When classes ended, Ralph went to meet with members of Gray Gate.
After greeting colleagues, Ralph asked Aoi in a low voice:
"Are you alright?"
Aoi looked strangely at Ralph and said:
"Do I look bad?"
Ralph rolled his eyes and said:
"You've been looking nervous since the beginning of the day, like you're scared."
Aoi seemed to think for a moment and said:
"I'm fine. You don't have to think too much."
Ralph nodded and started talking to Josef about unimportant things.
After a few minutes, however, Aoi spoke out loud:
"You certainly remember what I said, right? About the artifact."
Everyone nodded.
"I think it would be a good idea if we studied ways to capture artifacts so that we are prepared." Aoi proposed.
Upon hearing this, Ralph was a little excited, every way to get information about this world is valuable to him.
"I think it is a good idea." Ralph agreed without hesitation.
The others didn't look so excited, but they agreed too.
And so, they planned to meet in a day that they are all free to study about it.
At the moment they need to follow the schedule of activities, or else their club is in danger of being dissolved.
The activities in general are summarized in creating articles on meta physical subjects, which generally have something to do with Aura.
That way, everyone gains something by doing this.
All articles are reviewed by old Hajime, who strangely agreed to this task.
When the activity time was over, everyone left the building to leave.
On the way home, however, Ralph decided to stop at the restaurant he had gone to before that is called Doce Lux.
Upon entering, he was greeted by a young woman he had seen before, her name was ... Jane.
"Sir, have you decided what your order will be?" Jane asked after Ralph took a seat in one of the seats.
"An Italian cappuccino and a piece of strawberry pie, please." Ralph chose from the menu.
Jane wrote it down on paper and brought the orders after several minutes.
"Here it is, sir. Do you need anything else?"
"No thank you."
Jane nodded and went to see other customers.
Now that Ralph had a second chance to look at Jane, he noticed something strange, one of her eyes looked fake, like a prosthesis.
"Itadakimasu" Ralph spoke in a low voice and started eating.
-It's good to relax like that sometimes.
Ralph thought with a smile.
The cappuccino was just the way he likes it, and the pie was divine.
After eating, Ralph started thinking about what to do over the weekend.
Normally, he would work in the workshop, but he doesn't know whether to continue spending time just out of fear of Japanese tax policy.
Even so, when he remembers Mr. Akira, his heart falters.
Ralph Karman is not Imamoto Ralph, but neither is he the same Ralph Karman as before.
Imamoto's memories influenced Ralph's mentality.
Ralph, in a way, feels indebted with Akira.
-Whatever, it shouldn't be long before I reach my main goal ... Control of my Aura.
When Ralph was about to get up and pay the bill, he saw a young man walking towards him.
It was Thomas Valor, a mysterious student from the occult history society.
Ralph's alert went up as he watched Thomas.
"Hello, Imamoto-kun." Thomas spoke with a slight smile.
"Hello, Thomas-san ... Do you need anything?" Ralph spoke with a nonchalant expression.
Thomas put his hand behind his head and asked:
"Do you mind if I sit down? There's something I want to talk to you about."
Ralph nodded.
Thomas sat and said:
"You really surprised me, Imamoto-kun."
Ralph looked slightly at Thomas and was silent.
"You don't have to be so cold with me, I don't carry evil intentions." Thomas coughed and said.
Ralph sighed and said:
"I'm sorry for my attitude, but I can't help it ..."
"You certainly suspect us, right? But there is no need for that. The occult history society is a place where people are happy."
Ralph smiled slightly and said:
"Good for your members, but what does that have to do with me?"
Thomas rolled his eyes and said:
"May I know why you have not joined our society? Of course, you are not obliged to tell."
Ralph thought for a moment and said in a light tone:
"Three reasons. The first is that your society is too mysterious for me. Second, I have no reason to trust you. Third, I was deprived of essential information by you, who placed the requirement to join the society. If you really had no intention of using me, why would you spend your time with me? "
Upon hearing this, Thomas's smile faded and he spoke in surprise:
"I can't believe you really answered that honestly."
