On the fifth day of the Nine Schools Competition, the final first-round match of Women's Pillars Break is Miyuki's turn. Despite the long wait since morning, lunch breaks make it feel manageable for her. For Tatsuya, it's his third match of the day—no time to idle.
In the players' waiting room, only Miyuki and Tatsuya are present. Honoka and Shizuku, who promised to cheer from the stands, are likely with Erika. Instead, Isori, Kanon, Mayumi, and Mori show up to support. Tatsuya, bemused by the crowd, voices a different concern.
"I appreciate the support, but Committee Chair, are you sure you should be up?" he asks Mori.
Three days ago, Mori was injured in a sabotaged Battle Board semifinal, requiring a week to heal. Magic treatment helps, but rest is ideal.
"What, you too? I'm not jumping around. I'm fine," Mori retorts.
"Still, don't overdo it," Tatsuya sighs, then turns to Mayumi. "President, shouldn't you be at headquarters? Men's matches are ongoing, right?"
"It's fine. Hanzou's handling it. I retire in two months, so I shouldn't do everything myself," Mayumi replies, her logic sounding flimsy but harmless. Tatsuya lets it go.
"Miyuki, don't let the cheer squad make you nervous," he says.
"I'm fine, Onii-sama. You're here," Miyuki replies confidently.
Mayumi pouts, and Mori stifles a laugh. Tatsuya senses their reactions but says nothing.
As Miyuki ascends the platform, the crowd roars. Her outfit—a white kimono with scarlet hakama, hair tied back with a white ribbon—exudes divine elegance, amplifying her already striking beauty.
"They're stunned," Kanon says.
"She pulls it off too well," Isori agrees.
"Poor opponent, completely overwhelmed," Mayumi adds.
"Even I'd hesitate against that," Mori admits. "Wait, is that the point?"
Tatsuya turns. "The point? It's just a standard ritual outfit."
"Is your family Shinto?" Mayumi asks.
"Not exactly. Just Japanese," Tatsuya replies.
Mayumi nods awkwardly, unable to press further. Tatsuya refocuses on the console.
Unaware of the backstage banter, Miyuki awaits the signal. Knowing overeagerness risks accidental magic—a disqualifying foul—she focuses on restraint, her calm demeanor enhancing her ethereal presence. Most male spectators are entranced.
The signal turns green. A brilliant psion glow engulfs the field, splitting it into two climates: Miyuki's side, a frozen tundra; the opponent's, a scorching inferno. The opponent's cooling magic fails against the extreme.
Miyuki's field becomes an icy hell, her opponent's a blazing one, yet this is merely a prelude. Soon, her side is shrouded in icy mist, the enemy's in sublimating steam.
In the waiting room, jaws drop.
"Is that…?" Mori starts.
"Inferno?" Mayumi gasps.
Tatsuya, overhearing, thinks they're well-informed but keeps his eyes on Miyuki and the monitor.
Inferno: A mid-scale vibration spell dividing an area, slowing molecular and kinetic energy in one half while transferring excess to the other, creating a heat entropy reversal. Often an A-rank license exam challenge, it's trivial for Miyuki.
No rule violation risks, as it's area-contained, but Tatsuya's ready to intervene if needed. It proves unnecessary. The enemy's field hits 200°C. The hastily frozen pillars, riddled with air bubbles, crack under expanding heat. Abruptly, Miyuki switches spells, triggering an air compression shockwave. The weakened pillars collapse instantly.
"Done," Tatsuya mutters, unfazed.
No one responds. Miyuki descends, expressionless, showing no joy in victory. The room's consensus: "Crossing this sibling duo is unwise."
The second day of rookie matches ends, and First High's players, tech, and strategy staff gather for dinner. Upperclassmen show mixed results, but the first-years are starkly divided: the girls' corner radiates success, while the boys' is grim.
