Published at 26th of March 2019 2:11 am

Volume 16, Chapter 5

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Morning of December 31st. Tatsuya's group departed from the Tsukuba Family's villa, and it was their third try to get to the Main House.

The normal travel time from the villa to the Yotsuba's Main House was about two hours. While considering the possibility of piled up snow in the middle of the road, three hours would still be sufficient. Yuuka proposed 'I think its ok even if we depart from the villa after lunch', but Tatsuya had thought about any foreseeable obstructing events that may occur today as well, hence, he wanted to depart as early as possible.

Yuuka seemed to be a night creature, and looked sluggish when she drove, as if her body had yet to be fully awakened. Perhaps, that was the reason behind her proposal on departing during the afternoon instead.

Still, she somehow managed to drive her sedan safely, and finally, they reached the entrance of the tunnel which led to the Yotsuba's Village.

Inside the tunnel, there were branches of a pathway, but the mechanism needed a flow of Psion waves in a certain waveform at specific points in order to be able to stay on the route which led to the Yotsuba's Village.

The tunnel had provided an automatic gate of non-systematic magic. With this mechanism, the Yotsuba's Main House was essentially cut off from the outside world, at least when it came to land transportation.

This facility is meant to conceal the address of the Old Fourth Research Institute. Due to the high confidentiality of the Old Fourth Research Institute, only the name is known, and the address is not known even to the highest government and military officials. As the Yotsuba Family had inherited this facility, they went around literally erasing the memory of anyone who knew this secret, completely hiding the location of their home.

Similar gates existed in a few other places, but they were heading to the only gate that operated at all times. For those who knew of it, this area would be a strategic place to set up an ambush.

At the same time, however, it also meant that this area was set under constant surveillance by the Yotsuba, and the assailants would require a certain amount of resolution.

With this reasoning, Yuuka was determined that they would not receive any more interference once they reached this place.

However, Tatsuya concluded that they would be attacked here for sure.

The difference in the two’s attitude’s corresponded to their different reactions.

From the side of the mountainous pathway, right before they entered the tunnel.

From the slope, a white tsunami came surging down!

"Miyuki, melt the avalanche!"

Tatsuya shouted even before Yuuka noticed the avalanche.

"Yes, Onii-sama!"

Miyuki responded to Tatsuya.

Yuuka suddenly stepped on the break.

"Minami, Hemispherical Shield!"

"Wha--, Y-Yes."

The avalanche was surging from the side of the road.

Miyuki turned the snow into water with her magic.

The car stopped.

The hemispherical barrier formed around the car.

All of this happened in less than a single second.

Streaming mud flew down in front of the stopped car.

From the beginning, the avalanche wasn’t triggered to hit Yuuka's car.

"Minami, release the shield."

"Understood."

When the muddy stream from the melted snow had run down, Tatsuya ordered Minami to release the barrier magic.

Before the barrier magic disappeared naturally, Minami canceled her own magic.

Whether Tatsuya who gave the order, or Minami who performed the instruction, both had a stern look on their face.

Tatsuya got out from the car and stood in front.

In turn, Minami, Miyuki, Yuuka also came out of the car.

Rocks and fallen trees were scattered in front of the car. They were washed down by the avalanche, or more likely by the muddy stream after the snow was melted at the slope of the mountain. The four of them approached and finally stood before the space.

"Onii-sama, is this meant to hinder us?"

Miyuki was also aware that the avalanche was not set to directly hit them. She asked her brother on her speculation.

"No, it's an ambush."

However, Tatsuya's answer was a little different from Miyuki's speculation.

"Come out!"

The one who shouted was Yuuka.

"If you don’t, I will not hold back!"

Despite being in the territory of the Yotsuba Family, their vehicle was attacked, and it seemed like it had taken a toll on Yuuka's pride.

After receiving no reaction, she was frustrated and took out a folded type CAD from her handbag, she pressed a side button to open its numerical keyboard.

Folded type CAD had begun being commercialized since the start of this year. A handy portion of the main body was the numerical keypad, while the expanded part of the cover was an antenna for a sighting aid. The goal was to replace pointing the muzzle of a gun-type CAD with a flat antenna which aimed at the target with the surface of its cover.

This was FLT’s newest work in an attempt to cultivate practical use of the general-purpose CAD + Aiming Auxiliary System, which was announced in Dusseldorf two years ago, that was developed by the HQ team rather than the Third Division which Tatsuya belonged to. Tatsuya used this technology in practice at last year's Nine Schools Competition, but he was only providing the know-how of incorporating the Aiming Auxiliary System with the OS for general-purpose CAD. Honestly, it hadn’t really become that different from a general-purposed CAD when comparing their efficiency and was only playing around with it for amusement, yet, Yuuka surprisingly seemed to fancy the style.

