Modern Magic:

Hell of Fire and Water (Inferno): A magic which reverses the heat
energy within a set area. Areas of bitter cold and scorching heat occur
concurrently in adjacent regions.
Niflheim:A Wide Area Deceleration-Attribute Oscillation-System
Magic. The secific heat of the material within the area! regardless of
attribute "#hase$ is cooled evenly. As a result! a large mass of cold air
which contains a fog of li%uid nitrogen! Diamond Dust "&ce 'eedles$!
and dry ice articles is formed.
Dry Blizzard:A magic which collects the carbon dio(ide in the air to
roduce articles of dry ice. The dry ice flies at high seed by
converting the thermal energy roduced by the free)ing rocess into
*inetic energy.
Thunder Snae !ath (Slithering Thunder"):+i*e ,Dry -li))ard.!
stones of dry ice are roduced and water vaor is condensed. This
combination magic utili)es Oscillation-System and Disersion-System
Magic to melt the ice! creating a fog of carbon dio(ide which has a
high electrical conductivity through which a static charge is run
through.
#u$ture:A Dissiation-System magic which evaorates all li%uid
within an object. &n the case of living organisms! body fluids will
evaorate and the body will e(lode. All fuel will vaori)e in internal
combustion engines or fuel cells. Since nearly all machines have a
fluid of some *ind! such as lubricants! coolants! hydraulic fluids! oils!
or battery fluids! they will instantly be destroyed by ,/(losion. or
simly sto wor*ing.
Flight Magic:A magic to move through the air via gravity control. &t
was once thought to be imossible! using a very short duration "a
default of 0.1 seconds$ of magic invo*ed in raid succession! the
difficulty caused by an increasing &nterference Strength was cleared. &t
is ossible to continue flying so long as the oerator2s Magic #ower is
in suly.
%ani"hing &loud"' Fog Di"$er"al (Mi"t Di"$er"ion): -y interfering
with the structural information! this magic decomoses substances into
molecules such as ions and the basic elements. Direct interference into
the structural information of an object is a form of magic of the
highest difficulty
Magic Di""olution ((ram Di"$er"ion): This magic ta*es a Magic
3itual and decomoses it into a grou of #sion articles without a
meaningful structure. Due to the nature of a Magic 3itual acting on
the information of an object accomanying a henomenon! if the
information has not been e(osed! it is imossible to interfere with the
magic. On the other hand! if the Magic 3itual is decomosed! the
henomenon will not occur. To analy)e the magic before the magic is
activated in the resent age where invocation ta*es a fraction of a
second re%uires the ability to ,See. and analy)e the magic structure.
Since the user is tyically re%uired to understand the magic being used
beforehand! it is thought utili)ation of this magic is imossible.
Magic Di"mantling ((ram Demolition):A mass of comressed
#sion articles are thrown directly at an object and e(lode. Any
Activation Se%uence or Magic 3itual recorded into the #sion
&nformation -ody is blown away. Though it is called magic! it is
simly a cannonball of #sions that has neither structure nor a Magic
3itual to modify an event! so it is not affected by 4one &nterference.
5urthermore! the ressure of the cannonball also reels the effects of
6ast 7amming. &t has no hysical effects and cannot be hindered by
any obstacle.
Nine)School" &om$etition :
Official 'ame8 *Nation+ide Magic High School ,thletic"
&om$etition-. As its name suggests! students from 5irst to 'inth 9igh
School gather from all around the country. &t is a team cometition
with fierce magic games.
:ni%ue events include ,Seed Shooting.! ,6rowd -all.! ,-attle
-oard.!,&ce #illars -rea*.! ,Mirage -at.! ,Monolith 6ode.! si( in total.
,Monolith 6ode. is men2s only! ,Mirage -at. is women2s only.
The number of eole articiating in each event is three er school!
and each layer can articiate in two events. The cometition is held
over a eriod of ten days. There is also a set of games in which only
freshman lay in! the ,3oo*ie Division. "the Official Division has no
grade restriction$. The ,3oo*ie ;ames. will be held from the fourth to
the eighth day. <ictory or defeat of the school is determined by the
total oints. 5irst #lace receives fifty oints! Second #lace receives
thirty oints! and Third #lace receives twenty oints. Seed Shooting!
-attle -oard! and Mirage -at award ten oints to 5ourth #lace. Accel
-all and &ce #illars -rea* reward five oints for each victory of any
team who ma*es it to the third round. The rimary game of the 'ine-
Schools 6ometition! Monolith 6ode! grants one-hundred oints for
5irst #lace! si(ty oints for Second #lace! and forty oints for Third
#lace due to it being a team game! thus giving it the most weight "The
3oo*ie ;ames are worth half the oints and are added to the overall
ran*ing$.
Day ) Date . Di/i"ion:
0 ) 123 (Wed) ) 4fficial
,Seed Shooting. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals Tournament
,-attle -oard. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries
5 ) 126 (Thu) ) 4fficial
,6rowd -all. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals
,&ce #illars -rea*. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries
3 ) 127 (Fri) ) 4fficial
,-attle -oard. Men2s=Women2s Semi-finals > 5inals
,&ce #illars -rea*. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals +eague
6 ) 128 (Sat) ) Ne+comer
,Seed Shooting. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals
,-attle -oard. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries
7 ) 129 (Sun) ) Ne+comer
,6rowd -all. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals
,&ce #illars -rea*. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries
8 ) 121 (Mon) ) Ne+comer
,-attle -oard. Men2s=Women2s Semi-finals > 5inals
,&ce #illars -rea*. Men2s=Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals +eague
9 ) 12: (Tue) ) Ne+comer
,Mirage -at. Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals
,Monolith 6ode. Men2s #reliminaries +eague
1 ) 120; (Wed) ) Ne+comer
,Monolith 6ode. Men2s 5inals Tournament
: ) 1200 (Thu) ) 4fficial
,Mirage -at. Women2s #reliminaries > 5inals
,Monolith 6ode. Men2s #reliminaries +eague
0; ) 1205 (Fri) ) 4fficial
,Monolith 6ode. Men2s 5inals Tournament
S$eed Shooting: Amongst the #layers! this game is called [Quick
Draw]. A clay target is shot into the designated sace and destroyed
by magic. One-hundred red and white targets are released and the
#layers comete by destroying their colored targets. &n the
#reliminaries! #layers only comete to destroy as many targets as
ossible within a five minute time limit. -eginning at the ?uarter-
finals! the scoring system is ut into lace as contestants comete
against each other.
&ro+d Ball: Amongst the #layers! this game is called [Crowd]. A @
centimeter diameter foam ball is shot into the cometition area using
comressed air. #layers comete by using a rac*et or magic to force
the ball to hit the oonent2s court. A set lasts B minutes! and a ball is
shot into the court! covered in a transarent bo(! every C0 seconds!
leading to D balls being on the court simultaneously. Women have B
sets er match while Men have 1 sets.
Battle Board: Amongst #layers! this game is called [Surfing]. This
game originated as a method for training the naval forces. #layers
receive a board similar to a surfing board and must comlete three
las on an artificial channel three *ilometers in length by ma*ing full
use of magic to roel them forward. #layers comete for victory.
According to the rules! use of magic to interfere with other layers is
forbidden. The #reliminaries consists of si( races! four layers each.
Two Semi-finals games are held with three contestants each. A layoff
will be held to determine third lace! while the to #layers from each
Semi-finals race will comete one-on-one in the 5inals.
Ice !illar" Brea: Amongst #layers! this game is called [Pillars
Break] /ach #layer stands on a tower four meters in height! defending
twelve illars contained in a twelve meter s%uare area while attac*ing
twelve illars in the oosition2s field. #layers comete to destroy the
oonent2s illars before their own are bro*en. There is no need to use
the body! since #layers comete remotely with magic! so #layers may
wear whatever they wish! with the only restriction being that ,&t Must
'ot Offend #ublic Order or Morals.. &t is said the Women2s #illars
-rea* had become a 5ashion Show in recent years.
Mirage Bat: Amongst #layers! this game is called [Mirage]. &t is a
women2s only game. A holograhic shere is rojected in the air! and
#layers must comete by using magic to rise into the air and hitting
the orbs with their stic*s. Though this cometition has the fewest
number of games of all in the 'ine-Schools 6ometition! the lay
time is tyically the longest. During the game! #layers must
continuously invo*e magic to lea into the air. &t is said the burden is
similar to running a full marathon. The 'ine-Schools 6ometition
Mirage -at is an event held only amongst women. With their elaborate
costumes and how they fly around! they are often li*ened to fairies.
Monolith &ode: Amongst #layers! this game is called [Monolith]. &t
is a men2s only game. At the cometition site! called a [Stage]! magic
is used to fight over the [Monolith]! with each team having three
layers. The outcome is determined by slitting the monolith in the
enemy encamment and transmitting a concealed code. Any attac*s
other than magic are forbidden. -rea*ing the monolith re%uires that it
be struc* with a secial 'on-Systemic Magic. Due to the nature of the
event! this game is the most oular amongst the 'ine-Schools
6ometition.
Chapter 8
&t2s the fourth day of the tournament.
There2s a brea* before the finals! five days from now! and the fight
between the Ast Eears in the 'ewcomer2s -attle will ta*e lace in the
meanwhile.
So far the results stand with 5irst 9igh being at number one with BC0
oints! Third 9igh being at number two with CC1 oints! and the
ositions of third lace and below being a wild free-for-all between
the other schools. The difference between first and second lace is a
massive D1 oints. 9owever! the battle is such that even that oint
difference could otentially be reversed if Third 9igh is able to win
the 'ewcomer2s -attle by a large margin! which for them is not
imossible. 6onversely! even if 5irst 9igh doesn2t manage to win! yet
they avoid a huge difference in oints! final victory would still be
theirs.
The aim for every school is overall victory! but in this case! as only
half the oints gained from the 'ewcomer2s -attle will be added to the
overall ran*ing! to the cometing Ast Eears what they are fighting for
in the 'ewcomer2s -attle is their own glory. The sirit in these
matches is in no way inferior to the finals themselves.
The order is the same as the finals.
Today2s events are Seed Shooting "?ualifier! 5inals$ and -attle -oard
"?ualifier$.
They differ from the finals in that the schedule for Seed Shooting
includes the women2s event in the morning and men2s in the afternoon!
with everything being finished in one stretch "the reason being that the
Seed Shooting finals is carried out straight after the oening
ceremony! and there2s no way to finish everything by the morning.$
'ot just Seed Shooting! but 6AD adjustment cannot be carried out in
the middle of any event! so the major wor* of fine tuning whilst
listening to the contestants2 secifications is done by the engineers in
between matches.
That2s why engineers are basically always around the layers they2re
resonsible for during the match. &n order to ensure as much as
ossible that contestants from the same school in the same
cometition are not cometing at the same time! the 6onvention
6ommittee have made numerous adjustments to the timetable.
9owever! in events li*e 6rowd -all where many matches would occur
in a day! overlas can2t be heled! and engineers would often be aired
as a duo of main and sub.
This can occur even in the same cometition! and one engineer cannot
be resonsible for another match occurring at the same time.
/ven if that match ostensibly occurs at an unrelated time.
F F F
G9ono*a is in the last race huh......G
GEesH &t2s in the afternoon! so it doesn2t clash with the women2s Seed
ShootingHG
9ono*a! grinning earnestly while subtly emitting an overbearing
ressure! made Tatsuya relive the heat of being oular.
Tatsuya was resonsible for the women2s Seed Shooting! women2s
&cicle Destruction! and Mirage -at.
9e didnIt get himself assigned to that host of women2s events because
he was a womani)er! but because there was a strong bac*lash against
him from the men2s Ast Eear division.
'ot only that! but he was in high demand amongst some of the
women2s Ast Eear contingent.
5or e(amle Miyu*i! 9ono*a! Miyu*i and 9ono*a! Miyu*i and......in
other words! those two had aealed rather earnestly.
-ut here lay a roblem.
Miyu*i2s sheer magic ower was most suited for the cometition &cicle
Destruction.
-oth her classmates and the council *new full well her roficiency in
slowing down vibrations. When all is said and done! cooling magic is
retty much second nature to her.
Miyu*i2s articiation in &cicle Destruction was decided! as well as in
Mirage -at as the star athlete and ace of the women2s team J the
roblem was what 9ono*a would articiate in.
&n terms of 5irst 9ighIs ractical results! in first lace was Shiba
Miyu*i! second was Kitayama Shi)u*u! third was Morisa*i Shun! and
fourth was Mitsui 9ono*a. Therefore amongst the Ast Eear female
students 9ono*a ran*ed right alongside both Miyu*i and Shi)u*u in
ractical e(cellence! but in truth her s*ills were not articularly suited
for a sorting magic cometition.
9er seciali)ation in magical illusions involving maniulating light
was imressive! but Shi)u*u2s ability in high outut vibration and
acceleration was more suitable for &cicle Destruction.
&t was a given from the start that Tatsuya would be resonsible for
Miyu*i. 'ot even the seniors were foolish enough to try and challenge
that.
So in order to be loo*ed after by Tatsuya! it2s most reliable to get into
the same cometitions as Miyu*i! but for the number one! number two
and number three to layers to aear in the same cometition is not
a very sound strategy. ......or rather! it2s imossible.
Therefore it would fall to a cometition which does not overla! but
unfortunately! Shi)u*u was also more suited for Seed Shooting. The
cometition had initially called for contestants to enter in their field of
e(ertise! so you could say she had little hoe of being considered
from the start.
5ollowing that train of thought! it was decided that 9ono*a would
comete in -attle -oard and Mirage -at. "The organi)ers had at first
floated the idea of -attle -oard and 6rowd -all! but due to her own
wishes and the vocal suort of her friends! she was able to get into
one event with Miyu*i.$ ......&n a situation li*e this! with her line Gthe
events won2t clashG! just what is 9ono*a really trying to say! Tatsuya
wondered.
-ut even if the time was comatible! from a team ersective!
changing the engineer resonsible at this late stage was imossible.
And even if today was alright! on the si(th day J the third day in
terms of the 'ewcomer2s -attle J no one could guarantee that there
wouldnIt be an overla between &cicle Destruction and -attle -oard.
9ono*a too should have been well aware of that! but......
&t seemed that Miyu*i was not about to come to his rescue today.
5aced with 9ono*a on one side and his sister on the other! each with a
different motive! Tatsuya sighed and came out with a bifurcated
resonse.
G......&2d li*e to maintain your 6AD in truth! but that2s not ossible! so
&2ll watch your race at the least.G
G3eallyL &t2s a romiseHG
Someone gave a small ominous laugh. Tatsuya *new more than well
whose voice that was! but his consciousness chose to retend he
didn2t.
5rom an outsider2s ersective! maybe he really was a 2womani)er2......
robably.
F F F
Although the arties involved would never thin* of it as 2trivial2! from
the ersective of the main story! this was just a side eisode.
When the curtains rise! one must be absolutely focused.
With the final chec*s comlete! Tatsuya handed over the dedicated
Seed Shooting 6AD shaed li*e an elongated rifle! and confirmed its
condition with Shi)u*u.
The 6AD absorbs sions from the magician! which the #sion
&nformation Aide transmits into the Activation Se%uence. &f a roblem
occurs in this rocess! no matter how well the other arts are serviced!
it2s ointless.
&f the roblem occurs with the hardware it has to be relaced with a
sare device! and if the roblem lies in the software it has to be
rewor*ed on the fly.
G'n...... erfect. &t feels better than my own.G
As both her face and voice were rather deadan! after initially being
aired with Shi)u*u! Tatsuya had sometimes been confused as to
whether she was serious or notM but now he was retty much used to it.
-asically! she doesn2t lie.
&n the worst case! she would simly remain silent.
GTatsuya-san! you won2t consider being hiredLG
9owever! in cases li*e these! he still can2t get used to whether she2s
serious or jo*ing.
G&f you2re in a osition to jo*e li*e this right before the match! you2ll
be just fine.G
G&t wasn2t a jo*e.G
G......G
-y the way! what she was saying had the meaning of Gformally
signing on a contract to erform 6AD maintenanceG.
Shi)u*u had as*ed him Gwon2t you be hiredG more than A0 times
already. 6onsidering her ersonality! Tatsuya had thought it a long
running gag! but now it seemed that wasn2t the case.
G&t won2t be an e(clusive contract so you don2t have to worry.G
&n order to ma*e references for 6AD arrangements! Tatsuya had ta*en
her 6AD in hand and adjusted it.
-efore that! the one who had maintained Shi)u*u2s 6AD was a
famous engineer who could be ran*ed amongst the to five in the
country.
Or rather than Shi)u*u! it would be more accurate to say the Kitayama
house.
When Tatsuya had first heard he was not surrised! but then again
Shi)u*u2s family were 2e(tremely rich2 after all.
&n the first lace! the mages of the Kitayama house did not hold the
same restige as the Ten Master 9ouses or the A00 5amilies.
Shi)u*u2s mother! a magician! had fallen in love with her millionaire
father at first sight! and after much strife they were finally married! at
which! the aternal lineage turned u no mages J her young brother
having some measure of ractical ability but not enough for true
magic.
Whether because of those circumstances! in contrast there was
Shi)u*u J her raw magic otential being e(traordinary.
Shi)u*u2s addiction to Monolith 6ode could be said to stem from her
father2s financial rowess! being able to tour the country seeing magic
cometitions every year.
G......& thin* &2ve said this numerous times! but that would re%uire me to
have a license wouldn2t itLG
When Tatsuya had not resonded Shi)u*u had resented him with
down ayment and contract fees which! even considering his osition
as art of Taurus Silver and the considerable income that came with it!
was an unrecedented sum.
&f he had been just a normal student! that da))ling amount would have
made his eyes water.
-ut although doing this as art of a school event meant he received no
comensation! it would have been different if he too* it as a real job
with remuneration. &t2s not illegal to wor* without a license! but in the
eyes of the world! he would be seen as a 2fa*e2.
G& understand.G
As always! Shi)u*u gave a dutiful nod.
-ut whether she truly understood was doubtful.
What it was for Shi)u*u only she herself *new! but for Tatsuya it was
a conversation that significantly lowered tension in the moments
before the match.
Well! whatever the effect! as long as nothing adverse haened it2d be
nice.
They had gone through strategic meetings many times before.
5or Shi)u*u! Tatsuya had devised a 6AD and a secret lan to go along
with it. "The dNbut of the 2lan2 was meant to be in the finals of the
tournament! but still.$
GEou2re u! Shi)u*u.G
GEeah.G
There was only one thing to say in this moment before her time.
GAlright! do your bestHG
GEeah! & willHG
&t was simle! but that was also a strategy of last resort.
F F F
G&s this seat availableLG
GAh! Miyu*i. &t2s fine. ;o right ahead.G
&n truth that %uestion had been as*ed to the sitting girls by various
eole for a while! but unli*e the one as*ing now all had various
ulterior motives "if you don2t mind sitting between +eo and
Mi*ihi*oH$. &n this rather menacing way! /ri*a had scared off
countless lying chic* cruisers and *et the seat vacant.
The order in which they sat was Mi*ihi*o! Mi)u*i! 9ono*a! vacant!
/ri*a! +eo. They had left Miyu*i2s seat in the middle because if they
were not on guard some un*nown shady character might aroach
from either side. At first /ri*a had been reluctant to sit ne(t to +eo!
but at Mi)u*i2s subtle argument that +eo and 9ono*a were not only in
different classes but hardly *new each other! she had been finally
ersuaded. That incident almost but not %uite resembled the nowadays
rare event called a catfight.
-efore Miyu*i had come! the four e(cluding 9ono*a had been
loo*ing over the schedule of the 'ewcomer2s -attle! and were holding
a amhlet intended for the audience "9ono*a was a contestant so she
had no need to rechec* at this oint$.
After loo*ing u to greet Miyu*i! Mi)u*i returned to loo*ing at the
amhlet! but not before noticing 9ono*a2s faint e(ression.
G......9ono*a-san! are you rearedLG
G&t2s fine. My race is in the afternoon.G
9ono*a answered Mi)u*i with a slightly forced smile.
Miyu*i relied to that in an incredulous tone.
G9o-no-*a. &f you2re this nervous before the match! you2ll be in big
trouble later you *nowLG
G:u! & *now but......G
GEou2ll be fine! 9ono*a. Onii-sama said so as well didn2t heLG
GEe! yeah......G
GEou came to see this to ta*e your mind off your race didn2t youL 5or
now! let2s cheer Shi)u*u on.G
G......yeah! you2re right.G
5rom her rather e(aggerated nod! it was evident she wasn2t totally
rela(ed. That serious-to-a-fault way of thin*ing was a strong oint of
her ersonality! so you could almost say it was unavoidable tension.
G......um! did & say something unnecessaryLG
At Mi)u*i2s follow-u! devoid of malice! 9ono*a simly lowered her
face.
F F F
A bit away from those Ast Eears! or rather their boisterous lay! the Brd
Eear trio Student 6ouncil and #ublic Morals 6ommittee chiefs were
gathered.
GMari! is it alright for you not to sleeLG
G&2m not sic*. As long as & don2t have to fight &2ll be fine. More than
that! Mayumi! is it alright for you to be away from your dutiesLG
G&t2s fine. &t2s not li*e &2m *ilometers away! and if anything comes u &
can be informed instantly.G
Saying so! Mayumi brushed away the hair hanging over her chee*.
That act revealed the receiver in her ear for voice communications.
GStill! if it were just Mayumi it would be business as usual! but for
&chihara to be away as well ma*es me wonder.G
G'o roblem. &t seems &2ve been forced off duty today.G
G......your jo*es are hard to understand as ever! &chihara.G
At that tongue in chee* answer! Mari was susicious for a moment if
there was any dissatisfaction at that sulanting of their staff role.
Of course! she *new full well that wasn2t the case.
Su)une bore overall resonsibility for the oerations staff "although
there are only four eole in that caacity$! but individual strategic
lanning followed division of labor. The greatest resonsibility was
divided! with male staff going over strategies for the men2s matches
and female staff going over strategies for the women2s matches.
Today2s cometition was the women2s Seed Shooting contest! under
the charge of Su)une.
J-ut! this was an event which didn2t allow for fine strategies in the
first lace! being largely deendent on technical ability. &t wouldn2t be
far off the mar* to even say brute force. Any staff involvement would
merely detail the selection of magic to match the characteristics of the
cometitor! and the setting of the 6AD to suit! but...
...this was a region which overlaed the wor* of the technical staff.
5urthermore for the Ast Eear women2s Seed Shooting! the 6AD
magic selection! settings and all! Tatsuya handled everything from
lanning to e(ecution.
That being said! Su)une had been aware of the lan and aroved it
from the start.
She wasn2t the tye to be ut on the bac* foot by something of this
level.
G'ow then...... come to thin* of it! this will be the first time & see
something he2s engineered used in a combat caacity.G
At Mari2s words brimming with curiosity! Mayumi also loo*ed over at
the arena with interest.
GThat2s true. During my time! he was a great hel. &2m loo*ing forward
to seeing how a 6AD he2s adjusted from the start will erform.G
GStarting with Kitayama-san! it seems he2s become very oular with
the team.G
Su)une2s words held no e(aggeration.
&nitially amongst 5irst 9igh2s Ast Eear women2s team! with the
e(cetion of Miyu*i! 9ono*a and Shi)u*u! Tatsuya being in the same
year! and furthermore a 6ourse C student! seemed to rovo*e an
almost allergic reaction from the other members when it came to
giving him their 6AD for adjustment.
-ut after a few ractices with the 6ADs he calibrated! any such
negative feelings comletely vanished.
#erhas it2d be more suitable to call that change of heart 2being blown
away2.
G&t seems that today there are also a few contestants who have brought
their own 6ADs.G
At Su)une2s words! Mari made a sound of surrise.
G9ey hey...... wouldn2t that cause roblems in the matchLG
GThat2s just another sign of Shiba-*un2s ama)ing control. &t seems he2ll
service them after the match is over.G
Service refers to the adjustment of the 6AD.
The contestants using Tatsuya2s cometition adjusted 6ADs were even
bringing him their ersonal 6ADs to adjust. 5urthermore! rather than
just one or two! it was more li*e the entire female Ast Eear team.
G9is fans seem to be steadily increasing.G
GThe good natures of eole come out in the strangest of laces.G
-oth Mayumi and Mari! e(changing a glance! shared a small chuc*le.
F F F
&f Tatsuya himself had been faced with Mayumi2s remar* 2his fans are
increasing2! he would have vehemently denied it.
&n fact! during social events! he went out of his way to avoid women
"or so he felt$.
'eedless to say however! he didn2t ossess any such 2divine ears2.
9is attention was focused solely on the shooting range Shi)u*u now
stood at.
9e did not ossess 2eyes2 li*e Mi)u*i.
9e did however have the ower to analy)e data structures.
The data structures he had himself written and rogrammed into the
6AD were all in his head.
&f she ut her hands even slightly together! while he could not erceive
the 2hand2 he could redict the 2result2.
Shi)u*u too* her stance.
The lights on the start ram began to light u.
"&t seems this time itIs alright.$
There was no evidence of the tamering which had caused roblems
such as in Mari2s case! Tatsuya thought! yet he didn2t divert his 2eye2.
F F F
The moment all the lights came on! a clay target flew into the air.
And the moment it entered the scoring area! it was blown aart.
The ne(t target was shattered in the middle of the area.
'e(t! two were simultaneously destroyed at either end.
A sigh rose from the audience. &f one loo*ed closely! Miyu*i and the
others were also sighing in relief at this brilliantly smooth start! letting
out the breath they had been holding.
Shi)u*u2s eyes didn2t deviate for a second.
She simly ga)ed straight ahead! almost as if not loo*ing at the
targets.
G:wah! ama)ingHG
&n contrast to /ri*a2s simle admiration!
G......is the Magic Activation 4one set for the entire areaLG
Mi)u*i as*ed Miyu*i and 9ono*a rather doubtfully.
GThat2s correct. Shi)u*u is able to tag all solids that enter the area with
magic vibratory waves! destroying the target. -y generating
comression waves inside the target! it undergoes reeated artial
e(ansion and contraction. &f this raid heating and cooling is
reeated! it2s only logical that even solid roc* would wea*en and
collase.G
GTo be recise! she sets numerous eicenters within the scoring area!
which generate the virtual waves that give rise to the vibratory waves
within the targets. 3ather than directly alying the waves to the
targets with magic! she has set u an area which causes the
henomena of alying such waves to the targets. The moment the
waves from the eicenter come into contact with such a target! the
virtual waves become real waves within the target and affect it in
reality.G
As 9ono*a and Miyu*i carried out their olite commentary whilst
their eyes remained fi(ed on the shooting range! Mi)u*i simly
nodded.
F F F
G......is the mechanism involved.G
Whether by chance or necessity! the Brd Eear trio was also having the
same conversation at the same time.
GAs you *now! the effective scoring area in Seed Shooting is a cube
of A1 meter roortions set in the air. Shiba-*un2s Activation Se%uence
sets another cube within this which is A0 meters on each side! with the
vertices and the center! nine oints in total! being designated as
eicenters.G
The one who had first made that e(lanation was Tatsuya. Su)une had
been shown the lan.
G/ach oint is labeled with a number! and when that number is entered
into the live Activation Se%uence! virtual waves sread from that
oint.
The reach of the waves is si( meters. &n other words the moment the
magic is activated! all targets within a si( meter radius from the
eicenter will be destroyed.G
G......it rather feels li*e it2s using unnecessary force...... is Kitayama
alright with those settingsLG
GAlthough it has to be said that Kitayama-san is better *nown for her
ower than her recision......G
At Mari2s ause! Su)une was wearing her tyical cool o*er face. -ut
within her eyes! the shadow of a symathetic laugh could be found.
GThe aim of this magic is not to comensate for accuracy! but rather to
increase seed at the e(ense of accuracy.G
G......&n other words! you2re imlying that a more inoint aiming
solution is ossible rightL #lease elaborateLG
GThe feature of this magic is that it is coordinated by numbers.G
3eturning her ga)e to the Ast Eear before them! Su)une began her
e(lanation to Mayumi2s %uestion. 9er fluent rely was robably
because she had gotten an answer after earlier as*ing the e(act same
thing.
G&n Seed Shooting! the osition of the contestants and the distance!
direction and si)e of the scoring area is always the same. &n other
words the focal oints necessary in this magic to set the virtual cube in
relation to the distance! and viewing angle of the layer! are constants.
Therefore there is no need to enter variable coordinates searately
each time! but instead you can simly inut into the Activation
Se%uence the number you desire and instantly invo*e the magic. 5or
this rough degree of aim! using the au(iliary aiming systems built into
the 6AD! it2s ossible for the otimal oint to be automatically ic*ed
out.
5urthermore! this magic doesn2t re%uire changes in duration or ower
either. There isn2t any need. &n truth! they2re treated as constants by the
Activation Se%uence. The contestant! just by selecting a oint with the
aid of the 6AD without needing to thin* of any other variables! can
simly ull the virtual trigger and end u destroying the target.G
The shoot was aroaching the end.
'ot a single target had been missed.
GSince there2s no need to hysically interface with the controls! merely
invo*ing the magic will fully reali)e the otential of effect. & do
believe the continuous Activation utili)es Multicast as well.G
The shoot drew to a close.
5inal result! erfect.
GThe roer name of the magic is 2Active Air Mine2. &t seems to be a
Shiba-*un original. Well! all the numerous elements jammed in ma*e
the final Activation Se%uence %uite a beast! but Kitayama-san2s
formidable magic ower ma*es u for it.G
G......it2s retty much the e(act oosite of Mayumi2s magic isn2t itLG
G......coming u with a se%uence li*e this is %uite something.G
Mayumi2s voice held not so much admiration as outright ama)ement.
GStill...... it2s rather intriguing.G
On the other hand! Mari2s voice was filled with interest.
G&n battle the relative osition between you and your oonents will
by no means remain the same! so from the view of mar*sman magic
it2s not %uite combat worthy! but...... if instead of setting the cube in
the air! you center it as a shere around yourself! wouldn2t it serve very
admirably in all directions as an active shieldLG
GThe roblem is activation duration. &f you set it too short the timing
will be difficult! but too long and you ris* yourself being caught in the
area of effect.G
Desite these issues resented by Mayumi! Mari2s enthusiasm didn2t
damen in the slightest.
GThat will be u to the oerator2s s*ill. As you said! if you2re able to
gauge the timing you can set the duration to be short no roblem.
......alright! immediately after this &2m going to nab him and install it
by tonight.G
G......try not to cause any roblems for the cometitors.G
Mayumi2s voice as she resonded was now A00O ama)ement.
F F F
G;ood wor*.G
As Shi)u*u returned from the shooting range! Tatsuya offered u
words of raise along with a towel. The engineer isn2t the manager so
there2s no need for him to have a towel handy! but he wasn2t one to fall
for such etty ride.
G&t was somewhat anticlimactic.G
She wasn2t blustering in any way J it seemed she really felt so.
Whilst wiing the sweat from her brow! Shi)u*u had a slightly
dissatisfied loo*.
Still at the same time! her joy was lain to see "it wasn2t li*e she was
trying to hide it or anything anyway.$
The %ualifying score needed for the 'ewcomer2s -attle was yearly
around P0O.
-ecause it was imossible to score any higher than what she had
gotten! regardless of the borderline she would obviously advance to
the finals.
G& don2t thin* anything went through the blind sots! as e(ectedM they
didn2t try such obstinate unsorting things.G
The magic Shi)u*u had used did not cover the entire scoring area. The
area around the outer edges could be considered blind sots.
9owever! as seen from the erformance of the machine launching the
clay targets! there were no last minute changes to the trajectory of the
targets. &f a target had not assed right through the scoring area! the
entire shoot would have to be redone out of issues of fairness! a
blunder on the art of the tournament committee. Due to the nature of
the cometition! that was a ris* they didnIt need.
They had made a strategy covering even that eventuality so it wasn2t
articularly a big concern! but not having to rely on that bac*u was
something to be relieved about after all.
GTatsuya-san! you worry too much. To try for that they2d have to
deliberately robe for the blind sots! something too high level for the
'ewcomer2s -attle.G
Shi)u*u2s words were only right.
Tatsuya ut such things out of his mind! and switched to Shi)u*u2s
ersective.
GAt first we2ll go according to lan. -ut from the %uarterfinals on will
be match format. &2ll service your 6AD in the morning! so be sure to
let me ta*e a loo*.G
G;ot it.G
The format between the %ualifier and finals is different. The %ualifier
is to see how many of the A00 clay targets you can destroy in five
minutes! a test of the seed and reliability of your magic. &n the finals
however! it2s a test to see which layer can destroy the most targets
being fired into the same area. The factors of seed and reliability are
joined by raw ower and the ability to overcome interference from
your oonents. As er the nature of this cometition! the magic you
normally use will also change accordingly.
Deending on the tye of magic to be used! it2s not uncommon to
change the seciali)ed 6ADs used for the cometition themselves.
Tatsuya was now ma*ing rearations for the ne(t contestants J for
the ne(t match that would follow! and the one after that.
Shi)u*u went alone to the storage tent to fetch the 6ADs used for the
tournament finals.
F F F
GAll three of them %ualified huh......G
-ac* in the tent which served as the head%uarters of 5irst 9igh!
Mayumi went over the results of the Seed Shooting reliminaries.
Whilst loo*ing! Mayumi gave a small solilo%uy.
GMaybe the Ast Eear girls this year are just of a secial levelLG
/ight names had %ualified for the finals from a reliminary of twenty
four.
Three of those eight names were from the same school! having made it
through to the finals of the 'ewcomer2s -attle! an unrecedented
number.
GMari! won2t you give u your retenseLG
Mayumi2s remar*s were normally followed by a tsu**omi by Mari!
but this time she simly shrugged in silence.
9er ose seemed to suggest futility.
G& wonder how the -attle -oard will turn out.G
At Mayumi2s %uestion! Su)une deliberately too* out her terminal and
chec*ed. "2Deliberately2 in the sense that she *new in her head
already.$
GThe men2s team missed the cut even after the second race! while the
women2s %ualified after the first.G
GThe men are down to one last guy huh. On the girls2 side! Mitsui-san2s
in the last race and certain to ma*e it through the relims...... it seems
A-chan has been wor*ing hard.G
As Mayumi muttered to herself!
GWe may want to devote a bit more time to technical s*ills on our side
as well.G
+oo*ing over the same reort card from his own terminal! Katsuto
resonded in disgust.
F F F
The %uarterfinals of Seed Shooting too* lace on four shooting
ranges.
&f the eight who had advanced to the tournament roer were all from
different schools the semis could have been resolved in four
simultaneous games! but at the resence of cometitors from the same
school! the games had to be adjusted so as to not overla "there is no
cometition between entrants of the same school during the semis.$
That being said! comared to conducting the semis one by one on a
single range! the interval between each game was rather short. As
three of 5irst 9igh2s women2s team had advanced to the semis! the
engineers were *et very busy.
G......Tatsuya-san! is everything alrightLG
-eing last in turn! Shi)u*u refle(ively so*e u when Tatsuya rushed
in as she sat in the waiting room "although since she was in a tent! it
couldn2t strictly be called a 2room2$.
Maybe it was a tric* of the mind! but it seemed to her that he was also
slightly out of breath.
G&t2s fine.G
With that short answer! Tatsuya began a final chec* of the 6AD.
As Shi)u*u loo*ed on J or rather stared J he raidly scrolled
through the monitor of the adjustment device ensuring there were no
abnormalities! before finally meeting Shi)u*u2s eye.
G& thin* you already *now! but this is a totally different model from
the ones used in the reliminaries. There2s almost no time now! but if
there2s even the slightest discomfort! &2ll re-adjust it as much as
ossible so lease feel free to tell me anything.G
Ta*ing the 6AD from Tatsuya! Shi)u*u too* a stance and after
reeatedly ulling the trigger with her finger two! three times! she ut
the 6AD down.
GThere2s nothing of the sort. 3ather! it fits so well it2s almost
frightening.G
G& see.G
She didn2t thum her chest or anything! but at Tatsuya2s relieved loo*!
Shi)u*u2s e(ression filled with fighting sirit.
GThe other two won didn2t theyLG
GEeah.G
The other two! referred to her teammates who had already gone.
Those two who had along with Shi)u*u advanced to the finals
tournament! seemed to have cinched a win in the semi finals as well.
G&t2s fine.G
Once again! Tatsuya used the same words! but with a different
meaning.
G&f Shi)u*u erforms as usual! you2ll definitely win.G
GOf course.G
At that Shi)u*u gave a brief! yet far more vigorous than usual nod.
GTatsuya-san has already made all the arrangements & need for victory!
so all that2s left is for me to ta*e it.G
GThat2s the sirit.G
Without challenging her early declaration of success! Tatsuya saw her
off with a smile.
F F F
G&t2s finally Shi)u*u-san2s turn.G
G9ey hey! if even Mi)u*i is nervous how should & coeLG
G-ut aren2t you all e(cited as well /ri*a-chanL &f Shi)u*u-san wins
here! three of the final best four will be from our schoolHG
GAren2t you a bit too nervous regardlessL Shi)u*u is definitely going
to win after all.G
At that confident affirmation! mingled with a teasing remar* from
Miyu*i to 2ta*e a dee breath and calm down2! Mi)u*i obediently
cleared her mind and inhaled.
G......& wonder if this also counts as a sort of romise.G
G......& guess even Mi)u*i-san can be layful at times.G
3ather than as a result of the dee breathing! but more from not
wanting to cause Miyu*i and 9ono*a any more worry! Mi)u*i finally
regained her comosure.
G& wonder what *ind of twist we2ll see this time.G
9earing Mi*ihi*o2s voice bearing a hint of e(citement! /ri*a made a
2huhL2 e(ression.
G;ood oint. What will jum out this time! & can2t even begin to
guess.G
The one who actually resonded aloud was +eo.
G9is mind is almost li*e a jac*-in-the-bo(.G
GEou can tal*.G
5or Mi*ihi*o to loo* forward to and show interest in magic was
something /ri*a hadn2t seen for a long time.
Whether this change had been brought about simly by watching the
cometition with others! she couldn2t say. #erhas without her
*nowing! something had haened between Tatsuya and Mi*ihi*o......
without voicing anything aloud! /ri*a ondered such things.
G/hL That2s......G
-rea*ing her out of her train of thought and bac* to reality was a
%uerulous voice.
GWhat is itLG
GThat 6AD.....LG
Mi*ihi*o2s ga)e was fi(ed on the 6AD Shi)u*u held under her arm by
a stra.
That rifle shaed 6AD at first glance! with the e(cetion of the stra!
was no different from the 6AD the other contestants were using. -ut
the area of the gun where ammunition would normally be stored was
thic*er than the others.
Mi*ihi*o2s school traditionally didn2t lace much emhasis on 6ADs.
They still mainly utili)ed magic activated by charms. -ut ever since
the accident last year! Mi*ihi*o had obsessively been studying u on
modern magic technology.
To comensate for what he had lost.
The result of that had been evident in his test results.
Mi*ihi*o had considerably more confidence in 6ADs than
comarable modern mages.
&f his eyes werenIt mista*en.
G&s that...... a general urose 6ADLG
G/h! you2re *iddingLG
GEeah! well! it is.G
G&2ve never heard of a general 6AD shaed li*e a rifle before. 5irstly!
isn2t combining au(iliary sighting systems into a general system
technically imossibleLG
&t was only natural that +eo! Mi)u*i! and /ri*a would as* one
%uestion after another.
-ut Mi*ihi*o simly shoo* his head with confidence.
GThe arrangement of the body ortion just above the trigger of the
6AD is without a doubt 5+T2s general urose 26entaur2 series. The
6entaur series is a tye which doesn2t have any interfaces on the main
body and can be used without any e(ternal inut devices! but the
connector has had a gri and au(iliary aim assist system attached.G
GEou really *now your stuff.G
Miyu*i2s words as she turned around and grinned confirmed
Mi*ihi*o2s observations.
G/hL Then! that isLG
GEou2re right /ri*a. That2s secially handcrafted by Onii-sama. &t was
secifically made to incororate au(iliary aiming systems into a
general urose 6AD.G
At Miyu*i2s roud words! the *nowledge that the 6AD was a secial
made-to-order model! /ri*a was rendered seechless at the amount of
effort that must have ta*en.
G& don2t thin* & could feel any more surrised but...... just what is it all
forLG
GOf course! for the match.G
9ono*a2s brief answer was not near enough to satisfy +eo2s! and the
other three2s %uestions.
-ut no subse%uent e(lanation followed through.
As if by common consent! the si( of them faced forwards. The signal
for the start of the match began to light u.
F F F
3ed and white clay targets danced in the s*y.
Shi)u*u2s targets were the red ones.
The three red targets that twisted through the air and entered the
scoring )one! flew together towards the centre and shattered.
GMovement system...... no! that2s wrong. 6onvergence systemLG
&n the tent used by each school as a head%uarters! large monitors
covering every asect of the cometitions gave full view of the
matches underway.
-oth Su)une and Mayumi were watching Shi)u*u2s match on the
monitor with their full attention.
G6orrect.G
This time! all red targets which entered the scoring area were being
drawn into the middle and destroyed.
GThat2s the magic used in the %ualifiers isn2t itLG
GEes. &t2s a continuous invocation of convergence magic and vibration
magic.G
Two of the white targets collided and bro*e aart.
The oonent from Second 9igh was using an orthodo( tactic of
targeting the clay itself using movement magic! and turning it into a
bullet to hit other targets.
Although orthodo(! its effectiveness had been amly demonstrated by
ast erformances.
-ut from the outset! the majority of the targets being removed from
around the outer area were white.
Since most of those had been hit around the outer edge! the roblem
lay not in the technical ability of the contestant but rather...
G& get that the area of effect is able to recogni)e the targets on a macro
level and enhance the density of red targets in the centre via
convergence! whilst dislacing the white targets from that centre
but......G
The basic form of 6onvergence Magic wor*s by defining e(isting
sace via the Magic 3itual! then ta*ing that defined 2data2 and
selectively maniulating it via designated coordinates using that same
Magic 3itual.
5or e(amle! Mayumi2s magic which utili)es dry ice to ma*e bullets
and send them flying! in order to create a sufficient number of bullets!
initially also uses 6onvergence Magic to gather carbon dio(ide.
&n this case! carbon dio(ide is collected in one lace while other gases
are ushed aside! but this does not mean a high density mass of carbon
dio(ide is made! as the 6OC rather flows through designated
coordinates whilst other gases are drawn out.
&n the same manner! Shi)u*u2s magic relaced carbon dio(ide with red
targets.
A secial )one J in this case! the centre of the scoring area J was set
u as a 2sace where red targets are gathered2 by that Systematic
6onvergence Magic.
More secifically a s%uare sace C0 meters er side! comfortably
covering the entire scoring area and more! was magically altered to
become a 2sace with a high density of red clay targets in the centre.2
The volume of that area is huge! but as the total number of clay targets
at any one time is small! there isn2t a large burden on the oerator.
What is modified isn2t the sace itself! but rather the distribution of
clay targets within that sace.
The modification of data via the Magic 3itual results in red targets
being drawn to the centre of the area! while white targets are reelled.
The targets the Second 9igh contestant directly controlled werenIt
affected by such minor interference! but the targets the Second 9igh
student tried to hit! due to not receiving any magic from her! had their
trajectories changed by Shi)u*u2s magic and as a result! white targets
began to be missed.
The rules of the Seed Shooting tournament finals state that as long as
you do not directly attac* your oonent! interference is allowed. -ut
as the clay targets fly for only short irregular eriods! it2s very hard to
bloc* your oonent and shoot your own targets at the same time.
There were many cases when vacillating between sniing and
interfering resulted in self destruction! but as Shi)u*u2s Systematic
6onvergence Magic flawlessly lin*ed disturbing the oonent and
destroying one2s own targets! it was a very s*illful strategy.
While few! there are some e(amles of this strategy being used in the
ast! all of which shared one effect. As strong interference strength is
needed! the strategy involves the selection of an aroriate
contestant. Therefore while the window of oortunity is small!
Mayumi had also firmly studied this tactic.
So what Mayumi was as*ing concerning this magic was not that in
itself.
G-ut then! how is she able to turn on and off the Systematic <ibration
Magic at the endLG
&f multile targets flew together! they would shatter as is.
&f a red target was alone however! vibration magic was used to destroy
it.
&t had been configured as a single magic! so for her to be able to
indeendently trigger the Systematic <ibration Magic to destroy
targets was eculiar.
G& wonder if it2s been scheduled that multile targets would fly
together before the <ibration Magic has a chance to triggerLG
Mayumi2s tone as she reasoned to herself said that not even she
believed it.
There2s no merit to alying such a time difference.
G#res! & did say it was 2continuous invocation of Systematic
6onvergence Magic and Systematic <ibration Magic2 didn2t &LG
With a sly smile! Su)une corrected Mayumi2s misunderstanding.
Mayumi immediately understood the meaning of those words.
And uon reflection! immediately cried a rebuttal.
G'o wayH The systems in a seciali)ed 6AD should only be able to
store one single Activation Se%uenceHLG
GEour doubts are well founded! e(cet that2s not a seciali)ed 6AD!
but a general one.G
Su)une2s answer only brought Mayumi still more confusion.
GThat2s imossibleH The hardware! OS and architecture between
seciali)ed and general 6ADs are totally different.
And au(iliary aiming devices are subsystems which only fit within the
architecture of a seciali)ed 6AD.
6onnecting an au(iliary aiming device to the body of a general 6AD
is technically imossible isn2t itLG
Mayumi2s stressful seech gradually settled down! but from the blush
of her chee*s it was still ossible to glimse her raw e(citement.
Su)une2s smile! now calm and mature! turned into something to soothe
her comanion.
G& thought so too. -ut! & guess it really is ossible. This isn2t something
original to Shiba-*un! but was announced in ;ermany a year ago.G
G......one year ago! isn2t that retty much state of the artLG
G&t2s best if you2re not surrised simly by this much! #res. 9e2s being
real coy about it! but Shiba-*un has something even more cutting edge
in store.G
G9ahh...... Well! if it2s confidential it can2t be heled. -ut for him to
tell 3in-chan about it and not me is a bit of a shoc*.G
GThe #res is a contestant. &2m sure he simly didn2t want to uset you.G
G& guess...... if & had *nown about a techni%ue li*e this in advance! &
certainly might have become a bit agitated.G
As their eyes returned to the monitor! the scores of both layers and
the remaining time were dislayed onscreen.
With the cloc* tic*ing down! victory had already been decided.
F F F
"B0 seconds remaining$
9aving been reeatedly training these ast two wee*s! racticing over
and over! she was now able to measure e(actly the flow of the 1
minutes of the cometition.
The moment red clay flew into the blue shere rojected by her
goggles! Shi)u*u triggered her 6AD.
The target shattered.
The cometition allows the use of the rotective goggles to double as
a sighting aid. &n fact! the number of cometitors who don2t do so are
rare. "The case of layers li*e Mayumi who have their own sights
aside.$ 9owever! rather than aiming directly at the target! Shi)u*u2s
functioned as a 9MD "head mount dislay$ in order to distinguish
sace. Or rather! it should be called Tatsuya2s.
As with all the unorthodo( techni%ues Tatsuya had roosed! Shi)u*u
had also been u))led with this at first. 9owever! ossibly because she
had no actual cometition e(erience! she fortunately didn2t ta*e any
time to get used to it. Once she was comfortable! it matched her more
erfectly than any other e%uiment or techni%ues than she would have
believed.
Anyway! it was easy.
There was almost no stress associated with the normal use of magic.
Shi)u*u herself was aware that her wea*ness was fine control.
That was why she had re%uested her 6AD engineers to add features
that assist in the smoothing of detailed settings.
/ven at the e(ense of seed! her aim was to ensure that her 6AD
would be able to outut ower at a reliable level.
She was confident her own ability could comensate for the seed of
rocessing.
9owever Tatsuya2s Se%uences made detailed settings unnecessary.
3ather than ma*ing u for her shortcomings! the concet was to
ma(imi)e her advantages.
The intent caitali)ed on her rocessing ower to continuously trigger
a Se%uence at high seeds! and her caacity to build large Magic
3ituals.
The result was the 6AD she now held in her hand.
She had been surrised at his being able to connect an au(iliary
aiming system to a general tye 6AD! but she had been even more
surrised at the Activation Se%uence seed.
&n terms of rocessing seed! general 6ADs lose out to seciali)ed
ones.
This was not so much common sense! but rather a matter of structure.
;eneral and seciali)ed 6ADs differ both in their hardware and
software.
The difference between them! between a dedicated rocessor and
general rocessor! is similar to the difference between a dedicated
suercomuter and a general one.
6omaring 6#: erformance in terms of seed! a generic tye will
never be the e%ual of a seciali)ed tye. This difference in level can
usually be felt clearly.
And yet J this 6AD demonstrated seed no less to that of a
seciali)ed 6AD.
"1 more seconds$
JA target came flying.
JShe ulled the trigger.
JMagic activated.
JAnd the target shattered.
This rocessing seed! even when comared with the seciali)ed
6AD used during the reliminaries! showed almost no difference.
Tatsuya had said the tric* was because 2it was limited to only two
Se%uences2.
Since it had been designed e(clusively for the cometition! he was
able to use a tric* that would not be viable for daily use.
Shi)u*u could not understand the detailed theory.
She didn2t thin* it necessary.
Magic was a tool.
The 6AD was also a tool.
A tool just needs to be usable.
Any more than that! could be left to the e(erts.
The last two targets weren2t shattered by the 2Air Mine2! but by +oo
6ast 6onvergence magic.
G#erfect.G
6onfirming her erformance aloud! Shi)u*u gave a smile of triumh.
F F F
'oon.
&nside 5irst 9igh School2s tent! a jubilant atmoshere filled the air.
GThat was brilliant! Tatsuya-*unH What an ama)ing achievementHG
9aving been atted and slaed on the bac* countless times! Tatsuya
was growing tired. 7ust as Mayumi2s slender figure suggested there
was no actual ain involved! but her ersistence was certainly
wearying.
G......#res! lease calm down a little.G
Ma*ing eye contact with Su)une in a lea for assistance! she
immediately began to remonstrate with Mayumi.
?uite the deendable senai J if not for the fact that she had gone
along until being as*ed for hel! ma*ing her feel rather more li*e a
2artner in crime2.
GAh! &2m sorry.G
#erhas having too much fun and finally coming to her senses!
Mayumi immediately stoed the slaing. ......but it didn2t seem li*e
she intended to let him go anytime soon.
GStill! that was truly astoundingH We too* all first! second and third
lacesHG
G......the winner! runner-u and third lace are all contestants! not me.G
GOf course Kitayama-san! A*echi-san! and Ta*igawa-san were also
ama)ingH /veryone did so wellHG
At the Student 6ouncil #resident2s broad smile! the Ast Eear women2s
Seed Shooting team bowed in unison with a hay 2than* you2.
G-ut at the same time! your own achievements are no less. They were
without a doubt sectacular.G
Although without Mayumi2s sheer energy! Mari also joined in the
raise with a good natured face.
G:h! than* you very much.G
G&t2s not li*e this is a contest. As the engineer who significantly
contributed to our contestants2 monooly of all the lacings! you
should have your share of the recognition.G
At Mari2s words! Shi)u*u and the others nodded deely.
G& couldn2t believe it myself.G
GMy magic suddenly became so good! it was li*e an illusion.G
:nli*e Shi)u*u! the other two added their own comments.
Shi)u*u simly nodded as if everything was a matter of course.
G/secially concerning the magic Kitayama-san used! there has been
an aroach from the :niversities to officially adot it into the
2&nde(2.G
9owever! at Su)une2s words Mayumi2s eyes widened! Mari was lost
for words and Shi)u*u stiffened.
The official name of the &nde( is the 2'ational Magic :niversity
6omiledMagic /ncycloedia&nde( of True 'ames2.
5or a magic to have its roer name recorded in the encycloedia the
'ational Magic :niversities are creating! in this conte(t! means the
magic would not be considered a subset of any e(isting magic! but
officially recogni)ed by the :niversities as an entirely new branch of
magic.
To researchers engaged in the develoment of magic in 7aan! this
was the one single honor they all strove for.
9oweverJ
G& see. Then! lease submit Kitayama-san as the develoer2s name.G
GWhatHL 'o wayHG
At Tatsuya2s utter lac* of interest! Shi)u*u drew close in a hurry.
GThat was Tatsuya-san2s original magicHG
G......&t2s normal for the develoer name of a new magic to be
registered as the name of the first user is it notLG
Distancing himself from Shi)u*u2s leas! Tatsuya relied with no
tension.
G9m......e(cessive humility is also unleasant you *nowLG
At Mari2s chiding! accomanied by a slightly chilling glance! Tatsuya
simly shoo* his head reluctantly.
G&t2s not humility.G
GThen what is itLG
G& just don2t want the shame of having my name registered as the
develoer of a magic & can2t even use.G
6ertainly! if one is *nown as the develoer of a new tye of magic!
they are often as*ed for demonstrations.
&f one is 2unable to use2 a magic they develoed themselves! susicions
would arise that maybe the magic was actually develoed by others.
Tatsuya2s reason was not unjustifiable! but......
G......7ust how then did you manage to confirm the oerative readiness
of a magic you can2t useLG
-uilding u a magic by theory alone is surassingly non-standard but!
even if it were ossible! to let another use a magic that was not tested
and verified as functional was the wor* of a mad scientist who ignored
all the ris*s! and it was e(tremely immoral.
G&t2s not li*e & can2t use it at all. &t2s just that it would ta*e me far too
much time to set u! to the oint it2s not really at the level you could
say & can truly 2use2 it.G
GWell well! Mari! Tatsuya-*un! let2s not %uarrel over such a thing
now.G
Seeing Mari rearing more ammunition to throw at Tatsuya2s
comebac*! Mayumi intervened between the two.
GWe2re finally bac* to a good start. Tatsuya-*un! lease hel the other
cometitors just as much.G
As Mayumi taed his shoulder with a smile! Tatsuya gave a modest
bow.
F F F
The erformance of 5irst 9igh SchoolIs women2s Seed Shooting
team had created a stir in the other schools.
There was an enthusiastic feeling of 2we can win this year2 throughout
the 'ine Schools Tournament! esecially Third 9igh School! who
thought of the accident in the women2s -attle -oard 2we feel bad for
them! but this is a chanceH2 J While such thoughts may seem
e(cessive! they were shared amongst the others.
GSo Masa*i! 5irst 9igh2s erformance! you don2t thin* it was due to
the ersonal s*ill of those girls themselvesLG
Of the twenty eole gathered J all the Ast Eears of the Third 9igh
School 'ewcomerIs -attle contestants J
G&t has to be said! the magical ower of the winner! that Kitayama girl!
is astounding. &2m sure she would have won either way. -ut the other
two! & don2t feel were anything secial. &f the results had been decided
by magical ower alone! &2m sure they wouldn2t have gone so far as to
claim second and third lace as well.G
G'ot to mention that the advantage in -attle -oard lies with us this
year! seeing how & thin* 5irst 9igh only has one Ast Eear in it with a
articularly high level.G
The results of the -attle -oard so far had seen the two guys from
Third 9igh School both %ualify! and of the two girls they sent forth
one had %ualified. -y contrast only one of the men from the three 5irst
9igh School sent %ualified! and the one girl they sent %ualified too.
G&t2s as 7ouji says. We don2t lose out in terms of the %uality of our
contestants. &f that2s so! there must be some other factor.G
G&chijou-*un! Kichijouji-*un......what do you thin* it isLG
At the %uestion from the girl who had lost to 5irst 9igh in the
semifinals of the Seed Shooting! both &chijou and Kichijouji made
eye contact! confirming their susicions.
G&t2s robably! their engineer.G
Kichijouji resonded out loud.
GThe engineer for their women2s Seed Shooting team is robably
%uite the ace.G
G& concur. 7ouji! the device that winner girl used......did you noticeLG
GEeah......that was a general urose wasn2t it.G
Kichijouji2s answer! aside from the two of them! made a considerable
imact on the other Third 9igh Ast Eears.
G'o way......& mean! it had au(iliary sights attached rightLG
GThat2s rightH &2ve never heard of a general urose device shaed li*e
a rifle eitherHG
GThat2s true. Whichever ma*er2s catalogue you loo* through! you2d
never find anything li*e that would youLG
At the objections being raised! &chijou remained somber.
G......certainly! something li*e that has never commercially aeared.
9owever! e(amles of general devices with integrated sighting aids do
indeed e(ist.G
GEou gotta be *idding......G
At &chijou2s words! stunned voices floated through the air.
&n fact a strong air of disbelief ermeated throughout! until Kichijouji
came out with his own suort.
G&t2s new technology! only just announced in Dusseldorf last summer.G
G7ust last summerHL That2s frea*in2 state of the artHG
GEeah! & didn2t *now either until & loo*ed into it for this thing.G
G'ot even &chijou *new! there2s no way we would......G
An uncomfortable silence followed. Surrise! an(iety! doubt......and
awe.
G......Kichijouji-*un sure *nows a lot though. As e(ected of our
brain.G
The words of that female cometitor were intended to loosen u the
heavy atmoshere.
-ut Kichijouji remained unmoved.
GSure......but! the rototye unveiled in Dusseldorf was not meant to
be a ractical model. The oeration was sluggish! accuracy was low
J from a technical standoint it was simly an e(eriment that had
been cast aside.G
Kichijouji *notted his brow as he relied! his voice bitter.
GThe device the winner 5irst 9igh2s Kitayama-san used however fully
combined the strengths of the seed and accuracy of a seciali)ed tye
with the versatility of a general tye. &f that was all the wor* of one
engineer......that2s not the level of a high school student anymore. &t2s
almost monstrous.G
GMasa*i! for you to describe someone that far......G
G&t2s hysically imossible for a single engineer to be resonsible for
every cometitor though......G
G6ometitions that guy is resonsible for in the future are li*ely to be
beastly. &t2s very li*ely our devices will be handicaed by at least two
or three generations.G
At Kichijouji2s ominous seculation! silence reigned amongst the
gathered teammates.
F F F
Tatsuya! who was at this moment receiving such unjust treatment from
the athletes in their rival schools without any *nowledge "obviously$
after finishing a late lunch roceeded to the girls2 -attle -oard course.
#lanned for the afternoon were the fourth to si(th races.
9ono*a would aear in the si(th. &f he only needed to *ee his
aointment with her! there should be no need to come so early.
GAh! Shiba-*un! what2s the matterLG
At the sight of him accomanied by Miyu*i and Shi)u*u! A)usa tilted
her head. 9er osture was so similar to a s%uirrel holding a nut that
desite his melancholic mood! he couldn2t hel but twitch a smile.
At his careless chuc*le he consciously tried to tighten his lis! but
there wasn2t enough tension. &n resignation! he rela(ed.
G......Eou were ma*ing fun of me just now weren2t youLG
G'ot at all. & was just imressed by 'a*ajou-senai2s diligence.G
G......Eou really are ma*ing fun of me aren2t youLG
-eing glared at with those half-lidded eyes so much li*e a child
sul*ing forced Tatsuya to loo* away to hold bac* his laughter.
G......&t2s fine! & don2t care.G
A)usa *et glaring at him for a while! then with a sigh! muttered to
herself.
This was robably something she went through every day.
Somehow! her figure also e(uded an air of melancholy.
+eaving her li*e that would ma*e one feel terrible.
GJ& really wasn2t ma*ing fun of you.G
G......3eallyLG
G3eally.G
G3eally reallyLG
G3eally.G
-eing loo*ed at with susicion J due to the height difference!
straight u J by A)usa! Tatsuya showed a strong front.
Seeing that roud bearing! A)usa finally seemed to relent "was she
fooledL$ and smiled.
GAlright. -ecause & believe in Tatsuya-*un.G
Saying so as she laughed at him! she drifted over to his side.
Tatsuya *new without even loo*ing.
The image of Miyu*i2s eyebrows rising floated into his mind.
"Ooh boy......$
&t seemed his sister would be in a retty bad mood tonight as well! he
sighed to himself J although he couldn2t resent her for it! it did ain
him a little inside.
JThat aside.
GSo! what2s the matterL There2s still two more hours before Mitsui-
san2s match.G
G& felt rather uncomfortable outside! so & came here for some shelter.G
As A)usa tilted her head again! ne(t to Tatsuya! Miyu*i laughed.
G......Onii-sama is too concerned.G
At those %uestioning eyes! Miyu*i2s tone suggested 2it can2t be heled2.
GThey2ve become very motivated! so &2m sure the end result will be
just fine.G
On his other side! Shi)u*u reassured him.
GAh! ahhh! is that what it is......G
;uessing the circumstances immediately! A)usa was retty shar too.
The monooly of Shi)u*u and the others had been the subject of
raise even throughout lunch.
'ot just the e(ecutives! but the seniors who had the day off and had
been watching that day went to comliment the three! yet the number
of eole who also went to mention Tatsuya2s achievements were not
inconsiderable.
At that! the men2s Seed Shooting team had begun burning with an
e(traordinary rivalry.
That in itself! as Shi)u*u said! was not undesirable.
&f they become fired u and increase their desire for victory! as long as
they arenIt idle! it wor*s as a lus.
-ut being stared at with eyes that seemed to burn with vengeance for
their dead father! made you want to tell them to get a life.
Of course! to say such a thing out loud would lead to a fight. &n order
to avoid unnecessary trouble! he had come to the cometition venue as
early as ossible.
The location of the 'ine Schools Tournament was the southeast area
of the 5uji Armed 5orces Training ;rounds. While it2s called an area!
the 5uji training grounds were huge to begin with! and simly moving
between venues would end u being a considerable hi*e. Without that
much land! it would be imossible to reare for areas such as the
-attle -oard course and the Monolith 6ode battlefield.
The -attle -oard course was a winding flume circuit of aro(imately
three *ilometers.
With two sets for the two genders! as well as the sectator stands
meant that %uite a bit of land was needed just to ma*e this course.
When considering moving around the venue! the -attle -oard course
had been constructed right at the edge of the area rovided for the
'ine Schools Tournament in order to avoid having to byass that large
course on the way to other venues! and it can safely be said that there
were no cometitors from other events around such as those
articiating in the concurrent men2s Seed Shooting.
G& could also have gone bac* to the dorm! but & decided since &2ll be
coming here anyway & might as well see if there2s anything & could
hel with.G
G3eallyHLG
&t wasn2t just A)usa who raised a cry.
#erhas overhearing from somewhere! 9ono*a suddenly came flying
out from the cometitor2s area.
GThen lease! by all meansH 9ave a loo* at my 6ADHG
3ecently! under the influence of Tatsuya! 9ono*a had also began
calling her device not 2Assistance2 but 26AD2. At 9ono*a2s momentous
lea Tatsuya had almost laughed out loud again. Tightening his face
against the imulse! he scolded 9ono*a.
G9ey! come on 9ono*a. That way of sea*ing is *inda rude to
'a*ajou-senai you *nowLG
9ono*a2s attitude! and her words just now! couldn2t hel but be ta*en
as some level of dissatisfaction at A)usa2s wor*.
G/h! ah! &2m very sorryHG
9ono*a lowered her head in a hurry.
GDon2t worry about it. & *now you didn2t mean it in that way.G
A)usa shoo* her head with a dry smile.
9er tone was almost sisterly.
3esisting his urge to laugh this time was a difficult tas*.
The average time for a -attle -oard round was about A1 minutes.
9owever! the loading and unloading of the boards as well as the
insection of the waterway! as well as the reair of areas damaged by
magic meant more time was needed to reare for each race.
Allowing for that! as well as e(tra time to give leeway! meant the
cometition schedule for -attle -oard had been organi)ed into bloc*s
of one hour.
The final race would begin at B8B0 in the afternoon. Already! layers
were moving to the starting ositions. The too long wait time was not
good for tense nerves! and there were many instances of cometitors
ending u being unable to utili)e their full strength "every year! such
e(amles would occur for both genders in both the 2real2 finals and the
'ewcomers division$! but ossibly because of the chatter 9ono*a had
shared with Miyu*i and Shi)u*u before the match! she seemed in
great condition as she stood oised uon her board.
The sight of 9ono*a constantly stic*ing to Tatsuya had gradually
stirred u Miyu*i2s mood! but instead of searating them she had gone
along and entered into their chat! the result of which seemed to have
been a ositive diversion for 9ono*a.
The heavy swim shoes and thic* wet suit that covered the wrists and
an*les were meant to rotect the cometitor2s body from the friction of
imacts and falling. -ut the ressuri)ed uniform stuc* fast to the
wearer! and sharly emhasi)ed the curves of the body even more "L$
than usual.
Over the thigh! in large letters! was the logo 2&69&KO2. With her
stimulating roortions unbefitting a Ast Eear highlighted by her
colorful wet suit! 9ono*a crouched with one *nee uon the board
awaiting the start.
The 6AD over her forearm was thinner and wider than usual!
increasing its area and allowing for larger buttons. As he had said
earlier! Tatsuya did not tamer with 9ono*a2s 6AD.
After loo*ing over the system! he found nothing which absolutely
needed wor*.
-eing as*ed for advice by both 9ono*a and A)usa! he had just one
thing to offer.
The dar* goggles that 9ono*a now wore had been brought by him.
To be sure! the midsummer sunshine was inclining in from the west to
the e(tent that facing that way directly would be uncomfortably
da))ling.
Due to water slashing on the glass and bloc*ing their view! however!
few cometitors oted to use goggles or sunglasses.
A)usa had felt that narrowing the field of view would only be a
disadvantage! but 9ono*a had ta*en the goggles without hesitation.
G......come to thin* of it! why has Mitsui-san reared so many otical
Activation Se%uencesLG
&t2s rare for an engineer to issue Activation Se%uences.
With the e(cetion of Tatsuya! who lans out the Activation Se%uence
lineu himself! normally engineers install Se%uences based on the
wish of the cometitors.
A)usa had *nown too that 9ono*a was adet with illusionary magic
of the light wave system from her rofile! but due to the nature of the
cometition! A)usa had honestly believed there was no lace for
illusionary magic.
