[Episode 25: Yokohama Disturbance - Part 7]

While Tatsuya and his friends were destroying the demo devices in the conference center's storage room, Ichijou Masaki had been defending his Third High classmates outside. The attackers had cornered them behind their buses as soon as they emerged, keeping the Third High students from escaping and preventing Masaki from proceeding to the Magic Association. They had to have known that at least three high-ranking Ten Master Clan children would be in attendance of this event, Masaki thought as he used Rupture to kill a couple soldiers. I wonder if their objective was not only to steal data, but to prevent us from aiding the Magic Association as well? I guess there's only one way to find out. He pulled the trigger of his CAD, and another soldier dropped to his knees in an explosion of his own blood. Masaki glanced behind him; the Third High students were watching his actions with simultaneous awe, horror, and disgust. Many of the students with weaker constitutions had thrown up at the sight of so much blood, while those who had minor experience with combat did their best to comfort them. If any of them had forgotten why the Ten Master Clans were considered the pinnacle of Japan's magic prowess, well, they didn't need to be reminded any more.

It was safe to say that Masaki had justified his nickname as "the Crimson Prince."

Elsewhere, Lina was helping defend the group of First High students heading for the shelter. They had come under a similar predicament, having encountered soldiers who seemed to be doing their best to keep every magician at the conference center.

"They don't seem to be trying to kill us," Lina said to Kirihara and Hattori as she took cover behind a corner with anti-magician bullets filling the space in which she was previously standing. "If they were targeting us, or even a single individual, they'd send multiple squads and try to overwhelm us with pure force, like they did in the Conference Center. There's just a few soldiers up ahead, and they're doing all they can just to slow us down."

"Why do you think that is, Ms. Shields?" asked Hattori.

"If I had to guess," she said, being interrupted by a spray of gunfire, "they don't want us leaving the Conference Center. They want to keep us contained, isolated from the rest of Yokohama where we can't do any harm."

"Harm to what?" said Kirihara. "Another operation?"

"Are they going for the Magic Association?" said Hattori.

"I think so," Lina replied. "Which means we have to get out of this situation as fast as possible."

"Hai," Kirihara said, using his martial arts skills to dodge the enemy gunfire while being supported by Kirihara. While they were distracting the soldiers, Lina used Parade to appear in the midst of the enemy. The soldiers jumped back in surprise as Lina activated a spell: Muspelheim, used on purpose this time. Hattori and Kirihara took cover as flames engulfed the soldiers, burning up all of their flesh, muscles, and organs, and charring what little remains were left behind.

"You remind me of Shiba, Ms. Shields," Kirihara said, standing up. "Always rushing to be in the middle of things and deceptively powerful. Not to mention that you both wear your bloodlust like a coat. You can't fool me. You've seen combat before, haven't you?"

"And if I have, what of it?"

Kirihara didn't answer. He just turned to face the group that was hiding some distance back in the tunnel.

"Nakajo!"

Azusa, who had been waiting for Kirihara's signal, turned to rally the group.

"The shelter's just up ahead," she said with a smile. "Everybody, hang in there!"

~After Tatsuya's Departure~

"Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi?"

"What is it, Mr. Jumonji?"

"Would you mind lending me a car?"

"Where are you planning to go?"

"To the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association," Jumonji replied. "I may be just the acting leader, but I still must fulfill my responsibilities as a member of the Master Clan Conference. Also, if Shiba's suspicions are correct and the Yotsuba are planning to storm the Magic Association, I should be present to prevent things from getting out of control while the rest of our group makes its way there."

"Very well," Fujibayashi replied. "Sergeant Tateoka, Corporal Otowa. Escort Mr. Jumonji to the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association."

"Hai."

Meanwhile, Mayumi and the rest of Tatsuya's friends who were still in the Conference Center were deciding how to proceed - but they had some trust issues to work through first.

"So...he's a Strategic-class Magician, and has an unlimited Psion count?" Shizuku said tentatively. "On top of that, he has innate magics that can classify him as a Supernatural Power User? Just who is Shiba Tatsuya, or, should I say, Yotsuba Tatsuya?"

"A god," said Kanon hesitantly. "Before she was murdered, Ms. Hirakawa told us that Shiba - err, Yotsuba - was an omnipotent god who didn't have to follow the normal rules. This must have been what she meant by that...but I never expected him to turn out to be a Strategic-class Magician..."

"Now, now, my brother isn't a god," Miyuki said. "He's really just a tool that other people use...a servant, if you will, bound to a fate he detests..."

"A fate he's trying to change," Mayumi interjected. "Or, at least, that's what will have happened if he gets the drop on the Yotsuba. But to do that, he needs the help of everyone in this room."

