Chapter 99: You Don't Want Your Identity Exposed, Do You?
"Ugh... Sylvie, what should I do...?"
After school, back in the apartment, Lina slumped onto the table in exhaustion, complaining to her roommate:
"Today, that guy asked me about my name again... Why is Angelina shortened to 'Lina' instead of 'Angie'..."
"Sigh..."
Her roommate, Sylvia, also found Lina's lamentations quite a headache.
Complaints like this hadn't just started today—in fact, they had been happening since the first day of school when they officially made contact with their target.
Every day, their target, Yotsuba Mahiro, would find new ways to torment Lina psychologically.
Though the questions were always ordinary and his tone normal, they never failed to make Lina's heart race, leaving her to fret over whether she had been exposed each time she returned.
If she had been exposed, it seemed like nothing more than curiosity about a transfer student.
But if she hadn't, those questions always sounded subtly probing, just like today.
It was like being stuck in a state of quantum entanglement.
"Silvia, don't you think I should just give up on this mission? I'm completely unsuited for this!"
"Please don't say such things, Lina."
Sylvia brought over a cup of fragrant milk tea and gently pushed it toward the girl, comforting her: "We're only here to investigate the target's true capabilities and find the culprit behind the 'Scorched Halloween.'"
"That may be true, but being mentally tortured every day is driving me insane!"
"Lina, don't forget we have another mission besides this."
"..."
When Sylvia mentioned the other mission, Lina immediately sat up straight. Her expression turned serious, her gaze sharp as she stared at the milky-white liquid in her cup. Her fingertips lightly traced the rim of the cup, and she unconsciously pursed her lips.
"...I understand. I'll investigate Yotsuba Mahiro's true nature in my own way as quickly as possible, and I'll also do my utmost to uncover the mastermind behind 'Scorched Halloween'..."
"And finally, I'll do my best to complete that mission as well."
The last sentence sounded as if the girl was speaking both to her housemate, Sylvia and to herself.
It was her duty as the inheritor of the title "Sirius," leader of Stars—and also the duty she least wanted to face: acting as an executioner to purge their ranks.
However, the method she thought of to deal with Mahiro was—
...
"Mahiro, I'll leave the rest of the itinerary to you~"
Well, he'd been roped into it.
After school, just as Mahiro was about to head home, he was commandeered by the student council.
Lina wanted to tour the after-school club activities, and she had specifically requested him as her guide.
The reason given was that Mayumi, the student council president, Mari, the committee chair, Miyuki, and Tatsuya were all busy. Sayaka, who was knowledgeable about the clubs, had to attend kendo club activities, and Erika wasn't interested in or familiar with any of this. That left him, the only idle person available, to help out.
"Lina, you really don't take advice, do you?"
"Why would you say that, Yotsuba-kun?"
Lina and Mahiro walked side by side down the nearly empty hallway. The evening light streamed through the windows, casting golden hues on the white floor tiles. Lina tilted her sky-blue eyes slightly upward to look at him, only to see Mahiro shrug lightly.
"It's simple. Remember when we first met at the shrine? I suggested you get glasses, but you didn't listen."
"That's because I'm not nearsighted. Mistaking you for someone I knew at the shrine was just an accident."
"Is that so? If last time was just carelessness, what about this time? If you weren't nearsighted, how could you possibly think I'm some idle person with nothing to do?" Mahiro muttered gloomily.
"Eh? Yotsuba-san, you're actually not free? I remember Japan has a term specifically for people like you who don't join club activities... I think it's called the 'Go-Home Club'?"
Lina pressed a finger to her lips and spoke in an innocent tone.
After their recent exchanges, though she still often ended up at a disadvantage, Lina had learned a lot compared to the beginning and could occasionally counterattack a little.
"What's wrong with the Go-Home Club? Being in the Go-Home Club doesn't mean I'm idle. I have things to do when I get home."
Mahiro shot her a faintly exasperated look.
