In a room at a luxury hotel in Tokyo—actually part of a chain operated by the Yotsuba family—Fumiya Kuroba, a first-year at Fourth High, sat on a sofa, staring intently at a tablet.
The screen displayed the official website of the Tokyo Offshore Tower, and he was absorbing the information when the sound of a door opening came from behind. His twin sister, Ayako Kuroba, appeared.
(Big Sis…)
Fumiya kept his thoughts silent but was slightly flustered about where to look. Ayako had her hair wrapped in a towel, wearing only a crimson camisole and a purple gown. As her twin, he couldn't see her romantically, but her current appearance could easily become fodder for her teasing if he seemed flustered. To deflect, he spoke up.
"The mission starts tomorrow evening, right?" he asked.
"Yes, around 5 p.m. should be fine for staking out… Are you worried about Zhou Gongjin?" Ayako replied.
"Of course. Even Dad struggled with him. If Tatsuya-niisan hadn't been there, Dad would've lost his right arm," Fumiya said.
Fumiya's discovery had revealed the attack plan, but being assigned to apprehend New Humanity Front operatives at the Tokyo Offshore Tower instead of chasing Zhou Gongjin left him slightly dissatisfied. Ayako, who'd only heard the details, had tilted her head at the evident frustration of her father and brother.
Even Fumiya knew his father Mitsugu's capabilities well. He didn't think he could match an opponent who challenged Mitsugu, so he had no objections to Mitsugu handling Zhou's pursuit.
"Fumiya, our mission is to detain the terrorists, identify the New Humanity Front's base, and trace their funding. Tatsuya-san is helping, so we need to lighten his load," Ayako said.
"I get it," Fumiya replied.
Fumiya understood Ayako's affection for Tatsuya. Since Miyuki began harboring feelings for Yugen, Ayako and Miyuki had built a close bond, mutually supporting each other's romantic aspirations. Meeting Yugen through the Yotsuba's underground dealings, Ayako grew close to him to help both her and Miyuki's first loves succeed. Yugen's unique magic, Kaleidoscope, and Ayako's Extreme Diffusion were similar in controlling ambient psion distribution, making Yugen as admirable to her as Tatsuya, though her feelings for each were distinct.
"Really? Really, really?" Ayako teased.
"I'm not that clueless… (She gets so selfish when Tatsuya-niisan's involved)," Fumiya muttered, hiding his face behind the tablet.
Ayako let out a soft chuckle at his words.
◇ ◇ ◇
Tokyo Offshore Tower
Built as a symbol of Tokyo following the Tokyo Tower and Skytree, this hyper-building was designed for next-generation communication standards, mitigating signal blockages from skyscrapers. With 360 floors above ground and 36 below, its top-floor Sky Lounge sat at roughly 2,000 meters.
"I didn't know you got an invitation, Yugen," Honoka said.
"It's tied to my family's business. Miyuki and Minami are my escorts," Yugen replied.
Shizuku and Honoka wore dresses, while Miyuki, Minami, and Yugen, in a formal suit from the Shinkai Society, attended. Yugen disliked such celebratory events in both his past and current lives, but circumstances left him no choice.
"Tatsuya-san isn't here," Honoka noted.
"It can't be helped, Honoka. This is a pre-opening party, mostly for business tycoons and celebrities. I'll arrange a date with Onii-sama for you later," Miyuki teased.
"N-No, Miyuki! You don't have to!" Honoka protested, blushing.
Miyuki, in high spirits, teased Honoka, who approached her flustered. Unlike the original story's rivalry, Miyuki's shifted romantic focus had fostered a strong friendship between them.
"Minami, you okay?" Yugen asked.
"Y-Yes. Honestly, being dressed in such a custom gown…" Minami trailed off.
Despite being a guardian, Chihime and Mayonaka's collusion ensured Minami wore an exorbitantly priced, tailor-made dress by a world-renowned designer tied to the Kagurazaka family. Hearing the seven-figure cost left Minami stunned, a secret kept among them.
"You've been swarmed by people, Yugen-san," Shizuku said.
