Special Lieutenant Ooguro (Shiba) Ryūya has a twin (Tatsuya), a sister (Miyuki), and a reason to see them both. He also has a hit list, and it keeps getting longer.
This is the one-shot result of me playing with the idea of Tatsuya having a twin brother. The quotes in the beginning are adapted from the light novel.
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"I've lost all of what you could call feelings of love."
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"They weren't sealed, so they cannot be released."
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"They weren't broken, so they cannot be fixed."
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"That which is lost cannot be recovered."
-.-.-.-
They say that it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
On one hand, Ryūya would have loved to disagree; to reject the notion with all his being. On the other hand though, he would have to agree that perhaps it was better to have known love, even if it did serve as a daily reminder of things forever lost to him.
The mere thought has his nails digging painfully into the meat of his arms as he stands with them folded, leaning against the wall of the building opposite to the wrought iron gates of First High. He barely notices the pain though, registering it but caring little beyond that. It is after all not even a bug's bite compared to the massive hurt that he feels whenever he inadvertently reminds himself.
On one hand, he certainly wants to forget; to focus on what is still salvageable in the present.
On the other hand, he wants to make sure that he doesn't forget; that he doesn't allow them to trick him into believing that what had been done to them had been for the best, a necessary evil.
Aged sixteen, Ryūya stands at a height of 173 centimetres and would with the eyes of an outsider quite likely have been described as fairly mundane, if well-built and seemingly capable. Notable features would otherwise have been his seeming indifference, now that he had for the most part mastered the art of not wearing his heart upon his sleeve. It was a skill that was not only useful but necessarily utilised whenever the Wicked Witch of the Yotsuba called him over for tea and biscuits to exchange pleasantries and un-pleasantries such as veiled threats of what would occur should he ever directly oppose her.
It was no big secret that Ryūya positively abhorred his aunt, Yotsuba Maya, who was also the head of the secretive Yotsuba clan. It was also no big secret that Ryūya had harboured similar feelings for his own mother, the late Shiba Miya, over the part that she had played in the incident more than ten years prior; over the fact that she had stolen Tatsuya's ability to feel like a proper human being for the sake of making him a proper magician, a weapon.
Being born into the Yotsuba clan is a curse, both for those with desired abilities and for those without them.
Shiba Tatsuya is Ryūya's brother; Tatsuya is actually the older one, but these days, Ryūya feels more suited for the part. Besides, Tatsuya's already acting as the older brother and Guardian to their younger sister, Miyuki, as per Maya's instructions. They are also attending the First High School, living off on their own, which is part of the reason as to why Ryūya hasn't talked to them in months.
Ryūya himself has also been busy with his training as a Special Lieutenant of the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion led by Major Kazama, one of the few men in positions of power that has not only earned but actually managed to keep Ryūya's respect.
The 101, One-Zero-One, is full of weirdoes, but they're competent and pragmatic weirdoes as opposed to the alternative. Ryūya holds a small number of them in especially high regard, and he likes being respected in return; being treated like person as opposed to being treated like a sentient weapon.
Strictly speaking, Ryūya and Tatsuya had both been Born-Specialised Magicians, BS Magicians for short. Incidentally, their respective special ability mirrored and complemented the each other's; Tatsuya's Divine Left to Ryūya's Demon Right, and of course vice versa.
Tatsuya's innate ability, Regrowth, enabled him to restore the Eidos log of a target. In layman's terms, he could restore a person or an item to its condition going back a maximum of twenty-four hours. In short, he could revive the dead, and only at the tiny price of enduring all the pain from the sustained injuries compressed into the 0.2 seconds that it took to read a target's Eidos log. In addition, the longer it had been since said injuries were sustained, then the more painful the process.
In contrast, Ryūya's own Demon Right, Decomposition, required only identification of the Eidos design to decompose any being or object, be it into larger pieces or into molecules. A few years prior, Ryūya had used the ultimate version of this ‒ Material Burst ‒ against the invading forces of the Great Asian Alliance, obliterating them and earning himself a spot as an unofficial Strategic-Class Magician, one out of about fifty internationally, of which the identity of only thirteen had been disclosed.
Ooguro Ryūya was the name that he'd been given, unofficially. The Great Black Dragon, a reference to Daitokuten, to Mahesvara, to Shiva. On one hand, being regarded as something akin to a God of Destruction does appeal to Ryūya's ego, giving him a morbid kind of satisfaction. On the other hand though, he is incomplete; he still lacks plenty of the attributes assigned to the Hindu god.
Ryūya shifts his weight from one foot to the other, slowly but surely growing tired of waiting. Hidden in his vest is Trident, a fitting gift for the God of Destruction from said god's other half.
