Chapter 11

Wizard Corps Installation 17B, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Saturday, December 10th, 2050

It didn’t, entirely. Maybe it was being repeatedly thwarted in my attempts to get some alone time with my dear Ms. Yamada, but that fleeting kiss stayed in my imagination all day.

Back home, having a quick tryst outside of a marriage or established relationship was seen as ordinary, though with a catch. Devils being creatures of pride and envy, they didn’t like the idea that their partner found them wanting. Hitting up a brothel or a comely courtesan for a different flavor was seen as entirely innocent. It was different to return to the same lover over and over again. Not that it stopped devils from having mistresses, but it required some discretion.

However, that was not going to fly for a multitude of reasons. The biggest one was my disgust at the idea of hurting Mariko. Looking was one thing, but acting was another. I wasn’t such a louse as to cheat on a hopeless romantic like her.

I was tempted to bring it up with Mariko, but I ultimately decided against it. It could only make her more worried, when she was already carrying so much. It’s not like I intended to take up Gabriella on her offer, so there couldn’t be any harm in it. Right?

That worry reflected itself in my behavior, though. I might have doted on Mariko a tad during dinner and the night’s magical training. I also burned some midnight oil analyzing a spell that I’d discovered that could solve one of her problems. Perhaps my new discovery could have waited until after reveille, but I wanted to pay off the mental debt to assuage my guilty mind.

In retrospect, coming clean would have been less stressful. However, I haven’t had so much material for these confessions because I made good choices.

I hadn’t been sure if my research would finally bear fruit, and after the Alheln experiment, I didn’t want to give her false hope. So, I’d started a little ritual so I could signal her when I was ready. As we parted each night, I placed a subtle demonic tracking spell on Mariko. All it took was a touch of the hand to ‘paint’ her with an energy signature. It faded away within twelve hours, so I wasn’t too concerned about any residuum from the minor spell.

Now that I was ready, I padded out of my barracks. Thankfully, there weren’t any night patrols. The fools seemed to trust us to be on good behavior for some reason. Once I was outside of the women’s room, I cast the other half of the spell.

“Vokelarna,” I whispered, suppressing a brief worry that the orange demonic runes might be spotted. They collapsed into an energy signature that looked like a songbird made of blue fire. The energy construct passed beneath the door and out of sight.

A minute passed, and then two. Just about when I was worried the spell had failed, Mariko emerged. I didn’t often see her with her hair down and without her glasses. Seeing her a tad disheveled was a delight.

“I thought it would be you,” she slurred. “What is going on?”

I put a finger to my lips and led her to a broom closet that I’d scouted out earlier. It was significantly larger than a shinkansen bathroom, and we weren’t liable to get interrupted in the middle of the night.

She put a hand on her hip. “Soren, if this is another… oh, what did Paul call it… booty call?”

“Booty call? Nothing of the sort, my dear,” I said.

She arched her eyebrow. “Really?”

“I swear, this is all business,” I said. “I found a solution to your problem.”

Her eyes lit up. “My arm?”

“I... no.” Her shoulders slumped as I dashed that hope. “Nothing so significant. However, it will improve your quality of life. Now, take off your shirt.”

Her face went beat red as she covered her chest with her hands.

“Excuse me?”

I couldn’t help but grin. Did I set her up on purpose? Absolutely. One has to make one’s own fun sometimes, and women with moral fiber are the most fun to tease. Besides, an off-balance Mariko was a Mariko who couldn’t focus on her arm.

“I think I found a solution to your, ah, support problem,” I said, handing her a sheet of paper. “I came across this in the Second Year curriculum.”

Mariko looked at me skeptically as she accepted my notes. “This looks like a raw spell… the runes remind me of Slow Barrier.”

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“It’s a failed spell, technically,” I said. “Shield of H- goodness.”

“It says ‘Shield of Heaven’ on here,” she said, pointing to my notes. It was her turn to smirk. “You really cannot say ‘heaven’?”

“What can I say? Old habits die hard,” I said, taking back the paper for a last scan of the runes. “I can get over myself well enough to cast it, though. So, like I said, disrobe."

“How is a defensive spell supposed to help?” she asked.

“Well, the reason that Shield of That Place is a failed spell is that it tries to do too much. It tried to be hard armor like a Svalinn’s Mercy and a porous trap like Slow Barrier all at once.”

She nodded. “I can see why they would try. Slow Barrier can protect a larger area than Svalinn’s Mercy, but is not useful against energy attacks. There is a lot of prediction in magical combat.”

I nodded. “Well, I’m sure you can see where this is going; it was a complete flop. The result is that it’s a soft cushion of air that can barely stop a punch, much less a spell or a bullet.”

She crossed her arms under her chest, understandably reluctant to follow my order. “Why teach it to the second years if it is so flawed?”

