Before anyone realized it, May had arrived.
And on the tenth of May, it was Sayaka's day of discharge from the hospital.
"Mibu-senpai, congratulations on your discharge."
"Thank you, Mahiro-kun. I love them."
Sayaka, now changed out of her hospital gown and into casual clothes, happily accepted the fresh bouquet of carnations from Mahiro.
The faint, refreshing floral scent still lingered on them.
He had ordered them early that morning from a florist, specifically to celebrate her discharge.
Though it was school hours, the greatest advantage of online classes without teacher supervision was the flexibility in attendance.
That was the high-EQ way of putting it.
The low-EQ version was—he was skipping class.
However...
"Hey, Saya-chan, you can't just forget about your friends the moment you see a guy! I skipped class too to celebrate your discharge, you know~"
"W-Wait, Eri-chan! What are you saying?!"
The suggestive remark immediately painted Sayaka's cheeks a shy red, and even her posture became slightly awkward.
Ever since their encounter during that incident, Erika and Sayaka had grown extremely close, becoming inseparable friends who shared everything.
They even made plans to spar and hone their swordsmanship skills together.
What's more, they had even given each other affectionate nicknames—privately calling each other "Saya-chan" and "Eri-chan"…
Perhaps this was just how friendships between girls worked. At any rate, he didn't quite understand it.
Aside from Erika, Tatsuya and Miyuki had also arrived, along with Shibata Mizuki, Kitayama Shizuku, and Mitsui Honoka, who had all skipped school specifically to celebrate Mibu-senpai's discharge from the hospital.
Over the past few days, they had also visited Sayaka with Mahiro, so they had long since become familiar with one another.
It could be said that the only one missing from their little group was Leonhard.
Ironically, the one who seemed most likely to skip school had instead turned into a model student.
Aside from that, there was also an unexpected duo whose presence surprised him.
"Mayumi-senpai... and Watanabe-senpai, why are you two here as well? Is everything alright at school?"
Mahiro turned his head and asked, his gaze fixed on the two uniform-clad seniors.
His question immediately caught Sayaka's attention. When she saw Watanabe Mari, her eyes widened slightly, filled with surprise.
"No problem at all. Mayumi and I took proper leave procedures to come out. And there's absolutely no need to worry about school operations."
Watanabe-senpai replied with one eye closed, her tone calm and composed, though something about it felt slightly off.
Calling it "leave procedures" was just a formality—essentially stamping their own approval, since student leave matters were managed by the school's three major organizations. It was a system that maximized student autonomy.
"That's right~ Katsuto-kun is holding down the fort at school, while Azusa-chan and Chiyoda-san are keeping the Student Council and Disciplinary Committee running smoothly. Everything's fine."
Mayumi blinked playfully and added, "Besides, Mari and I are already third-years. We'll have to hand things over sooner or later, so why not take this chance to let them get some practice?"
Hmm. To make skipping school sound so refined—aside from Mayumi-senpai here, there probably wasn't a second person who could pull it off.
However, after saying this, Mayumi turned toward Sayaka and gracefully approached her, holding out a bouquet of flowers.
"On behalf of the Student Council, congratulations on your discharge from the hospital, Mibu-kouhai!"
"Ah, how sneaky!"
Seeing her best friend jump the gun, Mari also stepped forward and said, "The Disciplinary Committee feels the same. Congratulations on your recovery, Mibu."
"Th-thank you both... Saegusa-senpai... and Watanabe-senpai."
Sayaka was not only surprised but deeply moved.
Despite the past conflicts and unpleasant memories between them, the true culprit had already been apprehended and paid the price.
At this moment, they laid down their weapons and made peace.
Since Mibu Sayaka had been deceived—even had her memories tampered with—there was no need for them to hold a grudge.
At the very least, for Mahiro's sake.
"Could you come with me for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss."
Just as he was silently watching the group chat and laugh, a burly, well-built middle-aged man approached him.
Seeing this man, he showed no surprise and simply nodded. "Sure."
Following the man, they moved to a spot slightly away from the crowd.
But when the man turned around, he bowed deeply to him.
"Mahiro-kun, thank you once again. Thanks to your companionship these past days, my daughter has been able to regain her strength."
"Mibu-san, I've already said it's nothing worth such gratitude. Besides, I said some harsh things to Mibu-senpai before. I hope she hasn't held it against me."
For the first time, he wore a troubled, bitter smile in front of this man.
Mibu Yuuzou, Mibu Sayaka's father, was the section chief of the Foreign Nationals Affairs Division in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had some connections with Kazama Harunobu, the commander of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion where Shiba Tatsuya served.
Moreover, with such a sturdy physique and impeccable posture, Sayaka's swordsmanship was undoubtedly inherited from this father of hers.
"No."
Mibu Yuuzou shook his head, refuting his own statement. "If we're going to put it that way, I didn't even manage to scold her properly."
"I knew my daughter was distressed about her lack of progress in magic, but I never treated it as a serious issue. My own experience led me to believe that magical skill evaluations and actual combat prowess are two different things. That mindset shackled me, preventing me from realizing just how deeply troubled she was."
"Not only that, but I used my busy schedule as an excuse to avoid talking to her when she started associating with suspicious individuals. I truly am an unfit father..."
This wasn't the first time he'd heard such a conversation.
Yet, it had to be said—Mibu Yuuzou's perspective wasn't entirely wrong.
Magical skill evaluations and actual combat prowess were indeed separate matters.
Perhaps due to the relative peace and stability in recent years, magic users trained by major institutions had shifted focus away from combat, prioritizing instead magical response speed and other practical applications.
Take Tatsuya's three great pursuits, for example—
The controlled nuclear fusion stellar reactor, the universal flight magic system, and the pseudo-perpetual motion device utilizing infinite inertial amplification.
Collectively known as the three great challenges of gravity-system magic.
Fundamentally unrelated to warfare, yet undoubtedly groundbreaking research.
"Mahiro-kun, no matter what, I hope you'll allow me to express my gratitude."
"I believe Sayaka meeting you was nothing short of divine providence, and no amount of thanks would ever be enough."
"If possible, I sincerely hope someone like you could become Sayaka's pillar of support moving forward."
"I leave this to you."
As a father, Mibu Yuuzou bowed his head once more.
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