02x01 - Visitor Arc I

[bunniefuu]

Magic.

At the beginning of the 21st century,
it was categorized by actual technique.

Those who possess superior abilities are
known as "magic technicians" or "magicians"...

and are placed under the
care of various nations.

Among them, magicians with
the power to repel an army

and destory a major city in one strike
were labeled "Strategic-Class magicians,"

and became the symbol of a military
force that influences world affairs.

Then, October 31st, 2095.

Unofficial Strategic-Class magic...

wiped out a naval base and a fleet on
the southern tip of the Korean peninsula.

That day became known as
"Scorched Halloween."

The world was shaken by the debut
of a new Strategic-Class magician.

Halt

Lieutenant Alfred Fomalhaut!

You know there's no escape.

What the hell happened, Freddy?

You were given the
first-magnitude code name.

What would make you desert the unit?

You've also been accused
of using your pyrokinesis

to commit a series of
arson-murders in this town.

You didn't really do
that, though, did you?

Freddy!

Please answer me!

Pyrokinesis!

Lieutenant Fomalhaut...

Based on the special articles of the USNA
Army Criminal Lay Special Provision,

with the authority of
the commander of Stars...

I hereby sentence you to death!

Does everyone have a drink?

This doesn't seem like quite
the layout for a farewell party,

but they did prepare a cake for us, too.

So, let's have a toast with this phrase.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Cheers!

Cheers!

Yep!

I still can't believe...

that you're going to study
abroad in America, Shizuku.

It's like that came out of nowhere.

Sorry. My father wouldn't let me talk
about it until now, the last minute.

But I'm surprised you're allowed to go.

They usually don't give magicians
permission to travel abroad.

For some reason, they're letting me go.

According to my father, the reason
is it's a foreign exchange program.

How long will you be gone?
And when do you leave?

At the beginning of the New
Year. It's for three months.

Oh, three months!

Where in America are you going?

Here!

Berkeley.

Not Boston, then.

I guess the East Coast
is unstable these days.

Oh yeah, aren't the
humanists making some stink?

It's on the news a lot.

First witch hunts, now magician hunts?

They say history repeats,
but this is just silly.

So, do you know who's
coming here in your place?

I heard she's a girl my age.

Come in.

Excuse me, Commander. I
brought you some milk tea.

Ben!

Thank you.

You're welcome.

By the way, Commander, do
you have everything ready?

Yes, pretty much.

Well, for a while, forget about your
duties and just let your hair down.

It isn't a vacation. I'll
be on a special mission.

In fact, I'm anxious about it.

I have to find the suspected
Strategic-Class magician.

Why me, when I'm not used to
undercover investigations?

I know my age is a good match for it,

but there are a lot of people who've
gone through specialized training.

Okay, okay.

If the target is whom we suspect,
it's a Strategic-Class magician

who's responsible for Scorched Halloween.

Someone even more dangerous
than a nuclear m*ssile.

I can see why the General Staff Office would
prioritize fighting strength over training as a spy

when making their choice.

I get that, but...

Why not think about it like this?

The commander's duty is making contact with the
suspect and trying to throw them off balance.

Well, I guess that's about right.

Since my spycraft is pretty much
on the same level as an amateur.

Then, even more so, I think it's your
loss if you don't enjoy yourself there.

I believe that would get any suspects to
let their guard down around you, too.

Yes. You may have a point there, Ben.

Ben, watch the fort while I'm gone.

There are fugitives who still
haven't been punished yet,

and normally, tracking them down would be my
duty, so I hate having to make you do it, but...

You're the only I can trust to
take over my duties here, so...

You can count on me, Commander.

You're not leaving just
yet, but have a safe trip.

Understood, Aunt. I'll talk to you later.

Oh, that's right, Tatsuya...

Yes?

The USNA Army Magician Unit Stars

is searching for the Strategic-Class
magician who let loose Material Burst.

Watch your back, Tatsuya.

Understood.

Well, Happy New Year.

Isn't Miyuki beautiful?

Happy New Year, Tatsuya!

