New Year’s Day, 2097.

Tatsuya and Miyuki were both immediately, dizzyingly busy first thing in the morning.

They were quite used to rising early, so this was no great burden, but both of them were soon entirely fed up with being treated like Japanese-style dress-up dolls. Tatsuya obviously so, but even Miyuki, who knew how to put on a kimono by herself, was unaccustomed to having the whole process done by other people. When they seemed about to slather his face with makeup, Tatsuya drew a line and flatly refused, but Miyuki was not so lucky—although to be fair, she wasn’t caked in makeup like a stage actor but merely given a natural look for kimono fashion–type makeover.

In any case, after having been fussed over for more than an hour, when they were finally released, the two were not at all inclined to go back to the house in their dolled-up states.

So they waited in a sitting room, in the rattan chairs they found there, trying not to wrinkle their outfits as they sought a moment’s peace. Soon, though, Fumiya (wearing traditional hakama trousers) and Ayako (wearing a formal long-sleeved kimono) came to see them, having finished their own preparations.

“Tatsuya, Miyuki, many happy returns on the New Year,” chorused the two with exquisite politeness. Miyuki and Tatsuya stood to greet them.

“Fumiya, Ayako, happy New Year. Oh, wait, are we still on a first-name basis today?”

“Don’t start the New Year by teasing us, Tatsuya. It’s fine. I’ll make an exception for you, so you still get to call me Ayako.”

Miyuki giggled. “Fumiya, Ayako—Happy New Year!”

“Whoa…” Fumiya murmured. “Miyuki…how do I put this? You look very beautiful.”

“Are you serious? She just looks like herself.” Ayako sounded exasperated but didn’t seem sincerely antagonized—given that today was all about Miyuki, she’d already accepted that there would be a certain difference in how they were treated.

“But anyway, Miyuki, that’s an absolutely stunning kimono. You practically look like a bride!”

This appraisal had occurred to Miyuki herself, so all she could do was smile a bit awkwardly at the compliment. “I tried to tell them it was too much, but…they insisted that it had been set aside for me to wear today.”

“My goodness.” It was hard to tell whether the tone of Ayako’s voice was sympathetic surprise or envy.

“I imagine that Mrs. Shirakawa considers the naming of the successor to be an occasion worthy of formality,” a new voice cut in. It was Yuuka—also wearing a formal kimono.

“Happy New Year, Yuuka. Thank you again for your help yesterday,” said Tatsuya.

“Happy New Year, Tatsuya. And you’re very welcome. Please don’t worry about it,” said Yuuka as she amiably joined the four.

After everyone exchanged the proper pleasantries, Yuuka suggested that they sit.

With five people now occupying it, the sitting room had begun to feel a bit small. This made it that much easier to notice certain conspicuous absences.

It was Fumiya who broached the topic—he was the youngest, after all. “I wonder if Mr. Shibata will be attending.”

“There’s not much time left; I suppose he might be let directly into the event. Or possibly, he’ll attend with his parents,” Tatsuya offered.

The clock on the wall let everyone see that they’d soon be called for the formalities to begin. Then as though to reinforce Tatsuya’s supposition, a housekeeper wearing a formal kimono in muted colors came to the sitting room to summon them.

“Pardon me for interrupting. My name is Minami Sakurai, and I have the honor of showing you to today’s event.” Today, Minami’s role as guide involved explaining why she was wearing a formal kimono, despite being house staff. “I apologize in advance for any insufficiency, and I will do my very best to serve in this capacity.”

True to her words, she seemed quite nervous. Acting as a guide for the New Year’s celebration diverged quite a bit from her normal duties, and there were parts of it that she suspected were being performed incorrectly due to anachronistic misinterpretation of traditional culture, which she found a little embarrassing.

“Fumiya, sir, Ayako, miss, allow me to guide you first.”

Fumiya and Ayako nodded to Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Yuuka to take their leave, then stood.

The two fell in stride behind Minami as they quietly followed her out of the sitting room.

“That reminds me, Tatsuya—do you know how arriving at the New Year’s celebration works?”

Tatsuya thought it was a bit late to be asking that question, but he answered honestly. “The guide calls for you, and then you’re walked to the venue.”

Yuuka regarded Tatsuya pityingly. “So I assume, Miyuki…?”

“Yes. That is also what I have heard.”

“I see… Well, let me give you a piece of advice.”

Tatsuya and Miyuki shared a dubious glance, then looked back to Yuuka.

