We're sorry for the rudeness. Truly, we underestimated you. There's a
great difference between hearing and seeing. As a fellow magician, I
apologise."
Then she aligned her feet, stood up straight and placed her right hand
to the side of her forehead. Even without a military cap, it was
unmistakably a salute.
Earlier she had been just another magician, but now she was acting as
the captain of the USNA military magician corps. That was what
Tatsuya interpreted her gesture as.
"I am the captain of the USNA army integrated magician force Stars,
reporting directly to the Chiefs of Staff, Major Angelina Sirius. Angie
Sirius was the name I went under during my previous disguise, so
please just continue calling me Lina as you always have done. Now
then."
The killing intent which she had kept under wraps for the sake of
courtesy, now assaulted Tatsuya full force.
"Now that you know both my true face and true identity, Tatsuya, the
Stars have no option but to annihilate you. If you had left the mask on
we could have avoided this, however much a deception it would been;
it's a pity."
"Are you telling me you regret this?"
In the midst of that bloodthirstiness, Tatsuya laughed fearlessly.
"If you had just stayed quiet and allowed yourself to be caught, we
could have ended this without killing at the least."
"My bad. I've let your heartfelt consideration go to waste."
"No, what will be taking your life is our self-centred circumstance, so
there's no nothing to apologise for. You may even feel free to resist."
One of the fake cops handed out to her a combat knife in one hand,
and a medium-sized handgun in the other. A blade form armament
device, and a gun shaped specialised CAD.
Tatsuya also drew his CAD.
"This really is a shame, Tatsuya. I had gotten to quite like you."
Stretching out her left hand, Lina pointed her CAD at Tatsuya.
Stretching out his right hand, Tatsuya pointed his CAD at Lina.
Lina's subordinates took positions behind him. He was surrounded.
"...Goodbye, Tatsuya."
"I won't let you, Lina!"
Suddenly at that moment, a commanding voice cold as deepest winter
froze the air.
A startled light floating into her eyes, Lina turned towards the sound
of the voice.
As if covering their now wide-open superior, Lina's subordinates
moved in to simultaneously attack Tatsuya from three sides.
Large combat knives swung towards Tatsuya. Extending from the
blades edges was 'Molecular Divider'.
Tatsuya pulled the trigger of his CAD. The virtual territory, designed
to invert the bonds holding molecules together, vanished in spite of the
operators intent.
Now that the combat knives was a mere blades, Tatsuya broke out
from the net. One of Lina's subordinates, running right past Tatsuya,
suddenly pressed a hand to his stomach and fell over. Welling out
from between his fingers was blood.
His blood-soaked left hand flung out. Blood splattered towards the
other fake cops.