Present were Kazama, Sanada, and Yanagi of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion; Chen Xiangshan and Lu Ganghu of the GAA special forces; and a blonde young man Tatsuya hadn't met before—Colonel Hans Ernst of the South American Federation (SSA).
Lina, Kana, Fumiya, and Ayako were not present. They were "collaborators" of Tatsuya and could not be ordered by the military. Furthermore, since Kana and Lu Ganghu had a previous, somewhat violent encounter, they were kept apart to avoid unnecessary friction.
"I shall call you Mr. Shiba," Lu Ganghu stated.
"As you wish, Colonel," Tatsuya replied.
Tatsuya had faced Lu Ganghu at the Hachioji Special Detention Center two years ago, but that was the extent of their personal history. He knew Chen and Lu had been behind various plots and were once his clear enemies.
However, dwelling on past grudges was simply exhausting. More importantly, since Yugen viewed them as "enemies" with far more clarity than Tatsuya did, their future depended entirely on their actions here. Tatsuya felt a private surge of pity for them.
The meeting's objective was simple: the sinking of the enemy submarine.
"I was told this was a meeting to sink a submarine, but are we certain the operatives are on board?" Chen asked.
"It is certain that Australian magicians, acting in concert with your country's defectors, are aboard that vessel," Tatsuya confirmed.
"I suppose I shouldn't ask how you know that."
"I cannot tell you."
Tatsuya's blunt refusal ended that line of questioning. The submarine did not belong to Japan or the GAA, and inquiries through diplomatic channels had yielded no owners.
"This submarine attacked a cruiser carrying myself and my friends this afternoon. We repelled them without difficulty. Upon identifying the attackers, we found they were soldiers of the Great Asian Alliance. We returned them all to the sea."
"What...? You didn't capture them? Was it out of fear of pursuit?"
"Precisely. There were non-combatants on the cruiser."
The identification of the "pirates" had been performed entirely by Yugen, and the details were included in the data given to Kyoko. The members of the Battalion knew exactly who was responsible, but they remained silent, seeing no benefit in revealing Yugen's involvement to the GAA.
Tatsuya had a specific reason for bringing it up, but it was Sanada who voiced it.
"I see. Tatsuya-kun, do you believe this accident falls under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law?"
"Yes. According to our laws, an attempted kidnapping by a hostile force is well within the scope of application."
Strictly speaking, they now had the legal justification—the casus belli—to apprehend them for both attempted kidnapping and preparation for sabotage. Even if the submarine was in international waters, the fact that they had initiated hostilities gave Japan the right of pursuit. With Tatsuya, Yugen, and the alumni as witnesses, the evidence was insurmountable.
"If it wouldn't cause a diplomatic incident, I believe sinking them with a long-range magical strike is an option," Tatsuya offered.
"No, let's keep that as a last resort," Kazama countered. "I'd like to keep our insurance policies for when we truly need them."
Kazama turned to Sanada, wanting to keep certain capabilities hidden from Chen and Lu. Sanada provided the current location: the submarine had surfaced and was undergoing repairs and resupply.
"The enemy vessel is currently surfaced. They appear to be taking on supplies."
The submarine wasn't alone; it was hidden within a mooring dock built into a modified medium-sized tanker. While oil was no longer used as fuel, its demand as an industrial raw material remained high; a tanker in the East China Sea was a common sight.
"We don't know how long resupply will take, but we should be able to seize the submarine along with the tanker now."
"May we request that the defectors from our military be handed over to us?" Chen asked.
"Of course. Since you are cooperating with this operation, we will provide every possible courtesy," Kazama replied.
Satisfied, Chen nodded and glanced at Lu Ganghu. The latter stood and left the room, presumably to organize the assault team.
"This operation is a race against time. Prepare for sortie immediately," Kazama ordered.
"We can be ready in ten minutes," Sanada replied.
"Colonel Ernst, is that acceptable?"
"Yes. Lieutenant Colonel Kazama is the commander for this operation. I have no objections to following his lead."
At Tatsuya's silent signal, the room cleared as everyone rose to prepare.
◇ ◇ ◇
Though Yugen had seen Tatsuya off, he had no intention of sitting idle. He pulled a specialized combat uniform from a hidden compartment in his attache case—the garb of the head of the Shinjoukai. For this operation, he had received a personal request from the Emperor himself, wishing for the success of the completion ceremony party.
While he wasn't bound by a formal military order, Yugen could not ignore the words of the reigning Emperor as he approached the end of his tenure. He would act as a member of the Shinjoukai.
As he finished dressing, Miyuki appeared from the changing area, clad in her own combat gear.
"...Given the meeting tomorrow, I wouldn't have minded if you stayed behind," Yugen said softly.
"That won't do. If Yugen-san is moving, I have a duty to serve as your support."
Yugen knew she was likely as tired as he was, and he didn't want her facing the morning's meetings on no sleep. But Miyuki's stubbornness rivaled Tatsuya's; if he refused her now, he'd likely be met with tearful pleas he couldn't resist. He accepted her company with a resigned sigh.
Yugen turned to Mizuki. "Mizuki, I'm sorry, but I need you to watch over things here. I doubt anyone is foolish enough to target this location, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to contact me."
"I understand. Yugen-niisama, Miyuki-sama... please, be careful."
With Mizuki's blessing, Yugen activated the 'Mirror Gate'. He took Miyuki's hand, and together they stepped through the door of light.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"