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Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 04 - Nine Schools Competition (II)

Page 20

by Sato Tsutomu


  "In this state, Miki has nothing to fear from Third High! Go get them!"

  "My name is Mikihiko!"

  Erika suddenly reverted to her usual state and departed without a reply. Mikihiko finally relaxed as he called out his usual response to her retreating back.

  Exactly why he did so or what he was concerned about did not cross Mikihiko's mind.

  ◇◇◇

  Tatsuya, who should be stuck with his sister like glue (that was only the wild mass guessing from their teammates), was summoned to the entrance of the grounds shortly after the two departed.

  "Ono-sensei, thank you for your hard work."

  Haruka was the one who called him out here.

  "Hey, saying thank you for your hard work to an elder...... You're aware of what you're saying, right?"

  At Tatsuya's mischievous smirk, Haruka's shoulders drooped helplessly.

  "......I guess that's what my position has turned into...... A supporting actor whose secrets have been exposed, only to be buried within the 'ignorant masses'......"

  "What are you talking about. You're spouting nonsense."

  "No worries. I'm a nonsensical woman anyway."

  "......I think it's about time you returned what I placed in your keeping. I don't have much time."

  Seeing Tatsuya reach out a hand, Haruka playfully sighed.

  Even if she didn't say it, her expression clearly said: "Can't you cooperate a little." Despite this, she understood that time was of the essence, so she obediently handed the electric carrier (carry-on baggage with electric wheels attached to facilitate movement) over to Tatsuya.

  "Seriously...... I really wish someone would actually reward me a little. I'm a life counselor, not an errand boy."

  "Our sensei was the one who asked Ono-sensei to do this, not me. Still...... Let me think for a moment. If you're unhappy with these trivial tasks, allow me to ask you something more in line with your actual job."

  "No, it's not like I wanted an actual task."

  "It's tax-free income...... You really don't want it?"

  Haruka's eyes sparkled with an easily understood wavering.

  ......Is this sort of kind disposition (and not "personality") truly suited for intelligence work? Tatsuya watched her in a taunting manner.

  He didn't have to wait very long.

  "......I give up. It's our duty to assist students deviating from the right path. This isn't the time to say I'm off duty or I haven't got the time."

  So, she was looking for an excuse to make this easier on herself, Tatsuya thought.

  However—

  "Alas, that's not the task I had in mind. I'm referring to your other line of work."

  "......What exactly do you want me to do?"

  Haruka was immediately on high alert.

  Is it really alright for her to be this transparent? This time, Tatsuya was seriously concerned.

  Forget it, even if she messed up by feigning silliness and punished with "this" and "that", those were not related to him in any way.

  "No Head Dragon...... I want to know the current HQ for the Hong Kong International Criminal Organization 'No Head Dragon'."

  Haruka frantically glanced around them and closed in on Tatsuya as if she was going to hug him.

  "How do you know about No Head Dragon!?"

  While her tone was agitated, Haruka didn't forget to lower her volume as she asked him. Still, even if she asked, this wasn't a question he could answer. Tatsuya's relationship with Kazama and the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion was still classified. That was a direct order from their aunt, the current head of the Yotsuba Family. Even if he answered with something like "I heard it from somewhere else", there was no guarantee that some trace of this relationship could not be exposed.

  "It's only natural that I would investigate the culprits intending to do me harm."

  Hence Tatsuya chose this vague answer that could be applied towards anything. Nevertheless, Haruka correctly interpreted this to mean the recent obstructions in the Nine Schools Competition.

  "......What devilry are you up to now? 'Public Safety' and 'Internal Affairs' have both been mobilized for this case. There's no need for Shiba-kun to act on this!"

  Haruka was still whispering. From their posture, any bystander would mistake this for a troublesome relationship.

  Miyuki posed no difficulty, so long as Honoka, Shizuku, or any of the others didn't see them, Tatsuya thought.

  "Currently, there are no wheels in motion. Still, if retaliation becomes necessary, but the enemy's location remains unknown, that would be a little troubling. ......Speaking of which, I think our current proximity may cause some misunderstanding."

  Haruka quickly jerked back.

  Maybe this came from an elder's pride, but she was using a placating smile to cover her internal discomfiture.

  It's about time to seriously advise her to abandon the intelligence work, Tatsuya thought.

  ......That being said, he never thought of retracting his request.

  "......Insurance, is it?"

  "That interpretation would be acceptable."

  After carefully examining him, she swiftly nodded.

  "......Understood. Give me one day."

  "Impressive! You only need one day?"

  This was pure, worry-free praise.

  Haruka was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve and could only smile in embarrassment.

  ◇◇◇

  As Tatsuya dragged the electric carrier back to the pavilion, the students on duty all gazed at him with interest. Completely ignoring the fact that he was the center of attention, Tatsuya retrieved something from the bag.

  "......Wind breakers?"

  Mayumi approached Tatsuya with nary a thought and asked as she examined the object in his hands.

  "No, these are mantles."

  Tatsuya raised the black fabric and unfurled them.

  It was a Western mantle that would extend to the floor even on someone of his height.

