Chapter 55 ~ The Illegal

Chapter 55 ~ The Illegal

After confessing to each other and becoming a couple, the two stared dazedly into each others’ eyes.

There was no sound in the room, except the sound of their own loudly thumping heart which filled their minds. But despite their nervousness, embarrassment, and bashfulness, the immense feeling of happiness, relief, and affection for the person before them filled their heart to the brim.

Mayumi stared dazedly at her new boyfriend’s beautiful, handsome countenance. The countenance that had charmed her the moment she met him. And after interacting more with him, his personality, his character, and his actions made her gravitate towards him.

Before she knew it, she had been dreaming of being lovers with him. He had appeared in her dreams multiple times, and even more times in her daydreams. And now... it has finally come true.

Her dreams had finally come true...

“Yuuji-kun...”

“Yes, Mayumi-senpai?”

Her heart tightened in delight the moment he said her name. It was strange... He had called her by name multiple times before. But this time... it was different.

The way he said her name was filled with so much love, affection, and gentleness that made her heart skip a beat! It pierced her heart like a cupid’s arrow!

How did his voice become even more velvety and captivating?! It’s making her melt in her seat!!!

Suddenly, she felt a sense of danger. If this continues... she might faint! The combo of his confession, the fact that they’re lovers now, his voice, his warmth, and his touch would be too much for her!!! She had to retreat!!!

“I-I-I have some business to do, so please excuse me!!!”

Mayumi rose from her seat, and immediately ran away and escaped the room, leaving Yuuji chuckling silently in the room.

Even though she was two years older than him, she was extremely cute. It makes him want to tease her and “bully” her a little. He had always felt this way before, but now that they’re lovers, there was no longer anything holding him back from teasing her to cloud nine.

He couldn’t wait to see her adorable expressions when he bullies her.

“Alright, let’s get back to work.”

He still needed to send the research journal Koharu requested to her, so he quickly accessed the database to find it and borrowed it under Koharu’s name with the student details he had received from her.

And just as he was about to report it to Koharu, a message came from Mayumi.

Saegusa Mayumi: Uhm... If possible, I would like to meet with Aika-san and Chiba-san to tell them about our... relationship. Can you help me arrange a meeting?

Tsubakihara Yuuji: Of course, Mayumi-senpai. I will arrange it. Would you prefer to meet in my house or elsewhere?

Saegusa Mayumi: Eh? Your house?

Tsubakihara Yuuji: Yes. Aika and I are living together, while Erika often visits and stays over.

Messages from Mayumi stopped coming for a while, before a reply finally came a few minutes later.

Saegusa Mayumi: Then... Your house, if it’s not much trouble.

Tsubakihara Yuuji: Of course. Then, I will tell you the address and the time later.

Saegusa Mayumi: Uhn... Thank you, Yuuji-kun.

Tsubakihara Yuuji: You’re welcome... My dear girlfriend.

After that, no messages came from Mayumi, and Yuuji could easily imagine her figure being too flustered to even type a single word.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

Afternoon.

Yuuji, Aika, Tatsuya, Koharu, Kei, and Kanon hung out together after school. They visited several stores, and while the others were busy with their own shopping, Yuuji pulled in Aika for a private conversation and told her about what happened this morning.

“Oh~? So you finally did it~?”

“Mm. And she wants to talk to you and Erika about this.”

“Congrats~! Uhn uhn! Of course, I’d love to~! Let’s have a meeting in our house and have dinner together~! After that, we can strengthen our “sisterly” bond over some hot baths and a sleepover~”

Aika giggled mischievously, her eyes flashing with perverted light when she mentioned “hot bath” and sleeping together. She was, after all, an appreciator of beautiful and cute girls as well~

“...Your desires are showing.”

“Hm~? What are you talking about~?”

She feigned ignorance, but her thoughts were clear to Yuuji.

“Hah... Just don’t harass her. Remember, she’s still your senpai. And she’s still new to being in a... harem.”

“Of course, I know that~ I was just kidding~ We’ll treat her nicely~ After all, she’s our new sister~”

“Mm. Thank you, Aika.”

“Fufu~ No problem~ Oh, that’s right! Erika also said she wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Hm? Of course. What’s it about?”

“Hm... She said it’s related to Leo, so I think she’s talking about “that”.”

