The second day of the competition saw First High School advancing smoothly.
In the Men's Pillars Break Solo Qualifiers, ratings considerations likely led to Shoki and Yugen being placed in separate leagues. Yugen's opponents were from Fourth and Seventh High, none particularly threatening. As he did last year, he flawlessly defended with multi-cast hardening magic, piercing opponents' defenses with Meteorite Fall for a complete victory. He secured first place in the qualifiers, advancing to the finals.
In the Women's Pillars Break Solo Qualifiers, Miyuki dominated both matches with Overd Inferno, securing first place and advancing to the finals. She seemed to be saving the other two spells she'd been given for the final league.
The Women's Roar and Gunner Solo saw Celia, the first runner, deliver an extraordinary performance, unsettling other schools' competitors. This led to a chaotic race for second place, with Third High taking second and Seventh High third.
The person most shocked by the Men's Roar and Gunner Solo was none other than Third High's Shinkuro Kichijoji.
"Kichijoji, you don't have to feel so down about it," one teammate said.
"Yeah, second place is still impressive," another added.
First High had swept first place in all three Roar and Gunner events, earning 200 points, far ahead of Seventh High's 140 and Third High's 100. It wasn't that Third High had stumbled; despite Seventh High's strength in water-based events, First High led. Shinkuro's dejection stemmed from his victory feeling like a fluke.
"I can't believe First High and Seventh High had nearly identical results… and they added versatile tweaks to my Invisible Bullet," Shinkuro muttered.
This was one of Yugen and Tatsuya's strategies: enhancing Shinkuro's Invisible Bullet with diverse modifications to dominate Roar and Gunner, their ideal event. Toya, the first male runner, stunned with exceptional boat speed and precision shooting, unsettling those who followed. Seventh High, desperate to catch up, prioritized shooting, sacrificing speed. Shinkuro, Third High's representative, barely clinched second due to his precision shooting.
In hindsight, Shinkuro's second place was ironically thanks to Toya, a fact that frustrated him. Even Shoki struggled to find comforting words.
Toya had used Aqua Dolphin, employed by Ami last year, and Diffuse Invisible Bullet to hit every target. For Toya, adept at heat manipulation, tracking heat-emitting targets in midsummer was effortless, something he could do blindfolded.
Another tea party was scheduled tonight, but Tatsuya was increasingly busy. Tomorrow, he'd oversee Kirihara in the Men's Shield Down Pairs and Shizuku in the Women's Pillars Break Pairs Final League. The day after, Miyuki would compete in the Women's Pillars Break Solo, and Sawaki in the Men's Shield Down Solo, both under Tatsuya's purview.
However, Toya was assisting technical staff with Sayaka and Erika in the Women's Shield Down Pairs, Yume in the Women's Solo, and Leo in the Men's Pillars Break Pairs, easing Tatsuya's burden.
The Parasite Dolls were a concern, but Yugen had cautioned Tatsuya that overworking in such a hectic state would lead to exhaustion, even for him. Considering Miyuki, Tatsuya focused on maintaining peak condition for emergencies while diligently handling his technical staff duties.
(Honestly, I think Yugen's the one who needs to rest,) Tatsuya thought.
Tatsuya didn't know everything Yugen was doing, but as strategy staff leader, Yugen juggled player coordination, technical support, and his own competition preparations, all while monitoring the Parasite Dolls and other matters. Add to that looking after Miyuki, and it wouldn't be surprising if he collapsed during the Nine Schools Competition. Fortunately, Yugen often napped in the headquarters tent or his room during the day unless an emergency arose, ensuring his performance remained unaffected.
As for Yugen, he was in a hotel room when the internal phone rang just as he was about to head to the tea party. The front desk gave him an unfamiliar name and room number.
It could be a trap, but few would dare approach him at this time. Sensing a presence beyond the door, he knocked, and it opened promptly. To avoid being seen, Yugen slipped inside, and as the door closed, he addressed the figure—Major Harunobu Kazama, in civilian clothes.
"Major Kazama, I won't ask if you're off-duty, but what's the meaning of this?"
"From your demeanor, you've clearly noticed something about this Nine Schools Competition," Kazama replied.
Given Yugen's role in providing intel during the Great Asian Alliance's invasion in the Okinawa Defense Battle, it was no surprise he'd grasp the current situation. Kazama's tone carried a hint of admiration.
But Yugen felt only indignation. Even if the enemy involved Parasites, it was galling that he and Tatsuya, not the Defense Forces, had to handle it. Though they were unofficial strategic-class mages and special officers, they had no obligation to clean up the Defense Forces' mess.
Kazama had no answer for this.
Standing around was impractical, so they sat facing each other on the room's sofas. Assuming Kazama understood the Nine Schools Competition's context, Yugen touched on how they'd arrived at this point.
"To keep the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion out of the Parasite Incident, we used Lieutenant Fujibayashi to avoid tipping off Retsu Kudou. But Koichi Saegusa, seeking Nine Schools' help with ancient magic, brought them to Kanto."
"We're aware of that," Kazama said. "But we don't know the full details of the Parasite Incident's resolution."
