After shooting practice, Tatsuya and Miyuki left for FLT business. Yugen, led to the temple's veranda, guessed it was about the relic Sayuri foisted on Tatsuya. Yakumo scratched his neatly shaved head.
"So, what'd you do? With your military connections, you handled it discreetly, right?" Yakumo asked.
"As expected, I returned it to the Defense Force's weapons division via contacts. Sayuri's furious, but that tech's too dangerous to circulate," Yugen replied.
Through Gen and major shareholder Mayumi, Yugen sent the relic back. Tatsuya wanted more analysis, but learning the hackers were mainland ancient mages, he entrusted it to Yugen for Miyuki's safety.
Tatsuya theorized stored magic formulas could enable non-mages to wield magic weapons. Yugen's army analysis confirmed this, but non-mages couldn't sustain control. Replicating a pseudo-magic calculation area via CAD was near impossible. Even with inscribed formulas fixing variables, individual psion capacity varied, risking mental collapse or psion poisoning. Solutions touched secret arts, so research was halted.
Alternate methods via startup sequences were costlier than new CAD designs. High psion tolerance required unattainable skill. Yugen destroyed the data, leaving only his memory.
"Soft-side possible, but hardware needs electronic magic calculation replication—stagnant globally. No visualization magic exists… except for me," Yugen said.
"So, you've fully analyzed it?" Yakumo asked.
"Storage works, but control, interruption, and psion supply burden the user. Without top-tier computation, one use could ruin or poison you," Yugen explained.
"Mages as mere 'bullets,' then," Yakumo mused.
Replicating calculation areas scientifically was feasible but a black box—only Yugen fully grasped it, enabling Domain Enhancement. Publicizing risks upending USNA's magic foundation. Chihiro, informed, swore secrecy, wary of its power.
"Even modern or ancient magic couldn't crack that magatama," Yugen said.
"What method, then?" Yakumo asked.
"Ancient civilization magic—call it Ancient Magic. Learned from wall paintings. Can't teach, even to you," Yugen replied.
"Fine. My instincts scream danger. Even a hermit monk values his life," Yakumo chuckled.
A byproduct of Gousan's global training trips, skipping middle school for "travel." No normal school life—tearful realization.
Gousan, a free-spirited guardian, stormed a Stars base like a dojo challenger. Insane. Stop him? His boundless curiosity outmatched Yugen's will.
"Behave!" Yugen had shouted.
"Strategic magic ignored, and that's your gripe, you useless mage?!" Gousan roared.
Yugen got dragged into wrecking half a base building. Gousan laughed it off as "not fully destroyed." Partly due to that mage's Heavy Metal Burst. Framed as an "exercise," no repercussions, and Yugen's mask hid his identity. Great magic, terrible personality—laughable.
"Defense Force knows about that illegal entrant?" Yugen asked.
"Yes. Fearing hawk faction escalation, they've locked down info," Yakumo confirmed.
Post-Sayuri incident, no info reached Tatsuya or Yugen. As special officers, expected, but Kazama and Saeki's silence raised questions. Yugen and Yakumo's probes confirmed Man-Eating Tiger Lu Ganghu and Chen Xiangshan's entry.
No issue with treatment, but Yugen felt controlled since joining the military, even in the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion. If cooperative, the defense academy demo wouldn't have happened. Kazama apologized, but further meddling meant serious countermeasures—potentially erasing battalion research data. Overwork complaints surfaced; Yakumo smirked.
Strategic mages aren't trivialized; Yugen knew his place. Government holds trigger authority in this non-military, rule-of-law nation. Politicians control strategic magic, a natural nuclear substitute. Greedy opportunists could emerge, so Yugen accepted Gen and Gousan's push to become Kagurazaka heir. No desire for enemies, but lethal intent demands response. A protagonist's line fit: "Only shoot if you're ready to be shot."
"Your plan?" Yakumo asked.
"Only Grandfather and Mother hold my strategic magic authority, agreed upon joining the battalion. No changes, or I resign. No time for infighting—focus on national good," Yugen said.