Regardless of the efficiency of the CAD, the magic that was cast wasn’t a joke.

Mental Interference Magic, "Mandrake".

The magic released Psion waves that causes psychological damage by causing terror within a 150° angle in front of the opponent.

Mandrake didn’t create images that cause terror, but the terror itself. By loosening the suppression of the consciousness it allowed emotions to run wild, and this produced the emotion of terror.

There was no lethal effect from Mandrake. However, anyone under the influence of this magic would be overcome with a violent terror regardless of their mental endurance, and their mind would significantly weaken. In fact, the damage might be greater for those who had received mental endurance training against fear. Those people would be thrown into a panic after being attacked by a fear that they should have been able to overcome. They would collapse, or lose consciousness after being unable to withstand the burden. It could even leave a deep mental wound for some.

Although there was a similar magic called 'Phobos', it used Psion light as its medium, whereas Mandrake used Psion waves, or, in other words, the 'sound' of Psion’s.

As Mandrake was a magic transmitted via the ‘sound’ of Psion’s, it wasn’t intended to be transmitted via physical sound, hence, it could not be prevented even if the enemy cut off the physical sound wave. However, if the sound wave was cut off by magic. It also meant that the Psion wave’s propagation within the ‘cut off sound’ region was attenuated.

Like now.

When Yuuka used ‘Mandrake’, another magic was triggered at the same time.

Sound wave attenuation magic, ‘Silent Veil’.

It was not possible to completely nullify the effect of Mandrake with Silent Veil. However, it was possible to weaken its effect. After Mandrake was weakened by Silent Veil, a magician could defend against it by strengthening their own Psion information field without having any aptitude for Mental Interference Magic.

“This magic… you’re Kotona-san, right! I’ve figured out your identity. Please come out!”

However, in order to do this, the opponent must know the usage of Mandrake beforehand. Yuuka could only think about a single magician who specialized in magic like Silent Veil, and also knew her magic.

“Katsushige-san, as well, how about you come out from behind that woman!?”

Immediately after Yuuka’s provocation, a shadow came out onto the road. Not only did the water surfacing the wet road evaporate, a layer of heated air with paving material had locally formed.

“Phonon Maser.”

To calm Miyuki’s and Minami’s amazement of their sudden appearance, Tatsuya glared and revealed out loud the identity of the magic on purpose.

“I don’t have any intention of hiding.”

Soon after, a fine baritone voice was heard from the front. Yuuka lifted up her eyes which were directed at the heated haze. Miyuki and Minami were the same. Only Tatsuya was looking at the place where the huge rock had fallen earlier, watching three people, two men and a woman come out of it.

“It takes time to go through the scattered obstacles here.”

He was taller than Tatsuya by a single head at 188cm. His body was slim, yet his posture didn’t hide his tendency to look sluggish. His body also didn’t seem to have any discomfort with heavyweight boxing which was introduced in the force. He was an official from the Ministry of Defense, going back a single year, the oldest son of the Shibata Family, one of the Yotsuba’s Branch Families, and at the same time, one of the Yotsuba candidates for the next Family Head, Shibata Katsushige.

“If you’re not hiding, why didn’t you answer me sooner?”

Yuuka raised her nose to show that she wasn’t going to be fooled.

“I was going to answer once we were at a normal conversational distance.”

Refrain yourself! Katsushige answered so with a stiff face.

“You’re the one who attacked even before I could answer you. As usual, Yuuka-san is so combative.”

How troublesome, Katsushige indicated so and shook his head lightly.

Yuuka observed his attitude from the corner of her eyes.

“Hmm… So Katsushige-san can say so even after hiding in the shadows and having attacked us with an avalanche.”

“That avalanche’s course was set not to catch your car. There was no intention of attacking you.”

“That’s right.”

The young man who had been restrained by Katsushige was covering for him.

“I wouldn’t have needed to use Phonon Maser earlier either! He’s different from you who suddenly get serious.”

Apparently, this young man was the one who shot the Phonon Maser earlier.

“Kanata-san, won’t you please back off?”

His outfit was also unkempt, like a musician or illustrator, with an artist- like youth. Yuuka told him off with a theatrically song-like sarcastic language.

“What!?”

“I’m talking to Katsushige-san now. It’s a talk between the Tsukuba Family’s daughter and the Shibata Family’s heir. It’s not the time for a servant to interfere.”

“You--.”

“Stop it, Kanata.”

The one who stopped the young Kanata was a woman who stood beside Katsushige, Kotona.

“Nee-san.”

The boy’s full name was Tsutsumi Kanata. He was Kotona’s younger brother, both of them were appointed as Katsushige’s guardian.

“It’s a fact that we are Katsushige-san’s servants. Yuuka-san didn’t say anything wrong.”

“But.”

“Do not embarrass Katsushige-san.”

At that one sentence, Kanata backed down.

