The preparation of materials for the Nine Schools Competition at the Kagurazaka family's Tokyo villa concluded without incident. As Yugen and Ceria descended to the dining room for dinner, they ran into a familiar pair—Shuji and Yume.
"Shuji, Yume. It's been a while. Mother told me about it, but this is our first meeting since the New Year's celebration, right?" Yugen said.
"Yeah, that's right. And this young lady is the one…?" Shuji asked.
"Exceria Shields. You could say I'm big brother's fiancée—ow!" Ceria yelped.
"…Looks like we'll get along just fine," Yume said.
Ceria, blushing as if recalling something, introduced herself, only to receive a swift chop to the head from Yugen, as if to say, "Be serious." Teary-eyed, she clutched her head. The sight sparked déjà vu in Shuji, who cradled his face, while Yume, giving a sidelong glance, felt an instant kinship with Ceria.
After Shuji and Yume introduced themselves, they chatted lively over dinner. During post-meal tea, Yugen broached a question.
"Mother said this involves the Kagurazaka family's trial ritual, but I suspect it's tied to your families' affairs too, right?" he asked.
"…That might be the case," Yume replied.
According to Yume, the trigger was Yugen's Heavenly Blade Spirit Gear displayed at the New Year's celebration. The technique, a feat of the third Kagurazaka head, was sealed due to its fearsome power. A close approximation—Shinkage-ryu's Konoha blade—was deemed safe, so the method to master the Heavenly Blade was split between the Ueyama and Kagurazaka families.
"At the Takatsuki family, or rather, in Izumo Taisha's oral traditions, there were hints about the Heavenly Blade. I never imagined I'd wield it," Yume said.
She deployed her Heavenly Blade Spirit Gear, Raikiri—a double-edged knight's sword with blades at both ends of the hilt, known as a double saber. Unwilling to risk slicing the dining table, she tested its feel briefly before dismissing it.
"Spring break was fine when I explained things at home, but my idiot brother saw your Heavenly Blade and nearly did something reckless. So, I beat him down with Raikiri. Then my relatives tried to make me the next head. My dad was furious," Yume said.
"Same here. My dad shut it down with a yell and a fist," Shuji added.
"That's rough… Not that I'm one to talk," Ceria said.
Rather than letting their families' power wane, they saw it as an opportunity. Ceria's sympathetic words reflected the turmoil in both the Takatsuki and Miyamoto families. That the main Ise family resolved things peacefully was a miracle.
"I taught the Heavenly Blade to counter Parasites and similar entities, not for this… Oh, and Ceria, you'll need to master it too," Yugen said.
"What, like I'd end up wearing a mask if I fail?" Ceria asked.
"What kind of fiction is that? The safety margin's fully secured, so no worries," Yugen replied.
Beyond becoming family, Yugen decided Ceria should learn to handle spiritual constructs independently, and the Heavenly Blade was the quickest method. Chihime had pre-approved this. Continuing the topic would only add stress, so they shifted to the Nine Schools Competition. It had its own issues, but ignoring pressing concerns wasn't an option.
"You've heard about the event changes, but I asked the Ichijo family to investigate the Defense Forces' involvement," Yugen said.
"The Ichijo family, not your own?" Shuji asked.
"Given the events' military nature, it makes sense. During the Sado Defense four years ago, Colonel Sakai, the commander, pushed for a counter-invasion of the New Soviet Union. It fell through due to disagreements with the Ichijo head," Yugen explained.
This came from Gozo and restricted Defense Forces combat reports. While Yugen requested intel from the Mitsuya family, there was no word from the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion or the 101st Brigade.
Or rather, that was expected. Kyoko's mother, sister to Mayumi Kuzumi, meant the Fujibayashi family was seen as close to the Kuzumi family. Surveillance on them would be standard military procedure.
"Colonel Sakai's with the anti-Great Asian Alliance hardliners, right?" Shuji asked.
"You know him?" Yugen asked.
"My dad's old friends and dojo disciples include active Navy and Army personnel. I overheard it when they visited," Shuji said.
The Miyamoto family ran a swordsmanship dojo, with many active military among its alumni. Shuji hadn't expected Sakai's name to come up in Kyushu, but given the Sado invasion, it wasn't surprising. The standout in that battle was, of course, Goki Ichijo, the current head, and his son, the Crimson Prince, Shoma Ichijo.
"Hey, Yugen, are the Nine Schools team members set?" Yume asked.
"Yume, come on…" Shuji sighed.
"No, with the sudden changes, we're re-aligning selections and having Ceria help with rule documentation," Yugen said.
"Even as a former Stars member, I wonder if that's okay," Ceria said.
Ceria casually revealed her past as a Stars soldier. Knowing Yugen's position and being his sixth fiancée, she saw no point in hiding it from Shuji and Yume, whose strengths she recognized. Their reactions showed understanding.
"I heard about Angie Sirius, but… is that okay, Ceria?" Shuji asked.
"I'm not a soldier anymore. I've got secrets to keep, but I don't know much… And I'm big brother's fiancée," Ceria said.
"You just blurt that out… Wait, big brother?" Yume asked.
"I've given up on her calling me that, so just ignore it," Yugen said.
Unsurprisingly, Ceria and Yume hit it off due to their similar personalities, leaving Yugen and Shuji to sigh in unison.
Transfer students were rare this time of year, drawing curious onlookers even outside magic high schools. It was human nature to gawk at novelties.