Completely serious and straight-faced, Yuuka continued. “When you walk in, you cannot laugh. If you don’t think you can take it, try to just sit down and bow. It’s a Japanese-style room, so that way you can hide it if you start to crack up.”

After Yuuka left for the hall, a few minutes passed.

Minami returned to the sitting room and informed Tatsuya and Miyuki that their turn had arrived. “Tatsuya, sir, Miyuki, miss. Allow me to guide you.”

“…Minami, are you okay? You seem kind of tired.”

True to Miyuki’s question, Minami did seem exhausted.

“No, I am fine. My apologies, but if we could be brisk—”

Perhaps after her duties as guide were complete, she would be allowed to rest, Tatsuya mused. He urged Miyuki along, hoping that speeding things up would make Minami’s life a little easier.

“Presenting a candidate for succession to family head, Ms. Miyuki Shiba, escorted by her elder brother, Mr. Tatsuya Shiba.”

Minami’s pompous announcement almost made Tatsuya fall right over. He glanced over at Miyuki and saw her cheek twitching as she fought to contain a giggle. If not for Yuuka’s warning, there was no question that both of them would’ve disgraced themselves.

The assembled house staff all prostrated themselves, making it that much harder for both Tatsuya and Miyuki to maintain their composure.

Nevertheless, both siblings managed to retain a distinguished carriage as they bowed at the waist in return, Tatsuya dignified and Miyuki graceful.

Is this some kind of test to see how long we can keep a straight face? Tatsuya wondered to himself as he bowed.

Minami came alongside the pair. “Allow me to show you to your seats,” she murmured.

Tatsuya and Miyuki took this as their signal to look up.

There immediately rose a murmur from the assembled attendees—clearly the effect of Miyuki’s appearance.

Led by Minami, the Shiba siblings took their seats.

There was another murmur.

The siblings had been seated directly next to Maya.

“Welcome, everyone, and again, many happy returns on the New Year,” Maya began, bringing the murmur to a sharp stop. Despite being unmarried, she wore a formal black kimono liberally embroidered in gold.

After a beat, there was a religious chorus of “Happy New Year!” from the guests. Tatsuya and Miyuki had anticipated this, so they managed not to be late in adding their voices.

Maya looked around the room, seeming satisfied. “In addition to celebrating the beginning of an auspicious New Year, I am delighted to say that I have three pieces of wonderful news to share with you all today.”

With that preamble, Maya first looked to Katsushige. Sitting next to Katsushige—who like Tatsuya was wearing hakama trousers and a haori jacket—was a very awkward-looking Kotona, who like Miyuki wore a formal kimono.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to announce the engagement of Mr. Katsushige Shibata, the eldest son of the Shibata family, to Ms. Kotona Tsutsumi.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the room. To Tatsuya’s ear, the “Finally!” and “I knew it” reactions seemed to outnumber the “Surely not!” ones.

“While I’m sure that the future holds both joy and hardship alike for them, I ask that you join me in wishing this young couple the very best of luck.”

Applause rose in the room. But before it did, Tatsuya didn’t miss the fact that a majority of people seemed to nod when Maya mentioned hardship.

“Next, I’d like to turn to a matter about which I know you all are deeply concerned.”

Silence fell upon the assembled as though they’d been doused in cold water.

Maya chuckled. “I see you all know what I’m talking about.”

Silence persisted—there was not so much as a whisper in the room.

With a smile that betrayed nothing of what she might really be thinking, Maya announced the name of the next head of the Yotsuba family. “My successor will be Ms. Miyuki Shiba.”

After a breath’s pause, there was a wave of energetic applause—the bulk of which came from the domestic staff of the main house.

“We’ll leave her introductions for another time. A New Year’s celebration is no occasion for such stuffy formalities, after all.”

This was met with a scatter of approving laughter. From what Tatsuya could see, most of the voices belonged to men whose faces seemed flushed. This clearly wasn’t a dry event, he realized with some surprise.

“And now, my final announcement. I would like to announce the engagement of my successor, Ms. Miyuki Shiba, to my son, Mr. Tatsuya Shiba.”

Instead of applause, a stir of commotion swept over the room. People were no longer just whispering to one another.

“Excuse me, madam. Might I be permitted a question?”

The voice came from beside Yuuka. It belonged to a woman wearing a black kimono with muted colors—it was Yuuka’s mother, the head of the Tsukuba family, Touka Tsukuba.

“Certainly, Mrs. Tsukuba. What is it?” replied Maya with an unconcerned, serene smile.