GThe rules of -attle -oard state that interfering with other layers via
magic is rohibited. 9owever! interfering with the water and thus
indirectly interfering with other layers is not.G
G......what does that meanLG
Desite being as*ed reeatedly by A)usa! Tatsuya had only returned
an evil smile.
The signal for the start of the si(th %ualifying race of the 'ewcomerIs
women2s -attle -oard came on.
&mmediately after.
The audience in near unison turned away from the waterway. As if lit
u by a flash! the water surface oured out light.
One cometitor fell overboard.
The others had their balance disruted whilst in the midst of
accelerating! and one lone figure dashed to the front.
As if e(ecting the situation J although it has to be said that she was
the one who created the situation J wearing dar* goggles! that lone
figure was 9ono*a.
GAlright.G
+oo*ing u at Tatsuya! who gave a voice of affirmation! A)usa2s face
was full of ama)ement.
G......Was this Onii-sama2s strategyLG
Miyu*i2s voice as she removed her sunglasses was also filled with
wonder. "-y the way the sunglasses the three of them wore had been
issued beforehand. Miyu*i and the others had been mystified as to
their urose! but ut them on anyway.$
GTo be sure! it2s not rohibited by the rules but......G
Shi)u*u2s voice had a hint of reroach in it.
One couldn2t hel feeling that this was rather against the sirit of fair
lay.
9owever the yellow flag which would indicate any significant unfair
lay remained unwaved! and the match continued. The red flag that
signaled a layer2s dis%ualification for rules violations li*ewise
remained unused.
&t meant that the tournament committee deemed 9ono*a2s magic! and
Tatsuya2s strategy! a legal move.
G......#erforming otical magic on the water2s surface! & didn2t e(ect
that at all.G
9er ersonality straightforward at all times! A)usa muttered in
admiration.
G&nterfering with the water surface! whether to generate waves or
vorte(es! affects the consciousness and orientation of other
cometitors yet it is allowed since it comlies with the rule that 2you
may affect another cometitor via magically targeting the water
surface2. Doing something li*e free)ing the water solid or boiling it
would certainly be too dangerous! but & did find it strange that no one
until now had used it to cause di))iness.G
&f one is suddenly blinded without any warning! it ta*es a while to
restore vision.
Meandering slowly along the course! unable to srint due to their
obscured vision! the difference between 9ono*a and the other layers
was already decisive.
F F F
G......&t2s in the bag.G
G......Who thought of this strategyLG
Mayumi who was watching through the monitor did not e(erience
any discomfort as the monitor automatically adjusted the amount of
light dislayed! yet now while she was calmly assessing the originality
of that tactic she remembered her initial surrise "although calm
surrise is a bit of an o(ymoron$.
5ollowing behind Mari2s mutter and Mayumi2s %uestion! Su)une
answered.
G&t was Shiba-*un.G
G/h! but & thought Tatsuya-*un wasn2t involved in this matchLG
9earing that answer! Mayumi tilted her head as if going 2huhL2
Su)une2s rely was ossibly a bit too olite.
GThe one who submitted the lan in the first lace was Mitsui-san. -ut
the one who decided the Activation Se%uence lineu and brushed u
the finer details of the strategy was Shiba-*un! or so &2m told.G
Su)une2s deliberate mention of him 2deciding the Activation Se%uence
lineu2 was because of the ercetion that doing so was the e(cetion!
not the rule.
G......it really is one thing after another with him! isn2t it.G
A touch of reroach could be heard in Mari2s voice.
GWhat2s the matterL Eou seem somewhat dissatisfied.G
Mari didn2t answer Mayumi2s %uestion.
9owever! her silence itself so*e volumes on what was on her mind!
G......#lanning is very imortant. As the masters say.G
5rom what Mayumi could tell! Mari was cran*y at being shown a
tactic she hadn2t thought of. 5or Mari who rided herself on being a
strategist! it decidedly wasn2t very fun.
G&t2s a tactic no one has thought of for nine years! so this is the oint
where you should be nice and imressed.G
G.....& am imressed. That2s why &2m so annoyed.G
-eing cut into by Su)une! reluctantly! Mari admitted her jealousy.
Mari was magnanimous enough to accet it! so Su)une let her off for
now.
GStill! this is a one-off strategy isn2t itL & wonder what he2ll do for the
finalsLG
Mari didn2t come u with a follow through! so Mayumi resonded
instead.
G'o worries. There2s no way that man hasn2t thought that far ahead.G
GThatIs true. This is also just a strategic move for the ne(t match.G
Seems li*e it was a needless an(iety.
F F F
GEeah......seems li*e &2ve done something bad to 9ono*a.G
Watching 9ono*a ta*e the lead from her earlier move! and maintain it
all the way until the finish! Tatsuya muttered in a bitter voice. 'e(t to
him! Miyu*i loo*ed u at her brother2s clouded face.
G......What2s the matterLG
Their aearance was noticed by others! and A)usa so*e u to
Tatsuya.
GAh! nothing......G
9is answer was evasive! or in other words an e(cuse.
Still! he didn2t become silent.
GShe could have won this race easily based on her seed
alone......there was no need for the confusion.G
GWell......even so! she did ta*e the lead than*s to her initial da))le! so
couldn2t you still call it a successful strategyLG
A)usa! not *nowing the nature of Tatsuya2s regret! tilted her head.
GWhen you stand out so much! it2s going to mean you2ll be mar*ed by
the other contestants......G
GThe semis are a race between three eole......it2s a ossibility that in
the ne(t match! the other two will air u.G
Miyu*i comlemented Tatsuya2s words.
5inally! A)usa understood what they were worried about.
GOh! is that what it was.G
And laughed at their concerns.
GSomething li*e that......&2m retty sure it2d be a disadvantage rightLG
At Miyu*i2s countering hesitance! A)usa merely shoo* her head
haily.
GThat won2t haen! since we2ve been mar*ed from the start.G
G9aahh......G
She had said it so cheerfully that for a moment Tatsuya wondered if
she was actually roud of that.
JWell! just for a moment.
9owever insensitive he was! he wasn2t so far gone as to not reali)e she
was just comforting them.
F F F
G& wonH & won! Tatsuya-sanHG
As soon as she rose from the waterway! 9ono*a immediately hurried
over to where Tatsuya and the others were without even changing
from her wetsuit! hoing all the way.
GAh! yeah. We saw. Well done.G
Aware of the other staff who had come down to greet their teammates!
Tatsuya hastily ut both hands out in front of him while congratulating
her in an attemt to calm her down.
-ut it had the oosite effect.
GThan* you so muchHG
#erhas misunderstanding! 9ono*a clased the hands Tatsuya held out
and stared u at his face! tears of joy threatening to sill out from her
eyes. /ven Miyu*i didn2t e(ect her to show her emotions so
straightforwardly.
While Tatsuya stood fro)en from a lac* of e(erience with such
things! 9ono*a really did start to cry.
GWhenever it comes to cometitions! & become so wea*......& hardly
ever win cometitions in athletic meets or tournaments li*e these.G
&t was the first time he heard of this. &f that were true! then maybe
using the strategy in the 'ewcomer2s division wasn2t such a
miscalculation after all.
-ut as Tatsuya stood hellessly loo*ing left and right! behind 9ono*a
the figure of Shi)u*u waving her hands flew into view.
5rom her aearance! it seemed she was saying 2that2s not the case! not
at all.2
With his hands still firmly grased by 9ono*a! and establishing line of
sight with Shi)u*u! she began to mouth words to him. 9er li
movements read 2she2stal*ingaboutduringrimaryschool2.
"A story from their rimary school days! huh......$
Tatsuya sighed whilst loo*ing towards heaven.
She robably didn2t intend to lie or anything......but her conviction was
just a little too intense.
Desite the icicle glare Miyu*i directed at him "that is to say icy cold!
and very shar$! he still re%uired some time to regain his comosure.
F F F
-oth in athletics and on the board! if one does not have the will then
victory will be uncertain.
&t2s the same with magic cometitions.
+oo*ing at the success of one2s teammates and thin*ing 2now it2s my
turn2 is a system which raises the willower of the team! and is li*e a
magic bullet which boosts morale.
2Willower2 is lin*ed with 2fighting sirit2! but 2fighting sirit2 also
easily lin*s to 2futility2.
-efore the girls2 eyes! such an event was occurring.
GMorisa*i-*un was the runner-u! but......G
Mayumi2s words were wraed in disaointment.
GThe other two missed the cut huh......G
Mari2s words continued the disaointed trend.
At the close of the first day of the 'ewcomer2s Division! in the
meeting room! the Brd Eear e(ecutives stood before the results of the
men2s Seed Shooting ran*ings and let out a collective sigh.
GThe results of the men2s and women2s are reversed......G
G& wouldn2t say that. Third 9igh too* first and fourth lace! so the girls
still give us a ositive balance.
Eou2re being just a little too essimistic.G
Su)une2s sober analysis countered Mayumi2s gloomy remar*s. &t was
all in an effort to disel the stagnant mood.
G......3ight. As &chihara said! it2s not good to be too negative. &n the
first lace! the results of those girls are far more than we could have
e(ected. We must be ositive about the lead they have given us
today.
G-ut the slum with the guys isn2t just in 2%uic*draw2. &n 2surfing2 as
well! only one guy %ualified comared to two girls.G
At Mari2s remar*s! in a tone as if reminding herself! Katsuto agreed
with a grim loo*. "-y the way 2%uic*draw2 is a nic*name for Seed
Shooting! as 2surfing2 is for -attle -oard.$
G&f their oor erformance continues li*e this! even if we do well this
year it2s ossible we2ll be disadvantaged in the years to come.G
GThat losing would become a habitLG
G&t is a ossibility.G
At Katsuto2s oint! both Mari and Mayumi bitterly fell silent.
-eing leaders of a Magic 9igh School! esecially the e(ecutives of
5irst 9igh who rided themselves uon victory! they were unable to
live with the easy thought 2we did good enough this year2.
GThe mens2 side may re%uire some suort.G
GStill 7uumonji! even if you say suort what can we do at this late
hourLG
Mari2s rebuttal to Katsuto2s murmur was bitter.
&t was certainly a 2late hour2.
The 'ewcomer2s Division had already begun. &t wasn2t ossible to
change the staff or cometitors anymore.
/ven when she glanced at him! Katsuto had no rely.
That atmoshere however! rather than being at a loss! gave the
imression not of mere silence but that a lan was forming.
F F F
At last tomorrow! or rather 2today2 already! was Miyu*i2s turn.
There had been no move from the organi)ed crime related sabotage
warned of by Ka)ama since the incident involving Mari! but Tatsuya
couldn2t ut it out of his mind.
&f his hyotheses were correct! the 2enemy2 had tamered with the
6ADs just rior to the cometition. &t was a low ossibility for more
sabotage to be carried out overnight! but it never hurt to double chec*.
5or the enemy2s actions to be immediately undetectable by him! they
held very high s*ill.
5inishing the final adjustments! he systematically tightly loc*ed the
6AD! then further added a trile loc* before finally stoing wor*.
There isn2t a trace of any other erson.
'ot just humans! but no other life signs could be detected at all.
&n regards to the enemy! it would be e(ected that security here is
much higher.
Ka)ama and his subordinates! the elites of the &ndeendent Magic-
/%uied -attalion were secretly heling behind the scenes! so even if
there was an attemt! a direct attac* was unli*ely to succeed.
Without wandering around unnecessarily! he roceeded through the
entrance of the hotel "of course! re%uiring bio-metric identification$!
and went straight to his room.
-efore he entered! he noticed at the door.
9is only roommates were non-breathing machines.
At this time of night! when he was confident the minute hand of the
cloc* should be announcing a date change any time now! there
shouldn2t be any sign of life aside from him in the hallway J but he
turned the *ey and wal*ed inside regardless.
G9ey now! just what time do you thin* it isLG
:nli*e usual! his slightly stern voice sei)ed the initiative.
:nli*e usual! his osture suggested this wasn2t something that could
be let off with a smile.
:nli*e usual! the one on the receiving end of all this must have
reali)ed that as well.
9er shoulders trembling! Miyu*i hastily got u off the bed she had
been sitting on! and fearfully loo*ed u at her brother.
GA lac* of slee will reduce your ability to concentrate. /ven if it2s
you! where careless mista*es may not necessarily lead to defeat! that
won2t always be the case.G
G&2m very sorryHG
-eing scolded by Tatsuya in earnest! Miyu*i bowed deely in a voice
verging on tears. 9earing his sister li*e this! seeing her li*e this!
Tatsuya was simly unable to *ee u his tough stance for any longer.
G......&t2s good you understand. 'ow come on! let2s go bac* to your
room. &2ll escort you there.G
#erhas his voice was a little too forceful! as when Miyu*i timidly
loo*ed u! she refused to loo* at her brother2s face.
GMiyu*iLG
G......Onii-sama! for a bit! just a bit! could & have a little of your timeLG
G......7ust a little.G
A cometition in obstinacy would be a waste of time.
Tatsuya *new from rior e(erience that his sister was rather
assively aggressive in this way.
G& heard from Shi)u*u. Onii-sama! you turned down the honor of
having your name added to the 2&nde(2.G
G'ot formally at least.G
G3ather than formally or anything! you were rohibited weren2t youLG
GEeah.G
At Tatsuya2s brief affirmation! Miyu*i! as if struggling with
something! stood whilst biting her li a while.
G......Was that! uon the orders of our AuntLG
GEeah.G
Another brief affirmation.
Miyu*i! once again teary eyed! loo*ed down.
GThe investigative owers of the Magic :niversities are very high.
The gossi sites mas%uerading as news sites of normal media
organi)ations can2t even begin to come close. They2re almost
comarable to military or intelligence agencies.
Develoers of new magic in addition to being given access to the
resources of the :niversities are also granted various rivileges! but
their identity is also e(amined in detail. &t2s in order to root out
national sies and terrorists. &t2s an investigation on a totally different
level to high school admission. &t2s not unli*ely they2ll discover not
only my identity as 2Silver2! but 2Shiba Tatsuya2s2 identity as a Eotsuba
which the Eotsuba themselves have been bloc*ing so carefully.G
5aced with his sister2s tears! Tatsuya e(lained in a slightly cool voice.
&t was not only because he had to be uncomromising in the face of
her tears! but because he had to convince himself.
G......G
5or a while! her head bowed! Miyu*i said nothing.
Tatsuya felt relief at not hearing her sob anymore.
GTo be sure! just entering the 'ine Schools 6ometition carried some
ris* of my identity coming under scrutiny. 9owever! leaving my name
in the Magic /ncycloedia is far different from being in a high school
cometition. The 2;uardian2 of the Eotsuba e(ists as a shadow. Do you
thin* for such an outcast to be in the limelight would be accetable to
our AuntLG
Miyu*i *et silent. She didn2t even mouth any words of comfort.
That was her answer to his %uestion.
G5or now! & still don2t have enough ower. &n a head on situation! there
is a ossibility & could defeat the 2?ueen of 'ight2 Eotsuba Maya. My
2Decomosition2 has good comatibility as a counter to her 2'ight2
after all.
-ut the me as of now! even if & could beat our Aunt! & can2t do
anything about the Eotsuba. 5orce of arms alone! the threat of violence
alone is not enough. &f & dislace our Aunt! another worse maniulator
would simly show u in her lace. At this moment! & can only
follow.G
Those words weren2t so much to convince his sister! as for himself.
As he tried to satisfy himself that way!
Miyu*i! moving from the front!
embraced him.
9er face shining with tears buried itself into his chest.
Such an aearance might be better described as 2clinging2! yet that
was somehow inaroriate.
G......&2m on your side.G
GMiyu*i......G
G& will always no matter what! come what may! be on your side.
That time will definitely come. Without a doubt! it will come.
:ntil then! and forever after! & will always be on Onii-sama2s side.G
G......G
The hands of the cloc* accused them of far e(ceeding the realms of
2just a little2.
-ut let2s go along with her 2just a little more2...... Tatsuya thought as he
gently wraed his arms around Miyu*i2s bac*.
Chapter 9
&t was the fifth day of the 'ine Schools 6ometition and the second
morning of the 'ewcomers Division.
Tatsuya arrived in front of the arena that was busy rearing for the
'ewcomers DivisionIs &cicle Destruction.
Several large cranes were unloading A meter ( A meter ( C meter
icicles from large battlefield vehicles secially modified for this
urose. Seeing this would naturally cause eole to believe that the
days where suer robot anime became reality were not too far off.
G......&f we could comletely ignore energy efficiency! that is.G
GOnii-samaL What are you tal*ing aboutLG
As if to reject this outrageous line of thin*ing! Tatsuya involuntarily
started muttering to himself.
G'o! it2s nothing.G
She did not ursue this vague answer.
G+et2s go %uic*ly.G
GEes.G
Originally! this was only a stoing oint along their route to the
cometition location.
Tatsuya urged Miyu*i onward towards the resting area located on the
to floor of the Arrow Tower.
F F F
There was still B0 minutes until the start of the first round in the
morning.
When Tatsuya entered the arena! there was still lenty of sare time.
G;ood morningHG
......Still! the layers for the first round were already there.
G;ood morning...... Sorry for ma*ing you wait so long.G
GOh lease! & was the one who came too early.G
The layer for the first round of &cicle Destruction! A*echi /imi!
smiled as she shoo* her head and swet a loc* of her ruby red hair
bac* from her face.
G;ood morning! /imi. 9ow early did you get uLG
G;ood morning! Miyu*i. 5or some reason! & wo*e u before the alarm
went off. &t2s li*e & haven2t recovered from yesterday2s e(citement.G
9er other name was /milia ;oldie. 9er full name was A*echi /milia
;oldie /imi. /imi was a %uarter -ritish stoc*. 9er nic*name
G/mmyG! rather than originating from her 7aanese name G/imiG!
robably came from her -ritish name G/miliaG.
A Magician2s ability was heavily influenced by genetics.
Due to the connection between magic and national ower! each
country jealously guarded its magic bloodlines and either officially or
unofficially forbade international marriages between Magicians. "This
country that suerficially allowed freedom of marriage belonged in the
GunofficialG category.$
Eet! in the generation of Tatsuya2s grandarents! allied countries
actively encouraged international marriages between Magicians. The
goal was to GcrossG Ge(cellent stoc*G to GdeveloG suerior Magicians.
The ensuing result was that over half of the current students at magic
high schools boasted bloodlines from Western /uroe or &ndia.
+eo was one of them! and the female student *nown as A*echi /imi
was another.
As could be inferred from her words! she also aeared in yesterday2s
Seed Shooting cometition. This was the second day in a row she
was wor*ing alongside Tatsuya. -esides Miyu*i and the two others!
/imi was the first one on the Women2s Team to jell with Tatsuya. 5or
Tatsuya! she was also the most rela(ed young lady on the team.
After the two of them e(changed greetings! they delved into girl tal*
as Tatsuya smoothly removed the 6AD from the case he was carrying!
erformed a cursory e(amination! and handed it to /imi.
This was a clumsy loo*ing! shotgun-shaed Seciali)ed 6AD that
measured 10 cm in length and comletely dwarfed a young lady2s
hand.
The weaon loo*ed %uite heavy! but because recoil wasn2t an issue!
the weight was significantly lower than a normal firearm than*s to its
lightweight materials. Eet /imi2s movements were li*e something
straight out of a Western flic* as she swung the gun around and too*
aim out the window.
G....../imi! you2re not -ritish! but American! aren2t youLG
G9ow many times do & have to say this! no. 'ow even Miyu*i is
saying this tooL My grandmother2s family was *nighted by the Tudors
themselves.G
6ontrary to the content of her words! her tone remained unerturbed.
She maintained her current osture and started to suly the 6AD
with sions. Somewhere along the way! the safety was removed. 7ust
li*e Morisa*i2s ?uic* Draw! this was an entirely different tye of
ristine 6AD drawing.
G9ow is itLG
G9m...... 'ow & *now how Shi)u*u feels.G
/veryone in the Ast Eear Women2s Team *new about the fact that the
Ojou-sama from the wealthy Kitayama 5amily wanted to GreserveG
Tatsuya.
GAre there any roblemsLG
GEe! it2s erfectHG
/imi rela(ed her osture and smiled in delight.
Aart from her ruby hair and moss green uils! her outward
aearance was thoroughly 7aanese. /ven among her eers! she was
the one who had the most childish imression. 3ather than calling her
earlier smile GdelightfulG! a more innocent GteeheeG was robably
closer to the mar*.
G& have no idea what you2re tal*ing about......G
/imi tilted her head at Tatsuya2s muttering! but her smile didn2t fade in
the slightest. One of the chief reasons was li*ely because she had no
idea what he was tal*ing about.
GAt least let me run a few calibrations. 6an you ut on the ear setLG
G/hL WhyLG
G/imi...... &n truth! you didn2t get u early! but didn2t slee at all!
rightLG
At being as*ed this sudden %uestion! /imi2s smile grew a tad forced.
G......9ow could you tellLG
Seeing /imi2s widened eyes! Tatsuya silently nodded and! in resonse!
too* the 6AD from her hands and restarted the calibration rocess.
G......Eou2re sharer than my arents.G
/imi obediently ut on the headhones used for measurement while
nagging with an G& can2t believe youG and lacing her hands on the
measuring ads.
Seeing the numbers scrolling down the screen! Tatsuya2s e(ression
dar*ened.
With Tatsuya2s minute facial changes! /imi2s body also started to curl
u. This scene didn2t escae Miyu*i2s eyes.
GWell! Onii-samaLG
There was no rerimand hidden in her words! but when Tatsuya heard
her words! he raised his head in reali)ation and smiled as he rubbed
the sace between his brows with two fingers.
G:nless /imi also forgoes Sound SleeLG
GAlsoL Eou mean Shiba-*un does that tooLG
/imi2s reaction romted Tatsuya2s e(ression to soften somewhat as
he nodded.
GWow! & discovered a comrade. 9ow should & ut this! doesn2t that
give you an uncomfortable feelingL /secially those weird sound
waves.G
GThere2s no actual health ris*...... -ut & do agree that it is %uite
uncomfortable. & do ma*e an e(cetion for sleeless nights though.
/secially if & have a cometition the ne(t day.G
GOK>.G
/imi2s resonse was erfect for a child that had just been scolded by a
arent. Tatsuya could only smile wryly at this.
GThen! &2ll raise the feedbac* loo a little higher...... This might be a
little irritating! so bear with it for a little bit. 6ertainly you wouldn2t
want to be accused of 2losing the contest owing to lac* of slee2!
rightLG
G&2ll bear with it! leaseH &f that really haened! they2ll never let me
live this down.G
There was nothing worthy of note in her tone. /imi blushed as she
ressed her hands against several interesting oints on her ants.
Tatsuya aused and was fro)en for a solid second.
G& really didn2t want to bring this u! but! Miyu*i...... What do you
eole do in your roomsLG
G'! nothing! Onii-sama! Miyu*i hasn2t done anything shamefulHG
GOh! really>L Miyu*i2s room is a comlete safe house.G
G/imiH Do not sea* of such strange nonsense in front of Onii-samaHG
An aw*ward silence covered the resting area. To brea* this stalemate!
an abrut change in the conversation was inevitable. 9e wasn2t
entirely sure who this e(cuse was directed to! Tatsuya thought to
himself.
G......5ortunately! the first round is in the early morning so you can
ta*e a na before the second round begins. Sorry! Miyu*i! but could &
trouble you to reare the 2Sleeing Doc*2 for immediate useLG
G& understand. & will be right bac*.G
After Miyu*i dearted to setu the sensory inhibitory doc*
"soundroof! shoc*roof! light-shielded! sealed single bed$! Tatsuya
started 6AD calibration.
F F F
Although the first round got a little tense at one oint! victory was
finally achieved with three icicles still left in allied territory.
Sea*ing of which! the ending result was that /imi was currently dee
in dream land without any oortunity to comlain that G&t2s too
dar*>G or G&t2s too cramed>G.
This was the fifth event! which was the second event for the female
students from 5irst 9igh. They were currently in the resting area
before the match began.
"& seem to recall saying something very similar recently.$
Tatsuya thought of this! but was still forced to say it aloud.
GShi)u*u...... Are you really wearing that uniform during the
cometitionLG
GEeahLG
When Shi)u*u relied with an G&s something wrongLG e(ression on
her face! Tatsuya really wanted to cover his head and was comletely
at a loss.
&cicle Destruction involved the layers standing on four meter tall
latforms and defending the AC icicles in their own territory that
measured AC s%uare meters while simultaneously *noc*ing down or
destroying all their oonent2s AC icicles.
The layers were strictly using long range magic! so there was no need
to move their hysical bodies.
&n other words! the layer2s wardrobe layed no role in this event.
"-esides the uniforms that hinder the gri on their 6ADs.$
The only criterion for wardrobe was that it Gmust be decentG.
And the ensuing result was that J while unintentional J at some
oint Women2s &cicle Destruction became a fashion show.
&n addition! when Kanon aeared for the Official Division on the
second and third days! she was wearing a fairly normal sorts uniform.
She wore tights! a mini jac*et! an ade%uate shirt! as well as long soc*s
and tennis shoes.
On the other hand! /imi was dressed li*e a joc*ey! comlete with a
white collared shirt! red riding jac*et on the uer body! tight women2s
ants and blac* riding boots below! along with a blac* duc*-billed hat.
Still! those still fell within normal boundaries and didn2t %ualify as
anything articularly gaudy.
Then! there was Shi)u*u......
G:h! Shi)u*u......G
GEesLG
GWouldn2t the tamoto...... ;et in the wayLG
Ees.
'o need to flog the dead horse! but that was a GtamotoG from a
*imono.
GThere2s no roblem. The sleeves are short enough! and & also have the
obi.G
Sea*ing of which! Shi)u*u deftly tied the obi in front of Tatsuya.
Such a fluid motion clearly showed that she had lentiful e(erience
in a *imono.
EetJ
"&f you needed to use the obi to *ee the tamoto in chec*! wouldn2t
you be better off forgoing the *imono in the first laceL$
Tatsuya thought of this! but managed to hold his retort in.
There wasn2t much time before the ne(t round! so Tatsuya %uic*ly
gave u on ersuading her otherwise J after all! this was the Gofficial
garbG for boosting one2s sirits. &n that case! he2ll just have to turn a
blind eye.
Shi)u*u chose J correction! the 6AD that Tatsuya chose for her was
a ;enerali)ed 6AD.
This imlied that the event demanded a careful energy allocation that
ossessed a balanced strategy.
&t wasn2t li*e Tatsuya could *ee ulling rabbits out of a hat. To be
recise! Tatsuya himself had no interest in creating devious tactics.
5or him! it was all about roviding the layers with the most
aroriate tools and the strategy that could bring about their
ma(imum otential! and nothing more. &n light of this! if direct assault
was the most effective strategy! he would ruthlessly adot that as his
course of action.
7ust li*e this match.
The moment Shi)u*u aeared on the latform! the audience raised a
clamor li*ely due to her outfit.
9owever! the erson in %uestion was steady even if a light bree)e had
gra)ed her face as she lifted her left arm before her chest! the tamoto
held firmly in lace by the obi.
Shi)u*u2s 6AD was just li*e the one she normally used! with the
command console facing the inside of her arm.
&n the recent age! most female Magicians used 6ADs with command
consoles facing towards the outside. Desite the height of fashion!
Shi)u*u still referred to use the feminine inward facing console!
which befitted her status as an Ojou-sama. Still! given her usual
taciturn and emotionless nature as well as the occasional merciless
snar*ing! this honestly gave eole an incomatible feeling.
&f voiced aloud in front of aforementioned young lady! this would
undoubtedly end with a beating. Tatsuya adjusted the focal oint on
the monitoring device and set these thoughts aside.
&n the following time eriod!
Shi)u*u2s mission was to focus entirely on this match.
Tatsuya2s mission was to gather his attention entirely on her.
F F F
GMiyu*i...... Aren2t you going where Tatsuya-*un isLG
9ono*a ied u from beside her. At this time! Miyu*i was sitting in a
different section of the stands reserved for layers and au(iliaries that
was not art of the normal audience stands and was atiently waiting
for the match to begin.
7ust as she did during /imi2s match in the first round! the moment
Tatsuya entered the monitoring room! Miyu*i slit aart from him.
&t was erfectly natural for layers from the same school to cheer on
their teammates from the monitoring room! butJ
G&cicle Destruction is a solo erformance. Sooner or later! Shi)u*u and
& will meet on the field! so wouldn2t it be unfair for me to snea* a ee*
at her trum cardLG
&n terms of trum cards! there were certainly oortunities during
ractice to see them. /ven 5irst 9igh wasn2t e(travagant enough to
reare several large scale ractice facilities for the 'ine Schools
6ometition.
So! what Miyu*i was actually referring to was something else.
They were fated to be oonents. Miyu*i didn2t want to see Tatsuya!
who was serving as their mutual technician! worry needlessly about
such trivialities. This was robably Miyu*i2s real concern.
At the same time! she didn2t want Shi)u*u to be distracted by her
resence.
9ono*a and Shi)u*u were close friends and rivals since elementary
school. :ntil middle school! 9ono*a saw Shi)u*u as her strongest
oonent and conversely! Shi)u*u also saw 9ono*a as her most
formidable oonent.
&n their cohort and circle of friends! no one could match them in terms
of magical talent.
:on entering high school and receiving official magic training! both
9ono*a and Shi)u*u yearned to meet someone other than each other
who could ush them to their limits. Eet! somewhere in the deths of
their hearts! a stubborn belief that could not be eradicated told them
that they would never meet someone who mirrored their talents.
&n the same school! in the same tutoring class! there were no children
from the Ten Master 6lans! but several children from the G'umbers
SystemG. Still! none of them was worthy of being a new rival.
9owever! uon entering the high school entrance e(amination! their
GconceitG was thoroughly annihilated.
-y this divinely crafted young lady sitting ne(t to her.
-ased on their grades on the standardi)ed magic tests! 9ono*a was
fourth lace behind Miyu*i! Shi)u*u! and Morisa*i. &n 9ono*a2s
oinion! even if Shi)u*u didn2t count! she didn2t feel that she was any
wea*er than Morisa*i.
The first subject in the high school standardi)ed e(am was a simle
techni%ue involving ten rocesses. "Only someone of 9ono*a2s caliber
would be able to call Gten rocessesG as simle.$
There was no real stress from the techni%ue and Morisa*i only sei)ed
the advantage because of his suerior seed. &f this was a more
comle( techni%ue with additional rocesses! 9ono*a was adamant
that she would have outerformed him.
Eet Miyu*i was an Ge(cetionG.
She ossessed the overwhelming ability and strength that made
jealousy itself ludicrous.
/ven if someone claimed she was from the Ten Master 6lans! 9ono*a
would undoubtedly hold that to be true.
-ut that was only natural.
JThat was what 9ono*a thought when she first beheld Miyu*i2s
magic in the entrance e(amination area.
9ono*a was comletely unaware how close she was to the truth!
roving beyond doubt how utterly Miyu*i2s magic astounded and
overwhelmed her.
This imression followed her for the ne(t four months in school and!
rather than being diluted! only intensified even more.
9ono*a felt that even the solitary Shi)u*u would not be able to calmly
maniulate her magic normally if Miyu*i stood before her.
When she learned that Miyu*i was being switched to Mirage -at for
the Official Division! and thus avoided meeting her on the field!
9ono*a let out a huge sigh of relief.
As she thought bac* to the time of the entrance e(am! 9ono*a was
naturally reminded of the first time she saw GhimG.
&n reality! 9ono*a2s first encounter with Tatsuya was not the incident
that occurred shortly after the day of enrollment. &t was not the time
when /ri*a and comany were arrayed against them! with 9ono*a
casting magics against school rules that would have landed her in a
world of trouble with the #ublic Morals 6ommittee 6hief had Tatsuya
not intervened. 9ono*a had encountered Tatsuya long before this
incident.
6oincidentally on the day of the entrance e(amination! not just
Miyu*i! but Tatsuya was also in the same testing grou as 9ono*a.
This air of siblings was not outwardly similar.
9ono*a didn2t ossess the e(cess mental finesse to remember
everyone2s names.
The reason Tatsuya left a lasting imression on 9ono*a wasn2t
because he was Miyu*i2s older brother.
9is technical scores were only so-so.
3egardless of seed! strength! scale! every subject was thoroughly
mundane and unaealing! to the oint that they could be labeled as
below average.
9owever! his magic was so beautiful it was breathta*ingH
9ono*a was incaable of analy)ing Magic Se%uences li*e Tatsuya.
'either was she li*e Mi)u*i in her sensitivity towards sions and
ushions.
When comared to normal Magicians! 9ono*a! who seciali)ed in
light wave oscillation magic! was only acutely sensitive towards the
magical side effects that created light wave bac*ground noise.
An overabundance of interference or remnants of Magic Se%uences
would all form into surlus sion surges and oscillate in the emty air.
When hotons interact with these resonses! the ensuing result is light
wave noise.
-ut this cacohony was wholly undetectable in his magic.
&n other words! there were no e(cess materials in his Magic Se%uence.
9is Magic #ower was e(anded to its limit and entirely devoted
towards henomenon rewriting! ma*ing for a magic that was
calculated down to the last detail.
9ono*a thought that it was a wor* of ure art.
9itherto! she had never seen such a beautiful iece of magic.
Afterwards! even though she bore witness to Miyu*i2s dominating
magic! she still couldn2t forget that magic.
That2s why 9ono*a felt deely betrayed when she saw the lac* of the
eight etal flower on Tatsuya2s breast during the student orientation.
This was the reason why 9ono*a nursed an overly antagonistic
attitude towards Tatsuya2s grou that day.
JWhy are you on that side "6ourse C$HL
JWhy aren2t you on this one "6ourse A$HL
9ono*a2s eyes were blurred by this illogical fury.
True! in terms of seed! strength and scale! every category clearly set
him far from the standards "of a 6ourse A student$.
Eet! the fact that GheG who could weave such wondrous magic had to
be satisfied with being a mere Gsubstitute "Weed$G! 9ono*a felt that
this was utterly unforgivable.
G......9ono*a! what2s wrongL2
Shoc*ed! 9ono*a turned to her side to find Miyu*i watching her in
confusion.
She must have noticed that 9ono*a had fallen into an odd state of
silence in the middle of their conversation.
GS-Sorry! it2s nothing.G
/ven she would susect herself if something of that sort had
haened. When she considered her actions as well as her misdirected
Ganger dislacementG and the reason why she consciously noticed
GhimG! 9ono*a blushed to the roots of her hair and drooed her head.
F F F
G&t2s finally Kitayama2s match.G
G+oo*s li*e she2s carrying a ;enerali)ed 6AD.G
Two ladies from the Women2s Team brass were hunched shoulder to
shoulder in front of a screen at the avilion. Su)une! who was
overloaded with wor* from the unending stream of results! sighed as
she beheld this sight.
Eet! the two of them blatantly ignored this obvious sign of disleasure.
G& wonder what tric* he2s got u his sleeve this time.G
G9ard to say. Maybe he2s intentionally laying mind games with us
and will launch a full frontal assault recisely because we2re thin*ing
that way.G
Mayumi and Mari were congregated in front of the widescreen
monitor just li*e two young children sharing their favorite television
show.
Su)une had long since given u. Sighing once more! she acceted the
inevitability of wor*ing alone.
'either Mayumi nor Mari batted an eyelid at Shi)u*u2s choice of
wardrobe.
5or three time 'ine Schools 6ometition veterans li*e them! this
didn2t %ualify as anything outlandish.
&n fact! they may be thin*ing G9uh! there are actually less of them this
yearHG
Also owing to this reason! Shi)u*u was someone who came to watch
the 'ine Schools 6ometition every year! so she wasn2t embarrassed
by her dress either.
G9o! we2re starting.G
The two of them edged closer to the screen.
F F F
The lights ne(t to the flan*s of the arena flashed red.
The lights advanced to yellow! and the moment when the lights turned
greenJ
Shi)u*u2s ring started dancing along the command console.
Toward her own AC icicles.
She set all of them as targets and fired the Magic Se%uence.
&mmediately afterward! her oonent2s magic came rushing towards
Shi)u*u2s field.
This was a oular tactic involving Move-Tye Magic to blit)*rieg
the oonent2s field.
/(cet Shi)u*u2s icicles stood roc* solid against her oonent2s magic
and didn2t shift at all.
F F F
G9o! Data 5ortification.G
/very 9? was e%uied with a widescreen monitor that could analy)e
the magic being used as well as the tye of magic used and its
strength. Much li*e a heat dislay! the various dislays were e(ressed
through various shades of color.
:sing this function! it was a simle matter to determine the offensive
and defensive ositions.
Data 5ortification.
/idos was a record of the current status of an information body.
Through this information body! arts of the information or even the
entire whole could be relicated and rojected bac* into the target to
rotect the /idos from being altered any further. This was *nown as
Data 5ortification within the 6ounter Magic field. The coied ortions
from Data 5ortification ossess the ability to revent magic from
affecting the target.
Shi)u*u used Data 5ortification to emhasi)e the target2s location
Gright thereG. As the screen lainly dislayed! her oonent2s Move-
Tye Magic was nullified by Shi)u*u2s magic.
G?uite the direct confrontation.G
GWasn2t this recisely how Mari redictedLG
Su)une! who overheard the conversation! couldn2t hel but thin*8 G'ot
really! & hardly thin* that this strategy was created solely to lay with
your heads......G Of course! this thought couldn2t be assed to the
mesmeri)ed observers.
GStill! & thin* that for Magicians with high interference strength li*e
Kitayama-san! rather than using Data 5ortification! she should use
wide area interference as a 2frontal assault2.G
G-ased on yesterday2s results! Kitayama also has high magic caacity
that is hard to find. She shouldn2t feel any stress from coying the
/idos. Also! for &nterference-Tye Magic! Data 5ortification is more
efficient comared to wide area interference.G
On the screen! her oonent once again tried to use Move-Tye Magic
to attac*! but was nullified just as before.
Simultaneously! just as the attac*ing magic faded awayJ
Three of the icicles in the oonent2s field shattered.
G......What just haened right nowL Mayumi! did you catch thatLG
Mari as*ed in confusion! but Mayumi turned around without any
confidence in her e(ression.
G& can only guess based on the data from the screen......G
Obviously! observing the analysis was vastly different from feeling the
magic from the front lines.
G& thin*! that may have been the alication of 23esonance2.G
The monitor was unable to *ee u with the effects of indirect magic
on the target! so the only way to narrow down what magic was used
was through the surrounding environment.
GShe shifted the irregular fre%uency from the Oscillation Magic into
her oonent2s field and loc*ed the fre%uency just as it started to
resonate with the icicles and raised the outut at the same time! thus
creating resonance. & thin* that2s how it was.G
GSo that2s how she did it...... To avoid 6ounter Magic! she didn2t
directly attac* the icicles using magic attac*s! but used the ground as a
medium. While they both used the ground as a medium! when
comared to Kanon2s 2Mine ;enesis2 that relied urely on hysical
ower! this is a much higher level techni%ue. Sometimes & really can2t
tell who the uerclassman is.G
G#recisely because finding the resonance oint ta*es some time! she
used Data 5ortification to buy time. She loo*s very adet with
maniulating the oscillation fre%uency.G
G&ndeed.G
Mayumi and Mari were both thin*ing about the 'on-Systematic
Magic Tatsuya used to crush 9attori. &t also utili)ed recisely
maniulated sion surges to create overlaing oscillations.
What was being dislayed on the monitor wasn2t just Shi)u*u2s artistic
ability! but the hand of Tatsuya wor*ing from behind the scenes. On
that oint! neither of them disagreed.
F F F
"As e(ected of Shi)u*u! she2s doing admirably......$
Tatsuya %uietly nodded as he surveyed the layers from the oosite
side of the screen.
5our icicles had already fallen in the oosing field.
All AC icicles were still standing in the allied field.
The biological dislays on the screen revealed only minor e(haustion!
so there was no imact on the ability to maintain magic invocation.
There was no trace of any symtoms that could e(haust a layer li*e
the ones /imi dislayed. And regardless of whether it was GData
5ortificationG or G3esonanceG! her erformance was just as e(ected.
'ay! her erformance surassed what she could do in training.
9alf of Mayumi and Mari2s hyothesis was sot on! but the other half
was incorrect. Shi)u*u2s mother was the one who seciali)ed in
G3esonanceG. -efore teaming u with Tatsuya! Shi)u*u was already
well versed in that techni%ue "by a high school student2s standards$.
-y using magic that raised the oscillation fre%uency at irregular levels
and directly rojecting that on the target while synchroni)ing the
fre%uencies! this destroyed the target using recise oscillation
fre%uencies at the e(act moment when resistance was the wea*est.
Originally! G3esonanceG was this tye of two-stage rocess. When
alying oscillation-tye magic onto the target object! a Magician can
feel out the resonance oint based on the /idos2 resistance to the
interfering Magic Se%uenceM if using regular intervals! then an
alternate method would have to be used to identify the target2s
resonance.
This was not reliant on monitoring devices! but done while comiling
Activation Se%uences into Magic Se%uences. That was the art that
Tatsuya was resonsible for.
This techni%ue was created by adding a new rocess into the
G3esonanceG magic that Shi)u*u was familiar with. Eet! Shi)u*u was
able to wield this at will. Obviously! this level of s*ill was not
obtained by just training in school! but honed through long hours of
ractice outside of class.
As another icicle collased in the enemy2s field! one of the allied
icicles collased as well.
9owever! this was only her oonent2s Glast gasG. Tatsuya could tell
with a glance.
The oosing layer threw everything she had into that last attac*.
She most li*ely *new the writing on the wall! but deserately wanted
to avoid being defeated without *noc*ing down a single icicle.
Tatsuya watched Shi)u*u2s bac* with his own eyes and not through
the monitor.
The sions she was releasing were not ruffled in the slightest.
'o sense of wavering! no hint of ride. At the same time that she
vigorously defended her own territory! she retaliated against her
oonent2s field.
#robably because she wasn2t fi(ated on her oonent for some bi)arre
reason. She was fighting in a manner that ut anyone watching her at
ease.
9er oonent! who had e(ended all her energy! did not ut u any
futile resistance.
The three icicles in the enemy2s territory shattered aart li*e a sand
castle standing against the incoming tide.
F F F
Miyu*i2s match was the last one in the first round.
This was a long wait from early morning! but since lunch time was
also figured into the time! this didn2t feel that long for her.
Sea*ing of Tatsuya! he was also u since morning and this was his
third match! so he was hardly GwaitingG.
Miyu*i and Tatsuya were the only ones in the resting area for layers.
9ono*a and Shi)u*u were nowhere in sight.
They had mentioned during lunch that they would be cheering her on
during the match. 'ow! they robably already met u with /ri*a2s
crew.
&n recomense! which was hardly the issue at hand! &sori and Kanon as
well as Mayumi and Mari came to suort her.
"&t2s a huge cheerleading arty......$
Tatsuya wore a helless loo* on his face as he murmured in the
rivacy of his mind. Of course! he actually said something else.
G&2m glad that you all came to cheer on Miyu*i! but...... 6hief!
shouldn2t you be in bedLG
GWhat! even you2re treating me li*e an invalidL &t2s not li*e & have to
ho around and dance! so there2s no roblem.G
Eet! it was still a serious injury. Tatsuya swallowed those words and
directed the conversation towards Mayumi.
GOh...... Then shouldn2t the #resident be at the avilionL & thought the
Men2s Team is still in the middle of their event.G
G'o roblem. & left that to 9an)ou-*un. &2m also steing down two
months from now! so it2s not a good idea to rely on me for everything.G
This was a valid argument! but smac*ed of someone feigning silliness.
Still! their resence wasn2t going to negatively affect the match! so
continuing this conversation would do more harm than good.
GMiyu*i! we have so many reliable senais here to cheer you on! ma*e
sure you2re not more an(ious than usual.G
#fft! someone was snic*ering in the bac*! but Tatsuya chose to ignore
that.
Aarently! he was doting on Miyu*i too much. -ut for Tatsuya! his
sister was always "logically$ going to be his sister.
G#lease do not concern yourself. -ecause Onii-sama is by my side.G
5ollowing that! Miyu*i raised her head and ga)ed at her brother whom
she had comlete faith in. &n her ears! all other sounds became
inaudible.
F F F
Miyu*i2s aearance on the latform threw the crowd into
andemonium.
GThat! incredibly! that is......G
G-ut suits her %uite well. What do you thin*! KanonLG
G& say! that2s simly gorgeous.G
Tatsuya tuned out Kanon and &sori2s conversation li*e it was a -;M
and focused on rearations to monitor Miyu*i2s status. &n the blin* of
an eye! the rearations were comlete. Tatsuya eered towards
Miyu*i and suddenly reali)ed8 G3ight! that2s what everyone is staring
at.G
Miyu*i was dressed in a fine white ha*ui aired with a crimson
ha*ama. 9er hair was held bac* by a white stra.
True! the hairstyle was slightly different and if in lace of a 6AD she
held bells or a sa*ai! she would be even more stunning. &t was that
*ind of garb.
Originally! she was already gorgeous and now aired with this
wardrobe! she gave off an almost divine aura.
'o! erhas she had already surassed divine ossession and was now
aroaching the realms of the gods themselves.
GOuch! her oonent seems to have been submerged.G
G'othing they can do about that. /ven & must admit that & can2t hold a
candle to that. ......Ah! unless that was the goal all alongLG
Mayumi and Mari2s voices from behind him were lainly directed
towards himself. Tatsuya turned around and relied.
G-y goal! you mean whatL There2s nothing articularly astounding
about using that attire for magic ceremonies.G
Still! his answer was literally the answer to a literal %uestion! but there
was clearly a mismatch in what both sides wanted to communicate.
G......Tatsuya-*un2s family follows the Shinto systemLG
This time the %uestion was even more off the mar*. After Mayumi2s
unrelenting ursuit! Tatsuya didn2t hesitate as he shoo* his head.
G9ardly! it2s simly because we2re 7aanese.G
G......3eally! maybe! fine.G
Mayumi reluctantly nodded. Tatsuya left with a G+et2s end the
conversation hereG and turned bac* towards the monitors.
Tatsuya2s words themselves were hard to deny and were fairly logical.
Eet! if someone witnessed the entire rocess! they would immediately
be able to tell that he wasn2t being uniform the entire time.
They were both *imonos! but Tatsuya had a conflicted view of
Shi)u*u2s tamotos yet didn2t %uestion his own sister2s mi*o getu.
Tatsuya2s sensibilities on this J objectively sea*ing J were indeed
susicious.
F F F
Miyu*i was wholly unaware of the drama unfolding on the bac* stage
J well! that was only to be e(ected J as she calmly waited for the
start signal.
G5alse startsG were a major violation of the rules.
-eing overly enthusiastic could subconsciously activate magic! which
was your own fault. Well aware of this fallacy! Miyu*i wasn2t fired u
during the waiting eriod li*e all the other layers! but was
concentrating on restraining herself.
......&n the eyes of others! this was a Gosture of silenceG.
The signal lights on both ends of the arena flashed red.
Miyu*i oened her faintly closed eyes and ga)ed directly at the enemy
field.
A sigh arose from the audience.
And not just in one area either! but from nearly the entire arena.
Surrisingly! it wasn2t the young men! but the young women who were
mesmeri)ed by that fiery ga)e.
This was no longer the atmoshere e(ected from mere sectating.
With aologies to the other layer! the entire audience was fi(ated on
Miyu*i2s every move.
The signal light flashed yellow! and just as it turned greenJ
An intense sion light flooded the entire area without heed to allied or
enemy territories.
Eet! the arena J had turned into two different seasons.
An absolute chill enshrouded Miyu*i2s field.
A burning heat wave flooded her oonent2s field.
The icicles in her oonent2s field started to melt.
9er oonent was deserately trying to aly cooling magic with no
aarent effect whatsoever.
9er own osition had turned into a fro)en hell that surassed the
winds of winter.
9er oonent2s field transformed into a scorched urgatory that
rivaled summer2s might.
Still! all of this lasted only the briefest of moments.
Swiftly!
9er field was comletely enveloed in chilling mist.
While her oonent2s field was devoured by the rising steam.
F F F
GThat can2t be......G
G&nferno......LG
-ehind him! Tatsuya could hear Mari and Mayumi2s murmurs and
groans.
They were certainly sot on! Tatsuya thought! yet he didn2t turn
around.
Tatsuya2s ga)e was still loc*ed on the dislay of Miyu*i2s bac* from
the monitoring device.
Medium-Scale Oscillation-Tye Magic G&nfernoG.
-y dividing the target area into two sections and decreasing the *inetic
and rotational energy of all objects within one section! this surlus
energy could be released into the other section in the form of heat.
This way! conservation of energy was still maintained while alying
the rincile of reverse entroy from thermodynamics.
Occasionally! this magic served as the test for A-3an* Magicians.
Many testers shed bitter tears at their inability to wield this highly
difficult magic! but for Miyu*i! this was merely a triviality that she
could maniulate at will.
Since this was originally an area-of-effect magic! there was no need to
worry needlessly about magic lea*ing outside and brea*ing the rules.
Still! the very definition of magic forced Magicians to be e(tremely
careful even with the simlest of techni%ues. &f an incident were to
occur! she would immediately be dis%ualified from the match! which
would romt him to intervene by any means necessary. This was
what was running across Tatsuya2s mind as he watched Miyu*i.
9owever! he aeared to be agitated over nothing.
The temerature in the enemy2s field roc*eted ast C00 degrees
6elsius.
5lash free)e icicles that were formed in a hurry were nothing more
than rough ice cubes with countless oc*ets of air within. These
oc*ets would raidly e(and when heated! causing the icicle itself to
crac* desite the icicle becoming more fluid under the heat.
Suddenly! the temerature stoed rising.
&mmediately afterwards! a shoc* wave burst sread across the enemy
field.
Miyu*i had switched magics.
She was comressing and releasing the air.
/very frail icicle within the enemy field shattered as one.
F F F
There were a total of B@0 contestants and QC technicians. While some
schools waived their right to tactical advisors! the number of total
articiants in the 'ine Schools 6ometition still e(ceeded R10
students. &f there was a ball "or even ban%uet$! this number of eole
could still be managed! but that was ractically imossible to achieve
on a daily basis during the main event.
-rea*fast was done buffet style on a first come! first serve basis.
+unch consisted of bentos being delivered to each school2s avilion or
engineering vehicles! though some eole chose to ta*e them bac* to
their rooms. Dinner was served in the three dining halls over three
searate sessions! with each school getting one hour to dine. "The
schools dined searately to avoid their tactics lea*ing to other
schools.$
Actually! dinner was the only oortunity for the entire school team to
congregate in the dining hall.
This one hour of dinner was an invaluable time for sharing the day2s
triumhs and regrets.
Tonight! at the 5irst 9igh tables! a clear line was drawn between light
and dar*ness.
Dar*ness covered the corner where the Ast Eear male layers were
gathered.
+ight enshrouded the corner where the Ast Eear female layers were
gathered.
And among the dense jungle of female layers! the small dash of red
"or maybe green is more aroriate in the jungleL$ was! of course!
Tatsuya.
GMiyu*i! that was totally awesome.G
GSo that2s 2&nferno2L The senais were comletely shoc*ed. &t2s said
that even A-3an* Magicians have roblems with that ability.G
G/imi! nicely doneH Eour first match was a little tight though.G
G6avalier gear with carbine stance! niceHG
GShi)u*u was great tooH Eour *imono with tamoto was simly
beautiful! then you forced your oonent steadily into a corner.
6ool>HG
While the 'ewcomers Division 6rowd -all only clinched one Second
#lace and one Si(th #lace! yielding a Gso-soG result! the dominating
erformance from the &cicle Destruction layers allowed all three to
advance to the third round! continuing the triumhant erformance
from the Seed Shooting event. This caused the female layers to bas*
in a festive mood.
The format of the &cicle Destruction event had CR layers in total! with
AC matches in the first round and @ matches in the second round. With
three eole advancing to the third round! 5irst 9igh laid claim to
fully half of the layers still in the field.
The three victors from the third round would then engage in a round
robin to decide the ultimate victor! though based on the current
situation! there was a strong ossibility that all three of those ositions
may be claimed by layers from 5irst 9igh. &f so! that would truly be
an astounding feat. The very fact that this remained a distinct
ossibility made it GimossibleG for them not to be beside themselves
with joy.
The uerclassmen all wore smiles that said GWhat are we going to do
with you guysG as the underclassmen danced around in joy.
GShiba-*un! Shi)u*u2s ability was a 23esonance2 variant! rightLG
The Ast Eear female student who came over was not one of the layers
Tatsuya was resonsible for. 9e was aware of who she was! but was
not overly familiar. Wholly ill at ease "Miyu*i vetoed his re%uest to sit
elsewhere$ as he dined! Tatsuya was suddenly the center of attention
and finally managed a somewhat ordinary rely.
GThat is correct.G
?uite the detached rely but even so! his voice was slightly gentler
than usual. While they were eers in the same cohort! the other erson
was a 6ourse A female student that he rarely interacted with normally.
Tatsuya was ta*ing recautions not to frighten her off by accident.
:nfortunately! this caution brought about a crescendo in resonse.
GSo the Activation Se%uence was really designed by Shiba-*unLG
G& heard that Shiba-*un develoed the techni%ue Shi)u*u used during
Seed Shooting! rightLG
GShiba-*un also devised the strategy for &nferno too.G
G3umor has it that Shiba-*un was also the mastermind behind
9ono*a2s flashbang strategy.G
The continuous stream of %uestions gave him no room to maneuver
and continuously drained his mental facilities! not that there was
anything Tatsuya could do about it. Still! they were currently in a
stimulated state which li*ely used the current festive mood as stress
relief for the continuous an(iety from the cometition. 5rom another
ersective! this e(aggerated raise may even be seen as flaunting in
order to raise their self-confidence to combat that feeling of unease
that couldn2t be easily diselled. Tatsuya could understand that feeling!
so he intentionally avoided damening their enthusiasm and atiently
continued to listen.
GThat2s great...... &f Shiba-*un was my suort! & could robably win
too.G
9owever! this hrase was still ta*ing things too far and couldn2t be
ignored.
Desite this! he robably shouldn2t be the one who ointed this out.
Tatsuya glanced subtly at Miyu*i! who was sitting beside him.
G'anabi! & thin* there2s something wrong with that sentiment.G
:on being gently rerimanded! this female student immediately
reali)ed that her words could be easily mista*en for her dissatisfaction
with her suorting technician.
9er attitude did a comlete AP0 as she frantically rose to her feet!
babbling the entire time! and searched the uerclassmen for the
engineer resonsible for her. :on discovering the engineer smiling
and waving at her! she finally let out a dee sigh of relief! bowed
deely in aology! then returned to her seat.
G&-& so*e oorly.G
G'ana! you can2t lace your own inade%uacies all on the 6AD.G
GTeehee...... 3eflecting.G
The volume level for the young ladies2 conversation had droed
considerably! but didn2t nearly %ualify as whisering.
G-ut there is no doubt that than*s to Shiba-*un! &2m erforming much
better than usual.G
This time it was Ta*igawa! a female student that too* Third #lace in
Seed Shooting! who so*e u. /imi nodded e(cessively at this.
GOn some level! 6AD calibration is the same thing as telling your
dar*est secrets! isn2t itL And towards a male engineer to boot......
While & did thin* li*e that in the beginning! but to have Shiba-*un be
my engineer is simly incredibleH 9ere2s to the boys who were willing
to yield Shiba-*un to usHG
Tatsuya could only smile wryly at the massive misunderstanding
hidden behind that innocent smile.
9owever! there were also eole who couldn2t muster even a wry
smile.
GAh! heyHG
With a violent GbangG! one of the boys stood u.
9eedless of anyone trying to sto him! Morisa*i ic*ed u his
silverware and headed towards the catering area before leaving the
dining hall altogether.
F F F
6oincidentally at the same time.
Though it wasn2t a sumtuous feast! there was an entire array of high
class 6hinese cuisine J far more lavish than any high school ban%uet
J sread across the table that was surrounded by a crowd of dismal
e(ressions. There was a colossal difference between the lu(urious
gold and red decorations and the dour faces of the men resent.
G......Wasn2t Third 9igh suosed to be favored for the 'ewcomers
DivisionLG
They were conversing in /nglish.
GWe finally managed to force Watanabe to bow out! but...... &f this
continues! wouldn2t 5irst 9igh triumh againLG
9owever! the eole resent showed clear signs of mi(ed /uroean
and /ast Asian heritage.
G&f the favored candidate wins! the house will be hemorrhaging
moneyHG
GThere are a lot of <&#s in the casinos this time. /ven if we do ay
out! this isn2t a small sum for us. We2ll robably be facing a gaing
deficient in the beginning of the business %uarter. &f that2s the case......G
The men eered at one another with grave e(ressions.
G....../veryone here will be urged by head%uarters. -ased on the si)e
of our loss! the head may do the honors himselfHG
One of the men murmured softly as he eered at the sna*ing dragon
embroidered with gold thread in the middle of the hanging a(le.
A heavy silence fell over all the men.
GDying might be the best thing that could haen to us......G
Someone muttered.
&n a voice %ua*ing with terror.
F F F
:nli*e magic related sorts events! gender differences didn2t really
imact magic cometitions.
/ven so! when ta*ing into account that hysical abilities still hold the
decisive edge in events li*e -attle -oard or 6rowd -all! the
'ewcomers Division searated the genders from this year forth.
&n other words! this was the first year that the men and women
cometed searately in the 'ewcomers Division.
:ntil last year! there was no searation by gender! so men usually
cometed in events li*e -attle -oard or 6rowd -all! while women
chose to articiate in events such as &cicle Destruction or Seed
Shooting that were less ta(ing on the hysical body. Than*s to this
"the ratio favored male articiants due to school differences$! the
audience was generally slit between watching two different tyes of
events.
So which was more oular! the Men2s cometition or the Women2s
cometitionL
-ased on the Official Division from revious years! the average
sectator usually observed the Women2s events! while the military!
olice! firefighters! and university related ersonnel aid closer
attention to the Men2s cometition.
JThen again! sea*ing of this year2s 'ewcomers Division.
GThere are a lot of eole here......G
GThere were lainly more oen seats during the Men2s cometition.G
Two young ladies were sitting in the emty reserved observation area
and cast itying ga)es across the sectator stands that were filled to
caacity.
They were Mayumi and Mari.
GSomehow! & feel that there are a lot of eole from the universities.G
Mayumi said this as she directed her ga)e towards the <&# stands.
GAfter seeing that yesterday! they wouldn2t be satisfied with just a
recording! would theyLG
Mari comletely agreed.
G/(actly. Aren2t we here to watch as wellLG
To reserve all fairness! the order of the matches was reversed from
yesterday.
&t was the si(th day of the 'ine Schools 6ometition and third day of
the 'ewcomers Division.
The first match of the third round in &cicle Destruction was about to
ta*e lace.
Mayumi glanced at the time and waited for Miyu*i to ta*e the stage.
F F F
Turn bac* the cloc* for a few moments.
As Tatsuya and Miyu*i were headed towards the resting area for &cicle
Destruction! two students from Third 9igh aeared before them.
-oth of them were male students.
One of them matched Tatsuya2s hysi%ue in terms of height and
shoulder width! to the oint that it was e(tremely difficult to tell the
difference. 9owever! that student had a much more stunning
aearance.
The other student was significantly shorter. Than*s in art to the
school2s reutation for emhasi)ing martial abilities! this did not give
off a wea* imression.
They aeared to have noticed Tatsuya at the same time and directly
wal*ed towards him.
G& am &chijou Masa*i! Third 9igh! Ast Eear.G
The taller one so*e first.
5or eole that have just met for the first time! his tone was slightly
overbearing! but ama)ingly! Tatsuya didn2t seem to mind.
While both of them were Ast Eear students! &chijou Masa*i naturally
fit into a leadershi role and seemed to e(ude the charismatic aura of a
true leader.
-oth his eyes were focused on Tatsuya.
G+i*ewise! Kichijouji Shin*urou! also from Third 9ighIs Ast Eear.G
The shorter youth so*e olitely and identified himself with a more
traditional air! though his eyes teemed with a challenging glint.
G5irst 9igh! Ast Eear! Shiba Tatsuya. So! the 26rimson #rince2 and
26ardinal ;eorge2 in the flesh! what may & do for youLG
'o sense of malice.
Slightly different from sheer enmity.
Still! there was no %uestion that this was not a friendly attitude.
Strictly sea*ing! it was a na*ed fighting sirit.
7ust li*e Masa*i! Tatsuya also resonded in a tone that would be
considered overly rude for first ac%uaintances in his usual manner.
Tatsuya felt that utting on a mas* of false friendshi would be
insulting to these two.
G9o...... So you *now of ;eorge2s reutation as well as mineL Well
that ma*es this simle.G
GShiba Tatsuya...... A hitherto un*nown name! but & shall never forget
this name. Eou are robably the most ingenious technician since the
advent of the 'ine Schools 6ometition. &2m afraid we are lac*ing in
manners here! but all we wished for was to meet you once.G
G& am honored to be called a 2genius2 by the rodigy that discovered
the 6ardinal 6ode at age AB...... -ut you are right in that this is against
the norm.G
As for his own manner of sea*ing! he relied bac* in a fran* and
straightforward fashion.
Eet! neither of them aeared irritated. They came with absolute
determination and maintained a osture one usually reserves for a
serious oonent.
GMiyu*i! go ahead and reare.G
Tatsuya did not lift his eyes from these two as he gave his instructions
to Miyu*i. Tatsuya estimated that they would be here for a while.
G& understand.G
Miyu*i bowed towards Tatsuya and dearted for the resting area
without saring Masa*i a single glance! as if the air did not e(ist
within her dimension. There wasn2t even a hint that she was
intentionally avoiding them J that was how erfectly she rendered
them to non-e(istence.
5or an instant! Masa*i2s eyes followed Miyu*i! but swiftly reverted
bac* to Tatsuya.
G......2#rince2! isn2t your side about to beginLG
The slit second of wavering and reluctance did not escae Tatsuya2s
eyes. &nwardly! he let out a small breath.
:nwavering! Tatsuya2s eyes forced Masa*i to rely.
G......We will aear in tomorrow2s Monolith 6ode.G
Eet! the one who relied for him was Kichijouji.
Kichijouji was the chamion for the 'ewcomers Division Seed
Shooting event! while Masa*i was favored to clinch the crown for the
'ewcomers Division &cicle Destruction event. 'aturally! it was
e(ected that each school would commit their aces to the Monolith
6ode event.
GWhat are your lansLG
Although he wanted to as* what he was referring to! there wasn2t
enough time left.
G&2m not resonsible for that.G
That being said! he had no obligation to reveal any details! so he went
with the abstract answer.
G&s that so...... That2s unfortunate. One day! & wish to line u against
the layers you2re resonsible for. Of course! we will triumh.G
Kichijouji2s words caused Tatsuya to feel GAre you throwing down
nowLG. -ut he %uic*ly thought otherwise! since these guys originally
came to challenge him in the first lace.
GSorry for ta*ing your time. We loo* forward to meeting on the field
of battle.G
-efore Tatsuya could resond to Kichijouji! Masa*i made this
declaration and wal*ed ast Tatsuya with Kichijouji.
JSo they2re still a rude bunch in the end. Tatsuya thought as he
headed towards the resting area where Miyu*i was waiting for him
without turning his head in the slightest.
GWhat were they u toLG
The first thing Miyu*i as*ed when she came out of the changing room
was about the earlier scene.
GScouting! & thin*L Still felt ointless though.G
Tatsuya tilted his head and chose to rely in neutral terms and handed
Miyu*i the 6AD he had reared for her while she was changing.
&f there were any e(traneous distractions before the match! this would
only negatively imact the match itself! so Tatsuya moved to curtail
the conversation with haste. Eet! after Miyu*i heard Tatsuya2s rely!
she burst into laughter as if finding some rofound meaning in his
words.
G& thin* that2s their declaration of war! Onii-sama.G
9e wasn2t ignorant of what his sister was referring to. 9e himself felt
those two came to secifically challenge him.
-ut in Tatsuya2s eyes! this was a ointless gesture.
G......Eou don2t believe meLG
/ven though Miyu*i rolled her eyes uward and outed sul*ily! this
wasn2t something he was going to let slide so easily.
G'o! well...... &2m not a contestant! rightL & don2t believe these two
renowned individuals who have e(tended their reutations beyond the
scoe of magic high school students would view a nameless erson
li*e myself a rival.G
G3ivalG was based on the assumtion that they ac*nowledged that
both sides were e%ual.
Objectively sea*ing! from outward aearances! he wasn2t even in
the same strata as those two. Suerficially! comaring themselves with
him was a ridiculous notion. 5urthermore! they didn2t aear to have
discovered his secrets either.
Ordinarily! it was fran*ly imossible for the G6rimson #rinceG or
G6ardinal ;eorgeG to see him as an oonent J Tatsuya thought.
:on seeing her older brother actually thin*ing this way and not out
of humility! the sister sighed deely.
G......Onii-sama! underestimating your own abilities would be fatal in
battle. /(actly how highly you are valued! how greatly you are
watched! even how much other schools view Onii-sama J how
fiercely their antagonism burns because of Onii-sama2s s*ills and
strategies J & thin* Onii-sama should consider all of this objectively
once more.G
5or Miyu*i! this was an e(ceedingly rare! and blunt! counsel.
This was a comletely une(ected boldness and unimaginable
reroach. Tatsuya could only stand there and watch her blan*ly.
This was the third time Miyu*i used her mysterious beauty to
cativate the hearts of the audience at the same time that she wielded
her terrible might to van%uish the enemy.
F F F
On the waves where -attle -oard would be decided! the first round of
the Women2s semifinals was about to begin.
The layers were already at their starting ositions.
9ono*a2s figure was among them.
G9m>G
G............G
GThat2s a little......G
G............G
GOK! that! uh......G
G............G
GWhat the hec* are you two doingLG
All three layers were side by side at the starting line. &n the stands!
