Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume SS - Chapter 1

The Irregular at Magic High School - Melancholic Birthday The 24th of March 2096 A.D. 

The day before turning sixteen and being old enough to marry. 

For this melancholic birthday, what are Miyuki’s feelings and wishes? 

My name is Shiba Miyuki 

I am a freshman at the National Magic University Affiliated First High School. 

I am also candidate to be the next head of the Yotsuba Family of the Ten Master Clans.  

Today is the 24th of March 2096 A.D. and at midnight I will turn sixteen years old. 

At the end of today I will be of an age where it is possible for me to marry.  

◆ ◆ ◆ 

My name is Shiba Tatsuya. 

I am a freshman attending the National Magic University Affiliated First High School, and a Guardian of the Yotsuba Family. I am the person who defends Miyuki, who is my younger sister and a candidate for the next family head. That is the meaning of my existence. 

I remember everything that has happened since I was six years old. It is a side effect of the Artificial Magician Experiment and is something that can’t ever be forgotten. It may be better to say that it is no longer possible to forget. 

On the other hand, I am uncertain of my memories from before I was five years old. It is not that I don’t remember anything at all. However, compared to my memories from after my mind was remodelled, there are unclear scenes that can’t be distinguished from dreams, for they are only fragments of fractured conversations. 

I became Miyuki’s Guardian immediately after receiving the Artificial Magician operation. I wasn’t able to produce the desired results from the experiment, thus since I failed to meet the requirements to be a magician of the Yotsuba Main House, I was reduced to a mere servant. 

I have never complained. My only desire is to protect Miyuki. The command to make the safety of Miyuki my top priority is something I consider a blessing. It is unnecessary for me to leave Miyuki’s side to undertake long term missions.  

My late mother, she told me that this sentiment was also induced by the experiment. Though, I wonder what it is?  

A person’s human emotions and values are greatly influenced by their environment and education. Good and evil, even their righteousness is determined by the influence of others. Even though this feeling of wanting to protect my sister was implanted by the mental structure interference procedure, it is not a given conclusion that this feeling is fake. 

It is not fake. 

Miyuki is my precious sister. 

She is the only person I am able to love. 

The only person of importance is my sister, Miyuki, who I will protect. 

This is the only true feeling I have. 

If there is an ambiguous element, it’s of my memories of Miyuki from before the experiment, that is the one thing I do not remember well. 

When Miyuki was born, I was still only eleven months old. It is natural that I have no memories of this. 

Although within me, a vague image remains in the same place as my memories.  

Two people overlooking me, they are completely similar women. 

Two women looking down at me who are the spitting image of each other. My mother Shiba Miya and my Aunt Yotsuba Maya, twin sisters.  

With very similar faces. Slender with similar body types. 

Neither one was a pregnant woman. 

This memory, it is not necessarily the one from before Miyuki was born. In truth I cannot even say that it is real. I may be confusing the scene of a dream with reality. Taking what is considered common sense, there is a high possibility that there are no memory’s remaining from before a child is a year old.  

However, I do not know why, but I can’t accept the ‘common sense’ as things are. 

Miyuki is definitely my sister. My ability ‘Elemental Sight’ tells me what the components of an existence are These ‘eyes’ tells me that Miyuki and I are born of the same parents. 

No, even if I don’t rely on this ability, my heart tells me it is true.  

Miyuki is my sister. 

Even if that memory is true, this truth will never change. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

I cannot help being conscious of Marriage now I am turning sixteen years old.  

If I was an ordinary high school girl who cannot use magic, I could laugh at myself for worrying of marriage so early. 

Even a magician, of the Ten Master Clans, or a Hundred Families numbers, I could have made an excuse that they are simply not old enough yet. 

But I am of the strongest Ten Master Clans, no, a direct descendant of Japan’s strongest magician family, the Yotsuba Family, and a candidate for the next family head.  

Even female magicians, they are required to marry young and bear children. 

A child of a good magician is likely to have a wealth of magical talent. If both parents are excellent magicians, the chances rise even further. 

