Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 4 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4 – Newcomers Competition — Arduous Battle of Attack and Defense

August 8th, Saturday. The fifth day of the Nine Schools Competition.

The main competition stops for some time and from today, for four days, the newcomers competition for first-year students only will be held.

The order of the events will be the same as the main competition, with today’s events being Ice Pillars Break’s qualifying round and Rower and Gunner. Moreover, in the newcomers competition there is no Solo events, only Pairs.

Today, Alisa, Mei, Hiyori, Joui, and Mamoru won’t participate. Still, Marika came to support. It seems it’s because the competitors are the same school year as her.

“It really is fine for you to stay during the night.”

It was Mei, not Alisa, who said that to Marika sounding partly fed up. If she’s going to cheer in the entire newcomers competition, she will have to make the round trip between Tokyo and Mount Fuji every day. Even if it’s just riding the microbus from school, it should usually be more comfortable to lodge at a hotel.

“If it’s about the rooms, you can take one.”

Mei was not saying that carelessly. Every day, competitors are returning to their hometowns due to indisposition one after the other. In a way, they’re like sick people. They cannot return home alone. Each time, a student from the same school that came to support accompanies them. As a result, there are vacancies in the rooms reserved for the Nine Schools Competition.

“Hmm...”

But Marika was indecisive.

“Even so, I won’t. I don’t like getting special treatment. Besides, it would make me feel awkward.”

“Marika, were you always that delicate...?”

“So mean! That’s rude!”

While faking tears and saying “Ashaa...”, Marika buried her face in Alisa’s chest.

Of course, both Marika’s exaggerated ‘I’m hurt’ act and Mei’s prior ‘delicate’ remark were both jokes.

In order to make the real, unamusing meaning of it being ‘awkward’ unclear.

Ichika’s condition has still not improved. It’s getting to a point where it’s looking like Marika as a replacement will be seriously considered. Because of that, the looks aimed at Marika from Ichika’s friends are getting increasingly thornier.

They’re not publicly telling her off nor secretly harassing her. The girls are also not that stupid, selfish, self-righteous. But seeing how Ichika had been clearly working herself beyond her limits as she aimed for this Nine Schools Competition, they couldn’t agree, emotionally, to have her turn on the stage be taken by a substitute.

Marika also can understand those feelings. That’s why even if Ichika’s friends are cold to her, she assumes a position on the range of ‘I don’t feel too good about it’.

Honestly speaking, Marika doesn’t really understand the feeling of wanting to do your best ‘for the family’. But she does understand the pain of not being given the chance to show the results of her hard work.

It is many times more frustrating to not be able to try, regardless of whether she does well or not, compared to failing to do well despite working hard. Marika thinks that way. So it’s not just lip service, she truly wants Ichika to get better and go to her matches.

“Mina, did you have breakfast?”

Alisa changed the topic, somewhat forcefully.

“Well, I ate, but...”

Marika, looking a little embarrassed, spoke vaguely.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Hiyori mercilessly pointed it out, and Marika glared at her.

“We still have some time before the matches start, so let’s eat something light and then head to the stands?”

Nobody objected to the proposal from Koharu, who said it while clearly sneering.

◇ ◇ ◇

Alisa’s group walked to the area that was turned into an open-air food court where many stalls were assembled.

More than half the tables were occupied. Not just students from other schools but also school staff and adults who appear to be ordinary spectators were using them. Finding a First High jacket in the midst, the girls, led by Mei, headed to that table.

“Good morning, Vice President. Izayoi-senpai. I see Kitou-sensei also came. Good morning.”

Three people were sitting there, Yuuto, Souma and Kitou. Mei gave two ‘good mornings’, a separate one aimed at the teacher. The rest of Alisa’s group followed Mei’s greeting with a single “Good morning”.

“Shall I join that table to this one?”

Before Mei asked ‘Is it okay for us to join you?’, Souma stood up and proposed that.

“Indeed.”

Not waiting for a response, Yuuto also stood up. Alisa’s group has yet to express their feelings on sharing the table. It might be pushy rather than hasty, but restraint became unnecessary.

“I’ll help you.”

Marika, who should be reserved towards Yuuto and Souma, was the first to offer, probably her sporty mentality at work.

Yuuto and Souma moved the table, Marika and Hiyori joined together and moved the parasol. Alisa and Mei didn’t just watch either, and moved the chairs together with Koharu, and the 8-seat table was complete. — Kitou also wanted to help, but Yuuto and Marika stubbornly declined.

When Alisa’s group returned from buying light meals, Yuuto was nowhere to be seen. It appears he went to buy more drinks.

“What were you talking about?”

While sitting down, Koharu asked in a tone for idle talk. Maybe because she was rained in an environment of a manager of a large company, she has a social demeanor while not overly familiar.

“We were talking about how we haven’t seen that unpleasant lot at this year’s Nine Schools Competition.”

Souma’s tone was a casual one of a high school student talking to his kouhai. It was unnaturally natural, such that if your sensitiveness isn’t trained much, you wouldn’t understand that tone was manufactured. At least Alisa and Marika, and the other three girls didn’t feel it was out of place.

“Unpleasant lot?”

Alisa bent her head to the side.

“Do you mean people like the humanists?”

Mei followed up with that question.

“Well. People of about that kind.”

Souma nodded slightly, but even so some of the others were not satisfied.

“What kind of people are there, usually?”

Marika asked.

”Last year there were plenty of suspicious people, in both identity and nationality.”

The answer came from Yuuto, who just returned.

“Hey, Yuuto...”

Souma’s voice was loaded with reproach.

“It may be because of a lot of high officials from the military and public security bigshots are in attendance this year, but the security also seems better than last year.”

Not caring, Yuuto sat down as he continued.

“We were talking about wanting to have at least this level of security every year.”

“Indeed, that should be done.”

Alisa agreed.

Though she was nonchalant, Souma and Kitou, knowing that she is being targeted by New Soviet Union agents, stopped themselves just before they unintentionally exchanged glances.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Well, see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Returning the same words to Marika, who was waving her hand, Alisa watched the minibus carrying her best friend drive away.

When she could no longer see the bus, Alisa’s shoulders dropped and she breathed a sigh. A “You could have stayed today” followed her sigh. She thought that way all the more because she came all the way from Tokyo in vain.

Even if the matches were lost, it can’t be said that cheering is useless. But since they got no points at all, Alisa feels bad that Marika woke up early, spent about two hours coming from school and over two and a half hours going back home to support them. Even if it wasn’t her own matches.

In the first day of the newcomers competition, both boys and girls advanced to the final league in Ice Pillars Break, but both boys and girls were unable to enter the top three in Rower and Gunner.

From the Nine Schools Competition rules, points can only be earned until the third place, with the exception of one event. Mirage Bat alone has a format that gives points until the fourth place.

Qualifying rounds are not held for Rower and Gunner. Every pair goes in order and competes with time taken and shooting score. The shooting score is converted into seconds and deducted from the run time. The pair with the shortest time after that adjustment wins.

Each pair has only one chance for a run. Consequently, tactics vary greatly according to the run order. Generally, later pairs have the advantage.

Pairs that have their turn first try to get a good time and try to put the pressure on the later pairs.

However, the teams later in the order see the scores of the team that went prior to them and try to exceed those scores. In essence, the previous times become a reference.

In the end, a specific goal makes it easier to use all of your strength. Even with no difference in abilities, there are many examples of the later teams pushing to the limit and getting the win.

In that sense, First High was unlucky today. Their turn in Rower and Gunner was third for the boys and second for the girls. Maybe it would even have been easier to go first in the order.

Whatever may be the cause, today ended in complete failure. Marika didn’t give the impression that she cared, but Alisa was feeling like she had blundered and lost herself.

It wasn’t just Alisa in that depressed state of mind. Even at dinner, a heavy atmosphere lingered at the first-year student’s table.

“Everyone, it’s only the first day. You don’t need to be so pessimistic.”

Feeling it was unseemly, Mei, who has the position as the first-year girls’ leader, encouraged them with a strong tone.

“That’s right. We’ll make a comeback tomorrow and it will be fine.”

The boys’ leader, Joui, showed he agreed with no delay.

Finally a positive mood was born, mainly among the boys.

Gradually, the positive atmosphere spread among the girls as well.

Alisa finally felt like she was able to swallow her food.

The situation was like that, and that’s why she didn’t notice.

Not just Alisa. Mei, Hiyori, and Koharu didn’t notice either.

Many of the girls were curving their backs, like they were enduring a stomachache.

Alisa has a match tomorrow. In spite of that, she isn’t feeling much pressure.

As a result, she didn’t realize the girls who will have matches the day after tomorrow and afterwards were being crushed by the heavy pressure of ‘having to win’.

◇ ◇ ◇

The boys of First High’s rivals Third High took second place in today’s Rower and Gunner, though the girls didn’t score points.

But there is a big difference, psychologically, between not scoring and scoring. The mood at the restaurant assigned to Third High was not as gloomy as First High’s.

Third High’s first-years were talking, not about their own schools results, but about other school’s students. The topic wasn’t Seven High’s dual victory today, nor their rivals First High. It was Ninth High, whose boys got third and girls got second.

“—So, about the Ninth High girl, looks like she didn’t end up hospitalized.”

“Really... that’s good.”

Quick to learn about it, Samon announced, and Akane spoke in relief.

“Yeah. I considered the worst, but I’m glad it didn’t become a tragedy, like her having no hope of making a full recovery.”

Tatsuki agreed with Akane.

“But is she really okay? It would be good if no after-effects appear for the next few days.”

Hiromi added that worriedly, and Akane and Tatsuki both knit their brows.

“There’s nothing we can do about that even if we worry about it, right?”

However, Tatsuki, Akane, and the other first-year students listening to their conversation showed their agreement with Samon’s clear opinion. Exactly because they ‘could do nothing’ no matter how much they thought about it.

Third High students were worried this much about the Ninth High competitor because they were watching nearby when she collapsed.

In the newcomers competition’s women’s Pairs Rower and Gunner, Third High was 8th in the turn order. Seventh High was 6th and Ninth High was after them.

Seeing Seventh High improve the best time right in front of them, the Ninth High competitors must have surely become overeager. In the end, though they didn’t reach Seventh High, the Ninth High pair set a time close to it. However, right after passing the finish line and getting off their boat, the competitor in charge of steering the boat collapsed. It was like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

As the Rower and Gunner course is shaped like a ring, the start and finish lines are the same. The Third High competitors, who were waiting for the next run, were shaken by the sudden scene of a Ninth High member collapsing. It couldn’t be fully seen from the audience, but the Ninth High competitor had her eyes wide open and was convulsing, anyone was able tell she was in terrible shape at a glance.

Maybe that influenced the Third High competitors, as they were unable to focus on their run and couldn’t get their usual time. But rather than venting their anger due to that result, they were concerned about the state of the Ninth High member. The mood up until a bit ago was due to the girls’ feelings infecting the other students of the same year.

“Everyone, listen up.”

The leader of Third High’s delegation, a third-year boy, raised his voice then.

Not just the first-years, the upperclassmen stopped eating as well, and paid attention to the leader.

“As you know, competitors are getting injured one after another in this tournament. Unfortunately, even some in our school had to withdraw.”

He took a small break there and softened his tone.

“I don’t want you to misunderstand me, I don’t blame anyone at all for what happened.”

He asserted, and the female technicians who forced the competitor to withdraw looked more relieved than the competitor who withdrew herself.

“—The problem is what happens from now on. It’s looking like the incident that happened today in women’s Rowgun could have been a matter of life and death, not just magic ability.”

The shocking information beyond their expectations caused a commotion to fill every corner of the room.

The leader didn’t try to force them to quiet down, he waited for everyone to calm down naturally.

“It is certain that the Nine Schools Competition is an important event for us. But it is something that is important for our future, not something to try to win even if it sacrifices our future.”

He looked over at their faces, from students of the same year to his kouhai, one by one. Some nodded at his gaze, others looked down to avoid eye contact.

Though, no person hiding their opposition, and no person who seemed to have objections, could be found.

