In the end, Mirage Bat for the Newcomers Division turned out just as Tatsuya predicted, with Honoka and Subaru in sole possession of First and Second Place. Immediately after the end of the match, Tatsuya was summoned to the conference room without any opportunity to partake in the fruits of victory.
Inside, the upperclassmen waiting for Tatsuya were wholly unlike his (female) peers who were delirious with joy, upperclassmen who were the utter masters of their emotions and hid them beneath solemn expressions.
Mayumi, Mari, Katsuto, Suzune, Hattori, Azusa.
Everyone from high command in First High was present.
In addition, Kirihara and Isori were also on the flanks.
Given that team members just suffered serious injuries, it was only natural that they could not appear delighted, but even so their expressions were a little stiff — as if dreading what was coming next. Especially Hattori, who apparently was at wit's end about what expression to adopt, so he chose to form a mask with his own face, with a thoroughly ill at ease expression.
This could not turn out well, so Tatsuya mentally fortified himself.
"Good work. Thanks to you, we obtained a far better result than any we could've hoped for."
Mayumi used a normal — more like official — choice of words.
Before she said this, Tatsuya's keen senses picked up how she and Katsuto exchanged a glance in a blink of an eye.
"That's all thanks to the players' diligence."
Tatsuya also replied back in a vague fashion. He hadn't felt this sort of tense atmosphere since he first enrolled here.
"Of course, credit is due to Mitsui-san and Satomi-san as well as all the other students who tirelessly trained to achieve this result.
However, everyone acknowledges that Tatsuya-kun's contribution is nothing short of outstanding.
We didn't suffer a single setback in any of the three events you were responsible for...... In terms of points, the fact that we are guaranteed at least Second Place in the Newcomers Division is all thanks to Tatsuya-kun."
"......Thank you very much."
Tatsuya executed a short and prudent bow.
They kept their eyes from matching as they waited for the other person to speak. Yet, Mayumi didn't cut to the chase.
Tatsuya slowly raised his eyes to find Mayumi using her eyes to stop Katsuto.
There appeared to be something difficult to speak of that Katsuto wanted to clarify.
What was it that warranted such a level of indecision?
Finally noticing that Tatsuya was intently watching her, Mayumi seemed to cave and briefly shut her eyes.
"As I said earlier, even if we withdrew from Monolith Code, we are still guaranteed Second Place in the Newcomers Division. Right now, there's a 50 point difference between First High and Third High. If Third High takes Second Place or higher in Monolith Code, they would take First Place overall in the Newcomers Division. We would retain First Place if they only achieve Third Place or below."
This way, there wouldn't be a huge gap in the rankings for the Newcomers Division, which was Tatsuya's objective all along for the combined score.
So what were they so anxious about?
Also, why was he summoned in the first place?
Tatsuya was also starting to fret now.
"Before the Newcomers Division, didn't we assume this would be enough......"
Mayumi could already detect his growing displeasure from his voice. In the midst of her suppressed expression, there were hints of a slightly harried look. What came out was an anxious, frantic voice.
"Since we've come so far,"
Even so, she wasn't settling down to re-examine the situation, but rushing for the finish line.
At this point, Tatsuya finally realized what they were going to ask of him.
"We wish to charge for First Place overall in the Newcomers Division."
At some point, Mayumi's tone had reverted to her normal level.
"Are you aware that Third High is dispatching Ichijou Masaki and Kichijouji Shinkurou for Monolith Code?"
At Mayumi's question, Tatsuya replied with a succinct "Yes".
"Exactly...... Setting aside Ichijou-kun for the moment, Tatsuya-kun may know more about the details surrounding Kichijouji-kun. With those two teaming up, the chances of them being upset in the elimination round is extremely remote. If we withdraw from Monolith Code, our chances of triumphing in the Newcomers Division vanish as well."
So, they wanted him—
"So Tatsuya-kun...... May we rely on you to replace Morisaki-kun and the others in Monolith Code?"
—The "thing" that Mayumi wanted him to do coincided exactly with what Tatsuya surmised.
"......May I ask two questions?"
"Of course, what is it?"
He was already 90% certain, but this was a good opportunity to verify things, Tatsuya thought.
"There are still two matches in the preliminary round that have been extended until tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes, you're right. Owing to this, tomorrow's schedule will change as well."
"I thought that replacing players are forbidden even if the starters suffered injuries?"
