I wasn't satisfied
****
August 4th.
The second day of the official Nine Schools Competition had finally arrived. Yotsuba Mahiro, wearing the crisp jacket of the First High School technical team, walked toward the camp zone prepared for their school. His expression was calm, but the excitement buzzing through the crowd was unmistakable.
Today's scheduled events were Group Ball Scoring and the preliminary rounds of Icicle Offensive and Defensive.
Originally, Mahiro was only supposed to participate in the rookie division of Icicle Offensive and Defensive. That was the natural place for a freshman, after all. But thanks to Katsuto Juumonji, who insisted that Mahiro should "demonstrate the honor of the Ten Master Clans," he had been bumped up into the official competition instead. Only Precision Shooting remained for the rookie bracket.
And his match was slated to begin right after Saegusa Mayumi-senpai's Group Ball Scoring.
That meant Mahiro's morning task was to help Mayumi with her warm-up routine.
However, when he arrived and saw what she was wearing, his expression nearly slipped.
"…You're seriously going to wear that in front of everyone, senpai?"
"Yes." Mayumi tilted her head slightly, blinking her large violet eyes. She looked down at her outfit and even twirled a bit, asking innocently, "Strange? Or… do you think it's unsuitable?"
"…No," Mahiro muttered after a pause. "It's very suitable. Way too suitable, actually… and very attractive."
The moment he said it, Mayumi's gaze turned sharp. She quickly covered her chest with both hands, taking two quick steps back as her cheeks turned crimson.
"Although no one else is here right now, h-things are absolutely not allowed!"
Her mind betrayed her, instantly flashing back to the embarrassing moment they'd shared in the library. Her blush deepened until it almost matched her crimson First High uniform trim.
"..." Am I really seen as that kind of guy? Mahiro sighed inwardly.
Still, he had to admit—Mayumi's outfit today was dangerously eye-catching.
A simple white polo shirt paired with a pleated mini-skirt—it radiated fresh, athletic charm. Her long, smooth legs practically glimmered under the morning light, an irresistible distraction for anyone watching.
It was clearly a tennis-style uniform.
And that made sense. Group Ball Scoring was essentially tennis but with CADs and magic, not rackets. Of course, it wasn't like the "miracle shots" from Prince of Tennis that bent reality itself. This was still a serious magic competition.
"Mahiro-kun, you also have a match coming up, don't you? Is it really okay for you to spend this much time with me?" Mayumi asked gently, bending forward as she stretched.
"Of course it's fine. It's only the prelims." Mahiro waved it off, leaning lazily against a railing. "Besides, watching Mayumi-senpai's warm-up is much more interesting than my own preparations."
"Really now…" Mayumi chuckled softly, brushing a strand of her glossy hair behind her ear. Then, with a teasing glint in her eyes, she asked, "So, will there be any new surprises today?"
To Mayumi, having Mahiro's assistance was like receiving a beautifully wrapped gift. Yesterday, in the preliminaries, he'd optimized her magic activation sequence. Then, in the finals, he had adjusted her output efficiency, pushing her technique to the next level. Each time, he left her pleasantly astonished.
Mahiro, however, only shrugged. "Unfortunately, no. Yesterday drained me dry. I don't have even a single drop left to give."
"M-Mahiro-kun!" Mayumi's face flared red. "Don't use such ambiguous phrasing! Saying you've been drained dry… I never made you do anything that excessive."
Her embarrassed mumble almost made Mahiro laugh. He kept a straight face and countered calmly, "If senpai really insists on a surprise, it's not impossible."
Her eyes immediately lit up, sparkling with expectation.
"…For example, I could 'borrow' Juumonji-senpai's clan technique. Imagine me deploying his Lattice Barrier in Group Ball Scoring, setting up multiple mobile defensive walls. Pretty entertaining, don't you think?"
"Absolutely not!" Mayumi snapped, stepping closer and glaring at him with surprising intensity.
Her deep purple eyes locked onto his with unshakable determination.
Even if Mahiro somehow could use the Juumonji family's secret technique, the mere act of doing so would cause no end of political friction. The Ten Master Clans had unspoken boundaries. Yes, they occasionally allowed certain magics to be "shared," but flaunting them recklessly was a quick way to anger half the magic families in Japan.
"If you tried something like that, Mahiro-kun, you'd get more than just a lecture."
