Page 67

With the enemy soldiers decimated by her and her squad, Aika floated down to the ground before Kanon and Kei as they stared at her speechlessly in shock.

The front mask of her helm opened, revealing slightly covered, yet still, extremely beautiful countenance. And the moment they saw her, all doubts vanished, leaving them in even more shock.

"Hello, senpai~ Are any of you still hurt~?"

The bubbly, cheerful tone of her melodic voice definitely belonged to Aika. And at this point, they had no choice but to accept reality.

Hearing no answer to her question, Aika tilted her head and looked at them with a confused expression.

"Senpai?"

She waved her hand in front of Kanon's face, and only then did she snap out of her daze.

"Ah, s-sorry! N-No, we're fine... But... Y-You're really... A-Aika-san, huh?"

"Hehe~ The one and only~ Who else could be this beautiful~?"

Aika winked at the stunned, short-haired girl, who was still too deep in the state of shock to comment on her playful, narcissistic remark. But, even if she wasn't, she couldn't even refute her since Aika was the most beautiful girl she had ever met in her life.

"A-Aika-san!"

Just then, Sayaka finally caught up and ran up towards her, followed by Kirihara and Toshikazu, who was resting his nodachi on his shoulder.

"Oh~ Sayaka-senpai~ Kirihara-senpai and Erika's eldest brother too~ I'm glad you're alright~!"

"U-Uhn... Thanks to you... But that magic..."

Sayaka nodded her head gratefully for having saved them when they were almost overwhelmed by the enemy. She knew every magician has their secrets and to pry into it would be extremely inconsiderate. But her curiosity and disbelief still won over her considerate nature and gratefulness, leading her to mention in mutterings the miraculous spell that saved them.

Hearing her words, Aika winked and placed her forefinger in front of her luscious pink lips in a shushing gesture.

"Fufu~ Neat isn't it~ But keep it a secret okay, senpai~ If you don't... Well... You might not be able to graduate~"

"O-Of course! I-I was just... shocked. I-I'm sorry..."

"Hehe~ That's understandable~"

Just then, Aika suddenly perked up and touched a part of her helmet near her ear. A transmission just came into the communication device within her helm, grabbing her attention away from Sayaka and the others before her.

"Hm? Ah, is that so~? Nice~ I'm also done here... Ah, the heli's coming? Uhn, then I'll head over to you after they've boarded. Uhn, see you~ Chu

Sayaka and the others stared at her speechlessly... They were definitely taken aback when she suddenly appeared and unleashed an unbelievable magic spell they've never seen before at first. But now, after seeing how sweet and bubbly she talked with, presumably, Yuuji, they were reminded that the woman before them... was still the bubbly and cheerful first year student they know.

Aika turned her attention back towards Sayaka, Kanon, and the others and gave them a brilliant smile.

"Good new, everyone~ The rescue helicopter is coming to pick you guys up soon~ And once you've come abroad, some of my comrades will escort you to a safe place along with Mayumi-chan, Erika-chan, Miyuki-chan, and the others~"

"I-I see... Thank you, Aika-san."

Sayaka lowered her head and thanked her once again.

"Uhn~ No problem~ Then, we'll be going around the perimeter to make sure the area's safe for the helicopter's landing, okay~?"

"Y-Yes, thank you once again, Aika-san..."

This time, Kanon bowed her head towards Aika and her comrades. And immediately after, the rest of them also followed suit.

"Hehe~ You're welcome~ Then, we'll be going~ Stay safe~"

Aika touched the flying unit in her belt compartment and began to float up, along with the rest of her comrades.

Then, with an immense burst of speed, they spread out in different directions at, Aika even faster than the rest, and disappeared from sight.

Silence fell upon the previously chaotic area as they all watched speechlessly from below.

"...It's still hard for me to believe all of this."

"Ah... I never would've guessed she's related to the JSDF... Yuuji-kun and Tatsuya-kun as well..."

