Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 3 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Maidens in Preparation

In Kanazawa City of the former Ishikawa Prefecture stands the National Magic University-affiliated Third High School.

In its martial arts hall, two boys and two girls, four first-year students, were making a circle.

Ichijou Akane, Ichijou Reira (Liú Lìlěi), Juumonji Tatsuki and Ikura Samon.

“A lack of sparring partners, huuh. I guess it’s natural, there’s nothing we can do about it, huuh.”

Akane grumbled that “I’m at a loss, I have no sparring partners”, and Samon gave a perfunctory response with a serious tone.

“I heard the troops at the Komatsu base were keeping you company though.”

The one to show his doubts was Tatsuki. He was in the middle of Public Morals Committee patrol duty.

“Yes. Only once every two weeks though.”

Reira answered Tatsuki’s question with her usual polite tone.

“I see... that would certainly be insufficient.”

“The problem isn’t just frequency.”

As Tatsuki nodded, Akane spoke up from the side... In this case, ‘from the side’ simply identifying where they are standing. Their positions in the circle were as follows: to Tatsuki’s right was Akane, to her right was Reira, to her right was Samon, and to his right was Tatsuki.

“When your opponent is a soldier, even not considering magic power, there are too many differences in other areas.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“When you’re trying to improve, it is fundamental to train with someone whose ability is superior to yours... But in the current situation, where I’m preparing for a competition for First High, it isn’t good to only practice with people whose level are too different from mine.”

“Now that you mention it, you were invited to a competition with First High on the first Sunday of next month, right?”

From Akane’s words, Tatsuki remembered that the Magic Arts Club competition had been mentioned in the Public Morals Committee.

“If I don’t have anything urgent to do, I’ll go there to support you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Anyway, back to the topic, to sum it up you’re afraid your intuition for bouts won’t work properly?”

Tatsuki turned the topic back after it went into a digression of his own making.

“Yes, that’s exactly it!”

Akane vigorously affirmed while pointing at Tatsuki.

But right after, Reira reproved her with “Akane, watch your manners”, to which Akane retracted her right hand from pointing at Tatsuki and put on a fake smile while using using that hand to scratch her head.

“...Basically, I want an opponent for practice spars that is close to my ability. But, you see, Magic Arts fighters are few in number.”

Akane grumbled with a slightly toned-down voice.

“...Hey. Based on what you just said, does it matter if your opponent isn’t a Magic Arts fighter?”

Samon pointed it out, and Akane asked “What do you mean?” in return.

“The difference in martial arts ability is too great with soldiers, so you want a different opponent, right? Then isn’t it okay to have a practice bout without using magic?”

“Ah...”

Akane let out her voice, her expression showing ‘I didn’t consider that’.

“There are also Nikken and mixed clubs at nearby high schools.”

The ‘Nikken’ Samon mentioned is Nippon Kempo, and mixed is mixed martial arts. Setting aside the methods used in the bouts, the techniques used in both combat sports have many similarities to Magic Arts.

“If possible, mixed would be better.”

Tatsuki internally agreed with Akane’s request. Unlike Nikken, Martial Ats doesn’t have the concept of ‘Ippon’. If Akane wants to practice her style of fighting, mixed is more suited to Akane’s objective.

“In that case, the school affiliated with Kaga University. Shall I introduce you?”

“You have connections there!?”

Akane vigorously jumped at Samon’s suggestion.

“We’ve been having practice bouts with their Judo Club often. If you talk with my Club President, I think he’ll arrange it for you.”

“I’ll go talk with the President.”

Akane turned around and started running. Most likely she went to talk about it with the Magic Arts Club President.

“Excuse me, until next time.”

Reira politely bowed to Tatsuki and Samon, who Akane had left behind, and walked away to chase after her.

◇ ◇ ◇

Wednesday, 17th of June, after school.

Mei came along to the court the Crowd Ball Club is renting.

“Welcome, Mei. Is this a Student Council errand? If you’re here for the President, she should come out soon.”

Hiyori, who was resting on a bench, stood up to greet her.

“You’re not wrong that it’s Student Council work, but it’s not business with the President. Can I have a look around?”

“I don’t think there’s any problem.”

Hiyori said and suggested that Mei sit down.

Mei sat down on the bench, side-by-side with Hiyori.

Then Mei looked towards the court and, puzzled, knit her eyebrows.

“What are they doing there? It looks like Alisa is playing against the President’s pair by herself.”

It was not unreasonable for Mei to be confused.

At the moment, there are three people in the court.

The pair of Hatsune & Kaho and on the other side is Alisa by herself.

“Ah, well, it certainly is an odd sight, isn’t it?”

Hiyori replied with a faint smile.

“The President and Hotta-senpai are still unconfirmed, but they were elected as members of the Nine Schools Competition team, right? That right there is special training for the Nine Schools Competition.”

“With Alisa alone as the opponent?”

Mei tilted her head, her face saying ‘This is making less and less sense’.

Hiyori nodded, her face saying ‘I guess you don’t get it’.

Certainly, what the three of them are doing wouldn’t be understood without explanation.

“They asked Alisa to be their wall.”

Hiyori started the explanation with those words.

“Wall?”

Mei looked closely at the court once again.

The balls Hatsune and Kaho hit back were being completely reflected at four, five centimeters from the net. It really looks like there’s an invisible wall.

But an aspect different from a wall was that the speed of the balls was getting faster or slower and their angle changed when they bounced back.

“There are several restrictions on the use of magic in Crowd Ball.”

“I know that. I have looked it up.”

After Mei’s answer, Hiyori had a look that said ‘Then this will be quick’.

“Among them, there is a restriction on shield size, so she can’t use anything like a shield from edge to edge of the net, floor to ceiling. But without that restriction, she can recreate top-class play.”

“Top-class?”

“In Crowd Ball, if you return all the balls that cross the net, you are guaranteed to win. Because unlike games like tennis, there is no out-of-bounds. Actually, Alisa is using the same kind of strategy as the Student Council President four years ago, and sure enough, she won at the Nine Schools Competition several times in a row.”

“Saegusa Mayumi-senpai, huh... I wonder if Alisa has talent similar to Mayumi-senpai?”

Mei doesn’t know Saegusa Mayumi personally. The reason that, in spite of that, she called her by her not by her surname but by her given name was because there are two ‘former President Saegusa’ in First High.

The previous Student Council President was Saegusa Izumi.

The Student Council President four years before was Saegusa Mayumi.

Adding to this, Urabe Aki’s antecessor in the Public Morals Committee was Saegusa Kasumi. These three were blood-related sisters. Because they are all ‘Saegusa-senpai’, it became a convention to refer to them by their given name.

Yet, even though in a similar situation with the same name, Shiba Tatsuya and former Student Council President Shiba Miyuki are both ‘Shiba-senpai’. Perhaps this means there was no need to go out of the way to distinguish them by name?

Let’s put that digression aside.

“I think if the shield size restriction didn’t exist, Alisa would already be a top player right now.”

Hiyori quickly affirmed to the question Mei presented.

“I don’t like to put it like this, but I wonder if this is what we should expect from the Juumonji Family’s bloodline.”

“Lineage superiority is the basic premise of the Japanese magic world, with the Ten Master Clans treated as the summit, so there is no point in denying it.”

“I guess that’s true.”

Mei nodded to Hiyori’s words, as if to regain her composure.

“And because she has that much magic power, she is fit to be a practice partner for the senpai pair, right?”

“And it’s also practice for Alisa.”

Mei’s remark was partially amended by Hiyori.

