Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 18 - Chapter 5

Gathering

Monday, September 13th

After finding the severely wounded Maki, Koutarou and Yurika rushed her back to room 106. They needed to treat her as quickly as possible, but they also needed to have an emergency meeting about how to proceed from here.

With what Maki had been able to uncover, it was now apparent that Darkness Rainbow was back in Kisshouharukaze City. There was no longer any doubt that they were behind the kidnappings. Continuing a vague search knowing they were around would be extremely dangerous, so they needed to gather their resources and proceed strategically.

“The first order of business will be trying to figure out what Darkness Rainbow’s actual objective is,” said Kiriha, who was leading the discussion.

The meeting began once everyone else returned to room 106, and they were all now gathered around the tea table. Darkness Rainbow had to have some reason for being in town, and it was clear the kidnapped children were a means to that end. But without knowing what their actual goal was, Koutarou and the others were only going in blind. They could set something off at any time, and all by accident. In order to get anywhere, they’d have to pin down what Darkness Rainbow was even doing.

“So, Yurika, what’s this Darkness Whatever after, anyways?”

Sanae turned to Yurika for answers. She wanted to hear a professional’s opinion on the matter.

“Darkness Rainbow is after the mana gathered here in room 106.”

It was Koutarou’s apartment, but Yurika considered this her problem, and she answered Sanae with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face. This was what Koutarou hadn’t wanted things to come to. He hated seeing Yurika like this.

“That’s the part I don’t get, Yurika-chan. What are they going to do with the mana?” Shizuka asked as she worked on bandaging up Maki.

The first thing they’d done upon returning to room 106 was see to treating Maki. After some first aid and magical healing, her complexion had drastically improved. It seemed she’d be fully recovered before long.

“Well, Darkness Rainbow advocates the free use of magic. That’s why they don’t get along with the kingdom’s government, who says that magic shouldn’t be misused.”

In a kingdom where magic was very, very real, Folsaria had restricted its use to prevent abuses of power. Darkness Rainbow, on the other hand, insisted that magic belonged to the individual and the government therefore had no right to restrict it. That was the reason they’d splintered from normal society.

“So what? They want to overthrow the government or something?”

“In the most extreme case, yes. Darkness Rainbow doesn’t want to take over, really, but they do want to take out anyone and anything that imposes limits on magic. The government of Folsaria just happens to be the biggest obstacle in their way. It’s why they butt heads like this,” explained Yurika.

“Honestly, I think it’s fair to say the battle to overthrow the nation has already begun. When I was a part of Darkness Rainbow, they were already making preparations for it,” added Maki.

As a former leader of Darkness Rainbow, Maki knew better than anyone just what they were up to.

“The reason I came for room 106 was to gather mana in advance of our fight with Rainbow Heart, the defenders of Folsaria.”

To tackle the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria, Darkness Rainbow had taken it upon themselves to gather as many magical tools as they could to assist them. They knew that Rainbow Heart had them severely outnumbered. If they went into a straightforward fight, Darkness Rainbow wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s why they’d be relying on artifacts to make up for the difference in manpower, much the same way that terrorists or guerilla soldiers would use unconventional weapons to forcefully gain an advantage.

“Folsaria knows what they’re up against, however, which is why magicians like me are on the job.”

Knowing a fight would eventually break out if Darkness Rainbow went unchecked, Folsaria couldn’t just sit by and let that happen. So in order to combat the threat, the top magic masters of Rainbow Heart were given the title of Rainbow. There were currently seven Rainbow magical girls, and Yurika was one of them. They were specifically tasked with missions to thwart or otherwise stop Darkness Rainbow from getting their way. That was why Yurika had been defending the mana pool in room 106 for over a year.

“So their desire for freedom drove them to turn against their own government? No wonder they got along so well with the radical faction,” mused Kiriha.

While Darkness Rainbow and the People of the Earth’s radical faction had different agendas, they related with one another because they were both trying to overthrow what they perceived to be unjust systems. History was full of examples of organizations banding together to fight a common enemy, which was more or less what they’d done. Kiriha wasn’t wrong about that, but Maki didn’t think she had the whole picture, either.

