Fanfiction by: myIdentity.
Honoured one at Magic High.
Chapter three.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
The elevator doors hissed open on the ground floor with a quiet mechanical sigh.
Ayakafurushi Retsu stepped out calmly, the black rubber tip of his cane clicking softly against the marble tiles.
After taking some steps away from the elevator, he paused; his gaze suddenly turned to the right, and as he did, a faint pull at the corners of his lips as she slightly clenched his cane.
Then with no ceremony, he swung the cane sharply to his right.
"—Ugh!"
A groan resounded along with something unseen striking the wall next to the elevator with a meaty thud.
Seconds – about two seconds after that, the air around there began to warp, the illusion peeling back revealing a man crouching, holding his gut as he wheezed.
This man had a shabby appearance along with a goatee, wearing black military attire as opposed to the normal white colour the National Defence Force wears.
Underground Anti-Mage Special Unit: Jinbei Shiranui.
Slowly, he stood up, still trying to correct his ragged breathing. He knew the consequences of doing this, and he expected a little pain, but not this much.
"Ugh. Captain…" the man groaned. "Couldn't you have gone a little easy on me there?"
Retsu tilted his head slightly, looking at the man with the same blank expression as his cane tapped once more against the floor.
"I've told you many times. You just refuse to listen. And this is the punishment. Besides, stop acting as if that much pain is enough to keep you down. It's not."
The man grumbled that under his breath as he stood up, dusting off his jacket, but despite his complaint, a crooked smile tugged at his lips.
"You've got me again, Captain. Jeez. You're still a freak of nature as ever."
"Want me to shove this cane down your throat next?"
Retsu tapped his cane against the floor lightly, narrowing his eyes at the man who swallowed, returning to attention.
"Please pardon me, sir." The man drawled, half-laughing.
After that, Retsu knew humouring him wouldn't lead him anywhere, so he continued down the hallway towards the exit.
While the true nature of this organisation was akin to that of a Black Op. In reality, rather, to the outside world, they portrayed themselves as an intelligence agency.
Public Intelligence Annex 9 (PIA-9) .
Truly, they did carry out tasks like surveying, gathering covert intelligence, monitoring individuals and the like to gather information.
It's the flip side of their work that mattered.
People like Retsu and Jinbei are on the flip side of this work. Assassination. Or so they are called, and their build is like so.
Especially Special Officer Shiranui, whose innate powers made him invisible. There were also many others like him, and they all have been gathered by her under one organisation.
"Anyway, I heard from the Leader. About your next mission. Long-term deployment, huh? Must be nice, huh?"
Retsu sighed through his nose. He didn't reply.
"You're no fun, Captain."
To those words, "And you should stop bothering him, Jinbei-san."
Joining the conversation, walking behind Retsu just like Jinbei, was another male — a younger man, early twenties at most — he too, like Jinbei, was part of the Special Unit, like Jinbei and Retsu.
"Good day, Captain."
"It's good to see you again, officer."
Retsu replied without looking back. However, behind him, they only continued.
"The honour is mine. But still, I wouldn't expect the captain to be going back to high school. You seem way too mature for that."
"See! That's what I'm saying!"
Jinbei added. After all, he was the one who taught Retsu everything he knew now. So, hearing his masterpiece was going to a high school, he felt… offended.
He'd complained to his superior, who is now legally his masterpieces' older sister; however, the woman had simply smiled and literally kicked him out of her office.
Of course, while he is indeed Retsu's teacher, the young male had surpassed him in everything.
By that term "everything", it meant in terms of all-roundness, Retsu had surpassed him; however, in terms of tricks and technicality, he still one-upped Retsu.
The only thing is that it is just logically impossible to get past Retsu's ability or even harm him in the first place. That godlike cheat ability.
And that is why he respects and adores him so much.
They called him Captain, but his title exceeds that. Those who addressed him as such were simply people of higher rank.
"I see. Both of you want a death wish. Fine. I'll grant it to you."
Retsu turned toward him slowly, then raised the cane — and brought it down without hesitation.
"Guh—!"
The younger sergeant yelped and staggered back, clutching his shin as he bent into a crouch.
Jinbei had already dipped the moment Retsu slowly turned back. 'That's damned! And he's the one escalating things!'
"Still too lax, huh, Mitsuya?"
Retsu's voice came condescendingly, making the younger sergeant sweat. He could swear this only applies to Retsu.
Jinbei, who had now escaped Retsu's current line of attack, slowly undid his magic, his body leaning on the walls of the hallway.
"Still bullying the rookies, I see."
"You! It's because of you!"
Mitsuya shouted back. However, he shouldn't have done so, as the middle-aged man would shake his head and spread his arms.
Retsu looked over Jinbei. Squinting his eyes at the man.
A teacher, the one who taught him the application of magic and combat.
Perhaps what he respected more was the application of his magic, which bent light around him to make him undetectable.
Jinbei muttered something under his breath.
"Hm. What was that?" Retsu asked, narrowing his dead eyes in his direction.
"Nothing. Just your imagination."
Jinbei said that, shaking his head, prompting Retsu to walk past him.
"Well, good. Unless you'd like to be my sparring partner," he added, glancing over his shoulder. "I've got a few hours left. Could use a warm-up."
Hearing that, Jinbei stifled.
"With all due respect, Captain, everyone here is still recovering from last week's session."
"Oh, you seem fine yourself."
