Tsuchimikado hung up the phone.
"Now it seems like the Croce di Pietro that Oriana and Lidvia have isn't something that they can use whenever they want to."
"Yup. They might have investigated the possible locations of the 'observatories'. According to Orsola's explanation, Lidvia might have looked for the locations and active durations of these observatories."
According to the report that Orsola Aquinas provided, Lidvia was looking for any possible observatories. That was done by going to several areas to test, compile the results, and calculate the locations. In other words, she might not have been to the 'observatory' in Academy City.
"Which means right now, what Lidvia and Oriana are doing is going there themselves to calculate the marginal error in coordinates…or something like that."
"Seems like it. Oriana was moving around this entire time because she couldn't find a suitable place to use the magic, or maybe there are some other reasons. Anyway—it's here."
At the place that Orsola indicated, located inside Academy City, besides the places that Oriana Thomson had searched through, there was still one last place left.
"Though we took a long way to get here, it seems like the situation has changed for the better. It'll be great if it's really successful."
Kamijou looked up at the sky. It was 5:20 PM, and the blue sky was gradually turning orange.
"A single location… How long has it been since when we last saw Oriana? Maybe she could have checked that place out already, and has moved on to other places?"
"Nope. I've already checked out the other places…from a constellation viewpoint, it doesn't seem very suitable. Even if it's outside, there are two areas blocked by towers, and another 3 are blocked by the leaves of trees. So, they would use this extremely open area as their final destination nya."
"An open area—hey! That's where you marked out on the map!"
"That's right. There's no other place more open than this."
Tsuchimikado said as he gave Kamijou the map that had marker markings on it. The extent of his injuries was grave; his fingers were trembling and the marked out areas weren't very obvious.
District 23.
It was a unique school district that completely specialized in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Besides the international airport that was used for foreign tourists to arrive and depart, all the other parts on the map were blank. This blank meant that it wasn't a place recommended for touring. Besides civilian aircraft, this place was where fighter jets, protectors of Academy City's airspace, and unmanned helicopters were developed. The security during Daihaseisai should be at its best. The place that Tsuchimikado had marked out with a marker on the map was right in the middle of the blank area. Looking at this, one couldn't really tell what was so different here as compared to other streets.
Seeing Kamijou's puzzled look, Tsuchimikado chuckled.
"It's the 'Ironhide Institute of Aviation Technology', a subsidiary body of the airport…it specializes in the development of a short runway in Academy City nya. For me, who knows what's going on inside, it's a different thing altogether, but for Oriana, who's here for the first time, it should be hard for her to take down this place nya."
"…However, Oriana is a magician, right? She won't even care about the defenses that Academy City set up. I don't think she's the type of person who'll care about being caught on camera."
"However, all the observatories that Oriana has been through are places where the security is rather lax. You'll understand it once you go there that she's moving from the least secured area to the most secured one. Oriana and Lidvia seem to be more cautious about Academy City than we expected…if Oriana didn't care about the security at all, she wouldn't have snuck among the crowd. Kami-yan, think about the past battles against those magicians. Do you think that Sherry Cromwell actually cared about Anti-Skill's movements?"
Now that he mentioned it, these magicians…seemed like they'd break through from the front if they could do so.
Oriana and Lidvia intended to make use of the intricate balance between the science power and the magic power during Daihaseisai. They didn't want to use their power to radically change the current situation.
Outside Academy City, there were many different magicians waiting for the chance. It was impossible for them to take on the magicians and the defenses of Academy City.
"Anyway, we can only hope that the security will somehow be able to trip Oriana up, and that we can hurry up and launch our counterattack. Basically, they're heading to the last 'observatory'. Everything will be over once we catch them there."
"What? Though it sounds easy when you say that, if we rendezvous with Oriana there, we would be wasting the same amount of time!"
Just as Kamijou was speaking, he caught sight of a red-haired priest who was rather obvious looking.
Just as he was turning around with a surprised look on his face, Stiyl Magnus was running over.
"What were you doing all this while nya. Don't tell me you ran into Oriana and Lidvia…"
"No…"
Stiyl seemed to have difficulty saying it, so Kamijou answered for him.
"Oh yeah, this guy was thanked and lot by Komoe-sensei for saving someone, being hassled by sensei, and being bothered by it. That must be what happened."
"Eh!? You…you silly amateur! I got away from that woman once I finished that call just now. Even if I use the people clearing field, once I get away from the spell boundary, I'll be caught again. I spent quite a while before I got away."
Stiyl unhappily spit out the shortened cigarette and extinguished it by stepping on it. Tsuchimikado's expression remained cold as he observed Stiyl.
"…Nya, that should be the Kami-yan disease. In this serious situation, while this Tsuchimikado-san is drenched in blood as he uses the 'all-around reality array', you're stuck in this sort of love comedy situation nya…and to think that the target isn't Index, but Komoe-sensei. You two are so weird, always so half-hearted. If you're a man, you should just focus on one and go all the way!"
"Stop talking about that Kami-yan disease. For you to say this when you're infatuated with your own stepsister, it doesn't seem real to me."
"No way! Who'd feel affectionate for his own stepsister!? I, TSUCHIMIKADO, WOULD NEVER…IT HURTS!! …My wounds will hurt once I sho…shout…"
Tsuchimikado pressed against his waist as he continued to tremble.
Kamijou tiredly shook his head.
"Let's not talk about Maika, right now, we have to focus on what to do next. The security around District 23 is really high. We don't even know how to get in."
"…Wait…wait a second, Kami-yan. Let the elite Onmyoji specialist Tsuchimikado Motoharu handle this situation…we just need to use that, that special privilege that Oriana doesn't have, but we do."
"Ah? What privilege?"
Kamijou let out a surprised sound. Tsuchimikado chuckled as he operated his phone.
"Mn. Do you know about the board chairman of Academy City nya?"