After the New Humanity Front's bombing threat video cut off, the Sky Lounge of the Tokyo Offshore Tower erupted into chaos. Trapped at 2,000 meters above sea level, many guests scrambled to escape. Most attendees were non-mages, so their panic was understandable.
"…No choice, then," Yugen muttered.
To ease the burden on the tower's security, Yugen cast Meteor Snowlight laced with the emotional interference magic Azusa Bow, calming the crowd instantly. The earlier panic vanished, allowing security's instructions to take hold, and the guests formed orderly lines.
Confirming this, Yugen handed Honoka a device.
"What's this, Yugen-san?" Honoka asked.
"A flight device. Think of it for emergencies. Shizuku has her own, and we've got ours tuned, so don't worry," Yugen replied.
Honoka lacked a personal flight device, but its activation sequence was pre-adjusted by Tatsuya for her. He'd provide a proper one later, but surviving this crisis came first. Shizuku, concerned for her family, was instructed to stay with Honoka.
"Yugen, Miyuki, Minami, be careful," Shizuku said.
"Please don't push yourselves too hard," Honoka added.
They seemed to guess what was coming but left without prying. Yugen caught a glimpse of Hayama before turning to Miyuki and Minami.
"Miyuki, Minami, let's go," Yugen said.
"Yes," Miyuki replied.
"Understood," Minami added.
The trio approached Hayama, and Yugen took the lead.
"Hayama-san, how much do you know about the situation?" Yugen asked.
"About as much as you and Tatsuya-dono. Preventing the tower's destruction would be ideal, but…" Hayama trailed off.
"Is that also the view of 'those people'?" Yugen asked.
Frankly, Yugen had suspected the Senate had some insurance with the Yotsuba, but he only learned from Hayama's son, Tadatsume, that Hayama doubled as a Senate agent. Miyuki looked puzzled but didn't press, and Hayama nodded to confirm Yugen's question before making a request.
"Yugen-dono, it's not typically the Kagurazaka family's place to intervene, but could I ask for your help?"
"With the situation this urgent, I can't just stand by. I'll take it on," Yugen replied.
"Understood. Minami, protect Miyuki-sama and Yugen-dono well. That's the Mistress's message," Hayama said.
"Y-Yes! I understand!" Minami responded.
Having conveyed his message, Hayama departed. The terrorists—or rather, the New Humanity Front—claimed "one hour," but Yugen doubted they'd grant that much time. Regardless, they needed to reach the first basement's control center.
"Yugen-san, how are we getting down? Not the elevator, right?" Miyuki asked.
"Of course not. We'll use the fastest way," Yugen replied.
The trio headed to the inner side of the tower's outer wall. Yugen aimed Odin at the wall, casting a spell that projected a circular, screen-like image of the outside scenery.
"Jump through, and you'll be outside. Ready?" Yugen asked.
"Yes," Miyuki replied.
Yugen leapt through the Mirror Gate with flight magic active, followed by Miyuki and Minami, who used a pre-provided flight device tailored for her. At 2,000 meters, Yugen deactivated Mirror Gate. It felt like pseudo-skydiving without a parachute, but there was no time to enjoy it.
Adjusting flight magic to their distance from the ground, Yugen landed first, extending a hand to Miyuki and Minami. They descended slowly, but Minami, unused to high-altitude landings, collapsed.
"S-Sorry," Minami stammered.
"Your reaction's normal. Let's hurry," Yugen said.
Passing through the deserted first floor during the evacuation, they descended the basement stairs. At a landing, Yugen crouched, using Osiris Sight of Tenjin to scan below.
"Five in the first basement's control center. The second to 34th and 36th basements are empty. Thirty-five in the 35th basement—mages meant for emergencies are in a near-comatose state," Yugen reported.
"Only five from the New Humanity Front?" Miyuki asked.
"Not necessarily. Not all 35 mages in the 35th basement are legitimate… A shootout's happening nearby at the bay—impressive organization," Yugen said, pausing. "Hm?"
