Already at the door to the hall, a text message caught up with me, looking at which I almost spat. Honda informed me that Nakata Akemi was in her VIP room and that she wanted to talk to me. My God, when will this day end?
Going out into the hall and nodding to Shotgun, he headed for the VIP rooms, of which there were only six in this club. On the way, he met Roko's gaze and shrugged guiltily. I really didn't mind sitting with them, after all, we didn't hang out with them that often. After receiving an understanding nod in response, he continued on his way to the cherished door leading to a corridor with rooms, one of which contained Ake-mi. I wonder what she needed so much that she showed up here at night looking, without warning me in advance? If her case was urgent, she would have contacted me herself and immediately, so that I wouldn't get out of here. Well, if there was something serious, we wouldn't be meeting here. So I went to Akemi with confidence that I would hear a job offer. Profitable — because I haven't taken on another one for a long time, not urgent — well, everything is clear here, and, quite possibly, interesting — because the annual meeting of the heads of Garagarahebi was supposed to take place today, and, judging by the time, she came to the Swallow straight from there.
"Hello, everyone," I said, walking into the room.
Akemi was sitting sprawled on a long sofa, Ishiatama was standing at the bar, doing alcohol, Zuno was leaning over the table, carefully examining a pile of, there's no other way to say, food. And Lee was poking at the buttons of the music center, which was mounted in the wall to the left of the door.
— And you there too, — Akemi waved her hand in a relaxed manner.
—Hi, Shin,— Isiatama boomed. Juno and Lee just nodded.
— Is the rodent sitting in the car again? You are evil. — It looks like this walking joint has done something again.
—Nothing, nothing, it's good for him," Akemi replied with satisfaction. Well, as I actually thought.
— What is it this time? I asked, sitting down opposite the woman on the same semicircular sofa on which she was sitting.
In a nutshell, he managed to wreck my car. — Strange, the Mouse drove a noble. How is he so, I wonder. — But the whole point is that he did it with the help of the body of one of the poor fellows, who, like himself, was waiting for his boss. Moreover, the car was standing in the center of the parking lot, in the middle of many others. And this piece of idiot managed to get into my car by launching a man from the edge of the playground! From dozens of others! — indignantly puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms on her chest, Akemi gave out.
- Mm... uh... - And what else can you say. — It's good that he's your subordinate, I don't have such strong nerves.
— Pfft, — the woman deflated and somehow became sad. — But he always survives. Yes, and figs with this pest, it's better to tell me how your first day at a new school is.
"That's the first day you've all given up," I shook my head. — Day as day, like all the previous ones.
— But…
— Yes, I'm too lazy to talk about what is nothing. And let's hush up, it's better to tell us what was interesting at the meeting today.
Every year, on the sixth of April, Garagarahebi arranges a sabantuychik, to which everyone who represents at least something in this organization is invited. All this is framed as a dinner party, at which all kinds of conflicts are prohibited. And of course, the purpose of these meetings is not to have a delicious meal.
— Very interesting, oddly enough. Interesting and... disturbing, perhaps. For you first of all.
— A young beautiful girl, I want to remind you that it's night outside, and I spent this day not at all in pleasant idleness. I'm tired and sleepy, Akemi, so let's not have these meaningful pauses.
— You are an evil, harmful and boring type, Shinji, but I will start from a little distance, — this devil answered me in a calm voice. — First, let me clarify your abilities. The first thing is lightning. — More like electricity, but yes, I have such a thing. — You don't know how to let her out of your hands, but you can really hit her through a touch.
Outdated facts, woman, two years out of date.
— Then we go — speed and reaction. Both are at the Veteran level.
A single encounter with the Master, about which you only know that I managed to escape from him, suggests that both my speed and reaction are... somewhat higher.
— Mm... strength? Yes, perhaps. You'll break through a brick wall with your bare hands.
How low she values me.
— Magnetism — I've seen you attract cutlery to yourself a couple of times.
When I found out that such a thing is possible in this world, I allowed myself a couple of demonstrations. On my part, it was a slight hint of adepts of either lightning or magnetism, so that she would have fewer questions. And yes, metal is the easiest, but I can work with any inanimate material.
— You once mentioned that poisons practically do not work on you, so we'll throw this into the piggy bank.
