Author's Note
Phew, I realize that I am ... ridiculously late, but here is my attempt at a Christmas-New Years Themed Oneshot nonetheless.
In essence, this is a two chapter short-story set two years after Tatsuya graduated from First High, and it's main purpose is to celebrate the New Year by exploring a pair not often seen in Mahouka-themed fanficitons. As the female lead is a character not yet introduced in the anime, I apologize beforehand to those who have not yet read the Light Novels, but seeing as she is an interesting character that draws parallels to Tatsuya's upbringing, I've simply taken a great liking to her.
As mentioned before, this short story will only be two chapters long, the latter of which is planned to hint at mature content, meaning that I have no intention on expanding the introduced premise of this story as long as I have other running stories left. Feel free to adapt this premise into any story of your own if you so wish.
That being said, hopefully you'll enjoy my attempt at romance ... though the first chapter is practically devoid of it xP
The tapping of fingertips against glass was the only recognizable sound on the quiet winter's eve.
Monotone, steady, and above all incessant.
With lights turned on merely for the sake of dispelling the lonesome mood, Tatsuya sat before a wall-sized monitor and adjusted an incomprehensible mass of numerical formulas with the electronic terminal connected to it. The Silica Force-Feedback Touch Panel at his fingers was struck at a pace eclipsing even that of professional engineers, yet the changes displayed on the monitor were infinitely more astounding. Anyone well-versed in the field of magical engineering would identify the strings of text and numbers to be part of a Systematic Dispersal-Type Activation Sequence, though beyond that, they would have trouble discerning it's true purpose. Such was the intricacy of Tatsuya's work.
Yet, such things were common for him.
Tatsuya was currently working on a heavily modified Dispersal-Type Sequence targeted at a specific range of infectious bacteria to aid medical specialists operating in unsanitary war-zones by providing them with a sufficiently sterilized environment for emergency procedures on the field. While FLT had already started making contributions to the agricultural and industrial sector during the past few years, this would be their first breakthrough into the medical field. Whilst this Dispersal-Type Magic would undoubtedly be limited in it's usage and application, it would be but the first of many contributions Tatsuya had envisioned for the future.
Become aware of the increased sluggishness of his fingers, he glanced at the digital time display on the top right corner of the screen.
"11:19 … it's been 7 hours."
Stretching his arms above his head while tightly shutting his dry eyes, Tatsuya decided to rest his mind for a while. He didn't bother to shut down the terminal in his office as he planned on continuing after his break, so he simply headed towards the kitchen of his apartment to allow his legs a modicum of movement.
His current residence was relatively simple.
Most of the living area was occupied by a large central living room which comfortably led into the kitchen and dining room area. Other than a bedroom, office, storage room, and two bathrooms, this apartment also boasted a small terrace in the west with unobstructed view of the sunset. While calling this residence "simple" may be a bit of an understatement under normal circumstances, the word "simple" became painfully accurate if one considered the generous income Tatsuya received as the acting head of FLT. However, seeing as he cared little for needles luxury and prioritized efficiency above all else, this apartment located in the city center was much preferred over a rural estate.
Placing one foot ahead of the other, Tatsuya slowly crossed his familiar living room, and by doing so, he allowed his mind to diffuse into the distant past as he remembered the steps leading up to the present.
Yotsuba Maya, consumed by the wickedness of her past, had finally sought to drown the world in the sea of her vengeance not soon after Tatsuya completed his third year at First High. It was a pitiable act, one that was less evil than it was sorrowful.
Yotsuba Maya, at her core, had not been a maiden born with a foul heart.
In fact, it was quite the contrary.
Living a content life, her and her sister knew nothing but the bountiful happiness of life, a delight that was shared with each and every member of their family. Maya grew up to be a fair child, both in terms of her appearance and in the virtues that lay beneath, and it wasn't long until these brilliant qualities garnered the interest of the Saegusa, a clan that had just happened to have produced an heir similar in age to the Yotsuba's maidens. The betrothal of Yotsuba Maya and Saegusa Koichi became official not long after, and while the superficial nature of their marriage seemed political, the underlying contentment of both parties was that of a couple that had found each other through different, and more romantic means.
Maya was twelve then … only twelve years of age when her body was mutilated and ravished by the very same sinners the Yotsuba would later mercilessly butcher.
Maya was twelve years old when she died … only twelve years of age when the seed of abhorrence and helplessness gave rise to the wickedness that would later be made known by the entire world.
