Hello, ITalkToSky here.
This chapter was written in record time. The side story is really keeping everything fresh for me, so my motivation is a bit higher.
Discord invite code: nSMHjar
Come on over and say hi some time.
Comment response time! Never did this before, since I am pretty inconsistent with my release. The comment may have been many months old before I have the next chapter to respond to them. But whatever, it must start somewhere I suppose.
Redmoon2: The answer to your question is Condition: SCARLET. The Bibliotheca core naming is not my idea but of erikkarver, the writer behind Aya's side story. He is quite the fan of Lobotomy Corporation.
My own side story is the story of what this story, The Second Coming of Supernatural, is the future shown to Lunaire through his overdose of Ultramarine Orb Elixir. This medicine allows you to foresee your death in the immediate future, so you know how to avoid it. Unfortunately, Lunaire overdosed it so hard he actually saw how he would die 37 years in the future due to unknown cause. Now don't worry, Lunaire won't die in the main story, probably. It is just one of the alternative possibilities.
ultoanova: Sefirot reference was erikkarver's idea. I originally name one core Keter like how the SCP foundation named their most dangerous anomalies. He suggested I should just make everything consistent.
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October 31st, Yokohama International Convention Center, Nishi Ward, Yokohama
The three made a point to arrive at 8:50 AM, ten minutes before the Thesis Competition official opening ceremony. Even then, as soon as the first person looked over, they were on to them in seconds, much to Lunaire's and Alice's dismay. Mizuki was more surprised, blinking owlishly all the while.
The reason was more or less their clothing. Instead of First High uniform, the three were dressed in business attire, full black suit, and pants. Both Lunaire and Alice appeared quite dignified and confident. On the other hand, Mizuki thought herself to look more like a bright-eyed bushy-tailed employee straight out of college. A little strange to say about herself, but she found the look to emphasize her charm very well. But it was not their appearance that triggered such response, but the discrete sigil embroidered onto their breast pockets.
A symmetrical magic circle sigil was the full official emblem of the Atelier de Dantalian. It was their most formal symbol, appearing in their wax seals, letter heads, and stamps on their products. The sigil was a homage to the personal sigils of the magicians in the organization. However, given how dense and unrecognizable it could be, the company maintained another simpler and catchier logo for advertisement purpose.
The Thesis Competition, even more so than the Nine School Competition, was a formal affair in which many of the leading entities in magical communities were invited to attend. Representatives from the universities, research institutions, and industry were all hopeful to identify the budding talents from the Magic High School. Obviously, an invitation went off to dark horse of the industry, the Atelier de Dantalion. However, most did not expect them to attend, given the standoffish stance they adopted since their formation.
When it was apparent, they did, the representatives who had not filed into the auditorium immediately went to introduce themselves. There were a few familiar faces from the Nine School Competition closing ball.
Much to their embarrassment and annoyance of the magicians, the crowd made them arrived five minutes late at the auditorium. A lot of people already seated looked over, no doubt wondered who was audacious enough to make a ruckus at the opening ceremony. Most did not quite catch on, but those that do were sporting wide eyes, for differing reason.
Ignoring them all, the three went off to the backrow and sat down in the corner. Lunaire and Alice gave Mizuki the seat near the walkway, sparing her from having neighbor chatting her up and giving her more luggage space. The little cinnamon roll was the only one with a wheeled tote bag on her person.
There was a reason that these three risked weathering all the annoyance just to attend the convention. It was not for the presentation. A summary report of this event would be published later. Instead, it was for the security, especially for the woman yet to arrive, Ichihara Suzune.
Suzune stayed true to her agreement, constantly updating them on the experimental result for her project. While not much result came out of interpreting her findings yet, it was enough to deem her useful enough to warrant extra protection. The situation in Yokohama was becoming sketchier by the moment.
The prospect of the not-yet-known Phase II kept everyone on their toes and thankfully allowed them to notice the first sign of trouble. A day before, the Tanuki reported a serious uptick in wanderers. There was nothing wrong with people taking a walk once and loiter about to take their minds off the grind. However, when there were so many wandering about, watching their surroundings every other minute, that every Tanuki posted around the city noticed, that was the red flag.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, there was a can of trouble with their name on it. In fact, it was probably meant for more than just the company, given that these interlopers were posted so widely around the Yokohama city.
It was around midnight that pieces began falling into place. Warnings were sent to the Itsuwa, and attempts were made to halt the Thesis Competition, but to no avail. The large list of participants was a liability in this case. The Magic Association refused to cancel the meeting on uncertain information of a threat, despite the evidence being so damning. All Itsuwa managed to wrestle out of them was a vague promise about increasing the security details.
The military was slightly more receptive, despite their intensive restructuring. An airborne battalion was being made ready for deployment from Narashino.
Lunaire prayed that those in addition to their preparation would be enough and his friends wouldn't need to take to the field personally. After settling in, he immediately immersed himself in listening to the mana ebbs and flows.
10:50 AM, Yokohama International Convention Center
Something wicked this way comes, Lunaire thought annoyingly.
"Alright, lock that place down. Begin escalation to Condition: GREEN. Stick to the plan, but if the situation changes, act as you see fit." Lunaire felt a bit strange to issue such contradictory order, but it was most prudent. He lacked knowledge beyond the basics about the capability of the Di Avini personnel, so he could only entrust Lisette to do her best.
"Understood."
With an annoyed flick of his wrist, Lunaire cut off the communication. He focused inward, probing again with passive mana sense. The density of people in the building dampened the reading tremendously, so he found nothing out of sort. Lunaire briefly considered sending of an active mana ping, but that would possibly alert the sensors and Tatsuya, especially the latter.
As Lunaire contemplated his move, his eyes caught sight of a rather gorgeous woman in grey suit. He recognized her and from that fact that her eyes locked on to him, she did too. A few thoughts ran though his mind before a decision was made. Lunaire made his way to her. Somehow, he noticed that she looked distinctly uncomfortable; wanting to run away yet seemingly could not.
While Lunaire was not the one to put people on the spot, this was an emergency.
"It is a pleasure to meet you today, Lunaire-san. Unfortunately, I am…" She left the rest of her word unspoken, but it was made amply clear that she had somewhere to be and only stop as to not be seen as rudely walking away.
"This is an important matter, Lieutenant Fujibayashi." Lunaire hardened his tone, making it clear that this was hardly a social call. The magician looked around to see if there was anyone looking before leaning forward. "Just a minute ago, a sniper team was trying to set up on a building we have eyes on."
"What did you!" Kyouko quickly reigned in her voice. "Is that intel accurate?"
"They have high-power sniper rifles. We incapacitated them and are looking for more."
"T-thank you for the information. I will relay this to my superior, so…"
"Oh, I dearly wish that was it. Actually, put me in touch with Major Kazama, now." Normally Kyouko would not appreciate such commanding tone from a civilian, but the intensity from Lunaire's gaze pressured her back. "We need to consider issuing an evacuation order."
"Evacuation order?"
"Lead the way."
"…Alright."
