Chapter 3: Rescue Mission and the Mysterious Hero

A week after the campus-shaking duel, Tendou Amamiya's life began to settle into a normal rhythm, or at least close to it. However, one significant change remained: the presence of Asakura Otoya.

That morning, on the quiet campus rooftop, Otoya enthusiastically demonstrated the martial arts moves Tendou taught him. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his eyes gleamed with fierce determination. Tendou corrected his posture, giving brief but precise instructions. "Focus on your center of gravity, not just brute force." Otoya nodded, tried again, and this time his movements were more stable. Clearly, Tendou had granted Otoya's request to learn, even if informally.

RING!

The campus bell rang loudly, signaling class time. "We need to go back," Tendou said flatly, turning towards the rooftop door. Otoya sighed, but followed obediently.

Three days later, Tendou finally had a rare quiet day. His campus was on holiday. He used the free time efficiently. The morning was spent cleaning his house, making sure everything was neat and tidy. After that, he dedicated time to intense physical training: a series of punches and kicks on a punching bag, followed by running and weight training. His muscles tensed, but he felt controlled power flowing through every movement—a power that didn't rely on magic.

Meanwhile, his younger sister, Ayano, woke up late. Today was her special day; she was going to Pegasus Mall with her friends to play and watch a movie at the cinema. In a hurry, she ate breakfast and said goodbye, waving to Tendou, who was wiping sweat. "I'm off, Big Brother! Have a great day!" she called out cheerfully, unaware of the danger that awaited her.

Not long after Ayano left, Otoya appeared at Tendou's doorstep, as if materializing out of thin air. "Tendou-sensei! I've come as promised!" he exclaimed with a wide smile.

Tendou nodded. "Come in, Otoya." As they sat down, Tendou cut straight to the point. "I need you to give me detailed information about Kurushima Emmy and the second strongest mage in Japan."

Otoya's eyes lit up. He pulled out a slim tablet and began to recount all the information he had gathered—personal data, magic power history, known weaknesses, even small rumors—all accurate and organized. Tendou listened carefully, occasionally furrowing his brow. He was impressed by Otoya's incredible information network and research capabilities.

After Otoya finished, Tendou looked at him intently. "Alright, Otoya. I accept you as my student."

Otoya's face beamed, almost jumping for joy. "Really, Sensei?!"

"With one condition," Tendou continued in a serious tone that brought Otoya back to calm. "Whatever you see or know about me, you must keep secret. Until death."

Otoya nodded firmly, looking at Tendou with respect. "I will, Sensei! I swear!"

At the same time, around three in the afternoon, far from Tendou's house, Yukari Kurushima had just left school. She stood on the roadside near the school gate, chatting cheerfully with her friends while waiting for her pickup car to arrive. Suddenly, a dark van sped up and stopped right in front of her. The van door slid open, and several masked men jumped out. Swiftly, they covered Yukari's mouth, muffled her, and dragged her into the van before anyone could react. The van sped away like lightning.

Inside the fast-moving van, one of the kidnappers spoke into a radio. "Primary target secured. Proceed with Plan B. We will double the ransom demand with an additional hostage. Next target: Pegasus Mall."

"Understood, Captain," a voice on the other end replied. "Team is ready. 300 men will move according to code."

A few minutes later, at Pegasus Mall, Ayano laughed happily with her friends in the arcade area, planning to watch a movie soon. Not far from them, other visitors were busy shopping or enjoying food.

Suddenly, without warning, the lights throughout the mall flickered wildly, then most of them went out. Automatic store doors jammed, promotional screens flickered off. The usual background music fell silent instantly, leaving an eerie quiet, followed by hushed whispers of panic.

Gunshots echoed through the air, followed by harsh shouts announced through the mall's loudspeakers. "EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE! DON'T MOVE!" A large group of masked men, numbering around 300, dressed in tactical uniforms and carrying automatic weapons, entered from various points, blocking all exits and taking control of every floor. In the hand of one of them, an emerald green stone the size of a fist emitted a faint glow, but its aura was so powerful that it suppressed all magical energy within the building. The mages present felt their powers vanish instantly, as if disconnected from their energy source.

"You are all our hostages! Follow our instructions, or you will regret it!" one terrorist yelled.

