A+A-
Japanese time: July 5, 9:00.
The government of the Great Asian Alliance met with the New Soviet Union to establish a truce. An hour after that, the government of the New Soviet Union presented the terms of the truce. These conditions included the extradition of war criminals.
Japanese time: July 5, 10:20. Local time: 11:20.
Liu Li Lei was hiding in Vozdvizhenka, located north of divostok and Ussuriysk, and was summoned to themander of the escort unit.
The New Soviet Union demanded my extradition?
In a strained voice, Liu Li Lei asked Lin, themander of the escort detachment, confirmed whether she would be considered a war criminal.
Right. The list of war criminals given by the New Soviet Union included the name of Second-Lieutenant Liu. This is reliable information, Lin confirmed.
Lius escort consisted entirely of women, and the squadsmander was no exception to this. Lin was more than 10 years older than Liu, but she had the same rank of Second-Lieutenant. However, Liu also had a special rank "school-officer1", used exclusively within the army of the Great Asian Alliance. This was a countermeasure made to avoid frontlinemanders having the ability to give willful orders to Liu just because they are higher in rank. The rank made sure Liu did not submit to higher officers in ordance with the usual rank system, instead reporting directly to highmand. This also meant that School-Officer Liu had a status immediately following the topmand, so she was higher in status than themander of the escort unit, Second Lieutenant Lin. The rank wasparable to Tatsuyas rank of Special Lieutenant.
War criminals...
1The title of Liu is written as school + junior officer in the original kanji. Though the result sounds silly, I used a more literal trantion to try to keep uracy. The
Russian trantion used the trantion of special lieutenant, and the wiki trantes this as captain.
Liu Li Lei bit her lip. Despite her shock, she understood why. She knew that when using Strategic ss magic, just as when using weapons of mass destruction, many civilians are killed. By being the victor, the magician can avoid their crimes, but if they lose in the best case, the perpetrators would simply be sent to execution for havingmitted war crimes.
Commander Lin took Lius right arm with both hands in an attempt to cheer her up.
School-Officer Liu, let''s run away.
Commander Lin? Liu asked, not quiteprehending.
You shouldnt be forced to submit to the court of the winner because you obeyed orders.
But if I run away, there will be no truce...
You shouldnt think about such things, Linforted.
But when the Mothend is in such a difficult situation...
Special Lieutenant Liu... No, Xiao2-Liu...
2For those unaware, Xiao (?) is fairlymon in Chinese nicknames. It means
little and often conveys affection. As stated below, it can bepared to the Japanese honorific -chan (although I would consider the meaning to be kept in the literal trantion).
?
The tone ofmander Lin''s voice changed from the tone of a higher officer to the tone of an adult talking to a child. Xiao-Liu can bepared to Liu-chan in meaning.
You do not need to think about something that. Xiao-Liu, you''re still a child.
...I''m not a child. I am an adult magician, Liu protested slightly.
No. You are only fourteen years old. If the Mothend protects you, you must repay your debt to the Mothend. But if the Mothend chooses to sacrifice you, then need not obey. Xiao-Liu, you must live.
But Liu was still reluctant to abandon her home country.
Then think about this: If School-Officer Liu is executed, then our Homnd will againck a Strategic ss magician.
Commander Lin returned the officer''s tone and continued trying to convince Liu Li Lei, who could not decide on this. In actuality, the Great Asian Alliance had 6
unofficial Strategic ss magicians, but this was an extremely well-kept secret of the Great Asian Alliance about which Junior Lieutenant Lin was not informed. However, each of the other six had significant ws in their magic, and they would not be used until a crisis urred calling into question the survival of the nation. Other than Liu Li Lei, there were no other Strategic ss magicians suitable for permanent use, so at least in this sense, the assertion of Second Lieutenant Lin about the absence of a Strategic ss magician was not wrong.
If you run away now and get the mark of a traitor, in the future you will be a great asset to the Mothend.
Yes... Liu was finally beginning to be convinced.
Give everything up for the Mothend, including your reputation. The role of tragic heroine touched the Lius heartstrings.
I think you are right,mander.
You decided? Thank god
Seeing the excessive emotion of Commander Lin, Liu felt her reliance on this woman in her heart.
I will immediately prepare for the escape! I will definitely deliver Special Lieutenant Liu to a safe ce, Lin imed.
Im relying on you. Also, please call me "Xiao-Liu". Im refusing my status as a soldier of the Great Asian Alliance and fleeing the country.
Then you call me Lin-jiejie3. Wait here a little, Xiao-Liu.
Second Lieutenant Lin''s voice became friendly again as she winked at Liu and left the room. Liu Li Lei, with embarrassment on her face, focused her gaze. The escort of Liu Li Lei was hiding at the civil airfield in Vozdvizhenka. Fortunately, there was a private ne capable of traveling up to 2000km as well as a tank of fuelrge enough to fully fuel the ne.
Hurry up with the preparation for departure! Have you finished refueling!? Second Lieutenant Lin turned to her subordinates working in the hangar.
Well finish about five minutes!
All aircraft indicators are normal!
Runway check isplete! Everything is clear!
They had begun aircraft maintenance the previous night under the assumption that they would be forced to run. It was obvious to them that they should leave the small jet ne with itsrger radius of flight. In addition, the jet would fly faster and would not as easily give away the passengers.
Junior Lieutenant Lin went to the control room after she checked her subordinates
work. She was the only one there at the moment, and she sat down in front of themunication device and turned it on.
Govorit Gospozha Tayga. Pozhaluysta, otvet''te.
