Chapter 94: A Meeting That Exploded

It would be a lie to say I hadn’t had a bad feeling about this.

A group with magical-side combat strength. In other words, Academy City’s dark side.

The fact that the "organization" my father was able to contract through his connections had traces of Academy City’s dark side mixed in… the conclusion practically narrowed itself down. Namely, the mercenary unit Father had hired might in fact be agents of Academy City’s "dark side."

Of course, I didn’t believe my father was someone who could reach into this city’s "darkness." He’s wealthy and calculating, sure, but not a man who belongs in that kind of world.

Most likely—an interference from the "dark side." Under the guise of protection, they were trying to interfere with us. Whether that intent belonged to Aleister or to someone else, I couldn’t say. But normally, the moment we realized their intent, we would have judged it as an "attack" and drawn up countermeasures, wouldn’t we.

That was the assumption.

But that worst-case scenario collapsed the moment he appeared.

"……………………W-why are you…………?"

──The operations headquarters of the security unit we had been led to by Adabana-san.

"……………………W-well, wasn’t expecting to run into you this quickly, huh. Another Four, the shadowy fourth-ranked."

Baba-san was there.

Chapter Three: The Worth of a Soul is Worthless Double(Square)_Faith.
Episode 79: A Meeting That Exploded Friend-"A".

"Now then, care to explain? Why is it that people of the ‘dark side’ such as yourselves were hired as our protectors?"

Saying this, Reicia-chan crossed her legs while still seated.

Across from us sat an old white-haired man—the Doctor—along with Baba-san, who looked awkward and avoided our eyes.

Yes.

The Doctor, the commander of one of the groups reigning at the top of Academy City’s dark side: Member.

In other words… what we had hired wasn’t a mere mercenary unit. It was the dark side organization Member.

When I thought about it that way, everything made sense. That "Adabana-san" had in fact been Xochitl-san in disguise, a fellow Member. The reason she’d used those obviously magical weapons was precisely because she was really Xochitl-san.

"A simple matter. Orders from the General Superintendent, Aleister Crowley. That’s all."

At our question, the Doctor opened his mouth.

"…………Aleister?"

"Hmm. Judging from the nuance of that response, you’ve at least heard the name. Students these days barely even know it. Quite admirable."

The Doctor said this with a note of appreciation.

"Truth is, it seems the upper echelon caught wind that within the next few days you’ll be exposed to danger. Rejoice—you’re apparently precious to Aleister. After all, he entrusted us, his direct subordinates, with your protection."

Having said that much, he closed his eyes in satisfaction. It was as if to say he had conveyed all that was necessary.

I too began sorting through what the Doctor had just revealed.

Exposed to danger… well, that I understood. We’re Level 5 espers, with no strong footing yet, and we haven’t even been caught up in any shady experiments so far. Even Mikoto-san got dragged into some seriously dangerous research; it’s only natural that sooner or later, the same would happen to us.

But… Aleister shielding us? That part I couldn’t grasp. We—Reicia Blackguard—were originally just a Level 4 in the proper history. Now she’s a Level 5 esper, yes, but that’s due to the "divergence" caused by my presence. In other words, this is an event that shouldn’t exist in the plan.

Considering how he tried to erase Hamazura, wouldn’t Aleister normally reject anomalies outside the plan? …Though, now that I think about it, Hamazura didn’t exactly get ruthlessly hunted down either, so maybe he doesn’t go that far.

"Protect me, a mere Fourth-ranked equivalent?"

While I was mulling this over, Reicia-chan cut in sharply. She’d propped her elbow on the side table, radiating sheer audacity. She was fully in political-play mode now.

"You question that? You seem well aware of your own standing."

"……Hah? Watch your words. I never once said I was content with my ranking."

Reicia-chan was about to snap back, so I quickly jumped in to keep things from escalating.

Not that I personally care about rankings… but still, being underestimated is bad. And this incident made me realize just how important the "impression" of Reicia Blackguard actually is. Sure, the ideal is to get by with a smile and an easygoing air, but if the boss of the organization looks weak, then the entire organization suffers. Sometimes you’ve got to project strength.

"My apologies. Still, as a line of questioning, it’s a sharp observation."

The Doctor raised both hands in mock surrender, apparently not wanting to incur our displeasure as clients.