“Even with a shield spread to cover the entire court, she is seeing the balls and changing the type of shield frequently so that the bounces aren’t simple.”

“Which in turn helps her improve her judgement, huh.”

When Mei was satisfied with the explanation, the surface of the court turned dark and Hatsune and Kaho stopped their hands.

Alisa also cancelled her shield and the three came out of the court one by one.

“Isori-san. Is there something from the Student Council?”

Hatsune, who left the court first, asked Mei.

“I was told to come and see whether you have enough courts to practice Crowd Ball.”

Exactly at that time, the two that were playing in the singles court entered their break time.

The six members — that is, all of the club’s members gathered at the bench and turned their eyes towards Mei in unison.

“We don’t!”

It was Hiyori who raised her voice to complain.

“I think so too.”

Alisa followed up with a slightly reserved voice. And afterwards, three voices of approval were raised.

“I think you know this, Isori-san, but the doubles courts we were just using are not paid monthly, they’re rented on the spot. There are times when other people are already using them before us so we can’t rent them. So if you’re asking if we have enough, the only thing I can do is shake my head.

Hatsune brought it to a conclusion like that. All the members of the club unanimously answered ‘it’s not enough’.

“Understood.”

Even while overwhelmed by their force, Mei gave an answer properly.

“I’ve only been watching for a little, but I also agree. I would like to consider installing a temporary court in the school grounds for the Nine Schools Competition.”

“Thank you very much.”

Hatsune beamed due to the unexpectedly constructive answer.

Mei intended to return to the Student Council right away, but Hatsune stopped her by saying “You’ll be more persuasive if your inspection takes a little bit longer”.

It was a reasonable point.

Thinking that, Mei sat down on a bench next to the court.

“Are you almost done deciding the team members for the Nine Schools Competition?“

Mei was watching the second-year students start their usual — not related to preparations for the Nine School Competition — practice of hitting the balls at each other from outside of the walls of the boxed court, when Hiyori, who was next to her, spoke up.

“No, not yet.”

Despite being talked to suddenly, Mei remained calm.

“The real player selection is scheduled to take place after the end-of-term exams.”

“Do you still need more candidates?”

Alisa asked, from the other side of Hiyori.

“No, the candidates have been narrowed down enough.”

“For example, how is Crowd Ball looking?”

Hiyori asked Mei once again.

“We still have to see about the boys for the newcomers competition, but for the main competition, in girls singles, the top candidate is the Student Council President.”

“Huh, President Mitsuya?”

“Isn’t the President going to be in Mirage Bat?”

Following after a surprised Hiyori, Alisa also presented a question.

The most popular events in the Nine Schools Competition are Monolith Code for the boys and Mirage Bat for the girls. Because of the structure of the Nine Schools Competition, it is not always the case that the ace will be in the most popular event, but nonetheless, Mirage Bat is the event that gets the most attention from the girl’s competition.

The third-year student on the top of the overall grades, in other words, the current top student at First High is the Student Council President Mitsuya Shiina. Alisa and Hiyori thought that given her grades, many people would consider it more proper for her to appear in Mirage Bat rather than Crowd Ball.

“There’s been some people who said that, but most people are of the opinion that she is more suited for Crowd Ball, considering the magic characteristics of the Mitsuya Family. The President herself agrees.”

“The characteristics of the Mitsuya Family?” “Ah, I see.”

Hiyori tilted her head, while Alisa was convinced.

“Natural that you’d know, huh, Alisa?”

Mei expressed her thoughts and Hiyori’s eyes turned to Alisa.

“The main theme of the Third Magician Research and Development Institute, from which the Mitsuya Family hails from, was multicasting. It is a technique that allows activating several magics on different targets. If the President is also proficient at that, then she is better suited for Crowd Ball, where you target up to nine balls simultaneously, than Mirage Bat.”

In response to her gaze, Alisa expressed her own conjecture.

“Exactly right, Alisa. While we’re on this topic, when you consider all six events, Speed Shooting, Crowd Ball, Rower and Gunner, Ice Pillars Break and Mirage Bat, the conclusion is that the President is most suited for Crowd Ball. And above all else, she thinks so as well.”

“Then, girl’s singles is decided.”

“Indeed.”

Mei did not deny Hiyori’s hasty conclusion.

“For boys singles, I wonder if it will be Yaguruma-senpai.”

“The Treasurer Yaguruma-senpai?”

Mei replied “Yeah” to Alisa’s question while nodding.

“The Treasurer Yaguruma-senpai? Isn’t he in Magic Engineering?”

It was Hiyori who asked Mei this time. It’s not that magic power isn’t necessary for Magic Engineers, but what is considered important is the capacity to build magic with many processes and large-scale magic, so magic invocation speed isn’t very emphasized.

“I see. You don’t know, Hiyori. Yaguruma-senpai is a hybrid.”

“By hybrid, do you mean a person with abilities of both a magician and a psychic?”

Alisa asked back, looking like that was unexpected to her.

“Huh, you didn’t know, Alisa?”

Mei appeared slightly surprised.

“Yaguruma-senpai is that kind of hybrid. Maybe this information hasn’t been spread around much among the first years?”

Hybrids are a novel concept. It is also still an obscure one.

Originally, magicians were discovered in the process of researching the abilities of psychics. In addition, most of the modern magic system is a result of research on psypowers — the so-called ‘superpowers’. Magicians and psychics are, if not siblings, close relatives, and psychics can be said to be one category of magicians.

In that sense, all psypowers are a kind of magic. Nevertheless, they deliberately created a category of ‘those who hold abilities of both a magician and a psychic’, calling them hybrids, because the modern magic system and psypowers should not coexist.

In the modern magic system, the speed of the psychics was sacrificed and, in exchange, magicians are given a great variety of abilities that psychics do not have.

Each psychic can use at least one and at most three kinds of psypowers. On the other hand, psychics distort phenomena just by wishing for it.

For a magician to activate magic, they have to go through a process with several steps. The CAD was developed as a seal to shorten invocation time, but it is incomparable to the speed of activating a psypower with mere thought. In exchange, a magician uses a variety of magics by themselves.

To see speed as important and become a psychic, or to see multipurpose as important and become a magician. The direction of the development of abilities is essentially one of these two.

Making use of a simple to understand example for Japanese men from the second half of the twentieth century, it can be said to be like ‘two-way player’ choosing whether to become a pitcher or a fielder after they become a professional player. To show advanced ability, you normally have to specialize.

However, even though it’s rare at the high stages of the baseball world, players who continue to play an active role as slugger while still being a pitcher have appeared. And if it is a relatively low stage, players who are both pitchers and sluggers are not that uncommon.

People who hold both abilities.

Similar examples have recently become unable to be ignored in the field of magic and psypowers. Someone who is a magician, while also happening to have psypowers. For example, a magician who has a remote vision ability. Traditionally, the remote vision such magicians have was considered a kind of Perception-Type Magic, but looking at the process of activating the ability, the number of examples where it has been found more appropriate to consider it a different kind of ability from magic, namely, a psypower, has increased.

This was a change brought about by advances in techniques to analyze magic. Maybe it can be said to be a new discovery brought about by advances in observation tools. The researchers and people related to magic who newly classify magicians who have these abilities that have been ruled as psypowers by the improved techniques as ‘hybrids’ are gradually increasing in number.

“Yaguruma-senpai has psychokinesis. And he seems rather good at it.”

To Mei’s statement, Hiyori leaked a “Heeh~” filled with wonder.

“The strength of psychokinesis interferes with the momentum of the balls?”

“It looks like he can’t move large things much, but the President said that he is good at moving small things at high speeds. She said that up until five things simultaneously, he can make them move completely differently.”

