“But in this case, the exact mechanism doesn’t really matter,” he continued, staring Tatsuya straight in the eyes. “Either way, the safety is destroyed. That’s what’s important. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, that’s true,” Tatsuya agreed wholeheartedly. “Are you worried Minami might suddenly be affected by an unintentional initiation of her magic-calculation region and suffer serious damage?”
“Exactly. Minami’s current condition increases the likelihood of the tragedy all engineered magicians face becoming a reality.”
“But I thought you said there was no way to repair the magic-calculation region,” Tatsuya mused. “Or are the safety mechanisms a different story?”
When Minoru hesitated to respond, Tatsuya added, “Minoru, it sounds like you brought us a solution today.”
Minoru looked down at the floor to escape Tatsuya’s piercing gaze.
“…I did,” he replied curtly.
“So what is it?”
“……”
“Minoru.” Tatsuya stood up from his stool and took a half step sideways toward the bed as if to shield Miyuki and Minami. “What have you become?”
Minoru finally raised his head, his lips curling upward. Tatsuya didn’t soon forget that smile. It was eerily similar to the one Gongjin Zhou had flashed at him in Kyoto.
“Does this answer your question?” Minoru asked.
Miyuki jumped to her feet. Even she recognized the unnerving psion waves that Minoru was suddenly emitting.
“Is that—a parasite?!” Miyuki gasped.
Minami simply stared wide-eyed. Though Tatsuya was standing between them, her eyes were fixed on Minoru.
“No need to worry,” Minoru said, standing up from his own stool and flashing Miyuki and Tatsuya a smile that had lost all trace of Gongjin. “I’m a Kudou. We literally created Parasidolls. Besides, I’m the second-greatest magician after my grandfather. I’ve been trained in controlling parasites.”
“There’s one thing you have wrong,” Tatsuya said.
Minoru furrowed his brow, confused by what this meant.
“You’re not the second-greatest magician in your family,” Tatsuya explained, completely solemn. “You’re the greatest. In fact, you’re the most prominent magician among all the twenty-eight families that have a nine in their name.”
A genuine but somewhat soulless smile spread across Minoru’s lips.
“That’s nice of you to say,” he told Tatsuya. “It means a lot to get a compliment from you.”
But even this didn’t make Tatsuya drop his guard. In fact, it made him as tense as ever.
Minoru, on the other hand, was utterly uninhibited.
“Oh, come on,” he griped, his gaze flitting between Miyuki and Tatsuya. “There’s no need to be so uptight. I might have a parasite inside, but I’m still me. My mind hasn’t been possessed. I have no desire to attack humans, and I don’t crave the things I used to lack.”
“You say that, but you were human before,” Tatsuya said. “Now you’re a parasite.”
“Well, that’s true…” Minoru looked slightly hurt, but he quickly pulled himself together and continued speaking with conviction. “Really, though. I’m still me. I’m still Minoru Kudou. With the right knowledge and power, I believe humans can merge with parasites without being controlled by them. In fact, I’m living proof of that. Parasites don’t need to be feared.”
“You don’t mean…,” Tatsuya whispered, his voice low but clear. “Are you trying to turn Minami into a parasite, too?”
Miyuki suddenly whipped out the CAD in her handbag and stood on the defensive.
“Parasite bodies are very strong against psion waves,” Minoru replied. The slight hesitation in his voice was viable proof that he hadn’t changed. “If magicians merge with parasites, they won’t ever have to worry about getting physically injured,” Minoru continued. “In fact, since parasites are so similarly close to magic, magicians can be at peace knowing that their magic-calculation region will never act up again.”
“Under regular circumstances, the right thing would be to ask Minami what she thinks,” Tatsuya said, remaining firmly between Minami and Minoru. “However, as her employer, I would like to express my thoughts on this first.”
Technically, Miyuki was Minami’s employer, but there was no time to quibble right now. Tatsuya was compelled to say his piece.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t allow you to turn Minami into a parasite,” he told Minoru.
“What?!” Minoru was genuinely surprised that Tatsuya would be against his idea. “But at this rate, she could die at any second!”
“If her magic-calculation region is genuinely at the heart of her current illness, there are ways to help without turning her into a parasite.”
“Still. It’s impossible to restore her magic-calculation region completely. If there was at least a way to restore its safety function, I wouldn’t be suggesting the parasite thing at all!”
“Safety function aside, it’s possible to seal the magic-calculation region from the outside to avoid it ever going out of control again.”
Minoru’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he took a couple of steps backward. “In other words, you’re planning to take away her magic?!”
For him, to take away a magician’s magic was the same as taking away their very sense of self. Especially since Minoru had been raised knowing only the life of a magician, Tatsuya’s suggestion sounded deplorable.
“I only want her to survive,” Tatsuya said.
“Even if that means she’s no longer a magician?!” Minoru countered.
“Humans can live without magic. She now has the option to live more peacefully as a normal girl.”
“That’s just what you want!” Minoru spat. “You have no right to take away her magic!”
“Sure, my solution would take away her magic. But, Minoru, don’t you see? Your solution would take away her very humanity.”
“Then Minami should decide! It’s her life. If she’s against becoming a parasite, I’m happy to walk away from the idea. So how about it?”
He called out to Minami, although Tatsuya still stood in the way of them making eye contact.
“I don’t want you to die, Minami!” Minoru pleaded. “I don’t want to take away your magic, either! Please—do what I did! Be like me!”
Minami looked hesitant. She had no intention of becoming a parasite. The decision to throw away her humanity entirely was not one she could make on a whim. She wasn’t sure if she could give up her magic, either, but she thought it best for Tatsuya to take the reins here. At the same time, Minoru’s words made her have second thoughts.
For better or for worse, Tatsuya’s steeled voice was strong enough to interrupt those thoughts and dismiss Minoru entirely.
“I already told you,” Tatsuya said. “The answer is no.”
“Move aside, Tatsuya! I want to speak to Minami!” Minoru insisted. Anger had entered his voice.
Suddenly, he cast a spell. It was only a teleportation spell, lacking any acceleration or deceleration, to try to move past Tatsuya.
Yet in an instant, it reached top speed like an attack. Tatsuya’s response was instinctual but precise. In an instant, he disintegrated Minoru’s magic program with Program Dispersion.
“What are you trying to pull, Minoru?” Tatsuya demanded.
“Just shut up and get out of my way!”