There's also the Third Eye, a sniper rifle, which is obviously not there with him but rather back with his superiors under lock and key.
He is just about to haul out his phone and text them to hurry up when his finely tuned senses catch the approach of his siblings. Looking up, he can see them from a bit of a distance, walking towards the gates in the company of a number of students; their classmates and friends, Ryūya privately supposes.
They better enjoy their high school days, he then thinks, because odds are that their time at First High will likely be the only remotely normal everyday life that they are likely to experience as long as Yotsuba Maya is still breathing.
As they grow nearer, he contemplates calling out to them but ultimately decides against it; Tatsuya has already noticed him, and though it's mildly irritating to have to wait, Ryūya is happy to make the sacrifice since the longer this takes, the longer he'll have an excuse to remain where he is.
Still, when another group of students move in to engage Tatsuya's group, Ryūya has to employ a whole lot of self-control not to get involved, especially when one of the brats starts whipping out magic. It's not because he's particularly worried though; he's merely slightly upset that it's taking a whole lot longer than he would have hoped. Tatsuya's more than capable of dealing with something as small as this. And, going by the stances and the movements of some of the people accompanying him, so are they.
As such, Ryūya remains a spectator to the event as a third group arrives at the scene; the Student Council, if he isn't completely mistaken. From what Ryūya can see though, Tatsuya manages to dissolve the situation without further incident, gaining some additional followers.
On one hand, Ryūya is decidedly happy that his siblings, Tatsuya in particular, seem to be doing well, making friends and whatnot.
On the other hand, Ryūya is less pleased about the recent the turn of events, because he would have preferred a lesser or non-existent audience to their sibling reunion. It really can't be helped though, or so he thinks as he steps away from the wall, crossing the street just in time for the party of seven makes it out of the gates.
Once there he doesn't go to them; he waits for them to come to him.
"Hey, Tatsuya. There's a pretty imposing guy in sunglasses just up ahe‒"
Ryūya doesn't wait for the redhead to finish, removing his sunglasses in a fluid motion before folding them and putting them into his pocket, keeping a straight face whilst secretly enjoying the looks of shock that are sent his way.
"T-T-Tatsuya-san, s-s-same face?!"
Tatsuya and Miyuki both shoot him fairly exasperated looks; Ryūya knows what they are and they have his face split open in a slight grin that enjoys an even greater shock from the audience.
"Long time no see, brother," Miyuki greets at last, bowing her head slightly.
Ryūya chooses not to comment on how utterly different that same word sounds in Miyuki's mouth when she's directing herself to him and not to Tatsuya. It hardly matters though; she's important to Tatsuya, so by default, she's also kind of important to him. Ryūya supposes that the logic might be similar from her point of view, because the fact remains that they are not particularly fond of one another, even if they do regard each other with some sense of grudging respect without making it too obvious. Ryūya's better at pretending though, so he fires an absolutely killing smile her way, taking some sick pleasure in how she despite knowing it's him still blushes slightly. "Haven't seen you in months, little sis, and you as well, little bro."
Completely unfazed by the gaping crowd, Tatsuya retains his visible, if somewhat exasperated, calm. "If memory serves me right, then I'm supposed to be the older one. Still, the issue of seniority aside, Ryū‒?"
"I get it, I get it. Next time, call ahead, right? Honestly, I'm just here to deliver something." Ryūya pulls out two cell phone straps, presenting them to Tatsuya. "Happy belated birthday and whatnot."
Ryūya had actually picked them out himself; a snowflake for Miyuki the Ice Queen and a dragon for Tatsuya, simply because a strap with a bull would've spawned too many questions. Besides, the bull part of the Taurus Silver duo isn't Tatsuya, so a silver dragon would simply have to do.
"We didn't get you anything though," Miyuki says, accepting the snowflake as Tatsuya hands it to her.
"Tatsuya did." Ryūya flashes an easy grin. "You two are always together, so‒"
Cue Miyuki the Ice Queen going red, along with two of the other females of the group. Another girl remains mostly indifferent and a final one, the redhead, laughs heartily at that, along with the only guy there besides Tatsuya and him. It's true enough after all, and definitely worth the slight look of disapproval that it gets him.
After all, he thinks once he retreats back into an alleyway to wait for someone to come and pick him up, it is definitely worth it. How else is he supposed to stir up some type of emotion in his nowadays emotionally stunted but still highly intelligent and analytical brother who sees only hostiles and non-hostiles in his surroundings, as opposed to hostiles, neutrals and friendly types.