"Well, I'm ready!" exclaimed Erika. "Let's head on over to the Magic Association and destroy a Master Clan!"

"Whoa, slow down, Erika," Mari said apprehensively. "Even if we do decide to aid Tatsuya, we can't just abandon the civillians who have taken shelter in the Conference Center, and besides, not all of us are combat-ready. No matter our decision, we should head for the shelter first and make sure all non-combatants are safe before proceeding."

"I agree," said Mayumi. "As much as I want to go fight at my fiance's side, I have a duty to protect the people as a Ten Master Clans member - but, even stronger than the call of the Ten Master Clans is the call of basic humanity. We can't leave our fellow citizens defenseless in their time of need."

"And we certainly can't protect them if we're worring about our own," Suzune added. "Those of us who are not one hundred percent ready to draw blood, and perhaps kill if necessary, should not fight at all; they will only be stumbling blocks if we all traipse off to the Magic Association."

"Fine, fine, I get it!" Erika said impatiently. "There's no need to keep harping about it. Let's just go to the shelter, then!"

"It's decided, then," Mayumi stated. "Mari, go inform the 101st about our plans. Rin, gather all the civillians in the lobby of the conference center. We'll leave from the front doors in fifteen minutes, provided there are no more attacks."

After Mari and Suzune left on their missions, the group started recollecting itself and heading towards the lobby of the conference center. Along the way, people naturally paired up to discuss what they thought of the recent revelations.

"Kei, do you think Shiba is a good guy?"

"What do you mean, Kanon?"

"You know what they say about power...that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely...but from what we've heard, it doesn't sound like Shiba's been corrupted by his power. What do you think?"

"I think that's a question only time can answer, Kanon," Kei replied. "But I think that if Shiba had been corrupted by power, it would be rather obvious...and lethal."

"I guess so..."

"Shizuku?"

"What is it, Honoka?"

"..."

"Is it about Tatsuya?"

"Well...do you think he actually loves Ms. Saegusa, or did he just do that to allyhimself with a Master Clan other than the Yotsuba?"

"It's probably not our place to guess," Shizuku responded. "And I don't know whether to give the answer you want...or the answer I think is actually true."

"Never mind...forget I said anything..."

"Leo?"

"Hmm? What do you want, Erika?"

"Well, you don't have to be a jerk about it!"

"About what?!"

"Never mind, idiot. I was going to ask you...how did those siblings get engaged so fast? I'm glad for them, but it is kind of unnatural..."

"You know what it reminds me of?" said Leo. "A romance manga. Those things always feature rushed romances, because no one wants to read a love story that goes on for volume after volume after volume with no end in sight."

"You read romance manga?!" Erika said gleefully.

"What?! No, I have a sister!"

"Uh...Shibata?"

"Yes, Yoshida?"

"How are you? All of this isn't too stressful, is it?"

"No, it isn't, but thank you for asking!" Mizuki replied with a smile.

"Mayumi?"

"What is it, Miyuki?"

"You're not mad at Tatsuya for keeping more secrets, are you?"

"No, not really. I might have been, had Tatsuya been keeping things from my on his own accord, but since he was bound by military regulations I can't really blame him, now can I?"

"I guess that's true."

"Plus, the things he told me weren't all that bad...not that they ever have been, but it's nice to know that my fiance has the highest Psion count ever recorded. That'll make it easy to persuade my father to endorse our marriage even after this whole mess with the Yotsuba is over."

"Yeah, your children would be rather talented, I'd assume," replied Miyuki. "I'm glad, you know. That this hasn't caused a rift between you two."

"Me too, Miyuki. Though the whole Strategic-class Magician thing did surprise me a little. I guess I suspected that he was keeping something big from me, but I never even considered that possibility."

~An Hour Later~

Despite Azusa's positivity, the group in the tunnels had only just now come into sight of the shelter; but what they saw wasn't ideal. The skylight above them was blocked out with shadows, undoubtedly created by troops sent to secure the shelter.

"I don't think we have the resources to fight that many in a head-to-head battle," Lina whispered to Azusa.

"We may not have to!" replied Azusa. "Look!"

Lina looked up to see the shadows scurrying away from the skylight. Something about their coordination seemed eerily familiar to the leader of STARS.

"I'll go open the door so everyone can just run straight in!" Azusa exclaimed before darting out into the atrium preceding the shelter.

"Wait, Ms. Nakajo!" cried Lina. "Something doesn't feel right!"

