seems so”

However, regardless of whichever one was correct, Tatsuya listened to Mikihiko.

“From the start, I expected to dispatch a security team to check the conditions of the site but, I think I’ll add myself to it”

“Therefore?”

“You can join the security team in charge of that for me right, Tatsuya?”

Mikihiko answered Tatsuya’s question with a question.

Tatsuya was not urged to reply to Mikihiko’s question.

“I can”

“Then, it would be okay for you to move freely within the city and its environs. Under the pretext of ensuring nothing like what happened last year occurs, the site area to search can be seen as very wide”

“I’m grateful for that. Then, what about you, Mikihiko?”

“I’ll be the decoy. I’ll hit the New International Conference Center serving as the site with a gaudy investigative spell, I will try with all my might to cause a backlash to the Traditionalists’ senses”

“Got it”

Tatsuya smirked understanding Mikihiko’s intentions.

“If the Traditionalists come after me then I can legally claim self‐defense. If that happens it won’t be Tatsuya’s business since they’re picking a fight with the Yoshida family”

“The difference in combat power won’t be a problem?”

“If it’s a one to one confrontation then, I absolutely won’t lose in terms of ability. If the Traditionalists try to overwhelm the Yoshida clan by numbers alone then the other traditional occult groups won’t take it lying down. The important thing is the other side picks the fight. Because members of the ancient style traditions place importance on titles. If I picked the fight then they would probably mill around like gawkers but, if they pick the fight make no mistake they would intercede”

Tatsuya swiftly ran the simulations for those situations in his head. He feared that fellow members of the ancient occult traditions would have a grandiose clash with magic and turn the city and its environs into a battlefield. The police and the military would have their hands full suppressing it and Zhou Gongjin would seize his chance to flee.

However, if it appeared as if the Traditionalists picked the fight first and the Ancient occult tradition magicians interceded that would give him an excuse to investigate the inner workings of the Traditionalists. For Tatsuya that would mean he could anticipate extremely desirable developments.

“If the other side doesn’t start something?”

“Then my ritual will find Tatsuya’s target. Your opponent is an occult magician from the continent, right? So his psion waves would be different. Thanks to Tatsuya working me to the bone, My awareness of psion waves is at last a skill I’m extremely proficient at. I’m confident that among Ancient occult practitioners I have no superiors”

“Big talk”

As Tatsuya smiled, Mikihiko did not deny that he was bragging. He could discern the differences between the techniques of ancient magicians. He did not recognize similar habits in the psion waves of modern magicians. Because it would be meaningless, even if he observed psion waves that had not yet become spells. Too many different practical methods had been born from Modern magic’s framework to research. For example, even the Stars had almost no magicians who were modern magic magicians that could implement a way to detect the psion waves of parasites as accurately as he himself could.

Mikihiko had a firm foundation to base his confidence on.

“What are you going to do about Mizuki?”

The Mikihiko’s face that had been overflowing with confidence was suddenly clouded. Tatsuya found that easily understood change strange but even he had enough discretion not to laugh at this kind of moment.

“.....it is too dangerous for Shibata san to go with me”

“Then I’ll arrange for Mizuki’s protection”

“Can you take care of it?”

“Of course. After all, this was originally my problem”

Mikihiko sighed, relieved.; he probably thought Tatsuya would make arrangements with the JSDF.

The truth was he had already had Yakumo’s students protecting Mizuki but, he intended to have another team dispatched from a different source than Mikihiko expected just in case.

“When shall we do it?”

“I’ll lay the groundwork on the school’s side of things as the public morals chief....Friday?”

“Understood. I’ll tell Miyuki to make the preparations in secret on the student council’s side of things”

“.....but, you’re a member of the student council as well, Tatsuya? Do it yourself”

Tatsuya didn’t reply to that , just made a malicious smirk.

Mikihiko also made a pained smile and stood up.

? ? ?

Common Era 2096, October 11th, Sunday evening, a certain place within the city limits of Kyoto.

The sky was heavy with clouds and even now rain threatened to pour out of the black night sky.

Even this park that was a place for people to rest during the day, now that it was the middle of night showed little sign of the presence of people. And on this particular evening, there were only two human silhouettes.

