Men's Ice Pillars Break Final League, Match 1
Yugen faced a Third High opponent who went defensive, aiming to exhaust him before Shogo. Yugen, unyielding, used Meteor Divide to instantly vaporize all enemy pillars, ending the match swiftly.
The schedule placed the women's final next, followed by the men's. Ratings-driven, perhaps. Back in the waiting room, Yugen powered on the monitor, connecting a pistol-shaped specialized CAD from his tracksuit pocket—not for his match but for Shizuku. Phonon Maser alone couldn't counter Miyuki, so he planned to gift it as an apology (cleared by officials to avoid misunderstandings).
"Huh?" Yugen muttered, startled by the CAD's activation sequence.
Though tweaked, it was unmistakably Phonon Maser—the exact CAD he'd given Tatsuya. It meets regulations, same theory as Phonon Maser, but it's a completely different beast.
It looked like Phonon Maser, but the sequence was a variant tailored to Shizuku's magic, encrypted for optimization. It consumed similar psions but was far stronger. Yugen's tweaks, based on Kitayama family tests, suggested Shizuku could destroy six pillars in one shot. Yet, the CAD in his hand had Tatsuya's Phonon Maser sequence, one of only two such devices. No word from Tatsuya or the engineer suggested a mix-up.
Last night? Yugen recalled Shizuku visiting his room for final CAD adjustments. He'd let her handle the CADs, both connected for tuning. They likely got swapped. Cold sweat hit him.
"After the match, Miyuki's gonna freeze me solid…" he groaned, slumping with a heavy sigh, realizing Tatsuya might've overlooked the swap too.
Tatsuya trusted Yugen's tuning skills, only fine-tuning Shizuku's CAD without checking the sequence, missing the swap. He sat in the spectator stands, flanked by Mayumi and Mari, having tuned both girls' CADs. He'd told them to fight hard, staying neutral in the back row. Both girls aimed to prove their magic—and feelings—for Yugen, who was in the waiting room for the men's final.
"Wanted to be with your sister, Tatsuya-kun?" Mayumi asked.
"Maybe if he were here," Tatsuya replied.
A potential clash loomed, but Tatsuya could only say that. Mayumi pouted, sensing his evasion. Mari sighed, chiding, "Why so grumpy, Mayumi?"
"It's like a tug-of-war over Yugen-kun," Mayumi said.
She knew Shizuku and Miyuki's feelings for Yugen. Her meddling stemmed from family pressures and a mischievous streak, often earning Mari or Azusa's lectures or fists. "Then confess," Mari said.
"Izumi's my biggest rival. I don't want to be hated," Mayumi replied.
They whispered, using Tatsuya as a shield, though he wished they'd stop. "Are you a siscon like Tatsuya-kun?" Mari teased.
"How'd we get there?!" Mayumi snapped.
"Spare me…" Tatsuya thought, their banter dragging on until the match began.
The platform rose, revealing two girls facing 24 ice pillars. Miyuki's hair flowed freely, Shizuku's tasuki removed—a declaration of unrestrained, all-out battle. Classmates, yet merciless.
Most spectators didn't know their fight wasn't just about magic but proving their love for the same person. Nor did they know the CAD in Shizuku's hand held a spell that would intensify the duel.
I won't lose, Shizuku. Above all… Miyuki thought.
I'll challenge you, Miyuki. But more than that… Shizuku countered.
Our feelings won't lose! they both resolved.
The field's poles lit red, then yellow, then blue. Both cast instantly.
Shizuku used Information Reinforcement on her pillars and Resonance Destruction on Miyuki's. Miyuki unleashed Inferno, dominating the field. Shizuku's attack was blocked, but her defense held against Inferno's temperature shifts. They seemed evenly matched, but not to them.
She's too strong! Shizuku thought. Training with Yugen, who matched Miyuki's interference and magic, prepared her for this. She'd asked if helping her was fair. "Don't you think a 'rival' is good for Miyuki?" Yugen had said, committing to her training.
Information Reinforcement blocked magic changes, but Inferno's physical heat would melt her pillars. Time would mean defeat. Shizuku slid her left hand into her sleeve, grabbing the pistol CAD.
Dual CADs?! Miyuki's heart wavered. Tatsuya's signature technique—too psion-intensive for her—Shizuku had mastered. Miyuki had declined learning it, deeming it premature.
I'm jealous of Shizuku… Miyuki realized, recalling Yugen's training with her, arranged by Tatsuya, who knew Yugen's dual-CAD skill.
Her magic faltered briefly. Shizuku seized the moment.
Range… power… got it! Shizuku pulled the trigger, expecting Phonon Maser. Instead, a massive heat beam obliterated nine enemy pillars and scorched the floor, even destroying three of her own. Spectators, monitors, and both girls were stunned. Shizuku stared at the CAD in disbelief.
In the waiting room, Yugen clutched his head. "Way beyond expectations…"
The CAD held Phonon Tears, Yugen's enhanced Phonon Maser variant, optimized for Shizuku's traits. Its compressed interference could pierce Inferno. Safety-limited to avoid hitting Miyuki's platform, it worked perfectly. Yugen named it after Shizuku's nickname, "Tia," a secret he kept.
Get it together, Miyuki! she rallied, choosing Niflheim, a vibration-dampening cooling spell. Shizuku anticipated pillar destruction via temperature, reinforcing her defense. But Miyuki targeted adhesions, using max-power Niflheim to liquefy air molecules, coating Shizuku's pillars in liquid nitrogen—a combo with Inferno Shizuku knew from Yugen's training.
If Inferno followed, Shizuku would lose. Mari shouted, "She's abandoning defense?!"
I'm ready. Just hold the image! Shizuku aimed at Miyuki's three remaining pillars, knowing Inferno was unstoppable. She'd destroy them first, banking on simultaneous casting.
Judgment call, Miyuki realized, reading Shizuku's plan. Her pillars couldn't withstand Phonon Tears. She input three keys on her CAD—unusual for a general CAD's 99-sequence limit. Yugen had programmed it to prevent misfires, tailoring an exclusive Inferno for Miyuki.
This is it, Miyuki! Shizuku unleashed Phonon Tears.
I won't lose! Miyuki cast Overdrive Inferno.
Both A-rank spells, enhanced by Yugen, clashed. Pillars shattered, steam billowing. When it cleared, one pillar remained—Miyuki's.
Overdrive Inferno adjusted high- and low-temperature field sizes, balancing energy with less psion cost than Inferno. Miyuki focused defense on one pillar, compressing interference and deploying area defense to withstand Phonon Tears.
Yugen, watching, thought, Like the spear and shield paradox. Shizuku's spear met Miyuki's shield. He hadn't intended this clash.
A call from Shizuku rang. "Yugen…"
"Saw the match. You fought well. That's all I can say," Yugen said.
Shizuku's voice trembled with suppressed tears, her serious expression unbroken. Yugen comforted her. Then, she confessed, "I love you, Yugen. I want to say it in person, but not to hurt Miyuki."
"Lucky to be loved by someone like you," Yugen replied softly.
"Win for me. Take the championship," Shizuku urged.
A confession, but Yugen deferred. Sensing this, Shizuku encouraged him. Gotta step up, he thought.
"I'll crush the Crimson Prince," Yugen vowed.
"No direct magic attacks, you know," Shizuku teased.
"I know. Talk later," Yugen laughed.
Her calm retort was classic Shizuku. Duty called. Yugen hung up, changed into his haori and hakama, and focused, the room's stillness like a deep forest's quiet.
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