Following Kyouko's hurried steps, Lunaire was led to a private communication booth. With well-practiced motion, she retrieved her terminal and responded to the emergency text she received before the magician intercepted her.
"Good day, Second Lieutenant, there has been a situation."
"Unfortunately, major, there has been an urgent situation on our end as well."
"Pray tell."
"I believe he will explain this situation much better than I do." Kyouko made a gesture for Lunaire to sit beside her and start talking. A bead of sweat trailed down her brows. Hopefully, the intel he had was important enough for her superior to not chew her out for this later.
"Good day, Major Kazama. I am Lunaire Vivian Meister, affiliated to Atelier de Dantalian. We will have to skip the formality and I apologize for the breach in protocol, but this matter is of utmost importance."
"Report the situation," Kazama quickly fell in step. As a military man, he reacted quickly and expected a succinct and accurate report.
"Five minutes ago, a group of men armed with high-power sniper rifles were caught infiltrating the Yokohama High Rise, the one overlooking the bay. Our people on watch neutralized the threats and interrogated the suspect. We got them to talk and…It seems that our worst fear is realized. They are from the GAU's 17th Eastern Special Operation Detachment, and they are planning an attack on Yokohama today."
"What?!" Lunaire heard a loud exhale on the other side of the audio. "This is no joking matter."
"It is not. According to them, their people have already infiltrated the city and are prepared to conduct operation. Their goal is to cause general chaos until their elite elements can assault the main targets."
"The main targets are?"
"Main targets seem to be the Magic Association Kanto Headquarters and the Atelier main manufactory." Lunaire collected himself. "We can handle ourselves, but we need to consider issuing the evacuation order."
"Fujibayashi, can you verify the intel?"
"We have not seen anything from…" Lunaire silenced her by thrusting his terminal in front of her. The image up on display was the apprehended suspects and weapons. Kyouko nodded. "Lunaire has provided the image of the hostile. I will forward it over immediately. Sir, at this point, I recommend excess of caution and assume that the attack is underway."
"We are deploying right now, ETA 1400 hours. The Narashino airborne and other units will follow suit soon. Hold the fort until we arrive."
"Understood, sir!" Kyouko saluted, even though her superior could not see that from the audio-only channel.
"As for the evacuation…" Kazama fell silent briefly. "We will hold off on the evacuation. Large-scale movement will trigger the attack. We have no major asset in the area, so we cannot risk it without knowing the OPFOR's force disposition. If the attack started, inform us and we will issue a lockdown order and keep the civilians off the streets. And Lunaire…"
"Yes, major."
"Expect heavy fighting, Lu Ganghu's prisoner transport convoy was reported to be wiped out about an hour ago. It can't be unrelated."
"Thank you for the heads up, major. But our bastion has never fallen nor ever will." Lunaire turned to the woman beside him. "I will borrow your Second Lieutenant. I will keep her updated."
"I want you two to form a team and keep a lookout on the perimeter."
"Understood!" Hattori and Takeaki turned to leave after having their order.
"Before that, why don't you sit down for a bit?" The two paused, slightly surprised. The suggestion sounded more like an order, so the two men sat down sheepishly.
Katsuto treated his subordinates fairly and for the most part valued meritocracy. However, what often got in the way was his adherence to hierarchical order. He expected his men to follow the lead and did not appreciate people stepping out too far out the line. These combined to make a man who could be impressed with outstanding performance, yet seldom asked for opinions from his juniors.
"Do you notice something strange around the town lately?"
"Something strange?" Hattori fell silent before something clicked in his mind. "Even considering that this is a port city, I think there is a lot of Mandarin being spoken."
"Mandarin?"
"Yes, I know there is a Chinatown here and all, but I did not hear much a week ago when I came to sweep the venue. Today however, I can hear it almost everywhere. I am not local, but that does not sound normal to me."
"I see. You thought so too." Katsuto nodded.
"I am not just being paranoid, am I? Kirihara?"
"I apologize. I did not notice what language people were speaking," Takeaki scratched his head sheepishly. He was just about to say something else, but his eyes were drawn to the new arrival.
"Juumonji-san, contact the security team leaders, we have a situation."
Katsuto leveled his glare to the voice that so rudely interrupted the conversation. However, the presence of another familiar face following the silver-haired magician gave him pause. Kyouko wore a grim look and did not say anything to counter Lunaire's statement.
"Report the situation."
In a spiel that played out eerily similar with major Kazama, Lunaire relayed the information. The two other men were still gaping away as the implication sunk in, while much to his credit, Katsuto took it very well. He had no trouble reacting when the situation turned south in a hurry. Only two seconds after Lunaire finished, he had already issued an order through the headset.
"Give the bulletproof vest to everyone, immediately! Stand everyone to full alert."
"No, maintain the same level of perimeter, but strengthen the interior defense." Katsuto looked back to Lunaire, silently prompting explanation. "We cannot let the enemy know that we are on to them, or they might spring the attack early. Without knowing how many of them around, we should wait for the reinforcements before doing anything drastic. Lieutenant Fujibayashi's unit is due to arrive at 1400 hours."
"Lunaire! By that time, it might be too late. We can't just be a sitting duck." Hattori retorted.
Katsuto stared impassively before nodding. Lunaire raised a valid point, but he could not, in good conscious, allow the students to remain in harm's way. "We need to begin the evacuation, discreetly. This is one of the three places in Yokohama that might have something of value to the enemy. The noncombatant cannot stay here."
"Maybe we can use the underground tunnel network. That will connect us to the civilian bomb shelter at the train station." The security team briefing included the evacuation plan in case of any emergency. Hattori got his head screwed on tight to remember such important, yet utterly mind-numbing information.
Lunaire pursed his lips, which did not go unnoticed by Katsuto. "You have objection?" Rather than confrontative, Katsuto's tone was perfectly leveled. That, Lunaire could appreciate. They had beef before, but he got his priority straight.
"The train station…which train station is it?"
"Sakuragi train station," Hattori frown, not entirely sure where Lunaire was leading with this.
"Sakuragi…You do know that you are sending them closer toward Chinatown, right?" Relative to the International Convention Center, the station was due south. The Yokohama Chinatown was southwest of that subway.
"I see." Katsuto caught on quickly. Chinatown was the base of operation for the GAU's spies for so long. They were supposedly rooted out, but they had been there for a long time. It was not entirely out of question for them to have other undiscovered safehouses in the area.
Katsuto fell deep in thought. To evacuate or not to evacuate, that was the question.
Assuming that the trouble was coming their way, it was clear from the get-go that the noncombatant was a liability. The difficulty between fighting and fighting while protecting others were on different levels entirely. The noncombatantswould limit the flexibility, mobility, and available course of action that the combatants could take. Evacuating them early would ease the pressure off the men fighting, while simultaneously denying the possible hostage that the enemy could take.
Unfortunately, there was no safe option for evacuation. As Lunaire pointed out, following the only available root would deliver the civilians and students closer to possible enemy territory, handing them over on a silver platter.
