Right, I'll be heading out now.
Good job.
Three of them...
That's...
That won't get there in time.
Who's there?
Who was it that came to my aid?
Mikihiko, it's me.
Tatsuya!
Not dead.
That was masterful!
From a blind position, you neutralized your targets in one shot, without fatally wounding them.
That's the best possible outcome.
But if you hadn't come to my aid, I would've been shot.
Are you an idiot?
That's just a hypothesis.
You successfully captured these intruders with your magic.
That's the only fact that matters.
Mikihiko, just what do you really envision yourself to be?
Well, I...
No matter how many you're up against, no matter how skilled they are,
you can defeat them without any help from anyone.
Don't tell me you're basing your actions on a notion like that.
Seriously...
I'm going to repeat myself here.
You're an idiot. Why would you discredit yourself to that degree?
Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand.
There's nothing I can do about it anymore.
Actually, there might be a way.
Mikihiko, isn't it your casting speed that you're concerned about?
Did you get that from Erika?
No.
Then how did you know?
There are too many superfluous components to your spells.
What did you say?
It's not a question of your talent.
What I said was that the problem is in the spells themselves.
My spells are the result of years and years of the Yoshida family's relentless refinements!
You've only seen them once or twice, so who are you to...?
But I can tell.
Just by "seeing" them, I can read the content of an activation sequence and analyze the magic sequence.
No way can you do that...
I don't need to force you to believe me.
Tatsuya...
Anyway,
right now we need to take care of these guys.
I'll stand guard, so could you get Security to come down here?
Oh... sure.
You didn't pull any punches with that advice, did you?
Major!
For someone so indifferent towards others, that's unusual, Special Officer.
"Indifferent" is going too far.
Did he strike some chord in you?
After all, that boy does seem to share your inward struggles.
I've already graduated from that level of struggles.
In other words, you remember what it was like, eh?
At last, the time has come to open the National Magic High School Goodwill Tournament of Magic Skills...
8-3-2095 / Nine Schools Competition Venue
2095 National Magic High School Goodwill Tournament of Magic Skills
better known as the Nine Schools Competition.
Opening Ceremony
This year's tournament will follow the usual format...
with five days each of official matches and rookie competitions, for a total of ten days.
This year, all eyes will be on First High School.
Will they get their third straight title, or will Third High School break that streak?
8-3 / Women's Battle Board Qualifying Venue
Battle Board Qualifying Venue
Honoka, how are you doing physically?
I'm fine. I've been training to build up my stamina,
and I've also been getting more sleep.
Honoka's getting quite muscular these days, you know!
Come on, don't say it like that, Miyuki!
I'm not planning to turn into that kind of macho woman, okay?
See! Now even Tatsuya's laughing at me!
The only reason he laughed was because you chose a weird way to put it.
Now you're joining in, Shizuku?
Fine! I'm the odd one out, anyway.
Unlike you two, I don't get to have Tatsuya watching my events.
Well, but I will be doing the fine-tuning for you in Mirage Bat.
But I can't ask you to take on my Battle Board match, right?
Though Miyuki and Shizuku will have you for both their events.
But I did take part in your practice sessions,
and we came up with your battle plan together, so you're not being left out in any...
Tatsuya, that's not what Honoka is trying to tell you.
Brother... Really, I think you're being a bit too clueless.
Eureka! The flaw you never knew Tatsuya had!
Total stiff?
Welcome to the Official Women's Battle Board event.
Mari Watanabe First High School Hibiki Goto Fourth High School
The third match of the trials will begin shortly.
Athletes, please take your positions.
Huh! She's just as snotty as ever...
First High School, third year, Ms. Mari Watanabe.
Mari!
I see she has some devoted fans.
It's understandable.
After all, Ms. Watanabe is quite cool.
On your mark...
A Self-destructing spell?
Most likely, she was trying to throw off the other contestants by creating a huge wave.
Hey, they're back in the game!
Applying Fortification Magic while multi-casting Movement Magic, huh?
Fortifying Magic? What is she fortifying?
She's anchoring her relative position to her board to keep from falling off.