Today was Friday, and tomorrow was a day off. He had originally planned to visit Arcadia tonight to see the children, Seitenshi, and Kisara, but this little spy had ruined everything!
"Really?"
Lina blocked his path with an expression full of curiosity, leaning slightly forward with her hands clasped behind her back. "Hey hey, could you share with me what Yotsuba-san does after going home?"
"Spying and prying into others' privacy is very rude, Lina-san."
"(ˉ▽￣～) Hmph~~, stingy."
Lina puffed out her cheeks unhappily.
There wasn't the slightest trace of the Stars Brigade Commander about her—she seemed like nothing more than a regular sixteen-year-old girl.
Polite, lively in personality, and occasionally showing a bit of tsundere behavior.
If he hadn't already known the truth, he might have been fooled by her act.
Mahiro led Lina around every club in the school before finally returning to the school building. As they passed through an empty hallway, he suddenly spoke up again:
"By the way, Lina, do you know Sirius?"
The abrupt question made Lina freeze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat.
Here we go again.
Asking these strange questions again—have you figured me out? If you really have, please stop tormenting me like this!
Lina mentally grumbled, but outwardly, she replied:
"N-no... I do know. He's an Apostle from our USNA. I've heard he's a very powerful magician, but unfortunately, I've never met him."
She had initially wanted to say she didn't know, but then realized that as someone from the USNA, claiming ignorance would raise suspicion. So she quickly corrected herself, trying her best to sound calm.
"Is that so? I thought you'd say you didn't know."
Mahiro smiled faintly, though the smile carried a deeper meaning.
"But speaking of which, Lina, your name is quite similar to that Apostle's."
"Eh... Eh? How so?" Now Lina was genuinely flustered.
Had he really figured it out?
He was just a high school student—how could he possibly guess she was Sirius?
But his next words made her heart pound even harder.
"You see, the surname 'Sirius,' when written in English, is 'Shields,' which translates to 'shield' or 'barrier.' It just so happens to sound exactly like your surname, Shields."
"And this name 'Angie' happens to be part of your full name, Lina—"
Whoosh—
A sudden gust of wind cut through the air.
Instinctively leaning back, he narrowly avoided the slender nails that grazed past his face.
It was a hand chop swung by Lina.
Quickly stepping back to create distance, he smiled at the girl:
"Oh my, what's wrong? Can't keep up the act anymore? Major Sirius, Angie Sirius."
"You bastard, you knew my identity all along, didn't you?! All these days, you've been deliberately tormenting me, haven't you?!"
"Indeed, I've known who you were since the day we first met at the shrine. But tormenting you? Not quite. More like teasing and playing around. Who could resist such adorable reactions from Major Sirius?"
"You bastard..."
Lina gritted her teeth, her anger seemingly burning white-hot.
But the next moment, all that fury dissipated into calm.
Whether it was due to too much provocation or something else, Lina suddenly flashed a dazzling smile.
Not a flowery, gentle smile—but one as sharp as a blade's edge.
Her previously soft gaze turned piercing, and she straightened her posture slightly.
"Then let me reintroduce myself. I am Major Angelina Kudou Shields, commander of the USNA Army's Integrated Staff Headquarters Special Task Force—STARS. Angie Sirius was a pseudonym used for disguise. Please continue to call me Lina as you have until now."
The killing intent she had previously veiled under the guise of courtesy now surged forth like a storm, laid bare.
Lina chose to conceal no longer.
"Yotsuba-kun, since you've discovered my true identity, I regret to inform you that, much as I dislike it, I must eliminate you."
Wrapped in that dense aura of murderous intent, Mahiro slowly curled his lips into a fearless smile.
"Oh? If you can kill me, then by all means, try."
"Hmph, arrogant bastard..."
Lina scoffed lightly, her voice melodious—but it also served as the signal for battle.
In an instant, the girl's figure vanished from her original spot. It seemed she had prepared her self-acceleration spell during their conversation.
Leaving behind an afterimage as if teleporting, she reappeared right in front of Mahiro. Once again, her hand transformed into a blade, aiming for the spot just below his chin with a sharp, minimalistic motion.