Mass panic erupted. Ayano shrieked as she and her friends were pushed by terrorists into the central mall area, near the food court, joining dozens of other visitors. Meanwhile, the van that kidnapped Yukari arrived at the mall's service area, and a terrified Yukari was escorted to a separate, more hidden room on an upper floor, along with several other "high-value" hostages, away from the main crowd. The mall, which had been bustling and cheerful, was now a terrifying stronghold completely controlled by the captors.

Outside, police sirens and emergency vehicles wailed, filling the air. Barricades were quickly set up, isolating the area around Pegasus Mall. Uniformed police units, including several armored special forces vehicles, began to arrive, adding to the tension. However, since these terrorists were purely "ordinary humans" who could not be countered with magic, the initial response focused on containment and negotiation. Soon, a terrifying message was broadcast from inside the mall, targeting the authorities: "If any special forces try to enter, we will bomb the entire Pegasus Mall. Don't even try!" The threat froze any direct assault attempts. Media crews already flooding the location intensified their coverage, making this incident a gripping national focus.

Tendou felt a strange jolt in his mind. The magical connection he had placed on Ayano suddenly felt empty, cold, as if severed. His eyes widened, but he tried to dismiss the feeling. He heard Otoya frantically talking about the news at Pegasus Mall.

"Pegasus Mall..." Tendou murmured, his expression flat. In his mind, he thought, This is a public issue. Special forces are better suited for this; they're trained to deal with humans. I should stay in the shadows. He was still hesitant to get directly involved, especially if it would draw attention to him.

Just as he was about to brush off the thought, his phone vibrated. A call from a number he recognized. Ayano.

Tendou picked it up, his heart pounding erratically. "Ayano? Are you alright?"

Ayano's voice on the other end was broken, choked with sobs and terror. "Big Brother... I... I'm at Pegasus Mall... they've captured everyone... I'm scared, Big Brother!" Her voice broke off, followed by loud noises and a man's shout ordering her phone to be thrown away.

The phone in Tendou's hand vibrated, then went silent. The connection was lost.

Tendou's eyes instantly changed. The soft brown glint vanished, replaced by a sharp, cold golden gleam. The "Oscar" aura he had controlled until now flared powerfully, filling the room. Hesitation, reluctance, and the desire for a quiet life vanished in an instant. Ayano was in danger. His youngest sister, whom he loved more than anything, was a hostage.

"Otoya," Tendou's voice was heavy, filled with unwavering determination. "Follow me."

Tendou immediately walked towards a hidden wall in his house, which turned out to be a secret door leading to a spacious, technologically advanced underground room. Inside, two towering dark figures were parked: Exo Suit Mechas in a deep black.

"This... what is this, Sensei?!" Otoya stared in awe.

"This is how we get in," Tendou replied, approaching one of the suits. The suit was sleek yet looked incredibly robust, its surface a glossy black. Its helmet, resembling an advanced combat helmet design with a single vertical visor and sharp contours, seemed to merge perfectly with the entire armor. "This suit is equipped with stealth technology and a flight system. We will enter undetected by the public."

Tendou began to put on his suit. "You too. Wear that one." He pointed to the second suit, which was equipped with a slender energy rifle. "We will devise a strategy. They won't expect an attack from outside the system."

Otoya, still mesmerized, quickly put on his suit. He could feel the power and advanced technology flowing into his body. While preparing, Tendou activated a hologram screen in the room, displaying a live news broadcast from outside Pegasus Mall.

Suddenly, both their eyes caught a shocking sight. On the screen, Emmy Kurushima was seen outside the mall. With a pale face and raging fury, she smashed the window of a car parked beside her. Then, taking a deep breath, she exerted the last remnants of her magical power that she might still be able to gather at the edge of the magic-suppressing stone's influence. A short sword of pure light materialized in her hand, emitting a fragile glow. She screamed, then recklessly ran through the police barricade towards the mall's main entrance. She seemed to be trying to attack the terrorists there with her fading magic sword. This scene was immediately covered and broadcast by the media. However, as she stepped further into the mall area, her magic sword dimmed and completely disappeared, eroded by the power of the green stone that nullified magic. Without her magic, she was easily subdued and dragged inside by several terrorists, who immediately grinned, pleased that their plan was working.

"Damn it! How foolish!" Otoya hissed, clear frustration in his voice. "She's always like this, acting rashly without thinking! It's precisely actions like these that please the enemy and provide a trap for her!" He fiddled with his tablet. "Sensei, these terrorists... I just got information. They call themselves 'Oracle'. They are an extremist group who believe that only the demon lord will come to save humanity from the 'filth' of the modern world, including mages. Their leader is a man named Raymond. He wants revenge against the Valkyrie Forces because they killed his brother in the past. Emmy's invasion was exactly what they wanted, a demonstration of power and chaos."

