The Prince of the Yotsuba
Chapter 16: Family Part 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei. If I did, Suzune would be a prominent character and Tatsuya and Miyuki would already be making love.
A/N: A refresher chapter for me since this story has been inactive for 3 years and counting.
(Suzune POV)
I have grown accustomed to the visits that Yotsuba-dono makes to My Primary's former residence.
It is, in my point of view, normal for a mother to visit her son.
And considering how much Yotsuba-dono adores her son, I am surprised that she does not visit him every other day.
Although, according to Honami-san, Yotsuba-dono rarely leaves the Main estate.
That is news to me, considering that Yotsuba-dono constantly visits the Kanto Branch Headquarters and My Primary.
In a monthly basis, I usually sees Yotsuba-dono ten times a month.
But I took Honami-san's words into account. She has been a Guardian far longer than I.
Still, I must admit, that it's a foreign experience to see Yotsuba-dono nearby without My Primary by her side. I was used to seeing Yotsuba-dono exclusively besides My Primary, as if they were a package deal.
Same goes for Miyuki-san.
Seeing Miyuki-san without being pampered by My Primary is just plain strange.
Regardless, business should before anything else as usual, I guess.
My Primary would be displeased if the Kanto Branch were in disarray in his absence.
Not that Kuroko-san or I would let it so.
But, I suppose, Kuroko-san would be in charge of the Headquarters for the entirety of the morning.
Yotsuba-dono takes precedence over everything aside from My Primary.
Hopefully, she and Musashi-san won't kill each other before I arrive.
Those two are worse than children when it comes to each other.
And also, I hope those two get here soon.
Without My Primary, and with Hayama-san leaving to prepare the necessities for today's activities, it would be a headache and a nightmare to deal with Yotsuba-dono.
Yotsuba-dono, as much as she is a powerful magician and a successful clan head, is difficult at the best of times, and I would need assistance in serving her for the entire morning.
Yotsuba Maya is a spoiled child at the best of times, and this is made worse due to my Primary indulging her.
Yotsuba-dono is a very high maintenance woman, and dealing with her without my Primary is difficult, almost impossible at times.
Fortunately, reinforcements have arrived.
I smiled to myself as a limousine parked itself just across the Shiba residence.
From the limousine, two figures emerge.
One girl. One boy. Twins.
They are older than I am by four years, though they look slightly older than what their age pertains.
That is not a demerit to their appearance.
One thing I learned in my time with the Yotsuba is that they value aesthetics as much as they value power.
Prime examples are the Yotsuba Twins and Miyuki herself.
Those twins worked directly under My Primary and, to an extent, me within the Kanto Branch.
And from the information that I have gathered since discovering the connection between Shiba-dono and Yotsuba-dono, those two had been trained with the intention of becoming Guardians.
They were two of the seven magicians that were sent to the Kanto Branch by Yotsuba-dono to assist my Primary in the running of the Kanto Branch.
They were also two of the seven magicians who were candidates to be my replacement if my service degraded.
The last one, I just discovered earlier this month.
And I am not all that worried.
With those seven as my competition, I have no worry in losing my position as my Primary's Guardian.
That said, I hurried my way out of the house to greet them.
Among the seven, I like those two the most.
They are the most normal among them.
(Scene Change)
Looking at the broad back of her nephew, Ayanami could not help but be relieve that he was firmly on their side.
She also understood why Maya went out of her way to hide her son from the world.
Ayanami did not like this kind of mindset, but in a certain perspective, she can understand a certain view towards Tatsuya that many would adopt towards him once they discover his existence.
Tsuyoru Tatsuya is a magician that should not exists.
Power is a peculiar concept. Power corrupts and should be limited to avoid corruption.
A magician should have a limit on the amount of power that they could wield. A magician should have limits on the power that they are capable of wielding.
There should also be a limit on how destructive a single being is.
Tsuyoru Tatsuya do not have those limitations.
Ayanami was beginning to think that her nephew did not have any limitation whatsoever.
It had been less than two days since their mission and in that span of time, Ayanami had witness power and magic beyond anything that she had ever seen before, or even imagine.
Maya had stated that if her son has a weakness, it is his inability to use any other magic asides from the ones that he was born with.
Tatsuya had openly confirmed that his magic being rigid is a weakness of his.
Ayanami wanted to laugh at that. It doesn't matter if Tatsuya is only capable of using one form of magic. The way Tatsuya wields his magic makes-up for his limitation.
For a Born-Specialized Magician, Tatsuya is a unique and terrifying magician.
Right now, this very intance, Ayanami was witnessing magic that should be impossible in both application and scope.
She had seen magic that calls upon lightning down from the heavens.
She had seen magic that forces rain down upon the earth.
She had seen magic that would make the wind itself dance.
She herself was capable of using magic of those descriptions.
She was not, however, was not capable of summoning a storm in a whim.
She had never seen anyone capable of summoning a storm in a whim.
And then she met her nephew, and her perception change drastically.
This is the first time she had ever seen a typhoon be created right before her eyes.
Tatsuya, with the use of his Astral Beasts, Wind, Lightning, and Water, created a powerful typhoon that was currently decimating the city of Volgograd.
