For a split second, I wondered if I'd misheard her. Who kidnaps someone while wearing a mascot suit? Then again, this was an anime-esque world; I shouldn't have been surprised.
As we rounded a corner into a park, the target finally came into view.
"...Wow. It really is a mascot suit."
The figure was incredibly conspicuous—a person in a full monkey suit, sprinting through the park while clutching Konoe. It stood out so much it was almost offensive.
"Axel-san, a word of caution," Setsuna called out. "That isn't just a costume. I believe it's a construct—a Shikigami designed to be worn. It likely enhances the user's physical abilities to compensate for their own weaknesses."
"So, like a magical power-suit?"
"In essence, yes."
That made a twisted kind of sense. The suit was moving at an incredible clip despite carrying the weight of another person. Setsuna was spot on.
"Hey! You! Stop right there!" Asuna screamed. "What do you think you're doing with Konoka?!"
"Konoka-saaaaaaan!" Negi wailed.
Tch. I clicked my tongue. So much for a stealthy approach. We should have gone for a surprise attack from the rear.
The monkey-suited figure glanced back. Through the face opening, I recognized her—the girl from the Shinkansen who had been acting as a vendor. An Onmyoji. We were in the middle of a large park now; if we were going to strike, it had to be now.
"Hup!"
I channeled mana into my legs and triggered Shundo. In a blur of instant movement, I appeared at the suit's flank and buried a fist into its ribs.
But...
"What?!"
The impact felt like hitting a wall of jelly. The suit absorbed the force completely, preventing the shock from reaching the person inside. I'd put enough weight behind that punch to knock the wind out of any normal human, but she didn't even flinch.
Still, it wasn't a total waste. The sheer surprise of me appearing out of thin air forced the woman to skid to a halt.
"Negi!"
"Got it!"
Negi caught my drift instantly. He circled around with a burst of speed, snatched Konoe from the suit's arms, and leaped back toward Asuna.
"We've got Konoka back!" Asuna shouted. "Give it up and go home!"
"Ow, ow, ow…" The woman in the suit groaned. "I let my guard down because I thought you were just brats. But I can't exactly go home empty-handed. I'm taking the young lady back with me, like it or not."
She began to shed the costume, turning to face us. Our eyes locked as I stepped back to join Negi and Asuna.
"Geh. It's the brat from the bullet train. Seriously, who the hell are you?"
"...I believe I told you then," I said coldly. "There won't be a next time."
"Eh? Axel-kun, you know her?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah. Actually, Negi, you should recognize her too. You bumped into her on the train."
Negi squinted, then his eyes went wide. "Ah—! The snack vendor lady! Wait, I saw her at the inn earlier, too!"
So she'd been scouting us.
"Wait a minute!" Asuna yelled. "Why are you targeting Konoka? Isn't your goal the Chief's letter that Negi has?"
"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to just tell you my plan?" the woman smirked.
"Hmph. Your target is the young lady's power… is it not?" Setsuna's voice was like ice.
"Setsuna-san?"
"The young lady possesses a massive reservoir of dormant magic due to her lineage, even if she hasn't awakened to it yet. Your goal is likely to seize that power to take control of the Kansai Magic Association."
"The 'Hardliners' the Headmaster mentioned, then," I noted. "I didn't think they'd be this bold."
"Yes," Setsuna replied. "The Association has long handled the 'darker' side of our society. It stands to reason the extremists would resort to such methods."
"Spot on," the woman laughed. "Now, I think we've had enough talk. I'll be taking the girl back now."
She drew a handful of charms from her sleeve and scattered them. They flew to the four corners of the park, sticking to trees, benches, and utility poles.
"Watch out!" Setsuna warned. "That's a Warding Charm—a 'Field of Silence.' By using it here, she's signaling her intent to go all out without worrying about witnesses."
A warding charm... Similar to my Cognitive Interference, I figured. It created a sandbox where we could fight without the mundane world noticing.
"Hmph. You were terrified of me when I was alone," I challenged. "You really think you can take all of us at once?"
"Maybe I was scared then," she admitted. "But the conditions are different now! Come forth! Enki! Kuma-ki!"
She chanted, waving a talisman. In an explosion of smoke, a giant monkey and a giant bear appeared before us. However…
"They're… kind of cute?" Asuna muttered.
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