After classes ended for the day, Tatsuya made a rare appearance at the Class 2-A classroom. While his presence was unusual, it was clear his business wasn't with Yugen or Miyuki, but with Masaki Ichijou. Yugen, sensing the situation, took the initiative and stepped into the hallway to greet him.
"Well, this is rare for you, Tatsuya. Do you have business with Ichijou?"
"Yeah. Can you fetch him for me?"
"I don't mind at all. I'll leave the rest to you."
Yugen called out to Masaki, informed him of Tatsuya's arrival, and then headed straight toward the Club Management Group's headquarters. Naturally, Shizuku and Miyuki followed close behind. Yugen didn't miss the gaze Masaki sent their way, nor the specific cocktail of emotions—jealousy, longing, and frustration—hidden within it.
The reason Yugen wasn't taking the lead in capturing the terrorist Gu Jie was that he had prioritized dealing with the "Humanists" first. Furthermore, he avoided direct involvement in the intel exchange because he was wary of Gu Jie's information gathering via Hlidskjalf.
As for his duties with the Club Management Group, the current season left him with little to do besides issuing safety warnings and coordinating joint patrols with the Public Discipline Committee. He had made sure to pair Takuma and Kasumi with different partners to avoid any friction.
Deep down, Yugen's primary goal was to provide Miyuki with the mental care she needed regarding Masaki's "interference" and to act as her bodyguard, thereby lightening Tatsuya's burden. It was a gesture of friendship, free of calculation, but to Tatsuya, such consideration was yet another "debt" he felt he owed—a fact that often made Miyuki smile wryly.
"You're quite the spoiled one, aren't you, Miyuki?" Yugen remarked later that evening.
"I don't mind being spoiled," Miyuki replied softly. "Do you dislike me when I'm like this, Yugen-san?"
"Hardly. If I did, I'd have stopped letting you sleep in my room a long time ago."
"Oh, Yugen-san... saying things like that makes me want to pounce on you."
"..."
Miyuki was careful never to show this level of affection in public; in fact, since becoming his official fiancée, she had been quite diligent about maintaining a proper distance. However, when they were alone or only with family, her sweetness intensified.
Currently, Yugen was sitting at his desk in his pajamas, typing away at a terminal, while Miyuki—also in her nightwear—hugged him from behind. Because she was leaning over the back of the chair, the back of Yugen's head was pressed against a soft, cushiony sensation. The lack of any restrictive undergarments was blindingly obvious through the thin fabric of her pajamas, and Yugen let out an internal sigh.
He didn't exactly mind—in fact, he considered himself a lucky man—but he wished she'd show just a little more restraint. Then again, since he had accepted her wish to "belong" to him, he figured this level of skinship was a relatively mild compromise.
Regarding the investigation, Maya had contacted Tatsuya to warn him that the Yotsuba family's encrypted channels might be compromised. She suggested communicating via physical letters instead. She hadn't used the Cavalry Spirit Mirror (Carbuncle) yet, apparently wanting to see how the enemy would react first. Yugen decided to allow this, viewing it as a rare opportunity for a mother and son to share a semblance of a normal relationship.
The next morning, Tatsuya returned from his training and handed Yugen a letter he had received from a Yotsuba contact. Yugen hesitated, wondering if it was his place to read it, but Tatsuya insisted, saying he wanted an "accurate judgment."
The letter suggested that the National Defense Force might be involved in Gu Jie's escape.
"What do you think, Yugen?"
"There's no solid proof that they aren't corrupt. It's entirely possible," Yugen replied.
His reasoning was based on his knowledge of the Intelligence Department's movements in the original timeline. While it hadn't happened in this world, in the original history, they had used Pixie as bait to lure out parasites. Since they were capable of such surveillance, it wasn't a stretch to think they had eyes on Gu Jie.
However, it was unlikely that any section under the Saegusa family's influence knew the details. If they did, they likely would have attacked secretly to score points, though that would also raise suspicions about their ties to Zhou Gongjin.
