The Untouchable of Magic High School – A New God Enters the Game

The girl approaching Yugen—Tsukiko Yotsukuin, a first-year from Third High—timed her arrival as if waiting for Mikihiko to leave. Yugen couldn't help but smirk wryly.

"No grudges remain, but you knew he was a Yoshida, didn't you?" Yugen asked.

"No direct acquaintance," Tsukiko said. "Just a hunch."

The Yotsukuin clan possessed keen intuition—bordering on precognition—a remnant of the Shirakawa family's role in ancient imperial rituals. Legends spoke of shrine maidens with oracular visions. Water, a mirror reflecting the self and a source of purification, amplified Tsukiko's power, marking her as a standout among her clan.

"So, catching up with an old friend, or scoping out the competition under the guise of pleasantries?" Yugen teased.

"You're as sharp-tongued as ever," Tsukiko said, then paused. "Something's off with the Ichijou heir, isn't it?"

"Masaki? …Ah, I see," Yugen said.

Tsukiko's strained smile gave way to curiosity as she noticed Masaki staring at someone. Yugen followed her gaze, landing on Miyuki, a vision in First High's uniform.

"I heard Masaki's got a fan club of first-year girls," Yugen said.

"Who told you?" Tsukiko asked, puzzled that a First High student knew Third High gossip.

"Your pint-sized strategist, Cardinal George," Yugen said. "But no uproar from them?"

"Normally, they'd be in a frenzy," Tsukiko said. "But they seem… deflated."

Yugen hadn't spoken much with Masaki but kept in touch with Shinkuro, with whom he had no bad blood. Eavesdropping with enhanced hearing, he caught the fan club—most of Third High's first-year girls—muttering, "No chance against her…" with teary eyes.

Then, two fan club members—Airi Isshiki and Shiori Kanou—approached Miyuki and other First High girls to greet them. Even from afar, Tsukiko's eyes widened at Miyuki's striking beauty.

"Who is she?" Tsukiko asked.

"Miyuki Shiba," Yugen said. "First High's top first-year in practicals and theory. Competing in Ice Pillars Break and Mirage Bat for the rookie events."

"Impressive…" Tsukiko said. "Is it okay to share that?"

"It's in the event program," Yugen said. "That info won't leak her true strength."

Tsukiko seemed curious about the Shiba name, less known in magical circles due to its newcomer status. Airi had called her a "civilian." If her true name—Yotsuba—were known, Airi's reaction would've been far less calm, Yugen mused.

"Is it my imagination, or is Airi avoiding me?" Yugen asked.

"That's her own doing," Tsukiko said, stifling a laugh.

Before speaking with Mayumi, Tatsuya, and Miyuki, Yugen had greeted Masaki and Shinkuro, but Airi had dodged him without a word. For an Isshiki, that was oddly blunt. Tsukiko's wry smile hinted at the reason.

"Apparently, she regrets that near-declaration-of-war in her White Day reply," Tsukiko said. "Her personality won't let her apologize easily, so she's spiraling."

"Won't that affect her performance?" Yugen asked.

Tsukiko nodded, visibly concerned.

"Shiori told her, 'That's your mess, fix it,'" Tsukiko said. "I agree, so we're leaving it be. By the way, Yuto, your name wasn't in the athlete roster. Staff role?"

"Technical staff assistant," Yugen said. "Mostly engineering work."

Yugen had never shown his magic to Third High's first-years. Competitor photos were withheld until events began to protect privacy, so only those already known—like from middle school—stood out. Tsukiko knew him as "Nagano Yuto," so Yugen kept his answer vague. His name, Yugen, was unusual—unlike simpler kanji like "Hito" or "To," it defied easy guesses. He liked it, though.

To clarify, Yugen wasn't registered as "Nagano Yuto" and wasn't competing as an athlete. His technical role was genuine, so he wasn't lying.

It might sound like splitting hairs, but with "Cardinal George" around, Yugen used every card. Shinkuro, likely aware via Masaki, hadn't spilled—perhaps because it was a Ten Master Clans secret. It didn't hurt Yugen either way.

Unlike other clans with signature spells, the Mitsuya's strength lay in their seven siblings' diverse specialties, a secret in itself.

As an aside, Yugen had created a Mitsuya-style spell, "Multi-Type Multi-Magic Control," born of chance. During New Year's, when Defense Force members tried to abduct him, he unleashed it in frustration, stripping their gear (including bulletproof suits) clean off. A reflexive kick to their vitals sent them flying. He had no interest in ogling men, and they likely survived the winter ordeal.