"The Nine Schools Competition fame tax. Sorry, I need to step away," Yugen replied.
Spotting a familiar figure, Yugen excused himself. Miyuki looked ready to follow, but the figure—Tadanori Hayama, the Yotsuba family's head butler—signaled with his eyes that public contact was unwise. Miyuki reluctantly agreed.
As Yugen approached, Hayama noticed and bowed slightly.
"Yugen-dono. I see Miyuki-sama is here… Were you invited to this party?" Hayama asked.
"Yes. I thought it best not to bring her here now… Are you here on Maya-san's orders?" Yugen replied.
"Consider it as such. You've likely heard details from Tatsuya-dono, but we may need your help if things escalate," Hayama said.
The easiest way to topple a skyscraper is to bomb its foundation or halt power to stabilizing pillars, letting natural forces tilt it. The latter requires astronomical luck, while the former could sacrifice many mages.
"Nothing happening would be ideal, but I'll keep it in mind. I'll protect Miyuki, so don't worry," Yugen said.
"Your words are most reassuring. I'll take my leave," Hayama replied.
Watching Hayama depart, Yugen pondered briefly before returning to Miyuki and the others. He brushed it off as meeting an acquaintance, but Miyuki and Minami, aware of Hayama, seemed intent on questioning him later, making Yugen sigh inwardly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Normally, Tatsuya, Miyuki's guardian, would attend, but with Elemental Sight's resources occupied, it wasn't an issue. With Yugen by Miyuki's side, Tatsuya saw no need to intervene. He knew about Honoka but trusted Shizuku to handle things. His main reason—disliking attention—made Miyuki chuckle when he admitted it.
At the entrance to a mining shaft connected to the power supply cable, Tatsuya, in a riding suit, hid in bushes, using Elemental Sight to spot two men in utility worker uniforms approaching.
( New Humanity Front operatives. Likely aiming to cut power.)
"Tatsuya-niisan, who are they?" Fumiya asked, dressed as a woman beside him.
Fumiya's fame from the Nine Schools Competition necessitated the disguise. Though he understood, he wasn't thrilled, partly due to his mother's inherited looks and his desire to be masculine like Tatsuya. Addressing Fumiya's question, Tatsuya replied softly.
"Definitely New Humanity Front members. Two more are behind them. They seem aware of us," Tatsuya said.
"Then it's my turn," Ayako said, appearing with a faint breeze.
Tatsuya watched her Pseudo-Teleportation with admiration, while Fumiya, nearly shouting, covered his mouth in time.
"Don't scare me like that…" Fumiya muttered.
"Hehe… Sorry!" Ayako whispered playfully in his ear.
"Sis, back off!" Fumiya said, pulling away.
Despite the ticklish sensation, Fumiya's ethics prevented any inappropriate feelings toward his twin. He distanced himself from Ayako.
"Sorry, sorry… And sorry, Tatsuya-san," Ayako said.
"It's fine, but we should wrap this up quickly," Tatsuya replied.
"Right. Sis, take me to the rear. Tatsuya-niisan, handle the ones inside," Fumiya said.
Assigning roles swiftly, Fumiya equipped a knuckle-duster CAD.
"Here we go," Ayako said.
Using an FLT-made thought-controlled CAD, Ayako activated Pseudo-Teleportation, sending Fumiya to the rear. He instantly used Direct Pain to knock out the operatives. Ignoring their screams, Tatsuya targeted those inside with Elemental Sight, using Decomposition to disable their limbs' joints, silencing them via pain-induced shutdown. He healed the traces with Regrowth.
"Impressive work, as expected," Ayako said.
"Not as fast as you, Fumiya. No more enemies. Can I leave their restraint and retrieval to you?" Tatsuya asked.
"Yes. Thank you, Tatsuya-san. I'll repay you," Ayako replied.
"…Go easy on me," Tatsuya said.
Like Honoka and Lina, Ayako's affection for Tatsuya was clear, especially after Miyuki's lectures. Her striking figure made her gratitude more than a joke, leaving Tatsuya with little choice but to respond lightly.
◇ ◇ ◇
(Magic activation signs… Tatsuya, Fumiya, and Ayako-chan are there.)