“Strictly speaking, the first spark was an internal conflict within Rainbow Heart about whether or not Folsarians should try to return to their ancestral home. Darkness Rainbow was founded by those who disagreed with what the kingdom decreed. They were actually a part of Rainbow Heart originally.”

“Really? Wow... I had no idea it was that complicated.”

Koutarou was surprised by this revelation. He’d only thought that Darkness Rainbow was a coalition of evil magical girls. But taking the time to think about it rationally, it made sense. This wasn’t some anime or manga; good and bad wasn’t such a black and white affair. Of course Darkness Rainbow had a reason for being the way they were.

“The Magical Kingdom of Folsaria was founded by a group of people who were exiled from their home after committing a terrible crime hundreds of years ago. They’ve chosen to continue to honor that and stay where they are.”

Folsaria was a proper kingdom led by a sovereign king. Their grave crime in the past had been rebelling against a former king in the name of wealth and power. In the end, they were punished for their greed and treachery and sentenced to banishment. As proof of their penance, the Folsarians created a new kingdom with a king they promised to honor. As further penance still, they agreed to continue to live in exile long after the tenure of their crime.

“But the people who would go on to form Darkness Rainbow couldn’t accept that. They couldn’t stand to be confined within the small borders of Folsaria for a sin they hadn’t committed.”

After many generations had passed in Folsaria, the memory of the sin they’d committed long ago began to fade in public memory, which gave rise to an important discussion.

The Magical Kingdom of Folsaria was fraught with problems. The country itself was quite small, which caused a great number of complications as the population increased. Food, living space, and other resources all came at a premium because of the high competition for them, creating a wide gap between the rich and poor. Slums, pollution, and strife all exploded as that gap only continued to increase.

When it all reached critical mass, a group of Folsarians stepped forward and advocated that the kingdom should pool its magic to return to their true home in order to overcome the crises they were facing. They felt that whatever debt for the crime the Ancient Folsarians had committed was paid, and there was no need for them to be held responsible for it even longer. They believed it was time to return home and ask for help.

Their cause quickly gained support, especially among the poorest citizens of Folsaria, and before long, the discussion split the country in two.

“But in the end, they couldn’t convince the country to act, and so they used their own magic to attempt to return home alone.”

The kingdom of Folsaria ultimately believed that if they pushed outward seeking wealth, they would in essence be setting themselves up to repeat the mistakes of their past. And so they decided to remain where they were and try to solve their problems rather than running from them. Otherwise, they’d never truly be able to redeem themselves of their past sin.

That was the just answer, and the people accepted it. The debate quickly quieted down, and the people refocused their efforts on working together towards a brighter future. The entire ordeal seemed to instill a new sense of patriotism in them. At least most of them.

But there was still a handful of citizens who weren’t happy with this decision. They banded together under the name Darkness Rainbow and left Folsaria with one goal—to use their magic as they pleased to return to their true home.

“So that’s why Folsaria forbade the private use of magic...”

“Yes. At first it was just to keep people from trying to leave and causing trouble, but when Darkness Rainbow started doing more extreme things to that end, the private use of magic was banned completely.”

“But that didn’t stop Darkness Rainbow.”

“No, they refuse to give up.”

At first, Darkness Rainbow had acted purely out of a desire to return to their true home. But when Folsaria tried to stop them, they decided to continue by force if need be. The conflict between the two sides eventually escalated to where it was today.

“However, the more they fought, the more they seemed to lose their sense of purpose. Then other members joined for reasons that had nothing to do with their original mission, like me...”

In order to make up for their lack of combat potential, Darkness Rainbow began recruiting new members under the auspices of the free use of magic. It worked, but it also diluted their ambitions, promoting freedom of magic over their desire to return home.

“Darkness Rainbow now is just a shadow of their past ideals and dreams. They’ve lost their purpose and taken the wrong path, making them a mere shell of what they used to be. So our enemy is the seven... No, the six magical girls who represent that organization.”

The current Darkness Rainbow had lost its way, yet continued to openly pursue the free use of magic. And it was to that end that they now sought to overthrow the Folsarian government.

