After lunch, Yugen changed into his school-issued tracksuit for quick mobility and holed up in the control room, fine-tuning his CAD. There wasn't much left to adjust, but he exhaled softly, steadying himself.
"Yugen?" Shizuku's voice broke his focus. "Are you… nervous?"
"Human enough to be," he admitted. "First time using magic in front of a crowd like this."
Magic High School exercises didn't count—those were internal. Performing before non-magicians, let alone a global broadcast, was new. For a Ten Master Clans scion, the Nine Schools Competition was a prime stage to flex his power, but the spotlight felt heavier than expected.
Answering Shizuku, Yugen picked up his general-purpose CAD, testing its weight. Satisfied, he glanced at the monitor showing the men's match venue, frowning at the swelling crowd. "This many spectators? I'm practically a nobody as an athlete, Ten Master Clans or not. They didn't mistake me for 'Crimson Prince,' did they? I'm even spotting university types in the mix."
"I get the feeling," Katsuto replied, stepping into the room, "but the VIP seats seem to be the cause."
The control room housed First High's top brass—Mayumi, Katsuto, and Mari—while Hattori watched Men's Cloud Ball, and Suzune, Kei, and Kanon handled the tent. Katsuto explained: the VIPs included clan heads from the Ichijō (Gōki), Mitsuya (Gen), Yotsuba (Maya), Saegusa (Kōichi), Itsuwa (Mio), and the former Kudō head (Retsu), plus Uesugi's current head, Gōzō.
"You didn't know, Head?" Yugen asked.
"The Master Clans Conference flagged the visit," Katsuto said, "but this lineup's unexpected—especially the Yotsuba head watching your match."
Even as the Tenjūji proxy head, Katsuto wasn't privy to everything. The Saegusa and Tenjūji clans shared a mutual surveillance pact, but information was a weapon, and the Saegusa wouldn't share it all. Yugen figured the Mitsuya-Yotsuba alliance was known, but specifics stayed guarded.
"Should you three be here with Men's Cloud Ball ongoing?" Yugen asked the seniors.
"It's fine," Mayumi said, her tone slipping into its unguarded cadence. "Tōya matched Mika in practice—he won't fumble. I sent Hanzo to check, just in case."
Mayumi's candidness reflected her fondness for Honoka and Shizuku, sparked by an incident on their second day of school. She'd pegged Honoka as a future student council candidate, while Mari saw Shizuku as disciplinary committee material. Honoka had blinked in confusion, and Shizuku radiated mild annoyance, drawing a wry smile from Yugen.
Besides the seniors, Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Honoka were present. Honoka fidgeted under the third-years' aura, but Tatsuya smoothed things over. Miyuki, meanwhile, stood behind Yugen with a bright smile, silent but radiating an envious vibe after his chat with Shizuku.
"Got something to say, Miyuki?" Yugen prompted.
"Uh… good luck, Yugen-san!" she blurted, blushing.
Her earnest cheer caught him off guard, but he kept his composure. As the only First High first-year man left in Pillar Break, the tent's expectant gazes felt like pressure. He might be overreacting, but Miyuki's support eased the weight. As rookie coordinator and a Ten Master Clans heir, losing wasn't an option—his competitive streak wouldn't allow it. Miyuki, now red to her ears, turned away, and Yugen asked Tatsuya to cool her down.
"Do your best, Yugen," Tatsuya said.
"Encouragement from you?" Yugen teased. "I'll make sure it's a fight worth watching."
He changed into his Pillar Break outfit and stepped onto the turret's movable platform. He'd avoided the spotlight until now—or so he thought. His father's words echoed: the moment Yugen awoke in this world as Mitsuya Yugen, his fate was sealed. Fine, he thought. As the "Magician," I'll give them a show.
This is my stage.
Men's Ice Pillar Break, first round, tenth match. Mitsuya Yugen, the third son of the Mitsuya clan head, took the field. He tilted his head at the crowd's size, noting the heavy presence of other schools' students. From the general stands, Mika let slip, "Quite the turnout… Yugen's fame tax, I guess."
"You're one to talk," Kana chided, sitting beside her.
Mika laughed sheepishly. Erika, next to Kana, smirked. Leo and Mikihiko were at Men's Cloud Ball cheering Tōya, leaving Mika and Kana to shield Erika and Mizuki from unsavory types. As former student council presidents tied to First High's dynasty, their presence drew recognition, and Erika was quietly grateful.
Yugen's spotlight stemmed from the Mitsuya clan's legacy and his engineering feats in yesterday's Speed Shooting sweep. Athlete-engineer hybrids were rare, but his athletes' victories fueled curiosity about his skills, Kana reasoned.
"Where's Mototsugu?" Erika asked.
"With Grandfather," Mika replied. "He's the Uesugi heir, after all."
"Calling him that?" Kana said. "His stoicism gave me grief back in the day."
