August 20, 2025

Niji was hiding from the rain under the roof of a bus stop. Although it wasn’t pouring that heavily, such weather annoyed her like hell. The bus was late, and since the mage girl had nothing to do, gloomy thoughts about her unenviable fate tried to fill her head once again.

Another hope for a cure flashed before her eyes just to quickly die away. She needed to find the killers and the things they’d stolen—and do it faster than PRISM. The task seemed next to impossible. She would feel utterly helpless, but her self-confidence had not yet been exhausted. No matter how much Freyja intimidated her, Niji felt that there was a solution; she just needed to get to it. But she had no idea where to move next. Rem was too absorbed by his role of Takeshi’s slave, and M.A.G.E. didn’t contribute to solving her personal problems—although Niji had no idea how they could actually help her. Dasnor had promised to get the manuscript and the artifact at all costs, but she was well aware that PRISM was posing a serious obstacle to everything. If only she had met Freyja a day earlier…

Niji ran her eyes through the timetable once more and caught a glimpse of familiar curls jumping on the back of a black-and-white uniform.

“Shiny!” Niji jumped right under the rain.

Shiningreel stood still, uncertain. She didn’t have an umbrella with her—the Elementalist preferred to deal with the water herself, averting the flow so the drops wouldn’t land on her. Niji caught up with her friend, who was reluctant to turn around.

“Shiny?”

“What?”

“You… are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“It kinda doesn’t look like it.”

Finally, Shiningreel faced her. She examined Niji appraisingly, and her blue eyes turned gray, full of bitter resentment.

“You didn’t tell me.”

“About what, Shiny?”

“That you’ve joined THEM.”

“I… I was going to tell you, but… it’s not that simple.”

“Of course. And your amplifier is not that simple as well?”

Niji went cold and looked instinctively at her right hand: her jacket couldn’t completely cover the tattoo. Her clothes were getting soaked in the rain more and more. Did Shiny know the whole truth? Did Rem blab it out or had Takeshi unriddled it by himself?

“If only I could explain…”

“Screw that, Niji!” Shiningreel had never shouted at her like that, so her words were almost deafening. “You dicked me around saying you wanted to join PRISM so much. And then you dumped me and Rem to join those freaks! Not a year has passed, and you are already decorated!”

Ah, so that was it. She wasn’t aware of the amplifier’s true menace. The matter was far more trivial—the envy. Shinigreel had always been dreaming about a tattoo, but her family considered her unworthy of it, which was driving her mad.

“I trusted you, Niji! Yes, I was worried we would have to compete with each other for getting into the Unit, but I really hoped we’d sort it out and work together! And I never ever thought it would end LIKE THIS! Why? What’s the deal with them? Don’t you have the slightest idea that we will be forced to fight each other someday? Was it worth ditching your friends for a free amplifier?”

“I didn’t ditch you, Shiny, come on! Urrrrrgh, if only I could tell you everything, you would…”

“I don’t care anymore. Sorry.”

She spun around and went down the street almost at a running pace.

“Wonderful,” Niji muttered, watching the bus leaving the stop. She realized at that moment that she had gotten wet to each of her arcane cells—and Shiny hadn’t even bothered to share her cover.

~~~

During the break, Takeshi preferred to leave his colleagues and have his lunch in a diner near the HQ. If he did that in the PRISM cafeteria, people around him would continue talking about work—it was not only tiresome, but useless in terms of getting new information. But there, in the fast-food restaurant, he always kept his eyes and ears open: the investigator was both having his meal—delicious, especially the local burgers—and eavesdropping on what the magicless around him were discussing.

One could say that casual chatting was not particularly useful as well, yet still there was an advantage: no one was suspicious of Takeshi’s conversation with a charming lady in an emerald sweater, a color which perfectly contrasted with the fire of her short red hair. Just making small talk, an observer would think.

“In addition, I would like to inquire about this person.”

The investigator handed his dining companion a blurry image from CCTV. She examined it for a few seconds and said, “Her name is Inori. She’s been a Gray Sister since 2021. Master of telekinesis.”

“So, a Golden?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm. Has she been ordered to assassinate someone recently?”

“It’s not her specialization. Can’t say more.”

“If I asked for your personal evaluation of what has happened, what would you reply?”

“That I am an informant, not an analyst.”

The young woman tilted her head slightly, and her long triangular earrings shimmered in the rays of the sun that had just come out from behind the clouds. She sat straight, trying her best not to fall into the embrace of a soft sofa.

“However… it is strange she didn’t have her mask on, like other Sisters do. As if… she wanted to be recognized. Besides…” she put the print on the table and pointed on it with her long finger. “The brooch on her coat is in the wrong position. It should go on the right side, not the left.”

“Isn’t it a matter of taste?”

“No. This allows you to quickly grab a weapon from the belt. However, if a person is left-handed, then everything should be the other way around.”

“I see. Well, thank you for the information. If only I could get in touch with this Inori... or learn more about what happened…”

The investigator was well aware that no one in this world would ever sell him the coordinates where the most experienced urban spies were hiding, but it was worth a try.

“This is all I have for you.”

The informant got up, bowed slightly, and left the diner.