Published at 26th of March 2019 2:11 am

Volume 11, Epilogue

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

The excitement could be heard floating on the wind. The grounds of First High School were full of joyful voices. If he strained his ears, it was possible to hear crying voices mingled in with them as well but, those were not necessarily unhappy ones.

In contrast, the cafeteria was barren. There were scattered figures, whose number was less than the fingers on both hands. By the way, this did not mean that the students here were playing hooky from classes in session.

Today was the graduation ceremony.

Tatsuya was not using a paper cup, he sipped his coffee from a proper ceramic cup and placed the cup down directly on the table not on a saucer (it had not had a saucer from the start).

And, he looked down on the multipurpose watch that most magicians did not use.

The time indicated that the ceremony itself was already over.

Those voices were probably the graduates leaving the site of the graduation ceremony, Tatsuya surmised.

Afterward, parties would be held in two small gyms. It gave off an unpleasant feeling that even at a time like this the first and second course students were segregated but, it might be that the people themselves felt more relaxed this way.

To be correct, normally this was not most suitable thing. But second course students might somewhat tentative when they were with first course students and first course students might not celebrate as much (primarily, about their entering Magic University) in the presence of the second course students. Because there was no difference between the food, drinks and other stuff, it was probably unnecessary to quibble about the different locations, Tatsuya thought.

However, due to the separated locations, it certainly took more people to do the labor than it should have. Because the contractors assigned to make the facilities and the cafeteria staff that prepared the food for the two sites received an extra bonus, they probably wouldn’t complain about the ‘superfluous work’ but, on the other hand, the student council who was hosting the graduation parties was on the top of the list of the people complaining loudly about the superfluous work.

It was probably understandable.

Tatsuya was waiting for Miyuki who was extremely busy with the management today’s graduation parties.

It should be added so that there are no misunderstandings that he had offered to help with the preparations and management.

And been repeatedly refused.

Azusa and the rest had clearly wanted the help.

However, Miyuki had determinedly refused Tatsuya’s assistance.

“There is no reason to bother Onii-sama with this matter!“

With this emphatic objection to even asking him for the slightest bit of help, Azusa could do nothing but refuse him.

Well, even without his sister’s excessive consideration (?), for many of the first course students and not too few second course students, Tatsuya’s presence would be slightly awkward.

He was the owner of abilities and achievements that cast doubts on the distinction between the first and second course.

For the third years, he was the rock that threw their final year into confusion. Not taking part was probably the correct move.

Naturally, when it was finally decided that he would not help out with today’s parties, there were people who indirectly said things similar to “this is all for the better” and sometimes (?) Mayumi was there when it happened and for some reason she blatantly steamed.

Mayumi had safely been accepted by Magic University. With her proven abilities and achievements, this could be thought of as inevitable however, even with the damages from ’vampires’ abruptly ceasing since that night, she unmistakably had to work harder because she couldn’t give the entrance examination her undivided attention.

She would from April on study at Magic University with Suzune and Katsuto who had also been accepted as it was only proper.

Mari had not taken the exam for Magic University. She would be going to the Defense College. She did not give a reason. However, it seemed that she did not inform Mayumi beforehand and he had seen Mayumi make some harsh jibes to Mari about that---perhaps, she was hiding her loneliness.

The Magic University and the Defense College were not really that far apart, if they wanted to meet, they would be able to do so at any time still, to have the friend---the pair might not like to call each other friends but, everyone else had been labeling them that for some time--- you thought was going to attend the same school with go to a different school instead was probably not something that can be accepted easily.

Speaking of going to the Defense College---

“Shiba”

As Tatsuya was that, a voice called out to him. “Kobayakawa-senpai, hasn’t the party started already?” This was the very person he had been thinking of.

“Ah, well it is but I heard from Mari that you were here”

The magic abilities of Kobayakawa have never recovered from the incident at the Nine Schools Competition even with therapy that risked her life. There was no loss to her sensitivity to magic but she could not use magic as long as the suspicion ‘that she couldn’t use magic’ was not eradicated.

It seemed that Kobayakawa had resolved to quit school in October.

However, with only half a year left, even if she transferred to a liberal arts or science high school, she clearly would not have enough time to prepare to graduate and prepare for college. It seemed that after transferring, she intended to spend a year as a Ronin and search for a new career path.

“Do you need me for something?”

“Ah, that is, what…naturally, it is difficult to speak of it face to face….. But, it’s necessary. I want….to say thank you to you”

Tatsuya was comparatively earnest when he looked inquiringly at the red faced obviously embarrassed Kobayakawa.

