Hello there, ITalkToSky here.

Long time no see. I am still alive.

The campus reactivated last month when I was in the final stage of completing this chapter. Since then, I have been busy slaving away in the lab and writing journal article. Frankly, I prefer the former as the latter is just poisonous to my soul.

It was only recently did I dust this chapter and went about polishing it into a version I can put out for your reading pleasure.

Hope you enjoy this one.

00000

First week of September

Sayaka rested her head on the railing, overlooking the activities on the gym down below. She sighed nostalgically, reminiscing the major changes her club had undergone. At the start of the year, Kendo club was a small one. Their practice sessions adhered closely to the tradition. Of course, it was also a breeding ground for Blanche seditious activities, but it still resembled a normal Kendo club on the surface. Then everything changed when the vampiric wrecking ball attacked.

Sayaka remembered the pool of blood that made sloshing sound as the vampire strode through. She huddled along with the rest of her club members, guilty of the same crime as the terrorists. Whether it was simply a matter of convenience or pity, they were spared and then molded for a new purpose. They changed and so did the club.

The rank swelled quite significantly. The Blanche's grubby hands extended way beyond the Kendo club. When they all became members of the organization, the club was their largest congregation, so everyone simply joined. It became a hub for them to mingle.

Of course, the club continued its normal activity, but with a twist. Rather than typical Kendo training sessions, they took a more liberal approach, at least when no one was watching. Swordsmanship remained a key element, but the forms changed to incorporate the teachings they received. Acrobatics were included on the menu. There was really nothing quite surreal like men and women in full armor plates flipping about in the air. Nothing was too serious though. Combat members did not want to exhaust themselves before Meiling got to them and non-combat personnel passively absorb the skill where they could.

Most recently though, the intensity ramped up a little. With non-combat personnel being pressed into the field, they seemed more eager to learn. In return, they began sharing more tips and tricks about mana spells, making it almost like a mini-seminar or lecture. Sayaka once joked that they were slowly cultivated into idealized warriors, skilled in both art and war.

Sayaka leapt to her feet and bellowed. "Maruyama! How many times do I have to tell you not to jump off the railing! You too Tada!"

"Sorry leader!"

"Address me properly."

Sayaka did not say so just to be mean. Jumping off railing was something unthinkable for the previous Kendo club. They at least need to keep up the appearance of normality. This went the same way for rank, which could only be mentioned outside of school. In most practice session, spectators were rare, but it was not good to make bad habit.

"Those two just never learn," Sayaka grumbled.

"Hehe."

"What are you lovebirds laughing at?" Sayaka gave the pair beside her a stink eye.

"S-Sayaka-senpai, what are you talking about? Aoyama and I am not like that."

"Oh really?" Sayaka dragged her voice teasingly. "You seem to be quite happy showing her the rope."

"Come on Sayaka-senpai, all of us went through that together…"

Natsuki trailed off, realizing that he accidentally stepped on a landmine. The cheerfulness drained out of his face, mirrored by the two girls.

"L-let's change topic, shall we?" Aoyama blinking imploringly with her chocolate brown eyes. "What do you think about the upcoming student council presidential election?"

"Coming up at the end of month, is it?" Rolling with the que, Sayaka mused. "I feel somewhat…disconnected. Frankly, I could hardly care less." Natsuki shrugged.

"I get what you mean. The school seems drab in comparison to what we have been through. No matter who ends up winning, it is not like that will affect us anyway."

"Also, it is not like we have much of a choice any, so why bother." Sayaka chuckled.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Aoyama tilted her head.

"Election is a fancy word, Kouhai."

Most people in the school knew this, but some might not get the memo. For the past five years at First High, there was no presidential election. One candidate was selected from the members of the reigning student council to run for the position. The school population would then make a vote of confidence. This was merely following through the motion. Unless that candidate did something egregious, which would not get him selected in the first place, the vote would inevitably go through.

"If that is not enough, not a single person from outside the council ever become the president." Sayaka explained plainly.

"Isn't that just dictatorship? Selecting the successor from within the ruling party?" Natsuki chuckled as if the matter was not concerning him, even if it was the selection for the most powerful position in his school.

First High adopted the policy of student self-determination, delegating most of the power to the Student Council, Public Moral Committee and Club Management Group. It could almost be said that they were junior members of the school administration, partially handling the day-to-day operation and organizing most events. At the top of this food chain was the student council president.

"Frankly, it actually is." Sayaka echoed his cavalier sentiment. "Student council president has the right to appoint or fire any position in their council and even the other committee in school. The only one they truly cannot touch is the chairman of the Public Moral Committee, though they can still strongly influence who gets that position. Haha, if that is not dictatorship, what is?"

"But why fret?"

Aoyama wilted slightly but recovered her energy soon enough. "Aww, but we can still discuss about the candidates though. This time, we might have a proper election, even with only two players in the running. Even if it does not concern us, I must admit I wonder who will win, Hattori-senpai or Nakajou-senpai."

"I don't know, Aoyama. It sounds like choosing between the lesser evil to me. I guess I will go with Nakajou-senpai then."

"Then I will have to disagree. Both make poor choices, but Hattori is marginally better."

Natsuki almost did a double take. "Medic! Where is medic when you need them? Our leader might have suffered a concussion."

Natsuki had known Sayaka for a little less than half a year. During the time when they worked with Blanche, Sayaka had shown vitriolic hatred for the discrimination between Course 1 and 2 students. Hattori had a reputation of being an elitist, though not the worst by far. Natsuki rightly suspected that Sayaka would vehemently oppose any chance of a person like that running the show.

"My head is fine. You on the other hand could use an extra sparring session with Meiling."

"Oh no, no, anything but that."

Aoyama watched their banter and snickered. Meiling training regiment attained a dubious legendary status within their little circle. Those who experienced the depth of her tough love usually embellished their suffering just to get a reaction out of their more bookish comrades.

"Anyway, do you care if someone call you a Weed right in front of your face now?"

