It was a reasonable judgment, perhaps. But ultimately, it was meaningless.
In response to Yugen's proposal—that he would fight alone, regardless of how many opponents Katsunari brought forward—Katsunari felt a chill run down his spine. It wasn't Yugen's words that terrified him, but Tatsuya's silence. Tatsuya offered no objection; his stillness was a tacit endorsement of Yugen's capability.
Perhaps sensing Katsunari's internal conflict, Kanata stepped forward with a plea.
"Let me do it, Master. His true strength may be an unknown variable, but he is only one man. I don't believe he is an opponent we cannot defeat."
"However..."
"I ask this as well," Kotona interjected. "This should be the ideal resolution for you, Katsunari-san, as you wished to avoid fighting your own kin. Even without you stepping onto the field, we will prove we can handle this!"
Katsunari glanced toward Miyuki. She was simply watching the events unfold. She had likely concluded that since Tatsuya remained silent, it was not her place to interject. Furthermore, the claim that Yugen was acting as the proxy for the Head of the Yotsuba seemed authentic; Yuka had stated it, and Tatsuya's lack of surprise confirmed it.
Since neither side was willing to yield, combat was unavoidable. Under these circumstances, all Katsunari could do was trust in his two subordinates. Since Yugen had declared that numbers did not matter—implying that Katsunari himself was free to intervene if necessary—Katsunari offered them his encouragement.
"…Very well. Go and claim victory, Kotona! Kanata!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Consider it done!"
And so, Yugen stood opposite Kotona and Kanata. To an uninformed observer, this might have looked like a skirmish between a mere bodyguard and some Guardians. But to Yuka and Tatsuya, who knew the truth—that the bodyguard was a former member of the Ten Master Clans and a strategic-class magician of global renown—the outcome was already decided.
"…Tatsuya-san, perhaps we should step back a little."
"…Agreed. That would ensure we do not hinder him."
Considering the safety of Miyuki and Minami, the two moved further away from Yugen. Confirming their retreat with a sidelong glance, Yugen turned his gaze back to Kotona and Kanata, who stood ready before Katsunari.
"How shall we handle the positioning? You are free to choose the ground as you please."
"…We are fine right here."
"Is that so? Then—"
The moment the exchange ended, Kotona was launched violently into the air. Just as she was about to plummet, Katsunari cast a spell to dampen her falling velocity and caught her. As she landed in his arms in a princess carry, Kotona's cheeks flushed crimson, while Katsunari wore a look of palpable relief.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Be careful. You must assume he is on par with, or perhaps even superior to, Tatsuya-kun."
"Yes!"
In that split-second exchange of offense and defense, Katsunari realized the truth. The speed at which Yugen activated his magic rivaled the Yotsuba clan's secret technique, Flash Cast. He was undeniably a magician on Tatsuya's level. Katsunari understood now that Yugen's confidence was no exaggeration, and a sliver of anxiety began to take root in his heart.
"If you understand, then go. Kanata is struggling."
"Understood!"
Swallowing his anxiety, he sent Kotona back into the fray.
Ahead of her, Yugen and Kanata were already engaged. Yugen drove a palm strike into Kanata's chest, simultaneously using a virtual wave to rattle his heart. However, Kanata managed to neutralize the wave by firing a vibration spell into his own body.
Immediately putting distance between them, Kanata snapped his fingers to deploy a magic sequence—a sound amplification spell. But Yugen, wielding his newly adjusted gun-type CAD, Seraphim, instantly activated Gram Dispersion, dismantling Kanata's magic before it could take form.
"Then how about this!!"
Kanata unleashed an Acoustic Cannon—a directional roar designed to cause temporary dysfunction in the human body.
"I see… Certainly effective against most. But against me—it is meaningless."
Facing the projectile of sound, Yugen lowered Seraphim, deeming it unnecessary to destroy the magic sequence. Seeing this, Kanata smiled, convinced that Yugen had given up. But the moment the sonic wave from the Acoustic Cannon attempted to reach Yugen, it simply vanished.
Kanata froze in shock. In that instant, Yugen threw a punch into the empty air.
A massive impact tore through Kanata's body.
