by Sato Tsutomu
"Full marks."
Tatsuya nodded in satisfaction at Leo's answer.
"Generally, Counter Magic can be used to prevent the 'key' from activating, but even without that ability, Fortifying Magic is sufficient to prevent the monolith from opening. Strictly speaking, even if the monolith has been split, but if the two halves are still stuck together, this status can be maintained indefinitely. This way, because the monolith wasn't reattached after separation, this is not a violation of the rules."
Leo revealed a powerless expression swiftly followed by a suspicious glance towards Tatsuya.
"I really don't want to say this, Tatsuya, but isn't this the standard definition of 'trickery'......?"
Still, Tatsuya wasn't going to surrender to this level of sarcasm (even if it was only joking among friends).
"Leo and Erika say the exact same thing."
The first one to waver and shout out was Leo.
"Who do you take me for!"
"What are you talking about!"
Erika immediately set off a chain reaction.
"OK, OK, Erika-chan, relax a little. Leo-kun, please don't get too excited."
Thanks to Mizuki's intercession, the two of them avoided a head on conflict.
"......So I understand the 'key' portion. But how do we go about denying the enemy?"
Leo recovered his composure and asked a new question.
"Is kicking and punching off limits as well? I'm not exaggerating here, but long range magic is not my strong point."
"Then use this."
As he said this, Tatsuya pulled out that "sword".
"......Wait, I thought direct contact was forbidden?"
When Leo said this, Tatsuya handed him a thin little booklet.
"A manual?"
Why are you handing me this? Just as he was about to ask, Leo noticed a dog leaf on one of the pages and abandoned his question to flip open that page.
"Rules for Monolith Code, eh......?"
The printed rules for Monolith Code were all over the page, ranging from a simple explanation to newcomers without any preconceived notions to a more detailed play-by-play of an actual competition.
"It's enumerated here that attacks caused by objects under the effect of magic are not against the rules."
"So...... If an object is in flight due to magic...... Isn't that...... I got it."
The basic setup of this "sword" involved separating the blade in the middle, with half of the blade maintaining a set distance from the other half and flying through the air at will. From a magic systems perspective, it may be more appropriate to describe this as the blade extending through the air. From outward appearances, this was half of a broken sword flying to and fro through the sky. Since there was no physical connection between the two halves, this fulfilled the condition for "objects in flight due to magic".
"Tatsuya, did you create this thing because you knew about this ahead of time?"
At Leo's sincere query, Tatsuya could only chuckle wryly and shake his head.
"You overestimate me too much...... This was made purely on a whim. I'm not in the habit of creating malicious tricks day and night."
It seemed that neither Leo nor Erika was wholly satisfied with Tatsuya's explanation, but time was of the essence, so he chose to ignore it.
"This Weaponized Integrated CAD — 'Mini Communicator' has already been calibrated for Leo's personal use. I've already adjusted the variability of the distance and duration like we spoke of earlier, so don't mess up the controls."
"Eh? You mean we're doing a live test in combat!?"
"Everything tomorrow would be the same thing as live combat."
Tatsuya switched his tone and paused before adopting an enigmatic smile.
"Besides, I guarantee that this time it'll be far easier to use than last time."
"Fine, hopefully this won't be a problem."
Facing Tatsuya's evil smirk, Leo fearlessly took the "Mini Communicator" from him.
"Next is Mikihiko's role......"
"Yep, Tatsuya, what should I do?"
Mikihiko rose from the bed. Although he was initially indecisive, he was now very proactive, or maybe he was simply motivated now. Being roused to action was infinitely preferable to how he was before, but Tatsuya didn't touch on this and focused on his mission briefing.
"Guerrilla tactics will entail providing support to either the offense or the defense."
After delivering this simplistic answer, Tatsuya continued to ask.
"You are capable of other long range magic like the earlier lightning-based magic, correct?"
"Well, yeah......"
Mikihiko vaguely replied.
Families that had inherited Ancient Magic had a strong tendency to hide their own magic abilities.
In modern magic, thanks to the categorization and systems approach to magic, with a notable exception for a few BS Magicians, confidentiality has become a mere formality. However, due to the ingrained values system, this could still be seen at the subconscious level.
Nonetheless, they were headed into battle tomorrow, so if they couldn't be honest with one another now, they would be in dire straits.
"The destructive power for lightning magic is C-Rank, right?"
"......That's a magic that was only meant to disable the target, so it only rates as C-Rank. Since it hasn't been publicized yet, there is no actual record in the rankings."
"Unpublished, huh...... Wouldn't that be a huge problem if we used that tomorrow?"
"No...... There should be no problem. The theory behind it is not secret, but the Activation process is. If I avoid talismans and only use a CAD, we should be OK. ......Tatsuya."
"What's up?"
"Tatsuya...... You said this before, right? My...... The Yoshida Family's technique is too verbose, so I cannot wield magic in the way I desire."
"That is correct."
Erika stared at them with widened eyes. Next to her, Tatsuya decisively — more like ruthlessly — nodded.
