Chapter 10
MIRA RUSHED TO PUT on her underwear and plunged into the woods without hesitation. Based on his appearance alone, she figured that the man was a trained scout. Thus, she stayed in the trees to hide her presence and tailed him using Biometric Scan rather than her eyes.
Along the way, she retrieved and donned her technomancy robes. Although she could’ve worn her Elder robes, she’d really taken a liking to the other set.
Her Biometric Scan noted a lot of wildlife in the forest. All the pings on the ground and in the trees were likely small animals, while the ones cutting through the sky were birds evading the incoming humans. Behind her was one rather large signal, but whenever she turned around, it backed off.
Mira focused on the ping at the very edge of her detection range, which belonged to the suspicious fellow. Her heart thrummed wildly in her chest all the while.
She hid and looked around the woods once again. Flora and fauna burgeoned thick. Forests were troves of materials, full of valuable things: precious herbs used as bases for recovery items, pretty fruits that could be juiced for deadly toxins, especially sturdy trees that could be used in defensive gear, and more.
The lively sounds of the forest muffled Mira’s footsteps as she weaved through the trees after her target.
***
How far had she tailed this man in a straight line now? A lake appeared ahead, and its surroundings were unnaturally quiet. It was smaller than the one by the Devils’ Labyrinth, and purple flowers floated on its surface. To Mira, it seemed incredibly peaceful.
As her mark approached the lake, Mira tucked herself behind a tree and poked her head out to observe.
Is that a child? No, it’s a spirit!
Near the center of the dim lake was a spirit who looked like a little girl. She must have been young. Her light-blue hair was long enough to cover her whole body. The spirit also wore a sparkly, translucent gown—little better than wearing nothing at all. She bore a shocking resemblance to Mira earlier that day.
The spirit girl leapt around, using the purple flowers as footholds as she played. She reached for butterflies flapping past her and laughed with joy. Watching from afar, Mira smiled in a rather grandfatherly way.
Meanwhile, the man hid in between the lake’s grassy shore and the woods.
I knew it. He wasn’t just foraging!
Spurred by unease, Mira ran toward the man, hoping to stop him. But poor terrain and the need to stay out of earshot had already slowed her approach. Now she was too late, too far away.
The man jumped into action as soon as Mira started sprinting. He crouched low and darted toward the spirit with the shortsword reverse-gripped in his hand.
“Ah… Am I too late?!”
Mira tried to advance by casting Shrinking Earth, but she couldn’t use its full potential in the thick woods. The assailant closed in on his target.
A shrill noise ripped through the silence of the lake. Mira grimaced, but what she saw next was not a young spirit’s corpse with a dagger in it.
The shortsword with suspicious glowing symbols tumbled wildly through the kaleidoscope of escaping butterflies. Someone had thrust a gleaming silver naginata between the man and the spirit.
The polearm that had repelled the man’s shortsword instantly twirled and struck like lightning. The ninja barely caught his weapon as he fell onto the lake shore. Perhaps grazed by the naginata, his mask fell into the grass when he stood.
The clash had happened in an instant, but the intervention allowed the spirit girl to flee. Now the ninja wouldn’t be able to get his hands on her.
Who is that?
After confirming the spirit’s safety, Mira hid again and watched the situation unfold. The spirit’s savior wore white-and-purple robes and a headdress; the outfit resembled a Shinto priest’s garb. His hair was black, and the naginata in his hand was engraved with a pentagram. When he landed miraculously atop the lake, the golden braided cord that hung over his bangs bounced before his eyes.
“Chimera Clausen,” the spirit’s rescuer said. “Why don’t you answer a few questions for me?”
“You must be from the Isuzu Alliance,” the ninja replied. “You sure went through a lot of effort to chase me out here, huh?”
Their words reached Mira’s ears as they stared each other down from a safe distance. The tension on the air hinted at the adversaries’ strength.
A Chimera Clausen! I thought as much. But who is that other man? I heard the ninja say “Isuzu Alliance,” but that tells me little. Either way, they’re clearly not friends.
While Mira pondered what was going on between the two, they leapt into battle.
***
The Isuzu man running across the lake suddenly stopped, bent over, and touched the water at his feet.
[Talismancy Arts: Serpent]
The talisman in his hand siphoned water from the lake; the liquid swirled upward, scattering droplets as it coiled into the shape of a snake. The priest curved right as he sprinted, while the watery snake curved left—a simple pincer attack.
