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Chapter 89 - Chapter 88: Beneath the Surface

The Nine Schools Competition reached its fifth day, the second day of the rookie events. No major disruptions from Headless Dragon had surfaced, nor had any reports reached Yugen. As he assumed a relaxed stance, his mind churned over the possibility of that person intervening. His grandfather, well-versed in "Demon Gate Tactics," would understand, though his penchant for indiscriminate opening moves was wild, even by Yugen's standards. For now, there was no need for concern.

Yugen had asked Tatsuya to oversee Miyuki's CAD adjustments, knowing he'd be competing today. Miyuki seemed mildly displeased, but Tatsuya had gently urged her to let Yugen focus, though not without her insisting he watch her match. Yugen had agreed, albeit with a wry smile.

A sudden glint in the air snapped him alert. Something was hurtling toward him. Without hesitation, Yugen kicked up a pebble, hardened it with reinforcement magic, and launched it with a palm strike. The pebble collided midair with the incoming object—a shuriken, clattering to the ground.

Before he could retrieve it, a figure charged, propelled by self-acceleration magic. Yugen reflexively unleashed a low-power "Air Ride Burst," calculated to send the assailant tumbling into the grass without injury. The figure groaned but seemed unharmed. Recognizing him as Shūji Miyamoto, a Ninth High first-year he'd met recently, Yugen fixed him with a cold stare.

"One question," Yugen said, his voice laced with menace. "Are you tied to Headless Dragon? If so, I'll have to turn you over to the military."

Shūji froze under Yugen's glare, grappling for an excuse. His attack had been a mere test, but being so effortlessly countered rattled him. Before he could respond, Yume and Himeri appeared, clearly pursuing him. Yugen noted their arrival but kept his guard up.

"Shūji!" Yume scolded. "Even if it's Grandmother's orders, there's a right way to do things!"

"Exactly," Himeri added. "You need to reflect on this."

"S-sorry…" Shūji mumbled.

Yugen felt momentarily sidelined but eased his killing intent, waiting for the scene to settle. Yume and Himeri, finishing their lecture, turned to Yugen and bowed apologetically.

"Sorry about this," Yume said. "There's a reason, but…"

"If we're calling it even, fine," Yugen replied coolly. "But it's competition day, and getting a shuriken thrown at me feels like sabotage. Think before you act."

Questions nagged—Grandmother's orders?—but Yugen had no time for distractions. He wanted to focus on the matches. Accepting Himeri's apology, he walked away, muttering, Why do I have to deal with this nonsense first thing in the morning?

Today featured Cloud Ball qualifiers through finals and Ice Pillar Break first and second rounds. For Cloud Ball, the women's team included Subaru, Nanami, and one other, while the men fielded Tōya and two others. Nanami faced Yume in her qualifier block, while Subaru would clash with Airi in the block finals. Tōya planned to rely on magic alone in qualifiers, switching to his custom racket in the finals league, aiming for maximum points over a clean sheet. During practice, he'd scored against Mika—a feat only Mayumi, Subaru, and Tōya achieved, despite his training hiatus.

Tōya's claim that "ten kilometers is a warm-up" for club activities, backed by Leo, had left Yugen with a strained smile. A single lap around a 400-meter track sounded more plausible. Tōya's ability to pull it off so casually was absurd in its own right.

Pushing the thought aside, Yugen checked the tournament schedule on his device. Pillar Break matches had no set time limit, so programs could shift forward depending on ice pillar removal and setup intervals. Staying near the venue was a given.

At least I'm not in Shōki's block, Yugen thought. But for him, all I can say is 'tough luck.'

The qualifier brackets ensured no same-school matchups. Yugen's quip stemmed from the men's first match pitting Third High's Shōki Ichijō against a First High student—one who, Yugen knew, harbored resentment toward him. He wasn't oblivious to the student's name but avoided stirring tensions. Pointing out bad blood only to see poor results would leave a bitter aftertaste. As rookie coordinator, Yugen drew a line: he'd root for the team as athletes, nothing more. The matchup's outcome was already obvious, though he kept that to himself.

The organizers and media likely wanted Ten Master Clans showdowns saved for the finals league. Yugen wouldn't have minded facing Shōki early, but if they preferred this setup, so be it.

Last night's meeting, however, was no mere jest. Shōki's killing intent, though not as potent as Yugen's grandfather's, was real, forged by experience. Kyoko's apologetic email, citing his grandfather's actions, had prompted a curt "No worries" reply from Yugen.

Unbeknownst to others, Yugen's unique magic, "Kaleidoscope," held a staggering trait beyond "infinite recognition of entities." Had Shōki used the spell Yugen suspected from the original timeline, "Kaleidoscope's" auto-cast would've triggered catastrophic consequences.

