It seemed like comfort and understanding, but that was only if Maya's face wasn't adorned with that joyful and peculiar smile.
It was as if there was a hint of sarcasm.
Kudou Retsu did not respond.
But as he was leaving, the old man suddenly said, "Yotsuba Mahiro left the Nine Schools Dormitory tonight, right? However, the Independent Magician Battalion also took action tonight."
"Is that so?"
It was a reminder and a warning, but Maya didn't care at all. "Thank you for the reminder, Teacher."
Just like that, Kudou Retsu left.
Maya, leaning back on the sofa, picked up a warm teacup and looked at her reflection in the clear tea, a smile involuntarily spreading across her face.
"This might be Tatsuya and Masayuki's first clash. I wonder what they'll end up doing…"
...
...
Rewind time by ten minutes.
"Second Lieutenant Fujibayashi, mission failed. We were too late."
"I understand. Then come back, Special Lieutenant Ohguro. But who exactly…"
"It was Yotsuba Mahiro, Second Lieutenant."
When Tatsuya spoke that name, he seemed to hear a gasp over the communication line.
"It was him… Is it like the last Blanche incident?"
Shiba Tatsuya did not answer.
Because he also didn't know why Yotsuba Mahiro acted this time. Even though he witnessed the entire process of the Headless Dragon's Japanese branch being annihilated, he couldn't figure out a reason.
"Perhaps, it was for the students of First High."
After much thought, Shiba Tatsuya could only come up with this one reason.
"Alright, then we'll retreat, Special Lieutenant Ohguro."
The communication was cut off there.
Shiba Tatsuya watched Yotsuba Mahiro, who was still in his "Disguise Parade" state after leaving the restaurant, for a moment, then turned and left, returning to the commercial vehicle parked in a hidden spot.
That's right, he didn't have any friction with Yotsuba Mahiro.
Because their goals were the same, there was no conflict.
However, if he hadn't discovered that the disguised Yotsuba Mahiro used his "Scattering Mist," he probably would have tried to test him.
At the same time.
Although Yotsuba Mahiro didn't directly run into Shiba Tatsuya, he was still stopped by a strange guy when he left the restaurant.
It was a male.
He was about twenty-five years old, a young man exuding the aura of a noble son. He had long, flowing hair, and thin, purple bangs slightly obscured his handsome and eerie face.
However, he seemed to be using some strange spell, walking towards him openly with peculiar steps.
"Earth Escape Technique?"
If four Feng Shui compasses were placed under that person's feet, it would be clear that every step he took landed on a specific direction.
However, the young man was also somewhat surprised to have his secret art recognized.
"Oh my, oh my, it was recognized. But this isn't Earth Escape Technique, it's Guimen Dunjia."
The young man explained, and even had the leisure to bow to him.
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be the rising star from the Yotsuba Family, right?"
He was a very polite person, but the more polite someone was, the more attention one should pay.
Yotsuba Mahiro reminded himself of this inwardly, subtly releasing multiple observations to keep a close eye on the young man, while nodding slightly: "That's right, I am Yotsuba Mahiro."
As he spoke, he had already removed the disguise of "Disguise Parade."
Since he had been recognized, there was no point in continuing to pretend.
"And you? Who are you?"
"Excuse my rudeness. It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Zhou Gongjin. As you can see, I am just an ordinary merchant on this Chinatown street."
An ordinary merchant?
What ordinary merchant would use a strange art like Guimen Dunjia?
However, more than that, he was more interested in the other party's name.
"Zhou Gongjin? Zhou Yu of Jiangdong?"
"Heh heh."
Zhou Gongjin smiled and replied, "Although people often ask that, I'm afraid it's not. Zhou Gongjin is my given name."
"..."
What, I thought it was Zhou Yu, how boring.
Mahiro's interest immediately waned.
"Then, Mr. Zhou Gongjin, is there something important for you to specifically block my way here?"
"Indeed." Zhou Gongjin nodded frankly. "I heard earlier that Mr. Mahiro was abandoned by the Yotsuba Family, so I wanted to ask you if you're interested in cooperating with my teacher?"
"Your teacher? Who is it?"
"Gu Jie, or rather, Gide Shez Blackgu."
As he spoke that name, Zhou Gongjin's aura clearly changed, with much more respect added to his humble demeanor.
It seemed that this Zhou Gongjin greatly respected this teacher...
However, the name the other party mentioned seemed a bit familiar?
"The supreme commander of the international terrorist organization Blanche, and the elder brother of Richard Sun, the leader of the international crime syndicate Headless Dragon?"
"That's right."
"Heh."
Having received an affirmative answer, Mahiro could no longer help but burst out laughing.
