Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 22 - Prologue of Disturbance (II)

  CHAPTER 1

  Yokohama, April 14, 2097, a branch of the Kanto Japanese Magical Association. The meeting, which brought together young people from the Ten Master Clans and Eighteen Assistant Houses, was completed before noon as planned.

  It finished without any results.

  When the end of the meeting was announced, the first person who hurried to leave the conference room was Tatsuya.

  - Yotsuba-dono, please wait!

  But hearing a voice from behind him, he stopped and turned around.

  Tatsuya's name is not "Yotsuba". But he did not act like a child who ignored going to him for that reason.

  "What, Saegusa-san?"

  However, instead of the traditional style for the Ten Master Clans of the Saegusa-dono, Tatsuya responded to the ordinary Saegusa-san.

  To Tatsuya's question "what?", given with unconcealed impatience in his voice and on his face, Saegusa Tomokazu replied:

  - For those who visited, we prepared a modest meal after the meeting. Will Yotsuba-dono join us?

  Naturally, Tatsuya knew the schedule of the meeting.

  - I'm sorry. I already said earlier that after meeting, I have an urgent matter.

  Indeed, when he left the conference hall, he stated that he had "one thing to do."

  "But it's not going to take much time ..."

  - Unfortunately, the tight schedule does not allow me to accept this tempting offer.

  Tatsuya could understand Tomokazu's desire to detain him. But he himself had his own circumstances. He did not do this to annoy Tomokazu.

  - Saegusa-san, all the best.

  - Shiba-sama. - Tatsuya, bowing to Tomokazu, this time the voice of a young woman called out.

  - Yes, what is it?

  She was an employee of the Magical Association. Upon recognizing Tomokazu, she showed slight indecision, but quickly restored the behavior of the official employee of the person.

  - A VTOL arrived on the roof to pick you up.

  - On the roof? I understand.

  He had not previously been informed that transportation would be sent for him, but he thought it would be faster to go and see than to think about it. Having once again bowed to Tomokazu, Tatsuya followed the employee.

  On the roof, he expected a small VTOL with built-in rotary rotors in the wings. It was a small plane for 6 seats, not counting the pilot. Standing next to the plane, a young man in a double-breasted suit bowed courteously to Tatsuya.

  - Tatsuya-sama, here please.

  He had a very polite manner of speech. The use of the Tatsuya-sama greeting said that he was a Yotsuba man. They met for the first time, but Tatsuya knew who this young man was.

  - Pleased to meet you. As it seems, you already know, I am Shiba Tatsuya.

  - Oh, I sincerely apologize. My name is Hanabishi Hyougo. Humbly happy to meet you.

  Looking at the exaggerated gesticulation of the apologetic young man, Tatsuya mentally nodded. As he guessed, this young man turned out to be the son of Hanabishi the butler.

  Among the servants of the Yotsuba family, Hanabishi was the No. 2 ranked butler after Hayama. He was responsible for personnel and equipment for illegal activities related to combat operations. Tatsuya heard that his eldest son is being trained in the British PMC (private military company) under an assumed name, but apparently he has already returned from there.

  "Today I have an important role to play: bring Tatsuya-sama and Miyuki-sama to their place. First, I ask you to take a seat inside.

  - I got it. I rely on you.

  Tatsuya unlocked the back door of the VTOL with the Yotsuba electronic key and went inside. It was a procedure for identifying a person. Not showing embarrassment that the door was opened in this way, but rather expressing a face showing that he is so used to it, Hanabishi Hyougo courteously closed the door behind Tatsuya.

  The manned VTOL landed on a helicopter pad located on the roof of a ten-story building, recently built in Tefu.

  The first three floors of this building were occupied by offices, and from the fourth to the tenth were living quarters. However, Tatsuya did not remember this building. It was unnecessary to say that it was not a destination.

  As soon as the turbines and the wind stopped, three people appeared from the penthouse. Two young girls and a woman who looked about 30 years old. Tatsuya first thought that landing on this building was for charging (this VTOL was on electric motors), but it turned out that he was wrong.

  Tatsuya opened the door from the inside and extended a hand to the girls to help him up.

  - Thank you, Tatsuya-sama.

  The two girls were Miyuki and Minami. It was planned that they would wait for Tatsuya's return home, but apparently on instructions from the main house, they were brought here.

  - It's my pleasure. Have you been waiting for me for a long time?

  "Fifteen minutes." But the waiting room it was quite comfortable.

  It seems that this penthouse was a recreation area for users of this helipad.

  - It's clear.

  - Tatsuya-sama. Thanks for waiting. - Tatsuya nodded in response to Minami. Entering the plane after Miyuki, she closed the door and said that you can go.

  "Hanabishi-san, please." - Nodding Minami's eyes, Tatsuya turned to Hanabishi.

  "Yes."

  Minami looked surprised, because she did not know Hyougo in person. For the return a few days ago in Yotsuba Hyougo, such a reaction as Minami was familiar. Even without introducing himself to Minami, he started the engines and started taking off.

  The small VTOL in which Tatsuya's group was flying did not fly directly to the hidden village of Yotsuba, but landed on a helicopter pad near the Kobutizawa railway station.

