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

Miyuki, Shizuku, and Honoka gathered in Shizuku and Honoka's room. Miyuki, rooming with Kazumi Takigawa, was left alone when Kazumi went to hang out with athletic club seniors. Rather than stay solo, she visited her friends' room. Though she'd have preferred Tatsuya or Yugen's company, Tatsuya was refining activation sequences, and Yugen was swamped with managerial duties late into the night.

Despite this, Miyuki cherished her close classmates. Her feelings for them differed from her affection for Yugen, naturally.

"The Nine School Competition starts tomorrow… I'm nervous," Honoka said.

"Honoka, our events are on day four onward. Shizuku, any recommendations for tomorrow?" Miyuki asked.

"Saegusa-senpai's Speed Shooting is a must-see. She's a lock for the win, but as 'Elfin Sniper' in her final high school year, her performance will be exciting," Shizuku replied, glancing at her terminal.

Mayumi, already favored to win, also mentored rookie mock battles during practice. Shizuku, having faced her, knew Mayumi held back to avoid crushing the rookies. A recorded practice match between Kana and Mayumi proved it.

"That shootout with Kana-san was thrilling," Miyuki said.

"I got chills watching the recording. Matches that intense are rare. I'm jealous you saw it live, Miyuki," Shizuku added.

"I saw it too… oh, I'm up," Honoka said.

The room's clock neared 22:00. Most upperclassmen were asleep for tomorrow's matches, but with no set curfew (due to tactical and technical staff), they chatted quietly. A knock came. Honoka, closest, opened the door to find Eimi, Subaru, and other first-year girls.

"Eimi, Subaru, and everyone—what's up?" Honoka asked.

"Wanna hit the hot spring?" Eimi proposed.

"Hot spring?" Honoka echoed, puzzled.

"I heard the hotel's basement has an artificial hot spring," Miyuki clarified.

"Can we use it? It's a military facility, right?" Honoka asked.

"I asked, and it's open until 11:00," Eimi said.

With no reason to decline, the first-year girls headed to the basement hot spring. There, they ran into Yugen, fresh from the bath, his hair and skin dry. Dressed in a T-shirt and black pants—a rare casual look for school—he exuded allure. Shizuku blushed, Miyuki looked smitten, and the others felt their hearts skip.

"Hm? Eimi, Miyuki, Honoka, Shizuku… all the first-year girls for the hot spring?" Yugen said.

"Exactly! But why were you here, Yugen?" Eimi asked.

"I booked it from 9:00 p.m. I was with Tatsuya and other first-years. I was the last out," he explained.

The hot spring, used more for medical than recreational purposes, required bathrobes or swimsuits. Yugen invited Tatsuya, Touya, Takasuke, Leo, and Mikihiko (who was reluctantly dragged along). He was the last to leave, he told Eimi.

"Still, you're one sexy guy, Yugen," Eimi teased.

"I'm just normal. If you want a (disappointing) heartthrob, try Third High's 'Crimson Prince, the Spineless Wonder'… Enjoy the soak," Yugen said.

(Did he just slip in something wild?) Honoka thought, sensing venom in his words. As Yugen left, Shizuku and Miyuki, slightly dazed, were snapped back by the group and entered the hot spring.

The girls wore bathrobes, less concealing than swimsuits, accentuating their figures. Honoka's standout physique drew eyes, even among friends.

"Can I look?" Eimi asked, eyes gleaming.

"No way! Shizuku, help!" Honoka pleaded.

"…Why not?" Shizuku said coolly.

"Shizuku!?" Honoka gasped.

To Shizuku, Honoka was "gifted." Heading to the sauna, she explained, "Honoka's got a big chest."

"Shizuku!" Honoka wailed.

Emboldened, Eimi and others closed in. Miyuki, hair in a ponytail, appeared, drawing all eyes. Her natural charm overwhelmed even her.

"Uh… what?" Miyuki stammered.

"No way, guys! Miyuki's normal! Mess with her, and you'll all get an ice-cold dip!" Honoka warned.

Honoka's defense saved Miyuki, who considered protesting her "normal" label but held back to maintain peace.

"What's going on?" Shizuku asked, returning from the sauna.

Her words ended the chaos, saving the hot spring from becoming a literal cold spring. Talk shifted to love and the previous day's mixer.

"Speaking of, Third High's prince—Ichijou's heir—was at the mixer, right?" one girl said.

"Yeah, he was staring at Miyuki with burning eyes," another added.

"Old friends, maybe?" someone asked.

Amid squeals, Shizuku asked, "Miyuki, what's the deal?"

"I only know Ichijou-kun from article photos. I didn't even notice him there," Miyuki said.

Her blunt dismissal would've floored Masaki, Shizuku and Honoka thought. Subaru added, "Well, yeah. Miyuki's got it bad for Mitsuya-kun."

"N-Not that bad…" Miyuki protested.

"But you looked lovestruck passing Yugen earlier. I was a bit charmed too…" Eimi said.

"Eimi?" Shizuku said, her face stiffening.

Eimi, sensing tension, laughed dryly and changed topics. "Anyway, Yugen stole more eyes than Ichijou's prince. Not just looks—being Ten Master Clans helps."

"He can act like that when he wants. He usually doesn't," Shizuku said.

"At parties, he's like that, but not at school. It's surprising," another girl noted.

As a Ten Master Clan heir, Yugen switched demeanors deliberately, a stark contrast between school and the mixer, Miyuki felt.

"Hey, Miyuki, know anything?" Eimi asked.

"Not really. He grumbled about the mixer being 'a hassle,'" Miyuki said.

"A hassle? Ten Master Clans have it rough," Eimi mused.

