Mayumi's victory in the main girls' Cloud Ball led to her "leader's order" for lunch together. As Ten Master Clans members, they'd draw attention, so her sisters, Kasumi and Izumi, joined.
Post-lunch, Mayumi returned to the tent, while Kasumi and Izumi headed to the VIP seats for Ice Pillars Break. Izumi invited Yugen, but he declined, sensing a "blizzard" of trouble—likely from Mayumi's fans. Plus, he wanted to avoid Ten Master Clans heads in the VIP area, especially with the rookie matches looming.
After seeing the twins off, Yugen headed to the girls' Ice Pillars Break venue. The event, also called Pillars Break, used a 12x24-meter outdoor field, split in half, with twelve 1x1x2-meter ice pillars per side. The first to destroy the opponent's pillars won. Requiring hundreds of ice pillars in summer, it was the competition's most elaborate setup, even with military support. Limited to four courts, only 18 matches (12 first-round, 6 second-round) could occur daily, with third-round and finals split across two days.
Yugen, Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Shizuku watched Kanon's second-round match from the staff monitor room. Tatsuya, the rookie girls' engineer, joined the competitors.
"How's Chiyoda-senpai? Heard she won the first round fastest," Tatsuya asked.
"She's in form, but I worry she'll overdo it," Kei replied with a wry smile.
Meanwhile, Yugen was sandwiched between Miyuki and Shizuku, drawing a sigh. Tatsuya likely used him as a decoy to dodge their attention.
"Ladies, I won't run, so ease up," Yugen said.
"No way. That president's sneaky," Shizuku replied.
"Shizuku's right. Left alone, you'd multiply," Miyuki added.
Multiply what? Yugen, a decent-looking mage, wasn't "normal" by magic standards, he realized, gazing at the field. Kei then addressed Tatsuya.
"You okay with this?"
"Didn't expect you to ask, Isori-senpai… but Yugen's someone I trust with my sister."
"Fair. Being Ten Master Clans isn't easy, watching him," Kei mused.
"True," Tatsuya agreed.
Tatsuya saw Yugen as "handsome," evident from the mixer's reactions, but Yugen lacked self-awareness, likely from acting as "Yuto Nagano" until high school. Though aware of his Mitsuya roots, Yugen didn't obsess over it, perhaps to avoid trouble as First High's "Untouchable." His "normal" insistence stemmed from his siblings' wild reputations, a tactic to clear the Mitsuya name for Shina's future enrollment. Yet, as a Ten Master Clans member, "normal" was a fantasy he didn't grasp. His obliviousness to his looks tied to lingering past-life sibling trauma.
Tatsuya's bigger concern: if Miyuki and Shizuku competed, he and Yugen couldn't pick sides. Yugen had overhauled Miyuki's general-purpose CAD and given her a finals activation sequence, while designing Shizuku's specialized finals CAD. Tatsuya supported both as an engineer, but it wasn't quite even.
As the match began with a blue signal and a field-rumbling sound, Tatsuya muttered, "Minefield."
Modern magic valued versatility, but mages had strengths and weaknesses, often inherited. The Yotsuba's varied traits were exceptions, as were the Mitsuya siblings, partly due to Yugen—though he denied it. Clans earned nicknames from shared traits: Ichijou's "Explosion," Juumonji's "Iron Wall," Saegusa's ironic "All-Purpose," Chiba's "Sword Mages." The Mitsuya's recent "Maka" nickname, from their diverse magic and "mysterious" feats, made Yugen recall his father's grimace.
Kanon's Chiyoda clan, dubbed "Minefield," excelled in vibration magic, particularly ground-shaking spells. Their "Minefield" spell targeted any "ground" solid, inducing earthquake-like vibrations to shatter ice pillars. The opponent's movement magic couldn't keep up, requiring multi-casting to protect 12 pillars. Switching to offense, they toppled Kanon's unguarded pillars, prompting Kei's wry smile.
"Bold or reckless… Kanon's 'strike first' mindset," Kei said.
"Not… wrong, tactically," Tatsuya replied.
Kanon's all-offense strategy, risky but effective against equals or weaker foes, leveraged her Chiyoda lineage. Against non-Hundred Families or non-Master Clans, it sufficed. Her simplicity was a factor, though.