Yugen observed them via Osiris Sight of Tenjin and Kaleidoscope. The operatives were detained with top-notch efficiency. Tatsuya seemed to be scanning for further hostility.
Miyuki contacted Yugen telepathically.
(Yugen-san, was that Onii-sama's magic?)
(Yes. You've heard of the New Humanity Front. They've apprehended some members, but we shouldn't let our guard down.)
The New Humanity Front included "Extra" dropouts. Research revealed Hiroshi Misaki, likely from the Misaki family, once bearing the "Three" number. In the original story, Yugen knew of the Ichika (now Ichihara) and Nanakura (now Nakura) families. As a former Mitsuya, he was aware of the Misaki and Miyake families, stripped of numbers at the Third Research Institute, but hadn't expected their involvement here.
Yugen wondered how other mages perceived him after leaving the Mitsuya family. Only a few in mage society knew the Kagurazaka family's details, and among modern mages—beyond the Ten Master Clans, Eighteen Assistant Houses, or select Hundred Families—he might be seen as a "dropout." Some classmates had treated him lightly post-summer break, suggesting this perception could spread.
(Are they targeting this tower?) Miyuki asked.
(VIPs are here, but the risk is too high. They should know that.)
With Shizuku's family present, they'd be rescue targets. As Yugen and Miyuki conversed telepathically, the floor's lights dimmed, switching to emergency power.
"A blackout?" Minami asked.
"No, it's that," Yugen said, pointing to a monitor showing the shaft's power supply had stopped.
Guests panicked, but Yugen swiftly operated his communicator.
(Accessing with admin code, activating all shafts' emergency operations. Altering operational status from the control center and power room… The emergency system for earthquake or tsunami power loss is working.)
Yugen's custom gyro drive shaft design used next-generation high-voltage batteries at both ends, sustaining 72 hours without external power. Using his designer's admin code, he activated the emergency system, which neither the first-floor control center nor the 34th-basement power room could override. Inspired by a past-life earthquake-induced power loss, he hadn't expected to use it this way.
Then, a monitor switched to show a gas-masked group. Yugen couldn't help but think their appearance screamed, "We're terrorists."
"We are the New Humanity Front, fighting for mages' rights. We mean no harm. We only ask you to witness what happens today," the group announced.
"No harm, huh? They've occupied the control center," Yugen muttered.
"No way…" Honoka gasped.
They called the guests "witnesses," but they could just as easily be "hostages."
"In this building, mages are forced into 'slave labor' deep underground," they continued.
"Slaves, huh?" Yugen scoffed.
"They work on the 35th basement, unable to escape during disasters, as if told to be buried alive! As advocates for mages' rights and civilized people, we cannot tolerate such archaic human sacrifice!"
Mages here earned more than most, rivaling military mages. They were hired through the Japan Magic Association's referrals, with no forced cases. The tower's design included disaster-activated bulkheads, turning the 35th basement into a shelter with quake- and water-resistant materials to prevent entombment.
"As a protest, we will detonate this tower in one hour. Evacuate immediately. However, interfere, and we'll detonate it instantly. We don't wish for mass casualties. We hope you'll make wise choices and become witnesses to history."
Hearing the New Humanity Front's statement, some guests collapsed. Shizuku and Honoka looked worried, while Yugen, though expressionless, seethed. Was this what someone from the "Three" should say?
"Every damn one of them keeps piling on work. Try being the one cleaning up their mess," Yugen growled.
They didn't understand. The Ueyama and Kagurazaka families' companies were involved in the tower's design. Attacking it sealed the New Humanity Front's fate. With Extra dropouts from the Third Research Institute involved, the Mitsuya family would act for cleanup. As a former Mitsuya and a Kagurazaka, Yugen had every reason to move.
Having dealt with Parasite Dolls, the Kudou family, the Defense Forces, and German issues, now his former family was involved. Yugen's muttered complaint drew wry smiles from those nearby.
------------------------------
I've uploaded about 30–40 chapters on Patreon.
If you like this story and want to read it first, you can support me here:
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]