Rain descended from the sky in such volumes and fierceness that it was like a hail of bullets were being fired from the skies by countless rifles.
Lightning fell from the sky by the hundreds, striking, burning, and scarring anything and everything it touches.
The Wind roared and whipped with ferocity comparable to that of a wild beasts, sending everything it touches in the air.
God had come to Volgograd and his wrath was unforgiving.
The most impressive thing though was the fact that not a single drop of rain, or a breeze of air, or the static of lightning had touch either of them since Tatsuya summoned the typhoon.
"Do you think this is a bit too much?" Ayanami never showed pity towards her enemies, much less to the enemies of her family and clan. To those who would harm her children, she would show even less.
Regardless, there is a limit to what she is willing to do for revenge's sake.
"No." Tatsuya answered, eyes looking dull and uninterested.
The Elements that Tatsuya had given shape and thought continued to lay waste upon the Soviet City. Ayanami flinched at the sight of skyscraper being toppled by a particularly strong bolt of lightning and the debris of said skyscraper being hurled to its neighboring building due to strong winds. "You really don't have a heart." Ayanami commented, meaning no insult behind her words.
His aunt's words did not offend him in anyway.
"My heart is with my mother and my future wife." Tatsuya stated, sparing his aunt a glance. "My compassion is for them alone. To those who would dare think of harming them, I cannot offer any quarter, much less any mercy." Tatsuya elaborated before casually raising his hand.
The typhoon stopped immediately.
"But we are here to avenge the slight that was thrown at your husband and children. If you want me to cease, say the word." Tatsuya told her, showing consideration to someone that was not his two favorite women.
The consideration that was formerly reserve for Miya.
Startled by the small reprieved that her nephew offered, Ayanami momentarily gazed at the city.
It was a mess. The streets were flooded, the buildings were decimated, and Ayanami did not need to be a tracker to know that many lives were lost because of the typhoon that her nephew summoned.
The city was decimated to such extent that Ayanami doubted that it could ever recover again.
"We are done here." Ayanami stated swiftly, hoping that her nephew would not change his mind.
Fortunately, he did not.
He turned around and walked to the opposite direction of the city that he had laid waste.
From the sky, three beasts that he had created and summoned descended to the ground. All three of them stood protectively besides their creator.
The Phoenix that represented his dominion over the Wind.
The armored Tiger that showed his dominance over lightning itself.
And finally, the shark that showed earned himself the allegiance of the seas.
Three magnificent creatures, constructed from Tatsuya's will and magic.
Individually, they were equivalent to A-rank magicians, at the barest minimum.
Collectively, they were capable of destruction that even some Strategic-type magic is incapable of producing.
Volgograd would never be the same again.
'Maya…you gave birth to a God.' Ayanami thought to herself as she threw a glanced at the decimated city one last time before returning his attention back to her nephew. 'And you turned him into a monster.' Ayanami added privately as she followed the retreating form of her nephew.
The New Soviet Union have yet to shed enough blood to sate Yotsuba Maya's hunger for vengeance.
It was of no concern for Tatsuya. After all, he was here to teach this country the lesson that they should have heeded many decades ago.
(Scene Change
"Boss changed residence, how peculiar." Tsutsumi Hiroko commented while gazing up at the large house that was, according to Suzune, their boss' new residence. This was strange considering that her superior, as far as she knew, was not one for change. "This place is too colorful for Boss." Hiroko commented while looking at the color pallet of the three stories house.
"It is an upgrade in my opinion." Tsutsumi Junko said with a small smile. "Boss has always been moody. A bit of color in his life would do him wonders."
Tsutsumi Hiroko was a tall, thin man with hazel eyes and untidy brown hair that stuck up at the back.
Tsutsumi Junko was a beautiful girl with thick, dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders, and bright green almond-shaped eyes.
Aside from the color of their eyes and the style of their hair, Hiroko and Junko shared similar, distinctive facial appearance and complexion. Both of them have slightly tanned skin and freckled complexion.
They were twins. They were magicians produced under the Yotsuba's Bard series, and they were, more or less, subordinates to one Tsuyoru Tatsuya.
"Why do you think Suzune-chan called us for, Nii-chan?" Junko inquired her twin brother. "Suzune-san normally operates like Boss. Alone, quiet, and quick."
"Nee-san, it doesn't matter why Suzune-san called us. She called us, meaning it is urgent, meaning we have the morning off training those 'Bugs'." Hiroko replied to his sister's inquiry.
"But I like training those 'Bugs'. They are our 'Bugs', and they will be useful to the family one day." Unlike her brother, Junko takes joy in training the recruits that Tatsuya takes in. In her opinion, additional manpower would propel the Yotsuba to a level that the other families would not reach in decades.
"That's your opinion." Hiroko takes prides as a magician of the Bard series, and he did not see the value of adding outsider to the Yotsuba's forces. In his mind, even with small numbers, the Yotsuba is above and beyond their rivals.
It's a difference of opinion between the twins.
Normally, Guardians are dissuaded to have different opinions on a subject from their Primary's or superiors, even if they are not bound to a master, but Tatsuya, being quite liberal in his views with Guardians, allows those beneath him to have their own opinions and views.
