Kitayama Shizuku
Chiyoda Kanon
Akechi Eimi
Shiba Miyuki
****
The next morning.
Yotsuba Mahiro sat in the hotel's high-class restaurant, sipping tea while gazing out the wide glass window. A veil of morning mist curled lazily around Mount Fuji in the distance, its solemn peak glowing faintly in the rising sun. The tranquil view made the perfect backdrop for breakfast… though, in truth, the company mattered more.
Seated across from him was Mibu Sayaka.
"By the way, Sayaka, are you really okay with eating so little?" Mahiro tilted his head curiously.
On her tray sat only a single soft-boiled egg, one slice of toast, a few lettuce leaves, and a simple salad. Even her drink wasn't the fruit juice she usually ordered when they met at the café—today, she'd chosen a latte.
Mahiro frowned. Is she on some kind of diet or something?
"Mm, it's fine, this is plenty," Sayaka replied with a shy smile. A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she added, "Since I haven't been practicing kendo lately, I need to eat less. Otherwise, I'll gain weight…"
"But Mahiro-kun," she leaned forward a little, "you should eat more. You've got a match today, and after that you still have to help Kitayama-san calibrate her CAD. You'll need the energy."
"Hmph, don't worry about me. I'm not as careless as you, Sayaka." Mahiro smirked, eyes narrowing playfully. "You came here knowing you'd be watching the competition under the blazing summer sun, and yet you're eating so little for breakfast? Baka… you'll collapse from heatstroke at this rate."
As he spoke, he scooped up a mouthful of chahan and swallowed it with ease. Beside his plate was a steaming bamboo basket of nikuman and a platter of yaki udon. Compared to Sayaka's light meal, his looked like a feast.
Still, what he said wasn't wrong. The Nine Schools Competition drew massive crowds, and in the sweltering heat of midsummer, fainting from heatstroke wasn't uncommon.
"Geez, what a pair of silly lovebirds. If you're gonna flirt, at least choose the right time and place."
A teasing voice broke into their little world.
Both Mahiro and Sayaka turned to find a head of fiery red hair catching the morning light. Chiba Erika grinned mischievously, hands on her hips.
Mahiro's expression darkened instantly. His dead-fish eyes swept across the long table. "…Why should I pick the right time and place? More importantly, why are all of you sitting here like it's a class field trip?"
This was supposed to be a breakfast date—just him and Sayaka. Yet somehow, it had turned into a noisy group gathering.
"Oh, I just came for the fun of it." Erika laughed, sliding into her seat without a care.
Beside her, the bespectacled Shibata Mizuki nodded politely. "I was dragged along by the President…"
"…S-same here." Ichihara Suzune adjusted her glasses while Nakajo Azusa meekly raised a hand.
And that wasn't all. Kitayama Shizuku was calmly sipping her tea, Watanabe Mari-senpai was casually poking at her plate, and even Saegusa Mayumi, the Student Council President herself, had joined the table.
Great. Just great, Mahiro thought bitterly. If Mitsui Honoka and Miyuki showed up too, that'd be every single person I know…
Luckily, according to Shizuku, Honoka was still asleep in her room and hadn't woken up yet. As for Miyuki, for some mysterious reason, she had decided not to come.
"What's the problem?" Watanabe-senpai asked lightly, spearing a cherry tomato with her fork and popping it into her mouth. "The more the merrier, right? Mibu doesn't mind, does she?"
"Mm… no, it's actually nice to eat with everyone like this." Sayaka answered with a gentle smile.
Mahiro almost choked on his tea. Oi oi, you don't look like an injured patient at all. And you're acting like this is perfectly normal?
From this moment on, Watanabe Mari-senpai was officially crowned "Light Bulb Number One" in Mahiro's mind.
Still… Sayaka really didn't seem bothered. If anything, she looked genuinely happy. This was her first time having breakfast with so many people. At school, despite her beauty, excellent grades, and kind personality, she had always eaten alone. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so easily deceived by that snake of a kendo captain, Tsukasa.
So, although she regretted losing her chance for a quiet breakfast with Mahiro, Sayaka still cherished this moment from the bottom of her heart.
Meanwhile, Saegusa Mayumi studied the two of them quietly, her eyes shadowed by complicated thoughts. Her father's words echoed in her mind—words about Mahiro, about her own role, about the future.
It seemed inevitable that her life would be entangled with Yotsuba Mahiro's. And judging from Mahiro's attitude, Mibu Sayaka would certainly have a place at his side.