"That is adorable. I want to see how those blooms react to that crazy spider lady, the one that went like this," Natsuki raised both his arms, trying to imitate the eight legs that burst from the back of that monster, and earned the laughter from Sayaka. "Do you remember her smile? That is something right out of horror movie."

"They are just going to get devoured…in more ways than one." The precise classification of that Youkai was Jorougumo, meaning whore spider in older writings. They did what it said on the tin.

Aoyama pouted slightly, unable to follow the conversation. She attempted to pull the topic back on track, "still though Sayaka-senpai. Why is Hattori-senpai the better choice here?"

"Ah, right." Sayaka crossed her arms, tilting her head in thought. "In my opinion, Hattori has more bite to him. He can keep people in line."

Natsuki chuckled. "Yeah, Nakajou-senpai seems like she can't hurt a fly."

"Not necessary, I believe she is more than capable of growing a backbone an act. However, that makes for a poor leader. You need someone with a backbone from the start."

Azusa maintained a good reputation and was quite popular with the student. She was sympathetic and kind to both Course 1 and 2. She excelled in both academic and practical. One might argue that practical ability was not wholly necessary in leader people, but having it was better than not. For all intents and purposes, she was the leader suited for good times. Still, Sayaka felt uncomfortably serving under a leader like that.

Without attentive eyes and ironclad resolve, more problems were likely to fester. Azusa would most likely be able to act if the problem appeared severe enough. But leader needed the initiative to act before something became a disaster in the first place. Letting the issue blow up and then fixing it sounded like a bad idea to her, enough to warrant tolerating Hattori over Azusa.

"With that said, Hattori is only better by a bit. If something like Blanche happens again," Sayaka trailed off.

Natsuki shook his head wryly. "That is like the worst-case scenario. No one can deal with that. Even the eldest daughter of Saegusa family could not deal with us."

"Then who do senpai think should be the president? If you can freely choose." Aoyama asked.

Sayaka mused. "No clue…But if it is possible to choose, I would rather have Alice or Lunaire on the seat."

"Or if they are too busy, Mizuki-san is a good choice. She has the steel for it," Natsuki added.

Aoyama squeaked hesitantly. "Ahh…I think they will be a good leader, but I am afraid they will rock the boat too hard."

"Haha, not just rock the boat, but flip the boat. And while the rest are swimming, they will probably taunt them to start running on the water instead."

"I can imagine that happening literally."

Aoyama giggled but was completely overshadowed by the uproariously laughter from the other two. Sayaka and Natsuki had enough lung capacity that their mirth echoed throughout the gym, drawing the eyes of the rest. Rather than disapproval, they seemed curious or eager to join in. Something that got them to laugh without restrain like that was sure to be highly entertaining.

Second week of September

"I have a vague idea why you summoned me, but I swear I did nothing." Lunaire's eyes practically radiated fatigue as if he had rolled his eyes one too many times on that day.

"Are you sure? Everyone was talking for the past week, you know. From the students to the faculties, everyone is saying that you will be running." Mari interrogated, looking half-seriously and half-jokingly.

"Yep, no interest at all. I escaped this office the first time, so there is no way I am diving back in."

Lunaire referred to the beginning of the school years. Mayumi nominated him to the public moral committee and he expertly, in his not-so humble opinion, weaseled his way out of it. Tatsuya was not very amused when Lunaire dumped that responsibility on him.

Frankly, Lunaire felt no obligation to shoulder to deal with the students in First High. One would think it an honor to be holding the reign in such a place, but it truly was not. There was nothing to be proud of about the students of First High, for the most part. Most of them were rather insufferably immature. Though Lunaire might be able to take pride in reforming them up to an acceptable standard of work ethics, he neither had the time nor the energy to do so.

"I thought it is a tradition that the student council passes down the power internally."

"At the end of the day, it is merely a tradition. With so much support from the students and faculties, you stand a very real chance of winning," Mari chuckled.

Mari's statement sounded very flattering, but her tone belied a hidden barb. She sounded him out, looking for any hint that he was tempted by the prospect. Seeing none, she reverted to her natural smile. Lunaire leveled her a stink eye for that gesture of distrust and considered delivering his unfiltered criticism of the students in this school just to prove a point but held back.

The silver-haired magician smothered his irritation behind a mask. They did not know him enough to trust him implicitly, but he had a strong aversion to politic as it reminded him of his younger years. The magical families in the outside world, at least the one he knew, were insidious bunch. Still, he understood that it was quite unfair of him to act like that. Both Mari and Mayumi merely wished that their legacy of positive changes were not perverted or undone by some unknown party.

"Someone like me is not fitting to be the president of First High."

"Why did you say something like that?"

Lunaire fell into a brief silent, mustering his words. "I will say it honestly. Unlike you, Mayumi, I do not have the heart to endeavor for the students of First High. It is not that I cannot, but I do not want to. There is no reason I can find in myself to."

"…" The two young women gave him a muted stare.

"I can feel your genuine love for this place. I admire both of you for making the effort to better this school. Yet, I cannot bring myself to do the same for I do not share that same love. First High is a good school and there are few outstanding individuals studying here. With this feeling, pitching in occasionally is not out of question. It is my devotion that I cannot offer. Rather making a half-hearted effort, I better leave that to the people who care. While I have misgiving about Azusa-senpai's…decisiveness, I have no intention to start anything."

With this, Lunaire felt that he cleared his name and subtly hinted at his disappointment in the school. It was rich coming from a man who chose not to do anything about it, but he had a much bigger fish to fry.

"That is…" Mari mumbled, perhaps not expecting such a long answer to her question.

Mayumi lowered her head slightly. "Lunaire…"

"So, I will be grateful if you can make this misleading rumor stop." Lunaire sighed deeply. "Is there anything else that require my presence? If not, by your leave. I have quite a few things on my mind."

"We are always here to listen, you know?"

"As per usual, I decline."