A mere twelve years after her birth, Yotsuba Maya relinquished her virtue for the sake of vengeance and become the "Demon of the East", the "Queen of the Night", the agent of change who sought to do upon humanity what humanity had done to her.
A melancholic stiffness slowed his hand as Tatsuya patiently ground the Moroccan coffee beans he had received as a gift for his birthday 8 months ago.
Maya wasn't evil … she was a product of evil.
Whether there was any difference at all between the two, Tatsuya had long since stopped trying to answer that question. As the product of her wickedness, he didn't have the will nor the right to judge her.
Likewise, it wasn't him who dealt the final blow.
Placing the finely ground coffee in a filter, Tatsuya mind wandered off into the past. The events of two years ago were vividly reflected in the drops of boiling water poured onto the aromatic grains of coffee.
Miyuki had still been with him then.
Back then it wasn't just the nine remaining Master Clan families that joined Miyuki and Tatsuya in their struggle against the Yotsuba, but all members of the numbered households as well. Yet, even a force as formidable as this was still helplessly outclassed by the unmeasurable might of the Yotsuba … if it weren't for the appearance of an unexpected ally.
Angie Sirius, along with a squadron of her most trusted Star Generals, had immediately traveled to the oriental nation of Japan as soon as the rebellion of the Yotsuba had become known to her.
While the USNA would normally have little to gain from interfering with Japan's domestic policies, especially considering that a decline of Japan's armed forces would greatly shift the national power balance into the USNA's favor, Angie Sirius, current Commander of the Stars Unit, was able to quickly dissuade the USNA's acting president from inaction after emphasizing the worldwide threat the Yotsuba posed if they were to emerge victorious from the Civil War. If Japan were to fall, there would be no telling what the Yotsuba could accomplish while in control of an entire nation's resources.
Rekindling the old alliance that had once existed between the USNA and Japan, Angie Sirius joined Japan's military force in their arduous struggle against the Clan that was unilaterally feared as "Untouchable".
Victory … whatever form of "victory" remained by the end was eventually achieved, though such "victory" came at a heavy price. Many died, some of which Tatsuya regarded as close friends.
While it was him who bested Maya in combat, it was Saegusa Koichi, in a wretched twist of irony, who dealt the final deathblow. The man who had failed to protect her from her violators all these years ago ended up being the one who took her life.
Was this atonement?
Fate?
Possibly salvation?
If so, who was it that was truly saved by this act of killing?
Was it Maya, plagued by the hauntings of her past, or was it Koichi, a mere husk of a man hollowed out by the guilt of failing to protect the first woman he ever loved?
It may have been both or it may have been neither.
Honestly, Tatsuya spared little thought about this dilemma considering the harrowing event that followed.
The battle was won; the tragedy over.
Yet, there was a final piece yet to be added to the puzzle.
With Maya gone, nearly all chains that had bound Tatsuya had disappeared into the mist … all but one; the Artificial Magic Circuit imprinted into his mind by his own mother. In a final act of service, Miyuki stretched the capabilities of her Cocytus to her limits to freeze the foreign interference to Tatsuya's mind and shatter it into nonexistence.
It was an unbelievable miracle.
The leash on his mind had finally been destroyed.
He was now free.
Independent.
No longer a slave to the only remaining emotions left to him.
…
But was that truly what the Tatsuya back then had wished for?
To the shock of everyone present, Miyuki's Magic Calculation Area was incapable of handling the weight of such an exceptionally intricate procedure and drove her to a suicidal brink.
Nobody could have known that such a thing would happen…
No.
That was incorrect.
Miyuki, the host of her own powers, must have been clearly aware of the consequence of her actions,
must have expected her selfless deed to conclude in the loss of her life.
What motivated her to act beyond this realization … was love.
Miyuki no longer cared for the societal norms ridiculing the affection she held for her brother. More than anything, she adored, respected, and loved Tatsuya more than anyone ever could … but it was precisely because of the extent of her affection that she couldn't bear to continue to dictate his life with her existence. With Maya gone, this was the last service she would offer her brother.
More than anything, Miyuki wished to live with Tatsuya until the end of her days.
More than anything, Tatsuya wished to live with Miyuki until the end of his days.
However, that was precisely why Miyuki felt the need to set Tatsuya free.
Miyuki passed away as soon as Tatsuya's chains shattered like thin ice.
