Fumio had dedicated an entire day to investigating the White family.
Kaede's father was a former lawyer who had now become a judge. At first glance, everything seemed to be in order.
The man was just one of many government workers; he was not involved with Goto or anyone else. Perhaps it was because he only dealt with minor cases, like shoplifting and theft?
"(Then why do they have such a comfortable lifestyle?)"
The [mage] could believe that the money, far exceeding the monthly income of an ordinary judge, that the White family spent came from some savings or an inheritance that Kaede's father had at his disposal.
But something made the 30-year-old suspicious. So he dug deeper. And what he discovered he did not like at all.
"(The mother... she is...?! Kamijo-san absolutely must distance himself from this family!)"
Fumio didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about what he had discovered.
On one hand, thanks to Hajime, the [mage] had stumbled upon a very dangerous woman, one who was on the blacklist of both the [New Dawn] and the [Black Corps]. On the other hand, the man had no idea how to handle the situation.
"(I must warn Yukihime-sama before that woman knows about us.)"
******
Meanwhile, Goto's stepson was meditating in his bedroom. At home.
One thing that his Sensei had explained during the last lesson had stuck in his mind.
"(Fumio-sensei said that my [Grimoire] seems to have several powers that derive from a single [magic] that encompasses everything I can do. To access my other abilities, I need to reach the [Grimoire] that resides within me, but how the hell do I do that?!)"
Meditation was meant to help him reach the source of the boy's power. But Fumio had warned the teenager several times not to try doing it without him present.
No one knew what kind of results could come from unlocking new [magics] suddenly.
Thanks to the power of his master's left eye, any negative effects could be halted at their inception.
Hajime agreed on this matter, but his frustration had pushed him to his limit. Goto's stepson felt within himself that he could do so much more than what he was doing now. It was true that he was making giant leaps, improving at an absurd pace. But it wasn't enough for him. His mindset had changed within just four days.
Unbeknownst to him, the silver-haired teenager was being influenced by the [Grimoire] more than he could imagine.
Little by little, he was changing. He was not becoming another person, but he was nonetheless not the same self he was yesterday.
"(Think! Think! I used my powers for the first time when I met Kuro! Then again when we were hunted by that [mage] who used those magical dogs! So far, I've only unlocked new powers when I felt threatened or angry... maybe it's the [Grimoire] responding to my feelings, trying to keep me alive? It's possible, but... )"
Suddenly, Hajime recalled the nightmares he had faced in the early days when he had used his [magic], before joining Kohaku and the others.
"(Now I remember... I dreamed of someone using [physical enhancement] and manipulating blood... why can't I remember the rest? It feels as if someone erased my memories.)"
The stepson of Goto returned to meditating, but this time, instead of trying to reach his [Grimoire], he tried to find his memories of the dreams regarding his powers. Then he found something.
"(This is...!?!)"
The usual green electrical discharges covered the boy's body. But contrary to previous times, the sensation he experienced was anything but pleasant.
Clenching his teeth to avoid screaming, the teenager tried to stop the [magic] by cutting off the flow of [mana] coursing through his body. The effect was immediate; the discharges stopped, and the pain lessened.
"(W-what the hell was that... everything hurts! I... I need help!)"
Realizing he had taken a step too far, Hajime stumbled toward the door of his room.
It was evening, so he could use the excuse of a nighttime run, which he usually did, to leave without raising too many questions. The problem was that the boy could barely hide his suffering from his face.
"(N-no good! If I lose concentration the discharges will return!)"
Quickly grabbing a hooded jacket to hide his face, the stepson of Goto made his way out of his house.
Unfortunately for him, he was stopped by the worst person he could encounter.
"Onii-chan? Are you going for a run?"
"Y-yeah... I had a bad dream; I need to release some tension. Don't wait up for me, okay?"
"Okay, goodnight then. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Kaori-chan."
It was only thanks to his iron will that the teenager did not moan from the pain during the conversation.
But now he had no time to think about it. He needed to get away quickly, but without arousing the suspicions of the [Black Corps] who were keeping an eye on the house.
"Stay calm, Hajime... usually they ignore me... I just have to walk calmly-."
The dozens of meters the boy had to cover to get away from his home were the longest of his life. With each passing minute, the pain grew stronger, and the [mana] in his body became more uncontrollable.
"(I-I have to call Kohaku, she... No! Damn it!)"
In his hurry, the teenager didn't realize he had left his phone at home. And having no money to use public phones, his only choice was to reach the base on foot. It would be a long road to travel, especially considering that he shouldn't attract attention to himself.
Navigating through back alleys and quiet streets, Hajime barely managed to avoid losing consciousness from the pain.
Interrupting the flow of [mana] in his body required a certain amount of concentration, which the stepson of Goto was unfortunately running out of quickly.
"I-I can't do this!"
Small green electrical discharges began to appear on the boy's fingers. His white skin took on a tanned hue typical of someone from the Mediterranean.
"(W-what the hell is happening to me!?)"
"Kamijo-san?"
A voice interrupted the young [mage]'s thoughts. At that moment, he was near an old sewer entrance, which would have allowed him to access the underground base in a few minutes.
Fortunately for him, someone else was heading in the same direction for the same purpose. It was a chance interception that may have saved his life.
"Kamijo-san! What's happening!?"
"(W-who is...!?)"
The teenager's mind began to drift. The last thing he saw before he started to vomit blood from his mouth was Cloe's face running toward him.
"Bleeeehhhh!?"
"Kamijo-san?! Hold on! I'll take you to the base!"
Kuro's stepsister thanked heaven. Kohaku had asked her to go buy some electronic devices for her computers, despite the late hour. If she hadn't been there, who knows what might have happened.
"Let's go! Try to stay on your feet!"
The minutes that separated the two from reaching the base were the longest of their lives.
The stepson of Goto began to bleed from his ears and eyes. His [mana] was agitated as if it wanted to explode. It was a horrible sensation; it felt as if he was about to burst due to an overload of power.
As he felt all these sensations overwhelming him.
Hajime did not notice the increase in the electric discharges covering his body, nor the changes that were happening within him.
"Welcome back, Cloe-chan, I'm sorry again for making you come out..."
"Kohaku-chan! We have a problem!"
"Hajime!? What happened to him!?"
The man in question arrived immediately after with Kuro. Both widened their eyes at the sight of the last member of their group.
"Tsk! What the hell has that idiot done now!?!" (Kuro)
"Kamijo-san! Look at me and listen carefully! I believe the [Grimoire] inside you is forcibly bringing forth some kind of new capability! If I use the power of my eye to nullify the [magic], it could kill you from the backlash! The [mana] inside your body is out of control! When we get to the top floor, I want you to unleash all your power! Do you understand me!?"
It was the first time that Kuro and the others saw their mentor so anxious and nervous. From his words, they understood they were in a life-or-death situation.
The stepson of Goto nodded slightly before vomiting more blood. Fumio picked him up and carried him to the training room of the base.
"Release your [mana], without holding back! You are a dam about to overflow! Don't be afraid; this place was built to withstand worse!"
The silver-haired teenager curled up into a ball, trying to concentrate to follow his Sensei's instructions.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
With a monstrous scream, the young [mage] unleashed an enormous amount of [mana] in the form of electrical discharges. The entire underground structure trembled as the room barely absorbed the boy's energy.