Tatsuya doesn't care about the beliefs of his subordinates. As long as they obey, they can believe what they want.
The main entrance of the residence swung open, and both siblings halted their conversation in favor of turning their attention to the figure that was exiting the house.
The familiar figure of Suzune greeted them.
Tsuyoru Suzune is a tender topic among them, among the seven Guardians that Maya assigned to the Kanto Branch.
Hell, at the beginning, Tatsuya was a tender topic among them as well.
Aside from the Sakurai series, all of the Guardian Series had a representative in the Kanto Branch, and all seven of them knew every single Guardian Trainees that were within their age bracket. None of them knew or even heard of Suzune or Tatsuya.
They did not even knew that there was a Tsuyoru series in the Yotsuba's Guardian System.
At first, most of them were insulted to be led by a first generation Guardian. Most of them were second and/or third generation in their series. To be led by an unrefined product was demeaning to them.
Of course, that idea was quickly thrown out the window when Tatsuya put them in their places.
All seven of them quickly realized how far above Tatsuya is compare to them.
Tatsuya, for a Guardian, was unnaturally strong.
There was a reason why Tatsuya was favored by their esteem Toushu-sama.
Suzune, on the other hand, remained a confusing and touchy topic among them.
Even though she shared the same series as Tatsuya, Suzune had yet to display the same amount of power that her male counterpart had displayed.
Forget power, Suzune had yet to display the same prowess and skill that Tatsuya had shown them in their time in the Kanto Branch.
That is not to say that Suzune is unskilled in magic. Quite the contrary, most of them would agree that she was better than most of them and she had trounced them more times than not in spars, but in comparison with Tatsuya, Suzune is mundane.
Well, in her defense, Tatsuya had made them all feel inadequate more times than they can count.
Still, even though Tatsuya had earned their respect and, in some cases, admiration, Suzune had not.
The only reason Hiroko and Junko answered Suzune's summoned was due to Tatsuya orders of obedience.
According to their boss, Suzune is their superior when he is out of the country and he expects their obedience to her orders.
Tatsuya is not very keen in having his orders ignored.
"Hiroko-kun, Junko-san, good morning." Suzune greeted her colleagues politely.
Suzune wasn't particularly friendly with any of the executives of the Kanto Branch, but she wasn't antagonistic to any of them either.
"Morning, Suzune-chan." Junko greeted with a welcoming smile.
Junko was the friendliest among the executives.
"Why'd you call us here?" Hiroko inquired bluntly, wanting to have the intended task that Suzune wanted them to do accomplished as soon as possible.
Junko sighed at the bluntness of her brother. "Nii-chan, having small talk with our peers can be refreshing to the soul."
Hiroko could only roll his eyes. "Boss doesn't do small talk, and you don't reprimand him."
"It's the Boss." Junko pointed out in defense, as if those three words answered everything.
And it did in a way. Tatsuya did not mind back talk from his subordinates, provided that they obey his orders
Before the twins could quarrel, or start another long-winded conversation between themselves, Suzune coughed loudly to get their attention back.
The Tsutsumi twins turned their attention back to Suzune.
Suzune was looking at them with a slightly exasperated expression.
With a sigh, Suzune gestured for them to enter the household. "I will explain the mission parameters inside."
Suzune waited patiently as the twins exchanged glances before stepping moving inside the household.
"An improvement from the Boss' old home."
"Toushu-sama must have ordered him to move in here. I can't see Boss living inside such a brightly decorated home."
Suzune rolled her eyes at the two.
The Bard series, when together, has the tendency to be chatty.
Although any forms of a conversation vanish from the two when they saw the figure waiting for them inside the house.
There before them was one of the best Guardian in the Yotsuba Clan, the Guardian of the elder sister of the current head, and a former teacher of theirs, Sakurai Honami.
Honami, for her part, smiled at the two familiar figure.
"Good morning, Hiroko-kun, Junko-san." Honami greeted the two guardian hopefuls with a polite bow, her voice even, posture impeccable. "You two have grown spectacularly since the last time I saw either of you." Honami added with a pleasant smile.
The Tsutsumi twins straighten their backs at the sight of one of their idols before both, in unison, bowed so low they could have been kneeling.
"Good morning, Honami-dono!"
Suzune raised her brow at the overtly respectful and overly polite voice that the twins used in greeting Honami.
'Honami-san is really a big deal for Yotsuba Guardians.' Suzune mused to herself.
Honami smiled at the two before motioning them to be at ease.
The twins, again, in unison, stood straight up, both standing perfectly vertical.
"I see you both graduated from Guardian training, earlier than expected even!" Honami began with a gently tone, which match well with the soft smile on her lips.
"Guardian training was not that difficult. We aced everything!"
"That didn't do us any good. We were thrown to work under Tatsuya-san's half an hour after graduation."
Junko and Hiroko replied with varying degrees of enthusiasm and pessimism, though their respectful and polite tone did not waver. Suzune could also see that the two had identical blushes on their faces.
"Congratulations either way! Easy or difficult, successes should be celebrated." Honami stated while looking directly at Junko. Honami then turned her attention to Hiroko. "And there is no shame working for the Kanto Branch. Last I heard, the Yotsuba Kanto Branch had been the most successfully run Branch of the Yotsuba for three years now."