"After carefully considering the situation, a special exception was made."
What an unsurprising answer.
Still, even if all these answers were anticipated, accepting them was an entirely different story.
"......Why me?"
This was no question, but a subtle rejection in and of itself. It was just that he was facing upperclassmen, so he had to at least observe the forms and could not simply say "No".
Mayumi probably predicted that Tatsuya would answer this way and still hadn't come up with a method to persuade him, hence she kept beating around the bush. Currently, she wore a forced smile pasted on her miserable expression.
"I just thought that Tatsuya-kun was the strongest candidate......"
"Disregarding your grade in technical skills, in live combat ability alone you are undoubtedly the mightiest among the 1st Year male students."
Mari, who until this moment had left the negotiations to Mayumi, noticed that the situation was turning bleak from Mayumi's vague response, and threw her weight behind the "persuading" side.
"Monolith Code is not 'live combat' — it is a 'magic competition' where hand to hand combat is forbidden. I'm sure everyone is well aware of this without me pointing it out."
Despite this, Tatsuya still didn't capitulate.
"On magical fighting strength, I think you are also in the highest tier as well."
Mari glanced at Hattori, who knitted his brows with a thoroughly miserable expression.
This was a merciless, but effective angle of attack, so Tatsuya was forced to abandon his excuse of being "incapable". However, he still had another card up his sleeve.
"But I'm not a player. In terms of replacements, we should still have other players that have only competed in one event."
Now, even Mari was at a loss.
"Even if we ignored the pride from the Course 1 students, by grabbing a replacement 'player' from the ranks of the 'auxiliaries', you would damage the confidence of future participants as well."
This was probably the issue that was causing them the most headaches and also the one they didn't want to address.
The Newcomers Division did wonders for educating new students. Even if they triumphed this year, they could not guarantee that this would not negatively impact the Official Division in the ensuing years, which was essentially putting the cart in front of the horse.
If the replacement for one of the primary players turned out to be an auxiliary, and a Course 2 student to boot, this would have a shattering impact on not just the other players, but also the pride of the collective body of Course 1 students.
Mayumi and the others had no rejoinder for this.
He was the master of the field, Tatsuya judged. Now was the time for him to tactfully decline and bow out, and—
"Don't be naive, Shiba!"
Katsuto's booming voice rang out.
For a time, Tatsuya was unable to respond.
He was temporarily unable to discern exactly why he was being scolded.
While it was true that his words were sophistry laden with logic, it was logic nonetheless.
If they deployed him, even if victory over Third High wasn't attainable, Second Place in Monolith Code was still possible.
The difference between gold and silver in Monolith Code was a paltry 40 points. If they captured Second Place, then they would likely carry the Newcomers Division.
But in that case, no matter how you sliced it, Tatsuya would become the key contributor that made the Newcomers Division victory possible.
This would be an absolutely unacceptable result to the Course 1 students still dwelling in their elitist world. Even if he was eliminated during the preliminary round, they would not suffer a Course 2 student like him to represent them in Monolith Code.
"You are already a member of the representative team."
However, Katsuto's words fell precisely on the weakest point of Tatsuya's defense.
"Regardless of whether you are a player or auxiliary, that is not important. You are one of the 20 representatives selected out of the 200 1st Year students."
Katsuto's alternate meaning.
In other words, Tatsuya's presence had already dealt a huge blow to the Course 1 students and brought about severe shock and panic.
"In light of this emergency, our leader Saegusa has selected you as the replacement.
As a member of the team, once you have accepted this responsibility, you also have the obligation to fulfill your duty as a member."
"But......"
Even so, he still had to respond. Otherwise, they......
"As a member, you should not go against your leader's decisions.
If the judgment was erroneous, then we who aid the leadership will bring it to a halt.
Members other than ourselves have no place to object.
Indeed...... Regardless of whether it's myself, the person in question, whoever!"
Tatsuya stared at him blankly and dropped what he was going to say.
Tatsuya finally comprehended what Katsuto really wanted to express.
The message Katsuto was driving across was that regardless of who objected and regardless of what the outcome was, the brass would take full responsibility for the fallout.
"Do not cower, Shiba. Do not worry that you are a substitute. Since you have been selected, go out there and do your duty."
These words were not just restricted to the Nine Schools Competition. The Nine Schools Competition never had a replacement policy in the first place.
—Do not use your status as a Course 2 student as an escape route.
