Volume 9 - CH 6(3/3)
In response to Mikihiko’s agitated question, Tatsuya flipped the engine switch.
“You’ll get fined for riding without a helmet!”
Hearing the shout rom behind him intermixed with frustration (and not a small amount of unwillingness to admit defeat), Tatsuya sped off on the motorcycle. (Speaking of which, the fine for not observing the duty to wear a helmet no longer existed in the 21st century. Instead, the driver could be charged with vehicular manslaughter depending on the extent of the passengers’ injuries.)
After losing his jacket and being left behind, Mikihiko could only stand there blankly for the moment.
? ? ?
After returning to the mobile base that was disguised as a news van, Angie Sirius – or Lina’s current form, gave the order to retreat even before she took a seat.
No one questioned her orders because this was the expected action. The moment she sat down, the mobile base soundlessly began to move. Still, the interior of the vehicle was filled with confusion, an almost “I want to ask but am too afraid to speak up” type of atmosphere. The ruin of her hair and the dirtied boots caused by the flash practically screamed that she “fled back”. Nonetheless, the word “flee” was simply incompatible with the High Commander of Stars, “Sirius”.
“Major.”
The interior possessed enough height to constitute a ceiling, but in spite of this, the two other members still bent at the waist in front of Lina.
“We are terribly sorry.”
The reason the two of them were apologizing was because they fell behind during the pursuit. Lina engaged the vampire on her own because her two companions were unable to keep up with her speed.
“Don’t worry. Although a third party interfered, I bear the responsibility for letting the target get away.”
“....Thank you very much.”
“In addition, we successfully carried out Sergeant Sullivan’s punishment, so we can’t chalk this up as a complete failure. Have we recovered the Sergeant’s corpse?”
“Recovery confirmed.” “Is that so?”
Hearing the voice from behind the two before her, Lina relaxed and nodded her head.
“Immediately autopsy the Sergeant’s corpse. Also, were you able to identify the other one I was pursuing?”
However, she immediately tightened her expression and asked the next question.
“I am very sorry. Although we were able to record a psion wave signature, there are currently no matches in our database.”
“So it’s not a deserter.... Otherwise, the psion wave signature may have changed.”
“I’m afraid it’s probably the latter.”
“Understood. Continue the pursuit based on the recorded psion wave signature.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Upon hearing this response, Lina ordered the two before her to return to their seats and leaned back into her chair.
Lina pressed a hand to her right shoulder and cast Healing-Type Magic on herself. Fortunately, she was able to keep a stoic expression in front of her subordinates thanks to her magical disguise, but she had fired a gun while the collarbone was cracked, causing a full blown fracture that was painful enough to almost reduce her to tears.
(How come I never heard that Erika was so strong!? And Tatsuya used some sort of mysterious ability to completely nullify my technique.... What the hell is up with Japanese high school students these days!?)
Completely ignoring her own age, Lina complained bitterly in the privacy of her own mind.
? ? ?
“Huh? From Oba-sama?”
After sweeping a glance over her older brother, who had hurriedly left the house after glancing at the information terminal from his pocket and just returned while explaining the situation, Miyuki couldn’t help but ask this question.
Immediately after the question, she flushed in embarrassment after realizing her improper behavior.
Still, Tatsuya felt that her question was only a natural course of events, so he wasn’t going to chide his sister over such a minor detail.
“There’s something I wish to discuss with Oba-ue.”
In other words, could you please call her for me, was Tatsuya’s request to Miyuki.
The majority of those working for the Yotsuba Family were aware that Tatsuya was Maya’s nephew. At the same time, they also knew that Tatsuya served as nothing more than a tool. –Except, only a select minority had access to the information that he was being utilized as a weapon. In light of this, even if Tatsuya reached out to his aunt via phone, the call would inevitably be curtailed.
In other words, forget Tatsuya, not even Miyuki knew the number for the direct line. The information control surrounding the Yotsuba Family was several times more intense than the government, and that was no idle exaggeration by those in the know.
