MTLNOVEL Chapter 17: Chapter 16: A Fated Reunion
First High, Class 1-A
Classmates around Honoka debate which classes to observe, some mocking Course 2 students. Ignoring them, Honoka stands to meet her friends but bumps into a boy—shorter than average, about Shizuku's height—who falls to the floor.
"Wah!?" Honoka gasps.
"S-sorry! You okay?" she asks.
"Yeah, my fault for not looking. You're the one who fell earlier, right?" he replies.
Honoka tears up, mortified by his recollection, but the boy brushes off his uniform and apologizes. "Sorry. I'm Mutsuzuka Toya. Nice to meet you."
"Mitsui Honoka. Toya's fine?" she asks.
"Yeah, surnames feel stiff. Where're you headed for observation?" Toya says.
The room buzzes at his surname, but Toya ignores it, focusing on Honoka.
"I'm meeting my friend. Wanna join us?" she offers.
"Really? That'd help. I barely know anyone here," Toya replies.
Honoka agrees, still embarrassed by her earlier stumble. She spots Shizuku, but Miyuki's surrounded by male classmates. Honoka hesitates.
"Excuse me, Shiba-san," one boy says.
"Yes?" Miyuki responds, unfamiliar with him due to the Yotsuba clan's social constraints.
"Which class are you observing?" he asks.
"I'm following the teacher," Miyuki says.
"Same! Course 1 students stick with the guide, right? Not slumming it with the spares," he sneers, referring to Course 2 students.
Is he an idiot? Toya thinks, exasperated. He'd watched yesterday's ceremony from afar, noting Miyuki swarmed but safe with the student council president nearby. He recognizes the boy—Morisaki, from a Hundred Families—whose elitism indirectly insults Miyuki's brother. Pitying Miyuki, Toya whispers to Honoka.
"Help Shiba-san out. I'll wait outside," he says.
"Okay! Miyuki-san, let's go to the meeting spot!" Honoka calls.
Toya's plan works. Honoka pulls Miyuki away, joining Shizuku. Outside, they meet Toya, and Shizuku speaks up.
"You're the one who bumped into Honoka," she says.
"Embarrassingly, yes. Mutsuzuka Toya, nice to meet you," he replies.
"Kitayama Shizuku," she responds.
"Shiba Miyuki. Are you that Mutsuzuka?" Miyuki asks.
"Yeah, younger brother of the Mutsuzuka clan head, Ten Master Clans. Call me Toya, though," he says, downplaying his status.
Miyuki, Shizuku, and Honoka nod, but Honoka pales, realizing she collided with a Ten Master Clans member—a fact sure to spread. Toya, sensing her worry, reassures her.
"My fault, Honoka. Don't sweat it," he says.
"Th-then call me Honoka!" she blurts.
Shizuku chimes in, "Give up, Toya. Call me Shizuku too."
"I have an older brother, so Miyuki's fine," Miyuki adds.
"Alright, Honoka, Shizuku, Miyuki, nice to meet you," Toya says.
The four head to the observation meeting point, trailed by boys eyeing Miyuki. Toya sighs, half-tempted to call them stalkers. Noticing Honoka's dirty blazer, Miyuki cleans it with magic sans CAD, impressing Toya, who shifts topics.
"Those guys bothering Miyuki? Morisaki, from the Hundred Families. Their [Quick Draw] is well-known. Seems he's into you, Miyuki," Toya says.
Miyuki nods, treating it as trivia, unfazed by Morisaki's interest. Toya senses his chances with her are zero.
"Shizuku, do you know Nagano Yuto?" Toya asks.
"You know him too?" Miyuki replies.
"Call me Shizuku, and drop the formal tone. Yugen transferred to our middle school in second year. We were classmates," Shizuku says.
"He's my lifesaver from a family trip—literally," Miyuki adds.
Honoka feels a pang of jealousy as Shizuku and Miyuki bond but stays quiet. Toya intervenes.
"Sorry to interrupt, but is this guy a magician?" he asks.
"Definitely, and strong. He used [Inferno], a vibration spell, controlling 64 high- and low-temperature zones perfectly," Shizuku says.
"Sixty-four!? Even 32 area spells is advanced," Toya exclaims.
Miyuki, knowing Yugen's prowess from Okinawa alongside Tatsuya, agrees he could match her brother. Shizuku and Honoka know a side of Yugen she doesn't, and their account rings true.
