If it were that simple, we wouldn't be struggling
Thanks to Riri's intel, the student council and club committee avoided major chaos, but for students initially slated to compete, the situation was different. Fortunately, practice for the Nine Schools Competition was scheduled to begin after the official announcement, and having individuals familiar with the three new events was a stroke of luck amid the misfortune.
The burden fell on Yugen and Ceria—ironically, siblings in their past lives. While working on rule documentation for First High students at the Kagurazaka family's Tokyo villa, Ceria posed a question to Yugen.
"So, big brother, how do you know the detailed rules of Shield Down?" she asked.
"Shinkage-ryu swordsmanship included similar training," Yugen replied.
As part of honing hardening magic, they trained to destroy targets with handheld objects. For example, Yugen had once been tasked with piercing a metal wall using a ball made of mud—an exercise defying physical laws. They also practiced breaking an opponent's blade with a shield, incorporating most of Shield Down's rules. The training also accounted for considerations when facing opponents of the opposite sex.
"I've gone through the detailed rules for Roar and Gunner, but Steeplechase really isn't something high schoolers should tackle," Yugen said.
"Even Stars hesitates to do it, and they'd keep the distance shorter… Four kilometers is overkill," Ceria agreed.
They had already sent questions about the rules to the organizing committee, and their next steps depended on the response. Yugen sighed and turned to Ceria.
"Ceria, honestly, this whole thing pisses me off," he said.
"…Yeah, I feel the same. It's like they're half-assing it," she replied.
Originally, Retsu Kuzumi had planned an experiment centered on Tatsuya. Since Miyuki was competing, Tatsuya wouldn't overlook dangers beyond the events themselves, prompting a course correction. But Yugen found it infuriating. Moreover, Retsu likely saw Yugen as a deterrent, a suspicion sparked by Mitsutake's recent consultation about "Retsu's strange behavior."
"When I scouted the other day, there were no signs of a rampage, but there's no absolute guarantee," Yugen said.
Retsu knew a Parasite had possessed Pixie but was unaware of the full details. He likely assumed a loyalty spell was at play and embedded control techniques in the Parasidolls. However, Pixie and the Parasidolls differed fundamentally: Pixie possessed a "sentient ego" absent in Parasidolls, with her loyalty stemming from Honoka's dependency-prone Element lineage influencing her sentience.
"I noticed Gu Jie accessed Frithskjálf's search history and likely deduced the Parasidolls. Zhou Gongjin will probably make a move soon," Yugen said.
"Why not take him out?" Ceria asked.
"There's Gu Jie, but also the Great Asian Alliance's movements," Yugen replied.
Hardline factions weren't unique to Japan. Edward Clark, who schemed to exile Tatsuya to space in the original timeline (possibly planning to kill him via USNA connections), was one example. The Great Asian Alliance had its own hardliners, leading to the Saikashinto incident (still under construction). Fear of retaliation from the Scorched Aurora Halloween's strategic magic had so far prevented large-scale military action, but Gu Jie's provocations could change that.
"Separating the Saigusa family from Zhou Gongjin lowered the chance of Nagura's death, but we can't let our guard down," Yugen said.
"Why not?" Ceria asked.
"I looked into it, and Nagura had personal dealings with Zhou Gongjin," Yugen replied.
Originally, Koichi Saigusa learned of the Kuzumi family's moves through Nagura's intel from Zhou Gongjin. If Nagura had no prior connection, Zhou Gongjin wouldn't have sought that negotiation route. Using Defense Forces channels would've alerted the Yotsuba family.
Nagura, originally Nanakura, was an "Extra" from a numbered family. A career officer in the Defense Army, he often undertook assassin-like missions, eliminating rogue soldiers, magician criminals, or illegal entrants. Yugen's investigation revealed Nagura's targets included Great Asian Alliance affiliates, making it highly likely he met Zhou Gongjin during such a mission.
"…Are you saying Nagura might meet Zhou Gongjin on his own time to settle some personal score?" Ceria asked.
"It's not impossible. I made a deal with Koichi Saigusa, but whether Nagura's included is unclear," Yugen said.
As the saying goes, it's all in how you frame it. Even without orders, Nagura could encounter Zhou Gongjin by chance at a shop and share intel. If questioned, Nagura might dodge with a vague alias. His withholding information from Koichi suggested a strained employer-retainer relationship. Perhaps Nagura harbored a grudge against the Saigusa family, akin to the Takuma-driven obsession of the Shippo family against the Saigusa in the spring incident.
(…Maybe I should consult Grandpa or Mototsugu-nii-san. Getting Mother involved would be geographically messy.)
The Kagurazaka family, originally tasked with protecting the imperial family, relocated from northwest Kyoto to Hakone without a trace. Since the Heian era, they had safeguarded the nation in the shadows, chronicling and sometimes orchestrating the downfall of powerful figures. As masters of Onmyodo-style ancient magic, they oversaw Kinki region magicians for centuries as Western Guardians. After they left Kyoto in the late Edo period, disputes over their role caused temporary chaos until a Kyushu Guardian faction restored order.