“That is... suited for Crowd Ball.”

Alisa accepted Mei’s answer with a nod. Crowd Ball players have to deal with at most nine balls, but, as mentioned previously, psypowers are fast to activate. Even if he deals with the balls one by one, he should have plenty of time.

“It looks like Yaguruma-senpai himself thinks so too. I think he’s pleased that he’ll be able to show off his good points to the President.”

Saying that, a mischievous smile appeared on Mei’s face.

“Eh? Yaguruma-senpai and President Mitsuya have that kind of relationship?”

Hiyori was deeply interested, and didn’t even try to hide it.

“It appears they’re childhood friends.”

Mei answered, also looking delighted.

The two girls who were loudly giggling received a warning from Club President Hatsune, and as a result, Mei, embarrassed, returned to the school building.

◇ ◇ ◇

Friday, 19th of June, after school.

The First High small gymnasium the Martial Magic Arts Club is using was filled with anticipation and tension. Adding the fighting spirit that was ignited by these two kinds of emotions, the atmosphere in the small gymnasium could burst at any moment.

Today, at last, is the day of the qualification contest for the competition against Third High. None of the members were looking at it disillusioned, thinking things like ‘it’s only a practice spar’, or ‘it’s just an unofficial competition, after all’. Not just the members who were seriously aiming to be representatives, but also those who objectively evaluated their own abilities and gave up on participating, they all shared a sense of unity towards victory.

“...Eight, nine, ten. The winner, Tookami.”

Upon winning her first bout against a second-year student, Marika didn’t show a triumphant pose. She exchanged bows with her opponent and sat in the first-years row along the wall.

Five boys and five girls will participate in the competition. Among them, one girl was fixed to be Club President Kitahata Chika. She is considered seeded within the women’s division due to her obvious exceptional ability. The qualification is a tournament, so this had the implied purpose of removing the luck element of fighting her in the first round and getting eliminated despite being capable.

Note that the men’s division Club President is participating in the qualification contest.

There are a total of 17 girls in the women’s division. As Chika was already qualified, the qualification contest is being held as a tournament with 16 people. After two wins they’d be in the final four, five when including Chika. Thereby the competitors will be decided — not by that kind of tournament structure.

The semifinals will be carried out and its winners will be confirmed team members.

The losers of the quarterfinals will fight and the two winners will face the losers of the semifinals. The two winners of that will be the final two members, with the losers becoming the substitutes. It is, so to speak, a structure that adopts the idea of repechage for the best eight.

This qualification contest is being carried out according to official rules. Official Martial Magic Arts bouts are a single game with no time limit. There are four kinds of ends: knockout, technical knockout, give up, referee stop. No, if we want to be accurate, there is a fifth when defeat by disqualification is added. Marika won her first round in the qualification contest by a ten-count knockout.

Though there is no time limit, Magic Arts bouts are usually concluded within five minutes. The boys and girls were doing it at the same time, but the tournament was advancing smoothly.

A little more than an hour has passed since the in-club qualification contest began. Marika has now reached the semi-finals.

She won both her bouts by knockout. If she wins this bout, she will participate in the competition. Marika got up onto the mat even more fired up.

Her opponent in the semifinals is a third-year student named Yokoyama Emi.

She is not a careless opponent.

Marika’s record against her has a vast majority of wins, but there are also some painful experiences she praises the upperclasswoman for. 

They stood opposite each other and gave a bow, then the referee announced the start of the bout.

Marika didn’t charge in suddenly, she used her light footwork to draw an arc.

Her heart is boiling with fighting spirit, but her consciousness is calm. Even in the first and second (= quarterfinal) rounds she didn’t look down on her opponents, but now she became even more cautious.

Her opponent Emi has a small stature of 154 centimeters, but in the women’s division she is the second strongest after Chika. She knows Emi’s specialty because she’s practiced against her several times in the last three months. Despite not being blessed in the physique department, she has grapples as her core techniques.

But when fighting her, it is not her throws or locks that truly need to be watched out for. It’s the blow she delivers at zero distance that uses Weight-Type Magic. An impossible strike without magic, with no run-up, no charging, no hard stepping, aimed not at knocking the opponent down, but at disrupting their stance.

With the stance disrupted and both knees on the floor, she can immobilize her opponent with a stranglehold on their back. In the times Marika lost to Emi, it was generally with this pattern.

Just as Emi’s appearance suggests, she doesn’t have much physical strength. Regardless, if Marika’s on the receiving end of Emi’s stranglehold, she will lose very quickly, almost instantly. Marika was being cautious of this development.

In order to not fall for Emi’s winning pattern, she needs to do something about her zero-distance blow, rather, blast magic that leads to the stranglehold or lock.

The safest way to prevent magic being casted in close proximity is to keep her distance. Marika has a longer reach. Speedy strikes are Marika’s expertise. If she fights at her own pace, victory is in her reach.

But Emi also know what Marika knows. Unlike Marika, Emi thinks that close combat is definitely the best approach. And she, unlike her mascot-like appearance would suggest, is hungry for a win.

Emi suddenly jumped within Marika’s reach, who was carefully biding her time. The tackle that looked like she was crawling on the floor, coupled with her low stature, was so sharp that it created the illusion that she disappeared for a moment.

Marika, who was focusing on keeping her distance, jumped backwards by instinct instead of dodging left or right.

Emi closed the gap. Still in her low position, she advanced further than where Marika stepped back to. Emi did not move her legs. She moved with magic.

Marika retreated with a jump from an inadequate stance. Emi, using magic, was faster.

At the same time Marika landed, Emi grappled her.

However, the next moment, Emi’s body was sent flying.

Marika instantly activated her single-body armor magic, ‘Reactive Armor’.

Marika, who can activate ‘Reactive Armor’ instantly without using a CAD, is a magician leaning towards being a psychic. However, she is not a ‘hybrid’. ‘Reactive Armor’, which she can activate just by wishing for it, is magic, not a psypower. Her single-body armor magic is activated following the principles of the magic system. It’s just that in her Magic Calculation Area, what should be called a shortcut for ‘Reactive Armor’ had naturally formed.

Considering the Tenth Magician Research and Development Institute’s objective in the development of the ‘Toogami’, that is how it should be. The ‘Toogami’ were created with the purpose of being the strongest mobile infantry for land wars and decisive weapons against disembarking forces, and ‘Reactive Armor’ was the weapon for that purpose.

Since they were intended for battles with harsh conditions that allow the enemy to make it to land, they have to display their designated power under any kind of adverse conditions. Those ‘adverse conditions’ also assumed battlefields where they couldn’t be assisted by electronic devices.

The CADs of the time when the ‘Toogami’ were developed were still no more than prototypes. But they had been expected to become essential for battle magicians in the near future. However, the ‘Toogami’ were magicians who should turn the tides of even the most desperate situations where those ‘essentials’ couldn’t be used.

It is ironic that Marika, born to the Tookami Family, who became Extras, may be the final form of the ‘Toogami’ the Tenth Research Institute was aiming for.

Not only can Marika activate ‘Reactive Armor’ without using her CAD, just by thinking, it also has other features that surpass her father’s and older brother’s ‘Reactive Armor’.

For example, her father and older brother have restrictions on activating it while solid things are relatively close to their body. But Marika sends things flying, not counting things she perceives as ‘things attached to herself’ such as clothes, to ensure she has space for the single-body armor to wrap herself with.

It was as result of this that Emi’s arms, which had caught Marika, were sent flying along with her body just now.

Emi fell with her face down.

Down was announced and the count began. She got up at the count of eight.