I'm not the kind of woman who would break up a couple, Mayumi told herself firmly. With a soft exhale, she buried those tangled emotions, straightened her posture, and rejoined the conversation with her usual bright smile.
"Speaking of which, Mahiro-kun," she began sweetly, "I heard the Head of the Yotsuba Family came to the Competition venue yesterday. Is that true?"
"Eh?! Yotsuba Maya?!" Mari-senpai almost dropped her fork, her eyes wide. "The one known as one of the strongest magicians alive?!"
"It's true," Mayumi confirmed. "Sayaka, Shizuku, and even Erika witnessed it."
"Then… is everything alright?" The weight of her tone instantly drew everyone's attention. One by one, the table grew silent, all eyes turning to Mahiro.
"What could possibly be wrong?" Mahiro shrugged casually, leaning back in his chair. "No matter what anyone says, that woman is still my mother. Even a vicious tiger won't eat its own cubs. Besides… she was only here to watch the competition."
Of course, Mahiro had no intention of telling them about his private talk with Maya the night before. If he were to share it at all, it would be in secret—and only with someone he trusted completely.
"I-I see…" Mayumi exhaled softly, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better."
Her relief wasn't only for herself—it was for Mahiro too. After all, within the Ten Master Clans, the name Yotsuba Maya was synonymous with fear and mystery. Even Mayumi's father, the head of the Saegusa Family, would humble himself before her.
After breakfast, everyone scattered into their busy schedules.
Today marked the fourth day of the Nine Schools Competition. Unlike the previous matches, the regular events were put on hold—because the spotlight was now shifting to the Rookie Games, a stage reserved only for first-year students. For the next five days, rookies from all schools would test their strength and talent against one another.
The event order followed the same sequence as the regular competition. That meant today's Rookie events were "Precision Shooting"—from preliminaries to finals—and the "Surfing Race" preliminaries.
Yotsuba Mahiro, alongside Kitayama Shizuku, was set to represent First High in Precision Shooting.
Mahiro, however, didn't feel much pressure. With the Saegusa Family's Magic Bullet Shooter system under his control, he could approach the match with complete confidence. Precision Shooting had always been about accuracy, calculation, and magical refinement—three things he excelled at.
His performance ended up being so flawless that the spectators couldn't help but compare him to Saegusa Mayumi, who had once dominated the same event with her legendary accuracy. By the end of the day, whispers in the crowd had already begun calling Mahiro the new "Fairy Sniper."
But…
"Oi, what kind of nickname is that?!" Mahiro groaned internally, his expression twitching.
A male fairy? What the heck was that supposed to be?! He could practically hear Mayumi-senpai giggling from the audience, and sure enough, she teased him mercilessly afterward. His pride as a man was crumbling on the spot.
Out of sheer embarrassment, Mahiro decided to avoid the spotlight whenever possible. Instead of hanging around the field, he retreated to the Engineering Department's workshop, burying himself in technical adjustments. And right now, all his attention was fixed on Shizuku-chan's equipment.
"Try it now. Any dizziness? Obstruction in the vision field?" Mahiro asked, handing her the rifle-type CAD he had just finished calibrating.
"Mm… perfect. Even smoother than my own."
Shizuku's voice was quiet, her face as stoic as ever. For an outsider, her tone might have sounded indifferent, maybe even dismissive. But Mahiro knew better. After working together for so long, he understood that this was simply her nature. A flat "perfect" from Kitayama Shizuku meant she was genuinely satisfied.
If she wasn't? She wouldn't complain—she'd just hand the CAD back in silence.
"I didn't think you'd actually adapt Saegusa-senpai's perception-type magic—Multiple Observation—for me. And you even managed to optimize it so I can use it without dizziness. That's really amazing, Mahiro-kun."
For Shizuku to add that much, it was practically the equivalent of a standing ovation.
Mahiro just chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "It's nothing special. Just what I should be doing. Honestly, I'm not even that good compared to others. All I did was tweak the activation sequence and add some extra optimization. If it were Tatsuya-kun, he'd probably integrate a full aiming-assist system on top of that."
Shizuku shook her head. "This is already enough." Her cool gaze lingered on him before she suddenly added, "Mahiro-kun… would you consider coming to my house and becoming my exclusive technician? You can name your salary."
"…Hah?"
Mahiro blinked, momentarily forgetting the screen he'd just turned back toward. Did he hear that right?
