by Sato Tsutomu
"But, before that……Miyuki-san, stop calling Tatsuya ‘Onii-sama’. I don’t really mind in public places and the like where the presence of others can’t be helped, but when alone with only the Yotsuba, you should not be treating Tatsuya like your brother."
Okaa-sama didn’t reprove me in a strong tone, but was as if simply regaling me with an undeniable truth.
"You are the one who will follow after Maya and become the head of the Yotsuba. If you’re seen depending on the utter failure that is your brother, it could become a huge minus in the future someday."
"That way of speaking is……!"
I instinctively forgot my restraint, and harshly rebuked my mother.
As tense as I was while listening carefully, no matter how much they were Okaa-sama’s words I simply could not let them go unanswered.
"Calling your own child an utter failure like that!"
"I also think it’s unfortunate, but it’s the truth so it can’t be helped."
"That’s wrong! With his power, Onii-sama saved me!"
"That thing earlier? True, if he can’t at least display that level of……still, that is all he can do."
At my heartfelt objection, Okaa-sama answered in a voice colder than I had ever heard up to now.
It was a voice which had abandoned all hope.
"If Tatsuya has told you to come to me, then I don’t particularly mind. Where to begin……"
As my mother remained deep in thought, without warning the window taking the place of an entire wall changed the projected scenery.
The room full of frantically working operators changed to a bird’s-eye view looking down on the earth.
In that view I saw Onii-sama, having just dropped from the sky.
I looked over at the one who had brought that up, Sakurai-san.
Sakurai-san was wordlessly watching me—watching me and Okaa-sama.
That she didn’t intend to speak a word was obvious at a glance.
I also understood that she knew many things that I did not.
—Okaa-sama didn’t so much as glance at the screen now showing Onii-sama.
"Tatsuya was born defective as a magician."
Okaa-sama didn’t look at me either.
"It’s not that I feel no responsibility for bearing such a child, but the unchangeable fact was that Tatsuya was a hopeless cause as a magician."
That didn’t mean she had closed her eyes.
"From the time he was born, Tatsuya could use only two types of ‘magic’. Decomposition of Eidos, and reconstruction of Information Bodies. Within the concept of these two categories Tatsuya has devised a variety of techniques he can use, but however far you take them, with just those two, it is impossible to alter Information Bodies as a true magician should."
Her eyes simply stared into nothingness.
"Magic are the techniques which modify Information bodies, and thus change phenomena. However trivial the change is, to be able to make the change at all is magic. But Tatsuya is unable to do that. All he can do is break an Information Body down, and recreate it back in an earlier state. That is not magic in its truest sense. That child, who was born without the talent to use magic in the true sense of the term in altering Information Bodies, is unquestionably a defective magician."
Perhaps, what Okaa-sama was looking into, was her own heart……
"Well, that reconstruction ability did end up saving us, but strictly speaking that power is not ‘magic’."
I did not refute her words.
But, I thought.
If that isn’t magic, then just what, should that power be called.
If it is to be given a name other than ‘magic’, then doesn’t that only leave the word ‘miracle’?
"But, we the Yotsuba are magicians who stand amongst the Ten Master Houses, and therefore one who cannot use magic cannot be a Yotsuba. That child, unable to use magic, could not live as one of the Yotsuba. So Maya and I, seven years ago, performed a certain operation on him. Although truth be told, the motivation behind that experiment wasn’t that alone……"
Experiment? Okaa-sama, on Onii-sama?
"The Artificial Magician Plan. A project to implant in the consciousness of a person who isn’t a magician, a man-made magic operation area and thus give him the abilities of a magician."
Artificial Magician Plan. Those words rang ominously in my ears.
"As a result of undergoing that mental reconstruction surgery, that child ended up losing his emotions."
Mental reconstruction surgery? Lost his emotions?"
"No, rather than saying emotions it may be better to say urges. Strong anger, deep sorrow, intense jealousy, grudges, hatred, hungering appetite, sexual lust, blind love. Such ‘beside oneself’ impulses were lost, with one single exception, and in exchange Tatsuya obtained the ability to use magic."
That means……
"Unfortunately, the artificial magic operation area is markedly inferior in performance to that of a natural one, and he could only end up being used as a Guardian."
I won’t believe it, I thought.
There’s no way that could be, I thought.
"The one who performed that ‘surgery’……was it you, Okaa-sama?"
While thinking so, I couldn’t help but ask.
The large ‘window’ now showed Onii-sama, surrounded by well-built adults, making contact with the enemy landing force.
"Who else could do it but me?"
My sincerest wish, that she would deny it, was not to be.
I really should have known.
The Magic Operation Area is not a physical area in the cerebrum, but rather is a direct mental function.
Adding an artificial Magic Operation Area would therefore entail altering the mental structure.
