Though Mio had been forceful, Mayumi's refusal was equally resolute.
With Saegusa Kouichi mediating and skillfully defusing the situation, the Itsuwa siblings eventually had no choice but to leave—for now.
After all, Mio was one of the Thirteen Apostles, a bona fide Strategic-Class Magician and a member of the Ten Master Clans, with strong ties to the Saegusa family.
Some face had to be saved.
Still, after hearing Mayumi's explanation, Mahiro's expression turned odd, though he ultimately accepted her reasoning.
"If you put it that way, I guess it is kind of my fault... But Mayumi-senpai, do you really dislike Itsuwa Hirofumi that much?"
"It's not that I dislike him."
Mayumi gave a troubled smile. "I've always seen him as an older brother—there's no romantic feeling there. But Mio-san keeps pushing for this."
"So what do you want me to do?" Mahiro asked bluntly.
"Really? You'd help me?" Mayumi looked at him, both surprised and hopeful.
"Of course."
He wasn't an idiot, nor was his emotional intelligence as low as some might think.
If his senpai was sharing this with him, she clearly wanted his help in some way.
And truthfully, he didn't want to see this lovely senpai married off to someone she didn't love.
Especially not after they'd already shared their first kiss.
"Then... Mahiro-kun, if you have time after the Nine Schools Competition, could you come to my house? My father wants to meet you."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, the words meant only for him.
Her face burned crimson, as if on fire.
Yet beneath that, anxiety gnawed at her.
What if Mahiro-kun refused?
And her father, Saegusa Kouichi, wanted to bring Mahiro into the Saegusa family—what if he didn't want that?
Or worse—what if he didn't like her at all?
Women tended to overthink, worrying about every little possibility.
Though Mahiro couldn't decipher Mayumi's thoughts, he recognized the worry in her expression.
So he reached out, resting his hand atop her head—just as he often did with Miyuki—and gently stroked her hair.
"Don't worry, senpai," he murmured. "I promise."
"Also, I forgot to mention earlier—senpai, you look beautiful today. That outfit suits you perfectly."
The latter remark wasn't just meant to comfort Mayumi; she truly did look stunning.
A summer dress that bared her arms and delicate shoulders.
The skirt length was also different from usual, rising above her knees.
Her slender, jade-white calves paired with high-heeled sandals were a feast for the eyes.
And her graceful, poised demeanor was like that of a pampered young lady...
Oh wait, she was the young lady of the Saegusa family.
"R-Really...? Thank you."
Her surprised tone, coupled with a slightly bashful expression, was a flawless combination.
But inwardly, since Mahiro had agreed, she felt a wave of relief, and as she glanced at Mahiro, the urge to tease him resurfaced.
"...It would've been perfect if you'd been a little more shy when complimenting me."
The girl two years his senior cast a shy gaze upward as she leaned in, her arms covering the exposed peaks of her chest.
Though petite, her average-sized breasts, pressed together by her arms, revealed an alluring cleavage.
Not to mention, Mayumi's somewhat improper sitting posture made her thighs faintly visible beneath the summer dress.
Even though her legs remained neatly pressed together, it was enough to stir curiosity about the unknown.
Their intimate display at the back of the bus instantly drew countless envious and jealous stares—
Resentment toward the Student Council President for seducing and teasing Mahiro, and the desire to take his place and enjoy the President's "service."
Among them, the vice president, Hattori Hanzou, was the most intense!
If glares could materialize, Mahiro would have been burned to ashes countless times.
"Danger!"
Just then, Chiyoda Kanon, a beautiful yet somewhat tomboyish second-year sitting at the front, suddenly let out an uncharacteristic shout.
At her voice, nearly everyone in the bus turned to look out the window toward the opposite lane.
A large vehicle—though smaller than their bus, an off-road SUV—from the opposite lane skidded sideways, scraping sparks across the road.
Someone shouted that a tire had burst.
Another excitedly suggested it might have come loose.
Their voices lacked any sense of crisis.
The opposite lane on the highway was completely separated by sturdy guardrails.
Under normal circumstances, an accident there wouldn't affect them.
To their young eyes, the fire across the way was just an exciting spectacle.
But that only lasted for a brief moment—until this instant.
Boom!
The vehicle suddenly defied physics, launching into the air as if blasted upward, and crashed into their lane.
Flames licked its surface as it hurtled toward their bus at terrifying speed—
Like a hundred-ton king charging at full throttle!
Fortunately, the bus driver was experienced enough to handle the situation—
A hard brake sent everyone lurching forward from inertia.
Though a few students hit their heads from not wearing seatbelts, the buses came to a stop mostly unscathed.
"Push it away!"
"Disappear!"
"Stop it!"
...
Students on the bus stood up one after another, ready to use their counter-magic to halt the incoming vehicle.
"Idiots, stop!"
Mari immediately shouted, trying to stop them.
In a situation like this, one person using magic would have been enough to resolve it. But the simultaneous eruption of so many spells was a serious problem.
The haphazard activation of various magics unleashed chaotic event-altering forces, all directed at a single target in an instant.
This would cause all the spells to interfere with each other, leading to an even greater accident!
However, by the time Mari tried to intervene, it was already too late.
Morisaki Shun, who excelled in rapid-fire magic, had already initiated his activation sequence, and the others were nearly finished as well—there was no way to take it back now.
Around the burning vehicle, multicolored counter-magic swirled in the air.
An unforeseen disaster was now unavoidable!
At least, that was what Watanabe Mari, Juumonji Katsuto, and even Saegusa Mayumi had all believed.
But at that moment, the counter-magic that was either about to be completed or already completed suddenly dissipated.
It was as if glass had been shattered by a stone.
Immediately afterward, the burning vehicle turned into molecular dust and vanished without a trace.
Turning around, they saw Mahiro standing up, holding a pure black pistol-shaped CAD in his hand. The psion light swirling around him made it clear that he was the one who had cast the spell.
Having accomplished this, Mahiro calmly returned the CAD to his pocket.
Seeing the stunned students staring at him, he smiled faintly and said:
"No need to thank me. It was just a small favor."
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