Magic is power. Magicians are an important military power for the nation. Even if they publicly appear not to go against the ‘social justice’ of human rights, there is no doubt the real intention of the state is to regard and use magicians as a resource.  

The state wants excellent magicians.  

On the other hand,  magicians need the protection of the state. 

It is not a one-sided protection, even in a give-and-take relationship, it is convenient as a whole for the magician community to have a good relationship with the government even if it is just a relationship of convenience. 

Thus, the magician community aims to have excellent magicians leave many offspring. 

As a female magician you marry early and give birth to many children. 

For male magicians, even if they are older, it’s best to have as many children as possible. Even if it means being unfaithful. 

I am still fifteen years old. Not marrying so early, I quickly understood such a dream is impossible. 

I wasn’t even allowed to be ignorant of this. 

Perhaps they feared I would lose myself in a beautiful dream, rejecting the ugly truth, requiring me to fulfil my ‘obligation’. Afraid I would try to escape from this reality. Even before elementary school I was raised to expect this dreamless future and was repeatedly warned the chances of such a dream were non-existent. 

—I will succeed my Aunt Maya and become the next head of the Yotsuba Clan. 

—I must welcome a suitable magician of a husband and inherit the Yotsuba Family. 

—I wonder who is suitable for me, who the family will choose for me. I will have to be with such a partner and have his children. 

Just like my mother did. 

Just like my father did.  

I must live a life that is appropriate to the level of magic that I was born with. 

In my youth I believed doing as such was only natural. 

Because it was all I knew. I do not even remember resisting the notion. 

I thought that my childhood ‘friends’ who were not magicians treated me differently because I was special. 

That Onii-sama must be irritated.  

Even now, like my mother, my aunt, I do not question this way of life for the members of the Yotsuba Family. Had that summer day not happened. 

Had I done as my family had told me, hideously treating my Onii-sama as a servant, then I might welcome the day tomorrow brings and the chosen fiancée— 

◆ ◆ ◆ 

“It is the fourth time…” 

The fourth time that I haven’t had to hide celebrating Miyuki’s birthday alone. Tomorrow will be the fourth time I have been allowed to openly celebrate the day of her birth.  

With my perfect memory I know from the age of six, Miyuki’s birthday has been the most sacred of days to me. 

I am sure it must have been a special day for me even before I was five years old, where my memories are unclear. 

The day on which Miyuki was born. 

The delightful day Miyuki came into this world. 

I cannot imagine a world without Miyuki. 

I am sure such a world could not exist. 

If I lived in such a world, I would have no reason left to exist. —The world itself would be collateral. 

I’ve made a few friends over this past year. Some girls even give me special favour. 

However — I am sorry to say — it matters not how good a friend they are. If, one day suddenly, they disappeared in front of me, I wouldn’t want revenge against the world. 

If Miyuki were to disappear in front of me. 

I could never accept a world that would arrange such a fate. 

I will never permit such a world to survive. 

Whether fortunate or not, I have such power. 

I cannot do it now. Though I am confident I would be able to do it. 

I would not only destroy the nations of the world,  in addition to destroying this planet,  the world itself, I would reduce it to nothing. 

If I were to lose Miyuki, then I will surely gain that power. 

…Maybe this is my delusion. I can’t even destroy the nations of this world. Humans are not so incompetent. Mankind is not so helpless. 

I imagine that there are others who would be unhappy to hear of this delusion. 

—Certainly, it won’t bring happiness. 

I return this answer to my thoughts. 

This madness that only one person is the equivalent to me of everything in the entire world. If I saw that others are entertaining such notions, I would think it was unfortunate. 

It is unfortunate that I cannot appreciate the value of my friends in the truest sense even if they were to lose their lives. 

Still I am happy. 

Because Miyuki is in this world. 

I am happier than I used to be. 

Because I can celebrate Miyuki’s birthday which is such ‘an auspicious occasion’ to me. 

I am much happier than back in those days when such was not allowed— 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Those days when I considered Onii-sama as unsuitable for the family and thought of him as a mere servant. I wish I could do something about them. 