Just then, five microexplosives that had been implanted in the ceiling of the atrium around the skylight detonated, bringing down the entire ceiling on top of Azusa

"Nakajo!" cried Kirihara as he, Hattori, Lina, and about a dozen others rushed to try to find her. They didn't even notice the soldiers surrounding the hole, guns aimed at them.

"Don't move! Drop your CADs and place your hands above your heads!" one of the soldiers cried. "Obey and you won't be harmed!"

"Why, you..." Lina began, reaching for her CAD to activate Parade - but she wasn't fast enough. At least three of the soldiers, if not more, reacted instinctually to her movement and fired a single burst at her arm. The high-speed bullets sliced through everything they touched: CAD, flesh, muscle, and bone. What remained of Lina's forearm fell to the ground.

"I said don't move!" the soldier yelled as a bloody Lina dropped to the floor, unconscious from the pain. "All of you - CADs on the ground, hands on your heads! Now!"

Reluctantly, the remaining students followed the soldier's instructions.

"Now, I want all of you to climb out of that tunnel! Leave your CADs down there. It's either that, or we start shooting and throwing grenades down there - it's your choice. But whatever you do, do it now!"

Kirihara slowly took off his jacket, ripped off a portion, and tied a tournaquet around Lina's arm to stop the bleeding. He then picked Lina up and used the remainder of his jacket to tie her to his back, and proceeded to climb. Hattori and the rest of the students followed...they were too afraid to turn back, as they knew the soldiers would just shoot them in the back as they ran away.

Mayumi and the others had also encountered some trouble on the way to the shelter; one squad that was meant to provide backup to the ones detaining Lina and her group was running a bit late, and so they were attacking Mayumi's group from behind. Having at first decided to hold their ground, but then realizing that they could not effectively fight with so many civillians in their midst, they decided to bade a hasty retreat to the shelter with the soldiers nipping at their tails. They arrived at the shelter to find it surrounded by enemy assailants; and with the soldiers behind them closing in quickly, they had nowhere left to run.

That's when it happened.

The shadows of the enemy soldiers started shifting. They writhed around like snakes in a den, before merging into a large pool above the heads of the soldiers. Out of this pool swarmed dozens of flying magicians in black cloaks, armor, and hoods, each wearing a face mask patterned after traditional Japanese oni. They spread themselves around the area in a circle, a circle which began to rotate. The soldiers, terrified, tried to shoot them; the bullets, however, were lapped up by the shadows before they even got within a meter from their targets.

The shadows then lept towards the soldiers themselves, devouring them whole. The soldiers didn't even have time to scream. As quick as they had come, the magicians retreated back into the pool of shadows, which then closed in on itself and vanished - except for one small speck of darkness, which flew off in the direction of the Magic Association.

"What on Earth was that?" cried Mayumi.

"That was a Yotsuba attack," replied Miyuki. "The genius thing about that attack is that the spell, Shadow Seeker, isn't classified as an attack spell. It's a powerful tracking spell, one that was engineered by the Yotsuba to use human sacrifices to supply the Psions and computational power needed to track down its subject."

"Miyuki...just how powerful are the Yotsuba?" asked Mayumi, terrified.

"Very, very powerful," replied Miyuki.

"Ms. Saegusa!" cried Kirihara as he rushed over to her, still carrying Lina on his back. "Ms. Saegusa! Nakajo was caught in the collapse! She's still down there! They also severly injured Ms. Shields...what are we going to do?"

Mayumi stood in silence for about a second while everyone looked at her for guidance. What would you do, Tatsuya? she wondered. Prioritize the safety of the noncombatants, probably.

"Mr. Yoshida, is Ms. Nakajo still alive?" she asked Mikihiko, who was already using Spirit Magic to look down into the rubble.

"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Saegusa..." he replied solemnly. Several of the others around them stepped back or cried out in shock. Mayumi closed her eyes for a second, trying hard to fight back tears before regaining her composure.

"Is the underground shelter intact, Mr. Yoshida?"

"Yes, but I can't see a clear path to the entrance, and it looks like a couple of the support columns are severely cracked."

"Thank you, Mr. Yoshida."

"What are you going to do, Mayumi?" asked Fujibayashi.

"The shelter isn't a viable option anymore, and it's too dangerous to try to escape by sea..." she mused. "I'm going to call for helicopters from my father's company. Let's evacuate from the air."

"I'll contact my father, too," said Shizuku.

"More soldiers will come," interjected Mari. "We need a plan for when that happens."

"Here - I have a map of the area," said Fujibayashi. "We should look for choke points, areas where the soldiers will have to pass through, and intercept them before they get here."

