When Izuna and I reached the hallway, Masamune was already gone.
I had intended to use the Authority of the Wind to track him, but Izuna had already moved ahead, somehow determining the direction in which Masamune had fled.
"Sensei, over there."
Seeing her confident expression, I assumed she was using some special ninja technique, so I relaxed and simply followed her lead, saving my focus.
The small fry of Street Mouryo had only stalled us for thirty or forty seconds. As an ordinary civilian, Masamune could not have run far, nor did he have any means of resisting once we caught up.
The only remaining obstacle, now that most of Street Mouryo had been delayed, was the maze of interwoven corridors.
Yet whenever we reached a fork, Izuna would pause only briefly before choosing the correct path. Though I trusted her deeply, I still could not help but ask,
"Izuna, how are you figuring out Masamune's direction so quickly?"
"Ah, because there are fresh footprints on the floor." She spoke over her shoulder as she ran. "The employer's footprints aren't the same as a student's, so it's easy to tell them apart."
I lowered my gaze and strained my eyes, barely making out a three-part cat pawprint.
So the cats and dogs in Kivotos really don't wear shoes.
"Such insight, truly worthy of a ninja."
"You flatter me."
I sighed, wanting to ease the tension between us, but Izuna only replied politely.
A faint unease settled in my heart. Since earlier, Izuna's behavior had been completely different from the lively, openhearted, adorably simple girl I remembered. She was sharp, calm, rational, and reliable.
Not that this was bad. I had even wished she would mature a little, not fall for tricks so easily, and not rush headlong into danger.
But now, I found myself thinking that Izuna had been cuter the way she used to be. At least she hadn't been this distant.
I really must have made her dislike me. And I had no idea how to fix things, how to restore what we once had.
I decided to leave that problem for my future self, once we had Masamune arrested.
"This is the place."
Izuna finally stopped before a tightly closed door. "Sensei, the employer is inside."
I nodded. "Right. Let's be careful going in."
Izuna placed one hand lightly on the doorknob, and with the other she produced a shuriken connected to a bomb by a cord and lit the fuse.
Then she shoved the door open, hurled the special explosive shuriken inside, and slammed the door shut again.
After the booming explosion, all was silent.
Izuna waited patiently for several seconds, then nodded to me and pushed the door open.
The enclosed room was choked with drifting smoke, which began spilling out into the hallway once the door opened.
Following my instructions, the first thing Izuna did upon entering the murky room was fire a full burst in all directions.
There were no screams, but we definitely heard bullets striking flesh.
"Did we knock him out..."
Izuna murmured, thinking that was the most likely explanation.
But as the smoke thinned and I stepped in behind her, we both froze.
A figure standing proudly in place came gradually into view.
It was Masamune.
Unharmed, he stared down at us with a cold smile.
"What is it? Making such ridiculous faces. Are you so shocked to see me?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Quit the theatrics. Izuna."
I did not need to say more. Izuna instantly raised her gun and fired.
The bullet struck Masamune, who made no attempt to dodge.
Yet in the next instant, something unbelievable happened. Masamune's body shattered.
Literally shattered, splintering like glass under gunfire, the fragments scattering before reforming into a cat shape several meters away.
Izuna's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"
"This is my ninjutsu."
Masamune stood with hands clasped behind his back, speaking proudly. "For the next minute, I am absolutely invincible. No attack of any kind can harm me. And I can use this ninjutsu ten times in a row. By the time it ends, the reinforcements from Street Mouryo will have arrived."
"What?!" Izuna gasped. "Does that mean the employer really is an incredibly powerful ninja?!"
"Heh. Correct. All that talk with the Sensei from SCHALE was merely my acting. I would never reveal my trump cards to an enemy."
While revealing his trump card, Masamune extended a hand and said earnestly, "So, Lady Izuna, I actually never lied to you. Compared to the one standing beside you, I am far more deserving of your continued loyalty. If you return to my side now, I will forgive everything, and I might even teach you this ninjutsu."
The old bastard really dared to poach my student. He was begging for death.