  - Here please.

  Hyougo led Tatsuya and the girls in the direction of the control building. Tatsuya thought that they would cross the building to a car that would take them to the main house. Under that assumption he was not mistaken, but the route turned out to be different. Instead of going through the control building to the road, they entered the staff elevator.

  Gathering doubtful looks, Hyougo opened the door of the emergency control panel with an old-fashioned iron key. The elevator doors closed at the same time, as if on command. Behind the panel door was a biometric sensor. Hyougo put his right hand to it. After a brief pause, the elevator car began to go down.

  "We're going down a long way ..." With a little alarm in her voice, Miyuki spoke to Tatsuya.

  "We're heading for the floor, located 80 meters underground." - explained Hyougo. Immediately after his words, the elevator began to slow down. Soon the elevator car stopped and the doors opened.

  Leaving the elevator, they were in a large spacious room. In addition, an underground tunnel lit by an artificial light was visible. Nearby was a large-sized sedan car, looking very expensive and upscale. The driver's seat was empty. Hyougo opened the back door, and invited Miyuki and Tatsuya to sit down. Hyougo himself took the driver's seat, and, confirming that Minami had boarded the passenger seat beside him, led the car.

  "This underground tunnel leads directly to Honmour." Unfortunately, the view behind the window leaves much to be desired, but we will arrive very quickly.

  Monotonously passing lights of the artificial tunnel showed that this huge dark sedan rushed forward at a speed inaccessible on public roads. As Hyougo said, within ten minutes they reached the helipad to the main house.

  ◊ ◊ ◊

  The Chiba family doj
o was located near the border between Tokyo and Kawasaki. Among the students there were many people working on the weekdays, so on Sunday the dojo looked more lively.

  And on weekdays at noon, there were usually no students at all. Attending magic High School Erika was also a rare guest, coming only on weekends.

  After the loss of the eldest son of the family, Toshikazuu, and until now, the training in the dojo passed in a depressed mood. You can even say in a tragic atmosphere. However, with the arrival of Erika, the heavy atmosphere shifted a little towards improving the mood. After all, Erika certainly had a talent in raising the mood.

  And the two guys brought by Erika also had a role in the formation of the fighting spirit.

  - Oria-a!

  - Ghu-y!

  There was the sound of a heavy fall to the floor. Everyone looked in the direction of this sound and found a man with a long hair falling on his back and moaning. Before him stood a guy with a large build breathing heavily.

  - Saburou, do you need to rest?

  - I can continue!

  Saburou jumped to his feet. He shook slightly, but with an effort of will he tensed and pretended that he had not suffered any damage.

  "Saijou-senpai, please, once again!"

  - Wow. - Answered Leo bent over in a bow at 90 degrees Saburou. -Saburou himself asks Erika. Can I continue?

  - Of course. I mean, keep going while you can stand up.

  Grinning, Leo looked at Saburou. He looked at Erika with a very serious face. Continuing to grin, Leo looked at Erika again.

  - "While you can stand" and treats me?

  - Show yourself in a bad light before a junior high school student.

  - Understood-understood.

  Leo shrugged, seeing that there was not a hint of a joke in Erika's voice and voice. Then, turning from a rack with a shinai in one hand he faced Saburou. Saburou instantly responded the same.

  He had the same stance with a one-handed grip, but the weapons were different.

  Leo's shinai was longer than usual, and played the role of an odachi.

  On the other hand, the Saburou's shinai corresponded to the length of the Wakizashi.

  The length of the weapon is not an undeniable advantage or disadvantage. However, an indisputable fact is also that for each combat style, the use of a suitable weapon is required. It is generally believed that a long weapon is well suited for a preemptive strike. And for users of short swords, the favorite tactic is to evade enemy attack and then approach them.

  However, this time the first who started to act was Saburou. He immediately went on offense with Leo.

  Naturally, Leo did not even have to simply watch the enemy in his thoughts. With a quick movement of his right hand, he slashed from top to bottom exactly at the moment when Saburou entered the zone of the long shinai.

  Saburou could not evade the blow being struck from the previously prepared position of the sword. Not only the speed, but also the power of this blow exceeded even the blow with the two-handed sword of an ordinary man, so he decided to parry the blow, helping the second hand.

  One hand against two hands. But despite this counterattack, Leo's stand was not broken for a single moment. Like the covering wave, the pressure of the sword swept over Saburou.

  Despite the fact that it was still a bamboo shinai, its heaviness from the long swing of Leo, began to push back Saburou who lost his balance.

  And then a training sword the size of a knife suddenly attached to Saburou's belt came into motion by itself. Yes, Saburou did not abandon him. It broke out from behind Saburou's belt and rushed to Leo's face.

  Leo stopped the onslaught with a shinai and repulsed the knife with the base of the blade. However, the small knife that looked unreliable did not fall to the floor. Little, in comparison with the form of Leo's odeati shinai, the blade suddenly went in different directions and surrounded Leo from two sides.

  Yes. At some point, the knife flying in the air split into 2 parts. Leo's face tightened. Instead of knifing, he stepped forward. The distance became too short for the style of dressing. Even the most verified shinai movements will now be ineffective.