"Look - there!" exclaimed Miyuki, pointing to a spot on the map. "The buildings on either side of that street collapsed - I saw it on our way here."

"Over here, too!" said Erika.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," began Mayumi. "We're going to split our fighters up into three groups. Two of the groups will intercept the soldiers, while the third will protect the civilians in case they get past you. The civilians will board Ms. Kitayama's helicopters and will be evacuated to a safe zone outside Yokohama. Those of us who wish to take up arms alongside Tatsuya and defend the Magic Association will board the Saegusa helicopters. Any questions?"

No one had any questions.

"Very well, it's settled," Mayumi said. "One last thing: Mr. Yoshida, Ms. Shibata...I'd like for you two to round up some of the civilians to help retrieve Ms. Nakajo's body to give her a proper burial. Kirihara, leave Ms. Shields in the care of Dr. Asuka. When she wakes up, inform her of the situation. Also...only lend her a CAD if absolutely necessary."

"So, who's on what team?" asked Mari.

"It depends on who volunteers," replied Mayumi. "Keep in mind that the civilian helicopters won't stop to pick you guys up, meaning that if you choose to volunteer, you're also volunteering to help attack the Yotsuba."

Several of the First High students raised their hands.

"Okay," Mayumi said, surveying the pool of choices. "Chiyoda, Isori, Mibu, and Kirihara, you're on Team A, led by Mari. You'll be holding this point here," she said, pointing to the first choke point. "I think you're going to have your hands full, so give your all."

"Hai!"

"Miyuki, you're the leader of Team B. Saijo, Chiba...you're the rest of Team B. I have confidence in your abilities."

"Hey, would you mind not lumping me in with that guy?!" replied Erika angrily. "I train him for ONE DAY and now everyone thinks we're a couple!"

"No one was thinking that, Erika," Shizuku said quietly.

"Who'll defend the shelter?" asked Suzune, bringing the conversation back to its original topic.

"Ms. Kitayama and I will, along with anyone else who's willing to put up a fight," replied Mayumi. "We have to be here to coordinate with the helicopters, so we might as well make the most of it."

"In that case, I'll be happy to leave some of my subordinates with you," said Fujibayashi.

"No, that won't be necessary," Chiba Toshikazu interrupted.

"Inspector!" Fujibayashi said with just a little too much enthusiasm.

"Big Bro Kazu!" exclaimed Erika.

"Eliminating external enemies is the military's job," Toshikazu said, "but it's the police's duty to protect the people. We'll be staying behind. Ms. Fujibayashi... Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi, please rejoin the main unit."

"Understood," she replied. "Inspector Chiba, I'm leaving the rest to you!"

"How hot is that woman?" Toshikazu muttered to himself as Fujibayashi walked away.

"Yeah, in your dreams!" said Erika. "She's not the kind of woman you can handle, Big Bro Kazu."

"You sure you should be giving me that attitude, Erika?" he replied, reaching for the object that he was carrying on his back.

"What do you mean?"

"I did bring you something pretty awesome," he said, holding a purple-clothed sword out to Erika. She grabbed it defiantly, not wanting to admit she was wrong.

~The Enemy Assault Ship~

"We've lost all contact with the squadrons heading toward the International Convention Center and its parking lot, as well as with the squadrons on their way to secure the shelter."

"Send the mechanized unit ashore immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

~Nearby, in Hodogaya~

A military humvee pulled up to a large transport truck. Tatsuya stepped out and examined the contents of the truck: two dozen obsidian-black combat suits with silver accents that were vastly superior to the design he had used three years ago in the Battle of Okinawa. He set part of his suit on his shoulders; the suit, sensing that it had an occupant, wrapped itself around his body while a helmet engulfed his head.

"The Flying Unit is hidden inside the belt," Captain Sanada reported. "It's bulletproof, heat-resistant, shock-resistant, and resistant to biological and chemical weapons. I've also added a basic power-assist function, just like you designed."

"I can see that it's an upgrade over the plans I drew up," Tatsuya replied.

"All right," said Major Kazama, "I know you just go here, but I'd like you to join Yanagi's unit, Special Officer."

"Understood."

"Oh, and Tatsuya..."

"Yes, Major?"

"If any of those children let your secrets slip, it'll be your responsibility."

"Yes, sir."

Tatsuya activated the Flying Device in his belt and soared into the sky, the heads-up display in his helmet telling him where Yanagi's unit was located. As he was en route, he noticed a few non-Japanese drones scouting the area; deciding to eliminate them, he skyrocketed some distance above them, and disengaged his flying spell. He fell through the air with increasing velocity, and as he approached the first drone, he activated his Contact-type Decomposition.

