"Is that so."
Mahiro finally understood why Mayumi had said she struggled to deal with Mio—because she lacked the power to oppose a marriage arranged by the Ten Master Clans.
Had he not appeared, giving the Saegusa family another option, she might have ultimately been forced to marry Itsuwa Hirofumi.
"In that case, what does Uncle Kouichi think?" Mahiro slowly turned his gaze toward the Saegusa family head, who had been silently observing the drama unfold.
"Though Mahiro was abandoned by Yotsuba Maya and expelled from the Yotsuba main family, I greatly admire his talents. Therefore, this matter depends entirely on Mayumi's personal wishes—I won't interfere," Kouichi declared.
Truly a crafty old fox.
Not only had he neatly extricated himself from the situation, but he was also playing both sides, trying to have his cake and eat it too.
What a greedy move.
"Honestly, Kasumi would love to marry Mahiro-nii!" Kasumi raised her hand excitedly.
"Izumi... Izumi wouldn't mind either."
"Heh, see how much Kasumi-chan and Izumi-chan adore you, Mahiro-kun? You should be considering their feelings instead. Not every girl would be this accommodating."
Mio forced a smile, though bitterness lingered beneath.
Was her younger brother truly so inferior? Why was the difference in attitude from the Saegusa sisters so stark?
Mayumi promptly smacked both girls on the head and scolded them fiercely: "You two are still in middle school! Marriage is far too early for you—wait until high school at the very least!"
"But... Father also arranged for you to meet Hirofumi-niisan when you were in your third year of middle school," Izumi covered her head and complained to her sister with a pout.
Watching this spectacular family drama unfold, Mahiro finally uttered words that left everyone utterly stunned—
"Since both Kasumi and Izumi like me so much, I don't mind taking them all! Whether it's Mayumi-senpai, Kasumi, or Izumi, I'll marry them all!"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Everyone looked at Mahiro with astonishment.
Even Kouichi stared at him in particular surprise.
While he did have such intentions—after all, Mahiro's magical power was unimaginably strong, not to mention he had helped optimize the Saegusa family's secret techniques to the point where even his two younger daughters could now use them independently—he never expected to hear Mahiro say such words outright.
While Mayumi stared at him in a daze, the twin sisters had already begun cheering with joy.
They didn't care about sharing a husband; what mattered more to them was whether they could stay together as sisters, whether their older sister could be happy, and whether they could marry someone they loved.
After all, in magician families, polygamy was far from uncommon.
At this moment, Itsuwa Mio's expression darkened.
While Hirofumi was indeed slightly inferior to Ichijou Masaki and Juumonji Katsuto, among the younger generation of the Ten Master Clans, he certainly wasn't the worst!
Why didn't the three Saegusa sisters even spare a glance for her younger brother?
Even if marriages in magical families were like transactions, the Itsuwa family's name alone—along with her own title as a Strategic-Class Magician—should have been more than enough bargaining power!
"Nee-san... that's enough, let's go back," Hiroshi pleaded.
"Hirofumi, our Itsuwa family was the first to discuss an arranged marriage with the Saegusa family. As a man, you shouldn't give up—you should fight to win back the woman you love."
Mio clearly remembered that Mayumi and Hirofumi had gotten along very well as children. How could she possibly be unwilling to marry him?
So it was all this boy's fault—he was the one who ruined the relationship between her brother and Mayumi.
"Sorry, Nee-san, I really can't do it."
He had no romantic feelings for Mayumi whatsoever and actually thought it would be better to part ways sooner rather than later. He just hadn't dared to say it before because of his sister's enthusiasm.
"Hmph! If you don't have the courage, then I'll step in for you." Mio wheeled her chair up to Mahiro, locking eyes with him fiercely. "Mahiro-kun, I want you to give up on Mayumi!"
"On what grounds? Are you joking?" Mahiro nearly laughed out loud. Was this woman seriously so unreasonable?
"On the grounds that I'm one of the Thirteen Apostles. Since you dare to compete with our Itsuwa family for a bride... are you prepared to bear the consequences of our family's wrath?" This seemingly frail woman suddenly erupted with astonishing intensity.
"Ugh, Mio-nee, how can you be so unreasonable..." Mayumi pouted, muttering under her breath as if venting her frustration.
Itsuwa Mio's cheeks flushed slightly—a rare sight—but for her brother's happiness, she decided to throw caution to the wind.
"Little brat, stop talking nonsense. Your big sister is very reasonable, you know? Fine, how about this? Let him have a match with me. If his abilities earn my approval, I'll back off and take Hirofumi away!"
Mayumi was dumbfounded. Mio-nee was being shameless beyond belief.
