Having abandoned the chase, Tatsuya took off his helmet, got off the bike, and checked on the two.
"Are you both alright?"
"I'm fine."
As he said, Mikihiko appeared uninjured. As for Erika...
"...It's embarrassing if you stare too much."
"Ah, sorry."
Following the example of Mikihiko, who was blushing furiously and looking pointedly in the other direction, Tatsuya averted his gaze. It wasn't that her bare skin was exposed. The protective underwear beneath was intact, but her outer bottoms were torn in places up to just below her chest, giving glimpses of her body line.
"...Hey, could you lend me something to cover up?"
"Wait a moment."
Tatsuya lifted the bike seat and tossed Erika a jacket he kept there for sudden drops in temperature. He couldn't very well hand over the blouson he was currently wearing, after all.
"Thanks. It's okay now."
She wasn't naked, nor was it even semi-nude, so Tatsuya's honest impression was that she was exaggerating, but perhaps this was a form of stylistic beauty. Deciding that this was infinitely preferable to her lacking any sense of shame, Tatsuya stopped thinking about it.
"Erika, are you injured?"
"I'm glad I wore my undersuit just in case. If I hadn't, I would have been in serious trouble."
"It seems there were Kamaitachi—vacuum blades—mixed in with the blast."
"Looks like it... That mask. Next time we meet, I'll make her pay for my clothes."
"I believe the opponent injured her collarbone."
"That's that, and this is this."
Just as Tatsuya said, Erika hadn't been on the receiving end only; she had returned a blow. Although it was shallow, just before being blown away by the shockwave, Erika's blade had caught the masked magician's right shoulder.
"...Don't move for a bit."
After confirming there were no people or cameras around, Tatsuya readied his CAD with his left hand.
"Amazing, as expected of you, Tatsuya-kun! ...Huh? By the way, Tatsuya-kun, why are you here?"
After thanking him for reconstructing her clothes, Erika asked the question she had been itching to ask. Since she was acting as if she had only just realized it, Tatsuya decided not to point out the obvious and answered honestly.
"Why? Because Mikihiko contacted me."
"Hmm~."
Panic flashed across Mikihiko's face as he shot an accusing look at Tatsuya. However, hearing the distinctly displeased tone in Erika's voice, Mikihiko awkwardly shifted his gaze toward her.
"So, the reinforcements arrived just in the nick of time. Miki, that was a fine play! ...By the way, when did you contact him? I don't recall hearing anything."
"..."
"Both of you, I know you're busy, but shouldn't we move? People are starting to gather. You didn't get permission from the Master Clan Conference for this, right?"
"Crap!"
"Erika, want a ride?"
"Yeah, please."
When Tatsuya, straddling the bike again, asked her, Erika happily hopped onto the tandem seat and clung to Tatsuya's waist. It looked a little too close, but...
"Tatsuya, what about me!?"
"Sorry, we're over capacity."
As Tatsuya and Erika sped away, Mikihiko shouted at their retreating backs.
"Riding without a helmet gets you a fine, you know!"
Left behind, Mikihiko screamed his sour grapes and stood there in a daze for a while.
After dropping Erika off and returning home, Tatsuya was greeted by Miyuki, who was completely taken aback by his words.
"Huh? You want to call... Auntie?"
"I have something I want to consult with Aunt Maya about."
So, could you place the call for me? Tatsuya asked Miyuki once more.
Most of those serving the Yotsuba family knew that Tatsuya was Maya's nephew. At the same time, they knew that to the Yotsuba family, Tatsuya was nothing more than a tool—though few knew he was a living weapon.
Therefore, if Tatsuya called Maya himself, there was a high probability the call would be cut off by the intermediaries. On the other hand, if he called her direct line, Maya might go berserk before he could even state his business, making consultation impossible.
"If it is your command, Brother... Could you wait a moment?"
"Yeah... I should probably go change, too."
Even though they were blood relatives, calling her in casual clothes was out of the question, and cutting the video feed was unthinkable. To the siblings, their aunt was that kind of existence.
After changing, Miyuki called the Yotsuba house. A butler bowed respectfully and put her through to Maya. Had it been Tatsuya, as mentioned before, the call likely would have been terminated. Even though Maya doted on Tatsuya...
"I apologize for calling so late at night."
『It's fine. More importantly, it's rare for you to call me, Miyuki-san.』
"Brother seems to have something he wishes to consult with you about, Auntie."
『Takkun does! I wonder what it is?』
Maya, who had until a moment ago worn an indecipherable smile on her ageless, beautiful face, suddenly adopted a smile that suggested she had mentally regressed to toddlerhood the moment Tatsuya's name was mentioned.
"Aunt Maya. Actually, I have one question I would like to ask, and one permission I would like to request."
『I'll listen to anything Takkun asks, you know?』
"Then I will take you up on your kindness... Aunt Maya, could you tell me the mechanics behind the Kudou family's 'Parade' magic?"
Beside Tatsuya, Miyuki was speechless, her face blank with shock. On the other side of the screen, Hayama performed the dexterous feat of raising only a single eyebrow.
『Takkun, "Parade" is a secret technique of the Kudou family. Do you really think I would know about it?』
"You had a period where you received instruction from Lord Kudou, didn't you, Aunt Maya?"
『But why do you want to know the details of "Parade"?』
To Maya, who voiced a natural doubt, Tatsuya stated the fact bluntly.
"It deceived my 'Eyes' and caused Mist Dispersion to miss its target."
Hearing this fact, Miyuki turned pale and lost her voice. Her shock seemed to transmit even through the screen; for a split second, Maya furrowed her brow. She recovered her smile immediately, but Tatsuya had seen it perfectly.
『Even if Mist Dispersion doesn't work, surely Trident would not be an problem?』
"Can Parade not be deployed in duplicate?"
『I recall hearing a story that the Elder's younger brother was more skilled at Parade than the Elder himself.』
"Thank you very much. Aunt Maya, it seems this matter is beyond our ability to handle alone. Therefore, I would like to request reinforcements."
『So that's what you want permission for... Very well. I authorize contact with Major Kazama. But you are not allowed to get friendly with that Fujibayashi girl, understood?』
Tatsuya bowed to Maya and withdrew from the screen. Pretending he hadn't heard that final warning.
(Author's Note)
Even over the phone, her love for Tatsuya remains unchanged...
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