Thesis competition prep wrapped up.
Recent events: First-year second-course Chiaki Hirakawa used a wireless password breaker—noticed first by Sayaka, subdued by Leo. Looked risky.
Kei and Kanon questioned her: she blamed Tatsuya for Koharu quitting the thesis team after his Nine Schools feats.
"Yugen, your thoughts?" Kei asked.
"Strange. Team selection—I heard Koharu recommended Tatsuya as her stand-in," Yugen replied.
Tatsuya said he told Chiaki he wasn't coerced, and she accepted. Lingering resentment from her sister's endorsement? Manipulation fits.
Beyond surprise, Kei nodded at Yugen's answer.
"For now, Anshuku-sensei hospitalized her at the university affiliate. Kanon and Chiba weren't thrilled," Kei said.
"Those two are similar—strong justice, half-cocked skills make it worse," Yugen noted.
Kei's wry smile suggested agreement, despite Kanon's betrothal. Their prowess might falter in real combat.
"Frankly, weak ploy to unsettle Tatsuya. No duty to tell Hirakawa, but only terror or invasion would faze him," Yugen said.
"Joking?" Kei asked.
"Does this face joke?"
"Beyond ex-ten clans… quite the history," Kei observed.
Tatsuya's non-lethal focus needed context, shared alone with Kei—implying secrecy.
To shift, Yugen asked, "Progress on the two units?"
"Smooth. I'm out for thesis, but Erika and Leo's devices… trade's appreciated," Kei replied.
Erika's Orochimaru destructive but mobility-lacking. Yugen traded for a new CAD, plus Leo's for his offense gap. Isori crafted; Yugen designed from prototypes (officially FLT-linked). Exchange: advanced inscribed formulas. Yugen aided demo designs, tying into his "no time" for Tatsuya.
No need for details—risky—so Yugen posed as "friend's advice" to Tatsuya.
"Where are they now?" Kei wondered.
As Yugen finished, Leo and Erika sprawled on dojo floor, drenched, heaving—not lewdly, from training.
At Joushima's suburban villa, Tokyo Shinkage-ryu branch adjacent, Genji—master, head, Yugen's brother—trained them, bamboo sword ready in jinbei.
"Ten-minute break," Genji said.
"Y-Yes…" Erika gasped.
"Brutal…" Leo groaned.
Coincidence: Erika eyed Chiba dojo, but met Genji at gate. Visiting First High, he encountered them, offering: "Want strength?"
Genji's talent offset range weakness with perception, boosted by Yugen's lessons, reading intents. Post-Jirou, he targeted them. Erika knew Shinkage-ryu's rarity; accepted.
After basics, collapse.
"Yugen did this?" Erika asked.
"Three sets, then elders," Genji said.
"Not human," Leo muttered.
Prep: 100 nine-direction slashes, 220-step stair runs, core work. Yugen used lead rods (bokken-shaped), enhancement magic easing strain. Only Yugen/Gousan trained so.
"Still, he pushes. Root: survival drive. Hard?" Genji asked.
"Kinda get it," Leo replied.
Blood instinct. Genji sensed, continued.
"Mages struggle. Even ten clans. I was a dropout till Yugen," Genji said.
"Joke?" Erika asked.
"Truth. Yugen saved me."
Yugen enabled Mitsuya siblings' magic. World-topping potential, Genji believed.
"Erika, teaching Leo Hakatonbo?" Genji asked.
"Yes… How?" Erika replied.
"Build, psion use—close hardening infighter. Next: Shinkage-ryu four sacred arts, Reiki."
"Serious!?" Erika gasped.
Four arts—Houou, Reiki, Kirin, Ouryuu—post-license. Reiki birthed Hakatonbo. Four-stage, sixteen-part take decades; Genji saw Leo's traits, Yugen's control, shortening it.
"Half-hearted won't cut it. Leo?"
"Please. Strength without relying on Tatsuya or Yugen."
"Good. Erika, Kirin?"
"Yes, Genji-san."
Kirin sourced Chiba secrets. Precise control; Chiba simplified for battle.
