Maya sending Miyuki off to become Yugen's bride—this de facto acceptance of the engagement—once again sent shockwaves through the participants and servants. However, the commotion was silenced in an instant by the aura Yugen released.
Yugen possessed enough power to overwhelm everything, yet he did not brandish it recklessly. He only drew his blade when he judged that someone would cause distinct harm. Furthermore, as a preliminary step, he would corner his enemies with attacks from all other directions. His mental fortitude—calmly destroying opponents not with magic, but with tangible powers like finance—was something that impressed even Tatsuya.
At that moment, Hayama, dressed in a morning coat, prostrated himself before the four of them. Sensing his intent in coming to greet them at this specific timing, they accepted his salutations.
"Tatsuya-sama, Miyuki-sama. My sincerest congratulations on your nomination as the next head of the family, Tatsuya-sama, and on your engagement, Miyuki-sama."
"Thank you."
"Thank you. But please, raise your head."
Given that Maya had stated she was sending Miyuki off as Yugen's wife, Hayama explicitly used the word "engagement." This not only demonstrated the will of his master but, as the head servant, also served to inform the other servants of their duty to serve the master's intent.
Miyuki replied politely, but Tatsuya felt somewhat uncomfortable with the exaggerated etiquette. Hayama had always treated Tatsuya with sincerity, but having it taken to this extreme was something Tatsuya had never experienced, leaving him feeling something akin to bewilderment.
"I know nothing of the duties or customs of the main house. Therefore, I would like you to teach me many things, Hayama-san."
"It is an honor. Please ask this old bone anything you wish to know. And to you, Lord Kagurazaka. I offer my gratitude and congratulations on your succession to the headship and your engagement, as well as for the care the Kagurazaka family has shown Tadanari."
"Please, Hayama-san. I am humbled by your polite greeting."
Yugen responded with courteous words, acknowledging that the greeting also took into account that Hayama's biological son was serving as the head butler of the Kagurazaka family (a position Yugen had approved to continue). As the servant closest to Maya, Hayama knew of the relationship between Yugen and Miyuki, so there was no objection there.
However, suspecting he hadn't come merely for pleasantries, Yugen questioned him.
"So, Hayama-san. I presume you have business with Tatsuya-dono?"
"I am pained by your sharp insight. Tatsuya-sama, do you recall the promise made when we met previously at the Magic Association?"
"The promise... Yes, I remember. But..."
Tatsuya realized what Hayama was getting at, but he did not possess the most crucial piece of equipment required to use that magic. Yugen, catching Tatsuya's gaze, naturally understood the intent and slowly spoke.
"I understand, Tatsuya-dono... Strangely enough, while the Yotsuba family has three causes for celebration this New Year, it seems there are still those who are not convinced by your nomination as the next head. In that case, it would be best to show them that power."
Mutters of agreement followed as Yugen pulled a white handkerchief from his breast pocket. He waved it, momentarily obstructing the line of sight of the participants before him, and a single duralumin case appeared before him. Tatsuya was the only one who immediately realized this technique was a composite spell of Mirror Gate and the magic Zhou Gongjin had primarily used.
Yugen pocketed the handkerchief and presented the case to Tatsuya.
"As a congratulatory gift for your inauguration as the next head of the Yotsuba family, this is a CAD attachment I had a magical engineer acquaintance create. Please accept it without reservation. Since the opportunity has presented itself, please test it out in a demonstration of your new magic."
"In that case... I will gratefully accept it."
When Tatsuya opened the case, he found an attachment designed to be fitted onto his Trident. It was carved with the name Brionac—indicating it was magic created to rival Lina's Brionac. The shape was not the stake-driver type of the original design, but rather a form that extended the barrel, positioned somewhat like a silencer.
Tatsuya's initial proposal had been to simply attach a carbon steel stake. However, Yugen, taking into account Tatsuya's magical power with the seal released, designed a method to simplify the process of converting the material.
The method involved extracting neutrons from nitrogen in the air. The atomic numbers of carbon and nitrogen differ by only one, and the stability of the atoms themselves does not differ significantly. Additionally, since nitrogen is found not only in the air but also in organic matter, extraction is not difficult.