"Nn..."

Kanon stared dazedly at the direction Aika just flew in, processing everything that had happened today...

This day had just been so... baffling. Not only were they suddenly attacked by armed soldiers, tanks, and killer robots, they also found out that three of their juniors were in fact special officers that belonged in the military.

She had never heard of such a thing... At most, she'd only ever heard about a student being a part of the ten master clans. But this...

Kanon shook her head.

No... perhaps the clues about their true identity were already there in front of them all along.

Yuuji's immensely powerful magic and incredible engineering skills. Tatsuya's unbelievable combat prowess and knowledge in CAD. Aika's mind boggling amount of Psions and skill with magic...

Perhaps the clues about their true identity were already there in front of them all along. They just simply haven't connected the dots because it was just so... unbelievable.

Just then, the whirring sound of helicopters could be heard in the sky.

"Ah, that must be the helicopter..."

Everyone raised their heads to look at the sky at Toshikazu's words, and they all let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the large, heavy-lift, tandem rotor helicopter coming their way.

"Alright then, once you've boarded, I'll be regrouping with the rest of the police on the ground to evacuate any remaining civilians in the area. Remember to stay safe."

"Yes. Thank you very much for helping us, Mr. Chiba."

Toshikazu waved his hand casually and smiled.

"It's the job of the police to protect civilians. Now go and leave this matter to the professionals."

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

Upon boarding the rescue helicopter, Toshikazu regrouped with his subordinates from the police department, while Kanon, Kei, and the others met up with Mayumi, Erika, Miyuki, Mari, and the rest inside the helicopter.

"Chiyoda-san, everyone, I'm glad you're all okay..."

Kanon nodded tiredly, her lips curling with a worn-out smile.

"Yes... Thanks to Aika-san, who came just in time before we were about to be overwhelmed..."

"Ah... So you've seen her magic too, huh...?"

Kanon and the others all nodded to Mari's words, and Mari and the others finally understood that their exhausted appearance wasn't solely from the battle they fought, but from the shock they received as well.

Mayumi let out a helpless smile... It was only natural for them to react this way.

"I see... Then please take a seat and rest. Although your stamina might've been recovered thanks to Aika's magic, your mind must still be exhausted from the battle."

"Yes... Thank you very much, Saegusa-senpai..."

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

17:18, Yokohama.

With the orange-red hue of the afternoon sun shining upon them, four light-weight tanks equipped with heavy machine guns and two military robots marched down the streets of the Bay Hills Tower area, heading towards Yokohama's downtown district where the battle was raging as reinforcements.

The resistance they met during their assault was apparently much more fierce than they first expected. Although it was a surprise attack, the defenses were much more prepared to welcome them than one would expect from a sudden assault.

It seems that a special force of the Japanese Self Defense Military had somehow appeared much faster than expected. Almost no information about the special force was known since all companies that encountered them had been decimated before they could relay any sort of information.

All they knew was that this special force was capable of using extremely powerful magic that could destroy tanks and combat robots in seconds.

Thus, although they were marching through an empty street, they were still on high alert.

Upon turning the corner, the street was still quiet, baring the sounds of their machines, tank tracks, and their robots as they moved down the streets.

Several soldiers, who popped the upper half of their body out of the tank and survey the surroundings, also hadn't seen any signs of enemy soldiers in the vicinity.

But just then, a silhouette appeared on the surface of the tank a soldier was riding on. He blinked, unsure of what it was. But several more began appearing, and only then did he realize they weren't silhouettes.

They were shadows!

The soldier looked up and saw figures in jet-black combat suits flying in the air, equipped with high caliber assault rifles and anti-tank weaponry. And three in particular attracted his attention.

To the left was a figure holding two, light blue, gun-shaped CADs in both hands. To the right was an extremely voluptuous figure of a woman clad in the same, jet-black combat suit, with a necklace shining brightly on her breasts. And at the center, a man with a golden gun CAD aimed towards them.

