Hello, ITalkToSky here.

Long time no see guys. You do not know how many times I have rewritten this chapter. Just to give you a rough idea, the text I salvaged from writing this chapter alone is about 15K words. I discarded way more than that. Most of which are quite disjointed so another chapter might be some time away.

Discord invite code: nSMHjar

Come over and say hi some time.

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"Wow, the table is a bit empty today."

After sighing for the umpteenth time today, Mizuki met with an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Since morning, Tatsuya eyed her with pity and a hint of curiosity. Mizuki could imagine the reason. Her connection to her masters was hardly a secret, given that she disappeared and returned with them on that fateful day. It no doubt linked her to the enigmatic Atelier de Dantalian through association. Those hungering for any information on the company at all would grasp at any straw they could find. That placed her right in the crosshairs of many, including the Yotsuba, which Tatsuya belonged to.

The stare made Mizuki a bit conflicted and curious though. Honami told her that Tatsuya's emotional capacity had been severely limited from the mental tinkering he undergone as a child. Such cruelty that was, she thought. So, she fully expected to be stared at with cold calculative eyes, not ones filled with pity.

Still, Mizuki harbored no illusion that Tatsuya would ever disobey the Yotsuba. If their matriarch demanded he obtain the Philosophie, he would commit without hesitation. Such was the reason that his and his sister's absence at the lunch table astonished her.

With her masters all on leave, Mizuki was left to deal with any intrusive inquiries in their place. She grumbled a bit for that. Surprisingly, none came at her till that point and she got to enjoy a peaceful lunch.

"Unlike you, people have something important to do."

The remark earned an instant growl from the boy. "Are you implying that I am a useless bum?"

"My, I am not implying anything. You are just being overly defensive…or is that self-awareness? Oho ho ho…"

"Are you picking a fight?"

Leo responded to Erika's taunting smile with a deep scowl. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he rose off his seat a bit and loomed over the redhead. If this happened outside of their social circle, someone would step in at this point. To those in the know, this was a common occurrence, like the sun rising from the East. The two not bickering at least twice a day would make those seated around the table question whether they woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Their spitting contests often fizzled out on their own, but a little arbitration and distraction went a long way.

Though this time, the stalwart presence of an older brother and the graceful visage to thaw a hundred-year grudge were nowhere to be seen. All that was left was the taciturn girl, her bubbly but outwardly unreliable friend, and a reserved boy. They all came to a tacit agreement to let Leo and Erika have their fix.

"Your masters got involve with something outrageous again."

Mizuki stilled. That statement interrupted her just as the chopsticks neared her lips. Torn briefly, Mizuki lowered her hand with a hint of regret in her eyes. The food was not so enticing that she could not stop once she started. It was the topic. Mizuki could not help but tense up.

"Oh? And what may that be?"

"Did you not see on the net? The newly established company manufacturing the Heartfelt Engine is now under heavy criticism by the media." The genuine worry eased Mizuki up slightly. "False advertisement and fraud."

"Yeah, I heard that too. If I recall the name correctly, it is the Atelier de Dantalian. Along with the Heartfelt Engine, it seemed that they also released two new lines of CAD, but the marketing department went off the rail and blown up the specification data." Mikihiko elaborated. "This is not a matter that anyone can simply laugh off. Lunaire and Alice knew the inventor, right? What is that person thinking?"

The public pressure got quite heavy to the point that some stores took the well-proven Heartfelt Engine off their product line just to not be associated with Atelier de Dantalian.

"Ah, then worry not over it. I believe that the matter will quiet down very shortly."

From such a response, Mikihiko thought Mizuki did not quite understand the gravity of the situation. His assumption evaporated quickly, seeing the corner of her lips rise subtly. Mizuki generally wore a light and contented smile on her face, not this knowing look with a hint of amusement. It was so uncharacteristic of the meek girl.

"Do you know anything?" Honoka asked.

"…" Shizuku remained silent, but her eyes slowly widened.

Even if one possessed the mightiest political power in the country, the matter already progressed past the point in which the authorities could look the other way. The media, recently lacking a juicy story to cover, jumped on this case like hyenas. Everyone and their mother probably heard at least a lick about this fraud. An investigation would be launched to verify the capability of the new CAD. If it fell short, the company would have no choice but to shut down. A smile would be at odd with there being no good ending for her masters' acquaintance.

The only way for the matter to conclude well for Fortune…was for the claim to be true. Just the mere thought sent a chill down her spine.

Shizuku's father wanted nothing less than excellence for his precious daughter. For a successful businessman, nothing short of the top of the line would do. Shizuku knew a thing or two about cutting-edge CAD. Of all the flagship CAD of many manufacturers, Four Leaves Technology, Maximilien Device, Rosen Magicraft, none came close to matching the performance of Philosophie or Mystery.

"Are the claims true?" Her lack of inflection hid her turmoil well, but not from an old hand like Mizuki.

"If the thought-operated interface exists, is it too preposterous for Philosophie to exist too?"

"Very unlikely."

"Will you answer remain the same even after considering the enchantment on Alice's clothes?"

"…"

Perpetually active enchantment was revolutionary, so much so that it would normally be reserved solely for the military. The fact that such a statement came from Tatsuya who churned out a few groundbreaking creations himself lent it great weight. If Alice could create such a thing, it did not sound impossible for her acquaintance to invent something of the same caliber.

Shizuku understood the implication that held for her friend and whispered, "This is very dangerous."

"There is no doubt it is but is that not always the case?" Mizuki mumbled softly. "We are magicians, the so-called measure of national power…No matter how you sugar coat it, we are treated as military assets. While a bit cynical, it is not too far from the truth to call us reservists. What is a little danger on top of that?"

"Wait, wait, all of you hold up. Aren't we just talking about a company's false advertisement, right? Even if Lunaire or Alice knew the Fortune bloke or whatnot, it is not like the problem will trickle back down to us."

"Leo, you just do not get it." Erika sighed deeply, cradling her head low. Her fiery red hair almost dipped into her food tray. She mumbled, "why are you only sharp on certain matters."

"Then explain it properly so I can understand."

"If I am not reading this wrong, it is not a false advertisement, is it? Mizuki?"

Mizuki knew that they would pester her for an answer until the end. Since the public would soon learn of the information anyway, she saw no need to withhold it. "As far as I have heard, no…it is not."

That answer sent an unseen ripple to everyone on the table. They sat stunned even if the answer was entirely expected. Some things simply required a minute to sink in.

"I do not know what mess you got yourself into, but is it not about time you tell us, your friends, the whole story?" Erika leaned in closer. "So that we can lend you a hand?"

"That's right. If there is anything, we can do at all." Mikihiko chimed in.

Mizuki responded with an uncharacteristically troubled smile. Her next words sounded neither warm nor cold. "That is certainly reassuring."

