2092: Aftermath

by Baryon Lancer

#1 Nothing would ever be the same for the Shiba siblings after Tatsuya used Material Burst for the first time, starting from that very day. All my MKnR stories are in the same slightly altered timeline.

11. Chapter 11: Epilogue

He couldn't believe that after the momentous events of this week he still felt this way before this door.

"So after all of that that I went through, I still hesitate like a little boy?"

Standing before this doorway, he was disappointed in himself and…..

Ashamed.

"I'm a combat veteran now. Damn, I even…."

Then a reminder hit him that he was still a thirteen year old boy. Even in the privacy of his own mind, he still couldn't say the words. His nightmares this week had been intense though.

Killed, he had killed other humans.

He couldn't find relief in sleep. His mother had already insisted he speak to a psychologist, though he knew the man on the other side of the door would mark the need to do so against him. It never entered his mind that full grow men, combat veterans, also need this type of help after doing their duty.

To him, it was weakness none the less. To him, it was beneath the dignity of a future head of a Ten Master Clans house to need such help, even if he was still just a boy.

Ichijou Masaki stood before this familiar doorway in hesitation like he had so many times already in his short life.

That door held more intimidation for him than a whole army of the enemy could, now that he had faced an enemy army.

Beyond this door was something he still feared even more than all those attacking soldiers he had turned into….

"…..Crimson Blooms."

The "darkness of that memory flooded his mind.

"If they would have just retreated after we blew up their vehicles..."

But they didn't, and Masaki stood side-by-side with his father, and they did what had to be done.

Something he truly hated within himself was his intense need for the approval of the person beyond this door, yet the fear in his heart was that what lay behind this door instead would be...

Disappointment and Judgment.

This was the door to the office of the current head of the Ichijou clan and Masaki's own father.

Ichijou Gouki.

"Just knock! It's not hard! Quit being such a coward!"

His self-admonishments had yet to produce results.

"Eventually he'll walk out and see you standing here like a…"

Then a voice stunned him from the other side of the door.

"Come in already Masaki."

It was like a slap across his face. His father already knew he was here. All his efforts to work himself up were for naught. He felt exposed and naked.

But time waits for no man, and he finally went inside.

The owner of that gruff voice was behind his desk. The look on his face was pure irritation, but he had yet spare his eldest child and only son a look.

Masaki stepped up to the front of the desk and waited to be acknowledged again. His father didn't have guest chairs in his office. He didn't call people here to be comfortable.

The ocular/brain wave reader over his father's right eye and ear indicated that he was composing something on the virtual screen in front of his eye that only he could see.

He was indeed very agitated.

"Maybe I should have waited. I knew he'd be tired, but…"

A few seconds later his father sighed heavily, took the brain wave reader off his ear, leaned back in his chair, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, this was the wrong time for this."

But it was too late, he was here already. His father wouldn't let him leave without knowing what he had wanted now.

He decided on attacking from an oblique angle first.

"How was your trip father?"

Gouki sighed again at this, slowly leaned his head downward. For the first time those piercing eyes fell on his son.

"Pointless, that's how my trip was."

As Gouki cleared his throat lightly, Masaki instantly regretted asking this question. His father's response dripped with frustration.

"I'm sorry to hear that father."

He could see his father's jaw clinch, then project forward slightly.

"Surely you didn't come here to hear about my trip. I'm very tired so please get to the point."

Yes, this indeed had been the wrong time to do this.

Less than a week before, Masaki and his father had led a group of volunteer combat magicians to Sado Island to support the SDF forces there trying to repel the invaders from the New Soviet Union. Only minutes after returning from the battle, his father was called upon by the other Ten Master Clans to rush off somewhere else. He told no one where he was going, just that he had to go.

Masaki had thought it was ridiculous to make his father, fresh from combat, rush off somewhere when the heads of the other nine master clans had done nothing to help on Sado.

A few hours later he had a pretty good idea where his father had rushed off to.

The Sado invasion was apparently a side-show to the main event. Masaki had been certain his father had been rushed off to Okinawa. The battle there was over too, but something unusual and extraordinary had happened there.

It was dominating the news. Over and over again the images from Okinawa were rebroadcast.

They were calling it….The Great Boom.

A huge explosion of unknown origin that had destroyed six enemy ships off the west coast of Okinawa. The final and dramatic act of the abortive invasion of that island by forces obviously supported by the Great Asian Alliance.

Now it all made sense to him.

The Ichijou family operate an undersea mineral mining company with a significant undersea exploration arm. This was the official family business.

And…The Great Boom had happened several kilometers from the island in the East China Sea.

If the Ten Master Clans wanted to investigate The Great Boom, then his father was the only viable choice to send there to conduct that investigation.

The news also reported that Kudou Retsu and Juumonji Kazuki were heading to the International Magic Association to discuss the Great Boom with the leaders of the worldwide magic community in an emergency summit.

Japan apparently had a new strategic class magician, and the world wanted answers.

And so apparently did the Ten Master Clans.

The sound of his father clearing his throat with irritation broke his internal reflections. The look sent his way clearly indicated he should either speak or get out.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, and then began to talk.

"There is something causing me concern…that I wish to discuss with you father."

Gouki just stared back at him impassively. He wasn't going to help his reluctant son by forwarding the conversation from his side. Piercing eyes stared back at him impatiently.

"Father…"

He braced himself and pushed onward.

"…..I want to talk about…..the boy."

Masaki didn't know what to expect when he broached this topic with his father, but the reaction he got was completely unexpected.

"THE BOY? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BOY?"

Masaki pulled back at his father's anxious and angry question. Gouki had literally jumped out of his chair, slamming his palms on the desk top and leaning forward intimidatingly at his reeling son. His eyes literally burned with fury and stunned curiosity.

"I…I…..I just…."

Masaki was thrown completely off by his father's reaction, forcing him to stumble and stutter out words in response.

"He's…he's still…upstairs. We haven't really…got to….."

Gouki's body was suddenly like a balloon that had lost all its air. He thumped back down into his seat and let out a great sigh.

He was….relieved.

"Oh…..THAT boy."

He rubbed his brow with both sets of fingers. He was clearly exhausted. Masaki rarely saw his father in such an exhausted state.

After a few more moments, his father spoke to him again.

"What about…..the boy?"

Masaki recovered from his father's unexpected outburst and pushed out his question.

"I'd like to know…..what will we do with him? What do you…..plan to do about him?"

Gouki once again looked at his son with suspicious eyes.

"What is your interest in this situation?"

Masaki's reflexes tried to pull him back from his father's gaze, but he forced himself to push forward.

"I just think…well both his parents…..I mean….."

He was foundering. He knew he was foundering and so did his father. That suspicious look started to turn to agitation and frustration.

He was under the pressure of those eyes now. He began to feel panic building inside himself. It was all going so wrong. He had to do something to save this situation and his own reputation in his father's eyes.

"I…I don't…."

"You don't WHAT? Spit it out boy!"

"I…I don't think we should…..send him away!"

And there it was. It was out. He felt….relief. He started to breathe easier. He even began to form a smile.

"…is that so?"

Any building relief he was feeling died a sudden death with his father's response. Those suspicious eyes only doubled in intensity, as they bore into his soul. His father seemed to be searching him as if something on him was dangerous.

"Um….yes sir. I think…..I think it would be….WRONG! He just watched his….his parents….get killed."

Those same eyes still stared back at him. Now pressing his fingers together with his hands resting on the desktop, his eyes continued to probe his son with a furrowed brow.

"And what exactly does my son propose we do with the boy instead?"

Masaki was about to make a serious proposal to his father, but he was still nervous. He began to try to formulate his response, when a sudden knock at the door brought both their attention towards that direction.

His father looked mildly irritated by the interruption, but raised a single finger at his son to indicate they would pause their discussion.

"Come in Akane."

Masaki blinked at his father.

"How does he know….."

Then the door opened and his eight year old sister walked in, closing the door behind her. He had been spot on, it was indeed Akane that had knocked.

"Hidden camera maybe?"

She had a pouting but pensive look on her face. She was arguable her father's favorite child, and arguably the most bold as well. She dared to say the things to their father he would never say; and unlike him, she usually got away with it.

She looked up at Masaki with an incredulous expression that indicated the same as the question "what are you doing here?"

She had their father's facial expressions too. She looked at Masaki with suspicion and curiosity as well.

"Alright Akane, what is it?"

She turned towards the desk with that pensive look of hers returning, but she also had that angry look mixed in with it she always had when she was determined to get her way.

Marching up beside Masaki, she finally turned that angry look across to their father, who returned the same look back at his young daughter, but with a questioning eyebrow raise as well.

"Father…I don't want you to send Kichijouji-kun away!"

His father's face went suddenly soft, and he blinked uncomprehendingly back at his angry looking daughter.

Masaki finally found something his father and he could agree on. Both were clearly surprised Akane had come to discuss the same thing as Masaki. They rarely agreed on anything, but now they had found common ground on this one topic.

The young boy they had rescued from the magic research lab on Sado Island, who had watched as his parents and their colleagues fought and died. Who had carried all the research his parents and their colleagues had been working on to safety, despite all the horror he had just witnessed.

Kichijouji Shinkurou.

He hadn't even spoke a word for the first two days after they brought him back from the island. He barely ate then too. There had been a real worry that he'd have to be fed intravenously.

Then on the third day he spoke again, and ate a bit more; but to say he was "normal" right now would be far off the mark.

Of course that's understandable. Masaki wasn't back to "normal" either, and compared to what Kichijouji went through Masaki had simply had a stroll in the park.

Then their father surprised them both.

He started…laughing.

"You two, working together? Maybe we should let the boy stay so you two can get along better, huh?"

He continued to laugh, which suddenly frustrated both his witnessing children.

"We're not working together!"

Saying the same thing at the same time had defeated their emphatic words to the contrary.

"Stop that!"

They did it again to their mutual horror. Both turned from the other with frustrated expressions.