Friday, second week of September

Café Einebrine, or gentle breeze in German, was situated between the commuter station and First High. Leo, who possessed German ancestry, loved the place for the familiarity from the name alone and led the rest of Tatsuya's group to frequent the place as well. Mizuki joined their little gatherings many times, usually because Erika practically dragged her there whenever she seemed free afterschool.

Frankly, Mizuki never liked the place. She had to cope with a sizable workload from younger age after meeting with the Gensokyo's denizen. By necessity, she learned to manage her time and separate her work from other activities. Café Einebrine was considered a sort of a workplace to her.

The master of Café Einebrine seemed like any normal man in his thirties. Apart from his grey hair and neatly trimmed beard, he seemed like a friendly person that fitted his job like a glove. One would never expect such a man to be the son of a very skilled information broker. He never fully inherited the craft, but his father rubbed off on him. He never did anything illegal but knew who on the other side to go to when something needed done. Therefore, there was simply no way Mizuki could completely relax, knowing the master would always keep his ears open for any juicy bits.

"Mizuki? Mizuki? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, where are we?" Mizuki smiled even after Erika rattled her eardrum.

"Sorry, you seem to be zoning out quite a bit. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I am doing alright." Misumi rubbed her eyes. "It is a little hard to keep focus these days. I need to go to sleep a little earlier."

"Insomnia?" Mikihiko asked worriedly.

"Nothing like that, it is just that I get too absorbed reading."

Erika leaned in and chided. "That's not good, you shouldn't ruin your body like that."

"I know Erika, but sometimes I can't help it."

"Your bookish aura is not just for show, it seems." Leo chuckled.

"I will gladly take that as a compliment."

Mizuki giggled softly. It seemed she glossed over that quite well with the rest. Though, Tatsuya and Miyuki still eyed her like hawks. She had a feeling that she was invited at the behest of the two for interrogation. Granted, they still did not ask anything too invasive, but she would not discount the possibility. Lunaire and Alice told her of their annoying persistence in uncovering their secret, most likely at the whip of Yotsuba Maya.

"Back to the question though. Do you know what happened to Lunaire and Alice? Even Marisa is heading straight home after school as well. Did something happen? It has been like that for weeks already." Erika asked.

Inwardly, Mizuki shook her head and sighed. Erika should have dropped the topic, she thought. "Oh, it's nothing much. They told me they had something they needed to take care personally. As for what, I am not privy to."

"They are your teachers and they still leave without telling you anything," Miyuki inquired.

Mizuki sent her a brief look of annoyance, no doubt registered with the snow beauty. Miyuki should expect at least this much from implying that her teachers were at fault somehow. She quickly let it go though, there was no need to respond to such obvious goading.

"It cannot be helped. Everyone has some private matters they do not wish to share." Mizuki tilted her head cutely and played dumb. "Though I wonder they are doing right about now?"

"Hmm, just what could they be doing?" Miyuki subtly pressed, framing it almost like a pondering rather than a direct question.

"My masters can be mysterious sometimes. Hehe."

If Mizuki wished to play dumb, what could they do about it?

After the start of the fall semester, the surge of mall shoppers died down. Parents finished buying up gifts and school supplies, while the students went back to school. The mall was particularly deserted in the early morning, even on Friday, save for some office workers grabbing their breakfast. Only a handful were browsing around the few opened store.

Among the mallgoers was an unassuming guy in beige pants and drab gray shirts. He could have blended into any crowd if not for his puffy afro-styled hair. Not looking for a place to eat nor a place to shop, his eyes peered down at his unfolded terminal. Using it map function, he let it guide him toward a quaint little shop. Hanging above the automatic door was the name Suzuya CAD.

Inwardly, the man felt very conflicted. His mind whispered to him that this was just a catastrophic waste of time. Ushiyama Kinji dealt in the CAD engineering trade for a long time. An old hand like him knew the possible and impossible of his field. Although his young master had opened his eyes more than once, he still found it might difficult not to chuck the specification sheet straight down the bin. The claimed performance of the Philosophie and Mystery series CAD was an absurdity.

Most thing that sounded too good to be true often was. Yet, this took it to another level. It was clearly a scam on the level of claiming that a handheld terminal had the processing power rivaling a building-sized supercomputer. Kinji wondered what the bastards at that company were thinking. They seemed wanting to scam people but did not even have the brain cells to make their claim believable. A child could probably tell that the specification was too good to be true.

Philosophie and Mystery series CAD were massive frauds. But alas, order was order. If his benefactor wished to know how it ticked, then Kinji would fulfill it to the best of his ability.

After pacing about for a minute or two, Kinji resolved himself and approached the door. Inside, he saw a CAD store like many others. Clean and tidy display shelves lined the walls, while the glass cases showed of their high-end devices. At the back of the store was a counter, manned by a young woman who called out to him.

"Welcome, how may I be of service?"

"Ah…well," Kinji stuttered more than he expected. "I want to buy a CAD."

"Alright, sir. Which criteria are you looking for?" The cute shopkeeper bounded forward with a clipboard. "Are you looking for a replacement? Or buying your child's first CAD? If the latter, then it is necessary to bring them with you."

"I am looking for a new CAD. My old one is falling behind slightly." Kinji chuckled awkwardly. "You see, I heard about this new company and their new CADs series. They had quite an interesting advertisement, so I tried looking around and found it on your store's webpage."

In fact, Suzuya CAD was the only store in Japan to carry the CAD from Atelier de Dantalian for obvious reason. Unlike the Heartfelt Engine that proved itself during the Nine School Competition, there was no proof that Philosophie and Mystery would perform exemplary as the specification claimed. No one wanted to display such obviously fraudulent products. That was just asking for trouble. Kinji could not fathom why this one little store dared.

A look of understanding dawned upon her. "I think I have an idea…you are talking about the Philosophie and Mystery series CAD from Atelier de Dantalion, aren't you?"

"Yes, exactly those."

"Hmm," the petite shopkeeper gave him a sly, knowing smile. "This way, sir."

"Thanks."

