Hajime was preparing to leave the house. Today, he had a mission. Therefore, he would not be attending school in the morning and would not return home in the afternoon.

Secrecy was one of the foremost priorities of [New Dawn]; hence, Fumio and his student were still contemplating a suitable cover story to conceal the true actions of Goto's stepson, and for the moment, they had no ideas. For this reason, Hajime was racking his brain to find an excuse to tell his little sister.

While he was lost in thought, someone knocked at the door.

"Come in."

"Good morning, onii-chan!"

"Good morning, Kaori-chan. Do you need anything? I was about to head to school."

"Yes, I wanted to ask if you would go out with me this afternoon. I wanted to take you to a place."

"I'm sorry, Kaori-chan. I have other plans and won't be back until this evening. How about we do it tomorrow instead?"

"Okay, I’m counting on it; it’s a promise."

"All right, all right."

Kaori was so delighted that her stepbrother had agreed that she didn't even inquire about his "plans" for the day.

"(Well, the situation has resolved itself, at least for this time. Mom won’t ask questions, and that insufferable Goto is going to be occupied at the central base of the [Black Corps] for a few days... The only concern is whether 'he' might say something. Perhaps Fumio-sensei has contemplated this?)"

As he exited the house, the seventeen-year-old was too distracted to question why Kaori had suddenly asked him to go out. He dismissed it as merely his little sister wanting to repeat their last outing.

If only he had paid more attention to the girl’s dubious expression, he might have realized that there was more beneath the surface, and that a nasty surprise awaited him in the form of Kaede.

In another part of the city, Mark Watson, Hajime's school nurse—who was also the man tasked with keeping an eye on Goto's stepson (and, in case of need, healing any severe injuries that could raise Kaori's suspicions)—was on his way to work.

The man walked, as he did every morning, toward the school. Farther back, Fumio was watching him from the rooftop of a tall building.

"(Killing him would be excessive… not to mention he might not be the only one reporting to the [Black Corps]… It could work to my advantage, though… I must monitor him more closely…)"

Hajime's teacher was contemplating numerous ways to manage the situation. Mark did not seem like a loyalist, unlike some of Goto's subordinates. In fact, the [mage] exuded the typical presence of someone desperate, doing something he loathed merely to survive; Fumio had already encountered individuals like this, and thus knew how to recognize them.

"(Well, I'll think about that after this mission. In the meantime, let’s see if I've counted my money correctly.)"

As the nurse walked, he noticed a small group of boys approaching him with menacing demeanor. Before he could react, someone from behind struck him on the back of the head with a metal bat.

"*Gasp of pain*!"

"Shut up, old man!"

"Hurry up, before someone sees us!"

With that, a brutal beating commenced, targeting the poor Mark. Fists, kicks, clubs, and brass knuckles were used to inflict injury upon the man.

Meanwhile, the few who witnessed the scene pretended not to notice as they walked away; for them, it was no novelty—it was a notorious neighborhood, after all.

"This is what happens when you treat those you shouldn’t! Next time, think it over more carefully!"

The leader of the group spat on the [mage]’s cheek before departing. The man curled up on the ground in a fetal position, struggling to maintain consciousness.

His injuries were severe, but the [mana] flowing within him rendered his body more resilient than that of an ordinary human; thus, he was not in immediate danger of losing his life.

"(Yes, I counted my money correctly. I suppose it's not the first time they've done this.)"

Fumio observed the entire scene. He still lacked a permanent solution for dealing with Mark, but for today’s circumstances, this was sufficient.

After all, it was not the first time the nurse had been assaulted for healing—or insufficiently healing—one of the school's students.

For Hajime's teacher, it was easy to find a few delinquents for the job. They didn't ask many questions, especially upon seeing the money.

Twenty minutes later, Fumio reached the tunnel where the four boys were waiting for his instructions regarding their mission.

"Good morning, boys. Let's discuss your mission today."

The group was situated at the computer station, which Kohaku frequently used. There, the older [mage] began to explain the situation.

"Kusanagi-san, Kamijo-san, your target is the [White Corps] van. Inside, evidence of some crimes committed by the [Black Corps] is being transported, which will be 'disposed of' in an incinerator this afternoon."

"What type of crimes, Fumio-sensei?" (Cloe)

"Rapes and murders carried out by a small group of friends who enjoy targeting married couples from the lower echelons of this part of the island. The typical individuals for whom no one cares if they disappear overnight."

The room fell deathly silent upon hearing those words. Fumio allowed the boys a moment to gather themselves before continuing.

"Aomori-san, you will infiltrate the van's GPS and the escort vehicles to redirect them toward a more convenient route. Usually, the protocol for agents is to report, but I know you can handle it."

Kohaku immediately set to work. With a program, he began analyzing the data of some members of the [White Corps]. For the [esper], hacking the radio and transmitting a false message once the agents reported would be straightforward.

"Given that they are physical pieces of evidence, we cannot risk them being damaged. Boys, you must exercise maximum caution as to not compromise them."

"Received. Try not to break anything!" (Kuro)

"And you avoid cutting everything and everyone like a psychopath!" (Hajime)

Fumio chuckled slightly at the interaction between the two boys. He chose not to intervene as it was their way of relieving the tension they felt.

"The agents will, of course, resist. There are no [mages] or [espers] among them, but they will certainly have firearms. With [armor], you should handle them, but do not underestimate them; they are still trained men."

"Fumio-sensei, are the agents aware of what they're doing?" (Kuro)

Kuro's question was easily understood if one read between the lines. It was obvious that the thirty-year-old had no trouble doing so.

"No, they are merely individuals performing their duty. They are innocent and unaware of what they are about to destroy. Therefore, you do not have my permission to kill them, unless absolutely necessary. Is that clear, boys?"

"Yes!" (Kuro/Hajime)

"Go change, and I will discuss the details of the plan while you move to your positions."

******

Everything proceeded as Fumio had envisioned; Kohaku managed to deceive the agents with ease. The men were not even on high alert, after all; they merely had to transport evidence from point A to point B. Nothing too important or dangerous—a simple and tranquil job.

All the [White Corps] believed this, except for one.

"(Something feels off.)"

Inside the van, there were two agents, with another in the rear. A few meters behind them, there was an escort vehicle containing two more men.

Since word in the underbelly suggested that some [mages] were lying about a group to target the island's police, the new protocols mandated an escort on these occasions.

"The rumor could merely be a fabrication, but one can never be too careful!"

This was what the head of the [White Corps] for this section of [Fumetsu] had stated. 

What the agents did not know was that it had been Fumio who spread the rumor, setting the stage for the future.

The two vehicles followed the GPS instructions and took a less busy route. The agents began to tense, realizing that something was amiss.

Trusting their instincts and intuition honed during training, the men kept their weapons at the ready.

"Kohaku, the vehicles are nearly in position!" (Hajime)

"Received! I'm triggering the trap!" (Kohaku)

Using his drones from the base, Kohaku commanded the vehicles to initiate phase one of the plan. From small compartments on the drones’ underside, sharp metallic objects dropped onto the road.

"Hey, brake!"

"What the hell are those!"

The wheels of both vehicles burst and punctured, causing the van and the car to skid before coming to a stop. Since the road they were traveling on was secondary, the vehicles were not moving at high speed, and thus there was no risk of losing complete control.

Thus, the evidence they were meant to recover was destroyed.

"Now, boys, it’s your turn!" (Kohaku)

As the agents exited their vehicle and assumed positions, several smoke grenades were launched towards them.

As the smoke billowed up, obscuring their vision, Kuro and Hajime donned their masks and readied their weapons to make their entrance.

And thus began the second mission of the two boys together.