Touko Aozaki stared at the person inhabiting Wayland's body, her expression solemn. "You're serious?"
"I don't make empty promises."
"Fine. I accept," Touko said without hesitation. "And what kind of puppet do you require?"
"A perfect replica of this body. Wayland."
"You want a replica of Wayland?" Touko asked, surprised. But she quickly pieced it together. "You've possessed his body, but because your Spiritron rank is too high, the physical shell is collapsing under the strain. But I should warn you,if you want to save him, you'll need his soul."
"His soul is already locked deep within this vessel. All you need to do is transfer it."
Touko fell silent for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "I see. In that case, it's a simple matter. Now... tell me what you know of Aozaki Aoko."
"I am a woman of my word."
Irigal stepped forward and whispered a few words into Touko's ear. Immediately after, the massive, divine aura vanished, and Wayland's body collapsed limply onto the grass.
Touko rubbed her temples, a faint sigh escape her lips.
She glanced down at Wayland, whose features were already beginning to revert to their original state, then turned her head to the side. "You've been watching long enough. Come out."
The open grassland was bathed in the red afterglow of the setting sun, which shimmered across the surface of the distant, silent lake.
Touko lifted her hand.
"Wait! Wait! Big Boss! Don't shoot!"
A panicked voice,laced with more than a little exaggeration,rang out. In Touko's field of vision, a blurry figure gradually became distinct, as if he were detaching himself from the environment.
A hint of surprise flickered across Touko's face.
This level of Presence Concealment magecraft was rare indeed.
The young man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, a bitter, flattering smile plastered on his face. "I'm just a passing magus, truly! Look, why don't you just let me go on my way?"
"You've been 'passing by' for the last ten minutes?"
The young man fell silent and sighed. "Sebloro Joseph. Employee of the Gleaming Tower Security Company."
He was the same young man who had handed Wayland a business card on the train. An hour after Wayland had disembarked, Sebloro had found that card in a trash can. His boss had given him a three-day deadline to find Wayland and bring him into the fold, or else he'd be sent to 'repair the Gleaming Tower',a punishment he dreaded above all else.
Left with no choice, he had been hunting for Wayland ever since.
He had finally located his target at the Oxenholme branch of the Department of Policies, but because Wayland was constantly surrounded by other agents, he hadn't been able to find a moment to approach him.
Eventually, he had followed Wayland all the way to the outskirts of the riverbed.
That was when his luck had truly turned sour.
First, he had witnessed the encounter between Wayland and Touko Aozaki. If it hadn't been for the massive ritual array masking the magical fluctuations,and his own confidence in his concealment spells,he would have bolted long ago.
Then, he had seen Wayland 'die.' At that moment, his heart had grown cold. His future felt pitch black; it seemed he was destined to spend the rest of his life repairing that cursed tower.
And then, he had watched as 'Wayland' returned from the dead, unleashing a level of power that left Sebloro stunned. It felt like a waking dream. He finally understood why his boss wanted to invest in this kid. If it were him, he'd be throwing even more money at Wayland.
Finally, he had followed Wayland here, only to run into Touko Aozaki again.
It was too much!
Life was just too damn hard!
He only wanted to say a few words to the guy,why was it so difficult?!
"Gleaming Tower?" Touko offered a faint, perhaps mocking, smile. "First the Seven Holy Paladins, and now the Gleaming Tower has crawled out of the woodwork as well?"
"We are nothing like those hiding rats!" Sebloro pointed to the silver-white badge on his chest, which bore the engraving of a towering spire. "We are a properly registered security company."
"A security company that specializes in assassination?" Touko paused. "And what exactly do you protect?"
"If we kill all the enemies, then the client is perfectly protected, isn't that right?"
"..."
Touko adjusted her glasses, her tone turning dangerous. "So, are you here to kill Wayland?"
"No, no, no!" Sebloro shook his head so violently his hair blurred, terrified that a lethal Rune was about to come his way.
He forced the same 'sincere' smile he'd used on the train and said, "Mr. Wayland is our most esteemed potential client."
Touko looked him over. "So you know what makes him special?"
Sebloro's face went rigid. He gave a couple of dry, nervous laughs. "I'm just a man following orders."
"Following orders..." Touko tilted her head. "I won't make things difficult for you, then. Just tell me... who was the person inhabiting Wayland's body just now?"
Sebloro felt his knees go weak. This was her definition of 'not difficult'?
He put on a miserable expression. "I truly, honestly don't know."
Touko stared at him, her eyes unblinking. "You know what happens to people who lie to me, don't you?"
"I know, I know! I wouldn't dream of deceiving you!"
Sebloro pounded his chest in assurance. In the intelligence reports of the Gleaming Tower, Touko Aozaki was listed as one of the most dangerous Grand-rank magi,a taboo entity that one should never provoke.
Even if you managed to kill her, a second Touko would appear the next day, and a third the day after that. It was an endless, nightmarish cycle.
Touko thought for a moment. "Pick him up. Follow me."
"You got it!"
Sebloro shouted with sudden enthusiasm, looking ready to work. "I'm your man! Fast, efficient, and I don't complain. Put me to work, Big Boss!"
'Life is a struggle...' he lamented inwardly.
But he was quick to hoist Wayland onto his back and fall into step half a pace behind Touko, adopting the posture of a loyal subordinate without being asked.
This was a role he was intimately familiar with.
The grassland eventually came to an end, revealing a clear lake that shimmered like a polished copper mirror. Following the narrow path along the shore, a pair of towers finally came into view.
Naturally, they were nothing compared to the Gleaming Tower.
By the standards of modern architecture, they weren't particularly large,perhaps only as tall as a four-story building.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]