"A Falling Meteor"? No, "Starfall Strike" (5.3K) (cont.)

Although he enjoys investigation, his hobby is simply accumulating information in his head without any specific purpose; the Supreme Throne is, in his opinion, the best toy.

But tonight is different.

His investigation was highly targeted; by entering Yotsuba Mahiro's name, he retrieved all information about Yotsuba Mahiro from the vast intelligence network.

You wouldn't know unless you searched; after searching, Raymond's expression gradually became serious.

The demise of "Blanche" Japan branch.

The demise of the East Japan branch of the international criminal organization "No Head Dragon"...

All the information about Yotsuba Mahiro, one by one, was displayed in the "window" that opened in the sky.

The distant "windows" only display the title, while the closer "windows" show the content.

Some "windows" are articles with charts, some are still images, and some are videos.

If you look towards the window, it will appear closer; if you look away, it will appear farther away.

In all directions, an endless vista unfolds, revealing countless "windows."

To Raymond's surprise, the amount of information about Yotsuba Mahiro was enormous.

But what truly caught Raymond's attention was the intelligence displayed on a certain "window" in the corner—

[Yotsuba Mahiro, a body-adjusting mage from the Fourth Laboratory, the pinnacle of the Yotsuba Family, born alongside an unrecorded sacred relic, possessing the innate ability to replicate all magic, with estimated future potential--]

[Powerful enough to rival Yotsuba Clan and Yotsuba Miya Child, possessing the strength to destroy the world.]

[Current Status: In Development]

"..."

Destroy the world?

Copy all magic?

Or was it born alongside a relic that appears in no records?

Isn't it the filthy offspring left behind by Maya Yotsuba after she was captured by the Great Han for research?

Normally, Raymond would only respond with sneer and disdain to such ridiculous intelligence.

But what was found when searching from the Supreme Throne was different.

The Supreme Throne is the culmination of technology of this era and the most powerful intelligence system in the world.

While you still need to judge the authenticity of the information obtained here, almost 99% of what you find here is guaranteed to be true.

Even if it's fake, it must contain some truth.

Raymond sensed that something extraordinary was about to happen and instinctively licked his lips.

He is skilled at speed reading and memorization.

So, after some deliberation, Raymond decided to record this intelligence and prepare to pack it up and send it to the White House.

Since he can't deal with this guy, then someone who can should do it.

Coincidentally, Major Sirius, one of the Thirteen Apostles, was studying as an exchange student in Japan...

At the same time.

"Um?"

Maya Yotsuba's hand trembled slightly as she picked up the teacup. She was puzzled for a moment, then sat up straight.

She was also browsing the Supreme Throne.

But it wasn't with any specific purpose; she was just casually looking around to see if anything interesting was happening, so she didn't leave any trace.

However, during the process, she discovered the whereabouts of another "Seven Sages".

"Hmm~ Let me see what you're investigating."

You wouldn't believe it until you see it; after watching, Maya Yotsuba's luscious red lips curled into an alluring smile.

In the traces, she clearly saw the name of her child, Yotsuba Mahiro.

Furthermore, the IP address queried originated from the USNA, but not from the military.

In other words, this is a group of "Seven Sages" from among the common people?

"... Raymond S. Clark?"

Looking at the name displayed before her, Maya Yotsuba laughed freely, her slowly narrowing eyes making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

Only her slightly parted red lips whispered:

"... You really are unlucky, poor little guy."

The next morning.

As dawn broke, Yotsuba Mahiro was already out of bed and dressed.

The room, besides being filled with the usual rich fragrance unique to young girls, now also exuded a touch of allure and ambiguity.

After getting dressed, Mahiro turned to look at Shizuku, who was fast asleep on the bed.

On the bedside table, a cross-shaped rose brooch gleamed faintly.

Beside her, her smooth, short gray hair was scattered messily on the white pillow, her body was tightly covered by the blanket, and red marks appeared on her exposed collarbone.

The pure white silk dress, slightly torn, lay discarded on the ground.

In the end, I did it anyway...

Last night's last kiss was like a spark that landed on dry hay, inevitably igniting a raging fire.

After being battered by storms, the girl was like a small boat on a turbulent sea, eventually capsized by the relentless waves and plunged into the deep ocean.

Even with her body greatly enhanced, how could her petite frame withstand the onslaught of a torrential downpour?