Her full statement tranted to mean This is Ms. Taiga. Answer, please. The word
Gospozha corresponded to the English title "Ms.", and "Tayga" corresponds to
Taiga, or a coniferous forest4 in the sub-arctic zone. Gospozha Tayga was the codename of Junior Lieutenant Lin, and it carried the word tiger pronounced in
tayga - a military symbol of the Great Asian Alliance.
3The Russian trantion had this as Lin-chie and put Lin-neesan in parentheses. Since
chie is not any pinyin in Chinese, Im assuming it was intended to be jiejie (??) or older sister based on the context and reference of Lin-neesan.
4The hanzi (Chinese pronunciation of kanji, ??) for Lin is ?, meaning forest
Govorit Snezhnyy Baran. Dolozhite o tekushchey situatsii.
This tranted to This the Snow Sheep. Report on the current situation.
Ubezhdeniye Lyu Liley proshlo uspeshno. Teper'', kak iyezhat'' do etogo.
nirovalos'', my otpravimsya v Yaponiyu.
Prinyato. Voyska iz Khabarovska pribudut v Vozdvizhenka meneye chem cherez chas. Uspeyte sbezhat'' do etogo.
Govorit Tayga, vas pony.
Their conversation continued in Russian. Their exchange was as follows:
Liu Li Lei was sessful persuaded. Now, as nned, we will go to Japan.
Affirmative. The troops from Khabarovsk will arrive in Vozdvizhenka in less than a.n hour. Hurry up to escape before they arrive.
Taiga speaking, understood.
Second Lieutenant Lin was an agent who had switched sides from the Great Asian Alliance to the New Soviet Union, and she had presumably been speaking with a member of the New Soviet Union.
Before noon, a small jet took off from Vozdvizhenka airfield heading South.
Even though the conflict was still officially going on, as the truce had not yet been established, the army of the New Soviet Union only reacted when the ne flew east of divostok. Pursuit fighters were raised, but the chase stopped as soon as the ne entered international airspace. Though the Japanese army caught these maneuvers on its radar, they were only interpreted as reluctance of the New Soviet Union to provoke Japan and America while the conflict with the Great Asian Alliance was still going on, so no one really thought about it.
The small jet was allowed to continue its flight over the Sea of Japan unhindered.
Once it entered Japanese airspace, Japanese Air Force fighter jets were sent to intercept it, and itnded on the Komatsu base in the former Ishikawa prefecture.
Edward rk was at his private office in the California branch of the National Science Agency. He somewhat ignored his work schedule, and had been staying in this room overnight for quite some time.
Local time: July 4, 22:00 (Japanese time: July 5, 14:00). As rk continued his work at his terminal, an encrypted message arrived in his mail despite the time close to midnight.
As nned.
After reading the message, deep wrinkles appeared on rk''s forehead.
Liu Li Lei was allowed to flee the country, giving the Russian fleet their pretext to go South? Its a rather crude strategy, but this isnt the time to be clever
His unconscious mumbling was the result of mental shock. The reasoning behind the invasion of the Great Asian Alliance had been unfounded. They had begun the invasion based on inurate information and wishful thinking. It was a foregone conclusion that as soon as Bezobrazov used Tuman Bomba, the war would be over.
However, while the original conclusion was widely known, Bezobrazovs predictions had been exactly what happened: there was not the slightest difference between his n and actual events.
"With such intelligence and ability, why did he fail...?"
He couldnt help but shudder at the idea that Bezobrazov, with all the power he possessed in being able to toy with the Great Asian Alliance as if they were a childbined with his immense magical abilities, was still unable to kill Shiba Tatsuya.
Was it luck?
Or was the strength of Shiba Tatsuya just even higher?
Covering his eyes with his index finger and thumb, rk shook his head. He had no time to think about unnecessary things. Bezobrazov had only passed his information to rk, and now rk needed to report to various authorities that the strategy had advanced to the next stage.
"It''s early morning in London..."
The destinations for information to be sent also existed outside the country.
rk decided that because of the time difference on the other side, the information should be conveyed by message rather than a phone call.
Given that it waste evening in California, he decided that local calls should also be avoided, so he did the same as Bezobrazov.
Tatsuya arrived home after 5:00 PM and saw that he had a message from over 17 hours ago. The message read, "There is one urgent matter. Please write when you are avable for video," and one touch of the screenter, he sent a response. Almost immediately after that, the phone in the living room rang out.
Stopping Miyuki as she walked towards the videophone, Tatsuya got up from the couch to answer it himself. As he looked at the second disy of the console, he made sure that the encryption was set to the highest possible level and pressed a button to establish a connection.
Tatsuya, I''m sorry to disturb you during your home holiday.
The face of Kazama on the disy expressed sincere apologies.
Its alright if the case is urgent, Tatsuya reassured him. So, what happened?
Liu Li Lei, the apostle of the Great Asian Alliance, fled to our country.
How could that ever happen? Tatsuya asked.
This morning, the Great Asian Alliance proposed a truce to the New Soviet Union.
A sensible solution.
Shortly after the proposal, the New Soviet Union responded that it would agree to an armistice subject to certain conditions, Kazama stated.
That is, it was not a requirement of unconditional surrender?
As far as we can judge at the moment, no.
The Great Asian Alliance was already facing political instability because of discontent with the humiliating truce with Japan after the Yokohama incident. This time, they were officially defeated, so national reserves would have to be spent on the
suppression of the opposition and separatist groups advocating for independence of their regions. This process would weaken the Great Asian Alliance, so disintegration of the state was no longer impossible. Because of this, if the New Soviet Union now started to pressure the Great Asian Alliance, the Great Asian Alliance would be more united in response to the external threat. In other words, the Great Asian Alliance faced internal strife in peace but could find unity in response to amon hardship. Understanding this, the government decided it would be less costly to move South now instead of waiting for the NSU to relinquish their control.
