"It's their own mess. Consider this the price for trying to use our country as their dumping ground."
Yugen planned to finish dinner, wait for Tatsuya, and then set everything in motion. He needed a capable partner for the tactical side of this operation, and Tatsuya was the perfect fit.
Furthermore, while putting on the performance of a 'flight,' Yugen intended to dispose of Zhou's associates. It would put a burden on the tactical units, but he viewed it as a necessary "job" to make the country even slightly better.
"And as for the man who will stand in for Zhou Gongjin… I'm having the Old Man do it."
"I don't mind that, but did you get his permission?"
"Yes. In exchange, we're launching the operation tonight."
Yugen had looked for someone with a similar build to Zhou. His grandfather, Gouzo, was a bit more muscular, but Yugen was confident he could bridge the gap with magic. He had experimented with ancient methods of imbuing magic into objects for this very purpose, though he hadn't expected to use it so soon. Gouzo had been reluctant at first, but the prospect of giving the USNA a bloody nose was too tempting to refuse.
"...I'll have the government and police announce that the Ten Master Clans contributed greatly to this arrest. If they slack off on the legal follow-up, I'll plant a metaphorical stick of dynamite under their seats."
"I assume that's a metaphor, but coming from you, it's terrifyingly plausible," Yakumo chuckled.
Yugen, not wanting to hear about deception from a professional shinobi, finished his tea and stood up quietly.
"I'll leave the cargo ship in your hands."
"Consider it done. You have it rough for someone so young, Yugen-kun."
"...I'd certainly like to lodge a complaint with the universe about that."
He hadn't taken on this role for fun. Perhaps it was his nature to invite trouble even after being reincarnated, but much of this stemmed from the fact that the adults had failed to fix the system. He understood the conservative desire to protect vested interests, but since magic had become public knowledge, a new world order was inevitable.
After Yugen left, Yakumo wore a wry smile.
"Good grief. Carrying the Kamigazaka name at that age… I would have run away long ago."
To Yakumo, Yugen was a different breed of beast than Tatsuya. Tatsuya was manageable as long as you didn't become his enemy. Yugen, however, wouldn't hesitate to cut down even a non-enemy the moment they became a liability to his interests. He had clearly inherited that ruthless pragmatism from his grandfather, Gouzo.
As long as the USNA remained hostile toward Tatsuya, it was clear Yugen would show them no mercy—and he would use social and economic weapons as readily as magic to squeeze them.
No matter how powerful the US military was, they would find it hard to move if their President lost the public support that underpinned his office. Thinking of Yugen's ability to see and manipulate those levers of power, Yakumo let out a murmur of genuine admiration.
Yugen returned to the Shiba residence around 4:00 PM. He changed quickly and hopped onto his custom bike, the Dreadnought, heading for First High. His goal was to collect the personal belongings of Tatsuya and the others. He already held a permit to bring a vehicle onto campus (filed under 'emergency family transportation needs'), so he passed through the gates without issue.
Waiting for him were Toya and Erika.
"Oh, you're early. Here, these are Miyuki's and Minami's things."
"And these are Tatsuya's. Man, that bike looks expensive," Toya remarked.
"It's a specialized machine… You two, give me a second."
After carefully placing the bags into the Dreadnought's side cases, Yugen removed his helmet and beckoned them closer, speaking in a low voice.
"Tonight, we move to detain the terrorists. I'll have Tatsuya talk to Juumonji-senpai and Masaki."
"...Well, I won't ask how you tracked them down, but should I tell my brother?" Toya asked.
"Tell him directly. The USNA is involved in this one."
"The USNA? Do they really want to undermine this country that badly?" Toya muttered.
It was a fair question, but Yugen couldn't tell him yet that the root cause was the Humanists. That would have to wait until the dust settled.
"I can't give you the details now. Toya, continue following Juumonji-senpai's lead. If necessary, I'll call in Leo and Mikihiko."
"Hmm… well, if we want to be safe, Leo's defense is right up there with Juumonji-senpai's. I'll talk to him. Is that okay, Erika?"
"Sure. I know better than anyone how sturdy that guy is. Anyone who can 'crush' a high-power anti-magician rifle bullet isn't exactly human anyway."
Leo's defensive training had progressed to the point where he could potentially nullify hypersonic missiles. The trade-off was that he was constantly being bossed around by Erika and Yuki, a fact no one could deny.
"Understood. Then we rendezvous at 10:00 PM at Hiratsuka New Port."
"Got it. But are you sure?" Erika asked.
"Since the National Defense Force can't move openly, we have to let the police take the win."
Yugen understood Erika's concern. This was about restoring the pride of the police force. While the National Defense Force would be moving on a separate track, the capture of Zhou Gongjin would be left to the Ten Master Clans' tactical units.
Of course, Yugen was keeping one final "trump card" secret from almost everyone. A card that, depending on how it was used, was essentially a sovereign military force in its own right.
After returning home and placing the bags in their respective rooms, Yugen received an email from Tatsuya. He reported that he had managed to tag Zhou Gongjin with a tracer during a break in the questioning. He had used email instead of a call because he suspected the USNA was monitoring Zhou's movements—and likely his own.
Tatsuya expected to be home by 7:00 PM. Just as Yugen was debating what to cook for dinner, his terminal rang. He pressed the accept button.
"Hello, Kamigazaka speaking."
"Ah, Yugen. Are you still at school?"
"No, I'm home. What's up, Mika-nee?"
It was Mika. She had likely heard about the ambush, but she skipped the pleasantries.
"I heard there was an attack over there today. Because of that, Kacchan—the head of the Juumonji family—suggested inviting Tatsuya-kun and the others over. He specifically requested that you attend as well."
The Juumonji family had deep ties to the police; they had likely gathered information through those channels. Given that the ambush happened right after a terrorist incident and both targeted magicians, it was only natural they wanted to hear the details.
"I don't mind, but I can't leave Sakurai-san alone here. Can we do something about that?"
"Minami-chan, right? Then just bring her along. She was a witness too, wasn't she?"
Mika figured it was safer to keep Minami with people who could protect her rather than leaving her as a target. Since one extra person wasn't an issue, Yugen agreed.
After hanging up, he emailed Tatsuya. The reply came back quickly: an invitation from the head of the Juumonji family couldn't be ignored. "Understood," Tatsuya wrote.
Tatsuya and the girls returned at 6:00 PM, an hour earlier than expected, escorted by Toshikazu and Inagaki. The early release was thanks to the fact that several plainclothes officers had witnessed the entire incident, making the "red-handed" arrest clear-cut. Miyuki and the others only had to provide factual confirmation.
After thanking them for their hard work, they prepared to depart. Since this was a formal invitation, they dressed accordingly. Yugen, mindful of his status as the Kamigazaka head, changed into a sharp suit, opting to go without a tie for a refined, modern look.
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