Cloe was anxious about the events unfolding that day.
The mission of the day was remarkably simple. Certainly, the level of danger wasn't exceedingly high, but it was always present. It only took one mistake, and Hajime and Kuro could injure or even kill themselves, especially considering they would restrain themselves significantly to avoid harming any of the [White Corps].
Cloe's concern for her stepbrother was understandable. Since their birth, they had remained inseparable.
They consoled one another when their minds and bodies were tested. They both provided the strength to maintain hope for a brighter tomorrow, despite only knowing the cruelty and inhumanity of those who had, artificially, brought them into the world.
Cloe was certain that if Kuro were ever to die, a part of her heart would follow him.
The young [maga] was also worried about Hajime.
Recently, she had come to appreciate their new teammate. The boy's sociable and calm demeanor complemented her reserved and tranquil nature, and while they could not yet consider themselves friends, Cloe was ready to admit that she would risk her life for him, just as she would for Kuro and her best friend.
"Now, it's your turn, guys!"
Meanwhile, Kohaku was dedicating all her attention to the computer screens in front of her.
Her fingers moved with an almost superhuman speed as she maneuvered drones to launch smoke grenades, used security cameras to keep an eye on their surroundings, and ensured she blocked the agents' communications.
The young [esper] refrained from using her powers so as not to tire herself during critical moments. Even before the mission began, she had devised several plans in case something went awry.
She had prepared multiple escape routes for Hajime and Kuro.
She would not allow anything to slip away as it had during the last mission; therefore, her safety net around the perimeter was four times denser than before, not even a fly would pass her drones unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Fumio watched the situation from a chair. The man was genuinely impressed by Kohaku's capabilities and her ability to maintain composure and coolness even in such a stressful scenario. It wasn't something everyone could manage.
"(She's truly a born leader.)"
The thirty-year-old diverted his gaze from the girl as he observed the computer monitors.
"(Now let's see how well those two work together.)"
In this brief period, Fumio had focused primarily on the individual improvement of his two students, setting aside teamwork. This was a perfect opportunity to closely observe their shortcomings.
"(Don't let me down; I know you both possess immense potential.)"
At that exact moment, Hajime and Kuro sprang into action, entering the smoke curtain.
The agents prepared their pistols while remaining sheltered behind their vehicle doors. Four had exited, leaving only one inside the van.
"I'll take care of those in the vehicle," Kuro stated.
"Got it. I'll handle the others," Hajime replied.
Goto's stepson advanced slowly, positioning himself ideally for an attack, mirroring his colleague's movements.
Tension filled the air, palpable enough to be cut with a knife.
"There they are!"
With a movement in the smoke, one of the agents, unable to bear the pressure, opened fire. His partner immediately followed suit, shooting with their pistols.
"Cover us; let's go check it out!"
With a metallic thud, one of Kohaku's drones crashed to the ground just a few meters from the two agents' vehicle. They approached to see who or what they had hit.
"It's a decoy!"
"Damn it!"
"Too late," Kuro remarked.
Kuro arrived at their backs. His weapon, [Carmilla I], was poised to strike. Using the handle of the scythe, the teenager sent one of the two [White Corps] sprawling backward with a powerful blow to the sternum.
The air rushed from his lungs as the man landed heavily on his back. His head struck the asphalt, sending him into dreamland.
The second agent managed to evade receiving the same treatment as his colleague. With swift movement, he drew his pistol and aimed it at Kuro.
"Drop your weapon, or I will fire!"
"Surrender," Kuro replied.
Unfortunately for the [White Corps], Cloe's stepbrother had already employed [mana manipulation]: [armor], rendering the bullet unable to even scratch his skin, despite the close range.
The agent continued to shoot until he emptied his clip. Kuro seized the moment to use [Carmilla I] to slash his thigh. As the man grunted in pain and lost his balance, he received a heavy blow to the head from the teenager's scythe handle.
"That's two down."
Around the same time Kuro was confronting the two agents, Hajime had caught off guard the two [White Corps] who were supposed to cover them.
"Behind you!"
"Shit!"
The first agent was taken by surprise as Goto's stepson struck the man with the blunt side of [Tepes I], the katana shattering at least one of the poor man's ribs, who fainted immediately after hitting the ground.
"Damn it!"
"[Mana manipulation]: [armor]!"
Charging forward like a rhinoceros, the adolescent barreled into the [White Corps], using his superhuman strength.
The agent fell onto his back; he likely had some broken bones but was improbable he was dead.
"Tsk! Worse than a beast!" Kuro exclaimed.
"Shut your mouth! At least I haven't stabbed anyone! Bloody psychopath! Worse than a serial killer!" Hajime fired back.
"I wouldn't want to interrupt your intimate moment, but... there's still an agent in the back of the van," Kohaku interjected.
Returning to seriousness, the two boys decided to deal with the last [White Corps] together. Both teenagers and Kohaku found themselves wondering why the man hadn't emerged to assist his companions.
"Guys, be careful; he could be..."
Before the group's leader could finish, the van's door swung open. Kuro and Hajime pumped more [mana] into their [armor], in case they found themselves under fire from heavy weaponry. In a sense, they were right.
"(What the hell are those!?)" Hajime thought.
"(Is he a [mago]!?)" Kuro wondered.