Fortifying Magic isn't a spell for strengthening a substance.
It's a spell for anchoring the relative position of components.
You do understand that, don't you?
Well, yeah, since I actually use it myself.
Ms. Watanabe has made herself and her board a single object comprising one component,
and with that spell, she's anchoring its relative position.
And she's casting Movement Magic on herself and the board, as a single entity.
Oh?
Still, that's an interesting application...
So she's also using Vibration Magic?
Impressive. She's multi-casting three to four types of magic spells continuously.
She's quite the strategist.
No, she's just not a nice person.
Well, we know who's coming in first.
Yeah.
Major Kazama, you have a guest.
Come in.
Excuse me.
There you are.
Hey, have a seat.
No, I'm fine right here.
Tatsuya, we didn't call you here today as Special Officer Ryuuya Ooguro, Strategic-class Magician.
We invited you as our friend, Tatsuya Shiba.
If you stand on ceremony with us, we won't know what to do.
Captain Sanada...
Very well. Excuse me.
Teacups don't really capture the spirit,
but how about a toast?
About last night's incident,
there's no question that those intruders are with the No-Head Dragons,
which I mentioned to you the other day.
Are they targeting the NSC, as you suspected?
That's still being investigated.
I'll let you know when we find out.
Please do.
Still, I'm amazed that you happened to be right there on the spot.
Were you on the lookout for something?
I was taking a walk when I happened to sense their presence, that's all.
At such a late hour?
Well, I'd been fine-tuning our CADs for the matches.
Your teammates...
...do they know about "Silver"?
No, Major Yamanaka.
Since that is, after all, confidential.
Aren't you competing in any events?
With your Flash Cast skills, I think you'd do pretty well.
Of course there's Material Burst, but you also have Mist Dispersion.
Dispersing substances at the molecular level as you do with Mist Dispersion is a Rank A Destructive Spell,
so he can't use it at the NSC.
What's this, Major Sanada? Didn't you know?
NSC restrictions are placed on events that might have antipersonnel-related repercussions.
Speed Shooting and Pillars Break are exempt.
Either way, casting top secret military-grade magic in a public tournament isn't a good idea, is it now? Tatsuya...
I understand, Major.
However, it seems very unlikely that an engineer like myself would end up competing.
That's a matter of mindset.
All I need to know is that you're on the same page.
Tatsuya! Over here, over here!
Speed Shooting Qualifying Venue
Still only the quarterfinals, and look how popular it is.
That's because the chairwoman is competing.
The other matches aren't nearly as packed as this one.
Honoka, are you sure you can see?
I'm fine.
I see... By the way, what's up with Mikihiko?
He says he's not feeling well. Told us he'd be resting in his room.
The heat must have gotten to him.
If I didn't have my glasses on, I might have collapsed, too.
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Keiko Matoba Fifth High School
Amazing...
Ms. Saegusa's "Der Freischutz..."
It's even faster than last year.
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Keiko Matoba Fifth High School
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Keiko Matoba Fifth High School
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Keiko Matoba Fifth High School
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Keiko Matoba Fifth High School
Nine Schools Competition Part IV
Cheers!
Chairwoman, congratulations on winning the Speed Shooting event!
Thank you. And Mari, you made it through to the Battle Board semifinals as well.
For now, it's all going as expected.
And First High won the Speed Shooting event for boys as well.
Battle Board was something of a nail-biter, but Hattori did manage to survive, huh?
It looked like the adjustments to his CAD weren't working for him.
He's been tweaking it with Kinoshita from the technical staff all day, hasn't he?
Fortunately, Hanzo's off tomorrow.
We'll have to let him adjust it to his heart's content, I guess.
But come to think of it, Kinoshita has the Women's Crowd Ball event tomorrow, doesn't he?
Since he's a sub-engineer, I don't believe losing him for that will be problematic.
Wouldn't it be risky to leave it all to Izumi?
Then how about asking Shiba to fill in, since he's off both tomorrow and the day after?
I guess that's our best bet, huh?
All right, Miyuki, will you let Tatsuya know?
Very well!
Is that why you came here so late at night?
