By having Course 2 students at First High learn cutting-edge magic theory as well, Yugen intended to cause an upheaval in the exam results. He had requested cooperation from Tsuzura and Jennifer through magic geometry connections, as well as Kana through family ties. Figureing she was likely free, he even asked for assistance from the counselor, Haruka Ono. While many instructors at this school were indeed mages active on the front lines, that was strictly an evaluation within existing magic education theory, not one based on true magic education principles. It would crush their pride, but that was a matter they would have to settle through their own self-help efforts.
"...I'm actually looking forward to the first semester's exam results this year." "If the top spots end up dominated by those at the bottom of the entrance exam, I look forward to seeing what excuses the principal will make." "You two..." "Ah, ahaha... (I better work hard myself without getting complacent...)"
Though Toya and Yugen were voicing clearly disturbing thoughts, Tatsuya shared the sentiment in the sense that he held little expectation for the school, showing an exasperated posture while tacitly approving. Shina, too, resolved to study earnestly without resting on her entrance exam results alone.
On the night of April 12—the third day of recruitment week—a single phone call reached the Shiba residence, as if shattering such peaceful student days. Tatsuya was conducting detailed formula analysis of "Tuman Bomba" on his offline terminal in his room when a knock resounded. The person who appeared was Miyuki. She wore the same lacy blouse as before on top, paired with a flared skirt in a subdued tone below.
"Miyuki. Since you went to the trouble of changing, is it a visitor or a communication?" "It's a call from the main Yotsuba family. Brother is speaking with her now, but we would like Yugen-san to attend as well."
Given the relationship between the Yotsuba and Kagurazaka families, as well as his position overseeing Tatsuya's military actions, it was no distant matter. Yugen put his terminal into sleep mode and headed to the living room, drawn along by Miyuki. Displayed on the monitor was Maya Yotsuba, head of the Yotsuba family, chatting with Tatsuya, whose expression remained largely unchanged. Miyuki released Yugen's hand with a slight touch of reluctance, straightened her posture, and bowed to Maya.
"Thank you for waiting, Aunt Maya." "Think nothing of it, Miyuki-san. My apologies to you as well, Yugen-san. Or perhaps I should address you as Lord Kagurazaka in this context?" "This is not an official setting, nor a place to brandish authority, so please think nothing of it."
Maya accepted Miyuki's apology lightly while addressing Yugen with formal deference, to which Yugen replied politely with a wry smile. Though an abrupt communication, given the current signs of an impending invasion by the New Soviet Union, calling at this time was a foregone conclusion.
"Then please come over this Sunday afternoon. Speaking of which, Yugen-san, will you be attending the upcoming meeting?"
The first half of her statement was directed at Tatsuya, while the second was a query for Yugen. He immediately deduced that the meeting in question undoubtedly referred to the gathering of young representatives from the Twenty-Eight Master Clans.
"No, on that day, a meeting between the Kagurazaka family, the Kamiizumi family, and government officials is already scheduled. Therefore, I cannot attend the youth meeting." "My, is that so? May I ask what kind of meeting that will be specifically?" "Certainly. It is essentially a policy meeting regarding domestic matters in Japan, taking into account recent international circumstances."
Originally, the Kagurazaka family maintained order by eliminating enemies that posed a threat to the Imperial Court while remaining behind the scenes. Even as the role of politics shifted from the Imperial Court to a government of the people, that role was inherited without change to the present day. The upcoming meeting would involve presenting the intentions of the Guardians to government officials—specifically, the Prime Minister.
"While we have nipped many seeds of anti-magician sentiment in this country, the fear non-magicians harbor toward magicians has not been removed. It is entirely conceivable that a second or third 'Blanche' will emerge in time." "That is likely how things will unfold as time passes. What do you intend to do then, Yugen-san?" "Clarify the existence of magic. To be specific, I will destroy existing modern magic."
At Yugen's declaration, not only Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Mizuki beside him, but even Maya displayed visible surprise on the monitor. After all, the current chairman of the Master Clan Council had openly proclaimed he would "destroy" existing modern magic.
"Current modern magic is military power. To be precise, it originated as a 'deterrent against nuclear weapons and atomic energy.' Though meant to protect the unseen, the terror arising from being unable to visually perceive it creates unnecessary friction with non-magicians. Therefore, I reasoned that if magic becomes visible to anyone's eyes, it will prevent unnecessary fear." "The logic is sound, but how do you plan to achieve that?" "Optical visualization technology for magic—we will release CADs equipped with it, the 'Holy Blossom Series,' through FLT under the developer name 'Taurus Silver.'"
While current magic monitoring systems were not entirely ineffective, recent events involving Gu Jie forced the government to address countermeasures against Ancient Magic. Current modern magic originally stemmed from the USNA—the former United States. In that case, we wipe the slate clean on existing magic theory and build magic education in Japan from scratch. That said, there is no need to throw away all present modern magic; it merely requires adding a bit of "thought" to existing construct formulas. Although magic activation speed will slow down accordingly, relying on exercising magic mindlessly without thinking offers no path toward improvement. Even top athletes and artists never solved everything purely on raw impulse without thought.
"Furthermore, while I spoke dramatically of 'destruction' earlier, to be precise, we will restore what was discarded in modern magic by following the example of Ancient Magic. We will reincorporate the 'thought' process that should have been necessary for magic control. Reconstructing existing Activation Sequences will take effort, but this is a pressing issue. Incidentally, all the magic I passed to Tatsuya and Miyuki incorporates a thought process, enabling flexible multi-variable control."
Even in modern magic, there is a process of variable input within the Magic Calculation Area, but existing Activation Sequences cause that variable input time to directly dictate magic activation speed. Given that each individual possesses a distinct Magic Calculation Area, using a uniform Activation Sequence could never produce the exact same result for everyone. The reason the domain control of the magic Yugen provided was far more flexible than conventional modern magic was because it incorporated the process of "variable input through thought," which was unneeded in standard modern magic.
You might wonder if it's acceptable for the chairman of the Master Clan Council to take the lead in doing something like this, but it actually serves to advance magician society while scooping up youth turned away from entrance exams due to a lack of capability before they turn to crime, filling in the gaps. While increasing the number of magicians brings its own set of problems, this also aims for joint control by multiple individuals rather than shoving the burden of deterrence onto a single person. Protecting the nation's interests is by no means limited strictly to military aspects. Though, of course, the ultimate trump card when exercising final measures remains Strategic-Class Magic.
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