Ralph snorted and looked Thomas in the eye.
Ralph remembers his ability to see through lies.
Thomas noticed this and was a little uncomfortable, but then he said:
"Since you're so sincere, I don't have much to say ... It was really my fault to want to force you to join us to give you the information you need."
Ralph sighed and said:
"Besides, you know that I have a special ability ... I'm sure that's the real reason why you pay so much attention to me."
Thomas nodded and said:
"Although I don't know the real nature of your ability, I do know that it can be extremely useful for our society ... Especially when you are able to restrict your Aura."
Ralph was pleased with the honesty in Thomas's speech, and his impression of the boy improved somewhat.
"Mostly ... Now that I see your progress, I'm sure you are really unusual." Thomas smiled and a strange light flashed in his eyes.
-My progress ...? Can he see that?
Ralph thought shocked.
"Anyway, as long as you don't act against our society, I hope we can be friends ... Here, that's my number, if you need anything, just call me ... Or if you want to change clubs." Thomas handed Ralph a paper and stood up with a slight smile.
"See you later, Imamoto-kun."
Ralph looked at the paper with Thomas's number and then looked at the young man leaving the establishment.
-This guy, he really is more difficult to deal with than I thought.
Impulsive people don't scare Ralph. But people who can control their feelings and make a good impression ... That kind of person ...
Ralph shook his head and stood up to go and pay the bill.
"Thanks for visiting, come back whenever you want." Jane accompanied Ralph to the exit and said goodbye to him.
Ralph started walking towards his apartment. It was already night, and only modern light illuminated the city, the moon did not appear.
After getting on the bus, Ralph realized that his phone was ringing. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?" Ralph spoke.
"Ralph-san? Is that you?" A familiar voice rang in Ralph's ear.
"Hmm? Aoi-san?" Ralph was surprised to hear Aoi's voice.
"... Sorry if I called at an inappropriate time, but I need you to do me a favor." Aoi spoke in a heavy tone.
Ralph thought for a moment and realized that it would be inappropriate to refuse. He had received her manual before, and that is a big favor.
"As long as it's not killing someone, I have no problem helping you." Ralph spoke directly.
"... Sigh. You really think too much." Aoi sighed and then said:
"I need you to get something for me, an object."
Ralph looked at the time and asked:
"Is it in Tokyo? I have class tomorrow after all."
"Yes, it is in Tokyo ... In fact, it is close to the school."
Upon hearing this, Ralph got up and prepared to get off the bus at the next stop, he was still not far away.
"Say more." Ralph smiled.
"... You look excited, don't you think about the possible consequences?" Aoi asked in a surprised tone.
"As long as I don't have to fight someone who can see through my skill, I'm not afraid." Ralph responded casually as he got off the bus.
"... Well then. I need you to steal an object in a police building."
Ralph opened his eyes wide and asked:
"Do you happen to want any evidence or a weapon? That's all I can think of."
"It is evidence, and it is also a weapon." Aoi spoke with a sigh.
Ralph looked around for a moment and chose a path, he remembers the only police station near Niji High School.
While walking, Ralph listened to Aoi detailing the weapon and its history.
It was a weapon used in a mysterious crime where an Aura master died from a gunshot to the head. The police were charged with investigating but after several days they seemed to have forgotten the matter.
The Aura Master is connected to Aoi's father, and he needs to know who killed him, for that he needs the weapon.
"Wow, does your dad have any special skills to help? I mean, the culprits certainly eliminated any kind of evidence left on the gun." Ralph asked.
"You don't have to worry about that, you just need to get the gun." Aoi replied.
The weapon was a .40 caliber pistol, with a wooden butt and black barrel.
The biggest problem with infiltration is that the weapon would probably be in a well-protected place.
"Are you sure there is no Aura Master there?" Ralph asked.
"... I really don't know, but even if there is, I won't be skilled enough to capture you if you're careful." Aoi spoke in an uncertain tone.
