After the meal, Yugen took a long, relaxing bath. Nothing unusual happened. He dried his hair using magic and changed into his nightwear in the dressing room. He was actually a bit surprised that Miyuki hadn't "raided" him yet.
He returned to his room and paused. In the dim light, he saw an unnatural bulge under the covers of his bed. On his desk sat a small box. He surmised the plan: he would be distracted by the gift on the desk, giving the person in the bed the chance to pounce.
(Amateur move, Miyuki...)
Yugen purposefully turned off the lights and climbed into bed. As expected, he found Miyuki waiting for him. She wasn't naked, but she was wearing a set of translucent lingerie that left very little to the imagination.
"...When did you buy this?"
"I... I asked Mother for advice on how to entice you, and she sent me this."
Despite being his official fiancée, Miyuki clearly struggled with the fear of losing the "initiative" to other candidates. While Yugen found it annoying to play into Maya's hands, he was still a teenage boy. Seeing Miyuki like this, his self-control was fraying at the edges.
"So, you're the present again this year? Then I suppose I'll accept you without reservation."
"You're going to 'accept' me again...? Please, do with me as you wish."
"Saying things like that is just cheating," Yugen whispered.
He held her close, ensuring they didn't cross the absolute final line, but staying with her through the night. He completely forgot that he had school the next day, figuring he could just use magic to deal with any fatigue.
The sweet atmosphere vanished the next morning. A protest group in front of the Magic University—almost certainly linked to the humanists—had turned violent, attacking the police guard with stones and placards.
"Resorting to violence... they've really crossed the line," Leo muttered as they watched the news.
"I couldn't agree more," Tatsuya added with a nod.
If they had protested peacefully, there wouldn't have been a conflict. But for these groups, provoking a police response was the goal. Their sympathetic media outlets were already spinning the narrative, but other outlets and even the national broadcaster were showing the unedited footage of the protesters' aggression. The bias was plain to see.
"They won't be able to arrest everyone, but they've likely taken in dozens," Sana noted.
"They were using magic, but since the other side was throwing stones, it's clearly an intent to cause injury," Erika spat. "And then they have the nerve to call it an 'infringement on freedom of speech'!"
Erika's anger was directed at a lawyer on the screen who was ignoring the officers' safety to complain about "the suppression of free speech."
In the legal sense, the freedom guaranteed by the constitution isn't "Freedom" in the sense of doing whatever one wants; it is "Liberty"—freedom within the bounds of law, basic human rights, and public welfare. Even "freedom of occupation" requires following specific procedures to enter a profession. Even "freedom of speech" is restricted when it violates public order or morals. To protest is one thing, but to injure someone is a crime. It was as if these people had no concept of the Penal Code.
That night, politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties appeared on various programs. The ruling party argued that the police were simply making arrests for trespassing and obstruction, and that the violence had started with the protesters. The opposition, meanwhile, accused the police of overreacting.
The officers were doing their duty to prevent a riot. To blame magic was a non-sequitur. Attacking an officer and expecting not to be arrested was a violation of the rule of law. To overlook this would be to admit that the nation's judiciary had become a hollow shell.
"I expected the opposition to push harder, but they're being surprisingly mild," Senhime noted over the phone.
"True. Though this is likely just the beginning."
Yugen was speaking with Senhime after dinner. He knew Hlidskjalf might be listening, but if they ever tried to use this conversation against him, they'd have to admit they were spying, which would silence them.
"Indeed. The humanists in Osaka will likely lose their patience and move soon, especially since the ones in Nagoya have been practically wiped out."
"Is Mother doing alright with that?"
"Public safety is handling it. There's no need for her to get directly involved."
The anti-magic movement was losing steam. If Gu Jie didn't act now, his momentum would wither. Yugen had already dispelled the curse placed on Inagaki, meaning the backlash would have hit Gu Jie directly, though Yugen didn't particularly care. He hadn't confirmed if the "Puppeteer" was dead, but since there were no reports, he assumed the man was still alive.
"You suspect he'll target Magic High students next, Yugen?"
