Morning arrived at the Saint Church. Fuji was genuinely excited now that the DSAA tournament had been announced. Thanks to the help of the TSAB and the Midchilda Public Police, the "device jumper" problem had finally been resolved. The DSAA committee also announced a mandatory intelligence device check to be completed before the tournament began.
While walking through the hallway, Fuji crossed paths with Vita and Zafira.
"We meet again, Fuji," Vita said.
"Vita-san, Zafira-san. It's unusual to see you here," Fuji replied. "Is Commander Hayate with you?"
"Yes, she is with Nanoha. They are meeting with Carim," Vita explained.
"By the way, Fuji, you received the notification from the DSAA, right?" Zafira asked.
"Yes, I got it yesterday, Zafira-san. Since my dojo isn't affiliated with the Saint Church and I'm just a trainer for the DSAA entries, it's totally fine," Fuji said.
"I can't wait to see you and your disciples compete in the tournament, Fuji," Vita added.
"Me too, Vita-san, Zafira-san," Fuji replied.
"Fuji, I'm curious," Vita began. "How did you become interested in the DSAA?"
"Oh, that? It started when I began holding exercise sessions for the neighborhood children. A DSAA member offered me a position as a trainer for kids who wanted to become athletes because I'm good with children," Fuji explained.
"I see. You really have been good at handling kids ever since that mission," Vita noted.
"Kids are easy to handle, Vita-san. I know how to deal with them, how to bring them laughter, and how to teach them to be kind to others," Fuji said.
In Carim's office, Hayate and Nanoha were sharing tea and conversation with Carim and Schach. They were discussing the relationship between Hayate and Kai, who was finally living openly instead of hiding as a stranger.
"It's good that things are finally settled between you and Kai, Hayate. You look like your usual self again," Carim remarked.
"It's thanks to Nanoha and everyone else for looking after Kai while he was on Earth. I understand his reasons now, and that's enough for me," Hayate replied.
"If Renjou-kun hadn't hit him, I'm sure Kai would still be afraid to meet you, Hayate-chan," Nanoha added.
"But," Carim said, her tone becoming serious, "when I first met him and saw the records of his berserk state, I felt something unusual inside Kai. I wonder... is he a Beast Tamer, or the King who summons beasts from Belkan history?"
"What do you mean by that, Carim-san?" Nanoha asked.
"Kai and Soul Edge... a device from the nameless beast... a piece of the Book of the End of Times," Carim explained. "Normal people who use it are consumed; they lose their minds and souls. But Kai is different. He is fine. Soul Edge obeyed him until he became Archibald Enzo and went berserk like the nameless beast itself. I want to know if Kai truly has the ability of a Beast Tamer, or if he is the King who commanded mages to summon that beast in Ancient Belka".
"But Kai's family is from Firstraum. How could he have an ability like that?" Nanoha questioned.
"I am just curious, Nanoha. I thought he was a Beast Tamer, but his berserk state suggested something else. Hayate, could you bring Kai here on your next visit? I want to be sure about him," Carim requested.
"Sure, I'll bring him next time, Carim-nee," Hayate promised.
Elsewhere, Renjou, Shin, and Kaguya were taking a break at an unusual cafe. Renjou used to get coffee here while waiting for his bike to be serviced. However, this was no ordinary cafe.
"Renjou-san, why are we here?" Shin asked.
"To take a coffee break. What's wrong?" Renjou replied.
"I know... but... WHY THE HELL ARE WE IN A MAID CAFE?!" Shin shouted, looking around the crowded room.
"What's wrong, Shin? Do you hate it? It's near the workshop, anyway," Renjou said, calmly taking a sip of his coffee.
"We are still on duty, Renjou-san! We're wearing our uniforms! It's awkward to be here!" Shin protested.
"Ah... you must be embarrassed to reveal your otaku aura," Renjou teased.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!" Shin yelled.
"Don't worry, Shin-san," Kaguya chimed in. "Renjou-san told me he often visits here with Commander Bright".
"Kaguya-chan, that's still not what I'm talking about," Shin sighed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Master! The 'Moe Moe Curry Rice' and 'Kawaii Set' are here!" A maid arrived with Renjou and Kaguya's orders.
"Oh, by the way, can I request a 'Kira-Kira Happy' for my friend here?" Renjou asked, pointing at Shin.
