April 6, 2097.
While the halls of the National Magic University in Tokyo brimmed with the vibrant, celebratory energy of its entrance ceremony, the Hokuriku coast was a world apart. There, the air was heavy with a prickling, suffocating tension. The cause was the suspicious vessel that had been loitering off the coast of Sado since the previous day.
Five years ago, coinciding with the Great Asian Alliance's invasion of Okinawa, an unidentified armed force had suddenly made landfall on Sado Island. Alerted by the Kamiizumi family, the Ichijou clan had successfully evacuated civilians and researchers to shelters, eventually repelling the invaders with the support of the National Defense Army. It was during this battle that Masaki Ichijou earned the moniker "Crimson Prince"—a name intended as much for propaganda and morale as it was for his battlefield merits.
The New Soviet Union had never officially admitted the armed group was theirs. To the locals, however, the identity of the puppeteer mattered little; they could never forgive those who trampled upon their home. Whether it was a national army or a rogue militia, anyone who brought steel and fire to the place they loved would find no mercy.
Among the volunteers gathered today were many locals. They were no longer content with being protected; they felt it was their turn to stand on the front lines. Among them was the boy known as "Cardinal George," Shinshirou Kichijouji.
"George, don't push yourself too hard."
"I know, Masaki... though honestly, that's my line for you," George replied softly.
With both his parents still alive, George lacked the burning thirst for vengeance that drove others. If anything, he was worried about Masaki, who seemed more tightly wound than usual. George knew exactly why, and his warning was a subtle attempt to keep his friend grounded.
"Looking at you, I suppose you'll be fine," Masaki murmured, observing George's composure.
Unlike Masaki, George had never experienced true, raw combat. No matter how much the Third High School's curriculum emphasized practical application, watching from the sidelines and standing in the line of fire were two entirely different beasts.
As Masaki spoke, a booming voice echoed across the docks.
"Is everyone ready?!"
"YEAH!"
The voice belonged to Gouki Ichijou, the head of the Ichijou family. As the volunteers raised their voices in a unified roar, Masaki and George joined them without hesitation.
"Good! All units, move out!"
"OOH!"
At Gouki's command, a total of 109 magicians boarded three armored vessels, officially registered as "undersea resource survey ships." Being civilian craft, they lacked the heavy artillery of warships, but they were built with the thick, old-fashioned plating of a bygone era.
In naval combat between magicians, large-scale missiles or Fleming launchers are often disadvantageous due to their slow firing intervals; they are easily intercepted by anti-object barriers. Instead, magicians favored "infighting"—using intermittent fire like machine guns or even the sheer kinetic force of a ship's ramming speed.
Of the three-ship flotilla, two were designated to land on Sado for defense, while the third—carrying the main force—approached the suspicious vessel. Stratospheric cameras tracked the target in international waters. Since no "Right of Hot Pursuit" had been established, they couldn't forcibly board or detain it yet. However, closing the distance served as a provocation. If the enemy fired first, the rules of engagement would become much simpler.
Shortly after leaving port, Gouki turned to the boy standing beside him.
"Shinshirou, how are you feeling?"
"I... I'm a little scared, sir. But I'm alright."
"Good," Gouki nodded.
Gouki knew better than anyone that those whose fear was numbed by hatred were the most prone to fatal lapses in judgment. He was satisfied with George's honest admission, but his gaze sharpened as he turned to his son.
"Masaki. You aren't feeling fear, are you?"
"I understand, Father. I will show no fear."
Not "I feel no fear," but "I will show none." Gouki let out a grim, defiant laugh at his son's response.
"Then you will lead the vanguard. Lord Kagurazaka and Tatsuya Shiba have just achieved great feats in the Okinawa islands. I will not tolerate a pathetic showing from you."
"I am aware."
Regarding the sabotage at the artificial island "Saika Shinjou" off Kumejima, the public report stated that a special police task force and the military had cooperated to make arrests. However, the heads of the Ten Master Clans knew the truth. Under the newly restructured Clan Conference, any magical combat—regardless of scale—had to be reported.
This rule was meant to prevent the private abuse of magic, and in the past, it had been a rule more honored in the breach than the observance. Yet, Yugen Kagurazaka had insisted on keeping it. To set an example, the Kagurazaka and Yotsuba families had fully disclosed the details of the Okinawa incident.
The official line was that the Yotsuba had assisted the National Defense Army in capturing GAA deserters—a first step in rebuilding relations under the new regime. In that report, Tatsuya's name was cited for his role in neutralizing the deserters, while Yugen was credited with capturing the ringleaders. Yugen had even publicly praised Tatsuya's contribution at the Clan Conference, a gesture that had brought a rare smile to Maya Yotsuba's face.
While only the Clan Heads knew these details, Gouki had shared them with Masaki that very night. He did it to light a fire under his son.
After the Gu Jie incident, Masaki had been visibly despondent. Gouki had called him to his office to find out why, and had been left holding his head in his hands. His son had been politely rejected by Miyuki Shiba, and the very next day, he had challenged her fiancé, Yugen Kagurazaka, to a mock battle—only to be utterly dismantled.
Yugen had later given Gouki the details of that match with chilling coldness:
"I didn't hold back. Lord Ichijou's son set the conditions, I accepted them, and I won. If he continues to loiter around my fiancée, tell him to prepare for the 'worst-case scenario' next time."
Gouki sighed. Yugen had only summoned Masaki during the Gu Jie incident to force him to find closure regarding Miyuki. Despite being the Chairman of the Clan Conference and the head of the Kagurazaka family, Yugen had personally crushed Masaki in the Nine Schools Competition two years in a row. If Masaki continued to pine for another man's fiancée after such a clear display of the gap between them, there was no telling what punishment Yugen might levy. Masaki's own mother, Midori, had warned Gouki that Yugen would be well within his rights to demand Masaki be disinherited.
(It was good to fire him up, but George-kun told me he "doesn't look like he's given up yet." Honestly, my idiot son...)
Fearing that the name "Crimson Prince" would become a joke if Masaki remained in a slump, Gouki had used the Saika Shinjou news as a catalyst. It worked; Masaki had returned to his training with a fervor bordering on obsession. His fighting spirit was overflowing, yet Gouki couldn't shake the worry that his son's heart was still heading toward a cliff.
He pushed those parental anxieties aside. For now, he was a commander.
Gouki, Masaki, and George were all on the lead ship. Many had protested this; putting the Ichijou family's two greatest assets on a single ship acting as bait was a massive strategic risk. If both were lost, the family would collapse.
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