Tengu city, inside a spacious mansion.
Wu Yan scratched his cheek. While seated in the guest hall, he took a look around him to see meticulously designed windows and wide verandas.
“Are all idols so rich?”
“Don’t phrase it like that.”
Miku turned her head the other way in dissatisfaction. .medrectangle-3-multi-146{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}
“You’re the first male to ever come to my house, rejoice…”
“Really? Alright, I will take you up on your offer…”
Wu Yan grabbed the cup of tea in front of him and he started sipping tea.
“These tea leaves aren’t bad, however, the technique used to brew this pot of tea needs further refinement to produce a better taste…”
“Ara, you talk like an expert…”
Miku isn’t pleased to hear Wu Yan’s critique, she pouted like a child who had her toy messed with.
“You’re just a man. You should be happy with water, much less tea.”
“Too bad for you, I like drinking black tea.”
Wu Yan tipped his cup a bit.
“It’s also why I can rate your tea.”
“If you know I brew it then just drink it in gratitude and shut your yap!”
Miku turned to look at the twins who were having a blast pointing at whatever was in the courtyard. She sighed.
“Ah~ Why did you have to be on the committee as well? Kaguya and Yuzuru would have been fine. I only need girls on my interschool committee.”
“I know you have a thing for sexual discrimination. I also know you like treating men like flies, why am I still offended?”
Wu Yan bitterly laughed. He lowered his cup of tea. .medrectangle-4-multi-147{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}
“But, I still need to thank you for taking care of Tohka and the others. I would have been troubled if it were not for you.”
“I don’t mind taking them for the rest of my life.”
“Well, I do.”
Wu Yan shot Miku down without hesitation. Miku is obviously not happy to hear this. She glanced at Wu Yan before asking him.
“Who is the lady from last time, is she a magician?”
Wu Yan was reaching for his cup of tea before pausing. He looked at Miku who spotted a serious look.
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid she might come looking for trouble?”
Wu Yan was prepared to be met with jeers from Miku for this tongue-in-cheek question. But, Miku nodded sternly.
“I don’t know how to describe it but that person felt completely different when compared to the other magicians I fought in the past. She felt dangerous…”
Wu Yan flinched. He reckoned that Miku isn’t pranking him before shaking his head.
“I almost forgot you’re already a spirit. Since you can sense danger that means you’re not just good at singing, why do you assume you’re nothing without your powers?”
“D-don’t lecture me…”
Miku leered at Wu Yan.
“I know you understand me well, stop bringing up my old past, okay? It’s annoying…”
“Well, whatever I guess…”
Wu Yan shrugged.
“I already made preparations for a fight of attrition, I don’t mind holding off for now.”
“Can you just answer my question already?”
Miku placed her palm to her temple as if she was having a stress headache.
“I have been stressing out over this matter. Also, she called you a spirit, didn’t she? Are you really a spirit?”
“Ignoring whether or not I am a spirit for now…”
Wu Yan waved his hand. He stared straight into her eyes.
“She’s a dangerous person. If you fight with her then you’re going to lose for sure.”
Miku wanted to retort.
It’s only natural that she wanted to protest.
Spirits are walking calamities in this world.
Miku hasn’t been a spirit for long. But, she already mastered her power so she knows just how powerful spirits can be.
Miku also fought against magicians in CR units. The magicians had to group up to fight her. Even then, the magicians can barely defend themselves from her attack. Why should she care about one single magician? How could another human possibly take a spirit like her all by herself?
Plus, Miku has a bias against humanity, she didn’t want to subscribe to the idea that someone can beat her.
However, the feeling of oppression Ellen gave her during the day of the concert still stuck with Miku. She couldn’t find an argument to retort.
This is the second time she felt powerless like this. The first time was when she fought against Wu Yan.
Frustrated, Miku followed up with another question.
“Can humans become stronger than spirits?”
“I know it’s hard to believe…”
Wu Yan bitterly laughed.
“There are three humans with power equal if not outright greater than spirits.”
“Three?”
The twins also heard Wu Yan and Miku’s conversation.
“There are actually humans stronger than spirits?”
Kaguya couldn’t believe her ears.
“There are three such humans?”
“Doubt, Yuzuru finds this hard to believe.
Yuzuru placed her hands behind her back with a frown. She tilted her head.
“Kaguya and Yuzuru fought ever since we first manifested. Prior to Fading, we never encountered magicians. The humans we have seen are also paper tigers without any threat at all.
“Well, you girls never fought magicians so…”
Wu Yan sipped from his cup of black tea.
He continued while looking at the three spirits.
“Since you girls don’t know about them then I am going to enlighten you. It wouldn’t be fun if you messed up because you underestimated your enemies….
The three spirits held their breaths. With eyes on Wu Yan, they perked up their ears.
Wu Yan nodded in satisfaction.
“The human magicians are powerful because they equipped a pseudo-magic equipment known as Combat Realizers. The lethality of these magicians depends on the users and the CR unit. Talent is an important bottleneck in this equation.
“Among the humans, there are three humans with exceptional proficiencies with CR units.
He pointed at the cup of black tea in front of him. The surface of the tea started rippling.
A girl with a tear-drop mole near her eye appeared on the surface of the tea. The girl had a blue ponytail.
“She’s known as Takamiya Mana, one of the three exceptionally talented magicians. She’s also augmented with artificial mana techniques that gave her the ability to punch above her weight despite being younger than most magicians. She’s someone who can kill weaker spirits all by herself.”
“However, Mana has defected to Ratatoskr, the organization I am affiliated with. She’s an ally so you don’t have to worry about her…”
Wu Yan pointed at the cup of tea once more. The surface rippled as an expressionless girl with white hair appeared in it.
“She’s Tobiichi Origami, a member of AST. She’s not that powerful but her talent and abilities as a magician are far above most in her line of field. She’s talented at handing powerful CR units. She’s actually held back by the inferior equipment the AST are using. Given a better CR unit, she will no doubt exhibit her lethality as a magician who is stronger than Mana.”
“However, since she’s still in AST, we don’t have to worry about her for now. If you meet her then get out of her way, don’t provoke her.”
“Lastly…”
Wu Yan changed Origami’s image to Ellen’s image.
“This person is dangerous, very dangerous.”
“If you ever encounter her by yourself then use every ounce of your power to escape….”
