't the Genji 'Dojigiri' quite famous?"

Mari's final attack used three simultaneous attacks from different directions. Much like ninjutsu, in order to hide the identity of the attack, the name "Multiple Slash" was replaced with "Dojigiri" and passed on exclusively by Genji swordsmen. However, in the age where magic had become public knowledge, "Dojigiri" had suddenly vanished, becoming an ability that researchers are aware of but have not witnessed with their own eyes.

"Don't worry, senpai, I will not disclose the details of your technique."

Hearing Tatsuya's reply, Mari's expression was both tentative and embarrassed.

"Of course I believe you......

But also, please don't tell anyone that I can use 'Dojigiri'."

After receiving Tatsuya's confirmation even though he didn't ask for a reason, Mari still continued on for some reason.

"Ah, of course."

Naturally, he complied. And he didn't really want to know the reason either. But, for some reason Mari started to talk about it.

"Thanks for your help. In reality, I didn't actually formally receive training in this technique. I stumbled across this after perusing the contents of ancient texts left at home and having Nao assist me in training and somehow ended up learning it."

After listening to Mari's explanation, Tatsuya judged that the "Nao" she spoke of must refer to Chiba Naotsugu. Speaking of which, that earlier "Dojigiri" included elements from the "Genius of Magic Close Combat".

"I see, so that's why your attack included 'Pressure Slash'."

"Exactly. Also, my house lies on the tail end of the Watanabe Family. I am of the Genji style, but my house's position isn't very high. If the Watanabe Family knows that I can use the Secret Sword of the Genji, then some trouble may arise......"

"Still, given your status as a combat Magician, I doubt you can keep that a secret for long."

In the end, this point was unavoidable. Mari's face darkened as Tatsuya pointed this out.

"I know that, but I hope to keep this a secret while I'm still a student." Seeing Mari pout, Mayumi burst into laughter.

"Understood, I'll keep that to myself."

At any rate, Tatsuya had no intention of interfering with mundane matters of such level, especially because they had nothing to do with him. Handling something like this was a piece of cake for someone like him.

? ? ?

On the Friday evening that was two days before the official commencement of the "National High School Magic Thesis Competition", he received a phone call from Fujibayashi after eating dinner and taking a bath.

"......In other words, the mobile forces for spies have all been apprehended in the past two or three days."

After speaking these words clearly in an official capacity, Fujibayashi finally relaxed on the other side of the monitor.

"The intel Tatsuya-kun provided was a huge help. Thanks."

"Hardly, I was the one who made the request in the first place."

"That may be so, but the magic high school and FLT were not the only victims. Industrial spies are a headache not only for the semiconductor industry and magic academies, they also pose trouble for manufacturers as well. Intelligence and counter intelligence are not under our purview, but based on the nature of our unit, we cannot simply turn a blind eye to spies using magic to accomplish their objectives. So we planned to move out soon even without your communication, which merely hastened the operation time and really helped me out a lot."

"Is that so. Now that you mentioned it, where did the news from the relic leak from?"

"This is a little embarrassing, but the military's operational data was leaked out. In the end, based on the military's allocations for magic research and grants, they went down their list of targets."

So that's how it was, Tatsuya thought. No wonder their methods seemed so unprofessional.

So they were literally fumbling around in the dark. The intrinsic value of this might be low, but intel wasn't something that had uniform quality in the first place. Even the really valuable pieces of information that were mined from patent databases were one in a thousand, which may be why the spies adopted this plan of action.

"While the majority of those we caught were of East Asian nationalities, we may have been able to catch wind of our quarry."

"You seem quite pleased."

"Restraint isn't a bad thing, and I'm a cautious person after all. Still, since the enemy has the gall to waltz into our backyard, there's no need to suffer that. We may need to call on your support at that time, so take care."

"If there's a mission at stake, I have no objections. Thank you for the notification."

"You're welcome. Good luck on Sunday. I'll be there to cheer you on."

After encouraging Tatsuya, Lieutenant Fujibayashi hung up the phone. Plainly, she hadn't put much thought into the manipulator pulling the strings in the dark and saw this incident as the typical magic industry spying incident. Actually, even Tatsuya had no idea that "their opponent" was on such a scale.

Alas, they took their enemy too lightly.

? ? ?

Having returned to the living room, Tatsuya collapsed onto the couch. Truthfully, it was very rare for him to show fatigue such as this. In terms of pure stamina, simply keeping vigil all night for a week straight would normally not wear him out to this extent. However not only did he have to work on a thesis dealing with one of the "Three Great Puzzles for Gravity Magic", a Sustained Gravity Control-Type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor, he also had to use his unique ability in analyzing structures to investigate a relic which modern technology could not hope to replicate, on top of looking out for spies. He was mentally exhausted as well.

Emptying his head for the moment, Tatsuya closed his eyes as he leaned back into the one seat sofa, curving his neck and resting his head on the backrest. There was no particular meaning to this position, simply his mood.

Sitting next to her brother as always, Miyuki was not irritated at all that Tatsuya had suddenly retreated into his own world. Leaving himself defenseless to this extent was something he reserved for her presence alone. Miyuki was overjoyed that Tatsuya would leave himself in her care so.