The twins' faces once again flushed in glee.
"We have a good leader." The twins admitted awkwardly, their minds shifting to Tatsuya and Suzune. Personal feelings aside, Tatsuya is a very capable leader and Suzune is excellent as his assistant.
"I know of Tatsuya-kun." Honami informed the two. "He is a very capable young man, but he has capable subordinates as well!" Honami complimented eagerly.
This time, even Suzune's face redden at that compliment.
"After all, I am very confident that Suzune-chan won't call either of you for this particular task if both of you are not capable."
(Scene Change)
"Hiya, Minami-chan!" Junko enthusiastically greeted the younger Sakurai by embracing her tightly. "Congratulations!"
"Guardian-Apparent of Shiba Miyuki-sama! As expected from my disciple." Hiroko gave his congratulations as he patted the young girl in the head.
Although there was some discomfort on Minami's expression, the pride and delight on her face was overtly displayed.
Suzune was watching this scene with interest.
"Strange." Suzune whispered.
"You are baffled by the camaraderie of us Guardians?" Honami asked quietly so that only Suzune could hear.
"Yes." Suzune admitted with an equally soft voice. "You are aware of how I earned my right to be Tatsuya-sama's Guardian, correct?"
"You hanged 26 newly minted Guardian Hopefuls, yes, I am aware of that." Honami confirmed. "I even watched the massacre. Nicely done." Honami complimented apathetically.
Discarding the fact that Honami was fine with her killing more than two dozen magicians, Suzune spoke once again. "At that time, Toushu-sama had ordered those Guardians to fight to the death, with the last one standing being promised a prize." The prize was to become the Guardian of Tatsuya. "They did not show this level of camaraderie or any at that…" Suzune gestured to Minami and the Tsutsumi twins. "…All of them were eager to kill one another."
"In their defense, if they did not obey, Toushu-sama would have punished them, and death would be preferable." Honami shuddered at the thought. Yotsuba Maya is psychotic and insane. That is an open secret within the Yotsuba and even amongst the 10 Master Clans. The only reason Maya's position in the Yotsuba was not questioned or challenged is due to Maya's effectiveness as a leader. That being said, Maya's insanity often shows whenever she's in a foul mood, and disobeying her is one way to put her in one of her psychotic moods.
If Maya is in one of her moods, it was better to stay clear of her to avoid severe trauma, physical, mental, or even the emotional kind.
"Still, normally, if we are not being order by Maya-sama to do harm on one another, us Guardians, including the trainees, are normally a tightknit." Honami continued and assured.
"I could see that…" Suzune said, eyes still fixed on Minami and Tsutsumi twins. "Although, I guess this camaraderie is not for everyone. Takeshi-san and Nico-san could not stand each other." Suzune commented, remembering her two other colleagues. Musashi Takeshi is lazy but competent, while Kuroko Nico is rigid but capable. The both have contrasting personalities that made the two combustible at the best of times.
Personally, Suzune preferred working with Takeshi than Nico. The former was difficult to work with due to his inert laziness but Suzune preferred that than Nico's competitiveness.
"Tatsuya-kun has Kuroko Nico working for him?" Honami asked, surprised to know that the best Guardian prospect was assigned to the Kanto Branch instead of a Primary.
"Yeah, and she's irritating most of the time." Suzune stated, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Suzune knew that Nico wanted her job as Tatsuya's personal assistant, and she also knew that Nico would be even more frustrating if she discovered Tatsuya's true position in the Yotsuba and what her actually duty is.
Still, through her musings, Suzune still notice the tone of voice that Honami used when she spoke about Kuroko Nico. "Am I correct to assume that Nico-san was a particularly talented Guardian Prospect?" Suzune asked out of curiosity.
Honami nodded in confirmation. "Nico-chan is actually the best prospect of her year. If Oku-sama was not so fond of the Sakurai series, it would have been Nico-chan standing beside Miyuki-san instead of Minami-chan."
Suzune could believe that. Setting asides personal feelings, Suzune considered Kuroko Nico as aggravating, she would admit that the girl is a skilled magician. She would have been a great Guardian for Miyuki.
Suzune would even go so far and say that Nico would have had Tatsuya's approval.
Fortunately though, Shiba Miya preferred a Sakurai to be her daughter's Guardian, and that Miyuki has develop a soft spot for said Guardian. Those were two main reasons why Minami have yet to be shipped back to the Yotsuba Main Estate for retraining.
"At the ready everyone, here they come." Honami effectively halted all activity as she informed her juniors that they must prepare for duty.
Five bodies stood perfectly straight as two remarkably beautiful women and a budding angel exited the house.
The Tsutsumi twins did their best to not show any emotion on their faces. Since finishing Guardian training, they were used to the presence of the head of the family. Considering the number of times Yotsuba Maya visits Tatsuya, and considering that they were Suzune's default helpers, they were used to seeing the head of the family more times than the average Yotsuba Servants.
Still, it is undeniable that Yotsuba Maya is a beautiful, seductive woman, and her mere presence alone was enough to turn the gazed of the twins to her person.
It did not help that she was standing side-by-side with her twin sister.