“Nakura‐sama. Have I made you wait?”

Zhou Gongjin called out to Nakura who was standing by the riverside as he walked from upstream.

“No, you are right on time, Zhou san”

Nakura looked up and replied with a suitably friendly greeting.

Although they both extended their hands, they were still careful to keep exactly the right distance as they faced each other.

“It’s been about two months”

Zhou started the conversation,

“Yes, I haven’t contacted you for a while. Even if I tried to visit, I do not know where your new residence is, you will just have to forgive me”

Nakura countered Zhou’s Jab with matching bluntness.

“Last month, I was surprised by a matter suddenly coming up that left me no choice but to move. If you knew about it beforehand, you could have informed me”

“No, I cannot express how impossible it would have been. Considering who your opponent was, it is inevitable that we couldn’t have gotten a clue beforehand”

Zhou had turned tail and ran away from Kuroba at Nakura’s directive and Zhou was being sarcastic when he spoke about it being too tough for the Saegusa clan to get inside information from the Yotsuba. Zhou made a graceful smile at the honest look that Nakura met his ill tempered outburst with. ‐‐‐This was their normal way of interaction.

“So then, Nakura‐sama, what could be your business today”

Zhou’s smile was so unshaken as if his face didn’t know how to make any other expression but a smile as he questioned Nakura. There was no trace of impatience. The situation was not suitable for a long conversation.

“Zhou san, are you aware of Kudou joining forces with Yotsuba”

Zhou’s eyebrows twitched in surprise. Still, his smile did not collapse. “No...could it be because of me?”

“I believe the situation is thus, Zhou san, the Yotsuba clan knows that the Traditionalists are sheltering you, so they requested the aid of the Kudou clan who have an adversarial relationship with the Traditionalists”

“Hahahahaha....”

Zhou suddenly burst out laughing.

“I’ve become quite prominent. Not just the Yotsuba who are at the pinnacle of the strongest in the modern world even the former holders of the title ‘the strongest’, the Kudou are aiming for me”

Zhou Gongjin laugh seemed so happy.

He did not get desperate; this was not the madness of someone driven into a corner.

From the start, tranquility disturbed him‐‐‐his laugh gave off that impression.

“The Kudou clan with their long hostile relationship with the Traditionalists have probably investigated them thoroughly. I believe without a doubt it will take long to pinpoint your hiding place”

Nakura was unmoved by Zhou’s weirdness and indifferently continued his analysis.

Zhou quelled his laughter and answered in a cynical voice.

“Right, certainly. The gentlefolks of the Traditionalists have taken care of me for nearly two months, however, just about now would be a suitable time to take my leave. So do you Nakura‐sama or rather the Saegusa clan say that they can furnish me with a new hiding place?”

“Yes”

That didn’t seem to be the answer he was expecting. Zhou cast a doubtful eye upon the agreeing Nakura.

“Let us speak frankly. The Saegusa cannot permit you to fall into Yotsuba hands, Zhou san. Because the link between you, Zhou san, and the Saegusa clan absolutely must not be revealed”

“So you prepared an escape route for me to beforehand?”

“Yes”

Zhou used the words, “escape route” rather than “hiding place” when he asked Nakura for confirmation.

“I will escort you to a place the hands of the Yotsuba can’t reach”

“Really...could the name of that place be”

Zhou casually reached into his pocket.

Nakura had already, unobtrusively gripped a cell phone shaped CAD.

“something like the pyre!”

“No, the name of the place is Hell!”

The pair simultaneously kicked off of the ground to gain distance. Zhou took a glowing black talisman from his pocket‐‐‐what he produce was an inscribed card and Nakura let loose an activation sequence from his CAD.

Zhou probably had the spell on standby from the beginning. Their magics activated at the same time.

An entirely black, four‐legged beast came from Zhou’s card, likely a synthetic body that imitated a dog had leapt out. The black dog instantly sprang off the ground to make a pounce straight at Nakura’s windpipe.

Ten‐odd transparent needles pierced the shadowy body from below

Nakura’s leg was submerged in the river. The needles that pierced the shadow beast were fired off from the vicinity of that leg.

