Disclaimer: I don't own anything
The conclusion of the tournament had been largely uneventful for Tatsuya. After his match with Maya was done, the National Magic University Chairman had announced the rules regarding the ranking system for every school. The rankings would remain the same for a period of one month before the students were allowed to challenge each other. All the students that had participated in the tournament were given an ELO rating which decided their rank in the school. The ELO could only be changed by challenging another student to a duel.
The changes to a student's ELO after a duel would be based on the ELO of both the contestants. If the ELO discrepancy between the two was large enough, the higher rated person would be at a disadvantage as their rating gain would be minuscule (or non-existent in the case where someone challenged an opponent that was fifty or more ranks below them) in case of a win and the potential rating loss was huge in case of a loss. This system gave preferential treatment to the lower-ranked students but that was an expected outcome. After all, the entire point of the rankings was to instill a sense of controlled competition among the younger magicians, and those who wanted to stay at the top needed to be strong enough to do so.
As the number one ranker, Tatsuya naturally had the highest ELO in First High with a score of 3000. The second was Maya with a score of 2980, the third was Miya with a score of 2970 and so on and so forth. Despite just the ten-point gap between them, it was impossible for Maya to pass his own ranking as her ELO was capped at 2995 unless she managed to beat him. His rating of 3000 was the ceiling limit which could only ever go lower depending on the results of his own fights. Tatsuya seriously doubted anyone in First High would be stupid enough to challenge him, especially after that final match showing but there was always a chance.
After the ceremonies were over, Tatsuya returned home by Sunday morning. The Ichihana Clan had contacted him after the finals, informing him that their planned tuning session could be postponed to next Sunday since Tatsuya needed some rest from all the traveling. Although he didn't really need the rest, Tatsuya accepted their offer since it would be unnatural for him to be at full efficiency after such a fight. Therefore, he stayed home and rested for the entirety of the day, blissfully unaware of the fact that his actions were causing headaches to a lot of people.
Yotsuba Main House
The entirety of the Yotsuba Clan's most influential figures, including the heads of all the branch families were currently sitting in a formal meeting with Genzou as the head. Such meetings were exceedingly rare for the secretive clan and it showed that their topic of discussion was very important.
"Since everyone is here, I would like to begin our meeting formally. I trust that everyone is already aware of the reason to some extent. However, to those who are still unaware of the reason, I will explain it briefly. We are gathered here to discuss our plan of action regarding one Shiba Tatsuya, who has become a widely known figure as of late. There were already plans to integrate the boy into our clan but those plans will have to be accelerated due to the recent developments." Genzou explained as the others listened carefully.
Tatsuya's victory against Maya had been something that no one had seen coming. Everything that the boy had shown throughout the tournament had indicated that he would lose to Maya who was already one of the strongest magicians in the country. Genzou knew that this was mainly because Tatsuya was holding back his stronger abilities from being discovered but the others didn't know that. Therefore, the fact that Tatsuya had managed to beat Maya with just regular magic, had been like a bomb dropped on them.
The effects of this little stunt were far-reaching and completely detrimental to Genzou's peace of mind. If the other clans were on the fence up until now, regarding Tatsuya joining them, they were now fully invested in the idea. Genzou had received intel from several sources that engagement proposals for the boy was being drawn up in many houses, which was why he had to call this meeting.
"The kid's a walking target after yesterday. I am surprised that no one has contacted him up until now. Regardless of his background, his skills are at such a level that no Numbered Family would pass up on the opportunity to have him join their ranks. The fact that he has no background to speak of, is just icing on the cake." Motosuke, who was sitting in a corner of the room, spoke.
"You are correct. We have already received information regarding the activities of a few clans. Before I get to it, I would like to give you some information regarding the boy. Juuzou, if you will." Genzou motioned to his brother-in-law.
"Of course. Regarding Shiba Tatsuya, we have been investigating the boy for a while now. Our investigations started soon after Miya and Maya had taken the entrance examinations for the Magic High School. We have managed to uncover a few facts on the boy, including the fact that one of his ancestors, his great-grandfather, to be exact, was a part of our clan before we joined the Fourth Institute.