“Hmm… So Katsushige-san is very treasured by his subordinates.”

Yuuka spoke in a thorny ironic tone.

“And it’s not only by Kotona-san, I see.”

The meaning of the words could change depending on the tone, Kanata who had backed down changed his complexion.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

However, Katsushige’s deep voice didn’t show a hint of feeling which stopped Kanata from his outburst.

“I think they’re too good for me to be subordinates. I’ve always wanted to be a worthy master for them. I think we should have been less emotional as the Yotsuba Family’s style dictates. I think I need to learn from Yuuka-san in that aspect.”

This time, Yuuka changed her complexion.

“I’m also a guardian, so I will restrain my mouth as well.”

Tatsuya interrupted the conversation at a good time, without exposing Yuuka’s shameful sight, but, well, he probably did.

“I don’t mind. Even if you’re a guardian, you’re a close relative of the head. I think it doesn’t affect our stance at all, Tatsuya-kun.”

The generous attitude Katsushige showed was something hard to categorize as either being friendly toward someone younger or abrasive toward a servant. Miyuki, at the moment, seemed to be having difficulties in assessing which sort of manner she should take Katsushige’s words, but of course Tatsuya himself doesn’t take an interest in such things.

“Thank you. Then, we’ll settle this immediately.”

There was no change seen in his attitude.

“Hmm? I wonder what you mean.”

“It’s an easy request. Can you let us pass?”

Tatsuya’s request was as straightforward as he said himself.

“I see, how very like Tatsuya-kun.”

“Excuse me.”

Tatsuya didn’t lower his head, and was only hinting so with his words.

He waited for Katsushige’s response as it was.

Katsushige also matched Tatsuya’s style, and didn’t take any circuitous attitude.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot do that.”

Katsushige lightened his intimidating eyes.

“Hear me out as well. Go back down this road. We won’t need to have any unnecessary dispute if you do so.”

Tatsuya nodded silently. However, it was not intended to indicate his submission to Katsushige’s request. His gesture indicated ‘dispute is inevitable in order to pass through’ kind of consent.

Katsushige tightened his lips. Kotona and Kanata on his two sides also rose in tension.

“If that’s the case.”

Katsushige stated the words which determined the situation——No, he was about to state so.

“So it’s decided.”

However, Tatsuya intended to continue his words.

Katsushige had assembled a Magic Sequence and was ready to fire it, but intentionally cut it off and let the sustained magic formula disappear.

“…Listen.”

Kotona and Kanata had their guards up with their fingers on their CADs. Against them, Minami was ready to form barriers at any time. She wasn’t going to miss a single thing off her barrier this time.

In the midst of the confrontation, Tatsuya said something unexpected to Katsushige.

“Needless to say, as a guardian of the Yotsuba, I have the responsibility to escort my master, a mistress from all peril.”

“So?”

“As Miyuki’s guardian, I don’t want to bring Miyuki to a dangerous battlefield. I suppose the two of you are the same.”

“Of course!”

The one who answered Tatsuya’s question was Kotona.

“I don’t want to endanger Katsushige-san because of a family matter!”

She answered with such passion as if she was defending her lover, and her brother was in-tune with her saying, ‘I feel the same with nee-san’.

Tatsuya nodded with a bitter, serious face.

Katsushige, who felt like they were hanging on a deathly deception, speculated and said, ‘Hey, you don’t mean…’ after seeing Tatsuya’s expression.

“We will stay here. You will not pass through this point.”

After Katsushige tried to forestall the situation, Tatsuya continued speaking.

“In order to overcome this standoff, a fight is inevitable. Then.”

“Wait--.”

“Why don’t we decide this with a duel between each other’s guardians? I’m alone, but you have two on your side.”

“You can’t!”

“Very well!”

Katsushige and Kotona spoke at the same time, showing opposite answers.

“We have Yuuka-san as the third party here, and Minami will protect Miyuki and Yuuka-san in the woods. I promise you. She won’t lend me a hand.”

Tatsuya didn’t answer inconsistently, and was quickly finishing what he wanted to say.

“Let us do it!”

“You can’t, it’s too dangerous!”

Although Katsushige meant something similar, they had been arguing among themselves and failed to hear Tatsuya’s words until the end.

“Tatsuya-kun is not defective like everyone thinks! I can’t even say for sure that I can win against him. He is just like the previous head, Eisaku- sama, who is born to be a combat magician!”

“We, too, are magicians with modified bodies adjusted for combat, the second generation of the ‘Bard Series’! The combat power was embedded in our genes even before we were born. No matter who the opponent is, we won’t easily be defeated!”