"Seriously? You, a full-fledged Strategic-Class Magician, one of the Thirteen Apostles, challenging a high schooler to a magic duel... Aren't you afraid people will laugh themselves to death if word gets out?"
"Aren't you just bullying an honest person here?!"
Mahiro couldn't hold back anymore.
This was like a top-tier pro gamer going to an internet café to PK random casual players.
Are you shameless or what?
"W-what, scared? If you are, then just give up on Mayumi. After all... without my approval, our Itsuwa family won't back down!"
Mio turned her face away, speaking in a small, embarrassed voice.
She had completely abandoned any pretense of dignity.
Who cared what others thought? Securing her brother's happiness came first!
A brother-obsessed woman was truly terrifying...
Meanwhile, Kouichi was also quite intrigued by this duel.
From what he knew, Mahiro was proficient in various A-rank spells, even modifying them, and could wield Maya's Meteor Stream.
As for Itsuwa Mio, aside from her expertise in the Strategic-Class Magic "Abyss," she was also an outstanding A-rank mage.
So, Kouichi was curious—just how big was the gap between Mahiro and a Strategic-Class Mage?
"Mahiro-kun, don't take Mio-nee's challenge. You're no match for her," Mayumi quickly grabbed Mahiro's arm, trying to dissuade him.
In her eyes, Itsuwa Mio was a long-renowned member of the Thirteen Apostles. The wheelchair wasn't because she was disabled—it was to conserve her stamina!
Her magical power was downright terrifying.
No matter how strong Mahiro was, as a high schooler, he lacked experience. How could he possibly stand a chance against Mio-nee?
But Mahiro simply smiled. "Since Miss Itsuwa has gone this far, refusing would make me less of a man. A duel? Bring it on."
Opportunities to learn Strategic-Class Magic were rare. For both personal and practical reasons, he couldn't back down now.
When he accepted, Mio was momentarily stunned, her gaze softening with a hint of approval.
She had expected him to retreat in the face of difficulty, but instead, he charged forward.
At the very least, this alone proved he was far stronger than her brother. No wonder Mayumi had taken a liking to this boy.
If she were ten years younger, even she might not have been able to resist such a man.
Beside them, Itsuwa Hirofumi was completely speechless.
His sister fighting for his happiness... More than embarrassment, he was worried about Mio's health.
Using Strategic-Class Magic placed an immense burden on the body!
Soon, under Kouichi's lead, the group arrived at one of the training grounds in the Saegusa family's backyard—
A sandy field.
Since the Saegusa family's magic wasn't restricted by terrain, this was how it was set up.
However, this kind of venue suited Itsuwa Mio perfectly, especially with the flowing sand beneath her feet.
"Mio, though you're already an excellent magician, I must remind you that neither disabling nor lethal magic is allowed in this duel. You must know when to stop, or I'll intervene," Kouichi cautioned before the match began.
"Alright, Uncle Kouichi, I'll know when to stop," Mio waved her hand dismissively, using movement magic to transport herself and her wheelchair to the center of the arena.
She faced Mahiro from ten meters away, both preparing their magic as they sized each other up.
Thick psion light nearly materialized around Mio's body, a testament to her formidable magical power.
It was just a pity her physical body was so frail.
To avoid overexerting herself, determination hardened in Mio's eyes.
'Sorry, little Mahiro, but I'll have to end this quickly!'
She gripped her specialized CAD, which resembled a tablet.
Her skills were already formidable, but with this specialized CAD, even high-level magic could be cast within a second.
With prior preparation, simpler spells could be cast almost instantaneously!
"Begin!"
At Kouichi's announcement, magic erupted from both sides simultaneously.
"Turbid Seaflow!"
With an elegant forward gesture, Mio completed her magic sequence instantly.
The sand beneath her feet whirled upward as gales gathered the grains into several tornadoes that merged together, surging forward like a raging tide.
Much like the Saegusa family's Magic Bullet Shooter.
But this was even more ferocious—gaining mass and speed as it advanced until it transformed into a turbid sandstorm assaulting Mahiro!
Originally a composite magic of gravity and aggregation systems, Turbid Seaflow was derived from the strategic-class magic Abyss, designed to reach maximum power only on water surfaces.
But coincidentally, the arena was sandy.
Though not as fluid as liquid, it was more than sufficient for teaching someone a lesson.
Seeing the approaching sandstorm, the three Saegusa sisters immediately covered their mouths with their sleeves.
Even from over twenty meters away, they could clearly feel the dust and sand particles swirling—how much worse must it be for Mahiro at the center of the storm?
Mayumi's eyes filled with concern.
"Phalanx!"
Boom!
The ground trembled as Mahiro extended a single hand forward. A sudden air barrier materialized, blocking the raging sandstorm completely, diverting the turbid currents to either side of him.