I shrugged. “Perhaps it’s a stepping stone to a superior version?”

She shook her head. “I do not think so. If they had a perfect fusion spell, they would not waste time teaching us the two separate spells, would they?”

I shrugged again. “The Anti-Demonic League has done stranger things. However, I tested Shield of That Place, and while it can’t stop incoming fire, it’s fantastic at holding things still. And since it doesn’t stay porous like Slow Barrier, you aren’t liable to get debris stuck in it.”

There was that spark of realization. “I see! So your plan is to make a brassiere with this spell?”

“Exactly,” I said. “So, now that you know that I’m not just doing this to get you alone…”

She giggled at me. “Not just doing it to get me alone. But that is a reason?”

“Oh, it’s always a reason, my dear. But, our time is limited. So, if you would be so kind?”

“I do not see why I need to strip,” she said, doffing her bathrobe to reveal the standard issue tank top and shorts beneath. Both a drab, military green, but she wore them well. I might have been biased, though.

“I see,” I said with a theatrical sniff. “You would deny a sip of water to a man dying of thirst. Truly, you are a cruelest of all women.”

There was that giggle again. Even if this spell was a bust, the effort was worth it to see her happy for a fleeting moment.

“Kasasagi, I am going to be wearing an undergarment even if I do add on this spell. We need it for the test.”

“Very well,” I said, trying to sound as despondent as I could before I winked at her, earning another giggle. “Shield of Heaven. And try not to laugh; this is liable to get ticklish.”

Much like Slow Barrier, it needed to be shaped once cast. Usually, broad gestures were sufficient to guide protective magic to its final position. This was a more delicate operation, since the shield had to be flush with the skin. I didn’t take advantage, though it was tempting. She was silent while I worked, if a bit flustered by my touch. Once I finished my work, I pulled back.

“What’s the verdict?” I asked.

“I see a problem with this,” she said, turning around experimentally. “You had to reach behind me to finish it off; I am not that flexible.”

“Oh damn,” I said, “an excuse to see one another every morning. How crushing. Besides, you haven’t even tried yet! Go on, move a bit.”

She hopped in place twice, then did some calisthenic stretches without her chest budging an inch. She was positively beaming when she looked up. “Soren, this is amazing! You have no idea how much this will help.”

“I see that! I can’t say I’ve ever been so let down by a success,” I said.

“You are terrible,” she said, her grin undercutting the rebuke. “Still, we cannot sneak off like this all the time. We are bound to get caught.”

“That does seem to be our luck, isn’t it?” I muttered. “You could teach it to another woman in your group, I suppose. Might be an excuse to reach out to Kiyo.”

Mariko reached up to fidget with her braid, only to find it wasn’t there. “She has always had a complex about her own bust. Even if she did not, she has been… distant with me.”

“Is there anybody she hasn’t been distant with?” She shook her head. “Well, I’m hardly the one to reach out, after I did to her.”

“That might be why you’re the perfect one to reach out,” she countered. “At least try it. She is clearly hurting.”

“Well… if the opportunity presents itself,” I said, handing my notes over to her. “You should keep that sheet. If Kiyo’s off the table, we know that Yukiko will have it memorized in an afternoon. She might even be able to put it to use herself.”

“Most likely,” she said, before bowing lightly. “Thank you again, Kasasagi.” It was unsettling seeing her chest completely immobile as she performed the ritual. It reminded me of the doll-like models in one of Kiyo’s video games. She wasn’t always so formal, and I almost wondered if the bow was another test.

“Now, if I read the spell right, that should last until it’s either dispelled or takes a blow heavy enough to shatter it,” I said. “Which, to remind you, might not be much.”

“Right.”

I had to press my luck, of course. “We should test those limits,” I said, smoothly sidling on up to her. My attempt to cop a feel was completely thwarted. Another disappointing success.

“You always test limits,” she said. “I swear, you worked on this problem first because you are obsessed with me.”

“Such slander,” I said.

“Then why is your hand still there?”

“You don’t just run one test. It does seem to be holding up. Do you feel anything?”

“Not a bit,” she said, almost sounding sad.

“You remember that I’m on to your secret,” I said, leaning in close and whispering in her ear. “You’re as randy as I am; you simply hide it better.”

“P-perhaps not quite as much,” she said.

“Oh? Who was the one who insisted I continue back at the farmhouse? I gave you the chance to back down.”

“That was different!” she said. “You were so sad back then, worried that you were going to hurt me.”

Seeing that I wasn’t getting anywhere with the magical barrier in place, I let my hands drift lower. “Well, being without you is making me just as miserable. I say we…”

I didn’t get to finish my suggestion; the door opened, revealing an extremely irritated Sergeant Lakhdar.

“It looks like that intel was good after all!” she barked.

“Kuso,” muttered Mariko.

Such a mouth on that one! Then again, I had once again proven to be a bad influence.