"Most Parasites are sealed and managed by the Kagurazaka family. During that process, the Nine Schools took some Parasites and brought them to this competition. Their weapon: 'Parasite Dolls'—gynoids infused with Parasites."
From Kazama's reaction, even with Nine Schools connections in his circle, he lacked this information. Alternatively, Kyoko might be verifying it, and it hadn't reached Kazama, her superior.
"I'll be blunt," Yugen said. "I don't care about the 101st Brigade or the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion's actions. What do you want from me, Major Kazama?"
Yugen sensed no lies or exaggeration in Kazama's words. They reflected his personal feelings, and even if military protocol bound him, Yugen had no intention of cutting ties with him personally.
Kazama was likely here to monitor Kyoko, and neither the 101st Brigade nor the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion could eliminate the Parasite Dolls. Doing so risked conflict within the Defense Forces or with the Ten Master Clans, potentially fracturing their cooperation.
Using Defense Forces equipment would be unwise. Tatsuya's gear was disguised in a maintenance vehicle, and Yugen had explained the situation to him. If Miyuki's safety was at stake, Yugen doubted he could stop Tatsuya.
"…I know it's shameless, but I need your help to stop the Defense Forces' recklessness," Kazama said, bowing deeply while seated.
Kazama couldn't act, a fact Yugen understood. Kyoko had likely relayed some details to Tatsuya, given his monitoring as a strategic-class mage.
"Is this a request as a Defense Forces officer, or as Harunobu Kazama, the individual?"
"The latter," Kazama replied. "You know I hold no love for the Ten Master Clans, but I have no desire to neglect this country's protection."
Kazama's guerrilla actions in the Great Yue War and his silent dedication to his duties despite promotions spoke to his commitment as a soldier and citizen. Yugen believed his desire to protect the nation was genuine.
Kazama's disdain for the Ten Master Clans was known, but he could separate personal and professional matters. Otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted Yugen or Tatsuya as special officers in the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.
"…Understood. The Kagurazaka, Ueyama, and Yotsuba families are already moving on this. Master Kuzuu is also cooperating, as he can't overlook this."
"Even Master…" Kazama murmured.
Yugen warned Kazama that Kyoko might approach regarding the Steeplechase Cross-Country, but no equipment support was needed. When Kazama asked how they'd handle it, Yugen replied:
"There's an old saying: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' For Parasites, we'll use appropriate gear. Tatsuya will use the Strike Suit and Bahamut, prototypes from my Army Weapons Development days, plus new equipment I gave him after the Parasite Incident."
"Tatsuya acting… Yes, that's highly likely," Kazama agreed.
The Strike Suit—designed for extreme conditions—absorbed activation sequences from a CAD via a virtual activation deployment field, transmitting them to the wearer's mental domain. It also stored and released psions, replicating a pseudo-Gram Demolition. Its high psion demand made it usable only by Yugen, Tatsuya, or Miyuki, and after being abandoned by the Weapons Development Department, the Mitsuya family secretly completed it.
How the Parasite Dolls would be deployed in the Steeplechase was unclear, but if Miyuki were endangered, Tatsuya would act. Yugen had equipped him with a CAD containing a magical crystal for his guardian spirit, ensuring Cross Excalion was an option if needed.
If Parasite Dolls appeared in the Men's Steeplechase, Yugen considered using Sunrise Overdrive or Spirit Dispersion as a last resort. He hoped Retsu Kudou wouldn't place Parasite Dolls early in the course, but caution was necessary.
"…Ideally, the Defense Forces would handle their own issues," Yugen said, his words sincere.
Leaving the room, Yugen exhaled deeply. Kyoko might move Tatsuya, but perhaps Retsu Kudou believed no harm to his kin justified his actions. From Koichi Saegusa's perspective in the original story, that wouldn't be surprising. Yet, Yugen thought Kudou should realize such actions would only fuel Kosen's anger.
(If Kosen recovers fully here… that'd bring its own mountain of problems.)
Like Yugen, Kosen had siblings and faced a similar environment. Yugen's memories confirmed he'd helped a parasitized Kosen, partly due to the Nine Schools' demotion from the Ten Master Clans, a bitter proxy for the Saegusa family. Even if Kosen's recovery brought no direct harm, it could spark a succession dispute among the current head's children. If Kosen were chosen, the eldest son might lose his place, potentially leading to violence.
Yugen, in a similar position, had confronted his father, Yuan, revealing his reincarnator status and refusing the Mitsuya succession to avoid such conflicts.
"…Maybe excessive kindness is a problem," Yugen muttered wryly, reflecting on domestic and international issues piling up. With a self-deprecating smirk, he returned to his room.
This update is shorter, aligning with the third day of the competition, so I cut it at a natural break.
To be honest, there's an issue to consider: Kosen's situation in this text. I'm leaning toward a route where Kosen is saved, but that requires a 'necessary evil'—someone to stir trouble. Strengthening the Yotsuba family has made the Saegusa's harassment negligible, significantly altering the Ten Master Clans Conference arc.
Forcing mages into military roles is discouraged, yet managing strategic-class mages is understandable. However, the prime targets should be Bezobrazov and Macleod. For the protagonist and Tatsuya, the government and military take responsibility for their strategic magic use for self-defense, posing no issue—colloquially, collateral damage.
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