Tatsuya rocketed through the drone like a hot knife through butter. It exploded in his wake.

~The Enemy Assault Ship~

"Sir, we just lost contact with the unmanned drone heading for Hodogaya! ...we just lost another drone! And another!"

"What is going on?!" the commander yelled, slamming his fist on his armrest.

~Outside the Shelter~

"When will the helicopters get here?" asked Suzune.

"They should arrive by 4:30," Mayumi replied.

"Ours should be here around that time, too," said Shizuku.

"So another twenty minutes?" Suzune said in despair. "We'll have to defend the civilians as well as this landing area until then, won't we?"

"Don't worry," replied Mayumi. "Even if the enemy should come, they'll be sure to drive them out."

But you guys...don't push yourselves too hard, alright? she thought.

While Mayumi had assumed that the first choke point would receive the bulk of the enemy's attention, the soldiers actually reached the second point first. Well, not the soldiers themselves, but the machines they sent in their stead. Miyuki was the first to feel the odd tremor travelling through the earth beneath their feet; as it got stronger, both Erika and Leo felt it as well.

"Here they come..."

Two giant bipedal tanks rounded the corner and charged straight at the group, but Miyuki's Niflheim stopped them cold (pun absolutely intended). Erika lunged at the first tank and destroyed it in a single slice of her personal sword, Orochimaru - the one that had been delivered by Toshikazu. Leo attempted the same manouever...but failed miserably. When he tried to lunge forward like Erika had done, his foot got caught on a rock and caused him to trip; the sudden impact of his head against the ground knocked him out.

"Man, not again!" Erika said, annoyed. "Is he good for anything? If you want something done at all, apparently, you have to do it yourself..."

Erika quickly slashed through the second vertical tank.

Meanwhile, at the first choke point, Toshikazu and Inagaki had joined Kei, Kanon, Kirihara, Sayaka, and Mari, in order to properly defend the area from the supposed onslaught of enemy soldiers. Instead, they were greeted by the same vertical tanks which had just assaulted the second group.

"Here they come," said Kei as the tanks triggered a magical proximity sensor he had set up.

Kanon cast the first spell, according to their plan: mirroring the use of Miyuki's Niflheim, she stopped the tanks from getting too close to the group.

"Now!" she shouted, and Toshikazu - obviously the inspiration for his younger sister - lept over her, magic katana in hand, destroying the first tank in a single slice. Kirihara started running at the second tank, but it had since regained control of its gun emplacements, and began firing at him. Luckily, Sayaka was there to back him up: she threw her sword at a turret while Kirihara threw one of his at the other, destroying both and paving the way for Kirihara to use his Sonic Blade spell to destroy the tank.

As these fights were going on, Tatsuya approached a group of soldiers clad in similar combat suits that were gathered around a destroyed vertical tank, and, upon landing next to them, opened the face mask on his helmet and saluted.

"Hey, Special Officer," Yanagi said, dismissing Tatsuya's salute. "We know exactly who the enemy is now. The design of these tanks felt somewhat familiar, yet strangely foreign, so I just ran it by Sanada and he confirmed my suspicions. Their inner mechanisms have distinct traits from the Great Asian Alliance."

"So the Yotsuba are playing nations against each other?"

"It appears so," Yanagi replied. "Sorry to spring this on you, but there are civilians in the station plaza who've summoned helicopters to get the evacuees out. It was reported to me by Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi that your sister and fiancee are among those defending the civilians. We're going to head for the station now and help with the escape."

"Understood," Tatsuya said with a salute, "and thank you, sir."

Back at the choke points, the assault of vertical tanks had not stopped. After the first two were destroyed, more pairs followed; while it would have been easy for Erika to take care of them if Leo had been there, he was still out cold. You're no help at all, she thought as she sliced through another tank. A tank behind her turned and began firing, but a blast of ice from Miyuki destroyed it. Just then, Leo began to rouse.

"Oh, my head - so what'd I miss?"

"Everything, idiot," retorted Erika. "Miyuki and I took care of these tank things, no thanks to you. You really are useless, aren't you?"

"It was a simple misstep," Leo said, trying to save face. "What's that sound?"

A couple large transport helicopters flew overhead.

"Oh, so the rescue choppers are finally here, huh?" said Erika.

"So our job will be done soon?"

"What do you mean, our job? You didn't do any of the work!"

"Why, you..."

"Guys, pay attention!" said Miyuki as they felt a familiar rumble. "Here comes another one!"

As the two groups kept the vertical tanks at bay, the helicopters approached the station plaza where Mayumi and the civilians were waiting.

