It was decided that Yuuka would prepare dinner. "I can't accept letting you win and run like that," she had said. Yugen had no intention of bringing profit-and-loss calculations like "winning and running" into this, but from Yuuka's perspective, as a woman... and as one of his future wives, she couldn't simply withdraw.
As a result, Yuuka herself produced a meal of unprecedented quality.
"This is delicious. Is this the result of living alone and honing your skills?"
"I-I suppose so... Though I find it strange myself how well it turned out."
Perhaps it was because, while she had rivals as a magician, there had never been anyone who tickled her heart as a woman until now. But now, such an existence had appeared... with the bonus of being the man she yearned for. Ambition is not something that wells up so easily, usually.
"Once we finish dinner, shall we adjust your CAD?"
"...Then, I think I'll ask you to. But I want to take a proper shower first."
"I'll leave that up to you."
The villa's basement had several facilities, including a CAD adjustment machine of the type found in the Shiba family's basement. Just as Yugen efficiently finished starting up the adjustment machine, Yuuka entered, wearing a bathrobe and holding her CAD.
"S-Somehow, I'm nervous. Even though you're perfectly calm, Yugen-kun."
"No, I'm just trying not to get excited... Why are you hugging me?"
"Hmm, seduction?"
"I don't need that sort of thing."
He took the CAD from Yuuka and set it on the pedestal. The CAD was the latest model in the Silver Blossom series released this year. It was a type where the cover served as an aiming auxiliary antenna, incorporating the aiming auxiliary system into a general-purpose CAD—a mechanism based on the device system Shizuku used in last year's Nine Schools Competition.
Yuuka puffed out her cheeks slightly at being brushed off so lightly by Yugen, but resigning herself, she stepped away from him and took off her bathrobe. She was wearing black lingerie. Bashfully, she stood there, trying to cover the lingerie with her hands.
"U-Um, isn't it weird?"
"It's plenty attractive, but adjustments come first."
"...I'm not going to let you go today, you know."
Ignoring words that clearly implied she intended to "attack" him, Yugen waited for Yuuka to lie down on the adjustment machine before beginning the calibration.
In truth, this wasn't the first time he had been present for Yuuka's adjustment. When Tatsuya was handling Yuuka's CAD adjustment at the Shiba house, Tatsuya mentioned that Yugen could also perform adjustments, and from then on, Yuuka often asked him to do it.
Miyuki had been displeased with this, but Tatsuya had soothed her, and so Yugen avoided being asked by Miyuki to perform adjustments. After all, at that point, he was not only handling the CAD adjustments for Shizuku, Himeri, and Selina, but was also involved in the hardware adjustments for Fumiya and Ayako's CADs (with Tatsuya handling the full-scale tuning). Miyuki judged that imposing any further burden on him would be against her wishes.
Since the adjustment of the activation sequence itself had been completed last time, this time it was merely a fine-tuning based on Psion wave measurement data and a periodic hardware check. The adjustment itself took about three minutes. Yugen took out the CAD, stood up, and called out to her.
"Yuuka-san, it's finished."
"Ah, yeah. You really work fast."
"Even so, I lose to Tatsuya in speed."
"Well, from my perspective, I couldn't feel much difference."
Yuuka stood up, put on her bathrobe, took the CAD, and then hugged Yugen just like that. Judging she had no intention of letting go, Yugen embraced her in return. Then, Yuuka pressed her lips onto Yugen's.
"Nnh... I'm going to take the lead today, so brace yourself."
"Understood. In that case, shall I leave it to you?"
"Eh, kya, wait!"
Deciding that what was coming was unavoidable no matter how he struggled, Yugen scooped Yuuka up in a princess carry. Surprised by the sudden action, Yuuka reflexively wrapped her arms around Yugen's neck.
This decisiveness, combined with the gap between this and his usual attitude of smoothly brushing off her seductions, shook her heart as a woman in an exquisite way. That comfort felt pleasant to Yuuka.
"I-I can walk!"
"Then, shall we stop for today?"
"N-No, I don't want that! You're the one who made me like this, Yugen-kun, so you have to go all the way... I won't let you go until I'm satisfied."
"...As you wish, Lady Yuuka."
Since when had she become so selfish? When her Guardian died, she hadn't felt any particular surge of emotion, but since getting deeply involved with Yugen, Yuuka occasionally felt a sense of loss akin to loneliness.
After this, they moved from the basement to Yuuka's room, and as for what happened... nighttime training (implying deep meaning) occurred. However, Yuuka's final defensive line was absolutely defended (Yugen handled things so as not to cross it), as usual.
"...I intended to take the lead, but Yugen-kun is unfair."
"I can't really accept being called unfair without reason. Also, that hurts."
The next morning (December 30, 2096 AD), Yuuka woke up and, while hiding her body with a towel, pinched Yugen's back. Acknowledging the pain, Yugen gave his frank impression of her words.
Having finished breakfast, Yuuka had changed into her street clothes and put on a coat, ready to go out. On the other hand, Yugen had changed into a custom-made riding suit and was already fully prepared. Yugen held out a receiver to Yuuka.