/ri*a was humming in frustration while Mi)u*i was utterly silent by
her side. 5inally caving! +eo as*ed reluctantly.
G&sn2t that just>! a little strangeL All the layers are wearing
sunglasses.G
G/ri*a-chan! those are called 2goggles2......G
&ndeed! just as /ri*a and Miyu*i said! not just 9ono*a! but the other
two were wearing dar* rotective goggles as well.
G&sn2t that obviousL This is the most reliable countermeasure to
9ono*a-san2s light magic.G
Mi*ihi*o2s analysis was grounded in common sense! causing /ri*a to
adot a G9ow boring>G e(ression as she laughed mirthlessly.
G......What2s wrong with thatLG
G-ut>! doesn2t that mean they fell for Tatsuya-*un2s strategyL -attle
-oard layers don2t use goggles because the water drolets may
interfere with their sight. This is a *ey reason. Eet they %uic*ly
adoted goggles after being flashed once...... There should be other
ways to counter light magic......G
G&s 9ono*a-san lanning on using the water to obscure their visionLG
/ri*a nodded in disinterest.
9owever.
GThat2s hard to say...... & doubt that Tatsuya will rely on such a
mundane tactic.G
G......#ossibly.G
Mi*ihi*o2s words seemed to rouse some of /ri*a2s interest.
This time! no flash occurred immediately after the start.
GShe2s slow out the gateHLG
G'o! she2s right behindHG
As they navigated the sna*ing tunnel in front of the observation dec*!
9ono*a was in second lace entering the first shar curve.
G/hLG
At this location! the layer in first lace too* an odd route.
'ot only did she massively reduce seed! she even drew close to the
middle of the route.
9ono*a also decelerated! but too* a steeer angle that just barely
cleared the bend and snatched first lace from the layer who too* the
roundabout route.
GWhat! just haenedLG
'ormally! layers either reduced seed drastically and hugged the
inside route! or too* a wider angle but controlled their deceleration.
The route ta*en by the other layer could be described as amateurish.
'ot only did she drastically reduce seed! she also left a huge assing
lane.
G......There seem to be shadows floating in the waterways.G
5ollowing +eo2s observation! /ri*a s%uinted and shouted out.
GAh! there it is againHG
This time it was a wide arc way.
The layer that 9ono*a assed once again left a huge ga between her
and the wall and slowed down more than necessary to ass the angle.
The ensuing result left her farther and farther behind 9ono*a.
G......'o wonder! so that2s how it is.G
G/h! whatLG
/ri*a as*ed Mi*ihi*o! who was nodding in areciation.
GTatsuya2s intent was to have the other layers don goggles that are
shaded against light. This oint coincided with /ri*a2s guess.G
Mi*ihi*o so*e with animation! as if comletely abandoning his usual
irrational stubbornness.
G9owever! this isn2t for using the water sray to occlude their sight!
but to ma*e the dar* areas harder to erceive.G
GSo that2s whyH &llusions can also be used li*e this......HG
G&ndeed. -y turning the lit areas dar*er! you are able to maniulate
your oonent2s moves. :ltimately! magic deends on alication......G
G......Would the two of you care to enlighten me as well instead of
amusing yourselves.G
At +eo2s disleased voice! Mi*ihi*o finally stirred from his daydream.
GSorry! sorry. &n other words! Tatsuya2s strategy is......G
F F F
GShiba-*un2s strategy is very simle.
9e used light wave oscillation magic to control the light along the
water route.
The rotective goggles already restricted vision considerably. This is
now comounded by the dar*ened route! causing eole to misjudge
the distance to the edge! hereby forcing the oosing layers away
from the dar*ness....... &n summation! he narrowed the area the layers
dared to navigate through.G
9attori! with Kirihara in tow! was holding the fort in lace of Katsuto!
who had gone to observe the Men2s &cicle Destruction event. They
were currently listening to every word of Su)une2s e(lanation.
G/ven if the mind says otherwise and claims that the water2s surface
shoulder is wider! it remains a difficult tas* to override hysical
ercetion. At the same time! regardless of who the layer is! anyone
would have a harder time raising their seed along a narrow corridor.
Thus! this strategy is grounded in denying the other layers from
bringing out their full otential.G
G......-ut! wouldn2t 9ono*a-san be affected herselfLG
GThat2s why she has reeatedly trained under similar conditions.G
9attori2s %uestion romted a simlistic answer.
G......;enerally! the user remains unaffected by the magic itself! so no
worries.G
GDon2t rela( just yet. Shiba-*un said that 2the width of the water way is
fi(ed! so use your body rather than your eyes to memori)e it2.G
9earing Su)une2s rely! Kirihara muttered.
G......So rather than being a clever strategy! it turned out to be a full
frontal assault anyway....... This could only come from someone with
one hell of a mean strea*.G
Kirihara2s imression caused Su)une to burst into laughter.
F F F
After the morning matches! the avilion reserved for 5irst 9igh turned
into an ocean of festivities.
All three articiants in the 'ewcomers Division Women2s &cicle
Destruction third round won.
&n the round robin ortion of the event during the afternoon! every
layer came from 5irst 9igh.
9ono*a also advanced to the finals for -attle -oard. This was a result
that could only be described as GdominatingG.
The only eole who couldn2t join in the fun were the ten layers from
the Ast Eear Men2s team.
&f they cometed normally! the male members would surely achieve
similarly imressive results. That being said! their blind animosity led
to reeated mental errors that only increased as their numbers
dwindled and their frustration mounted! throwing them into a vicious
cycle of self-destruction.
Among them! the three layers from &cicle Destruction J Miyu*i!
Shi)u*u! and /imi! as well as Tatsuya! the technician resonsible!
were not resent because they were summoned to one of the hotel2s
conference rooms.
GWe2re ressed for time! so &2ll *ee this short.G
Mayumi was the one who called them here. She was the only one
waiting for them.
G:ntil now! no school has ever monooli)ed the round robin ortion
of this event. Shiba-san! Kitayama-san! A*echi-san! your
erformances have been e(emlary.G
#olitely! calmly! and frantically! the three of them dislayed three
different attitudes as they bowed in than*s to Mayumi2s raise.
G&n recognition of this feat! the board has a roosal. They say that
regardless of what the standings for the round robin are! our school
will receive all the oints anyway! so there2s no need to lay this out.
All three of you will share 5irst #lace collectively.G
The three of them loo*ed at one another! with Tatsuya smiling
sardonically in the bac*.
'o matter how they tried to disguise this! the board was obviously
trying to lighten his wor*load.
G&t is u to all of you whether to accet the board2s roosal. The only
criterion is that you don2t have much time to consider this. #lease
ma*e a decision here and now.G
:on hearing Mayumi2s words! /imi started fidgeting as her eyes
roamed around.
With her s*ill level! she was well aware that she had no chance against
either Miyu*i or Shi)u*u.
: until this oint! she was satisfied with Third #lace! but it was
simly human nature for eole to desire 5irst #lace. &t was too much
of a stretch for her not to want this to haen.
Miyu*i glanced at Tatsuya.
Shi)u*u also loo*ed towards Tatsuya.
GTatsuya-*un! what is your oinionL &f all three were to fight it out!
you would have a hard time managing all three.G
So! Mayumi wished for the three of them to share 5irst #lace together!
Tatsuya thought.
&n truth! this was the most desirable outcome from the leadershi2s
ersective.
GTo be honest! based on A*echi-san2s current condition! she would be
better off avoiding the ne(t round. The third round was too heated and
it2s hard to imagine that she can recover in one or two hours.G
5rom Tatsuya2s ersective! he didn2t feel that he has to worry on this
account. 9e was just sea*ing candidly.
G&s that so...... A*echi-san! do you agree with what Tatsuya-*un saidLG
GWell! that...... -efore & heard what you said! & was already ready to
give u anyway. &t is true that &2m not in otimal condition! so & was
lanning on bowing out after tal*ing it over with Shiba-*un
anyway...... -ecause Shiba-*un *nows me better than & *now myself.G
9er tone was diffident! li*ely because she felt that she was shir*ing
her resonsibilities by acceting the board2s roosal.
G3eally.G
Mayumi smiled to console her and nodded before turning to Miyu*i
and Shi)u*u.
G&......G
Shi)u*u so*e u first.
GWant to comete.G
9er eyes burned with fiery determination as she loo*ed Mayumi in the
eye.
GAfter this! how many oortunities will & have to go all out against
Miyu*i...... & don2t want to miss this chance.G
G9ow unfortunate......G
Mayumi droed her ga)e to the ground and sighed.
GWhat does Miyu*i-chan thin*LG
G&f Kitayama-san wishes to comete against me! & have no reason to
refuse.G
Mayumi *new very well that Miyu*i was made of sterner stuff that
belied her aearance! so she was comletely unsurrised by this
resonse.
G& understand...... Then! & will reort to the board that A*echi-san has
withdrawn whereas Shiba-san and Kitayama-san will engage in a duel
to decide the final round. The match should be the first one of the
afternoon! so you had best ta*e this oortunity to reare.G
After Mayumi finished sea*ing! the first one to bow was Tatsuya.
As he left the conference room! Miyu*i and Shi)u*u immediately
bowed to Mayumi and left right behind him. /imi frantically bowed as
well and said8 G&2ll ta*e my leave.G
F F F
The stands were overflowing with sectators.
The changes in the 'ewcomers Division Women2s &cicle Destruction
event were %uic*ly announced and intentionally set as the first match
of the afternoon to avoid conflicting with other events.
'ot just the normal stands! but even the reserved seating area for
members was %uic*ly filled.
There! Tatsuya could be seen sandwiched between Mayumi and Mari.
After finishing the calibrations for both their 6ADs! Tatsuya didn2t
accomany either Miyu*i or Shi)u*u! but sat in the last row of the
reserved seating area.
-efore leaving! he left the two of them with these words.
The words! GDo your bestG.
G-ut in reality! you wanted to stay by Miyu*i2s side! didnIt youLG
Alas! the rare Gwell meaning wordsG too* on a different connotation
when delivered from her lis as Mayumi revealed an evil smir*. 5or
some reason! whenever she was with Tatsuya! her fiendish side
seemed to rise dramatically.
GEeah.G
:ndoubtedly because she was annoyed by Tatsuya2s wooden reaction.
G......Eou sure admitted that easily.G
Although she gave retense to being mean! Mari2s real nature was J
erhas J much *inder than Mayumi as she interjected with her
almost signature retort.
GDo you *now what Sister 6omle( meansLG
G& don2t thin* & follow. 9ow does cheering on your own *in constitute
being a sis-conLG
9is direct rebuttal while feigning ignorance had long since become
customary.
/(cet Mayumi and Mari had wised u to his tactics.
GWow! did you hear that MariL This child is actually confident in his
own causeHG
G+oo*s seriously ill to me. &s it hoelessLG
&sn2t it ointless to loudly gossi about the erson stuc* between
themL Tatsuya thought. 9e was thoroughly helless against this
secial way of Gbullying the underclassmanG.
This short s*it was nothing more than the aeti)er before the curtains
were drawn.
As if to rove this! when both layers too* the stage! the entire
audience fell into comlete silence.
&n the arena! two young women stood facing one another.
On one side! her white ha*ui and crimson ha*ama filled the eyes.
On the other side! tamotos the color of water flooded the vision.
Miyu*i didn2t bind her hairM Shi)u*u didn2t bring an obi.
The long! wavy hair and sil* tamotos fluttered in the slight winds of
summer.
The two young women were suffused with a suffocating silence.
This was the chilling Gfighting siritG that shared the name of this
urely magical contest and was far removed from its burning
counterart.
The rearation signal light lit u.
The colors changed! and at the moment the beacon resonsible for
starting the match went offJ
Magic flooded outward at the same moment.
A heat wave rushed towards Shi)u*u2s field.
Eet! the icicles stubbornly resisted the incursion.
The wide area heat wave from G&nfernoG was denied by the GData
5ortificationG magic that stoed the changes in the icicles2
temerature.
The earth groaned as magic rushed towards Miyu*i2s field.
-ut the oscillations were stamed out the moment they tried to
resonate.
Wide area magic revented oscillations and movement within her own
field and e(tended across the earth2s surface and below it as well.
The two of them went bac* and forth! ta*ing turns using henomenon
rewriting on the other2s icicles. This was a erfect stalemate! worthy of
the raise from all the undits and e(erts J on the outside.
-ut the combatants involved didn2t thin* so.
"& can2t get in......H As e(ected of Miyu*iH$
Shi)u*u2s G3esonanceG was comletely rejected by the enemy field.
&n comarison! Miyu*i2s heat wave was enveloing Shi)u*u2s field.
GData 5ortificationG is a counter magic used to revent magic from
assing through and altering the /idos.
&t was unable to revent the hysical effects from magic.
/ven if the magic couldn2t directly influence the icicles2 temerature!
the heated air would cause the icicles to melt. &t was only a matter of
time.
"&n that caseH$
Shi)u*u stuc* her left wrist with the 6AD attached into her right
sleeve.
She ulled out a istol-shaed Seciali)ed 6AD in her hand.
This was the final trum card that Tatsuya had reared for Shi)u*u.
Shi)u*u ointed the mu))le towards the front row of icicles in
Miyu*i2s field and ulled the 6AD2s trigger.
"Dual-wielding 6ADsHL Shi)u*u! you managed to accomlish thatL$
Seeing Shi)u*u2s left hand also holding a istol-shaed 6AD! Miyu*i
inwardly wavered.
Wielding multile 6ADs simultaneously was her brother2s trademar*
ability. &t was an e(tremely difficult techni%ue that was almost
Guni%ueG.
Miyu*i believed that! for someone who could so easily lose control of
magic li*e herself! it was far too soon for her to challenge that ability
that demanded absolute control of her sions. At the same time! she
was terrified of infringing uon her brother2s favored techni%ue.
9owever! at the current moment! Shi)u*u was wielding a second 6AD
before her very eyes.
Without arousing interference from the sion signal waves! the second
6AD comleted its Activation Se%uence.
&nstantly! Miyu*i2s magic stoed.
The sustained magic was curtailed in mid translation.
'ow! Shi)u*u2s new magic stormed forward.
G#honon MaserHLG
9earing Mayumi2s gas! Tatsuya rivately alauded as if this new
magic had nothing to do with him8 GShe certainly is well versed in
magicHG
The front row of icicles in Miyu*i2s field started to give off white
steam.
5or three rounds! Miyu*i2s icicles were untouched J at the magical
level J by her oonents! and were now damaged for the first time by
enemy attac*.
Oscillation-Systematic Magic G#honon MaserG J a high level magic
that raises the number of suersonic oscillations to form a %uantum
heat ray.
/ven if this was the tactic that Tatsuya gave Shi)u*u to defeat
Miyu*i...... 9is e(ression remained oddly dar*.
'ot because Miyu*i was in danger of being defeated.
-ut because he *new better than anyone else that relying on this level
of strength to surass that sister of his was nothing more than a ie
dream.
She faltered for all of one second.
Acting in concert with Shi)u*u2s newly sustainable magic! Miyu*i
also switched magics.
The rising steam from the icicles J the sublimation of ice halted.
'ot because she bloc*ed the heat ray formed by the shooting
suersonic waves! but because an absolute chill that surassed the heat
of G#honon MaserG had materiali)ed itself.
Miyu*i2s field was instantly enshrouded in a sublime! white mist.
The mist gradually drifted towards Shi)u*u2s field.
Miyu*i *new that Shi)u*u would raise the inference strength on GData
5ortificationG.
Desite this. 3egardless.
"......Alas! you are too naive! Shi)u*uH$
The flowing mist was Gcold airG. Temerature change J magic that
revented melting had no effect on this magic.
G......2'iflheim2 .......That2s imossible! rightL What magical dimension
are we in here......G
Mari said in ama)ement.
Tatsuya shared that sentiment! but remained silent on the issue.
Wide Area 5ree)ing Magic G'iflheimG.
At the basic level! this techni%ue ignored heat and aearance! using
magic to uniformly cool down all the objects within a set area. /ven
so! in terms of racticality! this magic could be used to create
Diamond Dust! Dry &ce #articles! or even large clouds of nitrogen gas
in a inch that could be advanced towards the target.
+i*ewise! its strength was building towards the strongest level.
The nitrogen mist assed through Shi)u*u2s field and vanished near
the other end of the arena.
On one side of Shi)u*u2s icicles J the side facing Miyu*i that is!
nitrogen was coated on its surface! creating GdynamiteG on the icicles.
Miyu*i disabled G'iflheimG and once again activated G&nfernoG.
Shi)u*u2s GData 5ortificationG could only affect objects that originally
e(isted within the area and thus had no imact on newly alied
materials.
+owering the temerature of nitrogen gas roduced a cooling effect.
+i*ewise! raidly heating nitrogen li%uid at temeratures far
e(ceeding normal room temerature would instantly evaorate the
nitrogen.
/(anding it to Q00 times its si)e.
With a huge roar! Shi)u*u2s icicles collased as one. &t was un*nown
whether the roar came from the icicles hitting the earth or the roar
itself caused the icicles to fall! or even if it was caused by the gas
e(losion.
The very fact that the icicles were shattered into tiny ieces testified to
the ferocity of the e(losion.
The judges were robably stunned by this scene unfolding before their
eyes.
9ence they hesitated briefly before announcing the end of the match.
F F F
G6ongratulations on your victory! 9ono*a.G
Shi)u*u! who had returned to their room first! congratulated 9ono*a!
who was fresh from her ost-event medical e(amination.
GThan* you...... &t was a nice try! Shi)u*u.G
GEeah...... -ut & can2t accet it.G
9er soft words would li*ely romt some eole to susect8 G&s that
trueLG -ut 9ono*a was her close friend from childhood! and there was
no way she could misinterret Shi)u*u2s meaning.
GShi)u*u......G
9ono*a wraed her arms around the slightly shorter Shi)u*u and
ulled her into a hug.
Arms dangling! Shi)u*u dove into 9ono*a2s embrace.
G/ven though & never thought & had a chance from the beginning.G
G3eally......G
G-ut! there was nothing & could do.G
G............G
G& still can2t let it go! 9ono*a......G
G......Eou gave it your all.G
This ersisted for some time.
G......Than*s. &2m OK now.G
Shi)u*u said as she searated from 9ono*a.
There were no tear trac*s on her face.
G&s that so......L Shi)u*u! want to grab some teaL &2m a little hungry.G
G......OK.G
G;ive me a second to change! alrightLG
Shi)u*u smiled in embarrassment and nodded as she watched
9ono*a2s sunny attitude.
The moment 9ono*a steed into the cafeteria! she was immediately
caught between a roc* and a hard lace and struc* immobile.
She loc*ed ga)es with Miyu*i! who had arrived beforehand.
They couldn2t just retreat li*e this! but even so! it2s not li*e they could
just nonchalantly sit down ne(t to her. This terrible situation almost
caused 9ono*a to burst into tears.
G6ongratulations on your victory! 9ono*a.G
While Miyu*i2s warm smile was no less brilliant than usual! there was
still a little stiffness in her uer li. They were unable to Gact
normallyG and! while there were some degrees of difference! Miyu*i
was no e(cetion to this either.
G9ono*a! congratulations.G
&f 9ono*a hesitated now or ut on a stilted smile! this would only
worsen the mood. &n order to deny her that oortunity! Tatsuya
immediately addressed her in his usual tone and simultaneously
diselled the aw*ward atmoshere around them. 9owever! by doing
so he also cut off 9ono*a2s ath of egress.
GAh! err! than* you very much......G
GTatsuya-*un! may we sit with youLG
Shi)u*u bro*e the ice here.
GOf course! lease do.G
Tatsuya said as he rose and steed behind an emty chair. Miyu*i
ic*ed u the teacus and moved the tray before sitting down in an
adjacent seat from her revious osition oosite Tatsuya.
G#lease.G
GThan* you.G
Shi)u*u didn2t hesitate and sat down in the chair Tatsuya ulled out
for her J directly across from Miyu*i.
9ono*a blushed as Tatsuya did the same for her and sat down.
After 9ono*a and Shi)u*u ordered a ca*e set from the waitress that
just haened to ass by! Tatsuya once again loo*ed over the two of
them.
GThis one2s on me. +et2s call this the celebration for ta*ing 5irst and
Second #lace.G
G/h! reallyLG
G......Then! &2ll do just that.G
While 9ono*a hesitated briefly! Shi)u*u merely nodded in
accetance. She seemed to comrehend that Tatsuya2s real intention
was to console her! so there was no reason to refuse.
Seeing her friend rebound faster than she e(ected! 9ono*a breathed a
sigh of relief and finally focused her attention on her own situation.
G:m! well......G
G9mLG
GWell! & was able to win all than*s to Tatsuya-*unH Than* you so
muchHG
After all the attention was drawn bac* to herself! 9ono*a faltered
even more than earlier when she reali)ed that she hadn2t than*ed
Tatsuya for everything yet. She was finally able to deftly do so after
great ersonal difficulty.
Seeing her li*e this! Tatsuya smiled and nodded his head.
G7ust a little.G
9e wasn2t being humble nor was he denying her words! he just didn2t
want to blow it out of roortion. 9ono*a didn2t ta*e issue with the
words Gjust a littleG robably because she understood the meaning
behind his smile.
After verifying this! Tatsuya wied away his smile and turned his ga)e
on Shi)u*u.
G9owever! & do need to aologi)e to Shi)u*u.G
G/hLG
Shi)u*u stared at Tatsuya with a G& have no idea what you2re tal*ing
aboutG e(ression.
GDisregarding the final outcome! this could have turned into a more
even contest...... My estimation was too naive. &t was too strenuous a
demand for you to comletely master 2#honon Maser2 in two short
wee*s.G
GAh! that...... 'o! that2s not Tatsuya-*un2s fault at all. Also! without
that! & would have had no chance to retaliate at all.G
5ully comrehending why Tatsuya was aologi)ing! Shi)u*u
vigorously shoo* her head.
G&t was my fault & couldn2t control it. & should be the one aologi)ing.
&f & could wield it at will! that would have made for a much better
match. As an inet oonent! & also e(tend my aologies to Miyu*i as
well.G
G#lease don2t be li*e that. At the time! & was very surrised. Eou were
able to use such an advanced magic ability while dual-wielding 6ADs
at the same time.G
Miyu*i smiled and shoo* her head. Afterwards! she teasingly glared at
Tatsuya.
GOnii-sama! were you really trying to ma*e me loseLG
At this fairly comle( to answer %uestion! Tatsuya immediately
resonded.
G......& just wanted the both of you to bring out your ma(imum
otential.G
And the result was this dignified but brilliant rejoinder.
#omous! but it was no lie.
Miyu*i *new this very well! but understanding this was one thing!
being satisfied with this answer was another thing altogether.
GSeriously...... Does this erson not care about his own sisterLG
G& do believe you would be truly indignant if & went easy on you.G
Anyone could encounter their friend teasing an older sibling! but this
was an e(tremely rare occurrence for Miyu*i. 9er words not only
brought about Tatsuya2s rebuttal! they also caused 9ono*a and
Shi)u*u to burst into laughter.
F F F
&t was the seventh day of the 'ine Schools 6ometition and the fourth
day of the 'ewcomers Division.
Today was the reliminaries of the 'ewcomers Division Monolith
6ode event! which was widely regarded as the most imortant event
within the 'ine Schools 6ometition. Eet! the audience2s attention was
comletely concentrated on Mirage -at.
Since this was an event that only young ladies articiated in! their
uniforms consisted of colorful sande( that was covered by flowing
minis*irts and sleeveless vests or jac*ets. When comared to the
fashion show "coslay contestL$ that Women2s &cicle Destruction
resented! this was another feast for the eyes of a different caliber.
3ather! the young women in these uniforms were dancing through the
s*ies.
&n terms of sheer beauty! this event was undoubtedly first among all
magic cometitions.
Thus! it was erfectly natural to receive massive attention "and
scrutiny$ from the male fans.
That being said J if this wasn2t Tatsuya2s mental reaction! he felt that
he was also the subject of many a curious ga)e.
This was no lustful ga)e that he was fighting against! but the collective
"ric*ly$ hostile ga)es filled with enmity.
G......Eou2re certainly dimwitted when it comes to your own affairs.G
The layer that comleted her rearations for the first match so*e to
Tatsuya in a teasing manner.
GWhile & don2t deny that &2m a little slow in some regards...... Eou have
some idea! SatomiLG
GOf courseHG
She was Satomi Subaru from 5irst 9igh Ast Eear 6lass D! and! of
course! a 6ourse A student. Satomi was actually her surname! as the
two of them were not close enough for Tatsuya to call her by her
actual name.
G/veryone came to see Shiba-*un.G
She was a young lady that was somewhat similar to Mari. To be
recise! they were both more oular among their own gender than
with those of the oosite gender.
9owever! at the end of the day! they were only GsomewhatG similar.
Also! if the two of them stood side by side! they would still give off
different imressions to others.
+et2s assume both were dressed in swallowtail suits.
Mari would give off a Gbeautiful lady dressed in men2s clothesG vibe.
While Subaru would definitely categori)e as a Gbeautiful young man
from the trouersG.
3egretfully! that was robably their defining difference.
&t remained a mystery as to whether Subaru was conscious of this
oint! but it was true that her tone and mannerisms had a masculine
tinge to them.
/ven so! this was hardly a GrudeG imression! but as her revious
words imlied! she was an e(tremely ercetive young lady.
G&n both Seed Shooting and the subse%uent &cicle Destruction! we
sei)ed all three of the to sots. & thin* anyone watching could see that
highly efficient 6AD software layed an integral art in that. That2s
why everyone wants to *now who the technician resonsible is.G
G......-ut! anyone can find out who the technician on duty is without
much research.G
GThat2s true. Shiba-*un! the other schools are now very wary of you.G
&f what Subaru said was true J and there was no reason to thin*
otherwise J then things were raidly rogressing in the direction that
Tatsuya wanted to see the least.
;enerally! eole are forced to act in conditions where they are not
fully reared. That2s just Ghow life wor*sG.
Desite that! he was woefully unreared for this situation.
According to the lan! GShiba TatsuyaG was only suosed to be
revealed ost graduation.
GThen...... &t2s my turn to ta*e this by storm. 9onestly! with this 6AD
in hand! there2s no reason & can be defeated in the reliminaries.G
As she aced continuously towards the entrance! Subaru raised her
right arm with a GbraceletG that seemed to flash in the sunlight. Over
one shoulder! she revealed a daring smile.
Tatsuya gave her a thumbs u and watched her deart.
As she said herself! Subaru was ractically guaranteed to triumh in
the reliminaries.
:sing the 6AD he calibrated.
While he didn2t want to be in the ublic eye so much! he couldn2t
e(actly just mail it in either.
As a 6ourse C student J as a Weed in the system! nobody save for
one erson laced high e(ectations on him! but now he was out of
otions.
'ow! he had Mayumi and Mari who nominated him for the 'ine
Schools 6ometition! Katsuto who suorted this decision! 9attori
who bac*ed him desite his own ersonal feelings and Kirihara who
was willing to be a guinea ig desite the danger. Then there were
9ono*a! Shi)u*u! and all the other female layers who were
deending on him as well as J and Miyu*i! who unconditionally
believed and suorted him.
Once entwined! these social lin*s could not be so easily GdissolvedG!
even by him.
F F F
Mirage -at involved four eole at a time in the reliminary round!
with the si( victors from each round advancing to the ne(t round.
/ven though this was the event in the 'ine Schools 6ometition with
the least amount of matches! this did not imly that this was an easier
tas* for the layers.
Ta*ing into consideration that there were three rounds! each lasting A1
minutes at a time! this was the longest event in the 'ine Schools
6ometition. &ncluding the five minute brea*s saced between! the
event could last aro(imately one hour. 6omared to &cicle
Destruction and Monolith 6ode that had no time restrictions! this was
an esecially long duration.
Also! during the match itself! the layers had to use sustainable magic
and continuously lea into the air. The stress laced on the layers
themselves easily rivaled that of a marathon.
And to to it all off! there were two matches in one day alone.
&n terms of hysical stamina! this was a more unishing event than
6rowd -all or Monolith 6ode.
With the layers2 e(haustion in mind! there was a large interval for
resting between the reliminary and elimination rounds! which could
be said to be a uni%ue feature of this event.
The first match was set at P AM. With two arenas going at the same
time! the reliminaries would be finished around noon.
The elimination round would start at Q #M. This was the only night
time event in the entire 'ine Schools 6ometition.
Some may %uestion why the 'ine Schools 6ometition forced the
reliminary and elimination rounds into one day rather than slitting
them across two days. There was! of course! a method to the madness.
Mirage -at was an event that involved swinging a bat towards the orb-
shaed holograms "Strictly sea*ing! they were three dimensional orb
images. Modern imaging techni%ues technically ossessed
fundamental differences with holograms$. &n other words! the layer
had to identify the illusion floating ten meters off the ground while
still grounded! otherwise there was no way to comlete the event. This
event was not suited to be conducted under the burning sun. 9ence an
airshi was deloyed during the third match to avoid letting the sun
interfere with the event.
Mirage -at was designed to be conducted during night time.
&n order to avoid letting the layers2 bodies cover the rojecting lights!
the BD rojector was set ato the cylindrical light towers that
surrounded the arena. 5rom this alone! one could fully understand this
was intended to be a night event.
F F F
After the end of the second match J as e(ected! both 9ono*a and
Subaru advanced J Tatsuya was headed bac* to his room to ta*e a
%uic* na.
The two layers had already returned to their rooms and were sound
aslee.
&n this event! restoring lost stamina was absolutely critical.
As the technician! Tatsuya didn2t need to rest hysically! but this was a
good oortunity to rela( his nerves. 9e toyed with the idea of using
the Sleeing Doc*s! but elected to yield that to the layers first and
returned to his room! ulled the curtains! and lay on the bed.
3ight now! the third match of Mirage -at was rogressing. 9e was
very fortunate to be assigned the first and second matches. /ven
though it was only one more hour! this hour had a huge imact on
refreshing himself mentally and hysically.
9e also wished that Miyu*i2s Official Division reliminary was early
as well! but that was out of his hands. Tatsuya abandoned that thought
after ta*ing into account how meaningless that consideration was.
9is hysical body wasn2t tired! so he didn2t have to force himself to
slee! but allowed his mind to wander.
As he lay on the bed with his eyes closed! Tatsuya thought bac* to the
scene from yesterday morning.
&chijou Masa*i and Kichijouji Shin*urou J while they were of the
same age as he was! they were both rodigies that were renowned in
the world of magic.
&chijou Masa*i J Three years ago! when the ;reat Asian Alliance
invaded O*inawa! the 'ew Soviet :nion also too* military action on
Sado! where the young man of a mere AB years volunteered for the
front lines and! alongside the current head of the &chijou 5amily!
&chijou ;ou*i! used G3utureG to annihilate many enemy soldiers. 9e
was a Magician who ossessed live combat e(erience.
While the scale of the battle was %uite small "to this day! the 'ew
Soviet :nion denies their connection with the militants that invaded
Sado$! he was awarded the title Gthe 6rimson #rince of the &chijou
5amilyG for his e(loits. "9ere! G6rimsonG raised him for the fact
that Ghe was bathed in blood and fought to the lastG rather than being a
derogatory GbloodthirstyG label.$
Kichijouji Shin*urou J A genius Magician that identified the
G6ardinal 6odeG! which had only e(isted in theory! at age AB. -ased
on his surname Kichijouji and the G6ardinal 6odeG he discovered! he
was given the title G6ardinal ;eorgeG and was held to be one of the
rising stars behind theoretical Magic Se%uences who were *nown
throughout the field.
The fact that both of them registered at the same school in the same
cohort was a coincidence that bordered on criminal.
5or the two of them to team u during Monolith 6ode was already an
invincible combination! at least for the 'ewcomers Division.
Morisa*i and comany deserved to be itied. Tatsuya viewed things
that were not connected to him more mercifully.
&f only there was some way to close the ga.
"G3utureG is a magic that ossesses A-3an* destructive ower......
Maybe.$
The &chijou 5amily2s far-famed ability G3utureG was a Disersal-
Systematic Magic that vaori)ed all fluids within the target2s body.
Once the fluids from a biological target were vaori)ed! the body
would tear aart.
5or internal combustible machines! once the fuel evaorated! the car
would immediately e(lode. This was also the case for battery li%uid.
/ven if there were no flammable li%uids on board! there was still
engine oil! lubricants! coolant. There was ractically no machine that
didn2t use some sort of fluid. Thus! as long as G3utureG was activated!
the &chijous could destroy any machine at will.
This was the erfect magic for both anti-ersonnel and anti-armor
combat. G3utureG was designed solely for military use! so naturally it
infringed uon the rules for Monolith 6ode.
"That being said! he is still the ne(t head of house for one of the Ten
Master 6lans and ossesses the roud title G6rimson #rinceG! so he
wouldn2t just rely on G3utureG as his trum card...... Sea*ing of
which...$
9e shifted his thoughts from two eole who signed u for Monolith
6ode and declared war in front of him to the Monolith 6ode event
itself.
9e didn2t have to devote all his energy into creating countermeasures
for Third 9igh yet.
3ight now! 5irst 9igh2s second match was about to start.
"They already too* the first match and the second match is against the
lowly 5ourth 9igh. /ven they can2t screw this u that bad......$
Tatsuya2s eyes remained closed as he surrendered to his drowsiness
and drifted off to slee.
F F F
Tatsuya wo*e u shortly after noon and headed for the cometition
area! only to find the area covered by a rattled atmoshere.
Scratch that! it was a comlete state of anic that enveloed the
avilions.
5irst 9igh2s avilion was the center of it all.
GOnii-samaHG
The moment he steed into the avilion! Miyu*i ran over to him as if
this was a redetermined event. Shi)u*u was right alongside her.
GMiyu*i...... Shi)u*u too! weren2t you two with /ri*a2s grouLG
According to the lan! before 9ono*a got u J she had to reare for
the finals around 1 #M J Miyu*i and Shi)u*u should have been
watching Monolith 6ode with /ri*a and the others.
Eet! the two of them were here! which imlied that......
GWhat2s going onL Did something haen during Monolith 6odeLG
Without waiting for an answer! Tatsuya immediately followed u with
another %uestion.
There was no reason to as* if something had occurred! the very mood
testified that an incident occurred.
Tatsuya had an in*ling that this was li*ely worse than he had feared.
GEes! there was an accident! but......G
GMiyu*i! that was no accidentHG
As Miyu*i hesitated to sea*! Shi)u*u forcefully overrode her words
as she interruted.
GThat was intentionally over*ill. &t was blatantly against the rules.G
Although she *et a tight rein on her tone! Shi)u*u2s eyes betrayed her
fury.
GShi)u*u...... This is not the best time to ma*e wild accusations. We
don2t have roof that 5ourth 9igh intentionally did this.G
G&ndeed! Kitayama-san.G
-ehind them! Mayumi interjected into the conversation.
G&t is hard to imagine that this was urely an accident...... /ven so! we
cannot jum to the conclusion that this was remeditated. &f we hurtle
susicions around blindly! some eole who do not *now any better
may assume that2s the truth.G
This may be a little imolite! but that was certainly a worthy argument
from the uerclassman leadershi.
As he saw Shi)u*u reflect uon that gentle rerimand! Tatsuya also
thought! GThe #resident does have a few tric*s u her sleeveG.
......:nfortunately! Mayumi immediately s%uinted at him from the
side.
G......&s there a roblemLG
G......Eou were just thin*ing something imolite! weren2t youLG
"9-how shar......H$
Tatsuya faltered slightly at how adetly she saw through him.
Still! when he stood there! his life e(eriences belied his actual
hysical aearance.
G'o! & was just thin*ing! as e(ected of the Student 6ouncil
#resident......G
9e wore a mas* of honesty and feigned that he was being unjustly
susected in order to carefully gauge her reaction.
G......&s that soLG
While her eyes remained susicious! Mayumi reined herself in at least.
'ot only was she unable to find any chin*s in Tatsuya2s acting! she
also felt this wasn2t the right time to ursue this issue.
GThen! what2s our injury situationLG
GSo you reali)ed from the conversation alone that Morisa*i-*un and
the others are injured......G
Mayumi sighed! her e(ression had Gwhat a troublesome issueG
written all over her face.
G......They are seriously injured. The event was held in an urban setting
and they were crushed beneath the rubble from a ruined building that
crumbled when the attac*s from 2-attering 3am2 struc*.G
G......&f used against eole in closed environments! the magic
G-attering 3amG rates as A-ran* in destructive ower. This is on a
comletely different level than the danger encountered during -attle
-oard and is a blatant violation of the rules.G
The G-attering 3amG that the two were sea*ing of was also *nown as
G#oint -urstG! which was a magic develoed through #K research.
This magic functions by rewriting the /idos of the target object and
alying a massive Weight-Tye Magic on a single oint. When used
against buildings! the target re%uirement was usually a wall or the
ceiling! or at least a Gsingle surfaceG that was searated from any
illars and also re%uired a colossal magic caacity as well as high
interference strength.
&f simly destroying a building was the goal! it was more efficient to
use Move-Tye Magic and sling a hammer around. &n comarison!
G-attering 3amG was a highly demanding magic that! besides -S
Magicians! was not something that could be casually treated li*e a toy.
GAgreed...... /ven if they were wearing military-use rotective
e%uiment! that2s not going to hel against tons of roc*s and dirt
falling on to of you. Than*s to the rotective helmets and the
observers casting +ight Weight Magic in time! disaster was averted......
The three of them have undergone magic healing! but even then this
will ta*e two wee*s. They are confined to bed for the ne(t three days.G
Still! Mayumi avoided ma*ing a judgment on whether the accident
was truly intentional and subtly altered the direction of the
conversation.
G......&t2s more serious than & imagined.G
Tatsuya could symathi)e with Mayumi2s stance on not voicing an
oinion and thus avoiding the need to ursue the issue.
G&ndeed. This may be a little rash! but once & saw the magic healers
going! that was a horrible sight.G
7ust as she said! this was a somewhat harsh oinion regarding the
injured members.
At any rate! the fact that Mayumi faltered so badly was also a clear
indication that she was robably not on guard against Tatsuya.
GWait! &2m still unclear on this oint. Were all three in the same
buildingLG
This may not have been a matter Tatsuya needed to worry about! but
in Monolith 6ode! the tyical strategy called for either one erson on
the attac* and two on the defense or vice versa. Tatsuya had a hard
time figuring out what situation would call for all three members of
the team to be struc* down by the same attac*.
GThey immediately suffered a surrise attac* once the match was
under way. &t wasn2t that they couldn2t find anyone before the start
signal! but it was that they didn2t have a chance to. Setting aside
2-attering 3am2 for now! there2s no %uestion that juming the gun is a
clear violation of the rules.G
The one who answered was the fuming Shi)u*u.
G& see...... &n that case! then the board will be busy too.G
G-ecause they weren2t able to revent it...... 3ightLG
Seeing Tatsuya grin evilly! Miyu*i tilted her head as she as*ed in
confusion.
Miyu*i was too sincere and honest to comrehend Tatsuya2s twisted
line of logic.
GThis isn2t anything too imortant. 3ather! setting an easily
destructible ruin as the starting location was one of the *ey causes of
this accident J we2ll call it an accident for now. The board may elect
to scra Monolith 6ode from the 'ewcomers Division altogether.G
G......That2s also true.G
Miyu*i nodded in rofound agreement to Tatsuya2s reasoning. At this
time! Mayumi jumed bac* in.
GThere are indeed calls for a halt to this. 9owever! the ending result is
that the reliminaries are still going on for all the schools besides us
and 5ourth 9igh. The worst case scenario is that our school will be
treated as withdrawn from the second round of the reliminaries.G
9earing Mayumi2s words! it was Tatsuya2s turn to turn his head.
GWhat do you mean worst case scenarioL The layers are unable to
comete any longer! so aside from withdrawing! & don2t see any other
otions......G
GOn this oint! 7uumonji-*un is currently negotiating with the board.G
G3eally......G
After the commencement of the 'ine Schools 6ometition! changing
layers was forbidden. &n other words! since the other side violated the
rules! they were going to re%uest an e(cetionL
/ven so! the Monolith 6ode team members consisted of the Ast Eear
male students with the to three magic technical scores. /ven if they
found relacements! victory remained elusive. 3ather than loo*ing for
relacements! a better otion would be an unorthodo( re%uest to
remove the scores from Monolith 6ode from the aggregate score.
-ehind these vague resonses! Tatsuya made this consideration.
'aturally! Mayumi had no idea what dar* lots were running through
Tatsuya2s mind.
GJTatsuya-*un! & wish to sea* with you.G
Mayumi2s voice contained co%uettish overtones. She must be
thoroughly unnerved by this chain of accidents and was
subconsciously loo*ing for something or someone to rely on.
At ractically the same time! his sister fi(ed a burning ga)e on
Tatsuya. 9e really wanted to dig a hole and hide as he thought S&
didn2t do it! don2t glare at me! why aren2t you glaring at MayumiLT.
-ut there was no way he would be caught dead saying that.
G6an you come with me for a momentLG
Does this mean she was worried about other eole overhearing their
rivate conversationL
The burning ga)e doubled in intensity! but Tatsuya feigned ignorance
as he followed right behind Mayumi.
F F F
Although they were inside the avilion with a wall searating them
from the outside! it was only made of cloth after all. 5rom this
ersective! this served as a oor sound barrier.
Eet! this was the realm of magic that reversed the laws of reality.
Mayumi slowly built u a magical barrier that revented their voices
from traveling outside.
G?uite the erfect sound barrier.G
G3eally......L 9m hm! than* you.G
Mayumi sat down with a slightly embarrassed e(ression while
Tatsuya also ulled u a chair and sat.
GThen! let2s cut to the chase......G
G<ery well.G
G............G
/ven though Mayumi claimed time was of the essence! she refrained
from sea*ing. Since the two of them alone would arouse all sorts of
roblems! Tatsuya finally oened u.
GEou susect that this accident is also related to the revious sabotage
incidentLG
G......Ees. On that toic! & would li*e to hear Tatsuya-*un2s oinion.
Tatsuya-*un mentioned before that Mari2s incident had a high
robability of the 6AD being tamered with! rightLG
Mayumi finally wor*ed u the courage to as*! to which Tatsuya
nodded and relied8 GEes.G
G&f they were using the same tactic this time! that would fully e(lain
5ourth 9igh2s actions...... 9ow do you thin* we should go about
roving thisLG
GOur only otion is to catch them red handed! all other otions are not
viable.G
G6an2t we...... -orrow 5ourth 9igh2s 6ADs and loo* them overLG
GThis would be fine if traces of the rewritten Activation Se%uence
remained...... -ut given the ominous silence from the already
dis%ualified Seventh 9igh! this seems unli*ely.G
G3eally......G
Mayumi2s ga)e droed down to her ten interlaced fingers on the table
to.
Tatsuya watched her ose and considered that he caused her some
disaointment here. Mayumi didn2t raise her eyes and continued
as*ing.
G......&f this layed out according to Tatsuya-*un2s assumtions and our
school is the subject of sabotage...... What do you thin* the motive isL
<engeanceL 3evenge for the incident in sringLG
So that2s the real item that Mayumi was concerned about! Tatsuya
thought.
Tatsuya ossessed the intelligence in his hands to disel this concern.
9e *new that this situation was not caused by remnants of G-lancheG!
the terrorist organi)ation that they shattered! or any related
organi)ations. &f he revealed everything that he *new! he would be
able to alleviate Mayumi2s an(iety.
Eet! whether revealing everything was truly the best choice! he
hesitated briefly over this decision.
G......This is unrelated to the incident in sring.G
5inally! Tatsuya elected to lay one card from his hand.
G/hL What ma*es you say thatLG
Mayumi %uic*ly raised her head and as*ed bac*! her voice betraying
her hoes and rayers that he had some basis for saying so.
Tatsuya ossessed the ower to reali)e that hoe. At the same time! he
was denied the otion of laying everything out on the table.
GThe day before commencement...... 'o! the date had already
changed. At any rate! the night before the oening ceremony! several
miscreants sought to infiltrate the dorms. There were a total of three!
each e%uied with firearms.G
G......That2s the first &2ve heard of thisHG
GThat2s because a gag order has been issued. -y ure coincidence! &
was on station when this occurred and may have sulied some
assistance...... & also have some assing familiarity with their
bac*ground. The ones who struc* at this year2s 'ine Schools
6ometition aear to be a criminal organi)ation out of 9ong Kong.G
The classified ortions were filled in with a few white lies.
Mayumi didn2t susect his words at all.
GThis time may have been coincidental...... -ut lease refrain from
such dangerous behavior in the future.G
G&f ressed for an answer! & feel that &2m always getting dragged into
things.G
Mayumi ga)ed susiciously at Tatsuya shrugging his shoulders. -ut!
as she %uic*ly reali)ed! this wasn2t the time for that.
GOK...... 9aven2t you been as*ed to *ee this under wrasL Than* you
for telling me.G
G&n return! lease don2t let this sread.G
G& *now. & romise.G
Mayumi raised her right hand as if she were solemnly swearing a vow.
At this erfectly natural yet mischievous action! Tatsuya almost burst
into laughter.
G....../ven though & *now & shouldn2t say this but & still want to say! &
feel a lot more rela(ed.G
G......&ndeed! those words cannot be heard anywhere else.G
G'o worries. & only say that in front of Tatsuya.G
Keh! how should he interret thatL Tatsuya agoni)ed over that oint.
Don2t tell me that she was lin*ing this bac* to the Gtrustworthy little
brotherG line from several days agoL
As usual! Mayumi2s thought attern remained a comlete mystery to
Tatsuya.
F F F
GWhat2s the situationLG
G7ust as lanned. 5irst 9igh will have to withdraw from Monolith
6ode.G
Eo*ohama! 6hina Street! the highest floor in some hotel. 5ive men
were seated around a round table with tea sets in a large room chiefly
decorated in red and gold.
On the wall! there were images of a dragon in flight sewn with gold
thread.
GMonolith 6ode is the single most valuable event. /ven though the
'ewcomers Division is only worth half the oints from the Official
Division! this is still a major blow.G
The men nodded with smiles lastered on their faces. 9owever! their
allor was terrible and every one of their smiles was forced.
F F F
Afterwards! Mayumi re%uested8 G&n order to avoid anic from
sreading throughout the Ast Eear female students! &2m counting on
your suort.G Tatsuya remained in the avilion...... /(cet he had no
clue how to accomlish this.
9e felt that it was the duty of the female uerclassmen to care for the
mental status of their female underclassmen.
9e deely regretted his lac*adaisical accetance of this charge! so
while he wore an e(ression that claimed Gnothing had haenedG! he
devoted himself thoroughly to 6AD calibration for the ucoming
events.
That was all he did! but for some reason! he became surrounded by the
Ast Eear female layers.
This may simly be because Miyu*i! who was one of the leaders of
the Ast Eear female layers! stuc* to him li*e glue. &nitially! Tatsuya
thought this was the case but unfortunately! he was not dull enough to
believe this without %uestion.
Their eyes were actually focused entirely on him.
These were not flirtatious loo*s. 9e was not narcissistic enough to
misinterret that! nor was he wilted enough to be able to not notice
them.
At the same time! he was slightly bemused as to the e(act meaning
behind them J that was the only area where he was slow in.
6omletely besieged by these silent ga)es! this was an irritating
condition to wor* under! but it2s not li*e he could shoo them away
either.
9e refrained from engaging in conversation not because he was
hindered by them. +ac*ing any other otions! he elected to ignore
them and adot his usual rocedure of silently continuing his wor*.
An eternally unchanging aearance.
An eternally enduring object.
9e had no idea what value this ossessed.
5or someone who had always labored under restrictive conditions and
was well aware of the intermittent nature of the world li*e Tatsuya!
few things were truly eternal.
/ven so! the young ladies %uieted down gradually as they watched
him wor* as if nothing had haened. All of this Miyu*i beheld with
her own eyes as she nodded in lace of her brother and revealed a
satisfied smile.
The greatest beneficiary from his normalcy J or even feigned
normalcy J and its ensuing effect! was actually 9ono*a.
&nitially! after hearing the GincidentG surrounding Morisa*i and the
others! her face had turned comletely ale. Eet! after watching
Tatsuya lug away and attend the tactical meeting as if nothing had
occurred! she gradually settled down as well.
The change was so comlete that now Tatsuya was the uneasy one.
GThere are no strategic adjustments from the reliminary round. &n the
end! Mirage -at is a test of stamina.G
Still! even if he felt uneasy! there was nothing he could do at this
oint.
The match was about to begin. 9e was ressed for time at the
moment! so he could only table his unease and focus his concentration
on the battle ahead.
GAvoid getting into a battle of attrition. The only thing you need to do
is calmly ma*e any necessary adjustments.G
:nder Tatsuya2s watching ga)e! Subaru nodded in an e(aggerated
fashion.
G9ono*a! don2t e(end energy on e(cess techni%ues. 7ust as we
racticed! there are fa*es created from illusion magic that serve to
waste your stamina.G
5orewarned! it was 9ono*a2s turn to nod.
GThe only thing the two of you should be thin*ing is how to release
your secialties to the fullest. Don2t worry! *now that we already own
5irst and Second lace right here.G
At Tatsuya2s daring roclamation of victory! both of them nodded in
delight.
F F F
While it was the height of summer! the longest days had already
assed.
-y Q #M! the sun had long since set and the blue s*y had been
relaced by the hanging stars.
The surface of the la*e reflected the overhanging starlight! causing the
entire scene to flash brilliantly.
Among the stars! si( young ladies stood on several raised illars.
The thin uniforms that traced their figures did not include any ama)ing
accessories or designs! but over the shimmering waves! they gave off
an almost fey li*e aura. JThat2s why there were a lot of male fans
flooding the stands.
Mirage -at used secial bats to stri*e away at the rojections that
floated A0 meters above the ground! with the highest total determining
the victor.
While they said stri*e! in reality there was no sense of imact nor did
the orbs shatter into ieces.
The reason behind this was because the bats in the layers2 hands
would interact with the 6AD and release a signal at the same location
as the rojections. Once they overlaed! the orb rojections would
automatically terminate uon registering the imacting signal and add
the score to the stri*ing layer2s column.
Winning this event re%uired two s*ills.
The ability to swiftly lea to the same height as the floating
rojections.
And the ability to even more hastily locate each and every orb2s
location.
Of the two! it was the second that could be easily and une(ectedly
overloo*ed. Since nothing was faster than light! immediately ta*ing
off after verifying the rojection location was usually the swiftest
choice. -ut J there were a few e(cetions.
There were a few milliseconds of delay before the rojection
materiali)ed in the air. &f someone could detect the oscillations of the
light waves even an instant earlier! they would be able to move
towards the location of the light waves before the orb had even
formed.
9ono*a was e(tremely adet at reading light waves U strictly
sea*ing! the subtle changes in the /idos of the light waves. This gave
her a tremendous advantage during the elimination round.
The instant before the red orb materiali)ed! 9ono*a had already
activated her magic.
The other layers could only watch hellessly as she sei)ed the
initiative.
The ne(t orb materiali)ed.
The color was blue. That color was lit for the longest time! so they
were the easiest oints to score.
5ive layers started their Activation Se%uences.
The first into the air was Subaru.
/veryone started their Activation Se%uence at the same time! but the
first two to finish them were the layers from 5irst 9igh.
6omared to the layers in the event! it was the technicians on the
outer erimeter that were furious at this outcome.
Since the difference was so slendidly dislayed before their eyes!
they were forced to admit the cause was the differences in 6AD
erformance.
Since every school had an uer ceiling in terms of machinery! there
was no significant difference in hardware caability.
Thus! the only difference lay in software erformance.
&n other words! the strength of the technician.
GDamn itH 9ow can he fit such a comlicated action into such a tiny
Activation Se%uenceHG
Someone cho*ed out in the bac*. They were robably using a Kirlian
filter "a filter that could bring the sion density and activity into the
visible sectrum$ to ta*e ictures of 9ono*a and Subaru activating
and rocessing "from the start of the Activation Se%uence to the
beginning of the rocessing hase$.
They leaed straight into the air J comletely ignoring the effects of
gravitational deceleration J towards the rojections! stoed at the
orbs! then immediately returned along the same a(is after scoring the
oint and landed after e(ending all inertia.
Throughout this chain of movements! regardless of whether it was
9ono*a or Subaru! they never maniulated the 6AD once. &n other
words! everything from the layer leaing into the s*y than*s to the
Activation Se%uence onward was comletely written into the 6AD.
The smaller the Activation Se%uence! the faster the rocessing seed.
+i*ewise! the less Activation Se%uences that needed to be rocessed!
the less strain was laced on the layer as well.
They were using the minimal Magic #ower to accomlish
henomenon rewriting at the fastest ossible seed.
G&t2s as if we2re u against Taurus Silver himself out hereHG
'o one *new who made that comment in the ensuing ruc*us.
GA-chan! what2s wrong......LG
A)usa turned around to find Mayumi studying her strangely. Studying
the wide-eyed! etrified her.
G'o...... &t2s nothing.G
Seeing A)usa curl into a ball! Mayumi relied with an G&s that soLG!
and turned bac* to observing the contest.
A)usa2s reaction was well within the normal boundaries of her
behavior! so there robably wasn2t anything to it.
9owever! what was different was that something other than her usual
embarrassment currently catured her heart.
"......As if! we2re u against GTaurus SilverGL$
Somewhere! someone made that comlaint.
Mi(ed into the middle of all the shrie*s of delight and dismay! for
some reason these articular words wormed their way into A)usa2s
ears.
"That fully manual Activation Se%uence adjustment...... 6onnecting
the main systems from the ;enerali)ed model to the subsystems of the
Seciali)ed model is the current cutting edge research...... The ability
to use +oo 6ast on ;enerali)ed 6ADs...... G&nfernoG...... G#honon
MaserG...... G'iflheimG...... /very one of these are high class magics
that have never had their Activation Se%uences ublished......$
5or someone who was also aiming to become a Magic Artificer! A)usa
started thin*ing bac* on each Gtour de forceG that shoc*ed the crowd
time and time again.
"As ifL We2re u against Taurus SilverL
'o! that...... &f it wasn2t Taurus Silver himself! this is simly
imossible......$
J & wonder how shoc*ing it would be if he turned out to be a
7aanese teenager li*e us J
Suddenly! his voice rang out through A)usa2s memories.
G......What2s the matterL &f you2re not feeling well! go ta*e a brea*HG
G'o! really! it2s nothing......G
Mayumi2s an(ious and concerned ga)e was drawn towards A)usa who
had suddenly leat out of her seat. Eet! A)usa was beyond caring at
this oint.
The words that clearly rang out from her recollection. Maybe! that
wasn2t a guess at all......
"9ow is it ossibleL 9ow is it ossible how is it ossibleL 9ow is it
ossible how is it ossible how is it ossible how is it ossibleL$
Those words occuied all of A)usa2s consciousness.
5ar away from those troubled thoughts! two of her underclassmen
raced out to a dominating lead to greet the end of the first session.
F F F
&n the end! Mirage -at for the 'ewcomers Division turned out just as
Tatsuya redicted! with 9ono*a and Subaru in sole ossession of 5irst
and Second #lace. &mmediately after the end of the match! Tatsuya
was summoned to the conference room without any oortunity to
arta*e in the fruits of victory.
&nside! the uerclassmen waiting for Tatsuya were wholly unli*e his
"female$ eers who were delirious with joy! uerclassmen who were
the utter masters of their emotions and hid them beneath solemn
e(ressions.
Mayumi! Mari! Katsuto! Su)une! 9attori! A)usa.
/veryone from high command in 5irst 9igh was resent.
&n addition! Kirihara and &sori were also on the flan*s.
;iven that team members just suffered serious injuries! it was only
natural that they could not aear delighted! but even so their
e(ressions were a little stiff J as if dreading what was coming ne(t.
/secially 9attori! who aarently was at wit2s end about what
e(ression to adot! so he chose to form a mas* with his own face!
with a thoroughly ill at ease e(ression.
This could not turn out well! so Tatsuya mentally fortified himself.
G;ood wor*. Than*s to you! we obtained a far better result than any
we could2ve hoed for.G
Mayumi used a normal J more li*e official J choice of words.
-efore she said this! Tatsuya2s *een senses ic*ed u how she and
Katsuto e(changed a glance in a blin* of an eye.
GThat2s all than*s to the layers2 diligence.G
Tatsuya also relied bac* in a vague fashion. 9e hadn2t felt this sort of
tense atmoshere since he first enrolled here.
GOf course! credit is due to Mitsui-san and Satomi-san as well as all
the other students who tirelessly trained to achieve this result.
9owever! everyone ac*nowledges that Tatsuya-*un2s contribution is
nothing short of outstanding.
We didn2t suffer a single setbac* in any of the three events you were
resonsible for...... &n terms of oints! the fact that we are guaranteed
at least Second #lace in the 'ewcomers Division is all than*s to
Tatsuya-*un.G
G......Than* you very much.G
Tatsuya e(ecuted a short and rudent bow.
They *et their eyes from matching as they waited for the other
erson to sea*. Eet! Mayumi didn2t cut to the chase.
Tatsuya slowly raised his eyes to find Mayumi using her eyes to sto
Katsuto.
There aeared to be something difficult to sea* of that Katsuto
wanted to clarify.
What was it that warranted such a level of indecisionL
5inally noticing that Tatsuya was intently watching her! Mayumi
seemed to cave and briefly shut her eyes.
GAs & said earlier! even if we withdrew from Monolith 6ode! we are
still guaranteed Second #lace in the 'ewcomers Division. 3ight now!
there2s a 10 oint difference between 5irst 9igh and Third 9igh. &f
Third 9igh ta*es Second #lace or higher in Monolith 6ode! they
would ta*e 5irst #lace overall in the 'ewcomers Division. We would
retain 5irst #lace if they only achieve Third #lace or below.G
This way! there wouldn2t be a huge ga in the ran*ings for the
'ewcomers Division! which was Tatsuya2s objective all along for the
combined score.
So what were they so an(ious aboutL
Also! why was he summoned in the first laceL
Tatsuya was also starting to fret now.
G-efore the 'ewcomers Division! didn2t we assume this would be
enough......G
Mayumi could already detect his growing disleasure from his voice.
&n the midst of her suressed e(ression! there were hints of a
slightly harried loo*. What came out was an an(ious! frantic voice.
GSince we2ve come so far!G
/ven so! she wasn2t settling down to re-e(amine the situation! but
rushing for the finish line.
At this oint! Tatsuya finally reali)ed what they were going to as* of
him.
GWe wish to charge for 5irst #lace overall in the 'ewcomers
Division.G
At some oint! Mayumi2s tone had reverted to her normal level.
GAre you aware that Third 9igh is disatching &chijou Masa*i and
Kichijouji Shin*urou for Monolith 6odeLG
At Mayumi2s %uestion! Tatsuya relied with a succinct GEesG.
G/(actly...... Setting aside &chijou-*un for the moment! Tatsuya-*un
may *now more about the details surrounding Kichijouji-*un. With
those two teaming u! the chances of them being uset in the
elimination round is e(tremely remote. &f we withdraw from Monolith
6ode! our chances of triumhing in the 'ewcomers Division vanish as
well.G
So! they wanted himJ
GSo Tatsuya-*un...... May we rely on you to relace Morisa*i-*un and
the others in Monolith 6odeLG
JThe GthingG that Mayumi wanted him to do coincided e(actly with
what Tatsuya surmised.
G......May & as* two %uestionsLG
GOf course! what is itLG
9e was already D0O certain! but this was a good oortunity to verify
things! Tatsuya thought.
GThere are still two matches in the reliminary round that have been
e(tended until tomorrow! correctLG
GEes! you2re right. Owing to this! tomorrow2s schedule will change as
well.G
G& thought that relacing layers are forbidden even if the starters
suffered injuriesLG
GAfter carefully considering the situation! a secial e(cetion was
made.G
What an unsurrising answer.
Still! even if all these answers were anticiated! acceting them was an
entirely different story.
G......Why meLG
This was no %uestion! but a subtle rejection in and of itself. &t was just
that he was facing uerclassmen! so he had to at least observe the
forms and could not simly say G'oG.
Mayumi robably redicted that Tatsuya would answer this way and
still hadn2t come u with a method to ersuade him! hence she *et
beating around the bush. 6urrently! she wore a forced smile asted on
her miserable e(ression.
G& just thought that Tatsuya-*un was the strongest candidate......G
GDisregarding your grade in technical s*ills! in live combat ability
alone you are undoubtedly the mightiest among the Ast Eear male
students.G
Mari! who until this moment had left the negotiations to Mayumi!
noticed that the situation was turning blea* from Mayumi2s vague
resonse! and threw her weight behind the GersuadingG side.
GMonolith 6ode is not 2live combat2 J it is a 2magic cometition2
where hand to hand combat is forbidden. &2m sure everyone is well
aware of this without me ointing it out.G
Desite this! Tatsuya still didn2t caitulate.
GOn magical fighting strength! & thin* you are also in the highest tier
as well.G
Mari glanced at 9attori! who *nitted his brows with a thoroughly
miserable e(ression.
This was a merciless! but effective angle of attac*! so Tatsuya was
forced to abandon his e(cuse of being GincaableG. 9owever! he still
had another card u his sleeve.
G-ut &2m not a layer. &n terms of relacements! we should still have
other layers that have only cometed in one event.G
'ow! even Mari was at a loss.
G/ven if we ignored the ride from the 6ourse A students! by grabbing
a relacement 2layer2 from the ran*s of the 2au(iliaries2! you would
damage the confidence of future articiants as well.G
This was robably the issue that was causing them the most headaches
and also the one they didn2t want to address.
The 'ewcomers Division did wonders for educating new students.
/ven if they triumhed this year! they could not guarantee that this
would not negatively imact the Official Division in the ensuing
years! which was essentially utting the cart in front of the horse.
&f the relacement for one of the rimary layers turned out to be an
au(iliary! and a 6ourse C student to boot! this would have a shattering
imact on not just the other layers! but also the ride of the collective
body of 6ourse A students.
Mayumi and the others had no rejoinder for this.
9e was the master of the field! Tatsuya judged. 'ow was the time for
him to tactfully decline and bow out! andJ
GDon2t be naive! ShibaHG
Katsuto2s booming voice rang out.
5or a time! Tatsuya was unable to resond.
9e was temorarily unable to discern e(actly why he was being
scolded.
While it was true that his words were sohistry laden with logic! it
was logic nonetheless.
&f they deloyed him! even if victory over Third 9igh wasn2t
attainable! Second #lace in Monolith 6ode was still ossible.
The difference between gold and silver in Monolith 6ode was a altry
R0 oints. &f they catured Second #lace! then they would li*ely carry
the 'ewcomers Division.
-ut in that case! no matter how you sliced it! Tatsuya would become
the *ey contributor that made the 'ewcomers Division victory
ossible.
This would be an absolutely unaccetable result to the 6ourse A
students still dwelling in their elitist world. /ven if he was eliminated
during the reliminary round! they would not suffer a 6ourse C student
li*e him to reresent them in Monolith 6ode.
GEou are already a member of the reresentative team.G
9owever! Katsuto2s words fell recisely on the wea*est oint of
Tatsuya2s defense.
G3egardless of whether you are a layer or au(iliary! that is not
imortant. Eou are one of the C0 reresentatives selected out of the
C00 Ast Eear students.G
Katsuto2s alternate meaning.
&n other words! Tatsuya2s resence had already dealt a huge blow to
the 6ourse A students and brought about severe shoc* and anic.
G&n light of this emergency! our leader Saegusa has selected you as the
relacement.
As a member of the team! once you have acceted this resonsibility!
you also have the obligation to fulfill your duty as a member.G
G-ut......G
/ven so! he still had to resond. Otherwise! they......
GAs a member! you should not go against your leader2s decisions.
&f the judgment was erroneous! then we who aid the leadershi will
bring it to a halt.
Members other than ourselves have no lace to object.
&ndeed...... 3egardless of whether it2s myself! the erson in %uestion!
whoeverHG
Tatsuya stared at him blan*ly and droed what he was going to say.
Tatsuya finally comrehended what Katsuto really wanted to e(ress.
The message Katsuto was driving across was that regardless of who
objected and regardless of what the outcome was! the brass would ta*e
full resonsibility for the fallout.
GDo not cower! Shiba. Do not worry that you are a substitute. Since
you have been selected! go out there and do your duty.G
These words were not just restricted to the 'ine Schools 6ometition.
The 'ine Schools 6ometition never had a relacement olicy in the
first lace.
JDo not use your status as a 6ourse C student as an escae route.
JDo not loo* for e(cuses.
JDo not ut yourself in a osition of wea*ness and wallow in
desair.
Do not worry that you are a substitute J that2s what this meant. Do
not concern yourself with your substitute "Weed! 6ourse C student$
status! these are what those words entailed.
All his egress routes had been denied.
Also J since they2ve already gotten to this oint! he had no lans to
bac* down.
G......:nderstood. & shall do my best.G
Mayumi and Mari both rela(ed.
Katsuto solemnly nodded.
GThen! who are my teammatesLG
&n front of the uerclassmen! his tone was noticeably softer.
To be recise! he was intentionally using a firmer tone than usual u
until now.
GThat2s u to you.G
GAh......LG
Tatsuya was not feigning ignorance. 9e was once again unable to
comrehend what was being said.
GThe last two members will be decided by you.G
The same instructions were reeated in a different manner. Katsuto
added a few words as if he had just thought of something.
G&t would be best if you could decide now! but if you need some more
time to consider! then come bac* an hour from now.G
9earing Katsuto2s words! Tatsuya almost blurted out! GEou2re just the
same.G
This was the case in Aril when they sac*ed G-lanche2sG base. 9e
gave full authority to an underclassman as if nothing was out of the
ordinary.
&f he could avoid ta*ing full resonsibility! then this would only be a
tactic to reserve himself. Eet for Katsuto! the only thing he had was
resonsibility here! so there2s no reason he could treat this so
cavalierly. 3ather than calling this a byroduct of his leadershi
training! it may be more aroriate to say this was his nature......