"Isn't it better still? The shelters should have less ways of entry than this place. It should be more defensible. If we hurry, we should be able to get everyone out and hunker down there." Takeaki offered his two pieces.
Hattori quickly shot him down. "It might not be worth it, given that we possibly have to fight through the enemy territory to get there. Furthermore, the shelter offered excellent protection against natural disaster, like earthquake and Tsunami, and air raids, but not enemy combatants. The blast doors will provide a degree of protection, but it is nothing that heavy duty breaching charge or magic cannot deal with...Though I still can't say staying here is a good idea." Hattori chewed on his nail angrily.
"Umm, can't we just get to the station and use the subway tunnel to get away?" Takeaki said.
"…"
"Ah, sorry if I said something stupid." He shrunk back, scratching the back of his head. "Just ignore me."
"It is risky, but it is a much better idea than just staying here or at the shelter." Takeaki immediately perked up hearing the affirmation from Juumonji. "Lieutenant, you can stop the subway, yes?"
"Of course, I will contact my superior immediately."
"Do that." He rubbed his chin. His forehead creased in thought before he said, "Hattori, brief Saegusa and tell her to get the people ready. Also, Lieutenant, look up the map of the underground passage and pass it over. The evacuation tunnel should connect to other locations other than this convention hall. We cannot afford any surprises."
Kyouko chuckled wryly. "Poor me, running errand. Is this the infamous treatment for us second lieutenant?" It was not every day for her to be ordered around by not one, but two high school students. But it could not be help. Like it or not, she was the only military personnel on the field.
11:20 AM
As the presentation concluded and the applause followed, the 10-minute break did not start as the audience expected. Instead, a lone woman walked up to the podium. While giving a wide birth to the crew moving the demonstration equipment down from the stage, the girl seemed to walk deliberately slow, drawing more attention to her. The fact that her uniform starkly differed from the students finishing or would be starting the presentation also helped.
"May I have your attention please." A crisp voice cam amplified over the speakers, instantly capturing the spectators' mind. "I am Saegusa Mayumi, the former student council president of First High. Please listen to this announcement very carefully."
At this point, many wondered the reason that the former student council president would take the stage, rather than the current one, and to go as far as namedropping the name of Saegusa to boot.
"We have reasonable evidence to believe that this venue is being targeted by a radical group."
The dazed audience gasped almost in unison. Many looked around in shock and wondered whether their neighbor also heard the same thing they thought they did. Unfortunately, Mayumi did not give them much time to acclimate.
"Currently, we have very limited information. We know not in which manner the attack will come. However, it is imperative that we evacuate this venue as soon as possible. Here is one of the only three places in Yokohama with any strategic value."
The audiences stared at her, hanging on to every word.
"Since the threat may be monitoring our move, we are unable to evacuate openly above ground. Therefore, we will be using the underground route. As you know, this building is connected to the subway station via subterranean network. From there, we will be heading through the deactivated rail tunnel up north and away from the sector."
Inwardly, Mayumi felt a rising apprehension. The underground tunnels had more entrance than she anticipated. From the map that Kyouko showed her, just about evacuees from all the important building in the area were being funneled through the same tunnel they were about to take. She dreaded to think what would happen if they ran into someone down there. However, there was no other choice, thus she conveniently neglected to mention the potential pitfall.
"School representatives, please rally your students and establish headcount. As for the other guests, please remain still for a moment. Our security team will be conducting a quick identity verification and body search to ensure that no hostage situation could arise."
There was a hint of reluctance among the audiences. As industry contacts and people of good repute, it did not sit well with them to be so openly suspected. However, the weight of the Saegusa name was something to behold.
Inwardly, Mayumi did not want to do something like this. It would not only slow down the evacuation, but also was likely to be pointless. The invitee would need an invitation to even access the venue and one could not get their hands on those unless they were dispatched by the relevant entities.
Unfortunately for her, the universe decided it was high time to contradict her.
"Don't move!"
"Kya!"
A burly man in suit suddenly grabbed the closest woman into a loose chokehold, while holding a pistol straight to her temple. The people close to them quickly gave a wide birth, seeing that the man already put his finger on the trigger. Any sudden move and the woman could very well meet her end.
As if to rub salt on the injury, two similar incidents happened on the other part of the auditorium when the attention of the entire hall was focused on the first.
It was at moment like these that the dauntless mentality of the most combative Magic High School shone through. Many students in red and gold uniforms began working at their CAD as discretely they could. Sadly, the ethereal glow of psion agitation could hardly be missed in the dim auditorium.
The gunshot rang out. "Every stop what you are doing, or they die!"
The man tried to make a point by shooting another round into the ceiling but balked when no thunder followed. Thinking that it was a malfunction, the man tried to rack the slide. In his panic, he completely missed a brief glow from his pistol.
In the same breath, a triplet of ice orb materialized soundlessly in the air before barreling straight at the three assailants. All of them accurately smashed down on the shoulders from the front, ensuring the enemy would momentarily lose grip on their hostage as they stumbled from the pain.
The Third High students, still in the process of laying down their CAD, quickly changed gear and apprehended all of them.
"Change of plan," a charming voice echoed throughout the auditorium, able to be heard from everywhere despite the size of the venue. Following the source of the voice, the audiences were met with a small blond in suit, silhouette against the light of the corridor outside. "We will begin the evacuation immediately. The enemies will surely know now that something has gone awry. Anyone who cannot fight, get to the tunnel. Those who can, gather up!"
Mayumi's quick thinking led her to add more instruction in before the chaos ensued. "Combatants please assemble on the upper floor entrance. The rest please proceed orderly to the exit near the stage for the evacuation."
Seeing that situation was under control, Alice returned outside the auditorium.
11:45 AM
"How goes the evacuation?"
"It is going slow. Only half, another half to go."
"Do the patrola spot anything out of sort?"
"Is the tunnel still clear?"
"What is the response from the Saegusa's clan?"
"Do we still don't know what is going on?"
"Is the data deleted? How much longer will it take?"
Lunaire ignored the commotion in favor of staring at the map on the screen. According to Shizuku, this VIP conference monitor received live data feed from the police. At that point, he was unsure whether it was a good idea to put a network tap access to the law enforcement information network right here, in an international convention center. Though, at the very least, only few and far between had the key code to enter the room, and Shizuku and the offspring of Ten Master Clans happened to possess those.
With the stated capability to monitor the city from this room, Lunaire was frankly disappointed that nothing of import showed on the screen. The city was quiet. No area was marked by the police for the presence of possible hostile or even suspicious activities for that matter. But never at one point did he ever doubt the information he received.
"Lunaire-sama, this is Nobu speaking." The voice blared out of Lunaire's terminal. "I am reporting from warehouse 7 near the Yamashita Pier. There is an unidentified semi-truck speeding out, heading southwest. The driver is high over the moon."
Lunaire was about to yell whether this was related to the issue at hand. However, he held back. The Tanukis sent by Mamizou were the professional as far as he could see it. If they said it was important, it probably was. He quickly switched channel.
"Lisette, can Siene track a speeding semi-truck down the Yamashita Pier? Where is it going?"