“You guys sure have a lot going on.”

“Sanae-chan... I was pulled into the organization without knowing better, but yes. The situation certainly is complex, isn’t it?”

“Just stick with me and you’ll be fine!”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

And so, with an understanding of Darkness Rainbow and their goals, Koutarou and the others now had a clue about what they might be doing in Kisshouharukaze City.

“Knowing what we do, their target is no doubt the mana in this room. They’ll need its power to go after Folsaria, after all.”

That was the conclusion Koutarou had personally reached. In preparation for their decisive battle, Darkness Rainbow was trying to take the mana pooled in room 106. They’d probably kidnapped the children to use as hostages.

“Koutarou, I’m afraid you may be underestimating the situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“If they’re doing something as blatant as serial kidnapping, I suspect their big move is at hand. They may challenge Rainbow Heart immediately after this mission is complete.”

Kiriha feared the worst. Up until now, the magicians on both sides had been keeping low profiles in order not to draw attention to themselves. They always made sure to cover their tracks, including erasing the memories of anyone who happened to witness them, and casting wards to keep bystanders away. Their stance was essentially to keep the common person from believing magic was real.

But Darkness Rainbow wasn’t playing by the rules this time. They’d kidnapped innocent children, something that was bound to raise immediate alarm in the city. It would inevitably turn into a major incident, including police involvement or worse. And after causing such a fuss, it would be much harder for Darkness Rainbow to do anything in Kisshouharukaze City in the future.

So it seemed the only reason to pull such a daring move was if they never intended to return. And the explanation for that was obvious. After getting what they needed to out of the city, they would go straight for Rainbow Heart.

“From a strategic point of view, the even more troublesome part is that our enemy doesn’t seem to be taking into consideration the outcome here.”

Theia folded her arms with an austere expression. As someone who naturally saw things from the perspective of the battlefield, there was another major problem in her eyes.

“They’re not taking the outcome here into consideration? What do you mean? That they don’t need to win against us?”

“That’s right. Since there’s no strategy that can guarantee victory 100 percent, a commander usually comes up with failsafes in addition to a plan—what they’ll do if things go wrong. That being the case, these kidnappings raise a red flag.”

“Ah, I see! There is no do-over if they screw this up!”

With the whole city on high alert, Darkness Rainbow wouldn’t have enough magic power to brainwash the entire population even if they pooled their resources together. They wouldn’t get a second chance at this mission.

“That’s right. And that’s a problem because it means they don’t care what happens here. If they’re not concerned about the fallout, they must not be planning on sticking around.”

What Kiriha and Theia had surmised would be invaluable in determining how to proceed. However, there was still one big lingering question. Having picked up in it, Harumi raised her hand like she was asking for permission to speak.

“But, Theiamillis-san, wasn’t Darkness Rainbow targeting room 106 so they could fight against Rainbow Heart?”

“Yes, I’m sure they’re still hoping to get their hands on it.”

“You mean to say they don’t actually have to have it?”

“No, there’s no need to be so stuck on this room now. Not now that they have a replacement.”

“A replacement?”

Harumi didn’t follow and titled her head quizzically to the side. Clan adjusted her glasses and spoke up to explain it to her.

“Harumi, the underground’s radical faction has shared their technology with them.”

“Ah...”

Harumi’s eyes opened wide. She now finally understood what Darkness Rainbow was thinking.

“The magicians should have now have access to spiritual energy technology and the weapons made with it. I’m sure they’ll use that to make up for their lack of manpower,” Clan said, shaking her head at the desperate situation.

“Say, Theia-chan, I don’t really get it, but...”

Shizuka was the next to raise her hand. She understood what Darkness Rainbow was thinking, but that confused her even more.

“If they think it’s fine to lose, why even bother attacking? Can’t they just leave us be?”

Shizuka couldn’t get her head around why Darkness Rainbow would attack even though they’d already gotten what they needed from the radical faction. Coming after room 106 anyway just seemed extraneous.

“Looking at the bigger picture, it could be a diversion. Perhaps they’re trying to buy time for something. Kiriha, what do you think?”

“Maybe while Darkness Rainbow attacks room 106, Maya and Elexis are scheming in the background?”

