"What happened?"
Just as the venue fell into dead silence, with everyone watching in horror as Mahiro crouched on the ground, brutally beating the Operations Committee's representative, an old man's voice slowly rang out.
The voice was calm, devoid of pressure or authority, and one that Mahiro found very familiar.
"Old Man Kudou, it's been a while."
He tossed the now-drooling man aside like trash, then stood up and bowed to Kudou Retsu out of basic courtesy.
"Hmm, it certainly has been. Your performance in the match the other day was quite impressive. But could you tell me what's going on here?"
"This bastard illegally tampered with our school's competitor's CAD by adding a spell program. I found out, so I dragged him out for a little questioning."
As if to emphasize his point, he nudged the drooling man at his feet with his shoe.
"I see."
Everyone who had been frozen by Mahiro's violent aura and killing intent thought this was a lie.
They couldn't believe someone could install a spell program into a CAD just by scanning it.
And this was far from "a little questioning."
They had all witnessed how Mahiro had beaten the representative senseless.
This wasn't an interrogation—it was retaliation.
Everyone present knew that yesterday, the Operations Committee had banned the spell program that Mahiro was using due to its excessive magical power.
So, wasn't this just payback?
But with Kudou Retsu present, no one dared to speak up.
"The CAD that was illegally tampered with—is it this one?"
"Yes."
The old mage, once revered as the pinnacle of skill and precision, took the CAD from the inspection machine and examined it closely before nodding.
"...There is indeed a foreign object embedded in it. I recognize this. It's an 'Electronic Cicada'—something that appeared in the East Sea Islands warzone back when I was still an active-duty soldier."
Retsu's gaze turned icy as he looked down at the man lying on the ground, drooling.
The Electronic Cicada was a special magic that infiltrated electronic devices via wired connections, disabling high-tech weaponry.
It was no ordinary spell program.
Whoever was behind this... was intriguing.
With that thought, Kudou Retsu began walking toward the man.
But then, Mahiro's voice cut in.
"Old Man Kudou, if you're planning to interrogate this guy for answers, you might as well give up."
He said, "I've already forcibly read this man's memories. He's a vegetable now. If you want to know anything, just ask me."
These words made several committee members gasp in shock.
Before they could speak, Mahiro continued:
"However, the background of the mastermind is somewhat special, so I'd like to discuss this matter with you after the Nine Schools Competition concludes. How does that sound?"
As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over the few individuals following behind Kudou Retsu.
Those people immediately felt a chill run down their spines, breaking out in cold sweat as if being stared down by a predator, involuntarily taking several steps back.
Is this boy really just a student?!
Kudou Retsu also caught the underlying meaning and promptly revealed a pleased smile.
"Very well. Come find me after the tournament ends. It's been so many years since we last met—I'd like to have a good chat with you, young man."
"As for the CAD, let's use the backup equipment. Given what's happened, there's no need for re-inspection—wouldn't you agree, Tournament Committee Chairman?"
Kudou Retsu's sudden address made the trailing individuals jump like mice that had stepped on a cat, nodding hurriedly.
"To think a mole infiltrated the Operations Committee to tamper with things—this is an unprecedented scandal. You'll need to provide a thorough explanation."
The committee chairman looked like he might faint at any moment but managed a strained affirmative response.
With Kudou Retsu's intervention, the matter was effectively settled.
...
When Mahiro returned to First High's headquarters tent with the CAD, he found an oppressive silence inside.
The gazes directed at him were complex—some filled with shame, others with unease, fear, or even gratitude.
He couldn't fathom how his seniors had managed to conjure up so many emotions.
Then Mayumi appeared.
"My, Mahiro-kun."
As student council president and the students' representative, Mayumi greeted him with warmth and calmness that surpassed everyone else's reactions.
"When I heard the tournament headquarters report that a student from our school had suddenly caused a disturbance, I worried you might have gone to confront the committee over yesterday's incident. To think you were actually protecting our athlete Mari instead."
Though her words were ninety percent teasing and carried a playful tone, they were essentially accurate.
Even Watanabe-senpai stepped forward to express her thanks.
"Thank you, Mahiro-kun. The tournament officials have already notified us about the conflict."
"But what exactly happened during the CAD inspection?"
Not just Mari—everyone else was equally curious.
The tournament's notification had been deliberately vague, likely to avoid embarrassment.
"Just happened to catch a petty thief adding illegal magic sequences to CADs during scanning. Nothing major."
As he spoke, he handed the inspected CAD back to Watanabe-senpai.
"Although the tournament allows us to use backup equipment without reinspection, I've already cleaned out the illegal sequences from this one. You should keep using it."
"Huh?"
Mari blinked in surprise. "If we can use backups, why go through the trouble?"
Mahiro shrugged helplessly. "There's not enough time left—the match is about to start. I couldn't rewrite the protective sequences in time, so please make do with what you have for now."
"Or... do you not trust me, senpai? Are you afraid there might be residual illegal magic formulas inside that could affect the match?"
He said the latter half in a joking tone.
But it still made Watanabe-senpai raise her voice a few notches.
"How could that be?! I just... think it's unnecessary to go through all this trouble..."
"Come on, Mari! Mahiro-kun is only thinking of your safety."
Mayumi said, "Having a protective magic formula as insurance is always good. You wouldn't want any accidents during the match, would you, Mari?"
"Well, that's true..."
"In that case, Mari, hurry up and get ready for the match!"
Mayumi urged her to go quickly while pushing her back, forcibly escorting Watanabe-senpai out of First High's tent area.
After turning back, Mayumi pulled him into a more secluded room, her expression turning serious.
"Mahiro-kun, be honest with me. Is this situation very troublesome?"
"You deliberately sent Watanabe-senpai away just to ask me this?"
Mayumi didn't respond, simply staring at him intently.
Though she didn't know the specifics, as the eldest daughter of the Saegusa family, she had already sensed danger in the air.
"Alright. Sorry, but I can't tell you about this yet."
"Why?"
"Because that's Old Man Retsu's decision."
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