—Do not look for excuses.
—Do not put yourself in a position of weakness and wallow in despair.
Do not worry that you are a substitute — that's what this meant. Do not concern yourself with your substitute (Weed, Course 2 student) status, these are what those words entailed.
All his egress routes had been denied.
Also — since they've already gotten to this point, he had no plans to back down.
"......Understood. I shall do my best."
Mayumi and Mari both relaxed.
Katsuto solemnly nodded.
"Then, who are my teammates?"
In front of the upperclassmen, his tone was noticeably softer.
To be precise, he was intentionally using a firmer tone than usual up until now.
"That's up to you."
"Ah......?"
Tatsuya was not feigning ignorance. He was once again unable to comprehend what was being said.
"The last two members will be decided by you."
The same instructions were repeated in a different manner. Katsuto added a few words as if he had just thought of something.
"It would be best if you could decide now, but if you need some more time to consider, then come back an hour from now."
Hearing Katsuto's words, Tatsuya almost blurted out, "You're just the same."
This was the case in April when they sacked "Blanche's" base. He gave full authority to an underclassman as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
If he could avoid taking full responsibility, then this would only be a tactic to preserve himself. Yet for Katsuto, the only thing he had was responsibility here, so there's no reason he could treat this so cavalierly. Rather than calling this a byproduct of his leadership training, it may be more appropriate to say this was his nature...... Abandoning these useless thoughts, Tatsuya focused back on the topic at hand.
"No, if I just need to choose, I don't need any time......"
Tatsuya had already selected two replacements in his head from the roster.
"I just don't know if they will agree."
"Let us handle that."
......Again, refusing was not an option.
Today was the first time Tatsuya learned that the eldest son of the Juumonji Family had such a forceful personality.
"Is anyone alright? Even if I choose people from outside the team?"
Tatsuya's mood lightened considerably as if he was allowed to be as frivolous as possible.
"Eh? That's a little......"
"That's fine. This is already an unprecedented exception, so by now, no one will care if two more are added."
"Juumonji-kun......"
Mayumi helplessly glanced at Katsuto. On his part, Katsuto was wholly unperturbed by this.
"Then, I choose Yoshida Mikihiko from Class 1-E and Saijou Leonhart, also from Class 1-E."
"Hey, Shiba!?"
Hattori quickly tried to interject, but was held back by Suzune's raised hand.
"That's fine. Nakajou."
"Yes, present!"
Katsuto didn't bat an eyelid at Azusa's exaggerated response.
"Please call Yoshida Mikihiko and Saijou Leonhart here. The two of them should be at this hotel, though not with the normal cheering squads."
At first glance, he was bold and unconstrained — while this was also true, he was also someone who paid attention to the minute details. That being said, it was true that unofficial members and students that weren't part of the cheering squads and were also residing in this hotel did count as oddities. For people doing their due diligence, this was something worthy of devoting some attention to, so it was hardly surprising that he knew. Even so, Tatsuya was still impressed with Katsuto's knowledge.
"......Tatsuya-kun. Can you tell us why you chose them?"
Since she abandoned the responsibility for persuading Tatsuya to Katsuto, Mari was in no position to object at this point.
Nevertheless, she was still unable to accept this answer, maybe even suspicious that something was afoot as she asked this.
"Of course. A big reason is that I have practically not trained or interacted with any of the male team members."
Tatsuya was only responsible for calibrating the Women's team, so it was true that he had never observed any of the men practicing.
"I am utterly unfamiliar with their proficiency and weaknesses. The competition is tomorrow. It is by far too late to start investigating, devising strategies, or doing calibration."
"......Do you know these two very well?"
"Yes. We're not just in the same class — we also understand each other very well."
"Hm...... You have a point. Since we can rely on other technicians for calibration, if teammates don't understand each others' strengths and weaknesses, teamwork would become a serious issue."
As Mari considered this, she suddenly revealed a completely unexpected, mischievous expression.
"Then, that's not the biggest reason, so what is it?"
At Mari's curious question, Tatsuya didn't hesitate and immediately made a stand.
"Ability."
"Wha?"
This intrepid answer caused Mari, Mayumi, Katsuto, and Suzune to look upon Tatsuya with profound interest.
"Hey, Tatsuya...... Is it true?"
Rather than being confused, Leo wore a forlorn expression as he repeated this question for the umpteenth time.