The peppy shopkeeper led Kinji toward a small door that led to the back of the shop. Like he expected, it was the CAD engineering room. The sterile white tile was something he had grown awfully familiar with, working in the laboratory and all.

"Sachi will take it from here." The shopkeeper stated before returning outside. "He is interested in our new CAD. You know the one."

The woman in her thirties rose from her chair in front of the monitors. Dressed in conservative office clothing topped off with thin lab coat, she would seem right at home in the lab Kinji worked in. "Hello, I am Sachi Akane, the CAD technician of Suzuya CAD shop. Pleasure to meet you."

Akane extended out her hand, which Kinji took casually. "Ah, pleasure to meet you. I am Ushiyama Kinji."

The woman hummed softly and eyed him up and down. "So…you have quite an unusual taste."

Kinji rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly and chuckled without answering. He could say the same for the owner of this store.

"Forgive me, it is not my place to ask. It's time I to earn my pay."

Akane beckoned Kinji toward one familiar, yet strange machine. It looked like a large rectangular touchscreen, like the waveform measurement device normally linked to the CAD tuning station. This one was not hooked to anything and instead had a small upright monitor hooked to the side. On screen was a spinning logo of Atelier de Dantalian, a stylized book and quill.

"Please put you hand on the panel."

"What is this?"

"This might sound strange, but I am not really sure myself."

Kinji turned toward the woman with a mix of confused and horrified look. The woman giggled openly from his reaction. Certainly, this was not exactly a very reassuring response from a technician responsible for a piece of technology involving with the brain.

"This device came straight from Atelier de Dantalian along with their CADs. I do not know the precise mechanism behind it–proprietary technology and what not. However, I do know that it is used to determine your compatibility with different variants of the CAD."

"Different variants?"

"Both Philosophie and Mystery CAD series all came with five different variants." Akane raised her fingers one by one. "Scarlet, Azure, Verdant, Aurum and Hazel."

"That many? What are the differences between each of them?"

"According to the manufacturer, these are made slightly differently. They said a magician would be compatible with only one of the five and this machine will help determine which." Akane tapped her chin. "It might be to account for the difference between magicians, perhaps?"

"No, I don't think so." Kinji objected instinctively. "The tuning process should adjust just about any CAD to match its operator."

"Exactly what I thought…but this is what was written on the instruction. Since this instrument is being rolled out to the public, it should not be dangerous. Still, I won't mind if you back out."

It smelled very fishy, but in a different way. Kinji first thought that this entire series was a bold face lie, probably a result of some PR department going grossly overboard. This looked a little too elaborate. They invested money to produce supplementary hardware just for their product. Rather than a fraud, a part of his mind thought this was some sort of sketchy experimental technology.

"No… That's okay."

"Then, place you hand on the interface and wait for 15 seconds."

Kinji did as instructed. Just like in a normal psion waveform measurement, the screen glowed for a few seconds and then he was free to go. A little anticlimactic, he thought.

"Hazel, is it? Your favorite color, perhaps." Akane joked as she left toward the storage area.

The next few minute was spent with growing anticipation gnawing at his inside. When Akane returned with a case in hands, Kinji sighed in relief. The box shone like polished silver with large brown crystal embedded on one side. The woman opened to reveal a wristwatch-like CAD, encased within a shock absorbent foam. For a bracelet style, the size was middle of the road. Like the case, the surface shone softly in the light. It would make quite a good fashion item in addition to a CAD. At least they got the presentation on point, Kinji thought.

Kinji watched silently as Akane got to work. The tuning was standard affair. She asked him to put on a headset display and took his psion waveform measurement. Letting the machine do the rough calibration, she fine-tuned everything at the end by hand.

"Now, you know the drill. Step on the platform and cast the spell whenever you are ready."

This was the same old activation speed measurement machine, consisting of a small wheeled trolley on a lane. The onboard computer would measure the time between CAD activation and the actualization of magic ritual to move the object. Kinji had done this countless of time, testing the various doodads that Tatsuya realized.

It started quite normally.

Akane parsed through the stream of data presented on screen until a loud voice caused her to jump in her seat. "What?!"

"Yes, did something happen?"

Kinji did not answer. He had to make sure. He reached for the CAD buttons again. Unlike the first time, his hand trembled. His eyes widened in shock. After soft beep, the otherworldly glow enveloped his hand again as the familiar string of number rapidly circled his arm. Then, it vanished in a fraction of a second.

578 milliseconds…A thoroughly average number, maybe a little on the poorer side. Yet, Kinji openly gawked at the number on display.

From the beginning, Kinji did not aspire to be a CAD engineer. Like many bright-eyed children, he dreamt of being an A-rank magician and the prestige that entailed. It went without saying that he sobered up rather quickly with his abysmal practical ability and shifted his focus toward magic engineering. He did not regret it. His love for magic could be expressed in other ways. Only misery awaited him if he stubbornly insisted on being a magician.

As a magician, he barely made the cut. His casting time for this very test was 846 milliseconds, a far cry from the number on the screen. Kinji tried again and again, but the number before him never breach beyond six-hundreds milliseconds.

This was real. He screamed in his mind and probably out loud too, given the strange look from the technician.

Kinji's aspiration as a magician was over. Even if he had the choice and the time, he grew to love the craft of a CAD technician. And that side of him was roused to full attention at the impossibility before his eyes.

Saturday, second week of September

Tatsuya prepared himself for the surprise. Atelier de Dantalion deserved that level of wariness. They were like a bag of surprise that kept on giving. Whether it was their Heartfelt Engine or their tortuously complex web of connections, all of them painted a surreally confusing picture. So, it was not strange for Tatsuya to expect another surprise from their homegrown CADs. He waited for the announcement with no little eagerness according to Miyuki. When that day arrived however, nothing could have prepared him for the surprise.

When he glanced through the specification sheet of Philosophie series, he snorted in ridicule. The numbers on it went beyond the realm of reason. Most CAD developer sacrificed one aspect to boost another. On the other hand, the Philosophie excelled at everything.

Tatsuya thought they went bonkers in head. Honestly, he could not discount that possibility.