Miyuki did not wish for her brother to concern himself with her all the time. Just being able to be by his side, even if only for a while, was enough happiness for her. These words by no means meant that Miyuki was a doormat, but rather convey praise. It can safely be said that there is no one who would say such things about her.

Rather than being frustrated, Miyuki was much more worried about her brother. However much he insisted otherwise, not even Miyuki could recall the last time Tatsuya so honestly let his weariness show.

Taking care not to make a sound, Miyuki rose from her seat. Standing before him, she softly leaned closer to his face with their eyes closed. Ensuring that her long hair wouldn't brush against him, she pressed down on it with her left hand. Ensuring that she wouldn't end up accidentally touching him, her right hand pressed onto the sofa supporting her weight.

When the hem of her pleat skirt almost fell onto his legs, Miyuki's heart thundered in her chest, but Tatsuya didn't stir. Daringly wearing such a short skirt seems to have unexpectedly paid off, she thought.

Seeing from up close, her brother’s complexion wasn’t as bad as she had feared. In her relief, she continued observing his face for signs of anything awry. Watching him at this distance, Miyuki’s consciousness gradually clouded. As her mind went blank she began to forget what she was thinking and doing, as her face slowly crept closer to his.

Her heart pounding, blood rushing to her head, she couldn’t think of anything at all. Miyuki obliviously stared at her brother’s face. Breathless, she didn’t even notice that she was holding her breath. Immediately becoming aware of that situation, Tatsuya snapped open his eyes.

Tatsuya and Miyuki’s eyes met.

Time stopped. Not just Tatsuya, Miyuki also stood absolutely frozen as if paralyzed.

Both Tatsuya and Miyuki simply stared at each other, their respective expressions full of surprise.

Suddenly, no longer able to sustain her unnatural position, Miyuki fell forward.

Her face closing in on his, Miyuki’s lips rapidly approached Tatsuya’s own.

Regardless of intention, just before the two of them crossed a line which absolutely should not be crossed.

—Tatsuya’s body came back online. "Watch out!"

Faster than his voice traveled, his hands whipped out and supported his sister’s shoulders.

"Kya!"

Unable to forcibly keep herself up, or perhaps just out of energy, Miyuki’s feet staggered and she sank to her knees onto the couch. Or rather, she sank into Tatsuya’s lap who was sitting on the couch.

The two froze again.

Once again close enough to kiss, Miyuki and Tatsuya stared at each other.

Tatsuya’s hands were wrapped firmly around Miyuki’s shoulders, and Miyuki was straddling Tatsuya on her knees.

This time, the ice melted quicker.

Taking care their near mistake didn’t become reality, Tatsuya brought his head back to its original position.

Tatsuya’s eyes dropped from her face to her chest, then further down.

Following her brother’s gaze, Miyuki gingerly looked down at her own body. She did so 'gingerly' because she was already well aware of her own state without even seeing.

Sure enough, not only was she kneeling on her brother, her legs were spread beyond the original allowance of her short pleat skirt such that her underwear was almost visible.

"I am so sorry!!"

With amazing speed Miyuki leapt off Tatsuya, then faster than the wind (yet still dignified enough as to ensure that when her feet hit the ground nothing indecent was exposed) she flew out of the living room straight upstairs.

Diving into her own room, she slammed it shut, locked it, then finally fell back against the door panting. She couldn’t muster the energy to stand. Perhaps due to the refined upbringing instilled within her she subconsciously tried to align her knees and sit up straight, but after fleeing into her room she was utterly drained and simply collapsed down to the ground.

She flattened her skirt where she sat, straightened up a bit then just spaced out for a while. Her feverish head refused to think at all. As time passed, her emergency evacuated thought processes returned little by little.

Where she was. What she was doing.

Why she was alone in her room right now—

Miyuki immediately buried her head in her hands. Her palms felt hot. Even without looking in a mirror, Miyuki knew that her face must have been burning red.

(I, just what was I doing to Onii-sama....!)

She couldn’t even begin to understand what she was thinking at the time. All she could think of was that she must have completely lost it.

(Onii-sama and I, almost ki, ki, ki....)

Her consciousness began to overheat again, and she was forced to freeze her thoughts.

Left alone, Miyuki would likely have remained like this until morning. An infinite loop of restarting and freezing.

However, there was no way Tatsuya would leave Miyuki alone, "Miyuki?"

"Yes!"

And at the sound of Tatsuya’s voice calling her name from the other side of the door, Miyuki responded in a panic from the floor.

She steadied herself by pressing hands that had been held against her flushed hot face onto her thighs. Her eyes were so moist that tears threatened to spill out any moment. Her arms were straightened out with such force, as were her shoulders and back, that her entire body trembled slightly. It was almost as if she was scared.

"May I come in?"

"Just wait a moment!"

Even so, within Miyuki, any thought of resisting her brother simply did not exist. She rose rapidly, defying belief that her legs had been powerless until now, and firmly unlocked the door with hands that had been trembling just a while ago.

