Hajime loved the fact that his [Grimoire] had made him more perceptive and able to read those around him more easily.
He found it almost difficult not to laugh at the situation.
Right now, he was at home, having breakfast with his little sister and mother before going to school.
It might seem normal, but it wasn't to his eyes. Every person working at the house, whether a guard or a simple servant, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Every move they made was perfect — more than perfect, in fact. They couldn't afford mistakes, not now that Goto was furious, for reasons they would never know.
No one wanted to be in his crosshairs when he was angry. Being fired on the spot would have been the best outcome if they even slightly irritated their boss.
"(Aaaah, seeing him so out of himself almost makes me want to laugh. It's the least he deserves for what he did to us... even his colleagues aren't doing well, hehe... I wonder if I'm becoming a sadist?)."
A week had passed since Yuki Mikan's death.
After killing her, Hajime had joined his companions at the agreed meeting point. From there, they fled together into the city in a stolen van, but not before removing their gear and leaving it with a member of [New Dawn].
That man ensured he could access a crematorium that very night. Some cash allowed the [New Dawn] to dump all their equipment there without much trouble.
They couldn't be too cautious; the [Black Corps] would send the best of the best after them. Not coincidentally, Fumio had sprayed special perfume on his trainees to hide their scent and had their belongings cleaned to erase fingerprints.
Every piece of evidence had to vanish, despite all these security measures, including Kuro and Kimiko's weapons, which they reluctantly agreed to destroy for their safety and that of their trusted partners.
Upon arriving in the city, Goto's stepson rushed home, pretending to have gone out for a few hours to walk around the central district as usual. Luckily, a bit of Kimiko's [healing magic] restored him, and the rest of his injuries would heal on their own overnight.
The next day, Hajime had to use every ounce of self-control he possessed not to laugh in front of his stone-faced stepfather.
Even his mother and Kaori immediately understood that the man's bad mood wasn't caused by the simple fact of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
The leader of the [Black Corps] hadn't returned home for at least 15 hours after that morning. And when he finally did, it was clear to everyone that his mood had been replaced by a notable amount of anger, which put everyone on alert.
Hajime also made sure to keep his distance from him. He didn't want a repeat of their last confrontation.
[Latest news: last evening, a [Black Corps] agent's house was razed by fire. Authorities' initial report excludes arson, attributing the blaze to a gas leak—]
On the evening of the seventh day, the news opened with this story. The young [magician] immediately made the connection with what had happened during his last mission.
"(Bah... if by 'house' they mean a mansion, and by 'gas leak' it's a [White Corps] using flames, then yes, that's exactly what happened...)"
[-at least 27 victims have been confirmed so far, all gathered there for a party.]
Hearing those words, Hajime's blood ran cold. The news was showing photos of people, who definitely weren't the enemies he and his allies had fought.
"(They must have been the guests at the party... they were killed to silence them? Yeah, that's something that bastard would do.....)"
The 17-year-old didn't know how to feel about this.
Killing those who wanted to kill you seemed natural. Maybe it was the [Grimoire] speaking, or not, but he could justify his actions with a simple "they weren't innocent civilians," though it left a bitter taste in his mouth, knowing that innocent people had been killed because of his actions and those of his companions.
A thought crossed his mind as he tried to rationalize his actions.
"(Why don't I feel guilty for having killed her? It was the first time I killed someone coldly... my first 'real' murder, and it didn't feel different... should it have?)"
At that moment, Hajime was shaken briefly, for reasons he couldn't even understand. Maybe it was the awareness that killing Yuki Mikan had made him feel better?
"(Was I happy to have killed her? Or was I just glad to have foiled Goto's plans?)"
"Big brother, are you okay?" (Kaori)
Fortunately, the dark train of thought he was following was abruptly stopped by Kaori's voice.
"Yeah, I'm just a bit sleepy... I'm going to school, see you later."
"Ah... okay..."
Hajime realized that wasn't a very convincing lie, but for now, it would do.
"(I need to talk to Fumio-sensei... when can I go back to the base?)"
It had been a week since the young [magician] visited the underground base. Orders from above advised them to avoid any suspicion now that he had struck Goto so directly.
Fumio seemed very reluctant when he gave those orders, as if he knew he'd face problems once he digested everything that had happened.
As he prepared to leave for school, Hajime couldn't stop thinking about the woman he had killed. Maybe his stepfather's anger wasn't just about Yuki Mikan's death.
