MKnR 03 - Nine School Competition (I).pdf

5/21/2018 MKnR 03 - Nine School Competition (I).pdf

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Chapter 0

There are currently nine national magic university attached

highschools throughout the state.

The first highschool is in Kanto (Tokyo). The second highschool is in

Kinki (Hyougo). The third highschool is in Hokuriku (Ishikawa). The

fourth highschool is in Tokai (Shizuoka). The fifth highschool is in

Tohoku (Miyagi). The sith highschool is in San!in (Shimane). The

seventh highschool is in Shikoku (Kochi). The eighth highschool is in

Hokkaido. The ninth highschool is in Kyushu (Kumamoto).

These are the only magic highschools in the country. It does not referto the fact that there are only nine highschools attached to the nine

national magic universities" #ut rather that they are the sole nine

highschools teaching magic as the main curriculum.

To tell the truth" the government is more than keen to increase the

num#er of magic highschools. They are una#le to do so #ecause they

cannot secure enough mages who go on to #ecome teachers.

The first" second and third highschools acce$t %&& new students ayear. The other si can take another '&& each.

In total" that!s '%&& entrants. This is the limit to the new num#er of

mages that can #e $roduced $er year. It!s a$$roimately eual to the

num#er of youth with eligi#le levels of magic that a$$ears in the

$o$ulation.

ut at the same time it!s thought that if more am$le educational

o$$ortunities could #e $rovided" the $ossi#ility that even more youth

with late #udding magical talent could #e discovered is notinconsidera#le.

The reality however is that the running of *ust these nine magic

highschools fully stretches the human resources of this country.

Therefore the only way to address this deficit is to take these '%&&

freshmen a year" train them as much as $ossi#le" and raise their level

to the ma. In doing so the num#er of mages will gradually increase"

and in the future it is e$ected that this $ositive s$iral will eventually

fi the dearth of teachers.


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+ne of the measures taken for that are com$etitions at the school level

#etween the nine magic highschools" to fuel the as$irations of the

students. The largest of these is the summer ,ine School -om$etition.

It!s a nationwide magic highschool magic tournament.very year a selection of magic highschool students from across the

country meet" $utting their $ride on the line" and unfold a story of

frustration and glory.

/ith a huge crowd including not only government officials and those

interested in magic #ut #usinesses" overseas com$anies" researchers

and scouts" this is the greatest stage for magic highschool students to

shine.

This year too" soon" the curtains of that momentous event will #e

raised again.


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Chapter 1

The year %&01 23" mid 4uly.

The week after the first semester!s finals were over for the ,ational

Magic 5niversity affiliated 6irst High" the students devoted all their

energy towards $re$aring for the ,ine Schools -om$etition during the

summer. However" he 7 Tatsuya Shi#a that is" was com$letely out of

tune with such school s$irit. This was $artially due to the fact that his

logical nature overrode his emotions. That #eing said" the $rimary

reason for his #eing at school today was #ecause the faculty had

summoned him for a meeting in regards to his eam scores.8Tatsuya.8

89eo...... /hy is everyone here:8

Having finally esca$ed from the 6aculty ;oom" Tatsuya found his

classmates Sai*ou 9eonhart" -hi#a rika" and Shi#ata Mizuki waiting

for him outside.

Tatsuya!s little sister Miyuki was $art of the Student -ouncil" which

was currently in the middle of $re$arations for the ,ine Schools-om$etition in the School -ouncil ;oom" so she wasn!t there.

2s if to re$lace Miyuki" Miyuki!s classmates Mitsui Honoka and

Kitayama Shizuku were there with worried e$ressions.

The 6aculty ;oom was located on the teacher!s floor" which was

se$arate from where the students usually attended classes.

However" that did not mean students did not $ass #y.

;egardless of whether the $assers#y were of the same grade or evenu$$erclassmen" everyone snuck glances over at the five $eo$le

surrounding Tatsuya.

/hich was only natural.

They stood out. 2 lot.

This was not a distinction reserved for today!s situation" this was

always the case.

Tatsuya had #een a$$ointed to the


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-ourse % student and" through his numerous accom$lishments during

recruitment week" had $roved that his selection was no fluke"

ultimately resulting in his fame s$reading across cam$us. /hile his

single=handed annihilation of the terrorist organization had not #een

$u#licized" his outstanding success during recruitment week was

enough to garner uite a lot of attention from his classmates and even

female u$$erclassmen.

rika was a $u#licly acknowledged #eauty.

+wing to her constant $roimity to Miyuki and rika" Mizuki!s

a$$earance seemed to $ale slightly in com$arison. That #eing said" her

elegant and refined #eauty was rated uite highly among male

u$$erclassmen.3es$ite #eing constantly ridiculed #y rika (or may#e 8constantly

#ickering8 would #e #etter)" 9eo!s >ermanic features and su$er#

athletic a#ilities identified him as 8someone worth noting8 among the

female $o$ulation (the 8$ure 4a$anese style8 that 9eo refers to would

#e #lack=haired and #lack=eyed).

2s for Honoka and Shizuku" they were two su$er# students even

among the 'st ?ear -ourse ' students. Their a$$earance would easilyualify within the #oundaries of cuteness (Strictly in terms of

a$$earance" Tatsuya would #e the most mundane).

/hether they wanted to or not" a grou$ that transcended the -ourse '

and % #oundary and socialized together naturally drew etra attention.

ven so" $ossi#ly #ecause this cohort!s 'st ?ear ;e$resentative"

Student -ouncil mem#er and far famed #eauty Miyuki wasn!t here"

there were actually significantly fewer onlookers than usual.

However" the $eo$le who $aid these glances no heed whatsoever were

une$ectedly close #y.

6or eam$le" this man right here.

8It should #e us asking what you!re u$ to" right: /hy did you get

called to the 6aculty ;oom:8

Hearing 9eo!s uestion" Tatsuya immediately understood.

It a$$eared that his friend was concerned on his #ehalf. 6or a moment"Tatsuya contem$lated fa#ricating a reason to divert them" #ut he


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changed his mind u$on reflecting that they deserved his honesty.

8The teachers interrogated me a#out the technical skills $ortion of the

eam.8

Hearing this" 9eo suinted his eyes in dis$leasure.

8......Interrogate sounds a tad sus$icious. So what did they ask a#out:8

89ong story short" they wanted to know if I was tanking the test.8

rika was the first to e$ress her outrage at Tatsuya!s answer.

8/hat the heck: Tatsuya=kun doesn!t #enefit in the slightest for doing

that. +nly a moron would ask that.8

rika!s o#servation was not wrong" so Tatsuya could only smile #ackwryly. It was another story altogether if someone cheated to get a

higher score" #ut there was no $oint in intentionally getting a lower

score. This sus$icion was *ust as ridiculous as rika surmised.

8However" I can understand why the teachers think this way.8

8/hy:8

Shizuku!s soft words #ewildered Mizuki.

8Tatsuya=kun!s scores are *ust that astounding.8Tatsuya did not $reen at Honoka!s answer" #ut #eing overly hum#le

might elicit a negative reaction as well. 5na#le to decide #etween the

two" Tatsuya could only smile wryly again.

6or 6irst High 7 the final eams for magic high schools included

magic theory eaminations #ased on recall and technical skills

eaminations.

+n the other hand" language arts" math" science" sociology and othermundane to$ics were graded #ased on daily homework. This was an

institution that focused on high uality training for Magicians" so from

the school!s $ers$ective" having the students focus too much on

su#*ects outside of magic was redundant (Tatsuya and com$any make

the distinction #etween Magicians and Magic 2rtificers only #ecause

their training naturally #ranches out in two directions. ,ormally"

society will lum$ Magic 2rtificers into the same category as

Magicians" #ut will not use 8Magic 2rtificers8 to refer to Magic;esearchers who cannot use magic).


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In terms of magic theory" the mandatory classes covered the

foundations of magic learning and magic theory on the test@ two

additional to$ics were $icked from the electives magic geometry"

magic languages" magic #otany" and magic architecture@ as well as one

selected from either magic history and magic systems theory" for a

total of five to$ics.

Magic technical skills were measured through a$$lication a#ility (the

s$eed of magic design)" magic tolerance (the scale of the Magic

Seuence)" interference a#ility (strength of rewriting idos) as well as

the com#ined Magic


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different and astounding $icture revealed itself.

6irst


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To address this $ro#lem" the school had created o$inion #oes to

re$lace last century!s office hours system.

8......How a#out asking Haruka=chan:8

-ounselors handled the situations where students were unsatisfiedwith the school or other on=cam$us incidents. 3iscounting whether the

la#el 8Haruka=chan8 was a$$ro$riate" the suggestion itself #ore merit"

#ut Tatsuya shar$ly shook his head.

8I talked with +no=sensei yesterday. In truth" she informed me a#out

all the ma*or uestions they would ask today.8

8Such an unrelia#le teacher.8

83on!t #e that way. ,ew counselors don!t $ossess much in terms ofauthority anyways.8

It was Tatsuya!s turn to smile gently and comfort the irritated rika.

8......Tatsuya=kun must!ve #een even harsher than me" right:8

2s rika guessed" Tatsuya!s words were considera#ly more

confrontational.

8/hoa:8

rika!s $recise retort caused 9eo to elicit a strange noise.

8....../hat is it:8

rika suinted as she asked.

8This woman is actually ca$a#le of saying something serious.8

9eo widened his eyes as he softly muttered to himself.

8SilenceB8

rika smacked him with a rolled u$ note$ad.

