The next morning.
Mahiro sat in the hotel's upscale restaurant, enjoying breakfast while admiring the morning mist over Mount Fuji through the window.
And, of course, he had Sayaka's company.
"Sayaka, are you sure that's enough to eat?" he asked curiously, eyeing the single soft-boiled egg, a slice of bread, a few greens, and a small salad on her plate.
Even the drink wasn't the juice they usually had when meeting at the café.
Instead, it was a latte.
Was Sayaka on a diet?
"Mm, this is enough," Sayaka nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Since I haven't been practicing kendo lately, I need to cut back on food to maintain my weight."
"But Mahiro-kun, you should eat more. You have a match today, and you still need to adjust Kitayama's CAD."
"Don't worry, I'm not as foolish as you, Sayaka. You know you're going to watch the match, yet you eat so little for breakfast. Be careful not to faint from heatstroke during the competition."
As he spoke, Mahiro scooped up a spoonful of fried rice from his plate and ate it. Beside him were also a basket of steamed dumplings and a plate of stir-fried noodles.
He wasn't wrong—especially since it was the height of summer, and the Nine Schools Competition would draw large crowds.
If the heat got too intense, fainting from heatstroke was no joke.
"Tch, what a pair of lovebirds. If you're going to flirt, at least pick the right place."
Suddenly, an unwelcome voice cut into their conversation.
Turning toward the sound, they were met with a head of striking red hair.
"Why should I pick the right place? More importantly, why are you all sitting here like it's nothing?"
Mahiro's gaze swept across the table, his eyes deadpan as he complained.
What was supposed to be a breakfast date between him and Sayaka had turned into a group gathering!
"Oh, I just came to join the fun," Erika said casually, while the bespectacled Mizuki nodded beside her.
"I was dragged here by the president."
"…M-me too."
This time, it was Suzune and Azusa, who timidly raised her hand.
Aside from them, Shizuku, Mari, and Mayumi were also present.
If Honoka and Miyuki had shown up, then practically everyone he knew would have been here.
However, their absence wasn't because they sensed the awkwardness and chose not to come.
According to Shizuku-chan, Honoka was still asleep and couldn't get up.
As for Miyuki, for some reason, she hadn't joined them.
"What's the big deal?"
Shifting her gaze, Mari casually popped a cherry tomato into her mouth and said nonchalantly, "Eating with more people is livelier. Mibu doesn't mind, right?"
"Mm… It's actually quite nice to eat together with everyone," Sayaka agreed with a nod.
Damn you, Mari…
Not only did she not act like someone who was supposed to be injured, but she also had the nerve to say something like that so casually!
From today onward, you're officially labeled as Lightbulb No. 1!
Mahiro silently tagged Watanabe Mari in his mind.
That said, Sayaka didn't seem reluctant at all.
In fact, this was her first time eating with so many people.
At school, despite her outstanding looks, excellent grades among Second Course students, and pleasant personality, she didn't even have a single friend to eat lunch with.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so easily deceived by the kendo club's captain, Kirihara Takeaki.
So, even if she felt a little regretful about not being able to have breakfast alone with Mahiro, she was genuinely happy to enjoy this time together.
Meanwhile, Mayumi watched the two of them with a complicated expression.
She couldn't help but recall what her father had tasked her with.
It seems she was destined to fall into Mahiro's hands for life, and judging by Mahiro's demeanor, there would surely be a place for a Mibu-kouhai by his side.
She definitely wasn't the kind of woman who would tear lovers apart.
So...
With that thought, Mayumi gave up overthinking and pulled herself together, rejoining the conversation.
"Speaking of which, Mahiro-kun, I heard the head of the Yotsuba family visited the Nine Schools Competition venue yesterday, is that true?"
"Seriously? You mean Yotsuba Maya, one of the strongest magicians?" Mari was so shocked she even dropped the cherry tomato on her fork.
"Yeah, it's true. Sayaka, Shizuku, and Erika all saw her."
"Then... is everything alright?"
At the tone of concern in the question, everyone stopped eating and turned their eyes to Mahiro.