Although Miya was not gifted with the same proportion as her twin, she is still undeniably gorgeous and that beauty increased in magnitude as she regained her health.
Also, Shiba Miyuki's budding beauty is well known even among the Guardians, and seeing her in person, together with the Yotsuba Twins, almost overwhelmed the twins.
At the stunned and star-struck looks on the Tsutsumi Twins' faces, Suzune rolled her eyes but she understood why they were overwhelmed.
The Yotsuba produces women that possesses beauties that defied logic.
"Good Morning, Toushu-sama, Miya-sama, Miyuki-hime." The five servants greeted in unison. Suzune was somewhat surprised that they were able to greet the three at the same time, their voices melding into one.
Miya gave the five servants a nod of acknowledgement, her eyes momentarily drifting to the two new servants that she had only seen once or twice, before she handed her purse to Minami.
Miyuki, for her part, gave the five a small, elegant bow, her eyes drifting to the strangers for a split second, her curiosity sparking at the two.
Maya, on the other hand, smiled at all of them, especially on the two new comers. "Junko-chan and Hiroko-kun again, Suzune-chan." Maya commented as her gazed drifted on Suzune. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have no confidence in the others." Maya jest teasingly.
"Well, Toushu-sama's not wrong." Hiroko grumbled.
His statement earned him a stiff elbow on his side from his twin.
"Shush." Junko quietly snapped at her brother.
"I am more comfortable working with them, and them with me." Suzune explained herself. "And, honestly, Yotsuba-dono, having Nico-san and Takeshi-kun in the same room for a prolong period of time is just asking for trouble."
Kuroko Nico and Musashi Takeshi do not get along, at all.
"So they are still very childish." Maya mused with amusement.
"Quite, but they perform their responsibilities well." Suzune defended her colleagues. That was the most important characteristics of the two.
Tatsuya is a person that values ability and talent. He does not care about the beliefs, the attitudes, and/or the outlook of a person. As long as they perform well during missions and complete the responsibilities that was bestowed upon them, Tatsuya could care less what they do after their shifts or who they are as a person.
"Good to hear that." Maya handed her pursed to Suzune before she went towards the limo that was prepared for their little trip today.
"You know…" When Maya was outside hearing range, Hiroko spoke. "You can just tell Toushu-sama that you don't like Nico-san, and be done with it." Hiroko said condescendingly.
Hiroko respected Tatsuya, he like him even as a peer, but for some reason, Suzune had always rubbed him the wrong way.
"I don't dislike her." Suzune rebuffed.
"That's why I used 'hate'." Hiroko reiterated.
"Come now, be professional, both of you." Honami lightly rebuked Suzune and Hiroko. "We do have a job to do today." Honami reminded the two.
Suzune and Hiroko exchange unpleasant gazes before they followed the three most important women in the Yotsuba.
(Scene Change)
"This is barbaric." Ayanami commented while watching from a distance as at least a hundred men tear each other apart with their bare hands, the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing echoed sickeningly in the air.
"Pheromones, when manipulated correctly, can be a very effective weapon." Tatsuya stated, sparing a glance to the Wood Spirit that he summoned for the occasion.
The Wood Spirit took the form of a woman covered from head to toe with a long, brown hood. The garment covered the spirit's features, though it revealed enough that anyone who looks at the spirit would conclude that the spirit was that of a woman.
Ayanami cringed a bit at a particularly brutal punch from one of the Russian soldiers.
"I thought you were a preacher of efficiency." Ayanami said, cringing once again as a pound of flesh was ripped out from another soldier and came flying at their direction. Fortunately, the piece of flesh vanish the moment it came within an inch of them. "What spell did you use to induce this kind of madness?" Ayanami inquired out of grim curiosity.
"Mother calls the spell [Basilisk Blood]. The Wood Spirit that I conjured would exude pheromones that would increase and incite malice and violent tendency to any sentient creatures within range." Tatsuya explained with a nonchalant voice, all the while ignoring the brutality and the barbarism around him. "And yes, I do preach efficiency and quickness, but we have been on the road and fighting for 40 hours straights. I may be able to operate for a week without sleep, but even I require some rest. I am assuming you fall on the same category as well."
"So you're human." Ayanami chuckled, though a part of her was relieve that her nephew can experience exhaustion in some form. In the past 40 hours, Ayanami saw her nephew tearing through men, women, magician, and machine without looking any worse for wear.
Ayanami was beginning to question if there was a limit to her nephew's superhuman body.
Apparently, there was a limit.
And Ayanami was relieved to know that. She was relieved that her nephew wasn't completely superhuman.
"So…" Ayanami paused for a moment, ignoring the sound of bones breaking, flesh tearing, and animalistic growls from the New Soviet soldiers in favor of thinking of a topic for them to talk about.
The one thing that Ayanami discovered about her nephew is that he wasn't fond of speaking, but if the topic is interesting or entertaining enough, he would willingly converse with her for an extended period of time.
Which begs the question, what topics would entertain or interest a generational genius with emotional problems for an extended period.
Ayanami could only think of one.
"So, how did you fell in love with Miyuki-chan?" Ayanami asked curiously. Knowing her nephew, and she still doesn't know him all that well to be honest, Ayanami was hopeful that she would be able to get some juicy answers from him in this regard.
