Though this was merely using the old man's name as a shield to deter Mayumi from digging deeper, there was no other choice.
What good would knowing do?
In the end, it would only bring unnecessary worry.
Time passed.
By the time the semifinals of the Ice Pillar Break began, the stands were still packed to capacity.
But compared to yesterday's cheers, today was filled with hushed whispers.
Especially when Mahiro appeared still wearing his conspicuous engineer uniform.
"Tch, what's he so arrogant about? He just knows one A-rank offensive spell."
"No, no—that magic he used has been upgraded to tactical-class by the tournament committee and was banned by the executive board."
"Seriously? Then he can't use it anymore? How's he supposed to compete now?"
"This is gonna be fun to watch~"
Though these voices weren't loud, the sheer number of people discussing it made the words all too clear.
They reached Sayaka's ears just as she was settling in to enjoy the match.
She turned around and glared at them before asking those around her, "What are these people talking about? What banned magic?"
At this, the competitors and those in the know—Miyuki, Shizuku, and Honoka—averted their eyes in silence.
Especially Miyuki, whose hands clenched her skirt tightly.
The committee's decision was undeniably excessive in everyone's eyes!
Still, she believed in Mahiro. Just as she'd said yesterday, even without Mist Dispersion, so what?
Mahiro-nii knows so many other spells—he'll still shut these people up!
Only Sayaka remained completely clueless, looking at them expectantly for an answer.
Then, Erika gently patted her shoulder and said:
"It's normal you wouldn't know, Sayaka. Just last night, the Nine Schools Competition officials issued a notice upgrading Yotsuba's magic to Tactical Class and banning its use."
"What? How could... How could they do something so outrageous?!"
Sayaka's reaction was almost identical to theirs when they first heard the news—both confused and furious.
Even though she wasn't a competitor in the Nine Schools Competition, having watched so many matches, she knew the rules well.
The Ice Pillar Break clearly doesn't restrict magic levels!
This is blatant targeting!
"But why would they target Mahiro-kun?" Mizuki was equally indignant but also puzzled.
"Mizuki, you're still so naive~ This is the world of adults. They're always this dirty, scheming for their own hidden agendas."
Erika sighed with the weight of experience, as if she had seen it all before.
"But Honoka, you don't need to worry so much. Look at Yotsuba-kun's expression on the field—he's clearly confident."
Indeed, standing on the stage, Mahiro remained as composed as ever.
Meanwhile, his opponent grew even more arrogant upon seeing him.
"Haha, with magic banned, let's see how you win! Get eliminated right here!"
A grand magic circle and psion light enveloped the arena.
Yet, just as the spell was about to complete—
Spell Disruption!
Crack!
Like glass, it shattered instantly!
The entire venue erupted in shock.
"Was that the Non-Systematic Anti-Magic 'Spell Disruption'?!"
But how could he dismantle such a massive spell with just a single psion cluster?
As the crowd buzzed in confusion, a surge of scorching heat suddenly flooded the arena.
"Muspelheim."
The field seemed draped in azure flames, radiating blistering temperatures akin to the sun. Even the spectators could faintly sense the terrifying heat.
"Such formidable magical power..."
Shizuku, seated in the stands, couldn't help but murmur.
The ease with which such a large-scale spell was cast left her awestruck. And the sight of that boy, his disheveled hair tousled by the hot wind, standing unshaken as always, made her heart race.
"Y-Yes! Mahiro-kun is unexpectedly strong..."
Honoka's cherry lips parted slightly, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
As a descendant of the Light Element lineage, she could perceive the flow of psions in the air more clearly than most.
To her, his magic emitted no chaotic light signals—just a serene, flawless release, like an exquisite work of art!
On the field, his opponent, drenched in sweat from either the heat or sheer panic, frantically tapped the CAD on his wrist.
But no matter what spell he unleashed, it was instantly shattered by Spell Disruption.
Helplessly, he watched as his team's ice pillar melted away bit by bit.
Mahiro won the match in a completely unexpected manner, even crushing his opponent's spirit in retaliation. As the audience gazed at Mahiro's upright figure, a sense of dread crept into their hearts.
He was practically a demon!
But this was only the beginning.
Since they loved banning magic, he made sure not to repeat a single spell combination in his subsequent matches.
The alternating dance of extreme cold and heat—"Frozen Inferno" paired with "Spell Disruption";
The wide-area vibration-slowing magic "Niflheim" combined with the simple vibration spell "Epicenter", plus "Spell Disruption";
And the advanced version of "Phonon Maser", fused with "Multi-Casting", resembling satellite beams—alongside "Spell Disruption".
Every match he participated in ended the same way: endless instant victories.
The spectators grew numb.
The opponents, subjected to creative and humiliating defeats, wailed in frustration, prompting shameless protests from various schools once again.
This time, the operating committee had no choice but to once again ban the counter-magic "Spell Disruption."
Its use in the Ice Pillar Battle was prohibited.
But it was already too late, as the finals were now underway.
As the countdown clock on the screen above the arena reached zero,
The words "First High School VS Third High School" appeared.
Opposite him stood none other than Ichijou Masaki, who had boldly declared his intentions earlier.
Mahiro clearly remembered what had happened in the hotel corridor the day before.
It was less of a conversation and more of a direct challenge—
Masaki had vowed to crush him in the finals of the "Ice Pillar Break"!
Not just Masaki, but even Cardinal George was equally determined to win.
Yet, when they actually met on the battlefield, neither said a word. There was no need.
The moment the match began, Masaki unleashed the Ichijou family's secret technique—"Rupture"—successfully shattering one of Mahiro's ice pillars.
The audience erupted in shock.
This was the first time since the start of the Ice Pillar Break that they had seen Mahiro's side lose an ice pillar!
Could Ichijou Masaki really have a chance against this monster?
The answer, of course, was no.
Mahiro hadn't acted earlier simply because he was contemplating which magic to use.
"Got it!"
A brilliant idea suddenly struck him.
—"Information Body Reinforcement"—
Just as the second ice pillar was about to be shattered by the burst, it stabilized in an instant, defying its earlier precarious state.
Masaki's brow furrowed slightly.
His Rupture magic had failed—not through destruction of the sequence, but by the reinforcement of the information body.
This surprised him.
Undeterred, Masaki pulled the trigger repeatedly.
In an instant—just an instant—he unleashed a tenfold barrage of Rupture magic.
He refused to believe such a scale could be defended against!
Meanwhile, Mahiro ignored the exploding ice pillars. Instead, under the gaze of everyone present, he drew a second CAD from his chest—
A dagger paired with Nightmare, which he swung horizontally.
The slender blade seemed to slice through the very fabric of space.
"Meteor Stream"!
Infinite darkness instantly spread from beneath his feet, rapidly engulfing the entire venue like quicksand!
It stretched overhead like a celestial canopy, shrouding the sky!
Within the darkness, streaks of light particles swirled like countless flowing stars.
And the beams descending from above were nothing short of divine retribution!
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan