At the victory celebration, Leo and Erika faced a barrage of questions upon their return, but since it was their personal matter, Yugen had no intention of stepping in. Watching from a distance, he let out a sigh.
"Is that really okay?" Mikihiko asked.
"Helping them would just get us burned. You've been through it yourself," Yugen replied.
"Well, yeah… fair point," Mikihiko said, chuckling wryly.
Beside him, Mizuki blushed deeply, head bowed. Pushed by Sana, the two had danced at the after-party, only to face teasing afterward. Sana, enjoying the chaos, might've inherited her father's knack for mischief.
Colonel Sakai, a hardliner against the Great Asian Alliance and the key figure behind the Nine Schools Competition's rule changes, along with his faction, had been detained. Gozo was the one who acted, guarding Pixie and Minami at the maintenance vehicle, silencing security, and subduing Sakai's group. For him, such vigorous activity was mere "warm-up," casually brushed off.
While Yugen understood the desire to swiftly eliminate external threats, weakening the Great Asian Alliance could embolden the New Soviet Union, potentially sparking a military clash with Japan and even a fourth world war.
The Kudou family and other "Nine" families were being handled by Saeki and Kazama, likely in discussions now. Yugen could grasp the Senate's perspective, but Japan's needs to maintain its national structure were far greater than those of superpowers.
Chihime and Gozo understood this, offering some reassurance.
"That applies to you too, Yugen. You've been asked to be the next club president," Mikihiko said.
"That's up to the student election. You're not one to talk," Yugen shot back.
Hattori had nominated Yugen as the next club federation president. Though the CAD carryover meant it hinged on the student council election, Yugen's near-guaranteed status—having secured a third of the votes as invalid ballots last year—made him inwardly sigh.
Mikihiko, now a First Course student from Second Course, was also tipped as the next disciplinary committee chair. Shizuku, equally esteemed, was scheming to push the role onto Mikihiko to avoid the hassle.
Amid the clamor of their unprecedented fourth consecutive championship, Yugen felt more keenly than anyone that this joy was fleeting.
◇ ◇ ◇
August 16, 2096. Sensing a black-clad group attacking a corner of Chinatown with Reiki, Yugen directed Osiris Sight of Tenjin toward them. He was in his private room at the Kagurazaka family's Hakone estate.
(The Kuroba squad is cornering Zhou Gongjin… Likely the Senate's doing.)
Given Zhou's danger, it was odd he hadn't been eliminated during the No Head Dragon, Blanche, or Yokohama Incidents, or even the Parasite Incident. This suggested Zhou was deeply tied to the current events.
It wasn't just about sending Taoist sorcerers with runaway Parasite Doll formulas; Zhou's true identity had finally prompted action. The Kagurazaka family had already pieced together the causal links.
Yugen considered assisting but was ordered to stay in his room due to the upcoming Tsukiyomi Ritual, a Kagurazaka trial. Tatsuya and Fumiya were on-site, and even against a master sorcerer, they wouldn't fall behind.
As a precaution, Yugen kept Valkyrie and Odin nearby for remote magic activation. Through Reiki's visual feed, he saw Zhou Gongjin's Xiao Pieng Chen transformation tear off Mitsugu Kuroba's right arm, allowing Zhou's escape.
Though Yugen could've used magic since he was aware, letting Zhou exit now would disrupt plans, so he refrained. Tatsuya, arriving, healed Mitsugu's arm instantly with Regrowth.
Concluding this chapter, Yugen deactivated Osiris Sight of Tenjin. A voice from beyond the door, unfamiliar within the estate, prompted him to stand.
"Young Master, the Mistress calls for you," the voice said.
"Understood… What are you doing?" Yugen replied.
Opening the door, Yugen's eyes widened before narrowing. There was Mayonaka, dressed in a light kimono like a hot spring inn worker, kneeling formally. Behind her stood Chihime, smiling warmly in casual attire.
"Of course, I'm here as the Young Master's attendant," Mayonaka said.
"…Just come inside. You too, Mother," Yugen said.
"Indeed, standing outside might catch a cold," Chihime agreed.
Mayonaka hadn't appeared when entering the estate, but Chihime explained she'd been assigned as Yugen's personal attendant. Though effectively a single mother, appointing Miyuki's mother—the top fiancée—as a servant seemed utterly absurd.
Settling at the kotatsu, Chihime began.
"I'd like to exempt Yugen from the ritual," she said.
"May I ask why?" Yugen replied.
"Besides Amaterasu, only you can fully activate Tsukuyomi alone. Testing your strength in this state might crush the other participants' spirits."
To avoid unnecessary envy, Yugen was ordered to stay in his room. Shuji and Yume were likely preparing for the ritual. Yugen then asked about Mayonaka.
"I understand, but is it okay to discuss this in front of her?"
"Mayonaka will be your dedicated attendant, so it's a good chance for her to learn about you. How you treat her is your choice," Chihime said.
"Your choice, huh…" Yugen muttered.
"That includes intimacy. She's essentially a mistress," Chihime added casually.
Her bluntness aside, Chihime seemed unfazed by her ex-husband's remarriage to his lover, but Yugen was shocked Mayonaka accepted a mistress role over fiancée.
Mayonaka explained, "I'm a divorced single mother, and I don't want to upset Miyuki. I'm content receiving your affection and serving you. If you desire, you can have me as much as you want."
"…"
After her explanation, Chihime left with a cheerful, "Enjoy your time together." Though Mayonaka looked mid-20s, she was close in age to Shiho, Yugen's birth mother. Embracing his fiancée's mother felt morally questionable, but those thoughts vanished as Mayonaka stood and shed her clothes.
"What are you doing?" Yugen asked.
"Young Master… Am I not to your liking?" Mayonaka replied.
Even with self-control, Yugen couldn't resist her alluring, youthful body. A switch flipped, and he pinned her down.
"If you're going to tempt me, be ready," he said.
"Yes, do as you please, 'Master,'" she replied.
He wouldn't excuse it with "a man's shame to refuse what's offered," but her provocation meant she couldn't complain. He indulged freely. During the Nine Schools Competition, he'd resisted Miyuki's allure, but unnoticed stress might've built up. Still, he held the final line.
The next morning, Yugen sighed at the scene before him.
"I know it's my fault, but Miyuki's intense," he muttered.
"You didn't do it with me during the competition," Miyuki replied.
To explain, during Yugen's "night battle" with Mayonaka, Miyuki and Kazuko entered, saw them, and joined in, leading to an indescribable mess.
Kazuko and Mayonaka, asleep under blankets, flanked Yugen, who lay on his back. Miyuki clung to him, sandwiched between him and the blanket. What was happening was obvious.
"With competitions, it couldn't be helped… You're not mad?" Yugen asked.
"I knew how Mother felt about you. But I'll never yield first place," Miyuki declared.
Yugen had wondered how long he could endure without breaking someone physically or mentally, so he avoided recklessness. Instead of feeling drained, his vigor seemed to grow, making him sigh at his own resilience.
Being a stronger mage was fine, but considering his past life, suppressed desires might be surfacing post-reincarnation. His detached perspective might stem from a kind of enlightenment.
"Fiancée rankings aren't my place to meddle in. If you're fine with it, I won't interfere… What's wrong, Miyuki?" Yugen asked.
"That's why so many women, including me, fall for you," she replied.
"That makes no sense," Yugen said.
He wasn't trying to win women's affection. Standing out was about showcasing his mage skills, and beating the "Crimson Prince" was purely due to seeing his past-life brother in him, sparking irritation.
To Miyuki, those actions alone sent her affection soaring.
Kazuko and Mayonaka, weakened by the night, were healed by Yugen, boosting their affection further. Kazuko remarked, "If Airi finds out, she'll kill me with jealousy," referencing her jealousy at last year's after-party. Yugen hoped it was a joke.
