March 13, 2006, 9 a.m.
The weather was clear and fine. Beneath a blue sky dotted with white clouds, bright sunlight filtered through the green canopy, casting soft, dappled patches of orange-gold light across the ground.
Sixteen-year-old Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were strolling lazily along the road leading out of Jujutsu High.
They had just accepted a new mission from their homeroom teacher, Masamichi Yaga, and were planning to amble over to the mission site.
Outside the school gates, Gojo spotted a Vending Machine by the road. He reached out and pressed two buttons labeled "Cola" at once, inserted his money, then retrieved the drink that rolled out, popped the tab, and started drinking.
As he drank, he leaned his upper body back at an exaggerated angle, swinging his arms as he swaggered along like some old geezer. Beside him, Suguru Geto hunched forward with both hands stuffed into his pockets.
The two looked like a pair of complete punks.
Together, they strutted along as though they owned the world.
The growing number of passersby couldn't help silently shaking their heads and sighing at the sight of them.
If those two were my kids... I'd drag them home and give them a two-hour beating first!
The two entered a deserted, tree-lined path. Cutting through here would take them straight to the mission site.
Gojo crushed his empty cola can and tossed it away, then spoke irritably to Geto beside him.
"This stupid mission... first we protect that middle school girl called 'Riko Amanai' for the next two days? Then we deliver her to 'Tengen' for assimilation?"
He rolled his eyes.
"What if she doesn't want to assimilate?"
*Didn't "assimilation" mean death? Sending a defenseless, ordinary Non-Sorcerer girl off to die-where would that leave his dignity as a Special