“So long as Onii-sama says so...... Can you give me a minute?”
“Ah.... I’ll go change as well.”
Even though they were related by blood, the occasional phone call or video call failed to materialize. That was the type of existence that their aunt (and other family members) was.
“I apologize for calling you so late.”
“That’s fine. Compared to that, it’s quite rare for Miyuki to call me by phone.”
As usual, Maya appeared on the screen of the video call with her customary, age-defying beauty and mysterious smile. Hayama stood by her side, dressed neatly in a three piece suit. While Tatsuya pondered the oddity of having Hayama attend a family call, Tatsuya was also standing next to Miyuki in a black suit, so they were probably about the same.
After the usual customary words of welcome that carefully masked the mounting agitation, Miyuki used an objective tone – a definite chore for her in this case – to convey the highlights of Tatsuya’s message.
“Tatsuya too? This is also something rare.”
Choosing to forgo any attempt to hide her interest, Maya allowed Tatsuya to speak.
“Oba-ue, there’s actually one thing I would like to ask you and another I would like to request.”
“Go ahead.”
Maya nodded in an excellent mood. Well, at least from her appearance, at least.
“In that case, allow me to go right ahead.... Oba-ue, can you please tell me how the Kudou Family’s Counter Magic “Parade” works?”
Next to Tatsuya, Miyuki emitted a small sound while shock suffused her face.
On the screen, Hayama raised one eyebrow significantly. Unable to mask her expression, Maya burst into laughter.
“Come now.... Tatsuya, “Parade” is one of the Kudou Family’s closest guarded secrets. Did you think I would know this secret?” Amid her laughter, Maya deflected the question.
“Oba-ue once learned from Elder Kudou directly. Even if you do not know the Magic Sequence, I’m sure you at least know the ins and outs, correct?”
After establishing that “she couldn’t teach him”, Tatsuya continued pushing with his own question.
“Counter Magic “Parade” applies Data Fortification on your own Eidos and rewrites or alters your appearance. To be precise, it is a Magic Sequence that applies a different appearance or a fake mask on the Eidos and creates a false appearance, using the new appearance to mask the original in order to protect the real form from hostile magical effects, correct?”
Not only was he pushing on, he also supplied his own hypothesis.
“....”Alteration” Magic is something that cannot be achieved in the real world, but I think you are already aware of that, no?”
Maya responded directly to Tatsuya’s hypothesis. Just this alone was sufficient to inform Tatsuya regarding the truth of his words, but this wasn’t enough to satisfy Tatsuya.
“Rather than using “Alteration”, a simple adjust at the visual level using Light Refraction Magic would be enough. The problem lies in that Light Refraction Magic cannot escape my “eye”, hence where the issue lies.”
“Onii-sama, that....”
The one who responded verbally while looking completely astounded was Miyuki.
“I can’t believe that there’s an opponent who cannot be identified by Onii-sama....”
“Not only that, they also avoided Mist Dispersal.” Pale faced, Miyuki was struck dumb.
As if she also received a blow, Maya wrinkled her brows in an instant on the other side of the screen.
Though she swiftly recovered her smiling visage, the tangent in the conversation had been dispelled.
“If Mist Dispersal is useless, then Trident should have no problem.” “Can Parade be cast on top of itself?”
At Maya’s suggestion, Tatsuya once more ventured another question. Yet, Maya’s response referred to a wholly unrelated topic.
“By my recollection, when it came to Parade, it was sensei’s younger brother who was more adept at Parade than sensei himself.”
“Thank you very much. Oba-ue, it appears that I will be unable to handle this incident alone. Here, I formally request for reinforcements.”
“Is that the request you would like me to grant?”
Across the screen, aunt and nephew caught each other’s eye.
“....Very well. It is true that things have progressed far beyond our initial estimates.
I will allow you to make contact with Major Kazama.” Tatsuya bowed and retreated out of the video screen.