However, that Kyushu faction perished due to internal strife sparked by a succession dispute, splitting the clan and leading to its annihilation. This history made the remaining Guardians—Ueyama and Kagurazaka—vigilant about succession conflicts. Last summer, Yugen learned that Mototsugu, after observing post-reincarnation events, consulted Gozo to join the Ueyama family to avoid a succession dispute with Mototsugu. By rejecting inheritance early, Yugen not only averted conflict but also built a strong bond with Mototsugu.
Returning to the Kagurazaka family, they pursued mastery of all magical techniques, including modern magic, mirroring the Ueyama family's ethos. While their focus on catalysts, talismans, and staves leaned traditional, their guardianship of Ise Jingu, Izumo Taisha, and Dazaifu Tenmangu earned them favor, even reverence, among traditional ancient magicians.
The Takagamo Shrine in Nara and Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto were now managed by Kagurazaka branches, but the ancient magic landscape in Kinki was far more complex than in their dominant past. This fueled tensions between ancient and modern magic, making it risky to send Chihime, the current Guardian head, to Kinki, as it could spark unnecessary conflict. Yugen, as the next head, wasn't in a position to judge.
"These headaches always get dumped on me or Tatsuya… And with the German angle, we can't let our guard down," Yugen said.
"Germany… You mean Leo and Erika?" Ceria asked.
"Yeah. And it's not just my grandpa—your grandfather, Ken Kuzumi, is involved too," Yugen replied.
"What's that?" Ceria said, biting her tongue.
Her slip, reminiscent of Lina, aside, when Lucas left Germany for the US, Ken, already exiled from Japan, adopted him into the Shields family. The cause was Lucas's objection to an arranged fiancée—not her appearance but the coercive nature of the engagement, exploiting her weaknesses. This also prompted Lucas to accelerate Georg's premature escape plan.
Lucas's elopement to Japan was to evade the Rozen family's pursuit. His then-girlfriend—Erika's maternal grandmother—had personal ties to Ken and Chihime, facilitating the process.
"I remember Grandpa had a photo of a man with Erika's hair color. Probably him… So, what's the plan? Leo and Erika are main event members, right?" Ceria asked.
"The Parasidoll issue will be handled by Shinkai, but the Rozen matter is our grandfathers' mess, so we should deal with it too. It's a pain," Yugen said.
"Don't say that, big brother… I get it," Ceria replied.
By a twist of fate, four grandchildren attended the same school, facing German-related complications. Yugen and Ceria sighed deeply, perhaps intensified for Ceria by her Kuzumi family ties.
"I'll let you know, Ceria, but we won't demand anything from the Rozen family this time. We've already got what amounts to their rights," Yugen said.
"What'd you get?" Ceria asked.
"Bastian Rozen's inheritance. Grandpa dumped about a third of it on me," Yugen replied.
"…Normally, they'd come to negotiate, right?" Ceria said.
It was complicated. When Yugen met Bastian Rozen, he was still "Yuto Nagano." To account for his future use of the Mitsuya name, the inheritance was under Gozo's name. The Rozen family had inquired, but Gozo ignored them, insisting on Lucas's honor restoration before discussing inheritance, per Mototsugu.
Gozo told their negotiator, "The heir is my grandson. Figure it out yourself." However, personal data obscured the Ueyama-Mitsuya connection. While paper records existed, electronic ones were omitted, as the Ueyama family's Guardian role demanded secrecy.
"On paper, the Mitsuya and my mother's family are disconnected, especially with the Yotsuba ties back then. They'd need Frithskjálf to trace it to me," Yugen said.
"For Ernst, it's a total dead end. Trying to handle Leo and Erika brings you into the picture," Ceria said.
They could feel threatened, but kidnapping Leo or Erika was another matter. If Yugen acted, Miyuki would too. Tatsuya's response was unclear. Yugen left Zhou Gongjin's pursuit to Chihime, letting fate decide.
"I don't need that kind of money, but I plan to give half to Leo and Erika as a 'wedding gift' once it's settled," Yugen said.
"I don't know the total, but a trillion-yen gift isn't normal. What about the other half?" Ceria asked.
"I'll pour it into the Stellar Furnace and its subsystem, solar power generation. No one's specified how to use it," Yugen replied.
Yugen mentioned solar power, but it involved a space-based system, mimicking a past-life concept. Neither the Stellar Furnace nor this aimed to disrupt existing energy systems but to enhance them through radical improvements. In disaster-prone Japan, surplus energy capacity was vital. Extending equipment lifespan via excess capacity—like implementing a flat drive filter for generators and pipelines—was key.
The device was complete, and tests on Kagurazaka-owned solar systems achieved nearly 100% heat exchange by preventing heat leakage. Reducing friction losses could push solar efficiency to exceptional levels.
In space, atmospheric solar attenuation was negligible, and maintenance could be solved with magic. However, Yugen had no intention of sharing this globally. Widespread adoption could exclude certain regions, and stable supply required receivers between the equator and 30 degrees north or south. This risked conflict in Southeast Asia, SSA (South American Republic Federation), or anarchic Africa due to energy resource wars, potentially sparking a fourth world war. Thus, Yugen kept it from even Ceria, his past-life sister.
-------------------------------
Curious about what happens next?
You can read up to 30–40 chapters ahead right now on Patreon!
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support! 💕