Mahiro raised both hands lazily. "Hai, hai, whatever you say, Mayumi-senpai."
In truth, he wasn't worried. Katsuto Juumonji himself would later participate in the Monolith Code. Eventually, Mahiro would have access to the Lattice Barrier anyway. But for now, it wasn't worth poking that hornet's nest.
…
The next event was the "Group Ball Scoring" competition. As expected, Mayumi-san completely dominated. Mahiro only stayed to watch for a short while before making his way toward the arena where his own match would be held.
By the time he arrived, the spectator stands for Icicle Offensive and Defensive were already overflowing with people. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Aside from a handful of outsiders, nearly everyone there was a student from one of the participating high schools. Because the rules placed no restrictions on the magic used, contestants could unleash their full abilities, creating breathtaking clashes. The moment an icicle shattered into glittering shards, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Naturally, this made Icicle Offensive and Defensive the second most popular event of the Nine Schools Competition.
Among the spectators sat familiar faces—Sayaka-senpai and Erika-chan. Beside them were Miyuki-chan, Kitayama Shizuku-san, Honoka-chan, Mizuki-chan, and Leo. Even Shiba Tatsuya-kun, who was overseeing the rookie competition, had found his way into the stands.
"Hey, hey, Saya-chan, what were you up to yesterday? You didn't come to watch a single match!" Erika-chan asked, tilting her head mischievously.
"Eh? I… I wasn't feeling too well yesterday, so I just stayed in my room all day," Sayaka-senpai replied, fidgeting nervously. She rubbed her hands together in the space between her thighs, her gaze darting away as if trying to avoid Erika's piercing eyes.
"What a shame~ You missed a lot of good matches." Erika's eyes narrowed knowingly. There was no mistaking it—Sayaka-senpai's excuse reeked of a lie.
So she pressed on, voice lilting with teasing curiosity. "But now that I think about it, you didn't show up the day before yesterday either, Saya-chan. If I remember right, even your meals were brought to you by Mahiro-kun, weren't they~?"
"That… that's because…"
Sayaka's slim shoulders trembled. Her cheeks instantly turned scarlet. Words failed her completely. She couldn't possibly tell Erika the truth—that she had spent an entire night tangled up with Yotsuba Mahiro, and her body had been too sore to move the next day. That the exhaustion lingered so much she needed two whole days to recover. Of course she couldn't say that!
"Alright, alright, Erika-chan," Miyuki interjected gently, her tone protective. "Mibu-senpai is already troubled enough. And besides, the match is about to start."
"Exactly," Shizuku added in her calm voice. "It's Mahiro-kun's turn next. We shouldn't miss it."
"Mm-hmm!" Honoka chimed in with bright eyes. "With Mahiro-kun's strength, he's totally going to crush the match cleanly!"
With everyone rushing to Sayaka's defense, Erika puffed out her cheeks and turned her attention back to the arena—though her eyes still sparkled with curiosity. She was more convinced than ever that something had happened between Sayaka and Mahiro. She'd already suspected it, but hearing Sayaka admit it herself would be so much juicier.
"Speaking of which, Onii-sama," Miyuki leaned slightly toward Tatsuya, her voice filled with expectation, "do you know what kind of magic Mahiro-niisan plans to use in this match?"
"…Sorry, Miyuki. I can't say." Tatsuya shook his head regretfully.
The truth was that Yotsuba Mahiro's magic talent covered nearly every system. The sheer range of spells he had mastered made it impossible to predict his choice.
For an event like Icicle Offensive and Defensive, the possibilities were endless. He might unleash Blazing Flame Divine Realm or Ice Mist Divine Realm. Perhaps Ice-Flame Hell or even his unique spell Sonomaiser. More exotic still, he could employ Scattering Mist, or, if he felt particularly reckless, draw upon the terrifying might of the Yotsuba family's forbidden techniques—such as Maya-sama's Meteor Swarm, or even his own fearsome Quality Burst.
The latter was classified as strategic-class magic, powerful enough to alter battlefields entirely. But the rules of the competition didn't actually forbid such a level of magic from being used.
And knowing Mahiro's unpredictable, almost irreverent personality… it was entirely possible he would unleash something outrageous right here in front of the entire crowd.
The anticipation in the stands grew heavier, all eyes shifting toward the arena as Yotsuba Mahiro finally made his entrance.