Sunday, February 19, 2096.
The plan was to lure the Parasites out tonight. Tatsuya hadn't placed his full faith in the information provided from across the sea, but he hadn't dismissed it either. He had already corroborated the identity of the boy named Raymond Clark—the face in the school archives at Shizuku's exchange academy matched the one in the video mail. Yet, in Tatsuya's world, a verified identity was no guarantee of truth. Just as anonymous tips could be accurate, information from a known source could just as easily be a calculated deception.
Still, Tatsuya found himself standing at the edge of First High's outdoor training grounds. He was here because he had no better leads. To wait for the enemy to show themselves or to hope for a chance encounter was a strategy of diminishing returns. Even if this turned out to be a wild goose chase that wasted his entire day, it was a risk he was willing to take.
Behind the unusually sprawling campus lay an artificial forest. Technically, it was still school property, but the field was so meticulously crafted that it was difficult to distinguish from a natural mountain range. In the dead of night, where even the silhouettes of the trees seemed to dissolve into the ink-black sky, that distinction vanished entirely.
A high perimeter fence stood guard to ensure no outsiders wandered into a crossfire of combat magic. Such a precaution was almost unnecessary, however; every local resident knew that this was First High's training ground. There were no civilian homes in the immediate area that weren't connected to the school in some way. When the academy was built, those with no tie to magic had long since taken their compensation and moved elsewhere. Those who remained understood the lethality of the woods.
Because of this social barrier, the school didn't bother with high-tech security systems. It was just a forest, after all—there was nothing to steal and no reason to waste budget on preventing intrusions.
"Can you clear it?"
Tatsuya looked up at the three-meter fence, directing his question to his companions.
"Of course, Brother," Miyuki replied instantly.
"No problem here," Erika added with a confident smirk.
"I've got this," Leo grunted.
『I believe I can manage... somehow.』
The final response came via telepathy from the true subject of Tatsuya's concern: Pixie.
"Is it a struggle for you?"
『To be honest, yes. I wish to be of use to you, Master, but I am uncertain if I can clear the height perfectly with this body's physical limitations.』
"I see. Then there's only one way."
Tatsuya made a show of adjusting his CAD, but instead, he reached out and lifted Pixie into his arms. Calling upon a "Leap" activation sequence from his memory, he led the way, soaring over the fence in a single, fluid motion.
The group moved through the dense artificial forest as a tight-knit unit. Perhaps because he had just carried Pixie, Tatsuya noticed that Miyuki and Erika were pressing noticeably closer to his sides than usual. He didn't comment on it. In this sprawling darkness, splitting up would only invite the risk of being picked off one by one. There was no tactical advantage to pointing out their proximity.
Besides, experience at Aoyama had proven that they didn't need to hunt the Parasites; the Parasites would come to them. If the enemy chose to stay hidden tonight out of caution, Tatsuya would simply pack up and return to a manual search tomorrow.
『Tatsuya-san, stop.』
Mizuki's voice crackled through the hands-free earpiece in his ear. The communication was set to "conference mode," echoing in the receivers of the entire team.
『Thirty degrees to the right of your current heading. I can see the auric flare of Parasite energy.』
Mizuki wasn't physically with them. Instead, she was stationed on the school roof with a vantage point over the entire training ground, using her "Eyes" to navigate for the team.
『I've confirmed them as well!』 Honoka's voice followed. 『A group of three—two males and one female.』
Using Mizuki's sightings as a guide, Honoka used her light-distribution magic to process the visual feed. Her optical magic acted as a high-definition long-range lens, sending crystal-clear images of the targets—looking as though they were filmed in broad daylight—directly to the team's mobile terminals.
Tatsuya had deemed Mizuki and Honoka's support essential for this mission, which was why he had assigned Mikihiko, a formidable combatant in his own right, to remain behind as their personal guardian. Mikihiko had accepted the role without complaint.
『Wait!』 Honoka reported again, her voice rising. 『From the opposite side of the Parasites... a girl in a mask is approaching.』
The Parasites' aura had flared because they were bracing for Sirius. Tatsuya signaled for the team to move with a sharp hand gesture. Miyuki, Erika, Leo, and Pixie nodded in unison.
In the next heartbeat, Tatsuya became a gale blowing through the trees. Erika followed a half-step behind him, while Leo kept a watchful eye on their flanks, matching his pace to Miyuki and Pixie.
High above on the roof, watching the icons of her friends move across her display, a stray thought began to fester in Honoka's mind.
(If I had gone with them... and if I told Tatsuya-san that I couldn't jump the fence... would he have picked me up and carried me instead of Pixie?)
She knew it was irrational to be jealous of a robot—especially one inhabited by a Parasite that had formed its ego based on her own feelings. But even if the "heart" was the same, the bodies were different. The affection Pixie felt belonged to Honoka, yet it was Pixie who had been held in Tatsuya's arms.
(I know I couldn't have kept up with that speed anyway. I probably would have just been a burden...)
Honoka didn't resent her current role. She was proud that Tatsuya relied on her, and she knew she wasn't built for frontline combat. And yet, the sting of being left behind remained.
"Honoka-san? Is something wrong?" Mizuki asked tentatively.
"Your expression... it's kind of scary," Mikihiko added, glancing at her.
"Eh? Oh! It's nothing. Really. Just focusing!"
Honoka felt a pang of guilt. She had been unconsciously glaring at Pixie's icon on the screen. She quickly forced a smile, hoping her friends wouldn't realize she was currently engaged in a one-sided rivalry with a mechanical doll.
Note: From Tatsuya's perspective, he was simply transporting a piece of equipment... but try telling that to a girl in love.
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