Chapter 48: You must have something to say, right?
Coincidentally, at the same time, in Yokohama's Chinatown.
Though not a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast, the table was laden with various high-priced Chinese dishes, and a group of people sat around with gloomy and agitated expressions.
The luxurious decor, dominated by red and gold, even highlighted their sour faces.
"...Didn't they say this Nine Schools Competition would be favorable to Third High School? How did First High suddenly emerge with a temporary engineer? Not only is the CAD he tuned excellent, but he also tampered with the magic of the Ten Master Clans' Seven Herbs Family, and has even become the dark horse champion of the Ice Pillar Break project!
This is not what we planned!
From the beginning, we should have sent more people to cause more damage to this damned First High!"
They were conversing in English.
"Find a way to make this person withdraw from the competition. I don't want to see such a person appear in the upcoming matches."
These people appeared to have Eurasian mixed-race features.
Each person was like Commander Ikari, resting their hands on their chin.
"That's right, if the big favorite wins this bet, we bookmakers will lose everything."
"This bet has particularly attracted many large clients. Even for us, the gambling money to be paid is by no means a small sum. This period's revenue will have a large shortfall, and if that happens..."
Those present exchanged heavy glances.
"...Everyone present will become a target for headquarters' purge. Depending on the amount of loss, the leader might personally take action."
One of them looked up at the golden thread embroidery scroll depicting a flying dragon circling in the sky, and whispered in a low voice.
A suffocating silence permeated from above their heads.
"...I've already gone to do it."
Suddenly, one person said, "His magic has already been banned through the Nine Schools Competition committee, but completely eliminating him is somewhat difficult. The two projects he's participating in don't require CAD inspection."
"Who exactly is this student?!"
Someone had already begun to gnash their teeth, suppressing their anger.
"Yotsuba Mahiro, rumored to be a Yotsuba Family adjustment magician, but currently in a state of being abandoned by the Yotsuba Tendo Main Family."
"A Yotsuba... magician..."
The few people present seemed to have thought of something, and their breathing hitched instantly, their faces becoming extremely unsightly.
"Since that's the case, then make the other First High contestants withdraw! For example, Watanabe Mori, who is participating in tomorrow's Surfing Race semifinals."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Then she's the one. At all costs, make contestant Watanabe withdraw!"
...
.....
....
The next day's events still took place as scheduled.
The contestants' CADs, as always, needed to be sent to the committee for scanning and inspection.
On the first day, because of Senior Mayumi, Senior Watanabe herself sent them over. Today, the semifinals for Ice Pillar Break happened to be a bit later, so Yotsuba Mahiro dutifully performed his duties as an engineer, bringing the tuned CAD to the inspection point.
There were quite a few people inspecting at the venue.
Some people even inspected three or four units at once.
However, the scanning speed was very fast, and it was his turn in no time.
Auditing CADs was a procedure repeated many times these days, and it should have proceeded smoothly and concluded.
However.
The moment the light beam scanned the CAD, this optimism instantly vanished.
Something had been forcibly added to the CAD!
And his body reacted faster than his brain.
The moment he discovered it.
He immediately grabbed the person in charge by the collar, pulled him from the other side of the table, and threw him to the ground.
A wail echoed in the arena.
Then a roar.
More accurately, the security committee members roared, rushing straight towards him.
But before they could even touch his body, one by one they were corroded by the scattered psion storm, falling to the ground unconscious.
He single-handedly gripped the person in charge's neck, slowly bending down. His deep, dark pupils were as still as an ancient well, but beneath that surface lurked surging murderous intent.
"You dare to do something like this in front of me.... You have something you should say, don't you?"
The restrained person in charge showed a moment of panic at his question, but then he stiffened his neck and said:
"You, what are you talking about? I don't know! Let me go quickly... Otherwise, I will absolutely make you suffer! I'll get your First High's results canceled!"
"Not that."
Bang!
Yotsuba Mahiro mercilessly smashed a punch down, and immediately, blood splattered from the person in charge's face.
However, he showed no intention of stopping.
He calmly, as if performing a mechanical task, continued to beat the other person.
With each punch, he would ask—
"You should have something to tell me, right?"
Without a response, he would throw a second punch.
Until bones were cracked, teeth broken, and the bridge of the nose completely collapsed, but in the next second, as if time had reversed, all these injuries recovered as before.
This could be described as an unending slow torture.
Scattered blood stained dark spots on the dirt and sand.
Rather than conducting an interrogation, it was more like he was venting his inner rage.
The anger caused by the other schools and the operating committee, at this moment, was all unleashed upon this one person.
But after such a long time without an answer, Yotsuba Mahiro slightly increased the force of his punches, and his punching speed also quickened.
"You should know what I want to ask. Speak quickly."
Another merciless punch landed on the person in charge's face.
—"Say what you should say."
Another punch.
"Speak quickly!"
"Cough..... cough!"
The person in charge collapsed to the ground like a broken rag, his consciousness hazy, the severe pain from his skull making him unable to utter a word.
Mahiro also noticed this.
So he loosened his fist and released his neck.
Was he letting him go?
No.
"Since you don't want to speak, I'll do it myself."
He pressed his hands on the person's temples, and psions, like long needles, pierced into the other person's brain from the temple area.
"Gah...! Ah gah...! Gulp...! Gwoah...!"
Just like having a seizure, the moment the psions invaded his brain, his entire body began to convulse, like a fish thrown onto the shore.
His eyeballs gradually rolled upwards, revealing the whites.
White foam kept bubbling from his mouth, and saliva and snot flowed all over the floor.
His memories were being rapidly and forcibly browsed by Yotsuba Mahiro.
Such a thing would be impossible for other families, but for the Yotsuba Family, who excelled at mental magic, it was effortless.
As for whether there would be any after-effects, he didn't care at all.
Hard work paid off; after scanning this person's memories, Yotsuba Mahiro found what he was looking for.
The international criminal organization "Headless Dragon" (No Head Dragon), the Nine Schools Competition's peripheral gambling, and the operation committee's inside man....
A dangerous glint flashed in Yotsuba Mahiro's eyes.
"Now, I've finally caught your little tail."