"Looks like we'll be getting out of here, right?" said Mayumi. At that moment, her phone buzzed with a message from Yotsuba Maya:

Mayumi, meet me around the corner to your right. It's urgent, and I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain. Come quickly. ~Maya

Puzzled, Mayumi turned and walked towards the corner specified in Maya's message. She didn't see anyone there, so she was about to go back, but then a hand reached out from the shadows and pulled her in.

"I'm sorry for the secrecy, Mayumi, but I can't afford to be seen. I have something for you - another Relic, and a copy of Merlin's staff."

"What are you going to make me do for this one?"

"Nothing, dear, nothing at all. Believe it or not, I actually want you and Tatsuya to be happy. This is just...a backup plan, of sorts. In case anything goes wrong."

"Does it use Rewind? Is this a ploy to get us to change the world for you?"

"No! It doesn't change anything - that's the point of the spell, but I don't have time to explain it. And as for the staff, well, I wouldn't count on Merlin giving hers up. But, here, I have to go, so take these." She hed out both her hands, motioning for Mayumi to do the same.

Mayumi looked at the objects she had been given; one was another transparent, yin/yang-shaped Relic, but this one had a fascinating amber coloration. The other object was a bulky little cylinder with a pendant on the top, in which it looked like two Relics would fit.

"What are these?"

"Well, the Relic is compatible with the green Relic I gave you earlier. That cylinder expands into a staff if you press this hidden button," Maya explained, taking the cylinder and pushing her finger into it. The cylinder expanded into a slender but sturdy staff. "When the time comes, press that button and slam the staff on the ground - but I'd rather you not use this unless it's absolutely necessary. It does carry...certain consequences, but if you're in a situation where you have to use it, the consequences won't matter that much anyway."

"I...I'm not sure what to say, Ms. Yotsuba..."

"Right now? You don't have to say anything. But I've got to go...we should have tea sometime, wouldn't you agree?"

Maya pushed Mayumi back out into the street, and suddenly she was gone as soon as she appeared.

Mayumi walked back around the corner to see Shizuku staring up into the sky, CAD drawn but lowered, with a menacing figure dressed entirely in black hovering above the helicopters.

"Ms. Kitayama! What happened?"

"There were...chemical-controlled locusts, or something...I tried using Phonon Maser to disperse them, but it didn't work...then he showed up, and completely destroyed them..."

"Did he attack us? Is he a Yotsuba?"

"No, they didn't attack...more came after him, and took up a perimeter around the landing zone...as for them being Yotsuba, I don't know...but there's something familiar about the guy who saved us..."

Mayumi looked hopefully at the flying sentinel, and he looked right back at her.

"Tatsuya?"

Suzune and Shizuku turned and looked at her.

"Saegusa, you think that's Shiba?" asked Suzune.

"I'd recognize him anywhere," Mayumi replied.

"Plus, look at his CADs," Mari commented. "He's using dual Silver Horns, which fits Tatsuya's modus operandi to a fault."

"Oh, that's true," added Shizuku. "I hadn't noticed that, but now that you pointed it out, I do see it."

As if to resolve their conversation, the obsidian warrior began descending and addressed the civilian group.

"Please, do not fear us! We are the Self-Defense Force's 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, and we will protect you while you evacuate Yokohama. You are safe now; you can relax."

There was an audible sigh of relief that went up from the crowd, with some of the more enthusiastic members cheering. Of course, they were happy that they were safe, but they were also a little exhilerated by the prospect that Japan had such fearsome and powerful warriors, and that those warriors were actively fighting to protect them. Mayumi, the de facto leader of the group, stepped forward to accept the help of the 101st.

"So, how shall I address you?" she asked, playfully. "Would 'darling' or 'Mr. Yotsuba' be preferable?"

"Neither," replied Tatsuya. "I know it's a bit formal, but please call me Special Officer while I'm in uniform."

"That doesn't look like a conventional uniform to me."

"I'm no conventional soldier. It's as I told you, back at the NSC - I am a living weapon, and this suit is a tool to enhance my combat capabilities."

"How's the fight going?"

"Some of the smaller groups are being driven back, but the main assault on the Magic Association is still continuing," Tatsuya reported. "Up until now, only small reports of Yotsuba activity have been received...nothing significant yet, but we can assume they'll attack when it best suits their plan. Oh, one more thing - these soldiers are from the Great Asian Alliance, so as of now, this is an international incident. Keep that in mind as you fight."

"Thank you, my dearest Special Officer," Mayumi replied with a wink, before a serious expression settled on her face. "I...have a request for you, but it's not directly related to the situation at hand. A-chan... Ms. Nakajo Azusa passed away when the entrance to the shelter collapsed, but we haven't been able to find her body. Could you...?"