Focusing on the bay, Yugen sensed faint psion ripples and, with Auditory Enhancement, detected seismic wavelengths imperceptible to humans. His reaction was swift.
"Both of you, crouch now!" Yugen ordered.
"! Is it an explosion?" Miyuki asked.
"No, an earthquake," Yugen replied.
The saving grace was the shaft's seismic system operating in emergency mode, minimizing tower damage. Whether the quake was natural remained a question. Complicating matters, the elevator had stopped at the 181st floor due to the emergency, with Shizuku and Honoka inside.
"With Shizuku's magic, she could safely bring everyone in the elevator to the ground, but restoring normal elevator function would be faster," Yugen said.
Using his admin code, Yugen reactivated the elevator independently. The tower had one main power system and three backups for emergencies, and he activated one to restore normal elevator operation.
"Now, only we, the New Humanity Front, and the mages and guards in the 35th basement remain… We'll move in five minutes," Yugen said.
"As expected of you, Yugen-san," Miyuki praised.
"It's nothing special," Yugen replied modestly.
Failing to prepare for such a skyscraper would've been reckless, especially in a world with magic. When Yugen heard of the tower, he'd pushed Gozo to include him in the project.
As the elevator reached the first floor and Shizuku and the others exited, Yugen confirmed their safety before moving.
Approaching the first basement's control center quietly, Yugen used Osiris Sight of Tenjin to track the enemy. Two of the five had rifles on guard, having shifted positions after detecting him, likely due to a perception-type mage among them.
Yugen walked toward them. They deemed him a threat, firing rifles, but Minami's single-layer barrier neutralized the shots, reflecting bullets back, forcing them to retreat. With no one left above ground, negotiation was unnecessary, but Yugen wanted their motives and continued forward. Two men, joined by another—the gas-masked speaker from the monitor, calling himself "Camper"—appeared.
"Well, well, Yugen Mitsuya-dono. My apologies, Yugen Kagurazaka now," Camper said.
"I wasn't waiting, and I don't know you," Yugen replied.
"My apologies," Camper, aka Hiroshi Misaki, said with a courteous bow.
Yugen eyed him warily, recalling a similar sensation from last spring's Blanche incident, when Hajime Tsukasa coveted Tatsuya's Pseudo-Cast Jamming and tried recruiting him.
"Once of the Ten Master Clans' Mitsuya family, you were cast out while your siblings awakened. We deeply regret the loss of your talent," Camper said.
Number stripping typically stems from lacking required abilities or ethical violations. Yugen's declaration, months after reincarnation, to not inherit the Mitsuya family or business was largely kept internal. To outsiders ignorant of the Kagurazaka family's nature, it could seem like Yugen was exiled for his extraordinary abilities. In the original story, other factions plotted against non-human entities, but that was irrelevant now.
"We can offer you a fitting position and reward. Together, we—" Camper began.
"Is that all, Camper? Or rather, Hiroshi Misaki?" Yugen interrupted.
Yugen swiftly drew Odin, decomposing the men's rifles and knocking them out with Direct Pain. Stunned, Misaki shouted.
"Why!? Aren't you bitter? With your power, cast out from the Ten Master Clans!" he cried.
"That's just your assumption. What do you know about me without the real facts?" Yugen retorted.
All Misaki knew was that Yugen no longer bore the Mitsuya name. If Yugen had a feud with the Master Clans Conference, he wouldn't have stood out at the Nine Schools Competition, and other clans would've tried to recruit him.
"…Do it!" Misaki ordered.
From a corridor corner, a dagger-type integrated CAD flew, using Dancing Blaze, a spell common among Stars. That a non-recognized magical society like the New Humanity Front used it felt off. Minami blocked it with a barrier, but two women activated Cast Jammer, forcibly dispelling it. Misaki touched the fallen men's backs, and the women placed hands on his shoulders, launching numerous integrated CADs at Yugen.
"I'm not one to talk, but know your place," Yugen said.
