October 20th, Saturday. It would usually be a school day, but today and tomorrow are scheduled for a preliminary survey for the thesis competition next weekend. Tatsuya and the others are expected to arrive. From First High, Tatsuya, Miyuki, Mizunami, Leo, Erika, Mikihiko, Celia, Himeri, Sana, and Riri will be coming.
"Whew... it's still five o'clock, you could still be sleeping, Koko."
"My eyes just opened, you see. Yugen, is that your usual training?"
"Yes, even one day of skipping can form a bad habit. Want to join, Koko?"
Including Thought-Body control, magic power control training is a very effective method for strengthening the computation area, and it requires appropriate activation of Psions. The amount of spiritual energy—Psions—that can be the "fuel" for magic is proportional to the amount of Thought-Bodies one possesses, so it's necessary to constantly grasp the flow of Thought-Bodies and Psions.
"I suppose I will... Is something the matter, Yugen?"
"...At least put on some underwear."
Koko's current attire, though a yukata, was worn without underwear. Moreover, having just woken up, it was disheveled, and depending on the angle of one's gaze, her chest could be seen. Since being flustered by this much was out of the question, Yugen advised her with a hint of resignation.
At this, Koko gave him an amused, mischievous smile.
"Fufu, Yugen is quite the boy, isn't he? I'm always open to it, you know?"
"Fool. Today and tomorrow might be busy."
Though not entirely a joke, he stood up, retorting that she should at least know the time and place. He understood Koko's feelings, but he wasn't here for that purpose. So, he intended to make time separately, but he wanted to prioritize what needed to be done now.
"Where are you going?"
"There's time before breakfast, so I was thinking of washing off the sweat in the bath... And why are you clinging to my arm?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? I'm just going to wash your back."
"...I'll believe you?"
Yugen reluctantly gave in to Koko's insistence, and they ended up bathing together. However, he firmly discouraged any further actions. The main reason was that they might have to fight the 'Traditionalist Faction' depending on their destination, and he wanted to conserve his energy. Koko understood this.
Reimi stayed behind at the inn in Arashiyama, taking care of things there, while Yugen and Koko headed to Kyoto Station. At the ticket gate, Leo, Mikihiko, and Sana had already arrived.
"Good morning, all three of you. Were you here already?"
"Oh, good morning, Yugen."
"Good morning, Yugen."
"Good morning, Yugen-san. That person, if I recall, is from Third High."
"Yes, please treat her well."
Mikihiko, due to his family connections, knew about the existence of the Yotsuba family and showed a slight curiosity. Thinking it might be inappropriate to discuss family matters, Yugen subtly changed the subject with Mikihiko.
"So, Mikihiko, are the others coming on the next trailer?"
"That's right. Erika messaged that they'll arrive in about 30 minutes."
"But Yugen, you've been in Kyoto since the day before yesterday, right? Did anything happen?"
"Some things did happen, but they're mostly not very interesting to hear about, you know? Erika might find them amusing, though."
He had merely received a grand welcome at Mt. Hiei, temporarily subdued the base in Arashiyama, and laid the groundwork for the 'Sanctuary'. If Erika heard about it, she'd likely listen intently, and Miyuki might even have her eyes sparkling for a different reason.
Unable to tell them everything, he summarized it to some extent. Mikihiko gave a wry smile, Leo looked impressed, and Sana seemed to nod in agreement as if to say, "Of course."
"Well, well... Yugen is still out of the ordinary, isn't he?"
"Are you saying that, Mikihiko, you who have stepped into the realm of controlling the 'Dragon God'?"
"That's amazing, Yugen. I need to learn from you."
"Yugen-san is incredible, to make the monk soldiers of Hiei flinch."
"Well, that was largely due to the Tendai Zasu flinching, though."
In any case, with time to spare before Tatsuya and the others arrived, Yugen handed Mikihiko a fan. It wasn't just a simple fan but an iron fan, with engravings etched into the guard, ribs, and fan surface. Mikihiko immediately recognized it as a weapon-integrated CAD.
"Yugen, what is this?"
"It's a CAD in the form of an iron fan, specifically for you, Mikihiko. The engravings aren't for magic spells but to enhance the ritualistic support tools you already possess."
To be honest, Mikihiko's own skill had improved significantly, and the ritualistic support tools he usually used were becoming a bottleneck. Therefore, a prototype of a next-generation engraved magic circle—a booster and thought-manipulation type CAD specialized for Mikihiko's spirit magic—was hurriedly prepared, tuned for ancient magic.
"It has an automatic phase adjustment function, Auto-Step Adjuster, as a test feature for the CAD, but please consider it only as an auxiliary function."
"This is... another reason why I'll owe you so much."
"Don't worry about it. Mikihiko, you're like a tester, and the item itself was commissioned from an acquaintance who's a magic engineer."
