Data Fortification used to protect the body.
The third process decomposed the flesh down to the atomic level.
The decomposition was so complete that it was no longer recognizable as a biological entity and left no traces that this was a living being. Proteins were broken down into hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur; the bones were rendered down to phosphorus, oxygen, and calcium; everything including blood, the nervous system, stored nutrients, even waste was decomposed down to the molecules and ions.
The lighter elements, with hydrogen at their head, escaped through the hole in the outer wall to the outside.
The flammable elements interacted with oxygen and burst into flames.
This scene was so surreal that it seemed like the human body spontaneously ignited.
Yet, the reality was that it had vanished rather than being consumed by the flames.
He had incorporated three consecutive Decomposition magics into one Magic Sequence and completely annihilated a Magician's flesh and body along with its naturally occurring magic protect barrier.
"Trident... Seriously, this must be what they call having your hair stand on end..."
This was the Specialized CAD specifically customized to activate three consecutive magics.
Within the Magic Encyclopedia, the term "Trident" was allocated to another magic.
However, within the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, "Trident" referred to this merciless triple Decomposition magic as well as the CAD that optimized the process.
Tatsuya didn't hold Fujibayashi's trepidation or words that slipped out of her mouth against her and merely keyed the waiting information terminal and linked to voice communication.
Once they invaded the wireless communication device, the authentication system in the dedicated line lost all meaning.
"Hello, everyone from 'No Head Dragon's' eastern Japanese branch!"
Tatsuya spoke in an unnaturally cheery voice.
The executive who picked up the phone failed to hide his befuddlement as he glanced at his peers.
This was a line reserved for executive use only, as well as a direct line to the main HQ. Only a branch chief or executives from the main HQ would know of this line, as ordinary members were unable to access this line. There weren't any teenage executives in No Head Dragon. Heck, there weren't even twenty year old executives in the organization.
"...Who are you?"
The voice didn't contain an interrogator's edge. Was this because he was quaking on the inside after watching a human body disintegrate into the aether?
"Much obliged for your work at Fuji."
The voice belonged to a teenage youth, but the tone was unmistakably adult.
"Allow me to return the favor."
When these words fell, the Wide Area Interference protecting the brass disappeared without a trace.
Not only the man who was holding the phone, but everyone still in possession of their wits beside the magic devices glanced towards one corner on reflex.
Before their eyes, a dimly lit flame ignited and swiftly vanished.
The sprinklers reacted to the multiple heat sources and inundated the area with high pressured spray.
The Generator that should be standing there had vanished without a trace.
"Where? Number 14, where did that come from?"
One of the executives stammered his words in reverse order.
Magicians are able to detect what magic was being used and where the attack came from based on the effects of phenomenon rewriting. Normally, there would be no way that they could fail to detect where such a powerful magic that could reduce a human body down to the atomic level came from when the target was so close to them.
Even if they couldn't accurately pinpoint the distance, they should at least be able to locate which direction the caster was in — yet this executive had completely panicked and was unable to do anything.
Compared to those who knew no fear — Generators had already lost their ability to falter, so they remained stolid in the face of their comrade's destruction.
Number 14's slow, plodding movement pointed towards the broken hole in the wall.
Across the street was the highest point on this street.
Another executive quickly snatched up a sniper rifle.
After raising the optical lens to his eye, he raised the magnification.
On the rooftop of the Yokohama Bay Tower, a youth was partially visible beneath the illuminating moonlight.
He raised the magnification to the max.
Even though he couldn't see the youth's features because of the riding goggles in the way, he could see the exposed lips smirk at him.
Seeing that twisted smirk, the man immediately screamed and fell to the floor.
His eye had been slashed by the shattered lens from the scope.
Still, the men didn't have the leisure time to worry about their moaning comrade who clutched at his eye.
"Number 14, Number 16, kill him!"
More than one voice ordered the Generators to retaliate.
However—
"Unable to comply."
"Not within range."
Machines cannot accomplish the impossible.
They were designed to wield magic stably under any condition. With this in mind, Generators didn't possess the function to use their full potential and surpass their limits.
"Don't you dare talk back to me! Attack!"
At Number 14 and Number 16 simultaneously answering in the negative without any inflection in their voice, the executive on the ground clutching his eye spat back furiously.
The response came through the phone.
"Did you really believe I would give you the chance?"
Number 14 and Number 16 were both consumed by static.
Both of them followed their comrade to hell.
"Stop issuing orders to your tools. Why not take up the sword yourself?"
Before the words traveled over the phone, a slightly mocking laughter could be heard.
Nevertheless, the men didn't seem to have the strength to rouse themselves to a fury.
That was a distance at which the naked eye couldn't even make out if someone was there.
No one present had the ability to use magic against someone who was both unidentifiable and out of range.
One man sprinted for the land line.
The others frantically brought up the wireless phones within their terminals.
Yet, the land line only bleeped back a disconnected signal,
Nor were the wireless phones working either.
"Don't bother. Right now I'm the only one you can speak with."
The same voice traveled along the original phone.
"How is this possible? Even the wireless signal... How did he..."
"All I did was converge the electronic waves. As to how I did this, there's no need for you to know."
They understood perfectly well the meaning behind his words.
