Erika stood frozen before her brother's door. It was an entirely unexpected sensation for her—this sudden wave of hesitation. She hadn't realized she still possessed such a timid side. While she had no qualms about entering the Chiba family's main house, she wanted to avoid a confrontation with her father or her sister at all costs.
Her best course of action was to finish her business and retreat to her private quarters in the annex. Lingering in the hallway was the worst possible move, especially with the night's upcoming plans.
"Second Brother, it's Erika."
"Come in."
Steeling herself, she spoke, and a moment later, a reply came from within. Resisting the urge to do an immediate about-face, Erika opened the door.
"What brings you here at this hour?" Shuji asked.
"There's something I thought you should know."
Occupying the reverse role from two nights ago, Shuji had been lying in bed until a moment before, but now he sat in a chair, swiveling his body toward Erika. She didn't comment on his previous state, instead picking her words with uncharacteristic caution.
"Go on," Shuji urged.
His response lacked any real heat, but Erika understood it wasn't out of a lack of respect. He was simply preoccupied with his own thoughts.
"Brother, are you familiar with a unit called the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion?"
Shuji's posture sharpened. "Why do you know that name, Erika?"
"The truth is... your guard target, my classmate Tatsuya Shiba, is a special officer attached to that battalion."
"He's what...?"
"I'm sorry. I should have told you when we spoke the other day, but I was strictly forbidden from speaking of it by a Major Kazama. It is considered a matter of national security."
"Major Kazama...?" Shuji's eyes widened. "The 'Daitengu,' Harunobu Kazama?!"
"Daitengu?" Erika tilted her head, surprised by her brother's visceral reaction. "You know him?"
"He is a world-class expert in mountain and forest warfare," Shuji murmured, more to himself than to her. "A master of Ancient Magic and currently renowned as one of the finest paratrooper commanders in the country. You know of the Daikoshi Conflict? During that struggle against the Great Asian Alliance's push into the Indochina Peninsula, he led Vietnamese guerrilla forces in a campaign so brutal the Alliance vanguards—the Koryo units—feared him as a demon or a god of death. And he was only in his early twenties then... not much older than I am now. He's a legend.
"Of course," Shuji continued, "that legendary status meant he was shunned by the military top brass who wanted to avoid a total war with the Alliance. He was kicked off the promotion track. So, the rumors of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion were true... and Kazama is at the helm. That explains the stories. And if Tatsuya Shiba is one of his men, it finally explains how a high schooler possesses that level of monstrous skill."
Seeing her brother lost in thought, Erika pulled the conversation back to its true purpose.
"Brother, I met Major Kazama during the Yokohama Incident. If it hadn't been for that emergency, Tatsuya-kun's secret never would have been revealed. I realized then just how high the classification on him really is."
"I see... The Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion is a ghost unit by nature. If they have a high schooler acting as an irregular, there must be an extraordinary reason for it."
"I broke the seal of silence specifically because I wanted you to understand that, Brother."
"In other words," Shuji said, looking her in the eye, "you're telling me not to pry any further into his circumstances?"
"Yes. If you poke the thicket and stir up a hornet's nest, it won't benefit you or the Chiba family. Especially if that 'hornet' turns out to be a venomous serpent with a deadly bite."
"But despite being a student, I am currently attached to the military. I cannot ignore a formal order."
"Then why not follow only the letter of your orders? Act strictly as his guardian. Only intervene if he is attacked. Nothing more."
"I see... Very well. I'll consider that approach."
Having successfully persuaded her brother without having to utter the name "Yotsuba," Erika retreated to her room. She pulled out her phone, read a newly arrived message, and whispered to the empty air: "Aoyama Cemetery, huh?"
Tatsuya and the others had been waiting in the living room of Honoka's apartment while she changed. Tatsuya had initially intended to wait outside, but Honoka's insistence had been so earnest that both he and Miyuki had finally relented.
"This seems rather spacious for a single-person apartment," Tatsuya noted, surveying the 1LDK layout.
"This is perfectly normal, Onii-sama," Miyuki replied with a playful smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Honoka chirped, emerging from her room in casual attire. "So, where are we heading?"
"Aoyama Cemetery."
"Aoyama Cemetery...?" Honoka blinked. "We aren't going on a late-season test of courage, are we?"
Tatsuya gave her a mischievous, slightly dark smile. "You could say that. It's the kind of place where 'ghosts' like to appear."
"I see," Miyuki added, catching his drift instantly. "As expected of Onii-sama. You've thought of everything."
"Um, Tatsuya-san? Isn't the cemetery closed at this hour?"
"We likely won't be able to get inside. But that's fine. If we linger nearby, they'll come to us. That's why we're bringing Pixie. Besides, if we're spotted by anyone we shouldn't be, Honoka will handle it, won't she?"
Tatsuya had seen Honoka's skill with optical camouflage firsthand. Her ability to manipulate light-element magic far surpassed the crude "shroud" used by the USNA backup units. She was a master of concealment.
"Leave it to me!" Honoka declared, thumping her chest with confidence.
Tatsuya had intended the comment as a light joke, but Honoka's literal-minded enthusiasm took it as a solemn duty. Behind them, Pixie stood silently, her inorganic eyes fixed with unsettling intensity on the hair ornament Honoka was wearing.
None of them—Tatsuya, Miyuki, or Honoka—noticed the flicker of recognition passing through the android's sensors.
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