Mototsugu looked at his brother. To him, anyone picking a fight with Yugen was taking an unfathomable risk. Yugen hadn't just inherited the martial prowess of their grandfather, the legendary Kamiizumi Gouzo; his magic had reached such heights that ancient magic practitioners whispered he was the second coming of Abe no Seimei—the "Modern Seimei."
Five years ago, Yugen had single-handedly annihilated eighty percent of the Great Asian Alliance's invasion force in Okinawa. Since then, his power had only grown. In Africa, he and his grandfather had repelled an army of 100,000. If Yugen were so inclined, he could easily eclipse the "Great Han Massacre" perpetrated by Gouzo in the past. Mototsugu almost felt pity for the NSU.
Koichi Saegusa broke the silence. "And what of the magic used in this retaliation? From the data on the monitor, the Psion count suggests a Strategic-Class spell."
"This is an estimate," Yugen clarified, "but it does not match the signature of Leonid Kondratchenko's magic. It is highly probable we are seeing the activation of Tuman Bomba—a Strategic-Class spell whose details have remained a mystery until now."
The monitors showed a massive explosion. Yugen's system analysis indicated a secondary combustion triggered by the combination of hydrogen and oxygen gas.
Yugen actually knew Tuman Bomba intimately. When he had used Starlight Breaker over Sado previously, he had been targeted by the spell and had forcibly neutralized it, reading its entire activation sequence in the process. He kept this quiet, however, to avoid revealing his connection to the "Goshinkai."
"Lord Kagurazaka," Shippou Takumi asked, "are you saying you are familiar with the magic of Leonid Kondratchenko?"
"Not personally," Yugen lied smoothly. "I have heard descriptions of his Strategic-Class magic from my grandfather. Since this incident doesn't match those effects, I deduced it must be the unconfirmed Tuman Bomba."
The projected casualties were grim—no less than 10,000 dead. The NSU government had shown no mercy, wiping out rebels and their own frontline soldiers alike.
Yugen recalled a conversation with Captain Hans Ernst during his meeting with President Deicca Brestilo. Arisa had warned him that "someone" was inside Hans Ernst—not a parasite, but something closer to a Guardian Spirit. Hans had once infiltrated the NSU and met Natalya Kondratchenko; her grandfather, Leonid, had begged Hans to help her defect. Looking at the screen, Yugen thought that if the NSU General Secretary were possessed by the spirit of Joseph Stalin himself, it would hardly be a surprise.
"The real issue is how the NSU government chooses to announce this," noted Mai Futatsugi.
"Indeed," Raizo Yatsushiro agreed, turning to Maya Yotsuba. "Lady Yotsuba, your thoughts?"
"Anti-magic sentiment is a plague in every nation," Maya replied coolly. "Regardless of how the NSU spins this, we must keep a sharp eye on the Sea of Japan."
Yoshimichi Isshiki, protector of the San'in region, spoke up. "Which means the Isshiki and Ichijou families will likely be the first line of defense. We may need to establish a joint coordination system. Is that acceptable?"
"It is," Maya confirmed. "Does anyone object?"
The Isshiki family had their grievances with the Ichijou, but with Airi chosen as Yugen's fiancée, their status had risen significantly. Yoshimichi was grateful; the political pressure from his relatives had vanished, which is why he had been the first to nominate Yugen as the council chairman.
"Since our policy is set, I have one more report," Yugen stated. "Regarding the attempted sabotage at the artificial island off Kumejima—Saika Shinshima."
As the mission commander, Yugen found it easy to frame the narrative. He explained that the National Defense Force had conducted a joint operation to capture deserters from the Great Asian Alliance. All had been deported. He also credited Tatsuya Shiba and the Mitsuya representative (himself) with the capture of Australian mages who had infiltrated the event. Tatsuya's use of Gatekeeper to seal their magic was a significant achievement that Yugen made sure was noted.
"And the Australian mages?"
"A contact of mine in the Police Department took them into custody. They were summarily deported the following day and have arrived safely in Sydney."
Tomorrow, a maritime economic pact between Japan, Taiwan, the South American Federation, the Indo-Persian Federation, the Arab Union, and the Southeast Asian Alliance would be signed. On that same day, a new sovereign nation would be born in the previously lawless regions of Africa.
The era of upheaval had only just begun.
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