"To the outstanding results we've achieved through everyone's hard work—cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
The clinking of glasses rang out crisply.
At night, while competitors from other schools were resting to prepare for upcoming matches, a certain room at First High School was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
Mahiro and Tatsuya sat on the only two chairs in the room.
Meanwhile, Azusa, Suzune, Mari, Shizuku, Honoka, Miyuki, and Mayumi—seven girls in total—were gathered on the two large beds.
After the third day of the Rookie Tournament, though First High only secured a championship in the girls' division "Mirage Bat" in the remaining two days, and the boys' division "Monolith Code" was eliminated in the semifinals, the school still held an unprecedented lead in total points.
Even if they failed to place in the next two days of official matches, First High's accumulated points would still be enough to claim the overall championship!
Thus, Mayumi decided to hold a small celebration in the room she shared with Mari—a way to make up for past regrets.
Originally, the guest list wasn't this small. Erika, Sayaka, and Mizuki had also been invited.
However, upon hearing it was a celebration for the competitors, Sayaka and Mizuki declined, citing their non-participation as the reason.
Erika was the only one who could have attended, but upon learning Mari would be there, she immediately refused as well.
No one knew what conflict existed between those two.
"Now, for the second toast, let's thank Mahiro-kun and Tatsuya-kun for their tremendous support in the Nine Schools Competition! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
Everyone clinked their glasses again.
Since they were all drinking juice—completely non-alcoholic—there was no issue no matter how much they drank.
"By the way, Mayumi, I heard the boys' team has completely lost morale because of their poor results. Is that true?" Mari suddenly asked.
"Ah, yes."
Just mentioning this made Mayumi sigh and rub her temples in frustration.
This year's Nine Schools Competition was completely different from last year.
Last year, the boys' division had performed exceptionally well, while the girls' division had been less impressive.
But this year, the situation was entirely reversed.
In the boys' division, aside from Mahiro securing two championships, the only other victory was Hattori Hanshou's win in "Speed Shooting."
As for the others, the best result was Kirihara Takeaki placing fourth.
The rest didn't even make it to the finals—especially the rookies, none of whom advanced beyond the semifinals.
Morale had taken a severe hit as a result.
Because of this, Juumonji Katsuto planned to put on a spectacular performance in the upcoming "Monolith Code" matches to lift the boys' spirits.
"I see... But Mayumi, won't Juumonji's actions just demoralize them even more?"
"After all, their failures aren't entirely their fault—the engineers share some responsibility too."
"Look, the two best technicians in this competition were both assigned to our girls' team."
Mari was, of course, referring to Mahiro and Tatsuya.
"Well..."
Mayumi's gaze wavered slightly.
As the saying goes, victory and defeat both hinge on the engineers.
It was true that in the events Tatsuya supported, the girls' division performed remarkably well.
As for Mahiro, his impact was even more absurd—he directly nominated three participants, and aside from Mari, who encountered an accident, the other two performed exceptionally, effortlessly securing two championships.
It was inevitable that such thoughts would arise.
"I think there's a problem with what you said, Watanabe-senpai," Mahiro suddenly spoke up.
Mari looked at him, puzzled. "What problem?"
Mahiro explained, "It's true that magic engineers can be part of the factors contributing to victory in the Nine Schools Competition, but they're definitely not the whole picture."
"After all, magic engineers aren't gods—we can't arbitrarily control the outcome of a match. All we do is work hard to bring out the competitors' potential, but in the end, it still depends on their own efforts."
"Not to mention Mayumi-senpai, just take the student I'm responsible for, Shizuku-san, as an example. It's precisely because Shizuku-san is already outstanding on her own that she can execute the tactics I designed for her."
This was indeed a fact, and everyone had to acknowledge it.
After all, whether it was the vibration-based magic similar to "Magic Bullet Shooter" in "Speed Shooting" or the Phonon Maser and Gram Dispersion used in Ice Pillar Break, none of them could be executed without immense computational power and psion reserves.
Not to mention operating two CADs simultaneously.
At this point, Mahiro spoke up again:
"If that explanation isn't enough, then let me use myself as an example."
"In the recent competition, not only did I have to adjust CADs and devise tactics for Mayumi-senpai, Shizuku-san, and you, Mari-senpai, but I also had to make adjustments for myself and comply with the Nine Schools Committee's unfair rules. And yet, didn't I still win two championships?"