“I haven’t done anything that I deserve Kobayakawa-senpai’s thanks for”

“That’s not true!”

In the highly unpopulated cafeteria, Kobayakawa’s raised voice echoed pretty well. She was not expecting that, and from her downcast head, Tatsuya could see her face becoming slightly redder.

“The suggestion about a path that could make the best use of magic sensitivity and my knowledge about magic even if I couldn’t use it was yours right?”

Tatsuya instantly started to scowl but didn’t out of consideration for Kobayakawa’s feelings.

“Did Watanabe-senpai let it slip…..”

Even so, he could not hide the disgust in his voice. “Don’t say it like that. I forced Mari to spit it out”

“I asked Watanabe-senpai to pretend it was her own idea, she told you anyway”

All the third year female representatives to the Nine Schools competition including Mari and Mayumi had worried about Kobayakawa. Mari who had narrowly escaped a similar incident could not help taking it personally. Kobayakawa’s accident had lead to the incident involving Hirakawa Chiaki in October which only increased Mari’s worries.

After that incident, Mari had grumbled idle complaints at Tatsuya. She understood it was not his responsibility but, although she prefaced her complaints with that the gist of her grumbling was ’was there really no way to prevent Kobayakawa’s accident’.

Tatsuya had an answer for those doubts. The answer was ‘he couldn’t’.

He was not all knowing and all powerful. And even if the ‘all powerful’ was omitted, he was far from ‘all knowing’. It was all he could do to use his observation power to cover the area around himself and Miyuki and take care of the duties he was responsible for, he did not have the freedom to look after others. It was the same for the other members, because neither Kobayakawa herself or Hirakawa Koharu (the elder of the Hirakawa sisters) who was responsible for her CAD had been aware of the trick, nobody else had caught it either.

However, it would be awkward to just coldly cut her off like that. So Tatsuya had sent their theoretical discussion down another route.

Tatsuya had heard from Fujibayashi a number of times that there was a dearth of tactical staff that understood how to take magic into consideration for tactical planning. Because there were so few people with a talent for magic, they were normally sent to the frontlines, so inevitably in an actual battle, the staff managing the tactical planning from the rear were all non-magicians who had only a theoretical understanding of magic.

If someone who was a superb magician but could not use magic for some reason was added to the tactical staff then it would be much easier for the magicians on the frontlines to do their work than it was now, was the idle complaint Fujibayashi who had seen the problems from both the front lines and in the rear to Tatsuya. He had relayed that to Mari without naming who he had heard it from.

“Well she tried to keep it from me. But, it didn’t seem like Mari was all that interested in hiding it”

“Geez, that girl….”

“I am glad she told me”

Kobayakawa’s sincere words interrupted Tatsuya’s statement expressing his annoyance.

“I wasn’t aware of it myself but, until I heard those words, I was in a state of despair. I said ‘do you think this will defeat me’ but it was a bluff , thinking that way was only to fool myself into not admitting that I already felt defeated”

Kobayakawa’s eyes watered, she was probably remembering how she was back then.

“But, when I heard that news from Mari, I felt like my eyes were truly opened. I thought this is the road I must follow. This way I would not be left behind alone, it gave me hope that I would not be cut off from my fellow students I had walked the road to become a magician with.

In the eleventh hour, my life path suddenly changed, I thought that if I tried hard for just half a year, I could pass”

Kobayakawa’s face was once again red, undoubtedly she was embarrassed by the statements coming from her mouth.

Tatsuya did not feel the statements he heard were particularly embarrassing but.

“So, Shiba, no, Shiba-kun, thank you” Kobayakawa’s tone changed to a polite one as she bowed deeply.

Tatsuya was no so impudent as to sit while he was bowed to. He got up from his chair and clicked his heels together.

Kobayakawa was not the only one who lifted her head up at the sudden sound of the clicked shoes, he accumulated the gazes of all of the small number of students in the cafeteria but, Tatsuya ignored that as something not worth paying attention to, as he delivered the salute of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.

“Shiba-kun….”

“Kobayakawa-senpai. It is trite but good luck”

As he answered her with a salute, Tatsuya said that without embarrassment or laughter.

Tears swelled in Kobayakawa’s eyes once more however, she nodded with a smile without crying.

“Senpai, the party has started”

“Yes, it has. Well, bye. You, too good luck”

As she said goodbye and trotted off, Tatsuya sat down. Mysteriously, the lukewarm coffee did not taste inferior.

◊ ◊ ◊

“Onii-sama, sorry for making you wait”

When the lively voice called out to him, Tatsuya took his eyes off the portable information terminal he was in the midst of writing a paper on and looked up.