Even atop mage society, such words were bold, but Yugen's candor with Miyuki showed trust, Eimi thought.

"Got a type, then?" Subaru asked.

"Uh…" Miyuki blushed, silent.

Shizuku did too, both thinking of Yugen. Eimi whispered to Honoka, "Miyuki and Shizuku…?"

"Probably what you're thinking," Honoka replied.

(If they face off in Ice Pillars Break… no love triangle drama, right?) Eimi worried, as all three competed in the rookie women's Ice Pillars Break.

Yugen, done with rookie strategy plans, stepped outside past midnight. The cool summer breeze felt nice, but malice in the air made him frown. Tatsuya, emerging from a service vehicle, noticed.

"Yugen, what's… weird guys around," Tatsuya said.

"Brandishing fists and guns at this hour? That's bold!" Yugen quipped.

Three figures appeared. Yugen and Tatsuya spotted them, then noticed someone running parallel behind a hedge. With a glance, Yugen took point, Tatsuya backing him, and they sprinted.

A talisman—old-style magic—flew from the runner. The armed men aimed at the hedge's far side.

(Too late… no choice,) Yugen thought.

He raised a hand, golden light bursting forth, disintegrating their guns. As they reeled, lightning from the airborne talisman knocked them out. In the dimly lit military facility, Yugen saw the runner leap the hedge.

"Who's there!?" the runner shouted.

Few students used spirit magic, rarer than modern magic. Recognizing the voice, Yugen raised his hands to show no hostility. "It's us, Mikihiko."

"Yugen, Tatsuya?" Mikihiko said.

Tatsuya checked the thugs, masking his "sight." Yugen asked Mikihiko, "We were outside by chance. I sensed malice, so Tatsuya came along."

"I felt it during training," Mikihiko said.

"And you handled it alone without calling? I'm no better, but solving everything solo's reckless," Yugen said.

Knowing Yugen's mastery of old-style spirit magic via Shin'on-ryu swordsmanship, Mikihiko found his explanation plausible. Yugen sighed, probing further.

"Seriously, dumb move. Sun Tzu says, 'Know your enemy and yourself, and you won't falter.' You rushed in blind," Yugen said.

"Yugen…" Mikihiko trailed off.

Tatsuya likely noticed Mikihiko's spell's inefficiency. Yugen used Kinza Hatsui, a metal-attribute spell from Tenjin Magic—old-style magic akin to Shin'on-ryu's yin-yang and five-element secrets—to disarm the thugs, anticipating future exposure to Mikihiko.

Unlike spirit magic's three-step process (writing talismans, controlling non-material entities, altering phenomena), Tenjin Magic mirrors modern magic: constructing spells from activation sequences and altering phenomena, with attributes assigned during alteration. Its high information-altering power, perfected by a legendary onmyoji, foresaw modern magic by over a millennium, Yugen thought. Faster than spirit magic, it's user-friendly with preparation, but concealed by advanced occult techniques, like those Yugen adapted for Active Air Mine in the competition. Only Ten Master Clan-tier mages could wield mid-level or higher spells.

Kinza Hatsui, a metal-attribute spell, forcibly breaks objects' definitions, akin to organic/inorganic interference magic. At full power, it rivals molecular-level Mist Dispersion. Its existence as a secret art underscored Decomposition's danger. Tenjin Magic also included a Materialization-like spell, leaving Yugen and Gousan stunned, likely thinking of Tatsuya.

"You could've asked for help. Family rules or not, that's news to me," Yugen said.

"Fine, I'll explain. You'd get it, using old-style magic," Mikihiko said.

A year ago, the "Star-Descending Ritual" disrupted Mikihiko's magic control, diminishing his power. He avoided Yugen and Erika to hide this. His father forced him to work the mixer as a part-timer. Overhearing, Tatsuya stayed silent as Yugen concluded:

"You've done the ritual before. Didn't you anticipate the fallout from summoning a high-tier entity?" Yugen asked.

"Uh… no, I didn't think that far," Mikihiko admitted.

"Figures," Yugen said.

Mikihiko's magic perception and control surged during the ritual, but he used magic as before, causing a mismatch that made him think his power waned. His recent summoning practice—likely targeting a "Dragon God," a high-tier water-attribute Tenjin Magic spell—overwhelmed him with its complex calculations, Yugen deduced, aligning with canon. A deeper talk could wait.

"I get it. Cause found. Tatsuya, after the competition, can you tweak a CAD for Mikihiko?" Yugen asked.

"That'll fix it?" Mikihiko said.

"No issue, but what about these guys?" Tatsuya asked, eyeing the thugs.

Mikihiko offered, "I'll call security."

"Do it. We'll talk later," Yugen said.

Mikihiko left. Yugen sighed, addressing "empty" space: "Leaving thugs to high schoolers and eavesdropping? Poor taste, Major Kazama."

"Yare yare, seen through already? No surprise from a Shin'on-ryu ninja. Well done, Lieutenant Uesugi," Kazama replied, appearing.

They last met in March at the Mitsuya estate, four months ago. Tatsuya, unsurprised by Kazama's stealth, was inwardly shocked Yugen detected him mid-talk with Mikihiko. Kazama, top disciple of Yakumo Kuon, was nearly undetectable without Tatsuya's "sight."

The fiasco pitted Yugen (victim) against Kazama and his superior (culprits). Yugen sighed, bowing. "I apologize for cutting contact for personal reasons. Truly sorry."

"No, I forgot you're a student. Forgive me," Kazama said.

Kazama braced for a punch, but Yugen's apology threw him. He recovered, bowing back. Tatsuya, mildly exasperated, eyed Kazama for accepting Yugen's leniency.