Still, Tatsuya wanted to uncover everything about Atelier de Dantalian. He got Ushiyama to check it out, expecting result more on the line of intel or dirt on the company. The surprise Tatsuya felt when Ushiyama confirmed their ridiculous specs was legendary.

So great was the upheaval that every unessential project in the 3rd R&D section ceased. Unless not completing that task on time would lead to losing millions of yen, it was considered unessential. Even the ongoing projects ordered by Tatsuya himself was pushed down the priority list. Suffice to say, this situation was an all-hands-on-deck kind. Every available technician poured their hearts out for the singular purpose of understanding how the Philosophie ticked.

"Ushiyama-san, how is it?" Tatsuya asked.

It was rare for him to appear in FTL laboratory in person due to the commitment as high school student. Yet, this was something he simply could not miss. He entered the building expecting many things. He did not expect the rest to look hauntingly at him as if they had seen a ghost. They all looked as if they had not slept in months.

"Is there a problem?"

The man slightly as he mumbled. "We need to warn that store. No, not just that store. Anyone who bought this need to return them immediately."

"Is the system dangerous?" Tatsuya blinked in surprise.

Ushiyama faced him fully and looked at Tatsuya as if he just asked the dumbest question imaginable. "Does having a nuclear warhead in your possession sound dangerous?"

"You must be exaggerating."

"Do I look like I am kidding here?" Ushiyama raised his voice, drawing the surprised eyes of the entire lab. "Sorry about that young master, we are all a little rattled after handling these."

Tatsuya waved his hand brusquely. He was not big on formality and being yelled at was nothing new to him, so he did not hold it against the man. Ushiyama must have a good reason behind his reaction, Tatsuya thought.

"I want a summary report. What is wrong with these CAD series?"

"Right, where do I start…" Ushiyama paced back and forth, another rare thing from him. "The system was heavily optimized. Somehow, they were able to shrink the innards down to a little over half the size of anything else in the market without compromising the performance. The cut mass went into armor plates and shock absorbing padding."

Tatsuya cocked his eyebrows slightly. "Impressive, but armor plates?"

"Yes, it weights the same, but can probably take a hit or two from a pistol." Not many CAD, an honest-to-god precision instrument, could boast to be able to do just that.

Ushiyama spoke very quickly and tensely. His tone sounded evasive as if he were skirting the main issue at hand. The topic remained relevant, so Tatsuya saw no need to call him out on it and listened intently.

"Every component is commercially available, though some were heavily modified. But that is not the issue here. Those things cannot explain the anomalous performance of the CAD. We pried everything open until there was only one left…the induction stone."

"…" Whatever comment Tatsuya had in his mind evaporated into thin air from the sheer shock he felt. He thought they must have innovated on the computer nanochips or software architecture. Not in his wildest dream could he imagine this.

"Do you get my point young mater? A-Atelier de Dantalian, was it?" Ushiyama stuttered out the foreign name. "The- they somehow created a new generation of induction stone."

"Impossible…" Tatsuya could not help but said it out loud. He already reached that unthinkable conclusion without Ushiyama having to spell it out, but the implication boggled his mind.

"Right? But no…we stripped down every part and connected it to the test platform. Everything performed according to our expectation, albeit with a little more efficiency. There is nothing too special about them. Guess what happened when we hook the induction stone chamber to one of ours. Massive increase I say." Ushiyama spread his arms to somehow visualize the great improvement.

"Did you open the chamber up?"

"That is another reason that I am sure those guys did it." Ushiyama drew in close and gestured toward one of the worktables. "The chamber was fitted with anti-tampering device. When we opened it up, we found only ash and a bit of water. Though some means that we are currently looking into, the stone was completely disintegrated within a few seconds. They have something to hide in there. What else could it be?"

"This is a military technology." Tatsuya uttered tersely.

"Not just any military technology. It is one-of-a-kind in this world…This is madness. How could they release something like this?"

Atelier de Dantalian did it again. Their action remained as nonsensical as their origin, yet they might have gone too far this time. Releasing something like this to the public was no joking matter. In an age where magicians were viewed as weapon of war, any improvement in that front would be impactful. This went without saying that the ripple caused by a device capable of single-handedly elevating B-rank magicians to A rank would be explosive.

As far as Tatsuya's knowledge went, no one else in the world could achieve this feat. This meant that everyone would do everything in their power to obtain it. In the worst-case scenarios, the fourth world war was on the horizon.

"Can you show me the device?"

"…Sure."

In most circumstance, every physical object had its corresponding signature in the information dimension, called eidos. With his elemental sight, Tatsuya had the privilege of peering into that sea of chaotic data. He had no problem homing on to the signature of this tiny cylinder in front of his eyes. Yet, rather than anything to elucidate the nature of the precious stone within, he saw only black void.

No, there was no definition of blackness as human would understand it in the information dimension. Rather, Tatsuya sensed an impenetrable shell. A region within the cylinder was completely off-limit to him. There was only one explanation he could think of that could cause this. Although he could not sense it from the exterior, the inside somehow contained a dense torrent of psion particle. That led to even more question.

Forming a psion particle shell was not impossible for a magician. They could manage it with high enough psion count and good enough control. However, Tatsuya had never heard of an object capable of the generated the field on its own. No, Tatsuya had seen it before, an object that passively resisted his eyes. He recalled that strange kimono that Lunaire wore during the Nine School Competition.

The connection did not surprise Tatsuya as much as he expected. Lunaire and Alice got their hands on the prototype early so it would not be too big of a leap to assume that they had a role to play in the company. This was a big leap forward. He should feel happy, but for some reason he felt a little conflicted.

Tatsuya was by no mean close to Lunaire and Alice. On the contrary, they were wary of each other. Yet, Tatsuya felt the barest hint of reservation for what he was about to do. Without a choice, this matter would be reported to Maya. Being placed under the coveting gaze of the Demon Queen of the Far East was not a fate he would wish upon them.