Vents were cut into the top and bottom of the attachment to rapidly compress nitrogen. The mechanism for this rapid compression applied the psion compression process from Gram Demolition. Judging that Tatsuya, who had already mastered Gram Demolition, would find this easy, Yugen incorporated it into the hardware functions.
As for the magic, which had been tentatively named Baryon Lance, Tatsuya asked Yugen to name it upon the completion of the attachment. Tatsuya claimed, "If I name it, it'll be something simple and boring," so Yugen was forced to come up with a name.
It is a neutron bombardment magic using FAE (Free After Execution) theory, made possible only by Tatsuya's unique magic of Decomposition and Regrowth. A magic capable of instantly carbonizing any object.
Renaming Baryon Lance to Triple Baryon Cast Drive—he named it Trillion Drive.
While the name partly served to hide the fact that it was an attack using baryon particles, the term "Lance" was dropped because, by using the latest version of Yugen's FAE theory, there was no longer a need to rely on a solid object like carbon steel. Since Yugen knew that applying his FAE theory to Brionac would allow for significant size compression, he intended to ensure no one other than Tatsuya could use this magic.
The reason was simple: he had no intention of contributing to the development of the USNA's magical technology.
Hearing Yugen's words, Hayama, seemingly catching a phrase that piqued his interest, asked Yugen a question.
"Lord Kagurazaka. Did you just say 'new magic'?"
"Yes. I lent a little of my wisdom, but Tatsuya-dono has developed a new magic. I heard that Hayama-san had made a promise to Tatsuya regarding that."
"New magic?! Show me!"
"Onii-sama, I would like to see it as well."
With Maya and then Miyuki pressing in with intense curiosity at the mention of Tatsuya's new magic, even Tatsuya looked ready to recoil. However, he understood and accepted Yugen's intent: he needed to demonstrate the power befitting the head of the Yotsuba.
Recallling the magic demonstration Yugen had performed at the Kagurazaka family's New Year celebration last year, Tatsuya convinced himself that it was now his turn. He stood up.
"I will make preparations, so please excuse me for a moment."
Tatsuya appeared in the garden facing the venue, holding the CAD case. A cage containing a wild boar was placed opposite him.
In the original story, Tatsuya would have given an explanation here, but following Yugen's example from last year, he remained silent. Instead, Yugen briefly explained to the venue.
"The magic Tatsuya-dono is about to use—Trillion Drive—is a lethal magic targeting biological organisms. If there are those who dislike needless killing, it would be best to move to another room immediately."
Tatsuya heard Yugen's explanation and felt he now owed Yugen yet another "debt." Yugen himself didn't keep a tally of debts with his best friend, but Tatsuya felt a sense of gratitude toward him, including regarding Miyuki. He felt internally that the changes in attitude from Lina, Honoka, and Ayako would be unthinkable without Yugen's existence.
He took a stance with the Silver Horn "Trident" Full Custom. The muzzle was fitted with the attachment he had just received from Yugen, making the Trident look as if its barrel had simply been extended.
He aimed at the boar and pulled the trigger.
The magic processes fired all at once, in an instant.
[Material: Nitrogen Compression]
[Material: Baryon Decomposition]
Air was sucked in through the vents, and the atomic nuclei of the nitrogen in the air were decomposed. Nitrogen molecules were separated into atoms, electrons were stripped from atoms to extract nuclei, and protons and neutrons—baryons—were extracted from the nuclei.
[FAE First Process Execution: Particle Convergence]
A cluster of particles with loosened constraints from physical laws was gathered into a disc shape. Leptons and electrons, which were not included in the definition of decomposition, were captured by protons.
[FAE Second Process Execution: Firing]
Using Yugen's FAE Theory—specifically, an event where the constraints of physical laws are further loosened under specific conditions when using magic processes that utilize phenomenon changes accompanying event alteration—the disc-shaped baryons were fired at the target. The speed of the baryon mass, exceeding the limits of magical power, reached 50,000 kilometers per second.