"Didn't know you knew him too, Miyuki," Shizuku says.
"Same here," Miyuki replies.
Honoka senses an odd tension despite their friendliness—like a dragon and tiger sizing each other up. Toya feels it too, relieved Yugen isn't here. Unbeknownst to them, "Nagano Yuto" isn't enrolled at First High.
Yugen's Perspective
After the chaos in Hokkaido—sacrificing cadets and tanks, all incapacitated but alive—I return to the Mitsuya estate before noon, grabbing a meal on the flight. Exhausted but determined, I change into First High's uniform. Most of my stuff's already at the Shiba residence, so my room's clear. Heading out, I run into Shirou Yaguruma, a Mitsuya servant.
"Shirou-san," I greet.
"Off to school, Master Yugen?" Shirou asks.
"Got dragged into military work. Shirou, you can grow stronger—strong enough to protect Shina. I guarantee it," I say.
"Take care," Shirou replies.
I know my late arrival will draw eyes, so I use body techniques to slip past unnoticed, boarding the commuter. At First High past noon, I deposit my CAD at the office and head to the staff room when a voice stops me.
"New student?" a woman asks, her low-cut attire unfit for a teacher.
Her figure marks her as Counselor Ono Haruka. I recognize her from the original story and my "investigation" as a Public Safety affiliate. I explain my absence from the ceremony due to "family matters."
"You're Mitsuya Yugen, right? I'm Ono Haruka, counselor. Can you come to my office for your ID card and orientation?" she asks.
"Sure," I agree.
In her office, timing perfect, I get my ID card and orientation. Course registration can wait until tomorrow. Haruka makes a request.
"I'd like you to check in periodically about school troubles," she says.
"Related to counseling?" I ask.
"Yes, just to ensure you're adjusting," she replies.
I'm wary—she might probe my identity—but I'm ready to act if needed. I'd rather avoid hassle, so if she sticks to school matters, I will too. Noting her bold dress, I say, "As top student, I doubt I'll have issues."
"But you're that Mitsuya, right? Teachers are terrified," Haruka says.
What? "My parents never mentioned this!" I think, stunned.
I only heard glowing family stories about First High. Mototsugu and Shizuru are fine, but what did Kana and Mika do? I ask Haruka.
"I've heard nothing about teachers being scared. Can you share what you know?" I ask.
"Mostly from senior staff, okay?" she says.
I'm floored. Their antics earned the Mitsuya name "Untouchable." Speechless, I avoid details.
"Sorry, I'm already discouraged," I admit.
"You'll be fine!" Haruka encourages.
"With seniors knowing Kana and Mika? I'll try," I sigh.
Leaving, I notice the sunset. Time slipped away. Heading to the main gate, I spot a commotion—Course 1 and 2 students arguing. Using [Kaleidoscope], I confirm it's a familiar scene from the original story. Psion spikes flare from a Course 1 student, a Course 2 boy rushes to stop it, and a Course 2 girl and several Course 1 students prepare spells.
I could walk away, but as a Shiba freeloader, it's time to reveal myself to Tatsuya and Miyuki. No time like now.
"Well, sooner or later," I mutter.
Canceling [Kaleidoscope], I step forward and vanish.
Tatsuya's Perspective
I'm troubled, and so is Miyuki, watching anxiously. She didn't cause this, and I reassure her.
"Don't apologize, Miyuki. It's not your fault," I say.
"Yes," she replies.
Course 1 and 2 students face off, with another Course 1 group nearby. The Course 2 trio—Leo, Erika, and Mizuki—stand firm. I grasp Leo and Erika's boldness but am surprised by Mizuki's resolve despite her fear.
"We need to consult Shiba-san!" a Course 1 student demands.
"It's just a moment of her time!" another adds.
Leo and Erika retort that Course 1 students have more access to Miyuki, making their demand unfair.
"Handle it during activities! You have time!" Leo snaps.
"Consultations need consent. Ignoring Miyuki's will breaks rules," Erika adds.
"Shut up, Weeds! Don't lecture Blooms!" a Course 1 student shouts.
I note Leo and Erika's unlikely alignment, but the Course 1 students' elitism—claiming superiority—feels childish. Mizuki speaks up.
"We're all freshmen! How are Blooms so superior?" she challenges.