On one hand, the ability to determine such a thing at a mere glance would definitely have its uses. On the other hand, an ability like that would most definitely paint the world in black and white, when in fact, it was actually in greyscale. And, considering that it had more or less come about at the cost of being unable to feel strongly for anything but Miyuki, the drawbacks were definitely much greater than the gain.
To not be able to feel love or hatred, no fury, no fear, no disgust, no despair, no envy, no greed, no lust and no sloth; could that truly be called living as a human being? And, as if that wasn't enough, the only thing that could inspire either love or true fear in him was Miyuki, making Tatsuya overprotective and ruthless whenever she is concerned.
Contrary to the belief of some, Ryūya doesn't actually hate Miyuki. If anything, then he loves her as a sister, but obviously not in the obsessive manner that Tatsuya does, for obvious reasons.
If he could be said to hate her in some manner, then it is not because of who she is but rather what; she, as a Natural Mental Interference Magician, acts as Tatsuya's limiter, sealing away his immense potential and trapping him, and by default also Ryūya, into continued servitude.
Ryūya simply wishes that she would be more self-aware of this fact and that she would cease her efforts to pursue a relationship beyond that of siblinghood with Tatsuya. It's troubling to Tatsuya, and it's distasteful to Ryūya, because Miyuki's already at the very centre of Tatsuya's world and spoiled enough as it is. From what Ryūya had heard though, she is hardly the only one acting like a spoiled brat.
-.-.-.-
"How was it, seeing Tatsuya-san and Miyuki-san again?"
Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi Kyōko, the twenty-six-year-old Electron Sorceress and granddaughter to the famed Kudō Retsu, is decidedly competent in terms of magical hacking, but decidedly nosy in terms of Ryūya's personal business. Despite her nosiness though, being on her good side is decidedly preferable. "They're sticking close as usual, but seem to be making friends. What can I say? They seem happy. I hope it lasts."
The lieutenant smiles from over in the driver's seat. "You know, if you miss them that much, then I'm sure that Major Kazama would be able to convince your aunt to let you attend as well."
Ryūya shoots her a sideways look before directing his attention back towards the road ahead of them. "My esteemed aunt would no doubt approve, and no doubt take great pleasure in seeing me as a Weed. I'm a BS specialised in decomposition and destruction; I've got better things to do with my time than to get looked down upon by Blooms whose bones I could break even without the use of magic."
Considering the lengths that the Yotsuba clan had gone to muddy the three Shiba siblings' connection to them, Ryūya would rather not consider what would have happened to him, or to any of the others for that matter, if he ever did something like that. Fujibayashi of all people knows this, and she knows him well enough not to comment on his use of the more derogatory words for Course One and Course Two students. She of all people ought to know that the terms are used interchangeably, despite the policy forbidding the flower analogy.
"Should I take you back to base then, Ryūya? Or should I drop you off at the FLT labs?"
"No. Let's head back to base."
Ryūya has no business with the FLT, Four Leaves Technology, the company started by the late Shiba Miya, the former number two on Ryūya's personal (s)hit list. He has even less business with the Vice President of the business, Shiba Tatsurō, the guy who had married Miya and spawned children as a result of his pursuit of money and influence, while the main branch of the Yotsuba clan had congratulated themselves on obtaining an excellent addition to their gene pool.
Following Miya's death and Tatsurō's marriage to his long-time mistress within a year of the fact had him inheriting her position on Ryūya's shit list, placing him behind Wicked Witch Maya and her numerous pawns, counted as a collective due to their general lack of a sense of individuality.
Of course, Ryūya hadn't particularly cared much about the affair or about Tatsurō getting remarried; what had placed the man on Ryūya's personal shit list was the man's cold-hearted treatment of Tatsuya for the sake of protecting himself from the clan, in addition to his resentment of Tatsuya's intellect and abilities, the very same abilities that he and that new wife of his seem hell-bent on exploiting.
The mere thought of it has Ryūya considering the merits of taking out the FLT. With his abilities, that amount of destruction would've been easy, even if the aftermath following it would probably have been very unpleasant. However, familiar as he is with the work of the Third Division and Director Ushiyama, levelling the whole FLT would never make it to his agenda; Ushiyama and his fellow magical engineers are all loyal and respectful to Tatsuya, and they had made some really great stuff after Ushiyama and Tatsuya had joined forces under the alias of Taurus Silver, developing the Loop Cast System among other things.
Besides, the increased influence wielded by the Third Division in the FLT made Shiba née Furuha Sayuri irritated, probably because they were closing in on her unfairly elevated position, and that was always welcome in Ryūya's book. Similarly to her husband, Sayuri feels threatened by Tatsuya's talent. At the same time, she is apparently irritated by the fact that he had chosen to attend First High with Miyuki, acting as her Guardian, instead of allowing himself to be exploited full-time by the FLT.
