Chapter Sixty-seven: Patch note
Friday Morning.
During a very ungodly hour was when she had been summoned.
She was still in her pajamas when she cranked an eye open.
She sat slumped in her commander's seat with exhaustion written plainly across her face.
Two days.
Not even two full days of space.
And she had already been thrust into solving yet another Spirit hunt.
Her shoulders sagged as the thought crossed her mind.
Well, at least she had it better than most.
And yes, this was very weird.
But she was thankful they had managed to resolve things like they did on Monday.
"Uhm, Commander, please look at this…"
One of the Fraxinus crew members spoke up, their voice hesitant.
Kotori groggily lifted her head and turned toward the monitor.
A strange silence filled the bridge.
Even Reine, who was usually half-asleep at this hour, had completely lost her drowsiness.
She sat on her seat still as her eyes fixed on the screen, not saying a word.
"Nngh? What's going—"
Kotori stopped mid-sentence.
At first, she instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of the monitor.
The light stabbed at her vision.
She groaned softly.
Then, she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm, letting out a small, almost cute moan as she did.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and…
"Eh?"
Those words left her lips in confusion, as she blinked three times.
On the fourth blink, her hand brushed across her face as if to wipe away the lingering sleep.
Impatiently, she thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out two familiar objects.
With practiced motions, she fastened them onto her twin-tails.
Only after doing that did she finally exhale, sinking back against the backrest of her chair.
Her posture straightened slightly.
"Unfortunately, we woke up to this too."
Kannazuki muttered the words with his expression worn and tired.
His usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
"I was making my usual research rounds this morning when I saw this."
Kozue Minowa looked at the back of the room where Kotori sat almost timidly.
"Ahhh, I can't believe the greatest friend turned into an enemy."
Bad Marriage had his elbow planted on his desk, his face buried into his arm as he spoke.
None of them here thought what they saw was an exaggeration.
…not even for a second.
[Wanted]
[Name: Morgan Sinclair]
[Age: 17 years]
[Identifier: X, formerly Ogre]
[Classification: Ascended Wizard, Top Three Strongest Wizard]
[Rank: SSS]
[Movement patterns: Calculated, Precise, Efficient, Never out of moves]
[Remark]
• If the target is sighted, do not attempt to engage. Flee on sight and immediately report to any AST personnel.
• If he is seen accompanied by a girl named Artemisia, you are ordered to evacuate several kilometers away.
• Under no circumstances should any Wizard encounter and face these two.
"That… guy?"
Kotori's lips slackened as the words escaped her.
Several additional files were attached to the report they were all staring at.
Despite DEM and Asgard being constantly at each other's throats,
…there were rare occasions where information was exchanged between the two factions.
This was one of those times.
That was also how DEM seemingly knew the nicknames given to Spirits.
One could even say their database in that regard was almost the same.
Yet, as they opened more notes.
[Report]
[Wednesday ###, afternoon]
•
• Triggered a false spacequake alarm, fooling DEM's analysis systems into generating a nonexistent spacequake.
• The chaos was used to infiltrate the Research Facility.
• During the incident, he encountered formerly
• He also encountered multiple Wizards, all of whom he neutralized with ease.
• All forms of Territory and technique are meaningless against them.
• Worse. During the engagement,
[Remark]
by Issac Ray Pelham Westcott.
["Hahahaha! That madman actually used his brain!"]
Once more,
The Fraxinus crew fell into silence.
For some reason, seeing Westcott's remark felt like a direct insult.
Yet, that wasn't all—
[Research note]:
Advanced Computational Domain.
by DEM Research head
When a micro-realizer is implanted, it opens an unseen pathway.
A connection to what should normally not exist.
One could say it is not entirely technology.
Yet, the fundamentals still follow established rules.
However, to maintain these powers, one must constantly use their brain's natural processing power.
Yet, no matter how much one uses them, it's always inefficient.
And these abilities distort the brain waves of the Wizard in question.
ACD—short for Advanced Computational Domain—is different.
Those who possess it can use more than a hundred percent of their brain.
No.
Saying 'hundred percent' alone is not accurate.
This phenomenon is genuinely fundamental, it goes way beyond the norms.
[Further note]:
•
• Mimicking them, as far as current research goes, is downright impossible.
by DEM HQ's analyst
A deep silence once engulfed the room, as a heavy weight pushed their backs forward.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Rather, in the first place—
"Just when did this guy even travel over?"
Kotori leaned forward, rubbing her forehead.
She still couldn't believe that Shidou had been friends with someone this dangerous.
Worse, they were granted the rank of SSS.
In the first place, Tohka, the strongest Spirit known so far, was only ranked S.
"Exaggeration?"
No?
Her brows furrowed.
Then her mind reeled back to last week, to that display of his strength back then.