Although I was quite young, I knew he was my real sibling. I want to scold the old me for never questioning it. 

I have only celebrated my birthday with Onii-sama three times to date. Before that I believed what I had been told, that Onii-sama was a complete ‘failure’ and I should not be conscious of him as a ‘brother’ and as such avoided even receiving a word of congratulations from him.  

Looking back now I wonder why I did such a wasteful thing. 

In the past we could have been innocently celebrating my birthday. 

This time I do not have confidence I will be able to accept words of congratulations with honest feelings. I am not confident I will be happy when I hear Onii-sama’s words of ‘congratulations.’ 

Turning sixteen years old, the implications of which are depressing. Our families “the duty of an excellent magician” and the expectations of society, they plague me so much. 

If there is only one saving grace’ in this. To me, it is that a ‘suitable partner’ may not have been chosen for me yet. 

Even in families of excellent magicians there are few children my age whose fiancé has been decided. No, it is not uncommon for a fiancé to have been decided between the promises of housewives for children of a much younger age than I. 

Unlike the olden days — although I am not well acquainted with the olden days — it is not very difficult to cancel an engagement. Basically, the will of the person is respected in this era. 

However, I hear from time to time the unpleasant truth of a girl’s engagement being registered on the day of her sixteenth birthday. This is usually the case when the man is much older. It is not just once or twice that you hear about a man remarrying or having repeated retrocessive marriages. 

It’s quite difficult for a child to seriously defy an adult. I understand this from my own experiences. Whether the girls are cherished or even if their ‘importance’ is superficial, it will be difficult to speak out. Even if they find the partner their parents chose is detestable. All the more so when their relatives all apply pressure in the guise of blessings. 

Fortunately, I still have no such partner. Although it may go against the trend of ‘excellent magicians are expected to marry early and have children early’ surprisingly for the children of the Ten Master Clans, who stand at the top of the country’s magicians, engagement is slow. Instead it’s too early to be engaged. 

In other words, it is likely they will be choosing their own engagement partner. That is why my fiancée is not yet decided. 

Either way, the fate that I will get married in the not too distant future will not change. The possibility that my aunt will suddenly produce a fiancée for me and that we will be married within the month is not small. 

Truthfully, I find this disagreeable. 

I do not want to get married. 

No matter how strongly I wish it, **** ***** and I cannot become a married couple— 

Therefore, I do not want to become an adult. 

I don’t want my sixteenth birthday to come… 

◆ ◆ ◆ 

It’s eleven o’clock in the evening. 

The 24th of March 2096 A.D. ends in one hour. 

In one hour, Miyuki will turn sixteen years old. Legally it is the age at which marriage becomes possible. 

I think it is still too early for Miyuki to marry but it will not be far off.  

When Miyuki is married, we cannot be together as we are now. Since we, as brother and sister, we are of the opposite sex. No husband will willingly allow another man to be beside his wife. 

That is, there is no choice. 

It makes me lonely just thinking that we won’t be able to be together. 

However, Miyuki will not be gone from this world. Therefore, I can endure. 

Even if we are far apart, we will still be brother and sister and no matter how far apart we are my ‘eyes’ will still reach Miyuki. I can still protect Miyuki. 

I will always protect Miyuki. 

This will not change even if the man who becomes her husband hates it. 

Even if the man is more powerful than I am. 

Even if he can protect Miyuki better than I can. 

That’s right… you might ascertain that. 

I have no right to oppose Miyuki’s marriage partner as chosen by the Yotsuba Family. Though whatever my Aunt may say I am still Miyuki’s brother. 

I will want to test the lucky man who attains the position of Miyuki’s fiancée. 

My father seems to have the right to challenge the man who will be her husband, but I cannot expect such a desire from him. Besides I’m not going to make such an unfair request. 

I want the man to defeat me. 

I’ll have my magic sealed. 

If he can defeat me by just using just his arms, then I’ll give him Miyuki gracefully. 

At least that kind of guts should be shown at least… 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Why must I be **** **** ******* ****** 

Why must I be O*** sama’s ******* ****** 

Why must I be O**** sama’s younger sister. 