Brandishing Odin, Yugen erased the Cast Jammer and CADs with Decomposition. As Misaki's group faltered, Miyuki's Zero-Point Silver World Niflheim froze them instantly. Miyuki stood beside Yugen, her freezing spell resolving the immediate threat. But Yugen sensed Resonance Destruction signs in the 35th basement. Though he nullified it with Gram Dispersion, the physical law alteration had damaged the tower's deepest shaft.
"They've done it now," Yugen muttered.
"What happened?" Miyuki asked.
"I'll explain later… Miyuki, Minami, evacuate now. Minami, protect Miyuki," Yugen ordered.
Repairing the shaft alone was simple, but skyscrapers rely on precise balance. Fixing one pillar could overload others, requiring a full tower restoration. Tatsuya's Regrowth might barely handle it, so Yugen had to act. Keeping Miyuki nearby was too risky, so he prioritized her safety.
"What will you do, Yugen-san?" Miyuki asked.
"I'll descend to the deepest part to repair the tower. I know you want to follow, but bear with me. Looks like backup's here," Yugen said.
Sensing the tower's anomaly, Tatsuya appeared. Grasping the situation via Miyuki, he quickened the conversation.
"Tatsuya, take Miyuki and Minami and evacuate. I'll handle the rest, so don't worry," Yugen said.
"Got it. If you don't return, I'll dive into the deepest part myself," Tatsuya replied.
"Onii-sama!? …Yugen-san, please be careful," Miyuki urged.
"I know. I'm off," Yugen said.
Taking Tatsuya's half-worried words, Yugen ignored the frozen Misaki and sprinted off. Via the elevator shaft, he reached the deepest part, where the shafts and hydraulic dampers resided. Several pillars were cracked, and the tower would collapse in minutes if left unchecked. Yugen stowed Odin, drew Valkyrie, and aimed at the ceiling.
Only one spell fit this situation: the Tenjin Magic Amaterasu: Five Elements Mutual Generation – Tenyo Shoran. Its scale dwarfed past uses, but Yugen didn't hesitate.
"If I can't repair this tower, I can't face the world ahead… Let's do this," Yugen said.
Pulling Valkyrie's trigger, an eight-fold activation sequence unfolded, forming the Yin-Yang Five Elements Seven Heavens Array for Tenyo Shoran.
"Eidos modification history acquired. Tower structure and material data retrieved. Full tower data integration complete. Yin-Yang Five Elements Seven Heavens Array set to target the entire Offshore Tower structure," Yugen declared.
Releasing Valkyrie's limiter, Yugen's immense psion density and Kaleidoscope's vast computational domain assembled the spell instantly. To halt the tower's collapse, he invoked spirit power to apply gravity control.
"Here we go—Tenyo Shoran, activate!" Yugen shouted.
His spirited cry fueled the spell, enveloping the tower in dazzling light. When it cleared, the Tokyo Offshore Tower stood unscathed. Watching from outside, Minami spoke in awe.
"This is Yugen-niisama's power… Can a human achieve this?" she said.
Though informed of Yugen and Tatsuya's abilities, witnessing Yugen restore such a structure left her stunned. Meanwhile, Miyuki gazed worriedly at the tower but brightened upon seeing a weary figure—Yugen—emerge from the entrance. She rushed to embrace him.
"Yugen-san! Welcome back!" she cried.
"I'm back. Don't cry… I'm sorry for worrying you," Yugen replied.
Being embraced by his increasingly captivating fiancée was joyful, but suppressing his rising desire was a struggle. He realized he'd adapted deeply to this world. Tatsuya and Minami approached.
"Good work, Yugen. I've arranged for the New Humanity Front members' retrieval. You okay?" Tatsuya asked.
"Yeah, it's fine… Tatsuya, they used Stars spells. I'll report details later, but it's not just 'his' doing," Yugen said.
Beyond the Yotsuba, Yugen needed to inform the Mitsuya family about Hiroshi Misaki, as well as the Kagurazaka and Ueyama families about the incident. The endless issues weighed on him.
------------------------------
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]