(No presence nearby... but the fact that eyes are on me means they definitely perceive me as Tatsuya.)
Even so, wasting time here to reduce Tatsuya's potential footholds was out of the question. Yugen drained his coffee cup, settled the bill at the automated kiosk, and stepped outside. The street was normally quite busy, yet it had been deliberately cleared of passersby. It was undoubtedly the work of magic.
While stepping back into a crowded area was an option, Yugen deliberately headed toward a secluded location—the park where Tatsuya and Lina had faced off in the original story.
"Runaway soldiers have acquired Target A."
"Maintain monitoring. Are civilian diversions holding up?"
"No civilians detected within the operational zone."
Listening to the conversation between the field unit and her superior, Tsukasa Toyama smiled quietly. So far, the operation was proceeding smoothly.
(Control of the [Puppets] remains stable. It's a shame the puppet spell couldn't affect the Satellite-class, but as a result, the fidelity of the reenactment is even higher.)
Tsukasa was the architect of this operation. Although the officer commanding the scene held the rank of Second Lieutenant—making Tsukasa his subordinate in military hierarchy—the fact that she held practical command was largely due to the secret pact between the Toyama family and the National Defense Forces, extending all the way to the Intelligence Department's leadership.
She had intentionally recreated the scene from February of last year when Tatsuya was attacked by Lina wielding the Brionac. The goal was to trick Tatsuya into thinking it was a exact rehash of that incident. So far, it seemed to be working.
(Since we lack a major piece like Angie Sirius this time, the outcome is practically foregone... but I have high expectations, Young Master of the Yotsuba.)
With a painted-on smile, Tsukasa watched the scene unfold with a serene expression.
(12 enemies. No firearms... even with magic, they are practically empty-handed.)
Disguised as Tatsuya, Yugen had already picked up on their hostility and assessed their armaments and condition. Furthermore, unlike Tatsuya, his deep mastery of Ancient Magic allowed him to instantly identify the spell cast on them. The enemies appeared to be Stardust, but beyond the Psion disruption caused by their enhancement procedures, he noticed command spells placed upon them.
(This feel... [Puppetry Technique]? Since no Satellite-class are among them, their caliber is obvious. And as for who is controlling them... as expected, the Intelligence Department. The ones who attacked the USNA forces were also their associates.)
Unlike Tatsuya's [Elemental Sight], which traced causality, Yugen's [Osiris Sight] relied on the "engraved information" of the target, allowing him to grasp even the details of last night's attack. The soldiers subjected to the puppet spell were all Stardust, and there was no sign of Silvia Mercury, who had been his biggest concern.
He had also pinpointed the location of the Intelligence Department agents monitoring him.
(First, handle the 'Stardust'. I asked Master Kokonoe to handle the cleanup after knocking them out, so doing it in the middle of the city would stand out too much.)
To deceive their surveillance nearby, the city streets were far too conspicuous. While the original Tatsuya might have headed for a crowded place, Yugen intentionally chose a deserted park in the city center and directed his steps there.
"Target A is heading toward the central park. Instructions?"
"...Deploy the puppets to the park. Have them strike the moment the target stops moving."
Receiving the update from the field, the staff member requested orders. The Lieutenant commanding the operation felt a flicker of doubt regarding Target A's movement, but since a park would minimize civilian casualties, he issued the order after a moment's consideration.
Tsukasa, who was observing the operation's progress, shared that doubt. The original plan was to strike in the street, but Target A's actions strongly suggested an intentional effort to avoid collateral damage.
The suspicion that their moves were being read naturally arose. Yet, that was precisely why it was worth testing. At the very least, it led to the deduction that Tatsuya possessed an idealistic streak.
"Puppets have made contact with Target A. Moving to Phase 2."
The soldiers, deliberately allowed to 'escape,' made their move against Target A—or rather, Yugen disguised as Tatsuya.
He hadn't chosen the park to make Tatsuya look good, but simply to make the "cleanup" easier after retrieving the Stardust. Furthermore, with the Intelligence Department watching, close-quarters combat was far easier to fake than long-range magic.
A deserter brandished a knife reinforced with magic, aiming for the tendons in Yugen's arm. Seeing this, Yugen stepped into the soldier's inner guard, drove a fist into his solar plexus, and altered the Pushion information from the point of contact. By doing so, the soldier's natural life-preservation instinct—sleep—overcame the coercive force of the [Puppetry Technique], instantly neutralizing him.
The technique of transferring Spirit Particle interference directly into an opponent without emitting Pushions externally existed in neither Modern nor Ancient Magic. Even so, given his apparent age, it was easy to assume observers would view him through the lens of a magician—a "Yotsuba"—rather than a martial artist.
(Honestly, I understand why young Yakumo refrains from stepping in directly, but the Intelligence Department folks are something else. Do they really need to adhere so strictly to standard metrics?)
Even with the Okinawa invasion—despite the changes from the original storyline—it could easily have been occupied without Tatsuya. Because Yugen had wiped out the main assault force himself, the Great Asian Alliance had toned down their offensive significantly. On the flip side, he gained the moniker [Titania the Executioner], a title he deeply resented for treating him like something inhuman.
While lost in thought, he systematically neutralized the approaching soldiers, taking their weapons just in case. In less than three minutes, every attacking soldier lay incapacitated.
(I'm worried whether Miyuki and Mizunami will overdo it, but as a backup, Tatsuya is standing by, along with Fumiya and Ayako-chan.)
Even if this was a test, endangering uninvolved civilians meant the Intelligence Department wouldn't go unpunished. He had already provided Miyuki and Mizunami with countermeasures against [Cast Jamming], including Antinite, and Tatsuya went without saying.
Slowly pulling out his terminal, Yugen uttered a single line as soon as the call connected:
"---Please handle the 'cleanup'."
Muttering those words, he slipped the terminal back into his coat without waiting for a reply, took a powerful step forward, and broke into a run.
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