Like a massive reef splitting a tidal wave in two.
As the Ten Master Clans' strongest defensive magic, not even Mist Dispersion could breach it—stopping a mere sandstorm was effortless.
'As I thought... Mahiro-kun has learned the Ten Master Clans' magic...'
Mayumi's heart skipped a beat seeing the colorful barrier repel the sandflow.
Meanwhile, Kouichi's lips curled into an unnatural smile.
What terrifying talent this was—absolutely perfect!
If these genes were combined with the Saegusa bloodline... He didn't even dare imagine what kind of prodigious offspring might result.
It made him even more curious—how had Yotsuba Maya, who'd lost her fertility, managed to nurture such a powerful descendant?
On the field, the stalemate between the two continued unabated.
But compared to Yotsuba Mahiro, who remained composed, Mio on the opposite side already had beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
It wasn't that her magical power was exhausted—her body simply couldn't keep up.
"Gram Dispersion!"
A flash of psion light cut through the dust.
Immediately afterward, the sand that had been under Mio's control scattered, falling from the sky like ordinary grains, as if a sandstorm had erupted!
Yet, in that very instant, three dry ice bullets suddenly materialized behind Mio, hurtling toward her at breakneck speed!
"That's... Magic Bullet Shooter?!"
Mio was utterly shocked.
She hastily manipulated her CAD to activate a movement-type spell, narrowly dodging the dry ice bullets.
Her delicate face was now etched with seriousness.
She had assumed the match was already decided with that one move—forcing the boy to surrender while leaving him covered in dust. But she never expected him to wield the strongest defensive magic of the Juumonji family!
Not only that, he could even expertly utilize the Saegusa family's Magic Bullet Shooter!
No wonder Uncle Kouichi approved of Mayumi's relationship with him. Talent like this was something even the Itsuwa family, struggling to stand on its own, desperately craved!
"In that case... don't blame me for what comes next."
Mio's eyes sharpened as she activated her CAD, her fingertips lightly brushing the tablet as if pulling countless data chains from it, connecting them to the earth.
'Oh-ho, is it finally coming?'
Seeing Mio's actions, Mahiro's excitement reached its peak.
Defeating this woman would have been simple—he could have done it in that earlier moment.
This was the flaw of strategic-class magicians: fixated on overwhelming magic, they often forgot their own fragility.
Monsters like Tatsuya, who were all-around powerhouses, were exceedingly rare.
But he also wanted to witness the Itsuwa family's strategic-class magic firsthand. Rumor had it that it was an absolutely invincible spell on the open seas—
"Abyss"
!!!
Boom—!
The earth trembled.
The training ground beneath Mahiro's feet shook violently, as if struck by a magnitude 7 or 8 earthquake!
The reinforced practice field instantly split open with massive fissures, from which torrents of sand erupted.
Though there was no seawater, a strategic-class magic was hardly so limited!
Just like turbid currents, it could still be unleashed through flowing sand!
Amid the violent tremors, the earth began to sink.
"It's here?"
Mahiro looked around in exhilaration, his excitement mirroring the moment three years ago when he witnessed Tatsuya wield "Material Burst."
He allowed the yellow sand to swallow his legs.
He allowed the earth to sink around him, enveloping him like a pit.
"Mio-nee, stop! You're breaking the rules!!!" Mayumi cried out, trying to rush forward, but the swirling sand made it impossible to move.
She never imagined Mio would go this far in a mere sparring match.
Was she really so desperate to push her and Hirofumi together?!
Mayumi turned to her father for help.
But all she saw was Kouichi... smiling.
Not just a faint smile, but an expression she had never seen before.
His gaze remained fixed on the training field, with no intention of intervening.
"Nee-san, what do we do...? Mahiro-nii... he won't die, right?"
Kasumi and Izumi tugged at Mayumi's sleeves, their faces filled with worry as they looked up at her.
Not even Mayumi had witnessed such a spectacle before, let alone the two middle schoolers.
"Give up, Mahiro-kun. You've already lost!"
Mio spoke gravely, still maintaining the abyss that had now formed a thirty-meter-deep hemispherical pit.
At this moment, if she released the spell, Mahiro would instantly be buried under thirty meters of sand and dust.
Survival would be absolutely impossible!
"Give up? Isn't that a bit premature? Miss Itsuwa, your family's strategic-class magic seems rather underwhelming." Mahiro's voice echoed from within the pit.
"Stop bluffing!"
"I won't say it again—surrender now, or you'll really die!"
Mio's shout wasn't an empty threat. Sweat already beaded on her forehead, and her hands trembled slightly as she manipulated her CAD.