Both Tatsuya and the NSU agreed with this line of thought.
One of the conditions imposed by the New Soviet Union was the issuance of war criminals, Kazama continued.
They are probably going to hold a demonstration of retribution. It seems that the name of Liu Li Lei was included in this list of war criminals, Tatsuya spected.
Ignoring Tatsuyas cynical remark, Kazama signaled to return to the main topic.
Is that why she ran away? Tatsuya asked.
So it seems, Kazama answered.
Have more soldiers escaped with her?
Yes. It seems that they served as an escort detachment Liu Lili.
Her escort unit? Thats a bit suspicious Tatsuya responded.
If a Strategic ss magician betrays their country and goes to the enemy, there is a significant upset their military forces. Because of this, militaries strictly control their Strategic ss magicians - an escort assigned to a strategic ss magician would not just be protecting the magician; they would be observing the magician in order to prevent escape as well.
Themanding officer imed that this was done in order to preserve the Great Asian Alliances Strategic ss Magician for the future.
Their excuse seems reasonable, Tatsuya said. Still, our self-defense forces need to be wary of the fact that they could also be agents pretending to run away from their country.
No, you''re right. We need to be alert, but regardless of whether their escape was real or not, because we epted them, their circumstances are being heard. That brings us
to the main point. Could was assist the help of a certain special officer? Kazama asked.
Well, I can cope with torture, but there will be no particr benefit in bringing me in for the interrogation...
Kazama looked at Tatsuya from the videophone screen with such a look as if he was trying to understand the true meaning of his words.
We are not asking for help with an interrogation, Kazama eventually responded.
In the end, Kazama took Tatsuyas words about torture as a joke and continued on.
Special officer. Am I correct in that you have a technique to seal a magicians magic?
Do you mean Gatekeeper? Tatsuya asked.
Would you be able to seal Thunderp Tower with your magic? Kazama answered Tatsuyas question with a question.
Cant you take away her CAD? That is a much simpler way to prevent her magic.
It seems that Liu Li Lei does not have a CAD, Kazama responded.
Do you mean that she does not use a CAD at all?
ording to themander of the escort squad, Liu Li Lei specializes in two types of magic: Thunderp Tower and blocking electromaic waves. She does not need a CAD for these magic, but in exchange she cannot use any other magic, Kazama exined.
She specializes in two types of magic Tatsuya felt a sense of sympathy for this magician, who, like Tatsuya, could only naturally use two types of magic. However, he wasnt sure if it was a coincidence or a natural limit: perhaps when using magic without the help of devices, two types is the limit?
The basemander, concerned that Liu Li Lei cannot be prevented from unleashing her magic, asked for help from Her Excellency Saeki who he knew had a Strategic ss magician as a subordinate.
Tatsuya was not actually subordinate to Saeki. He was a Special Officer who was only under themand of Saeki during hostilities, but Kazama was aware of this so Tatsuya did not bring it up.
Which base it Liu Li Lei detained at? Tatsuya asked.
Base Komatsu, Kazama answered.
Would it be possible to transport her closer?
It will be difficult. We cannot bring a Strategic ss magician to a metropolitan area when we are still unsure of their hostilities.
Understood. I apologize, but it will be difficult for me to help you, Tatsuya gave his answer.
Does you mean you can''t leave Tokyo? Kazama asked.
If I leave Tokyo, there is a chance that the Parasites who prated Japan will attack. I can''t leave Tokyo for long.
Regardless, the potential threat of Liu Lili also can not be ignored, Kazama said.
If Liu Li Lie is at Komatsu base, why don''t you ask the Ichijou family for their cooperation?
Will Ichijou-dono be able to prevent the use of the Thunderp Tower? Kazama asked.
The First Laboratory studied the effects of magical exposure on the human body, or in other words, magic causing a direct impact on the body. The magic should also be suitable for neutralizing the body in a way that will note off as suspicious,
Tatsuya said.
Do you mean to use Rupture should Liu Li Lei be a threat? If we, without reliable evidence, use lethal magic on a refugee, it would cause a wave of criticism both here and abroad.
Kazamas main knowledge of the Ichijou familys magic was Rupture, a magic capable of evaporating all liquids in an object. He assumed Tatsuya intended to use in a worst-case scenario in order to kill Liu.
From what I know, the wife of the current head of the Ichijou family came from the Isshiki family. The Isshiki family specializes in mental-interference magic and manipting electrical currents in the nervous system. This is the perfect magic for neutralizing without killing. The Ichijou family may be known for Rupture, but both Ms. Ichijou and her daughter have inherited the magic of the Isshiki family. The eldest
son, Ichijou Masaki, could also have the ability but may currently be hiding it,
Tatsuya exined.
Then, wouldn''t it be simpler to contact the Isshiki family directly? Kazama asked.
The Isshiki family will find it difficult to cope with an emergency.
By "emergency", Tatsuya did not mean a preventive neutralization of Liu Li Lei but the possibility that if Liu showed serious hostility and needed to be killed. Also, even if Liu Li Lei really had escaped, she was still a magician brought up in the Great Asian Alliance. If she felt that harming Japan was in her nations national interests, she would likely do so without hesitation. However, Kazama understood Tatsuyas wording and did not need an exnation.
The Ichijou family is also the closest to the Komatsu base... alright. I will tell themander of this base that Her Excellency Saeki rmends contacting the Ichijou family.
I am sorry for not being able to offer my own help, Tatsuya apologized.
No, it is only expected as we have not offered our assistance in the case with the Parasites. Our team is currently fully upied with the opposition of the New Soviet Union, and I am very sorry that we are unable to assist in the matter with the Parasites.
Nothing can be done, given the situation.
Thank you for saying so. Your rmendation for the Ichijou family is more than enough help, Kazama said.