"This is a type that can contact my communication device directly. I'll leave it with you, Yuuka-san."
"I'll take it, but aren't you riding with me, Yugen-kun? There's enough room, isn't there?"
"I will be moving on a motorcycle. Since we'll be picking up Tatsuya and the others, I think it's for the best."
"Well, I suppose that's true."
Considering the number of people Yuuka's four-wheeled private car could carry, fitting four people wasn't impossible, but the back seat would have no room to spare. And if Yugen said he came on a motorcycle, that would be the most efficient option.
Stepping out in front of the villa, she saw a jet-black motorcycle parked there. She knew immediately it wasn't a commercially available model but one that had been heavily modified. Motorcycles were dangerous in winter when the roads froze, but the fact that he had arrived without accident suggested countermeasures for road surface conditions were in place.
Glancing sideways at Yuuka's thoughts, Yugen inserted the Valkyrie into the holder next to the meter and pressed the ignition key to start the engine. He then inserted his closed foldable terminal into the space next to the tank. A virtual monitor appeared above the bike's meter. Yugen put on his receiver and then his helmet.
"Hey, Yugen-kun. That bike is custom-made no matter how you look at it. Where did you procure it?"
"Answering is easy... but do you want to hear it?"
"...I'll pass."
This motorcycle was not for private use like the ones at the Shiba house, but intended for military operations. Originally, he thought the bikes in Tokusatsu shows were cool and applied various magical modifications, resulting in the punchline that it became his personal military bike, the Dreadnought. Incidentally, the name was taken from a game he was addicted to in his previous life.
One of the bike's functions was the Friction Driver. It measured the friction coefficient of the road surface using a Psion wave irradiation radar mounted on the lower frame. By pouring Psions converted from electricity into an engraved magic circle, it intentionally increased the ground's friction coefficient, allowing for driving operations no different from dry road conditions in summer.
As for security, without inserting the Valkyrie, not only would the engine not start, but the tires would lock, making unauthorized removal practically impossible. It was registered as a military vehicle owned by the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion and usually kept strictly guarded in the garage of the Kagurazaka main house, but he had brought it out for this occasion.
While checking the information on the monitor and completing the pairing with the receiver he gave Yuuka, he caught information that the train Tatsuya and the others were on had passed Kobuchizawa and was getting off at Nagasaka-Shiraizawa.
"Yuuka-san, it seems Tatsuya and the others are getting off at Nagasaka-Shiraizawa to head to the main house. What should we do?"
『Let's see... What about the unit likely lying in wait?』
"It's not that far from yesterday's location but... as I said yesterday, there is a possibility they possess EMP bombs."
His Dreadnought had EMP countermeasures, but there was no guarantee Yuuka's private car would survive unscathed. Therefore, the logical course of action would be to lie low along Tatsuya's route, and once the combat subsided, have Yuuka contact Miyuki to pick them up.
『I can't imagine the car sent from the main house doesn't have EMP countermeasures.』
"If the EMP countermeasure system was intentionally turned off or removed, even an excellent driver would find it difficult to detect. I don't think the driver is complicit, but it's best to move in preparation for the worst-case scenario."
『Understood. I'm counting on you for the timing to rendezvous.』
"Roger."
After hearing Yuuka's reply, he activated Parade, transforming his appearance to have silver hair and gray eyes. Then, with the Dreadnought leading the way, Yuuka's car also departed from the villa.
Following the predicted route the car carrying Tatsuya and the others would take to the main house, he detected the presence of a helicopter and a trailer on that route. Furthermore, the analysis results were instantly displayed on the monitor. The helicopter was identified as belonging to the National Defense Army's Second Uji Supply Base, and the unit inside the trailer was immediately confirmed to be Captain Hatae's unit.
The time until the rendezvous would fit within the time it took Tatsuya to clean up the unit... but then, Yugen's monitor confirmed that the police were heading toward Tatsuya's location. Getting caught by the police would be troublesome, so he interrupted the police radio using a voice filter to issue instructions.
"Notice: The suspect appears to have fled toward Suwa. Nearby officers are requested to provide backup immediately... I dislike deceiving you, but I have no intention of getting caught and having you buy time clumsily."
If he wanted to, he could use the name of the Imperial Palace Police Headquarters Special Force Divine Generals, but time was too precious to explain to a mere police officer. Arriving at the scene, it seemed the battle had already been decided. He could sense Tatsuya and the others, along with the presence of what seemed to be the driver, gathered around the self-driving car—the pickup vehicle from the Yotsuba main house.
『Yugen-kun, can you move the trailer?』
"That won't be a problem."
Due to his work in the weapons development department, Yugen sometimes moved vehicles himself to transport relics, so he had acquired licenses for all kinds of vehicles. Keeping his helmet on, Yugen backed up the trailer. Although Tatsuya and the others were wary that the trailer was moving, seeing Yuuka's private car caused them to relax their guard slightly.
It seemed she had contacted Miyuki while Yugen got off the bike and moved the trailer. After confirming that Tatsuya and the others had boarded Yuuka's car and driven off, Yugen also mounted the Dreadnought and left the scene, following Yuuka.