So.

He probably won't wake up anytime soon.

Thinking of this, Mahiro bent down slightly and gently tapped the girl's forehead.

But just as he was about to get up, the girl suddenly stretched out her pale white arms from under the covers and wrapped them around his neck, then lifted herself up from the bed and let the covers slide off her body.

Silently, she gave him a kiss.

After they separated, Shizuku slowly opened her eyes. Her expressionless face revealed deep exhaustion, but also a hint of happiness.

"... Are you leaving?" The girl's calm tone couldn't hide her slightly hoarse voice.

"Well, it's time to go. After all, it's not good to skip class all the time."

"You took a month's leave right after the start of the semester?" Shizuku lay back on the bed, tilting her head, and asked calmly.

Yotsuba Mahiro: "..."

You've even learned to tease me now, haven't you?

I know perfectly well why I missed so much school.

"I was just kidding."

Shizuku smiled slightly and urged, "Hurry up and go. Don't worry about me. I'll be back in a while."

"Okay, I'll wait for you. Then I'll take you to Arcadia to meet Tina, who is similar to Tia."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

After saying goodbye in the morning light, Mahiro left the girl's lodging.

However, since he entered the country illegally, he can no longer leave through normal means.

But before that, he had another place to go.

"Let me see, Raymond, where are you... Oh, I found you."

On the edge of the rooftop helipad atop Berkeley's tallest skyscraper, Mahiro sat with his legs dangling over the edge, swinging them casually.

The strong wind blowing from the rooftop tousled his short hair, making it so strong that it was difficult for him to open his eyes.

But his gaze remained fixed on the rows of buildings below, his eyes scanning every street and every household as he quickly searched for his target.

He had already recorded Raymond's intelligence data last night.

Now, we can find the target simply by comparing it with other samples.

But Raymond was found not at his home, but on the street.

Judging from the direction he was facing, it was the place where Kitayama Shizuku was staying.

"You're really persistent, Raymond."

"But it's alright, you can just endure it in hell from now on."

Muttering to himself, Mahiro pulled out the "Night Demon" from his pocket. The gun, as black as the night sky, was pointed at the street below, and the muzzle was constantly adjusted to aim at the crowd of people on the street who looked like ants.

"Target locked, 7 kilometers away."

"Nihility —Activate!"

The moment the trigger was pulled, a Psion Light appeared on the dark muzzle of the gun.

Raymond, who was walking down the street and planning to pick up Kitayama Shizuku to go to school, suddenly clutched his chest, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and veins almost bursting out.

Raymond felt a fire burning in his chest, which quickly spread throughout his body.

"Ah--!!!"

With a heart-wrenching scream, he was instantly engulfed by the flames within his body, turning into dust and dissipating with the wind.

Passersby who heard the shouts instinctively turned around.

But what they saw was an empty ground.

"Target eliminated."

Yotsuba Mahiro slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and put the CAD back into his arms.

He can still cast spells without the aid of CAD, but at long range, he is limited to large-area spells, such as Inferno of Ice and Flame.

For long-range sniping targets like these, CAD is still needed for aiming assistance.

Otherwise, the accuracy will be compromised.

"Looks like I'm still a bit inexperienced; I need to practice more..."

Yotsuba Mahiro slowly stood up, just about to leave.

Suddenly, the sound of a propeller came from overhead, and gusts of wind pressed down on the roof.

Well, this is a helipad after all, so it's normal for helicopters to land here.

However, it seems things aren't quite as he thought...

"Don't move! Put your hands up!"

What descended from the helipad was not a helicopter, but a series of ropes from which soldiers slid down, pointing their dark gun barrels at him.

The bullets used were not ordinary bullets, but high-speed bullets with strong inertia, specifically designed to neutralize defensive magic against mages.

The preparations were quite thorough.

"Yotsuba Mahiro, right? We're arresting you now for illegal entry. Give up your futile resistance and come with us."

A man stepped out from among the soldiers, speaking the same American English as Raymond.

It looks like he's the squad leader.

"Arresting me is fine, but can you tell me where you're taking me? Are you going to forcibly deport me back to my country?"

"This is not something you, as a criminal, should be asking!"

Whether out of impatience or something else, the captain's tone suddenly became stern, and he even took out handcuffs from his person.

"Just come with us obediently!"