[Material: Regrowth]
All processes were reversed, but the side of the attachment opened to forcibly exhaust the waste. The exhaust direction was set outward relative to the operator to ensure no harm came to Tatsuya.
"Eh?"
"What?"
"What happened?"
Such voices rose from the spectators watching Tatsuya's magic only after the boar collapsed with a thud.
Unfortunately, Tatsuya had no intention of revealing the trick behind this magic. In Yugen's case last year, he had used the techniques of Heavenly Blade Spiritual Armament and Heavenly God Evocation, and the people who knew of their existence guessed what had happened and said nothing.
However, the participants of the Keishunkai were not all that sharp. Katsunari, puzzled by the phenomenon, asked about Tatsuya's Trillion Drive. Glancing at him sideways, Yugen stepped down into the garden and approached the cage containing the boar.
"Even for a demonstration, it's a waste..."
Muttering this, Yugen used Heavenly Sun Illumination to return the boar to a living state, then forcibly put it to sleep with Dream World. As he returned to the venue as if nothing had happened, Miyuki asked him a question.
"Yugen-san, why did you bring the boar Onii-sama killed back to life?"
"...I simply thought it was a waste, was that strange?"
"Fufufu, no. It is because you are kind in that way that people, myself included, are drawn to you."
He had been thinking of using the boar as food, but sensing she understood that as well, Miyuki let out a smile. Then, Maya asked about Tatsuya's Trillion Drive.
"Yu-kun, the magic just now was a spell that projects a neutron beam, was it not?"
"Yes. In addition to Tatsuya's unique magic, it is a lethal attack magic made possible by the release of his sealed Magic Calculation Area. Through the processes of decomposition, firing, and regrowth, no radioactive material remains, and only the fact of the attack remains... In a sense, it is the ultimate magic."
"Fufu, as expected of Tatsuya. Of course, I assume Yu-kun's work played a part as well."
Looking toward Tatsuya, Katsunari seemed satisfied and was seen leaving Tatsuya's side. In this world, because he had faced Yugen, he did not ask Tatsuya, "Why didn't you use that magic when you weren't being jammed?"
It was fortunate that he wasn't asked about the Neutron Barrier, but Trillion Drive had properties added to it that Baryon Lance did not possess. These properties were quite vicious. If he were to fight Katsuto as in the original story... it would not end with just Katsuto's arm being blown off. Well, if they could avoid fighting, there was no need to mention it, so he decided to keep it quiet for now.
Then, as if waiting for the perfect moment, Maya raised her voice in a declarative tone.
"Splendid, Tatsuya. I recognize this as power truly befitting the next head of the Yotsuba."
With the unveiling of the new magic concluded without issue, the Keishunkai ended without any further trouble or accidents. However, Tatsuya, now the next head of the Yotsuba family and officially the son of the current head, Yotsuba Maya, had work waiting for him immediately.
That was the New Year's greeting to the Guardian Kagurazaka family, which included a report to the previous head of the Kagurazaka family who had applied Tatsuya's seal. For this purpose, Tatsuya had to head to the Kagurazaka main residence in Hakone.
The heads of the two Guardian families operate on a succession system by nomination. However, due to their retention of authority and power, they are not recognized as Guardian heads until they visit the Imperial Palace upon succession and receive the trust and approval of authority and power from the reigning Emperor.
Among the Senate, only the Kagurazaka and Kamiizumi families do this. It is a pledge of loyalty to the Imperial Family and an oath to bear the duty of protecting the people living in this country. Therefore, the heads of the Kamiizumi and Kagurazaka families are considered exceptional even among the Four Elders.
The reason Yugen visited the Imperial Palace last Christmas Eve was not only to attend the banquet but to receive the trust and approval of authority and power as the head of the Kagurazaka family. The formal succession was set for New Year's Day, but thinking that His Majesty should not be made to work on that day, he decided on the day of the banquet after consulting with the Imperial Household Agency.
