"I have already passed two spells to Tatsuya. One is the core magic decomposition spell, Cast Dispersion. The other is the Strategic-Class Magic, Sonic Acceleration."
The latter was a unique spell categorized as an Extra-Systemic Mass-Energy Decomposition Reversal Magic. By completely reversing the energy generated by Tatsuya's Strategic-Class Magic, Material Burst, it compressed and decomposed every object within the target range—making it the most devastating and horrific Strategic-Class Magic imaginable.
Its greatest feature was that it enabled "mass decomposition on a per-object basis"—something previously impossible with Material Burst—using the same underlying mechanics as Mist Dispersion.
By redirecting all mass-energy derived from Einstein's equation into a "mirror world," it prevented any environmental collateral damage in the real world. This formula was a technique born from the insights Yugen gained when he activated Musou Tensei.
Control over magic energy and physical energy of this caliber was something only Yugen understood in this world. Revealing it risked sparking a complete revolution in how magicians were trained, so he intended to keep it strictly classified. Though he had explained the concept to Tatsuya upon installing the spell, Tatsuya had simply remarked, 'You really are an anomaly beyond comprehension.' Unbelievable.
"Is that so? In that case, Miyuki-san is going to pounce on you even harder now."
"Regarding my granddaughter, please wait until she graduates from university. I need to establish a proper social standing for myself first."
"I'm not rushing you. Though, if you'd like, I wouldn't mind if you trained my elder sister as well."
"..."
It was one thing to deal with a fiancée, but learning about the concept of a 'servant-cum-lover' had left him thoroughly bewildered. Starting with Maya, both Remi and Mizunami had joined those ranks.
At the main house, he was constantly on the receiving end of Maya's overtures, only for her to teasingly dismiss it with, 'Look at you, being so bold with an old woman like me.' Well, chronologically speaking, she wasn't wrong, but with a physical age stuck in her twenties, her charm as a woman was overwhelmingly potent.
As a reaction to this, Miyuki's aggressiveness had escalated significantly. Whenever they were alone, she would seamlessly switch gears, asking, "How would you like to handle things tonight, Master?" In the end, unable to resist her allure, he would yield to temptation, leading to many intense, passionate nights together.
Digressions aside.
"Now then, Maya-san. Since we've spoken this far, I assume you've already heard about the project we're moving forward with from Hayama-san?"
"Yes, indeed. At present, Miyaki Island is being considered as the candidate site. What are your thoughts?"
"I don't see any issue with that."
As for the current progress of the ESCAPES Project, its foundation was laid three years ago (in the year 2094) through a joint venture between the Kagurazaka-affiliated Kamasaka Group and the Kamiizumi-affiliated Shirakawa Group. They established Stella Device Technology Co., Ltd. (commonly known as SDTC) to oversee operations involving the Stellar Reactor on Nantou Island. Yugen served as the Chairman of the Board, while Mototsugu acted as the Vice-Chairman.
Originally, the company was founded to manage real estate whose owners had gone missing during World War III (which included managing overseas land Yugen was forced to inherit in place of Gozo). Following the withdrawal of the National Defense Navy Research Institute from Nantou Island, the company revamped itself as a private contractor responsible for procuring materials to build a replacement defense base for the National Defense Forces. They were also tasked with managing the largest shopping mall complex in the Ogasawara Archipelago as part of the bundled contract. Additionally, to establish a legal and operational foundation for commercializing the Stellar Reactor, they set up their corporate headquarters in Tokyo.
Furthermore, they contributed financial backing toward the establishment of the National Magical Medical University and its affiliated schools.
One might wonder why a joint venture specializing in real estate was expanding its reach into nuclear fusion power generation, the service industry, and magical education. The core reason behind the company's founding was to provide job placement assistance for individuals possessing magical talent—essentially acting as a private-sector employment agency. However, openly declaring themselves a magic-related enterprise posed obvious issues; moreover, since non-magicians were hired for administrative roles, the company was launched under the guise of a real estate firm.
Proportionally speaking, finding employment tailored to the small population of magic-talented individuals was exceptionally difficult. Even in fields where non-magicians faced labor shortages, competition among magicians remained fiercely high, often forcing them into conventional jobs no different from those held by non-magicians.
Therefore, the effort to commercialize the Stellar Reactor was quietly advanced underwater to create new employment opportunities while facilitating job placements. At present, the main operations focused on producing high-concentration hydrogen gas for industrial use and fuel cells, utilizing the surplus for hydrogen power generation and fuel cell power generation. However, the long-term vision aimed at supplying electricity through nuclear fusion power.
With Stella Device Technology Co., Ltd. as the parent company, Tokyo Coastal Power Co., Ltd. was established as a nominal subsidiary to handle Stellar Reactor generation, hydrogen power, and fuel cell power. The hydrogen gas production division was placed under another subsidiary, Stella Water Co., Ltd. Since these positions required working on remote islands away from the mainland, employee benefits were lavishly structured; even factoring in island allowances, monthly earnings were noticeably higher than mainland standards—an inevitable necessity to attract personnel.
Transportation methods utilizing magic technology were also being integrated. A next-generation VTOL aircraft, combining magic and scientific technology to connect the mainland with Nantou Island, was already undergoing trial operations.
Ultimately, construction of a mega-float had commenced to build the South Tokyo Offshore International Airport, designed for 24-hour operations. The facility was planned to feature two 3,000-meter-class runways, designed with strict adherence to environmental impact assessments. This served a dual purpose: acting as an emergency diversion airport for commercial flights whenever typhoons or other natural disasters made landing on mainland airports impossible.
