[Mage’s World]

 

After Ryuji’s disappearance, Sato tried calling him, but the calls went unanswered. He went to Ryuji’s apartment and knocked on the door, but there was no reply. A slow, cold dread began to churn in his stomach. Something was wrong. Ryuji was always up early. He always answered his phone. Did he forget to bring his phone when he went for his job at a convenience store?

He pulled out his key, slid it into the lock, and twisted. The door was unlocked. Stepping inside, he noticed the TV was still on. When he looked at the screen, he froze in shock. That the visual novel main menu is on-screen.

“I can’t believe it…” he murmured, his initial worry dissolving into disbelief. “Ryuji… you-you…” A slow, knowing smile spread across his face. “You finally see how amazing 2D women are.” Then he grab the console and check the game. “How far have you gone playing this game?”

He grabbed the console to check the game. “Just how far did you get?” He looked for a save file but noticed there wasn't one. When he checked the gallery, however, he saw that many scenes had been unlocked.

“Hoh-hoh… I hope you enjoyed those wonderful, sexy scenes, my friend. I wonder which parts you liked the most.” Even though Sato disliked that the game featured rape in its scenes, he couldn't deny they were hot enough to use as… material. 

He wondered which character Ryuji preferred. Was it Yukikaze? Though he’d often shown disinterest in the petite body type. Maybe Rinko? She had that sexy physique, curvy, with big boobs and a nice ass. Then again, perhaps it was Shiranui. Ryuji had mentioned before that he liked mature women.

Wait, what is he thinking? Ryuji had disappeared without leaving any trace. He needs to ask for help. Quickly, he dialled his phone to make a call.

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Both man in a suit arrived at Ryuji apartment to investigate his disappearance.

“So, another disappearance case?” said the man with a scar over his left eye and combed-back hair.

“Yeah. This time it’s the famous young prodigy,” said the other man, who looked younger, with grey eyes and brownish hair tied in a ponytail.

“Any clues?

“None.”

“What about people of this surrounding area?”

“Already talked to his neighbours and the landlord. They didn’t notice anything strange.”

“Shit. It’s the same story, people vanishing without a trace.” he said, frustration edging his voice.

“Looks like I’ll have to use my ability. It’s gonna hurt my head.” Fatigue seeps in to his voice.

“Already brought painkillers for that.”

“Man, I love you.” He gave him a smirk.

His partner looked away, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. “Just do it already.” He then close the door and lock it.

“Haha…” He chuckled softly at the reaction. Then he sat down, crossing his legs, and began to focus on his surroundings. “Haaaaa…” He takes a deep breath. ‘Fuuuuuu…” Then let it out.

He repeated the process until his eyes began to glow. Time in the room started to rewind. The room begin to turn blurred and grew foggy, but he could still make out the shapes of the past. He stood up and inspected the room until he noticed the silhouette of a man playing what seemed to be a video game. He waited, watching as the figure moved suddenly, lunging for the window, before a blinding light enveloped him entirely.

“Argh!” He recoiled, his eyes searing with pain from the bright light.

“Hiroshi-san, you okay?” he asked, his tone almost nonchalant as he offered two pills and a glass of water.

“You could at least show to be concerned about me!” Surprised by his partner lack of cared.

“I would, if it wasn’t the same every time a case like this comes up.”

“Ugh…” Hiroshi took the pills, swallowed them, and washed them down with the water.

“So, what do you see?”

“The same thing. A bright light appeared out of nowhere and made the victim disappear.”

“So, do you think HQ will request a specialist from the League of Mages? This Miyatake has definitely been sent to another world, like the others.”

“I heard someone’s building a device to stop these reality breaches. After that, they plan to create a gateway to the place where they disappear to. They already got the location, just not away to cross between worlds.”

“Oh? Really? Where?”

“At our HQ. Apparently, the inventor turned down offers from the League, ones with easier access to resources, funds and workplace, saying he wants to stay in his homeland. Though, if I’m being honest, I think he’s a lunatic.”

“Yeah, and our organization is just a vigilante one, not government-funded. We also have a history of clashing with the authorities. Though despite that, the League still willing to sent resources to us despite having to deal with a hostile government.”

“I hope they finish it soon. The Tokyo branch has been gone a long time. I hope they’re okay, wherever they are.”

“Yeah.” he agreed quietly.

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[Yomihara: Palace of Darkness]

Yomihara was in an uproar when news of the battle broke out. Many factions began gearing up, each suspecting the others of starting a war. But when it was revealed that the Taimanin were responsible, most settled into an uneasy calm, though many remained on edge.

In the Palace of Darkness, a man with combed-back white hair and a suit watched a computer screen with analytical eyes. The security footage showed a lone figure fighting through multiple guards and beasts amidst the wreckage of the city streets.

"Interesting," he murmured, observing the fighter's precise movements. The man seemed to anticipate every attack, already positioned to intercept and counter with a single, decisive strike. "A form of precognition, perhaps?" 

The man was struck by one of the monsters and sent crashing through a wall. Yet he pushed himself up, drew his gun, and took aim.

The monster charged, intent on finishing him. He squeezed the trigger.