Thank you.
Tatsuya saluted, looking at the screen. Kazama did the same, after which the screen of the videophone went ck.
Current time: 8 pm
One of the rooms in the hostel on the Higashi-Fuji training grounds was "East Fuji."
Chiba Naotsugu was a fourth-year student of the special department of martial arts at the National Academy of Defense. Despite still being a student, he held the rank of
Second Lieutenant. Watanabe Mari, a second-year student of the same department, was visiting, and she temporarily held the rank of Sergeant.
Shu, take a break, Mari said.
I will. Thank you, Mari.
They were in a long, narrow room with a bed, locker, and simple writing desk.
The room was too small to hold a kitchen, and the iced coffee currently on the table had been purchased in the vending machine located in the corridor. Mari wished to treat her lover with a homemade drink rather than a cheap one from a vending machine, but she was not able to think about such luxuries during an operation. As for Naotsugu, as a man, even a drink from the vending machine tasted special when brought by his lover. Naotsugu drank all the coffee looking pleased.
Mari sat down on the bed with her own drink in her hands. She felt bit of shame as she sat on the bed Naotsugu used every night, but she had no other ce to sit down as the room was too small
Shu. Youre working too hard...
I have never been good at paperwork, Naotsugu said with a bitter smile. Mari had an anxious look, but he still asked, Mari, do you want to help me?
Xu, you know that I don''t know much about such things.
Haha, really.
In order not to upset Mari who turned away confused, Naotsugu turned back to his work and started typing on his keyboard.
It takes more time when there is nothing to write.
Suddenly, as if he felt his eyes on his back, Naotsugu turned back toward Mari without taking his eyes off the disy. His "hard work" was topile a report daily.
He would have felt more confident if he had done it each day, but there was a system of duties in ce splitting the work between the unit. Today, the third day after departure, Naotsugu''s turn to write it came for the first time. He could have asked what the others had written, but there had been only 2 reports prior to this one, so it would not have been enough for him to understand what he should write.
Usually, the lines could be filled with something like a description of training or of constructing the fortifications, but as Naotsugu said, todays report was difficult
because they were just waiting at the ready. They were not assigned to the search as it was the responsibility of other departments, so their current task was to wait,bat ready, for some kind of clue to appear. However, as a consequence of this, Naotsugu had no events to write about.
It looks like the information resources of the self-defense forces are engaged with the activities of the New Soviet Union.
At Maris question, Naotsugu turned aroundpletely to face her.
It seems that way. Even though it is already the third day, there is still no information, Naotsugu said.
Maybe I shouldn''t say this, but wouldnt it be better for us to regroup and return to Tokyo, since that girl Sakurai Minami, Kudou Minorus ultimate goal, is located there?
After Maris question, Naotsugu almostughed involuntarily. He managed to restrain himself, but it was still noticeable in his face.
What''s so funny? Mari said with a slightly bashful face.
Its nothing, sorry. Sakurai Minami is only 3 years younger than you, isn''t she? Why did you call her girl?
Because there was no other suitable expression! Mari eximed, indignant.
Yeah, I guess. Yes, the goal of Kudou Minoru is the abduction of that girl.
Marie pursed her lips in disgust. She was not very good at using female tactics to negotiate - in other words, she did not know how to sulk, grumble, or cry to bargain selfishly.
I agree with your idea, Mari. However, our squad has to stay here for some reason unrted to the original goal.
Another reason different from the original goal to capture Kudou Minoru
The invasion of the New Soviet Union...? Mari spected.
She made a serious face at this. She had suggested a possibility to be taken seriously.
We will be needed if a suddennding urs, Naotsugu said in response to Maries spection.
Saturday, July 6th. Ichijou Masaki was called by his father Goki after finishing his final exam and returning home.
Without even having dinner, Masaki went to his fathers office. Akane, one of his younger sisters a second-year student in middle school, was also there.
There were two sofas facing each other in his fathers study, and Goki was currently sitting opposite Akane. Masaki sat down at the other end of the triple sofa that Akane was sitting on.
Dinner will be soon, so I will be brief.
Hearing Gokis words, Akane''s brow furrowed slightly. Masaki didnt really care, but Akane didnt like her fathers rough manner of speaking. However, Goki ignored his daughters reaction he had probably gotten used to it.
Liu Li Lei, the official Strategic ss magician of the Great Asian Alliance, fled to Japan.
Liu Li Lei of the Thirteen Apostles?
Masaki asked a useless question out of surprise.
Yes.
Despite dying the conversation, Goki was not annoyed. He couldnt believe the news either when he first heard it.
At the moment, hidden in Komatsu base.
Have the self-defense forces asked you for something rted to this? Masaki asked.
Its good that you figured it out so quickly, but their appeal does not concern you.
Rather, they want Akane, Goki answered.
Me?!
Akane had been listening to her father and brothers conversation as if it was not her business, but the surprise at Gokis statement caused her to inadvertently let out this exmation.
To be precise, they require a magician from the Ichijou family with the ability to use Nerve Disturbance.
"Nerve Disturbance" was officially called "Nerve electrical current disturbance," or "Nerve impulse jammer," and it was the trump card of the Isshiki family of the 28 houses. This magic disrupted the five senses and paralyzed the recipients muscles by interfering with nerve impulses. Masaki''s mother, Ichijou Midori, although from the Isshiki family, was not able to use Nervous Disorder as a representative of theteral branch, but due to some gic ident, Akane ended up suitable for the magic even though some members of the direct hereditary line of the Isshiki family could not even use it.
F-for what!?
Akane had no experience in affairs with the self-defense forces, and her cry was from the heart.
Liu Li Lies escape was somewhat suspicious, Goki answered.
Is there a chance that the escape was a cover? Masaki asked.