Light flashed from the gun, and it was the last thing the soldier saw before every molecule in his body, his comrades body, and the tank he was in was ripped apart violently into mist.

"E-Enemy attack!!!"

"Above! Above! They're in the skies!!!"

"FIIIRREEEEE!!!!"

The sudden disappearance of a whole tank woke all of the soldiers out of their daze and turned their attention up to the sky.

Immediately, all tanks and combat robots opened fire with their machine guns and shot the figures in the sky.

But no matter how many bullets flew their way, not a single one managed to reach them. Every single bullet shot stopped a few meters before them in mid air, and stayed there.

However, no one stopped firing their machine guns as they prayed and begged any of the Gods that would hear them for a bullet, at least one single bullet to reach their enemies.

Their prayers were not answered, and when the man with the golden gun waved his left hand to the side, all the figures suddenly fan out and encircled them from above.

Chaos ensued. But only for the ones on the ground.

Yuuji, Aika, Tatsuya, and the rest of their comrades were calmly subjugating the invaders from the skies.

Yuuji kept his gravity barrier that surrounded the enemy forces like a dome active, disallowing any physical attacks to reach him and his comrades and preventing their escape, while using his magic to crunch down one of the robots into a ball of scrap metal and mush.

Tatsuya calmly aimed at the other robot and pulled his trigger, immediately misting it into thin air without a sound.

And with Aika using her magic to heal any injuries and recover their stamina, he didn't need to fly around and use his "Restore" magic on anyone.

In just a few moments, only one tank remained... And the soldiers within couldn't help but freeze in fear as they looked up into the sky with widened eyes.

"Mahesvara... Even Sahasranama... And the Divine Light..."

None of them could believe what they're seeing... How lucky would they have to be to encounter all three nightmares at once...?

Mahesvara... The God of Destruction known for erasing his enemies out of existence. The Divine Light, known for the light she emitted that brings even the dead back to life.

And Sahasranama; thousand names. A title that belonged to the Preserver God, Vishnu, known to transform and send his avatars to the world to preserve and restore the righteous order of the universe when it's threatened. With how many nicknames, epithets, and titles the Great Asian Union has given him, Sahasranama was the only appropriate title to describe the many names he has and his invincibility.

The three named soldiers of the Great Asian Union were forbidden from mentioning as they were nightmares best left untouched. Now, the nightmare had appeared before them, and with it, brought upon utter destruction and death.

Disbelief, helplessness, and regret were the last thing they felt before a flash of light shone upon them, followed by eternal darkness.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

17:22 o'clock.

Docked in Yamashita pier, the main pier that supported the Yokohama docks since the immense economic growth nearly a century ago, the Great Asian Alliance anchored their ship within a camouflaged landing ship deck.

Disguised as a cargo ship, the small ship was equipped mostly with surveillance and intelligence gathering devices with only minimal weapons as it served as the command center of the invading forces in Yokohama.

Although limited in equipment and technology that they could bring along for this covert, surprise invasion, they were still capable of sending commands and receiving reports, coordinating all of their forces that they had set loose in the streets of Yokohama, targeting the Yokohama Branch Magic Association.

It was a successful surprise attack... At least, until they realize that their enemies were much more prepared than expected.

Still, they were able to push the line forward and infiltrate the streets leading towards the Magic Association.

But reports about their forces being annihilated started coming in. At first, they came once in a while. But soon, they became much more often.

"Wiped out?"

"Y-Yes, based on the reports we received, it seems that they were wiped out in a powerful assault by an aerial unit using Flying-type magic..."

"Kuh... Bastards..."

The commander clenched his hands into fists. How frustrating. This should've been a one-sided assault after they successfully catch the defending forces by surprise! How could this kind of thing happen?

"In addition, we have an unconfirmed report that..."

"What is it?!"

He slammed his table, rattling the computer, documents, and pens on his desk. Just what kind of report did they receive? Was it some pathetic scream or call for help?