That would be impossible without Okaa-sama’s magic, ‘Mental Structure Interference’……
"……Why would you do that?"
"I’ve already told you the reasons. Let’s answer something more important you wish to know."
—Ah, I see……
I’ve also noticed.
I realised.
In that experiment, it was not only Onii-sama who ended up losing some of his emotions.
I don’t know whether it’s a side effect of that magic, a sense of guilt or some other different mental effect but,
For the first time, I felt terror at this thing called ‘magic’.
This ‘magic’, which could so cruelly alter the human heart.
On the screen, Onii-sama pointed a large pistol shaped CAD at the foe.
Before him, enemy after enemy faded to dust.
"The one exception that Tatsuya didn’t lose…… Answer me that."
"The one impulse left to him, is brotherly love."
—Please stop already, Okaa-sama.
"Love towards his sister, in other words you, and the desire to protect you."
—I don’t want to hear any more.
"That is all he has left, his one true emotion."
But that was not allowed to me.
Holding my two hands in front of my mouth was an instinctive action.
It may have been a conditioned reflex.
There wasn’t really a need for it though.
I was so shocked, to the extent I couldn’t let out a cry.
"Tatsuya himself knows well. That’s what he means by ‘can feel is precious’. He thinks of me simply as his ‘mother’, and the natural parent-child attachment which should go with it does not exist. The only one he can hold dear in his heart is only you, Miyuki. Back then, he simply saved me incidentally. Or perhaps, merely because he determined if I were to die then you would be sad."
"Did Okaa-sama……intentionally choose for this to happen?"
Even though I was speaking myself, it felt like I heard someone else talking. It felt like a me which was not me was moving my body and asking questions.
"I obviously didn’t plan things out to that extent. However, I did think that if the capa
city that was left was only enough for one emotion, then it should be affection directed towards you. Tatsuya will be spending far more time with you, after all."
"Did you say that to O— No, that person?"
"Of course I explained. That child still has plenty of common sense. Having no parental affection is trivial in any case, so there’s no need to worry about it."
When she said that,
Faintly,
I felt I could glimpse Okaa-sama’s suffering that she could not love her child.
"Is there anything else?"
"No……thank you very much."
A part of me, felt that I shouldn’t have asked.
A part of me, also felt truly glad that I did ask.
To squarely face a painful past, and painful truths, yet unflinchingly look forwards to the present and the future.
The screen showed Onii-sama, advancing resolutely into a desolate wasteland.
Neither shell nor bullet could reach him.
Tank-like things pointed their turrets at Onii-sama, and vanished along with the crew inside.
Onii-sama continued without changing pace.
But the soldiers advancing with Onii-sama did not move the same way.
To not be left behind by Onii-sama, they ran as if flying from cover to cover, shooting guns and magic all the while.
Ah!
One of the soldiers was hit.
Seeing the battlefield from a camera in the sky, it’s like watching something right from a movie.
Within the screen, before I could even begin feeling shock, Onii-sama was pointing the CAD in his left hand at the fallen soldier.
When did he?
There was barely any time to even turn his neck.
In the next moment, the soldier began running on the screen again as if nothing had happened.
An enemy turret spat fire.
It didn’t reach.
Onii-sama raised his right hand.
The enemy form disappeared. It was almost like the special effects of a movie.
Allied soldiers fell.
Onii-sama raised his left hand.
Just with that, the fallen soldiers rose unscathed and continued the fight.
What was shown on that screen was to me, with a far greater grasp of magic than not only the general public but most magicians, like a movie with an extremely poor sense of reality.
But those would be the irresponsible thoughts of a bystander.
To the soldiers fighting alongside Onii-sama, it was a fortune beyond their wildest hopes. Any injuries, even fatal ones, were healed immediately as if merely waking from a dream.
To the enemies fighting against Onii-sama, he was terror incarnate. A nightmare who raised their foes, and obliterated all before him leaving only shadows and dust.
Like an Avatar, Onii-sama strode across the battlefield.
All because I had gotten shot.
That was something decreed seven years ago, from the time he was only six.
How can I possibly make it up to him?
What can I do to ever make it up to him?
Even this life now, is something I owe completely to him.
Chapter 15
November 6th, AD 2095 / Yotsuba Main House - Drawing room
It had been one week since they parted at Tsushima base.
On that day, Tatsuya had been dismissed earlier, and beyond what was available to the general public, knew no more about the final outcomes of the battle than anyone else. Having the opportunity to reunite with Kazama here, he tried asking various questions, but it seemed there were many parts unknown even to Kazama.
Exchanging information with Kazama — although all that Tatsuya could provide could not be said to possess certainty beyond the boundaries of ‘rumors’ — Tatsuya, deep in thought, suddenly turned to face the door.
Tension crept down Miyuki’s spine.
From her brother’s expression, she knew.
At last—
"Excuse me."
