MahoukaKoukounoRettousei:Volume14Chapter1

[Kyuuchouji(KyuuchouTemple)],whereKokonoeYakumoservedastheheadpriest,layontopofasmallhillatFuchuuCity,OldMetroTokyo.Asadevotedtempleforvolunteerphysicalwork,wordamongthetemplestaffwasthatitwasprobablya[linktoasceticpractice]closetotheneighbourhood,ithadfittedintotheregionalcommunityasanindispensableparttothetownscenery.

Andasanextra,whenthetownspeoplehadachancetolookatoldmapdetails,theywereinforasurprise.Itdidn'tmatterifoldmeantahundredyearsold,theywerelookingatgenuinemaps.

Theylearnedthattherewasnotemplefromthestart.

Theylearnedthattherewasnohillatsuchaplace.

Duringthelaterperiodofthetwentyyearsofrepeatedworldwars,thecapitaldefenseforcesweredeployedtotheChoufuu,Fuchuu,Mitaka,andMusashinodistricts,withChoufuuAirFieldservingastheirbase.Andfollowingtherulesoftroopdeployment,theciviliansintheseareashadbeenevacuatedforalmosttenyears.ThehillKyuuchoujistoodonwasformedfromtheearthdugupwhenalargeundergrounddefensebunkerwasconstructedonitsspot.

Whileitwasregretfulthatthecapitalsustaineddamagesduringthewar,thankstothe[MusashinoAAfortress],theoldcapitalwardescapedunscathed.Ontheotherhand,thedefensepositionborethebruntoftheattacksfrommultipleattackers,butthatmeantthecivilianevacuationdidnotgotowaste.

Andsoitwasunavoidablefortheblankthatoccurredbetweenthetownanditsresidents.Thepeoplereturnedtotheirown[residences]becausethewarhadended.Andlaterthegovernmentspentmoneytoreconstructthetown.Althoughitwouldn'tbecompletelythesameasbefore.

Afteratotalsealing,withoutanydismantlingoftheundergrounddefensebunker,andtheaccompanyingtownreplanning,thenumberoffamiliesthatwereunabletoreturntotheirformerresidenceswasreduced.Andthequickinstallationofanadvancedtransportationsystemgavethetownsceneryasomewhatfuturisticlook.

Whatwasaddedwasnotonlyoverheadtrackswheresmallscalecompacttraintypepublictransportationfacilities[Cabinets]ranthrough.Apartfromthosenewfeatures,traditionalfeaturesandvariousfacilitieslargeandsmallwereaddedtothetownscenery.A[largetempleontopofasmallhill],Kyuuchouji,wasoneofthem.

Thetemplehadahistorythatwassomewhat,no,considerablydelicatetosay.Thepreviouspriest,inshortYakumo'smaster,wascompensatedforcooperatingwiththeNinthMagicianDevelopmentResearchInstitute,andobtainedtheresidenceandfacilitytotraindisciplesdisciplesin[Shinobi],ratherthandisciplesinBuddhistpriesthood.

Andforthatreason,thefaadeofKyuuchoujiwasaimedforcamouflageandwasintentionallyconstructedintheoldstyle.Eventhegroundsinsidethefencingwereina20thcenturystyle.

Incontrast,thetrainingfacilitywasdugdeep,deepdownintotheearthanditsarea,evenwiderthanthegroundsaboveit,wasfortifiedwiththelatesttechnology.Notonlywasitatraininggroundforancientmagic,atpresentitwasevenatraininggroundatthehighestlevelformodernmagic.

KazamaintroducingTatsuyatoYakumowasmorethantointroducethelattertothisundergroundfacility.Asamasteroftaijutsu,Yakumo'sskillwastoprank.However,Kazama'sexpectationswerenotonlytoaimforTatsuya'staijutsuimprovement.HedidnotbringTatsuyaintothemilitaryinordertobeausualclosecombatspecialist.Hewasexpecting,totheveryend,theabilitiesofanextremelypowerfulmagicianthatcouldfightonthefrontlines.

Itwasafacilitywherebothtaijutsucoachingandmagictrainingwerepossible.AssoonasheknewthatTatsuya'shousewaswithinanagreeablyshortdistancefromKyuuchoujiintheneighbouringtown,thistemplewasKazama'sonlychoice.