Then there was yet another knock on the door.

Now their still amused father only looked at the door with a look of disbelief.

He began to shake his head sideways as he called out.

"Come in dear."

Their mother stepped into the office with a curious expression on her face, which only grew when she saw their two oldest children also in the room.

"My goodness, what is all that laughter about?"

Gouki smirked back at his wife's own smirk. Then he directed a question back at her.

"Was this your idea my Midori-chan?"

She directed a questioning gaze back to him, and then to her two children, before responding.

"What are you talking about dear?"

"Oh…so even you are feigning ignorance. I see now. I'm being attacked from multiple angles."

Now Midori directed a rare angry expression at her husband.

"Dear, I DON'T know what you are talking about. I realize you have had a stressful week, but if you insist on playing word games with me, I'll simple leave you in here to brood."

The look on her face brooked no deception, only irritation.

"I'm sorry love."

Gouki looked down at his desk as if he were searching for something to relieve his awkward feelings. Like the ray of sunshine in their lives that she was, Midori smiled again without reserve.

"It's alright dear, now someone tell me what is going on. Should I get little Ruri-chan too for this apparent family meeting?"

Her husband smirked again at her.

"No dear, I think we can work this out between just us."

He then turned an amused and suspicious eye towards his two oldest children.

"These two, supposedly with no planned collusion between them beforehand, came to me with apparent intentions to make sure I didn't send our young house guest away without their previous consent."

Masaki and Akane both looked like they were going protest their innocence again, but their mother spoke before they could.

"How very interesting."

Their father nodded to his wife's words while still smirking suspiciously at them.

"I in fact had planned to also talk to you about Shinkurou-kun as well."

Their father abruptly stopped his agreeing nodding, and redirected suspicious to his wife.

"And….you three aren't working together, huh?"

She smiled at him.

"I said so already, did I not?"

He backed down under her gaze. A few moments later he looked back at their children.

"You two go on now and let me and your mother talk."

"There's no need for that dear. This concerns them too, does it not?"

Gouki looked on pensively, but finally nodded his consent.

"While you were gone I did what you asked. We located Shinkurou-kun's nearest living relative."

Masaki could feel Akane suddenly tensing beside him.

"A great aunt, who is neither a magician nor young. She lives in an old folks' home."

For some reason Akane seemed relieved to hear this. Masaki thought that was an odd reaction to have.

"She has two daughters with their own families, all much older that Shinkurou-kun, but none are magicians. Taking on a young magician, and one they never seemed to know existed, didn't seem to particularly thrill either of them when we spoke."

Masaki couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. So-called normal humans loved to use magicians for their own ends, but they were also intimidated by them too. He was certain that THESE distant relatives wouldn't know what to do with the boy.

"Let me guess, his own grandparents died in The Wars?"

His father's guess was probably a good one. Two generations ago and before, two entire generations of modern magicians were….."expended"…to win the Third World War(s). A two plus decade long global "series" of lessor and greater conflicts that altered the political and social makeup of the entire world. The death toll had been greater than all previous human conflicts through known history combined.

And magicians had fought and died on the front lines.

"As weapons, not people."

"Three of them, the fourth only died a few years ago. On both sides his parents were their own parents' only child."

Gouki shook his head with a knowing but disapproving expression.

"A sad but typical story."

Their mother sympathetic expression clearly showed she shared their father's feelings on this point.

Gouki sighed again.

"So...what do you want to do about him?"

The look on his face indicated he knew she already had an answer.

"Well dear, it's not like we can't afford a long term house guest. We certainly have the room for him."

She delivered this answer with her usual radiant smile. Their father just smirked back towards her.

Then those piercing eyes of his bore into his expectant children.

Akane was practically ready to explode with excitement, but she deflated when it was Masaki their father addressed.

"He's your age, and would attend school with you. In a way, if we took him on, he'd be your responsibility Masaki."

Masaki pondered his father's words for a moment. Akane looked at him as if personally disappointed in his hesitation.

"Well, are you willing to bear this burden or not?"

Gruff and questioning eyes bore into him.

"I will..."

A reassuring motherly smile, a sisterly stare of anticipation, and a fatherly questioning gaze.

"...bear this responsibility father. Kichijouji-san will be my responsibility."

"AHHHH!"

Akane let out a delighted sound and clapped her hands together in joy.

"Thank you father! Thank you father!"

She even bounced up and down in front of them. Midori smiled at her son with the normal pride in him she felt. He was definitively "her son" in looks and temperament.

It was the unreadable expression his father sent to him now that made Masaki tense. It wasn't judgmental or hostile in any way, but he could fell the "appraisal" his father was directing at him then.

After a few more moments of Akane celebrating, Masaki and Akane both bowed and thanked their parents.

"Go and make him the offer. The final decision is now his to make."

Akane seemed disappointed to hear this, but then a determined look spread on her face.

Their father reached into a drawer of his desk and produced a data storage device.

"Here, return this to him."

Masaki stepped up and took the storage device from his father.

"Tell him, if he stays, that I'd like to talk with him about the research his parents and their colleagues were doing, and what he was working on."

Masaki nodded to their father then and moved to leave. Akane was impatiently looking at him already by the doorway. He exchanged a smile with his mother as he passed her.

Once they had left, Midori moved around behind the desk. Before she got there, Gouki already had his face in his hands. She placed her hands on his shoulders and began to massage them.

"Oh Gouki-kun, you're so tense. Was your trip to Okinawa that bad?"

Without moving from his leaned over position, he turned a suspicious eye back up towards his wife.

"And what makes my darling think I went to Okinawa?"

She giggled lightly and reached down to hit the news feed button on his desk's embedded data terminal. National and international news feeds began broadcasting on the desktop, all showing replays of the Great Boom.

"Were you so engrossed in your assignment you didn't turn the news on the whole time down there?"

Gouki let out a big sigh of frustration then.

"Unexplained underwater explosion. Ten Master Clan's underwater exploration expert. It wasn't hard for me to figure where they sent you dear."

He sighed again, this time in response to his wife's hands rubbing out his tensions with her fingers.

"You're way too smart for my own good."

She laughed at that as he turned the news feeds off.

"I wasn't entirely oblivious to all this."

He sighed again between his words.

"But you know me."

Midori smiled behind him.

"Oh I do dear! My Gouki-kun is all work and no play."

He smirked at her words.

"Um...a bit harsh. HO!"

Her hand had hit a particularly sore spot on his shoulder.

"And...now all we went through on Sado is nothing but a side-show to...THIS."

She smiled indulgently down at the back of his head as she continued to work his shoulders.

"You don't care about that stuff."

He didn't argue with her correct assertion. He only did what was required. What was expected of a clan head of a Ten Master Clan.

"Still...it would have been nice for Masaki to have been in the spotlight a while longer. What he did on Sado was worthy of international news coverage."

Midori shook her head.

"He doesn't care about that stuff either. He's very much like his father that way."

"Which is exactly why he deserves the attention."

He sat back up and Midori slid to his side to look at him.

"But instead all we hear about is the Big Boom!"

He crossed his arms and frowned.

"And the mystery 'Boy' in Black."

Gouki's frustration was evident.

Midori sent him a serious expression and crossed her own arms.

"Masaki doesn't need public accolades and cheering crowds. Just one positive word from his father would be worth all the praise the world could ever heap on him."

Gouki sighed and turned slightly away from his wife's glaring eyes.

"I know...but if I take it too easy on him, he won't be prepared for this burden."

She could tell how tired he was by his response. She stroked his head. They disagreed on this and always had. In Midori's mind a lot of that had to do with Gouki's own relationship with his father. The previous clan head was the very definition of "hardened combat veteran". He raised Gouki to be "hard" and even Gouki still didn't feel he was "hard enough" to be his father's successor. Now she saw him repeating the same pattern with Masaki. The weight of Gouki's burdens would one day fall on Masaki's shoulders. In yet another Ichijou generation, the father wanted to prepare his son, and the son again assumed their father didn't love them because of it.

She had been working to undermine this stalemate since her boy was very little. She'd make these two show each other their love no matter what it took to do so; but today was not that day.

"Can you talk about it?"

"...a little."

She touched a hidden button on the wall and a chair deployed from the panel below. Once seated beside him she asked a question.

"Since you're clearly frustrated, can I assume there were difficulties?"

"PUAAH!"

The indignant sound he let out was laced with anger and frustration.

"I just got done pulling the damn SDF's asses out of the fire on Sado, to turn around hours later and have them treat me like I was a GAA agent on Okinawa."

His arms were crossed again and anger creased his brows.

"They wouldn't let us near the damn blast site, on water or land! Me, the official representative of the Ten Master Clans!"

She rubbed his shoulders lightly again.

"Don't get worked up again for this dear."

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"It was already night time when we landed. The SDF made us land at Naha, damn place was a madhouse. We were the only ones trying to get ON the island. Found a Major waiting for me, ancient magician of course. Guy's name is Kazama, did a lot of serious work down in Indochina, a real combat magician. Looked him up later, he's one of GENERAL Saeki's group."

"GENERAL Saeki?"

Gouki nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah, newly minted MAJOR GENERAL Saeki Hiromi."

Midori knew enough about Japanese magic politics to know that former Colonel Saeki was one of the most outspoken critics of the Ten Master Clans system, which naturally made her a major proponent of the Self Defense Forces having their own magic Special Forces units without connections to the Ten Master Clans.

"If she got promoted..."

"Yeah, it means something big went down behind the scenes."

She turned questioning eyes to her husband.

"So this Major...obstructed your investigation?"

He smirked then.

"Very politely, but very effectively. Assigned us guards day and night, 'for our safety'. Every time we tried to get near that beach we found roadblocks and checkpoints. Even had a mundane corporal tell me I wasn't authorized to be there, and he KNEW who I was when he said it!"

She rubbed his shoulders again.

"Don't call them mundanes dear."

He shook his head then.

"I know...sorry, but the whole point of going was to investigate the site for magic deployment, and the military treated us like intruders."