Unfortunately, the situation progressed way past the point of no return. If Atelier de Dantalian only released their Heartfelt Engine, Tatsuya thought Maya would be more patient. After releasing something like the Philosophie, he would be astonished if Yotsuba's assets were not mobilized against the company within the next few days. By extension, Lunaire, Alice, Marisa and even Mizuki would be caught in their scope as well.

Monday, third week of September

"Shameimaru-sama…"

The moment the butler pushed open the wooden door, her name was called. From the tone alone, Aya could tell that the speaker was under no little duress. She expected it. Philosophie and Mystery series CAD just dropped a few days ago and with such bold claim as well. Even if they were made available at only a single store, someone was bound to try it out just to disprove the advertisement. What she did not expect was the other two occupants of the room.

Beside Mio was two men, one old and the other not so. Both dressed neatly in suits but gave greatly differing impression. The older man blended in with his attire so well that he seemed plain. He was the type of man that could disappear in the crowd in a blink of an eye. On the other hand, the younger man seemed like an optimistic young man, who seemed inexplicably small for his suit.

"Good morning, Shameimaru-sama. I am Itsuwa Isami."

The younger man stared into Aya's eyes a little too deeply and bowed hurriedly when she glanced back. "I am Itsuwa Hirofumi, pleasure to meet you."

"I apologize for summoning you so early in the morning, but this matter is something we simply cannot wait."

"It is high time I visit my friends in Tokyo, so this is a good opportunity." Aya giggled.

Aya took her time settling in. She eyed the three squirming in their seats with amusement. Perhaps, this somewhat meanspirited mischievousness was a facet of her Youkai nature. The butler placed down a cup of coffee in front of her, causing Aya to pause slightly. She highly preferred tea. In fact, her palate and coffee fiercely disagreed. No matter how much milk or sugar she dumped into the cup, Aya could never erase her distaste for the drink, unlike the red tea normally served in Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Is coffee not to your taste?"

"Do not worry too much about it. Water will do."

"Understood, Ma'am."

As the butler turned back toward the refreshment cart on the side, Aya turned to the three and steeled her expression. For a being that weather the passage of a millennia, Aya had the aura to show for it. Hidden and rarely seen, she pulled it out for this special occasion. The shift in her persona lend a degree of gravitas for the situation.

"Let us cut straight to the chase. You summoned me to inquire about our lines of CADs, Philosophie and Mystery series, correct?"

Isami wiped a bead of swear on his brows. "Yes, it is precisely that reason we called you here. You have no idea of the chaos you caused for us." Isami came off a little harsh in his speech, tempting Aya to toy with him a little.

"Oh, believe me I do have some idea." Aya's red eyes glimmered mysteriously and locked onto every minute movement. "Let me guess, someone tested our CADs and found it surprising that our vaulted specification is not a lie. I could imagine many people are feeling regretful not reserving some for themselves?"

Such nonchalant answer caused Isami to raise his voice and lean forward. "Shameimaru-sama, this is not the time to be joking around. Do you know how many people practically battered on our gate, seeing that your company is under our fold?"

In the face of Isami's frustration, Aya merely raised an eyebrow. "Is that not par for the course? You could not have expected the ten years deal with Di Avini Conglomerate to come cheap now, could you?"

According to Lisette, Isami practically jumped on the deal. He could not be blamed too much though. Lisette knew exactly cook up the deal in just the right way to make Isami salivated. Still, he took the benefit and thus expected to fulfill his part of the agreement.

"It is the matter of magnitude, Shameimaru-sama." Isami sighed deeply as he sunk back into his seat. He kneaded his forehead. "You should have discussed your moves with us first. We expected to be dealing with business rival not every branch of National Defense Force and every other Ten Master Clans. No favor could have been worth this."

"So, what should our side do then?" Rather than a simple innocuous question, her word carried a challenging tone.

"First, you must pull the CAD from…"

With his hand still covering his eyes, Isami did not notice the shift in the atmosphere. When Aya heard his response, she grinned devilishly. Her smile showed hints of satisfaction and mocking glee. Mio saw this and tried to warn her father.

"Wait, father…"

Aya interrupted before she could finish. "That was a trick question, Isami-sama. The better question is under what authority can you make our company do anything?"

As if the thunder suddenly struck down between them, the silence drowned the room. Hirofumi's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such a challenging remark from the prim and proper lady before him. He glanced back and forth between his father and Aya. Isami's expression tightened as his entered a staring contest with the red-eyed woman. Aya continued unfazed.

"From the start, you mentioned that my company is under your fold, preposterous. You are neither our shareholder nor patron, so we do not answer to you. As equal business partner, we traded that favor for your protection, nothing more and nothing less. We owe nothing else to you other than to fulfill our side of the deal, which we did. In advance, I might add."

"Then unfortunately, we will have to back off from our deal. We cannot allow a loose cannon to ruin the future of entire clan. If you will not allow us any say in your action, your company is more a liability than asset." Isami answerer plainly, but Aya could see the corners of his lips rising. The man still thought he held the upper hand and it was Aya's job to show him the error of his ways.

"…very well."

"Hm, I am glad we can come to agreement."

Rather than the vexed expression Isami expected, Aya grinned even wider. Her red eyes shimmered, inviting the beholder to be lost in their devilish charm. With a crisp and authoritative tone, Aya countered.

"Shameimaru Aya is a woman who has a clear division between something she wants and needs. Itsuwa's protection falls solidly on the first category. We had something to spare and made a play, but it seems to have fallen through." Aya rose confidently from her seat. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will see myself out."

"Please wait, Shameimaru-sama. Please don't be rash." Mio attempted to stand just like normal person would in that situation, but her weak constitution cut that short. She winced in her seat briefly but bit down the pain to continue her words. "Without Itsuwa, your company will not tide through this crisis. Do you not understand what chaos you have unleashed? Even in Japan alone, everyone is poised to tear your beloved company apart."

