01x04 - Friends

[bunniefuu]

Y-Yeah, just a little.

See you later!

Oh...

Sorry, Miyuki, but we're doing this for you and Tatsuya-san!

I'm sorry. I wasn't able to learn anything from them.

There's no reason for you to apologize.

I do believe they're hiding something,

but I can't very well question them without any proof.

But I'm also worried about those two.

It's all right.

Those two are your friends, right? They'll open up to you eventually.

Friends?

Shiba-kun...

Hello.

Or should I say "nice to meet you"?

I guess so. Nice to meet you, Mibu-senpai, was it?

I'm Mibu Sayaka. In Class E. The same as you, Shiba-kun.

Thank you for saving me at the doujou.

I'd like to thank you properly as well as talk to you about something.

Would you mind hanging out with me for a bit?

Onii-sama... I wonder what he talked about with Mibu-senpai.

U-U-Um... Ever since the first moment we met...

Shiba-kun...

I lo-lo-lo...

Wh-What are you thinking, Miyuki?

Well, Onii-sama is good-looking,

so it's no wonder that women are attracted to him.

But when we're at home, I want Onii-sama to belong only to me.

To make that happen...

I must become the kind of sister who's worthy of him!

But...

I do want to make his heart stop. Just a little.

Is this a bit cliché?

Now, this certainly won't do!

Like we're at a highland resort!

This isn't the kind of outfit you should be wearing at home, right?

It's kind of like the energetic Erika!

My stomach!

Now, this should give him a jolt, right?

Thank you for waiting, Onii-sama.

What's going on? It's not even New Year's.

Ara, but...

just getting to be near Onii-sama...

makes every day feel like a holiday!

Now, that's too heavy!

That's no good!

I'd only be subjecting Onii-sama to unnecessary psychological pressure!

Ah, jeez!

What am I supposed to do?

What happened? Are you okay?

Miyuki...

"Student Council Office"

So? Tatsuya-kun?

Is it true that you verbally abused second year Mibu Sayaka yesterday at the café?

Verbally abused?

Details! Mari! More details!

Those are false accusations.

Oh? Is that so?

I have witnesses who observed Mibu blushing red and looking embarrassed.

Verbal abuse...

Onii-sama...

What happened between you and Mibu-senpai?

Freezing Magic without a CAD!?

Your interference power must be unusually potent.

Sorry! I went a little overboard!

Calm down, Miyuki. I'll explain everything to you.

I'm so sorry.

Mibu-senpai asked to talk to me, partly so she could thank me for the incident at the doujou.

But from what I heard from her, she's seriously biased against the Disciplinary Committee.

The Disciplinary Committee?

She said that the reason you cracked down so hard that day

was to score points for the Disciplinary Committee.

I see. She really has it in for us.

I told her she was mistaken about us scoring points...

but I couldn't get her to believe me.

For students disgruntled with the status quo, a conspiracy seems reassuring, after all.

Even if it's totally false.

Am I imagining things?

What the president just said... It's like she knows something.

She also... voiced her strong displeasure with the way students are discriminated against on the basis of their magic grades.

Non-magic-oriented clubs are being discriminated against.

So, they've united and are planning to present their argument to the school

that magic isn't everything.

But...

Senpai, I have a question for you.

You're going to present your argument to the school. And then what?

Eh?

I didn't get a chance to hear her answer, but that comment about scoring points...

She seems to be wildly delusional.

I agree.

Either delusional or else she's being manipulated by someone else.

Watanabe-senpai seems uncomfortable, too.

No question about it! The Student Council definitely knows something!

And Nakajou-senpai is feigning ignorance, but actually...

By "someone else," do you mean...

an organization like Blanche for example?

Huh?

How do you know that name?

"Blanche"?

Ah...

She doesn't know!

It doesn't look like it'll do any good keeping it from you.

This school has been infiltrated by the international anti-magic political organization, Blanche.

Onii-sama, you knew!

What's been happening at this school and the fact that you were attacked by Blanche...