*****************Six days earlier.
The day after Goto learned what had happened to his resource.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhh! Please... stop!"
"I'll take your teeth one by one if you don't tell me what you know!"
"I-I don't know... Ughh... please..."
"I'll do the same to your wife and daughter! They're in the next room! Do you still want to lie to me!?!?"
One of the [White Corps], specifically one of the technicians responsible for Yuki Mikan's villa security, was tied to a battered chair inside a prison cell, somewhere.
His body had been tortured — beatings, and his fingernails forcibly torn out, and now one of his torturers was extracting his teeth with pliers.
Why all this? Simple. He had failed his mission, and Goto never forgave that.
Not only him, but all his surviving colleagues and their families were undergoing similar interrogations.
Women, children, and the elderly, tied up, were suffering through hell, and no one would come to rescue them.
From his office, Goto observed the various "interrogations" through security cameras in the cells.
So far, no one had spoken because no one knew anything. They weren't responsible for organizing Yuki Mikan's murder — Goto's [Black Corps] leader knew that — but he had to set an example. He couldn't afford further mistakes from his subordinates.
"(Traitors... there are traitors... nothing new, but who are they working for? Shogun? No, I would have known immediately; I understand how they think... so who!? Who's trying to dethrone me?)"
While immersed in his thoughts, the father of Kaori looked at the wanted posters he had been given.
"(They act masked... secrecy, huh? ...a lone vigilante cell? Or a larger group?)"
His reasoning was interrupted when his office phone rang, it was his secretary.
"I told you I don't want—"
"Sir, someone wants to speak with you. They say their name is Mary, and she's a [White Corps] from our district."
"...let her in."
A few minutes later, a woman with dyed green hair and blue eyes entered Goto's office.
"This place still has terrible security. All it takes is a stolen badge from a [White Corps], say your name, and they'll roll out the red carpet." (Mary)
"Nobody uses my name carelessly." (Goto)
"I know. Even if you didn't offer it, I'll sit down. Let's get started: it wasn't me. I wouldn't have organized Yuki Mikan's murder if I were you. Actually, I liked her. It's a real shame. At least she had a quick death? I would have just broken her neck." (Mary)
"So why did you run away?"
"'Run away'? That's a strong word. I was tracking the killers. I wanted to at least get something from them, you know... to trace them. I got to a crematorium, but they destroyed everything, only ashes remained when I arrived. I interrogated the staff and the owner; they only took a bribe from a guy they couldn't even describe... oh, you should send someone to clean that up."
Her confident smile and arrogant attitude infuriated Goto like never before, yet he didn't do anything to stop her. She was too valuable, at least for now.
"You failed your mission. You were supposed to keep her alive." (Goto)
"Yeah, but I can fix that. You didn't tell Vice-Admiral what happened, did you?" (Mary)
"...." (Goto)
"I take that as a yes. Fortunately for you, I have a daughter who can change her appearance and voice, impersonating someone perfectly." (Mary)
"You idiot for telling me like that — I could very well—" (Goto)
"What? Manipulate her to bring her over? Listen to me. She was trained by me and the best soldiers on your island... she can resist for weeks, even months, before she caves. We both know the vice-admiral won't wait long." (Mary)
"What do you want, Mary?" (Goto)
"I'll tell you at the right time. You know where to find me if you accept my offer." (Mary)
Mary left the office with a confident smile and her arrogant demeanor intact.
Only after a few minutes did Goto stop dwelling on everything that had happened. His stone-cold face betrayed a limitless rage.
"THAT DAMN BITCH!"
Using his magnetic magic, Goto instantly bent all the metallic objects in his office — cameras, sensors, computers and crushing them as if they were crumpled paper balls.
While raging like a madman, a figure stepped out of the shadows and moved behind him, gently placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Goto-sama, should I mutilate her for you? Her bravado will be seriously... diminished, without legs or arms."
"No! I need her alive and whole! She'll be vivisected when the time comes! But for now, we'll play her game! The admiral is old, and he'll retire soon; until then, let that bitch have a small victory! But keep her under close watch! I don't care who protects her or what secrets she holds, if she tries to give me orders again, you have my permission to 'visit' her. I just want her body intact!" (Goto)
"Understood, Goto-sama."
The woman disappeared back into the shadows, leaving Goto clutching his head in frustration, teeth clenched.
"I'm a king! I'm a king! I'm a king! A few masked guys won't make me falter!"