After entering the fast-food restaurant, Hans took charge and paid for everyone, acting the part of the responsible adult. While there were concerns about leaving the scene so quickly, the girl—who introduced herself as Jazz—claimed she had a mobile device with GPS, so it was only a matter of time before her "father" found her.
Once they were settled, Sayaka leaned toward the girl. "Jazz, are you okay? That must have been scary." "I'm fine. Thank you, big sisters."
To Hans's observant eyes, the girl's fluent Japanese suggested she might have Japanese ancestry. However, her preternaturally calm demeanor felt off.
"You really saved us back there," Hattori addressed Hans. "Mr...?" "Hans. Just so we're clear, I have no connection to 'Jazz' here. I simply got caught up in the commotion."
Hans saw no reason to lie. His blunt honesty seemed to satisfy Hattori, Kirihara, and Sawaki. Meanwhile, the girls questioned Jazz about the attackers, but she claimed to have no idea who they were.
Rudel's voice echoed in Hans's mind, urging caution. Sensing a surge in Psions, Hans looked up just as a man appeared at the entrance.
"Jazz!" "Hi, Daddy." "I was so worried when you disappeared! Thank god for the GPS... and you all are?"
The man looked every bit the frantic father. Hattori introduced himself, and Hans remained silent, watching the transition. "I'm Hattori Gyoubu." (Hattori Gyoubu... National Magic University Affiliated First High School. So, a graduation trip, then?) Hans noted inwardly.
Hattori explained the situation—how Jazz had been targeted by a group of four, then nearly ten men. The father took off his hat and bowed deeply. "I am James Jackson. I am so sorry for the trouble my daughter caused you." (Wait...) Hans thought. (He was speaking normally a second ago. Why the forced, broken Japanese accent now?)
James's Japanese was suddenly worse than his daughter's. It felt staged, but since Hattori's group didn't push the issue, Hans followed their lead. When the "father and daughter" declined an escort to the police and hurried away, Hans's suspicions were confirmed. Ordinary tourists don't run away from the law after a kidnapping attempt.
Once they were gone, Hans casually deployed a Soundproof Field. The speed and precision of the spell made the First High students stiffen.
"You... you're a Magician?" Hattori asked. "Something like that. Don't worry, I entered the country legally. But you noticed, didn't you?" Hans looked at Sawaki. "Those men in black weren't normal."
Sawaki nodded grimly. "They were speaking Chinese." "It wasn't just that," Hans added. "They were using Continental military martial arts combined with Ancient Magic. Based on the Psion flow, it was likely Steel Qigong (Gangqigong), a body reinforcement technique."
Hans, having mastered Phase Shift Armor under Guzo's tutelage, recognized the energy signature immediately. After warning the students to stay sharp, Hans vanished into the crowd.
"I thought Tatsuya and Yugen were the limits of 'abnormal,'" Kirihara muttered, a cold sweat breaking on his neck. "But that Hans guy... he's not much older than us, yet he feels more dangerous than my old man."
The Calm Before the Storm
Back near the steakhouse, Yugen, Tatsuya, and the others were heading back when Lina spoke up. "Tatsuya, Yugen. So we aren't joining the military's operation directly?" "No," Yugen replied. "Our role doesn't start until the day of the ceremony."
Yugen explained that while he held a rank in the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, his official title was Special Intelligence Staff at HQ—a non-combat role. To the world, Yugen would be acting as a representative of the Kagurazaka family.
"Basically, my position is as specialized as yours was in the Stars, Lina," Yugen noted. "Plus, since I manage Tatsuya's magic restrictions, anyone trying to pressure me knows exactly what kind of 'demon' they'd be unleashing."
As they talked, Mizunami tried to call a taxi but frowned. "Yugen-sama... the taxi center isn't responding."
Yugen pulled out his custom-designed terminal, projecting a virtual holographic map of the local traffic system. "It's not a software glitch. The hardware took a hit. Sabotage?" "Likely," Tatsuya agreed. "But they didn't hit the main hubs. They're likely trying to mask a getaway."
The disruption was minor—the military's stratospheric platforms and satellites would bypass the local blackout eventually—but it signaled that the enemy was moving. Yugen wasn't worried about the military's reputation; he was more interested in ensuring the upcoming party at Saika New Island went off without a hitch.
"If the military wants to redeem themselves after the Zhou Gongjin incident, they can handle the legwork," Yugen thought. "That gives me more time to keep Miyuki in a good mood."
The Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
In a hotel room elsewhere, "Jazz"—actually Captain Jasmine Williams of the Australian Army—snapped at her partner. "Captain Johnson! What was with that ridiculous accent back there?" "What? I was playing the 'clueless foreigner' role," James J. Johnson replied.
Jasmine, a Regulated Magician (Adjusted), had the body of a 12-year-old despite being 29—a side effect of her magical optimization. The military saw her as the perfect sleeper agent. James was her "front," a combat magician meant to cover her long-range specializations.
"The Great Asian Alliance special forces are onto us," Jasmine said, opening her gear. "And that white man at the mall... he's Hans Ernst, a guard for the South American Federation's President."
"The interests are colliding," James muttered. "The Japanese, the South Americans, the Great Asian Alliance, and us. If we ruin this ceremony, it's an international disaster."
"That's the point," Jasmine replied coldly. "We're here to make sure this 'national project' ends in a nightmare."
Knowing they were being tracked, they had already begun sabotaging local communication nodes to facilitate their next move. The game in Okinawa was no longer just a memorial—it was a powder keg.
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