But he didn't say a word that day.

He wouldn't talk to me.

The reason is probably...

Onii-sama's always cherished me above all.

And because of that...

he's always been willing to get hurt himself.

Sorry. I can see that not telling you ended up worrying you more.

Cabinet name "Blanche," open.

The international anti-magic political organization, Blanche, is behind this.

On the surface, they help out grassroots campaigns,

but underneath it all, they're bona fide t*rrorists.

Advocating the end of discrimination,

they decry the fact that competent magicians receive superior social standing.

Those people attacked Onii-sama and First High?

Those unable to wield magic and those with inferior magic skills

wrap their jealousy and realities in an idea called "equality," and toy with weak souls.

That's Blanche's modus operandi.

Then, the reason they targeted First High...

Just because they have inferior grades in magic,

they're looked down upon as "Weeds" and regarded with contempt.

Right now, that's par for the course at First High which is truly a microcosm of society.

Blanche is taking advantage of that.

Good or bad, magic is a power.

Just like financial or military might.

There's no way that magical might can expand in a society that rejects magic.

In other words, by rejecting magic, they mean to make it obsolete,

and ultimately drain the country of its power.

Is that Blanche's final goal?

Probably.

And there's no way that the Ten Master Clans will ignore them.

Especially the Yotsuba Clan.

Worst case, they'll launch a purge, and we could be dragged into all that.

No, I guess "be dragged into it" is an understatement.

If it's the Yotsuba Clan...

If it's Oba-sama...

It's possible that they might use us as their pawns.

Right before the eyes of the other Ten Master Clans, the Saegusa and Juumonji clans.

If that were to happen...

We couldn't remain high school students, could we?

We'd have to go back to being Yotsuba.

You don't have to be afraid.

No matter how many come after us, I won't let anyone destroy our daily lives.

Onii-sama...

If push comes to shove,

I'll take care of it before the Yotsuba Clan can make a move.

Thank you very much.

This daily life Onii-sama's trying to protect

is also something that I'd like to protect.

And when the time comes, I, too...

The three of us may have been born on different days...

But we'll be together in death!

No, that's not right.

The captain of the Kendou Club, Tsukasa Kinoe.

Although there's no question that he's the one who attacked Tatsuya-san...

...he still hasn't shown his tail.

But today of all days, we're going to get our hands on irrefutable proof!

Girls' Detective Club...

Mobilize!

We're acting more and more like stalkers.

No, we're not!

Isn't that...

We'll be out of the school's surveillance camera range soon.

I wonder if his home is this way.

I saw him coming to school from the station this morning, so I don't think so.

Very suspicious! There's got to be something going on!

But you know what... I'm a little worried now.

Actually, so am I.

Huh? You are?

Needless to say, our safety isn't guaranteed.

But the three of us together...

I've guided them to the specified spot.

He noticed us!

Not sure about this, but we're going after him!

Huh? He's gone!

Wh-What is it? Who are you people?

You two, run on my signal.

Okay.

Huh! Skulking around us like that...

You know what happens to mice that try to thwart us?

Go!

You won't get away!

Thinking we're just high school girls...

Don't underestimate us!

Take this!

That's called "a defensive preemptive strike"!

Me, too!

My eyes!

You damn monsters!

See how you like this!

Wh-What's this? It feels like my head's about to split!

Are you in agony?

As long as we can keep this Antinite-fueled Cast Jamming going...

you won't be able to use any magic at all!

Anyone who tries to thwart our plans can just disappear.

This world doesn't need any magicians!

Step away from the students from my school.

When did this happen?

Did she do this?

No way!

She can't possibly use magic with all this Cast Jamming going on!

Hey! Raise the output levels!

It's futile.

Cast Jamming by non-magicians has zero effect.

Dammit, you're just bluffing!

Take this!

You're safe now.

Miyuki!

How did you get involved in such a thing?

This is...

We saw your Onii-san get attacked by someone.

Eh?