But this was a hint at three elements at once — life, earth and lightning. Why exactly, I do not know. I will only add that the adherents of water are also protected from poisons, but to a lesser extent.
— There are also small things, but somehow everything points to the fact that you are an adept of lightning, about the rank of a Warrior.
I was calm, I shouldn't have led her to such conclusions. The problem is different. I was afraid that I had managed to light up with something else even before I started my PR campaign in favor of lightning. But, apparently, everything worked out for me.
— But then it's much more interesting. — That's always the way, I'll just screw it up, so I'll screw it up. — To begin with, I'll mention your ability to feel views. Many people are capable of this, but you are something. I've been watching you for five years and I can say with confidence that you have this ability at some kind of exorbitant level.
That's... an observant kitty.
— Next we have "yaki". —Murderous lust?" What's that got to do with it? Many people are able to produce "yaks", in fact, I have not yet met anyone with a Veteran level and above who would not be capable of such a thing. Even Sheena is a hothouse girl, she uses it quite skillfully. — In itself, "yaki" is not surprising, as is the ability to feel the gaze, many people have this ability, but in your case, everything is not like people again…
— Time goes by, girl, it's already good to insert these pauses, — I gave out, thereby earning an offended look.
— I can go home, too. Do you think I like to be crucified in front of you so much?
That's exactly what I think.
— Okay, okay, I'm silent, — I raised my hands up.
— So, "yaki"… You have it very strong. I think you are quite capable of stopping the heart of even an adult, not to mention animals and children. With a trained fighter, you are unlikely to get this, but it will be great to interfere and shoot down in battle. Up to the rank of Veteran. The above effort no longer justifies the result. Just so you understand, the strongest "yaki" that I know about is ten times weaker than what you can give out. And it's the "thirst for murder" that you have the biggest pale, sometimes you're so creepy that you're just a barn, and you don't even notice it, in my opinion.
Damn, at least give her a lecture. Well, the ability to resist "yaki" does not depend on the rank. It's all about the banal force of will, I can quite send Sheena to the next world, and she's a Teacher. But about the fact that I don't notice something, this is news. Very, very unpleasant.
— What's next for us? Oh, yes... I don't even know what to call it. "Space control"? "Life detection"? Or is it better to have a "circular view"? In general, I don't know. There are, of course, analogues, but these are precisely the techniques, most often narrowly focused. You have this skill, constantly acting. Yes, and the distance… A year and a half ago, in that nameless village, I even calculated the approximate distance to which you can... "see". I still remember your words of that time. — Here she smiled, closing her eyes and lifting her head: — "Southwest. Five. Three hundred meters. They are rapidly approaching in our direction." Considering that you strained even earlier, you smelled them five hundred meters away. Unrealistic distance for a permanent skill. I'd probably go crazy if I were you.
That's right, because you're a woman. Witches, compared to witchers, can do little in this direction. They don't go crazy just because they pass out earlier. And by the way, the more people there are, the smaller the radius, in a city, for example. It is also worth noting that that incident happened a year and a half ago, and now I am much cooler than then. She shouldn't know about it, though. However, I'm not up to Stone, the American gunfighter, the analogue of the Russian witchers. That tens of kilometers could, according to rumors, control. Well, I'm not a Shadow, but a Destroyer.
— Well, the most... no, not like that, the only dirty thing in this situation is that you don't use bahir. — Hold your face, Max. Hold. Face. — More precisely, you can't use it. No one like you could.
"People like me," it means. That's funny.
— I'll warn you right away, I considered myself unique.
— I'm amazed at your calmness, I'm revealing his secrets here, and at least henna to him. Don't you have any questions at all?
— Mm... how did you know that I don't use bahir? It seems that no one is able to see him, and the sensitivity of even a Virtuoso allows the maximum to determine the location of the person himself, and not whether he uses a bahir or not.
Frozen for a moment, she leaned back on the sofa.
— But this is a dangerous question, dangerous for you and me. And I didn't expect such a mess from you.
—Explain,— I drawled.
— What you just said is a description of most scanning or search techniques. Anyone can feel the movement of bahir
a person in the rank of an Apprentice and above. Only the distance differs. The same Apprentices feel the movement of energy only when in direct contact with an object, in other words, they need to touch a person. Accordingly, the Virtuoso does not need it in figs, he feels the bahir at a distance of about five meters, it depends on experience. But I've never heard of more than six meters.