Marika unleashed a kick.

Emi avoided it by stepping back. She deliberately didn’t stand up until the count of eight to recover from the damage.

The battle between Marika and Emi was back to square one.

The match lasted six minutes, with Marika achieving the victory against Emi. It was not an easy win. Marika was on the receiving end of Emi’s blast magic and got grappled several times, but each time Marika set herself free from Emi with Reactive Armor. In the end, the Emi was beaten by knockout.

Marika bowed to Emi, who was receiving first aid on the mat, and then returned to the waiting space near the wall.

“You’re relying too much on Reactive Armor.”

Chika spoke to her harshly.

“You’re right, I know.”

Marika didn’t refute it, and frankly agreed. She felt the same way herself.

“If you know, I’m not going to repeat the lecture. If you rely too much on that convenient magic, you won’t get stronger.”

As she declared, Chika didn’t add anything else.

That Marika understood was not a lie either.

Marika learned about the Reactive Armor magic from her father before coming to Tokyo, about how it works, how to use it, and other important things to know. However, she actually first consciously used this magic after she was admitted to First High, more specifically, when she met Chika at the Magic Arts Club.

It has been about two and a half months since she joined the club. Even after that confrontation, she accumulated experience in using the Reactive Armor in bout-style practice. Marika felt she was understanding the limits of this magic. At least, that’s what she believes.

For instance, the limit in the number of consecutive invocations. Reactive Armor is made of five layers of weak armor: anti-solid, anti-fluid, anti-gas, anti-electromagnetism and heatproof, and also strong armor in stand-by. At the same time the weak armors are broken by their corresponding stimuli, the strong armor of the same type is deployed to protect against all kinds of material attacks.

When any of the five layers of armor is broken a number of times equal to the user’s upper limit, Reactive Armor automatically terminates. In Marika’s case, the upper limit is nine times.

Every time a layer of armor is broken, its strength increases. And the user can’t consciously decide how much stronger it gets, it’s automatically decided. This ‘automatic’ aspect is this magic’s structural weakness.

Right after armor is broken, the user is defenseless against enemy attacks until the new armor is deployed. This time lag could quite easily become fatal.

The armor disappearing is a great chance for the enemy. If they are a first-class opponent, they will immediately give chase. If you think about it, you won’t respond in time. That is why in order to remove the time lag, Reactive Armor was constructed to automatically form new armor. In the design for this magic, the automatic creation of new armor was a reasonable system.

But the new armor that is automatically generated in this manner can only be made just strong enough to be stronger than the broken armor. For example, to replace armor broken with an attack with strength 5, armor with strength 10 would be made.

But what if the enemy has an offensive ability of 100?

The 10 strength would be broken by an attach with 15 power. In that case, a new armor with strength 20 may be constructed.

What if the enemy then unleashes an attack of 25? An attack of 35 against an armor of 30, and attack of 45 against armor of 40, by constantly sending attacks with finely tuned strength, Reactive Armor will reach the maximum number of generations and forcefully terminate.

To avoid this, terminate Reactive Armor by yourself and deploy a new one again. At present, this is the best move Marika has learned. Once you have used other means to defend against or dodge the enemy’s attacks, activate Reactive Armor from scratch. If done this way, the number of armor replacements is reset.

Reactive armor is a powerful defensive technique. Relying on this magic isn’t a bad thing.

Both Chika and Chigusa recognize that.

The point that should be corrected is relying only on Reactive Armor. If she doesn’t improve her other defensive techniques, higher levels won’t be beatable.

Maybe Ichijou Akane won’t be beatable.

That was the homework for Marika, who overcame the in-club qualification contest.

The last bout of the qualification contest reached its conclusion, thus today’s club activities were over. The school’s closing time has not yet arrived. However, the members who participated in the qualification had used up all their energy.

“Marika.”

As Marika headed to the shower room with the other first-year students, Chika called out to her.

Marika replied with “Yes?”, and Chika lined up to the side of Marika, gesturing to her to indicated she didn’t have to stop.

“Come to the clubroom after you change.”

Marika obeyed the gesture and walked, keeping pace with her, and Chika gave her that order.

“The other selected members will be with us. We’ll use videos to prepare against Third High.”

Chika added that answer for Marika, whose face had said ‘why?’.

◇ ◇ ◇

In terms of competitors, Martial Magic Arts, which is limited to magician athletes, is a minor sport, but since there is a national policy for the improvement of magician fighting power, official competitions such as the national competition are actively being held. Obtaining the footage for those isn’t too difficult.

First High’s Magic Arts Club prepared two large monitors in their clubroom, and they watched the videos of bouts the Third High members participated in separated by gender.

“She really is strong. No matter how many times I see her.”

Marika was watching the video of a bout with Ichijou Akane along with the other selected female representatives when she suddenly heard a boy’s voice behind her and reflexively turned back.

“Chigusa. What is the men’s division President doing here?”

As a substitute for Marika who couldn’t speak immediately, the one to retort was Chika, who was standing next to the large monitor.

“The men’s side is done. Their lineup didn’t change from last year’s, you see.”

“Well, same goes for our boys, right?”

Unlike the girls who had a new talent joining, Ichijou Akane, Third High’s male first-years didn’t have a notable track record in Magic Arts. However, as Chika pointed out, the same is true for First High. There was no newcomer in the men’s division comparable to the women’s division’s Marika.

“That’s why I, well, came to meddle in your business.”

“Hmph... Don’t expect any thanks from me.”

Not looking the least bit interested, Chika turned away. She didn’t reject him with ‘it’s none of your business’ because she was honestly thankful for Chigusa’s offer. Their results aside, Chigusa had a better eye for analyzing other people’s abilities than Chika.

“So, Chigusa, how would you assess Ichijou?”

“Her physical skills are quite good too, but in the end, you won’t win unless you don’t do something about her magic. Kitahata, even you would have a hard time, wouldn’t you?”

A feeling of surprise appeared in Chika’s eyes that were turned to Chigusa.

“The problem is magic? It doesn’t look like she was using magic that would influence the outcome of the match, though?”

Chigusa saw Akane’s strength as a good combination of physical skills and magic.

“Ichijou is most likely using ‘Nerve Disturbance’.”

While he was saying ‘most likely’, there was conviction in Chigusa’s voice.

“Nerve Disturbance? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that magic. Is it a technique that damages the opponent’s nerves?”

At Chika’s question, Chigusa nodded while saying “Exactly”.

“It’s understandable you don’t know, Kitahata. Nerve Disturbance is a magic unique to the Isshiki Family. I only know it from documents, I’ve never seen the real thing either, but looking at the unnatural, disturbed behavior of her opponent, I’m certain that magic was used.”

“Isshiki Family? Not the Ichijou Family?”

“The wife of the head of the Ichijou Family is from a branch Family of the Isshikis. She must have inherited the blood.”

“Uummm...”

At that time, Marika hesitantly cut in between Chika’s and Chigusa’s questions and answers.

The two looked at Marika. Both Chika and Chigusa urged Marika to continue with their eyes.

“Why does President Chigusa know about the Ichijou and Isshiki Families that well?”

Chika could not hold back her laughter due to Marika’s question.

“You see Marika, that’s because this guy is a magic maniac.”

“A maniac?”

Marika looked back and tilted her head, and this time Chigusa gave a strained laugh.

“I don’t think I’m that obsessed with it.”

At Chigusa’s answer, Chika extensively, and the selected representatives other than Marika more reservedly, shook their heads.

“Chigusa, don’t you think that’s absurd?”

“Is it?”

