Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 4 - Chapter 1.2

That night.

Mei was in the dining room in her house, facing her older brother Kei. Truthfully, she had planned to ask her father about this year’s Nine Schools Competition, the discussion topic on her way home, but unfortunately by the time she got home he had already left for Tokyo on a sudden business trip. So instead, she decided to try asking her brother about it.

“So, what did you want to ask?”

Kei asked Mei with a friendly tone.

The relationship between these two siblings is generally good. Mei dislikes Kei’s fiancé, but that is simply because they don’t get along and not because she’s obsessed with her brother.

“It’s about the Nine Schools Competition next month.”

“Were you picked as a competitor? I’m so looking forward to that. I’ll go cheer for you.”

“Not yet. Firstly, you know I actually want to be a technician, nii-san.”

“You’re in a luxurious position, Mei. Less than a tenth of all the students get to be competitors. There are a lot of students who can’t go to the Nine Schools Competition even though they want to.”

“I don’t think every student wants to participate in the Nine Schools Competition, but let’s stop this discussion here. It’s not related to what I want to ask about.”

“Yeah. This isn’t something to argue about.”

Kei nodded lightly and urged her to continue with his eyes.

“Have you heard anything about top government or military officials scheming something at the Nine Schools Competition?”

Kei was slightly astonished from Mei’s question.

“No, I don’t know anything... Why are you asking that?”

When asked in return, Mei told him what she had heard from Alisa and Hiyori.

“Aah... I see now.”

Her brother had an expression that showed he fully understood, and Mei asked him “What do you know?”.

“I was wondering what you were thinking when you said scheming... There will certainly be more government and national defense forces officials spectating this year’s Nine Schools Competition compared to the average.”

After speaking, with a tone like he was talking to himself, Kei stiffened his expression just a little.

“To tell you the truth, there are talks of recruiting civilian magicians unconnected to the Ten Master Clans for the national defense reserve squad.”

“National defense reserve squad? What is that?”

“It’s just as the name says. The goal is to preemptively organize a civilian magician squad that cooperates with the national defense forces in preparation for an invasion of our country by foreign forces.”

“...What was that decided?”

“It hasn’t yet. It’s being considered. But intentionally or not, this story seems to be slowly spreading in the form of unofficial gossip.”

“...’unconnected to the Ten Master Clans’, I have a feeling that’s something very intentional.”

Mei looked like she was suspicious of it and Kei smiled cheerfully.

“Impressive as always, Mei. You’re really attentive.”

“W-What?”

Mei slightly back backwards with a confused expression.

Though she backed away, Kei face was calm.

“I don’t know who thought of it, but the idea of the reserve squad is clearly designed to get away from the Ten Master Clans.”

After saying that, he tilted his head slightly.

“...No, it might be more accurate to say they’re trying to reduce their reliance on the Ten Master Clans. And at the same time, I believe they are hiding their intent to try to reduce Shiba-kun’s presence in national defense.”

“Shiba-kun, you mean, him!?”

Mei stood up from the dining room chair like she had been repelled from it.

“Right, my kouhai, former Taurus Silver, Shiba-kun.”

Kei was neither surprised nor confused. He had gotten used to his little sister’s fanatical worship of Shiba Tatsuya.

“Mei, calm down. Reducing military responsibilities is not a bad thing for Shiba-kun. This means he can focus on implementing the Stellar Reactor.”

“That is true...”

And he also got used to dealing with Mei, who gets excited when it comes to Tatsuya.

“Since such rumors are spreading, the pressure from parents must be particularly harsh for students of the Hundred Families, don’t you think?”

Kei finished nonchalantly with a smile.

“...Our family is in the Hundred Families too, though?”

“The Isori Family is no good at fighting. If you’re worried, you should try asking father tomorrow too.”

Their father is scheduled to return from the business trip tomorrow evening.

Mei agreed with Kei’s suggestion, saying “I’ll do that”.