Abandoning these useless thoughts! Tatsuya focused bac* on the toic
at hand.
G'o! if & just need to choose! & don2t need any time......G
Tatsuya had already selected two relacements in his head from the
roster.
G& just don2t *now if they will agree.G
G+et us handle that.G
......Again! refusing was not an otion.
Today was the first time Tatsuya learned that the eldest son of the
7uumonji 5amily had such a forceful ersonality.
G&s anyone alrightL /ven if & choose eole from outside the teamLG
Tatsuya2s mood lightened considerably as if he was allowed to be as
frivolous as ossible.
G/hL That2s a little......G
GThat2s fine. This is already an unrecedented e(cetion! so by now!
no one will care if two more are added.G
G7uumonji-*un......G
Mayumi hellessly glanced at Katsuto. On his art! Katsuto was
wholly unerturbed by this.
GThen! & choose Eoshida Mi*ihi*o from 6lass A-/ and Saijou
+eonhart! also from 6lass A-/.G
G9ey! ShibaHLG
9attori %uic*ly tried to interject! but was held bac* by Su)une2s raised
hand.
GThat2s fine. 'a*ajou.G
GEes! resentHG
Katsuto didn2t bat an eyelid at A)usa2s e(aggerated resonse.
G#lease call Eoshida Mi*ihi*o and Saijou +eonhart here. The two of
them should be at this hotel! though not with the normal cheering
s%uads.G
At first glance! he was bold and unconstrained J while this was also
true! he was also someone who aid attention to the minute details.
That being said! it was true that unofficial members and students that
weren2t art of the cheering s%uads and were also residing in this hotel
did count as oddities. 5or eole doing their due diligence! this was
something worthy of devoting some attention to! so it was hardly
surrising that he *new. /ven so! Tatsuya was still imressed with
Katsuto2s *nowledge.
G......Tatsuya-*un. 6an you tell us why you chose themLG
Since she abandoned the resonsibility for ersuading Tatsuya to
Katsuto! Mari was in no osition to object at this oint.
'evertheless! she was still unable to accet this answer! maybe even
susicious that something was afoot as she as*ed this.
GOf course. A big reason is that & have ractically not trained or
interacted with any of the male team members.G
Tatsuya was only resonsible for calibrating the Women2s team! so it
was true that he had never observed any of the men racticing.
G& am utterly unfamiliar with their roficiency and wea*nesses. The
cometition is tomorrow. &t is by far too late to start investigating!
devising strategies! or doing calibration.G
G......Do you *now these two very wellLG
GEes. We2re not just in the same class J we also understand each
other very well.G
G9m...... Eou have a oint. Since we can rely on other technicians for
calibration! if teammates don2t understand each others2 strengths and
wea*nesses! teamwor* would become a serious issue.G
As Mari considered this! she suddenly revealed a comletely
une(ected! mischievous e(ression.
GThen! that2s not the biggest reason! so what is itLG
At Mari2s curious %uestion! Tatsuya didn2t hesitate and immediately
made a stand.
GAbility.G
GWhaLG
This intreid answer caused Mari! Mayumi! Katsuto! and Su)une to
loo* uon Tatsuya with rofound interest.
F F F
G9ey! Tatsuya...... &s it trueLG
3ather than being confused! +eo wore a forlorn e(ression as he
reeated this %uestion for the umteenth time.
GSetting aside #resident Saegusa for the moment! do you thin* ;rou
+eader 7uumonji would sin such a comlicated lieLG
Tatsuya was getting ready to give u answering this %uestion.
G/ven if you said setting aside the #resident! & still don2t
understand...... Oh! so it2s really true.G
:ntil now! +eo was still s*etical as he heaved a dee sigh.
To his side! Mi*ihi*o was highly distracted as his eyes drifted!
evidently unsure where to loo*.
GMi*i! settle down a bit.G
GMy name is Mi*ihi*o.G
After conversing with /ri*a as if rearranged! a disgruntled Mi*ihi*o
sat down on the bed.
They were in Tatsuya2s double room. The entire brass went and
ersuaded the two of them to accet J more li*e coerced J and
Tatsuya called them over to ma*e lans for the future.
With /ri*a and Mi)u*i following along! this does seem a little
GrearrangedG.
Miyu*i! 9ono*a! Shi)u*u were tied u by /imi! Subaru! and their
teammates and were currently loc*ed in a siral of GmadnessG.
G-ut...... 9aven2t Mi*ihi*o and & made no rearations whatsoeverLG
G/(actly...... 5orget about the 6AD! & don2t thin* we even have
uniformsLG
Mi*ihi*o2s face was a little ale. Owing to his sudden selection! he
was a little timid and mystified at his comletely une(ected elevation
as a 6ourse C student to starter for the 'ewcomers Division. 'ot that
Mi*ihi*o would ever be caught dead admitting that.
+eo2s coloring was normal! but he had sha*en off his usual jo*ing
e(ression. 9e didn2t loo* articularly energetic.
-esides Mi*ihi*o! Tatsuya was surrised to find that even +eo was a
little daunted! but he didn2t choose to alter the lan of attac*. Don2t
even dream of throwing everything to me! Tatsuya thought.
G3ela(. They didn2t reare a uniform for me either.G
GWait! that2s hardly a comforting thought.G
Tatsuya waved his hand at +eo2s ready retort.
G&t2ll be OK. /ven if there2s nothing we can do about it! just rela(.G
G'o! that2s not what & meant.G
This time it was /ri*a2s turn to snar*.
Those two certainly share the same interests! Tatsuya thought.
G5ine! you2re right. 9onestly! that2s all & can say. Don2t worry about it.
We2ve already ut 'a*ajou-senai in charge of the rotective gear and
tunics. Aearances can be retty deceiving and she2s %uite a
cometent erson. &2m sure she2ll have the erfect uniforms for us.G
'obody had any comment for that. 'ot that anyone was going to call
into %uestion whether her cometence belied her aearance.
G&2ll handle the 6ADs. & guarantee that &2ll only need an hour er
erson.G
6omletely calibrating a 6AD from scratch to the oint that it was
customi)ed for a Magician usually re%uired trile the amount of the
time.
Eet! neither +eo nor Mi*ihi*o seemed articularly astounded.
On one hand! they weren2t wholly aware how imressive Gone hourG
actually was! and on the other hand! they had already seen so many
Gshoc*ersG in the ast four days that they already thought GTatsuya2s
omniotentG.
G&s that OKL &sn2t it already D #ML Eou still need time for your gear!
rightLG
/ri*a was the only one of the four who was aware how time-
consuming 6AD calibration was. Thus! she was the only one loo*ing
on with concerned eyes.
GThat2ll be fine. & only need A0 minutes.G
+oo*s li*e their worries were groundless. Once more e(eriencing
first-hand how ridiculous he was! /ri*a heavily sighed.
GTen minutes! eh! ten...... Why do & even bother worrying about you.G
G:nfortunately! in reality! we don2t have that much time.G
G/hLG
/ri*a comically ortrayed a carefree e(ression! but uon hearing
Tatsuya2s blea* words! she %uic*ly became an(ious again.
G3egardless of how you describe this! we are an imromtu lineu
with no tactical lanning.
We have no time to ractice! so we must do our fine tuning in battle.
6harging into the fray with only a rough battle lan is li*e heading in
there blind.
5or me! this is simly the last resort.G
3ather than saying that Tatsuya was discouraged! it was more li*e he
was ranting.
/ri*a rela(ed somewhat and nodded.
G......So that2s how it is. Tric*ery is Tatsuya-*un2s secialty.G
GThat2s going a little too far.G
Tatsuya could only droo his shoulders and smile at /ri*a2s overblown
descrition of his shortcomings.
GWell...... &t2s ointless to comlain any further about something that
has already been decided. While &chihara-senai and 'a*ajou-senai
are scrounging u the necessary materials! let2s go over our strategy.G
GEou were the one who said we couldn2t come u with a lan.G
Seeing /ri*a nitic*ing Tatsuya2s words! Mi)u*i barred her ath with
a ve(ed e(ression on her face. "She was just standing in front of her.$
G/ri*a-chan...... At the very least! lease don2t hinder Tatsuya-*un.G
GOuchH Mi)u*i! & was just trying to liven u this totally deadbeat>
atmoshere......G
GEes! yes! as this deadbeat> atmoshere is fading away! lease be
%uiet. 9e already said we2re running out of time! /ri*a.G
3ecently! Mi)u*i had finally figured out the *ey to dealing with her
friend! so she wasn2t being ulled this way and that li*e she was in the
ast.
G9m......G
/ri*a uffed her chee*s at being scolded! but mercifully remained
silent. 'o matter what she said or what attitude she adoted! she
stayed because she was sincerely worried about Tatsuya! +eo! and
Mi*ihi*o.
GOur first toic is the formation itself.G
Tatsuya comletely ignored the interrution and *et going.
G&2m on offense! +eo is on defense! while Mi*ihi*o will use guerrilla
tactics.G
GOK. -ut what am & suosed to do on defenseLG
G& want to *now too. What do you mean by guerrillaLG
At this oint! +eo and Mi*ihi*o had either acceted their fate or were
earnestly getting e(cited. The highest robability was that they were
just trying to muddle through it. 3egardless of the reason behind their
comletely different and roactive attitude! Tatsuya continued his
fluid e(lanation.
GThe defense2s job is to rotect allied territory from enemy assault.
/veryone *nows the victory conditions for Monolith 6ode! rightLG
At this %uestion! +eo answered without much confidence.
GTo render the oosing team unable to continue! or transfer the code
hidden within the monolith into the terminal! rightLG
GThat is correct. &n order to transfer the code hidden within the
monolith! a secial 'onsystematic Magic must be inutted into the
monolith. The secial Magic Se%uence serves as a *ey and slits the
monolith in two. Once the monolith has been slit! the team is
forbidden from using magic to reseal the brea*. 9owever! using magic
to revent the monolith from slitting is valid. Also! there is a
re%uirement stating that the secial Magic Se%uence must be used
within A0 meters of the monolith and would immediately sto uon
leaving that range.G
G......&n other words! the defense2s job is to revent the enemy from
getting within A0 meters of the monolith! and even if the secial "*ey$
Magic Se%uence has been inutted! their goal then becomes
reventing the monolith from oening or disruting the enemy from
reading the code! these three ointsLG
G5ull mar*s.G
Tatsuya nodded in satisfaction at +eo2s answer.
G;enerally! 6ounter Magic can be used to revent the 2*ey2 from
activating! but even without that ability! 5ortifying Magic is sufficient
to revent the monolith from oening. Strictly sea*ing! even if the
monolith has been slit! but if the two halves are still stuc* together!
this status can be maintained indefinitely. This way! because the
monolith wasn2t reattached after searation! this is not a violation of
the rules.G
+eo revealed a owerless e(ression swiftly followed by a susicious
glance towards Tatsuya.
G& really don2t want to say this! Tatsuya! but isn2t this the standard
definition of 2tric*ery2......LG
Still! Tatsuya wasn2t going to surrender to this level of sarcasm "even
if it was only jo*ing among friends$.
G+eo and /ri*a say the e(act same thing.G
The first one to waver and shout out was +eo.
GWho do you ta*e me forHG
GWhat are you tal*ing aboutHG
/ri*a immediately set off a chain reaction.
GOK! OK! /ri*a-chan! rela( a little. +eo-*un! lease don2t get too
e(cited.G
Than*s to Mi)u*i2s intercession! the two of them avoided a head on
conflict.
G......So & understand the 2*ey2 ortion. -ut how do we go about
denying the enemyLG
+eo recovered his comosure and as*ed a new %uestion.
G&s *ic*ing and unching off limits as wellL &2m not e(aggerating here!
but long range magic is not my strong oint.G
GThen use this.G
As he said this! Tatsuya ulled out that GswordG.
G......Wait! & thought direct contact was forbiddenLG
When +eo said this! Tatsuya handed him a thin little boo*let.
GA manualLG
Why are you handing me thisL 7ust as he was about to as*! +eo
noticed a dog leaf on one of the ages and abandoned his %uestion to
fli oen that age.
G3ules for Monolith 6ode! eh......LG
The rinted rules for Monolith 6ode were all over the age! ranging
from a simle e(lanation to newcomers without any reconceived
notions to a more detailed lay-by-lay of an actual cometition.
G&t2s enumerated here that attac*s caused by objects under the effect of
magic are not against the rules.G
GSo...... &f an object is in flight due to magic...... &sn2t that...... & got it.G
The basic setu of this GswordG involved searating the blade in the
middle! with half of the blade maintaining a set distance from the
other half and flying through the air at will. 5rom a magic systems
ersective! it may be more aroriate to describe this as the blade
e(tending through the air. 5rom outward aearances! this was half of
a bro*en sword flying to and fro through the s*y. Since there was no
hysical connection between the two halves! this fulfilled the
condition for Gobjects in flight due to magicG.
GTatsuya! did you create this thing because you *new about this ahead
of timeLG
At +eo2s sincere %uery! Tatsuya could only chuc*le wryly and sha*e
his head.
GEou overestimate me too much...... This was made urely on a whim.
&2m not in the habit of creating malicious tric*s day and night.G
&t seemed that neither +eo nor /ri*a was wholly satisfied with
Tatsuya2s e(lanation! but time was of the essence! so he chose to
ignore it.
GThis Weaoni)ed &ntegrated 6AD J 2Mini 6ommunicator2 has
already been calibrated for +eo2s ersonal use. &2ve already adjusted
the variability of the distance and duration li*e we so*e of earlier! so
don2t mess u the controls.G
G/hL Eou mean we2re doing a live test in combatHLG
G/verything tomorrow would be the same thing as live combat.G
Tatsuya switched his tone and aused before adoting an enigmatic
smile.
G-esides! & guarantee that this time it2ll be far easier to use than last
time.G
G5ine! hoefully this won2t be a roblem.G
5acing Tatsuya2s evil smir*! +eo fearlessly too* the GMini
6ommunicatorG from him.
G'e(t is Mi*ihi*o2s role......G
GEe! Tatsuya! what should & doLG
Mi*ihi*o rose from the bed. Although he was initially indecisive! he
was now very roactive! or maybe he was simly motivated now.
-eing roused to action was infinitely referable to how he was before!
but Tatsuya didn2t touch on this and focused on his mission briefing.
G;uerrilla tactics will entail roviding suort to either the offense or
the defense.G
After delivering this simlistic answer! Tatsuya continued to as*.
GEou are caable of other long range magic li*e the earlier lightning-
based magic! correctLG
GWell! yeah......G
Mi*ihi*o vaguely relied.
5amilies that had inherited Ancient Magic had a strong tendency to
hide their own magic abilities.
&n modern magic! than*s to the categori)ation and systems aroach
to magic! with a notable e(cetion for a few -S Magicians!
confidentiality has become a mere formality. 9owever! due to the
ingrained values system! this could still be seen at the subconscious
level.
'onetheless! they were headed into battle tomorrow! so if they
couldn2t be honest with one another now! they would be in dire straits.
GThe destructive ower for lightning magic is 6-3an*! rightLG
G......That2s a magic that was only meant to disable the target! so it only
rates as 6-3an*. Since it hasn2t been ublici)ed yet! there is no actual
record in the ran*ings.G
G:nublished! huh...... Wouldn2t that be a huge roblem if we used
that tomorrowLG
G'o...... There should be no roblem. The theory behind it is not
secret! but the Activation rocess is. &f & avoid talismans and only use
a 6AD! we should be OK. ......Tatsuya.G
GWhat2s uLG
GTatsuya...... Eou said this before! rightL My...... The Eoshida 5amily2s
techni%ue is too verbose! so & cannot wield magic in the way & desire.G
GThat is correct.G
/ri*a stared at them with widened eyes. 'e(t to her! Tatsuya
decisively J more li*e ruthlessly J nodded.
Mi)u*i covered her mouth with both hands.
/ven +eo was struc* seechless.
The techni%ue that the famous line of Ancient Magic users had
laboriously develoed over many generations had just been judged to
be a Gblemished roductHG Without a certain degree of confidence! no
one dared to ma*e that assessment.
Otherwise! they were fools of the highest order that believed solely in
the sueriority of their own techni%ues.
Obviously! Tatsuya did not belong in the latter category.
G......Then Tatsuya! can you tell me a more efficient techni%ueLG
G& won2t tell you! & will configure one.G
G......&2m sorry! the difference escaes me.G
GThe magic you used was li*ely a variant of 2Thunder 6hild2. What &
can do is remove the unnecessary ortions within the techni%ue and
reduce the number of comutations while maintaining the
henomenon rewriting ability and alter the Activation Se%uence to
ma*e that Magic Se%uence ossible! that2s all. At the end of the day!
this is still the magic that Mi*ihi*o is comfortable with.G
G......So you weren2t jo*ing when you said you can comrehend
anything you see. &t is a variant of 2Thunder 6hild2. &n order to hide the
wea*ness of the techni%ue! additional layers were added on to disguise
the original ability. 9owever! this may tie into the unnecessary
ortions that Tatsuya so*e of.G
GThere was a time when longer casting times re%uired certain defenses
to avoid interference. 'evertheless! with the advent of 6ADs and the
rise in casting seed for modern magic! individual counter sells have
become obsolete since the magic that is being activated remains
un*nown. Thus! the real counter to modern magic doesn2t lie in the
tye of magic! but counter magic that can eradicate its effectiveness in
the first lace.G
Mi*ihi*o made a small noise.
Ama)ingly! his smile was in no way self derogatory.
G9aha! so that2s how it is...... Ancient Magic was suosed to ossess
suerior fireower! but now they cannot stand against modern magic.G
GThat2s incorrect! Mi*ihi*o.G
G/hLG
GAncient Magic and modern magic are not searated by sueriority or
inferiority! but by their individual strengths and wea*nesses.
&n a head-to-head match-u! modern magic commands a devastating
advantage in casting seed! but from the ersective of surrise
attac*s! Ancient Magic boasts suerior fireower and secrecy.
Didn2t /lder Kudou also say thisL The *ey is how you use magic. The
reason & recommended you was because & thought that your magic
would serve as an incredible ambushing tool.G
GAmbushing tool! eh...... That2s the first time &2ve heard of that.G
Mi*ihi*o closed his eyes and ruefully murmured. Afterwards! as if
diselling all his doubts! he oened his eyes again.
G& understand. & will use this techni%ue without the talismans! so &2ll
rely on the 6AD instead. Tatsuya! we2ll go with your suggestion. &
believe in you.G
GThan*s! Mi*ihi*o. Since you said that! there2s one other thing &
wanted to as* of you.G
GSure. This can2t be heled! rightL 'ot that & lanned to *ee it a secret
anyway. My father was the one who brought me here! so even if our
secret got out! it2s not li*e they have the right to comlain.G
GDon2t worry on that account! my lis are sealed.G
GAh> ......Me too. & romise that &2ll never let this sread.G
G+i*ewise.G
G&2m good for that too! as you *now.G
-esides Tatsuya! everyone resent who had been silent until now
affirmed their intent to *ee his secret.
After viewing the last erson "/ri*a$ with considerable susicion!
logic finally trumed emotion as Mi*ihi*o nodded towards Tatsuya.
G&2ll *ee this short. 6an you use 2<isual Tuning2LG
Mi*ihi*o relied after a short ause not because he was unwilling! but
because he was totally shoc*ed.
G......Eou *now about that tooL Did Ko*onoe-sensei tell you that as
wellLG
GMaybe.G
G......Eou certainly gave me a scare there! Tatsuya. Well! the answer is
a definite yes. While &2m incaable of erforming 25ive Sense Tuning2!
if it2s only two at a time! & can still use 2Sense Tuning2.G
G<isual is good enough! Mi*ihi*o. &n that case! our lan of attac*
is......G
Tatsuya didn2t noticeably change his volume! but Mi*ihi*o seemed to
naturally crouch closer.
As romised! the calibration of +eo2s 6AD too* less than an hour to
finish.
After receiving his ersonal 6AD and weaoni)ed calculation device
from Tatsuya! +eo oted to do some training to get used to the new
model. /ri*a volunteered to be his sarring artner as they headed for
the outdoor training facility.
The hour was late! but /ri*a said that with +eo around! nothing would
haen to her or otherwise. So Tatsuya comromised.
#resently! Tatsuya was calibrating Mi*ihi*o2s 6AD at lightning seed.
'e(t to him! A)usa was staring at him in shoc*. As the user! Mi*ihi*o
was also resent as he stared wide eyed at Tatsuya2s uni%ue calibration
method and tying seed. Eet! the subject that astounded A)usa was
not so suerficial.
3ight now! Tatsuya was assembling an Activation Se%uence that too*
into account the traditional re%uirements for Ancient Magic and
adating them for use in modern magic. GTranslatingG the techni%ue
itself wasn2t a articularly daunting tas*. Much li*e using a clumsy
machine translation! aw*ward details and minor errors would be
scattered all over the lace.
/ven A)usa was able to fi( errors li*e those.
Eet the calibration being dislayed before her eyes was nothing short
of a comlete rewriting of the Activation Se%uence.
-y fully comrehending the transformation rocess from Activation
Se%uence to Magic Se%uence! he was rewriting the Activation
Se%uence without sacrificing any efficiency from the Magic Se%uence.
The Activation Se%uence is the blue rint for the Magic Se%uence.
3ewriting the Activation Se%uence imlied that the Magic Se%uence
was also being rewritten. 'ot only did the magic have to be finely
tuned to the individual Magician! the e(cess details in the Magic
Se%uence also had to be runed to increase efficiency. That level of
rewriting had long surassed GrevisionG or GconfigurationG and had
ascended to the realm of GinnovationG! which was the same thing as
imroving the very magic itself.
-efore he began! A)usa honestly wondered whether this was even
ossible when she learned from Tatsuya what he was attemting to
accomlish. Eet before A)usa2s own eyes! he byassed any
e(erimental verification or live testing and roceeded directly to
e(tracting the very essence of magic from the Activation Se%uence
and began cutting away at the unnecessary ortions and redesigning
the Activation Se%uence. This was recisely what was unfolding on
the editing machine.
/ven A)usa! who had volunteered as Tatsuya2s aide in lace of the
usual technician resonsible for the 'ewcomers Division2s Monolith
6ode event! felt owerless before this insane industry. 3ight now! the
only thing she could do was e(amine the coding language for the
freshly minted Activation Se%uence as her gnawing doubts steadily
solidified into conviction.
9e J Shiba Tatsuya J had e(ceeded the standards of a high school
Magic Artificer.
Scratch that! he had long since surassed the boundaries of what it
meant to be a Magic Artificer.
9e must beJ
+eaving A)usa milling in confusion behind him! Tatsuya used one full
hour to comletely rewrite Mi*ihi*o2s ersonal Activation Se%uence.
Chapter 10
The fifth day of the 'ewcomers Division dawned with a bewildering
atmoshere.
An unrecedented malicious act had occurred during Monolith 6ode
yesterday! seriously injuring the layers from 5irst 9igh to the oint
that they were unable to comete. :sually! the remaining two matches
would end in their caitulation! but than*s to the board2s intercession!
a relacement team was allowed to comete on the following day.
Monolith 6ode used a variable rotation format with each school
cometing in four matches and the four schools with the most
victories advancing to the elimination round.
&n the event of a tie! totals were recalculated with uncontested
victories e(cluded. &n the event of a tie! there has been a recedent
where two schools fought it out to determine who advanced. &f there
was no direct contest! then the school with the smaller amount of time
needed for victory would advance.
The current standings were Third 9igh with four victories! /ighth
9igh with three! 5irst! Second! and 'inth 9igh each with two
victories. 'inth 9igh too* less time to achieve two victories than
Second 9igh. One of 5irst 9igh2s victories included 5ourth 9igh
being dis%ualified! so they couldn2t simly advance with two victories.
&n today2s secial matches! if 5irst 9igh defeated Second and /ighth
9igh! then the schools that advance would be 5irst! Third! /ighth! and
'inth 9igh.
&f they beat Second 9igh but lost to /ighth 9igh! then 5irst! Third!
/ighth! and 'inth 9igh would advance.
&f they lost to Second 9igh but were able to beat /ighth 9igh! then
5irst! Second! Third! and /ighth 9igh would advance.
&f they lost to both! then 5irst 9igh would not advance to the
elimination round. Second! Third! /ighth! and 'inth 9igh would
advance instead.
...That was how this event was going to lay out.
3egardless! if 5irst 9igh defeated Second 9igh! then Second 9igh
would be eliminated rather than advancing without a win! hence
Second 9igh vigorously rotested this arrangement. On the other
hand! if they beat /ighth 9igh and went easy on Second 9igh! then
the 'ine Schools 6ometition would be accused of cutting inside
deals.
G&n other words! to lease both sides! we just have to lose both
matches...G
G&f we2re heading out! we2re going out to win it. &f we lose! then
ma*ing the e(cetion becomes ointless.G
G+oo*s li*e & don2t need to worry on that account.G
The fact that 5irst 9igh2s relacements were not registered layers was
the source of much confusion and gossi.
3ather than selecting their substitutes from the to ten reresentatives
of their cohort! they went with a member of the technician team as
well as two newly recruited members.
Some wondered! did 5irst 9igh hold bac* another e(ert on Monolith
6odeL &n that case! why wasn2t this erson ut forth as a starter for
Monolith 6ode in the first laceL /ach of the schools was mystified
by 5irst 9igh2s intentions.
And now! the three of them who wal*ed onto the arena only aroused
more curiosity.
G...Don2t you thin* we2re a little too consicuousLG
Mi*ihi*o seemed unable to settle down. 9earing this! Tatsuya
resolutely curtailed his words.
G&t is only natural for layers on the field to draw the eyes of the
sectators.G
GWell! that2s not what &2m tal*ing about...G
Mi*ihi*o shoo* his head at Tatsuya retending to be ignorant! desite
*nowing full well what he was tal*ing about and cautiously eered at
+eo.
GThat2s really eye-catching...G
+eo *new what that loo* imlied and droed his own ga)e to waist
level.
The ruc*us from the stands vindicated +eo2s susicion. "That being
said! it2s not li*e they could tell what was being said.$
Their rotective gear and helmets were the same as the other schools.
GA swordL &sn2t direct contact against the rulesLG
-ut the resence of the Mini 6ommunicator threw the crowd into an
uroar.
+eo2s GswordG was actually a Weaoni)ed-&ntegrated 6AD. 9owever!
less than A0O of the crowd was actually able to discern that detail.
<ery few eole! even among the layers and engineers! *new of the
e(istence of Weaoni)ed-&ntegrated 6ADs! which was hardly
surrising in and of itself.
&n addition! magic written into the Weaoni)ed-&ntegrated 6AD
usually involved buffing its martial ability J the Gweaon2sG ability.
G-ladesG usually imroved cutting ower. GSearsG buffed their
iercing force. G3odsG strengthened their stri*ing ower. GShieldsG
emowered their defensive abilities.
Ta*e GSonic -ladeG for an e(amle! some of the otions include
GSeed -oostG! G#enetration -oostG! G5ortifyG! G3eflectG! but all of
these were used to raise "the original weaon2s$ martial nature and
incororated into the Weaoni)ed-&ntegrated 6AD.
As a GswordG! the tyical otions include cutting ower and armor
enetration! so whichever ower it was it still directly correlated with
the weaon2s hysical attac*. Anyone familiar with 6ADs was
justified in their reasoning that this was against the rules for Monolith
6ode.
Eet! +eo was not the sole focus of attention.
G...There he is.G
GEeah. 'ever thought he would aear as a layer on the field.G
GTwin istols! with a bracelet-model on the right wrist...
Simultaneously oerating three 6ADsLG
G9e2s not your average 7oe. & don2t thin* he2s bluffing here. Doesn2t it
loo* li*e both are long-barrel model Seciali)ed 6ADsLG
GThey don2t loo* li*e stealth weaons! so he2s robably dual-wielding
two Seciali)ed 6ADs. -ut most eole choose to use ;enerali)ed
6ADs when oerating magic from different systems...G
GSo you can oerate multile 6ADs at the same time. Show me what
you2re caable ofHG
Masa*i and Kichijouji2s conversation embodied the ercetion from
the majority of the viewers. /ach school2s layers and au(iliaries were
all watching Tatsuya.
This was the infernal suer technician that won 5irst #lace for every
event he was resonsible for.
&n contrast to the fervent cheers of suort from the Eear A female
layers! the Eear A male layers loo*ed on moc*ingly.
They were silently rooting for the oosing team.
6uriosity reigned over all other thoughts now.
&n the midst of this! the match against /ighth 9igh commenced.
F F F
GSo we2re u against /ighth 9igh in a wooded area! eh...G
G;enerally... That2s to our disadvantage.G
Mari murmured with eyes glued to the screen while Mayumi relied
as she watched the rogression.
Monolith 6ode was an event that laced the layers against each other
under variable outdoor conditions. The 'ine Schools 6ometition
used five scenarios8 Woodlands! -oulders! Oen #lains! <alley! and
:rban Setting.
Among the magic high schools! /ighth 9igh laced the most
emhasis on outdoor training! so the Woodlands were li*e their home
court. The settings were randomly generated! but even under these
e(cetional conditions! the fact that a favorable setting was ic*ed for
one of the schools that originally ossessed an unearned victory
definitely raised concerns that someone was maniulating the odds.
JEet! neither Mayumi nor Mari or any of the other members of the
brass gathered in the avilion were articularly worried.
&t was ublic *nowledge within 5irst 9igh2s command level that
Tatsuya trained under the G'injitsu SecialistG Ko*onoe Ea*umo. A
woodland setting with lots of visual obstructions was an ideal location
to bring out the merits of GninjitsuG to the fullest. This was also
common *nowledge.
9owever! for the oosing school that was wholly unaware of this
GfactG! this was a titanic miscalculation.
-etween the starting locations J where the monoliths were erected J
there was a distance of aro(imately P00 meters.
&n full rotective gear and carrying a 6AD! layers needed at least five
minutes to thread through the gas within the woodlands.
When ta*ing into account that they needed to be constantly on guard
against enemy movements and assault! the time was easily several
times higher.
3egardless J less than five minutes into the match! combat bro*e out
near /ighth 9igh2s monolith.
The layers2 activities were closely monitored by anti-cheating
cameras. The recorded images would be dislayed on a large screen
for the audience. &n arenas with large numbers of visual obstructions!
the audience was reliant on these images to follow the unfolding
match.
6urrently! the large screen hanging from the s*y dislayed Tatsuya2s
image aearing before the defender from /ighth 9igh.
G9e2s fast...HG
G#ersonal AccelerationLG
At Kichijouji2s murmur! Masa*i also as*ed aloud! his eyes still loc*ed
onto the screen.
The image aeared briefly before the cameras! and then leaed out of
the frame in the ne(t instant.
The defender on the other side fell to one *nee.
The camera switched over to find Tatsuya flan*ing the defender to the
right side and srinting for the monolith.
G'o! it doesn2t loo* li*e he used Move-Tye Magic... AhHG
The defender raised the mu))le of his 6AD towards Tatsuya. Tatsuya2s
earlier attac* aeared to only have temorarily uset the defender2s
balance.
The Seciali)ed 6AD shaed li*e a short-barrel istol started its
Activation Se%uence.
&mmediately! in the frame secifically designed to show sion motion!
a raidly e(anding! non-hysical shoc* wave J a sion e(losion J
shredded the defender2s Activation Se%uence into nothing.
7ust then! Tatsuya2s left hand was holding a 6AD.
5rom the rear! his right hand was emty.
-ut in the image now! Tatsuya was running with the 6AD in his right
hand ointing towards the defender.
GWhenLG
Did he drawL Masa*i omitted the last few words.
-ut Kichijouji2s answer wasn2t directly on the money.
GWait! don2t tell me... ;ram DemolitionHG
GDid you say ;ram DemolitionLG
The defender was shoc*ed into immobility by his disintegrated
Activation Se%uence. Tatsuya *et an eye on his oonent and clic*ed
the trigger in his right hand before the monolith.
G'iceH The monolith is oeningHG
Seeing Tatsuya lug in the secial code that served as a *ey and slit
the enemy monolith in two! 9ono*a was fairly dancing with joy.
G...Odd.G
-y her side! Shi)u*u wrin*led her brows in confusion.
GShi)u*u! what2s oddLG
&n the crowd of Eear A female students! /imi as*ed Shi)u*u.
GThe monolith has been oened! so why is he retreatingLG
7ust as Shi)u*u said! Tatsuya didn2t aroach to coy the code in the
monolith but altered his ath and duc*ed bac* into the cover of
dar*ness within the forest.
G'ow that you mention it... 9ey! Miyu*i! what do you thin*LG
G/ven Onii-sama would be hard ressed to inut all 1AC characters
under constant enemy harassment.G
The shell-shaed *eyboard worn on the left wrist was also the terminal
used to inut the code. /ven if Tatsuya tyed at lightning seed! he
would still need some time to inut all 1AC characters on the tiny
*eyboard.
GEou2re right... This is the first time &2ve seen someone use the *ey
while the defenders are araly)ed.G
7ust as Shi)u*u muttered with dawning comrehension! the fro)en
defender came around and hustled into the trees after Tatsuya.
G7ust now... That was...G
When Tatsuya used 6ounter Magic! no one was more astounded than
Mari herself.
Mari was anting and unable to sea* coherently. The surrising thing
was that ne(t to her! Mayumi was able to rely blandly.
G;ram Demolition... & had an in*ling you were caable! Tatsuya-*un...
And you didn2t disaoint.G
GMayumi! you *now what that wasLG
Mayumi glanced at Mari! who was itching to aroach! and swiftly
loo*ed bac* towards the viewing screen.
G;ram Demolition uses comressed sion articles to directly
detonate the target by charging forward without using the &nformation
Dimension. This 6ounter Magic is accomlished by forcibly blowing
away all the accomanying Activation and Magic Se%uences J
anything that has traces of magic sions recorded on it.
This is a magic that demolishes the record of magic ";ram$! hence the
name ;ram Demolition.
While it is called magic! this is strictly a sion cannon ball that ma*es
no attemt to use Magic Se%uences to alter reality. This way! ;ram
Demolition is not restricted by Data 5ortification or wide area
interference! and the cannon ball2s own ressure would reject any
effects of 6ast 7amming.
Since there2s no actual hysical effect! hysical obstructions can do
nothing.
This way! the magic that your oonent is casting is forcibly blown
away by the sions.
&n order to halt that *ind of furious charge! a multi-layered defensive
wall of sions might barely hold u.
-esides its rather short effective range! there are almost no
wea*nesses. Along with ;ram Disersion! ;ram Demolition is *nown
as one of the strongest 6ounter Magics within 'onsystematic Magic...
-ut there are very few eole caable of erforming this feat.
& cannot do it either.
Since this isn2t an interference ability but a true disersion! & am
unable to create that *ind of force with my sion count.
&n summation! it2s a suer heavyweightHG
G...&n other words! it2s li*e a huge brute swinging around a giant mace
with all his strength! rightLG
9earing Mari2s roundabout descrition! Mayumi burst into laughter.
GTo be able to say it li*e that! you2re %uite calm about it! MariH
9owever! you2re largely correct. During the match with 9an)ou-*un! &
thought Tatsuya-*un was a more delicate! finesse tye... & never
imagined that he was actually a front line bruiser.G
GThen! during the incident on the way here! it was really...G
G& believe that2s what haened. & didn2t see it at the time! but didn2t
Mari witness itL There were at least ten overlaing Magic Se%uences
during the incident! but they were all diselled instantly... /(actly how
high is his sion count...G
/ighth 9igh2s formation consisted of one defender and two attac*ers.
The two attac*ers slit into two aths. One of them reached 5irst
9igh2s territory.
GAh! Tatsuya-*un! hurryHG
G;o! +eo-*unHG
5irst 9igh2s territory! which contained 5irst 9igh2s monolith! was in a
setting that allowed the audience to easily ic* out all the details.
:nder /ri*a and Mi)u*i2s ga)e! +eo droed into a combat stance
before his monolith and drew the GswordG from his waist.
The attac*er2s figure could be seen in the shade of the trees.
9e held a Seciali)ed 6AD similar to the ones his teammates were
carrying.
The attac*er2s intent was clearly to overwhelm +eo! the defender! then
oen the monolith in one go.
The attac*er aimed his 6AD at +eo.
While +eo swung the Weaoni)ed &ntegrated 6AD GMini
6ommunicatorG hori)ontally.
-oth occurred at the same time.
G/(cellentHG
GDamn! that guy2s retty goodHG
-oth /ri*a and Mi)u*i eruted into cheers.
A flying metal board traced an arc as it flew through the trees and sent
the attac*er rolling with a direct blow from the front.
-ased on the coordinates of the trees! +eo had already calculated his
effective range and used the searated blade to stri*e away at the
attac*ing layer.
After restoring the GbladeG as one! +eo ointed the GswordG towards
the s*y.
The GbladeG in his hand shot forward and came to a halt high in the
s*y.
GOh J Ah JHG
With a roar! +eo swung the GbladeG downwards with a seed that
matched the radial motion and bestowed the final blow to the attac*er
lying on the ground.
GWhat! was thatLG
While her %uestion may seem stern! Su)une2s %uestion clearly
ortrayed that she lost a little of her usual coolness.
GThat would be the GMini 6ommunicatorG J a Weaoni)ed &ntegrated
6AD and original magic that Shiba-*un ioneered.G
A)usa! who was on hand last night during calibration! answered in
resonse.
G-oth a Weaoni)ed &ntegrated 6AD and an original... & wonder
what2s the designLG
9earing A)usa2s concise e(lanation! Su)une nodded reeatedly.
G& see! that is a novel concet. Eet! for Shiba-*un at least! this seems
li*e a coarse system.G
G6oarse! is itLG
Su)une atiently e(lained to A)usa! who was tilting her head to one
side.
GEes! this magic has obvious limitations regarding the user2s hysical
secifications and usable environmental situations...G
The third layer from /ighth 9igh was reeatedly bac*trac*ing
through the forest.
While the setting was the woodlands! this wasn2t the 5uji forests
themselves. #arts of the hills in the arena were artificial! with trees and
lants translanted here! and it was only intended for training
uroses.
9alf a century had assed since the translanting hase! and the forest
had naturally grown on its own. Still! this wasn2t a dense jungle where
eole could easily get lost P00 meters in.
-ut the reality was that the layer from /ighth 9igh was hoelessly
lost.
GWhere the hell are you! you SO-H Sto s*ul*ing around and get your
butt out hereHG
The layer from /ighth 9igh made no attemt to disguise the agitation
in his voice as he attemted to use magic to remove the ultrasound
waves.
The strength of the ultrasound waves was not even worth mentioning.
The only noticeable effect was a slight ringing in the ears.
That being said! this ringing was irritating to the e(treme.
While the layers were wearing military-grade rotective helmets!
they were only standard infantry gear intended to rotect the head
from shoc* and ressure! so there was no function to bloc* vaors or
sound waves. The helmet rotected the face! but there were small
holes to allow sounds to reach the ears.
:nder attac* from ultrasound waves! the only counter was to use your
own magic to defend yourself.
The layer from /ighth 9igh returned his team 6AD to the holster
and ulled out a cellhone-shaed ;enerali)ed 6AD he reared from
his oc*et. 9e lanned to use this to defend himself from the
ultrasound waves and advance on 5irst 9igh2s osition!
9owever! regardless of how long he wal*ed! he never found the
enemy field.
9e never even noticed.
:nder a constant barrage of high and low fre%uency sounds! his
attention had been entirely drawn to the high fre%uencies! enabling the
low fre%uencies to wrea* havoc in his inner ear.
9is vision was restricted as he endlessly turned left and right J
comlicated by the fact that he had no oortunity to reestablish his
bearings and his senses were out of whac*. This would naturally result
in the situation where he was utterly unable to gras his current
location.
&f someone noticed they were lost! they would immediately consult a
comass! but if they were gradually misled by their senses! it was
infinitely more difficult to correct the roblem without being aware
that one was misled in the first lace.
The layer from /ighth 9igh had fallen into the time-honored tra
*nown as GhubrisG.
Mi*ihi*o was the one resonsible for laying this snare.
Sirit Magic G/cho Ma)eG.
/ven if he wanted to retaliate! than*s to his scrambled senses! he
couldn2t even tell where the caster was. Scratch that! even if he was
functioning normally! he had no chance of sniffing out Mi*ihi*o2s
location.
That was because Mi*ihi*o initiated this sound wave attac* through
the sirits.
&f he caught the source of the magic! the only thing he would find
would be the osition of the floating sirits.
The ower of absolute stealth.
This was one of the greatest weaons within GDivine /arth MagicG!
the branch of Sirit Magic Mi*ihi*o belonged to.
-ehind the aimlessly wandering layer from /ighth 9igh! Mi*ihi*o
calculated that it was about time to e(ecute the ne(t hase of the
mission.
After luring the defender away from the monolith and dee into the
forest! Tatsuya was mulling his otions and trying to decide whether
he should attac* directly or assist in other theaters.
&f he chose to attac*! he must win the necessary time to inut the code
after swiftly incaacitating his oonent.
&f he chose to assist! he must continue to draw the defender2s attention!
hereby buying time for Mi*ihi*o to inut the code.
9e aused for an instant to consider.
Tatsuya elected to attac*.
9e drew the 6AD on his left and clic*ed the trigger after ointing it
towards the ground.
After activating magic to lighten his weight! he lightly taed off the
ground and srang along the treetos with the ease of a s%uirrel.
Once he used magic! his oonent should be able to easily inoint
his location.
The use of magic would create unavoidable side effects through the
change in /idos.
A s*illed Magician could not only identify the caster2s location based
on the riles of magic! but even the magic used as well. 9owever! for
such a wea*ly alied magic li*e this! could the layer from /ighth
9igh even detect that he used Weight-Tye MagicL And if so! could he
ascertain that Tatsuya was bounding along the treetosL
5or Tatsuya! that would be the most convenient outcome.
As he moved between trees! he didn2t cast magic while leaing.
As if his legs had srings attached to them! he didn2t even cause the
trees to sha*e.
As e(ected! the defender had already arrived at the oint where he
had leaed off the ground.
9is ga)e was scrolling uwards.
-ehind him! Tatsuya s%uee)ed the trigger in his right hand.
On the widescreen that showed sion movements! the image deicted
the defender from /ighth 9igh as he was inundated with sions from
'onsystematic magic.
The defender staggered briefly! then collased.
G...23esonate2! eh! 'onsystematic Magic.G
GSo he used biological waves and the sion wave to create resonance
in order to incaacitate his oonentLG
9earing Kichijouji2s words! Masa*i nodded.
G&t aears that he2s calibrated the right hand to use 'onsystematic
Magic and the left hand to use Weight-Tye Magic and is using them
interchangeably.G
G;eorge... Don2t you thin* this guy2s 'onsystematic Magic contains
traces of Ancient MagicLG
GEou thin* so too! Masa*iL &s it Shugendo... Or even 'injitsuL
-iological waves J historically *nown as 2chi2! is actually %uite
similar to the magic he2s using.G
G& thin* that even those Ancient Magic users wouldn2t con eole with
the term 2chi2 these days.G
G9oL 'itic*ing isn2t very becoming of you! Masa*i.G
The defender hadn2t comletely lost his mobility. 9e was still
somewhat conscious. Still! in his current condition! he was no longer
able to *ee u with Tatsuya.
:sing a bent tree branch2s otential energy! Tatsuya too* a giant lea.
As he flew overhead! he clic*ed the trigger in his left hand and didn2t
bother to adot a landing osture. 9e arrived in front of the monolith
in a blin* of an eye.
The image of Tatsuya oening the shell and inutting the code was
dislayed all over the screen.
Off in the distance! the wails of the suorters from /ighth 9igh could
be heard! but Mayumi turned to loo* at Mari.
Mari also turned to catch Mayumi2s ga)e.
G...9e won.G
G...9e actually won.G
'ow! 5irst 9igh was guaranteed to advance to the elimination round.
Eet for some reason! neither one of them seemed overjoyed at that
thought.
After receiving the code! the ending whistle rang out shrilly.
As 5irst 9igh2s banner was raised into the air! the stands where 5irst
9igh2s suorters sat turned into a comlete bedlam.
GWe wonH We wonHHG
GAma)ing! ama)ing! ama)ingH &t was a comlete victoryHG
G6ongratulations! Miyu*iHG
GEour brother did itHG
The shrill shrie*s of joy came from the Eear A female layers.
&t was as if they had catured the chamionshi already.
There were also cheers and congratulations being swaed in the
normal stands! but much more subdued.
GWhew... My heart almost stoedHG
GWhyL Weren2t Tatsuya-*un! +eo-*un! and Eoshida-*un all safe and
soundLG
G'ah! & felt that besides Tatsuya-*un! the others were really tight...G
G/hL 9owLG
GEou as* how... Well! in a lot of ways.G
9earing her friend2s abstract and incomrehensible words! Mi)u*i
tilted her head in a comical fashion.
GEou2re weird! /ri*a-chan.G
At being seen as a weirdo by Mi)u*i! /ri*a had do)ens of e(cuses
lined u to defend herself! but ma*ing her friends an(ious wasn2t
/ri*a2s favorite astime! so she decided to let it slide just this once.
F F F
The ne(t match! between 5irst 9igh and Second 9igh! was set B0
minutes from now.
While he felt that the brea* was rather short! Masa*i didn2t have to
worry about this since he was unli*ely J "certainly$ J not going to
meet them in battle today. On the other hand! he should robably
welcome the idea of 5irst 9igh2s layers e(hausting themselves. Eet!
the moment he thought of this! he found the idea desicable and
immediately erased it from his thoughts.
The ne(t setting hadn2t been announced yet.
After the match! Masa*i was still sitting on the observation dec* and
couldn2t hel but engage Kichijouji in conversation.
GSo! what do you thin* of that matchLG
GMasa*i isn2t as*ing about the team as a whole! but 2him2! rightLG
9is words corrected for him! Masa*i could only smile wryly.
GEou2re right. ;eorge! if it was you! how would you handle himLG
G& feel that he2s very accustomed to the battlefield. 6ombat movement!
surveying the battlefield! ositioning... 6omared to his magical
abilities! those are the things we should be watching out for! aren2t
theyLG
GWhat about his magicLG
G+et me thin*... While & was shoc*ed by 2;ram Demolition2... -ut that
final 23esonance2! even though he got the erfect surrise attac* from
behind! he wasn2t able to render his oonent comletely unconscious.
&sn2t that an oening we can e(loitLG
GEeah...G
G'ow that & thin* about it! at first contact he li*ely used Weight-Tye
Magic to disturb his oonent2s balance J but he may have wanted to
tole his oonent comletely! but was only able to force him to one
*nee.
That was also the case with the +ight Weight Magic he used to jum
to the trees. 7ust that alone was not sufficient to hold his weight.
To a certain degree! erhas he2s unable to wield strong magicsL
This may be a side effect from using high erformance 6ADs for so
long! he may be unable to use his full strength with inferior models!
but we may never *now.G
GThat2s ossible. With that *ind of suerlative s*ill! he would naturally
use the state-of-the-art hardware. Than*s to his sudden elevation as a
substitute! he didn2t have the time to get used to the wea*er models.G
GWe don2t *now all the details! but that2s not necessary! is itL At any
rate! from a magic ersective! & thin* 2;ram Demolition2 is the only
thing we need to watch out for. 3ather than following the e(amle
from the layer of /ighth 9igh! we should definitely ta*e heed not to
fall into the same strategy.G
GSo you mean that we do not fear him in a head-to-head
confrontationLG
G/(actly. &f we could only force him to meet you man-to-man... &f we
could do that! then Masa*i2s triumh is assured. 5or e(amle! if our
match is set on the 2Oen #lains2! we would win ten out of ten.G
F F F
During the resting eriod for the layers of 5irst 9igh! Mi*ihi*o was
distracted as he reeatedly sat and rose from his seat.
GMi*ihi*o... 6an you settle downLG
The calibration for the GMini 6ommunicatorG was just comleted. As
if ree(amining its weight! +eo was waving it around as he said
listlessly.
G+eo... Eou2re truly a carefree sort. Well... /ven meeting eers from
other classes that we2ve never met before.G
Those words seemed to be s%uee)ed out of Mi*ihi*o. :nder a
GWhatLG ga)e from everyone! Miyu*i revealed a charming smile.
G& never *new that Eoshida-*un was so shyHG
Tatsuya shrugged and sat in a rela(ed osture. -ehind him! Miyu*i
stood there massaging his shoulders and turned a da))ling smile on
Mi*ihi*o.
G& thin* that Mi*ihi*o2s reaction is erfectly normal. 9e is an innocent
youth after all! Miyu*i.G
GAyaH 3eally! Onii-sama. Miyu*i has never seen a shy Onii-sama
before! has sheLG
Seeing Tatsuya turn his head and ga)e at her with narrowed eyes!
Miyu*i2s smile only widened. During this time! her soft! white fingers
never stoed to gently caress and massage her brother2s shoulders.
J So &2m shy! damn itH J
J -ut seeing you guys li*e this only ma*es me even more mortifiedH
J
...:nable to voice this aloud! Mi*ihi*o could only suffer through this
in silence.
Sea*ing of which! Mayumi and A)usa assed through the covering
"made of the highest %uality cloth from the CAst century$ and came in.
Seeing the siblings li*e so! both came to a halt! with A)usa2s face
turning hotter with each assing second.
While Mayumi failed to blush oenly! she loo*ed at Tatsuya as if she
saw a dirty stray crawling in the filth.
G...Somehow! & feel li*e &2m being mercilessly condemned! or is that
disdainLG
GEou2re thin*ing too muchHG
When Tatsuya turned to face her directly! Mayumi ruthlessly bit those
words out! then %uic*ly coughed to retend to clear her throat.
-y the time she turned around! Tatsuya already rose.
"Somehow...This child seems li*e a soldier...$
The tis of his toes were slightly aart! his bac* ramrod straight! both
hands were crossed behind his bac*! as if this ose was erfectly
natural for him. Was this an(iety! rudence! or overconfidenceL
'othing seemed out of lace on him.
3ather! it made her feel li*e her own actions were undeniably childish.
G...Seriously! don2t worry about it.G
&n the end! Mayumi still defended herself desite her overwhelming
reluctance to do so! causing her to slightly desise herself and wish for
a swift end to this tas*.
GThe setting of the ne(t match has been decided.G
GSo you2ve come secifically to tell us. Much than*s.G
Tatsuya lightly bowed to Mayumi and used his eyes to as*8 GWhereLG
G:rban district.G
Mayumi2s words struc* Tatsuya seechless.
G...This is still the case desite what haened yesterdayLG
GThat2s because the setting was selected randomly. &2m afraid they
didn2t even ta*e it into consideration.G
G& see...G
&t was %uite imressive that the board was willing to be so candid!
Tatsuya thought! but he chose not to voice this.
G&2ll hurry over immediately. The 6AD calibration is already done.G
GThan* youHG
Mayumi nodded her accetance while +eo and Mi*ihi*o immediately
started rearing.
The rearations only included buc*ling on the rotective jac*et!
helmet! and 6AD they too* off earlier.
That was all the rearation necessary.
They threw on the jac*et! closed the )ier and tightened the buttons.
G:h! Shiba-*un...G
As Tatsuya adjusted the 6AD and holster! A)usa as*ed him a %uestion.
GWhat is itLG
GWhat are you going to do with... Saijou-*un2s 6ADLG
GWhat am & going to doLG
G-ecause... Wouldn2t it be hard to use 2Mini 6ommunicator2 in close
%uarters! such as rooms or stairsL That magic can only cause the blade
to float in the air! so its strength is still reliant on the user2s arm
strength! rightL While the blade does ossess the advantage of
2e(tension2! if there isn2t sufficient room to swing the weaon! then
there wouldn2t be any advantage in its design... At least! that2s what &
heard.G
G5rom &chihara-senai! correctLG
Tatsuya2s words saw right through her! causing A)usa to blush! but for
a wholly different reason than before.
GAs e(ected of &chihara-senai! that was %uite the accurate analysis.
9owever! lease don2t worry on that oint. There will still be room to
swing a sword in the interior. /ven if we can2t use a ten meter long
sword! one meter will wor* just as well.G
6atching Tatsuya2s signal! +eo nodded with a G7ust leave it to meG
e(ression.
F F F
The match between 5irst and Second 9igh comletely ignored the
incident yesterday and set their resective monoliths inside two
buildings J secifically! the third floor in five floor buildings.
This stubborn refusal to accet their own resonsibility and error once
more reminded everyone that the bureaucracy from the magic
universities was %uite olitically minded.
J9owever! neither the resonsibility nor the blame for yesterday2s
GaccidentG would fall in the las of the management board.
5or Tatsuya at least! enclosed locations with lots of cover from rying
eyes were infinitely referable to wide oen areas! so he wasn2t
comlaining.
6urrently! Tatsuya had infiltrated the to floor of Second 9igh2s
building. 9e snuc* between the detection of the defenders and looed
from the neighboring buildings into this one by hoing along the
rooftos without using magic. #recisely because he was engaged in
urely hysical activities! he eluded the detection of the defenders as
he closed in on the target.
Due to the fact that he was assing between the shadows of the
buildings and maintaining a stealthy rofile! Tatsuya sent a
considerable duration of time. /ven if they lost this match! they would
still advance to the elimination round. That being said! the format of
the elimination round itted the first seed against the fourth seed! and
the second seed against the third seed. Meeting Third 9igh in the
semifinals was comletely different than ta*ing them on during the
finals. Tatsuya estimated that time was still in short suly even
though he left Mi*ihi*o behind to suort +eo.
GMi*ihi*o! can you hear meLG
G3eceived! Tatsuya.G
While Monolith 6ode didn2t forbid the layers from using wireless
communicators! very few schools too* advantage of this. That was
because! even if the contents of the message couldn2t be decihered!
modern techni%ues were %uite caable of inointing the sender2s
location.
On to of that! a three man team using wireless communicators could
easily run into the situation where one or more of the members were
out of range. ;enerally sea*ing! wireless communicators bore little
value in this cometition.
Desite this! Tatsuya still rudently chose to use this service!
undoubtedly for some ulterior motive.
G+et2s begin. We2re relying on you to find the monolith2s location.G
GWe can2t hold out here forever. 9urry uHG
G:nderstood.G
The other side aeared to be loc*ed in combat.
Tatsuya maniulated the bracelet on his right wrist and brought u
summoning magic.
+eo swung the GMini 6ommunicatorG hori)ontally with gusto.
The metallic iece was R0 cm long and AC cm wide J art of the
blade flew through the air in an arc and rushed towards the layer
from Second 9igh. The weaon2s lac* of weight was made u for by
additional arm strength in the swing. +eo choed the attac*er2s legs
from beneath him.
The attac*er fell to the earth. &f this was Glive combatG he would
immediately ste forward and bestow a finishing blow. 9owever!
Monolith 6ode forbade close %uarters combat.
GMi*ihi*oHG
/ven *nowing he couldn2t hear him! +eo still signaled Mi*ihi*o! who
was GwatchingG the scene unfold through the sirits.
&n resonse! a ball of lightning formed in the air.
And struc* the rone layer from Second 9igh.
Eet! +eo didn2t have the sare time to e(ress joy over ta*ing out one
erson.
'oticing that his body was under the effect of Move-Tye Magic! +eo
hurriedly shouted.
G9altHG
The voice activated 6AD on his left wrist received his command
through the microhone embedded in his helmet. &n terms of wielding
two 6ADs simultaneously! so long as the two activated magics were
from different systems! no interference would occur between the two.
5ortunately J in only a handful of situations J +eo2s ersonal 6AD
was a highly durable and reliable 6AD that had the rocessing ower
from two generations ago! so it fulfilled the conditions for
cometition-use 6ADs in the 'ine Schools 6ometition. /ven if the
dubious nature and slight time delay for the voice recognition system
were not u to Tatsuya2s standards! in this situation! ersonal habits
trumed that concern! hence +eo was using his ersonal 6AD after
some "massive$ adjustments to the Activation Se%uence.
7ust as lanned! even though +eo2s 6AD was the Glatter oneG! it still
managed to invo*e defensive magics before the enemy2s Move-Tye
Magic launched its attac*.
5rom where he was standing J setting the oint where his feet
contacted the ground! he fortified his body2s connection to the
corresonding coordinates. This was the same tactic that Mari used
during -attle -oard! though on a smaller scale. Mari2s magic allowed
the body freedom of movement while stabili)ing herself relative to the
moving board. :nli*e this! +eo2s sole urose was to solidly
Gstabili)eG himself to the ground without moving a single muscle. This
only lasted for a short instant.
9owever! because this was a massively downgraded alication! this
was still able to counter the magic his oonent was in the rocess of
casting.
This building was designed after a school dorm.
5rom the bro*en windows! their oonent2s figure could be seen
assing through the corridors.
+eo ulled bac* his right hand and fell into a lunging osition! but his
oonent had already fled.
6autiously aroaching the rone and convulsing layer! he removed
his rotective helmet.
According to the rules! once an oonent lost their rotective helmet!
they were forbidden from ta*ing any further action during the match.
"OK! now we2ve ta*en out one of them...$
/ven *nowing he had no way of sending this message! +eo still
thought this in the rivacy of his mind.
"&t2s all u to you! Tatsuya. &t2s getting hairy over here.$
Than*s to Tatsuya2s summoning magic! the sirit stuc* to him became
active.
Tatsuya was unable to use Siritual Magic.
/ven if he could detect the active S-! he had no way of commanding
it. Magicians utili)ed modern magic to create false signals to
maniulate and rewrite the /idos of a target and not because they
could e(ert their will to control the /idos itself.
'onetheless! they were still caable of using the most basic
summoning magic from Siritual Magic.
9e was able to memori)e the Magic Se%uence within the Activation
Se%uence because his artificial magic calculation area was stored
within his consciousness. 'o matter what magic it was! once he
decoded the Activation Se%uence that served as a bluerint for the
Magic Se%uence! this rudimentary rojection of the Magic Se%uence
was still within his abilities.
This wasn2t even on the same level as casting magic since he was
merely imitating the rocesses that led to magic invocation. 9owever!
so long as the necessary comonents were involved! even if it was a
simle relication! some degree of effect could be achieved.
Mi*ihi*o laced an inactive sirit on Tatsuya! which Tatsuya used
magic to reactivate.
This way! he immediately established a connection with the GmasterG!
Mi*ihi*o.
While Tatsuya was unable to control the sirit! he had no reason to do
so in the first lace.
To some degree! his objective was to bring Mi*ihi*o2s reactivated
sirit into enemy territory.
9is earlier magic should have alerted the defender to his resence.
The most desirable outcome was for the defender to leave the
monolith and climb to his level.
Tatsuya silently began to move.
Through his GcontractedG sirit! Mi*ihi*o detected that Tatsuya also
successfully GsummonedG.
"Seriously! how are you a 6ourse C student! Tatsuya......L$
This thought formed in one corner of his mind as Mi*ihi*o
concentrated on the far away sirit.
&n reality! in magic terms! distance osed no real barrier. 5or the giant
information dimension! hysical distance wasn2t even an issue.
Originally! only 'onsystematic Magic that directly fired sions
without using the information dimension would be restricted by
hysical distance.
Eet! human beings are limited by the five senses as well as their
e(eriences.
&f the hysical distance was very large! there would be a GdistantG
ercetion.
This ercetion of distance becomes a magic2s GrangeG.
With that *nowledge in mind! magic also becomes less effective.
Thus! for casting magic on remote targets! the *ey lay in the
ercetion that the target was right before the caster.
On this oint! Siritual Magic referred to the connection between
caster and sirit J once synchroni)ed! they could feel the ro(imity
of the sirit. &n other words! Sirit Magic was something that could
easily circumvent the range issues for magic.
J7ust li*e this.
"......& see him.$
<isual Tuning.
9e wasn2t summoning the sirit over and reading the recorded
information. &nstead! he was using the connection through the
information dimension to directly receive the visual information
through the active sirit. This was *nown as Sirit Magic2s GSense
TuningG. When restricted to vision only in order to romote clarity!
this techni%ue was *nown as G<isual TuningG.
G5ound him! TatsuyaHG
Eet! ne(t came the tric*y art.
Mi*ihi*o was maintaining the connection to two sirits J the one
following Tatsuya and the other on +eo! as he transmitted this to
Tatsuya.
"That was fast...... So he found it already.$
Sirit Magic was %uite convenient! he thought leisurely as he
heightened the tension in his body.
'o matter how you described it! he was concealing himself by
hanging from the ceiling.
#robably because the building was intentionally set in a state of
construction! there were many e(osed air vents inter-crossed over the
room where Second 9igh2s monolith was located. Tatsuya hung from
one of them and watched the defender cautiously o*e his head
around beneath him.
9e must have detected the source of the signal! but he never imagined
that his oonent was lur*ing in ambush above him.
Maybe not! Tatsuya thought.
&n his eyes! the defender2s e(treme agitation created this tunnel vision.
9is breathing was ragged li*ely because he ran u the flights of stairs.
9e certainly didn2t feel li*e someone suited for defense. At this
juncture! he was suosed to be cheered at his oonent2s inetitude!
as ity would most definitely be hyocritical.
9e toyed with the idea of letting the defender ass! but he ultimately
chose to release his gri! twisting in the air to reare for his landing
and ulling out the 6AD from his right at the same time.
9e s%uee)ed the trigger immediately uon hitting the ground.
The defender didn2t even have a chance to turn his head.
The activated magic was simly a sion shoc* wave. 5or a few
seconds! the techni%ue would incaacitate him by creating concussion-
li*e symtoms.
&n combat! a few recious seconds was the difference between life and
death! but this was a cometition that forbade direct contact. Tatsuya
*et an eye on his unbalanced oonent and ran towards the target
Mi*ihi*o inointed for him.
&t too* him less than A0 seconds to ass two rooms and reach his
destination.
'oticing that the defender was finally on the move! Tatsuya ointed
his 6AD directly at his feet.
/ach floor was three and a half meters high.
There were aro(imately seven meters between the third and fifth
floors.
This was well within the firing range of the G*eyG.
9e s%uee)ed the trigger.
A subtle change in /idos traveled along his hands.
#rudently! Tatsuya too* the stairs oosite from where he came and
descended to the ne(t floor.
With his sight synchroni)ed with the sirit! Mi*ihi*o easily saw the
code carved within the monolith.
9e loo*ed away.
3ight now! +eo hadn2t made contact with the enemy yet.
Mi*ihi*o rayed for a little luc* as he started to inut the code he
visually received from the sirit.
When the ending whistle sounded! Tatsuya was busy dodging the
GKamaitachiG magic the defender was shooting at him.
+eo had his bac* to the monolith and was reared to throw
everything he had into one last charge.
GWhew...... That went down to the wireHG
Mayumi let out a satisfied breath of relief to which Mari resonded
with a disleased disosition.
GThat guy...... Was he screwing around near the endLG
G/hL 3eallyLG
G9e should easily be able to avoid those attac*s...... Why didn2t he
eliminate his oonentLG
G&2m sure he has his reasons.G
Mari glared at Tatsuya with a eeved e(ression on her face while
Mayumi calmly rebuffed her words.
GWhat do you meanL 9e used 23esonance2 during the last match and
something else to ta*e out 9attori. Shouldn2t he have more tric*s u
his sleeveLG
GSuosedly! he cannot use the magic he used against 9an)ou-*un
because the hardware re%uirements for the cometition-use 6AD are
unable to e(ecute his abilities. +i*ewise! wasn2t his 23esonance2 attac*
from the last match unable to comletely silence his oonentL
Mari! have you forgottenL
Eesterday! we forced Tatsuya-*un into the relacement2s role! so he
only had one night to reareH &n that one night! he had to calibrate
Saijou-*un and Eoshida-*un2s 6ADs and also had to iron out a
strategy that too* full advantage of their talents......
& can understand that Mari2s irritation comes from the fact that you
hold Tatsuya-*un in high esteem. 9owever! & thin* it is irresonsible
to have towering e(ectations without giving him the necessary time
to meet those e(ectations.G
GWell...... OK......G
Mari nodded slightly! signifying she was reflecting on her words.
Suddenly! she aused.
G......Sea*ing of which! Mayumi.G
GEeah! what2s uHG
5eeling an icy aura of vengeance manifesting! Mayumi couldn2t hel
but shiver.
Still! this may be e(actly what Mari was loo*ing for.
GEou were %uite ready to come to Tatsuya-*un2s defenseHG
GWhaHL 'o! what are......G
G'o need to be ashamed about it. 9owever...... & thin* even you would
be in for a hard fight against that sis-con level......G
G& already said that wasn2t itHG
While Mari2s objection was derailed by a tangent during a tyical
conversation "more li*e nitic*ing$ for female high school students!
those sentiments were echoed by someone else with another
ersective among the audience.
G&n the end! he only used 2;ram Demolition2! 23esonance2! 2#hantom
-low2! and Weight-Tye Magic! eh...... & can understand not using
2Decomosition2! but isn2t he s*iming too much by not using 5lash
6ast or /lemental SightLG
GSensei! you should *now that he has reasons for *eeing those under
wras! rightLG
G-ut! 5ujibayashi...... 5orget 5lash 6ast for now! even if he used 2/yes
of the Sirits2! none of those third-rate Magicians watching him would
have any idea what he just did.G
Dr. Eamana*a and +ieutenant 5ujibayashi from the &ndeendent
Magic-/%uied -attalion were dee in conversation in the audience
stands. &f someone familiar with the concets overheard their
conversation! they would undoubtedly lea out of their chair in
surrise. Eet! since they were wearing inconsicuous summer clothes!
these two could easily have been mista*en for a coule J which was
imossible! since they loo*ed li*e a doctor and his nurse "&n 7aanese!
GsenseiG could be used to address a teacher or doctor$. &f anyone
overheard a series of foreign terms! they would robably thin* they
were secific terms from sychology or a related field. 'o one around
them aid them any articular heed.