"What could possibly go wrong?" Mahiro shrugged nonchalantly. "No matter what, that woman is still my mother. As the saying goes, 'Even a vicious tiger doesn't eat its own cubs.' Besides, she was just there to watch the matches."
Of course, he couldn't tell Mayumi about the conversation he had with Maya the night before—or any of their previous exchanges.
Even if he were to share it, it would have to be done privately.
"I see... Hearing you say that puts me at ease."
Mayumi had genuinely been worried for Mahiro and now breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, the name Yotsuba Maya represented terror and mystery even among the Ten Master Clans.
Even her own father would avoid crossing paths with her.
After breakfast, everyone went about their own busy schedules.
Today was the fourth day of the Nine Schools Competition.
The main tournament was on hold, and for the next five days, the freshman-only newcomer matches would take place.
The event order was the same as the main tournament.
So today's events were "Speed Shooting" (preliminaries to finals) and "Battle Board" (preliminaries).
Mahiro and Shizuku were both participants in the "Speed Shooting" first-year matches.
However, with the Saegusa family's "Magic Bullet Shooter" in his hands, the "Speed Shooting" competition was a breeze for him.
His outstanding looks and masterful magic even earned him the title of "Fairy Sniper," perfectly inheriting Saegusa Mayumi's legacy.
But the problem was—
What the hell was a male fairy supposed to be?!
Was this some kind of embarrassing roleplay?
His embarrassment skyrocketed, and he even became the target of Mayumi's teasing.
Unable to take it anymore, he holed up in the engineering department's room outside of matches, pouring all his focus into Shizuku.
"How does it feel? Any sense of blockage or dizziness?"
Mahiro handed the calibrated competition-grade rifle-type CAD to the girl for final testing.
"Mmm... perfect. It's even smoother than my own."
Shizuku spoke expressionlessly, her tone completely flat.
Anyone else might have thought she was being dismissive, but after spending so much time with her, Mahiro knew this was just her personality.
This was her way of expressing satisfaction.
If she were dissatisfied, she would silently hand the CAD back without a word.
"I didn't expect you to incorporate Saegusa-senpai's perception-type magic 'Multi-Scope' for me to use, and yet it runs so smoothly without the slightest dizziness. You're really amazing."
Seemingly feeling that her praise wasn't enough, Shizuku added another sentence.
This was sufficient to express the astonishment in her heart.
"It's really nothing special."
Mahiro smiled and explained, "This is just what I should do, and my skills aren't the best either. I can only help you deeply optimize the activation sequence and add a little extra something."
"If it were Tatsuya, he'd probably even install an aiming assist system for you."
"This is already more than enough."
Shizuku said calmly, then shifted her gaze from the CAD in her arms to Mahiro.
"Hey, Mahiro-kun, would you like to come to my house and be my personal technician? As for salary requirements, you can name any amount."
"...?"
Mahiro, who had already turned back to his screen, swiveled around again upon hearing this, giving the ridiculously wealthy emotionless loli before him a rather strange look.
"What, are you planning to keep me?" he teased lightly.
"Well, something like that."
Perhaps because she was utterly incapable of lying, she nodded very honestly and said, "After being tuned by you, I'm afraid I'll never be able to accept those people from my father's company again. So could you come to my home and be my personal technician?"
The girl asked once more.
Though, why did this phrasing sound so weird?
What did she mean by "after being tuned by you, I can't accept others"?
I just tuned a CAD and optimized some magic sequences—could you not say such misleading things with such a straight face?
"It seems Kitayama-san is in good spirits, still having energy to joke before the competition."
"I'm not joking," Shizuku said. "I'm serious."
"Right, right, I know Kitayama-san is very serious."
Mahiro stood up from his swivel chair and casually patted her short gray hair. "Let's talk about this after the competition, alright?"
"What's more important right now is winning the 'Speed Shooting' championship."
"Alright, I understand."
Hearing this, the girl didn't persist stubbornly but nodded sensibly and temporarily let the matter drop.
And with his help, Shizuku's victory was practically guaranteed.
During the competition, all she needed to do was deploy the multiple observation magic sequence, use her "eyes" to distinguish the colors of the launched clay pigeons, then pull the trigger to activate her vibration-type magic to score points.