“Maybe you know about the structure of the Ichijou Family in detail if you look it up. Because it’s a marriage between the Ichijou Family and the Isshiki Family, despite them being a branch family. It was probably news at the time.”

“Actually, it was treated as a big event in the news yearbook.”

Eh, he reads the news yearbook...?, Marika was getting more and more surprised, but refrained from interfering.

On the other hand, the upperclasswomen, not to mention Chika, weren’t particularly surprised. She changed the subject with a face that said ‘just as usual, huh’.

“But where the hell did you check up on the secret techniques of the Isshiki Family?”

“It wasn’t made especially hidden, so I could look them up.”

Chigusa’s expression looked like he wanted to say ‘So what?’.

“It’s not like it’s actively publicized, is it? Or is it recorded in the Index?”

The Index is a database with a magic encyclopedia and also a database compiled by the Magic Association. It is said to include almost all of the magic that is made public.

“No, it’s not listed in the Index. It was recorded in a research book that the Magic University has. It’s a book that aggregates information taken from interviews about the Magician Research and Development Institutes. It’s very interesting. You should read it too, Kitahata.”

“I’m good. That thing must be stupidly thick.”

“Well, it’s bulkier than the Index for sure.”

“I’m sorry, do I look like a hermit?”

Chika scowled as hard as she could.

While listening to the conversation between the two of them Marika internally questioned ‘I wonder why President Chigusa is in class C?’. She believed it wouldn’t be strange if he was in class A, given he is that studious.

“Uumm, sorry to bother again.”

But what Marika was trying to ask was about something else.

“What’s up.” “What is it?”

Chika and Chigusa responded at the same time. Incidentally, the former was Chika, the latter, Chigusa.

“President Chigusa.”

The one Marika wanted to ask the question to was Chigusa.

“That ‘Nerve Disturbance’, what kind of magic is it?”

Right now, what she wants to know most is Akane’s offensive magic. Her concern about the source of Chigusa’s information was, in the end, also connected to this.

“It’s magic that disrupts the operation of the motor nerves by pouring electromagnetic waves into the opponent’s body.”

“...Isn’t interfering with the human body taboo?”

Marika gave a question about Chigusa’s answer. Magic that directly interferes with the body is considered taboo in the Japanese magic world. There are even examples of those who became Extras because of this. It is not explicitly banned by the rules of Magic Arts, but it is forbidden by unspoken agreement.

“Marika. You got that wrong.”

It was Chika who pointed out Marika’s misunderstanding.

“If the magic is as Chigusa described, it shouldn’t be forbidden. The direct interference with the body that is considered taboo is magic that turns others into puppets. It is not a taboo if you’re simply aiming for their body’s functions. If magic that numbs the motor nerves wasn’t allowed, magic that throws vibrations on contact would also not be allowed.”

“...That is true.”

Marika immediately understood.

“By the way, how strong in this ‘Nerve Disturbance’? I don’t think there was any part where she downed the opponent with that magic.”

After Marika’s comment, Chika used the remote control and Akane’s bout was once again displayed on the monitor.

“In this bout, Ichijou-san is showing just enough power to weaken their movements momentarily, but I don’t know whether or not that is really the upper limit. According to the book I mentioned before, it appears Isshiki Family’s ‘Nerve Disturbance’ was a technique for capturing enemy magicians alive.”

After watching the video several times, Chigusa reached that conclusion.

“In other words, there is a chance of being beaten in one strike...”

Marika muttered with a tense look.

“Same goes for every other magic.”

Hoping to break off her weak-thinking, Chika raised her voice.

“There has to be a reason Ichijou doesn’t settle her bouts with that magic.”

“That’s right.”

Chigusa agreed with Chika’s statement.

“I can’t be that she’s fighting every bout while going easy on her opponent, right? So... maybe adjusting it is hard and if she increases the power there is a possibility to leave after-effects on her opponent, and she’s scared of that, or something like that?”

“Could also be that she needs time to focus to manifest enough power to decide the bout.”

After Chika said so, she murmured “No matter how much we think about it, a guess is just a guess”.

“Either way, when you fight against Ichijou, you have to be on guard for her magic that sends electromagnetic waves when you’re in contact with her.”

Suppressing her own doubts, Chika declared the conclusion.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Mina, you have a really serious look on your face, did something happen in the club?”

They were on the way back to the station from school. Alisa asked that while looking at Marika’s face.

Worth noting that it was raining, and despite both of them having umbrellas, they were walking while sharing one.

“Ah, no. It’s not that something happened or anything.”

“But you had this really troubled face”

“Hmm...”

Feeling like she was needlessly worrying Alisa, Marika was lost on whether she should answer honestly or gloss over it as nothing.

“I was selected as a member for the competition against Third High.”

“It was today!? That’s great!”

Marika hadn’t told Alisa that the qualification contest was today.

“Yeah, thanks. And after that, we watched videos of the probable members from Third High and discussed strategy.”

For someone who was successfully selected as a member, Marika continued to look depressed.

“Third High’s Ichijou-san really looks very difficult, you see.”

“Ichijou-san? You weren’t saying that before, were you?”

Alisa had heard about Akane from Marika. Last time, on the day she watched her bout in a video Chika had, Marika hadn’t said anything except that she was looking forward to fighting her. At that time, Marika was just burning with fighting spirit and didn’t show any anxiety.

“Even though you were looking forward to it so much...”

“I still am now! I really want to fight her.”

The competition is five against five. It’s not a tournament. Who her opponent will be will depend on luck. The participants from the opposing school are nothing but predictions at this stage to begin with. Though it is almost certain that Akane will be selected as a team member for Third High.

“It’s just, I’m going to do it, so I want to win.”

“What are you so worried about?”

Once asked that question, Marika confided to Alisa that she was troubled over how to deal with ‘Nerve Disturbance’.

“Magic that paralyses the motor nerves with electromagnetic waves, huh.”

Alisa and Marika pondered over the same issue.

Their conversation still in pause, they headed to the station.

“I’ve been thinking...”

The conversation was revived inside the Cabinet. It was Alisa who got the ball rolling.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“If you know what kind of magic it is, I think it’d be good to make a shield matching it.”

“I can’t keep a shield constantly up to deal with magic when I don’t know when it will come. If I do that, it will reduce the resources I can use for attacks, and, most importantly, I don’t have the stamina for it.”

Seeing that she immediately provided a counterargument, Marika also must have had the same thought.

“Then, what if you keep a shield in standby so that you can respond immediately when you feel it’s dangerous?”

“Eh? I can’t do that. I don’t know how to, and I’m not good at shield magic.”

It feels like a ridiculous excuse when Marika, whose forte is a single-body armor magic, says that she’s ‘not good at shield magic’. However, this was a deadly serious and honest remark from Marika.

Reactive Armor is a rather complex technique. Even if a magician other than Marika, her father, and her older brother, or the former Toogami, were to attempt to copy it, the technique would either not activate or take a long time to activate.

She can activate it in an instant because her Magic Calculation Area is optimized for Reactive Armor. Put another way, her Magic Calculation Area is reserved. If one more magic that has a high level of difficulty similar to Reactive Armor was reserved, it is certain that Marika would have been unable to use other magic.

Especially in her case as someone who has characteristics close to a psychic, she doesn’t need to go through the process step-by-step, as it is reserved in a state where it is activated when she decides to, like a switch. Because only fixed procedures are automatically dealt with, it is ineffective in practice. In short, because using Reactive Armor is so easy for Marika, she didn’t have the opportunity to polish other defensive magic.

Also, putting magic on standby can be called a fairly special technique. The Reactive Armor Marika uses also incorporates this technique, but it is packaged in the magic and it can’t be taken out and reused for other magic.

