Fourth day of the competition, Women's Rookie Event Speed Shooting Venue
Shizuku Kitayama First High School
Minami Kawamura Second High School
30 more seconds...
Shizuku Kitayama First High School
Minami Kawamura Second High School
5 more seconds...
4...
3...
2...
1...
Shizuku Kitayama First High School
Minami Kawamura Second High School
First High School
I'm so impressed, Tatsuya!
That was a rout!
Chairwoman, please calm yourself.
Sorry, sorry...
But that really is amazing! To sweep the podium like that!
The winner, the runner-up, and the third-place finisher...
...all were the players themselves, and not me...
Of course, Ms. Kitayama, Ms. Akechi, and Ms. Takigawa were all impressive, too!
Good job, all of you!
Thank you very much.
But at the same time, your own achievement can't be denied.
No question about it, that was a rout.
Thank you very much.
What's with the uninspired reaction?
This feat, namely, all of our players finishing on the podium,
owes much to your engineering skills,
a fact that we all recognize.
I can't believe it myself.
It's like being under the illusion that my magic improved suddenly.
Especially regarding Ms. Kitayama's magic,
the university has approached us about officially adopting it into the Magic University's Index.
You mean it would be registered as a new type of magic?
Is that right?
When they inquire about the name of the developer, please give them Ms. Kitayama's.
What? No! We can't do that! That's an original of yours, Tatsuya!
The person who first uses a new type of magic is often registered as its developer.
Being overly modest can sound like sarcasm, you know?
I'm not being modest.
Then what's the deal?
I just want to be spared the humiliation of not being able to use the magic
registered in my own name as developer, that's all.
How did you confirm the operability of magic that you can't use yourself?
It's not as though I can't use it at all.
It's just that it would take far too long for me to activate it,
so I'm not at the level where I can actually use it.
Now, now, both of you, let's not worry about that now.
We did just get off to a good start today, after all.
Tatsuya, I'm counting on you to keep this up for the other matches, too!
A good start...
...huh?
Third High School Occupied
All right, Masaki, so that stunt by First High...
Are you saying that it wasn't due to those three girls' personal skills?
To be sure, Kitayama, who came in first, showed superb magic skills.
But the other two didn't strike me as being all that exceptional.
If it were only a matter of magic power,
there's no way that First High would've swept second and third place as well.
And besides, we've got the edge in Battle Board so far.
I don't see First High as having standouts only among their first years.
George is right. We didn't lose in terms of talent level.
Meaning that there's some other factor at play here.
It must be their engineer.
I'll bet that the engineer in charge of the girls' speed shooting must have mind-blowing skills.
Exactly.
George, that device used by the girl who won...
Did you notice?
Yeah. That was a generalized model, wasn't it?
No way... But it had auxiliary sights!
That's right! I've never heard of a generalized device in rifle form!
I've never seen anything like that in any manufacturer's catalog!
True, they're probably not on the market.
But there actually is such a thing as a generalized device with integrated auxiliary sights.
You serious?
It's a cutting-edge technology unveiled last summer in Düsseldorf.
Last summer? Then they've already put that technology to actual use?
Right. I never knew about it myself until I looked into it again, thanks to today's outcome.
I'm impressed that you knew about it, Kichijoji.
No wonder you're our brain!
Yeah... But the prototype announced at Düsseldorf most likely wasn't suitable for actual use.
It was clunky, it was imprecise...
It was pretty much a proof-of-concept mock-up that they'd just stuck together.
But today, the device used by Ms. Kitayama of First High combined the speed and accuracy of a specialized CAD
with the ability to process different types of Activation Sequences, the virtue of a generalized device.
If all that was made possible by an engineer's skills...
Then it's far beyond high school level. It's the work of a beast.
Masaki... Is he that good, for you to talk like that?
Though it's physically impossible for one engineer to be in charge of every single event...
Whatever matches he is working, we'll be facing an uphill battle.
At the very least, we should take the field knowing that device-wise,
we're in the hole by two or three generations.
Fourth day of the competition, Women's Rookie Event Battle Board Venue
Shiba, is there a problem?
Ms. Mitsui's race isn't for more than two hours...
I thought about heading back to our lodgings,
but since I'm here, I thought there might be something I could help with.
Really?
Then by all means, please take a look at my CAD!
Hey, Honoka. Putting it that way is rude to Ms. Nakajo...
I'm so sorry!
Don't worry about it. I know that you didn't mean it that way.
All right.
Since you're showing remorse, let me rethink your strategy for getting through the prelims.
Women's Rookie Event Battle Board Qualifying Sixth Race
Come to think of it, I wonder why Ms. Mitsui has so many Optical Activation Sequences prepared?
Under Battle Board rules, using magic to interfere with other contestants is prohibited.
However, you're not barred from hindering them as a result of interfering with the surface of the water.
What are these for?
What's the meaning of this?
All right.
So was this Brother's strategy?
True...
She's not breaking any rules, but...
It never even occurred to me that she would cast an optical spell on the water's surface.
I won!
I won, Tatsuya!
Yes, right, I saw you. Congratulations.
Th-Thank you very much!
N-No problem...
I... I...
I always wimp out during matches...
Whether it's Sports Day or athletic meets, or tournaments like this one,
I've hardly ever won before...
She's talking about her elementary school days.
It's all thanks to you, Tatsuya,
that I made it past the preliminaries!
Morisaki did finish as the runner-up in Men's Speed Shooting...
But the other two were knocked out, huh?
So the boys and girls ended up with the opposite results, didn't they?
At this rate, if we can't find a way out of this funk,
even if we do okay this year, there might be repercussions going forward.
Our guys might be in need of a boost...
8-6 / Chinatown, Yokohama
Wasn't Third High supposed to be the front-runner for the Rookie competitions?
