LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 14: Chapter 14-Nah! I Would Win!
Chapter 14
INEI YOTSUBA
Late into the night, Inei sat in his dining room facing the TV as he talked with the head of the Yotsuba clan about what had truly transpired at school.
"Are you sure about this?" Maya Yotsuba asked. Her icy cold expression did not smile at his accusation, for that was just how severe it was.
"I am. Hajime Tsukasa, the head of Blanche's Japan divison, was aware of information about me that he had no purpose knowing. Information that had been passed to him from an anonymous source that they believe was the Leader of the organization," he reaffirmed what he had extracted out of the purple-haired bastard's mind.
Hajime Tsukasa had been aware of his powers and of the abomination that was inscribed onto his back. He was also given a way to activate it, and there was only one person who had that knowledge, according to him.
Gu Jie.
"So, you are certain that the person behind Blanche and Dahan is the same?" she asked seething, and he nodded. He had always suspected it, yet this had more or less confirmed it.
"I am, and that person is in Japan as we speak," and that was why he had accepted Maya Yotsuba's offer. He could spend his life hiding, or he could use the Yotsuba to put down that person once and for all.
The Yotsuba and Maya were using him as well, but that is just how things worked out. Plus, it was not as if he was a foot soldier in the Yotsuba. He was the heir apparent and would become the clan head if things developed as they hoped, and that would take care of another problem of his with the USNA as well.
"That is concerning," she said as she leaned back, for as much as he hated the Dahan, Maya Yotsuba hated them more.
"I will have agents look into this," she said, and he nodded.
"Be careful. Gu Jie is dangerous. He is a strategic-class magician, and he must not be underestimated. Tell whomever you send to be extremely careful," he warned, and she nodded.
"I will relay your warning. But I am afraid we have other concerns as well," she began, and he sipped his coffee and motioned for her to continue.
"And what may those be," he asked.
"I was visited by Kudou Retsu a few days ago," and that was indeed a concern. Kudo Retsu was one of Japan's premier magical minds and was part of the faction that sought peace with GAA, a notion that he was opposed to.
"The Ten Master Clans are making a move. Perhaps it is time that we send them a warning. The Nine School competition is starting soon, isn't it?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Then that should be an appropriate stage," she suggested and shrugged. It could be, but that remained to be seen.
"Leave the clans to me," for he already had a plan working in that regard.
"There is also some movement from the USNA. I do not know what it is, but they are moving," and that was something he had expected as well, but still, it did not thrill him.
"They have their grudge against me. They will not let me go that easily," and that was true. USNA was already lagging behind Japan in terms of sheer prowess, and losing him to Japan would be a massive blow.
He leaned back and let out a deep sigh.
"What a drag! Why did I even agree to all this," he complained, and Maya Yotsuba had the nerve to laugh.
"HeHehe, don't be like that, Inei-kun. One would think that you are not enjoying this yourself," she added, and he was scandalized by those words.
"I don't know what you mean by that. I am not enjoying myself," he said, and she chuckled once more.
"Oh, I doubt that. After all, I have learned that you have a date with the Saegusa heiress next week, haven't you?" He was surprised that she knew of that.
"Miyuki?" he guessed the culprit, and she nodded.
"Indeed, I am quite excited," and then she placed her hand on her cheeks.
"Ahh, to be young and in love. Especially how you protected her from those Blanche animals," she teased, and he sighed.
"You are blowing it out of proportion," he said, and she laughed and saw her eyes glint.
"Regardless, as per our agreement, I will not interfere in your life. But she is as good a choice as one could make for a part..."
"You are taking it too far," he cut in before she could say anything more, and she backed off.
"Speaking of that, I received your request regarding Tatsuya's status and have given it my ascent, but you do understand that even I may not be able to defeat him," and that was one thing he had requested.
Tatsuya was treated as a pariah in the clan because of his powers. These measures were a failsafe, an idiotic one but still a failsafe enacted by the clan, to strengthen his bond to Miyuki and strengthen Miyuki's bond to the clan, giving her a purpose in becoming the clan head in the future.
"Tatsuya is strong. At his full strength, he would be a challenge, of course," he admitted as his eyes narrowed and he leaned forward.
"But I would win."
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SHIBA MIYUKI
The upheaval at the school had taken a massive tool on everybody including herself, and her brother. They had returned home rather late with both being part of the Disciplinary Committee and having been part of the voluntary defence force. They were interviewed by the police over the events before they were let go.