She nodded at his frustrations.

"So, was it magic?"

He smirked at her.

"The new official story is that the hydrazine fuel cells on one of the ships was breached by a magic attack, resulting in...The Great Boom."

Midori laughed then.

"They don't expect people to believe that right, do they? Those six ships, even if all six had their hydrazine fuel cells explode together wouldn't make a blast like that!"

Gouki smirked again at her.

"Hell, half the GAA's fleet could have been there with all of their fuel cells ruptured simultaneously, and it wouldn't have made an explosion like that!"

He shook his head again.

"But if you're asking me if they expect common people to believe that story, I'll answer they expect them to believe it 'just enough' to not question them too much further about it."

He crossed his arms again.

"That's all they need for now."

"But that much hydrazine, even if most was consumed in the explosion, would still have a major biological impact. They can't hide that."

He shook his head at that too.

"Yeah, they're claiming the magic was 'perfect' and used all the hydrazine in the explosion. That also is part of their attempt to justify the blast strength too."

Midori pondered the situation for a moment.

"So...it's certain it's a new strategic class magician?"

He looked down with an unreadable expression at the desktop.

"Has to be. The traces of evidence in the environment alone would be far beyond the SDF's abilities to hide and clean up otherwise."

He turned to face her.

"And since their new none-strategic class magic 'story' has holes the size of mountain tunnels in it, there's no other realistic explanation."

True concern showed on his face then.

"This nation has a new strategic class magician with the ability to make huge 'clean' explosions. There's only a few current physics theories that could explain that type of explosion."

"...matter/energy conversion."

He smirked up at his wife.

"The very first of those theories on the list."

Midori looked truly worried for the first time.

"Have you done the calculations for that theory based on this blast force?"

Gouki solemnly nodded slowly back to her.

"The blast had an energy output of four thousand Terajoules. The equivalent of almost one thousand kilotons of TNT."

Midori had to cover her mouth in shock.

"That's nearly seven times greater than the Hiroshima bomb!"

Gouki nodded darkly as he replied.

"Nearly five times greater than the Nagasaki bomb too."

His look turned even darker then.

"And not one drop of radiation, or chemical residue. A truly 'clean' explosion."

He turned stunned eyes to her.

"If it was matter/energy conversion, it was done with a mass of only around forty-five grams of material."

"My God, and in the hands of that poor boy."

Gouki looked at her with frustration.

"So you know about The Boy too?"

She nodded.

"It's been all over the news too dear."

He turned away in frustration.

She stood up and rubbed her frustrated husband's shoulders again.

"Do you think...The Boy in Black, is also..."

"The strategic class magician?"

"...yeah."

Another deep sigh came out then.

"I kind of hope so."

She was surprised by this answer.

Knowing she was, he smiled up to her and touched her hand.

"Otherwise the SDF has two super magicians in their stable, and the Ten Master Clans has no access to them."

He swiveled his chair to look at her, and after taking her hands in his he guided her back to her seat.

"On the way home, I called the Japanese Magic Association headquarters to file an official complaint about how the SDF obfuscated our efforts to investigate."

He looked away with a troubled expression.

"Ten minutes later, I got a call on the flight home."

He seemed disturbed by this memory.

"It was Elder Kudou."

"Didn't he go to the International Magic Association to discuss Okinawa?"

Gouki smiled at his wife.

"You mean wasn't he too busy to call me about such a thing at that moment?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, but he apparently felt it was important enough to ask me to withdraw my official complaint."

Midori blinked in surprise, then she nodded.

"He knows something?"

Gouki smirked at her accurate conclusion.

"Yeah, there's going to be a secret Ten Master Clans emergency conference tomorrow in Nara. The Elder will be making an address to us. I leave in the morning."

She looked at him with suspicion showing.

"What do you expect?"

Gouki looked away.

"I expect him to announce that we need to compromise with the government and 'help' them cover everything up."

Then he turned hard eyes towards her.

"But real answers, they'll be none of those."

Midori suspected when her husband came home late tomorrow night, his mood would be the same or worse at today.

"The Elder doesn't have those answers yet. He's calling us off so he can worm his way in and find the answers, not that he'd share them with us once he has them. He even said Kouichi and Maya agreed with him that the Ten Master Clans must act as one voice on this. Now THAT says a lot about how big this is, doesn't it?"

"That's..."

"Terrifying? Yes!"

Saegusa and Yotsuba never willingly agreed on anything without much intervention and posturing beforehand. For both to agree to the Elder's request for unity before the actual facts being laid out said a lot about just how serious the situation was.

She rubbed his shoulders again. She had heard enough to sate her own curiosity for now. Anymore and her husband wouldn't be in any shape to face his colleagues tomorrow.

She kissed his forehead and hugged him. He buried his head sideways in her bosom and sighed deeply as her wrapped his arms around her.

A few moments later, she decided to ask another question.

"You know dear, I didn't expect you to give in to the children so easily."

He turned his eyes up to her smirking expression.

"I expected you to give in eventually, but not so quickly. You like to make our poor babies work first, normally."

He smirked back to her.

"What am I, some terrible ogre of a father?"

She laughed and patted his head.

"I fully expected you to let him stay once you found out about his lack of family. Under all that crusty old man you're soft as pudding."

"LIES! ALL LIES!"

They laughed together.

"But you do have a kind heart, which is why I tolerate my gruff ogre so much."

She stroked his head again.

"But you already wanted to keep the boy, didn't you?"

He breathed a heavy sigh.

"He's smart. His parents let him work in the lab."

She was a bit surprised to hear that answer.

"Even some of his own research was on that storage device. I'm intrigued to see where that research is going."

"And that's why you want to keep him?"

He could hear the rebuke in her voice.

"You know better! It's only why I gave in to those two so easily. I had planned to let him stay if he had no real family."

She kissed the top of his head.

"Ah! You are soft as pudding!"

They held each other a bit longer.

"That boy has some interesting research going on. If we can make him a real part of us, then he'll be a credit to us as well."

She looked down at him with a sad expression.

"Don't expect too much from him. You and Masaki both aren't doing so well after the battle yourselves. Imagine what he's going through."

Gouki sighed heavily at her words.

"I know dear, we'll do what we can for him."

"Make him a real part of us? You mean like through marriage?"

Gouki turned concerned eyes up at his smiling wife.

"I didn't say THAT!"

"Oh?"

She smirked down at him.

"Looked to me like Akane wouldn't mind a marriage contract being signed today."

The stunned expression on Gouki's face made her laugh.

"My little princess is only EIGHT!"

Midori laughed even harder as her gruff ogre pouted back at her.

---

Here he was, for the second time in half an hour, standing before a doorway, too apprehensive to knock.

Of course this doorway caused him pause for a completely different reason, but the feeling inside himself was the same.

"HUH!"

Akane burst out a frustrated sound and stared back at him with disappointment gleaming in her eyes.

"Wuss!"

Masaki began to protest his innocence, but Akane's actions stopped him cold.

She boldly knocked on the guest room door and called within.

"Kichijouji-kun, it's Akane-chan!"

A complete turnaround in attitude right before his eyes. Akane's previously venomous voice was now practically dripping with honey in tone.

"Someone has a split personality."

Akane glared at his smirking and whispered remark.

"Masaki's here too for some reason."

"Ah! There's the normal tone of sisterly love again."

She glared at him, but the voice had instantly went right back to sweetness.

"May we come in?"

A muffled voice came from the other side of that door.

"Ah...yes, please do."

Akane walked in to the room with a glowing smile on her face. Her brother followed with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow for the back of his sister's head.

"Good morning Kichijouji-kun! AH!...let me do that!"

She rushed forward and grabbed the tea tray out of a slightly surprised Kichijouji's hands.

"Oh...um...you don't need to..."

Masaki decided to rescue him as Kichijouji fumbled for the right words.

"I'd just let her do it. She seems to like manual labor...all of a sudden."

Akane glared back at Masaki as she took the tray to the room's HAR terminal. When she turned back around she was once again beaming a smile brightly towards a perplexed and embarrassed Kichijouji."

"Did Kichijouji-kun sleep alright last night?"

Kichijouji nodded as he replied.

"Oh, yes...very well...thank you."

Masaki had heard his mother talk with the psychologist who had examined both Kichijouji and himself. Masaki had had some pretty intense dreams, more like nightmares, these last few night since coming back from Sado.

He had killed people...lots of them.

He had to, since they would have killed him otherwise; but the memory of it was a lot for anyone to bear, much less a thirteen year old.

"...Crimson Blooms."

Of course he had been able to fight back. Poor Kichijouji had been in no such position, and on top of that...

"He saw them...torture and...murder his parents."

Kichijouji hadn't sleep well since, understandably. They had servants on hand in the hallway at night all week just in case he or Kichijouji woke up poorly. Masaki had been able to hide his inner demons, but bearing many times greater demons than his own, Kichijouji had awaken screaming almost every night, sometimes two or even three times.

"OH! Forgive my rudeness."

Kichijouji went to the wall panel to retrieve hidden chairs, but Akane practically shoved him back onto the bed.

"Don't worry about that Kichijouji-kun, I have it."

She retrieved a single chair from the wall and placed it right in front of where Kichijouji sat on the bed, then plopped her own butt in it and stared warmly at Kichijouji."

Masaki cleared his throat.

"Forget someone?"

Akane squinted back at him with a smirk.

"Nope!"

Masaki sighed heavily and retrieved a chair for himself.

"Some people!"

Akane rolled her eyes at his mild rebuke.

And then they both got a pleasant shock.

Kichijouji...laughed.

They both looked on as he fought to regain his composure.

"You two...have a good relationship."

They looked at each other like he was delirious to say such a thing, but they left it there for now.

Masaki took his seat then and started their conversation.

"Mother has located your nearest relative."

Kichijouji's face became serious then.

"...Oh? Who are they?"

"A great aunt on your mother's side. Her father's sister."