His opponent observed the action, removing a vial from his pocket.
Naginata met blade, sending sparks flying. At the same time, the black-clad man tossed the vial hidden in his hand backward. The moment it touched the incoming serpent, the vial exploded and created a cascade of sand.
That alone blasted away the serpent, and the Isuzu man’s hand dropped the talisman limply to the ground. The priest looked frustrated, but he knew the name of the tool that had stopped his attack. “An Earth Spirit’s Vial?!”
Behind the black-clad man, the sand cascade had reduced the serpent to droplets.
“I heard you lot have plenty of mediums, so I came prepared!” the ninja stepped forward into striking range, using his momentum to deal the priest a piercing blow.
The priest’s left hand reached out to protect his vitals, and the brigand’s blade bit deeply into his arm. Yet even as the priest’s lips curled into a grimace, he activated his next talisman.
[Celestial Arts: Wood—Soul Divination]
As the spell activated, magic erupted from the talisman and wrapped the black-clad man’s left arm. He scowled and glared at the priest, jumping away. Shockingly, as he did so, the priest’s magic dispersed.
“Gotta be a real pain in my ass, huh?” the would-be kidnapper groaned.
Soul Divination, one of the Celestial Arts, shared the user’s pain with their target. The closer together they were, the more effective Soul Divination was. Realizing this, the ninja put distance between them to lessen the spell’s effect. Whoever this black-clad man was, he knew quite a bit about the Celestial Arts.
Despite the ninja’s swift escape, the spell still made an impression. Covered in cold sweat, he held his arm. That only lasted a moment, however, as his body recovered from the shock.
The priest used that opening for a strike.
[Celestial Arts: Water—Aquatic Reflection]
He rapidly formed a seal, prompting his opponent to go on the defensive.
The spirit-napper squinted and searched, yet he saw no medium for the priest to cast the spell from. Then he shuddered—something mysterious was wriggling his way. The priest had definitely used his magic.
“That’s…the serpent talisman?!” As if urged by something, the black-clad man began to flee.
Just as he started to run, the priest appeared behind him and wrestled him down. Pinned to the ground, the ninja glowered at the foe standing above him. The priest stared back dispassionately; the Isuzu man seemed to have captured the ninja.
Chimera Clausen goons had the power to capture spirits, and the man in black was no exception.
The Isuzu fellow had seemingly been working to arrest the ninja from the start. The serpent had been bait all along—a distraction to place another talisman behind the ninja without his knowledge. Then [Celestial Arts: Water—Aquatic Reflection] created a watery double of the snake. It was nearly impossible to escape its grasp, so it was an effective tool for apprehending targets.
Although the priest had sustained a heavy arm injury, he had succeeded in arresting the enemy—or so he thought.
The priest turned his attention to the lake. He didn’t feel the spirit’s presence, so he decided that she must have escaped. Just as he felt relief, however, his naginata fell into the grass with a thud.
“Paralyzing toxin?” The priest dropped to his knees and strained to speak as numbness spread through him. His face froze in a wince, and his eyes drifted aimlessly. His concentration shattered, the spell he was using dispersed.
“Correct.” The black-clad man readied his shortsword, looking down with devious excitement. “Time to wrap this up.”
With that, he thrust his blade downward in one practiced motion. The weapon, so black it seemed to absorb the light around them, shrieked as it slid along the face of a white tower shield.
“What?! How?!”
As the black-clad man’s eyes bulged in shock, he detected someone behind him. That seemed unthinkable, and he whipped around. Before he could fix his eyes on the assailant, a fiery blow sent him flying.
The white shield disappeared, and the priest saw a silver-haired girl with a black coat standing before him.
“You’re paralyzed, right?” she asked. “Wait there a moment.” Ignoring how her clothes fluttered from the shock waves, Mira focused on the black-clad man.
***
Mira was unable to sit and watch as the priest-looking fellow was suddenly overcome.
She knew nothing of the priest’s background or what the Isuzu Alliance was. But it was clear that Chimera Clausen, people who targeted spirits, were her enemy. Thus, it wasn’t difficult to decide who to side with.
“You—”
Before the priest could speak another word, Mira vanished in the direction of the ninja. A moment later, there was a muffled groan, and the black shortsword stabbed into the ground.
“Damn it… Aren’t you just a summoner? Why are you here?!” The man in black clenched his teeth in pain as he glared up at Mira, pouring the contents of another vial onto his badly burned arm. The liquid seemed to be a restorative, mending the injury a little.