Shuji and Yume joined Class 2-D. While Shuji gave a neutral greeting, Yume boldly declared herself his fiancée, promptly earning a knuckle to the head from him. Last year's Nine Schools saw Shuji win the men's Cloud Ball main event and Yume the women's rookie Cloud Ball. After school, at the club committee headquarters, Hattori made a proposal.
"—Put the two transfers in the Nine Schools?" Yugen asked.
"Yeah. Miyamoto beat Kirihara last year, and Takatsuki defeated Isshiki. They're too talented to sit out," Hattori said.
"True, but…" Yugen hesitated.
Yugen's concern was the team selection. Based on club achievements, activity reports, and discussions with club leaders, negotiations with Hattori resulted in most main event members being second-years.
Roar and Gunner: Men's solo was Toya, men's pair was Morisaki and Igarashi, women's solo was Ceria, and women's pair was Eimi and Kunisaki.
Ice Pillars Break: Men's solo was Yugen, one men's pair member was Leo, women's solo was Miyuki, and women's pair was Kanon and Shizuku. Only two third-years were included.
Shield Down: Men's solo was Sawaki, men's pair was Kirihara and Juusatsu, women's solo was Erika, and women's pair was Sayaka and Asako Chikura. Pairing Erika and Sayaka, who had clashed before, was considered, but their skills—Sayaka's Senba-ryu mastery and Erika's national kendo runner-up status—would be overpowered.
Men's Monolith Code included Hattori, Kelly Minakami, and Mikihiko. Women's Mirage Bat had Honoka, Subaru, and Himeji.
"Pair Shuji with Leo for Pillars Break? But what about Yume… Is something up, President?" Yugen asked.
"No, it's just, calling them by name means you know them?" Hattori asked.
"We met at last year's Nine Schools, but my current family has deep ties with them," Yugen said.
Given Yume's metal-element affinity, Shield Down or Ice Pillars Break suited her. However, cutting more third-year main event members was a concern. With Azusa, the student council president, participating as an engineer, excluding Kanon, the disciplinary committee chair, wasn't an option. As Yugen pondered, Hattori asked seriously.
"Kagurazaka, forgetting third-years for now, where should we put Takatsuki?" he asked.
"President… Then put Chiba Erika and Mibu Sayaka in the women's pair for Shield Down, and Yume in the women's solo," Yugen said.
"Got it. Since Shield Down needs practice partners, I'll talk to Chikura," Hattori said.
"Please do," Yugen replied.
Yume's temperament suggested she'd excel in solo events. The women's pair risked being overpowered, but familiar partners would coordinate well.
However, relying heavily on second-years could cause future issues. The strategy staff included second- and third-years, with Yugen doubling as a competitor, leveraging his rookie event management experience from last year.
The selected engineers were Azusa, Isori, Tatsuya, Mizuki, Chiaki, Sana, and first-year Kento, who reached full manual tuning thanks to Kana's rigorous training, reflecting Shinkage-ryu's uncompromising approach.
For the rookie events, Yugen and Toya joined as sub-engineers, and at Izumi's fervent request, Yugen took her on. Minami, looking displeased, was appeased when Yugen gave her a dedicated technique.
That was the extent of surface matters for now.
After wrapping up with Hattori and leaving the club committee headquarters, two figures waited for Yugen—Tatsuya and Miyuki. Behind them, Minami approached at a brisk pace.
"Oh, you two… and Minami. Sorry to keep you waiting," Yugen said.
"No, we just got here," Tatsuya replied.
"Sorry for making you wait… Oh, Yugen-nii-sama, you're done too?" Minami asked.
"Yeah. Let's head home," Yugen said.
"Sounds good," Miyuki replied.
Typically, Miyuki walked beside Yugen, Tatsuya next to her, and Minami on Yugen's other side. They returned to the Shiba household without incident, where Miyuki and Minami handled chores as usual. Tatsuya then brought up a concern with Yugen.
"—An anonymous email?" Yugen asked.
"Yeah, it came last night. I sent it to Hayama-san for review…" Tatsuya said.
Tatsuya displayed the security-checked text data. It detailed the Defense Forces' role in the sudden event changes and the Kuzumi family's secret weapon performance tests. Only one person could send such a message, concealing their identity, with intimate knowledge of the Kuzumi family, addressed to Tatsuya at the Shiba household.
"I consulted Sensei this morning, but all he knew was the code 'P-weapon.' So, he's arranging a trip to Nara," Tatsuya said.
"The old Ninth Lab…" Yugen murmured.
Yugen inwardly cursed. Tatsuya and the others didn't know that during the Parasite Incident, the Yotsuba and Kuzumi families took two sealed Parasites. Deducting the 'P-weapon' as Parasidolls wasn't unreasonable but challenging. Yugen had scouted the old Ninth Lab but kept it from Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Minami, though he shared the findings with Maya Yotsuba as payment for her cooperation against Zhou Gongjin.
As a strategy staff member and deputy club committee head, Yugen would be tied to school during the preparation period, unlike Tatsuya, making it impossible to join them in Nara.
"Unlike you, Tatsuya, I'm strategy staff and deputy club head, so I'll be at school most days except breaks. Don't overdo it. Coming back safe is the best souvenir," Yugen said.
"I know. Knowing Sensei, he'll bring back something, though," Tatsuya replied.
Yugen sincerely hoped that "something" wasn't dangerous, but his bad feelings often proved true. With less time to spend with Miyuki due to late returns, he'd need to carve out moments to make up for it. In the end, Yugen felt like he could use a cat's paw to handle the inevitable busyness.
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