"You're imagining it."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
At the same time Jinbei had said that, Retsu let out a very warm smile.
The type of one that first brightens someone's day before they eventually realise it's the demonic type of smile lurking underneath.
Mitsuya already knew this. So, he sneaked away, taking two steps back before completely disappearing.
"Well then, let me see just how much you're still recovering, hahahaha~"
"You need not do that. I'm telling you!"
Behind the sarcasm, behind the teasing violence, there was respect; naturally, there was fear too.
However, it is not in the typical sense. Retsu wasn't just a superior to them — he was like the symbol of their organisation. That as long as he couldn't be reached, they couldn't be reached.
As said before.
They were an underground counterforce — an anti-terrorist faction that specialised in surgical, preemptive magic operations.
If the regular military was a scalpel, they were a garrote.
And they weren't born from bureaucracy.
Years ago, the government would never have approved such an organisation.
Not in a society so obsessed with regulation and oversight. But power gaps couldn't be patched with idealism.
And after Okinawa — after the bloody turning point that rewrote the map of magical warfare — exceptions had to be made.
The underpowered had always suffered. But now, the overpowered needed watching too.
That was Chifuyu's logic when she pitched the idea.
Especially after Retsu. She didn't want another one of him to exist anymore.
It could be that or a deeper reason…. Only she would know.
And unlike most, she didn't talk the government into approval with paperwork.
She made them need her.
Piece by piece, op after op, she carved out a space where even the government had to admit she was necessary.
And once she had that leverage, she built this place.
Back upstairs, in the heart of her office, Chifuyu was reclining again — cigarette in one hand, the other lazily looking through her data-filled interface.
With a flick of her wrist, the entire array closed.
She tapped a button on her desk.
A secure line rang once before the holographic display flickered to life, revealing a woman with sharp silver hair and eyes.
She looked more like a career bureaucrat than anything else — but those who knew her reputation understood otherwise.
"Yo, Saeki-nee," Chifuyu greeted, leaning back with a smirk.
"Don't call me that. I'm not your sister," the woman snapped without missing a beat.
Saeki Hiromi. Nicknamed Silver Fox.
Not because she was a powerhouse magician — in truth, her magic aptitude was unimpressive.
But in the Great Indochina War, Saeki served as an information analyst at the National Defence Force GHQ.
She supported Kazama, who ignored the high command's plan not to directly interfere by providing intelligence and operation plans, which was the very reason for the military success.
For her accomplishments, Saeki was showered with praises, and even the upper echelons were impressed with her while.
And sometime after that, she was given her position as a major in the National Defence Force.
"Anyway. Good timing. We have intel about foreign organisations poking into our borders again."
"Underground networks, trafficking rings, mercenary groups—all with foreign ties."
Saying that, the silver-haired woman fell silent as her face darkened.
"I'm guessing you've already wiped out a few."
"Only the visible ones," Chifuyu said, exhaling smoke. "But yeah. We handled it."
Saeki narrowed her eyes. "That monster of yours again?"
Chifuyu clicked her tongue; on her expression was a slight frown. "Don't call my dearest little brother a monster, nee-san."
A faint smile tugged at Saeki's lips.
"You say that, but... our systems caught someone poking through some very specific classified files last night."
"Let's see… falsification of classified information about a particular somebody, hmm?"
Chifuyu froze. The cigarette drooped slightly in her mouth, about to fall but hung there still. Her eyes, however, moved to the side, her lips tightening as she slowly spoke out.
"I don't know anything about that."
"You're lying badly."
"I'm not lying!"
She was lying. Saeki knew this but eventually, the Major let it hang in the air, then sighed softly.
"Forget it."
Letting that clear off, Chifuyu cleared her throat.
"Anyway, we need the NDF to tighten sea-bound surveillance. Especially around unofficial ports."
"Can't do that," Saeki said immediately. "If we push border security any harder, even our 'allies" will start poking at us. Not to mention the government—"
"I knew it," Chifuyu muttered, rubbing her temple. "It's like we're inviting them in with open arms."
"Do you know what outsiders think of Japanese magicians, Chifuyu?"
"I don't care."
"Is that so? Well, I guess you're also right about that. Regardless, I appreciate your work, Chifuyu."
Chifuyu exhaled slowly, head tilted back. Her expression softened.
She too had lost too many in a stupid terrorist attack.
Of course, it had to be from outside the country. That is why she's been adamant about all these things.
However, because of the nature of her work and Retsu supporting her had this organization of hers become this strong.
Naturally, at some point, it felt like she was using him (his strength) to fulfil her own ambitions, but the damn kid would always be adamant.
But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who started it.
Be they human extremists or magician radicals alike, she'd eliminate them all the same.
***
Invisible Air.
Type: Perception-Type Magic
Classification: Systematic Magic / Sensory Interference Type
Magic Name: Invisible Air
Overview:
Invisible Air is a camouflage-type magic that bends light around the caster's body to render them invisible to visual detection.
Unlike traditional optical camouflage, this technique doesn't just refract light—it dynamically alters the reflection index of the surrounding air and manipulates photons to pass around the target.
Limitations:
- Infrared, thermal, and magical sensory systems not reliant on visible light may still detect the user.
- High psion cost due to real-time recalibration of light flow in motion.
Strategic Use:
- Ideal for infiltration, ambush, or evasive maneuvers where visibility is a threat. When paired with silence-type magic, the caster can become nearly undetectable.