Why must I be… 

Oh, it is useless. I cannot supress my feelings. 

They’re overflowing. 

…Why must I be Onii-sama’s younger sister. Why are we brother and sister. I know it’s strange to even think about this. I know its abnormal to want such a thing. 

I understand the reasons. 

Though my feelings aren’t very convinced. 

I don’t want to be the wife of any man other than Onii-sama. 

…No, let’s stop glossing things over while I’m talking to myself. 

I don’t want to be embraced by any man other than Onii-sama. 

In reality, I don’t want to be touched at all by any man other than Oniisama.  

In every way, all of me belongs to Onii-sama. I exist solely for Onii-sama’s benefit. 

If they tell me I’m obligated to leave descendants, then they can take the eggs from my ovaries and use them for artificial insemination or genetic engineering. 

If they say my duty must be fulfilled, then I will gladly give up part of myself. I want the next generation who inherit my magical genes to be grown in an artificial womb. 

As a woman, such thinking may not be approved of. 

But this is truly my intention.  

My feelings are not fake. 

And I understand my wish will never come true. 

Not because I am Onii-sama’s real little sister. 

Such a thing does not hinder my desire because I do not want a legal position. 

Onii-sama loves me as a sister. 

Onii-sama sees me only as a younger sister. I am only a sister to Oniisama. 

Right up until now. 

Undoubtably, from now on, always. 

Onii-sama’s love does not change. Even comparing it to gold or diamonds is inappropriate. 

Onii-sama will pour out unchanging love — my wish will not come true. 

◆ ◆ ◆ 

Nevertheless… what kind of man will be the one who gets to stand by Miyuki. 

I don’t think there is a man who can stand equally with Miyuki. Even if you were to look worldwide, there is surely not one.  

Although I think it’s foolish for a brother to say so… Miyuki is special. I will not say that Miyuki has not faults; 

—My little sister has a hot temper. 

—She has a habit of being blind to her surroundings when she gets absorbed in something. 

—although she hides it skilfully, it is a matter of fact, within her personality exist places with violent preferences. 

However even the gods of myth themselves had human faults. A person with no faults is very difficult to approach, many will simply not want to approach. Humans who do not have any faults must be grotesque. Having no faults, I think that would be the biggest flaw in a human being.  

Miyuki is special even if she has some faults. 

She’s a special woman even lumping in all the faults. 

Such a man as can balance Miyuki, what an expectation to set. As such, the requirement to stand next to Miyuki is to not be in balance with her. 

The requirement to stand next to Miyuki, 

is to be a suitable man for Miyuki. 

It’s not necessary to be better than Miyuki. 

The Yotsuba will look for a strong magical factor in Miyuki’s husband, but I don’t necessarily think he needs to be an excellent magician. 

What’s important is that he’s suitable for Miyuki. 

To be suitable for Miyuki, he must be a man who can hold her in his heart.  

He must not become subservient even when standing next to Miyuki, with no bravado, and to be able to build a home as an equal married couple. 

When I see my father, I truly believe it is so.  

Mother, even in the eyes of her children, and making allowances for the favouritism one shows one’s kin, was a beautiful woman. 

Simultaneously, her weak constitution kept hidden a magic so strong it would make you tremble.  

On the other hand, our father is a mediocre man with looks that are slightly above average. 

Although his psion reserves were exceptionally high, he lacked the magical sequence construction abilities needed to actually make it useful for magic. 

Back in the time when a person’s psion reserves were considered to be the equivalent of magical talent our father would have been evaluated as having a ‘mighty hidden magical power’. 

In actuality, it was because he has the ability produce and retain so many psions that my father was chosen by the previous head of the Yotsuba Family to marry his eldest daughter Yotsuba Miya the “Ruler of the River of Oblivion”, the sole user of the taboo Outer-Systematic Magic “Mental Design Interference”. 

My father was not a man who could balance our mother. However that was unavoidable. Even if she was no Miyuki, there could be no man who could balance with the “Ruler of the River of Oblivion”. 

