Tatsuya wasn't just standing idly by as Shinkurou dashed off. He waited for the precise moment when Masaki's focus wavered, then closed the distance in a single burst.
However, the closer he got, the harder it became to dismantle Masaki's spells with "Decomposition," and soon, attacks slipped through that he couldn't neutralize. Tatsuya evaded them without magic, pressing forward relentlessly.
Meanwhile, as Shinkurou charged toward First High's monolith, Leo blocked his path. Shinkurou prepared to unleash "Invisible Bullet," but his face twisted in shock.
In this open grassland stage—perfect for Shinkurou's specialty, just like Masaki's—he thought there was no way to miss at this range. Yet, when Leo slammed his mantle to the ground, it rose like a wall, concealing his figure.
(No way—that's how he uses it!? This makes "Invisible Bullet" useless...)
The nature of "Invisible Bullet" required direct line of sight on the target. Stunned by this simple yet effective counter, Shinkurou barely dodged incoming metal shards.
To evade Leo's assault, Shinkurou leaped into the air. But then, a gust of "Wind" struck in pursuit.
(Another one!)
By shifting his body backward, Shinkurou minimized the damage from Mikihiko's wind blast.
Unable to see Leo and deeming the rear guard more troublesome, Shinkurou aimed "Invisible Bullet" at Mikihiko instead. But...
"Illusions!?"
Drawing on the spirits swarming his robe, Mikihiko multiplied his shadows. Shinkurou couldn't discern the real one in that split second, and his attack fizzled out.
(I never imagined they'd prepare countermeasures this thorough... You're no ordinary opponent after all.)
Genuinely impressed that his signature spell had been so meticulously countered, Shinkurou glanced briefly toward Tatsuya.
Leo didn't miss that opening and launched another attack, this time swinging "Petit Lien" overhead to cover any aerial escape.
"Damn—!?"
He hadn't forgotten he was in the middle of a match. But he hadn't rated Leo highly enough to expect him to exploit such a fleeting gap.
(Sorry, Masaki...)
At this timing, even with his superior skills, evasion seemed impossible. Bracing for impact, Shinkurou closed his eyes—but the cry of pain came from his attacker.
"Gah!"
Opening his eyes, Shinkurou saw the remnants of Masaki's spell where Leo had stood moments ago. Though facing Tatsuya, Masaki had kept an eye on the side battle from the corner of his vision.
"Masaki!"
Skipping words of thanks, Shinkurou directed a grateful nod at him before turning his assault on Mikihiko. Abandoning his specialty, he invoked a gravity-based spell.
Mikihiko's gravity suddenly inverted, sending him crashing helplessly to the ground. Then, intensified pressure pinned him down, forcing out his remaining breath.
The match's momentum had shifted ominously, and sighs of resignation echoed in First High's tent.
"They put up a good fight, but they're just Course 2 students after all..."
"But Shiba's still holding on, right?"
"It's only a matter of time. The opponent's from the Ten Master Clans—and the heir, no less."
The higher the expectations, the quicker the despair when two defenders fell at once. Indeed, aside from the leaders, most had given up on beating Third High by this point.
"This is getting bad..."
"Yeah... At this rate, Gilich will reach the monolith before Ichijou's fight with him ends."
With both defenders down, they couldn't afford to worry solely about Tatsuya. If Shinkurou made it to the monolith unchecked, First High would lose even if Tatsuya held out.
"What the—!?"
Just as the leaders teetered on surrender, Tatsuya seized the instant Masaki's attention slipped and closed the gap dramatically.
"Self-acceleration!? No, this is..."
"It's the same move he used against Hanzo."
For Tatsuya, it wasn't particularly taxing, but to those seeing it for the first time, his motion was a genuine threat.
"Is that guy really a Course 2 student?"
"I heard he was skilled in physical arts, but not to this extent..."
"Maybe we still have a shot with that."
From allies' perspectives, Tatsuya's movements inspired hope. But they all overlooked how it would appear to the one facing him directly.
Having confirmed Leo's takedown and Mikihiko's defeat at Shinkurou's hands, Masaki turned his gaze back to Tatsuya.
"Gh—!?"
He hadn't let his guard down—if anything, he'd been hyper-vigilant. Yet, in that mere instant, Tatsuya had narrowed the distance to five meters: within striking range for his martial prowess, a single step away.
Unmistakable terror etched Masaki's face. To someone with real combat experience like him, Tatsuya's approach evoked nothing but dread.
Forgetting it was just a match, Masaki unleashed a regulation-violating over-attack—not one, but twenty in a blink.
(Damn!)
By the time the spells activated, it was too late to pull back. Regret flooded Masaki as he regained composure.
Tatsuya, meanwhile, pondered his countermeasures. His anti-magic "Decomposition" compressed psions per shot, making it inefficient. If he could use his true abilities, this would be trivial—but not here, with so many eyes watching. As Kazama and Miyuki had warned, he stuck to "Decomposition," dismantling each strike one by one without revealing his secrets.
Before Masaki's barrage fully launched, Tatsuya shattered seventeen magical signatures. Three remained, but in his current stance, he figured he could handle at most one more.
(This is impossible... At least, I hope it stays contained enough that no one notices...)
Contemplating his other, harder-to-control ability, Tatsuya continued dismantling with "Decomposition."
But inevitably, Masaki's spells fired, hurling two over-attacks straight at Tatsuya.
From the general stands, Erika and Mizuki—and a bit further, Sayaka—called out his name. In the players' seats, Honoka and Shizuku did the same. In the tent, Mayumi, Mari, and Suzune echoed it. Only Miyuki watched silently, her faith unwavering.
And her trust wasn't betrayed: the blast sent Tatsuya flying, but he landed right in front of Masaki.
Tatsuya's circumstances will be properly explained next time.
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