"Bad move," I mutter, drowned out by the crowd.
Morisaki Shun, smirking, responds, "How superior? I'll show you!"
He aims a gun-type CAD at Leo's group, others activating spells. Leo charges Morisaki, while a Course 1 girl tries to intervene with her CAD. Chaos looms. Miyuki looks to me, and I prepare to act but pause, sensing something.
"Brother!?" Miyuki exclaims.
"No need for me to step in," I say.
As if on cue, activation sequences collapse, dismantled by [Gram Demolition], a counter-magic blasting psion constructs. The intervening Course 1 girl's spell is destroyed, but someone catches her, preventing harm.
"What!?" Morisaki gasps.
"Huh!?" Erika stammers.
"What happened?" Leo mutters.
Morisaki's and Erika's CADs are gone, held by a Course 1 boy standing between them, facing away.
"Using CADs to attack here? Insane," he says.
That voice… I think.
Holding Erika's CAD in his left hand and Morisaki's in his right, the boy continues, "Course 1 and 2 are equal, save for exam scores and perks. Using [Quick Draw] or attack spells here? Pathetic. Looking down on 'spares' fun, Morisaki?"
He turns, glaring. Miyuki, Erika, the twin-tailed intervener (Honoka), her short-haired supporter (Shizuku), Morisaki, and I gape.
"So that's what your email meant," I realize.
"Yugen-san?" Miyuki whispers, shocked by his uniform.
Morisaki shouts, "Nagano!? Why are you Course 1? You're not even Hundred Families! Give it back—"
"Here," Yugen tosses Morisaki's CAD, tripping him with a sweep. Morisaki flips forward, landing on his back. Yugen cushions the fall with a spell, ensuring no injury.
"No obligation to return it to someone hostile," Yugen says. "As for 'not Hundred Families,' you're half-right, half-wrong."
"What!?" Morisaki sputters.
"My name's no longer Nagano Yugen," Yugen declares.
His family isn't Hundred Families, hence "half-right." His old name, used until middle school, was dropped upon high school entry per family tradition. Most onlookers are baffled.
"I know some of you, but most don't know me. I just finished orientation and missed the ceremony for family reasons. My true name? A family rule says I claim it in high school," Yugen explains.
Confusion reigns. I connect the dots: Yugen's absence led to Miyuki's speech. The top student's name, Mitsuya Yugen, aligns with Erika's intel and Miyuki's earlier mention.
Yugen, sensing my realization, introduces himself. "Mitsuya Yugen, third son of the Mitsuya clan, Ten Master Clans, and this year's First High top freshman, Class 1-A. Remember it or don't, I don't care."
The "Untouchable" Mitsuya legacy enters First High through him.
"But one thing's clear: I despise those who look down on others just because they think they're superior," Yugen adds, his tone sharp but measured.
Yugen's Perspective
Stepping into the fray was a gamble, but it worked. Morisaki's stunned, Erika's gaping, and Miyuki's whispering my name like she's seen a ghost. Tatsuya's piecing it together, and I can feel Honoka and Shizuku's eyes on me. The crowd's murmuring, but I don't care—I've made my point.
Using [Gram Demolition] to shut down the CADs was overkill, but it sent a message: don't mess around on my watch. Tossing Morisaki's CAD back and tripping him? Maybe petty, but he deserved it for that "Weed" nonsense. Cushioning his fall was just me covering my bases—no need for a disciplinary hearing on day one.
Revealing my Mitsuya name feels like shedding a mask. Erika already knows, thanks to our call, but Tatsuya and Miyuki are in the dark. I catch Tatsuya's eye—he's sharp, already connecting my "Nagano" alias to the top admit slot. Miyuki's shock tells me she didn't expect "Yugen Mitsuya" to be me. I'll explain later at the Shiba residence.
The Hokkaido stunt still stings, but pulling off that speech through Miyuki and stopping this fight feels like a win. The Mitsuya "Untouchable" reputation precedes me—thanks, Kana and Mika—but I'll carve my own path at First High. With [Taurus Silver], clan politics, and Shina to protect, I've got enough on my plate. Add in Miyuki's bittersweet chocolate and Mayumi's curiosity, and this school year's already a minefield.
For now, I'll head to the Shiba residence, face Tatsuya and Miyuki, and brace for whatever surprises they've got. Okinawa's shadow looms, but I'm ready to tackle what's next.