He stared at Shizuku, the emotionless rich ojou-sama sitting calmly with her CAD in her lap.
"What, are you trying to keep me as your personal property or something?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Mm. Something like that," she answered without hesitation. "After having my CAD adjusted by you, I don't think I'll be able to accept the engineers from my father's company anymore. So please—come be my exclusive technician."
Mahiro nearly fell out of his chair. Wait, hold up. Did she realize how suggestive that sounded?!
After being adjusted by me, she won't be able to accept anyone else…
He only helped fine-tune her CAD, not her soul! Please, Shizuku-chan, stop saying dangerous lines with that poker face of yours!
"…It looks like Kitayama is in pretty high spirits. You even have the energy to joke before the match," Mahiro said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I'm not joking," Shizuku replied flatly. "I'm serious."
"Yeah, yeah, I know you're always serious," Mahiro muttered, standing from the swivel chair. With a casual motion, he reached out and ruffled her short gray hair. "But let's talk about it after the competition. For now, focus on winning the Precision Shooting title."
"Understood." She gave a small nod and didn't press the matter further.
With Mahiro's support, her victory was practically guaranteed.
During the match, Shizuku activated Multiple Observation, splitting her perception into several simultaneous viewpoints. With that vision, she easily detected the color-coded frisbees zipping through the air. Her rifle-type CAD roared with magical discharge as she layered her vibration-type magic onto each shot.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Targets shattered one after another with mechanical precision.
By the time the final scores lit up, Shizuku was smiling faintly—something rare and beautiful to witness.
"Perfect," she whispered to herself, rifle in hand.
Before Mahiro's adjustments, just activating Multiple Observation left her dizzy and disoriented. Now, she could use it without strain, seamlessly blending it with her own specialties. Her body felt light, her magic flowed effortlessly.
The audience outside the arena gasped and cheered, many of them stunned by her performance. Though she couldn't quite rival Mahiro-kun's overwhelming dominance, her speed and accuracy ranked among the very best. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she could hold her own even in the main competition.
Watching from the stands, Mayumi-senpai leaned back with a soft smile.
Good. When I graduate, First High will be in capable hands.
And so, the fourth day of the Nine Schools Competition came to a close. Yotsuba Mahiro and Kitayama Shizuku had claimed victory in the Precision Shooting event, their calm teamwork pulling through flawlessly. Other competitors from First High also secured strong results, while the chaos that had once haunted the earlier matches had finally subsided.
Even the "Surfing Race," which previously felt cursed with mishaps, concluded without further accidents. With this, First High had pulled ahead of Third High by almost two hundred points—an advantage so massive it was practically unprecedented in the history of the competition.
"That's great..."
Mahiro muttered softly, leaning back on a swivel chair inside the engineering department. His arms rested behind his head as he gazed blankly at the cool-toned ceiling made of reinforced alloy panels. For the first time since the games began, he could feel the weight of relief on his chest.
Without the interference of the Headless Dragon sabotage, everything was moving in the right direction.
The fifth and sixth days soon arrived, ushering in the highly anticipated Icicle Offensive and Defensive Rookie Events. During those days, Mahiro stayed almost entirely within the engineering pit, serving as Shizuku's exclusive technician. Every adjustment, every fine-tuning of CAD settings—he made sure her performance would be at its peak.
"By the way, Shizuku... are you seriously going to wear that outfit for the competition?"
Shizuku, in her usual calm and flat tone, replied without hesitation. "Yes. The rules don't forbid it, so it would be a waste not to wear it."
The slight tilt of her head as she tied her sash carried an unspoken counter-question. Her expression, cool and unreadable, almost seemed to say, 'Is something wrong with it? Or do you think it doesn't suit me?'
Mahiro sighed deeply, suppressing a wry smile. "Alright, alright. It's beautiful. It suits you very well."
He wasn't lying. In fact, Shizuku looked breathtaking—perhaps too breathtaking. The light blue furisode kimono draped over her slender frame radiated elegance. Watching her carefully tie the obi at her waist, and then methodically secure the cumbersome long sleeves, Mahiro couldn't help but mutter:
"If you're going to tie down the sleeves, then why choose a furisode kimono at all...?"
His helpless complaint was brushed aside. It wasn't only Shizuku making eccentric fashion choices—apparently the Icicle Offensive and Defensive had long since devolved into something of a runway show for high school girls.
