The extreme shock and utter confusion Miyuki felt was suddenly replaced by something more intense. That tiny but powerful voice deep inside her screamed out at her once again.
"…..HE'S MINE!"
Even as she was stunned by her own thoughts, she embraced them without normal qualms. Even though he was her brother, her actual blood related full sibling, in her heart she knew on instinct that her Onii-sama was HERS.
Miyuki had to fight the urge to burst out of the room and confront her mother. Suddenly this wasn't a mother and her two children in Miyuki's mind, but two women fighting over the man they loved. All rational thought was bleeding out of her.
Then she saw Tatsuya's eyes swell open in shock as well. Next his hands grabbed their mother's fragile forearms and he tried to push away from her.
As their lips parted, even distracted by her outrage, Miyuki could feel something unexpected.
"Is that a…"
It was tiny. Even highly trained magicians might miss it.
"…some type of….magic?"
Suddenly as their head's pulled apart, a glowing orb of psions, tight around Tatsuya's head appeared. As their faces parted, the glowing "wisps" of some type of strange magic pulled away from Tatsuya's head as if Miya where pulling it from him.
"What in the world is this?"
Then the magic "wisps" separated from Tatsuya and suddenly surrounded Miya's head.
Tatsuya, his head still in Miya's hands and his hands still clutching her arms, suddenly went limp. All the tension from before was gone. His head flopped to the side so Miyuki could finally see his face. He seemed…..
"….drunk?"
She'd never seen him like this before. He looked utterly incapacitated. Even when he was asleep he looked ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. His sudden listlessness terrified her to her core. Suddenly any safety in this world she felt she had was gone from her.
Then she saw her mother, at the moment the magic "wisps" seemed to be absorbed into her head. The look of sudden pain would have been more appropriate had someone stabbed her in the head with an ice pick.
"MOMMA!"
In her concern for both, the momentary jealousy she felt before was gone and forgotten.
Miya leaned her head back and breathed heavily. As she did she pulled the stupefied Tatsuya's head to her chest.
Had this loving scene happened before Miyuki witnessed the deployment of the strange magic, and the unexpected kiss, it would have melted her heart.
But now…..
Mother and son rested for a few moments, she cradling her son's head to her bosom while she seemed to stare blankly at the ceiling.
After what felt like an eternity Miyuki saw her mother's jaw moving. Tatsuya opened his eyes, as if recovered from the drunkenness of before. Miyuki read his lips.
"No, please."
Then Miya tilted her head forward and Miyuki could see her sorrowful eyes as she looked down at her son, who once again was trying to move away.
"There is no choice Tatsuya. Please don't struggle."
He pushed back harder, but he seemed to lack the energy to do so. She tilted his face up towards hers.
"No Momma. They belong to me. Please Momma. I can handle it. I can."
His frightened words made Miya flinch, but she spoke again.
"I know Tatsuya, you are so strong, but they are deadly for you."
And then she kissed him on the lips again.
This time Tatsuya seemed to lose the will to struggle instantly.
There was no jealousy in Miyuki's heart like before, there was no room inside there with all the sorrow and confusion she felt. She didn't understand what she was seeing, but she could feel it instinctively was wrong.
"Momma is taking something away from Onii-sama."
The strange magic formed around their heads like before. This time the kiss was much more tender. A few moments later, and they parted again. The magic "wisps" once again going with Miya. Tatsuya's stupor returned, but when Miya absorbed the magic again, though still obviously painful for her, it didn't seem as bad.
He rested listlessly in her arms, as she breathed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose to fight back the pain.
"So much…...pain."
Miya's lips moved again. She then vaguely looked down at her son in his listless state.
"My poor baby."
"My poor…baby?"
Miyuki's emotions and thoughts were being overwhelmed. Witnessing all of this, she couldn't seem to process what she was seeing.
"But if you love him this much…"
She felt so empty and alone. She couldn't have felt more alien to this world if she had stepped off a spacecraft.
"….WHY?"
She didn't even know what the "why" she screamed in her mind even meant; but it was intense, and it hurt her deeply to feel so confused and scared.
"Momma….."
A listless Tatsuya's lips moved, almost unreadable to her.
"….no more momma. I'm….hurting you."
"ONII-SAMA!"
Tears feel uncontrolled from her eyes now.
"Stop momma! PLEASE STOP!"
Words she wished to scream, but could only hold deep inside herself. She didn't even realize her own nails were digging into her thighs.
"My beautiful boy…this is the only time I can hold you like this."
Miyuki began to feel sick to her stomach. She was starting to tremble uncontrollably.
A third kiss between mother and son occurred then. Afterwards Tatsuya passed out completely in Miya's arms; but she herself looked near collapse, barely keeping him from slipping to the floor.
She laid her head back again listlessly, and then…
"Momma's…crying…"
Miyuki's stable world which had cracked significantly under the weight of today's events was now completely shattered.
"It's not just the lie of 'Ani' I was fooled into…"
Warm tears fell as she buried her face in her hands.
"...my whole life…everything I believed in….."
She felt as if she'd retch up the scant contents of her stomach at any moment.
"…EVERYTHING!...WAS A!..."
She looked up in despair at the ceiling above her.
"…lie."
And the worst part for Miyuki was….
"…..why?"
She didn't understand any of this. None of this seemed to fit with logic or reason.
Miyuki knew she was a strong magician, even for her age, but she also knew nothing she did for the rest of her life could ever compare to the awesome power she witnessed her thirteen year old brother wield today.
In addition he was a genius. He was top in the class in every subject. Even when they were in elementary school the teachers had wanted to promote him to higher class levels. All attempts were stifled by their mother.
He was amazing, a prodigy; and as far as Miyuki had ever seen or heard, no magician in the world had a power like she had witnessed today. Tatsuya could turn his enemies and their equipment to dust. He could raise up the dead to life again, and…..
"….he made the Sun appear on the surface of the Earth."
And yet…
"They treat my Onii-sama like DIRT!"
The servants, the other family members, Oba-sama, even their father.
"And mother…..I don't! …HOW? WHY?"
Miyuki wallowed in her despair, trying to find answers to questions that were in themselves too outrageous to ask. She wondered who in a normal world, a normal life, would ever have to ask such ridiculous questions in the first place.