“That’s not the issue here! You’re measuring Tatsuya-kun’s level within the wrong parameters! He first killed a man when he was six, immediately after the artificial magician experiments. There is no doubt about the power he holds just in the palm of his hand. He sank in a skilled 30 year old combat magician in a pool of his own blood from the very start when they tried to kill each other, neither out of an accident nor a surprise attack. He was only six then, you know? He wasn’t even in Elementary School yet at that age.”

Kotona was speechless with eyes wide open after hearing the information given by Katsushige.

The one who had lost words wasn’t just her. Minami, and even Miyuki had their faces strung with intensity.

“Kotona, what did you do when you were six?”

Kotona couldn’t answer Katsushige.

“Katsushige-san.”

The one who responded to Katsushige was Tatsuya.

“Please don’t spread out someone’s private information in front of people.”

Katsushige stared at Tatsuya, and showed an uncomfortable face when he looked at Miyuki’s and Minami’s face.

“Master, let me do it.”

The one who interrupted here was Kanata. He called Katsushige ‘master’ like a coffee shop owner, his words had made his sister cover her mouth.

“Certainly, he has the upper hand. If I were to face him head to head, he would certainly defeat me. However, I don’t think he could do that in a two-on-one.”

Katsushige frowned at Kanata’s claim.

“Tatsuya-kun has made a bet that he can win against the both of you.”

“Even so, isn’t it ok? Since we have the advantage.”

“But…”

When Katsushige was considering his persuasion, this time Miyuki’s voice interrupted him, ‘Shibata Katsushige-san’. Miyuki purposely called him in a full, polite and gentle manner in a cold and freezing manner.

Miyuki who stood beside Tatsuya looked straight at Katsushige.

“I have been ordered to join Oba-sama, the Yotsuba’s Family Head, in attending the New Year’s Gathering. In order to fulfill this instruction, I must enter into the Main House today.”

The smooth narrative with her beautiful intonation could even be mistaken as a song, which didn’t allow any rebuttal from any foolish phase.

“To hinder my way is the same as going against Oba-sama’s order. As it is, Katsushige-san, your action can be accounted as revolting against Oba-sama. As a child of the Shibata Family who revolts against the head, your family would also be labeled as rebels. You do understand this, don’t you?”

Katsushige couldn’t give any answer. He was standing in place with a resolution of being called a rebel. However, from another angle of the Shibata Family who was taking an opposite stance from the head, it was not a defiant action.

Miyuki smiled like an angel towards Katsushige. It wasn’t a smile reserved for an ally, but like a judge who smiled against a sinner.

“However, you also have your own position. That’s why, I’m not trying to accuse you of going against Oba-sama, but rather as an opportunity for my brother. If my brother were to lose, I will quietly return and leave from here.”

It wasn’t an intimidation, but a proposal. Katsushige, who was supposed to have full resolution in being condemned as a rebel, was cornered by the fact that the entire Shibata Family was taken as hostage.

“How regrettable that we don’t have much time. Please state your decision.”

“I want to fight Tatsuya-kun. Would that be fine?”

Katsushige retorted with an agonizing voice.

Miyuki shook her head with an apologetic look.

“I have left this case to my brother. The case can be settled as proposed by my brother earlier.”

Katsushige was still at a loss. He didn’t even realize that he had fallen captive into Tatsuya’s trap.

Truthfully, Katsushige didn’t need to get lost here. He had come here with a firm determination to repel Tatsuya by absolute force. Since that was his first stance, he didn’t necessarily need to obtain permission from Miyuki to fight Tatsuya.

Although Katsushige was no longer hamstrung, he was standing there half-heartedly thinking about the next course of action. He knew that neither Miyuki nor Yuuka would just submissively return without any negotiation. Since he was ready to take tough measures anyway, it was unnecessary to have such a conversation that led to the final proposal to the three, Katsushige, Kotona, and Kanata.

It was because he took a bad step of ‘if there’s a room for discussion’, that he was confronted with a condition he had to struggle with on the surface of the showdown. He couldn’t bear the brunt himself to let Kotona go out and endanger herself. Yet, he couldn’t say the one phrase to prevent it all, ‘I refuse’.

He was mentally cornered for a period of time——although it was all a pretense, since the situation had yet to change at all——The one who saved Katsushige was Kotona again, saying ‘My Lord, on behalf of Shibata Katsushige, I, Tsutsumi Kotona will accept the challenge from Shiba Tatsuya-dono’.

“Kotona!”

Naturally, Katsushige yelled to restrain Kotona, but this time, even Kotona didn’t back down.

“Katsushige-san, since the situation has developed to this stage, we have no other choice. No, for Katsushige-san who couldn’t choose to avoid attacking his family, this is a desirable conclusion. No matter what the result is, I can’t afford to let the Family Head Candidate lose or get hurt here.”

“But it doesn’t mean that it’s ok if you’re the one who’s lost!”

“I will not be beaten up worthlessly. I will show you that I can win in this match.”

“Kotona… But.”