Tendou clenched his gloved fist inside the black suit. His face behind the helmet was unreadable. Emmy had become a pawn in Raymond's game. "We must move quickly. We don't have much time. The plan is... covert operation. First priority: find Ayano."

Inside Pegasus Mall, Emmy Kurushima collapsed helplessly on the marble floor, her magic utterly gone. She, the formidable second strongest Mage, was now just an ordinary girl whose body felt weak and empty. Two terrorists who had just dragged her in stood over her, grinning cruelly. They kicked her legs, pulled her hair, and laughed at every whimper that escaped her lips. "Look who it is? The great Princess of Magic? Now just a helpless mouse!" mocked one terrorist, lightly stepping on her back. Emmy winced in pain, shame and anger mixing with despair. She knew she had become a spectacle, a doll to be mocked, living proof of how useless magic was against that green stone. They treated her as if she were nothing more than monthly supplies, testing the limits of her patience with humiliation after humiliation, savoring every second of the suffering of the now powerless mage.

Shortly after, several other terrorists arrived and dragged Emmy further inside, towards a room in the mall's control center. There, Raymond, the leader of the Oracle group, sat in front of a monitor displaying a news broadcast, a satisfied expression on his face. "Welcome, second strongest Mage. This burning hatred and vengeance will finally be repaid by your hand," he muttered, his eyes glinting with triumph.

Outside the mall, several media drones attempting to fly higher to get clear footage were suddenly shot down one by one by precise gunfire from within the building. The message was clear: they didn't want anyone recording what was happening inside.

In the air above the city, high above Pegasus Mall, Tendou and Otoya were inside a sleek, silent aircraft. Not an ordinary plane, but a prototype automatic aircraft belonging to Tendou's father, a masterpiece of technology never before seen by the public. The plane moved without a sound, virtually undetectable by radar. Tendou activated advanced modes: stealth mode, making the aircraft vanish from sight, and ghost mode, which completely eliminated its heat signature and sound. They were like phantoms in the sky.

Otoya, now wearing his own black Exo Suit, pointed to a skyscraper across from Pegasus Mall. "Sensei, I request permission to land there," his voice came through the suit's communication system. "That position is perfect. I can act as both a sniper and a guide from there. I can see the entire mall roof and most of the upper floors."

Tendou glanced at Otoya, then gave a small nod. "Good. Take position. Don't act rashly until I give the order."

The aircraft slowed above the building Otoya indicated. A compartment opened at the bottom, and Otoya slid down slowly, landing smoothly on the building's roof. He immediately found a position, his advanced rifle already in hand, his sharp eyes observing Pegasus Mall from a distance.

The prototype aircraft zipped back, heading straight towards Pegasus Mall. Closer now, Tendou could see the police barricades and media crowds below, but no one was aware of the aircraft's or his presence. When the aircraft reached the mall's peak, Tendou jumped out. With his black Exo Suit, he landed silently on the roof of Pegasus Mall, reactivating the same stealth mode. He was now invisible, undetectable, like a shadow merging with the night that was beginning to envelop the city.

He was already within the range of the green stone's protection, but that didn't matter to him. His power didn't come from magic. The covert operation had begun.

As soon as his feet touched the rooftop, Tendou immediately deactivated the stealth mode on his Exo Suit and quickly removed it. The suit, with its cutting-edge technology, quickly shrank and disguised itself as a thin, inconspicuous black plate, blending into the shadows. He wanted to face this with his own strength, relying on Oscar's pure adaptive abilities and speed without external technological assistance.

From inside the mall, Tendou's senses, honed by his Oscar power, quickly detected the severed magical connection to Ayano, but he could feel his sister's presence locked in a room on the second floor. A non-verbal signal, like a faint tremor in the air that only Ayano could instinctively feel, was sent. Inside the hostage room, Ayano and her terrified friends huddled together, feeling oppressed by the guarding terrorists. Ayano, unconsciously, tensed, feeling something strange yet comforting, as if hope had emerged.

Outside that room, four guarding terrorists suddenly collapsed unconscious one by one, as if struck by invisible hands. Tendou, invisible to the naked eye, now stood among them. He opened a hidden waist bag, took out a slender dark bow—his prized bow—and several arrows.

