~~~

An hour later the two officers drove to the PRISM underground parking. The commander left her car, slamming the door a bit fiercer than she should have.

“Was the facial composite sent?” she asked.

“I’ve had it done even before we left the place,” Izumi was busy scrutinizing some data on his smart. “The description we have is so thorough that the results won’t take long.”

“Finally I’m gonna bring down this shitty clinic! This Ameli chick sure lied that it was against her will. But we’re lucky she is so eager to give her accomplices in. She was so scared you’d read her mind… maybe she’ll come up with something else while in custody.”

“Mind telling me about the main perpetrator?”

Aoi rolled her eyes, reluctant to answer that. Although her personal issues were involved, she was obliged to share this information for the sake of the investigation. “His name is Satoru. A Celestial enchanter like me. Graduated from the Academy, worked at PRISM and left it in 2005. He was said to transfer to some Far East office, yet… I haven’t heard anything about him for a long time.”

“What could his motive to create the Children be?”

“I… I don’t know… but… he was a good man, Takeshi.”

“People change.”

Perplexed, Aoi looked at her own reflection in the metal of her car and Izumi inspected his boss carefully.

“There is something you want to tell me, but you can’t allow yourself to. Why?”

“Are you for real?!” the Celestial hit the jeep with her fist. “Stop telling me like you know what I truly feel!”

“I am sorry. I just thought it might be a valuable addition to our case.”

Izumi’s question revived too many dramatic memories which made Aoi lose her control. She didn’t want to stir up the past. On the other hand, she had no solid reason to hide what she knew: if the Sage was determined to obtain a full picture of that story, he would definitely do so without her contribution anyway.

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“He was in love with my elder sister. They were seeing each other in secret.”

“Was that the reason she had a conflict with Hunt?”

“One of many. Satoru… he… that was him who rescued Shadow, Takeshi! Satoru brought him to me that day. Elveit had asked him to. Then he left, unable to reconcile with her… death.”

“Sou desu ka.”

“I… I just don’t understand… like… why? Why these damn Children?! Is it revenge on Fiber? But… why?”

“Let’s not trust Clark that easily. It is quite possible that—”

Aoi’s smart vibrated furiously. She picked it up and listened to the report for a while, her face going pale. When the conversation ended, she said to Izumi, “It’s Shiny. Just got a call from the Grand Hotel. They’ve identified a guest who matches our facial composite, yet... he was quick to take a hostage there: Kailua Douhthi, head of the PRISM Island Division. Right in his penthouse.”

“Like Shadow said… what a perfect moment to go wild.”

~~~

A burly bald man, as wide as two other men, scrambled out of the PRISM minivan and joined a separated company in black and white suits.

“And here goes my first day outta hospital! Blessed twilight to you, guys!”

“I’m glad you’re with us, Cinder,” replied his commander.

“Dammit scored for a new record,” Elio winked at him.

“Huh?!”

While those two went on bickering about the Cinder vs Dammit game win rate, Aoi looked up at the top floor of the hotel. Then she asked Izumi, “Are we all set?”

“Yes, Commander,” he replied and nodded to Rem Oswaldt to encourage him.

Aoi drew out her sword, and slashed several symbols in the air with its light blue aura. After her subordinates had acquired more powers from the energy boiling around, the whole Unit marched into the skyscraper that was cordoned off by city police. There was also an overexcited crowd of onlookers that rooted for the officers: the Celestials Aoi and Shadow, Izumi the Sage with his Lackluster assistant, the Battle Mages Elio and Elia alongside Cinder, Hitomi the Summoner and Shiningreel the Elementalist. One of the policemen hurried up to the leader, and Aoi turned to him. “Magical Anti-Crime Special Force. Status report.”

“Most of the guests and staff members have been evacuated, ma’am. Everyone is scared of these strange, distorted creatures, but a group of mages is taking care of it already. Your employees, I presume?”

“What group of mages?!”

“Um. They arrived somewhat fifteen minutes ago. Five people in black went up there, to the penthouse. They told us they were here to deal with the terrorist, and neither we nor security staff interfered.”

“What the—”

An explosion blasted in the hotel resulting in clouds of arcane smoke and energy bursts erupting from the windows. A handful of guests tumbled away from the building in fright.

“Cursed magic,” Rem swallowed nervously.

“Please check the trails,” Izumi frowned. “We need to understand who we are dealing with.”