"A perfect son…..hated by everyone? And a mother that clearly loves him intensely….but denies him her affection and praise?"
She wanted to scream her rage to the world, but she dare not, or risk exposing what she had just learned.
She rubbed her wet eyes and looked back into the reception room beyond. While she fought herself inside her own mind, her mother and her brother apparently both exhausted whatever energy they had left after this long day. Miya's head was leaning on top of Tatsuya's, whom she still held tight to her bosom.
Then Miya's head moved, and she weakly looked down at her sleeping son.
"One day….I hope you will understand."
And then she lightly kissed him on his forehead again as she gently stroked his hair.
"One day I hope I understand TOO!"
Miyuki made this silent prayer in the highest sincerity.
When she looked back through the crack in the binds she was stunned to see her mother looking directly at her.
She had to restrain herself from flinching in reaction. If she moved even a bit, Miya would surely see it.
"But she's so far from the crack, and it's darker in here. Surely she's just looking at the window? She has no sight enhancing magic I know of."
And then Miyuki remembered this new magic her mother had used on Tatsuya, and any confidence she had in her previous self-assuring statement was gone instantly.
"…you have surely surprised me today mother."
Miya then turned back toward Tatsuya, and her lips moved again.
"Taking away your pain is the only thing I can give you to help my son."
And then she brushed back his mussed up hair.
"…..and of course her, but she will be more than enough."
"…her? Who is 'her''….."
And then Miya, weak as she was, lifted Tatsuya into an upright position in front of her, still on his knees.
"…what now?"
And she slapped him with all the strength left in her.
"EHHHHHH!"
Miyuki quickly covered her mouth to stifle her shocked scream. She knew the sound dampening barrier worked against the wall, door, and window between them; but it was a flat barrier and not encompassing. Her sudden scream would likely reach the soldiers standing guard outside, or even go around the barrier between the rooms.
Looking back into the room beyond, Tatsuya was on his feet and looking confused.
"Madam…..what…."
"I realize you have had a very active day. One might say a far too active day…"
She appeared to be irritated with him suddenly.
"…..but to pass out because of a little work? Perhaps your Guardian training needs to be further supplemented. Clearly you're losing fitness in some area."
"WHAT?"
Miyuki couldn't take much more of this charade. Suddenly her mother went from shockingly loving to downright cold again.
See saw her Onii-sama straighten and could just make out the corners of his mouth.
"My apologies Madam, I have no excuse. I will redouble my endurance training."
She appraised him coldly with one eyebrow raised.
"Yes, see that you do."
Miyuki had had enough. She stood up and went to the far window, then opened the blinds. The late afternoon sunlight made her raw eyes water in response. The once busy gate was now virtually abandoned. She thought they probably rerouted traffic to avoid them seeing Tatsuya's handy work. She saw military aircraft in the sky on the horizon, and the smoke clouds were still bellowing upward, but nowhere nearly as intensely as earlier.
And then she saw Lieutenant Yanagi, vigilantly standing guard over…
She pinched her eyes closed in frustration, and to force the tears back down.
"Please….make this day end."
She didn't even know what deity she was asking to rescue her from her exhaustion, confusion, and despair. At this point, for Miyuki, any one of those that were listening would have been acceptable.
"Miyuki?"
She hadn't heard him come in. He had probably knocked first as well. In all her emotional turmoil, she never once stopped casting the sound dampening magic.
She spun around in surprise. Now Tatsuya's face contorted in concern. He clearly could see the emotional state she was in.
"Miyuki…are you…."
She ran at him, they were less than a meter apart but she flew at him, into his arms.
"ONII-SAMA!"
He caught her in mid-air.
Her arms wrapped around his head and she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"Onii-sama."
"Yes….Miyuki?"
His concern for her welfare was radiating from his tone.
"I'm….so tired."
She felt guilty saying these words to Tatsuya, who had worked so hard today, but it was the truth. She was drained, of everything.
"I know…Miyuki. Come rest with mother."
She then pulled back and looked at him with concern.
"Are you OK Onii-sama? Are you alright?"
She could hear the desperate edge her words held.
"I…..am fine, Miyuki. Please do not worry for me."
"He's still calling me Miyuki!"
She had been afraid that whatever her mother had done to him would have "damaged" all the new closeness they had developed this week.
"OH! Onii-sama!"
And she squeezed him tightly again, then he ran his hand lightly through her hair.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Somehow his simple hand movement drained away all the tension in her body.
After a few more reassuring moments in his arms, he gently guided her back into the waiting room.
Their mother sat on the couch, in a proper position, but everything else about her was like a wax model. There was no life anywhere but the movement of her breathing.
"Those eyes again….."
Dead to the real world and looking off at something far away. Something…..
"….repulsive."
Miya's cold eyes drifted slowly to her daughter.
"Are you alright Miyuki?"
Miyuki couldn't even force a smile for her mother at that moment, so instead she formed her mouth into a hard straight line.
"I'm fine mother. Are you alright?"
Miyuki's words sounded even to her own ears to be hollow of all emotion. Her question sounded more like a rhetorical question a scientist might ask a laboratory animal they had just infected with a deadly disease. No real response was expected for the question.
Miya responded as she looked away again to stare off towards something only her eyes could seem to see.
"As well as can be expected."
No emotion given, and none had been returned.
"Which of us is the scientist, and which lab rat?"
Having felt like she'd been played with, that her Onii-sama had been played with, and abused for their entire lives; Miyuki couldn't help but ask her mother, even if only in her own mind this question, now that her world was exposed for the lie it was.
Into this empty void, Tatsuya spoke up.
"Madam, if you both are alright, may I relieve Lieutenant Yanagi?"
"MOTHER."
Miya and Tatsuya both turned at Miyuki's emphatic statement.
"Miyuki….I….."
"We call her 'mother' Onii-sama."
"Miyuki."
There was the rebuke again in her mother's tone. She turned and calmly looked at Miya then.
"Onii-sama, who is your Primary?"
He blinked for a moment, but responded with clarity.
"I am Miyuki-sama's….."
"No, no, no Onii-sama."
