Kenji hated leaving the water tower. The IAB headquarters, by contrast, smelled like stale coffee, cheap printer toner, and the active stress of hundreds of underpaid Enforcers. He navigated the sterile white halls with a weary slump, the terrifying Code Delta report having officially ruined his entire day.
He walked straight into the Tactical Briefing Room, a chamber that reeked of political maneuvering. Commander Elara, the senior Handler assigned to monitor the sector's highest-risk assets, was already at the holographic table. Her severe posture and tightly controlled Mana signature were a constant, grating reminder of the rules Kenji despised.
"Grandmaster Kenji," Elara said, her voice dry as parchment. "Your analysis of the Code Delta?"
Kenji didn't bother sitting. "Haruka's a portal specialist. She uses massive, undisciplined Warp Jujutsu to open gates. Akira, the former Master Enforcer, hates mess. He is using a specialized counter-Jujutsu to clean up the Mana fallout. We're looking for chaos contained by impossible precision. One crime, two contradictory magical signatures."
Elara's expression remained skeptical. "The contradiction is what's stalling us. We need a way to track both the 'splatter' and the 'lock.'"
The Hybrid Enforcers
As if on cue, the door slid open, and the two Enforcers Kenji was assigned to manage—the "Hybrid Assets"—entered the room, embodying the very contradiction the IAB was trying to solve.
Ren, a 3rd Grade Enforcer, moved with the minimalist grace of a timepiece, his Mana signature a tightly coiled, low-frequency hum. He represented pure efficiency.
Sora, also 3rd Grade, followed with the subtle, chaotic sway of a pendulum, radiating a faint, high-frequency kinetic field. She was latent, raw power.
"Enforcers Ren and Sora reporting for duty," Ren stated, his voice calm and concise.
"We've reviewed the residual Mana flow from the site," Sora added, leaning forward eagerly. Her hands twitched slightly, not from nervousness, but from the restless kinetic energy she constantly managed. "The signal isn't fractured; it's fused. Haruka's signature—massive, loud, and messy—was instantly locked into a perfectly rigid structure by a Mana application we can't classify."
Kenji nodded. "That's why you two are here. You're the only Jujutsu Hybrids in this sector—the only ones who inherited the capacity to blend and track these opposed Mana applications."
He pointed to Ren. "Ren is the Snap Cast Master."
"My ability is Mana Compaction," Ren explained, his gaze unwavering. "I maintain tracking and neutralization spells in a state of near-quantum readiness. I don't cast; I activate. This Zero-Lag Mana Deployment grants me the perfect sensitivity to detect Akira's Lock."
Kenji took over, describing the methodology. "Akira didn't just hide the portal; he forced its Mana into an unnatural, rigid structure. Only Ren, with his ability to deploy flawless, compressed Mana, can read the structural flaw in Akira's perfect control. He tracks the improbability."
Next, he gestured toward Sora, who was eager for her turn. "Sora is the Kinetic Master."
"I specialize in Kinetic Mana Augmentation," Sora said, flexing her fingers. "I channel high-volume Mana into shimmering, tangible Concussion Webs. Because my power is naturally chaotic and requires constant energy output, I can sense the Warp Splatter—the messy, unsustainable residue Haruka left behind."
"Sora finds the general area by tracking the sheer volume and chaos of Haruka's Warp Jujutsu," Kenji summarized. "Ren then pinpoints the exact entry point by tracking the geometric perfection of Akira's counter-spell."
Elara finally looked convinced, but a different suspicion crept into her voice. "Grandmaster, you've known Akira's tactical mind for years. Why this sudden, intricate betrayal? What are they fueling?"
Kenji finally pushed himself off the wall, a rare demonstration of physical effort. "They're kidnapping low-grade Enforcers. Akira knows they're disposable. Their Mana is being harvested to fuel something bigger than a simple hideout. Akira's ambition was always to prove that pure, controlled magic was superior to the IAB's reliance on flashy, chaotic spells."
He met Elara's gaze. "Now he's got the brute force he needed in Haruka, and the time to prove his theory. They're going to hit us where we're strongest. Find the fusion point, Ren, Sora. That intersection is the key. I'll be in my office, monitoring remotely. Get the job done before I'm forced to reschedule my afternoon ramen."
As the two Hybrid Enforcers dashed out—Ren with calculated steps, Sora with a barely contained spring in her stride—Kenji let the lazy facade drop entirely. The former Master Enforcer had deliberately created a threat only Kenji's own hidden Dark Magic was truly equipped to handle. Akira wasn't just planning a crime; he was creating a paradoxical magical threat designed to force the Grandmaster's hand.
Kenji's quiet life was officially over.