Take Chiyoda Kanon, a second-year, who wore a long-sleeved sports jacket on top while pairing it with black rhythmic shorts. The effect made her jacket resemble a daring mini-skirt.
Or first-year Akechi Eimi, half-British, who arrived in a knightly ensemble: a white high-neck shirt beneath a crimson jacket, with fitted white jodhpurs, sleek black riding boots, and a matching riding cap. It was a costume that highlighted not only her beauty but also her bold, heroic aura.
And then, of course—Miyuki.
She wore a pristine white top paired with crimson hakama-style miko attire. Whenever she unleashed her magic, she resembled a shrine maiden performing a kagura dance to please the gods themselves. The Kagura suzu bells in her hand sparkled like divine ornaments.
Mahiro gave up on trying to make sense of the so-called "costume logic" and shifted the conversation back to what really mattered.
"By the way, Shizuku... do you want to win against Miyuki?"
The moment the words left his lips, Shizuku's hands paused mid-motion. Perhaps it was the sudden intimacy of him dropping formalities, calling her simply Shizuku, or perhaps it was the shocking suggestion itself. Slowly, she turned her head to face him.
Her calm, water-like brown eyes wavered with a flicker of confusion—as if silently asking, 'Why would you say that?'
Mahiro's voice stayed steady. "The reason is simple. You know the final match in Icicle Offensive and Defensive is a single round-robin, right?"
"Mm."
"I've studied this year's roster of Rookie competitors. Honestly, no one can surpass Miyuki's magical power. And with Tatsuya as her engineer... reaching the finals and securing victory will be easy for her. So if you want to claim the real championship, Shizuku, you'll eventually have to face Miyuki head-on. Unless, of course..." Mahiro gave her a teasing look. "You'd prefer to forfeit."
"I won't forfeit."
For the first time, her voice carried a clear spark of determination. Her tone, usually as calm as a frozen lake, now burned faintly with fighting spirit.
Her brown eyes, reflecting Mahiro's figure, held a question unspoken. Her slightly pursed lips seemed to demand an answer. But Mahiro, for once, offered none. He simply met her gaze in silence.
Understanding dawned on her.
"Miyuki is your cousin... so why are you helping me, an outsider?"
"Consider it a whim of mine."
His words were unexpected, yet somehow fitting. Yotsuba Mahiro was the type to act impulsively, to follow his whims and desires without apology.
But before Shizuku could probe further, he added quietly, his tone softening yet firm with conviction:
"Still, it's not just whim. Right now, what matters more is that you, Kitayama-san, are the competitor I've been assigned to. As your temporary exclusive Magical Engineer, it's my responsibility—no, my duty—to meet your expectations. If you wish to win... then I'll do everything in my power to make it happen. So, Shizuku—what's your answer?"
Shizuku's lips pressed together, her calm eyes shimmering faintly like moonlight on water. Then, slowly, her lips parted.
"...I want to win."
It wasn't simply an answer prompted by Mahiro's words. It was a confession pulled from the depths of her heart.
She truly wanted to win. To stand on her own, to prove herself—not by anyone else's measure, but by defeating Miyuki with her own strength.
Although she always appeared calm and detached, as if nothing could disturb her, Kitayama Shizuku was, in truth, a very competitive girl. Just like her childhood friend, Honoka.
Back in elementary school, Honoka and Shizuku were rivals who constantly pushed each other to greater heights. Even when their rivalry evolved into a deep friendship, the spirit of competition never left them. It carried into middle school, where each girl knew the other was her strongest opponent, and each victory or defeat held weight precisely because it was against the other.
Among their peers, no child's magical prowess could compare—not even those born into the prestigious Hundred Families, whose abilities fell short of theirs.
But upon entering First High School, that unshakable confidence was shattered.
The entrance exams introduced them to a girl who seemed almost divine—Shiba Miyuki. Her beauty was flawless, her demeanor serene, and her magical power was so overwhelming that it felt like a glimpse into another dimension entirely. For Shizuku and Honoka, Miyuki wasn't just another rival—she was an insurmountable wall.
And yet… Shizuku's heart whispered otherwise. Even knowing how inferior she was in raw talent, she still wanted to win. At least once. No matter the odds.
That desire burned all the brighter now that she stood with Yotsuba Mahiro on her side. With Mahiro-kun's unshakable presence, Shizuku felt a new kind of courage. She clenched her fist, her eyes firm.