“Oh, I see... Wait, will she be returning to her home with him... alone?”

“Fufufu~ You don’t have to get jealous~ She wondered if she could borrow the underground gym before, so she must be thinking of using our gym for the training.”

“I see... Alright.”

“Hehe~ And right after their training, you can always mark her while she’s still sweaty and make her even sweatier~”

“...”

Yuuji blushed at her words as images of Erika, donned in her Kendogi and Hakama, flushed and sweating after her training appeared in his mind...

And then, the moment she returned to his room to take a bath and wash off her sweat, he’d attack her and peel off her training clothes one by one while enjoying the scent and warmth of her body.

She’ll try to fight him from being embarrassed because of how sweaty she was, but he’ll keep attacking and coaxing her until she’s powerless and began drowning in his love...

“Fufu~ You’re imagining, right~?”

“...S-Shut up.”

Just then, the two sensed magic activation coming from outside the store they’re in.

They immediately headed out, and when they exited the store, they saw Tatsuya, Kei, Kanon, and Koharu standing silently, staring into the distance. When they followed their gazes, they could see a plume of smoke coming from it and a brief glance of a yellow motor scooter in the distance.

Their eyes widened in realization. They recalled something similar happening in the anime, but... this shouldn’t have happened anymore.

After all, in the anime, it was Koharu’s little sister who acted as a spy for the foreign invaders to get revenge on Tatsuya for failing to save her sister and causing her trauma. But now, her sister was fine thanks to Yuuji, Aika, and Tatsuya’s help. There’s no reason for her to be a spy!

If it wasn’t her... then who could it be?

“Tatsuya, what happened?”

“...There was someone watching. Chiyoda-senpai tried to chase after them, but they fled with a modified scooter...”

Yuuji’s expression turned into a frown as he leaned in for a whisper towards Tatsuya.

“Do you recognize them?”

“He was wearing a mask... But I have an idea. I think it’s Sekimoto Isao.”

“Sekimoto Isao... Wait, the one who will try to steal data by putting you to sleep in the anime?”

“Mm.”

“Hah... I might’ve gotten a bit careless. I thought this wouldn’t happen since we’ve saved Hirakawa-senpai. If I was here, I might’ve been able to capture him...”

Tatsuya placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“Don’t mind it. This won’t be a problem.”

“...Mm. But we need to increase our guard. The next arc has begun.”

“Yes.”

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

October 19, 2095. Morning.

Arriving early to class the next morning, Tatsuya was welcomed by his friends. They were gathered around Mizuki, who seemed to be... worried and unsettled.

“Hey, Tatsuya. You’re early today.”

Erika greeted. She, herself, had just arrived not too long ago along with Aika and Yuuji, who had gone to their own class after dropping her off here. They went to school together because she stayed overnight with them last night.

“Mm. Good morning. What were you talking about?”

“She says she can sense someone’s gaze.”

Erika said, placing a hand on Mizuki’s shoulder, as she slumped down with a deep frown.

“Gaze?”

“Nn. I’ve been sensing this unpleasant gaze since this morning. Like someone secretly peering into the cracks from the shadow... It was a creepy gaze.”

“Like a stalker?”

“It’s not after me... But something that’s ready to cast a wide net...”

Tatsuya’s eyes narrowed as he kept his gaze straight at Mizuki.

“So it’s not targeting a single student, but multiple students and/or instructors, or maybe something in the school, then?”

“Y-Yes... I could be wrong about this, of course...”

“No, I don’t think you’re wrong, Shibata-san.”

Mikihiko assured before continuing.

“Ever since this morning, the spirits have been in an unnatural frenzy on campus. I bet that someone has evoked a shiki.”

“Shiki? Are you talking about those shikigami called Spiritual Beings?

Standing with his arms crossed beside him, Leo asked to clarify his understanding and received a nod from Mikihiko.

“It seems to be a different spell than we use, so I can’t get a grasp on it. But there’s no question that some spell caster somewhere is sniffing around.”

“Mikihiko, did you just say it was a different spell than yours?”

Tatsuya rose from his seat all of a sudden. His voice, bringing a tinge of agitation.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Meaning that it’s a non-shinto spell? Or do you mean it’s a spell that’s different from this country’s Ancient Magic?”

A brief silence fell around them, before Mikihiko finally answered with a heavy tone in his voice.