"If that is the case, doesn't that mean that we can use said connection to get the boy to join us? I believe it would be easy to get his clan to join us with the right incentives." Yotsuba Hyouma was the head of the Shibata Branch Family of the Yotsuba. He was a man who had taken an active role in the Third World War and was an excellent assassin and combat magician.
"We initially had the same idea but it was later scrapped due to a few reasons. " Juuzou explained. "For one, the Shiba isn't a magician clan aside from a few individuals and aren't under a single head. Each member of the family lives in different places and leads different lives and it would be impossible to predict whether they will be open to joining us simply because the other family members did so. Therefore, we decided that it would be better to approach Shiba-kun directly."
"And what was this approach?" Hyouma was courteous as he asked this.
"Well, we had gotten a hold of his biological material and it was discovered that he was a really good match for both Miya and Maya. Therefore, our initial plan was to wait and see if he was good enough and then engage him with one of the twins if he was good enough."
"But he proved to be too good too quickly and we are in this situation now, is that correct?" Hyouma finished Juuzou's sentence for him.
"That would be correct. " Genzou spoke as soon as Juuzou was finished.
"Does that mean that you will be engaging one of the Twins with him, Toushu-sama?" Tsukuba Ayaka was the daughter of Yotsuba Yuuma. Unlike her giant of a father, she was a petite woman, a feature that she had inherited from her mother. She served as the head of the Tsukuba family as her father was too insane to fulfill those duties.
"Ideally, that would be correct. However, the situation regarding the boy is anything but simple." Genzou sighed.
"Neither Miya-chan nor Maya-chan likes him?" Ayaka asked. It wasn't uncommon for strong magicians to have a bit of personality that could be unlikable. Even she had initially disliked her husband, Fuyuhiko before learning that the man was a cinnamon roll under his grumpy exterior.
"If that was all, we wouldn't have a big issue." Yasyou smiled. "The problem here is the fact that both my daughters fell in love with him."
"I suppose that can also be a problem." Ayaka sighed.
"As such, I have decided to engage both of the girls to Tatsuya." Genzou declared. To his surprise, none of the people present seemed surprised at the revelation.
"Ploygamy, huh? It's a bit surprising but definitely not new." Motosuke was the first to speak up. "Can't say that I am thrilled about the fact that my nieces will be the ones subject to it though. What did the girls say about this?"
"They are surprisingly fine with the idea. In fact, Miya looked like she expected the outcome." Genzou explained.
"If nothing else, the fact that we are proposing legal polygamy means that the other clans may try to add a few girls to secure their position. I suppose it all depends on whether the boy accepts the proposal, or not." Although he said this, Motosuke highly doubted Tatsuya would decline this offer. After all, his nieces were world-class beauties and even being engaged to one of them would be a dream come true for a sixteen-year-old, let alone both.
In an undisclosed location.
Just as the Yotsuba family was having a meeting, Ayame was attending a meeting of her own. Aoba had asked her to meet him. As such, she was currently sitting in front of the Yotsuba's sponsor.
"I believe that you are already aware of why I called you here, Ayame-dono." Aoba started.
"Of course, Aoba-sama. The events of yesterday have caused a lot of turmoil across the nation. We, the Yotsuba, are also taking action as we speak."
"I presume the rumors about him being engaged to one of the Twins are true?"
"You are correct, Aoba-sama. Although, I believe that Genzou will engage both of them to the boy."
"A polygamy, huh? I suppose that will leave room for negotiations with the other clans, should it be necessary." As the sponsor of the Yotsuba, Aoba's standing in the Senate was directly tied to the Yotsuba's standing in the magical world. As such, it was in his best interest to take actions that would strengthen the Yotsuba.
"By the way, Ayame-dono, what happened to your search for Maheshwara? You haven't provided any new reports for a while now." Aoba was curious.
"I have decided to end the investigation, Aoba-sama. 'He' has not been spotted for quite a while now and our last lead ended up being a bust. If I am being honest, unless 'he' makes a big move, there isn't anything we can do." Ayame lied as naturally as she breathed.
"I see. " Aoba replied. If Ayame of all people was giving up, then that probably meant that there was no trace at all. He had sent a few of his people in pursuit of the being but there was no trace. It wasn't like he trusted Ayame blindly.