GDesite this! if someone saw what should not be seen! this would
raise a warning flag among the sharer sectators. 6omared to
Sensory Magic! 2/lemental Sight2 is more li*e a Suerower. -ased on
the situation! it may draw more attention than even 2Decomosition2.G
The G/yes of the SiritsG they were tal*ing about J G/lemental
SightG referred to Tatsuya2s ability to identify the Glandscae "color$G
of the information dimension.
/ach of the 5our Major Systems and /ight Major Tyes of magic
rojected Magic Se%uences onto the /idos through the information
dimension.
Thus! Magicians who wield modern magic have the ability to lin* to
the information dimension. -y connecting to the information
dimension and verifying its Ge(istenceG J Tatsuya2s senses could be
said to e(and the field.
And...... this Ge(ansionG had dire conse%uences.
Anything with a hysical body in this world had their /idos imrinted
in the information dimension.
Also! this wasn2t done through the five senses! or as if he could Gsee
throughG this e(anded information dimension and the subsystem2s
signals to ull out the targets he needed. 3ather! he was able to
identify each and every /idos and target them searately.
&n other words! no one could escae from his /lemental Sight.
The term G/yes of the SiritsG was actually a misnomer that became
art of the technical jargon due to its long service.
The first scholars who translated this term initially used the adjective
G/lementalG! but that was mista*en to mean the noun G/lementalG!
giving rise to G/yes of the /lementalsG! which was shortened to G/yes
of the SiritsG. Of course! there were many eole who caught onto
the mista*e! but since G/yes of the SiritsG was more magically
inclined than G/lemental SightG! the name stuc*. This was a slightly
unscientific way of aroaching the issue! but that was the reason why
the term was never corrected.
While this Gmista*eG was the source of much friction between
secialists and non-secialists...... 3egarding the fact that no one
steed forward to correct the issue! the jury was still out on whether
this was mystifying or worthy of desairing over.
J -ac* to main line J
Eamana*a *new e(actly what 5ujibayashi was tal*ing about.
/lemental Sight was the same as GMist DisersalG in that they were
both highly classified.
Desite this! Eamana*a was still reluctant to accet that.
GSince he2s not allowed to disclose this! we2re robably in the same
boat......G
They were neither simle nor innocent enough to simly come and
suort Tatsuya. 'or was Tatsuya fragile enough to ainfully
ublici)e that which was forbidden before everyone resent. On this
oint! Eamana*a! 5ujibayashi! Ka)ama! Sanada! and Eanagi were all
erfectly clear. 'onetheless! there were always e(cetions. &f a
catastrohe bro*e out and classified magic was forced out into the
oen before ublic eyes! they had to be on hand to handle the
situation. That was why they were here bending all their focus and
energy towards Tatsuya2s match.
Thus! they had no right to critici)e the Eotsuba 5amily2s clandestine
nature! which was recisely Eamana*a2s oint. 3egardless of how
much Eamana*a wanted to see Tatsuya cut loose and show the world a
move or two! there was nothing to be done.
GStill! & thin* that he may get around to 5lash 6ast. Against the 2#rince2
or the 26ardinal2! & don2t thin* even he could handle them with such a
wea* 6AD.G
As if finally soothing Eamana*a2s demands! 5ujibayashi ended the
conversation there.
'ot all the audience members were focused on Tatsuya alone.
A considerable amount of eole were watching +eo. /secially
because he was the first one to wield a Weaoni)ed-&ntegrated 6AD in
this cometition that both da))led and bewildered the audience.
+i*ewise! several sectators were also watching Mi*ihi*o! who had
accurately Gseen throughG the 1AC character code from range. Among
the crowd of sectators who remained oblivious to what haened!
one childhood friend was the e(cetion.
G3eally! Mi*i...... Eou2re just li*e you were before.G
G/h! what is the same as before! /ri*a-chanLG
Mi)u*i tilted her head in interest at /ri*a2s involuntary muttering.
/ri*a vaguely relied bac* to muddle the issue! then fell dee into her
own thoughts.
/ri*a and Mi*ihi*o2s relationshi went bac* farther than Mi)u*i
reali)ed! so of course she *new e(actly what Mi*ihi*o was doing.
While Sense Tuning was by no means a small feat! before his
unfortunate accident! the so-called GrodigyG Mi*ihi*o could use that
as easily as he breathed the very air itself. 'evertheless! after that
incident occurred! he was never able to freely wield magic the way he
used to.
"Seriously...... Eour mental trauma had long since healed.$
Occasionally! eole would say that hysical injuries were easy to
heal! but mental wounds closed slowly.
&n reality! hysical injuries were also searated between those that
could be saved! and those that couldn2t.
At the same time! mental trauma should be the same.
"Mi*i...... Did you noticeL Today! you are just li*e you were at your
ea*H$
/ri*a didn2t ossess the ower to identify sirits! nor was she e%uied
with the eyes to see the sirits themselves.
Thus! she was unable to directly confirm whether Siritual Magic had
succeeded. That being said! she was a daughter of the 6hiba 5amily!
renowned for endlessly training in anti-ersonnel magic combat.
-ased on the minute and subtle changes in motion! line of sight! and
e(ression! it was ossible to identify to some degree when someone
used magic! what they were targeting! and whether they succeeded.
The daughter of the 6hiba 5amily used her air of GSwordsman2s
/yesG to behold that Mi*ihi*o had cast his desired magic at long last.
":nbelievable...... 9urry u and reali)e this. Eou2ve already
recoveredH$
#resently! Mi*ihi*o had recovered his GabilityG! but not his
GconfidenceG.
She could read that much from his stolid e(ression. This was the
roduct of many years of forced interaction during their childhood
years.
'ow! all he needed to do was renew his confidence. All he had to do
was believe in himselfJ
G....../ri*a-chan! what2s wrongL /ri*a-chanHG
G/hL WhatLG
GWhat do you mean G/hL WhatLG. What2s u with you shutting
yourself away all of a suddenL Are you worried about somethingLG
G/h! yeah! now that you mention it! & am a little worried. Didn2t & just
say this one was closeL 9oefully! the ne(t match will be A-OK>.G
Mi)u*i was successfully misled by her words and started tal*ing about
GSea*ing of whichG! G'e(t timeG! GWe2ll cheer them onG. Setting
Mi)u*i aside for now! /ri*a once again delved into her inner sanctum.
F F F
The seeding for the elimination round had been announced.
5or the first match of the semifinal round! Third 9igh was u against
/ighth 9igh.
&n the second match! it was 5irst 9igh vs. 'inth 9igh.
The results for the rotating reliminaries were 5irst #lace8 Third 9igh!
Second #lace8 5irst 9igh! Third #lace8 /ighth 9igh! and 5ourth #lace8
'inth 9igh. According to the rules! the semifinals should have itted
Third 9igh vs. 'inth 9igh and 5irst 9igh vs. /ighth 9igh! but since
5irst 9igh already crossed swords with /ighth 9igh in the
reliminaries! they made another e(cetion here.
The elimination round would begin in the afternoon.
While Tatsuya2s match was the second one in the afternoon! they
couldn2t afford to miss out on Third 9igh2s match.
&t was still a little early for lunch! so Tatsuya carried a bento bo( and
accomanied Miyu*i bac* to the hotel.
J&t didn2t aear that they could enjoy their lunch in eace at the
avilion.
+eo and Mi*ihi*o had already evacuated bac* to their rooms to avoid
the chaos.
/ven though 9ono*a wanted to join them! if her resence caused an
endless stream of well-wishers from their cohort to tag along! then
fleeing the avilion became meaningless. Shi)u*u stoed her by
whisering this in her ear.
5inally sha*ing off the intrigued ga)es J the majority were warm
loo*s directed towards Miyu*i J the siblings %uic*ly moved away
from the cometition area and found a rare scene waiting for them in
the hotel2s lobby.
G9mLG
GWow......G
&n the corner of the lobby! Mari was standing there with an
embarrassed flush on her face.
'e(t to her! a slightly older young man was standing there.
Definitely less than a ten year difference. 9e was robably in his early
to mid-twenties.
The siblings both *new that Mari was rumored to have an older lover.
Was this young man her artnerL
9e had a medium build without being overly tall! though he was
slightly taller than Tatsuya. As could be attested by other eole
around him! his lan*y build wasn2t that of an athlete! but someone who
has gone through martial and combat training. This was an obvious
distinction in the siblings2 eyes.
According to conventional wisdom! his delicate features labeled him a
beautiful young man. While Mari2s features were more neutral! she
still %ualified as a beautiful young woman. The two of them were a
match made in heaven.
Suddenly! Tatsuya slowed down his ace.
GOnii-samaLG
Miyu*i! who was half a ste ahead now! turned her head to loo* at
him.
Tatsuya was not laying a jo*e! nor was he lanning anything devious
li*e eavesdroing.
The young man2s face was slightly familiar. After searching his
memory for a moment! he stoed comletely.
G......As e(ected of the 'ine Schools 6ometition. Eou can e(ect to
meet celebrities everywhere.G
'ow he was interested in their conversation. This thought only flashed
through Tatsuya2s mind briefly because he was well aware that this
situation called for rudence.
GDo you *now himLG
G9e rates as an international celebrity.G
At his side! Miyu*i urged him to answer. Tatsuya originally lanned to
answer as they wal*ed.
Still! while he stoed to recollect his thoughts! he didn2t dare to
actually Gobstruct the dateG! but another fearless challenger aeared.
A shrill voice caused both Tatsuya and Miyu*i to halt their footstes.
G'ii-samaH What are you doing hereLHG
A familiar voice in a comletely unfamiliar olite tone of voice
addressed the young man.
G'ii-samaL Then this erson is /ri*a2s......LG
Miyu*i switched her ga)e from /ri*a! who was stoming towards the
young man! to Tatsuya in hoes of confirmation.
G&f my memory serves! he should be her second brother. The 26hiba
Kirin2! 6hiba 'aotsugu. 6urrently studying at the :niversity of
'ational Defense! and reuted to be one of the finest magic close
combat secialists in the world within a range of three meters.G
GSo he2s that ama)ing. .....-ut! & would thin* that having such an older
brother would be a great source of ride for /ri*a! but this oen
animosity seems out of sorts.G
G6orrect. While there are rumors that 'aotsugu is an aostate within
the 6hiba 5amily...... Eet & hardly find /ri*a the tye to be a stic*ler
for the 2formalities2.G
G&ndeed.......G
As the siblings were discussing this! /ri*a was in the rocess of
tearing her brother a new one. -- And wholly ignoring Mari to one
side.
G'ii-sama should be in Thailand serving as a swordsmanshi trainer
until ne(t wee*H Why are you here nowHLG
/ri*a was already burning with fury.
'ormally! she was indifferent to the coming and goings of other
eole and the world at large. Today! this scene was certainly a
surrise.
G/ri*a...... Settle down a little.G
The young man J 6hiba 'aotsugu sought to calm his sister2s
towering fury! but this seemed to have no effect on /ri*a2s animation.
G9ow can you tell me to settle downH & have no idea what Onii-sama
would do! but & could never imagine that 'ii-sama would abandon his
ostHG
GThat2s not it! calm down...... & didn2t return by abandoning my
ost......G
6hiba 'aotsugu aeared to be at odds with his fame! given his wea*!
or maybe gentle! disosition. &n front of his little sister2s agitation that
showed no signs of diminishing before a crowd! he never scolded her
and couldn2t muster any defense save for a few e(cuses.
G9o...... &s that so. Then as you said! cooerating with the Thai 3oyal
Magicians and serving as a swordsmanshi instructor was my
comlete misunderstandingLG
GWell! no! that art is just as /ri*a said...... -ut & didn2t go AWO+! &
was granted furlough......G
G3eally. Since you had to ut a dilomatic mission involving 7aan
and Thailand on hold! this surely must be a mission of absolute
imortance.
&n that case! what is so imortant and demanding that 'ii-sama was
forced to return home and aear at a hotel reserved for a high school
cometitionLG
&n Tatsuya2s eyes! /ri*a2s tone may have imroved! but her mood had
lummeted straight down.
'aotsugu li*ely noticed this too.
As evidence of this fact! his face started craming.
G'o! it2s not dilomatic or anything that grave...... &t was only an
e(change of goodwill for military officer candidates about to receive
their ostings! so it2s nothing more than a university student e(change
activity......G
G'ii-samaHG
G#resentHG
G;oodwill e(change or not! student e(change activity or not! isn2t that
still an official missionLH That2s not a reason for you to be la( on your
dutiesHG
GEes! just as you sayHG
Seeing one of the world2s finest reduced to such a state! Tatsuya could
only gae in shoc*.
G......&2ve certainly heard of being hen-ec*ed! but & have no
recollection of someone being whied by his little sister......G
5eeling that the sight was too much for him! Tatsuya averted his ga)e
to find Mi)u*i fidgeting an(iously to one side. After waving her over!
Mi)u*i seemed to rela( somewhat and s*itter over.
GTatsuya-*un...... What2s u with /ri*a-chanLG
GSeriously! what2s going on......LG
9earing Mi)u*i2s %uestion! Tatsuya could only sha*e his head in
bewilderment.
GOnii-sama! & believe /ri*a is ventingLG
Miyu*i could barely contain her laughter bubbling u from within and
gave Tatsuya this vague answer.
G<entingL <enting whatLG
GEou2ll find out very soon.G
More and more mystified! Tatsuya and comany could only *ee
watching as this Gsibling fightG turned a new corner.
G'ii-sama! don2t tell me that you abandoned your ost because you
wanted to see this woman! did youLG
GAgain! & already said & didn2t abandon my ost......G
G& don2t want to hear thatHG
/ri*a ruthlessly curtailed her brother2s words and glared at Mari! who
she had "li*ely consciously$ ignored until now! before turning bac* to
'aotsugu.
G3eally! how aalling...... 'ii-sama! *nown as the 6hiba Kirin! would
actually abandon his duty for this *ind of woman......G
G....../ri*a! at the very least! & am still your senai at school. & don2t
recall slighting you in any way to deserve being called 2this *ind of
woman2LG
: to this oint! Mari atiently endured in silence! but finally bro*e
her silence to interject.
Eet /ri*a comletely ignored Mari2s words.
GSea*ing of which! & do believe that 'ii-sama fell from grace after
starting a relationshi with this woman. A swordsman that mastered
the Arts of the Thousand -lades neglected to ractice his training and
became infatuated with those etty magic tric*s......G
G/ri*aHG
5or 'aotsugu! that must be a taboo subject. 9e shed his gentle nature
li*e an actor removing a mas*. 5aced with this blistering castigation!
/ri*a %uivered in shoc*.
G&n order to hone the talent! one must always absorb new techni%ues.
This is what & believe and have always done.
This has nothing to do with Mari.
After hearing Mari got hurt! & was the one who could not sit still.
/ven so! Mari told me that it2s fine if & couldn2t ma*e it.
&n site of this! from the very start! as a daughter of the 6hiba 5amily!
you should be ashamed of your behaviorHG
G............G
She bit her li in silence! but even so! /ri*a never shifted her ga)e
from 'aotsugu.
G6ome! /ri*a. Aologi)e to Mari.G
G......'ever.G
G/ri*aHG
G& refuseH &t2s true that 'ii-sama droed his official tas* to come hereH
And all because of that womanHG
Once again! the tables turned.
G&2ll never budge on this ointH 'ii-sama started to degenerate after
going out with that womanHG
/ri*a swiftly ivoted and fled from her brother with raid footstes.
F F F
G/ri*a-chan! hold u! /ri*a-chanHG
-y the time she reached the elevator J and comletely out of sight of
the lobby! /ri*a finally turned around to face Mi)u*i2s voice.
Then! she oened her mouth to form an GOhG.
G......Tatsuya-*un. Miyu*i as well...... Don2t tell me both of you heard
thatLG
9er tone and e(ression were both tyical of /ri*a.
Eet! Tatsuya2s instincts told him that /ri*a was barely holding bac*
her tears.
G& aologi)e...... We didn2t mean to.G
GTatsuya-*un! this time you foot the bill.G
GWhatHL ......5ine! you win. #lease be merciful.G
G'egotiations comlete.G
/ri*a revealed her usual flighty and carefree smile.
;iven that she had already adoted her usual facade! if Tatsuya overly
amered her! she would only raise her guard! which would defeat the
entire urose.
G/ri*a! have you eaten lunchLG
G9mL &t2s still early..... /h! OK. & haven2t eaten yet! so let2s go
together.G
At Miyu*i2s %uestion! /ri*a gave a noncommittal answer.
GOnii-samaLG
G5ine. We were going to eat in the room anyway. &f you don2t mind!
would you li*e to join usLG
GSure! &2ll goH Mi)u*i! want to come tooLG
GOK! then e(cuse me.G
G#lease! you2re not a bother at all.G
G/hL That2s not what & meantHG
GSeriously...... Tatsuya-*un! ic*ing on others is too much.G
Mi)u*i was still in a bad mood because she was used as a tool to
lighten the mood.
9owever! she wasn2t really holding it against him! this oint was
obvious. Tatsuya smiled wryly as he too* a large bite out of his
sandwich.
Mi)u*i and Tatsuya both retended to be oblivious to what haened
earlier! so they didn2t raise the subject again.
GThen...... Tatsuya-*un! Miyu*i! Mi)u*i! do you guys have anything
you wanted to as* me aboutLG
Still! the erson in %uestion J /ri*a! was ready to reoen #andora2s
-o(.
GThe erson going out with Watanabe-senai seems to be /ri*a2s older
brother.G
Miyu*i was the only one who deftly answered the conversation in a
carefree manner.
GEe. That stuid brother of mine! it2s both itiful and infuriating at
the same time that he2s been conned by that woman......G
G&sn2t he a world-class swordsmanL /ven if you don2t raise him! &
don2t thin* you should refer to him as 2stuid brother of mine2! rightLG
G/hL ......Ah! so that2s how it is. &f it2s Tatsuya-*un! it wouldn2t be
surrising if you *new about 'aotsugu 'ii-san.G
G/-ri-*a. /ven though you2re with us! you don2t have to change your
words! OKL &sn2t it 'aotsugu 'ii-samaLG
GAh>! forget about thatH That2s totally not li*e meHG
/ri*a wraed her hands around her head and buried her head into the
bed.
Aarently! the term GdecorousG caused her no end of embarrassment.
......6omared to that! he was hoing that she would be more
embarrassed about burying her head into a illow that a man uses.
Tatsuya thought worriedly.
GOK! OK. So /ri*a li*es 'aotsugu-san.G
G............G
/ri*a wasn2t the only one who fro)e.
Miyu*i2s frost bomb instantly turned Tatsuya and Mi)u*i into ice
cubes.
G......'o way in hellHG
/ri*a leaed to her feet and screamed.
Owing to the fact that her face was buried in the illow as she started
to rely! the only words they heard was Gin hellG. To be able to
resond so swiftly in that situation was certainly worthy of raise.
Miyu*i laughed merrily as if a cornered beast had let out a furious! but
easily understood! bellow.
And droed an even more e(losive bomb.
GSo! /ri*a. Eou turned out to have a -rother 6omle(HG
GWha......G
/ri*a gaed at that.
The following e(losion far surassed her critical oint.
G& don2t want to hear that from youH Eou hardcore bro-con girlHG
JAs to what haened afterwards! Tatsuya and Mi)u*i *et that to
themselves.
F F F
G......9ey! Tatsuya! you2re loo*ing retty bad! ehL Are you alrightL
GSomehow! you loo* e(hausted......G
When Tatsuya arrived at the audience stands! the first thing he heard
was +eo and Mi*ihi*o commenting on him.
G&2m a little tired. &t2s nothing really! it2s more emotional e(haustion
than mental stress. &2ll be fine if & concentrate during the match.G
Tatsuya waved his hands in a casual manner. On the other side!
Miyu*i and /ri*a sat down as if nothing had occurred.
-ehind them! Mi)u*i2s actions were slightly susicious! but neither
+eo nor Mi*ihi*o noticed! since all of their focus was on the
ucoming match.
G......Sorry. +oo*s li*e we2re letting Tatsuya draw all the fire.G
Mi*ihi*o *indly "intentionallyL$ misinterreted this.
G'o! that2s hardly the case. 3ela(! don2t worry about it.G
While the words Gthat2s hardly the caseG meant nothing of the sort! the
fact that Tatsuya chose to resond in a dubious manner showed that he
also ossessed a slightly twisted ersonality.
GAs long as you2re alright. Tatsuya really too* it too far last round! so
don2t ush yourselfHG
G&2ll *ee that in mind.G
& am not worthy of such a *indhearted friend! Tatsuya thought.
G&2m *eeing tabs on that as well! so don2t worry about it.G
9e never intended to have such an honest friend worry about him so!
hence Tatsuya made an earnest effort to nod his head in agreement.
Still! once the match began! how grave his face became was no longer
imortant.
Their attention J of course! Tatsuya included J was currently drawn
away by the match between Third and /ighth 9igh in the Groc*yG
setting.
Surassing all their e(ectations! the match was a comlete landslide.
Actually! it may be more aroriate to describe this as a solo
erformance.
5ollowing the GOen 5ieldG! the Karst-li*e G-ouldersG had the least
amount of obstacles in the setting. While there were large boulders
jutting out across the area! their difference in height wasn2t noticeable!
nor were there any trees to obstruct vision.
One layer moved out of Third 9igh2s field and leisurely aced from
between the boulders.
9eedless of any hostile fire! &chijou Masa*i GadvancedG while
disdaining to rely on any cover.
'or was /ighth 9igh just standing there hellessly as they
continuously unleashed magic on Masa*i2s osition. /ven the attac*er
who was advancing on Third 9igh2s osition from the shadows of the
boulders was ouring on the fire.
/ven so.
Masa*i2s ace faltered not.
The roc*y fragments hurtled by Move-Tye Magic were thrown away
by even stronger Move-Tye Magic.
Weight-Tye and Oscillation-Tye Magic fired at him were nullified
by a wide area interference barrier that e(tended in a one meter radius
around him.
As if moc*ing the Gointless gesturesG! Masa*i2s ace was slow and
leisurely.
G......2Armor of &nterference2! eh. Move-Tye Wide Area &nterference
should be the 7uumonji 5amily2s secialty.G
+eo and Mi*ihi*o were both struc* seechless by this overowering
might. On the other hand! Tatsuya was the master of himself as he
raised Masa*i2s strengths.
GTo be able to freely wield this tye of magic without breathing
raggedly li*ely re%uires more than a large caacity within the magic
calculation area. +oo*s li*e he2s very adet at 2cyclical breathing2. &
guess that should be called innate talent.G
When continuously using the same magic! cyclical breathing referred
to the sace between when one magic ends and the ne(t one begins.
The less overla between the first and second magic! the less stress
was laced on the Magician. Magicians who e(celled in shortening the
dead time between the two were *nown as Gadet at cyclical
breathingG.
Miyu*i was also a Magician Gadet at cyclical breathingG! but in
Tatsuya2s eyes! Masa*i ossessed a talent that rivaled Miyu*i2s.
&n face of the unyielding defense! the attac*er from /ighth 9igh
stoed his assault.
9e frantically hid and charged towards Third 9igh2s osition.
9e gave u on bringing down Masa*i and chose to assault the enemy2s
monolith in hoes of ulling out a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Alas! his choice was overly rec*less.
#robably because it was made in a anic.
With his attention comletely in front of him and e(osing his
defenseless bac*! how could someone li*e Masa*i let this oortunity
simly ass byL
After suffering a oint blan* e(losive shoc* wave! the attac*er from
/ighth was flung face first into the dirt.
G6onvergence-Systematic 2-ias 3elease2. Simly using comression
and release would be sufficient...... 9e2s certainly someone who li*es
to ut on a show.G
G-ias 3elease! rightL &2ve never heard of that magic.G
GThat2s because it2s a highly convoluted and inefficient! second rate
magic.
5or e(amle! it2s li*e uming air into one side of a can and sealing it!
then oening the other end towards the target. 6omared with normal
air! that sort of concentrated comressed air would stri*e with greater
force and higher control over the direction of the force! so these are
some ossible advantages. -ut if it2s only to increase the outut! it
would be far better to simly increase the amount of comression. &f
he wanted to add vectors to the attac*! then direct contact with the
comressed air would be sufficient.
......'o! he2s trying to decrease the ower of the blow! hence he used a
combination of the two.
-eing overowered is truly a hassle in this circumstance.G
Tatsuya revealed an ironic smir*.
Miyu*i gave him a loo* that said G&sn2t Onii-sama the same wayLG! but
he retended to be oblivious.
While Tatsuya was e(laining the mechanics! Masa*i continued to
close in on /ighth 9igh2s osition.
+i*ely arriving at the conclusion that simly waiting was no solution!
the two remaining defenders combined their strength to challenge
Masa*i.
The boulders slit aart and rushed towards Masa*i.
The 3elease-Systematic Magic used by the layers from /ighth 9igh
set off a shower of electrons from the minerals! causing sar*s to erut
around Masa*i2s feet.
3egardless of the scale of the former or the difficulty level of the
latter! both were of the highest caliber magic J which was no
e(aggeration.
When Tatsuya2s team dueled /ighth 9igh! their victory only aeared
easy because they never gave their oonent the chance to ut their
best foot forward. &f it was a head-to-head shootout! the battle
undoubtedly would have been a very stiff contest.
9owever! Masa*i easily nullified their full frontal combined assault.
The scattered fragments were flung away by a shere of reverse
vectors centered around Masa*i! while the electric discharge was
suressed before it even started.
A bloc* of air hammered into the layers from /ighth 9igh.
:on contact with the released comressed air! the two of them were
swiftly and easily incaacitated.
The ending signal sounded immediately.
5or the entire duration of the match! Kichijouji and their other
teammate stood stoc* still in Third 9igh2s field and contributed
nothing to the overall result.
G9e has far e(ceeded our e(ectations! this 2#rince2 of the &chijou
5amily......G
Mayumi said to Katsuto as she shifted her ga)e away from the screen.
9er usual comanion Mari wasn2t resent.
6urrently! Mari was reoccuied to the oint that Gwhoever disturbed
her would rue that dayG.
Originally! she should have been confined to bed rest! but Mayumi and
the other members of the brass turned a blind eye.
GSomehow & feel that he2s very similar to 7uumonji-*un.G
/ven if someone said they were similar! this would robably be a hard
sentiment for Katsuto to resond to.
As e(ected! before he was able to rely! Su)une had joined the
conversation already.
GThat may be intentional. The combat dogma for the &chijou 5amily
revolves around roactively controlling the initiative through medium
to long range bombardment. Today in the rotating reliminaries! he
used long distance attac*s to annihilate the defenders. & don2t have a
real basis for this but...... & thin* this may be &chijou-*un throwing
down the gauntlet.G
GA challengeLG
At Mayumi tilting her head! Katsuto answered her.
G&2m not certain if he2s conscious of my style! but & thin* he2s calling
out Shiba to 2trade shots with him if he dares2.G
G9m...... & can understand that feeling.G
Mayumi2s e(ression seemed to say8 how childish.
Tatsuya2s strengths lay in mobility! analysis! and his ability to surrise.
6omared to his Magic #ower! it was his combat ability that was more
stri*ing! which the two matches today clearly testified to.
9ow could Tatsuya be ta*en in by such blatant baiting! Mayumi
thought.
Eet! Katsuto didn2t receive that wordless communication! so he
continued onward.
GShiba will most li*ely accet that challenge.G
G/hL Tatsuya-*unLG
GAt the original distance! he has no chance of victory. This may be his
only oortunity.G
G& don2t believe it! that2s simly......G
&n the audience stands far from the main avilion! of course there was
no way for Katsuto2s oinion to reach Tatsuya2s ears. 'onetheless!
Katsuto2s oint was mirrored in Tatsuya2s mind.
9e was also aware that this may be Third 9igh2s! and Kichijouji
Shin*urou2s in articular! real intention8 to reveal the only way for him
to emerge victorious while at the same time forcing a direct
confrontation.
The tric*y art was! besides acceting their oonent2s invitation! 5irst
9igh didn2t have any other otions that had a higher chance for
victory.
"Well layed! G6ardinal ;eorgeG......$
GSeriously! what *ind of defensive ability is thatHG
G&n the end! the only thing we caught a glimse of was &chijou-*un!
which was our mista*e. This way! we have no way to lan for our
encounter.G
+eo and Mi*ihi*o must have misinterreted Tatsuya2s comment.
The two of them seemed to be overwhelmed by Masa*i2s strength! but
at least they were better off than he was. 9e was in the rocess of
being devoured slowly by this %uic*sand hell! so they undoubtedly
suffered less mental stress than he did.
G&n regards to Kichijouji-*un! & have a rough estimate. & have no idea
about the third erson though.G
GOh! reallyLG
Tatsuya roceeded to correct their misinterretation.
GThe 26ardinal 6ode2 that Kichijouji Shin*urou discovered is a
fundamental code used in Weight-Tye Magic and he aeared in
Seed Shooting.
Thus! his favored magic would robably be 2&nvisible -ullet2! which
alies increased weight to select oints.G
G6ardinal 6odeLG
GSo he2s not altering the target2s /idos but only alying increased
weight to a certain ortion! but is that ossibleLG
GWell...... +oo*s li*e this e(lanation will ta*e some time! is that
fineLG
At Tatsuya2s %uery! +eo hesitated briefly! but Mi*ihi*o immediately
nodded.
GWithin Magic Se%uence research! there is a theory *nown as the
26ardinal 6ode 9yothesis2.
There is considerable oular suort behind this theory. There are the
5our ;reat Systems and /ight Major Tyes! 2Seed2! 2Weight2!
2Movement2! 2Oscillation2! 26onvergence2! 2Disersal2! 2Absortion2! and
23elease2 as well as their corresonding ositive and negative oles for
a total of A@ fundamental Magic Se%uences. This theory believes that!
through the various combinations of these A@ Magic Se%uences! any
magic from any of the major systems can be created.
Meanwhile! the Magic Se%uence that serves as the basic building
bloc* is called the 26ardinal 6ode2.
&n summation...... &t is caable of constructing any and all the
Systematic magics. Strictly on this oint! the theory is incorrect! but
the 26ardinal 6ode2 truly e(ists.G
G......The theory is incorrect but the code e(istsLG
G......Sorry! you lost me.G
5aced with Mi*ihi*o and +eo2s resonses! Tatsuya waved his hand as
if to say GDon2t be hastyG.
G6alm down! let me go over it again slowly.
There is magic within the 5our ;reat Systems that cannot be created
by the A@ 26ardinal 6odes2 no matter what combination you try! hence
the 6ardinal 6ode theory is incorrect. Then again! based on its
fundamental rinciles! there does e(ist a Magic Se%uence that is
caable of being a building bloc*.
Within modern magic! certain effects will ta*e lace after redefining
the status of an object after henomenon rewriting.
While the driving force behind the change has been defined within the
Magic Se%uence! this driving force would not e(ist without a
definition of what haens after the magic has affected the target.
9owever! 6ardinal 6odes are able to create the driving force
themselves.
&n other words! 6ardinal 6odes are Magic Se%uences that literally
define 2Seed2! 2Weight2! 2Movement2! 2Oscillation2! 26onvergence2!
2Disersal2! 2Absortion2! and 23elease2.
Thus! rather than having an overall effect on the /idos themselves!
these act on a single object J and render them ossible.
6urrently! the only discovered 6ardinal 6ode on record is the one
from Weight-Tye Magic.
And the one resonsible for that discovery is Kichijouji Shin*urou of
Third 9igh J 26ardinal ;eorge2.G
9earing the last few words! Mi*ihi*o dislayed a cowed e(ression.
GKichijouji Shin*urou! no wonder & thought that name sounded
familiar...... So he2s 26ardinal ;eorge2HG
Seeing his face! Tatsuya thought8 GDamn it.G 3egardless! he had
already said the words! so there was nothing he could do about it.
G/(actly. So &chijou-*un isn2t the only one we have to be on guard
against. While it is true that talented researchers are not necessarily
talented users! so long as he is caable of wielding the 26ardinal 6ode2!
he will be a fearsome oonent.G
Magic that relies on the 6ardinal 6ode has no need to define the
altered henomenon that is mandatory in normal magic because the
driving force itself has been defined. :nder this condition J where
force is alied unilaterally! the magic that directly involved Tatsuya
in Monolith 6ode! 2-attering 3am2! and 2&nvisible -ullet2 share the
same characteristics! but 2-attering 3am2 re%uired additional force J
esecially on the oint of attac* J in order to rewrite the entire
henomenon. 6omared to that! 2&nvisible -ullet2 had no need to
rewrite the surface that force was alied on J regardless of whether
it was a wall! the surface! or even the human body. 2&nvisible -ullet2
was a magic that directly imroved the force itself.
'ot rewriting the entire /idos! the Magic Se%uence needed to rewrite
only the necessary ortion was naturally going to be smaller. -ecause
this was not altering the /idos of the target itself! 2Data 5ortification2
J abilities that defended against rewriting the /idos J was unable to
defend against it.
Smaller Magic Se%uences and the ability to influence the /idos in
site of Data 5ortification ma*es this a owerful advantage for using
this tye of magic.
5ortunately! 2&nvisible -ullet2 was hamered by the absolute necessity
of visual confirmation. 3ather than relying on the /idos! a direct
confirmation of the object was a necessary! but ironic! handica.
Owing to this handica! cover was a useful defense against the attac*s
from 2&nvisible -ullet2. While Wide Area &nterference is viable! Data
5ortification is no defense! so be very carefulHG
G;ot it. & will be e(tra careful.G
G9o...... & still don2t understand one oint.G
After Mi*ihi*o nodded in understanding! +eo olitely oened his
mouth.
GWhat is it +eoLG
GThis doesn2t really have anything to do with the match...... Tatsuya!
earlier you said something about 2there are magics that cannot be
constructed by the A@ 6ardinal 6odes2! rightL &n other words! Tatsuya
*nows all A@ of the 6ardinal 6odesLG
Though his attitude and tone might claim otherwise! +eo was no fool
in his own right.
Setting aside general *nowledge! he was still highly intelligent.
Tatsuya was well aware of this! but was still caught by surrise by this
*een statement.
G......6urrently! Kichijouji Shin*urou is the only one who has
discovered a 6ardinal 6ode. & only *now that there are magics within
the 5our Major Systems that cannot be created by the 6ardinal 6ode
9yothesis.G
GOnii-sama! isn2t it time to goLG
+eo oened his mouth J he wanted to as* another %uestion but was
interruted by Miyu*i.
GEou2re right. They2re about to announce the setting for the ne(t
match. +et2s return to the avilion.G
:on rising! Tatsuya2s figure denied any more follow u %uestions.
F F F
The match against 'inth 9igh was set in a G<alleyG setting.
The layout of the arena was an artificial valley shaed li*e a 7aanese
GVG. &f the water was moving! there would be a difference between
being uriver or downriver! hence rather than being referred to as a
valley! this was also described as a long GVG shaed la*e surrounded
by cliffs. 'o! it wasn2t dee enough to be a la*e "the greatest deth
was only 10 cm or so$! so maybe it should be called a GVG shaed
GondG.
This match was the erfect stage for Mi*ihi*o2s solo erformance.
A white fog covered the entire length of the arena.
5rom the side of the comletely blinded audience came a loud
shushing noise before all returned to silence.
After all! for the audience to be so affected by the magic cometition
and the sheer difficulty of maintaining this magic was %uite telling on
who owned the advantage.
&n addition! the 5irst 9igh layers were only covered by light fog
whereas the layers from 'inth 9igh were enshrouded in a dense fog.
:nder the effect of the mist! the layers from 'inth 9igh had great
difficulty aroaching the 5irst 9igh monolith.
They reeatedly sought to disel the mist! but after several half-
successful attemts to blow the mist away! the ure white cover
swiftly returned to rob them of their sight as if moc*ing their efforts.
/ven if they summoned the wind to blow away the mist! the
relacement air was still filled with mist! ma*ing this a ointless
gesture. Also! any attemt to raise the temerature only romted the
Gla*eG to evaorate and increase the unleasantness.
The Ancient Magic resonsible for creating this G-arrierG of mist was
unrelated to the level of moisture and simly congregated the vaor in
the air. /ven if the temerature was raised! this would only increase
the amount of water vaor and ma*e the mist even thic*er. G-arrierG
Magic naturally included the GSealingG concet! so even maniulating
the air currents would only cycle the air filled with mist.
5undamentally! trying to sustain magic on a vague target was one of
the wea*er areas of modern magic.
&n order to use modern magic to disel this GMagical MistG! they had
to identify the magic that Mi*ihi*o used to create this area J
G-arrierG! otherwise no countermeasure would be effective. The new
students from 'inth 9igh aeared to be lac*ing in their *nowledge of
Ancient Magic.
-esides having a slightly denser cloud of artificial mist hanging over
the area! there was nothing that surassed the laws of nature.
Since there was no arado(ical effect! there were no signs of the
magic wea*ening. +i*ewise! there was no effect that loc*ed eole in
lace.
The only asect directly being restricted was visibility and
subse%uently! mobility.
The attac*ers from 'inth 9igh advanced along the cliffs with
treidation. Tatsuya too* a %uic* glance before diving into the mist
and easily arriving at 'inth 9igh2s osition.
The mist intentionally became thinner around his immediate osition!
which wasn2t a roblem to maintain if he was only wal*ing %uic*ly.
Then again! even if there was )ero visibility! that would ose little
roblem to Tatsuya anyway.
9ere! he didn2t have to worry about the audience watching him! so he
could freely use his vision to identify the entities around him.
+ooing behind the unsusecting defender from 'inth 9igh! Tatsuya
fired the G*eyG into the monolith.
:on hearing the Gouter lidG of the monolith falling away! the
defender frantically whirled around! but Tatsuya had long since
evacuated.
This time! Tatsuya didn2t need to summon the sirits.
Mi*ihi*o was the one controlling the sirit that uheld the barrier of
mist. Within this mist! nothing could escae Mi*ihi*o2s GeyesG.
The match between 5irst and 'inth 9igh ended in 5irst 9igh2s victory
without a single shot being fired.
F F F
The finals would ta*e lace after the comensatory round.
3egardless of how long matches lasted! each match for Monolith 6ode
never e(ceeded B0 minutes. Thus! the finals were comfortably set for
B8B0 #M! which was two hours from now.
Tatsuya was in charge of 6AD calibration! so he oted to stay in the
cometition area for the ne(t two hours! but Mi*ihi*o and +eo needed
to blow off some steam! so they left the cometition area.
JThere2s no way he could last if he saw those siblings stic*ing
together li*e glue again. Maybe that was the reason why......
They arranged to meet u one hour before the match! so how they
sent their time until then was their ersonal choice.
+eo said he wanted to grab a bite from the cafeteria before heading
bac* to his room to rest.
Mi*ihi*o wasn2t as gluttonous! so he elected to visit the tourism room
on the highest floor of the hotel.
The hotel was erected near the 5uji /(ercise ;rounds! so the tourism
room had a direct view of Mt. 5uji.
The GDivine /arth MagicG of the Eoshida 5amily was Ancient Magic
that belonged to the Shinto System and more secifically the branch
concerned with /arth Deities within the Shinto System "deification of
the country$.
Mt. 5uji had a secial meaning for Magicians who used Ancient
Magic from the Shinto system.
The god enshrined at Mt. 5uji was joined with one of the heavenly
gods! so Mt. 5uji was worshied by both heaven and earth
denominations.
/ven e(cluding this religious meaning! GSiritual Mt. 5ujiG was a
locale that owerful magics revolved around.
Wal*ing out onto the e(osed balcony of the tourism room was li*e
bathing in the mountain2s aura. Mi*ihi*o had this in mind as he
ascended to the highest level! but there was an une(ected individual
waiting for him.
GAh! Mi*ihi*o-*un! why are you hereLG
The one turned to as* him was /ri*a! who was wearing a straw hat to
shade herself from the sun as she laced her elbows on the railing and
ga)ed uward towards Mt. 5uji.
G& came to see Mt. 5uji...... /ri*a! why are you here aloneLG
As Mi*ihi*o said! the tourism room J including the e(osed balcony
on the highest level J was emty save for /ri*a2s resence.
'o! Mi*ihi*o was here now! so the amount doubled.
This was only natural! considering all the visitors today would
naturally be here for the 'ine Schools 6ometition.
/ven though it was the brea* eriod! the match for Third #lace was
about to start soon. -esides Mi*ihi*o! who had a secial reason for
visiting! anyone choosing to visit this tourism room that could only
see Mt. 5uji now must have brain damage.
G& robably wanted to be alone for a while.G
Seeing /ri*a turn her ga)e bac* to the scenery and the loneliness
accomanying her face! Mi*ihi*o felt a little flustered.
This was hardly the time to retreat or just stand there! so he had no
choice J at least his consciousness told him he Ghad no choiceG J
but to sidle along /ri*a.
GMi*ihi*o-*un.G
/ri*a so*e with her ga)e still fi(ated on 7aan2s highest mountain.
G/h! whatLG
JSomething2s awry.
GDon2t you feel itLG
G/hLG
GEou came to bathe in the aura of the mountain! rightL Are you
roerly soa*ing it inLG
Though the words were the same! her voice was altogether different.
&t was as if her tone was just as usual! but still different at the same
time.
+eaning against the railing! /ri*a2s e(ression was incredibly earnest!
more sincere than any time in the ast four months! nay! the last
coule years.
The last time he saw this e(ression was before she cut her hair short!
when it was even longer than when she allowed it to grow out last
sring. Two years ago! she never loosened her gri on the sword in her
hand......
G......Mi*ihi*o-*unLG
GAh! sorry. :h! yeah! just as /ri*a said.G
Mi*ihi*o stammered a rely and finally reali)ed what was wrong.
J /ri*a was calling him GMi*ihi*oG J
G& came to soa* in the aura.G
G'ot that.G
G/hLG
G&2m not as*ing that. ......Are you roerly feeling the aura around the
mountainLG
Stuefied by her oddly intent ga)e! Mi*ihi*o braced himself and
adjusted his breathing.
9e e(elled all the air within his lungs and breathed dee.
Maintaining a roer ace was imortant! but imagination was even
more so.
9e was ta*ing in and releasing the air in controlled motions.
And he wasn2t breathing in and e(elling! but e(elling and then
breathing.
After ta*ing two or three breaths Mi*ihi*o2s body was suffused with
ower. This wasn2t li*e the GcrumbsG from sions or ushions! but was
something closer to the original oscillations of the waves! also *nown
as a GowerG called GranaG.
Mi*ihi*o erfectly absorbed the rana surrounding the ea*s. After
verifying this with her own eyes! /ri*a let out a restrained smile that
was wholly unli*e her.
JA somewhat lonely smile.
G/ri*a......LG
GSee! you still have it in youHG
G......&2m sorry! but & have no idea what you2re tal*ing about.G
This wouldn2t be the first time someone had souted some abstract
comment without saring a thought towards others! but today!
Mi*ihi*o felt that it was more li*e his fault for not understanding her.
GMi*ihi*o-*un! have you noticedL Today! you were able to wield
magic li*e before the incident! when you were *nown as the 2rodigy
of the Eoshida 5amily2HG
G/hLG
G'o! you2re not the same as before! you have made great strides
comared to then. 3egardless of whether it was Sense Tuning! the
barrier of Mist! the absortion of rana! they have become as natural
as breathing for you.G
9e didn2t say8 how is it ossible.
+i*ewise! Mi*ihi*o didn2t say! why would you say that.
9e was well aware what sort of GeyeG the GSwordsman of 6hibaG
/ri*a ossessed.
G&sn2t that wonderfulHG
With a sudden GahG and a sla on the bac*! Mi*ihi*o nearly
staggered.
G&n this state! Mi*i has nothing to fear from Third 9ighH ;o get themHG
GMy name is Mi*ihi*oHG
/ri*a suddenly reverted to her usual state and dearted without a
rely. Mi*ihi*o finally rela(ed as he called out his usual resonse to
her retreating bac*.
/(actly why he did so or what he was concerned about did not cross
Mi*ihi*o2s mind.
F F F
Tatsuya! who should be stuc* with his sister li*e glue "that was only
the wild mass guessing from their teammates$! was summoned to the
entrance of the grounds shortly after the two dearted.
GOno-sensei! than* you for your hard wor*.G
9aru*a was the one who called him out here.
G9ey! saying than* you for your hard wor* to an elder...... Eou2re
aware of what you2re saying! rightLG
At Tatsuya2s mischievous smir*! 9aru*a2s shoulders drooed
hellessly.
G......& guess that2s what my osition has turned into...... A suorting
actor whose secrets have been e(osed! only to be buried within the
2ignorant masses2......G
GWhat are you tal*ing about. Eou2re souting nonsense.G
G'o worries. &2m a nonsensical woman anyway.G
G......& thin* it2s about time you returned what & laced in your *eeing.
& don2t have much time.G
Seeing Tatsuya reach out a hand! 9aru*a layfully sighed.
/ven if she didn2t say it! her e(ression clearly said8 G6an2t you
cooerate a little.G Desite this! she understood that time was of the
essence! so she obediently handed the electric carrier "carry-on
baggage with electric wheels attached to facilitate movement$ over to
Tatsuya.
GSeriously...... & really wish someone would actually reward me a
little. &2m a life counselor! not an errand boy.G
GOur sensei was the one who as*ed Ono-sensei to do this! not me.
Still...... +et me thin* for a moment. &f you2re unhay with these
trivial tas*s! allow me to as* you something more in line with your
actual job.G
G'o! it2s not li*e & wanted an actual tas*.G
G&t2s ta(-free income...... Eou really don2t want itLG
9aru*a2s eyes sar*led with an easily understood wavering.
......&s this sort of *ind disosition "and not GersonalityG$ truly suited
for intelligence wor*L Tatsuya watched her in a taunting manner.
9e didn2t have to wait very long.
G......& give u. &t2s our duty to assist students deviating from the right
ath. This isn2t the time to say &2m off duty or & haven2t got the time.G
So! she was loo*ing for an e(cuse to ma*e this easier on herself!
Tatsuya thought.
9oweverJ
GAlas! that2s not the tas* & had in mind. &2m referring to your other line
of wor*.G
G......What e(actly do you want me to doLG
9aru*a was immediately on high alert.
&s it really alright for her to be this transarentL This time! Tatsuya was
seriously concerned.
5orget it! even if she messed u by feigning silliness and unished
with GthisG and GthatG! those were not related to him in any way.
G'o 9ead Dragon...... & want to *now the current 9? for the 9ong
Kong &nternational 6riminal Organi)ation 2'o 9ead Dragon2.G
9aru*a frantically glanced around them and closed in on Tatsuya as if
she was going to hug him.
G9ow do you *now about 'o 9ead DragonHLG
While her tone was agitated! 9aru*a didn2t forget to lower her volume
as she as*ed him. Still! even if she as*ed! this wasn2t a %uestion he
could answer. Tatsuya2s relationshi with Ka)ama and the &ndeendent
Magic-/%uied -attalion was still classified. That was a direct order
from their aunt! the current head of the Eotsuba 5amily. /ven if he
answered with something li*e G& heard it from somewhere elseG! there
was no guarantee that some trace of this relationshi could not be
e(osed.
G&t2s only natural that & would investigate the culrits intending to do
me harm.G
9ence Tatsuya chose this vague answer that could be alied towards
anything. 'evertheless! 9aru*a correctly interreted this to mean the
recent obstructions in the 'ine Schools 6ometition.
G......What devilry are you u to nowL 2#ublic Safety2 and 2&nternal
Affairs2 have both been mobili)ed for this case. There2s no need for
Shiba-*un to act on thisHG
9aru*a was still whisering. 5rom their osture! any bystander would
mista*e this for a troublesome relationshi.
Miyu*i osed no difficulty! so long as 9ono*a! Shi)u*u! or any of the
others didn2t see them! Tatsuya thought.
G6urrently! there are no wheels in motion. Still! if retaliation becomes
necessary! but the enemy2s location remains un*nown! that would be a
little troubling. ......Sea*ing of which! & thin* our current ro(imity
may cause some misunderstanding.G
9aru*a %uic*ly jer*ed bac*.
Maybe this came from an elder2s ride! but she was using a lacating
smile to cover her internal discomfiture.
&t2s about time to seriously advise her to abandon the intelligence
wor*! Tatsuya thought.
......That being said! he never thought of retracting his re%uest.
G......&nsurance! is itLG
GThat interretation would be accetable.G
After carefully e(amining him! she swiftly nodded.
G......:nderstood. ;ive me one day.G
G&mressiveH Eou only need one dayLG
This was ure! worry-free raise.
9aru*a was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve and could only
smile in embarrassment.
F F F
As Tatsuya dragged the electric carrier bac* to the avilion! the
students on duty all ga)ed at him with interest. 6omletely ignoring
the fact that he was the center of attention! Tatsuya retrieved
something from the bag.
G......Wind brea*ersLG
Mayumi aroached Tatsuya with nary a thought and as*ed as she
e(amined the object in his hands.
G'o! these are mantles.G
Tatsuya raised the blac* fabric and unfurled them.
&t was a Western mantle that would e(tend to the floor even on
someone of his height.
GThose tooLG
GThose are robes.G
After deositing the blac* mantle on the table! this time he ulled out
a gray fabric. This one was a long robe with a hood attached.
GWhat...... e(actly are you going to do with theseLG
There were GLG mar*s floating all over the avilion. Only Miyu*i
could tell at first glance and couldn2t hel but burst into laughter.
GThat2s for the match. Than*fully! they made it in time.G
GOnii-sama! wouldn2t that be against the rulesLG
Setting aside the comletely confused Mayumi and the others! Miyu*i
as*ed Tatsuya with a degree of seriousness.
G& don2t believe there will be a roblem since we handed in the 6ADs
in time. The rule boo* didn2t say that we are forbidden from wearing
uniforms inscribed with magic themselves.G
9earing his answer to Miyu*i! the number of GLG mar*s on Mayumi2s
head increased by one as she as*ed Tatsuya.
GMagic inscritionsLG
G6orrect. This is done by combining the rincile of /ngraving Magic
with the mediums from Ancient Magic. The mantle and robe include
enchantments that facilitate the user using magic.G
GSulementary effects...... There should no roblem if no secific
techni%ue was incororated within......G
5eeling Mayumi2s ga)e! Su)une nodded as she relied.
GThere is no violation here. Secifically! there isn2t a rule for
something that comle(.G
G&f there is a roblem! we can just abandon them. &t2s not li*e we
cannot give battle without them.G
Mayumi slightly creased her eyebrows as Tatsuya turned around.
G9ey! Tatsuya-*un.G
9er an(iety far outweighed the unease in her voice.
GSince we2re still in the cometition! everyone has *et a lid on the
celebratory mood. The moment we advanced to the finals! our victory
in the 'ewcomers Division was already assured. So lease! don2t ush
yourself too muchHG
G:nderstood.G
/ven without her saying so! Tatsuya had already largely given u on
this match.
J-ecause at this time! we haven2t......
After leaving the e(amination of the mantles and robes to &sori "the
&sori 5amily were renowned for their e(ertise in /ngraving Magic!
not that &sori himself hid his ersonal interest either$! Tatsuya left the
avilion to rela( himself.
When he was aointed as one of the substitutes! the mission he
received from Mayumi was to clinch 5irst 9igh2s victory in the
'ewcomers Division.
The moment they advanced to the finals of Monolith 6ode J in other
words! right now! Tatsuya had already accomlished his objective.
9e was carefully warming u to revent injury during the match.
-ruises or scratches were meaningless to him! but if there was a major
fracture or artery being severed! he had to ta*e recautions against his
classified abilities automatically activating.
/ven if he could voluntarily halt the rocess! whether he could do so
in time was another story. 9is ersonal restoration ability would
immediately comlete the reair rocesses in the blin* of an eye.
The 'ine Schools 6ometition was being recorded. /ven if no one
could consciously catch the instant this occurred! future laybac*s
could still cature the moment.
As if reminding himself all over again! he continued to wor* through
his e(ercises. During this! Miyu*i also left the avilion! but seeing as
she wasn2t on urgent business! Tatsuya allowed himself to finish his
calisthenics.
GOnii-sama! lease ta*e this towel.G
She handed him a sublimely wet and cold towel.
Miyu*i had been standing for a considerable amount of time in the
bla)ing summer heat! yet the towel felt as if it was freshly removed
from the icebo(...... :on learning that this was her area of e(ertise!
this fact was no longer surrising.
-y aying attention to all the minute details! she was certainly a sister
who amered him! Tatsuya thought.
&n normal circumstances! hordes of men would undoubtedly ursue
her at the cost of their lives.
'o! even in the resent! his sister was still robably caable of
sending men to their doom with a word. /ven setting himself aside!
though he would robably be the first man into the breach! Tatsuya
felt a slight chill as he considered his sister2s future.
GOnii-sama! is there something on my faceLG
/ven though she didn2t seriously believe that something was on her
face! Miyu*i had no other way of interrogating her brother who was
watching her with an indeciherable e(ression.
JTatsuya didn2t answer. Answering would only muddy the issue.
GOnii-sama......G
At Tatsuya muddling through the %uestion! Miyu*i didn2t ress
onward.
G......&t2s almost time for the finals. Our ne(t oonent will be a
difficult one......G
G......&ndeed.G
-luffing was irrelevant at this oint.
/ven if this wasn2t a cometition and live battle instead! with both
sides going all out without restrains! Tatsuya had no confidence that he
could GtriumhG over the two of them at the same time! nay even if he
was against &chijou Masa*i alone.
G:nder a state of restricted ower and ability ...... for one who belongs
to the side that restricts such as myself! to go and say such a thing is
illogical! and may arouse your disleasure! but......G
Miyu*i hesitated briefly as she slowly drooed her head! losing her
nerve to sea* each time.
Then! she resolutely raised her head and shyly declared.
G....../ven so! & have faith that Onii-sama will not lose to anyoneHG
Without waiting for Tatsuya2s rely! she turned bac* to the avilion
with the lightness of a sarrow. Watching his sister2s dearting figure!
Tatsuya stood there for some time.
"Seriously! as you will......$
As Miyu*i herself said! she was one of the *ey cogs within the system
that limited Tatsuya2s abilities.
One of the *ey reasons behind why he was unable to use his true
strength to dislay his indomitable might was undoubtedly Miyu*i.
That being said! Tatsuya didn2t believe J that Miyu*i was so willful.
5aith that he would not lose to anyone was the hoe of she who
wished of him to remain unbeatable.
Tatsuya2s intellect was not mature enough to comletely understand
the subtleties behind this.
Eet! Tatsuya could understand these feelings.
Maybe he should say he was able to understand it only because
Miyu*i was the one who made the wish of him.
This was not someone giving orders or instructions! but a mental
characteristic that was naturally e(ressing itself.
As you will! referred to e(actly that.
Defeat was no longer an otion in the ne(t match.
-ut as the saying goes! easier said than done.
'o matter how he calculated the matter! the odds were stac*ed against
him. Tatsuya couldn2t hel but sigh at this.
F F F
After the end of the consolation game! the setting for the final match
was announced to be the GOen 5ieldG.
9earing this! both sides had e%ually illuminating reactions.
&n Third 9igh2s avilion! there were even cheers of victory.
GEou called it! ;eorge.G
GWe got luc*y! Masa*i.G
While they managed to rein in their reactions to the news! the two of
them failed to hide their elated smiles.
G'ow it comes down to whether that guy ta*es the bait......G
G9e will. On the oen fields with no cover whatsoever! he has no other
otions save throwing down in a one-on-one shootout.G
G9e2ll try to brea* through there because that guy has 2;ram
Demolition2 as a trum card! eh......G
G#recisely! Masa*i.
While his tactics smac* of ambushes and surrise! in reality
everything is founded on a comle( series of calculations.
&f he *nows that there are no direct countermeasures! he may still
choose the road less traveled and elect to sring out a surrise attac*.
9owever! since he can still use 2;ram Demolition2 as a direct counter!
logically! he would choose the avenue of attac* that has the highest
chance of success.G
GWhile you will suress the defender and the guerrilla.G
GThe defender isn2t the roblem. 9is 5ortifying Magic seems legit! but
there2s nothing else to write home about.
The guerrilla layer...... Seems to seciali)e in Ancient Magic. -ased
on his name! he2s most li*ely a Magician from the 2Eoshida 5amily2.
The fact that he remains a comlete mystery does give one ause! but
when comared to Ancient Magic! modern magic owns the decisive
edge in seed. Without any cover on the oen lains! this is definitely
in our advantage.G
G5urthermore! you still have an ace in the hole with the 26ardinal
6ode2.G
G:nfortunately! our oonents sei)ed the 'ewcomers Division crown
from us...... -ut at the very least! Monolith 6ode will belong to usHG
G/(actly! leave it to meHG
9earing Kichijouji2s words! Masa*i nodded boldly.
GThe 2Oen #lains2 without a hint of cover...... This will be a harsh
battle! Onii-sama.G
Miyu*i2s words e(emlified the thoughts running through everyone
who came to cheer them on.
G'o! it2s far better than the valley or urban settings. We would never
sto if we started grousing.G
9is words not only bewildered Miyu*i! even his teammates J +eo
and Mi*ihi*o turned around in confusion! romting Tatsuya to
launch into another e(lanation.
GThe &chijou 5amily2s 23uture2 is a techni%ue that transforms li%uids
into gas! using the e(anding force to wrea* havoc.
5or members of the &chijou 5amily! using water vaor to initiate
e(losive attac*s is the simlest of tric*s.
5or &chijou-*un! the valley arena is synonymous to rearing a
gigantic *eg of e(losives for him. +i*ewise! an urban setting would
be filled with water ies.
On the other hand! the oen lains have no fluids that can be turned
into 2e(losives2. /ven the 2#rince2 himself wouldn2t be able to call u
water from underground to create e(losions.
Of course! the woodlands or roc*y areas would be more referable......
-ut we should be than*ful that it wasn2t the valley! which would be the
blea*est condition for us.G
While the Eear A students all wore a GSo that2s how it isG e(ression!
the uerclassmen still wore grim faces.
G......Still! you2re still forced to fight on an oen field with no cover
against a Magician who seciali)es in bombardment! so this
disadvantage remains.G
GShiba! do you have a lanLG
After Mayumi2s %uestion! 9attori also so*e u.
9attori actively stri*ing u a conversation with Tatsuya was an
incredibly rare event.
Similarly! Tatsuya wasn2t able to comletely hide his shoc* at this
turnout! hence his resonse was half a beat slow.
G&f they insist on using their original tactics! honestly & don2t see how
we can turn that around...... 9owever! &chijou-*un seems to be
articularly fi(ated on my resence. &f & can get into close combat
range! then & have a few otions.G
G&sn2t close %uarters combat forbiddenLG
G&2m in the clear so long as & don2t touch him. & have a few tric*s u
my sleeve.G
At Kirihara2s %uestion! Tatsuya smiled without much confidence.
F F F
The finals for the 'ewcomers Division Monolith 6ode.
While it could be said that the arrival of the layers drew a huge
clamor from the audience! it would be more in line with the truth to
say that confused s%uabbling reigned sureme among the audience.
/(osed beneath a myriad of curious stares! Mi*ihi*o adjusted his
hood and ulled it down even tighter.
On the other side! +eo wasn2t wearing a hood as he tried his hardest to
duc* his face and use the robe2s collar to cover himself.
GWell...... So our getu is hilarious after all.G
GThe usage is just how & e(lained.G
The abrut answer was li*e the final nail on the coffin! clearly
signifying G3esistance is futileG.
G......Why us......G
Mi*ihi*o bemoaned this fact to the only erson not wearing the
mantle and robe J Tatsuya.
GAs the vanguard! there2s no oint in wearing anything that would
obstruct hysical movement.G
3egardless! Mi*ihi*o2s objection was easily turned aside by combat
racticality.
GThat scoundrel...... She must be laughing herself silly now......G
+eo didn2t clarify e(actly GwhoG he was tal*ing about! but for the two
other eole resent! nothing else needed to be said.
GAhahahahahah...... My! my sides are *illing me>. What is that!
W9AT is T9ATH Ahahahahaha......G
7ust as the three of them surmised! /ri*a was roaring in laughter in the
stands.
G/ri*a-chan! lease sto......G
After Mi)u*i tried several times to bashfully ersuade her! /ri*a2s
laughter finally droed to a level that was more normal.
G......Ah>! &2m dying. 'o wonder everyone2s eyes are drawn to the
things that Tatsuya-*un thin*s u.G
G......& thin* /ri*a2s the one who2s being watched right now.G
'e(t to /ri*a! Mi)u*i shyly hun*ered down.
GSorry! sorry. & just couldn2t hel myself there. & romise to sto
messing around now! so cheer u! OK Mi)u*iLG
GSeriously...... #lease doHG
After she could feel the ga)es "she didn2t have the courage to visually
verify this$ around her stabbing towards her turn bac* to the arena!
Mi)u*i finally raised her head.
G-ut! what e(actly is thatLG
Since there were no obstructions on the oen lains! the audience
could directly view the entire arena. /ven so! the distance was still far
enough that details were hard to ma*e out! so everyone was watching
the large screens for details on the layers2 e(ressions! just li*e in the
other cometitions.
/ri*a was watching the images on the main screen that deicted
Mi*ihi*o and +eo standing in 5irst 9igh2s territory.
After watching for a few more seconds! she shoo* her head as if to say
Gmight as well raise both arms nowG.
G'oe. & still can2t tell what they2re trying to do. Since this is Tatsuya-
*un after all! &2m sure he2s not just doing this for show.G
G......+ots of 2sirits2 are gathering on Eoshida-*un2s robes......G
G9uhLG
An une(ected resonse answered her murmuring. /ri*a turned to one
side and suc*ed in a breath as she saw Mi)u*i remove her glasses and
an incredible light dancing in her eyes.
While a minority in the audience believed that +eo and Mi*ihi*o2s
garb was out of date or from the wrong century! very few eole
laughed outright in derision. The thought that dominated the minds in
the audience was what were the GrobesG and GmantlesG being used for.
Still! for their oonents! they couldn2t just use the word GcuriosityG to
wave it off.
GAre they just doing this for showLG
9earing their teammate2s seculation! Masa*i and Kichijouji both
shoo* their heads.
GThat guy *nows ;eorge2s bac*ground...... &s this his solution to
2&nvisible -ullet2LG
G&t2s true that my magic doesn2t have much in terms of enetrating
ower...... Still! it2s not so simle that a mere iece of cloth can stand
against it! so it2s hard to believe that he would rely on such an
amateurish countermeasure.G
GOr this is done to ma*e us thin* there is some strategy at wor* hereLG
GThat ossibility is not altogether )ero! yet......G
Masa*i2s words became vague.
G......& don2t understand. Was he saving this all this time for this
moment......G
Kichijouji bit his li. &t was recisely because he rided himself on his
intellect that he was articularly frustrated.
GWe advance rec*lessly! but forcing ourselves to contemlate
something that cannot be discovered now is ointless. There is always
some degree of ris* when using force to win.G
&n order to cut through Kichijouji2s befuddlement! Masa*i so*e u in
a forcible tone.
Desite this! Masa*i himself wasn2t immune to this erle(ity.
What aroused curiosity from the audience was nothing short of a
source of great wariness to the enemy.
The layers and au(iliaries were oblivious to this! but there was
another reason behind the ruc*us.
The reason came from the observation dec* near the board chairman2s
room.
A comletely unforeseen visitor had arrived.
GKudou-senseiH Why are you hereLG
/lder Kudou! who usually watched the matches from the screens in
the <&# lounge near the main head%uarters! had ersonally come to the
visitors2 observation dec*.
G/ven & li*e to occasionally come here for a loo*.G
Kudou 3etsu nodded generously to the board members that all stood
to welcome him and sat in the leather chair that was hastily reared
for him.
GOf course! it is our honor to host you here! but......G
-ut! why nowL &n face of this silent %uery! /lder Kudou fran*ly
relied.
G&t2s nothing really. & just noticed a rather interesting young man.G
The moment before the match begins was undoubtedly the time when
a layer was at their most nervous. 'o matter how confident they were
or how great their odds were! all things became %uestionable at this
time. This was no layoff that was the best of a series! this was single
elimination where everything came down to the line in one match! so
it was only natural to be uneasy at being uncertain of their oonent2s
strength.
That being said! their nervousness vanished the moment the starting
signal sounded.
Once the battle was joined! there was no room for further doubt.
Once the signal was lit! both sides began bombarding one another.
They were using long range magic attac*s.
The audience was overjoyed at this result whereas the suorters in
5irst 9igh2s stands were shoc*ed into silence.
There were aro(imately @00 meters between the two fields.
The distance was shorter than the woodlands or valley settings! but in
terms of range for firearms! this was still a stretch for the effective
firing range of assault weaons. This was the range for snier rifles.
At the same time! both sides were firing at one another with 6ADs
shaed li*e automatics as they steadily aroached one another ste
by ste.
Tatsuya was dual-wielding twin istols just as he was during the
reliminary and semifinal rounds.
On the other side! Masa*i had swaed out the ;enerali)ed 6AD he
used during the semifinals for a Seciali)ed 6AD.
While the 6AD in Tatsuya2s right hand was resonsible for
interceting enemy attac*s! the 6AD in his left was retaliating.
3eali)ing this! Masa*i abandoned his defense and concentrated on
attac*ing.
The ensuing result was!
The originally disarate gulf in fireower widened even further.
6omared to Masa*i2s GshotsG that ossessed the ower to decisively
end the engagement! Tatsuya2s GshotsG could do nothing save try and
tie u his oonent.
9owever! his attac*s were not telling. This level of Oscillation-Tye
Magic was too wea* to rate actual defense! as a Magician2s
unconscious Data 5ortification would rotect themselves.
The number of attac*s was also overwhelmingly inferior.
Desite having many tric*s u his sleeve! Tatsuya was undoubtedly
wea*er in terms of ure technical s*ills. Eet! not only was he e(osing
himself to his oonent2s attac*s! he was accurately shooting down
each of the incoming attac*s at a distance that the na*ed eye could
barely ascertain. 7ust this oint alone was awe insiring.
GSuch courageHG
A nameless Eear B male student %uietly gased.