2s a matter of fact" even in an age where digital information was so

common" note$ads were still $revalent. s$ecially for magic=#ased

schools" during the teaching of magic languages" the very motion of

8writing8 was in itself an im$ortant act. Since teachers $rimarily used

$ictures and diagrams in magic geometry" using a note$ad to record

the drawings was vastly easier com$ared to using a terminal" so magic

high school students were more likely to carry note$ads than studentsfrom normal schools. That #eing said" the eact reason why rika


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carried around a note$ad des$ite not #eing in class remained a

mystery.

8+w......8

9eo was una#le to dodge the incoming #low from the note$ad andcrouched down" holding his head in $ain. It wasn!t like he was *ust

sitting there taking the hits without trying to resist" #ut currently"

rika!s smiting s$eed was much greater than 9eo!s evasion s$eed" so

(:) in this situation" whenever he unilaterally decided to #utt in" he

would #e unilaterally smote.

8......?ou violence addict" my head isn!t a drumB8

9eo lodged a serious $rotest" which was casually ignored #y rika.


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The last mem#er of this conversation wore an unreada#le $oker face.

8......So if someone doesn!t ecel in technical skills" then they should

*oin a school that doesn!t em$hasize technical skills at all" isn!t that

com$letely self=contradictory for a school: I can understand ifsomeone!s grades were #ad and they couldn!t kee$ u$ in class" #ut

that!s o#viously not the case with Tatsuya.8

8iven that this came


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from a student attending 6ourth High" this should #e a relia#le source

of information.

2s everyone $rofessed agreement to these words" they also s$routed

considera#le mistrust towards the teacher that summoned Tatsuya.However" this grou$ of individuals wouldn!t focus their attentions on a

stranger (the teacher) who wasn!t with them at the time.

8S$eaking of which" it!s almost time for the ,ine Schools

-om$etition" right:8

9eo $ro#a#ly recalled what Shizuku was saying earlier" to which

Tatsuya nodded at his inuiry.

8Miyuki is already com$laining. There are a lot of things to accountfor" including vehicles" tools" and uniforms.8

8Isn!t Miyuki=chan also $artici$ating in the com$etition: That sounds

tough.8

Mizuki wasn!t #eing overly $olite" #ut she was honestly concerned on

Miyuki!s #ehalf.

8However" Miyuki should #e a#le to cruise during the newcomers!

com$etition" so the $re$aration work should #e more intensive.8rika re$lied in a manner that half su$$orted and half refuted the

earlier sentiment.

83on!t #e overconfident. The scion of the Ichi*ou 6amily started

attending Third High this year.8

Shizuku!s o#*ection was a little off the mark. The official and

newcomers com$etitions in the ,ine Schools -om$etition were

se$arated #y gender" so there was no way Miyuki would go against theyoung master from the Ichi*ou 6amily.

That #eing said" no one intentionally retorted at this.

8Is that so......8

8?ou say Ichi*ou" as in Ichi*ou from the Ten Master -lans:8

6rom their heartfelt e$ressions of sur$rise" this a$$eared to #e the

first time rika and 9eo found out that someone in their year was

descended from the Ten Master -lans. Mizuki didn!t seem tooastounded" may#e she knew something a#out the 8scion of the Ichi*ou


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6amily8.

8That might #e a tough o$$onent. That #eing said" Shizuku you sure

know a lot.8

8Shizuku is a die hard fan of !Monolith -ode!" so she watches the ,ineSchools -om$etition every year" right:8

Honoka" who knew Shizuku as well as she knew herself" answered

rika!s uestion.

8......Hm" yeah.8

Hearing Honoka answer for her" the normally e$ressionless Shizuku

nodded in slight em#arrassment. Honoka owed Tatsuya a favor" so it

wasn!t sur$rising for her to #e interested in Tatsuya. However" Shizukuwas different@ she only knew Tatsuya #ecause her #est friend Honoka

was interested in him" as well as the fact that he was Miyuki!s older

#rother. Initially" Shizuku had only commented from the $eri$hery" #ut

gradually she had lowered her guard and started e$ressing herself

o$enly.

8,ow that you mention it" #esides the 2ll=4a$anese and the

International 5niversity Intramural" !Monolith -ode! can only #e seen

at the ,ine Schools -om$etition.8

Standing diagonally across from the em#arrassed Shizuku" Tatsuya

nodded u$on hearing Honoka!s answer" wearing an e$ression that

signified that he understood that sentiment.

,ine Schools -om$etition was an inter=school com$etition #etween

high schools affiliated with magic universities. In other words" it was

an internal com$etition that ha$$ened to #e o$en for $u#lic viewing.

That was #ecause the ,ine Schools -om$etition was one of the fewstages that $rovided magic com$etition as entertainment.

very year" a total of '%&& students entered their first year at the nine

magic high schools.

In com$arison" there were anywhere #etween '%&& and '1&& young

men and women of age '1 every year who develo$ed enough magic

talent to #e acce$ted.

In other words" for the youths that manifested magic talent" if theyaimed to #ecome Magicians or Magic 2rtificers" almost every single


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one of them would enter one of the nine magic high schools.

So the magic com$etitions at the high school level" #esides ken*utsu"

martial arts" and a few others" were com$letely mono$olized #y the

nine magic high schools.In order to allow the general $u#lic to #etter understand and #ecome

invested in magic com$etitions" as well as to further society!s

acknowledgement of magic" the ,ine Schools -om$etition had

#ecome one of the few ma*or events to $ro$agate these ideas.

8+ur toughest o$$onent this year is going to #e Third High" right:8

8


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often than not" the unorganized activities record and current mem#ers

were tossed to the incoming -hief to handle.

That #eing said" when Mari took over as -hief during her first year"

there was no $ro#lem with the transfer the following year. However"the %nd ?ear students in her


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8+nce we start $re$aring for the ,ine Schools -om$etition" we won!t

have the time to com$ile this. There!s a mountain of things to do" from

verifying the roster" training" ad*usting eui$ment" gathering and

analyzing data" to devising strategies.8

2ll these things had nothing to do with Tatsuya.

8....../hen is the ,ine Schools -om$etition going to #e held:8

That #eing said" cutting off the conversation here would #e awkward"

so Tatsuya focused all his attention #ack onto data organization as he

asked this.

8Ten days" from 2ugust Erd to the '%th.8

8That!s uite a long time.88Hm: ?ou!ve never seen it:8

8?es" since I!ve always #een #usy with errands during summer

vacations.8

Tatsuya!s answer thoroughly confounded Mari.

8ut according to Mayumi" your little sister goes to see it every year"

to the $oint that she even remem#ers what events we com$eted in......8

Tatsuya almost #urst out laughing.

8,o" it!s not like we!re attached at the hi$ EF1 days a year......

+ccasionally we move se$arately as well.8

8h: ......,o" that!s true. It!s *ust that whenever we see the two of you"

it!s like you!re always with each other.8

8S$eaking of which" we!re usually on our own at school.8

2fter Tatsuya o#*ectively $ointed this out" even if Mari!s e$ressionrevealed her incom$rehension" she nevertheless still acce$ted it.

8If that!s the case" no wonder you were com$letely lost when I started

talking a#out the $re$arations for the ,ine Schools -om$etition.8

8?es" to #e honest" I don!t even know what com$etitions are #eing

held. I only know a#out !Monolith -ode! and !Mirage at!.8

/hile it was true that he was multitasking #etween making

conversation and creating the data files" this only served as a refresherfor Tatsuya. 2nd for Mari" who was currently idle 7 or more like the


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one who didn!t want to do anything 7 this was a good way to $ass the

time" so Tatsuya was more talkative than usual.

8That!s #ecause those two are the most famous......8

Mari tilted her head" as if she didn!t know where to start. She held herfist #efore her mouth" as if she were a#out to cough (#ut didn!t actually

make the coughing sound).

8The contests in the ,ine Schools -om$etition focus on the events in

athletic magic contests that reuire more Magic


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8Sure" I!ll take a look later.8

Tatsuya sto$$ed ty$ing and acce$ted a small #ooklet from Mari.

8Huh" a hard co$y. How strange.8

82nything related to the ,ine Schools -om$etition wouldn!t #e

sur$rising. Girtual terminals would hurt the Magic


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8....../e!ve drifted off to$ic.8

Mari seemed to have arrived at some conclusion of her own #efore she

turned the conversation #ack to the ,ine Schools -om$etition without

any forewarning.8The com$etition is se$arated into the +fficial and ,ewcomer

3ivisions" each reuiring '& men and women" for a grand total of &.

+nly 'st ?ear students may $artici$ate in the ,ewcomer 3ivision

while the +fficial 3ivision has no restrictions. That #eing said" each

contestant may $erform only in two contests" so no 'st ?ear student

has ever com$eted in the +fficial 3ivision. ven if it wasn!t in the

rules" there!s no way for 'st ?ear students to stand u$ against the

fire$ower of a %nd or Erd ?ear student.5ntil last year" the ,ewcomers 3ivision was not se$arated #y gender"

#ut from this year onward" #oth the +fficial and ,ewcomers 3ivision

will #e. 2lso until last year" no 'st ?ear female student had to com$ete

in multi$le contests" #ut that may #e unavoida#le this year.8

Mari!s words were out of concern for Miyuki" which was o#vious

without naming her aloud.

-ontinuously $artici$ating in magic com$etitions was etremelytaing on the female #ody. ven though Miyuki had undergone

training #eyond that of a normal $erson" her $hysical stature was #y

nature more fee#le. It would $ro#a#ly #e #est that he $rovided as

much aid as he could" Tatsuya thought.