Mizuki covered her mouth with both hands.
Even Leo was struck speechless.
The technique that the famous line of Ancient Magic users had laboriously developed over many generations had just been judged to be a "blemished product!" Without a certain degree of confidence, no one dared to make that assessment.
Otherwise, they were fools of the highest order that believed solely in the superiority of their own techniques.
Obviously, Tatsuya did not belong in the latter category.
"......Then Tatsuya, can you tell me a more efficient technique?"
"I won't tell you, I will configure one."
"......I'm sorry, the difference escapes me."
"The magic you used was likely a variant of 'Thunder Child'. What I can do is remove the unnecessary portions within the technique and reduce the number of computations while maintaining the phenomenon rewriting ability and alter the Activation Sequence to make that Magic Sequence possible, that's all. At the end of the day, this is still the magic that Mikihiko is comfortable with."
"......So you weren't joking when you said you can comprehend anything you see. It is a variant of 'Thunder Child'. In order to hide the weakness of the technique, additional layers were added on to disguise the original ability. However, this may tie into the unnecessary portions that Tatsuya spoke of."
"There was a time when longer casting times required certain defenses to avoid interference. Nevertheless, with the advent of CADs and the rise in casting speed for modern magic, individual counter spells have become obsolete since the magic that is being activated remains unknown. Thus, the real counter to modern magic doesn't lie in the type of magic, but counter magic that can eradicate its effectiveness in the first place."
Mikihiko made a small noise.
Amazingly, his smile was in no way self derogatory.
"Haha, so that's how it is...... Ancient Magic was supposed to possess superior firepower, but now they cannot stand against modern magic."
"That's incorrect, Mikihiko."
"Eh?"
"Ancient Magic and modern magic are not separated by superiority or inferiority, but by their individual strengths and weaknesses.
In a head-to-head match-up, modern magic commands a devastating advantage in casting speed, but from the perspective of surprise attacks, Ancient Magic boasts superior firepower and secrecy.
Didn't Elder Kudou also say this? The key is how you use magic. The reason I recommended you was because I thought that your magic would serve as an incredible ambushing tool."
"Ambushing tool, eh...... That's the first time I've heard of that."
Mikihiko closed his eyes and ruefully murmured. Afterwards, as if dispelling all his doubts, he opened his eyes again.
"I understand. I will use this technique without the talismans, so I'll rely on the CAD instead. Tatsuya, we'll go with your suggestion. I believe in you."
"Thanks, Mikihiko. Since you said that, there's one other thing I wanted to ask of you."
"Sure. This can't be helped, right? Not that I planned to keep it a secret anyway. My father was the one who brought me here, so even if our secret got out, it's not like they have the right to complain."
"Don't worry on that account, my lips are sealed."
"Ah~ ......Me too. I promise that I'll never let this spread."
"Likewise."
"I'm good for that too, as you know."
Besides Tatsuya, everyone present who had been silent until now affirmed their intent to keep his secret.
After viewing the last person (Erika) with considerable suspicion, logic finally trumped emotion as Mikihiko nodded towards Tatsuya.
"I'll keep this short. Can you use 'Visual Tuning'?"
Mikihiko replied after a short pause not because he was unwilling, but because he was totally shocked.
"......You know about that too? Did Kokonoe-sensei tell you that as well?"
"Maybe."
"......You certainly gave me a scare there, Tatsuya. Well, the answer is a definite yes. While I'm incapable of performing 'Five Sense Tuning', if it's only two at a time, I can still use 'Sense Tuning'."
"Visual is good enough, Mikihiko. In that case, our plan of attack is......"
Tatsuya didn't noticeably change his volume, but Mikihiko seemed to naturally crouch closer.
As promised, the calibration of Leo's CAD took less than an hour to finish.
After receiving his personal CAD and weaponized calculation device from Tatsuya, Leo opted to do some training to get used to the new model. Erika volunteered to be his sparring partner as they headed for the outdoor training facility.
The hour was late, but Erika said that with Leo around, nothing would happen to her or otherwise. So Tatsuya compromised.
Presently, Tatsuya was calibrating Mikihiko's CAD at lightning speed. Next to him, Azusa was staring at him in shock. As the user, Mikihiko was also present as he stared wide eyed at Tatsuya's unique calibration method and typing speed. Yet, the subject that astounded Azusa was not so superficial.
Right now, Tatsuya was assembling an Activation Sequence that took into account the traditional requirements for Ancient Magic and adapting them for use in modern magic. "Translating" the technique itself wasn't a particularly daunting task. Much like using a clumsy machine translation, awkward details and minor errors would be scattered all over the place.
Even Azusa was able to fix errors like those.
Yet the calibration being displayed before her eyes was nothing short of a complete rewriting of the Activation Sequence.
By fully comprehending the transformation process from Activation Sequence to Magic Sequence, he was rewriting the Activation Sequence without sacrificing any efficiency from the Magic Sequence.