"Amazing."
Mid-competition, Shizuku shouldered her rifle CAD, wearing a smile of certain victory.
Originally, she couldn't activate magic sequences like multiple observation at all, and even when she did use them, she'd experience intense dizziness. But after Mahiro-kun's tuning, she no longer felt any of that.
Even her signature magic sequences felt lighter, without the slightest sense of fatigue.
The spectators outside couldn't help but exclaim how incredible it was.
Though she couldn't compare to Mahiro in the same rookie competition, her speed and precision were still among the very best—she wouldn't be out of place in the official tournaments at all.
Watching the footage transmitted on screen, Mayumi couldn't help but smile knowingly.
She could finally rest easy.
After graduating next year, First High School would have worthy successors.
And so, the fourth day of competitions came to an end.
Mahiro and Shizuku won the championship in Speed Shooting, while the other competitors also achieved good results. Moreover, no further accidents occurred in Battle Boards, and everyone advanced perfectly.
They had already opened up a lead of nearly 200 points over the third-ranked high school, creating an unprecedented advantage.
"Not bad at all."
After the competition, Mahiro lay alone on a swivel chair, hands behind his head, staring at the cold metallic ceiling above.
With the No Head Dragon no longer an obstacle, everything had begun moving in a positive direction.
Soon, the fifth and sixth days of the competition arrived.
During these two days, Mahiro remained in the engineering department, overseeing Shizuku, who was responsible for the rookie battles in Ice Pillar Break.
"By the way... are you planning to compete in those clothes?"
"Yeah, since the rules allow it, it'd be a waste not to wear it."
As she spoke, the girl gave him a look that seemed to ask, "Is something weird? Or does it not fit?"—prompting Mahiro to take a deep breath.
"Fine, it's beautiful. It suits you."
That was the truth.
Right now, Shizuku was indeed beautiful—almost too beautiful.
She was wearing a pale blue furisode kimono and, right in front of him, had casually tied the obi around her waist before securing the slightly cumbersome sleeves.
"If you're just going to tie up the sleeves, why pick a large-sleeved furisode in the first place?" Mahiro couldn't help but grumble.
In fact, it wasn't just Shizuku—the other girls participating in the Ice Pillar Break were the same.
As mentioned earlier, the Ice Pillar Break had long since turned into a fashion show for high school girls.
For example, second-year Chiyoda Kanon wore a long-sleeved tracksuit top paired with black rhythmic shorts, making her jacket look almost like a miniskirt.
Then there was first-year mixed-race Akechi Eimi, dressed in a white turtleneck, red riding jacket, white jodhpurs, black knee-high boots, and a matching black riding cap—her entire outfit exuded the elegance and gallantry of her British heritage.
And then there was Miyuki.
Clad in a white miko robe with scarlet hakama, the way she wielded her magic made her look like a shrine maiden dancing with sacred bells to please the gods.
Resigned, Mahiro decided not to dwell on the fashion choices and instead changed the subject.
"Hey, Shizuku, do you want to beat Miyuki?"
Perhaps it was the first time he had addressed her so familiarly, or perhaps it was the suggestion of defeating Miyuki—but the girl tying her sleeves froze for a moment.
Then she turned to look at him.
Her calm, brown eyes flickered with faint confusion, as if asking, "Why would you say that?"
"The reason is simple. You know the final round of the Ice Pillar Break is a single-elimination bracket, right?"
"Yeah."
"I looked into the competitors for this year's rookie matches. Honestly, no one stands a chance against Miyuki's magical power. And with Tatsuya supporting her, making it to the finals and winning the championship will be a breeze."
"So I predict that, in the end, you will face Miyuki. If you want to truly win the Ice Pillar Break, you'll have to defeat her."
"Of course, if you choose to forfeit, no one would blame you."
"I won't forfeit."
For the first time, a different emotion seeped into the girl's usually placid tone—something called fighting spirit.
Her brown eyes locked onto Mahiro, reflecting his figure, and her lightly pursed lips seemed to silently press for answers.
But when he didn't respond as he usually would—only meeting her gaze—Shizuku understood.