◇ ◇ ◇
After the Chinatown incident, Yugen invited Tatsuya to his Kagurazaka estate room to commend his efforts. While enjoying gyokuro tea and sweets served by Mayonaka, Yugen spoke.
"Sorry, Tatsuya, for leaving the Zhou Gongjin mess to the Yotsuba. I should've helped," Yugen said.
"No, you had the Parasite Dolls and Rosen Magicraft to deal with. We're even," Tatsuya replied.
"Let's call it that," Yugen agreed.
Regarding the Rosens, Lucas Rosen's reputation was restored per Bastian Rosen's will, as ordered by the German government. Chihime informed Karla Schmidt, a Thirteen Apostle, of the Valburg sisters' actions, making it known to Germany's leadership. The government forced Rosen Magicraft to guarantee employee and family rights and banned business expansion in East Asia, including Japan, for now.
"I heard about Erika from Mikihiko, but Leo too? His tough expression during spring break makes sense," Tatsuya said.
"You didn't know?" Yugen asked.
"It's not a topic to pry into, especially with Yotsuba matters," Tatsuya replied.
"Fair enough," Yugen said.
Ernst Rosen remained Japan branch president but was removed from the Rosen heir candidacy due to the potential international incident. Still, being allowed to keep the Rosen name was a lenient ruling.
The Valburg sisters' combat data was erased from their memories, keeping Leo and Erika's parallel thought-controlled CADs secret.
"Parasites are a hassle, but the Defense Forces are something else… Abroad too," Yugen said.
"You're unusually sharp today," Tatsuya noted.
"I met Retsu Kudou before you arrived. He was shocked seeing Mayonaka," Yugen said.
"Even I was stunned by Mother," Tatsuya admitted.
Ernst Rosen's inheritance transfer was completed, and Germany paid Erika and Leo double Anna Rosen-Katori's relinquished inheritance as "compensation." They tried to refuse, but with Gozo as the intermediary, they couldn't.
The meeting with Retsu lasted 30 minutes, and he seemed relieved. Yugen, however, pushed him.
"'Then devote your life to making the Kudou family one Minori can be proud of,'" Yugen had said.
"That's about it. I could use a normal high school break," Yugen sighed.
"Sorry, Yugen, but that might not happen," Tatsuya said.
"What's up?" Yugen asked.
Tatsuya handed over a data card. Yugen placed his foldable terminal on the table, inserted the card, and reviewed the data, sighing deeply.
"The New Humanity Front's plan to bomb the Tokyo Offshore Tower… Where'd this come from?" Yugen asked.
"Fumiya found it on a terminal at Zhou Gongjin's Chinatown hideout," Tatsuya replied.
Initially probing for Zhou's whereabouts, they uncovered a radical group's plan to destroy a hyper-building, claiming mages as a new humanity. The Tokyo Offshore Tower, 2,000 meters tall on Odaiba's artificial island, had earthquake-resistant devices and FLT's gyro drive shaft to counter wind, rotating constantly.
"Bombing the tower is insane. If it collapses, falling debris could cause a tsunami affecting the entire Tokyo Bay," Yugen said.
If power failed, mages on the 35th basement floor would rotate the shaft, a dangerous job with high hazard pay. The radicals likely resented this. A tsunami could cripple Tokyo Bay International Airport for weeks or a month, with incalculable damages and impacts on Japan's global credibility.
Even if they hadn't provoked, foreign forces and nations were picking fights over magic.
A party for the tower's pre-opening was planned, with Yugen invited as "Yuto Kagurazaka." Shizuku and Honoka would attend, with Miyuki and Minami joining. Tatsuya, disliking attention, would skip the party to assist the Kuroba siblings with anti-terror measures.
With this divergence from the original story, Yugen had prepared as much as possible, but the rest was up to fate.
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