Mizuki was cut off by a shadow looming over her. The girl glanced up briefly and felt her mood souring further.

If one forgot about her subpar magical ability, Mizuki fits the mold of a model student to the tee. A good understanding of mundane subjects and the theoretical aspect of magic allowed her performance to compete with the higher-performing Course 1 students. Most importantly, Mizuki never broke the rules or was even accused of doing so. Her record was utterly spotless. There could only be one reason that the chairwoman of the Public Moral Committee came to meet her in person.

"Shibata Mizuki, correct?" Not bothering to confirm their response, Mari wore a grim-faced mask, making it clear that she would not accept no for an answer. "Come with me. This is very urgent."


"What will it take for you to understand that we are trying to help you?"

What it would take for them to understand that their meaningless posturing impressed no one, Mizuki wondered. She understood their frustration. They questioned her for almost half an hour and all she gave them was that she knew Fortune by association. Mizuki resolutely stonewalled any further inquiry with silence. They had no legal authority to force her to speak, thus she maintained her silence. This method proved to be as frustrating as Lunaire's to Katsuto, discounting the taunting and snark.

"Hmph, I am more or less convinced that either you do not understand the extent of danger you are under or you have grown numb to it already. But do you know, you are not the only ones at risk."

Katsuto noticed her back stiffening at his word. She tucked herself in her seat and straightening her back. Her face looked up, showing that her drifting amber eyes regained their clarity and focused back on him, unlike the past half hour when her mind wandered off elsewhere. He felt he finally found the trigger he needed, even if Mizuki's countenance darkened.

"It is not difficult to discover that you are connected to Atelier in some way. With that fact alone, not only will people come for you for information, your parents and perhaps your close friends will also be targeted. Is that what you wish for?"

"Juumonji-kun, that is a bit…"

Mizuki narrowed her eyes sharply. The barest token of respect for her seniors could not stop her from glaring openly. This only served to spur Katsuto on even as Mayumi showed signs of hesitation.

"Oh, so you never thought about it deeply." Katsuto crossed his hands and leaned forward. "Let me be blunt. This matter is bigger than your circle of friends. The whole world is eager to get their hand on the technology behind the Philosophie, the USNA, NSU, or GAU, everyone. They will look for anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to get to the company. As long as you do not clarify your current ambiguous relationship with the company, they will come for you to extract whatever little you may know about the Atelier. Believe me, they will not be so kind as to leave your relatives out of this."

"Is that a threat?"

The veiled threat rattled Mizuki more than she expected that she inadvertently agitated her mana. While it did not escape her body, her first word in a long while radiated power. Mayumi could swear she saw an unnatural glimmer in the pair of amber eyes and shrunk back in her seat a little.

Katsuto steeled his body against the unseen pressure while trying to appear relaxed. "Atelier de Dantalian is a company headquartered in Japanese soil. There is no need for us to be so drastic. Of course, this does not extend to the parties outside. They are willing to go to any length to attain their prize."

"It is not as if disclosing my relationship with the company solves any issue. Not everyone on this planet will get the memo that I am worthless to come after. Even if that is the case, is there such a thing as a worthless lead against a company that keeps its secrets so well?"

No one knew exactly how important Lunaire, Alice, Marisa, and Mizuki were to the company and everyone agreed to keep it such. This was not due to secrecy. They already jumped into the limelight. All the mystery was merely to cultivate the air of unpredictability. The unknown was terrifying and served to deny the machination from their opponents, at least for the short-term.

"Certainly not, which is why we promise to grant you and family safety if you cooperate fully."

Katsuto tried but utterly failed to endear himself to her side. In the end, it was still a veiled threat, just dressed up nicer. While the Ten Master Clans would not be the perpetrator, they would allow harm to befall her family if she did not cooperate.

"Please, Shibata-san. This is a very uncertain time. While we can contain the information, for now, it is only a matter of time before other nation finds out and…" Mayumi trailed off.

Mizuki's eyes gleamed with undisguised malice, which made her fake upbeat tone sounded even more sarcastic. "My, if I had heard of your offer first, I would have considered it seriously, pity, really."

Mizuki wished desperately she could record this conversation for the media. His insinuation alone would draw scrutiny to the very concept of Ten Master Clans itself. In exchange for their privilege and influence, they were expected to protect the country against magical threats. The public outrage would be legendary when they found out that the clan tried coercing the citizen using protection as leverage. They might as well grant the Ten Master Clans peerage then.

The Ten Master Clans could wiggle around and claim they could not authorize protection detail if they could not confirm whether Mizuki's family was in any danger. It was a valid point. But in politics, even the tiniest kindling could burst into flame.

Anyway, everything Katsuto proposed was a moot point. It was quite an obvious play, information for protection. The denizens of Scarlet Devil Mansion already anticipated this and provided countermeasures. Mizuki merely listened out of curiosity whether they would stoop to play this card. While she was not above such measures, the extent to which the other party was willing to go determined the level of civility she would offer them.

On a side note, Atelier offered a deal for Mizuki's parents. The father and mother would start out as live-in employees at a lower position to adjust for the quirks in CAD manufacturing company before a promotion to managerial position when they proved capable enough. They were initially reluctant until Mizuki provided them with the explanation, omitting the matter regarding mana magic. To say that both went into mama bear mode was an understatement. It took considerable persuasion and acting cute on Mizuki's part to calm them down. Unfortunately, Lunaire got chewed out for involving their precious daughter in a dangerous business in the end anyway. Alice and Marisa bizarrely got off lightly.

"If that is all that you wish to say, may I be excused?" Mizuki inquired blankly.

Taking this sign as unease, Katsuto waved her off. "Very well, go back and think about it."

Mizuki held back her snark that she probably would chuck the memory of this conversation to oblivion when she crossed the threshold.


Night, Atelier de Dantalian HQ and production complex, Naka Ward, Yokohama

Yokohama was quite a suitable location for several reasons. As a populous and highly developed port city, the various infrastructure was already in place to support their operation. High voltage power grid, road, and rail system, not to mention the seaport, everything needed for a company to grow was within reach. The sea route especially was convenient in case they ever needed anything from the global market, either importing raw materials or exporting their finished goods if need be.

The location also offered a reasonable degree of security for a region close to the sea. This was a big concern given that magic equipment manufacturers were treated almost like a part of the defense industry for obvious reasons. Their technical advances directly impacted the effectiveness of magicians fielded by the nation. It was not unthinkable for the historical rivals to pull some shenanigans. Located on the Pacific side of Japan meant some distance from the Great Asian Union and the New Soviet Union. While a long trip would not faze more determined foes, Yokohama was at least safe from ballistic missiles or land-based attack crafts over the pond. If all else failed, they could count on Yokosuka Naval Base being a stone throw away, blocking access to the Tokyo bay itself.