It was the White Tiger Thunder God Palm (Byakko Raijin Shou), a secret technique of the Shinkage-style Sword Arts. By compressing the psions and air existing in the space between him and his opponent, Yugen projected the force remotely. Kanata collapsed. Since Yugen had limited the range to the size of a fist, it seemed he hadn't intended to knock Kanata unconscious just yet.
As Yugen moved to close the distance and finish the job, Kotona's Acoustic Bomb detonated around them.
Kotona and Kanata—Modified Magicians of the "Musical Instrument Series" (Gakushi)—specialized in magic that interfered with sound waves. They maintained a constant defensive barrier of information-reinforced sound around themselves and the surrounding air layers. Therefore, even if Kotona unleashed an attack that engulfed her ally, Kanata would take no damage.
In that sense, her choice of magic was theoretically correct.
However, there was one thing Kotona did not know. She was unaware that their opponent had overcome a congenital hearing abnormality, and in doing so, had mastered sound wave interference just as they had. This meant that Yugen, too, maintained a constant barrier of information-reinforced sound.
The Acoustic Bomb exploded. Yet, the only one lying on the ground was Kanata, who had already been struck by Yugen's previous attack. Yugen himself stood there, completely composed.
"N-No way… How are you still standing…?"
Kotona knew her output was inferior to the attack-specialized Kanata. But her instincts screamed that a man who could take a direct hit without a scratch was no longer in the realm of ordinary humans. The moment his gaze shifted toward her, she thought he was going to attack—but in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.
"Eh…?"
"Sister!? You bastard, get away from my sister!"
Before she could even realize her consciousness had been reaped, Kotona collapsed. Yugen caught her, gently laying her down on the paved road. Seeing this, Kanata reacted instinctively, fearing Yugen would harm her, and fired a Phonon Maser.
Astonishingly, Yugen fired his own Phonon Maser to counter it.
Specifically, he encapsulated information designed to trigger the reverse phenomenon of Kanata's spell inside a hollowed-out psion shell. By firing this modified Phonon Maser, the collision released the psions, neutralizing the vibration wavelength and nullifying the power of Kanata's attack.
Just as Yugen prepared to move in and render Kanata completely unconscious, a compressed air bullet assaulted him. Yugen weathered the impact using Phase Shift Armor, but because he was hit mid-air, his posture broke slightly as he landed.
(Well, I did say he could intervene… I suppose seeing Kotona taken down was the final straw.)
It was Katsunari's specialty, "Density Manipulation." While a basic convergence spell, its range of application was vast. Another compressed air bullet flew toward Yugen.
But to Yugen, this was a path he had already walked. As if to demonstrate this, he loaded an activation sequence from the Shadow Blaze on his arm and countered with the Mitsuya family's secret technique, Air Ride Burst, canceling out the attack.
Then, Yugen drew his other new CAD, Ragnarok, held it overhead, and unleashed his magic.
Far above, the air and moisture rapidly compressed, generating unseasonal cumulonimbus clouds that flashed with lightning. Yugen released the thunderbolt, controlled entirely by his magic sequence.
"Take this—Tenjin Magic, Highest-Tier Spell: First Form, Divine Thunder Billow."
It was a weather-manipulating magic of the highest order—artificially generating storm clouds to bundle a massive amount of electricity into a single, directed strike.
"(Not good—Anti-Object Barrier and Vacuum Film… What!? The defense is breached—) Gwuahhhh!!"
Katsunari attempted to defend with an Anti-Object Barrier and a Vacuum Film, but the lightning simply "devoured" such paltry defenses. With his barriers shattered, Katsunari took the direct hit. However, because Yugen had set the activation time to be extremely short, Katsunari remained on one knee, barely maintaining consciousness.
"Master! You… Why you—!?"
Realizing Katsunari had fallen, Kanata aimed his CAD at Yugen. But Yugen moved at high speed, toying with Kanata and preventing him from locking on. Finally, a sharp kick from Yugen sent Kanata's consciousness into the dark for good.
Yugen approached the fallen Kotona and Kanata, pointed Seraphim at them, and activated a spell to "treat" them. He then did the same for their master, Katsunari, restoring him to perfect health.
"Is this… Regrowth? Who exactly are you…?"
To Katsunari, it looked like Regrowth, but strictly speaking, Yugen had used Tenyo Shoran (Celestial Sun's Illumination). He had healed everything but the consciousness of Kotona and Kanata, and merely applied Reinforce to Katsunari. Whether Katsunari could leverage this restoration was now a test of his skill as the Shibata head.