8+f the si contests" four are not gender s$ecific. !Monolith -ode! is

men only and !Mirage at! is women only...... Since !Monolith -ode! is

the only event where live com#at is guaranteed" it!s not sur$rising that

the event is men only.8

Mari might have #een saying this" #ut her facial e$ression clearly

didn!t agree.

2ccording to the information Tatsuya gathered from the


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two of the five events while the other five can $artici$ate only in one.

2s for deciding who com$etes in which events" that is #ased on

whether skilled contestants should only focus on emerging victorious

in one event" or maimizing $rofit #y a$$lying for two events@ andthen there is considering where the o$$osing aces will go" and who

they will go u$ against...... Since this is a team=#ased com$etition" all

of these details are very im$ortant.8

8+f course.8

8esides the contestants" the ,ine Schools -om$etition allows each

school to #ring four $eo$le as tactical advisers" #ut not every school

takes advantage of this o$tion. +ur school always #rings the

maimum amount of $ersonnel each year" #ut schools such as ThirdHigh o$t to waive the tactical su$$ort when com$eting" relying solely

on their contestants to decide their tactics.8

8?et" ironically" they are our toughest o$$onent.8

8/e!ve only lost to them twice" once three years ago and the other

time seven years ago. The ,ine 2rts -om$etition switched to a

summer format ten years ago. Since then" there have #een 0

com$etitions. +ur school was the cham$ion 1 times" Third High twice"and Second High and ,inth High have each won once.8

8I #elieve this year!s goal is for a three=$eat:8

8That!s right. 6or us Erd ?ear students" securing the cham$ionshi$ is

the true victory.8

-urrently" the Erd ?ear students at 6irst High were known collectively

as 8the strongest era8.

Saegusa Mayumi" 4uumon*i Katsuto" /atana#e Mari.

Two of them were directly connected to the Ten Master -lans" while

the third $ossessed similar talent.

4ust the fact that all three of them were in the same year at the same

school was an amazing coincidence. In addition" the cam$us also

#oasted several students that were ualified for ;ank 2 in high school

(they were una#le to o#tain their licenses due to limited e$erience"

#ut their raw a#ility alone was sufficient for their ranking #ased oninternational standards).


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ven #efore the official roster for the ,ine Schools -om$etition had

#een announced" 6irst High was already seen as the favorite to re$eat

as cham$ions.

ven if the underground gam#lers were using the ,ine Schools-om$etition as a setting" no one was taking odds for 6irst High 7

that!s how overwhelmingly $owerful their grou$ was.

8I hear that if everything goes according to $lan" our school!s victory

is a foregone conclusion:8

8iven that a single

second could s$ell the difference #etween victory and defeat in

athletic com$etitions" a $ro$erly devised software $rogram was of

vital im$ortance.

y no means did this im$ly that the more intricate the design was or

the more $rocesses that were used" the #etter the software #ecomes.

Software that sur$assed the $rocessing $ower would cause more harm

than good #y o#structing the hardware itself.

>iven that there was a glass ceiling for hardware" the selection and

allocation of software #ecame even more im$ortant.

Tatsuya #elieved that" under these conditions" the com$etition resultscould change dramatically #ased on the engineers! skills.


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8;ight now" there!s a dearth of talented engineers in Erd ?ear when

com$ared to ualified contestants. Mayumi and 4uumon*i are ca$a#le

of maintaining their own -23s so they won!t have $ro#lems during

the com$etition" #ut......8

8......8

In other words" Mari did not ecel in this category.

Tatsuya accurately read the inference #ehind Mari!s vague words #ut"

$recisely #ecause he understood" he chose to say nothing.

He allowed his attention to drift away from Mari!s small talk and focus

#ack onto the data files.

C C C

Im$rovements in central control of $u#lic transit had led to the

com$lete overhaul of the trolley system" with trolley cars #ecoming

the $rimary source of $u#lic trans$ortation within the city $ro$er. The

cars on the tracks were com$letely controlled #y a central o$erating

room in order to ensure safety" ease of access" and the a#ility tocom#at the high volume demanded.

+n the other hand" the advancement of the $u#lic trans$ortation

system had not $roceeded as $lanned. The $rogram for connecting all

the highways had already #een in$utted into the system" #ut most of

the normal roads and e$ressways within city limits were still

controlled #y the city and had not reached a national level.

In com$arison" the 2I for driver assistance had im$roved dramatically.

2s long as they hadn!t #een illegally modified" modern cars were

inca$a#le of causing accidents even if they tried (Katsuto!s car was

a#le to directly im$act lanche!s HD #ecause that was a military

model).

Gehicles e$orted to other nations also $ossessed the same 2I system"

allowing smaller countries to also #enefit from this system even

though they didn!t have the ca$a#ility to develo$ it themselves" which

in turn lowered the freuency of accidents even further. 6rom aninternational stand$oint" individual control systems trum$ed central


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control systems.

3es$ite this" there was still a $rice to $ay. ,ew drivers 7 or to $ut it

#luntly" #ad drivers 7 wouldn!t run the risk of causing accidents" #ut

it was easier for them to cause traffic *ams. ven if consecutivecrashes could #e avoided" there was no avoiding situations where

everyone slammed on the #rakes" so this result was only natural.

To $revent this 7 at least on the outside 7 even if there wasn!t a

$ressing need for safety" driver!s licenses were still mandatory.

,et to his new electric #ike" Tatsuya was waiting for his little sister

to arrive.

Tatsuya had $urchased this #ike after o#taining his license in early

2$ril. Though the $urchase was strictly for $ractical $ur$oses rather

than *oy rides" the #ike had still accrued considera#le mileage. ven

so" Tatsuya regularly maintained the #ike every day" so even after two

months" the #ike was still in mint condition.

8+nii=sama" sorry for the wait.8

5$on hearing the voice" Tatsuya shifted his gaze over as the headlights

illuminated his sister!s slim #ody.

Miyuki!s long hair was done u$ in a #un while she wore a #iker!s suit

in the same fashion as Tatsuya!s own. The custom fit suit hugged her

curves" hinting at the fullness of her womanly charms.

2s Tatsuya $ut the helmet on Miyuki!s head" Miyuki smoothly lifted

her chin. His little sister!s seemingly natural motion caused Tatsuya to

wryly grin" #ut he still #uckled on the chin stra$ for her.

Miyuki shrank her neck as if ticklish" to which Tatsuya res$onded witha smile as he $ut on his own helmet #efore clim#ing a#oard.

He took out his goggles" then motioned Miyuki to hold on tight.

Tatsuya verified that Miyuki was holding on to his waist and that she

was $ressed against his #ack #efore ad*usting his goggles and raising

the out$ut of the continuous motion device (euivalent to the gas

$edal of motor vehicles).

The electric #ike that the si#lings rode s$ed away #eneath the nightsky.


38/334

C C C

Their destination was ?akumo!s tem$le.

However" the one training tonight was Miyuki and not Tatsuya.

Miyuki had already #een selected as a $artici$ant in the ,ine Schools

-om$etition" so additional $re$aration was necessary.

The events in the ,ine Schools -om$etition heavily em$hasized the

need for magic talent" #ut at the same time did not wholly ignore

$hysical characteristics. In the 8attle oard8 event" contestants with

faster reflees and a #etter sense of #alance held the advantage" whilethe 8-rowd all8 event reuired a good #alance #etween tactics and

stamina.

6or Miyuki" who ecelled in S$eed and 6reezing Magics" 8Icicle

3estruction8 was almost s$ecifically designed to show off her talents.

6orget the ,ewcomers 3ivision" she could $ro#a#ly cruise to victory

even in the +fficial 3ivision.

However" with the individual contests s$lit #y gender causing thenum#er of events to increase" Miyuki was also going to $artici$ate in

the 8Mirage at8 event" where she would have to 8use a #at to s$lit

o$en the #alls of light floating in the air8.

Miyuki also received martial training from ?akumo alongside Tatsuya"

so her frail frame #elied her su$er# $hysical status. ven so" given that

there weren!t many o$$ortunities lately for her to eercise" this

training served as a $recaution for the main event.

Tatsuya turned off the engine near the entrance #efore $ushing the

vehicle into the tem$le. 2fter leaving the vehicle in the tem$le garage"

the two of them went to greet ?akumo.

2t this hour" ?akumo should #e doing night training with his disci$les.

4ust as they e$ected" as they a$$roached the darkened do*o" they

could detect various concealed $resences" as well as the occasional

footste$ that couldn!t #e com$letely muffled and the sounds of #odies

hitting the floor.


39/334

Tatsuya slowly $ried o$en the ancient doors to avoid distracting the

disci$les from training.

ven though the door o$ened without a sound" a kunai still came

flying towards them. Tatsuya used the #lade=$roof and #ullet=$roof*acket to deflect it #efore $ulling out a lead #all concealed in his #iker

suit and firing #ack.

However" Tatsuya!s 8mar#le8 (a ty$e of concealed wea$on that is

hurtled using finger force alone" from the same system as 8$oint #all8)

didn!t seem like it hit the target.

8Tatsuya" it looks like your mar#les haven!t im$roved much. 3on!t

think magic is enough to cut it" you need to $ractice your $ro*ectile

wea$ons as well. However" you made the correct decision indeflecting the kunai rather than catching it.8

There was no detecta#le $resence" only the voice.

Tatsuya didn!t aim right in front of him where the voice came from"

#ut instead fired a second mar#le towards the rightmost wall.

8+h ho:8

2ccom$anying this sur$rised shout" a force ri$$led outwards from the

s$ot Tatsuya aimed at.