Aya who was making her way toward the door paused and glanced at the girl in the wheelchair. Her expression softened slightly. "Mio-sama, let me answer your question with another question. Is there that much of a difference between facing down an entire country compared to facing down an entire country san the Itsuwa?"

"Yes," Mio answered as firmly as her voice could allow. "There is a difference between having allies and none at all."

"Perhaps…yet having Itsuwa on side alone will not be instrumental to our plan. It is not as if your family alone could help hold against the pressure of an entire country, so you cannot expect us to grovel at your feet."

"You speak as if your company can…"

Mio's eyes widened as she covered her gaping lips. Seeing that expression, Aya smiled. Mio had good head on her shoulders. While it was something anyone with a speck of braincell could figure out in time, she did so very quickly in this shocking situation. Unlike Isami who reacted almost instinctively to political stimulus, Mio maintained a semblance of calmness. Rather than purging any perceived threat immediately, she tried to understand it for making judgement.

"Hehe, it seems you have finally realized our plan. Yes, it is exactly as you thought. The company is no longer necessary. We have already proven ourselves to be capable of manufacturing next generation of induction stone." Aya smiled mysteriously with a hint of smugness. "Can you imagine how many countries will literally beg for us to move over? As a new startup with no tie to this country, there is little reason preventing us from relocating. It will be nice to continue using our existing production line, but we are perfectly willing to treat it as our investment. I am sure our new homeland will be perfectly willing to reimburse every yen and more."

"Isn't that quite dangerous?" Mio chewed on her word a little, trying to find nicer sounding words. It was not her intention to threaten Aya as she saw how well that ended with her father. "A lot can happen before you can move."

"If you are genuinely concerned about our safety, worry not over it." Aya turned to face Mio fully. "Philosophie series CAD has only one secret. Apart from the production of its induction stone, just about anyone else could manufacture the device. Hypothetically, even if someone break into our facility, they will find no clue about the stone. Its production method is known to a handful of individuals and long as they can get away, this country will lose access to this technology forever."

"It is overconfidence to assume that everything will go as plain when facing the might of a country." Mio stated probingly. Aya seemed utterly confident and she wished to know the reason.

"Is that so? Our victory condition is smuggling those individuals out. You do not even know who they are. Even if you found them, they are protected by an elite cadre of magicians that can give you Ten Master Clans a run for their money. I like that odd very much."

"Then why did you contact our clan?"

"Our ideal goal is to remain in Japan if that is somehow manageable. Think of it like buying a chair. If we can easily afford a more expensive one, we might as well make ourselves more comfortable."

Isami looked as if he bit on a bug. It was not every day that someone compared Itsuwa clan to a chair. Hirofumi firmly held his father back from jeopardizing the effort of his sister. Mio seemed to be the only one with any degree of rapport with Aya.

Saying that the eyes were the windows to the soul was a cliché. Yet, it was so commonly used simply because of the truth in the statement. Mio could swear she saw something ancient in those shockingly red eyes. It was unknowable yet at the same time commanded respect like no other. Even Kudou Retsu fell woefully short of this standard.

"Since you have that much foresight to see through my plan. I will ask this question only once. Are you sure that you will renege on our deal?"

"What benefit is in it for us? Apart from the business deal, that is…"

"Then let me ask you another question instead. Is it better to become one among many, an ignorable existence among others, or to become the only one?"

"…"

"More than you appreciate, Itsuwa occupies the one and only enviable position. Although without any direct say in our action, your family is probably the only entity in Japan that we are willing to lend an ear to, in appearance of course. Thus, many will look to you to mediate between Atelier de Dantalian and other parties. I don't have to say any further now, do I?"

Aya's message could not be clearly. If Itsuwa backed out of their deal and joined in with the other Ten Master Clans and the National Defense Force, they would just be a small fish within a larger shoal. No one would care about their existence at all. After a few more years, Mio would die and with her, the last redeemable quality of the clan. On the other hand, they stood to benefit much from sticking with Aya. If the possibility existed for the Itsuwa to put in a few good words while negotiating with the Atelier, everyone would try their best to keep them happy.

"It will not be an easy position to hold indeed. But if you are up to the task…perhaps, even the likes of Saegusa will have to be a little more considerate to your clan." Aya giggled conspiratorially. "Of course, it is within reason. We have no intention of enforcing Itsuwa's primacy over Japan."

The whole picture stunned the three Itsuwa speechless. This was a gamble, an all-in. For the chance to permanently cement their place in the political landscape of japan, they would put the future of their clan on the table. This was preposterous and utterly unthinkable. The three had different motivations, yet none would dare gamble with the clan lightly. Yet, even the political animal like Isami had to admit, he was tempted. Very.

"What would you have us do?"

"Nee-san!"

"Quiet, Hirofumi, at the very least we should hear her out."

"Ah, finally, the real discussion begins." Aya smiled with satisfaction as she returned to her seat. "I am sure you have been bombarded with many unreasonable requests, yes?"

"Demand is a more fitting word. From yielding our 'control' over your company to disclosing the secret to the production of the induction stone to completely restricting the sale of Philosophie series…the military especially are particularly vocal. They wish to, in their words, prevent the flow of military secret from Japan. They are already treating you company as governmental property in all but name."

Being bombarded with one aggressive demand after another also left quite the bitter taste on Mio's tongue and her tone showed. This was both understandable and convenient. At the very least, Mio seemed much easier to convince than her father.

"And it will be your job to contradict them."

"How?"

"Rather simple, tell them the truth that Itsuwa has no tangible hold over our company." Aya crossed her legs. Her ink-black hair partly concealed her eyes. "However, you are the party we trust in this country. With Japanese interest at heart, you can play the role of the mediator in the negotiation."

Mio tilted her head and blinked. "You want to play the bad guy?"

"Yes…we will be the capricious company that can leave this country for greener pasture at any moment. You, on the other hand, is the one with the remotest chance convincing us to stay." Aya propped her head up on the armrest, smiling deviously. "Please reply to them that because all the ridiculous demands, Atelier de Dantalion had no intention of negotiating. The preparation to shut down our operation is already underway. The western European Bloc already contacted us through our connection with Di Avini Conglomerate. Your family, Itsuwa had tried their best to persuade us, but we would not budge until they tone down their pressure."