“Water needles, huh....”

Zhou’s eyes were able to perceive the nature of the transparent needles within the darkness.

“That was careless. It was a mistake to set the meeting at the riverbank. The “higher ground” advantage seems to be yours”

“That is magic that constructs a synthetic beast using shadows as a medium”

“Yes. The boring name is embarrassing but, my master calls it, ‘Shadowbeast’. The spell is a hybrid magic that incorporates western sorcery making it too disgraceful to brag about”

“Western sorcery.....a hell hound, eh. So, I erred on ‘time’,huh. I should of at least made it a night when the moon was out”

The pair was not just carelessly exchanging discourse on techniques. As they were talking, the shadowbeast was spat out of the card in Zhou had in his hand and Nakura intercepted it with the water needles.

Zhou did not appear to be composing new magic. In short, the inscribed card Zhou held probably had many more beasts stockpiled within. Despite the fact that the number was already over ten, there was no sign of the supply being exhausted. Just how many layers of magic had been piled on to that tiny card, it’s capacity seemed to have no bounds.

“However, I don’t understand”

“What”

None the less, the first to voice a question was Zhou.

Nakura’s expression did not change; he was attacking the phantom beast, Zhou had summoned mechanically. The reply, he made to Zhou, was almost completely devoid of emotion.

“The development focus of Lab 7 was colony control magic. At the very least, colony control magic should be able to move over 100 objects simultaneously. The number of objects being manipulated shouldn’t be this low. Could it possibly be that you are taking it easy on me”

“Ridiculous. You are not an opponent I can take lightly, Zhou san”

Nakura answered with a regretful voice. Zhou’s attention was more drawn to the emotion packed into the voice than the statement.

“Zhou san, do you know of the words, extra numbers”

Water needles flew toward Zhou. Although they could not possibly discerned in the darkness by the human eye, Zhou easily dodged them with a sidestep.

This was not a speed within the range of human physical prowess. It was probably an ancient magic of the continent that had the same effects as personal acceleration magic.

“I know of it. Magicians descended from magicians that were granted a number by the magician development labs that created the Ten Master Clans but were later stripped of their number”

Water needles flew one by one. Despite keeping Zhou busy dodging, the timing with which the shadowbeasts were summoned was unabated. The positions of offense and defense were instantly reversed.

“So, what are the reasons for stripping numbers?”

“Search me, I am not that well informed. But, the only reason I’m aware of is the desired abilities wasn’t developed”

The needles became a downpour. Zhou pulled out a handkerchief from his chest pocket.

The white handkerchief expanded to a size that covered his entire body, it defended him from the water needle shower.

Nakura ceased his attack.

Zhou peeked his face out from underneath the cloth.

“I am without a doubt, a magician who is unable of developing the ability that Lab 7 hoped for”

“Really, sorry about that”

Zhou fired off a single shadow beast.

Nakura operated his CAD and barely managed to shoot it down.

Zhou lowered the hand holding the inscribed card.

Nakura kept his fingers on his CAD, as the discussion about Extra Numbers resumed.

“The basic model of colony control magic is to prepare the projectile beforehand with a spell to manipulate it”

Nakura unfolded an activation sequence.

Zhou prepared the white cloth.

“However, I didn’t think that was combat effective. Battle doesn’t only occur at times when you conveniently have a bulky medium on hand. Despite the fact the development of an assistance tool known as a CAD that you could wear all the time, for some reason you had to carry all that extra stuff”

“Your words would make the ears of the type of ancient occultists who couldn’t use magic without having curse tools to use as a convenient medium burn. However, I believe CADS are not the only ‘things you can wear all the time’? There are also types that look like large guns”

“Gun‐shaped CADs are specialized model. I don’t think those are combat effective either”

Nakura and Zhou remained on the brink of invoking magic, they both were looking for a gap in the other’s defenses. Perhaps, even the very words, they were exchanging, might be a tactic to create an opportunity.

“Anyway I could not comprehend the Laboratory's plan. Therefore, I arranged sequences that could use colony control magic at any time. At that same time, the number of targets I can control is less than 100 but, in exchange, I worked out a technique to make liquids form projectiles”

“How unfortunate”

“As a result, the number was stripped”

At this point, the order in which they made statements was reversed.

