In this situation, it would be difficult to determine who was being manipulated. Indeed, since they had attacked the base, failure to repel the intruders would compromise the dignity of the National Defense Army. Furthermore, if they didn't finish quickly, rescue units from other bases, alerted to the anomaly, might be dispatched.
Having understood this, Celia aimed 'Artemis' at the tank.
"Celia-san, just incapacitate the tank."
"I know that—'Gungnir,' activate!"
Celia's 'Artemis' fired the electromagnetic wave convergence magic 'Gungnir'—a Psion bullet enveloped in high-density electromagnetic waves—which impacted the ground directly in front of the tank. The resulting electromagnetic storm, spreading explosively, disabled the tank, bringing it to an abrupt halt with the strong friction of its treads.
As soldiers, flustered by what had happened, emerged from the driver's seat, Himehime used the wind-attribute Heavenly God Magic 'Harukaze' to slam them to the ground. This made Celia let out an involuntary wry smile. However, such thoughts vanished as more soldiers, carrying rifles, continued to arrive.
"Finally, live ammunition... If I'd known this, maybe I should have pushed Lina to teach me 'Brionac's' activation sequence."
"Wouldn't that cause fatalities, though...?"
"Just a little grumble, Himehime."
Then, soldiers were blown away by a raging wind. Erica was at its center.
"You guys, go get your minds straightened out! 'Clarent Blood Arthur, Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father'!"
Erica was somehow unleashing a "Vajra Slicing Secret Art," which typically required the manifestation of a Heavenly Blade Spirit Armament, while still in her 'Hayatemaru' state. This feat was possible because a Guardian Spirit Servant's talisman was integrated into the CAD itself.
Beyond this hardware reason, Erica likely had a strong will not to lose to Leo. Since Leo couldn't exactly deploy a Heavenly Blade Spirit Armament, he was knocking down soldiers with hardening magic and 'Dragoon Breath.'
"Good grief... this feeling is..."
Then, Celia's ability to perceive phenomena—an ability she named 'Idea Sight, Eye of All Creation'—caught sight of Tatsuya and Masaki. They were fine, but judging that the number of enemy soldiers and weapons was greater than expected, Celia "perceived" all of them and raised 'Artemis' towards the sky.
"...—Pierce."
Countless lightning arrows materialized in the sky. And when Celia muttered those words, they fell to the other side of the base, accompanied by a roar and soldiers' screams amidst the azure lightning. Celia's modified magic, 'Overed Gungnir,' successfully and significantly reduced Tatsuya and Masaki's enemies.
"Celia-san, more are coming."
"I know. Honestly, I can understand why Big Brother gets angry."
Celia muttered this in response to Himehime's words, then aimed 'Artemis' at the approaching soldiers. While she could somewhat understand the soldiers' pride, she felt she understood her "brother's" desire to ask if the military personnel of this country truly understood what they should be protecting.
◇ ◇ ◇
Yugen quietly observed the situation from the east side of Uji Bridge. The east gate of the base was entrusted to Orthodox magicians, while the west gate was heavily guarded by 'Traditionalist' magicians. He no longer intended to let him see what lay ahead.
As he listened to the explosions and roars coming from the base, thinking of the people fighting there, Kousen spoke to him.
"Yugen-san, a sedan is heading this way from the south gate."
Yugen was aware that Kousen, like Tatsuya, possessed 'Elemental Sight.' However, even with the same 'Elemental Sight,' Kousen, being well-versed in ancient magic, understood the flow of Psions found in ancient techniques.
Since he confirmed Zhou Gongjin was in the sedan, Yugen did not hesitate to pull the trigger of 'Odin,' forcibly activating the sedan's collision avoidance system with 'Chidori.' Seeing this, Kousen extended his right hand towards the car, and magic caused the engine to explode.
Zhou Gongjin narrowly escaped and launched an attack with a phantom beast, but the beast vanished into mist before it could reach. This was an unprecedented experience for Zhou, and since he couldn't understand the cause, Zhou Gongjin's decision was to flee.
Not only Kujou Kousen but also the person Zhou most feared—Kagurazaka Yugen—was present. If he believed the ominous premonition from last spring, fighting itself was an act of "suicide," hence his current action.