Yes.
Goki nodded in response to Masakis question.
Thunderp Tower deals significant damage to electrical equipment. If she uses it to sabotage the bases facilities, the air defensework may be paralyzed, Goki continued.
Is there no countermeasure against electromaic radiation to protect electronic equipment?
Goki shook his head in response to his sons obvious question.
Any countermeasure we prepare can be ovee by a load exceeding its strength.
We do not know the maximum power of Thunderp Tower, but we dont want to experience it.
So we use Nerve Disturbance to paralyze her if we are suspicious of her actions?
Masaki asked.
Goki answered with a nod.
We cant carry out a deadly attack from suspicions alone. Killing a refugee taken under our care will worsen international rtions, and it will be toote to neutralize
her after the activation of magic. Liu Li Lie apparently doesnt use a CAD, so if we lose our guard for even a moment, we could get hit by her Strategic ss magic.
I understand why we cant use Rupture, but why not turn to the Isshiki family?
Though some members of the Ichijou family could use Nerve Disturbance, anyone knowledgeable about the internal affairs of the former First Laboratory knew that it was the Isshiki familys magic. The military was undoubtably aware of this.
Y-yes! Im still just a Junior-High student! Akane shouted.
Akane''sint was valid. She may have been able to use magic suitable to the situation, but her age andck of experience made it unlikely that she would be able to understand the situation in the first ce.
Goki hesitated for a second after the protest of his eldest daughter because he too did not want the self-defense forces to impose their work on his fourteen-year-old daughter. However, he quickly changed his appearance from that of a father to that of the head of one of the Ten Master ns.
The Isshiki family is not strong enough.
!? She does have a suitability with Nerve Disturbance, but ...
When Masaki referred to his sister with she instead of her name, she puffed out her cheeks, but did notin because she understood he was speaking in her defense.
My strength will not be stronger that a member of the Isshiki family, right? Akane added.
Thats not the point.
Goki replied in a serious tone and shook his head. Neither Masaki nor Akane had expected this answer and waited for Gokis follow up.
They might not be nning to go about it secretively, and if Liu Li Lei goes to deadly measures, they will not be able to stop her. The magic of their family is too short range, and they do not have thebat prowess otherwise to go up against a Strategic ss magician, Goki exined.
Both Masaki and Akane understood what Goki meant. In order for the magic of the Isshiki family to work, the magician needs to get within a few meters of the target.
If Liu was secretly nning an attack, in order to neutralize it, the caster of Nerve Disturbance needed to be near Liu. However, if Liu was prepared to kill the caster, the
Isshiki magicians would not be able to resist. In this case, the short range of Nerve Disturbance bes a weakness.
Because of this, Masaki, I also called you.
...Will I go along with Akane? Masaki asked.
Yes. In an emergency, you must protect Akane. Goki did not say the words, and kill Liu Li Lei, but they understood.
Instead of replying, Masaki looked at Akane. Seeing this motion out of her peripheral vision, Akane turned to meet his gaze.
Akane, despite what father says, you can refuse, Masaki told her.
Akane opened her eyes wide and then turned away sharply.
No I will do it. Akane replied, trying to act confident but still facing away from Masaki and Goki. And I don''t need Nii-san''s protection but the help of Nii-san would be useful if I have to deal the final blow...
Masaki was speechless at the determination of his younger sister. He had always thought of her as an ordinary girl despite her talents, so her answer caught him off guard.
Akane has answered. Masaki, what will you do? Goki asked.
I will apany her of course.
Masaki answered Goki without any dy. Masaki thought it was an incredibly dumb question: Is it possible to do so badly as to force your younger sister to face danger all alone?
Okay. I will tell the self-defense forces that we agree.
Goki nodded in satisfaction.
By the way, would it not be safer for us to keep Liu Li Lie at our house instead of going to Komatsu base?
To get rid of the current atmosphere, Masaki proposed an idea.
Why do you think so?
Without bothering to conceal his surprise, Goki questioned Masakis proposal.
Well, if you take her away from the base, the risk of an attack on the base will be lower and it separates her from the soldiers with which she fled.
Ah. Liu Li Lie is only 14 years old; the same as Akane. If you remove her from the adults making the decisions, she would be less likely to do a suicidal sabotage...
Goki murmured to himself in a tone that made it seemed as if this was not a response to Masaki.
I will propose this to the self-defense forces, Goki said with a contented smile.
Local Time: July 6, 16:00
A military truck belonging to a division from the Kansai region arrived at Zama base.
The truck passed through the checkpoint without any problems and swiftly entered the base.
We arrived so easily.
In a slightly disappointed tone, Raymond jumped out of the truck with Minoru, who followed him.
Everyone in the truck was real. There is no reason to suspect anything.
The truck on which they arrived had been given to the Kudou family by the self-defense forces. Strictly speaking, this practice was illegal, but most families from the Ten Main ns had a rtionship with the SDF simr to the Kudou. When the unitmander who had originally issued the truck received a request to go through from the Kudou, he did not show any suspicion.
Using Parade, Minoru disguised both Raymond and Regulus in addition to himself as young European men dressed in USNA uniforms. Though it was slightly unnatural for soldiers of the USNA army to be in the self-defense forces truck, the workers at the checkpoint did not look inside to notice this disparity.
I do not feel that we were given a concession because of the Kudou; rather, it seemed that they simply did not have the ability to do more than necessary.
Regulus had had this impression for much of the ride. Even though their truck had passed through the entire Tokyo-Nagoya highway and they were stopped several times, none of the stops looked into the body. They were not even stopped when they
passed the training grounds on East-Fuji where Naotsugu and Mari were stationed in order to capture Minoru.
Their attention and resources seem to be directed mainly to the north.
