The fact that no one else objected told me she had already laid the groundwork. I looked at Shina, who was tilting her head in a similar fashion, looking as cute as a small woodland creature. Still, for the Student Council President to break tradition so boldly was risky. I proposed a compromise.
"Tatsuya, is it possible to squeeze in a 'Speech from the Chairman of the Master Clan Council' at the end of the guest addresses?"
"We have time in the schedule," Tatsuya replied. "But what about the script? Do you need one?"
"No need. I don't want to waste time writing one now. I'll think of something. Just coordinate the schedule change."
The fact that Tatsuya didn't object meant he had likely factored this into the timeline after what happened at the graduation ceremony. As expected of Onii-sama, I thought—only to have Tatsuya warn me later: "Please stop calling me that, even in your head." How cold.
The entrance ceremony began with an uncharacteristic lack of the usual restless energy. The freshmen and their parents were fixated on the Student Council members lined up below the stage—specifically, on Miyuki, the President, and Tatsuya, the Secretary.
Anyone who wasn't utterly oblivious would have researched the school they were about to enter. Most students knew that the current President of First High was a member of that Yotsuba family.
Many had seen Miyuki during the Nine Schools Competition, but seeing her otherworldly beauty in person, combined with the chilling reputation of the Yotsuba, created a pressure that ordinary freshmen and parents couldn't resist.
Those parents who weren't ordinary felt the unfathomable magical power radiating from Miyuki, and the even more unsettling, empty presence of Tatsuya standing beside her. They couldn't help but remain tense.
Yet, the audience knew there was an even greater presence in this school—a boy becoming a "living urban legend" known as the Untouchable. They never dreamed they would witness the source of that legend today.
"Lastly, a word from the Chairman of the Master Clan Council, Lord Yugen Kagurazaka."
Riri's announcement caused a stir in the auditorium. Yugen, dressed in his school uniform, bowed to the guests and the council before ascending the stage. He saluted the national and school flags, stopped before the podium, bowed once more, and then stepped up to the microphone.
"Freshmen, congratulations on your enrollment. As a senior at this school and as the Chairman of the Master Clan Council, it brings me joy to see you all here today... but let's set the formalities aside, shall we?"
It was a sudden request, and after listening to a string of long guest speeches, many freshmen were already nodding off. Noticing this, Yugen suddenly clapped his hands together. The sound echoed through the hall like a gunshot, startling the sleepy students awake.
Once he was sure he had their attention, Yugen continued.
"Most of you know from the Nine Schools Competition that I was once a member of the Mitsuya family. Two years ago, I was supposed to stand here and give the freshman response, but family circumstances prevented it. Today, I want to say the things I couldn't say then, informed by everything I've experienced since."
As the audience—students, parents, and faculty alike—watched with bated breath, Yugen dropped a bombshell.
"People on the outside call you 'elites' just because you got into a Magic High School. Personally, I find it hard to believe the nerves of anyone who treats middle schoolers who were in normal classes two weeks ago as 'elites.' It's a shallow way to encourage growth. Some might argue it's only natural for members of the Ten Master Clans to be here, but let me tell you: if we could achieve the results we did at the Nine Schools Competition without effort, we wouldn't be human anymore."
Yugen himself had reached his current heights through a combination of rare talent and superhuman effort. The seniors who had graduated before him were no different.
Some people envied that strength, but as Gozo once said: 'The one who wins in the end is the one who refuses to give up.' Those who failed simply lacked that resolve.
"The Blooms in the front, the Weeds in the back... this entire system, born from the pathetic mistakes of the adults running things, is absurd. Realize that you are only in those seats because of a single entrance exam. If you get complacent and lazy, remember this: magic will become the blade that kills you."
Nearly half of the graduates from Magic High Schools pursue careers related to the National Defense Force. Both students and parents had to understand that entering this school meant potentially walking a path toward the military. It meant entering a profession where one deals with life and death—where one must be prepared for the possibility of a sudden end.
"You may wonder why I'm being so harsh. Five years ago, I experienced actual combat as a magician during the invasion of Okinawa. I wasn't in the rear; like the 'Crimson Prince' who fought at Sado, I was on the front lines, using magic to take down enemies. I can't make you feel what that was like, but I have already lived the future that some of you will face."
Since the media had already learned of the Okinawa incident through Representative Kanda last spring, I saw no reason to hide it. Even if it provided circumstantial evidence pointing toward my Strategic-Class magic, Mirror Dispersion, only those present at the battle could truly testify. Kazama had apparently destroyed the footage anyway to protect Tatsuya's and my identities.
"Of course, becoming a magician doesn't guarantee you'll face such a crisis. But even as a researcher, you will never be truly safe. Whatever path you choose, remember that working with magic carries inherent danger. Being here means you have stepped through the doorway to that reality."
He paused, looking over the crowd.
"That is why the conflict between Blooms and Weeds in this school is a pathetic waste of energy. I can feel the faculty wanting me to stop, but I'll finish my point."
Yugen suppressed the rising tension from the teachers with a sharp flick of his presence.
"Evaluation in this school focuses on three things: activation speed, scale, and interference strength. But the criteria for a national magician license involve over a dozen categories. You will not improve by simply doing what you're told. This school is full of resources—advanced research and literature. Don't waste the chance to learn. If you're the kind of person who starts trouble over who is a Bloom or a Weed, I don't want you to be a magician. Those are the words of my sister, Mitsuya Kana, who currently serves as an assistant instructor here."
If the environment to learn exists, use it. The Weed/Bloom system was already slated for abolition next year. The only hurdle was the lack of instructors, but that was a problem for the administration, not the students.
"Don't settle for what you are taught. If you aren't satisfied, think and practice until you are. The answers to magic aren't held by your instructors; they are held by the magicians who wield it. I've gone on long enough. Let this serve as my address. Once again, welcome. Yugen Kagurazaka, Chairman of the Extracurricular Activities Federation and the Master Clan Council."
Having said his piece, Yugen bowed and returned to his spot next to the Student Council. He considered slipping away, but a single look from Miyuki—a silent plea to "stay close"—kept him in his place. He was weak for her, and he knew it.
The rest of the ceremony, including Miyuki's address and Shina's response, proceeded much more smoothly—at least in comparison to Yugen's cold shower.
The guests, intimidated by Yugen's title, didn't dare try to corner Miyuki or Shina for long. The name "Kagurazaka" carried immense weight among the political and financial elite; the wiser guests knew that poking that particular fire would only result in being burned.
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