Furthermore, the Toudou family has also finalized discussions for Mikihiko, who will succeed the next generation, to receive the trust and approval of the current Emperor. With this, the only family among the Four Elders not receiving trust and approval is the Kashiwa family. According to Aoba, the reason they were not informed is: "If he behaves like a king with his own authority and power and does not realize he is slighting His Majesty, then he is simply a man of that caliber." It seems Kashiwa's father had pressed Aoba's father to reduce the Yotsuba's power during the "Yotsuba Killing" incident, so this is likely "retaliation." Since it is truly karmic justice, I decided to pretend I didn't hear about it.
The current Emperor possesses no political power. However, slighting a symbol that has maintained authority for so long in this world is worthy of being called disrespectful. Though, whether the people of this country understand that is a question in itself.
But, I digress.
Yugen headed from the Yotsuba main house to the Kagurazaka main residence in Hakone, accompanied by Tatsuya. In addition to Yugen and Tatsuya, Miyuki, Minami, and Yuuka joined them. Naturally, they brought all their luggage, and while most wore their attire from the Keishunkai, only Minami had been made to change into a furisode (long-sleeved kimono) on Maya's instructions. Minami could not hide her surprise at the sudden change, but after being told something by Maya, she blushed every time she looked at Yugen.
"It's tough work right at the start of the New Year, Tatsuya."
"Not as much as you, Yugen. If I recall, Erika and the others are already at the Kagurazaka main residence, aren't they?"
"Yeah. Well, if Erika stays at home, she gets nagged about all sorts of things."
At the Kagurazaka main residence, in addition to last year's members, Airi, Shiori, Seria, and Sana had apparently arrived and were deepening their friendships with the others. Furthermore, Yugen's fiancees, Marika and Arisa, were also there, reportedly getting along well with the members of the Magic High School they would be entering in the future.
Mikihiko, Mizuki, and Sana go without saying, but in Erika's case, since her father was likely to bring up strange marriage proposals if she stayed home, she accepted the invitation from the Kagurazaka family, and Leo ended up tagging along with her. The cause of that was mostly related to the Rosen family.
"I saw that Erika and Leo-kun had become quite close during the Nine Schools Competition celebration party. So that's what happened."
"I wasn't exactly uninvolved. Being an acquaintance of the old man, I ended up receiving Bastian Rosen's legacy."
"I know it's late to ask, but just how wide is your circle of friends, Yugen-kun?"
If asked "how wide," it was quite extensive. If counting both allies and adversaries, it extended to neighboring countries. He had never met anyone from the Great Asian Alliance, but he had met the heads of state of the USNA, SSA, UK, France, Germany, and the New Soviet Union. As for military relations, the connections through Gozo's disciples amounted to quite a number.
"If you mean people you can't meet directly just by living a normal life, then perhaps His Holiness the Pope or His Majesty the Emperor."
"No, why can you remain so calm about that?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to get by."
He was nervous at first, of course, but as the meetings piled up, he eventually got tired of being surprised. So, while the emotion of "surprise" still occurred, his reaction had been replaced by simply offering a polite greeting.
Having discovered an existence within his own family that was beyond human—or rather, beyond discussion—one could say he had already moved past surprise.
Author's Notes:
Since Baryon Lance was a rather obvious naming choice, I changed the name with a somewhat suitable reason. Comparing carbon steel (Atomic number: 6) and nitrogen (Atomic number: 7), I judged it would work with just a slight increase in load. In the Double Seven arc, the magic used was Nitrogen, but upon checking, the pronunciation Nitro-gen seems correct, so I will go with that notation. Suffocating Turbulence: Nitrogen Storm remains unchanged, so please understand.
Regarding atmospheric manipulation, since the protagonist is developing Air Ride Burst, there is no issue. I also significantly changed the shape of the hardware while I was at it. The attachment includes an element of "a man's romance."
I considered a super long-range neutron cannon idea: attaching a revolver-like mechanism to a carbon steel stake, adding the launch speed of compressed ammunition gasified by Decomposition, and turning the carbon steel into baryons the moment it was shot into the armor. I also considered a positron cannon line like a certain robot anime, but I went with the safest idea.
Melee weapons (especially those with transformation mechanisms) are filled with romance. I accept any objections.
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