"To be honest, even I don’t know the details. But it seems Aleister sees value in you beyond your ranking. Perhaps as a foil to the main candidate in his primary plan, or perhaps in some entirely parallel plan…"

And with that, the Doctor retreated into his own world.

Hmm. So, thanks to Aleister’s designs, we’d unexpectedly gained support from the dark side. That much was clear. But the crucial matter of "the danger" remained vague.

Well, if even the Doctor wouldn’t say more, then he probably didn’t know either.

《Uh… wasn’t the next event supposed to be when Vento attacks? The so-called 0930 Incident.》

《……But Hughes Kazakiri has already manifested, hasn’t she? Surely Accelerator and Heaven Canceler-sensei would be making preparations.》

《……Which means, maybe my power is what’s being targeted to fill the gap?》

《Ahh, that does sound plausible. …But in that case, wouldn’t it be Aleister himself who targets you? I can’t see why he’d bother giving me his own personal forces.》

《True enough…………》

Hmm, it still feels like we don’t have enough information.

Since we’re in cooperation with the Dark Side now, we might as well take advantage of their so-called information network to dig a little deeper into this.

…Speaking of the Dark Side’s information network, come to think of it, we were already using that to investigate the developer of Indian Poker, weren’t we? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Adabana-san since we came here…

Wait. Not Adabana-san, but Xochitl-san, right? …Ugh, I’m worried I’ll slip up in the heat of the moment and call her the wrong name. Until I learn her real name, I’ll just keep calling her Adabana-san. It’s probably just the name of her cover anyway.

"Mr. Baba. What’s Adabana-san doing right now? Helping out with the investigation?"

"Hm? Ah, no—this place is basically Member’s headquarters. She should be checking the security around the perimeter. Wouldn’t want to get tailed and ambushed here. …That said, she’s taking a bit long."

He had a point. It’d already been a good thirty minutes since we arrived. A perimeter check should’ve taken ten minutes at most before she got back…

…Could she have gotten caught up in something troublesome?

The thought struck me, and I immediately stood up.

Sensing my intent, the Doctor raised his hand, gesturing for us to stay put.

"No need. I’ll move a pawn."

"A robot, you mean? If Adabana-san really did get caught up in trouble, and it’s taken this long, then whoever she’s up against is no opponent that a mere automaton could handle. Baba-san and I will go check on her."

"Eh!? Me too!?"

Well, yeah. Right now, our strongest formation is basically me with Baba-san supporting. If it’s nothing, fine. If it’s an enemy attack, then we grab Adabana-san and relocate headquarters immediately. Either way, bringing Baba-san along makes it much safer.

"The client insists, Baba-kun. Go on. …Besides, this is a rare chance to observe the specs of a Level 5 esper firsthand."

"And you think such depths could be measured by something this shallow?"

Reicia-chan turned her back to the Doctor as she spoke.

"Pray you don’t despair at just how deep the abyss truly goes."

Time rewinds—back to just after Xochitl left to check the perimeter.

Dressed in her maid uniform, Xochitl carefully scanned her surroundings as she methodically verified the area’s safety.

She wasn’t primarily a combat operative, true—but she was still a professional magician. She hadn’t been careless enough to let anyone tail her, and so far things had gone smoothly—until…

DOOOOONNN!!!

The ground-shaking roar of an explosion echoed through the air as part of a derelict building—abandoned long ago—was blasted apart. From the window of the neighboring building, Xochitl frantically peered out to assess the situation. It seemed that a van on a nearby overpass had launched some kind of bombardment. The vehicle itself was now descending off the overpass, slipping into the underpass below…

(…An attack on one of the sub-organizations?)

The worst-case scenario flashed through Xochitl’s mind—but the comms remained clear, with no reports of chaos. And besides, the scale of this disturbance was far too small. If Member’s subordinate units had really been hit, it wouldn’t end with something this minor. It would’ve kicked up a hornet’s nest.

(In that case… as nerve-wracking as it is, maybe just a coincidental turf dispute between unrelated groups—?)

With that, Xochitl eased her alert level down slightly. But in the very next moment, something made her heart seize in shock.

Dropping her gaze from the window to the site of the blast, she caught sight of a blonde girl doing something to a black-haired girl lying in the back of the van.

The problem was the black-haired girl.

If Xochitl’s memory served her right, her name was—Saten Ruiko.

