"Phew, you taught him that?" Mikihiko asked.
"Sort of. It's about all Tatsuya can pull off," Yugen replied.
In the third qualifier, Yugen handled code input to let Tatsuya and Mikihiko sync for the next match. An impromptu team needed such adjustments. Mikihiko's role was to distract one opponent. As Yugen discussed this with Mikihiko, Tatsuya dropped from a tree.
"You could've walked back," Yugen said.
"Yakumo's training habits. Cut me some slack," Tatsuya replied.
"Haha…" Mikihiko laughed.
At Yakumo's temple, sparring extended to the back mountain—his property—ingraining Tatsuya's habits. Yugen and Mikihiko could only smirk.
The fourth qualifier against Second High, on an urban field, raised accident fears among First High's leaders, but none occurred. Second High used two defenders and one attacker, expecting to overwhelm First High's monolith. Mikihiko took code input, while Yugen, armed with his integrated CAD, stood before their monolith, eyes closed, focusing.
(Found you.)
"Gah!?" an opponent yelped.
Yugen activated his CAD, swung it, and a distant scream echoed—same spell as against Eighth High. He switched on the communicator.
"Attacker's down. Proceed as planned," Yugen said.
"Roger," Tatsuya replied.
"Got it," Mikihiko added.
Communicators weren't banned. Yugen used it to ensure Mikihiko's shikigami reactivated reliably. Tenjin magic outclassed spirit magic, enabling multi-directional synchronization and reactivation, unlike the latter's limitations.
Tenjin magic's superiority stemmed from the "Seven Luminaries" concept, expanding Yin-Yang Five Elements (Yang, Yin, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth). Five Elements' interactions—mutual conquest (sokoku) and generation (sosei)—shaped its spells. Sokoku balanced five attributes for destructive interference; sosei amplified effects for regeneration. Japan's syncretic nature influenced this, unlike continental Taoist spells.
In "Seven Luminaries," Yin-Yang forces created a blank Idea dimension, projecting Five Elements spells. Light or dark attributes doubled the effect. Unlike modern magic's direct rewriting, Tenjin magic formatted a blank state, reducing strain—an unparalleled feat.
Mikihiko finished inputting the code, and the siren signaled First High's victory. Yugen stayed vigilant until leaving the field, deeming caution worth it.
The rematch with Fourth High, shifted to a valley field, replaced the No-Head Dragon-disrupted second match. Yugen, on defense per Tatsuya's strategy, scanned for threats via communicator.
"Tatsuya, one attacker from the right. Mikihiko, head straight to engage the defender," Yugen said.
"Got it," Tatsuya replied.
"Roger… kinda cheating, huh?" Mikihiko teased.
"Talk after the match," Yugen shot back.
Tenjin's Eye was overpowered, so Yugen sparingly used it, relying on the water-based Ryusui Hamon to track movements. An explosion-like sound—Mikihiko's Mizutaki spell—erupted, vaporizing water to create a bursting shockwave. Originally a distraction, Yugen's encrypted startup sequence made it a regulation-compliant attack spell.
"It was you, right?" Mikihiko asked via communicator.
"Relax, it's within lethality rules. Bad hit might break bones," Yugen replied.
Compared to Phalanx tackles, Mizutaki was a mere air cannon. Yugen considered Convergence Release but chose familiar spirit magic for Mikihiko's ease. The spell's shockwave hit Fourth High's monolith, as Mikihiko aimed near the river.
Tatsuya drew the attacker, his Yotsuba guardian training and military drills making him unmatched. Stationary spell-casting was irrelevant against him. First High won the rematch effortlessly.
Post-qualifiers, Shoki and Shinkuro walked together. Shoki, despite drawing female attention, avoided interaction, shy outside his Ten Master Clan facade, as Shinkuro knew from his awkwardness with Akane.
"First High made the finals. They'd face Eighth High, but…" Shinkuro said.
"No point complaining," Shoki replied.
First High's schedule altered matchups, pitting Third High against Eighth. Shoki accepted it, though grumbling. Shinkuro shifted to Tatsuya.