"Setting aside President Saegusa for the moment, do you think Group Leader Juumonji would spin such a complicated lie?"
Tatsuya was getting ready to give up answering this question.
"Even if you said setting aside the President, I still don't understand...... Oh, so it's really true."
Until now, Leo was still skeptical as he heaved a deep sigh.
To his side, Mikihiko was highly distracted as his eyes drifted, evidently unsure where to look.
"Miki, settle down a bit."
"My name is Mikihiko."
After conversing with Erika as if prearranged, a disgruntled Mikihiko sat down on the bed.
They were in Tatsuya's double room. The entire brass went and persuaded the two of them to accept — more like coerced — and Tatsuya called them over to make plans for the future.
With Erika and Mizuki following along, this does seem a little "prearranged".
Miyuki, Honoka, Shizuku were tied up by Eimi, Subaru, and their teammates and were currently locked in a spiral of "madness".
"But...... Haven't Mikihiko and I made no preparations whatsoever?"
"Exactly...... Forget about the CAD, I don't think we even have uniforms?"
Mikihiko's face was a little pale. Owing to his sudden selection, he was a little timid and mystified at his completely unexpected elevation as a Course 2 student to starter for the Newcomers Division. Not that Mikihiko would ever be caught dead admitting that.
Leo's coloring was normal, but he had shaken off his usual joking expression. He didn't look particularly energetic.
Besides Mikihiko, Tatsuya was surprised to find that even Leo was a little daunted, but he didn't choose to alter the plan of attack. Don't even dream of throwing everything to me, Tatsuya thought.
"Relax. They didn't prepare a uniform for me either."
"Wait, that's hardly a comforting thought."
Tatsuya waved his hand at Leo's ready retort.
"It'll be OK. Even if there's nothing we can do about it, just relax."
"No, that's not what I meant."
This time it was Erika's turn to snark.
Those two certainly share the same interests, Tatsuya thought.
"Fine, you're right. Honestly, that's all I can say. Don't worry about it. We've already put Nakajou-senpai in charge of the protective gear and tunics. Appearances can be pretty deceiving and she's quite a competent person. I'm sure she'll have the perfect uniforms for us."
Nobody had any comment for that. Not that anyone was going to call into question whether her competence belied her appearance.
"I'll handle the CADs. I guarantee that I'll only need an hour per person."
Completely calibrating a CAD from scratch to the point that it was customized for a Magician usually required triple the amount of the time.
Yet, neither Leo nor Mikihiko seemed particularly astounded.
On one hand, they weren't wholly aware how impressive "one hour" actually was, and on the other hand, they had already seen so many "shockers" in the past four days that they already thought "Tatsuya's omnipotent".
"Is that OK? Isn't it already 9 PM? You still need time for your gear, right?"
Erika was the only one of the four who was aware how time-consuming CAD calibration was. Thus, she was the only one looking on with concerned eyes.
"That'll be fine. I only need 10 minutes."
Looks like their worries were groundless. Once more experiencing first-hand how ridiculous he was, Erika heavily sighed.
"Ten minutes, eh, ten...... Why do I even bother worrying about you."
"Unfortunately, in reality, we don't have that much time."
"Eh?"
Erika comically portrayed a carefree expression, but upon hearing Tatsuya's bleak words, she quickly became anxious again.
"Regardless of how you describe this, we are an impromptu lineup with no tactical planning.
We have no time to practice, so we must do our fine tuning in battle.
Charging into the fray with only a rough battle plan is like heading in there blind.
For me, this is simply the last resort."
Rather than saying that Tatsuya was discouraged, it was more like he was ranting.
Erika relaxed somewhat and nodded.
"......So that's how it is. Trickery is Tatsuya-kun's specialty."
"That's going a little too far."
Tatsuya could only droop his shoulders and smile at Erika's overblown description of his shortcomings.
"Well...... It's pointless to complain any further about something that has already been decided. While Ichihara-senpai and Nakajou-senpai are scrounging up the necessary materials, let's go over our strategy."
"You were the one who said we couldn't come up with a plan."
Seeing Erika nitpicking Tatsuya's words, Mizuki barred her path with a vexed expression on her face. (She was just standing in front of her.)
"Erika-chan...... At the very least, please don't hinder Tatsuya-kun."
"Ouch! Mizuki, I was just trying to liven up this totally deadbeat~ atmosphere......"