Yokohama Convention Centre, VIP Room.
In the Private Room reserved for VIPs, a meeting between some of the most prominent political figures in Japan was underway.
"I would like to declare that the Magic Combat Tournament for the National Magic University affiliated Magic High Schools is officially a success." Kenji Suzuki was a middle-aged man with greying black hair and a decent build. He originally was just an ordinary member of the Parliament but was given an opportunity to become the minister of the newly created Ministry of Magic Affairs. Since the ministry was supposed to be in close touch with the magician community, he had taken up the responsibility of conducting the Magic Combat Tournament alongside the National Magic University.
"The financial reports are already out and I must agree with Suzuki-san. The total profits for this operation are upwards of 300 percent." Kazuki Takashi was one of the oldest members of the Japanese Parliament and was a close confidant of Akira Yamamoto. As such, he served as the minister of Finance, which was considered to be one of the most important ministries.
"We have made a good profit as well." Takeshi Nakamura, the Chairman of the National Magic University, was the only person present who was not a part of the Yamamoto cabinet.
"The decision to broadcast the tournament was an extremely wise one. The unexpected popularity of the fights has generated more than enough revenue through advertisements and other sources to cover the expenses for conducting the tournament. Moreover, it has also helped to reduce the wariness of the public regarding magic due to the detailed yet simple explanations given throughout the tournament." Suzuki explained.
"It is a good step in improving the public image of magicians in this country." Yamamoto, who had been silent up until this point, spoke.
"To that end, I believe that I have a good suggestion, Yamamoto-sama." Haruki Tanaka gave her opinion.
"What is it, Tanaka-kun?" Yamamoto asked in a grandfatherly tone.
"Since we already know that the public likes watching magicians fight, in a controlled setting, at least, why not create an entire annual event surrounding this? I am proposing a tournament in which the students of the Magic High Schools face each other in a competition setting. Instead of making it an intra-school tournament like the Combat Tournament, we can make it an Inter-school competition." Haruki explained.
"Well, for the most part, I agree with Tanaka-san's suggestion. However, I personally believe that it will be better to make it a competition where the children face each other in various magic games instead of a combat tournament as those tend to lose relevance once the favorites are established." Makoto Nakamura, the Minister of Health added.
"Well, even if we are to move forward with this suggestion, we would need the support of the Numbered Families. After all, deciding on such a big event without their opinion will be considered to be undermining their authority." Kazuki Takashi said.
"Although we cannot receive the opinion of the Clan Conference without submitting an official request, I know someone who can provide a general idea of the possible reaction. Give me a second." Yamamoto said before he exited the room to make a call. After three minutes of conversation, he returned and took his seat at the head of the table. "My friend will arrive soon."
After ten minutes of waiting, Kudou Retsu entered the room to which the others in the room stood up in respect.
"It's good to see you, boy." Retsu might have been in his fifties but Yamamoto was more than twenty years older than him. They shared a friendly hug which showed that they were close to each other.
"Good to see you again, old man." The Kudou Patriarch greeted Yamamoto.
After a quick briefing of the situation, Retsu had a complete grasp of the situation.
"So, what you wanted to ask me was whether the Numbered Families would like the concept of the children of Magic High Schools fighting each other in a televised competition, am I right?"
"Correct." Yamamoto agreed.
"It is a good idea. " Retsu said. "All you need to do is to make sure that the events of the tournament test different aspects of a magician's abilities. After all, not all the kids are good at combat and their abilities will only shine in certain situations." He added.
"That is wonderful. Suzuki-kun, since this matter will come under your jurisdiction, I will leave it to you to create a proposal that matches our needs. Since Tanaka-kun is the one who came up with the idea, you can help Suzuki-kun with the work." Yamamoto said.
The Saegusa Main House, Tokyo.
Due to the fact that Tokyo was situated within the Saegusa Clan's sphere of influence which included the entirety of the Kanto region and Izu, the Saegusa Main House was a luxurious mansion that spanned over 75000 square feet. With over two hundred rooms and various facilities, it housed the entirety of the Main family.
Inside one of the meeting rooms in the mansion, a meeting was happening between the Saegusa Clan Head and Shichihana Shousuke.