“I won’t tell you to not try hard. But absolutely do not try too hard. — That is all.”

The leader’s closing remarks oddly matched the doubts Akane expressed the day before.

◇ ◇ ◇

Second day of the newcomers competition. Sitting for breakfast, Alisa was wearing a jersey instead of her Nine Schools Competition uniform.

Hiyori was wearing matching clothes. Of course, underneath the jersey was the Crowd Ball uniform.

Today’s events are Ice Pillars Break’s final league and Crowd Ball’s qualification and final leagues. For Alisa, today is the real event, in the truest meaning of the words.

After they finished their meal and left the restaurant, “Asha!”, Alisa’s name was called. No more than one person calls Alisa this way right now.

“Mina.”

She looked to the person who raised her voice. Her prediction couldn’t be wrong, and she saw Marika waving her hand and rushing to her.

Marika approached Alisa at a speed similar to a tackle and just before she collided with her — well, she suddenly stopped at a point that, if they were both cars, would be considered a minor scrape.

“Good morning! How are you?”

Without even waiting for Alisa to respond, she took Alisa’s hands into her own and asked her that.

“Good luck. I’ll be doing my best to cheer for you!”

Still not waiting for a response, she encouraged her.

“Ah, but don’t overdo it, okay?”

Then her face completely changed to an expression of anxiety and she grasped her hands tighter.

Marika stared at Alisa silently, without even blinking.

“...Thank you, I’ll be careful.”

Alisa finally got a chance to respond, speaking in a calm voice.

“There’s still some time until the match, let’s go to the tent together.”

She added, with a non-strained smile.

“Eh, but is it okay for an outsider to go in?”

Hesitation appeared on Marika’s face. Her gaze towers Alisa wavered.

“Outsider...? You’re in First High too, aren’t you?”

Alisa said, her tone not one of shock, but of reproach.

“But I’m not a representative...”

“It’s fine. Let’s go!”

As Marika was still hesitating, Alisa forcefully pulled her hand and began walking.

Marika is by no means callous. She can read the room like any normal high school girl. She accurately perceived that Ichika’s friends were ostracizing her.

The reason is that Marika might steal Ichika’s stage time.

That’s exactly what substitutes are for, and the girls ostracizing Marika understand that. So they limited themselves to turning their contemptuous eyes to Marika and didn’t harass her.

But even if she knew they wouldn’t do anything substantial to her, in the end, it’s still uncomfortable. That’s why Marika hesitated.

However, just as she timidly stepped into the First High delegation tent, Marika thought ‘Ohh?’. She felt that emotions infused into the glances turned to her had undergone a transformation. 

Above all else, Ichika’s attitude had changed. No, rather than ‘change’, it was just ‘weird’.

Once she saw Marika had gone into the tent, relief appeared in Ichika’s expression.

And it was not just Marika who noticed that. After seeing the change in the glances turned towards her best friend, Alisa repeatedly asked herself ‘Why?’.

One hypothesis came to Alisa’s mind. But she hastily brushed it off and strongly ordered herself to never think of it again.

◇ ◇ ◇

The pair of Alisa and Hiyori made it through the qualifying league in the morning with two wins.

“Those were dominating wins, huh.”

Lunch time. Sitting at the same table as Alisa and Hiyori, Marika livelily praised them for passing the qualification round.

“We only passed the qualifications. The real matches start now.”

Hiyori was being modest, her response overflowing with fighting spirit.

“It’s thanks to Mei and Koharu for adjusting the CAD so well. Thanks, you two.”

Though what Alisa said following Hiyori was half mixed with modesty, the remaining half was what she truly thought and her gratitude was 100% serious.

The hardware specs of the CADs used in the competition are clearly inferior to the ones they usually use.

But, when it comes to what Alisa felt, she could invoke ‘Pelta’ more smoothly today than when she was practicing at the Former Tenth Research Institute.

“Not only is it easier to use magic than usual, I also feel less tired.”

Moreover, the burden that goes along with the activation was reduced.

“You say the sweetest things, Alisa.”

