April 6, 2095. Japan's cherry blossom season. Today's the entrance ceremony for First High, my second high school life, counting my past one. I've never used my real name, Yugen Mitsuya, and I'm nervous about explaining my Ten Master Clans status to Tatsuya and Miyuki, especially since I'll be staying with them.
Hours ago, I was half-anxious, half-excited. Now, I'm furious.
Why? I'm not in Tokyo for First High's ceremony but in Hokkaido, in a battlefield with bullets and soldiers flying. These "soldiers" are Defense Academy cadets. I can't use lethal magic, so I rely on self-acceleration, knocking them out with hand chops. They swing weaponized devices; I deflect and disable them, moving to the next.
Bullets for them, melee for me? And tanks?!
As Yugen Mitsuya (not Yuto Nagano), I'm a special lieutenant in the 101st Brigade's Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, seconded from the weapons development division as a technical advisor. Captain Sanada (promoted post-Okinawa) and others respect me, and I'm a Shinkage-ryu swordsmanship master at my age. So, being chosen for gear durability tests makes sense except it's First High's entrance ceremony today!
"I'm not your guinea pig!" I yell, catching a tank shell barehanded, spinning its momentum to hurl it back, disabling the tank.
I left home ready for the ceremony, only to be ambushed with a "summons" to Hokkaido. Special officers like me are rarely called for combat unless it's a crisis like Okinawa. Only two people face this nonsense, and I know who's behind it. My brother and his friend are handling it.
"Screw it! Come at me!" I shout, wearing a casual outfit, a prototype anti-magic coat, and a mask to hide my face. Hardening magic handles both physical and magical defense.
From a distant tent, Sanada and Captain Yanagi watch via monitor. "He's intense," Sanada says.
"Could you do that without a movable suit?" Yanagi asks.
"No way. I'd refuse," Sanada replies.
This is a Defense Academy entrance demo, and my sadistic boss chose me. "Wasn't he supposed to stay low-key?" Yanagi asks.
"I checked. Division commander's orders," Sanada says.
As a non-official strategic-class mage and Shinkage-ryu master, I risk breaking cadets' spirits. Lieutenant Fujibayashi approaches. "You're here?" she says.
"Data?" Sanada asks.
"Plenty. He's pissed, though," Fujibayashi sighs, noting my absence from First High's ceremony, especially as top admit and a Mitsuya.
Sanada and Yanagi dragged me here on Major Kazama's orders, backed by the division commander. "No need for us to step in," Fujibayashi says.
"If we did, it'd be a war," Sanada jokes.
"Stop that," Yanagi snaps.
I refused their help, warning of "friendly fire." The monitor shows wrecked tanks and unconscious cadets a storm's aftermath. I avoided fatalities or irreparable damage.
Fujibayashi contacted First High and my family, scheduling my return by tomorrow morning. "Efficient, Electron Sorceress," Sanada praises.
"Cover for Yugen. He was supposed to meet Tatsuya today," she retorts.
"Tatsuya vs. Yugen?" Yanagi muses. Both strategic-class mages, rarely serious, never paired.
"It'd be beyond us," Sanada says.
"Don't tempt them. I won't clean up your mess," Fujibayashi warns.
The monitor shows my rampage. "Mitsuya's 'Untouchable' reputation fits," Yanagi says.
"A carved bear will show up at Fuji's training ground," Sanada predicts.
Fujibayashi sighs, mentally blaming Kazama and the commander.
Later, a wooden bear appears in a military hotel lobby, and Kazama and his boss scramble to fix my mood after missing the ceremony a fitting consequence.
In Tokyo, Miyuki fumes before First High's ceremony rehearsal. "Why is Onii-sama a substitute?!" she protests.
This morning, a call informed her the top admit was absent for family reasons, making her, the second-ranked, give the response speech. No refusal allowed. Tatsuya's high scores should qualify him, but Mitsuya's absence frustrates her not because they're both Ten Master Clans.
"You know my situation. Standing out would be worse," Tatsuya says, referring to his unique [Restoration] and [Decomposition] abilities and their Yotsuba ties, notorious despite recent quiet.
Miyuki nods reluctantly. "It's your moment. Show this useless brother your brilliance," Tatsuya says.
"You're not useless!" Miyuki retorts, rushing to the lecture hall.
Tatsuya muses about Yugen's arrival tomorrow, realizing he never asked his age. A FLT email confirmed Yugen's stay, which Miyuki eagerly prepared for. Tatsuya received CADs from Yugen as an enrollment gift, delighting Miyuki, though she sulked over their father's neglect.
An upperclassman approaches. "Trouble, freshman?"
"No, I'm fine," Tatsuya says, noting her CAD. She's shorter than Miyuki but well-proportioned.
"I'm Mayumi Saegusa, student council president," she introduces.
"Tatsuya Shiba," he replies, wary of another Ten Master Clans name after Mitsuya.
"Related to Miyuki, the response speaker?" Mayumi asks.
"She's my sister, born March, I'm April," Tatsuya clarifies, probing why she knows him.
"Your top exam scores and perfect magic theory shocked the faculty," Mayumi says.
Personal data shared so casually? Tatsuya wonders. "Who's 'Yu-kun'?" he asks, suspecting the top admit.
Before Mayumi answers, another girl scolds, "President! Rehearsal's waiting!"
"Sorry, Tatsuya. Later," Mayumi says, leaving.
Tatsuya wanted to know about this peer but avoids Saegusa scrutiny. In the lecture hall, Course 1 (Bloom) students with crests sit upfront, Course 2 (Weed) like him in the back. Preferring obscurity, he picks a rear seat to nap.
"May I sit here?" a voice asks.
"Sure," Tatsuya replies.
Two Course 2 girls a bespectacled brunette, Mizuki Shibata, and an orange-haired Erika Chiba introduce themselves. Tatsuya does the same, noting their similar surnames, amusing Mizuki.
"You smile?" Erika teases, surprised.
"Just met, and you're judging?" Tatsuya retorts. "Chiba, as in Chiba-ryu?"
Erika smirks. "Into swordsmanship?"
"My master said I'm hopeless at it," Tatsuya admits.
"Harsh teacher," Mizuki says.
"Better clear than vague. One guy I know, trained by Gozo, said it's just his teaching," Tatsuya says.
"Gozo?" Erika gasps. "He's Shinkage-ryu's grandmaster, our Chiba-ryu's root. I sparred him—never won. Even our master-level brothers barely scratched him."
"That's impressive," Tatsuya says, knowing Gozo's legendary status as a war hero and martial artist.
"Gozo used only hardening magic. His two students beat my brothers with just that," Erika adds.
Mizuki's confused, but Tatsuya's stunned, though his face stays blank. The ceremony's start cuts their talk short.