Field Exercise
Tatsuya and Miyuki found themselves on the veranda of Yakumo's private quarters, a secluded space within the temple's living area. Yakumo himself had brought them here. It wasn't unusual for him to serve tea after a training session, but inviting them to the priests' residence rather than the main hall's veranda was a rare occurrence. Tatsuya sensed something out of the ordinary was afoot.
"Well, you two have school, so I'll keep this brief," Yakumo began, setting down three teacups he'd carried himself. Sitting beside Tatsuya, he cut straight to the point. "You've come into possession of something quite rare, haven't you?"
There was no need to confirm that Yakumo was referring to the Yonotsume. His sudden remark didn't shock Tatsuya—being rattled by such verbal jabs would make dealing with Yakumo impossible.
"It's only in my custody," Tatsuya replied evenly.
"Then you'd better return it soon," Yakumo advised. "If that's not possible, at least move it to a more appropriate place than your home."
The warning wasn't unexpected, but the gravity in Yakumo's tone—far more serious than Tatsuya had anticipated—stirred a mix of surprise and tension. Shifting from merely turning his head, Tatsuya angled his body toward Yakumo, his posture attentive.
"I hadn't realized it was being targeted," Tatsuya said, his words laced with a probing intent: Is it really being targeted?
"They're moving cautiously," Yakumo replied. "And they're quite skilled."
Tatsuya's question was a subtle challenge, as he hadn't detected any threat significant enough to warrant Yakumo's concern, beyond minor nuisances. Yakumo's response not only confirmed the danger but hinted that he'd already caught wind of their movements.
"Asking who they are would be pointless, wouldn't it?" Tatsuya ventured.
"Not entirely pointless," Yakumo said with a sly smile. "But here's another piece of advice: when you face your enemy, don't lose sight of your bearings."
"Bearings?" Miyuki interjected, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Tatsuya, silent, fixed his gaze on Yakumo, awaiting a response.
"Anything more comes at a steep price," Yakumo teased, his mischievous grin forestalling further questions.
Faced with that cunning smile, Tatsuya let the matter drop, knowing better than to press Yakumo further.
The field exercise took place at an outdoor training ground, a modified hill adjacent to the school. While Magic High School wasn't a preparatory academy for the military or police, many students pursued such paths, so the campus boasted a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities.
To prevent accidents, monitors were assigned to oversee the exercise.
"Katsuto's radiating some serious pressure," Mari remarked, observing the scene through the monitors.
"It's intimidating enough to make some kids freeze up and lose their edge," Mayumi added.
As they commented on the overwhelming aura Katsuto exuded—even felt through the screens—a first-year student appeared on a different monitor.
"This one's keeping his cool," Mari noted.
"He's timing his move," Mayumi observed.
While Course 1 students shrank under Katsuto's oppressive presence, some breaking and rushing forward prematurely, a lone Course 2 first-year remained composed, analyzing the situation. Mari watched with amusement, while Mayumi seemed genuinely impressed.
"Ancient magic—Earth Escape Trap," Mari said. "Smart choice for creating distance."
"Katsuto looks like he's enjoying himself," Mayumi chuckled.
The Course 2 student, Mikihiko, had cast a spell not to conceal himself but to obscure Katsuto's vision and drop him into a pit—a perfect tactic for buying time. Mikihiko didn't expect to defeat Katsuto with such a move; without pausing to check the spell's effect, he bolted from the scene.
As the dust settled, a flattened circular hole remained, surrounded by a ring of displaced earth. Katsuto stood unscathed, not a speck of dirt on him. His barrier magic had completely neutralized the earth-based attack. Still, Mikihiko had successfully slipped away by clouding his vision, and Katsuto, with a wry grin, descended from his slightly elevated position, propelled by the repulsive force of his defensive spell.
"Not bad," Mari said. "This kid's got potential."
"He's got a different kind of finesse than Tatsuya," Mayumi agreed.
"Like attracts like, huh? Seems this year's Course 2 students have some talented magicians," Mari mused.
"Course 1 students still outshine them in overall ability," Mayumi countered, "but this one's definitely a cut above the rest. Staying calm under Katsuto's pressure proves it."
"Something's changed in Yoshida since the Nine Schools Competition," Mayumi reflected. "He's grown noticeably since the first term."
As Mari and Mayumi discussed Mikihiko's progress, Tatsuya's name inevitably surfaced. His influence on Mikihiko's rapid development was a topic of discussion even among the faculty.
"It'd be great if this kind of positive influence spread," Mayumi said wistfully.
"But Tatsuya's not exactly the leadership type," Mari replied.
"If anything, he's the type to make enemies left and right," Mayumi added with a wry smile.
Their banter was interrupted by the sight of Mikihiko on the monitor, cornered against a wall and fighting desperately.
"Well, looks like he couldn't escape Katsuto after all," Mayumi said.
"No surprise there," Mari replied. "He's up against the former club president."
"Would things have been different if Tatsuya were here?" Mayumi wondered.
"He turned it down because of the Thesis Competition prep, right?" Mari asked.
"Yeah, and honestly, he's right to prioritize that," Mayumi conceded.
As their conversation revealed, Tatsuya had been invited to the exercise but declined, citing the Thesis Competition, now just a week away. While a valid reason, Tatsuya had another motive for sitting it out. His primary magic was ill-suited against Katsuto's, and Spell Dismantling wouldn't be effective either. To Tatsuya, the outcome of such a match was already clear.
"Still, Tatsuya's got it rough," Mari said. "His sister's jealous, his older sister's dumped responsibilities on him…"
"And his friends are clashing with Kanon," Mayumi added. "Plus, Rin-chan mentioned some unsettling movements."
"Maybe we should've assigned him a bodyguard," Mari suggested.
"He turned it down, didn't he?" Mayumi replied. "Said it'd be pointless unless they had perception magic as sharp as yours."
"Then maybe I should guard him," Mayumi teased.
There was no ulterior motive in her words—just a playful response to being singled out as a capable candidate. But Mari read too much into it.
"What, you want to stick that close to Tatsuya?" Mari prodded, grinning.
"That's not what I meant!" Mayumi protested, flustered. "You're doing this on purpose!"
"I thought you were getting anxious with Honoka and Shizuku stepping up their game," Mari teased.
"I said it's not like that! Tatsuya and I are just friends!" Mayumi insisted.
"You're awfully defensive for 'just friends,'" Mari shot back.
With the exercise over and no need to focus on the monitors, their bickering spiraled into a playful, endless back-and-forth, with no one around to rein them in.
Even with Mikihiko's standout performance, the conversation always circles back to Tatsuya…
------------------------------
If you like this story and want to read more, I've pre-posted 30–40 chapters on Patreon:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Your support means a lot to me.