Minoru made this observation at Regulusment.
Everything went exactly as you expected, Raymond said.
Minoru smiled slightly at Raymonds words, but his smile held no pride.
All foreign units stationed in Japan returned to their home countries during World War III and American army bases located in Japan were closed. To rece them, bases were created on both sides for joint use, allowing the other side to use their base as their own. Zama Base was one of these joint use bases that housed both the Japanese and American armies. Because of this, no questions were raised to USNA soldiers walking around the base. If they wore their military uniforms, no one would even check their identification badge, so all three of them, Raymond, Regulus, and Minoru, were able to reach the transport ne Arcturus was on.
This transport aircraft was unable to take off because of the hole Tatsuya had made to escapebined with the holes in the wall made by the Arcturus Tomahawk. In a few more days, a recement aircraft was expected to arrive, so there were only a few people on duty inside the ne. The rest of the team was in a dormitory designated for American soldiers.
Tatsuyas attack was not carried out in the interests of either Japan nor the USNA, so the damage to the body of the aircraft had been attributed to an ident duringnding. The Japanese army did not allow saboteurs to enter the base, and there were no victims of terrorists in the American army - Arcturus and the three other Parasites were not supposed to have been aboard the transport ne. Usually, a sabotage-like situation such as the current one would not have been buried, but the Great Asian Alliances invasion into the New Soviet Unions territory shifted the armys attention to the north. Nobody in the base wished to pick a fight with the USNA, so to speak, so the situation ended up being ignored by both sides.
Arcturus corpse, pierced with a mascot knife by which Mikihiko used his sealing spell, would be sent back to the USNA by the transport ne expected to arrive in the next few days. It was currently stored in a coffin-shaped container equipped with a cooling function. Zama base provided this container after a request from the crew, but the base personnel was a bit confused as to why this container was necessary.
Lieutenant, here.
The soldier on duty knew Regulus by sight, so he led the three Parasites to the
"corpse" of Arcturus without questioning who the strangers were.
Private, could you leave for a while? Regulus ordered.
Yes, sir.
The soldier on duty obediently returned from the cargo hold to the cab without any suspicion. Once he was gone, Regulus opened the lid of the container where Arcturusy in a funeral pose. The talisman used to seal Arcturus had long since been pulled out, but the seal remained just as strong. Regulus looked at Arcturus withoutmenting, sorrow in his eyes.
This is powerful seal, Minoru stated while looking into the container.
It would have to be, Raymond responded.
Do you understand this!? Regulus asked Minoru, somewhat wide-eyed.
Yes, I know a little about some of the general stuff, Minoru answered.
Can you take it off? Raymond asked as Minoru finished, already knowing the answer to Regulus question.
I wont know until I try. As I said, the seal is fairly strong. The Parasite body is being used as a talisman. I would say that this could only be undone by destroying the body to reveal the Parasite, but I assume you dont want that?
Minorus question was intended for Regulus.
I would like to find a method that preserves themanders life. Regulus came to Arcturus body because he valued Arcturus; not the Parasite contained.
If Minorus answer to this question was I cannot, the discussion would have gone down a different path in which the Parasites may have refused to help kidnap Minami.
I understand. After thinking for a bit, Minoru nodded to Regulus.
Tatsuya went to first high for the entire day on thest day of exams. He had free time as he was no longer needed in the development of the new Strategic ss magic designed in preparation for an attack from the New Soviet Union. It was
slightly reckless to leave Lina alone, but she was not a small child and would not do anything stupid, so Tatsuya convinced himself that it was pointless for him to travel to Miyaki Ind every day.
While the exams were going on, Tatsuya stayed alone in the library, but as soon as the exams finished he began practicing the Sealing Sphere with Mikihiko. By the time he left school with Miyuki, it was past 6 in the evening. Despite the time, however, the two did not go home and instead traveled to the city of Machida.
Together with Mitsuya Shiina and Yaguruma Saburou, they were visiting the home of the Mitsuya family of the Ten Main ns in order to get information about the activities of the US Army. Tatsuya had wanted to find out more about the USNAs military stations on Midway Ind and the north-western parts of the Hawaii archipgo, so he had asked Shiina to organize a meeting with the head of the Mitsuya family or his eldest son. Shiina had given Tatsuya her fathers answer of If you have time,e on the evening of the day when thest exam is held, which was another reason that Tatsuya had gone to school today.
Tatsuya was traveling with Shiina despite knowing the location of the Mitsuya house because he was not personally acquainted with Mitsuya Gen, having never even spoken to him. By allowing Shiina to lead him, they would avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Tatsuya had only asked to meet either Shiinas father or her eldest brother, but they were both waiting, expecting Tatsuya.
Shiina led Tatsuya and Miyuki to the living room and left to get drinks. By the time she returned, the four had introduced themselves to each other.
Thank you, Shiina. You may go.
Shiina was slightly disappointed with being asked to leave as she was curious about the conversation. Nheless, she obeyed her father, and Motoharu closed the living room door from the control panel as she left.
Once this was done, Gen turned back to Tatsuya.
May I call you Tatsuya-dono? he asked.
Yes, please do. Likewise, may I call you Mitsuya-dono and Motoharu-dono?
Tatsuya asked this for the same reason as Gen: in order to distinguish between members of the same family sharing ast name.
I do not mind was Gens answer to Tatsuya. With all the preparation out of the way, Gen finally brought up the main topic.
I heard from Shiina that you need information about the activities of the American army.
Yes. In particr, I would like to learn about the military instations and troops deployed around Midway Ind and the north-western parts of the Hawaiian archipgo.
Both Gen and Motoharu appeared surprised to hear this. They had expected Tatsuya to ask about a different area, thinking he was looking for information pertaining to the situation with the New Soviet Union.
