Sekimoto cast a curious glance at the display of Isori's still-open information terminal. But before he could linger, a hand reached over and powered it off.
"Ichihara…" Sekimoto muttered.
"I thought you weren't interested in practical applications like this," Suzune replied, her voice devoid of warmth, her face an unreadable mask. Beside her, Tatsuya mirrored her expression, watching Sekimoto with the same detached scrutiny.
"My stance hasn't changed," Sekimoto said, turning with a mix of surprise and irritation. "I still believe we should prioritize refining fundamental theories and magical formulas. But that doesn't mean I'm uninterested in applied technology."
"I'm not dismissing basic theory," Suzune countered. "But to mitigate the risks of practical use, we need rigorous validation of foundational theories, not just theory for theory's sake."
Sekimoto bristled, his voice sharpening. "Validation and research aren't the same. Research is creation. Validation alone doesn't move us forward."
"A theory that doesn't serve humanity has no value," Suzune shot back. "Its worth lies in its application."
Watching their exchange, Tatsuya began to understand why Suzune had so firmly opposed Sekimoto's inclusion as a representative. He'd heard Sekimoto placed second to Suzune in the school's selection process, and at the time, her rare display of hostility had puzzled him. Now, it was crystal clear.
(He still thinks he's the better choice for representative… I hope this doesn't turn into a mess,) Tatsuya thought, though he doubted his wish would hold. Just then, his device pinged with an incoming call.
Erika trudged toward the school gate, Leo trailing silently behind. They weren't exactly walking together—there was no intent to head home as a pair. The path from the gate to the station was a straight shot, and with no urgent reason to overtake her, Leo simply matched her pace. Erika, he assumed, felt the same: just two people heading the same way, their steps coincidentally in sync.
"Leo," Erika called suddenly.
Startled, Leo stopped in his tracks. Erika paused too, turning to face him.
"You free today?" she asked.
The question caught him off guard, leaving him speechless and rooted to the spot. Sensing his hesitation, Erika spun around, her skirt flaring briefly. But Leo's eyes were locked on hers, caught by the steely intensity in her gaze, sharp enough to cut.
"Well?" she pressed, her voice curt.
The spell broke, and Leo found his voice. "No plans."
"Then come with me," she said, turning on her heel and striding off.
Leo followed at the same pace, still silent. On the surface, nothing had changed, but the meaning behind their steps had shifted entirely.
Kanon burst into the infirmary alongside Isori, only to be met with the sight of Remi calmly restraining Chiaki.
"…Didn't you say you had 'zero combat skills,' Sensei?" Kanon asked.
"Oh, come on," Remi replied with a playful lilt. "This is nursing, not fighting."
Kanon and Isori exchanged glances, both suppressing the urge to roll their eyes. It wasn't the first time they'd fallen into this trap, and though Kanon's gaze sharpened, neither she nor Isori called it out.
"Uh… we need to talk to her," Kanon said. "Could you… let her go? I mean, sit her up?"
"Of course," Remi said, her tone almost teasing as she helped Chiaki into a chair.
Kanon shivered, wondering what would've happened if she'd stuck with her original phrasing.
"Were you okay the day before yesterday?" Kanon asked Chiaki.
Chiaki flinched, realization dawning. She must have just connected the dots—that Kanon was the one who'd chased her near the station.
"First then, now today—you're reckless," Kanon said. "You haven't done anything yet, which is exactly why I have to stop you now. You told Mibu-san you 'weren't after something.' So why try to steal data?"
"It's not about stealing data," Chiaki said, her voice firm. "My goal was to rewrite the activation program for the presentation's magic device to make it unusable. The password breaker was just a tool I borrowed for that."
"You wanted to sabotage our school's presentation?" Kanon asked, her voice trembling with barely contained fury.
Isori could feel Kanon's rage boiling over. But before Chiaki could respond, a knock sounded at the infirmary door.
"Come in~" Remi called, her tone languid.
"Tatsuya-kun… why are you here?" Kanon asked as he entered.
"I got calls from Yasutake-sensei and Isori-senpai," Tatsuya replied.
Kanon shot Isori a sharp glare. He offered a sheepish smile, looking away. He'd anticipated her reaction and called Tatsuya anyway.
"Chiyoda-senpai, Isori-senpai," Tatsuya said. "Sorry, but could you give us a moment alone?"
"But—" Kanon started.
"I'll report everything later," Tatsuya cut in. "Besides, Isori-senpai's in the middle of an experiment, and you're his escort, right? You should get back."
Kanon opened her mouth to argue but found no words. With a frustrated huff, she relented. "Fine. But you'd better explain everything properly!"
"Understood," Tatsuya said.
As Kanon and Isori left, Tatsuya turned to face Chiaki fully. "Your target's me, isn't it?"
"You knew," Chiaki said, her voice shaking with emotion. "You can use magic freely, can't you? Like they say, mocking Course 1 and Course 2 students behind our backs!"
"I won't ask who fed you that idea," Tatsuya said, his face an impassive mask. "But I can't use magic freely. I'm decent with non-systematic magic, but for anything else, I'm near the bottom even among Course 2 students. That's the truth."
"Then why didn't you convince my sister?" Chiaki's voice rose, teetering on hysteria. "If you'd talked to her, she could've been a representative! Why didn't you help her!?"
"Yasutake-sensei," Tatsuya said calmly, "she might be under brainwashing."
"Seems like it," Remi agreed. "This level of obsession isn't normal."
"All I was asked to do was convince Hirakawa-senpai not to drop out," Tatsuya said to Chiaki. "Nothing more. Would it have been okay to push her too far and burden her even more?"
"That's… but!" Chiaki stammered.
"That's enough," Remi interjected. "Doctor's orders. Any more, and it'll harm Hirakawa-san's mind. We'll transfer her to the university hospital for now. I'll contact her parents, so come back tomorrow with Chiyoda-san and the others."
"Understood," Tatsuya said, bowing slightly before leaving.
He could have undone Chiaki's brainwashing on the spot, but to uncover the forces behind her, she needed to remain under their influence a little longer.
Sekimoto's beyond saving, isn't he?
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