“Kiriha-sama may be right, Your Highness. Maya and Elexis both vanished before the battle underground was settled.”

“How ominous. Who knows what those two are up to?”

Maya and Elexis were pretty much guaranteed trouble for Koutarou and the others. While it looked like they were working with the underground radical faction and Darkness Rainbow at first glance, it was impossible to say what their real goal was. Elexis was an especially dangerous wildcard. As a result, in addition to everything else, Koutarou and the others had to worry about what they might be cooking up elsewhere. Just what were they up to? Everyone fell silent as they pondered the unknowable answer to that ominous question.

“Nothing will come from dwelling on those two scheming thorns in our side. Let’s limit ourselves to the problem at hand—Darkness Rainbow.”

The discussion about Maya and Elexis had quickly hit a wall, so Clan tried to get the meeting back on a productive track.

“That’s awfully convincing coming from the former princess of scheming.”

Koutarou had a good laugh at Clan’s expense, which infuriated her to no end.

“Veltlion! Why are you always only mean to me?! Why can’t you be nicer like you are with everyone else?!”

Clan was shouting loud enough and looked mad enough that she might just attack Koutarou. Koutarou, however, didn’t flinch. He just kept laughing.

“That wasn’t being mean. I said former princess of scheming.”

“Ugh... A-Ahem, anyway! Back to Darkness Rainbow!”

“Yeah, that’s what we were talking about before someone blew their top.”

“I hate you...”

“You love me.”

“See? You are most certainly being mean to me!”

“Yeah, that one was on purpose.”

Koutarou and Clan’s banter lightened the atmosphere in the room and lifted everyone’s spirits just a little bit. Kiriha seemed the most amused by them, but after laughing for a moment, a serious expression returned to her face.

“Now then, to summarize what we know... Darkness Rainbow is planning on attacking room 106, but that is not their end goal here. They’re hoping to claim the mana pool if they can, but that side mission is most likely a feint or a ploy to buy time. Therefore, the chances of them running away when the time comes are high. They can’t afford to lose anyone or waste resources here with their decisive battle on the horizon.”

Darkness Rainbow wanted the mana pool if they could get it, but it wasn’t absolutely critical. That meant they’d be playing defensively, and they wouldn’t hesitate to retreat if need be.

“Running away, huh? If this were an anime or something, they would have a secret passage or a helicopter ready to escape from their secret mountain base.”

Sanae had been listening to what Kiriha was saying, but her only frame of reference was what she’d seen in anime. Normally someone would get angry at her and tell her to take things seriously after a comment like that, but they were going up against a group of magicians. What Sanae was suggesting wasn’t totally out of the question.

“Now that I think about it... Nana-san mentioned something to me. She said a ritual that requires ten children would have to take place in a building large enough to accommodate it. Something really big.”

Yurika threw out another point for consideration. When it came to ritual magic, the scale of the spell, the size of the magic circle, and the energy required to activate it were all proportional. In other words, the more children they kidnapped to use as energy, the more serious the spell and the bigger an area they’d need to prepare it.

“So that means that they might be in the mountains like Sanae-sama suggested. There’s nowhere that big in the city, after all,” Ruth informed everyone after checking a hologram map projected by her bracelet.

The magic circle Maya had used eleven years ago had been the size of a small parking lot, and that was for only one child. Even when accounting for improvements in techniques over the years, if Darkness Rainbow had ten children in their clutches now, they’d need somewhere as big as a baseball stadium to perform the ritual. Occupying somewhere like that in town without being noticed would be difficult, so it seemed likely they’d chosen a secluded area.

“Abandoned commercial facilities and unused tunnels in the mountains would be good candidates.”

“I ran into Crimson at the edge of town, so it could be there.”

Maki had encountered Crimson while she was looking for clues about the missing children, and she didn’t think it was by coincidence. She figured whatever facility they were using was likely nearby.

“All right, Ruth. Generate a list of potential locations.”

“As you wish, my princess.”

Ruth used both her map data and drones from Blue Knight to search out and narrow down possible ritual sites. While everyone was waiting for that, Shizuka asked something that had been on her mind this entire time.