I would like to understand how this rtes to the current situation? Gen asked.
This is not directly rted to the conflict between the New Soviet Union and the Great Asian Alliance, Tatsuya answered.
Then why do you need this information? Gen continued his questioning with a confused look.
I need to judge whether it will be possible to free a certain prisoner from Midway Ind, Tatsuya answered frankly.
You are looking to rescue a prisoner from Midway Ind? Does Yotsuba-dono know about this?
Consent of the head of the family has already been obtained.
This was not a lie, as on the same day that Lina requested Tatsuyas help, Tatsuya reported the content of the conversation to Maya. Maya''s only request was "just don''t overdo it, so Tatsuya decided to follow the policy "continue if possible, but quit if its hopeless."
can we hear the reason?
Motoharu asked the question this time.
It was a request from a refugee protected by our family, Tatsuya answered.
A refugee? Our government received a request from America for the extradition of Major Angie Sirius... then, she is under the protection of the Yotsuba family!? Gen eximed.
This request was not from Sirius.
Tatsuya outright denied Gens spection. He did not wish to lie, but he had no qualms with telling half-truths. He was hiding a girl named Angelina Kudou Shields. Angie Sirius was a pseudonym and mask given to her by the USNA army and government, and Tatsuya did not feel obliged to participate in these machinations.
In any case, Motoharu did not suspect anything in Tatsuyas statement so the conversation moved on.
Whoever your client is, I can only say that trying to get into Midway Prison is recklessness.
Gens tone indicated that he was still in amazement at the reasons behind this meeting.
Then, you know what present Midway is like?
Tatsuya understood Gens hints of "you must stop, but he ignored Gens opinion for the moment.
I do not know much about the inside of the prison, but the general situation is clear.
Both Tatsuya and Miyuki continued looking at Gen, waiting for more. Gen had hoped that Miyuki would stop Tatsuya, but sighed as he realized it wasnt going to happen.
I will share what we know, but we will not be able to provide support.
I understand.
Tatsuya didn''t need this extra warning from Gen. Neither he, nor Maya, nor anyone else in the Yotsuba family had nned on asking the Mitsuya family or any of the other families in the Ten Master ns and 18 Assistant Houses for help.
However, Tatsuya kept his tact and left his answer at that.
Only defensive ground forces are located on Midway Ind. Other than transport ships, no naval military ships are located there.
Gen seemed to finally understand that the Yotsuba were set on this business, and he did not voice his warning again. After a short pause, he began to talk about the information Tatsuya wanted.
There are no air forces either. Perhaps their is the fear that prisoners could use them to escape, Gen continued.
Are sea and air bases on another ind? Tatsuya asked.
On an artificial one. There is a giant floating artificial ind created in the Pearl and Hermes atoll. Troops were relocated there about six months ago, but
Gen paused for a moment before continuing.
Pearl and Hermes is an atoll approximately 250 kilometers east-southeast of Midway Ind. It belongs to the northwestern part of the Hawaiian archipgo, and it is littered with many sandy inds. Arger artificial ind with a USNA military base is built around the outside of the coral reef.
One aircraft carrier, two escort ships, two destroyers, and one submarine were assigned to the naval base. There is no runway on the artificial ind itself, but there are more than 70 fighter jets on the aircraft carrier.
Genid out this information as a brief report.
This is abat force that one person cannot hope to cope with unless he possesses Strategic ss magic.
Tatsuya had not yet been announced as the source of the Great Bomb, but from the meaningful tone and gaze of Gen, one could assume that he knew about it.
However, this was nothing to be surprised about. Based on Linas stories, it was clear that Stars knew quite a bit about the explosion of matter. It was also likely that Bezobrazov had told others in the New Soviet Union about this. Finally, when Bezobrazov had first learned about the user of the great bomb, William MacLeod from Britain was also present.
Information could have spread even more in Japan by word of mouth. The Mitsuya family had a widespread informationwork both inside and outside the country. It would be odd if the head of such arge informationwork was unaware of Tatsuyas possession of Strategic ss magic.
What is the approximate size of the ground forces on Midway Ind? Tatsuya asked.
The fleet assigned to the Pearl and Hermes base was a significant military power, but it was intended for a battle between armies. Tatsuya did not intend to openly oppose the USNA so it was unlikely that the fleet would attack him, but the garrison troops on Midway Ind would still be an obstacle.
Youre still going to do it...? Gen muttered, sighing. But he was not surprised. He did not think the Yotsuba would retreat from such a minor obstacle as a naval fleet.
Gen looked at his son, but Motoharu had already brought the data up on his information terminal before he was given the signal.
Other than the prison staff, there should be between 200 and 250 soldiers on the ind. One of the squads consists of magicians, but they are not Stars.
What is the level of their weapons?
In addition to the personal weapons of the soldiers, there are two Fleming Launchers on the roof of the prison.
Motoharu continued answering Tatsuya''s questions. The Mitsuya family possesses quite a lot of detailed information, so it took some time to finish, but Tatsuya felt that the visit to the Mitsuya family had ended with a satisfactory result.
This was helped by the fact that the Mitsuya family did not demand any form ofpensation or payment for this assistance.
Miyuki asked Tatsuya about Midway after they returned home. Even though private transport cabins guaranteed privacy, she chose to wait until they returned home to discuss secure matters.
Onii-sama, are you really going to go there?
Miyuki had known about the operation to rescue Canopus from Midway Ind even before Tatsuya reported it to Maya, but until now she was only in a position of passive denial. However, after hearing about the military power present, her anxiety grew.
Yes. I have not decided on an exact time yet, but I will try soon.
Tatsuya was more worried about Miyuki worrying about him than about himself, but he could not ignore her question either.