So she asked, "Miyuki is your cousin. Why help an outsider like me?"
"Call it a whim."
Mahiro's answer was unexpected, yet perfectly in character.
Because that was just the kind of person he was—someone who followed his desires without restraint.
But before Shizuku could speak again, he suddenly added, "Though I do have my own motives, what's more important right now is—"
"Kitayama-san, as the technician assigned to you, responding to your expectations and fulfilling your wishes is my temporary duty and mission as your exclusive engineer."
"If you want to win, then I will spare no effort to answer your desire."
"So, Shizuku, what is your answer?"
Hearing his words, Shizuku pressed her lips together, her brown pupils flickering faintly with light.
Then, her cherry lips parted slightly as she spoke:
"...I want to win."
This was not a response swayed by Mahiro's words—it was the longing buried deep in her heart.
She wanted to win.
Truly wanted to win, to surpass Miyuki and prove herself.
Though she appeared outwardly emotionless and indifferent, Kitayama Shizuku was, in truth, an intensely competitive girl.
Just like Honoka.
That had been her rival in elementary school. Though they became friends, even in middle school, they maintained a competitive relationship.
Honoka's greatest rival was Shizuku, and Shizuku's greatest rival was Honoka.
Within their circle of friends, no other child's magical talent could match theirs—not even those from the Hundred Families.
But after entering First High, everything changed.
Their arrogance was utterly shattered by the high school entrance exams.
The reason was that beautiful girl who stood as the student representative—Shiba Miyuki.
Exquisite in appearance, nearly flawless, and possessing magical power unlike anything they had ever seen—so overwhelming it seemed to belong to an entirely different dimension.
But she wanted to win.
Even knowing she was far inferior to Miyuki, she still wanted to triumph just once, no matter what.
So now, with the even more formidable Mahiro standing by her side, how could she not seize this opportunity?
"I absolutely will win!"
This was her declaration—and the obsession she shared with Honoka.
And just as Mahiro had predicted, on the sixth day, in the finals of Ice Pillar Break, Kitayama Shizuku indeed faced off against Shiba Miyuki.
The two girls stood on opposite sides of the arena.
One was clad in a striking red-and-white shrine maiden outfit.
The other wore a refreshingly cool, water-blue long-sleeved kimono.
Miyuki left her hair unbound, while Shizuku left her long sleeves untied—her hair and the sleeves of her kimono swaying gently in the summer breeze.
Like two generals, they gazed at each other from afar.
The suffocating silence that filled the arena made every spectator hold their breath.
They knew full well—this would be the most spectacular match since the start of the Nine Schools Competition, a clash between the strongest.
Because behind them stood two of First High's most powerful magic engineers in history.
Rather than a duel between two competitors, it was more like a collision between two engineers.
Even at First High's headquarters tent, those watching the live broadcast couldn't help but tense up, palms sweating.
Even Suzune, busy organizing the incoming match results, was called over by Mayumi.
Though Suzune sighed in displeasure, neither Mayumi nor Mari paid her any mind.
"Hey, Suzu-chan... who do you think will win—Kitayama-kouhai or Miyuki-kouhai?"
"Hard to say."
Setting aside the documents, Suzune turned to the live broadcast and gave that conclusion before continuing her analysis:
"In terms of technical skills, Tatsuya is slightly better than Mahiro, but in a competition as large-scale as the Nine Schools Tournament, the difference is negligible."
"So I believe the outcome of this match will entirely depend on the competitors themselves."
"However, while Kitayama's magical prowess is indeed outstanding, Miyuki's abilities far surpass those of her peers. Therefore, this match will undoubtedly be Miyuki's victory."
"Ah, as expected."
Hearing Suzune's analysis, Mayumi couldn't help but sigh regretfully, resting her cheek on her hand.
She had reached the same conclusion initially.
But personally, if possible, she had hoped Shizuku could win.
...
"This time, you'll have to get serious, Miyuki."
Mahiro leaned against the wall of the player tunnel, watching the girl in the distance.
Lately, Miyuki had seemed distracted, even during matches.
So he wanted to use Shizuku's hand to wake up his foolish cousin.
At the same time.