“Tatsuya-kun, what are you writing?”

The one who had called out to him and made him look up was not Miyuki, it was a broadly grinning Mayumi with the roll of her diploma---as expected, the school used paper---clasped to her breast.

“I’m just writing some notes related to lengthening the time of continuous magic by systematic assistance”

“….um, I didn’t think it was a fruitless topic like that”

Tatsuya stopped before replying to Mari who looked at him with a stunned look and simply lightly shrugged his shoulders. He thought about complaining to her about the Kobayakawa incident but, today was their day. With that thought in mind, he restrained himself from trivial sniping.

“More importantly, why are all of you together? I didn’t think either Saegusa-senpai or Watanabe-senpai wouldn’t have been invited to the after party”

From behind the backs of the female students who were looking at each other, Katsuto’s face abruptly appeared.

“We thought we would say goodbye to you before that”

“…that’s thoughtful of you. If you hadn’t purposely come to see me, I was going to come and say my goodbyes afterwards”

“Oh, really? Because Tatsuya is hiding away from the parties here, I thought you would pretend not to know us and leave”

Even though, he knew that Mayumi’s sullen face and outpouring of complaints were an act, Tatsuya still felt like he had to give her an explanation.

“I am not even a member of the student council, so I shouldn’t show up at the graduation party, right. Especially the first course party”

“What!”

Suddenly an intense exclamation interrupted the explanation Tatsuya was framing.

A shiny blonde head of hair pushed through the graduates to appear in front of Tatsuya.

“Why was I who am not even a proper member of the student council made to help with the party, when it’s alright for Tatsuya, a member of the public morals committee, to do nothing!?”

The one who flared up at Tatsuya and insolently spelled out her workload was Lina.

“….public morals committee members are not student council members. Besides, although it is only temporary aren’t you a member of the student council”

“I just don’t get it!”

Lina was probably not all that bothered by the graduates’ stares. In front of the bewildered Mayumi and the others, Lina was as usual.

“Hey, Lina don’t say rude things to Onii-sama”

And, she was faced(?) with the usual speech of Miyuki’s love for her brother.

No, perhaps it should be said that it was Miyuki’s usual love for her brother speech.

“You are a temporary member of the student council and Onii-sama is a member of the public morals committee, this was all settled before the preparations for the party started. In the first place, why are you grumbling about it now, weren’t you all fired up?”

Tatsuya did not know what she meant by ‘fired up’ but, unquestionably Lina turned red before the gazes she had accumulated.

“Miyuki, what do you mean by fired up?”

Tatsuya did not have the option of ‘not daring to ask what happened’, at this place.

“Tatsuya, it’s nothing!”

“Well, as you know it would be deplorable to give a temporary officer of the student council, Lina, the type of work that would take a lot of time so, we put her in charge of today’s entertainment but…..”

“Miyuki!”

“Even if we said entertainment, we didn’t say she had to do some kind of performance, it would have been alright if all she did was get volunteers from the graduates and the other students but”

“Miyuki, don’t talk!”

“Lina apparently misunderstood” “Miyuki, please! Don’t say it!”

Lina desperately tried to interrupt Miyuki’s discourse but, the amused Mayumi and Mari cleverly blocked her movements.

“So?”

Miyuki was looking at Lina distracted by the desperation in her voice, however, at Tatsuya’s prompting, she readily switched her gaze back to her brother.

“She took the stage as the lead singer of the band. She stood up there and sang about ten songs, she was very enthusiastic”

“Yes, it was an extremely fine performance. Not inferior to a professional talent”

Mari added to Miyuki’s explanation and,

“It’s true. Shields-san is a very good singer. An incredible voice”

In a not all that complimentary tone, Mayumi praised Lina’s singing. “Urk…”

Lina looked down red faced in shame.

It was not an angry face, it was clearly an embarrassed face. Looking at that made Tatsuya feel like smiling.

“I see…you’ve made some good memories, Lina” “….I don’t care”

Aside from Lina, the people let out genial laughter at her speaking rudely and turning away.

◊ ◊ ◊

(That was the last, I saw of Lina)

After graduation was over, Lina didn’t come to school.

When he asked Miyuki, she had given class A the explanation of ‘she was busy with preparations to return home’.

None the less, he thought a withdrawal order had probably come in since that incident. Even so, until that day, Lina had continued attending school and she probably hadn’t done it to fulfill her assigned role of high school student or prepare for the graduation party.

It could be that she did it so she could enjoy the life of a high school student a little.

