"Don't hold back. My own abnormal capabilities leave me grasping even the magic of the Thirteen Apostles, and considering the future, there's a real possibility you'll be targeted again. During the Blanche incident two years ago, you were the target after all. Use this to realize that failing to protect yourself means dragging those precious to you into danger as well."
"I see... You're right. Thank you, Yugen."
Without delay, the Activation Sequence was copied into Tatsuya's Trident, accompanied by a large-scale overhaul of its hardware components. Tatsuya had witnessed this scene many times, yet he couldn't help but feel immense respect for Yugen, who handled work beyond even Tatsuya's reach.
Because regular monthly maintenance involved repeated overhauls, Tatsuya handled the functional programming each time, but Yugen's proficiency—capable of making even skilled CAD technician Ushiyama marvel—left no choice but to deem him worthy of the title "Mr. Taurus."
Afterward, Miyuki came down to the basement to check on them. Seeing Tatsuya's CAD being tuned, she begged Yugen to adjust her CAD as well, nearly undressing boldly on the spot before Yugen and Tatsuya managed to stop her—a secret kept between them.
Truthfully, Tatsuya felt inwardly that supporting his increasingly audacious cousin might be a far stronger foe than stopping Bezobrazov's Strategic-Class Magic... or so it seemed to him.
◇ ◇ ◇
At the Vladivostok Far East Headquarters of the New Soviet Academy of Sciences. In a laboratory located in one corner of the facility, Igor Andreivitch Bezobrazov was deep in thought. It concerned the battle between the New Soviet Union and Japan a few hours prior—which, strictly speaking, served as a live-combat exercise while letting lower-ranked soldiers "let off steam."
Had it been just that, it would have been fine, but Bezobrazov had his Strategic-Class Magic Tuman Bomba neutralized. What's more, this was the second time. The first occurred during "Scorching Halloween," when the Tuman Bomba invoked to kill the caster of the Strategic-Class Magic deployed off Sado Island not only failed to detonate, but melted the supercomputer in the research building.
Honestly, he had thought today's event might be of that nature, but this time it had taken a different form.
(...To think my magic would fail to detonate twice...)
Bezobrazov possessed immense pride in his Strategic-Class Magic; eight years ago in the Bering Sea against USNA forces, he had buried the enemy's ace-class magician with Tuman Bomba. Yet against Japan, that power proved useless.
If there was any silver lining, it was that the Japanese side did not seem to be considering a counter-invasion. Judging from the clash with the Great Asian Alliance two years ago, Bezobrazov calculated that an invasion into the New Soviet Union was not on their minds.
(Still, who on earth could it be... Could it be that the opponent is also a Strategic-Class Magician?)
Bezobrazov's thoughts were closing in on the truth. Yet at that moment, he failed to realize what it truly meant to gaze into the abyss.
◇ ◇ ◇
Sunday, April 14th. Today was the day of the Youth Conference, but in the end, no invitation reached Yugen. The likelihood of Katsuto committing a blunder was slim, meaning the Saegusa family had intentionally omitted sending it.
However, imposing further burdens on the Saegusa family—who had already paid penalties—meant the quickest solution would be the immediate retirement of current head Koichi Saegusa and Tomokazu Saegusa's succession to head of the family. Other than that, acquiring a major stake in their venture-capital-related stocks via TOB to hold an invisible leash over them might work.
Tatsuya headed to Kokonoe Temple as part of his daily routine. After undergoing control training for divine magic in the basement, Yugen took a shower and lost himself in thought while drying off in the changing room.
(The Prime Minister is scheduled to attend from the government side, but how far can they manage them?)
What Yugen worried about was whether a unified stance across ministries could be established despite friction between Diet members and bureaucrats.
Human beings rarely shared identical views on everything. As the saying went—bring three people together and factions form—factions existed within the National Defense Force, so there was no way factions wouldn't exist in the Parliament or government agencies. Frankly, he wanted to ask what they thought being a public servant even meant, but if anyone existed who could perfectly control something as fluid as national interest, it would surely be a godlike entity.
In the original timeline's ESCAPES Plan, the Ministry of Industry and financial circles expressed approval, while political circles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the media leaned toward the Dione Project. The National Defense Force side—mainly factions opposing Retsu Kudo and the Ten Master Clans—indirectly pushed the latter project as well.
Despite it being a golden opportunity to overhaul Japan's energy situation, which had relied on outside sources until now, Diet members possessed a nature of playing it safe. Yugen fully intended to force the Diet members to face reality. If they claimed to represent the public voice, they ought to earnestly back the Stellar Reactor project, which stood to benefit the vast majority of citizens. If they couldn't, he would force them to seek a mandate through an immediate general election dissolving the House of Representatives.
(The Great Asian Alliance, the New Soviet Union, the UK, and the USNA. Most current Diet members fail to recognize the responsibility of maintaining an independent state against surrounding major powers. The same applies to the bureaucrats.)
The Stellar Reactor was not merely a catalyst to transform energy affairs. Depending on its implementation, it was a formidable power capable of seizing global hegemony in energy affairs. Publishing the paper on magic-operated nuclear fusion generation under Taurus Silver last spring was a touchstone to gauge each nation's movements.
Politicians and bureaucrats surely had their own justifications, but this country was an independent nation, not a vassal state of the USNA. No reason existed to swallow their unilateral demands. The Prime Minister needed to understand that meaning first.
If they looked down on him as a youth, he would start by executing a full-scale intervention in financial sectors—which he hadn't touched until now beyond national bonds. By acquiring management rights of major domestic banks, putting domestic economic control at the discretion of the Kamurazaka family would serve as a threat.
Well, since it would also increase troublesome affairs, it would be ideal if the Prime Minister listened quietly... As Yugen lingered in thought, he only then realized that the changing room door was open, revealing Mizunami standing there in an apron.
Though he was wiping himself off, his lower body was wrapped in a towel, meaning only his bare upper body was visible. Compared to Yugen, who wasn't particularly embarrassed, Mizunami's face and ears had turned bright red.
"...Mizunami. We both have things to do today, so I won't punish you. For now, it would help if you closed the door."
"I-I am deeply sorry!!"
Afterward, Mizunami—who had recently gotten hooked on novels themed around medieval Europe—performed a beautiful dogeza while shouting, "Please make me your obedient servant, Yugen-sama!" leaving a utterly stumped Yugen and a wryly smiling Miyuki for Tatsuya to witness just as he returned from morning practice.
(Clarification: Rather than a new magic, it leans closer to a more practical iteration of Gram Dispersion. Instead of decomposing the Magic Sequence itself, it seals magic by destroying the phenomenon-interference description produced by the Magic Sequence.
I will keep the fine processes of this spell concealed, but note that the concept closest to it would be Beta Trident.
Additionally, a new Strategic-Class Magic has been provided to Tatsuya. Using that magic will be a story for later, but it is a Strategic-Class Magic usable specifically because of Tatsuya's unique capabilities. I will refrain from further comments to avoid spoilers.)
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