"Bushgomen, don't you know that I was the one who took out the Japanese branch of Blanche, and less than twenty minutes ago, I also took out the East Japan branch of the Headless Dragon? Now you're coming to talk about cooperation? Do you think I'm a fool?"
However, facing his teasing, Zhou Gongjin remained perfectly calm.
What he said was also very surprising.
"They were just some insignificant small fry; Teacher doesn't mind. Teacher Gu Jie is more interested in talents like Mr. Mahiro, who possess abilities but are ruthlessly abandoned by their families."
His words were truly moving and full of compassion.
But—
"But I do mind. I'm not interested in associating with stateless terrorists. Goodbye."
"Oh dear, this is troublesome."
Seeing him about to leave, Zhou Gongjin rubbed his forehead, feigning a troubled expression, and said, "My teacher is actually quite willful. He specifically instructed me to achieve a cooperative relationship with you no matter what.
So, I apologize…"
"I'll just have to let you taste a little bit of hardship—Quick, Howling Celestial Dog!"
Suddenly, Zhou Gongjin flicked a yellow paper talisman, and instantly, the shadow of a four-legged beast fell from the sky.
As the giant canine silhouette appeared, it opened its mouth and lunged at Yotsuba Mahiro.
"A bit interesting."
The spell Zhou Gongjin used was different from any magic he had encountered before.
It was somewhat similar to a Shikigami, but more accurately, it was more like a weakened version of the Six Ding Six Jia method.
If it were any other magician, they would certainly find it tricky.
But in front of him—
"It's a bit underwhelming."
Rip!
He grabbed the demon dog's upper and lower jaws with both hands and exerted force, immediately tearing it apart.
"Seriously… I spent ten years making that thing." Zhou Gongjin muttered in astonishment, not expecting his trump card, the Howling Celestial Dog, to be so vulnerable in front of him.
"So, when negotiations fail, you resort to force, huh?"
Yotsuba Mahiro stared coldly at Zhou Gongjin, the oppressive atmosphere causing cold sweat to continuously break out on Zhou Gongjin's face.
Then, he threw the shredded paper in his hand, took a sudden step forward, and instantly charged towards Zhou Gongjin.
"Ice Mist Divine Realm!"
Cold Psions swirled around his body, but strangely, the cold air showed no signs of leaking out. Instead, it wrapped around Yotsuba Mahiro's fists.
Under the streetlights, it even emitted a faint greenish-blue glow!
The fist, imbued with biting cold, went straight for Zhou Gongjin's face.!!!
At that instant, Zhou Gongjin couldn't help but be terrified, taking a step back, and his figure also showed a strange distortion.
"Guimen Dunjia again? Do you really think I can't see through it?!"
Mahiro changed the direction of his punch, slamming it fiercely towards Zhou Gongjin, who was in a bent-over posture.
Boom! A loud sound.
Accompanied by the spreading cold air, Zhou Gongjin's body was forcibly smashed into the asphalt road.
But strangely, on the torn and shattered ground, there was no sign of Zhou Gongjin's body.
"He can even use Earth Earth Escape Technique ? That's ridiculous?"
Just as Yotsuba Mahiro was feeling surprised, at a location three hundred meters from the recent explosion.
Zhou Gongjin's figure reappeared.
Only this time, he no longer had his previous elegance and nobility.
Instead, cold sweat poured down his face.
He leaned against the wall, half his body covered in frost. This cold air wasn't just on the surface; it had frozen half of his internal organs, flesh, and bones.
If he hadn't relied on his one-time life-saving escape method and held on to his last breath, he would have probably died on the spot.
"This is... terrifying... cough cough!... Teacher... do you really intend to... cooperate with such a dangerous monster...?"
Zhou Gongjin slowly slid down the wall to the ground, occasionally coughing out bits of blood-stained ice shards.
Just one glance and he deciphered his Guimen Dunjia...
He could even wrap A-class magic around his body for close-range strikes...
Although he successfully escaped after taking that punch, it was clear he didn't have much time left.
Chapter 57: Responding to Your Expectations, Fulfilling Your Wishes
The next morning.
Mahiro sat in the hotel's high-end restaurant, enjoying breakfast while also admiring the morning mist scenery of Mount Fuji from the window.
Not to mention, Sayaka was also there to accompany him.
"By the way, Sayaka, are you really okay with eating so little?"
He curiously looked at Sayaka's plate, which contained a single soft-boiled fried egg, a slice of bread, a few lettuce leaves, and a salad.
Even the drinks weren't the fruit juice they usually had when meeting at the cafe.
It was a latte.
Was Sayaka on a diet?
"Mm, no problem, this is enough." Sayaka nodded, her face flushed, and said, "Because I haven't been practicing kendo recently, I need to reduce my food intake to maintain my weight."
"But Mahiru-kun, you should eat more. You have a competition today and you still need to help Kitayama Shizuku calibrate her CAD."