Ayanami was somewhat of a gossip after all.
"I met her when I was 10. Miyuki-hime was nine years old. I found her beautiful, interesting, and more than tolerable to be around with. Three months after our friendship, I made the conclusion that she would be able to survive whatever I would become as I develop, and after that, I made the decision to take her as my wife when we come of age." Tatsuya answered in such a straightforward manner.
Ayanami was quite disappointed with the answer that she got, although it was a start if she was being honest with herself.
Her nephew, from what she had observed, was very guarded with himself. Maya trained her to be such.
"Falling in love and deciding on whom you want to be with for the rest of your life is not that simple." Ayanami said, deciding to go further with this particular topic.
"The emotion that we call love is simple." Tatsuya argued, sparing his aunt a look. "Love, as an emotion, is powerful, I would admit that, but it is simple, and in its simplicity. I can find great joy in such superficial emotion. How I fell for Miyuki-hime is simple enough that I can still smile at the memory. We met, we spent time together, I grew fond of her, and I decided that I would like to have her. When she became mine, I made the decision that she is the woman that I needed in my life, especially if my Mother perishes, and that is the end of the story."
"Love is not something that you would just decide for yourself. Love is impulsive." Ayanami stated, her words came from her own experience.
Regardless of how difficult Mitsugu could be, and he can be very difficult, Ayanami loves him very much and the sentiment was shared. They have a good relationship between, even though, in their youth, Ayanami was just a step above being a servant in the Yotsuba.
"Not for me." Tatsuya looked thoughtful for a second. "When I was born, I remember looking at my mother, wondering what she is to me…" It still disturbed Ayanami that her nephew had a consciousness and sentiency the moment he was born. Straight out of the womb, Tatsuya was already capable of advance thought process.
Children develop a conscious and sentience from experience. The fact that Tatsuya already had those two aspects was still difficult to believe but Ayanami could see it. "I know that my mother gave me life, and I repaid the life that she game me when I killed everyone around me at her behest. I thought to myself back then that that would be it. That I had repaid my debt to her, and I should leave at the most opportune time. Contrary to popular belief, I did not view my mother in such a favorable light at the get go."
Maya would not love hearing that from her beloved son.
"But I got to know my mother in the first few months of my existence. She was so proud of me, regardless of my irregularities, and yes, I discovered quite swiftly that a baby, who is barely a month old, should not be capable of such advance mental capabilities. Baby flesh out of the womb droll over themselves, I, as a baby, was already trying to solve The Standard Model equation and the Pythagorean theorem. Instead of being alarmed by my irregularities, mother encouraged me to learn and develop my mind. It was adorable really, with my mother doing her best to see the limits of my mental abilities, her gushing with each problem and equations that I solve, shouting to the world that her son is such a genius. Mother was very amusing in the first few months of my existence, and I decided, there and then that as long as mother remains agreeable with me, I would stay with her, I would love her, and I would obey." Tatsuya's eyes then filled with fondness. "Mother, to this day, remains to be the most interesting woman in the world. I could not see myself being bored with her, and though we have many disagreements, and I do not agree with her entire Modus Operandi, she and I have not reach a cross road in which I would disagree with her, and consequently, disobey her."
"Miyuki-hime would grow to surpass my mother. I could see it, and she is many times more agreeable than my mother." Tatsuya chuckled, a foreign expression on his features. "I can't wait, to be honest, for the day that Miyuki-hime surpasses my mother. It would be quite the sight."
Ayanami nodded at the eager expression on Tatsuya's face. If Ayanami was being honest too, she could not wait for Miyuki to succeed Maya.
Ayanami is pretty confident that Miyuki, unlike Maya, would not order Tatsuya to decimate an entire country just to reteach a lesson.
(Scene Change)
"What is it like to work for Tatsuya-kun?" Miyuki asked when they were situated in the limousine. Honami gave herself the responsibility to drive the vehicle, which delegated the Tsutsumi twins to the back of the limousine has servants and guards for the three Yotsubas. When the car drove off from their front street, Miyuki spoke to the two strangers that were likely working for her fiancé.
"He is the scariest Magician that I have the pleasure of meeting." Hiroko answered, as if it was reflex.
That swift answer earned him a sharp elbow from his sister. Hiroko threw a glare at his sister while Junko merely gestured to those before her, the people that they would be waiting hand and foot for.
It took a moment for Hiroko to realize his blunder before wincing and bowing lowly.
"My apologies for speaking out of turn." Hiroko hurriedly apologized.
"At ease, Hiroko-kun." Maya said uncaringly. "I know my Tatsuya-kun does not run a tight ship, so you are free to answer the inquiries of my Nee-san and niece freely, without any fear of rebuke." Maya permitted.
Ignoring the adjective that Maya used when referring to Tatsuya, there was a rumor, assumption regarding Tatsuya's relationship with their clan head that the twins did not want to entertain whatsoever, Hiroko turned his attention to Miyuki.
Miyuki gave him a cordial smile and a small nod, indicating for him to continue.
