In Yokohama's Chinatown, the Yokohama Grand Hotel's secret top floor housed the No-Head Dragon's East Japan headquarters. The hotel, controlled by the syndicate, sat in a district long rumored as a hub for foreign crime. The government, swayed by short-term political gains, turned a blind eye.
Only one man remained in the room—Douglas Wong.
"Why!? We didn't kill anyone!" Douglas shouted.
A man sipped premium tea at a table, six swords embedded nearby. Tossing the cup skyward, it shattered in a burst of azure lightning.
"True. But treating our magicians as less than human? Even your god may forgive you, but I won't," the man said. "No-Head Dragon exits the world stage today. Don't worry—your boss's daughter, ignorant of her father, will live."
Others, including Generators, had been in the room but were dispatched—not by the man, Gozo Ueyama, but by a young man and woman ensuring Douglas couldn't flee.
"Using the Nine Schools Competition for profit? Pathetic," the young man sneered.
"Understandable sentiment. Ueyama-dono, what now?" the young woman asked.
"You've done enough. I'll finish this," Gozo replied.
The young duo had eliminated the executives and Generators effortlessly, the woman severing external communications. Their skill was undeniable.
Gozo spread his arms, palms open. The six swords floated into his hands, three per grip, crackling with azure lightning. Douglas's face twisted in terror.
"Please! I'll give you the boss's info! Spare me!" Douglas begged.
"Too late. Begging's pathetic. You'll be a sacrifice for those who forgot fear," Gozo said.
The young duo vanished. Douglas, paralyzed by terror, heard Gozo's final words: "Seven Sages, Jid Saiji Haig. If you target the Yotsuba, as Mototsugu's friend, I'll end you."
That midnight, the hotel's top melted under suspected ultra-high-pressure plasma. No-Head Dragon's East Japan branch was obliterated, alongside its West Japan and global headquarters, including the main base.
Azusa Nakajo harbored a near-certain suspicion. During the Mirage Bat rookie finals, a rival school's remark sparked it: "How can such a small startup sequence produce those moves? It's like Taurus Silver!"
(Taurus Silver… like?)
Tatsuya's players outshone others, not just in skill but due to his tactics and CAD tuning. His ability to refine startup sequences for Speed Shooting and Ice Pillars Break—executing A-rank spells like Phonon Maser and Inferno at a high school level—was extraordinary. Bridging general and specialized CADs at a practical level fueled Azusa's suspicion: Taurus Silver.
Her conviction solidified visiting Tatsuya's room for Monolith Code proxy matters.
"Here's the protective gear. What's Mitsuya-kun doing?" Azusa asked.
"Thanks, Nakajo-senpai. He's reviewing Yoshida's startup sequences. Ancient magic's tricky for me," Tatsuya replied.
"Reviewing" sequences stunned Azusa. It implied Tatsuya could handle modern magic alone. Assisting as Monolith Code engineer (replacing Morisaki and Takasuke's), she noticed Yugen, also aiding Speed Shooting, working on spell grammar that baffled her—closer to "modification" than "arrangement."
(This is… rewriting startup sequences? Almost transformation…)
Azusa was nearly certain Tatsuya was him. She also suspected Yugen, but Taurus Silver was one person. (What if "he" doesn't exist?)
Her confusion aside, Monolith Code preparations continued.
Day 8: Rookie Finals
Monolith Code dominated the final day. The building collapse shifted First High's qualifiers to the morning—three matches against Fourth, Eighth, and Second High—followed by the afternoon finals, a grueling schedule for Tatsuya, Mikihiko, and Yugen's makeshift team.
"To reach the finals, we need to win against Fourth, Eighth, and Second High," Tatsuya said. "But Eighth and Second High filed complaints about our proxies."
"We'll win anyway," Yugen replied.
Complaints about proxies were inevitable, but victory would silence them. Mikihiko smirked at their resolve.
Spectators were puzzled by the proxy allowance, especially with a staff member and non-roster player. Kasumi muttered, "No helping it."