Kichijouji nodded with a distant look in his eyes.

"I knew there was family on that side, but we never met them. Grandfather died in the Wars and so...well I never met that side."

Masaki nodded his understanding as he replied.

"She is pretty old and in assisted living. She of course wouldn't be a suitable legal guardian for you."

Kichijouji nodded his understanding.

"She has two daughters with their own families; but they are approaching retirement age themselves, and their children are all college or marriage age."

"They would be your third cousins!"

Akane added that bit for some unknown reason. Maybe she didn't want them to forget she was here.

Kichijouji nodded understanding and then asked a question.

"None of them are...magicians...right?"

Masaki looked back somewhat pensively before answering.

"Right...none are magicians."

Kichijouji nodded with only the slightest of smiles on his face.

"It would be a great burden for them to try to raise a magician, especially one they didn't even know."

"Well, about that..."

Kichijouji didn't let him finish his statement.

"Then my path forward is clear. I'll need to ask the Magic Association to put me in one of their orphanages until I reach legal age."

Masaki twisted his face to this, but Akane let out a terrified sound and covered her open mouth.

Kichijouji misinterpreted her reaction and tried to reassure her.

"I've done some research, it's not so bad, JIMA (Japanese branch of the International Magic Association) gets orphans all the time, even older than me. They are used to taking people in unexpectedly, and most of their facilities are very nice."

Modern magicians were a product of early twenty-first century breeding and genetic programs to create combat magicians for the military.

...living weapons.

And being in combat or other dangerous jobs always led to causalities.

Encouraged to breed to make even better magicians, modern magic families often exceeded the number of children produced by society as a whole. If one or both parents died preforming their dangerous jobs, someone had to be there to take care of their children. After all, they weren't just children...

"...but valuable resources...future, improved, living weapons."

The JIMA ran orphanages have a great reputation, and benefited from government support and generous donations from the nation's magic community as a whole.

Kudou Retsu even personally funds the summer camp programs for every JIMA orphan in the nation.

But even the best orphanage on Earth couldn't replace a loving home.

Akane turned desperate eyes to her brother. They practically screamed to him "do something"!

"Our parents..."

All eyes turned to Masaki as he fumbled for words.

"...well...they think..."

Akane now furrowed her brows in frustration at him.

"...you'd be...better off...here."

Kichijouji blinked in momentary confusion.

"...A JIMA orphanage near Kanazawa?"

"NO!"

Akane bounded out of her chair and practically screamed at the stunned Kichijouji.

"HERE...with US! In our home!"

Kichijouji was having a hard time processing this information. He turned questioning eyes to Masaki, who nodded affirmation back.

"Our parents think it's in your best interests to stay with us long term. We have more than enough space to accommodate you, and you'll have access to the best magic education possible."

Akane's head bobbed up in down at Kichijouji with enthusiasm bursting out of her.

"You'll like it here! I'll...we'll take great care of Kichijouji-kun, promise!"

Kichijouji was clearly overwhelmed by this offer.

"I...I...I can't...I..."

Then he calmed himself and after a few moments spoke.

"It is indeed an extremely generous offer, one I do not feel I have earned. When I put it into the balance of what I already owe to your father and Masaki-san as well; I simply cannot accept such an offer. I would have to work for the rest of my life to repay the Ichijou Family for that level of support. I respectfully must decline."

He stood and bowed to them. Masaki looked mystified on how to convince him, and Akane looked like she was about to panic.

"I'll contact JIMA and then offer my thanks in person to your parents. I may have to impose on your generosity one more..."

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Akane pushed the stunned Kichijouji back onto his bed with flashing fury showing in her eyes.

No matter the situation this was no way for a daughter of the Ichijou to behave. Masaki intended to correct her rudeness.

"Akane! Look here..."

But she ignored her brother and bore in full force at the wide-eyed Kichijouji.

"Kichijouji-kun said that he owed Daddy and Masaki too much already! You mean for saving your life, right?"

Kichijouji nodded in clear intimidation. Masaki tried to interject again.

"This is no way..."

"So how are you going to pay back your life-debt in an orphanage?"

She even had Kichijouji's shirt lapels in both her clinched fists.

"I...well I..."

"Akane! Stop being so..."

"That's right! You can't pay them back from an orphanage! The only way you can protect my brother's life is to stay by his side!"

"WOOOO! Akane! I don't need..."

"Isn't that right Kichijouji-kun?"

"I...well...I suppose..."

"RIGHT! And the only way you can do that is to stay here with us, RIGHT?"

She was even shaking the stunned Kichijouji back and forth lightly as she bore her intense glaring eyes into him.

"I...well...well..."

"Akane, let go of..."

"Say it!"

"Akane!"

"Say you'll stay! Say it now! Promise Aniki your support and that you'll stay!"

"AKANE! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Masaki finally got out a full rebuke for his wild acting imouto.

"I PROMISE I'LL PAY MASAKI-SAN BACK FOR SAVING MY LIFE!"

"Say it! Say you'll STAY!"

"I'LL STAY! I PROMISE I'LL STAY!"

And just as if a switch had been flipped, Akane went from insane little demon to bubbling happy little girl in the blink of an eye.

She giggled in delight.

"Hehehehe! Yeah!"

She enthusiastically clapped her hand in joy.

"What in the..."

Masaki words and the equally befuddled looks from him and Kichijouji both greeted Akane's complete personality change.

"Yea! Now that's settled! See Kichijouji-kun! That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Kichijouji, still in a state of shock, didn't dare do anything but nod affirmation to the little terror known as Akane.

"Oh!"

Akane spun around with joy radiating off her. She walked to the HAR as she spoke.

"Let's celebrate! I'll get the beverages!"

Kichijouji and Masaki exchanged terrified expressions only once Akane had turned around and couldn't see them.

"Look Kichijouji-san..."

Masaki's expression became awkward.

"...I don't want you to feel like you owe me your life. I don't see it that way at all. Neither does father."

Now Kichijouji's expression matched his.

"Oh...I...well I..."

"Don't worry about what Aniki thinks Kichijouji-kun."

Akane had turned back around with a tray carrying three large tea mugs. She directed another angry glare at her brother.

She then smiled happily at Kichijouji as she offered him the first choice of beverages.

"Kichijouji-kun already knows what's right in his heart. You just do what you know to be correct and let Masaki think what he wants."

"Um..."

Unable to find the right words in this awkward moment, Kichijouji went with the safe choice.

"...thanks, Akane-san."

"CHAN!"

She beamed back at him.

"I am Akane-CHAN for Kichijouji-kun."

Masaki sent a questioning gaze to his little sister. Here she was suddenly acting like some gracious housewife in front of Kichijouji.

Kichijouji wisely surrendered quickly with a head nod.

Masaki, still looking at his sister like she was a stranger, took his own tea off her tray with only the slightest reproachful look sent back at him.

With them all holding a beverage, things became awkwardly silent. Then Akane coughed and sent her brother another reproachful look.

"OH...um..."

He raised his glass and the other two joined him.

"To...new beginnings!"

"...new beginnings!"

After everyone took a sip, Kichijouji spoke.

"Well, if you are to be Akane-chan, perhaps my family name is a bit too formal for you to use. Please feel free to call me Shinkurou."

Akane had a look of pure joy on her face.

"...SH-IN-KU-ROU-KUN."

Her adoring look and words made the atmosphere awkward for both males present.

"Um...just Shinkurou is fine Akane-chan."

"OK...Shinkurou-kun."

By her reaction, he was going to be stuck with the "kun" when it came to Akane.

Shinkurou then turned towards Masaki.

"Please feel free to use my name as well."

"Same back at you, but just Masaki is fine with me."

Shinkurou nodded back.

"Sounds good...Masaki."

They exchanged pleasant smiles, then Masaki made a slight face.

"Shinkurou, somehow that sounds awkward to say now."

Masaki used his own eyes to indicate Shinkurou towards his sister, who had yet to take her eyes off him.

"How rude Aniki! Shinkurou-kun has a beautiful name!"

Akane's sudden rebuke was yet another example of the split personality she had suddenly developed since "Shinkurou-kun" had come home with them.

"I didn't say it wasn't a nice name, just that I felt awkward saying it for me. Kind of sounds like something a girlfriend would call her boyfriend."

He exchanged a teasing look at Shinkurou, who blushed slightly at the implication Masaki was making. Luckily Akane didn't pick up on its hidden meaning.

"So, you can be picked on."

He also knew exactly what Masaki was getting at. Akane's adoration had made "Shinkurou" mean more than just a name.

"How about..."

Masaki had a sudden flash to thought.

"...Jouji?"

A light went off in Shinkurou's eyes. A different light went off in Akane's

"JOU-JI? That's not his name! That's only half his family name! That's not..."

"No...no, that's fine. I like it...Jouji...it sounds like the English name George. I like it!"

Akane blinked confusion at Shinkurou's acceptance of Masaki's proposed nickname for him.

"Well...if that's what Shinkurou-kun wants; but I'm calling you by your REAL name, Shinkurou-kun, it's nice."

They both smiled at Akane as she lightly pouted.

"Alright then...Jouji it is."

Masaki extended his hand.

"Alright then...Masaki."

Jouji shook it.

"Oh! I almost forgot."

Masaki dug around in his pocket as Akane and Jouji looked on. Then he pulled out a small data storage device.

"Father wanted this returned to you."

Masaki held it out for Jouji, who gently took it from him.

Both Masaki and Akane were stunned to see Jouji tearing up at the sight of the storage device.

"I...I thought...I thought I'd lost it forever..."

Akane stepped up to rub Jouji's upper left arm with concern on her face.

"It's...it's all their work...it's everything they worked so hard for..."

"Oh..."

Masaki looked down sadly in sudden realization.

"...your parents' research...I'm sorry I..."

"Not just their research, it's everyone who worked there. It's all their life's work. They trusted it to me. I thought I had...that I had let them all..."

Jouji clutched the storage device to his chest and wiped away a few tears.