She could unleash strategic-class magic, but her body simply couldn't sustain prolonged control.
Pushing herself this far was nothing short of a gamble!
"Oh? This is supposed to kill me?"
Mahiro glanced at the swirling sand around him and smirked.
Seriously? This is the Abyss? It looked just like the Alchemist's ultimate skill from Chaos of the Three Kingdoms—nowhere near the destructive power of Tatsuya's Material Burst.
In just this short time, he'd already thought of at least ten ways to counter it.
He could freeze everything with Mist Dispersion, overwhelming her magic power to suppress it completely.
Or simply fly out with flight magic.
Or even construct a staircase using the Juumonji-style Phalanx and walk his way up.
But among all those options, he'd thought of something far more entertaining—
Mahiro stretched his hand toward the shifting sands beneath his feet, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"Spell Reversal—Counter Demon Slayer."
A violent surge of psions erupted outward from his position.
This was a technique he'd devised himself.
Fundamentally, it followed the same principle as Yoruichi's Counter Demon Slayer from Bleach—observing the opponent's spell and reversing its output.
But this wasn't the Soul Society. There was no mutual cancellation here—instead, it produced a spell with the exact opposite effect.
What happens when a machine spinning forward suddenly reverses?
It tears itself apart.
And the result of that tearing was—
Magic going berserk!
"Y-You lunatic! What the hell did you just do?! Stop it—now!"
Mio screamed, drenched in sweat.
Her hands shook uncontrollably. She could feel it—her Abyss magic was spiraling out of control. The very sands she commanded were slipping from her grasp!
Her authority over the spell was being stolen from her!
"No way. Watch closely—this is how you break the Abyss."
The moment his voice echoed from the pit, the magic erupted.
Tons—dozens of tons—of sand surged toward the center in an instant!
"Aaaah—!!"
Mio let out a bloodcurdling shriek as the backlash of psions nearly killed her on the spot.
Then, something no one expected happened.
The surging sands—reversed.
Like an inverted Abyss, the ground swelled into dunes before a massive pillar of sand erupted skyward!
And standing atop that pillar was Mahiro.
The wind whipped through his disheveled hair as he gazed down at Mio and asked softly:
"How's this for a move?"
"...I concede."
Mio bowed her head deeply, her earlier elegance gone, her voice weak.
"The Itsuwa family will honor our agreement... We won't interfere between you and Mayumi anymore..."
"I'm sorry, Hirofumi... Big sister failed you. Now you can't marry Mayumi."
"Don't worry about it, sis. It's fine. Mayumi never liked me anyway. Even if we were forced to marry, neither of us would be happy."
Witnessing his sister suffer such a heavy blow, Itsuwa Hirofumi was filled with guilt.
This match must have hurt her deeply...
His always outstanding sister had tasted defeat for the first time—and at the hands of a high school student ten years her junior.
If only he had firmly refused his sister's request, this whole incident could have been avoided.
"I see." Mio gazed with complex emotions at the boy who had already returned to the ground and restored everything to its original state.
She didn't understand—if he was this strong, why had Yotsuba Maya driven him out of the Yotsuba main family?
With this level of power... he could easily establish a new Yotsuba family right here and now, couldn't he?
"Hirofumi, let's go."
Mio shook her head. These matters were no longer for her to consider.
After Hirofumi bid farewell to Saegusa Kouichi, he pushed the wheelchair and left the Saegusa residence with his sister.
"Mahiro-kun!"
After the siblings departed, Mayumi rushed over excitedly, patting his shoulder. "As expected of you, Mahiro-kun! You even managed to break through Mio-nee's Abyss!"
"Mahiro-nii, can you tell Izumi how you did it?"
"Kasumi wants to know too!"
After this battle, the Saegusa twins seemed to have transformed into adoring fans, circling around him with sparkling eyes full of admiration.
After all, that was a Strategic-Class Magician!
Officially, there are only thirteen, but in reality, no more than fifty Strategic-Class Magicians in the world!
"Haha, it's nothing special, just some clever tricks... Huh?"
Mahiro chuckled, but halfway through his sentence, a sudden wave of intense dizziness overwhelmed him.
The next moment, his vision blurred, and he lost control of his body, collapsing forward.
Straight into Mayumi's delicate embrace.
"M-Mahiro-kun?"
Feeling him suddenly pressed against her chest, Mayumi froze in flustered panic, her face turning bright red.
But when she noticed the spiraling circles in his eyes, she realized something was wrong.
Something's happened!
"Mahiro-kun, what's wrong?! Don't scare me like this!"
Mayumi panicked.
Thinking he had suffered severe injuries, her face turned ashen, her voice and expression utterly distraught.
She clutched his head tightly, not even caring that his face was buried in her chest!
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