That really suits you!

Happy New Year.

That looks good on you, too, Honoka.

You were born to wear that, Tatsuya.

You've got the presence of a
leader of a crime syndicate.

What, I'm yakuza?

Tatsuya...

Who's that?

Master Yakuno, the head
priest of Kyuchoji Temple.

Maybe you know him better as the famous
ninjutsu user, Master Yakumo Kokonoe.

He's my martial arts teacher.

Nice to meet you.

Tatsuya, do you know who that is?

No idea.

Maybe to a foreigner, your manner
of dress is unusual, Tatsuya.

Brother, what are you looking at?

She's pretty.

Not as much as you, though.

Don't think you can always throw
me off the trail like that.

I'm not trying to throw you off the trail.

I really think that.

And that's not why I'm looking at her.

Is there something suspicious about her?

Suspicious...

Well, that outfit is rather peculiar.

But that's not all, is it?

Welcome home!

Silvie, you're back already?

Silvie?

Lina...

Why are you dressed like that?

Oh, this?

Not wanting to stand out,

I looked into appropriate Japanese
fashion for visiting a shrine.

It took longer than I thought.

Does it look good?

Before I answer that,
let me ask you something.

Sure, what is it?

Did you see any other girls who were
dressed like you at the shrine?

Huh? Now that you mention it,
I don't recall seeing anyone.

Lina, I'm going to be frank with you!

That outfit shows a lack of common sense!

Don't be surprised!

The only place I might see an outfit
like that is in sketchy anime or comics!

Where did you get the idea from?

I bet everyone was gawking
at you and that eyesore!

Come to think of it, the
target did smirk at me.

Commander, let's cancel the rest
of your itinerary for today.

I'm going to carefully explain modern
Japanese fashion trends to you

in a way

that you'll understand.

Okay.

National Magic University
affiliated First High School

Sorry to keep you waiting.

That's the magic girl
we saw at the shrine.

Shush.

I'll introduce you, Tatsuya.

This is Angelina Kudou Shields.

She's the exchange student and will be
our classmate in Class A starting today.

Honoka, I'd like you to introduce
me to everyone, not just him.

Oh, sorry!

Well, that's Honoka for you.

It's so Honoka.

Then, let's start over.

This is Angelina Kudou
Shields from America.

Please call me Lina.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, Lina.

Are you related to His Excellency Kudou?

I seem to recall that his younger brother
settled in America and raised a family there.

Oh, you're well-informed!
That was a long time ago,

but my mother's grandfather is
General Kudou's younger brother.

It seems that connection is part of
the reason I'm allowed to study here.

Ready, Miyuki?

Whenever you are.

You can do the countdown, Lina.

Three...

two...

one!

Go!

I lost again!

I'm ahead by two, Lina.

They were tied up.

I think the exchange student's
casting was slightly faster.

Yes.

But Miyuki's interference
power was superior,

and she grabbed control of the
magic before it was complete.

Prioritize speed or power?

Instead of winning
through simple ability...

I'd say she won through strategy.

One more time, Miyuki!

I'll beat you this time!

Brother...

So, is Lina...

Yeah.

There's a high likelihood she's
Angie Sirius, the commander of Stars,

the USNA Army's most
powerful magician unit.

The question is...

Why would the USNA send in Sirius
who is essentially their trump card?

Exactly.

After watching her for a week...

I can tell Lina isn't cut out to be a spy.

I would suspect the real
spy to be acting separately,

but Sirius is too important
to use as a cover story.

No, assuming Lina is Sirius,

a spy mission is incidental. The
real mission is something else.

A mission so important that the
USNA would send Sirius overseas.

What could it be?

I have no idea...

what the USNA has in mind.

I'm back!

Welcome home, Lina.

Mia, you're here?

Yes.

I apologize for the intrusion, Major.

Please have a seat, Mia.

Silvie, get us some tea, please.

Milk tea, yes?

Another cup for you, Mia?

Yes. Thank you.

Did you learn anything about the
Strategic-Class magician, Silvie?

I pored over the entire public database
but didn't find any new information.

