Shiina felt a wave of relief seeing the upperclassmen enjoy her pancake sandwiches. Though she had crossed paths with Tatsuya and Miyuki during the Parasite incident, the heavy shroud of the "Untouchable" Yotsuba name wasn't easily lifted. It was a stigma that only time—and perhaps many more simple moments like this—could truly heal.
"Yugen-san, aren't you going to see Shiina-chan off?" Miyuki asked.
"I think being overprotective would do her a disservice," Yugen replied, his gaze shifting to his handheld terminal. "As her brother, nothing makes me happier than seeing her stand on her own two feet."
As he spoke, a news flash appeared: an official announcement from the New Soviet Union (NSU) government. The translated text was blunt: "To demonstrate our unwavering stance against terrorists who threaten our sovereignty, we have deployed our national trump card. Regarding the question of whether this was a conventional weapon or Strategic-Class Magic, we cannot provide an answer due to matters of military secrecy."
Honestly, it was surprising. They had been so evasive regarding the two invasions of Sado, yet they were being remarkably open this time. Of course, the Sado incidents carried the risk of an international crisis with Japan, whereas "purging" Humanists could be conveniently written off as a domestic affair.
('Synchro-liner Fusion' wasn't used,) Yugen mused. (But even if they won't name it, the use of 'Tuman Bomba' means the psychological barrier against using Strategic-Class Magic has officially been lowered.)
During the Yokohama Disturbance, Japan had deployed two Strategic-Class spells. While the details of 'Material Burst,' used against the Great Asian Alliance, and 'Starlight Breaker,' used against the NSU, remained classified, the Japanese government had publicly acknowledged their use.
There were downsides to stoking the public's fear of magic, but for the citizens—especially those in Okinawa who still bore the scars of the invasion four years ago—the Yokohama Disturbance was a fresh wound. The reality of being invaded by the same nation twice in a few years wasn't something that could be easily erased.
Friction with the continent wasn't a new phenomenon. History was a long cycle of conflict between Japan and the mainland. At its core was an ideology born from ancient tributary systems; those who held the Emperor of the mainland often looked down on the small island nation as a mere vassal. When that historical pride fused with modern religious movements, it became an inseparable part of the continental character.
Yugen wouldn't go as far as to say every person from the mainland felt this way, but the temperament—the belief that they could treat Japan however they pleased—had been proven time and again through repeated invasions and incidents involving the Yotsuba, the Great Asian Alliance, and the now-collapsed Great Han.
If they wanted to claim otherwise, they'd need to start by showing enough sincerity to prostrate themselves before this country. That was likely a feat impossible for anyone who didn't possess the kind of "twisted ideology" held by certain individuals from Yugen's previous life.
In terms of deterrence, the ideal scenario was to simply hint at a weapon's existence to keep the peace. But no matter what people heard, they wouldn't believe it until they saw it with their own eyes. Even with nuclear weapons, the very researchers who created them eventually spoke out against their horrific power; proof that human affairs can never be settled by simple calculations alone. It was only natural that the force meant to suppress nuclear weapons would eventually become a deterrent that surpassed them.
Furthermore, once an enemy shows the intent to invade, they have essentially declared their readiness to be shot. To be optimistic enough to think an enemy won't attack—especially when they've already committed acts equivalent to a declaration of war, like locking on with naval radar—was a luxury Japan couldn't afford.
While 'Mirror Dispersion' had gone unnoticed due to the nature of the 'Kaleidoscope' system, Japan had developed the Strategic-Class Magic 'Starlight Breaker' to reassert its national strength. Against particles moving at the speed of light, every known physical law was rendered powerless.
Yugen didn't intend to preach that "speed is the ultimate truth of the world" like some speed-obsessed character from a story, but the results spoke for themselves.
"As an independent nation in East Asia, to ensure that the nightmare of the devastating Second World War is never repeated, and to prevent this country from becoming a mountain of rubble once more, we have made the agonizing decision to authorize the use of Strategic-Class Magic."
No nation willingly chooses its own destruction. Those who lead a country must rely on the power of magic to guarantee national security. Precisely because Japan was a small nation, it had to maintain enough power to stand against the surrounding giants. In the end, when war breaks out, the side that wins becomes the "Righteous Army." History is written by the victors.
Naturally, there were voices arguing that the use of weapons of mass destruction should never be justified. Most of these concerns stemmed from the fear of retaliatory Strategic-Class strikes from neighboring countries. However, Yugen had grown tired of this perpetual spinelessness. As a Magic User, he had personally confronted the Prime Minister, demanding that the Japanese government officially acknowledge the use of Strategic-Class Magic.
He pointed out the undeniable fact that 'Tuman Bomba' had been launched during the Yokohama Disturbance, and that two other Strategic-Class spells—'Heavy Metal Burst (Brionac)' and 'Ozone Circle'—had subsequently been used within Japan. He had bluntly, almost rudely, told the PM that if he intended to keep preaching "exclusive defense" after all that, he should just quit the job.
The era where one could stay safe by remaining silent ended the moment the world learned of Japan's Strategic-Class Magic. In an age where silence is taken as tacit consent, the word "peace" has the value of a single scrap of paper.
During lunch, the conversation was dominated by the New Soviet Union's announcement. While the exact casualty count wasn't clear, media outlets were reporting numbers climbing toward twenty thousand. If the blast had caught both the Humanists and the regular NSU army, such a high number wasn't surprising.
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