◇ ◇ ◇

It wasn’t just First High that was passionate in its Nine School Competition preparations.

19th of July, Sunday. Kanazawa’s Third High School rented a beach where the swimming season has not yet begun and is holding a practice match of Monolith Code.

It is the main team composed of third-year students against the newcomer team of first-years.

However, the main team reduced the number of members from the original three to two.

There is nothing obstructing the view between the two sides. Under them is sand, but the setting is assumed to be the grassy stage.

It has been 5 minutes since the starting signal. The newcomers team was unable to move from the front of their side’s monolith.

Magic bullets are being incessantly fired. Bullets of pure pressure, their diameter less than a centimeter.

It’s a rapid-fire version of ‘Invisible Bullet’, which uses the positive Weight-Type ‘Cardinal Code’.

The original developer of ‘Invisible Bullet’, Third High alumnus Kichijouji Shinkurou further improved the technique used by First High in 2096’s edition of the Nine Schools Competition[7], greatly extending its range of fire.

Before graduating, Kichijouji selected several of his kouhai who were proficient in Weight-Type Magic and instructed them in this magic.  Both of the members on the main team were first-years at the time they were instructed in the rapid-fire ‘Invisible Bullet’ by Kichijouji.

The two main team members alternatingly fired magic, showering the newcomers team with bullets with no pause.

In contrast, the newcomers team was protecting themselves with magic shields. By putting all their attention into defense, they are somewhat avoiding being forced to retire by knockout. However, they too understood that the situation was getting worse.

The third years who were continuously shooting from their own side started moving forward.

Unlike solid bullets, the power of pressure bullets doesn’t decay with distance. But by reducing the distance to the target, the burden of maintaining the magic is reduced, and as a result the density of shots increases. In other words, the offensive ability increases. The first-year team is getting pushed into an increasingly difficult situation.

“I’m going out ahead. You two, back me up.”

One of the members of the newcomers team, Juumonji Tatsuki, called out to his teammates.

“Yeah, leave it to us.”

His friend on the same team, Ikura Samon, replied as such. The other one was in a state where he couldn’t respond.

Tatsuki started running with his shield still up. The speed was not very fast, however.

Not disgracing the reputation of direct descendants of the Juumonji Family, he too can deploy strong magic shields. Tatsuki is better at offensive magic, and consequently he is better at the offensive version of the magic that is synonym with ‘Juumonji Family’, ‘Phalanx’, than its defensive version. The power of his ‘Offensive Phalanx’ just about surpasses Yuuto’s, his adopted brother.

On the other hand, his ‘Defensive Phalanx’ is inferior to Alisa’s, who started training later. He still can’t handle ‘Cannonball’, an applied technique that uses ‘Defensive Phalanx’ and Movement-Type Magic in combination to ram while the shield is deployed. In fact, it was not unusual for the running speed and the shield’s specified location to become mismatched when running as fast as he can.

The barrage of ‘Invisible Bullets’ concentrated on the approaching Tatsuki. At the same time, the two third-years dispersed, each to one side. If it were a physical shield, a concentrated attack at a single point from the same direction would be effective. But in the case of magic shields, rather than making the defender focus on an easy concentrated attack, it is more effective to attack from many directions so that the defender spreads their consciousness. This is because the structure of magic shields is such that the burden of the power of an attack inflicted upon a shield is taken by the entire shield.

Tatsuki couldn’t catch the third-years who were running while constantly pelting him with bullets. And by the time he noticed, Tatsuki was facing just one person.

The other third-year student, before he became aware of it, was getting close to the newcomers team monolith. And standing in front of it was Samon by himself. The other first-year had been knocked out without Tatsuki realizing it.

Tatsuki hesitated. To go in aid of Samon, or to target the monolith on the opponent’s side—.

Tatsuki’s attention turned to Samon. Immediately after, the third-year student who should have been showering Tatsuki, who was keeping his distance, with magic, was standing right in front of him.

