Thesis competition prep progressed steadily.
Meanwhile, second-course first-year Chiaki Hirakawa used a wireless password breaker, noticed by Sayaka, subdued by Leo. Looked dangerous, apparently.
Kei and Kanon questioned Chiaki: she blamed Tatsuya for Koharu's withdrawal from the thesis team, having seen his Nine Schools feats.
"What's your take, Yugen?" Kei asked.
"Odd story. I heard about team selection—Koharu recommended Tatsuya as her proxy," Yugen replied.
Tatsuya told Chiaki he wasn't forced into proxying, and she seemed to accept. Yet, her sister's endorsement left lingering feelings. If someone manipulated her, it fits.
Hiding this, Yugen answered Kei.
"For now, Anshuku-sensei sent her to the university hospital. Kanon and Chiba weren't pleased," Kei said.
"Those two are alike—strong justice, half-baked skill makes it worse," Yugen noted.
Kei's wry smile at "half-baked" suggested agreement, despite Kanon's engagement. Their skill might not translate to combat.
"Frankly, weak tactic to rattle Tatsuya. No obligation to tell Chiaki, but only terror or invasion would shake him," Yugen said.
"Joking, right?" Kei asked.
"Does this face look joking?"
"Ex-ten clans, you've seen some stuff," Kei mused.
Only Miyuki-level stakes move Tatsuya. Alone with Kei, Yugen spoke plainly, implying silence.
To avoid digging, Yugen shifted.
"Progress on the two devices?"
"Going fine. I'm out for thesis prep, but Erika and Leo's custom CADs… we're grateful for the trade," Kei said.
Erika's Orochimaru is destructive but lacks mobility. Yugen swapped it for a new CAD, plus one for Leo's attack-focused build. Isori family crafted; Yugen designed from prototypes (officially via FLT). Trade: enhanced inscribed formulas. Yugen also aided demo machine designs, explaining his "no time" to Tatsuya.
Details risk danger, so Yugen framed it as "friend's advice" to Tatsuya.
"Where are those two now?" Kei asked.
Post-Chiaki incident, Leo and Erika skipped school—public leave arranged. Mikihiko, Mizuki, and Miyuki speculated; Tatsuya smoothed it.
"Probably getting thrashed together," Yugen said.
As Yugen spoke, Leo and Erika lay on a dojo floor, sweating, panting—not indecently, but from training.
At the Joushima's suburban villa, adjacent to Shinkage-ryu's Tokyo branch, Genji Joushima—master, family head, Yugen's brother—trained them, bamboo sword in hand, dressed in jinbei.
"Ten-minute break," Genji said.
"Y-Yes…" Erika gasped.
"Freaking brutal…" Leo groaned.
Coincidence brought them here. Erika considered Chiba's dojo, but met Genji at the gate. Visiting First High, he ran into them and proposed:
"Want to get stronger?"
Genji's martial talent offset distance weakness with honed perception, enhanced by Yugen's magic lessons, reading actions. Done with Jirou, he targeted them. Erika knew Shinkage-ryu's rarity; they accepted.
After basics, they collapsed.
"Yugen did this?" Erika asked.
"He did three sets, then sparred elders," Genji said.
"He's not human," Leo muttered.
Prep: 100 slashes nine directions, 220-step stair runs, core training. Yugen used lead rods shaped like bokken, body enhancement magic preventing strain. Only Yugen and Gousan trained so.
"Still, he never stops. Rooted in survival instinct, maybe. Tough concept?" Genji asked.
"Sorta get it," Leo replied.
His blood whispered instinct. Genji sensed Leo's mood, continuing.
"Mages face struggles. Even ten clans. I was a dropout till Yugen helped," Genji said.
"Joking?" Erika asked.
"Truth. Yugen saved me."
Yugen enabled Mitsuya siblings' magic. His tech could top the world, Genji believed.
"Erika, teach Leo Hahatonbo?" Genji asked.
"Yes… How'd you know?"
"Your build, psion use—close-range, hardening-focused infighter. Next step: Shinkage-ryu's four sacred arts, Reiki."
