Yugen had sidelined Kyoko and taken over the cleanup of Toshikazu's investigation for several reasons. Part of it was an apology for the trouble caused by his childhood friend's family, but there were deeper, more pragmatic concerns at play.
Long before he had ever heard of the "Nine Dragons," Yugen had built a personal intelligence network. He maintained ties with multiple information brokers, cultivating a symbiotic relationship by paying them well for high-quality intel—a feat made easy by his vast personal wealth, which he otherwise simply funneled into savings. Among these contacts was the Master of Rotter Bart, whom Yugen knew well through his connections with the Aine Brise group.
On the day after the terror attack, just before the meeting of the Shinshokai, Yugen had been consulted by the Master of Aine Brise. This led him to Rotter Bart, where he found a rare "CLOSED" sign on the door. The Master opened up the moment Yugen arrived and ushered him inside for a private consultation.
"…So, a suspicious list has been circulating?" Yugen asked.
"Yes. It was distributed with deliberate subtlety," the Master replied. "I've cross-referenced with others in the trade. It contains a list of magicians suspected of having ties to the remnants of Kunlunfang."
Information brokers live and die by accuracy. The timing of this list—surfacing exactly when the bombings occurred—screamed of a hidden agenda. The Master had confirmed its widespread circulation among brokers before bringing it to Yugen.
"May I see it?"
"Certainly. I've printed a hard copy for you."
As Yugen scanned the list, he analyzed the security level of the data. It was immediately obvious: this information had been leaked by either a government agency or the National Defense Force. Furthermore, given that the list focused on ancient magicians—specifically experts in corpse manipulation—the person who compiled it was clearly someone with an intimate knowledge of the old ways.
However, there was no trace of Intelligence Department involvement. While the Toyama family was capable of such a move, targeting a police officer like Toshikazu was a reckless gamble. If the National Police Agency discovered the Defense Ministry was sabotaging their officers, the rift between the two would be catastrophic for national interests.
Even the 101st Brigade, currently in the doghouse after offending the Kamizumi family, shouldn't be stupid enough to slit their own throats like this. Yet, if their misguided sense of loyalty to the state overrode their common sense, they might just do it—even if the risks outweighed the rewards.
"Thank you," Yugen said. "For now, I can only urge you to be cautious. Tell your colleagues not to do anything rash."
"Understood. Thank you for taking the time to listen."
Yugen ruminated on the situation. No matter how much the police or Public Security had suffered at the hands of Blanche or No-Head Dragon, they wouldn't use such a convoluted method that risked the life of one of their own; a scandal of that magnitude would cost the top brass their heads.
There was only one organization in Yugen's mind that possessed the necessary knowledge of ancient magic and a motive strong enough to target the Yotsuba by labeling the terrorists as "Kunlunfang remnants."
The 101st Brigade and the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion. They were a hotbed of anti-Retsu Kudo and anti-Master Clan sentiment. Since the Ten Master Clans were heavily involved in this incident, the 101st would undoubtedly try to smoke out Gu Jie's collaborators—even if they weren't officially part of the mission.
But Yugen could not tolerate a move that effectively made enemies of the National Police Agency and the Chiba family. While he respected Major General Saeki's competence, their ideologies were fundamentally incompatible. The root of his distaste was the "original story" event where she had used Tatsuya as bait to locate an enemy Strategic-Class magician.
While that hadn't happened in this timeline, Yugen knew the original Tuman Bomba had a limit of 1,500 kilometers. The version he had personally improved, however, had no such range restrictions.
Saeki's fixation on the terrorists being Kunlunfang remnants was likely a move to trap Maya Yotsuba, the only person who couldn't be easily dealt with unless she was at the Master Clan Conference. The other Clan Heads held public offices and could be targeted at their estates. To Saeki, the Conference was the best place to strike at the Yotsuba.
Yugen contacted the staff at the Kagurazaka villa, told Minami he was heading out on urgent business, and took his Dreadnought motorcycle from the Shiba garage. Upon arriving at the villa, he was ushered into the drawing room, where Shuji and Yumu were tending to Toshikazu and Inagaki.
"Shuji, Yumu. Sorry for the trouble."
