Takuma, possibly influenced by Maki's hints about the witness and referee—Miyuki and Tatsuya—being tied to the Nanakusa, saw the mock battle as a handicapped or rigged fight. To him, Shizuku and Honoka were talents the Shippou family needed to reclaim their "rightful status." Showing strength here would make persuasion easier, he thought. His mentality was age-appropriate, unlike the detached perspectives of Tatsuya or Yugen, which were unusual for their years. Seria, recognizing this, criticized Takuma without naming him.
"He understands nothing, doesn't even try. Relying on one source makes you narrow-minded."
"Don't be harsh, Seria. Ambition can be a double-edged sword, narrowing one's view," Yugen replied.
For Kasumi and Izumi, it was a nuisance. Naturally near desireless, Izumi's encounter with Yugen sparked some ambition, but they'd overlook Takuma's actions unless their domain was violated. They avoided him post-recruitment week trouble, clearly wanting this to end.
Even for the Ten Master Clans or Eighteen Assistant Houses, no special admission slots exist for magic high schools. Yugen knew well that entrance exams are identical for all peers. Topping those exams meant possessing rare, exceptional magic skills and knowledge. Takuma attacked with Air Bullet, firing compressed air, but Izumi's area interference blocked it. Noticing magic cancellation didn't fully negate physical alterations, he used this to disrupt their coordination. Kasumi and Izumi covered each other, escaping danger.
Then, their psion flow shifted. They unleashed Nitrogen Storm, a convergence-movement composite magic manipulating nitrogen density and air masses, enabled by their Multiplicative Cast. Multi-person rituals for large-scale or complex magic exist, though rare in ancient magic, established as traditional techniques. The prime example is the Seven Celestial Formation of Onmyo Five Elements for Tenjin magic's Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, historically used as celestial divination for imperial omens.
Normally, multiple people casting the same magic at the same coordinates results in only the strongest interference prevailing, others' efforts wasted. A clear case was the bus self-destruct attack en route to the Nine Schools Competition, where multiple magics canceled each other out. But Kasumi and Izumi, sharing identical genetics and magic calculation areas, split control and interference duties, merging their power. Seria, watching, had similarly mastered Heavy Metal Burst with Lina through such synergy, though their Nitrogen Storm control was lacking due to inexperience.
(Their gas flow control's too loose… No, thinking in terms of Air Ride Burst is wrong.)
The Mitsuya's secret Air Ride Burst requires numerous variables: gas density, psion sphere temperature, flat drive filter, psion barrier control, kinetic energy, detonation coordinates, timing, and distance. Yugen typically variablizes most, unlike the usual constant settings, to adapt to situations and keep his exceptional calculation capacity sharp.
Takuma, kneeling, deployed an omnidirectional airtight shield, closing a hardcover book. Opening it forcefully, 720 pages—360 sheets—turned into 4mm square fragments, totaling 1,036,800 blades. Mere confetti to the eye, they became a swarm of square blades via Million Edge, the Shippou's group control specialty, charging at the twins. Kasumi and Izumi countered with a Heat Storm variant to burn them.
Both sides risked significant damage.
"Enough!"
Tatsuya, the referee, judged similarly, drawing Silver Horn and using Gram Dispersion to instantly nullify all three magics. As spell fragments and psion torrents scattered, Yugen deployed physical and psion barriers to contain the fallout. The first-years, stunned by the sudden halt, contrasted with Tatsuya's peers and seniors, who nodded in understanding. Juumonji was surprised but grasped Tatsuya's action.
"Both sides disqualified."
Tatsuya's verdict snapped the first-years out of their freeze. Kasumi spoke first, excited but restrained, aware of Tatsuya's strength unlike in the original.
"Shiba-senpai, why the ruling?"
"As stated, lethal or incurable attacks are banned. If deemed dangerous, I stop the match. Understood?"
"…Yes. On reflection, we overdid it. I accept the disqualification."
"Kasumi-chan…"
Even in an unofficial match, winning with Multiplicative Cast felt far from Kasumi's ideal strength, inspired by Yugen's controlled dominance in the Nine Schools Competition's Ice Pillars Break and Monolith Code. Mototsume and Chisato had taught her about his strength. She regretted nearly embarrassing herself before her idol, a sentiment Izumi shared.
Takuma, unconvinced, lashed out.
"Disqualified? If you hadn't stopped it, Million Edge would've hit Nanakusa!"
"So, you're saying if I didn't intervene, over a million heated blades would've ravaged a first-year girl's skin?"
Laughter erupted at Tatsuya's hypothetical. Takuma's face reddened with near-rage, obvious to all.