She wagged her right index finger with a genuine smile for her Onii-sama. He quickly understood why and smiled lightly at her mild chiding.
"I am…MIYUKI'S…Guardian."
Miya was the only one without a smile at this point, but she didn't frown in reproach either.
"It is Miyuki's wish, if Onii-sama will agree, that you call our mother 'mother' from now on, please."
She no longer had it in her to give him orders. Everything for her would from now on require Onii-sama's willing acceptance to have any validity.
"It will be as…..Miyuki…wishes."
Neither of them once looked toward the person in question for her consent. She sighed, she had done that more today than Miyuki could ever remember before. No other "public" display had indicated her weakened state so well. She turned away and whispered to herself lightly before replying.
"No changing her back now."
Miyuki had lip-read those words of her mother.
"Tatsuya, you may relieve the Lieutenant."
Then she spoke again.
"When the Captain returns show him in."
"Mother?"
Miya almost sighed again at Miyuki's prompting, clearly expecting her daughter to vex her further.
"Yes Miyuki?"
"I'd like to go outside too, I could use some fresh air."
Miya only pondered this for a few seconds before replying.
"Very well, then you can show the Captain back in when he arrives."
She turned disinterested eyes towards Tatsuya.
"You may relieve the Lieutenant."
"Yes mad…mother."
Miya showed only the slightest recognition that he almost fell into the old speech pattern again.
"Do you need anything before we step outside?"
Miya looked as if she were going to say something in response to Tatsuya's question, but it faded away and she vacantly shook her head side-to-side.
"It's too late Mother. You can wear your fake mask every day, but I have seen your TRUE face! I will never forget it! NEVER!"
She saw Miya's true pain and anguish. She saw her shed tears for the son she acted like she despised. Nothing would ever be the same for Miyuki after today. She had seen the true strength of her Onii-sama, and the true heart of their mother.
Then Miya locked eyes with her daughter. All the emptiness she tried to radiate constantly in those eyes melted away. Miyuki saw through those eyes behind their mother's "mask" again. She wouldn't turn away from her mother's gaze. Then sudden recognition spread in Miya's eyes.
"Yes momma, I know who you really are inside."
Pity and sympathy mixed in Miyuki's heart with love and anger. She knew her mother now better than she ever had before, and yet she had also discovered there were numerously more things about the woman that gave her life than she ever could have fathomed before.
In the eyes before her was a pain and loneliness Miyuki hoped she never would truly understand.
And the same question remained in Miyuki's heart.
"….why momma? Why?"
"I'll return with the Captain, mother."
And with that Miyuki and Tatsuya stepped out onto the deck.
"Everything alright Special Officer?"
The Sergeant asked Tatsuya this question as they emerged from the guardhouse.
"Yes Sergeant, thank you."
The Sergeant replied.
"Yes Sir."
Miyuki again had to adjust to the glare of sunlight. Tatsuya gently guided her by the shoulder down the ramp of the deck. When they were far enough away from the two soldiers he whispered to her ear.
"Are you sure everything is OK Miyuki?"
She could see the concern in his eyes. She wanted to relieve his burdens as much as she could. She smiled brightly at him.
"Of course Onii-sama."
"I see…."
She was surprised when he raised his hands to her cheeks. Then suddenly relaxing, she allowed him to wipe away the residue of her numerous tears.
"Well, as well as your Miyuki can be today…."
Both their eyes drifted towards where Lieutenant Yanagi dutifully guarded the remains of their dear Honami.
"….under the circumstances."
"Indeed…"
He ran his hand over her hair again, and she allowed the warmth she felt from this action wash through her.
Then a suddenly serious look came to his visage.
"Miyuki, do you wish to…..see her, one more time?"
She looked sadly back at where Honami lay. After seriously pondering for a moment, she shook her head no.
"I…I don't want…..I…."
"I understand, you don't want to remember her like she is now, but how she was before?"
Miyuki smiled awkwardly up at him and nodded.
"I don't want to remember her like…"
She felt awkward suddenly. She remembered that Onii-sama knew nothing about her nightmares over seeing Eisaku-Oji-sama's body.
"…like the nightmares about Eisaku-Oji-ue?"
She looked up at him surprised and stunned.
"Onii-sama…how did…."
She looked away embarrassed then.
"Can Onii-sama read my mind too?"
Tatsuya smiled down at his sister's stunned reaction.
"I'm your Guardian Miyuki, plus my bedroom is next to yours."
"Onii…..ah…"
She covered her mouth with her hand quickly once she realized she had it gaping open towards him in shock.
After a few moments to compose herself, she turned back towards him with pink cheeks.
"I…..did wonder once….how Honami-chan could hear me from downstairs."
Then she turned her eyes up in wonder.
"Onii-sama of course has always looked out for his Miyuki."
He smiled awkwardly back to her admiring gaze.
"And now Miyuki will start watching out for her Onii-sama as well."
She could hear the determination in her own voice.
After a few minutes to just take in some fresh air, she turned a serious expression to him.
"Onii-sama, are you certain you are really alright?"
He squinted momentarily, then answered with a smile.
"Yes Miyuki, just a little tired is….."
Then he turned suddenly back towards the direction of the main base area behind the guardhouse.
Miyuki followed his eyes, but she could see nothing unusual.
"What is it Onii-sama?"
She was ashamed of the fear she heard in her own voice. It had been a stressful day, but to her that was no excuse.
"The Captain and Lieutenant Sanada are returning. There's a female office with them."
Miyuki blinked in surprise. She turned her eyes back towards the base.
"But, I don't see…."
And then a military vehicle came out from behind what Miyuki thought was an aircraft hangar, and turned towards them.
"How did…."
Stunned eyes looked at Tatsuya again. He looked at her briefly with only the slightest awkward expression, then immediately went back to looking at the approaching vehicle.
"Stop acting so weird Miyuki. It's not like it's the first time Onii-sama has done THAT."
Just a few days before, Tatsuya had detected a submarine approaching them while they were out sailing. She had been equally impressed then too.
"He'll tell you how when he's ready to."
She buried her stunned curiosity and straightened out her sundress with her hands. Then put on her face the "mask" she had learned to use from Honami just days before.
"Shall we greet them Onii-sama?"