"Don't worry, I'm not as foolish as Sayaka. You knew you had a competition to watch, yet you ate so little for breakfast. Be careful not to get heatstroke while watching the competition."
As he spoke, Mahiro scooped up the fried rice from his plate and put it into his mouth. Next to him were a basket of xiaolongbao and a plate of stir-fried noodles.
What he said made sense, especially since it was the height of summer and there were so many people watching the Nine Schools Competition.
Once the oppressive heat set in, collapsing from heatstroke was no laughing matter.
"Ah, what a pair of silly lovers. If you're going to show affection, at least pick the right time and place."
Suddenly, an discordant voice cut into their conversation.
Following the sound, what came into view was a striking head of red hair.
"Why should I pick the right time and place? Rather, why are you all sitting here as if nothing's wrong?" Mahiro's gaze swept around, and he complained with dead-fish eyes.
It was supposed to be a breakfast date for him and Sayaka, but it turned into a group gathering!
"Oh, I just came to join the fun," Erika said, and the bespectacled girl, Shibata Mizuki, nodded beside her.
"I was dragged here by the President."
"...I, I was too."
This time, it was Ichihara Suzune and Nakajo Azusa, who weakly raised her hand to speak.
Besides them, Kitayama Shizuku, Watanabe Mari, and Saegusa Mayumi were also present.
If Mitsui Honoka and Miyuki had also arrived, then everyone he knew would truly be there.
However, the two of them didn't come, not because they understood the atmosphere and felt embarrassed.
According to Shizuku, Honoka was sleeping in and couldn't get up.
And Miyuki, for some unknown reason, didn't come along.
"What does it matter?" Senior Watanabe shifted her gaze, speared a cherry tomato with her fork, put it into her mouth, and then said nonchalantly, "It's livelier to eat with more people. Mibu doesn't mind, right?"
"Mm... it's actually quite nice for everyone to eat together." Sayaka nodded in response.
Hachimori, you guy...
Not only do you not look like an injured patient at all, but you also say such things as if it's completely natural!
From today onwards, you are Light Bulb Number One!
Mahiro silently tagged Watanabe Mari.
However, there was indeed no sign of unwillingness on Sayaka's face.
Rather, it was her first time eating with so many people.
At school, although she had an excellent appearance, good grades among the second-year students, and a good personality, she actually didn't even have a friend to eat lunch with.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so easily deceived by the kendo club captain, Tsukasa.
Therefore, even though she regretted not being able to have breakfast alone with Yotsuba Mahiro, she was still very happy to enjoy this time from the bottom of her heart.
And Saegusa Mayumi looked at the two of them, her gaze somewhat complex.
She thought again of what her father had instructed her to do.
It seemed she was destined to be entangled with Mahiro for life, and from Mahiro's demeanor, there would certainly be a place for Mibu by his side.
She certainly wasn't the kind of bad woman who would break up a couple.
So...
Thinking this, Mayumi gave up on her thoughts, re-energized herself, and joined the conversation.
"By the way, Mahiru, I heard that the Yotsuba Family Head came to the Nine Schools Competition venue yesterday, is that right?"
"Really? The Yotsuba Maya, one of the strongest magicians?" Watanabe Mari was so shocked that the cherry tomato on her fork fell off.
"Yes, it's true. Sayaka, Shizuku, and Erika all saw her."
"Then... is everything okay?"
Hearing this worried tone and question, everyone stopped eating and looked at Yotsuba Mahiro.
"What could be wrong?" Mahiro shrugged indifferently and said, "No matter what, that woman is my mother. As the saying goes, 'Even a vicious tiger won't eat its cubs,' let alone she just came to watch the competition."
Of course, he couldn't tell Mayumi about last night or his previous conversations with Maya.
Even if he were to tell her, it would have to be in secret, privately.
"Is that so... Hearing you say that, I feel relieved."
Mayumi was indeed worried for Mahiro and also breathed a sigh of relief for him.
After all, the name Yotsuba Maya represented terror and mystery within the Ten Master Clans.
Even her father had to defer to her when they met.
After breakfast, everyone began their respective busy schedules.
Today was the fourth day of the Nine Schools Competition.
The regular matches were suspended, and for the next five days, the Rookie Games, contested only by first-year students, would be held.
The competition order was the same as the regular matches.
Therefore, today's events were "Precision Shooting" (preliminaries to finals) and "Surfing Race" (preliminaries).
Yotsuba Mahiro and Kitayama Shizuku were both competitors in the "Precision Shooting" Rookie Games.
However, with the Seven Herbs Family's Magic Bullet Shooter under his control, the "Precision Shooting" competition was very easy for him.
So much so that afterwards, due to his outstanding appearance and exquisite magic, he perfectly inherited Saegusa Mayumi's title of "Fairy Sniper."