Yet, it was halted mere inches from his throat. Disbelief flashed in her eyes as Mahiro effortlessly caught her wrist.
Her tactic had been seen through?!
This bastard... was he really just a high school student?!
"That's quite a dangerous magic you've got there."
Mahiro remarked, eyeing the Psionic Light swirling around her palm. "'Molecular Divider,' if I recall correctly—a secret technique created by the former STARS commander, Major William Sirius. I never expected you to inherit not just his position, rank, and title, Lina, but even his secret techniques?"
"Bastard, let go of me!"
At the mention of William Sirius, Lina's emotions flared. She attempted the same move with her left hand, only for Mahiro to catch that wrist as well.
But then, with both hands still restrained, she formed them into gun gestures, extending her index fingers directly at Mahiro's head.
Psionic Light flickered once more as magical power condensed into bullets at her fingertips.
Yet before she could fire, a sudden, sharp pain shot through her abdomen.
Looking down, he saw that the other party had actually used a knee strike to ram into his abdomen, using the pain to forcibly dissipate her magic bullet!
Her legs immediately went weak, and she staggered uncontrollably.
Mahiro naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip. He immediately stepped forward, switching from using both hands to just one, grabbing both of Angelina's wrists and lifting them up before pressing her entire body against the wall.
"Guh..."
"Guh? What kind of sound is that, Angelina? Why don't you add a 'Kill me now' while you're at it?"
Angelina: "..."
The girl didn't respond, only biting her cherry-red lips tightly as she glared at him with moist eyes.
But in her current state, no matter how fiercely she acted, Mahiro found her exceptionally adorable. Not to mention, because they were so close, Angelina's cheeks were unnaturally flushed.
Unable to resist, he teased:
"My, my, is the little kitten about to hiss?"
Still no response.
But Mahiro didn't mind at all, continuing casually, "Just a friendly reminder—I'd advise you not to struggle too much. Otherwise, if I were to leak your information to the Ten Master Clans, you know what the consequences would be, right?"
A strategic-class magician from an enemy nation, infiltrating as a spy—the best outcome would be lifelong imprisonment.
As for the worst...
Well, one would have to fully exercise their imagination. Scenarios like endless torment weren't off the table.
Angelina thought of this, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
"...What do you want?!" she finally snapped.
"Nothing much. Just giving you a friendly warning, that's all."
"Is that so...? But from how things look now, I don't see any friendliness here."
Angelina sneered. "Also, since you've given me a warning, I'll return the favor. I suggest you let me go right now, or you'll regret it!"
"Threatening me?"
"Don't believe me? Then don't let go!"
Angelina spat out the harsh words, glaring fiercely at Mahiro, then her chest rose slightly as if she were taking a deep breath.
And then—
A piercing scream tore from her lips.
"Help! Someone! Assault!!!"
The girl's cry was like the desperate plea of someone being attacked by a rapist.
But it was utterly useless.
Even though her voice echoed down the entire hallway, reverberating faintly from the far end, not a single person appeared.
And Mahiro showed no intention of letting her go, simply watching her performance calmly.
"Go ahead, scream. The louder, the better. Even if you scream your throat raw, no one's coming."
"..."
Hearing this, Angelina immediately shut her mouth, stopping her cries for help.
"...What did you do? Why isn't anyone coming?!"
Even though it was after school, there were still plenty of people lingering around the campus, not to mention the disciplinary committee members on patrol. Yet now, not only were there no committee members in sight, but even ordinary students were absent despite her loud cries.
"It's simple. Earlier, I cast a soundproof barrier over this hallway. And at this time, no one passes through this floor anyway."
Mahiro kindly explained, especially since her expression made it clear she didn't believe him.
"It's fine if you don't believe me. Oh, by the way, I actually learned this technique from your grandfather, Kudou Retsu. Remember during the Nine Schools Competition opening ceremony? He used this exact method to deceive most of the students present at the time."