"Or take Hanzo Hattori-senpai, for instance. Even though his engineering skills weren't particularly strong, didn't he overcome that and still win a championship?"
"So, if you're bad, just practice more. There's no need to emphasize external excuses. Losing is losing—trying to save face with forced justifications just looks pathetic."
His words were harsh and somewhat self-aggrandizing, but they were undoubtedly true.
Moreover, winning championships despite the committee's interference was indeed something worth boasting about.
If it were anyone else, they would have bragged about it to the heavens by now.
"That's right. What Mahiro-nii said is correct. If they don't put in enough effort themselves, even engineers like Onii-sama and Mahiro-nii won't be able to help them," Miyuki was the first to chime in.
And her assessment was even more cutting than Mahiro's.
Next was Suzune: "I also agree with Yotsuba-kun. The boys' division really should reflect on themselves instead of making excuses."
"U-um... I think so too," Azusa, exuding a small-animal-like aura, timidly raised her hand.
Shizuku also added, "Mahiro-kun is right—if you're bad, just practice more. Just like how the idiot Honoka, under Azusa-senpai's guidance for the Battle Board event, still managed to win a championship."
"Ehhh?! Why am I suddenly being brought into this?!"
The moment Shizuku turned the spotlight on her, Honoka couldn't help but blush and grip her cup tightly in embarrassment.
"Oh~ I didn't expect so many people to speak up for you."
Mari's tone was teasing as she glanced suggestively at the girls present.
Suzune and Azusa were out of the question—having worked with them for so long, she knew their personalities well.
As for Miyuki and Shizuku, though...
In the end, her gaze settled firmly on Shizuku.
"By the way, Kitayama-kouhai, I heard you've been trying to recruit Mahiro to be your personal engineer?"
"Yes, that's right." Shizuku admitted frankly. "At first, I did have that intention, but now it's fine even if he doesn't become my personal engineer."
Fortunately, this time she didn't use ambiguous phrasing to say something inappropriate.
"Oh? What do you say, Mahiro-kun?"
Mari teased, her dark golden eyes turning their gaze toward him.
Shizuku: "..."
Stare——
Shizuku's sharp gaze silently fixed on him as well.
Mahiro helplessly raised his hands in surrender. "Please spare me. I can't accept this."
"Can you tell me the reason?" Shizuku asked.
Although she had anticipated this outcome from the start, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"Ah, don't look at me like that. One reason should make it clear—what if one day I have to return to the Yotsuba main family?"
"Ah..."
Shizuku let out a small gasp.
Apart from the Shiba siblings, everyone else looked at him in surprise.
Mayumi was about to ask, "Is that even possible?" when she remembered that the Yotsuba family head had specifically come to the Nine Schools Competition to watch Mahiro's match, so she swallowed her words.
It really was a possibility.
"So you see, it's not that I don't want to accept, but that I can't."
If he really took on the role of Shizuku's personal engineer, Yotsuba Maya would probably use her connections to squeeze the Kitayama family dry immediately afterward.
He couldn't do something so cruel.
But that didn't mean he would let Mari off the hook for deliberately stirring things up.
"W-what...?"
His half-smiling, half-mocking stare made Mari feel uneasy.
"Nothing, I'm just curious about one thing. By the way, Watanabe-senpai, where's your boyfriend? Even though you got injured during the Nine Schools Competition, he didn't even come to check on you."
"Instead, you're always mooching food off me."
"Not very responsible, is it...?"
Mooching food was one thing, but she also acted like a glaringly bright third wheel every time.
Because of her, Sayaka would only discuss swordsmanship with Mari during the day, leaving him only brief moments of intimacy with Sayaka at night.
"Um... Mahiro, don't you know?"
"Know what?"
Faced with Mayumi's question, Mahiro looked at her in confusion.
"It's just... Mari doesn't have a boyfriend."
"Huh???"
Now it was Mahiro's turn to be shocked.
Mari doesn't have a boyfriend? Seriously?
But it was true.
There had been someone who pursued Mari in the past.
Back when she was training at the Chiba family dojo, she was pursued by Chiba Naotsugu, the second son of the Chiba family—Erika's older brother, known as the "Chiba family's prodigy."
But Mari rejected him at the time, leaving Chiba Naotsugu heartbroken and dejected.
And since Erika deeply admired her brothers, she began to hold a grudge against Mari.
...
...
...
The next day, the matches proceeded as scheduled.
With only two days left in the main competition, all the schools were giving it their all.
