On the night of April 13, 2096, the Saegusa household was quiet. The children had finished their dinner early, having been told that their father was hosting a guest. Retreating to Izumi's room, Kasumi spent the evening venting her frustrations about the afternoon's events.
"...And then he had the nerve to act like that! He was just so incredibly unpleasant!"
"I see..." Izumi sighed sympathetically. "You did well to hold back, Kasumi-chan."
"I mean, yeah. I knew that if I actually started a fight, the cleanup would be a nightmare. But honestly? Every fiber of my being wanted to just blast him into next week."
Kasumi was sprawled on the rug, hugging a cushion to her chest. As if imagining it were Takuma Shippou, she pummeled the pillow against the floor a few times to punctuate her irritation.
"Even so," Izumi mused, her tone turning analytical, "from what you've told me, Shippou-kun's behavior sounds beyond mere unfriendliness."
"Unfriendly is a polite way of putting it. The word you're looking for is 'hostile.'"
"Right. But that level of hostility... it's hard to explain it as just a simple rivalry between the Club Federation and the Disciplinary Committee."
"Exactly! That's what I'm saying!" Kasumi sat up, clutching the cushion. "That guy wasn't just acting as an executive trainee. He was acting as a Shippou picking a fight with a Saegusa."
Izumi didn't dismiss her sister's claim as mere paranoia.
"Whether he was acting specifically on behalf of his family or not, there was certainly a personal edge to it. I've heard the current head of the Shippou family is a moderate man. Based on the rumors, he isn't the type to go looking for a direct confrontation with us..."
"I wonder if our sister knows anything?" Kasumi asked.
"She should be back in her room by now. Let's go ask."
Finding the unresolved question more unsettling than the grievance itself, Izumi took the lead in heading to Mayumi's quarters.
Mayumi had just finished seeing her guest off and had changed into more comfortable loungewear when her intercom chimed.
"Sister, it's Izumi. May we come in?"
"Go ahead, the door's open," Mayumi replied.
The voice-recognition interface picked up her words and disengaged the lock. Izumi and Kasumi stepped into the room together.
"Sorry to bother you, but we were hoping for your insight on something."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Sister," Kasumi started, skipping the pleasantries. "What kind of person is the current head of the Shippou family?"
Mayumi's first instinct was to ask why they were interested, but the pieces fell into place almost instantly.
"Kasumi-chan..."
"Y-Yes?"
"You had a run-in with the Shippou boy today, didn't you?"
"How did you know?!"
Kasumi didn't even try to play it cool. She had intended to lead into it gradually, but Mayumi's tone was so certain that the truth was startled right out of her.
"Honestly, you two..."
"Please, wait, Sister," Izumi interjected. "It's true that Kasumi-chan nearly ended up in a duel with him, but regarding today's incident, the blame lies almost entirely with Shippou-kun."
Mayumi cast a skeptical eye toward Izumi, but the younger twin's gaze was resolute. Mayumi let out a long breath and allowed her expression to soften.
"Fine. I believe you. So, you want to know about the character of the Shippou head?" Mayumi leaned back, narrowing her eyes as she searched her memory. "Well... I've never met him personally, but the word on the street is that he's a 'steady and meticulous' man."
"Steady and meticulous?" Izumi repeated.
"Yes. Meticulous, cautious, and impossible to read. He's the type to layer plan upon plan, minimizing risk and ensuring a guaranteed return on his investment without getting greedy. He doesn't gamble; he calculates."
Mayumi's answer was perfectly tailored to the subtext of their question. However, this revelation only birthed a new set of doubts for the twins.
"But if that's the case..." Kasumi started.
"Yes," Izumi finished. "That style seems to be the exact opposite of the attitude Shippou-kun showed Kasumi-chan today."
"So you think the Shippou family isn't actually plotting anything against us?"
"Even if they were," Izumi argued, "there's only so much a high school student can do. No matter how much magical power he has, the limits are obvious. Surely Shippou-kun knows that."
"Maybe he has a different backer?" Kasumi wondered. "Someone other than his own family?"
"Now, now," Mayumi interrupted before the theories could spiral any further. "Aren't we jumping to conclusions a bit?"
"Ah... I guess so," Kasumi muttered.
"You're right. We're likely overthinking it," Izumi agreed.
The two sisters laughed it off, but Mayumi could tell that neither of them looked particularly convinced.
Meanwhile, having seen off his own guest, Koichi Saegusa returned to his study. He locked the door behind him and picked up the phone.
"Elder, forgive me for calling at this hour."
"It is no trouble, Koichi. I assume you have something of importance to discuss?" The voice on the other end belonged to Retsu Kudo.
"Yes. A matter of great significance. I was hosting a guest until just a moment ago—someone from the media."
Koichi proceeded to report the details of his conversation with the journalist, Maki Kowamura.
"Based on our discussion today, it seems the groundwork for our media campaign is progressing quite well."
"Knowing you, this isn't news you only discovered today," Kudo remarked. "I imagine you've already investigated every facet of this media operation yourself?"
"You see right through me."
"So, let me ask," Kudo said, his voice carrying the weight of his years. "What exactly are you plotting?"
"The Yotsuba's influence has become too great," Koichi replied, his face illuminated by the glow of his desk lamp. "Before long, they will upset the balance of the Ten Master Clans—and the nation itself. Don't you agree, Elder?"
"You intend to use anti-magic sentiment to clip the Yotsuba's wings?"
"At First High, there are students with deep ties to the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion. Military collusion within a high school filled with teenagers... it's the kind of narrative the press and humanitarian politicians would feast upon, don't you think?"
"Your own daughters attend that school, Koichi."
"In this scenario, the students will be framed as the victims. What I am targeting is the tether between the 101st Battalion and the Yotsuba family."
"I am in no position to 'approve' your plan," Kudo stated flatly. "I have never held such authority."
"Authority or not, you possess influence, Elder."
"...I will not oppose your plan."
"That is more than enough. Thank you."
Koichi hung up, a look of profound satisfaction on his face. On the other end, as the screen faded to black, Retsu Kudo's expression was weary—the face of a man who realized the world was moving into a shadow he could no longer control.
(Even for Mayumi, her sisters are an open book—she knew they'd caused trouble the second they walked in...)
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