He looked back towards her and nodded.
"If you are ready?"
She nodded back, then they walked down the rest of the ramp to wait for the approaching vehicle.
Miyuki could feel Tatsuya directing intense interest towards the woman in the passenger seat. They were still a hundred or so meters away, but Miyuki could see that unlike Kazama and Sanada, who still worn combat suits like Yanagi and Tatsuya, this new person was wearing a Service Uniform. Miyuki knew this was almost the most formal military uniform, and was worn mostly in important military offices, and on semi-formal occasions, or by high ranking personnel.
"She's important."
Then Miyuki saw the lady officer's eyes. They were clearly fixated on Tatsuya.
She leaned back on her seat and asked Kazama something. He looked at Tatsuya too, then nodded as he spoke. Then Miyuki could see her eyes return to Tatsuya, with a big smile.
"She's here for my Onii-sama!"
Sudden fear flooded Miyuki's heart. Fear that her Onii-sama would be taken away from her. Then the ominous words of their mother floated again to the top of her mind.
"I wonder who else also got to watch his dramatic debut?"
Sanada brought the vehicle to a halt before them, and Kazama exited the back to offer the female officer a hand out of her seat. The vehicle was just high enough for it to be awkward for her to exit in a skirt without a hand. As the Captain helped the lady out, he nodded to Sanada, who went off in the direction where Yanagi was.
Miyuki recognized the so called "fruit salad" of medal and award ribbons on the new arrival's left uniform breast. If numbers and colors were enough of an indicator, this was someone with a lot of military experience.
Tatsuya stiffened beside her, then brought his right hand up to his right temple in salute.
The Captain and…..Miyuki thought her rank insignia was for a Full Colonel, both returned the salute. The Colonel never stopped smiling at Tatsuya. Miyuki thought that this had to be the first person they had met today, at least since he had destroyed the attacking forces, who wasn't afraid of Tatsuya.
Miyuki wished that the Colonel would have been at least a little afraid. Something in that smile was more ominous to Miyuki than all the terrified glances she had seen from others today combined.
When they lowered their hands, Kazama spoke first.
"Colonel, allow me to present Shiba Miyuki-san and her brother, Special Officer Shiba Tatsuya-san."
He then turned to the siblings, Tatsuya still at attention.
"Miyuki-san, Tatsuya-san, allow me to introduce you to Colonel Saeki Hiromi."
Tatsuya's eyes twitched just a tiny bit, not when he heard the Colonel's name, but when Captain Kazama had stopped speaking. It seemed to Miyuki that Tatsuya had expected more info.
Tatsuya saluted again. Miyuki took this as an indicator she should bow, and did so.
"Pleased to meet you ma'am."
"Indeed, we are honored to meet the base commander."
When she rose the Colonel was smiling at her, it was the first time she had looked at Miyuki.
"Thank you my dear, but I am not the base commander."
Tatsuya answered for them.
"Apologies ma'am, we had assumed…."
"No need for apologies Special Officer. The Captain didn't know I had arrived when he left you earlier."
"Was the Colonel at the frontlines during the battle?"
Saeki smiled with deprecation at Miyuki's question.
"Goodness no young lady. While I am combat experienced, my talents lay in a different area of military need."
She then nodded to Kazama, who explained.
"The Colonel is a specialist in magic combat organization and tactics. Specifically the organization of magic combat units to supplement regular forces in the field."
"I'm basically a facilitator. Familiar enough with magic to understand it's uses, but not strong enough in magic to use it in combat myself. I help the non-magician military leaders know how best to utilize our magic forces, like the major here, to augment and strengthen regular units."
"Understood ma'am."
Tatsuya replied to her, then she smiled back at him brightly and extended her hand to him. As he somewhat awkwardly shook her hand she spoke again.
"Young lady. All of Japan owes your brother a debt of gratitude. It is an honor to meet such a gifted and talented magician as him."
Tatsuya suddenly looked embarrassed, but Miyuki couldn't help but beam brightly. Like Kazama and his staff had said a few days before, Miyuki was pleasantly stunned again to hear such high words of praise for Tatsuya's magic, since she was used to hearing the opposite from the Family.
"Indeed Colonel, Onii-sama is the greatest magician in the world!"
All eyes turned to her emphatic proclamation. Saeki and Kazama soon smiled at her adoring words of praise, but Tatsuya seemed even more embarrassed than before.
Then Saeki turned that bright smile back to Tatsuya.
"Well my dear, from what we've seen today, you very well may be right."
Only now did Miyuki suddenly wish she had turned down her effusive praise of him. At this moment, Lieutenant Sanada silently rejoined the group.
Then Saeki smiled back at Miyuki.
"Are you also hiding amazing talents like your brother here young lady?"
Miyuki answered with extreme sincerity.
"Oh no Colonel! I'm highly talented, but nothing like Onii-sama!"
"I see….that's too bad."
Saying so, the Colonel looked at Tatsuya like he was a present she had begged her parents for and finally gotten.
After what felt like an awkward silence, Tatsuya spoke again.
"I only did what was necessary Colonel. It was Captain Kazama and his men that put me in a position where I could be of use. Without their efforts the enemy could not have been repulsed."
She nodded agreement.
"Indeed, many have excelled and sacrificed today. Some have given everything and all will be honored for it."
Tatsuya and Miyuki's eyes weren't the only ones to look in the direction where Honami's body was.
"But thanks to you, young man, many thousands of our forces, and hundreds of thousands of civilians here on Okinawa are alive and well. Your modesty is admirable son, but you have surely earned the praises and thanks that you have received, and much more."
Miyuki and the Colonel certainly agreed on that point. Miyuki nodded her thanks to the Colonel as Tatsuya nodded with awkwardness.
"I understand your mother is here?"
Miyuki answered the Colonel's question.
"Our mother awaits you inside. Please follow me."
Miyuki turned back up the ramp and Tatsuya saluted again.
"With the Colonel's permission, I'd like to relieve Lieutenant Yanagi."
The three military officers all looked back to where Yanagi was standing and showed sympathetic expressions.
"The Captain explained to me about your servant."
"Sakurai Honami-san was our mother's servant Colonel, not mine."