For Leo, in addition to the parallel thought-manipulation CAD given during the Parasite incident, Yugen had acquired a knuckle-duster type full thought-manipulation CAD from Rosen Magicraft. He modified its hardware and gave it to Leo as a support tool to enhance the magic output from a wristband, also helping with the remote and precise control systems he still struggled with, despite having largely overcome them.
For Sana, he gave a pair of iron fans, optimized for the overly tricky iron fan with engraved ritualistic formulas. The pivots of the iron fans were tied together with a cord woven with titanium and silver-coated threads, and between the cords, a total of 12 silver cubes were attached.
This was assembled with no expense spared on materials to make 'Curse Reversal,' one of the advanced techniques in ancient magic, more efficient and to reduce the burden on the user. When he handed it to Sana, she said, "I wouldn't be able to get such a ritual tool for anything less than hundreds of millions." But when he insisted that he couldn't give half-hearted equipment to protect his childhood friend Mikihiko, she reluctantly accepted it.
Unless one is doing an RPG speedrun (RTA), it's normal to be fully prepared when challenging a boss. This time, it involves matters of life and death, and there's a possibility that the 'plus-one' element might attack someone other than himself. Therefore, he had made all possible preparations.
At worst, he might need to consider "erasing" Zhou Gongjin.
After explaining to Mikihiko, an announcement of the trailer's arrival echoed through the station, and a few minutes later, Tatsuya and the others joined them. Koko's presence also seemed unusual to them, but Miyuki, who knew the situation best, had a smile on her face.
"Koko-san, it's been a while."
"Indeed, Miyuki-jou has become even more refined."
"Oh, I spare no effort for the one I love."
At those words, all eyes turned to Yugen, who looked like he was about to sigh. Then, Celia secretly went behind Yugen and whispered.
"As expected, Harem Boy!?"
"Shall we be quiet for a moment?"
"Ouch, ouch..."
He wanted to clarify that he didn't aim for a harem himself. It was merely the result of trying not to dismiss others' feelings as much as possible... Ultimately, he wanted to let out a grand sigh internally because it was almost the same as what he desired.
Everyone collectively broke out in a cold sweat watching Yugen's iron fist justice against Celia.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya and the others decided to accompany them for now, as they were going to drop off their luggage at their hotel. This was also because it would be more efficient to move around. Just as they were about to head to the commuter bus stop, Yugen sensed a familiar presence—someone emanating a joyful atmosphere as if meeting an acquaintance—and immediately turned his gaze. Seeing Kousen approaching, he called out to him.
"Good morning, Kousen. I thought we were supposed to meet at the hotel."
"Good morning, Yugen-san. Tatsuya-san, Miyuki-san, Mizunami-san too."
He probably couldn't stay put knowing his acquaintances were coming. After all, he had few friends, so Yugen understood his feelings. So, Kousen had made a special request to the driver to meet at the station.
While Yugen, Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Mizunami had met him before, Erika and the others showed a mix of surprise and interest. That much was understandable, but among them, Riri's cheeks turned red upon seeing Kousen.
Amidst this, Celia, a relative of Kousen, was the first to speak.
"Wow, this is a surprise. You look just like a male version of Miyuki. Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Excella Kudou Shields, a second-year at First High."
"You are Great-Uncle's... I am Kousen Kudou, a first-year at Second High."
They shouldn't have met... no, one of them didn't even exist—the encounter between two members of the Kudou family. Neither of them introduced themselves as Kudou family members. This was a clear indication that both Celia and Kousen wished to be treated as students of their respective magic high schools.
"I'm Erika Chiba, a second-year at First High."
"Same here, Leonhart Saijou, a second-year at First High."
"Mikihiko Yoshida. I'm also a second-year at First High."
(Amazing, members of the Chiba and Yoshida families... And Saijou-san, if I recall, is a skilled individual who won this year's Pillars Break Pair.)
Kousen, though skilled in magic, was apparently immature in interpersonal skills to conceal his inner thoughts, and his eyebrows slightly twitched as he heard their introductions. He also seemed surprised, having recognized the surnames of Sana, Koko, and Himeri as belonging to Kudou family members.
And as for Riri... her face was bright red. It was highly likely that the effect of treating Mizunami had transferred to Riri. Then, Riri quickly snapped back to herself and bowed deeply.
"N-nice to meet you! I'm Riri Jumonji, a first-year at First High!"
"Um, nice to meet you, Jumonji-san (Jumonji family... but she seems to be acting overly formal)."
Even though she was a classmate, being treated with more deference than Mizunami was unexpected for Kousen, and he seemed to be at a loss. So, Yugen intervened, calming Riri and explaining to Kousen what he could.
Ultimately, both were satisfied, so it was deemed good.