But the problem was.
What the heck is a male fairy?!
Is this some kind of embarrassing play?
His sense of shame exploded on the spot, and he even became Mayumi's target for teasing for a time.
As a result, he could no longer bear it. Aside from the competition, he stayed in the engineering department's room, putting all his energy into Kitayama Shizuku.
"How does it feel? Is there any sense of obstruction or dizziness?"
Mahiro handed the calibrated competition-specific rifle-type CAD to the girl for the final test.
"Mm... perfect, even smoother than my own."
Kitayama Shizuku said expressionlessly, her tone flat.
If it were anyone else, they would probably think she was being perfunctory, but after such a long time together, Mahiro knew very well that the girl had such a personality.
This already expressed satisfaction.
If she wasn't satisfied, she would only silently hand the CAD back.
"I didn't expect Mahiro-kun to use Senior Nanagusa's perception-type magic 'Multiple Observation' for me, and to be able to make it run smoothly without any dizziness. It's really amazing."
Perhaps feeling that her praise was not enough, Kitayama Shizuku added this sentence.
This was enough to express her inner astonishment.
"That's nothing."
Mahiro smiled and explained, "This is just what I should do, and my technique isn't the best. I can only help you deeply optimize the activation sequence and add a little flavor.
If it were Tatsuya, he would probably even install a aiming assistance system for you."
"This is already enough."
Kitayama Shizuku said calmly, then shifted her gaze from the CAD in her arms to Mahiro.
"Hey, Mahiro-kun, do you want to come to my house and be my exclusive technician? As for salary requirements, you can name your price."
".....?"
Yotsuba Mahiro, who had already turned back to the screen, turned back again upon hearing this, looking rather strangely at the inhumanly wealthy, emotionless loli in front of him.
"What, are you planning to keep me?" He said with a slight tease.
"Mm, something like that."
Perhaps she simply couldn't lie, so she nodded very honestly and said, "After being adjusted by you, I probably won't be able to accept those people from my father's company anymore, so can you come to my house and be my exclusive technician?"
The girl asked again.
However, why did this way of speaking sound so strange?
What did she mean by "after being adjusted by me, she won't be able to accept others"?
I just adjusted a CAD and optimized a magic formula. Can you please not say such misleading things with a poker face?
"It seems Kitayama is in good spirits. She still has the energy to joke before the competition."
"I'm not joking," Kitayama Shizuku said. "I'm serious."
"Yes, yes, I know Kitayama is very serious."
Mahiro got up from the swivel chair, casually stroked her short gray hair, and said, "About this, let's talk about it after the competition."
"What's more important right now is to win the 'Precision Shooting' championship."
"Okay, I understand."
Hearing him say this, the girl didn't pester him but nodded sensibly, temporarily dropping the matter.
And with his help, Kitayama Shizuku's victory was a foregone conclusion.
During the competition, she only needed to activate the Multiple Observation spell, use her "eyes" to see and distinguish the colors of the flying frisbees, and then pull the trigger to activate her vibration-type magic to score points.
"Great."
During the competition, Kitayama Shizuku carried her rifle CAD, revealing a victorious smile.
Originally, she couldn't activate spells like Multiple Observation, and using it would cause a strong sense of dizziness, but after being adjusted by Mahiro-kun, she no longer had that feeling.
Even her own Good at spells became lighter, without the slightest feeling of fatigue.
The spectators outside the arena couldn't help but exclaim how amazing she was.
Although she couldn't compare to Yotsuba Mahiro, who was also in the Rookie Games, her speed and accuracy were among the top tier, and she would have no problem even participating in the main competition.
Watching the images transmitted on the screen, Mayumi couldn't help but show a knowing smile.
She could finally rest assured.
After graduating next year, First High would have a successor.
And so, the fourth day of the competition ended.
Yotsuba Mahiro and Kitayama Shizuku won the "Precision Shooting" championship, and other competitors also achieved good results. Furthermore, no further accidents occurred in the "Surfing Race," and everyone advanced perfectly.
They had already pulled ahead of Third High School by nearly two hundred points, forming an unprecedented huge advantage.
"That's great."
After the competition, Mahiro lay alone on the swivel chair, hands clasped behind his head, staring at the cool-toned metal ceiling above.
Without the obstruction of the Headless Dragon, everything had begun to develop in a good direction.
The fifth and sixth days of the competition then arrived.
During these two days, Mahiro remained in the engineering department, responsible for Kitayama Shizuku in the "Ice Pillar Break" Rookie Games.
"By the way... are you planning to wear this outfit for the competition?"
"Yes, it would be a waste not to wear it when the rules allow it."
As she spoke, the girl counter-questioned with an expression that seemed to ask, "Is something strange? Or does it not fit?" which made Mahiro-kun take a deep breath.