'...so all those strange moves are the cause?'
But the more she thought about it—
"Isn't that guy's growth way too explosive!?"
She gritted her teeth, clenching her fist, but nobody replied.
Kotori glanced at Kannazuki.
The blond-haired man simply looked up at the monitor, then calmly turned to her.
"I believe you would need to see this too, commander."
Kotori's face stiffened even more.
Slowly, almost unwillingly, her head creaked as she turned towards the monitor in front.
…sure enough.
[Wanted]
[Name: Artemisia Bell Ashcroft]
[Age: 18 years]
[Identifier: Saint, formerly Stolen Lovers]
[Classification: Ascended Wizard, Top Three Strongest Wizard]
[Rank: SSS]
[Movement patterns: Overwhelming, Coordinated]
[Status: Defected]
[Remark]
• Before meeting
• After becoming an ascendant Wizard, her capabilities have been boosted further.
• To what extent? It is unknown.
[Note]:
from onlooker Wizards:
— What do you mean they generated lasers from thin air!? How is that even possible!?
— …And his attacks suddenly bypassed our protective Territory. I need therapy.
That was the limit.
"...that's something."
It didn't take any more enlightenment to realize that this was no longer an exaggeration.
DEM was many things—
However, they were not the type to joke or fabricate about things like this.
Just as the frustration crept in.
«Commander, you have an incoming call from Headquarters»
The screen was suddenly replaced by a deep blue, dimming the harsh white light.
A circle pulsed on the screen as a voice resounded.
"Please pick it up, Maria."
«Understood.»
Immediately, the screen changed once more into a live video feed.
Appearing on it was a man.
Long white hair tied into a ponytail rested over his shoulder, glasses perched on his nose.
He looked to be in his mid to late forties, seated in a wheelchair.
Standing beside him was a woman with Nordic blonde hair and a youthful figure.
"Commander Itsuka Kotori, I take it you have seen the information we provided."
The man's tone was gruff and slow.
Yet as he spoke, his lips curled slightly into a wry smile.
Kotori nodded.
"That's good then. We have no idea how these two will affect things, so—"
Before he could continue, Kotori's expression stiffened once more.
Should we tell him?
Kotori considered.
However, Kannazuki glanced at her, oddly pinpointing the cause of her worry at such a moment.
"Sir, apologies for interrupting. However, that Wizard—Morgan Sinclair…"
"…He was attending Raizen High prior to the disaster."
"What's more, he happens to be Itsuka Shidou's friend."
The man through the video froze hearing Kannazuki's words.
Slowly, his eyes turned toward Kotori.
"Commander, is that true?"
Kotori huffed, first shooting Kannazuki a glare.
Then she raised her head.
"Yes. It's true."
"…Is that so? Then this makes things easier."
He folded his hands.
"Just as you've seen, even Isaac holds him in such high regard. If that's the case, then the reports must be accurate."
His face was solemn as he spoke.
Which only made the jargon-filled reports they had just read feel all the more real.
Coming from this man, it carried weight..
"Well then, I wish you good luck in your endeavors."
As his words faded, the screen turned black, replaced once more by the earlier report.
Silence settled over the room.
Reine, who had been quiet all this time, casted a knowing glance toward Kotori where she sat.
"So? What do we do, Kotori?"
"What else? Let's keep this from Shidou for now and have him focus on his mission."
She believed telling him would only worry him.
After all, Shidou genuinely seems to like Morgan as a friend.
Kotori was worried about that.
Then again, he wasn't a DEM personnel, which was also concerning.
She had no knowledge of his alignment.
And people like that were usually bad news.
Yet, amidst all that, she could only hope she doesn't have to know whatever ACD is.
Meanwhile,
Airspace.
—said male in question, seated quietly in a private jet.
Near the window, endless white clouds stretched beyond sight.
It was peaceful, save for the constant low hum of the engines.
Yet, at this very moment..
*Snoooore—!
A powerful snore shattered the stillness, yanking him out of his thoughts.
Morgan's head slowly snapped to the side, platinum hair tumbling into his view.
"Asleep again? You lazy bum."
His expression twitched as he reached out, grabbing her head without hesitation.
"Mmm… Brother…"
He tried pushing her away.
But she clung to him with surprising strength as her arms tightened instinctively.
"What the— since when did you become this strong?"
"Shshs… Ish washnt plawing…"
Her lips parted sleepily as a mixture of gibberish and half-formed words spilled out.
Morgan exhaled through his nose.
"…Though Ash might not look like it, she's actually very hardworking."
Glancing to his left, on the two-seater across the aisle sat Artemisia and Cecile.
The latter leaned forward as her expression softened, looking at him.
"She's been pushing herself too hard lately, especially before you arrived."
That explained it.