A few moments of silence followed. "I see it. I don't know where…wait, it is speeding up! It is going to ram into the port control!"
"Stop it!" Lunaire reflexively yelled, recalling that Lisette's little sister owned that monster of a sniper rifle. In hindsight, it was not the best move. Even if Siene was there at that vantage point, doing anything from there risked giving away their location. Their element of surprise could be better utilized elsewhere.
"Siene!"
"Won't make it," Lunaire heard a muffled banter from across the communicator.
"What is going on?"
"…" Lunaire stared at the communicator blankly. Rather than shocked at the suicide tactic, he was more concerned with the goal the enemy could possibly achieve. He did not get long to stew in his thought. Kyouko, Inspector Chiba, who Lunaire learned to be Erika's older brother, and just about every other leader within earshot urged him to speak. "I just got a report of that the ingress-egress control tower near Yamashita Pier was hit by a suicide truck. Damage is minor."
"What?" The man Lunaire came to know as Chiba Toshikazu was on him in a second. "You will have to excuse me. I'll have to go on site."
"I don't think you have enough time for that, inspector." Lunaire placed down his communicator and cracked his fist. Comparing the mana signature of a regular human and youkai was like comparing the light of a firefly to a floodlamp. However, a clustered of them moving together would be noticeable enough to the trained sense. "Two groups of hostiles. Large coming from straight south, and the other southeast from the bay area."
Katsuto arrived at the northeastern entrance to be greeted by fire and blood. The unceasing cacophony of machineguns, the soft whistling bullets, and intermittent tracers drove whoever stationed on the scene to the ground.
Both the security dispatched by the Magic Association and the students from disparate magic high school all huddled together behind any piece of cover they could find. Their worlds greyed out and narrowed. The last thing on their mind was to poke their heads out and content with such raw display of firepower. The security men fared just a tiny bit better, firing off spells occasionally to deter any attempt from the enemy to close in. Unfortunately, the sporadic fire did little as the enemy almost reached the threshold by the time Katsuto arrived.
His sharp hearing identified the staccato of heavier booming interspersed within the ferocious howling of the machinegun and his brows creased deeply. The deliberate firing cadence and louder than normal reverb was indicative of anti-magician rifles.
As the name suggested, it was designed to allow regular infantry to reasonably pierce the protection around the magicians. Common defensive spells against incoming projectile generally tried to rewrite either the speed or the trajectory of the object. The effect was hardly absolute, however. In the most extreme example, some magicians could stop a ball thrown at them but not a freight train. The size of the kinetic energy in the system that needed to be erased corresponded to the interference strength required. If the magician failed to produce sufficient interference strength, the spell failed entirely and would result in no change to the bullet at all. Anti-magician sacrificed the automatic fire for the sheer speed and throw weight to achieve this effect.
However, it was not this weapon that concerned him but the implications. The electromagnetically accelerated high-caliber bullet was no different than a larger drop of rain to him. Instead, it was the understanding that the enemy's backing could not be anyone ordinary. The miniature electromagnetic accelerator running along the barrel required advanced electronics that could only be produced by the most sophisticated fabricator. Compared to regular firearm, only the larger countries had the capability to produce this sort of weaponry in any significant quantity. The supply generally exceeded the demand even for a nation. No regular terrorists would have access to this high-quality equipment when even the soldiers themselves did not have their fill. Another damning evidence for the GAU's foul play.
Stepping boldly into the opening, Katsuto's imposing size quickly became the focus of both attention and bullet. Bursts of projectile of differing calibers screamed through the air. Before they could reach the intended target however, they stopped in the air around Katsuto as if there was an invisible barrier surrounding him. The bullets blossomed into tiny lead mushrooms from the sudden deceleration before plinking off harmlessly onto the ground.
It did not take long for the enemies to catch on that Katsuto was a tough nut to crack. Instead of wasting ammunition away like shooting a tank with a rifle, they kept only two machineguns on the fortress and redirecting the fire to the squishier targets. The men who were starting to recover from the suppression enough to poke their heads out were forced down once again. A student who was too slow caught a bullet to his left leg, screaming. His pained howled did more damage to the morale than any blow could.
The twenty or so hostiles closed in rapidly. As the riflemen covered the approach, some men unslung the weapon that looked like oversized revolver. Katsuto's eyes darkened and rushed forward to seal off the entire entrance with panels of shimmering shield. No sooner than that, explosion blossomed across its surface. Some left shower of shrapnel, while some left a trail of flame, licking hungrily at the men within.
If the enemy thought Katsuto was even slight bit overwhelmed, they were dead wrong. With a push of his hand, multiple Phalanx flared into existence before ramming themselves forward, knocking down the men like bowling pins. The rest of the men quickly scattered, pulling some distance from the barrier.
With no more tracers flying into the building, the students began peeking out of cover. The presence of the stalwart defender reignited their courage if only until a bolt of light slamming into the barrier. For those with sharp eyes, they would spot the infantry with rocket launcher a good distance back briefly before the brief fireball shuddered the building.
There was a brief lull moment when both sides assessed the situation. The one who reacted first appeared to be the enemy dressed no different than his compatriot. With a brief hand signal, the men pulled back from the entrance, a logical choice given that even the thermobaric warhead did nothing little to crack the magic barricade. The Phalanx sported almost no scratch, and the outermost layer was renewed even before the smoke cleared. There was simply insufficient firepower to break though. Unfortunately, they were already too close.
Katsuto charged forth, through the barrier into the fray. Gunfire was thrown his way, but his Phalanx ensured none found their mark. Finding out that the giant was beyond their capability to handle, regardless of whether he was behind a chokepoint or not, the enemy continued their orderly retreated if a little bit more disorganized. Different men in command of the assaulting squads spread their men in different direction. Some of them could get caught, but it was the sacrifice they needed to make.
Phalanx boasted unrivalled defense and credible offensive applications. However, there was limit to the number of targets that could be engaged at once. The problem was not quite pronounced, given that overwhelming numbers still meant very little against impenetrable omni-directional shields. In this situation however, it allowed quite a few to spring away. If only not for the bolts of compressed air and lightning raining down on them.
In a parody of the machinegun fire that they generously heaped against the student, the guerillas found themselves on the receiving end one, this time from above. There was nowhere to hide nor run. The bolts would find them and strike them down. In a few heartbeats, unmoving bodies littered the streets. If not for the twitching and the groans, Katsuto would have thought the scene came right out of a massacre. He glanced back at the culprit of it all.
The blond met his gaze squarely from behind the shimmering barrier.
12:15 PM, Tunnel network to Sakuragi subway station
Masaki was not having a good time. In a situation where chaos reigned, he was not where he should be. While he had no doubt that the fairy-like girl had more than enough power to protect herself and that there were plenty of reliable people around her, he could not help but be worried. Just having the ability on paper for self-defense did not translate well to an actual capability. The example in from of him spoke for itself.
"Ichijou, go a little easier on them!" One upperclassman balked.
"No! Would you all please stand back?"