(Dan—)

Faster than he could finish mentally shouting ‘Dang it’, there was an explosion at his feet.

Tatsuki’s body was launched into the air, along with the sand upon which he had stood.

The shield Tatsuki is deploying is spherical. As he moved, the ground at his feet — in this case, sand — will scrape away, but since there are underground magic attacks he can’t afford to leave his feet unprotected.

Along with the sand underneath the deployed shield that was excavating the sandy beach, Tatsuki tumbled through the air.

This pattern is new to him. He was completely taken by surprise.

He invoked the magic ‘Soar’ in midair and rearranged his posture. ‘Soar’ is magic that can be said to be a preliminary step for the quickly popularized flight magic which allows to change the movement state and posture several times in midair. This ‘Soar’ is the Movement-Type Magic that is used in the mobile armor magic ‘Cannonball’.

Tatsuki briefly stopped in the air and tried to adjust his landing posture. But at that moment he was hit by a violent shock. He was so preoccupied with ‘Soar’ that his ‘Phalanx’ was interrupted.

Exposed to the bullets of the Weight-Type Magic, Tatsuki’s stance was broken and he fell. He fell safely, but even if the ground is sand, sure enough, it is still great damage.

Tatsuki laid on his back on top of the sand. Staying like that, he regained his breath and self-diagnosed whether he had any injuries.

He sensed that at this point that hurrying would be pointless. As if to confirm Tatsuki’s thoughts, the whistle acting as a replacement for the buzzer that announced the end of the match rang out.

When the Monolith Code representatives and support staff returned to Third High after practice ended, they met up with the Mirage Bat team who were attempting to leave the school after their practice likewise ended.

“Oh, Juumonji-kun, Ikura-kun, Doumeki-kun. How are you doing?”

The one to call out to them was Mirage Bat’s selected representative, Ichijou Akane. Also, the person she called ‘Doumeki-kun’ is the other Monolith Code representative in the newcomers competition, his full name being ‘Doumeki Yoshio’.

“Not bad.”

Tatsuki replied with a tone just short of unfriendly that couldn’t hide apathy.

“We were trounced though. Our seniors really are tough.”

Samon made a show of complaining cheerfully to gloss it over.

“Don’t worry about it. There are always times where you don’t get into the rhythm.”

Akane consoled them merrily.

To that, Tatsuki said “That’s not it...” and shook his head.

“It’s like I said earlier. I’m not doing bad. We were just completely overmatched in strength.”

“...Being respectful is worthy of praise. But, you see, I don’t think just dismissing it as ‘overmatched in strength’ is.”

Tatsuki responded to Akane’s honest opinion without rebutting it, “Is that so?”.

Akane couldn’t hide her confusion from that.

“Umm, I think you should look back not just on the difference in magic power, but also on whether or not you made any errors in your strategy.”

“It’s just as you say, Akane-san.”

Tatsuki’s replies were humble to the end.

Oh, this is pointless. He’s not responding.

With a slightly sour expression, Akane said “Well, see you later” and separated from Tatsuki’s group.

Tatsuki and the others didn’t immediately disband when they arrived at the school. They’re having a review meeting today at the cafeteria. The kitchen isn’t open on Sundays, but the cafeteria itself is. Each of them bought their favorite drinks and fast food and discussed what they noticed. Tatsuki’s team of first-years is mainly in a position of being instructed.

While the senpai gave advice, of course, the eating and drinking was on hold. By the time the senpai left theirs seats, the drinks were lukewarm and the food had gone completely cold.

Well, it’s currently summer. There isn’t that much of a problem if it gets cooler.

“You bought noodles... Haven’t they gone all soggy?”

“I don’t really mind, I like it.”

Doumeki Yoshio looked dumbfounded and Samon talked back with despair in his voice.

“You should at least have gotten chilled Chinese noodles...”

“I do not recognize chilled Chinese noodles as ramen.”