"Yes, yes, as this deadbeat~ atmosphere is fading away, please be quiet. He already said we're running out of time, Erika."
Recently, Mizuki had finally figured out the key to dealing with her friend, so she wasn't being pulled this way and that like she was in the past.
"Hm......"
Erika puffed her cheeks at being scolded, but mercifully remained silent. No matter what she said or what attitude she adopted, she stayed because she was sincerely worried about Tatsuya, Leo, and Mikihiko.
"Our first topic is the formation itself."
Tatsuya completely ignored the interruption and kept going.
"I'm on offense, Leo is on defense, while Mikihiko will use guerrilla tactics."
"OK. But what am I supposed to do on defense?"
"I want to know too. What do you mean by guerrilla?"
At this point, Leo and Mikihiko had either accepted their fate or were earnestly getting excited. The highest probability was that they were just trying to muddle through it. Regardless of the reason behind their completely different and proactive attitude, Tatsuya continued his fluid explanation.
"The defense's job is to protect allied territory from enemy assault.
Everyone knows the victory conditions for Monolith Code, right?"
At this question, Leo answered without much confidence.
"To render the opposing team unable to continue, or transfer the code hidden within the monolith into the terminal, right?"
"That is correct. In order to transfer the code hidden within the monolith, a special Nonsystematic Magic must be inputted into the monolith. The special Magic Sequence serves as a key and splits the monolith in two. Once the monolith has been split, the team is forbidden from using magic to reseal the break. However, using magic to prevent the monolith from splitting is valid. Also, there is a requirement stating that the special Magic Sequence must be used within 10 meters of the monolith and would immediately stop upon leaving that range."
"......In other words, the defense's job is to prevent the enemy from getting within 10 meters of the monolith, and even if the special (key) Magic Sequence has been inputted, their goal then becomes preventing the monolith from opening or disrupting the enemy from reading the code, these three points?"
"Full marks."
Tatsuya nodded in satisfaction at Leo's answer.
"Generally, Counter Magic can be used to prevent the 'key' from activating, but even without that ability, Fortifying Magic is sufficient to prevent the monolith from opening. Strictly speaking, even if the monolith has been split, but if the two halves are still stuck together, this status can be maintained indefinitely. This way, because the monolith wasn't reattached after separation, this is not a violation of the rules."
Leo revealed a powerless expression swiftly followed by a suspicious glance towards Tatsuya.
"I really don't want to say this, Tatsuya, but isn't this the standard definition of 'trickery'......?"
Still, Tatsuya wasn't going to surrender to this level of sarcasm (even if it was only joking among friends).
"Leo and Erika say the exact same thing."
The first one to waver and shout out was Leo.
"Who do you take me for!"
"What are you talking about!"
Erika immediately set off a chain reaction.
"OK, OK, Erika-chan, relax a little. Leo-kun, please don't get too excited."
Thanks to Mizuki's intercession, the two of them avoided a head on conflict.
"......So I understand the 'key' portion. But how do we go about denying the enemy?"
Leo recovered his composure and asked a new question.
"Is kicking and punching off limits as well? I'm not exaggerating here, but long range magic is not my strong point."
"Then use this."
As he said this, Tatsuya pulled out that "sword".
"......Wait, I thought direct contact was forbidden?"
When Leo said this, Tatsuya handed him a thin little booklet.
"A manual?"
Why are you handing me this? Just as he was about to ask, Leo noticed a dog leaf on one of the pages and abandoned his question to flip open that page.
"Rules for Monolith Code, eh......?"
The printed rules for Monolith Code were all over the page, ranging from a simple explanation to newcomers without any preconceived notions to a more detailed play-by-play of an actual competition.
"It's enumerated here that attacks caused by objects under the effect of magic are not against the rules."
"So...... If an object is in flight due to magic...... Isn't that...... I got it."
The basic setup of this "sword" involved separating the blade in the middle, with half of the blade maintaining a set distance from the other half and flying through the air at will. From a magic systems perspective, it may be more appropriate to describe this as the blade extending through the air. From outward appearances, this was half of a broken sword flying to and fro through the sky. Since there was no physical connection between the two halves, this fulfilled the condition for "objects in flight due to magic".
"Tatsuya, did you create this thing because you knew about this ahead of time?"
At Leo's sincere query, Tatsuya could only chuckle wryly and shake his head.
"You overestimate me too much...... This was made purely on a whim. I'm not in the habit of creating malicious tricks day and night."