Masaki continued without care, raising his rust-colored specialized CAD at his enemy. With a simple squeeze of his finger, the ground was painted with crimson flower, followed by a loud pop. Masaki despised using his signature magic in a confined space like this.
Rupture was a spell to violently push all liquid directly into gaseous phase, causing them to explosively expand. Human body did not contain enough water to cause any substantial explosive. However, the shockwave was still comparable to small grenade and reverbed along the confine of the tunnel.
A sound of another wet groan reached Masaki's ears.
Ah, yes, the exploding bodies, no wonder both the enemies' and their morale continued dropping without fail. The sight of human popping like an overfilled water balloon was quite traumatizing, to say the least.
Masaki was not in the position to care about this. Rightly, he was way too occupied with pushing through the enemy and getting everyone to safety, a task much easier said than done when they were simply pouring through the various side tunnels.
Masaki had no time to worry about those who had only bravado and no stomach to actually fight. If this was enough to cause them to retch, they had no place on the battlefield in the beginning.
Then, there was the other type.
"Get down you fool!" The familiar voice of his best friend could be heard while he tackled down another student.
Calling that man a fool would be an understatement, standing out in the open amidst anti-magician rifle fire. Masaki understood the urge to get a clear view to attack, but that was it. Exposing oneself so much was simply asking to get shot. Luckily the man was not from Third High, or Masaki would consider chewing his ass out personally when all this was over. If he survived.
In situation like this, Masaki was thankful to George. While queasy from his first taste of combat, he kept to his nerve and tried to be useful. George was not the only one. There were a few other outstanding individuals, like the woman half-crouching beside him.
"I'm out."
"Um." That was Masaki's response. She did not need to tell him that, since he was already covering for her with his magic anyway. The open tunnel offered no cover, so the only she could hide behind was the spell he provided. Masaki found his effort well worth it though because she knew how to dish out damage.
Atelier employed quite the markswoman for their bodyguard. He caught a glimpse of their emblem on her suit. Despite not looking older than a high school student, she was handy with her rifle. A burst or two from her rifle was all it took for a body to slump over. The smoke screen the enemy put up did little to deter her.
"George, how much further?"
George yelled back over the gunfire. "From this bend, the shelter and the station should be within sight!"
"Alright!" Masaki felt another rush welling up within him. The ending was within sight. "Tsuzura-sensei, please get ready."
"Y-yeah, I'm ready."
The First High's chaperone looked worse for wear, but his gritted teeth told that the fight had not left him. Tsuzura's magic, Polyhedra Handle, was instrumental in collapsing the tunnels in a controlled manner.
The evacuation tunnels had many side entrances that needed to be collapsed to prevent the enemy from pouring in, allowing the column to move forward safely. Yet, doing so willy-nilly could damage the integrity of the structure and bring everything down atop of them, hence the need for specialized spell.
Along with other strong-willed magicians, they pushed with renewed vigor toward the station.
"Forward! We are almost there!" The markswoman yelled even as she continued on her bloody business.
"Keep the spell up and layered. Your friends' lives depend on us! Let's do this."
"Yeah!"
"Ichijou-san, a magician, eleven o'clock, far, behind the crate."
"Got it," Masaki knew the routine. The assault rifle she shouldered could be easily blocked by even mediocre magicians and that was where he came in.
After what seemed like hours of heavy fighting, the ground ran red with blood and the tunnel above ground was in sight. Much to great relief, the enemy began retreating above ground. Seeing what the students did to the side tunnels, their officers quickly guessed their plans and wished not to be trapped down here with these strangely ferocious high schoolers.
"Yes! Yes! They are running!"
"We are home free! Let's go!"
"Not so fast, verify that the area is safe first!" The markswoman snapped at them briefly. "And tend to the wounded." She continued weakly.
"Are you alright?" George came up behind her.
The markswoman heaved heavily for a few moments more, before composing herself. "I am still good. Water and painkiller, by any chance?" She said, before putting her big circular eyeglasses on.
Masaki's curiosity perked up slightly. Visual correction surgery was rather common, so eyeglasses were quite unusual. Also, she was already shooting so well without them anyway. Perhaps for aesthetic, he wondered.
"Ah, water, water, ah, do we have any water?" George fumbled around as if he would have a water bottle stashed on his person somehow.
"Haha, I am just joking. But in all seriousness, I will head back." The woman gestured toward the way they came from. "They sound like they can use a hand."
They only started collapsing the side tunnels when the attacks started. That happened when the column was already halfway to the station. Obviously, there was still ample avenue of entry, hence the majority of the able-bodied people were stationed to stave off the enemy.
"I will help." Masaki saw her questioning look and preemptively added. "George and the others than hold the fort. Call for us if needed."
Despite stomping on confidently, Mizuki felt torn inside. Many would say that such was normal and common among those experiencing their first taste of combat. However, she was none of that. Rather, she felt both unsettled…but also reaffirmed at a realization.
Unlike what she had thought before, she felt no hesitation before pulling the trigger nor the apprehension that came after. Mizuki thought growing up that taking a human life would never be something she did on this God's green earth. Her unorthodox tutelage convinced her of the necessity, but she reckoned it would never be an easy affair.
It was not by any means, but there was no jolt.
And she knew full well why.
The first mid-level youkai she exorcized hit her much worse than this. When she saw the light leaving its eyes and its body faded away, word could not begin to describe how conflicted she felt. Was there a better way, she kept asking herself?
With time, she dealt with it. Extinguishing a sentient entity would and should not become an easy affair, but she committed its necessity to her heart. With that experience under her belt, this hardly fazed her. It went to show that for her, there was really no difference between Youkai and human. Their lives weighted the same to her.
A thump against her shoulder snapped her out of her introspection. Mizuki looked back and saw a man running behind her. He also glanced back and bent his neck apologetically and kept on going. Mizuki thought that was what she got for running against the crowd of civilians absentmindedly.
"Keep your focus up. Just a little bit more."
"Yes." Something told her otherwise, so she only echoed his sentiment hollowly. "Just a little bit more…wait, why is it quiet?"
"Quiet?" Masaki looked at her funny for a second, before realizing what she meant. There was no more gunshot. "Did they got the situation handled?"
"I pray that they…oh no."
12:45 PM
"Ah, look who we have here?" A rather unusual pronunciation was further butchered by the raspy breathing behind the mask.
Masaki and Mizuki arrived at a scene they dreaded. The gunshot went silence. One side won and evidently, it was not theirs. Lying unmoving on the ground were the figures cladded in white with teal trims, the signature colors of First High. Among the faces, Mizuki recognized many of her classmates and the student council members. She could even make out the outline of Suzune, the main target to protect, lying to the side. Her eyes were closed as if sleeping.
The only thing stopping her from going ballistic was that her eyes quietly informed her that their Pushion bodies still remained intact. They were still alive for the moment.
Of course, it did not make the situation much better. Many men in masks stood over her comrade quickly trained their rifles over their bodies. Such gesture was universal without needing interpretation.
"Lay down your weapon. Or they die."
Masaki and Mizuki glanced at each other. This was the worst-case scenario. Surrendering was not an option. Many thoughts filtered through their minds.