"He stood out beyond magic tech. I thought he lacked strong spells, but Second High's match confirmed otherwise," Shinkuro said.
"So, one-on-one gives me a shot," Shoki said.
"Gram Demolition surprised me, but you can win head-on," Shinkuro agreed.
Shinkuro assumed Yugen's static defense in qualifiers meant he'd stay put in the finals, avoiding code-input wins. Shoki planned to confront Tatsuya directly, anticipating Invisible Bullet countermeasures.
Spotting Tatsuya and Miyuki below, Shoki glared. Blind to their sibling bond, he imagined dancing with Miyuki. Shinkuro, unaware, tilted his head.
"Speak of the devil. They're probably scouting us," Shinkuro said.
"Then I'll show them I don't run or hide," Shoki declared.
Tatsuya sensed gazes but couldn't pinpoint Shoki amid mixed intentions. Lacking clear hostility, he skipped Elemental Sight. Miyuki was the magnet.
"Onii-sama?" Miyuki asked.
"Nothing. You okay?" Tatsuya replied.
"This is nothing," Miyuki said.
Miyuki, used to attention, deflected it thanks to Miya's training, easing Tatsuya's burden—at Yugen's expense.
"You should learn to handle this," Miyuki teased.
"I'll try," Tatsuya said.
Miyuki knew Tatsuya's struggles, hoping for his happiness. Their dream—magicians as humans, not weapons—was shared privately, amusing Miya. Yugen's goals, however, eluded them both.
Yugen skipped joining Tatsuya and Miyuki, invited to lunch by Shoki's father, Goki Ichijo, with Midori, Akane, and Ruri. Shoki's absence was a relief. Explaining to Tatsuya and Miyuki, Yugen joined them at their hotel suite. Akane, seated beside him, beamed, prompting Yugen's wry smile. Later, he and Goki spoke privately.
"I watched your qualifiers. Impressive," Goki said.
"Thank you. Shame about my teammates' injuries," Yugen replied.
Goki planned to watch a potential finals matchup, aware of buzz expecting a Shoki-Yugen clash like Ice Pillars Break. Yugen stayed noncommittal, avoiding promises.
"Frankly, what's your view on the Ten Master Clans?" Goki asked.
Yugen knew his engagement talks reached Goki, Saegusa's head, and the Yotsuba via Gozo and Chikime. His power—defeating Katsuto, though unpublicized—disrupted balances, drawing scrutiny. He used minimal magic during the Blanche attack on Shizuku.
His existence could destabilize power dynamics, explaining Gozo and Chikime's involvement in his engagement. Tatsuya faced similar pressures.
"Magicians are few, so a controlling body is needed. But excessive exclusivity is risky," Yugen said.
Master Clans managed scarce magicians, but modern and ancient magic's differing philosophies caused friction. The Mitsuya's ties with the ancient Yatsushiro and Ueyama were rare.
"Dangerous?" Goki asked.
"Secrecy's necessary, but some information must be shared. My family prioritizes intelligence-gathering," Yugen replied.
Information was vital for defense, as Sun Tzu emphasized. Japan's past intelligence failures underscored this. Yugen's actions had nudged media and government responses positively.
"Some within Japan think shortsightedly or aim to weaken it. The government's only recently improved," Yugen continued.
"Go on," Goki urged.
"Fear of the powerful is natural, proven by history," Yugen said.
Secrets mattered, but withholding critical information was problematic. Magic's role as a nuclear deterrent demanded transparency. Critics of humanitarian concerns ignored this reality.
"Magicians protecting non-magicians is ideal but unrealistic," Yugen concluded.
Protecting the majority with few magicians was impractical without massive systems. The Ten Master Clans preserved magical strength but shouldn't merely check each other. The Yotsuba, despite losses, earned their influence through resilience, though their "Untouchable" status had new connotations.
Motoharu encouraged power development and selective information-sharing. Rival clans' scheming persisted, but Yugen avoided naming them to prevent backlash.
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