Kotona closed Katsushige’s mouth with her index finger after seeing him so worried about herself.

“Katsushige-san, please look at Miyuki-san.”

Then, she guided Katsushige’s line of sight to look at Miyuki.

“Miyuki-san believes in the victory of her brother. That’s why that person doesn’t waver.”

As Kotona had said, Miyuki who was reflected in Katsushige’s sight didn’t show any hint of anxiety.

“Katsushige-san, can’t you believe in me?”

Her mischievous smile was seen in her eyes. However, most of Kotona’s strength mainly came from acting, Katsushige understood this.

Kotona comprehended the terror that is Tatsuya. During the four days leading up to her reunion with Kanata, she had discussed with Katsushige many, many times about the threat of his “Decomposition” and the wonders of his “Regrowth”. She also probably realized his abnormality as a combatant.

It was not for the sake of escorting, but as training to defeat the enemy. Despite being a magician, Tatsuya was imposed with a variety of weapons and combat skills training in order to silence an enemy, Katsushige hadn’t found a way to explain this in a short time with just a few words. It was just proving that Tatsuya wasn’t normal, even with a little bit of an explanation just now, and Kotona should have been able to understand.

Nevertheless, she tried to be brave. She hoped that he would believe in her strength.

“I got it… I’ll believe in you both.”

Then, he himself must respond to that feeling. Katsushige thought so.

“Win. Kotona. Kanata.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Please leave it to me!”

After the Tsutsumi siblings raised their voices, Tatsuya came forward.

Tatsuya lowered his hand with a gesture to Miyuki.

To match him, Katsushige retreated. Perhaps, to follow up the fact that Kotona and Kanata needed to fight, he activated a magic to clear up the road from the fallen rocks and trees which were scattered after the avalanche.

Tatsuya faced Kotona and Kanata with a somewhat painful look.

“What is it?”

Tatsuya’s voice which answered Kanata was mixed with hesitation.

“I’m sorry for throwing a wet towel on this emotional scene, but I have no intention in killing either of you.”

Kotona’s face was dyed in red.

“Y-you won’t get our guards down even if you say such things!”

“I have no intention of maneuvering my way out of here in particular.”

“Then mind your own business! We won’t be pulled away from each other!”

Kanata replied so, and seemed to be diverting attention from his embarrassment.

From Tatsuya’s point of view, his opponents were willfully misunderstanding him and were willfully fired up, but seemed like they would suffer the impact of the collective pain when their link broke. At any rate, they had been hindering his path for the past two days. He wasn’t in the mood to let them do as they liked any more than they already had.

“Anyway, are we going to start here? Or would you prefer to change venues?”

Kotona glanced behind after she heard Tatsuya’s question. She was confirming if they had taken enough of a distance from Katsushige, but when she looked at Katsushige, he was nodding at her.

“Here is fine.”

“Then.”

At the same time as Tatsuya said those words, Kotona readied her body for the fight.

“Kotona!”

Kanata attacked Tatsuya upfront. However, Katsushige wasn’t able to follow up with the result. Katsushige’s eyes were fixed on Kotona who was launched into the sky and activated a gravity control flight magic.

Kotona who was suddenly blown to the sky was falling in shock without preparing any landing posture, Katsushige reached out to rescue her.

He neutralized the gravity by applying Inertial Control Magic to Kotona’s body.

He applied Deceleration Magic to slow the fall rate.

Changing the orbit of her fall through Movement Magic.

He started all three Magic Sequence’s on his mobile phone-type terminal CAD button, towards Kotona in rapid succession.

He executed the three magic’s in succession rather than one magic with three steps, he utilized his Magic Sequence in a short time, yet carefully modified the event without any conflicting details which might cause an increase in interference force needed to activate the magic. Kotona’s body, as Katsushige intended, arrived safely in his arms.

“Tha-thank you.”

Kotona who was caught by Katsushige’s arms blushed in embarrassment while remaining in that posture. Katsushige was hiding his real feelings of deep relief as he let Kotona down upon the road.

“I’m sorry, Katsushige-san. I was too preoccupied with ‘Decomposition’… becoming vulnerable to other magic from not paying attention.

“Be careful. Tatsuya-kun can use other magic besides ‘Decomposition’ and ‘Regrowth’ with Flash Cast. I should have already explained this to you many times now.”

“Yes.”

“He can only do Flash Cast for magic that uses three steps, but his activation speed is very fast. With that power, he can activate the same magic over and over again at any instant. Do you follow this now that you’ve experienced it directly?”

“Yes.”

“Then, go. Kanata is struggling.”

“Understood.”

Katsushige tried to suppress his feelings to change her decision, and sent off Kotona with care.

While Kanata was distracted by his sister who was launched up into the air, Tatsuya drove his palm at Kanata’s chest, just above the heart.