"I absolutely must win!" Her declaration rang with sincerity, one that Honoka shared with equal fervor.
And just as Mahiro-kun had predicted, the moment finally arrived. On the sixth day of the Nine Schools Competition, the finals of the Icicle Attack and Defense pitted Kitayama Shizuku directly against Shiba Miyuki.
The two girls stood at opposite ends of the shimmering ice arena. One wore a red-and-white shrine maiden's outfit that radiated a noble kind of fire; the other, a pale blue kimono that flowed gracefully like water.
Miyuki's long black hair hung loose, swaying with the breeze, while Shizuku's sleeves fluttered as her dark eyes locked onto her opponent. Two generals on a battlefield. Two stars destined to clash.
The silence in the stadium was suffocating. Even the crowd, buzzing moments earlier, now held its breath as though afraid a single sound might break the fragile balance. They all knew this would be the highlight of the entire tournament—a duel between the strongest.
Because behind both girls stood engineers without equal. For Shizuku—Yotsuba Mahiro. For Miyuki—Shiba Tatsuya.
This wasn't just a clash of two students. It was a collision between two of First High's greatest Magical Engineers.
In the main camp, students huddled around the broadcast, nervousness etched into their faces. Palms were sweaty, jaws clenched. Even the usually composed Chiyoda Kanon and Ichihara Suzune found their attention stolen by the unfolding spectacle.
Mayumi, sitting elegantly, couldn't help but glance at Suzune-chan. "Ne, Suzune-chan, who do you think will win? Kitayama-senpai or Miyuki-chan?"
Suzune sighed softly, setting down the files she had been organizing. "Hmm… hard to say."
Her sharp eyes focused on the screen. "From a technical standpoint, Shiba Tatsuya-kun holds a slight edge over Mahiro-kun, but at the scale of this competition, the difference is minimal. In the end, the deciding factor will be the casters themselves."
She paused, then added bluntly, "Kitayama-san's magic is indeed exceptional… but Miyuki-chan's is overwhelming, beyond the reach of her peers. This match will most likely be Miyuki-chan's victory."
"Ah, I knew it…" Mayumi murmured, cupping her cheek with a sigh. Her heart longed for Shizuku's victory, but reason whispered otherwise.
...
Meanwhile, in the competitor's passage, Mahiro leaned against the wall with arms crossed, watching his cousin's distant silhouette. His expression was calm, but his words carried weight.
"This time… you'll finally fight seriously, won't you, Miyuki?"
Lately, Miyuki seemed distracted, even careless in her matches. Mahiro intended to use Shizuku's determination to jolt his foolish cousin awake.
...
The arena lights blazed, signaling the start.
At once, both combatants released their magic.
A wave of blistering heat surged from Miyuki's side, roaring toward Shizuku. Miyuki's strategy was unchanged: unleash crushing power with spells like Ice-Flame Hell and drown her opponent beneath overwhelming magical force.
Shizuku responded instantly, reinforcing her field with Information Reinforcement to counteract the rising temperature. Even so, faint cracks appeared in her defense—the icicles on her side began to drip, the heat eating away slowly but surely.
It was like boiling a frog in warm water. Slow, inevitable defeat.
But Shizuku was no stranger to pressure. Her specialty, Resonance Destruction, gave her an edge. She invoked her vibration-based magic: Earth Tremor.
The ground beneath Miyuki quivered violently. The vibrations surged upward, threatening to destabilize her entire defense.
But Miyuki's response was immediate and flawless. She layered a regional suppression spell over her position, dampening every vibration, extending its reach into the very soil beneath her feet.
Both sides rewrote the phenomena around them, their spells colliding invisibly, locked in a duel that true magicians could appreciate. To the untrained eye, it looked balanced. But both girls knew otherwise.
Shizuku gritted her teeth. She's suppressing everything… I can't break through. As expected of Miyuki.
Her field was under constant assault. Even as her Earth Tremor battered the icicles, Miyuki's heat wave caused more damage in return. The scales tilted against her.
"In that case—!"
Under Miyuki's astonished gaze, Shizuku suddenly canceled her resonance magic. In its place, a concentrated beam of heat burst from the CAD on her wrist, shimmering like a blade of light!
As the searing ray cut forward, it vibrated at ultra-high frequencies, splitting into four during its flight. The beams lanced through the frozen barricade, shattering half of the icicles protecting Miyuki.
"It's the Sonomaiser… upgraded by Mahiro-nii-san!"