Although First High's overall victory was already assured, the other schools still poured their energy into the remaining matches.
All of them were striving for second place.
However, the first day's Mirage Bat event was won by Mari, marking a fitting conclusion to her three-year career.
Though not as breathtaking as flight magic, her compound spell of continuous movement and hardening—creating an ascending staircase of repeated jumps—was enough to astonish everyone.
Indeed.
This time, there was no interference from the No Head Dragon.
In the rookie competition, Tatsuya once again used flight magic for Miyuki.
The reason was that after Mahiro's comforting words that day, Miyuki seemed to have resolved something within herself and decided to compete at her full potential.
Thus, Miyuki employed the flight magic Tatsuya had recently invented, shocking all nine schools.
The subsequent Monolith Code event served as the perfect grand finale.
Juumonji Katsuto, leading Tatsumi Koutarou and Fubuki Hanzo, showcased exceptional tactics and magic that earned universal recognition.
Particularly his final battle against Ichijou Masaki from Third High could be called a textbook example of combat.
Unfortunately, Ichijou Masaki's air bullets met Juumonji Katsuto's Phalanx, and despite his utmost efforts, he couldn't secure victory.
Thus, he suffered a crushing defeat.
This marked the first myth of consecutive defeats among the Ten Master Clans—though all his opponents were also members of the Ten Master Clans.
Perhaps because this was an internal conflict within the Ten Master Clans, the elderly Kudou Retsu made a rare appearance in the special seating to watch the match.
After the event, Retsu seemed to notice a gaze from the audience below.
Slowly lowering his head, his eyes met Mahiro's.
"Old Man Kudou, as promised, I've come to see you."
After the Nine Schools Competition, Mahiro sought out Kudou Retsu as agreed to discuss the international criminal organization [No Head Dragon].
But this time was different.
Standing beside Kudou Retsu was a black-haired woman.
Dressed in a white formal gown, her tall and mature figure unmistakably identified her as Kudou Retsu's granddaughter and a lieutenant of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion—the "Electron Sorceress," Fujibayashi Kyouko.
"Hey~ Mahiro-chan, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Kyouko smiled sweetly and waved at him, greeting him naturally.
"Yes, Miss Fujibayashi. It's been three years since Okinawa," Mahiro replied composedly. "But if you're here, I suppose there's no need for me to repeat the details about [No Head Dragon], right?"
He shifted his gaze to the elderly man sipping tea across from him.
"Indeed. I'm already aware of the [No Head Dragon] situation, and the mole within the Nine Schools Competition's operating committee has been dealt with."
Under Mahiro's steady gaze, Kudou Retsu set down his teacup, his serene smile revealing neither joy nor sorrow.
"On behalf of the Nine Schools Competition's officials, I thank you for your assistance. And personally, I also wanted to meet you."
"Really?"
Mahiro smiled faintly. "I can believe the first part, but wanting to see me... such pleasantries are unnecessary, don't you think?"
He doubted this cunning old man would wait around just for idle chatter.
"Among all the people I know—and who know me—I suspect you, Old Man Kudou, are the least eager to see me outside the Fourth Research Institute."
"After all, the title [Taboo of the Fourth Research Institute] was bestowed upon me by you."
With those words, the air froze, thick with silence.
Fujibayashi Kyoko, who was attending to Kudou Retsu nearby, couldn't help but hold her breath.
She never expected Mahiro to show absolutely no respect to her grandfather...
"Heh, your tongue is as sharp as ever, young one." Retsu responded with a gentle smile as if he'd anticipated this, completely unfazed by the disrespectful remarks.
Mahiro felt like he'd just punched cotton.
This was the problem with these shameless old men - each one had thicker skin than the last.
With nothing else to do, he could only sigh helplessly and take his leave:
"If there's nothing else, I should return. The victory banquet for the Nine Schools Competition awaits me. Forgive me for not being able to continue this conversation."
With those words, Mahiro stood up and left.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Kudou Retsu watched Mahiro's retreating figure slowly, took a sip of his now-cold tea, and sighed inwardly.
This child harbored immense hostility toward him. Having a proper conversation was clearly impossible, and resorting to force was out of the question—no magic would have any effect on him.
Unless another method was employed, restraining this unleashed monster would be unfeasible.
"Grandfather, are you alright?"
"I'm fine... But, Kyoko, what do you think of this Yotsuba Mahiro?"
"Me?"
Kyoko froze for a moment, her lips parting slightly as her face instantly paled.