Mei was in a good mood. With her slim body type, and though she can’t be considered a cussing-type ‘pig’, her expression was like she would climb a tree right then.[12]

“Minimum burden and maximum effect. Mei-san, aren’t you getting closer to your goal?”

Koharu intervened with a pleasant tone.

All of Mei’s friends know that her goal is Shiba Tatsuya as a Magic Artificer. And among Tatsuya’s skills, the one Mei values the most is the reduction of the burden on the magician using the CAD. By borrowing Mei’s words ‘minimum burden and maximum effect’, joined with Alisa’s praise, Koharu was lightly teasing Mei.

“...I still have long to go.”

Mei’s voice was cold, but her face was relaxed.

Seeing that, whether or not Koharu shouted ‘And there’s that dere side!’ deep in her mind, is something only her would know.

“Thanks for the meal, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Alisa was the last one to finish eating.

“Finally time for the finals. How are you feeling?”

Marika stood up at the same time as Alisa and asked her with an encouraging smile.

“When do the matches start?”

“The finals start at 1:30, but our matches are the second and third, so we still have some time.”

The time is currently exactly 1:05pm. 20 minutes are allocated to women’s Crowd Ball matches, but in Crowd Ball’s final league the boys’ matches and the girls’ matches are scheduled to be held on the same court, alternating between them.

This is because in leagues with three pairs, the pair that is in the first and third match will have the advantage in terms of recovery from fatigue. To make it fairer, boys and girls matches are held in turns.

The girls are first in the order. 50 minutes are allocated to boys matches, so the second girls match starts at 2:40pm. The third match for the girls will start at 3:50pm.

“Let’s spectate from the tent’s monitor until Hiyori’s and Alisa’s match.”

Mei proposed to Marika, who was worrying over how to kill time until Alisa’s match.

◇ ◇ ◇

Not many people were in First High’s tent. They’re probably going to support the Ice Pillars Break boys, which, while its final league starts at the same time of 1:30pm, they’re the first in the order. Unlike Crowd Ball, Ice Pillars Break does not have a fixed match time, so the students who went to support them at the venue won’t return to the tent.

The only prominent figures left in the tent were Shiina and Saburou. Aki, Chika and Yuuto probably went to support in Ice Pillars Break. Alisa thought that, but...

“Alisa-san, I have a message from Juumonji-kun. He says he’ll return when it’s time.”

Through conveying Yuuto’s message, Shiina dispelled Alisa’s misunderstanding.

Note, Shiina calls Alisa by name because she felt the need to distinguish her from Yuuto, who is also ‘Juumonji’. Also, Saburou calls Yuuto by name and Alisa by surname.

This wasn’t limited to just Shiina and Saburou, among the other seniors in the Nine Schools Competition delegation, it came to be that the girls call Alisa by name and the boys call Yuuto by name.

A large monitor installed inside the tent was showing the Ice Pillars Break venue. Alisa’s group sat on chairs in front of the medium-sized reserve monitor. It’s not that she didn’t care about the match with her fellow First High students, but her interest in her opponent’s match that is about to start was higher.

The first match for the girls is the Third High pair against the Fourth High pair. Third High, as expected, advanced to the final league. Fourth High had been under the radar.

They spectated the entirety of Third High’s qualification matches in the morning. Alisa and Hiyori decided to use the time until the match begins to watch a recording of Fourth High’s matches.

“Umm...”

“It’s hard to know what to say about this... right?”

Once they finished watching the first set, those were the first thoughts that came out of Alisa and Hiyori.

“It looked like the Second High pair destroyed itself?”

Marika, who was watching with them, expressed her impressions with little confidence.

“It looked that way to me too.”

Mei was feeling more confident in her words than Marika.

“Must be the pressure, right?”

Hiyori identified the cause of Second High’s defeat.

“Second High made too many common mistakes. If I’m not mistaken, Second High lost their first match, didn’t they?”

After Hiyori’s question, Koharu nodded while saying “That’s right” as she looked at the qualification round’s match chart.

“Maybe that’s why they tried so hard, thinking that they absolutely needed to win. And that’s why they blundered that much.”