---as he looked at the arrival and departure delay announcement, Tatsuya mused over that.

The day before yesterday, the third quarter had ended. In short, his first year of his high school life had ended. Tatsuya’ grades were predictable.

His marks in theory were extremely good. His marks in technical were pretty bad.

His combined marks was in the lower part of the middle. However, he wasn’t bothered by that.

In that year, he had continued to get entangled in various troubles but, he had steadily approached his goal.

Contrary to his expectations, he was able to build good friendships.

Even taking into account the negative aspect of getting involved in a string of incidents, it could be said to be an excellent first year.

Today, he had come to the Tokyo Bay floating international airport to welcome one of those friends back.

Of course, he was not alone.

Miyuki and Honoka were to his left and right; Leo, Erika, Mikihiko and Miyuki sat across from him.

The plane, Shizuku was on, was supposed to arrive in a little less than an hour. “Just as I thought it takes time to get here from the American mainland”

From Tatsuya’s left, Miyuki spoke to him and,

“It seems like it takes a military plane less than four minutes to cross the Pacific Ocean so why does it take this long for a civilian plane?” on his right side, Honoka questioned him. Thereupon,

“The engines are different. Because military planes can go above the stratosphere. Safety and economy are a priority for civilian planes”

Leo interjected from directly across from him,

“Oh my, you’re well informed. Despite being a barbarian a horse could kick”

Erika teased. “Why you”

“Leo, restrain yourself”

“Erika-chan, you too stop constantly teasing him”

And Mikihiko and Mizuki interceded into their strife, well, they usually did.

Just then, Tatsuya spotted a familiar gleam of gold in the crowd of people in the lobby.

His friends looked up at Tatsuya who quickly stood, wondering what was up.

Miyuki promptly stood up also.

Although, a little slower she had also spotted the same thing as Tatsuya.

Miyuki followed Tatsuya who had walked away with a short announcement of “I won’t be long”.

A flustered Honoka also stood up but, for some reason Erika who was seating directly in front of her grabbed the sleeve of her spring coat.

“Honoka, don’t interfere. Because it is farewell to a rival”

Before the gaze of Erika who was impolitely twisting around in her seat,

Lina who of course hadn’t fled after being spotted by Tatsuya walked toward the siblings herself.

“Tatsuya, Miyuki have you come to see me off?”

When they had approached close enough to speak in a normally, Lina spoke first.

“Well. Meeting you here was a coincidence”

Lina’s momentary brooding completely disappeared, as she let out a genuine laugh.

However, she did not feel completely the same as she had been. A shadow of doubt could be seen in her eyes that hadn’t been there when she had just barely arrived in Japan. That showed that in this brief period she had become more mature.

“Oh my? Did I not say I was departing today” “We didn’t hear you say it”

Miyuki finished off Lina’s exaggeratedly mild befuddled banter in one blow.

Even so Miyuki wasn’t in a bad mood, she was smiling in an wry way. “Well, joking aside. I am obliged for the aid of you two”

Lina’s smile became brazen as she said it, “Don‘t you mean, we‘ve caused you trouble” and Tatsuya smoothly denied it.

“I’m the one the one who is in trouble. …you’re an unbending person to the end, Tatsuya”

“You wouldn’t be happy if I went easy on you Lina….. Besides, this isn’t the end, right?”

Lina shrugged her shoulders at Tatsuya’s question.

“I think it might be. I don’t think I am able to easily leave my own country”

Lina’s voice showed tinges of acknowledging a painful truth. However, to erase that,

“But, this is not the last time”

Miyuki interjected with emphatic words. “Miyuki”

“So I shall not say goodbye, Lina”

“……..Miyuki what was that, it sounded like a confession?”

Lina widened her eyes as she stared at Miyuki with a face that had grown mischievous.

“Hmm, I suppose it might be a type of confession. You are my rival, Lina”

Miyuki was undisturbed by the remark and mad that declaration in an unwavering voice.

“You will surely reach out to take Onii-sama’s hand someday. You will surely become Onii-sama’s ally. And that will begin our true competition. And so, I will not say goodbye. Until we meet again, Lina”

Lina’s eyes widened, again. And this time her gentle smile was like the sun matching the color of her eyes and hair.

“I can’t understand what you said very well, but….. Miyuki surely it will be as you said. Now, I have the premonition as well. Until we meet again Miyuki, Tatsuya”

“I’m back”

One hour after Lina disappeared into the gate, these were Shizuku’s first words.

“Welcome back, Shizuku”

Over the back of the moist eyed Honoka who was embracing her which she was patting to soothe her, Shizuku directed her eyes to Tatsuya.