Others might not understand, but how could she not grasp the implication behind her grandfather's question? Yet she never expected him to drag her into this.
Unable to suppress a tremble in her voice, Kyoko whispered, "Grandfather, you mean..."
"You should know the purpose of the Ten Master Clans, correct? Beyond leading Japan's magical community forward, it's also to keep each family in check and prevent mages from spiraling out of control."
Kyoko remained silent. As Kudou Retsu's granddaughter, she understood the significance all too well.
"But in recent years, the Yotsuba have grown far too dominant. Whether it's Shiba Tatsuya and his sister Shiba Miyuki, or Yotsuba Mahiro, their very existence threatens to make the Yotsuba overwhelmingly powerful, gradually dismantling the framework of the Ten Master Clans."
"And among them, Yotsuba Mahiro is the most dangerous. No mage can match him—not even that girl from the Itsuwa family, nor even myself."
"So, when dealing with such a vicious beast, the only way is to find a way to shackle it with unbreakable chains and slowly tame it."
Kyoko fell silent.
She wanted to ask—couldn't someone else handle this?
Based on existing intel, Yotsuba branch family's Kuroba Ayako, Saegusa Mayumi of the Saegusa family, even Mibu Sayaka, daughter of the Foreign Ministry's Mibu Yuuzou—all held special feelings for him.
Yet, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
Truthfully, she wasn't young anymore—already 24. Her family had indeed been pressuring her about marriage.
And in the magical world's great families, there was no such thing as freedom in marriage.
But the problem was... being forced to marry a boy nearly eight years her junior left her utterly at a loss for what to do...
...
.....
....
However, as he prepared to return to the venue, just as he reached the garden near the courtyard, a tall, burly man blocked his path.
"Juumonji-senpai, is there something you need?"
"Yotsuba, lend me some time."
Juumonji Katsuto spoke plainly, as if he had been waiting for him for a while.
"Don't worry, I just want to talk. It'll be quick."
Perhaps sensing his wariness, Katsuto added this reassurance—though his stern, square face showed no trace of friendliness.
"What is it?"
Following Katsuto's lead, they arrived at a secluded corner deep within the garden courtyard.
Though quiet, it wasn't completely silent—likely due to an open window, as the faint strains of music from the banquet drifted in.
"Yotsuba, if I recall correctly, you were a discarded member of the Yotsuba main family, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
That had been the identity he initially crafted for himself.
A bearer of the Yotsuba name, yet not truly one of them.
On Yotsuba Maya's side, she seemed to accept this explanation and even actively covered for him.
"—That's good."
It was unclear whether this guy was gloating or something else.
After scrutinizing Mahiro with a serious gaze for a long time, he nodded expressionlessly.
"Then, as the assistant mage of the Juumonji family in the Ten Master Clans conference, I propose this:"
"Yotsuba, why don't you return to the Ten Master Clans?"
"Of course, not by returning to Yotsuba."
"Juumonji-senpai means... marriage into another family?"
"Yes, exactly. Let me think... How about Saegusa?"
Katsuto appeared to give it serious consideration, as if it were a genuine proposal. "She seems quite fond of you, Yotsuba."
The ambiguous relationship between Mayumi-senpai and him was something he was naturally aware of.
After that kiss in the reading room, when Mayumi made no attempt to distance herself, he already knew.
However.
This was the first time he realized that this tall, broad-shouldered man with thick eyebrows actually had such a scheming mind?
He was even arranging blind dates for him now.
Incredible, truly incredible.
What kind of matchmaking service from another world was this?
"Things like this... let's talk about them later."
In the end, he just tossed out this line without giving Juumonji Katsuto a prepared answer.
Or rather, he didn't owe anyone an explanation.
His path was his own to walk—no need for, nor tolerance of, anyone else meddling in his arrangements.
After enduring two rounds of mental torment from Kudou Retsu and Juumonji Katsuto, he had to admit he was feeling somewhat exhausted.
Still, he chose to return to the banquet hall.
The atmosphere in the grand hall was completely different from the tension of two weeks ago, now enveloped in a peaceful ambiance.
Since the competition was over, and they weren't mortal enemies fighting for their lives, there was no need to maintain that strained mood.
Though as youths, they couldn't completely let go of their attachment to victory or defeat.
After ten days of intense battles, most students experienced a psychological rebound from the excessive tension, becoming much more amicable.