Zhou Gongjin laid the trap.

A fragment of Nakura’s mind was distracted.

Zhou threw the inscribed card at Nakura.

While he was caught off guard, Nakura pelted water needles at Zhou. It was not a barrage, he created an orbiting circle.

A shadowbeast jumped out of the inscribed card midair.

Nakura composed new magic to ambush it.

The white cloth fell with a thud. Zhou was no longer over there.

The shadowbeast, pierced by the water needles, dissolved into the night’s shadows.

The pack of water needles that were making an arc fruitlessly penetrated the air.

The inscribed card that fell onto the surface of the river spat out a black shadow.

Nakura, who caught that at the corner of his eye, invoked a leaping spell.

Nakura avoided the spray of water that spat from the jaw by a hair’s breadth.

Nakura, who landed on the other bank, prepared his next attack as he corrected his stance. As Nakura eyed the darkness of the river between the banks, his abdomen was pierced from behind by a black horn.

The horn, piercing Nakura’s abdomen, broke down to a thick gooey tar like substance that was blown away by the night wind that passed over the surface of the river. Robbed of the support, Nakura collapsed face up.

He could hear the sound of footsteps treading on river pebbles from the direction of his head. With difficulty, he looked in that direction; the first thing he saw was Zhou covered by a white cloth. Zhou was walking from the other side. He wasn’t unwounded either. The fabric at the left shoulder and right flank of his expensive three piece suit had open holes from which blood sullied it.

“It appears that you were not deceived by the shadowbeast”

Nakura understood what had happened without an explanation. He had leaped to the opposite bank intending to get away from Zhou but, Zhou had actually been on this side, he had turned his back on his enemy when he landed.

“Yes, I, myself, took the part of your plaything”

“Directional.....misdirection...is...this...the...ancient... art of...Kimon...Tonkou?”

It was difficult to understand Nakura’s broken speech but, Zhou’s ability to understand was unimpeded.

“Yes. Nevertheless, it has been a long time since my blood has flowed this much. I can say without lying that the skills of Nakura Saburo outstrip those of Kuroba Mitsugu”

“Ha..ha..ha..I...am...honored”

Zhou knelt down on one knee next to Nakura and spoke in a gentle voice.

“We have been close enough to share sake together. Don’t you have any last wishes?”

“A...wish...yes...I...have...just.......one”

“What could it be?”

“That...you....”

“Yes”

“Please die with me!”

Nakura mustered the last of his strength as he shouted.

That spell‐‐‐could be called the words of a curse.

Nakura’s body burst open from the chest and needles made from his blood attacke Zhou Gongjin.

Zhou stood up.

He scowled looking at the red needles that pierced the arms that had protected his face.

“There are many wishes, I would be willing to grant since it was your last one, however”

He groped for the needles that had slipped through the gaps that both arms had left to reach his ears to get them out.

The needles melted back into blood and tiny scars remained on his earlobes. Zhou blew out a sigh and took out a new inscribed card from his jacket pocket.

When the blood needles met the time limit for phenonomen modification, they melted all at once.

He chanted a short spell.

The piercing wounds on Zhou Gongjin’s skin disappeared like a time lapsed photo images (=high‐speed regeneration).

“Unfortunately, this level of magic cannot kill me”

Zhou got up and sighed as he looked at his own skin. He had probably expected Nakura to have some kind of self destructive attack prepared. He had got his arms up in time to protect his face because he was watching for a water needle attack.

“Can’t stay here any longer. Even if it is the middle of the night, I can’t help standing out looking like this”

However, that was because he hadn’t foreseen that Nakura would use his own blood to attack him. He looked down at his clothes that were smeared with his victim’s blood and let out a sigh.

Zhou took out the handkerchief, he had returned to his pocket unnoticed.

No, he hadn’t returned it. This was clearly a different one from before.

It was not white, it was a black handkerchief.

He expanded the darkness colored handkerchief, he covered his body with a large wide shadow.

The handkerchief that turned into a black cloth changed into a shadow, leaving nothing but Nakura’s body behind.