After going to the trouble of engineering Watanabe's withdrawal,
at this rate, First High will end up winning anyway.
If the favorite wins, as bookmakers we'd be the only losers.
And we drew an especially large crowd this time.
For us, it won't come cheap, paying out the dividends.
It's sure to put a huge dent in our business this term. And if that happens...
All of us here will be purged.
Depending on the size of our losses, the boss might just do the deed himself.
If it were only a matter of dying, it wouldn't be so bad...
We've got to make a move right away.
Hey,
do you know what time it is?
Lack of sleep will impair your concentration.
Even you aren't immune to unexpected mistakes that could lead to defeat, you know.
I'm sorry!
As long as you understand that, it's fine.
All right, go on back to your own room now. I'll walk you back.
Miyuki?
Brother... could you just...
Could you spare me just a little of your time?
Just a little, all right?
I heard this from Shizuku.
Brother, you turned down the honor of having your name added to the Index...
is that right?
Yes...
Was it out of consideration for our aunt's wishes?
Yes...
The Magic Universities' research capabilities are extremely high.
It's not at all far-fetched that they could uncover and expose my identity as "Silver,"
which the Yotsubas have been so careful to block information on,
never mind the link between "Tatsuya Shiba" and the Yotsuba family.
Right now, I still don't have sufficient power.
Going one-on-one, it's possible that I could defeat the "Queen of the Night," Maya Yotsuba.
After all, my Decomposition is highly compatible with our aunt's Night.
But as I am now, even if I can take down our aunt,
I still can't subdue the Yotsuba family.
Military might alone, violence alone... they're not enough.
Even if I overthrew our aunt, it would just clear the way for another, even more nefarious manipulator.
Right now, my only option is to obey.
I'm on your side, remember...
Miyuki...
I will always be on your side, Brother.
Your time will surely come. I promise you, it will come without fail.
Until then, and ever after, I will always be on your side, Brother.
Nine Schools Competition Part VI
Fifth day of the competition, Women's Rookie Event Ice Pillars Break Venue
Shizuku Kitayama
Shizuku...
Are you really going to compete dressed like that?
Yes, I am. Since the rules allow for it, I might as well wear it.
Listen, Shizuku...
What?
Those long sleeves... wouldn't they get in your way?
Oh, I'll be fine. The sleeves are on the short side, and I'll be using my sash.
And besides...
I think it's less gaudy than what Ms. Chiyoda and Eimi are wearing...
I know they're allowed to wear whatever gets them the most pumped up, but...
It's like a fashion show out there, huh?
Akane Kasuga Fifth High School
Shizuku Kitayama First High School
Miyuki... aren't you going to see Tatsuya?
Well, Pillars Break is a solo competition.
Since Shizuku and I will eventually be competing against each other,
wouldn't it be unfair of me to steal a look at her hand?
I see...
As expected, Shizuku's really nailing it...
That magic sequence is so beautiful, no matter how many times I see it...
Just like it was that day.
First High School Entrance Exam Venue
National Magic University Affiliated First High School
First High School Entrance Exam Venue
Next, No. 267, Miyuki Shiba.
Yes, sir.
She has astounding magic power...
Next, No. 268, Tatsuya Shiba.
Yes, sir.
Such a beautiful spell... No emission of light-wave noise whatsoever.
He's pouring all of his magic power into Phenomenon-rewriting.
What's the matter, Honoka?
S-Sorry... It's nothing...
Tatsuya, Miyuki, we've come to cheer you on!
I'm certainly happy that you've come to root for us, Chief,
but don't you need to get some sleep?
What's this, now you're treating me like an invalid, too?
It's not as if I'm going to be bouncing around, so it's all good.
Shouldn't you be stationed at headquarters, Chairwoman?
It's all right. I've left it in Hanzo's hands.
Miyuki, you've got yourself a reliable cheering section,
but try not to let it make you even more nervous.
No worries.
Ayaka Shimizu Fourth High School
Miyuki Shiba First High School
After all, I have you by my side, Brother.
Dammit...
Don't tell me this is... Inferno?
That was amazing, wasn't it? That thing Miyuki did!
It's called "Inferno," right? The upperclasswomen were astounded.
Even Rank A magicians struggle to pull it off, they said.
Shizuku was so cool, too! I loved her long-sleeved kimono,
and the way she drove her opponent into a corner so mercilessly...
That was way cool!
That spell of Shiba and Shizuku's was a variation on Resonance, wasn't it?
So Shiba did design that Activation Sequence?
The spell Shizuku used in Speed Shooting was an original by Shiba, right?
And it was thanks to Shiba that Inferno got programmed at all, wasn't it?
I heard that Honoka's Blinding Flash strategy was also Shiba's brainchild.
Lucky them...
If only Shiba had been my engineer, I might have won...
Nanami, I think that remark was a bit inappropriate.
Nana,
you shouldn't blame your CAD for your own immaturity.
I repent!
But thanks to Shiba, I was able to perform better than usual...
There's no doubt about that.
In a sense, calibrating your CAD is like exposing your innermost feelings, isn't it?
To do that for a male engineer... I did have reservations at first,
but now I really feel lucky to have Shiba looking after me!
We should be thankful to the boys who let us have Shiba in their place.
Hey, Morisaki?
Morisaki, what's going on?
Listen up, you guys. We're winning Monolith Code tomorrow no matter what!
Right... But, listen...
Just you wait...
I'm going to prove once and for all that Blooms are superior to Weeds!
Sixth day of the competition, Women's Rookie Event Ice Pillars Break Venue
I'm Masaki Ichijo, a first year at Third High School.
And I'm Shinkuro Kichijoji, also a first year at Third High School.
First High Waiting Room
Nine Schools Competition Part VII
NEXT TIME