The match began.
As the lights on the poles at both ends of the arena flickered, signaling the start—
Both competitors cast their magic simultaneously.
A wave of scorching heat assaulted Shizuku's side.
Miyuki's strategy remained the same as before—using the powerful Inferno and Niflheim spells and overwhelming magical energy to crush her opponent.
Even though Shizuku had deployed information reinforcement to block temperature changes, the ice pillars still showed faint signs of melting.
Like boiling a frog slowly.
Though subtle, if this continued, defeat was inevitable.
Shizuku refused to back down. Leveraging her exceptional resonance-destroying magic properties, she unleashed a vibration-based spell—"Resonance."
Miyuki's side was struck by the tremors.
Yet the vibrations were suppressed before they could trigger resonance.
A field spell that restrained all vibrations and movement within her own territory, its magic permeating even the ground beneath.
The two clashed, each countering the other's spells, their magical influence stretching toward the enemy's ice pillars.
To the untrained eye, it was an evenly matched battle—one that left experts in awe.
But the two participants didn't see it that way.
'Impossible to destroy... As expected of Miyuki!'
Even as her "Resonance" relentlessly assaulted the ice pillars, the damage paled in comparison to the scorching heat ravaging her own side.
"If that's the case!"
Under Miyuki's stunned gaze, Shizuku suddenly canceled her Resonance magic and instead fired a beam of high-frequency vibration from the CAD on her wrist!
Simultaneously, the beam split into four mid-flight, piercing through half of the ice pillars on Miyuki's side.
"That's the Phonon Maser Mahiro-nii modified!"
Both the audience and Miyuki herself were shocked, causing a brief moment of hesitation in Miyuki's heart.
In that case—
"Glacial Age!"
A glint of determination flashed in Miyuki's eyes.
The Inferno and Nelfheim she had just unleashed ceased instantly, replaced by an extreme cold—as if absolute zero had descended upon the arena.
The ice pillars, half-melted by the Phonon Maser, instantly refroze.
Even the pillars on the opponent's side were reinforced.
'Just as Mahiro predicted.'
Shizuku wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Before the match began, Mahiro had already told her about Miyuki's signature magic.
But to be honest, neither the Glacial Age nor the Inferno and Neflheim were truly her strongest spells.
Having inherited both the bloodline and the title of Yotsuba Miya, her most formidable magic was Cocytus, capable of freezing even spirits and souls!
Her renowned Glacial Age was more like a derivative byproduct of Cocytus.
Although these two spells belonged to completely different categories by magical classification, in Mahiro's personal categorization system, they were the same, both belonging to the freezing-type magic.
'Then, Miyuki will definitely unleash the Inferno and Neflheim again!'
First came extreme heat, then extreme cold, followed again by extreme heat.
The hundreds-fold thermal expansion and contraction generated by instantaneous temperature shifts were enough to instantly shatter all the ice pillars.
So, Shizuku knew very well—whether she could win depended entirely on this next move!
Just as expected, the moment the Glacial Age ended, Miyuki pressed her CAD again, unleashing the Inferno and Nelfheim combo—this time with far greater intensity than before!
But the instant the magic circle appeared, Shizuku's left hand, clad in a CAD, reached into her right sleeve.
The hand that emerged held a specialized pistol-shaped CAD.
Aiming the barrel at the impending Inferno Nelfheim, she pulled the CAD's trigger with her left hand.
Click!
The sound of shattering glass echoed across the field.
The nearly completed Inferno Nelfheim was instantly erased.
"...That was Gram Dispersion?!!!"
Mayumi, watching the transmitted footage, slammed her hands on the table in shock.
Even Mari couldn't help muttering, "What kind of demonic realm is this…?"
They had thought this technique was something only Mahiro could use. Yet, Shizuku had mastered it too.
And most crucially—not a single spell either of them had used since the match began was below A-rank!
Since when had A-rank magic become so easy to master?
But the most stunned of all was Miyuki, their opponent.
Not only had Shizuku mastered dual-wielding CADs, but she could also cast Gram Dispersion—especially in that moment when she pulled the trigger, Miyuki felt as though the person standing there wasn't Shizuku.