The spell, AirRide Burst, manipulated heat, airflow, gravity, density, air resistance, and inertia to compress air at extreme temperatures (3000°C to -273.15°C) into dense projectiles or explosive blasts. Airflow control shielded the caster from effects. By clashing high- and low-temperature bursts, it caused rapid temperature shifts, shattering objects. Wrapped in psion layers, it mimicked Gram Demolition on impact.

Its variable power, like the Saegusa's Magic Shooter, made lethality context-dependent. Mika and Shina saw it, so Yugen taught its activation sequence to the Mitsuya, keeping it a hidden trump card, unlike public spells like Speed Loader or Lightning Order.

Back to the moment.

As Yugen and Tsukiko talked, Miyuki approached, her smile radiant but laced with an unsettling edge. Even Tsukiko broke into a cold sweat.

"Yugen-san, here you are," Miyuki said. "A rendezvous, perhaps?"

"That's a loaded way to put it," Yugen said. "It's rude to Third High, Miyuki."

"Oh… my apologies," Miyuki said. "I'm Miyuki Shiba, First High, first-year."

"Tsukiko Yotsukuin, Third High, first-year," Tsukiko said. "Nice to meet you."

After introductions, Tsukiko returned to Third High's group. Yugen turned to Miyuki.

"She's just someone I met during Grandpa's nationwide tour," he said.

"Seemed awfully friendly," Miyuki said, her tone probing.

"No romance involved," Yugen said firmly.

Tsukiko was easy to talk to for a Hundred Families member, a friend through Joushima letters. She'd once written about her chest size concerns—odd to share with a guy, but Yugen left it alone, assuming she had a crush elsewhere.

Miyuki grabbed his arm.

"You might attract other schools' students," she said. "Shall we go?"

"You're one to talk," Yugen said, but relented. "Fine."

He noticed Masaki's gaze—envy and jealousy mixed—but ignored it. Masaki's obvious intent to impress Miyuki was painfully transparent. Yugen half-wanted to Mist Dispersion that flag to dust, but kept it to himself.

Masaki, sulking, was watched by Shinkuro with a wry smile. Third High's male teammates muttered, "Who's that guy? Her boyfriend?" or "He's the type girls flock to, unlike Masaki." Tsukiko, usually optimistic, sighed.

"Boys being boys, I suppose," she said.

"Tsukiko, where'd you go?" Shiori asked.

"Just greeting a friend," Tsukiko said, grabbing her glass. "Where's Airi?"

"She's right behind me," Shiori said.

"What's she doing?" Tsukiko asked.

"No choice," Airi said, using Shiori as a shield. "I'm not you, chatting with Yuto like it's nothing."

To Shiori and Tsukiko, Airi's avoidance was obvious. Even Shiori looked exasperated—she was still hung up on that White Day fiasco. Her usual discipline was her own worst enemy.

"I'm just friends with him," Tsukiko said. "If you're sitting on your hands, Airi, I won't hold back."

"That's like tossing dynamite into a fire," Shiori said.

"Fine," Airi said. "But this is separate."

Stoking Airi's pride worked. She steeled herself and approached Yugen, prompting Third High's boys to stir again. Shiori glanced at Tsukiko.

"Airi suspected, but you're after him too, aren't you?" Shiori said. "Despite that… transistor-glamour figure like Saegusa-san's."

"That's harsh!" Tsukiko said, lowering her voice. "I'm aware, okay?"

Five years ago, Yugen met Tsukiko when she had short hair and was mistaken for a boy, a blow to her pride. Later meetings reinforced her self-consciousness about femininity. She skipped Valentine's chocolate, vowing to make one worthy of her pride. She took up family duties and grew her hair to feel more feminine, meeting Airi and Shiori at Third High.

Her distinct speech was her identity, though she'd given up on growing taller.

As a sarashi wearer, Tsukiko ditched it for competitions. Shiori's "Can I rip it off?" stare—aimed at her chest—had sent Tsukiko fleeing in panic, a fresh memory.

"By the way, that Shiba girl eavesdropping…" Tsukiko said. "Scary. And the guy behind her? Never seen him."

"He's keeping her in check," Shiori said. "First High's got its own troubles. Our boys, too."

Indeed, Third High's first-year boys (Masaki included, Shinkuro excepted) glared at Yugen with jealousy. Miyuki's "scary" smile intimidated as she stood near Yugen and Airi. Tsukiko and Shiori saw Tatsuya, called by Honoka and Shizuku to rein Miyuki in, and thought, "They've got it rough."

Unbeknownst to Shiori, her quiet "He's kinda nice…" about Tatsuya caught Tsukiko's ear, setting her up for future teasing.