It seemed that neither Leo nor Erika was wholly satisfied with Tatsuya's explanation, but time was of the essence, so he chose to ignore it.
"This Weaponized Integrated CAD — 'Mini Communicator' has already been calibrated for Leo's personal use. I've already adjusted the variability of the distance and duration like we spoke of earlier, so don't mess up the controls."
"Eh? You mean we're doing a live test in combat!?"
"Everything tomorrow would be the same thing as live combat."
Tatsuya switched his tone and paused before adopting an enigmatic smile.
"Besides, I guarantee that this time it'll be far easier to use than last time."
"Fine, hopefully this won't be a problem."
Facing Tatsuya's evil smirk, Leo fearlessly took the "Mini Communicator" from him.
"Next is Mikihiko's role......"
"Yep, Tatsuya, what should I do?"
Mikihiko rose from the bed. Although he was initially indecisive, he was now very proactive, or maybe he was simply motivated now. Being roused to action was infinitely preferable to how he was before, but Tatsuya didn't touch on this and focused on his mission briefing.
"Guerrilla tactics will entail providing support to either the offense or the defense."
After delivering this simplistic answer, Tatsuya continued to ask.
"You are capable of other long range magic like the earlier lightning-based magic, correct?"
"Well, yeah......"
Mikihiko vaguely replied.
Families that had inherited Ancient Magic had a strong tendency to hide their own magic abilities.
In modern magic, thanks to the categorization and systems approach to magic, with a notable exception for a few BS Magicians, confidentiality has become a mere formality. However, due to the ingrained values system, this could still be seen at the subconscious level.
Nonetheless, they were headed into battle tomorrow, so if they couldn't be honest with one another now, they would be in dire straits.
"The destructive power for lightning magic is C-Rank, right?"
"......That's a magic that was only meant to disable the target, so it only rates as C-Rank. Since it hasn't been publicized yet, there is no actual record in the rankings."
"Unpublished, huh...... Wouldn't that be a huge problem if we used that tomorrow?"
"No...... There should be no problem. The theory behind it is not secret, but the Activation process is. If I avoid talismans and only use a CAD, we should be OK. ......Tatsuya."
"What's up?"
"Tatsuya...... You said this before, right? My...... The Yoshida Family's technique is too verbose, so I cannot wield magic in the way I desire."
"That is correct."
Erika stared at them with widened eyes. Next to her, Tatsuya decisively — more like ruthlessly — nodded.
Mizuki covered her mouth with both hands.
Even Leo was struck speechless.
The technique that the famous line of Ancient Magic users had laboriously developed over many generations had just been judged to be a "blemished product!" Without a certain degree of confidence, no one dared to make that assessment.
Otherwise, they were fools of the highest order that believed solely in the superiority of their own techniques.
Obviously, Tatsuya did not belong in the latter category.
"......Then Tatsuya, can you tell me a more efficient technique?"
"I won't tell you, I will configure one."
"......I'm sorry, the difference escapes me."
"The magic you used was likely a variant of 'Thunder Child'. What I can do is remove the unnecessary portions within the technique and reduce the number of computations while maintaining the phenomenon rewriting ability and alter the Activation Sequence to make that Magic Sequence possible, that's all. At the end of the day, this is still the magic that Mikihiko is comfortable with."
"......So you weren't joking when you said you can comprehend anything you see. It is a variant of 'Thunder Child'. In order to hide the weakness of the technique, additional layers were added on to disguise the original ability. However, this may tie into the unnecessary portions that Tatsuya spoke of."
"There was a time when longer casting times required certain defenses to avoid interference. Nevertheless, with the advent of CADs and the rise in casting speed for modern magic, individual counter spells have become obsolete since the magic that is being activated remains unknown. Thus, the real counter to modern magic doesn't lie in the type of magic, but counter magic that can eradicate its effectiveness in the first place."
Mikihiko made a small noise.
Amazingly, his smile was in no way self derogatory.
"Haha, so that's how it is...... Ancient Magic was supposed to possess superior firepower, but now they cannot stand against modern magic."
"That's incorrect, Mikihiko."
"Eh?"
"Ancient Magic and modern magic are not separated by superiority or inferiority, but by their individual strengths and weaknesses.
In a head-to-head match-up, modern magic commands a devastating advantage in casting speed, but from the perspective of surprise attacks, Ancient Magic boasts superior firepower and secrecy.