"That's not enough, Kasumi-chan," Izumi replied, eyes on Yugen with concern.
The collapse led to a rematch ruling, undisclosed committee sabotage fueling Izumi's worry. Mayumi's assurance of no fatalities eased her, but doubts lingered.
"Who's the other one, Chisato-san?" Kasumi asked.
"Yoshida's second son. Ancient magic family, so it's understandable you don't know," Chisato Ueyama replied.
Kasumi and Izumi sat with Chisato and Mototsugu, linked through Mototsugu's acquaintance with the Saegusa's second son from First High days.
"Mototsugu-san, what's that stick Yugen-niisama's carrying?" Izumi asked, eyeing a slender rod at Yugen's waist on the monitor.
"Not a weapon, a CAD," Mototsugu said. (Never seen an integrated type like that…)
Regulation-checked, it was likely general-purpose, as Mitsuyas avoided specialized CADs. It implied magic-based attacks, but Mototsugu couldn't deduce more.
Monolith Code Qualifier: First High vs. Eighth High
Shoki and Shinkuro, watching, were surprised by Tatsuya's participation and Yugen's continuation.
"He's playing, and Mitsuya's still in? What trickery…" Shinkuro said.
"Magic, not tricks, George," Shoki corrected, smirking at their early showdown.
Tatsuya, a super-engineer turned player, wielded two gun-type CADs and a wristband CAD—a bold setup Shoki's instincts recognized as no bluff.
The forest stage favored Eighth High, but its cover suited Mikihiko's spirit magic and posed no issue for Tatsuya and Yugen.
"As planned," Tatsuya said.
"Got it. Yugen, no need to cover?" Mikihiko asked.
"Handle one, and I'll 'fly' if needed," Yugen replied.
As the siren blared, Tatsuya and Mikihiko dove into the forest. Yugen focused, a curtain of light enveloping their monolith.
"Light curtain? Like aurora…" Erika muttered.
"It's different from mine," Honoka said.
Spectators like Erika and Honoka recognized it as ancient magic, its purpose unclear. Yugen, eyes closed, used spirit Sensory Synchronization to track all five players, avoiding over-reliance on Tenjin's Eye. He sensed Tatsuya nearing Eighth High's monolith.
Tatsuya swiftly closed on their defender, using Yakumo-trained footwork to dodge magic and pin them with weighted spells—a high-level technique. As the defender aimed, Tatsuya, without looking, fired Gram Demolition from his right-hand CAD, shattering their startup sequence.
"Gram Demolition… incredible," Mayumi murmured.
"Incredible how?" Mari asked.
The counter-magic, flawless save for short range, demanded immense psion reserves. Tatsuya's casual use implied vast capacity, rivaling Yugen's, who'd nullified over ten spells.
Tatsuya exposed Eighth High's monolith code, summoning Yugen's shikigami to distract the defender before retreating.
(Yugen, it's yours.)
(Got it. Cleaning up first.)
Using shikigami Visual Synchronization, Yugen confirmed the code unlock. He grabbed the rod-like CAD, swung it, and a scream echoed—an Eighth High attacker downed. Yugen typed rapidly on his clamshell wearable keyboard.
Tatsuya's plan: he unlocks the monolith, Mikihiko distracts an attacker with spirit magic, and Yugen inputs the code without moving. Tatsuya's combat prowess made him the attacker; Yugen's ancient magic suited defense. If two defenders, Mikihiko supports Tatsuya; Yugen handles attackers.
Yugen's Tenryu Suikyo spell projected the terrain onto an aurora-like curtain, obscuring the monolith's position—permissible recognition disruption. His CAD, blending Tenjin and hardening magic, formed a psion mass as a barrier, fixed by hardening magic, and launched like a hammer, inspired by Tatsuya's Shotsuren. Only Yugen could merge ancient and modern magic, unnoticed in the forest.
Yugen entered the 512th character, sent the code, and the siren declared First High's victory.
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