  However, this was not a kendo match. Although they have shinai in their hands, no one forces them to treat them like a real sword.

  Leo added his left hand to the grasp of his shinai, which he held only with his right hand. Now he held the shinai like a spear.

  Saburou, meanwhile, left the previous blow to the side. Rotating in the air the knives suddenly fell to the floor, like puppets, which cut the ropes.

  Nevertheless, Saburou's evasion shifted him too far. He came out of a point considered too close for the style.

  Finally, the time has come when the distance turned out to be ideal. Leo's warrior nature simply could not allow him to miss this moment.

  - Seiya-ah!

  Leo swung the shinai from top to bottom. Saburou tried to parry the inevitable strike coming from the maximum possible distance. Standing on one knee, he threw up a short shinai over his head, holding it with both hands.

  Their fighting spirit was so blazing that the bamboo swords seemed real. The Odachi was approaching exactly in the middle of the wakizashi...

  And this blow overwhelmed not only the short sword, but also the body that he covered.

  Saburou fell down. Even though the blow was on the shinai, and despite the fact that most of Leo's blow went to the blocked shinai, he did a lot of damage.

  Leo looked at Erika with a guilty face. But Erika looked at Saburou with a stern, cold stare.

  - Heal, please.

  - Yes, Erika-Odzosan.

  A man of about thirty came running to them. Kneeling in front of the head of the lying Saburou, he activated his CAD.

  After that, he put both hands on Saburou's forehead. Healing magic was activated. The big red lump on Saburou's forehead immediately disappeared.

  Healing magic was a technique that deceived the world, forcing it to believe that the target human body was not injured. The fake result manifested itself immediately. However, after a while, the world will notice that it was deceived. Therefore, before the effect of "Healing" disappears, a new "Healing" must be imposed. The essence of therapeutic magic is to maintain the cured condition until the real treatment is performed.

  In other words, after using healing magic, those on whom it was imposed can continue to fight, as if they did not receive any injuries at all, as long as the effect of healing magic is active.

  Saburou quickly woke up and stood up.

  - To stand.

  Rising, he tried to continue the fight. However, Erika's voice caused Saburou to freeze.

  "Yaguruma, that's enough for today." If you continue, the consequences can be disastrous.

  - ... I understand.

  Saburou, who did not have enough magical power to be considered fit for an escort in the Ten Master Clans, still had enough knowledge about magic, as he had an education worthy of serving a Mitsuya family. Therefore, he also knew the limitations of healing magic.

  - ...Many thanks. - Saburou turned to Leo and bowed.

  Bowing to Erika, he lifted his leg slightly to take a step.

  - Wait. Why are you leaving? There is no need to rush so much.

  Erika readily read Saburou's intention. This reproach of Erika made him sharply turn his foot on the floor of the dojo.

  Erika motioned to him to understand that he wanted him to sit down. In order not to disturb other students, Saburou went to the wall and sat down on his knees. Erika sat in front of him in Japanese style, and Leo sat on the side in Turkish.

  "Yaguruma would have won if he had not stopped psychokinetic control."

  - Would it be a draw with simultaneous attacks? - Leo objected to the sudden withdrawal of Erika.

  - Simultaneous, you say? - Erika did not unequivocally deny it. - But your attack Yaguruma landed on the wakizashi. On th
e other hand, you did not have protection from Yaguruma's knife, did you? In this case, you would definitely bleed.

  Leo did not object, but he still did not look fully convinced. But Erika did not care anymore, and she turned to Saburou.

  - It seems that Yaguruma thinks that his psychokinesis is useless, because it does not allow moving heavy things. Even a small blade weighing 100 grams can kill a person if you send it to a vulnerable point. There are very few magicians who know how to create object-directed barriers, and magicians who can maintain such protective magic for a long time are even fewer. Yaguruma's skill is effective not only as a deterrent. It can also be used as a weapon capable of inflicting a decisive blow. Here's what you need to understand first.

  - I understand.

  Saburou answered Erika immediately. However, Leo, who was sitting on his side, realized that this answer was rather reflexive rather than said with complete certainty. But it would be more accurate to say that Erika, who was sitting across from him, looking straight into his eyes, simply would not have allowed him to leave the answer.

  "Then do not understand, but believe." In your strength.

  Not having anything to say to Erika, Saburou clenched his teeth. Even without her words, he himself believed in his strength. He trained just because he believed that he had the strength to become a shield to Shiina. However, the brutal reality told him that this is not enough.

  Believing once again after belief already betrayed him. It was not an easy task.

  ◊ ◊ ◊

  About an hour after leaving the Kanto branch of the Magic Association in Yokohama. Tatsuya arrived at the main house of the Yotsuba in less than half of the planned time.

  "Miyuki-sama, Tatsuya-sama, the lady is waiting for you." Please follow me.

  Only Tatsuya, who arrived in the main house, met Hayama himself. Hayama is the main servant in the hierarchy of the main house of the Yotsuba, and also the confidant of the head of the family, Maya. His presence was a way to show that the status of the heiress and her fiance are not just titles in words.