"Alright, it's beautiful and suits you very well."
This was the truth.
At this moment, Kitayama Shizuku was indeed beautiful, perhaps even too beautiful.
She was wearing a light blue furisode kimono and, without hesitation, tied the sash around her waist in front of him, also securing the somewhat cumbersome sleeves.
"If you're going to secure the sleeves, why choose a furisode kimono in the first place?" Mahiro-kun complained helplessly.
In fact, it wasn't just Shizuku; the other girls participating in the Ice Pillar Break were the same.
As mentioned before, the Ice Pillar Break had long since become a costume show for high school girls from various schools.
For example, second-year Chiyoda Kanon wore a long-sleeved tracksuit on her upper body but black rhythmic shorts on her lower body, making her sports jacket look like a mini-skirt.
Then there was first-year mixed-race Akechi Eimi, who wore a white high-neck top, a red knight's jacket, white jodhpurs, black long boots, and a matching black riding hat. The entire outfit was in a knightly style, perfectly highlighting the elegance and heroic spirit of her British heritage.
Besides them, there was Miyuki.
Dressed in a white top and crimson hakama-style miko attire, when she released magic, she looked as if she were truly dancing with a Kagura suzu, a miko pleasing the gods.
Anyway, Mahiro-kun was too lazy to complain about this anymore and changed the subject:
"By the way, Shizuku, do you want to win against Miyuki?"
Perhaps it was his first time using such an intimate address, or perhaps it was hearing the words about her winning against Miyuki, that caused the girl, who was tying her sleeves, to pause slightly.
Then she turned her head to look at him.
A faint hint of confusion appeared in her calm, water-like brown eyes, as if asking him why he would say that.
"The reason is simple. You know that the final match of the Ice Pillar Break is a single round-robin, right?"
"Mm."
"I've looked into the contestants for this year's Rookie Competition, and it's safe to say that no one can surpass Miyuki's magical power. With Tatsuya's assistance, reaching the finals and winning the championship will be effortless.
So, I predict that you will definitely face Miyuki in the end. If you want to win the true championship of the Ice Pillar Break, you must defeat Miyuki.
Of course, if Shizuku chooses to forfeit, no one will say anything."
"I won't forfeit."
For the first time, a different emotion, an emotion called fighting spirit, emerged in the girl's calm tone.
Her brown eyes were fixed on Mahiro-kun, reflecting his figure, and her slightly pursed cherry lips seemed to be making a silent inquiry.
But seeing that he didn't respond to her doubts as he usually did, only meeting her gaze, Shizuku understood.
So she asked, "Miyuki is your cousin. Why are you helping me, an outsider?"
"Consider it a whim of mine."
Mahiro-kun's answer was quite unexpected, but also understandable.
Because he was someone who acted on impulse and followed his desires.
But before Shizuku could speak again, he suddenly added, "However, while I do have some personal motives, what's more important right now is—
Kitayama Tongxue, you are the competitor I am responsible for. It is my responsibility and mission as your temporary exclusive Magical Engineering Technician to meet your expectations and fulfill your wishes.
If you want to win, then I will do my utmost to fulfill your wish.
So, Shizuku, what's your answer?"
Hearing his words, Kitayama Shizuku pursed her lips, and a faint light flickered in her brown eyes.
Then, her cherry lips parted slightly:
"...I want to win."
This was not an answer prompted by Yotsuba Mahiro's words, but a desire hidden deep within her heart.
She wanted to win.
She truly wanted to win, to prove herself by defeating Miyuki.
Although she appeared emotionless on the surface and seemed not to care about anything, Kitayama Shizuku was actually a very competitive girl.
Just like Honoka.
She was her rival in elementary school, and although they became good friends, they maintained their competitive relationship even in middle school.
Honoka's best opponent was always Shizuku, and Shizuku's best opponent was always Honoka.
In their social circle, no other child's magical talent could rival theirs, not even those from the Hundred Families, whose talents were far inferior to theirs.
But upon entering First High, everything changed.
Their arrogance was completely shattered during the high school entrance examination.
The reason was the beautiful girl who served as the student representative, Shiba Miyuki.
Her appearance was outstanding, almost perfect, and her magical power was something they had never seen before—so powerful that it seemed to belong to an entirely different dimension.
However, she wanted to win.
Even though she knew she was far inferior to Miyuki, she still wanted to win at least once, no matter what.
So, now that the even more powerful Yotsuba Mahiro was on her side, how could she not seize this opportunity!
"I absolutely must win!"
This was her declaration, and it was also the shared obsession of her and Honoka.
And everything unfolded just as Yotsuba Mahiro had predicted. In the finals of the Ice Pillar Break on the sixth day, Kitayama Shizuku indeed faced Shiba Miyuki.