G&s he really a 6ourse C studentLG
A female layer as*ed one of her teammates.
The uerclassmen were e(ressing their surrise not because of the
strength of his magic! but because he maintained his mental
concentration desite suffering severe bombardment from his
oonent.
Eet J Mayumi! Katsuto! Su)une! A)usa! 9attori...... /ach of them
wore grim faces.
3ight now! both sides were still feeling each other out! but every ste
Tatsuya too* forward ut him more and more on the defensive and
subse%uently! he was retaliating less and less. This oint was blatantly
obvious to all of them.
6omared to the layers and members of 5irst 9igh! Kichijouji felt an
altogether different shoc* in Third 9igh2s territory.
Tatsuya was currently using Oscillation-Tye Magic.
Eet! in the three matches leading u to this moment! Tatsuya was
using 'onsystematic and Weight-Tye Magic.
"9e managed to alter the design of his Activation Se%uence in a mere
two hours......L$
Kichijouji shoo* his head to disel the cobwebs.
'o matter how s*illed his 6AD calibration s*ills were! the calibration
rocess had no bearing on the match itself.
What determined the outcome was only how he chose to wield the
result of his calibrations.
This was not the time to areciate his calibration seed. That was the
Gerle(ityG that may lead to an accident in battleJ
G#roceed as we discussed! &2m heading outHG
G:nderstood! leave the rear to meHG
9e hadn2t even noticed his hubris towards the enemy team before his
eyes. Kichijouji looed around Masa*i2s rear and charged towards
5irst 9igh2s territory.
Since Kichijouji charged out of allied territory! the match had entered
a new hase. 'onetheless! the audience2s attention was largely still
focused on Tatsuya and Masa*i2s ongoing struggle.
To be able to endlessly release owerful magic! Masa*i2s talent was
truly worthy of raise.
3egardless! Tatsuya2s G;ram DemolitionG that unerringly struc* down
Masa*i2s magic was even more moving.
5ew members of the audience were aware of high level 6ounter
Magic li*e G;ram DemolitionG. G;ram DemolitionG demanded an
e(cessive sion count! so even researchers seciali)ing in the field had
few oortunities to catch a glimse of this magic.
/ven without *nowledge on the subject! the large screen that
dislayed the sion movements clearly showed the scene of brilliant
sion shells stri*ing! shattering! and then erasing the 6omression-
Tye Magic Se%uences.
This was a glorious! dreamli*e image that set one2s heart aflame.
Magicians who could erceive the sions and the sectators who
ossessed latent magic talent had no need for the large screen and
could only bow before the sions wildly dancing in a storm of magic
before their eyes.
:nbound by reason or logic! they were held sellbound by this
sectacular air show.
#resently! Tatsuya focused all his attention on shutting down each of
Masa*i2s attac*s.
/ven so! he still too* note of Kichijouji emerging from Third 9igh2s
osition.
+i*e a chain reaction J in reality this was a direct result of seeing
Kichijouji2s advance! Tatsuya2s hitherto steady ace accelerated to a
run.
Masa*i didn2t anic in the slightest at Tatsuya2s change of ace and
calmly launched 6omression-Tye Magic at Tatsuya.
9is run failed to adot any evasive maneuvers.
&t2s not li*e his oonent was using his eyes to aim! so that degree of
evasion was meaningless.
As he ran forward! Tatsuya concentrated on the mass of energy formed
to alter the /idos in the air and sent a bullet made of sions J G;ram
DemolitionG straight into the mass! shattering Masa*i2s magic before it
could materiali)e.
'onetheless J with the distance between them drawing ever closer!
aiming was more simlistic. While hysical distance was not a direct
factor! the closer the hysical target was! the easier it became to
erceive its ro(imity and e(istence.
/secially when aiming air-li*e objects that are not usually visible.
The closer the target was! the easier it became to ta*e aim.
Of course! in this situation! the only target at hand was Tatsuya
himself.
5ifty meters from Masa*i! Tatsuya ground to a halt and was unable to
comletely nullify Masa*i2s attac*s.
The comressed air that Tatsuya failed to bring down came crashing
towards Tatsuya.
Tatsuya relied on his five senses to detect their trajectory and deftly
used his hysical techni%ues to avoid them as he continued to advance
towards Masa*i.
:nable to advance straight forward! the do)ens of yards between them
became an insurmountable wall for Tatsuya.
GSo! he2s finally reached the oint where he can2t hold bac* any more.G
Seeing Tatsuya forced into a corner! Eamana*a actually remar*ed
haily.
G#lease be serious! sensei. /ven Tatsuya-*un can2t rely on only his five
senses to comletely detect the early warning signs of magic
invocation and &nvisible -ullet. ;iven the current situation! we can
still use a 2si(th sense2 as an e(cuse in lace of 2/ye of the Sirits2.G
At 5ujibayashi2s vigorous defense! Eamana*a smiled devilishly.
G3eallyL That2s true! while he can fool those third and fourth rate
scrubs...... &t2s hard to imagine he could ull a fast one under the eyes
of that gentleman.G
Eamana*a2s line of sight was resting on /lder Kudou! who was
watching the match with abundant interest from his seat in the
chairman2s lounge.
5ujibayashi only sared him a %uic* glance before switching bac* to
Tatsuya.
Kichijouji was looing around the fringe of the arena as he advanced
towards 5irst 9igh2s monolith. When he came within A00 meters of
5irst 9igh2s territory! +eo barred his ath.
5inding it odd that the defender was so far forward! Kichijouji fired
off an G&nvisible -ulletG as he ruminated on this.
'o! more li*e he was about to fire.
GWhaLG
&n front of him! a blac* wall obscured his ga)e. +eo had removed his
mantle and held it unfurled before him.
A metallic late flashed towards Kichijouji2s flan* li*e a storm of
blades.
5acing the flying blade from the Weaoni)ed &ntegrated 6AD!
Kichijouji immediately activated Move-Tye Magic and srang
bac*wards to avoid the blow.
On its heels! a owerful gust chased after him.
Kichijouji used Weight-Tye Magic to reduce inertia his body was
suffering and used the force of the wind to reduce the gust attac*.
"9ow meddlesomeH$
Kichijouji muttered in his mind and aimed the G&nvisible -ulletG at
Mi*ihi*o.
9e chose to first remove this ir*some fire suort.
9owever! the moment his ga)e fell across the gray robes! he was
suddenly unable to detect the target2s ro(imity.
+i*e a heat wave disruting the focal oint of a camera! the gray
figure became fu))y and hard to gras.
"&llusionsHL$
They had ta*en advantage of the fact that G&nvisible -ulletG re%uired
visual confirmation. The moment Kichijouji reali)ed this! he also
detected the blade of the GMini 6ommunicatorG slashing downwards
at his head. :nable to dodge! he could only close his eyes and await
the imact.
G;ahHG
Eet! +eo was the one who cried out in ain as if all the air had been
forcibly e(elled from his lungs.
The blade +eo swung was sent off target and buried itself into the
earth. +eo was flung aside by the blast and crumled to the floor.
GMasa*iHG
9e was savedH Saring the words of than*s! Kichijouji called out the
name of his rotector.
Kichijouji! who had comletely fallen into the enemy2s tra! was
luc*ed out of danger by Masa*i! who was still bombarding Tatsuya2s
osition.
9is fingers %uic*ly danced across the screen of his 6AD as Kichijouji
brought u Weight-Tye Magic.
The force of gravity abrutly intensified! sending Mi*ihi*o
GlummetingG downwards hellessly.
Kichijouji abandoned fi(ating on his favorite magic and oured on the
magic to crush Mi*ihi*o into the earth.
6omletely suressed! Mi*ihi*o could only e(el the crushed air out
of his mouth.
Tatsuya did not idly watch this scene ass by.
The slit second that Masa*i diverted his attention to Kichijouji!
Tatsuya immediately closed the ga to within 1 meters.
5or someone with Tatsuya2s hysical s*ills! this was but a altry
dislay of his rowess.
Eet! his target still remained one ste away.
Masa*i2s face clearly betrayed his agitation.
3ather than being a anic brought on by terror! the instincts of a
soldier who had survived the battlefield told him he was in danger.
A continuous chain of si(teen comressed air bullets! far surassing
the limits laid down by the rules! came swarming towards Tatsuya.
The 6ounter Magic ;ram Demolition was a techni%ue that used
comressed sions as bullets to forcibly eradicate Magic Se%uences.
Due to its forceful nature! this was a highly inefficient techni%ue.
:n*nown to the common man! Magic Se%uences also differed in
strength.
The Magic Se%uences forged by someone of Masa*i2s caliber could
not be so easily disassembled! so overwhelming force was used to
forcibly annihilate it! which re%uired an outrageous amount of
comressed sions. /ven for Tatsuya! this was not an inconsiderable
sum! though it was far beyond what an average Magician could
roduce even if they sent the entire day wor*ing at it.
Eet in this instant! he had to disel A@ shots.
/ven though Tatsuya instantly made the call that ;ram Demolition
wasn2t going to ma*e it in time! he resolutely refused to use
GDecomositionG. 9e stubbornly stuc* to his orders to *ee classified
magic under wras.
9e hid the fact that he was caable of GdecomosingG information
structures through G;ram DisersalG and met the attac* with G;ram
DemolitionG.
The ensuing result was a given.
After bringing down AR of the shots! the last two hits struc* home on
Tatsuya2s body.
Seeing Tatsuya begin to crumle towards his feet! Masa*i sat out
GShitHG in dee regret.
While in a comlete flight or fight mode! he had released magic that
surassed the rules for destructive ower. 9e reali)ed this oint the
moment he released his magic.
This was only a few seconds after the fact! so the anel of judges
might not have noticed yet.
The red flag hadn2t been raised yet! but he was rofoundly aware that
he was about to be dis%ualified for violating the rules.
That reali)ation caused recious seconds to sli from Masa*i2s hands.
9is mind was comletely blan* as he concluded that there was
nothing he could do to avert that.
*Multi$le ri< fracture= >i/er ru$tured= Ma""i/e internal <leeding=-
*&om<at le/el dro$$ing <elo+ o$timal condition"-
*,uto #e"toration ,<ility ? ,uto ,cti/ate-
*Magic Se@uence ? A$loading-
*&ore B Cido" B Data ? #etrie/ing from "torage-
*#e"toration ? &ommence D &om$lete-
JThis se%uence was comleted even before Tatsuya could even
consciously reali)e this.
Subconscious signal rocessing vastly outstried conscious signal
rocessing in terms of seed.
-y the time he reali)ed he was collasing! his flesh had already been
restored.
Within easy gras of his fingers! a air of motionless legs could be
seen.
Tatsuya had no clue why Masa*i stood there fro)en and comletely
defenseless.
6urrently! that reason did not concern him.
-efore he even too* the time to dwell on that subject! his body had
already risen to its feet.
9e too* a ste forward with his right foot and stretched his right arm
ast Masa*i2s face that was aalled with shoc*.
The right hand that stabbed forth was never intended to stri*e Masa*i!
and just as it assed Masa*i2s ear!
An e(losion that was on the same level as a flash bang srang from
Tatsuya2s right hand.
The roar rendered the observation dec* utterly silent.
/ven Kichijouji! who was still loc*ed in combat! couldn2t hel but
sto his actions and turn to loo*.
On Tatsuya2s right hand! his thumb was ressed tightly against the ti
of his inde( finger as he held his inter-crossed fingers before him.
:nder the ga)e of the all the layers! judges! sectators! and
suorters! Masa*i san* to the floor while Tatsuya owerlessly fell to
his *nees.
GWhatL What the hec* just haenedLG
9er face and voice unified in comlete anic! Mayumi in%uired of her
neighbors.
'o one answered her.
'either Su)une nor A)usa could answer Mayumi2s %uestion.
G......9e snaed his fingers and then amlified the volume.G
The answer came from Katsuto! who was directly across from Su)une.
G......That sounds about right. 9e simly amlified the sound wave.
Such a cacohony would li*ely ruture his eardrums and the
semicircular canals! thus incaacitating &chijou-*un. 6ertainly well
within the confines of the rules.G
Su)une said after Katsuto.
GWhile the sound was amlified many decibels higher! the magic that
was used earlier was solely from the Oscillation System. That2s why
Tatsuya-*un! who doesn2t e(cel in activating magic at high seeds!
could still accomlish this in such a swift manner.G
GThat was obvious right from the startH Anyone could tell that from
seeing the right handHG
9owever! Mayumi2s mood seemed to blac*en even more at these
e(lanations.
G& am as*ing why was Tatsuya-*un able to rise after sustaining
&chijou-*un2s attac*s that should have criled himH
Wasn2t Tatsuya-*un ta*en out right thereHL
9is counter with 2;ram Demolition2 was clearly not in time! rightHL
9e should have ta*en at least two hitsH
So why has Tatsuya-*un ta*en damage that is beyond the ma(imum
threshold for destruction and is still able to continue to fightHLG
GSaegusa! calm downHG
Mayumi too* the news that Tatsuya might have sustained terrible
injuries e(tremely oorly! as evidenced by her ashen face. Katsuto
tried to calm her in a solemn voice.
G& saw the same scene! but the truth of the matter is that Shiba stood
on his feet and moved in a manner that someone with grievous injuries
is simly incaable of and defeated the enemy. -ased on his current
aearance! he aears to have suffered damage from the sound attac*
he released and not any other major injury.G
G-ut......G
G&sn2t Shiba an e(ert in anti%uated martial artsL 3umor has it that the
older styles contained hysical arts that could strengthen the body and
techni%ues that could mitigate blows directed towards the body. This
is robably something similar to that.G
G............G
/ven though she wasn2t entirely convinced of the veracity of Katsuto2s
words! Mayumi still recovered her calm.
GOur *nowledge does not ma*e u the entirety of the world. Magic is
not the only 2miracle2 out there.
&n addition! the match isn2t over yet.G
G......Eou2re absolutely correct. & aologi)e! 7uumonji-*un. Sorry! 3in-
chan.G
As Mayumi was reconciling with Su)une! the battle entered a new
hase.
G'o matter when & see his Self-3estoration! the sight always imresses
me to no end.G
5ujibayashi turned a half s*etical loo* at Eamana*a! who was
haily remar*ing on the situation J albeit with an aroriately
lowered volume to account for the crowd around them.
G......Did you really see Self-3estoration actually activatingL &! for one!
didn2t see the sion waves generated by sell activation.G
G'either did &. & doubt Kudou-sama noticed either. That being said! the
seed of his Self-3estoration ability has long since surassed the
realms of human cognition seeds.G
After reaching this oint! Eamana*a finally noticed 5ujibayashi
glaring severely at him.
GAh! no J & didn2t see anything. Of course & didn2t see Shiba Tatsuya-
*un use some sort of theoretically imossible Self-3estoration ability.
Seriously! his endurance is suerhuman. 9ow interestingHG
Eamana*a said lightly while indulging in delighted laughter.
5ujibayashi stared at him in erle(ity.
G3egardless! lease don2t call him in so you can run e(eriments on
him. 9e2s one of the only two eole in this country! and rumored to
be among the 10 or so recious assets with Strategic-6lass abilitiesHG
GSomehow! & don2t thin* he2s such a wea*ling that he2d fall aart after
one or two e(eriments.G
GWhether he would fall aart is not the roblem hereHG
At this merciless scolding! Eamana*a %uic*ly shran* his nec* in.
G5ine! but no matter how we slice it...... 9e used that thing! just li*e
5ujibayashi said he would.G
G&ndeed! &chijou-*un is simly too tough an oonent with a low
%uality 6AD. & thin* that even 5lash 6ast would be legitimate here.G
GSingle Systematic 5lash 6ast! eh. Oh well! at least he managed to
*ee our secrets.G
The ones who wanted 5lash 6ast to remain a secret were the Eotsuba
5amily and not the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion. This
ability was considered too unethical for even the military to adot.
The &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion labeled Tatsuya2s original
magic as classified. /ven in the direst straits! Tatsuya stuc* to his guns
and never used GDecomositionG! only activating his #ersonal
3estoration ability! which was something that no one could identify
even if they saw it anyway. This way! Tatsuya only drew the attention
of the masses. Otherwise! from the military2s ersective! a ri)ed
military asset li*e Tatsuya should be constantly rotected from the
influence of foreign elements.
At the same time! that would also severely limit his ersonal freedom.
&f the situation develoed in that direction! the military would be
forced to consider oosing! no! flat out countermeasures against
Tatsuya. While his words were ir*some! Eamana*a actually heaved a
sigh of relief at the current outcome.
GThe 6AD in his left hand is calibrated for Oscillation-Tye Magic
recisely to cover for this. 9e2s just as rudent as always.G
G&f that2s a high school student! there is something seriously wrong
with this world. -ut! 5lash 6ast...... &f he was an enemy! that sort of
seed would be a terrifying threat.G
5ujibayashi e(ressed her sincere ac*nowledgement of Eamana*a2s
words.
G&ndeed...... That2s ractically brainwashing the brain into carving the
images of the Activation Se%uences into memory! then directly
recalling the Activation Se%uence from memory without the aid of a
6AD. This ability comletely byasses the need for the 6AD to
sread and read the Activation Se%uences......
&n his situation! the calculation area in his consciousness has ta*en this
to the ne(t level. -y being able to construct Magic Se%uences from
memory! he also avoids the time needed to construct Magic Se%uences
in real time...... This way! he has absolutely relaced the deficit in
rocessing seed.G
GMore li*e made u for and then some. Do we even have someone in
the troo that can beat the seed he just dislayedL /ven Eanagi! who
shares the same systematic talent! is only barely able to match him.G
G......True! & can2t thin* of anyone else.G
The two of them were no longer watching the match.
They were solely focused on Tatsuya! who was still *neeling on the
ground.
Kichijouji was utterly anic stric*en.
9e could not believe the scene that lay before his eyes.
Masa*i was stretched out on the ground.
/ven though his oonent! Tatsuya! was also *neeling on the floor!
light still dwelt within his eyes.
&n other words......
"Masa*i! lost......L$
This was an altogether unbelievable sight.
An imlausibility that simly couldn2t occur.
Originally! even if there was a minuscule chance the team could lose!
the ossibility that Masa*i would fall was ractically )ero.
GKichijouji! watch outHG
Kichijouji snaed out of it uon hearing his teammate calling out to
him from their original osition and activated G+ightning 3odG magic
on refle(.
The grass became the focal oint of the lightning attac* and grounded
out the electrical force.
Kichijouji finally reali)ed that his oonent! who should have been
crushed into the ground by Weight-Tye Magic! was anting as the
long robe whied about him and glaring at him.
When the roar reached his ears! Mi*ihi*o had no idea what had just
haened.
9e didn2t have the leisure to ersonally witness his surroundings.
Still! when the ressure forcing him into the ground suddenly
vanished! he %uic*ly rolled to a safe distance and got to his feet and
sontaneously adoted evasive maneuvers.
Then! he finally too* a good loo* around him.
+eo had been *noc*ed unconscious.
Tatsuya was on both *nees. /ven though he hadn2t fallen! he didn2t
loo* li*e he could continue.
And ne(t to him! &chijou Masa*i stretched out his full length on the
ground.
"Eou did it! TatsuyaH$
Mi*ihi*o once thought that Tatsuya could find a way through
anythingM yet on the other hand! he also felt8 G/ven Tatsuya is......G
5ired u by the achievement before his eyes! Mi*ihi*o leaed u with
renewed vigor.
'ot that Mi*ihi*o2s condition was any better.
Maybe! he was the worst off of the three.
A shar! stabbing ain accomanied each laborious breath.
/ven if the ribs weren2t bro*en! he robably couldn2t avoid minor
fractures.
Due to the e(orbitant amount of time under stress! he was a little light-
headed right now.
9is bac* was still in ain from being violently thrown to the ground.
Mi*ihi*o cursed the hardness of the earth desite the grass in the
rivacy of his mind.
9owever J he was not about to surrender.
&n the worst case scenario! he still had to go one on two.
'o! fear had no lace in his heart! this was the savage truth of reality.
/ven so J defeat was not an otion.
Tatsuya con%uered the G6rimson #rinceG.
At the very least! he was going to show him that he could ta*e down
G6ardinal ;eorgeG J it was this GobstinacyG that drove Mi*ihi*o to
stand on sha*y legs.
9e maniulated his 6AD to release a lightning attac*. At the same
time! he channeled magic into the gray robe he wore J sions that
had been digiti)ed.
9is image was consumed by the sirits of GshadowG hidden in his
robe.
Shadows are not synonymous with dar*ness.
The outline of an object could be traced by its shadow.
As indeendent information bodies of GshadowG! the sirits of shadow
could disrut the light and dar*ness that made u the silhouette! in
order to hamer an oonent2s ability to identify and aim at the target.
The sell originally belonged to the Eoshida 5amily and him by
e(tension! but Tatsuya was the one who rovided the robe as
sulement! rewrote the software of the 6AD to its current ea*
condition! and suggested that he use this sell to distort his image.
&t was all than*s to Tatsuya that he could come close to matching his
revious self J though /ri*a believed that he had surassed his ast
J in terms of magic.
5or someone with his family bac*ground and history to be forced into
such degrading tas*s was the ultimate humiliation! and Tatsuya was
the one who gave him the oortunity to rove his mettle on the
battlefield.
Along the way to the finals! Tatsuya was also the integral cog that
made their advancement ossible.
At this rate! at the end of all things! all the laurels would fall on
Tatsuya.
:on reali)ing this! Mi*ihi*o bit his li and funneled new life into his
wavering legs.
J& will not rely on Tatsuya for everythingH
JMy ride forbids me from doing soH
J'o matter what it ta*es! & will have my vengeanceH
JKichijouji Shin*urou! how you have dragged me into the mudH
J6ome! allow me to return the favorH
These were the roud! grandiose! and arrogant words that Mi*ihi*o
so*e to himself.
Tatsuya said it already.
9e already told me.
&t is not you! Mi*ihi*o! who is lac*ing. &t is the sell itself.
ThenJ
"Tatsuya! allow me to rove the truth of your wordsH$
9e ignored the magic that shot around his body.
Shadow magic had dislaced an illusion of himself several stes away
for the enemy to shoot at.
#utting faith in his own abilities! Mi*ihi*o tyed a long string of
commands into the large smart hone-shaed 6AD hidden in the
inside of his robe.
'e(t! he too* his right hand off the 6AD and slaed the earth ne(t to
his feet.
Most ;enerali)ed 6ADs use two numbers and a confirmation *ey for
a total of three *eys to begin an Activation Se%uence.
9igher %uality models! esecially the high tech smarthone ones! had
features that included auto comlete and selection of high efficiency
magics! so one *ey stro*e was all that was necessary to activate
magic.
Eet today! Mi*ihi*o hit over A1 *eystro*es.
That was 1 times as many as moves the usual ;enerali)ed 6AD needs
for magic invocation.
'evertheless! Mi*ihi*o used a fraction of the normal time to comlete
the stes for Ancient Magic.
Since the number of *ey stro*es for each Activation Se%uence was the
same! Mi*ihi*o had no need to hit any e(tra *eys. 9e wasn2t lanning
on combining five magics into one Magic Se%uence! he was setting
for the continuous activation of five magics.
This was a techni%ue that unfolded in increments.
&t wasn2t a simle Magic Se%uence that had five magics crammed
inside. &nside the code for each magic! there lay instructions to begin
constructing the ne(t Magic Se%uence.
/ach magic would verify the surrounding conditions and ass that
onto the ne(t sell! which was a mandatory and critical ste for all
Magicians who wielded Sirit Magic.
This continuous chain of movements didn2t re%uire individual
verification! but would rocess everything in a single! uninterruted
string.
That was the answer that Tatsuya gave Mi*ihi*o.
The earth groaned beneath his hands.
Kichijouji was aware that the groaning was not caused by the Ancient
Magic user stri*ing the earth with his hands! but because he had
activated Oscillation-Tye Magic in the ground.
&n site of this! the GMagisterG-li*e aearance and movements as well
as their accomanying effect was sufficient to allow Kichijouji to
mista*enly erceive that Gthe earth shoo* when the alm struc* the
groundG.
6rac*s formed in the earth beneath Mi*ihi*o2s hands and rushed
towards the location where Kichijouji had lost his balance.
The ground was not hysically tearing aart! but was being searated
by the force e(erted within. Theoretically! this was a concet he
understood.
-ut for un*nown reasons! his mental calculations seemed to have lost
touch with reality.
Kichijouji used a combination of Weight-Tye and Move-Tye Magic
and sought to escae through the air.
9owever! his feet were unable to leave the earth.
;rass was firmly wraed around his an*les.
J9e didn2t *now of any magic that could command the lants li*e
animals.
9is heart wavered at the idea of being attac*ed by un*nown magic.
This was done by simly commanding the air currents that brushed
over the earth2s surface to create the image that the grass had wraed
around the target. Eet! Magicians who were only familiar with
Systematic Magics would never believe that this was simly a
GcoincidentalG J instead of actually changing the direction of the
currents! all that was necessary was the ercetion of being
GentangledG J brush of air.
The crac*s in the earth arrived beneath his feet.
Kichijouji could almost feel the grass ulling him into the earth.
These were all illusions.
&n order to escae from these illusions! Kichijouji gathered every
ounce of Magic #ower at his command into a leaing sell.
JAnd comletely ignored the ossibility that all this was
unnecessary.
9e had no need to tear through the cumbersome grass jum to such a
height.
Kichijouji was overcome with relief at escaing the mossy hell that
had risen to his chin by sringing into the s*y. &n this articular
moment! his consciousness had comletely overloo*ed Mi*ihi*o2s
resence. The oonent whom he was loc*ed in battle with currently
did not e(ist within his attention.
This was the decisive oening.
Mi*ihi*o had continuously activated 1 magics.
G/arthsha*erG! G/arth SlitterG! GWild 9airG! GAnt 9ellG.
Those were the first four sells that Mi*ihi*o used.
And for his last attac*! GThunder 6hildG! this one was going to swat
Kichijouji from the heavens as it came hurtling down from above.
GEou bastardHG
:sing his hands to hold him u! Mi*ihi*o confirmed the *ill shot. At
this time! magic launched by the last member from Third 9igh came
flying towards him.
Dirt and dust iled ato one another as they came rolling forward! also
*nown as Move-Tye Magic G+and TsunamiG.
6omared to the original concetion of the magic! this was really a
downscaled +and Tsunami. Maybe it was because the user wasn2t well
versed in this magic! or he toned down the fireower because of the
rules.
'onetheless! for Mi*ihi*o! who had already sustained considerable
damage from Kichijouji! this sell had sufficient ower to finish him
off.
9e might be able to summon the sirits still burrowed in the earth to
reel the oncoming dirt! Mi*ihi*o thought J then swiftly gave u.
Alas! he didn2t have much Magic #ower left.
While it was called Sirit Magic! the GsiritsG themselves didn2t
actually ossess any ower. Sirits were ultimately information bodies
and nothing more than mediums used to influence the /idos.
So! we still lost...... 9e thought as he watched the earth rush towards
him. Suddenly! Mi*ihi*o2s vision was obscured by dar*ness.
With the heavy sound of something colliding into a metal wall! the
earth returned to its original osition.
Mi*ihi*o raised his head towards the blac* flying object that bloc*ed
his view.
There! he found his teammate waving his hands and shouting at him.
The flying edge of the Weaoni)ed &ntegrated 6AD had traveled a
long distance to ta*e out Third 9igh2s last layer.
G......Did we winLG
G......Eeah! we did.G
Mayumi as*ed as if muttering to herself! to which Su)une relied in
the same manner.
That became the signal.
'o one *new who started cheering.
One erson set off two others! then four eole! eight eole! the
chain reaction continued onward.
5inally culminating in an e(losion.
5irst 9igh2s disorderly cries seemed to merge together and sent the
observation dec* roc*ing.
This was a ure and innocent e(ression of emotion.
&t was a sound that both serenaded the victors and bestowed the
crushing blow of judgment towards the defeated.
9owever! this rec*less celebration %uic*ly taered away.
Meanwhile! in the front row of 5irst 9igh2s suorters.
The figure of a young lady could be seen as she clased both hands to
her mouth as she watched the arena with tears of joy tric*ling down
her chee*s.
Seeing her brother stagger to his feet and wave at her! she was at a loss
for words and could only ga)e at him.
As if to suort her! the alause gradually sread around her.
Shortly afterward! the alause sread from the stands for 5irst 9igh2s
suorters and sread across the entire stadium! regardless of whether
they were friend or foe to form a claing tide of raise.
JThe entire stadium was enveloed in warm alause.
/ven Tatsuya couldn2t hel but be embarrassed by the une(ected
shower of alause.
Tatsuya too* off his helmet and wal*ed to the two others. +eo and
Mi*ihi*o were both waiting for him! neither one of them saring a
glance at the audience stands.
G......Sea*ing of which! you stole all the limelight. Were you waiting
for that to haenLG
The first thing Tatsuya said as he aroached was this accusation of
being a glory hound. Eet! regardless of whether it was the reciient
+eo! Mi*ihi*o who heard this! or Tatsuya who so*e u! everyone
*new this was only to hide their aw*wardness.
G'o way. & was really out of it for a while. That2s the first time &2ve
ta*en such a hit since ta*ing a hit from a large motorcycle two years
ago.G
GWhatL Eou too* a hit from a large motorcycleLG
Mi*ihi*o as*ed with an GAre you jo*ingLG e(ression! but +eo nodded
his head earnestly.
GEeah! that one hurt a lot. There was some *id behind me so & couldn2t
dodge! so & just decided to bite the bullet and owH 7ust li*e that......
Still got hurt though! since & got away with three fractured ribs.
5ortunately! this one wasn2t as bad as last time.G
G:h...... +eoL 7ust in case! & just want to ma*e sure that you used
5ortifying Magic to defend against the comressed air ellets!
right......LG
G/h>! &2m sorry to say that all my concentration was focused on
attac*ing...... So as you can see! & didn2t have any defenses in lace.
AhH 9ow embarrassing.G
Mi*ihi*o2s face was flooded with %uestion mar*s. -luntly sea*ing!
he was oenly gaing! but fortunately no one was on hand to laugh at
his e(ense! since the large screen had switched to view the entire
arena overhead and was unable to cature any details of the layers2
e(ressions.
GThen! you2re telling me...... Eou just too* &chijou-*un2s magic
attac*sLG
G& was defenseless! rightL That2s why it too* me so long to get u.
9mL Mi*ihi*o! you bro*e your li. Are you OKLG
GAh...... Eeah! &2m OK....... Sorta.G
Mi*ihi*o could only stand there stuefied at this disjointed
conversation and unbelievable confession. 9owever! +eo was in an
e(cellent mood! so he didn2t ay much attention to Mi*ihi*o2s
bewilderment.
GSea*ing of which! Tatsuya! you OKLG
G9mL Sorry! could you reeat thatLG
G& said! Tatsuya! you OKLG
GAh...... /ardrums are rutured on one side. 3ight now my ears aren2t
doing too well. 6omared to that! Mi*ihi*o! what2s wrong with youL
Eou loo* li*e you2ve seen a :5O.G
Mi*ihi*o was currently engaged in a mental struggle over GWas he the
strange one! no! that2s imossibleG.
G:h! Tatsuya! you didn2t hear...... our earlier conversation! did youLG
G&2m sorry. &2m reading lis right now to get a hint of what2s going on. &
did however catch the art about +eo getting hit by a large
motorcycle.G
G......So! do you have any %uestions for himLG
As if trying to end his mental struggle once and for all and rove that
he was erfectly normal! Mi*ihi*o as*ed Tatsuya with considerable
treidation! but......
G?uestionsL About whatLG
Tatsuya2s answer sent Mi*ihi*o loo*ing s*yward in desair.
GMi*ihi*o! what2s the matterL Don2t be so melancholy. We wonH We
are the chamions! the chamionsHG
GEou2re right......G
Mi*ihi*o suddenly loo*ed e(hausted! which was erfectly natural
considering +eo was erfectly at ease and Tatsuya seemed to mirror
that sentiment.
Seeing those two! Mi*ihi*o thought.
&n the end! the final gas was not decided by Magic #ower or sells!
but by hysical endurance.
:on seeing the two others finally give in to the undying alause and
stand there side by side! shoulder to shoulder! as they waved bac* in
resonse desite their embarrassment! Mi*ihi*o was ainfully aware
that8 G& need to train a lot more......G
Chapter 11
The celebrations for both the 'ewcomers Division and overall
victories haened at the same time.
The three relacements who too* 5irst #lace and were directly
resonsible for the triumh in the 'ewcomers Division were all
injured in the finals! so this wasn2t e(actly the time for rec*less
celebration. /ven with that in mind! the real reason was even though
overall victory was assured! rearations still needed to be made for
tomorrow2s Mirage -at event! hence they didn2t have time to really
celebrate.
Than*s to 5irst 9igh2s newcomers turning the table! the difference in
score between 5irst and Third 9igh grew even further.
6urrently! the difference was AR0 oints.
5or tomorrow2s Mirage -at event! 5irst #lace earned 10 oints!
Second #lace received B0 oints! Third #lace gets C0 oints! and
5ourth #lace nabbed A0 oints.
5or tomorrow2s reliminary round and the finals for Monolith 6ode!
5irst #lace obtained A00 oints! Second #lace received @0 oints! with
Third and 5ourth #lace each receiving R0 oints.
-ased on tomorrow2s result! 5irst 9igh2s overall victory might become
a certainty before reaching the final day.
The layers and technicians were overwhelmed with wor* trying to
rocure the essentials "such as the uniforms and 6ADs for the
Monolith 6ode layers$! so any member with time on their hands was
also thrown into the fray.
Tatsuya intentionally avoided using G3estorationG on his rutured right
eardrum and received the usual medical treatment from the infirmary.
Afterwards! he used Self 3estoration to fully reair the damage and
covered it u with the medical atch issued to him. 6urrently! he was
alone with Miyu*i and busy rearing for tomorrow.
'one of the other team members! esecially the uerclassmen! *new
that he had fully recovered! so they were still in the throes of worry.
While Tatsuya felt slightly guilty about deceiving them! he had his
reasons as well. &n atonement! he chose to silently endure the
discomfort caused by wearing the ear rotector in the scorching heat
of summer. J9e was %uite aware that such a trivial matter did not
constitute as atonement.
Still! even though they were Goverwhelmed with wor*G! this could not
comare to the sheer madness from the day before.
Scratch that! maybe it wasn2t even close.
Eesterday evening! he had to fully e%ui two eole from scratch J
three! including himself J 6ADs included! which created a level of
frantic industry rarely seen in this field.
Although Miyu*i had switched from the 'ewcomers Division to the
Official Division! she was originally slated for Mirage -at anyway! so
her rearations roceeded aace. /vents outside of their control had
cost them a day! but that wouldn2t affect the outcome by much.
GDon2t force yourself! Tatsuya-*un! ta*e a brea*. Eou already ushed
yourself too hard yesterday.G
GMiyu*i-chan! you too. &f you always wor* so hard! we2ll never sto
incurring injuries.G
Tatsuya e(ertly comleted the 6AD e(amination. Along with
Miyu*i! he was ractically forcibly e(elled by Mayumi and Su)une!
drawing today2s activities to a close.
F F F
/lsewhere! at this time during the same night! another grou of eole
were lagued by insomnia as they were bac*ed into a corner.
GAt this oint! 5irst 9igh2s victory is ractically written on the wall...G
G5uc* thatH Do you want to give uL Do you want to sit down and
dieLHG
G&f 5irst 9igh wins li*e this! we2re going to lose over a billion. &n :.S.
dollarsHG
GWe2d be better off dead in the face of that *ind of lossH 9? was never
interested in this lan because uon failure! the loss in caital would
be enormous. We were the ones who forced this lan through. 'ow! if
we2re luc*y we would be turned into 2;enerators2! and anyone
unworthy would become 2-oosters2 to slave away for the organi)ation
until the day we die.G
The men sitting around the table turned fearful ga)es on the four
fro)en men standing in the four corners of the room.
GWithout this lan! we might not be able to meet our %uotas... but &
thin* we overreached ourselves.G
GThis isn2t the time to say thatH ...&n that case! let2s do it! by any means
ossibleHG
G9e2s rightH We already sent considerable energy forcing the favored
candidates to lose their matches. -y now! we shouldn2t hesitate to
adot more brutal tactics. /ven if our customers are susicious! so
long as we don2t leave any evidence behind! those are only emty
accusations at the end. 'ow! we go all the way or bustHG
GSend agents to the assistants. 5or tomorrow2s Mirage -at! force all of
5irst 9igh2s layers to withdraw J by any means ossibleHG
GThey won2t die if they2re luc*y. Otherwise! & guess they weren2t
luc*y.G
The men loo*ed at one another with maniacal smiles on their faces!
their thoughts in accord.
F F F
The ninth day of the 'ine Schools 6ometition. The leasant weather
that lasted until yesterday too* a turn for the worse! with thic* clouds
that hinted of rain covering the s*ies. &t was a dar* and overcast day.
Still! there was no blinding sunlight with the dar* clouds in the s*y!
creating erfect conditions for Mirage -at. 5or the layers! Miyu*i
included! this forecast was undoubtedly Ge(cellent weatherG.
GWhile this is an ideal condition for Mirage -at... Eet & somehow feel
that this is the harbinger of conflict.G
9earing Tatsuya murmuring to himself as he watched the s*ies!
Miyu*i creased her brows.
G&s something else going to haen...LG
GSince their goal remains a mystery... 'o evidence of something afoot
does not guarantee that nothing will occur. 3egardless! Miyu*i doesn2t
need to worry. 'o matter what haens! only you! & will rotect to the
absolute end.G
Tatsuya2s words had no suerfluous meaning.
5or Tatsuya! his sole urose was to safeguard Miyu*i.
To be brutally honest! in Tatsuya2s mind! sacrificing the other layers
was nothing more than a method to the madness.
9owever J Tatsuya robably gave than*s that no one was around to
overhear their conversation.
&f a third arty was resent... &f someone saw Tatsuya watching the
s*y and! out of his sight range! Miyu*i drooing her head in
embarrassment while wearing a thoroughly delighted smile as she
drifted towards him! they might reort the siblings for the crime of
Ghomicide by headachesG.
F F F
Miyu*i was set to aear in the second match.
Actually! aearing in the first match with the ma(imum amount of
rest was the best case. -ut now that Tatsuya thought about it! not
everything goes their way! so they should be than*ful that she wasn2t
scheduled for the third match.
The two of them chose to observe the first match from the au(iliary
observation dec* on the side.
While there was a R1 minute brea* between the first and second
matches! moving from the main audience stands to the cometition
arena was a waste of time.
The layers from the other schools aarently thought the same! given
the way they were congregated around one side of the arena.
GKobaya*awa-senai loo*s retty fired uHG
That was Miyu*i2s assessment of their senai! who was one of the
layers waiting on one of the uraised circular illars in the middle of
the la*e for the starting signal.
That was Tatsuya2s oinion as well.
9owever! Mari once comlained that Kobaya*awa was an unstable
individual. 'ow that he thought about it! since this might be the
decisive match that clinched 5irst 9igh2s overall victory! it was
robably imossible to tell her to rela(.
Still! the bottom line was that victory or defeat was entirely u to her!
but there didn2t seem to be any roblems! Tatsuya thought.
:nder the combined ga)e of the audience! related ersonnel! and
fellow teammates! the starting signal rang out.
The first match turned into flurry of activity to decide the standings!
but Kobaya*awa maintained a slim lead.
-reathless! /ri*a could finally let out a sigh of relief and turned to
sea* to her neighbor Mi)u*i J only to find her friend staring at the
scene with widened eyes thoroughly unli*e her.
GMi)u*i... &s it OK for you to ta*e off your glassesLG
Magicians who were oversensitive to ushion light wore secial
glasses to inhibit the effects of ushion light as well as to avoid
becoming emotionally stimulated by active ushions. &n the current
situation! ta*ing off her glasses in such a furious event surely brought
incredible stress on her sirit.
G&n truth... &t2s a little uncomfortable.G
/ri*a noticed that Mi)u*i2s hands that were holding her glasses on her
thighs shoo* from time to time.
G-ut! & don2t thin* that always evading the issue is the answer.G
G...& don2t thin* Mi)u*i is evading the issue at all.G
/ri*a had heard Mi)u*i2s reason for attending magic high school
numerous times.
Of course! the chief reason was to be able to ta*e advantage of this
rare talent. Secifically! she hoed to enroll in the magic universities
as a Magic Artificer.
Eet at the same time! she also wished to learn how to control this air
of GeyesG that often saw simly too much. Within the limits set for
6ourse C students! she wished to receive the fullest amount of training.
While still immature! but recisely because she saw this as her
GstrengthG! this certainly did not %ualify as running away. And
recisely because it wasn2t fully develoed yet! /ri*a believed that
using suorting tools and e%uiment was the right aroach.
#recisely because of this.
G3ome wasn2t built in one day. +i*ewise! you won2t fully control your
abilities in one shot and! though & shouldn2t be the one to say this!
doing so usually ruins your body as well. Mi)u*i! this could cause
irrearable damageHG
That2s why she chose such a stern lecture.
GEeah... -ut! if & avert my eyes at a time something that & must see is
visible! & thin* that2s also incorrect...G
&n site of this! Mi)u*i still *et her glasses on her la.
GWhen Watanabe-senai was injured! if & was watching carefully! &
might have rovided some assistance to Tatsuya-*un and the others.G
G...So this time! you2re *eeing watch in case another incident
occursLG
G/(actly. Eou *now...... & thin* Miyu*i will be erfectly fine. That2s
because if something was wrong with Miyu*i! there2s no way that
could escae Tatsuya-*un2s eyes. 9owever! he2s simly unable to
handle all the other layers today. &n addition! he was overwor*ed
yesterday. So if...G
G&f the other layers ran into trouble! Tatsuya-*un wouldn2t just sit
there twiddling his thumbs either. That2s most li*ely the case... 9e
loo*s cold on the outside! but he2s a good guy inside.G
GTatsuya-*un2s warmth comes from loo*ing after his friends...HG
GEes! yes! & got itHG
"&f not towards his GfriendsG! he would definitely be the sort to ma*e
the coldest! most objective decisions.$
/ri*a *et that thought to herself. She ressed both alms together in
front of her and sought to comfort the slightly annoyed Mi)u*i.
Mi*ihi*o! who was sitting on Mi)u*i2s other side! interjected uon
hearing their conversation.
G& understand /ri*a2s concerns towards Shibata-san and share the same
belief that Tatsuya has. Shibata-san2s 2eyes2 are undeniably the most
reliable tool to revent someone using Siritual Magic to hinder the
cometition. Since we have a barrier erected around us to damen the
effects of ushion light! & don2t thin* any residual after effects will
linger.G
9earing the unnatural eagerness within Mi*ihi*o2s words "according
to /ri*a$! /ri*a revealed a mischievous smir*.
G9m>...L So Mi*i will rotect Mi)u*i nowL
&f something haens to Mi)u*i! Mi*i will ta*e full resonsibility
nowL
Of course! that2s the tye of resonsibility men will ta*e for women!
rightLG
GWha! this isn2t the time to tal* about thatHG
-eet red! Mi*ihi*o2s furious rebuttal wholly ignored his usual
objection to his nic*name.
Sea*ing of Mi)u*i! she was also blushing a dee red and seemed to
be at a loss for words.
G...Eou truly are an evil womanHG
On the other hand! /ri*a utterly ignored the sighs and annoyed
scoldings coming from the other side of her seat.
-etween +eo! who was currently being ignored! and /ri*a! who was
feigning ignorance! the usual lively conversation started. At this time!
the bell for the second round started.
-oth of them wore an GunsatisfiedG e(ression and used their facial
e(ressions to convey their meaning while shutting their mouths to
avoid distracting the layers and the other members of the audience.
Afterwards! shortly after the second round began! that incident
haened.
-oth Kobaya*awa and another layer leaed at the same time towards
a green orb in the s*y.
:nfortunately! the other layer reached the target first.
Kobaya*awa used magic to sto her leaing momentum.
9er body came to a sto in the air.
'e(t! she sought to use magic to return to her starting location! but
found another layer had already landed at that location.
:nruffled! she decided on the closest landing sot and switched the
Magic Se%uence to land there.
9owever! her body that was suosed to move in a diagonal attern
J fell directly downwards through gravity2s influence.
/ven the sectators in the audience could see Kobaya*awa2s
e(ression falter as she began to fall.
Shoc*.
#anic.
Terror.
The magic that was suosed to suort her failed to activate.
Magic had suorted her life to this day! yet suddenly betrayed her at
this critical moment. She forgot to even struggle as she lummeted
towards the surface of the la*e.
/ven though it was the water2s surface! this was still a A0 meter fall.
&f the landing was oor! this might be fatal.
'or did Kobaya*awa aear to ta*e any stance to reare for landing.
5ortunately! this was an athletic cometition with two or three layers
of safeguards in lace. There were emergency resonses in lace if a
layer suddenly lost control of their magic and began to fall.
The staff on hand immediately released Seed-Tye Magic.
5rom the moment Kobaya*awa started to fall until the staff used
magic to catch her body! robably less than a second had elased.
Still! she was less than half way from the water2s surface.
This was more than enough to comletely crush her confidence.
With itying eyes! Tatsuya watched them carry away his unconscious
senai on a stretcher.
The greatest reason why young men and women lost their ability to
use magic was because of ha)ardous situations caused by magic
failure and the subse%uent distrust towards magic in general.
Magic is a ower that deceives the world.
Magic itself e(ists outside the truth of the world! hence the decetion.
/ven so! if everyone could use their GeyesG to see magic li*e Tatsuya!
then they could easily believe this decetive yet truthful ower.
'evertheless! for most Magicians "esecially the chic*s and salings$!
magic was an immutable! invisible e(istence. /ven if they could see
the sions! they couldn2t see how magic was interacting with their
world. &n short! they were clueless beyond theoretical *nowledge.
J When &2m using magic! is this really my own ower J
/very Magician-in-training came across this %uestion during their
education. 'o! this susicion. Once magic failed to materiali)e!
resulting in danger that relied on magic to avert! this susicion raidly
turned into belief.
J See! magic doesn2t e(ist J
This belief.
Once this idea was imlanted into a Magician! magic would forever be
out of their reach.
Magic was such a fragile e(istence that balanced on the tis of the
mental scales.
"...Kobaya*awa-senai is li*ely bro*en for life.$
As if to comfort the utterly ale Miyu*i! Tatsuya cradled her shoulders
into his chest as he murmured to himself.
When in gravity2s gras and at the moment of incetion!
Kobaya*awa2s e(ression was covered with terror.
&t was someone else. /ven if he made that distinction! reali)ing that
someone had forever lost their recious abilities certainly left a bitter
after taste.
As if ressing a burning brand to the gaing wound! his messaging
terminal in the chest oc*et started vibrating and arrested his
melancholy.
Miyu*i! who was ressed tightly against him! turned a shoc*ed
e(ression towards Tatsuya. 9e calmly removed the fold u device
and ressed it to his ear.
GTatsuya! it2s me! Mi*ihi*o. ;ot a momentLG
G...Ah! no roblem.G
/ven though the lights clearly showed that the sound wave
interference module on the device was wor*ing! Tatsuya still lowered
his volume.
G:nfortunately! during the earlier incident! & was unable to detect any
magic at wor*.G
G&s that so...G
GSorry for disaointing you...G
G#lease don2t worry on that account! & failed to notice anything either.G
G9owever! Shibata-san has something she wants to say to you.G
GMi)u*iL Eou mean! her glasses were offLG
Tatsuya2s tone contained a level of astonishment that wasn2t feigned.
Eet! Mi*ihi*o didn2t immediately rely!
GTatsuya-*un! this is Mi)u*i.G
-ecause someone else had ta*en hold of the hone.
GMi)u*i! did you see anythingLG
Are you OKL Those words were stuc* in Tatsuya2s throat.
Still! Tatsuya believed that this would be tramling over Mi)u*i2s
good intentions.
As someone affiliated with magic! she made the conscious decision to
use her GvisionG.
Then! in%uiring about the results was what a member of the magic
world li*e him should resond with! Tatsuya thought.
GEes! well... On Kobaya*awa-senai2s right arm... maybe near where
she was wearing her 6AD! & saw a light! no! more li*e a 2sirit2
bursting aart.G
G3eally... Eou saw that. So! you said this 2sirit2 burst aartLG
G:h...... Ees! that2s the feeling & got. +i*e a really old electronic
scattering sar*s everywhere! something li*e that......G
G& see. So that2s it! & get it now... So that2s how they did it.G
Tatsuya got a muddled image of what snare their GenemiesG laid for
them.
G:h! Tatsuya-*un...LG
Aarently! his nodding movement could be detected through his
voice over the hone.
A somewhat hesitant! but very hoeful voice "from Mi)u*i$ traveled
across the other end of the line.
G/(cellent find! Mi)u*i. This is an invaluable iece of informationHG
GThan* you! you are very welcomeHG
-efore Mi)u*i could as* her burning %uestions! Tatsuya relied first.
Afterwards! Mi)u*i2s an(ious voice came bac* over the line.
F F F
:nfortunately! in the first match! 5irst 9igh was forced to withdraw in
the middle.
Tatsuya dearted 5irst 9igh2s avilion that was currently suffused in a
gloomy aura and made his way to the 6AD e(amination avilion
staffed by the board.
9e left Miyu*i in the layer2s resting area J even in the avilion! it
still counted as a GroomG.
-ased on the modus oerandi! it seemed highly unli*ely that they
would stri*e in two consecutive matches! and they hadn2t directly
assaulted the layers themselves. On the other hand! layers usually
focused all their attention on the ucoming match rather than worrying
about details li*e mechanical insections and the sort. Tatsuya adoted
a similar line of reasoning with his comanions.
6AD e(amination was a rocedure that had been reeated numerous
times in the ast few days and should be the area of least hassle or
concern. 9owever! his otimism died the moment he lugged the
6AD into the e(amination device.
This behavior was comletely imulsive.
The moment the board member too* the 6AD from his hands and
connected it to the e(amination device and started oerating the
controls!
&nstantly! he detected the anomaly! and by the time he reali)ed this...
9is hand had already dragged the man across the table and thrown
him violently to the floor.
A ained shrie* rang out.
&mmediately afterward! an angry roar J to be recise! it was the
guard who let out this angry roar J raidly aroached.
-ut! even hearing this sound was insufficient to halt his intentions.
A suffocating aura of *illing intent stoed the footstes in their trac*s
and draed the scene in silence.
This was the manifestation of the last remaining remnant of his
GsincerityG "emotion-wise$.
G...Eou2ve severely underestimated meHG
The ainful groan was li*ely a biological reaction because of the
increased force from the *neeca ressed down on his chest.
The board member that was thrown to the floor was so terrified of
Tatsuya2s demonic aura that his teeth weren2t even chattering and
could only lay there with sasms brea*ing out over his face.
GDid you seriously thin* that you could tamer with Miyu*i2s ersonal
effects and not rouse my ireLG
Desite hearing this! any third arty unaware of his family situation
could not comrehend his meaning.
At the same time! even if that was the case! no one would fail to
understandJ
The sinister smile on his lis.
The board member who was on the receiving end of this violence had
touched that which cannot be touched J the scales of the dragon.
6omletely ignoring the crowd around him! Tatsuya coldly so*e to
the man crumled on the floor.
GWhat did you lant inside Miyu*i2s 6AD during the e(aminationL
That2s not a tyical virusHG
The man2s face shoo* even harder now. This level of terror and desair
went beyond someone loo*ing Death in the eye. This was the face of
the condemned being read their sins in the deths of hell.
GSo! this is how you tamer with the 6AD software. Owing to the
rules of the cometition! no 6AD can avoid coming through this
bottlenec*.G
&n the crowd of security ersonnel who arrived to subdue Tatsuya! the
foremost one overheard Tatsuya2s muttering and suc*ed in a breath.
9e turned his ga)e on the man resonsible for 6AD e(amination who
was currently subdued by Tatsuya. The officer2s eyes gradually
switched from watching a victim to ga)ing at a otential susect.
GStill! you aren2t the only one resonsible for all the shenanigans
during this cometition! are youLG
:nder Tatsuya2s *nees! tears tric*led out of the corner of the man2s
eyes as he wea*ly shoo* his head.
GOhL Eou choose silenceLG
Tatsuya e(ressively formed the fingers of his right into a *arate cho
before the man2s eyes.
The finger tis aroached the man li*e the fangs of a sna*e.
Tatsuya2s right hand slowly stal*ed towards the fallen man2s throat.
Seeing this! everyone resent was mesmeri)ed by the sight and! for
some reason! they were all thin*ing about the same thing.
They were visuali)ing the same event.
The young man2s fingers would easily tear through this iteous
sinner2s s*in! gouge out the throat! and ass merciless judgment amid
a sea of blood...
GWhat is going on hereLG
7ust before this tragedy could lay out to its inevitable conclusion! an
elder2s comosed voice released everyone from their stasis.
There was no sense of intimidation or majestyM instead! the voice
assed over them li*e a sring bree)e as it swallowed the towering
murderous intent and neutrali)ed it.
GJKudou-samaHG
9is demons e(orcised! Tatsuya reined in his demonic aura! retracted
his hand and *nees before rising to bow towards /lder Kudou.
GMy terrible aologies. & have disturbed you with an unsightly
dislay.G
GEou are J 5irst 9igh2s Shiba-*un. Eesterday2s match left an indelible
imression. So! what2s going on hereLG
5eeling Tatsuya retract his fangs! someone sought to arrest the young
man resonsible for this chaos! but a colleague in the front ran*s who
overheard Tatsuya2s words restrained him.
GDue to the illegal activities directed towards our school2s 6ADs! & am
currently interrogating the arehended susect.G
G&s that so.G
Anyone who had been held in lace by his demonic aura and
murderous intent *new this was a lie.
&nterrogate wasn2t going to cut it.
9owever! /lder Kudou chose not to ursue that issue and merely
inclined his head at Tatsuya2s words.
GThis is the 6AD that was tamered withLG
G6orrect.G
The old Magician once *nown as the GwiliestG removed the 6AD from
the e(amination device and held it before his eyes before nodding in
agreement.
G...&ndeed! an abnormality is resent. &2ve seen this before. While & was
still in the service! during the battles in the /ast 6hina Seas! the
Magicians in the ;uangdong Army used this sort of ;olden /lectron
Sil*worms.G
As he said this! he directed a chilling ga)e towards the man on the
ground.
This cold voice sent the man crawling bac*wards.
G;olden /lectron Sil*worms ass across connections to invade
electronic devices. &t2s a S- magic that disables recision weaonry.G
S- Magic was the name given to magic that used self-regulated
immaterial e(istences! also *nown as GsiritsG! as a medium. /lder
Kudou briefly recalled his e(eriences and slowly unmas*ed this
magic.
GThe sil*worms don2t rewrite the rocess itself. &nstead! they interfere
with the outut signal and may even alter the signal. This delays the
sell activation by hamering the electronic mechanism without
triggering the OS or anti-virus rograms. #rior to identifying the
;olden /lectron Sil*worms! our forces suffered terribly under its
effects... Were you aware of thisLG
G'o.G
At /lder Kudou2s in%uiry! Tatsuya avoided any unnecessary movement
and maintained an Gat-easeG stance as he relied verbally.
GThis is the first &2ve heard of the term ;olden /lectron Sil*worms.
9owever! & immediately detected a foreign element intruding on the
system & designed.G
G& see.G
9earing Tatsuya2s words! /lder Kudou revealed a delighted smile.
Still! by the time he turned his ga)e on the eretrator! this smile had
morhed into a redatory smile that a veteran Magician of a hundred
battles turned on a haless foe.
G'ow! where did you come across the sell for ;olden /lectron
Sil*worms...LG
With a screech! the sy attemted to flee the scene! but was %uic*ly
brought down by the guards who originally came to arrest Tatsuya.
GWell! Shiba-*un. &t2s about time for you to return to the stadium. 7ust
use the bac*u 6ADs for now. Since this *ind of situation has
occurred! there2s no need for further e(aminations. Sea*ing of which!
board chairmanLG
At these sudden summons! one of the older gentlemen behind him J
that being said! he was still a do)en years younger than /lder Kudou
J hurriedly nodded his head.
G5or such an unsavory individual to infiltrate the staff is a scandal of
unrecedented roortions. Afterwards! & would li*e to hear your
e(lanation.G
The chairman loo*ed ready to faint! but still managed to rely in the
affirmative. /lder Kudou turned from his band of followers and once
more turned a delighted ga)e towards Tatsuya.
GShiba Tatsuya-*un! & would li*e to sea* with you sooner or later.G
GDefinitely! if the oortunity bec*onsJG
G&ndeed! allow me to loo* forward to this 2oortunity2.G
This was the first encounter between Tatsuya and Kudou 3etsu.
F F F
:on returning to 5irst 9igh2s avilion! Tatsuya was acutely aware
that the loo*s sent his way had develoed minute! yet definitive!
changes.
JMaybe! he should say they have Greverted to their original stateG.
The reason he said minute was because they were trying! but failed! to
hide their subtle glances. They felt guilty about seeing him in a
different light! yet could not suress the wavering in their hearts.
Tatsuya was no fool.
9is emotions were merely s*ewed in a certain direction! with one
articular half becoming esecially sensitive.
9ence! he was slow to accet good intentions.
Eet very adet at ic*ing u hostility.
6urrently! he was very accustomed to reading the glances thrown his
way. &t was the bewilderment! terror! and avoidance one e(erienced
when encountering an unidentified outlier.
GOnii-sama...G
Among them! one young lady did not shun him and aroached him
with subdued voice and e(ression.
GSorry! & made you worry.G
That was the only ga)e that luc*ed his heartstrings.
G9ow can that beH Wasn2t Onii-sama enraged on my behalfLG
At the same time as she shoo* her head vigorously! her brushed hair
arted slightly.
GThat was fast. 9ave you heard the detailsLG
Tatsuya gently adjusted the loose strands and caressed his sister2s
head. Shyly! Miyu*i died her head! but still answered her brother2s
%uestion clearly.
G'o. That2s because! whenever Onii-sama is actually furious... &t2s
always because of me...G
9er clear answer trailed off into a sob. Tatsuya used one hand to
stro*e his sister2s face and gently raised her head.
G.../(actly. & will only anger for your sa*e.
-ut! Miyu*i. &t is erfectly natural for an older brother to be furious
for a young sister.
&n my heart! that is the last scra of something 2erfectly natural2.
So! Miyu*i! you don2t have to be so sad.G
Tatsuya released his right hand and ulled out a hand*erchief! which
he used to dab at the tear corners of his sister2s eyes.
G-esides... Wouldn2t it be a shame for your tears to ruin such a
beautiful ma*e u jobL Today is an ausicious day when you will
ascend to the stage.G
GDon2t say that... Seriously! Onii-sama. &2m not the only one cometing
today. This is called blatant favoritismHG
&n site of the wry smile! the brilliancy of Miyu*i2s smile was second
to none.
At least! that2s how Tatsuya saw it.
Seeing his sister2s smile restored! Tatsuya was satisfied and at ease.
9is hands droed from his sister2s face to her shoulder as he directed
them inside. When he lifted his head to loo* at the avilion! he
suddenly felt another subtle change in loo*s he was receiving. This
time! the change was in a more interesting direction.
9idden within the secret glances in their direction!
Was a lu*ewarm ga)e that was both irritated but unable to ta*e their
eyes off of them.
GAh! Tatsuya-*un.G
#resently! as if the Student 6ouncil #resident so*e on behalf of all
the students resent! Mayumi used an esecially cold voice and ga)e
to welcome Tatsuya.
GWhen & heard from the board that 2one of the students from your
school abrutly assaulted someone2! & was at wit2s end trying to figure
out what haened... So! aarently a certain sis-con brother flew into
a rage when someone attemted to act against his beloved little
sisterHG
While this wasn2t a very flattering way to describe the circumstances!
Tatsuya got the distinct feeling of someone in the ath of a tornado
and feeling the cold wind niing at him. 3eali)ing that he was in a
comletely inferior situation! Tatsuya hellessly chose to ma*e a
tactical retreat.
Thus! he %uic*ly retreated into the wor* room allotted for technicians.
This way! Tatsuya finally managed to avoid being ostraci)ed within
5irst 9igh! though whether this result was brought about by his own
will... /ven he was not able to say.
F F F
The day bro*e over a dar*ened s*y and showed no signs of turning for
the better by the time the second match started around D8B0 AM.
G&t2s a fine day today... 9oefully! this will continue into the evening.G
GMight get sunny around the evening.G
GThough starlight resents its own challenges... Oh well! still better
than a rainy day.G
The siblings2 conversation seemed to assume that advancing beyond
the reliminaries was a statement of fact. 9owever! A)usa! who was
sitting in a nearby chair! seemed comletely GindifferentG with this.
;enerally! the difference in strength between Eear A and Eear C
students e(ceeded the difference between Eear C and Eear B students.
This was because customi)ed magic education officially began at the
high school level.
Thus! if not resent during the 'ewcomers Division! rarely do Eear A
students aear in the Official Division. :sually! layers that were
suddenly romoted to the Official Division from the 'ewcomers
Division had a tough time getting through the reliminaries! not to
mention lacing in the standings.
That being saidJ
"That sort of common sense robably doesn2t aly to Miyu*i... And
on to of that! there2s Shiba-*un as well.$
/(cluding her more timid nature! A)usa was undoubtedly one of the
to tier Magicians "chic*s$ in her cohort. The fact that she was
selected as one of the brass within 5irst 9igh desite her wea*er
ersonality was a testament to her s*ills.
Eet in A)usa2s eyes! Miyu*i ossessed the ower to challenge for 5irst
#lace.
7ust the sister alone was already a formidable oonent with
suerlative s*ills! now there was an older brother who was fully
suorting her.
/ven Mari! the favored chamion! would be hard ressed to defeat her
even in ea* condition.
While A)usa was contemlating these other details! in reality! she was
the technician resonsible for the third match! which is why she was
here so early to hel ma*e any final 6AD adjustments and system
diagnostics.
The Official Division2s Monolith 6ode and Mirage -at were the final
two gender e(clusive events in the 'ine Schools 6ometition! so each
school2s ersonnel were busy rearing for the events.
5irst 9igh chose to air one layer with one technician to handle these
two events.
To be brutally honest! as a Technician! Tatsuya was also A)usa2s
oonent.
9owever J before the first shot was fired! regardless of who won or
lost! A)usa2s will to comete had comletely evaorated.
The earlier incident.
The board sent word that Tatsuya assaulted some of the staff. :on
learning this! she was more GterrifiedG than shoc*ed.
3ather than being surrised! somewhere in her heart she *new J Gif it
was himG.
/ven though they were nothing more than recent! casual
ac%uaintances! A)usa believed that Ghe wasn2t the tye to act violently
without causeG. On the other hand! if he did have a reason! he wasn2t
the sort to hold bac*.
This readiness to resort to unbridled savagery chilled A)usa to the
core.
A considerable roortion of magic usage fell within the urview of
the military! both in terms of military strength and active deterrents.
A)usa was erfectly clear on this oint. -ut regardless of whether it
was the military or ublic safety! this was still an institutionali)ed
GviolenceG. &n order to activate this GviolenceG! the resonsibility was
divvied between the decision ma*er! the one who gave the orders! the
e(ecutors! and the suervisors.
Eet! he was willing to ma*e the decision! e(ecute! and bear the full
resonsibility.
#erhas! he wouldn2t even bat an eyelid if the man had to die J
e(ecuted with his own hands.
She was absolutely terrified of that ice-cold heart forged of steel.
The shoc* came afterwards! when he shared the details behind his
actions.
9e came across illegal 6AD modifications and arehended the
culrit on site.
The tear-stric*en! tortured e(ression on 9ira*awa! the Eear B student
who served as Kobaya*awa2s Technician! was deely imrinted into
A)usa2s eyes. That sort of harrowing regret was easy to imagine and
could resonate with anyone.
She hadn2t noticed that the 6AD was tamered with. Due to this! a
layer suffered a major accident! culminating in an e(cetional eer
ossibly bidding farewell to her owers forever and being doomed to a
bro*en life. &n the face of that! she... &f she was in 9ira*awa2s shoes!
she might have fled the scene and cried herself to slee in her hotel
room! A)usa thought.
&t was an undeniable fact that Tatsuya was a 6ourse C student and! at
the same time! a GdunceG.
9is technical scores hovered just above assing.
During the s*ill e(aminations after school commenced! roughly five
students failed every year! so even if his grades were closer to Gretty
terribleG instead of Gfairly oorG! there was nothing to be done.
Eet! the reality was J when e(cluding the GstrengthG based on
artificial conditions li*e e(aminations and based solely on the
Magician2s ability to adat fluidly to various situations! his assessment
was comletely inverted.
3egardless of whether it was develoment! analysis! calibration! or
combat.
9is strength went GbeyondG 5irst-6lass.
/ven if they didn2t e(clude his Magic #ower and assessed him based
on his ability to aly Magic! he was the true GvaledictorianG worthy
of standing at the to of the yramid.
ThenJ
"Our GgradesG... G6ourse A studentsG! what of theseL What2s the oint
of differentiating between G6ourse A studentsG and G6ourse C
studentsGL$
During the 'ine Schools 6ometition! after watching Tatsuya at a
close ro(imity! A)usa started seriously considering this %uestion.
And remained bewildered.
That was the unease coming from her faltering values system! hitherto
unchallenged and held to be truth! which had suddenly become vague
and untrustworthy.
A)usa never held herself as an elitist who too* ride in her G-loomG
status and derogatorily loo*ed down at the 6ourse C students as
GWeedsG.
At least! she wasn2t conscious of it.
Desite this J her e(cetional magical talent and her identity as a
s*illed magic high school student J she still too* GrideG in these
labels.
5or Magicians groing their way through life! confidence in their own
magical abilities was synonymous to the courage that sustained them
throughout their journey to bla)e a new ath as Magicians. /ven if
A)usa wasn2t consciously aware of this oint! the fact remained that
her confidence as a Magician undeniably suorted her throughout her
life.