Yoshio appealed ‘Say something to him’ to Tatsuki with his eyes.

Tatsuki responded to that with a shrug of his shoulders.

Yoshio bit into his cooled hot dog with a resigned face.

“We couldn’t win today, huh...”

Then his voice went lower and he spoke in a murmur. 

“Don’t be disheartened. In all likelihood, our senpai’s team is the favorite for the event.”

Tatsuki encouraged Yoshio.

“I wonder if that’s true.” 

There was no self-confidence in Yoshio’s response.

“Yoshio, you’re worrying too much. We’re not going to face an opponent that strong at the newcomers competition.”

“That would be good...”

Even Samon’s encouragement didn’t convince Yoshio.

“What are you so anxious about?”

Tatsuki saw Yoshio’s flustered behavior and asked him directly.

“Ah, no, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.”

Yoshio, flustered, apologized to Tatsuki and Samon. Maybe he didn’t realize himself that he was rather flustered.

“I’m not particularly offended or anything...”

“Yoshio, did something happen?”

Tatsuki and Samon spoke one after the other.

“It’s not that something happened... Sorry, I’ve just been under a lot of pressure from my relatives. Even my older sister is joining in on it, it kind of made me anxious like you said, Tatsuki.”

“Now that you mention it, Yoshio, you commute to school from your home, right?”

Samon said, his voice sprinkled with sympathy.

Tatsuki and Samon live alone, so, even though they have the hardship of having to do everything by themselves, they don’t have the kind of stress Yoshio is talking about.

“Is the pressure that tough?”

Yoshio grimaced at Tatsuki’s question.

“I don’t know if it’s tougher than other families, but ever since it was decided that I’m going to participate in the Nine Schools Competition, they suddenly started getting really naggy. And it’s not even ‘Don’t lose to other schools’, I feel like I’m being told to be active and stand out...”

“You mean to prioritize showing off your own abilities over your team’s victory?”

To Samon’s question, Yoshio nodded with “It feels like that”.

“Mom and dad are a little strange. They weren’t the type to say such egoistic things before. It’s driving me crazy as well...”

Yoshio was in distress.

Tatsuki and Samon looked at each other, their faces revealing their confusion.

◇ ◇ ◇

Tatsuki and Samon are next-door neighbors in the same apartment block. They go to each other’s apartments when they get home often. For comparison, the ratio of Samon barging into Tatsuki’s room is about 70%.

Today too, once it became evening, Samon knocked at Tatsuki’s door.

“...About what Yoshio said before.”

They were sharing the dinner table with the loach kabayaki Samon bought as the main dish. They chatted about trivial matters for a while, but Samon’s expression abruptly turned serious and he broached the topic like that.

“About family pressure?”

“Yeah, that. Apparently it’s not just his family.”

“Other students too?”

“Yeah. It appears those who live with their families are getting pretty tired of it.”

“...But isn’t it normal for parents to expect their children to actively participate?”

Samon replied to Tatsuki’s rebuttal with “Well, actually” and shook his head.

“I even tried asking a third-year senpai, and the amount of energy he’s put into it is different.”

“And it’s not because it’s his final year?”

“He said so himself. It’s a senpai from the Hundred Families, but he said he felt something similar to obsession.”

Tatsuki pondered while humming “Hmm...”.

“Does this year’s Nine Schools Competition have a different meaning for adults compared to last year’s...?”

Tatsuki sank even deeper into his thoughts.

That continued until Samon warned him with “Forget about it, it’s getting cold”.

◇ ◇ ◇

July 22nd, Monday at lunch break. Alisa and Marika were with Mei, Koharu, Hiyori, as well as Joui and Mamoru, a total of seven people surrounding a cafeteria table.

There, Mei talked about the idea of the national defense reserve squad that she heard from her older brother and confirmed with her father.

“Heeh, so there is a plan like that.”

Marika reacted first with the tone of someone interjecting during small talk. Judging from her attitude, she clearly isn’t interested.

