After running through the abandoned factory, twisting and turning for what felt like ages, Hajime Tsukasa finally reached the second ambush point prepared in advance.
This place had originally been prepared as a fallback route in case of a raid by the police or the Ten Master Clans. But Hajime Tsukasa had never expected a single attacker to force him here.
"What's with that guy?! Why?! Why would someone like that show up?!"
As the head of a Blanche branch, Hajime Tsukasa had worked his way up from the bottom.
In the past, while carrying out assignments from his superiors, he had shot and killed magicians. Watching those usually self-important people get riddled with bullets had filled him with nothing but pleasure.
But today, he had witnessed another scene of blood and flying flesh, and all it had brought him was fear!
The masked man in the cloak was like an assassin from ancient times. Wielding two swords, he had cut down Hajime's men without giving them a chance to fight back. Why would someone like that appear in an age ruled by magic?! This was cheating!
The earlier scene had left Hajime Tsukasa so frightened that his mind was in disarray. All he could do now was pray that the man would spend longer wandering around the factory, giving him a chance to escape through the secret passage. But that hope was doomed to go unfulfilled.
"Slash, slash, slash, slash."
Four soft sounds in succession reached Hajime Tsukasa's ears, like the footsteps of the Grim Reaper drawing near.
He looked toward the door in terror and found that the supposedly impenetrable door had shattered into several pieces!
Yunyi entered the room carrying a longsword stained with blood. Seeing Hajime Tsukasa hiding behind his close subordinates, the corners of his mouth curved upward beneath his mask.
He had played enough and was ready to end this mouse hunt. But Hajime Tsukasa had no intention of cooperating. Trembling, he shouted, "Get him! Kill him!"
As the terrorists surrounded him, Yunyi pointed his longsword ahead.
"Breath of the flowing wind, lend me your aid!"
Unlike the gentle breeze magic he had used in the auditorium, this time Yunyi cast wind magic meant for attack.
A whirling current of wind engulfed all the terrorists closing in on him. Countless transparent blades of wind sliced through them, instantly reaping their lives.
When the magic faded, the bloody mist swept up by the wind gradually dispersed. The sight utterly shattered Hajime Tsukasa's mind.
Yunyi stepped forward and walked slowly toward Hajime Tsukasa, who had fallen to his knees.
But just then, he heard footsteps behind him.
Yunyi had been able to pinpoint Hajime Tsukasa's hiding place in the abandoned factory, and Tatsuya Shiba could likewise use his "eye" to search for them. Moreover, the blood that had dripped from Yunyi's blade along the way had shown Tatsuya where to go.
The moment Tatsuya saw Yunyi, he raised the gun-shaped CAD in his hand and aimed it at him.
"Who are you?" Tatsuya asked calmly.
"Brother...!" Miyuki Shiba, who had arrived after him, was just about to speak when Tatsuya pulled her behind him.
"Be careful, Miyuki. This man is dangerous."
Yunyi stopped and turned to look at the brother and sister standing in the doorway.
The mask on his face had the property of blocking all probing magic, so he had no fear of Tatsuya discovering his identity.
"Well, well, well. I didn't expect us to meet so soon, Tatsuya Shiba."
Yunyi had altered his voice with magic. It now sounded as though his throat had been scraped with sandpaper, making it extremely unpleasant to hear.
"Or would it be more proper for me to call you Tatsuya Yotsuba?"
The instant he heard those words, a grave look flashed in Tatsuya's eyes. Killing intent erupted from him, and his finger pulled the trigger of his CAD without hesitation.
But the next moment, a look of horror appeared on Tatsuya's face. His magic had failed?!
It hadn't been disrupted, nor had the Activation Sequence been constructed incorrectly. None of the possible errors he could think of had caused it, yet the magic had failed to activate?!
What's going on?! Panic rose in Tatsuya's heart, an emotion he only felt when faced with losing his sister, one that should not have appeared now.
"Surprised?" Yunyi asked. "But don't worry. As I am now, I have no intention of attacking either of you. Provided you both stay right where you are."
With that, Yunyi paid the siblings no further attention and turned toward Hajime Tsukasa.
Just as he grabbed Hajime Tsukasa by the collar, the wall beside him shattered, and a barrier came hurtling toward him like a cannonball!
Yunyi casually raised his hand and swung his longsword, slicing through the oncoming barrier. His gaze shifted to the spot where the wall had broken.
Standing there were Mayumi Saegusa, Katsuto Jumonji, and Takeaki Kirihara, who had broken in from the rear of the factory. They had encountered little resistance along the way, so they had arrived much faster than expected.
"Well, well, quite a few people showed up."
When Yunyi saw Mayumi, his eyes narrowed.
Why did this girl come running over too? Shouldn't she have stayed at the school to oversee things?!
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!"
Katsuto frowned as he surveyed the carnage in the room. Even as the head of the Jumonji Family, he rarely encountered scenes like this.
"I'm here for work. This fellow in front of me is my target." Yunyi made no attempt to hide it and stated his purpose outright. But his answer clearly failed to convince Katsuto and the others.
Just as Katsuto was about to say something, Mayumi suddenly spoke. "This man planned an attack not long ago, and we're here because of it. Surely you wouldn't make us leave empty-handed?"
Hearing Mayumi's words, Katsuto frowned. He clearly couldn't quite understand why she would say something like that on an occasion like this.
Yunyi, however, nearly burst out laughing when he heard her.
This girl needs to be taught a lesson again.
For now, though, it clearly wasn't a good time to deal with Mayumi. He pretended to consider it, then, a moment later, swung his longsword at Hajime Tsukasa.
"Aah!!!"
A piercing wail reached everyone's ears. Hajime Tsukasa's right arm had been severed by Yunyi and fallen to the ground. Blood spurted from the wound, making Mayumi and the others frown at the sight.
"Is one arm enough to settle things? If not, he still has another arm and two legs to chop off."