Part Two

Eimi and Meika followed the two boys quickly down the hallway.

It's too bad I didn't get to catch the perpetrator, Eimi thought to herself sourly. I really wanted to know who it was...

"Eimi," Meika put a hand on her friend's shoulder and shook her head wordlessly.

Eimi gave a sheepish smile and nodded. "Un, I know, Meika-chan."

"Hurry! This way!" Isamu called from the entrance to the auditorium.

"It's about to start!" Masao agreed.

"Ah, hai hai, coming!" Eimi replied, hurriedly racing after the boys.

"Eimi-chan! Meika-chan!"

"Akina!" Eimi was greeted by her friend the moment she entered the auditorium. "Kyoko-chan too...what in the world is going on here?"

Kyoko looked away uncomfortably. "Well...you see..."

"Just now, there was a second attack."

At Isamu's statement, Eimi jerked back in surprise. "Hah?"

"What did you say?" Meika demanded.

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded. "Actually, Shuu-niichan was hospitalized earlier due to a poisoning...a needle was found hidden later next to him."

"K-Kyoko-chan..." Akina said worriedly.

Eimi lowered her head, thinking. "Kyoko's oniichan was...? But...that's...impossible..."

She mumbled the last part so quietly even Meika almost missed it, and Masao said, "What was that?"

"Nothing," Eimi said slowly. "I was just thinking--"

"Everyone of Himeji High School," A voice came from the stage, amplified by a microphone. "Please sit down."

In an orderly fashion, the seats were quickly filled. Eimi and Meika sat with their classmates near the front, facing the Vice President, 'Judgemaster' Sakiko Chika.

"Freshman of this year," Chika spoke up, bowing politely, "I am very sorry for this to have happened on your first day. I hope you do not think down about Himeji High School because of this incident, as when it comes down to it, we are MWs after all. Returning students I hope understand the situation and do their best to comfort and protect the first-years."

Chika went on calmly. "However, this is something that you should know. You are now officially a mage-warrior. There won't be a place for you out there that isn't like this as long as there are people out there who despise us. And that is why we need to change." Chika paused to clear her throat before continuing. "Well then, I'll have our secretary Takashima Masaki debrief you about our current situation." She bowed again and retreated back to sit by Minori.

Takashima Masaki took the stage. "Ahem. So right now, we have had two attacks. One was today during dinner, Kisaragi Otome-sensei was attacked by an unknown force and injected with poisoning, which thus resulted in minor internal bleeding as well as extreme pain. A Paralysis Cast was believed to be used for this."

Masaki turned the page of a clipboard he held in his hand. "And just now, Fuyubayashi Shuu, a member on our own Student Council, was injected with a deadly poison as well. Though symptoms have yet to show up, it is believed to be fatal and Dr. Yamamoto is finding a cure right now."

Eimi glanced at Meika, and Meika shook her head. "We shouldn't," she whispered, "because then we'd have to go into even greater detail."

Eimi simply nodded. "Un."

Minori took the microphone from Masaki. "Eto, so I have a suggestion. For safety reasons, I'd like everyone, including all freshmen, to have at least one Casting category perfected by midnight in case this mysterious perpetrator decides to strike again, though I'm sure many of you already know one."

"Ah, I have a question," Eimi stood up.

Minori nodded at her to speak, and she did.

A very blunt and thoughtless question.

"Um...how exactly is that going to help?"

"How, you say..." Minori sighed. "Mihara-san, are you serious? This way you'll be able to defend yourself in case of any danger. It's a necessary precaution--"

"That's not it..." Eimi frowned. "There's just one thing that confuses me. If it was someone like Meika-chan and me who were attacked, I wouldn't hesitate to agree with you. But Shuu-senpai and Kisaragi-sensei were both extraordinary MWs and excellent Casters, but they were targeted and successfully taken out of the picture. What I think is that this person who is targeting Himeji High School is not to be afraid with Casting, but his strategies and wits..."

Minori thought. "Come to the stage."

"Fuee?!" Eimi exclaimed in surprise. "Sorry, did I say too much?"

"No, no," Minori said quickly. "But I'm interested in what you have to say."

Eimi hesitated. "But--"

"I'll go with you," Meika stood up and knocked her fist lightly on her friend's head. "You've attracted in unnecessary attention again, Eimi."

"Sowee," Eimi said. She bit her lip. This is a problem...I'm really not sure how much longer I can keep this facade up.

The two headed for the stage, and Meika pulled her cell from her pocket as she did. "Eto, I'm not really sure what you want me to say, but..." Eimi stammered. "I'll honestly admit that I don't have a right to challenge your authority, Senpai...neither Meika nor myself really know any Holy Casts, but we're still pretty handy in a technology room..."

Meika nodded at Eimi. "Go ahead."

"Senpai!" Eimi blurted out. "Do you know how to Cast a Projection Cast: a Mind Reading Spell?"

Projection Cast. Created illusions of certain things; a Mind Reading Spell projected what was on one's mind onto another device.

"Well...I do, but..." Minori said in surprise.

"Please cast one on me now!"

Minori nodded reluctantly. "I understand."

"Please wait a minute," Chika stepped in. "A Mind Reading Spell is not something to be taken lightly. Why would you need--"

Eimi bowed. "Please. I'm begging you, Senpai."

Normally, I'd Shadow Cast her thoughts onto my phone, Meika thought, but I guess that can't happen.

"I understand," Minori said, pulling away from Chika.

"But Prez--"

"It's fine, Chika," Minori smiled and held out her hands. "Come on, Lovely Cheer!"

A large, silver lance appeared in her hand and her clothes changed as it did into a sparkly popstar like outfit. A blue and pink blouse, hair tied up in two ponytails and a large ribbon, a fluffy rainbow skirt--definitely the famous idol Ogasawara Minori.

Minori winked. "Form Change: Lance Idol!"

Minori stabbed the silver tip into the ground. "Projection Cast: Mind Reading."

A light blue hue washed over Eimi, and Meika held out her phone to connect it.

Eimi closed her eyes and concentrated. "Then, I will proceed to recall the time today during dinner."

Meika hooked her phone up to the projector, and immediately the cafeteria appeared.

"Yes, that's what the room looked like at the time..." Chika said, startled at the empty room. "But how does that--"

Meika shook her head wordlessly to cut her off. Slowly, one by one, tables and chairs started plotting themselves all over the cafeteria. Eimi frowned. "I believe there were around 400 chairs, if I'm not mistaken...because there were only 357 students there at the time, 43 were empty. I think 42 of them were stacked in this corner, the other one was here, and the teachers sat here, Student Council here, us here..." Mumbling to herself, the projection slowly became more and more detailed as more and more familiar faces found their way onto the screen. She bit her lip nervously, filling the chairs--

"H-Huh?" She opened her eyes in confusion.

"What's the matter?" Meika asked. The rest of the auditorium seemed too stunned to react.

"Why is there another empty seat?" Eimi asked, startled as she stared at the screen. In the corner, a single empty chair sat off to the distance. "I can't remember anyone sitting there..."

"I'll search up who you're missing," Meika suggested. She started fiddling with her phone.

"Th-that's impossible!" Chika exclaimed. "Even with our school database it'd take at least an hour..."

"Don't worry," Eimi said, sounding distracted. "Meika-chan's fast. But I don't like the fact that I can't remember..."

Suddenly, Meika gave a small gasp and jerked back in surprise. "Hey, Eimi..."

"Hm?" Eimi tilted her head curiously.

Meika frowned.

"Where was Fuyubayashi-senpai at the time?"