“I wonder how Second High lost their first match. After all, Fourth High got through with two wins, so the other pair, umm, the Sixth High one was weaker than Fourth High, right?”

“Shall we watch that video too?”

Hiyori made that proposition after Marika’s question.

“I’m curious, but we’re out of time. The match is going to start soon.”

However, Alisa said that as she looked at the clock and then changed the monitor to real-time footage.

In Third High’s pair is Hiiro Hiromi. Last year she was second place at the nationwide open tournament for Crowd Ball and before this tournament she was expected by other schools to participate in the main competition.

But she was entered in the newcomers competition.

The Third High pair, having Hiromi, is seen as the strongest candidate to win the newcomers competition.

“I wonder how far Fourth High will endure...”

Hiyori mumbled to herself just before the start of the game. In her mind, Third High’s pair’s victory is already settled.

“This match should make the strength of Fourth High’s pair clear.”

Alisa was also expecting Third high’s pair to win, but her interest was somewhere else.

The next match in the final league is First High against Fourth High. Alisa stared at the monitor with the intent of analyzing her opponent’s abilities.

As they paid full attention, the match began.

The three minutes of the first set came to an end. As speculated, Third High had the lead, but, unexpectedly, there wasn’t much of a point difference.

“It felt like they were keeping Hiiro-san in check, didn’t it?”

Rather than surprised, Hiyori sounded disappointed as she thought back on the first set.

“Fourth High’s fighting style emphasizes thorough defense.”

That was Alisa’s analysis of Fourth High’s tactics.

“And Third High’s fighting style is in response to Fourth High’s strategy, right?”

Through the same reasoning as Alisa, Mei deduced the answer to Hiyori’s question.

“You mean Fourth High didn’t attack proactively, so they sought to conserve their stamina?”

Koharu asked Mei for a more detailed explanation.

“They probably also had conserving stamina as a goal, but I think making sure they didn’t make mistakes was more important to them.”

“Aggressive plays and making mistakes go hand in hand, right?”

Mei’s answer seemed to be easy to understand for Koharu.

“I see. I understand then.”

Hiyori said with a relieved expression.

The development of the match didn’t change course in the second set.

Both schools’ pairs continued playing defensively and Third High, who snatched away a lot of critical points, won the match by taking two sets in a row.

◇ ◇ ◇

“This might be an opportunity...”

The match ended, and as they watched both school’s pairs leave the stage, Mei muttered briefly.

“What do you mean?”

Though ‘muttered’, the volume was still loud enough to be heard normally, so Koharu asked, a little curious.

It wasn’t just Koharu who had a curious expression. Nobody other than Mei herself understood where she found an opportunity in a match that the Third High pair without issue.

“Hiyori, Alisa. During your match with Fourth High, win with as high of a point difference as you can.”

Mei spoke to Hiyori and Alisa as if she hadn’t heard Koharu’s voice.

“I was planning to do that from the start but... what’s this about?”

“There are special rules regarding point difference in the Nine Schools Competition.”

This time, Mei answered Hiyori’s question.

Though it was insufficient as an answer.

“I know that, though?”

Rather, doubt swelled up in Hiyori’s mind.

“Since this match had a low score, the point difference wasn’t big.”

“So you’re thinking that if we have a better point difference in our match against Fourth High than the match just now, we’ll get an advantage in the tournament?”

Alisa asked Mei to confirm.

Mei nodded and said “Yes”.

Alisa inclined her head to the side.

“But that rule is only applied when the last set is over and the match is still undecided? That practically never happens.”

It is a unique rule in the Nine Schools Competition that the point difference has an influence on the rankings. When the score is 1-1, 2-2 in the case of boys matches, and carries on to the final set, if it is a draw when time is up, although the official rules say that the match goes into overtime, the rule here is that it’s a draw and the rankings are determined by point difference.

But Crowd Ball is a game where the point count changes incredibly quick. Sets almost never end with the same points on both sides. You could even say it is virtually inconceivable.

“I understand Mei’s idea. Alisa, we’re in this together.”

So it is pointless to argue, that is Hiyori’s opinion, and Alisa didn’t have an opposing view either.