Miyuki wanders the halls of Bay Hills Tower, a faint irritation simmering within her. She senses, almost instinctively, that Maya is fawning over Tatsuya, and the thought stings. Her ethereal beauty draws the attention of passing men, some bold enough to approach until they come close enough to feel the overwhelming aura of her charm. One by one, they falter, retreating under the weight of her presence.
Miyuki notices their reactions but pays them little mind. Her thoughts are elsewhere, though not for long. A blaring fire alarm shatters the calm, transforming the atmosphere in an instant.
"A fire has broken out in the building. Please evacuate immediately using the designated routes along the walls."
"(A fire?)" Miyuki thinks, her heart quickening.
In this era, even the smallest spark should trigger sprinklers to douse it instantly Miyuki knows this well. Yet the monitors displaying evacuation routes flash a chilling message: the sprinklers have malfunctioned due to extreme heat. Modern sprinklers are designed to withstand such conditions, making their failure unthinkable.
Something is wrong. Terribly wrong. A realization dawns on Miyuki: this is no ordinary fire. It's the work of a powerful magician.
"(Just before the alarm, I sensed a surge of potent magic…)" she muses. "(Could it be related to why Brother was summoned?)"
Her thought, born of devotion to Tatsuya, seems like the product of an overzealous sister. Yet, unknowingly, she's stumbled upon the truth.
As panicked crowds rush to evacuate, Miyuki moves against the tide, heading toward the source of the fire. A concerned stranger urges her to flee, but she brushes him off with a serene smile, her steps unwavering. Escape isn't an option not when she might aid Tatsuya.
"(If I can help Brother, even a little…)"
Despite the chaos, a flush of warmth colors her cheeks, unrelated to the rising heat. The chance to support Tatsuya fills her with a joy that overshadows the danger. She'd charge into a battlefield for him without hesitation.
Her decision proves fateful, though not in the way she expects. At the heart of the blazing inferno stands a figure a magician, just like her.
"(That level of magical power… they're strong,)" Miyuki observes, her eyes narrowing.
Amid the searing heat, a man in a dark hooded cloak revels in the chaos. Placing the bag with Tatsuya's gifted hair accessory safely behind a pillar, Miyuki steps forward to confront the threat.
"(I can't let Brother think I failed because of his gift!)"
Even in this perilous moment, her thoughts revolve around Tatsuya. The situation is dire, but Miyuki's confidence in her abilities grants her an unshakable calm.
She retrieves her CAD her magic calculation device from her bag and channels psions into it. Her specialty lies in vibration-based cooling magic, perfectly suited to quell the raging flames. But raw power matters as much as compatibility, and without superior magical strength, even her ideal magic would falter.
With a single, effortless cast, Miyuki extinguishes the inferno in an instant. Her reputation as a prodigy is well-earned. The culprit, stunned by the sudden loss of his flames, lets out a furious shout.
"Who's there?!"
"Who are you?" Miyuki retorts, her voice sharp with indignation. "Using magic to commit arson is unforgivable."
"Who's unforgiving?" the man snarls. "The government? The military? Or those pompous Magic Association elites who looked down on me?"
"Childish," Miyuki says coldly. "You're grown, yet you can't distinguish right from wrong?"
Her gaze is glacial, piercing enough to freeze without magic. The man, unapologetic despite his crimes, bristles under her contempt. A man unhinged enough to orchestrate this attack wouldn't take kindly to being scolded by a girl a third his age.
"Insolent brat!" he roars.
He aims a pistol-like CAD at her, but Miyuki's expression remains unshaken. She knows his device is useless here her magic ensures it.
"Don't mock me! Don't look down on me!" he screams, his voice cracking. "I'm not a failure!"
Miyuki's unyielding disdain triggers memories of his past rejections. "I'm not worthless!" he shouts. "I'll prove it!"
He channels psions into his CAD, attempting to unleash a spell that would reduce Miyuki to ash. But nothing happens. The psions dissipate before the magic can form.
"What?!" he gasps.
"Zone Interference?" he mutters, incredulous.
Zone Interference is no simple spell, especially not for a young magician like Miyuki. Even if she could wield it, countering a magician of his caliber should be impossible. Yet she stands, unmoving, her power nullifying his with ease.
"Impossible!" he cries. "You neutralized my magic without lifting a finger?"
He searches desperately for a flaw in her defense, casting repeatedly, but each attempt fails as his psions scatter. Miyuki's magical prowess surpasses his own an undeniable truth.
"Almost impressive," Miyuki says, her tone laced with pity.
Whether she truly pities him or merely mocks his futility, the man takes it as condescension. "I'm not finished!" he bellows.
He draws a handgun from his cloak and fires or tries to. The weapon clicks uselessly.
"Did you think a bullet would work?" Miyuki says, her voice serene yet cutting. "I've suppressed all combustion phenomena. Your gunpowder won't ignite."
The man's mind reels. "(This… this is the gap between me and a true elite…)"
He's always known his shortcomings but refused to accept them. Now, faced with Miyuki's overwhelming power, he has no choice. His magic is useless, his CAD impotent, his existence deemed expendable. The weight of his failures crashes down.
"(My life…)" he mutters, despair creeping in.
"It's too late now," Miyuki says softly. "But you could still turn yourself in."
"(My life!)"
Realizing his weapons are futile, the man draws a hidden knife and charges at Miyuki, determined to drag her down with him in his final act.
"(He has another weapon?)" Miyuki's eyes widen in shock. Magic is her domain, but physical combat is not. Against a grown man, she's at a disadvantage. For the first time, fear grips her—she might die here.
"What do you think you're doing to my sister?"
The voice she trusts most, the one she holds dearest, cuts through the chaos. Tatsuya's presence is a lifeline, pulling her back from the brink.