Gu Jie was currently hiding in downtown Hiratsuka. In order to surround
their target while avoiding detection, as well as to keep the local
residents from becoming anxious. Katsuto, as the head of the Gu Jie
capture party, limited the number of people in his party, as he secretly
deployed them in order to advance.
However, the enemy could sense their movements. By 'enemy' this was
not referring to Gu Jie, but rather, another force that was aiding his
escape.
"Major, we've confirmed that the combined Magician and Police forces
lead by Juumonji Katsuto has started sending personnel into Hiratsuka.
It seems that the Japanese magicians have also pinpointed Heigu's secret
location."
"So, they're bringing the police in, as well. It appears that the Japanese
side wants to apprehend Heigu."
Benjamin Canopus was recognized as the No.2, after the General Officer
and leader of 'The Stars' Angie Sirius. He is the UNSA's Joint Chief of
Staff with direct supervision over 'The Stars', and leads them as their
commanding officer. He received the report from his men who were
stationed in a mobile base disguised as a trailer, and returned from
unanswerable soliloquy.
They were not First-Class Stars members. For this operation, aside from
Canopus, there were no regular Stars members being commissioned. The
terrorist escape assistance ── or more accurately, capture interference
── and assassination. Because of this operation's extreme illegality,
compared to last year's operation dealing with the disposal of the
runaway soldiers, the importance to leave no evidence of their
involvement was stressed.
At Zama, their location was next to the joint base and thus had
convenient conditions to be able to use soldiers. Unfortunately that
wouldn't work in this case. This time, the men Canopus was leading
were composed of soldiers with an East Asian appearance employed by
the military intelligence department as a group for subversive actions.
They were of a disposition similar to that of Stardust. Like the Stardust
that couldn't become stars, all members were taking drugs that
exchanged their life span for increased ability. They were disposable
enhanced soldiers.
The percentage of those that were and were not magicians was 50:50.
Among those that didn't possess magical abilities were those who had
received biochemical and mechanical strengthening measures. Their
ability was not to the same degree as the fully mechanized cyborgs who
appeared with special effects on entertainment channels, but their ability