Feeling no obligation to answer the question, Yugen simply addressed Katsunari.
"I am merely an observer for the Head of the Yotsuba Family. This is not a place for taking lives. I have applied first aid to your two subordinates, so please do not worry. Now then, Shibata Katsunari-dono. I assume you have no objection to allowing Lady Yuka and Shiba-dono to pass?"
"…Since I joined the fray and was still defeated, I have no right to stop you. I underestimated you, never imagining you were a magician on par with Tatsuya-kun. It is my loss."
"Is that so? Then, we shall pass without hesitation."
Katsunari had been fully occupied with Kotona and Kanata, yet Yugen—Yuka's guard—proved to be a magician comparable to Tatsuya, easily repelling Katsunari's own intervention. Katsunari accepted his defeat, realizing he had failed to see that Yugen possessed interference strength that could rival even Miyuki.
Hearing his acceptance, Yugen holstered his CADs and approached Yuka and Tatsuya.
"Lady Yuka. Katsunari-san has granted permission. Let us proceed to the Main House."
"Ah, yes. Right… Are you okay?"
"If I were injured by something of that level, I could hardly serve as a magician's bodyguard."
Compared to the "storm" of wooden swords flying at the speed of sound, or a grandfather approaching with clearly impossible trajectories, compressed air bullets were akin to a large dog playing a bit too roughly. Yugen's words carried a nuance that he was used to dealing with the absurd, leaving Yuka able only to nod. Tatsuya, meanwhile, gave him a look reserved for something truly abnormal.
Yugen wanted to say that a look like that coming from Tatsuya—who had left the concept of "normal" behind long ago—was rich, but he couldn't say that in front of Miyuki and Minami. Instead, he straddled his bike, put on his helmet, inserted the ignition key into the Valkyrie, and started the engine, leading the way into the tunnel. Tatsuya and the others boarded Yuka's autonomous car and followed.
Inside the tunnel, Yugen irradiated a specific psion wave at an automatic gate, revealing a side road. He turned the handlebars without hesitation. Yuka's car followed close behind. There was no sign of pursuit from Katsunari.
They arrived at the Yotsuba Main House without further incident at 15:00.
Yuka was guided to the Tsukuba family's detached residence. Minami was shown to the four-person room she had used before moving to Tokyo, while Tatsuya and Miyuki were led to a double room.
As for Yugen… he was invited to Maya's private chambers.
The fact that Hayama himself—appearing only after Tatsuya and Miyuki had separated—guided him there meant the servants viewed Yugen as a VIP.
Upon entering the private room, Yugen deactivated Parade. Maya, watching him, let out a chuckle and stood up. With the excitement of a child, she took Yugen's hand.
"Good work, Yu-kun. Come, sit down."
"Maya-san, there's no need to rush."
"I won't hear it. There!"
Ignoring his protests, Maya practically forced Yugen onto the bed at the back of the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind. Noting Hayama's absence, Yugen realized she must have ordered everyone away beforehand. He decided to let Maya do as she pleased.
"Fufu, I haven't lost to my sister, have I?"
"…Um, what exactly do you plan to do? No, I can guess, but..."
"It might be exactly that 'guess'."
This was bad in various ways. He was already betrothed to Miyuki and had taken Miya as a lover and personal servant. If he were to sleep with Maya too, it could cause significant problems. Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Maya moved to sit facing him.
"Then, let's do this. Aside from your reward for this mission, if you embrace me, I, as the Head of the Yotsuba, will officially recognize the engagements of Miyuki-san and Yuka-san. I'll even throw in Minami-chan as a bonus."
"Treating Minami like a bonus… And I don't really have the right to refuse, do I?"
"Fufu, you could say that. But, just this once is fine. If I ask for more, Sister and Miyuki-san might get jealous."
Even knowing that Maya could not conceive, laying a hand on her was dangerous territory. Still, to sleep with "Tatsuya's mother" just to secure his union with Miyuki… what kind of cruel twist was this? With Hayama, his usual shield, nowhere to be found, Yugen had no means of refusal.
Just in case of a "miracle" or some one-in-a-million chance, he took contraceptive precautions. In this world, such an accident was unlikely, but given his track record, he couldn't assert that it was impossible.
