Elite Magic Task Force is the fourth chapter of the The Mage Next Door manga series, written and illustrated by Hideaki Nabe. It was released on November 24, 2025.
Summary[edit]
The chapter begins with Toya and Yobuko watching a news report about an 800-kilogram bronze statue that was mysteriously stolen from a museum. With them suspecting a mage is behind the theft, they head to the Jogasaki Municipal Thrilling Bronze Statue Art Museum to investigate. While entering, a brief comedic exchange occurs when Osoegawa questions if Yobuko should pay the adult admission fee, leading her to reveal she is actually 25 years old. Upon reaching the exhibit corner, Osoegawa senses leftover magic and encounters Rei Tsujimura and Tatsu Urasa from the MPD's Elite Mage Task Force. Tsujimura, who is carrying a sword, initially mistakes them for the statue thieves and attacks them, but Toya defends himself by using magic to conjure memory foam pillows. Tsujimura explains that the Elite Mage Task Force is a secret police organization dedicated to capturing mages to keep people safe, operating under the belief that all mages are evil. A debate ensues regarding their respective ages and roles, with Osoegawa revealing he is 321 years old. Osoegawa then offers to locate the real thief by sensing their magic. They track the culprit, a mage named Shigeta Karuizawa, to a bridge where he is admiring the stolen manly sculpture. Karuizawa uses magic to make the ground float in an attempt to crush his pursuers, but Toya uses magic to increase the power of a water gun, easily defeating him. The chapter concludes with Tsujimura deciding to postpone capturing Toya because he needs to clock out for the day.
Characters in Order of Appearance[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- During the confrontation with the statue thief, Osoegawa wears a shirt that says "Detective" (探偵, Tantei).
- Osoegawa reveals that he is 321 years old. He notes that mages generally live ten times as long as humans , which would make his relative age roughly 32 in human terms.
Cultural References[edit]
- The Elite Mage Task Force is a specialized unit within the MPD (Metropolitan Police Department), a reference to real-world Japanese law enforcement structures like the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.