After flashing a V-sign to the staff room, Kanon, now in uniform, approached Yugen, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yugen-kun, join this world. It's easier."
Puzzled, Yugen tilted his head. Kei smirked, Tatsuya groaned, and Kanon whispered to Miyuki and Shizuku. Yugen skipped auditory enhancement, sensing trouble.
Kanon's third-round advance lifted spirits, but a strategy staffer's grim expression soured the tent. Kei asked, "What's up?"
"Men's Cloud Ball underperformed, so we're recalculating overall victory," the staffer said.
The competition used points: 50 for first, 30 for second, 20 for third, doubled for Monolith Code. Fourth place and below earned 10 points for Speed Shooting, Battle Board, and Mirage Bat, or 5 for fourth to sixth in Cloud Ball and Ice Pillars Break. Rookie matches halved points. Dominating top ranks was key.
"Underperformed how?" Kei pressed.
"First-round and third-round losses. Kirihara reached the finals, thanks to his unique CAD."
Unlike his canon second-round loss, Kirihara's boosted CAD, with Mayumi's "Quadruple Bound," propelled him further. The finals included Shuuji Miyamoto, one of Yugen's morning encounters, surprising him and Miyuki.
"That name…" Miyuki said.
"Yeah, he made it," Yugen confirmed.
"Know him, Mitsuya?" Kei asked.
"Not exactly… met him this morning. Ninth High's Shuuji Miyamoto."
Yugen, vague about stopping Shuuji's magic, flagged him as a threat. Suzune noted first-years in main events needed serious skill. Checking Shuuji's data, she gasped.
"All matches shutouts. Beating Third High's favorite in the third round…" Suzune said.
"President-level?" Kei asked.
"Completely off-radar. Third High's likely blindsided too," Suzune replied.
Shuuji led Third High's non-favorite in the finals, with a 100-point gap in three minutes. A second-year staffer reported, "With this lead, winning girls' Battle Board, men's Pillars Break, Mirage Bat, and Monolith Code secures victory."
Excluding ongoing men's Cloud Ball, tomorrow's men's Battle Board, and girls' Ice Pillars Break—where second-years like Kanon competed—was bold. Ignoring rookie matches, assuming third-years swept, left no room for mishaps.
"So, third-years must win everything?" Kei clarified.
"Depending on Third High's points, rookie matches could decide," the staffer said.
Men's Cloud Ball results: Shuuji first, Kirihara second, Third High third. Missing the match, Yugen visited Kirihara, spotting Sayaka nearby. Kirihara noticed him first.
"Good work, Kirihara-senpai. Congrats on second," Yugen said.
"Thanks. Your 'thing' saved me from a second-round loss," Kirihara replied.
Sayaka smiled at Kirihara's pride in his own strength, though he looked away, sulking.
"Not just here to praise, right, Mitsuya?" Kirihara asked.
"About the Ninth High first-year in the finals," Yugen said.
Yugen, missing Shuuji's match, sensed swordsmanship in his morning demeanor. He asked Kirihara and Sayaka, both sword-trained, for insights.
"Met him before breakfast. His poise screamed swordsmanship," Yugen said.
"You noticed too? No way he moves like that without training," Kirihara confirmed.
"From afar, I thought Niten Style. His 'Miyamoto' name's no coincidence. My dojo teacher thinks so too," Sayaka added.
Niten Style, founded by swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in Kyushu, matched Shuuji's surname. Sayaka's dojo teacher knew a boy his age, hinting at a connection.
"His vibe… like a samurai with a live blade. Less intense than Sibaha-nii, though," Kirihara said.
"Real combat experience?" Yugen asked.
"Can't say, but it made me see my limits. Not bad," Kirihara replied.
Sayaka's support eased Yugen's concern about meddling. Then, he noticed her psion density had surged since April. "Mibu-senpai, your psion density's spiked…"
"Huh? Maybe I'm just over spring's drama," Sayaka said.
"Her magic's definitely stronger," Kirihara agreed.
Kirihara's magic had also grown since April's Blanche attack, without Yugen's direct influence. Something non-magical must've impacted them, but in this world, "mysterious events" shouldn't occur. The trio puzzled over what caused it.
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Search --> Transferred to Kivotos, I Solve Everything with My Fists
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