The two girls stood on opposite sides of the arena.
On one side, a striking cold red and white miko outfit;
On the other, a refreshing light blue long-sleeved kimono.
Miyuki had not tied up her hair, and Shizuku had not secured her long sleeves. Their long hair and the sleeves of the long-sleeved kimono swayed in the summer breeze.
They were like two generals, gazing at each other from afar.
The silence that permeated the venue, thick enough to congeal the air, made all the spectators afraid to breathe deeply.
They knew well that this would be the most spectacular match since the Nine Schools Competition began, and indeed, a confrontation between the strongest.
Because behind them stood two of First High's most powerful Magical Engineering Technicians in history.
Rather than a duel between two competitors, it was more of a clash between two engineers.
At this moment, even in First High's main camp, watching the live broadcast made them anxious, their palms sweating.
Even Suzune, who was busy organizing and archiving the continuous stream of match results, was called over by Mayumi.
Although Suzune sighed to express her displeasure, neither Mayumi nor Mori were moved in the slightest.
"Hey, Suzune-chan, who do you think will win... Kitayama-senpai or Miyuki-senpai?"
"Hard to say."
Placing the files aside, Suzune turned to look at the live broadcast of the match and came to this conclusion, then continued to analyze:
"In terms of technical skill, while Tatsuya Tongxue is slightly stronger than Mahiro-kun, the difference is negligible in a competition of the Nine Schools Competition's scale."
"So, I believe the outcome of this match will entirely depend on the competitors themselves."
"However, comparatively, Kitayama Tongxue's magical power is certainly excellent, but Miyuki Tongxue's is overwhelmingly powerful, completely surpassing her peers. Therefore, this match will be Miyuki Tongxue's victory."
"Ah, I knew it."
Hearing Suzune's analysis, Mayumi couldn't help but cup her cheek and sigh regretfully.
She had initially reached the same conclusion.
But personally, if she could, she really hoped Kitayama-senpai would win.
...
"This time, you'll finally get serious, won't you, Miyuki?"
Mahiro-kun leaned against the wall of the competitor's passage, watching the girl in the distance.
In recent days, Miyuki seemed very distracted, even during matches.
So he wanted to use Shizuku's hand to wake up his foolish cousin.
At the same time.
The match began.
As the lights on the poles on both sides of the arena lit up and constantly changed, becoming the signal for the start of hostilities—
Both sides simultaneously cast magic.
The surging heat wave struck Shizuku's position.
Miyuki's strategy remained the same: using powerful magic like Ice-Flame Hell and immense magical power to overwhelm her opponent.
Even though Shizuku released information reinforcement to prevent temperature changes, the icicles still showed faint signs of melting.
It was like boiling a frog in warm water.
Although not obvious, if this continued, defeat would only be a matter of time.
Shizuku was not to be outdone. Leveraging her excellent magical characteristic of resonance destruction, she used vibration-based magic—Earth Tremor.
Miyuki's position was hit by Earth Tremor.
However, this vibration was suppressed before it could induce resonance.
A regional magic that suppressed the vibration and movement of her entire position, its magical power even extending into the ground and underground.
The two mutually obstructed each other's magic, extending their magical influence to rewrite phenomena towards the enemy's icicles.
This was an offense and defense understood by connoisseurs, praised by experts, seemingly evenly matched—or so it appeared.
However, the two parties involved did not think so.
'Cannot be destroyed... As expected of Miyuki!'
Even though her Earth Tremor was frantically attacking the icicles, the damage caused was far less than the heat wave sweeping across her own field.
"In that case!"
Under Miyuki's astonished gaze, Shizuku suddenly canceled her resonance magic. Instead, a beam of heat ray shot out from the CAD on her wrist!
At the same time, that heat ray, generated by high-frequency vibrations, split into four during its flight, piercing through half of the icicles in Miyuki's position.
"It's the Sonomaiser, improved by Zhenxun Gege!"
Both the spectators outside the arena and Miyuki herself were greatly surprised, causing a momentary wavering in Miyuki's heart.
In that case—
Ice Mist Divine Realm!
A hint of seriousness appeared in Miyuki's eyes.
The Ice-Flame Hell she had just released instantly stopped, followed by a wave of extreme cold, as if reaching absolute zero, sweeping across the field.
The icicles, which had just been half-melted by the Sonomaiser, instantly froze again.
Even the icicles on the opposite field were reinforced.
'As expected, just as Mahiro-kun predicted.'
Shizuku showed no surprise.
Because before the match started, Mahiro-kun had already told her about Miyuki's Good at magic.
But honestly, neither Ice Mist Divine Realm nor Ice-Flame Hell were Miyuki's best. She inherited the bloodline and even the title of Yotsuba Shinya; her most proficient magic was River of Tears, capable of freezing the mind and even the soul!