“I should ask you the same. Why, I recall you saying you were going back to your village, hm?”
“I got a little lost, okay?!” His voice hoarse, the man withstood the pain and threw the vial aside before facing Mira head-on. As he stared her down, he palmed another vial behind his back.
“Either way, you’re clearly up to no good. Why don’t you tell me more?”
“There’s nothing to tell. Besides, why should I say anything to you?” His eyes held harsh contempt for Mira—and vengeful bloodlust.
In a flash, Mira picked a technique to close the distance between them.
[Immortal Arts Movement: Shrinking Earth]
As she blinked out of existence for a split second, the ninja attacked wildly in all directions. It seemed he knew how to combat this sort of technique as well.
Based on the magic he’d seen so far, he realized that Mira was a sage—and a strong one at that. With a bitter chuckle, he understood that he’d failed the moment he believed her lie that she was a summoner, the weakest of all mages. Now assuming that she was a member of the Isuzu Alliance, he prepared the perfect means to deal with her.
In his hand was a Lightning Spirit’s Numbing Vial. Once he broke it, the motor nerves of any living thing nearby would go haywire. The vial would also affect him, of course, but he wore gear equipped with lightning and paralysis resistance. That would minimize the vial’s effects and allow him to move while the girl was paralyzed completely.
He squeezed the vial until it was close to cracking.
As he did, Mira appeared directly in front of him. She thrust out her fist, wrapped in raging winds, and tore into the black-clad man with merciless cutting air. Somehow, he withstood it. He desperately held her back, even as his limbs screamed in agony. Then he crushed the vial before the impact could throw it out of his hand.
“I…win!”
Electricity surrounded the man. Assured of his victory, he smirked, blood trickling down his cheek and into his mouth. As numbness crept through his body, his muscles contracted, and he fell backward.
With each second that passed, the effect faded. He’d come prepared, so he would recover before anyone else. Soon enough, he would be mobile, and the girl would be helpless. That was his ultimate strategy.
But the paralysis turned to pain before it could dissipate.
[Forbidden Immortal Arts: Unsealed Demon’s Eye]
[Forbidden Immortal Arts: Paralyzing Demon’s Gaze]
“Ngh… Ah! Aaagh!” Unbearable agony coursed through him, drawing a howl from the depths of his gut. Next to him was Mira, standing tall with eyes glowing gold. She had used the Demon’s Eye. The man writhed in pain and a hefty dose of paralysis thanks to her Paralyzing Demon’s Gaze.
“I had a feeling you were hiding something.” Mira prodded his hand with her foot to open it. His fingers were dyed with blood and pierced by many shards of glass—proof that something had shattered in his hand.
“How? How…can you still move?” the black-clad man asked, looking up at Mira.
His vial’s paralysis effect must have hit her. Even when one wore gear specialized against paralysis, the Numbing Vial still couldn’t be fully resisted. Yet it showed no sign of actually working on her.
Mira revealed the back of her right hand to the man as he glared. The lighting made it difficult to see, but he laughed with regret and surrender, apparently understanding exactly what was going on when he saw the faint mark of a feather on her skin.
“Ha ha! A blessing, huh? You’re no joke.”
The feather mark was the symbol of the fairy’s blessing that Mariana had given Mira—the symbol of their bond. Fairies’ blessings existed in as many forms as there were fairies, and each was as strong as one’s bond with the fairy.
Mariana’s blessing conferred resistance to status ailments, and she loved Mira so much that it created total immunity. The Lightning Spirit’s Numbing Vial was among the strongest paralysis-inducing magical tools. If Mira could withstand that, she could withstand anything.
It was then that the Isuzu Alliance man approached with tottering steps. The paralysis had seemingly worn off. “I don’t know who you are, but you saved my life. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I happen to have some beef with these Chimera Clausen fellows myself,” Mira replied, moving her gaze from her feet to the priest. Her eyes had returned to their usual light blue.
A woman appeared before Mira and offered the priest her shoulder. In her white outfit, she reminded Mira of Japanese Yamabushi—white-clad, mountain ascetic hermits who sought enlightenment and rejuvenation in the peaks. However, her long blonde hair and blue eyes made her seem less a hermit and more a noblewoman.
“So, who are you people?” Mira asked. “This man called you ‘Isuzu Alliance.’ Is this woman one of your allies too?”