Andnow,TatsuyawasenteringintothelowestlevelofKyuuchouji'sundergroundtrainingfacility.Thistrainingroomhad,fromthefloortotheceilingandeventhewalls,threelayerscomprisingof10cmthickconcrete,30cmthicklead,and60cmthickofneutronshieldingconcrete.

Thiswasnonuclearshelter,itwasmeantasatrainingroomformagic.Andastowhysuchsecureantiradiationshieldingwasrequired,therewasareasonbehinditwithinthehistoryofhow21stcenturymagicwasdeveloped.

ResearchanddevelopmentonmodernmagicoriginatedinAD1999,inanincidentwhenanAmericanpoliceofficerusedanunusualpower(atthattimeitwasstillcalledESP)totakedownnuclearterrorism.Fromthoseeventsonwards,R&Donmodernmagicstartedoutasameanstocounternuclearthreats;basicallytheprimaryobjectiveswerethecontrolandsuppressionofnuclearfission,andtheisolationandnullificationofradiation.

Withfocusedresearchonitbeingworthwhile,itwasatastagewhereitwassafetosaythatneutronbarriersandgammaradiationfilterswerecompleted.Nevertheless,eventodaythedevelopmentandimprovementofspellsagainstnuclearreactionswasessentialdatacapturedinmagicabilitydevelopment.

Evenso,whatTatsuyawasabouttodointhisroomwasneitherpracticeforradiationisolationmagicnorimprovingnuclearfissioncontrolmagic.Insomeways,itwastheopposite.

Thisundergroundtrainingroomwascurrentlyturningintoapool.Evenso,itwasnotbeingfloodedforswimmingpurposes.Withhisshouldersjustoutofthewater,TatsuyawasinshortsleevedtrainingwearholdingapistolshapedCADinonehand.Thoughhewasn'tswimming,bothhisheadandhairweredrenched.

WhathisrighthandwasgrippingwasnothisfavoriteSilverHornCustom.Itwasclearfromitsplainappearancethatitwasaprototype.Thebiggestdifferencewasthebayonetlikeobjectattachedtothemuzzleendofthebarrel.Animitation,becauseitwasneithersharpnorpointed,andonlybecausethemetallicthickplatewasconstructedtobelikeabayonet.

Withhisrighthandunderwater,Tatsuyapulledthetrigger.Thetwoactivationsequencesthatgeneratedunderwaterwereabsorbedintohisrightarm.ThefirstonewasoutputfromthepistolshapedCAD.Theotheronewasoutputfromthebayonetlikeattachment.

Themagicsequencesactedontheattachment.WaterbubbledatthetipoftheCAD.ThegroansthatescapedfromTatsuya'sclenchedteethgrewlouderandhewentdownonhisknees.Hisrighthandhideouslyburneddeepredduetotheseverescalding,TatsuyaendedupdroppingtheCADduetotheinjury.

Submergeduptothetopofhishead,heimmediatelywentuptostandingposition.Hishairbeingdrenchedwasbecauseofthisbeingrepeated.Oftenwithraggedbreaths,hewouldraisehisrighthandtoeyelevelandrepeatedlyclenchitopenandclosed.Therewerenoremnantsofscaldingduetotheuseof

[Restoration],butthesemiconsciousactionwasduetotheimmediatelyuncomfortablefeelingthathemightsufferintensedamage.

Withhisrighthandfinallyregainingitssensation,hestretcheditoutunderwater.ItsfingerslatchedontheCADwhichhadfloatedup.Eventhebayonetlikeattachment,whichwasburnedofffromthetipwhenitwassubmergedatthattime,wasbacktoitsoldformdueto[Restoration].

TatsuyathenagainpreparedhisCADunderwater.However,acommandingvoicewithnoonearoundandnothingclosetohisearssoftlyechoed.

["Tatsuyakun,it'salmostmidnight."]

WithanairvibratingspellitsactivationwasdifferentyetitscontentswerethesameasthoseactivationsequencesfromUSNASTARSPlanetclassmagicianSylviaMercuryFaustYakumowhisperedfromoutsideintoTatsuya.