“By the way, what kind of ritual are we talking about? What are they going to do?”

She was curious about the ritual itself. Everyone had been talking about how Darkness Rainbow was going to use a ritual, but she didn’t know why or what for. She was a complete amateur when it came to magic and couldn’t even imagine what the answer might be.

“I believe they either intend to attack us outright, create weapons, or summon demons.”

Maki could think of three possible uses for their ritual. Eleven years ago, Maya had used one such ritual to accumulate mana, but it seemed all too likely that Darkness Rainbow had a more specific goal in mind.

“How sure are you?” Koutarou asked.

“Very,” Maki answered with a serious nod.

There was a heavy moment of silence in the room. Maki’s expression made Koutarou feel both sad and restless.

“...That’s what I would have done.”

Maki had once been part of Darkness Rainbow. That’s why she knew better than anyone what they might be up to. While she’d never used another human being as an energy source, she had used ritual magic before. It was something she regretted now.

Koutarou and the others’ speculation was on point. Darkness Rainbow was preparing their ritual in the spacious basement of an abandoned building on the outskirts of town. They’d used magic to manipulate several people in the area, and the owner of this particular building was one of them.

“How’s it going, Blue-san?”

“It’s activating properly. Look. It’s rapidly absorbing the life force from these flowers.”

After seeing off Crimson, who had gone to rescue Maki, Dark Green and Dark Blue continued their work on the magic circle. They’d only just finished it, and were now testing out their handiwork. They placed a bouquet in the center of the circle and activated it to see what would happen. And sure enough, the flowers quickly wilted as their life force and spiritual energy were drained.

“The spiritual energy condenser is functioning normally. Same with the converter. There are no issues to report.”

“That’s good. We can move ahead as planned, then.”

It had only taken a few seconds for the bouquet to wither into dried flowers. That was the fate that awaited the ten children who would be used as a battery for the actual ritual.

“It’s still too early to relax. This is where you come in.”

“That’s right. I’ll do my best.”

As for why Crimson and Green had brought Blue along in the first place, her title as a magical girl revealed the answer. They needed her blue magic. Using mana to bend space-time, she could summon objects and creatures from afar or send them away. And the large-scale ritual they’d worked to prepare today was actually a giant summoning spell.

Koutarou and his allies were strong. However, they had one obvious weakness—there were only nine of them. Even if they forced the captive Maki to fight, they only numbered ten strong. That meant if Darkness Rainbow attacked more than ten places at once, Koutarou and the others would never be able to defend it all. So to accomplish that, they were going to summon ten powerful demons. That’s why they needed ten children. Koutarou and his allies would have to split up to handle the demons individually, leaving Darkness Rainbow free to go seize an undefended room 106.

“I’ll bring the children over. Blue-san, please begin the initial preparations.”

“Understood. I’ll leave the children to you.”

Such a serious ritual would take about three hours and appropriate preparations ahead of time. Not only did they need to make sure all their tools were in place, but they would have to eat and drink plenty since they wouldn’t be able to during the ritual. It was a physically demanding task, and they needed to make sure they were up for it.

“Oh?”

Green was heading towards the corner where the children were caged, but she stopped halfway. Something at the entrance to the basement had caught her eye.

“What is it?”

“It looks like Crimson is back.”

As a specialist in divination, Green wasn’t just good at predicting the future. Gathering information and various forms of intelligence were also easy for her. She had a magical surveillance network cast around the entire building, allowing her to detect anyone approaching. And it seemed Crimson was near.

“But something’s strange. She’s walking so slowly...”

Eventually Crimson got close enough that Green could see her. And when she did, her face went pale.

“Oh no, Crimson is badly hurt! Blue-san, come help me!”

“Right!”

The two of them were supposed to be working on preparing the ritual, but put that aside in order to go assist their wounded ally.

Because Crimson had been caught up in her own explosion spell, she looked far more hurt than she actually was. Most of her wounds were superficial burns. Blue used the mana she’d gained from draining the bouquet of flowers to heal Crimson enough that she could move normally.

