"Taking it to the extreme, yes. What's more, I know someone who would likely be singled out as the target for that—someone you know as well, Atsumi-san."
"...Ah, Shiba-kun's younger sister."
"Precisely."
If things came to that, her fiancé, Yugen, would never tolerate it, nor would Tatsuya—as family—allow it, vehemently opposing the idea given the risks to Miyuki. Furthermore, regarding the risks associated with idol culture, one of the fiancées of his close friend Leo knew all too well about the industry through her connections to 3D idol avatars.
Factoring in those risks, it would do nothing short of recreating the incident where the current head of the Yotsuba family was kidnapped. At worst, a reignited Yotsuba revenge tragedy, originating in Japan, could engulf the entirety of East Asia in the flames of war.
"Of course, that is merely one possibility," Touya added. "If we want to think of a proactive countermeasure, I believe it would be far better to push for corporate sponsorship of existing magic sports, officially establishing something akin to a professional league. We could simply use the events held at the Nine Schools Competition as a reference."
"Magic sports... I've never heard of such a thing in the USNA," Mia remarked.
"It can't be helped. Modern magic originated for military purposes—specifically as a deterrent against nuclear weapons."
Precisely because he had been born as an Adjusted Magician, Touya maintained a remarkably cold, pragmatic worldview even among those of direct Ten Master Clan bloodlines. Wanting more than anyone to live as a human being, he looked upon modern magic—a creation unleashed upon the world for martial ends—with little affection.
That was why he had pushed his physical training further than anyone else, ensuring he could handle any situation even without the use of magic.
◇ ◇ ◇
Morning did not come particularly early for Maya Yotsuba, head of the Yotsuba family. With the introduction of flextime and remote work, even typical office workers were freed from the chaotic rush of early mornings, but Maya's mornings were leisurely even compared to theirs.
Yet, Maya's lifestyle had shifted dramatically a few years prior. To be exact, after her secret conference with Miya following the Okinawa Defense Battle, perhaps out of jealousy toward her rejuvenated sister, she had begun waking up early to engage in magic training. Furthermore, through Kozo's introduction, she was now receiving martial arts instruction directly from her father, the former head of the family.
Granted, when she first started, years of physical inactivity took their toll; even light warm-up exercises left her gasping for breath, leading her to throw resentment-filled glances at Hayama, who stood by perfectly composed. Now, however, she could move significantly better than others of her actual biological age, matching the physical capability of her youthful appearance.
Having risen at four in the morning, Maya wrapped up her usual morning training routine by six. An hour after finishing breakfast, Hayama, standing respectfully behind her, spoke in a reverent tone.
"Madam, a video message has arrived from Tatsuya-sama."
"A video message? Tatsu-kun could have simply contacted me directly."
From Maya's perspective, now that she had acknowledged Tatsuya as her own son, taking time to hear out his troubles directly was no hardship; if anything, she starved for motherly communication with him.
That her son chose a video message instead was likely out of consideration—stemming from past habits—that it would be improper to disturb Maya during hours she might be sleeping. But while that might apply to anyone else, Maya felt Tatsuya was welcome to reach out to her at any time.
"It arrived last night, after you had already retired to sleep, Madam. Though you seem displeased..."
"It's not fair that you get to listen to it first, Hayama-san. Given how Tatsu-kun has been treated up until now, I can understand why he did it... but I take it it wasn't overly urgent?"
"Indeed. Tatsuya-sama explicitly stated, 'It will suffice if she views it tomorrow morning'."
Her curiosity thoroughly piqued, Maya informed Hayama that she would view the video message. Hayama promptly instructed the attending maids to make the necessary preparations for playback. Once everything was set and he received Maya's approval, Hayama signaled for the maids to dismiss themselves.
Hayama locked the private chamber's door himself and flipped the switch to lower the soundproof barriers. Inserting the memory card containing the decrypted data into a standalone playback device, Tatsuya's image was projected onto the screen prepared directly in front of Maya.
The message itself was brief, lasting under three minutes. As it reached its end, a smile played on Maya's lips, tinged with a slight sense of dissatisfaction.
"Honestly, Tatsu-kun... For something of this scale, he could have simply attended without needing my permission first."
In Maya's eyes, the moment she recognized Tatsuya as her son, she intended to grant him a reasonable degree of freedom. Yet, this video message bore the unmistakable lingering traces of Tatsuya's former role as Miyuki's Guardian. Even though her side had treated him that way for years, Maya couldn't help but feel annoyed by her son's stubborn, overly earnest nature.
"Tatsuya-sama may still be agonizing over how best to interact with you, Madam. After all, he served as Miyuki-sama's Guardian for a very long time."
At Hayama's advice-laden words, Maya reluctantly conceded. One could not simply demand an immediate shift in demeanor; habits ingrained over many years were not easily cast off. Having suddenly leaped from a position treated no better than a servant within the Yotsuba family to the heir apparent, it was plain as day why anyone would be bewildered.
"Now then, Madam. How shall we proceed regarding Tatsuya-sama's request?"
"Naturally, I shall grant permission. However, I will contact him myself. Is that acceptable?"
"Understood, Madam."
In response to Hayama's inquiry, Maya decided she would reach out directly, and Hayama bowed his head without a word of objection.
Afterward, as the head of the Yotsuba family stood gazing into her private closet, muttering, "I only have similar-looking dresses...", a butler looked upon her as if watching his own daughter—though that, of course, remains between us.
◇ ◇ ◇
Normally, Mitsuaki was in no position to attend, having already severed ties with the Kudo family. Naturally, he had not been informed about the youth conference, which made him tilt his head in utter confusion when an invitation arrived addressed to him.
The letter had been received by Sayaka, who had become a Magic University student that spring, and at the dinner table, the conversation revolved entirely around Mitsuaki. Met with eager glances begging to know the contents, Mitsuaki broke the seal with a letter opener and scanned the document.
"I see. It seems they are gathering the younger representatives from the Twenty-Eight Families and the Two Guardian Families for a conference this coming Sunday."
"Heh, a meeting regarding the Anti-Magic Movement... We can't exactly treat that as someone else's problem."
"Indeed. It is an issue the Mibu family cannot avoid either."
After all, Sayaka herself was a central figure in the disturbance two springs ago, having been brainwashed during the 'Blanche' incident. Though that fact had been disclosed to Mitsuaki upon his adoption into the family, considering his former family's involvement in the 'Parasite' crisis, Mitsuaki possessed no right to criticize her.
"Are you going to attend, Mitsuaki? If you're not feeling well, please don't force yourself."
"I'll be fine, Mother. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health."
Because he had originally transferred his registry to the Mibu family under the guise of medical treatment, Sayaka's mother was constantly worrying over him—a gesture that filled Mitsuaki with a mix of bashful apology and warmth. Having had almost no opportunities to interact with family in the Kudo household outside of his grandfather and his cousin (who was like an older sister to him), the warmth was all the more profound.
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