Maya Yotsuba was having the worst day of her life. From her fiancé losing an eye to her getting abducted where her clan couldn't help her quickly.
She could have beaten ten or fifteen with her innate light magic, but the army of hundreds ate away her courage to retaliate.
With her vision obscured, she was brought here and strapped to a surgical table. The drugs made her lightheaded. Creating a Magic Sequence required heavy calculations. She couldn't do that now and only watched as men older than her father leered at her, defiling every nook and cranny with their eyes.
Would I be raped here?
Tears burst out of her eyes, despair gnawing away at her wits.
Just as the old man's hand went to loosen his belt, the door was kicked open.
The old man frowned at the smartphone held in the guard's hand. Soon, his anger was replaced with disbelief.
"What the fuck?" Maya sensed this emotion in his eyes.
Part of her called in the hope that this disturbance came from members of her clan. But she knew it was wrong. There was no way an organization of this level will hide in a place her clan would find so easily.
What can I do? I don't want to lose my integrity in a place like this, not by a bunch of old men forcing themselves on me…
She wrestled with the shackles binding her limbs as well as sealing her ability to manipulate Psions.
The oldies began bickering with each other in Chinese, alluding to their relationship to either Dahan or the Great Asian Union.
She couldn't differentiate between them. She didn't get the chance to ponder as more guards rushed in, setting up a defensive line twenty meters away from her.
*Ding!* Maya forced her head up to see a tan-skinned brown-haired youth standing inside an elevator with an annoyed expression.
In a moment, all the guards aimed their guns at him. However, the youth seemingly ignored all of that and looked in her way. Her eyes met with his golden eyes and a spark went through her mind.
This reaction, no, it can't be!
Her eyes widened in realization. She tried to shake it off but the feeling kept growing inside her, filling her mind with white fragments.
No way, even Kouichi didn't get a reaction from my spirit.
"Surrender or die." The youth's disinterested words broke her out of her reverie. He approached the guards without wielding any type of CAD, a fearless grin etched on his attractive face.
Is he crazy?
Even her Otou-sama, the possessor of the unique magic Grim Reaper, wouldn't be this confident before a squad this big.
A fool. I got a spiritual reaction with a fool…
But the next incident left her eyes wide open. The fool just aimed his finger and a trail of flames hurtled out. The guards were burned alive before getting a chance to retaliate.
What is this magic? It's not systematic, nor is it unique magic... Casting without a CAD, just who is he? An Element like me?
Her curiosity rose. The youth shattered a small squad in a tenth of a minute. Gunshots echoed but the youth snapped his finger to summon sharp gales around him. The bullets easily bounced off, leaving the guards dumbstruck.
The old bastard shrieked and more guards poured out of the gates. The elevator also returned with a squad to flank the youth. Yet he deflected every attack, even grenades, all with a fearless grin.
Maya found her heart beating wildly.
Hold on, even though he looks my type and my body is mature for my age, the age gap is too much!
Her hand suddenly became loose. She sat up with crossed legs and watched the whirling flames massacring her captors. Even a magician couldn't penetrate the youth's wind barrier.
Fascinating.
Wielding two elements and activating Magic Sequence without a CAD required far more calculations. There was still a chance of Psions being unable to rewrite Eidos, canceling out a spell. Accomplishing it with this kind of speed was unheard of.
A Strategic Magician? That was the only one strongest might any country could muster. What was one doing here though?
Another minute later the men were all wiped out. Only the two of them remained. Maya gazed at her savior, ignoring the burnt smell prickling her nose.
He stared at his front intently, seemingly lost somewhere.
"Hello?"
"Yeah?" He turned his gaze to her and approached. His steps synced with her heart crashing into her chest.
W-What do I say?
Every eloquent greeting she had learned left her at that moment.
"Wanna go out?"
I-Is he asking me out? S-Shameless!
"Yes!" She replied on the spur of the moment and regretted it a second later. He might be asking to get out of here, not asking her out!
She took a breath to recover from her flustered state and bowed her head in courtesy.
"I can't show my gratitude with this alone. You saved me from being defiled at their hands…" she clenched her fists. "I just have one last request. Please lend me a phone so I can call my family. I will repay this debt…"
The thought of this man betraying her didn't surface, not even once.
"Fine… just send the rest of the girls home."
"Rest of the girls?"
"You really thought you were the only one here? This is a damn laboratory built to do inhumane things to female magicians."
Wrath burned inside his golden eyes.
Maya nodded her head. "I will be glad to help them. You are?"
He tossed a phone at her. "Asahi Marikawa."
Asahi Onii-sama... I shall remember your name.
"I am Yotsuba Maya," she said and examined the phone.
The design looked like an early 21st-century smartphone.
Strange.
She dialed her father's private phone number only known to her and Miya. After five rings, he picked it up.
"Who is it?" he roared on the phone, clearly angry and frustrated at her disappearance.
"Otou-sama, it's me, Maya!"
"Maya… Maya! Where are you now?! Did they do anything to you?"
"Otou-sama, I am very safe. I am at?" she put the phone on hold and blushed. "Erm… Marikawa-san, where are we now?"
"Quanzhou."
"Ye, Otou-sama. We are in Quanzhou?"
"We? Who is there with you?"
"Stop being distrustful. It's my savior."
"S-Savior? Tell me when I am there."
"Take your time, Otou-sama."
She ended the call and smiled at Asahi. "I cannot thank you enough."
"Nah, it's fine. Your Clan owes me a favor now."
How does he know?
"My Clan? Have you mistaken me for someone else? I am Sakura Maya, a commoner."
Asahi's lips curled up mischievously, reminding her of her own smile. "From when did Yotsuba members become commoners?"
Maya giggled. "You do know everything about me. Are you perhaps after me as well? Thinking I will fall for you if you saved me from this hell?"
"Aren't you too cheeky for a twelve-year-old brat?"
He bratzoned me, Maya groaned inwardly and got off the table. Her feet staggered and she almost fell. However, Asahi supported her shoulders.
"Did they drug you?"
Maya nodded and rested her head on his chest.
Hmm? Why does he smell so good?
She felt like she could stay here forever and not be bored. What kind of charm was this? Hypnosis magic? She shook her head. He didn't need such tactics to woo her as his presence already dominated her heart.
She glanced up at his calm smile and stretched her arms. "You see I can't walk, so carry me please."
Asahi turned speechless at her request.