Gasps erupted from the audience, even Miyuki's usually unshakable composure faltered for a heartbeat. Her heart skipped—her cousin's name being invoked struck her deeper than the beams themselves.
"In that case…" Miyuki's eyes hardened, her lashes trembling as her lips whispered the incantation.
Ice Mist Divine Realm!
The frozen field itself seemed to sigh as a torrent of absolute cold spread outward, swallowing the arena. The faint warmth of Shizuku's heat rays vanished, replaced by a suffocating chill as though the temperature had plunged to absolute zero.
The icicles, half-melted moments earlier, instantly refroze—sharper, thicker, stronger. Even the opposite field was reinforced with crystalline brilliance.
Shizuku's expression remained placid, her resolve unwavering. 'As expected… just like Mahiro-kun predicted,' she thought. He had warned her of Miyuki's proficiency with freezing magic, and every move was playing out exactly as he described.
But even so… Miyuki's Ice Mist Divine Realm was not her true strength. Neither was the earlier Ice-Flame Hell. She was heir to the Yotsuba bloodline, carrying not only their name but the title of Yotsuba Shinya. Her ultimate specialty was the fearsome River of Tears—a technique capable of freezing not only matter, but the very mind and soul of her opponent!
Compared to that, Ice Mist Divine Realm was a derivative, an echo. Still, Mahiro had once told Shizuku that in his personal classification, all of Miyuki's freezing techniques fell under the same branch of absolute, soul-freezing magic.
Shizuku steadied her breathing. "If so… then Miyuki-san will definitely unleash Ice-Flame Hell again!"
First heat. Then cold. Then heat once more. That endless cycle of violent expansion and contraction was enough to obliterate even the sturdiest defense.
Her heart pounded, but she tightened her grip. The match would be decided in this instant!
As if in answer to her resolve, the Divine Realm faded, and Miyuki's fingers tightened around her CAD. In a whirl of overwhelming power, Ice-Flame Hell ignited again, stronger, fiercer than before.
But Shizuku had been waiting for this exact moment.
Her left hand darted into her sleeve, retrieving a handgun-shaped specialized CAD. Raising the muzzle toward the forming spell array, she pulled the trigger.
Click!
The air itself shattered like brittle glass. The magnificent circle of Ice-Flame Hell blinked out of existence—erased utterly before completion.
"...Th-That's Formula Annihilation?!"
Mayumi shot to her feet, slamming her palms on the table, her voice a shriek. Even the calm and collected Morisaki gaped in disbelief.
"I thought only Mahiro-kun could use that technique! Don't tell me Kitayama-san has mastered it too?!"
And what's more—all the magic cast from the very start of this match had been A-rank or higher.
Since when had A-rank magic become so commonplace?!
No one was more shaken than Miyuki herself. Not only had Shizuku mastered dual CAD operation, but the precision of that Formula Annihilation… it was unmistakable.
For a split second, Miyuki felt it wasn't Shizuku standing across from her. It was Mahiro-nii-san himself. That uncanny resemblance made her falter, her guard dropping ever so slightly.
"Earth Tremor!"
Seizing the opening, Shizuku slammed the ground with resonant force. The ice pillars Miyuki had forged with Ice Mist Divine Realm were already brittle, weakened under the sun's rays. Against the vibrations of Earth Tremor, their fate was sealed.
Crack. Crack. CRASH!
The pillars exploded one after another, shards flying like glass rain. Splinters of frozen brilliance scattered across Miyuki's pale face. The chill brought her back to her senses, her lips parting slightly.
Her trembling fingers brushed the cold droplets clinging to her cheek. Looking at the melting crystals on her fingertips, she whispered, her voice faint, broken:
"...I lost."
The referee's voice rang clear. The match was over.
...
"Mahiro-kun, I… I won!"
Shizuku's normally quiet voice carried a rare brightness as she approached him outside the arena.
Mahiro smiled warmly. "Mm. Congratulations, Shizuku. I saw everything—it was a brilliant match."
As before, his hand reached out to gently ruffle her soft, dark hair. And though her expression remained calm as ever, the warmth of genuine joy radiated from her, impossible to hide.
But then, Shizuku blinked, her lead-gray eyes wavering as she took two deliberate steps back.
"What's wrong?" Mahiro asked, puzzled.
Her voice was flat, but her words struck with sincerity. "Mahiro-kun… you should go see Miyuki. She's… acting strange."