No wonder she'd been clingy and uncharacteristically lazy since then.
Morgan let out a quiet sigh.
His lips curved faintly as his hand gently patted her platinum-blonde hair.
His fingers brushed through it with care.
"…Fine then. I suppose I can spoil you a bit longer."
Right now, they were en route to Japan.
While he and Westcott had agreed on a ceasefire for now—
Morgan knew better.
The moment those two months were up, pressure would resume.
And he couldn't afford to waste time in leisure forever.
"By the way, what's Japan like?"
Once again, the girls initiated conversation.
Morgan responded while drawing his sister closer, allowing her weight to settle against him.
He turned toward them as shadows partially covered his face, his lips lifting into a knowing smile.
"A very dangerous place. Ignore its beauty and culture, it's a very dangerous place."
"Especially the place you'll be living from now on."
Morgan ended with a quiet 'kekekeke', earning visible beads of sweat from the girls' faces.
It may seem like Morgan was joking, however…
"Well, Clair isn't joking, hahaha."
Artemisia covered it up with an awkward laugh of her own.
Having seen his memories firsthand, she understood better than anyone.
"How so?"
Cecile tilted her head slightly.
"Well, there's a Spirit stronger than me, one that manipulates time, another one, space, light, future, and so on."
Artemisia recounted it casually, recalling how he had listed them in his memories without a hint of concern.
Cecile finally understood.
That was what Morgan meant by dangerous.
"You say that too casually, Sia."
"Mm. Clair isn't worried about it, plus I've also grown stronger too."
Artemisia made a small gesture of strength, clenching her fist lightly to show Cecile she was fine.
Even so, the part about Spirits, in plural, stronger than Artemisia made Cecile uneasy.
"Why the wariness? You have me, and even my unreliable aunt, as well as many others who support me."
As he said that, Morgan once more patted Ashley's head.
His palm gently brushed through her hair.
She melted further into him instantly.
"Weesssh~"
Cecile stared for a brief moment.
Instinctively, her hand went to her chest.
Right.
Even though Maya had no intention of killing her, she had still been at death's door.
It was only thanks to Leo applying first aid, and Morgan treating her afterward, that she had survived.
"Well, I suppose so."
Cecile smiled faintly before continuing.
"So? What's your aim this time?"
Morgan turned his gaze toward the window, tapping his chin thoughtfully, then—
"First off, establish a place."
After all, even before now, he had received such invitations.
He had simply declined them.
But since things had turned out this way, there was no longer a reason to refuse.
They could focus entirely on developing many other helpful devices.
Things like full-dive technology, and while doing so, secretly advance other research.
"Next, I plan on focusing on ACP with Sia next. We have lots to learn after all."
Cecile nodded in understanding.
At this point, both Morgan and Artemisia were their lynchpin.
That much was obvious.
"And lastly…"
Cecile's shut eyes tightened slightly as she turned her head.
Though she couldn't see, being near Artemisia granted her a passive sense.
Coupled with her other heightened senses, she could feel it.
She knew what both of them were doing.
Both had smiles on their faces, as their heads turned toward her in unison.
"Create an «Angel»."
Cecile's lips parted dumbfoundedly.
To some extent, she understood what they were talking about.
No, it didn't make sense, but...
"Why are you talking like you're involved?"
She turned to Artemisia.
"Because I am?"
"No, that doesn't explain anything."
"It doesn't?"
Cecile staggered, her hand brushing against her brows.
Yup, their Artemisia is back.
Far, far beyond.
In another world, so to speak.
A desert expanse.
Despite the sun appearing vague in the sky, light still shone upon the land.
Spilling across the dunes and illuminating the endless stretch of sand.
And there, across that land, a sole figure walked.
Her steps steady yet almost aimless, leaving faint footsteps behind her.
Her clothes were traditional white, accented with red.
While a brown cloth wrapped around her body, fluttering softly with each step.
Yet, despite the seemingly vague heat in the air.
She showed no signs of fatigue.
Tfffpt—
Just as the girl took a step forward, she stumbled.
It wasn't as though she tripped over anything visible.
Rather, it was an internal factor that betrayed her.
"Kuh! Again…"
She muttered, her other hand immediately rising to clutch her right eye.
Vrrrrm—
The shadow cast by her veil covered her face.
But slowly, the light slipped beneath it, illuminating her features.
Her pupils were… glitching. Vrrr!
"So, that guy is close already? Kuh."
Once more, she bit her lip hard as a figure flashed vividly through her mind.
"His influence has reached here already."
She spat the words with visible frustration.
"Both of you doing however you like… and you… trying to use this place as your ritual ground…"
Slowly, she straightened her posture and rose back to her feet.
Her steps resumed as she continued forward through the desert.
"I won't allow it."