Touka continued with a stiff face that was anything but unconcerned. “Just now you used the words my son, but perhaps I misheard. To my recollection, Tatsuya is the son of your late sister, Miya.”

“Indeed. So let me take this opportunity to introduce my son. Tatsuya Shiba, who sits right here, is my son, conceived from an egg I donated before the incident, with my late sister Miya acting as a surrogate mother and carrying him. As such, he was given to her to raise, but as of tonight, I have decided to receive him as my son.”

The murmurs fell silent—but just for a moment.

“Madam—”

“Ah, Mitsugu. Whatever might you have to say?” Given the occasion, the main family head ought to have addressed a branch family head more formally, as Mr. Kuroba, but Maya had called him simply Mitsugu. She was well aware that this would only increase the pressure on him.

“Just now you said receive, but—”

“Ah, yes, I see. I suppose my wording does invite a misunderstanding.” In sharp contrast to his strained features, Maya’s expression was so airily blithe she seemed about to chuckle. “As Tatsuya is still in his second year of schooling at First High, he will continue to live at the Shiba house. Normally there would be some cause for moral concern given two engaged high school students living together, but I have faith that Miyuki and Tatsuya will not allow anything untoward to happen.”

“But—” Just as he was about to protest further, Mitsugu stopped.

He finally realized that beside him, Fumiya was repeatedly whispering, “Sis, are you okay?”

“My goodness, Ayako. Are you all right? Do you feel unwell?” Maya asked, before Mitsugu could say anything.

Guilt over his daughter froze Mitsugu in his tracks.

“No…I’m…all right,” said Ayako firmly, although anyone could see that she was anything but all right.

“Would someone please help Ayako to another room?” asked Maya, a request that Fumiya and Minami immediately answered.

At the entrance to the large room, Minami prostrated herself. “I will guide her, madam,” she said.

“Here, lean on me,” Fumiya said, putting his arm around Ayako’s shoulders and looking to Maya questioningly.

“Yes, if you would,” said Maya to Minami, then turned to Fumiya. “Fumiya, you may be excused.”

As Ayako lay in bed, having changed from her formal kimono into more comfortable clothing, there was a knock at her door.

“Sis, I’m coming in.”

It was Minami, who’d accompanied Ayako into the room, who opened the door from the inside.

“Oh, Fumiya.” Ayako started to sit up in bed, at which Fumiya rushed to her side and drew the bedclothes back up.

“No, Sis, c’mon! You have to sleep!”

“You’re making such a fuss. It’s not like I’m sick,” grumbled Ayako. Nevertheless, she did lie back down.

At this protest, Fumiya looked away, but then he soon put on a brave face and looked her in the eye. “Sis, look…are you okay?”

“Geez…I guess you can tell, can’t you, Fumiya?” Ayako smiled, though her expression was on the verge of tears. “Maybe it’s because we’re twins. Y’know, in times like this, it’s a real pain not being able to hide anything from you.”

Fumiya’s expression seemed to mirror Ayako’s. There was no way anyone would mistake the two as identical, but as they both smiled and tried to hold back tears, their matching expressions made them seem very much a pair.

“…You went up against Miyuki, so what could you do? She’s closer to Tatsuya than anyone else.” So you’ll have to give up on Tatsuya—but he left that part unsaid. His statement all but said her crush on Tatsuya was a given, and Ayako raised no words of denial.

“Still, I can’t believe the family head would go so far to take Miyuki’s side…”

“That’s not it, Fumiya.” Fumiya had understood Maya’s theatrics in taking Tatsuya as her own son to be for Miyuki’s benefit. But Ayako immediately disagreed. “This is for Tatsuya’s sake.”

“Sis?”

“This isn’t for Miyuki. Maya used Miyuki in order to guarantee Tatsuya’s position and freedom.”

“I suppose…”

Fumiya took her claim as bravado in service of self-protection—to avoid thinking that Miyuki had been chosen as Tatsuya’s bride because she was the most suitable girl.

It never occurred to him that Ayako had in fact cut to the very heart of the matter.

Thanks to the disruption caused by Ayako’s fainting, the matter of the shocking announcement that Tatsuya was Maya’s biological son was only vaguely resolved—and without any of the obvious follow-up questions like Is that true? or If it is true, why was it hidden until now? However, that meant within that vague resolution, Tatsuya’s position as Maya’s son and Miyuki’s betrothed was established.

But that didn’t mean that someone who so much of the family had reviled as a misbegotten failure would suddenly be respected now that he was the family head’s son and the intended of her successor. No matter how many ruffled feathers were smoothed, disdain still tinted their every word and action.

