After talking with Moto, Yugen headed to the Mitsuya estate's underground training facility, over 10 meters high, equipped with an elevator rarely used—stairs were preferred for fitness. Inside, Tatsuya and the others, in training gear, were warming up.
"Already started?" Yugen asked.
"I taught some basics, assuming it'd take time. Was that okay?" Himeri replied.
"No issue. I trust you, Himeri, despite our short time," Yugen said.
His candid words weren't flattery. Erika smirked, prompting Yugen to toss a chalk-sized metal rod without motion. Erika dodged reflexively as it slowed mid-air with deceleration magic, clattering to the floor.
"Dangerous!" Erika snapped.
"Sent killing intent first. Impressive reflexes. If serious, I'd hide it completely," Yugen said.
"Typical Yugen, no joking vibe," Erika muttered.
Ignoring her, Yugen moved on, seeing they were ready.
"Enough messing around. I've cleared it with your parents. We're camping here at Mitsuya's. Expenses covered, so speak up. CAD adjustments use high-precision gear, no worries," Yugen said.
"So that's why we grabbed essentials," Erika noted.
Yugen had them return home for supplies, with ulterior motives he kept quiet for now.
"Last night, Leo met the Vampire. No injuries, but they're targeting mages, so you might be next. If they were just mages, it'd be easier…" Yugen trailed off.
"USNA—Stars—plans to have Angie Sirius hunt the Vampire," Tatsuya deduced.
"Correct, but it's counterproductive," Yugen said.
It was self-sabotage. Yugen knew the Vampires' data and hideouts, plus Stars' movements. In a typical story, he'd wipe them out, but legal barriers—dealing with allied nation mages—prevented that.
"They'll multiply?" Leo asked.
"Parasites lack physical form, invisible to normal sight. Psion and spirit sensitivity correlate, but CAD-reliant modern magic dulls it," Yugen explained.
Like fantasy weapons requiring skill, CADs lacked such limits, only restricted by spell complexity. Yugen's CAD experience confirmed this. Complex magic needed intricate processes and high computational power. Juumonji's overclocking tech stemmed from hitting basic computation limits.
"You're exposing modern magic's flaws. Raising our spirit sensitivity isn't just for Parasites, right?" Tatsuya asked.
"Right. Amaterasu at school showed your traits, but one person's tricky," Yugen said.
Tatsuya drew eyes, his poker face hinting at skepticism. Yugen, seeing no need to lie, continued.
"You're sharp, Tatsuya. You hit phase two last summer, so I'm pushing you further," Yugen said.
Raising his hand, the fallen rod returned instantly, unharmed. No Mirrorgate—just information dimension manipulation. The group was stunned, but Yugen spun it on his finger, unfazed.
"Before Yokohama, someone breached school security, and spring had terrorists. Defenses aren't perfect," Yugen said.
"True, but is this safe?" Honoka asked.
"Had to, or Gousan's bokken rain would've hit," Yugen quipped.
He'd once deflected a bokken barrage with a shuriken, an absurd Shinkage-ryu test. Course 2 students, Honoka, and Tatsuya began phase two training under Himeri and Sana. Yugen withheld sensitive details from most, except Tatsuya and Miyuki.
"Parade? Kudou's secret art?" Tatsuya asked.
"Faced it twice: Retsu, the 'Master,' and Angie Sirius," Yugen said.
With Gousan, Retsu's encounter; Sirius, dragged in by Gousan. Knowing Parade skewed targeting, Yugen used wide-range Tenjin magic to counter it.
"Is Parade an illusion?" Miyuki asked.
"Counter-magic in modern terms. It copies and alters the user's Eidos, projecting a masked version, disrupting magical targeting. It includes Japan's traditional magic tech," Yugen said.
"Original" knowledge confirmed its terror firsthand. Its flaw: limited Eidos range and exposed spell structure, counterable by Gram Dispersion.
"Master's involvement?" Tatsuya asked.
"Almost certain. Parade's a modified spell taught by Yakumo's predecessor. Mother might step in too," Yugen said.
Nine Dragons aside, Parade evolved from ninja Matoi no Nigemizu, derived from Tenjin's Suiton Ruten. This spell scatters the user's Eidos, overwhelming foes' processing with forced psion sensitivity—a mental interference spell. Unlike Parade, its structure lies at the user's feet, persisting until destroyed, due to Eidos duplication. Tenjin tech was traded between a Kagurazaka head and a Honzan monk.
"It's Kudou's secret, but tomorrow, we isolate one Vampire-possessed soldier. Me, Miyuki, Himeri; Tatsuya, back us up," Yugen said.
"You expect Sirius. No cooperation?" Tatsuya asked.
"I'd love to, but it's tough," Yugen said.
Mikaela Hongou was Parasite-possessed, identified via their unique traits. Yugen's Meteor Snowlight—a mental reset and ultra-wide psion/spirit sonar—detected abnormal wavelengths. Used for Defense Force measures, it caught an unexpected Parasite signature.
"Isolate to repatriate?" Miyuki asked.
"Too tedious. They're useful, so I'll maximize that," Yugen said.
He'd devised a Parasite-separation spell using reincarnation perks and Tenjin knowledge—unimaginable to its founders. Tenjin magic wasn't "complete," leaving Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi room for refinement.
"Leo and Mikihiko's training is a decoy?" Tatsuya asked.
"Partially. We can't always be there," Yugen said.
Not just Parasites—Leo and Erika had ties to Rosen Magicraft (unknown to them). Domestic and foreign threats, including the 28 Clans, loomed. Chihime, understanding this, adopted Mizuki into the Ise family. Isolation was set for Yakumo's temple, leveraging its traditional magic expertise and "Nine" ties.
"Let's train. Tatsuya, can your eyes see mental realms?" Yugen asked.
"Not quite. You can, though," Tatsuya said.
"Not pleasant. Hard to weigh against fearing the unseen," Yugen replied.
This world wasn't smooth compared to his past life. Gousan's global trips exposed Yugen to forbidden entities, especially at spiritual sites like cemeteries, triggering Tenjin mastery. Amaterasu was learned pre-high school.
"My eyes are too strong. A pharaoh's spirit in Egypt's pyramids spooked me," Yugen said.
"How'd you handle it?" Miyuki asked.
"Tweaked mental interference spell, Sunrise Overdrive. Learned on the spot, logic unclear," Yugen said.
Based on ancient royal magic from pyramid carvings, it worked, accidentally grasping psion control. It exorcised other tombs' spirits—Gousan's fault, Yugen thought earnestly.
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