A brief twitch flickered across Saeki's face. She didn't seem to understand the difference, since most servants serve whole families. She didn't pry any further.
"I see."
She then put a maternal hand on Tatsuya's upper arm.
"We all owe her a great debt as well. I promise you Tatsuya-san, her sacrifice was not in vain."
Miyuki appreciated the words, but she knew exactly what the Colonel really meant by them.
"Because Honami-chan saved Onii-sama's life, and now the military wants to exploit Onii-sama for themselves."
Then Miyuki smirked a bit.
"We shall see about that Colonel."
Miyuki was indoctrinated in the Family's mystique enough to assume that even the Self Defense Forces would back down before Oba-sama's wicked smile.
Miyuki led the military officers to the door of the guardhouse as Tatsuya moved towards the vehicle with Honami's body. She couldn't help but spare him a final look. He seemed so strong, so confident, but Miyuki knew he had to be breaking inside as he was before. Yet she couldn't help feel that whatever magic their mother had applied to him had changed him somehow. He was acting just as he did before she had been shot.
Miyuki turned back and rapped her knuckles on the door. Then a few seconds later she opened it and called within.
"Mother, Captain Kazama has returned with a visitor. Are you ready to receive them?"
A weak yet authoritative voice replied from within.
"Show them in Miyuki."
"Yes mother."
Miyuki turned to the military officers.
"Our mother will see you now."
The officers filed into the room with the Colonel following Sanada and Kazama coming in last. They lined up before the couch opposite the one Miya sat on in that order. Miyuki followed them in and closed the door.
"Mother, please allow me to introduce Colonel Saeki Hiromi. Colonel, please allow me to introduce our mother, Shiba Miya."
The Colonel smiled and nodded to Miya.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Shiba-san. We can't thank your family, especially young Tatsuya-san, enough for the service you have rendered for the nation today."
Miya nodded back without standing.
"Thank you Colonel. I hope you will forgive me for not standing to greet you, but we have had a fatiguing day."
"Of course Shiba-san, completely understandable."
"Please don't continue standing on my account Colonel. I know the Captain and Lieutenant have also had a strenuous day. It will also make the conversation more pleasant."
"Thank you Shiba-san."
"Indeed, thank you very much."
Kazama and Sanada replied to her offer, but they were dutiful as officers to wait for the Colonel to seat herself first before joining her, despite what had to be their exhausted states.
"Thank you very much Shiba-san."
The Colonel added her thanks as well.
"Miyuki, offer our guests a beverage."
Miyuki was momentarily stunned by her sudden loss of decorum, but quickly recovered. She bowed toward the officers.
"Please forgive me, would you care for a beverage?"
All three officers looked at her in mild amusement, then they looked towards Miya again. The Colonel spoke up.
"Since this is a military base, it is we who should offer your family hospitality. Our apologies."
Miya waved her hand lightly as she dismissed the need for an apology.
"I'm afraid my little brood has taken over your guardhouse and we've quite made it our own. My apologies Colonel."
Miyuki had already removed three water bottles and offered them to the officers. They each thanked her with a nod and a smile.
"Shiba-san…"
The Colonel again addressed Miya.
"….may we also offer our condolences on the death of Sakurai Honami-san. I have agreed with the Captain's suggestion that Sakurai-san be named a Special Officer of the Self Defense Forces so that her family can receive her combat death benefits, and any compensation we ring out of the heinous people that sponsored this barbaric attack. If you can provide us with the information, we'll see that they receive her benefits."
Miya replied to the request in a matter-of-fact manner.
"I'm afraid Honami-san had no living relatives or other beneficiaries."
The Captain and Sanada both seemed mildly disturbed to hear this.
"She would be honored to have been named a Special Officer though, and I know it will mean a lot to my children to have her named so as well."
The officers smiled shyly towards Miyuki, who nodded her solemn agreement with her mother's words.
Her mother continued.
"If she is owed a benefit from her actions today, you may contribute it to the relief efforts here on Okinawa. She would have probably done that herself."
A solemn pause happened then. Into the silence Miyuki spoke.
"Please forgive my interrupting. Mother, may I join Onii-sama?"
"No Miyuki, come sit down."
Everyone seemed surprised by Miya's words.
"Shiba-san, what we need to discuss might be considered a very adult topic. Perhaps it would be best for Miyuki-san to not be present."
Miya smirked at the Captain's suggestion.
"There's nothing we can possibly discuss today that my daughter shouldn't hear."
Mild surprise shown on the officers' faces.
"If….you are certain Shiba-san?"
Miya nodded to the Colonel.
"Absolutely certain."
Miyuki moved towards the seat next to Miya with only the slightest hesitation and disappointment showing on her face.
Then Miya completely changed the mood of the room with one statement.
"After all, she and I were shot by your soldiers today, what can you say that could possibly rank beside that event?"
Miyuki saw the three officers' eyes widen, and then their faces paled in embarrassment. Miyuki knew her own eyes had opened much wider at her mother's sudden change of topic.
"Um….yes, about that Shiba-san….."
"It's alright Colonel, I don't blame any of you directly. I know that the Captain's men are here training the Onna Airborne, and that the men that attacked us were simple Mundanes."
The rather flippant and rude way of referring to "normal", non-magic wielding humans; was intentionally used by Miya to increase the tension, despite her words indicating the contrary.
"As for you Colonel, since I know you weren't on the base before the attack began, you certainly aren't to blame for the failures of the Self Defense Forces today. The base commander on the other hand has a great deal to answer for."
This fragile looking woman, who seemed as if a strong gust of wind might blow her away; had blown away the expectations of the three military officers in the room.
"Hypersonic transport Colonel?"
They were further stunned by her words.
"But…..how….."
"Simple Colonel. Your service branch emblem indicates you're a communications specialist, but we were already in your communications bunker here. Surely you would have been there had you been on base."
"I see…."
Then Miya threw another bombshell at them.
"I of course knew you weren't on the island before the attack began as well, so hypersonic transport is the only way you could have got here in time, assuming you weren't on your way already on a regular aircraft when the attack began."
"Shiba-san, how could you possibly know who was on our base, or this island?"
Miya smiled indulgently at the Captain's confusion with a mild laugh.