"Then, Shippou, it's your disqualification. You can't claim ignorance of what Million Edge does."
Million Edge's million-plus blades guarantee cuts, potentially fatal or magic-crippling. Even for family pride, Takuma's hostility toward the Nanakusa made restraint unlikely. He'd likely admit Million Edge made continuing impossible.
"Overkill is for killing, not rule-bound matches."
"Then my disqualification was set the moment I used Million Edge!"
"If you can't control its power, yes."
"That's absurd!"
Million Edge, like the Ichijou's Rupture, has a designated lethality rank, upgraded to A in confined spaces. Even for Shippou's group control experts, avoiding cuts with millions of millimeter-scale objects requires advanced skill. Sacrificing Million Edge's power to suppress opponents is possible, but against Nitrogen Storm's airflow, which accelerates fragments to high speeds, claiming no harm is sophistry.
"I was forced to seal my trump card from the start!"
"Matches impose equal conditions. The Nanakusa sisters were also barred from lethal magic."
"They don't have lethal magic!"
Really? Nitrogen Storm, fully unleashed, could suffocate masses. Their current control risked hypoxia, prompting Tatsuya's Gram Dispersion. If Heat Storm had targeted Takuma, he'd likely be dead. To claim only his Million Edge was singled out was brazen.
As Tatsuya and Takuma's argument dragged on, Yugen approached Kasumi and Izumi.
"Good effort, but you know you need to reflect, right?"
"Uh, yeah…"
"Yes, understood."
"Good," Yugen said, patting their heads. Kasumi looked embarrassed, Izumi ticklish—a normal reaction for Kasumi.
"With the gate closing soon, go home. The mock battle settles this matter. If you're dissatisfied, I'll spar with you."
"Hand-to-hand with Onii-sama!?"
"Stop that, sorry for my shameless sister, Yugen-nii."
"…I'm used to it."
Mayumi would've delivered a knuckle, but Kasumi, as the elder twin, chopped Izumi and apologized. As they left to change, Yugen glanced at Tatsuya and Takuma, who shouted:
"I don't need a Weed telling me that!"
Miyuki's icy glare pinned Takuma. Continuing this would draw Juumonji's intervention. Not a bad outcome, but Yugen's actions partly influenced Takuma. Using stealth steps—an ancient martial technique blending breathing and footwork to go unnoticed—Yugen took Takuma's right shoulder. As Takuma turned to shake him off, Yugen's left fist struck his right cheek. The sharp impact and Takuma's fall stunned everyone. Yugen, rarely using force, left all wide-eyed, dissipating Miyuki's anger.
"Listening to you, Shippou… Who do you think you are?"
"K-Kagurazaka Vice-Head?"
This stemmed from Takuma and Kasumi's dispute, escalated by seniors' intervention, risking Takuma's suspension or expulsion. Given the leniency, his complaints about the disqualification and use of overkill magic showed he wasn't facing his mistakes. Yugen chose force to silence him.
"You probably thought Tatsuya, not from the Twenty-Eight Clans, couldn't stop you. Too bad, he's no ordinary second-course student. I know that best."
Erika, Mikihiko, Shizuku, Honoka, and Miyuki nodded. Few matches could bypass Tatsuya's control. Takuma's assumption about their Nanakusa ties, plus Kirihara's email about his club alliance motives, spurred Yugen's intervention.
"Shippou, how long to prepare Million Edge?"
"Uh… A day…"
"Then I'll arrange a mock battle with Head Hattori for the day after tomorrow. If you want to prove you controlled Million Edge, I, a former Ten Master Clans member, will face you."
Takuma's drive to rival the Ten Master Clans was admirable, but did he understand its weight? As a partial cause of his overconfidence, Yugen felt duty-bound to step up. Apologizing to Juumonji, he wanted to test Phase Shift Armor and other magics, plus show Tatsuya and Miyuki his newly perfected spell.
(Former Ten Master Clans… True, but Shippou's in for it.)
Tatsuya observed calmly. Yugen's departure from the Ten Master Clans was known to some Twenty-Eight Clans and Hundred Families, but few knew Kagurazaka details. His uncontainable power led to his transfer there, unknown to Takuma.
Yugen left to speak with Hattori. Takuma, prompted by Honoka, stood, bowed lightly, and exited.
"Onii-sama… Will he be okay?"
Miyuki asked Tatsuya. Normally, Yugen wouldn't show such anger, unlike his lecture to the entire school during last year's election.
"I'll ask later. That okay, Miyuki?"
"Y-Yes…"
Both kept personal matters private, akin to a "like-minded couple." They agreed to discuss details at home and left the practice room.
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