This wasn2t restricted to just magic. 5or youngsters! anyone would be
greatly uneasy about such mur*y concets li*e GtomorrowG or the
GfutureG recisely because they lac*ed the Ge(erienceG or Gtrac*
recordG! hence they relied on their Gself-confidenceG and Gself-
esteemG.
5or A)usa! those things "Gself-confidenceG or Gself-esteemG$ originated
from her GmagicG and ultimately gave her status as a Gtalented student
within the magic high schoolsG. To be recise! her self-confidence and
self-esteem were born out of her Gmagic gradesG.
That being said! both self-confidence and self-esteem could only wilt
before the sectacle that was Tatsuya.
9er test scores as a Eear A student were lainly suerior! but
regardless of whether as a combat Magician! Magic Artificer! or even
Magic 3esearcher! she never got the in*ling that she was better in any
way. /ven her own uni%ue talents! which she rivately felt could rival
even Mayumi or Mari! aled in front of Tatsuya.
Still! A)usa felt that she didn2t need to stress out over this feeling of
self-abasement.
She was more than D0O sure that Tatsuya was GhimG.
JAgainst GhimG! feeling inade%uate was only natural.
JAgainst GhimG! feeling diminished was ludicrous.
A)usa used this to convince herself.
"-ut everyone doesn2t *now yet...$
#recisely because no one *new! this feeling became more rominent!
-ecame more obvious.
Surely the other Eear A students in his cohort felt the same.
As a 6ourse A student who was outshone by a 6ourse C student J
what did their GgradesG even signifyL
GA-chan! it2s best not to dwell on that for too longHG
A)usa was startled when someone suddenly greeted her from behind
and swiftly turned around to find Mayumi smiling wryly at her.
GThat thing! is seWciWal.G
Desite referring to her underclassman as a GthingG! her tone was %uite
warm.
GThere will be some children who simly cannot accet this...... -ut as
high school students! they must learn to accet things that they do not
agree with. /ven if it2s true that 6ourse C students cannot match
6ourse A students in technical s*ills! it is also true that Tatsuya-*un
has surassed our level.G
G/hL -ut...G
9earing these shoc*ing words! A)usa was struc* seechless.
True! Tatsuya2s level was above her! A)usa thought. J/ven if she was
against GhimG! she was forced to admit she would have some regrets.
-ut Mayumi2s level was also suerb! and A)usa didn2t thin* she would
lose to Tatsuya in any way.
G&t2s not li*e &2m comletely out of his league.G
Maybe seeing through A)usa2s bewilderment! Mayumi smiled wryly
once more.
G5rom an aggregate magic ersective! & should have the edge. &f it
turned into a shootout! so long as & *ee a wide berth! & can still do it.G
After downlaying her words! Mayumi2s e(ression eased somewhat.
G9owever! there are areas where & am un%uestionably behind. 5or
6AD related s*ills! even though &2m not far behind! &2m definitely no
match for him. :nfortunately! he also holds all the cards in terms of
magic *nowledge.G
Mayumi added carelessly! as if the uerclassmen2s comlete loss of
face didn2t concern her in the slightest.
G/veryone is roficient and lac*ing in different areas! so there2s rarely
someone who2s suerior in every single way. When & say Tatsuya2s
level is higher! & mean that his *nowledge and s*ills in magic
engineering are unrivaled.G
Mayumi caught A)usa2s eye in order to carefully e(amine A)usa2s
ga)e.
GOn the other hand! regardless of whether it is myself or A-chan! both
of us tower over Tatsuya-*un in magic technical ability! so there2s no
reason to be so deressed. The contents of the magic s*ills
e(amination each ossess their urose! just as the test scores are not
reresentative of a erson2s value! test scores are only one art of a
erson2s value.G
A)usa wordlessly listened to Mayumi2s words.
GThen again! heh...G
Whew! this time Mayumi actually let out a sigh.
GThose that fully believe in 2their own sueriority2 tend to be unwilling
to accet that they cannot surass someone in every way. They even
forgot that the actual difference between 6ourse A and C students
originally arose because they needed to differentiate the grades for
those who assed the entrance e(am and who could receive
instruction.G
Somewhere! somehow! A)usa2s eyes widened. 9er mind had gone
comletely blan* at Mayumi2s une(ected words.
What did she mean forgetL This was the first time she had ever heard
that the difference between 6ourse A and C students was caused by
educational differences.
G&n the end! it was still a uniform issue... &n the beginning! it was
simly because the number of students e(ceeded e(ectations and
they couldn2t change all the embroidery in time......G
G/h! reallyLG
G9uhL Eou didn2t *nowLG
9earing the real story for the first time! A)usa received a wholly
different shoc* than before and remained silent. 9earing Mayumi
murmur! G3eally! it aears that not many eole *now......G! A)usa
could only *ee nodding.
GDid you *now that 5irst 9igh used to accet A00 students each yearL
They had to accet more Magicians to follow international standards!
so 5irst 9igh increased their student body si)e. The government at the
time must have wanted immediate results. Adding new students at the
beginning of the ne(t school year would have been fine! but in reality!
they added more students in the middle of the term.
9owever! the school was unable to increase the number of educators
in the middle of the term. So! their temorary solution was to teach the
theoretical *nowledge to the students who joined in the middle of the
term! then begin technical instruction during the second year. This
became the 6ourse C student system.
9owever! once the 6ourse C students enrolled! there was an error in
the orders for school uniforms. -ecause of this! the Eear A students
who were temorarily set as 6ourse C students had to suffer the
indignity of wearing uniforms without the school emblems. This led to
an une(ected misunderstanding...... The 6ourse C student system was
meant to be a laceholder until they could enter the ne(t level. They
were simly students who were enrolled after the original sots were
already filled. Eet! they were gradually seen as relacements. Also! the
lan that called for increased students ultimately failed to rovide the
ade%uate instructors! resulting in the misinterreted 2relacement
treatment2 eventually becoming reality. This is the true face of the
6ourse C student system.
The uniforms also suffered the same fate. &n order to cover u the
error! no one bothered to correct the issue after the original lan was
scraed. This is the truth behind the matter. &n hindsight! creating two
different uniforms was a comlete waste...... Since everything is done
automatically until the school emblems are affi(ed! it would be
cheaer to have one uniform design even if the measurements differ.G
Once she started! the words just wouldn2t sto.
A)usa2s sincere oinion after hearing Mayumi2s e(lanation changed
drastically.
The dee antagonism between G-loomsG and GWeedsG that had caused
numerous instances of friction actually originated from such a trivial
matter.
These words definitely must be *et from Miyu*i! A)usa thought J
the outcome was too terrifying to imagine.
G...#lease! don2t tell Miyu*i-chanLG
Mayumi seemed to arrive at the same conclusion.
A)usa nodded in agreement without another word.
F F F
Miyu*i was wholly unaware of the fact that she was seen as a
dangerous individual by two senais on the Student 6ouncil. She was
standing in the arena and haily waiting for Mirage -at to begin.
That was because this was the first time in the 'ine Schools
6ometition that her brother2s time and energy were solely devoted to
her.
'ormally! by the time they returned home! their lives were restricted
to each other.
There was limitless time for the two of them to be alone.
Eet in the dorms of the 'ine Schools 6ometition! this was
imossible.
'ot that her unfulfilled desire was bursting from the seams "at least!
that2s what she thought$! but after sending such a long time in a
suressed state! her joy was magnified in this instance.
&n the bo( reserved for related ersonnel! her brother was watching
her.
And watching only her.
Somehow! she felt that she could soar into the s*ies without the aid of
magic.
She rendered the na*ed! lustful ga)es directed towards her uniform
that left none of her curves to imagination into oblivion. There was no
reason to care! because all stares other than Tatsuya2s own were
nothing more than trash. Turning the audience into beans J or even
onions and carrots J was a widely *nown tactic that was rather
useless to eole who suffered from stage fright "anyone caable of
turning eole into beans wouldn2t have stage fright in the first lace$.
Eet for Miyu*i! she honestly believed that all ga)es! save for Tatsuya
alone! were utterly meaningless.
She *new very well that her brother admired well-taught and cultured
individuals regardless of gender as she adoted a truly imeccable
osture.
With such an incredibly beautiful young lady falling into a dancer2s
ose! many young men within the audience alternated sighs as their
emotions ran ramant. At this rate! they were going to have to call for
the stretchers before the match even began.
#ossibly under the influence of the audience2s warm recetion! desite
the sheer imossibility of this! the signal for the commencement of the
match did go off a few seconds early.
Miyu*i2s frame lightly soared into the s*y.
/very layer for Mirage -at reared two uniforms.
One was a brightly colored uniform that could be seen beneath the
brightest rays of the sun.
The other was a colorful uniform that glowed beneath the night s*y.
The reason behind the designs was to revent midair collisions
between layers and it became an unwritten rule based on revious
e(erience.
The rimary color that covered Miyu*i was a dee magenta.
A tiny shade off and this would be a hellessly coarse color! but
Miyu*i wore this with an aura of nobility.
'either did the cosmetics with :< rotection ta*e away from her
elegance.
9er fair and graceful form was still develoing! but when she
e(tended her slim limbs! this ainted a glorious vision of her
beautifully curved bosom and slender waist! all of this combining to
give off intimate charm of a blooming flower rather than a sheer
animal desire.
'o two ways about it! her beauty was breathta*ing.
'o one was going to second anyone anything as they all leaed
towards the targets. Among them all! only one erson could be worthy
of the term GfloatingG.
Miyu*i catured everyone2s ga)e once more.
&f this match was judged by the beauty of dance alone! she was
un%uestionably 5irst #lace.
Eet! as e(ected of the Official Division with its numerous aces! the
'ine Schools 6ometition could not be underestimated.
GSomeone is actually leading against Miyu*i-chan...G
When the signal sounded to end the first round! Mi)u*i held her breath
and seemed to e(el out a series of GdisbelievingG words.
GThe layer from Second 9igh who is first lace... /ven if she isn2t a
-S Magician! but lainly! she has refined the 2+eaing2 sell into a
seciali)ed magic sell...G
G'ot just that. She also ta*es her trajectory into account and neatly
obstructs Miyu*i2s ath. 3ather than calling her an e(ert in 2+eaing2!
she2s more li*e an e(ert in 2Mirage -at2! rightLG
Mi*ihi*o and /ri*a both shared Mi)u*i2s shoc* while they offered
their own oinions.
GThat2s because the layer from Second 9igh was another favored
candidate to ta*e the crown alongside Watanabe-senai...G
G6an2t say anything about being noticed after that consicuous dislay.
Also! the ride of the Eear B students is on the line.G
9ono*a and Shi)u*u! who were in the normal audience stands today!
each e(ressed their agreement from different ersectives.
G9owever! this is not the end.G
+eo2s bright declaration seemed to blow the deressed air around them
to the four corners of the earth.
&n the ne(t round! Miyu*i managed to ma*e u for lost ground and
e(ited the second round in 5irst #lace.
9owever! her lead was slim. Miyu*i still had strength within her! but
her oonent aeared to be ma*ing adjustments for the third round as
well.
<ictory was still uncertain.
While it has been said that magic has become more constrained due to
a limited number of combinations! for someone to be able to fight
Miyu*i to a standstill at the high school level surrised Tatsuya to no
end.
GThis country is so small yet so broad at the same time...G
Tatsuya muttered to himself in front of Miyu*i! who was busy
regulating her breathing.
&nstead of watching his sister! he directed his ga)e towards Second
9igh2s bo(.
...7ust then! someone suddenly yan*ed his sleeve.
+oo*ing down! he found Miyu*i standing from her chair and watching
him with eyes that shone with a brilliant glint.
GJOnii-sama! may & use thatLG
9er eyes! her voice! and her slim fingers that clung to his sleeve sent
the message! G& don2t want to loseG.
She wasn2t just a beautiful! adorable GdollG. Tatsuya delighted in
seeing her e(ression that carried such a owerful will.
9er mouth naturally arted and her eyes narrowed slightly.
G...Of course. All is as you will.G
9e originally reared that as the ace in the hole for the finals.
Still! Tatsuya abandoned his original game lan and nodded his assent.
G/hL Miyu*i2s 6AD has changed.G
Seeing Miyu*i standing on the field of the final round! /ri*a was the
first to notice the change.
:ntil now! Miyu*i held her usual smarthone-shaed 6AD! yet now
she wore a bracelet-shaed 6AD on her right wrist.
G-ut! she loo*s li*e she2s holding a 6AD in her left hand too...G
Mi*ihi*o also too* a loo*. &n their grou of friends who were
mystified by this turn of events! 9ono*a was the only one who nodded
emhatically.
GEes... Miyu*i wanted to try that long ago...G
GThatLG
9earing Shi)u*u2s %uestion! 9ono*a relied bac* with a longing
e(ression that was mi(ed with frustration.
GThe secret weaon Tatsuya-*un reared only for Miyu*i. A secret
weaon that Tatsuya-*un devised that only Miyu*i can control. This
will be a shoc*er... DefinitelyH /veryone resent here! without a single
e(cetionHG
What e(actly is it J before Shi)u*u could ma*e her in%uiry! the
signal sounded for the start of the third round.
The bracelet on her right wrist was only the bac* u. The real one was
the smarthone-shaed Seciali)ed 6AD held in her left hand.
The simlistic command interface only contained the on and off
buttons. Once the starting signal went off! Miyu*i swiftly taed the
on switch.
A tiny Activation Se%uence started sreading out.
The se%uence never halted nor aused as it reeatedly began
rocessing automatically.
5ollowing that! Miyu*i2s body started floating into the air.
The layer from Second 9igh was directly in her ath.
9er trajectory would lace her to Miyu*i2s lower left.
Owing to her oonent2s faster rising seed! Miyu*i would end u
crashing into her if she continued forward.
Miyu*i used her accelerated flying seed to avoid the collision.
The audience raised a clamor after Miyu*i eliminated the orb and
slightly turned in lace as she became still in midair.
During her lea! she had alied additional Magic #ower to accelerate
again.
The gass from the audience only reflected their cursory
understanding of the basics of magic.
9owever! Miyu*i aused briefly in the air then immediately
roceeded towards the ne(t target without landing. Once this scene
was imrinted into their eyes! the cheers were shoc*ed into silence.
Two! three! four...
The other layers who had to continuously jum bac* and forth across
the A0 meter height had no way of cometing against Miyu*i! who
only had to move arallel to the earth.
After she had sei)ed the fifth oint! the audience2s fro)en vocal cords
finally started to thaw.
G5lying-Tye Magic...LG
Some unidentified individual murmured aloud.
/ven the layers could only stare in ama)ement as they gaed at the
s*ies.
With the layers not even ma*ing any juming or landing sounds! this
soft grumble reverberated throughout the silent arena.
With bat in hand! Miyu*i2s aearance too* on that of an avenging
angel of heaven! but never lost her grace and beauty.
GTaurus Silver2s...LG
The whisering started a chain reaction!
G-ullshit! how can that be...G
GThat was just released last month...G
And %uic*ly riled through the crowd.
G-ut that...G
G'o doubt about it! that2s 5lying-Tye Magic...G
Without a single e(cetion! everyone2s eyes were glued to the young
lady dancing through the s*ies.
&n the s*ies! a fairy was walt)ing over the la*e.
9er arms sread out to maintain her balance and her lovely legs
swayed lightly to change her stance as if the sring bree)e itself was
her dancing artner.
Actually flying through the s*ies was nothing short of revolutioni)ing
modern magic! and no one was more aroriate to erform this
miraculous feat said to be GimossibleG than this beautiful young lady
before them... Surassing age! gender! and even the enmity! all were
mesmeri)ed by the young girl dancing through the s*y.
They were all touched by this magic that simly went beyond modern
or ancient magic.
-y the time the ending signal sounded! this sellbinding magic wasn2t
diselled until the young lady landed before them.
J&n Mirage -at2s reliminary round! first arena! second match!
Miyu*i stormed into the finals by a dominating lead.
F F F
The audience finally recovered their wits when the layers started
leaving the arena.
The layers did not deart in se%uence.
At the end of the match! the layers closest to the e(it left first.
Miyu*i! who landed in the center of the la*e! was the third out of the
four eole to leave.
After e(tending a dee bow towards 5irst 9igh2s suorters in the
stands! Miyu*i lightly leaed into the air and flew across the s*y
towards the e(it li*e a figure s*ater gliding across the ice.
9er graceful motions romted a thunderous alause from the
audience.
&n the stands! numerous individuals could be seen frantically tying
away on their ortable messaging terminals.
Some were overly e(cited to the oint that they sent scattered sittle
as they shouted into the microhoneM others had to reeatedly shout
the same words over and over into the hone! yet still wound u with
a headache because of the sea*er on the other lineM still others
furiously ran their fingers through their hair as if mad while their
fingers danced across the *eyboardM there were others who jotted
down their thoughts on erasable boards... All sorts of eole used a
myriad ways to convey their ama)ing e(erience to others who were
not resent.
Among them! one strange! e(ressionless man was staring at the
messages from the 9MD. 9owever! no one seemed to remar* on his
resence.
F F F
G'umber AQ has reorted in. The target from the second match has
assed the reliminary round.G
G...&t2s the oonent who saw through ;olden /lectron Sil*worms.
This is the e(ected result... -ut things are loo*ing grim.G
G'ot just that. The target also used 5lying-Tye MagicHG
G-ullshit! how can that be ossibleHLG
G&f the target is e(hausted then we luc*ed out... Was that too
otimisticLG
G& don2t thin* this is the time to %uibble over the methods! rightLG
G& agree. One hundred deaths or so would be enough. The cometition
would be forced to end rematurely.G
GOnce the cometition ends! we would have to return the original bets.
While there will be some loss! that2s well within our limits.G
GWon2t our customers bal* at thisL Setting aside the guys from our line
of wor*! those weaon merchants will be a hassle. Those guys
maintain close relationshis with various governments around the
globe.G
G&t doesn2t matter what e(cuse we give to the customers. 6urrently!
rather than worrying about the merchants of death! we should be more
concerned about the organi)ation2s urging.G
G/(actly... Will it be OK just leaving this to 'umber AQLG
G#eole with only a modicum of ability are no match for a 2;enerator2.
:nfortunately! no weaons could be brought in! but 'umber AQ is a
high seed model. Once the limiter is removed! that thing can easily
*ill anywhere between A00 and C00 eole with its bare hands.G
GSo we are all in accord...L Then remove the limiter.G
F F F
Once the tide of enthusiasm ebbed! the man removed the 6AD and
slowly rose in a crowd that was slowly dearting for other matches.
The e(osed eyes give off an GemotionlessG imression.
'o! this wasn2t a blan* e(ression! wasn2t this li*e he lac*ed emotions
in the first laceL
&t was an utterly lifeless Ge(ressionG.
Suddenly! the man2s body started sha*ing.
&n a flash! he activated ersonal Seed-Tye Magic.
-efore the Magicians around him could detect the charged magic aura!
the man ounced towards the man who just assed by him.
9is outstretched fingers lunged downwards li*e claws towards the
unrotected bac*.
JAfterwards! the stage switched to the e(terior of the observation
dec* without anyone being the wiser.
-y the time that man! G;eneratorG 'umber AQ! had grased the
situation! he was only three meters off the ground.
The first target he chose after receiving the *ill order had managed to
avoid his attac* even though his bac* was facing him. /ven if this was
a full frontal assault! this reaction seed was not something mere
human cognition could accomlish.
Through ersonal Seed-Tye Magic! Magicians could surass the
hysical movement limits of flesh.
Eet magical acceleration ultimately was only hysical and not directly
accelerating J biological reactions! signal relay for the nervous
system! the brain2s rocessing ability J the mental rocessing seed
itself.
9uman senses surassed hysical motion! so it was ossible to
mentally control hysical movements that have been accelerated
beyond normal limits. 9owever! the reverse was not true. &n other
words! Magicians were still biological organisms with uer limits.
While magical acceleration had no glass ceiling in terms of magic!
there was still a finite amount that the brain could command.
&n that case! his accelerated movements couled with chemically
enhanced mental rocessing abilities shouldn2t be something that
normal humans J even humans who could wield magic were
ultimately mortal J should be able to handle.
Eet the reality was that his stabbing forearm was caught and used as a
fulcrum to throw 'umber AQ into the air using his downward force as
added momentum.
7ust li*e he was doing a somersault over a horse! he went heads over
heels in the air. During the instant he was uside down! a owerful
force smashed 'umber AQ ast the railing of the observation dec* and
sent him hurtling out of the arena.
This was Move-Tye Magic that intentionally omitted the accelerated
rocesses.
9e was almost *noc*ed unconscious by the blow and by the time he
recovered his senses! he had nearly reached the end of the trajectory
and was about to collide with the ground from a height of C0 meters.
'ormally! this situation called for an individual to huddle into a ball or
flail about in a anic as they hellessly lummeted to the earth! but
this man was a G;eneratorG.
9e was a reconstructed individual J created through a combination
of surgery and magically crafted medicinal herbs! hereby eradicating
free will and emotions and comletely controlling all thoughts and
flushing all unnecessary thoughts that might obstruct magic activation.
A biological weaon forged to wield magic in the heat of battle.
A Magician re-urosed to be a tool for using magic! a G;eneratorG.
Terror and anic held no meaning to tools.
'umber AQ calmly J more li*e coldly alied &nertia 'eutrali)ation
Magic.
6asting deceleration right now would be li*e hitting the emergency
bra*es! but injuries would be unavoidable. 6omared to that! reducing
inertia could hel mitigate some of the damage caused by the severe
shoc* uon contact. This was the result of almost instantaneous
calculation.
The magical herb2s effects not only adjusted ersonal consciousness!
emotions and ercetion! they also imroved hysical mobility. -y
using the elasticity within his feet as well as the muscles within his
thighs and arms! he comletely absorbed the shoc* from his fall.
GEou were able to ma*e it in time even under those conditions. Eou do
have a few tric*s u your sleeve.G
On all four limbs! 'umber AQ raised his face towards the source of the
voice and found the man who had thrown him into the air.
GWho are youL ...'o! never mind. 'ot li*e you can answer anyways.G
6atain Eanagi of the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion let out a
dismissive smile and eered down at 'umber AQ! who was still
crouched on the ground.
GEour hysical abilities can2t be from magic alone. Are you an
augmented humanLG
Seeing his oonent adot a combat stance even after being flung over
the railings from the height of a medium si)ed building! Eanagi2s tone
was laced with moc*ery and ama)ement ali*e.
GEanagi-*un was the one who said there2s no need to answer. Also! the
other guy robably doesn2t want to tal* to a guy who also jumed
from the same height but didn2t need to use his hands to cushion
himself! rightLG
'umber AQ whirled around li*e a four legged carnivore.
9aving aeared sometime during this e(change! 6atain Sanada
Shigeru of the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion stood there as if
to cut off his retreat.
Desite this! if he actually chose to flee! 'umber AQ could still
robably accomlish this with ease.
&n terms of sheer seed! G;eneratorG 'umber AQ surassed the two
men from the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion.
9owever! the order 'umber AQ received was Gmassacre the
sectatorsG. 5or a G;eneratorG with no emotions and thoughts! the
only thing that determined his actions were orders from the
organi)ation.
&n accordance with these orders! 'umber AQ once again ounced
towards the GsectatorG Eanagi.
-efore 'umber AQ could touch him! Eanagi raised his right hand.
/ven though 'umber AQ had the edge in seed! he chose to not avoid
this hand.
'umber AQ lowered his center of gravity and charged as if being led!
sending his head crashing into Eanagi2s alm.
Eanagi and 'umber AQ assed each other by a hair.
'umber AQ was flung bac* to his starting osition without even
touching a hair on Eanagi2s body.
GThat was a rhetorical %uestion. & was just tal*ing to myself.G
Eanagi nonchalantly relied to Sanada.
G+et2s just leave it at that. 9owever! that ama)es me every time. Was
that the alication of 23evolution2 right thereLG
-y redicting an oonent2s alication of force and combining
hysical techni%ues with magic to lure! amlify! and fli. That2s how
Eanagi used his favored techni%ue to send 'umber AQ flying.
G&2ve said this a lot of times! this isn2t 23evolution2. This is 23eturn2.
23evolution2 is the sell! 23eturn2 relies on internal *i. There are also a
few differences in ractice. Originally! my aroach was nothing more
than an imitation anyways. A true 23eturn2 re%uires no magic.G
GWell! that2s starting to infringe on the meaning of our e(istence.
Should & inform the majorLG
G...6ut the chitchat! we need to ta*e this guy down! lend me a handHG
GEeah... Then! let2s have a go at it. /ven though & want to say that!
5ujibayashi-san already has this guy loc*ed down with 2Thunder
'eedle2.G
G...Eou two are on such good terms with one anotherHG
The sound of high heels taing the ground accomanied Sanada2s
words as the figure of +ieutenant 5ujibayashi Kyou*o from the
&ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion aeared. She was wearing a
s*intight military uniform reserved for suorting ersonnel that was
wholly unsuited for combat. She was literally the ideal rey! the
erfect oint to brea* through the ring of hunters.
Eet! 'umber AQ could only %uiver and sha*e as he shoo*
uncontrollably! giving no sign that he was caable of further
resistance.
That was because his entire body was eered with numerous hair-
li*e needles and it was through there that the electric current flowed
through him.
'eedless to say! it was 5ujibayashi2s magic that fired out the needles
and released the electricity.
G5ujibayashi! your eyesight should be retty good.G
G3ather than her eyesight! & thin* it2s a matter of sensitivity. Do you
need me to recommend a good life counselorLG
GSee! aren2t you two simly birds of a featherLG
Searated by 'umber AQ! Eanagi and Sanada glanced at one another.
They both frowned almost simultaneously.
F F F
6omletely unaware of the dangerous situation behind the scenes!
Tatsuya leisurely returned to his hotel room and ate an early lunch.
After the match! while Miyu*i was showering! the board re%uested to
insect the 6AD with 5lying-Tye Magic installed uon it with nary a
guilty loo* in his direction. 5or a brief instant! he toyed with the idea
using /lder Kudou2s name to terrori)e the oor fellow! but such
mischievous behavior li*e retending to *now a higher authority to
ic* on the wea* was a astime unbecoming of him! so he discarded
that idea and obediently handed over the 6AD.
Other than that! he wasn2t arty to any strange circumstances.
While he was conscious of the vast amount of stares directed towards
his sister and himself! so long as the vermin osed no direct threat! the
best aroach was to leave them alone.
After handing the 6AD over! Tatsuya oted to return to his ersonal
area.
/ven if he *new about Sanada and Eanagi2s surretitious intervention
to avoid a massacre! Tatsuya2s actions li*ely wouldn2t differ by much.
To be blunt! even if do)ens of foreign sectators were slain! Tatsuya
robably couldn2t care less.
To be recise! even if a senai from the same school was sacrificed!
his emotional reaction would not surass that of slight GregretG. Thus!
it was hard to imagine he would choose to act.
Miyu*i2s slightly sorrowful e(ression e(ressed that which could not
be said through her voice or attitude.
'eedless to say! he was in the middle of it.
+ong story short! Miyu*i! who was always meticulously loo*ing after
him! was currently standing before Tatsuya.
GWhile always being neat and tidy is one of Onii-sama2s merits! & still
wish that you occasionally leave a small mess to bring out the value of
loo*ing after you.G
Today! Miyu*i2s mood was buoyant. 6urrently! she was humming a
light tune and wearing a delighted smile as she merrily wied down
the table with a cloth. This was the direct conse%uence of being unable
to loo* after her brother for nearly a wee*.
GMiyu*i! is there anything you would li*e me to do for youLG
There was no deeer meaning to this %uestion after lunch. 9e was
only doing so out of a sense of obligation.
GSomething & want Onii-sama to doLG
'evertheless! Miyu*i2s eyes widened as she fell into dee
contemlation with a joyous e(ression on her face. Seeing this
une(ectedly intense reaction! Tatsuya sensed he may have made a
grave error.
Miyu*i taed her fingers against her chin and tilted her head this way
and that in thought until! having thought of something! she blushed
furiously as she ee*ed u at Tatsuya2s face from the chair to his side.
G...;o ahead and tell me.G
/ven though there were traces of a wry smile tugging at the corners of
his mouth! Tatsuya still gently urged her on. 5illed with treidation!
Miyu*i oened her mouth.
GEou said earlier that & should ta*e a na after lunch until the finals...G
G&ndeed! while not absolutely critical! you should slee for a little bit if
you can. /ven if you cannot fall aslee! just lying there would be fine.
Don2t tell me you don2t want to ta*e a naL ;iving your body time to
rest is integral.G
GEes! of course & will listen to Onii-sama2s instructions... -ut! that...G
G9mLG
G:m... &f ossible! can you stay with me... #lease...G
&n the end! she was highly embarrassed.
6omletely red! Miyu*i2s head drooed.
G...Miyu*i is such a soiled child.G
G...6an2t &L Miyu*i just wants to be soiled by Onii-samaHG
G...Of course. 9owever! & will draw the line at singing a lullaby! OKLG
Miyu*i slowly raised her eyes to Tatsuya while she used her hand to
try and %uell her violently beating heart.
9er early s*in was a dee red from the gas between her dar* hair to
the roots of her ears.
Desite their sibling relationshi! they were still young adults in the
sring of their lives! so using the same bed was totally out of the
%uestion.
5ortunately! even though the room had only one official occuant! this
was originally a double room. The machinery that too* u the
majority of the sace had been shifted to the cometition grounds.
Tatsuya unfolded the bed from the wall and swiftly arranged it for
Miyu*i2s use. This was almost entirely automatic! so there was no
need to call room service. ";iven that this was no normal hotel! the
%uestion remained whether they would show u even if summoned.$
Once Miyu*i dove under the covers! Tatsuya ulled u a chair and sat
down beside the bed.
Miyu*i shyly smiled as she watched him. &n return! Tatsuya also
smiled as he gently caressed his sister2s sil*en hair.
+ess than a minute later! Miyu*i was well on her way to the ;arden of
9ynos.
5our hours assed after Miyu*i fell aslee! but Tatsuya did not budge
from the bedside. &t was as if he was loyally fulfilling Miyu*i2s
e(ectations for him to remain by her side! yet Tatsuya never felt this
was a trial.
Miyu*i was sound aslee! her sleeing face e(ressing her
overwhelming relief. :on reali)ing that this was an e(ression of the
comlete trust she had in him! his heart grew a little warmer along
with his embarrassment.
/ven if they were siblings! Tatsuya and Miyu*i only started living
together three years ago. &n other words! they became bona fide
siblings only three years ago. -efore that fateful summer three years
ago! even if they were living under the same roof! they ractically
never interacted with one another. Their current ro(imity was
something strictly forbidden by their mother just as she denied any
normal sibling interaction. Still! that may have been something
decided by the Eotsuba 5amily.
Tatsuya had no intention of srouting any comlaints on that regard.
&t2s not li*e that function remained within his mental landscae.
9owever! losing all his childhood memories about being treated li*e a
family member was still galling! so saying that he was disleased
would be right on the mar*.
The adolescent years were accomanied by imulsive anger! tears!
falls! mista*es and other embarrassing memories if *nown by other
family members. Eet for Tatsuya! who never enjoyed the lu(ury of
these memories! Miyu*i became a Gbeautiful girl one year younger
than he wasG by default. Since he was forced to see her in an imartial
light from the onset! Tatsuya was well aware that she was a classy!
beautiful young girl from the start.
&n site of this! the affection that srouted forth from the deths of his
heart only identified Miyu*i as a young sister. The only true emotion
that dwelt in the realm of his consciousness was the familial love he
bore for his sister.
'o memories! only affection. Occasionally! Tatsuya would ruminate
that memory loss robably felt a*in to this. Of course! he was also
aware that he didn2t %ualify for that condition.
&t was an unconditional affection unfettered by memories of any sort.
#recisely because of this! Tatsuya blindly! fiercely and deserately
loved Miyu*i. 9is other emotional imulses could not be e(ressed
through fury or hatred. Only his love for Miyu*i was truly
sontaneous and absolute.
Tatsuya was wholly unaware of this. &t wasn2t that he forgot himself!
but because this was the result of cold! hard calculations that his
actions became unstoable. Once he determined something was
necessary! he wouldn2t even sto to contemlate G&s this necessaryG.
/ven if he would weigh the cost and benefits! social norms wouldn2t
even brea* his stride.
Tatsuya ic*ed u the smarthone laced on the coffee table. Since
Miyu*i fell aslee! he once more went over the coded message that
5ujibayashi sent him. Within the message! there were details
concerning the truth behind the interference during Mirage -at as well
as the mass murder attemt on the sectators after the end of the
second match.
5or Tatsuya! this was simly unforgivable. Those who lotted
Miyu*i2s fall deserved to die a thousand times over.
Tatsuya stored the smarthone in his breast oc*et! rose from his
chair! and eered over the edge of the bed.
9e softly caressed Miyu*i2s hair.
Miyu*i laced her hand over Tatsuya2s own.
GMiyu*iLG
'o resonse. She wasn2t awa*e yet.
Miyu*i turned on her side and naturally slid Tatsuya2s hand onto her
face.
Seeing that sleeing face flushed with hainess! Tatsuya also smiled.
-ehind that smile! he made the conscious decision to defend this
eaceful! sleeing face no matter what the cost.
This was not determination! but a conscious decision.
F F F
-y the time the finals rolled around! the morning weather had given
way to a clear night s*y.
The light of the hanging moon outshone the stars2 brilliance.
5or those who had to identify lit orbs from below! these were not ideal
circumstances.
G9ow is your conditionLG
G5lawless! Onii-sama. My energy is comletely restored! so & would
li*e to use 5lying-Tye Magic from the get go.G
GAs you wish. 5ly to your heart2s contentHG
GEesHG
Tatsuya gave her a thumb2s u as he watched Miyu*i bound towards
the cometition arena.
GMiyu*i-chan2s in a good moodHG
A)usa! who had entered the bo( as an au(iliary member! commented
to Tatsuya as she watched Miyu*i standing on one of the landing
latforms in the la*e.
:nfortunately! the layer A)usa was resonsible for had fallen short.
5irst 9igh! Second 9igh! Third 9igh! 5ifth 9igh! Si(th 9igh! and
'inth 9igh each contributed one contestant to the finals.
'o school had multile layers in the final round.
As the final women2s cometition! each school was ready to give it
their all.
/(cluding Mari! who was still in the hosital! every heavyweight in
the women2s division was resent on stage.
Since Third 9igh only advanced one layer into the finals! so long as
Miyu*i laced within the to three! 5irst 9igh2s overall victory was a
foregone conclusion. /ven the suorters were going all out.
G#leasantly facing a cometition is a good thing. +oo*s li*e Tatsuya-
*un made doubly sure of that.G
On the other side! Mayumi so*e u with a smile on her face. 9er
words shouldn2t have any deeer meaning! but that smile seemed to
signify something that she didn2t want Tatsuya to *now about.
G& hear that Miyu*i-chan didn2t use the 2Slee Doc*2. Did she get
enough restLG
At Su)une2s innocuous %uestion! Tatsuya fought to *ee his o*er
face.
G5ive hours should be enough.G
G3eally! must have been a dee slee then. Did she slee on a bed in
the hotelLG
Tatsuya was seechless. One couldn2t hel but susect that the sea*er
*new all along as she intentionally made this iercing %uery.
GAh! it2s startingHG
5ortunately! before the silence turned aw*ward! everyone2s attention
was drawn towards the arena.
At this oint! he should seriously give than*s for A)usa2s innocent
ersonality.
The lightly colored uniforms were brilliantly lit u by the wavering
reflections of light from the la*e2s surface.
Among them! Miyu*i2s choice of a uniform fashioned after the shade
of sa*ura blossoms was articularly eye-catching! and not only
because she stunned everyone by casting G5lying-Tye MagicG in the
reliminary round.
&n the faltering light! the audience closely followed her with their eyes
in fear that her figure would vanish into the shadows if they blin*ed.
Mirage -at! also *nown as 5airy Dance.
The term GfairyG has been overused when alied to young ladies! but
robably no one would claim that describing Miyu*i as Gfey-li*eG was
too cliche.
The ruc*us died down li*e the ebbing tide.
There was no need for the event ersonnel to wave their messages to
signal the crowd to %uiet.
-efore everyone2s breathless ga)e! the finals for Mirage -at
commenced.
When the start signal went off! si( young women flew into the s*y
together.
They did not lea off the ground. 'one of them bothered to loo* for a
landing sot.
G5lying-Tye MagicHL All the other schoolsHLG
GAs e(ected of the 'ine Schools 6ometition. They figured out the
Activation Se%uence for 5lying-Tye Magic within a mere si( to
seven hours.G
On the heels of A)usa2s surrised shrie*! Tatsuya murmured words of
admiration.
That being said! Tatsuya actually wasn2t really astounded.
The board li*ely chose to lea* the sell details to the other schools.
#robably as retaliation for Tatsuya2s assertion that the board was guilty
of illegal activities.
Since the 6AD was stored there! he had ta*en this ossibility into
account.
GSeems li*e each school is following Taurus Silver2s ublici)ed details
to the letter.G
Su)une wrin*led her brows as she watched the s*y.
G......9ow ludicrous. This isn2t a techni%ue that can be mastered the
first time you activate this. 6omared to layer safety! victory seems
to be more imortant......G
Mayumi said with a disgusted e(ression.
GThat2s no roblem at all. &f they used that techni%ue directly! even if
something went sideways! the 2safety device2 should *ic* in.G
Tatsuya2s voice was %uite rela(ed as if he was saying8 GWait and seeHG
Si( young ladies danced in the air.
This was a 5airy Dance befitting its name.
The audience was deely drawn to the lines crossing in the s*y as they
watched! mesmeri)ed.
9owever! as the audience gradually calmed! they were shoc*ed by an
une(ected wrin*le in the match.
They were all flying through the night s*y.
5rom a magic ersective! it was difficult to tell the difference in s*ill
with 5lying-Tye Magic.
Eet! the only one scoring was the layer from 5irst 9igh.
'one of her oonents could *ee u with her ace.
Seed! fluidity! grace.
She turned in air! drifted arallel to the ground! dove and rose.
-efore that free and lovable dancing! the others alternated between
trailing behind her or simly getting out of her way.
At some oint! the dancing fairies had fallen into clearly defined roles!
with one leading ballerina and five suorting dancers.
Miyu*i was honestly caught off guard by her cometitors using
5lying-Tye Magic.
Well! only a little.
The 5lying-Tye Magic that her brother develoed could only reach
its full otential if it was a sell that Ganyone could useG. On this
oint! Miyu*i *new this better than anyone.
Still! something that anyone could use was inherently different from
something that everyone could use in the same way.
-efore the match! her brother had already warned her about the
ossibility of other schools also using 5lying-Tye Magic.
9er brother warned her with a smile on his lis.
At the time! that must have been because he had faith that no one
surassed her in terms of *nowing the intricacies of this magic!
Miyu*i thought.
-uoyed by that faith! Miyu*i danced through the s*ies at will.
-elow her! the e(hausted layers fell one by one.
When the first layer lost their balance and wavered in the s*y! the
audience shrie*ed in terror.
Eet! seeing the layer gradually descend to the ground! the sectators
breathed a sigh of relief. They just witnessed a crash landing in the
reliminaries. 6omared to the audience! the board was robably even
more relieved.
Of course! this was because there was a Gsafety deviceG built into
5lying-Tye Magic.
When the influ( of sions from the sell caster died below half! the
G<ariableG ortion of the Activation Se%uence automatically switched
to a soft landing at A=A0 of g.
&n 5irst 9igh2s bo(! Tatsuya finally rela(ed as he thought! GThan*
goodness they didn2t add any oddities to the rogramG.
9e couldn2t believe that they were roving the safety values of 5lying-
Tye Magic at the 'ine Schools 6ometition with so many witnesses.
Might as well use this for this month2s romotional uroses.
&nternally! Tatsuya reveled in an evil smile. -efore his eyes! another
layer had droed off the stage.
&n the end! two eole bowed out of the first round.
These two also withdrew from the match.
During the second round! another erson withdrew.
There were only three individuals in the final round.
-y this stage! so long as Miyu*i didn2t withdraw! 5irst 9igh2s overall
victory was guaranteed.
The most reliable tactic was to stand somewhere and simly not do
anything.
Still! within 5irst 9igh2s bo(! no one advised her to ta*e the GreliableG
route.
6urrently! the score was a comlete landslide.
'eedless to say! it was in Miyu*i2s favor.
Though the overall victory was e(tremely imortant! no one in 5irst
9igh felt that they needed to sacrifice ersonal victories either.
Suorted by faith and cheers! Miyu*i danced through the s*y in the
final round.
/ven if she couldn2t see it! she could clearly feel her brother2s
rotective eyes on her.
Miyu*i understood that so long as that e(isted! her wings shall not
fail.
9er uninned wings sread out and blended together with the other
lights.
Soon afterwards!
Two layers suc*ed in ragged breaths as they *nelt on the landing
sots in the la*e.
The sole actor left in the night s*y! Miyu*i continued to erform the
5airy Dance.
-efore her outstretched hand! the last orb vanished into oblivion.
One beat of silence.
One frame of stillness.
The bell signaling the end of the match was drowned beneath a storm
of alause.
Chapter 12
5irst 9igh clinched the overall victory before the final day and
decided to ostone the celebration until tomorrow. "AgainL Anyone
who said this was romtly ignored.$
Tomorrow! the finals for the Official Division2s Monolith 6ode! one of
the most oular draws of the 'ine Schools 6ometition! would
commence.
5irst 9igh2s reresentatives advanced to the finals after ta*ing first in
the reliminary round. 'either the layers nor the au(iliaries had the
time to attend the arty.
9owever! since there was only one event remaining! it was also true
that most of the members had lenty of time on their hands.
As Miyu*i owerfully contributed to 5irst 9igh2s overall victory with
her erformance in Mirage -at! this time she was the center of the
celebratory tea arty held in the conference room.
Mayumi and Su)une hosted the event! with the female layers ma*ing
u the majority of those in attendance. That being said! it2s not li*e
there were no boys resent. The uninjured Eear A male students were
congregated in a corner and holding their cus in a dejected manner.
"The Eear C and B male students were busy rearing for tomorrow2s
contest.$
'ot only were Mi*ihi*o and +eo resent! /ri*a and Mi)u*i could be
seen as well. Mayumi li*ely had another urose in mind. "/ri*a tried
her utmost to decline! but was forcibly conscrited by Miyu*i.$
Eet! for some reason! there was no trace of Tatsuya.
G...So! he said not to wa*e him until morningLG
GEes.G
GThat2s no surrise.G
GSince he2s been %uite active lately...G
As the Eear A female students were in a grou discussing a certain
young man "they were /ri*a! Miyu*i! Shi)u*u and 9ono*a$! a Eear C
coule aroached.
G9mL Eour brother went to bed alreadyLG
&t was Kanon and &sori.
G&ndeed! he said he was %uite e(hausted.G
GThat... would be true. And he2s injured as well.G
9earing Miyu*i2s answer! &sori nodded deely. Once he raised his eyes
and loo*ed towards Miyu*i! his eyes slightly widened.
G9mL &sn2t this /ri*aLG
GKei-senai! have you comleted the calibrations for tomorrowLG
G'o! ta*ing a breather... Though it2s more li*e Kanon dragged me
out.G
&sori could only smile wryly at these slightly moc*ing words. 'e(t to
him! Kanon wore a slightly irritated e(ression which was not
comletely caused by the earlier verbal e(change. There aeared to
be something deeer as well.
G...Ah! /ri*a *nows &sori-senaiLG
G6hal* it u to family relations.G
Still! /ri*a didn2t hold Kanon2s mood against her! or more li*e
intentionally retended not to notice! as she turned to Miyu*i.
GThe 6hiba 5amily is greatly indebted to the &sori 5amily.G
GThat2s certainly not trueHG
G'o need to be shy! that2s just how it is! objectively.G
Seeing &sori frantically sha*e his head! /ri*a adoted a more teasing
tone.
GMy 6AD was also develoed by the &sori 5amily. Sea*ing of which!
didn2t &sori-senai ma*e it for meLG
Sea*ing of which! /ri*a ulled out her 6AD that was shaed li*e a
retractable olice baton out of nowhere.
GWell! & guess... -ut only the 2/ngraving2 ortion.G
GEou designed the /ngraving sell yourselfL That2s incredible...G
GKei is a geniusHG
When Mi)u*i e(ressed her sincere admiration! Kanon was so roud
that she momentarily forgot her disleasure. &sori could only shyly
murmur once more8 GThat2s definitely not true.G
F F F
-y the time his absence had ceased to be a toic of conversation!
Tatsuya slied out of the hotel and advanced towards the ar*ing
garage reserved for officers on base. The other arty was already there
waiting for him.
G9ow rude! to leave a woman waitingHG
GMy aologies.G
This was hardly the time and lace! but since he was in the wrong J
less on the gender issue! more on his tardiness J Tatsuya fran*ly
aologi)ed when scolded.
Maybe she was disaointed that Tatsuya didn2t offer any e(cuses! but
9aru*a didn2t comlain as she gestured for Tatsuya to get in the car
she was leaning against.
After Tatsuya slid into the assenger seat! 9aru*a sat behind the
wheel.
-oth the interior and e(terior of the vehicle remained dar*ened.
9aru*a didn2t bother to glance at the ignition and directly ulled out a
smarthone from the storing sace on the door.
Seeing this! Tatsuya also ulled out a terminal from his jac*et oc*et.
This was not the uniform for the au(iliaries! but a itch blac* jac*et
with two bulges beneath the armits! which 9aru*a retended to be
oblivious to.
G7ust the ma data is sufficientLG
G&f you have the list of members! can you ass those to me as wellLG
9aru*a sighed. Tatsuya started sending data towards her terminal.
Seeing the dislay! 9aru*a2s eyes widened in shoc*.
G&s that not enoughLG
G'o! that2s %uite enoughHG
9aru*a hid her e(ression and maniulated her own terminal.
Tatsuya s*immed over the data sent to him and said.
GMuch obliged.G
7ust as Tatsuya slightly nodded and was about to ress the button to
oen the car door!
GThis is insurance! isn2t itLG
9aru*a as*ed stiffly.
G&ndeed it is.G
-y the time this concise answer assed to 9aru*a2s ears! Tatsuya2s
bac* was already facing her.
As he watched 9aru*a drive the electric double-door sorts car
through the main e(it! Tatsuya removed the gau)e covering his right
ear and headed towards another car. -efore he could ta on the
window! the car door on the assenger side automatically oened.
&nside! a woman near 9aru*a2s age sat in the driver2s seat.
GWho was that womanLG
GAgent from #ublic Safety.G
Tatsuya easily revealed 9aru*a2s identity and smir*ed at 5ujibayashi.
GThough she insists that her day job is that of a life counselor.G
5ujibayashi burst into laughter.
GSo she2s a art-time agent.G
G& thin* she2s fine on the ability end. 6omared to seasoned veterans!
roo*ies fresh out the door tend to be more reliable. They usually stic*
to confidentiality down to the letter! so & feel safer as*ing them for
tem wor*. At any rate...... Acceting side jobs is slightly unethical!
but money tal*s and merit wal*s J & guess that2s just how it is.G
9earing Tatsuya nonchalantly sea* such blea* words! 5ujibayashi
s%uinted at him J her eyes remained calm.
GSometimes! why do & get the feeling that you should be A0 years
olderLG
G& feel that this has nothing to do with age and everything to do with
e(erience. After all! &2ve accumulated varied e(eriences of all sorts
here and there.G
/mhasis laced on the term varied. 9earing this! 5ujibayashi
casually averted her ga)e from Tatsuya.
Tatsuya didn2t anticiate any articularly secial resonse.
9e removed the connection cable from the dashboard comartment
and smoothly oerated the touch screen on the assenger2s seat and
transferred the ma data he obtained from 9aru*a into the navigation
system.
G...& wonder if & can reort this as overtime...G
G& thin* this certainly %ualifies.G
GThe labor laws hardly aly to eole li*e usHG
Desite elastic emloyment becoming mainstream! some laws still
stubbornly survived the times. At being romted to retread familiar
territory! 5ujibayashi didn2t even bother to force a smile and merely
shot Tatsuya a loo* and shifted the stic* forward.
The commonly seen electric car emloyed by the masses shifted into
silent run! a feature not detailed in the instruction manual! and slied
away in the dar*ness.
F F F
Meanwhile! the one who ordered "L$ 5ujibayashi into the field was
entertaining an une(ected guest.
G#lease come in! sir.G
The individual in %uestion! who was not being welcomed by the
soldiers on duty but by Ka)ama himself! was /lder Kudou.
-ac* when the old man was in the service! the rule that the GTen
Master 6lans shall not assume high roles in governmentG had not been
established yet.
That was because this rule was ut into effect after e(eriencing a
series of circumstances involving Kudou himself that ultimately led to
the establishment of this rule.
When he retired! /lder Kudou held the ran* of major general.
Ka)ama2s greeting was not out of resect for his status as an elder of
the Ten Master 6lans! but done in regards to his ran* based on military
rotocol.
Ka)ama was a --ran*ed Magician and also a member of the magical
community that had the Ten Master 6lans at the innacle. That being
said! he identified himself as a Magician using the Ancient Magic
G'injitsuG! so he had a rather chilly relationshi with the Ten Master
6lans! who were the eitome of modern magic. "'aturally! his
relationshi with his subordinates within the battalion was another
story altogether.$
Thus J assuming this was the right way to ut it J Ka)ama2s attitude
might be resectful! but never surassed the boundaries of being mere
GformalitiesG.
GEou2re dismissed.G
GEes! sirHG
Ka)ama ordered the soldiers on duty who brought the tea out of the
room and redirected his ga)e to /lder Kudou.
GSo what may & do for you todayL 5ujibayashi is in the field right now
and not resent.G
G& certainly don2t believe that seeing my granddaughter re%uires going
through her sueriors... &t2s nothing really! & hear that it2s rare for you
to come from Tsuchiura! so & came to see you.G
G&2m honored.G
Seeing Ka)ama use the word honored but fail to e(ress any
resectful attitude! Kudou smiled wryly.
GEou still disli*e the Ten Master 6lans that much.G
G&2ve said that was a misunderstanding.G
GAnd &2ve said there2s no need to hide it. Magicians who wield Ancient
Magic li*e you are 2humans2 who have inherited the wisdom of the
ages! unli*e us! who are Magicians forged to be humanoid weaons.
&t2s erfectly understandable for there to be some resentment.G
Ka)ama2s brows furrowed when he heard the word GhumanG being
elongated on urose.
G...Turning ourselves into weaons is e(actly the same thing the
ancient Magicians did to themselves. There2s no great difference
between you and &. &f & do bear any resentment! that would be directed
to humanity in general. & believe that this idea is something forced
down the throats of children and the younger generation.G
G9m... So you too* him inLG
Kudou calmly rebutted Ka)ama2s fiery words.
G...9im! as inLG
GShiba Tatsuya-*un. &sn2t he the son of Miya whom you ac%uired from
the Eotsuba 5amily three years agoLG
G.........G
&nstead of being struc* seechless! Ka)ama2s silence would be more
atly described as Ghighly irritatedG.
G&t2s hardly surrising that & would *now about it! rightL Three years
ago! & was conveniently the chairman of the committee for the Ten
Master 6lans and currently remain a magic advisor to national
defense. Also! though it was for a short eriod of time! both Maya and
Miya were my students.G
GThen you should also *now this. The Eotsuba 5amily has not
relin%uished their hold on Tatsuya. 9e remains a Eotsuba guardian.
Only under the conditions that his role as a guardian is not
comromised is Shiba Tatsuya allowed to articiate in military
missions. -esides guardian resonsibilities! the Eotsuba 6lan is not
allowed to assert their recedence. That is the agreement we have with
the Eotsuba 5amily.G
GDon2t you feel that it2s a wasteLG
GWhat do you mean by a wasteLG
Seeing Kudou lean forward and as* in a consiring manner! Ka)ama
feigned ignorance as he relied.
/lder Kudou did not fly into a rage and merely smir*ed.
GEesterday2s match was %uite entertaining. While & hear that it was the
only successful e(amle! & didn2t imagine that it would be that
owerful.G
3etired Major ;eneral Kudou watched Major Ka)ama2s eyes li*e a
haw*.
GSometime in the future! he will become our country2s invaluable
military asset along with the scion of the &chijou 5amily. 3elegating
such a suerb individual to a mere rivate bodyguard! wouldn2t you
consider that to be a wasteLG
G...Sir! do you wish to wea*en the Eotsuba 5amilyLG
GSince it2s you! &2ll be blunt.G
At Ka)ama2s %uestion! Kudou maintained his thin smile and nodded.
GThrough a series of chec*s and balances! we revent the ossibility
of Magicians losing control of themselves. This is written within the
design behind the Ten Master 6lans.G
Ka)ama2s silence imlied that! for him! Kudou2s words were all *nown
facts.
G9owever! at this current rogression! the Eotsuba 5amily will
become too owerful. At Shiba Tatsuya-*un and his sister2s current
growth rate! in the near future! Maya will still be around! Shiba
Miyu*i will become Eotsuba Miyu*i with Shiba Tatsuya continuing as
her guardian. &n this scenario! the Eotsuba 5amily may become an
e(istence that will eclise the Ten Master 6lans. 'ay...G
9ere! /lder Kudou aused and shoo* his head.
G/ven in our current redicament! based on the fact that they ossess
uni%ue abilities unmatched by other families and have a select but
e(tremely owerful grou of Magicians! the Eotsuba 5amily are
already a secial entity within the Ten Master 6lans.G
9earing Kudou2s words! Ka)ama wore a sarcastic smir*.
GThat2s recisely because they loyally obeyed your directive in
creating 2Magicians who are humanoid weaons2. 5rom a ure combat
ersective! it is only natural that they are so secial.G
GAnd therein lies the difficulty.
7ust as you say! Major Ka)ama.
They originally e(isted to develo new weaons! but they are no
longer li*e that.
Something that only e(ists as a weaon will someday be e(cluded
from the world of men.G
GSirHG
Ka)ama curtailed /lder Kudou2s emhatic words.
GSir! just as you *now the details on my side! so too do & *now a few
things on your side. & *now the real reason why you are so interested
in Tatsuya2s situation.G
This time! it was Kudou2s turn to fall silent.
GThus! lease allow me to ma*e a suggestion and a correction.G
G...#lease do.G
G& believe that there is no need to ity Tatsuya. 9e is not a docile lab
rat to be itied. 3ather! he is someone who is reluctant to be viewed in
that lens.G
GThat2s your suggestionLG
G&ndeed. 'ow for the correction... &t2s not the near future. Tatsuya is
already an invaluable asset within the military. Saying this may seem
li*e &2m romoting my own men! but in terms of military ower!
Tatsuya is on an entirely different level than &chijou.
5or oint defense situations! &chijou Masa*i rivals an entire armored
battallion2s combat strength.
Eet! Tatsuya alone ossesses the might of a strategic warhead.
9is magic is restricted by several layers of limiters and is a bona fide
strategic weaon.
And handing all the resonsibility to him alone seems to be an overly
heavy and cruel burden.G
F F F
&n the car seeding towards the east! Tatsuya did not double over and
snee)e reeatedly.
The electric car that 5ujibayashi was driving J to be recise!
5ujibayashi2s car that was being directed by the navigational system!
was coursing east along the central highway and reached Eo*ohama
before midnight.
'orth of Eo*ohama 9arbor in the east side of town! a srawling
6hinatown still bordered the high rise since the end of the CAst century
"desite the multile military conflicts between 7aan and 6hina$. &t
was here that the car carrying the two of them came to a halt.
G...We *now hostile agents are crawling around over here! yet & don2t
see any loc* down or security chec*oints. What are the oliticians
thin*ingLG
5ujibayashi ga)ed at the streets in 6hinatown and muttered in
frustration. 'e(t to her! Tatsuya merely shrugged.
GThat2s because on the surface! this area is one of the rimary
head%uarters for olitically oressed 6hinese who fled the country.G
GThat2s a blatant lieHG
GThat2s why & said on the surface.G
G/verything should have a limit. While we technically won! since no
treaty was formally signed! from a legal standoint! we are still on a
war footing with the ;reat Asian Alliance and are only in a ceasefire
right now. /veryone *nows that this is a nest for sy activity! but no
one wants to deal with it.G
GThen again! maybe the number of 2eole2 is rising right now.G
&n contrast to 5ujibayashi2s nattering! Tatsuya relied in an easy
manner.
5ujibayashi heard J or thought she did J something deeer in that
answer and widened her eyes as she stared at Tatsuya.
G...Do you *now somethingLG
G'o! simly a wish! that2s all.G
As if signaling an end to the conversation! Tatsuya turned his bac* to
her.
The current direction he was facing led him to the highest building in
the city.
The cost for construction was staggering! but from a hysical
ersective! it was indeed the tallest s*yscraer.
:ntil the middle of the century! this area was *nown as G9arbor <iew
#ar*G. 'ow! with three towering s*yscraers built in the area! one
could see Eo*ohama 9arbor and the sea from there.
The building2s name was the GEo*ohama -ay TowerG! which the
residents affectionately shortened to G-ay TowerG. &t included hotels!
shoing centers! civilian offices! television stations and related
facilities. The community for Magicians *nown as the G7aanese
Magic AssociationG also set their eastern branch here rather than in
To*yo. "Main 9? was in Kyoto.$
6laiming that this tower was only for civilian use was a mere cover
that even the citi)ens in the area could see through. Since this tower
was in a erfect location to *ee an eye on all the shis entering To*yo
-ay! this building also housed the offices for 'ational Defense and the
naval olice disguised as civilian comanies.
&t was rumored that the Magic Association2s eastern branch was in the
building so that they could join the defense if an incident occurred. J
Eet regardless of whether it was Tatsuya or 5ujibayashi! both *new
that this was no GrumorG! but cold! hard GfactG.
G+ieutenant! than* you.G
G+oo*s li*e & really should aly for overtime.G
The time was near midnight.
5ujibayashi laced a small information terminal on an emergency e(it
that was normally only accessible from the inside and was not covered
by security ersonnel. 9er other hand fiddled with the 6AD.
The door mechanism originally didn2t have a connection ort or data
jac*! so 5ujibayashi used a hac*ing rogram to gain access to the door
by modifying the electric conductivity of the door.
Than*s to 5ujibayashi2s interference! the internal surveillance systems
failed to detect their resence.
F F F
On to of the highest floor in the Eo*ohama ;rand 9otel J financed
by bac*ers out of 9ong Kong and built in 6hinatown in the first half
of the century and had no correlation to the hotel before reconstruction
J there was another floor that most customers were oblivious to
where men were frantically rearing to move out of a room.
This room was originally reserved for the eastern branch of the 9ong
Kong-based criminal organi)ation G'o 9ead DragonG and served as
their oerational 9? for eastern 7aan.
The 9ong Kong financier who ran this hotel had been comromised
by 'o 9ead Dragon long ago! hence referring to this lace as the
oerational 9? for criminal activity wasn2t so far off the mar*.
/ven calling this moving would be a stretch! as the only things being
shifted around were account boo*s that weren2t recorded into devices.
Since these were highly classified account boo*s that couldn2t be
recorded into systems with e(tensive safety arameters! they couldn2t
simly be handed off to minions to be ac*ed. This was why several
middle-aged "and aroaching the twilight of their years$ men were
using sil* hand*erchiefs to mo away their sweat as they clumsily
lugged around luggage with hands covered in jewels and rings. &f an
outsider was resent! they would have found the scene to be
e(ceedingly comical.
Of course! for the eole in %uestion! this was no laughing matter.
GDamn it... We2ve still got moreHG
One of them stoed wor*ing and started cursing furiously.
GSea*ing of which! & can2t believe the ;enerator was ta*en out
without inflicting any damage...G
GThat was comletely une(ected. We didn2t thin* that 7aanese
secial forces would shamelessly crawl out of the ground.G
GThus forcing us to try and evacuate in the middle of the night.G
GThey2re so full of themselves after just winning one battle...G
/veryone resent wished to e(ress the words hidden in their heart to
hel vent their an(iety.
GOne day! we will avenge ourselves uon the 7aanese military! but
first we must get rid of that *id.G
GEou2re tal*ing about the son of a bitch who ruined our entire lanLG
GShiba Tatsuya rightL Who is this guyLG
GWell... We don2t *now all the details. We could only find his name!
address! school! and aearance. 5orget family situation! we couldn2t
even get a list of family members. Only thing we *now about his
arents is that they are emloyed! all others remain in the dar*.
+i*ewise! we have no ersonal data beyond normal every day
trivialities.G
GThe hellL This country counts as one of the countries with e(tensive
ersonal databases on the international stage. /ven loo*ing at the
civilian databases should yield at least some data! isn2t this e(tremely
oddLG
GMaybe we should see this as instead of classifying ersonal data!
anything related to 2Shiba Tatsuya2 has been systematically erased. &
can2t thin* of any other ossibility.G
The high-ran*ing members at the 'o 9ead Dragon eastern 7aanese
branch eered at their comatriot who so*e u and wordlessly
glanced at one another.
G...Maybe he2s not an ordinary high school student...LG
G&f they wanted to systematically alter every ersonal database at the
civilian level! this would re%uire e(cetional clearance at the highest
level. Otherwise! they need the influence to intervene at the highest
level of government.G
GSeriously! who is it...LG
They stoed ac*ing their luggage. Suddenly! they heard muffled
screams.
&n the corners of the room! four men could be seen.
They were the ;enerators lent to the eastern 7aanese branch to serve
as ersonal defenses.
&n order to rotect against foreign attac*! they rovided four different
tyes of magic defenses. The ;enerator resonsible for Data
5ortification on the walls was recisely the source of these screams.
The reason was blatantly obvious.
The south facing wall had a gaing hole in it.
This was not caused by a collision! incision! or even a crac* in the
wall. The only remnants were the steel bars and structure hanging
loosely with some uffs of yellow dust and settling cement.
The screams were caused by the destruction of Data 5ortification and
the subse%uent feedbac* to the caster.
Still! the ainful sounds only lasted for a few seconds.
The brass swiftly noticed the cause of the screams.
'o 9ead Dragon was not simly a criminal organi)ation! they were a
criminal organi)ation that abused magic.
&n order to rise to the uer echelon! an individual must fulfill the
condition of being a Magician.
They had to maniulate and identify magic.
9ence they were able to comrehend what unfolded before their eyes.
The /idos surrounding the ;enerator who let out those iteous
screams J this was a Magician2s natural defense that unconsciously
sread out to automatically rotect oneself with Data 5ortification J
had been stried away.
'o! the imression was more li*e the armor was being evaorated.
&n the ne(t instant! the ;enerator2s whole body was suffused by static-
li*e contour and started fading.
At this time! the sace the ;enerator2s body used to occuy burst into
a small flame.
-efore the srin*lers could come alive! the small flame intermi(ed
with orange! blue! and urle swiftly disaeared.
What fell to the rug was simly ashes.
The ;enerator2s entire body disaeared and this was all that
remained.
The brass was so terrified that they forgot to scream.
They eered at one another with horrified e(ressions.
All of a sudden! the telehone rang.
The sound came from the hidden land line that only the brass had
access to.
One of them ic*ed u the hone with e(treme treidation.
There was no image. Only the sound came across the dislay monitor.
G9ello! everyone from 2'o 9ead Dragon2s2 eastern 7aanese branchHG
The voice that came across the sea*er was that of a young man J a
teenager.
F F F
Tatsuya and 5ujibayashi ascended to the roof of the northern building
of the Eo*ohama -ay Tower.
9ere! along with the broadcasting antenna for the television station!
there was also a wireless communication device.
5ujibayashi connected her terminal to the wireless communication
device and raidly taed the screen.
G...OK! we2re in. &2ve rerouted every wireless communication through
here.G
GAs e(ected of the 2/lectron Sorceress2. This oint remains immune
to imitation regardless of what & try.G
GThan*s. & would be in serious trouble if someone could imitate me so
easily.G
5ujibayashi adoted a suerficial smile that obviously didn2t come
from the heart.
G9ave we already cut the lineLG
G6atain Sanada already has that end covered.G
Tatsuya ulled out the sea*er attached to the information terminal
with his left hand. After unching in the number 5ujibayashi assed to
him! he ressed the last *ey to enable voice communication.
9e removed a air of riding goggles from his jac*et oc*et.
'e(t! he ulled out a long-barreled 6AD from his left shoulder
holster.
This was a Seciali)ed 6AD shaed li*e an automatic istol that was
modeled after the Silver Series +ong-models.
9e stood before the rotective railing and slightly raised his right
hand.
The Gmu))leG of the 6AD was aimed at the Eo*ohama ;rand 9otel
far off near the bottom of the hill.
G...So that is a 2;enerator2LG
GEes! definitely. This is the first time we2ve catured one! but it2s
characteristics erfectly match the intelligence reort.G
There was a solid *ilometer from the to of the Eo*ohama -ay Tower
to the ;rand 9otel2s roof.
Tatsuya adoted a shooting osture with a istol-shaed 6AD! so of
course there wasn2t a scoe attached.
/ven so! 5ujibayashi never as*ed8 G6an you see itLG
That was because she understood erfectly that! of course Tatsuya
could see it.
5ujibayashi used an altogether different method of observation than
Tatsuya! but even she was erfectly clear on who the Magicians and
who the ;enerators in the room were.
GMagic tools that have been stried of their sense of self. So this is
the end that awaits all Magicians develoed as humanoid weaons...G
G.........G
G...& so*e too much! & aologi)e.G
5eeling 5ujibayashi2s cold and disaroving ga)e! Tatsuya hastily
made amends and aologi)ed.
'ot all Magicians wished to be used as weaons! so his comment was
indeed out of line.
Desite his aology! Tatsuya did not deny that he did resonate with the
feeling somewhat.
There are indeed similarities between the way he and the ;enerators
conducted their lives! Tatsuya thought.
#recisely because of this! within the remnants of the emotions left to
him! the dominant emotion he felt was disgust.