Mototsugu was at Gōzō's side in the VIP seats, while Shizuru and Chisato watched Cloud Ball. Erika understood, given her family ties, but Mizuki, newly introduced, eyed Mika curiously as Yugen's sister. Kana's explanation of Mizuki's "eyes" helped them bond.
Across the field, Third High's first-years clustered, including Shōki, Crimson Prince, Airi, Shiori, and Kuzuko. The rest were at Cloud Ball. "Finally, we'll see his magic," Crimson Prince said. "Shōki, you look tense. You okay?"
"Huh? I'm fine," Shōki replied, flustered. "What about you, George?"
"One loss won't drag me down," Crimson Prince said. "It'd affect the team otherwise."
Shōki's concern lingered—Crimson Prince's "Invisible Bullet" being sealed had shaken him, despite his research-honed resilience. As friends, Crimson Prince knew better than to let it fester, but he privately worried more about Shōki's lovesickness, though he held his tongue.
"Your family stuff playing up?" Crimson Prince ventured.
"I won't deny it," Shōki admitted, glancing at the VIP seats where his father, Gōki, watched. Their eyes met, and Shōki returned the nod.
Gōki had seen his first-round match, and Shōki understood why he'd come for Yugen's, given their clans' ties. Still, the presence of multiple clan heads was staggering.
"I owe you for stepping in earlier," Crimson Prince said. "But seriously, you good?"
"I'm fine," Shōki insisted.
The concern tied to an earlier encounter. En route, they'd run into Shōki's family—his mother, Midori, and sisters, Akane and Ruri. Ruri's affection for Crimson Prince often led to excessive contact at the Ichijō estate. This time, Shōki's intervention spared him, but Akane's coldness toward Shōki had stung. Crimson Prince had stopped Shōki from lashing out, citing the crowd, but the emotional toll was clear. All Crimson Prince could do was hope it wouldn't affect Shōki's performance.
Meanwhile, Airi, Shiori, and Kuzuko sat waiting for the match. They'd pegged Miyuki as First High's threat, but a male contender now piqued their interest—though Shiori sensed Airi and Kuzuko's attention had ulterior motives.
"I met him through family ties," Kuzuko said. "Where'd you meet him, Shiori?"
"Kanazawa Institute," Shiori replied. "Airi met him there too, but… I didn't know he was Ten Master Clans."
Shiori, unaware of Mitsuya customs, hadn't questioned Yugen's hidden name. She assumed it was clan-specific, like the Jūnanaya traditions she'd learned. "I don't think he lied," Airi said, "but I saw him breeze through Kanazawa's highest-intensity training."
"That's… experimental-level stuff, right?" Kuzuko asked.
"Yeah," Airi confirmed. Two years ago, as a second-year middle schooler, Yugen had cleared it. Airi doubted even the Master Clans' framework could measure his current strength.
"He's terrifying," Kuzuko murmured, half-curious, half-wary. As a Twenty-Eight Clans member, she knew their power, but Airi's words suggested Yugen's magic might redefine it.
The announcer's voice echoed, and the turret's hum signaled the match's start.
In the VIP seats, clan heads watched. Gōzō, glaring at Retsu, spat, "You tested my grandson last night, didn't you?"
Retsu smirked. "Couldn't hide it from you, Gōzō."
"Obviously," Gōzō shot back. "Think you could conceal that?"
With other clan heads present, Gōzō avoided "killing intent," but Retsu caught his meaning and waited. "Your granddaughter chewed you out," Gōzō continued. "Your sister-in-law will too. I'll leave it there. But you're in for a surprise."
"Is this about an Uesugi secret?" Kōichi interjected, intrigued.
New Shadow Style swordsmanship held mysteries even the Saegusa didn't know. Magic inquiries were taboo, but Kōichi's ambition as a magician and clan head couldn't resist. Gōzō, sensing this, replied, "Let's just say that. Seeing is believing."
"That's news to me," Gen said.
"Not just me," Gōzō added. "They wanted to see it too."
Mototsugu, catching the implication, gaped. "Grandfather, you didn't tell me?"
"I kept it from you," Gōzō said. "His power stumps even me. So, I'm leaving it to her to judge."
Even Gōzō, a strategic-class magician, couldn't gauge Yugen's strength. Maya leaned in. "Who's this 'her,' Gōzō?"
"Someone you all know," Gōzō said. "Chihime Kagurazaka, head of the Kagurazaka, one of the Guardians. She's watching from the stands."
"What?!" Retsu exclaimed, stunned. Chihime attending was a shock. He scanned the crowd but found nothing—her magic could mask her as an ordinary non-magician. Giving up, he sighed. "When did she arrive?"
"Yesterday evening," Gōzō said. "I arranged her room after a call. We spoke briefly—she'll meet you at the main house."
Even Gōzō didn't fully grasp Chihime's abilities, but to her, this was likely trivial. "Either way," he said, "the stage is set. She's keen to see what he's got."
Note: New story is out, if you want to check it out.
Search --> Transferred to Kivotos, I Solve Everything with My Fists
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