"Certainly," Tatsuya replied. He walked over to the collapsed tunnel, where Mikihiko, Mizuki, and their volunteers were still frantically digging. "Please, allow me," Tatsuya said, aiming his Silver Horn at the debris and casting Decomposition. When he was done, Azusa's mangled and distorted body lay on the floor of the atrium in a pile of sand. Mizuki threw up, and Mikihiko had to look away to keep himself from doing so as well, before comforting Mizuki.

"I'll take care of her," said Tatsuya. "Everyone, please look away."

They did so gladly but remorsefully as Tatsuya used Regrowth to make Azusa presentable. He then used magic to raise her out of the tunnel and set her nearby.

"Everyone!" cried Mayumi. "If I could have your attention for a moment - I'd like us all to observe a moment of silence for Ms. Nakajo Azusa, Student Council President of National Magic University Affiliated First High School, who passed away while leading our students to safety."

While no one talked, it was hardly silent; there were many tears shed as recent wounds were reopened. When a minute had passed, and her own tears were done flowing, Mayumi spoke up again.

"Thank you, everyone. Now, please continue evacuating...let's not allow Ms. Nakajo's sacrifice to be in vain."

"I'm sorry, Mayumi," Tatsuya said, walking over to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"It's not your fault, Tatsuya," Mayumi replied. "But there is one more thing you can do. Ms. Shields was seriously injured while trying to save A-chan...she lost her arm, along with a lot of blood. Kirihara stopped the bleeding, but Dr. Asuka hasn't been able to do much for her with the limited tools that we have available."

"Of course," Tatsuya replied. "Where is she?"

"Dr. Asuka took her to the station terminal, in order to have some peace and quiet."

Tatsuya, still dressed entirely in his obsidian combat armor, walked over to the terminal. When he entered, he saw Dr. Asuka sitting on a couch over to the side, holding Lina's head in her lap as Lina rested. Dr. Asuka looked up as she heard Tatsuya coming.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Relax," Tatsuya said, taking off his helmet. "I'm here to talk with Ms. Shields."

"Mr. Shiba?" Lina said, waking up. "What are you wearing?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "Just rest, and know that you're going to be okay." He aimed his CAD at her and cast Regrowth once again, restoring her arm to perfection.

Mayumi was waiting for him when he walked out.

"Tatsuya, I know how much that hurt you...thank you, thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me, Mayumi," he replied, putting his helmet back on. "I'd do anything, if you were the one to ask."

"Where was this attitude when I asked you to tell me every secret you have?"

"It was there...it was just buried beneath military protocal and familial obligations."

They looked up as more helicopters were heard in the distance.

"Oh, our helicopters are here too," Mayumi said. "It looks like we'll be joining you at the Magic Association within the hour, if everything goes well."

"I will ensure that it does," said Tatsuya. "I'll see you later...darling."

He took up his post above the landing site once again, being especially careful to watch for enemy attacks.

~Thirty Minutes Later~

As the helicopters took off, Mayumi looked out the window at Tatsuya, who was standing on top of the train terminal. She formed a heart with her hands, then blew him a kiss, waving as the helicopters departed.

That woman... thought Tatsuya.

"Ms. Saegusa Mayumi has boarded the helicopter," he reported over his helmet's internal comlink. "It looks like she'll be picking up classmates and underclassmen and then proceeding to the Magic Association."

"Roger that. After confirming that our targets are safe, rejoin the unit."

"Understood."

Tatsuya aimed his Silver Horn at a lone soldier who was aiming a missile launcher at the retreating helicopters. The soldier was wiped from existence, the missile launcher dropping to the ground. No one threatens my fiancee and lives.

As Tatsuya was getting ready to follow the choppers, Chiba Toshikazu lept up to the rooftop and called out after him.

"Hey, you! Wait a minute!"

Tatsuya turned back around.

"Inspector Chiba Toshikazu," he said. "It's nice to meet the man who has captured the thoughts of Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi."

"I - I'm flattered," Chiba replied, "but just who exactly are you? You must be with the 101st, if you've met Ms. Fujibayashi..."

"That is correct," Tatsuya admitted. "And as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I have a mission to complete."

"W-Wait!" Toshikazu cried. "One more thing! Should I get Fujibayashi flowers or scented candles?"

"I don't know her well enough to answer that," Tatsuya replied truthfully, "though, from the way she talks about you, I'd suggest a ring. Maybe not immediately, but sometime in the near future."

This made Toshikazu blush as Tatsuya flew off into the sunset.