"...Understood."

Tatsuya'sreplywasspokeninthesamemannerasbeforebutYakumounderstoodwhatwaspickedoutfromTatsuya'svoiceusinghisspell.

Sureenough,assoonasTatsuyamadeclearthathistrainingwasover,thewaterintheroombegantorecede.Ashewaitedforthewatertorecede,Tatsuyausedemissiontypemagictoshakeoffthemoisturefromhishair,skin,andclothes.

Hiscastingdidn'taimforatotallydrystate.Assoonashedriedhisclothesenoughsonormalmovementwouldn'tbeaproblem,heusedgravitytypemagictoflickthedoorswitchontheothersideoftheroom.Duetothenatureofthetrainingroom,noelectricalequipmentcouldbeinstalledinsidethewalls.

("Aninaccessibleroomifmagicweren'tused...")

Asheruminatedoncemoreonthefactthatcameonlynow,TatsuyastartedontheladderthatwouldbringhimbacktosurfaceforYakumohadcuttheelectricalpowertotheelevator.

September232096,Sunday.Eventhoughhehadreturnedhomethenightbefore,justbeforeadatechangingmidnight,Tatsuyastillstartedoutthismorningveryearlyformorningtraining.ThatmadeMiyuki,whowascheckingtheunreadmessagesonthehomeserver,abitworriedforanearlyrisingTatsuya.

Hewasnotabrotherwhowouldstopuponbeingtoldnottooverexerthimself.No,resortingtopersuasionbytearsmightforabitgethimtolistentowhatshesaid,butperhapseventhatwouldonlybetemporary.Andshehadjustusedthatweaponlastmonth.

"I'llholdontosympathetictacticsforalittlelongeruntilit'stimeforseriousneed."Miyukiresignedlythought.

Inthekitchen,Minamihadalreadystartedpreparingbreakfast.LatelyMiyukiandMinamigotsurprisinglycooperativetogether,andchangedtherulesaboutwhopreparedwhatmeal.Fromthestart,withthedevelopmentofhomeautomation,sincetherewasnopreparingmealsbyhandunlessforspecialevents,theappearanceofstrugglinginthekitchenlookedhilariousfromathirdpersonviewthatwaswhatthetwoofthembelatedlynoticed.

Andso,MiyukileftthekitchenworktoMinamiassheheadedforthebathroom.

ShethencontrolledtheHARinthedressingroom,takingoutTatsuya'sclothesunderwearincluded,butMiyukiwasnotintobeingbashful.

Intruth,ithadbeeninherthirdyearofmiddleschoolthatshehadhadthoughtsonwhetheritwasgoodbeingbashfullikeamaideninsituationswhereshewasinfrontofmaleunderweareventhoughitbelongedtoherbelovedbrother.Although,whensheimaginedherselfbeingredcheekedinfrontofherbrother'sunderwear,shechangedhermindthinking[thisisfordegeneratesratherthanmaidens].Ifanotherpersonsawherexpressingherdelightfulsmile,asshewashardatworkpreparingtheshowerforherbrother,hewouldhavethoughtshewasbeyondhelpinvariousways.ButperhapshewouldnevermeetMiyukiherselffacetofaceandtellherthat.

Havingpreparedforherbrother'spromptreturn,Miyuki'slasttaskwastoplacethetowelasitwasinotherwordsholdthetowelinherhandsandheadatahurriedpacefortheentryway.Shewasnotintounladylikebehaviorlikerunninginsidethehouse.Evenifshewasn'tseenbyherbrother,Miyukididn'thavethegutstobehaveinawayherbrotherdeemedunsuitable.

Duetodoorbiometrics,thesoundofthedoorbeingunlockedechoedtobothkitchenandlivingroom.BythetimeMinamihadstoppedwatchinghercookingandcameoutofthekitchen,Miyukiwasalreadystandingbyintheentryway.

"Welcomeback,Oniisama."

"I'mhome."

"...Welcomeback,Tatsuyaniisama."

TheslightdelaywasduetothetimeMinamitooktorushfromthekitchentotheentryway.Shewasoutofthekitchenatthesametimeoftheunlocking,butforthismorningMiyukistille