At the Kitayama family's villa, Tatsuya and Shizuku were spending time alone together. This year's Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion training was less grueling than last year's, but the Nine Schools Competition had tightened the Third Division's development and research schedule. Still, Tatsuya made sure to carve out time for his girlfriend.
"Tatsuya-san, is Miyuki okay?" Shizuku asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"No need to worry about her," Tatsuya reassured her. "Miyuki understands."
As Miyuki's Guardian, Tatsuya would never leave her alone, and the Yotsuba family wouldn't risk exposing their top candidate for the next head to danger.
"I was really lonely during the Nine Schools Competition, not being able to spend time with you like this," Shizuku admitted.
"Can't exactly do this during school events," Tatsuya said with a faint smile.
"But Miyuki slept in your room," Shizuku pointed out, a hint of jealousy in her tone.
"For stamina recovery. And we had separate beds," Tatsuya clarified.
"That's obvious! The only one who gets to share a bed with you is me!" Shizuku declared.
It was as if Honoka's clinginess had rubbed off on her. Shizuku was indulging in her affection for Tatsuya, and he, in turn, let her without restraint, perhaps causing her to lose her usual composure.
"Hey, Tatsuya-san, your injuries from the competition—are they really okay?" Shizuku asked, her voice softening.
"Injuries? Yeah, no problem," he replied.
Shizuku didn't immediately notice the slight hesitation in his answer. But then it struck her—how could he not remember being injured? That wasn't right. She pressed further.
"What did Miyuki mean by 'your true magic'?" she asked.
Tatsuya hadn't expected her to overhear that. Still, he'd always planned to tell Shizuku eventually. With a sigh, he steeled himself.
"I can only freely use two specific magics. And they're not the kind you can casually show others," he began.
"Magics you can't show?" Shizuku echoed, puzzled.
Few people knew of such magics, so it wasn't ignorance on Shizuku's part—hardly anyone was aware of them.
"'Decomposition,' which directly interferes with information bodies to break them down, and 'Regrowth,' which fully copies an Eidos to restore its original form. These two high-level magics dominate my calculation area, so I can't use other magics freely," he explained.
"So… Ichijou's Overqlock attack really hit you?" Shizuku asked, her eyes widening.
"Of course. No way to dodge in that position," Tatsuya confirmed.
Shizuku's expression was one of disbelief, but after nearly four months of dating, she knew Tatsuya wasn't the type to lie about this. That only deepened her confusion.
"Want to see?" he offered.
"What? But… isn't there a cost or something?" she asked, hesitant.
"Not for inanimate objects without nerves," he assured her.
Tatsuya took out his favorite pen and activated his CAD with his right hand.
"This is 'Decomposition,'" he said.
The pen disintegrated in an instant.
"…It fell apart," Shizuku murmured, stunned.
Then he activated his CAD with his left hand.
"And this is 'Regrowth,'" he said.
The pen reformed, pristine as before.
"It's back to normal…" Shizuku whispered.
"This is my true magic. In a real battle, 'Decomposition' is a lethal weapon, but it's too dangerous for magic competitions. It'd make Ichijou's Overqlock look like a minor infraction," Tatsuya said, stowing the pen and CAD back in their holsters.
"But your eardrum wasn't healed, was it…?" Shizuku asked, still processing.
"That was intentional. If I'd walked away from that blast with no damage, it'd raise suspicion," he explained.
"Being unscathed after Overqlock was already suspicious enough…" Shizuku muttered.
Her worry was genuine. Her face crumpled, on the verge of tears.
"I thought you might die," she said, her voice trembling. "Honoka was pale, but I bet I looked even worse."
"Sorry," Tatsuya said softly. "I didn't have enough resolve, and I made you worry."
He could tell her about his true magic, but not his Yotsuba ties. He couldn't mention that he'd only shared this because the Yotsuba had permitted it. He wasn't ready to drag Shizuku into their world—not yet.
"Hey, Tatsuya-san, being alone like this… it kinda feels like we're married," Shizuku said, her tone shifting to something lighter.
"That's sudden," Tatsuya replied, caught off guard. "I live with Miyuki all the time, so I wouldn't know that feeling."
"It's not different with a girlfriend instead of a sister?" she asked, tilting her head.
"It's different, but I don't think it feels like marriage," he said, gently ruffling her hair.
Shizuku leaned into his touch, her expression content. To an outsider, they might look like affectionate siblings.
"Remember those people we passed earlier?" Shizuku asked.
"The couple? Yeah," Tatsuya said.
"They thought we were siblings," she said, pouting.
"I heard them, but we don't exactly scream 'lovers' either. Still, siblings feels off," Tatsuya mused.
"It's frustrating," Shizuku said, her voice quivering again. "I'm your girlfriend, not your sister."
Tatsuya hesitated, unsure how to comfort her. Treating her like Miyuki would mean acting like she was his sister, which wouldn't help.
He'd never dated before, nor had close friends until high school. His academic and martial prowess, combined with an unapproachable aura and Miyuki's clinginess after their first summer break, had made middle school classmates see him as distant.
"Hey, Tatsuya-san… am I not attractive?" Shizuku asked, her voice small.
"What's that all of a sudden?" he asked, surprised.
"We're sharing a bed, but you haven't touched me at all," she said, her cheeks flushing.
"We're high schoolers, Shizuku," Tatsuya pointed out.
The era of free love had faded before their time. Casual physical relationships were rare now, and Tatsuya, knowing this, hadn't considered "that" even in this situation.
But Shizuku was ready to cross that line with Tatsuya. Sharing a bed was her way of showing it.
"I'm okay with it if it's you," she said. "Magicians are expected to marry early, especially those listed in the Index."
Shizuku's Active Air Mine magic, used in the Nine Schools Competition, had earned her a spot in the Index as its developer. That meant pressure to marry and have children soon.
"The child of the true developer and the magic's user would satisfy everyone, don't you think?" she added, her voice steady but earnest.
"Making a girl say all that… Alright, I'll step up," Tatsuya said, his tone resolute.
"I'm so happy," Shizuku said, her eyes shining. "Then… undress me."
Tatsuya was taken aback by her boldness but began to carefully remove her clothes. As he did, he realized Shizuku's figure was far from childish. In return, she helped him out of his clothes, her face flushed crimson as she melted into his embrace.
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