“…Haaah. That idiot’s gotten herself tangled in trouble again? This has nothing to do with me.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, swishing the hem of her maid uniform as she turned her back on the window—

“………～～～～tch.”

—and in the very next moment, she planted her foot on the window frame.

“That damn fool—when she wakes up, I’m punching her square in the face!!”

Without hesitation, Xochitl leapt. As she dropped, she summoned into her hands an Aztec obsidian-edged sword—her macuahuitl—and landed squarely behind the blonde girl.

The blonde slowly turned, and in a voice far too carefree for someone who had just finished making such a bloody mess, she spoke:

“Oooh? So what, fresh reinforcements already?”

“…I’ll be taking her with me.”

No further words were exchanged.

The Dark Side—moved into battle.

The first move came from the blonde girl. With astonishing agility, she closed the distance to Xochitl, twisting her body mid-charge to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick.

Considering the possibility that something was hidden within the strike, Xochitl deliberately chose not to block it with her macuahuitl, but instead sprang back out of range.

"…Oh?"

And that choice proved correct.

The kick, missing its mark, slammed into the ground—whereupon a small explosion went off with a pop, like a firecracker bursting. Had she intercepted with her blade, the blast would have shattered her stance completely.

(Explosives woven into her strikes…? A bomber, then. But to incorporate that into close-quarters combat—that’s downright deranged…)

Raising the threat level of her opponent in her mind, Xochitl tightened her grip on her macuahuitl and squared her stance.

She was not, at her core, a fighter. Her true craft was as a ritualist, a medium for communing with the dead. Few of her techniques were suited to direct combat.

What she wielded now was a makeshift enhancement spell, developed for infiltration work, layered onto her body. And even her macuahuitl—an Aztec stone-edged sword—was hardly a weapon she could claim was second nature.

(Still… one solid strike with this reinforced strength, and most people would be incapacitated. Its durability is nothing to scoff at either. If I can weather the bombardment and land a hit on her torso—can I take her down?)

But against someone with reflexes like this, her heavy swings put her at a disadvantage.

So she chose to fight defensively, waiting for her opponent to overextend and leave an opening—

"Voluntarily taking the back foot already? That’s basically admitting you’ve lost fifty percent of the fight from the start!!"

Fwoosh!

The girl pulled a rocket launcher seemingly out of nowhere, and fired it straight at Xochitl.

Instinct had her raise her macuahuitl to block—but even she knew that would be suicide. The blade would only become the focus point of the explosion, blasting her to pieces.

She dove forward, dodging the missile—but that was exactly what her opponent had intended.

The rocket struck behind her, and the explosion blasted Xochitl off her feet. Already off-balance, she was thrown to the ground—and there the blonde was, right above her, right leg cocked back for the finishing blow.

Of course, Xochitl knew what came next.

"Ghh—!!"

The kick slammed into her stomach, crushing the air from her lungs. She rolled across the ground, wordless pain etched across her face, every last breath in her chest driven out. The agony was unbearable, but writhing was death—she forced herself to roll, to brace her macuahuitl like a staff, and push herself back upright.

But by the time her eyes refocused—the blonde was already in her guard.

"…!! You—!"

Clang! The macuahuitl intercepted the girl’s palm strike, but even wounded, her foe’s attacks were relentless. Each impact chipped away at Xochitl’s stamina, her defense slowly but surely crumbling.

She did have a way to break this deadlock. But it came with a price. Her mission here was to deal with the traitor hidden in Academy City. If she burned her strength now, she might not last long enough to finish that task.

But if she died here, none of it mattered. And with only her makeshift spells and borrowed blade, she couldn’t hope to bring this explosive fighter down.

(No choice… I’ll have to use it…!)

Resolve hardened, she began to weave the ritual for a true spell—

"—It seems you are rather preoccupied, Adabana-san."

A sudden gale swept between the two combatants, wrenching the battle apart.

Xochitl looked up—just in time to see a figure descending from the skies above.

With white and black wings unfurled, golden hair catching the light, Reicia Blackguard descended like an angel—or a demon.

FRENDA-SAN YANKE!!!

…That was honestly the first thing that popped into my head when I saw that battlefield.

