Chapter 124 - The Rescue Op
We've decided to rescue the hostages ourselves, but a frontal assault isn't an option. We need to gather information and plan carefully, not act recklessly.
"Everyone, start with a quick magical scan to get a rough idea of where people are."
Right. We have honed magical sensing skills. While not everyone has my level of proficiency, they should be able to get a basic idea of the situation.
However, we can't identify individuals by magic alone. We can only determine the general layout and areas with a high concentration of people, likely hostages.
"...The hostages seem to be on the third floor, at both ends. They are gathered there, so it's probably correct."
"They are at the left and right ends. But there could be others as well."
"Besides, there might be children or staff hiding in the building. Yukari, what should we do?"
We need to confirm the situation by entering and investigating. The hostages are concentrated on the top floor of the three-story school building, and we need to free them first.
We must strike simultaneously to avoid one group alerting the other and causing additional harm.
"We'll split our forces and attack both ends at the same time. Any objections?"
The enemy's combat strength is unknown, but they don't seem to be particularly strong. We will assign sufficient forces to deal with larger groups. This should be manageable.
As we're about to divide the teams, the second Combat Unit, having seen the distress signal, arrives.
"What's the situation?"
"We're late!"
It's the team leader, Mary, and Vice-Commander Brittany.
They must have been in the area when they saw the signal. Their arrival is timely. This should be enough.
I briefly explain the situation to Mary, and we start dividing the teams.
For the left side of the third floor, we'll have Sophie and Mary lead a group of young members. Sophie is a specialist in hindering magic, more skilled in this area than Ghost, who once excelled in the Royal Capital's underworld. Her magic can immobilize the enemy completely.
With Mary's combat skills added, the risk of failure is significantly reduced.
For the right side of the third floor, I'll lead with Verone, along with a supporting group of young members.
I'm confident in my abilities, and Verone is an expert in support and general-purpose magic. This is our first time working together outside of training, but I trust her skills completely.
For searching the building, I'll send Valeria and Lily, and Roberta and Violante in pairs.
Valeria is a formidable combatant, and Lily's versatile flower magic is reliable. Together, they form a powerful team.
Roberta and Violante, who have been a team since before joining the Kikyo Society, have grown to the point where they could be future leaders. I have no doubts about their ability to handle this task.
Angelina will stay at the front gate with a group of young members. If anyone tries to leave, they will deal with it. If anyone tries to enter, they will stop them.
Brittany will guard the back gate with the remaining young members, monitoring and controlling access.
The school has only the front and back gates. With everyone in position, we can control all entrances and exits.
Once the hostages are secured, the rest is just a matter of dealing with the enemy. We won't let anyone escape.
"I'm not too worried, but the method used to incapacitate the guards is unknown. Be careful."
Ah, right. I must be a bit anxious. Angelina's warning made me recall something that was bothering me.
It's hard to believe the guards, who were reportedly skilled, were taken down without a fight. There were no signs of a struggle, and all were incapacitated. That's unusual.
It's even more unlikely that a group of delinquent adventurers could do this.
So, there must be something else.
The messengers sent by the enemy indicate we have time. For now, there are no signs of unrest inside the school.
"Angelina is right. We need to confirm the method used before proceeding."
"...Yes, we should. To ensure success, it's necessary."
Sophie, though visibly worried, is still calm and agrees.
The guardhouse is right in front of us, but moving in a large group would be too conspicuous. I'll go alone, as I have a pretty good idea of what happened.
I quietly enter the guardhouse. The entrance was already open, and there's no sign of forced entry.
A sturdy man lies on the floor by the reception desk, and more lie in the back room.
There are no signs of a struggle or weapons being used. They seem to have died struggling, and scattered objects and overturned chairs suggest a chaotic scene.
From the situation, the possibilities are limited. I'm skilled in poison magic, so the answer is clear.
"Did you find anything?"
"I don't know the specific name, but it's poison. More specifically, a delayed-acting poison they were forced to ingest."
The poison didn't spread through the air but was likely mixed into their food or drink. The delayed effect suggests it was ingested.
"Poison? How and by whom?"
It's hard to believe delinquent adventurers could pull this off. Someone else must be involved.
"...Could it be someone from the school?"
There's a traitor. The delinquents and the traitor are definitely connected. The traitor might not be a single person.
It's a worrying development, but I don't want to get involved in this kind of intrigue again. I'm not interested in motives or uncovering the truth.
"There's definitely a traitor and an accomplice. But since the guards were taken down with poison, the delinquents' skills aren't as remarkable as we thought."
"If that's the case, there's no need to worry. We'll deal with the adventurers and keep our distance from the school staff. That's all we need to do."
Simple and effective. Mary, as always, has a practical approach.
Ultimately, our priority is rescuing Sarah. We'll also save the other hostages if possible. Everything else is beyond our responsibility. We'll inform the school authorities about the possibility of a traitor, but the rest is up to them.
