Accident or Intent?
On the fourth day of the rookie tournament, the Monolith Code qualifiers were set to unfold—the main event of the Nine Schools Competition. Yet, the crowd's eyes gravitated toward Mirage Bat, where players dazzled in vibrant costumes, turning it into a pseudo-fashion show. But a chunk of the spectators weren't watching the athletes—they were fixated on Tatsuya.
"I feel… stared at," Tatsuya muttered.
"You're that oblivious about yourself, huh?" Subaru, his assigned athlete, teased.
"You can tell?"
"Of course! Rival engineers are obsessed with you."
Tatsuya scanned the crowd, sensing the attention. "Why me?"
"Your athletes are practically undefeated," Subaru said. "It's not just their skill—everyone knows it's your finely tuned CADs."
"Engineers aren't hard to look up," Tatsuya conceded.
"Exactly. They're all here for you, Shiba-kun."
"That's a stretch."
Tatsuya saw a faint resemblance between Subaru and Mari—both charismatic, aware of their charm, yet distinct. Mari would be a dashing gentleman in disguise; Subaru, a theater's pretty boy.
"With this device, I can't lose," Subaru declared. "I'll ride your work to the qualifiers."
"Confidence is good. Don't get cocky."
"I know. A great device is nothing if the user's sloppy. I'll stay sharp."
Tatsuya sent Subaru off with a warning, eyes on the arena. Sabotage was unlikely but not impossible.
Subaru and Honoka cleared the qualifiers with ease, now resting soundly via Sound Sleepers. Exhausted, Tatsuya returned to his hotel room for a nap.
(Monolith Code's second qualifier match should be happening now. Morisaki's team probably doesn't want me watching, and they're up against bottom-ranked Fourth High. They won't choke… right?)
His thoughts drifted to Third High's duo from yesterday. (Having the 'Crimson Prince' and 'Cardinal George' in one school feels like cheating. Poor Morisaki's team.)
He felt a twinge of pity for them, facing such giants. (Worst case, second place secures the rookie title. Just don't lose to Third High too soon.)
Tatsuya cared little for results, but Mayumi, Mari, and Suzune would likely drag him into point calculations at the tent. Best to mentally prep, a lesson learned over recent days.
Post-nap, he reached the tent to find it buzzing with chaos.
"Brother!" Miyuki called.
"What's wrong? Accident in Monolith Code?"
"Yes… well, not exactly…" Miyuki faltered.
"Deliberate over-attack," Shizuku cut in. "Clear rule violation."
"Shizuku, don't jump to conclusions," Mayumi cautioned. "It's not confirmed as Fourth High's intent."
"Hard to call it an accident," Suzune added, "but there's no proof of intent either. Accusing them risks rumors spreading as fact."
Tatsuya eyed Mayumi, impressed by her senior-like restraint. She caught his gaze. "What?"
"Just admiring our top senior and student council president."
"Oh? Good then." Mayumi's mood lifted, sensing no deception.
"How's the injury?" Tatsuya asked.
"You knew someone was hurt from that conversation alone?" Mayumi sighed. "It's bad. They took a Siege Hammer in a ruined building, buried under rubble."
"All three were in the building?"
"It was their starting point," Mayumi explained.
Tatsuya frowned. "The start point isn't shared with opponents, right?"
"Exactly why it's suspicious," Shizuku insisted. "Fourth High cheated, scouting presences early."
"Shizuku, I get it, but some can sense presences unconsciously. It might not be intentional."
Shizuku fell silent as Tatsuya turned to Mayumi. "Morisaki's team?"
"Even with protective gear, they're buried under rubble. Two weeks to heal, three days' absolute rest with magic treatment."
"I see."
Tatsuya's mind shifted—First High's rookie title was slipping away. He wasn't close to Morisaki's team, who disliked him anyway, so concern wasn't his priority.
"The treatment made me queasy," Mayumi murmured, barely audible.
Her words snapped Tatsuya back. Had anyone else heard, it could've sparked trouble. He'd thought her "little brother" jab was a tease, but it seemed partly sincere.
"I can only say this to you, Tatsuya-kun," she added, her tone playful, almost winking.
He suppressed a sigh— Miyuki was behind him, and sighing would worry her. "Mayumi, you needed to discuss something? In the back?"
The tent's "back" was just a cloth partition, but Tatsuya sensed her genuine distress and let her lead him there, dragged into yet another mess.
His name's everywhere this time, even if he's not in the spotlight…
---------------------------------------------------------
🚀 Want more?
📖 Unlock 10+ early chapters on my Patreon!
💖 Support me here: patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ
🔓 Get ahead of the story today!