“I don’t think it’s wrong for everyone to share the responsibilities...”

While approving with her words, Alisa seemed somewhat unconvinced.

“So that’s why Tawara-kun is working that hard.”

Mamoru had a ‘convinced’ look.

“Isn’t being highly motivated a good thing?”

Joui was making a ‘What is the problem?’ face.

“No necessarily, Joey.”

Koharu interposed from the side like she was rebuking him.

“Being motivated is good, but eagerness leads to impatience.”

“Impatience leads to recklessness, recklessness leads to accidents.”

And Hiyori continued in a serious tone.

The mood in the area grew heavy and they stopped eating.

But Hiyori, the source of the mood, as she moved her chopsticks at a constant pace,

“That’s what my father said.”

She added in monotone.

The heavy atmosphere was dispersed.

“...Was that comment necessary?”

Mei muttered reproachingly, as her body leaned due to the arm she had on the table losing its strength.

◇ ◇ ◇

July 24th, Friday night. Like many national and public high schools, First High too had its end-of-term ceremony today.

Unlike last century, there is no such ceremony where the report cards with the grades are handed over. The results are instead sent directly to the student’s and the parent’s emails.

Opportunities for children and parents to discuss academic results are the end-of-term exams and monthly practical exams, and in the case of the general curriculum, there are also mock exams done outside the school, but in the end getting a notification with the results of the semester sent on the day of the end-of-term ceremony holds a particularly great meaning, both for students and parents.

In the Tokugawa Family house, based in the southern part of Tokyo, the eldest daughter Ichika was also sitting up straight in front of her father.

“...A pity you didn’t go up to class A, but you did your best.”

“Thank you.”

Ichika bowed with an unthinkable formal tone for a modern-day parent-child relationship. It’s hard to imagine from her usual appearance, but the discipline seems quite strict at her house.

“Moreover, it is auspicious that you successfully obtained the position of competitor for the Nine Schools Competition. Ichika, you’ve done well.”

“Yes, thanks to all the support.”

In the end, Mei and Ichika were selected as competitors for the newcomers Mirage Bat. The seniors, starting with Shiina, valued Ichika’s stability higher than Marika’s explosive power.

“But don’t lose your focus. It is important that you show your abilities at the event.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“At this year’s Nine Schools Competition, the leaders of the first division in charge of defending the capital are expected to go spectate every part of the event. If your efforts catch their attention, our family’s reputation will increase and it will also be advantageous for Yoshihiko’s future.”

Yoshihiko is Ichika’s brother who is currently an elementary schooler. Ichika also has a little sister called Keina in the second year of middle school.

“Yes. I will do my best, for Yoshihiko’s and Keina’s sakes too.”

Ichika said and bowed to her father.

“Onee-chan, good job dealing with father, you must be tired.”

As soon as Ichika went back to her own room, her sister Keina appeared.

“So truue, so tiired.”

Ichika hugged Keina. There is almost no difference in height between the two. Rather, Keina is one or two centimeters taller.

Keina patted Ichika on the head while saying “There, there”.

Ichika made an expression like all tension had disappeared from her facial muscles and let her little sister caress her for a while.

“What is Yoshihiko doing?”

Perhaps finally satisfied, she separated from her sister Keina and asked her about her little brother’s situation.

“He’s practicing magic.”

“Just like I thought.”

Ichika’s expression became gloomy.

Keina nodded with a similar look on her face.

“Even though he’ll be in danger of damaging his magic abilities if he works too hard...”

“Mom is with him so I think it’ll be fine... probably.”

Keina said that to dispel Ichika’s concerns. But that she too cared about her youngest sibling was clear from her adding a single word, ‘probably’ at the end.

“Hey, onee-chan. I wonder what happened to make mom and dad like that so suddenly.”

