✦ ✦ ✦
Their last encounter had ended in a stalemate, but neither party had been fully committed. This didn’t mean that they were holding back; they simply couldn’t justify killing one another in the moment.
Next time, however, Minoru had no intention of cutting corners. Battling Tatsuya was different from a face-off with Katsuto. In Tatsuya’s case, it wasn’t just a matter of clashing ideals. It was a battle of wills, a struggle that touched the very core of Minoru’s existence. To continue backing down from the fight would be as if he were admitting that what he was doing was wrong.
That said, if Minoru were to go all out, the battle would probably end in mutual destruction. That would be meaningless. If he failed, he could no longer save Minami.
Minoru found himself trapped in this dilemma. And though he hadn’t fully acknowledged it, this wasn’t the only concern gnawing at him. He and Tatsuya had been evenly matched the last time they fought, but since then, Tatsuya could have come up with new magic specifically to counter parasites.
Minoru had acquired many new spells by absorbing Gongjin’s knowledge. But Gongjin was still just a spirit. He couldn’t create anything new. Tatsuya, on the other hand, was backed by the Yotsuba family’s former Lab Four and Yakumo Kokonoe, one of Japan’s top ancient magic practitioners. What Minoru truly feared deep down wasn’t Tatsuya’s strength. It was the collective wisdom of Tatsuya and those around him.
“So you want us to fight Tatsuya?” Regulus asked.
Minoru nodded. “You don’t have to defeat him. I just need you to make sure he is out of the way when I go pick up the girl.”
“A diversion,” Regulus noted.
“Exactly.”
“That sounds lazy, if you ask me!” Raymond interjected on the verge of hysterics. “If Tatsuya is in your way, then crush him. Otherwise, he’ll just go after you once you kidnap your girl.”
Minoru frowned at Raymond’s tone but kept his cool.
“You can crush him if you want. But I will transform the girl into a parasite the same day, if she agrees. If she doesn’t, I’ll have her home in a matter of hours.”
“Coward!” Raymond yelled. “Do you really love this girl? If you’re going as far as to kidnap her, it seems strange to willingly give her back!”
“That’s enough, Raymond,” Regulus chided him.
But Raymond didn’t hear him.
“Tatsuya is in everyone’s way! It’s time he disappeared!”
“I said cool it!” Regulus bellowed with a strong hand on the boy’s shoulder.
He turned to Minoru. “Sorry about that.”
“I don’t mind,” Minoru said.
And he really looked like he meant it.
“I think we should get rid of Tatsuya, too, but I’m happy to prioritize your goals,” Regulus said.
“Thank you,” Minoru replied.
“But if we can defeat him, you wouldn’t mind, right?”
“Of course not.” Minoru smiled.
There was a slight but imperceptible lag to his answer.
✦ ✦ ✦
After spending the morning on Miyaki Island, Tatsuya headed to First High in the afternoon and spent his class time in the library. Once dismissal rolled around, he headed to the disciplinary committee headquarters instead of the student council room.
“Is Mikihiko here?” he called.
“Tatsuya!” Mikihiko exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were at school today.”
Luckily, he had desk work instead of rounds this day, so he was right where Tatsuya was looking for him.
“I’ve only been here since noon,” Tatsuya said.
A small, shadowed figure tried to quietly slip past him as he spoke. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t go unnoticed.
“How are you holding up, Kasumi?” Tatsuya asked.
Kasumi reluctantly stopped in her tracks.
“…I’m fine,” she murmured. “Thanks for asking.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Tatsuya said.
She gave him a curt bow and skittered out of the room.
“Did something happen?” Mikihiko asked quizzically.
The exchange was awkward enough that it made perfect sense for him to ask. But Tatsuya had other things to take care of.
“Don’t worry about it. I came to ask you for a favor,” he said.
“Me?”
Tatsuya nodded. “Remember what I told you about Minoru?”
Mikihiko turned pale, realizing the favor had to do with parasites.
“Of course,” he replied slowly.
“He showed up near Minami’s hospital the other night.”
“Wait, then that means…” Mikihiko trailed off with a look of realization.
He quickly went around locking up the disciplinary committee room. Then he took out a talisman to seal off the room with a barrier. Once he was done, he turned back to Tatsuya.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Take a seat.”
“Sure.”
The boys sat across from each other at a long table.
“Let me get this straight,” Mikihiko began hesitantly. “You fought Minoru two days ago?”
“Right.” Tatsuya nodded calmly. “I wasn’t physically injured, but Minoru put me to sleep with illusion magic. I also got hit by an oxygen deprivation spell, so I was worried about any lasting effects. Luckily, I’m fine, though.”
“That’s a relief,” Mikihiko said, noticeably more comforted than Tatsuya.
He leaned forward. “So what do you need from me? If you’re trying to capture Minoru, I’m more than happy to help.”
As he had said on Monday, Mikihiko firmly believed that dealing with parasites was originally the responsibility of ancient magic practitioners like himself.
“I definitely might need your help eventually,” Tatsuya replied. “But today, I came to ask you to guide my training.”
“What training?” Mikihiko asked, puzzled.
Tatsuya explained the details of his training plan.
“Unfortunately, I only have time after school, so you’ll need to take a break from your disciplinary committee duties for a while. Can you do that?”
“Are you kidding?” Mikihiko chuckled.
It amused him how, despite dealing with Minami’s illness and the threat of supernatural beings, Tatsuya was still concerned about something as trivial as his extracurricular responsibilities. His friend’s sense of duty struck Mikihiko as oddly endearing.
“How could anyone think disciplinary committee work is more important than your training?” he continued. “Besides, I was just thinking of passing down the role of committee chairman. This is the perfect opportunity.”
Mikihiko readily agreed to Tatsuya’s request.