They were a harmful! unleasant e(istence.
Tatsuya never hesitated when destroying such a GdeviceG.
Silver 9orn 6ustom! GTridentG.
This was Tatsuya2s favored instrument! that which brought out the
finest of his magic. Tatsuya s%uee)ed the Trident2s trigger.
9is original magic! the military secret GDecomositionG activated.
This sell bro*e the wall2s basic comonents into owder.
-y creating a hysical hole in the wall that served as medium! he
oened a hole in the GsealedG concet that rotected the room from the
effect of e(ternal magic.
Tatsuya2s GviewG of the interior had never been clearer.
When the activated magic was forcibly destroyed! the ;enerator
shoo* from the blow.
:nder normal circumstances! the Magician wouldn2t suffer from the
feedbac* even if the magic was destroyed.
This was li*ely a by-roduct of their inability to consciously terminate
or halt magic by themselves.
9e coldly surveyed the scene while his attac*s J *illing intent did not
falter.
9e noticed that one of the ;enerators released Wide Area &nterference
to rotect the five members of the brass while the three others adoted
Wide Area &nterference to defend themselves.
9e s%uee)ed the Trident2s trigger.
9e set the GWide Area &nterferenceG from the ;enerator injured by the
wall2s collase! the Gouter shell of the /idosG! and GfleshG as the
variables and lugged them into the Magic Se%uence.
The rocesses for all three magics were comleted in a slit second
with no time lag in between.
The first rocess decomosed the target2s rotective Wide Area
&nterference.
The second rocess decomosed the target2s Data 5ortification used to
rotect the body.
The third rocess decomosed the flesh down to the atomic level.
The decomosition was so comlete that it was no longer recogni)able
as a biological entity and left no traces that this was a living being.
#roteins were bro*en down into hydrogen! o(ygen! carbon! nitrogen!
and sulfurM the bones were rendered down to hoshorus! o(ygen! and
calciumM everything including blood! the nervous system! stored
nutrients! even waste was decomosed down to the molecules and
ions.
The lighter elements! with hydrogen at their head! escaed through the
hole in the outer wall to the outside.
The flammable elements interacted with o(ygen and burst into flames.
This scene was so surreal that it seemed li*e the human body
sontaneously ignited.
Eet! the reality was that it had vanished rather than being consumed by
the flames.
9e had incororated three consecutive Decomosition magics into one
Magic Se%uence and comletely annihilated a Magician2s flesh and
body along with its naturally occurring magic rotect barrier.
GTrident... Seriously! this must be what they call having your hair
stand on end...G
This was the Seciali)ed 6AD secifically customi)ed to activate
three consecutive magics.
Within the Magic /ncycloedia! the term GTridentG was allocated to
another magic.
9owever! within the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion!
GTridentG referred to this merciless trile Decomosition magic as well
as the 6AD that otimi)ed the rocess.
Tatsuya didn2t hold 5ujibayashi2s treidation or words that slied out
of her mouth against her and merely *eyed the waiting information
terminal and lin*ed to voice communication.
Once they invaded the wireless communication device! the
authentication system in the dedicated line lost all meaning.
G9ello! everyone from 2'o 9ead Dragon2s2 eastern 7aanese branchHG
Tatsuya so*e in an unnaturally cheery voice.
F F F
The e(ecutive who ic*ed u the hone failed to hide his
befuddlement as he glanced at his eers.
This was a line reserved for e(ecutive use only! as well as a direct line
to the main 9?. Only a branch chief or e(ecutives from the main 9?
would *now of this line! as ordinary members were unable to access
this line. There weren2t any teenage e(ecutives in 'o 9ead Dragon.
9ec*! there weren2t even twenty year old e(ecutives in the
organi)ation.
G...Who are youLG
The voice didn2t contain an interrogator2s edge. Was this because he
was %ua*ing on the inside after watching a human body disintegrate
into the aetherL
GMuch obliged for your wor* at 5uji.G
The voice belonged to a teenage youth! but the tone was unmista*ably
adult.
GAllow me to return the favor.G
When these words fell! the Wide Area &nterference rotecting the brass
disaeared without a trace.
'ot only the man who was holding the hone! but everyone still in
ossession of their wits beside the magic devices glanced towards one
corner on refle(.
-efore their eyes! a dimly lit flame ignited and swiftly vanished.
The srin*lers reacted to the multile heat sources and inundated the
area with high ressured sray.
The ;enerator that should be standing there had vanished without a
trace.
GWhereL 'umber AR! where did that come fromLG
One of the e(ecutives stammered his words in reverse order.
Magicians are able to detect what magic was being used and where the
attac* came from based on the effects of henomenon rewriting.
'ormally! there would be no way that they could fail to detect where
such a owerful magic that could reduce a human body down to the
atomic level came from when the target was so close to them.
/ven if they couldn2t accurately inoint the distance! they should at
least be able to locate which direction the caster was in J yet this
e(ecutive had comletely anic*ed and was unable to do anything.
6omared to those who *new no fear J ;enerators had already lost
their ability to falter! so they remained stolid in the face of their
comrade2s destruction.
'umber AR2s slow! lodding movement ointed towards the bro*en
hole in the wall.
Across the street was the highest oint on this street.
Another e(ecutive %uic*ly snatched u a snier rifle.
After raising the otical lens to his eye! he raised the magnification.
On the roofto of the Eo*ohama -ay Tower! a youth was artially
visible beneath the illuminating moonlight.
9e raised the magnification to the ma(.
/ven though he couldn2t see the youth2s features because of the riding
goggles in the way! he could see the e(osed lis smir* at him.
Seeing that twisted smir*! the man immediately screamed and fell to
the floor.
9is eye had been slashed by the shattered lens from the scoe.
Still! the men didn2t have the leisure time to worry about their
moaning comrade who clutched at his eye.
G'umber AR! 'umber A@! *ill himHG
More than one voice ordered the ;enerators to retaliate.
9oweverJ
G:nable to comly.G
G'ot within range.G
Machines cannot accomlish the imossible.
They were designed to wield magic stably under any condition. With
this in mind! ;enerators didn2t ossess the function to use their full
otential and surass their limits.
GDon2t you dare tal* bac* to meH Attac*HG
At 'umber AR and 'umber A@ simultaneously answering in the
negative without any inflection in their voice! the e(ecutive on the
ground clutching his eye sat bac* furiously.
The resonse came through the hone.
GDid you really believe & would give you the chanceLG
'umber AR and 'umber A@ were both consumed by static.
-oth of them followed their comrade to hell.
GSto issuing orders to your tools. Why not ta*e u the sword
yourselfLG
-efore the words traveled over the hone! a slightly moc*ing laughter
could be heard.
'evertheless! the men didn2t seem to have the strength to rouse
themselves to a fury.
That was a distance at which the na*ed eye couldn2t even ma*e out if
someone was there.
'o one resent had the ability to use magic against someone who was
both unidentifiable and out of range.
One man srinted for the land line.
The others frantically brought u the wireless hones within their
terminals.
Eet! the land line only bleeed bac* a disconnected signal!
'or were the wireless hones wor*ing either.
GDon2t bother. 3ight now &2m the only one you can sea* with.G
The same voice traveled along the original hone.
G9ow is this ossibleL /ven the wireless signal... 9ow did he...G
GAll & did was converge the electronic waves. As to how & did this!
there2s no need for you to *now.G
They understood erfectly well the meaning behind his words.
Still! all those words did was solidify their sense of dread.
G'ow! let2s cut to the chase.G
With this diabolical declaration! the man clutching one eye was
surrounded with static.
The man2s face twisted in utter desair.
9is face remained twisted J as he turned into ashes.
Since the srin*lers had already inundated the room thrice with water!
there was no longer any sontaneous combustion.
The men watched with fro)en e(ressions their comrade who was
denied even a funeral yre.
One man deserately made for the e(it.
Static swarmed around from behind him as his outline came aart and
he vanished.
The last three remaining members of the 'o 9ead Dragon2s eastern
7aanese branch finally reali)ed that their lives were held in the alm
of a demon.
They couldn2t hel but arrive at this eihany.
GWait... #lease wait a secondHG
The man who served as the chief of the eastern 7aanese branch sei)ed
the hone and shouted into the sea*er.
G5or whatLG
9e hadn2t actually thought his words through.
9e didn2t believe his oonent was going to let him go.
'o one who could eradicate men li*e mere numbers ossessed a
merciful disosition.
Still! contrary to e(ectations! a resonse came down the line.
GWe! we swear to never interfere with the 'ine Schools 6ometition
againHG
GThe 'ine Schools 6ometition ends tomorrow.G
G'ot just the 'ine Schools 6ometitionH We will leave the country
tomorrowH We will never again ste foot into this countryHG
G/ven if you leave! others will still come bac*! rightLG
G'o 9ead Dragon will abandon 7aan comletelyH 'ot just eastern
7aan! but western 7aan as wellHG
GDo you have the ower to ma*e such a romise! Douglas 9uangLG
The moment the oosing side called out his name! the man2s heart
almost stoed from the blow. /ven so! 9uang deserately *et
sea*ing.
G& am the boss2s confidantH The boss can2t simly ignore my wordsHG
G&n what wayLG
G& once saved the boss2s lifeH Eou owe the man who saved you a favor!
that is our customHG
GSo you lan to use that 2favor2 to bargain for your life.G
Two loo*s shot towards 9uang.
They contained the hatred and *illing intent reserved for traitors.
9owever! 9uang didn2t have the time to worry about that.
GDidn2t you lan to use that favor to win bac* your life from your
bossLG
G'oH The boss wouldn2t abandon me even if & didn2t do thatHG
GSo you claim you have that much influenceLG
G&ndeedHG
G-y what do you ma*e this claimLG
GThat...G
G'o 9ead Dragon J the headless dragon. That name does not
originate from your own organi)ation! but was alied to you by other
organi)ations because your leader never aears before the
subordinates. /ven those that re%uire ersonal unishment are first
rendered unconscious before being ta*en to a rivate room. ?uite the
thorough rocess indeed.G
9uang was consumed by a fear that was altogether different from the
terror that came from death or being disintegrated.
9e *new too much about his situation.
Whose tail did he tread on this time.
GSince you have so much influence! surely you must have seen the
leaderLG
3egardless! he didn2t have time to contemlate this.
&n order to live! he must follow the ath that this demon had ointed
out to him.
G& have been granted an audience.G
GWhat is your leader2s nameLG
9uang shut his tra.
That was the deeest secret within the organi)ation.
The terror and loyalty that have been engraved uon his soul through
the assage of the years overrode the terror before his eyes.
-ut only for a moment.
G7amesHLG
Another one of his comanions disaeared from this earth.
A destruction so comlete that he wasn2t even ermitted to die as a
human being.
This reminded him of the blashemy that their leader used to e(ecute
the damned and sent a similar chill u his sine.
GSo that was 7ames 4hu! eh. My aologies to the &nterol agents
ursuing him across the globe.G
GWait...G
G&s it your turn now! Douglas 9uangLG
G#lease waitH ...Our boss2s name is 3ichard SunHG
GAnd his ublic ersonaLG
G...Sun ;ongming.G
GAddressLG
9ong Kong2s uer class residential sector! name of the office
building! fre%uented nightclubs! 9uang held nothing bac*.
G...That is everything & *now.G
GAnd my %uestions come to a close. Than* you very much.G
GThen! you believe meLG
GAh! you are undoubtedly one of 'o 9ead Dragon2s leader! 3ichard
Sun2s confidants.G
-rought to the brin* of e(termination! 9uang2s entire body seemed to
sag as his e(ression sang of his deliverance.
This recently revived hoe!
G;regoriHG
Was swiftly crushed with the annihilation of his last remaining
comrade.
G...WhyHL We too* no lives. We didn2t even *ill anyoneHG
F F F
G...We didn2t even *ill anyoneHG
A rather logical defense srouted through the other side of the hone.
-ut that was merely the result.
They consired to commit mass murder! but their lans were derailed
by Eanagi! Sanada! and 5ujibayashi.
Eet Tatsuya didn2t oint this out.
GAnd why does that concern meHG
GWhat...LG
G9ow many you have slain or let live means nothing to meHG
Tatsuya had reached the end of his tether in laying out this lifeless
erformance! so he was no longer disguising his voice.
9e had already obtained all the intel he wanted! so there was no need
to lay out this farce any longer.
GEou dared to touch that which cannot be touched.
Eou dared to sully my scales.
5or that alone you all deserve to erishHG
G...Eou demonHG
GEou are the ones to than* for unshac*ling the demon! Douglas
9uang. 6onsciousness may be the force that roels strength! but
emotions ta*e that strength one ste further.G
'e(t to the sea*er! Tatsuya lightly laughed at himself.
9is laughter mi(ed with the evening wind and accomanied the cold
words of damnation that devoured all hoe.
GEou have touched uon my last remaining emotion and than*s to
you! & finally unleashed the 2#ower of the Demon2.G
GEou say the #ower of the Demon...L This magic! it cannot be! Demon
3ightHLG
That statement became 9uang2s last words.
9uang2s voice cut off from there.
The entity that made u Douglas 9uang was utterly e(tinguished from
this world.
Chapter 13
The last day of the 'ine Schools 6ometition dawned.
The only event slated for today was Monolith 6ode. The first match
for the elimination round would begin at D AM! and the second match
held at A0 AM. At A #M! the consolation match for Third #lace would
be held! followed by the final match at C #M.
The awards and closing ceremonies would begin at B8B0 #M! with the
'ine Schools 6ometition officially coming to a close at 1 #M.
The cometition officially ended at that time because there was still a
ban%uet to be held at Q #M.
Differing from the meet and greet before the oening ceremony! the
ban%uet after the closing ceremony was the real oortunity for the
schools to mingle and interact with one another.
Also! this ban%uet annually saw the birth of several coules in long
distance relationshis.
This was not only a chance for high school students to meet one
another! but also an e(cellent oortunity to interact with famous
figures in the magical community. Eear B students esecially too* care
to ta*e advantage of these two areas as much as ossible.
Eet! for the four schools that advanced to the elimination round! those
details could wait until after the event.
'one of the schools were in any hurry.
/verything that could be done had been done! so both the layers and
the au(iliaries were calmly waiting for the beginning of the
cometition.
5irst 9igh2s avilion was no e(cetion. 6entered around Katsuto! who
was calmly sitting there with his eyes closed! there were lenty of
an(ious individuals or those struggling to contain their e(citement as
layers and members all waited for the summons to the first match.
There were the three layers! 7uumonji Katsuto! Tatsumi Koutarou!
and 9attori ;youbu along with the three technicians that accomanied
them. &sori was also among their number.
Off to the side! the brass could be seen centered around the Student
6ouncil members li*e Mayumi! Mari! Su)une! and A)usa.
Kanon headed the Eear C and B layers.
Those that were unable to enter the avilion waited eagerly in the
suorting stands for the layers to aear.
'onetheless! regardless of where one cast their eyes! Tatsuya2s figure
remained elusive.
F F F
G&s it OK if you don2t go to suort themLG
G......There2s still some time left.G
9earing 5ujibayashi2s %uestion! Tatsuya guled down his food and
relied.
-ased on his instructions last night! Tatsuya reorted to Ka)ama2s
room after brea*fast.
9owever! the owner of the room had disaeared for some secret
rende)vous in the morning. While he was waiting! he sat down and
acceted 5ujibayashi2s invitation to a second brea*fast. J9e was a
develoing teenager with a ravenous aetite! so sandwiches with a
few sweets were nothing for him.
Within the boundaries of decorum! they chatted as they gathered u
the lates. At this time! Ka)ama returned with Sanada and Eanagi in
tow. 9e returned a vague salute to Tatsuya and 5ujibayashi! who both
stood and saluted him! before waving them to ta*e a seat. Ka)ama sat
directly across from Tatsuya! Eanagi too* a seat ne(t to 5ujibayashi!
and Sanada grabbed a chair ne(t to Tatsuya. "Tatsuya already heard
from 5ujibayashi that Eamana*a had already returned to Kasumigaura
-ase J which had already been ugraded from station to base.$
G;ood wor* last night.G
After briefly e(changing greetings! Ka)ama so*e u.
G'o! & should be the one than*ing you. & aologi)e for troubling
everyone with ersonal business.G
GThis is hardly a ersonal matter for you. Sea*ing of which! & was
also attac*ed.G
GAlso! we obtained critical combat data last night. -eeline range
roughly AC00 meters. &t is very rare to obtain data for long range
magic that successfully snied human targets at this range. 5or
someone li*e you who e(cels in e(treme long distance recision
attac*s and OT9 "over the hori)on$ sniing! this distance may not be
satisfactory! but & am very leased with this observation data.G
Eanagi and Sanada both reassured Tatsuya when he stood u and
bowed.
G7ust so. Also! &nternal Affairs and #ublic Safety were both
e(cetionally leased with our gift last night. Eou successfully
comleted your mission! so don2t worry if it was a little ersonal.G
Acceting Tatsuya2s salute! Ka)ama left it at that.
G......9owever! is the intel surrounding the leader of a criminal
organi)ation that valuableLG
+ast night! he intentionally reached out to the criminals with a
moc*ing tone desite the fact that this behavior ran against his
ersonality because those were Ka)ama2s orders.
GThat2s because this is no simle criminal organi)ation.G
G............G
GTatsuya-*un! how familiar are you with the 2Sorcery -ooster2LG
At Tatsuya2s wordless interrogation! Sanada oened his mouth.
G&2ve heard the name before. That is a brea*through Magic Amlifier
introduced by criminal organi)ations within the ast few years. To be
honest! & find this highly susicious......G
GMagic Amlifiers do e(ist. On some level! referring to it as a
2brea*through Magic Amlifier2 is absolutely correct.G
GSea*ing of which! is it ossible to amlify magic to that degreeLG
While he didn2t believe that this was the *ind of situation where
Sanada would discuss groundless rumors at length! Tatsuya still found
it difficult to disel the GdubiousG first imression.
/ven though Magic Se%uences were a GsignalG that included rocesses
from the Magician that were ultimately sent to the target /idos! they
were not wholly unrelated to the amlification rocess.
9owever! the rocesses from the Magic Se%uences shifted in the
information dimension! so the signals from the Magic Se%uence did
not rogress from the Magician to the /idos directly.
The first %uestion of the day...... originated from e(actly where was the
Magic Se%uence constructed by Magicians amlified.
GThis is not amlification in the classical sense. +et me thin*......
Allow me to ut it this way! this doesn2t merely rovide a bluerint for
the Magic Se%uence! it2s a 6AD that ossesses a self-restoring
bluerint built into the Magic Se%uence that assists in the construction
rocess. Through this! Magic Se%uences of this scale are rendered
ossible by surassing a Magician2s original caacity.G
GThat...... 3ather than calling it a 2-ooster2! the term 2Memory
6aacitor2 may be closer to the mar*.G
G#ossibly.G
Maybe Tatsuya2s comment hit the nail on the head! because Sanada
burst into a chain of laughter.
G......&t2s hardly surrising if the terminology doesn2t match its urose.
'o 9ead Dragon is one of the rimary distributors of this -ooster.
This tool runs into a little trouble when rocuring raw materials! since
legal cororations are unable to manufacture these things. /ven
nations run a significant ris* if this is brought to light. &n reality! 'o
9ead Dragon monooli)ed the suly for Sorcery -oosters.G
GThen! do we need the leader2s intel to rocure Sorcery -oostersLG
G'egative. We need the target2s intel in order to ermanently halt the
roduction and distribution of these -oosters.
This is not something that should e(ist in the world in the first lace. &
would never use it! nor do & want anyone in the force to do so. J
Tatsuya-*un *nows how the &nduction Stone in the center of the 6AD
is roduced! rightLG
&nduction Stones refer to the comonent that transforms sion waves
into electric signals and vice versa. Tatsuya was bewildered at the
abrut change in conversation and nodded in assent.
G&nduction Stones are created from a crystalli)ation of neurons
chemically synthesi)ed from the molecular level. Since the differences
in structure may imact the conversion ratio! the emhasis is laced
on the structural comosition rather than the hysical characteristics of
the neurons. That being said! currently there are no reorts of
successful develoments of &nduction Stones without relying on
artificial materials.G
9earing Tatsuya2s resonse! Sanada nodded in satisfaction.
GEou are correct. 9owever! the -ooster2s core contains an &nduction
Stone that is not forged from artificial neurons.G
GThen what is it......G
GA human brain.G
Sanada2s answer silenced Tatsuya.
GTo be recise! it2s a Magician2s brain.G
G......-ut when they used neurons from animals! the remaining sion
articles in the brain should interfere with the user2s ability to achieve
induction. This should also be true when using a human brain.G
The reason Tatsuya was struc* seechless did not arise from the
unethical nature of their discussion.
9e was well versed in the cases at the dawn of 6AD develoment
where they conducted e(eriments on animals and humans.
The results from these e(eriments that blatantly ignored ethics!
conscience! and beliefs established the techni%ue for chemical
synthesis of &nduction Stones.
'evertheless! 'o 9ead Dragon managed to overturn these
conventional beliefs.
Tatsuya was astounded by this turn about.
GThey are comletely different from normal &nduction Stones. /ach
-ooster is secifically designed to use one tye of magic! so the tye
of magic differs based on the secs for the -oosters. Still! scaling on
some level could be achieved. -ased on our estimates! remnant
thoughts left over from the roduction rocess may lay a role in
altering the tye of magic. -y creating the same owerful emotions
during the roduction rocess! similar -oosters can be created.G
G......Such as introducing massive ain to the brain to rovo*e
overwhelming fear! am & correctLG
GMost li*ely.G
G......&t2s the same concet as curses.G
G& agree. -oosters may have been born from the same basis as curses.
/ven though we use magic as weaons and added Magicians to the
military hierarchy! our goal was to create a rototye unit rather than
using Magicians as mere arts. & am a Magician as well. Along with
6atain Sanada! 6atain Eanagi! +ieutenant 5ujibayashi! all units and
ersonnel in the unit are basically Magicians. ;enerators are still
tolerable! but creating and disseminating things li*e -oosters is
absolutely unforgivable.G
GSetting aside the emotional ersective of the roblem! caacity
enhancers li*e Sorcery -oosters also ose a threat to the military.
Since the 'orth American &ntelligence Agency "'A&A$ shares this
view! they have already reached out to &nternal Affairs. Mibu e(tends
his than*s! Tatsuya.G
Ka)ama sulied this final iece as the conversation drew to an end.
F F F
Once Tatsuya arrived at the sectator stands and began loo*ing for an
emty sot! a small bloc* of ice came hurtling towards him from the
front.
9e frantically caught the ball of ice and! by the time he lowered his
hand! his eyes caught Miyu*i loo*ing bac* at him.
Abandoning all retense of not noticing her! Tatsuya obediently
advanced to the front row where an emty seat waited for him.
G......Such a violent greeting.G
GThat2s because Onii-sama retended not to notice usHG
......Tatsuya had no rejoinder for that.
Well! the real reason he retended not to notice was to avoid doing
anything else that would draw attention to himself from the audience!
but he clearly understood that this e(cuse would not fly with his sister.
Still! that reason was largely for Miyu*i2s benefit. ;iven the
e(ressions on the faces of their eers and uerclassmen! this was
most definitely not the case for them. J+u*ewarm e(ressions of ity
would lease no one.
GOh! the layers are coming.G
GEou were just in time! Tatsuya-*un.G
The one who answered Tatsuya wasn2t Miyu*i! but 9ono*a who was
sitting on her other side. Miyu*i was busy utting on a smiling face to
disel the lu*ewarm ga)es sent their way. &n order to ma*e u for the
lost oortunity to sea*! she edged closer to Tatsuya as she sat down.
The first match of the elimination round itted 5irst 9igh against
'inth! coincidentally the same line u as the 'ewcomers Division.
'inth 9igh li*ely hoed to avenge their defeat here. All three layers
dislayed high morale.
&n comarison! 5irst 9igh2s three layers resented three different
images.
Katsuto remained imassive! Tatsumi2s thoughts remained a mystery!
while 9attori wore a serious e(ression as he eyed the enemy team
with a challenging glint in his eyes.
Their comletely normal aearance brought on an aura of
reassurance.
G6omared to us! they certainly give off a rela(ing feel...... Such is
how eole are on another level.G
G'onsenseH & never doubted that Onii-sama would triumhHG
GEour grou erformed admirably! Tatsuya-*unH Eou were all
courageous and honorable in the e(treme.G
Tatsuya didn2t mean anything in articular with his comment! but he
was a little lost when they rovo*ed immediate words of reassurance
or encouragement.
Still! they *et their voices down since the match was about to begin
in order to avoid attention! but that didn2t guarantee they would be
successful all the time. That2s why they say watch what you say "L$.
Mindful of this! Tatsuya chased away these distractions from his mind
and concentrated all his attention on the match.
JShi)u*u staring at him with a disleased e(ression may also have
layed a small art in that.
J:nrelated to this drama! the match began.
The match too* lace in a Karst-li*e G-oulderG setting.
With the starting bu))er! 9attori emerged out of 5irst 9igh2s territory.
With a liberal mi( of +eaing Magic! he stormed towards the enemy
territory with a seed that simly couldn2t be done with ure legwor*.
'inth 9igh2s resonse was e(tremely sluggish.
Dislaying high morale counted in their favor! but 5irst 9igh sei)ed
the initiative.
Seeing their bla)ing fervor! 'inth 9igh robably lanned to launch a
reemtive stri*e.
9owever! with their oonent2s une(ected charge! their delayed
resonse was filled with doubt.
They debated over whether they should immediately ta*e out the
attac*er and cature a numerical advantage.
Or! should they leave the retaliation to the defender and roceed
towards the enemy territory as lanned.
5irst 9igh2s objective was recisely to sow the seeds of doubt in their
minds.
9attori stoed halfway between the two areas and began to release
magic towards the three layers from 'inth 9igh who were still
dragging their feet.
With the rising air currents! white mist formed over the heads of the
layers from 'inth 9igh. The mist swiftly coalesced and fell
downwards as if unable to suort its own weight.
9ail formed from dry ice crashed downwards.
6onvergenceW3eleaseWMove 6omound Systematic Magic GDry
-li))ardG.
This was the basic form of the sell that Mayumi used during Seed
Shooting.
This magic too* the heat energy "latent heat$ released when lowering
carbon dio(ide to solidifying temerature and turning solid and
transformed it into the *inetic energy for dry ice ellets! so the higher
the temerature! the greater the velocity. 3eleased from the outer
erihery of the defensive erimeter J boulders rovided no cover
from dry ice ellets released directly overhead. Since they were all
wearing rotective helmets! ice bloc*s the si)e of the fingerti
wouldn2t cause any major injury! but multile hits could lead to a mild
concussion.
At the current rate! their inability to retaliate would lead to their
demise! so one of the layers from 'inth 9igh sread out a magical
rotective barrier over their heads to rotect them J an imaginary
obstruction that would reduce the seed of the descending articles to
)ero.
The shield formed by that layer would only reduce the seed to )ero
once. After the article came to a sto in the air! gravity would once
again ull it down to the earth. The dry ice 9attori created was formed
from free)ing the surrounding air and causing the moisture to solidify
so they would fall to the earth li*e a dri))le on to of the layers from
'inth 9igh and the surrounding boulders. Once the misty air absorbed
the released carbon dio(ide! this formed a continuous layer of fog.
Due to the boulders surrounding the immediate area! it was very
difficult for the fog to migrate anywhere other than 'inth 9igh2s
osition.
/ven though the fog wasn2t thic* enough to hinder visibility! having
the entire body suffused in wet! cold air was certainly going to be
unleasant. Another layer started venting the air current in hoes of
diselling the side effects of Dry -li))ard.
9owever! 9attori had already activated his ne(t magic.
9is sell used the friction caused by slightly vibrating the dust
articles in the ground to alter the electrical current in the dirt! then
amlifying and releasing the charge.
While one of the Eear A students from /ighth 9igh also attemted the
same tye of magic in a similar setting! the sheer strength and
racticed motion of the same sell were li*e night and day.
A crescent shae seeming to trace 'inth 9igh2s magic defensive
erimeter began to glow in an area that was roughly five meters wide.
6ountless flashes of light intermi(ed with one another li*e a herd of
small sna*es swarming forward.
3egardless of whether it was the ground mi(ed with sand! the loosely
growing grass! or even the rolling stones! anything covered by the fog
of carbon dio(ide became charged by the moisture.
The electric sna*e outside the magic defense barrier ignored the magic
and dove straight for the layer from 'inth 9igh.
6omound Magic! GSlithering SandersG.
6omound Magics are not simly magics that have multile sells
woven into one Magic Se%uence. 3ather! it is a combination of the
effects of multile magics where the aggregate whole rovides a
greater effect than the sum of its arts.
9attori was not renowned for using e(cetionally strong magic!
unaralleled rocessing seed! or multi-casting. &nstead! 9attori was
an incredibly versatile Magician who could stably choose from an
assortment of magic to fit any scenarioM herein lay his advantage.
With so many different assortments at his disosal! 6omound Magic
greatly benefited from his versatility! and was a erfect method to
bring out 9attori2s otential.
One of the three layers from 'inth 9igh leaed into the air to escae
the electric current.
:nfortunately! the layers resonsible for the defensive barrier
overhead and venting the air currents were half a beat slow in
switching to +eaing Magic.
The electric light ensnared the layers2 feet.
/ven though the rotective boots were insulated! the rotective vest
itself was not. "9igh insulation would hamer air ermeability.$
The fog that was inundated with carbon dio(ide clung to the layers2
bodies.
The layer who was wielding wind magic was able to %uic*ly switch
targets and sought to use the wind to blow away the moisture in order
to lessen the blow. :nfortunately! his comatriot who was holding the
magic defense barrier wasn2t so fortunate and suffered a direct hit from
GSlithering SandersG.
'e(t to the layer who collased on the ground! his comanion fell to
one *nee.
9e gave u on his immobile leg and maintained this osition to wield
his 6AD.
Someone cried out in ain in the air.
The layer who had leaed into the air to avoid the electric attac* was
struc* by an invisible hammer and crashed bac* to earth.
Tatsumi Koutarou! who used Single Systematic Magic but seciali)ed
in interference strength! had cast Seed-Tye Magic on him. -y
instantly alying downwards gravitational ull! the oosing layer
immediately hit the dec*.
At the same time! the layer from 'inth 9igh activated 6onvergence
Magic.
&t was un*nown whether he was unaware of his comanion2s
redicament or whether this was as e(ected of a team that advanced
to the elimination round.
9attori was the target of the comressed air ellets being fired.
-esides secial circumstances li*e being underwater or in a vacuum!
air e(isted in almost every scenario! hence its combat alication was
a oular choice.
Than*s to the rules limiting attac* otions and destructive ower!
Monolith 6ode largely favored comressed air ellet attac*s.
The highly comressed air ellets that formed outside of 9attori2s
defensive erimeter J shattered into ieces against an invisible wall
that materiali)ed before 9attori.
9attori was not the cause of that.
That was Katsuto casting G3eflectorG from R00 meters behind him.
This Area of /ffect Magic ignored solids! fluids! and gases and created
a force field that reversed motion vectors.
6omared to normal Targeting Magic! Area of /ffect Magic was even
more challenging.
The difficulty comes blurring of the lines.
The difference between changing a target2s roerties and the
roerties of an emty sace was ractically none(istent. The
difficulty arises when trying to differentiate between which areas
needed to be rewritten and which areas cannot be.
5or targets such as walls! ceilings and railings! the artitions can be
seen easily. 9owever! trying to create a distinction in the outdoors for
a secial location was many times more difficult.
Still! if this was offensive magic! the difficulty can be lessened by
setting targeting arameters within the Activation Se%uence.
On the other hand! defensive magic was restricted in that it had to
fulfill all the conditions without *nowing the nature and distance of
enemy attac*s as well as having limits on area! volume! and shae.
Such as a shield to rotect yourself.
Or a wall to defend your teammates.
-y setting the Magician as the origin! a resective distance could be
lotted to the target.
;enerally! this was as far as one got.
9owever! Katsuto set 9attori as the rotective target in an outdoor
setting with no reference oints without the need for suorting tools.
9e had created a erfect G3eflectorG from R00 meters out.
This was an outstanding satial awareness.
The 7uumonji 5amily too* the ne(t ste to hone their natural talents in
satial awareness. Their ability to wield multile tyes of Area of
/ffect defensive magic has earned them the title GStonewallG.
9attori activated his ne(t magic.
Against the attac*s from 'inth 9igh! he didn2t even bother to defend
himself.
The construction of this Magic Se%uence was wholly deendent on
Katsuto2s un%uestionable ability to defend him from enemy attac*.
The dust on the ground too* to the s*ies.
Sand was sent siraling into the air by the wind.
Ten meters ahead of 9attori! the dust storm grew in strength and seed
as it advanced uon the oosing layer before falling uon him in
fury.
SeedW6onvergence 6omound Magic! G+inear SandstormG.
With the first dust article raised into the air as the center! this Area of
/ffect offensive magic constructed layers and layers of comle(ity
around the center as it sun around.
The converging sandstorm *noc*ed the layer from 'inth 9igh to the
floor.
F F F
GThat match was at an incredibly high level......G
Tatsuya used the ending signal as a -;M and said in e(hilaration.
The match itself was a comletely one-sided affair.
9is comment on level was in regards to the magic used as well as its
alication.
/secially 9attori! whose s*illful use of magic techni%ues was enough
to romt him to hoe GMiyu*i learns a thing or two from himG. "9e
didn2t say Ghe could learn somethingG! because he had arrived at the
conclusion that he was incaable of imitating that level of s*ill.$
Tatsuya never overly underestimated 9attori. /ven though he had
defeated the man in a match! that was only because he sei)ed the
initiative and got under his guard. Tatsuya recogni)ed this from a
comletely objective ersective.
6omared to Magic #ower! his magic alication was even more
s*illful. Tatsuya already had an in*ling of this given his many
oortunities to see 9attori in action.
Still! that earlier dislay of might honestly e(ceeded his e(ectations.
"& am still a long ways off from getting an accurate read on others......$
G'e(t match will be the finals.G
:tterly ignorant of Tatsuya2s mental struggles! 9ono*a innocently
oened u.
5or her! it was only natural that the Student 6ouncil <ice #resident
boasted great s*ill.
The word GnaturalG shoo* Tatsuya out of his reverie.
&sn2t it only natural to not read others accuratelyL 9e was only a high
school student after all.
Tatsuya2s mental status was still stuc* in his ersona as the Secial
+ieutenant from the &ndeendent Magic-/%uied -attalion from last
night and it was only now that he reverted to the high school student
Shiba Tatsuya.
GThe finals begin at A #M! and it2s a little early for lunch......G
GWill you ta*e us for a few cold drin*s! Onii-samaLG
GAgreed. &ce cream would be even better.G
9earing Miyu*i2s suggestion! Shi)u*u swiftly assented.
9e had no duties as a technician today.
'or did he have to worry about any hindrances from any criminal
organi)ations.
Occasionally! it wasn2t bad to indulge in the life of a high school
student J Tatsuya thought and made his decision.
G& saw a concession truc* earlier! would that be accetableLG
GEes! let2s goHG
Tatsuya tossed aside any thoughts regarding how others would see one
young man leading three beautiful young ladies and led Miyu*i and
comany to the ice cream concession area.
F F F
The finals for Monolith 6ode was set for the G<alleyG.
&n order to ass along the board2s decision! Mayumi visited the
layers2 resting area.
Surely a simle matter li*e assing the word along didn2t necessitate
the Student 6ouncil #resident2s aearance.
&n reality! if that2s all there was! Mayumi robably wouldn2t show u in
erson.
G7uumonji-*un! are you hereLG
After sea*ing into the intercom near the entrance! someone
immediately relied with G3ight awayG.
Shortly afterwards! Katsuto aeared wearing a vest and rotective
leggings as he used his head to raise the cloth hanging over the
doorway.
GAologies for my wardrobe.G
GDon2t worry. &t2s not li*e you2re indecent.G
Katsuto was covered in the scent of alcohol.
And not because he was drin*ing.
That must be because his deodorant contained alcoholic content. 9e
delayed coming out immediately robably to sare Mayumi the scent
of sweat clinging to him. While he wasn2t a feminist of any sort! he
was undeniably a gentleman. &t was just li*e Katsuto to notice all the
small details without mentioning anything aloud! Mayumi thought.
GSo! what is itLG
Mayumi had set aside her official business and was busy ruminating
over nonsensical things when Katsuto2s %uestion shoo* her bac* to
reality.
GThe setting for the finals has been decided. 6an you come with me
for a minuteLG
&f this was all there was! one sentence would have been sufficient.
Eet! Katsuto didn2t as* GwhyG or Gwhat forG as he %uietly followed
behind Mayumi.
Mayumi led Katsuto to the same room where she so*e with Tatsuya
three days ago.
7ust li*e three days ago! she erected a soundroof barrier and started
sea*ing %uietly with the already seated Katsuto.
G5ather sent a coded missive. Aarently! this is the directive from the
clan meeting.G
G9oLG
G+oo*s li*e 7uumonji-*un hasn2t received it yet! rightLG
G6orrect.G
Though Katsuto2s resonse was une(ected! but coded missives from
the clan meetings generally too* a considerable time alone to deciher.
The 7uumonji 5amily must have felt that even though this was the
brea* time between matches! the catain being absent for a long
eriod of time would rouse susicion. That was Mayumi2s ta*e on the
situation.
Mayumi and Katsuto were on a different footing than the other
members on the team.
This difference was not because they were the Student 6ouncil
#resident and 6lub ;rou +eader! but because their social standing
was inherently different.
Mayumi was a direct descendant of one of the current Ten Master
6lans.
Katsuto2s standing was even more uni%ue.
'ot only was he a direct descendant! but! unli*e Mayumi! he was also
the heir of the 7uumonji 5amily.
Among all the students in the 'ine Schools 6ometition! only Masa*i
could stand on e%ual footing with Katsuto.
GTwo days ago! didn2t Tatsuya-*un defeat &chijou-*unLG
G......So whatLG
Katsuto2s %uestion wasn2t Gwhy are you bring this uG! but Gso whatG.
'ay! in reality his %uestion was a mere formality.
GThe Ten Master 6lans stand at the innacle of this country2s
Magicians.
Magicians who bear the name of the Ten Master 6lans must be the
strongest Magicians in the country.G
Mayumi2s voice contained an ironic tone. The ideas she was
e(ressing were not her own! but came from her father! and by
e(tension were the GdoctrineG handed down by the clan meeting. She
robably believed otherwise! but right now the clan meeting2s
GdoctrineG overrode her own ersonal hilosohy.
G/ven a high school game cannot allow eole to susect that the
ower of the Ten Master 6lans is anything but absolute. That2s
robably what they2re driving at.G
G-ut! that match can2t simly be dismissed as fun and games.G
The rebuttal was only words! but the tone was rela(ed and light.
G&n other words! the clan meeting as*ed for a match to aggrandi)e the
might of the Ten Master 6lans! did & get that rightLG
GEes...... & just don2t want to force such a ridiculous burden onto
7uumonji-*un.G
G'ay...... 3ather! this is a duty that naturally falls to the ne(t heir of the
7uumonji 5amily li*e myself. Sorry for causing you so much worry.G
GThat2s nothing really......G
+i*ely due to her terrible mood! Mayumi rarely cut loose with a
barrage of sincere grousing.
GSeriously! this is ludicrous...... /ven if Tatsuya-*un was a side
branch! so long as he had the bloodline of the Ten Master 6lans! then
he wouldn2t be embroiled in this third-rate farce......G
Katsuto didn2t comment on Mayumi2s comlaints.
G7ust leave it to me.G
9e didn2t show any outward sign of emotion as he calmly relied.
F F F
5irst 9igh was against Third 9igh for the Monolith 6ode finals.
The bac* stories behind this match u were legion! to the oint that it
could even be called a Gfateful showdownG! but the finals were even
more one-sided than the semifinals.
Maybe it was just *arma.
/verything Masa*i did to /ighth 9igh in the 'ewcomers Division
was returned with interest.
The setting for this match was the G<alleyG.
5rom the get go! anything that utili)ed the terrain! such as flying
icicles! falling roc*s! or even boiling sray! was sent hurtling towards
Katsuto in an endless stream.
9owever! Katsuto2s barrier reflected all the attac*s.
/very motion vector was reversed.
/lectromagnetic waves "including light$ were refracted.
Molecular oscillation was adjusted bac* to a stable value.
#sion intrusion was denied.
All attac*s were obstructed by the multi-layered defensive barrier.
'othing could sto Katsuto2s advance.
Multi-layer Move-Tye Defensive Magic G#halan(G.
This magic! while utting the real value of the Magicians from the
7uumonji 5amily on full dislay! was not simly a sustained magic
barrier! but a multi-layered barrier that continuously refreshed itself.
This was just li*e a dense formation of heavy infantry that marched as
one to increase the grou2s defensive ower and then translate that
ower into offense.
Once the foremost ran* of soldiers fell! the ne(t ran* would
immediately fill in and maintain the defense. This magic inherited the
name from that ancient formation and dislayed defensive rowess
and suffocating ressure worthy of its lofty name.
Katsuto was situated in a narrow arena as he steadily advanced ste by
ste towards the enemy2s osition.
The layers from Third 9igh couldn2t ignore or avoid him.
&f they let u on the attac*! surely they would be instantly engulfed by
a decisive attac*......
/ach ste increased the ressure a little more! forcing them to cling
onto that belief and urged them to ress the assault.
Though they were unable to enetrate that wall! they should still have
e(hausted the defender somewhat. Eet comared to the three anting
layers from Third 9igh! there was nary a sign of fatigue on Katsuto2s
art.
When there were only a altry A0 meters or so between the two sides!
Katsuto finally came to a sto.
9e stoed his slow! lodding advance!
And bunched all his energy together to *ic* off the floor.
A boulder-li*e body flew through the air while arallel to the ground.
9e cast SeedWMove Magic on himself! then adoted a shoulder tac*le
osition as he crashed into the enemy layers. 9is imermeable
barrier remained active the entire time.
One of the layers from Third 9igh was sent flying by the sudden
imact against this indomitable barrier.
Katsuto2s gigantic frame didn2t sto for even a second before changing
course for the ne(t enemy.
-efore this insurmountable barrier and the overwhelming interference
strength attached to it! magical defenses and momentum shifting
became meaningless.
The layers from Third 9igh were hellessly smashed aside as the
Monolith 6ode finals drew to a close.
This comlete victory served to crown 5irst 9igh2s overall victory
with a fresh crown of laurels.
Seeing Katsuto raise his hands in resonse to the alause! Tatsuya
and his friends also alauded! but were all unable to sea*.
Dominant was no longer sufficient to describe what just haened.
-esides terrifying and tremendous! no other words would suffice.
The tactic itself was simle.
Simle enough to describe this as a trial by brute force.
Eet that magic J was not GsimlyG brute force.
9e continuously cycled between the 5our ;reat Systems and /ight
Major Tyes at irregular intervals while creating new barriers J an
awe-insiring GdifficultG brute force.
GAma)ing...... So that2s the 7uumonji 5amily2s 2#halan(2! eh......G
-esides ordinary e(ressions! even Miyu*i had nothing left to say.
This showed that she was shoc*ed by what just haened.
9e could understand that sentiment.
-ut disagreed with her words.
G'o...... & doubt that2s the original 2#halan(2.G
Multi-layered Defensive Magic G#halan(G was ractically another
name for the 7uumonji 5amily.
9owever! most eole never got a chance to catch a glimse of this
magic.
That2s because! in general! there was no need to create a barrier that
defended against all major systems and tyes of magic.
:nder the condition that multile Magicians were attac*ing the same
target! more attac*s would lead to an increase in the variability in the
tyes of attac* magic and increase the ris* for magic interference. All
of this was well *nown.
&t wasn2t that Tatsuya had beheld this magic before.
&n the earlier match! the multi-layered barrier that Katsuto cast did
include magic from all systems and tyes of magic.
That truly was G#halan(G.
Still! Tatsuya wasn2t able to accet this conjecture so easily.
GThat final attac*...... &t2s hard to imagine that was the original urose
of the 2#halan(2.G
3ather than calling this a lea of logic! this was closer to his intuition.
/ven if he believed that the real #halan( was reserved for something
far more terrifying.
G&f Onii-sama says so! then that must be how it is. &n that case......
7uumonji-senai certainly has an intimidating ower.G
Tatsuya agreed.
While he was claing in areciation! Tatsuya suddenly felt Katsuto2s
eyes swee over him.
Katsuto raised his fist to the heavens and bas*ed in his victory.
Tatsuya saw that! for an instant! Katsuto2s ga)e matched his own and!
in that instant! he revealed a wide smile.
& am stronger than you J that was the declaration Tatsuya read from
Katsuto2s eyes.
The grace of *ings that forced one to their *nees without resorting to
brute force.
-ut at the end of the day! that was only olitical sohistry.
-efore battle was even joined! the awesome might of absolute terror
that forced their oonents to abandon their swords and any hoe of
resistance was the true mar* of *ings.
Katsuto! he who returned the cheers of victory! understood the value
of that ower and how to utili)e it. 9e carried the majesty of a
monarch.
Chapter 14
&n star* contrast to the atmoshere two wee*s ago "or to be e(act AC
days ago$! the hall was filled with a eaceful air.
While it2s easy to roclaim a neutral sirit! it2s not so easy in ractice!
and it would be a lie to say that there were none with the thoughts of
victory or defeat occuying their mind.
-ut now! the fierce cometitions of the ast A0 days were over.
The dress code for the festivities was their usual uniforms.
Once again forced to ta*e u his ill-fitting bla)er! he thought! GAt least
if it comes to dancing will this be betterLG A thought which had ended
u similar to that of digging his own grave.
G#oular! huhLG
6oming u to him with an evil smile was Mari! who had been
officially discharged one day earlier.
GThan* you. To tell the truth! &2d far rather be ta*ing it easy.G
As if saying it couldn2t be heled! Tatsuya glanced over at his sister!
who was surrounded by a crowd two! three layers dee.
5ellow students! event organi)ers! base officials who rovided the
venue! the e(ecutives of comanies that sonsored the tournament.
Those were inevitable! but with the inclusion of media rofessionals
"roduction comanies! commercial comanies! talent agencies$ also
dressed u as officials! it made one feel li*e as*ing what's the big
idea? to the organi)ers of the arty.
Truthfully he would have li*ed nothing more than to forcefully ut
those noisy and rude eole away! but with a shrewd "frostyL$ loo*!
Su)une had warned him against such an aroach! so he *et a low
rofile for the moment.
G&2m not tal*ing about your sister.G
9earing Tatsuya2s natural rely! Mari chuc*led sadly.
GThe one &2m referring to is you! Tatsuya-*un.G
5rom Mari2s oint of view! Tatsuya made a tired face.
Although nowhere comarable to the crowd around Miyu*i! Tatsuya
had been constantly sought out from the start as well.
Most of them were unac%uainted adults.
&t wasn2t that he had never seen them before.
Due to his wor* at his father2s comany! desite his age! he *new the
face of businessmen %uite well.
Still! it was only on the level of a Ghigh school studentG.
As a resident of the laboratory! he was not necessarily involved on the
business side! but comared to general emloyees in the same industry
he had far more contact than Gjust a littleG.
Of those who had come to tal* with him! he *new more than half of
them by sight.
GWasn2t that the resident of 3o)en2s 7aanese branchL This would be
the first time he tal*ed to a high school student huhLG
G& wouldn2t *now. &t2s also my first time here at the 'ine Schools
6ometition after all.G
G5air enough.G
As Mari gave her wic*ed grin! Tatsuya felt a twinge of annoyance. J
&n the threshold of around P0O or so.
G......Well! there2s no heling it. & don2t *now why you2re so reluctant!
but just as you can tell a fa*e gem simly by loo*ing at it! when you
see the real deal you can immediately tell that too.G
G......G
GDon2t ut on such a dissatisfied face. The dance is about to start soon.
5rom there on! it2s students only. 7ust be atient a little longer.G
Taing his shoulder! Mari wal*ed over to the drin*s table.
She seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.
5ar more imressive was that desite ushing herself as always even
after being wounded! she now seemed to have made a full recovery.
"So a lover has that *ind of effect huh......$
Although he himself had no e(erience! Tatsuya couldn2t hel but say
so to himself.
Around a minute after that! she left the arty with 'aotsugu! and
Tatsuya uncharacteristically was left to onder on such things.
Doing so! he felt li*e sighing.
To be certain! very soon! the time allocated for adults to wor* their
tric*s on the innocent would be over.
Eet even so his mind was heavy. The reason was the dance.
Truth be told! students li*e Tatsuya were the e(cetion.
As the bigwigs left! the venue seemed to rela(! and a carefree
atmoshere filled the air.
The soft sound of wind and string instruments began to flow.
At the enthusiasm of the organisers who had reared an evening of
live music! the young men immediately resonded.
Ma*ing full use of the trials they had gone through they too* the
hands of the girls they had grown closer to! and roceeded to the
centre of the hall.
&t was unfortunate they weren2t in dresses! but such a fact was utterly
irrelevant to them.
The common dress code for the girls of the nine schools was a sil*
organdy inner gown "worn under their jac*et$! which fluttered gently
as they moved.
As e(ected! Miyu*i was being swarmed by boys both from school
and from without.
&t seemed no one was caable of staying away.
-ecause she was surrounded u until the last minute! she robably
hadn2t been able to get a single word out.
:nli*e Tatsuya! Miyu*i had been firmly taught manners on how to act
at a ball "Git2s not a 2dance arty2HG$! so rovided roer rocedure was
observed she was unli*ely to refuse a dance artner "naturally! that
didn2t mean she2d dance with just anyone$! but rather it seemed the
boys were being embarrassed on their own.
5rom within that crowd! Tatsuya2s familiar face became visible to
Miyu*i.
Or rather than saying familiar face! it might be better to say
comanion.
+eaving the wall! Tatsuya advanced to the edge of the crowd.
9e was by no means slender! but he s*illfully slied through the
ress to stand by Miyu*i2s side.
G&t2s been two days huh! &chijou Masa*i.G
GAh! Shiba Tatsuya.G
The two e(changed easygoing"L$ greetings.
They didn2t consider themselves friends! yet at the same time! they
didn2t thin* that they needed stiff formalities either.
G&s your ear alrightLG
G&t2s fine! it2s nothing worth being concerned about.G
G&s that so.G
At Tatsuya2s "intended$ oliteness! Masa*i returned a %ui which
could hardly be called amiable. Well! for him who suffered defeat in
what by all means should have been a victory! he couldn2t really be
e(ected to haily accet concern from the winners. Although his
tone was ambiguous! it certainly held a dismissive air.
-ecoming aware of Miyu*i2s cold ga)e turned in his direction!
Masa*i2s heart san* in dismay.
G/h! ah...... AhL ShibaHLG
9e suddenly called out Tatsuya2s last name! causing Tatsuya to ma*e a
Gis this guy alrightLG face.
GAre you! her brotherHLG
Masa*i2s words caused Tatsuya no end of weariness.
G......Are you telling me you only realised just nowL SeriouslyLG
9is ama)ed face imlying G& thin* & understandLG! Masa*i stood
fro)en.
A modest laugh was heard.
6overing her mouth! Miyu*i turned away.
G......&chijou-san! you weren2t able to tell Onii-sama and & were
siblingsLG
Miyu*i2s voice as she so*e to Masa*i! as she suressed her laughter!
seemed somehow hay.
G/h! no! that um...... yes.G
As Masa*i gave u trying to find an e(cuse! Miyu*i loo*ed on with a
smile.
9e wasn2t %uite sure what had caught her interest! but it seemed to him
that &chijou had suddenly become sensible in Miyu*i2s eyes.
That being said! it only meant he was now considered on the level to
be a ossible dance candidate.
GEou can2t just stay standing here forever! so Miyu*i! why don2t you
go dance with &chijouLG
At Tatsuya2s words "or more recisely the Gdance with &chijouG art$!
Masa*i loo*ed u sharly.
9is eyes shone in anticiation.
After Miyu*i2s giggling bout subsided! she tilted her head in Masa*i2s
direction as if as*ing Gwhat will you doLG.
G6ould you lease......accomany me for two songsLG
With a reverential voice! Masa*i bowed deferentially to Miyu*i.
G#lease ta*e care of me as well.G
3eturning the bow! Miyu*i too* Masa*i2s roffered hand.
As he too* his osition Masa*i! his face glowing! nodded to Tatsuya in
than*s.
Seeing that! Tatsuya thought Gwhat a mercenary guyG.
The romantic comedy"L$ Masa*i was acting out was no concern to
Tatsuya. "As long as Miyu*i was GalrightG with it.$
That was why he was able to accet it so easily.
When it came to himself however! even in the best of conditions! he
was unable to deal with such things.
At this moment! catching a glimse of his hesitant shifty form! he was
acutely aware of his own immaturity.
GSir! at a time li*e this! it2s best for the man to ta*e the lead.G
9ono*a alone was too much for him to handle! how could he be
blamed for wanting to run away from this whole messL 9e wanted to
comlain to this newcomer. J-ut that didn2t come out.
G/ri*a......why are you a waitressLG
G-ut &2ve been doing this since the beginning.G
Tatsuya2s comlaint was airily brushed aside.
+eo and Mi*ihi*o! as articiants! had been invited to the arty. -oth
/ri*a and Mi)u*i! erhas treated as art of the staff! were along as
well. -ut the four of them weren2t articiating! referring rather to
attend as art-time wor*ers.
Mi*ihi*o was as er his wishes"L$ wor*ing in the *itchen! but /ri*a
was moving u and down the hall dressed in a fluttering waitress
costume.
G......Then & really don2t thin* you should be wasting time in a lace
li*e this.G
G;iving aroriate advice to our guests is also art of the job
descrition.G
-eing answered with such a straight face! Tatsuya felt the urge to
aly alm to face. 9er Gwor*G aside! Tatsuya *new there was another
reason for /ri*a2s words.
9ono*a was waiting for Tatsuya2s invitation.
9e *new e(actly where she was without needing to be told.
-ut he had absolutely no idea what to do after that.
After all! he had no e(erience whatsoever in GinvitingG a woman.
GSirL There really isn2t any need to thin* so hard about all this.G
/ri*a had only been here for her amusement earlier! but gradually a
note of ama)ement cret into her voice.
At this rate though! that ama)ement would soon turn to irritation.
Thin*ing that would be a bit! no absolutely unbearable! Tatsuya
decided to bite the bullet.
G......9ono*a.G
GEesHG
Tatsuya made his rearations.
G......want to danceLG
&t too* a comaratively long time to get those words out! due to his
lac* of self-confidence.
G;ladlyHG
Eet! 9ono*a seemed more than hay enough.
After that Tatsuya was ut through his aces with Shi)u*u! then /imi!
then Mayumi! until finally he slumed against the wall e(hausted.
Mayumi was articularly tough.
9er sense of rhythm was %uite uni%ue.
/ven as a comliment! it couldn2t be said that Tatsuya was a terribly
good dancer. Since he had never racticed! it was only to be e(ected.
9owever! he never made a fumble such as steing on his artner2s
foot. On the contrary! his stes were imeccable.
During their dance Shi)u*u had muttered that he Gdanced li*e a dance
machineG! words which could be ta*en as a comliment or not either
way.
Stringing together observed behavior then reroducing and adding
some bits Tatsuya2s dancing was! beauty or elegance aside! erfectly
and technically accurate.
&n a sense however! Mayumi was the e(act oosite.
9er e(ecution and stes were comletely off.
3ather than tone-deaf however! it was more that she had an ingenious
sense! such that desite her movements being subtly off for each
sound! her dance still elegantly moved along with the flow of the
song.
-ecause of that! Tatsuya was forced to match both Mayumi and the
music! going along with the rhythm of the two and shunting his stes
as necessary.
Any normal erson would simly try and match their artner and
simly hoe everything wor*s out one way or another! but since his
body didn2t *now the dance and Tatsuya was simly reroducing the
movements in his head! doing something li*e that was too much.
Eet even after Mayumi left Tatsuya e(hausted! going off to loo* for
another artner in high sirits! numerous girls started hanging out
before him meaningfully.
9e wasn2t nearly comarable to Miyu*i! who after her dance drew
artners li*e a shining star! but after his success in Monolith 6ode
there were %uite a few girls who too* an interest in him.
+oo*ing at his drained aearance however! they uniformly gave him
symathetic loo*s.
:nfortunately for him! although he himself robably didn2t realise!
just as he was considering going bac* to his room! with imeccable
timing a glass was held out in front of him.
GTha......than* you.G
9e suddenly stoed tal*ing! because that erson was comletely
une(ected.
GEou seem tired.G
G......haah.G
GEou don2t attend events li*e this oftenLG
GThat2s......it2s as you say. This may be resumtuous! but 6hairman
doesn2t seem li*e the tye who bothers with this much either.G
G&2ve gotten over it.G
The erson sea*ing to him was Katsuto.
9e held a non-alcoholic beer in his hands.
Somehow feeling li*e he had to go along with him! Tatsuya too* a
drin* from the glass he was assed.
-ut the real deal came after.
GShiba! come with me for a bit.G
9anding his emty glass to a waitress assing by "not /ri*a$! Katsuto
turned around.
&t meant he wouldn2t ta*e no as a resonse.
Droing off his emty glass the same way! Tatsuya followed.
&n the same garden where they had caught the intruder on the oening
night of the tournament! the two of them silently stood there with not
another figure in sight.
&t wasn2t a comlete silence.
&t seems someone had oened a window.
The sound of music could faintly be heard.
That soft sound lent the atmoshere a serene air.
G&s this alrightL & thin* the celebrations are about to begin soon.G
As Katsuto stoed with his bac* facing him! Tatsuya threw a casual
remar*.
After the arty! a victory celebration in honour of 5irst 9igh was
scheduled.
This rivilege was given to whichever school won the overall
chamionshi.
As both an e(ecutive and *ey layer! Katsuto2s attendance was of
course mandatory.
G9ave no concern. We2ll be done shortly.G
+oo*ing bac*! Katsuto relied.
Did he mean this wasn2t a weighty matterL
&f that had been the case! there should have been no need to ta*e him
out from the midst of the arty.
Or erhas J he simly meant it wouldn2t ta*e long.
......5rom the loo*s of things! Katsuto meant the latter.
GShiba! are you from the Ten 5amiliesLG
At that sudden %uestion! Tatsuya was almost ut on the defensive.
'ot in the sense of being lost for words! but rather rearing for battle.
&t was still forbidden for his identity to be lea*ed out at this stage.
G'o. &2m not.G
Katsuto2s loo* indicated he would not forgive any dishonesty.
The reason Tatsuya was able to deny Katsuto2s assertion however! was
because that was true.
9e was not one of them. /ven though the blood of the Ten ran through
his veins! he was never considered one of them.
&t was a simle fact.
GJ& see.G
After watching Tatsuya in anticiation for a while! Katsuto nodded
imassively.
Tatsuya did not *now whether Katsuto had been convinced with his
answer.
GThen! as discussed in a family meeting! here2s my advice to you as
the vice reresentative of the 7uumonji house.
Shiba! you should join the Ten 5amilies.G
G......G
G9m......how about the SaegusaLG
G......by how about! would you be referring to! how about marrying inL
Or the li*eLG
G&ndeed.G
Katsuto2s magic G#halan(G! as oosed to Tatsuya2s original magic
GDecomositionG! are li*e natural enemies.
The moment one barrier is ierced through! another ta*es its lace.
&t would be endless.
Whilst watching the finals! Tatsuya recalled the unleasantness of
what would be a war of attrition should it come to it......but these
words now! utterly une(ected! brought with them a whole new set of
horrors.
JThis semai is without a doubt! my natural enemy.
J&n many! many ways.
G......in regards to being #resident Saegusa2s artner! was 6hairman
7uumonji2s name not considered as wellLG
GThat was certainly brought u too.G
G......is #resident Saegusa not your tyeLG
G'oL Well Saegusa does have! cute charms! in her own way.G
G......G
Tatsuya could no longer find a rely.
GAh! Shiba! are you erhas concerned about her ageL Mm......then
how about Saegusa2s little sistersL
The last time & saw them was two years ago! &2m sure the two of them
have grown u to be slendid ladies.G
G......:nli*e the #resident and 6hairman &2m just a simle high school
student! so all these tal*s of engagement and marriage are a bit much.G
G&s that soLG
Katsuto lightly turned his head.
G......9owever! you should not have too much of a rela(ed attitude to
all this. Winning against one of the ne(t heads of the Ten 5amilies in a
head on confrontation is not something as simle as you2d thin*.G
& don2t want to be told that by youH Tatsuya almost retorted.
Tatsuya2s confrontation with Masa*i had been reciitated by Katsuto
in the end after all.
G......& suose &2ll be heading bac*. Shiba! don2t ta*e too long.G
3ather than not believing! it was more that he didn2t want to believeJ
"That guy......don2t tell me! that was all Gsur of the momentG......L$
Watching his bac* as he omously returned to the hall! what a
terrifying erson Tatsuya thought.
GOnii-samaLG
As Tatsuya stood stunned in the dar* night! his sister2s voice brought
him bac*.
GWhat2s the matterL This is %uite rare! for you to be so out of it to not
even notice me aroaching.G
G'othing......& just saw something strange......G
GSomething strangeLG
GAh! no! don2t worry about it.G
GLG
Tatsuya2s words didn2t match the situation! but Miyu*i simly tilted
her head and didn2t ursue any further.
G......The arty2s about to end.G
GThe celebration is ne(t huh......G
5eeling somewhat ressed! Tatsuya reflectively frowned.
G& guess there2s no way for me to ass on that......G
Miyu*i covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
GEou2ll just have to accet it. /ven if you go bac* to your room! you2ll
just be assaulted by 9ono*a and /ri*a.G
G& get 9ono*a! but......G
G/ri*a2s been catured by the 6hairman.G
With a susicious laugh! Miyu*i added that the 6hairman was %uite
something.
G'ot to mention......G
9er face was still smiling! but her bright voice was temered by the
seriousness in her eyes as she ga)ed at Tatsuya.
G& won2t let Onii-sama escae.G
Tatsuya sighed deely.
Suddenly! Miyu*i tilted her ear.
G......the last song is beginning.G
G&s that soLG
Tatsuya had also noticed the song change. 9e wasn2t aware it was the
final iece however.
GOnii-sama! won2t you join me for the last danceLG
:nder a dome of moonlight and starlight! wearing a clear smile even
Tatsuya rarely saw! Miyu*i bowed gracefully.
That beautiful smile broo*ed no resistance.
G......Then! shall we head bac* before the song finishesLG
G'o! that would be a waste of time.G
Miyu*i too* Tatsuya2s hand.
GWe can hear the erformance from here just fine.G
Ta*ing a dee breath! she huddled closer to him.
GThese shoes should be alright even on grass.G
Wordlessly! Tatsuya laced a hand around Miyu*i2s bac*.
As if entrusting herself to his care! Miyu*i laced her hand on
Tatsuya2s shoulder.
Their bodies touched.
;ently wraing his hand around her bac* and deely embracing her!
Tatsuya too* a ste.
The two figures sun under an endless starlit s*y.
As they sun! Tatsuya2s face was all Miyu*i could see.
Miyu*i2s face was all Tatsuya could see.
The scenery! the stars! the moon! and the dar*ness!
&n all this wide world which was revolving around them! Tatsuya and
Miyu*i were the only ones in it.
Afterword
This is a story that is urely fictional.
The stage that the story is set in is very similar to the real world.
Although real or historical figures! organi)ations! countries! districts
as well as other names which have significance or names that ma*e
reference to something are used! even if the names are similar! there is
still no relevance with the real world whatsoever.
Of course! although such a thing is obvious! un*nowingly! & just
wanted to ut this out there! and this turned into the Rth volume.
Did you! the readers! enjoy itL
When & use names that e(ist as roer names in reality! a small art of
my consciousness hesitates because & feel uneasy about *illing off all
the enemy characters.
...9owever! & totally understand that saying this feels li*e a comlete
lie! therefore & thin* & should just sto right here.
Sea*ing of roer nouns! &2m really inet at creating names for
characters from foreign countries.
&t is recisely because the story is set in a stage that is really similar to
the real world that there are even more troublesome matters to
consider.
Western /uroean names still have lenty of reference materials so it2s
still fine! however what if it2s names from Southeast Asia! &ndia!
#ersia! Africa! or even South America.... What am & to do thenL
6urrently! it seems li*e it will not turn into a roblem! however one
day & will definitely hit a bottlenec*.
& wonder if there are any good methods to solve thisL
...Alright & will sto all my nonsensical comlaints here! ne(t & would
li*e to give my than*s to all those who were involved in the ma*ing of
this boo*.
To M-sama! than* you for always giving me e(cellent and aroriate
suggestions. M-sama2s suggestions have allowed me to ma*e the
siblings image that much more well develoed.
&shida-sama! Stone-sama! the e(tremely tight ublishing schedules
also gave you guys lots of trouble.
The re-orders for this volume were %uite substantial as wellXX &
cannot fully e(ress my gratitude for that.
Suenaga-sama also worried endlessly about the scheduling asects of
this volume.
Once again! to all those who articiated in the creation of this boo*! &
would li*e to e(ress my heartfelt gratitude.
5ollowing u from last month! & would li*e to sincerely than* all those
who are reading this afterword right now.
&t is all than*s to the suort of you readers that the 1th volume can
also be successfully ublished. What is coming out in the ucoming
volume 1 will be short stories.
There will be a total of @ short stories. Amongst them! there are C
Gnewly written wor*sG. As the other R have not been ublished in
commercial maga)ines yet! it would be more aroriate for all of
them to be dubbed as Gnew wor*sG instead of Gnewly written wor*sG.
-oth of the new wor*s will be interludes of the daily eisodes of their
lives. &t can be considered as the eaceful "L$ times before the brutal
battle that is to come. #lease loo* forward to itH
Well! & sincerely loo* forward to seeing you all once again in the ne(t
volume.
Than* you so much.
"Satou Tsutomu$