Tatsuya uickly $ut an arm around Miyuki and s$rang #ackwards.

2 s$lit second later" a $itch #lack sword wave slashed down vertically

from the ceiling a#ove" #arely missing Tatsuya!s #ack #y a hair as he

covered his little sister.

Tatsuya uickly ste$$ed forward with one foot.

2 #okken $ainted com$letely #lack was rendered com$letely still withTatsuya firmly stam$ing on it.

?akumo a#andoned the idea of striking a second time as he let go of

his immo#ile wea$on.

8......Sensei" you have such an interesting way of greeting $eo$le.8

8......I should #e the one saying that. /asn!t your mar#le filled with

killing intent:8

Master and disci$le faced one another in the darkness" #eforesimultaneously #reaking out into evil laughter.


40/334

Tucked inside Tatsuya!s #osom" Miyuki was #lushing furiously.

Thankfully" that was difficult to discern in the surrounding darkness

7 at least that was what Miyuki thought" #ut Tatsuya had already

noticed due to #eing in contact with her stiff #ody" while ?akumo had

detected this through her erratic #reathing.

C C C

Somewhere within the tem$le illuminated #y torches in the four

corners" in a $lace usually reserved for homa ceremonies (this tem$le

should #e under Hisanyama!s *urisdiction" #ut Tatsuya and Miyukihave never seen ?akumo chant sutras or $ray to uddha)" the area was

faintly lit #y #lue light" with or#s glowing with a dim red light softly

dancing in the sky.

ecause this was a tem$le" any ignorant $asser#y may mistake this

scene for the $resence of s$irits" #ut fortunately there was no one else

around.

2 slender" long shadow $assed through the #lue light" and one or# of

light vanished into nothing.

Two or#s" three or#s" the difference in color started to increase.

That mesmerizing figure was chasing the floating or#s at an energetic

and une$ected $ace" then swiftly #isecting them with the short rod in

her hand.

2fter s$litting thirty or#s" Tatsuya signaled Miyuki to take a #reak.

Inside" the interior only contained a suare #arrier drawn with

uicklime that measured a#out '' meters on the side 7 the raw $ower

necessary to only draw four white lines to form a #arrier was nothing

short of astounding 7 Tatsuya #rought a large tea cu$ towards where

?akumo was standing as he #rought down the seals.

,ormally" Miyuki was the one res$onsi#le for #ringing tea to the

$anting ?akumo" #ut Tatsuya took over that duty today.

That was #ecause tonight Miyuki was in a similar state while standing

on the other side of the white line.


41/334

8Sensei" thank you. ,ot *ust for lending the location" #ut also for

training my little sister as well.8

2fter handing the tea to ?akumo" Tatsuya #owed dee$ly in gratitude"

to which ?akumo nodded generously.8There!s a colossal difference #etween attacking illusions and striking

actual targets. Miyuki is also one of my cute students" so there!s no

way I would decline to hel$.8

There was $ro#a#ly too much em$hasis on the word 8cute8" #ut

Tatsuya decided to let it slide until after the ,ine Schools

-om$etition.

Illusion magic was one area where 8nin*itsu8 ecelled" to the $oint thatthe s$eed" accuracy" and movements of the illusions sur$assed those

created #y modern magics. Modern magic had the advantage in terms

of s$eed of activation and variety of s$ells availa#le" #ut within

s$ecialized $arameters" there were many areas that could not com$are

with 2ncient Magic.

Tatsuya only had access to a few magics" so he was una#le to use

?akumo!s illusion 8/ill +!wis$8 to re$lace $ro*ectors.

8Miyuki" should we sto$ here:8

Tatsuya asked as he handed a drink to his sister who was still $anting"

#ut Miyuki shook her head and took a si$ to wet her throat.

8If sensei is okay" I want to continue.8

8I don!t mind" though shouldn!t Tatsuya also give !/ill +!wis$! a try:8

8,o" I...... will $ass.8

Tatsuya could a$$roimately guess the reason #ehind ?akumo!s smirk.Tatsuya #riefly entertained the idea of s$oiling ?akumo!s fun" #ut

refrained after taking into account that Miyuki!s training took

$recedence.

8Is that so" eh" oh well.8

?akumo revealed a truly regretful e$ression" #ut that wasn!t enough

to hide his mischievous smirk.

Seeing this" Tatsuya was certain that declining the earlier offer was theright choice.


42/334

?akumo transformed his evil smirk into a kind and a$$roacha#le smile

as he turned #ack to face Miyuki.

8Then let!s #egin.8

8?es" sensei.8

Miyuki #owed to signal that she was $re$ared to continue.

Tatsuya had long since recovered their res$ective tea cu$s.

4ust as Miyuki stood in the middle of the suare anchored #y #onfires

and ?akumo was a#out to start casting illusions......

8/ho!s there:8

2nother $erson!s $resence entered the scene.The one who called out was Tatsuya.

,o" the order was actually reversed.

To su$$lement the training" Tatsuya linked his sensory a#ility to the

information dimension" allowing him to uickly catch wind of a

foreign element #eing introduced into the area. The moment Tatsuya

challenged the silent $atch of darkness" another $erson!s $resence

a#ru$tly materialized.

82h" Haruka.8

?akumo greeted the $resence in an unconcerned manner.

Tatsuya and Miyuki were #oth familiar with this name.

The figure that walked into the flickering light $ossessed a much more

mature aura than Miyuki.

She was the counselor from the Magic 5niversity affiliated 6irst High

7 +no Haruka.

9ikely due to the fact that she was wearing the same dark #odysuit

that Miyuki was wearing" it seemed that the curves of her chest and

waist were more accentuated than usual.

2s Miyuki followed the direction of Tatsuya!s gaze" a trace of concern

flashed across her features. However" #efore she could nudge her

#rother with her el#ow" she noticed the cold" steely gaze in her

#rother!s eyes and swiftly regained her com$osure.The reason why Tatsuya was carefully scrutinizing Haruka!s #ody was


43/334

to ascertain Haruka!s $hysical ca$a#ilities.

8Tatsuya" no need to #e so wary" Haruka is also one of my students.8

8ut you weren!t nearly as kind during my training as com$ared to

Shi#a=kun.8

Haruka!s voice was slightly mocking" which *arred against her

dangerous a$$earance that could easily #e swallowed in the darkness.

8That #eing said" I know that sensei is another story" #ut to think that I

was discovered #y Shi#a=kun" has my techniue regressed so much:8

8Haruka" lying to yourself isn!t a good ha#it. If you lie too often" you

will lose track of your own thoughts as well.8

8Shi#a=kun said the same thing to me.8

8+h" looks like I said something unnecessary. 2nyways" let!s set this

aside for now. Haruka!s cloaking was almost $erfect" so there!s no

need to stress a#out that. If you really think that your skills have

regressed" that is.8

Haruka revealed a model $erfunctory smile and acce$ted ?akumo!s

hinted gaze.

She shouldn!t #e a#le to get off that easily" nor should she have$lanned to do so in the first $lace.

Seeing ?akumo!s smirking e$ression" this was $ro#a#ly how the two

of them normally interacted.

8Tatsuya didn!t detect your $resence normally. He has a $air of s$ecial

!eyes! that are different from ours" so if you want to fool him" you need

to disguise your $resence rather than try to hide it.8

8I see...... I!ll take that under advisement.8

8It!s your turn to answer my uestion.8

The two of them were acting out a master and disci$le discussion

using Tatsuya as the su#*ect. 5na#le to harness his irritation" Tatsuya

intentionally #roke in with a dis$leased tone.

8Hm...... It is unfair to give only Haruka information. ?ou don!t mind"

right" Haruka:8

?akumo intentionally let out a 8Hm......8 sound to create an o$ening"


44/334

#ut given his current attitude" it was o#vious that he was calculating

when Tatsuya would interru$t them. In res$onse to ?akumo turning

the conversation towards her" Haruka immediately shrugged her

shoulders and re$liedA

8ven if I said no" you guys would $ro#a#ly discuss this when I!m not

here" right:8

ssentially" Haruka had already given u$ on hiding.

8Since the $erson in uestion has given her consent" then I!ll go

ahead...... Haruka is an investigator for


45/334

within the 6irst High cam$us" did I get that right so far:8

8,o.8

Tatsuya asked this to verify his hy$othesis regarding Haruka.

ut Haruka res$onded with the definite negative.

8It!s true that I!m


46/334

$ositions had #een reversed. However" given that this was off cam$us

and they certainly weren!t in class at this hour" this shouldn!t have #een

a $ro#lem.


47/334

to light the flames of youthful ardor to ridiculous levels" a scene that

had yet to change.

Today!s class activity was foot#all.

The encyclo$edia!s entry was as followsA This is a s$ort derived fromsoccer" with similar rules" that is $layed on a field surrounded #y a

large #o with numerous tiny holes in it. The only nota#le differences

are that $layers wear a head $rotector" and head and hand contact are

$rohi#ited (2lso" the com$etition format where $layers 8com$ete in a

trans$arent #o8 was one of the defining characteristics of $ost=%&&

23 athletics.)

+ccasionally" this contest was also held with magic involved" #ut

generally magic was ruled out" and today was no ece$tion.

6oot#all was $layed with a lightweight" highly resilient #all that

#ounced off the walls and ceiling. The #all re#ounded left and right at

high s$eeds" much like a $ing $ong #all" as $layers chased after it in

order to make the shot against the o$$osing goal. It was a s$ort that

demanded #oth incredi#le agility and considera#le strength. In

addition" the highly stimulating eercise was a $o$ular s$ort for

8entertainment8.The female students from 'st ?ear -lasses and 6 were currently

taking a #reak and" com$letely ignoring their own curriculum" were

#usy cheering on the male students.