“Shall I teach you?”

However, for the Juumonji Family, maintaining magic on standby is the technique that is essentially the foundation of Phalanx, and several kinds of shield magics is the foundation of learning Phalanx. Alisa, who formally studied Phalanx with the Juumonji Family, had just reached a level where she could coach Marika in both of those.

“Really? Please do!”

Marika didn’t hesitate to jump at the offer.

Not just with the idiomatic meaning, but also physically, as she jumped over the partition between the seats inside the Cabinet and clinged to Alisa.

◇ ◇ ◇

Near Alisa’s and Marika’s homes, there is a running course that stretches along the Sumida River which many hobbyist runners use. However, as there is a lot of rain in current season, there were also many days where it was deserted.

Sunday, 21st of June. Rain had fallen until early dawn today too. Right now, at 6am, the sky is still cloudy, and despite this being the longest day of the year, the area is dim. Nevertheless, the runners who are running on the wet road, not missing a morning without rainfall that hasn’t happened in a while, are not few.

Alisa is also one of the runners. Right after being taken in by the Juumonji Family — to be exact, about a month after, she started jogging in the early morning as part of her daily routine.

“Good morning, Asha.”

Alisa heard a voice coming from behind and turned around while running.

“Good morning, Mina.”

By the time Alisa finished greeting her, Marika had caught up to her.

Afterwards, the two ran side-by-side.

“Mina, you can go ahead. It won’t be training if you go with me, right?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m heavier than usual.”

Marika replied to Alisa and she raised her right hand to shoulder height to show her the wrist weight wrapped around it. She didn’t just have them on both wrists, she also had weights wrapped around both her ankles.

“Is that good? Don’t they say it has the opposite effect if you add too much weight?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Alisa had a serious look, but an easygoing smile was on Marika’s face.

“I don’t care if my legs get thicker.”

But with those words, Marika’s smile twitched a little.

”Mina, don’t you usually come earlier?”

While doing cooldown stretches, Alisa asked Marika, who was doing similar cooldown exercises.

“Yeah, but there was still some rain.”

Marika, who relaxed her position and finished regaining her breath, replied to her.

“Eh? Wasn’t it past 5am when the rain stopped?”

“Yeah. Normally I start around 5am and run for about an hour.”

“Whoa...”

Alisa let out a listless reaction of astonishment.

“Mina, you became able to get up early!”

“That’s what you’re impressed about!?”

Marika’s cheeks puffed, as she said “I didn’t mean to”.

Alisa smiled broadly, finding Marika charming.

“I have club activities today, what about you, Mina?”

Keeping that same smile, Alisa asked Marika.

“I have club too. We can’t use the small gymnasium, but they said they’d get a hold of a practice room.”

“Then after that, is it okay?”

“Hmm...”

Marika just groaned, seeming anxious, and didn’t try to give an answer.

Alisa’s face suddenly turned serious.

“Mina, I got the consent of Katsuto-san.”

“Yeah...”

“You don’t need to be a prisoner of the past.”

“You’re right, it’s just as you say. Okay. Sorry for getting you to let me intrude in the Former Tenth Research Institute.”

It had been decided that Marika will receive coaching on electromagnetic shield magic from Alisa, for the purpose of interschool competition with Third High.

It had been arranged that this training was to be carried out at a fated place for her father and grandfather, the Former Tenth Research Institute.

◇ ◇ ◇

Little after 9am on the 21st, Third High School’s Martial Magic Arts Club was visiting the Kaga University High School in Kanazawa.

Even though they are Magic School students, it’s not unusual to interact with normal high schools if it’s a club not related to magic. But for other students, unless they are invited to the school festival by a friend from middle school, there are no opportunities to set foot inside a high school that is only attended by non-magicians. Many of the club member’s eyes were wandering about, curiously looking here and there.

Akane was also among them. Rather, she was one of the students that was most restless. Akane didn’t try to hide her curiosity and Reira, next to her, warned her by saying “Akane, watch your manners”.

“Ahaha... Is there something you’re interested in?”

The person who asked Akane that wasn’t a student at the Kaga University High School. The emblem on the T-shirt was from the university.

“No, it’s refreshing that there aren’t any facilities to monitor us and devices to obstruct magic.”

Akane’s remarks, said with no shyness, made the university student’s face stiffen for a moment. But right afterwards, a friendly smile returned to his face. He should be recognized for his bravery.

“I can’t imagine what kind of institution it is, but is there anything that noticeably monitors students in Third High?”

There was nuance of criticism in the university student’s tone. But if only the meaning of the words is interpreted, it could be taken as criticism towards magic high schools.

“The students don’t mind it. Because the students also understand that magic should be strictly controlled.”

The one to reply to the university student was a young teacher that is led the Magic Arts Club. He is the advisor of the Magic Arts Club and also the teacher in charge of Akane’s class.

“Is that so? They’re very levelheaded, aren’t they? A big difference from our lot.”

“No, they still have a long way to go.”

The teacher and university student, who didn’t appear to have much of a difference in age, amicably ended the conversation that could easily have become sensitive with an adult attitude.

The joint practice with the Mixed Martial Arts Club of the Kaga University High School ended as planned after about two hours. There weren’t just practice spars, but also guidance from the Kaga University High School coach, so there was a lot that the Third High students gained.

After the joint practice ended, a social gathering, which also served as lunch, was held at the Kaga University High School cafeteria.

Apparently, this high school’s students aren’t allergic to magicians. At the very least, the members of the Mixed Martial Arts Club didn’t show, neither consciously nor unconsciously, feelings of aversion towards the Third High students. Akane and the rest of the Third High students got a good impression from their behavior.

“You’re both Ichijou-san, but are you related? To that Ichijou-san? It’s not just your magic that is amazing, huh. You’re so skilled I wouldn’t think you’re first-years.”

The one passionately taking to Akane’s group is the university student who was at their welcoming. His name is Kadoba Shunichi. He is an alumnus that graduated this school two years ago and is a junior coach. His first two or three comments were spoken politely, but now his tone was completely informal.

In terms of appearances, he appears to be talking with both Akane and Reira, but there is a high percentage of lines directed towards Reira. Could he be trying to pick her up?

“We’re not related. I was adopted.”

Akane also left Kadoba to Reira. Because it looked annoying.

She also trusted her to not be a careless girl who got involved with a ladies’ man.

“Heeh... But you’ve been doing martial arts since you were a kid, right? That technique isn’t something you master in a day.”

“Yes. I was learning before I was welcomed into the Ichijou Family.”

“Makes sense. What were you learning? It wasn’t mixed, right? It’s different from karate too.”

“Can I ask you something too?”

Without replying to Kadoba, she asked him back.

“Sure. I can’t talk about everything though. I’ve lived for 20 years, so there are things that I can’t tell girls about.”

“You’re quite honest, aren’t you? But, Kadoba-san, I have no interest in your relationships with girls so I believe you can answer.”

“Oof.”

At Reira’s cold response, a forced smile appeared on Kadoba’s face, as if saying ‘this is my loss’.

“Your technique is cleverly concealed, but I could catch a glimpse of the basis of wushu. And not the wushu that is practiced in Japan, I believe it’s the traditional Shaolin wushu from the Henan Province in China. Where did you learn it?”

But once she presented that question, Kadoba’s face became stiff.

“...I’m shocked. You know that much.”

“Because I too have had some training.”

Reira — Liú Lìlěi is the Great Asian Union’s former Nationally Recognized Strategic-Class Magician. The Great Asian Union does not recognize the fact that she defected, so it is not even ‘former’ in the official records of that country.

