Below is a high-quality Japanese-to-English translation of the provided text, crafted to meet your criteria of polished prose, accuracy, natural dialogue, and emotional depth while preserving character motivations and context. The translation captures the simmering tension of the magical high school setting, the strategic maneuvering of the characters, and the shadowy intrigue of the external plot. A chapter title is included to reflect the passage's themes of inadequacy, hidden threats, and tangled loyalties.
Chapter Title: Missing Pieces and Veiled Agendas
In the cramped confines of a cabinet, Erika sat beside Leo. For most high school boys, having a beautiful girl so close would've sent their hearts racing, but no such spark hung in the air between them. An awkward tension lingered instead.
Leo, feeling increasingly out of place, stole glances at Erika, who leaned her elbow on the window frame, staring outside with a casual air, saying nothing. He was already regretting agreeing to come along without asking why.
"…Don't you think it's too easy?" Erika finally said, breaking the silence.
"What's that?" Leo replied.
Relieved to respond in a normal tone, Leo quietly sighed, grateful the stifling quiet had been shattered.
"We got a warning about foreign spies infiltrating yesterday, and today we catch a student with a hacking tool," Erika said. "And not even subtly—she was practically begging to be caught."
"Begging to be caught?" Leo scoffed. "It wasn't exactly a walk in the park."
"Catching her, sure," Erika said. "But who walks around holding a hacking tool out in the open? That's not normal."
"She's just an amateur," Leo said with a shrug.
Erika nodded but didn't look convinced.
"What's eating you?" Leo asked.
"This isn't over," she said, her voice low. "That girl might be a decoy."
"To throw us off guard?" Leo said, catching on. "So this 'errand' of yours is about playing detective to sniff out the real culprit?"
"I'm not expecting brainwork from you," Erika said, smirking. "I'm not cut out for it either. That's Tatsuya-kun's territory. Instead of pretending to be something we're not, we've got a role that suits us better."
Leo bristled for a moment but caught her drift. "Bodyguards?"
"More like counterattack specialists," Erika corrected.
"Scary woman," Leo said, half-grinning. "Using Tatsuya as bait?"
"Tatsuya-kun could take a hit and keep going," Erika said.
"True enough," Leo agreed.
Their banter lightened the mood, but Erika's expression turned serious, and Leo's smile faded in response.
"But we're missing something," she said.
"Missing something?" Leo echoed.
"Your raw potential as a fighter is top-tier," Erika said. "In a straight-up brawl, I'd say you've got more natural talent than Hattori-senpai or Kirihara-senpai."
"Talent's one thing," Leo said. "You saying my skills aren't up to par?"
"You lack a finishing move," Erika said. "A technique to take someone down for good, something that strikes fear into your opponent."
"And you've got one?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I need my custom broom," Erika said. "You've got that Kodachi Tatsuya-kun made, but it lacks cutting power. I'm going to teach you a technique to slice through your enemies. You ready to learn?"
Erika's gaze locked onto his, unyielding. Leo met her eyes, unflinching, and answered with clear conviction. "That's a dumb question."
"Then I'll teach you," Erika said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "The secret sword technique, Usuha Tonbo. It's perfect for you."
With Erika and Leo absent, Kanon and Isori had joined Tatsuya's group.
"…That was her motive," Tatsuya concluded, his explanation brief.
Kanon wasn't the one to explode—someone else did.
"What!?" Honoka burst out. "That's just petty revenge!"
"More like taking it out on someone else," Shizuku said, tilting her head in confusion.
Both clung to Tatsuya, their anger at Chiaki's attempt to sabotage him clear, though their indignation lacked real menace.
"She probably couldn't help herself," Mikihiko said quietly.
"I can't condone what Hirakawa-san tried to do," Mizuki added, "but I kind of get how she feels. She must really love her sister."
The group split neatly along Course 1 and Course 2 lines, with Mikihiko and Mizuki showing sympathy for Chiaki. But this wasn't the time for amusement.
"It doesn't seem like a big deal if we leave it alone," Tatsuya said.
"You're the one being targeted, though," Kanon pointed out.
"Sorry for dragging you all into my mess," Tatsuya said.
"No need to apologize," Isori replied, his tone oddly suggestive, earning side-eyes from the others. His lack of male friends suddenly made sense.
"Our security isn't so weak that a password breaker like hers could crack it," Tatsuya continued.
"But if she realizes cracking won't work, she might escalate," Honoka said. "Should we get Hirakawa-senpai to talk to her?"
"Let's not involve Hirakawa-senpai," Tatsuya said. "They're sisters, but she's not responsible for this."
"Wow, you've got a kind side," Kanon said, genuinely surprised.
Miyuki, visibly annoyed, was subtly shielded from Kanon's view by Tatsuya, who shook his head. "It's more that it'd complicate things. Besides, Chiaki Hirakawa isn't the only one lurking around lately."
At that, Kanon, Isori, and Mikihiko stiffened, their eyes scanning the surroundings. They found no suspicious figures, but Isori and Mikihiko caught a faint ripple in the air.
"Should we put an escort on you?" Kanon asked, her concern sparked not by the spatial disturbance but by the flicker of unease on Isori's face.
"Unless you've got someone with Mayumi-senpai's perception, catching their tail will be tough," Tatsuya said, shaking his head again, subtly pointing out the lack of suitable candidates.
In a quiet Shinagawa restaurant, a man in his forties and a younger man in his mid-twenties sat across from a youth just past twenty.
"Did we keep you waiting?" the youth asked.
"No, we only just arrived," the older man replied, brushing off the apology.
"Straight to business, Zhou-sensei," the older man said. "It seems that girl botched the job."
"I understand your concerns, Chen-kakka," Zhou replied. "But rest assured, we haven't shared any of our information with her."
"Oh?" Chen said, raising an eyebrow. "And yet you managed to make her a collaborator?"
"Young people are so pure and passionate," Zhou said, his smile implying he'd learned plenty from her.
Chen gave Zhou a wary look, unsettled by his demeanor. "If you say so, I'll trust you. But let's ensure there are no 'what-ifs.'"
"Of course," Zhou said, bowing politely. "I'll check on things soon."
Chen nodded, satisfied, and rang the table's service bell. Zhou noticed the sharp gaze of the younger man beside Chen, Lu Ganghu, but his faint smile remained unchanged.
I'm shocked about Kokoa Fujiwara's passing…
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