"With this, we will seem like an unwitting accomplice who tried our hardest to keep your company in the country." Mio concluded.

Aya nodded. "And at the same time, we can peacefully operate in this country."

When Aya finished, no one could bring themselves to speak. Both Isami and Hirofumi glanced between Mio and Aya, barely containing their shock. With no rhyme nor reason, the two women just hashed out a plan that sounded so treasonous right before their very eyes. Yet, at the same time, that might not be the case.

After all, the end goal was allowing Atelier de Dantalian to operate in Japan. That was a great boon to the government, so one could not fault Itsuwa clan from extracting a little recompense for their effort. Isami found himself more and more convinced with the plan.

"Still, you cannot expect them to sit still so easily." Mio shook her head slowly. Rather than appearing unconvinced, her eyes told Aya that Mio bought into their plan. "They needed something to keep them happy for the moment. They have appearance to keep as well as other considerations like national defense. If you completely stonewall all their demands, I fear that the future will always be rough for both of us."

"Of course, we have prepared a compromise. One thing you should know about Philosophie series was the anti-tampering devices fitted around the stone. I am confident to say that it is impossible to extract the stone intact after assembly. Even our technicians cannot do so. If something goes wrong with the stone, the entire chamber must be changed for a new one. No one can reverse engineer our induction stone. So…what will they say if we agreed to sell Philosophie series only in Japan, at least for the moment?"

Mio rubbed her chin, thoughtful. "Will that not cut into your profit margin?"

"We still do not have the production capacity to supply whole world and it will take at least a year or two before all domestic demand is satisfied. And I am sure, the military will be more than happy to fill in for that demand, yes?"

Mio chuckled. "I have a feeling that they will keep buying whatever comes out of your factory just to spite the other nation."

"All the more money for me." Aya took a sipped of water, giving herself time to collect her thought. "Of course, we won't be doing this for free. I will be asking for some financial incentive in return, along with other privilege. As the only producer of this miraculous one-of-a-kind CAD, it is the least we deserve, no?"

"What if that is not enough?"

"It depends on what other concessions they wanted. We are willing to consider it. However, if it is anything like the one, they put up currently, they should not even bother."

Aya drummed her fingers on the armrest. Those people should be grateful her organization even entertained the thought of negotiation. Metaphorically, her company held a royal-straight-flush in their hand. With the mere threat of leaving the country, she could be quite unreasonable with her demand. Of course, pushing too far was unwise as it would be detrimental long term. They could not leave the country for real as Gensokyo would not go anywhere. If they could not secure a position by the time their bluff was called out, the situation would be most precarious.

"This is probably the first time for me to see a company daring to wrestle with the government directly."

"My, Mio-sama, we are nothing if not daring." Aya giggled softly.

There was a lull in the conversation. Both sides gauged each other. The three Itsuwa felt they were being read, while Aya seemed inscrutable as ever. In the end, they relented. It was clear that Aya would push this plan forward, with or without them. With very real chance of success, Itsuwa had no choice but to go all-in as well.

"Is there something more you wish to discuss?"

It was a little ironic for Mio to be the one asking that question. Itsuwa summoned Aya but ended up being the on the receiving end of the instruction instead.

"Since you agree to cooperate, I will you one piece of information that may help you sell the deal to the government."

"Do you still have more surprise in your hat? Please don't." Mio said hurriedly, coughing softly all the while. "Philosophie and Mystery series CADs are way more than enough to upset the geopolitical landscape. We don't need any more."

Hirofumi nodded furiously as he added. "We can't handle anymore!"

Aya giggled at their antic. Since their difficult talk concluded, she eased back on the tension and leaned back in her seat. Her teasing devilish grin rolled back to a more cheerful one. "It might be a little too late as the surprise come in the same package as our CADs."

"Is something up with them?"

"Rather than something up, there is one piece of information not included in the publicly available specification sheet. You will probably discover about it on your own, but it might be better if I just tell it straight."

"…" The three's faces paled in unison, a good show of family solidarity.

Aya retrieved a packet of paper from her briefcase, which the Itsuwa family eyed with utmost dread. Her Youkai side found their parched white faces very delightful and could not help but giggled softly as she handed the document to Mio.

"What is this?" Mio looked at the large red stamp, marking the information within as top secret.

"This is a summary report on a certain…special property of our induction stone…with all the sensitive information omitted, of course. There are only some experimental data and the brief interpretation of the result, so you can keep this for reference later." Aya took a sip of water, letting her message stew a little. "You see, our induction stone is capable of harmonizing with the psionic waveform of the user. As outlined in this document, as one continues to operate the CAD, the performance will slowly increase."

The Itsuwas widened their eyes in unison. Not in their wildest imagine did they think that vaulted capability of Philosophie and Mystery-series CAD could be improved even further.

"There is a limit to this, but the improvement is not small. In layman term, the difference is enough to bridge the gap between high B-rank magicians to low A-rank or more."

As expected, Aya completely broke the three. Only after a few minutes and a hard reset did their brains started processing the information. It took another moment for the panic to set in. And oh boy did they panic.

00000

And there it is.

You might be wondering why I allow Tatsuya to make connection between Lunaire and the CAD defense mechanism. This is because I find it the most logical conclusion. Tatsuya is a smart person, so he should be able to connect the dot easily enough.

After releasing the CAD, there is no hiding it any longer. I find it contrived to be half-baked otherwise. Lunaire and Alice already showed their ability during the Nine School Competition because they needed the publicity. They needed to be someone who mattered, so being all sneaky is contradictory.

Also, I am not a fan of other characters being stupid just so that the main cast can hide their secret. It is a disservice to both Mahouka cast, for being too stupid to realize, and Touhou cast, for needing other to be stupid to hide themselves. The cat is already half out of the bag. The only place that cat is going is out.