There was a hint of panic by the time Gaius got back to Kishi Gakuen, and only after seeing that it was safe did he let out a sigh of relief. On his way back, the boy had belatedly realised the implications of having the Constellation’s identity revealed, but fortunately, the two fighters had assumed that none of the accompanying adventurers had made it out of the battle alive.

           By now, it was evident that Scorpio was cooking up a plot for Seireiden, Mi-Zu and perhaps even the entire Eastern Territories. The boy couldn’t help but think back to what Tsurugi had told him right after they entered the gates of Mi-Zu’s capital. Taking a couple of deep breaths, the boy tried to figure out at least the opening stages of the Constellation’s plan.

           For starters, his frequent visits to Kishi Gakuen, the school where the privileged scions of Seireiden and Mi-Zu attended, was definitely part of the plot. After seeing how the Constellation was able to kill the Lords and Knights around him with a single action, Gaius had the feeling that something like poison had been planted inside these people, because he was clearly unable to blow up the Phantom Blade like that.

           And more importantly, it fit his theme. Anyone with even the slightest understanding of Earth’s astrology, or at least the traits associated with them, would be able to scour out a pattern of sorts. The Constellation Gemini, for instance, reportedly had a cloning skill. And the first thing Gaius associated with Scorpio was that of poison, and even though he didn’t exactly have a reason why, that association was created by his instincts. It was a good enough reason for him.

           The thought that Nakama might have had some poison implanted into her body, or even some weird energy that could blow up its host, was not a reassuring one. It took everything Gaius had to not pace around anxiously, and even when he was sitting on a bench, the boy could still feel the fear of loss creeping up on him.        

           Time seemed to pass slowly, each second increasing the worry the boy felt. Madness, capped by his dwindling rationality, churned in the pits of his stomach, and Gaius couldn’t help but feel some regret in not helping the Phantom Blade to finish the Constellation off.

           Darkness was gnawing at the edges of his vision when the bell finally rung, and students began to stream out. Gaius unclenched his fist, and then walked towards the school gate, where children and teenagers were walking out. Drifting through the crowd, Gaius soon located Nakama, who was talking to what presumably was her friends.

           Something about his expression had probably tipped the little girl off, for she made her excuses and ran over to Gaius after half a minute or so. Instead of her usual joyful meeting, however, the first thing she did was to ask, “What’s wrong?”

           Gaius looked around surreptitiously and said, “Something might have been done to you or your classmates. We need to return quickly to confirm this.”

           “Master Gai—”

           “Shush,” said the boy. “We’ll go back to Sundown first. After that, run a full scan on Nakama and check for any foreign substance or energy, especially seemingly harmless ones.”

           “Yes, Master Gaius.”

           Gaius rubbed Nakama’s head. “Come on, let’s go. The faster we settle this, the better. Paragon Sasori…no, Constellation Scorpio has been badly injured, buying us some time, but he most likely has a plan or two going on right now.”

           “Constellation Scorpio? What exactly did you do—”

           “We’ll talk later,” said Gaius. “Come on, let’s go.”

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           With the pace Gaius and Nakama was walking at, they soon arrived at Sundown Residence. Isabelle was sitting underneath what looked like a parasol, reading a book, and as the two entered the residence, she followed suit.

           “Did something happen?” Isabelle asked cautiously.

           “Yes,” replied Gaius, “although I’m not sure how you managed to find that out.”

           “It’s your face. It’s full of worry,” the girl replied obligingly. “Does this have anything to do with the mass murder that happened today, north of Seireiden?”

           Gaius narrowed his eyes and nodded. “How did you know?”

           “It’s the talk of the town. The Phantom Blade killed the entire subjugation force sent out, including Paragon Sasori and the three Lords that he’d called on for help,” said Isabelle.

           “You can scratch Sasori off the casualty list,” replied Gaius. “He…or rather, Constellation Scorpio killed the Knights and Lords with him when the Phantom Blade revealed his true identity. The ensuing battle between those two killed everyone else.”

           “What?”

           “I’ll tell you more details later,” said Gaius. “I saw how Scorpio killed those Lords and Knights — he made them explode from inside out. Maybe it’s an energy of some sorts, or it’s poison. But either way, given his frequent visits to Kishi Gakuen…”

           “The children there might have been poisoned?” Isabelle asked.

           “Yes. It’s in his namesake, after all.” He turned to Nakama. “Which is why we’re going to check on Nakama here first, and see if there’s anything we can do. Nexus, are your preparations ready?”

           “Yes, Master Gaius.” A small circle appeared in the middle of the living room. “Nakama, step into this circle, so that I can scan your body.”

           The little girl obeyed. Lights flickered wildly the moment she stepped in, and the circle beneath her feet glowed with an incredible intensity for a few moments before the epilepsy inducing sight was suppressed. The entire sight looked ominous, and a few seconds later, Nexus confirmed it.

           “There’s a small sphere of energy in her heart,” said Nexus. “It’s obviously not something that belongs to her, and I’m able to trace the link back to an entity somewhere within fifty kilometres around her.”

           “Can we get rid of it?”

           “No, but we have an interim solution,” replied Nexus. “The foreign energy — let us refer to it as a bomb — is but a ball of power. A detonator is required to activate it. We just need to modify the formation we used to de-link Nakama and the Last Star’s power, and we can temporarily cut the connection.”

           “But it only works in a limited radius,” said Gaius.

           “Correct,” said the artificial intelligence. “I can turn the entirety of Sundown Residence into a place that rejects divinity, but unless Scorpio dies or the energy is fully used by Nakama herself, she won’t be able to step out of this place without running the risk of being killed by Scorpio. Alternatively, we can leave for Heritage right now. She will be safe in the Library.”

           “…I see. Thank you, Nexus.”

           “My pleasure,” it replied. “Nakama, you can step out of the circle now.”

           The little girl obeyed. Her face was somewhat pale, and Gaius felt a surge of anger in the pit of his stomach. After a round of deep breathing, the boy said, “Don’t be scared. You’ll be alright as long as you’re with us.”

           “My friends…can you help them?”

           Gaius frowned. He had intended to bring Nakama back to Heritage and wash his hands of the problems and plots simmering beneath the surface of Mi-Zu, but it wouldn’t do well for Nakama’s education, as well as her mental state. Especially since she’d made such a request.

           “Please?”

           “I’ll see what I can do,” said Gaius. “But you must stay here until I resolve the crisis, if you want me to do that.”

           “No negotiations,” he added on, when he saw the little girl open her mouth. “I’ll head out now. Nexus, you’re with me. Isabelle, make sure she doesn’t leave the house.”

           “Yes, Master Gaius.”

           “Your will is my command.”

           The boy checked his equipment, and then walked out of the house.