Beyond a Thief's Power (All Ages Version)

Episode 20

Unforeseen Turnovers

In the bedroom inside Le Renard Noir Riki and Mitsuki stayed in, the two of them were standing near the bed.

Riki gazed into the dark purple-haired magician's eyes and asked, "Mitsuki, were you able to meet up with Manjuki today while you were out?"

Mitsuki answered without shaking her head. "No. I wasn't able to contact her, or go near the hotel she and the rest of the Multi-Star Clover staff were at. Minagi hasn't answered my call this morning, either." Her eyes narrowed with a crucial look appearing on her face. "I'm certain they have their reasons, but there's a barrier that kept me from getting near the hotel."

Riki's eyelids raised a bit. "A barrier? We should check the hotel out, then."

"I know you want to jump at the chance of looking into it and prepare for a mission," Mitsuki replied, "but you're exhausted, Riki. Wait until you feel better to gather everyone else."

Riki sighed. "Mitsuki, I'm not old. We haven't been on a mission in a few months, and this information is motivating me again after what I've had to go through. Actually, what we've endured. We can finally do something worth putting our lives at risk with progressing toward ending things with the 14K, and I don't want to wait for Takuji to come back and give us orders on what we'll have to do for much longer. Why couldn't we have finished things sooner so we can stop fighting and live in peace since the Human World changed that day? I don't want for us and the rest of the magicians to suffer anymore."

Mitsuki frowned at knowing how much Riki wanted to help. "Oh, Riki..."

I'm sorry, she apologized in her inner world. This is for your own good.

She stepped forward to embrace Riki; his anterior region felt the entirety of the small female magician against him, as it was common to be with one another that way. Though he wanted more than anything to hold the woman he loved, he was unable to move his arms further to return the embrace. His eyes and body grew heavy, but one thought—one name came to his mind before he quickly reached sleep.

Mitsuki...

However, Mitsuki did not wish to waste the night without being successful in her goal to meet Manjuki. She knew she could not, so she adjusted her right arm to lift Riki's unconscious body and gently set him on the bed, where she usually slept. Once she removed her arms and regained her composure, she turned around and teleported to the one place she had on her mind to go to: the Yanase mansion.

Quite soon, she was inside of its dark, moonlit interior on the first floor. It was empty, as she could see no signs of Kikuno around. Her ability to sense beyond human capabilities was truly part of her existence as a magician.

Kikuno should still be here, even after Ibuki came to Le Renard Noir to live with us, Mitsuki noted silently. Has something happened to her while she was out? Her presence is nowhere to be found. I must search upstairs for any other indications since there is nothing on this floor for me.

Mitsuki walked ahead toward the center set of stairs which were directly in front of her, while the other two set of stairs were on both of her sides. When she was about to make her first step with her right foot, she was swiftly blown back near the entrance of the vast home. She was standing and prepared for whomever was about to appear for her to see once the smoke dissipated. When it cleared, a man with obsidian black hair and flint eyes appeared, donning a suit that was familiar to Mitsuki. His physical appearance, however, was different from how she had always remembered from meeting the man during family gatherings and such. That very man was... younger in the dark purple-haired magician's view.