At the same time, virtual vibration waves were implanted.

However, the vibration magic was hampered by another wave that flowed into his body before it shook Kanata’s heart. Kanata managed to disable the virtual vibration waves that flew into his body.

He overrode the magic with a stronger phenomenon interference force.

Kanata rolled back on his own, and a snap came from his left fingers.

Tatsuya decomposed the magic for acoustic amplification out of his snap before it turned into a roar.

However, in reality, he missed the opportunity to do so.

“A surprise attack, right back at you!”

Kanata wielded a specialized CAD in his right hand, a short barrel type, and pulled the trigger several times.

A Magic Sequence which emitted a sound appeared in the same number of times that he pulled his trigger.

Tatsuya disabled the vibration magic, ‘Sound Cannon’, with Decomposition before its invocation.

“Tsk, that’s a counter magic technique!”

It seemed like Kanata had the tendency to voice out every single bit of information in the battle.

Perhaps, it was to get his fighting spirit up. Certainly, the effect on enhancing his spirit in this fight was undeniable. However, from Tatsuya’s point of view, it was a wasted chance.

Tatsuya targeted the Psion body. He seized control of the body movement through Psion’s, and not the nerves.

“Then, how about this!”

Kanata cried so while directing his CAD to Tatsuya.

Right at that time, Tatsuya lowered his stance until he was at Kanata’s chest.

Shukujihou. It was not the ‘Shukuji’ of Senjutsu, but the martial arts ‘Shukuji’.

It was one of the body manipulation techniques Tatsuya learned from Yakumo. He also learned the name, Shukujihou, from Yakumo, but he didn’t really know if it was the correct term either.

Tatsuya wasn’t really concerned if it was the historically correct term.

The important thing was its effect.

Kanata widened his eyes after Tatsuya appeared in front of him without any sign of self-acceleration magic.

Kanata who was unable to react, was hit and dropped his CAD, Tatsuya thrusted his fist into Kanata’s solar plexus.

Kanata groaned aloud while folding his body to fall, plunging, forward.

The strike just now was not a combination of vibration magic. It was a pure fighting technique, the waves in Kanata’s body that were to counter vibration waves wasn’t of any use.

Tatsuya tried to strike Kanata in order for him to fall unconscious. He didn’t have any intention to kill him, but he didn’t mind going to any length as long as he didn’t die in the aftermath. However, it ended prematurely by the quick force of the ball kick which was aimed at Tatsuya’s head.

Tatsuya promptly jumped back, disabling the ‘Sound Bombs’ which were strewn around him.

Kotona was sent out by Katsushige immediately after the ‘Sound Cannon’ was shot down. Kotona and Kanata were about 30 meters apart at that time.

Yet, when she rushed him at about 10 meters, she was brought to a halt as Kanata collapsed onto the road.

Kotona operated her CAD in regret even when she called the name of her younger brother.

The Modified Body ‘Bard Series’ was a group of magicians who were especially good at Systematic Vibration Magic, especially in interfering with sound waves, and they were magicians made for combat. However, the tendency of their specialized magic for fighting was different. Kotona was good at search operations, detecting interference, bewitching and damage mitigation type magic’s rather than combat magic.

Her special magic included ‘Passive Sonar’, ‘Silent Veil’ and ‘Sound Bomb’. Although ‘Sound Bomb’ was classified as a combat magic, it also served the purpose of being an auxiliary magic to straddle the enemy rather than defeating them. She wasn’t as good as her brother in direct attack magic such as ‘Sound Cannon’ and ‘Phonon Maser’.

However, when she saw that her brother was in a pinch in front of her, she quickly dealt out the combat magic she was good at. She could use ‘Sound Bomb’ which generated a large spherical acoustic from a selected point at a distance, although at this distance, both she and her ally would be caught in.

However, Kotona and Kanata had a layer of air surrounding them for the purpose of multiplied information strengthening with sound. For both of them, information enhancements protected their bodies from the magic others used almost as if it were as natural as their Eidos skin. Harmful ‘sound’ to the body would turn harmless in sight of this defense.

She used her entire body to shoot the magic based on such a calculation.

However, Kotona’s ‘Sound Bomb’ magic activation sequence was decomposed by Tatsuya.

“He aimed at 24 points of magic at once!?”

Kotona raised her voice in surprise. Any bystander would have thought that it was such an aimless talk, when she should have prepared to deploy her next magic. For her, Tatsuya’s ability to disable magic was genuinely surprising, and didn’t expect that Tatsuya’s ability was this high and led to this much stagnation which created countless chances.

Tatsuya suddenly disappeared from Kotona’s view.

He just jumped diagonally to the sky, but Kotona’s eyes couldn’t adjust to his movement.

