After school was over, Seiji headed to the student council president's residence to practice in her underground facility.

Seiji reached the progress required and paid the points to learn [Beginner-level barrier spells]!

*Ding!* A system notification popped up in front of him:

[Character reward card "Hos.h.i.+ Amami" has now met the prerequisites for additional ability five. It is now available for use.]

Seiji went to go take a look at his Hos.h.i.+ card, and saw that the final ability which had been nothing but question marks before now showed.

[Additional ability five: Light's protection (Beginner-level barrier spells required as a prerequisite.)]

[Barrier strengthening technique. You may use this technique on your own barriers. It will strengthen their duration to twenty-four hours, increase their defense value, as well as add anti-magic, cleansing, and healing properties to them. If the above-mentioned properties already exist, then they shall be strengthened. This ability will use your Mana and physical energy. Limited to one use per day (+1 use for level bonus). The Holy Light shall protect me!]

'The Holy Light shall fool… Well then, system, after copying from Overwatch, now you're copying from World of Warcraft? Isn't this a step backwards for you?'

Although he was mentally commenting on his system, Seiji was quite satisfied with his new ability.

It could strengthen his barriers' defense value and add many extra effects, as well as lengthen the duration they could be maintained for. It was definitely strong!

The only weakness was the number of times he could use it in a day: only twice.

Seiji then looked at [Beginner-level barrier spells] in his system and checked what new options there were.

There was [Defense], [Anti-spell], [Reflect magic], [Size], [Duration], [Anti-demon], [Cleansing]… so many options!

And unlike the separate steps for improving spells such as [Beginner-level Astral Vision], these options weren't unique modes. Rather, they were all added special effects. In summary, all these properties could simultaneously exist on the same barrier!

However, the more effects on the barrier, the larger the cost to cast and maintain it. This was only natural.

Seiji looked over the summaries, then closed this section of his system. He then checked out all the Spiritual Abilities he had acc.u.mulated so far.

Attack, defense, and healing… he felt that he had learned all the basics now.

From now on, should he continue cultivating his spells, or start right away on becoming a Yin-Yang Master?

At first, he had intended to become a pa.s.sable Spiritual Ability user first… did his current level count as pa.s.sable?

Seiji was uncertain.

But, in order to defeat the person he wanted to defeat, he had to at least be on a Yin-Yang master's level. At first he hadn't been in any rush to become a Yin-Yang Master, but things were different now.

He came to a decision after some consideration.

"I shall work hard at both becoming a Yin-Yang Master along with cultivating my spells!"

Seiji saw Natsuya and Hitaka when he left the practice field and returned to the residence's living room.

It was a nice scene, with the beautiful student council president drinking tea quietly together with her Spirit-branded Retainer who was also a beauty. However, the student council president had somewhat of a dark aura about her, which affected the beauty of the scene.

Seiji greeted them and asked if something was the matter.

"We just returned from my main family. There were some things discussed there that weren't particularly pleasant for me," Natsuya said in a low voice.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

Seiji knew that Natsuya had a tenuous relations.h.i.+p with her family. She hadn't wanted to speak about this subject before, nor had she ever mentioned anything before about her family.

'Should I ask her during this chance? Or simply leave silently?'

Before he could come to a decision, the student council president continued, "It was regarding the Awakened at Genhana High School."

Seiji's eyebrows arced upwards as something flashed in his eyes.

"…May I know what it was about?"

If it was about the Awakened in the combined Genhana Middle and High School, that would affect Yukari and Hos.h.i.+, and he really wanted to know!

"Yes." Natsuya glanced directly at him.

Seiji sat down across from them and took a cup, intending to pour some tea for himself. However, Hitaka picked up the tea kettle for him.

The red-haired girl poured some tea for him.

"Thank you, Shuho-san."

"No need to be polite, Harutkun."

Seiji sipped on some tea and did his best to appear calm on the surface as he waited for Natsuya's explanation.

"My family requested for me to find all the Awakened in our school. I attempted to refuse, but my refusal wasn't accepted," Natsuya said in a heavy tone of voice. "Tomorrow, the main Yoruhana family will send someone to our school in order to 'a.s.sist' me in finding Awakened."

"What will happen to the Awakened that are found?"

"They'll be registered… and taken in."

"Taken in, can I interpret that as being captured?" Seiji frowned.

"You could say that." Natsuya sighed.

Silence fell between them for a moment.

"Is there no way to prevent this?" Seiji asked after a moment of silence.

Since he was asking a question like this, it was basically equal to him tacitly admitting that he knew someone who was Awakened.

Natsuya pretended not to realize what he really meant as she answered the question. "I already did my best to refuse… but I was unable to."

Her heavy tone contained the bitterness of a failed resistance.

Seiji looked directly into her eyes.

"You've worked hard."

Upon hearing these gentle words, Natsuya who felt a deep sense of unwillingness inside her was almost moved to tears for a moment.

She did her best to control herself, not allowing her expression to change. However, she still made a slight sniffling sound, and her eyes reddened as she lowered her head and sipped some tea to conceal her emotions.

Seiji felt a sense of pity for the student council president as he watched her.

There were no benefits to be had for Natsuya Yoruhana to resist her own family for the sake of the Awakened at Genhana High School. However, she still chose to do so anyways.

Was it because of a sense of responsibility as the student council president? Or her pride as the master of this territory? Neither of those were correct.

The most foundational reason was that the Yoruhana Family daughter was a gentle girl to begin with.

Just as he knew from the very start.

He wanted to tell this gentle scion more words of rea.s.surance since she had taken such an obvious impact, but… he felt that it was better for him to remain silent for the time being as she was also a strong and resolute girl.

After a moment of silence, Natsuya calmed down her emotions and was able to face Seiji once more.

"I apologize that I wasn't able to stop it… as a member of the Yoruhana Family, in the end, I'm unable to go against my family's will."

Her tone of voice was unmistakably downcast and depressed.

"It's already certain that the Yoruhana Family will send someone to school tomorrow… then, is there any way to interfere with the process of searching for Awakened?" Seiji inquired.

"I absolutely have to cooperate with the search. If I don't behave properly, I'll be reported to my family…"

"Then you don't need to do anything. Let me do the interfering!" Seiji pointed at himself. "Just secretly provide information to me and let me know how the person that's coming is going to do the search. I'll think of some way to interfere."

"This… perhaps it's doable." Natsuya thought it over.

"Then let's go with that then! You'll be in charge of information, while I'll be in charge of taking action to interfere with the search for Awakened." Something flashed in Seiji's eyes. "Even if it doesn't succeed, it's worth trying. I shall call this the battle of appearing to obey on the surface, but secretly disobeying!"

Natsuya was rendered speechless.

"Tee-hee." She ended up chuckling.

"Appearing to obey on the surface, but secretly disobeying… Indeed, even if we can't stop it, there are still things that we can do."

"Yeah, so don't be depressed right now. The true battle's just beginning!"

"Although you make it sound cool, you're actually inciting me to secretly betray my family."

"Er…" Seiji choked on his words for a moment.

Natsuya smiled as she looked at him.

"A bad boy is inciting me to betray my family, and not only am I not resisting him, I even think it's pretty good… I am a wicked girl, after all."

"Natsuya…"

"If my actions are detected… you have to take responsibility."

"Yep. If your actions are exposed, I shall use the name of Seiji Haruta to take all responsibility!" Seiji said in a serious manner.

"That's not what I meant… but, this is an answer that I'll accept." A gentle look suffused Natsuya's expression.

'As long as you're willing to bear responsibility, I shall have no complaints, no regrets.'