Unlicensed teaching improper, but Yugen's consult, Gousan's discretion allowed Genji's call. He stood, sword ready.
"No compromise to grow. Fail, die—Grandfather's words. Follow or perish!"
Gousan's spirit in Genji; screams echoed. Gousan joined later, intensifying. School return: glance-sensitive, Tatsuya noted.
A Grimoire—National Magic University's compiled/managed magic encyclopedia. To Yugen, unnovel; Joushima's library and Kagurazaka's matched it.
National policy pushes modern magic, CADs near-mandatory. Yugen's CAD reduces psion cost for CAD-less strategic magic.
Rainy day: outdoor prep/security drills indoors. Yugen, recent drill instructor, eyed terminal in library basement storage.
"Found you," Rin said.
"Ichihara-senpai. Prep done?" Yugen asked.
"Rain halts outdoors; demo's Tatsuya's turf," Rin replied.
Yugen's terminal showed past experiments.
"Past magic experiments?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, but limits hit fast with current learnables," Yugen said.
Modern magic inconvenient? Rin's question amused Yugen inwardly.
"Here's why…" Yugen began.
Single basic spells use 30,000 alphabetical equivalents—redundant. Restructure for equivalent power: target structure, self-destruct prevention, output variables—down to 10,000.
The 20,000 "waste"? External psion avoidance, using only internal—built-in control formulas.
"Inconvenient beyond modern magic… makes efforts feel wasted," Rin said.
"Not wasted. Progress via trial-error," Yugen replied.
Displaying Air Sail Shield (Ami's Nine Schools use).
"Index standards sloppy, childish. This alone had 70%+ improvement room," Yugen said.
"70%+?" Rin exclaimed.
"Yes. As-is, Igarashi-senpai'd psion-exhaust in half a lap."
Reincarnation perks enabled absurd feats. Three walls, ceiling targets—vanished in a second. Missed triggered penalties. Miyuki, competitive, sweated profusely.
"Yugen, difficulty coder?" Tatsuya asked.
"Likely Captain Sanada. Nasty algorithm needs twisted mind," Yugen said.
No hand in Kuhouji setup/programs—avoided Nine Dragons overlap. Miyuki finished; Yugen toweled her head. Exhausted, slumped.
"Good work," Yugen said.
"Thanks. Um…"
"Yare yare, demanding."
Guessing, hand offered. She hugged.
"Yugen-san, avenge me," Miyuki pleaded.
"Grudging objects unbecoming… Tatsuya's turn. Release," Yugen said.
Tatsuya centered, Trident forward, shattering one-second targets without glance/move, pulls increasing. Cleared Sanada's difficulty.
"Miyuki 20, Tatsuya 36," Yakumo noted.
"Impressive, Onii-sama," Miyuki beamed.
"Predictable. Irregular, max 24," Tatsuya said.
"Your turn, Yugen-kun," Yakumo said.
Eyes left no refusal. Sighing, Yugen gripped Valkyrie, facing sudden targets.
Complex: 10-14, 0.01-second shifts. Vicious, but destroyed unfazed, ignoring ceiling sand.
Four walls' 48 shattered simultaneously. Lowering Valkyrie, eyed Yakumo.
"Sanada's?" Yugen asked.
"No, friend upped it," Yakumo replied.
"Nastier than Sanada," Yugen muttered.
Aiming up, obliterated 12 sudden targets. Yugen's decomposition reached "concept" (info), nearing annihilation—restrained to pulverization.
"Mother?" Yugen guessed.
"Correct," Yakumo grinned.
Chihiro surpassed Sanada. Yakumo wouldn't owe Kazama, despite ties, due to military math. Chihiro's precision fit Yugen.
"Ex-ten clans hold water," Tatsuya said.
"Limited range. Ignoring, area like Miyuki… Why pinch, Miyuki?"
"You're unfair," she pouted.
"No sense."
"Fine, I'm lost too," Tatsuya said.
Later, Miyuki admitted vengeance joy but burden feeling, sulking. Yugen chided: overnight strength unreal.
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