Back at the Siba residence, Tatsuya was adjusting Miyuki's CAD in the basement. Miyuki wore only underwear and a thin layer, as usual. Yugen couldn't help but admire Tatsuya's composure.
Since summer, Yugen had tried adapting to Miyuki's attire, given their parent-arranged engagement. Two years ago, he hadn't anticipated their friendship would alter their sibling dynamic.
"Tatsuya, you called?" Yugen said. "Miyuki's adjustment done?"
"For now," Tatsuya replied.
CAD adjustments were Tatsuya's domain, especially without hardware tweaks, and his role as Miyuki's guardian. Yugen left it to him.
"For now?" Yugen asked. "I overhauled it with plenty of leeway. Still not enough?"
"No issues yet. I misjudged Miyuki's growth rate," Tatsuya admitted.
Miyuki looked concerned at Tatsuya's rare misstep. Her pursuit of traditional magic alongside modern techniques had pushed her beyond expected spell construction limits, Tatsuya explained.
"Since dating you, Miyuki's psion control has become explosively efficient," Tatsuya said. "Your psion interaction likely drives it."
"Onii-sama, analyzing so calmly is embarrassing…" Miyuki said.
"Give up, Miyuki. That's just Tatsuya," Yugen teased.
Tatsuya's focus blinded him to surroundings, but this highlighted why exceptional mages married—efficiency. Revealing this risked misunderstanding, so they kept quiet.
"Why'd you call me?" Yugen asked.
"Straight to it: is Lina 'Angie Sirius'?" Tatsuya asked.
Tatsuya had intended to ask Lina directly but recalled Yugen's prior encounter with Angie Sirius, opting for a quicker answer. Yugen saw no reason to hide it.
"Confirmed. Her psion flow matches. But watch Celia too," Yugen said.
"Why?" Miyuki asked.
"Her strategic magic, Heavy Metal Burst, was oddly limited in power," Yugen replied.
Both understood strategic magic's complexity. Yugen's Material Burst, shown to Kazama, was contained by strict barriers to nullify collateral damage.
"Material Burst is tricky, right?" Yugen said.
"Yeah. Even with your psion control lessons, it demands precision," Tatsuya said. "What if you unleashed it without control?"
"Starlight Breaker avoids collateral via FAE theory, nullifying external vectors. Third Eye Eclipse adapts that, limiting Material Burst's destruction," Yugen explained.
Back to Heavy Metal Burst: its spell involved two casters. Lina lacked such skill, but factoring in the school's training, Celia was likely involved.
"Uncontrolled, it'd have obliterated the training ground. Good thing I practiced Phalanx," Yugen said.
"Phalanx, a Juumonji specialty. But deploying 13 activation sequences simultaneously? Not surprising for you," Tatsuya said.
"Flattery?" Yugen smirked. "Gramps warned the USNA president, but as Kagurazaka heir, I'm not taking the fall."
It sounded irresponsible, but Yugen clarified. The Mitsuya family confirmed USNA politicians were somewhat appeased. During the Yokohama Incident, Igor "Igniter" Bezoobrazov's Tuman Bomba activation was detected, and data was sent to the White House and Pentagon.
"What's that mean, Yugen-san?" Miyuki asked.
"Sending 'Sirius' makes sense, but their control obsession irks me. I'm not discriminating, but it feels like they're picking fights," Yugen said.
The Stars' refusal to negotiate, aiming to neutralize threats, wouldn't sit well with the Yotsuba, Mitsuya, Juumonji, or Kagurazaka families. Fear of power was understandable, but the USNA—born from reckless nuclear control—had no room to talk.
"If they want to play world police, they should move to Venus or Mars," Yugen scoffed.
"You might pull that off," Tatsuya said.
"Even if I could, I wouldn't," Yugen shot back.
USNA's pride in cutting-edge magic was clear, but pressuring allies was reckless. Fearing others' power was human, but it boiled down to their values.
"If they sent both 'Sirius' sisters, we're the targets," Yugen said. "But there's more. Miyuki, you'll catch a cold—head back."
"If I asked you to warm me, would you refuse?" Miyuki teased.
"…Tatsuya," Yugen said.
"Sorry, somehow," Tatsuya replied.
Yugen thought Tatsuya didn't need to apologize, but his dutiful nature and Miyuki's influence made him overly conscientious. Yugen sighed, feeling guilty.
He genuinely cared for Miyuki—enough to accept the engagement and stay with the Sibas. It was flattering, but he wished she'd mind the time and place. She was tame by her standards, Tatsuya agreed.
"Not your fault, and I share some blame," Yugen said.
"Could you beat Celia for real?" Tatsuya asked.
"Dunno. She didn't show her full hand in training," Yugen replied.
The timeline diverged from the "original," but patterns held. The Nine Schools' Castle Hammer was a clue. Risks were accepted, so Yugen planned to share intel and prepare with Tatsuya.
Yugen's after-school routine involved light exercise, student council duties, or library research. The transfer sisters disrupted this. While practicing one-handed kendo swings, Yugen sensed someone watching and spoke without turning.
"Stop sneaking, Celia. Watch openly," he said.
"Eek! You startled me… Was that magic?" Celia asked.
She nearly tripped. Sound magic was second nature to Yugen, requiring little focus. Amplifying sound to her ears was effortless.
Compared to Lina, Celia's fluent Japanese stood out. Yugen prioritized other suspicions over that.
"I'm just sound-sensitive. Tweaked directionality a bit," he said.
"A bit? Should you reveal that?" Celia asked.
"It's already known," Yugen replied.
His sound sensitivity was known among the Ten Master Clans, likely reaching USNA intelligence, especially with Shina's presence. Disclosing it outweighed hiding's risks.
After their flashy training mishap, it was trivial. Finishing his swings, Yugen faced Celia.
"Interested in Japanese martial arts?" he asked.
"A bit. My grandfather doted on me, teaching me some," she said.
Her answer surprised Yugen, given Lina's comments. He didn't think Lina lied, but Celia seemed confident it wouldn't expose her.
"What? Expected a magic question?" Yugen teased.
"Well… I'm not confrontational like my sister," Celia said.
"That'd worry Tatsuya," Yugen said.
He'd seen Tatsuya and Lina in the hallway, likely assigned to guide her as a disciplinary committee member. Tatsuya wouldn't falter, but facing "Sirius" required Brionac-level caution. Yugen had given him Buster Mist Dispersion as a countermeasure.
Overkill, perhaps, but better than dying from arrogance.
(Masquerade Parade here?)
While thinking, Celia, now shoeless, closed the distance. Not mere acceleration—she used Parade, a Kudou secret art causing perceptual distortion. Yugen, familiar from past Kudou encounters, instantly activated Hakke Tonkou, unraveling Parade's psion structure. But Celia, now wielding a dojo kendo sword, pressed close.
"Gramps would call that half-hearted," Yugen said.
Twisting, he dodged her swing. Using magic to enhance physicality—compressing psions to protect bones and muscles—he unleashed full human power, striking her sword with his. Her blade's edge fell to the mat, sliced cleanly. Stunned, Celia took a chop to the head from Yugen's empty hand.
"Ow, ow, ow… my head…" she groaned.
"Said you wouldn't act like your sister. Reflect a bit," Yugen said.
Luckily, her sword was due for replacement. Though strangers, Yugen's reflexive chop suggested he saw Celia like his past-life sister—brilliant but clumsy, often teased and chopped. Her "I feel love in pain" quip once made him consider distance—a private matter irrelevant now.
Reincarnated, Yugen lamented "sister" troubles persisted.
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