“Thanks, Blue. I never would’ve been able to show my face again if I’d had to retire from a mission because I got nailed with one of my own spells.”

“Your own spell?! You mean you used Explosion on yourself?!”

“Just what happened, Crimson? What about Navy-san?”

Crimson had left to save Navy—Maki—but had returned injured and alone. Moreover, she claimed that her injuries were her own doing. Blue and Green had no idea what had happened.

“I fought Maki.”

“You fought?! Why?!”

“She’s been completely brainwashed by those guys. So when I went to save her, she attacked me. It was a trap.”

“Brainwashed...? Navy-san...?”

“I’ve known Maki for a long time, so I want to save her, but... I don’t see how it’d be possible right now.”

“Then why did you use Explosion on yourself?”

“Maki used her stupid Memory Flash spell on me and it went south for both of us. The fight basically ended in a draw.”

Crimson told Green and Blue what had happened, but left out certain details. She didn’t tell them that rather than a captive, Maki was a traitor. She knew what consequences that would have for Maki, and she didn’t want that.

Turns out I’m surprisingly sentimental, Maki...

Crimson surprised even herself in not telling her allies the truth. But between what Maki had said about being friends and Crimson’s desire to fight her again, she felt something. Even if she couldn’t see it for herself, she wanted to be friends with Maki too.

“At any rate, we can consider Maki to be an enemy for now. If it comes to that, I’ll kill her myself.”

“I’ll leave that to you, Crimson.”

“Green, any modifications to the plan?”

“None. I anticipated the worst case scenario—Navy-san being brainwashed—so that’s been factored into the plan already.”

“All right. I’ll get back to it, then.”

“Please do.”

On one hand, Crimson was relieved that Green and Blue bought her story, but on the other, she was a little disappointed that neither one of them seemed to care at all about Maki. In her heart of hearts, she slowly started to realize that was why Maki had left them in the first place.

Though Crimson’s wounds had been healed, she was still exhausted and charred. So after taking a shower and changing her clothes, she took a break to have dinner in one of the smaller rooms in the building. As she sat down to eat, her thoughts turned to Maki once again. She was happy that she had been able to fight a stronger Maki, but now that it was over, she felt somewhat sad. She was desperately pondering why. It wasn’t going well, but it at least got her mind off of Kiriha and Koutarou, the enemies she’d been fixating on.

While Crimson was in the middle of eating, a voice suddenly came from behind her.

“What is this? For someone wounded in battle, you seem awfully fine.”

When she turned around, Crimson saw a girl wearing an umber outfit had entered the room. It was Dark Orange, the most energetic and fashion-forward member of Darkness Rainbow. She also had strong opinions, especially about things she disliked. Maki had said that Orange was just like a kid, and Crimson agreed with her.

“Orange... Purple and Yellow too...”

“I’m glad you weren’t injured that badly.”

“You think you’ll still be able to participate?”

Behind Orange were two other girls dressed in violet and ocher—Dark Purple and Dark Yellow respectively. Purple was the most mature member of Darkness Rainbow, and often acted as a mediator. In contrast to her cute appearance, Yellow was the most obstinate of the group. Once she set her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it.

“If you’re all here, does that mean it’s already time?”

According to the plan, the three of them weren’t scheduled to show up until the ritual was nearly ready. And if they were already here, it meant Crimson had spent a lot longer than she’d realized lost in thought. However, Purple shook her head.

“There’s still time yet. We came early just in case after hearing you’d been injured.”

It would be another two and a half hours before the ritual was ready. Purple had decided to show up early as a precaution. If Maki was on the move for the enemy, they might be discovered sooner than expected.

“Since we don’t want the enemy interfering with the ritual, we’re going to set up some countermeasures.”

“You just rest, Crim-chan. If the enemy really does show up, you’ll get your time to shine.”

Purple had brought Yellow and Orange along with her to guard the building. Knowing that Maki would likely report her encounter with Crimson to Rainbow Heart, Purple thought they should hurry to finish the ritual as quickly as possible.

“Purple, what did Green say?”

“She said the odds are about 20 percent.”

She was referring to the odds of Rainbow Heart arriving earlier than expected now. Green had been able to divine that much with her magic.

