In a luxury hotel room—part of a chain run by the Yotsuba family—Fumiya Kuroba, a first-year at Fourth High, sat on a sofa, staring at a tablet.
The screen displayed the Tokyo Offshore Tower's official site, its details seared into his mind. A door opened behind him, revealing his twin sister, Ayako Kuroba.
(Sis…)
Fumiya didn't voice it, but he felt awkward. Ayako, hair wrapped in a towel, wore only a crimson camisole and purple gown. Though she was his twin, making attraction impossible, her appearance could lead to teasing if he seemed flustered. To deflect, he asked:
"Mission starts tomorrow evening, right?"
"Yep, around 5 p.m. should be fine for surveillance… Worried about Zhou Gongjin?" Ayako replied.
"Of course. Even Dad struggled with him. Without Tatsuya-nii, Dad would've lost his right arm."
Fumiya's discovery of the attack plan was key, but being assigned to detain New Humanity Front operatives at the tower, not chase Zhou, left him dissatisfied. Ayako, hearing the details, noticed her father and brother's discontent and tilted her head. Even Fumiya knew his father Mitsugu's prowess and didn't believe he could match Zhou, so he had no issue with Mitsugu pursuing him.
"Fumiya, our mission is to detain terrorists, uncover the New Humanity Front's base, and trace their funds. Tatsuya's helping, so we need to ease his burden," Ayako said.
"I know," Fumiya replied.
Fumiya understood Ayako's affection for Tatsuya. Since Miyuki's feelings for Yugen emerged, Ayako and Miyuki built a close bond to support each other's crushes. Through Yotsuba's shady dealings, Ayako met Yugen, growing close to him to fulfill her and Miyuki's first loves. Her Extreme Diffusion and Yugen's Kaleidoscope were similar in controlling psion distribution, making Yugen as admirable to her as Tatsuya, though her feelings for each were distinct.
"Really? Really really?" Ayako teased.
"I get it… (She gets so selfish when Tatsuya-nii's involved)," Fumiya muttered, hiding behind the tablet to avoid her gaze, prompting a giggle from Ayako.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tokyo Offshore Tower
Built as a successor to Tokyo Tower and Skytree, this hyper-building symbolized Japan, supporting next-generation communication standards despite obstructions. With 360 floors above ground and 36 below, its top-floor Sky Lounge reached nearly 2000 meters.
"Didn't know you got an invite, Yugen," Shizuku said.
"Family connections. Miyuki and Minami are my plus-ones," Yugen replied.
Shizuku and Honoka wore dresses, while Miyuki, Minami, and Yugen, in a formal suit from the Divine Assembly, attended. Yugen disliked such events in both lives, but circumstances demanded his presence.
"Tatsuya's not here," Honoka noted.
"No choice, Honoka. It's a pre-opening party for bigwigs. I'll arrange a date with Onii-sama later," Miyuki teased.
"N-No, Miyuki! You don't have to!" Honoka blushed, flustered.
Unlike the original's rivalry, Miyuki's shifted affections made her and Honoka close friends.
"Minami, you okay?" Yugen asked.
"Y-Yes. This custom dress is just…" Minami trailed off.
Chikihime and Mayonaka conspired to dress Minami, a guardian, in a costly bespoke gown by a world-renowned designer tied to the Kagurazaka family. Minami was stunned to learn its seven-figure price.
"You're getting a lot of attention, Yugen. Nine Schools fame tax?" Shizuku asked.
"Probably. Excuse me, I need to step away," Yugen said.
Spotting a familiar figure, Yugen excused himself. Miyuki looked ready to follow, but the figure—Tadaya Hayama, Yotsuba's head butler—signaled with a glance that public contact was unwise. Miyuki reluctantly agreed. Hayama bowed lightly as Yugen approached.
"Yugen-dono, I see Miyuki-sama is here… Invited to the party?" Hayama asked.
"Yes. I thought it best not to bring her here now… Are you here on Maya's orders?"
"Consider it so. You've likely heard from Tatsuya-dono, but we may need your help if things escalate."
Toppling a hyper-building was easiest by blasting its foundation or halting power to stabilizing pillars, letting natural disasters tilt it. The latter required extreme luck; the former risked mage lives.
"No incidents is ideal, but I'll keep it in mind. I'll protect Miyuki, no worries," Yugen said.
"Most reassuring. I'll take my leave," Hayama replied, departing.
Yugen pondered briefly before returning to Miyuki's group, brushing it off as meeting an acquaintance. Miyuki and Minami, aware of Hayama, seemed intent on questioning him later, making Yugen sigh inwardly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya, Miyuki's guardian, should've attended, but his Elemental Sight was occupied, and Yugen's presence sufficed. Honoka was fine with Shizuku around. Tatsuya's main reason—"I don't want to stand out"—made Miyuki giggle.
At the entrance to the mining shaft for power cables, Tatsuya, in a riding suit, hid in bushes, using Elemental Sight to spot two men in utility worker outfits.
(New Humanity Front members. Likely aiming to cut power.)
"Tatsuya-nii, who are they?" Fumiya, cross-dressed, asked.
Fumiya's fame from the Nine Schools necessitated the disguise. His mother's features made it convincing, but his desire to be masculine like Tatsuya aside, he answered briefly.
"Definitely New Humanity Front. Two more behind. They've noticed us," Tatsuya said.
"My turn then," Ayako said, appearing with a slight breeze.