It wasn’t until this month that their parents became overly enthusiastic about their education. Until last month, as members of the Numbers of the Hundred Families, a suitably advanced magic education was carried out at home. But that took into consideration their children’s growing pace, it was reasonable.

But once this month arrived, they began cramming into them, especially their first son Yoshihiko, as if they’re trying to make their children leave. Ichika gave her opinion to her father and mother at first, but soon afterwards the atmosphere didn’t allow that anymore.

Their parents are growing more and more impatient every day.

That is how the Tokugawa sisters felt.

◇ ◇ ◇

It had become evening when Tawara Hideki, who was selected as a representative for Speed Shooting in the newcomers competition, returned home in Tochigi.

“—Don’t you tell me to do whatever you want!”

He had a meeting with his father and right after returning to his room, Hideki vented his anger by kicking a cushion.

Maybe his shout was heard, as someone gently knocked on the door.

Hideki responded “What!?” with his frustration in full view,

“...I’m coming in.”

“Nee-san.”

The one to open the door and gently make an appearance was his older sister Satone, who, just before Hideki was admitted, graduated from First High and enrolled in the Magic University this year.

“You look angry. What did papa say?”

Hideki looked at his sister with a pointed look. Though he stopped glaring at her right after.

“That he doesn’t care about the general subjects, and he told me to get A+ in all magic subjects.”

The evaluation of results in the National Magic University-affiliated High Schools is done with seven grades: A+, A, A-, B, C, D and F, the highest grade of the five-grade system being further subdivided into three grades.

A+ in all magic subjects means, in other words, to achieve the highest possible grade in all subjects.

“I don’t think even papa is serious when he says that. You didn’t take it seriously either, right?”

“Even if I did, the impossible is impossible.”

Hideki carelessly spat out the remark. His sister Satone looked at him with a face like she would shrug her shoulders at any moment.

“Then, why are you so angry?”

Seeing that Hideki has calmed a little, Satone questioned her younger brother.

“...I was selected as a competitor for the Nine Schools Competition. Newcomers competition Speed Shooting.”

“Oh, that’s great. I couldn’t participate in the newcomers competition, I’m jealous.”

“Nee-san, you won the whole thing last year. Isn’t that enough?”

As Hideki said, Satone was a representative of First High, which achieved the overall win the year prior. Worth noting that First High is on a winning streak of five, with 2097’s cancelled competition in the middle.

“We won the overall championship but my personal results weren’t very good.”

Her record at the Nine Schools Competition was third place in Pairs Rower and Gunner. It wasn’t bad enough to call it not very good, but she must have been dissatisfied with it. Her teammate won the solo version of the event which may have made her feel extra disappointed in herself.

“I was like that, so maybe papa wants you to be even more active?”

“It ain’t like that, dang it.”

Hideki denied it without looking at his sister’s face.

“It doesn’t suit you, that uncouth language. What in the world did he say to you?”

Hideki is, by nature, not a rude young man, even if a little sensitive.

Probably aware that he was starting to get angry from his sister’s exasperated voice, Hideki took a deep breath.

“Newcomers Speed Shooting is done in pairs.”

“Hmm. When I was in school that event didn’t exist, so I don’t know it well...”

Satone entered high school in 2096. That was the year where the events in the Nine Schools Competition underwent a massive overhaul.

“...But in Pairs, you have to do your best to cooperate with your partner.”

Based on her own experience participating in a Pairs event, Satone gave her brother unremarkable advice, yet true to her feelings.

“I think so too.”

Hideki meekly nodded to his sister’s advice.

“But father appears to think differently.”

However, his next words were spat out in a mocking, disdainful tone.

“...What do you mean?”

“Don’t count on your partner. Instead, win with the intention of stealing your partner’s spotlight. That’s what he said.”

“That’s...”

Satone’s line came to an end there. She didn’t know what she should say to her younger brother, who had a gloomy look.

◇ ◇ ◇

The first term ended and summer break began.

But the students that became Nine Schools Competition representatives have no real rest until the tournament is over.