Still, all those words did was solidify their sense of dread.
"Now, let's cut to the chase."
With this diabolical declaration, the man clutching one eye was surrounded with static.
The man's face twisted in utter despair.
His face remained twisted — as he turned into ashes.
Since the sprinklers had already inundated the room thrice with water, there was no longer any spontaneous combustion.
The men watched with frozen expressions their comrade who was denied even a funeral pyre.
One man desperately made for the exit.
Static swarmed around from behind him as his outline came apart and he vanished.
The last three remaining members of the No Head Dragon's eastern Japanese branch finally realized that their lives were held in the palm of a demon.
They couldn't help but arrive at this epiphany.
"Wait... Please wait a second!"
The man who served as the chief of the eastern Japanese branch seized the phone and shouted into the speaker.
"For what?"
He hadn't actually thought his words through.
He didn't believe his opponent was going to let him go.
No one who could eradicate men like mere numbers possessed a merciful disposition.
Still, contrary to expectations, a response came down the line.
"We, we swear to never interfere with the Nine Schools Competition again!"
"The Nine Schools Competition ends tomorrow."
"Not just the Nine Schools Competition! We will leave the country tomorrow! We will never again step foot into this country!"
"Even if you leave, others will still come back, right?"
"No Head Dragon will abandon Japan completely! Not just eastern Japan, but western Japan as well!"
"Do you have the power to make such a promise, Douglas Huang?"
The moment the opposing side called out his name, the man's heart almost stopped from the blow. Even so, Huang desperately kept speaking.
"I am the boss's confidant! The boss can't simply ignore my words!"
"In what way?"
"I once saved the boss's life! You owe the man who saved you a favor, that is our custom!"
"So you plan to use that 'favor' to bargain for your life."
Two looks shot towards Huang.
They contained the hatred and killing intent reserved for traitors.
However, Huang didn't have the time to worry about that.
"Didn't you plan to use that favor to win back your life from your boss?"
"No! The boss wouldn't abandon me even if I didn't do that!"
"So you claim you have that much influence?"
"Indeed!"
"By what do you make this claim?"
"That..."
"No Head Dragon — the headless dragon. That name does not originate from your own organization, but was applied to you by other organizations because your leader never appears before the subordinates. Even those that require personal punishment are first rendered unconscious before being taken to a private room. Quite the thorough process indeed."
Huang was consumed by a fear that was altogether different from the terror that came from death or being disintegrated.
He knew too much about his situation.
Whose tail did he tread on this time.
"Since you have so much influence, surely you must have seen the leader?"
Regardless, he didn't have time to contemplate this.
In order to live, he must follow the path that this demon had pointed out to him.
"I have been granted an audience."
"What is your leader's name?"
Huang shut his trap.
That was the deepest secret within the organization.
The terror and loyalty that have been engraved upon his soul through the passage of the years overrode the terror before his eyes.
But only for a moment.
"James!?"
Another one of his companions disappeared from this earth.
A destruction so complete that he wasn't even permitted to die as a human being.
This reminded him of the blasphemy that their leader used to execute the damned and sent a similar chill up his spine.
"So that was James Zhu, eh. My apologies to the Interpol agents pursuing him across the globe."
"Wait..."
"Is it your turn now, Douglas Huang?"
"Please wait! ...Our boss's name is Richard Sun!"
"And his public persona?"
"...Sun Gongming."
"Address?"
Hong Kong's upper class residential sector, name of the office building, frequented nightclubs, Huang held nothing back.
"...That is everything I know."
"And my questions come to a close. Thank you very much."
"Then, you believe me?"
"Ah, you are undoubtedly one of No Head Dragon's leader, Richard Sun's confidants."
Brought to the brink of extermination, Huang's entire body seemed to sag as his expression sang of his deliverance.
This recently revived hope,
"Gregori!"
Was swiftly crushed with the annihilation of his last remaining comrade.
"...Why!? We took no lives. We didn't even kill anyone!"
"...We didn't even kill anyone!"
A rather logical defense sprouted through the other side of the phone.
But that was merely the result.
They conspired to commit mass murder, but their plans were derailed by Yanagi, Sanada, and Fujibayashi.
Yet Tatsuya didn't point this out.
"And why does that concern me?"
"What...?"
"How many you have slain or let live means nothing to me!"
Tatsuya had reached the end of his tether in playing out this lifeless performance, so he was no longer disguising his voice.
He had already obtained all the intel he wanted, so there was no need to play out this farce any longer.
"You dared to touch that which cannot be touched.
You dared to sully my scales.
For that alone you all deserve to perish!"
"...You demon!"
"You are the ones to thank for unshackling the demon, Douglas Huang. Consciousness may be the force that propels strength, but emotions take that strength one step further."
Next to the speaker, Tatsuya lightly laughed at himself.
His laughter mixed with the evening wind and accompanied the cold words of damnation that devoured all hope.
"You have touched upon my last remaining emotion and thanks to you, I finally unleashed the 'Power of the Demon'."
"You say the Power of the Demon...? This magic, it cannot be, Demon Right!?"
That statement became Huang's last words.
Huang's voice cut off from there.
The entity that made up Douglas Huang was utterly extinguished from this world.
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