In the empty classroom, the group was stunned by Yugen and Tatsuya's unofficial strategic mage status. To move forward, Tatsuya spoke.
"Yugen, Parasites are tough for modern magic, right?" he asked.
"For now. I think Miyuki, Himeri, Sana, Mikihiko, Mizuki, and you could handle it. Thoughts?" Yugen replied.
"Possible, but I'd need to face them to know," Tatsuya said.
"Fair answer," Yugen nodded.
Tatsuya's Niflheim Flare skewed activation speeds, noted secretly at the Nine Schools. Miyuki's Cocytus matched Yugen's water attribute mastery speed. Divine Assembly members (Yugen, Miyuki, Himeri) and traditional magic expert Sana were ready. Mikihiko learned spirit magic from Juumonji's apocrypha and upgraded sequences, while Mizuki studied Tenjin magic under Himeri. Tatsuya was excluded, lacking effective anti-Parasite techniques.
"Time for psion control's second phase," Yugen said.
"Second phase? Now?" Honoka asked.
"Exactly because of now. Your control's exceeded expectations," Yugen replied.
Course 2 students' psion control had surged. Planned for second year, urgency overrode delays. This phase countered Parasites but required secrecy to avoid trouble.
"I taught internal psion cycling. Now, it's controlling ambient psions. You've seen mine—interfering with organic and inorganic matter is key against Vampires," Yugen said.
Taboos on modern magic were irrelevant now. Yugen, typically a "guardian," had no time for restraint. The goal: imbue psions with spirit-like properties.
"Twisting the mind to control spirits exists, but it's suicidal and touches traditional magic secrets," Yugen said.
"True. How do we learn?" Mikihiko asked.
"The fastest way," Yugen said, pulling out talismans with complex spells.
Mikihiko recognized their advanced nature. Yugen tossed them, raising a hand. The talismans formed a barrier, bypassing the school's magic surveillance—not needed for someone of Yugen's skill but used for deception.
"To grasp spirits, you must feel them clearly. Brace yourselves… Amaterasu Resplendent," Yugen activated.
His Tenjin magic—Amaterasu: Five Elements Clash—pulsed through the room, fading seconds later. Most were dazed, but Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Himeri stayed conscious, unsettled by the new sensation.
"That's the Nine Schools' Pillars Break spell," Tatsuya noted.
"Correct. Too complex to teach, but used here to feel spirits, set to zero power," Yugen said.
Sensing spirits required immense exposure, learned during Yugen's self-taught Tenjin evocation. He once mistakenly summoned Phoenix, surviving via Kaleidoscope's data handling—a deadly feat without his reincarnation perks. Amaterasu was chosen for neutral, zero-damage, all-attribute execution, unlike attack-heavy Tsukuyomi.
"Normally, you'd train at a spirit beacon, but no time," Yugen said.
"So you used Amaterasu? Truly exceptional," Himeri said.
"That's a boomerang, Himeri," Yugen teased.
Minutes later, others recovered. Mikihiko, dazed by "Dragon God"-level data, looked sheepish. Everyone's spirit sensitivity spiked.
"Spirit sickness is normal. Don't force yourself up," Yugen said.
"I'm fine, but Erika-chan…" Honoka trailed off.
"Miki, Yugen, you live with this feeling?" Erika groaned.
"It's Mikihiko," he corrected, subdued by the spell.
Erika suffered most. Leo, tempered by the Vampire encounter, and Sana, a traditional magic master, were unaffected. Honoka's light sensitivity and Mizuki's training prevented sickness. Tatsuya's mental magic mitigated impact.
"Also, I had Itsuki make Erika's custom CAD for this case. Use it freely," Yugen said, handing over Hayatemaru—a downsized Orochimaru with Gousan's approval.
Erika, recovering, infused psions. The hilt-sized CAD expanded into a black rectangular striker.
"A prototype, per a friend," Yugen said.
"Prototype? Top CAD makers would faint," Erika quipped.
Yugen doubted that. Rosen Magicraft pioneered thought-operated CADs, announced earlier, but suited large-scale industries, not general use. Only Yugen, Leo, and now Erika used his practical thought-operated CADs.
"No switches or triggers. It activated with psions," Erika noted.
"It's a thought-operated CAD prototype. Only a few at FLT know. Keep it quiet," Yugen said.
"Associating with you was my downfall," Erika muttered.
Yugen ignored the plague-god jab. Tatsuya eyed the CAD curiously; Miyuki's eyes sparkled—typical Shibuya siblings.
"Details after school at Mitsuya's main residence," Yugen said.
"My place works. Why there?" Mikihiko asked.
"Avoids unnecessary caution. Mitsuya's layered barriers ensure safety," Yugen explained.
He hadn't told them, but Stars' Stardust was interfering with the school's defenses. Mitsuya's residence, unlike Kagurazaka's basic villa, had robust facilities. Yakumo's temple risked exposure, and Chiba's involvement created debts. Mitsuya's barriers and underground training ground were ideal, with Yakumo's aid for traditional magic and Tatsuya's combat training.
"The USNA's tracking me via satellites. I'll claim privacy damages later," Yugen said.
"That's not a joke, right?" Honoka asked.
"No joke. Is that okay?" Erika added.
Strategic magic drew attention from the New Soviet Union, Great Asian Alliance, and old EU. Expecting restraint without respect was absurd. Yugen wouldn't recklessly use Starlight Breaker—Vladivostok's port destruction was provoked by the Igniter. The spell was the base form of an unfinished strategic magic, known only to him.
"No worries, Erika. Even I struggle to track Yugen," Tatsuya said.
"Not a compliment," Yugen retorted, as Miyuki giggled.
Hayatemaru had stringent security. Unauthorized tampering triggered 1100 tons of gravity within 100 meters, flattening normal humans. Erika, pale, vowed to guard it. The setting assumed Gousan-level durability—a bug in itself, Yugen thought earnestly.
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