The anime adaptation of "The Irregular at Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc" is scheduled to air this winter, and unlike the manga version, the light novel version goes into more detail about Shiba Miyuki's feelings and the Yotsuba family. This time, I would like to focus on the Yotsuba family and explain the short story at the end of the light novel version. (Spoiler Alert!)
Synopsis
Previously, I mainly followed the manga version of "The Irregular at Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc," but the light novel version, "The Irregular at Magic High School (8) Reminiscence Arc," ends with a short story titled "Untouchable: The Nightmare of 2026 AD." This short story explores Shiba Miyoko, when she was still a young Yotsuba Miyoko and before she married into the Shiba family, and her relationship with her younger sister, Yotsuba Maya, and her character. In the manga, Miyami appears to lack any emotional attachment to Tatsuya, but she wasn't a cold-hearted person as a child. Maya, too, is quite different from the impression she often portrays in the anime.
The Truth Revealed in the Light Novel ①
The year is 2062. Miyami Yotsuba is 12 years old, the same age as Miyuki in the Reminiscence Arc. It's reported that Maya has been kidnapped in Taipei and subjected to human experimentation. With a worried, heartbroken expression and clear anger, Miyami enters the conference room where the key members of the Yotsuba family are located. As Shinya presses him, his father, Genzo Yotsuba, the head of the Yotsuba clan, tells him, "Mayo is deeply wounded. Her physical wounds are serious, but what's even more worrisome is her emotional scars... Shinya, use your magic to rob Mayo of her sense of reality from the past three days." This is a cruel command.
The Truth Revealed in the Light Novel Version Part 2
This magic isolates memories from emotions. In other words, it robs Mayo of her own sense of reality, making her sister's 12 years of memories disappear, as if they were someone else's. It's a mind-altering spell that can only be performed by Shinya. After the spell was cast, Maya woke up, but her memories no longer felt real. "My life has become mere data. My sister has killed the person I was until yesterday." Unable to make excuses or apologize, Midnight runs away crying from the hospital room.
The Truth Revealed in the Light Novel Version ③
The spell intended to heal Maya's emotional wounds ultimately created a permanent rift between the sisters. Contrary to Maya's kindness, Shinya carried out her father's orders to prevent the trauma from lingering in her broken heart. However, it was a shock to Maya, as her entire life had been reduced to mere data. Unable to even fully comprehend this shock, it could be said that she had acquired a personality devoid of rich emotions.
The Truth Revealed in the Light Novel Version ④
Reading this short story, "Untouchable: The Nightmare of 2026 AD," we learn that Shinya, who performed the surgery on Tatsuya, was not simply a cold-hearted person. The tragedy caused by Miyuki's kindness altered Maya's personality, leading to a deterioration in the relationships between Miyuki and Maya, and between Yotsuba and Shiba. Additionally, in the anime, we see scenes in which the Shiba siblings view Maya with hostility, which also seems to be somehow connected to this past.
About Guardians: Additional Explanation
The Yotsuba family took Maya's kidnapping very seriously and decided to assign personal bodyguards, or guardians, to members of the family with particularly outstanding magical talent. This incident led to the creation of the roles of Sakurai Honami, who served as Miyuki Shiba's guardian, and Tatsuya, who served as Miyuki Shiba's guardian.
Summary
As a result, the 4,000 people who kidnapped Maya and conducted human experiments on her, along with the research facility, were wiped out, along with the Yotsuba family, which only had 30 members. Following this tragedy, Miyuki began to use excessive mind-interference magic as a form of self-punishment, destroying her body before she turned 20. The relationship between the Yotsuba family, Miyuki, and Maya seems to have had a lasting impact on Tatsuya and his friends, making this short story particularly significant. This short story is directly related to the Reminiscence Arc, so it will be interesting to see if it will be adapted into an anime version of the Reminiscence Arc, which is scheduled for release in winter.