The post-tournament evening party was still hosted by the event organizers, with students attending in their respective school uniforms as formal attire.
The girls also wore delicate chiffon skirts they seldom used otherwise.
They danced gracefully with their partners in the banquet's ballroom.
This was an old tradition of the Nine Schools Competition—perhaps a way to reconcile the students from different schools?
Yet the moment he entered, he became the center of attention at the banquet. Over the past two days since the competition ended, nearly everyone had been talking about him.
Naturally, girls came to invite him to dance.
But he politely declined them all, holding a drink in the corner as he tried to remain inconspicuous.
"Ah, what a hassle..."
"Is it? You're so popular though?"
Looking up, he saw Watanabe-senpai with her neat short hair, wearing a mischievous expression as if teasing him.
But he could only sigh helplessly.
"If possible, I'd like some peace and quiet for a while."
Too much had happened during the Nine Schools Competition—he desperately needed proper rest, preferably sleeping for days on end.
"Can't be helped! Who told you to stand out so much during the Nine Schools Competition? Competing as both a participant and an engineer, achieving remarkable results in both areas."
Mari covered her small mouth with one hand while patting his shoulder with the other.
"It's all because of you guys..."
Mahiro shot an exasperated glance at his senior, Mari.
He truly had no way to counter this woman's sarcastic remarks.
After all, she wasn't wrong.
Just then, he caught sight of several graceful figures approaching from the corner of his eye.
It was Miyuki, Shizuku, and Honoka, the three young ladies.
"Looks like the little princesses are here for you. I'll take my leave then."
Mari excused herself without waiting for a response. In her place, Miyuki stepped forward.
A jade-white hand extended toward him.
Tilting her head slightly, Miyuki smiled demurely. "Mahiro-nii, may I have this dance?"
Traditionally, the gentleman should invite the lady, but with Mahiro, the roles were completely reversed.
Yet how could he possibly refuse Miyuki's request?
"Of course, it would be my pleasure."
Mahiro placed one hand behind his back and, imitating a gentleman's manner, gently took Miyuki's hand with the other.
The two made their way to the center of the dance floor.
Miyuki's soft figure leaned against Mahiro as her slender, pale arms rested on his shoulders.
His hand naturally found its place around her delicate waist.
Their eyes met as they began moving gracefully to the gentle orchestral music, stepping in perfect harmony.
He had never received any aristocratic education, his movements were simply copied from memories of his past life.
Fortunately, he didn't make a fool of himself.
However, accepting Miyuki's invitation seemed to have opened the floodgates.
After finishing one dance, invitations came one after another.
Eventually, he only accepted requests from those he knew well, namely Honoka and Shizuku.
His dancing wasn't particularly refined, lacking the elegant nobility others displayed, merely technically correct.
After all, it was just imitated, so this was to be expected.
Shizuku even quietly remarked during their dance, "It's like dancing with a machine," in a tone that could be taken as either praise or criticism.
"You're the last person I want to hear that from," Mahiro countered in a hushed voice.
But the most exhausting dance was undoubtedly with Mayumi.
The saying that dance reveals one's personality was perfectly embodied by Mayumi.
It wasn't that she couldn't dance.
Her movements, paired with the background music, appeared extraordinarily elegant and beautiful.
The problem was that none of her steps matched the rhythm of the music, as if she was deliberately making it difficult for him.
Still as mischievous as ever.
By the time their song ended, Mahiro was thoroughly exhausted.
But he didn't rest. Instead, he walked straight up to another young woman and extended his hand.
"Might I have the honor of this dance, miss?"
"M-me?" Mari blinked in surprise, champagne glass in hand.
"Of course." Mahiro smiled elegantly, even using that expression to deliver an intentionally discordant challenge:
"Anyway, whether it's one sheep or a whole flock, it's all the same. Since I've already danced with so many people, one more with you, Watanabe-senpai, shouldn't matter... Or could it be that Watanabe-senpai doesn't know how to dance at all?"
"W-Who says I can't?!"
Faced with his provocation, Mari immediately set down her wine glass and placed her hand in his, storming off with him toward the dance floor as if out of sheer spite.
And now, the banquet had reached its final dance.
But just as he had suspected, Watanabe-senpai's dancing was indeed quite clumsy.
She often lost the rhythm.
Fortunately, thanks to Mayumi's earlier mischief, he had grown accustomed to adjusting to erratic dance partners.
Under his guidance, Mari gradually caught the rhythm and became more skilled.
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