The Activation Sequence is the blue print for the Magic Sequence. Rewriting the Activation Sequence implied that the Magic Sequence was also being rewritten. Not only did the magic have to be finely tuned to the individual Magician, the excess details in the Magic Sequence also had to be pruned to increase efficiency. That level of rewriting had long surpassed "revision" or "configuration" and had ascended to the realm of "innovation", which was the same thing as improving the very magic itself.
Before he began, Azusa honestly wondered whether this was even possible when she learned from Tatsuya what he was attempting to accomplish. Yet before Azusa's own eyes, he bypassed any experimental verification or live testing and proceeded directly to extracting the very essence of magic from the Activation Sequence and began cutting away at the unnecessary portions and redesigning the Activation Sequence. This was precisely what was unfolding on the editing machine.
Even Azusa, who had volunteered as Tatsuya's aide in place of the usual technician responsible for the Newcomers Division's Monolith Code event, felt powerless before this insane industry. Right now, the only thing she could do was examine the coding language for the freshly minted Activation Sequence as her gnawing doubts steadily solidified into conviction.
He — Shiba Tatsuya — had exceeded the standards of a high school Magic Artificer.
Scratch that, he had long since surpassed the boundaries of what it meant to be a Magic Artificer.
He must be—
Leaving Azusa milling in confusion behind him, Tatsuya used one full hour to completely rewrite Mikihiko's personal Activation Sequence.
Chapter 10
The fifth day of the Newcomers Division dawned with a bewildering atmosphere.
An unprecedented malicious act had occurred during Monolith Code yesterday, seriously injuring the players from First High to the point that they were unable to compete. Usually, the remaining two matches would end in their capitulation, but thanks to the board's intercession, a replacement team was allowed to compete on the following day.
Monolith Code used a variable rotation format with each school competing in four matches and the four schools with the most victories advancing to the elimination round.
In the event of a tie, totals were recalculated with uncontested victories excluded. In the event of a tie, there has been a precedent where two schools fought it out to determine who advanced. If there was no direct contest, then the school with the smaller amount of time needed for victory would advance.
The current standings were Third High with four victories, Eighth High with three, First, Second, and Ninth High each with two victories. Ninth High took less time to achieve two victories than Second High. One of First High's victories included Fourth High being disqualified, so they couldn't simply advance with two victories.
In today's special matches, if First High defeated Second and Eighth High, then the schools that advance would be First, Third, Eighth, and Ninth High.
If they beat Second High but lost to Eighth High, then First, Third, Eighth, and Ninth High would advance.
If they lost to Second High but were able to beat Eighth High, then First, Second, Third, and Eighth High would advance.
If they lost to both, then First High would not advance to the elimination round. Second, Third, Eighth, and Ninth High would advance instead.
...That was how this event was going to play out.
Regardless, if First High defeated Second High, then Second High would be eliminated rather than advancing without a win, hence Second High vigorously protested this arrangement. On the other hand, if they beat Eighth High and went easy on Second High, then the Nine Schools Competition would be accused of cutting inside deals.
"In other words, to please both sides, we just have to lose both matches..."
"If we're heading out, we're going out to win it. If we lose, then making the exception becomes pointless."
"Looks like I don't need to worry on that account."
The fact that First High's replacements were not registered players was the source of much confusion and gossip.
Rather than selecting their substitutes from the top ten representatives of their cohort, they went with a member of the technician team as well a
s two newly recruited members.
Some wondered, did First High hold back another expert on Monolith Code? In that case, why wasn't this person put forth as a starter for Monolith Code in the first place? Each of the schools was mystified by First High's intentions.
And now, the three of them who walked onto the arena only aroused more curiosity.
"...Don't you think we're a little too conspicuous?"
Mikihiko seemed unable to settle down. Hearing this, Tatsuya resolutely curtailed his words.
"It is only natural for players on the field to draw the eyes of the spectators."
"Well, that's not what I'm talking about..."
Mikihiko shook his head at Tatsuya pretending to be ignorant, despite knowing full well what he was talking about and cautiously peered at Leo.
"That's really eye-catching..."
Leo knew what that look implied and dropped his own gaze to waist level.
The ruckus from the stands vindicated Leo's suspicion. (That being said, it's not like they could tell what was being said.)
Their protective gear and helmets were the same as the other schools.
"A sword? Isn't direct contact against the rules?"
But the presence of the Mini Communicator threw the crowd into an uproar.
Leo's "sword" was actually a Weaponized-Integrated CAD. However, less than 10% of the crowd was actually able to discern that detail. Very few people, even among the players and engineers, knew of the existence of Weaponized-Integrated CADs, which was hardly surprising in and of itself.
In addition, magic written into the Weaponized-Integrated CAD usually involved buffing its martial ability — the "weapon's" ability. "Blades" usually improved cutting power. "Spears" buffed their piercing force. "Rods" strengthened their striking power. "Shields" empowered their defensive abilities.
Take "Sonic Blade" for an example, some of the options include "Speed Boost", "Penetration Boost", "Fortify", "Reflect", but all of these were used to raise (the original weapon's) martial nature and incorporated into the Weaponized-Integrated CAD.