Saegusa Takashi was a handsome man. Although he was in his late forties, he didn't look any older than thirty. With black hair and symmetrical features, the Saegusa clan head had been a popular person in his youth.
"I will be honest with you, Shousuke. I want to engage your daughter to Shiba Tatsuya to make him join our clan. Do you think it would be possible?" Takashi and Shousuke were childhood friends and as such, they were really close to each other. Therefore, Takashi was frank with him.
"If it is an order, I will comply, Takashi-sama." Shousuke's method of addressing Takashi was purely out of consideration for his position and not due to them being distant.
"Well, I will not force the idea on you if you are against it. I value our relationship much more than any potential gain from that boy. The problem is that Kaguya is the only girl in our family who is of a similar age to Shiba Tatsuya." Takashi explained.
"I understand, Takashi-sama. I will ask Kaguya whether she would be opposed to the idea." Shousuke complied. After all, he knew how difficult running the clan was for his friend. That said, if his daughter was vehemently opposed to the idea, he would have no choice but to decline.
"Thank you, Shousuke."
"No problem, old friend. By the way, did you know that Kaguya thought that she was spying on the Shiba boy because Koichi was jealous?" Now that the official matter was over, Shousuke adopted a much more casual way of addressing Takashi.
"Did she? I suppose all those soap operas have finally gotten to her head." Takashi laughed. "Then again, Koichi isn't really helping with how obsessed he is with the Yotsuba girl."
"Did his obsession not die down at all?" Shousuke asked.
"On the contrary, I fear that it might have gotten worse. I will have to sit down and have a talk with the boy about accountability, one of these days." Takashi sighed. After all, his son's situation was entirely his own fault. The Yotsuba had done them a favor by retaining friendly ties with them even after Koichi's shameful actions and the boy was not even grateful. As a father, he did not want his son to be in danger at all but his actions could be considered shameful. The fact that the Yotsuba did not retaliate against them aside from the broken engagement was already a miracle.
"I see. I'll see you soon." Shousuke said before he left.
Shiba Household
Since it was Sunday evening, it meant that Tatsuya's summer vacation was almost over. However, he didn't feel any anxiety over the fact. As a magic high school student, they had no summer homework or the like and as such, Tatsuya had nothing to prepare for the next day. He was planning on relaxing when three vehicles entered his security field. The people in the car didn't escape his vision either and he readied himself for what was, most likely, a troublesome affair.
Soon, the doorbell rang and his mother went to check who the visitors were. She was pleasantly surprised to see more than ten people in her front yard but invited them in after recognizing the Yotsuba Patriarch and Matriarch.
Things were changing fast around him and Tatsuya wasn't sure that he liked it.
That's about it folks. I know it's more of a slow chapter but you got to have one of these once in a while.
I would like to address that guy who dropped a comment about how he tried to like my version of Tatsuya and failed miserably. I am sorry that I did not meet your expectations and I can only pray that either Fuujin updates his fics (which everyone will like) or someone else starts writing a fic with a Tatsuya of your liking. That said, the entire point of this fic was to have a Tatsuya who regained his humanity and as a result, is at peace with himself and I like to believe that I succeeded in accomplishing that. I ain't no Fuujin of Shadows and I am not trying to be (that guy is my inspiration for writing fanfiction and his fics Error and Wife are the first two fanfics that I have ever read). I tried to make Tatsuya not be too OOC but given the premise of the story, that is a tall ask.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, and thank you to Me Myself and I and Zain805 for the kind words. As an apology, here's a short story about how a perfectly canon Tatsuya would have reacted in this story.
Omake
"Where am I?" was the first thing that came to Tatsuya's mind as he woke up in an unfamiliar bed. The last thing he remembered was taking an attack from Ichijou Masaki which had exceeded the safety limit for the NSC and as such, activated his Self-Restoration Spell.
Once his consciousness was fully operational, the first thing Tatsuya did was to look for the existence of Miyuki. It took him less than a second to realize that Miyuki was not in this world after failing to track down his sister's location using the Elemental Sight. It took him less than that to fully convert the Earth's moon into pure energy.
'A world without Miyuki is a world that should not exist' was what Tatsuya thought as the Earth was wiped off the Solar System.
*THE END*