No, seriously, there were way too many things wrong with this picture. Why on earth are Adabana-san and Frenda-san fighting each other? Why is Saten-san stuffed inside that car? What, did Frenda-san kidnap her or something? Then what’s with all these shady-looking guys lying knocked out around here? And more importantly—why the hell is Adabana-san even fighting in the first place???

There were way too many things I didn’t understand, but… either way, I had to put an end to this fight quickly. And I had to do it without letting things get out of hand. I already had danger looming over me as it is—I absolutely wasn’t about to start picking a fight with ITEM right now.

"…No… way… Black-and-White Jagged Edge!? Why’s a Level 5 Esper in a place like this…!?"

Frenda-san immediately tried to run toward Saten-san, but I stretched a ‘crack’ across the ground to block her path.

"…I’ll ask you plainly. Are you the one who kidnapped Saten-san?"

"………Hah?"

When I threw the question at her, Frenda-san just froze with a dumbfounded look. …Ahh, yeah, something’s definitely off here. Adabana-san was staring at Frenda-san’s baffled face with the same puzzled expression.

《Most likely, those men lying on the ground kidnapped Saten, and Frenda helped her. Adabana probably misunderstood after watching the scene unfold, or else simply assumed Frenda was the enemy when she arrived. In either case, it seems to be nothing more than a misunderstanding.》

《I’m with you on that. …But how do we convince the two of them to stand down…》

《Oh? That’s simple.》

With that, Reicia-chan kept her ‘crack’ manifested, reached into the wagon where Saten-san was bound, undid the restraints, and gave her a couple of light smacks on the cheek.

《We’ll just have a ‘mutual acquaintance’ mediate.》

"Saten. Wake up, Saten. Don’t tell me you’re still half-asleep. I’ll pull your cheeks if I have to."

As she tugged on her cheek while saying that, the pain must’ve gotten through, because Saten-san finally stirred awake. She sat in a daze for a few seconds, but once her awareness returned, she quickly realized how abnormal her situation was.

"Wha—? Where… why am I in a place like this!?"

"Ahh, never mind all that for now. Just come over here."

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, and though her legs wobbled, she made her way over to stand before the two. Adabana-san and Frenda-san. When Saten-san looked at them, her reaction was easy to read.

"Huh… Frenda-san… and… the one who saved me during Daihaseisai!"

…Ah. So that’s the connection.

"Saten-san, what exactly is your relationship with these two?"

"Eh? Ah, right. This is Frenda-san, someone I met recently, and this one… um, she helped me when I was in danger during Daihaseisai."

"Aah, I seeee. …Well, I guess you know each other, huh? That’s good, that’s good. So yeah, I’ll just be heading off then…"

Having gotten her introduction, Frenda-san started making a quick retreat. …Well, honestly, if she was willing to leave quietly, that was fine by me…

"Wait. You there—what organization are you from?"

"Ugh!"

…Well, misunderstanding or not, once you’ve actually crossed blades with someone, you can’t just let them walk away scot-free.

"Underground Fourth, Another Four. If we hang around here, the ones chasing these unconscious guys will probably show up. Wouldn’t it be smarter to bring everyone back to base for now?"

At that moment, Baba-san, who had been standing by a short distance away, stepped forward and offered that suggestion.

Hmm. He had a point… We had no idea what organization she belonged to, or why she had Saten-san in the first place, but either way, we should regroup before any pursuit reached us.

"Hey, give me a break! Getting dragged into your mess and then having enemies chase me? No thanks! If you’re going to take her into custody, then I don’t need to be involved at all, so I’m heading home!"

"No, that won’t do…"

I slammed another ‘crack’ right in front of Frenda-san’s path as she tried to quietly slip away, and spoke to her with a certain kind of pity.

"…After all, you’re the one who defeated them. That makes you the primary target for their retaliation, doesn’t it? In that case, wouldn’t it be safer to stick with us?"

"………"

Most likely, from Frenda-san’s perspective, tagging along with us (meaning with another underground group like the Members) would earn her nothing but scolding from her superior, Mugino-san. But when she weighed that against the very real risk of being hunted down alone by an enemy faction… well, there was really only one choice left.

"……………………………………"

Her face pale, Frenda-san didn’t say a word. And in my heart, though I didn’t voice it aloud, I whispered:

《Looks like punishment is guaranteed…》

《If it ends with just punishment, she should consider herself lucky, don’t you think?》

…Reicia-chan, you didn’t have to twist the knife like that…