Yugen handed the letter back to Tatsuya, who tucked it back into the envelope.
"The National Defense Force is in the middle of a reform to return to its ideal state, but there will always be those who resist that change. Regardless, we needed to distance ourselves from them eventually. This just happened sooner than expected."
"...I suppose so."
No matter how much they tried to change the nature of the magician community, the definition of "national defense" varied from person to person. It wasn't just about the power to crush an enemy; it was about the service of deterrence. If used correctly, the Stellar Furnace would function as a magnificent deterrent.
Yugen didn't want the mere act of using magic to be seen as an obligation for magicians. Magic was a technology, and the right to choose whether or not to exercise it should belong to the magician, except in specific cases. History had shown that winning too much only led to more trouble.
First period for Class 2-A was a practical session. The topic: "Definition of Magic Termination Conditions."
In this world, magic is not eternal. Even with engraved sequences, a spell cannot be maintained without a constant supply of "Psions"—the fuel of magic. Magic without a defined termination condition remains on the target in a state of flux, its duration uncertain.
To overwrite magic with another spell, one must exceed the "Information Interference" power of the original. Unless one uses Gram Demolition, Gram Dispersion, or Cast Jamming, that law remains absolute. Since modern magic has yet to establish another way to neutralize an opponent's spell, the ability to define a termination condition is a vital factor in evaluating a magician's skill.
Termination conditions are divided into two categories: those that define duration and those that define the result. The former was popularized by Taurus Silver's Flight Magic, while the latter is more common in combat.
The day's task was to define "action time" as a variable. Specifically, students had to perform a spell that changed a white plastic ball to red, then green, then blue, completing ten sets within 30 seconds. While the time and repetitions varied, the average action time was meant to be one second per change.
The class practiced in pairs, but since Class 2-A had an odd number of students, one person was always left out. Naturally, Yugen practiced alone—but he wasn't bored. In fact, he was performing a practice routine so bizarre it silenced both his classmates and the instructor.
He had set his action time to one-hundredth of a second instead of one, attempting to squeeze 1,000 sets into the 30-second window. It might have seemed like unnecessary precision, but for Yugen, it was a way to sharpen his control and keep his massive magical capacity from "rusting."
Even though Masaki had joined the class, Yugen had no intention of pairing him with Miyuki. He caught Kanade's eye, and she promptly invited Miyuki to pair up. Seeing that, Yugen prepared to resume his solo practice when an unexpected voice called out.
"Kagurazaka, want to pair up?"
"...Sure, why not?"
It was Masaki. Yugen blinked in surprise, but he could feel a spark of rivalry in Masaki's eyes. As the classroom buzzed with whispers, Yugen saw no reason to refuse and accepted the offer. He knew from his friend Shinkuro that the Third High curriculum was more combat-oriented, and Masaki, who had shown power rivaling Miyuki's two years ago, clearly thought this task would be "easy."
"...Exactly 30 seconds. Impressive," Masaki noted after Yugen's turn.
"Thanks. Your turn, Ichijou. Want a count?"
"I don't need one."
Masaki was clearly feeling competitive. Yugen held the stopwatch and gave the signal. Masaki went into a combat-ready stance, clearly hoping to impress Miyuki, who was practicing nearby. As Masaki began, Yugen hit the lap switch, monitoring the variance in action times.
When 30 seconds passed and the ball returned to white, Yugen gave the signal to stop.
"You went over by 0.9 seconds. For doing it without a count, that's a job well done."
"...Thanks."
Masaki forced out the polite response, but he was clearly dissatisfied. Compared to Yugen, who had hit the mark perfectly without a count, his result felt pathetic. Ultimately, Masaki spent the entire period obsessed with clearing the task perfectly.
During lunch, Honoka invited Masaki to join them. It was a gesture of pure kindness; she felt he should have some acquaintances to make his stay easier. She had checked with Shizuku and Miyuki first, and even asked Yugen if he was okay with it, to which he had agreed.
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