For one, it became clear that they were targeted as a hostage. This was partly expected since no high school project was worth this much effort and this act only confirmed it. If so, the enemy could not be allowed to have the scion of Ichijou clan as a bargaining chip. For Mizuki, this was doubly so. She had her company logo plastered right on her left breast pocket. She would rather die than be her friends' liability.
Then, there was the matter about the civilians. The enemy knew roughly where they were and would no doubt attempt to pursue for more bargaining chips. Masaki was needed to ensure that such possibility remained low.
Mizuki began thinking of the way to escape and it had to be fast and sudden. If given any time to react, some hostage could die. She glanced at the side branched and cursed. They were all blocked off.
The other party probably noticed this as she heard their muffled laugher. "You are already done."
Mizuki turned her gaze back at them. Their meaning quickly become evident as she saw the boy beside her stumbled to his knees. She quickly grabbed his shoulder.
"G-gas." Masaki croaked. "Get…away."
Mizuki felt stupid that it did not click even when she saw the men all wearing gas masks.
Feeling his weight slowly pulling her as his strength left him, Mizuki felt no hesitation in what she was about to do. She already consumed potion that would counteract against any substance that would incapacitate her, but there was nothing she could do alone.
A sensation of warm liquid welled up in her heart. Instead of flooding it through her body, letting it revitalize her tired body, she compressed it into a ball. After encoding it with a message, she loosened it.
"Master! Permission to deploy Bibliotheca…" It was time that this box of weight strapped to her back did its job. She pulled it out of her tote bag for a reason. Even as she said so, Mizuki already thumbed the activation button.
Even before she finished, a response came through a general announcement. "Condition: SCARLET, may god have mercy on their souls."
That was all she needed.
"Hang on tight."
"…"
Geburah…Online
Chesed…Online
Keter…Online
By her will, it would be done. A nudge of her thought and she could feel Chesed core spooling up, guzzling down her psion. In a fraction of a second, it presented her with a complete activation sequence. Mizuki merely needed to point the way.
The vacuum tunnel stretched out from her, down the tunnel and straight to the Sakuragi Station. That took 50 milliseconds.
It took 20 more to envelop the two in a cocoon of air. Another 10 to apply inertial dampening. The final 20 milliseconds launched them down the wind tunnel way in excess of the speed of sound.
Mock Teleportation…Completed
To the outside observer, they only saw a brief flash of light.
Condition: SCARLET? Why Condition: SCARLET? What happened?
Mizuki wondered as she laid the still unconscious Masaki on the ground.
Condition rating was developed to standardize the response protocol to various crisis that her organization could face. It governed aspects such as the rules of engagement and weapon authorized for use.
Bibliotheca, for example, required at least Condition: YELLOW to be employed. This level indicated that there was a major conflict, which required maximum application of force allowable without compromising the mana secrecy. This condition authorized the use of all conventional or conventionally explainable armaments, including the one still not yet unveiled such as the Bibliotheca.
Given the severity of the situation, facing down so many assailants who could not care less about keeping it all under the cover, Mizuki could imagine Condition: RED being warranted.
As one would expect, one of main differences between this level and the previous was the loosening regulation pertaining the use of mana. In addition to life-saving spells, low to mid-tier mana spells were allowed at user's discretion. If it could be roughly explained by ancient magic framework, the inconsistency detected by the psion sensor could be handwaved away.
Condition: SCARLET was another level entirely, the penultimate severity level within the organization, allowing the application of force not seen since Okinawa.
No matter, even if the condition was declared, she still had a job. Delivering the civilians away from these covetous dogs would be the last thing she did if she must. As for Suzune and many of First High students captured, they were out of her hands.
She bit her lips. Frustrating as it was, she knew her limits. It would behoove of her not to push her luck and endanger her friends. There was still opportunity to be had, she told herself. The enemies wanted hostages.
Before that however, she needed Masaki awake. From her vest, she retrieved a vial. The content glowed in suspicious neon green. Masaki would never swallow such a thing voluntarily, but he hardly had a choice when she pressed the vial against his lips.
12:00 AM, Atelier de Dantalian HQ and production complex, Naka Ward, Yokohama
"So, it begins."
Sakuya began to worry about her mistress's little hobby. After burning through however many novels, Remilia showed slight propensity to dispense one-liners and the maid was not sure she approved. Granted that it was not entirely inappropriate for the situation, but even she who did not enjoy much of modern entertainment could tell that it was quite cheesy.
"Hmm, very good! The time has come for them to taste our might."
Patchouli deadpanned so hard Sakuya could feel it. However, the magician got the cue for what needed to be done and approached the raised platform. The protocol was clear on the meaning of Condition: SCARLET. Worthy enemies were found. The time for peace had passed.
Rested deep underground at the center of the facility was a pedestal upon which floated a giant crystal of azure blue.
The Leyline in Yokohama pulsed only weakly, a far cry from the ones near the beating furnace of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The trickle of mana extracted sufficed to sustain the passive reinforcement of the installation and not much more. To make up for the deficient was the giant lump of crystalized Aqua Magia.
Patchouli's finger gently tapped the smooth marble of the pillar. The reaction was immediate. The ground erupted in the ethereal glow as the magic circle etched onto the floor flared up. Immediately, she felt the cold tingly sensation as if the fresh mountain breeze enveloped her, just lacking in its unpleasant bite. The fog in her mind clearing up since the air she breathed no longer taste so stale. The mana in the air was palpable.
Patchouli did not have much time to revel in the sensation. As much as she wanted to enjoy it after learning just how stifling it could feel spending her days in the atmosphere with such anemic mana, she had a job to do and began her incantation.
Among the first spells caused a sheet of shimmering light to coalescence around the perimeter of the facility, forming an imperceivably thin dome. The first consideration to employ large scale of mana spell within the city premise was to isolate the signature away from the omnipresent psion detection grid.
Then, one by one, the dormant spells and wards awakened at the Magician's command. The walls shone with hidden gleam of monolithic emeralds. The innocuous books lining the shelves trembled, ready to unleash an unending tide of familiars and hellfire. The ground sang a chorus that misguided and bewitched men.
The Di Avini's heiress was accurate in her assessment. The Atelier was an unassailable bulwark that rivaled many of the famous mythical fortress of age long past.
Watching the action from the front row seat, the lady of the mansion stood awestruck by the power strumming in the air. She did not know whether it was because of the slump she experienced in the air bereft of mana. But it took her back.
While the decoration and design were as far cry as it could ever be from her beloved mansion, she was brought back to her most glorious moment. Remilia was reminded of a fact that she had almost forgotten.
She was once the vampire…that once sought to blot out the sun!
The Second Coming of Supernatural Side Story: The Dream of a Lunar Butterfly: Chapter 2
Hazuki, Autumn, Season 96 – Year of Sun, Spring, and Fire
The weightlessness in the stomach was a sensation that many in Gensokyo grew used. Many found the absence of perceived gravity quite exhilarating, especially the howling wind that accompanying the free fall. However, it was a completely different entirely when such sensation was accompanied by absolute silence and darkness. Not total blindness per say, Lunaire had hundreds if not thousands of eyeballs gazing at him to keep company.
