Chen Xiangshan stared in shock at the wounded tiger—Lu Ganghu.
He knew Lu's strength best. Confirming the assailant, he learned it was Chiba Naotsugu and Mitsuya Kana.
(Mitsuya Kana… Running into the least desirable Ten Master Clan member.)
Chen probed Tatsuya and Miyuki's surroundings for the relic's source, but traces vanished. He confirmed another resident in that house.
Only a personal data file surfaced.
Kagurazaka Yugen. Formerly Mitsuya—the name from Zhou's recent ryotei meeting warning.
"Out of kindness, a warning, Your Excellency. Mitsuya Yugen—no, now Kagurazaka Yugen. Don't touch his scales."
"What do you mean, Mr. Zhou?"
"Exactly that. No direct meeting, but he easily spotted my surveillance… Can't say more."
Zhou, showing odd movements lately, emphasized this. Wounding a figure tied to him raised Chiaki Hirakawa's assassination bar immensely. More pressing: an urgent issue.
"Plans changed. Postpone Hirakawa Chiaki. Sekimoto Isao fell into authorities' hands. Detained at Hachioji Special Juvenile Hall."
Zhou-involved Chiaki differed; Sekimoto was Chen's direct asset. Leakage unacceptable. Chen ordered Lu.
"Dispose of Sekimoto Isao."
"Understood."
"All done," Yugen said, ending practice. Tatsuya and Miyuki headed to FLT; Yugen, to the temple veranda, suspected relic talk. Yakumo scratched his head.
"What'd you do? With military ties, you smoothed it over?" Yakumo asked.
"Handled discreetly. Sayuri's furious, but that tech's too risky," Yugen replied.
Stored formulas enable non-mage magic weapons? Yugen's analysis confirmed, but non-mages couldn't sustain. Pseudo-calculation via CAD near impossible. Inscribed formulas fixing variables risked mental/psion failure. Secrets halted research.
Alternate startups costlier than new CADs. High psion tolerance unattainable. Data destroyed; Yugen's memory only.
"So fully analyzed?" Yakumo asked.
"Storage works, but control/supply burdens user. Without top computation, one use ruins or poisons," Yugen explained.
"Mages as 'bullets,'" Yakumo said.
Scientific replication feasible but black-box—Yugen alone grasped fully, enabling Domain Enhancement. Publicizing risks USNA upheaval. Chihiro swore secrecy.
"Modern/ancient couldn't crack the magatama," Yugen said.
"Method?" Yakumo asked.
"Ancient civilization—Ancient Magic. From murals. Can't teach, even you," Yugen replied.
"Fine. Instincts warn danger. Hermit values life," Yakumo chuckled.
Gousan's trips skipped middle school for "training." No normal life—teary.
Gousan stormed Stars base challenger-style. Insane. Stop him? Curiosity outmatched will.
"Behave!" Yugen shouted.
"Ignoring strategic magic, that's your gripe, useless mage?!" Gousan roared.
Dragged, wrecked half-building. Gousan laughed partial destruction. Partly that mage's Heavy Metal Burst. Framed "exercise," masked identity. Great magic, awful personality—laughable.
"Defense knows the illegal entrant?" Yugen asked.
"Yes. Hawk escalation fears locked info," Yakumo confirmed.
Post-Sayuri, no info to Tatsuya/Yugen. As officers, expected; silence from Kazama/Saeki questioned. Probes confirmed Lu/Chen entry.
No issue with treatment, but Yugen felt controlled since joining, battalion included. If cooperative, demo wouldn't happen. Kazama apologized, but meddling meant countermeasures—erase data? Overwork complaints; Yakumo smirked.
Strategic mages trivialized? Yugen knew his place. Government triggers in rule-of-law nation. Politicians control strategic magic, nuclear substitute. Opportunists emerge, so Yugen heir. No enemy-making, but lethal intent demands response. Protagonist line: "Shoot only if ready to be shot."
"Your plan?" Yakumo asked.
"Only Grandfather/Mother authorize my strategic. Battalion join agreement. No changes, or resign. No infighting—national good," Yugen said.
Post-Okinawa, disclosed Mirror Dispersion to Gen, Maya, Gousan—family, Yotsuba (Tatsuya's Material Burst), Gousan backing (not military). Gousan consulted Kagurazaka; he/Chihiro gained authority, enforced transfer with Saeki.
"Worldly ties tough, spawning hermits," Yakumo said.
"Knew ties cling. Won't ditch yet, but heir acceleration changes," Yugen replied.
Guardians wield authority/power, knowing authority fails threats. Joushima lost lord; Kagurazaka used means for royalty. Guardians avoid ties. Cooperation beneficial fine, but bias risks ruin. Two guardian houses fell wars from ties; survivors merged.
Yugen's FLT/shares (Gen-managed till adulthood) permitted economic per Chihiro. Kagurazaka's Yotsuba sponsorship allows ties without overreach, reducing concerns. Otherwise, no Miyuki marriage.
Military bends age; cooperation, but no strategic without approval. As Godo Kai, battalion thins, boundaries needed.
"Grandfather's odd, free as known mage," Yugen said.
"Guardians answer royalty. Government lacks guts—bloodbath," Yakumo said.
"B-grade splatter… or game character," Yugen quipped.
"Likely," Yakumo agreed.
Gousan's feats as Lightning earned Unchained. Mitsuya treatment fitting. Familiarity dulls.
Yugen unknown moniker. Unbothered, lucky? Gods know. USNA top couldn't touch; crossing near suicidal. President dubbed Untouchable—spreading later, unknown to Yugen.
FLT hacking ended, Section 3/Ushiyama's credit. Relic data target? Unknown to them, as Sayuri's contract secret. Rumors post-attack, dismissed as Tatsuya envy.
At Einebrise, Yugen glared at Leo/Mikihiko.
"Thesis prep killing, you act novel protagonists? Overwork me?" Yugen grumbled.
"Sorry…" Leo muttered.
"You're fit. Touya agreed," Mikihiko said.
Leo peeped Erika changing (force majeure). Mikihiko grabbed Mizuki's chest saving from numbness. Resolved, but apology gifts; chose Yugen.
Protagonist vibes balance Tatsuya's invincibility, Yugen mused.
"Simple best. Cookies. No tweaks, or sister's green juice," Yugen warned.
"What's that? Healthy?" Leo asked.
"Erika drank… passed out," Yugen said.
"Faint from juice!?" Mikihiko gasped.
Tasty, delayed bitter—indescribable. Kana crafted; Shina drinks daily, Mitsuya grit. Legal, Yugen stressed.
Chose Mikihiko's home. Yoshida's Shinto draws females, unlike Joushima males. Women, baking-keen, cruel.
"Amazing, Yugen," Leo said.
"Yeah," Mikihiko added.
"Not convinced…" Yugen muttered.
Identical recipes, Yugen's superior, funereal vibe. Disciples bonded.
"Delicious… tears?" one said.
"I get it," another agreed.
"Jealousy?" third wondered.
Yugen pulled pen/paper, scribbled formula manga-speed, sunglasses on. Mikihiko recognized.
"Enough!" Yugen shouted.
"Blinding!" Leo yelped.
"Yugen!?" Mikihiko cried.
Spirit flash, Erika-used, erased short memories like sci-fi. Sunglasses shielded. Swapped cookies with Leo/Mikihiko's, solved. Yugen's extras? Eaten fully.
Cookies reached Erika/Mizuki successfully.
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