~The Kanto Branch of the Magic Association~

An organization titled "the Magic Association" would obviously employ combat magicians on its security force, but the GAA soldiers expected every single member to be capable of great feats of magic - they wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, and, over two hours after they launched their attack, they still hadn't been able to breach the volunteer militia's defenses. So they decided to bring out the big guns - magicians of their own, supplemented by vertical tanks and magic phantom-beasts. It was this last category of weaponry that did the most damage and finally gained some ground for the GAA; the spell being a foreign creation, the magicians of the Magic Association didn't know how to effectively fight back. It seemed that for every beast they killed, another took its place: they tore the outer line of defense to pieces.

"R-Retreat!" one magician shouted.

"We're going to retreat and reestablish our defensive line!" another added.

The poorly-equipped magicians began to run back to the safety of the Magic Association, but a powerful voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Don't reatreat!"

Phalanx barriers smashed a lot of the phantom beasts, causing the magicians to turn back and look at the newcomer.

"Stir yourselves, those of you who possess magic!" Jumonji Katsuto shouted. "Defend our motherland from these despicable invaders!"

He had his hand raised - he brought it down, and a Phalanx barrier smashed one of the vertical tanks, rallying the remaining magicians, who rushed back into the battle to drive back the remaining soldiers.

Elsewhere, Ichijou Masaki was fighting similar constructs, but these phantoms were in the shape of soldiers, not beasts. Yet for every one he destroyed, three more were created. Where's the phantom spell caster? he wondered - for if he could find the enemy magician, he could cut off the phantoms at their source. To this end, he activated a special area-of-effect spell on his secondary wrist-mounted CAD. All of the enemy soldiers who weren't casting magic fell to the ground in clouds of steam, clutching their throats as if they were choking. Only one was left standing. Found him! Masaki thought triumphantly. The enemy spell caster tried to run, but Masaki aimed his CAD at him and activated Rupture; the caster exploded, his blood bursting out of him, and with his death the phantom soldiers vanished.

"F-Fall back!" another enemy soldier shouted, having seen what just transpired from a distance. They found themselves caught in a corner, however, with nowhere left to run; desperately, they fired every spell and every bullet they had at Masaki, to no effect. The unit was completely destroyed by the Crimson Prince.

As this was happening, Mayumi's chopper was on its way to the first group. Sayaka was the first to hear it, but they couldn't see the choppers themselves. Then Mari's phone rang, and she answered.

"Mari? I'm going to let down some ropes, so will you grab onto them?"

As Mayumi said this, five ropes dropped down from an apparently invisible chopper. Kanon, Kei, Kirihara, Sayaka, and Mari each grabbed one, and they were hoisted into the helicopter where they found out that Honoka had been continuosly casting an invisibility spell to prevent the helicopter from being seen.

"We'll get the second group next," Mayumi said. "Honoka, if it's too much for you, you can go ahead and disable the spell."

"I'll be alright," Honoka said with a friendly shake of her head.

The choppers reached the second group, where the fighting had died down a bit and become a sort of stalemate; each side was taking cover, only coming out sporadically to keep the other in check. Suddenly, ice crystals materialized in the air and blasted into the GAA troops, providing cover for Erika, Leo, and Miyuki to grab on to the ropes from the chopper...at least, that's what Mayumi had in mind. Instead, Miyuki used the situation to walk out towards the enemy, her unique magic Cocytus at the ready. She made a finger gun and pointed it at the enemy, echoing Tatsuya's destructive finger gun from the Invasion of Okinawa three years ago. Whenever a soldier stepped out from behind cover, she killed them, until at last they decided to all emerge at once; surely she could not kill them all, they thought. But they were wrong. With one snap of her fingers, Miyuki froze the entire lot of them using Cocytus, providing for a very intimidating display.

Miyuki looked up to see Tatsuya hovering far above them, almost out of their sight; but as she watched, she saw him nod, as if to say that she had done a good job. Then he flew off in the direction of the Magic Association, and Miyuki boarded the chopper.

~Elsewhere~

"My lady, still no movement from Merlin. She's kept herself isolated in the vault atop the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association."

"Excellent. Everything is playing out exactly as I planned. Prepare to assault the tower; we'll drive her out yet. Be sure to get in before Tatsuya and his allies do, otherwise explaining our actions will be difficult. Remember, you're not to kill any of his soldiers."

"What of the volunteer militia that's defending the Magic Association?"

"Casualties are a necessity of conflict," Yotsuba Maya replied. "No one will blame us if we avenge their tragic deaths at the hands of the Great Asian Alliance."

"Understood, my lady."