“That high, huh? Guess I better take this seriously.”

That 20 percent probability meant that there was a one in five chance that Rainbow Heart would show up across all possible futures. Factoring in the other potential problems they might face, this significantly increased their odds of running into trouble. That was why Purple had rushed over when she heard the news.

“Regardless, just leave things to us while you rest up. That’s your new mission, Crimson.”

“Okay. I’m counting on you, Purple.”

“Good. As sudden as it may be, then, we’ll be off.”

“See you.”

“Until next time.”

Leaving Crimson behind, the three other girls exited the small room.

“Heh, so the fighting’s gonna start soon, huh?”

While Crimson had been lost in thought before the three appeared, her mind was now racing with thoughts of her next battle. She couldn’t deny the sentimental feelings still lingering in her heart, but fighting was everything to her. That’s why she couldn’t take Maki’s hand. Maki liked Crimson because she was so straightforward and earnest. It was just a shame her first love was battle.

Koutarou and the others decided on a plan and began searching for the kidnapped children once more. They had two leads this time: they knew that Darkness Rainbow had to be somewhere big enough to accommodate their ritual, and that it was likely near where Maki had run into Crimson.

There were plenty of large buildings around Kisshouharukaze City that went up during the economic boom, but when the bubble burst, most of them ended up abandoned. Two such buildings happened to be on the outskirts of town in the vicinity of Maki’s encounter with Crimson.

The first was a closed down mall. Construction had started on it in hopes of creating a massive shopping center that would make use of a new expressway that was also being built. The bubble then burst and the expressway plans were nixed, but because construction had already begun on the mall, the investors went through with it and saw the project to completion. The mall opened on schedule, but without the expressway to bring in traffic, once the initial hype died down, it went under in just a few years. No one was willing to take the space after that because it was in an inconvenient location with bad traffic, and as a result, all that was left there was a massive husk of an unused building.

The second potential location was a resort hotel that was over fifty years old. It had been the largest of its kind in the area when it first opened, but by today’s standards, it was merely average. The aging property saw a steady drop-off in its clientele over the decades, and the owners eventually gave up the ghost a few years ago.

Both the abandoned mall and hotel had plenty of space and would be perfect for holding the ritual. With time of the essence, Koutarou and the others didn’t feel like they could risk searching each in turn, so they split into two teams of five led by Yurika and Maki respectively. That was the logical call, considering they were the two resident experts in magic. Yurika’s team consisted of Harumi, Kiriha, Shizuka, and Clan, while Maki had Koutarou, Sanae, Theia, and Ruth with her. The teams had been designed to evenly split firepower and resources.

If there was any flaw in their plan, it was that they were leaving room 106. But with children’s lives on the line, stopping the ritual was their top priority. It worked in their favor that Darkness Rainbow likely wouldn’t launch their attack until the ritual was complete. They wouldn’t be able to take over the mana in room 106 instantly, either. It would take some work to capture the ancient power in any meaningful way that they could use.

As such, leaving a few of Kiriha’s subordinates and unmanned fighters from Blue Knight felt adequate for now. They could defend room 106 to the best of their ability and function like an alarm system. They would let Koutarou and the others know if anyone attacked, and they should be able to make it back in time to help defend the apartment. So with that covered, the children came first. Saving their lives was more than worth taking a few risks.

Tensions were high before everyone even left the apartment. The most nervous of all was, unsurprisingly, Yurika. She’d been a leader in battle before, but this would be her first time genuinely taking command of a group. It was a completely different feeling.

“Sanae-chan, do you think I’ll be good enough as a commander?”

Anxious, Yurika asked her good friend Sanae for her opinion. Really, she was hoping Sanae would object so she would have a reason to back down and trade places with someone.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

However, betraying her hopes, Sanae encouraged her.

“I’m not...”

“It’ll all work out.”

Not the best with words, Sanae didn’t bother explaining why she thought so, but she did have a proper reason for believing in Yurika. She had only been able to return to her body because Yurika had put herself on the line to protect her. Really, Sanae knew that Yurika would save her life because she’d already done it once. As such, she had implicit, unshakable faith in Yurika. She was useless on a day-to-day basis, but she always came through when it mattered. Sanae knew that better than anyone.