After procuring the land in Naka Ward of Yokohama, something that could be only dubbed paperwork magic from the Itsuwa clan ensured that the first construction crews hit the site the very next day. From then on, the work continued around the clock to bring the facility operational as soon as physically possible. With excess manpower, it could be said that the only speed restrictions were fundamental limitations like the curing time of concrete.

The minimalistic and utilitarian style of the HQ complex affectionately named the Atelier, facilitated the process. Flowers and greeneries were added sporadically to prevent the simple geometry from souring the view. While quaint compared to other corporate headquarters, the Atelier gave a clean and charming impression.

As a company specialized in high value and low volume goods, Atelier de Dantalian required correspondingly small office and factory space. On the western side of the complex stood two blocky buildings, making up all their administrative office space. On the East was an L-shape facility, housing all their machinery for small scale CAD production. A rather tall concrete wall surrounded the complex with four entrances flanked by guardhouses.

When the CAD assembling machine arrived, it was the end of work for some and the start for others. For all intents and purposes, the CAD manufactory was completed. With raw materials, parts, and their special induction stone, the facility stood ready to begin production. Yet, this was hardly the end of the project. Driven by their itching hands, the Kappas scrambled over each other to start the excavation process.

In anticipation of the looming grubby hands from both domestic and international parties, both Reisen and surprisingly Kirin demanded additional security measures. If the facility came under attack or was infiltrated, a warning system and saferoom were essentials. Unfortunately, or fortunately, when the Kappas heard of such a memo, they intentionally misinterpret their intention as wanting a doomsday bunker.

Alice, the lady in charge of the accounts, was about to hit the brakes at the first sign of trouble, but the Kappa hit her with a surprisingly reasonable request. The mansion had been using their services without official payment other than procuring them books. Instead of the payment, they were promised, they proposed that they were allowed semi-free reign on the project. Many voiced their misgiving, to say the least, but they all relented to a single fact. There was a point where they needed to stop, and the Kappa clearly went past it. Tearing it all down at that point was utterly wasteful. In the end, Alice handed them a hard budget limit and closed her eyes.

Combining engineering talents with modern building technology, an underground complex spanned almost the area of their facility. Located tens of meters beneath the magically reinforced ground, the place was utterly impervious to attacks from above ground even if it was discovered. The complex had self-contained sections for housing, armory, storage, and many other facilities including the teleportation platform, linked up to the central hexagonal hub. Except for a food supply, the place was suited for long term habitation. To add to the defensibility, they installed light bulkheads to seal off any section if needed. The place would make any evil scientist green with envy.

Expectably, the bunker became the cornerstone of their security. The Kappa dotted the buildings above with various sensors and cameras, then wired everything down to a surveillance room underground. In conjunction with the detection net, their people could use various secret passageways to appear just about anywhere in the above-ground facilities. If required, Patchouli could teleport from Scarlet Devil Mansion to the bunker and navigated the vents right up to the male bathroom on the third floor.

As a cherry on top of it all, the magicians, not wanting to lose to the Kappa, applied reinforcement spells to the buildings, offering enough durability to withstand a few artillery barrages. In the case of intruders, a few detection and confusion wards would tip the balance toward the defenders. Of course, things got to the point where enough was enough. But by then, Lisette jokingly referred to the facility as Le Bastion instead of Atelier. She was not far off the mark. While mana-based protection of the above-ground structure was a little light, no workshop had any right to be this well-fortified.

After hearing of its full completion and the start of pilot production, Remilia felt it her business to inspect the facilities personally. It went without saying that she just jumped on any new thing to alleviate her boredom. In part, the vampire truly wished to see their shiny company headquarters. Mostly though, she hoped to meet some visitors.

Someone was bound to try debunking their ridiculous specification sheet and found out that the Philosophie and Mystery were as impressive as their advertisement made them out to be. Yet, they surpassed their expectation by far. Kirin expected skepticism and disdain would make most people shy away from the CAD. Those who discovered the truth would be thought of as people hired by the company. To an extent, she was correct. This was the general perception of the public. But the Ten Master Clans and the government, after three days, already knew the truth and slavering.

Even with that knowledge, everyone expected a high likelihood of the day ending peacefully. Aya delivered their ultimatum in the morning. The Itsuwa relayed the message through the private communication line between the Ten Master Clans. At most, it would take an hour or two. Both the government agencies and the clans were relentlessly blowing up the Itsuwa's terminal, so all it took was picking up the phone.

If the Itsuwa relayed their ultimatum accurately, everyone hungrily eyeing the company would freeze up completely. The threat was very credible. From their abrupt appearance and foundation that relied heavily on the aid of foreign entities, all evidence supported the possibility that the company was merely a temporary fixture. It was simply an elaborate platform for them to impress upon the world their creation so publicly that there would be no chance of the government covering it up. Just like announcing an item in an auction. The CADs were the goods and the nations being the prospective buyers. The Atelier de Dantalian had the means to follow up on their threat.

That very knowledge alone would scare anyone in Japan senseless. One wrong move would be disastrous. It went beyond the degree that a single party could decide and take responsibility on their own. They needed time to discuss the response.

Of course, there was a slim chance for something to go conveniently wrong. The memo could slip through the cracks somewhere along the way and arrive late to the intended recipient. Perhaps, something unfortunate was too late to stop or had already happened when the message reached the decision-maker. Within the very brief window when everyone did not know left from right, many things could happen, like a quick smash-and-grab.

There happened to be one particularly gutsy clan in Japan that could entertain the thought of such an unlikely coincidence. Remilia was banking on them to be her chew toy. They did not disappoint.


"As people sent to steal military secrets, I expected a bit more…" Sakuya muttered after administrating a rather heavy dose of anesthetic to the back of the intruder's neck. The blunt force variety that was.

Without the detection wards set up by their resident magicians, the intruders would have infiltrated with everyone none the wiser. They flawlessly evaded the motion sensors and cameras littered around the facility. By no means was this an easy feat. The Kappa did not quite have the budget to monitor every square inch of the complex, but they did their best. The thick protection of the underground bunker also backfired somewhat in this scenario. Layers of material and magical enchantments to withstand even the naval bombardment also hampered the supernatural mana sense that many relied on for detection. The weak mana concentration of a typical human blended into the brightly lit background.

Not that there was too much to lose if everything failed though. All their business above ground was squeaky clean. The documents left in the offices were either dummy or a copy that could pass any audits and the CAD assembly line was identical to any other competing manufactory. But that was beside the point. Remilia did not appreciate strangers trampling about on her property with wanton disregard.

Sakuya dumped the unconscious man with the rest of his compatriots in the garden. She had all the time in the world and thought it better than to remember where she knocked them out later. Then, off she went to the last rat in the compound, the only one not engaged with her mistress. All the while, Sakuya marveled at the subtlety of the spell cast over the facility. The facility was not too big and Remilia surely kicked up quite a ruckus, but the maid hardly heard anything at all. These intruders knew nothing of their comrades being pounded to a pulp just on the other side of the building.

