Still, regardless of whether a skin-tight combat suit reduced air resistance and avoided obstacles, he found such attire somewhat dubious… Though with multiple fiancées already, he had zero intention of feeling any lust.
Setting aside his personal thoughts, he skimmed the paper she had delivered and burned it completely using Tenjin magic.
(The Intelligence Department has moved. Judging by prior information, the target is a unit that infiltrated from the USNA… I can't help but feel sympathy for the President.)
With the USNA government and military holding conflicting views, the second micro-black hole experiment was the result. In the first place, attempting to weaken an ally's military strength left a nation with virtually no dignity remaining.
He understood why they were desperate to neutralize the enemy's strategic-class magic, but in that case, finding a compromise would be far more sensible. The reason Celia had rushed off back then was likely out of a desire to avoid dragging others into the USNA military's affairs.
Even if that information were leaked to the USNA side, the Intelligence Department would inevitably suspect local involvement and investigate. For now, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye to the Intelligence Department's moves. That didn't mean he would do nothing, however.
That night, the Japanese factory of "Maximilian Devices" in Makuhari New City—which in reality functioned only partially as a factory, serving primarily as an operational base for the USNA military in Japan—came under attack. Although it was never reported in the news, the information reached Yuugen and Celia immediately.
"It turned out just as expected." "Indeed. Aren't you going to make a fuss?" "Making a fuss now won't solve anything… Did you want me to be sad?" "Alright, you've got nerve." "Nyaa! A cobra twist!?"
Setting aside where the serious atmosphere had vanished to, Yuugen and Celia, who were together in his apartment room, had grasped that the USNA task force was attacked by the National Defense Forces' Intelligence Department. Yet Celia, despite being close to the situation, showed no particular signs of grief.
It wasn't that Celia was heartless; she showed a complex expression regarding Sylvia's capture. Understanding that her joke was a way to mask her feelings, Yuugen applied the submission hold without mercy anyway.
"It's difficult to resolve the situation immediately. Right now, Lina is likely pleading with Tatsuya, but once conditions are met, we will rescue her right away."
If the Intelligence Department's covert actions were merely an attempt to put Tatsuya in their debt, they clearly had no intention of quietly sending the operatives back to the USNA. Honestly, considering the USNA military's fate in the original timeline as told by Celia, Yuugen felt this incident was one of the factors that made the USNA military so obstinate.
"When will conditions be met?" "When both the USNA military and government agree, and Colonel Virginia Balance explicitly states that they will refrain from actions aimed at neutralizing Japan's strategic-class magic in the future." "A verbal promise feels like something they'd break, though." "It doesn't matter. To draw Lina fully to our side, we will return 'Heavy Metal Burst' to the USNA and hand over a new strategic-class magic to her. I'll give one to you as well, Celia."
The most troublesome issue regarding Lina's affiliation was the existence of 'Heavy Metal Burst' and 'Brionac.' Therefore, he intended to return them to the USNA and grant a new strategic-class magic to both Lina and Celia.
"To casually produce strategic-class magic like that… Big Brother, did you really inherit the temperament of your past-life brother?" "I have zero evidence to deny that… If he doesn't pass away peacefully surrounded by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, I genuinely won't forgive him. Though bringing that up now sounds a bit strange." "Because it looks like you're going to become that, Big Brother." "..."
Faced with the sudden reminder of his past-life family, Yuugen honestly didn't know whether to feel grateful, sad, or angry. Responding to Celia's decisive remark, Yuugen pushed her down onto the bed to quiet her.
"Oh my, aren't you aggressive today, Big Brother? Eek, I'm gonna get eaten~" "That was completely monotone and utterly unconvincing." "I was already excited just being alone with you."
In the end, it went without saying that the two spent a passionate night together.
Although the curriculum at Magic University was specialized, the campus life of its students was not uniformly abnormal. While cafeteria conversations naturally gravitated toward magic-related topics, that was no reason they couldn't enjoy their freedom.
In a corner of the cafeteria, a female university student—though her stature often prevented her from looking like one— sat with a pocket-sized paperback book laid open on the table. A young man approached her table.
"Saegusa, do you have a moment?" "My, Juumonji-kun. I don't mind, but my surname isn't Saegusa anymore." "Mm, my apologies."
On the day of the Youth Conference, Mayumi met with Mai Futatsugi, the head of the Futatsugi family, at a high-end traditional restaurant in Tokyo, officially changing her status from the eldest daughter of the Saegusa family to the second daughter of the Futatsugi family as an adopted child. The procedures at the Magic University were already complete, and she would now go by the name Mayumi Futatsugi.
Having been called by the Saegusa name for so long, Katsuto's slip was understandable; even though the adoption had been notified to the other Master Clans, it was natural he hadn't grown accustomed to the change. Seeing his sheepish reaction, Mayumi spoke to him with a slightly playful tone.
"You don't need to take it so seriously, though. So, was there something you needed?" "Well…" (Is it something he can't discuss here? I have a good idea of what it might be, though.)
Seeing Katsuto's demeanor, Mayumi quickly deduced that the matter was inappropriate for a cafeteria conversation. Thus, she refrained from pressing for details on the spot and waited for Katsuto to speak.
"Sorry to trouble you, but do you know the coffee shop called 'Jackson' in front of the station?" "If it's that place, Tsugumin likes it, so I've been there a few times." "On the second floor at five-thirty." "Got it, understood."
Having said what he came to say, Katsuto silently left the area. Looking at his retreating back, Mayumi felt that the aura he radiated carried a weight far beyond what anyone their age should bear.
"…Juumonji-kun has it tough, too."
Having become absorbed in her book and her conversation with Katsuto, Mayumi drained her completely cooled coffee in one gulp, slowly stood up, picked up her book, and departed from the scene.
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