Akane smiled in sympathy at him as she continued to rub his arm.

"But you didn't, did you? See, you have it back now. right?"

Jouji nodded to Akane's soothing words.

"Father...had to look at it."

Jouji turned stunned eyes to Masaki then.

"He's the head of one of the Ten Master Clans. Control of magic research..."

"OH! No! Of course. That's to be expected."

Jouji nodded to him with a smile.

"Actually, Father wants to speak to you about it, when you're ready."

Jouji blinked at Masaki's statement.

"He...does?"

Masaki nodded back.

"Yeah, you know we kind of run the Kanazawa Magic Science Institute...the Ichijou family I mean."

"Oh, yeah, i did know that."

"It used to be the First National Magic Research and Development Institute! They created all the "one" magicians there, including us! Well our Great-Great and Great grandparents."

Jouji nodded towards Akane's in understanding, then his look turned serious and he spoke out.

"I was...close to something, in my research...I think. Maybe that's what Ichijou-sama wants to speak about?"

Masaki raised his eyebrows.

"You did research in the lab?"

Jouji vacantly nodded affirmation.

"Wow, well...if that's the case, no wonder Father wants to talk to you about it."

"Maybe Father wants to give you a lab at the Institute to finish your work?"

Akane's speculation was said with enthusiasm and adoring eyes.

"Oh...well...I..."

"It's entirely possible. He found something on there of interest to him obviously. Only way to find out is to talk to him about it."

Jouji nodded to this.

"You're right Masaki, I should go talk to him."

He stood to rise, but Akane waved her hands at him.

"After lunch Shinkurou-kun."

Jouji sat back down and then sat there silently for a moment looking at the storage device in his hand. Then he spoke again.

"So, what's next?"

Masaki was too perplexed at first to answer Jouji's question. Akane, true to form, had an answer ready.

"We need to go clothes shopping for Shinkurou-kun! I'll tell mother, we'll go this afternoon!"

Masaki screwed up his face at her response before speaking.

"Well, school starts in a week so we'll need to get you into my middle school."

Akane shot him a look then and smirked at him.

"Father and Mother will have already handled that!"

Masaki shrugged back at her.

"And then in two and a half years..."

Jouji's eyes followed Masaki's indicating head tilt out of his room's window. He stood up from the bed and went to the window, with Akane and Masaki joining him.

"...that's..."

The Ichijou mansion's entrance road aligned with the main road beyond the gates. About a kilometer and a half down that road was a large red brick edifice. On top of a square brick tower that looked like a medieval castle sat a yellow symbol in a stylized sunburst pattern.

"That..."

Masaki finished for him.

"...is Third High."

---

The light of a thousand suns exploding together once again filled young and amazed eyes all across the conference room.

The first time the videos played before their eyes, a unified and stunned gasp had reached every corner of this room. Even two of the three adults in the room with them barely contained their amazement at that first broadcast of the four chronologically synchronized images on the screen.

The two women, the older one in a kimono, the younger one in a functional pant suit; both couldn't tear their eyes from the replay on the screen even now. It had to also be their first time seeing this image as well.

Only the older man seemed undisturbed by what they were seeing.

His eyes were on the audience, not the show.

She knew he was watching their reactions, but the question in her mind was "why".

He looked at her gaze then, and knowingly nodded to her.

He was a rare visitor, but they all knew who he was. No servant of this great house stood higher than he did. He stood by the right hand of Toushu-sama herself.

Hayama-dono, the First Butler of the Yotsuba.

She returned his appraising eye and nod, then returned her eyes to the video displays.

The screen before them was split into four parts. Three smaller images on the right side of the screen stacked on top of one another. From the distance of the broadcast on the top right screen, it looked like it was from an orbital satellite feed almost directly over the island.

The middle smaller right screen showed what was assumed to be a distant ground level closed circuit image from a camera mounted further down the coastline.

The bottom smaller right screen looked like it was from another satellite in space, but further away from the point of the flash of light, since the angle to the Erath seemed more acute.

The fourth video feed filled the majority of the available screen space before them. It was clearly from a suborbital flying drone perspective.

At that moment, all four synchronized images again showed the bright and blinding light once more; like the three previous times they had watched it. The video feeds were playing on a loop. Again, like before, three of the four images winked out in quick succession and went to static, each corresponding to the relative distance from the epicenter of that blinding light.

Only the screen at the bottom right still broadcast till the end of the video loop. It was apparently the only camera not directly affected by the great blast. From this one you could see the clouds around the great burst dissipate under pressure from the blast wave in a circular fashion. Surprisingly there was now "mushroom cloud".

"A perfectly 'clean' explosion of THAT magnitude?"

These whispered words of astonishment she heard from behind her.

All four screens restarted the feed, but this time Hayama-dono stopped it.

"I think that's enough Yonami-sensei."

With that the younger woman in the pant suit nodded and used a remote to pause the videos.

Sakurai Yonami-sensei was their direct "instructor", though they had many other instructors as well, and she had many other duties to perform outside of "teaching".

She was the oldest and most honored of all the Guardians of the Yotsuba, the only survivor of the first class of the first generation of the Sakura Series Guardians. No one was better qualified to teach future Guardians of their sacred duties to "The Family" than she could be.

Only one other Guardian was held near the same level of respect as Yonami-sensei, and she was currently the Guardian of Toushu-sama's own twin sister, Miya-sama. On the rare occasions Toushu-sama left the Village, it was Yonami-sensei's honor to be her primary Guardian, with at least three more Guardians under her direct supervision.

"To serve The Family. To serve a main Family member as Guardian."

This was her only goal in life. If she could live up to the high standard set by Yonami-sensei and her younger sister, Sakurai Honami-sensei; then perhaps she too could prove worthy to serve as Toushu-sama's shield, or maybe replace Honami-sensei by Miya-sama's side.

But hopefully it would be a long time before either of her esteemed elders were ready to step aside.

Unless of course….they performed the "Ultimate Service" for The Family.

There was one possibility though that wouldn't require anyone to die. Miya-sama had a daughter, only a year older that herself. It was rumored she currently had a male Guardian, but that was only a rumor. Another rumor about this daughter was that one day she would take her aunt's place as the head of The Family. Certainly she was the closest relative to Toushu-sama in the next generation of The Family.

"To serve such a Mistress all my life with honor!"

…Miyuki-sama.

Even if she had a male Guardian currently, when she hit puberty that would become a great difficulty for them both.

There was the hope that lay deep inside this eleven year old Sakura Series Second Generation Guardian.

This was the goal of this humble servant.

Sakurai Minami.

She was not the only Guardian in training with high hopes in this room.

Behind her were the older ones. Four female and two male Bard Series Guardians also looked on at the videos in equal amazement. All six of them were fourteen years old. They had once been twelve. Six of their class of Bards, four boys and two girls; had been lost to….."Training Attrition".

Guardian training was not easy. Many…did not survive.

"Only the truly worthy may serve."

Another generation of Bards sat before her. These nine eight year olds had once also been twelve in number, but three of the males had already proved "unworthy to serve".

It was a miracle that the fourteen year olds had two male Bards still alive. They were more aggressive than the females by design, but it led to a higher training attrition rate for them as well.

"They lack caution."

Her thoughts on them were not a criticism. That was the way the male version of the Bard Series Guardians were designed to be. It was…who they were. That's why they were normally paired with a female Bard as a Guardian team. Female Bards are almost too cautious. Together they balance each other out.

She was also not the only Sakura Series Guardian in the room besides Yonami-sensei. Along the front two rows of seats were another twelve of the Second Generation. A twelve strong full class of five year old Sakura's, none of them yet proven "unworthy to serve".

But some will be…

"We were twelve once…"

Only two months ago they had still been four. Four sisters, but in one particularly intense training session, she had lost her last three sisters.

Sakurai Minami was the only survivor of her class.

They all had to face that particular training alone. She was confident they would still have been four had they been allowed to work together, but that was not the point of that particular training. It had been to test individually survival skills, not the skills of a group.

Only Minami had proven worthy to continue on.

Still, she couldn't help but miss them. Now she alone bore the burden of redeeming her eleven lost sisters. For their sakes, she must now prove worthy to serve The Family.

She never trained beside any of these other Guardian Trainees because they were different classes to her. Until today she had only seen these others in passing between training and work.

Now…she trained alone.

"Settle down."

The stern rebuke and glare from the older woman in the kimono silenced the whispered rumblings among the Guardian Trainees. Obviously what they had just witnessed caused a great stir amongst them.

Shirakawa-dono was the highest ranking female member of The Household, she was also the wife of one of the higher butlers that served under Hayama-dono. In an old style manor house her position would be analogous to Head Housekeeper, and responsible for supervising all female members of The Household. She was also responsible for the education of the Guardian Trainees in regards to service, decorum, and etiquette; where Yonami-sensei focused on survival, combat, and security specific training.

The room naturally quieted under her commanding presence, but the energy and tension didn't stop permeating the atmosphere.

Yonami-sensei moved towards the front and addressed them.

"This island is the Japanese territory of Okinawa, largest of the Ryukyu Archipelago that stretches from the southern end of Kyushu towards the south-southwest into the East China Sea, and ends near the island of Formosa."

A map showing Okinawa and the Ryukyu island chain in relation to Japan, Formosa, and the Asian Continent replaced the frozen video feeds on the screen.

"It is a major forward base of the Self Defense Forces, but it is also a popular summer tourist destination for Japanese civilians."

The map suddenly moved north, and an island off Japan's western coast was highlighted.

"This is Sado Island, also a Japanese possession, this one right off the western coast of Honshu in the Sea of Japan."

She turned serious eyes on the Guardian Trainees then.

"Both of these sovereign Japanese territories were simultaneously attacked and invaded earlier this week."

More stunned whispers followed, but this time their instructors waited for them to settle down.

"Though both nations deny involvement, the Great Asian Alliance and the New Soviet Union cooperated to launch joint attacks on these two islands respectively."

