Amid the eager anticipation of the spectators, the men's preliminary round of "Ice Pillar Break" began.
But—
"Hey hey hey, is this for real?!"
"Is that... a Magic Engineer?"
"No way, what kind of joke is this?!"
...
The audience's skeptical voices filled the entire arena, almost to the point of demanding refunds.
Even Erika and the others were left speechless after seeing it.
"Seriously, why is Yotsuba-kun wearing that outfit for the match? Isn't that just too much of a taunt?"
"True, but it's very much in Mahiro-nii's style."
Mahiro had taken the stage wearing the technical team's jacket.
"Ice Pillar Break" differed from other events in that participants could wear outfits to boost morale, so most competitors dressed in their preferred attire, sometimes turning it into a fashion show.
But wearing an engineer's uniform was a first in the history of the Nine Schools Competition.
Well, aside from his school uniform, he hadn't brought any other clothes—and he couldn't be bothered to change.
"George, it seems he's the temporary engineer from First High."
"Right. I looked into it—his name is Yotsuba Mahiro, supposedly a discarded heir of the Yotsuba family. Masaki, he'll likely be your toughest opponent in 'Ice Pillar Break.'"
"I know."
Ichijou Masaki responded calmly, but his gaze was grave as he watched the figure on the field.
A magician from the Yotsuba family—the most enigmatic lineage among the Ten Master Clans...
Meanwhile, the senior from Ninth High on the platform looked equally displeased, his face alternating between green and red.
To think he had to compete on the same stage as a mere magic engineer, someone who didn't even qualify as a proper contestant...
"This is utterly insulting! I'll make you regret underestimating me!!!"
"?"
What the hell is this guy muttering about?
Without wasting words, the moment the match officially began—before his opponent could even react—Mahiro drew Nightmare and aimed it at the opposing field.
Then, he pulled the trigger.
—"Multi-Scope"—
—"Multi-Casting"—
—"Mist Dispersion," activate!
Not even the audience could react in time. The twelve ice pillars on the opposing field were instantly reduced to molecular dust.
The chilling mist jolted the Ninth High contestant awake, but it was already too late.
The match-ending announcement blared.
"What just happened?"
"No idea..."
"Feels like that engineer is... really strong?"
The spectators were utterly baffled. No one could make sense of it.
"...It's over already?"
"Yeah, it's over."
"...Mahiro-kun is amazing..."
Erika, Shizuku, Honoka, Sayaka, and Mizuki exchanged bewildered glances.
None of them expected the match to end in less than ten seconds.
They couldn't even see what had happened—only that the opposing ice pillars had vanished in an instant.
Just like the car accident they encountered earlier, it was cleanly and decisively dismantled.
And the matches that followed were no different.
Instant defeat!
Instant defeat!
Still instant defeat!
Not a single opponent lasted more than ten seconds against Mahiro. None could destroy even one ice pillar, even with "Information Fortification" reinforcing them.
Miyuki covered her mouth in shock.
She never expected Mahiro-nii to use "Mist Dispersion" in front of everyone...
But this was exactly the Yotsuba Mahiro she knew.
Never caring about others' opinions, mercilessly eliminating any opponent in his path.
After several preliminary matches, the committee unsurprisingly received complaints from other schools.
First High was accused of violating regulations—Yotsuba Mahiro had used a large-scale destructive spell.
The committee members broke into a cold sweat.
The "Ice Pillar Break" event had no restrictions on magic—even strategic-class spells were allowed if you could pull them off.
But they couldn't ignore complaints from eight schools at once.
So, after deliberation, the committee notified First High of their decision.
"So, the so-called 'deliberation result' is—I can't use 'Mist Dispersion' in future matches?"
"...Sigh, that's how it is."
Even Mayumi felt a headache coming on when she received this notice.
In response to the accusations of unfairness from various schools, the committee had forcibly elevated the A-rank destructive magic "Mist Dispersion" to the level of tactical-class magic!
It clearly didn't even come close to that scale!
"The committee is definitely going too far this time."
"Yeah, banning the 'Mist Dispersion' due to excessive magic power is also a first in the history of the Nine Schools Competition."
Mari, Suzune, and the other senior students openly criticized the committee's decision.
This kind of bias was just too blatant, wasn't it?
"What does it matter?"
Just as everyone was fuming yet helpless, Mahiro's voice drifted in calmly.
"It's just a few schools throwing a tantrum because they can't keep up. So what if they ban 'Mist Dispersion'? Do they really think that's the only magic I can use?"
"If those schools want to play dirty, then I hope they won't regret it in tomorrow's matches."
As he spoke, Mahiro maintained a smile the entire time.
Yet no one present felt that it was a genuine smile.
It was more like the eerie calm before a storm.
"Mahiro, what are you planning? Don't do anything reckless..."
Mayumi was deeply worried. She feared Mahiro might do something foolish—like targeting the Nine Schools Competition committee directly.
Given what she knew of him, he was absolutely capable of it...
But Mahiro simply smiled faintly and said, "Relax, senpai. Nothing will happen. I'm not that stupid."
After the impromptu meeting at First High School ended, Mahiro left the camp area and returned to the hotel.
However, just as he was about to take the elevator back to his room, two students from Third High blocked his path.
Both were male.
One of them looked familiar—like Suzaku Kururugi had wandered into the wrong setting. Mayumi had introduced him before: the "Crimson Prince" of the Ichijou family.
The other was slightly shorter, but given his school's emphasis on combat skills, he didn't come across as weak—if anything, he seemed resolute?
They didn't seem to be waiting for the elevator but rather for him, walking straight toward him.
"Hello. I'm Ichijou Masaki, first-year at Third High."
The taller boy spoke first, his tone carrying an arrogance that wasn't intentional but rather a natural air cultivated over years.
His gaze was fixed directly on Mahiro.
"I'm also a first-year at Third High. My name is Kichijouji Shinkurou."
The shorter boy introduced himself with a polite tone but a challenging glint in his eyes, his name carrying a classical flair.
There was no malice, nor even hostility, but it wasn't exactly friendly either.
"Hello. I'm Yotsuba Mahiro, from First High."
Out of habitual courtesy, Mahiro replied calmly.
Then he asked:
"You two seem to have been waiting for me? Is there something you'd like to discuss?"
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