Tendou now materialized before a shocked Ayano and her friends. Ayano's eyes immediately welled up with tears upon seeing her brother. Her friends could only whisper softly, not recognizing the calm Tendou Amamiya in his faint golden aura. Tendou handed the bow to Ayano.

"Take this," Tendou whispered softly. "These arrows are coated with a poison that can knock out or even kill opponents. You must use them."

Ayano took the bow, but shook her head. "Big Brother... I can't. I... I don't want to wear that suit," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I... I'm scared."

Tendou looked at his sister for a moment. "You don't need to wear the suit. Just this bow," Tendou replied curtly, guiding the bow into Ayano's hands. "It's not about being scared. It's about protecting yourself."

Suddenly, Otoya's voice came clearly through Tendou's earpiece, and somehow, it was also faintly audible to Ayano through Tendou's hidden communication technology. "Tendou-sensei, this is Asakura Otoya. I'm now in sniper position, and I will be your guide. The situation on floors one and three seems denser, be careful."

Ayano turned, looking for the source of the voice. "Who is that, Big Brother?" she whispered, confused, but Tendou didn't answer, focused on Otoya's command. "Understood. Location of Emmy and Yukari?"

"Emmy was taken to Raymond's room on the fourth floor. I'm still gathering information about Yukari, but it seems she's also on the same floor, in a separate room. The situation there is very tight," Otoya reported.

Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, in the central control room, cameras were set up and recording. Raymond, with a satisfied grin, began a live broadcast to the entire world. Beside him, Emmy Kurushima and Yukari Kurushima lay limply on the floor, bound and gagged, their bodies showing marks of torture and exhaustion. Raymond displayed them to the cameras, a full demonstration of power.

"To all the world's rulers, and especially to the arrogant mages," Raymond's voice echoed, "We, Oracle, have taken control of Pegasus Mall. We hold your hostages, including Japan's second strongest Mage, and we demand a ransom you cannot imagine. Failure to comply will end with the execution of the hostages, starting with these most valuable ones!"

On the news screen at the Valkyrie Forces headquarters, Hikari Kurushima watched the horrific scene. Seeing her younger sisters, Emmy and Yukari, lying limp and exposed, the veins in her neck throbbed. Rage burned in her eyes. "Bastards!" she roared. Without hesitation, she flipped a table, then turned sharply to a powerfully built figure with a menacing aura beside her. "Send her! Now!" she commanded, her voice containing a deadly threat. "Let my right hand handle them!"

In the control center room of Pegasus Mall, Raymond stared at the screen. It was time. With a wide smile that showed satisfaction, he raised his hand as a signal. A large projector lit up, magnifying the image of Emmy and Yukari lying helpless on the floor, ready to be executed before millions of eyes. Raymond grabbed the microphone, preparing to issue his final ultimatum before the fatal order was given.

ZZZZTTTT!

Suddenly, a faint blue flash shot out and hit the room's wall. A small, silent explosion occurred, but its impact was instant. All monitors in the room went dark, emergency lights flickered then died completely, the projector went out, even the microphone in Raymond's hand suddenly stopped working. All electronic devices in the room died instantly, paralyzed by a small EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) grenade.

Panic and confusion swept through the terrorists. Raymond gasped, looking around in the darkness illuminated only by faint light from outside. "What's happening?! Who's there?!" he shouted.

The terrorists in the room began to glance at each other, trying to figure out what was going on. A faint scrape was heard, like very light but clear footsteps on the marble floor, as if someone was approaching, but no figure was visible. Several terrorists aimed their weapons towards the sound, their eyes wide with confusion.

From a dark corner of the room, a figure emerged from the deeper darkness, stepping calmly among the bewildered terrorists. A faint golden aura emanated from him.

The figure stopped in the middle of the room, his gaze cold yet powerful. "My grandmother once said," he spoke with a calm yet firm voice, echoing in the silent room. "A man who is only brave against women is a true coward."

Raymond and the other terrorists aimed their weapons at him, but hesitated. "Who are you?!" Raymond snapped, trying to regain his composure. "How did you get in?!"

The figure looked straight at Raymond, his faint golden aura receding slightly, making him seem even more mysterious. "I am merely a mysterious hero who happened to be passing by. Remember that."

Raymond, without hesitation, yelled, "Shoot him! Now!"

