"However, now that the Intelligence Department is involved, I don't think the military is going to back down from this."

  "Yes, it seems so."

  From the look on Tatsuya's face, Miyuki was sure that this much was within his expectations, and that from now on, everything would be in Tatsuya's hands.

  "Tatsuya-sama. What are you going to do next?"

  Even though she felt it might be presumptuous of her, Miyuki still asked with expectations in mind. The whole sight of Tatsuya overwhelming any hostile forces with his absolute power was quite a sight to behold, and Miyuki was sure that there was a desire in her heart to see him do so every once in a while.

  "Next?"

  "You have a plan on what you're going to do, don't you?"

  34

  Not only Miyuki, but Lina had also stopped pondering and looked at Tatsuya.

  Tatsuya gave a wry smile, if only in his mind, seeing those two beautiful women with their eyes shining with anxious anticipation.

  Simply because Miyuki's point wasn't wrong, and there was no need to lie here.

  "I'm thinking of doing a demonstration using Material Burst."

  "Material Burst!?"

  "Tatsuya, are you serious!?"

  Miyuki and Lina's eyes widened as their anticipation turned to shock. Tatsuya's answer went beyond their expectations. No, rather it was something they wouldn’t even consider in the first place.

  For Tatsuya, their reactions were exactly what he had expected. Still, he wasn't really trying to startle Miyuki and Lina. That's why he quickly followed up with an explanation.

  "Of course, I'm not going to target anywhere on Earth."

  Tatsuya particularly emphasized "anywhere on Earth" rather than "any country." That gave Miyuki a clue as to what he was planning to do.

  "Are you aiming somewhere in space?"

  "I'll display the original intended purpose of Material Burst. If I do this, then maybe people will understand that magicians shouldn't have their freedoms restricted."

  Lina had a clear "?" reflected on her face.

  That expression made Miyuki think, "I'll have to eventually explain it to her."

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Friday, June 18th.

  Tatsuya spent the morning occupied with desk work in the Magian Company's office instead of being at the Magic University. Still, that wasn't his sole goal for the day. Aside from that, Tatsuya's schedule also included preparations for his "demonstration."

  At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, he called up Fujibayashi as part of said preparations.

  "…I see."

  Tatsuya gave a nod in response to Fujibayashi's report.

  35

  He had Fujibayashi sit in the chair on the other side of the desk instead of making her stand there, and listened to her report the details looking much like a newscaster.

  "We found just the right target. I'd even say we got lucky."

  "As for the targeting, I'll have to ask you to provide me with the tracking data on an ongoing basis."

  "How about the data line? Since we're talking about you, Fujibayashi-san, I'm sure that you’ll be able to take care of it."

  "It has already been arranged. We can start at any time."

  Fujibayashi was an amazingly skilled hacker who was nicknamed the "Electron Sorceress" in the National Defense Force. Even now that she has retired from the military, her skills haven’t waned in the slightest.

  "Impressive as always. Thank you for all the effort."

  "I'm flattered."

  Fujibayashi bowed while seated. She had already made the shift from the way of doing things as a soldier to a civilian.

  "By the way."

  Tatsuya waited for Fujibayashi to raise her head before continuing.

  It was probably because there wasn't any change in his tone of voice from before.

  Fujibayashi was completely unsuspecting of what would come next.

  "I heard that you and Hyougo-san went out together the other day."

  Hence, this line struck Fujibayashi with an intense shock.

  "To-Together!? N-No, sure it was just the two of us, but that was it!"

  "Oh, please don't take this the wrong way. I have no intention of getting in the way of the relationship between you two. If anything, I am quite happy about it."

  "I think it's the Managing Director who is taking this the wrong way!"

  Tatsuya silently watched a red-faced Fujibayashi exclaiming at him.

  "Don't bother trying to hide it," was written on his face.

  36

  "I'm not in a relationship or anything with Hanabishi-san! We just went to an exhibition the other day to see if there were any tools that might be useful for our work!"

  The occasion on which Fujibayashi and Hyougo went out together, was to an expo where a number of companies presented their cutting edge nanorobot technology for consumer use. Rarely did civilian technology surpass military technology. It sounded plausible that they would go there to check out tools that could be used at work.

  While that may be true, it didn't necessarily require the two of them to go together. It wouldn't be all that far-fetched to suspect a relationship going on there.

  "Hanabishi-san asked for my advice on the technical aspects of the electronics! I was also interested in the nanorobot technology, that’s why."

  As Fujibayashi desperately tried to explain herself, Tatsuya still regarded her with a skeptical gaze.

  37

  38

  Chapter 3

  [Warning]

  Late in the evening on Friday the 18th. Tatsuya paid a visit to Kokonoe Temple. Responding to a summons by phone call from Yakumo.

  Three years ago, in July, they had fought a serious battle as a result of their opposing intentions regarding Minoru who had become a Parasite, but there was no resentment left between them. They still practice with each other from time to time, though not as frequently as in the past.

  However, for Yakumo to be the one calling Tatsuya for a meeting was quite unusual.

  Tatsuya couldn't help but become rather tense, wondering what exactly he called him for.