"I expect great news from you tonight, Tatsuya-san."

It came out of the blue. His comm line rang forebodingly as soon as he crossed the threshold of his own home. Tatsuya recognized that soft cloying voice from miles away. A lady clad in burgundy dress wore a bewitching smile that could charm both men and women alike. Yet, he knew. Yotsuba Maya was a woman who could hand out the most generous praise or the cruelest punishment with that very same expression. This time though, unlike many other times he saw her, he noted a sense of rush and hunger in her eyes.

Tatsuya expected this order. Atelier made themselves too juicy of a target and Yotsuba wanted it. They wanted it bad, so much so that other options flew straight out the window. The thought of bickering with the other Ten Master Clan for the right to The Philosophie never crossed Maya's mind. The Itsuwa would never relinquish the secret manufacturing process without a fight. With their dying daughter, it was their only card to remain in the political arena. The Itsuwa needed to make the induction stone technology exclusive to them in some form. Yotsuba could not have that. No matter the means or the cost, they would get their hands on the whole manufacturing method to tinker with.

Yet, this happened too fast. A little less than 48 hours passed since the time Tatsuya handed in his findings and the strike team organized. This was not simply a matter of efficiency and fast reaction either. The Yotsuba was nothing but thorough. It was the only way they could brave the ordeals thrown their way by a cruel world. Hence, it struck Tatsuya as odd to see the uncharacteristic haphazardness in this arrangement. Maya said she assembled the best that the clan had to offer. She clearly neglected to complete the message with 'on short notice.' While he would not criticize their merit as operatives, he saw no synergy between the magical forte of the men assembled. It was as if Maya were in a rush, picking the best she could find on paper without considering if the pieces would fit together.

Regardless, Tatsuya would fulfill his duty, not for Yotsuba, not for his aunt, but for Miyuki.

When they arrived in the Atelier de Dantalian's one and only facility in Yokohama, uneasiness struck the group. The place looked too empty. No light could be seen from any of the buildings nor the guardhouse at the entrance. The only eyes watching the area would be the camera littered all over the premise. With that level of security, Tatsuya would believe it to be a simple foodstuff warehouse than CAD manufactory, one housing military secrets of the highest degree to boot.

Tatsuya was not the only one rattled by the scene. The visors concealed their expression, but the way the other operatives turned to each other told of their suspicion. One even turned to Tatsuya, the notorious black sheep of the family.

This whole facility reeked of traps.

There was only one way to make sure and prepare. But as soon as Tatsuya peered through his elemental sight, he was dumbstruck.

If the world was likened to a computer, then the physical world would be the graphical display or monitor and the information would be the underlying software. This analogy was a rather unpopular one since it brought up the uncomfortable implication that the reality was merely a matrix. Yet, it was so fitting.

Modern magic functions by temporarily altering the coding in the software, which then affect the displayed information that normal human could see. The reason that magic loses its effect without continuous application could be compared to antivirus automatically eradicating the malicious coding that magician injected into the system.

Under this analogy, elemental sight functioned rather similarly to the command console of the information dimension. Its power allowed the user to peer into the very coding, or eidos, of every phenomenon in the physical world. Normally, Tatsuya could parse through the console display and assign which string of code was associated with which object. Such a feat was no longer possible within this facility. Everything appeared like a shifting, jumbled mess.

The underlying coding was not changed, or else the whole facility would be a nightmarish shifting place of unreality. Something was interfering with his ability to query data from the information dimension.

Once again, Tatsuya was reminded of the enigma that he was facing. To say that Elemental Sight was a poorly understood ability was an understatement. Most people in the academia believed the ability to be a fantasy dreamt up by the people in the past, dubbed the Eyes of the Spirits. This was understandable since the known cases of such ability manifesting were few and mostly kept secret. However, the feat before his eyes led Tatsuya to believe that the people behind the Atelier knew more in this area than possibly the whole world.

After all, they successfully developed a countermeasure. The complete blackness surrounding the Lunaire's kimono, induction stone containment, and then this seemed too convenient to just be a coincidence or some side effect of their technology. These suggested that they recognized the ability as an existing threat and understood its nature enough to defend against it.

Thankfully, it was not perfect. Unlike the shroud around the smaller trinkets that utterly denied access, Tatsuya could still barely pin down the information body of objects in the facility with additional visual input. That meant that, at the very least, Mist Dispersion remained a viable option if the target was within line of sight. He suspected that it was a limitation of protecting a much larger area.

On the sourer note, for the first time in his life, Tatsuya was blind as a bat and stuck with his main offensive magic that required line-of-sight. Perhaps, this was Karma for what he did to Shinkurou back in Monolith Code.

The odds were stacked heavily against him. Yet, there was no turning back.


Shouldering grim determination and only relying on his trained but ultimately humanlike senses, Tatsuya arrived surprisingly unmolested to the highest room in the building. Pulling out of the data storage device preloaded with a computer virus to bypass the password lock, he found much to his dismay that he did not need it. The company continued to play with his preconceived understanding of the world. This was the highest room in the building. Mahogany bookcases, large sofas, and luxurious decorations marked this room as belonging to the top executive or at least the manager. Yet, the computer terminal belonging to such personage seemed as if it came straight from the factory. There was no password. Not just that, the machine had nothing except the stock standard operating system.

This would be understandable for a facility that just got up and running. Tatsuya smelled a hint of paint thinner in the air still. Yet, the first set of products already shipped from this place, making it unlikely no documentation existed at all. Either this was not the real office, or all the relevant data had already been wiped. Both possibilities led to one conclusion. The enemy was prepared for their arrival.

Tatsuya pulled out his silver CAD at the ready, expecting an attack. None came. Tatsuya clicked his tongue. He started to realize just how much he came to rely on elemental sight. It provided him with the bird-eye view of the situation, ensuring that nothing caught him by surprise. Being robbed of such a powerful tool, he was reminded of the limitations of the human senses. He was no longer fully certain whether someone was hiding just beyond the door or the corner or the furniture.

Just as Tatsuya put his CAD away, he felt a chill running up his back. Out of instinct ingrained by brutal training, his arm guarded against a blunt impact aiming at the back of his neck. His hand looped around to grab onto the offending party, but it pulled back.

Not just retreating, a few follow-up jabs and kicks battered against his guard. With his fighting instinct kicked to high gear, Tatsuya batted away the attacks and returned the favor. Even with his natural night vision still blinded by the computer display, he could still make out the shadowy figure.