"...I-In our communications with the mobile unit, we picked up the word "Mahesvara".

"M-Mahesvara? That Demon of Okinawa...?"

Another staff officer, who recognized the name, couldn't help but blurt that out, and the commander plopped down to his seat. His hands still clenched in frustration.

"It's just a sick joke..."

The name that was akin to imaginary monsters used to scare children like the boogeyman. Even now, he still couldn't believe a magician with that kind of power existed... Truly, a sick joke simply meant to keep military officers on their toes.

"B-But that's not all..."

"What is it?! What other nonsense did you hear?!"

"W-We have also received the words "Sahasranama", and the "Divine Light"..."

"..."

Truly... What a sick joke...

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

Still shaken by the recent... revelations, silence filled the interior of the rescue helicopters as Mari, Kanon, Sayaka, and the others all tried to process it.

Sitting in one of the seats, Kirihara pulled up his sleeves and looked at his right arm, observing it front and back.

"My wounds... they're really gone..."

"Kirihara-kun..."

Sayaka grasped the other hand Kirihara rested on his lap before he turned to her with a forced smile.

"Heh, it would've been more understandable that all those wounds were just an illusion. But the pain... they were real..."

He leaned back to his seat and plopped his arm down to his side helplessly.

"Never knew that kind of healing magic actually existed..."

"I agree... It was truly a miracle."

Kei nodded in agreement as he looked at his hand dazedly.

A miracle... There was no other way to put it. At least in his eyes, the light that shone upon him, healed his wounds, and renewed his strength was nothing short of a miracle.

"Shiba... Chiba... What kind of spell did Aika cast just now? Was it truly... Healing Magic?"

Mari turned and looked at the two girls for answers. Out of everyone, these two, who were closest to Aika, must know at least something. And Miyuki, who knew less than Erika about Aika, turned to the short, orange-red haired girl who was sitting silently with her arms crossed and eyes closed.

Silence fell once more as everyone turned their eyes towards Erika, before she opened her eyes.

"It wasn't healing magic... Well, I guess it technically is, but not at the same time..."

"What do you mean?"

"The name of the spell Aika cast is "Heal", at least, that's what she calls it. I've also heard it being referred to as a "Blessing" or "Miracle". With it, she could make a full copy of the Eidos of a person up to 24 hours before sustaining injuries, and she could do it to multiple people at the same time. This is overwritten onto the current Eidos as a magic sequence, essentially returning the person into the state before they suffered the injury."

"What...?"

"T-That means... she could return numerous people suffering from lethal injuries in one go."

"Yes... As long as they're not dead, she could heal any sort of injuries and return them back to their prime. And she could do it without any drawbacks aside from the normal symptoms you'd suffer from magic exhaustion."

"This is..."

"Amazing, right? But apparently, she wasn't satisfied with it and improved that spell so it could also recover stamina by supplementing it with her own Psion."

Erika shook her head tiredly with a helpless smile. She was proud of his fellow sister, yes. But after saying it out loud, she realized the absurdity of her words once again.

"That's incredible...! As long as it was sustained within 24 hours, any critical injury can be restored as if it never happened, right?"

Kanon perked up, trying to lift up the atmosphere.

"That's right. The demand for such a skill would know no bounds. Think about it, he could save thousands, even tens of thousands of live-"

"In exchange for her freedom?"

Erika's venom-filled voice stopped Kei in the middle of his words. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the glare Erika directed towards him as if he was her sworn enemy.

"... You don't know how much she had gone through to attain such God-like power. Do you think she was born with it?"

"..."

Silence fell once again as Erika clenched her fist. What Yuuji and Aika experienced... Even for such God-like power, nothing would be worth it if they had to suffer from such torturous experience.

"All they wanted was freedom... They never wanted this kind of power... And now that they have it, they still chose to use it to defend us... Do you still want to demand even more from them?!"