Tatsuya admired her Pseudo-Teleportation, while Fumiya nearly yelped, covering his mouth.
"Don't scare me…" Fumiya muttered.
"Hehe, sorry!" Ayako whispered playfully in his ear.
"Stop it, Sis!" Fumiya pulled away, unable to feel attraction to his twin.
"Sorry, sorry… Tatsuya-san, my apologies," Ayako said.
"No issue, but let's wrap this up quickly," Tatsuya replied.
"Fumiya to the rear, Tatsuya-nii, take the ones inside," Fumiya instructed.
They divided roles. Fumiya equipped a knuckle-duster CAD.
"Let's go," Ayako said.
Using an FLT Thought-Controlled CAD from Tatsuya, Ayako teleported Fumiya to the rear with Pseudo-Teleportation. Fumiya used Direct Pain to knock out operatives swiftly. Ignoring screams, Tatsuya targeted those inside with Elemental Sight, using Decomposition to disable limbs via pain-induced shutdowns, healed with Regrowth.
"Nice work, as expected," Ayako said.
"Not as fast as Fumiya. No more enemies. Can I leave detainment to you?" Tatsuya asked.
"Yes. Thank you, Tatsuya-san. I'll repay you," Ayako replied.
"Be gentle," Tatsuya said.
Like Honoka and Lina, Ayako's affection for Tatsuya was clear, intensified by Miyuki's lectures. Her stunning figure made her gratitude no joke, leaving Tatsuya with little response.
◇ ◇ ◇
(Magic activation… Tatsuya, Fumiya, and Ayako-chan.)
Yugen observed them via Osiris Sight and Kaleidoscope. The operatives were detained with top-notch efficiency. Tatsuya was scanning for further hostility. Miyuki reached out telepathically.
(Yugen-san, was that Onii-sama's magic?)
(Yes. You've heard of New Humanity Front. They detained some, but stay cautious.)
The group included Extras, notably Hiroshi Misaki, likely from the Three Misaki family. Yugen knew of the One Ichika (now Ichihara) and Seven Nanakura (now Namaura) families from the original, but as a former Mitsuya, he was aware of the Third Lab's stripped Misaki and Miyake families. Their involvement was unexpected.
Yugen wondered how other mages viewed him, a Mitsuya who joined the Kagurazakas. Only a few in the mage community knew the Kagurazaka origins. Ancient magic circles might understand, but modern mages, excluding the Ten Master Clans or Eighteen Assistant Houses, might see him as a "numberless" outcast. Post-summer break, some classmates viewed him lightly, suggesting this perception spread.
(Are they targeting the tower?)
(VIPs are here, but the risk is too high. They should know that.)
Shizuku's family attended, making them rescue targets. As Yugen and Miyuki spoke telepathically, the floor's lights dimmed, switching to emergency power.
"Blackout?" Minami asked.
"No, that's the cause," Yugen said, pointing to a monitor showing halted power to the tower's shaft.
Guests panicked, but Yugen swiftly operated his communicator.
(Accessing admin code, activating all shaft emergency operations. Tampering with management center and power room status. The backup system for quakes or tsunamis worked.)
Yugen's gyro drive shaft design used next-generation high-voltage batteries at both ends, sustaining 72 hours without power. Using his designer's admin code, he activated the emergency system, uncontrollable by the first-floor management center or 34th-basement power room. Inspired by a past-life earthquake-induced power loss, he hadn't expected to use it this way.
A monitor switched, showing a gas-masked group. Yugen wondered if only he saw their attire screaming "terrorists."
"We are the New Humanity Front, seeking mage rights restoration. We mean no harm, only asking you to witness today's events," they announced.
"No harm, huh? They've occupied the management center," Yugen muttered.
"No way…" Minami gasped.
Their "witness" claim could mean "hostages."
"This building forces mages into 'slave labor' underground," they continued.
"Slaves, huh?" Yugen scoffed.
"On the 35th basement, mages can't escape during disasters, tantamount to being buried alive! As advocates for mage rights and civilized beings, we cannot tolerate such archaic human sacrifices!"
Mages here earned more than most, rivaling military mages. They were hired via the Japan Magic Association's referrals, with no forced cases. The tower's design included disaster-activated bulkheads, turning the 35th basement into a shelter with quake- and pressure-resistant materials to prevent entombment.
"As a protest, we will detonate this tower in one hour. Evacuate immediately. But if you interfere, we'll detonate at once. We don't wish for mass casualties. Be wise and become history's witnesses," they declared.
Hearing this, some guests collapsed. Shizuku and Honoka looked worried, while Yugen, outwardly calm, fumed. Was this what a "Three" should say?
"Everyone's piling on extra work. Try cleaning up their mess," Yugen growled.
The New Humanity Front didn't realize the tower involved Ueyama and Kagurazaka enterprises. Attacking it sealed their fate. With Third Lab Extras involved, the Mitsuya family would act for cleanup. As a former Mitsuya and Kagurazaka, Yugen had every reason to move. After resolving Parasite Dolls, Kudou, Defense Forces, and German issues, now his former family's mess added to his plate, drawing wry smiles from those around him.
Note: Blanche: "Unacceptable that mages earn high rewards with magic." New Humanity Front: "Unacceptable that mages face slave labor." When ideologies swing extreme, it's pure egoism. The Tokyo Offshore Tower party should've involved the Saegusa family, but the anime's timeline, with First High's entrance ceremony the next day, might explain their absence.
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