Fighting the reflexive and natural blush that Miyuki's beauty inspired, Hiroko continue. "Tsuyoru Tatsuya-dono is the scariest Magician that I have ever met. He is one of a kind."
"We are aware of that." Miya informed the servant. "We've seen him use his magic and we have seen him fight with him. It was an experience." Miya stated, remembering how easily Tatsuya decimated an army. "We are aware that he is a force of nature. What we are curious of is how he is as a leader? After all, he is leading and running the most lucrative branch in Yotsuba."
"Boss is a liberal leader." Junko decided to speak in behalf of herself and her twin brother. "He delegates tasks and responsibilities to us, and we have carte blanche on how we do, perform, or accomplish those tasks and responsibilities." Junko elaborated.
"Is that with or without consequences?" Miya asked, sensing a familiarity towards how Maya and Tatsuya operate.
Maya also lead like that. She would give her subordinates complete freedom in accomplishing her orders, but there is always a caveat in that freedom.
The way the two Guardians shivered at her inquiry gave Miya all the answer that he needed.
"Tatsuya-dono is the type of leader who handsomely rewards success and harshly punishes failures." Hiroko said with a shiver in his voice.
"Corporal punishment?" Miyuki asked softly. Miyuki could see her beloved handing those types of punishments towards his subordinates.
"Not exactly." Suzune said in defense of her primary. "Any failures on our part will earn us an hour or two in the sparing ring with Tatsuya-dono." Suzune stated, wincing remembering some of her times sparing with her primary. "Tatsuya-dono never holds back in those spars."
Junko nodded in agreement before adding her two cents. "Depending on how badly we fail, Boss would adjust on how hard he would beat us up."
"Those beatings were not that bad. We do learn new things whenever we spar with him." Suzune once again defended Tatsuya.
Tatsuya does not pummel them for the sake of pummeling them. Tatsuya, at his core, is a researcher and he has fondness in imparting knowledge on those he found interesting.
His direct subordinates were interesting enough for Tatsuya to at least teach them several applications of their magic.
Hiroko snorted at this. "Yes, the education that Tatsuya-dono gives us were enlightening, but remembering those lessons are hard when you are concuss three minutes into the sparring session." Hiroko grumbled, recounting the last sparring session that he had with Tatsuya.
That was four months ago, and he could still feel his brain getting rattle by that high-knee from Tatsuya.
"Then next time you fail, choose to spar with him using Magic, instead of Martial Arts." Suzune told her colleague dismissively.
"I'd rather have him beat me with his fist than his magic." Hiroko said with narrowed eyes at Suzune. "No magic works against Tatsuya-dono."
"Nothing works against him." Junko added to her brother's statement.
As a Magical Martial Fighter, Tatsuya is every bit of a perfect weapon.
"What is Tatsuya-kun like as a businessman?" Miya asked, cutting through the conversation between the three servants. Miya is aware at how fearsome Tatsuya is in the battlefield. She was curious on how effective he is on the business stage. "Tatsuya-kun, since taking over the Kanto Branch, had contributed the most in the Clans coffers. How does he do it?"
"Boss is a very cautious businessman." Junko informed her betters.
"Too cautious at times." Maya added in a whisper.
"He doesn't invest or sponsor any businesses unless he is 100% sure that they would turn up a profit." Junko elaborated further.
"But when he does, Tatsuya-dono tends to go all in with them." Hiroko stated, remembering the times in which he saw Tatsuya personally assisting his investees to get their businesses on their feet.
"Most of the time, Tatsuya-dono is correct in his business judgment." Suzune stated. "And those that he is inaccurate with are still salvageable with a few interference from his part."
"Tatsuya-dono is also more focus on investing or sponsoring small to medium level businesses." Hiroko added. "Most of the branch's profits, at least 65%, comes from those businesses."
"They are easier to audit." Suzune pointed out to Hiroko. "And they are easier to convince to change their business structures and practices to increase profit." Business might not be Tatsuya's strong suit, but he does know how to earn money and he is smart enough to find what any market needs or wants, and how to capitalize on those demands. "Larger businesses are more difficult to bend."
"Still, the large businesses that we do have are profitable." Junko stated, remembering the last compiled monthly earning reports of the businesses under their branch.
"And their profit still pales to compare to the collective profit of the small business that Tatsuya-dono personally invest in and sponsors." If there was one thing that Suzune appreciates about Tatsuya, it is his willingness to support the lower and middle class, especially magicians from the lower and middle classes.
Suzune appreciate the fact that Tatsuya would provide magicians that did not show any aptitude towards Martial combat an opportunity to earn a living for themselves.
"Does Tatsuya-kun have any personal business within Kanto?" Miyuki inquired out of curiosity.
"He has." Maya was the one who answered Miyuki. "My Tatsuya-kun personally runs and operates a large weapons factory in Hakone. He also personally overlooks quite a few Psychiatric wards in Kanto." Maya happily informs Miyuki.
Miya carefully watched Tatsuya's immediate subordinates, and she raised a brow at the how the three straighten at the mention of Psychiatric wards.
That was something to further look into.
(Scene Change)
Nicholai Artur is the current MP of the City of Kazan. At age 38, he was one of the youngest that held that illustrious rank in the history of the New Soviet Union.