8Move" move" get outta my wayB8

9eo was charging towards the #all that no one was covering.

The #all used in foot#all was highly dynamic" so it was etremely

difficult to dri##le with it" hence that action was rarely seen.>enerally" the five $layers on a team used the walls or ceiling to make

$asses" so the energy e$ended #y recovering the #all often decided

victory or defeat.

8TatsuyaB8

-rossing the entire field" 9eo $assed the #all to Tatsuya in midfield

with the force of a shot.

If he tried to tra$ the #all with his chest or a#domen he might #eknocked to the floor" so Tatsuya kicked the #all directly u$wards"


48/334

allowing the #all to lose some its force from the re#ound on the ceiling

#efore tra$$ing it neatly #eneath his foot.

2fter receiving this $ass with machine=like efficiency" Tatsuya sent the

#all careening off the wall" using the re#ound to $ass the #all.2long the ais of the re#ound stood another slim youth. ;ather than

calling him slender" he may have #een more accurately descri#ed as

well=#uilt. -urrently" he fearlessly received Tatsuya!s high=s$eed $ass

in one motion.

2nd immediately shot on the enemy goal.

The electric chime signaled the goal" accom$anied #y the cheers of the

watching female students.8That guy isn!t #ad.8

9eo #luntly $raised the youth as he stood net to Tatsuya.

8?es" accurate $rediction of the flight $ath" and his a$$earance #elies

his agility.8

Tatsuya was faintly sur$rised #y the #oy!s $hysical a#ilities" which

sur$assed his e$ectations. They had #een in the same class for E

months" so today wasn!t the first time they were in $hysical educationtogether. Tatsuya $reviously #elieved that he had an accurate gras$ of

the #oy!s a#ilities on some level" and his earlier $ass was ad*usted

accordingly" #ut this $erson 7 ?oshida Mikihiko!s actions showed

that he was more than meets the eye.

There were only a mere %1 students in class" so it was natural that

everyone knew each other!s names.

2lso" Tatsuya knew more than *ust a name.

?oshida Mikihiko came from a $restigious family renowned for

2ncient Magic 7 he was a direct descendant of the ?oshida 6amily.

The ?oshida 6amily $ossessed a ,on=Systematic 2ncient Magic

called 8S$irit Magic8" and it was rumored that they $assed on their

traditional methods of training as well. >iven that it was a traditional

method of $ractice" arduous la#or was $ro#a#ly at the center of it. If

so" mem#ers of that family would naturally $ossess highly ca$a#le

$hysical s$ecifications.


49/334

The cause of Tatsuya!s sur$rise was that Mikihiko!s a$$earance gave

no hint of this whatsoever.

S$ecialists that ecelled in concealing their $ower always $o$ u$ in

the most une$ected $laces....../ith that in mind" Tatsuya sent the incoming $ass s$iraling towards

the enemy goal.

/ith Tatsuya and com$any dominating the floor" their team easily

cruised to a crushing victory.

Tatsuya returned to the o#servation area and sat down with 9eo near

?oshida Mikihiko.

8,icely done.8y the time Tatsuya s$oke u$" his #reathing had #ecome $erfectly

even.

8?ou guys as well.8

4ust like Tatsuya" ?oshida Mikihiko!s #reathing wasn!t ragged.

Tatsuya hadn!t formed social links with every classmate" likely

#ecause his $ersonality was the ty$e that usually ignored others. This

caused a $ortion of his $eers to see him as a cold individual. So onlya#out half of 'st ?ear -lass was willing to converse with him.

However" Mikihiko was even more etreme in his aloofness and"

including himself" Tatsuya had never seen him s$eak with any of their

mutual $eers. +n enrollment day" he was the first one to leave the

classroom #y himself. ven 9eo" who moved in social circles much

#roader than Tatsuya did" only nodded to Mikihiko in $assing until

now.

8?oshida" you!re $retty good. 3on!t take this the wrong way" #ut I was

uite sur$rised.8

Mikihiko!s $erformance seemed to have reminded 9eo of something"

so he asked Tatsuya 7 Tatsuya etended the greeting first" #ut it was

9eo who had suggested it 7 to sit near Mikihiko.

9eo!s welcoming tone might cause some $eo$le to think he was #eing

overly familiar.

8Mikihiko.8


50/334

That #eing said" it seemed that Mikihiko warmed to 9eo!s direct

attitude.

8I don!t like it when $eo$le refer to me #y my family name" so *ust call

me #y name.8efore" he never re$lied in such a friendly manner.

8+kay" then call me 9eo.8

ven if the num#er of those full class activities from the $revious

generation had decreased" it was still strange to have this sort of

conversation E months into the school year.

Mikihiko!s school life was *ust like that" caused #y the towering wall

he erected #etween himself and the rest of the class.May#e this was only #rought on #y the ehilaration following

strenuous eercise" causing him to #e in a more generous mood" #ut

this most definitely was an ecellent o$$ortunity.

8May I call you Mikihiko too: ?ou can of course refer to me as

Tatsuya.8

8+kay" Tatsuya.8

Mikihiko re$lied in a comforta#le tone" #ut his e$ression was slightlyem#arrassed.

82ctually" I wanted to talk to you a long time ago.8

Im$ressions are a curious thing. Sometimes first im$ressions are

im$ermuta#le regardless of what you do" #ut other times a single

sentence is sufficient to dramatically change an im$ression you held

until this moment.

In Tatsuya!s mind" Mikihiko!s im$ression turned from 8anti=social8 to8shy8.

8/hat a coincidence" that makes two of us.8

They entered the school as -ourse % students 7 re$lacements" #ut

were still a#le to secure the to$ and third scores in their entire year.

ven if the school em$hasized technical skills" it was im$ossi#le for

the two of them not to take interest in the other.

8......Somehow" I feel ecluded.8


51/334

The thing was" first ignoring the fact that Mikihiko didn!t know them

very well" 9eo didn!t think Tatsuya was interested in this classmate

solely on the strength of his scores. ;ather" 9eo noticed that there was

something odd #etween the two of them" thus leading to the feeling of

eclusion.

However" Mikihiko!s net sentence swiftly dis$elled that notion.

89eo" you worry too much" I wanted to talk to you too.8

The reason was not #ecause of any real conversation" #ut #ecause

Mikihiko was at heart a kind $erson" as could #e seen from his

comforting words.

8,o matter how you slice it" anyone with the $atience to deal withrika is a rare find indeed.8

It was Mikihiko!s turn to emotionally e$ress himself.

8......That!s a little hard to swallow.8

9eo!s face grew longer the more he heard Mikihiko talk a#out rika

like they were a cou$le" which caused #oth Tatsuya and Mikihiko to

#urst out laughing. However" Tatsuya had a few reservations a#out

Mikihiko!s comment as he recalled the reason why Mikihiko drew his

attention in the first $lace.

8So Mikihiko" you knew rika a while #ack:8

There was no ulterior motive #ehind this uestion. So when Tatsuya

saw Mikihiko!s 85h ohB8 e$ression" he uickly changed the su#*ect.

8Kind of" I guess we!re childhood friends:8

8rika" why the uestion mark at the end:8

>iven that the $erson in uestion was $resent" Tatsuya!s concernsuickly faded.

8/e met when we were ten" so technically we!re not childhood

friends. To to$ it off" not only has he #een avoiding me in class" we

haven!t seen each other outside of cam$us for the last si months.8

rika!s answer to Mizuki!s uestion suddenly thrust her into the

middle of Tatsuya and com$any!s conversation.

8Hey" Tatsuya=kun" what do you think:8


52/334

2fterwards" rika suddenly sought Tatsuya!s o$inion in her normal as=

she=$leases manner.

8This should count as childhood friends" right:8

+n some level" given the way Tatsuya res$onded with no hesitationwhatsoever" the same charge could #e leveled at him.

?et" the reason why 9eo and Mikihiko were una#le to utter a single

word wasn!t #ecause they were struck s$eechless #y rika #arging in

without any consideration to others. Their widened eyes clearly

testified to this $oint.

In %&01 23" fashion and $ro$er decorum demanded that any trace of

e$osed flesh #e covered in $u#lic. Since school was considered a$u#lic environment" even if it was in summer" women were still

o#ligated to wear *ackets and a colorless" im$enetra#le $air of tights or

leggings #eneath their dresses.

That #eing said" these rules didn!t a$$ly to athletic uniforms" so

athletic clu#s suffered no $enalty or criticism for revealing their hands

or legs with their uniform" and $hysical education classes were also

not #ound #y this rule. 6or eam$le" Tatsuya and the other male

students were currently wearing shorts that did not etend to theirknees while Mizuki was wearing a fairly long $air of rhythm $ants"

which was the standard uniform for $hysical education.

+n the other hand" rika was......

oth of her legs were com$letely uncovered.

6rom the thighs down" everything was revealed to the sweltering

summer air. Her $ants had no length to s$eak of whatsoever. 6inally"

the T=shirt she wore #arely etended over the $ants" giving theim$ression she was wearing only her underwear.

Her tight thighs showed no signs of coarse muscle" its reddish tint

caused #y the sun only served to em#ellish and accentuate its original

white cali#er.

8rika" why are you dressed like thatB8


53/334


54/334

Mikihiko finally reclaimed his wits as his voice s$iked" though the

unavoida#le #lush on his face had nothing to do with the 5G rays the

sun was giving off. There were $lenty of o$$ortunities to see a $air of

legs outside of school" so it wasn!t like Mikihiko was a com$lete

$rude" #ut the 8couettish8 air that rika!s legs were giving off was

enough to cause almost any of her male $eers to lose their com$osure.