Is it because this is Lina''s request?
Miyukis mood darkened further as she asked her next question. Even she realized that some of her behavior stemmed from jealously, but it was also more than that.
Miyuki''s voice was too serious.
This is just an excuse, Tatsuya answered.
Tatsuya gave a vague answer because he wasnt sure what Miyuki was currently thinking about Lina other than that it wasplex. All Tatsuya could do was express his feelings and thoughts fully and truthfully.
Canopus is a serious opponent, possibly more dangerous than Bezobrazov and Sirius as an adversary.
Tatsuya specified Sirius in this situation. Ignoring her weak will to fight, Lina was simr to Tatsuya and Miyuki in magical power. Whenparing her with Canopus Tatsuyas impression was that he was an even stronger opponent than Sirius.
If Canopus became a Parasite, he would be our unconditional enemy. We should try to avoid this situation if at all possible. Liberating him will remove the possibility of him being infected, Tatsuya finished.
But
Miyuki was still unsure. Midway Ind was still territory of the USNA. While she could understand using a distant attack to eliminate Canopus, she felt it was too risky to break a prisoner out. However, Miyuki had already talked to Tatsuya about that idea when the n was first brought up. The results are evident.
I will not act recklessly. If the breakout proves to be impossible, I will blow the prison up.
This was not the first time Tatsuya had stated this, and it was not just an excuse to appease Miyuki. Tatsuya had not abandoned the idea of blowing up Midway Prison with Material Burst. As always, his priority was eliminating the threat to him and Miyuki before appeasing Lina. It was what he was best at, anyway, so this was not surprising.
Besides, the n is not yet decided yet as the current situation is too unstable. I may still revise my opinion with further information.
I guess...
Tatsuya had only given general reasoning and had not quite convince Miyuki, but the future was too fluid to urately predict.
Neither of them quite believed that the current prevailing view would be the reality.
Once Tatsuya and Miyuki left the Mitsuya house, the current and next heads of the Mitsuya family continued the conversation together.
Father, should we inform the self-defense forces that the Yotsuba n to attack the prison on Midway Ind?
Motoharu was the first to speak.
But we should also consider the possibility of information leaking to America...
Gen said. No, this goes against the loyalty of magicians. I cant betray one of the Ten Master ns to the army or America.
Gen rejected his son''s offer, but not without hesitation. His uncertain tone betrayed his true thoughts.
But if you keep silent now, the Mitsuya family could be seen as an aplice of the Yotsuba.
We did not ask forpensation solely to avoid such thoughts.
I don''t think that would be convincing, Motoharu responded.
Gen fell silent at his sons statement. Gen understood that not asking forpensation for the release of information was too weak of a defense.
Leaking this to America is uneptable. We won''t be able to exin ourselves at the Ten Master ns conference.
After a bit of silence, Gen said this while shaking his head.
Still, we should at least notify the self-defense forces about Shiba-donos n.
...Alright.
Gen couldnt disagree this time.
But we must choose the recipient of the information carefully. If the anti-magic movement finds out about this, we will have repeated the mistake of the Saegusa and Kudou families.
Motoharu nodded in response to Gens words.
We should talk to Lieutenant General Saeki from the 101 brigade, as she is associated with Shiba Tatsuya-dono, Gen said, now that they were in agreement.
Yea, Lieutenant General Saeki should be able settle this without conflict.
Then I will take care of it immediately, Gen responded and Motoharu stood up.
The conversation done, they prepared to leave, but neither Gen nor Motoharu paid attention to the hurriedly receding footsteps outside the door.
"I heard something terrible..."
Shiina ran into her room and sat on the carpet on the floor, still holding the tray she had used to bring the cups earlier.
Shiinas ears were exceedingly sensitive. She could hear tiny vibrations ordinary people could not, but this also made the everyday sounds feel like an attack of intolerable noise to Shiina. Her body waspletely normal, so doctors hypothesized that she subconsciously activates magic to increase hearing. This is supported by the fact that her hypersensitive ears be normal as she sleeps.
However, despite knowing the cause, nothing can be done to affect the magic as it cant be observed from outside information bodies. Since the magic exists entirely inside Shiina, no outside measures can be taken to detect the magic. The only treatment was the usage of soundproof headphones with a microphone on the outside and speakers inside to control the volume of noise. The soundsing into the microphone are yed at a volume harmless to Shiina through the speaker inside the cup.
Shiina usually only took off her headphones while swimming or sleeping, so she had them on when she went to pick up the empty tray she had brought cups on.
Her headphones were only designed to lower the volume of loud sounds to a volume Shiina could withstand, so while they did not amplify weak sounds, they also did not block sounds that were originally harmless. Shiinas headphones were able to detect and recreate sounds to incredibly low volumes. This allowed Shiinas oversensitive hearing to hear her brother and fathers conversation even though she did not intend to eavesdrop.
When they said Shiba-dono, did they mean Shiba-senpai? Will they tell the army about Shiba-senpai?
Shiina had heard the conversation from when Motoharu and Gen were still discussing
"leaks to America," so while she didnt know Tatsuyas n, from phrases like
"antimagic movement", "mistake of the Saegusa and Kudou families", and "settle this without conflict", she understood that this was a rather suspicious conversation.
"What to do..."
Shiina had heard enough of the conversation to realize that her father and brother were plotting treachery against Tatsuya. Though she was much more loyal to her family than to Tatsuya, Shiina felt that treachery was evil. In her system of values, she felt that bullying like this was Tatsuya - she felt it would be wrong if she allowed the current atrocity to go on just because it was her family.
"Should I tell Shiba-senpai about this...?"
But if she did that, she herself would havemitted treachery.
So at that, Shiina was trapped in her reasoning.