Become the head of the Yotsuba family.
The way she said it was even calmer than when she suggested Miyuki and Ayako marry him.
But the shock value was no less than when she had first told him to go to school.
This woman always had a way of springing the most unexpected things on him.
And her intentions remained as inscrutable as ever.
Still, he didn't immediately agree to her final demand.
The Kuroba and Tsukuba families, as well as Miyuki—one of the candidates—wouldn't oppose it. But would the other branches really accept him as the head?
What a joke.
Besides, being the family head was such a hassle. If someone else wanted the job, they could have it—he had no interest.
But Maya wasn't in a hurry. She simply told him to think it over, saying there was plenty of time.
However, right after leaving the VIP reception room, he received a call from Mayumi.
"Bad news, Mahiro-kun! Come quick! Mari—she's in trouble!"
Her voice was urgent and grave.
Even without seeing her face, he could tell how serious the situation was.
"Got it. I'm on my way."
Mahiro hung up immediately and rushed to the hospital near the Nine Schools Competition venue.
"How is she?! What happened?!"
The moment he burst into the hospital room, he found it crowded with people.
Nearly everyone was there.
"Yotsuba-kun...! You're finally here. Watanabe-senpai, she... she..."
The first to notice him was Nakajou Azusa, but her timid, trembling voice sent a chill down his spine.
No way...
He had specifically installed a protective spell on her.
It couldn't withstand something like an explosion, but it should've blocked most ordinary accidents.
"Um... Watanabe-senpai is fine, don't worry."
Shizuku and Honoka stepped forward to explain.
"That's right. Mari-senpai isn't in danger—just a minor injury from an accident."
"See? I'm fine. No need to rush over like that."
The cheerful voice came from the hospital bed, where Mari sat up in her gown.
"Just a minor fracture in my arm and a bump on the head. Thanks to your protective spell, it wasn't serious."
Even so, her right arm and forehead were wrapped in thick bandages.
Mahiro's eyes narrowed. This wasn't the kind of injury a minor impact would cause.
"What the hell happened at the Surfboard Race? How did it get this bad?"
Did a truck plow into the waterway or something?
"Let me explain."
Mayumi, who had just finished negotiating with the Nine Schools Competition officials, returned to the room and stood by the bed.
To be precise, it wasn't Mari who had been directly involved in the incident.
Rather, a competitor from Seventh High had caused an accident that affected her.
According to reports, during the final sprint of the race, just before the finish line, the Seventh High contestant suddenly lost control.
At the last turn, the racer accelerated violently, skimming across the water like they were flying—only to crash straight into the barrier.
—Except there was someone in the way.
Mari, who had slowed down to prepare for her own acceleration, was right in their path.
At that time, Mari's reaction could only be described as masterful.
First, she canceled her forward acceleration and switched to horizontal rotational acceleration, using the waves reflected off the side of the waterway to spin the board halfway around with a combination of magic and her own physical skill.
Then, employing multi-layered calculation techniques, she cast multiple spells in succession to catch the out-of-control racer from Seventh High.
Under normal circumstances, this should have been enough to prevent an accident.
But the Seventh High racer's impact speed was simply too intense.
Though Mari successfully caught them, the collision sent both of them flying—just crossing the finish line before slamming into the guardrail at a hundred kilometers per hour.
Thanks to the protective spells in place, both of them were kept safe.
However, they still sustained some injuries.
Mari was relatively fine, suffering only minor injuries to her arm and head, which would heal with a bit of treatment.
But the Seventh High racer remained unconscious to this day.
The incident was officially classified as an accident.
The problem was, Seventh High was nicknamed "Seven High of the Sea" and was considered an equal competitor to First High in surfing races.
How could they possibly make such a basic mistake, using an acceleration spell instead of a deceleration one?
And at such high speed?
It was obvious—those bastards were pulling strings behind the scenes again!
Thus, Mahiro reached a conclusion—
"Watanabe-senpai, withdraw from the competition."
"Huh? Why?"
Mari froze, quickly moving her arm to explain, "I'm fine! With a little treatment, I can still compete in the finals!"
"I know."
Mahiro pressed a hand against her arm, applying just enough force to make Mari wince in pain.
"But as your CAD technician, I have to take responsibility for your future. So withdraw."
Seeing the unusually serious expression on his face, Mari swallowed the words she had been about to say.
"She's right, Mari. Listen to Mahiro and withdraw. It's just a surfing race—First High can afford to lose this one," Mayumi chimed in.
She was starting to regret popping the champagne early.
Fortunately, First High's overall score was far ahead. Even if they lost the surfing race, it wouldn't make much difference.
Though winning this event would have made the upcoming rookie competition much easier.
"Besides, we still have Kobayakawa. She can secure a decent ranking for us, right?"
"Y-yes! I'll do my best to make up for Watanabe-senpai's absence!"
The girl named Kobayakawa Keiko clenched her fists, pumping herself up to reassure Mari that her withdrawal wouldn't affect the team.
"...Alright, fine. I'll withdraw. But I can still compete in 'Mirage Bat' on the last two days, right?"
"Well..."
Mayumi glanced hesitantly at Mahiro.
After all, only the technician could decide whether Mari could compete again.
"No problem. But you'll need to rest properly these next few days. If your condition is good by the day of the event, I'll let you compete. I can even give you a brand-new spell set for 'Mirage Bat.'"
"Really?!"
Mari's face lit up with joy, though she couldn't help muttering afterward, "But you didn't have to be so serious about it... It's not like I'm that badly hurt..."
Mahiro heard but didn't say anything.
It wasn't that he was making a mountain out of a molehill.
The prerequisite for using magic was that one must believe in it.
Many magicians had their careers ruined by a single accident, leaving them unable to continue magic-related work for life.
Like that girl from Seventh High—she was probably done for life.
But the most crucial point was that by the time of "Mirage Bat," the No Head Dragon would have already been dealt with.
Naturally, there would be no need to worry about anyone causing trouble behind the scenes.
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