"The most vulnerable targets are Second High near Osaka, and First High near the city center. Especially here, since many people related to Gu Jie's targets are present."
When dialogue fails, violence follows—a lesson Yugen had learned during the Blanche incident. He expected them to use "Antinite" this time. Furthermore, he knew that the remote-control magic technology derived from the 3rd Institute's Satellite Cast research had been passed to the Toyama family. It was a bitter irony, but now wasn't the time to question it.
The following day, while the protests had quieted down, the inevitable finally happened: a Magic High student was attacked by anti-magic activists.
Yugen was at the Club Management Group headquarters when he was summoned to the Student Council room. There, he found the council members along with Mikihiko and Shizuku from the Public Discipline Committee.
"Yugen-san."
"I sent a brief summary to Tatsuya. What's the situation?"
"We only know the basics. Mizunami-san is currently setting up an audio conference with Second High," Miyuki explained.
A female student from Second High had been cornered by a group of activists on her way home. Bystanders intervened, so she wasn't physically harmed. However, in the struggle to restrain her attackers, she had used magic and inadvertently caused serious injuries to them. On paper, it was a clear case of a minor being targeted by suspicious adults.
Tatsuya entered the room, having returned immediately upon receiving the news.
"Yugen, you're here too."
"Yeah. We're just about to connect with Second High."
Minami announced that the connection was live. Miyuki spoke into the microphone.
"This is Miyuki Shiba, President of First High Student Council. Can you hear me, Second High?"
"This is Mitsunori Mibu, Vice-President of Second High Student Council. We hear you clearly."
The voice coming through the speakers was one that Tatsuya, Yugen, Miyuki, Minami, Mikihiko, Shizuku, Honoka, Seria, and Riri all recognized.
"Mitsunori-kun. So you've become the Vice-President," Miyuki noted.
"Yes. I'm mostly just an assistant to the Vice-President, though. Miyuki-san, shall we switch to a video feed?"
"Yes, that's fine."
A video feed of Mitsunori appeared on the monitor. He looked pleased to see them.
"It's been a while. Tatsuya-san, Yugen-san, I see you're there as well."
"It has been a long time, Mitsunori."
"As the head of the Club Management Group, I can't ignore this. I'd love to catch up, but first, I need the details. Please explain the situation, Vice-President Mibu."
"Understood, Chairman Kagurazaka."
The facts were these:
A female student walking home alone was surrounded by six men shouting humanist doctrines. When she tried to trigger her personal safety alarm, one of the men grappled with her to snatch it away. Legally, this was attempted assault.
Four male students from Second High heard the commotion and intervened. In the ensuing brawl, a second-year boy suffered serious injuries including broken bones and internal bleeding. A first-year boy had a broken collarbone, and another had a concussion. The fourth boy and the girl were uninjured.
One of the activists was trained in martial arts. Seeing the damage he was doing to her schoolmates, the girl used the release-type spell Spark and the convergence-type spell Press. One activist suffered an arrhythmia (he had a pre-existing condition), another chipped a tooth when he fell, and the rest had minor bruises.
Mitsunori was handling the call because the President and the other Vice-President were at the police station with their instructors.
"Given the extent of the students' injuries, this can hardly be called 'excessive self-defense,'" Yugen stated flatly. "In fact, given the risk of losing magical aptitude through injury, I'd question the police's integrity if they even suggest it."
"Ah... you're as sharp as ever," Mitsunori chuckled weakly.
"I'm a martial artist myself. I know the difference."
If one only measured the resulting injuries, the "excessive self-defense" argument might be made. But the students had tried to resolve it without magic first. The activists had exploited the fact that students were hesitant to use magic in public to overwhelm them with martial arts. This wasn't like the Blanche incident where the enemies were armed and could be neutralized with a single strike.
No matter how much society claimed magicians were "strong," Yugen refused to accept that they should be held to an impossible standard while being brutally attacked. The second-year boy had internal organ damage; the intent to kill was evident.
If the activists were let off without charges, it would mean the judiciary had turned against both the legislature and the executive. A judge who only sees magic as a danger and ignores its practical reality is a parasite upon the nation.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"