Tatsuya didn’t blame them for this, though. For one thing, he was sitting at a banquet table, but more than anything else, as the central figure in all of this, he was fully aware of the farce at its heart. If anything, he felt sympathetic toward the family members and household staff who now suddenly had to change their overt attitude to him.

However, there were those who were incapable of overlooking the staff’s unbecoming attitudes.

Wearing a morning coat, Hayama approached Maya—which meant he also approached Tatsuya and Miyuki—and prostrated himself.

“Tatsuya, sir, Miyuki, miss—allow me to offer my congratulations.”

“Thank you so much,” Miyuki gracefully replied.

“Thank you—but please, look up,” Tatsuya said, uncomfortable with such grandiose gestures. “I don’t know the first thing about the work and conventions of the main house. I know I’ll need you to teach me all about it.” It was an ad hoc attempt, but Tatsuya did an admirable job of attempting to cut the awkward interaction short.

But Hayama had no intention of letting the little drama end so easily. “I would be honored. Please ask this old butler anything at all. By the way, sir, do you happen to remember?”

Not having attended the drama’s script meeting, Tatsuya didn’t have the faintest clue. But there was no need for him to go digging through his memory, as Hayama quickly provided the answer.

“I seem to recall that you promised to demonstrate some new magic at this year’s celebration,” said Hayama.

“New magic? Tatsuya, does that mean you’ve finished it?” Maya looked at him with such hungry curiosity that it was clear she wasn’t just playing along. Of course she wasn’t.

“—Yes,” said Tatsuya carefully, successfully course-correcting from the noncommittal Uh, sure that would’ve been his usual answer. Given his current condition, he had no inclination whatsoever to disparage the household staff.

“Really?! Oh, I’d simply love to see it!” Maya chimed in with girlish glee.

Tatsuya gave Hayama a glare with all the resentment he could muster, but the old butler merely took in Maya’s suddenly youthful demeanor with a beatific, grandfatherly smile.

For some reason, even Miyuki was piling on the fray. “Brother—er, Tatsuya, that is. May I watch, too?”

He was completely surrounded. There was no longer room for him to refuse.

“All right. I’ll need to do some preparation, so if you’ll excuse me.”

Still wearing his hakama trousers and haori jacket, Tatsuya reappeared in the garden adjoining the meeting hall, carrying his CAD case.

At the opposite end of the garden was a cage containing a wild boar.

Tatsuya turned to face the seats in the meeting hall and began his explanation in a loud, clear voice.

“The novel magic Baryon Lance is a lethal spell for use against biological targets. This demonstration will therefore be somewhat bloody. I suggest that anyone who prefers not to witness pointless killing go wait in a separate room.”

Quite a few people looked to their neighbors upon hearing this warning, but none left their seats. Tatsuya supposed that meant everyone here was related to the Yotsuba.

“In that case, I’ll begin.”

Even as he wondered why he had to participate in this absurd carnival show, he opened the case and took out his improved custom Silver Horn, Trident.

He normally wielded Trident as part of a pair in a dual-gun style, but today he held it by itself in his right hand, affixing a bayonet-like attachment to the barrel. It was quite long and gave the gun an overall rather unbalanced appearance.

Tatsuya pointed the bayonet at the boar in the cage.

Without any fanfare, he pulled the trigger.

The magical processes all fired in an instant.

Material: Baryon Decomposition

The atomic nuclei in the bayonet are decomposed by first separating its molecules into atoms, then its atoms into electrons and nuclei, then splitting its nuclei into baryons like protons and neutrons.

FAE Process Execution: Particle Concentration

Per FAE theory, with the particles now free from the constrains of physical laws, instead of scattering as those laws would dictate, they are concentrated into a thin disk shape. The leptons—electrons—not targeted by the decomposition are captured by protons.

FAE Process Execution: Ejection

The concentrated disk of baryons is fired at the target. Traveling according to FAE theory, the disk reaches speeds of ten thousand kilometers per second, exceeding the limits of magical force.

Material: Regeneration

All processes are reversed.

Voices rose from the assembled guests as the boar fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“What happened?”

Tatsuya was not so service oriented that he was inclined to deliver a detailed explanation. He gave a brief bow to the assembled staff and members of the clan and was about to pack his CAD and its bayonet attachment (which itself was a variety of CAD) back into its case.

But then, unfortunately, a voice stopped him short.

“Wait a moment.”

It was Katsushige.

“Yes?” Tatsuya asked in a neutral tone.

