Beyond a Thief's Power (All Ages Version)

Episode 9

All Together Again: With Tender Hilarity and Serious Nature, the Seven Members of the Black Foxes

~Beginning of Part 2~

It was not too long after the team returned to Le Renard Noir that night. They were presently celebrating as they usually did, but this time, it was in favor of Mitsuki's return to Ginza.

"It feels like it's been a long time since Mitsuki was here," Atsumu smiled widely, letting out a happy breath, while still standing behind the counter. "And at last, it gives such a lasting effect on someone as kind as myself. Wowzers!"

Takuto narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Looks like a certain middle-aged, bearded man just stole Hiro's thunder. Can we replace him with someone who's actually suitable enough to run the bar?"

Atsumu's eyes popped open at hearing Takuto's sarcasm. "Gee, Takkun. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to kill me off with your wonderful words." He, too, was irritated at the other. However, it was more of a tactic to follow along with Takuto's offence. On the contrary, it didn't seem like a big deal to him, so he let Takuto's words off the hook and beamed himself up. "But to think we finally have our second female member back with us. It must have been a miracle to see such a magnificent woman here once again."

Hiro smiled at Mitsuki and asked as if to slightly  change the subject, "By the way, how were you able to come back so early, Mitsuki? I thought you were supposed to be in Europe for another few days or a week before going back to Tokyo."

Mitsuki glanced at Hiro and reciprocated the smile the youth had given her. "Hiro, the answer is simple: I was going to take a flight back, anyway, and surprise you all when you returned to the bar from work, but when I did  arrive at Le Renard Noir, you and the others were already on another mission. Or so, Atsumu told me. I immediately went to rescue you guys once I heard the details of your recklessness; I also happened to see the light, so I felt as though I had to follow it. My instincts led me to the newly formed spring, and that's also how I came to save Rina and Takuto after the incident had occurred on the mountain." She paused for a few seconds before continuing with a look that braced her for the words she would hear from the others once she finished. "But... The light we all perceived—I sensed a strong source of magic from it before it disappeared. Perhaps something happened by the time it was released into the night sky."

Hiro's eyes widened lightly with a perplexed expression on his face before he blinked. "? Now that you've mentioned it, the light we observed earlier instantaneously shot up after Takkun went to save Rina from falling down into the ocean." An uncertain frown took the place of his bewilderment. "I wonder why, though. I'd never thought this would happen during a mission, so it was pretty much a first time for any of us to see it."

Kenshi looked down with a thoughtful appearance. "True. We haven't experienced anything like that until now. But as you said, Hiro, it just came up out of nowhere. Why in the world did the light discharge itself from the sea? Could something have caused it to do so in the first place? If so, what was the purpose of it?" He let out a short sigh. "I don't get this at all."

Seeing the diverse expressions she saw on Mitsuki, Hiro, and Kenshi's faces, Rina's eyes permitted themselves to fall right before elaborating on the topic at hand. "...It might have been because of Sayuri. She must have dropped the orbs from the mountain into the water before we came and fused them together in order to nullify their exact location, as well as to deceive the sensors in the basement, along with Takuto's laptop, to lure us to the peak. Since my powers were beginning to fade away, I could only sense the orbs' presence close by, but not where they were located." Rina glanced at the other members and smiled in a strained manner. "I believe, more than anything, her intentions were for the purpose of restoring all of the magic belonging to the magicians living in the Human World. Most of the magicians stationed on Earth—particularly in Japan and the United States, have taken a mission in order to change this world in their own ways by making the lives of the human population much more peaceful, and give everyone here a better chance at life. It may take several years, but this is what they're here for. Back to the topic at hand... You guys might not think Sayuri's trying to do something for another person, but it's only her pride and sense of justice that make her the way she appears to be. She's neither completely used to this world, nor is any other magician. No matter how long we stay in another place, we won't be. We're all different here, after all. This world is not where we came from, but it'll slowly come to be like another home to us, even though it may only be a small one in our hearts."