Nicholai Artur also knew that he was not going to live the next three minutes of his life.
The reason for that conclusion was the child that sat before him.
He recognizes the boy that was staring at him with the blankest looked that he had ever seen. He had an encounter with this child in his very last mission as a soldier. Before he started his political career, he encountered this monster masquerading as a child.
Nicholai could still remembered how this child casually butchered his entire Regime to the last soul, as if they were cattle.
It took a miracle for him to survive the child's onslaught.
Apparently, another miracle would not happen this day, considering the corpses that were decomposing around him
"I remember you." The child spoke in Japanese, casually stepping over of the corpses of his security detail, his eyes fixed on one of the MPs of the New Soviet Union.
Nicholai stood his ground, even though his entire body was screaming in fear.
"Four years ago, you survived me." The child stated, his dull and bored tone having a hint of wonder. "Himalaya, correct?"
Nicholai nodded, understanding the language that the boy spoke, but he did not trust himself to give a decent reply.
This boy was a fixture of his nightmares for four years. He became a politician to steer his Motherland's soldiers away from this boy.
The slaughter of his regime was still clear in his memories
"[If I remember correctly…]" The boy now spoke in Russian. His enunciations were clear and fluent, with just a touch of a foreign accent. "[You hid under the corpses of your comrades, or of what remains of your comrades. You ran quite fast when I was disposing of their bodies. It was almost amusing.]" The boy stood within an arm's length.
Nicholai flinched, the memory of that day still kept him up at night, but he did not back down, showing his spine and pride as a Russian towards the monster before him.
"[I am surprised that you did not replace your left arm.]" The boy said, gesturing to the metal arm that he had, once upon a time, removed from the politician. "[I remember that I ripped that arm off quite painfully from your shoulder.]"
"[A r-r-r-reminder.]" Nicholai stuttered a reply.
"[A reminder of your dead comrades?]" The boy asked in disinterest. "[How noble.]"
Nicholai did not know whether the boy was serious or if he was mocking him.
Regardless, those were the last words that he would ever hear.
The boy that retired him from active service as a soldier was the last sight that he would ever see in life.
Because, after those words, Nicholai Artur disappeared from the world, his body, his corpse was reduce to nothing.
(Scene Change) (Ayanami POV)
"You've met the MP of this city before?" I asked my nephew as he vacated the office of one Nicholai Artur, former MP of Kazan.
I was surprised when my Nephew decided to hit this household. I was unaware that this was the residence of one of this country MPs.
Of course, Tatsuya-kun did not care about the man's status.
Tatsuya-kun did not even care how much the New Soviet Union would be driven to chaos at the death of one of their major leaders.
The man was quite a popular MP.
Tatsuya-kun decided to attack the household of Nicholai Artur for the simple fact that the man survived him once upon a time.
Apparently, even Tatsuya-kun would allow some insects to escape once.
A second time is a different matter.
"Once. He ran from me. He was so desperate as he ran from me that I allowed him to live." Tatsuya-kun explained as he dusted himself before gesturing his mask that I was currently holding.
His mask really makes him look animated.
Maya-chan's preference is still quite humorous, even if her sanity had left her many years ago.
I handed him his mask and he wore it without any hesitation, even though his get up with that mask made him less threatening to look at.
"You've killed the rest of the family?" He inquired airily, as if a butcher of an entire family was of no consequence.
Honestly, the butcher of this particular family would send quite a shockwave throughout this country, even abroad. It was not every day that a popular and well-known politician and his entire family were assassinated. The fact that elite soldiers and magicians guarded the MP would also add to the intrigue of this situation.
The fact that those elite soldiers and magicians were now dead would also add fuel to the political shit storm that would emerge when the death of the MP surfaces.
"I have." I answered the inquiry with a cold, but cheerful tone.
I don't like killing children. Artur-san had three children, and I had to slit their throats.
They should not have attempted to touch my children, so I guess this balances everything out.
My musing was cut short when I felt a chill run up my spine. I watched, with a bit of fascination, as a [Wraith] appeared before Tatsuya-kun.
It was a challenging experience distinguishing [Ghosts] and [Wraiths]! They are very curious spiritual entity.
Tatsuya-kun stared into the eyes of his [Wraith] for a few seconds before the viral spiritual entity disappeared in a flash of silver flames.
Tatsuya-kun, in his cold demeanor, look slightly contemplative.
That lasted for a few seconds before he spared me a look.
"I decided on our last target." My nephew informed me.
I could not help but smile at that news. "We get to go home then after this one." As much as I enjoy working with my nephew and making this country bleed, I miss my children and husband more.
"Yes, but I hope you do not mind us plundering some resources?"
He is starting to warm up to me. Tatsuya-kun doesn't seem to be the considerate type if one is not his mother or lover.
"I don't." I told my nephew, already having an inkling on what resources he is talking about.
"Then let's nip this under the bud." Tatsuya-kun stated, his normally passive eyes having a flash of cruelty.
Frankly, as well as terrifyingly, it reminded me of Maya-chan.
Next chapter a field trip around the Tokyo region and an overview of Tatsuya's Yotsuba's Kanto Branch and Tatsuya wraps up his field trip on the New Soviet Union.