Lunaire absentmindedly gazed at one of the eyes, wondering whether it was something native to this dimensional gap or simply an aspect of Yukari. Even after associating with her for so long, he never quite worked out what kind of Youkai she actually was.
Suddenly, the oppressive darkness thrummed with vibration as echoing feminine voice echoed. "Are you sure about this? There is no good thing to see in that place."
"Ha, what are you saying at this turn? Will you even let me turn back at this point?" The stretch of silence gave him all the answer. Even she agreed that this was necessary. Though, the fact that she sounded the tiniest bit concerned touched him somewhat. "Relax, I will be just fine."
"You do not need to stick so rigidly to the plan."
Yukari answered with a non sequitur. Before Lunaire had the time to ask anything, there was a flash of light, and he felt the gravity taking hold of him. A small, eye-shape, tear opened up and Lunaire was dropping straight in.
Lunaire landed with a soft thump. His eyes quickly scanned through the area, despite the bright light stabbing into his eyes. To his immediate left and right were rows of metallic lockers. To his front was a man.
The man froze solid, an understandable reaction after seeing man in full robe with a sword hanging off his waist. His hand stiffened in the middle of putting on his lab coat on the hanger. Before he could recover his wit, Lunaire glanced at him.
"Muffle."
Not even sure what this weird guy was saying, the rotund man then felt himself thrown of his feet. Not even getting to register the weightlessness, a concrete support pillar caught his center, and he felt his world exploding in pain. In his disorientation, he was totally unprepared for the sharp burning pain that erupted from his forearm.
"Arghhhhh! Ooof," his scream was interrupted briefly with a vicious kick to his sternum. "Argghhhhhhh!"
"I am going to ask once!" Lunaire ground up as he vicious grabbed onto the ice stake lodged in the man's forearm. He made a point to wiggle it around, earning a howl from his victim. The magician waited for his query to quiet down to a whimper.
"You…you son of a bitch. Arghhh!"
"Since you can run your mouth off like that, then you must be ready to answer my question."
"You are not getting anything from me!"
"Oh?" In a split second, another stake of ice formed and skewered the other uninjured hand, staking it straight to the floor. The man howled and trembled ceaselessly. His tear trailed down his face. "Where is Yotsuba Maya?"
"You…" A flash of recognition showed on his face. Not waiting for another moment, Lunaire snapped his finger and the man slumped back like a puppet with its strings cut. The magician was on a time crunch, so there was simply no moment to wait.
Without doubt, Yotsuba Maya was in this facility. Yukari watched when the little girl was wrenched from her schoolmates in the midst of gunfire and teargas. The assailants thought they had gotten away, knowing not that they were under the watchful gaze of one of the most powerful Youkai in Gensokyo. After a few days of meandering about, they led her right here, a secret facility affiliated with Kunlunfang Institute.
Thinking of this left an unbearably bitter taste on Lunaire's tongue. The infamous Demon King of the Far East would have never been born anyway if Yukari had saved the girl well before her successful kidnapping. However, after Lunaire disclosed of this pivotal incident in history, both Yukari and Eirin agreed that it would be much more beneficial to rescue her right before the moment that sealed her fate. No matter how hard he insisted, the magician could not come up with any logical argument against the two.
The benefit of befriending Yotsuba was far too tempting. He knew. Oh, he knew. However, the price for failure could jeopardize their entire effort. Lunaire was not quite sure whether to feel proud or pressured in their confidence that he would not mess this up.
That dreaded moment was not far, but Lunaire would ensure it would not come to pass. And the first step did not involve getting this animal to talk.
Lunaire learned a few tips on the mental manipulation magic. Digging through a lifetime of memory took time, especially when they were alive. However, an active brain was useful for one thing. It would fixate on the immediate last thought, at least for a while, right after the loss of conscious. Lunaire wasted no time and began reading.
Disorienting lights and corridors, accompanied by the anguish screams and pleas for death, the sounds and images made Lunaire' stomach roiled in disgust. But he focused. He sensed an agitation…a feeling of anticipation, like the one that made one's mouth water. It disgusted Lunaire to no end to be sharing feeling with this beast. It was beyond doubt that he knew of the horror of this place yet felt no shred of sympathy. He sharpened his thought and pushed on.
Second basement, through 2 blast doors, Section 7, Biolab, the little girl with mulberry hair…
The third stake pierce through the man's heart and Lunaire was off.
Maya felt the muscle in her jaws giving out. But it would not stop her, neither the hand restraint nor the rag they put stuffed in her mouth. She would do the only she could do. Whether the gags or her teeth, one thing would give out first. She swore to make her captors regret taking their eyes off her.
Ignoring the fact that her legs were raised and bound up in an embarrassing pose, Maya continued to chew against the leathery texture with dogged determination. Even when the ache became unbearable, she pushed on, trying not to register that there were still her hand restraints to gnaw through.
While her resistance burned bright, somewhere deep in her heart, the dread grew only more prominent. Assuming that this gag gave way and that she somehow freed her hand from the thick binding, the question remained. What then?
The fact that there was this strange reclining chair to strap her onto meant that this was a fixed installation. She was right in the middle of the enemy homefield, where they were confident to left her to her own accord, if only for a moment. Where could she go? Where could she run?
No, the rescue will come, Maya reaffirmed. Her family was on the way. Knowing her father, he would leave no stone unturned. He would sooner turn the entire continent upside down before giving up on her. After he rescued her, there would be a bloodbath. So, she could not give up.
With the soft hum of air circulator as her sole companion, Maya chewed away in complete darkness. If there was one thing that blindfold was helping in her situation, it would be in allowing her to focus on doing one thing, just one thing only.
Maya felt her nail digging into her palm, but she did not care. She needed a distraction from her aching jaws. More importantly, she needed not think about the fact that the leather in her mouth was hardly giving way. Just a little more, just a little more, she kept telling herself.
Then came the dreaded sound, the metallic sliding. She remembered the sound when she was first brought into this room and then when the men left, shouting Mandarin all the while.
Light footfalls and rustling that followed drove the last semblance of calm from her. Her breathing grew ragged as her limbs writhe in their restraints. She begged, pleaded, and even demand that the leather give out, but the gag ensured that nothing, but inarticulate noise came out.
She tried not to think about it, but her compromising position already gave her an idea of what her captors had in mind of her. Otherwise, why would they bothered bound her on her back with her legs spread high. Just the thought made her skin crawled.
Maya struggled. For her dear life, she struggled. No matter if she tore her muscle, she needed to do something. She felt something warm rolled down her cheeks, but she did not care. Something had to give. It must.
As if hearing her prayer, suddenly, her left hand was freed, and she swung.
"Ooof"
"Ah!"
Looking at the girl folding her hand back on her stomach, cradling it in pain, Lunaire could not help letting out a stifled laughter. Considering that the barrier around his body was meant to stop a high-caliber, electromagnetically assisted slug going supersonic, Maya was lucky that she didn't get to hear a sick crack from her knuckle. Being a poor puncher also helped greatly.