Really?

Mia, you're undercover
at the Magic University.

Have you heard anything?

Nothing yet.

I'm sorry.

How about you, Lina?

Have you gotten friendly
with the target at all?

Yes, I believe we're on good terms,

but I haven't learned anything important.

I have a feeling my cover
will be blown before that.

Has something happened?

Yes, actually...

By the way, Lina...

Yes?

Usually the nickname for Angelina
would be "Angie," wouldn't it?

Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

No, you're right.

Back in elementary school, there
was a girl named Angela in my class,

and everyone called her "Angie."

And that's why you're called
"Lina" instead of "Angie"?

You don't think it was a coincidence?

I don't know.

I really don't.

It's fine! He's just
a high school student.

Even if he does suspect me...

I won't let him trip me up.

Lina...

What are you doing here?

Tatsuya, you're in Course 2, aren't you?

Yes.

I was wondering why your uniform was
different from everyone else's in Class A.

Miyuki explained it to me, but she
didn't sound too happy about it.

But when I asked Honoka
about it afterwards,

she said you were a powerful student
at the top of your first-year class.

Tatsuya, why are you
pretending to be an Irregular?

I'm not pretending.

I really am an Irregular.

For the practical skill test, they grade you
on three things. Speed, scale and strength.

But in a battle, victory and defeat aren't determined
alone by the merits of those three things.

As far as practival skills
go, I'm an Irregular,

but I'm tough in a fight. That's all.

Ability for tests and ability for
actual combat are two different things.

I agree with that opinion.

Instead of a talented student at school,

I'd like to become a magician
who's useful in a fight.

It's like you're spoiling for a fight.

You can tell, can't
you? That's impressive.

That was reckless.

I figured you could dodge it.

Will you explain all this?

Will you...

let me go first?

That's pretty painful.

Jeez, that hurt.

You tried to put a hole in my face.

I think it's only natural for you
to get a little pain in exchange.

A clump of Psionic
particles is hardly lethal.

At worst, you'd only hallucinate
that you got shot with a g*n.

And you don't think I was justified in
getting a little rough blocking it?

Fine. You win.

Please forgive my rudeness, Mr. Tatsuya.

Forget about it.

And you don't need to be polite.

Acting like you're high-class
doesn't feel like the real you, Lina.

How am I not high-class?

Just doesn't fit your personality.

That's not true!

I'll have you know that I was once
invited by the president to have tea!

Oh?

Imagine, only a very few magicians get to
meet the president, and you're one of them.

Well, whatever.

You wanted to try my skill, Luna.

Is that what it was about?

Y-Yes.

It was simple curiosity.

Then, your curiosity is satisfied.

Don't test me again.

Aren't you going to ask me?

Ask you what?

Ask me what?

Aren't you going to ask about who
I really am or something like that?

I don't care.

There are things in this world
you're better off not knowing about.

You're a jerk.

Lina! Wake up!

It's Major Canopus! There's an emergency!

Ben, what's wrong?

We found out the location of
the fugitives last month.

What?

Where are they?

Japan.

We believe they made landfall in Yokohama
and are currently laying low in Tokyo.

Why Japan?

Why Tokyo?

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have
decided to dispatch more pursuers.

Does the Japanese
government know about this?

No, it's a secret operation.

Commander, I'm going to relay your
orders from the General Staff Office.

"The mission given to Major Angie Sirius
should now be her second priority.

Her first priority is to
track down the fugitives."

Understood. Please relay
that to headquarters,

Roger that. Be careful, Commander.

The reality full of uncertainty

Look, they're being tested while exposed

Covered in the veil of lie

I can't make myself look like a coward

Sorrow, suffering, always

The magic that produces strength

Even confusion and hesitation

Certainly must be holding a bow

Keep screaming

No doubt

How many times I pray

Feel like breaking it

Feel like losing it

Woah, woah

You are not alone

Even if the pain doesn’t disappear

Nor does this scar

You will embrace it

It will become your dearest

Woah, woah

I believe

The place ahead of fate

Keep advancing