Alisa walked out the front door together with Yuuto at the usual time to go to school. For the purpose of going to Nine Schools Competition practice.

She usually goes to school with Marika, but Marika was unfortunately not chosen as a competitor. She is still a part of the delegation as a substitute, but the other members have priority in practice. There is no need for Marika to go to school early in the morning.

— Even so...

“Asha, good morning!”

Marika was waiting right outside the gate.

“Mina, why?”

“Hmm? What do you mean ‘Why?’?”

“’What do you mean ‘What do you mean?’...”

“Let’s put that aside and go. You’re with senpai today?”

“Y-Yeah. I thought you would go later, Mina...”

When Alisa said that, Marika tilted her head once again and asked “Why?”.

But immediately after she settled it by herself with “Well, it doesn’t matter”.

“Maybe it’s fine that it isn’t just the two of us now and then. Well then senpai, let’s go together.”

Marika led the group to the station. She didn’t seem to be putting on a brave front.

Inside the four-seat Cabinet, Alisa sat next to Marika, and in front of Alisa was Yuuto.

“Umm, could it be...”

Right after the Cabinet started moving, Marika spoke with an expression that said ‘I finally understand’.

“Did you think I would slack off on practice because I became a substitute?”

Marika asked, seeming indifferent. She wasn’t peevish nor sulky.

She was positive as usual, and that made Alisa all the more perplexed.

“I didn’t think you’d slack off...”

“You thought I wouldn’t diligently join in at the beginning of practice, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“It’ll be troubling if you underestimate me like that.” 

Marika said, cheerful at every moment. There were no hints of a bluff in those words.

“There were talks that I might become a substitute from the get-go. I knew about it all along.”

“I know that, but...”

It isn’t usually something you can be satisfied with that easily, Alisa thought.

“Besides, Mirage Bat is also pretty fun. Not as much as Magic Arts though.”

“So you’re enjoying it, right?”

Yuuto, who was silently listening to the conversation, interposed there.

Marika’s bright expression wasn’t disturbed.

“Yes, it’s fun. If I hadn’t become a candidate, I wouldn’t have been able to experience the game. I was able to master new magic too, so I’m really glad I was chosen.”

“I’ll let the President know that.”

Yuuto said with a smile appropriate for a senior.

Marika smiled as well. Seeing that face, Alisa thought ‘Maybe Mina has opened up to Yuuto too’.

Feeling that way, a natural smile appeared on her face as well.

◇ ◇ ◇

Alisa’s and Marika’s summer break started like that, and each day that passed was intense.

It wasn’t just for these two. Their friends like Mei, Hiyori, Joui and Mamoru, as well as their upperclasswomen such as Hatsune, Aki and Chika also went through the intense and hot days. Of course, there is no doubt that the Third High students and students at the other Magic High Schools were training to ensure the steel is glowing hot red as they head to the upcoming Nine Schools Competition.

But, even so.

That doesn’t mean they didn’t feel the merciless summer heat attacking them.

“So hot...”

At the Crowd Ball court temporarily set up on the sports grounds. On a bench next to it, Hiyori muttered the words ‘so hot’ like she was wringing them out from the bottom of her heart.

“What if you wear a cooler jumper?”

Next to her on the same bench and enjoying the cold from wearing a cooler jumper (baseball jacket with thermoelectric cooling functions to protect against the heat) that goes down to her knees, Alisa responded to Hiyori’s monologue from under the brim of her large straw hat, sounding a little worried.

“I’d get all sticky, no way...”

Hiyori responded, sounding annoyed. It’s true that in that aspect, cooler jumpers have close to no breathability. Even if it is hot, Hiyori probably prefers to be in open air until the sweat dries.

On one hand, Alisa’s skin is weak to ultraviolet rays, so she also uses the cooler jumper to avoid sunburns. That said, cooling the body too quickly leads to poor physical health, so she couldn’t reduce the temperature too much and, though a little better, she nonetheless still felt hot.