"Just like you and your two lieutenants aren't officially on this base right now, right Captain?"
The three officer exchanged questioning looks.
Miya let none of their questions reach their mouths.
"You have something serious to discuss with me Colonel?
The Colonel was only slightly flustered by the sudden shift, but rolled on with it since it was Miya redirecting the topic to Saeki's desired discussion point.
"Indeed Shiba-san, we have some serious things to discuss."
Miya lightly laughed at this.
"Is that a euphemism Colonel?"
Kazama replied seriously to Miya instead of Saeki.
"Shiba-san, I'm surprised by your calm attitude, you don't seem the least surprised by the things we've all seen Tatsuya-san do today."
She directed a flippant look towards him.
"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't know my own children and their abilities?"
"Shiba-san, are you saying you knew about Tatsuya-san's strategic class magic and said nothing about it to the authorities?"
Sanada's question brought Miya's eyes to him, along with a slight sneer.
"Are you suggesting I have some type of obligation to expose my children to governmental scrutiny simply due to their talent level Lieutenant? Because I can assure you I feel no such obligation."
The Colonel clearly thought this conversation was going in a bad direction. She moved to redirect the topic.
"Let's table that discussion for another time, since it has no direct bearing on what we need to discuss right now. Shiba-san, you seem to know a great deal about your son's abilities. Would you mind explaining to us about his exceptional magical talents?"
Miyuki thought that surely now Miya would shut them down completely, but to her surprise her mother became effusive.
"Since you have already seen most of his limited talents on display, it would seem pointless to prevaricate now."
She looked away from everyone with that distant look again, and then began to speak.
"Of course Tatsuya isn't really a magician at all."
This made the gathered military members exchange questioning looks. Miya didn't allow them time for questions though.
"Modern magic is defined as phenomenon alteration and Tatsuya is particularly poor at altering phenomenon."
The Colonel asked what her two colleagues clearly thought.
"Shiba-san, what exactly would you call the amazing….skills, your son demonstrated today?"
Miya only looked vaguely interested as she responded.
"What would I call it? I suppose 'curse' describes it best."
More confused and stunned looks followed.
"Of course being a magician with such fundamentally terrifying magic skills would seem daunting for someone Tatsuya-san's age…."
"You just met my son Colonel so it's natural you'd assume he's callow and unsure like 'normal' youths. Captain, Lieutenant; since you have already spent time with him, would either of you describe Tatsuya as 'daunted'?'
The Colonel looked first to Kazama, and then Sanada. The answer was the same from them both. A solemn headshake to indicate Tatsuya was indeed unique among his age group.
"Tatsuya is no normal boy. He has been trained since his youth to harness the limited magic skills he possess….."
"Trained by whom?"
"Mostly by me Captain, with assistance from my family."
"Limited you say? Forgive me for intruding Shiba-san, but there seems to be nothing 'limited' about Tatsuya-san's talents in the…"
"As I said before Lieutenant, my son has limited 'magic' skills. Magic is fundamentally defined as phenomenon alteration. Tatsuya has virtually no skill at phenomenon alteration and is thus considered a poor magician by default."
There was a long pause in Miya's words. Miyuki could feel the tension build as Sanada listened intently to her mother's next words.
"Instead, Tatsuya destroys and rebuilds phenomenon. In his specific case, matter. In this respect Lieutenant you are correct, there is no known limit to his ability to destroy and rebuild matter."
The Colonel seemed to not fully comprehend what Miya had said.
"Shiba-san, your son just destroyed six enemy warships. Are you saying he can do even more than that?"
Miyuki could feel herself tense.
"Please mother, stop telling them so much about Onii-sama."
Miyuki was convinced they would only be more insistent on taking Tatsuya from them the more they knew of him. Miya instead deflected the Colonel back onto the previous topic.
"Colonel, shall I proceed to explain more about my son's unique abilities now?"
The Colonel nodded back to Miya.
"If you would Shiba-san."
"Decomposition of course is familiar to you, though you certainly have never seen it displayed to such an effective level before. Tatsuya has an exceptionally high psion count. He can use that to project Decomposition across a wide area. Most Decomposition users are limited in scope and intensity, rarely capable of disassembling even one simple component. Tatsuya doesn't have a limit in that area, as you could see from his work around your gate today."
The Colonel swallowed hard before speaking.
"And he did all of…that, with just Decomposition?"
Miya nodded back lightly.
"He did it without a CAD too."
The Colonel's eyes really went round as she looked back toward Kazama's statement.
"Truly a…remarkable skill."
Miya looked away vacantly as she continued.
"Of course you really want to know about his ultimate Decomposition magic, Material Burst."
The three officers all perked up.
"Is that the name of his…."
"Yes Colonel. Lieutenant, no offense to your colleagues here, you seem to be the most technically minded member of your group present."
Sanada couldn't help but look awkwardly at his two superior officers, worried someone that his answer might offend them. To his relief Kazama answered for him.
"I believe that is a fair assessment of his abilities Shiba-san."
Miya smiled deviously towards Sanada then.
"Then surely the Lieutenant is familiar with Einstein's matter/energy conversion equation?"
Sanada blinked a few times, then his face went into shock as he comprehended her words.
"Good God! Are you saying…that Tatsuya…"
As he fumbled for his words his superiors questioned him.
"What is it Sanada?"
"…Energy is equal to matter times the square of the speed of light. The conversion of matter into energy. Can he really convert matter into energy?"
Miya, with a stoic expression, nodded as she answered.
"Yes Lieutenant. Material Burst is the name we have given for Tatsuya's innate ability to use Decomposition to break apart matter beyond the subatomic level into pure energy."
Sanada was pale from the shock, then he turned that expression towards Kazama.
"Sir, that's what he was doing with the bullets! It was the bullets that were the matter he used to convert into energy! That's where the explosion came from, the bullet's mass!"
It was the Colonel who replied to this statement.
"Wait, Lieutenant, are you saying the explosion that took out the attack fleet and pushed a three meter high wave up onto this island was produced by sniper rifle bullets?"
Sanada, with an amazed and fascinated look, shook his head at her.
"No ma'am, not bullets. It was just one, singular, bullet's mass."