"Me?!" Shin stammered.
"Certainly, Master! Everyone!" The maid called over the others, and they began carrying Shin toward the stage.
"HO-HOLD ON, RENJOU-SAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!" Shin screamed as he was dragged away.
"Have fun," Renjou and Kaguya said in unison, waving goodbye.
"Kira-Kira Happy" was a popular show at the 'Little Wish Maid Cafe'. It allowed visitors to sing and dance with the most popular maids, but only top-tier guests were allowed to request it. It was a way for people to express the otaku lives they usually hid—and Shin was definitely an otaku who hid it.
"Ren-san, you seem more cheerful than usual," Kaguya noted.
"It's because a lost brother-in-arms is finally back, Kaguya-chan," Renjou said with a wide smile.
"Let me guess—your brother from Forward Phantom?" she asked.
"That's right. He's back, but he wants to keep it a secret for now," Renjou replied.
Meanwhile, Fate and Teana were investigating the Rivian residence in North Midchilda with other personnel. The large house had been abandoned for a long time.
Inside, the place was a total mess: broken sofas, cobwebs everywhere, and cracked walls. Every piece of furniture, photo, and electronic device was covered in thick dust. A foul stench, like rotting rats, filled the air, forcing everyone to wear masks and gloves.
"Ugh... the smell makes me want to puke," one staff member groaned.
"Just hold it together. At least we have a clue about Rito Rivian. The one who kidnapped Commander Hayate was her little brother, who was disguised as Lieutenant Kai Izumi," Teana reminded them.
"I know, Enforcer Teana, but even with the mask, the smell is getting through," the staff member replied.
Fate looked around and found a dusty photo frame. Wiping it clean, she saw a picture of Rito and Regan Rivian with their parents. Rito looked about seventeen, while Regan was only eleven. This was Fate's first real clue.
"Found something, Fate-san?" Teana asked.
"I found a photo. We need the Intelligence Division to find their parents' profiles," Fate said.
"You mean give this to Arc?" Teana asked.
"Let others handle it, Teana. Arc needs to rest from the Adamatron cases for a while," Fate replied.
"I understand. Even the investigation team is worried about him. Arc pushes himself too hard, and that's not good for his condition," Teana agreed.
"Yes, don't let Arc know about this. I'm going to the second floor," Fate said.
As Fate explored the upper level, Teana contacted Intelligence to analyze the family. On the second floor, the conditions were even worse. The smell was horrific, and rat corpses littered the rooms.
The master bedroom was unremarkable, as was Rito's room, which was filled with college papers and books. Regan's room seemed like a normal boy's room, but Fate found a diary. Unfortunately, the writing had faded due to water damage.
"It's no use... I can't find any other clues," Fate said, setting the diary down.
"Sir, I detect an intelligence device in the box on the table," Bardiche announced.
"His intelligence device?" Fate took the box and broke the seal. Inside was Regan's previous device, G-Lauda, which had been broken for a long time. It was a Type II generic device.
"Maybe this will work. I should ask Mari to analyze it," Fate said, taking the device.
As they left, other teams began cleaning and preparing to demolish the residence, as the building was on the verge of collapsing. While driving back, Teana continued her research.
"Find anything else on the second floor, Fate-san?" Teana asked.
"I found his old intelligence device. It's badly damaged, but I hope Mariel can fix it," Fate replied.
"I also got the report on their parents," Teana added. "Their father was Gale Rivian and their mother was Kuzuha Rivian. They were both politicians who were killed when their car went off a cliff".
"Anything suspicious about the vehicle?" Fate asked.
"Nothing. That cliff is a dangerous road with a high accident rate," Teana replied.
"I see. Our last hope is for Mari to fix that device," Fate concluded.
That evening at TSAB HQ, Arc was researching a monster he had encountered back in high school. He was working in the lounge because his team had ordered him to take a break from the case. He was looking for information on the "girl in white" who had saved him six years ago on Earth.
The Lost Logia that had invaded Japan was "Nyx Urteil," a gigantic monster capable of breaking the barriers used by Midchildans and Belkans. This was the same monster that had chased Kai when he was at his lowest point following the Rio scandal. Unfortunately, there was no record of who shot the monster down or any sign of the "girl in white"—only records of battalions heading to Japan.
As he worked, Signum and Agito approached him.
"There you are, Arc," Signum said.