“Mm. Thanks to you.”

Yuuji nodded in relief after seeing her smile. And only then did he stop exerting his pressure towards the man and slightly loosened his hold around him, just enough to not cause pain while still immobilizing him.

“Now. If you are not the enemy as you claim, then explain yourself.”

Released from the pressure, the man let out a deep sigh and relented to Yuuji’s words.

“Fine...”

“Good. Now start introducing yourself. I’m sure you’re aware of our names already either way.”

“...My name is Jiro Marshall. I can’t go into specifics, but I’m not affiliated with any government organization whatsoever. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I am not your enemy.”

“So you are an illegal, huh?”

Erika asked, and he answered with a nod.

“Tell us what you're after and the situation.”

“My job is to monitor the Magic High School students to ensure that no cutting-edge magic technology falls into the hands of the East. If they do leak any advanced technology that could amount to a military threat, then I deal with the situation.”

“The East... Meaning you’re from the west? Why would you go to all that trouble?”

Erika asked.

“I thought this country was cured of its pacifist complacency, but... In both USNA and the western nations, there’s been a spike in the number of Eastern spies going after magic engineering technology. Your own school is also one of the East’s targets!”

““...””

Erika looked at him with immense apprehension, but if his words were true... then a much bigger trouble must be brewing in the shadows, waiting to explode onto the surface...

“One last thing... Let me give you a word of advice. Tell your friends to be vigilant about their surroundings. That they shouldn’t let down their guard just because they’re on school grounds.”

While it sounded like regular advice to be vigilant, Yuuji recognized the hidden warning he was trying to convey with his words...

If he wasn’t mistaken... The “boss” of the foreign invaders and main antagonist of this arc has a spell that would cause someone to lose their way and be lost in his spell.

If this is what Jiro was indeed referring to... then he’d applaud the author’s ability to foreshadow such a thing.

“...I see. Thank you for your advice.”

“Then... Will you let me go, now?”

“Of course... but I also have one last thing to say.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Jiro Marshall and Erika both turned towards Yuuji, wondering what he wanted to say.

“You should also be careful to not lose your way. We won’t be chasing you, so you should be extra careful on your way back.”

“Eh? Yuuji?!”

His eyes widened in shock for a brief moment, but he quickly nodded.

“Alright.”

Yuuji nodded back and muttered under his breath to have Mikihiko erase the barrier. He then released Jiro Marshall from his restraint.

“Go ahead. No need to throw a smoke grenade. We won’t pursue you. You have my word.”

“...”

Jiro looked at the young man with narrowed eyes for a brief moment, and dropped a smoke bomb under his feet, which immediately filled the area with smoke.

“Hah... I’ve told him not to drop a smoke bomb, but he still does it...”

Yuuji quickly blows away all the smoke with some wind magic after he erected a wind barrier to protect himself and Erika.

“Why did you let him go, Yuuji? Did you trust him?”

Erika asked.

“Not entirely, but I think there’s no harm in believing his words about the things related with the East and West. After all, we’ve been experiencing some strange occurrences recently. This might be the cause of it all.”

“...”

Erika fell silent as uneasiness began to fill her heart. But then, she felt a soft, gentle hand petting her head in a familiar manner.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to us and our peaceful lives.”

“Mm. I’ll help too.”

“Of course. Now, you go back first to the cafe.”

“Eh? What are you going to do?”

“Saving a life.”

Yuuji said, before his form disappeared before Erika’s very eyes.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

“I’ve been noticed by the surveillance target. Send in replacements!”

A wave of dust and dirt launched up into the air as Jiro Marshall dashed through the quiet alleyways. The afternoon sun, now about to set and disappear into the horizon, tinted the darkened alleyways in a dark, purplish hue.

His heart pumped rapidly as his vigilance and alertness were raised to the maximum. He had failed his mission... something he had not done since his younger days and new to the job.

He continued to run, but after a while, a realization came to his mind that caused him to come to a screeching halt and observe his surroundings.

“Where am I...?”

He did not recall coming through this alleyway... No, perhaps he did. Or perhaps, he had been running in circles... He didn’t know.

But just as he was observing his surroundings, heavy footsteps echoed through the narrow alleyway.

Then... a large figure that filled his heart with disbelief, shock, and fear came out of the darkness.

