Chapter 23

To Fight Together

The Reason I Fight

I’m running toward the back entrance of the municipal hospital.

Chiharu Hanayama from my class told me, “There might be a monster at the city hospital.”

But the monster stories that pop up online get scrubbed quickly by the Association’s intelligence division. …How does that guy keep getting the info off the net?

At the hospital’s main entrance, though, fallen stars and the澱み (stagnations/corrupt auras) really had gathered. The police were already there, staring them down.

The Haeza (はえ座) can’t push past the police…or rather, they probably can’t get onto the grounds.

For large facilities like hospitals or schools, the Association pre-sets concealment barriers that people without magical power can neither touch nor see.

Right now they’re most likely blocked by one of the two types of concealment barriers that cover the grounds — the outer-perimeter (gai-en) concealment barrier. The outer-perimeter barrier repels 澱み; an ordinary 澱み will vanish the moment it touches it.

Its downside is that it isn’t very durable. It wasn’t designed to handle divine relics like fallen stars in the first place.

So I don’t know how long this situation can hold.

With the Haeza trying to break the barrier, charging in from the front is far too dangerous. We decide to enter the grounds through the back entrance and approach the front from inside.

While we’re heading that way, Yui runs alongside and shouts, “Hey! What am I supposed to do!?”

Without stopping, I call back, “Hide somewhere safe!”

Yui still can’t generate her star armor. Because we don’t know why, I didn’t know what to tell her.

Also, we only have one Gear so far. In a way that actually worked in my favor.

So that’s all I could tell Yui.

We reach the front. Nothing’s changed: the police are using vehicles as shields, facing off the 澱み. The澱み are still outside the outer-perimeter barrier, on the hospital grounds’ exterior.

But the outer-perimeter barrier, which can just barely be seen, looks like it’s starting to crack.

…The barrier’s failing. We have to deal with this fast.

I summon my Gear and try to form my star armor. Detective Maruoka, who noticed us, approaches.

“Kid! Why are you in such a dangerous place!?”
“We came because it’s dangerous. Your equipment can’t handle it, so don’t stop us.”
“But—kid—”

I don’t have time to argue with Detective Maruoka. We need to defeat the fallen star as soon as possible — every second counts.

Given the situation, I should force the star armor to form.

But with Maruoka standing in front of me, the star-power backlash when the armor forms could blow him away.

While I’m hesitating, a sound like something peeling off and shattering reaches my ears.

It’s the sound of the outer-perimeter barrier beginning to break.

There’s no time to think.

I dodge past Detective Maruoka and sprint to the hospital’s main entrance.

I find the spots where the foundations for both barriers are sunk into the ground, drop to one knee, plant my left hand on the ground, and interfere with the outer-perimeter barrier.

Star power is stronger than ordinary magic. If I pour my star power in now, the outer-perimeter barrier should be able to hold.

I quickly start shaping words.

“Even in an age where mysteries fade and concealment is the norm, O concealment barrier that guards countless people—”

My entire magical circuitry flares and burns with pain again. Concealment barriers are only handled by a limited number of magicians.

Magic itself has strengths and weaknesses. A C-rank magician like me — who’s only been using magic for three years — isn’t supposed to interfere with something like this.

Still, I have to do it.

If I don’t fight, who will?

I grit my teeth against the pain and continue the phrase.

“By the mysterious power of the stars bestowed upon me, I share this star power with you. Become, once more, a barrier that protects people from the 澱み!”

The hospital’s perimeter begins to shimmer faintly, as if the whole grounds are being covered. Ordinary people can see that something is happening now, and the crowd gets even louder.

It would be better to skip this and just defeat the fallen star quickly, but the police are waiting outside the main entrance — if they get caught here they’ll definitely be dragged in. There are also onlookers close to the entrance that I have to worry about.

So I have no choice but to take the reckless measure of reactivating the barrier rather than fighting directly.

My magical circuits still ache and star power is being drained. The pain is less than when I used a tuning spell a few days ago, but it still hurts.

If I leave even for a moment, the flow of star power will stop, the outer-perimeter barrier will collapse, and the 澱み will pour in. If that happens, it would be no exaggeration to call this place hell.

I endure the pain, holding the barrier up while thinking what to do next from here.

Detective Maruoka says to me, “Hey, kid.”

“…What? I’m using all my concentration — don’t talk to me right now.”

“Why are you going this far? At your age you should be doing what you like and enjoying your youth. Why are you risking so much to fight a monster?”

His voice is serious.

The reason I fight.

I don’t like talking about the past.

But right now I don’t have time for pride or regrets.

If talking here could win the police’s cooperation, it’s worth it. I grit my teeth against the pain and answer.

“…I saw people turn into monsters. I saw people drown in a great power and, as a result, many people get hurt. That kind of power is no good for humans to have. And I’ve been given that same power. That power can only be fought by the same kind of power. So if that’s the case, I have to use this power to cut it away from people.”

After a short silence, Maruoka opens his mouth.

“I understand how you feel, kid. What do you want the police to do?”
“…Evacuate everyone into the hospital building.”
“All right, understood. Move everyone inside!”

At that shout, the officers start guiding the onlookers into the building.

That will do. If they get inside the building, the internal concealment barrier — the other of the two barriers — should protect them.

The internal barrier is specialized for defense. To some extent, attacks from fallen stars or Constellation Knights that hit the building won’t leave a scratch.

If a full-power attack hits it, I don’t know what would happen, though.

Maruoka leaves, saying, “Kid. Don’t throw your life away.”

It looks like Yui was taken inside by Detective Maruoka. I heard her shouting about something, but I don’t have the luxury to listen now.

There’s no one left outside now. The only thing keeping the outer-perimeter barrier up is me.

Now I can fight to my heart’s content.

The outer-perimeter barrier is reaching its limit; even while I maintain it, it’s starting to collapse again.

So I weave the words once more.

“Even in an age where mysteries fade and concealment reigns, O concealment barrier that guards countless people — if you are to crumble and finish your duty, then show your final brilliance now!”

The outer-perimeter barrier shatters.

The blast scatters the 澱み.

Before the barrier collapsed it expelled its remaining magical energy in a final burst — basically a self-destruct.

I stand, generate a plate, and insert it into the Gear. I sweep my left hand one full rotation clockwise from the nine o’clock position. Finally I extend my left hand, pull it back, and bring it before me.

That’s right. I decide to close my eyes to fight.

I abandon normalcy and choose to fight with my life on the line.

To fight using this Gear that was said to be my parent’s memento.

“Star Armor — Live Form.”

From the center of the Gear, Capricorn (the goat sign) bursts forth and light wraps around my body. Within that light the armor forms, and I don it.

Constellation Knight.

This is the path I chose.

I will use this power to cut away the overly great mysteries from people.

When the light clears, the Haeza is standing properly in front of me.

“Haeza. Today we settle this.”