A flaming bullet soared from the barrel and tore through the creature's skull. Its head exploded in a mass of gore and flame. Without hesitation, he swung the barrel toward another beast and fired again. The shot struck centre mass, blasting a crater in its torso and tearing away chunks of flesh. Though still alive, the monster stumbled, grievously weakened by the devastating wound.

“Such power and resiliency.” The longer he watched the footage, the more fascinated he became with this lone fighter.

Once the battle was over, the man carried the woman on his back and ran. After switching between camera feeds, the observer found the footage where the man turned into an alleyway and disappeared from view.

A knock sounded at the door. When it opened, a dark-skinned woman with very long pink hair entered. “Black-sama, I have finished the task you gave me.”

“And what did you find, Ingrid?”

“Nothing. It’s as if he vanished into thin air. I used the hounds and tracked the blood trail to a door marked with a strange symbol drawn in blood. We broke the door down and searched the building, but there was no trace of him.” She sounded disappointed in herself, admitting this.

The white hair man, starting to think how he disappeared. Must be something involving the symbols, but he dismissed. He lacks too much information on this.

“Black-sama, do you think the Taimanin are involved in this?”

“No. This is far from their usual methods.” While Taimanin possessed considerable firepower, they were rarely bold enough to deploy it so openly against a major stronghold. Furthermore, the statements gathered from Under Eden’s staff and clients described abilities and a manner of combat. Even with gaps in the information, the picture was clear enough. “This man is an anomaly… similar to other such individuals we have encountered in Japan.”

Ingrid's face hardened with anger. She had encountered such individuals before, attempting to recruit them for the Nomad. They had either tried to kill her or, if they joined, had promptly robbed the organization of whatever assets they could. She had successfully recruited one, but she remained deeply distrustful of him. “Black-sama you can’t think of recruiting this individual to the Nomad? Having one is already trouble enough, and he was only useful in babysitting Felicia.”

“Are you dismissing his other achievements, Ingrid?”

She quickly composed herself, fear flashing in her eyes. “Forgive me, Black-sama. I meant no disrespect.”

“I don’t blame you for that. He does prefer to keep his accomplishments quiet. But this individual is different from the others. He seems willing to work with the Taimanin, which suggests he can be cooperative.” Now he just needed to locate where the man was now. There was a possibility he might be in Gosha Village. He would have to contact Furst to confirm it.

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[Yomihara: Mansion of Great Lust]

“You are saying you lost her?!” A tall, dark-skinned young man with white hair demanded.

The Yazaki brothers knelt before him. “F-forgive us, Kuroi-sama! It wasn’t our fault, it was the Tai-” As Real was speaking, the man shut him down.

“Do you think I accept that as an excuse?!” the man cut him off. “I spent a year breaking her, shaping her into my bride, and you lost her to a mere unknown Taimanin?! Not only that, but now every major faction in Yomihara is watching, expecting me to pay for the damages! “

His anger twisted into something sadistic. “I expect repayment for this loss. Eighty percent of UnderEden’s profits will now go directly to me.”

“B-but…”

“Or perhaps I should simply replace you with someone more… obedient.” His tone sharpened, laced with cruel intent.

“Y-yes! Eighty percent is yours!”

Now, Kuroi had to start thinking of a plan to take her back—though that wouldn't be a problem. There was a chip in her brain, implanted during her conditioning, and he had spent a year meticulously training her to be his perfect bride. She wouldn’t betray him easily. Most likely, she was just pretending to be friendly with the Taimanin, biding her time until she could escape and return to his bed, patiently awaiting his return.

Even if they encountered the chip and remove it. It won’t stop the brainwashing unless they found a miracle to undo all his hardwork.

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[Gosha HQ]

“It is a miracle. This man has undone whatever was affecting Shiranui’s mind,” said the woman with short blue hair and purple eyes.

“Are you sure, Himehagi?” Asagi replied, still not convinced. “Shiranui had just attacked our student without any hesitation, if we go by their story of the event.”

“I am sure. I have conducted a full psychological evaluation and found no lingering effects of conditioning or control.”

“I have to agree,” added a young-looking woman with medium-length blue hair and purple eyes, dressed in a two-toned blue mini-dress adorned with yellow and silver accents. “I scanned her thoughts. What I felt was regret and pain, no trace of outside influence or programming.”

“Nevertheless, we need to proceed with surgery to remove the chip implanted in her brain,” stated the woman with long blue hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a professional attire and glasses. “There is still a possibility it could be active.”

“I agree Murasaki, I will inform Shiranui about this tomorrow. Now, about the young man.” Asagi shifted the conversation to the mysterious man. “Shinonome-san, what do you find about him.”

“I, I got nothing!” she admitted, completely distraught by her lack of results. “When I tried to enter his mind, it was as if a wall of fog pushed back against me. The deeper I pressed, the hotter it grew, until a searing pain forced me out completely.” She sighs. “If I want to enter his mind and get information, we may need to weaken his mind.”

“No. I won’t condone torturing a boy who risked so much to save Shiranui and our students,” Asagi stated firmly.

“A boy?” Himehagi asked, surprised.