Though Lunaire admitted. The fault lied partly with him. That was what he got for loosening the bind on a blindfolded and panicking girl. Even if said girl would later become the feared psychotic lady of the Yotsuba.
It did not stop his quip, however. "If you can muster the energy to punch your rescuer, you are doing just fine."
The girl immediately stilled. Her mind caught on to the word that sounded the sweetest in the world, rescue.
"I will loosen the restraint. Stay still. If you sock me again, I will leave you here." Lunaire joked offhandedly.
As soon as Maya felt her hand restraint fell away, she fumbled with the latch behind her head, releasing the gag, and then the blindfold. The air and light never felt so fresh as that moment, even if she would rather be anywhere but there.
Her brilliant magenta eyes locked onto the prismatic blues. The exchange was beyond brief however as Lunaire pulled away. Maya took this as him giving her some space to get proper. Unfortunately, she had nothing but her sleeve for her tears and saliva, but it would have to do. As if responding to her thought, a handkerchief was thrusted into her view, which she silently accepted.
Meanwhile, Lunaire went to solace in his mind to process what he had seen on the way to this room. The cells, nay the cages housing children that in all sense were broken, just thinking back caused the bile to rise up his throat. Their eyes were just so empty. Lunaire could see it from within the bloodstained and dimly lit interior of their cell. He would not mention all other manner of effluence caked onto the walls.
No, you have one job and one job only.
Repressing the memory, Lunaire thought of the layout of the facility. In his rush to get here before anyone got to Maya, his knowledge of the area was highly limited. On the way, he only caught sight of the map for the second basement. Given that this was not a civilian research facility, the layout could be deliberately confusing as a defense. In short, he had no clue on the way out…well, except making one.
As Maya was essentially mauling away at the handkerchief to get cleaned, she took a few eyefuls of her enigmatic rescuer. Just one look told her that he was not from Yotsuba. This man's profile was rather striking that she would remember if she saw him once. She could not claim to know everyone in or under the employ of her family, but at least she knew the important ones that would be tasked with rescuing her. For that, she was certain.
A brief look at his face also informed her that he was a Caucasian. Yet, from the few words he uttered to her, Maya only ever heard an impeccable Japanese. Well, not perfect per say, it sounded a little bit off, but she could not pick up the telltale accent of the foreigner.
There was the matter about his clothing. Frankly, if they met in any other situation, she would have balked at the anachronistic cosplay. Only the pants looked the part for a normal working dress code. The top was another story. A form fitting slate blue coat looked presentable, but the ornateness of the golden trims was on another level. Maya would believe it if this man just stepped out of a gala. What pushed the display into the over-the-top territory, however, was the cloak, complete with golden epaulettes and aiguilette. While his stature matched the style quite well, there was something about wearing this to a rescue that gnawed at her Yotsuba sensibility, let alone the jarring staff and sword. Her confidence dipped slightly.
Whether he heard her thought or not, Maya did not know. The mysterious man gestured her to follow as he stepped toward the door. Inwardly, she felt skittish. Other than freeing her, this man did not do anything particularly assuring. Perhaps, she would only be jumping from the pan straight into the fire.
But then again, she would rather be anywhere but here. All she needed was an opportunity.
Maya absentmindedly followed the man outside. What greeted her was the scene of carnage. Men in grey Changshan beneath lab coat, a jarring combination, lied motionlessly on the ground around the cellblock. Their own blood pooled around them. Maya was no stranger to some violence. Yotsuba upbringing would do that to anyone. What surprised her was the amount and the sheer efficiency in the manner that they were dispatched, one razor-sharp cut to the neck.
It was at this point that Maya noticed the blaring red strobe light, flashing away. The enemies knew they were coming. Her mind kicked onto high gears as her eyes scanned for anything she could use.
Maya quickly neared one of the bodies and fumbled around his waist. She found what she wanted in a heartbeat and pulled it out of the holster. Her upbringing taught her a thing or two about firearm and she would be damned not to use it. A few magazines were roughly stuffed into her school uniform breast pocket before she stood back up to assess the situation. Her rescuer seemed to pretend not to notice.
Then, Maya heard a yelling in foreign language, which prompted her to raise her pistol in the general direction. The firearm looked comical in the hand of a petite middle school girl.
"Hey, is there anybody out there?" It was followed by serious of unintelligible hoarse yelling. Lunaire was hardly an expert in Mandarin and could only make out a few words. "Let me out! Let me out, goddammit!"
Operating on instinct, Lunaire made a quick gesture that was soon followed by a thundering screech of metal giving out under pressure. In unison, all the cell doors fell, no longer supported by its hinge. From one of the rooms, a young boy stumbled out. Disoriented, he looked left and right. The scene of carnage seemingly took a while to properly register.
"Sister!" He sudden cried. Lunaire caught that the boy was referring to a little sister of his as he stumbled toward the cell on the opposite side and disappeared within.
Now, what do I do?
Standing there, Lunaire was struck with the question. He tore up every single door in this main cellblock, but what could he do for the occupants. He remembered the atrocious sight. The boy, who seemed to entirely dismiss his presence, was dotted with a few bruises. The same could not be said about the rest.
Lunaire's hands balled tight. The time was running out. The entirety of Dahan military was probably underway. Not that he was too averse to it actually. His spellcards were charged to the brim with mana. The only reason he did not dig his feet in, and fight was simply because of the girl behind him. Better not to tempt fate.
00000
And there it is.
If the one gripe I have about the original Yokohama arc is the fact that both the Japanese government and GAU are clowns making up an entire circus. Their incompetency canceled each other out to allow our lord and savior to shine. To name a few in case people think I am being unfair.
For GAU: Where are their crew-served support weapons? Why did they held back the mechanized force even if they could make the most impact earlier on? Why did they send low quality troops for a mission this important? Why were they being mown down by literal high school students (plot reason I know, but it is still ridiculous)?
For the Japanese (probably worse): How did they not see this one coming? Where was the air support? Where was the naval support (Yokosuka is right at the entrance of Tokyo Bay)? Why did the student evacuate to the shelter closer to the enemy's base even if sea evacuation or just plain walking above ground is possible (canon)?
All these questions and no answers made me rewrote and rearrange fragments into something more coherent and logical. GAU is a competent military force that should not make dumb mistakes and be easily bullied by high school student, abnormal as they were. The students should also show sign of intelligent thought.
We also get some characterization for Masaki, George, and Mizuki.
Now, on to the side story, what do you think about it?
I think this slightly more experienced Lunaire would offer a new flavor to the fic. Of course, without being too overbearingly edgy, we all have seen that before.
Then there is Maya. There are few stories that dealt with pre-trauma Maya, and I did not like any of them. She just became a damsel in distress, falling for her rescuer in a heartbeat. Her upbringing should make her extremely suspicious. She would be relieved, yes. But there is no way she will trust a stranger out of the bat.
Discord invite code: nSMHjar
Come on over and say hi some time.