He froze. For someone so often mistaken as emotionless, Shizuku's sensitivity caught him off guard. That she had noticed Miyuki's heartache before he did…
...
By the time Yotsuba Mahiro finally found Miyuki, the sun had already begun its slow descent, painting the sky with strokes of crimson and gold. The fiery clouds stretched endlessly, and the warm glow of the setting sun spilled through the hotel's tall floor-to-ceiling windows, dyeing the room in shades of orange-red.
And there she was.
Miyuki stood silently before the vast glass, her figure framed by the distant majesty of Mount Fuji, its snow-covered peak glowing faintly under the waning light. The reflection made her pale skin shimmer, her cheeks touched with a reddish hue that made her look almost ethereal, like a delicate spirit lost in thought.
"Congratulations on getting second place," Mahiro said casually, breaking the still silence.
"…Mahiro-nii-san," Miyuki's voice was soft but edged with resentment. Her clear eyes remained fixed on the glowing horizon. "Did you come here just to mock Miyuki?"
Mahiro raised his hands in mock surrender and shrugged, a crooked grin forming on his lips. "How could I? Do I really seem like that much of a villain?"
Stepping closer, he came to stand at her side, letting his gaze drift with hers toward the burning sky. "I only came to check on my poor Miyuki-chan, to see if she was sulking all by herself. When I noticed Tatsuya-kun wasn't with you, I figured I'd at least give you some brotherly comfort. I mean, that's my role, isn't it?"
"…Is that so?" Miyuki turned slightly, her lower lip jutting forward in a pout. "Then Miyuki thinks Mahiro-nii-san is incredibly despicable."
Her tone was half sulk, half affection, her cheeks puffing up as she stole a glance at him. "Even if Miyuki understands your reasoning… no matter what, Mahiro-nii-san, you really went too far this time."
She listed her grievances with unusual sharpness. "First, the multi-cast Sonomaiser, then Formula Annihilation, and then your little final trick… all of it clearly fell within Shizuku-chan's plan. If Mahiro-nii-san claims you had nothing to do with it, then Miyuki absolutely won't believe you."
Mahiro chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Ahaha, busted, huh? You're sharper than I gave you credit for, Miyuki-chan."
Unless he had been completely invisible, it would have been impossible to fool her. And Miyuki, as expected, was not the type to be blind to his schemes.
"But really, you can't put all the blame on me either," Mahiro countered, suddenly flipping the situation back on her. "Who told you to be so distracted these last few days? Even during the matches, you were absent-minded. That's why I used Shizuku-chan as a wake-up call, a little reality check for my darling Miyuki."
He wagged a finger, half serious, half teasing. "As a magician, being careless like you… that's seriously unqualified, you know?"
Miyuki flinched slightly at his blunt tone. Deep down, she knew he was right. Ever since Aunt Maya had appeared, her thoughts had been in constant disarray. Normally, Miyuki should have been able to easily dismantle Shizuku's Formula Annihilation with her overwhelming ability, compensating for any destroyed sequences with precision. But this time, she had faltered.
It was unlike her.
Perhaps Maya had whispered something else to her after Mahiro had left that day, words that shook her spirit more than she wanted to admit.
Lowering her gaze, Miyuki's lips trembled slightly. She looked every bit the student who had been soundly scolded by her teacher. "…Mahiro-nii-san is right. Miyuki understands. It's just that… recently, Miyuki has been troubled."
"Oh? Troubled?" Mahiro arched an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer, his grin playful yet curious. "Why don't you tell me? Maybe it'll be fun for me too."
"No way."
Miyuki shot him an annoyed glare, but the heat quickly melted from her expression, replaced by quiet resignation. Her gaze drifted once more to the faraway mountains, their peaks already bathed in the fading glow.
"…Actually, it's nothing. Miyuki has already sorted it out in her heart." She paused, her voice dropping into a whisper. "Mahiro-nii-san… can I lean against you for a while? Just like before?"
For a moment, Mahiro said nothing. Instead, he simply extended his arm with a calm, knowing smile. Miyuki, without hesitation, stepped into his embrace, resting her head against his chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She felt it again—the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the warmth that seemed to chase away the chill that clung to her heart. Slowly, her tense shoulders eased, and her eyes fluttered shut.
"Thank you, Mahiro-nii-san… so warm…" she murmured, her voice faint, as though drifting into a dream.
Mahiro glanced down at her peaceful face, the corners of his lips curving softly.