For now, Yugen focused on today's Pillar Break schedule. Women's first-round matches included Emi in the first, Shizuku in the fifth, and Miyuki in the twelfth. Yugen's men's first-round match, the tenth, was slated for early afternoon, leaving time to spectate. His CAD was checked and tuned, needing only minor last-minute adjustments. The engineer originally assigned to him would handle the other two first-year men in Pillar Break, bolstered by Yugen's last-minute Speed Shooting stint yesterday.

Heading to the control room at the base of the "turret" to check on Emi, Yugen froze at the scene. Emi, in her hunting club uniform, blushed furiously, clutching a questionable spot and fidgeting. Tatsuya eyed his sister with confusion, while Miyuki argued back. Yugen could only think, What the hell is going on?

"What's… this about?" Yugen asked, voice flat.

"Yugen," Tatsuya said, hesitating. "It's, uh…"

"Brother, please, not in front of Yugen!" Miyuki cut in, mortified.

Yugen could guess the gist. Emi, visibly sleep-deprived, confirmed it with a sheepish laugh when he called her out. "Aimi, you're running on empty, aren't you?"

"Haha… yeah…"

Her lively tone belied a fragile mentality, a trait Yugen knew well. She'd likely skipped her prescribed sleep aid. Miyuki left to arrange a sensory-deprivation capsule—soundproof, vibration-free, and light-sealed—while Tatsuya tweaked her CAD for stronger feedback.

With over thirty minutes until the match, Yugen acted. Approaching Emi, he moved behind her. "Aimi, I'm putting you to sleep until the match."

"What do you—" she started, but Yugen pressed his palm to her back, channeling Psions. Emi slumped, unconscious. He caught her swiftly, laying her on a bench. Tatsuya's eyes widened.

"An adaptation of what you did to Katsuto in that mock battle?" Tatsuya asked.

"Spot on," Yugen said. "It's organic interference—injecting data into the Psion body to force a sleep state. Needs direct contact, though."

The technique, honed at the Kanazawa Magic Research Institute, tricked the Psion body into recognizing sleep, dragging the mind and body along. Yugen noted its reverse—forced awakening—was what he'd used on Katsuto.

"If she's this bad in qualifiers, tomorrow's a worry," Yugen said. "Not my place to stress, so I'll leave it to someone free."

Tatsuya, sharing the concern, vowed to be stricter as Emi's engineer. Yugen nodded, then shifted gears. "Shouldn't you check on the men?"

"Coming from you?" Tatsuya said, half-amused. "The first match's result is obvious—it's up to him to grow from it. The seventh's opponent isn't Crimson Prince's level, but still tough. He's winnable if they're not overthinking."

Yugen had checked on the men, but Tōya's win had them overzealous, tinged with jealousy toward him and Tatsuya. He'd held back on pep talks, figuring top performers should at least compartmentalize. Forcing words now wouldn't help.

"I'm focusing on my matches," Yugen said. "Didn't say much to avoid drama. Today's meeting will be an 'Inferno' rerun—worse than yesterday."

Tatsuya, having heard about the prior meeting from Miyuki, took Yugen's words seriously, responding with a nod before resuming his work in silence.

Emi advanced from the women's first-round match, leaving five pillars standing. Post-match, she rested in the capsule under Tatsuya's stern orders. The men's first match ended predictably with Shōki's victory, his Ichijō clan secret spell "Explosion" featured in the highlight reel Yugen watched.

The fifth match—Shizuku's—loomed. In the control room, Tatsuya, struck by déjà vu, couldn't help commenting on Shizuku's outfit. "Shizuku, you're really competing in that?"

"Why not?" she replied, as if daring him to object.

Pillar Break's rules allowed indirect magic only, so outfits didn't hinder CAD operation. As long as they met "public decency" standards, competitors could wear what boosted their morale. Emi chose her hunting club uniform; Shizuku donned a furisode kimono, opting for shorter sleeves and a tasuki sash to ease CAD use. "Compared to Chiyoda-senpai or Aimi, this is subdued," she insisted.

"It's not flashy," Tatsuya conceded, "but a furisode stands out." Still, seeing Shizuku's confidence, he didn't press further.

Yugen watched from the general stands with Leo, Mikihiko, Erika, and Mizuki. "Shouldn't you be with Shizuku or Miyuki?" Erika asked.

"If I'm near either, it looks like favoritism," Yugen said. "Didn't that happen with Speed Shooting yesterday?"

Mizuki had tipped him off about Miyuki's mood in the stands. Knowing Tatsuya's classmates' private numbers proved handy. Yugen decided keeping distance was wiser, especially since Erika and Mizuki had Miyuki's trust.

"Thanks to Mizuki yesterday," Yugen added.

"Happy to help," Mizuki said warmly.

Their "friend" dynamic was clear, but Erika muttered, "Tch, I was hoping to tease them…"

"What are you on about?" Yugen shot back, inwardly sighing at her treating people like toys.

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