The afternoon in the student council room was a whirlwind of barely contained chaos. Mayumi and Mari couldn't resist poking at Tatsuya, their teasing only held in check by Rin's steadfast restraint. Deep down, Rin likely wanted to join the fray, but she knew that without her as the stopper, the room would descend into pandemonium—and the aftermath would be catastrophic.
"Excuse me. Brother, it's time to go. Our ride is here."
"Your ride?" Mayumi asked. "You mean for that connection you mentioned?"
"Yes. It's not something that concerns you, Saegusa-senpai, or Watanabe-senpai."
Miyuki's eyes fell on Tatsuya's exhausted expression, and she instantly pieced together the ordeal he'd endured in her absence. While she'd been enduring classes, these seniors had been fawning over her shrunken brother. The urge to unleash her magic surged within her, a fleeting temptation to let her emotions run wild. Normally, Tatsuya's presence kept her in check, sparing her the need to suppress such impulses. But this pint-sized Tatsuya? He couldn't possibly play the stopper.
So, Miyuki channeled her frustration into sharp, pointed words, her tone laced with barely veiled aggression.
"Bye-bye."
Tatsuya's small wave to Mayumi and the others as he left the room was enough to melt the tense atmosphere into something warm and fuzzy. Hand in hand with Miyuki, he headed toward the school gate, where their ride awaited. That they made it without being spotted was nothing short of a miracle.
"We've been expecting you, Miyuki-san."
"Fujibayashi-san? Why are you the one picking us up for the Yotsuba?"
The car was meant to be from the Yotsuba main house, yet behind the wheel sat Lieutenant Kyoko Fujibayashi of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.
As soon as Miyuki and Tatsuya were settled and the door closed, Kyoko dropped a bombshell. "It seems Tatsuya-kun's condition is tied to ancient magic."
Miyuki's mind raced as Kyoko explained. "The Yotsuba reached out to the Fujibayashi family, experts in ancient magic, for assistance. From the Battalion's perspective, having Tatsuya-kun sidelined like this isn't ideal."
Even as she spoke, Kyoko's gaze flicked to Tatsuya through the rearview mirror. Miyuki couldn't help but suspect that, despite the official stance, Kyoko herself might secretly prefer this adorable version of Tatsuya.
"But I have a question for you, Miyuki-san," Kyoko continued.
"What is it?"
"Has Tatsuya-kun had any contact with ancient magic practitioners recently?"
Miyuki paused, deep in thought. Just recently, Tatsuya had been surrounded by mages from the Great Asian Union. If they could be considered ancient magic practitioners, contact was plentiful. But that didn't explain his transformation. Their leader, Chen, had been frozen by Miyuki's Cocytus and apprehended by the Magic Association, while his deputy, Lu Ganghu, had been taken down by Mari and others, also detained. It was easy for Miyuki to rule them out as culprits, leaving her puzzled by Kyoko's question.
As if reading her mind, Kyoko clarified, "Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with the mainland mages."
That forced Miyuki to restart her mental calculations from scratch.
"I understand why Aunt Maya enlisted the Fujibayashi family," Miyuki said. "But why are you picking us up? The Yotsuba estate strictly prohibits outsiders."
"You're right. We're not going to the Yotsuba estate. We're headed to the Magic Association's Kanto Branch in Yokohama. The Yotsuba head is already there."
It made sense when Miyuki thought about it. Even if Maya had sought their help, it was unthinkable that the Yotsuba would reveal their stronghold to Kyoko, the granddaughter of Retsu Kudou. With Tatsuya unable to handle the mental load he usually bore, Miyuki was overwhelmed, her mind struggling to process details she'd normally overlook.
"By the way, Miyuki-san," Kyoko added, "it seems the head already has a suspect in mind."
"Really?"
Miyuki's genuine surprise drew a small smile from Kyoko.
"Yes. It was over a screen, so I couldn't be sure, but she seemed to have a lead. Oh, and the vibe that she really wants to see Tatsuya-kun? That came through loud and clear."
"Naturally. She was already planning to summon him to the estate over that matter."
The mention of "that matter" was enough for Kyoko to understand. After all, it was her superior who had authorized Tatsuya's use of the strategic-class magic Material Burst.
"Am I gonna get in trouble?"
"It's unlikely, but you'll probably face some reprimand for using your power without permission. I wasn't supposed to authorize it, after all."
"Even in an emergency?"
Miyuki gave a small nod to Kyoko's question. She couldn't divulge Yotsuba secrets, but this much seemed permissible, especially since investigating Tatsuya's condition justified a little leniency.
"We're almost there," Kyoko said. "Oh, is Tatsuya-kun worn out?"
Miyuki glanced at her brother, only now noticing his unusual silence.
"Brother?"
No response. Exhausted from Mayumi and Mari's relentless teasing, Tatsuya was fast asleep, his soft breathing filling the car.
"Such a peaceful sleeping face. Hard to imagine from the usual Tatsuya-kun," Kyoko remarked.
"He's always protecting me," Miyuki said softly. "He's probably never had a moment to truly rest."
"Being a big brother sounds tough," Kyoko teased lightly.
Miyuki shot her a sharp look. Even knowing it was a joke, she couldn't stand anyone else calling Tatsuya "brother." Even her cousin Ayako got the same glare for treating him like one—though, to be fair, it was Fumiya who idolized Tatsuya as a brother, while Ayako's feelings were… different.
"Shall I carry him on my back?" Kyoko offered.
"No, I'll carry my brother."
"Alright, let's go."
As they stepped out of the car and headed to the room where Maya awaited at the Magic Association's Kanto Branch, Miyuki felt a surge of happiness unlike anything before, her brother's small form nestled against her.
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