"Please, come on in."

Shifting sideways as she opened the door, Miyuki made a space for her brother to enter. However, Tatsuya didn’t set a foot inside.

He just watched....

Unable to meet her brother’s gaze Miyuki tried to casually look away, but she could feel still feel his eyes on her.

She began to heat up again.

It wasn’t a superficial heat from some childish sense of wrongdoing, but rather came from deep within her. That heat continued to rise, not her body temperature but rather perceived temperature—until finally she could bear it no longer, and turned her averted face to meet her brother’s eyes.

Miyuki looked up from a height difference of 15 cm. From that distance, the tears gathered in the corner of her eyes were plainly visible. In a hurry, Miyuki tried to raise her hands and dry herself. However, before she knew it both Tatsuya’s hands were already cradling her cheeks. Gently, he wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well, um, how to put this."

As Miyuki stared at him wide-eyed and lost for words, Tatsuya spoke bluntly.

"I’m sorry, I made you worry about me. I’m fine, so Miyuki, don’t be so concerned anymore."

Saying so with a clumsy smile, he removed his hands from Miyuki’s face.

"I’ll clean up downstairs. You rest for today."

Ordering Miyuki in a somewhat embarrassed tone, Tatsuya turned away without waiting for a reply.

Waiting until her brother’s back faded from view down the stairs, Miyuki closed the door again.

Walking unsteadily to her bed, she slowly took her clothes off, then slid under the blankets in her underwear.

Having finally made it thus far, Miyuki began frantically rolling around on the bed.

Despite appearing to be in agony all over, her face, unlike before, seemed really happy.

? ? ?

The short hand on the clock had already reached 12. On the next calendar day, the "National High School Magic Thesis Competition" would officially begin in Yokohama. Of course, even if that was the case, there was no sign of festivities in the streets. The Thesis Competition held significant value for magic high school students, especially for the students who had been selected as representatives, to the point that it could impact future major events, but for the average plebeian who had no connection to magic, this event was no different than the dozens of gatherings that were held annually.

On China Street, which remained one of Yokohama's primary entertainment venues even in this age, the overwhelming majority of the stores still opened and closed at their usual times.

Among these stores, one of the larger restaurants appeared to be closed for the evening on the outside. Yet within, there was a suite that could not be seen from the exterior. Inside, two men sat there facing one another.

There were two cups on the table. Filled to the brim with matured wine, the cups were worthy of being called luxuries, but neither of the men took a sip. The young man who brought out the wine considered this to be a waste, but since the older man across from him suffered his cup to remain untouched, he could only mirror that gesture.

"Mr. Zhou, thank you for your considerable assistance."

"You honor me, my lord."

Chen's words were at odds with his arrogant tone, whereas Zhou respectfully bowed from his seat with a slight smile on his face.

"I have already linked up with the fleet dispatched from the homeland. We can now proceed to our next mission."

"It is my pleasure to be of service."

Neither Chen nor Zhou showed any change in facial expression. "However, there is still one unresolved issue."

"Oh? What is this problem, Lord Chen?"

Superficially, "there was no change", but both were surreptitiously sounding out one another.

"I'm not aware if you already know, but my assistant has run afoul of the fortunes of war and has been captured."

Their expressions subtly changed. Chen adopted a crestfallen expression as he continued.

"This I already know. What a terrible run of luck, I can't believe Mr. Lu would......"

With a gloomy expression, Zhou replied back in a voice filled with heartfelt concern.

"Yet, even though this misstep happened to him, he remains an absolutely integral asset of our country."

Zhou wordlessly nodded his head, signifying his agreement to Chen's words. —Because there was no point in making a promise now.

Zhou remained silent in order to force Chen to lower himself and beg for assistance.

"Can you lend me your aid one more time?"

Chen lowered his head and made his request, to which Zhou responded with a shocked expression followed by a smile.

"Oh, of course, my lord. Even I cannot just stand by and watch my countryman suffer."

Zhou smiled as he rose from the table.

"Actually, two days from now, nay, should be tomorrow based on the hour, Mr. Lu will be transferred to the International Prison in Yokohama."

A truly astounded expression made its way across Chen's face when Zhou dropped this bombshell.

"Truly?"

"Indeed, what a heaven sent opportunity. I already have the transportation route."

Zhou didn't tell Chen that he pulled a few strings to change the transportation date to tomorrow morning. Still, Zhou related all the other details in his comprehensive explanation.

"In return, I wonder if my lord would consider, during the battle on the morrow, to allow this street to...... "

"Of course."

After finishing his explanation, Zhou raised his own request with some misgivings, but Chen accepted his proposal before he could even finish.

"The primary objective for tomorrow's battle will be the Kantou branch for the Magic Association. Although combat is inevitable, I will remind my officers in the field to do their best to avoid letting the carnage spread to China Street."

"Thank you very much!"

Zhou knew precisely what Chen meant with that careless promise as he bowed deeply.

—There was still one day until the commencement of the Thesis Competition. In regards to the oncoming storm, Tatsuya remained in the dark.

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