Post-Okinawa, Yugen disclosed Mirror Dispersion to Gen, Mayumi, and Gousan—family, Yotsuba (for Tatsuya's Material Burst), and Gousan for backing (not military, assuming Kazama reported). Gousan consulted Kagurazaka secretly; he and Chihiro gained authority over Yugen's magic and fiancée. Gousan enforced this during battalion transfer with Saeki.
"Worldly ties are tough, spawning hermits like me," Yakumo said.
"Knew ties would cling. Won't ditch military yet, but if heirship accelerates, that changes," Yugen replied.
Guardians wield authority and power, knowing authority alone fails against threats. Joushima's first head lost their lord; Kagurazaka used any means to protect royalty. Guardians avoid organizational entanglement. Cooperation for national benefit is fine, but excessive bias risks ruin. Two of four guardian houses fell in world wars from such ties; survivors merged into Joushima and Kagurazaka.
Yugen's FLT engineering and shares (under Gen's temporary control until adulthood) are permitted economic activity per Chihiro. Kagurazaka's Yotsuba sponsorship allows multiple ties without overreach, reducing concerns. Otherwise, marrying Miyuki to Kagurazaka wouldn't happen.
Military special officer status bends age rules, allowing cooperation but barring strategic magic without Joushima/Kagurazaka approval. As Godo Kai member, battalion ties would thin, requiring boundaries despite personal ties.
"Grandfather's odd, moving freely as a known mage," Yugen said.
"Guardians answer only to royalty. Government lacks guts to restrain Gousan—bloodbath otherwise," Yakumo said.
"B-grade splatter… or game character popping out," Yugen quipped.
"Likely," Yakumo agreed.
Gousan, no longer Joushima head, isn't publicly strategic, as his Dahan feats as Lightning earned him Unchained. Mitsuya's school treatment made it fitting. Familiarity dulls senses.
Yugen didn't know his own moniker. Unbothered, lucky or not, only gods knew. Even USNA's top strategic mage couldn't touch him; crossing him was near suicidal. A president dubbed him Untouchable—a name to spread later, unknown to Yugen now.
FLT hacking ended, thanks to Section 3's researchers and Ushiyama's leadership. Likely targeting relic data, unknown to Section 3, as Sayuri's military contract was secret. Rumors spread post-attack, dismissed as envy of Tatsuya.
At Einebrise café, a frequent haunt, Yugen glared at Leo and Mikihiko.
"Thesis prep's killing me, and you're acting like novel protagonists? Trying to overwork me?" Yugen grumbled.
"Sorry, man…" Leo muttered.
"You're the guy for this. Touya agreed," Mikihiko said.
Leo accidentally saw Erika changing during Joushima training. Mikihiko, post-practice with Katsuto, grabbed Mizuki's chest saving her from tatami numbness. Both resolved, but they wanted apology gifts and picked Yugen.
Their protagonist vibes balanced Tatsuya's near-invincible nature, Yugen mused.
"Simple's best. Cookies. No fancy tweaks, or you'll drink my sister's special green juice," Yugen warned.
"What's that? Sounds healthy," Leo asked.
"Erika drank it… and passed out," Yugen said.
"Faint from juice!?" Mikihiko gasped.
Tasty but with a delayed bitter punch—indescribable. Kana crafted it; Shina drinks it daily, showing Mitsuya grit. Legal ingredients, Yugen stressed.
They chose Mikihiko's home. Yoshida's Shinto magic drew female disciples, unlike Joushima's male-heavy martial focus. Women, keen on baking, turned cruel.
"Amazing, Yugen," Leo said.
"Yeah, unreal," Mikihiko added.
"Not convinced…" Yugen muttered.
Despite identical recipes, Yugen's cookies outshone, creating a funereal vibe. Female disciples bonded oddly.
"Delicious… but why tears?" one said.
"I get it," another agreed.
"Jealousy?" a third wondered.
Yugen pulled a pen and paper, scribbling a formula at manga-artist speed, donning sunglasses. Mikihiko recognized it.
"Enough!" Yugen shouted.
"Blinding!" Leo yelped.
"Yugen!?" Mikihiko cried.
The spirit magic flash, used on Erika before, erased short-term memories like a sci-fi device. Sunglasses shielded Yugen. He swapped cookies with Leo and Mikihiko's, problem solved. Yugen's extras? Eaten completely.
Their cookies reached Erika and Mizuki successfully.
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