However, given Riri's demeanor, it was clear she was smitten with Kousen. The grandson of Kudou Retsu, who held influence and sympathizers in the National Defense Force, and the daughter of the Jumonji family, who were relatives of General Soga, the Chief of Staff of the National Defense Land Forces. This was undoubtedly going to cause a stir.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tatsuya and the others left their luggage at the hotel and proceeded to the Kyoto New International Conference Hall, the venue for this thesis competition. It was rebuilt after the World Cluster War ended, replacing the original Kyoto International Conference Hall. Situated in a rich natural environment, it was surrounded by only two-story houses at most, and a nearby stadium had been dismantled due to age and was now a park.
"Doesn't look like there are many places for a large group to hide."
"That's true. But conversely, several small groups could hide."
"Huh? You're not thinking about camping in the mountains, are you? Though it doesn't look like the mountains are deep enough for that."
It was understandable for Erika to say that upon hearing Tatsuya and Mikihiko's conversation. However, the thesis competition itself had a fixed schedule, and the venue's vicinity, as well as Kyoto City, were well-known due to accommodation and transportation arrangements.
Furthermore, in Yokohama's case, a dilapidated building near the venue served as a base for Greater Asian Alliance saboteurs, but nothing of that sort was visible here. However, in Kyoto's case, the existence of ancient magic users was a more significant factor compared to Yokohama.
"Don't we even need to keep watch? The enemy knows exactly when we're coming, right? So, I think they'd just hide on the day itself."
"Ah, you're right... Wait, you're actually thinking things through for once."
"That's none of your business!"
"Alright, alright, save the lovey-dovey talk for when no one's around."
There was no need for camping; in fact, it could become a risk. While magic engineers would attend the competition as guests, unlike in Yokohama, if the 'Traditionalist Faction' were to act, they would be giving the government a legitimate reason for 'administrative disposition,' including public eviction.
Yugen, who had somewhat sharply reprimanded Leo and Erika, looked around before turning his gaze to Mikihiko.
"Besides, if there are private houses, there are countless ways to hide. Right, Mikihiko?"
"That's right. It would be easy for a few people—two or three—to hide. An ancient magic user could use suggestion on residents or conceal themselves with perception-inhibiting magic. As Yugen said, there are more varied ways to hide than for modern magic users."
"So, shall we try searching every nook and cranny?"
It was Tatsuya who made that half-hearted suggestion after hearing Yugen and Mikihiko's conversation. To this, Sana replied.
"Tatsuya-san, I think it would be extremely difficult to find them even then. Ancient magic users would likely limit the intensity of their spells to the bare minimum. I certainly know your and Miyuki-san's skills, but a highly skilled ancient magic user would take extreme care not to let their spells leak outside of private homes."
"That's right. Well, Yugen might be able to find them just by walking around, though."
"Don't treat me like an active sonar, Himeri-san."
Although his magical power had been strengthened compared to the original, he still lacked the experience to see through ancient magic's perception interference and suggestion, and they couldn't just search every inch. This had been discussed with Tatsuya and Mikihiko beforehand.
"So, what do we do?"
"Then, I'll send out a search spell. Leo, Erika, and Sana-san, I'd like you to provide escort."
"Us?"
"That's fine, but... is there a reason?"
"Erika, while Mikihiko-san is casting a search spell, his defenses will be neglected. So, I'd like Saijou-san and Erika to help."
Leo and Erika quietly nodded at Sana's words, as she was well-versed in ancient magic. Both of them understood how troublesome ancient magic could be. Then, Mikihiko's gaze turned towards Tatsuya.
"Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Sakurai-san, could you tour the city as we discussed last week? And, um..."
"Then, I will also accompany Tatsuya-san and the others. It would be just as troublesome for Second High if something like last year were to happen."
"Kousen is Fujibayashi-san's relative. We'll have him guide us through that connection."
When Mikihiko was hesitating on how to handle Kousen, Kousen understood and decided to accompany Tatsuya and the others. From Tatsuya's words, he deduced it was related to the National Defense Force. Then, Miyuki noticed Riri's condition and suggested to Tatsuya.
"Onii-sama, I think Riri-chan should also accompany us."
"...I see, so that's it. Kousen, are you okay with that?"
"Yes, I don't mind."
Kousen also judged that having a member of the Jumonji family join would help them handle any unforeseen circumstances. Especially after the recent events, he wanted to reduce the possibility of being accused of excessive self-defense with modern magic. However, Riri was gazing at Kousen, captivated, and even Mizunami uncharacteristically stepped in to offer support.
Then, Mikihiko's gaze turned towards Yugen.
"So, Yugen, what are you going to do?"
"I need to coordinate with the venue staff, so I'll leave that to you. After that, I'll move based on the situation, so if you need assistance, contact me."
Yugen, Koko, Celia, and Himeri announced they would move as a group of four, and they all began to act separately. But before they parted ways, Miyuki approached Yugen.
"Yugen-san... When we return to Tokyo, please let me spoil you."
...It seems that once they return, he'll have to appease the princess.
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