8/hat" this is the traditional women!s athletic uniform.8

It was o#vious with a single glance what state Mikihiko!s mind was

currently in" ece$t rika never mentioned it at all as she tilted her

head sideways and re$lied #ack with a sur$rised e$ression on her

face. It certainly didn!t look like she was dressed like that solely to

tease her childhood friend.8That!s traditional:8

That #eing said" the man of the hour thought this was all to tease him"

as could #e seen from Mikihiko!s face that colored even more in fury.

8Is that so: I thought this was some uniue design for the rhythm

$ants.8

Tatsuya inter*ected to change the $ace and to $revent rika from

unintentionally $ouring more fuel on the fire.

8This isn!t a $air of rhythm $ants.8

Saying this only changed the victim from Mikihiko to Tatsuya" #ut one

glance at Tatsuya!s stoic face was sufficient to tell that he far sur$assed

Mikihiko in com$osure and $atience. ,o" it might #e more a$$ro$riate

to say that Tatsuya wasn!t sensitive enough to fall for rika!s

$rovocations.

8ut" these aren!t tennis #riefs either" right:8

8ven I!m not interested in wearing *ust the #riefs and not the skirt.

These are called #loomers.8

8loomers: Sounds like #rooms" did they used to wear that while

cleaning:8

83on!t #e stu$idB 3idn!t I *ust say these are athletic uniforms for

womenB8

It was difficult to tell if Tatsuya was intentionally $laying ignorant"


55/334

which $ut rika in an awkward $osition.

8S$eaking of #loomers" are those it:8

9eo finally came around.

83uring the 2ge of Immorality" when female high school students

received allowances from middle aged men to......8

......However" regardless of whether it was 9eo or rika" this was

undou#tedly a #ad time for him to recover.

8Idiot" shut u$B8

eet red" rika e$loded in outrage. 2t the same time" she raised one

foot and furiously kicked 9eo in the shin.

9eo #ent over and gra##ed his shin in $ain" while rika $ranced

around holding one foot.

This ver#al and $hysical echange looked to have ended in mutual

defeat (:).

-om$ared to the earlier 7 Tatsuya and com$any 7 contest" this one

went #ack and forth.

oth sides re$eatedly claimed the lead from the other.

The two teams were of eual strength" #ut were restricted to the

cali#er of high school students.

There were very few female students watching" since they had their

own lessons and could only ditch for so long. +n to$ of that" $hysical

education classes differed from magic technical skills class in that

most $hysical education classes had instructors availa#le (the

difference in raw num#er of teachers availa#le #etween magic classesand normal classes could #e seen here).

8I can!t #elieve you. Is your #rain stuffed with that ty$e of nonsense:8

,ow" only rika and Mizuki were $resent to watch the #oys! contest.

8Shut u$" that!s what the #ooks say.8

2t rika!s scornful look" 9eo realized that his $osition was rather

#leak" so he re$lied rather fli$$antly and never dared to look her in the

eye.


56/334

,ot striking someone while they!re down was one of rika!s merits.

8I have no idea what #ooks you!re reading...... S$eaking of which"

Miki was looking at me in the same way. Is this really that arousing:8

May#e she was *ust easily distracted.

8rika...... I think you!d #e #etter off wearing rhythm $ants too.8

>iven Mizuki!s reluctant tone" she $ro#a#ly #elonged to the 8I think

#ut can!t say8 category.

8That!s true...... It!s not as flei#le as I imagined" and a little too tight

too.8

2t that" two male students uickly turned around" #ut thankfully (:)

rika didn!t notice.

8HmJ. /hen I dug this u$ in the ca#inet" I thought that no one had

worn this and the measurements were $erfect" #ut I think I!ll go with

Mizuki!s suggestion and change #ack to rhythm $ants.8

8?eah" I think that!s for the #est.8

This wasn!t eactly what Mizuki was aiming for" #ut she nodded in

em$hasis regardless.

8Hm:8

Mizuki was half a #eat late on the u$take" #ut from a certain

$ers$ective that suited her $ersonality $erfectly.

8y the way" rika" who is !Miki!:8

/ith his head still turned" Mikihiko!s shoulders grew tense" #ut rika

didn!t notice as she leisurely $ointed at his #ack (ven if she did

notice" would she have o$ted for a different action: This remains a

$rofound mystery).

8ecause he!s Mikihiko" hence Miki.8

Mikihiko s$un around almost at the same time rika uttered those

words.

8/hat do you mean !hence!:8

It looked like Mikihiko was una#le to ignore this 8nickname8.

8/hy do you ask: Miki is short for Mikihiko.8


57/334

8I!ve said this countless timesB 3on!t call me such a feminine nameB8

5nfortunately" rika seemed inured to such scolding given the way it

#ounced off her.

8h: So you $refer Hiko=kun:8

rika!s face ado$ted a 8/hy didn!t you say so earlier:8 look as she

rounded on Mikihiko.

8/hy is this ha$$eningB 3on!t unilaterally decide to shorten other

$eo$le!s namesB8

8So you want me to call you Mikihiko: hJ...... Mikihiko Mikihiko

Mikihiko Mikihiko...... That!s too #ig a mouthful" I don!t want to call

you that.8Mikihiko wasn!t the only one who thought this was ridiculous.

83on!t you feel em#arrassed #y it:8

8/hat do you mean em#arrassed:8

rika suddenly #ent at the waist.

8Mikihiko......8

rika #rought her face directly in front of the sitting Mikihiko andsoftly murmured his name with a melodious voice.

His fury forci#ly overwritten #y other emotions" Mikihiko was struck

s$eechless.

8....../ho is that:8

,ot *ust the $erson in uestion" even 9eo was wavering. Duite the

im$ressive destructive $ower.

8/ell: Isn!t it em#arrassing:8

rika!s hair seemed to grow at an accelerated rate@ she had entered

school with her hair cro$$ed short" #ut after three short months it had

already grown to shoulder length. She tucked her hair #ehind one ear

and revealed a delighted smile.

,o matter how o#stinate Mikihiko was" even he wasn!t a#le to uell

his wavering heart.

8In...... In that case......8


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82h" stuttering......8

Mizuki softly whis$ered. Her $ersonality was $ro#a#ly the more

merciless one.

6ortunately" Mikihiko didn!t have the ecess mental ca$acity to hearMizuki!s words.

84ust call me #y my family nameB8

8h: I thought Miki hated other $eo$le calling him #y that:8

That comment had #een made too rashly.

Mikihiko!s face tightened.

His red" $anicked face and attitude were the same as #efore.In addition" there was a dee$ sense of shame tucked #eneath the anger.

However" Tatsuya felt that Mikihiko currently hid dark emotions that

#ordered on hatred.

8rika" isn!t it time for you to go:8

2t the risk of #eing a #usy#ody" Tatsuya inter$osed on this

conversation and directed rika!s attention onto himself. Tatsuya

discreetly $ointed #ehind him where the coach (the $hysical educationteacher) was glaring over at them.

8ShitB Tatsuya=kun" see you aroundB8

8h: rika" wait for meB8

rika hurriedly took off" with Mizuki uickly following.

Tatsuya waved at their retreating #acks with a wry smile on his face.

2fter an awkward $eriod of silence......

8Sorry for dragging you in.8

Mikihiko s$oke in a soft tone with his head #owed. He a$$eared to

have dee$ rooted issues with his family and" while he consciously

knew that they eisted" there were still momentary la$ses in his self

control.

8May#e my interference wasn!t needed.8

Tatsuya!s words weren!t merely for comfort" #ut were s$oken from theheart. 6rom what had *ust trans$ired" this o#viously wasn!t the first


59/334

time this had occurred" and rika!s actions may have #een to

intentionally $rovoke Mikihiko. 2llowing #uried frustration and inner

emotions to vent may #e the #est $ossi#le way to $revent emotional

scars.

8,o" that!s hardly the case" es$ecially since we!re still in class.8

However" the reason Mikihiko s$oke of was eactly the reason why

Tatsuya interfered. 2ny course of action had a $ro$er time and $lace"

es$ecially since Tatsuya didn!t want to #ecome mired in Mikihiko......

+r may#e rika and Mikihiko!s ongoing issue.

8That #eing said" Tatsuya is certainly a calm one.8

Mikihiko a#ru$tly changed the to$ic" $ossi#ly #ecause he shrewdlydetected Tatsuya!s 8not interested in getting entangled8 mood.

8/hat #rought this u$:8

>iven the conversation u$ until this $oint" Tatsuya understood that

Mikihiko might $ortray a certain attitude in class" #ut he was actually

very sensitive to others! moods and emotions. It was *ust that this

change was too a#ru$t" to the $oint that any sense of logic was lost.

8/hat do you mean what......8

Mikihiko hadn!t $ro$erly formulated his thoughts #efore s$eaking u$"

so he wasn!t a#le to $ro$erly convey his meaning.

8/ell...... I mean" you saw what rika was wearing" yet you didn!t #at

an eyelid.8

ven so" his eam$le was still too vague" or uite a stretch.

8......I was somewhat sur$rised at her dress" #ut surely it wasn!t

e$osed enough to ualify for that much of a reaction: I thought that itwas certainly more conservative than a swimsuit or rhythm gear.8

Tatsuya!s real thoughts were more along the lines of 8what the hell is

this guy talking a#out8" #ut considering today was the first time they

were formally introduced to Mikihiko" and due to the confrontational

nature of those words" Tatsuya elected to res$ond in a more neutral

fashion. 2nyone who overheard this conversation would certainly

think that Tatsuya was going on a tangent.