“Yes, she’s an ally. And it’s true, I’m a member of the Isuzu Alliance. You may call me Blue.”
“Likewise, call me White,” said the woman.
“I know it’s rude to give you fake names after you saved my life,” Blue continued, “But there are…complications. I’d appreciate some discretion.”
“Blue” and “White” seemed to be code names. To be fair, though, Mira wasn’t exactly using her real name either.
“Very well. I’m Mira.” She introduced herself before glancing down. There, she saw the paralyzed man in black looking directly up her skirt with vacant eyes. She gave him a light kick in the head before asking Blue and White, “What do we do about this fellow?”
“If you don’t mind, we’d like to take him in,” Blue replied. “We’ll haul him off to our base nearby and interrogate him.”
Mira pretended to think for a moment before answering, “Your base? Might I tag along?”
The Isuzu Alliance—an organization that opposed Chimera Clausen—might be related to Meowmaru, the cat shikigami who protected spirits. Mira had encountered Meowmaru on the way home from Karanak.
Blue frowned. “Hmm. I would love for you to, given what you did for us, but I’m unfortunately just a grunt. I can’t make any promises. We will stop at a camp along the way, though. I’ll see if the captain agrees. How about that?” Though he was indebted to Mira, Blue couldn’t take someone he’d just met to such a vital location.
Mira understood their need for discretion and accepted the terms, then handed the man at her feet over to Blue and White.
The pair were quite skilled at their work. They wrapped the man in a blanket, stuck a stick through it, and carried the stick on their shoulders. The pattern on the blanket was a magic seal; when someone was wrapped inside, it reduced their abilities to a mere 10 percent. This magical tool was indispensable for escort and capture missions.
***
After leaving the lake, the party pushed through the greenery toward the Isuzu Alliance’s camp. Along the way, a thought struck Mira.
“Come to think of it… White, yes? You appeared out of nowhere. Where were you during the fight?”
The two agents smiled at each other and began to explain. First off, the Isuzu Alliance typically worked in pairs. Blue and White had been watching the man in black for a few days, tailing him.
Today, they had witnessed Mira talking with the man. However, since they’d kept their distance to avoid him discovering them, they hadn’t been able to make out the conversation. They assumed it might have been a knowledge exchange between allies. As such, they were forced to split up.
“Blue followed this man, and I followed you,” White explained. “But it’s weird; whenever I got close enough, you’d turn around. I thought you might’ve just had good intuition, but it looks like you use Immortal Arts. You must’ve noticed me by using your Biometric Scan.”
Mira murmured, “So, that was you.” She’d had a feeling.
“Once I knew how far back I needed to stay, I kept my distance and followed you. That’s why I realized what was going on so late…” White puffed out her cheeks, sulking.
Blue simply shrugged and said, “Good grief. All that runaround for nothing.”
Now understanding just how long they’d been onto him, the man strung up on their shoulders stared into the distance with misty eyes.
“By the way, miss…” White said. “With your fighting style, and the range of your Biometric Scan, you must be great at Immortal Arts.”
She looked at Mira—or rather, Mira’s clothes—with great interest. The young woman’s outfit was in the very popular magical girl style. White was rather disappointed in her own yamabushi-like hermit garb’s lack of cuteness.
“Actually, I’m a summoner!” Despite a feeling of déjà vu, Mira would not budge on this point.
“Hmm?” White cocked her head in confusion.
“Sure! And I’m an accountant!” Blue added with a laugh. One could hardly blame them for their reactions after they’d seen Mira’s skills.
Swearing to herself that she wouldn’t be mistaken again, Mira summoned a Dark Knight directly in front of them. However, because she required no preparation before summoning, Blue and White thought that a true Dark Knight had appeared out of nowhere. They instantly readied themselves for battle, a credit to their skills.
The man in black groaned as he hit the ground.
“No! Wait! This Dark Knight is one of my summons,” Mira cried out, a tad too late. The Dark Knight waited calmly by Mira’s side as proof of her words.
“Jeez… Don’t surprise us like that.”
“Really! You could’ve said that first.”
Blue and White backed away from the rather terrifying Dark Knight and gradually let down their guard.
“A-apologies.” Mira swallowed her pride for a moment, even though she’d literally said she was a summoner only a few seconds earlier.
Meanwhile, the man in black struggled in vain against an enemy of a different sort. Blue and White had dropped him directly onto an ant nest, and now the angry insects were swarming him.
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