“The man-eating tiger... Lu Gonghu...”

Jiro Marshall was a tall man with an athletic, muscular body. But before him, he was but a child.

Broad shoulders, muscular body, and tall, intimidating physique, his presence alone was enough to shake Jiro’s entire body in fear.

Is this... what he was talking about...

Yuuji’s warning flashed across his mind. And before he realized it, Lu Gonghu raised his hand towards him, about to rip him apart into pieces.

When suddenly, a man in black jacket and pants appeared from behind Jiro and sent a heavy punch right into Lu Gonghu’s solar plexus.

The man-eating tiger widened his eyes in shock as a force comparable to a car slamming into him at high speeds condensed into a size of a fist struck his body all of a sudden and pushed him several meters back before screeching into a halt.

Both men looked at the newcomer in all black in shock, trying to discern his identity. But he had hidden his head with a hood and his face with a black mask. His body, while muscular and tall, did not give away any indication of his identity.

“...Who are you?”

The man in black didn’t answer, and seeing as he was silent, Lu Gonghu launched himself towards him for an attack.

The black jacket man kicked away Jiro Marshal into safety before dodging the series of swings and punches from the man-eating tiger.

Despite his nickname, the man fought like a trained martial artist instead of a wild beast. Though his style and the use of an open palm strike and scratch did resemble that of a tiger.

Lu Gonghu kept trying to hit the man in black, but as if he was able to read his moves, he kept dodging it without any trouble.

And when he went on the offensive, each of his strikes felt like a hit from a car. Each and every single one of his punches and strikes were heavy, enough to push him, the man-eating tiger, back.

He was relentless, fast, unpredictable, and powerful... He was no ordinary martial artist!

“RAAAAAAAARGH!!!”

With a bellowing roar, Lu Gonghu slammed down towards the man with both hands. And this time, instead of evading the easily dodgeable hit, the man defended against it.

The power behind the slam of Lu Gonghu, enhanced by magic, was enough to crack the asphalt ground beneath the man in black upon hitting him.

Lu Gonghu looked down to the man before him. Surely he would suffer from some damage.

But to his shock, the man didn’t even flinch. Not even a groan or a sound was heard.

And before he could recover from his shock, the man reeled in his arm, and punched him straight in the chest.

“Guuuuhkkhh!!!”

Air left his lungs as the force forcefully pushed it out of them. And after screeching into a half several meters away, the man eating-tiger fell to his knees as wheeze and cough in pain.

Just from that single punch... he knew that his body, that had been magically engineered and modified for more power and sturdiness, had sustained heavy injuries. His sternum was cracked and some of his ribs, broken. He was no longer in any condition to fight him...

Clenching his teeth in frustration, Lu Gonghu used the last of his energy and slammed onto the ground, shattering it and launching a cloud of dust, asphalt, and sand up into the air and towards them.

And when the dust settled, the man-eating tiger was no longer there...

Hah... So he escaped. That’s a shame...

Yuuji, still clad in his disguise that he had prepared and stored in his MCG specially for this event, let out a sigh as the dust slowly settled down.

He couldn’t use his usual magic and gravity magic to restrain the man eating-tiger. After all, everyone already knows that he used that kind of magic. If he used it here, then it would defeat the purpose of coming here with a disguise.

Yuuji didn’t want the foreign invaders, the Great Asian Union, to know about him yet. Else, it might bring danger to his girlfriends and friends.

Well, I managed to test out my fighting style combined with gravity magic in real combat, so that’s still a win.

Using his gravity magic to make each and every strike of his extremely powerful, activating right at the moment of impact in small bursts to prevent it from being detected and countered; judging from the results, it seems to be a success given none of them noticed his little trick.

Speaking of which...

Yuuji turned towards Jiro Marshal, now having picked himself up and stand before him, still looking at him with extreme vigilance.

“...Who are you?”

Yuuji kept his silence, and began walking away.

He turned the corner, and immediately used his invisibility spell once again and concealed his presence.

When Jiro came to follow him, he was no longer visible to anyone and anything, leaving the man shocked and confused.

And as Yuuji was about to leave, he heard Jiro muttering under his breath.

“...Thank you for saving my life.”

He turned towards the mustached man with a slight smile, and headed back to the cafe to his friends.

You’re welcome.