Though despite being a Strategic-Class Magician, she was not acknowledged as a magician that represents the nation.

Liú Lìlěi can only use two kinds of magic. Strategic-Class magic ‘Thunderclap Tower’ and electromagnetic wave isolation magic. The latter is something that she uses to mobilize within the effect range of ‘Thunderclap Tower’ without being affected by it, so essentially it can be said that she can only use one kind of magic. On the other hand, she doesn’t need a CAD to activate these two kinds of magic.

Up until her predecessor, Liú Yúndé, died in battle and she was hastily promoted to a Nationally Recognized Strategic-Class Magician, the Great Asian Union had trained her as a spy for infiltrating Japan. While living disguised as a normal citizen, when the time was right, she would paralyze central figures of the political and military world with ‘Thunderclap Tower’. Subversive activities by a Strategic-Class Magician.

In line with that goal, she was filled up with numerous skills. The skill to speak Japanese and habits befitting a Japanese lifestyle. Disguise techniques to pass herself as an ordinary citizen. Skills for spies to approach important locations without assistance. That training was interrupted when she became a Nationally Recognized Strategic-Class Magician, but included among those skills was also the Great Asian Union army’s military hand-to-hand combat.

The Great Asian Union army’s hand-to-hand combat was a mix of north and south wushu, extracting the easiest techniques to learn among them. So to speak, it is a digest version of Eastern Asian martial arts. While imperfect, for Reira who had it drilled into her, it was not that difficult to detect the wushu elements that were the basis of the Great Asian Union army’s hand to hand combat.

“Just as you said, I learned Shorinji Kempo[2] before I started mixed martial arts. But my teacher was Japanese... No, he was supposed to be Japanese. Either way, I didn’t know I was learning real Shaolin kung fu.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Reira did not seem particularly suspicious of Kadoba’s answer.

In contrast, Akane turned her dubious eyes towards Kadoba.

Third High’s Magic Arts Club dispersed right after leaving the Kaga University High School.

Kanazawa City is, in one word, big, but the Cabinet routes are not as developed as Tokyo’s. Many of the students used commuters (robot taxis) to return home.

Akane and Reira also went home on a commuter.

“Rei-chan.”

Right after the commuter started going, Reira turned to where her name was called and was surprised at the expression on Akane’s face.

“What is wrong, Akane? You look like you’re worrying about something...”

Reira asked Akane, looking concerned.

“You shouldn’t associate with that man too much.”

Akane talked in one breath, looking like Reira’s words didn’t reach her ears.

“What man?”

“That Kadoba.”

Reira’s expression, that had been frozen by Akane’s menacing look, quickly softened.

“I know, Akane.”

Reira smiled at Akane, who continued staring at her with a serious look.

“That man was spouting lies. He is not worthy of trust, and I don’t want to get close to him.”

“T-then it’s fine.”

Reira was so clear in her assertion that Akane was dumbfounded.

“That person’s technique was obviously the Shaolin martial arts modified for spies within the Great Asian Union army. It is not something a Japanese martial artist could teach.”

Reira sat deeper into her seat, put her head on the headrest, and added that as if talking to herself.

◇ ◇ ◇

Marika took a deep breath in front of the intercom attached to the gate with uninteresting design.

It isn’t the first time Marika has come to this house. She has come over to play at Alisa’s room many times. She never felt nervous about pushing the button of the intercom.

But today, she was unable to push the button.

The house of the Juumonji Family is neither a luxurious western-style mansion nor a massive samurai residence. It is a little larger than a modern building. It doesn’t feel overwhelming when standing in front of the gate.

The reason Marika was hesitating was also not because she was overwhelmed. In a single word, she is reluctant. Maybe the feeling is close to not feeling up for it. If it wasn’t for her promise with Alisa, she would probably have left this place in order to escape.

The promise with Alisa is what is keeping her here. She couldn’t break her promise with her best friend just because she didn’t like it. Marika breathed in once again and holding back her urge to flee with the force of her exhale, she pushed the intercom button.

The Former Tenth Research Institute is next to the Juumonji Family house. Well, should it be said that the Juumonji Family’s house was built next to the site of the Former Tenth Research Institute?

As a research institution, the Former Tenth Research Institute has already been shut down, but its facilities have not been demolished. Research data that needs to be kept secret is also left in the facilities. Rather than demolishing and moving the data, the government chose to preserve the research institute in a state where it could be reopened at any time.

The decision to preserve only the Tenth Research Institute among all the closed down Magician Research and Development Institutes was evidence that the government highly rated the results of the development of magicians that are a trump card for national defense. — Worth noting however that there are research institutes that were only decided to be officially shut down, but in reality they are still active.

The Juumonji Family’s house was built here for the purpose of managing the Former Tenth Research Institute’s various facilities. However, the role requested of the Juumonji Family was not maintenance of the facilities. Prevention of leaks of research information, more concretely, the elimination of spies that are after the results of the Tenth Research Institute. Put simply, they were given the house for their role as guardians of important information.

Among the facilities of the Former Tenth Research Institute, the ones related to research have their operations suspended, but the training facility is still in use today. As a reward for carrying out their roles as guards, the Juumonji Family can freely use it. Even now the magicians of the Juumonji Family and their subordinates were working hard in their magic training.

“Excuse me.”

Alisa took Marika along there.

“...Excuse me.”

“Hey, you came.”

Marika followed Alisa’s greeting in a low voice and Yuuto, who was training in the closest spot to the entrance, raised his hand and replied.

“Juumonji-senpai. I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

The sports-minded Marika basically can’t ignore when her seniors call out to her, regardless of what her inner thoughts are.

She bowed properly to Yuuto again.

Maybe he understood Marika’s inner feelings — something like not feeling up for this — from her words.

“I don’t think I can say that you can use it like your own home, but... feel free to use it like a school. As long as you’re with Alisa, you’re welcome any time.”

Yuuto said to Marika while smiling lightly.

“I will. I’ll be in your care.”

Once again, regardless of what she truly thought, Marika politely showed her gratitude to Yuuto.

She received Alisa’s teachings for two hours. Marika was already getting the hang of keeping magic shields in standby.

The Juumonji Family’s Phalanx and the former Toogami’s Reactive Armor are techniques that have much in common from the start.

While automated, Reactive Armor also includes the standby shield process. It could be said that what Alisa is teaching Marika is how to do it consciously. Thinking about it that way, it might not be surprising that her attempt to learn this technique is going smoothly.

But, as expected, after working at it for two hours straight, Marika’s fatigue was evident.

“Let’s stop here for today?”

“I want to continue a little longer.”

However, Marika shook her head at Alisa’s proposal.

“Just a little more, I feel I can do it.”

Alisa didn’t wrinkle her brow at Marika’s claim, but she had a troubled expression, with her eyebrows in the shape of the character ‘八’.

“When learning new magic, it’s better to not work too hard, though...”

The frame of mind that Alisa was taught to be of the utmost priority by the Juumonji Family was not overloading the Magic Calculation Area. Overloading is not only bad for magic, it also applies for physical training. If you train and have an accident, you’ll lose everything. Depending on the situation, it could even cause the loss of life.

“Just a little more.”

But once Marika’s gaze filled with enthusiasm was directed at her, she could no longer ask her to stop.

Even if she stops here, she’s probably going to continue by herself somewhere I can’t see. That would be more dangerous. — Alisa thought and wavered.

“Just a little, okay?”

“Yeah, I know.”

The details of the training were as simple as radiating her arms and legs with a non-lethal directed electromagnetic wave used for riot control. The electromagnetic waves are radiated irregularly, that is, she doesn’t know when they will come, and she blocks them by actualizing her standby shield.