"Ugh..."
Now she had no choice but to believe it.
But the real question was—how could a high school student use magic so skillfully?
Was that even possible?
This revelation shook Lina to her core, making her completely forget about her current compromising position.
The next moment, she was pushed into the empty classroom next door.
"...H-huh?! W-what are you doing? Let go of my jacket!"
"What does it look like? Interrogating a spy, of course. Did you really think I'd just let you walk away after you tried to kill me?"
"....."
"Stop grabbing my jacket! Get away from me!!"
"Hah... Miss Lina, you wouldn't want your true identity exposed, would you?"
"....."
"Bastard! S-stop it, this is a classroom! At least... at least close the curtains first... No!"
"..."
"Ugh... damn it..."
...
...
...
In this battle, Angelina fought with all her might but still couldn't win, ultimately being forced to her knees—
Or rather, collapsing completely would be more accurate.
Exhausted and powerless, she lay sprawled on the table, her dangling legs trembling uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Mahiro stood there unscathed, looking perfectly refreshed as he calmly observed his prize. With a faint sigh, he remarked:
"Tsk, spies sure are stubborn. Even after such thorough interrogation, you still refuse to say anything—not even a single sound escaped you."
"...B-Bastard... You're nothing but scum!"
After what felt like an eternity, Angelina finally mustered enough strength to push herself up. Clutching her jacket, she curled into herself, glaring at him with a mix of humiliation and fury.
The phrase "The river blooms aflame at sunrise" couldn't have been more fitting to describe the girl's current state.
"How dare you do this to me... Aren't you afraid of Saegusa Mayumi and Mibu Sayaka finding out?! Aren't you afraid of being expelled from school?!"
At this point, Angelina was utterly despairing inside.
What kind of interrogation was this?! She'd been tortured the whole time, yet he hadn't even asked a single question!
This was just bullying the weak!
And now, all she could do was weakly threaten him with words that barely held any weight.
"Oh? Threatening me? Go ahead, say whatever you want."
Mahiro shrugged indifferently, but then his tone shifted. "But if you do, I'll report your little secret to the Ten Master Clans. Then, I'll go pressure Kudou Retsu—I'd love to see the look on that old man's face."
"Ugh...!"
Tears welled up in Angelina's eyes as her delicate frame trembled uncontrollably.
A demon—this man was absolutely a demon!
There wasn't a shred of high school student left in him!
"Alright, now that the interrogation is over, let's move on to the next step."
"W-What are you doing now?! Stay away!"
Though she had regained some strength, even with her CAD in hand, Angelina couldn't muster a single spell—not that her magic would've worked on him anyway.
"Relax. I just want to talk—about how far your mission has progressed and what its purpose is. That's all."
Angelina: "..."
This time, knowing resistance was futile, the girl remained silent, biting her lip as if to retaliate for the cruelty he'd just inflicted.
Her face might as well have been stamped with the words "I'd rather die than submit."
"Still not talking? That's fine."
Mahiro pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, idly toying with the golden strands of of hair as he mused:
"Since your target is me, you must already know about the Yotsuba family, right? Do you know what the Yotsuba specialize in?"
"Ngh... Stop touching..."
"If all else fails, I can always just use mental interference magic to read your memories directly. What do you think of that idea, Major Sirius?"
"....!!!!"
Lina was instantly shocked, completely forgetting even the slightest stimulation as it suddenly reminded her of a certain mage who had spent twenty years in the hospital, creating a terrifying legend even rarer than Strategic-Class Magic.
That woman known as the [Ruler of the River of Oblivion]!
In an instant, Lina felt a suffocating sensation, as if a python were coiling around her.
"You... stop it! I'll tell you! Just stop bullying me!!!"
Amidst the lingering atmosphere, Lina once again cried out without restraint.
Lina was truly at her wit's end. Never had she imagined that she, a dignified member of the Thirteen Apostles, would be toyed with to such an extent by a high school student.
What's more, she didn't even have the slightest chance to fight back.
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