However, since Sarah attends this prestigious school for the children of the influential, they should handle the situation properly.
Now, let's focus on the rescue operation.
"We need to coordinate carefully, so we'll keep the plan simple. The teams for the third-floor ends will use the emergency stairs to the roof and launch a simultaneous assault."
We'll start with reconnaissance to determine the enemy's positions inside the rooms. Sophie's hindering magic and Verone's skills will be crucial.
We'll use surprise to immobilize the enemy, and Mary and I, along with the young members, will neutralize them.
The assault will signal Valeria and the others to enter the building and deal with any remaining enemies.
Once the main objectives are secured, the rest should be manageable.
"The priority is rescuing the hostages. Focus on Sarah, but save the other children first. Ideally, we'll avoid bloodshed and keep the school from being defiled. We'll use minimal force, and if possible, avoid any messy violence."
"That's true. Even if they're delinquents, it's not good to kill them in front of children."
We don't want to traumatize the children. We'll avoid violent confrontations and handle things discreetly. If we must kill, we'll do it quietly and out of sight, making the cleanup easier.
"How do we handle the lookouts?"
There are likely lookouts on the roof. We need to take them out quietly before we proceed.
Magical sensing indicates only two on the roof. We can deal with them without being noticed.
"Sophie, Mary, are you ready? We'll start with some warm-up before the assault. We'll take out the lookouts from here."
"Yes, I'll show them something."
"I'll send them to hell."
Sophie, usually calm, seems particularly agitated. Mary is ruthless in battle, so this is typical.
The two lookouts on the roof are standing guard, looking down as if inviting us to act.
"Let's go."
Sophie's invisible magic should immobilize the target instantly, similar to a daytime paralysis.
Mary and I, well-trained, know exactly what to do. We act simultaneously and achieve the same result.
The result is a hole in the enemy's head.
I used a simple throwing technique, impaling them with a needle-like rod.
Mary, on the other hand, used her Water Jet to create a large, needle-like projectile. The powerful water pressure, controlled precisely, pierced the skull. It's a skill so advanced, it's almost divine. Her technique and improvement deserve nothing but praise. The only sign of her magic is the glittering water spray.
The first obstacle is cleared. Let's begin.
"Roberta, use your illusion magic to hide our approach."
"Got it, we're good to go!"
We don't want to be noticed as we approach the school, so Roberta's illusion magic will conceal us.
The illusion simply hides our presence, allowing us to walk normally. Our high-level control of magic ensures we move quietly as we head to the roof.
Once all the assault teams are on the roof, we begin the reconnaissance.
We are still concealed by the illusion as we peek through the windows.
"It seems this room is where the staff are being held. I don't see any children."
"The children are in the opposite room."
Sophie's team has completed their reconnaissance and met us in the middle of the roof. The children and adults are being held in separate rooms.
We'll stick to our original plan. I'll handle the staff room, and Sophie and Mary will handle the children.
We signal each other from the ends of the roof as the illusion fades, and the operation begins!
Verone takes the lead with her magic.
"...I'll blind and deafen them. The rest is up to you."
I and the young members will deal with the enemies inside the room once Verone's magic takes effect.
We quietly descend to the balcony, ready to move in at any moment.
Verone's skill is Sensory Enhancement Magic, which can strengthen or weaken a person's senses, including those of others. At her level, she can even use it as a form of hindering magic.
She will enhance the enemies' vision and hearing to the extreme, and then—.
Verone gives the signal, and we cover our eyes and ears.
The blinding light and deafening sound are even noticeable through my eyelids. The light and sound themselves aren't lethal, but they disorient the senses. For the enemies, whose senses have been enhanced, the effect is overwhelming, almost blinding and deafening. This is essentially a stun grenade.
The delinquent adventurers, dropping their weapons in pain, are no longer a threat. We don't even need to kill them.
"Secure them!"
We subdue the delinquents with minor injuries, bind their hands and feet with wire, blindfold them, and gag them. They won't be able to fight back.
The hostages are affected by the stun grenade, but they will recover with time. If they have complaints, they can voice them later. If they can, that is.
"Verone, secure this area until the building is cleared. Treat any injuries and, if anyone is noisy, silence them. I give you permission."
"Haha, no problem. Leave it to me. Someone, go with Yukari."
This area is under control. Verone will handle any situation. I need to deal with the remaining enemies.
I expect Sophie and Mary's side to resolve the situation more gently.
With powerful hindering magic, they should neutralize the enemies quickly and without harming the children, unlike the stun grenade.
Valeria and the others have already started their infiltration. If everything goes according to plan, the operation will be a success.
...But something feels off.
It's not that everything is going too smoothly. The enemies were weaker than expected, and it's natural for us to handle them easily.
But... what is it?
It feels like a simple oversight, but something is nagging at me.