None of his strikes connected. Just like his spars with a certain wannabe monk, his blows were expertly brushed aside. Though unlike the energetic and forceful movement of his master, Tatsuya felt that cloying would be a fitting description. He was not yanked out of position but gently guided. It was a strangely natural experience as if his missed swings were entirely of his own volition. If not for the fact that any over-commitment to any blow would invite a swift counterattack, Tatsuya would believe this to be a dance of sort.

Slowly, Tatsuya gained ground on the merit of his strength, inching ever closer to his opponent. Seemingly had enough, his enemy leapt out of grappling distance. Before he could pursue, gleaming bolts rushed at him. Tatsuya thought his opponent panicked. Out of a few dozen projectiles, most would miss him entirely if he merely stood still. It could just be a distraction. The ones missing him glowed, providing a distraction for those heading straight at him. With a swift squeeze of a trigger, only the threatening projectiles crumbled to dust.

His turn to balk came in the next moment. Hearing a series of crisp pings, Tatsuya glanced back. To his horror, the silver knives bounced off the surfaces around him. In utter defiance of physics, they behaved more like light than an object, reflecting off at an angle while preserving their momentum. The tip remained pointed in their direction of travel. The knives he ignored rocketed off the floor, bookshelves, and ceiling continuously, creating a chaotic screen of impalement.

Adding to his plight, the assailant threw up a fan of knives behind her with a flourish. They glowed dimly in the darkness and bounced off the wall toward him.

In normal circumstances, Tatsuya could easily deal with a few dozen flying at him, irrespective of direction. Yet, that was possible only with the assistance of his elemental sight. Lacking the added awareness and only able to target the knives ahead of him, Tatsuya would quickly turn into a pincushion.

Without hesitation, Tatsuya covered his head with his arms and threw himself out the window. While braving through the blade storm, a few knives lodged themselves into his limbs and torso.

It was the smartest option. His opponent could easily throw up another swarm of blades in the confined space of a room. Taking a few hits was not a problem. But even Tatsuya, who could instantly recover from any grievous injury, would struggle to survive a knife lodging in the back of his skull. With so many flying in from his blind spot, one was bound to score a bullseye.

The shattering glass and howling wind filled his ears. His stomach turned from the brief weightlessness before the lurching sensation followed. Falling from the fifth floor exceeded human tolerance regardless of training. Tatsuya quickly deployed a simple deceleration spell to break his fall, less he broke his legs.

"How intriguing…"

A voice barely above a whisper drifted to his ears. Recovering from a five-floor fall, Tatsuya rolled into a low ready posture immediately for any subsequent assault. With his natural night vision that just started recovering, Tatsuya caught sight of his assailant. He prided himself on maintaining composure, especially on matters about the mission. Yet, Tatsuya felt a sense of confusion gnawing at him. He wished he were seeing things.

Unfortunately for him, the subject of his confusion landed soundlessly in front of him. The waning September moon illuminated the figure just enough for him to confirm that she was not a figment of his stressed mind.

A maid stood before him. No matter how he put it, Tatsuya found no other way to describe the lady before him. She wore a simple white and blue one-piece dress with little frills and color detailing here and there, giving a neat and tidy impression without being too drab. Tied around her waist was unmistakably a small apron. Complete with the headdress, the dress code matched the stereotypical maid. Her face was concealed by her burgundy scarf. Though a normal domestic servant could not hope to jump a guardian trained by Yotsuba, let alone wound them.

Admittedly, domestic servants doubling as guards were hardly uncommon. They required more resources and time to select and train, but the elite households found them worth the effort. While unable to completely replace full-time guards, they blended in with other inconspicuous staff in the premise, being the constant hidden threat for any would-be intruders. They also had a better chance at building rapport with their charge and perhaps becoming their confidant.

A combat-capable maid was hardly capable of raising Tatsuya's eyebrow, but meeting one in a CAD manufactory at such an ungodly hour devoid of people was somewhat unexpected.

Tatsuya from leveling his silver CAD at the woman and mercilessly squeezed the trigger. She made the mistake of appearing in his sight and giving him enough time to aim. Tatsuya loaded his favorite spell. He had no intention of simply killing her. The Atelier already knew that the facilities would be attacked, so silencing her served no purpose. The swiftest and cleanest knockout method in his repertoire involved surgically damaging specific nerve clusters in the body, which caused intense pain capable of sending the average adult into shock. In this world, there was nothing more suited for this application than Mist Dispersion.

A brief flash appeared from the muzzle and then there was nothing. A cold pair of blue eyes showed a hint of amusement. His spell failed. When he queried for her eidos in the information dimension, nothing intelligible returned. Without the required targeting data, Mist Dispersion quietly fizzled out.

Tatsuya clenched in hand. He somewhat expected this outcome. The Atelier was capable of shrouding the facility from his elemental sight, so it was not entirely out of question to shield their personnel from magical targeting.

The mission increased in difficulty by another fold. Yet, Tatsuya could not afford to pull back. Maya did not take too kindly to failure. He raised the CAD on his off-hand, loaded with more conventional magic.

Then suddenly, Tatsuya felt an unfamiliar pain. The abruptness of it all forced out a short cry, but it came out a gargled gurgle from the back of his throat. He coughed weakly. His mouth tasted strongly metallic. At this point, the realization struck him. Along with the searing pain, blood was filling his airway. His knees weakened and his body staggered on his feet.

Self-repair spell, auto-start.

"It is quite impressive to see it personally."

Tatsuya looked back up to the speaker. She stood at roughly the same position, but her posture shifted. A gleaming knife was held loosely in her hand. The maid inspected the blade and flicked it softly as if to remove non-existing liquid.

Magic was known to be capable of inducing illusory pain or even simulating realistic injury. Ancient variety was particularly notorious for this feat. Yet, Regrowth could not be fooled. Its activation meant his body registered physical harm beyond the acceptable standard. It was beyond question that this woman before him somehow inflicted a fatal wound.

More importantly, she did so without Tatsuya even registering the act.

One moment, she was a few meters away. The next, Tatsuya was gagging on his own blood. There was no flashing light, no gesture, no indication of magic invocation at all. And nothing in this world could accelerate from a complete stop, cover about 30 meters, strike, and reverse in the timespan of a blink without magic.

Ignoring the phantom pain in his throat, Tatsuya dropped into his fighting position like a panther preparing for a pounce. He raised his fists at the ready and guarding his vital. Although he appeared raring for a fight, his blue eyes glanced left and right. Nothing that they landed in the central courtyard of the facility, Tatsuya growled frustrating at the complete lack of any cover.

"Shiba Tatsuya, are you not?"

Concealed beneath his mask, Tatsuya's eyes widened in shock from the absolute surety in her tone. How did she know, Tatsuya almost let that question slip from his tongue.

"My master wishes for your presence. I advise that you stay put and wait patiently." The maid showed no sign of budging an inch.

Naturally, Tatsuya brought his hand closer to his chest as if the gesture were merely to adjust his guard. He waited and saw no reaction.