"Don't worry about it," Yumu said softly. "Yugen, I've already dispelled the curse mark that was placed on Inagaki-san."
"I haven't seen any signs of a backlash," Shuji added. "It's reckless for modern magicians to try and face an ancient practitioner on a mental level. The Inspector and his partner were over their heads."
Because of her background in sacred rites, Yumu had spotted the curse on Inagaki instantly. Shuji had monitored for any rebound from breaking the spell, but the officer seemed stable. Toshikazu hadn't even realized Inagaki had been hexed, and since the spell was fresh, Inagaki hadn't felt any physical symptoms yet.
Yugen sat in the seat of honor and looked the two officers over.
"…Inspector Chiba. Assistant Inspector Inagaki. I respect your pride as officers, but why did you go to the 'Puppeteer' before coming to me?"
"!? H-How did you know… Wait, was the 'acquaintance' Fujibayashi-san mentioned you?"
"It was."
Yugen felt a flash of irritation. Kyoko, coming from the Fujibayashi family—a lineage of Iga ninja—should have known about these ancient techniques even if they weren't her specialty. For her to stay silent and let the police wander into a trap was a problem. If the established magic families were going to sit on their high horses while the police did the dirty work, they should at least stop interfering with the professionals.
"I understand the situation with Erika," Yugen said calmly. "And I know that despite my father's behavior, I owe you and Shuji for the trouble the Chiba family has faced. I'll give you the information you need. However…"
"However?" Toshikazu prompted.
"As the Head of the Kagurazaka Clan, I have officially requested cooperation from the National Police Agency. Our objective: 'The eradication of forces supporting the terrorists.'"
Most current police officers were ill-equipped to handle ancient magic. Yugen's plan was to have them target the support networks that could be handled within the scope of modern magic. He had already passed a list of organizations linked to Gu Jie—derived from Zhou Gongjin's memories—to the Prime Minister for the police to act upon.
The operation was currently being held at the level of the Minister of State for Public Safety (the equivalent of the National Public Safety Commission Chair) to allow for preparation. Officially, it was being framed as anti-terrorism measures against Humanists and anti-magic groups. Since that wasn't technically a lie, Yugen saw no issue.
"To be blunt, Erika is the only Chiba with enough experience against ancient magic to be useful here. I'll be asking for her help as a friend, not as a representative of her house. Now, regarding the magic used in the bombings—"
Yugen revealed the existence of Kyoshijutsu (Jiangshi Corpse Manipulation) to the two men. In exchange for this intel, he gave them a stern command in the name of the Kagurazaka Head: they were to cease their pursuit of the terrorist immediately. When he explained that they could have easily been turned into "undead soldiers" forced to attack their own countrymen, the gravity of the situation finally sank in. They thanked him and departed.
As Yumu returned to the sofa after seeing them out, Shuji looked at Yugen.
"You seem uncharacteristically irritated, Yugen."
"…I won't deny it. Honestly, does everyone care more about 'face' and organizational pride than actual results? Deciding whether to cooperate based on personal likes and dislikes is pure insanity."
In the original timeline, the government—the supposed mediator—had cowered in the face of rising anti-magic sentiment. Politicians had focused on optics rather than their duty as legislators. While suppressing criticism of national policy could infringe on free speech, Yugen felt that a government that builds a magical society and then fails to support it during a crisis lacks the basic will to lead.
That was exactly why the current Emperor had cornered the Prime Minister.
—If the leader of this nation overlooks a trend that denies 'respect for fundamental human rights' to those with magical talent, it contradicts my stated belief that all citizens are equal. If you are that kind of leader, I will not recognize you as Prime Minister.
Following that approval ceremony, the Emperor had announced his abdication, effective March 31st, under the guise of "entrusting the nation's peace to the younger generation." On April 1st, the Crown Prince would ascend. The current Emperor intended to step back as Emperor Emeritus and travel domestically and abroad as a private citizen. At sixty, he was young for abdication, but his goal was to secure the stability of the Imperial Family while he was still vigorous.
Magicians were already burdened with numerous restrictions, but the "compensation" for those restrictions was sorely lacking. The fact that magicians who failed to enter Magic High Schools often turned to crime was a systemic failure the state had ignored for too long. The police and Public Security were desperate for magical personnel, yet thirty years after the war, the educational pipelines were still non-existent.