It’s easier said than done.

This electromagnetic wave was developed under the name Ads (Active denial system) at the beginning of this century and it doesn’t penetrate deeper than the outer layer of the skin and doesn’t cause burns. However, it makes the radiated area feel hot, and those exposed to the radiation feel something like ‘an illusion of being burned’.

The training goal is to actualize the electromagnetic wave shield before she feels this heat. Perceive the phenomenon of being radiated with electromagnetic waves and react to it. Magic is the skill to modify phenomena, and when activating magic, the magician is perceiving the changing phenomenon. That said, magic is mainly the active action of ‘modifying’ and the ability to perceive isn’t considered as important.

Put another way, it is an ability that magicians aren’t made more conscious of in their education as magicians. Magicians are gifted with it from the start, so it can be said that there is room to improve it if it is consciously trained.

However, it is an ability she’s neglected until now. Maybe it’s a talent hidden in her blood that allowed her to get to this point after such a small amount of time, but above all else, it may be due to her enthusiasm.

Alisa returned to the front of the Ads monitor. Here, the radiation time of the electromagnetic wave and the temperature change at the location the electromagnetic waves are radiated, measured with infrared thermography, are displayed. If the temperature of the skin does not change, the shield was successfully actualized.

Alisa stared at the monitor, her anxiety expressed on her face. She may be more worried about Marika’s physical condition than whether the magic was successful or not. No, what she should be worried about is not her body, but the state of her mind, so it should be called ‘mental condition’.

“How was it just now?”

But anxiety can’t be seen on the person herself at all. Maybe she doesn’t even realize whether she’s anxious. Marika was focusing on learning the technique to keep the electromagnetic wave shield in standby and actualize it once she senses the electromagnetic waves.

“Yeah, it was basically at the same time.”

Alisa pulled herself together and returned a smile. But Marika was not convinced by the answer.

“How far apart?”

Marika requested specific figures.

“0.3 seconds.”

“Waah, I’m still not there...”

Marika’s target is 0.2 seconds. 

When Alisa asked for the reasoning for it, it seems that the Magic Arts Club upperclassmen concluded that even if she was under the effect of the electromagnetic waves for that amount of time, the motor system would be unaffected. However, Marika doesn’t know their basis.

Most likely that number was derived from the general human reaction time — the time from receiving a stimulus until the brain makes a decision and the body starts to move — being measured at around 300 milliseconds. Alisa was doubtful over whether this was proper, but she also has no definite proof, so her conclusion is meaningless.

Now that Marika has set that has her objective, Alisa has no choice but to go along with her. For Marika’s safety, and wishing for her to achieve a time within 0.2 seconds as quickly as possible, Alisa continued to watch the monitor.

“Do you have a moment?”

A voice suddenly called out to them, and they interrupted the training and turned around.

The voice came from Yuuto.

“Tookami-san, are you willing to listen to some advice?”

Marika doesn’t relax when she’s around Yuuto. Looking from Yuuto’s perspective, even if it seems like she hates him, he continues to assume that there’s nothing he can do about it.

In fact, Yuuto thinks Marika is avoiding him. The reason he didn’t abruptly give advice and instead asked ‘Are you willing to listen?’ was because he was concerned about Marika.

But some people may take that as a ‘sarcastic way of asking’. The expression can be used that way, but unfortunately Yuuto didn’t realize that.

“Please go ahead.”

Fortunately, Marika didn’t take it in such a twisted way. It is a fact, and not just unjust suspicion, that she finds Yuuto disagreeable, but that is not because the person himself did something, it is because he is a member of the Juumonji Family who pulled Alisa away from her.

As a matter of fact, the ill feelings she has towards the Juumonji Family have almost nothing to do with the ‘Toogami’ becoming the Extras ‘Tookami’ in the past. It can’t be said that it is none at all, but that is an emotion she feels as a result of considering how her father and older brother feel, so it was hard to say they were genuinely her own emotions.

Marika doesn’t feel her position — the Extras’ position is a disadvantage or an inconvenience.

Marika didn’t go to First High because she wanted to be a magician in the first place. She just wanted to spend her high school life together with Alisa.

She is that kind of girl, so, though there’s nothing she can do about it — Marika also understands this much — the resentment of being separated from Alisa once before was always coiling in her heart.

At the same time, for Marika, whether she could become a magician in the years to come, and whether she could win against a strong opponent next month, and whether she would be able to learn the magic that would allow her to win, these are all problems in different levels.

Becoming a magician and mastering magic are different things to her.

The thought ‘I don’t care about success as a magician’ and the thought ‘I want to learn the magic I need’ were not contradictions in Marika’s mind, they coexist.

“—Umm...”

Maybe Yuuto hadn’t thought she would reply instantly, with no hesitation in the slightest. He was more confused than when he brought up the idea of giving advice.

“Tookami-san, I think you’re trying to bring out the magic shield that is in standby consciously, but it would be better if you weren’t so conscious of it.”

“...What do you mean?”

Marika asked Yuuto with a bewildered expression.

She was trying to actualize it consciously, and in order to do that, it’d be better to not do it consciously, he said.

Even if it wasn’t Marika, it’d be confusing.

“The standby magic shield that Alisa taught you is in a state where you put the brakes on the magic activation. When you take the foot off the brake pedal, it will activate even if you don’t do anything else. Unlike driving a car, you don’t need to step on the accelerator to accelerate to the speed you need.”

Marika, who had been looking at Yuuto, turned around to look at Alisa.

Marika asked ‘is that right?’ with her eyes and Alisa nodded lightly.

Waiting for Marika to turn towards himself again, Yuuto continued his explanation.

“So all you have to do, Tookami-san, is to decide ‘the shield will come out if you’re exposed to electromagnetic waves’. If you do that, the brakes will release on their own and the magic shield that is on standby should become active.”

“...So basically, I only need to recognize that I was radiated with electromagnetic waves? I don’t need to be conscious of activating the magic?”

“In that way, it is similar to magic activated with a condition. The only difference is that it’s not triggered based on a change of the external phenomenon, but a change in perception.”

“I understand. I’ll give it a try. Thank you for the advice.”

Marika thanked him and bowed her head.

Her upfront attitude brought about surprise as well as a favorable impression of her in Yuuto.

The rain had stopped for a while, but come evening it had started again. It is almost the summer solstice, and despite only being past 5pm, the area is completely dark.

At the entrance to the Juumonji Family residence, Alisa was seeing Marika off.

“Asha, thank you for today.”

Marika, holding an umbrella, informed Alisa of her gratitude.

“It’s because you worked so hard.”

Alisa received Marika’s thanks with a smile.

“No, I didn’t know how I would prepare for it by myself. It’s all thanks to you. Now I feel like I can have a good bout when I face Ichijou-san.”

“The deciding factor was Yuuto-san’s advice though, wasn’t it?”

Alisa tried to hide her embarrassment and Marika’s face, for a moment, had an unamused expression.

“...You’re right. Please give my thanks to Juumonji-senpai.”

But her face turned serious right after and she requested Alisa to deliver a message.

“Mina, I’m not ‘senpai’, but I’m a ‘Juumonji’ too.”

Perhaps she found Marika’s formal attitude funny, as Alisa replied by teasing her.

“...Then, to the Vice President!”

Marika’s stubborn attitude of refusing, no matter what, to call him by his name, made Alisa laugh.

Maybe she was aware that she was being stubborn. With her face red, Marika said, roughly, “Well, see you tomorrow!” and turned her back to Alisa.