After Tatsuya's unexpected visit from Shōki and Crimson Prince, he entered the control room, adjusting a CAD with his usual calm. Miyuki, however, probed, "What did they want, Onii-sama?"
"Seemed like a 'declaration of war,'" Tatsuya replied. "They're athletes, I'm an engineer. If they challenged Yugen or Tōya, it'd make sense—they're established magicians. Me? Not so much."
Tatsuya viewed his achievements as lesser, crediting athletes for his engineering successes. It wasn't humility—he genuinely believed it. Miyuki sighed deeply.
"You noticed their intent, as expected," she said, "but you undervalue yourself, Onii-sama. It's almost a misread of the situation. Other schools are fixated on your technical and tactical skills. You told me to face my feelings for Yugen—consider taking your own advice."
Tatsuya blinked, caught off guard by her turning his words against him.
Post-semifinals for Men's Ice Pillar Break, Shōki and Crimson Prince wore grave expressions. Their focus: First High's Yugen Mitsuya, their finals opponent. Shōki knew he wasn't an easy mark—Yugen had shut out every match, his pillars untouched. Crimson Prince's unusually serious demeanor underscored the threat.
"George, your take?" Shōki asked.
"This'll sound harsh, Shōki," Crimson Prince said. "You ready?"
"Of course," Shōki nodded, bracing himself.
Crimson Prince showed his terminal's screen, displaying Yugen's spell analysis from rounds one to three. "His attack spells—likely ancient magic—can't be replicated with modern systems. Weak barrier spells won't stop them. The real issue is his defense. He's hardening the pillars' hydrogen bonds."
"Hydrogen bonds?" Shōki said, incredulous. "Is that even possible?"
"They didn't melt under vibration-induced temperature shifts," Crimson Prince confirmed. "It's certain."
He wasn't just praising Yugen's ironclad hardening magic. The true concern: Yugen's spell rendered the pillars impervious to melting, neutralizing Shōki's ace. "The biggest problem," Crimson Prince continued, "is that it nullifies 'Explosion.'"
Shōki froze. The Ichijō clan's secret "Explosion" spell vaporized liquids instantly. In Pillar Break, it targeted water from melted pillars. Without liquid in Yugen's field, "Explosion" was useless. Even air-compression attacks would struggle against such resilience, Crimson Prince deduced.
"To win," he said, "you'd need to pour everything into 'Explosion' at the start. Yugen might use zone interference in the finals. If you can't destroy his pillars instantly, you're done. It's a gamble—your call."
"No choice," Shōki said. "I'll do it."
The Men's Pillar Break finals pitted Yugen, Shōki, and another Third High first-year. To avoid intra-school attrition, Shōki secured a bye for one win, while Yugen faced two consecutive matches. Unfair, but Shōki accepted it as part of the game.
First High's tent buzzed with celebration. All three women—Emi, Shizuku, Miyuki—reached the Women's Pillar Break finals. Honoka advanced to the Women's Battle Board finals, with another teammate in the third-place match. Yugen secured a spot in the Men's Pillar Break finals, and Takanotsume reached the Men's Battle Board third-place match.
Yet, most first-year male athletes couldn't join the revelry. Despite their potential to rival the women, overeagerness led to mistakes, spiraling into defeats and mounting frustration.
Meanwhile, Miyuki, Shizuku, and Emi were summoned to the hotel's meeting room. Mayumi relayed a tournament committee proposal: declare all three co-champions. Tatsuya's first thought was, They're just dodging extra work. Mayumi, sensing the same, shared a measured analysis as an engineer.
"Honestly, Emi's condition suggests avoiding further matches," she said. "Her semifinal was grueling."
"I agree," Emi said. "I'll withdraw."
Emi's third-round opponent, Shiori, had pushed her to the brink with precise control. Emi's "Invisible Bullet" secured the win, but she was barely mobile. Tatsuya's assessment was spot-on, and Emi declined co-championship. Mayumi turned to Shizuku.
"I want to compete," Shizuku said. "Facing Miyuki seriously—how many chances will I get? I can't let this pass."
"And you, Miyuki?" Mayumi asked.
"If Shizuku wants to face me, I have no reason to refuse," Miyuki replied.
Shizuku's earnest desire to challenge Miyuki as a magician resonated. Miyuki, too, craved the duel. Their resolve was unshakable. With the match set for the afternoon, Mayumi left to inform the committee. As Emi and Miyuki moved to leave, Shizuku stopped Miyuki.
"Miyuki, can we talk?" she asked.
"Of course," Miyuki said. "Onii-sama, please handle preparations."