“That makes me worry...”

“Don’t do that. You’ll have Harumi and Kiriha with you. If you have any trouble, just go to them like you would me.”

“Okay, I’ll try my best!”

“Attagirl!”

In the end, Yurika decided to put her heart into being a leader. She felt an especially strong sense of duty to put a stop to Darkness Rainbow after being reunited with Nana. And thanks to that, she had an easier time steeling her nerves than normal.

“It looks like they’ll be all right after all.”

Koutarou had been the one to push for Yurika as a team leader. He was a little wary about it, but knew deep down that Yurika was most reliable in situations like this. If she had people with her to keep her together in the meantime, everything would be fine.

“Satomi-kun, I’m no Yurika, but... are you sure you’re okay with us leading the teams?”

Unlike Koutarou who was rather satisfied with the current arrangements, Maki was somewhat hesitant. She didn’t think she made a suitable leader, but for altogether different reasons than Yurika.

“Why do you ask?”

“I am part of your band of knights. My life is in your hands. That’s why you should be the one in command, Satomi-kun.”

Maki gently placed her hand on her chest. She had absolute faith in Koutarou. If he so ordered her, she would tear her own heart out and give it to him.

“If you say your life is mine, I should be allowed to do as I please with it, right? So be a leader for me, okay? You’ll do fine. Now let’s go. We need to hurry.”

If Koutarou were the leader, he would constantly need to be checking with Maki, which would just slow things down. Putting Maki and Yurika in charge would be the wisest use of their resources.

“But I used to be your enemy, Satomi-kun! I have no right to lead you now!”

Everyone knew that Maki used to be part of Darkness Rainbow. It was true that defectors were hardly ever given command of troops. It was bad for morale, and there was always a question of loyalty. However, Theia smiled wryly when she overheard Maki’s concern.

“Maki, if that’s true, then nobody here is worthy of taking command except for Harumi and Shizuka. Would you rather they lead?”

Of the nine girls present, seven of them had butted heads with Koutarou at some point in the past. Apart from Harumi and Shizuka, most of them had even tried to fight him before. By Maki’s logic, that meant they were the only ones fit to take command. And that obviously wasn’t going to happen considering dispositions and skills.

“That’s...”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Theia, Aika-san.”

Koutarou shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

“Huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“None of you should have to do this. If it wasn’t an emergency, I wouldn’t even ask for any of you to be here. That’s a last resort as far as I’m concerned.”

In Koutarou’s eyes, the girls were all equal. In his eyes, none of them should be forced to fight. But as things stood, every second counted and he needed help. That was how it always went, but he still didn’t like the idea of dragging the girls into conflict.

“Besides, I believe in you, Aika-san. How could I not trust someone who’s always praying for my future?”

On the day Maki annulled her magical contract with Koutarou, that’s what she’d told him. That she was always praying for him, and that she would cast aside her lonely walk in life to stay by his side. And Koutarou believed her. He believed in her, her words, and her smile that day. He believed that she would always be on his side.

“That’s right... I am always praying that you and the people that surround you will have a bright future...”

Maki knew that in order for Koutarou to be happy, the people around him needed to be happy too. Everyone from Kenji and his classmates to the people of the shopping street and, of course, their children. The happiness of people is naturally dependent on the people around them. When someone is happy, it’s infectious. And so Maki prayed, not just for Koutarou, but everyone in his life.

“So... what’s the actual problem?”

Seeing Maki’s reaction, Theia blinked repeatedly. She couldn’t understand the reason why Maki was so worried.

“Don’t be like that, Theia. Aika-san hasn’t spent a year and a half fooling around with us like you have.”

“Then it’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s right.”

Thanks to Koutarou and Theia, Maki finally realized that the people around her were all praying just like she was. They were praying for her too.

“Satomi-kun, Theia-san... Thank you for believing in me.”

She was so happy that tears were welling in her eyes, but she couldn’t give in to her emotions now. It was time to fight for that happiness, and so Maki fought back her tears and tightly grasped her staff.