It was a simple leap with only self-acceleration magic at the moment of his jump. Although there was a considerable amount of gravity that affected Tatsuya, it made him combine it with inertia neutralization, which was very familiar to him. Furthermore, Kotona couldn’t follow Tatsuya’s movements with either her magical sense or even with her naked eye, as he hadn’t used a continuous magic.

He changed his direction using acceleration magic in the air.

When Kotona noticed the change in magic, Tatsuya’s body was already imminently close.

If the opponent had been Kanata, Tatsuya would have landed a kick.

However, as his opponent was Kotona, he also had a little hesitation.

Tatsuya wasn’t suddenly waking up to feminism. To strike at this momentum, he was concerned that he would accidentally kill Kotona’s because of her delicate body.

Tatsuya stretched out his hand at the same time he landed on top of Kotona, he suppressed her at once with the remaining momentum.

Kotona’s body fell in a moment, and politely enough to not injure her, Tatsuya laid her down on the road.

When Kanata recovered enough to be able to stand up from the damage he received from Tatsuya, he saw the figure of his older sister being held down and strangled by Tatsuya.

“Get away from nee-san!”

He quickly picked up his fallen CAD from the road and unleashed Phonon Maser at Tatsuya.

Even Tatsuya wouldn't escape unscathed if it hit him. No, if a magician had a high rank barrier magic, it might be prevented like Katsuto or Minami, however if the barrier was erected too late, it was a fatal attack had it not been Tatsuya.

The heat rays of the Phonons had subsided halfway through.

The coherent waves were lost in the instant the Magic Sequence was decomposed right after it was activated, and it was as if the waves disappeared midway.

The Phonon Maser actually hit Tatsuya in a split second. However, the irradiation time was too short to even wear his clothes.

“Why?”

He couldn’t believe that his special magic had failed him, and Kanata triggered Phonon Maser once more.

A second, third and the fourth time followed.

However, his magic was canceled by Tatsuya again and again in every instance.

Tatsuya jumped again.

This time, toward Kanata.

However, Tatsuya’s body was shot down in the air by an explosion caused by compressed air.

“Onii-sama!”

When he heard Miyuki’s voice, Tatsuya immediately stood up after being knocked down.

“Katsushige-san, what is the meaning of this!”

She patted her chest in relief for a brief moment, then Miyuki raised her voice in fierce condemnation of Katsushige.

The compressed air bullet just now was made by Katsushige.

Katsushige didn’t answer Miyuki but proceeded to create compressed air bullets again.

The unfathomable speed at which Tatsuya was eliminated was the result of the magic Shibata Katsushige, candidate for next Yotsuba Family Head, excelled at.

Katsushige specialized in ‘Density Manipulation’. Its underlying magic was convergence-based system, therefore, it had a wide range of applications. Manipulation of density in solids, liquids, and even gas.

For instance, if he loosened the solid density partially, a hole would occur. The avalanche earlier was done by distributing the density of the snow, by building a spot where the snow density was lessened continuously.

By manipulating the density of a liquid, he was able to produce a stream of high pressured liquid. It was also possible to reverse the flow against gravity.

By manipulating the density of a gas, it was possible to produce a gas stream and release compressed air as a blast, like a suction vacuum machine.

Katsushige specialized in ordinary magic, quite unlike Yotsuba Magicians. However, he is, by most definitions, an excellent magician who takes pride in the wide range of situations his magic can be applied to, along with his high invocation speed, the large number of invocations he can simultaneously conduct and the large scale at which he can alter phenomena.

Upon seeing that he had been unable to keep up with eliminating his Magic Sequences, Tatsuya set his decomposition to target the dynamic structures causing the fluctuation in air density.

The interference potential trying to create areas of high air density and the interference potential trying to prevent high air density both struggled for supremacy.

As a result, Katsushige’s magic ended up misfiring.

“What!?”

A startled voice leaked out from Kanata’s throat.

The difference between Katsushige and the Tsutsumi siblings was that he didn’t stop his hand even after his specialized magic was prevented.

Katsushige now fully joined the fight, and was working on the next magic to attack Tatsuya.

However, there was a sudden intense rising of air current which made Katsushige stop his hand.

The violent gust that arose against Katsushige’s center of mass was the result of a magic that was invoked in the skies above him.

The wind being gusted up into a vortex right above Katsushige had started being cooled down by a sharp decrease in pressure as it condensed the moisture within it into fine particles.

The wind which was sucked up into a vortex directly above Katsushige, was a response to lean air impact which was cooled by rapid depressurization, condensing the particle of fine water moisture within the area.

The decrease in pressure was due to the Nitrogen, of which nearly 80% of the air is made of, simultaneously liquefied in large volumes.

Miyuki had triggered ‘Niflheim’ with a high interference strength beyond Katsushige’s.

A mist of liquefied Nitrogen mixed with the flowing vortex of air and developed into falling raindrops due to gravity.