Tatsuya's players dominated, all advancing to the third round. Miyuki and Shizuku insist they'd have succeeded without him, but credit his tuning. Amid the girls' glow, Tatsuya, dubbed the "harem guy," stands out. He planned to eat quickly and escape, but Miyuki and Eimi caught him, and Honoka and Shizuku begged him to stay. He's visibly uncomfortable, spotting Mayumi and Mori smirking from afar but unable to confront them.
"Man, Miyuki's Inferno was insane," Eimi says.
"An A-rank spell most mages can't pull off," Honoka adds.
"Eimi was clutch too. First round was dicey, but you nailed it," a teammate says.
"That riding outfit and gun action? So cool," another chimes.
"Shizuku was badass! Kimono, shutting down the opponent—total queen," Eimi gushes.
All three cleared the second round of Pillars Break effortlessly, and with a potential First High sweep in the final league, excitement's high.
A less familiar first-year girl asks, "Shiba-kun, Shizuku's spell was a resonance destruction variant, right?"
"Correct," Tatsuya replies, softening his tone to avoid intimidating her.
"Did you arrange Shizuku's sequence?" another asks.
"Her Speed Shooting spell was your original, wasn't it?" a third presses.
"You programmed Inferno, right?" another adds.
"Honoka's dazzle tactic was your idea too, I heard," a fourth says.
Questions flood in, overwhelming Tatsuya. Once an outcast at the team's kickoff, his popularity now stuns him. He answers with a wry smile until a quieter comment catches his ear.
"I bet I could've won if Shiba-kun tuned my CAD…"
It's a loaded remark. To avoid tension, Tatsuya signals Miyuki with a glance.
"Nanami, that's a bit unfair," Miyuki says gently.
Nanami panics, realizing her words slighted her senior engineer. Spotting him waving it off, she bows deeply, relieved. "Phew, got worried there."
"Don't blame your CAD for your skills, Nana," a teammate teases.
"Hehe, my bad," Nanami grins, scratching her head.
The girls laugh, but Eimi adds, "Nanami's a bit much, but Shiba-kun's tuning did push us beyond normal."
"I knew from Miyuki he's good, but tuning's like baring your soul. I was hesitant, but so lucky he was my engineer. Thanks to the boys for letting him go!" Eimi says innocently.
Tatsuya forces a smile, but not everyone's amused.
"Morisaki?" a voice calls as Morisaki storms out, chair clattering. The girls glance briefly, then refocus on Tatsuya.
"Shiba-kun, you dating anyone?" one asks.
"Ooh, I'm curious too," another giggles.
"Miyuki, Honoka, Shizuku seem into you. Who's your type?" a third probes.
The questions are impossible. Tatsuya's smile grows strained as Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku blush, awaiting his response. He's saved—or not—by more trouble.
"Mind adding me to the options?" Mayumi teases, approaching.
"President, don't make this messier," Tatsuya groans.
"How about Rin or Mori?" she continues.
"Spare me."
"Maybe A-chan too?"
Tatsuya sighs, her playful chaos overwhelming. "By the way, some Third High girls were looking for you," Mayumi adds.
"The quartet?" Tatsuya asks.
"Yeah, you know them?" Mayumi tilts her head.
"You'd know better than me," he deflects, referring to Airi's group, likely known to Mayumi as fellow numbered-family members.
"Not really. They seemed hostile," Mayumi says.
"You stand out, President—looks and skill," Tatsuya replies.
Mayumi's prominent among the numbered families and Hundred Families at this competition. "So, what's your deal with them?" she presses.
"Just talked at the mixer. Probably scouting the competition," Tatsuya says, knowing it's a weak excuse but wary of their true motives.
"Maybe… They seemed very interested," Mayumi teases.
"Thanks to you, they've calmed down," Tatsuya says, seizing the chance to escape the girls' corner.
He dodges the personal questions, leaving some girls disappointed but others relieved. Still, an uneasy premonition lingers.
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