And we thought you'd only worry if we told you.

So, the three of us tried to catch the culprit ourselves, but...

We're sorry.

Honoka...

Shizuku, Amy...

Thank you! For doing this for Onii-sama.

I'm truly glad that we're friends!

You think it's okay to leave it all to Miyuki?

She said she didn't want it to turn into a whole big deal.

And those guys are no match for Miyuki.

Wasn't she amazing, though?

That Cast Jamming had no effect on her at all!

Her interference power is just off the charts!

Yeah!

She really was unbelievable.

Like a member of the Ten Master Clans.

Huh? Did you say something?

No, nothing.

I'm so sorry to trouble you, Yakumo-sensei.

It's rare for you to give me a call, Miyuki-kun.

So, you want me to clean up this mess and interrogate these th*gs before the police can?

You can see right through me, can't you, Sensei?

Well, I am a shinobi.

Or at least I'd like to say that I am. But I'm not really.

After all, I can't find a shred of information on you siblings, try as I might.

Damn monsters! You magicians will end up destroying the world one day!

But we're going to stop you, no matter what!

Oh dear...

They're like fanatics.

Ara ara...

That's quite defiant of you.

Are you sure about this?

Speaking to a monster like that?

S-Stay away from me, monster!

It looks like that was a little too potent.

I thought Mental Interference Magic was your forte.

Since I have no chance to practice, I didn't hold back enough.

You can leave the rest to me.

There's no sugarcoating such things, after all.

I never meant to be the only innocent one in all this.

But I'm sure that Tatsuya-kun thinks the exact opposite.

S-Sensei, that's not fair to bring up Onii-sama's name!

Sensei, there's one more thing I'd like you to look into for me.

Hmm?

About the perpetrator who attacked Onii-sama...

A student named Tsukasa Kinoe.

So, those four never returned?

No. I think they might've been captured.

By the police?

But we would've heard about it by now.

Nii-san, I'm sorry. All of that for me...

Kinoe...

It's not your fault.

But it might be about time to try something

other than advancing our reforms through amicable means like talks.

Then, it's time?

Rally our comrades at First High.

-- - After School

Attention, all students!

We are a coalition seeking to abolish discrimination within the school!

As you all know,

discrimination based on magic grades exists at this school!

Discrimination? Who's this moron?

Blanche made their move sooner than we thought.

We must hurry or else...

We are students of magic who aspire to become magicians.

Tell 'em!

But at the same time, we are also high school students!

Yeah, tell 'em! Tell 'em!

Magic isn't what we're all about!

That's right!

This isn't the way to go.

We can never change this school at this rate.

We demand a forum to discuss wiping out discrimination with the Student Council!

On equal terms!

"Open Forum by the Student Council and A Volunteer Coalition Regarding the Elimination of Discrimination in the School"

--

Tsukasa Kinoe. His family hails from a line of onmyouji.

But most crucial of all is the existence of his step-brother, Hajime.

Using Kinoe as his puppet, Tsukasa Hajime had him enroll at First High.

That man is the leader of Blanche's Japanese branch.

This coalition was formed by Kinoe who's being manipulated by Tsukasa Hajime.

They might try to provoke unrest at tomorrow's debate.

All right, I'm off.

Leave security to us.

Miyuki-san...

Listen closely to what I have to say.

Huh?

Just as you pointed out, I won't deny that discrimination does exist at this school.

Despite efforts by the school, the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee to ban them,

the terms so many students continue to use...

"Blooms" and "Weeds"...

Course students calling Course students "Weeds" and looking down on them...

But among the Course students are those who resign themselves to that derogatory term,

and learn to accept it.

Such a lamentable culture does exist here.

The issue is this barrier to awareness.

As this school's Student Council president,

I would like to find a way to take down this barrier to awareness.

So that every student can enjoy three invaluable years here.

And so that this wish of mine can be passed down to the next generation.

I pray that it will.

President Saegusa...

Onii-sama...

I...

Next Episode