Thursday night, April 19th. The first signs of an approaching storm reached Tatsuya via a secure phone line.
"Tatsuya-san, thank you again for the warm hospitality during my sudden visit the other day."
"You're very welcome," Tatsuya replied evenly. "More importantly, what news do you have for me today?"
"Honestly, Tatsuya-san... couldn't you indulge in a little small talk first?" Kuroba Ayako's voice carried a playful pout.
"Perhaps another time."
"I suppose that will have to do for today," she sighed, her expression shifting to one of professional gravity. "I do have urgent business to discuss, after all."
"I'm listening."
Faced with such a blunt response from the man she admired, Ayako knew there was no point in pushing for sentiment. Tatsuya was already focused entirely on the "urgent business" at hand. Even through the screen, his gaze was so piercing it felt as though he were looking right through her; Ayako reflexively averted her eyes, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
"The specific schedule for the matter Vumiya mentioned has been finalized. Next Wednesday, April 25th, a member of the National Diet will be conducting an inspection of First High."
"Is it Representative Kanda of the Civil Rights Party?"
"It is. You're very well-informed."
"On the contrary," Tatsuya noted dryly. "He was the most predictable choice."
"Fair point," Ayako giggled.
Representative Kanda was a rising star in the opposition—a young politician known for his "human rights" platform and his extreme hostility toward the National Defense Force. His media presence had spiked suspiciously over the last week.
"It seems Kanda plans to descend upon First High with his usual entourage of hand-picked journalists," Ayako continued.
"And once he's 'descended'? What is his objective?"
"That, I'm afraid, remains unclear."
"I see. So he hasn't prepared a truly elaborate trap yet."
"I... beg your pardon?" Ayako blinked, looking slightly dazed. "How on earth did you reach that conclusion from what I just said?"
Tatsuya simply nodded, his expression one of calm certainty. Because this conversation was private, Ayako let her guard down, her face briefly reflecting the confused, youthful innocence of a girl her age.
"If there were a massive stage being set, you wouldn't have missed it, would you, Ayako?"
"...I'll take that as a compliment," she murmured, regaining her composure.
"It was meant as one."
Ayako looked as if she wanted to press him further, but faced with Tatsuya's impenetrable, iron-clad poker face, she gave up with a resigned smile.
"As you suspect, Tatsuya-san, it doesn't seem they are planning anything particularly sophisticated. It's likely just his usual grandstanding. However, his pet journalists will undoubtedly take that performance and inflate it tenfold to stir up a public outcry."
"I see. That sounds plausible. Thank you for the warning; it's very helpful."
"I look forward to seeing how you handle this, Tatsuya-san," Ayako replied with a refined smile and a polite bow before ending the call.
The following morning, Friday, April 20th. Before the start of classes, Tatsuya summoned Azusa and Isori to the Student Council room.
"What?! That's a disaster!" Azusa cried, nearly kicking her chair over as she stood up.
"...Is it really something to get that worked up about?" Kanon asked, having followed Isori into the room as she usually did.
"It's a grave matter, Kanon," Isori corrected her gently. "On the surface, Kanda's rhetoric seems to champion the rights of magicians. But his logic—labeling any military involvement with magicians as an absolute evil—is a thin veil. His true intent is to strip magicians of their agency and prevent us from having any role in national defense."
"I mean, I get that, I guess," Kanon shrugged. "But isn't Kanda's target the military and the school? Not us personally?"
"And what happens when our freedom is collateral damage?" Isori asked.
Kanon still looked unconvinced, so Isori elaborated.
"If people who want to stop the military from utilizing magicians gain power, they'll surely ban Magic High School students from applying to the National Defense Academy. They'll block Magic University graduates from commissioning into the force. They'll try to restrict us from even taking an interest in national security. Our career paths will be choked off."
Azusa listened to Isori's explanation with a look of deep concern, while beside her, Tatsuya stood silently with his eyes closed.
"So, Shiba-kun," Isori turned to him. "How do you plan to handle this? I assume you have an idea, since you called us here."
"I do. Their goal is to claim that Magic High Schools have become breeding grounds for soldiers and that the schools are coercing students into military service. If that is their angle, we simply need to demonstrate that magic education produces results far beyond military applications. To that end, I want to hold a... somewhat flashy demonstration to coincide with Representative Kanda's visit."
"...Flashy?" Azusa asked warily.
"...This is your idea of 'somewhat'?" Isori added, his voice skeptical.
The two seniors exchanged a look of pure exasperation.
"The preparations will be extensive," Tatsuya admitted, "but the demonstration itself isn't fundamentally different from the discharge or implosion experiments we conduct regularly. At least, not in appearance."
"The appearance might be similar, but the meaning is worlds apart," Isori countered. "It would certainly be effective, but Shiba-kun... can you really do it? Can you actually manifest a Standing-type Gravity-Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor—one of the Three Great Puzzles of Weight-Type Magic?"
"I cannot build a functional model yet. It wouldn't even qualify as an experimental reactor, as it won't have a physical housing. However, I can produce a demonstration of the reactor's potential that is far more spectacular and easier to understand than last year's Thesis Competition."
"The 'Stellar Reactor'..." Azusa whispered, looking at the data Tatsuya had displayed on the electronic whiteboard. "Is this your original plan, Shiba-kun?"
"It isn't mine alone, but yes. The required magic skill is still too high for practical use, but with the combined talent of this school's students, we can keep an experimental core active for a short burst."
Azusa finished reading the proposal and looked at Isori.
"I see... I understand. Isori-kun, I want to cooperate with Shiba-kun on this. What about you?"
"I'm in," Isori nodded firmly. "A public experiment of a Stellar Reactor... I'd want to be involved in that even if it weren't about stopping Kanda. As an aspiring magic engineer, I can't pass this up."
Having secured his two key collaborators, Tatsuya offered a brief nod of thanks and headed to his classroom for the morning's lessons.
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