In the aftermath of her death, it had taken Tatsuya a mere 0.002 seconds to pull the trigger of his CAD to kill himself. Hagane Tomitsuka required 0.003 seconds to rush in and dispel Tatsuya's Magic Sequence with his Contact-Type Gram Demolition before it could take effect. Along with the other survivors, it took 5 hours before they could successfully halt Tatsuya's irrational rampage and restrain him, but even then, it was by a mere hair's breadth that the planetary orb called earth had continued to exist that day.
Though they finally managed to stop Tatsuya's suicidal stampede, his emotional state was that of a walking corpse regardless.
Other than the brotherly love he had for Miyuki, Tatsuya merely possessed the basic emotional impulses necessary to continue function as a human being. With the chasm that had opened up as a result of her death … Tatsuya was reduced to a fate worse than that of a living corpse. Let alone eating, sleeping, or maintaining basic hygiene, Tatsuya barely moved from the hospital bed located at the 101 Battalion's Medical Facility.
His major emotional impulses and desires were lost.
They weren't sealed, so they couldn't be released.
They weren't broken, so they couldn't be fixed.
That which was lost could not be recovered.
…
However … that which was lost could be replaced.
Waking up from his daydream, Tatsuya took a sip of his black coffee as he concluded the melancholic odyssey of his past. Allowing the strong aroma to permeate each and every fiber of his body, Tatsuya took a deep breath while relaxing all his muscles. It seemed that he must have been truly exhausted if he started to recount all these depressing events. Pacing into the living room, Tatsuya was just about to settle himself into his lush sofa when a vibrant knock resounded against his door.
Tatsuya's eyebrows arched upwards as he glanced at the clock to his right.
It was 11:28 PM on December 30th.
While christmas holidays couldn't be said to be the norm in his line of work, Tatsuya retained a degree of flexibility due to his unique circumstances. While Military duties, especially those pertaining his responsibility as Japan's second registered Strategic-Class Magician, took absolute priority, he was allowed to dedicate his free-time towards Research and Development of Modern Magic. With the recent United Northern American and Japanese Alliance putting pressure on the other nations, Tatsuya's military duties had become relatively lax as of late, allowing him to remain in his apartment for longer stretches of time.
Regardless, a visitor at this hour was a rare occurrence.
Fujibayashi generally contacted him over his terminal for matters related and unrelated to the 101 Battalion, and his friends likewise informed him beforehand if they were to drop by.
As such, this unannounced visitor was definitely an oddity.
Setting down his cup of coffee on the wooden living room table, Tatsuya approached his front door with a brisk pace. He didn't know why himself, but he subconsciously awaited the presence on the other side of the door with great eagerness.
Was it instinct?
Clairvoyance?
Maybe even something that transcended reason altogether?
Without even knowing who the person waiting outside his apartment was, Tatsuya unlocked his front door and opened the threshold.
Tap~ Tap~
Two soft steps echoed in the stillness of a wintry night, and before he knew it, a delicate pair of lips pressed against his own.
Due to being exposed to the chill outside, the girl's skin was slightly colder than Tatsuya's own; the clash of temperature differences could be vividly felt through the contact of their lips. The pulse he felt through the soft mounds pressed against his chest resonated with his own rapid heartbeat. The vermillion shade of a blush rushed into the heads of both. The excited rush of joy shifted the woman's lips into an unperturbed smile and likewise caused Tatsuya to respond to her lip's movement.
His major emotional impulses and desires were lost.
They weren't sealed, so they couldn't be released.
They weren't broken, so they couldn't be fixed.
That which was lost could not be recovered.
…
However … that which has been lost can simply be created anew.
The woman exhaled a breathless sigh as she parted from Tatsuya, her tiptoed feet taking a single step back to regain her light-headed sense of balance.
Her brilliantly golden hair shook as she did so, accentuating her sapphire eyes that possessed an enchanting dignity.
After confirming that she had successfully grasped his attention, she smiled.
Tatsuya was once more speechless.
The unprecedented nature of her sudden appearance as well as the foreign emotional surge within him left him in a pathetically unresponsive state. However, it seemed that this very breathlessness of his only brightened the expression worn on the woman before him. For the sake of prolonging that smile, to gaze at it for just one more second, Tatsuya was willing to remain in his speechless stupor for just a while longer.
"Merry Christmas Tatsuya", the bewitching sound of her voice had unmistakably matured.
Yes, that which was lost could most certainly not be recovered.
Yet.
Right before him, stood the one woman who defied this irrefutable fact.
The emotionless void created by Miyuki's death … the one who stood by his side and helped him fill such endless abyss with a myriad of emotions that he barely had the ability to comprehend … the one who returned to Tatsuya his humanity was none other but Angelina Kudou Shields.