Angelina Kudou Shields, known as Lina, and her twin sister Exelia Kudou Shields, known as Celia, were undeniably striking. Add Miyuki to the mix, and the trio naturally drew attention. Acting alongside them meant enduring unwanted stares.
That aside, the transfer students met Tatsuya and the rest of Class E.
"You look tired, Yugen," Mikihiko noted.
"They're not just transfers—they're stunning women. Other guys are shooting jealous glares," Yugen replied.
"Makes sense. Must be a hassle for you," Erika said, understanding his predicament.
With multiple fiancées, Yugen found it troublesome. He glanced at the girl beside Mikihiko.
"So the hallway commotion wasn't just them—it was her too?" Yugen asked.
"Yeah, seems like it," Mikihiko confirmed.
"I'm Todou Sana. My father spoke of you, Kagurazaka-san," the girl said.
"Call me Yugen, Sana," he replied.
"Sana's fine for me too," she said.
Sana, a new transfer to Class B, had short brown hair and a gentle demeanor. As a daughter of the traditional magic Todou family and Yugen's maternal cousin, her first meeting with Mikihiko was intense, he admitted.
"That moment with Miki was entertaining," Erika teased.
"My name's Mikihiko! I've chosen this path, but it's not set in stone yet," he protested.
"Figures, for you," Yugen said.
Unlike Yugen, whose registry was already with the Kagurazakas, Mikihiko's formalities were pending. Tatsuya and Miyuki's Yotsuba ties remained undisclosed, a topic they avoided.
As they chatted, the entrance stirred. The expected group appeared.
"Speak of the devil," Yugen said.
"Looks like it," Tatsuya agreed.
Lina, Celia, Miyuki, Honoka, and Touya joined, forming a large group. Denying faction rumors was futile.
Being their first day, introductions sufficed. Celia briefly hardened her expression, a detail Tatsuya later confirmed noticing.
Sana's transfer caused a stir, but Lina and Celia stole the spotlight. Their beauty rivaled Miyuki's, creating a captivating scene. Lina's blonde hair and blue eyes contrasted with Celia's long silver ponytail, their faces and eye color the only similarities. Identical hairstyles would've made them indistinguishable.
Beyond looks, their magical prowess drew attention. In the afternoon's magic training, Miyuki and Lina faced off evenly.
"Did you tell Miyuki to hold back?" Honoka asked Yugen.
"A bit. Her opponent's no ordinary mage, and with seniors watching, she's reading the room," Yugen replied.
Miyuki's competitive streak was ironclad, Yugen knew. With modern and traditional magic plus martial boosts, she was among the top of her peers. With third-years observing, revealing her full strength was unwise. To avoid suspicion on Lina and Celia's motives, Yugen had prepped Miyuki. Her precise psion control kept the match tight.
"Miyuki's skills have soared. It's humbling," Honoka said.
"She's naturally gifted. Focus on your unique strengths," Yugen advised. "Looks like they're done."
The result: four-to-two. Miyuki won, subtly masking her dominance.
But the transfers weren't just Lina. Celia's magic surpassed her sister's, proven by a 105ms record in the entrance exam's magic measurement—matched only by Yugen. Thus, Yugen faced her.
"Ready, Yugen?" Celia asked.
"Anytime. You count," Yugen said.
The exercise was simple: both operated CADs to control a ball at the midpoint. Power gaps were stark, and Yugen had never lost. With Miyuki, Honoka, Hime-ri, Shizuku, and Touya (trained secretly by Yugen in psion control), their group outclassed peers.
"Three, two, one—go!" Celia called.
Both swiped their panel interfaces. Spectators expected a quick win, but gasped.
"What!?" Honoka exclaimed.
"The ball didn't move!" Leo said.
A draw in a decisive game. That Yugen, the school's top mage, tied with a transfer shocked everyone. Yugen analyzed calmly.
(Her activation speed matched my slightly faster input from the test results. The "Sirius" name isn't for show.)
He'd upped his interference and speed, but Celia countered perfectly, resulting in a stalemate. She seemed mildly surprised.
"I'm shocked. Keeping up with sub-100ms activation?" Celia said.
"You're no slouch either," Yugen replied.
"Then I don't need to hold back, right?" she asked.
Her words stirred the crowd. Lina, most rattled, understood their weight.
"Lina, you okay?" Miyuki asked.
"Celia's serious mode is insane. Even I can't beat her," Lina said.
Celia's aura radiated intent. For Yugen, it sparked déjà vu, echoing their classroom encounter—a mystery without a clear source.
(That feeling again. What is it? I hate losing, so maybe a little trick…)
At Celia's signal, they swiped again. Yugen covertly activated his unique magic Kaleidoscope, spiking control and speed to seize the ball. He won, but both CADs overheated.
"Oops, I broke it… sorry," Celia said.
"I got carried away too," Yugen admitted.
The school's CADs sacrificed speed for versatility, unable to handle their psion output. Shared with Tatsuya's group, the incident didn't shock but confirmed Celia's prowess, earning her a "as crazy as Yugen" label.
"I'm devastated…" Celia sniffled.
"Your fault," Lina snapped.
"Celia here. My sister's too harsh," she whined.
"Haha…" Honoka laughed awkwardly.
Celia's century-old comedy bit aside, her skill was a revelation. Normally, Tatsuya would probe Lina's "Sirius" ties, but Celia's presence deterred him.
"You broke a CAD again, Yugen-san," Miyuki teased, smiling.
"I didn't mean to, Miyuki. Why the grin?" Yugen groaned.
"Are you two lovers?" Lina asked.
The group wasn't shocked—too obvious. Celia reacted.
"No surprise there?" she asked.
"Well…" Leo trailed off.
"After that display, we're convinced. I'm shocked you weren't dating before the Nine Schools Competition," Erika said.
Tatsuya, Leo, Mikihiko, Honoka, and Erika had witnessed their closeness. As classmates and student council members, their frequent pairing was noted. Post-competition, their bond deepened, reportedly breaking some male students' hearts.
"What about you, Tatsuya?" Erika asked.
"What's there to say? Jealousy as her brother would be absurd. I know Yugen well," Tatsuya said.
"You're awfully honest," Erika teased.
Tatsuya nearly retorted about his usual reserve but held back, feeling it would undermine himself. Erika's verbal victory left him visibly irked, with Mikihiko chuckling wryly.
In a world with advanced transportation, dorms were obsolete. Home automation robots and online shopping eliminated their need. Lina and Celia lived in a family-sized apartment, not alone, due to their cohabitants.
"The target's that formidable?" Sylvia Mercury, their mission aide, remarked after hearing about the training.
"Celia going all-out gave me chills," Lina said.
"Sis, I hit my 80ms limit, but he exceeded it," Celia analyzed coolly.
"That'd fry the CAD," Mikaela Hongou muttered.
Indeed, the school's training CADs couldn't handle that speed, Sylvia learned, sweating.
"No one's probing you as 'Sirius' or 'Polaris' yet?" she asked.
"Not yet, but showing our strength might raise suspicions," Celia said.
Celia spoke calmly but pondered privately. Returning to her room, she reflected on Yugen, not just as a target.
(What's going on? He didn't exist originally… nor did Touya Rokutsuka, Sana Todou, or Hime-ri Ise. Not everyone's like that, but who is he?)
Celia seemed to know this world unusually well but kept it from colleagues, family, even Lina. Speaking out risked being branded a heretic. Her conclusion pointed to one possibility, but voicing it was futile. Without Yugen's cooperation, a grim future loomed, urging caution.
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