The Death Mage that doesn't want a fourth time

Side Chapter 17 Chain of events (Origin)

The signal from the stealth fighter piloted by 'Noah' of the Bravers vanished. The army that had lent the fighter to the Bravers passed this information onto the special forces members who were on standby, surrounding the Eighth Guidance's base, and it was devastating news for them.

To the ordinary people, the Bravers were heroes, but to soldiers, they were more than just that. To the soldiers, Amemiya Hiroto and the others were cheats... 'unfair' beings.

One hundred geniuses that normally appeared very rarely were all born in the same generation, and most of them had been born on an island nation to the far east. And all of them possessed at least one non-magic 'ability' that worked on unknown principles.

Partially due to these 'abilities,' each of them had the power to shake entire nations.

The 'fallen hero' Kanata had possessed Gungnir, which allowed him to snipe and kill any target through any obstacles.

The 'Metamorph' Shihouin Mari, who had killed Kanata, was a master of disguise beyond what was seen in spy movies. She could change her race and physique instantly, rendering scanners for fingerprints, retinas, and voice signatures useless, and there was a high possibility that she could fool sensors that identified the Mana wavelengths of individuals as well.

The Oracle Endou Kouya, Machida Aran with Calculation, Shimada Izumi with Inspection. All of them broke the rules.

The most fearsome of the Bravers was Amemiya Hiroto. If he had been born before the World War, it would likely have been the eastern island nation, not the American-European alliance, that ruled the world.

"So, did the stealth fighter's signal disappear because of an attack by the Eighth Guidance? Are the Bravers still alive?" asked a commanding officer of the special forces of one of the nations.

"Unknown," his subordinate immediately replied. "However, the vital signals of 'Noah,' Mao Smith, have ceased."

"I see, so that troublesome woman has disappeared."

Mao had been marked among the Bravers as someone who needed to be under significant surveillance. That wasn't because her behavior was often problematic, but because her Noah ability was troublesome.

Things stored inside Noah could never be detected from the outside. Precious metals, firearms, drugs, she could transport them as she liked. Of course, that included people.

What if she were to transport a dangerous biological weapon inside Noah? The thought was enough to terrify the high officials in every nation.

The Bravers had possessed society's trust up until now, but there were Murakami Junpei and the others who were now working with the Eighth Guidance.

No matter how noble they were, there was no saying for sure that they would never stain their hands with crime.

That was why it wasn't bad if the Bravers died. It would be best if they were to work for the nation and find permanent employment, but them dying was far better than them joining other nations or criminal organizations.

"First, we should confirm how many losses the Bravers have sustained, and wait for contact from them to hear whether they're in a state to participate in the operation. In theory, we would take this option. However, it's highly likely that the Eighth Guidance has already detected our operation," the commanding officer said.

If that wasn't the case, there was no way a latest-model stealth fighter would go missing with its young and healthy pilot dead.

How had the Eighth Guidance, who shouldn't have been in possession of any radar equipment, detected the approach of a stealth fighter? It was possible that it was the doing of Murakami Junpei or one of the others with their abilities, but it was a known fact that all of the members of the Eighth Guidance were able to use one death-attribute spell in exchange for not being able to use magic of the normal attributes.