He felt sorry for the driver, but he could only wish for him to manage to get back on his own.
Yugen put the Dreadnought in the garage, picked up the Valkyrie and his foldable terminal, went up to the guest room, quickly changed into a suit, and appeared in the living room where Tatsuya and the others were, carrying a pre-prepared pot of tea and coffee and empty cups.
"Excuse me. I have brought tea and coffee."
"...Yes. Thank you, Kamisaka-san. I'll handle the rest myself."
"Certainly."
Yuuka knew there shouldn't have been coffee at the villa and realized Yugen had undoubtedly brought it. She treated him like a servant, understanding the act. Thinking it unwise to linger clumsily, Yugen left the living room after hearing Yuuka's words.
That part went well, but reacting to a voice from behind, he turned around to find Tatsuya with a tired expression.
"—Excuse me, do you have a moment?"
"Oh, it was Shiba Tatsuya-sama, was it not? Do you have some business with a young man like me?"
"Haa... What are you doing, Yugen?"
"...Well, I guess Tatsuya figured it out because he's seen Lina and Minoru's Parade?"
"That's part of it, but the sensation of falsifying presence was the same as during the Nine Schools Competition."
Since the sensation of Parade and presence concealment was something he remembered, Tatsuya seemed to have realized immediately. Although he spoke in a slightly lower voice, Yugen, without deactivating the magic, dropped the formal tone for Tatsuya, who had figured it out instantly.
Since Miyuki and Minami were talking with Yuuka, he judged Tatsuya wouldn't chase after him immediately, so Yugen began his explanation.
"The reason I'm doing something so roundabout is that, officially, I'm Yuuka-san's bodyguard. In reality, I'm acting as a 'witness' to ensure all candidates for the next headship, including Miyuki, assemble by tomorrow for the New Year's Celebration—I'm also acting as the proxy for the Yotsuba family head."
"Yugen as Aunt's proxy... No, that's a convincing story."
No matter how much the Kagurazaka family was involved with the Yotsuba family, as separate households, they couldn't interfere clumsily in internal affairs. However, Yugen's magic included arrangements of Maya's Meteor Line, and there was no doubt Maya favored Yugen greatly.
Moreover, because Hayama, who handled Maya's private affairs, also evaluated him highly, he could be entrusted with the position of the Yotsuba family head's proxy.
"In short, you're in a position to act as bodyguard not just for Yuuka-san, but for Miyuki as well."
"It helps if you interpret it that way. However, since it's not official involvement, only a very few people at the main house know about this. So, I want you not to tell Miyuki or Minami."
"Understood. But don't shoulder everything alone. Acting as Miyuki's stopper isn't easy, you know."
Seemingly satisfied with Yugen's explanation, Tatsuya said that and returned to the living room. Yugen was aware of it, but thinking that having Tatsuya say that to him was truly a case of "look who's talking," Yugen remained behind.
That night, in Maya's private room at the Yotsuba main house, Maya was receiving a report regarding Miyuki from Hayama.
"Miyuki-sama was attacked again today. It seems she will stay one night at the Tsukuba family villa tonight."
"...Troublesome people. But the 'cleaning' is finished, is it not?"
"Yes. I have received reports that the forces of the hardliners against the Great Asian Alliance, as well as the appeasement faction and the anti-Ten Master Clans group, have been significantly reduced, and Hanabishi had little trouble."
Yugen was at the Tsukuba villa as Yuuka's bodyguard. The fact that Miyuki, Tatsuya, and Minami joined him there meant that the greatest war potential in this country had united. Maya judged that while she didn't care much about the artificial psychics, being able to deliver a sharp rebuke to the forces involved in the Nine Schools Competition incident and the Zhou Gongjin matter was a satisfactory outcome.
"However, the branch heads are also troublesome. Don't you think so?"
"It is as you say. The branch families seem to underestimate Tatsuya-dono's power."
"That way of thinking is fundamentally wrong. Moreover, he seems to be getting stronger through his connection with Yu-kun."
Tatsuya was strong enough with just Decomposition and Regrowth, but by associating with Yugen, he was becoming even stronger. Some of the magic Tatsuya used was provided by Yugen. Thinking it was miraculous that Tatsuya hadn't yet forcibly broken through the barrier covering the main house, Maya held out her empty cup, and Hayama poured tea from the pot.
"Honestly, Yu-kun ended up taking on not only Yuuka-san's protection but also Miyuki-san's protection and guidance. Yu-kun left the matter of the reward to me, but I'm wondering what the reward should be... Perhaps I should become the reward myself?"
"With all due respect, I believe Miya-sama and Miyuki-sama would be displeased."
"Fufu, I only said it half-jokingly, Hayama-san."
In response to Maya's words, which were said half-seriously, Hayama saw the mischievous smile she spilled and realized she was likely more than half-serious. He caught a glimpse of something like parental affection in his master, who was showing behavior befitting a woman.
(Author's Note)
A motorcycle full of secret gadgets is a man's romance. I will accept no objections.
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