After a formal knock, the door was opened without waiting for a reply.
Bowing deferentially this time was an elderly butler. Visibly different from the youth earlier, this man clearly possessed a high position.
However, he said no more.
Despite the fact that simply opening the door shouldn’t be the extent of this man’s job.
But neither Tatsuya and Miyuki, nor Kazama felt any suspicion.
Rather, they were thinking similarly, that the only one fit for this role must be this elderly man.
"Thank you for waiting."
For behind the elderly man, stood the figure of the Head of this House.
"I truly am very sorry. Our previous guest simply would not leave……while he had gone far past our appointed time, we couldn’t simply throw him out or such……"
"Please do not be concerned. We know that you are very busy."
Kazama returned Maya’s bow, and at length they both sat down.
"Miyuki-san, my apologies to you as well."
At that, Miyuki also sat down slowly.
However, she said not a word to Tatsuya.
He simply remained standing next to the sofa Miyuki sat in.
In appearance, he mirrored exactly the butler who now stood next to Maya.
White porcelain teacups were set down before three people.
It went without speaking that those three were Maya, Kazama, and Miyuki.
Maya beckoned the two to their tea, and after taking a sip herself, cut straight to the point.
"The reason I have called you here today is because there are some matters stemming from the recent military incident in Yokohama which I would like to tell you."
"To me?"
Maya the civilian was saying that she had things to tell, not ask, concerning military matters to the military man Kazama. Of course he would repeat it.
"Yes, and to Tatsuya-san and Miyuki-san as well."
Saying so, Maya gave a meaningful smile.
Without even having to look bored as she said so, her expression made it plain that her truly pressing matters were for Tatsuya and Miyuki.
"A week ago, the International Magic Association concluded that the blast which obliterated the Zhènhai Naval Port was not in violation of the charter forbidding the use of 'radiation emitting weapons'".
'Radiation emitting weapons' was an abbreviation for 'weapons which contaminate the environment with residual radioactivity', a term mainly used by the International Magic Association, whose purpose is preventing the use of weapons which emit and leave behind radioactive residues as well as the national magic associations affiliated with them. The word 'weapon' was used, but the clause also included any magic which would result in radioactive contamination. The term itself was rare outside the Association, but despite being somewhat of a traditionalist magician, Kazama nevertheless naturally knew about it.
"As a result, the punishment motion submitted to the Association was rejected."
Miyuki's tense expression tensed even further for a moment, then relaxed.
"I was not aware a punishment motion had been forwarded."
Kazama replied in a bland tone. Miyuki knew that there was no way Kazama hadn't at least considered the possibility, but didn't speak a word.
"You do seem rather relaxed. You had no concern about the possibility of a penal detachment?"
By contrast, Maya hit back with a direct question.
Magicians were administered by the state, weapons of the state, and as such belonged to the state.
Even private magicians were forbidden from acting in any way which might go against the national interest. In this respect, globally, the rights of magicians were significantly limited in comparison to those of non-magicians.
Because of that, the International Magic Association had no military force of its own. The magicians belonging to the IMA were not of a scale anywhere approaching a force.
In return, the IMA called for the cooperation of each member sta
te in order to implement multinational teams. If this 'mystery bomb' had resulted in the formation of a penal detail, those various countries which wished for a decline in Japan's national power would have sent their own powerful magicians along as well. As someone involved in the military, that was not a negligible concern.
"I was fully aware and confident that there would be no residual radiation."
Kazama didn't say that she should have been well aware as well. It was so obvious there was no need to do so.
Sure enough, Maya changed the subject.
"Then were you aware that the 'Heavenly General' was present with and perished alongside the fleet?"
"Liú Yúndé?"
At Maya's news, Kazama's poker face collapsed.
Kazama's wide eyes as he asked back was unfeigned.
"Yes, one of the thirteen internationally acknowledged Strategic Class magicians. Nevertheless, the Great Asian Alliance is trying to keep a rather tight lid on information control."
Although there was no such thing as privacy when it came to Strategic Class magicians, Maya laughed.
As she said, Strategic Class magicians, individuals wielding power comparable to weapons of mass destruction, were of great interest to many major powers and of greater interest to their magicians. Aside from gimmicks like Antinite, the only true counter to a magician was another magician, and as such, keeping enemy Strategic magicians in check was a major objective of military magicians.
Thirteen Strategic Class magicians had been declassified for the sake of national prestige, and amongst these so called 'Thirteen Apostles' the only one who had managed to keep a modicum of secrecy was the USNA's Angie Sirius.
Of course Japan was no exception in keeping extensive tabs on the Thirteen Apostles and the Ten Families, with the inclusion of Angie Sirius of whom besides her name — to be precise her nickname and codename — not even her real face was known, and devoted great effort to that field.
"Well with that, I guess the 'Thirteen Apostles' is now the 'Twelve Apostles'."