Her proficient Ice Mist Divine Realm was more like an affiliated derivative of River of Tears.
Although the two were completely different according to magical classification, in Yotsuba Mahiro's personal classification, they were the same, both belonging to freezing-type magic.
"Then, Miyuki will definitely release Ice-Flame Hell again!"
First, extreme heat, then extreme cold, followed by extreme heat again.
The hundreds of times of thermal expansion and contraction produced by instantaneous temperature conversion were enough to instantly shatter all the ice pillars.
Therefore, Shizuku knew very well whether she could win depended on this next step!
As expected, the moment Ice Mist Divine Realm ended, she pressed her CAD again, releasing Ice-Flame Hell, and its effect was far greater than before!
But the moment that magic circle appeared, Shizuku's left hand, wearing a CAD, reached into her right sleeve.
The hand she pulled out held a handgun-shaped specialized CAD.
She aimed the muzzle at the Coming soon to be released Ice-Flame Hell and pulled the CAD trigger with her left hand.
Click!
The sound of shattering glass echoed across the arena.
The Ice-Flame Hell, which was about to be completed, was instantly erased.
"....It's Formula Annihilation?!"
When Mayumi saw the transmitted image, she immediately slapped the table and shrieked.
Even Mori couldn't help but exclaim, "What kind of demon realm is this...?"
She had originally thought that only Mahiro himself could use this move, but she didn't expect Kitayama-senpai to have learned it as well.
And the most crucial point was that none of the magic they had used from the beginning of the match until now was below A-rank!
When did A-rank magic become so easy to master?
But the most surprised of all was Miyuki, Shizuku's opponent.
She didn't expect Shizuku to not only have learned to dual-wield CADs but also to be able to release Formula Annihilation, especially the moment she pulled the trigger, she felt as if it wasn't Shizuku standing there.
But her cousin, Yotsuba Mahiro!
This caused her to be momentarily dazed.
And the flaw she inadvertently exposed was also seized by Kitayama Shizuku.
She activated "Earth Tremor" again!
Ice pillars frozen by the low temperature of Ice Mist Divine Realm were already very fragile just by being exposed to normal temperature air; under the summer sun, they would crack even without doing anything.
Not to mention being attacked by the "Earth Tremor" with its strong resonance.
The cracks on the surface of Miyuki's ice pillars gradually widened, and without exception, all of them instantly collapsed.
The shattered ice shards splattered onto Miyuki's cold, pale face, causing her to slowly regain her senses.
She gently touched the moisture on her cheek, looked down at the melting ice crystals on her fingertips, and her two cherry lips trembled slightly.
She murmured as if lost in thought:
"....I lost."
The match was declared over.
...
"Mahiro-kun, I won!"
"Hmm, congratulations, Shizuku, I saw it, the match was excellent."
Just as before the battle, after it ended, Mahiro once again gently stroked Kitayama Shizuku's beautiful hair.
And though the girl's expression remained blank, this time, her heartfelt joy was clearly palpable.
But immediately after, Shizuku blinked her lead-gray pupils and looked at him.
She voluntarily took two steps back, putting distance between them.
"What's wrong?"
"I think you should go see Miyuki, she's acting a bit strange," Shizuku said in a flat tone.
However.
Hearing Shizuku say that, he was somewhat surprised.
He didn't expect this seemingly emotionless girl to keenly notice Miyuki's abnormality.
....
By the time he found Miyuki, it was already dusk.
The setting sun in the sky dyed the fiery clouds crimson, and its light shone through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows into the room, coloring everything with a layer of orange-red.
And Miyuki, at this moment, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing blankly at Mount Fuji in the distance under the setting sun.
The snow on Mount Fuji was reflected, looking just like her reddish, cold, pale skin.
"Congratulations on getting second place?"
"....Mahiro-nii-san, did you specially come to mock Miyuki?" Miyuki asked resentfully, staring at the sky.
"How could I."
Mahiro shrugged, came to Miyuki's side, and accompanied her in admiring the evening dusk.
"I just came to see how my poor Miyuki-chan was doing, whether she was dejected and disheartened, and when I saw Tatsuya wasn't with you, I thought I'd comfort you incidentally."
"Is that so.... But Miyuki thinks Mahiro-nii-san is so despicable."
Miyuki pouted slightly, turning her head to gaze at him as if sulking, "Although Miyuki can understand Mahiro-nii-san's actions very well, Miyuki still feels, no matter what, that Mahiro-nii-san, you are too much."
First, the multi-cast "Sonomaiser," then "Formula Annihilation," and the final tactic, it was clear that her actions were all within Shizuku's expectations.
"If you say Mahiro-nii-san had no part in this, Miyuki won't believe it."