“He’s eighteen.” This revelation gave the three of them pause, but they quickly refocused on the matter at hand.

“Be that as it may, we still need more information about him,” Murasaki insisted. “We must determine whether he is connected to that group.” Mentioning make Murasaki face twist in anger.

Asagi gritted her teeth. A group of magic users, or Mages, as they called themselves, had established a presence in Tokyo. They had been causing problems, assassinating politicians and interfering with Taimanin missions, and now… they had taken Kyousuke from her.

Murasaki had encountered one of them, an Onmyōji, if her description was correct, who wielded control over evil spirits. They had first crossed paths during her mission to eliminate Kiryu Sabato, but the Onmyōji intervened and managed to capture him. Neither Murasaki nor the Taimanin ever learned what became of Kiryu; both he and the mage vanished without a trace. Years later, the same Onmyōji reappeared, now operating as part of this faction of Mages. 

Now, Murasaki is obsessed with capturing this Onmyōji, making Asagi wonder just what he had done to make her so fixated on him.

“We will have to question him tomorrow,” Asagi tone resigned. For now, they could only wait for the chance to extract the information they needed about the faction. She will find the Sawaki brothers, it was a promise she made to herself, Sakura and especially to Asuka.

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[Chinese Union: National Supernatural Defence Bureau]

Su Jinglei, a former agent of the PLA's Intelligent Agency, now serves as an operative in a newly established department formed in the wake of the PLA corruption scandal. The scandal had triggered widespread riots across the Chinese Union, particularly within the People's Republic of China. This new department is composed primarily of individuals with proven experience in handling supernatural phenomena. This department was created to separate the politics and the supernatural.

Currently, Su Jinglei stands before the door to the office of her department’s director, one of the key figures whose actions had led to the very creation of this agency. She knocks twice, then enters.

“Good morning, Director Ding Weilong,” she says, her tone crisp and professional.

The man behind the desk looks up, and the image is almost jarring. Where she expects stern formality, she finds a tired-looking elder with a rumpled uniform, a thick white beard, and hair caught somewhere between grey and black.

“Urgh… good morning, Su,” he replies, voice gravelly and worn. Sometimes she wonder how can this old man become the director

“Greet her properly, old man!” Standing beside the director was his grandson with black hair and eyes dressing in a stereotypical modern detective attire. He had also played a key role in the department’s formation. He paused, composed himself, and turned to Su Jinglei with a more formal demeanour.

“Good morning, Su Jinglei. Sorry you have to see this,” he said, his tone now even and apologetic.

Su Jinglei gave a slight, professional nod, her expression unchanged. “It okay, Ding Zhenyu, I’m used to this.”

“No, you should not.” he sighed.

“So, Zhen, how is your investigation into the corruption of the PLA higher-ups progressing?” the director asked, his demeanor shifting toward seriousness.

“It’s nearly finished. After that, I’ll need to look into a certain corporation that been making dealings with the Nomad and other UFS related.”

“Good.” The director nodded slowly. “And you, Su Jinglei, how is your investigation of the Mages in Guangdong proceeding?”

“They have been properly dealt with and have been transferred to the Shaolin Temple for disciplinary training and rehabilitation.”

“Good job!” His tone brightened abruptly, the serious official giving way to a cheerful, almost grandfatherly demeanour. “We ought to celebrate!”

“That’s… not necessary, Director.” Su Jinglei was momentarily taken aback by the shift.

“What? Why not? You did excellent work. Young people like you should be rewarded! Come, tell your grandpa, what would you like? You can ask me for anything.”

Su, of course, didn’t know how to respond.

“Just let him reward you, Su. He’s a stubborn old man.” Zhenyu gave her a wry smile. Then something else seemed to occur to him. “Actually, I heard there’s a plan for you to head to Japan next week, is that true?”

The director answer, “Yes, I arranged it myself. The goal is to foster closer ties between our department and the Taimanin. To that end, I will be meeting with the head of Sector Three and the leader of Gosha Village.”

This piqued Su Jinglei’s interest, she had long wanted to visit Gosha Village to trace her own lineage.

“So, who will you bring along? You’ll need security, surely,” Zhenyu pressed.

“Su Jinglei and Lan Xiang.”

Su didn’t react outwardly, but inwardly, her heart quickened with excitement.

“Ah, Japan,” Weilong mused, a distant smile touching his lips. “Brings back memories. I wonder how Ryuji is doing these days?”

“Probably off being a hero somewhere, saving lives and beating people up,” Zhenyu remarked with a chuckle. “Or maybe he’s still working at that convenience store.”

Su is very interested in this Ryuji person since they keep mentioning him from time to time. Still, she dismissed the thought, it wasn’t relevant to her. Her focus, as always, remained on the task ahead.

"So, Su, what would you like? We really must celebrate! Oh, I should call your family and Lan Xiang to share the good news—”

Before he could finish, Su lunged forward, intercepting the old man’s reach for the phone. “Director, that won’t be necessary.”

“Oh, I insist!”

Su shot a desperate look toward Zhenyu, but he only offered a faint, unhelpful smirk in return.

How is she going to escape from this?