And yet, despite her tiredness, she was in a rather elated mood as she made coffee for herself and her brother in the kitchen because, finally, the world was beginning to see her brother for who he was.
She knew that her brother was perhaps the strongest magician at school and was a generational talent, and yet he had been labelled as a 'Bloom' because of the restraints she was the 'key' to. And though he did not mind it, it ate away at her to see him suffer and be reduced to the status of a simple bodyguard.
And yet it was changing, slowly, with him being touted as the Course Two hero who led the defense of the School's Data Centres.
"Coffee is ready," she said as she picked up the tray and walked into the lounge. She found her brother sitting there reading what seemed to be a letter.
She put the coffee on the table, served it, and sat down beside him, recognizing the symbol on the letter.
It was from FLT, Four-Leaf Technologies, a company that was associated with the infamous 'Taurus Silver' the genius magical engineer, who in truth was her own brother.
"May I ask what this letter is about?" she asked, frowning, for she did not think that it was any good news, for because of politics and fear, he could never really take appreciation for his actions, could not inherit the company which their mother had left for them.
"It seems times are changing," he said, and she did not miss his frown as he passed her the letter.
She took it, skimmed over it, and was surprised by the letter's contents.
"Maya Oba-san has transferred mother's inheritance to your name," she gasped, realizing the severity and implication of this decision. Miya Yotsuba, their mother, was the biggest shareholder of FLT, and she had left these shares to her children. Still, until this day the shared were in escrow, with the reason being that both she and her brother were minors under the law, though she doubted that their father would ever let her brother have them.
"This, combined with my own shares, makes us the biggest stakeholders of the company," she gasped, and he nodded.
"It does. And it also makes things much easier for me regarding my ultimate goal," he said, and she knew what that goal was.
Until today, the greatest use of magicians was as weapons. They were seen as little more than killing machines in the society. Her brother wished to change that, and through his Stellar Furnace, he wished to offer an alternative to the stereotype of magicians being viewed as tools.
"But if she is doing this, then that means she is also restoring your status as a Yotsuba, but why would she change her heart like this?" she asked, his eyes narrowed.
"I doubt this was her decision," he said, and she realized exactly what he meant.
"Inei-kun," she guessed, and he nodded.
"Indeed, I believe this was his doing, much like that video of me defending the School Data Centres," her brother reasoned out, and she smirked.
"Well, I was a part of that as well," she added, and she was indeed. After all, it had been she who had placed the camera there and then uploaded the video to the school forum.
But still, Inei Yotsuba. Her cousin was a dilemma in and of itself. His life origins were anything but tragic, and despite their earlier misunderstanding, she rather liked him, especially considering what his presence meant for herself and her brother.
Miyuki had only ever wished to be the clan head for her brother; she did not wish to burden herself with that title, fully aware of the responsibilities it would carry with itself, of marrying and bearing children.
With Inei-kun there, as long as she could make an ally out of him, she would be able to have much more control over her own life with none of the responsibilities.
"The Military has been rustling and has been asking me to provide intel about him. Many of them distrust me as well, and think that I kept this from them intentionally," her brother remarked, and she frowned at those unthankful curs for their actions.
His brother had done more than enough for them, and yet they had the audacity to doubt him. She held her tongue, for she knew that her brother called them his comrades.
"Have you told them anything?" and he shook his head.
"Not yet. Inei-kun remains a mystery to me, yet despite his secrets, he has been anything but cordial towards you and me. I doubt he would like his secrets being shared with the military," and that was reasonable enough. Soon enough, the military will find out, but Inei-kun deserved at least silence on their part.
"What do you think of him, brother?" she asked, and he seemed to consider her question for a moment before he answered.
"As a magician, I have not seen much from him. But from all the reports about him and how easily he dealt with those Blanche members, I can say that he is a cut above the rest. And his actions in trying to help out the course two students speak of restraint and patience. I believe he is not someone we should make an enemy of," he said.
"Do you think he is stronger than you?" she asked.
"I cannot say. His psion amount dwarfs mine by quite some margin, but I have yet to see him freely use his magic," and she was surprised.
"You believe he could beat you?" and he nodded.
"Given what I saw in that file. Yes, I believe that maybe a possibility," and it made her intake a sharp breath.
And she sat there thinking about the implication of that statement.
"Speaking of that, might I ask you another question?" she suddenly mentioned as she remembered another rather important detail from the morning.
"Why did you nominate Sayaka Mibu to represent the course two students in the debate?" she asked with a smile as she saw her brother gulp nervously, for the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees.
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