She then turned and indicated Sado Island.

"With help from the Ichijou Family of the Ten Master Clans, the SDF successfully repealed the invaders from Sado."

The map scrolled back to the south to show Okinawa once again.

"And the SDF also successfully repealed the invasion of Okinawa."

She then turned to look at her young charges.

"These are the publically known facts."

Then she smiled slightly.

"Though the government still denies it, what is also accepted by the public as truth is that the invading force on Okinawa and their supporting naval attack forces were destroyed…by a new Strategic Level magic."

Behind her the four screens reappeared and the great blast showed again.

"What is not known to the public, is that a family of the Ten Master Clans also were on Okinawa."

She smiled even more.

"That family's members on the island were critical to our nation's victory over the invaders."

Her smile held pride in it. The trainees now knew which family had been on Okinawa, and the excitement rebuilt among them.

"Yes trainees, it was not just any family, but the greatest of all magic families."

She swept her hand back to the replaying video of the great blast off Okinawa.

"Behold the power of the greatest of noble magic houses that we humble few have the supreme honor to serve!"

All the trainees were on their feet now.

"Behold the power that is…..YOTSUBA!"

"YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!"

Minami excitedly joined her fellow trainees in praising the great Family they served. Fists pumped in unison as the family name rang over and over again.

"YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!, YOTSUBA!"

Yonami-sensei lead them in celebration from the front, from the side Shirakawa-dono beamed on with pride. Had even the five year old Sakuras been asked, even they seemed ready to march toward the battlefield under the stylized four-leaf clover Mon banner of The Family.

Minami noticed from the corner of her eyes that again Hayama-dono only watched. No expression change could be seen on his stolid face.

Yonami-sensei finally stopped the celebration with dual hand motions for her trainees to retake their seats, which they did obediently.

One of the older male Bards then jumped up and bowed towards Yonami-sensei.

"Yonami-sensei, may this one humbly ask a question?"

"Yes, the male Bards lack proper caution."

However, Yonami-sensei seemed in an indulgent mood. She nodded for him to proceed.

"The strategic magic user…..they are a Family member?"

Surprisingly Yonami-sensei's eyes traveled towards Hayama-dono with some trepidation showing. To everyone's surprise Hayama-dono moved to her side and addressed the question himself.

"Yes, the strategic class magician is indeed a Family member."

Excited glances were exchanged by all the trainees, but Minami noticed stunned and somewhat fearful gazes were mutually exchanged between Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono.

The male Bard bowed deeply towards Hayama-dono.

"Thank you very much of answering this one's question. My heart is filled with pride to know I serve such a Family, with such a member."

The awkward expressions the two female adults shared grew even greater at this, but Hayama-dono merely nodded back and the male Bard retook his seat.

Next Hayama-dono addressed them all.

"Indeed, we are all honored to serve this great house. Now I will tell you all more about the situation."

His eyes turned kindly towards them.

"Toushu-sama's sister, Miya-sama, and her children were vacationing on Okinawa when the island was assaulted."

"….Children? More than…."

"…Miyuki-sama?"

Minami immediately tried to pull back her rudely forwarded question, but Hayama-dono only smiled at her before answering.

"Miyuki-sama was there, but is perfectly safe, as is her mother."

Then a smirk crossed Hayama-dono's visage.

"Thanks to their Guardians."

This made everyone in the room very happy to hear.

"Honami-sensei?"

Hayama-dono indulgently nodded to her question once again.

Minami clutched at her chest in delight, and Yonami-sensei seemed to be beaming with pride. All the little Sakuras down front exchanged excited looks. But there was something odd in Yonami-sensei's expression that Minami found curious.

Their sister, a SAKURA, had served the Family….well.

Minami had only met Honami-sensei once, when Miya-sama paid a visit to Toushu-sama about two years earlier. Honami-sensei had been asked by Yonami-sensei to tell the trainees about serving The Family outside of the Village, out in the "real" world.

From that time on Minami had idolized Honami-sensei. She was everything Minami wanted to become. If she were allowed a poster in her quarters, it would be one of Honami-sensei. She even hoped, that should she somehow prove worthy to serve Miyuki-sama herself; that she'd get to work under and learn from her idol as they guarded mother and daughter together.

Then an amazing thought crossed her mind. It must have crossed several minds, because an eight year old female Bard worked up the courage to ask.

"May this one humbly ask to know which member of the honored Family has such an amazing talent as that?"

She was clearly indicating the looping video display of the great blast.

"Have a seat and I will tell you all."

She nodded back to Hayama-dono and did as he asked.

Then, as she too looked again at the looping video, Minami noticed something odd, right before the great blast. Right where the enemy vessel's Fleming Thrower projectiles were exploding.

"This strategic class magic….."

Hayama-dono broke her train of thought, but she turned her eyes to one of the smaller screens to see if she could see the same thing in each of the four simultaneous broadcasts while she also listened.

"…is called Material Burst."

Several voices of varying ages and sexes reverently whispered the name after hearing it.

"…Material Burst."

"In the simplest terms, it is the pure conversion of physical matter into energy."

Hayama-dono reached into an inside coat pocket and removed a fairly large rifle bullet with no attached shell casing.

"This rifle bullet, is identical to the bullet that the strategic class Family member converted into energy."

He held that bullet out so his stunned audience could see it.

"This…..caused THAT."

Right before Hayama-dono said these words, Minami saw the oddity again, this time in the upper right video screen.

"That looks like…."

But the great blast of Material Burst accompanied by everyone's stunned "ahhhhhh"s brought her back to the moment.

"This tiny amount of matter, is all it took to not only destroy six attacking warships, and create a nearly three meter high tsunami wave that even traveled back to the shores of the Continent. It also did….THAT."

His words were perfectly timed. Three of the four images winked out one after the other again.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The surprised expressions drifted upwards again. Even Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono seemed impressed by what they had apparently just learned.

Minami was impressed too, but her eyes were now focused on the middle of the smaller screens.

"From its epicenter, this usage of Material Burst had an explosive radius of three point six eight kilometers. Everything above the water's surface inside that radius was physically damaged beyond repair. Nearly thirty million tons of sea water were instantly vaporized as well. The worldwide sea level has temporarily dropped by two millimeters as a result."

He turned back to look at the blast again.

Before it occurred, Minami saw again what she was looking for.

At that moment she didn't notice that Hayama-dono's face showed intrigue at her own expression.

Now she turned her eyes to the bottom right screen for the final confirmation.

Hayama-dono seemingly stopped speaking then to allow his audience to absorb the fantastic information they had just learned. In reality though, his eyes looked at the singular eleven year old Sakura Series Guardian Trainee as she intently looked down at the bottom right corner of the screen behind him.

Right before the flash indicating Material Burst was shown again, her eyes widened slightly and her mouth dropped slightly.

"Young lady."

She was surprised to be directly addressed by Hayama-dono. He had never spoken to her before now.

"You look like you have a question. Please ask it."

Only momentarily stunned, she quickly reached her feet and bowed to him.

"This one humbly asks if we may view the replay in slow motion?"

Murmurs could be heard behind her and in front. Concerned expressions were shown by the two female adults towards her as well, but Hayama-dono only smiled back at her in an approving manner.

"One eighth speed Yonami-sensei."

"Yes Hayama-dono."

When Yonami-sensei pressed her handheld remote, the screen reset all four images, and played them at a slower speed.

"What are we looking for Minami-san?"

Minami bowed to Yonami-sensei while answering.

"This one believes there is another magic sequence deployed right before the Fleming Thrower projectiles reached the shoreline."

Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono's eyes widened a little at Minami's statement, but Hayama-dono only smiled back at her. Everyone turned back now towards the screen.

A few moments later…

"There!"

These words came from Yonami-sensei as she also paused the slowed down replay.

"….that's….."

"A Sakura Series Guardian Shield."

Hayama-dono finished Yonami-sensei's words for her.

Behind them the Guardian Trainees stirred at this news. Many strained to see the tiny little dome of light paused on the screen with Fleming Thrower projectile streams pointing toward it.

The three adults turned back towards the still standing Minami.

"A keen eye young lady."

At Hayama-dono's praise Minami bowed deeply.

"But…."

Realizing his mistake, the other fourteen year old male Bard stood and bowed after he spoke out of turn.

"May this one ask a question?"

Hayama-dono nodded to him.

"From this far away, even though it still seems tiny, that Shield magic has to be at least a hundred meters in radius. That's…."

For some reason he looked over at Minami with an awkward expression before continuing.

"…beyond a Sakura Series Guardian's normal magic ability."

Minami swallowed hard then. A difficult conclusion came instantly to her mind when the male Bard finished his question.

"Assuming it was Miya-sama's Guardian Honami-sensei, how did she achieve such a…massive Shield?"

Hayama-dono answered without wavering. Behind him the two women both looked on with serious expressions. Yonami-sensei seemed somewhat sad.

"She deliberately over-clocked her magic to cover the entire area under attack."

A few stunned gasps could be heard.

"By doing so she protected the Strategic Class Family member, giving him the vital time he needed to deploy Material Burst."

He straightened and stood at attention. The other two adults instantly followed his example. An image of Honami-sensei appeared behind them. All the Guardian Trainees followed their example.

Minami rose as well, despite the heavy feeling that descended upon her.

"She's…."

"Honami-sensei has rendered for The Family….."

"…someone like her, so strong….."

"…..the Ultimate Service."

"…dead."

It was the entire purpose for their existence. It was the reason the Yotsuba had invested so much into them.

Guardians were supposed to die to protect Yotsuba family members if there was no alternative.

Her idol, her hero…had lived up to every expectation ever sat for her.

"May her example teach us all! May we be worthy successors to her legacy!"

"….to her legacy….."

Minami had been a half step slower than the others in saying the words they had been taught to honor those that rendered the Ultimate Service for the Yotsuba.

She was supposed to feel happy. Honami-sensei died the way any Guardian would dream to die.

"But….."