8?ou don!t care #ecause it was less $rovocative than swimsuits or


60/334

rhythm gear: Somehow that *ust strikes me in the wrong way.8

6rom a youthful $ers$ective" 9eo!s critiue was right on the mark.

ven though Mikihiko raised the uestion in the first $lace" even 9eo

was offering his own a#rasive o$inion.8......Tatsuya" you!ve wilted too much. ?ou no longer $ossess the

hallmark of youth.8


61/334

2nyone could tell that 9eo was acting" #ut a $ortion of the shaking

seemed to #e genuine" a $oint that aroused great interest from

Mikihiko as he gazed at the two of them.

9eo was taller than Tatsuya #y a margin.His lim#s were also thicker and stronger.

6rom his $erformance during their team com$etition" their agility

should #e roughly eual.

Tatsuya was rumored to have studied under a famous nin*itsu sensei"

#ut was he really that ca$a#le in a fight:

nough to overcome his deficit in Magic


62/334

He had also #een $racticing martial arts that he had hitherto #een

lukewarm towards.

ven so" he was still una#le to fill that sense of loss.

So once he learned that Tatsuya was also a student with inferiortechnical skills and im$erfect magic a#ility" yet was still a#le to

overcome u$$erclassmen that #oasted greater Magic


63/334

were ma*or events. The etravagance of the ,ine Schools -om$etition

largely overshadowed the Thesis -om$etition" making it the single

greatest event on the calendar.

The ,ine Schools -om$etition was an intramural contest #ased onathletic magic com$etitions (esides magic com$etitions" there were

riddle events" ta#le to$ games" timed maze challenges" and even

treasure hunts). 6irst High also had clu#s for every occasion" #ut since

com$etition was fiercest around the ,ine Schools -om$etition itself"

$artici$ants were not only selected from clu#s" #ut anyone deemed

ca$a#le of winning was selected as a $artici$ant.

Thanks to this" $re$arations for the ,ine Schools -om$etition $assed

from the -lu#s Management >rou$ to the Student -ouncil.8ven so" it!s not like we can ignore the official $artici$ants from the

clu#s. 4ust deciding who goes on the final roster is going to #e a ma*or

headache......8

ven Mayumi" who usually mesmerized everyone with her radiant

smile" seemed to wilt a little today.

The fingers that held the cho$sticks in her #ento seemed #oneless as

well.;ecently" Miyuki was also very #usy" #ut the


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Mayumi $owerlessly nodded at Mari!s inuiry.

8The ma*ority of our students aim to #e Magicians" so talented

$ersonnel generally gravitate towards technical skills...... +ur Erd ?ear

students are $articularly worrisome" with our num#ers in the Magic2rtificer de$artment reaching dangerous lows. In %nd ?ear we have

ca$a#le $eo$le such as 2=chan and Isori=kun" #ut our num#ers are still

insufficient......8

8Isori" eh...... That guy s$ecializes in geometry" so he!s stronger in

theory rather than maintenance" right:8

8/e!re long $ast the $oint of caring a#out these things.8

It was etremely rare to see #oth Mayumi and Mari sigh" which said alot a#out how serious things were 7 although using this to evaluate

how serious the situation was would #e slightly wrong.

8ven if 4uumon*i and I hel$ out" there!s a limit to how much we can

do......8

82ren!t the two of you our $rimary $artici$ants as well: If you!re too

#usy worrying a#out other $eo$le!s -23s and allow that to affect your

own events" that!s not something we can *oke around with.8

8......If Mari could maintain her own -23" that would lessen the

#urden a lot.8

8......?eah" we!re in trou#le.8

May#e due to ehaustion or some other reason" Mari avoided

Mayumi!s earnest gaze and looked elsewhere.

The atmos$here in the Student -ouncil ;oom was #orderline

hazardous to $sychological well #eing.

In order to return to the classroom 7 that is" evacuate the $remises"

Tatsuya signaled Miyuki with a look" then sought a $ro$er o$ening.

8;in=chan" can you hel$ as an engineer:8

ven with the chaos surrounding the $re$arations for the ,ine School

-om$etition" Suzune still hung around in the Student -ouncil ;oom

during lunch and was someone Mayumi never failed to invite.

8That!s im$ossi#le. My skills would only ham$er ,aka*ou and theothers.8


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ut was coldly re#uffed each time.

/ith the a$ologies to the currently de$ressed Mayumi" #ut this was

the $erfect o$$ortunity to #eat a retreat.

Tatsuya glanced meaningfully at Miyuki" then rose7

8Then...... How a#out we ask Shi#a=kun:8

74ust as Tatsuya rose" his esca$e $lan was ruthlessly derailed #y

2zusa!s une$ected attack.

8Hoh:8

Mayumi" who originally had her head slum$ed on the ta#le" a#ru$tly

lifted her head and let out an unintelligi#le sound.

2zusa" who u$ until this moment had #een venting her irritation at the

large flatscreen terminal in front of her 7 $ro#a#ly dee$ in the middle

of homework 7 softly sighed as she hit the $ower #utton on her

terminal and raised her head.

8I heard that Miyuki=chan!s -23 is maintained #y Shi#a=kun. I!ve

seen it #efore" and its s$ecs rival those of a first=class cor$orate

technician.8

Mayumi *um$ed out of her chair.

Her face was suffused with vitality" as if that earlier de*ected scene

never ha$$ened.

8lind s$ot......B8

The gaze Mayumi directed towards Tatsuya was like a hawk eyeing its

new found $rey.

That alone was sufficient for Tatsuya to give u$ halfway.

8?ou!re right...... I can!t #elieve I didn!t think of that" how careless.8

,ow that Mari had *oined the fray" he was u$ a creek without a

$addle.

8S$eaking of which" he also handled the reserve -23s the -ommittee

owns...... ut since he!s the only one using them" I never thought a#out

it.8

;esistance was futile. Tatsuya was a#out 0& ready to give u$ at this$oint" #ut surrendering without a fight was against his $rinci$les" so


66/334

Tatsuya attem$ted a tiny 7 most likely fruitless 7 resistance.

8arlier I heard the -hief talk a#out the im$ortance of -23

technicians" #ut there!s no $recedent for a 'st ?ear technician" is

there:88verything has to start somewhere.8

8Traditions are made to #e overturned.8

Mayumi and Mari immediately returned fire at a furious rate.

8The two of you may #e !$rogressive thinkers!" #ut won!t the other

$artici$ants #alk at this: I!m a 'st ?ear -ourse % student" this would

leave a negative im$ression on many $eo$le.8

This was a little self=de$reciating coming from him" #ut that didn!tmean it wasn!t true.

86or -23 maintenance" mutual trust #etween Magician and 2rtificer

is etremely im$ortant. 2 -23!s maimum $erformance is dictated #y

the level of the user!s mental state. 5sing a $erson like me to maintain

-23s would lead to severe $artici$ant #acklash" so I don!t think I!m a

good candidate......8

Tatsuya!s logic also had its own merits" causing Mayumi and Mari toechange a glance.

However" regardless of what Tatsuya said" the two of them had already

seen through his facade.

In order to deliver the final #low to the lazy (:) underclassman that

didn!t want to take the hot $otato and force him to *oin" the two of

them were visually confirming the order of attack (ver#al $ersuasion).

2t this time" they received some une$ected reinforcements.8I was ho$ing that +nii=sama could work with my -23 while I!m

$artici$ating in the ,ine Schools -om$etition...... Is that okay:8

Tatsuya froze at Miyuki!s com$letely une$ected #etrayal (:).

In a Shakes$earean drama" Tatsuya!s mood would undou#tedly mirror

that of -aesar as he was assassinatedA 8t tu" Miyuki (rutus)......B8

8actlyB Having a trustworthy and com$etent technician near#y is

a#solutely integral for $artici$ants to rely on. /ell said" Miyuki=chanB8


67/334

Mayumi immediately followed u$ on the attack.

8?es" if +nii=sama *oined the Technician Team" not only I" #ut Mitsui=

san and Kitayama=san could set our minds at ease.8

This is the first time that Tatsuya learned those two were entering the,ewcomers 3ivision as $artici$ants" #ut he considered them to #e the

e$ected candidates.

7This was also him trying to esca$e from reality.

+#viously" the #attle had #een decided.

The $re$aration meeting held after school in the -lu# Management

-enter would decide whether Tatsuya officially *oins the roster.There might #e a tiny ray of ho$e" #ut Tatsuya had long since given

u$.

The moment Miyuki assented" Tatsuya had nowhere to run. 5nder the

assum$tion that his confirmation was in serious *eo$ardy" he actually

had to work hard towards ensuring he was nominated and acce$ted 7

these were all within his calculations.

,o matter what" the situation was utterly de$ressing.2t times like these" $eo$le tended to retreat into areas they ecel in.

ven if he had an outside chance to #e nominated" he still took the

time to reflect on what he could do" what areas he ecelled at" and re=

eamined his own sense of worth to $ro$erly restore his internal

#alance as a means of self com$ensation.


68/334

shar$ eyes caught Tatsuya!s movement as she inched forward.

Tatsuya slowly shifted his gaze" not towards Mayumi or Mari" #ut

Suzune.

Suzune accurately inter$reted Tatsuya!s silent inuiry as she ade$tlyused her #rows and the shrugging of her shoulders to e$ress a

hel$less emotion. In other words" the current 2zusa had com$letely

lost interest in her homework.