"When it comes to establishing the plants on Miyaki Island or setting up the company, feel free to reach out to me; I will handle the negotiations with the government. Now, Maya-san, what I'm about to share is still strictly confidential... but behind the scenes, I have been quietly approaching the heads of state of major nations south of the equator to lay the groundwork for an international organization to replace the International Magic Association—one dedicated to safeguarding the rights of magic-talented individuals."
"That is quite a bold step... Have you already spoken to Lord Mitsuya about this?"
"I have only spoken to his father, the current head. I plan to detail the specifics to my older brother, the next head, once we reach the final planning stages."
While the International Magic Association claims to protect magicians, its primary focus remains 'nuclear deterrence' and heavy military agendas, rendering it incapable of taking proactive, humanitarian action against government overreach. To advance the civilian application of magic technology, it was necessary to clearly define restrictions on nuclear energy at the civilian level and alleviate the public's deep-seated apprehension toward magic.
Having experienced interference from Western powers and neighboring nations—including the UK, Germany, the New Soviet Union, and the USNA—Yugen intentionally excluded almost all Northern Hemisphere nations from the initial selection process. Instead, he was arranging matters for Japan to lead the establishment of an international non-governmental organization centered around sovereign nations located directly along or south of the equator.
"I haven't told Tatsuya or Miyuki about this yet. It's not that I distrust them, but there are sharp-eyed individuals who would pounce at the slightest shift in their demeanor, so I'm restricting the source of this information very strictly."
"That can't be helped. In that case, will you be stepping forward as the organization's primary proponent, Yugen-san?"
"Yes. Given my grandfather and mother's legacy, there was never any chance of me staying out of the spotlight anyway. Besides, if necessary, I can simply present myself in my capacity as the Chairman of the Master Clans Council."
The Oceanic Southern Economic Partnership Agreement already ratified between Japan, Taiwan, the Southeast Asian Alliance, the Indo-Persian Federation, the South American Federation, the Arab Union, and the African Federation was nothing less than the ground-level preparation for founding this organization. It followed the historical precedent set by the former European Union (EU), which was built upon multiple underlying economic treaties.
It was unavoidable that Yugen would serve as Japan's representative. After all, he was the sitting Chairman of the Master Clans Council, an officially unacknowledged Strategic-Class Magician, and the head of the Guardian Kamagurazaka family. Carrying such heavy responsibilities in this country meant he no longer had the luxury of choosing to "run away" as Tatsuya once had.
Furthermore, while the provisional business scheme for the Stellar Reactor bore the name ESCAPES—symbolizing the "liberation of magicians from their fate as weapons"—the literal translation of the word could easily be misinterpreted as merely "fleeing."
Therefore, when launching the Stellar Reactor enterprise on Nantou Island, Yugen adopted a different designation altogether.
— Stellar-generator system
— Totalize magical technology
— Economic and energy line
— Project
Translated literally: The Comprehensive Magical Technology Economic Activity and Energy Line Project for Stellar-Generator Systems. To signify that the Stellar Reactor project represented a initial step toward securing fundamental human rights for magic-talented individuals, he inaugurated it as the STEP Project.
"While it's true the Magic Association currently fails to cover these areas adequately, couldn't you have simply raised these proposals in your capacity as Chairman of the Master Clans Council?"
"There is the issue of practical enforceability. Even with informal agreements, the Magic Association lacks any legal framework to reprimand governments or militaries for tyrannical treatment of magicians. Besides, with the Nine Schools Competition keeping everyone overwhelmed, the last thing I want is to throw the system into total paralysis by introducing more chaos."
Though left unsaid, he harbored deep distrust toward the Magic Association. Following the No Head Dragon incident two years ago and last year's Parasite Doll affair (which was publicly framed as a military-leaning rule change), the Association's handling of the aftermath as event organizers left much to be desired.
In its current state, canceling the Nine Schools Competition for a year wouldn't cause any real harm. A counter-proposal might be needed to keep the competitors from feeling unfulfilled, but reflecting on it only highlighted how heavily Japanese magician society had depended on Retsu Kudou's presence all this time.
Waiting until after Retsu Kudou was gone would be too late. The reality was that everyone had grown far too complacent relying on a man pushing ninety—a truth that the Twenty-Eight Families and the Master Clans now had to face head-on.
"Lord Kudou has worked more than enough. Whatever his merits and faults, he has undeniably contributed to this country's magician society. Not just us, but the government, the military, the Magic Association, and political and financial circles alike—the time we spent leaning on him and hiding behind the Yotsuba's status as 'Untouchables' has long come to an end. It is time for the Twenty-Eight Families and the Hundred Families alike to rethink what it truly means to bear a Number."
"...I see. Your words strike painfully close to home."
This wasn't limited to Retsu alone. Gozo Kamiizumi and his wife Kanahime, Senhime Kamagurazaka, and the Yotsuba family's head from two generations ago, Genzo Yotsuba—who exacted vengeance upon the state over thirty years ago—had all served to protect this nation, whether still among the living or not.
Now, it fell to the current generation of family heads and those who followed to inherit what had been protected and repel the disasters bound to befall the nation. The tasks ahead were numerous; attempting to process them with only a handful of individuals was an impossible feat.
Clinging to the past would only bring about a gradual decline. History had already proven the consequences of such inaction, making the role of those positioned near the heart of magician society all the more vital.
Naturally, idle talk and grievances were out of the question. Failing to demonstrate value in exchange for benefits would severely undermine their behind-the-scenes influence and leverage. On this point alone, the Saegusa family had at least sought ways to secure benefits for magicians while elevating their own standing.
Their biggest mistake, however, was using the "Overthrow the Yotsuba" card as leverage. In the end, Koichi Saegusa was simply another individual who had grown overly reliant on the Yotsuba's existence.
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