  "Those too?"

  "Those are robes."

  After depositing the black mantle on the table, this time he pulled out a gray fabric. This one was a long robe with a hood attached.

  "What...... exactly are you going to do with these?"

  There were "?" marks floating all over the pavilion. Only Miyuki could tell at first glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

  "That's for the match. Thankfully, they made it in time."

  "Onii-sama, wouldn't that be against the rules?"

  Setting aside the completely confused Mayumi and the others, Miyuki asked Tatsuya with a degree of seriousness.

  "I don't believe there will be a problem since we handed in the CADs in time. The rule book didn't say that we are forbidden from wearing uniforms inscribed with magic themselves."

  Hearing his answer to Miyuki, the number of "?" marks on Mayumi's head increased by one as she asked Tatsuya.

  "Magic inscriptions?"

  "Correct. This is done by combining the principle of Engraving Magic with the mediums from Ancient Magic. The mantle and robe include enchantments that facilitate the user using magic."

  "Supplementary effects...... There should be no problem if no specific technique was incorporated within......"

  Feeling Mayumi's gaze, Suzune nodded as she replied.

  "There is no violation here. Specifically, there isn't a rule for something that complex."

  "If there is a problem, we can just abandon them. It's not like we cannot give battle without them."

  Mayumi slightly creased her eyebrows as Tatsuya turned around.

  "Hey, Tatsuya-kun."

  Her anxiety far outweighed the unease in her voice.

  "Since we're still in the competition, everyone has kept a lid on the celebratory mood. The moment we advanced to the finals, our victory in the Newcomers Division was already assured. So please, don't push yourself too much!"

  "Understood."

  Even without her saying so, Tatsuya had
already largely given up on this match.

  —Because at this time, we haven't......

  After leaving the examination of the mantles and robes to Isori (the Isori Family were renowned for their expertise in Engraving Magic, not that Isori himself hid his personal interest either), Tatsuya left the pavilion to relax himself.

  When he was appointed as one of the substitutes, the mission he received from Mayumi was to clinch First High's victory in the Newcomers Division.

  The moment they advanced to the finals of Monolith Code — in other words, right now, Tatsuya had already accomplished his objective.

  He was carefully warming up to prevent injury during the match.

  Bruises or scratches were meaningless to him, but if there was a major fracture or artery being severed, he had to take precautions against his classified abilities automatically activating.

  Even if he could voluntarily halt the process, whether he could do so in time was another story. His personal restoration ability would immediately complete the repair processes in the blink of an eye.

  The Nine Schools Competition was being recorded. Even if no one could consciously catch the instant this occurred, future playbacks could still capture the moment.

  As if reminding himself all over again, he continued to work through his exercises. During this, Miyuki also left the pavilion, but seeing as she wasn't on urgent business, Tatsuya allowed himself to finish his calisthenics.

  "Onii-sama, please take this towel."

  She handed him a sublimely wet and cold towel.

  Miyuki had been standing for a considerable amount of time in the blazing summer heat, yet the towel felt as if it was freshly removed from the icebox...... Upon learning that this was her area of expertise, this fact was no longer surprising.

  By paying attention to all the minute details, she was certainly a sister who pampered him, Tatsuya thought.

  In normal circumstances, hordes of men would undoubtedly pursue her at the cost of their lives.

  No, even in the present, his sister was still probably capable of sending men to their doom with a word. Even setting himself aside, though he would probably be the first man into the breach, Tatsuya felt a slight chill as he considered his sister's future.

  "Onii-sama, is there something on my face?"

  Even though she didn't seriously believe that something was on her face, Miyuki had no other way of interrogating her brother who was watching her with an indecipherable expression.

  —Tatsuya didn't answer. Answering would only muddy the issue.

  "Onii-sama......"

  At Tatsuya muddling through the question, Miyuki didn't press onward.

  "......It's almost time for the finals. Our next opponent will be a difficult one......"

  "......Indeed."

  Bluffing was irrelevant at this point.

  Even if this wasn't a competition and live battle instead, with both sides going all out without restrains, Tatsuya had no confidence that he could "triumph" over the two of them at the same time, nay even if he was against Ichijou Masaki alone.

  "Under a state of restricted power and ability ...... for one who belongs to the side that restricts such as myself, to go and say such a thing is illogical, and may arouse your displeasure, but......"

  Miyuki hesitated briefly as she slowly drooped her head, losing her nerve to speak each time.

  Then, she resolutely raised her head and shyly declared.

  "......Even so, I have faith that Onii-sama will not lose to anyone!"

  Without waiting for Tatsuya's reply, she turned back to the pavilion with the lightness of a sparrow. Watching his sister's departing figure, Tatsuya stood there for some time.

  (Seriously, as you will......)

  As Miyuki herself said, she was one of the key cogs within the system that limited Tatsuya's abilities.

  One of the key reasons behind why he was unable to use his true strength to display his indomitable might was undoubtedly Miyuki.

  That being said, Tatsuya didn't believe — that Miyuki was so willful.