  A disciple awaited him at the temple gate. That person led him up to the main hall. It was there that Yakumo was waiting in the inner room.

  "Master, excuse me."

  "My bad for calling you at this hour. It's just that there's some bad news that I had to tell you right away."

  Tatsuya was sure that something urgent had come up when he was told "I need you to come here as soon as possible" and "I can't talk over the phone."

  "Is that bad news for me? Or is it a big problem for you, Master?"

  Although he asked, Tatsuya didn't think that Yakumo had fallen into any sort of difficult situation.

  "Well, for both of us, I guess."

  That's why this answer came as a considerable surprise to Tatsuya.

  "As Tatsuya-kun knows, while I am a shinobi, I am also a 'heretic monk’ of Hieizan."

  "…Profane?"

  "The profane kind that is reeking of blood."

  39

  "……"

  When Tatsuya deliberately remained silent, Yakumo gave him a nihilistic smile.

  "As an organization grows, it will eventually need people to take on responsibilities that cannot be made public. It's the same in the monastic world."

  "I don't think it depends on the size of the organization… but I understand."

  Tatsuya's expression suggested he was on the verge of letting out a sigh, but his tone was nonchalant as he ministered an offhand remark.

  "Well, it's a kind of necessary evil. Though, I can't say it's all that necessary."

  Yakumo let out a sigh, though probably not for the same reason as Tatsuya’s.

  "And this time, the troublesome thing is that a younger disciple of a 'heretic monk’ got an absurd request. The Honzan1 is having a hard time wrapping its head around it."

  It was quite uncharacteristic to find Yakumo showing genuine signs of being at his wits'

  end.

  "Even though it's an absurd request, it's something that can't be rescinded, even with the power of Hieizan?"

  "Exactly."

  Yakumo nodded profoundly at Tatsuya's guess.

  "Is the client that big of a deal?"

  "I'd say he's kind of a big shot, but the real problem is the referrer rather than the client themselves."

  "…I feel like it would have been better if I hadn’t asked, but I suppose in this case that isn't an option."

  "Unfortunately for you, I'm afraid it isn't."

  This time Tatsuya really let out a sigh.

  "──Please tell me who it was."

  1 本山が頭: The head of this temple/The head temple (Honzan)/The head of the head temple.

  40

  After gathering his resolve, Tatsuya asked.

  "It's the one of the Four Great Elders from the Senate, Kashiwa Kazutaka-dono. He’s referred to as 'Sensei'."

  Yakumo replied straight away, without any pretense.

  "One of the Four Great Elders, like His Excellency Toudou…?"

  There was no shock or panic crossing Tatsuya's mind, but rather the question, "Why"?

  Since he had been called here to hear of this, he guessed that he himself must be the objective of the "request". But why would one of the Four Great Elders like Toudou target him?

  Well, it's not that he doesn't have any idea of what the reason could be. The other day he had Fumiya capture the leader of the New Humanity Front, a magic supremacy extremist organization, who was being harbored by Izayoi Shirabe, who he now knows was acting under the orders of Kashiwa Kazutaka of the Senate.

  However, he wondered if such an influential person on the same level as Toudou would even conspire to retaliate for something as minor as that. He couldn’t believe it was for such a minor reason. ──So, Tatsuya thought, with his head tilted in contemplation.

  "I have no idea what the reason is either."

  Reading the subtle change in Tatsuya's expression, Yakumo anticipated the unsaid question.

  "But no matter what his intentions may be, not even the Honzan2 can cancel a request that came by letter of introduction from the Senate after accepting it. No matter how absurd the request may be."

  Apparently, it seems like this was something that couldn’t be ignored ── with that in mind, Tatsuya steeled himself.

  "Please tell me about the nature of the request."

  "I want you to listen calmly to this."

  Yakumo stated upfront with a serious expression.

  2 The head temple (Honzan)

  41

  "Of course, I'm not going to lose my temper."

  "Well, I don’t think you’re the only one who would in this case3… First of all, the client is the National Defense Army’s Intelligence Department."

  "The Intelligence Department?"

  Tatsuya didn’t find this surprising at all. He had a dispute with the Army Intelligence Department three years ago.

  "──The details involve placing a curse on your friends."

  "…What is the intended purpose of the curse?"

  Tatsuya’s manner of speaking remained composed. Still, the tone of his voice had clearly dropped.

  "It’s not a curse meant to kill per se, but the sort of curse that drains people of their vital energy and leaves them physically weakened. Naturally, it’s not a technique that directly affects the person, it does however weaken the body, making it more susceptible to disease and accidents from lack of attention. If it lasts long enough, eventually the person might not be able to get up, and even if they don't die, there could be severe after-effects."

  "When you say my friends, who exactly is to be targeted?"

  "The younger disciple isn’t stupid enough to mess with Miyuki-kun or Lina-kun. Kitayama Shizuku-kun and Mitsui Honoka-kun are also unlikely to be targets since the Honzan wouldn't want to offend Kitayama-shi."

  "So, other than them, you're saying that anyone else could be targeted?"

  "It seems so."