In one brisk motion, Tatsuya flicked out a small cylinder from his breast pouch. With a soft click, a small metallic handle detached from the object as it flew toward the woman. Tatsuya maintained eye-contact and saw her perplexed expression before breaking out into a sprint toward the nearest building.

Unfortunately, a familiar-looking cylinder entered his peripheral and flew into his view. Then, there was whiteness.

Yotsuba trained him to be one of their most skilled agents. But nothing in the world could prepare Tatsuya to have a flashbang go off so close to his nose he could smell it. Certainly, a complete loss of vision, ruptured eardrum and major concussion was assured. Regrowth restored him to perfect condition a split second later. It could not stop him from careening on the ground but helped him get up before any man had the right to.

The maid did not allow him any reprieve. Accompanied by searing pain, Tatsuya briefly lost all muscle strength in his thigh, foiling his attempt to sprint. Regrowth restored his leg to full functionality mere moments later. The next few moments passed by in a frantic blur. Tatsuya tried reaching for other grenades in his repertoire, but his front pouches ended up slashed to ribbons along with their content. Any attempt other than to stand up was met with the ruthless severing of tendons associated with said movements.

This experience was both new and terrifying. Tatsuya and pain were old friends, both physical and mental. He experienced it so early and often in his lifetime that it was no longer anything special. Tatsuya could withstand unimaginable agony for the sake of accomplishing anything he deemed necessary. Never once he felt such utter helplessness in the situation.

As much as he did not want to admit it, Tatsuya was in the dark. Even after observing the action for the umpteenth time, he could not begin to fathom the remotest guess on the means of this damnable maid. Without even a trace of magic to be felt, deep cuts materialized on his body out of the void. Nothing he did could stop it. Using flash cast, he used spells to stun, slow, and weight her down to no avail. Her silver knives carved into his limbs all the same.

"Will you stop moving around? While I have no problem continuing, I feel like my hand might just slip." The maid commented lightly with a sigh as if she were not talking about something so morbid. "Who knows…maybe the next strike might land between your eyes."


"Good evening." Tatsuya heard a voice addressing him before the sudden brightness forced him to blink repeatedly. After having his head covered with a loose cloth bag for so long, he almost lost count of time. It was only obvious that the sterile white room with a large overhead lamp would stab harshly at his eyes.

With new stimuli, his mind quickly regained its clarity. The first thing Tatsuya did was testing the strength of his restraints. Much to his disappointment, it remained as ironclad as the first moment they tied him to the chair. Metal wire bolted him tight against his seat, allowing not even the smallest wriggle room. Tatsuya found the nature of these bindings resembled the Philosophie CAD. For the past many hours, he tried all physical and magical means at his disposal to no avail. The wire and even the sack covering his face defied any attempt to analyze its nature. Even after bombarding them with Gram Demolition, the film of darkness shrouding the objects showed no sign of dissipating. Without the necessary grasp on their eidos, he could not disintegrate them into their constituent molecules.

"I believe we have met. Not in any situation like this, but no introduction should be necessary."

"…"

"There is no need to make such a scary face. Don't tell me you did not expect this to be the case?"

"While I know that you people fit in the puzzle somewhere, it still surprises me to see you here."

Unlike other people like Mayumi and Katsuto who guessed that Lunaire only knew someone from the company, Tatsuya harbored strong suspicion that he and Alice were directly involved. After handling the Philosophie CAD and piecing together tidbits from the conversations with them, it was the only conclusion that he could draw. Yet, it was utterly baffling that Lunaire would confirm that fact so blatantly with his appearance in this cell. It went against his nature.

"Is it really that unexpected? Our connection to the company is already beyond question. Even Kudou Retsu already knew of it. It is only a matter of time."

"Given your past actions to remain ambiguous, why did you decide to be open up all of a sudden," Tatsuya asked absentmindedly as his eyes darted around the room. He tried to hide it, but Lunaire detected the underlying sense of urgency.

In Tatsuya's mind, there were two distinct explanations for Lunaire to reveal his status. This could be an attempt to clarify the extent of the relationship with the infamous and earthshaking Atelier de Dantalian. If this place were within the facility ran by the company, his presence here would suggest that he was involved deeply in their operation. Relying on Tatsuya to relay the information would allow this information to be disseminated much more discretely and also more reliably. The Itsuwa was still in a hotspot, so the words coming out of their mouth would be overly scrutinized. It was somewhat a stretch but possible given the schizophrenic manner in which the company conducts its business. If this was the case, Tatsuya had nothing to worry about as he had to be alive to report in. It raised a somewhat terrifying implication that the company knew who he reported to, but that matter was for later.

The second option however was much simpler.

Dead men told no tales.

While Lunaire outwardly did not seem like a vindictive individual, this could just be final gloating before an execution. Tatsuya dared not claim he understand this silver-haired individual. Whenever his impression solidified, Lunaire and his companions always had a way to defy his expectation. So, there was simply no hope in guessing his intention. Lunaire could decide to kill him simply to leave no witness or as retaliation or in pursuit of some unknown goal.

"It will make this conversation more straight forward if we drop all pretense, don't you think?" Lunaire pointed at Tatsuya and then himself. "I know who you are. You know who I am. We both have a rudimentary understanding of our intention and do not need to spend time probing each other."

"…"

"Now, to your question, I expect you not to say a single word should someone else stand before you."

One of the most fundamental skills in Yotsuba's line of work was resistance to interrogation. Most operatives serving under the family endured the most brutal training known to human imagination and perhaps further beyond. Magic always pushed the boundary of possibility. Subjected to the most torturous agony, an agent of Yotsuba would maintain dead silence, knowing with grim certainty that fate worse than death awaited them otherwise. Tatsuya had that intention as well, but Lunaire took merely a few seconds to wrench out a word from him.

"Though I guess that does not matter. It is not like we intend to interrogate you." Lunaire sighed as he rested his coat on the chair opposite of Tatsuya and sat down. "A shame really…I want to know how effective the method we came up with can be. With your Regrowth, the possibilities are endless. What if we strangle you with metal wire and leave you to regenerate in agony over and over for hours on end? Or if we keep a knife lodge in your innards or in your eyes?"

Instead of the horrific musing on the torture method, Tatsuya focused on a single word from Lunaire. It was a relatively rare world that appeared jarring within a sentence, sounding more like a specific noun. Never once did Tatsuya ever use his innate ability before this man. But then everything the maid said would fall into place. A slash to the neck sounded quite farfetched for a capture method.

"Oh, come now Tatsuya, this much is nothing. Those are your innate magic. Are they not?" Lunaire chuckled and grinned predatorily. "Elemental Sight, Regrowth, and…Decomposition. It is a great honor to meet one of the hidden strategic-class magicians."