Nevertheless, it was my father who was chosen as the husband of Yotsuba Miya and my mother and father became a married couple. It may have been the will of the family, but my mother accepted it. 

It was my father that did not accept it. 

The reason was that he was already in love with another woman who he was forced to side-line for the marriage. Although I can sympathise, in this situation it was not the problem. 

My father was not willing to contest the marriage he was forced into by the Yotsuba Family. 

In spite of that he did not accept the position of being mothers’ husband. —No, I will defend my father for the time being. Father could not accept mother as an equal wife. 

He could not overcome his wife’s abilities as a magician, not in appearance, in education, nor even the power of one’s family’s social standing. Although it could be said that he only won out with his academic background, it wasn’t anything noteworthy, in the wife’s world. 

My father who was forced to become a resident in our world became subservient. To put it rather bluntly, he was reduced to being little more than a studhorse. But by simply doing what he was told by the Yotsuba Family, he was able to paradoxically keep his pride. 

You cannot lose, if you do not try. 

Unless defeat can be confirmed, you can keep a minimum level of pride. 

That was the way my father chose to live. 

My father and I have a very poor relationship. My father loathes me, and I don’t feel anything for my father. I admit it. 

Therefore, in the long run my evaluation of my father will be harsh. If another person where to see my father, their evaluation may be different. 

However in my eyes. 

My father was not a man who was suitable for my mother. 

 ‘I am not a man appropriate for my wife,’ believing this he became subservient to our mother instead of facing her honestly. 

To make a comparison, he kept running away to avoid the reality that he was inferior which was thrust before him. 

Finally, for that reason I will not blame him for running away to a mistress. It was a man and a woman’s love affair. That is something an outsider cannot understand. Before that, he just ran away from being a husband and it was enough for he to evaluate my father’s worth. My father was not worthy of my mother. 

As a result, I believe that not only father but also mother became unhappy too. 

I can only imagine how my mother must have actually felt, but there was no happiness in her married life with my father, of this I am certain. 

Happiness and contentment were non-existent. This is almost certainly a synonym for disaster. 

I do not want Miyuki to experience my mothers’ fate. 

I do not want Miyuki to walk a sour life devoid of happiness. 

Regrettably, I cannot make Miyuki happy. 

Even if I’ll always love her as a brother, it is impossible for me to be a husband. 

In the same way, it is impossible for Miyuki to persist as an unmarried woman for the rest of her life. 

Because my aunt could not marry due to rare extraneous circumstances, it is even more important for Miyuki to welcome her husband and make a child. 

However at the very least, I would like for the man chosen to Miyuki’s husband to be a man suitable for her. 

I pray. 

Even if he’s not a person Miyuki would have chosen for herself. 

At the very least, the man standing next to Miyuki is a man suitable for Miyuki. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

(The date is changing…… very soon I will be sixteen years old.) Miyuki went to bed before the clock chimed for midnight.  

 “Good night Onii-sama” 

A final greeting to her absent brother, on this the last day of her fifteenth year. 

◆ ◆ ◆ 

(It’s past midnight……) 

Tatsuya, who had finished his bedtime preparations, turned off the light and went to bed. 

He closed his eyes without saying anything, or thinking anything unnecessary. 

◇ ◆ ◇ 

The 25th of March 2096 A.D. Today is a Sunday, and Miyuki’s sixteenth birthday. 

 “Good morning, Onii-sama” 

Tatsuya who was returning from his morning training was greeted by Miyuki’s smiling face. Elated as always. 

Without a hint of sadness showing on her face. 

 “Good morning Miyuki. Also, happy birthday” 

Tatsuya responds with a smile he shows only to Miyuki. 

A true blessing, with not a hint of sadness or gloom. 

“Thank you, Onii-sama” 

“Are you ready for our plans today?” 

“Yes, Miyuki was looking forward to going out for an enjoyable day with Onii-sama today.” 

Neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki touched on the significance of turning sixteen. 

Still the two celebrate as though nothing has changed yet in their everyday lives. 

—Change will come to the everyday lives of these two in nine months’ time. 

—On the very last day of the year.