8?es" I $urchased a new holster" so I would like to get used to it as

soon as $ossi#le.8

Is this what they meant #y 8#eing furious after receiving three in the

morning" then ha$$y when receiving four in the evening8: Tatsuyawas mentally considering this somewhat o#*ective #ut also very rude

train of thought as he shifted his gaze #ack onto 2zusa and res$onded

in a gentle manner (To su$$lement" Tatsuya was thinking of what it

meant to $lay fast and loose).

2zusa!s eyes shone #rilliantly as she a$$roached him. It seemed that

she was not only interested in the -23 itself" #ut the su$$lementary

eui$ment as well.

8h" is it okay if I took a look:8

Truthfully s$eaking" 2zusa generally avoided 7 more like was

terrified of Tatsuya.


69/334

2fter she received the holster" 2zusa was ha$$y enough to almost ru#

her face against it.

Tatsuya was #arely a#le to maintain his $oker face.

2fter 2zusa meticulously went over every centimeter of the holster 7or may#e finally satisfied herself7 she returned it to Tatsuya with a

$leased smile on her face.

8Shi#a=kun is also a fan of the Silver series: If #ased only on $rice and

s$ecs" the Maimilian S$eed Shooter" ;uss Ty$e=6" or even Sagittarius

series develo$ed #y 69T (6our 9eaves Technology) are #etter deals"

#ut the individual customization of the Silver series is so good that no

one cares a#out the $riceB8

Tatsuya recalled that Mari once descri#ed 2zusa as a 83evice=taku8.

2t the time" he was considerate enough to consider this an

eaggeration" #ut after witnessing her #ehavior today" he reflected that

such a nickname was $ro#a#ly inevita#le.

6rom Tatsuya!s $ers$ective" if the contrast #etween $rice and

$erformance 7 efficiency" in other words" was too low" then

satisfaction would also dro$. ven if that was the case" true

$erformance may differ from official documentation. Sim$ly $ut"ualitative $erformance that could not #e converted into numerical

format was also very im$ortant. If one could #e 8satisfied8 without

making this sort of analysis" Tatsuya considered that to #e nothing

more than #rand loyalty.

That #eing said" that was a matter of $ersonal values" so if she said she

was satisfied" he had no reason to rain on her $arade.

8,o" I actually have a few connections" so I can #uy Silver Series at adiscount thanks to my work as a #eta tester.8

The moment Tatsuya said this" Miyuki!s shoulders visi#ly shook a

little as she faced the other way towards the terminal" #ut no one

noticed.

8hJB ;eally:8

The word 8envy8 was stam$ed all over 2zusa!s face.

This time" even Tatsuya!s e$ression revealed a little s$asm.


70/334

8......,et time I test the new model" would you like me to get you one

as well:8

8h:

;eally:

9ike" really" really:

ThanksB8

There was no way for him to fit in a res$onse.

2fter Tatsuya was finally a#le to nod in assent" 2zusa gra##ed his

em$ty left hand with #oth of her own and shook it u$ and down.

8......2=chan" rela a little #it.8Mayumi couldn!t watch any longer" tem$orarily sto$$ing her work on

the $ile of documents to s$eak to 2zusa.

2zusa suddenly sto$$ed.

6illed with tre$idation" she looked at her hands.

Her hands were tightly wound around Tatsuya!s hand. 2zusa felt this

not only with her sense of touch" #ut confirmed it visually as well.

She slowly raised her head towards Tatsuya" then uickly dodgedTatsuya!s e$ressionless gaze and looked #ack at her hands.

2zusa let go and *um$ed #ack as if her hands had gras$ed fire.

8Sorry" sorry" sorry......B8

86lushed face8 wasn!t sufficient to descri#e 2zusa!s current state" since

her face was red to the root of her ears. She re$eatedly #owed towards

Tatsuya in a$ology.

Tatsuya was starting to get really worried that 2zusa would kee$

#owing until she was dizzy" and glanced towards Mayumi for hel$.

8......2=chan" you can sto$ now. Tatsuya=kun is a little overwhelmed

right now.8

Mayumi was $ro#a#ly thinking along the same lines as Tatsuya" so she

didn!t add to the mayhem (not without cause) and focused on

comforting 2zusa.

2zusa took a dee$ #reath as she was instructed and finally managed to


71/334

settle down.

Mayumi let out a hel$less sigh #efore turning #ack to her work.

2zusa turned an em#arrassed smile towards Tatsuya and uickly

turned solemn.

8Then" Shi#a=kun wouldn!t ha$$en to know Taurus Silver in $erson:8

She asked in this manner.

7It went without saying that she was doing so to cover her

em#arrassment.

5nfortunately" this uestion was a very difficult one to answer for

Tatsuya.

8......,o" I!m not entirely certain.8

lectric clamors rang out from near the wall.

The workstation that Miyuki was using activated the alarm #y

accident.

veryone hits a ty$o every once in a while" #ut it was etremely rare

for Miyuki to erroneously activate the alarm.

oth Mayumi and Suzune wore an 8h:8 e$ression while looking atMiyuki who was facing the wall" #ut Miyuki soldiered onward as if

nothing had ha$$ened" so the two of them didn!t ask any further and

returned to their res$ective $iles.

8......Miyuki=chan actually made a mistake" how strange.8

8+ccasionally" yes.8

In com$arison" Tatsuya!s res$onse was overly level" #ut 2zusa didn!t

notice as she returned to the original 7 the recent conversation.8,o matter how much he hides himself" the $eo$le in the same la#

should know something" right: 5nless" he invented everything #y

himself:8

8......,o" I!m certain that would #e im$ossi#le.8

8I think so too. +h yeah" Shi#a=kun" can!t you use your !connections! at

the la# to get some more information:8

8......,o" the connections I s$oke of aren!t in that category...... 2lso"69T kee$s most of their cor$orate secrets under wra$" so I think it!s


72/334

highly unlikely to get anything out of the la# technicians.8

8+hJ that!s true......8

8......I!m sure sen$ai already knows" #ut using Informational

Mani$ulative +utersystematic=ty$e magic to uncover secrets is afelony.8

82h: ,ah...... ,o way" why would I think...... a#out that kind of

thing......8

Tatsuya looked at 2zusa with his eyes half closed" causing 2zusa!s

already $etite #ody to shrink even further.

8......It!s okay" as long as sen$ai is clear on that $oint" I *ust wanted to

remind you.883on!t...... don!t worry a#out it" of course I know a#out something like

that" 2h" ha ha ha......8

Seeing that 2zusa wasn!t making a meta$hor and actually #reaking out

into a cold sweat" Tatsuya took his foot off the gas.

8S$eaking of which" why is ,aka*ou=sen$ai so interested in Taurus

Silver!s real identity:8

The -23 2zusa used wasn!t 69T!s #rand either. ven though sheo#viously wasn!t a Silver Series user" why did she care so much a#out

the identity of the develo$er:

6or Tatsuya" this was a $erfectly natural uestion.

82h:8

6rom 2zusa!s e$ression" she was com$letely dum#founded that

Tatsuya even asked this uestion.

8+f course I care" Tatsuya=kun" I mean" do you not:

This is Taurus Silver.

The first $erson in the world to develo$ the !9oo$ -ast System!"

raising the s$eed of 2ctivation Seuences for S$ecialized -23s #y

twenty $ercent" he also reduced the varia#ility of wireless models

from E $ercent to less than ' $ercent. Taurus Silver is *ust that

amazing.


73/334


74/334

2lso" rather than guarding his secrets for $ersonal $rofit" he o$enly

$u#licizes his findings for the #etterment of the magical community as

a whole" which makes Taurus Silver even more incredi#le.

He is called the genius engineer that advanced -23 softwaretechnology #y ten years within one short year" so I think that no one

who aims to #e a Magic 2rtificer would #e uninterested in him.8

This over#earing $ressure that was almost synonymous to scolding

forced Tatsuya to shrink #ack. He was com$letely caught off guard #y

how much the world had #uilt u$ 8Taurus Silver8.

8cuse my ignorance. 2s a user" I!m not dissatisfied with the Silver

series" I *ust wasn!t aware that it had such glowing reviews......8

82h...... That makes sense" Shi#a=kun is a tester" so for you" Silver

series isn!t all that rare...... Hence why you have a different outlook

than I do.8

2zusa didn!t com$letely understand" #ut allowed herself to #e

convinced.

8Hey" hey" Shi#a=kun" let me ask you" what do you think Taurus Silver

is like:8

2 $urely inuisitive gaze.

/anting to change the su#*ect" Tatsuya re$lied #ack trying to stall for

time.

8/ell...... I wonder how shocking would it #e if he turned out to #e a

4a$anese teenager like us.8

+nce again" electric clamors rang out from near the wall.

Miyuki continued to sit in a $osture with her #ack com$letely straightas she toiled away.

7ut she didn!t allow anyone to see her current e$ression.

8S$eaking of which" 2=chan.8

8?es"


75/334

to hurry #ack to her work on the Student -ouncil.

8/eren!t you su$$osed to finish your homework #efore the end of

lunch:8

However" even if this was lending a hand to Tatsuya" this wasundou#tedly the knell of doom for 2zusa...... That descri$tion might

#e a hy$er#ole" #ut 2zusa!s e$ression was *ust so. The very fact that

she was engrossed in talking a#out Taurus Silver was likely a way for

her to esca$e from reality.

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MKnR 03 - Nine School Competition (I).pdf

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Transcript of MKnR 03 - Nine School Competition (I).pdf