"Besides, Yu-kun… yours is bigger than Father's was when I saw it long ago."
"You've seen it…?"
In the end, after about three hours of "skinship" with Maya, Yugen—feeling a complex mix of emotions—fixed his appearance back into his suit. He then sat down for a meeting with Maya, who was now composed and dressed in an evening gown.
"Thank you, Yugen-kun. It is thanks to you that I was finally able to bid farewell to the memories of the past. The Yotsuba Family will continue to follow the will of the Kagurazaka Family, so please be at ease."
"…I am grateful. I will convey your words to my mother without alteration."
The incident from thirty-five years ago that had tormented Maya… Yugen learned here that even after the trauma had been converted into mere "knowledge," it had still haunted her as a nightmare. She admitted that she had plotted revenge against the world based on that pain, but thanks to Yugen completely repairing the relationship between the sisters, that motivation had faded.
However, since the nightmares hadn't disappeared completely, she had relied on Yugen to free her. Her logic was, "If I overwrite it with a similar experience, perhaps it will vanish."
While the method wasn't exactly laudable, it had incidentally resulted in saving someone, so he decided to accept it… though Miya, with her twin's intuition, would likely figure it out. Considering Miyuki as well, his headaches were sure to increase, but he resigned himself to it.
"Now, regarding the schedule. At 19:00, in the inner dining hall, I will be making several announcements. You've likely guessed since I've consulted you, but… I will announce Tatsuya as the fifth heir candidate. At that time, I will also release the seal placed on him. Although, naturally, I cannot remove the Pledge."
"And the keys to that were likely Miyuki, Ayako-chan, and Yuka-san, correct?"
"Yes, correct. It is harsh on Miyuki-san and Yuka-san, but since they will be rewarded handsomely afterward, I judged it acceptable."
Changing the way she addressed Tatsuya was proof that her treatment of him was shifting. Indeed, when they arrived at the main house, the servants' treatment of Tatsuya was on par with Miyuki's. (Though in Yugen's case, being attended to by Hayama put him on the level of a Family Head.)
The "handsome reward" Maya spoke of was likely the announcement of their engagement to Yugen. Still, he wondered if he, ostensibly an outsider, should be present at the decision-making forum for the next Yotsuba Head. As if reading his mind, Maya smiled.
"Oh, you are hardly unrelated, Yu-kun. After all, you've realized who Tatsuya's genetic provider—his biological father—is, haven't you?"
"…Yes. Honestly, I wanted to deny the possibility."
In the original story, Shiba Tatsuro and Shiba (Yotsuba) Miya were Tatsuya's parents. But in this world, by some twist of fate, that had been rewritten. Tatsuya's mother was Yotsuba Maya, and his father—the genetic provider—was Yaguruma Keiichiro.
In other words, Tatsuya was a human who inherited the blood of both the Yaguruma (Kamiizumi) and Yotsuba (Kagurazaka) families.
When considering how such a thing could happen, the existence of Gozo and Senhime came to mind. When Yugen had cornered Gozo about this possibility, Gozo had given up and confessed.
After the Yotsuba's revenge tragedy ended, Gozo, in the depths of despair, could not retrieve the bodies of his comrades. However, he managed to find Maya's ova, which had been frozen and preserved in a facility where the equipment was barely functioning. He secretly retrieved them and handed them over to the Yotsuba family. Then, Senhime, receiving a consultation from Maya, arranged for sperm donation from Keiichiro, a relative of the Kamiizumi line, and implanted the fertilized egg into Miya.
As a result, Tatsuya was born carrying the blood of both the Kamiizumi and Kagurazaka lines. Essentially, from Yugen's perspective, Tatsuya was his second cousin.
"Well, the man himself told me to stop calling him 'Brother'."
"It is likely because of Miyuki-san. She is very much like my sister—a spoiled child at heart."
"…Well, that much is obvious, so it's a bit late to mention it."
While the feelings Miya and Maya poured into Tatsuya could not be ignored, the genetic foundation required to house two Ultimate Magics—Tenyo Shoran (the superior version of Regrowth) and Moonlight Inspection (Getsuei Kanran, the superior version of Decomposition)—was key. It was this immense capacity, prepared at the genetic level, that led to the result of his Magic Calculation Area being dominated by Decomposition and Regrowth.
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