The battle against the Parasites ended with Yugen's magic.
Tatsuya had been informed of the pre-set barrier and Yugen's role in the final strike. He'd prepared for Miyuki to use Cocytus in the worst case, but with Lina present, he was relieved no suspicions arose.
Tatsuya knew nothing was certain. Yet, in a fleeting blink, the fused Parasite vanished cleanly. Defeating an opponent even he found daunting confirmed Yugen's status as a world-class mage.
(Impressive… but I won't say that to his face, Tatsuya thought.)
"Onii-sama, is something wrong?" Miyuki asked.
"Nothing," Tatsuya replied.
Yugen stayed to erase traces at the training ground, while Tatsuya's group returned Pixie to the garage and headed home. Knowing the Yokohama Bay Hills Tower incident, Tatsuya had no objections to Yugen handling cleanup. He hid a wry smile at Miyuki's concern, offering her a reassuring look. She didn't press, trusting his dismissal, and shifted topics.
"I never expected Onii-sama to say something like that to Lina," she said.
After the Parasite vanished, Tatsuya told Lina he'd keep her "Angie Sirius" identity secret and support her if she chose to leave the military. For someone rarely invested in others, his gentle, sincere words surprised Miyuki.
"Maybe it's pity," Tatsuya said. "Is that strange, Miyuki?"
"Not at all," she replied. "It's very much like you."
Tatsuya swallowed a question about her reasoning. His Guardian role didn't typically foster such emotions, but since bonding with Honoka and Lina, he'd started noticing romantic nuances—though Miyuki deemed it "insufficient."
Meanwhile, Yugen stepped into the First Training Ground. No presences lingered; he was alone. As Kagurazaka heir, Himeri, Sana, or Miyuki should've accompanied him, but this matter couldn't be revealed. Beneath where the fused Parasite stood lay the reason.
Yugen's barrier subtly defined Parasite behavior, drawing them to a specific spot. Digging two meters with magic, he unearthed a small duralumin attaché case containing eight centimeter-sized cubic crystals—magic crystals he'd crafted, each sealing a Parasite.
The crystals, embedded with contract and sealing formulas from Alice's creation, altered the Parasites' nature upon entrapment.
"You're kind, Master," Alice said.
"Am I?" Yugen replied. "I'm just using them."
He'd call them "guardian spirits" henceforth but had no plans for multiple deployments. The crystals' stringent security sufficed, but embedding them in a CAD for concealment was wiser. Closing the case, Yugen used Regrowth to erase traces in the soil.
"I doubt this ends the Parasite issue," he said. "If they take it as a warning, great."
In the original story, a Japanese spy was blamed for summoning Parasites, leading to a second military experiment. To prevent this, Yugen advised the USNA President via letter to place the Dallas lab under direct government control. As Kagurazaka heir, he avoided politics, leaving such matters to bureaucrats and hoping they'd fulfill their roles.
"Whatever happens, I'm your loyal servant and sword," Alice said.
Reading his thoughts, her words prompted a sigh. Yugen left via Mirror Gate.
Joyful chatter filled First High, mixed with tearful farewells—not from tragedy, but the bittersweet parting from a beloved school.
It was graduation day.
Post-ceremony, two small gyms hosted parties, separating Course 1 and 2 students—a tacky divide, but perhaps comforting for graduates. Student council members, including Tatsuya, were roped into preparations, joined by club and discipline committee volunteers. (Tatsuya's involvement stemmed from a covert tussle between Miyuki and Lina, unbeknownst to him.)
Despite Tatsuya's wish to avoid disrupting the Course divide, graduates eagerly approached him, influenced by Yugen's sisters. Among them was Koharu Hirakawa.
"Shiba-kun, you look busy," Koharu said.
"Hirakawa-senpai, yeah, it's hectic," Tatsuya replied.
Koharu, an engineer alongside Tatsuya at last year's Nine Schools Competition, felt a mix of awe and envy. She'd asked him to substitute at the Thesis Competition, where her sister Chiaki caused trouble. Though their rift resolved, Koharu hesitated to approach, feeling responsible. Keiko Kobayashi, her Nine Schools partner, urged her to speak.
"About Chiaki, I'm so sorry," Koharu said. "If I hadn't pushed you to substitute…"
"It's fine," Tatsuya said. "It wasn't your fault, and it was a good experience."
Tatsuya saw no need to dwell on it. Chiaki's "I'll beat you, Shiba!" rival declaration, delivered with flushed cheeks, left him questioning its intent. Erika's quip—"Study maiden hearts, Tatsuya"—only deepened his confusion.
"Congratulations on magic university, Hirakawa-senpai," Tatsuya said.