Didn't Elder Kudou also say this? The key is how you use magic. The reason I recommended you was because I thought that your magic would serve as an incredible ambushing tool."
"Ambushing tool, eh...... That's the first time I've heard of that."
Mikihiko closed his eyes and ruefully murmured. Afterwards, as if dispelling all his doubts, he opened his eyes again.
"I understand. I will use this technique without the talismans, so I'll rely on the CAD instead. Tatsuya, we'll go with your suggestion. I believe in you."
"Thanks, Mikihiko. Since you said that, there's one other thing I wanted to ask of you."
"Sure. This can't be helped, right? Not that I planned to keep it a secret anyway. My father was the one who brought me here, so even if our secret got out, it's not like they have the right to complain."
"Don't worry on that account, my lips are sealed."
"Ah~ ......Me too. I promise that I'll never let this spread."
"Likewise."
"I'm good for that too, as you know."
Besides Tatsuya, everyone present who had been silent until now affirmed their intent to keep his secret.
After viewing the last person (Erika) with considerable suspicion, logic finally trumped emotion as Mikihiko nodded towards Tatsuya.
"I'll keep this short. Can you use 'Visual Tuning'?"
Mikihiko replied after a short pause not because he was unwilling, but because he was totally shocked.
"......You know about that too? Did Kokonoe-sensei tell you that as well?"
"Maybe."
"......You certainly gave me a scare there, Tatsuya. Well, the answer is a definite yes. While I'm incapable of performing 'Five Sense Tuning', if it's only two at a time, I can still use 'Sense Tuning'."
"Visual is good enough, Mikihiko. In that case, our plan of attack is......"
Tatsuya didn't noticeably change his volume, but Mikihiko seemed to naturally crouch closer.
As promised, the calibration of Leo's CAD took less than an hour to finish.
After receiving his personal CAD and weaponized calculation device from Tatsuya, Leo opted to do some training to get used to the new model. Erika volunteered to be his sparring partner as they headed for the outdoor training facility.
The hour was late, but Erika said that with Leo around, nothing would happen to her or otherwise. So Tatsuya compromised.
Presently, Tatsuya was calibrating Mikihiko's CAD at lightning speed. Next to him, Azusa was staring at him in shock. As the user, Mikihiko was also present as he stared wide eyed at Tatsuya's unique calibration method and typing speed. Yet, the subject that astounded Azusa was not so superficial.
Right now, Tatsuya was assembling an Activation Sequence that took into account the traditional requirements for Ancient Magic and adapting them for use in modern magic. "Translating" the technique itself wasn't a particularly daunting task. Much like using a clumsy machine translation, awkward details and minor errors would be scattered all over the place.
Even Azusa was able to fix errors like those.
Yet the calibration being displayed before her eyes was nothing short of a complete rewriting of the Activation Sequence.
By fully comprehending the transformation process from Activation Sequence to Magic Sequence, he was rewriting the Activation Sequence without sacrificing any efficiency from the Magic Sequence.
The Activation Sequence is the blue print for the Magic Sequence. Rewriting the Activation Sequence implied that the Magic Sequence was also being rewritten. Not only did the magic have to be finely tuned to the individual Magician, the excess details in the Magic Sequence also had to be pruned to increase efficiency. That level of rewriting had long surpassed "revision" or "configuration" and had ascended to the realm of "innovation", which was the same thing as improving the very magic itself.
Before he began, Azusa honestly wondered whether this was even possible when she learned from Tatsuya what he was attempting to accomplish. Yet before Azusa's own eyes, he bypassed any experimental verification or live testing and proceeded directly to extracting the very essence of magic from the Activation Sequence and began cutting away at the unnecessary portions and redesigning the Activation Sequence. This was precisely what was unfolding on the editing machine.
Even Azusa, who had volunteered as Tatsuya's aide in place of the usual technician responsible for the Newcomers Division's Monolith Code event, felt powerless before this insane industry. Right now, the only thing she could do was examine the coding language for the freshly minted Activation Sequence as her gnawing doubts steadily solidified into conviction.
He — Shiba Tatsuya — had exceeded the standards of a high school Magic Artificer.
Scratch that, he had long since surpassed the boundaries of what it meant to be a Magic Artificer.
He must be—
Leaving Azusa milling in confusion behind him, Tatsuya used one full hour to completely rewrite Mikihiko's personal Activation Sequence.
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