But her cousin—Yotsuba Mahiro!
This realization left her momentarily dazed.
And the opening she inadvertently exposed was instantly seized by Shizuku.
"Phenon Maser"—activated again!
The ice pillars, frozen by the subzero temperatures of the Glacial Age, were already brittle just from exposure to room-temperature air. Under the summer sun's glare, they would crack even without any external force.
Let alone when struck by the intense resonance of "Phenon Maser."
The cracks on Miyuki's ice pillars rapidly expanded, and without exception, they shattered into pieces in an instant.
Flying shards of ice grazed Miyuki's pale, cold face, slowly bringing her back to her senses.
She gently touched the dampness on her cheek, staring at the melting ice crystals on her fingertips, her cherry lips trembling faintly.
As if in a trance, she murmured:
"...I lost."
The match was declared over.
...
"Mahiro-kun, I won!"
"Mm, congratulations, Shizuku. I saw it—it was a brilliant match."
Just as before the match began, Mahiro once again gently stroked Shizuku's hair.
Though the girl's expression remained blank, this time, her genuine happiness was unmistakable.
But then, Shizuku blinked her lead-gray eyes at him.
She took two deliberate steps back, putting distance between them.
"What's wrong?"
"I think you should go check on Miyuki. She seems... off." Shizuku stated in her usual monotone.
Yet.
Hearing this from her, he was genuinely surprised.
Who would've thought this seemingly emotionless girl had so keenly noticed Miyuki's distress?
....
By the time he found Miyuki, the evening sun had already begun to set.
The setting sun dyed the fiery clouds crimson at the horizon, its light streaming through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows and casting an orange-red hue over everything in the room.
Miyuki stood before the window, gazing absently at Mount Fuji bathed in the fading sunlight.
The snow on Mount Fuji glowed just like her fair skin tinged with pink.
"Congratulations on winning second place?"
"...Mahiro-nii, did you come specifically to tease Miyuki?" she said melancholically, still staring at the distant sky.
"Not at all."
Mahiro shrugged and walked over to stand beside Miyuki, joining her in admiring the evening sunset.
"I just came to check on my poor little sister Miyuki, to see if she was too devastated to recover. When I saw Tatsuya wasn't with you, I thought I'd offer some comfort."
"Is that so... But Miyuki thinks Mahiro-nii is being very mean."
Pouting slightly, Miyuki turned her head to look at him with a sulky expression. "Though Miyuki completely understands Mahiro-nii's actions, she still thinks you went too far."
First the multi-cast "Phonon Maser," then "Gram Dispersion," and that final strategy clearly showed all her moves had been anticipated by Shizuku.
"If you say Mahiro-nii wasn't involved in this, Miyuki would never believe it."
"Ahaha, you figured it out?"
Unless someone was a complete fool, there was no way they wouldn't notice.
And Miyuki clearly wasn't.
"But you can't blame me for this. You've been so distracted lately, Miyuki—even during the competition. I just borrowed Shizuku-chan to give you a little wake-up call."
"As a magician, being like this is very unprofessional."
Mahiro turned the tables, lecturing Miyuki instead.
But he wasn't wrong. Ever since Maya arrived, Miyuki hadn't been herself—
Against Gram Dispersion of Shizuku's level, Miyuki should have been able to handle it easily and quickly restore any disrupted spells.
Yet the result was completely different.
Perhaps after he left that day, Maya had said something to Miyuki that affected her like this.
Miyuki didn't argue either, just lowered her head slightly in acknowledgment.
"Mahiro-nii is right. Miyuki understands. It's just... Miyuki has been troubled by something recently."
"What's bothering you? Care to share? Let me have a laugh."
"No way."
Miyuki glared at him indignantly, but soon calmed down and turned her gaze back to the distant mountain.
"It's really nothing major, and Miyuki has already figured it out..."
"Mahiro-nii, can Miyuki lean on your chest? Like we used to."
Without a word, Mahiro silently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Miyuki rested her head against his chest.
Feeling that familiar warmth and the strong, steady heartbeat, Miyuki gradually relaxed and slowly closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Mahiro-nii... So warm."
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