Before her mind could wonder farther down that forbidden pathway, Hayama-dono spoke again.

"Her honorable actions not only saved the lives of Toushu-sama's closest relatives and the two greatest Mental Interference magicians in the known world, but also protected the life of the most power strategic class magic user in existence."

Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono both looked at Hayama-dono with amazed looks.

"Why are they confused?"

"Allowing him to annihilate the enemy forces almost singlehandedly, and quite possibly preserving the lives of hundreds of thousands."

He then looked over at a stunned Yonami-sensei.

"Play number four."

She did as instructed. Now a video played from another suborbital drone angle, but at much closer resolution. Individuals could be made out.

It was a battle scene, near a beach apparently. A clear line of demarcation could be seen between the two forces. The forces inland were advancing while those with their backs to the water retreated under their advance.

"Woooooo!"

The voices of several around her made that noise.

"Those guys and their equipment!"

"What…..their turning into…ash?"

Minami saw it too. As if a great and invisible scythe where being swung from the heavens, whole waves of enemy frontline units, men and vehicles, disappeared in a small light and smoke.

A young Sakura in the front row pointed and spoke.

"Those guys back there keep falling and getting up!"

"Were they shot?"

"Why else would they fall like that? But to just keep getting back up?"

Hayama-dono spoke then.

"This was the scene less than thirty minutes before the deployment of Material Burst. This is showing the SDF pushing the GAA's 'mercenaries' back into the East China Sea from which they came. This is the last significant concentration of invaders on the island."

"Wow! Who is that?"

Right after several enemy missiles were fired simultaneously and suddenly vaporized around a solitary figure, all eyes in the room focused on that undersized person in a combat suit. He was somewhat in front of the rest of the SDF forces, and to each side he seemed to be holding out his arms at a low angle.

Then the video showed him point his right arm forward.

And then the enemy vehicles that fired those missiles at him all disappeared in a wink of light and smoke.

"HOOOOOO!"

Normal decorum flew out the window as everyone was mutually stunned. Even the two adult women in the room gaped in amazement. Then more SDF personnel behind the small magician combatant seemed to rise from the dead.

"Is he doing THAT too?"

Hayama-dono smiled at the words of the young Sakura in the front row.

"Yes, he is."

Hayama-dono turned to an equally stunned Yonami-sensei.

"Number five please."

When she pushed a button, two images of a young boy approximately between Minami's age and the older Bards was displayed on the screen from a front and right side perspective. These two images were broadcast over the still playing video of the battle.

He wasn't what one would call a Bishonen, but he wasn't unpleasant to look at either. In truth he seemed rather plain looking.

"This is Toushu-sama's nephew, Miya-sama's son, and Miyuki-sama's brother and Guardian."

Hayama-dono's last word caused instant stir among the Guardian Trainees for obvious reasons.

"Settle down no…"

Shirakawa-dono's rebuke was halted by a palm raise from Hayama-dono.

"Yes, he is a Guardian, trained as all of you have been. In fact he completed all of your combat and security training by age eight."

Stunned eyes and opened mouths were the only reply Hayama-dono's shocking words received.

"And yes, he is also Yotsuba."

The two female adults present looked again at Hayama-dono like he had lost his mind.

"The reason a family member was trained as a Guardian is not our concern. He stands above us all, yet below all of the other members of The Family. This was the will of the previous Family head, Eisaku-toushu-sama. Maya-toushu-sama continues this policy."

Now the two adult females looked truly stunned by Hayama-dono's words.

"…..but why?"

"Number six please."

The side profile of the boy disappeared, to be replaced by the image of a beautiful young girl.

"He is Guardian for the most precious treasure of the Yotsuba. The world's greatest Mental Interference magician. His sister, Miyuki-sama."

Minami rose and bowed in the midst of the stunned audience.

"May this one humbly request to speak?"

Hayama-dono nodded indulgently to her.

"Is he…..the one that led the SDF forces in battle?"

Hayama-dono smiled warmly at her.

"Yes. He was also the one destroying the enemy forces and raising his allies from their mortal wounds."

"Is he the strategic class magician as well?"

Hayama-dono looked back at the screen towards the image of the unassuming young boy and the pristine young girl as if looking upon the face of his own grandchildren with intense pride.

"Yes, he is the wielder of Material Burst."

Then, as the others mouthed stunned words to one another, Hayama-dono turned a warm but sad expression to her.

"He, and his mother and sister, were why Honami-sensei rendered her Ultimate Service. He was with her, by her side, till the very end. Together, as Guardians of the Yotsuba they defended the lives of their Primaries, and defeated this nation's enemies in the process."

She slowly nodded to him in gratitude and retook her seat.

Hayama-dono's eyes swept his stunned audience before he spoke again.

"This is the face of the most powerful Guardian we have yet to produce. This is the face of your most senior of all sempais. This is the wielder of the most powerful strategic class magic in the world."

All eyes focused on Hayama-dono with intensity and curiosity.

"This…..is Shiba Tatsuya-dono, and he is one of you."

All eyes focused on the image of the boy.

"THAT is how important Toushu-sama considers the role of the Guardians to be for The Family. To protect her own niece, she has deployed the most powerful magician alive to be her Guardian, her own brother, Toushu-sama's own nephew."

His gaze had become intense.

"Honor Honami-sensei's example with your lives! Strive to be worthy of the trust of our great Family! Be worthy of the great honor Toushu-sama has bestowed upon you; and one day you may prove worthy to stand beside Shiba Tatsuya-sempai, as the Guardians of the Yotsuba!"

Stirred by Hayama-dono's powerful words, everyone was on their feet cheering again.

"Yotsuba!, Yotsuba!, Yotsuba!, Yotsuba!, Yotsuba!, Yotsuba!"

Minami couldn't help but notice that Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono cheered, but still seemed flustered by what had happened.

After a few minutes Yonami-sensei settled them down again with hand motions.

"You will all return to your normal schedules now. Over the coming days, additional info on the invasions of Okinawa and Sado Islands will be provided as learning material. You are dismissed."

Everyone began to rise, but Minami noticed quickly that Hayama-dono had made eye contact with her again. He raised his palm to her to stop her from leaving, then flexed his fingers downward to indicate she should retake her seat.

She obeyed. Once seated she saw sympathetic and curious looks from her fellow Guardian Trainees as they filed out of the small auditorium.

As she waited in anticipation, her mind began to wonder.

She had spoken out of turn, but no worse than a few others had. Surely if they wanted to punish her for that they would have kept a few others behind to join her.

Once the last of the other trainees had left the two adult women went to Hayama-dono's side and began pelting him, respectfully, with whispered words.

Minami was too far away to hear them, nor could she read their lips. She judged they had moved to specific positions to prevent just that.

Both women showed varying degrees of distress and amazement as Hayama-dono calmly spoke to them. Shirakawa-dono became extremely animated by her own high standards of decorum at one point.

Eventually they pulled slightly apart with the two women showing expressions of bewildered resignation. Then Yonami-sensei directed her eyes toward Minami, followed by Shirakawa-dono's own probing glare at her.

Tension tripled inside her as she rose and bowed in that direction. Yonami-sensei then waved her towards them. Minami approached, and when she was beside them she bowed again. When she rose Yonami-sensei indicated with her eyes for Minami to take the seat on the end of the front row. Minami bowed once again and sat down in the seat, very conscious to maintain her proper posture.

On her right side Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono stood in a line looking down at her with slightly concerned expressions. Hayama-dono, at that moment, had finished turning a movable seat to face Minami; and had just seated himself in it.

"First let me state again how impressive it was that despite the obvious distraction of Material Burst, and your fellow Guardian Trainees' excitement over it, you maintained your focus on analyzing the video. You were the only one to do so, and thus the only one to see Honami-sensei's magic deployment. I think Honami-sensei would be equally impressed by this as we all are."

Yonami-sensei and Shirakawa-dono both nodded in agreement. Minami nodded her head reverently to them in acknowledgement.

"Thank you very much Hayama-dono."

He smiled slightly back to her before continuing in a more serious tone.

"Your class had a very difficult individual wilderness survival training session a few weeks back. Out of the four remaining members of your class you were the only survivor."

"Difficult" wasn't the first word to come to her mind when thinking back on that particular training. "Sadistic" was more fitting.

"Have you noticed that over the past two years; the majority of your class's time has been spent in combat, survival, and security training?"

"Yes Hayama-dono."

She bowed her head again to him.

They had all noticed that about four in five training assignments had been under Yonami-sensei with less than one in five being service and etiquette with Shirakawa-dono. Their general assumption had been this was normal for all Guardian Trainee classes at this point in their training.

"Since you have only trained with your own class up till now you might be unaware of this fact; but for the entirety of typical Guardian Training, the ratio of militant versus service training is consistently held at one-to-one."

This was a surprise to her.

"It is as Hayama-dono says. This one was unaware."

"In fact, that last….costly…training session has yet to have been assigned to the class of fourteen year old Bard Series Guardian Trainees that were here today. It usually is taken in a Guardian's fifteenth year."

She knew her eyes involuntarily widened at this news.

"You…..overcame it….at four years younger than normal."

She looked over to the two women, who both gave her reassuring smiles.

"Only one other Guardian has attempted and passed that level of training at your age or younger."

"Shiba Tatsuya-dono?"

He nodded back with a smile.

"Yes, he was seven at the time, but he is also an exception to many rules."

The two adult women again displayed slight concern at Hayama-dono's words.

That was stunning news to Minami too; but after witnessing what he could do just minutes before, she wasn't TOO stunned by it.

"….an exception to many rules."

"Setting aside the fact that you are behind on the service side of your training, from the combat side you have now moved from Guardian Trainee status to Guardian Apprentice. While as a Guardian Apprentice you will still have difficult training under Yonami-sensei, from this point on the training ratio will reverse. You will leave here today with Shirakawa-dono to begin your makeup work on the service side of your training immediately."

Shirakawa-dono usually provided training for Trainees in the dormitory classrooms. As an Apprentice she would be doing on-the-job training under Shirakawa-dono instruction.

"Yes, we have MUCH work ahead of us to get you back on track."

At Shirakawa-dono's words, Minami solemnly nodded to her.

"The price was indeed high to accelerate your class forward, but there was meaning behind it."

Hayama-dono's words brought her attention back to him.

"Miyuki-sama will soon have need for a female Guardian as she enters her womanhood. As your class of Sakuras was the closest in age it was determined long ago that one of you would stand by her side as a Guardian."

Minami tensed at this news. It was what she had always wanted. A place by the side of one of the main family members; and not just any family member, but the one most likely to one day lead The Family herself.

"If you can advance quickly in the service portion of your training, while maintaining your current militant proficiency, you will be deployed to Miyuki-sama's side and attend high school with her."

Minami rose from her chair and bowed deeply to Hayama-dono.

"This one is truly grateful for this opportunity. This one will not fail in her duties, and will prove herself worthy to protect Miyuki-sama."

They all smiled and nodded to her words.

"You will spend the next two years as a servant in the main residence. There you will refine and cultivate your service skills under Shirakawa-dono's instruction and beside your sempai's in the household. Your status as Miyuki-sama's future Guardian will not be discussed beyond those currently in the room or Toushu-sama, should she choose to discuss it with you."

Minami swallowed hard at that last bit of news.

"Discuss with….Toushu-sama?"

Despite Yonami-sensei and Hayama-dono's mild amusement at her stunned expression, Shirakawa-dono seemed vexed with her reaction.

"Who do you think lives in the Main Residence? Of course you will be serving Toushu-sama, and her guests and other Family members, once I'm certain you have earned the chance to."

Hayama-dono merely nodded to Shirakawa-dono's words before speaking again.

"And should Toushu-sama eventually find you worthy, you will be deployed to Miyuki-sama's household as her servant and Guardian Apprentice."

She bowed to this, but her expression must have shown confusion. Yonami-sensei knew what was bothering her.

"You will receive further on-the-job training from Miyuki-sama's current Guardian. You will work under his instruction and supervision to provide Miyuki-sama multiple levels of protection."

Her eyes drifted back up to the image on the screen of the unassuming thirteen year old boy.

"From…him?"

A Family member would train her? The boy that had repelled an invasion? The boy that can do…..THAT?

"That" of course was Material Burst.

Stunned eyes returned to the three adults.

"It is the greatest honor to serve a Main Family member as their personal Guardian Minami-san. You are only the third Sakura to have that honor behind Honami-sensei and myself."

Yonami-sensei's words struck at the heart of Minami's true desires.

"The honor of the entire Sakura Line is now on your shoulders. Do not let Honami-sensei's example for us all go to waste. Serve The Family with honor and bring pride to your lineage, as Honami-sensei has."

Minami bowed deeply to them all.

"This one will prove worthy of your trust in her and of Honami-sensei's legacy! This one will die before she fails Miyuki-sama!"

Her heart nearly burst with excitement, anticipation, and pride.

---

"Sorry to disturb you madam."

Maya put her teacup back on it's saucer before replying.

"What it it Hayama-san?"

She knew he wouldn't bother her at this time of the evening if it weren't important. This was the time of day she "decompressed" and relaxed. Hayama would never bother her at this time unless it was important.

"There is a call for madam."

Maya turned around on the couch to look at Hayama.

"Please tell me it's not Onee-san."

Hayama had informed her that very afternoon that Miya and her children were back home safely. After their tiring conversation a few days ago, the last thing Maya wanted to do was speak to her sister again. It had taken her days to settle her mood down afterwards. Maya was particularly incensed at how Miya rubbed her fertility in her face. She knew exactly how much Maya hated not being able to have her own children.

However, Miya was one of the few people who would dare to disturb Maya knowingly at this time of night.

"I refuse to let her work me up before I have to see those people."

Maya had an early flight to Nara in the morning. Kudou Makoto had called an emergency Ten Master Clans meeting, presumably so his father and Kazuki could tell them the results of the emergency IMA (International Magic Association) summit.

But if it was just that, then a secure video conference would have been enough.

"Sensei seems to be playing his role exactly how we expected him to."

"It is not Miya-sama madam."

Maya looked at him with suspicion.

"It is Elder Kudou."

Now Maya's eyebrows rose together in surprise.

"Something that can't wait till tomorrow?"

She knew Sensei hadn't told Hayama his intentions, at least not his true intentions.

"Just speculation madam, but I'd assume it's something for only you."

Hayama looked pensive now. She had to know the reason for that rare look.

"What is it?"

He locked eyes with her.

"He didn't use the official residence line, the secure official Ten Master Clans line, or even the secret line, to make his conversation request."

Maya's expression stayed perplexed as she heard this.

"He called my personal line, the one only madam and I use."

"How in the...oh, the granddaughter from the Fujibayashi clan."

Hayama nodded.

"Kyouko. Her magic abilities related to electronic systems is quit extraordinary. When I used the secure line to reestablish the call, we could not improve upon the existing security."

Maya twisted up her face at this.

"Having someone like that in his family is disturbing. That ability is almost as valuable as Elemental Sight."

Hayama could only nod to this.

"Alright then, lets find out what he wants."

Hayama bowed and used his data terminal to connect the call.

After the monitor screen descended out of the ceiling, the call connected.

There on the other side of the screen in a simple arm chair sat an old man with silver slicked-back hair and unreadable eyes. Anyone who let the image of this particular octogenarian fool them, they would be in for a rude surprise.

The old man smiled at her and she returned the smile back.

"Sensei, what a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? Something change about tomorrow's arrangements?"

He smiled indulgently back at her.

"Well I suppose that depends on you my dear."

An unexpected reply forced Maya to redouble her false mask not to show anything revealing to those fox like eyes.

"Oh, how so Sensei?"

Kudou Retsu smirked a bit at her reply and then looked off wistfully from the screen for a moment before turning his eyes back to her.

"Well dear, assuming on how fruitful this conversation is, I will be telling everyone one thing, or another thing tomorrow."

She smiled back at him but her anxiety was increasing by the second.

"And, what would those two different things be Sensei?"

The Elder's smile finally showed some teeth.

"He's way too pleased with himself."

Maya knew Kudou at least 'thought' he knew something.

"Well Maya-chan..."

He always treated her like she was a daughter or granddaughter when he spoke to her alone, it was endearing and annoying at the same time to Maya.

"...if our conversation goes well, then I will tell our colleagues tomorrow that I'll personally handle the investigation into the new strategic class magician. Then I will tell Kouichi-san..."

Maya couldn't help but squint slightly at the mention of THAT PERSON'S name.

"...that he and I should cooperate fully to get to the bottom of the matter, so that I can at least thwart the parts of his investigation that he grants us access to. I'll also use my resources to thwart the parts of his investigation he doesn't want me to know about as well."

Maya inhaled slowly after Kudou paused with a paternal smile on his face.

"And...should our conversation go poorly?"

They never stopped smiling at each other.

"Then I'll have to tell them ALL the results of my investigation. Which interestingly enough includes a very much alive and well Miya-san visiting Okinawa at the same time as the attack."

Even the normally perfect Hayama shifted slightly in his position behind her couch now.

"...apparently with her TWO children."

A grainy image of Miya with Miyuki and Tatsuya walking through what looked like an airport were shown then in the bottom left corner of the viewing screen.

Maya never broke her smile as she glanced down at it, before returning her gaze to the the self-satisfied old man smiling back at her.

"After all, a Ten Masters clan member being on the island during the attack isn't something that the Ten Master Clans Council can USUALLY ignore in a situation like this."

Maya smiled brightly at him before replying.

"Ara, ara! Sensei, you've known Miya was alive and well for years, tell the truth."

He smiled back.

"Of course dear, but I respect my two old pupils enough to not make an issue out of it. That was Yotsuba private business."

"But now it's suddenly Ten Master Clans business Sensei?"

His smile showed her more teeth again.

"Damn you you nosy old man."

Maya hid this thought behind her smiling mask.

"Well, gigantic, unexplained explosions that destroy enemy fleets have a unique way of suddenly turning family business into public business."

Maya smirked off to the side.

"And what makes Sensei think my sister and her children being on Okinawa was anything more than just a coincidence?"

Kudou shrugged his shoulders then.

"You can call it, old man's intuition."

Suddenly a second image appeared on the lower right screen. It was another grainy image, but this one everyone around the world has seen.

The Boy in Black.

Then several measurement images showed up on both pictures around Tatsuya's image, and the Boy in Black.

"You know the chatter from across the Straits of Tsushima now keeps calling The Boy in Black the 'Demon of Okinawa'. I've also heard that they are calling him Mahesvara, 'The Great Lord Shiva'. That one certainly hasn't let the Yotsuba family honor down on the nickname front, has he? I wonder what titles that sister of his will earn for herself?"

All the measurement figures lined up perfectly on the two displayed figures.

"That one looks just like Genzou-san, doesn't he?"

Maya smiled back at him after taking a sip of tea.

"He certainly favors father in looks."

Hayama shifted lightly again behind her. An indication of how exposed the Yotsuba position was now.

"And of course that beautiful little girl greatly favors the graceful Yasuyo. Your mother was a truly beautiful and graceful woman. Knowing how fond you Yotsuba's have become of cloning, I almost thought that was the case here."

They continued to share those fake smiles.

"But Genzou couldn't decompose whole armies, raise his allies from the dead, or convert matter into energy to make a strategic level magic."

Maya just smiled back at her Sensei as he leaned forward in his chair as if to whisper to her.

"So why don't we agree now about what I'll say tomorrow, and we can leave Miya and her children alone?"

Maya fought not to grind her teeth together behind her false mask smile. Across the screen the old man smiled back with intense delight at her.

"Then afterwards, you can tell me all about young..."

Elder Kudou could barely contain his enthusiasm any longer. He was practically leaning out of his chair.

"...Tatsuya."