“Pillars Break practice would be refreshing, wouldn’t it?”

“I wonder. I think with all those huge ice pillars standing there, it would be a little cooler even at a distance... But if the opponent uses magic to melt them instead of to destroy them, wouldn’t the heat come rushing toward you?”

Alisa tilted her head at Hiyori’s comment that almost seemed like a soliloquy.

Ice Pillars Break — often referred to as ‘Pillars Break’ with the omission of ‘Ice’ at the start — is an event with 12 ice pillars of 1 meter of length and width and 2 meters of height lined up on both sides, and both sides compete to see who knocks the ice pillars on the opponent’s side down faster. But Alisa didn’t speak of ‘magic to knock down’, she spoke of ‘magic to destroy’ and ‘magic to melt’.

This is because according to the rules of Pillars Break, ‘The ice pillar is considered knocked down if it has lost half of its total volume’. Since the first rule says ‘if they’re knocked down, you lose’, defending with magic to prevent knocking down is mainstream in this event. To circumvent that, First High started putting more emphasis on ‘destroy’ or ‘melt’ rather than ‘knock down’.

“Rowgun and Mirage seem refreshing as well.”

“I understand Rowgun, but would Mirage be...?”

‘Rowgun’ is the abbreviation of ‘Rower and Gunner’, and ‘Mirage’ is short for ‘Mirage Bat’. The reason Hiyori was saying they seemed refreshing is that they’re both performed above water, but the meaning of ‘above water’ was different between these two events.

Rower and Gunner is an event where you progress through a water canal on a boat and shoot targets set up on the water and to both sides of the canal. This is the usual meaning of ‘above water’, and because of the water temperature, it is probably refreshing.

Mirage Bat, however, is an event where several small footholds are built on an artificial pond and you hit a stick against a projected three-dimensional sphere in the air. That is to say, though you can say it is ‘above the water’, you won’t be touching the water as long as you don’t fall. And in Mirage Bat, ‘falling’ is a big ‘accident’. No doubt it wouldn’t be the competitor themselves, it would be the people watching in the surroundings who would get not ‘refreshed’ but ‘chilled’ down their spine.

“Don’t you think Crowd Ball should be played in rooms with air conditioning as well, like squash and racquetball?”

“Well, maybe it should.”

Alisa agreed with her this time. She, who is no good with heat and sunlight, had been thinking the same thing since the rainy season ended last week.

“Aah, this heat makes me wanna swim. I wanna go to the beach. If not the beach, a pool is fine too.”

Hiyori threw a tantrum with a childlike voice.

“We’ve gone back to water in the end, huh... Do you like swimming?”

Alisa asked while smiling.

“I love it. If this school had a swimming club, maybe I would have joined it instead of Crowd Ball.”

“That would be a problem. We wouldn’t have enough members.”

It was Hatsune who interjected in a joking tone — it was a joke, surely. Also standing right behind her was the singles representative, Shiina.

“Is it our turn? I’m sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Alisa stood up in a hurry and took off her straw hat and cooler jumper. Hiyori also stood up with a flustered face. She was so immersed in the chitchat that she hadn’t noticed the court was empty.

“...When the Nine Schools Competition ends, do you want to go swimming with everyone?”

While heading to the court, Alisa whispered to Hiyori who was walking beside her.

“I want to go, but... doesn’t Marika have a Magic Arts tournament at the end of the month?”

Hiyori asked back, seeming surprised.

“Yeah, but it would probably be fine just for a day. I’ll ask her when she can.”

“Okay. I’ll invite Mei and Koharu after you check when Marika is available.”

Hiyori’s mind was completely turned towards swimming in the ocean or the pool.

Unlike Tokugawa Ichika and Tawara Hideki, perhaps because there’s no pressure from their parents, neither of the two had their minds taken up entirely by the Nine Schools Competition. To put it simply, they were moderately relaxed.