"Don't talk too long," Tatsuya said, sensing the topic and exiting with a pointed reminder. Emi tilted her head, but Tatsuya left.
In the meeting room, Miyuki and Shizuku faced each other. After a beat, Shizuku spoke. "You love Yugen, don't you?"
"Yes," Miyuki said. "I love him. But you feel the same, don't you?"
"Absolutely," Shizuku replied. "I love him enough to say it."
They'd both sensed it—Shizuku's feelings surfaced first, sparking Miyuki's realization. "Speed Shooting and off-campus Pillar Break practice with him made me happy," Shizuku admitted. "But I felt guilty toward you."
"I was shaken hearing that," Miyuki confessed.
They'd noticed each other's jealousy but never broached it. "A bit surprising," Shizuku said.
"Even I'm not perfect," Miyuki laughed.
During practice, Miyuki learned from Tatsuya that Yugen and Shizuku trained at the Uesugi estate, unsettling her. Her control faltered in simulations, prompting Tatsuya's interventions. Even in Mirage Bat, those feelings lingered, cementing her love for Yugen. Shizuku felt the same.
"Seeing him with other girls made me restless," Shizuku said. "I realized it was jealousy after that attack. You're my friend, so I couldn't ask."
"Same here," Miyuki said. "We're alike, aren't we?"
"Maybe," Shizuku smiled. "Falling for dense guys… Honoka's in for trouble, though not with Yugen."
Miyuki pictured Tatsuya, chuckling in agreement. A woman's voice interrupted, "Youth is wonderful, isn't it?"
They tensed, turning to see a woman in sunglasses, appearing in her twenties, with no sign of entering. "Sorry for startling you," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm no threat—just a friend of your mothers."
"Our mothers?" Miyuki and Shizuku echoed, picturing Miya and Benio.
"Quick question," the woman said. "You both love Yugen Mitsuya, right?"
"Yes," Miyuki replied, wary. "Who are you?"
"My bad, no introduction," the woman said, removing her sunglasses. "I'm Chihime Kagurazaka, head of the Kagurazaka clan, and involved in Yugen's marriage arrangements."
"Kagurazaka?" Miyuki said. "Shizuku, know them?"
"Mom mentioned they're an Onmyōdō ancient magic clan," Shizuku said. "That's all I know."
Overwhelmed by the sudden revelations, they listened as Chihime smiled. "Benio's daughter knows something! I have a proposal—not a bad one. If you're unsure, ask your mothers later."
"What should we do?" Shizuku asked Miyuki.
"You mentioned Yugen's marriage," Miyuki said.
"True," Chihime said. "The Mitsuya head, Uesugi, and Kagurazaka clans are overseeing it."
Miyuki and Shizuku accepted her proposal. After Chihime left through the door, Shizuku exhaled and faced Miyuki. "Fight me seriously, Miyuki."
"Of course," Miyuki replied.
Their serious yet joyful expressions hinted at shared struggles, inevitable with Yugen as the object of their affection.
Meanwhile, Yugen sneezed loudly. "Summer cold?" he muttered, oblivious to the conversation.
Two weeks before the Nine Schools Competition, Tatsuya summoned Yugen. Swamped with Pillar Break practice, Monolith Code tactics, and student council duties, even Yugen was visibly drained. Tatsuya felt a pang of guilt but had no one else to ask.
"Help Shizuku with her Pillar Break practice?" Yugen clarified.
"Yeah," Tatsuya said. "You're the only one I could think of. Sorry, I know you're busy."
Tatsuya explained Shizuku's determination to beat Miyuki. Both excelled in vibration magic—Shizuku's "Resonance Destruction" (acceleration) versus Miyuki's deceleration-based spells. Shizuku knew her odds were slim.
"I've got other athletes to manage," Yugen said. "You want me to tweak 'Resonance Destruction' or something else?"
"Our shared CAD technique," Tatsuya hinted.
Yugen got it. He rarely used that method and hadn't shown it much to Tatsuya, but Tatsuya's insight earned a mock surrender gesture. "You remembered three years ago, huh?"
"Exactly," Tatsuya said. "So?"
"Fine," Yugen said. "It'll be off-campus at the Uesugi villa, so I won't be back at the Shiba house until the day before we leave. That okay?"
Tatsuya agreed, wanting to honor Shizuku's drive. This sparked Miyuki's prolonged moodiness, prompting Tatsuya to ask Yugen to craft a Miyuki-specific Pillar Break spell to appease her. He was glad Miyuki expressed such feelings for Yugen but worried about the burden on him.
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Search --> Transferred to Kivotos, I Solve Everything with My Fists
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