"Just a few grams of weighted metal…that was all it took."
Kazama finally seemed to understand as he whispered this amazed statement at an almost imperceptible volume.
Even Miyuki couldn't help but be amazed at her Onii-sama's power and ability.
Miya looked almost sympathetically at her "captive" audience.
"Tatsuya has but to perceive an object, either by directly looking at it or through video feed, and he can decompose it. With Material Burst he accelerates matter at the speed of light times the speed of light. The result is the decomposition of even the subatomic particles, and then …..well, you have seen the explosion, right Colonel?"
Saeki vacantly nodded affirmation as the full weight of Tatsuya's Material Burst fell onto her mind at once.
"Do you see that paperweight on the coffee table between us?"
The three officers looked at it with varying degrees of trepidation. As if the paperweight would suddenly explod like a grenade in front of them. Even Miyuki was suddenly afraid of it.
"Would you like to explain what would happen if my Tatsuya converted that to energy Lieutenant?"
She smiled lightly at the obviously disturbed young man.
"That has at least six to eight times the mass of a bullet. If he….well, none of us would be alive, that's certain."
Saeki and Kazama both looked at him wide eyed.
"This island would probably not exist anymore, certainly not in its current configuration. The resultant Tsunami would have wiped out any initial survivors. Perhaps a few earthquakes would be triggered, even back in the Home Islands."
Saeki and Kazama turned their stunned expressions back to Miya. She calmly finished a sip of her water before continuing.
"Now imagine if he converted one of your trucks out there to energy. It's certainly not beyond his ability to do so. That explosion would surely crack the crust layer of the Earth. The resulting volcanos, earthquakes, and tsunamis would seem minor compared to the blast effects themselves. Might even push the Earth out of its current path around our Sun. Certainly an extinction level event."
Miyuki felt as if the hand of death had touched her. A shiver ran up and down her spine. The three military officers didn't look much different from her. They all just sat there with stunned looks as Miya calmly took another swig of water.
Finally, Kazama found his tongue again.
"And…..you thought it was a good idea to not tell the authorities about him?"
Miya smirked back at him.
"So they could use my son as a weapon Captain? A tool to bring death and destruction beyond a comprehensible scale? Of course I didn't expose him to the government or the military. All the more reason not to."
Miyuki could hear the scorn she used in her statement. No one present couldn't sense her complete lack of faith in "the authorities".
"How did he track the bullet?"
The tension was broken by Sanada's simple question.
"Shiba-san, you said he required visual confirmation to convert matter to energy, but he can't possibly see as far as the bullet went when he activated Material Burst. How did he do it then?"
"Ah!"
Miya seemed genuinely delighted at Sanada's question.
"I already explained that Tatsuya is a poor magician with no significant phenomenon alteration skills."
Sanada nodded as everyone waited for Miya's explanation.
"This was because his magic calculation area in his brain was dominated by Decomposition. So we used Mental Interference magic to give him an artificial magic calculation area."
All three officers blinked in confusion at her.
"…..you did what?"
"How is that….even possible?"
"…it's not. At least, it shouldn't be."
Miyuki could see they were just as stunned by this revelation as the true power of Material Burst had been to them before.
"Setting aside your understandable doubts…"
Miya continued on unperturbed.
"…the results of the artificial magic calculation surgery were disappointing to say the least."
She looked slightly disappointed with that particular memory.
"However, there were some beneficial side effects. One of which was that Tatsuya now had the ability to view Eidos in the information plain."
"I'm sorry….what?"
Miya smiled sympathetically at the still stunned Sanada.
"Tatsuya's subconscious now has enough processing power to convert psion data into an understandable format his conscious mind can use to 'see' the Eidos information plain. We call this ability Elemental Sight."
Even Miyuki was stunned. No wonder Tatsuya could detect submarines and torpedoes under water. No wonder he knew about the approaching vehicle before they were even in sight.
"So he could watch a bullet from several kilometers away, even during its flight trajectory, and at supersonic speeds?"
Kazama asked with an incredulous look on his face, but all Miya did was lightly nod to him in answer.
"Shiba-san, Tatsuya seemed to do something to the bullets in his hands before reloading them. Was that part of the process for using Elemental Sight?"
"He must have decomposed and then reconstituted the bullets Lieutenant. As I have said, he has to 'see' the matter to convert it. Having decomposed and reconstituted the bullets lets him imprint them into his mind so that it is easier to track them. It's not necessary for the use of Elemental Sight in general though."
The Colonel reasserted herself with a question next.
"Recompose, is that the technique he used to revive our injured soldiers?"
"We call that Regrowth, which is the reversal of Decomposition. Where Decomposition breaks down the bonds of molecules and atoms, Regrowth puts them back together. That of course is an oversimplified summation of a very complicated process; but it contains the basic essence of how he can recompose things that have been previously decomposed or otherwise damaged."
"Like dead soldiers?"
Kazama was serious in his question, today he had witnessed Tatsuya reviving mortally wounded comrades with what looked like relative ease.
"If he could revive the dead Captain then Honami would be alive and with us now."
Miyuki hoped her mother didn't notice her agitation over what she just heard. Tatsuya had saved them both and Honami from death earlier that day. Now Miya was claiming, in Miyuki's mind, that Tatsuya didn't do the things she knew he did. She was both angry and confused.
"Tatsuya has no control over life and death Captain, only control over physical objects' conditions. If what we think of as the 'soul' or 'spirit' has not yet dissipated, then resorting the body to a functional condition is all it takes to 'revive' someone from the 'dead'."
"But…..surely Onii-sama could have fixed Honami then?"
All eyes turned towards Miyuki's gentle and sad question with sympathy. Miya looked at her with soft eyes to explain.
"Psions are, in simplistic terms, 'life' particles. Even non-magicians possess psions, just not enough to use magic. Tatsuya cannot create psions, and so when a magician uses up all their psions, then their life force will naturally dissipate. Restoring the physical body will have no effect on this."
Miyuki fought the urge not to cry again. Seeing this, Miya gently stroked her head.
"Shiba-san, how can Tatsuya possibly reconstitute something as complicated as a human body? Based on what you have told us so far in order to use Regrowth, he must first decompose the object. Yet we saw no evidence of him decomposing our soldiers before restoring them."
