WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Irregular at Magic High School Season 2, now streaming on Funimation.
Angelina Kudou Shields has been a fascinating addition to the cast for The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei) Season 2. Captain of the USNA military's elite "Stars" unit and one of the Thirteen Apostles known as Angie Sirius, Lina is in Japan under the guise of attending First High School as a foreign exchange student. However, her true mission is to find the magician responsible for the famous "Scorched Halloween" incidents from Season 1 -- none other than Tatsuya Shiba.
Based on that knowledge and Season 2's events up to this point, it's little surprise that Tatsuya and Lina's relationship since they met has regularly shifted between foe, frenemy and friend. The two began with a tense discussion at school, then fought each other when Tatsuya discovered her true identity, only to later team up with their fellow First High classmates to battle the supernatural parasite. Despite their respective paths inevitably leading them to conflict so far, the two share much in common that could lead them to become allies and even friends over time.
Tatsuya & Lina Are Both Teen Military Magicians
Both Lina and Tatsuya have sensitive secrets to keep from each other and the world at large, though the latter has done better in that respect thus far. Tatsuya, a secret officer for the JSDF (Japanese Special Defense Force) 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, knows that Lina/Angie Sirius works for the USNA military. Both are also Strategic-Class magicians, though this fact remains hidden from Lina. Knowing of Tatsuya's irregular magical power as well as his martial arts abilities -- and the fact that he once overpowered her -- it's surprising Lina hasn't figured this out yet.
But should it ever come out, it's an obvious potential bonding point for the two. Being teenage military magicians, the pressure of having many adults and comrades depending on them, and the loneliness that comes with being placed on such a high pedestal are all experiences they have endured and could share. As Tatsuya struggles to express his emotions due to his late mother's experimental magic, a connection with the outgoing and well-rounded Lina could even help his personal development. With so much in common, could the two eventually become friends? Or is Lina's mission for the USNA an impossible barrier to overcome?
The Parasites Are a Mutual Foe
Many mysteries remain about the otherworldly parasites and the USNA military deserters, or Vampires, whom they control. Tatsuya and his comrades' investigations, the USNA agents and Shizuku's connections in the US have revealed critical pieces of information. Most importantly, the Vampires are murderous and target magicians more than regular humans. The parasites require human hosts with unstable tempers and dark desires in their hearts, which recently made Erika a target. Lina has also proven to lose control of her emotions in the heat of battle -- most notably against Tatsuya and Miyuki -- making her potentially susceptible in the future.
If there's anyone who could help Lina to keep her emotions in check, though, it's Tatsuya. No one stays cooler under pressure. Despite Lina's primary mission of uncovering the magician behind the Yokohama incidents from Season 1, the parasites represent a mutual foe. The overall cast may have split into factions to investigate the Vampires' origins, but when the first parasite finally showed its true form and attacked, everyone worked together to beat it back and forced it to retreat. With an equally mysterious and dangerous foe that can infect magicians with unstable emotions, cooperation and cooler heads should see everyone -- Lina and Tatsuya included -- form an alliance for the greater good.
The USNA Media
As Episode 6 recently revealed, the USNA media is making false claims that military magicians forced scientists to perform the black hole experiments that allowed the parasites into the world. It's unclear why, but an anti-magician narrative is extremely dangerous and affects everyone. Magicians may be vastly powerful but they remain a deep minority group, so it's essential that they find a way to form long-term bonds despite their current individual (and sometimes conflicting) missions. With the risk of this regressive movement growing among the general public, it's vitally important for all magicians to maintain solidarity, especially across international lines.
Despite Lina's constant complaints about Tatsuya's standoffish attitude, his suspicious closeness with Miyuki, and their own conflicts seeping into battle, she doesn't hate Tatsuya. The two spend time chatting when they don't have to, and Lina even bought some Valentine's Day chocolate to give him -- though she didn't go through with it. Even if their respective backgrounds place them on different sides for now, neither one bears any genuine malice toward the other, and there are hints that the two can grow to like each other.
For the overall greater good and for the natural joy of forming new bonds, Tatsuya and Lina can and should become strong allies -- if they can stop fighting long enough.