Tatsuya watched on in horror. Lunaire knew everything. Both his innate ability and status were considered among the top military secrets of Japan, rivaling the level of nuclear missile launch facilities many decades ago. No record of this exists beyond the ones bared to those without the highest clearance.

"If it will put you at ease," Lunaire almost let his chuckle slip as he said so. While this information suggested that no interrogation was necessary, it was more likely to give Tatsuya a heart attack than assurance. "We also know that you are son between Shiba Tatsurou and Shiba Miya…or should I say…Yotsuba Miya?"

Tatsuya finally understood what Lunaire meant when he said to drop all pretense. The man before him addressed not the student of First High nor a military lapdog. Lunaire addressed Tatsuya him by his true station, a guardian of the scion of Yotsuba.

"You have me at a disadvantage."

Lunaire chuckled throatily. "I am but another man wanting to build a solid foundation for himself."

"A solid foundation, is it? Pardon that I find it hard to believe that a person like you will do so many thoughtless acts all to make a name for yourself." Tatsuya referred to all the reckless and earth trembling moves that the Atelier de Dantalian performed right out the gate.

"Is it that unthinkable to auction our talents to the highest bidder?"

"You…I see."

One sentence put most of the pieces into the puzzle. While it was still unknown for what reason the Di Avini Conglomerate supported their endeavor, Tatsuya finally grasped a framework that eluded him so far. Everything was merely a stage to showcase their capability. Rather than a spy ring, they were a circus, putting a show and then packing up to whoever offered the most.

"Now that we finally know where which angle that we both come from, let's us get straight to business. I am sure both of us do not want to get stuck in this place for longer than necessary, yes?" Lunaire crossed his fingers. "I am here to offer a deal."

"What deal?"

"Hmm, you see. We expect some altercation with Yotsuba. For such a family, obediently allowing such technology in the hand of…unpredictable element like us is unthinkable. Disregarding the fact that we developed it with our own blood and tears, of course." Lunaire sighed exaggeratingly. Tatsuya remained still at the obvious stab. "So where is your part in this? Frankly, if and when we throw down with Yotsuba, Tatsuya, you are the most dangerous card in their hands."

"Thank you for your flattering evaluation."

"While you are quite easy to dispatch with a little preparation…I am sure you met our resident servant outside…you have the potential to do so much damage. Normal guards, no matter how green or a veteran of a thousand battles will fall before you all the same. Whether men or materials, most is naught but dust to you. To make the matter even worse, anyone marching beside you benefits from your awareness and is virtually immortal, recovering from all wounds except a headshot."

While Tatsuya was absolutely lethal against any conventional force, the experience in Okinawa suggested that proper mana shielding functioned as a counter against his Decomposition magic. While the magicians did not quite understand the targeting mechanism, the Elemental Sight, they suspected the fantastical nature of mana did not play nice with the way he extracted data from the information dimension. The hypothesis could be wrong, but from the fact that Lunaire survived Tatsuya's attempt at his life back in Okinawa, the effect seemed reliable enough. The restraints chaining Tatsuya to the chair also was a testament to that fact.

With that understanding, Tatsuya was nothing more than a competent martial artist to anyone who could muster sufficiently powerful mana shielding and offensive spells, which unfortunately did not include most of their recruits. At the end of the day, Tatsuya would bite off a fair chunk of flesh before he could be put down.

"Now, if our positions were reversed, I am sure you will just put a round in my head and be done with it." Lunaire tapped the table idly as if he were not discussing such a morbid act. "But I find that too wasteful. As another intellectual, I detest having to snuff out the life of a man with much potential ahead of him. So, we are willing to extend you a deal. If you accept, you will walk out of this place alive. If not, well…"

Hearing that statement, Tatsuya leveled uncomprehending eyes at Lunaire. Objectively, Tatsuya knew he was too dangerous to be left alive. If given a chance, he would be dead in a heartbeat. Tatsuya only lived because none ever got that chance until that day. And yet, his opponent was willing to let him go while understanding his full capability.

"First, you must never raise a hand against our company. This includes killing or maiming our personnel and destruction of our property. If you received a direct irrefutable command, you must promptly surrender yourself and we will set you free. As you can probably guess, we wish to remove you from the equation entirely."

At this point, Tatsuya narrowed his eyes but not because of his discontent about the term. It was understandable that Lunaire wished to remove him from the equation during the conflict with Yotsuba. Instead, he looked on as if watching a drooling idiot. There was utterly no way to enforce this demand.

"Second, to the best of your ability, you must report any information regarding Yotsuba's activity targeting our company. We do not expect you to conduct any investigation. You merely need to pass on only the intel that you know."

This overly generous term raised an eyebrow. Lunaire did not demand that Tatsuya work as a mole, undermining Yotsuba, and only warn of any threat coming his way. Even then, he was not asked to take the risk of investigating what Maya had cooking.

"Finally, the dealing shall remain strictly secret to anyone other than you and the members of our company. Yotsuba Maya or even your beloved sister, Shiba Miyuki, no one can learn of this agreement."

Tatsuya chuckled. His stoic façade slipped as a mocking smile plastered on his lips. Against his better judgment, he asked. "May I ask how you intend to enforce this?"

It was as if Tatsuya was asking to get shot.

"Mental interference magic."

That answered the question. Mental interference magic was known to be capable of prohibiting certain decisions from being made by the affected individual. Tatsuya was no stranger to such spell as he was under one at that moment.

"You are threatening me to betray the Yotsuba?" With his curiosity satisfied, Tatsuya leveled a glare at Lunaire. "Apparently, you know much less about the Yotsuba than you show. Otherwise, you would not even bother proposing such outrageous terms."

"I have a general idea. Those belonging to family proper would rather kill themselves before betraying their kin. Quite respectable, really, if only they treat every one of their blood well." Lunaire snorted. "But I digress…You are not any ordinary Yotsuba, are you?"

"Perhaps not, but you will find that I share similarities with them in some regard, especially not turning traitor."

"I wonder." Lunaire leaned back and stared down at Tatsuya with a somewhat smug smile.

Tatsuya frowned, not liking the fact that his opponent seemed like he had a card to play. "Since you so graciously state your terms, I should propose a counteroffer. If you kill me here, you may rid yourself of one dangerous card. But, the Yotsuba has no lack of dangerous cards, and my death will mean little other than being a catalyst to bring their wrath upon your company."

"You are correct in saying that Yotsuba without you still has fangs. Yet are we not already in a conflict that you are here?" Lunaire craned his neck to the side.

"If I may say, Yotsuba is merely moving to secure benefits. As long as they get the technology that they crave, the clan head might be willing to leave you people alone." Tatsuya stared intently at his opposition, gauging his reaction. "On the other hand, the loss of one of the main family members, even a disgraced one, changes everything. The Yotsuba is not known as the Untouchables for nothing. Instead of a come-and-go, they will slaughter anyone involved with the company to the last as examples and then pick through your carcasses to get what they want anyway."