For Izuna, who dreamed of becoming the strongest ninja in Kivotos, such an offer would be incredibly tempting.
But…
"Sorry, employer, I refuse."
Without a moment of hesitation, Izuna answered plainly, "Izuna already has something she wants to do. No matter what conditions you offer, Izuna will never serve a cat again."
Masamune snapped, furious, "The phrase is serve a tiger, you illiterate fool!"
Izuna puffed out her cheeks and muttered defensively, "Izuna is not a fool… Izuna studies hard…"
It was not convincing at all. She probably did not even convince herself.
But this was the Izuna I remembered, the one who made me feel at ease.
After scolding her, Masamune drew a deep breath, crossed his arms, and said casually,
"Fine. Since you refuse to appreciate my generosity, I won't bother persuading you. Now tell me. You know my reinforcements will arrive soon, and until then you cannot touch me. Yet you still insist on pestering me?"
"How would we know if you were lying again unless we tried!"
Izuna raised her gun and fired, but the result was the same as before.
Once struck, Masamune shattered with the accompanying sound of impact, then reassembled some distance away, again and again.
"Heh, still refusing to give up? Save your strength and your ammunition."
Masamune sneered as if kindly advising her. "Waste all your bullets, and when reinforment arrives, you will be even more helpless."
Izuna emptied another magazine before giving up and looking to me for guidance.
"Sensei?"
I rubbed my chin. In truth, I had already roughly deduced the method behind Masamune's so-called magical ninjutsu.
Perhaps I had underestimated him.
He was willing to pay such a steep price for his plan. Even if we ignore the possibility that he had some hidden identity, this would still be ruinous for a mere shopping district chairman.
Maybe he really did intend to ignite a great fire in Hyakkiyako, to trigger a disaster for some deeper, unspeakable goal.
Which was why he ordered equipment on this scale. Full holographic projection.
One thing I knew for certain was that in Kivotos, where students possessed a wide variety of strange and versatile halos, true supernatural powers might indeed exist. Odd ninjutsu effects might indeed exist. But Masamune could not possibly wield them.
Otherwise, why would he need to flee specifically into this room in order to perform his so-called ninjutsu?
When viewed from that angle, more inconsistencies surfaced.
Even if the simulation was realistic enough to produce the correct sound of a bullet impact and even match the shadow to the lighting source…
It was still the same trick Izuna had just taught me.
After Masamune moved away, the dusty floor beneath where he had been standing bore no footprints.
Izuna had not noticed simply because she had already accepted Masamune's claim of ninjutsu and had been focused on following the movement of his projected fragments.
Of course, even that alone would not fully disprove his claims.
So to be safe, I used my Authorities for verification.
First, the Majesty of the Lion. Masamune, who should have recoiled in fear, showed no reaction at all.
Next, the Listener of the Wind. In addition to the Masamune before us, I heard another faint sound overlapping his, coming from above the ceiling.
At the same time, I detected the barely audible hum of electronic devices.
It was now completely certain that Masamune was using some kind of technology to imitate ninjutsu.
Like any stage illusion, once you understand the principle, it loses all mystery.
And the only thing that fit his behavior was holographic projection.
I almost found it absurd. After ruining the Sakura Festival for a holographic fireworks display, Masamune was now using similar technology to play ghost.
But even knowing the truth, I had no intention of exposing him yet.
The principle did not matter as much as the purpose.
Was he trying to scare Izuna and me into retreating?
It did not seem so.
Even if he claimed Street Mouryo's reinforcements would arrive soon, we both knew very well which side held the real advantage.
If Masamune truly wanted to make us believe we were helpless and turn back, he should not have imposed such a clear limitation on his ability. It only made us think we could win simply by running out the clock.
And… thinking back now, had he really not noticed that I talked to him for so long earlier in order to stall for help?
He said he wanted to kidnap me. Was he truly foolish enough to waste time arguing with me without making a move?
This room's setup also felt prepared in advance.
All these doubts surfaced and tangled together, leading to a startling conclusion.
He was stalling for time as well.