Am I inconveniencing you?
No...
I appreciate your giving me the message,
but hotel or not, a young girl shouldn't be wandering around at this hour.
Yes... I'm very sorry, Brother.
Apologizing with that huge smile on your face doesn't really...
Anyway, thanks for letting me know. I'll walk you back to your room.
Oh, no, I'll be fine on my own.
I can't trouble you any more than I already have...
I may be in the middle of something, but I'm just fooling around, so don't worry about it.
Yes, but isn't that a CAD program?
It's got nothing to do with the NSC.
Plus, the program itself is pretty much a toy.
A toy, did you say?
That's right.
Right now, you're a higher priority.
Oh, my...
Just listen to yourself, Brother!
Telling me that I'm more important!
You've got the meaning right, but I think the nuance is fatally off the mark...
Let's go.
Yes, Brother.
Um... I feel the same way, Brother.
Uh, what?
You're more important to me than anything else, Brother.
8-4 / Second day of the competition Crowd Ball Qualifying Venue
Tatsuya...
I'm counting on you today!
Are you competing in that outfit, by any chance?
That's right.
Does it look funny?
Don't I look good in it?
It becomes you quite well.
Does it?
Thank you!
Tatsuya?
Would you mind giving me a hand?
That's good enough.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
This is new to me!
I have an older brother and a younger sister,
but not a younger brother, you see.
You know how you never give me any special treatment?
I don't believe that I've acted all that familiarly with you...
That's not what I mean.
You don't tense up, or get flustered, or all distracted on me, you know?
I wonder if this is what it's like to have a kid brother?
Just kidding!
I don't know... All I have is a younger sister myself.
You have a point.
Sorry. I'd like to check in and see how the other athletes are doing,
so please excuse me.
I'm counting on you!
That won't be necessary.
Hey, Izumin.
Saegusa, I've asked you not to call me that.
So Ms. Izumi, what did you mean by "that won't be necessary?"
Oh... Shiba,
you go on and watch Saegusa's match.
I'll take care of the rest.
Is that right? Very well.
See you.
She's not a bad kid, you know, but...
Mayumi Saegusa First High School
Misato Yamagami Seventh High School
The girls are performing as expected.
Second day of the competititon Ice Pillars Break Qualifying Venue
Women's Pillars Break, second round.
First High School, Ms. Kanon Chiyoda.
All right!
How's Ms. Chiyoda's condition?
She's pretty pumped up.
I hear she won the first round with the shortest time.
Well, you know Kanon's personality...
It's starting.
Landmine Source.
That's right.
The Chiyoda family is known to be skilled in Long-range Solid Matter Vibration Type Magic,
and especially in spells that cause the earth to vibrate.
It looks like she bolstered her defenses, but she can't handle Ms. Chiyoda's attacks.
It looks like her opponent has switched to an offense-first strategy, but...
Either she's really decisive, or her methods are slipshod...
Take them out before you get taken out yourself... that's Kanon for you.
Well, no... As a strategy, I don't think it's wrong.
Victory!
What's going on?
Since the Men's Crowd Ball results weren't what we hoped for,
we've been recalculating our projections for winning the overall title.
Considering our current lead,
if we win the Official Women's Battle Board, Men's Pillars Break,
Mirage Bat and Monolith Code events, it should be safely within our reach.
In other words, of the six remaining official matches,
we have to win at least four of them?
They may only be worth half the points,
but it looks like our results in the rookie matches will sway our chances for the overall title.
Who knew that he'd build it and send it over in half a day?
Brother, would it be all right if I came in?
Come on in.
Excuse me, Brother.
We've come over to play!
Excuse me!
- Excuse me! - Excuse me!
Hey, coming in!
Excuse me.
Tatsuya, is this a Weaponized Integrated CAD, by any chance?
Correct.
Is that the toy you mentioned?
Yeah.
Leo!
Whoa! Tatsuya, look out, will you?
Don't you want to try it out?
Who, me?
That's right.
I think it would be up your alley.
I'm game...
Sure, I'll be your guinea pig.
Nine Schools Competition Part V
NEXT TIME