Tatsuya stepped into the meeting room, already sensing Miyuki, Shizuku, and Eimi inside, though their surprise at his arrival caught him off guard.
"Let's make this quick," Mayumi said, the sole figure addressing the group.
"The finals being swept by one school is a first. Shiba-san, Kitayama-san, Akechi-san—well done."
Miyuki bowed gracefully, Shizuku calmly, Eimi hurriedly. All three returned Mayumi's praise in their own way.
"The committee has a proposal," Mayumi continued. "Since the total points awarded to the school remain the same regardless of final rankings, they suggest skipping the league and declaring all three of you co-champions."
The trio exchanged glances. Tatsuya's lips twisted into a wry smirk. (No matter how they dress it up, it's clear they just want to make things easier for themselves.)
"We don't have much time, so please decide now," Mayumi urged.
Eimi's gaze wavered. She knew she couldn't match Miyuki or Shizuku, and third place had seemed enough—until the chance at co-champion status sparked a flicker of ambition.
"Tatsuya-kun, your thoughts?" Mayumi asked. "Three-way finals might complicate things for you."
"Honestly, Akechi-san's not in top shape after that intense third round. I doubt she'd recover in an hour or two."
Tatsuya saw through Mayumi's intent but stuck to the facts, sidestepping her game.
"I was already considering withdrawing," Eimi admitted. "My condition's off, and I trust Tatsuya-san knows it better than I do. I'd planned to consult him first."
Shizuku, however, fixed her gaze on Miyuki. "I want to fight. A real chance to face Miyuki head-on… I can't let it slip away."
"And you, Miyuki-san?" Mayumi prompted.
"If Kitayama-san wants to challenge me, I have no reason to refuse."
"Then it's settled," Mayumi concluded. "I'll inform the committee: Akechi-san withdraws, Shiba-san and Kitayama-san will compete in the final."
Tatsuya bowed first, exiting swiftly. Miyuki and Shizuku followed with polite bows, while Eimi hurriedly mumbled, "Excuse me," and dipped her head.
The stands overflowed with spectators. Having tuned both Miyuki's and Shizuku's CADs, Tatsuya took a seat in the back row of the officials' section, alone—until Mayumi and Mari flanked him, much to his chagrin.
"Wouldn't you rather be at Miyuki's side?" Mayumi teased, her smile impish.
"No such thing, but I'd prefer to watch alone," Tatsuya replied coolly.
"What, we're in your way?" Mari quipped.
"Not exactly, but solitude suits focused spectating."
"Focused?" Mayumi tilted her head, catching a hint in his words, but Tatsuya didn't elaborate.
"It's starting," he said, his gaze sharpening.
Mayumi flinched slightly, though Mari noticed her friend's expression soften, almost dreamy. (Mayumi's got it bad for Tatsuya-kun…) Mari mused. Spring might be blooming for her friend (or "frenemy," as they'd insist), but with Tatsuya's sky-high competition, even Mayumi faced a steep climb.
The match was a deadlock on the surface. Miyuki's Inferno assaulted Shizuku's territory, but her pillars held under Data Fortification, barely repelling the heatwave. Shizuku's Resonance Destruction was completely blocked by Miyuki's defenses.
(Not enough! Miyuki's on another level!) Shizuku thought, gritting her teeth.
Then, in a bold move, she thrust her left arm into her right sleeve, drawing a pistol-shaped specialized CAD—Tatsuya's trump card for her.
(Dual CAD operation! Shizuku, you mastered that?!) Miyuki's composure wavered. Simultaneous CAD use was her brother's signature, a high-skill technique. Shizuku's success briefly stalled Miyuki's magic.
Seizing the moment, Shizuku unleashed her new spell.
Mayumi, not Miyuki, reacted most audibly from the officials' stands. "Phonon Maser!?"
"You know it well," Tatsuya remarked.
The vibration-based Phonon Maser—a high-level spell that quantized ultrasonic vibrations into a searing beam—was Tatsuya's strategy to topple Miyuki. Yet his expression remained grim. He knew this wouldn't be enough to surpass his sister.
Miyuki, enduring the ultrasonic barrage, switched spells. Despite Shizuku's unrelenting attack, the sublimation of ice halted, overtaken by an overwhelming chill. Shizuku pushed Data Fortification harder, but Tatsuya and Miyuki both knew it was futile.
The encroaching mist was pure cold—a spell rendering temperature resistance meaningless.
"Niflheim… what kind of frozen hell is this…?" Mari muttered, awestruck.
The wide-area cooling spell Niflheim uniformly chilled everything in its domain, regardless of specific heat or phase. Miyuki's advanced application, dialed to maximum potency, left Shizuku defenseless.
A deafening roar erupted as Shizuku's pillars collapsed, their surfaces shattering in a violent explosion—whether from the fall, their bases crumbling, or a steam blast, none could tell. The devastation spoke for itself.
A beat later, the match was declared over.
"I'm done here," Tatsuya said, standing.
"Uh, right…" Mayumi stammered.
"Good work…" Mari added.
Both women had questions burning in their minds, but Tatsuya's unshaken demeanor silenced them.
Wall slam, huh? Maybe I'll have someone try it…
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