"I know I'm not one to talk about propriety," Yugen muttered, "but letting a terrorist dance around us like this makes me question our status as a nation of law."
As for the Defense Force, while Yugen had the approval of the Joint Staff Office, the movement of the actual magic units was sluggish. Between anti-terror measures and the friction of the Ten Master Clans moving independently, cooperation was at an all-time low.
The government, having pruned the opposition party, was now easier to work with. Yugen was even prepared to leak USNA-related intel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If they tried to bury it, he'd simply have his acquired USNA media outlets report it.
"And now, the 101st Brigade—no, the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion—intends to stay out of this entirely."
"…Because they're anti-Master Clan?" Shuji asked.
"That, and their grudge against Retsu Kudo. That man's list of sins is as long as his merits… and I intend to make him take responsibility for all of it."
Retsu Kudo had come to Tokyo for his "final service" as a retired Major General: to unify the will of the Defense Force. This was one of the conditions for Minoru's treatment. Teaching Lina and Celia the Kudo secrets was just a byproduct.
With this terror incident as the catalyst, the Heads of the Ten Master Clans would transition from private citizens to public officials—the "Pillars of National Defense." It was a move to grant them formal authority. Since some vocal critics argued private citizens shouldn't hold such military power, the Clan Heads had to shed their status as "civilians." They would receive formal recognition from the Emperor in the presence of the Guardians—a modern equivalent to the medieval court ranks.
With this status, the Ten Master Clans would be responsible for dealing with hostile forces within their respective regions. With the Saegusa's role changed, the map of these guardian territories was being redrawn.
The Defense Force would handle "Defense against Foreign Aggression," while the Master Clan Conference would handle "Elimination of Hostile Subversive Elements." It wasn't about special treatment; it was a mandatory duty in exchange for their influence. The military was the shield against invasion; the Clans were the deterrent against internal and hybrid threats. For a nation with a massive economy but limited human resources, territorial expansion was a fool's errand. As a deterrent against the New Soviets, Sakhalin or the Kuril Islands were the absolute limit of their focus.
"Are you going to penalize the Brigade?" Yumu asked.
"I phrased the request to General Soga as 'voluntary,'" Yugen replied. "But even for an experimental unit, there's no reason to let an asset sit idle when the enemy is a high-level magician. Saeki should understand that."
Honestly, Yugen wondered when soldiers had started letting emotional bias dictate strategy. Two years ago, the military had made unreasonable demands that weren't in his contract, leading him to cut off all non-essential contact for months. He had used his own emotions to drive that protest, so he couldn't entirely blame them, but this was different.
If the Ten Master Clans were driven out of the country because the state ignored an act of terror, the ensuing rebellion and death toll would be on the heads of those who clung to the "civilian-only" principle. The world had changed. If the government wouldn't recognize the necessity of this power, then the Guardians, under the Emperor's mandate, would have to do it for them.
"You're an officer in that army, Yugen," Shuji noted. "You could use your rank to force them to comply."
"I have no desire to fill my ranks with people who are obedient in appearance but rebellious in heart (Menju-fukuhai). If they don't want to help, then they can stay out of my way."
Yugen wouldn't trust an organization that would betray his past contributions the moment it suited their ideology. He only kept his commission because he had won the trust of General Soga and the civilian side of the Ministry of Defense—most of whom were students of the Shinkage-ryu.
The Prime Minister had told him that the repeated promotions were a way for the Ministry to show, at least on paper, that they valued Yugen as a national deterrent. Chief of Staff Otomo's eagerness to hand over his seat was part of that same effort.
Even as a part-time officer, Yugen was a Lieutenant General—outranking Retsu Kudo and placing him well above Major General Saeki. He had spoken with several members of the brass who admitted Saeki's arrogance was becoming a liability. They seemed to regret the anti-Master Clan push of the previous spring, realizing that alienating their Strategic-Class assets was a mistake.
Yugen still trusted individuals within the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion as friends. But when the shackles of the organization were involved, it was a different story.
That was why he had personally authorized Tatsuya to use the military-classified Mist Dispersion. In this new order, Yugen would be the one to decide when the ultimate weapons were drawn.
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