"Ahaha, was I discovered?"
Unless it's a melon, it's impossible not to be discovered.
Apparently, Miyuki was not.
"But you can't blame me for this either. Who told Miyuki you've been distracted these past few days, even during the competition you were absent-minded, so I just used Shizuku-chan to give you a little knock."
"As a magician, being like you is very unqualified, you know."
Mahiro turned the tables, instead lecturing Miyuki.
However, what he said was true; ever since Maya arrived, Miyuki had been out of sorts—
Facing Shizuku's level of Formula Annihilation, Miyuki should have been able to handle it easily with her ability, and if the formula was destroyed, she should have been able to quickly compensate for it.
But the result was completely different.
Perhaps after he left that day, Maya said something else to Miyuki, which led to her current state.
And Miyuki didn't refute, only lowered her head slightly, looking as if she had been taught a lesson.
"Mahiro-nii-san is right, Miyuki also understands, it's just that Miyuki recently.... encountered some troubling matters."
"What's bothering you? Can you tell me? Let me have some fun too."
"No way."
Miyuki glared at him angrily, but quickly calmed down again, looking out at the distant mountains once more.
"Actually, it's not really anything, and Miyuki has already figured it out....."
"Mahiro-nii-san, can I lean on your chest for a bit? Just like before."
In response to Miyuki's request, Mahiro didn't speak, but simply extended his arm to embrace her shoulder, and Miyuki naturally leaned against his chest.
Feeling that familiar warmth and the strong, powerful heartbeat.
Miyuki gradually relaxed and slowly closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Mahiro-nii-san.... So warm."
Chapter 58: Ten Master Clans Marriage Agency
"To everyone's efforts, and the excellent results we achieved, cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
Glass cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.
At night, while the athletes from other schools were conserving their energy for the upcoming matches.
Laughter and joy echoed from a certain room belonging to First High.
Yotsuba Mahiro and Shiba Tatsuya sat on the only two chairs in the room.
Nakajo Azusa, Ichihara Suzune, Watanabe Mari, Kitayama Shizuku, Mitsui Honoka, Shiba Miyuki, and Saegusa Mayumi, seven girls, were seated around two large beds.
Since the third day of the Rookie Games, in the remaining two days, although First High only won the championship in the girls' "Star-Picking Mirage" and the boys' "Code-Decode" stopped at the semi-finals.
First High still held the first place with an unprecedented large advantage.
Even if they didn't get any ranks in the next two days of the official matches, First High's total score would still be enough to win the overall championship!
So, Mayumi decided to hold a small celebration party in her and Mori's room.
It was also to make up for the previous regrets.
However, the number of people originally invited was not this small; they even invited Erika, Sayaka, and Mizuki.
But Sayaka and Mizuki, hearing it was their celebration party, refused to come, citing that they were not competitors.
The only one who could come was Erika, but upon hearing that Mori was also there, she also refused on the spot.
Who knows what conflict exists between these two.
"Then, for the second toast, let's thank Mahiru and Tatsuya-senpai! Thank them for their strong support in the Nine Schools Competition! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
Everyone clinked glasses once more.
Since they were all drinking fruit juice, which contained no fermented ingredients, it didn't matter how much they drank.
"By the way, Mayumi, I heard that the boys' team this time is completely demoralized due to their unsatisfactory results, is that true?" Mari suddenly asked.
"Eh, that's right."
As soon as this was mentioned, Mayumi couldn't help but sigh, feeling a headache.
This year's Nine Schools Competition was completely different from last year's.
Last year, the boys' team achieved excellent results, while the girls' team's performance was not as brilliant.
But this year, it was completely reversed.
In the boys' competition, besides Yotsuba Mahiro winning two championships, only Hattori Hanzou won the "Precision Shooting" championship.
As for the others, the best result was Kirihara Takeaki's fourth place.
Many others even stopped at the semi-finals, especially the rookies, none of whom entered the finals.
Their morale was severely hit as a result.
Therefore, Katsuto Juumonji was preparing for a sensational battle in "Code-Decode" the day after tomorrow to boost the boys' morale.
"I see.... But Mayumi, won't Jumonji doing this further dampen their morale?"
"After all, their failure isn't entirely their own responsibility; the engineers also played a part."
"Look, the two best engineers in this competition were assigned to our girls' team."
Mari was naturally referring to Yotsuba Mahiro and Shiba Tatsuya.
"Well, about that....."
Mayumi's gaze was a bit evasive.
As the saying goes, success is due to the engineer, and failure is also due to the engineer.
Indeed, the girls' team projects that Shiba Tatsuya was responsible for mostly had very good results.
And Yotsuba Mahiro was even more outrageous, directly naming three people, and among these three, except for the unexpected Mari, the others performed exceptionally well, easily winning two championships.