From the vehicle emerged another [White Corps], with an appearance ordinary enough to resemble an average person. However, what was peculiar was his skin: it was gray, made up of scales resembling those of a reptile.
Some of those very scales fell from the man's skin and began to float around him.
Goto's stepson immediately understood what was happening, and thus, using his super speed and his new katana, managed to defend himself against the scales that flew toward him. Kuro was not so fortunate.
"Kuro!?"
The adolescent with black hair was struck in the shoulder by one of the projectiles. Hajime, by pure instinct, leapt onto his teammate, pulling him away from the barrage of scales.
"Kohaku! Use the smoke grenades!" Hajime shouted.
"On it!"
The drones intensified the smoke curtain, providing the two boys the opportunity to retreat without risking being shot in the back.
"There was a [mago] among them!? This wasn't planned!" Kohaku exclaimed.
"Fumio-sensei, we should withdraw," Cloe suggested.
"Hmmmm... not yet; the situation isn't irreversible."
"B-but..." Cloe started.
"Don't underestimate Kusanagi-san; my two students know how to handle themselves."
While those at the base were having this discussion, Hajime was supporting an expletive-laden Kuro.
"Damn it! I let myself get hit like an amateur!"
"Idiot, how's the wound?!"
"Don't you see the blood?!"
Despite their child-like bickering, the two boys behaved very professionally.
The adolescent with black hair immediately began to tend to his wound, which was bleeding from the scale that had pierced his flesh. Meanwhile, his colleague stood guard.
"He's not moving. Kohaku, why aren't the drones firing anymore?"
"They've been taken down. However, I did learn a few things. The range of his [magic] is about 15 meters. The drones that are farther away haven't been affected," Kohaku informed.
As Hajime pondered possible solutions for their predicament, he heard the agent's voice emanating from the smoke curtain.
"Listen up, you two! I know you didn't kill my colleagues; therefore, if you surrender now, I won't use lethal force! Let's avoid dragging this out; just allow yourselves to be arrested and let's put an end to this!"
The agent's authoritative and strong voice would have shaken ordinary criminals, but unfortunately for him, the boys he was dealing with were not just common felons.
"Listen to him! He speaks as if he has already won, and as if he could easily take us down!" Kuro commented.
"Shut up! Can't you see he's trying to pressure us... and by the way, can you still fight?!" Hajime asked.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?!"
"Hajime, Kuro, I have a plan to take him down. But it's risky," Kohaku declared.
The plan the girl devised was barely callable a plan. It relied more on luck than anything else. But they had no other choice; after all, Fumio was granting them permission to proceed because he believed in their capabilities.
"I'm in! How about you?" Hajime inquired.
"I'm fine with it; at least that power of yours will be useful for once!" Kuro agreed.
"Get ready; I'll deploy the drones!"
Meanwhile, as the two prepared to follow Kohaku's plan.
The [mago] had moved his four colleagues away from the vehicles to avoid risking harming them during the confrontation. More scales detached from his body and began to float around him.
"(They're not showing themselves... they can't have surrendered... I thought I could capture them after they took down the other [White Corps], but it seems I underestimated them; they evaded my scales at close range. No, they are not mere common criminals; they are something else.)"
While the man was lost in his thoughts, he caught sight of electric discharges illuminating a figure amid the smoke curtain.
"(A direct attack? Perhaps the other wants to take me by surprise?)"
The agent's scales flew toward Hajime, who, in a terrifying display of strength and speed, managed to lift a large piece of asphalt barehanded to use as a shield. The scales, as hard and sharp as they were, could not penetrate the boy's defense, who charged forward with a war cry.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!!!"
"Clever of you! But you'll have to do better!"
The [White Corps] manipulated the scales floating around him to strike his aggressor from every conceivable angle.
"(There he was!)"
The first wave of attacks was deflected by Kuro's scythe, who emerged from his teammate's shadow along with his weapon. The few attacks the adolescent could not redirect were blocked by the drones, which, in a kamikaze manner, served as shields.
Seizing a moment, Goto's stepson hurled the piece of asphalt toward the agent. The man grunted in pain. He was hit squarely, and his skin cracked upon contact. Landing on his back, the [mago] managed to rise immediately, despite the pain and many broken bones he sustained.
"Tsk, he's still on his feet!" Kuro exclaimed.
"I'll handle this! Get the evidence!" Hajime ordered.
Kuro dashed into the van to retrieve what they had come for. Somehow, a patrol of [White Corps] had noticed the smoke curtain and was coming to investigate. Time was running out for the mission.
"Take this!"
The silver-haired boy struck first with a punch to the tired and fatigued man's jaw, who was blocking his path thinking to finish him off. But he was mistaken. Hajime had underestimated the [mago]'s skin's resilience.
The red oni mask of the adolescent cracked slightly when the opponent's fist connected with his face.
The [White Corps] was about to continue his assault but hesitated slightly. With the broken mask, he could glimpse part of his adversary's face. Though not enough to make an identification, the agent quickly realized he was up against someone very young.
"(Is he just a kid!?)"
That moment of hesitation proved decisive; Goto's stepson sent him to the ground with a spinning kick to the chest.
"Let's go! I got everything!" Kuro shouted.
"Received!" Hajime replied.
The last drones launched their final smoke grenades, thus obscuring the escape of the two boys. Thus ended Hajime and Kuro's second mission.