"Thanks," Koharu replied, fidgeting. "I don't know if I'll catch up to you, but Keiko and Chiaki inspired me."
Continuing risked souring the mood, so Tatsuya changed topics. Koharu had nearly abandoned magic university due to Chiaki's issues, but Keiko's encouragement, Chiaki's persuasion, and Mika's support swayed her. Her shy delight at Tatsuya's praise looked like a crush to onlookers, though he only wondered why she seemed embarrassed. Lina's irritated gestures caught Yugen's eye.
"Lina, jealousy's unbecoming," Yugen said.
"Wha—what!?" Lina stammered.
"Self-destructed, huh, sis?" Ceria teased.
Tatsuya's charm was undeniable, though he was oblivious. Ceria's jab reflected her cheerful mood.
Post-Parasite battle, a letter from the USNA President and Ken Kudou reached the Kagurazaka, confirming Ceria's discharge and Japanese citizenship. To avoid Kudou ties, Chikihime proposed the Kuze family—part of "Kuzuryu" under Yakumo—adopt her. Yakumo, seeing it as strengthening the ninja lineage, agreed. When Chikihime told Yugen Ceria would be his "sixth" companion, he sighed heavily. Ceria began using her past-life speech at school, causing no major stir beyond an unofficial fan club. She'd join First High next year.
"There's the stage live, so I won't pry," Yugen said, "but bottling things up isn't good."
"True," Ceria said. "Yugen, take care of my runaway train of a sister."
"Says the pot calling the kettle black," Lina retorted.
Yugen shared his strategic-class mage status with Lina due to her engagement to Ceria. She accepted it readily, grateful someone could handle her formidable twin. Ceria, however, ignored her own recklessness.
The stage live, where Lina, as a temporary student council member, misread plans and formed a band, saw her as vocalist. Unable to back out, she performed spectacularly, venting frustrations about Ceria. Ceria joined for a duet, thrilling the crowd.
"Still diving into fun, huh?" Yugen muttered, his words drowned by the gym's cheers.
Miyuki later spilled the details to Tatsuya, leaving Lina red-faced.
Lina's last appearance was at graduation. Ceria, exhausted, remarked, "She's busy with return preparations, but what's with all those souvenirs?" Yugen sympathized.
Graduates' paths mirrored the original: Mayumi, Katsuto, Suzune, and Ami to magic university; Mari to Defense Academy. The third term ended, a chaotic year since last New Year.
Yugen topped magical practice and theory exams, but being told "It's just Yugen" irked him. He wanted to protest being seen as inhuman but dropped it to avoid worse labels.
Reflecting on the year's gains, he waited at Tokyo Bay International Airport for friends' return, an hour until Shizuku's flight.
Tatsuya spotted a familiar blonde in the crowd, saying, "I saw someone—be right back," and left. Miyuki, his rival in honing skills, followed. Honoka tried to join but was stopped by Erika as tactless.
"I'll say hi too," Yugen said.
As a classmate and future in-law, Yugen approached as Lina noticed him.
"Yugen, we've had our moments," Lina said. "Take care of Ceria."
"Obviously," Yugen replied. "I feel we'll meet again."
"You, Tatsuya, and Miyuki make it sound so real," Lina said.
Et tu, Brute?
Lina turned to leave but paused, then kissed Tatsuya's cheek.
"A charm for reunion," she whispered. "Learn maiden hearts, Tatsuya."
She fled. In a divergence from the original, Lina fell for Tatsuya, her defeat igniting her feelings. Tatsuya, expecting only combat, stood statue-like.
"Yugen-san, Onii-sama's not responding," Miyuki said.
"(Knowledge and resilience are different beasts…)" Yugen muttered. "Let's drag him out before he's a spectacle."
Tatsuya acted decisively but froze at romantic advances. His growing emotions were heartening, but Yugen wished for more resilience. Tatsuya rebooted ten minutes before Shizuku's arrival. Honoka, hearing the tale, burned with jealousy, bombarding Shizuku upon her return.
"Honoka's intense, and Yugen had it rough," Shizuku said.
"Sorry to bother you just back," Yugen replied.
"It's fine," Shizuku said. "Ray sent messages."
"Maybe I should sink him," Yugen said.
"Better not," Shizuku advised.
Shizuku feared Yugen could sink the USNA, a sentiment Shuji and Yume, on the same flight, shared. Not all their talks were revealed—more would unfold at a homecoming party at Shizuku's "Kitakata Ushio" estate.
Shizuku invited Yugen to her villa, like summer, with Himeri, Shuji, Yume, Sana, and Ceria joining—a large group. It promised fun, but Yugen sensed looming trouble.
------------------------------
I've uploaded about 30–40 chapters on Patreon.
If you like this story and want to read it first, you can support me here:
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]