From above Katsushige, sleet poured.

While ice was made of water crystals, these raindrops were drops of liquid Nitrogen reaching -200 °C.

Katsushige erected a double barrier to reflect the rain and vacuum coating.

The low temperature due to the evaporation of the liquid Nitrogen is deadly to those under it even if they are not directly in contact with it.

Katsushige’s movement was halted.

Tatsuya jumped three times.

Kanata pointed his hand gun-type CAD at Tatsuya, but he couldn’t keep up with Tatsuya’s movements which changed direction when he kicked the air three times.

Unlike his sister, Kotona, Kanata was blown away mercilessly by a jump kick from Tatsuya.

“Onii-sama, are you alright!?”

Miyuki rushed to Tatsuya who was looking down at Kotona and Kanata who were lying on the road.

——Katsushige didn’t attack.

“Are you injured!?”

Miyuki was worried if he was injured from Katsushige’s first compressed air bullets, but he told Miyuki ‘I’m alright. It didn’t end with any unhealable wounds’, and after confirming Tatsuya’s safety, she put on a faint smile.

“Thank goodness.”

Miyuki breathed in relief deeply in front of Tatsuya.

Minami came next to Miyuki and held out a hand towel for Tatsuya.

“Tatsuya-sama, please use this.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Miyuki sent a sharp look, not to Minami for handing a white hand towel to Tatsuya, but to Katsushige.

“Katsushige-san, I’ll ask you again. What did you mean by that intervention earlier.”

Before Katsushige even answered the question, Yuuka came next to Miyuki with an overlapping voice of condemnation.

“Katsushige-san, I never thought that you were such a despicable guy who would resort to that kind of trick. You didn’t only prevent Tatsuya- san’s victory against Kotona-san and Kanata-san, you’ve also broken the agreement by committing a shameless act as to launch a sneak attack.”

Tatsuya interrupted Miyuki’s and Yuuka’s interrogation for some reason.

“Miyuki, Yuuka-san, too, can we continue this talk later?”

“Why?”

Hearing Tatsuya’s request, Katsushige closed his mouth.

“If you left the two of them as is, they will suffer quite an after effect.”

Tatsuya’s answer was exactly Katsushige’s current concern.

“There shouldn’t be any lifelong side-effects for them considering the level of modern medicine and magical treatment that we have, but I think it would be better if they received immediate medical treatment.”

Tatsuya didn’t wait for Katsushige’s answer, he looked back at Miyuki.

“Let’s proceed as soon as possible.”

Miyuki nodded silently. She didn’t even show a hint of discontent to refute her brother’s words.

Minami received the hand towel from Tatsuya after he wiped his face carefully, and folded it roughly with her hands.

Tatsuya looked at Yuuka.

“Yuuka-san, may I ask you to drive us?”

Unlike Miyuki, Yuuka frowned her eyebrows in frustration.

“Tatsuya-san, are you okay with this?”

Yuuka directed her eyes toward Katsushige.

Katsushige was applying medical treatment to Kotona and Kanata with a desperate expression. Even though he was attending to the two alternately and not simultaneously, it was an intense process that would have been difficult even for medical magicians. Moreover, he probably deserves high credit for not being driven by his personal feelings and for trying to not prioritize saving Kotona alone.

However, even after seeing that, the unfavorable impression of what Katsushige did during the ‘duel’ earlier didn’t fade one bit for Yuuka.

“Isn’t it okay? Though… I would have no reason to blame Katsushige to begin with.”

Tatsuya answered, in a manner that fairly surprised Yuuka.

“Eh? I mean, weren’t we ambushed?”

“His job was to not let Miyuki proceed further from this point. I thought there was a high chance that the three of them would come and attack us since the beginning anyway.”

When Tatsuya spoke so indifferently, Yuuka wore an amazed face.

“That’s why you let Kotona-san fall towards Katsushige-san?”

Tatsuya didn’t answer Yuuka’s sudden denouncing question.

“Moreover, my purpose is for Miyuki to attend the New Year’s Gathering safely. Given that some preparation is needed, we must be able to arrive today. That’s why I want to go to the Main House as soon as possible.”

“I see… As long as Katsushige-san doesn’t further hinder you, you don’t really care about anything else.”

Yuuka glanced at Katsushige once more. It seemed like the first aid for Kotona was finished, even though she hadn’t regained consciousness, enough to stand up by herself. Originally, she only fainted from the trauma so she wasn’t supposed to take too much time in regaining consciousness. Now, he was concentrating on Kanata, and Katsushige squatted by his side.

“Understood. If you’re okay with it, I have no problem either. Let’s proceed first.”

The four of them entered the car then Yuuka started to drive.

When they passed by Katsushige who was continuing treatment while on the road, Katsushige failed to pay any attention to Tatsuya’s group.

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