It is a fact well-known that Miyuki is nursing a grudge against Sayuri. For once, Ryūya can agree with Miyuki on something that doesn't directly involve their brother. Still, Ryūya has to give Sayuri some credit for being smart enough to make herself scarce in the lives of the Shiba siblings. Still, though she is right to fear Tatsuya's talent as well as his ability to earn the loyalty of others, she probably doesn't even realise that Ryūya's been keeping tabs on her, waiting patiently for her to slip up and to do something that will give Ryūya an excuse to interfere and to remove her and preferably also her husband from the equation.
Truth to be told though, the Shiba husband and wife are small fry compared to Ryūya's other targets, of which Yotsuba Maya is the most prominent one. Of course, there are other confirmed and potential targets in the Yotsuba clan, but bringing them all down in one go unfortunately isn't an option, considering their magical prowess, secrecy and paranoia. Besides, not all people in the clan are bad ‒ unless his second cousins over in the Kuroba branch, Ayako and Fumiya, had gone bad since the last time he'd seen them.
"You seem to be awfully deep in thought today, Special Lieutenant Ooguro Ryūya."
Special Lieutenant Ooguro Ryūya of the One-Zero-One Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, unregistered Strategic-Class Magician of Japan, known as such to only a select few.
The Obsidian Demon, enlisted at the age of twelve to obliterate the invading forces of the Great Asian Alliance outside of Okinawa.
However, that was only half the truth, much like he was only one half of Mahesvara; Tatsuya had been there as well, and without his theory and cooperation, who knows what would have happened.
Ryūya finds himself looking down at his right hand, flexing his fingers a bit. In truth, it takes two people to be the Ooguro Ryūya; Tatsuya with the brains and the left hand of Regrowth and Ryūya with the right hand of Decomposition, decomposing matter into energy and feeding Tatsuya's depleting psion reserves to keep their established link from being forcibly shut down by the effects of the limiter.
Perhaps it was indeed so that he and Tatsuya had been meant to be born as one; as the Mahesvara that would eventually topple the Yotsuba clan and rebuild it in an image of his own choosing.
Perhaps it was indeed his seeming ability to circumvent the effects of the limiter that had landed him with Major Kazama; to keep him well away from Tatsuya, and from Maya's plans for them all.
Back then, he really hadn't liked it; only being able to see his siblings once or twice a year. Back then, for a short period of time, he had even regarded the battalion as his prison and the people in it as his wardens. Then, he had finally realised that Major Kazama taking him in had actually saved him from something much worse; being sealed away by the Yotsuba clan.
Even without being able to use his abilities as a Strategic-Class Magician, he had other abilities to hone and did so, polishing his combat and long-range sniping skills.
Receiving Trident from Tatsuya on their mutual birthday had been a pleasant surprise. The Silver Horn Specialised CAD had become an instant favourite of Ryūya's. The Third Eye calibre rifle CAD designed by Captain Sanada had also been a pretty cool present, but with it being kept under lock and key over at headquarters and with Ryūya being unable to use it properly anyway, it had naturally come second.
Besides, Tatsuya had actually gone out of his way to send a present to him; not to sound like Miyuki or anything, but that does mean that Tatsuya has been thinking about him, right? There had even been a small note accompanying it, like 'I made an extra and thought it'd suit you' and whatnot.
"Ryūya?"
Ryūya keeps looking out the window, at the cityscape flashing past it. "Kyōko-san, is Yanagi at base? I think I need to clear my head again."
After all, the moment he goes full bro-con mode like Miyuki does far too often, the world would probably be doomed. Hell, if he and Miyuki teamed up and joined forces with the Third Division of the FLT, then they would have Tatsuya as the new head of the Yotsuba clan in no time at all. The endeavour would have been terribly risky though, and it probably wouldn't have gained Tatsuya's seal of approval anyway.
Besides, even thinking such thoughts is forbidden, because Yotsuba Maya and her cohorts would and will exploit the Hell out of perceived weaknesses. Tatsuya's weakness is Miyuki. Ryūya's weakness is Tatsuya. In the end, Yotsuba Maya, the Queen of Night, has them right where she wants them, ready to hold their respective weaknesses against them when, not if, it becomes necessary.
Seeing Tatsuya and Miyuki today had come at a definite risk, yes. In the end though, it had been a necessary in order to strengthen his resolve; to convince himself that he isn't just waiting, training and fighting in vain.
Their time will come; they'll just have to hold on until then.
Until dawn breaks.
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