"Another beneficial side effect of the artificial magic calculation area Captain. While he can't use Regrowth and Elemental Sight at the same time, there's more than enough subconscious processing ability to allow him to review local Eidos in its entirety for up to twenty four previous hours. He can then localize on what he wishes to restore and using its Eidos information, reconstitute it to an earlier form."
"Shiba-san, how do….."
Sanada was stopped from asking for more details by the raised hand of Colonel Saeki.
"We've heard enough technical details for now Lieutenant. We need to move on."
Saeki's eyes took on a hard edge as she focused across the coffee table towards Miya. For her part, Miya simply looked back at her with unexpressive eyes. Neither woman appeared to give way before the other.
"Shiba-san….."
Colonel Saeki, at least in the brief time Miyuki had known her, seemed very tolerant and laid back for an officer of such high rank in the Self Defense Forces. Yet now Miyuki saw her take on a stern and authoritative posture.
"…unprecedented Decomposition powers. The ability to restore objects to working order, including the human body. The ability to see the information plain up to twenty four hours in the past. And of course…..Material Burst. Did we miss anything?"
Miya smirked lightly back at her.
"Seems to be accurate Colonel."
Saeki clinched her jaw at Miya's nonchalant response.
"And you have known of his abilities for how long?"
Miya just blinked uninterestedly back towards the Colonel as she replied.
"Decomposition and Material Burst we have known of since his birth. Regrowth and Elemental Sight came after the artificial magic calculation area was created."
"And you said that it was done using Mental Interference magic?"
Miya turned toward Kazama and answered him with a nod.
"That kind of Mental Interference ability simply doesn't exist Shiba-san."
For some reason Miyuki sensed that her mother liked Lieutenant Sanada. She smiled genuinely towards him when he asked questions. Miya was a scientist by nature, so Miyuki assumed her mother found Sanada to be a kindred spirit in that way.
"Now Lieutenant, this morning many things you believed to be impossible were already proven to be reality, were they not?"
Sanada blinked in response as he processed her statement.
"And you have managed to keep him hidden from the world for thirteen years?"
Miya smiled indulgently towards Kazama then.
"And I would have kept him hidden longer had the Self Defense Forces done a better job of protecting this island."
"Who performed the Mental Interference magic surgery on him Shiba-san?"
There was only fascinated curiosity radiating from Sanada now. Miya seemed to appreciate his enthusiasm.
"Well, it was someone who had the understanding and the rare Mental Interference talent to perform something so radical and difficult."
Her smile was genuine. In reaction Sanada's eyes widened. She continued speaking.
"Risking one's own child's life on something so unknown and dangerous isn't the type of thing a mother would leave in the hands of someone else Lieutenant."
Now Sanada's jaw dropped open as his eyes bore into Miya's slightly entertained expression. Sudden recognition spread across his face. Seeing this Miya nodded with a smile towards him.
"That's…..but that's not…."
"What is it Sanada?"
Miya replied to the Captain's question before Sanada could.
"I think your young Lieutenant has had a sudden realization."
Sanada was still stunned as he replied.
"But….if that is who you are…then all the rumors were just…"
"Lies, Lieutenant."
"Pardon me, but what exactly is going on here?"
The Colonel didn't try to hide her frustrations with Sanada at this point.
"The Lieutenant has had a bit of a shock Colonel. He has seen a ghost."
Her mild laugh at this point only heighten the tension in the room. Miyuki knew this was her mother's true purpose. She had become the dominant voice in the room.
"Forgive me Colonel. I always get tickled by people's reactions in these circumstances."
The Colonel furrowed her brows in frustration. Instead of turning towards the stupefied Lieutenant she bore in again on Miya.
"I'm a communications specialist Shiba-san, and I have read your file, and that of your family. Your husband is a vice president of research at Four Leaves Technology, you're a house wife according to our files."
Then the Colonel turned sharp eyes toward Miya again.
"I have looked at information long enough that I know on instinct when something is garbage and disinformation. Whoever put together your family's file is a genius, but I can still recognize crap when I see it."
Miyuki tensed up, but Miya's smile only increased.
"This is a very serious situation Shiba-san, yet you seem to have a 'devil-may-care' attitude about your son being exposed as the most powerful magician in recorded history. That's not a normal reaction for a mother to have, even if she does know all of her child's extreme abilities."
The two women faced off across the room at each other. The tension in the room made Miyuki want to flee.
"Your child's future is on the line Shiba-san, your custody of him is on the line. I suggest you answer me truthfully now."
Miyuki looked on with terror in her heart.
"She's going to take away my Onii-sama! Stop her momma, PLEASE!"
"Who exactly ARE you Shiba-san?"
Miya looked away with a smile and a laugh, which only made Saeki angrier.
"…The Mistress of Lethe?"
Kazama had suddenly joined Sanada in utter shock. They looked over the Colonel towards each other, Sanada solemnly nodded agreement.
"Who? Speak plainly Captain."
"Such a grandiose nickname, but somewhat more elegant than Demon Lady of the East."
Miya smiled indulgently at them.
Miyuki admired the Colonel's self-control, despite her obvious irritation. When her subordinates still could not react due to mutual astonishment, she calmly pressed them.
"Captain, Lieutenant, explain yourselves?"
"It's not their fault Colonel, I'm supposed to be dead, or in a vegetative state in a hospital bed awaiting death. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. I am indeed Miyuki and Tatsuya's mother, Shiba Miya; but I'm better known by my maiden name."
The officers were all intently listening to her now.
"I am a daughter of the Ten Master Clans and the world's foremost authority and user of Mental Interference Magic. I am the eldest child and daughter of our former clan head Genzou and his lady wife Yasuyo. I am the elder twin sister of our current clan head, who is known as the Demon Lady of the East. I am known by the somewhat creative and interesting nickname of The Mistress of Lethe."
The Colonel had joined her subordinates in their shock and sudden clarity. Her eyes were as wide as theirs. They now all knew they were sitting across the table from a woman who was claimed could control whole armies with her mind. A woman that had supposedly been dead or incapacitated for more than two decades. A living breathing ghost.
"I am Miya…..of the Yotsuba."