"If I'm careful ... You say, heh." Ralph spoke of ridicule.
If there is an Aura master capable of detecting him at the police station, he will probably have to run, since he did not bring his gun with him.
After a while, he spotted the police station and activated his ability to become invisible in an alley.
Ralph hung up the phone to prevent distractions and told Aoi to wait.
He entered the post casually, but paying attention to the expressions of others.
If he sees someone staring at him, he will run without hesitation.
It didn't take him long to find the evidence wing, which is in a locked room.
-Who has the key?
Ralph pondered and started looking.
After a while, he found a man who appeared to be in charge of the criminal evidence.
He was drinking coffee and talking casually.
The reason Ralph knows this is that he has keys attached to his waist, with a large label with the name 'Evidence'.
-I need to disagree with him.
Ralph decided and waited for an opportunity.
After a while, the man stopped talking and went to the bathroom.
Ralph knew this was his chance and he followed the man.
The man did not appear to be strong, and Ralph was confident to disagree with him quickly.
When the man entered the bathroom, all he could see was his reflection in the mirror before he felt pain in the back of his neck and passed out.
Ralph took the unconscious man to one of the toilet cubicles.
Having obtained the key, Ralph started to race against time. He needed to get the gun before the man woke up.
He opened the door to the evidence wing and saw several plates with several boxes.
"Tsk, this will take a while." Ralph clicked his tongue and started looking.
There were some boxes exclusively for weapons, so it took Ralph about ten minutes to find the pistol he was looking for.
But just after Ralph found the gun, he jumped to the side.
Where he was a moment ago, a bullet went through and hit the wall
Ralph looked back and saw a young man looking towards him coldly.
"Who are you?" The young man asked.
Ralph clicked his tongue, he certainly wasn't going to say anything.
Without hesitating, he activated an illusion that covered the entire area. Flames engulfed the entire evidence room.
The heat and the sight startled the young man who ran out of the room.
Ralph ran after him without hesitation, there was only one way out.
The young man aimed at Ralph and fired. Fortunately, the Young Man just seemed to sense Ralph's Aura, and so he couldn't aim accurately.
Ralph can feel the projectile pass by his ear, though.
On the way to the exit, Ralph activated another illusion, this time a heavy fog covered the entire place, scaring all the policemen, who were already on alert for the shots before.
Ralph took advantage of the opening and ran while trying to dodge the young man's shots.
The young man found it difficult to move because of fog, constantly tripping over something.
"Damn, if I had developed my completely tranced sense, he wouldn't escape!" The young man spoke while looking in the direction that Ralph escaped.
At the same time, Ralph ran with a panting breath.
He felt pain coming from his forearm, luckily it felt like the bullet grazed, and there was only a small wound.
Ralph did not stop running even after being away from the police station, he entered buildings and tried to lose any potential stalker.
Only after feeling on the edge did he stop and look around.
He was tired physically and mentally, but he had managed to achieve his goal.
Ralph looked at the wound on his arm, it was bleeding a little, but it was nothing serious.
Ralph had a triumphant smile despite that. He called Aoi and said when she answered the phone:
"Mission Accomplished."
"..." Aoi was silent, it seemed a little strange to her after all.
After a few moments, however, she said:
"Okay ... Can you come and drop me off at my current location? Or would you rather drop me off at school tomorrow?"
Ralph looked at his wound and said:
"Leave it for tomorrow."
"Okay ... Was the" mission "okay? Was there an Aura Master?" Aoi asked in a slightly concerned tone.
"There was, but I managed to get away without a problem." Ralph replied in a confident tone.
"... Is that supposed to look manly? Aren't you supposed to say you defeated the Aura Master?" Aoi coughed and said in a funny tone.
"What a joke! I could easily defeat him if I had a gun." Ralph replied.
"... But you were."
"it's out of ammo!" Ralph said and then remembered his gun, which he had stolen from a small dealer.
"Okay, Okay ... Good night, see you tomorrow." Aoi spoke in an lazy tone and hung up the phone.