A volley of gunfire filled the dark room. However, before the bullets could reach their target, the mysterious figure suddenly vanished from their sight, as if melting into the darkness. Tendou had activated his Clock Up.

In a fraction of a second, Tendou moved like lightning. Only a faint whoosh of air and a fleeting golden blur were visible. The terrorists, still confused by their dead equipment, began to fall one by one, struck by invisible punches and kicks. Bones cracked, bodies collapsed. Raymond, seeing this chaos, panicked. His mind immediately assumed that the mysterious young man was a special forces unit who had successfully infiltrated, and the incoming gunshots were a sign that more special forces had entered the building. "Retreat! Retreat!" he shouted at his few remaining conscious subordinates. They immediately turned and fled, abandoning the remaining terrorists in the chaos and confusion.

Tendou, after incapacitating most of the terrorists in the room, gave the pre-arranged code through his earpiece. "Clear Shoot."

From the building across, Otoya, with his advanced sniper rifle, began to fire. High-precision bullets pierced the shattered mall windows, hitting the remaining terrorists in the central control room, as well as those scattered on the upper floors he could reach. The rapid succession of gunshots, combined with the screams of falling terrorists, further agitated the media crews outside. Police and special forces sirens wailed louder, indicating that they, too, felt the significant commotion from inside the building, though they didn't know what was truly happening.

While the chaos unfolded, Ayano, now holding the bow her brother gave her, also sprang into action. With surprising bravery, she aimed and fired her poisoned arrows. Each arrow flew true, taking down approaching terrorists with unexpected precision. Her friends were mesmerized by Ayano's sudden bravery and skill.

Soon after, all the terrorists in the central control room were incapacitated. Tendou immediately approached Emmy and Yukari, who lay limp. Their condition was critical; their faces were pale and their breathing ragged. Tendou knew he had no choice but to use his power. He placed his hands on them, and a gentle golden aura emanated, slowly enveloping the two girls. Within seconds, color returned to their faces, their breathing became steady, and their energy recovered as before.

Emmy, now feeling better, looked at Tendou with eyes full of confusion and wonder. "Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice still a little hoarse. "This mysterious hero who saved us... who are you?"

Tendou didn't answer, but suddenly, his earpiece crackled. Otoya's voice sounded tense. "Sensei! I detect an unknown object approaching! High speed! Not Raymond!"

Tendou quickly turned in the direction Otoya indicated. He thought it was Raymond returning with reinforcements, but what he saw was different. An Exo Suit, very similar to his own, but pure white and bearing the Valkyrie logo on its shoulder, burst in through the large hole in the wall Tendou had made earlier. It was an Exo Suit Mark 1.

The pilot inside the suit was a woman. As soon as she saw Tendou, she immediately assumed Tendou was one of the Oracle members because he was amidst the fallen terrorists. "You! Don't move, Oracle member!" the woman's voice boomed through the suit's speaker, and without warning, she immediately attacked Tendou.

Tendou was surprised by the sudden assault. A brief but fierce fight ensued. Tendou, not wanting to harm his opponent, tried to dodge and parry, but in one swift evasive maneuver, his hand accidentally struck the Exo Suit Mark 1's helmet with considerable force. A large crack appeared, then the helmet shattered into pieces.

The woman inside the suit staggered, then quickly removed the remaining fragments of her helmet. She was still wearing the white Exo Suit Mark 1 that covered her body, but the shattered helmet revealed her face. Her short white/silver hair framed her now clear face. Her blue eyes, like water, stared at Tendou with a mix of confusion and recognition. Tendou looked at her, and to his utter shock, beneath the helmet was a face he knew very well—Aura Hoshimi, his old high school friend.

Elsewhere, far away near the Russian border, a remote military facility operated by the Oracle group was suddenly attacked. Massive explosions rocked the complex, followed by powerful flashes of magic. The figure of a young woman with a formidable magical aura darted among the ruins, destroying anything in her path. It was the third strongest Mage, who had tracked Raymond's trail.

She moved swiftly, obliterating every Oracle terrorist she encountered, hoping to find Raymond there. However, after neutralizing all the guards and searching the facility, she found only emptiness. Raymond was not there. Only his subordinates remained, falling victim to the mage's wrath.

The third strongest Mage snorted in frustration, her magical aura surging. "Damn it! He's not here! Raymond, you won't be able to hide from me!"