  Faith that he would not lose to anyone was the hope of she who wished of him to remain unbeatable.

  Tatsuya's intellect was not mature enough to completely understand the subtleties behind this.

  Yet, Tatsuya could understand these feelings.

  Maybe he should say he was able to understand it only because Miyuki was the one who made the wish of him.

  This was not someone giving orders or instructions, but a mental characteristic that was naturally expressing itself.

  As you will, referred to exactly that.

  Defeat was no longer an option in the next match.

  But as the saying goes, easier said than done.

  No matter how he calculated the matter, the odds were stacked against him. Tatsuya couldn't help but sigh at this.

  ◇◇◇

  After the end of the consolation game, the setting for the final match was announced to be the "Open Field".

  Hearing this, both sides had equally illuminating reactions.

  In Third High's pavilion, there were even cheers of victory.

  "You called it, George."

  "We got lucky, Masaki."

  While they managed to rein in their reactions to the news, the two of them failed to hide their elated smiles.

  "Now it comes down to whether that guy takes the bait......"

  "He will. On the open fields with no cover whatsoever, he has no other options aside from throwing down in a one-on-one shootout."

  "He'll try to break through there because that guy has 'Gram Demolition' as a trump card, eh......"

  "Precisely, Masaki.

  While his tactics smack of ambushes and surprise, in reality everything is founded on a complex series of calculations.

  If he knows that there are no direct countermeasures, he may still choose the road less traveled and elect to spring out a surprise attack.

  However, since he can still use 'Gram Demolition' as a direct counter, logically, he would choose the avenue of attack that has the highest chance of success."

  "While you will suppress the defender and the guerrilla."

  "The defender isn't the problem. His Fortifying Magic seems legit, but there's nothing else to write home about.

  The guerrilla player...... Seems to specialize in Ancient Magic. Based on his name, he's most likely a Magician from the 'Yoshida Family'. The fact that he remains a complete mystery does give one pause, but when compared to Ancient Magic, modern magic owns the decisive edge in speed. Without any cover on the open plains, this is definitely in our advantage."

  "Furthermore, you still have an ace in the hole with the 'Cardinal Code'."

  "Unfortunately, our opponents seized the Newcomers Division crown from us...... But at the very least, Monolith Code will belong to us!"

  "Exactly, leave it to me!"

  Hearing Kichijouji's words, Masaki nodded boldly.

  "The 'Open Plains' without a hint of cover...... This will be a harsh battle, Onii-sama."

  Miyuki's words exemplified the thoughts running through everyone who came to cheer them on.

  "No, it's far better than the valley or urban settings. We would never stop if we started grousing."

  His words not only bewildered Miyuki, even his teammates — Leo and Mikihiko turned around in confusion, prompting Tatsuya to launch into another explanation.

  "The Ichijou Family's 'Rupture' is a technique that transforms liquids into gas, using the expanding force to wreak havoc.

  For members of the Ichijou Family, using water vapor to initiate explosive attacks is the simplest of tricks.

  For Ichijou-kun, the valley arena is synonymous to preparing a gigantic keg of explosives for him. Likewise, an urban setting would be filled with water pipes.

  On the other hand, the open plains have no fluids that can be turned into 'explosives'. Even the 'Prince' himself wouldn't be able to call up water from underground to create explosions.

&
nbsp; Of course, the woodlands or rocky areas would be more preferable...... But we should be thankful that it wasn't the valley, which would be the bleakest condition for us."

  While the Year 1 students all wore a "So that's how it is" expression, the upperclassmen still wore grim faces.

  "......Still, you're still forced to fight on an open field with no cover against a Magician who specializes in bombardment, so this disadvantage remains."

  "Shiba, do you have a plan?"

  After Mayumi's question, Hattori also spoke up.

  Hattori actively striking up a conversation with Tatsuya was an incredibly rare event.

  Similarly, Tatsuya wasn't able to completely hide his shock at this turnout, hence his response was half a beat slow.

  "If they insist on using their original tactics, honestly I don't see how we can turn that around...... However, Ichijou-kun seems to be particularly fixated on my presence. If I can get into close combat range, then I have a few options."

  "Isn't close quarters combat forbidden?"

  "I'm in the clear so long as I don't touch him. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

  At Kirihara's question, Tatsuya smiled without much confidence.

  ◇◇◇

  The finals for the Newcomers Division Monolith Code.

  While it could be said that the arrival of the players drew a huge clamor from the audience, it would be more in line with the truth to say that confused squabbling reigned supreme among the audience.

  Exposed beneath a myriad of curious stares, Mikihiko adjusted his hood and pulled it down even tighter.

  On the other side, Leo wasn't wearing a hood as he tried his hardest to duck his face and use the robe's collar to cover himself.

  "Well...... So our getup is hilarious after all."

  "The usage is just how I explained."

  The abrupt answer was like the final nail on the coffin, clearly signifying "Resistance is futile".

  "......Why us......"

  Mikihiko bemoaned this fact to the only person not wearing the mantle and robe — Tatsuya.

  "As the vanguard, there's no point in wearing anything that would obstruct physical movement."

 

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