  Even under Tatsuya's sharp gaze, Yakumo remained unfazed. The only difference from usual was a faintly puzzled smile on his face.

  "The Intelligence Department probably wants to put pressure on you. After all, putting the curse on them is practically the same as taking hostages."

  They didn’t want to kill them nor seriously injur them, but rather to torture him slowly.

  On top of that, if he wanted to lift the curse, he’d have to follow what they said. Indeed, putting a curse on them was practically the same as taking a hostage.

  3 He's referring to when Mikihiko was very unhappy that Mizuki was targeted.

  42

  He would dare to say that the Intelligence Department wasn’t concerned about magists traveling abroad, but rather about the fact that there are magists outside of the government’s control. To them, a magist is an asset of the military. The idea of taking the family or friends of a soldier hostage because of doubts about their loyalty in order to prevent them from deserting is something that an old-fashioned authority figure would think of. ──So, Tatsuya thought.

  Even though he could understand the intentions of the other party, there was no logical reason why Tatsuya would have to give in to it.

  "Master. I assume that dealing with the practitioner that is this younger disciple who accepted the request is a bad idea, right?"

  With the blatant way he said it, it was no wonder that even Yakumo couldn't maintain his calm outlook.

  "I really wish you won’t try that."

  His lips and the corners of his eyes traced the shape of a smile, but there was a slight twitch around his temples.

  "Old organizations have a lot of built up pride, you know. This could lead to war with the Ogamiyas4."

  "I see… I understand. But if I don't erase the practitioner, then it will make things difficult to deal with. The case also being that curses don’t leave any trace behind."

  "Hahaha… Well, I guess you can erase the corpse, the evidence, and everything else without a trace."

  Yakumo let out a dry laugh.

  "If that were the case, you wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to quickly bring me here."

  Seems like Yakumo's goal on this was to prevent a civil war between Tatsuya and the Esoteric Buddhist sect of Ancient Magicians.

  4 A person who performs services in exchange for money using teachings of one or more religious practices, but are not officialized members.

  43

  Perhaps he had been asked to do this by the leaders of the Hieizan, or perhaps by the so-called dark side of the Hieizan sect. All to prevent a major catastrophe from being caused by a rash member of the same organization, one way or another.

  "I think it would do you some good to consult with the boy of the Yoshida family to deal with this. He's also probably going to be involved too."

  "I think it would be a very stupid idea to try to target Mikihiko, though."

  Mikihiko, who’s an Ancient Magician, is without a doubt familiar with the fundamentals of curses. He surely would also know very well how to break them.

  "I'm sure he also has someone he cares about as well."

  "Indeed."

  Tatsuya nodded in agreement to Yakumo's suggestion. Certainly, if Mizuki ends up becoming a target, Mikihiko will get involved himself. Consulting with him about this in advance would be as much of a plus for Mikihiko as it would be for Tatsuya.

  "I understand. I'll talk to him as soon as possible."

  Tatsuya bowed to Yakumo and left without even taking a sip of the tea he was served.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  On the next day, Tatsuya canceled all his plans for the morning and came to the Magic University in the morning. Unlike his usual days at school, he finished up his assignments with minimal effort, parted ways with Miyuki and company, and headed for the Magical Geometry research building located outside of his major.

  Luckily, he soon found Mikihiko, the person he was looking for.

  Mikihiko had his back to him, but even without seeing his face, he recognized him by his build and his presence. He didn't need to use Elemental Sight to pick up this much.

  He appeared to have stopped and was talking to someone, whom Tatsuya couldn’t see because Mikihiko was just blocking his view of them. From the glimpse of their hands and feet, Tatsuya could tell that they seemed to be a female student. If he turned his "eyes" on them, he would be able to get a detailed read on who they were, but he had no interest in prying into his affairs. So, Tatsuya deliberately avoided reading the female student's presence.

  44

  Tatsuya wondered for a moment if it would be a bad idea to interrupt him.

  "Mikihiko!"

  Nevertheless, he was in a time-sensitive situation. Tatsuya called Mikihiko's name, prepared for the backlash of butting into his relationships

  "Hey, Tatsuya-kun. You came to the university today?"

  The response to Tatsuya's call didn't come from Mikihiko. Peeking out from behind Mikihiko's frame there was his old friend and comrade-in-arms from their high school days, Erika.

  Hesitation began to set in Tatsuya's mind. If the Intelligence Department's goal was to get concessions from Tatsuya, Erika could very well be one of the targets for the curse.

  Erika was more than equal to a professional combat magician when it comes to close-combat, but she still lacked the ability to resist attacks against the spirit. Her training in swordsmanship had given her a higher level of resistance than the average person, but she couldn’t deal with attacks that were beyond the level she could manage with sheer willpower.

  Maybe he should take this opportunity to give her a warning in advance…

  "Good morning, you two."

  Once he had put his worries aside, Tatsuya greeted them as he would normally do. The first period had just ended, so it was a little late in the morning, but it was still morning nonetheless.

  "Yeah, good morning."

  "Good morning, Tatsuya. You wanted me for something?"

  "Yes. I have something urgent and very important to talk with you about. Do you have a lecture in the second period?"