Lunaire showed no sign of cowering. On the other hand, Tatsuya felt a sense of oppression radiating from the magician as he finished his sentence. "You underestimate both our means and resolve. Your little raid tonight…we disposed of them all you know and without a single casualty to boot."

"…"

"While we have no illusions that it will be a cakewalk when facing the full might of Yotsuba family, we are more than capable of giving out bloody noses and more. I will go as far as to say that we have a good chance of coming out on top." Lunaire spotted a look of derision from Tatsuya. "But even if we do not, we can ensure that the only victory Yotsuba can snatch is a pyrrhic one. After losing another good chunk of their members, which by the way have not quite recovered since Dahan, I wonder what state they will remain in. Just how many men will they lose by the end of a fight against a group of magicians who singlehandedly killed one of their best? Ten? Twenty? That is almost half of the family already, you know?"

"Yotsuba is a family that fought a nation to avenge a single girl and sacrificed half their members doing so," Tatsuya warned harshly.

"Yotsuba fought a nation before. Is it ready to fight another? Their fearsome reputation is a double-edged sword."

The implication was not lost with Tatsuya. By moving against the Atelier, a company within Japanese soil, Yotsuba must answer to its peers as to the reason. If even a single recording of this incident existed, the fact that they were the first perpetrator would come to light. Other clans and even the government that longed for an opportunity to curb the Yotsuba's influence would have the perfect excuse. If the Atelier sweetened the deal by sharing a little technology for military support, it would be like Lunaire stated. Yotsuba would have no choice but to suffer severe sanctions or rebel.

Lunaire clapped his hand loudly. "Let's switch topic…Miyuki."

As if possessed, Tatsuya lurched in his restraint. The wire dug into his arms as he tried in vain to free his arm for a swing. He gritted his teeth, biting down several curses that threatened to spill from his lips. This display of defiance only caused Lunaire's smile to widen like a Cheshire cat.

"Damn you! If you touch even a strand of her hand, all of you will die! I will ensure it."

"Do not be so hasty," Lunaire mocked. "Should you refuse our clemency, I will respect your decision and end your life painlessly…But what will become of Miyuki then?"

Tatsuya ceased his struggle and collected his breath. After a semblance of calm returned to his thought, he leveled a hateful glare at the magician while his thoughts turned. Taking the words at face value, Lunaire did not intend to force anything by threatening Miyuki directly.

Yet, Tatsuya knew. Miyuki would want blood. Against the person who murdered her brother in cold blood, she would ensure that she did the deed personally. He remembered the event happening a few hours before. In one moment, without rhyme or reason, his throat was slit cleanly without any resistance. Miyuki's flawlessly pale skin soaked in the pool of her own blood, just that very image chilled the blood in his veins.

"No good ending awaits her, you know. Even she survives this conflict, let's hope that she does not become the second Yotsuba Miya, or god forbid, another Yotsuba Maya." Lunaire jeered. His hand hovered over his lips but could not conceal his mocking smile.

Even with all the odds stacked against them, Tatsuya still believed that Yotsuba would prevail, but probably at great cost. Yet, what would become of his sister then, a successor of a crippled clan that amassed the animosity of so many in their homeland?

Tatsuya knew his sister more than anyone. He admitted that he coddled her and never did much to curb her overreliance on him. He merely wished to shield his sister from all that would do her harm, yet it also left her terribly naïve and emotional. Without him, Tatsuya worried that Miyuki would end up as a mere puppet to the machination of the clan. She was a smart and capable woman, yet the devastation of his death could make her lose her way. Miyuki would be more vulnerable than ever, most likely living yet not.

In the best case, she would marry a man selected by her family. Given the chance, those people obsessed more about strengthening the next generation of magicians than some nebulous things like emotion. There was already a precedent in his own father, a man who married Miya merely to get in bed with Yotsuba and thoroughly cheated on her as well. Somewhere in his heart, he thought death spared the woman who gave birth to him from suffering through such pitiful marriage. Tatsuya would never allow such a man to get within a city block of his sister, but of course, only if he lived.

And Tatsuya refused to imagine the latter scenario. If some fools get any ideas from crippled Yotsuba, just the mere thought that Miyuki could suffer through the same fate as Maya almost drives him insane. His arms strained against his restraint. The metallic wire bit into his skin to the point of drawing blood.

"There is a way to avoid this. That is if you live. You will be free to coddle and protect her however much you like. You only have to accept our deal."

Lunaire crossed his finger and smiled confidently. This seemed to be in the bag for him.

"Let me reiterate my point. You are forbidden from harming my people. You must inform us if Yotsuba has any intention on my people. And finally, you must keep this arrangement strictly secret. Violation of these terms under the penalty of pain and death." Lunaire's words rang with grim certainty. Tatsuya knew implicitly that this was the final deal. There would be no renegotiating the terms. "In return, we promise not to lay a single hand on Miyuki, unless she directly harms or incites harm upon my people."

"…"

"You have three days to consider this. Sakuya will bring you three meals every day, so tell her if you decide to accept our deal. By the evening on the third day, I will visit again…with a gun in hand." Lunaire stood up and gathered his coat. "Choose wisely, Tatsuya-kun."

"Just between you and me, Tatsuya…I am sorry it came to this. I am protecting my people, just like you are protecting yours."

00000

And there you go.

Sakuya is surprisingly overpowered outside the constraint of spellcard rule. In canon, she is known to clean the entirety of the mansion with her time manipulation. This suggests three points. The time limit must be quite long for her to do all the housework. The area of effect must be quite large. Finally, she has the stamina to abuse it, given that she does all that while keeping the spatial dilation of SDM up at the same time. Paired that with the fact that she can easily land one unmitigable melee on anyone under its effect, she becomes the ultimate one-strike kill ripper maid. She is OP, just like everyone in Touhou. Perfectly balanced…as all things should be.

So, Jesus-kun was captured. This is quite a monumental decision on my part. I cannot imagine the situation not ending up this way. Yotsuba is not letting that meat go. There is no conceivable way for them to avoid conflict, given their Modus Operandi. Since the mission is so important, Yotsuba is going to do the logical thing of sending in the big gun right away. But of course, this derails the plot from here on out. And as we know from how many books in the series, there is so much more to cover.

But I suppose that is what I signed up for. I started out this story wanting to create something different, not just a Mahouka story with random characters inserted in that somehow never change the overarching plot.

On a side note, the story about our Jesus-kun is not over with his high school. The first book covering his college year, Magian Company, was out last month I believe. Asking my thought right now, his college years are going to be awesome. By awesome, I mean in the biblical sense of awesome.

Also…Yokohama…hmm.

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Come over and say hi some time.