After surviving the "death match" at the front door, Lina successfully crossed the threshold of the Shiba residence. She knew the road ahead would be paved with challenges—and that she would likely clash with Miyuki at every turn—but the simple fact that she was now sharing the same living space as Tatsuya gave her the resolve to endure it all.
"So," Miyuki began, her voice dripping with skepticism. "Why exactly are you so desperate to be in Onii-sama's presence, Lina? I thought you were quite vocal about your distaste for the Japanese."
"Oh? Did I ever say such a thing?" Lina countered, trying to keep her composure.
"You stubbornly refused to acknowledge even a drop of Japanese blood in your veins. Can someone like that truly claim to 'like' the Japanese? Can a woman who once aimed for my brother's life truly fall in love with him? Or was the 'Brilliant Meteor' of the USNA military so unprofessional that she allowed such scandalous feelings to interfere with her mission?"
Lina's temper flared at the thorny accusation. She was a heartbeat away from an explosion of anger, but Tatsuya stepped between them, his presence acting as a physical anchor that neutralized Miyuki's vitriol and Lina's killing intent simultaneously.
"Miyuki, that's enough. You're being too harsh. And Lina—if you're going to live here, you'll have to learn to let Miyuki's 'jokes' slide."
"My apologies, Onii-sama," Miyuki said, bowing her head instantly.
"If you say so, Tatsuya..." Lina muttered, deflating.
"Anyway, Miyuki, I need to run a check on your devices. Come and help me."
"Certainly, Onii-sama."
Lina stared at them, unable to hide her shock. Even as a member of the military, she understood that "running a device check" was not something a typical high school student did in their spare time at home.
"Wait just a minute! Why are you doing a device check at home?"
"There's a professional-grade adjustment system in the basement," Tatsuya replied matter-of-factly. "The details don't concern you, Lina. Please, make yourself comfortable in the living room."
With that, Tatsuya turned and descended the stairs to the basement, Miyuki following close behind. As she went, Miyuki shot Lina a look of pure, unadulterated triumph—a look that, fortunately for her, Tatsuya didn't see.
Left alone in the living room, Lina looked around the spacious house. It was far too large for just two siblings living by themselves. In Japan, it was much more common for students in their situation to rent a modern apartment, like Honoka had.
Even USNA intelligence couldn't dig up much on Tatsuya and Miyuki's parents... she mused. All we found was that their mother is deceased and their father has remarried. That was it.
But Lina had experienced Tatsuya and Miyuki's power firsthand. She knew their abilities far exceeded what was on their personal records. She couldn't help but wonder if their lineage was just as irregular as they were.
I'm bored... she thought after a while. They've been down there for ages. Maybe I'll just take a quick peak.
Tatsuya, the primary reason she had moved in, was in that basement. And Miyuki, her rival, was there too. It was only natural for her to join them—at least, that was the justification she told herself. She walked to the basement door. Tatsuya had mentioned a biometric lock earlier, but it seemed he had forgotten to engage it.
"How careless," she whispered, pushing the door open. "What if an intruder just walked in?"
Setting her own hypocrisy aside, Lina stepped into the room. She hadn't given a moment's thought to what might be happening inside, so the sight that met her eyes left her completely frozen.
"W-why is Miyuki half-undressed?! And Tatsuya, why are you just looking at her like it's nothing!?"
"Why? I'm just taking measurements to sync the CAD settings to her physical state," Tatsuya replied, his voice as calm and clinical as if he were discussing the weather.
"More importantly," Miyuki added, her eyes narrowing into the cold gaze she reserved for enemies. "Why has Lina intruded upon the laboratory?"
Faced with Tatsuya's unsettling logic and Miyuki's silent fury, Lina felt the weight of her mistake. In the Shiba household, such scenes were a common, albeit private, necessity for high-precision magic engineering. To them, it was a mundane task. To anyone else, it looked scandalous.
"I-I... well! I was just curious what my rival was up to! And I wanted to see Tatsuya's skills for myself... so... I'm sorry!"
Unable to withstand the silent pressure, Lina bowed her head in apology. As she did, her gaze fell from Miyuki's face to the device she was holding.
"Is that... a latest-model CAD from FLT? Why do you have that? Not even the USNA military has been able to secure a prototype yet..."
"That is none of your business," Miyuki snapped. "Onii-sama told you to stay in the living room. If you're going to act on your own whims, perhaps you shouldn't be living here at all."
"There's no need for that, Miyuki," Tatsuya interrupted. "As for the CAD, I simply received it at a discount as a product tester. There's nothing suspicious about it."
It was the same convenient lie he had used on Azusa. Tatsuya assumed it would be enough to end the conversation, as the claim was nearly impossible to disprove. But Lina wasn't entirely convinced.
"A product tester? You'd need a direct connection to Four Leaves Technology for that. Tatsuya, what exactly is your relationship with FLT?"
"It's nothing major. Miyuki and I... our father is the Chief Executive at FLT. His second wife is also a member of the management staff."
"Is that really all? I've heard from Mayumi and Mari that your adjustment skills are the best at First High. They said you're easily on par with professional engineers."
"Lina, just how much are you trying to pry into?" Miyuki's voice was like a blade. "If you're going to keep sniffing around, I'll throw you out this instant."
"It's alright, Miyuki. I don't mind telling her, provided she understands the consequences of leaking it."
Tatsuya sighed and looked at Lina. He decided that since she was living under his roof, it was better to give her the truth than to have her keep digging.
"I work for FLT as one half of 'Taurus Silver.' I developed the activation sequences for the flying devices the USNA military recently ordered in bulk. Taurus developed the hardware to make them practical."
"…Tatsuya... is Taurus Silver?" Lina whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"As Onii-sama said, this information is strictly classified," Miyuki added, her tone becoming lethally serious. "If I find out you've spoken of this to anyone—anyone at all—I will stop you. Permanently."
The weight of the threat was unmistakable. Tatsuya didn't offer a single word to contradict his sister. Lina understood exactly what that meant. She nodded vigorously, her heart pounding against her ribs.
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