"Captain Signum. Vice-Captain Agito," Arc acknowledged.
"Signum has been looking for you, Arc," Agito noted.
"What's wrong, Captain?" Arc asked.
"I want to spar with you. But not on the training ground," Signum stated.
They went to a training room used for physical, non-magic combat inside the HQ. They left their blazers and shoes on the bench. Signum handed a kendo stick to Arc, who had removed his visor since only Signum, Agito, and Kai were present.
"You shouldn't take off your visor, Izumi. I'm fine with you wearing it as Arc," Signum said.
"It would feel like cheating, Signum-san. It would be a disgrace to face a knight like you that way. Besides, no one comes here at this hour," Kai said while stretching.
"Well then, let's begin, Izumi," Signum said.
"I'm not sure I can go back to the old me, but yes," Kai replied.
Signum was a master swordsman, while Kai was a former kendo club member—their styles were on different levels. After bowing, they took their stances and then charged
simultaneously. The sound of clashing wood echoed through the room. The sparring was so intense that Agito watched in amusement.
In the final exchange, both moved for a finishing blow. Signum's stick caught Kai's tie, while Kai's stick caught Signum's hair bow, leaving her long hair to fall straight.
"Very impressive, Izumi. You are just like Testarossa, even if you no longer wield a buster sword," Signum remarked.
"Not at all. I'm not at your level or Fate's yet. I still have much to improve," Kai said, returning her hair bow.
"But you have great reflexes," Agito added, approaching them. "You were able to deflect and parry her attacks".
"Thanks, but I'm still not as good as Signum," Kai said, fixing his tie while Signum redid her ponytail.
The sparring session ended. Signum was satisfied, glad to see that Kai was still the person she knew from Riot Force 6, even without his barrier jacket or Soul Edge. She hoped to spar with him in full gear one day.
Unbeknownst to them, Hayate and Nanoha had been peeking in. Hayate looked satisfied seeing Kai and Signum getting along like old times.
"It looks like Kai is trying to find his old self, even if he hasn't fully recovered," Nanoha observed.
"It takes time, Nanoha. Vita told me Kai is trying to fix himself, even if his 'Arc' personality remains. She was impressed with how he taught the cadets," Hayate said as they walked away.
"I know, Hayate. You helped him, and he rescued you. Maybe we should invite him somewhere," Nanoha suggested.
"You're right. Since there's no Adamatron activity right now, maybe I can help him feel more like the Kai I knew," Hayate agreed.
"Hayate-chan... don't tell me you're going to tease him," Nanoha said.
"Who knows," Hayate giggled.
That night at the Saint Church, Fuji was looking at his students' profiles on his datapad. Some were ready for the tournament, while others needed more work. The DSAA tournament was popular for female athletes, but the male division was often criticized for being too brutal, requiring safer rules.
While he was researching, a message arrived from the DSAA. He opened it to find an offer to become a DSAA member for the entrance examinations. They weren't just asking him to coach; they were offering a high-paying position before the tournament.
"Become a DSAA member, eh? It seems like a good deal," Fuji thought. "But I am a full-time brother of the Saint Church now. Knight Carim doesn't mind me coaching because I have no official ties, but maybe I should just decline".
On the Sailing Force, Fate and Teana met with Shario to fix Regan's device, G-Lauda. Although the device was destroyed, the records were recoverable. They showed Regan's obsession with Kai's Soul Edge and his resentment at not being hand-picked by Commander Yagami. He was also obsessed with Nanoha and Hayate. It turned out he had destroyed G-Lauda himself after resurrecting Rito and becoming the Kai imposter.
"He really was obsessed with Nanoha-san and Commander
Hayate. I've never seen anything like it," Teana said.
"His mind was twisted by depression over Rito's death, Soul Edge, and the fact that he wasn't chosen for Riot Force 6. If Hayate had picked him, I'm sure the Jail Scaglietti case would never have been resolved," Fate added.
"But now that Captain Kai took care of him, we finally have evidence of who Regan Rivian really is," Shario said, adjusting her glasses.
"Yeah, but I bet Adamatron is still operating. They just haven't shown themselves yet. They must be planning something," Teana noted.
"I think so too," Fate agreed. "I suspect Adamatron is planning to use innocent people to commit crimes, acting like a terrorist group or a diversion".
To be continued.