Katsushige descended into the garden wearing wooden geta sandals. He approached the caged boar and looked carefully at its dead body.

“That was a high-density neutron beam, wasn’t it? The boar’s tissues are boiling. For some reason, the cells aren’t radioactive, so how is it that you’re managing to produce this effect?”

“The ‘how’ is secret.” Tatsuya didn’t think Katsushige was actually asking for him to share a magic technique, but he shut down the attempt just in case.

“Obviously,” Katsushige shot back.

Tatsuya ignored the barb. “But I suppose I can explain what just transpired. That shouldn’t be too difficult.” He showed his Trident, the bayonet still attached to it, to Katsushige. “This weapon is a CAD with a single activation program and a carbon steel spike.”

True to Tatsuya’s description, upon closer inspection, the bayonet attachment was more of a spike than a blade.

“The spike is decomposed to the baryon level, concentrated into a disk, and shot at the target.”

The firing process used the same FAE—Free After Execution—theory that Angelina Sirius’s Brionac used, but Tatsuya had absolutely no intention of revealing that here.

“So it wasn’t an optical illusion that I saw the spike portion disappear for a moment. I see.” Katsushige was satisfied for a moment but soon continued his interrogation. “So the weapon is decomposed into protons and neutrons? What about the electrons? …Oh, I see. The protons become neutrons via electron capture. That’s why it’s a neutron beam, not a charged particle beam… So why is the spike still there after it’s been fired?”

Tatsuya was inwardly mystified as to why Katsushige was being so persistent in his questioning, but he decided there was no harm in answering the question. “I regenerated it.”

“Ah! Of course, I see!”

“Oh! I see it now!” Maya’s voice rang out through the garden, overlapping Katsushige’s frustrated exclamation. “That’s why it’s called Baryon Lance—not cannon or launcher or even gun, but lance—because the final step uses regeneration magic.”

From Tatsuya’s perspective, he’d explained enough for that to be obvious, but either way, what Maya said was correct, so he faced her and gave her a crisp bow.

“And the fact that there’s no radioactive material left over is because by using regeneration, the neutrons you just fired are all retrieved. The attack’s only effect is the neutron beam superheating the water in the target’s body. Tatsuya, it’s splendid!”

Tatsuya bowed again.

As his head was lowered, Katsushige spoke to him in a low murmur, such that nobody else could hear. “Couldn’t you have used that magic to beat us easily?”

Tatsuya now understood all his persistent questions. But this question had missed the point entirely, and Tatsuya was merciless in his response.

“Baryon Lance is designed to eliminate targets that Dismantle won’t work on. There would be no reason to use it with opponents susceptible to Dismantle.”

Katsushige, red-faced, fell silent. He clearly understood the implied message—If I’d used Dismantle, it would’ve been over immediately.

Katsushige gave Tatsuya a keen-eyed stare. But he did nothing foolish or violent that would’ve endangered himself, the Shibata family, or Kotona. He calmed his breathing, pushed his mortification down into his heart, schooled his expression of surprise at this new magic technique, and returned to his seat.

With this, the demonstration was over. Tatsuya kept his guard up for anyone who might come and pester him with questions about a “neutron barrier,” but no such boors appeared.

Perhaps the fact that they were at a celebratory dinner was acting as a kind of social barrier.

If “neutron barriers” had come up, then he would’ve had to reveal another part of the secret, so Tatsuya was relieved it hadn’t.

There were no further incidents at the New Year’s celebration. Little by little, Tatsuya was rewritten as the son of the Yotsuba family head, Maya Yotsuba, and was officially engaged to his sister.

The next day was January 2, 2097. A notice went out from the Yotsuba family through the Magic Association of Japan to the Ten Master Clans, the Eighteen Support Clans, the Hundred Families, and the rest of the Numbers. It informed them—

That Miyuki Shiba had been named as the successor to the Yotsuba family.

That Tatsuya Shiba had been acknowledged as Maya Yotsuba’s son but that his name would remain Tatsuya Shiba.

That Miyuki Shiba and Tatsuya Shiba were engaged.

Within the day, the Yotsuba family’s private message box at the Magic Association of Japan soon filled with messages of congratulations.

But not all of the Numbers sent well-wishes.

A day later, on January 3, 2097, an official protest was lodged with the Magic Association of Japan against the betrothal of Tatsuya Shiba and Miyuki Shiba.

The name on the protest was Gouki Ichijou, the current head of the Ichijou family, of the Ten Master Clans.

(To be continued in the Master Clans Conference arc)