“Welcome back, Shizuku. I’m glad you came back safely” “yes”

Her curt replies hadn’t changed from before her study abroad but, “Shizuku, your aura has changed”

“That’s true. It has become more grown uppish”

As Miyuki and Erika said, the aura coating her body had become fairly mature.

“Did you undergo some kind of sinful experiences?” “Erika-chan!?”

The one who responded to the broadly grinning Erika’s jibes was Mizuki; Shizuku, the one under attack, only tilted her head slightly.

It was unchanged from what had been the normal commotion, however, a stronger sense of composure could be felt.

“Tatsuya-san” “hmm?”

After Honoka finally released Shizuku from her embrace and allowed her to step away from her, Shizuku walked in front of Tatsuya and looked up at his face.

“I have many things I want to talk about. I also have been given many messages from Ray. Will you listen?”

“Good. I will certainly listen”

Perhaps, her souvenirs from America were a lot of insights. That was what Tatsuya thought.

◊ ◊ ◊

Their talk with Shizuku took a pretty long time.

Even so, they weren’t able to finish discussing everything.

They could not discuss Raymond Clark’s message in front of their other friends.

(It might be necessary to take her up on her invitation to her house….)

In order to relate the remaining message, Shizuku had invited Tatsuya and Miyuki to her own house. To go to the great industrialist, Kitayama Ushio’s private residence without their other friends.

Even for the Yotsuba, this was not a minor thing to have. However, they could not choose to not accept the invitation. The information she had returned with was necessary to decide their future course of action.

Tatsuya was reexamining the predetermined conclusion once again in the living room of his own home.

At that time, the buzzer rang.

A shocked cry from Miyuki who had answered the door intercom reached Tatsuya’s ears.

Miyuki’s face displayed surprise and impatience when she came to Tatsuya.

“Um, Onii-sama, there’s a guest….”

“Should I meet the guest?”

Tastuya had got up because he thought it was some kind of uninitiated guest, however---

“No, I didn’t invite her but,…..the guest is Sakurai Minami-chan who

I met at the Yotsuba main house” “what……?”

Tatsuya also remembered that girl maid.

Sakurai Honami. The former Metropolitan Police SP who was his late mother’s Guardian. The woman who had poured love out to the two siblings as easily as if she was an elder sister or a relative. Three years before in the summer in that battle in Okinawa, the augmented magician had lost her life protecting Tatsuya. The girls features were completely like the person the siblings could never forget.

She was a visitor completely unexpected to even Tatsuya.

In front of Tatsuya with Miyuki at his side was a girl in a spring like pastel one piece dress.

After Sakurai Minami politely bowed, she passed a single envelope to Tatsuya.

Tatsuya invited Minami to sit and sat down on the sofa himself. As she watched, he cut the seal and sent his eyes to the letter inside prompted by her gaze.

As he continued to read, Tatsuya felt like an illusionary pain was spreading in his mouth.

The sender was Yotsuba Maya.

After the perfunctory seasonal greeting, the letter read thus:

“This Spring, Minami chan will be enrolled in First High school.

In regards to this, please give Minami chan accommodations in your home.

She has become a good housekeeper, she already possesses enough skill.

You must need help around the house, after all you purchased a maid robot, right? In any case, you and Miyuki-san both are going to be busy with various things now that you two are becoming second year high school students.

She has been informed that she will work as a live-in maid so, please do not have any scruples about ordering her about.

Also, I intend to have Minami chan learn the work of a Guardian. As her senpai, please teach her many things“

He felt like he could hear his Aunt’s high pitch laugh from the face of the page.

Tatsuya folded up the letter and returned it to the envelope then placed it on the table; perhaps, she could tell something from his behaviour, Miyuki said “Onii-sama?” to him in an anxious voice.

Tatsuya took one deep breath and passed the letter to Miyuki.

After a small wait, the sound of air being gulped emitted from Miyuki’s throat.

Minami stood next to the wall facing her as if she was waiting for Miyuki’s eyes to leave the letter.

“I am a novice but, please accept me. As Oku-sama stated, please use me to the fullest”

Minami deeply lowered her head.

Even though they understood she was the linchpin of an invasion from Maya, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki could reject a girl who had the same face as Honami.

Armored behind his poker face, Tatsuya could do nothing more than nod at his Aunt’s bitterly ironic ‘present’.

---In April the new school year would began and it would be even richer in mayhem than the previous one---

That unwelcome premonition would not disappear from it’s resting place in Tatsuya’s chest.

[The end of the first year volumes]

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