"Serious!?" Erika gasped.
Shinkage-ryu's four arts—Houou, Reiki, Kirin, Ouryuu—require mastery license. Reiki birthed Hahatonbo. Four-stage, sixteen-part arts take decades; Genji saw Leo's traits, Yugen's psion control, shortening it.
"Half-hearted resolve won't cut it. Leo?"
"Please. Want strength without relying on Tatsuya or Yugen."
"Good spirit. Erika, Kirin?"
"Yes, please, Genji-san."
Kirin sourced Chiba's secret arts. Precise control needed; Chiba simplified for combat.
Teaching unlicensed was improper, but Yugen's consult and Gousan's discretion allowed Genji's judgment. He stood, bamboo sword ready.
"No compromise to grow strong. Fail, you die—Grandfather's words. Follow or perish!"
Gousan's spirit lived in Genji; screams echoed. Later, Gousan joined, intensifying. Back at school, they flinched at glances, Tatsuya noted.
Unlike past high schools' two-day weekends, magic highs had Saturday classes with practicals. Yet, Yugen was at Kuhouji Temple with Tatsuya, invited by Yakumo to test an improved "long-range" training ground.
"Kya! Take that!" Miyuki shouted.
The underground range mimicked combat—targets on three walls, ceiling, vanishing in a second. Missed targets triggered penalty mock-bullets. Miyuki, driven by competitiveness, dripped sweat, showing the rigor.
"Yugen, who coded this difficulty?" Tatsuya asked.
"No clue, but probably Captain Sanada. Nasty algorithm needs a cunning mind," Yugen said.
Yugen had no hand in Kuhouji's setup or programs, avoiding Nine Dragons overlap. As Miyuki finished, he draped a towel over her head. Exhausted, she slumped.
"Good work," Yugen said.
"Thanks, Yugen-san. Um…"
"Yare yare, demanding lady."
Guessing her wish, he offered a hand. She grabbed it, hugging him. Yakumo smirked; Tatsuya sighed.
"Yugen-san, avenge me," Miyuki pleaded.
"Grudging objects is unbecoming… Your turn, Tatsuya. Let go," Yugen said.
Miyuki's vendetta amused Yugen. Tatsuya stood center, Trident forward, pulverizing one-second targets without glancing or moving, only trigger pulls increasing. He cleared Sanada's difficulty effortlessly.
"Miyuki hit 20, Tatsuya 36," Yakumo noted.
"Impressive, Onii-sama," Miyuki beamed.
"Predictable targets. Irregular, I'd max at 24," Tatsuya said.
"Your turn, Yugen-kun," Yakumo said.
Miyuki's sparkling eyes left no choice. Sighing, Yugen gripped Valkyrie, facing sudden targets.
More complex than Tatsuya's, 10-14 targets shifted 0.01-second cycles. Vicious coding, but Yugen destroyed them unfazed, ignoring synthetic resin sand from ceiling hits.
All four walls' 48 targets shattered simultaneously. Lowering Valkyrie, he eyed Yakumo.
"Sanada's algorithm?" Yugen asked.
"No, a friend upped the difficulty," Yakumo replied.
"Someone nastier than Sanada," Yugen muttered.
Aiming Valkyrie up, he obliterated 12 sudden targets. His decomposition magic, tied to new spells, differed from Tatsuya's Mass Explosion (molecular-level); Yugen's reached "concept" like information, nearing annihilation but restrained to pulverization.
"Mother, right?" Yugen guessed.
"Correct," Yakumo grinned.
Chihiro's skill surpassed Sanada's. Yakumo wouldn't owe Kazama, despite mentorship, due to military calculations. Chihiro's precision fit Yugen's capability.
"Ex-ten clans' name holds," Tatsuya said.
"Limited range. Ignoring, I'd area-attack like Miyuki… Why pinch my side, Miyuki?"
"You're unfair," she pouted.
"No sense."
"It's fine, Yugen. I'm lost too," Tatsuya said.
Later, Miyuki admitted joy at avenging but felt like a burden, sulking. Yugen chided: overnight strength isn't real.
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